Ch109 - Revisiting the Past

Su Hansheng said he’d form his Nascent Soul in the morning. By afternoon, all of Yingxu Sect knew.

Yuan Qian and Wu Baili nearly spat out their tea upon hearing. They hurried to find Su Hansheng to ask what happened.

Su Hansheng hated Chongjue to death, but Ying Jianhua was prowling outside like a tiger. Not daring to leave the Buddhist hall and get beaten, he could only swallow his anger and refused to leave Chongjue’s residence.

Yuan Qian and Wu Baili both feared the World-Honored One but still braced themselves to request an audience.

Su Hansheng listlessly welcomed them in, huddling under the long corridor outside the Buddhist hall to whisper conspiratorially.

Chongjue was meditating with closed eyes, temporarily unable to mind them.

The moment Su Hansheng saw Yuan Qian, he immediately pounced forward to strangle the snake’s neck: “This is all your terrible idea’s fault!”

Yuan Qian: “…”

Yuan Qian felt more wronged than Dou E: “Strangle me later. First tell us carefully—how exactly did you ‘test’ him?”

Su Hansheng tearfully recounted everything in detail.

Wu Baili stood to the side, wanting to say something but hesitating. He probably wanted to make some sarcastic remarks, but seeing Su Hansheng so dejected, he forcibly held back.

“Yuanxiao, you fool!” Yuan Qian lamented his failure, exasperated. “If you’re going to make up an excuse, at least make it realistic! Nascent Soul formation isn’t something you can casually mention. What if you can’t actually form your Nascent Soul? How will you save face?!”

Su Hansheng grabbed his hair, saying resentfully: “What do you mean ‘what if’? If I can form a Nascent Soul, that would be a one-in-ten-thousand miracle.”

Yuan Qian and Su Hansheng looked at each other, hesitating for a long while before saying: “How about…”

Wu Baili didn’t wait for him to finish, coldly and mercilessly cutting in: “Stop giving him terrible ideas that harm him.”

Yuan Qian: “…”

Yuan Qian said dryly: “This… this matter of giving advice—how can that be called ‘harming’?”

Su Hansheng sat up in shock from his deathbed, grasping Yuan Qian’s hand and speaking coldly: “Whatever idea it is, say it first so I can hear—things have come to this. If I still can’t test him out, then I’ll have formed my Nascent Soul for nothing.”

Wu Baili: “…”

You haven’t formed your Nascent Soul either.

Yuan Qian immediately perked up, clearing his throat: “You just want to know whether the World-Honored One has feelings for you, right? Yesterday he burned your betrothal card and you thought he was jealous. Why not use this method to test again?”

Su Hansheng looked confused: “I… find someone else to make a betrothal card with?”

Yuan Qian choked for a moment, saying irritably: “Don’t go messing around yourself. Listen to me. You just do this…”

***

When Yingxu Sect’s Young Lord Su Hansheng only began Qi Refining at seventeen, and now just after coming of age was about to form his Nascent Soul—this tremendous good fortune delighted even the perpetually expressionless Xie Zhizhi. He specially had disciples ring the bell one hundred and eight times to inform the ancestors.

Hearing those bells, Su Hansheng was so embarrassed he wanted to crawl into a hole.

Form a Nascent Soul, form what Nascent Soul.

After seeing off Yuan Qian and Wu Baili, Su Hansheng dejectedly returned to the Buddhist hall.

Chongjue had finished his meditation and was sitting properly brewing tea.

—He had nothing much to do all day, either chanting scriptures or brewing tea. Just watching him, Su Hansheng found it utterly boring.

Seeing him return, Chongjue casually beckoned to him.

Still preoccupied with the Nascent Soul matter, Su Hansheng sat beside him with a sour face, holding up the tea and drinking it all in one gulp.

Previously when brewing tea, Chongjue would worry about Su Hansheng clumsily burning himself. When pushing the cup over, he’d use spiritual energy to cool the tea. This time, probably having been apart too long and not yet remembering this detail, Su Hansheng reflexively drank the tea.

Su Hansheng’s drinking motion froze. His trembling claws set down the teacup. His eyes had already reddened from the burn.

“Ow…”

Only then did Chongjue suddenly remember. He quickly leaned forward: “Did you burn yourself?”

Su Hansheng’s lips were scalded bright red. He nearly jumped up on the spot. Whimpering, he brushed away Chongjue’s hand, sticking out his tongue and gasping continuously.

So unlucky!

Just after coming of age and his fortune turns bad. Isn’t it only in one’s zodiac year that you’re unlucky enough to choke on cold water?

Whether from the burn or anger, Su Hansheng’s tears were about to fall.

Just then, a hand reached from the side, gently cupping Su Hansheng’s face and turning him around.

In a daze, Su Hansheng turned his head to see Chongjue had somehow sat beside him, lowering his gaze to examine his scalded red mouth.

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Su Hansheng made a “mm” sound, his tongue moving slightly before belatedly realizing the ice in his mouth.

The temperature in his mouth—which had been burning enough to make him want to breathe fire—instantly dropped. The scalded areas gradually lost all sensation from the cold.

Chongjue was still watching him, softly instructing: “Hold it for a while then spit it out. Don’t freeze until you lose your sense of taste—Xiaoxiao?”

Su Hansheng tilted his head back slightly, gazing at the man’s incomparably handsome features. His eyes wouldn’t even move. After a long while, still holding the ice, he mumbled: “I… I want to register my household.”

Chongjue was wiping the corner of Su Hansheng’s lips. Hearing this, his motion paused.

“What?”

“Register my household.” Su Hansheng stared at him without blinking. “I don’t want to be alone. I want to register my household as soon as I graduate next year.”

Chongjue was silent for a while before speaking quietly: “You’re still young. Even your Big Senior Brother hasn’t planned to register his household. Cultivators live for hundreds of years and more. There’s no need to rush.”

This answer was too “elder-like.”

Su Hansheng said unhappily: “But if it weren’t for Qi Jianyi being heartless and ungrateful, I’d definitely register my household this year too. Age doesn’t mean anything. I have true feelings.”

Chongjue withdrew his hand, speaking flatly: “Who do you have true feelings for?”

The words Yuan Qian taught him popped into Su Hansheng’s mind. He rehearsed them mentally first, took a deep breath, and said seriously: “My classmate Wu Baili—his appearance and cultivation are both excellent. He’s steady and considerate, incredibly reliable.”

Chongjue: “…”

A twenty-something brat—never mind where the steadiness is, just speaking of considerate…

That sharp tongue that knocks Su Hansheng over with every jab—where’s the consideration?

But seeing Su Hansheng’s determined expression of marrying no one else, Chongjue could only nod: “Mm, as long as you like him.”

Su Hansheng: “…”

Su Hansheng never imagined this would be the response. His eyes widened completely.

Rage rose from his heart, evil growing from his guts. Completely abandoning Yuan Qian’s taught follow-up moves, he said coldly: “Yuan Qian isn’t bad either. Snake clan, you know. I love the snake clan most. Sleeping with him in summer would definitely be extremely comfortable.”

Chongjue: “Mm.”

Su Hansheng grew angrier: “Qifu Zhao is also wonderful. He’s so good at taking care of people!”

“Mm.”

Su Hansheng was so angry his hair wanted to stand on end. He spat out the ice with a “ptui,” saying coldly: “What if I like them all? Uncle, tell me—can I marry all three at once?”

Chongjue: “…”

Seeing him speak increasingly absurdly, Chongjue spoke flatly: “Weren’t you thinking about entering seclusion to form your Nascent Soul?”

Su Hansheng nearly spat out a burst of fire at the sky. The fire pent up in his chest was about to burn his internal organs. He glared at Chongjue and flung his hand to leave.

Seeing Su Hansheng truly angered, Chongjue grabbed his hand.

Su Hansheng decided to give him one more chance. As long as he said something he wanted to hear, he’d let bygones be bygones.

Then he heard Chongjue say: “Spend less time with Yuan Qian in the future.”

Su Hansheng froze, hope immediately rising in his heart.

Yuan Qian said if he mentioned registering his household with Wu Baili, and the World-Honored One secretly badmouthed Wu Baili, explicitly or implicitly making Su Hansheng stay away from him—that would mean Chongjue was jealous.

Su Hansheng felt secretly delighted.

The always compassionate World-Honored One actually badmouthing Yuan Qian?

This was working!

Then he heard Chongjue finish his next sentence: “…He gives you nothing but terrible ideas.”

Su Hansheng: “……..”

Su Hansheng’s rising motion instantly froze. He looked back at Chongjue in disbelief.

He he he he… heard everything?!

When Su Hansheng had been yelping from the burn earlier, his face hadn’t been this red. Now embarrassment and shame made even his ears turn completely crimson. He wanted to crawl into a hole.

Su Hansheng stammered: “You… weren’t you meditating?”

Normally Chongjue would enter deep meditation, but he’d discovered that once he fully meditated, the evil one would emerge to do outrageous things. So he only closed his eyes to contemplate, not daring to enter complete meditation.

…Naturally hearing all three people’s conversation crystal clear.

Chongjue watched Su Hansheng’s expression of dying from shame, considerately saying: “I didn’t hear much.”

Su Hansheng: “…”

Su Hansheng wanted to die even more.

Just as embarrassment broke through the heavens, a familiar voice came from outside the Buddhist hall.

“Hansheng.”

As if granted amnesty, Su Hansheng quickly scrambled up and rushed out: “Senior Brother Lingge! I’m coming!”

The faint smile on Chongjue’s brow and eyes suddenly turned cold.

Zhuang Lingge stood under the parasol tree outside the Buddhist hall, dragon pupils icy cold. Seeing Su Hansheng stumbling over, his cold eyes seemed to silently melt into trickling spring water.

“Slow down.”

Su Hansheng’s face still flushed, carelessly wiped his face. With bright red lips curved up, he smiled obediently at Zhuang Lingge: “Good afternoon, Senior Brother Lingge. Oh, are you leaving?”

Zhuang Lingge nodded: “I’m going to Heaven-Reaching Tower. I’ll return to Wendao Academy in a few days.”

Su Hansheng skillfully reached out to touch Zhuang Lingge’s forehead, silently soothing down the dragon scales on the man’s body.

He squinted, instructing: “Alright, take care Senior Brother Lingge. If you have urgent matters, come find me.”

After Zhuang Lingge agreed, he looked at Su Hansheng hesitantly.

Su Hansheng asked curiously: “What’s wrong?”

After hesitating for a while, Zhuang Lingge said: “I heard you’re forming your Nascent Soul?”

Su Hansheng: “…”

Su Hansheng’s heart skipped a beat. He said dryly: “Senior Brother Lingge… how do you know?”

Zhuang Lingge said: “Your senior brother told me—Lingxiu also knows. He’s happily announcing it everywhere on the Message Wall, saying after enrollment he’ll go back and treat everyone to drinks in celebration.”

Su Hansheng: “…”

Might as well die!

Su Hansheng dejectedly returned to the Buddhist hall.

Chongjue still sat there like a stone statue, eyes closed, fingering his beads.

Su Hansheng originally wanted to sit down, but the tea on the small table had somehow spilled everywhere, soaking the cushions on the floor.

Chongjue calmly opened his eyes.

Su Hansheng quickly raised his hands: “It wasn’t—wasn’t me who spilled it! I didn’t do anything!”

Chongjue said nothing, raising his hand to silently clean everything up.

Whether it was Su Hansheng’s imagination or not, he felt Chongjue’s attitude seemed somewhat different from before.

Angry?

Su Hansheng hadn’t gotten angry about being forced into this Nascent Soul situation. What was he angry about?

A two-thousand-year-old man was just incomprehensible.

Though he didn’t understand men, to avoid a beating, Su Hansheng still shamelessly slept in the Buddhist hall tonight.

Xie Zhizhi knew the World-Honored One didn’t need rest, so the residence only arranged meditation areas without laying out beds. With nowhere to sleep, Su Hansheng could only make a floor bed in the Buddhist hall.

Chongjue bathed and burned incense, lowering his gaze to read Buddhist scriptures by lamplight.

Su Hansheng slept not far from him, sprawled out snoring loudly. Dreaming of something, he suddenly kicked out, sending a cushion flying, mumbling in his sleep.

“Form… form your grandpa’s Nascent Soul. Might as well have me birth a child, that’d be faster…”

Chongjue: “…”

Chongjue hadn’t turned a single page of the Buddhist scripture in ages. He sat under the lamp watching the slender youth throw punches and kicks in all directions. His cool brow and eyes unconsciously revealed warmth even he hadn’t noticed.

Until Su Hansheng suddenly rolled over, mumbling: “Senior Brother Lingge…”

Chongjue’s hand gripping the scripture moved. With a “rip,” he actually tore off a page.

Su Hansheng—dreaming of Zhuang Lingge turning into a small dragon, obediently letting him rub the dragon horns on his head—was still delighted when he was suddenly awakened by the slight sound. He bolted upright, eyes bleary: “Dragon… don’t run, good boy.”

Chongjue lowered his gaze, burning the torn page to powder.

Rubbing his eyes, Su Hansheng looked left and right, momentarily unable to figure out where he was.

After sitting blankly for a while, he finally regained some consciousness. Yawning listlessly, he crawled over on his knees and plopped his head onto Chongjue’s thigh as a pillow, drowsily pulling the wide robe over his face to block out the candlelight.

Chongjue’s body stiffened slightly.

Su Hansheng mumbled drowsily: “…All day just chanting sutras and meditating, don’t even sleep. Isn’t it boring?”

Chongjue set down the scripture, gently blowing out the candle on the small table.

The vast Buddhist hall instantly plunged into darkness. Only moonlight poured through the window, faintly illuminating their two shadows intertwined together.

Chongjue fell silent in the darkness for a long time, his fingers moving the beads, suddenly saying: “Xiaoxiao.”

Su Hansheng was still half asleep, mumbling, “What?”

Chongjue watched the overlapping shadows of the two, only responding after a long, gentle pause.

“…Zhuang Lingge getting close to you may have another motive.”

Su Hansheng uttered a sleepy “mm”: “What motive?”

Chongjue raised his hand to stroke Su Hansheng’s forehead, stopping him from leaning his head against his waist, and said softly, “The previous Abyssal Dragon and the Phoenix Bone were a Dao-companion everyone envied. Until two thousand years ago, during the Heaven-Reaching Tower incident, the Phoenix Bone fell, and the Abyssal Dragon was separated in life and death from her.”

Su Hansheng yawned, finally opening his eyes in a sleepy haze, voice hoarse and groggy: “Wasn’t it said that the three sacred artifacts were all killed by the Rotten Ke Manual two thousand years ago? How is the Abyssal Dragon still alive?”

Chongjue brushed aside the hair on Su Hansheng’s forehead, lowering his eyes to look at his amber eyes, which were illuminated by moonlight and seemed to glow like fireflies.

“The Abyssal Dragon can rebuild his body, so naturally he has ways to stay alive. Three years ago, when Zhuang Lingxiu’s limbs were eroded by the Bone-Eating Tree, it was Zhuang Lingge who used the power of the sacred artifacts to remold his flesh.”

Only now did Su Hansheng come to realize.

Chongjue coughed lightly: “Zhuang Lingge is fond of you because he still holds on to the obsession of the previous Abyssal Dragon, not because…”

The more Su Hansheng thought, the less happy he became. He pulled Chongjue’s sleeve over his face, unhappily muttering, “You mean, he’s nice to me not because I’m worth it, but because I benefited from the previous Phoenix Bone?”

Chongjue: “…”

Chongjue frowned, “No.”

Su Hansheng snorted and ignored him.

Chongjue couldn’t find a way to explain and could only lower his gaze to look at Su Hansheng beneath the sleeve, wanting to say something more.

Just one sentence would do.

Suddenly, Su Hansheng, who’d been ignoring him, suddenly lifted the sleeve, staring at him with a strange look.

Seeing he wanted to communicate, Chongjue quietly breathed a sigh of relief and, with a calm face, said, “I just wanted to remind you, don’t be deceived by the Abyssal Dragon…”

But Su Hansheng interrupted him with a raised eyebrow, “How did you know about Zhuang Lingxiu’s limbs being eroded by the Bone-Eating Tree?”

Chongjue froze.

Su Hansheng promptly woke up and sat up sharply.

“Didn’t you already go into seclusion then?”

Chongjue: “…………”

***

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