Chapter 38 I Will Never Miss You

Wei Ci gently placed Cang Ming on the counter, letting her sit on it like a child. Someone outside the door was still wailing and banging.

Wei Ci just frowned, and the noise outside the door immediately disappeared. He picked up the long sword on the ground, held it in his hand, and looked at her at a loss.

Cang Ming lowered his head and suddenly said as if to comfort himself: "Actually, ten years have passed, and it's much better than when it first started."

Wei Ci looked at her in silence. Cang Ming supported himself on the edge of the counter with both hands, his legs unconsciously swinging back and forth twice, and he said again: "After so long, it's much better than before."

Wei Ci lowered his head. Cang Ming chuckled sadly, "By the way, before coming here, I saw Tian Xinshu's dancing skills, and they were as good as mine... our Wangxian Sect."

"No one can dance better than you." Wei Ci said quietly.

"No." Cang Ming shook his head and said, "I suddenly understand, but there are thousands and thousands of people who have been deified. Perhaps even without the twists and turns of the past, I would not be able to become a god, haha."

A stolen Weiyang Crown that no one has ever seen seems to have planted a metaphor for the entire decade from the very beginning - the road to God is long, and the road to God is endless.

"General, no one can dance like you." Wei Ci looked at her, his eyes full of shadows of the past. "Even among thousands of troops, I will only see you at first sight."

Cang Ming twitched his lips indifferently and said, "You haven't seen me dancing among thousands of soldiers and slaying demons. It was more than ten years ago that we, a group of disciples, went to exterminate demons in a mighty force."

Wei Ci looked at her hesitantly, with a faint smile of sadness on his face, as if he knew things that had happened even longer than that.

Cang Ming hopped off the counter in a daze, grabbed his sword, and stared at the pair of pottery figures in the cabinet. The glaze on Li Chongshan and his wife's faces had peeled off, blurring. For a moment, Cang Ming wanted to transform them back into human form and torture them to death, or simply lift each pottery figure in one hand and throw them towards the distant mountains, sending shattered pieces flying.

Deep hatred rushed to his face along with the blood. For the past ten years, Cang Ming had been rehearsing destruction in his heart every day.

Then she shuddered and gently closed the cabinet door with the hilt of her sword. If that happened, would she still become a god?

Her mind was caught in a blizzard of chaos and frenzy, so chaotic she could almost hear the churning and churning. Sometimes she would be caught in such storms late at night, as if the line between madness and non-madness was only a thin line, and one step further would be a cliff.

After a while, the murderous intent in Cang Ming's eyes slowly subsided. Suddenly, an idea dawned on her. She wondered if the two murderers could reveal the location of her parents' remains.

If all the remains are found, can the remaining souls of my parents be summoned back?

She decided to go back to the inn first. She needed to think about it and listen to Xisheng and Wulu's suggestions.

Guarding such a pair of pottery figures who could not see the light of day, it was no wonder that Li Xianzhen could only hide in the underworld, neither human nor ghost, living among a group of souls. Cang Ming's eyes gradually focused, looking at Wei Ci and said, "How did this pair of pottery figures end up in Li Xianzhen's hands?"

Wei Ci said, "General, I originally intended to place the pair of pottery figures in front of a tomb, asking them to bear the guilt and guard the spirit for the future... Unfortunately, not long after, thieves broke into the tomb, and the figures disappeared. I imagine they must have changed hands several times. I suspect that Tian Xinshu eventually became powerful and found the figures and returned them to Li Xianzhen."

Cang Ming suddenly thought of something: "Wei Ci, when did you know that Li Chongshan and his wife were the murderers of my parents? Did you know it when we first met?"

Wei Ci pursed his lips and looked away. "That day, at dusk by the river, the sky was filled with mist, and you finally revealed yourself to be General Wu of the Wangxian Sect. By then, I already knew your relationship to the murderer... but the pottery figure had been lost, so I couldn't say much. In short, I have a deep hatred for them both."

Cang Ming nodded. Seeing Wei Ci's reluctance to speak further, she tactfully refrained from further questioning. The Demon King's past was always more mysterious and complex than that of ordinary people, just as the Demon King had never revealed even his true identity. Cang Ming suspected he was most likely a handsome, cunning, jade-faced, nine-tailed fox.

She looked around and saw that the room between the dilapidated walls was empty. She then realized that Xisheng and the others had already left.

Wei Ci observed his expression and asked, "General, are you going back too?"

Cang Ming said, "Yes. After much thought, I think it's safest to keep this pair of pottery figurines with you. Could you please keep them for me?"

Wei Ci said, "Of course, General, please tell me what you want to do."

After hesitating for a moment, Cang Ming said, "Although I don't know how this pair of Tao people offended you, if possible, could you let me deal with them?"

Without waiting for Wei Ci to reply, she continued, "If you need to keep them alive, I will definitely not kill them. I just want..."

Wei Ci said sullenly, "General, why are you always so cautious? If you want to kill me or chop me up, just take it."

"Thank you so much again this time." Cang Ming lowered his head and said, "I have to go back to the inn first, and by the way, think about whether Old Guilian stole the Weiyang Crown."

"General, do you still want to prove yourself and become a god?" Wei Ci frowned, looking helpless and puzzled.

"To be honest, after watching Tian Xinshu's dance, I realized that there shouldn't be just one protagonist in the world." Cang Ming folded his arms and looked at the night sky. The bright colors of dawn were already appearing in the east. "In the past, I was regarded as the number one disciple of the Wangxian Sect. Every time I went to exterminate ghosts, I was the leading role. Countless senior sisters and junior sisters, brothers and junior brothers, gathered around me, dancing to my every move."

"Huh?" Wei Ci didn't understand what he meant for a moment.

"Now I realize, if a dance has only one protagonist, what about the millions of supporting characters?" Cang Ming said intently, "Just like who among the immortal cultivators doesn't want to become a god? A general's success is built on the sacrifices of countless soldiers. Are those who can't become gods only able to serve as supporting roles for those who do?"

Wei Ci raised his eyebrows and immediately looked a little happy: "General, you finally figured it out. What's the point of becoming a god?"

Cang Ming smiled calmly: "However, I still don't want to give up on becoming a god. At least, I will get the Weiyang Crown back first."

Not yet quitting: "..."

Just as Cang Ming was waving goodbye, Wei Ci suddenly grabbed her arm and asked, "What happens after the Wei Yang Crown is recovered? What's the next step? Is it to explore the ultimate mystery of the universe?"

"..." Cang Ming laughed awkwardly, "Well, everyone has been young before, so don't mention it."

"General, why get involved in all this?" Wei Ci said hastily. "Whether it's Old Guilian or Tian Xinshu, they must have powerful backers. They're unfathomable. Otherwise, how could you lose your magic power in the Snow Forest and be unable to fight back?"

"Wei Ci--" Cang Ming felt his sore spot was hit, and he glared at him and shouted, "I know I've relied on you to help rescue me many times, but my ability--is not bad either!" The half of the sentence sounded like a weak chicken making excuses, so Cang Ming swallowed it back: It's just that since arriving in Fengyan City, my luck has become even worse.

After fighting with Lao Guilian and Tian Xinshu for several rounds, he still couldn't defeat them. This made Cang Ming, an outstanding immortal of his generation, puzzled.

The two of them stared at each other, their faces cold and their hearts cold, and they were at a stalemate. Finally, Cang Ming spoke first, and said a little stiffly: "I'm going back. I will do everything I should do."

Wei Ci sighed and said, "Even though you know this, I will still help you."

At that moment, Cang Ming felt as if her heart was being pricked by countless tiny needles. She unknowingly asked the question that had long been in her heart: "Wei Ci, what about you? What is the purpose of your life?"

Wei Ci smiled, his hands behind his back, and said, "I'm a junk peddler. I live to collect interesting things, drink by the lake on snowy evenings, and tend to flowers and plants."

Cang Ming smiled bitterly and shook his head.

Wei Ci suppressed his smile, glanced at her sharply, and said resentfully, "General, do you think I do nothing every day and just follow you around? I have neither skills nor ambition."

Cang Ming tiredly opened the back door and walked out, saying weakly: "I don't want to talk about this anymore, don't think too much."

Wei Ci looked at her back and said coldly, "General, you are still too young after all."

Cang Ming turned around abruptly, staring at him with red eyes: "Do you know how tired I am tonight? I just revealed the cause of my parents' death, and now I have to listen to your nonsense about not becoming a god?"

Wei Ci seemed to have stopped breathing. Without waiting for him to say anything else, Cang Ming rushed out the door without looking back. After running a few steps, she suddenly stopped and looked back.

Wei Ci gave her one last look before turning and walking deeper into the ancient building. His tall, thin figure was straight and dignified, yet also very lonely. He walked slowly, as if hoping Cang Ming would call him.

Cang Ming didn't call him, but just looked at him with tears in his eyes. He couldn't believe that Wei Ci would turn around and show him his back.

Why should they always put on a smile for you? You've forgotten your roots and really treat them as your subordinates. Cang Ming said this to himself, wiping away the tears that welled up in his eyes. The river and forest before dawn appeared before his eyes.

She walked dejectedly towards the third block of Xiyuan, sword in hand. The back door of the ancient building slowly closed behind her, then slammed shut.

Just as she was shamelessly imagining whether Wei Ci would chase her out, a figure really rushed out of the woods.

"Not yet!" Cang Ming blurted out.

The newcomer was so dark that his face and torso were indistinct, his body covered in rags and sticks. His appearance was accompanied by a rolling shadow and a roar that shattered the heavens.

"You bold traitor, you betrayed your teacher and ancestors! Why don't you return the Weiyang Crown immediately!" The black shadow kicked and hit him while making a scene, "You are just a little white face, a little bitch, bah--"

Cang Ming raised his sword and held it in front of him. He stared at the pile of rubbish for a long time, then, in the faint light from the east, said in disbelief, "Zhong Wuqi?"

…

The sacred immortal Zhong Wuqi had actually crawled back to Fengyan City. His hands and feet were wounded, and he was unsteady on his feet, having clearly been clamoring outside the ancient building for quite some time. His entire body was covered in bloody scabs and bruises, and it was unclear whether this was the result of Wei Ci's silent, subtle attack, or the beatings he had received throughout his journey.

Cang Ming looked at him with disgust and suddenly pointed a sword at his throat.

"Murder! The gods are killing people!" Zhong Wuqi knew for sure that his life would not be ruined here, so he shouted unscrupulously.

The tip of the sword is inserted into the flesh two fen, neither light nor heavy, and one more stab will pierce the skin and flesh.

Zhong Wuqi stopped shouting, his throat still, afraid that swallowing saliva would allow the sword to penetrate. His eyes were wide open as he stared down at the cold ice blade, almost making eye contact.

Cang Ming said coldly, "Who did you mortgage Tongduo Mountain to? Hand over the deed." She thrust the tip of her sword forward again. She looked at Zhong Wuqi indifferently and said, "Let me tell you, even gods can be in trouble. Killing people is nothing."

Zhong Wuqi raised his hands with a clang, a whimpering sound in his nose, signaling his immediate submission. He was wearing a string puppet, partly visible through the rags of his Tongduo Sect uniform, as if carrying a person on his back. It was a falling-apart puppet, Zhong Wuqi's most loyal friend, and he had never found the tools to fix it.

Snow gathers on the northern plains, the tide rises in the East China Sea. The rosy clouds of the southern river beckon, the evening bells ring in the western hills. The four great schools of thought, once so desolate, are now so desolate.

If the storytellers in the streets saw the Wangxian Sect's first disciple and the Tongduo Sect's current leader confronting and turning against each other in the misty morning glow, one standing and the other kneeling, each more impoverished than the other, they would probably go back and make up a new joke book.

Cang Ming sighed deeply and slowly retracted his Ice Blade Sword. A lightweight silver box was already hanging on the tip of the sword. With a flick of his wrist, the box flew into Cang Ming's hand and the sword returned to its sheath.

Zhong Wuqi suddenly touched his chest, and the chains that bound him were empty. He glared at Cang Ming, then licked his fangs and smiled, "You can take it. The debt is yours. I can't pay it back."

Cang Ming put the silver box into the brocade bag on his belt. Zhong Wuqi continued to mutter, "My late father was indebted to the Immortal of Music. He won't do anything to me. Why are you meddling in other people's business? Wouldn't it be better to go back and support your pretty boy?"

Cang Ming methodically adjusted the edges of his clothes and belt, and even gave him a cold smile, with a very quiet demeanor.

Zhong Wuqi pulled something out of the puppet's curled hands. "Oh, this is something an old immortal asked me to bring to you. Otherwise, who would come to find you, such an unlucky person? He offered me three taels of silver, so I agreed to give it to him!"

Cang Ming took the thing casually, and then waved his hand to sprinkle a rain of yellow talismans made of leaves.

Fragments of yellow talismans pinned Zhong Wuqi to the spot, just as they had pinned down evil spirits and demons in the past. Then, a jar the size of a fingernail was thrown into the morning sky. Accompanied by the chirping of birds, it grew larger and larger, descending from the sky and landing completely on Zhong Wuqi, like a mountain suppressing a demon.

Cang Ming snorted and lowered his head to look at the object in his hand. It was a lotus petal, shining with an eerie light.