RIIDMDR chapter 146

Nan Xu thought that, like last time, it would take several days to draw a “lucky” fortune slip. But after only two days, he drew an auspicious slip! He immediately stopped dawdling, packed his bags, took the green rice dumplings he had made the day before, and headed down the mountain.

Even though he hadn’t used this baggage at all during the last formation, Nan Xu had prepared it thoroughly. It wouldn’t take much effort to carry it; it would be tragic if he needed it during the formation but didn’t have it.

When he reached the foot of the mountain, Nan Xu gave the green rice dumplings to Xu Le. Hearing that Nan Xu was about to embark on another major formation, Zhixing felt he was rushing things and advised him to rest for a couple of days. Nan Xu knew Zhixing meant well, but he felt anxious nonetheless. He wasn’t one to procrastinate. The longer he delayed, the more he worried.

Seeing that he couldn’t persuade Nanxu, Zhixing gave up and repeatedly told him to be careful. Nanxu agreed and said goodbye before heading west toward the mountain peak.

The last time he went to the northern mountain peak, Nanxu had felt uneasy, apprehensive about the unknown. However, after the last major formation, he suddenly realized that creating such a large formation over three thousand years ago was most likely due to his inner reluctance to leave memories of his close friends behind in this world.

When he reenters the formation three thousand years later, he will simply be entering his memories. As long as he remains true to himself and his feelings for his friends remain unchanged, the formation will neither reject him nor bring him any danger.

He doesn’t need to be wary. Treating it as a reunion with friends is enough.

Moreover, if Nan Xu regains his memories when he returns to the demon realm, he will never have the opportunity to see Yun Yi and Ting Shu again. The existence of the formation gives him the opportunity to see his dear friends once more, and he should cherish it.

Nan Xu had figured things out, so he was in a good mood throughout the journey. He wondered if Tingchuan had considered these things, too. Tingchuan’s expression wasn’t as serious as when he’d seen Nan Xu off to the formation last time. Though still worried, Tingchuan responded with a smile to Nan Xu’s seemingly joking questions.

The western mountain peak was lower, so they reached the summit earlier. Before entering the formation, Nan Xu hugged Tingchuan again and lingered with him for a while before heading toward the formation.

Nothing unusual happened when he entered the formation. The sun overhead seemed as bright as before. If it weren’t for the slightly different scenery, Nan Xu would have wondered if he had entered the wrong place.

He was unfamiliar with the area. A wide road led up the mountain. The mountain wasn’t high. Even from the bottom, he could vaguely see houses near the summit.

Nan Xu didn’t know what to do. There were only dirt roads and trees around him, offering no clues. He continued along the road.

After walking for more than half an hour, the scene before him gradually overlapped with images in his memory. He then realized that he had arrived at West Mountain.

It went without saying who lived there; Nanxu had a good idea. Eager to see Tingshu, he quickened his pace.

Many medicinal herbs were planted along the roadside. Although Nanxu was new to the demon realm and might not have recognized them, after spending so much time with Zhixing and seeing the herb garden outside their courtyard every day, he could now recognize several at a glance.

Walking along the road was boring. Nanxu spotted a field of peonies in the distance. They were in full bloom, and he had never seen so many colors in the human world. His eyes lit up, and he took a detour to admire them.

From afar, the vibrant colors were beautiful, but up close, they were stunning. Peonies seemed more majestic and elegant than other flowers, which explains why they have been praised in so many poems throughout human history.

Nanxu was captivated by the flowers for a while. He was seeing so many precious varieties for the first time. He didn’t want to leave, but the sun was beating down on him. He felt his skin burning hot. After lingering for a while, he could no longer bear it and had to find a path up the mountain. He walked for nearly an hour, winding his way up the mountain, before finally spotting rows of thatched huts. Nanxu breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn’t know which hut Tingshu lived in. He called his name several times outside several huts, but no one answered. He also didn’t know where everyone on the mountain had gone. He wandered around the huts and, when he saw the hut where Jingyuan had recuperated in his previous memory, he went over to it.

The curtains had been pulled aside, so Nanxu peered into the room while leaning against the doorframe. A faint medicinal scent wafted through the air. The furniture was sparse, consisting of only a few strips of cloth for bandaging wounds on a wooden shelf. The windows were wide open, allowing ample ventilation and making the room exceptionally cool. Seeing that no one was resting on the wooden bed and finding no one there, and unable to bear the sweltering heat any longer, Nanxu went inside.

“I’ll enjoy the cool air for a while before finding Tingshu,” he thought as he found a stool and sat down.

The cool breeze felt wonderful on his skin, and the heat slowly subsided. Perhaps it was the comfort or the quiet of the deserted western mountains, but as Nan Xu waited, inhaling the fragrance, he unconsciously closed his eyes. Sleeping in a chair isn’t comfortable, yet Nan Xu slept soundly. When he woke up, it was dark outside. He was stunned for a moment before realizing where he was. He quickly got up and went outside.

When he put weight on his numb legs, they felt as if a thousand needles were pricking him. Had he not grabbed the chair in time, he would have collapsed to the floor.

After grimacing for a few minutes, his legs recovered somewhat. Nan Xu limped out the door and saw that several houses were lit with candles. As he approached, he could faintly hear voices coming from inside. He hesitated about knocking on a door to ask for directions and unknowingly walked to the outermost house. This was the last house. If he didn’t ask soon, he would have to go back the same way and agonize over which door to knock on. Nan Xu simply headed toward the door.

However, before he reached it, he caught a glimpse of a man in white standing by the path leading to the mountaintop.

He hadn’t noticed the man before, and seeing him suddenly gave Nan Xu a ghostly feeling, almost making him scream. Luckily, his eyesight was good. After calming down, he roughly guessed the man’s identity based on his build.

Nan Xu jogged over, harboring a childish desire to get revenge for being scared. He deliberately quieted his footsteps, and when he reached the man’s back, he suddenly patted Ting Shu’s shoulder and quickly crouched down.

To Nan Xu’s disappointment, Ting Shu, perhaps with a slower natural reaction time, showed little panic at being teased. He simply turned his head slowly and calmly. Only when he saw no one behind him did his gaze shift downward to meet Nan Xu’s eyes. His smile was frozen on his face.

How boring, Nan Xu thought.

Moreover, Ting Shu’s eyes revealed a hint of confusion as he seemed unable to understand Nan Xu’s behavior. In his gentle voice, he asked, “Why are you squatting on the ground? Are your legs uncomfortable, or did you fall?”

So, there’s no possibility that Nan Xu was just joking with him?

Nan Xu was extremely annoyed. He stood up awkwardly, wanting to admit that he was teasing him. However, the other man was uncooperative, and saying it aloud would only embarrass him more. So, he agreed with the other man, saying, “My legs are a little uncomfortable.”

Ting Shu’s gaze fell on his legs. “Then roll up your trousers and let me take a look.”

If it weren’t for the sincerity in his eyes, Nan Xu would have thought he was mocking him.

“My legs are just numb. Nothing serious. By the way, where do you live? I couldn’t find it during the day,” said Nan Xu.

“Then I’ll give you acupuncture later.” Ting Shu didn’t press the matter, leading him toward his room and apologizing slightly. “Yun Yi wrote to tell me you were coming. Judging by the dates, you should arrive within the next couple of days, so I came down the mountain to wait for you. I had a patient to treat this morning, so I was a little late coming down. I didn’t expect to miss you. I’m truly sorry.”

Ting Shu spoke softly and gently. Nan Xu occasionally turned his head to look at him. His curiosity about Ting Shu was no less than anyone else’s. This senior member of their clan, whom Zhixing often mentioned, always seemed to sparkle whenever Zhixing spoke of him. He admired his exceptional talent, respected his diligence in cultivation, and was grateful for his many achievements through daily research.

If the demon realm had a system of idol worship, Nan Xu thought, Zhixing would definitely be Ting Shu’s number one fan.

Zhixing often said that if Senior Ting Shu hadn’t foreseen the future of the demon realm and reduced the Bai clan’s reliance on innate spiritual power, instead focusing on developing medicinal treatments for demons, he would have saved far fewer lives during his travels.

But seeing him in person, Nan Xu didn’t sense much of the aura Zhixing had described. Instead, he saw a gentle, slightly shy, handsome young man. Perhaps it was because Ting Shu was still growing up, not yet experiencing the sorrows that would come later, and thus appeared exceptionally youthful and reserved.

Because of Nan Xu’s occasional glances, Ting Shu’s face visibly flushed. He kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, trying to ignore the discomfort Nan Xu caused him.

Understanding how introverts feared such attention, Nan Xu stopped teasing Ting Shu and said, “I was originally on the main road, but then I saw the peony field and was drawn there. I took a side path and missed you. It’s my fault, you don’t need to apologize.”

Nan Xu then told Ting Shu how he’d fallen asleep in a chair that afternoon and how his legs had gone numb. After hearing this, Ting Shu chuckled softly and said, “It’s my fault for not being hospitable. I’ll find you something nice to eat later to make amends.”

Nan Xu might have declined other invitations, but since it was food, he naturally wouldn’t refuse. The two walked to Ting Shu’s house, which looked no different from other houses and wasn’t particularly special in location. Ting Shu opened the door and invited Nan Xu inside.

A faint, pleasant fragrance filled the room, and Nan Xu couldn’t help but inhale it several times as soon as he entered.

“It’s poisonous,” Ting Shu warned.

Nan Xu: ?

He quickly held his breath and stared wide-eyed at Ting Shu, wondering why poisonous incense was being burned in the room.

After extinguishing the incense in the burner, Ting Shu said to Nan Xu, “There are many mosquitoes on the mountain in the summer. Some tribesmen raise venomous snakes and scorpions to make poison. If you’re not careful, some of those creatures can sneak out. I was afraid you’d be scared, so I lit the incense beforehand to keep them out.”

Despite growing up in harsh conditions, Nan Xu was terrified of such things. Hearing Ting Shu’s words, he felt a chill run down his spine. Thinking about how he had slept unsuspectingly in that open room all afternoon filled him with lingering fear.

Moreover, Ting Shu’s tone suggested that he liked those creatures, making Nan Xu worry that Ting Shu might be keeping them as pets.

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