Chapter 40 All Past Events Are Consigned to a Cup of Wine: The Shen Siblings
Beneath the layers of palace walls lies a forgotten corner, perpetually shrouded in darkness. Shen Yichuan hangs suspended in a damp, watery prison, his limbs bound by iron chains, his disheveled hair obscuring his face, his chest rising and falling slightly. Suddenly, he opens his tightly closed eyes and turns his neck to look towards the prison door.
The footsteps of the person who came were neither hurried nor slow, lifting lightly and landing gently, as if strolling leisurely in this place.
He carefully discerned the footsteps, unaware of how many days and months had passed in the secluded world. His younger sister must have long since secured her position as the head of the Shen family, and had no recollection of having a twin brother.
With a clanking sound, the chains slowly loosened, pulling him down. The icy water gradually rose to his waist, and a chilling cold swept over him. Shen Yichuan closed his eyes again, and the chains completely broke. The cell door swung open with a bang, and he fell into the water. He suddenly looked up, squinting as he stared ahead.
A figure stood outside the door, backlit, its outline blurred, its true face indistinct.
As the man approached, Shen Yichuan was momentarily surprised, his face darkening: "Who are you? Why do you dare not reveal your true identity?"
The man didn't answer, but handed him a talisman: "Soul-Swapping Talisman, with a drop of blood as the catalyst, there is only one in the world. With it, you can replace Shen Zhiyi's identity—and become the new head of the Shen family."
Shen Yichuan's gaze swept between the talisman and the figure of the newcomer: "What are your conditions?"
"Only Patriarch Shen can negotiate with me."
Shen Yichuan stared intently at the other person. Only the faint sound of dripping water could be heard in the water prison. He suddenly raised his hand, grabbed the Soul-Swapping Talisman, and chuckled softly: "Then... I will obey Your Majesty's decree."
——
Springtime scenery, the mountains are covered in lush greenery. The Huaijiang Moon Goddess Temple is bustling with worshippers, its crowds as dense as those at the Fengshui Temple. Agou, carrying a wooden plaque, nimbly weaves through the throng, but when he looks up and bumps into the Shen family head and his entourage, he immediately stops in his tracks.
Shen Zhiyi wore a plain white cloak and a jade crown, her face gaunt and pale. She walked through the wisps of smoke and ascended the steps, followed closely by a man and a woman, both with cold expressions and sharp eyes, constantly on guard.
A-Gou straightened up a bit with her hands behind her back. Shen Zhiyi smiled gently at her, but the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her deep weariness. The Shen family head before her seemed quite different from the Miss Shen in A-Gou's memory.
Shen Zhiyi didn't say much, and the three of them entered the newly renovated Moon Goddess Temple. The once dilapidated little temple in the mountains now has flying eaves and brackets, a solemn atmosphere, auspicious light, and colorful mist, a scene of prosperity.
Since the execution of the Fengshui Immortal, his statue has been frequently vandalized. One day, Shen Zhiyi awoke in shock and, lighting a lamp, saw his head hanging on the gate of the Shen residence, his body covered in red paint—a truly horrifying sight.
The Fengshui Temple suffered a series of misfortunes, causing unrest among the people of Huaijiang, who desperately needed support. Just then, the story of Ming Ying receiving the Heavenly Fire was widely publicized and circulated in an almost mystical manner. After Shen Zhiyi took office, he both cleaned up the remaining traces of the Fengshui Temple and quickly approved the renovation of the Moon Goddess Temple, which led to its current prosperity.
She stood silently in the hall for a long time, observing the statue before her with its eyes gently closed, obscuring the faces of all living beings. A newly carved image of a goddess holding celestial fire was depicted on the wall; the goddess held celestial fire in her hand, her expression compassionate, her robes fluttering. Heavenly light poured down from the cracks in the rock wall, and in the interplay of light and shadow, the scene came to life.
Shen Zhiyi stared at the goddess on the wall and felt a little unfamiliar with her. Was this what Mingying looked like?
She turned her head, and the white porcelain reflected her blurry face, a face that also exuded a sense of detached unfamiliarity. Shen Zhiyi felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. As the head of the Shen family, she was destined to never leave Huaijiang again in this life.
An aged voice said, "This is life."
Shen Zhiyi turned around, and Old Chen bowed to her, looking at the mural with a regretful expression: "This is the Flame of Life. I have never seen the image of the goddess, and can only glimpse a few of her charm from the statues. It is a pity that no matter how hard I try to paint it, it cannot compare to the statues in the hall."
Shen Zhiyi smiled faintly: "Old Chen, there's no need to belittle yourself. The sculptor of the statue was naturally someone who admired the goddess."
Old Chen stroked his beard and suddenly realized, "I knew it."
He looked at Shen Zhiyi and comforted her, "The situation in Huaijiang is not something that can be resolved in a day. Everyone has seen what Patriarch Shen has done."
Just as Shen Zhiyi was about to speak, Thirteen walked over and whispered a few words to her. Old Master Chen looked at her curiously, but Shen Zhiyi's expression remained unchanged as she smiled and said, "Thank you for your advice, Old Master Chen. I am busy with affairs at home, so please excuse me for taking my leave now."
She turned away, concealing the look in her eyes, and said calmly, "Return to the manor."
——
Shen Yichuan stood in the courtyard observing the bamboo; even though he was in the center of the blade, the scene was still serene and peaceful.
Seventeen gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and called out in a low voice, "Young Master."
Seeing his wary look, Shen Yichuan dusted off the dust on his sleeves and laughed, "I'm just a mortal, why are you all so wary?"
"Of course I knew you came prepared."
Upon hearing the sound, Shen Yichuan looked towards the courtyard gate. Shen Zhiyi's appearance had changed considerably. Her hair was tied up neatly, and her figure was solitary and aloof. As she walked, bamboo patterns were hidden in her skirt, revealing the robes of the head of the household.
He smiled slightly: "Zhiyi, it's been a long time. Why haven't you come to visit me?"
Shen Zhiyi stopped two zhang away from him, looking at his skeletal appearance and complex, unreadable expression: "Who in the palace released you?"
Shen Yichuan smiled and said, "His Majesty, out of consideration for the Shen family, allowed me to come back and visit. Have you missed me lately, sister?"
Shen Zhiyi said, "A death trap has been set up inside the courtyard. Tell the truth and we will spare your life."
"Spare my life?" Shen Yichuan laughed. "Zhiyi, how can you be so naive even after becoming the head of the family? My life has never been in your hands."
Shen Zhiyi fell silent, raising her hand to activate the formation. Shen Yichuan was frozen in place, feeling the air around him thin and his life force dwindling. He coughed a few times, then moved his fingers: "...Has Patriarch Shen ever killed anyone?"
The spiritual energy dissipated instantly, and Shen Zhiyi expressionlessly flicked her sleeve: "You came out of the water prison just to say these things to me?"
Shen Yichuan said, "You don't want to kill me, but I'm here to kill you."
"You are no longer the Immortal of Fengshui, how can you kill me?"
"If you know what I mean, why don't you try to guess?"
Shen Zhiyi lowered her eyes: "Even if you kill me, nothing will change."
Shen Yichuan coughed violently again: "...It's really unfair, Zhiyi. In the past, you were a cultivator and I was a mortal. Now you are the head of the Shen family and I am a prisoner. Has this world ever given me a chance to choose?"
Shen Zhiyi stared at him for a long time, then suddenly said, "Okay."
Shen Yichuan met her gaze quietly. Shen Zhiyi walked up to him and extended her hand: "Then I will give you a chance to choose."
Inside, candlelight flickered, casting two silhouettes through the window screen. On the rosewood desk by the window, books were piled high, and the ink on an ancient inkstone was still wet. Wisps of smoke rose from the incense burner on the desk, swirling in the air before slowly dissipating.
The brother and sister sat facing each other across a small ebony table. Shen Zhiyi poured the medicinal powder into the wine pot and gently shook it a few times.
Shen Yichuan watched her actions quietly. Shen Zhiyi filled two cups, pushed one in front of Shen Yichuan, and kept the other in front of herself: "Two cups of wine, one poisoned and one not poisoned. You choose one, and I will drink the other."
Shen Yichuan lowered his eyes and stared at the wine in the glass. The wine was fragrant and refreshing, and the surface of the glass reflected a dim candlelight.
He reached for his wine glass, his gaze falling on Shen Zhiyi's face. Shen Zhiyi's expression was calm and unwavering; he couldn't fathom when she had become like this.
He chuckled softly, pushed the glass of wine in front of him toward her, took her glass, and bowed slightly with both hands, saying, "Please, sister."
Shen Zhiyi's expression remained unchanged as she raised her glass and said, "Please."
She tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. Shen Yichuan's eyes flickered slightly, but his lips didn't touch the rim of the cup. With a slight tilt of his wrist, the wine dripped into his sleeve.
The candle wick crackled softly, and the two empty cups sat on the table. The two looked at each other in silence for a long time before Shen Yichuan smiled and said, "Zhiyi, it turns out that you and I are kindred spirits."
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood. Shen Yichuan clutched his neck, looking down at the bloodstains dripping onto his sleeve, his gaze filled with suspicion and uncertainty: "You've already poisoned me?"
Shen Zhiyi laughed out loud, rubbing her forehead. She wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes and lightly tapped the empty cup in the center with her fingertip: "The poison is in the fragrance, and the antidote is here."
The two cups of wine are essentially the same; whether they are exchanged or not, drinking them will detoxify the poison.
Shen Zhiyi stopped laughing and sighed, "Brother, you made the wrong choice."
He had already poured out the antidote himself. Shen Yichuan's face was gloomy, but he also laughed: "So that's how it is... Sister, you've finally grown up."
The two sat facing each other and laughed heartily, like siblings reunited, overjoyed.
The laughter abruptly stopped. Shen Yichuan coughed violently, his fingers trembling; he was severely poisoned.
Shen Zhiyi lowered her eyes, unable to bear looking at him, and said softly, "Brother, I am a medical cultivator, I only save people and do not kill them, but medicine and poison are of the same origin. The day I became the head of the Shen family, I knew that this path would eventually be stained with blood, but I never thought that the first person I would kill with my own hands would be you."
Shen Yichuan had already reached into his sleeve, intending to take out the Soul-Swapping Talisman. He clenched the talisman in his sleeve. According to that person, as long as he stained the talisman with his blood and affixed it to his body, he could exchange souls with Shen Zhiyi, and the one who would live would be him.
Shen Zhiyi noticed his movements, her gaze calm: "Where are your trump cards? Aren't you going to reveal them? Who exactly is behind you?"
The two were only an arm's length apart. Shen Yichuan slowly raised his head and looked into her tired eyes. He had lost too much blood and was thinking very slowly. Shen Zhiyi was still patiently waiting for his "trump card". Thinking of this, he smiled again.
He didn't ask why a deadly formation was set up in the courtyard, why poisonous incense burned constantly in the house, or why the Shen family mansion was so heavily guarded. With the Soul-Swapping Talisman in his hand, he muttered to himself, "So be it."
Shen Zhiyi didn't hear clearly: "What?"
Shen Yichuan smiled, placed it on the table, and turned his head to look out the window: "The peach blossoms on the mountain are blooming, is our birthday coming soon?"
Shen Zhiyi paused slightly, looked away from the talisman, and said blankly, "Is that so?"
Blood kept gushing from the corner of his lips, and his plain white robes were covered in peach blossoms. Shen Yichuan looked at the Soul-Swapping Talisman, but seemed to smell the scent of death: "Soul-Swapping Talisman... consider it my birthday gift to you."
Shen Zhiyi suddenly stood up, took a few steps back, and asked warily, "What do you mean?"
"It means I no longer need it, so I'm giving it to you."
Shen Zhiyi simply didn't believe it: "Isn't someone like you someone who never looks back!"
Shen Yichuan looked at her face: "Because I think... you would be in more pain if you were alive."
Shen Zhiyi stared intently at his movements, her lips pressed together, saying nothing. Shen Yichuan glanced at the talisman one last time, then slowly closed his eyes. Startled, she reached out to support him.
Shen Yichuan, covered in blood, collapsed in her arms, motionless.
Shen Zhiyi grasped his wrist with trembling hands, then slowly released her own hand stained with her brother's blood. Shen Yichuan rolled to the ground, and the room fell silent.
She stood there for a while, then suddenly called out, "Thirteen."
Thirteen jumped into the house in response, but was startled by the scene before him and dared not go forward.
Shen Zhiyi glanced at him from behind the light, the bamboo pattern on her cuffs, symbolizing the head of the family, stained with blood. She looked down at the person lying on the ground and said, "Dispose of this person's body."
Thirteen composed himself, bowed respectfully, and hesitated before asking, "Young Master...where do you wish to be buried?"
“Young Master?” Shen Zhiyi smiled. “Isn’t my brother locked up in the water dungeon? Where did another young master come from in the Shen family? Just like a few days ago, probably another assassin.”
Thirteen paused, then clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes, Patriarch."
After Thirteen moved the body away, Shen Zhiyi stared at the bloodstains on the table. The Soul-Swapping Talisman lay quietly in the clean corner. Shen Zhiyi picked it up and examined it closely for a moment, then said calmly, "Fuling, send someone to contact the Jin family head. I have what they want here."
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Author's Note: Another chapter of this story is titled "Knowing the Meaning but Not the Meaning Within." In another version, after Shen Yichuan finished his dying words, the soul swap was successful the moment Shen Zhiyi reached out to support him. Thirteen saw Shen Yichuan's version of the Shen family head. However, Shen Yichuan later had his own ideas.
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