Chapter 31: The Captivating Second Senior Sister
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Shen Gurong was still unaware that he had become his own father, currently curled up in a brocade quilt, sound asleep.
Having encountered the water demon when descending the mountain, Shen Gurong hadn’t rested properly at all. Just as he finally laid down comfortably in bed and fell into a deep sleep, he started dreaming again after a while.
In the dream, it was still the familiar vast snowscape.
Shen Gurong looked bewildered, unsure why he was suddenly having this dream again. Could it be that Shen Fengxue still had something left unsaid?
Not far away, Shen Fengxue knelt in the snow, his eyes covered in ice silk streaked with blood. His hands seemed bound by an invisible force, struggling desperately to move forward but unable to budge.
Shen Gurong stared blankly, staggering forward two steps, faintly hearing Shen Fengxue’s hoarse voice.
“I haven’t gone into qi deviation. I’m clear-headed now.”
Shen Gurong was stunned.
As the wind and snow swirled around, Wen Liubing in black attire knelt in front of Shen Fengxue, the Lanting sword lying horizontally on the ground in his hands.
“Master.” Wen Liubing’s eyes were deep, his voice solemn. “Whatever you ask of me, Sanshui will do it for you.”
Shen Fengxue seemed to have lost all strength. His eyes were slightly lowered, white hair scattered down. Even his voice was as light as a feather. “Let them release me. I want to see Mu Zhe.”
Wen Liubing gripped the sword and was about to leave when Shen Fengxue seemed to suddenly react and said, “Wait, wait…”
Wen Liubing turned back.
Shen Fengxue slowly raised his head. The blood-stained ice silk was now useless. His gaze was scattered as he murmured, “Where is Mu Zhe?”
Wen Liubing hesitated for a moment before saying, “He’s been imprisoned in the Burial Mound.”
Shen Fengxue was stunned for a moment, then suddenly struggled as if gone mad. There was a sound of chains clinking on his wrist. His voice was like weeping blood, shouting sharply, “He’s still a child! Why do they always want to endanger him!?”
Wen Liubing knelt down again, attempting to support Shen Fengxue’s shoulder, but he was forcefully pushed away.
Blood tears slowly trickled down from Shen Fengxue’s hollow eyes. “Hypocrisy… They are all a bunch of hypocrites. They say it’s for my good, but they won’t even let him live…”
Wen Liubing looked at him and softly asked, “Master, do you want Mu Zhe to live?”
Shen Fengxue lowered his head and remained silent.
Wen Liubing continued, “If Master wants him to live, Sanshui will make sure he lives.”
There was no reply from Shen Fengxue, only a soft utterance, “Go.”
Wen Liubing gazed at him for a long moment before turning and leaving with his sword in hand.
Shen Gurong watched, his face filled with confusion. This…
How is this related to Mu Zhe?
In the book, Mu Zhe should have been imprisoned in the Burial Mound after accidentally injuring Li Suo. But at that time in the story, it was clearly written that Shen Fengxue was severely injured and unconscious for years. This dream…
Why does it seem like Shen Fengxue is the one being locked up?
Ever since reading that book, Shen Gurong had been puzzled. According to the story, Mu Zhe accidentally killed Li Suo while possessed by the Epidemic Demon. But after the Epidemic Demon was eliminated, why did Liren Peak still want to imprison an innocent child in a place like the Burial Mound, full of demon beasts and constant danger?
Could it be not for punishment, but simply to ensure Mu Zhe’s death?
Lost in his thoughts, Shen Gurong was startled by heavy footsteps behind him. He turned around in confusion, only to be stunned in place.
Not far away, Wen Liubing approached in black attire, staggering and leaning on his sword. Half of his face was covered in blood stains, and blood flowed profusely from his waist, trailing down his clothes and staining the ground with grim traces.
It took Shen Gurong a while to snap out of his daze. He hurried forward to support Wen Liubing, but as he reached out, he realized he couldn’t touch the person from his dream.
Wen Liubing’s face was pallid as he staggered a few more steps, finally unable to hold on any longer and kneeling on the ground, supporting himself with his sword.
Shen Gurong had never seen a dead person before, but somehow, he recognized the signs of impending death emanating from Wen Liubing’s body.
Perhaps it was his increasingly shallow breathing, or maybe the thickening aura of death around him, but Shen Gurong stood there, his hand outstretched, frozen in place.
Wen Liubing’s eyes were vacant, yet even in his injured state, he persisted in wanting to open that stone door to see Shen Fengxue.
He reached out futilely, grasping at nothing.
“Master…”
Then, Wen Liubing’s entire body collapsed to the ground, just three steps away from the stone door.
His eyes remained slightly open, pupils devoid of life.
Shen Gurong stuttered, “San…Sanshui…”
“Sanshui!”
Shen Gurong screamed, his eyes snapping open suddenly.
He gasped for air, breathing in the cold, icy air.
Moments later, Wen Liubing agilely leaped in through the window, exclaiming, “Master!”
Shen Gurong, still in shock, saw before him the bloodied Wen Liubing who had just died, and his ears buzzed, drowning out whatever Wen Liubing was saying.
Having checked the entire Fanjiang Residence and finding no enemies, Wen Liubing sat back down by the bedside, worried. “Master, did you have a bad dream?”
The dream had felt too real. Shen Gurong couldn’t gather his thoughts for some time.
Dazedly, he glanced at Wen Liubing, whose cold eyes reflected only admiration and obedience towards him. It was as if… even if he asked Wen Liubing to die right now, he would do so without a question, drawing his sword to end his own life.
“No…” Shen Gurong muttered awkwardly. “No, I didn’t.”
Wen Liubing breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m here guarding you.”
It took Shen Gurong a while to slowly come back to his senses. He nodded slowly, glanced at Wen Liubing, and then buried himself under the covers.
But this time, he couldn’t sleep no matter how hard he tried.
Shen Gurong had only dreamt twice since coming to this world, and both were related to Shen Fengxue.
In the book, from Shen Fengxue’s perspective, there had been no mention of Wen Liubing’s fate. Now, based on that dream, it seemed Wen Liubing had likely died shortly after Mu Zhe was imprisoned in the Burial Mound.
How did Wen Liubing die exactly?
And could Mu Zhe’s peaceful ten-year stay in the Burial Mound be somehow linked to Wen Liubing’s death?
Shen Gurong suddenly dared not think further.
Unable to sleep, he finally couldn’t resist lifting the covers and calling out to Wen Liubing who was meditating in the outer room, “Sanshui.”
Wen Liubing promptly responded, flying in, “Master, I’m here.”
Shen Gurong spoke seriously, “If I asked you to do something that might cost you your life, would you do it?”
Without hesitation, Wen Liubing replied, “I would.”
Shen Gurong: “…..”
Unable to hold back, he scolded, “Are you stupid? Knowing it might cost you your life, you’d still do it?!”
Wen Liubing didn’t understand, “Whatever Master asks of me, I will do.”
Shen Gurong recalled Wen Liubing’s words from the dream, feeling perplexed for a long time before looking at him with complicated emotions.
Wen Liubing tilted his head, “Master, you seem strange today. Is something wrong?”
Shen Gurong waved him off, “Go back to sleep, don’t stay here.”
“Okay,” Wen Liubing replied obediently, and left.
Shen Gurong breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he had been overthinking things.
Now that both Li Suo and Mu Zhe were fine, as long as he didn’t let Wen Liubing do anything life-threatening, given Wen Liubing’s cultivation, there were few in the three realms who could kill him.
Thinking this way, Shen Gurong finally felt a sense of relief.
Before, he had only wanted to protect Mu Zhe and Yu Xinghe, but now it seemed he had to keep an eye on his stubborn eldest disciple as well.
Shen Gurong rarely experienced insomnia, but that night, he couldn’t sleep until early morning. When Xi Guxing came looking for him after morning class, he found Shen Gurong still sound asleep.
Xi Guxing didn’t hesitate to lift Shen Gurong’s blanket and sit on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, a smirk on his face. “Shiyi, I heard something interesting. Want to hear about it together?”
Shen Gurong, barely having slept an hour, was awakened. He didn’t even open his eyes, frowning deeply as he kicked out with his foot.
Xi Guxing remained unfazed and proceeded to tell Shen Gurong all the gossip and rumors he had heard using his spiritual cultivation today.
“Shiyi, have you decided on a name for the illegitimate child? Shen Jiujiu? Shen Fenghuang?”
Note: Jiujiu is the chirp chirp sound, Fenghuang is Phoenix.
Shen Gurong: “…”
This time, Shen Gurong didn’t need to pep talk himself; he woke up completely alert.
“Hold on a moment.” He quickly got up, groping around. “What did you say? I can’t see.”
Xi Guxing clicked his tongue and picked up the ice silk from under the bed, handing it to Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong tied the ice silk around himself, finally understanding Xi Guxing’s words.
He widened his eyes, pointing at himself. “Me? The Sage’s illegitimate child?”
Xi Guxing nodded with a smirk.
Shen Gurong: “Who started this rumor?”
Xi Guxing: “Who knows? Anyway, everyone is saying it now.”
He looked Shen Gurong up and down, then teasingly said, “But it makes sense. With this face and the ice silk, anyone with eyes would think of you.”
Shen Gurong slapped away his hand, glaring at him. “Stop joking. Did you help clarify this?”
Xi Guxing was very cheeky. “Clarify what? Why bother? I’m busy.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
If you’re so busy, how did you find time to eavesdrop on gossip using your cultivation?!
Seeing Shen Gurong’s expression, Xi Guxing finally felt a twinge of guilt and tried to console him, “Besides, how could I clarify it? Just say you’re Sage Shen, but mistakenly absorbed the Phoenix’s spiritual power and turned into a Phoenix cub, and then because of a bond with the Phoenix…”
Before he could finish, Shen Gurong interrupted sharply, “Let them misunderstand. Just stop talking!”
Xi Guxing finally stopped, still wearing a mischievous expression.
Shen Gurong slumped down with a sigh, saying weakly, “Go busy yourself, Sect Leader.”
Xi Guxing impatiently flicked his head before getting up and leaving in a huff.
The entire Liren Peak was abuzz with rumors of Sage Shen’s illegitimate child residing at Fanjiang Residence. After morning classes, groups of people would sneak around, trying to catch a glimpse of the Sage’s offspring.
Despite Wen Liubing scaring everyone away, Shen Gurong was still too embarrassed to leave his quarters, anxiously waiting for the Phoenix’s spiritual power to completely dissipate from his meridians.
Three days later, unable to bear it any longer, Shen Gurong sneaked out of Fanjiang Residence during a quiet moment after morning classes. He took a quick jog around the Bodhi Tree to relieve his pent-up frustration.
Lotus Lake was empty, with no sign of the white cranes that usually pecked around its waters.
Not eager to return, Shen Gurong sat by Lotus Lake for hours. Suddenly struck with inspiration, he hurried back to his room to fetch ink and paper, intending to paint a picture of Lotus Lake.
His hands were small, making it difficult to hold the brush properly, but he did his best to apply paint to the paper.
To avoid unexpected visitors, Shen Gurong climbed the Bodhi Tree with determination, finding a secure spot with a perfect view to sit cross-legged.
Hidden by the branches, Shen Gurong joyfully immersed himself in painting.
Half an hour later, he stared at his crooked and twisted painting, lost in thought.
If his art teacher saw this, they would surely be infuriated enough to beat him with a bamboo stick.
Shen Gurong crumpled the paper aside and sought a better angle to redeem himself.
Before he could begin, his gaze fell across Lotus Lake.
In a pavilion on the lake’s edge, a graceful woman in red stood against the wind. Even from afar, Shen Gurong could see the enchanting face that could captivate any man.
Her face was like a peach blossom, enhanced by a tiny vermilion mole at her brow, making her beauty even more striking. She gazed at the lotus flowers on the lake, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
Shen Gurong’s eyes lit up. He quickly found a blank sheet of paper and began to sketch the beautiful woman by the lake.
Starting with a few lines, he suddenly realized—Liren Peak had no female cultivators. Where did this beauty come from?
Shen Gurong thought for a moment, suddenly remembering what Xi Guxing had been saying—that his second senior sister was expected to return these days.
Second senior sister!
Shen Gurong had always assumed that disciples from Liren Peak were rough and quick-tempered like Xi Guxing and Wen Liubing, always ready to draw their swords at the slightest provocation. Now, he finally caught sight of a beautiful senior sister, which lifted Shen Gurong’s spirits a little.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw his beautiful senior sister smile lightly and raise her slender fingers swiftly towards the riverbank, forming a seal.
He didn’t know what kind of seal it was, but as soon as her fingers touched down, Lotus Lake erupted into turmoil. It boiled like hot water, a deafening roar echoing as countless dark and monstrous demons screamed and leaped out of the lake, only to vanish into ashes under the sunlight.
Shen Gurong: “…”
This, this…
Shen Gurong was so shocked that he dropped his brush.
The sound of the brush hitting the ground caught the attention of his second senior sister on the opposite shore. She had narrow eyes, and every expression carried myriad charms. With a faint smile, she waved her wide sleeves and gracefully walked across the water’s surface.
Shen Gurong was consoling himself, thinking at least she was a beautiful senior sister who could handle herself in a fight, much better than those rough men.
Just as he was adjusting his emotions, he lowered his head and saw that his second senior sister had already arrived under the tree, looking at him with gentle eyes.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong was startled and fell straight down from the tree.
Feeling weightless for a moment, Shen Gurong instinctively closed his eyes, expecting pain. However, instead, gentle hands caught him and a refreshing scent of pine surrounded him.
Shen Gurong opened his eyes in confusion and realized he was being cradled in his second senior sister’s arms.
For some inexplicable reason, Shen Gurong’s face turned red.
He had never been so close to a woman from childhood to adulthood, and yet his heart couldn’t help but beat uncontrollably.
As his heart throbbed erratically, he heard his senior sister, with her deep yet melodious male voice, softly saying to him, “Guxing told me, and I didn’t believe it at first. Now seeing you, Shiyi, you have indeed changed a lot.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong: “???”
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