Chapter 39: CH 39

Translator: transcendentwings

Editor: teaff 

How many years have passed since then?

Wen Xuechen couldn’t recall anymore.

The wooden wheel of the wheelchair rolled over the stardust scattered in front of the tower and the tower doors creaked open with a zhiya before their eyes.

The moment the door opened, countless fragmented voices rushed into Wen Xuechen’s ears, whispering like wave after wave of rising tides, chasing and driving him along until it washed overhead ceaselessly. 

“Wen-shixiong! Wen Xuechen! Wen-baimao!”

Xu Xingzhi stood among a peach blossom forest in Qingliang Valley, pushing his newly crafted wheelchair and waved enthusiastically at Wen Xuechen, who was standing with the aid of a crutch on the Qingliang Valley campus grounds. The three words “Wen-baimao” terrified the Qingliang Valley disciples in the area. They were so scared that they wanted to jab their ears into deafness.

“. . . Chen-ge.”

This time it was a girl’s voice, soft and gentle as peach petals drifting in the wind.

“Xuechen, you’re here.”

“. . . Wen Xuechen, you’re really slow.”

The Qingliang Valley disciple who pushed him into the tower breathed a sigh of relief when his feet safely stepped foot into the tower, but when he lowered his head unconsciously, he noticed that Wen Xuechen was pale, his elbows were pinned on his thighs as he supported his forehead, his shoulders slightly trembling.

At the same time, the bunch of them looked back at the seemingly unremarkable stardust on the ground outside the tower and invariably felt a little worried: “Wen-shixiong, are you alright?” 

. . . If something were to happen to Wen Xuechen, no one would be able to take his place to suppress the blood-sucking, flesh-consuming stardust and they would be essentially imprisoned in this tower.

Fortunately, after a while, Wen Xuechen’s eyes returned to clarity and he raised his head to answer: “. . . I’m fine. Continue onwards ba.”

Only then did they feel at ease. A Qingliang Valley disciple took out a bottle containing mind stabilizing and healing elixir from his lapel and presented it respectfully.

Wen Xuechen poured out a pill, pressed it under his tongue and pointed: “Go to the third room on the left first, there is someone there.” 

The last time he came to the savage wasteland, he had detected that there was someone in the tower, but he had only made that special trip to find Xu Xingzhi and since Xu Xingzhi wasn’t in the tower, he didn’t need to bother to waste his spiritual energy to forcefully trespass into the tower.

. . . He never liked to seek trouble for himself.

However, this time he had to come in order to stop Jiu Zhideng from entering the wasteland.

The moment the door of the small room was opened, the stench of rotten meat that only flies and maggots wouldn’t avoid assailed them. Everyone present covered their noses, only Wen Xuechen looked as usual and maneuvered his wheelchair into the small chamber. 

The lump of flesh on the ground could barely be made out as a whole human figure. Wen Xuechen approached him and was trying to recognize where his head and face were when the mass of tissue screamed: “Who? Who is it?”

He couldn’t wait to blurt: “Whoever it is, kill me ba! Please, kill me!”

Wen Xuechen: “Okay. But I have a few questions. Answer my questions well and I’ll be merciful.”

The rotten mass trembled with excitement: “Say it. . . Just speak! I’ll answer whatever you ask!” 

“Who are you?”

“Mfcu Zbecajlc. . . P’w ogbw Mfcu Zbecajlc.”

“Qtb lwqglrbcfv sbe tfgf?”

“Zfcu Jtbcuujecu. . .” Qtfc atf ifjvfg bo Mfcu Zbecajlc wfcalbcfv atlr cjwf, tf ibkfgfv tlr nblmf jr lo tf kfgf afgglolfv atja jc fjg yfibculcu ab Zfcu Jtbcuuejcu kbeiv fwfguf ogbw atf kjii delfais jcv fjnfrvgbq bc atf mbcnfgrjalbc yfakffc atf akb bo atfw. 

Wen Xuechen leaned down from the wheelchair: “Where did they go?”

“I don’t know. . .” That man was very afraid that because he couldn’t answer Wen Xuechen’s question, it would make the other displeased, thus he hurriedly poured out all the details of what he did know, “They are all gone, not a single one is left, not even that Xu Xingzhi. . .”

When he heard the three words “Xu Xingzhi”, Wen Xuechen’s voice become a little strange: “. . . Xu Xingzhi? You’ve seen him?”

The eyes of the leader of Feng Mountain were gouged out, only leaving behind two dark holes. He could detect the change in Wen Xuechen’s voice. In order to pursue his death, he began to actively describe Xu Xingzhi: “His right hand is disabled and he was with Meng Chongguang. He. . .” 

However, he guessed incorrectly, Wen Xuechen didn’t seem to be very interested in Xu Xingzhi.

He coolly interrupted him: “When did they depart?”

“About a few days, no, dozens of days ago. . . More than ten days ago. . .” The leader of Feng Mountain was starting to have a breakdown. Curling up into a ball chaotically, he cowered like a flesh-colored, plump giant silkworm, “I can’t remember, I—”

. . . His eyes were dredged out and he was held captive here alone, it was normal for him to be unable to distinguish between day and night. 

Wen Xuechen pondered for a while then questioned: “You really don’t know why they left?”

“I don’t know. . .” He groaned in pain, “Meng Chongguang abandoned me here after he caused me to be in this state. . . I’m begging you, have mercy on me ba. . .”

Wen Xuechen had no other questions to ask. He nodded, and like he promised, turned around to instruct the disciples waiting at the door: “Kill him.”

A disciple drew his sword out of its sheath and took a few steps forward under the thick, disgusting odor. Before the edge of the sword could fall, he heard the leader of Feng Mountain cry out in pain and countless dense sprouts appeared on his skin. 

The flesh spouts turned into flesh vines and swallowed the disciple’s blade into the body of the lord of Feng Mountain in a blink of an eye.

A sword was entangled with his tissue, causing the lord of Feng Mountain to feel that his organs were being severed inch by inch and he rolled around like crazy, howling in agony. When the disciples inside and outside of the room heard the sounds of his distressed calls, the expression on their faces twisted accordingly.

The disciple who had just drawn the sword was even more afraid, the flesh vine that had just arisen nearly swallowed his hand too. He backed up rapidly and directly bumped into Wen Xuechen’s wheelchair.

Wen Xuechen frowned and his voice coldly cut across the agonized lamentation of the lord of Feng Mountain: “Meng Chongguang placed a curse on you?” 

The lord of Feng Mountain was unable to speak, the pain was so unbearable that he could only let out hoarse roars to vent his pain.

Wen Xuechen had a conjecture in his heart and explained: “. . . Apologies. You are now a part of Meng Chongguang’s body. Your life is linked to his. Unless Meng Chongguang is killed, I won’t be able to end your life.”

Wen Xuechen gazed upon the vile rotten flesh twitching on the ground: “. . . Tell me where he is now and maybe I can still save you.”

The leader of Feng Mountain howled in despair. 

This time, Wen Xuechen was completely convinced. This person, at this time, still wasn’t able to reveal the whereabouts of the two, Meng-Xu, proving that he was truly in the dark.

Wen Xuechen rolled the wheelchair out of the chamber: “Search around and see if you could find any clues to where they were headed.”

The disciples dispersed according to his words, not daring to listen to the wailing from the small room.

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Wen Xuechen glanced at the closed door with a puzzled expression. 

This person was vastly different from Meng Chongguang in terms of strength like the clouds to the mud. He was obviously just an insignificant lackey so where did Meng Chongguang’s deep hatred arise from? So much so that he would rather link their lifespans together than let him die easily?

Wen Xuechen was immersed in his thoughts and moved forward along the burbling stream when he heard a crisp sound ring out from one of the rooms.

Wen Xuechen suddenly stiffened and turned his wheelchair abruptly, rushing towards the room the noise originated from while gritting his teeth. Before he even reached the doorway, he leaned half of his body forward and hurriedly stretched out an arm to push the half-closed door open further—

The Qingliang Valley disciple who was rummaging inside turned his head around in confusion: “. . . Wen-shixiong?” 

Wen Xuechen easily captured the source of the sound.

This room was very neat and tidy. There was a mirror, bone needles, hair combs carved from wood, and a few four-cornered pouches with delicate embroidery hanging by the bed. This was obviously a maiden’s room.

There was also a jasper bell hanging by the head of the bed. The clapper of the bell was stirred up by the gentle breeze and collided with the inner walls rhythmically, making a gentle and lovely dangdang sound.

Wen Xuechen raised his hand: “Take that bell down.” 

Although that disciple was befuddled, he didn’t dare disobey Wen Xuechen. Just when he was about to step forward, he heard Wen Xuechen interject: “Hold on. I’ll do it myself.”

Very quickly, the jasper bell laid quietly in Wen Xuechen’s palm.

He didn’t say a word, tied the bell to his waist and exited, casting the disciple’s puzzled stare far behind him.

. . . A distant voice rang in his ears with the dingding dangdang of the bell’s jingle: “Guess who I am?” 

A pair of soft and calloused hands covered his eyes, causing the world in front of him to plunge into a warm darkness.

He heard himself answer in his youthful flat voice: “Xu Xingzhi was the one who spoke.”

After stating that, he lifted his hand and covered the hands that covered his eyes, his voice softening quite a bit: “. . . I know it’s you.”

Xu Xingzhi, who was pinching his voice, coughed. After recovering his original tone, he commented disappointingly: “Wen-baimao, what kind of ears do you have?” He swayed the hexagonal bell on his right hand in protest, “Xiao-Xian’er and I both have a bell tied around our wrist, how can you distinguish whether it’s Xiao-Xian’er or I, who covered your eyes?” 

The young Wen Xuechen replied succinctly: “It’s not the same.”

. . . He couldn’t put his finger on why, but it was simply different.

Swiftly, he added: “How come you are free to come to Qingliang Valley today?”

Naturally, this question wasn’t asked of Xu Xingzhi, and the latter would also not interject at such a time ignorantly. 

A maiden’s voice, soft and gentle, where no matter how hard a heart one possessed, as long as they encountered this voice, they couldn’t help but soften into a spring pool: “. . . I wanted to see you.”

A long while after leaving the room with the bell in his hand, Wen Xuechen finally let go of the breath he was holding onto and relaxed.

He gingerly caressed the thin jade green shell of the bell, his movements tender, reviewing the familiar touch and temperature repeatedly.

He finally hid the bell in his sleeve reluctantly when all of the disciples gathered together again. 

After reporting that their sweep was fruitless, the leading disciple asked: “Wen-shixiong, where are we going next?”

Wen Xuechen announced: “Depart from the tower and camp nearby. They will come back at some point.”

The disciples exchanged glances.

Someone questioned: “Wen-shixiong, why can’t we leave this wasteland, wait for them to return, and then. . .” 

Wen Xuechen stroked the bell in his sleeve and slowly explained: “Each day Xu Xingzhi is in the wasteland is a day that Jiu Zhideng is unable to rest peacefully. If I stay in the wasteland, at least I can hold him there so that he doesn’t go haywire and personally enter the savage wasteland.”

The disciples were still flummoxed.

Wen Xuechen closed his eyes and didn’t explain any further, allowing the disciples to push him out.

When circulating the spiritual power to suppress the strange stardust, Wen Xuechen  pondered, perplexed: 

—He had already handed Xu Xingzhi the dagger that was condensed through the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. According to reason, he should have killed Meng Chongguang on the first day he entered the wasteland, so why is that up until today, he still hasn’t made his move?

Shortly after Xu Xingzhi ambled out of the cave, he was pounced on by someone from behind.

Meng Chonguang seemed to really like to hug Xu Xingzhi from behind. He rubbed the side of his face, which was emitting warmth, on Xu Xingzhi’s back and coquettishly called out: “Shixiong.”

It was obviously two extremely ordinary and everyday words, but it was unknown how many times he had recited it repeatedly, rolling it over in his mouth so that when he just called it casually, an infinite sweetness like the dew of spring would well out. 

Meng Chongguang rested on Xu Xingzhi’s back, rubbing his chin on the crown of his head. He looped his two arms around Xu Xingzhi’s chest and whispered: “Where did you go so early in the morning? I didn’t see you as soon as I woke up and was so worried.”

Xu Xingzhi was helpless against how clingy Meng Chongguang was: “. . . Didn’t I rest with you last night?”

Meng Chongguang’s tone of voice was so serious that it couldn’t be any more grave: “Not seeing you for one night made me really miss Shixiong.”

However Xu Xingzhi wasn’t in the mood to play around with him any longer. He turned around and placed one hand on the other’s collarbone, separating him from himself. 

His resistance was so obvious that after Meng Chongguang was full of shock momentarily, a hint of injury leaked from his gaze: “. . . Shixiong?”

When he had first arrived in this world, Xu Xingzhi thought he was well aware of the truth behind this world, for which he had felt overjoyed and guilty at the same time. After several rounds of tangled feelings, he finally decided to put down the dagger “the Worlds’ Consciousness” handed to him, follow his heart and help Meng Chongguang escape from the savage wasteland.

Yet, it was only today that he suddenly realized that Meng Chongguang was actually hiding something from him, a matter so important that it was irrevocably related to whether they could ultimately escape from the wasteland.

There was no one else here. Xu Xingzhi simply pressed against the other’s shoulders and questioned directly: “You once revealed to me that it was the lord of Feng Mountain who revealed that a key fragment was in the Ghost King Nan Li’s possession in order to preserve his life, isn’t that right?” 

The color of Meng Chongguang’s face was slightly off and he pursed his lips, refusing to answer.

The author has something to say:

His unusual reaction already spoke volumes, Xu Xingzhi grabbed Meng Chongguang’s hand and forced him to display the ring that contained two shards of the key to the wasteland to himself: “. . . I’ve scanned through Ye Buyi’s memories before. The Ghost King Nan Li didn’t even know that what Ye Buyi salvaged from the lake was the key to the wasteland and had even gifted it to Ye Buyi as an accessory. Not only him, all the ghost servants in Hutiao ravine also didn’t know the secrets behind this fragment! Feng mountain is hundreds of kilometers away and Nan Li never interacts with outsiders. Let me ask this of you, how did the lord of Feng Mountain know that Nan Li had a piece of the wasteland key in his possession?”

He paused briefly and continued: “. . . Or rather, how did you know that there was such a shard in Nan Li’s hands? Why did you lie to me?” 

Author’s Chapter Summary:

Shared fate, bells, matters of the heart

The translator has something to say: *dun dun dun* the reveals in this chapter!

The editor has something to say: Meng Chongguang explain yourself!! 

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