Chapter 39 [VIP]
Jiang Zhuochen clenched his fist, and the thick fog that shrouded his memories cracked open, revealing not light, but an even more chilling darkness.
He opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked by something, and he couldn't utter a single word. A sharp, piercing pain shot through his head. Then, something heavy and cold seemed to try to break free of that tight confinement, surging wildly in his chest, only to be firmly pressed back down by an even stronger, invisible force. A feeling of suffocation instantly gripped his throat.
Yes, he remembered—fortune telling! He had foreseen the divine punishment, which had caused his master to be injured!
This thought, like lightning cleaving through the fog, brought a moment of clarity, but was accompanied by a deeper fear.
Master is injured... Is he just injured?
This question pierced the deliberately blurred darkness deep within his memory, and his heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst from his chest. A voice inside him reminded him that if he thought just one more step deeper, the forgotten truth would come to light.
However, just as that thin layer of ice was about to shatter completely, an even more violent and surging torrent swept in from the depths of his consciousness without warning. Jiang Zhuochen's aura was suddenly disrupted, and then quickly subsided and calmed down.
The excruciating pain and panic subsided almost instantly, as if they had never happened. His rapid breathing calmed, and the confusion and fear on his face were replaced by tranquility. His eyes, which had just been filled with chaos, were now clear and bright again.
He suddenly raised his head, a bright, childlike smile spreading across his face, as if the dramatic inner struggle he had just endured had never happened.
"Oh yeah!" He slapped his forehead, his voice light and a little abrupt. "I've been so busy having fun that I've completely forgotten what I used to do. Anyway, I have nothing else to do today, so I might as well get back into the swing of things!"
The tone was as casual and ordinary as if he were talking about going to the back mountain to pick fruit.
As soon as he finished speaking, he sprang up from the edge of the bed and rushed out of the room before Xu Xing could respond. Only a gentle breeze remained, brushing against Xu Xing's clothes.
Xu Xing did not move, nor did he try to call out to the departing figure. He simply maintained his seated posture, his gaze following Jiang Zhuochen's figure as he disappeared outside the door.
He lowered his gaze to the palm of his hand that had just been kneading the other's nape. The warmth of the touch lingered on his fingertips, along with the fleeting yet undeniably real tremor of pain. He slightly curled his fingers, as if trying to grasp that faint warmth, but in the end, he simply released them slowly.
Jiang Zhuochen pushed open the door to his bedroom, took out the clothes he had kept at the bottom of his trunk from the closet, put them on, turned on his fan, and swaggered out.
The moment that long-absent signature black outfit appeared, the inner disciples who were busy in the corridor, by the window, and on the training ground all froze. Who didn't know what it meant for this little ancestor to wear this outfit? Their eyes met with silent groans and tacit avoidance. If they were really blocked, they could only give a bitter, dry laugh in response.
After a while, Jiang Zhuochen realized the disciples' reluctance. He stood at the gate with his hands on his hips and snorted inside, "Wangxian Valley has more than just a few disciples like you. I'll find someone else."
So he went out, turned left, and randomly selected an outer disciple to cause trouble.
Passing through the bamboo forest behind the mountain, amidst the swaying of the dense bamboo leaves, Jiang Zhuochen actually spotted a disciple he didn't recognize. He had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a憨厚 (honest and simple) appearance. Thinking this would be even easier to fool, he quickly called out, "Junior Brother!"
To everyone's surprise, the unfamiliar outer disciple trembled at the sound, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and took off running. His speed was as if a demon were chasing him.
"Hey? Don't run away!" Jiang Zhuochen was taken aback, then laughed and cried at the same time, his competitive spirit also being aroused. Without saying a word, he took off after him.
He chased after them the whole way, running when they ran and using their swords when they used their swords. He didn't know how long he chased before he finally stopped them.
The disciple's hands trembled as he held the food box, his chest heaving rapidly. Seeing this, the young man took a half-step back, spread his hands to indicate he meant no harm, and stated his master's name to explain his purpose.
The disciple's fear subsided slightly, but he was still shaken and panting heavily. It took him a long time to straighten up and bow to Jiang Zhuochen. "So, it's Senior Brother Jiang. I was rude. I will obey your orders."
Jiang Zhuochen was overjoyed and immediately perked up. He told the disciple to stand still, then closed his eyes slightly, raised his right hand, and began to rapidly count on the knuckles of his other four fingers while muttering incantations, appearing unfathomable.
After calculating for a moment, his brow furrowed slightly. Strange, something felt off. The sensation of his fingertips tracing his knuckles was still familiar, and the incantation was clear and accurate, but something just wasn't right.
This feeling of suffocation made Jiang Zhuochen somewhat irritable. He subconsciously stopped calculating and reached into his robes with his right hand.
Her arms were empty.
He froze, then, still unwilling to believe it, searched carefully again, but there was indeed nothing there. He stared blankly at his outstretched palm, his eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. What was missing? Why couldn't he remember?
Just then, the outer disciple who had been waiting quietly spoke up cautiously: "Senior brother, is this what you're looking for?"
Jiang Zhuochen looked up and saw that the disciple had opened his palm. In his palm lay a stone about the size of a thumb, shiny black, with red dots inside.
Jiang Zhuochen felt a surge of electricity coursing up his spine and into his brain. This pebble... it looks so familiar.
Almost simultaneously, a blurry image flashed into view. It was still this bamboo forest, and he was holding two black stones with great pride, talking incessantly to someone... who seemed to be the disciple in front of him.
And then, what happened next? A sharp, intense headache struck without warning, more piercing than ever before, stabbing deep into his temples. He groaned, his body swaying, his pupils contracting sharply from the pain and the fleeting vision.
Seeing Jiang Zhuochen staring intently at the stone, the disciple continued, "This is the Flame Sun Heart. Senior Brother once used it to tell my fortune, and then he fell ill and lost it. I retrieved it. Do you remember, Senior Brother?"
Do you remember?
These three words struck Jiang Zhuochen's chaotic thoughts like a heavy hammer. Countless fragmented messages rushed through his mind, but he could not piece them together into a complete picture.
The bamboo forest was silent, save for the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the wind. Jiang Zhuochen stood frozen, his fingers gripping his disciple's arm tightly, his gaze fixed on the two small black stones, as if all his strength had been drained away, making even breathing difficult.
Yes, he used it, and then it attracted heavenly lightning.
Why did it attract lightning?
Jiang Zhuochen searched through his throbbing mind, trying to make out the deliberately blurred content, when the voice of the outer disciple seemed to come from afar but was unusually clear.
"Your current situation is very similar to what it was like back then, but what have you learned?"
He knew... what did he know that attracted the heavenly lightning?
The scene that had been disturbing his peace slowed down, and Jiang Zhuochen's heart pounded for a moment. He knew the secret of heaven! The heavenly punishment that had descended was received by his master, and he was struck down...
Jiang Zhuochen suddenly raised his head. The vibrant green bamboo forest around him and the faint shouts of martial arts practitioners in the distance vanished in an instant. In its place was an endless, suffocating, scorched black wasteland, which made his eyes redden.
"Master..." he murmured unconsciously, his voice choked with incoherent sobs, his body swaying precariously.
Just as he was about to give up, a long and strong hand steadily wrapped around his waist, gently pulling his almost exhausted body into a tender embrace.
"I am here."
The voice was deep and clear, carrying a power that could penetrate the fog of the soul, calming the turbulent waves in Jiang Zhuochen's heart and miraculously calming his mind, which was on the verge of collapse.
He gripped the arm around his waist tightly as if it were a lifeline, and looked up at the person beside him. He was no longer the timid outer disciple he once was.
Xu Xing's aura was no longer the deliberately restrained ordinariness, but rather a chilling and unapproachable majesty, yet the way he embraced him revealed an unconcealable tenderness.
"Why?" Jiang Zhuochen was puzzled. The immense confusion and grievance almost tore him apart, and his voice trembled.
Xu Xing lowered his eyes, and the tears that were about to fall on the other person's face pierced his heart. He raised his other hand and gently wiped away the moisture from the corner of his eyes, and said in his usual gentle voice, "You should go back."
"Go back?" Jiang Zhuochen gripped his hand tightly, his knuckles white with effort, as if afraid that if he let go, the person before him would vanish like a phantom. "Go back where?! Are you going to abandon me again? Don't you want me anymore?"
After saying this, Jiang Zhuochen paused, the pain and dependence on his face disappeared, and he began to calm down at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Seeing that Jiang Zhuochen was about to be controlled again, Xu Xing pressed down on the back of his neck, forcing him to tilt his head back, and leaned down to kiss his forehead in a comforting way.
"Sweetie, this is just your inner demon. You know how to get rid of it, right?"
Inner demons are obstacles. They arise in the mind and disturb the spirit. When desires arise, be aware of them; awareness brings no blame. When desires arise, control them; control brings righteousness.
Jiang Zhuochen's lips moved involuntarily; it was his master's voice, clear and steady, leading him in reciting the text again and again.
But he remained rooted to the spot, unmoved, his face stubborn. Xu Xing was right here; where was he going?
Xu Xing looked at his struggling figure, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, but more so, heartache. He curled his fingers and gently tapped Jiang Zhuochen's forehead with a tender touch.
"I won't abandon you," his voice was firm and resolute, without any hesitation. His gaze fell on Jiang Zhuochen's slightly trembling eyelashes, wet with tears. "I'll always be by your side."
Jiang Zhuochen raised his wet eyes, his words tinged with uncertainty. "Master wouldn't lie to me?"
Xu Xing met his gaze, his eyes open and profound. "When have I ever lied to you?"
Jiang Zhuochen loosened his grip on Xu Xing, feeling as if a tranquilizer had been administered to his heart. He pursed his lips and stared at the other for a long while before burying his head in the crook of his shoulder.
"knew."
Without further hesitation, he released his grip on Xu Xing's hand. His right hand formed a sword-like shape with fingers together, channeling his spiritual energy into his fingertips. At the same time, his left hand, palm facing upward, was loosely clenched, and he silently recited an incantation.
As the last syllable fell, Jiang Zhuochen guided the two Flaming Sun Hearts from his left palm with his right hand, and they slowly rose into the air. Then, the pebbles were torn apart by spiritual power and instantly rushed to either side of the void.
A note from the author:
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