Jian Zhen had never thought that one day, when making this decision, it would feel this light.
As if all along, he had already wanted to do this.
Yet Ye Jisheng did not smile upon hearing his words. In the wind and snow, his handsome face was clear and composed. In his blue robe and cloth garments, his back was straight and tall. He gently parted his lips and said, “Do you know what kind of danger there will be in being with me?”
“If you leave now,” Ye Jisheng said, “then this matter will have nothing more to do with you. You are the Grandmaster Ancestor’s disciple. In the future your prospects will naturally be boundless.”
Jian Zhen did not speak.
In the twilight of wind and snow, there was an exceptional tranquility.
When Ye Jisheng raised his eyes, what he met were Jian Zhen’s calm eyes. His eyes were especially bright, as if they were the cleanest spring in this world. He gently smiled and said, “Is that your truest thought in your heart?”
It seemed there was no longer any need to say more.
Ye Jisheng’s crimson eyes seemed to be lit in that instant. It seemed flames were burning within them. In a low voice he said, “No.”
Jian Zhen smiled faintly.
Ye Jisheng said, “I hope you will go with me. I won’t let you suffer. I will cultivate well. In the future I will build you an even larger courtyard, a hall even larger than Spirit Mountain. I won’t let you endure even a bit of wind or rain again. What Spirit Mountain can give you, I will also give you. You…”
The wind and snow buried the words he had not finished.
Jian Zhen held his hand, his brows and eyes curving slightly. He said softly, “Mm, I’ll go with you.”
Ye Jisheng abruptly lifted his eyes to look at him.
Jian Zhen smiled brightly. He pulled Ye Jisheng and said, “Let’s hurry and go. Actually, I’ve always been on the Spirit Mountain side before and haven’t really gone to see other places much. Do you know the way?”
Ye Jisheng said, “Mm, come with me.”
At first, Jian Zhen thought that escaping might be very difficult, but now he realized that Ye Jisheng was even more formidable than he had imagined. The spirit stones that monitored the disciples’ movements around them were silently burned away by soul fire. When they left by a small path in the mountains, he even caught a demonic bird as a mount. This was indeed territory close to the demon clan, so Ye Jisheng was thoroughly familiar with the route.
Jian Zhen had been drowsy the entire morning.
It wasn’t until the afternoon that Ye Jisheng’s voice sounded by his ear: “We’re here.”
Now, in winter, heavy snow was falling everywhere. Jian Zhen jumped down from the demonic bird’s back and said, “Where is this?”
Ye Jisheng said, “This is the hidden clan of the Southern Sea. This place is isolated from the Three Realms; they won’t easily find it.”
Jian Zhen looked at a small village at the foot of the mountain not far away and suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if he had come here long ago. Could it be that this was the human realm?
Ye Jisheng said, “Let’s go.”
Jian Zhen nodded.
Just as the two of them were about to go down the mountain, they suddenly heard some faint cries for help coming from the grass not far away.
When Jian Zhen turned his head to look, Ye Jisheng’s gaze also sharpened somewhat. Jian Zhen grabbed his hand and said softly, “No rush. Let’s go take a look first.”
In the snowy day, everything was desolate.
When Jian Zhen approached, he finally saw clearly the person behind the grass, it was a child lying on the ground. His leg had been caught in a metal beast trap, blood seeping out in a deep red. In the frigid winter day, the boy’s face had been frozen purple. If no one found him, his life would likely be in danger.
Ye Jisheng said, “It should be a hunting trap.”
Jian Zhen went forward with him. The child had already lost consciousness. Jian Zhen held the child’s hand and sent several streams of true qi into him to protect his heart meridian.
Ye Jisheng used soul fire to burn the trap to destruction.
Under Jian Zhen’s care, the boy finally slowly woke up. He opened his eyes somewhat blankly and looked at the person before him. In the swaying white afternoon light, the person before him had features like jade and zhi.
The little boy said weakly, “You… are you the mountain god?”
Jian Zhen was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He said gently, “Mm, I am the mountain god. I came to save you.”
The little boy seemed to believe him. He tightly clutched Jian Zhen’s clothes, tears still in his eyes on his pale little face, and said, “Immortal, I don’t want to die. I still want to be with Mother and Father.”
Jian Zhen asked him, “Where are your family?”
How could they let a child be alone in the mountains?
The little boy said softly, “I was playing with friends. We came up the mountain to play and got lost.”
Jian Zhen said, “Where is your home? We’ll take you back.”
The little boy had finally regained some strength but still couldn’t walk. Jian Zhen wanted to help support him, but although the child looked only a little over ten years old, he was somewhat heavy.
Ye Jisheng said, “I’ll carry him.”
Jian Zhen nodded lightly.
The little boy had originally been somewhat afraid of the man who looked somewhat cold and hard to approach. Jian Zhen pressed his lips into a smile and explained, “Don’t be afraid. He is my…”
The words stopped at his lips.
There were many words that could explain the relationship between the two of them.
Jian Zhen said gently, “He is my partner. He won’t hurt you.”
The little boy was reassured and asked, “Like Father and Mother?”
Ye Jisheng’s steps paused.
Jian Zhen said with a smile, “Yes, just like that.”
The group slowly went down the mountain. As they approached the foot of the mountain, they could hear distant calls carried by the wind. For cultivators, this was no difficulty at all.
Jian Zhen said, “Xibao, is that your name?”
The little boy nodded.
Jian Zhen comforted him, saying, “Your family has come looking for you.”
After walking down the mountain for a while, they indeed saw people approaching. When the woman at the front saw the child on Ye Jisheng’s back, tears almost fell from her eyes: “My son, my son!”
Ye Jisheng set the person on his back down.
Other villagers also gathered around.
The woman hugged the child, hitting him and fussing over him anxiously for a while, until she heard Xibao say, “Mother, my leg was caught in a hunting trap. It was the mountain god who saved me.”
The villagers looked over.
Under everyone’s gaze, Jian Zhen explained, “Please excuse us. We are disciples of the Immortal Clan’s Spirit Mountain, merely passing through your land.”
For the villagers here, whether Immortal Clan or Demon Clan was too distant. The woman only said proactively, “Since you two saved my son, you are our great benefactors. If you do not disdain us, please stay for a simple meal, so that we may show a little of our gratitude. Please do not decline.”
The other villagers also hurriedly said:
“Yes, yes, in this freezing weather, without you our child wouldn’t have survived.”
“Don’t refuse.”
“Come back with us!”
Jian Zhen originally wanted to decline, but seeing that their warm hospitality was hard to resist, he agreed. Originally, he and Ye Jisheng had also intended to come here to lie low for a while. Now, it had happened by chance.
The group went down the mountain.
The boy’s father was a hunter and had been hunting on a nearby mountain. After hearing that the child had been found, he hurried back.
After the family reunited, they cried and rejoiced.
Jian Zhen and Ye Jisheng returned to the small town. This small town was lively and bustling, with many lively stalls set up along the streets, selling all kinds of fruits and silks.
The woman said, “By coincidence, next year will be our New Year. The children were greedy for play and ran up the mountain, and even happened to encounter you two Immortal Masters.”
Jian Zhen felt somewhat embarrassed. “You can just call me by my name, call me Jian Zhu, ”
Halfway through his words, he remembered that he was currently a fugitive; revealing even an alias would not be very good.
The woman had not heard clearly just now and asked again, “What Zhu?”
Jian Zhen rolled the word “Zhu” around at his lips several times, and finally said, “Zhu, Zhuzhu. You can just call me Zhuzhu.”
The woman was stunned when she heard this, then smiled and said, “Immortal Master, even your name is so immortal-like. Zhu as in precious jade, just hearing it sounds very noble!”
Jian Zhen’s face was almost stiff from smiling. He had never imagined that one day this name would come out of his own mouth. While inwardly complaining, he glanced at Ye Jisheng, only to find that Ye Jisheng was also looking at him.
Their eyes met.
The corner of Ye Jisheng’s lips seemed to lift slightly. He said in a low voice, “Zhuzhu.”
In his deep and serious voice, when he spoke those two words, it was as if they were inlaid with endless affection. For a moment, it even made Jian Zhen unable to distinguish time and years.
Jian Zhen’s face grew inexplicably warm. He lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear and said, “I just made that up.”
Ye Jisheng responded with a sound. His red eyes lifted slightly as he said slowly, “It sounds very nice.”
Jian Zhen said, “What’s nice about it?”
“She was right,” Ye Jisheng said. “Like a pearl, like a treasure. It suits you very well.”
Jian Zhen smiled lightly. He wondered what Ye Jisheng would think if he knew that when he gave him a name in the future, it would be because of the ‘zhu’ from a little blade of grass.
The woman in front stopped and said, “You two, ahead is our home.”
Jian Zhen looked over.
The woman’s home was halfway up the mountain, a small courtyard with four doors. The area was not very large, but it was very warm and cozy. In the courtyard hung some dried meat, as well as vegetables set out to dry. It was clear they were preparing for the New Year.
The butcher said, “You two saved our child, so you are our benefactors. The side room is still empty, it just hasn’t been tidied up yet. We’ll clean it up in a while. Sorry to trouble you to make do for one night.”
Jian Zhen said, “It’s fine. Tidying up ourselves is a simple matter. There’s no need to be so particular.”
The side room was somewhat small, but it was also clean. It was obvious that this was a hardworking family, and their life was quite decent. In fact, there wasn’t much to tidy up, just clear out space for the bed. It wouldn’t take much time.
In the evening, it became even more lively outside.
The woman said, “Tonight our town has a lantern festival. To celebrate the New Year, everyone goes out for a stroll. If you two have time, you can join as well.”
Jian Zhen said, “That would be wonderful.”
Children participating in the lantern festival all needed to carry a lantern.
Some families in the town had especially beautiful lanterns. This year heavy snow meant the butcher’s family had not been able to hunt much, and life was more strained. The little boy’s lantern was made of wood by hand.
The hunter had been making the lantern for the child all afternoon.
The little boy quietly accompanied his father, helping from time to time. The wooden handle of a flower lantern was made, and the oiled paper and patterns on the lantern were hand-painted by the woman with plum blossoms. The little boy drew the tree trunk underneath. After mother and son finished painting the design, the butcher wrapped the oiled paper over it, and a lantern was completed.
The boy was very happy. Carrying the lantern, he ran in the courtyard and came before Jian Zhen, saying, “Mountain God Older Brother, this is for you.”
Jian Zhen was puzzled. “For me?”
“Mm!” the boy said. “Mother said the lantern means happiness and fulfillment. Mother said you and your partner must also have happiness and fulfillment, with no hardships.”
Jian Zhen looked toward the woman behind.
The woman smiled and said, “Sir, just accept it. It’s only a small token of our feelings. This lantern is our town’s custom. Whoever receives a lantern receives our blessing, smooth sailing and good fortune for a lifetime!”
Jian Zhen said politely, “Then many thanks.”
He accepted the lantern.
Jian Zhen smiled and said to the little boy, “Your father and mother made this for you. You’re willing to give it to me?”
The little boy glanced back at his parents.
The couple stood in the courtyard and looked at the child encouragingly. The little boy looked clever and spirited as he smiled and said, “I am! At worst I’ll just have Father make me another one.”
Everyone laughed at the child’s innocent words.
The evening lantern festival began.
Jian Zhen carried the lantern. As the two went out together, a gust of wind blew by. The paper on the lantern swayed back and forth and had become somewhat loose.
“This lantern seems to be broken,” Jian Zhen lowered his head and said. “Why don’t we return it?”
But Ye Jisheng reached out and took the lantern. He said, “It can be fixed.”
Jian Zhen saw that his expression after taking the lantern was somewhat solemn, and said gently, “It’s probably the paper quality that’s not good. There aren’t tools here to replace it. Don’t fuss over it for now.”
Ye Jisheng said, “It must be fixed.”
Jian Zhen asked in confusion, “Do you like this lantern very much?”
Ye Jisheng’s expression was calm. He looked at the lantern in his hands and said, “This is a lantern that blesses our love to be harmonious and lasting for a long, long time. It cannot be broken.”
Jian Zhen was stunned.
There are some things in this world that cannot be forced. Most people, upon encountering them, might simply let things take their course. But Ye Jisheng was always that serious. Some people believe in fate; he does not.
Jian Zhen smiled lightly and said, “Then let’s go to the street and see if there’s any xuan paper we can use to replace it.”
Ye Jisheng nodded.
The street was bustling with people. The lantern festival had all kinds of bright lanterns. Jian Zhen and Ye Jisheng wove through the crowd and happened to pass a stall selling oiled paper for lanterns.
The stall owner said, “You two can take a look! Ours is the best lantern oiled paper. You can paint it yourself or choose a finished one!”
Jian Zhen looked at the paper and said to Ye Jisheng, “I want to paint it myself. What do you think?”
Ye Jisheng said, “I was thinking the same.”
The stall assistant proactively handed the paper to the two of them and even enthusiastically provided brush and ink.
Jian Zhen hesitated for a moment over the lantern oiled paper. In the end, he lightly used the brush and ink to outline the shape of flames. In his heart, Ye Jisheng was precisely such a person, brilliant as fire, with vigorous vitality, able to burn away all the injustice and unfairness in this world, and in his heart, eternal and unextinguished.
When the brush fell.
Ye Jisheng reached out and took the brush and ink. In the very center of the lantern paper, with only a few strokes, he outlined a dazzling, radiant pearl. The surrounding flames gently encircled the pearl, as if the pearl were its entire world.
Jian Zhen laughed. “This is besieged on all sides.”
Ye Jisheng said, “No, because I want to stay by your side forever.”
The teasing smile on Jian Zhen’s face faded a little. He lowered his eyes to look at the painting on the oiled paper. After picking it up, he said gently, “Shall we paste it on?”
Ye Jisheng nodded.
Standing amid the flow of people on the street, Jian Zhen and Ye Jisheng together pasted the new oiled paper onto the lantern. The relit lantern swayed lightly in the breeze, especially vivid. Ye Jisheng held the lantern for him. Jian Zhen watched as the lantern lit up in the night; the night sky was quiet and serene. For a moment, this kind of ordinary happiness made him somewhat intoxicated.
On the way back to the woman’s house,
Jian Zhen was still carrying some other snacks and fruits. “When that child sees these later, he’ll definitely be very happy.”
Ye Jisheng said, “Consider it our return gift for staying in their house.”
Jian Zhen nodded. He softly hummed a tune as he walked beside Ye Jisheng. Just as he was about to speak, his movement suddenly halted. The smile slowly faded from his eyes, and his gaze toward the distant courtyard gradually turned cold.
Ye Jisheng turned his head to look and saw Fu Changhuan standing outside the courtyard. His snow-white robes were especially clear under the night, and only a few steps away, inside the courtyard, the lights were brightly lit. Warm voices from the woman’s family drifted out, they were celebrating New Year’s Eve. The little boy wanted to eat something and was being told by the woman to wait until the guests returned to eat together.
The wind swept across the night sky.
Jian Zhen softly said, “Senior Brother.”
Fu Changhuan’s brows and eyes were cool and distant. The way he looked at Jian Zhen was also calm. He parted his lips and said, “Did you have fun?”
A double meaning.
Ye Jisheng’s gaze grew colder. Under the night wind, the two men looked at each other, neither yielding in presence.
Jian Zhen stepped forward, placed the fruits and snacks in his hands at the boy’s courtyard gate, and said softly, “These matters have nothing to do with their family and should not implicate these common people. Let’s change places to talk.”
If disaster were brought upon this small village, he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
Fu Changhuan nodded.
Ye Jisheng also stepped forward. The three moved to the back mountain some distance away from the small town. Almost the moment they stopped, Jian Zhen saw flashes of blade and sword light sweep before his eyes. The blazing soul fire clashed with snow-like spiritual energy. One could not even see the two men’s movements, only feel the immense waves of spiritual force surging around.
Fu Changhuan was at the Nascent Soul stage, while Ye Jisheng was only at the Golden Core stage, yet for a time he did not fall into a disadvantage.
Jian Zhen only saw Fu Changhuan draw the sword personally passed down by their Grandmaster Ancestor. When Ye Jisheng’s figure rose into the air, Jian Zhen felt as if his heart would stop. He hurried forward, the lantern in his hand falling to the ground. Anxiously, he drew his own sword and rushed forward. “Stop fighting!”
Clang!
At the moment his sword struck Fu Changhuan’s sword, the tremendous shock made his arm go numb, and his own sword snapped into two pieces and fell.
In an instant, Ye Jisheng shielded Jian Zhen behind him.
Jian Zhen saw Ye Jisheng’s crimson eyes and the awe-inspiring killing intent surrounding him.
Fu Changhuan withdrew his sword and looked at him. “Come here.”
Jian Zhen’s heart tightened. After hesitating for a moment, he ultimately averted his gaze.
Fu Changhuan said, “As a disciple of the Immortal Clan, you privately left the competition grounds and violated Spirit Mountain’s laws. Return with me immediately.”
Ye Jisheng stood in place without moving an inch. His red eyes looked at Fu Changhuan, very calm, without any fear. “What if I don’t?”
Fu Changhuan’s aura clearly grew colder. He said, “Leaving the mountain without permission is punishable by death.”
Ye Jisheng said, “You can try.”
The soul fire that could devour everything burned clearly and brightly in the night. The two men confronted each other, boundless killing intent spreading.
Even not far away, many Immortal Clan disciples appeared. Fu Changhuan had not come alone; several elders of Spirit Mountain were also in the distance. This battle had almost no suspense.
Even so, Ye Jisheng still stood in front of Jian Zhen, protecting him behind.
Just as the great battle was about to erupt,
Jian Zhen softly said, “Senior Brother, stop fighting. I’ll go back with you.”
Fu Changhuan looked at him with some surprise.
“But I have one condition,” Jian Zhen said. “This escape was because I wanted to run. I wanted to go down the mountain to play. He is only a sweeping disciple and of course would not dare to disobey me. Now I want him to leave. I ask Senior Brother to give the order to let Ye Wusheng go.”
When Ye Jisheng heard these words, he abruptly looked at him, his eyes filled with anger.
Fu Changhuan said calmly, “I can agree to you.”
Jian Zhen let out a breath of relief, but Ye Jisheng stepped forward.
Jian Zhen grabbed his hand. When Ye Jisheng met his gaze, he could only see pleading and tears in those eyes, and all his anger vanished in an instant.
It was the first time he had seen Jian Zhen with such an expression.
Jian Zhen held his hand and said softly, “Listen to me. They brought too many people, not only Senior Brother, but also the elders. We are not their opponents. If we are captured and taken back, there will never be any hope again.”
Ye Jisheng retorted, “How could I possibly leave you behind?”
“I am Grandmaster Ancestor’s disciple. I won’t be in danger!” Jian Zhen’s eyes reddened. He held his hand and said, “But you are different. I don’t want you to die.”
Ye Jisheng was the proudest Demon God in the Three Realms. The stubbornness in his bones meant he would never bow his head to an enemy. The red in his eyes seemed like burning flames; even the temperature around them seemed to rise. One glance was enough to drive a person mad.
Jian Zhen gripped his hand tightly, his voice soft as if carrying a plea. “I’m begging you. Go, alright? I’ll wait for you to come and take me away.”
Ye Jisheng finally said, “Promise me that you will wait for me.”
Jian Zhen nodded. Under the night, he revealed a smile. Clearly so desperate, yet he still smiled. “I’ll wait for you.”
Not far away, Fu Changhuan said, “Are you finished talking?”
Just as Jian Zhen was about to step forward toward Fu Changhuan, Ye Jisheng grabbed his hand. The man lifted his eyes to look at Fu Changhuan. His tone was calm, yet carried endless oppression. “If anything happens to him after he returns to Spirit Mountain…”
The mountain wind howled past, bringing endless chill.
Ye Jisheng’s robe fluttered slightly. His handsome face carried a trace of wickedness as he enunciated word by word, “I will burn your Spirit Mountain to the ground and trample the Immortal Clan flat.”
This was completely a declaration-of-war threat.
Fu Changhuan lifted his eyes to look at him, his gaze cold. “You can try.”
Jian Zhen’s heart pounded violently, afraid that more chaos would erupt, but Ye Jisheng clearly kept his promise and turned to leave. When his figure disappeared, the heart Jian Zhen had been holding finally fell.
The silent moonlight poured down, settling in the forest.
Fu Changhuan said, “Is it worth it?”
Jian Zhen was stunned and looked at him in confusion.
“A disciple of the Demon Clan, is he worth this much from you?” Fu Changhuan glanced at him and said, “Even to the extent of betraying Spirit Mountain.”
Bitterness filled Jian Zhen’s heart. He had never imagined that one day he would be looked at with such a cold gaze by the Immortal Venerable. He could only endure the pain and say, “Senior Brother, I did not betray Spirit Mountain, nor have I ever thought of betraying you. On the contrary, I am actually saving Spirit Mountain. If we do not make things difficult for Ye Jisheng, I can guarantee he will not act against Spirit Mountain.”
Before, he had not had the confidence to say this sentence, but now he could.
Ye Jisheng’s love gave him that confidence.
Fu Changhuan looked at Jian Zhen, then slightly turned his face away. His tone remained cold. “Demon Clan people are ruthless and merciless. You have little experience in the world and do not understand their methods. You are too naive.”
Jian Zhen had bitterness he could not voice.
It was truly impossible to reason with a Senior Brother who cultivated the Dao of Heartlessness.
Fu Changhuan turned and said, “Now come back with me to receive punishment.”
After walking a few steps, the person behind did not follow.
Fu Changhuan felt puzzled and turned around to look behind him. “You…”
Under the cold moonlight, the youth standing in place breathed painfully a few times. Finally, as if he could no longer endure it, he opened his mouth and spat out several mouthfuls of blood. The deep red blood splattered onto the grass, droplets glaringly vivid on the blades and branches.
Fu Changhuan’s expression changed drastically. He caught the person who was slowly collapsing. “What is this?”
Jian Zhen’s face was pale, unable to speak.
Fu Changhuan pulled back the sleeve at his wrist and saw the faintly emerging red curse mark under the moonlight. His eyes trembled. His tone carried rare anger and panic. “How could you have Heavenly Punishment on you?!”
Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get the rest of the chapters of After Running Away Pregnant, I Ended Up on the Wanted Lists of Both the Demon Venerable and the Immortal Venerable right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)
