The most amazing sight at Zhongnan Mountain was the Plum Blossoms.
Things would change but there were only white plum blossoms that would not.
Jiang Zheliu had a fur snowcloak over his shoulders, there was a small and fine hand warmer in his hands.
Wenren Ye had also put some velvet embroidered boots on him which had a flexible sole, soft as silk, which brought him faint waves of warmth.
His hairpin that held up his hair had fallen off, and then he’d been nestled in the little devil’s warm embrace and sleeping until now, so he still hadn’t combed his hair. The cold and frosty snow white hair draped down and fell on the fur collar of his cloak of the same colour, almost blending into one.
The moonlight fell on his shoulders, against the half of the back of his hand that was slightly exposed where he held the hand warmer. It was slightly white and transparent, pale without any colour.
Wenren Ye was by his side accompanying him, whilst holding on to his hand.
This was the same pavilion where they had come to see the shooting star. The seating inside the pavilion was forged from mountain rock, at this moment, a soft fox fur blanket was laid down. When the Devil Lord set Jiang Zheliu down onto the blanket from his arms, he looked disdainfully at the stone and that it was hard and cold, but didn’t complain too much about it.
The little devil looked after him like he was made of glass.
During this snowy night, it was not actually that cold, as the saying goes falling snow is not as cold as snow transforming into ice, it was only when the snow ceased to fall that the temperature would begin to drop rapidly.
Wenren Ye sat next to him, putting his arm around him. The black outer cloak on his body overlapped with the snow cloak on Jiang Zheliu, he gradually came closer and closer, until they were snuggled up close together.
Jiang Zheliu paused for a while, rubbed the hand warmer in his hands and then slowly said: “Before when I called you back, it wasn’t only because I was tired.”
He used a clear and peaceful tone, explaining to him the situation about — Zhu Wuxin and He Sorshi, and then pointed out the fact that the iron chains could have broken. His language was concise, and the context was outlined in a few sentences.
“……. If I’d known earlier it’d be like this.” Jiang Zheliu said in an indifferent tone, “That day I wouldn’t have stopped you, which would have caused less worries.”
That day he had said to the little devil that Ninety miles is merely a half of a hundred mile journey1, he was missing just that last step but when he got to that last step every fell apart. The shidi that he had raised with his own hands had been killed by him.
Jiang Zheliu lowered his head, slowly kneading the hand warmer, he said: “It’s a shame that in this world, there’s no such thing as knowing the future.”
Wenren Ye continued to keep silent for a long while, using the moonlight he continued to fix his gaze upon Jiang Zheliu, watching as the other frowned.
He could not truly understand how Jiang Zheliu was feeling inside when he said these words.
“If my shifu knew.” Jiang Zheliu smiled slightly, “he’d probably be full of regret.”
Wenren Ye stared at him: “If Zhu Wenyuan really loved you as a parent, he would have regretted a long time ago —— producing such a son to burden you with.”
Jiang Zheliu said: “It wasn’t a burden, Wuxin wasn’t like this before.”
“He’s already dead.” Wenren Ye’s gaze was cold, “You still believe that he was good.”
Since coming back, the little devil’s temper seemed to have got worse, as if he had really been given a great fright due to Jiang Zheliu’s disappearance. It seemed like this part of the homework for the ‘How to forcefully take what you want by any means possible’ class.
Before you woke up, I went to Dan Xin Monastery, Wenren Ye said: “Yu Jinnian went out to collect some medicine, no one knows his whereabouts, who knows where he’s run off to. When he comes back, I’ll get him to take another look at you.”
“En.”
Shi Binghen brought Ling Xiao Sword back with him.” Wenren Ye mentioned this sword, he couldn’t help thinking about what the sword was like when it was in the hands of Jiang Zheliu, “What do you want to do with it?”
“I was also thinking about that.” Jiang Zheliu reflected on it and then said, “Even if it was returned to Ling Xiao Sect, there is no one there who could use it.”
“Then just leave it with you then.” This was more in line with what Wenren Ye was thinking inside, it was just that Jiang Zheliu was still unable to wield Ling Xiao Sword at the moment.
Jiang Zheliu took a look at his pale palm and sighed quietly, “A treasure covered in dust is such a waste.”
“If the sword falls into the wrong person’s lap, that would be a waste.” Wenren Ye frowned and seized the opportunity to add: “Zheliu, You mustn’t give up.”
When Jiang Zheliu faced the Devil Realm, he’d once held his sword to suppress the border, not giving way to anything. But in the face of the Ling Xiao Sect and the righteous sects who he had supported with his own hands, he had always been accustomed to giving in.
He didn’t give in because he was soft in character, but it was more like acting as their Qianbei and taking care of others, and always being tolerant and thinking of the big picture. Even if he himself was as cold as ice, it did not affect the other’s silent but warm care.
Wenren Ye’s voice was suppressed very low, his breath was warm and hot, and it slowly fell upon the edge of his ears. Jiang Zheliu’s ears were red, as if he had been poked at a secret sensitive spot, and he was in a daze for a moment, but Wenren Ye didn’t back up, intentionally or unintentionally, he moved closer, until his lips were almost touching the other’s earlobe.
His waist was going soft.
Even Jiang Zheliu himself was not particularly aware of the sensitivity of his own body. In the past, Jiang Xianzun, who was a cut above the rest, noble and benevolent and unparalleled in the world, so no one had ever been so impudent.
His ears were burning and he was trapped in the other’s arms, unable to escape, he could only use his words to settle himself, he replied: “This sword symbolizes uniqueness. If it remains in my hand, everyone will think I am still fighting for power.”
“It’s not a fight for power.” Wenren Ye would always consider him as the standard, “It’s the return of something to its rightful owner.”
He didn’t retract, his eyes stopped on Jiang Zheliu’s face, his throat moved slightly, and then he held him in his arms again, and hesitantly kissed him on the lips with a soft motion.
Jiang Zheliu’s words stopped and instead looked up at him.
“So have you already decided that you want to be with me?” The little devil pressed his lips against his and kissed him lightly, “Zheliu, you have also seen, the devil realm likes you very much, you don’t have to worry too much.”
It was true that the Devils did really like him, basically it was the kind of like that made them steal him away, the way they looked at their Devil Lord and Devil Queen was basically like a ripe lemon, sour to death. A bunch of great devils had also discussed taking the Devil Queen back with them, but due to the harsh environment of the Devil World, which was not suitable for Jiang Zheliu’s recovery, they were beaten back by Wenren Ye… Urgh no, persuaded to go back.
Jiang Zheliu had left too strong of an impression on the Devil Realm. Back then, what great devil had not tried to defy him, but in the end they had all been sent packing with a swipe of Ling Xiao Sword, but the thing was Jiang Xianzun was just such a beauty, so they suffered a defeat in every battle, but kept on fighting despite the setbacks. Secretly falling in love and taking the beating at the same time.
Jiang Zheliu had not expected this to be the case in the Devil Realm. He was getting a little dizzy from the warm breath of the other, and the tip of his nose was overpowered by the scent of pine and cypress from Wenren Ye’s body. As the little devil held him tightly, he slowly whispered: “… You’re not afraid of becoming a widow.”
Wenren Ye was already extremely nervous, but hearing him say this made him feel even more nervous. The little deer that resurrected after more than a dozen chapters began to jump happily in his heart, knocking around, telling him to follow his heart’s desire.
“I’m not afraid.” Wenren Ye’s purple eyes were fixated on him without blinking, “I will definitely make you well.”
Jiang Zheliu couldn’t help but roll his eyes, he stretched out his hand to squeeze the other’s handsome and sharp face, squeezing the little devil’s villainous face until it looked soft and round, and said with a smile: “Can you consider the reality, the way you speak is always so… headstrong.”
Wenren Ye frowned, letting him squeeze his face, his tone of voice was not very happy and said: “Then can you believe in miracles? What if it happens. Everyday you’re so….”
He couldn’t find the words in that moment, so he thought for a while, and suddenly remembered the word that Ah-Chu often used, and he learned to use it, “So discouraged2.”
Jiang Zheliu had understood the meaning of this word from Ah-Chu before, and he corrected it: “It’s called being mature.”
“Then I would rather be naive.” Wenren Ye said, “If something happens to you again or there are more shameless people trying to do stuff to you, I will become even more puerile.”
Jiang Zheliu looked into the other’s eyes, his thoughts suddenly paused, and he faintly felt that there was something different in the other’s words.
“If you have suffered any injuries from that pack of wolves.” Wenren Ye’s eyes moved down and landed on the pendant around Jiang Zheliu’s neck, “Or…you left. No one would be able to stop me.”
The resurrection stone was radiant and lustrous, and the milky white stone had a few gleams of blue light floating in it.
Even though Jiang Zheliu predicted the future direction of the World and knew that in the future there was a great possibility of war with the Devil Realm. But he was still stunned by Wenren Ye’s way of speaking… In his mind, the little devil should be the ruthless and ambitious hero who would reunite the realms, and nothing like how he was acting at the moment… full of danger.
Jiang Zheliu pressed his fingertips into the hand warmer, raised his eyebrows and said, “Is this your way of threatening me.”
“Yes.” Wenren Ye confessed, “If one day, you don’t feel that this is a threat… then you have truly relieved yourself from worldly worries.”
Jiang Zheliu fell silent.
The safety of all sentient beings in the world could still be used to threaten him. This was like his invisible shackle.
No matter how he tried to not care on the surface, but as the little devil said, only when he didn’t feel the weight of this threat would he truly have been freed.
Snowflakes blew into the pavilion, and it perched on top of the fur collar of his outer cloak.
Wenren Ye stretched out his finger and carefully brushed away the snowflakes. He heard the other’s voice in a very light tone: “…I thought that after I retired, I had become free long ago.”
“I will take care of everything.” Wenren Ye was very self-aware, “In order not to be a widow, I will work extra hard, I’ll make you live longer than Zhongnan Mountain.”
He took Jiang Zheliu’s wrist, rubbed it in his palm, and then said, “It’s too cold, let’s go back.”
“Okay.” Jiang Zheliu glanced at the night sky and suddenly said, “Little Devil?”
“Hmmm?”
“… Nothing.” Jiang Zheliu was on the verge of saying what was on his mind, but he also felt that even if he didn’t say the things he wanted to say it wouldn’t matter. The way of the world could never be fully deduced, there is no way of predicting karma, nor cause and effect, “Let’s go back.”
————
It was not only snowing in Zhongnan Mountain.
The seasons changed and the climate fluctuated. At the border of the Cultivation world and the Demon World, in the depths of the Shiwan Dashan3 there was also a rare heavy snowfall that came down on the mountain.
Yu Jinnian’s cultivation realm was not particularly strong, but he had still been a cultivator for many years so he was also unaffected by the cold and the heat, and would not frown when confronted with the cold wind or snow. But at this moment, he had actually been caught in a dilemma because of the heavy snow.
The blood jade tree peony that was needed to undo the Fate Seal4 had long been picked up by Yu Jinnian.
But what he hadn’t expected was that he had negotiated with Wang Wenyuan several times during this period, going back and forth trying to figure out how to unlock the Locking Sound Curse, but everything he got was fake.
No matter how much one tries to conceal one’s own objective, whatever his objective is will be discovered. Yu Jinnian’s curiosity about the Locking Sound Curse was only manifested in the spell itself and was inconspicuously mixed in with various requirements in the results of countless negotiations, and did not involve Wang Moxuan one bit. However his older brother was too sharp, or he had made use of the divination of the trigrams for help……
In the course of several negotiations, Yu Jinnian had not met directly with Wang Wenyuan. Yu Jiannian and Wang Wenyuan had confirmed the content of their final transaction. About a day and a night ago, the news of Zhu Wuxin’s death spread from Ling Xiao Sect and was delivered by Wang Wenyuan to Yu Jinnian. The Pavilion Lord of Tianji Pavilion said mysteriously that Zhu Wuxin had died as agreed and their deal should end there.
He wanted the antidote for the Cylindrical Heart Powder, in exchange for other various items required by Yu Jinnian.
Everything was fine, except for the incantation for the Locking Sound Curse which was fake, but it also caused a strange chain reaction with Fate Seal. While he was using the blood jade tree peony from Shiwan Dashan to unlock the Fate Seal, this curse that was deeply rooted in the soul also seemed to completely seal off the cultivation base in Wang Moxuan’s body.
Wang Wenyuan was an old fox5, it seemed as if he had been waiting for this moment. Even when he sent Wang Moxuan out of the Tianji Pavilion to carry out some duties, it was as if he did it intentionally.
He had never really treated this person as his younger brother.
He was just a thing used in exchange for the antidote.
What was most lacking in Shiwan Dashan was a cave. Yu Jinnian lit a stove. He hadn’t even bothered with all the spiritual medicines or precious objects, all he had packed in his storage device was a few items of clothing, and they weren’t even the type that could resist the cold… He didn’t need it, so naturally he didn’t keep it on him.
Yu Jinnian’s robes carried a faint herbal fragrance, which was now enveloping Wang Moxuan’s body. The latter was wearing a pale blue robe of the Guardian of Tianji Pavilion, with a thick cloak over his shoulders, and his fingers were red and so cold they’d become stiff.
“Everything else will be sorted without mishap, the Fate Seal has been undone, but…” Yu Jinnian grabbed his hand and squeezed it into his palm unavoidably, “Your cultivation has been affected and you won’t be able to use it, I don’t know if I can recover it for you.”
There was also the Locking Sound Curse, which could not be undone.
“You can’t go back to Tianji Pavilion.” Yu Jinnian frowned, “Wang Wenyuan is probably waiting to make a fool of me.”
The little mute6 could not speak, and could only use his frozen fingers to sign at him.
——It’s ok. It’s good that I can leave there.
He was controlled by these methods in the Tianji Pavilion for many years before, and he had also sought a lot of help and looked for many opportunities, but never succeeded.
In the end, it just became worse and worse each time.
Yu Jinnian stared at him for a while, and suddenly grabbed his frozen hand and pulled Wang Moxuan into his arms, then looked down and tore open his clothes, undid the complicated collar, and began to spread his fingers all over the other’s body.
The little mute was very different from when he was younger. He was born pure and handsome, with gentle brows and eyes, as if he had no temper at all.
But he was still frightened by this action. First, he was taken aback for a while, and then he hurriedly squeezed Yu Jinnian’s hand, but his cultivation base had been completely sealed, so his body was like that of an ordinary person, and so he could not exert any force at all.
Yu Jinnian embraced him in his arms and let the other’s cold body stick to his own skin.
His body temperature was warm and constant.
“Don’t fool around.” The Divine Sage of Medicine said in an angry manner, “Not only could I not cure you, but I’ve actually made you into a useless person. You are simply my disgrace.”
Wang Moxuan understood his intentions, and immediately stopped moving.
“And we just happened to encounter the worst weather period of Shiwan Dashan, it’s too much.” Yu Jinnian whispered. “When we were in school together when we were young, you couldn’t talk. I called you, little mute every day. You were so fierce like the wolf child that wanted to beat me up, and then you would cry if I couldn’t beat me, it made me so distraught. I thought as you were the dignified second young master of Tianji Pavilion, you had gone back to live in wealth and glory, but instead, you turned yourself into a little mute again.”
He paused, then continued: “Oh man! Now you can’t even cry, you can only just look at me. I’m so annoyed.”
The little mute in his arms did not move.
“Your voice had only been recovered for a few years, you hadn’t even learnt to speak well and now it’s broken again.” Yu Jinnian said, “Your temper has improved a lot, too, now you can’t speak out no matter how much I bully you.”
Wang Moxuan didn’t even use sign language to fight with him, he just left the Divine Sage of Medicine to entertain himself in this deep mountain forest.
“You didn’t even reply to my letters, you really let Tianji Pavilion to fully control you.” Yu Jinnian sighed, “Why do I have such a good heart? I am really a physician with a lovely heart of a parent. You will call me a father7 in the future.”
Of course what he was saying was utter nonsense. Just as he continued to talk crap for another half to not let Wang Moxuan fall asleep, he suddenly felt a tickle on his chest.
The other’s fingertips were rubbing against his chest, he was writing slowly.
He wrote “thank you.”
Yu Jinnian was speechless for a moment, his throat tightened. He said after a long time: “… When the snowfall here stops, I will take you to Zhongnan Mountain to find someone. That big devil….. Well, that person is very powerful, even if your brother is able to find your whereabouts, he will not dare to come looking for you again.”
As he spoke, he was also thinking in his head for a while…If this person wants to write, he should write, can’t he find a proper place to write, why did he make the atmosphere so improper?
The most amazing sight at Zhongnan Mountain was the Plum Blossoms.
Things would change but there were only white plum blossoms that would not.
Jiang Zheliu had a fur snowcloak over his shoulders, there was a small and fine hand warmer in his hands.
Wenren Ye had also put some velvet embroidered boots on him which had a flexible sole, soft as silk, which brought him faint waves of warmth.
His hairpin that held up his hair had fallen off, and then he’d been nestled in the little devil’s warm embrace and sleeping until now, so he still hadn’t combed his hair. The cold and frosty snow white hair draped down and fell on the fur collar of his cloak of the same colour, almost blending into one.
The moonlight fell on his shoulders, against the half of the back of his hand that was slightly exposed where he held the hand warmer. It was slightly white and transparent, pale without any colour.
Wenren Ye was by his side accompanying him, whilst holding on to his hand.
This was the same pavilion where they had come to see the shooting star. The seating inside the pavilion was forged from mountain rock, at this moment, a soft fox fur blanket was laid down. When the Devil Lord set Jiang Zheliu down onto the blanket from his arms, he looked disdainfully at the stone and that it was hard and cold, but didn’t complain too much about it.
The little devil looked after him like he was made of glass.
During this snowy night, it was not actually that cold, as the saying goes falling snow is not as cold as snow transforming into ice, it was only when the snow ceased to fall that the temperature would begin to drop rapidly.
Wenren Ye sat next to him, putting his arm around him. The black outer cloak on his body overlapped with the snow cloak on Jiang Zheliu, he gradually came closer and closer, until they were snuggled up close together.
Jiang Zheliu paused for a while, rubbed the hand warmer in his hands and then slowly said: “Before when I called you back, it wasn’t only because I was tired.”
He used a clear and peaceful tone, explaining to him the situation about — Zhu Wuxin and He Sorshi, and then pointed out the fact that the iron chains could have broken. His language was concise, and the context was outlined in a few sentences.
“……. If I’d known earlier it’d be like this.” Jiang Zheliu said in an indifferent tone, “That day I wouldn’t have stopped you, which would have caused less worries.”
That day he had said to the little devil that Ninety miles is merely a half of a hundred mile journey1, he was missing just that last step but when he got to that last step every fell apart. The shidi that he had raised with his own hands had been killed by him.
Jiang Zheliu lowered his head, slowly kneading the hand warmer, he said: “It’s a shame that in this world, there’s no such thing as knowing the future.”
Wenren Ye continued to keep silent for a long while, using the moonlight he continued to fix his gaze upon Jiang Zheliu, watching as the other frowned.
He could not truly understand how Jiang Zheliu was feeling inside when he said these words.
“If my shifu knew.” Jiang Zheliu smiled slightly, “he’d probably be full of regret.”
Wenren Ye stared at him: “If Zhu Wenyuan really loved you as a parent, he would have regretted a long time ago —— producing such a son to burden you with.”
Jiang Zheliu said: “It wasn’t a burden, Wuxin wasn’t like this before.”
“He’s already dead.” Wenren Ye’s gaze was cold, “You still believe that he was good.”
Since coming back, the little devil’s temper seemed to have got worse, as if he had really been given a great fright due to Jiang Zheliu’s disappearance. It seemed like this part of the homework for the ‘How to forcefully take what you want by any means possible’ class.
Before you woke up, I went to Dan Xin Monastery, Wenren Ye said: “Yu Jinnian went out to collect some medicine, no one knows his whereabouts, who knows where he’s run off to. When he comes back, I’ll get him to take another look at you.”
“En.”
Shi Binghen brought Ling Xiao Sword back with him.” Wenren Ye mentioned this sword, he couldn’t help thinking about what the sword was like when it was in the hands of Jiang Zheliu, “What do you want to do with it?”
“I was also thinking about that.” Jiang Zheliu reflected on it and then said, “Even if it was returned to Ling Xiao Sect, there is no one there who could use it.”
“Then just leave it with you then.” This was more in line with what Wenren Ye was thinking inside, it was just that Jiang Zheliu was still unable to wield Ling Xiao Sword at the moment.
Jiang Zheliu took a look at his pale palm and sighed quietly, “A treasure covered in dust is such a waste.”
“If the sword falls into the wrong person’s lap, that would be a waste.” Wenren Ye frowned and seized the opportunity to add: “Zheliu, You mustn’t give up.”
When Jiang Zheliu faced the Devil Realm, he’d once held his sword to suppress the border, not giving way to anything. But in the face of the Ling Xiao Sect and the righteous sects who he had supported with his own hands, he had always been accustomed to giving in.
He didn’t give in because he was soft in character, but it was more like acting as their Qianbei and taking care of others, and always being tolerant and thinking of the big picture. Even if he himself was as cold as ice, it did not affect the other’s silent but warm care.
Wenren Ye’s voice was suppressed very low, his breath was warm and hot, and it slowly fell upon the edge of his ears. Jiang Zheliu’s ears were red, as if he had been poked at a secret sensitive spot, and he was in a daze for a moment, but Wenren Ye didn’t back up, intentionally or unintentionally, he moved closer, until his lips were almost touching the other’s earlobe.
His waist was going soft.
Even Jiang Zheliu himself was not particularly aware of the sensitivity of his own body. In the past, Jiang Xianzun, who was a cut above the rest, noble and benevolent and unparalleled in the world, so no one had ever been so impudent.
His ears were burning and he was trapped in the other’s arms, unable to escape, he could only use his words to settle himself, he replied: “This sword symbolizes uniqueness. If it remains in my hand, everyone will think I am still fighting for power.”
“It’s not a fight for power.” Wenren Ye would always consider him as the standard, “It’s the return of something to its rightful owner.”
He didn’t retract, his eyes stopped on Jiang Zheliu’s face, his throat moved slightly, and then he held him in his arms again, and hesitantly kissed him on the lips with a soft motion.
Jiang Zheliu’s words stopped and instead looked up at him.
“So have you already decided that you want to be with me?” The little devil pressed his lips against his and kissed him lightly, “Zheliu, you have also seen, the devil realm likes you very much, you don’t have to worry too much.”
It was true that the Devils did really like him, basically it was the kind of like that made them steal him away, the way they looked at their Devil Lord and Devil Queen was basically like a ripe lemon, sour to death. A bunch of great devils had also discussed taking the Devil Queen back with them, but due to the harsh environment of the Devil World, which was not suitable for Jiang Zheliu’s recovery, they were beaten back by Wenren Ye… Urgh no, persuaded to go back.
Jiang Zheliu had left too strong of an impression on the Devil Realm. Back then, what great devil had not tried to defy him, but in the end they had all been sent packing with a swipe of Ling Xiao Sword, but the thing was Jiang Xianzun was just such a beauty, so they suffered a defeat in every battle, but kept on fighting despite the setbacks. Secretly falling in love and taking the beating at the same time.
Jiang Zheliu had not expected this to be the case in the Devil Realm. He was getting a little dizzy from the warm breath of the other, and the tip of his nose was overpowered by the scent of pine and cypress from Wenren Ye’s body. As the little devil held him tightly, he slowly whispered: “… You’re not afraid of becoming a widow.”
Wenren Ye was already extremely nervous, but hearing him say this made him feel even more nervous. The little deer that resurrected after more than a dozen chapters began to jump happily in his heart, knocking around, telling him to follow his heart’s desire.
“I’m not afraid.” Wenren Ye’s purple eyes were fixated on him without blinking, “I will definitely make you well.”
Jiang Zheliu couldn’t help but roll his eyes, he stretched out his hand to squeeze the other’s handsome and sharp face, squeezing the little devil’s villainous face until it looked soft and round, and said with a smile: “Can you consider the reality, the way you speak is always so… headstrong.”
Wenren Ye frowned, letting him squeeze his face, his tone of voice was not very happy and said: “Then can you believe in miracles? What if it happens. Everyday you’re so….”
He couldn’t find the words in that moment, so he thought for a while, and suddenly remembered the word that Ah-Chu often used, and he learned to use it, “So discouraged2.”
Jiang Zheliu had understood the meaning of this word from Ah-Chu before, and he corrected it: “It’s called being mature.”
“Then I would rather be naive.” Wenren Ye said, “If something happens to you again or there are more shameless people trying to do stuff to you, I will become even more puerile.”
Jiang Zheliu looked into the other’s eyes, his thoughts suddenly paused, and he faintly felt that there was something different in the other’s words.
“If you have suffered any injuries from that pack of wolves.” Wenren Ye’s eyes moved down and landed on the pendant around Jiang Zheliu’s neck, “Or…you left. No one would be able to stop me.”
The resurrection stone was radiant and lustrous, and the milky white stone had a few gleams of blue light floating in it.
Even though Jiang Zheliu predicted the future direction of the World and knew that in the future there was a great possibility of war with the Devil Realm. But he was still stunned by Wenren Ye’s way of speaking… In his mind, the little devil should be the ruthless and ambitious hero who would reunite the realms, and nothing like how he was acting at the moment… full of danger.
Jiang Zheliu pressed his fingertips into the hand warmer, raised his eyebrows and said, “Is this your way of threatening me.”
“Yes.” Wenren Ye confessed, “If one day, you don’t feel that this is a threat… then you have truly relieved yourself from worldly worries.”
Jiang Zheliu fell silent.
The safety of all sentient beings in the world could still be used to threaten him. This was like his invisible shackle.
No matter how he tried to not care on the surface, but as the little devil said, only when he didn’t feel the weight of this threat would he truly have been freed.
Snowflakes blew into the pavilion, and it perched on top of the fur collar of his outer cloak.
Wenren Ye stretched out his finger and carefully brushed away the snowflakes. He heard the other’s voice in a very light tone: “…I thought that after I retired, I had become free long ago.”
“I will take care of everything.” Wenren Ye was very self-aware, “In order not to be a widow, I will work extra hard, I’ll make you live longer than Zhongnan Mountain.”
He took Jiang Zheliu’s wrist, rubbed it in his palm, and then said, “It’s too cold, let’s go back.”
“Okay.” Jiang Zheliu glanced at the night sky and suddenly said, “Little Devil?”
“Hmmm?”
“… Nothing.” Jiang Zheliu was on the verge of saying what was on his mind, but he also felt that even if he didn’t say the things he wanted to say it wouldn’t matter. The way of the world could never be fully deduced, there is no way of predicting karma, nor cause and effect, “Let’s go back.”
————
It was not only snowing in Zhongnan Mountain.
The seasons changed and the climate fluctuated. At the border of the Cultivation world and the Demon World, in the depths of the Shiwan Dashan3 there was also a rare heavy snowfall that came down on the mountain.
Yu Jinnian’s cultivation realm was not particularly strong, but he had still been a cultivator for many years so he was also unaffected by the cold and the heat, and would not frown when confronted with the cold wind or snow. But at this moment, he had actually been caught in a dilemma because of the heavy snow.
The blood jade tree peony that was needed to undo the Fate Seal4 had long been picked up by Yu Jinnian.
But what he hadn’t expected was that he had negotiated with Wang Wenyuan several times during this period, going back and forth trying to figure out how to unlock the Locking Sound Curse, but everything he got was fake.
No matter how much one tries to conceal one’s own objective, whatever his objective is will be discovered. Yu Jinnian’s curiosity about the Locking Sound Curse was only manifested in the spell itself and was inconspicuously mixed in with various requirements in the results of countless negotiations, and did not involve Wang Moxuan one bit. However his older brother was too sharp, or he had made use of the divination of the trigrams for help……
In the course of several negotiations, Yu Jinnian had not met directly with Wang Wenyuan. Yu Jiannian and Wang Wenyuan had confirmed the content of their final transaction. About a day and a night ago, the news of Zhu Wuxin’s death spread from Ling Xiao Sect and was delivered by Wang Wenyuan to Yu Jinnian. The Pavilion Lord of Tianji Pavilion said mysteriously that Zhu Wuxin had died as agreed and their deal should end there.
He wanted the antidote for the Cylindrical Heart Powder, in exchange for other various items required by Yu Jinnian.
Everything was fine, except for the incantation for the Locking Sound Curse which was fake, but it also caused a strange chain reaction with Fate Seal. While he was using the blood jade tree peony from Shiwan Dashan to unlock the Fate Seal, this curse that was deeply rooted in the soul also seemed to completely seal off the cultivation base in Wang Moxuan’s body.
Wang Wenyuan was an old fox5, it seemed as if he had been waiting for this moment. Even when he sent Wang Moxuan out of the Tianji Pavilion to carry out some duties, it was as if he did it intentionally.
He had never really treated this person as his younger brother.
He was just a thing used in exchange for the antidote.
What was most lacking in Shiwan Dashan was a cave. Yu Jinnian lit a stove. He hadn’t even bothered with all the spiritual medicines or precious objects, all he had packed in his storage device was a few items of clothing, and they weren’t even the type that could resist the cold… He didn’t need it, so naturally he didn’t keep it on him.
Yu Jinnian’s robes carried a faint herbal fragrance, which was now enveloping Wang Moxuan’s body. The latter was wearing a pale blue robe of the Guardian of Tianji Pavilion, with a thick cloak over his shoulders, and his fingers were red and so cold they’d become stiff.
“Everything else will be sorted without mishap, the Fate Seal has been undone, but…” Yu Jinnian grabbed his hand and squeezed it into his palm unavoidably, “Your cultivation has been affected and you won’t be able to use it, I don’t know if I can recover it for you.”
There was also the Locking Sound Curse, which could not be undone.
“You can’t go back to Tianji Pavilion.” Yu Jinnian frowned, “Wang Wenyuan is probably waiting to make a fool of me.”
The little mute6 could not speak, and could only use his frozen fingers to sign at him.
——It’s ok. It’s good that I can leave there.
He was controlled by these methods in the Tianji Pavilion for many years before, and he had also sought a lot of help and looked for many opportunities, but never succeeded.
In the end, it just became worse and worse each time.
Yu Jinnian stared at him for a while, and suddenly grabbed his frozen hand and pulled Wang Moxuan into his arms, then looked down and tore open his clothes, undid the complicated collar, and began to spread his fingers all over the other’s body.
The little mute was very different from when he was younger. He was born pure and handsome, with gentle brows and eyes, as if he had no temper at all.
But he was still frightened by this action. First, he was taken aback for a while, and then he hurriedly squeezed Yu Jinnian’s hand, but his cultivation base had been completely sealed, so his body was like that of an ordinary person, and so he could not exert any force at all.
Yu Jinnian embraced him in his arms and let the other’s cold body stick to his own skin.
His body temperature was warm and constant.
“Don’t fool around.” The Divine Sage of Medicine said in an angry manner, “Not only could I not cure you, but I’ve actually made you into a useless person. You are simply my disgrace.”
Wang Moxuan understood his intentions, and immediately stopped moving.
“And we just happened to encounter the worst weather period of Shiwan Dashan, it’s too much.” Yu Jinnian whispered. “When we were in school together when we were young, you couldn’t talk. I called you, little mute every day. You were so fierce like the wolf child that wanted to beat me up, and then you would cry if I couldn’t beat me, it made me so distraught. I thought as you were the dignified second young master of Tianji Pavilion, you had gone back to live in wealth and glory, but instead, you turned yourself into a little mute again.”
He paused, then continued: “Oh man! Now you can’t even cry, you can only just look at me. I’m so annoyed.”
The little mute in his arms did not move.
“Your voice had only been recovered for a few years, you hadn’t even learnt to speak well and now it’s broken again.” Yu Jinnian said, “Your temper has improved a lot, too, now you can’t speak out no matter how much I bully you.”
Wang Moxuan didn’t even use sign language to fight with him, he just left the Divine Sage of Medicine to entertain himself in this deep mountain forest.
“You didn’t even reply to my letters, you really let Tianji Pavilion to fully control you.” Yu Jinnian sighed, “Why do I have such a good heart? I am really a physician with a lovely heart of a parent. You will call me a father7 in the future.”
Of course what he was saying was utter nonsense. Just as he continued to talk crap for another half to not let Wang Moxuan fall asleep, he suddenly felt a tickle on his chest.
The other’s fingertips were rubbing against his chest, he was writing slowly.
He wrote “thank you.”
Yu Jinnian was speechless for a moment, his throat tightened. He said after a long time: “… When the snowfall here stops, I will take you to Zhongnan Mountain to find someone. That big devil….. Well, that person is very powerful, even if your brother is able to find your whereabouts, he will not dare to come looking for you again.”
As he spoke, he was also thinking in his head for a while…If this person wants to write, he should write, can’t he find a proper place to write, why did he make the atmosphere so improper?
