Chapter 79
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Yuchi Rui stepped on air, and his whole body plummeted rapidly. At the critical moment, he tried to grab Gong Wei’s sleeve but missed, and he fell for what felt like half a meal’s time in the fierce wind. Bang! His feet suddenly touched the ground, causing him to see stars, and after a while, he finally staggered to his feet, dizzy and disoriented.
Beside him, a rushing river flowed past, coming from one end of the blood-gray horizon and roaring towards the other end, disappearing into the distance. Flocks of crows flew up from the banks, their cries piercing the air as they disappeared into the horizon.
“Two seven deceased souls cross the Nai River, myriad groups and teams wade through the river waves.” The voice of Gong Wei came from behind, saying, “This is the Three Way River. If we walk along the riverbank for two days, we will be able to return to the human realm after Xu Bai wakes up.”
Turning around, all Yuchu Rui saw was Xu Shuangce, with his eyes closed peacefully, resting his head on Gong Wei’s thigh.
The bright and clear light on Xu Shuangce’s body had not completely disappeared yet, indicating that his godhead was still merging with his soul. Whether it was an illusion or not, his features seemed even more distinct and vivid than before, emitting a faint aura of intimidation even in his unconscious state.
That should be his gradually recovering divinity.
Seating himself cross-legged in front of Gong Wei, Yuchi Rui, his mind buzzing with the recent events, couldn’t make sense of it all. Suddenly, he reached out and poked Xu Shuangce’s face with his index finger.
“…” Gong Wei said, “He’ll wake up if you keep doing that.”
Both of them focused their gaze on Xu Shuangce’s face, only to see that Eastern Heaven God was breathing steadily, his chest rising and falling, showing no signs of waking up.
Yuchi Rui stated firmly, “He won’t wake up.” Then, he poked him again.
Gong Wei cautioned, “It’s dangerous to do that. Who knows if he’s pretending to be asleep…” Before he could finish his sentence, Yuchi Rui poked Xu Shuangce for the third time.
Unable to bear it any longer, Gong Wei also extended his finger and poked Xu Shuangce’s other cheek. They continued this back-and-forth poking for several rounds, until suddenly, Xu Shuangce’s eyelashes fluttered, and he reached up, grabbing their fingers in his hand.
“…” Xu Shuangce slowly opened his eyes, still groggy and disoriented. His voice was hoarse and low, “Gong Wei?”
Yuchi Rui quickly withdrew his hand behind his back, his expression neutral as he looked on.
Xu Shuangce closed his eyes again, then opened them once more. Having experienced death and rebirth, he found himself unusually confused, unable to determine where he was, and he couldn’t even see Gong Wei’s outline clearly. After a while, he instinctively curled his lips into a smile, “…..Good. You’re still alive.”
Gong Wei softly replied, “Mm. You’re alive too.”
Xu Shuangce nodded slightly, then closed his eyes again, drifting off into a deep sleep.
In the vast wilderness, aside from the rushing river, there was silence. After a while, Yuchi Rui and Gong Wei both swallowed a lump in their throats, finally tearing their gaze away from the divine face of the Eastern Heavenly God.
“I wonder what’s happening on the surface now,” Yuchi Rui suddenly blurted out. “Yuan Ju is still there.”
Upon mentioning this, both of them felt a heaviness in their hearts, and they fell silent, unable to speak. Yuchi Rui glanced towards the direction they had been sent out of by Xuan Jinghe, and couldn’t help but ask, “—How can we kill the Ghost Crown Prince?”
Gong Wei shook his head slowly. “The Ghost Crown Prince is the embodiment of human evil. Good and evil flow and balance in this world, so the Ghost Crown Prince will never die. The best outcome is to seal him completely in the deepest chaos of the Yellow Springs, using his divine power to support the operation of the Guiyuan, but he himself can no longer roam reality.”
Yuchi Rui nodded thoughtfully and then asked, “And what about Ying Kai?”
“…”
As the Three Way River roared by, the banks were lined with tall, twisted trees, their thin branches reaching desperately towards the blood-gray sky.
After a long silence, Gong Wei finally spoke in a low voice, “In fact, I feel responsible for Ying Kai. Many years ago, when he was still immature in mind, I attracted the attention of the Ghost Crown Prince to him.”
Yuchi Rui: “Huh?”
Gong Wei sat cross-legged on the high riverbank, gazing at the dense gray fog over the vast river surface. After a while, he let out a deep, heavy sigh and said, “This matter goes back tens of thousands of years ago… At that time, I had just been born not long ago, my mind was still very immature, and I was very ignorant of the world. My growth rate was also much slower than Qu Xie’s.”
Yuchi Rui furrowed his brow and asked seriously, “Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why were you much slower to mature than the Ghost Crown Prince?”
“…” Gong Wei blinked his eyes and said, “Changsheng. Good and evil are like this. Human nature is born with innate evil, without the need for education or guidance. Primitive cruelty is ingrained in everyone’s survival instinct from birth. But kindness can only be acquired later in life. When the granaries are full, we know about etiquette; when we have enough to wear and eat, we know about honor and disgrace. It’s the same principle.”
Yuchi Rui propped his chin with one hand, pondering for a moment before nodding in understanding.
“The gods in the heavenly realm are divided into two types. One type is formed by the heavens and earth, distant and eternal, existing in the great void, enduring for eternity. For them, the human realm is just a drop of water in the three thousand worlds. The reproduction and extinction of humanity are just the process of a drop of water falling and drying up. The other type is the ascended mortals who become gods, also honored and respected, but they cannot exist indefinitely with the heavens and earth. When they reach a certain realm, they will return to all things, wander the great void, and forever leave the heavenly realm.”
“So the heavenly realm is vast and cold, and I often take on different forms to visit the lively mortal world, observing the various states of humanity.”
Gong Wei paused, seemingly immersed in some long-lasting memories, and whispered, “It was nine thousand years ago. Once, I happened to stroll around Qingqiu and encountered a group of foxes. They were complaining to me about the fierceness of Taoists and the scarcity of food, when suddenly I saw two young cultivators. The foxes scattered in all directions, and when I turned around and saw them for the first time, I knew that their destinies were extraordinary, destined for future ascension.”
Yuchi Rui couldn’t help but ask, “Ying Kai and Xu Shuangce?”
“Yes, that was their first life as mortals, the very beginning.” Gong Wei’s lips curved slightly upward. “I still remember the first time I saw Xu Bai. He was so handsome, but… indeed a bit fierce, even holding my tail upside down.”
“Ah…”
In midair, the little fox twisted its body and pretended to bite at its wrist, but the young cultivator was quicker, grabbing its nape and lifting it up, instantly immobilizing the little fox and locking eyes with it at close range.
“Shuangce, what’s wrong?” A clear and gentle voice came from behind, and then another young cultivator approached, surprised. “Little fox?”
Young Xu Shuangce wasn’t as aloof and intimidating as he would later become. He had naturally cold features, with deep and handsome eyes, slightly raised eyebrows, always appearing sharp and unforgiving. He silently examined the little fox cub in front of him.
Being held like this by him, Gong Wei could only curl his limbs, wanting to transform into his human form, but feeling that it would be too troublesome to explain. He was hesitating whether to disappear directly and escape, when suddenly he felt the force pulling his tail loosen, and then he was grabbed by the neck by Xu Shuangce and tucked into his arms.
“It’s a fox demon,” Xu Shuangce said coldly, “Take it back to Cangyang Sect as a cushion.”
“…,” Ying Kai couldn’t help but be speechless. “Um… Shuangce, although we must eradicate demons whenever we encounter them, it’s just a very small fox. Maybe we should let it go?”
Xu Shuangce said, “We cannot allow monsters to cause trouble in the world.” With that, he didn’t say much more, but firmly held the bewildered little fox in one hand and walked straight ahead.
Ying Chenyuan and Xu Shuangce were fellow disciples, of similar age, both disciples of the largest Cangyang Sect of the time. However, Ying Chenyuan was exceptionally talented and had impeccable conduct. He had been chosen as the heir to the sect from a young age. Xu Shuangce was also exceptionally talented, but he always did things his own way, earning himself a reputation as a thorn in the side of the entire Cangyang Sect.
Little fox Gong Wei was carried all the way back to the sect by Xu Shuangce. As soon as he stepped in, Xu Shuangce and Ying Kai were both summoned to the main hall by the sect leader.
“Although you two have slain the man-eating Qingqiu demon fox during this trip down the mountain, the villagers below have quite a few complaints. Do you know why?”
The sect leader and several grand elders were seated in the hall. The two young men stood silently with bowed heads. Ying Kai cautiously replied, “Disciple does not know.”
Xu Shuangce said, “Disciple does not care to know.”
The sect leader frowned, “Xu Bai!”
Xu Shuangce’s eyes naturally had a disdainful look. “Those nine-tailed foxes lived deep in the mountains, feeding on ginseng, and never came out to disturb people. The villagers dug up all the ginseng on the mountain in their greed, leaving none behind, and yet they were still not satisfied. They used smoke and fire to force the nine-tailed foxes out of their dens, hoping to drive them out and take the ginseng hidden in their nests. Unable to bear the smoke, the nine-tailed foxes came out and injured people, swallowing several villagers in one bite. Clearly, the nine-tailed fox was the victim, so why did the villagers cry and come up the mountain asking us to eradicate the demon?”
“According to your logic, it seems that the villagers are guilty of a heinous crime and should go apologize to the fox demon who ate people?”
“Not entirely.”
“Why?!”
Xu Shuangce said, “The villagers were greedy for ginseng because of the severe drought. They had no harvest, but the heavy taxes and levies did not decrease at all, leaving them hungry and desperate. Hence, the villagers were not seeking wealth, but survival. It is understandable that they smoked out the fox den.”
“…” The sect leader gritted his teeth. “So, according to you, instead of killing the fox demon, we cultivators should fly to the capital and kill the emperor who imposed heavy taxes?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Why?!”
The elders shook their heads or furrowed their brows, and Ying Kai kept making eye contact with Xu Shuangce, signaling him to stop speaking. But Xu Shuangce remained undaunted. “The heavy taxes have not decreased because the court is at the decisive moment of the war with the northern barbarians. If they lose now, the entire country will collapse, and the disaster of massacre will be imminent. Then there will be countless more killings. “
The sect leader, furious, laughed sarcastically. “I bet you’re going to say next that the northern barbarians are also understandable. It’s all because of the severe drought that the livestock died and they had to invade and plunder the south for food and money, igniting the war as a matter of course. Is that right?”
Xu Shuangce said firmly, “Exactly.”
In the hall, everyone whispered to each other, judging by Ying Kai’s expression, he probably wanted to kneel down and beg Xu Shuangce to stop talking.
The sect leader slammed the table, “All your sophistry! Are you suggesting that we, cultivators, should just close our eyes and pretend not to see?”
Xu Shuangce candidly replied, “Yes, the demon fox knew it had committed atrocities and was already planning to hide in the deep mountains for the rest of its life. The karma here has already formed a closed loop, so I feel we shouldn’t interfere.”
The buzzing discussions in the hall had disappeared, replaced only by a soft exhale.
Perhaps the sect leader, having calmed down from his initial anger, stared at Xu Shuangce and said each word, “It’s understandable that you have different ideas, but you must understand that if you always stand idly by, you won’t accumulate any merit on your path of cultivation. Without merit, you cannot ascend. Then what is the point of your lifelong cultivation?”
Gong Wei had been hiding in Xu Shuangce’s robe, listening to their debate with his front paws propped up and ears perked. When he heard this, he smiled faintly, thinking that the sect leader was also giving sincere advice, laying everything out clearly.
Then Xu Shuangce said, “Master, disciple won’t stand idly by on everything, but the great cause and effect in this world must follow its natural course, and it’s not something I can arbitrarily change. As for ascension, let it be. I cultivate for myself, with a clear conscience. Even if gods and ghosts are against me, what can they do?”
“….”
The sect leader, after inhaling and exhaling repeatedly, finally slammed his palm on the tea cup on the table, making it jump.
“Nonsense! Stop speaking!” The sect leader rebuked angrily, “Go back to your room and stay there. Don’t use such words to influence your junior brothers and sisters!”
Ying Kai frantically gestured behind him, indicating they should leave quickly.
Xu Shuangce bowed cleanly, “Disciple takes his leave.” Then he turned and walked out, his movements too forceful causing Gong Wei in his robe to slip down and fall to the ground with a “snap” in front of everyone’s eyes.
“Wait, what’s this?” The sect leader widened his eyes in astonishment, “What is this?”
Gong Wei immediately scrambled back under Xu Shuangce’s pants leg at lightning speed, and Xu Shuangce calmly said, “A fox cub. Root out the source of trouble, bring it back and make it into a cushion.”
“You—”
Before the furious reprimand could come out, Xu Shuangce stepped across the threshold and disappeared instantly.
“How can he speak such nonsense!” “Let’s see how he regrets it in a few years!” “Arrogant youth, truly arrogant…”
While Xu Shuangce left, discussions erupted in the hall. Ying Kai stood with his head bowed, not daring to say a word. Finally, the sect leader sighed heavily, then bitterly advised, “You must not follow his example!”
Ying Kai cautiously asked, “I haven’t consulted Master… why do the villagers below have grievances against us? We clearly distributed all our wealth to them.”
This mention again ignited the sect leader’s anger, and he said coldly, “The villagers want to skin the nine-tailed fox and sell its fur for money, and they asked if Xu Bai thinks it’s feasible. Xu Bai said it’s fine, but if the vengeful spirits of the foxes come for revenge for being skinned, he won’t come down the mountain to handle it. He can only suggest they move away immediately after skinning it.”
Ying Kai: “…”
Ying Kai’s mouth twitched suddenly, and the sect leader angrily said, “You’re still laughing! You are the heir of our dignified Cangyang Sect, you must not mimic his indifferent appearance!”
Ying Kai quickly composed himself and said respectfully, “Master, you’re right.”
“So many people are watching you, so many people see you as a role model. A gentleman’s reputation is of paramount importance! If you act like Xu Bai, how will people view you? How will they view our Cangyang Sect? You must know that any slight criticism of you directly affects the reputation of our sect, even the reputation of all the schools of cultivation!”
Ying Kai had heard these words thousands of times from childhood to adulthood. Initially, he had doubts in his heart, but after years of repetition, it had become a deep-seated awareness. He replied ashamedly, “Disciple understands.”
At least there was one disciple who was normal. The sect leader sighed deeply, then earnestly instructed him for a while before checking his progress in cultivation and finally waved his hand to let him leave.
Ying Kai performed a deep bow, then retreated to the door, turning lightly as he stepped over the threshold.
At that time, he still looked like an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth, gentle, elegant, humble, and courteous, without a single flaw. From the outer disciples to the inner hall masters, everyone who saw him couldn’t help but secretly praise and feel gratified.
Except for the wisp of soul left behind by Gong Wei in mid-air, no one saw that after Ying Kai turned around and left the door, he gazed in the direction where Xu Shuangce had just left, sighed lightly and enviously for a long time.
That day, Xu Shuangce indeed returned to his room and began his seclusion.
He was probably accustomed to seclusion, reading when he needed to read, sleeping when he needed to sleep, without any discomfort. Gong Wei liked the faint sandalwood scent on him, so he slept on his lap, and when Xu Shuangce needed to rest late at night, he used some spell to summon a plate of braised chicken out of nowhere and asked, “Want some?”
Gong Wei was fully alert the moment he smelled the braised chicken, his eyes widening like copper bells. Upon hearing his question, he nodded quickly, indicating he wanted to eat.
Xu Shuangce then placed the fox cub on his lap, tore a chicken leg into strips with his hand, and fed it piece by piece. He didn’t stop until the little fox had a bulging belly. Then, he used a handkerchief dipped in water to clean its face and two front paws, placed it on the pillow, tied its small furry neck with a thin rope, and fastened it to the bedpost.
The inexplicable Gong Wei: “…”
“Don’t go out and harm people,” Xu Shuangce extinguished the lamp with a flick of his sleeve, saying lightly, “Go to sleep.”
Gong Wei: “…”
Since he had eaten someone else’s braised chicken, he decided not to worry about too much.
Gong Wei had a good personality and became interested in the young cultivator named Xu Bai. He thought that even if he left now, there was nothing important to do. So, he decided to sleep on the pillow, and his fluffy tail occasionally brushed Xu Shuangce’s nose.
Until the dead of night, when suddenly the window was silently pushed open, Gong Wei immediately opened his eyes vigilantly and looked over.
He saw a figure lightly jumping through the open window without making a sound—it was Ying Kai!
“Hush—” With a glance, Ying Kai immediately raised his index finger to his lips, tiptoed to the bedside, cast a sleep spell on Xu Shuangce, then frowned at the thin rope, muttering to himself, “How can you kill it to make a cushion?”
Gong Wei wanted to nod in agreement. Yes, this little fox’s fur hadn’t even grown properly, how could it be made into a cushion?
But before he could express his opinion, Ying Kai covered his mouth with his hand and whispered in a low voice, “Don’t scream if you don’t want to die, understand?”
“…” Gong Wei nodded with his mouth covered.
“No harming people when you go out, and no eating people in the future, understood?”
Gong Wei nodded again.
Ying Kai was finally satisfied, carefully cut the thin rope, and was about to pick up the little fox and leave. However, just then, Xu Shuangce turned over, and his palm fell from mid-air accurately and forcefully, firmly grasping the back of the little fox!
Ying Kai: “…”
Gong Wei: “…”
Xu Shuangce opened his eyes calmly and asked, “Why are you taking away my cushion?”
The two of them, plus one fox, stared at each other. Ying Kai’s expression was as if he had been struck by lightning.
“…You can’t use such a small fox to make a cushion!” After a while, Ying Kai finally managed to squeeze out some words through his teeth, albeit a bit stutteringly due to being caught red-handed. “It’s too small to harm anyone, there’s no need to eradicate it!”
Xu Shuangce said, “Ying Chenyuan, you actually climbed through the window in the middle of the night.”
Ying Kai became even more tongue-tied. “Even though it’s… it’s said that demons must be eliminated, it’s not… not right to kill innocent beings like this!”
Xu Shuangce asked, “Does Master know you climbed through the window in the middle of the night?”
“…” Ying Kai held onto the little fox’s front paws tightly. “Stop talking. I must release it. You also said that the big nine-tailed fox shouldn’t have been killed! Release it quickly…”
Xu Shuangce held onto the little fox’s hind legs tightly. “If Master knew you climbed through the window in the middle of the night, what would he think?”
“Xu Shuangce!!”
Gong Wei couldn’t stand being pulled back and forth anymore. Just as he was about to transform into his human form, his soul suddenly moved and sensed something. Then, a strange fragrance, reminiscent of amaryllis, filled the void, and a familiar, deep, and lazy voice sounded in his ears:
“I was wondering why the divine light on this mountain was so strong, turns out you’ve found two destinies capable of ascension.”
Gong Wei turned around, but there was no one in the pitch-black night. Qu Xie, with a smirk, sat casually in mid-air, with one foot leisurely propped up on the other leg. He looked at Xu Shuangce and Ying Kai with keen interest, his eyes wandering back and forth between them.
“What’s going on here, a choice between the two?” The Ghost Crown Prince propped his chin with a meaningful look, smiling, “Let me guess, which one of them does the Heavenly Dao, representing goodwill and order, prefer?”
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Thank You for the chapter ❤٩(•౪•٩)
Well that explains where XSC’s little fox fetish comes from and where GW’s love of chicken. Haha! They created it in each other! So cute! GET THEM BACK TOGETHER SOON PLEASE. T.T T.T