TSMITB Chapter48

When Sheng Qixiao opened his eyes again, it was already late at night.

The clothes he had worn out during the day had been changed. The sash of his bathrobe was tied crookedly, making it apparent that the person who changed his clothes was probably quite unwilling.

The person lying next to him was sleeping soundly with one hand resting on his waist, subconsciously inching closer to him in his sleep. Sheng Qixiao naturally pulled him into his arms, rubbed his cheek lightly against his, feeling an unspeakable satisfaction in his heart.

The sound of a swing swaying came from downstairs. Ke Di had returned at some point and was leisurely smelling the flowers in the courtyard.

“That is not a place you can sit.” Sheng Qixiao stood under the porch with his collar askew, exposing a patch of his pale chest, on which there were faint marks of being scratched.

Ke Di only glanced once before turning his gaze away, “Someone agreed to let me sit there.”

“I didn’t agree.”

Ke Di got up very reluctantly and walked to stand side-by-side with Sheng Qixiao under the porch, inevitably glancing at his messy attire again.

“En. He dressed me. He never has much patience.” Sheng Qixiao pretended to straighten his collar.

Who asked you?

Ke Di nearly rolled his eyes but managed to restrain himself, keeping a respectful expression on his face, “The Moon Glazing Festival has been over for half a month already. Are you still reluctant to let those marks on your body fade away?”

“……” Sheng Qixiao shot him a cold glance. He originally intended to retort, but then decided that since Ke Di had been separated from his wife for so many years, it was normal for him to be psychologically twisted, so he couldn’t be bothered to argue with him.

“I thought you wouldn’t go today.” Ke Di changed the topic appropriately.

“Why wouldn’t I go? You taught me, to act pitiful.” Sheng Qixiao’s gaze softened, perhaps thinking of something, “The effect was very good.”

Ke Di didn’t reprimand him, but he still felt a trace of sadness for Shen Que in his heart.

“His memory is a little muddled.” Ke Di recalled Shen Que’s statement during the day, “He always thought he fell to the bottom of the temple because he was worried about you and went out to look for you.”

Sheng Qixiao gave an “en,” his face showing no emotion.

“You knew this already?”

Sheng Qixiao shook his head, “I only thought he was affected by the illusion and the miasma; I didn’t realize he was mistaking it for something from the past.”

“That might actually be a good thing.”

Sheng Qixiao stopped speaking.

His thoughts were pulled back to the days when the fog was at its densest.

That was one of the liveliest and most peaceful periods in the small building. He learned leisure games from the outside world, and Shen Que’s attitude toward him had also softened, even occasionally confiding in him.

Everything was developing in a good direction just as he had anticipated.

Until that day, the restless elders gathered once again, voicing their strong discontent over his decision to release the poisonous fog in order to keep Shen Que.

He listened coldly, finding them merely noisy, but as it wasn’t yet time to completely fall out with them, he restrained himself from reacting.

He still needed these old fellows for his and Shen Que’s wedding. Without their participation, the ceremony would seem too simple.

Shen Que liked grand occasions.

In exchange, he generously bestowed upon them a jar of his blood, which was enough for them to use for quite a while.

The few mouths that had been chattering incessantly since he entered the room finally quieted down.

He was eager to get up and leave, but the group of old devils, whose faces were practically consumed by wrinkles, used every means possible to hold him back.

Until a butterfly brought news of Shen Que.

The leader of those old things had a cunning glint in his clouded eyes, and his hoarse, unpleasant voice was triumphant, “You are young after all. Don’t be too arrogant. Although I can’t deal with you, I can always find an opportunity to touch others.”

“This time is only a small lesson for you. Not everything can go exactly as you wish. You need to leave some room for us as well; that’s the only way to ensure a long-term solution.”

A figure, like a thin bamboo pole, stepped into the room. He stood up under the approving gaze of the elders and respectfully handed a porcelain bottle containing an ointment to Sheng Qixiao, “He smelled this scent and fell down.”

Sheng Qixiao did not take it, but the fragrance drifted into his nostrils on the night wind.

The thin man looked up at Sheng Qixiao. Although still half-bent at the waist, the challenge in his expression was already undisguised, “It’s very similar to the incense you make, but unfortunately, it had a little more sweetness, and he still managed to distinguish it.”

Sheng Qixiao’s eyebrow twitched violently. The thick fog outside squeezed in through the door cracks, instantly enveloping the thin man.

Amidst gasps of alarm, Sheng Qixiao rushed out the door.

Not long afterward, an additional jar of bone ash appeared in the temple’s main hall, its contents finer than the bone ash in the other jars.

At the time, Sheng Qixiao didn’t go straight to find Shen Que. He patiently returned to the small building, pretending to only then discover that he was missing.

It wasn’t time to drop the mask yet; he still needed patience.

Fortunately, Shen Que was fine and attributed all the suspicious details to the thick fog.

He just followed the narrative and kept it going.

“So, are you going to tell him the truth?” Ke Di’s words pulled Sheng Qixiao out of his memories.

Sheng Qixiao was silent for a long time. The shadow under the porch was heavy, engulfing his entire being, “I don’t know.”

“I’ll just give you a reminder, if you’re going to talk, do it with a plan, with a purpose, and maximize the benefit,” Ke Di asked in a low voice, “You know what I mean, right?”

“That’s a very fresh term. You’re starting to talk more and more like an outsider now.”

“Thank you. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

When Sheng Qixiao returned to the room, Shen Que was already awake, half-leaning against the headboard with his arms crossed. The dim light outlined the somewhat tense contour of his profile.

“Why are you awake?”

“Of course, I’m waiting for you to share your secrets with me.” Shen Que looked at him leisurely while wearing a rare, smiling expression, “You seemed to have spent quite some time downstairs with Ke Di. You look much better. You shouldn’t faint again, right?”

Sheng Qixiao pulled back the quilt and sat beside Shen Que with his arm automatically wrapping around his waist and pulling him closer into his embrace. Only then did he manage to reply, “Alright.”

Sheng Qixiao’s voice was very low and deep.

The rumors circulating in the outside world were not entirely baseless. E’yun Mountain had indeed once been the Sacred Mountain of the Nan Yin Kingdom.

The Spirit of Nature, born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, led the tribe to live in seclusion on E’yun Mountain, never interfering in worldly affairs. E’yun Mountain was once considered a haven of peace.

But everything in the world is constantly changing.

The tribe members enjoyed the protection of the Spirit of Nature, yet they also yearned for the prosperity of the outside world, and ambition gradually grew from this. More and more tribesmen were no longer content with the peaceful life in the mountains. They collaborated to deceive the Spirit of Nature into accepting a visit from the Nan Yin royal family, honoring E’yun Mountain as the Sacred Mountain.

The Spirit of Nature had never set foot in the human world. Although she possessed powers unattainable by ordinary people, she was pitifully naive and quickly compromised under the eloquent persuasion of the tribesmen.

E’yun Mountain had always respected women as their mastery and talent in Gu arts far surpassed men’s. However, as contact with the outside world became closer, the ideology of male superiority over females permeated deeper and deeper. The male tribesmen were unwilling to be subservient to the women, so they jointly elected a male leader to handle external negotiations.

The E’yun Mountain tribe members were designated as the Sacred Tribe, rising above the common people. Relying on their Gu arts, they stirred up trouble, the practice of sorcery and Gu became rampant, and the common people suffered immensely.

Although the Spirit of Nature did not leave the mountain, she began to observe the world through the power of nature. Unwilling to witness this situation, she intended to summon the tribe members back to E’yun Mountain.

The tribesmen, blinded by greed, agreed on the surface but secretly plotted “deicide.” They allied with the Nan Yin royal family, aiming to eliminate the Spirit of Nature, yet they were reluctant to give up her divine blood.

The leader at the time, still in the prime of his life, trusted the scheme proposed by the Nan Yin officials. Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he administered the Self-Sacrifice Gu, causing the Spirit of Nature’s consciousness to fall into a deep sleep while her body remained incorruptible, intending for her to “nurture” a new “Spirit” for the tribe.

The formerly loyal worshipers ultimately became bloodthirsty executioners. The Spirit of Nature’s flesh and blood gradually withered, yet she never managed to conceive a new Spirit. The spiritual energy of E’yun Mountain also became increasingly thin, making it difficult to nurture decent, peerless Gu insects.

The Nan Yin Kingdom gradually went into decline, and the once-prosperous Sacred Tribe lost its privileges.

Eventually, the resentful tribesmen retreated back to E’yun Mountain.

Toxic fog filled the forest, serving as a natural barrier, and the tribe was once again isolated from the outside world.

Many years passed like this, and the members of the E’yun Mountain tribe never again set foot in the outside world.

It wasn’t until a century ago that the Spirit of Nature woke up again. Her awakening, however, was followed by her complete dissolution.

The temple gate was pushed open. The ancient building, shrouded in tree shade, received only minimal sunlight. The Mountain Spirit, who had slept for endless years, was filled with sorrow and passed away forever amidst the tribesmen’s repentance and prayers.

After the Spirit of Nature completely dissipated, the ground in the center of the temple cracked open. A massive blood vine burst through the soil. The tendrils spread open, enveloping a new life in the center.

“It’s the new Spirit of Nature!”

Amidst countless exclamations, the new life opened its eyes. Its light-colored pupils were crowded with countless faces showing various expressions.

The toxic fog of E’yun Mountain then disappeared. The tribesmen cheered, all believing that E’yun Mountain had welcomed a new beginning.

However, the newborn Spirit Lord did not seem to possess the capabilities of the former Spirit of Nature. His birth could not restore the tribe to its former glory.

The elders, who had not concerned themselves with tribal matters for a long time, stepped forward at this point, proactively taking on the responsibility of raising the new Spirit Lord, even though he appeared no different from an ordinary person.

“So, you are the child nurtured by the Spirit of Nature?” Shen Que suddenly sat upright. “Does that mean you’re over a hundred years old?”

Sheng Qixiao gave Shen Que a strange look, surprised by how well he was taking the news. He had expected Shen Que to call him crazy and delusional again…

Sheng Qixiao seriously considered the answer to the question. He nodded, then shook his head, sounding uncertain, “I should be nineteen years old now.”

“What do you mean ‘should be’? You don’t even know how old you are?”

Sheng Qixiao gently murmured “en,” not sensing any problem. He beckoned for Shen Que to return to his embrace, “I’m a little cold.”

Seeing Sheng Qixiao’s face turn somewhat pale again, Shen Que thought for only two seconds before mercifully shrinking back into his arms, even giving his back an appeasing pat.

His movements were a bit stiff, but Sheng Qixiao didn’t care. He took the opportunity to bury his face in Shen Que’s neck, seriously absorbing the hard-won warmth, and continued to speak in an uninflected tone.

“After the toxic fog dispersed, outsiders gradually began to come into the mountains. Only then did they realize that the outside world had completely changed, and they became restless, wanting to integrate into the world again.”

“But outsiders are cunning,” Sheng Qixiao paused, giving Shen Que a meaningful look, “Many young tribesmen were tricked and used by outsiders, even losing their lives. Since then, every outsider who has mistakenly entered the mountain has met with a bad end.”

Shen Que unconsciously gritted his teeth, lowering his eyes and avoiding eye contact with him.

“Slowly, I grew up as well. They discovered that my blood could provide nourishment to the Gu that could no longer be bred over the past century, allowing them to reappear in the world.”

“And so, the people who raised me, drained my blood again and again, to satisfy their greedy ambition to always dominate the rest of the world.”

Sheng Qixiao’s voice remained calm as if he were narrating a story that had nothing to do with himself.

Shen Que’s thoughts, however, were disturbed, and even his breathing was restricted. He pressed his ear against Sheng Qixiao’s chest, listening to his heartbeat grow louder and louder. He wanted to offer comfort, but his throat felt clogged, and no sound came out.

“But everything in this world has an end. My abilities gradually weakened and faded as my blood was drained time and again, and I was even on the verge of death. I thought that was where everything would end,” Sheng Qixiao took a deep breath. The hatred accumulated over the years in his eyes almost spilled out, “But I was wrong. I actually couldn’t die.”

“I merely fell into a deep sleep, but even then they did not stop, continuing to feed on my bones and blood. Until one day, my body returned to its childhood form, and all my past memories vanished.”

“And then?”

“And then,” Sheng Qixiao suddenly smiled, “they continued to raise me, and then continued to drain my blood. The cycle repeated.”

“Didn’t you have the ability to create illusions and control others’ actions? Why didn’t you resist?” Shen Que couldn’t hold back any longer and interrupted Sheng Qixiao. He recalled the abilities he had witnessed from Sheng Qixiao; he clearly could have easily avoided harm.

Sheng Qixiao shook his head, “At the beginning of every cycle, I thought they were my relatives. And they were also repeatedly experimenting with various Gu on me. By the time I regained awareness, I was already completely powerless to fight back.”

“But later, I became smarter. I recorded all of this, to remind the next version of me when I woke up. The murals you photographed earlier, were left by the previous me.”

“……” Shen Que didn’t know what expression to make for a moment. He was speechless for a second, and finally managed to squeeze out a single sentence after a while, “All your intelligence was used to set traps for me, wasn’t it?”

Sheng Qixiao did not refute him.

“My memory didn’t completely disappear; I gradually started to recall many things. They seemed to have noticed as well, and wanted to seize my consciousness while I was unprepared, by turning me into a container without self-awareness. Unfortunately, they didn’t succeed this time. I was favored by fate.”

“This time, I’ve lived to nineteen years old, but for many things, I’m learning for the first time,” Sheng Qixiao suddenly changed the subject, his gaze fixed directly on Shen Que, “Liking you is one of them. Shen Que, please don’t leave me, alright?”

Shen Que remained silent. He couldn’t articulate his feelings at the moment. It was as if something was filling his chest, dragging his entire being heavily downward.

The story of the Spirit of Nature was too distant for him. No matter how tragic the ending, it was just a story unrelated to him, and he didn’t feel any superfluous emotion about it.

But all the pain and harm Sheng Qixiao had experienced, those bloody and brutal past events, carrying a suffocating heaviness and tragedy, were clearly presented before his eyes across the vast expanse of time at this moment. He could not remain completely cold and detached.

He wanted to mock him coldly with a ‘serves you right, who told you to force me like that? Everything that happened before might have just been preemptive karma’. But in the end, he did not say it. He wanted to offer comfort but didn’t know where to start.

This mountain was hundreds of times more terrifying than he had imagined.

“Why aren’t you speaking? Are you afraid of me?” Sheng Qixiao cupped Shen Que’s chin, making him look him in the eyes.