Jun Shu staggered out of the cave. He concealed all his spiritual breath and ran with extreme difficulty.
Although Shen Zhiming was aware of most of the life-saving techniques Jun Shu had, he ultimately overlooked the methods of his mother. His mother came from a family of puppeteers and had left a set of life-saving treasures for him. When he pretended to be dead and was thrown out, he hid in a high place, while what was left behind was a puppet which he got from his mother to protect him.
This puppet had been hidden in his body by his mother using special techniques, and would only be used at critical moments. He had been waiting for the day to use this puppet, but he never expected that this day would come because of Shen Zhiming.
He used the treasure his mother left in his Sea of Consciousness to conceal his presence, stumbling forward at a frantic pace. Realizing that the pursuers were behind him, he fled in a panic, not knowing where he was running. He ran like this for several days. After several days of escape, when he finally regained his composure, he realized that he was already nearing the Ning family’s territory. The Ning family was not exactly close to the Jun family, but compared to Guicheng, without a City Lord, it was a much safer area. Once he entered the Ning family’s domain, Shen Zhiming would be even less daring to act recklessly. Moreover, if the news of the Demon Seed hidden within him were to be exposed, the Ning family would undoubtedly use all of their strength to kill him.
Jun Shu pondered for a moment and then made up his mind to quickly enter the Ning family’s territory. However, in front of him was a cliff. With his mortal body, if he were to go around the cliff, it would likely take several days, and Shen Zhiming’s people would definitely think he would take the detour and follow him. If that happened, he might never be able to escape the cliff and be caught by them.
The fastest and most reliable way to reach the Ning family now is to climb over this cliff.
Jun Shu raised his head and looked upward with his eyes that had become those of an old man. The perseverance of a cultivator told him that he could do it.
Without saying or thinking anything, he walked to the side of the cliff and began climbing up.
Jun Shu climbed for a day and night. By this time, Qin Wanwan and her group had also arrived at the Meiren Cliff.
Jian Xingzhi saw that they had arrived at the place and called out to Cuilu: “Cuilu.” He discussed with her, “I have something to do here with Beicheng. Can we rest here for the night?”
Cuilu hesitated for a moment after hearing this, and looked toward Qin Wanwan in the carriage. Qin Wanwan lifted the curtain slightly, raised an eyebrow at her, and gave her so-called flirtatious glance, signaling her to be accommodating.
Recently, Qin Wanwan had been diligently practicing the ‘Jian-style seductive wink’. She has become proficient in this gesture, and realized it was really effective. With just a slight movement of her eyebrow, Cuilu’s expression instantly became unreadable.
Cuilu wanted to laugh, but felt it would be improper, so she could only mask her embarrassment with anger and decided not to argue further with her: “Set up camp to rest!”
After Cuilu instructed to set up camp, Jian Xingzhi called Qin Wanwan over, then informed Cuilu of his destination, changed into a new set of clothes before heading up the mountain with Xie Gutang, Nan Feng, and Qin Wanwan.
They had been planning for this night for a long time.
Qin Wanwan wore a white dress with wide sleeves, a tube top embroidered with gorgeous peonies. She looked ethereal, like a fairy from the Moon Palace* descending to earth. But atop her head was a fluffy goose-feather hairpin, adding a touch of grounded cuteness to her otherwise aloof appearance. Paired with her bright and stunning features, she was nothing short of breathtaking, even perfect.
[T/N: The Moon Palace (月宫, Yuè Gōng) is a celestial palace that is believed to be located on the moon, where the Moon Goddess Chang’e (嫦娥) resides. The Moon Palace is also connected with the Emperor of Heaven and serves as a place of celestial beauty and tranquility.]
Jian Xingzhi carried two big cattail fans, while Xie Gutang and Nan Feng were carrying several upright copper mirrors. Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan discussed: “So they will be using their spiritual power to shine copper mirrors for you, and I’ll just need to fan to create wind?”
“That’s right.”
Qin Wanwan nodded: “I want my hair to flutter, with the moonlight shining on me. I’ll be the center of light. This will create the right atmosphere.”
Jian Xingzhi nodded half-heartedly, understanding but not quite. He turned to look at Xie Gutang and Nan Feng behind him: “Did you guys understand?”
The two nodded blankly. Jian Xingzhi was relieved, at least he was not alone.
Monk Tang…
Not quite right. Qin Wanwan led the three of them to the open space at the top of the cliff. She instructed Xie Gutang and Nan Feng to position the copper mirrors, then had Nan Feng channel his spiritual power into them, adjusting the strength of the power to create a suitable lighting atmosphere.
She also asked Xie Gutang to play the flute, adjusting the volume to ensure the right melody.
Finally, she turned to Jian Xingzhi: “Let’s give it a try. You fan the wind towards me from the front. Soon, that man must be chased by his enemies and run up the mountain from below your direction. You just need to stand on the tree and make sure you’re not seen.”
“Why will he run up the mountain from below?” Nan Feng asked, feeling curious.
Qin Wanwan was speechless: “We’re already at the highest point. Is there any way to run up the mountain from here?”
“Then why only from the front and not from the back?” Xie Gutang couldn’t understand.
Qin Wanwan glanced back and saw the mist swirling. She sighed and explained: “Daoist Monarch Xie, this is a cliff. If he’s being chased, how could he run up the cliff from behind?”
Everyone thought it made sense. Did it ever happen that pursuit didn’t involve a large number of people?
It couldn’t be that the pursuers and the target would be climbing the cliff together, you pull me up, and I kick you down, right?
Everyone understood Qin Wanwan’s reasoning. With everything ready, Qin Wanwan stood at the center of the light and winked at Xie Gutang, who then began to play the flute.
When the sound of the flute began, Qin Wanwan raised her hand and made the first gesture.
When a beautiful woman dances, the most important thing is not how well she dances, but the atmosphere she creates.
The sound of Xie Gutang’s flute was distant and clear, and his gaze unintentionally fell on the woman in the center. Under the moonlight, her white dress flowed, wide sleeves hiding half of her face like a shy flower. Her pair of eyes, as clear as water, lifted slightly, filled with affection, and then suddenly narrowed, before moving her eyebrows.
Xie Gutang smiled gently.
Suddenly, a ‘+10 points’ popped up in Jian Xingzhi’s mind.
Jian Xingzhi was startled and instantly looked towards Xie Gutang standing not far away. He saw that the red ‘Favorability 45′ above his head had actually changed to 46!
He felt a strange sense of unease and began fanning absentmindedly.
Meanwhile, Jun Shu, who was climbing the mountain, heard the sound of the flute from above, and fear stirred in his heart.
He didn’t expect that there were still people on the mountain, but it didn’t matter anymore. He had already climbed this far, and there was no turning back!
He gritted his teeth and climbed up bit by bit.
Qin Wanwan on the mountain moved gracefully to the music, and noticing that Jian Xingzhi was half-heartedly moving the fan, she reminded him: “The wind is dying down!”
Jian Xingzhi struggled to wave the two large fans, and the wind grew a bit stronger. However, Qin Wanwan still felt it wasn’t enough to create the ethereal aura around her. She continued to shout loudly: “Make it stronger!”
Jian Xingzhi swung the fans with even more effort. In fact, he could make the wind stronger, but he was afraid that, if he wasn’t careful, he might blow Qin Wanwan away. So, he carefully controlled the strength.
Unexpectedly, the disobedient disciple did not appreciate the Master’s concern. Qin Wanwan, unable to get the right wind for a long time, couldn’t help but stop and said feeling irritated: “Master, did you forget to eat? Can you add more spiritual power and give me that feeling of ‘I want to ride the wind and return, floating like an immortal’? Can you do it or not? If you can’t, let Daoist Monarch Xie do it.”
“Who said I can’t do it?”
Men, can’t never say no.
Jian Xingzhi immediately spoke up: “You dance, and I’ll let you ride the wind and float like an immortal in no time.”
Qin Wanwan heard his words and finally began to dance again. Jian Xingzhi poured more spiritual power into the fans and raised his hand to swing them with great force.
The fierce wind swept through, and Qin Wanwan felt as though she was facing a hurricane. Not to mention her sleeves fluttering, if she hadn’t instantly used her spiritual power to resist, she might have been blown away.
At that moment, Jun Shu finally climbed to the top of the mountain with great difficulty. But he was met by a gust of wind, and with a moment of misstep, he let out a scream and fell down.
“What was that sound?”
Qin Wanwan subconsciously stopped dancing and asked. Everyone listened attentively for a moment. Nan Feng said with a confused expression: “I didn’t hear any sound.”
Qin Wanwan felt a little scared, and Jian Xingzhi furrowed his brow: “I think I also heard something.”
“Don’t say anything more.” Qin Wanwan interrupted him, “I’m getting scared, let’s continue.”
While Qin Wanwan was speaking, Jun Shu was falling off the cliff. He frantically flailed his arms in the air, hoping to grab onto anything, and finally caught hold of a vine, hanging in midair. He had barely managed to save his life.
He panted heavily, still frightened by the sudden fall. For a moment, he couldn’t quite figure out what had just happened.
Where did that strong wind come from? Could it be that his pursuers were waiting for him up there?
No, it couldn’t have been the pursuers. If it were them, they would have waited for him to come up.
Jun Shu comforted himself for a moment, treating it all as an accident. He took a few deep breaths and looked at the top of the cliff less than ten feet in front of him. He had been climbing for a day and a night, and he couldn’t afford to fail now!
He gritted his teeth, and stretched out his withered and trembling hands. With difficulty, he began climbing again.
Qin Wanwan and the others were singing and dancing on top. After a while, everyone began to feel a bit tired, so they took a short break. Qin Wanwan then turned to Jian Xingzhi and asked: “That man with a 90-point appearance, why hasn’t he arrived yet?”
“Let’s wait a bit longer. We can rehearse some more; after all, murders usually happen in the middle of the night.”
Jian Xingzhi’s explanation was reasonable, and everyone nodded. With nothing else to do, they began suggesting some improvements to the dance Qin Wanwan had performed earlier.
“What do you think of the dance just now?”
Qin Wanwan asked for opinions, and everyone nodded.
“Excellent.” Xie Gutang responded in appreciation.
Nan Feng applauded: “Super good!”
Jian Xingzhi also nodded: “Not bad, but there’s just one problem.” He said, frowning as he thought, “Isn’t it a bit too monotonous?”
Everyone looked at him with questioning gaze, and Jian Xingzhi explained: “Think about it. The moonlight is white, the clothes are white, everything is white. The color combination is pretty ordinary.”
“What the Senior said is correct.”
Xie Gutang nodded. This group of straight men’s aesthetic was unexpectedly quite good: “It would be nice if there were a bit of color.”
As they spoke, everyone unanimously turned their gaze towards a nearby peach blossom tree that was in full bloom.
The location of the peach blossom tree was a little off, some distance from where they set the scene. Jian Xingzhi clapped his hands: “This is easy to handle. I’ll move it over here.”
With that, Jian Xingzhi went to pull the tree, instructing Nan Feng to dig a hole. Nan Feng quickly dug a hole, and Jian Xingzhi squeezed his fists, raised his hand, and placed it on the tree trunk.
“Apologies for the trouble.”
With that, he shouted loudly and, hugging the tree, lifted it out of the ground. It was only then that they noticed there were many vines wrapped around the tree trunk. Jian Xingzhi called out to Xie Gutang: “Lao Xie, help me cut the vines.”
Xie Gutang nodded, drew his sword, and walked to the tree. With one swing of his sword, the vines were chopped cleanly.
At that moment, Jun Shu was almost at the top of the cliff again.
A little bit, he needed to climb just a little bit.
His eyes were filled with hope as he reached out to grab the nearby vines. There was no other place to hold onto above him, so he could only rely on these vines to climb up. However, just as he grabbed the vines, he heard a loud shout from above, followed by a faint snapping sound.
Then the vine lost its strength and began to fall. Jun Shu was frightened and hurriedly grabbed onto a nearby rock. The weathered rock suddenly crumbled, and he immediately slipped down!
His flesh scraped against the jagged stone points of the cliff as he slid down. The pain was so intense that he could no longer make a sound. He grabbed a nearby rock with his last will to survive, feeling both desperate and furious, thinking—
Who! Who was it! Who was it to harm him like this!
He must kill this person. He must cut this person and Shen Zhiming to pieces. One day, he will kill them all!
Anger fueled him with energy. He was exhausted and hungry, and his mortal body left him drained. Yet, he mustered up his courage once again and began to climb, little by little.
This time, he climbed very slowly. By the time the four people above were exhausted, he was still climbing.
Cuilu sent someone up and asked them to go down to have some barbecue. Qin Wanwan, exhausted, waved her hand: “I can’t leave yet, I still have to wait for the target. You guys go ahead.”
“I’ll stay with her.”
Jian Xingzhi had the consciousness of a master: “Just bring some up after you’re done eating.”
“Okay.”
Nan Feng replied and went down the mountain with Xie Gutang. After they had left, Qin Wanwan, feeling a bit exhausted, stood at the edge of the cliff and turned to Jian Xingzhi: “Master, I’m so tired.”
“I’ll find you a rock to sit on.”
Jian Xingzhi turned around to look for a suitable rock.
Jun Shu finally climbed to the top of the cliff. Just as he stretched out a hand from the mist and placed it on the edge of the cliff, he heard a somewhat familiar voice saying: “Sit down.”
With that, a rock fell from the sky and landed on Jun Shu’s hand.
A sharp pain coursed through him, and before he could even scream, he passed out on the spot from the agony.
His hand was pinned under the boulder, and his whole body hung in mid-air. As the wind blew, it felt as though his body was a wind chimney suspended in the air, swaying back and forth, almost tingling.
Jian Xingzhi smashed the stone on the edge and walked over. The stone was about the same height as an ordinary chair and half a foot long. Qin Wanwan sat on it. Jian Xingzhi was also a little tired from walking, so he walked over and sat on the other end.
“Master,” Qin Wanwan said wearily, “It’s already this late, and that man with a 90-point appearance still hasn’t come. I’m already feeling sleepy.’”
“Maybe he’s on the way?” Jian Xingzhi thought for a moment and encouraged her, “Just hang in there a little longer.”
“We should just give up.” Qin Wanwan thought for a moment: “I can’t dance anymore. Let’s just wait for him. When he arrives, we’ll rescue him, and that’ll be enough.”
“Okay.” Jian Xingzhi nodded in agreement, “If you can’t wait for the right time, then it wasn’t in your fate. If you feel sleepy, just lean on me and sleep for a while. I’ll earn some points while you sleep.”
Qin Wanwan: “…”
How could such good words, when coming out of his mouth, turn into nonsense?
But Qin Wanwan didn’t pay much attention. She was really exhausted, so she leaned on Jian Xingzhi’s shoulder and fell asleep drowsily.
The mountain breeze blew by, and Jian Xingzhi looked at the peach blossoms fluttering in the distance. Turning his head, he glanced at the young disciple resting on his shoulder and suddenly realized that, in this lifetime, it seemed like he had never lived such a peaceful and stable life before.
As long as he could remember, his life had been busy with practicing swordsmanship, fighting, cultivating, practicing swordsmanship, fighting, cultivating…
Week after week, soaring all the way up.
Busy and bustling, with not a moment to rest. But now, stopping for such a brief moment, letting his young disciple lean on him, watching the petals blooming and falling from the heights, scattering with the wind, heading toward the distance, he actually felt that it was quite nice.
He felt a little relaxed and let Qin Wanwan lean against him for a while. A while later, he saw Nan Feng jogging up with two plates of chicken wings: “Master, Daoist Monarch Jian, eat chicken wings.”
When Qin Wanwan heard chicken wings, she quickly opened her eyes. Jian Xingzhi took the chicken wings, handed them to Qin Wanwan, then instructed Nan Feng: “Go get some water as well.”
Nan Feng responded and went down the mountain again. Qin Wanwan took the chicken wings, and took a bite along with Jian Xingzhi.
After a while, mist began to rise in the mountains, growing thicker and thicker. Qin Wanwan turned her head and glanced around: “Master, is there something wrong with this mist? Why is it so dense?”
“I’ll go take a look,” Jian Xingzhi said, handing his half-eaten chicken wings to Qin Wanwan, “Don’t wander around.”
“Okay.”
Qin Wanwan nodded and watched Jian Xingzhi walking in the direction of the mist.
The wind blew past her chicken wings, and the fragrance mixed, drifting into Jun Shu’s nostrils. Jun Shu slowly woke up. He glanced around, when a sharp pain came from his hand. He raised his hand and began pushing the rock away.
Qin Wanwan felt a tremor beneath her as the rock under her butt shook. She froze while eating the chicken wing, then suddenly jumped up. Holding the chicken wing in her hand, she stared at the massive rock from a distance.
The mist around them grew thicker and thicker, to the point that she could hardly see ahead. Qin Wanwan looked around, only to realize that Jian Xingzhi had already walked off quite a distance.
The entire mountaintop was filled with a cold, gloomy wind, and for a moment, there was an inexplicable horror movie-like atmosphere surrounding her. She stared at the rock not far ahead, and saw the rock wad vibrating as if someone was striking it, again and again.
Countless horror movie scenes flashed through Qin Wanwan’s mind, and she even imagined a suspension BGM (Background Music) playing in her head. Eventually, with a sudden force, the rock was violently overturned, and a bloody hand rose up from the cliff!
Qin Wanwan was so scared that she lost her voice. She tightened her grip on the chicken wings and stepped back, watching in horror as a blood-covered figure like Sadako, crawled up from the cliff with difficulty.
He stared at her with intensity, his aged face contorted in a grotesque expression. In his eyes, there was a wolf-like hunger as he reached out his hand toward her.
In the thick mist, his figure trembled as he said slowly: “Chicken…”
Before he could even say the words “chicken wing” Qin Wanwan was overwhelmed by fear. Panic surged through her, and she suddenly reacted, sending a burst of spiritual energy toward the figure while screaming at the top of her lungs: “Master!!”
Hearing Qin Wanwan’s scream, Jian Xingzhi’s heart dropped. He raised his sword, slicing through the mist, and swiftly flew toward the direction of her voice while shouting loudly: “Beicheng!”
With a single swing of his sword, the mist was parted, and he saw a figure sent flying by Qin Wanwan’s spiritual energy. Without thinking, he quickly rushed forward and delivered a powerful kick to the figure’s face. The figure shot through the air like a meteor, speeding off into the distance.
Jian Xingzhi quickly turned back and appeared in front of Qin Wanwan: “What happened? Are you alright?”
“That… that just now…”
Qin Wanwan was so frightened that she could only stammer: “What was that?”
Jian Xingzhi paused for a moment, then carefully recalled the person he had just kicked away. It was only then that he suddenly realized, though he hadn’t seen the person’s face clearly, there was something green blinking above his head…
It seemed like the person had something on their head, a 90?
Jian Xingzhi’s eyes widened in realization, and he exclaimed, “Crap, the target of the mission!”
Qin Wanwan was stunned: “The target of the mission?! How did he climb up from the cliff? And that appearance…”
Qin Wanwan was at a loss for words. Jian Xingzhi quickly calmed her down: “It’s not important right now. Let’s hurry and find him. I hope we haven’t kill him.”
“Oh, yes,” Qin Wanwan agreed, feeling guilty, “I was too impulsive just now, let’s hurry and find him.”
As she said that, Qin Wanwan raised her hand and changed into a lighter set of clothes. The two of them took to their swords and began flying in the direction where the person had been kicked away. Jian Xingzhi extended his Divine Sense, scanning the land inch by inch. Finally, he pointed to a spot and called out: “Found it!”
Jian Xingzhi took Qin Wanwan down with their swords, entering the dense forest. There, they saw Jun Shu, half of his body already buried in the ground, as if it had been stuffed into the soil.
Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi hurriedly pulled him out, and the two of them realized that the man looked as if he was already a hundred years old, with white hair. He was so skinny that only his bones were visible. He was covered in blood and all the bones of one palm was broken. The whole person was already at the verge of dying.
“Quick, medicine.”
Jian Xingzhi began channeling his spiritual energy into Jun Shu and quickly instructed Qin Wanwan.
Qin Wanwan, mimicking Jian Xingzhi’s usual way, tried to feed Jun Shu medicine. But because he was unconscious, she couldn’t open his mouth. Jian Xingzhi grew anxious and snapped: “Squeeze his jaw open!”
Qin Wanwan nodded, decisively squeezing his jaw open and throwing the medicine into his mouth. After that, she quickly closed it again.
Jun Shu groggily opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman kneeling in front of him, dressed in red. Her expression was a mix of guilt and anxiety as she looked at him: “Old man,” Qin Wanwan asked, her voice filled with both regret and worry, “Are you alright?”
Old man?
Jun Shu was a little confused. He realized a bit later that he had lost all his cultivation. And because of that, he truly appeared like an old man now.
He had always been a handsome young man, so suddenly becoming like this, he instinctively lowered his head, trying to hide his appearance. Qin Wanwan, however, mistook his action as a sign that he wasn’t feeling well, and her heart let out a ‘thump’ in unease.
Seeing the bloodied hand, Qin Wanwan roughly guessed what had happened. When she thought of the stone pressing on the old man’s hand, her heart filled with guilt. She quickly spoke up: “Elder, if you’re feeling unwell, please tell us. We will do everything we can to help you!”
Jian Xingzhi remained silent, his gaze fixed on the “90” points above Jun Shu’s head.
Is a 90-point appearance supposed to look like this?
He couldn’t believe it, but after looking through him, he couldn’t find any signs that this person was in disguise. Jun Shu didn’t dare speak recklessly, but after a moment, his stomach growled, and he finally spoke: “I’m hungry.”
After climbing for an entire day and night, for a mortal body to make it this far was already extremely difficult.
Just now, for the chicken wings, he was almost willing to risk his life. His attention had been entirely on the chicken wings, and in the thick mist, he hadn’t even noticed that his enemy was right there!
Jun Shu silently scolded himself in his mind. Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi exchanged a glance, and Jian Xingzhi nodded: “Okay, I’ll carry you back to eat something.”
After saying that, Jian Xingzhi lifted the frail old man onto his shoulder and said to Qin Wanwan, “Let’s go.”
Without waiting for Qin Wanwan to speak, Jian Xingzhi flew away on his sword. The strong wind blew towards them, causing Jun Shu’s already sparse hair to slap against his face with each gust.
But he didn’t dare to complain. Flying on a sword was a basic technique that any cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage would be able to perform. How could he, a cultivator, be so weak that he couldn’t even tolerate flying on a sword!
He wouldn’t admit defeat, he would rise again. Sooner or later, he would get back on his feet and go back to kill Shen Zhiming! Kill the woman with the chicken wings! And kill the man who kicked him.
But he didn’t even see the clothes of that person clearly. Damn it!
Jun Shu held back his curses against the fierce wind as Jian Xingzhi carried him to the camp. By the time they arrived, everyone had almost finished their barbecue and started cooking porridge. When they saw Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan carrying an old man, one in front and one behind, they all froze in surprise.
Cuilu looked at the approaching figures and frowned. “Where did this old geezer come from?”
“Lord Cuilu, we saved this person when we were passing by,” Qin Wanwan quickly spoke up, trying to calm Cuilu: “It seems like he was being chased, and we’re thinking of taking him to a safe place.”
They had already briefed Cuilu about their mission. Cuilu glanced at Jun Shu, and didn’t say much more. Looking displeased, she lowered her head and began drinking her porridge, muttering under her breath, “Rescuing a handsome man is one thing, but someone who looks like this, what’s the point?”
Jun Shu clenched his fists hearing those words. But he knew that when you’re under someone else’s roof, you had no choice but to lower your head. He could only grit his teeth and remain silent, hoping for a better future.
Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Don’t despise the poor young man*. Sooner or later, one day, he, Young Master Jun…
[T/N: The phrase “三十年河东，三十年河西，莫欺少年穷.” originates from a well-known literature in the Chinese classic “The Book of Songs” (诗经), specifically from the poem “Guan Ju” (关雎), one of the oldest and most famous poems in Chinese literature.]
“Here, have some porridge.” Qin Wanwan handed him a bowl of porridge, and softly comforted him: “Don’t take Lord Cuilu’s words to heart. She’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Just have some porridge to fill your stomach.”
Jun Shu didn’t say anything, listening to the woman babble on.
He looked around and realized that they were all acquaintances. This woman, the man who had carried him earlier, and Xie Gutang…
He recognized them all.
He lowered his eyes quietly, took the bowl with one hand, and whispered: “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me. You still have injuries. After you finish the porridge, I’ll have my Master take a look at you.”
Jun Shu nodded in response and, with one hand, began drinking the porridge straight from the bowl.
He was very hungry, but he still tried his best to maintain his demeanor. After finishing the porridge, he looked up and saw Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi sitting together, both watching him with nervousness.
Qin Wanwan was wearing red clothes, and she resembled someone from his memory.
However, that person was indifferent, more ostentatious, and when walking in the world, they would never have saved an unrelated, frail old man like this.
Jun Shu put down the bowl and saw Qin Wanwan looking at him hesitantly before asking, “Um, Elder, what’s your name?”
“Wuming.”
[T/N: Wúmíng (无名) literally translates to ‘Nameless’ or ‘Anonymous’]
Jun Shu wouldn’t be foolish enough to reveal his real name at this moment, and instead asked: “What about you guys?”
“My name is Qin Wanwan,” Qin Wanwan consistently used the name she had given to Xie Gutang. Jian Xingzhi, in order to maintain the uniqueness of ‘Gu Beicheng,’ didn’t correct her and just listened as Qin Wanwan introduced him: “This is my Master, Jian Xingzhi.”
Jun Shu nodded. He realized that this person… her name was just one character longer than Qin Wan’s.
“That,” Jian Xingzhi pondered, “How did you end up there?”
Shouldn’t he have appeared at Meiren Cliff, being chased up the mountain by someone? How did he end up climbing up from the cliff?
Jian Xingzhi couldn’t figure it out. But because he felt guilty, he didn’t dare to reveal that he was the culprit who had kicked him away. He could only start by asking about the root of the matter.
Upon hearing this, Jun Shu clenched his fist: “I was being chased by enemies, and reached the bottom of the cliff. In order to escape, I had no choice but to climb the cliff and enter the Ning family’s territory.”
Everyone gathered around to listen to Jun Shu’s story. As he spoke, his expression filled with grief and indignation: “I had already climbed to the top of the mountain, but suddenly a strong gust of wind blew past, and I was thrown down!”
At that moment, everyone couldn’t on help but recall the initial auditory illusion on the cliff at the same time. Qin Wanwan felt a bit guilty and asked, “Then what happened?”
“Fortunately, I was lucky. I grabbed a vine halfway and started climbing again. Just when I was about to reach the top, I grabbed another vine…” Upon hearing this, everyone felt guilty again. Jun Shu was so angry that his eyes turned red, “Who would have thought that the vine would suddenly snap!”
Everyone looked at Xie Gutang together, Xie Gutang swallowed his saliva: “Yes… it was quite miserable.”
“But I was lucky and escaped by chance.”
No, you are not lucky at all.
Everyone silently lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. Jun Shu continued recalling his tragic experience: “Using my willpower, I climbed the cliff once more, but just as my hand reached the top, a massive rock fell from the sky and crushed my hand.”
Jun Shu raised his hand which was bandaged like a boxing glove, and spoke in despair: “I fainted from the pain right there, hanging on the cliff. When I woke up, I was so hungry. I smelled the fragrance of chicken wings. I climbed up, hoping to ask that person for some chicken wings. But to my surprise, they actually kicked me off the cliff with one foot, and I ended up crashing into the place where you all saved me!”
The more Jun Shu spoke, the sadder he became: “What did I do wrong? I just wanted to survive. I just wanted to eat a chicken wing. Have I done anything wrong?!”
Everyone sat stiffly together, shaking their heads frantically. Nan Feng hid the chicken wings behind him, no longer daring to take them out again.
“Everyone, you all saved me today, and I am deeply grateful.” Jun Shu thought for a moment and decided he couldn’t only talk about hateful people. He then expressed his gratitude to everyone, “I, Wuming, was wronged and have fallen into misfortune. I am grateful to you all for your generosity and noble hearts. If you are willing to protect me until my family comes to take me, I will be forever grateful and definitely reward you handsomely in the future.”
“I don’t really care about the heavy reward, but what I care about is,” Qin Wanwan asked cautiously, “If you find out who threw you off the cliff, what are you going to do?”
“I must kill them.”
Junshi’s eyes burning with hatred, “Catch them, smash their bones, grind them to ashes, and vent my hatred!”
Everyone turned silent after hearing this.
Jun Shu suddenly remembered: “By asking this, do you perhaps know who my enemy is?”
“We don’t know.”
Qin Wanwan replied decisively: “We were just passing by, saw you in the dirt, so we drew our swords to help you. Elder, there’s no need to overthink it. The priority now is to send word to your family and have them come to retrieve you. Getting you home safely is the most important thing. There’s no need to thank us too much. From now on, let’s consider the bridge as the bridge, and the road as the road. And the world is vast*,” Qin Wanwan raised her hand in a salute, speaking from the bottom of her heart, “No need to meet again.”
[T/N: This line is most probably from a Chinese literature, ‘The Farewell’ (送别) by Wang Wei, or ‘The River Merchant’s Wife: A Letter’ by Li Bai. The line indicates severing ties after the misfortune/situation passes.]
[Mini Theater – 1]
Jian Xingzhi: “My little disciple is leaning against me, petals of peach blossoms are flying, I feel so happy.”
Jun Shu: “When you are happy, can you take a look behind you?”
Jian Xingzhi: “No, a real man never looks back.”
[Mini Theater – 2]
Qin Wanwan: “I just realized that this is the script of Journey to the West. I, Monk Tang.”
Jian Xingzhi: “I, the Great Sage of Qi Tian.”
Xie Gutang: “I, the Second Senior Brother.”
Cuilu: “I, the Third Senior Brother.”
Nan Feng: “I, the White Dragon Horse.”
Should we go to get the scriptures now?
[Mini Theater – 3]
Jian Xingzhi: “What are you here for? Do you want to develop an affection branc?”
Jun Shu: “… I dare not…”
Qin Wanwan: “Then what are you doing here?”
Jun Shu: “Just… Thirty years in the east, thirty years…”
Jian Xingzhi: “I remember that you beat me at the beginning, and now, the west has turned.”
