Chapter 57 Investigation [Second Update] Mu Qingheng's heart of stone, once...
This dream is so strange.
In the morning, Mu Meng sat on the bed in a daze. The sky was already bright, and she stared at the slivers of sunlight filtering through the thin gauze curtains—this bizarre and absurd dream had actually lasted all night.
Mu Meng blinked, slowly sat up from the bed, crossed her legs, and pondered the scene she saw in her dream last night.
Mu Qingheng was holding a book and a dagger, seemingly studying something.
He saw the little rabbit, and after holding back for a long time, he finally couldn't resist touching its ears—his gaze clearly showed affection.
Then... as if he were frightened, he picked up a dagger and stabbed it into his own chest.
What... what's going on?
Mu Meng kept rubbing her temples: Dreams are indeed bizarre and ever-changing, full of all sorts of absurd things. Thinking this, she closed her eyes and rubbed them carefully for a while, but as she rubbed, her hand movements gradually slowed down.
Is this really just a dream?
The scene was so real that she could even touch the ancient and heavy texture of the window frame and smell the cool and elegant sandalwood scent in the palace.
In her dream, her interactions with Mu Qingheng felt completely natural. The two of them were so lifelike before her eyes that even the subtle emotions in their eyes and brows were vividly portrayed.
Mu Meng pondered for a long time with a serious expression, but she couldn't recall the scene at all—it was too long ago; it was just an ordinary little episode from one of her childhood days. She didn't remember ever giving Mu Qingheng a rabbit, implying that he should give it to her sister, let alone what happened afterward.
But if you just treat it as an ordinary dream, something feels off.
Mu Meng rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the bed curtains in front of her: although she didn't remember the scene in her dream, she had seen Mu Qingheng fiddling with a dagger by himself more than once.
Was he stabbing his own heart every time he took out a dagger? But why? Who would stab their own heart for no reason? This idea seems absurd and bizarre.
But if not, then what is he doing? People must have a purpose when they do strange things.
Mu Meng couldn't figure it out, and she knew that her random, unfocused thinking was useless. There was only one person in the world who could answer this question for her.
*
Mu Meng arrived at an inopportune time. When he arrived at Feng Xixue's residence, he found him in a daze, his old illness had relapsed, and his mind was not clear.
Moreover, this time it seemed much more serious than before. His long, silvery hair was somewhat disheveled, his eyes were red-rimmed, and his lips were trembling as he uttered some incoherent babbling.
His deep, cool eyes were slightly moist, and the sunlight reflected off his profile, leaving several tear streaks—this was the first time she had ever seen Feng Xixue cry.
He looked so fragile and pitiful, a stark contrast to his usual indifferent and composed demeanor. Mu Meng couldn't bear to look at him, so he turned away and silently waited for him to calm down on his own.
After waiting for nearly an hour, Feng Xixue finally calmed down. He noticed someone at the door and said in a low voice, "Come in."
Mu Meng then went inside, and following his rules, sat in a place some distance away from him.
She was pondering how to bring up her question when she glanced up and noticed that Feng Xixue seemed hesitant to speak, as if she wanted to ask him for something.
Feng Xixue rarely had such moments, and Mu Meng, always understanding, put his own questions aside and asked him directly, "Feng Xixue, are you having some difficulties? If I can help, you can discuss it with me."
As she spoke, Feng Xixue's hands, which were resting on his knees, slowly clenched. After a moment, he whispered, "Mu Meng, I know it's a bit apologetic to ask this, but... is there really no way for the Ghost King to find Sheng Sheng in advance?"
Hearing this from him alone, Mu Meng thought he was tormented by pain and longing and was anxiously waiting. Just as she was about to reply, she heard him continue, "It's not that I'm impatient and can't wait for these hundred years, it's that I'm afraid Sheng Sheng won't be able to wait."
He took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly, almost a murmur, "You don't know, Sheng Sheng suffers in every life... This suffering wears down her soul, and I don't know if one of her lives will be her end, and she will never be reincarnated again."
His words were firm, and he appeared calm and collected, not speaking carelessly. Mu Meng couldn't help but ask in confusion, "How do you know that Miss Yu Sheng is suffering?"
Feng Xixue glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and pursed her lips into a straight line, as if she was wondering whether she should speak.
After a moment of silence, he said softly, "Because I am a demon, my heart is for her. Whether she is happy or sad, I know."
Mu Meng widened her eyes slightly. Although Feng Xixue only said one sentence, and it was quite vague, she thought about it for a moment and actually understood the hidden meaning.
Is this what love is like for demons? Their hearts are completely devoted to their lovers, and once they fall in love, they cannot extricate themselves. Moreover, it's not just love; they even share the other person's feelings. Pain and joy can both be reflected back into themselves.
Mu Meng's slender white fingers curled slightly. She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before pulling her wandering thoughts back: "I have been asking the Ghost King to take care of this matter. He will definitely do his best. Don't worry, I will go to the Ghost Realm again in a few days and bring it up with him properly."
"Thank you," Feng Xixue said, opening her mouth as if she wanted to say something more, but in the end she only said, "Thank you."
He reached out and picked up a strand of silver hair that was loose around his waist, looked at it, closed his eyes weakly, and slowly let go of the hair.
Looking into Feng Xixue's pain-streaked eyes and recalling what he had just said, Mu Meng suddenly felt a sinking feeling in his heart, and a thought came to mind.
It wasn't that he was too weak or useless. He was once the first demon censor under the former demon lord. His spiritual power, talent, and willpower were beyond question. Even though his hair turned white from being tormented by the love in his heart, he would not become mentally unstable or half-mad and confused.
"Feng Xixue, is your current physical condition due to...?" Mu Meng blinked a few times, unable to continue.
"Yes." Feng Xixue propped his forehead with his hand, his long, pale hand concealing the intense despair in his eyes. "The reason I am like this is because in every life, my Shengsheng is suffering in some corner of the world. I can feel it, but I can't find her, I can't be by her side to protect her..."
For thousands of years, compared to regret and longing, the situation of knowing that one's lover is in dire straits and being powerless to help is more deadly than any other torment.
Feng Xixue turned to look out the window, his deep eyes filled with desolation. He tilted his head so that Mu Meng wouldn't see his slightly reddened eyes: "Mu Meng, I've caused you trouble, but I'm really worried... Sheng Sheng, she never lives past twenty in any of her lives..."
Twenty years old?
Twenty years is a cycle, and he always lives in pain—Feng Xixue has been able to empathize with his lover's suffering for many years, so it's no wonder that he sometimes goes crazy and is tormented to the point of madness.
Mu Meng frowned. She knew Feng Xixue well; when he was sober and in control, he would never show a trace of despair on his face in public.
Moreover, in all the time they've known each other, Feng Xixue has never uttered a single word of his worries to anyone—for him to express them and speak them out, the things he's feeling must have reached a very serious level.
Mu Meng nodded very seriously. "I understand. We can't just stick to the remaining hundred years. I'll find a way, and Lu Zhaoxin will do his best as well."
Yu Sheng is still reincarnated and is the only thing keeping Feng Xixue alive. If she were to truly perish, Feng Xixue would surely commit suicide for love.
only……
Mu Meng lowered her head slightly, her long, curled eyelashes drooping down, concealing the surprise and doubt in her eyes.
There was one thing she didn't say.
Because Feng Xixue was introverted, this was the first time he had revealed his pain to himself—and it was fortunate that he couldn't hold back and mentioned it, as the information that he could not live past twenty in any of his lives was indeed very crucial.
Thanks to him, she met and befriended the Ghost King, and they got along very well. Lu Zhaoxin, that guy who talked a lot about sports cars, once mentioned some private matters that only the Ghost King of the Ghost Realm knew to her.
The cycle of reincarnation between the human and ghost realms follows its own set of rules, strictly adhering to the cycle. If a person's past life was filled with hardship and suffering, their next life should be peaceful and carefree. This mechanism may seem to operate through the workings of a hundred ghosts, but in reality, it all depends on the celestial destiny chart held by the Ghost King.
It maintains fairness for both terms and does not treat anyone unfairly.
But the fact that one suffers hardship in every life, lives as fragile as paper, and never gets a chance to breathe in each lifetime is itself highly problematic.
Perhaps there's another possibility that we can't find Miss Yu Sheng: her soul has been tampered with.
Mu Meng pinched the bridge of his nose. If that were true, the situation would be troublesome. But this was a secret of the Ghost Realm, and other clans could never know the intricacies involved. He could only ask Lu Zhaoxin for advice next time he saw him.
“I’m sorry, you must have something to tell me,” the two were silent for a while. Feng Xixue completely broke free from her previous state of grief, regained her resilience, and her eyes became clear. “What has kept you waiting so long? Please tell me.”
Having discussed so much, Mu Meng didn't bother with any opening remarks and went straight to the point: "I remembered something that I find a bit strange, and only you know why—I once saw Mu Qingheng cut open his chest with a knife, seemingly cutting his heart, but in the end he only scraped off a few scraps of flesh. I want to know what he was doing?"
Feng Xixue raised her long eyebrows slightly and said gently, "He has been gone for a long time, why do you suddenly ask this question?"
“Hmm…” Mu Meng pondered how to respond, but Feng Xixue, with a casual question, resolved her doubts before she could answer:
“The Holy Ancestor instructed that if a stone heart develops feelings, it is a fatal calamity. The fleshy part of the heart must be cut off immediately when it is first discovered to keep the heart hard. Otherwise, there will be endless troubles and only self-harm.”
After he finished speaking, he didn't say anything more, as if he wouldn't ask anything if Mu Meng didn't ask.
Mu Meng didn't ask any more questions, as Feng Xixue had explained the whole story clearly. She paused for a moment, then finally stood up and said, "Feng Xixue, I have some things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. You don't need to worry too much; the eighth time you'll water the Si'an Flower will be in a few days, and I'll tell Lu Zhaoxin then."
...
Mu Meng walked slowly, step by step, through the solemn and majestic Heavenly Palace.
She walked along, lost in thought, her gaze casually sweeping over the familiar scenery.
This was the place where she grew up, holding so many happy and carefree memories. Later, the person in those memories became her lifelong nightmare; she hated him so much she wanted to devour his flesh and drink his blood, and finally, she brought him to his death. She fulfilled the vow she had once made to herself, but now, she felt an indescribable sense of loss.
As Feng Xixue said, Mu Qingheng repeatedly used a dagger to cut off pieces of flesh from his heart. This action was indeed resolute and ruthless, but it also indirectly confirmed something he didn't even want to admit.
—Mu Qingheng's heart of stone has softened time and time again.
If he had activated the Rebirth Array.
If he were to remove his original heart and replace it with a bandit's stone.
If he really wavers and softens his heart a thousand times.
Mu Meng stopped in his tracks, lost in thought: If we don't dwell on the evil deeds he committed, from an outsider's perspective, at least—at least he wasn't born a vicious person, he wasn't a born demon, and he didn't take pleasure in destruction.
Everything has a cause and effect. Since Mu Qingheng originally had a normal heart, her transformation into a demon after the heart transplant must have its own unknown past and secrets.
Mu Meng's eyes flickered slightly, then his gaze suddenly paused. He turned around and changed direction, heading straight for the Heavenly Emperor's palace.
...
The Heavenly Emperor was standing behind his desk, writing with a pen. When he saw Mu Mumeng enter, he smiled and put down his pen, picking up the paper he had finished writing to show her: "Mengmeng, come and see your father's calligraphy. Has it improved?"
Mu Meng smiled. His father was good at everything and excelled in everything, except for calligraphy, which was a little weak. In recent years, he had been practicing calligraphy quietly whenever he had free time.
Mu Meng took the paper, glanced at it, and commented, "It's getting better and better. I'm afraid it won't be long before it catches up with me."
"You're really not modest at all, daring to tease your father like that." The Heavenly Emperor chuckled and scolded her, then put the paper aside.
Mu Meng sat down opposite him, and with a casual glance, suddenly realized that the paperweight her father was using was not a real paperweight, but a jade plaque.
She knew what was going on, so she casually picked up the jade tablet and turned it over, and sure enough, she saw the character "衡" on it.
Mu Meng reached out too quickly, and the Heavenly Emperor didn't have time to stop her. When he saw Mu Meng looking at the words on the jade tablet, he was startled: "Mengmeng, this jade tablet is... actually, I..."
"It's nothing, Father, don't be nervous. You can keep whatever you like, use whatever you like as a paperweight, it doesn't matter, I won't blame you." Mu Meng smiled slightly and carefully put the jade pendant back in its place.
Actually, she wasn't unaware all these years that her father had always deeply missed Mu Qingheng. She had once thought that, after all, there was a father-son bond, and that her father's love for Mu Qingheng over the years was genuine; he had been his most proud child.
But now that she knows some of the unknown past, and looking at her father's remembrance over the years, she feels that there is more to it than meets the eye.
Because those around Mu Meng took good care of him, no one had mentioned Mu Qingheng's name for many years. Mu Meng smiled slightly and took the initiative to bring it up today: "Father, I know you have always missed...missed your brother. You are a man of affection, and missing him is not wrong. There is no need to blame yourself too much. How can a person control their own heart? But speaking of him, I have something I want to ask you."
The Heavenly Emperor bit his lip, a hint of shame on his face, and whispered, "Ask away."
"Father, do you still remember when you introduced the Four-Nine Ansi Cup to me? You said that my brother also had a Four-Nine Ansi Cup, but it was no different from not having one."
Mu Meng raised her eyes, her eyes, though clear and innocent, held a hidden complexity. "I want to know, what makes you say that?"
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