Chapter 51 Yanghua Cloud Sea (Thirty-Eight)
The narrow passageway was pitch black, with the luminous pearl emitting a faint blue glow. The sound of boots crunching on the ground sent a shiver down one's spine.
"Master, how much longer do we have to walk?" Wei Feng lowered his voice and turned to look at the wooden puppet sitting on his shoulder.
The puppet had no facial features, only a blurry human-shaped outline, yet it wore exquisite and lifelike clothes. In the dim light, it stiffly turned its head, as if staring straight at him. Even though Wei Feng knew it was Jiang Gu, he couldn't help but shiver and timidly turned his head back.
Jiang Gu manipulated the puppet to bring it close to his ear and said in a cool, eerie tone, "It's endless."
"Master, please don't scare me." Wei Feng's voice trembled, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead and nose. He gradually slowed his pace, and suddenly had an urge to turn around and run back.
"This is an endless corridor; you could walk like this your whole life and never get out," Jiang Gu said coldly. "You've passed through this place five times already, haven't you noticed?"
"Huh?" Wei Feng shakily held the luminous pearl to shine on the wall beside him, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head. "Is...is that so?"
Jiang Gu grabbed his earring and pulled his head back. "Stop looking, keep walking."
The jade pendant tugged at Wei Feng's earlobe, causing him so much pain that tears almost welled up in his eyes. But he still obediently continued walking forward. "Master, you must know a way out... right?"
"We're looking for it." Jiang Gu ruthlessly shattered his hopes.
He had never been to any ancient temples before, but he knew about them. Some ancient temples would trap people in illusions, where cultivators would die without anyone noticing. However, since it was an illusion, it must be related to the person who entered. Jiang Gu could only wait patiently for Wei Feng to reveal a flaw.
About half an hour later, the luminous pearl in Wei Feng's hand suddenly lost its brightness. He immediately stopped and his breathing became rapid. "Master, this is the last luminous pearl I have left. What should I do?"
Jiang Gu finally remembered that he was afraid of the dark, especially in such a narrow and cramped place. He had almost driven Jiang Gu crazy when he threw him into the spirit pet bag earlier.
“You have now reached the Foundation Establishment stage and can see at night,” Jiang Gu said.
Wei Feng was holding his breath so hard he could barely breathe. He tried to focus his spiritual energy on his eyes, but he couldn't. Soon he was so tense he was almost suffocating. He couldn't hear anything Jiang Gu said. He curled up against the wall, his fingernails digging into the flesh of his arm.
Suddenly, the walls on either side of them began to move closer together, and the passageway in front and behind them narrowed abruptly, like a shrinking cage squeezing towards Wei Feng.
Jiang Gu originally planned to make him cry and drop a few luminous pearls, but the pearls that this guy dropped were all small and didn't shine much. He changed his mind and simply manipulated the puppet to transform into human form and forcibly pulled the man up.
Wei Feng clung to him almost on all fours, as if grasping at a lifeline. He hugged Jiang Gu's neck tightly, burying his face in the crook of his neck, trying to smell Jiang Gu's scent, but could only smell a faint woody fragrance. He was anxious, and the surrounding walls pressed in faster and faster until only the two of them were left.
"Wei Feng, calm down." Jiang Gu reached out and pressed against his back, channeling some spiritual energy to help him calm down. "This is not the cage of the Discipline Hall."
Wei Feng gasped for breath, and the fear in his heart eased slightly because of his voice, and the surrounding walls pressed down at a slower pace.
"Master... save me..." Wei Feng seemed to still be curled up in that dark, cramped cage, where the slightest touch would result in being struck by lightning. He could only endure the torment in the darkness, a torment that had begun when he was very young, and the long wait seemed endless. From the first time he was locked up, he had never come out. "Master, save me..."
Jiang Gu found it hard to understand his fear. In his view, it was very unwise for a cultivator to have so many burdensome emotions. Wei Feng's weakness and plea for help only annoyed him, and he even had the urge to tear him off and throw him away.
But humans are born with seven emotions and six desires, and fear is naturally included among them.
Moreover, this is a good opportunity to make Wei Feng rely on him more. The so-called love tribulation naturally requires the development of feelings first. Although Jiang Gu is not knowledgeable about love, he understands people's hearts. Cultivators like Wei Feng, who have had no support since childhood, often crave the care of others.
So he pulled Wei Feng into his arms and reached out to hold the back of his neck. "Wei Feng, look at me."
Wei Feng was forced to raise his head, and he was even more frightened, his face turning even paler.
Jiang Gu looked at his own blurry, puppet-like face reflected in his pupils, paused for a moment, then transformed into his own appearance, lowered his brows, and said earnestly, "Master is here, you don't need to be afraid."
Wei Feng's eyes suddenly reddened, and he buried himself in Jiang Gu's arms, wishing he could curl up into a ball. Jiang Gu raised his hand and awkwardly and stiffly touched his head.
Wei Feng finally hugged his neck and cried, sobbing and complaining, "Then why did you throw me out as bait?"
Naturally, it's because throwing Wei Feng out is the most cost-effective.
However, seeing how much he was crying, it was clear that he cared deeply, so Jiang Gu softened his tone and said expressionlessly, "The more dangerous the opportunity for training, the better. Naturally, we can't let others benefit from it."
Wei Feng looked up at him with teary eyes, "Really?"
"I will protect you, what are you afraid of?" Jiang Gu said calmly.
Having finally received the promise he wanted, Wei Feng's fear slowly dissipated. The ever-approaching wall suddenly vanished, and they found themselves standing inside the gate of the ancient temple. The surroundings were vast and empty, with an endless flight of steps in front of them, the bricks covered in thick moss. The dome was brightly lit, with no darkness in sight.
Wei Feng wiped his eyes with his sleeve, then hung his head and didn't dare to speak.
Jiang Gu glanced at him. He hadn't expected that this seemingly carefree guy would have such a sharp intuition, instinctively sensing his indifference and manipulation, yet remaining silent and deceiving himself, keeping it all inside without showing it at all.
It seems that no one has ever truly cared for him, so much so that even this little bit of insincere affection is seen as a lifeline.
However, Jiang Gu was pleased with the outcome.
"Let's go." Jiang Gu walked forward.
Wei Feng hurriedly followed, unable to resist asking, "Master, won't you change back into a puppet?"
"And then watch you scare yourself to death?" Jiang Gu sneered.
The gentle and reliable master from just now seemed to be just a facade to make him feel less afraid. Wei Feng sniffed, feeling a little wronged and sad. So he mustered up his courage and reached out to take Jiang Gu's hand.
Jiang dodged away without leaving a trace.
Wei Feng seemed determined to challenge him, insisting on grabbing his hand. Jiang Gu dodged several times but finally became impatient and turned to stare at him coldly.
"I'm scared." Wei Feng looked at him pitifully. "Master, please hold my hand."
"..." Jiang Gu suspected that he had been scared out of his wits just now.
Taking advantage of his moment of silence, Wei Feng swiftly grabbed his hand, using great force as if afraid of being shaken off, while also watching him cautiously.
Jiang Gu's forehead vein throbbed violently.
Little beast.
However, he didn't let go of her hand in the end.
After entering the illusion, people are prone to becoming mentally confused, especially since some obsessions are amplified. Wei Feng was overly frightened and became particularly concerned about Jiang Gu's attitude towards him, trying every means to confirm that Jiang Gu really cared about him.
However, Wei Feng's clinginess far exceeded Jiang Gu's expectations.
"Master, are you really not going to take on any more disciples?"
"Master, I want that sword on the wall. Can you take it down for me?"
"Master, please walk slowly, my feet hurt."
"Master, I love you the most. I am the person who cares about you the most in the world. You must never abandon me..."
"Master, these steps are so long. Have we entered an illusion again?"
"Master, why are you ignoring me?"
"Master..."
Jiang Gu turned to stare at him with some annoyance, "Shut up, be quiet."
Wei Feng gripped his hand tightly. "Master, am I your favorite disciple?"
“I don’t have any other apprentices either.” Jiang Gu didn’t want to answer his foolish question.
"Then do you like me the most?" Wei Feng looked at him anxiously. "I'm definitely your favorite disciple, right?"
Jiang Gu took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "...Yes."
Wei Feng finally felt somewhat relieved. "Master, do you have family? Have you ever had a Daoist partner? Is there anyone else you like?"
"No." Jiang Gu roughly pulled him up the steps, cautiously observing their surroundings.
"Master, I really like you. I will definitely be as filial to you as I am to my own father in the future." Wei Feng's worries were mostly relieved, and he solemnly expressed his loyalty to him.
"Hmm—" Jiang Gu responded perfunctorily, then suddenly realized what he meant and turned to stare at him, "What did you just say?"
"Master, I really like you." Wei Feng grinned.
“Next sentence,” Jiang Gu said.
Wei Feng raised his hand in a gesture of swearing an oath, and said resolutely, "I, Wei Feng, swear to the heavens that I will treat my master as my own father from now on—hmm!"
Jiang Gu quickly covered his mouth.
Wei Feng blinked blankly, tilting his head with a puzzled look on his face, "Hmm?"
"..." Jiang Gu looked at him with a speechless expression, unable to accept his defeat. "You've always treated me like your father?"
Wei Feng smiled, his eyes crinkling, and nodded obediently. He grabbed Wei Feng's hand and said earnestly, "Master is the best person to me in the world. Naturally, I will respect and love Master as if he were my father."
No wonder she acted like a madwoman after emerging from the illusion, wanting him to lead her around.
Jiang Gu couldn't figure out what he had done wrong to give this guy such a misconception. He looked at Wei Feng, who was still not fully awake, and frowned, "Are you really not thinking anything of it?"
Wei Feng shook his head firmly, raising his hand to swear again, but Jiang Gu grabbed his hand and said with a blank face, "That's enough."
Wei Feng grinned foolishly at him, "Master, I really like you the most!"
"……Shut up."
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