BW Chapter 104

Ning Buwei restored all the formations in the tomb, ignoring his dantian’s protest, he forcefully used a great cleansing technique, and then repaired Yan Jinzhou’s ice coffin again.

He swept away the dust in front of the ice coffin with his hand and looked down at Yan Jinzhou inside.

The corpse in the ice coffin had a rosy complexion, as if it might sit up at any moment and scold him fiercely again.

Ning Buwei withdrew his gaze, lifted his front hem, and knelt before the ice coffin.

Jiang Yizheng, who was standing beside him, hurriedly moved away, walked behind Ning Buwei, and knelt down with him, nervously watching Ning Buwei.

“Unworthy disciple Ning Buwei thanks Master for her protection.” Ning Buwei kowtowed three times to the ice coffin.

Jiang Yizheng copied his actions and stammered, “Un-unworthy disciple Ning Buwei’s daughter Jiang Yizheng thanks Ancestral Master for her protection.”

Then she kowtowed three loud times to Yan Jinzhou, making Ning Buwei’s teeth ache from hearing it.

When Jiang Yizheng straightened up, she saw her father looking at her with an indescribable expression. She looked at Ning Buwei with confusion. “Father, did… did I say something wrong?”

Ning Buwei: “…It’s fine for me to call myself unworthy, but you don’t need to.”

Calling him an unworthy disciple in front of her father was asking for a beating.

“Ah, oh! Oh oh!” Jiang Yizheng suddenly realized, and was about to kowtow again, but Ning Buwei grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her up.

“No need to kowtow anymore, even if you break your head, your Ancestral Master won’t know.” Ning Buwei patted her head, “Your brain already doesn’t work well, don’t knock yourself silly.”

Jiang Yizheng, with a red mark on her forehead, smiled foolishly at him.

Ning Buwei patted the dust off his clothes, “Let’s go.”

Jiang Yizheng followed closely behind. After walking a few steps, she suddenly stopped, “Father, did we forget something?”

Ning Buwei looked at the clean and tidy tomb chamber, saying disdainfully, “What could we forget—”

“Wuwu.” A faint sob came from the corner.

“Lingzhu! We left Lingzhu behind!” Jiang Yizheng slapped her forehead and turned around, running towards the source of the sound.

Just as Ning Buwei was about to ask who Lingzhu was, he saw Jiang Yizheng drag out a dust-covered little girl from the corner. Her right sleeve was empty, her height barely reached his waist, and she was as frail as a little white flower, with large watery eyes full of terror and fear.

Ning Buwei: “…………”

Oh, the little girl Feng Zizhang had picked up.

After Yang Lingzhu was dragged out by Jiang Yizheng, seeing Ning Buwei looking at her, she fearfully stepped back two steps, her face pale, “You- you are—”

Ning Buwei had no patience to comfort children, flashing her a sinister smile, completing her remaining words, “The great demon Ning Buwei.”

Yang Lingzhu’s legs went weak, and she collapsed directly onto the ground.

“Hey!” Jiang Yizheng hurriedly went to help her up, “It’s okay, it’s okay, don’t look at my father like that – he may not look like a good person, but he’s actually quite nice, he’s… he’s just joking with you.”

The forcibly “quite nice” Ning Buwei clicked his tongue in displeasure. “Let’s go, stop dawdling.”

Jiang Yizheng pulled Yang Lingzhu along behind him.

After Ning Buwei led the two children a short distance, passing by the small room that controlled the formations from earlier, they ran into Chu Jun leading Feng Zizhang and the others.

Their eyes met, and Ning Buwei guiltily rubbed his nose.

“Woof woof!” Big Yellow excitedly barked at Ning Buwei, unexpectedly running up to him and jumping around, even trying to lick him, but ended up getting hit on the head.

“Behave yourself.” Ning Buwei pushed it away.

“Ah~” Ning Xiu reached out to him, squirming in Chu Jun’s arms.

“Come, let Father hold you.” Ning Buwei reached out to hold him, but accidentally pulled at the wound on his shoulder, his movement slightly faltering, before continuing as if nothing had happened.

Ning Xiu nuzzled hard against him in his arms, then straightened up and blinked earnestly at Ning Buwei.

Ning Buwei said cheerfully, “What’s wrong, don’t recognize your old man after not seeing him for a few days?”

“Ah~” Ning Xiu reached out his small hand to touch the wound on his jaw, a faint golden spiritual energy covering it, and after a few breaths, it healed.

Ning Buwei was about to tease him when Ning Xiu wrapped his arms around his neck and lay on his back, unhappily whimpering twice.

“Hey, I’m fine, just a small injury.” Ning Buwei laughed helplessly while patting Ning Xiu’s bottom, and also casually supported Cui Yuanbai who had climbed onto his back, “All of you, if I didn’t know better, you’d think I was dead—”

“Pooh pooh pooh, childish words carry no taboo!” Feng Zizhang hurriedly stopped him.

(TL: meaning children speak without considering consequences or restrictions, often excused as innocent or harmless)

Ning Buwei kicked him in the bottom, “Who are you calling childish! Show some respect!”

Feng Zizhang ran away laughing while covering his bottom.

Yang Lingzhu, hiding behind Jiang Yizheng, watched the group laughing in the tomb passage, carefully staring at Ning Buwei, and although still frightened and scared, she felt that this great demon seemed somewhat different from when he was fighting.

Chu Jun reached out to take Cui Yuanbai and Ning Xiu down from Ning Buwei’s body, saying, “Let’s go outside first.”

The wound on Ning Buwei’s shoulder immediately felt lighter, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Nearby, Jiang Yizheng and Feng Zizhang together caught Little Black who was trying to crawl into a corner. Jiang Yizheng was jabbed by something, reached in and pulled out a small wooden butterfly.

Feng Zizhang grabbed Little Black in his hands and called out to her. “Little Jiang, hurry up!”

“Coming!” Jiang Yizheng stared at the little butterfly for a moment, inexplicably stuffed it into her sleeve, and got up to chase after them, “Wait for me!”

****

Perhaps because he hadn’t seen the real Ning Buwei for a long time, Ning Xiu was particularly attached to his father, refusing to stay still in Chu Jun’s arms, fussing to be held by Ning Buwei.

Ning Buwei could only hold him.

Ning Xiu wore clean goose-yellow clothes, with plump ducks embroidered on his little shoes. The whole little baby had a faint milk fragrance about him, quietly and obediently nestled in his arms, opening his mouth to bite his hair ribbon.

Ning Buwei’s previously somewhat downcast mood gradually began to lift because of his son.

“Ah~ Yi ya~” Ning Xiu grabbed the end of the hair ribbon, seriously talking to Ning Buwei.

“Mm hmm.” Ning Buwei couldn’t understand but answered him with interest, “The hair ribbon has been washed, it’s very clean, feel free to chew on it.”

Ning Xiu’s eyes sparkled brightly as he grinned at him, “Ah! Hua la~”

Ning Buwei reached out to pinch his cheeks, soft and fair like a freshly peeled egg, “Right, you’ve gotten fatter, any fatter and Father won’t be able to carry you.”

Ning Xiu smiled and rubbed his face against his chin, “Ah~”

Father~ Fat~

When the group came out from that mansion, the sky had completely darkened, the evening wind howled through the mountain forest, carrying a chill with every breath.

“The flying ship was destroyed, let’s find a cave,” Chu Jun looked at Ning Buwei.

Ning Buwei nodded.

The cave Chu Jun found wasn’t large, but it was dry and quiet. After setting up the barrier, it kept out the cold wind and beast howls from outside.

The bonfire crackled as it burned, casting large and small shadows on the cave walls in its light.

Big Yellow lay at the entrance of the cave and gave a big yawn, laying its head on its crossed paws, its two large ears drooping down to cover its eyes.

Feng Zizhang leaned against Big Yellow’s back, holding his sword while dozing, beside him Cui Yuanbai used his thigh as a pillow snoring softly, sprawled out. On the other side, Jiang Yizheng and Yang Lingzhu cuddled together and had also fallen into deep sleep. The little black dragon coiled itself into a ball, making a nest with Big Yellow’s tail, its own tail still restlessly draped across Cui Yuanbai’s stomach.

Ning Buwei looked at the sleeping Ning Xiu in his arms, wrapped him well in the small blanket and placed him on Big Yellow’s belly, then silently left the cave himself.

Chu Jun, who had been meditating with closed eyes across from the fire, slowly opened his eyes.

Ning Buwei hadn’t gone far, sitting on a large rock not far from the cave, his clothes fluttering noisily in the forest’s evening wind.

Chu Jun walked over and sat beside him.

Ning Buwei turned to look at him once, “Did I disturb you?”

Chu Jun said, “No.”

Ning Buwei smiled and continued looking up at the stars piled in the sky. Perhaps because the Floating Sky Realm floated in the sky, the stars seen from here were particularly bright.

“How did you know Pei Heguang would go to ambush the flying ship?” Chu Jun asked.

“Intuition.” Ning Buwei frowned, “He……”

When Ning Buwei “he’d” for a long time without continuing, Chu Jun said for him, “Is Pei Heguang Ning Xingyuan?”

“I don’t know.” Ning Buwei’s brows furrowed even more.

Chu Jun was somewhat surprised, “You don’t know?”

Ning Buwei pulled at the corner of his mouth, “I only spent about ten years with him in total, and I spent most of my time at the Wanxuan Academy. He was always busy… It’s been five hundred years, many things are unclear in my memory.”

Yet that Pei Heguang’s tone and demeanor were almost identical to what he remembered.

But the Ning Xingyuan in his memory would absolutely disdain to use such underhanded methods to deal with others while hiding in the shadows. Even though Ning Xingyuan always appeared very approachable, as the direct young master of the number one cultivation family in a thousand years and a genius cultivator seen once in a millennium, he carried in his bones a pride and arrogance that ordinary people rarely had.

“What do you think?” Ning Buwei asked Chu Jun in return.

Chu Jun looked at him and said, “Back when Ning Xingyuan was taking the Linglong Bone, I helped him once, and he wanted to thank me.”

Ning Buwei felt there was more to his words, “How did he thank you?”

Chu Jun was silent for a moment, “……He proposed splitting the Linglong Bone in half, I didn’t agree.”

Back then, in his eyes, the young but quite capable Young Master Xingyuan held the Linglong Bone, neither perfunctorily modest nor deliberately avoiding the topic, but with forthright eyes and neither servile nor overbearing, so he had a fairly good impression of Ning Xingyuan. Later when he heard that Ning Chengfeng had been taken away by him, he was quite at ease.

After hearing his words, Ning Buwei was first stunned, then laughed. “It’s good you didn’t agree, otherwise there wouldn’t be Ning Xiu.”

“Mm, I had no use for it at the time, and didn’t look at it carefully, plus he had helped me too, so we were even.” Chu Jun saw him laugh and inconspicuously moved his gaze away.

“What did he help you with?” Ning Buwei asked again.

“……Took a treasure from the Floating Sky Realm.” Chu Jun said with an unchanged expression.

Taking silver from the Floating Sky Realm’s gate was quite damaging to an elder’s image.

Ning Buwei suddenly felt that the suffocating feeling that had been stuck in his throat ever since Pei Heguang appeared had silently dissipated.

Reason told him Pei Heguang couldn’t be Ning Xingyuan, but certain speculations were inevitable. However, regardless, someone who could think of splitting the Linglong Bone in half would never resort to unscrupulous means to ambush several defenseless children.

“If it weren’t for you, Ning Xiu and the others would likely have met with disaster today.” Ning Buwei cleared his throat, somewhat uncomfortable, “Thanks.”

“No need to be so polite with me.” Chu Jun handed him a small porcelain bottle.

Ning Buwei took it and opened it to smell, but couldn’t tell what it was, “What is this?”

“There was true fire on Shen Xi’s sword, the wound on your shoulder would be difficult to heal with ordinary medicine and healing techniques.” Chu Jun glanced at his right shoulder, “Your illusion technique can only fool Ning Xiu and the others.”

Being exposed directly, Ning Buwei was somewhat annoyed, glared at him for a while, and handed the small porcelain bottle back to him, “Trouble you.”

The small porcelain bottle returned to Chu Jun’s hand.

Ning Buwei’s shoulder line was smooth and attractive, but unfortunately was brutally destroyed by the bone-deep wound. This wound had obviously been treated roughly and carelessly, with blood all pooled in one place, looking quite alarming.

Chu Jun sprinkled the medicine liquid on the wound, then covered it with a thin layer of spiritual power, and the inner wound began to heal at a visible speed.

Ning Buwei moved his shoulder and put his disheveled clothes back on properly, feeling even more uncomfortable, thinking his method of revenge was truly hurting the enemy a thousand while harming himself twelve hundred.

“Do you have any other injuries?” Chu Jun asked from behind him.

“No.” Ning Buwei cleared his throat, turned around to lean on the rock and squinted at him, “Why are you helping me so much… what’s the real reason?”

“Hmm?” Chu Jun was lowering his head to put the porcelain bottle back in his sleeve, hearing this he raised his head, seeming truly puzzled.

Ning Buwei on one hand didn’t really want to ask, feeling that continuing on like this wasn’t bad, but on the other hand felt some things were better clarified in advance. Although he cultivated the Path of No Emotions, he wasn’t a fool.

“I heard what you and Pei Heguang said outside… when I was in your sea of consciousness.” Ning Buwei didn’t know what expression was on his face, but it probably wasn’t very friendly.

He didn’t much like Pei Heguang’s use of the word “utilize”, those two characters always made it seem like Chu Jun was deep and calculating in using him. Although Ning Buwei felt he had probably been calculated by him quite a bit—

An old thing that could survive for a thousand years in the bloody cultivation world definitely wouldn’t be a kind person, and even more impossible to truly have deep, unwavering feelings because of an accidental old matter and a coincidental child.

If he had known about Chu Jun’s intentions a year ago, he definitely would have drawn his knife to strike, and if he couldn’t win he would have run as far as possible. But now he could actually calmly ask, “You need me to help you pass your fate tribulation?”

Those beautiful eyes of Chu Jun traditionally showed no emotion, like a deep pool of calm water, and his tone was also light, “Yes.”

Although he knew the answer, Ning Buwei still couldn’t help his heart sinking.

“Oh.” Ning Buwei pulled at the corner of his mouth, “When I was young, my parents mentioned that when I was born my body was weak and I almost didn’t survive. It was a benefactor who helped develop my meridians and bones that I lived. But I was too young to remember what he was called, and after my parents died no one mentioned it again.

In my master’s memories, my brother said the person who helped me had split off a strand of his own life force to give to me. Going against heaven’s will would bring hundreds of years of misfortune, with several fate tribulations falling on them, needing me to help resolve them.”

He stood up and brushed his sleeve, smiling at Chu Jun. “Don’t worry, since you are my life-saving benefactor, and have saved me more than once, I will definitely help you pass your fate tribulation——”

The smile didn’t reach Ning Buwei’s eyes, “The Venerable need not go to such trouble. In the future, things like applying medicine, watching children, and helping fight, I won’t trouble you with them.”

Chu Jun silently looked at him.

Ning Buwei knew he shouldn’t be angry at Chu Jun. Such an eminent person not living his peaceful days, condescending to help a demon fight battles and take care of children. Moreover, Chu Jun saving his life was what caused the fate tribulation, so coming to find him to pass the tribulation was reasonable.

He would naturally help.

But Ning Buwei just felt unhappy in his heart, very unhappy, but he couldn’t clearly say why he was unhappy.

He shouldn’t have asked extra questions, pretending to be confused would have been much better, at least it wouldn’t be so vexing.

Ning Buwei and Chu Jun stared at each other for a while, then he turned and left. After walking two steps he suddenly turned back, grabbed Chu Jun’s front collar and slammed him against the rock, his whole body pressing up, the two almost nose to nose. He could even detect Chu Jun’s momentarily disturbed breath.

He glared fiercely at Chu Jun and said viciously, “I won’t help!”

“Alright.” Chu Jun reached out to support his elbow, lowering his eyes to say, “The wound just healed, don’t use too much force.”

Ning Buwei felt a fire burn straight from his heart to the top of his head, gritting his teeth to say, “Surnamed Chu, speak clearly, is it really because of the fate tribulation or something else?”

Chu Jun reached out and held the back of his head.

Ning Buwei knew Chu Jun’s lips were very soft – he had felt them before when Chu Jun had lost control during his qi deviation, but that single brief taste hadn’t let him feel carefully. This time he got to experience it thoroughly.

Although Chu Jun unusually took the initiative this time, he was clearly inexperienced. Ning Buwei wasn’t much better, and because he was angry he used too much force, even tasting a hint of blood between their lips and teeth.

The great demon felt his anger gradually changing flavor because of this sudden kiss. Although the spreading flames didn’t diminish, they strangely changed direction.

Black hair strands and the snow-blue hair ribbon were tangled in Chu Jun’s fingers, the black and white fabrics had somehow become entangled together, their somewhat unsteady breathing particularly clear under the night sky and stars.

When Ning Buwei caught his breath, he found his hand had somehow gone from gripping Chu Jun’s front collar to sliding inside it, and crucially he didn’t really want to take it out. He irritably stroked Chu Jun’s waist once.

Chu Jun’s whole body stiffened, his voice unusually hoarse, “Don’t mess around.”

Ning Buwei gave a deep laugh, staring at Chu Jun’s reddened ears, leaning close to say softly, “The Venerable is willing to sacrifice some beauty, I’ll mercifully help you pass your fate tribulation—”

Before he could finish speaking, the great demon’s jaw was blocked by slender white fingers, the rest of his words pushed back into his throat.

The distant beast howls were faint, while nearby insect chirps rose and fell. The mountain wind that blew through the forest and leaves stirred up their entangled sleeves, the subtle friction of clothing in the quiet night inexplicably gained several hints of ambiguous meaning.

Ning Buwei smelled the familiar bitter medicinal fragrance. In his daze he seemed to see Chu Jun narrow his eyes in displeasure, his rare and domineering pressure both restrained and unrestrained as it wrapped around his entire being. The voice of Venerable Jing He sounded by his ear:

“If I only wanted to find you to pass the fate tribulation, I have thousands of ways to do it without letting you notice. Ning Chengfeng, what do you think I’m doing this for?”