Chapter 28.1 As the galaxy bears witness
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Pei Jing took a long breath.
Alright, accepted it.
“That’s right, let’s go.”
It was a horrifying scene—Asura’s Hell, with countless ghosts wailing and an eerie silence prevailing. It was enough to frighten anyone, and he was already in a terrible state. Numerous snakes, twisted and intertwined, made unsettling noises, and the atmosphere was sticky and repulsive, causing a creepy sensation. He was likely to be haunted by this image.
Pei Jing caught a glimpse of a sickly purplish-blue snake, its eyes bleeding, contorting itself like a twisted spiral, slowly consuming its own tail.
…Devouring itself.
A nauseating feeling surged uncontrollably.
Pei Jing simply closed his eyes and turned away, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
Maybe his actions were too obvious, and the silver-haired man noticed that something was wrong. It didn’t take much thought to understand the reason.
He said coldly, “Why didn’t you just say you’re afraid of snakes?”
After Pei Jing reached his Core Formation stage, his senses became sharp. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel the path beneath his feet and move forward in the darkness. He explained, “Not afraid. I just simply don’t want to see them.”
The silver-haired man: “Your hand is shaking.”
Pei Jing: “I’m worried about that junior disciple, afraid that something bad might happen to him now.”
In the darkness, he clearly heard a low laugh from the silver-haired man, which seemed mocking and sighing at the same time.
All the illusions disappeared with a single point of his finger.
“Open your eyes,” he said.
Pei Jing quietly opened his eyes just a little.
To his surprise, the illusion of the bloody purgatory was no longer there.
In front of him was a narrow and rugged mountain cave, with a faint red light shining in from the end, dispelling the darkness and gloom. It was the way out.
He turned his head with a dazed expression and asked, “Can you stop its illusions?”
However, the silver-haired man had already disappeared.
There was no sign of him. He came and went without leaving a trace.
He called out twice, but the only thing he heard in the mountain cave was his own voice echoing.
From the crimson maple forest to the Changtian Realm, he had seen him twice but didn’t gather any information.
Pei Jing thought, “Is he really that mysterious?”
He climbed out of the mountain cave. Dusk had already settled outside. Within the Changtian Realm, the stars were also changing. Clouds in shades of gold, purple, and red floated at the edge of the sky, creating a grand and magnificent scene. The green wilderness stretched endlessly. The mountains were dark blue, resembling silent beasts during the transition of day and night.
The light carried warmth. Having come out of the long and distressing path of inner demons, upon first seeing the worldly elegance, there was always a slight sense of disbelief.
“How did I end up in such a situation?”
Before Pei Jing could give himself an answer, his attention was drawn to a young man standing under a nearby tree.
The young man stood with a sword in his arms, dressed in pale blue clothes, with black hair and a jade crown. He had a cool temperament, and his light-colored eyes showed impatience, clearly displaying some annoyance as he waited.
Pei Jing took a long breath, walked over, and said, “I’m glad you’re alright. You scared me. I thought you got lost in there.”
This disciple of Yunxiao kept getting braver with each passing year, always causing trouble.
Chu Junyu: “Why did it take you so long to get in?”
This guy still had the nerve to question him. Pei Jing got angry and said, “I heard a noise, so I hurried over. Someone immediately told me that you went into the mountain cave. I was afraid you might get into trouble, so I followed inside. The path inside was long and twisted, but luckily, I accidentally found my way out.”
After hearing Pei Jing’s explanation, Chu Junyu showed no sign of being moved. Instead, he sneered and said, “Who made you think that if I couldn’t come out, you would be able to save me by going in?”
Pei Jing was left speechless. It was not often that someone could leave him speechless. Trying to calm himself, Pei Jing decided to play dumb and said, “Isn’t it true that more people means more strength? I thought you might be scared being in there alone.”
Chu Junyu: “Aren’t you afraid of snakes?”
The conversation couldn’t continue. Pei Jing changed the topic and asked, “Were you waiting for me out here? Did you see me inside?”
Chu Junyu: “I heard your voice.”
Pei Jing was surprised and asked, “What did I say?”
Chu Junyu: “I forgot.”
Luckily, he forgot.
According to Chu Junyu, he must have heard his voice from outside the Chamber of Inner Demons.
The fact that Chu Junyu was waiting there indicated that he had also gone through the Chamber of Inner Demons.
In Pei Jing’s opinion, Chu Junyu, a cold and solitary young man, most likely had a childhood full of trauma. The things he remembered and saw in the Chamber of Inner Demons were probably not pleasant memories. He had said he would help him resolve his inner conflicts and find the right solutions, indicating that he already knew where the problems lied.
Pei Jing asked, “Did you also walk through that dark and gloomy passage? What did you see?”
Walking beside him, Chu Junyu thought for a moment and calmly said, “Some things I would rather not remember. How about you?”
To continue the conversation, Pei Jing honestly said, “At first, I saw some scattered memories that were somewhat enjoyable. But then, I suddenly had a nightmare. In the nightmare, it was snowing in Yunxiao, and the people close to me, including my mentors and friends, all died. Eventually, I died too, killed by someone’s sword. It was really tragic.”
It was a dream filled with despair and sadness, but in the end, it was just a dream. The emotions felt intense in the dream, but upon waking up, the memories became blurry, and the predominant emotion was sadness. When Pei Jing spoke about it, it felt as if he was recounting someone else’s story.
Chu Junyu’s fingers tightened slightly, and he chuckled softly. “Yes, that’s really tragic.”
Pei Jing: “But I don’t think I’ll be that tragic. Like I always say, confidence is all that matters.”
Chu Junyu: “Well, this time your confidence paid off.”
Pei Jing smiled and asked, “What do you mean?”
Chu Junyu glanced at him, his eyes reflecting shimmering hues like glass, stunning and breathtaking. Quickly, he turned his gaze forward. His voice was gentle but serious.
“I promise. You won’t have such a tragic experience again.”
It was clear that he asked the question in a playful manner.
However, he received a response that felt like a commitment.
Pei Jing was momentarily confused and found it both amusing and exasperating. He pretended to be pleasantly surprised and said, “Wow, with those words, I can relax now. In the future, you must become someone extraordinary and come to my rescue when needed, Brother.”
Chu Junyu silently chuckled.
The setting sun ahead painted the mountains in a reddish hue. The wind carried a warm touch, and there was some brightness in the light. However, the deep chill that originated from the marrow and the soul remained unaffected.
Pei Jing also sensed it.
A cynical and moody nature floated beneath the cold and reclusive appearance.
He thought that this young man must have seen a past he didn’t want to confront inside the chamber. The most painful thing in life is the separation caused by death.
“How about I show you something?”
The day and night transitions in the Changtian Realm were always on time. He had discovered this fact when he first entered.
When the last bird flew over the mountain peaks, the final traces of light faded with the sunset.
In an instant, the sky turned pitch black, adorned with countless stars.
Flying birds appeared as tiny black dots in the distance.
Gliding past peak after peak.
He reached out and blocked Chu Junyu’s view. The young man’s thick eyelashes brushed against his palm, tickling him a bit.
Pei Jing wasn’t good at comforting people, but he knew how to flirt. Even awkward flirting was still flirting.
“Then I promise too, I’ll become a formidable person. Let’s help each other and be invincible. I’ll protect you, ensuring a smooth and trouble-free life. So, don’t dwell on regrets about the past, and don’t worry about what hasn’t come yet. Let me give you a piece of the stars.
“People’s hearts are hard to fathom, and the world is ever-changing, but the mountains, rivers, grass, and trees endure, as do the sun, moon, and stars. Let them bear witness.”
When he withdrew his hand, he snapped his fingers.
The solitary bird flew to the end.
The wind and clouds unfolded.
The colors of the sky and earth changed.
Countless strands of starlight descended from above.
Chu Junyu lifted his head, and against the deep blue night sky, the stars sparkled like shattered diamonds. The galaxy stretched out, radiating with shimmering light. The voice of the young man carried enthusiasm.
Chu Junyu chuckled belatedly, his smile carrying a hint of warmth and helplessness. But his eyes remained cold.
In this world, mountains, rivers, grass, trees, and celestial bodies all crumble and perish. Only the Heavenly Dao and myself are immortal and incorruptible.
However, he turned his head slightly and spoke with an unusual touch of tenderness, “Alright, it’s a deal.”
They exited the Changtian Realm. Pei Jing returned to Tianqian Peak first.
The two words casually mentioned by the silver-haired man caught his attention. Shu Yan, having the same aura as the Thousand-Faced Woman, must come from the same place.
Unable to contact his master at the moment, he decided to write a letter and send it to Ji Wuduan. He included the poems he found in the Futu Hall’s study room, such as “All things in the world nourish humans, yet people still complain of Heaven’s indifference” — the Seventh Killing Song. Was it filled with such intense malevolence?
Ji Wuduan delved into malevolent spirits, supernatural phenomena in the mortal realm, so he should have a better understanding of this. Pei Jing could inquire about other information from him.
Shu Yan came specifically for him. Why?
In the novel, it seemed like Pei Yuzhi didn’t have any enemies, or perhaps he did, but it wasn’t emphasized or explicitly mentioned.
Pei Jing put down his brush and pondered for a moment. He decided to hold off and not act rashly.
With the ancestral mountain protection array in place, at least he was safe within Yunxiao.
If you enjoy this novel, support the Translator ginevre on her ko-fi account :))
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
