Free M/M Fiction

Record of All Things Chapter 21 – Vacation

This year, the National Day holiday lasted for seven days, but at Sky University, there was a three-day teaching seminar after the holiday, and students got an additional three-day break, adding up to a total of ten days off.

On the last day before the holiday, half of the school was empty, as everyone either went home or traveled for vacation. The people in Room 903 woke up early and packed their bags to head off in different directions. Zhang Xiting went to Beijing to see his girlfriend, Jin planned to go home, and He Jian’s family came to visit him in Xi’an.

Jiang Hong’s parents were still out having fun on the northwest ring road and had made it all the way to Dunhuang.

“See you after the holiday,” everyone said goodbye to Jiang Hong.

“See you after the holiday.” He Jian patted Jiang Hong’s shoulder. “Take care.”

Jiang Hong still had classes, and today, Cao Bin was teaching them alone since Lu Xiu had something else to do.

After a week of relaxation, Jiang Hong finally felt better, but he had a new problem on his mind:

“Are the things that Chen Zhen said true?” Jiang Hong asked Cao Bin.

Cao Bin asked in return, “Do you believe them?”

“I think it’s really serious,” Xiao Pi said. “My dad is thinking about this every day.”

Xiao Pi’s father was Xuan Hezhi, the head of the teaching department, and he had more contact with exorcists than any other student.

Cao Bin nodded, and Jiang Hong replied, “To be honest, I don’t really believe it.”

The school always had an appearance of peace, but Jiang Hong also had a vague feeling that something was off. Plagues, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, global warming, volcanic eruptions, large-scale wildfires, sudden cold in winter, frequent tornadoes… In recent years, it seemed like more and more things were happening behind the scenes, but in real life, everything appeared normal.

“Although we use the power of the earth’s veins every day,” Cao Bin said solemnly, “most exorcists know nothing about them.”

Cao Bin picked up a pen and went to the whiteboard to begin today’s lesson.

“For now, let’s focus on the stability of the earth’s veins and talk about them,” Cao Bin said. “The earth’s veins are like the planet’s blood vessels, transporting the energy that sustains all living beings…”

Jiang Hong opened his notebook and listened attentively. The earth’s veins were the “qi” of the earth. A more common description was the traditional terms of feng shui and dragon veins. In recent decades, there had been violent fluctuations in the earth’s veins, and each wave of fluctuations had been accompanied by enormous disasters.

“Currently, the entire Exorcist Committee is helpless against this. We have yet to find the cause,” Cao Bin said.

“Could it be related to Mara?” Jiang Hong asked proactively.

In his recent studies, Jiang Hong roughly understood the origin of “Mara”. The cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, along with hatred, anger, love, separation, and the pursuit of desires, all contributed to the accumulation of “resentment,” which could be purified through the circulation of the earth’s veins. However, once the amount of resentment exceeded the purification threshold, it would start to gather and condense into “Mara.”

According to legend, “Mara” was born once every thousand years, from a seed left in some corner of the earth. The most important responsibility of an exorcist was to purify “Mara” and send it back into the cycle of rebirth.

“But ten years ago,” Xiao Pi said, “didn’t Mara reincarnate and was then destroyed?”

“Huh?” Jiang Hong had no idea about this and looked towards Xiao Pi.

Cao Bin answered, “Yes, that’s right. The last person who successfully exorcised the demon was the president of the Sky University, Xiang Cheng. However, later on, the exorcists discovered that Mara was not completely eliminated. Behind all of this, there may be even greater dangers, or perhaps the battle ten years ago was just a warm-up.”

Jiang Hong didn’t know how to respond.

“We have hidden enemies,” Cao Bin said. “The Mara ten years ago may have just been a scout sent by this enemy to explore us. Or, in the five thousand years since the birth of human civilization, the continuously reincarnating Mara may only be a vanguard. We are about to face the truly powerful and ominous enemy lurking behind the scenes.”

“Really?” Jiang Hong sounded alarmed.

Xiao Pi quickly added, “Yes, my dad said the same thing!”

Jiang Hong asked, “Can this be resolved?”

“At present, everything is still shrouded in mystery,” Cao Bin said. “That’s why when we discovered that you were a descendant of a great geomancer, we were pleasantly surprised. Your knowledge of the earth’s veins is too limited, and we need new discoveries…”

“Ah, I’m really sorry,” Jiang Hong said.

Cao Bin casually replied, “No, there’s no need to apologize. I believe that there is a special power in you, but the time has not yet come. Since the topic today is about the earth’s veins, let’s talk about geomancy…”

For the next class, Cao Bin opened up theoretical lectures on Feng Shui for Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi. Although Cao Bin did not specialize in this area, his knowledge was sufficient to teach two undergraduate students.

The bell rang for the end of class.

Cao Bin looked at the two students who were taking notes. “The final assessment for this course is to do something.”

“Huh?” Jiang Hong asked. “What should we do?”

“You can do anything,” Cao Bin said lightly. “At any time, you can submit something as homework, like finding a magical treasure, exorcising a demon. You can work together or complete it independently. Or help a classmate complete a task, help those in need… Any deeds that apply what you have learned in class will work. Once done, report it to me.”

Jiang Hong and Xiao Pi thanked Cao Bin and left the classroom. Xiao Pi went to find Xuan Hezhi after school, preparing to go to Beijing with his father. Xuan Hezhi had business at the Exorcist Committee, while Xiao Pi would spend a few days playing in Beijing. After saying goodbye, Jiang Hong returned to the dormitory and waited for Lu Xiu to come find him.

Lu Xiu texted: “Wait a moment. I’m a bit busy today.”

Jiang Hong finished packing and taking a shower. He changed into clean clothes and replied to Lu Xiu: “No rush. I’m good whenever.”

“Oh! Going out on a date!” Chang Jun, who was also dressed up, came over from the next dormitory.

Jiang Hong had been attending classes for a month now and was no longer afraid. Not only was he not afraid, but he also found Chang Jun quite cute. Even if he turned into a human, he would occasionally retain some habits of the demon race. For example, he would lick his lips from time to time. When a guy did this, it could seem a bit sinister, but when this expression appeared on Chang Jun’s handsome face, Jiang Hong felt that it was still acceptable.

Jiang Hong said, “Oh, you’re all dressed up to go on a date too!”

Chang Jun grinned. “Can I borrow some hair gel from you?” He went to the bathroom to style his hair. “Are you going to book a room tonight?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m going out to play with my senior,” Jiang Hong replied.

“Oh, going on a date with your senior?” Chang Jun said.

“You’ve said enough!” Jiang Hong retorted.

While waiting for Lu Xiu, Chang Jun finished styling his hair and asked Jiang Hong to help him tidy it up. Chang Jun then said, “Lu Xiu is my male god!”

“I know,” Jiang Hong said expressionlessly, “you’ve said it several times. Do you especially admire him because you’re both reptiles?”

“Dragon!” Chang Jun said, “How can you call such a noble dragon a reptile?”

Jiang Hong found it funny himself. Chang Jun winked at Jiang Hong in the mirror and said, “Do you know about his feat of defeating the exorcists in Lingjing Alley?”

Jiang Hong had heard Lu Xiu talk about it before but didn’t dare ask more, and now he was curious.

“Oh, I’m not sure,” Jiang Hong said.

Chang Jun said, “He went alone, defeated all the exorcists, and laid them out flat!”

Jiang Hong asked, “So… did he win?”

“At first he was winning, but then they called for reinforcements, and he couldn’t win anymore,” Chang Jun said.

“Was it Chen Zhen?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Chen Zhen alone couldn’t beat Lu Xiu, so they called Xiang Cheng, the principal,” Chang Jun replied.

“Is the principal that powerful?!” Jiang Hong said in shock.

“He’s also a dragon! Later, the vice principal came too, and I heard they both fought Lu Xiu together, and finally, Lu Xiu couldn’t win,” Chang Jun said.

“Wow! Is he Sun Wukong?” Jiang Hong exclaimed.

“…” Chang Jun was speechless.

Chang Jun asked, “I also heard that the principal sealed him. Is that true?”

Jiang Hong was scared that Lu Xiu might suddenly appear and deny it, but fortunately, he didn’t.

“I don’t know,” Jiang Hong said. “Ask him yourself when you have the chance.”

Chang Jun admired his handsome hairstyle and said, “I’m off!” Then he pinched Jiang Hong’s face and left for his date.

Jiang Hong waited until after six o’clock, bored and playing on his phone, when suddenly a strange sound came from downstairs.

It was as if two temple bells had collided, like the deep bass string of a rich and sonorous cello vibrating within a giant bell, a hum resonating from within.

The last time Jiang Hong had heard this sound was on top of Jialing River Bridge. He jumped up and ran out of the dormitory, with all the other students who hadn’t gone home yet following him and leaning against the railing to look down.

“Wow–senior!” Jiang Hong finally heard it clearly. It was a dragon’s roar!

Jiang Hong turned around, locked the door, and saw a huge black dragon descending, swooping over the dormitory building. In an instant, Jiang Hong’s playful heart was aroused, and he flipped over the railing and jumped out.

As the black dragon’s body passed by, it caught him and suddenly rose up. Under the gaze of countless students, it broke through the air and disappeared.

“So cool!” Jiang Hong knelt on the dragon’s head with one knee and grabbed one of its horns with each hand. In an instant, he was taken up to a height of nearly a thousand meters. The turbulence came, but a rotating magic circle appeared at the horn, protecting him from the strong wind.

“I thought you would ride a motorcycle over here–!” Jiang Hong shouted excitedly.

“Lower your voice,” the dragon spoke with Lu Xiu’s voice. “You’re yelling in my ear. I’ll go deaf!”

“Oops, sorry…” Jiang Hong shouted on impulse, even though the howling wind around him was blocked by the black dragon’s magic.

“I’ll take you for a ride in the sky,” said Lu Xiu in dragon form, “but only for a few minutes.”

“Awesome–oops, sorry. I can’t help but shout again…” Jiang Hong was going crazy with excitement. In just a short moment, they had already left the school and flew over small villages in the mountains of Qinling.

The dragon found a place where no one was around and suddenly descended.

“Ah–” Jiang Hong experienced the thrill of riding a roller coaster without a safety belt as the dragon rushed down with him, his legs flying backward and his hands still tightly gripping the dragon’s horn.

In mid-air, the dragon suddenly disappeared, replaced by Lu Xiu’s hand. He grabbed Jiang Hong’s wrist and pulled him towards himself, then turned around. He hugged him with one hand and flipped in the air together before landing safely.

Jiang Hong: “…”

Jiang Hong felt dizzy and exhilarated. They landed in front of a bus stop. Lu Xiu let go of Jiang Hong and remained expressionless, rubbing his outer ear with his slender fingers, clearly annoyed by his loudness.

“Where are we going now?” asked Jiang Hong.

“Xi’an,” Lu Xiu replied. “Did you lose your memory again?”

Jiang Hong tried to climb on Lu Xiu’s back, but Lu Xiu agilely turned around several times, and Jiang Hong missed every time, but he still persistently clung to him.

“Where in Xi’an?” Jiang Hong said. “Are we going to play for ten days? Shall I arrange the itinerary? Did we book the hotel? Should I book it…?”

Lu Xiu ignored him. Jiang Hong tried several times to get close, but failed. Then the bus arrived. Lu Xiu lifted Jiang Hong by his collar and dragged him onto the bus.

Having ten days off and being able to play with Lu Xiu made Jiang Hong very happy. He shouted like a fool as Lu Xiu dragged him onto the bus.

When they arrived in the city center of Xi’an, it was already 8:30 pm. Lu Xiu and Jiang Hong went to the commercial street, where they had hot pot. Nightlife in Xi’an had just begun, and the pleasant autumn weather ushered in the busiest season.

“Show me your assignment from Zhu Jinling’s class,” Lu Xiu said to Jiang Hong when the dishes arrived.

Jiang Hong took out the photos on his phone and showed them to Lu Xiu. Lu Xiu looked at them for a moment and seemed to be thinking.

“I have to find a way to solve it myself and not rely on you entirely,” Jiang Hong said.

Lu Xiu originally wanted to say something, but when he heard Jiang Hong say that, he changed his words. “So what have you found out?”

“This is a golden text,” Jiang Hong said. “It means ‘ink’.”

He scanned the symbol with the software and compared it in the character library, drawing a preliminary conclusion. At the same time, the leader Lian Jiang also exchanged information with other groups.

For Zhu Jinling, the teacher of the Exploration of the Inner World class, she certainly didn’t want a simple definition of a word. There must be other meanings behind this golden text than just “ink.”

“Anything else?” Lu Xiu asked.

“I don’t know,” Jiang Hong said. “I want to go to the Shaanxi History Museum to take a look. Professor Zhu said she decided on these assignments through divination, and each assignment is more or less related to the students participating, but I always feel like I’m not involved.”

“Zhu Jinling’s knowledge of divination is exceptional. This is her custom when assigning homework. When you get to the end of the assignment, you’ll find out,” Lu Xiu said.

“Have you taken her class before?” Jiang Hong asked.

“Yes, she gave me a hint about a valuable artifact,” Lu Xiu said. “It’s really important.”

“Oh…” Jiang Hong replied.

Since Lu Xiu said so, Jiang Hong was filled with anticipation. Perhaps there was indeed a mysterious connection.

“Let’s go tomorrow.” Lu Xiu agreed to Jiang Hong’s proposal to go to the Shaanxi History Museum.

Jiang Hong noticed that Lu Xiu was absent-minded and asked cautiously, “What’s wrong?”

“I also have something to take care of,” Lu Xiu said. He then noticed Jiang Hong’s hopeful gaze and knew he wanted to ask “Can I come with you?” so he replied, “Behave yourself and I’ll take you.”

“What does behaving mean?” Jiang Hong asked eagerly, trying to please Lu Xiu. “I’ll do your laundry tonight.”

“Stop asking so many questions,” Lu Xiu said.

Jiang Hong and Lu Xiu shook hands and sealed the deal.

After being locked up at school for a month, Jiang Hong wanted to eat everything and play with everything. They played darts at the Tang Dynasty City for half a day, and Lu Xiu even threw a few darts for him. He won a prize—a game console with 64 games. The two of them booked a hotel room, but with the National Day holiday approaching, all the standard rooms were sold out, and they could only book a double bed room.

The two grown men lay on the bed, with Jiang Hong playing with his new game console and Lu Xiu browsing through some materials on his phone.

“What’s that?” Jiang Hong caught a glimpse of Lu Xiu’s notes, which had complex diagrams. “Is that your paper?”

“Tomorrow’s task,” Lu Xiu answered. “A request for assistance from the Exorcist Committee sent to the school.”

Jiang Hong didn’t ask any further, and Lu Xiu said, “Sleep. We’re going to the museum tomorrow.” Then he turned off the light.

The next day, they queued up at the entrance of the Shaanxi History Museum. On October 1st, all the attractions were packed with people, and Jiang Hong regretted coming at this time.

But Lu Xiu always had an indifferent expression. When someone took a photo of him with their phone, he didn’t get angry, letting them take the photo as they pleased, as if he didn’t notice.

“Are you going to catch the demon today…the one from the Exorcist Committe’s request?” Jiang Hong asked curiously.

“Not exactly.” Lu Xiu looked at Jiang Hong. When he had nothing to do, he unconsciously stared at Jiang Hong, but his gaze didn’t seem to focus on Jiang Hong’s face. Only in occasional moments, or when Jiang Hong spoke, would Lu Xiu recover from a kind of trance.

“I’m just helping them survey the area,” Lu Xiu said. “Scouting.”

“Oh,” Jiang Hong responded.

Lu Xiu then said, “I’ll teach you the language I use.”

“What?!” Jiang Hong was shocked. “Can I learn it? It’s not…not restricted?”

“It’s restricted,” Lu Xiu said.

Jiang Hong thought, “Then what’s the point of learning it? I can’t just use it to insult people like you do with dragon language.”

“Do you want to learn it?” Lu Xiu asked.

“Yes!” Jiang Hong immediately replied.

“Overall, there are nine basic pronunciations, which can be combined in countless ways to express over a thousand meanings,” Lu Xiu said, “First, you’ll learn these nine pronunciations: ‘ka,’ ‘hak,’ ‘ci’…”

“Some of them sound like the Russian rolling ‘r’,” Jiang Hong said. “Even if I can’t use it, it could still be used to intimidate people.”

Lu Xiu said, “Even without using magic, it has a deterrent effect on lower-level existences.”

Jiang Hong was talented in language and learned quickly. Lu Xiu explained the nine sounds and their respective meanings, with each character representing an emotion, such as anger, pain, happiness…

It was truly a magical language. Jiang Hong learned from Lu Xiu that the basic pronunciation of dragon language only represented emotions, and the existence derived from the emotion depicted by the word was the object of that emotion. For example, “hak” represented joy and satisfaction, so it became the word root for describing “food” because it produced a sense of satisfaction when eaten.

“‘Su’ represents tangible entities and also represents ‘you,’ while ‘tule’ means ‘to destroy,'” Lu Xiu continued. “So…”

“‘Tule su’ means ‘to destroy you,'” Jiang Hong recalled the dragon language spells that Lu Xiu had used twice against Wuzhiqi.

“Very clever,” Lu Xiu praised Jiang Hong, and the two of them entered the museum.

As they were about to enter the museum, Lu Xiu turned his head and scrutinized the outside of the museum, as if he had noticed something unusual.

 

Next Chapter

If You See Snow Chapter 36 – He is Afraid of the Cold and Loneliness

Secret Sect, Immortal Cave.

Jiang Xue Ya opened her eyes.

In front of her was a square stone chamber. Her hands were tied behind her back with a rope, and her feet also bound. The furnishings in the stone chamber were very simple, with a single-person stone bed leaning against the wall, covered with old bedding. Jiang Xue Ya recognized it at a glance. This was the place where Su Ru Hui was detained before, and now Dan Tai Jing had temporarily moved her here. There were no talismans or star formations in this stone chamber, and the overwhelming sense of oppression on her body finally dissipated, instantly making her feel refreshed.

Xia Jing was in charge of moving her, and on the way he handed Jiang Xue Ya a blade, which she hid under her tongue. Jiang Xue Ya slowly passed her bound hands over her hips and to the front, from behind her feet. She spat out the blade and held it between her teeth, cutting the rope. The guards at the prison were too strict, making it difficult to escape. Although there were still many guards at Immortal Cave, at least the ban on star formations had been loosened somewhat, giving her an excellent chance to escape.

Jiang Xue Ya stood up, stretched her muscles, and walked stealthily to the door, listening closely to the voices outside. It was quiet, with no sound at all. It was strange. As far as Jiang Xue Ya knew, there were always medical officers stationed in Immortal Cave, making medicine Su Ru Hui’s empty shell. It was too quiet. Something was wrong.

Jiang Xue Ya found a spirit fire gun and a dagger inside the stone bed, both of which were prepared by Xia Jing in advance. The route had already been arranged, and all she had to do was follow the predetermined path. At the fourth watch, Xia Jing sent someone to open a Gate of Nothingness on the left wing of the palace, and she could leave the Secret Sect. Jiang Xue Ya pushed open the door and sneaked out like a cat. The scene before her was brightly lit, the guards were gone, and there were broken fragments all over the ground, as if they had experienced a fierce battle. The boiler was overturned on the ground, and black medicinal juice was splashed all over the place. The air was filled with a bitter medicinal smell.

She walked past several unconscious doctors and guards and picked up a sword. She went around the narrow stone passage and came to the entrance of the Immortal Cave. The people on the ground were lying in all directions, all unconscious. Jiang Xue Ya stepped over them, turned the corner, and saw Su Ru Hui lying in the center of the cave. There was a man standing still next to him.

It was Sang Chi Yu.

She hadn’t seen this guy for a long time and didn’t expect to meet him here. Moonlight spilled over the black-clad man’s shoulders, like flowing water pouring down along his fair hand, and flowing all the way to the sword he was holding. He lowered his gaze and silently gazed at Su Ru Hui who was sleeping on the bed. Jiang Xue Ya inexplicably felt a depressing atmosphere, like a gloomy weather.

“Uh, are you here to kill Su Ru Hui?” Jiang Xue Ya asked.

She squatted and crawled to the window, cautiously peering out. In the pitch-black night, she saw a warning sky lantern rising in the air. The lantern was a dazzling red, which meant that the Secret Sect had activated Class A alert, and the guards would arrive here soon.

“Do you have an escape route?” Jiang Xue Ya asked him.

“No.” Sang Chi Yu was still staring at the person on the bed.

“You… you’re still so crazy after more than a decade.” Jiang Xue Ya urged him, “If you want to kill, kill quickly. Cut his throat and bleed him to death, just like killing a chicken. After killing him, come with me. I’ll help you out of here, considering our past friendship.”

Sang Chi Yu lifted his hand and pulled out the intravenous vein from Su Ru Hui’s body, leaving red marks and blood stains on Su Ru Hui’s almost transparent body. Sang Chi Yu took off his black coat and put it on Su Ru Hui.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Xue Ya asked.

“He’s afraid of the cold,” Sang Chi Yu replied.

“He’s going to die. What’s there to be afraid of?” Jiang Xue Ya was about to go crazy. “Are you okay? Hurry up and come with me.”

Sang Chi Yu carefully buttoned up Su Ru Hui’s coat, all the way to under his chin. He whispered, “You go. I still have someone to kill.”

“Who?”

“Dan Tai Jing.”

Sang Chi Yu even called out his master’s name directly, which surprised Jiang Xue Ya. She asked, “When did you have a grudge with your master?”

“Just now.”

Jiang Xue Ya couldn’t understand this guy. During the time she was imprisoned, she seemed to have missed many important events. When she got out, she needed to catch up on everything. Sang Chi Yu picked Su Ru Hui up on his back, bent down to pick up the knife, and turned around to leave.

“Aren’t you going to kill Su Ru Hui? Why didn’t you kill him?” Jiang Xue Ya followed him, still holding her knife. “Why are you taking him to find Dan Tai Jing? You are obviously seeking death by challenging the grandmaster.”

Sang Chi Yu’s hand that was pushing the door stopped. Suddenly, a profound sadness surged in his icy eyes. Jiang Xue Ya choked up, and couldn’t speak at this moment.

“He likes to talk,” Sang Chi Yu said softly. “Someone needs to listen on the road to the underworld.”

As he opened the door, he heard the breathing of three soldiers in the dark forest. As the door opened, he pulled the trigger of his gun. The muzzle sparkled like fireworks, and three consecutive shots blasted into the night. The three men were shot in the forehead and fell backward.

Amidst the sound of gunshots, he seemed to hear Su Ru Hui gently calling his name from his back.

“Sang Chi Yu.”

He must resent him, Sang Chi Yu thought.

Five years ago, Su Ru Hui’s heart was cut open, and Dan Tai Jing transferred him out of Immortal Cave to secretly maintain Su Ru Hui’s life through intravenous veins while sending Lang Ya Guang to probe Su Ru Hui’s memories. They didn’t hesitate to let Su Ru Hui suffer, just to get his puppetry techniques and spirit fire gun. Although they had already acquired his puppets and spirit fire gun, and both of those things were now monopolized by the Secret Sect, they were still not satisfied. They wanted the Puppet Key.

A month ago, Sang Chi Yu accidentally returned to Immortal Cave and witnessed Su Ru Hui being toyed with like a dead body. That day was the second time in his life he violated his master’s order. He pulled out the intravenous veins on Su Ru Hui’s body, and allowed Su Ru Hui’s breathing to become weaker and weaker. He was expelled and stripped of his title. Perhaps he was still unwilling to believe that Su Ru Hui had truly died. When he met Jiang Que Xie, he naively believed that Su Ru Hui had used unknown means to return from the dead. In the end, it turned out to be a puppet – a puppet made by Su Ru Hui himself.

He once again left Su Ru Hui alone in this cold cave. Su Ru Hui was afraid of the cold and loneliness.

Years ago, he was ordered to guard Immortal Cave. He rarely entered the cave, guarding outside the door. Su Ru Hui often hugged his fox fur blanket and leaned against the door, beckoning to him. “Come in and sit down. It’s so cold outside.”

He didn’t respond, but Su Ru Hui didn’t give up.

“I say, Sang Chi Yu, it’s boring to stay with me all day. Why don’t you let me go, so you don’t have to listen to me blabbering every day, and we both win?”

“Sang Chi Yu, I’m asking you. Come in and keep me company. I’m bored to death. Do you want me to teach you how to play cards? I’ll let you win three games.”

“Wife, wife, wife. If you don’t agree, I’ll call you my wife from now on and let everyone in the world know that you are my wife.”

Sang Chi Yu ignored him, as steady as a rock.

Su Ru Hui pleaded pitifully, “How about if I let you sleep with me once. Will you let me go?”

Sang Chi Yu finally reacted, gripping his sword hilt and saying in a low voice, “Su Ru Hui, have some self-respect.”

“What self-respect.” Su Ru Hui sneered. “It’s not like we haven’t slept together before, and the thing in your crotch is much warmer than your face.”

Sang Chi Yu could no longer tolerate his vulgar language and turned to leave. Suddenly, there was a cry from behind him. Su Ru Hui seemed to have fallen. He quickly turned around, only to see the man standing upright in front of the cave, with a dry grass stem in his mouth.

Su Ru Hui smiled. “You came after all.”

“You came after all.”

In the dim night, the voice with the same smile sounded in Sang Chi Yu’s ear. He put down his smoking spirit fire gun and turned his head, meeting a pair of familiar eyes.

Su Ru Hui woke up, as if by a miracle. His once empty eyes now sparkled with a glimmer of light.

Su Ru Hui smiled helplessly. “Where are you taking me, Sang Chi Yu?”

—-

Bian Du, Qing He District, Official Post Station.

Yan Jin Yu sat cross-legged in the tent, half-naked. His waist, abdomen, and arms were wrapped in gauze. His face also had bruises, and a maid was applying ointment to him with soft cotton. He stood up, and the maid respectfully bowed and slowly backed away with the gauze. Another maid who had been waiting came forward to put on his purple robe, carefully folding the collar under his chin, and tying his waistband and jade pendant meticulously.

It was already midnight, and all the attendants left the warm pavilion. Yan Jin Yu held up an oil-paper umbrella and walked down the stone steps, standing in the snow and looking up at the northern sky.

The snow blurred his vision, and a rustling sound filled the world, as if a lover was whispering in his ear. Just then, he heard a tune played on a xiao flute. The melody floated through the snow, smooth and clear, like a child’s singing voice. He turned around and saw a person standing at the end of the snowfield. This person was dressed in white linen, wearing a snow-covered hat, holding a xiao flute in his mouth and an ivory fan in his waist.

The Official Post Station was heavily guarded, with more than ten checkpoints from the gate to Yan Jin Yu’s warm pavilion. However, this person seemed to have no effect on the guards, appearing out of nowhere and strolling through the snow.

Yan Jin Yu remained calm, putting down his oil-paper umbrella and kneeling on the ground to pay tribute to the deity.

“The Yans of You Zhou, Yan Jin Yu, respectfully welcomes the arrival of Elder Shen Tu to the mortal realm.”

The sound of the flute stopped, and a low, hoarse voice came from under the hat, as if not yet accustomed to the pronunciation of mortals. His tone was twisted and strange. “You are a child of mortals. Why do you want to pledge allegiance to us, who are mortal enemies of humans? Didn’t Su Gou tell you when he was alive that humans are quite tasty food to us?”

Yan Jin Yu bowed his head, far from the arrogant and domineering attitude he had in front of Bei Chen Palace. He said, “Demons eat people, and people also eat people. The nobles treat the common people as cattle and horses, letting them use their blood and sweat to cultivate the nobles’ fields. If humans are equivalent to livestock for demons, then the common people are even worse than cattle and horses for the nobles. If we only consider whether to eat humans or not, I don’t see any difference between humans and demons.”

“Aren’t you afraid of being eaten by us?” Shen Tu asked.

Yan Jin Yu spoke word by word with a strong and powerful voice, “Cattle and sheep need sheepdogs, and hunting requires falcons. Yan Jin Yu is willing to become your hound. When Shen Tu descends to the mortal realm, the mortal realm will be in chaos, with the Black Street rampant, the aristocratic families divided, and the Snow Territory invading from the south. The mortal realm will surely be defeated step by step. Those who know the times are wise. I do not have high hopes for the Secret Sect. Moreover, I have a great grudge against them. If the world is not chaotic, my heart will not be at peace.”

“Oh? Tell me about your grievances,” Shen Tu asked with interest.

Yan Jin Yu straightened up, untied his belt, and revealed his bare chest. He placed his hand on his chest and tore open his own flesh and skin little by little. The expected blood did not appear. That layer of flesh and skin was actually made of cowhide and painted – fake skin. The inside of his chest was exposed through a bowl-sized hole in his chest. His ribs and lungs could be clearly seen. Meteorite iron bones were connected to his skeleton. The wind and snow poured into his chest, and the hot air turned them into white mist.

“I was fourteen years old when the Secret Sect’s Sang Chi Yu killed my parents, crippled my spiritual power, and turned me into this inhuman state. If it weren’t for my good fortune, encountering the real Yan Jin Yu when I was wandering, snatching his token and joining the Yan family, I wouldn’t be here today. Dan Tai Jing’s mouth is always advocating righteousness, but he shelters and protects his disciples.” Yan Jin Yu gritted his teeth and said, “I swore I would destroy the Secret Sect and kill Sang Chi Yu to comfort the spirits of my parents in heaven.”

Yan Jin Yu once again prostrated himself on the ground. “Elder Shen Tu, as long as the world is in chaos, the aristocratic families consume each other, the Secret Sect collapses, the Snow Territory can sit back and reap the benefits. I have a plan to offer to you.”

Shen Tu looked interested. “Go on.”

“I believe you have received a message from Lord Su Gou. Su Ru Hui secretly escaped from the Secret Sect and changed his name to Jiang Que Xie. Earlier, I met him and observed his words and actions. His behavior of considering himself the smartest one in the room and playing with others was indeed no different from Su Ru Hui. Su Ru Hui is the leader of the Black Street. If we can kill him and hang his head on the walls of Bian Du City, the Black Street will surely be furious and rise up in arms.” Yan Jin Yu said, “I have found out where this person lives. I will send someone to cut off his head.”

As he spoke, he suddenly noticed that the snow around him had stopped.

The sound of snow disappeared, and everything fell silent.

Yan Jin Yu was stunned.

In the silence, he heard the strange and eerie voice again. This time, it was not at the end of the snowy field, but right beside him.

“That name, say it again,” the voice said.

Yan Jin Yu finally realized that he was facing a demon from the depths of the snowy world, the natural enemy of mortals. Perhaps it didn’t care about his plans or grievances at all, and acted as it pleased.

He forcibly suppressed his fear, and dared not turn his head to look at Shen Tu’s face. He trembled and said, “Su Ru Hui.”

“How much do you know about this person’s background?” the voice asked.

Yan Jin Yu took a deep breath. “Jin Yu knows a little about him. His mother was Princess Su Wu of the Secret Sect, the sister of Dan Tai Jing’s mother, Dan Tai Xun. His father was a commoner from a merchant family, named Su Guan Yu.”

“I heard that Su Guan Yu was handsome and eloquent, especially good at music, and Princess Su Wu was pleased with his appearance. The princess was violent and often killed palace servants at will. Only Su Guan Yu was tolerated to be around her all day long. Later, he fell out of favor with the princess and was expelled from the palace by Dan Tai Jing.

“Su Guan Yu fell into poverty and wandered around, teaching, selling grass shoes, or carrying big bags, doing all kinds of lowly jobs. It is said that he had a whimsical idea of using asceticism to awaken spiritual power, but it was just a childish fantasy. Sometimes he would return to Su Luo Mountain to visit Su Ru Hui, and I have met him a few times.” Yan Jin Yu remembered something and sneered. “Someone spat on his face in front of him, but he was probably used to serving others with his body and his bones were soft, so he never dared to argue.”

Shen Tu asked, “Do you have the grass shoes he made?”

Yan Jin Yu was taken aback. “No.”

“It’s a pity.” Shen Tu’s tone was regretful. “I really want to wear the grass shoes made by Su Guan Yu.”

Yan Jin Yu tentatively asked, “Does my lord know Su Guan Yu?”

Shen Tu nodded. “I used to be his guide wolf. At that time, I hadn’t become a demon god yet. He said I was the most beautiful little wolf in the snow world, and he knew I was perfect for roasting meat.” He tilted his head. “What’s roasting meat?”

Yan Jin Yu was stunned, thinking he had heard it wrong.

Shen Tu said again, “Don’t provoke Su Ru Hui. We’ve been keeping an eye on this child for a long time, and Su Guan Yu must have left something for him.”

“Left something?” Yan Jin Yu didn’t understand Shen Tu’s words.

“That’s right. Do you think Dan Tai Jing spent many years investigating Su Ru Hui’s memories through his dreams just to get the puppet key? That’s because Dan Tai Jing believed that the puppet key was something left by Su Guan Yu for Su Ru Hui. Don’t provoke Su Ru Hui. He’s a person even our demon clan fears. As a young human with delicate skin and tender flesh, how could you possibly defeat him?” Shen Tu laughed.

Yan Jin Yu clenched his fist. “I know Su Ru Hui is a genius, but how can we know the result if we don’t try? Please, let me try, Elder.”

“We’ll see. I also want to kill him, but I can’t make a decision about Su Ru Hui.”

Yan Jin Yu hesitated and gritted his teeth.

“By the way, you also need to help me find…a cat.”

Yan Jin Yu slowly turned his head and finally saw Shen Tu’s appearance. He was a little stunned because underneath the hat was a comical monkey general mask – the kind that was commonly sold on street stalls and carried by children.

“A cat?” Yan Jin Yu asked.

“Yes. That San Chiyu who killed your parents? He’s our clan’s Holy Child, the adopted son of the old king, and also a cat who forgot he was a demon.” Shen Tu kindly patted his head. “Little human, you can’t kill him. Otherwise, I’ll cut off your head right now. Tofu pudding from your world is delicious. I wonder if human brains are equally tasty?”

 

Next Chapter

Jia Mo (Marrying the Devil) Chapter 45 – Miracle (1)

“Why?” Qi Ling Shu took the Dawn Mirror and asked, “Master is still in the tomb.”

“Since you entered the Forbidden Forest, everything you’ve encountered has been abnormal. Not following normal rules means unpredictable dangers. Do you know what unpredictable dangers mean?” Qing He sighed. “It means danger.”

Qi Ling Shu pondered for a moment and said, “Senior Uncle, please go and ask Elder Yuan Ji to send someone to rescue us. I’ll go into the tomb first to find my Master.” He looked at Qi Yin and the others. “You guys wait here.”

“We share a bond of having worn crotch pants together.” Yun Zhi grinned and hooked his arm around Qi Ling Shu’s neck. “How could I possibly leave you?”

It was supposed to be a caring remark, but Yun Zhi just had to say it in such an annoying way. Qi Ling Shu resisted his shameless behavior and coldly pulled away from him, standing further away.

Qi Yin raised his hand. “I’ll go too.”

After all, that jerk was still his father, and he had to go check on him.

Zhao Ming had always followed Qi Ling Shu, and wherever Qi Ling Shu went, he followed. He also said he wanted to go. Xin Xiao Xiao was still worried about her missing Lan Gege. They decided to search for both Qi Shen Wei and an exit, and they had to stick together and not act alone. So, they decided to go forward and explore. The underground river didn’t flow in a straight line, but had distinct turns.

The black water’s ripples blinked like pupils, flowing silently into the dark. They crossed the bridge and arrived on the other side of the river.

Light symbols illuminated the surrounding area, and Qi Yin’s eyes widened. This place couldn’t be called a tomb. It should be called a palace. The ground was paved with ice-cracked patterned tiles, and the patterns were complex, with an ancient and solemn feel to them. The surrounding rock walls were polished smooth and decorated with colored rock paintings, many of which had faded. In the center was a large bronze cauldron, covered in talismans, with a faint rosy light emanating from the mouth of the cauldron. Above it hung twelve golden-handled daggers, with the blades shaped like a golden cross, each one only slightly longer than a palm, sharp and shining with star-like cold light.

“This is so grand. Could it be the tomb of the founder of Wu Fang?” Qi Yin exclaimed in amazement.

No one answered him, as everyone was curious about the twelve golden short swords that were rotating in the light.

Qi Ling Shu furrowed his brow and said, “Cross Guard Short Swords?”

“What?” Qi Yin asked.

Qi Ling Shu furrowed his brow without saying a word. Yun Zhi explained for him, “The Cross Guard Short Sword is a legendary artifact that only gods can wield. Once it pierces flesh, it cannot be withdrawn without the owner’s will and remains there for eternity. In ancient times, there were three major metals: gold, silver, and bronze. The Cross Guard Short Sword has a gold handle and a silver blade, making it very powerful. Look at the blade of this Cross Sword. There is no such blade in the Central Plains. Master Qing He once speculated that it was a sword of the Southern divine beings. However, this sword is only recorded in ancient books. Whether it is a weapon of gods or not, it remains to be seen. It’s possible that the tomb owner replicated it according to the records.”

Qing He exclaimed, “Yun Zhi did not sleep in my class. I shall give you a reward.”

Yun Zhi smiled. “No, no. That won’t be necessary.”

Qing He lowered his voice and said, “At the hour of the Rabbit, I will have Qing Ming disguise himself and follow you to the tomb in the Forbidden Forest. If you find Yuan Wei, return to the other side of the river and wait for Qing Ming.”

Yun Zhi sighed. “My master is not as reliable as you are. He would have already burned paper for me by now.”

After examining the sword, everyone scattered throughout the hall to search for any openings. The silence in the dark hall was a bit frightening. The dim golden light of the lamp symbols reflected on everyone’s faces, as if they were wearing golden masks. Qi Yin touched his cold hand and felt like someone was lurking in the darkness. Unconsciously, he walked over to the mural, where the ancient colors caught his eye.

The colors of the mural were very simple, mainly black rock with red and white accents. The first painting depicted a moonlit night. The pure black color of the rocks represented the night, and a white paint blob represented the moon. A group of roughly sketched people knelt on the ground, some with horns. They devoutly worshipped the moon with piles of offerings of fruits and vegetables in front of them. In the second painting, the moon in the sky extended a winding ladder of light to the ground, and everyone jumped and danced joyfully. Qi Yin turned to the other side of the wall and looked at the third painting. At first glance, he widened his eyes.

In front of the moon, at the top of the light ladder, stood a tall and upright deer. Its antlers bloomed with flowers, and its hooves were wrapped in the spring breeze. It overlooked all living beings below, as if it were the ruler of the world.

It was the White Deer.

“You guys, look at the dome!” Xin Xiao Xiao suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone looked up, and Xin Xiao Xiao released a lamp talisman. The talisman floated up and illuminated the dark dome. A huge colorful painting was painted on the dome of the hall. The deep and flowing lines outlined a tall and upright white deer, running on the winding light ladder, towards the moon that occupied almost half of the night sky. Countless ants-like creatures crawled in a corner of the mural, kneeling and sending off the white deer.

“This is not a Wu Fang Elder’s tomb.” Qing He sighed softly. “This is a shaman”s tomb.”

In the Ice Sea Abyss.

Fu Lan quietly dived underwater, the silent water enveloping him. It was so cold here that even with his protective barrier, he felt like he might freeze instantly. The black cat in his arms trembled with cold. The water was pitch black and the depths were unfathomable. It was still too early for the sun to provide enough light to penetrate the deep sea.

He looked down at the abyssal depths below and released some small fish. Countless light blue flying fish surged out of him and swam into the silent depths, their faint glow illuminating the vast expanse of the sea. He saw a bronze giant pillar standing beneath him. It was an array of countless square bronze pillars, with the bottom submerged in the mud of the icy sea, leaving only the part exposed to the water towering high above.

Ancient mortals, demons, and monsters believed that the higher they built their houses, the closer they would be to the gods. They built these bronze pillars to try to get closer to the gods. If anyone dared to blaspheme the gods, the shamans would remove their heads and embed them in the bronze pillars while casting them, pouring molten bronze over them until they were fused with the pillars. Wherever his gaze fell, he saw many dark blue heads like solemn statues.

Fu Lan slowly dived down, his toes landing on the top of a bronze pillar, overlooking the ruins.

In front of him was the huge remains of a double-eaved building, with seaweed wrapped around the beam and rafters. The main body of the temple had long been buried in the mud. The black cat approached a bronze pillar, and a small fish swirled around it to provide light. He saw densely engraved gold characters on it, but the gold paint had long since faded and turned into a dull wax yellow.

The black cat slowly read the text:

“Jie Bai Lu, disobedient to heaven.

Rebellious and obstinate, defying heaven’s will.

The Emperor has eight directions, and his majesty is supreme.

The bell and drum are resounding, and the gods are on the march.

The chime and the guan are clanging, and the White Deer has crumbled.

Heaven and earth return to clarity, and all the gods return together.”

“This is probably an ancient battlefield,” the black cat explained. “The other bronze pillars don’t have the golden script on them. It was probably carved after the war. ‘Emperor’ refers to Fu Xi. They sounded the war drums, and Fu Xi led the gods of the Central Plains to defeat the White Deer. When the chimes rang, they won.” The black cat touched the dim words with his paw. “Our gods are dead, fool. The great gods are transformed by the qi of heaven and earth, and after death, they return to heaven and earth without physical form or reincarnation. We haven’t had any gods in the Southern Region for a long time.”

“Is it very bad?” Fu Lan asked in a low voice.

“It’s very bad,” the black cat said gloomily. “This means that when we pray to the great gods and make wishes, we are just talking to the air. There are no gods to hear your wishes or grant them. Xiao Yin was right. We found him by luck.”

Fu Lan didn’t answer. The black cat turned his head and saw the quiet man staring into the dark abyss, looking absent-minded. After a moment, more blue fish surged from his body, and the black cat could see that he was using this technique to the fullest.

The small fish spread silently over the entire ice sea, and Fu Lan’s eyes suddenly contracted.

Heartbeats. The entire sea resounded with heartbeats.

At the bottom of the ice sea, countless strong heartbeats were buried in the mud, ancient and solemn, like ringing bells and drums. To the east of the ice sea, countless weak heartbeats thudded faintly, as if they were wrapped in cloth and almost inaudible. The small fish swam through those heartbeats, and he saw frosty, cold and pale faces with their eyes closed. The low temperature suppressed their blood flow and heartbeats, sending them into a quiet sleep. These things were strange in shape, with human upper bodies and deformed lower bodies. Some even had sharp claws and it was hard to tell if they were human or demon.

The small fish did not stop, continuing to dive. To the north of the ice sea, there was a huge heart thudding like muffled thunder, belonging to a young dragon. There was another heart like this that died by his sword.

The heartbeats sounded like a concerto of different instruments, with a faint ripple in the dark water, as if vibrating with them. Suddenly, among all the heartbeats, one stood out. Among the myriad of heartbeats, it resonated only with Fu Lan’s heartbeat, as if it belonged to an old friend he not seen for many years.

It was calling out to Fu Lan.

Fu Lan lowered his gaze and reached out his hand.

The vast waves and the silt at the bottom of the abyss shook suddenly, and a pitch-black object broke out of the seabed and rose into the waves at a steady speed. It floated towards Fu Lan and eventually stopped in front of him.

It was a black scabbard sword with strange cross-shaped blades. The black scabbard was not decorated in the slightest, and it was so black that it seemed to absorb all light. Fu Lan grasped the handle of the sword, and his dignified heartbeat pulsated from the body of the sword, throbbing in his palm. After a moment, the scabbard automatically fell off, and a cold, shimmering mercury-like substance spilled out.

The black cat stared at the sword and exclaimed, “This sword is made of silver. Look, it has been buried underground for so many years, yet it doesn’t have a trace of mud on it. This must not be an ordinary weapon. Is this a sword from our southern region?”

Fu Lan whispered its name, “Bone-Cutting Sword.”

The black cat widened his eyes. “How do you know?”

Fu Lan shook his head lightly.

He didn’t know why, but he recognized this sword. When he held the handle of the sword, it felt like he was reuniting with an old friend.

He carried the Bone-Cutting Sword on his back, bent over, and swam towards the edge of the Ice Sea.

“Where are we going now?” the black cat asked.

They arrived at the wall of the Ice Sea, and there were countless holes in front of them, resembling a huge beehive. Each hole led to an endless darkness. Countless small fish passed through the shimmering water barrier and swam into the cave. A complex map appeared in Fu Lan’s mind, with tunnels and caves connecting to each other like a huge spider web. Countless Wu Fang disciples walked on the spider web. In the center of the spider web was a huge golden magic array, with eight men meditating.

This was a secret location in Wu Fang, the Heavenly Abyss Spider Web.

The black cat clung to Fu Lan’s shoulder, and they both entered the cave.

“Let’s fight,” Fu Lan said.

———

“Shaman’s tomb?” Xin Xiao Xiao asked, “How can there be a Shaman’s tomb in the mortal world?”

Qing He said, “In ancient times, the territory of southern region was much larger than it is today. According to the ‘Records of the Southern Region,’ the current location of Wu Fang was the northernmost part of southern region at that time. Many ancient shamans are buried here.”

Qi Yin remembered what Lord Cat said about southern region’s curse, and felt a little uneasy. “Master, are we trespassing in someone’s tomb? Will they hold a grudge against us and curse us?”

Qing He laughed softly. “As long as you don’t mess with things, like the short swords, I’m sure the predecessors won’t mind.”

“Don’t worry. I heard that White Deer God only eats the hearts of children. You are so tall. They won’t choose you as a sacrifice,” Zhao Ming sneered.

“…” Qi Yin frowned imperceptibly and said, “It’s just a rumor that the White Deer eats the hearts of children. On the contrary, according to the legends of demons, it especially likes children. If a child gets lost, it will even lead them back home.”

Zhao Ming was unwilling to accept this. “Where did you hear that? You’re speaking up for the evil god of demons?”

Qi Yin rolled his eyes at him and ignored him. Seeing his reaction, Zhao Ming became even more angry and was about to say something else. Qi Ling Shu furrowed his brow and said, “Be quiet.”

Yun Zhi casually laughed and said, “The evil god of demons? I don’t think so.” He gestured towards the dome and said, “You see, those with horns represent demons, and those without horns should be humans, right?”

Qing He agreed. “In ancient times, the gap between humans and demons was not as deep as it is today. There were many human settlements in the southern regions that worshipped the White Deer God along with demons.”

“Elder Qing He, does the White Deer live on the moon?” Xin Xiao Xiao asked curiously.

“More accurately, it lives in the Lunar Heaven,” Qing He said. “According to the ‘Records of the Southern Regions,’ on the night of the full moon, the shamans and believers will offer sacrifices and await the arrival of the White Deer God. Look at the second rock painting. The person in the corner is dancing. That is not just a simple dance. It is a shaman’s ritual dance that can only be performed to welcome the gods. Only the ritual dance can invite the arrival of the god and the moonlight ladder. I have heard that the dance is solemn and elegant, but unfortunately, the steps have been lost, and we have not had the opportunity to witness it.”

“Wait a minute.” Qi Ling Shu suddenly pointed to the dome. “What is that?”

Following his direction, Qi Yin found several thin scratches on the painting. They were of varying lengths, with five scratches in each group, as if they were made by human hands. Yun Zhi snapped his fingers, and more light talismans floated up, illuminating the entire dome. Everyone was stunned to see that the dome was covered in scratches.

“What crawled in here?” Zhao Ming asked nervously. “A monster?”

It was likely that monster was trapped here too. Qi Yin furrowed his brow, wondering how Qi Shen Wei was doing. Qing He said he was half-dead. Could he have encountered a monster and been injured?

Just then, there were rustling sounds coming from the end of the hall, which sounded particularly abrupt in the silent darkness. Everyone was startled, and Qi Yin quickly took out his sword. Even though it was rusty, it was still a sword, and could be used for self-defense.

Qi Ling Shu lit a light talisman, and it floated towards the source of the sound. The dim light gradually dispelled the darkness, and they saw a skinny and shriveled figure hiding behind a red pillar, seemingly staring at them.

Next Chapter