Chapter 1132: The Twenty-Ninth Night
Pure light fell, and Xu Yourong used the Holy Light Technique to heal Chen Changsheng’s injuries.
Then, Chen Changsheng used golden needles to unblock Xiao Zhang’s meridians and fed him a pill to soothe blood and calm the spirit.
Xiao Zhang did not thank him; instead, he was quite dissatisfied and said, “What about the Cinnabar Pill? Why won’t you give me one to try?”
Under the deliberate promotion of the Li Palace priests led by An Hua and those fanatical believers, the entire continent now knew the origin and method of making the Cinnabar Pill.
This most precious and miraculous elixir was refined by His Holiness the Pope using his own holy blood.
Xiao Zhang knew this too, but he didn’t really care, thinking that eating one of his pills was no big deal.
Chen Changsheng explained, “The bottle I made a few days ago has already been sent to the Songshan Military Prefecture. If you want to eat one, you’ll have to wait another ten or so days.”
Since the war hadn’t started yet and Xiao Zhang was now very important to the human race, he didn’t mind.
But Xu Yourong minded. Perhaps it was because she felt sorry for Chen Changsheng, or perhaps because the blood in Chen Changsheng’s body was mixed with her own blood and couldn’t be separated.
In other words, half of the Cinnabar Pill was his, and half should have been hers. Why did he get to decide everything alone?
She looked at Xiao Zhang and said, “Are you sure you want to eat it?”
Remembering her earlier conversation with Yanzhi Shanren, Xiao Zhang suddenly felt a chill and said, “Just pretend I farted.”
Seeing this scene, Wang Po was in a good mood and laughed out loud.
Xiao Zhang sneered and said, “Your fart is pretty loud too.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “How did you come here?”
This was also the question Xu Yourong and Xiao Zhang wanted to know.
Although the Demon General never showed up until the end, Hei Pao’s scheme itself was flawless.
Xiao Zhang had sent word through the Bear Tribe that the demons had begun their pursuit, which was over ten days ago.
Chen Changsheng had only received the news in the past two days.
Saint realm experts like Mao Qiuyu and Prince Xiang were under pressure from the demon army and had no idea about this matter.
Tonight, Xiao Zhang broke through to a higher realm, and Mao Qiuyu, Prince Xiang, and others should have sensed it.
But the distance between them was too great. Even Saint realm experts couldn’t make it in time, unless Bie Yanghong was resurrected.
The root cause was still trust.
Xiao Zhang didn’t like this world, so naturally, he wouldn’t trust it.
In his eyes, figures like Mao Qiuyu and Prince Xiang were probably more dangerous than demon experts.
Just like Su Li back then.
It was still Chen Changsheng.
Everything happened too fast; he didn’t have time to think more.
Even knowing the demons might set a trap, he had to charge in.
Why did Wang Po appear?
He left White Emperor City, and Xu Yourong left Holy Maiden Peak to come to this grassland because they had a special way of communicating and possessed the fastest speed.
This could only mean that Wang Po knew the news in advance.
Who told him?
“The night before last, Fire Cloud Qilin went to the Tong Courtyard and brought a letter.”
Wang Po said, “That letter came from Luoyang.”
There was a Changchun Temple in Luoyang.
Chen Changsheng looked at Wang Po.
Wang Po nodded.
Chen Changsheng was somewhat surprised, thinking, how could his master have known the demons’ conspiracy in advance?
“Hei Pao has a problem,” Xu Yourong said.
Her final conversation with Yanzhi Shanren was meant to confirm this.
“Now it seems your master also has a problem. To figure these things out, you might need to go to Luoyang.”
The night wind gradually calmed, the dust settled, and a hint of white faintly appeared at the edge of the sky.
The morning light signaled that day was about to break.
Wang Po said to Xiao Zhang, “Want to come with me?”
White paper rustled—that was Xiao Zhang panting, sounding somewhat annoyed.
“I’m no worse than you now. Do I need you to mind me?”
For decades, he had really heard too much of this kind of unreasonable talk. Wang Po smiled and didn’t take it to heart.
Xiao Zhang was indeed as arrogant and irritable as ever, with a very bad temper.
Chen Changsheng was curious how someone with such a temperament could think of asking him for help.
Xiao Zhang’s reason was very simple, yet powerful, and even somewhat touching.
“I’ve cultivated for decades, and I can say without shame that I’ve trained extremely hard, with deep focus, even risking going mad, to finally reach this point and see the possibility of crossing that threshold. To die at such a time—what a pity? Even if I have to die, let me first cross over and see the scenery on the other side.”
“And if I can’t cross that threshold, dying on the snowy plains would be tragic enough, so it doesn’t matter. But now that humanity is about to win, and I’m about to possibly enter the Saint realm, then I am a useful person. How could I just die casually? I need to live more carefully.”
If he crossed that threshold, his once intense loves and hates, his suspicion of this world, his pride and indulgence, would all have to be set aside for now.
Because he needed to live, to live for humanity. In other words, he was no longer himself, or at least not just himself.
Wang Po felt some comfort, Chen Changsheng felt some emotion, and Xu Yourong was silent, thinking, does the scenery beyond that threshold really have such a great impact on cultivators?
The morning wind was slightly cold, but the atmosphere was somewhat warm, which Xiao Zhang disliked.
He liked being feared and dreaded, not being appreciated or liked.
He was used to a cold-toned life. To avoid the conversation turning into a warm-hearted dialogue, he awkwardly changed the subject.
“Your combined sword technique is truly remarkable.”
Xiao Zhang said to Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong.
Although it was a forced change of subject, his expression was serious because he was telling the truth.
The combined sword technique in this sentence referred to Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong’s dual swords working together, but it wasn’t limited to that; it also included their cooperation when fighting Yanzhi Shanren.
That seamless, fluid coordination, like stars reflecting in a river, required the two to be completely in sync.
Everyone in the world knew that Chen Changsheng and Xu Yourong were Dao companions, but everyone also knew that being in sync was the hardest thing in the world.
Even mothers and sons, comrades sharing life and death, or couples married for years found it difficult. Why could they?
Even someone like Xiao Zhang was praising them. Chen Changsheng was a bit happy but also a bit troubled.
First, this question was hard to answer. Second, Yourong was in a bad mood tonight, and he was afraid that answering improperly would make her even unhappier.
Xiao Zhang’s gaze moved between him and Xu Yourong and said, “Is there something wrong between you two?”
...
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“Is there something wrong between you two?”
Starlight fell into the courtyard, turning the green bricks silver and the goose-yellow sleeves into bud-yellow.
Looking at Zhexiu outside the fence, Qijian felt uneasy, his hands tightly clutching his sleeves.
If it were a few years ago, he would have been staring at these silver bricks, because he loved silver the most.
Otherwise, he would have been staring at himself, because he loved this dress the most, loved looking at himself.
When did everything start to change?
Looking at Zhexiu’s back, Qijian’s expression was somewhat desolate.
Zhexiu didn’t turn around or directly answer the question.
“Don’t overthink it. Sleep early. I’ll be back in a while.”
...
...
The courtyard was at the foot of the mountain behind Qing Gorge, with a grassland in front that looked like a beautiful felt blanket under the starlight.
A small path led into the depths of the grassland, probably worn by footsteps, looking like a white thread on the felt.
Zhexiu had stayed here for many years. Although he hadn’t married Qijian yet, the entire Li Mountain had already accepted it.
But no one could contact Su Li, so this matter could only be put on hold for now.
Zhexiu was still as silent, his facial lines softened a bit, and his sleeves and pant legs were no longer as short as before.
Every few days, he would go to the front mountain to listen to the sword sound of the Li Mountain Sword Sect’s sect leader. His illness of sudden impulses had improved a lot. Though not fully cured, it hadn’t flared up for several years.
His realm had also improved very quickly. In early spring, when the peach tree outside the courtyard fence bloomed overnight, he finally reached the peak of the Star Gathering realm.
Combined with the special abilities from his mixed wolf and human bloodline, his combat power was now terrifyingly strong. Guan Feibai and Liang Banhu were no longer his match. Bai Cai couldn’t even last three moves against him. Even when fighting the elders of the Sword Hall, he could hold his own.
To come from Li Mountain to this grassland, one had to pass through the sword path on Qing Gorge. During the day, some elders and disciples would come to this grassland to practice swords. At night, the grassland was silent and empty, with only him, Qijian, and the girl living in the big tree deep in the grassland.
Looking at the distant big tree, Zhexiu’s eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze sharp.
In an endless grassland, having such a big tree was already very strange.
The tree was so thick that it would take over ten people to encircle it. Its surface was very smooth, as if it had no bark. There were very few horizontal branches, and the number of leaves was completely disproportionate to the tree’s size. Only at the very top did it become somewhat dense, looking a bit bare. From a distance, it really did look like a sword.
Walking under the big tree, Zhexiu looked up.
“You’re here?”
“You’re here!”
As if sensing his gaze, two voices sounded.
These two voices were indistinguishable in time, as if they sounded simultaneously, yet they were clearly distinct, never making anyone mistake them for one person.
One voice was crisp, full of spirit, and brimming with surprise.
The other voice was soft and sticky, slightly hoarse, sounding very lazy.
The night breeze gently stirred, green light flowed, and two women landed beside Zhexiu.
Both women were beautiful, but their attire and demeanor were completely different.
One woman wore a plain long dress, wrapped tightly from head to toe, revealing nothing. She wore no makeup, her face bare, extremely pure and beautiful. She looked at Zhexiu with big, innocent, and cute eyes, carefully tugging at his sleeve with both hands.
The other woman was dressed in red, her black hair loose and slightly damp. Her brows and eyes were like a painting, her eyelashes fluttering, exuding a myriad of charms. She had already leaned into Zhexiu’s arms, her soft and bouncy chest gently pressing against his upper arm as if casually.
One was moving, the other seductive; one pure, the other alluring. For any man in the world, it would probably be hard to resist such temptation.
Zhexiu had no reaction, nor did he show displeasure or even disgust like a moral gentleman.
He wasn’t a moral gentleman, and he knew these two women. They were beautiful, but they weren’t real people—they were spirit bodies.
They were Nanke’s wings, named Hua Cui and Ning Qiu.
Back in the Snow Ridge, when Nanke was severely injured and her brain illness flared up, her wings disappeared. Even if they appeared, they couldn’t take human form.
It wasn’t until a certain night not long ago that they reappeared. From that night on, Zhexiu often came to this big tree.
The light wings flapped silently, and Hua Cui and Ning Qiu lifted Zhexiu into the air.
In Zhexiu’s eyes, the smooth surface of the big tree looked like a road constantly receding.
After several dozen zhang, branches became more numerous, leaves increased, and the green grew denser, giving a lush feel.
Someone had built a treehouse on the tree, with a three-foot-wide platform in front. Standing there, one could probably see the magnificent grassland sunset.
Zhexiu walked into the treehouse.
Nanke was squatting on the floor, her left hand hugging both knees, her head resting on her knees, her right hand holding a branch, drawing something on the ground.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up at Zhexiu and said, “You’re here.”
This was a statement, with no emotion, just like her voice—still flat as before, with no ups and downs.
The distance between her eyes was still a bit wide, and her expression was still somewhat dull, but it was much better than before.
The righteous sword sound of the Li Mountain Sword Sect’s sect leader was indeed powerful. Besides helping Zhexiu’s sudden impulses, it also benefited her greatly.
Zhexiu didn’t exchange pleasantries with her and directly asked, “Have you decided?”
Because it was too direct, it seemed somewhat blunt, which could also be interpreted as tough.
Nanke said, “You’ve asked me the same question for twenty-nine nights straight.”
Zhexiu said, “You still have one day.”
Nanke said, “I haven’t decided yet.”
Zhexiu was silent for a moment, then said, “If the answer is still the same tomorrow, I will kill you.”
Nanke said, “If you’re wary of me, you should tell the Li Mountain Sword Sect and join forces with them to kill me. Why come every night to ask me this question?”
Yes, she had woken up, twenty-nine days ago.
That night, Nanke’s wings reappeared on the grassland, bringing a strange and beautiful green light.
Zhexiu saw that green light and knew about it, so he came to this big tree and asked her a question.
Until tonight, Nanke still couldn’t give him the answer he wanted.
“Chen Changsheng entrusted you to me, so I have a responsibility to take care of you. I don’t want you to die.”
Zhexiu said, “And she is your relative. If you die at Li Mountain, she will be very sad.”
Nanke put the branch on the floor and said, “But in the end, you will still kill me.”
Zhexiu said, “You can stay here.”
This was the answer he wanted to hear from Nanke.
Nanke quietly looked at the grassland under the night sky and said, “Humanity is about to go to war. Of course, I have to go back.”
Although her hatred for the current Demon Lord was as deep as the sea, she was still the princess of the demon race.
“Returning to Snow Old City makes you an enemy.”
Zhexiu said, “So I won’t let you leave, even if I have to kill you.”
Nanke said, “I need to think again.”
Her voice was still flat, with no ups and downs, no emotion.
Zhexiu quietly looked at her and suddenly said, “Okay.”
After saying this word, he walked out of the treehouse.
The branch on the floor silently turned black and then turned to ash.
On the platform outside, two green light wings slowly flowed, ready to launch a surprise attack at any moment.
Looking at Zhexiu’s back, Nanke’s face showed no expression, as if looking at a dead person.