Chapter 11: If Life Were Only Like First Meeting (V)
The entire continent knew that as the closed-door disciple of the Lishan Sword Sect's sect master, Qijian was very young, yet his cultivation level was extremely high, and within his even thinner body resided immense strength. But throughout this journey, he had seen it clearly: when it came to willpower and true combat ability, he was far inferior to this wolf tribe youth.
Among the younger generation of cultivators, the wolf tribe youth Zheshe had a considerable reputation, not at all weaker than the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, and at times even overshadowed their brilliance. Someone as proud as Tang Sanshiliu would compare him to Xu Yourong, regarding him as a true target to surpass. This was because... he had lived on the snowy plains, facing the demons directly for many years.
In those years, Zheshe was very young, hadn't broken through to the Tongyou realm, and had no sect or school to protect him. Yet, concealed by wind and snow, he ceaselessly hunted demons and managed to survive until now. Based on this fact alone, it was enough to prove his remarkable nature. At the Lishan Sword Sect, Qijian and his senior brothers occasionally discussed this matter, unable to figure out how he had survived.
Before Zheshe appeared in the capital to participate in the Grand Court Examination, people's impression of this wolf tribe youth was that he was cold and bloodthirsty, believing this to be the most important reason he had survived until now. It wasn't until this time, when they entered the Zhou Garden and fled together, that Qijian finally understood why he could survive on that snowy plain—because Zheshe truly lived like a wolf.
This world contained countless powerful demonic beasts, and even wondrous higher beings like the dragon race. Compared to them, wolves living in the wilderness had nothing particularly special about their strength or bloodline. But wolves were the most patient, most persevering, most cautious, and most sensitive to danger among all animals in this world. The demon wolf tribe possessed the bloodline of wolves, and naturally inherited these traits.
Zheshe was a half-breed of humans and the demon wolf tribe, expelled from his tribe as a child. He had sadly lost the possibility of terrifying collective combat, but this forced him to push his individual combat abilities to an unimaginable degree. His sensitivity to danger even surpassed the divinations of national religion priests using fate star charts.
Looking at Zheshe's face, Qijian's mood grew heavier and more sorrowful. He thought that if it weren't for saving him, no matter how powerful that demon general couple was, Zheshe should have had a chance to escape back then. How could he have ended up like this—the peacock plume poison blinding him, and forced to enter this deadly grassland?
"Sorry..." He withdrew his gaze, looking at the front of his robe where his master's wife had personally embroidered the collar, and whispered, "I've been holding you back."
Zheshe had his eyes closed, meditating and regulating his breath, as if asleep, as if he hadn't heard these words.
This made Qijian even more distressed, yet somewhat comforted, because he knew Zheshe had definitely heard.
But just as he thought Zheshe would continue to remain silent, he suddenly heard a voice: "Since you're aware of that, remember to add more money after we get out."
Zheshe seemed truly asleep, as if these words weren't spoken by him, but the corners of his lips slightly lifted, as if he were smiling.
On the dangerous snowy plains, an expressionless face was the best cover during battle, so he rarely smiled, and very few had ever seen his smile.
Now there was no battle, and he couldn't see, so even he himself hadn't expected to smile.
Looking at his smile, Qijian was stunned, nodded vigorously, hummed in acknowledgment, and then happily smiled as well.
But the smile couldn't last, because they were still in this grassland. His mood soon sank as the sun rose higher over the prairie.
The Zhou Garden had a history of several hundred years. At least a dozen batches, numbering tens of thousands of Tongyou realm human cultivators, had come here. Tempted by the inheritance of the continent's strongest expert and driven by the legends of the Sword Pond, countless cultivators had risked entering this grassland, yet no one had ever come out alive.
Those previous cultivators were not necessarily weaker than him and Zheshe in terms of realm, strength, or will.
After entering this grassland, they had only encountered a few groups of demonic beasts. Clearly, the true danger of this grassland had yet to reveal itself, but they had already sensed many strange things. In this grassland called the Land of the Never-Setting Sun, the sun truly never sank below the horizon. According to the water clock's calculation of nightfall, the sun would transform into a halo of light, slowly circling the edges of the prairie.
Moreover, the space in this grassland seemed distorted, with some hidden pattern that couldn't be grasped through observation. Combined with the endless green grass as far as the eye could see, there was simply no direction. Without direction, naturally there was no way out. Those who entered this grassland seemed destined to walk endlessly, encountering more and more powerful demonic beasts, until one day they finally collapsed from exhaustion.
Furthermore, he was now too severely injured to move, and Zheshe's eyes couldn't see. How much longer could they hold out?
Qijian lowered his head, looking at the bloodstain on his lower abdomen, his mood growing increasingly low. He said sadly, "I don't understand why."
Zheshe knew that his "why" wasn't about this grassland, but about human hearts.
The inner disciples of the Lishan Sword Sect had always been extremely close to each other, like family under the leadership of Qiushan Jun and Gou Hanshi. As the youngest junior brother of the Seven Laws of the Divine Kingdom, Qijian had always been deeply cherished. Deep in his heart, he regarded his senior brothers as blood brothers. Yet who could have imagined that his third senior brother, Liang Xiaoxiao, who usually took the best care of him at Lishan, would stab him by the lakeside—and with such ruthlessness?
Liang Xiaoxiao's sword had pierced straight through his lower abdomen, severed several of his meridians, and utterly shattered his heart. From yesterday until now, even when his mind was hazy from severe injuries, he had been pondering this question. He wanted to ask his third senior brother: why, in the name of all that is holy, did this happen?
In the thatched hut at the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, Zheshe had personally witnessed the affection among the Lishan Sword Sect disciples and how those few cared for and cherished Qijian. So he could understand Qijian's feelings at this moment, could clearly sense his loss, confusion, and sorrow. But he didn't know how to comfort him. After a moment of silence, he said, "I don't know why he wanted to kill you, and I don't really understand the relationships between you fellow disciples. Because ever since I can remember, I've lived alone. I don't believe everything in the world needs a reason. I value results more. So you just need to remember: he wants to kill you, so he is your enemy, no longer your senior brother."
Zheshe was a famous figure. His story had spread widely across the continent. Many knew he was a half-breed of humans and the demon wolf tribe, expelled from his tribe as a child, growing up alone in the wind and snow. Qijian looked up at him and suddenly felt that his figure seemed lonely, pitiable. He immediately forgot his own sorrow, feeling sympathy and compassion instead. Subconsciously, he reached out and grabbed Zheshe's sleeve.
Qijian didn't know why he made this gesture, but he said, "It's different now."
Zheshe tilted his head slightly, eyes still closed, and asked, "What's different?"
Qijian wanted to say, "Now I'm sitting beside you, you're no longer alone," but he was too shy and nervous to say it. Instead, he changed the subject: "Because... you joined the National Teaching Academy?"
Zheshe thought that the bear had indeed invited him to join the National Teaching Academy, but he hadn't agreed.
The reason he had traveled from the snowy plains to the capital and participated in the Grand Court Examination was because he knew Chen Changsheng had solved the problem for Princess Luoluo regarding using demon tribe bloodlines to cultivate human techniques. That problem was somewhat similar to the one he faced. As he aged and his cultivation level increased, his bloodline grew stronger, and the frequency of his blood surges would also increase. He might die at any moment. He needed Chen Changsheng to cure his illness and extend his life.
If Chen Changsheng could cure him, he would naturally leave the capital and return to the snowy plains. But those were matters for the future. Now, in front of Qijian, he didn't say this. Now, trapped in the Land of the Never-Setting Sun, there might be no future at all. Why make this severely injured little guy even more miserable? He said, "The National Teaching Academy... not bad, but that rich kid surnamed Tang is a bit annoying, so I haven't made a decision yet."
"Mm, I also think Tang Tang is annoying. But Chen Changsheng isn't bad. Speaking of which, in the guest courtyard of the Li Palace, we sometimes discussed that if it weren't for that engagement, maybe our Lishan Sword Sect could have coexisted peacefully with your National Teaching Academy. We could have been friends with Chen Changsheng, and you... you could have been friends with me."
Qijian looked at his face and spoke softly, his voice growing quieter. But the sun above the grassland rose higher and higher, the air gradually grew hot, and more steam rose from the water pools, making it feel stuffy. His hands began to sweat, whether from nervousness or some other reason. Then the medicinal effects gradually took hold, making him feel drowsy, and he wanted to sleep.
His mind was somewhat hazy, his vision blurry. Suddenly, he saw Zheshe lean in and grab his hand, seemingly about to do something. Instinctively, he grew nervous and uneasy, even vaguely fearful. Yet, for some reason, he didn't feel any resistance or rejection.
Zheshe planned to take advantage of the medicinal effects to treat his wounds and apply medicine. Since he couldn't see, he naturally had to use his hands. His steady hands moved up along the back of Qijian's hand, reached his shoulders, then hovered an inch away, not touching his body as they moved down to above his lower abdomen, then further down, his fingers landing on the belt.
The attire of the Lishan Sword Sect was very simple, even plain. The belt had no intricate patterns, but the buckle was very sturdy.
Under Zheshe's steady fingers, even the sturdiest buckle couldn't hold out for long. Soon, the belt buckle was undone, and the robe was lifted.
Qijian was extremely nervous, but his mind was hazy. The drowsiness from the medicine made him unable to scream even if he wanted to, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
Zheshe unfastened his robe, and that patch of fair skin was exposed under the azure sky of the Zhou Garden.
He couldn't see, but he could feel.
Qijian's body trembled slightly, from shyness, nervousness, and indignation.
Zheshe's hands also trembled, because of the truth revealed by the unexpected touch.
Qijian was mortified beyond belief, tightly closing his eyes, his eyelashes fluttering incessantly, wishing he could just faint.
And then, he fainted.
(A reader named Moumoushi said on December 12th that they were in a bad mood and asked if I could capriciously add a few extra chapters. I saw it too late, and I've never been a capricious person anyway. I don't know how they're feeling now, so I'll add a small chapter. Of course, it can't really be considered an addition, because this is based on one chapter. Anyway, I hope they feel better. Because this plot really lifts my spirits. What I love writing most is cross-dressing, undressing, and being alone together between men and women, so I directly threw both pairs into this grassland. Of course, since Chen and Xu are the protagonists, the perspective will definitely focus on them, but this part about Qijian can't be missed. That's all. I wish everyone a good mood. But why do I suddenly feel heavy-hearted? Yeah, I updated two chapters today. What about tomorrow? The matter hasn't been resolved yet...)