Chapter 118 Temporarily sealing Jian Jiangyu, even if it's out of pity for me, for so long...

The rain has stopped.

Shen Jiuxu had a whole row of wooden carvings placed on the windowsill so that Jiang Yu could see them as soon as he opened his eyes. However, the sky was still overcast, with thick clouds blocking out the sunlight. Pushing open the door, the steps were covered with fallen elm leaves, and paper cranes would make a rustling sound when stepped on.

He was still waiting for Jiang Yu to wake up.

This is the forty-seventh day. When Jiang Yu had been in a coma for a month, Shen Jiuxu went out and heard about Lian Quesheng smashing Wang Liang's shop. He also learned about Zhou Qingnu's exposure of Wang Liang's murder of the Zheng family. But none of this was related to him. People should receive what kind of retribution and punishment for what they do.

He didn't care how Zhou Qingnu found out, or why she suddenly joined Lian Quesheng in exposing Wang Liang. Knowing that Lian Quesheng was safe and sound was enough. As for Zhou Qingnu, whether she did it to alleviate her inner unease and guilt, Shen Jiuxu didn't want to know.

Jiang Yu and she will never see each other again.

However, the news of Jiang Yu's failed ascension to immortality had been circulating throughout the city lately. Dianxing wanted to say something to him, but seeing Shen Jiuxu's calm face, she said nothing and only asked, "Is Young Master Jiang well?"

They all seemed to want to avoid talking about when Jiang Yu would wake up or when he would come out, as if this would allow them to imagine Jiang Yu staying in Shen Wuke, living a carefree life, instead of being bedridden and unable to wake up.

"Dianxing, I will select a few more to stay with you in Shen Wuke's main hall. If anything happens in the future, you will be in charge of handling it. You will not be bound by Elder Lian and the others. Just report to me directly if anything happens."

"Sect Master, then..." Dianxing felt that he could hear a sense of determination in Shen Jiuxu's words. Could it be that Shen Jiuxu was preparing to abandon Shen Wuke and leave him alone?

Shen Jiuxu stood there with his back to him, the autumn wind blowing his clothes, making him look lonely and desolate. Dianxing wanted to comfort him but didn't know where to begin.

"I'm fine, I just want to go into seclusion for a while. Besides, I'm not good at managing a sect, so it will be much easier with you sharing the burden."

"Thank you for your trust, Sect Master. I will do my best without hesitation."

After arranging the affairs outside, Shen Jiuxu went back. He seemed to have trapped himself in a courtyard with only Jiang Yu, and would not look at anything else.

"When will he wake up?" He leaned over the bed, staring at Jiang Yu. The difference between him when he was awake and when he was asleep was huge. When his sharp, imposing eyes closed, his face became much gentler, which made people feel even more affection for him.

"Jiang Yu, even if you pity me, you should wake up by now after all this time."

Shen Jiuxu touched his face with one hand, slowly sketching Jiang Yu's features in his mind. He sighed. Xie Hanyu had said that it would take at least a month and at most half a year for him to recover and wake up. After that, Shen Jiuxu began to count the days.

"Can you really bear to let me wait so long?"

"I won't hold it against you for trapping me with your spiritual sense once I wake up, Jiang Yu."

Jiang Yu's head was throbbing. Looking around at the pitch blackness, the kind where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, he didn't want to move. This place was huge, stretching as far as the eye could see, and he was all alone. He didn't know where Shen Jiuxu had gone. He was so frustrated that he wanted to tear this awful place down.

Every now and then, strange sounds would come from all directions, from places that Jiang Yu couldn't quite make out. The few words he could make out sounded like chanting or cursing him.

Do those people hate themselves that much?

He wanted to sleep for a while, but he couldn't sleep soundly. His headache was aggravated by the dense and incessant small characters. Jiang Yu had never been to this place before. Did everyone who was struck by lightning have to go through this?

Is this place where "a day in heaven is a year on earth"? He could accept dying if he failed to ascend, but being sent to this godforsaken, sunless place was unbearable for Jiang Yu.

If he hadn't returned by now, his Daoist partner would probably be an old man by now. Jiang Yu felt uneasy just thinking about that scene. Shen Jiuxu, with his white hair and cane, stood outside the Fuyou Palace waiting for him.

He almost laughed.

He might still be holding a grudge against her for trapping him with her spiritual sense back then! Jiang Yu fiddled with her fingers, feeling a little regretful.

Later, he would occasionally sense a rich spiritual energy in this world, which was unfamiliar but not Shen Jiuxu's.

Who could it be?

It wasn't Lian Quesheng, and he didn't know who else would be so kind as to expend their spiritual energy to save him. There was no time here, and he couldn't feel the passage of time; at most, the whispers that Jiang Yu already disliked became clearer.

He thought he heard Zhou Qingnu's voice.

Jiang Yu felt like he was just bragging, but the voices grew louder and louder, and he could also hear Xiao Ying's innocent prayers. Besides that, it seemed like someone was doing woodworking right next to him; the fragrant aroma emanating from the piled-up sawdust had drifted into this corner of the room and reached him.

In hindsight, he guessed that he had probably been struck unconscious by lightning. If he were dead, Jiang Yu should be able to see his old friends in the Nine Netherworlds. If he had successfully ascended, the Jade Terrace and Silver Palace shouldn't be a place like this, so the only explanation was that he was unconscious.

The last few bolts of lightning grew increasingly fierce, and coupled with his depleted spiritual energy, it was only natural that he was severely injured. Jiang Yu touched his right hand; if he remembered correctly, his wrist had been struck squarely by the lightning. Could he still hold his sword now?

Jiang Yu was depressed for a long time. He comforted himself and accepted the fact, but he still couldn't wake up and couldn't see the person he longed for.

"hiss--"

For some reason, his lip hurt terribly, as if someone had bitten it open, and the smell of blood spread. Jiang Yu was stunned for a moment, then bit it back. But he realized something was wrong; it felt like he had bitten a real person. It was very soft, no longer like that faint, ethereal feeling.

"Jiang Yu".

He could hear Shen Jiuxu's voice. Although his eyelids were still heavy, Jiang Yu still felt a sliver of joy. The other person had actually stopped kissing him. He steeled his heart, disregarding what his hand had pulled on, and bit down hard.

Perhaps because he had slept for too long, his vision became blurry and dizzy with excitement. Jiang Yu collapsed onto the bed with a "thud." Shen Jiuxu hurriedly checked to see if he had bumped into something, and then met those clear, black and white eyes.

Why did you suddenly stop kissing me?

Shen Jiuxu was too busy to react, his mind was filled with the fact that Jiang Yu had suddenly woken up. He didn't hear what Jiang Yu asked or pay attention to their current position.

"Why aren't you kissing me anymore?"

Seeing that he didn't speak, Jiang Yu glared at him, raised his arm, pressed down on Shen Jiuxu's waist, made him lower down while he raised up again, and once again kissed Shen Jiuxu's full, red lips.

His body hadn't fully recovered yet. He could only maintain that position for a short while before he was panting heavily and couldn't take it anymore. Jiang Yu stopped, lay back down on the bed, and licked his lips.

The smell of blood was gone, replaced by the lingering floral fragrance emanating from Shen Jiuxu, as if Jiang Yu had suddenly arrived in a place of spring warmth and blooming flowers from a desolate place. Jiang Yu, feeling lightheaded, glanced at Shen Jiuxu, who was still in a daze, and fell into deep thought about how many days he had been unconscious.

He didn't disturb Shen Jiuxu anymore, just waiting for him to wake up. Shen Jiuxu had been looking forward to Jiang Yu waking up every day, but when the day finally came, he was at a loss. It wasn't like any of the previous times he had imagined it. It wasn't on a bright afternoon, with sunlight streaming through the window crack he had deliberately left open, shining on Jiang Yu's face, and then his eyes slowly opening. Nor was it when the rain had just stopped, with Jiang Yu's eyes opening to the sound of raindrops dripping from the roof tiles.

It was in such an incredibly awkward situation.

Shen Jiuxu pursed his lips as he looked at Jiang Yu. After learning that he had woken up, he feared that it was all a dream. When he woke up, Jiang Yu was still lying in bed with his eyes closed.

"It's true, she's really awake."

Jiang Yu could tell what was on his face. Although he was a little out of breath when he spoke, he still spoke. He beckoned to Shen Jiuxu, who leaned closer. Jiang Yu wiped away the tears from the corners of Shen Jiuxu's eyes and deliberately sighed, "Why did you make yourself look so haggard? You don't look good at all."

"Isn't it your fault?"

“Yes…yes, it’s my fault, it’s my fault, that’s why I woke up. Let me make it up to you.” Jiang Yu coaxed him gently, and then looked up and saw the row of wooden carvings neatly arranged by the window.

The one on the far left was strangely shaped, like a mythical creature. At first glance, Jiang Yu couldn't tell what it was. But as his gaze gradually shifted to the right, the wooden carving's face became clearer, its outline smoother, and its eyes bright and spirited.

He recognized him.

That was himself, Jiang Yu, carved by Shen Jiuxu. Only the second to last one looked a little different from the puppets. Jiang Yu looked at it carefully for a while before realizing that it was himself carved by Shen Jiuxu.

Far from the skill and expertise honed by Jiang Yushi, that wood carving could be considered the ugliest one, except for the one on the far left.

"Next time, make my Daoist partner's carving look better."

Jiang Yu chuckled, grabbed Shen Jiuxu's hand, and teased, "They look more like a perfect match when placed together like this."

"You carve it."

Shen Jiuxu's voice wasn't loud, and Jiang Yu didn't hear him clearly, so he repeated it again, "You carve it."

Amused by his childish idea, Jiang Yu ruffled Shen Jiuxu's hair, making it a mess, before agreeing, "Okay, but I'm not good at carving, so don't laugh. I'll make you a few more, and each Jiang Yu will be paired with a Shen Jiuxu."

The two whispered for a while before Shen Jiuxu remembered something and took Xian Chen from the table. He didn't hand it to Jiang Yu but kept it himself. "The one who saved you back then was Xie Hanyu of Huaixian Sect, a disciple of Master Yuxi."

"I'll go and thank you after you've recovered." Shen Jiuxu didn't mention his wrist injury. "And what are you going to do with this sword?"

For him, Xian Chenjian was a friend he had known for many years, even longer than he had known Shen Jiuxu. He used Xian Chenjian to save people, and he also used Xian Chenjian to kill people.

"Although the sword can save lives, it can easily disturb people's minds. I'm taking good care of myself during this time, so I won't need it. Let's put it away for now!" Jiang Yu placed his hand on the hilt of the sword. "Let's seal it in the sword box and place it on a high platform. That way, it won't have been in vain that it saved so many lives."

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Author's Note: I've started a new pre-order for "Mirror Master".

A story of a naive and innocent young nobleman (top) and a cold and ruthless male ghost (bottom). If you like this kind of story, feel free to add it to your favorites! [doge head with rose in hand]