Ch102 - Cyan Remnant Soul

“Slap—”

Su Hansheng’s face remained expressionless as he viciously struck Qi Jianyi across the face.

“Are ‘evil spawn’ words you’re allowed to speak?”

The slap was utterly humiliating. Blood trickled from the corner of Qi Jianyi’s mouth, but when he turned his head, his eyes held no resentment.

Perhaps having died once before, all of Qi Jianyi’s emotions seemed buried beneath his indifferent expression. No matter how much regret and guilt he felt toward Su Hansheng, he kept it all deeply hidden.

His expression remained cold as he said: “In my past life, I caused you to enter Infinite Hell. In this life, you personally killed me. You and I are even.”

Su Hansheng tilted his head, looking at him.

Even?

He hadn’t killed Qi Jianyi just now—not because killing him once had dissipated his resentment, but because these past few years he was no longer completely mad. His rationality still barely existed, clinging to that final thread preventing him from acting rashly.

Su Hansheng stared directly at Qi Jianyi.

After a long moment, thinking of something, he flicked his finger. The companion tree wrapped around Qi Jianyi silently retracted back to his body. He gently fingered the Buddhist beads in his hand, as if trying to use the cold glass beads to steady his emotions.

The beads were indeed effective.

No wonder Chongjue always played with these broken beads.

Su Hansheng casually spun the beads in his hand twice. The loss of composure from seeing Qi Jianyi earlier had imperceptibly settled as the beads turned. He returned to his usual demeanor, speaking flatly: “You think we’re even?”

In just one encounter, Qi Jianyi was already covered in blood from head to waist. He supported himself against the tree, slowly rising: “Aren’t we?”

Su Hansheng smiled faintly: “We both returned to this world through opportunity. The me from my past life killed you in this life. But the one who truly caused me to enter Infinite Hell is you as you are now. You’re still alive and well. How does that make us even?”

Qi Jianyi paused.

Su Hansheng slowly walked forward, his brow and eyes carrying a strange smile.

He’d grown considerably these past three years. Standing before Qi Jianyi, he wasn’t much shorter. He extended his blood-stained hand and gently patted Qi Jianyi’s cheek, his expression between a smile and not.

“…I suffered so many years in my past life. Killing one person doesn’t satisfy me. Only when you’ve all scattered into nothingness will I find peace in this life.”

Qi Jianyi gazed at Su Hansheng’s amber eyes, momentarily dazed.

He didn’t know what immense changes that hellish Infinite Hell could bring to a person. In his previous understanding, Su Hansheng remained the obedient, compliant youth from their past life.

Even after returning to his body and receiving memories from this life’s self of being killed by Su Hansheng, he hadn’t thought deeply about it—only believing Su Hansheng had acted so ruthlessly out of extreme hatred.

But now, meeting again, Qi Jianyi vaguely realized the truth wasn’t so simple.

Ten years in Infinite Hell had perhaps driven Su Hansheng completely mad long ago.

Qi Jianyi said: “Then what must I do to compensate and eliminate the hatred in your heart?”

Su Hansheng blinked, actually laughing at this question.

Qi Jianyi asked: “What are you laughing at?”

“At you.” Su Hansheng shook the beads in his hand again, his posture casual and relaxed. The smile at the corner of his eyes hadn’t faded, creating a pure yet eerie innocence. “I wouldn’t even harbor hatred toward those who killed my senior brother. How much less toward you?”

Qi Jianyi froze slightly: “Then you…”

“Not hating you doesn’t mean I don’t want you dead.” Su Hansheng played with the beads, speaking flatly. “If you truly have a conscience and want to compensate me, then just die.”

The casual tone spoke words that sent chills down one’s spine.

Qi Jianyi remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying: “I can give you my life to dispose of as you wish.”

Su Hansheng raised an eyebrow, knowing this person must have more to say.

Sure enough, he heard Qi Jianyi continue: “…As long as you register your household with me.”

Su Hansheng: “…”

Su Hansheng suspected his ears were malfunctioning. He looked at him in confusion.

Register what?

Qi Jianyi wasn’t joking. He pulled out the betrothal card from his hand: “This is our betrothal card. Now we only need Mount Sumeru’s consent, and we can register our household next month.”

Su Hansheng stood dazed for a long while before finally reacting. He stepped back half a step, speaking flatly: “Are you planning to use the Phoenix Bone matter to threaten me into agreeing?”

Not many people knew about the Phoenix Bone. Qi Jianyi from the past life was one of them.

“I do have leverage.” Qi Jianyi lowered his gaze. “But I won’t use the Phoenix Bone as a threat.”

“What do you mean?”

Su Hansheng didn’t recall having any other leverage in Qi Jianyi’s hands.

But Qi Jianyi’s answer was completely off-topic. He spoke flatly: “After I was reborn, my soul drifted in Infinite Hell. Three years ago when the gates of Infinite Hell opened, I barely managed to return to the mortal realm. Combined with my soul from this life having scattered into nothingness, it took me three years to return to my body.”

Su Hansheng suddenly had an ominous premonition.

Qi Jianyi raised his hand and lightly tapped the glass in the box. The ornament with withered branches growing from a heart suddenly transformed into an extremely bizarre shape.

Su Hansheng looked over and froze slightly.

What the ornament displayed seemed to materialize from Qi Jianyi’s memories—two masses of black mist (representing the virtuous one 善念 and evil one 恶念) fighting to devour each other. Countless strange Sanskrit characters twisted into talismans, struggling to devour one another.

The glass flowed like water, constantly distorting with the speed of the devouring.

Then—boom.

The black mist on the right gained the upper hand, forcefully swallowing the other mass of black mist whole. The dark qi resembled storm clouds gathering before rain. With a thunderous rumble, a bolt of lightning struck down.

After the black mist completely merged, it transformed into a tall man dressed in black robes.

Lotus-patterned embroidery, holding a demon-subduing staff.

It was Chongjue.

The scene was extremely bizarre and inexplicable.

Su Hansheng’s expression suddenly changed: “You!”

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Su Hansheng’s heart ached with strange suffocation. He closed his eyes, forcibly steadying his emotions, and said coldly: “He was also reborn from a past life. He certainly wouldn’t—”

Qi Jianyi interrupted him, moving closer to Su Hansheng and speaking quietly: “But is he?”

Su Hansheng’s pupils trembled.

Qi Jianyi lowered his voice: “He is the World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru, no longer the unrestrained evil spawn from the past life.”

Su Hansheng looked at him coldly.

This person was truly an evil beast wearing human skin. To achieve his goals, he would do anything.

Qi Jianyi smiled, flatly answering the question for Su Hansheng.

“He isn’t. He’s the compassionate World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru. He won’t develop selfish desires because of you.”

Su Hansheng instinctively wanted to deny it, but his lips opened and closed, unable to find words to refute.

Qi Jianyi reached out as if to brush Su Hansheng’s disheveled hair behind his ear. The moment his hand extended, Su Hansheng violently knocked it away.

“I’ll only wait one day,” Qi Jianyi said, unfazed as he withdrew his hand. “Tonight, I hope you can give me an answer.”

Just then, Yuan Qian came hurrying to find them. From afar, catching sight of this scene, his serpent pupils contracted. He immediately transformed into his massive serpent form, charging forward with bared fangs and coiling around Su Hansheng protectively in the center, viciously showing his venomous fangs to Qi Jianyi.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Qi Jianyi’s brow furrowed. He looked with disgust at Yuan Qian’s massive serpent body protecting Su Hansheng, but when his gaze returned to Su Hansheng, he restrained all aggression.

Su Hansheng didn’t want to deal with him. He leaned against Yuan Qian’s tail, pressing his chest as if unable to catch his breath.

Qi Jianyi tried to step forward: “Hansheng?”

In the next instant, Yuan Qian showed no mercy, opening his fearsome venomous jaws and viciously snapping at Qi Jianyi.

If Qi Jianyi hadn’t dodged quickly enough, he might truly have been swallowed whole.

Yuan Qian shouted fiercely: “Bastard! Get lost!”

Qi Jianyi frowned and glanced at Su Hansheng. Seeing his eyes filled entirely with disgust and rejection, he pressed his lips together. No longer staying to annoy people, he turned and left.

After he departed, Yuan Qian frantically transformed back to human form, catching the swaying Su Hansheng.

“Xiaoxiao?!”

Su Hansheng’s lips were pale, but from his neck to his chest was flushed red. He struggled, desperately gripping Yuan Qian’s shoulder with such force it was like clutching a final lifeline.

Yuan Qian initially thought his chest hurt. After hastily checking, he was shocked to discover…

Su Hansheng couldn’t breathe.

Like someone drowning, he desperately held his breath. Though his lungs ached from the strain, he struggled and refused to breathe.

Yuan Qian was terrified: “Xiaoxiao! Xiaoxiao, breathe…!”

Su Hansheng’s consciousness was fading. In his daze, he seemed to see a hand pressing his head underwater. He absolutely didn’t dare breathe, fearing he’d inhale the icy water into his lungs.

Suddenly, a familiar fragrance of bodhisattva flowers permeated the surroundings, silently entering his nostrils.

In that instant, the faint scent seemed to break through the icy water, forcefully crashing open Su Hansheng’s chest.

Su Hansheng’s eyes flew open as he violently gasped for air.

Fresh air finally rushed into his lungs. The excessive speed caused his oxygen-deprived organs intense pain, but he didn’t dare stop. He struggled, clutching his chest and gasping desperately for breath, tears involuntarily forced from his eyes in large drops.

Someone gently held him, stroking his back, their voice both warm and cool.

“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”

Su Hansheng’s vision was filled with fragmented black spots. Only after his breathing smoothed did his sight gradually return.

Chongjue held him, using spiritual energy to regulate his breathing. That unique bodhisattva flower fragrance surrounded Su Hansheng’s entire being, completely pulling him from the icy depths into the mortal world.

The jade box containing Qi Jianyi’s ornament had been smashed on the ground, shattered into pieces.

Su Hansheng’s slightly unfocused eyes stared at the debris on the ground. He suddenly murmured: “…No one can threaten me.”

Qi Jianyi was certain he wouldn’t tell the World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru about his rebirth, so he used this as leverage to threaten him into registering their household.

A shameless and childish trick. Breaking free was so simple it required no thought.

Since the secret had become leverage, there was no need to hide it anymore.

Chongjue spoke softly: “What?”

“Nothing.”

Su Hansheng came to his senses and shook his head slightly. He rose from Chongjue’s embrace, rubbing his dizzy brow before noticing the vast space was now empty of others.

Chongjue had come here, meaning he already knew what he and Qi Jianyi had discussed.

Dismissing Yuan Qian—he probably wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Chongjue did have doubts about their conversation, but seeing Su Hansheng’s condition, he knew this wasn’t the time to interrogate thoroughly. He forcibly restrained his urge to question and spoke gently: “Feeling better?”

Su Hansheng nodded, his lips still pale.

Mount Sumeru’s great bell resounded throughout the vast mountain range. The coming-of-age ceremony was about to begin.

Su Hansheng bowed to Chongjue respectfully: “Uncle, I’ll head to the front hall first.”

Chongjue: “Mm.”

Su Hansheng walked a few steps without looking back when Chongjue suddenly seemed to remember something: “Xiaoxiao.”

Su Hansheng stopped, turning slightly.

The floating cloud veil scattered sunlight everywhere. No matter how fierce the sun, that face remained like cold jade, devoid of warmth.

After calling him, Chongjue seemed to regret it. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke.

“Qi Jianyi is not a good person. Be cautious about registering your household.”

Su Hansheng froze, tilting his head to look at Chongjue for a long while before suddenly laughing.

Chongjue thought he’d seen through his thoughts and was about to explain.

Su Hansheng’s smile held no teasing. His eyes curved, looking quite obedient, yet his answer was off-topic.

“Uncle, after sunset, please come to the Cold Pool at Hanmang Garden. I have something I want to tell you.”

Chongjue was slightly stunned.

The Cold Pool at Hanmang Garden?

Su Hansheng had no intention of consulting with Chongjue. After saying this, without waiting for Chongjue’s reaction, he bowed and left without looking back.

His companion tree quickly followed, coiling around his shoulder with sprawling branches.

***

Yingxu Sect’s Young Lord’s coming-of-age ceremony had been prepared for half a month, a grand affair.

Yet the ceremony’s protagonist, Su Hansheng, remained distracted throughout. Following Xie Zhizhi the entire time, he knelt when told to kneel, burned incense when told to burn incense—the whole time seeming as if his soul had left his body.

Fortunately, the ceremonial altar was far from the guests. Aside from Chongjue and Xie Zhizhi, no one noticed Su Hansheng’s unusual state.

The coming-of-age ceremony was extremely tedious. Su Hansheng, wearing heavy robes, busied himself running around for most of the day. Only when the afternoon sun set could he finally catch his breath.

Seeing the elders gathered in one place exchanging pleasantries, Yuan Qian, who’d been waiting nearby for a long time, finally couldn’t contain himself and dragged Su Hansheng to a small corner of the side hall.

“Xiaoxiao! You and Qi Jianyi… what’s the situation?! You’re not really going to agree to register your household with that bastard, are you?”

Wu Baili and Qifu Zhao also gathered around, each expressing disapproval.

“I also want to ask—why do you all dislike him so much?” Su Hansheng raised an eyebrow. “I recall you haven’t had much interaction with him.”

Yuan Qian said with disgust: “Just looking at him annoys me. If I’m this annoyed without interaction, wouldn’t I bite him to death if we actually interacted?”

Qifu Zhao also frowned, gently advising: “Young Lord, please reconsider. Though speaking ill of others behind their backs isn’t gentlemanly conduct, Qi Jianyi… truly isn’t a good person.”

Wu Baili was succinct, saying coldly: “He harbors ill intentions toward you.”

Su Hansheng couldn’t help but laugh: “This marriage was arranged by the elders of both sects. I can’t go against them.”

The three immediately panicked.

Yuan Qian nearly lashed his tail in fury: “You can’t joke with your lifelong happiness!”

Wu Baili said: “An arranged childhood betrothal—utterly pedantic.”

“Exactly.” Qifu Zhao said anxiously: “Qi Jianyi is clearly full of schemes. Young Lord is so pure and innocent. If you truly register your household, he’ll certainly manipulate you until nothing remains.”

Yuan Qian and Wu Baili, who’d been frantic, simultaneously turned to look at Qifu Zhao.

Pure what? Innocent where?

Seriously, this person’s eyes must have serious problems.

Su Hansheng rubbed the talismans on his fingers that he’d already deployed, saying nothing.

The three grabbed Su Hansheng and gave him a lengthy lecture, all clamoring for him to abandon the idea.

Su Hansheng’s head ached from the noise. Helplessly he said: “I won’t change my mind.”

Yuan Qian was so anxious he nearly exploded, but then heard Su Hansheng say: “…But whether he lives long enough to register with me depends on his own luck.”

All three froze, looking at Su Hansheng for a moment before finally breathing a sigh of relief.

“Right, exactly. If that bastard suddenly drops dead, the engagement naturally becomes void.”

“Young Lord is wise—agree to register, but one can be widowed.”

Su Hansheng: “…”

The… the words are crude but the reasoning is sound.

Knowing Su Hansheng didn’t intend to register with Qi Jianyi, everyone relaxed.

Yuan Qian suggested: “Xiaoxiao, want to go drinking? Today even if you get drunk, you won’t get beaten. Let’s drink until we drop!”

Su Hansheng looked outside. The sun had already set.

He shook his head: “Not tonight. I have an appointment.”

Yuan Qian seemed to think of something, drawing out a long “Ohhh,” ambiguously winking at Su Hansheng: “An appointment again? Then wouldn’t some wine help set the mood?”

Su Hansheng: “?”

Wu Baili recalled the “forbidden, improper tortured romance” between Su Hansheng and the World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru from three years ago, nodding: “Indeed, you should go keep that appointment.”

After all, it had been so long since they’d seen each other.

Yesterday Su Hansheng had been sulking, but judging by Chongjue’s attitude at the coming-of-age ceremony today, tonight the two would probably have an honest conversation.

All three were very considerate, quickly urging Su Hansheng to go see his uncle.

Yuan Qian even thoughtfully stuffed a jar of osmanthus wine from yesterday into his hands, telling the Young Lord to bolster his courage.

Su Hansheng accepted it without changing expression, thinking: “Most likely I’ll be cast down to Infinite Hell. I really should bolster my courage.”

His crime was unprecedented throughout history.

After Chongjue learned of it, he’d probably be furious.

Su Hansheng walked through the mountain paths carrying the wine, his companion tree obediently following.

The sun set in the west.

Su Hansheng silently forced out two drops of heart blood. The blood beads floated in midair, instantly absorbed by the talismans carved on his fingertips.

One by one, the talismans responded to his guidance. After absorbing the blood, the lethal offensive marks seemed to come alive, transforming into phantom crows that spread their wings and flew, silently landing on the companion tree.

Su Hansheng’s lips were crimson red. His wide, magnificent robes moved with the wind. He raised his hand, tenderly stroking the withered branches of the companion tree on his shoulder, his eyes carrying a strange, cold chill.

The companion tree stirred its withered branches, nuzzling his palm.

Su Hansheng descended the steps, speaking flatly: “Once I’m cast down to Infinite Hell, immediately use these nine talismans to send Qi Jianyi down to accompany me. I miss him—I cannot be apart from him for even a moment.”

Today his secret was exposed. At best, he faced death—this was what he’d hoped for all these years anyway. He didn’t need to prepare anything. Just wait to die.

If he descended to Infinite Hell today, Qi Jianyi shouldn’t expect to live alone either.

Didn’t he want to register their household? Then they’d die together.

***

The sun had completely set.

Chongjue came alone to Hanmang Garden, slowly walking toward the Cold Pool beside the companion tree.

This was the Cold Pool specially found to suppress Su Hansheng’s Phoenix Bone. The water was bone-chillingly cold yet didn’t freeze, wisps of cold air rising that could make one shiver uncontrollably.

Even though Chongjue was impervious to heat and cold, he could still faintly feel the Cold Pool’s chill.

He walked to the pool’s edge, gazing down at the spot where Su Hansheng had sat yesterday.

The Cold Pool was so frigid, yet the tall, slender youth wore only thin garments, shivering from cold but still sitting on the ice kicking water playfully.

Since hearing Su Hansheng and Qi Jianyi’s conversation during the day, Chongjue’s emotions had been difficult to calm. He gathered his robes and sat at the Cold Pool’s edge, lowering his gaze to look into the pool emanating wisps of cold.

Su Hansheng seemed to have grown accustomed to playing at the Cold Pool.

Yesterday he’d sat here alone, feeling the bone-piercing cold drilling into his marrow. What had been in his heart?

During these three years of his absence, had resentment grown in Su Hansheng’s heart?

Judging by his reaction during the day, he seemed to be hiding something enormously important, and in his words… he seemed afraid.

Afraid of what?

Even if it truly was as Su Hansheng said—some shocking secret about “returning from a past life”—Chongjue believed he could accept it calmly.

He’d already speculated before that the evil thought and Su Hansheng had only spent a few short days together. They absolutely couldn’t have developed the overly intimate relationship from his memories so quickly.

The two could only have known each other in some other place… or time.

The Phoenix Bone had always been said to possess the power of nirvana. With Su Hansheng bearing a sacred object, the ability to be reborn wasn’t entirely groundless.

Chongjue sat alone at the shore, deep in thought for a long time. Su Hansheng still hadn’t returned.

He looked up at the full moon in the treetops, closing his eyes and skillfully spreading his divine sense to search for him.

But before his divine sense could extend beyond Hanmang Garden, it suddenly seemed to touch something, making Chongjue furrow his brow and open his eyes.

Where his divine sense had reached, beneath the Cold Pool before him, there seemed to be something.

Those at the Mahayana stage could somewhat glimpse heavenly secrets. When Chongjue’s divine sense touched what lay beneath the Cold Pool, his heart uncontrollably pounded violently, as if it would leap from his chest.

His divine sense clamored: “Don’t look!”

Chongjue hesitated for a long time before forcibly suppressing his chaotic emotions. His well-defined fingers beckoned gently.

What lay beneath the Cold Pool slowly floated up following his spiritual energy, soon breaking through the water’s surface and drifting into Chongjue’s palm guided by his power.

—It was a fragmented soul remnant.

The soul remnant had apparently stayed in the Cold Pool too long. Its soul form was ice-cold. Upon suddenly touching Chongjue’s warm palm, it couldn’t help but nuzzle gently.

Chongjue froze.

This seemed to be a remnant soul left behind when someone’s soul scattered into nothingness.

Hanmang Garden was Su Hansheng’s residence. Why would there be a broken soul remnant here?

Chongjue’s hand trembled slightly. His subconscious frantically tried to stop him from investigating further, yet his rationality still controlled this body.

His slender fingers formed a soul-questioning seal.

Chongjue stared blankly at the soul remnant in his hand. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gently placed the soul-questioning seal on his palm.

The array flickered once in his hand.

Chongjue spoke quietly: “Who… are you?”

The soul remnant condensed into a cyan orb the size of a dumpling, rolling around in Chongjue’s palm.

Perhaps because the soul was too fragmented, it remained silent for a long while.

Chongjue asked again: “Who are you?”

This soul-questioning seal was more forceful. The cyan orb rolled halfway before finally stopping in his palm, seeming to tilt its head looking at Chongjue.

After a long moment, a broken and confused voice emerged from the cyan orb.

“…Su.”

Chongjue’s breathing stopped.

The cyan orb continued finishing its incomplete words.

“Su… Xiaoxiao.”

***

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