Chapter 88 I Want to Go Home I Want to Go Home

Wenren Jing came home very late today.

During the rainy season, mushrooms sprout up one after another on Fangze Mountain. He wanted to pick more to take back and make a delicious soup for Wen Rensheng.

When I returned, I found Wenrensheng lying quietly in her nest, lost in thought, covered with a delicate little blanket.

This blanket was made by Wenren Jing, who spent a long time picking out the fabric on the street and sewed it himself for Wenren Sheng. The child loves it very much and wants to cover himself with it every night.

"Clan leader," Wenren Sheng's ears twitched when he saw Wenren Jing, and he called out softly, "You're back."

Wenren Jing put down the bamboo basket in his hand, sat down next to Wenren Sheng, and pinched his ears twice.

Wenren Sheng really enjoyed having his ears rubbed. He got up from the blanket, sat cross-legged, and let Wenren Jing rub them a little longer.

Wenren Jing rubbed his hair for a while, then started combing it, asking as he did so, "What have you been doing today?"

"..." Wenren Sheng turned his ear away, lowered his head and played with the small blanket in his hand, seemingly struggling with whether or not to tell Wenren Jing what had happened today.

After a long pause, he said, "Chieftain, I recently encountered a very strange person."

"Humans?" Wenren Jing asked in surprise, "Humans?"

He nodded upon hearing a voice.

After returning home, Wen Rensheng kept thinking about the man she had met in the past few days.

Why did he hug her and cry the first time they met? He even said he missed her and wanted her back in his arms...

Could it be a family member whose name I've forgotten?

This was the first time Wenrensheng had heard such a direct expression of concern. The person didn't seem to be lying, after all, he had been hugging her and crying for a while, and the area around his stomach was soaked with tears.

Wen Rensheng glanced down at his cloth shirt, which was a little faded from washing but was very clean, with a faint Wen Rensheng-specific fragrance.

Could it be that person... likes his own taste? Wants to eat him??

Oh, speaking of food, I'm getting a little hungry again. The chieftain brought back so much food, we can have a big meal tonight, I'm so happy...

While listening to the voices, his thoughts drifted elsewhere until Wenren Jing tapped him on the shoulder, which jolted him back to his senses.

Wenren Jing asked, "Who exactly is this person?"

Hearing voices, he bit his finger and mumbled, "There's no one here."

*

The next day, after Wenren Sheng's persistent pleading, Wenren Jing finally agreed to take him to the mountaintop.

Wenren was overjoyed and stuffed his little bundle full of the fruits he had picked and the incense sticks he had bought down the mountain. He set off with Wenren Jing early in the morning.

They walked from day to dusk before finally reaching the top of the mountain.

Along the way, everyone was excitedly telling stories about True Lord Cangyu, and muttering that they wanted to become such a powerful immortal and have their own little mountain.

Wenren Jing listened with a smile, occasionally offering a few words of response, so he wasn't too annoyed.

"arrive!"

Hearing voices, I jumped across the dilapidated wooden bridge with two quick leaps and finally came into view of the complete mountain god temple.

He opened his mouth wide: "Wow—"

It was a bit more dilapidated than he had imagined, but it was still very big and impressive!

Hearing the voice, Zhang looked around and found what he most wanted to see not far from the mountain gate.

“The statue,” a voice pointed to the mountain gate, “Clan chief, we can now offer sacrifices to the deity!”

After saying that, he excitedly ran to the shrine and, taking advantage of the afterglow of the setting sun, carefully examined it from top to bottom.

The shrine was covered in vines, and inside was a solemn-faced statue of a god holding a one-handed sword and trailing a long cloak behind him.

Upon hearing voices, he quickly took off his bundle, neatly arranged the offerings inside in front of the shrine, then took out incense sticks, lit them, and carefully inserted them into the incense burner.

Hearing a voice, he turned around and asked, "Doesn't the clan leader bow?"

“Just pray and ask him to bless you,” Wenren Jing said. “There are too many people; I’m afraid he won’t be able to bless everyone.”

Hearing the voices, he nodded blankly, then put his hands together and began to bow devoutly to the shrine.

"I brought some delicious fruit for the Mountain God. I hope you like it!"

He closed his eyes and whispered.

"Hmm... My wish is to have a happy and peaceful little family, where all my family members are kind people or monsters."

"And, if, if I could, I really want to see you."

"Can you teach me magic? Can you teach me how to use a sword? I really want to be as powerful as you. I want to be your good friend, or even family... that would be great too!"

Children making their first wish are often a little greedy. They close their eyes and say a lot of things when they hear voices, until they feel a little embarrassed and slowly withdraw their hands and open their eyes.

Dusk was falling, and they needed to find a place to stay on the mountainside before dark; time was running out.

However, Ren Jing did not urge him.

So, upon hearing the voice, he stood still and quietly watched the three incense sticks slowly burning.

The sun was gradually setting, and the seventh day was almost over.

For some reason, hearing the voice suddenly filled me with endless sorrow.

He always felt that he had forgotten something, and that there was some wish he hadn't told Cangyu Zhenjun.

What is your wish?

The man who had vanished in the daytime, turning into a blue butterfly, suddenly appeared in his mind.

...Have you forgotten him?

Hearing people's voices made my nose feel a little sore, so I reached out and touched the tip of my nose.

Did that person leave Yoshizawa Mountain, or did they leave this world forever?

Was this their last meeting?

Who exactly is he?

Hearing the voice, he helplessly clutched the hem of his clothes. Gazing at the solemn statue, he murmured, "Mountain God..."

"I still want to..."

Hearing someone choke up halfway through his sentence.

He didn't know what other wishes he could make.

Making a fortune every day? Living to a ripe old age? Those are all too unrealistic and greedy.

Hearing people's voices, one never asks for much.

All he needs is a place to stay, a place where he can be with his family.

Even if it's just a cave or a straw mat.

Having family is already incredibly precious.

"..."

Crystalline tears welled up in Wenrensheng's eyes, blurring her vision until she could no longer see anything clearly.

Amidst these thoughts, Wenrensheng suddenly found the source of his sorrow.

He turned around and looked at the person who had been standing silently behind him, waiting for him.

"I think……"

As he watched Wenren Jing's body gradually become transparent, tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face.

He opened his mouth, trembling, and said in a very small voice...

I want to go home.

"..."

At that moment, time suddenly stopped.

Hearing the voice, he looked into the clan leader's eyes and at the aged lines on his face.

In this endless gaze, every blade of grass and tree on Fangze Mountain gradually faded, turning into countless specks of ash that swirled and drifted away.

Finally, the surrounding scenery transformed back into the cold underworld, and Wenren Jing still held him, his kind face just as it had been in the dream.

“Sheng’er,” he said with a smile, “go home quickly.”

go home……

Yes, he still needs to go home.

The mountain god is still waiting for him!

"Chieftain!"

Hearing the voice, she sat up, hurriedly grabbed Wenren Jing, and said urgently,

"Chieftain, I don't want to die! I still need to find the Mountain God; he's waiting for me..."

“Alright, you’re not dead, you’re not dead,” Wenren Jing said with a smile, patting his head. “Sheng’er, you were kind-hearted in life and never did anything evil, so you shouldn’t have died so young.”

Memories kept flooding back into my mind. I could hear voices and I didn't know how long I had slept, what the situation was like outside, or whether everyone in Cangzhou City was alright.

He cherished that blissful dream immensely, and every day he spent with the clan chief on Fangze Mountain was simple and plain, yet filled with boundless beauty. Wenrensheng loved those days very much.

But there was no mountain god in my dream.

There was no mountain god, no master, and no true clan leader; it was not his place of refuge, not his home.

Wen Rensheng hurriedly jumped down from Wenren Jing's arms. His body had returned to the appearance of an eighteen-year-old, and the weight of his soul was becoming lighter and lighter, as if it would dissipate into bubbles at any moment.

"I want to go back to Cangzhou City!" Wenren Sheng said excitedly, holding Wenren Jing's shoulder. "Clan leader, I'm going back. I will definitely come to see you when you are reincarnated!"

After saying that, he released Wenren Jing and ran towards the direction of the Earth God Temple in the underworld.

"etc."

However, at that moment, the figure of Bai Wuchang suddenly descended and swung his scythe to block him.

“You can’t leave,” he said.

"Why?!" a voice cried out urgently. "I'm not dead! My soul hasn't vanished yet! I'm about to ascend to heaven!"

“That’s none of my business,” Bai Wuchang said coldly. “In the underworld, all souls are under my jurisdiction.”

Hearing the voices, he thought to himself that if he didn't leave soon, he would really become a ghost. In desperation, he leaped over the obstacle.

Seeing this, Bai Wuchang raised his sickle and hooked the man down, grabbing his neck and pressing him to the ground.

“Since you are unwilling,” he said, “then I will have no choice but to forcibly take your soul.”

Wenren Jing was startled and rushed forward to try and pry open the White Impermanence.

"Don't touch my child!"

"This is my duty! Today I'm going to—hiss!"

As soon as Bai Wuchang reached out to touch the soul that could hear human voices, his skin sizzled as if it were being burned, and he withdrew his hand in pain.

White Impermanence frowned: "...What is that?"

Looking down, a mark slowly emerged between Wen Rensheng's brows, like a blue-green flame, its light flickering.

White Impermanence looked astonished: "This is..."

"He's about to ascend to heaven!" Wenren Jing exclaimed eagerly.

Hearing a voice, he touched his neck and sat up. Before he could react, he suddenly noticed a golden light shining around him.

He instinctively reached out and touched it, but couldn't feel anything.

Freed from the constraints of the White Impermanence, the voices tumbled and floated in mid-air, watching as the surrounding light accumulated more and more, until it almost swallowed everything in front of them.

Hearing the voice, it struggled forward and lunged forward, but in the end, its entire soul was enveloped by the radiant light.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the Hua Palace.

This lightning bolt was even more powerful than the one that had struck He Mu earlier, causing the entire city of Cangzhou to tremble.

Hearing the voice, he gasped, opened his eyes abruptly, and instinctively sat up.

"Mountain God!"

Wow!

Many people who were guarding him were startled and fell to the ground with a thud.

Hearing voices, he gasped for breath and looked around. He found himself in a side hall of the Hua Palace. The place was very secluded, and only Xu Ren was with him.

"Brother Duoren," he heard a voice and stood up, hurriedly pulling him up and asking, "How is it outside? Is the Mountain God alright? Is Master alright? Did they start fighting? Siming—"

"Oh dear, young hero!" Xu Duoren slapped his thigh. "You'd better hurry and go help! The Mountain God and the City Lord have been fighting Si Ming for seven days now!"

"The Mountain God has just ascended to heaven, so we have the advantage now. But that damned Siming has endless power, and the City Lord is still trying to figure something out. Oh, you'd better hurry! The City Lord said he'd call you over as soon as you woke up!"

Upon hearing voices, his heart clenched even tighter. He picked up Tianxin from the ground and pushed open the door without saying a word.

The night wind howled past.

As soon as I stepped outside, I heard voices and realized that Cangzhou City had completely changed.

The outer barrier had been completely removed, and countless black-clad, ghostly-faced night wanderers floated in the air, looking like dark clouds pressing down from afar, which was terrifying.

All he could hear were the sounds of clashing swords and flying blood, a cacophony of cries that sent chills down his spine.

Looking into the city from the direction of Huagong Palace, one can see a towering tree, which should be the center of the battlefield.

Upon hearing the voice, he stepped on the Heavenly Heart, channeling spiritual power into it, and flew towards the giant tree at an extremely fast speed.

In no time, he had approached the heart of the city, hovering his sword in mid-air.

"Brother..." Hearing a voice murmur, he tried to find He Mu's location amidst the ruins.

Soon, he discovered two figures wrestling in front of the giant tree. The sounds of swords flashing and cleaving through the air were so loud they made one's bones tremble.

Both of them were at least at the Mahayana stage, and their sword strikes were incredibly fast; those outside the battle could only see fragmented sword shadows.

Upon hearing the voices and looking closely, they immediately recognized that the people fighting were He Mu and Siming.

The two fought so fiercely that the heavens and earth seemed to collapse. Their two swords clashed together, and the spiritual energy continuously unleashed tremendous power, shaking apart all the surrounding tall buildings and walls.

Hearing the voices, he hurriedly circled around twice before finally stopping on a rooftop and greeting Yi Jinxiang and the others below.

"Master! Protector Ye! Divine Physician Shanyue!"

"And there are also barbarians!!"

Everyone turned around at the sound.

Upon seeing the lively and energetic Wenrensheng, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

The Yi person was the first to jump out: "You scared me to death!"

"Young hero," Shan Yue said joyfully, clutching the handkerchief in her hand, "That's wonderful, congratulations!"

"I'm alright!" Wen Rensheng quickly pointed to He Mu in the distance and shouted, "Is there any way to make them stop!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Lan immediately pulled out a firework tube from his waist and pulled the fuse without saying a word.

Bang!

A firework immediately exploded in the sky.

Hearing the commotion, He Mu, who was in the midst of a fierce battle, immediately flicked his sword and sent Siming flying. He staggered back a few steps and landed on a rooftop.

He steadied himself and asked, "What—"

"elder brother!"

Before Mu and He could even see what was happening, a furry person suddenly pounced into their arms.

Hearing the voice, she was drawn to He Mu like a magnet, clinging to him.

He rubbed against He Mu, then lifted his head from He Mu's embrace and looked at him with a smile.

"I'm back!"

At that sound, He Mu's body froze on the spot.

Looking at Wenrensheng, whose eyes were full of affection, his mind suddenly went blank, and he didn't know how to react for a moment.

“Brother,” Wenrensheng cupped He Mu’s face in her hands and whispered, “I’m back. I’ve finally seen you!”

Upon hearing this, Mu Cai barely confirmed the reality of Wen Rensheng's embrace.

It's true.

After a brief silence, boundless ecstasy followed.

He Mu almost frantically hugged Wenrensheng, his hands constantly stroking the back of his neck, murmuring:

"Sound after sound..."

He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse.

"Sheng Sheng, you're back, you're finally... I miss you so much, I'm so sorry, I—"

“I miss you too,” Wenren said gently, “and Brother Mu.”

This time, we won't be separated again.

They must bind themselves tightly together, like birds flying wing to wing, like swans entwined neck to neck, never to be separated from each other again.

Hearing this, he jumped off He Mu and gave her an even closer hug.

However, as soon as he hugged him, he heard voices and felt a force pulling him from behind.

He looked down and realized that he was already airborne, his body leaning forward.

Hearing the voice, she frantically grabbed He Mu's neck and cried out, "What happened?!"

"This is the power of Heaven, a deity is selecting generals," He Mu said, holding him tightly. "You have qualified for ascension, Sheng Sheng!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a hurricane suddenly arose from the ground, violently blowing Wen Rensheng up.

"Wow!!"

He was grabbed as if by a giant hand reaching down from the sky, and lifted upside down.

Hearing the voices, they quickly lost their grip on Mu. Their embrace gradually turned into holding arms, and eventually they could only hold one hand.

"This is your first ascension," He Mu shouted with difficulty, braving the wind, "The Heavenly Court... will forcibly summon you there and bestow upon you a Dharma name!"

"A Buddhist name?" Hearing the voice, her sleeves fluttered. "Then...then I'll wait for my brother to come from heaven?!"

"It's too late! Before Si Ming descended to the mortal realm, he must have prepared a realm in Heaven. If you go up there, you'll be detained by them!"

Hearing the voice, he was startled. He had never thought of this level. He had never been to the Heavenly Court. What if he was tied up and thrown into the alchemy furnace as soon as he went up?

A flicker of fear flashed in Wen Rensheng's eyes. He instinctively tightened his grip on He Mu's hand, wanting to pull the person up with him.

But in that instant, Wen Rensheng's gaze passed over He Mu and suddenly fell upon the city of Cangzhou below.

The place is littered with corpses and ruins.

Not only ordinary people, but even experts like Ye Lan and Yi Jin Xiang were seriously injured.

This was the result of a six-day battle with Si Ming. If it weren't for He Mu, they might all be dead.

There was no way to ignore it; he had taken the risk in the first place to protect Cangzhou City.

Thinking of this, Wen Rensheng took a deep breath and looked at He Mu again.

"--elder brother!"

He shouted with all his might,

"You stay in the lower realm to protect everyone! I'll go alone!"

He Mu's pupils contracted, and the hand that was holding Wen Rensheng slid down a large distance in an instant, until the two were almost touching fingertips.

Another gust of wind blew by, seemingly carrying the voice of the person to the highest heavens.

"A human voice can be heard!"

Don't go!

He Mu was about to summon his sword with his other hand, but Se Sha was also blown about and couldn't stop at He Mu's feet for a moment.

"They still need your protection, brother!" a voice said. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine now—"

"At times like these, it's best to be a little selfish!"

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Yi Jinxiang suddenly interrupted them with a loud shout.

She took off the hairpin from her head, twirled it in her palm, and with a final burst of force, shattered the jade object.

The broken pieces of jade were reforged into a blue folding fan. She flicked her wrist, and a hurricane, as strong as the wind, blew up from the fan, directly lifting He Mu onto his back.

“Protect Wenrensheng,” Yijinxiang said in a deep voice. “With me here, Cangzhou City will be safe.”

At that sound, He Mu's expression changed, and he suddenly exerted his strength, tightly grabbing Wen Rensheng's wrist, and his body was lifted into the air.

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Author's Note: Happy New Year, my darlings! [shy][shy] There are only a few more chapters left until the end!