If You See Snow

Sang Chi Yu was unable to sleep all night, as he tried to merge the heart core with himself. Meanwhile, Su Ru Hui tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. In order to preserve his chastity, Su Ru Hui had fought with Han Ye. If he had killed Han Ye, it would be fine. In the Black Street, strength was everything, and whoever had the ability was the boss. Killing the boss would not result in retaliation, but it would make people respectfully acknowledge you as the new boss. However, now that Han Ye was still alive, Su Ru Hui was not only likely to be suspected by the Paradise Pavilion as not being A Qi, but Han Ye’s vengeful character would not let it go easily.

Oh well, if he died, he died. He had died before, and he had gotten used to it. It was just that his helpless and weak husband made him very worried.

What mistake had Sang Chi Yu made to become so pitiful?

What had happened to his former acquaintances?

He fell asleep in a daze, his consciousness becoming a faint thread, pulling him back to a clear springtime in the past. This was his past that he could only return to in his dreams at midnight. In this dream, he was ten years old and still a disciple under Ming Ruo Wu. He was living in Zhuo Luo Mountain with its beautiful mountains and rivers. At that time, he and Sang Chi Yu were not enemies, and he was still a good boy from a prestigious family.

His master’s medical skills were superb, and he was also very strict. If someone had a hidden illness that couldn’t be treated by others, they would come to the temple for treatment. When Su Ru Hui was ten years old, Dan Tai Jing came to ask his master to treat someone.

“Shh…”

Su Ru Hui stuck his head out of the grass, followed closely by two other heads behind him. The round-faced, almond-eyed one was his junior sister, Zhou Xiao Su, and the other one was the twelfth Miss of the Jiang family, Jiang Xue Ya. Jiang Xue Ya was studying martial arts while treating patients in the Zhuo Luo Mountain, making her his half senior sister.

“Is the beautiful little brother really here?” Jiang Xue Ya asked. “Why didn’t I see anything?”

“Yeah, senior brother, are you just playing with us again?” Zhou Xiao Su said.

“Who’s playing with you? I opened the door and I saw him with my own eyes.” He put his finger to his lips again. “Shh… Let me see if my uncle is here.”

He looked around, smiled and said, “It’s a ‘maze formation’ used to hide people. No wonder we couldn’t see him. I learned this formation just a few days ago. Wait here, I’ll go find someone.”

Without waiting for both of them to agree, he turned his head and entered the maze. From Zhou Xiao Su and Jiang Xue Ya’s perspective, his figure twisted for a moment and disappeared instantly. Su Ru Hui leaned down and walked under the tree, looking back. Several old trees around him were buried with spirit stones, interlaced with complex star lines, and they formed this “maze”. He tiptoed around the strange and grotesque rocks and entered a cold cave. At the end of his vision, there was a small stone bed, and a child wearing a white cloak was sitting against the wall, holding his knees, looking lonely and alone, like a solitary mushroom.

Su Ru Hui entered the cave, and the child heard footsteps and turned to look at him. The small face under the furry hood was small, just like Su Ru Hui. In an instant, their eyes met.

Curiously, Su Ru Hui approached him and asked, “I am Su Ru Hui, who are you? Why did my uncle hide you?”

The child didn’t say a word and just looked at him.

“What did you eat to grow up so beautiful?” Su Ru Hui boldly poked his cold face and said, “When Jiang Xue Ya sees you later, she will be so jealous. She always says she is the most beautiful in the world.”

After talking for a while, the child still didn’t respond to him. Su Ru Hui scratched his head and said, “Why don’t you speak? Are you afraid of me? Don’t be afraid, I am not a bad guy. I am a good person who specializes in beating bad guys. The person who brought you here, named Dan Tai Jing, is the Grandmaster of the Kun Lun Secret Sect. He is my uncle, and his younger sister is my mother. You are his disciple, and we are relatives.”

He deliberately didn’t say who his father was. The difference in status between a nobleman and a commoner was distinct, and he was afraid that the little boy would stop playing with him if he knew his father’s identity. His father was a commoner, a relatively unknown teacher who was forcibly brought into the imperial palace because of his good looks and his mother’s favor.

A fruit that is forced to ripen is not sweet. Su Ru Hui learned from rumors in the alley that his parents were estranged lovers. Even more unfortunate was that his mother died shortly after giving birth to him during a civil unrest. His father was destitute and taught people how to read under a big tree while carrying him, still a small baby. He even sold grass shoes on the side of the road. Dan Tai Jing couldn’t bear to see it and took him in, entrusting him to the scholar, Ming Ruo Wu. His father would visit him from time to time and bring some strange wooden dogs with three heads to make him happy. The dogs even had a mechanism inside, and when the string behind their butts was pulled, they would run and make a funny noise.

To be honest, dogs with three heads were a bit scary, and dogs that made a “hehe” noise instead of a “woof woof” noise were even more terrifying. But he was a sensible child, so he pretended to like them and accepted them every time.

He picked up a stick and wrote his own name on the ground. “Here, this is my name, Su Ru Hui. What’s your name? Write it down for me to see.”

Su Ru Hui handed the stick to him, but the little boy didn’t take it and still hugged his knees.

Su Ru Hui thought the little boy didn’t want to talk to him and felt a little disappointed. He was about to take back his hand when he heard a small voice.

“Yu’er,” the little boy said softly. “My name is Yu’er.”

Su Ru Hui’s eyes lit up. “Yu’er! That’s a really nice name. Wait for me, I’ll go get Zhou Xiao Su and Jiang Xue Ya to come over.”

He ran far away with a single shout, and Yu’er stood there in a daze for a while. The noise from outside the cave grew louder, and Su Ru Hui led two little girls inside. The two girls saw Yu’er and surrounded him like butterflies, staring at him. Su Ru Hui was very proud and said, “I didn’t lie to you. I said he’s very handsome.”

“What’s wrong with him? Does he have to stay here every day and not go out?” Zhou Xiao Su said tearfully, “He’s so pitiful.”

“Yeah,” Su Ru Hui asked Yu’er, “why did my uncle lock you up?”

Yu’er’s voice was soft, “He said it’s because I harm people.”

“Harm people?” Su Ru Hui was confused.

“I know!” Jiang Xue Ya clenched her fists. “It’s because Yu’er is too beautiful. The Secret Sect is worried he’ll bewitch people. They’re just talking nonsense. You won’t harm anyone, Yu’er. It’s those stinky men who harm others. They like to push the blame onto us beautiful women.”

“He’s a man,” Su Ru Hui interjected.

“That’s right, that’s right,” Zhou Xiao Su chimed in. “We’ll take you out to play in the future. We’ll have Su Ge dig up the spirit stones, so you can leave this place. We’ll send you back in the evening and put the stones back. I guarantee that Master and Uncle won’t find out. If they do…”

Jiang Xue Ya continued, “You can say that Su Ru Hui kidnapped you and took you out to play.”

They chattered away, not noticing that Yu’er wasn’t listening. He was staring at the words on the ground with his long, curled eyelashes hanging down.

Su Ru Hui protested, “You guys are always pushing everything onto me. Last time we stole some money together, and in the end, I was the only one who knelt in front of our ancestor.”

No one paid attention to him. Zhou Xiao Su clapped her hands and said, “Let’s let Yu’er join our gang!”

She took out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and spread it out on the stone bed. On the right side was written “Dragon Gods Gang,” and on the left were the names of the members. Su Ru Hui was the gang leader. Zhou Xiao Su was the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall, and the leader of the Crimson Dragon Hall was Jiang Xue Ya. Each name was signed with a bright red handprint. Others like “Gang Leader’s Wife”, “Gang Member”, “Servant” were all blank.

Su Ru Hui said to Yu’er, “This is the gang I founded, the Dragon Gods Gang. When we grow stronger, you’ll be an elder of the Dragon Gods Gang, like Zhou Xiao Su and Jiang Xue Ya.”

“I like red, so I’m the leader of the Crimson Dragon Hall, and Xiao Su likes blue, so she’s the leader of the Azure Dragon Hall. What color do you like? I’ll add it for you,” said Jiang Xue Ya.

Yu’er shook his head.

“What does shaking your head mean? You don’t have a favorite color?” Zhou Xiao Su lowered her head and saw Yu’er’s snow-white feet, “Oh, you don’t have shoes. How can you go out and play without shoes? There are many small stones outside.”

“Your hair is not tied up,” Su Ru Hui said. He took the black ebony hairpin from his own hair bun and tied Yu’er’s hair into a small bun.

Jiang Xue Ya made a decision. “Then you can be the gang leader’s wife. In the future, Su Ru Hui will carry you on his back. He will also be responsible for your new clothes, hair accessories, and powder. If you want to buy something, just ask Su Ru Hui. This hairpin is too plain. You should ask him to buy one made of gold in the future.”

Su Ru Hui rolled his eyes.

Zhou Xiao Su hesitated. “But he’s a boy.”

“What does that matter?” Jiang Xue Ya didn’t care. “My dad has three male concubines.”

“What are male concubines?” Yu’er lightly frowned, his delicate eyebrows clouded, looking puzzled. This look was so beautiful that Zhou Xiao Su and Jiang Xue Ya were both mesmerized and couldn’t get enough of it.

Su Ru Hui exclaimed, “Jiang Xue Ya, don’t come up with random ideas. I don’t want a gang leader’s wife. I want a little brother.”

“Okay, then be a little brother. Su Ru Hui will still carry you.” Jiang Xue Ya made a decision, wrote Yu’er’s name on the paper, took out a box of ink, and pressed Yu’er’s handprint on the paper.

Yu’er hadn’t reacted yet to what had happened, but everything was already arranged. Meanwhile, Su Ru Hui had long been used to it, as Jiang Xue Ya and Zhou Xiao Su dug pits for him every day. There was no way around it – someone had to take care of little Yu’er, and they couldn’t rely on Jiang Xue Ya or Zhou Xiao Su. Su Ru Hui squatted in front of Yu’er, who hesitated for a moment before climbing onto Su Ru Hui’s back.

Su Ru Hui stood up and ran out like a gust of wind, with Yu’er bouncing on his back. The spring breeze blew off Yu’er’s hood and brushed up his dark hair. Later, Su Ru Hui learned that at the time, Sang Chi Yu didn’t know how to read. The first three characters he learned were Su, Ru, and Hui.

It was dawn when Su Ru Hui woke up. He got dressed and pushed open the window. He saw Sang Chi Yu sitting outside the window, leaning on a wooden crutch. Sang Chi Yu heard the noise and turned his head to look silently. His black hair and eyes were still as beautiful as when he was a child. Su Ru Hui couldn’t help but wonder, what did he eat to grow up like this?

“Do you want to see Jiang Xue Ya?” Sang Chi Yu asked.

“Huh?” Su Ru Hui was puzzled. “Why do you ask?”

“You were calling her name in your dream,” Sang Chi Yu said.

Su Ru Hui’s bed was by the window, and he didn’t know how long Sang Chi Yu had been sitting here, but he had apparently heard Su Ru Hui’s sleep talk.

“… ” Su Ru Hui coughed nervously, wondering if this guy had heard anything else.

There was a hint of melancholy in Sang Chi Yu’s eyes. Sang Chi Yu avoided his gaze and said, “Today, we’ll return to the Jiang family.”

“Return to the Jiang family?” Su Ru Hui frowned and thought for a moment. According to custom, he should return to the bride’s family within three days of the wedding, and it had already been four or five days since they had married. The Jiang family hadn’t sent anyone to ask, so they probably didn’t care about this useless youngest son. But returning to the Jiang family was indeed a good choice, as the Jiang family was heavily guarded, and the people from the Black Street wouldn’t dare to cause trouble there.

Su Ru Hui nodded. “Okay, let’s go back.”

Maybe he could also inquire about his junior sister’s news. Since she got married, he had been stuck in Kun Lun, so he hadn’t seen Zhou Xiao Su in a long time.

Sang Chi Yu lowered his eyelashes and no longer responded.

Sure enough, he understood that Su Ru Hui had been thinking about Jiang Xue Ya all along.

Suddenly, Su Ru Hui heard a “beep” in his ear.

Beep –

Temporary mission release: Find Jiang Xue Ya.

Temporary mission description: Reconnect with an old friend who you haven’t seen in a long time and see how she’s doing now.

Temporary mission deadline: One day.

Temporary mission reward: The system’s worship and praise X1

Su Ru Hui: ????

What the f*** kind of reward is this?

Su Ru Hui leaned against Sang Chi Yu, his warm body making Sang Chi Yu stiffen up. He held onto his crutch tightly with his other hand. He pulled Su Ru Hui behind him, using his body to shield him from view, and looked up at Han Ye with eyes as cold as ice.

“No matter what business you have for visiting so late, I’m afraid I cannot let you have your way,” he said.

Han Ye sneered. “Don’t forget, you’re a useless person now. What can you do to stop me from sleeping with your wife?”

Sang Chi Yu’s face remained expressionless. He took a dark red tube-shaped object out of his pocket with one hand, opened the cap, and a bright red light with a sharp whistling sound shot straight up into the sky, exploding in a circle of light rain. Seeing this thing, Han Ye’s face changed.

Sang Chi Yu said coldly, “Although I am a useless person, I still have friends. There are ten people within the Kun Lun Secret Sect who possess the power to teleport and arrive in places in an instant. Once this arrow is shot, the Kun Lun Secret Sect will come. Ten against one; you have no chance of winning. It takes five breaths to activate the spiritual power, and conservatively speaking, you have ten breaths to leave.”

Han Ye’s smile disappeared, and his eyes were filled with anger. Sang Chi Yu grew up in the Kun Lun Secret Sect and even though he was expelled, he must have many acquaintances. Han Ye didn’t dare to underestimate him. He turned his gaze to the person behind Sang Chi Yu, who was peeking out. He took out a letter from his waist pouch and said with a sinister smile, “Sang Chi Yu, your good wife accused me of having ulterior motives, but I am innocent. He invited me to a meeting under the moon, but he backed out at the last minute. This letter is the evidence. ‘Waiting for you under the west room, with the half-opened the door. You are right – the Jiang family is evil. I will wait quietly for you.’ You can see for yourself.”

He tossed the letter, and it fluttered like a butterfly made of gold and landed at Sang Chi Yu’s feet.

Su Ru Hui: “…”

Han Ye, this little bastard, was probably infuriated and forgot that A Qi’s task was to gather intelligence. He was trying to create a rift between him and Sang Chi Yu. How was he supposed to gather information this way? The evidence of Jiang Que Xie’s infidelity was right in front of them. Sang Chi Yu had been tricked and betrayed by his wife. The original body’s actions were being blamed on Su Ru Hui, causing him to feel exasperated.

Sang Chi Yu remained calm and said, “My heart belongs to another, and I will seek another lover. I do not blame you, nor should you force me.”

This meant that if Su Ru Hui wanted to cheat, he could cheat, and Sang Chi Yu wouldn’t blame him. But Han Ye was in the wrong for trying to force himself on him.

Don’t mention Su Ru Hui, even Han Ye didn’t expect Sang Chi Yu to be so magnanimous. He accepted the proof of infidelity with stability, without a hint of resentment.

“…” Han Ye sneered, then looked at Su Ru Hui before saying, “Jiang Gongzi, until we meet again.”

After he finished speaking, he turned and left.

Su Ru Hui formed a megaphone shape with his hands around his mouth and shouted at Han Ye’s back, “I am not Jiang Gongzi.”

Han Ye and Sang Chi Yu were both stunned.

Su Ru Hui continued, “I am Madam Sang!”

Han Ye seemed to be at a loss for words for a while, then left with a wave of his sleeve.

“That guy finally left.” Su Ru Hui breathed a sigh of relief. Han Ye’s spiritual powers were powerful, and he had even advanced in rank. If they were to really fight, Su Ru Hui and Sang Chi Yu wouldn’t stand a chance. Su Ru Hui patted Sang Chi Yu’s shoulder. “Thank goodness you have the flare arrow. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble.” He checked the time. “Ten counts have passed, and your friend is moving too slowly. By the time they arrive, we will both have already been buried together.”

Sang Chi Yu turned around and slowly made his way back with the help of his wooden crutch.

“I have no friends,” he said in a flat voice.

“Huh?” Su Ru Hui was stunned, then realized that Sang Chi Yu had deceived Han Ye. The Secret Sect wouldn’t have sent anyone to save him. Su Ru Hui picked up the empty tube of the flare arrow Sang Chi Yu had just fired and realized that it wasn’t a distress flare from Kun Lun Secret Sect at all. It was a firework tube, probably left over from their wedding.

This guy… Su Ru Hui was speechless. Sang Chi Yu’s popularity was already terrible before he died, and he couldn’t believe that even after five years, it was still that bad.

Sang Chi Yu had been standing for too long, and his knees were hurting. He couldn’t walk more than a few steps without resting. Su Ru Hui understood him. He was inherently proud and wouldn’t want others to help him too much, otherwise, he wouldn’t always be thinking of ways to get rid of Su Ru Hui. Su Ru Hui didn’t offer to help and just accompanied him, jokingly asking, “Husband, are you really not concerned that I will cheat on you?”

“We are already divorced,” Sang Chi Yu said. “It has nothing to do with me.”

It was the same old attitude that kept everyone at arm’s length. It was written all over his body that he wanted Su Ru Hui to stay away from him. Su Ru Hui was helpless. No wonder he had no friends. But this temper made Su Ru Hui want to talk to him even more.

Sang Chi Yu paused for a moment and suddenly asked, “Did you know the person from earlier? Have you met them before?”

“I don’t know him,” Su Ru Hui replied half-truthfully and half-jokingly. “But Su Ru Hui must know him. Remember, that Black Street genius, the founder of Phantom Puppets? You two used to fight all the time, didn’t you? He seems to be looking for someone who looks like Su Ru Hui. When he catches one, he uses them. I heard that many people died in his bed – all handsome and exceptional young men like me.”

Su Ru Hui was often criticized for his behavior. He was admired by many, but also hated by many. Many people wanted to punch him in the face. However, Sang Chi Yu remained silent, as if he had long been accustomed to Su Ru Hui’s unconventional behavior, and listened quietly as he rambled on.

“It’s difficult. I don’t think that bastard is going to let me go.” Su Ru Hui sighed deeply as they finally reached the threshold of the private room.

“I will find a way,” Sang Chi Yu said as he stepped across the threshold.

“Huh?” Su Ru Hui wanted to say that if the members of the Kun Lun Secret Sect were unwilling to save him, what could he do? He looked up and met Sang Chi Yu’s calm gaze. His eyes were deep, and Su Ru Hui immediately saw the serenity in them. Sang Chi Yu was always a calm person, a model of “reliability.” He never made promises lightly, but once he did, he would die to keep them.

This person, despite his own situation, still wanted to help others. Even before they turned against each other, Su Ru Hui was already very worried about him. He followed Dan Tai Jing’s teachings meticulously, striving to be a true gentleman, but Su Ru Hui often worried that he was too fragile. He tried his best to be kind to others; Su Ru Hui was worried that he would be deceived.

Su Ru Hui was helpless, but on the surface, he had a smiling expression and said, “I will rely on you, husband, for protection.”

In fact, Su Ru Hui did not really intend to rely on Sang Chi Yu, but he was accustomed to teasing him.

Sang Chi Yu’s face turned slightly red after hearing those words. He kept calling him “husband,” and he had just referred to himself as “Madam Sang,” but it was obviously insincere. He always spoke without a filter, leading to misunderstandings. Sang Chi Yu pursed his lips, turned his face to the side, closed the door, and his voice turned a little colder. “It’s late at night, please go back.”

“Eh!” Su Ru Hui blocked the door. “Husband, my room collapsed, and I have nowhere to sleep. Can I stay in your room tonight?”

“There are plenty of empty rooms.” Sang Chi Yu gave him no face at all and directly shut the door.

Su Ru Hui felt very sad and left with his hands behind his back.

Sang Chi Yu returned to his bed and took out a small, round box from under the covers. He unlocked it and opened the lid, revealing a black heart core stained with blood inside. No one knew the origin of this heart core. The people of the Great Compassion Temple took medicine to gain power, and the banned medicine was circulated on the black market. It had always been the key target of the Kun Lun Secret Sect. Some people speculated that this black heart core was the masterpiece of the Great Compassion Temple. Its previous owner was Su Ru Hui, and the heart core gave him strength, but also inflicted him with a terrifying poison. When Su Ru Hui was 25 years old, the poison flared up, and his body rapidly declined. In the end, he died with no hope of a cure.

Sang Chi Yu’s palm held this heart core, which was dug out of Su Ru Hui’s body by the Kun Lun Secret Sect.

No one knew what the heart core brought to Su Ru Hui; some speculated that it was an extraordinary talent beyond ordinary people. After all, when Su Ru Hui left the Kun Lun Secret Sect, he was still a second-generation young master who was up to no good, but after he fled to the Black Street, he shone brightly and created the shocking Phantom Puppets.

Although Sang Chi Yu knew that the rumors were false, Su Ru Hui was never an ordinary person.

However, perhaps this heart core could be tested.

Sang Chi Yu took off his clothes, removed the gauze from his chest, and the wound that was still hideous the day before now had been covered with powder and didn’t look so bad. He pinched the heart core and inserted it into his own wound. The scab that had just formed was torn off, and the wound was forcibly opened, with blood flowing out and soaking the black heart core.

When the heart core was halfway through entering his flesh and blood, it emitted a faint blue light and automatically squeezed deeper into his meridians. Sang Chi Yu let go, and the heart core disappeared deep into his wound. What kind of person would he become? He didn’t know. In any case, he would be like Su Ru Hui.

In fact, when that guy talked about dreaming that they were destined in their past lives, he knew that Su Ru Hui had returned. Su Ru Hui had said that kind of nonsense to deceive people before, just not to him. He really hated Su Ru Hui. He was the person who hated Su Ru Hui the most in the world. People might not be able to recognize the person they once loved at a glance, but they could certainly recognize the person they once hated at a glance.

A long, long time had passed, and many things had changed. The respected elders had become hideous, and Kun Lun Secret Sect had become corrupt. It had the appearance of justice and righteousness, but was actually full of violence and wanton behavior. And he, Sang Chi Yu, had gone from being a first-class military officer in the palace to a useless waste of a person.

Only Su Ru Hui remained the same – detestable, causing trouble everywhere, and creating emotional debts.

The wound was too painful, and his chest seemed to be frozen by snow and ice. His body suddenly lost its warmth. Sang Chi Yu curled up in pain on the bed. In a daze, he recalled the past when the Grandmaster asked him, “My disciple, Chi Yu, do you know your mistake?”

He said, “I know my mistake.”

The Grandmaster nodded with satisfaction. “You finally figured it out. Where did you go wrong?”

He raised his eyes and spoke word by word, each one carving into his bones.

“I was wrong… for not saving Su Ru Hui!”

So the Grandmaster thundered with anger, stripped him of his spiritual powers, broke his right leg, expelled him from the Secret Sect, and never allowed him to return.

He lowered his head, sweat dripping onto his hand, and the hair that hung on the bed had already changed color. He slowly turned his head, and the mirror on the table reflected his current appearance, with snowy hair on his temples and his long hair turning white. Even his eyes had turned into an icy blue. His vision seemed to have subtle changes, with light and shadow clearly distinguished, and he could hear rustling outside the window, the wind sweeping away fallen leaves, as if they were whispering.

His visual and auditory abilities had greatly improved, and this body was no longer that of an ordinary person. The transformation was so thorough that it surpassed that of Su Ru Hui from the past. He moved his limbs, and the wounds on his chest and back healed. His right leg could move again, as if he had been reborn. He felt the long-lost power of spiritual power surging in his body.

He knew he had become a monster.

Su Ru Hui was taken by the Black Street and sold to the Secret Sect. Su Ru Hui was good to the sect, and the sect stole his secrets.

The world had lost its righteousness, so why should he, Sang Chi Yu, continue to hold onto his moral principles? Being an ugly monster was better than being a hypocritical person.

“Sang Gongzi, I’m back!” The old dog climbed in through the window, not noticing the change in the person on the bed, and spoke angrily, “That Jiang Que Xie is so vicious. He sold me to a meat shop. Luckily, I was smart enough to turn back into human form and escape. It makes me so angry that I was seen running naked. The Yun Zhou Daily might write an article about ‘Naked Man Running Wild on the Streets’ tomorrow. I will definitely report this to Hei Guan Yin. He will be interested in his spiritual power, and we may have to dissect him and study him thoroughly.”

The old dog crouched at the foot of the bed, looked up, and saw that Sang Chi Yu’s hair had turned white like snow. He was stunned. “What happened to you… Wait a minute, you took the Wuji Powder? Wow, your degree of mutation is too severe. How do you feel? Oh, wait, I haven’t given you the secret medicine yet, have I?”

Sang Chi Yu looked at him with his ice-blue eyes as still as the deep sea, without any ripples or emotions. The inhuman appearance made the old dog involuntarily feel frightened. He thought that Sang Chi Yu probably found the Wuji Powder he had hidden; otherwise how could he have turned into this?

Sang Chi Yu asked, “I have heard that the Great Compassion Temple has a saying: eating one person makes you a level one bodhisattva, and eating ten people makes you a bodhisattva at level ten. What level of bodhisattva are you?”

The old dog proudly puffed out his chest. “I am already a third-level bodhisattva.” He grinned. “Two men and a child. The baby was tender and delicious.”

“Did you report the matter of Jiang Que Xie just now?”

“Not yet.” The old dog rummaged under the bed and pulled out his communication compass. “I will report to Hei Guan Yin right now!”

“Very good.”

Sang Chi Yu suddenly raised his hand and covered the old dog’s head. Countless ice-blue meridians emerged from his palm and penetrated into the old dog’s eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. The old dog’s seven orifices bled, and he flailed his limbs. In an instant, he transformed from a naked human body to an empty skin as his flesh visibly decayed.

Sang Chi Yu withdrew his hand and looked indifferently at his palm. The beam-like meridians retracted, and his palm returned to its original state.

Special power: Devouring.

Whoever he devoured, he would gain their special power.

Few people knew this power which he was born with, because he despised it and rarely used it.

After devouring the old dog, he gained the special power “Shape-Shifting.” After meditating for a moment, the spiritual power silently activated. His hair gradually turned back to its jet-black color, and ink marks seemed to hover in his pupils, covering his deep blue irises. Then he leaned down and picked up the communication compass on the ground, manipulating the eight trigrams above it. The symbols on the left side of the compass glowed faintly, connecting him to someone on the other end. The other person remained silent, waiting for the person on this end to speak.

“Did I make a satisfactory promise by killing your dog?” asked Sang Chi Yu.

A hoarse laughter sounded from the compass, “Sang Gongzi, the old dog served you for many days. You killed him just like that. Don’t you feel guilty?”

Sang Chi Yu lowered his head and looked at his palm, his eyes serene. He had just killed someone he shouldn’t have, but he felt no emotions, as if he had just crushed an ant passing by his feet. Everyone thought he was a good person; even Su Ru Hui thought so. They didn’t know that he felt nothing when he killed. To him, killing a person was no different than killing a pig. He only meticulously followed the precepts that Dan Tai Jing taught him, conducting himself with integrity, kindness, and justice.

Is pretending to be just, actually just?

“No feeling,” he said.

The other person laughed softly. “Sang Gongzi is different from the rumors. As expected, rumors are not to be trusted. I have prepared your spot for tomorrow’s gathering.”

After parting ways with Li Bao Cai, Su Ru Hui fell into contemplation. Han Ye used to be his number one little brother, always following him and calling him big brother. Later, Su Ru Hui learned that this guy thought he was being held down by Su Ru Hui and always wanted to take down Su Ru Hui and replace him. Calling him “A Hui Ge” was all fake, and he was ashamed of it.

Su Ru Hui felt puzzled about when Han Ye fell in love with him and went crazy looking for a substitute. It was strange just to think about, and Su Ru Hui felt goosebumps rise all over his body.

Starting a new life, he didn’t meet any old friends, only encountered enemies. Su Ru Hui sighed with emotion, returned to the grocery store he passed by earlier, and bought a large bag of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. He hurriedly carried the bags and went back to the old house of the Sang family.

It was raining heavily, and when Su Ru Hui returned home, his back was completely soaked. He put his things in the kitchen and turned to look for Sang Chi Yu. The door to the room was closed tightly, just like when he left. Su Ru Hui changed into dry clothes and began cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks Sang Chi Yu used to eat porridge in the morning. As he approached the bed, he noticed that the bowl of lean meat porridge on the table had not been touched at all and was still sitting there.

Sang Chi Yu was sitting cross-legged on the bed. Perhaps due to the cold and rainy weather, his cheeks were even paler than yesterday. Su Ru Hui tilted his head to look at him. He was the number one blade of the Secret Sect, notorious for his ferocity, and few people noticed that he was actually a pretty handsome man. Sang Chi Yu’s beauty was like that of an inanimate object, calm and steady. At this moment, because of his illness, he had an added sense of fragile beauty, like a white jasmine about to wither.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Su Ru Hui asked Sang Chi Yu.

Sang Chi Yu remained motionless, only saying, “You should leave.”

This stubborn kid. Su Ru Hui was so angry that his teeth itched. He asked, “What can you do if I don’t leave?”

Sang Chi Yu remained silent, and his lowered eyelashes cast a shadow on his cold, white face.

Su Ru Hui glanced at the porridge on the table and asked again, “Are you going on a hunger strike?”

Sang Chi Yu still didn’t respond.

Su Ru Hui asked again, “If someone wants to kill me, will you run with me?”

Sang Chi Yu glanced at him and said, “No.”

“Don’t you want to leave with me?”

Sang Chi Yu’s response was the same as always, “No.”

This kid was like a stinky stone in a pit. Unfortunately, he was also sick and couldn’t be beaten or scolded. Su Ru Hui shook his head and sighed, turned his face to look at the rain outside the window. The sky was low and oppressive, and it seemed like you could reach out and touch it. The raindrops hit the tiles with a pattering sound, creating scattered silver light on the ground.

Han Ye was coming tonight, and Su Ru Hui had originally wanted to take Sang Chi Yu and escape together, but with the rain pouring down like this and Sang Chi Yu looking half-dead and refusing to eat, he wouldn’t be able to run half a mile without falling ill.

He couldn’t leave him behind either, so Su Ru Hui was worried. Han Ye was a lunatic, and if he and Sang Chi Yu were to meet, it would be like sending a little white rabbit into the wolf’s den. With Sang Chi Yu’s tendency to collapse at the slightest breeze, it would be better for Su Ru Hui to fight against Han Ye himself.

“Do you know that I can read faces?” Su Ru Hui suddenly said.

Sang Chi Yu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly raised his eyes to look at him, quietly watching him.

“Leave, Young Master Jiang,” Sang Chi Yu said.

Su Ru Hui suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek with a malicious smile, saying, “I can tell from your face that you are a possessive person.”

Sang Chi Yu: “…”

“I have a guest tonight, so just stay in bed and don’t come out if you’re not feeling well,” Su Ru Hui said as he cleaned up the dishes.

“A guest?” Sang Chi Yu furrowed his brow slightly.

It was the first time Su Ru Hui had heard him ask a question, as if he too had found something of interest.

Su Ru Hui laughed maliciously. “Yes, a guest who will make you jealous.”

Sang Chi Yu was a bit absent-minded, unconsciously grabbing the fabric on his knee and creating tiny folds.

After a while, Sang Chi Yu closed his eyes and said, “Do as you wish.”

He didn’t say another word. No matter how Su Ru Hui teased him, he didn’t react. Su Ru Hui tried to ask about his expulsion from the Kun Lun Secret Sect, but he remained silent.

Su Ru Hui was at a loss and left after clearing up the dishes. He didn’t send lunch or dinner again. As the day faded and raindrops fell, the flowers in the courtyard were battered and scattered. The room gradually darkened, and Sang Chi Yu sat alone in the darkness, watching the sparkling light slowly leave his fingertips.

Had he finally given up? That’s good. Sang Chi Yu thought.

Actually, Su Ru Hui had no time to cook at all. He was busy preparing for the upcoming battle with black gunpowder and flintlock rifles. Due to the limited materials, he could only bury some homemade guns with saltpeter at the four corners of the house. He sprinkled saltpeter powder in specific areas on the ground and connected the homemade guns at the corners of the walls. He carefully covered the traces with books and puppet parts to avoid being discovered. Finally, there were the flintlock rifles, which were extremely crude with bamboo tubes as gun barrels, but had some power and a range of up to 150 steps. The chamber was filled with many pieces of broken iron, which would immediately scatter and spray if they exploded. These guns didn’t need to be aimed specifically and could still cause great damage. Even if he couldn’t kill Han Ye, he could at least turn him into a hedgehog.

It was dark outside, and he leaned against the wall, waiting. The candle burned silently, with droplets of wax falling and accumulating in a white porcelain dish. Su Ru Hui was bored and started dismantling the mechanical parts on the ground, making small spider-like mechanisms. His puppets were divided into four grades: wooden, iron, leather, and flesh puppets. The degree of authenticity increased from the fourth grade to the first grade, with the flesh puppets being almost indistinguishable from living creatures.

He once created a group of beast puppets, consisting of tigers and lions, with the occasional addition of small cats and dogs. This beast puppet army once captured the White Emperor City in the Western Province for the Black Street. Su Ru Hui then transformed the city into a mechanical fortress, with the entire city operated by complex and tightly-organized machines, rendering soldiers unnecessary for defense against a million-strong army. This was the peak of the Black Street’s power. Unfortunately, Su Ru Hui was captured by the Kun Lun Secret Sect, and the beast puppets were handed over to them, and the White Emperor City was recaptured by the Kun Lun Secret Sect.

Su Ru Hui implanted the Wind-Stealing Star Formation in the brain of the spider puppet. This star formation was simple and easy to learn, but of little practical use. It allowed Su Ru Hui to listen to the wind’s whispers, which he would usually use to gossip about the Black Street.

He made four or five wind-stealing spider puppets, but it was already past midnight, and nobody had arrived yet. Su Ru Hui’s stomach grumbled, so he got up and went to the kitchen to steam a basket of large white buns. Sang Chi Yu hadn’t eaten all day, and he would get stomach problems if he continued like this. Su Ru Hui planned to find a way to feed him tomorrow. Carrying the buns back to his room, he pushed open the door and immediately sensed danger. A man was sitting in the dark, with half of his face hidden in the shadows. Only his clean white chin and thin lips were visible in the light.

The man scrutinized Su Ru Hui, and even though they were separated by a thick wall of darkness, Su Ru Hui could still feel his menacing gaze.

[Information unlocked: Han Ye, the current head of the Paradise Pavilion. Has a chaotic personal life and is a prime example of a man who does not uphold male virtues. Host, I support you in spanking him and castrating him.]

He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, “Little thing, you really do look like him.”

Su Ru Hui was speechless. Little? Sorry, but he was actually quite big.

Su Ru Hui swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth and approached the table, his spirit fire gun hidden under the table. Judging from Han Ye’s words, he had probably never met the original owner of the body, so Su Ru Hui could improvise. “I’m sorry, boss, for troubling you. I’m young and inexperienced, and I rashly offered to serve you without understanding the situation. After thinking it over, I think it’s better for me to concentrate on being a spy. How about I cook you a meal as an apology, and you can leave after you finish eating?”

Han Ye chuckled softly. “Have you done your homework? You speak like him. Among those useless people sent over to please me, you’re the only one I find acceptable.” He crossed his legs and tapped the table with his fingers. “Come over here and let me take a closer look at you.”

Su Ru Hui remained motionless and said, “Boss, you should find someone else. It’s late at night and the dew is heavy. Have a safe journey.”

Thinking that Su Ru Hui was trying to play hard to get, Han Ye asked, “What do you want? Gold? How much do you need? I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll grant your wish.”

“I just want you to leave and not come to me again in the future,” Su Ru Hui said.

Han Ye stared at him silently for a moment before standing up. Light and shadow flickered around him, and the candlelight illuminated his cold, white cheeks. Five years of time had settled on his eyebrows, making him look much more mature. His features were deep-set and his eyes were deep and dark. He was no longer the little brother who followed Su Ru Hui and acted cute, but a dangerous criminal who held the power of life and death.

“Who did you learn your tone from? What’s your name?” Han Ye asked.

Oh no, Su Ru Hui didn’t even know the original owner’s name. He urgently called out to the system in his mind.

Fortunately, Su Ru Hui didn’t have to answer, as Han Ye figured it out himself. “I remember now. Your name is A Qi. They say you’re a street thug who’s been hanging around, and that you joined the Paradise Pavilion when you were eleven and have killed people and set fires. No wonder you’re like him. That guy was also a thug.”

Wow, there’s no need to insult him like that. Su Ru Hui felt depressed. After all, he came from a prestigious family.

Han Ye said, “Those guys before you either cry and beg for mercy, or fawn over him, doing things he wouldn’t do and it’s disappointing. Jiang Que Xie was a bit more likeable, but unfortunately, the people in the Paradise Pavilion fed him too many drugs to please me.”

Following this logic, as long as he became more like Su Ru Hui, he would be fine. Su Ru Hui breathed a sigh of relief.

“But you have to have a sense of propriety and not go too far. After all, I used to hate that guy.” Han Ye reached out to him and said, “A Qi, come here.”

Su Ru Hui was confused. “Do you like him or hate him?”

Han Ye replied, “You-“

Before Han Ye could finish his sentence, Su Ru Hui pulled out a spirit fire gun with his left hand, lit the fuse with his right hand, and a brilliant spark of fire burst out from the bamboo tube. Su Ru Hui loved to fire the gun before finishing his sentence, catching his opponent off guard. The sound of the gun was like thunder, and after the smoke cleared, Su Ru Hui retreated to the door while Han Ye remained in place. The gun missed. The aim was too poor, and the shot went awry.

Apart from a scratch on his cheek, the flying shrapnel failed to injure Han Ye. His black robe seemed to be custom-made with a faint glow on the surface, which Su Ru Hui could tell was due to the effects of talismans. By drawing blood and painting symbols, spiritual power users could partially transfer the effect to their power. Han Ye’s robe had talismans that had the effect of a “Shield,” similar to a suit of armor.

“A gun?” Han Ye whispered, “He always liked to tinker with these things. Who taught you?”

Su Ru Hui shrugged. “Take a guess.”

Han Ye suddenly looked up. “Unfortunately, your aim is not good enough.”

“But it’s enough,” Su Ru Hui said softly, turning around and running out of the room.

Behind him, sparks from a sudden firearm explosion ignited the gunpowder on the ground. The sparks flew and within moments ignited the four cannons in the corner. A thunderous blast shook the earth. Flames shot in every direction, and the fragile wooden windows shattered into pieces. Bricks turned to dust under the tremendous impact and the bedroom collapsed into rubble.

With the four cannons fired, the house had crumbled. Su Ru Hui stood in the courtyard, dusting himself off.

“Goodbye, you little bastard. I’ll burn a hundred paper men to keep you company in the underworld,” Su Ru Hui chuckled, hands on his hips.

As the dust settled, Su Ru Hui’s laughter abruptly stopped.

A shadow stood amidst the ruins, a dark flame engulfed in his palm. Except for a small scar on his face, Han Ye was unscathed.

He looked down at the flames in his palm, and said, “My spiritual power has already reached the Dong Xuan realm. Anything with fire is under my control. You were too careless.”

Dong Xuan realm spiritual power!?

Spiritual powers in the world were divided into ten realms, with the tenth realm further divided into five stages, from low to high: Dong Xuan, Tong You, Guan Huo, Chao Sheng, and Tian Ren. Those who have just awakened to spiritual powers could not even be considered as having reached the first realm. It usually took gifted individuals over a decade to reach the Dong Xuan realm, while many took forty to fifty years. Chao Sheng level practitioners in Great Jing were few and far between, and Dan Tai Jing was one of them. He was the head of the Kun Lun Secret Sect and had just turned one hundred this year. As for the grandmasters of the Tian Ren realm, there had never been one throughout history.

Han Ye, at most, was only twenty-five years old and had already reached the Dong Xuan realm. Su Ru Hui understood that this man had controlled the flames that had attacked him, turning them into a shield to block his attacks.

It was too much to bear. Su Ru Hui felt exhausted. Why didn’t he have such a powerful technique?

At this moment, a slender, cold hand pressed down on his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Sang Chi Yu’s calm profile. Sang Chi Yu leaned on his crutch and walked to his side step by step. Despite his ragged appearance, he still had an unyielding spirit.

“Who are you?” Sang Chi Yu stared at the man in front of him.

Han Ye looked at Sang Chi Yu from afar with an unfriendly gaze, then suddenly smiled. “I know now, it was you who taught Jiang Que Xie everything about Su Ru Hui. Sang Chi Yu, you are the one who killed Su Ru Hui. Why do you keep a fake person around? Aren’t you enemies? Do you still care about the childhood friendship between you and Su Ru Hui? You, who pretend to be moral, are really disgusting.”

While Han Ye kept talking on the other side, Su Ru Hui wracked his brain quietly. Han Ye was strong, and he couldn’t confront him head-on. The Paradise Pavilion wanted to extract information about Kun Lun Secret Sect from Sang Chi Yu’s mouth, but all they could get were maps and defense plans. Sang Chi Yu was a disciple of the Kun Lun Secret Sect, and no one knew more about these things than him. Paradise Pavilion wouldn’t kill Sang Chi Yu for the time being, nor would they expose A Qi’s undercover identity.

Having figured out these details, Su Ru Hui knew what to do.

He turned around and threw himself into Sang Chi Yu’s arms, pinching his throat and fake crying, “Husband, it’s him, Han Ye. He said I look like Su Ru Hui and wanted to rape me. How can a man serve two husbands? Husband, this wife can’t live like this anymore.”

Sang Chi Yu: “……”

Han Ye: “……”