In Infinite Hell, Chongjue had once hunted vicious beasts to make Su Hansheng a set of white chess pieces.
But what he didnât know was that Su Hansheng had never understood chess from beginning to end.
No one taught him. He could only fumble alone, studying chess manuals by himself.
But the youth lacked patience and had no energy to study seriously. He could only play randomlyâto others it looked legitimate enough, but anyone with even slight knowledge of chess could tell with a glance that his moves made no sense whatsoever.
Su Hansheng didnât know how to play chess. When cornered to a dead end by Qi Jianyi, he simply stopped playing.
When he couldnât win, heâd flip the board. Heâd always been this way.
Su Hansheng had already lingered at the back mountain of Yingxu Sect for quite a while. As night fell and birds called, he carried a lamp, pacing back and forth on the steps, candlelight illuminating the youthâs beautiful profile like warm jade.
The companion tree that always stayed by his side was rarely absent.
Su Hansheng looked up at the full moon overhead, tilting his head slightly.
In his past life, it was also on the night of his coming-of-age ceremony that Qi Jianyi schemed to have him fall into Infinite Hell.
Perhaps in this life he couldnât escape that fate either.
Su Hansheng calculated the time and slowly ascended the stairs carrying his lamp.
Hanmang Garden sat at the back mountain. Because of the Cold Pool there, at night a faint chill slowly poured down the stone steps, like mist-wreathed fairyland.
Su Hansheng thought: âThat was my own body. Returning my soul to itâcan that be called possession?â
These past years heâd used this sophistry to continuously convince himself, vainly seeking a momentâs peace from his conscience.
Now that truth would be revealed, Su Hansheng still used that twisted logic to persuade himself, yet the hand carrying the lamp gripped tightly, his knuckles faintly white.
Su Hansheng climbed the eighty stone steps one by one toward the front. The chill of Hanmang Garden grew stronger and stronger. Through the tree shadows, he could vaguely see the garden courtyard brightly lit.
Chongjue was still in the courtyard, having waited a long time.
Su Hansheng walked to Hanmang Gardenâs frost-covered gate. He raised his hand to push open the door, but the instant his fingertips touched the ice, he instinctively flinched back.
The youthâs tall figure stood before the gate for a long time. His hand finally applied slight force, pushing forward.
âJust like three years ago when he pushed his younger self underwater.
Hanmang Gardenâs gate slowly opened.
The companion tree wasnât in the courtyard. Without the sky-obscuring canopy, Hanmang Garden appeared even more spacious and cold.
Su Hansheng walked in slowly, raising his eyes slightly to look.
Candles burned in the courtyard. By the unobstructed Cold Pool stood a sturdy plum tree, its blossoms blooming year-round.
Chongjue sat beneath the cold plum tree, white kasaya hem and shoulders already covered with fallen plum petals.
Frost lingered all around.
From the moment Su Hansheng pushed open Hanmang Gardenâs gate, he knew there was no retreatâjust like when he personally drowned his younger self years ago, even if he regretted it or suffered, it was useless.
He could only keep walking forward.
Su Hansheng walked forward without a momentâs hesitation.
Chongjue sat with his back to him, seemingly watching the Cold Pool. Hearing footsteps, he didnât turn around.
In just a few short steps, Su Hansheng quickly reached the Cold Pool. He swept his robes aside and knelt beside Chongjue, casually removing the pouch from his waist as if nothing were wrong.
âIâve kept Uncle waiting.â
Chongjue finally turned his head to look at him, his slender ten fingers slightly cupped, as if cradling something.
Su Hansheng glanced over, seeming to realize something. Like nothing was amiss, he curved his eyes in a smile.
âUncle discovered it?â
Chongjueâs expression was unreadable. He moved one hand away, revealing the final broken soul remnant inside.
âSu Xiaoxiaoâs soul remnant.
Su Hansheng glanced at it then expressionlessly withdrew his gaze, as if the remnant soul in Chongjueâs palm wasnât his own. He casually removed items from his pouch one by one.
Three exquisite strings of Buddhist beads, Su Xuanlinâs mustard seed spaceâŚ
And the pile of plain white robes Chongjue had stuffed into Su Hanshengâs hands when drunk.
Su Hansheng had already removed his magnificent coming-of-age robes, changing into entirely white plain robes, his waist sash tied tightly, making his figure appear even thinner.
As he removed items, he spoke flatly: âThese are things Uncle gave me. Now I return them to their rightful owner. Thereâs also this mustard seed spaceâIâve stopped at Golden Core stage and cannot fully control the bone chain magical artifact. Uncle, see if thereâs a way to erase the restriction and remove the bone chains yourself.â
Chongjue watched him for a long time before suddenly saying: ââŚWas it you who did this?â
He referred to the soul remnant in his hand.
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Even if he only caused minor trouble, when reprimanded by elders, he would immediately swear to heaven that heâd never do it again.
Chongjue had sat by the Cold Pool for a full hour, forming countless soul-questioning seals. The answer he received was always the same.
After three years of seclusion, the now partially-merged evil one struggled for the first time to seize control of this body, disregarding suppression, as if fearing he would harm Su Hansheng.
Chongjue cradled the soul remnant for a long time, his heart in complete chaos.
He wanted to interrogate Su Hansheng about the whole story, but clever as he was, heâd already obtained from Qi Jianyi and Su Hanshengâs brief exchange that answer he didnât want to believe yet could only acknowledge.
Chongjue turned his head, looking impassively at Su Hansheng still wearing a flippant smile, not knowing where to begin asking.
Should he ask what exactly this rebirth business with Qi Jianyi was about? Or should he ask why this soul remnant lay at the Cold Poolâs bottom, calling itself Su Xiaoxiao?
Or perhaps⌠the past life they spoke of.
Su Hansheng knelt there, tilting his head slightly upward to look at Chongjue, waiting for his interrogation.
Finally, Chongjue parted his lips, speaking quietly: ââŚIn the past life, where was I?â
Su Hanshengâs face maintained forced composure, but his hands hidden in his sleeves had nearly drawn blood from his palms. Heâd already imagined countless questions Chongjue might ask and prepared a heap of answers.
He could describe with a flippant smile every detail of how he drowned himself in this Cold Pool. He could mention matter-of-factly how he spent ten full years mingling with the evil one Chongjue in his past life. He could even describe vividly falling into the cycle after self-destruction.
As long as Chongjue asked, he always had answers to satisfy the World-Honored One.
But Su Hansheng had never imagined Chongjueâs first question would be this.
The smile vanished from Su Hanshengâs face as he looked at him blankly.
âNot the evil one.â Chongjue watched his eyes, repeating once more: âWhere was I?â
Just eight words. Su Hansheng could hear them, yet was too bewildered to understand their meaning. After a long while he finally reacted: âYou⌠youâre asking this first?â
Chongjue said: âThis is what I most want to know.â
In that instant, Su Hansheng was utterly at a loss. His chaotic mind had never contemplated this questionâs answer. He could only struggle to process it, straining to think for a long while before answering.
âYou⌠in my past life during my seventeenth birthday ceremony, you didnât come to Yingxu Sect.â
In his past life, Su Hansheng didnât even remember he had a World-Honored One uncle.
Only in this life, after Su Hansheng possessed Su Xiaoxiaoâs body, did the Fuli clanâs possession talisman emit an aura that attracted Chongjue, who came specifically to investigate whether evil spirits had truly infiltrated Yingxu Sect.
âŚThat was when he encountered the reborn Su Hansheng face-to-face.
Chongjue lowered his eyes slightly.
Su Hansheng absolutely couldnât bear Chongjueâs indifferent attitude. Like being killed with a dull knife, each breath made his organs ache faintly.
He abandoned his plan to let Chongjue question him proactively. Kneeling on both knees, he grabbed Chongjueâs sleeve and urged:
âAsk me. Ask me why I killed myself. Hurry, ask me.â
Chongjue paused. Seeing Su Hanshengâs pale face and swaying body, his instinct was to raise his hand to steady him.
But Su Hansheng gripped Chongjueâs wristâthe one cradling the soul remnantâtightly, murmuring as if possessed: âHe⌠he was good. He was the most obedient, just like you most hoped forâŚâ
Chongjueâs brow furrowed slightly: âXiaoxiaoâŚâ
âShut up! Iâm not Xiaoxiao!â Su Hansheng suddenly flew into an inexplicable rage, his eyes reddening. âDonât call me that name again! Iâm not him!â
The virtuous one dominated Chongjueâs heart. The well-behaved, clever âXiaoxiaoâ he wanted from beginning to end had long been personally drowned by Su Hansheng.
No matter how obedient he pretended to be, he would never be the Su Xiaoxiao who only lived to seventeen, never experiencing any tragic suffering.
What Chongjue wanted could never be this madman.
Su Hansheng hadnât shed tears, yet his emotions were extremely unstable.
He only appeared bright and beautiful on the surface. Anyone could see his insides had been hollowed out by decay, fragile beyond measure. A single breeze could snap this towering tree in half.
After shouting that sentence, Su Hansheng immediately regretted it. Gripping Chongjueâs wrist, he stammered: âHe wasnât a little madman⌠he wouldnât cause great disasters. He was very goodâwhat Uncle wanted most.â
Watching the crazed Su Hansheng, Chongjue felt his organs ache faintly. His heart contracted bit by bit, both sour and painful.
He held his breath, attempting to reach out and touch Su Hanshengâs hand gripping him.
But the moment he moved, Su Hansheng seemed afraid, his whole body falling backward, stumbling back to his original kneeling position.
For some reason, he suddenly laughed dully.
Heâd already confessed his crimes. Was Chongjue about to strike him downâthis deranged personâinto Infinite Hell?
Su Hanshengâs mind had been churned into muddy water by unbearable pain and collapse. Yet even in his daze, he remembered one final piece of business.
Even if he fell into Infinite Hell, heâd take Qi Jianyi with him to death.
Chongjueâs voice vaguely reached his ears. Su Hansheng tried hard to listen, but his eyes were unfocused. In his confusion, he could only see the person before him seemed to be speaking.
He couldnât understand those words at all. Only one thought occupied his mind:
Heâd killed Chongjueâs beloved, obedient Xiaoxiao.
Chongjue would use the Heavenly Way to summon the array and drag him into Infinite Hell, just like heâd dealt with the Gong familyâs collateral branch back then.
Chongjue was still saying something, his voice rarely somewhat urgent.
Su Hansheng looked at him in a daze. His mind either lacked oxygen from the overwhelmed of being killed by Chongjue, or felt joy at his imminent liberation. He actually clapped his hands and laughed aloud.
The nine talismans in his hands suddenly flashed a scarlet light, ready to strike at any moment.
Through blurred vision, Chongjue truly did as Su Hansheng imagined in his heartâlowering his eyes, fingers forming a seal, gazing downward as he used spiritual energy to draw a talisman on the ground.
Su Hanshengâs pupils contracted, yet his heart felt not fear but indescribable joy.
Because heâd already anticipated Chongjue would summon the array to cast him into Infinite Hell, he felt smug. An inappropriate elation surfaced in his mind.
Like a gambler whoâd lost everything, finally placing his last bet with his final coins and miraculously turning the tablesâthat euphoric feeling surged straight to his brain, transforming into bone-searing pleasure spreading throughout his body.
Su Hansheng treated his successful prediction of Chongjueâs behavior as a form of âcontrol.â That feeling excited him until his cheeks flushed. He parted his lips, breathing shallowly, his unfocused, absent eyes staring at Chongjue.
The World-Honored One of Mount Sumeru embodied compassion for all living beings. He would sacrifice himself for the Heavenly Way without a single complaint.
How could such a saint have true selfish desires?
The special treatment from three years ago was only for the obedient Su Xiaoxiao.
Not for this madman whoâd lived through three lifetimes spanning eighty years.
A warm hand gently grasped Su Hanshengâs ice-cold wrist, pulling him slightly forward. That warmth startled Su Hansheng, who could barely breathe, making him shudder violently.
Su Hansheng looked up at him, pupils unfocused, unable to focus for a long time.
The array Chongjue had drawn had silently settled on the empty ground before them. He gripped Su Hanshengâs hand, placing something like cloud mist into his palm.
Su Hanshengâs mind was blank and chaotic. He tilted his head to look.
A mass of cyan mist nestled in his palm.
It was Su Xiaoxiaoâs final soul remnant.
Only after a long while did Su Hansheng recognize what it was. His scattered pupils contracted with difficulty for a moment as he immediately tried to withdraw his hand.
But Chongjue forcibly held his wrist, speaking softly: âDonât run.â
This time Su Hansheng heard Chongjueâs words clearly. His whole body stiffened, yet he obediently stopped trying to escape.
He hadnât descended to Infinite Hell yet. No matter where he fled, the all-seeing World-Honored One would catch him and drag him back.
Why add unnecessary trouble?
Su Hansheng patiently waited to descend to Infinite Hell, but felt Chongjue guide his hand to slowly rest on the array drawn on the ground.
The cyan soul remnant was too light and soft. Su Hansheng vaguely felt as if he held a handful of snow. When his hand fell onto what he thought was the array for casting into Infinite Hell, the âsnowâ in his palm seemed to melt inch by inch.
The sensation was too wondrous. Su Hansheng looked in confusion.
The cyan soul grew smaller and smaller in his palm, like snow falling into clear water.
Chongjue raised one hand in a hand seal, gently parting his lips to recite something.
Su Hansheng remained bewildered for a long time before belatedly realizingâŚ
Chongjue was reciting the Rebirth Sutra.
The array between them wasnât one to forcibly drag someone into Infinite Hell.
âIt was just a small rebirth spirit array.
Su Hansheng was completely stunned.
Chongjueâs entire being was cold and pure as snow, yet the gesture holding his wrist was extremely gentle. After finishing the Rebirth Sutra, the icy deity opened his eyes and raised his gaze. His dark blue eyes sparkled brilliantly in the surrounding candlelight.
Like a Buddha statue untouched by worldly concerns finally gaining a soul.
Su Hansheng gazed at him in a daze for a long while, his quivering lips barely parting..
âYou⌠what are you doing?â
Chongjue watched him quietly in the candlelight.
In that instant, Su Hansheng almost thought he was the evil one from Infinite Hell.
Yet Chongjue remained in that meditative state. He reached out to gently wipe away tears Su Hansheng hadnât realized were falling, saying without preamble:
ââŚI didnât emerge from seclusion because of changes in the three realms.â
Su Hansheng was confused, only belatedly understanding after a long moment.
This sentence answered what heâd asked last night: âThen why did you emerge from seclusion early?â
Chongjueâs abrupt statement not only answered yesterdayâs question but also explained todayâs actions.
Su Hansheng couldnât understand the deeper meaning. Unable to process his emotions, he only wondered why Chongjueâs answer didnât match the question.
After saying that, Chongjue seemed to have exhausted all his emotional expression quota as World-Honored One. He shifted his gaze downward, looking at the rebirth spirit array on the ground.
ââŚTwo souls sharing this realmâmost likely the Phoenix Boneâs ability.â Chongjue spoke softly. âYou could borrow the body to return your soul. Perhaps it was fate predetermined by the sacred object. He⌠is also you yourself.â
Su Hanshengâs mind was in complete chaos. He couldnât make sense of what Chongjue was saying at all.
Chongjue saw that Su Hanshengâs consciousness was confused and he couldnât understand the meaning at all. He spoke gently: âCan you recite the Rebirth Sutra?â
Su Hanshengâs brain had stopped thinking. He shook his head blankly: âNo.â
âMm.â Chongjue nodded. âThen Iâll say a line, and you repeat after me.â
Su Hansheng couldnât understand what they were doing, but his trust in Chongjue made him nod without thinking, doing whatever he was told.
Chongjue patiently led Su Hansheng through reciting the Rebirth Sutra.
As the array on the ground rotated, the cyan ball of soul that felt like a handful of snow finally emitted golden light, transforming into scattered specks of firefly light that disappeared.
The array vanished. Chongjue withdrew his hand and looked up.
Su Hansheng knelt in place. At some point his soul had returned. He stared lost at where the cyan soul had dissipated, his face pale as paper already covered in tear tracks, crying silently.
Chongjue gently wiped away his tears.
Su Hansheng felt those warm fingers brushing against his ice-cold cheeks. His whole body trembled finely and densely. Tears he could no longer hold back fell in large drops.
Countless emotions piled up in his heart. Not knowing how to release them, they churned Su Hansheng into painful sorrow.
He didnât know what to say. His lips opened and closed, yet he only whimpered out two words.
Once again directly calling an elder by name, but this time Su Hansheng didnât receive that familiar⌠âInsolent!â
Chongjue answered him warmly.
Su Hanshengâs whole body trembled. He could no longer control himself, pressing his forehead against Chongjueâs palm, sobbing aloud.
Fireflies filled the sky.
That trace of soul remnant remaining in the mortal world was silently sent by the rebirth spirit array to where it should go. Yet just as it left Hanmang Garden, that cluster of firefly light seemed to sense something, suddenly changing direction and drifting with the wind.
The mountains were silent. Footsteps faintly echoed from below the stone steps.
Xu Nanxian came hurrying without even carrying a lamp, using only spiritual energy to condense a sphere of light to illuminate his path. Taking three steps as two, he rushed up from the mountain base, heading straight for Hanmang Garden.
Midsummer mountains teemed with birds and insects.
As Xu Nanxian walked quickly, he suddenly felt a strange breeze brush past his ear, as if something had floated by.
A faint, childish voice sounded.
The voice was too weakâif one didnât listen carefully, it could be mistaken for insect chirping. But by some strange impulse, Xu Nanxian stopped his anxious steps, standing on the pitch-black stone steps and turning slightly to look.
Darkness surrounded him. Only a few fireflies fluttered gracefully.
Perhaps heâd heard wrong.
Xu Nanxian didnât think much of it, continuing quickly forward.
The firefly light drifted quietly, instinctively wanting to follow that figure.
In the next instant, the cyan glow was like extinguished starfire.
âŚFinally fading inch by inch.