Chapter 54: A Night of Romance
On the roof of the ancient building, Cang Ming and Wei Ci sat side by side. The evening breeze gently caressed the faces of the tourists, the distant mountains cast faint shadows, and the spring moon shone over the river. A variety of snacks and small dishes continued to rise from the chimney, and pots of warmed, aged wine were brought up one by one.
Cang Ming leaned gently on Wei Ci's shoulder, wondering how Xi Sheng was doing back home, and whether Wu Lu had already summoned heroes from around the world to prepare for the grand disciple selection event. Her fingertips unconsciously fiddled with his collar. Wei Ci stared straight ahead, his expression cold and righteous, saying, "General, if you want to take off my clothes, go ahead."
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, Cang Ming's finger touched his Adam's apple and slid gently downward, passing over his neck, collarbone, and chest... Wei Ci grabbed the hand that had slid to his abdomen and turned to approach him. His lips were pursed coldly, but his eyes were already burning. An aggressive aura emanated from him, mixed with the light scent of pine needles and bamboo leaves.
Cang Ming involuntarily leaned back, and only then did she manage to maintain her balance by sitting up on her knees. As the hard body pushed against her, she pretended to be completely oblivious, staring at him with wide, hazy eyes, and said weakly, "Okay, I won't fight with you anymore. We'll be seen."
"It's always like this." Wei Ci held her head with one hand and pushed her legs apart with one knee. "You're so eager to hide after just one tease?"
Cang Ming boldly said: "As long as it is useful to you."
"Such a cute face, such a naughty heart." Wei Ci panted in her ear, "But I am willing."
Colorful clouds obscured the moon, and the night suddenly darkened. Wei Ci stroked the blush on Cang Ming's cheek with his fingers, then lowered his head and kissed her. One hand clamped around her waist, and the other hand went around her back, holding her arm tightly.
As soon as she was able to breathe again, Cang Ming protested vaguely: "It hurts, your grip is too strong." Wei Ci whispered in her ear: "Why don't you call me brother?"
By the time the moon broke through the clouds again, illuminating the surroundings, Cang Ming had collapsed against Wei Ci's chest, his hands weakly pressing against him. Wei Ci knelt before her, his head lowered as he gazed at the person in his arms, and whispered, "Don't be afraid of me. I won't... I'll wait until you're willing... and then we'll have a grand wedding, with the sun and moon shining as the mirror." His voice was hoarse and mellow, like the slightly rough surface of icicles, due to his extreme forbearance and restraint.
Cang Ming hummed a sigh of gratitude, burying his face in his shirt, listening to his strong heartbeat. Wei Ci stood up, picked up Cang Ming with one hand, and returned to the ancient building on Chun Ye. Inside the building, the mountains and rivers were still as vast as ever, with the stars and moon in the sky. There were flowing springs and waterfalls, and trees were covered in spring flowers. Every stone platform and every stone statue in the sky was adorned with flowers, and Cang Ming almost laughed at the sight.
The demon king circled up from behind and said gloomily, "Why, it doesn't look good? I specially asked the little demons to arrange it."
Cang Ming was about to speak when the northeast suddenly lit up like daylight. From far away, countless crimson-orange fireworks rose, clusters rising at intervals, advancing towards the Central Plains one by one. They reached up to the sky and into the earth, like a blazing tree reaching straight into the Milky Way. "That's a signal from the Taoist priest!" Cang Ming elbowed Wei Ci in the ribs. "It's coming from... outside the Great Wall!"
Outside the pass, flames shot up into the sky, and the signal lingered for a long time. Cang Ming counted the lengths of the fireworks and realized something was amiss: "It's a signal for help. Something's happened outside the pass!" Wei Ci grabbed her wrist, his eyes becoming dangerous as he warned her gravely, "Don't go."
"But, that's my home." Cang Ming looked there, his eyes full of shadows of the past. "It's also where we first met, do you remember?"
"Of course I remember. Otherwise, how do you think I have survived the past thousand years?" Wei Ci was a little annoyed, and his voice trembled slightly.
"That's not what I meant..." Cang Ming hurriedly held his face soothingly, and said regretfully, "I know you always remember it. It's me who forgot, and that made you wait for me all the time."
"The matter of Old Ghost Lotus has been settled. As agreed, you should stay in the ancient building." Wei Ci waved his hand, and a small house appeared in the forest. Without further ado, Wei Ci escorted her inside, his voice firm and unwavering: "Rest here tonight."
"Hey, I haven't married you yet, I don't live here!" Cang Ming twisted and turned like a carp, struggling to break free, babbling nonsense, trying to divert his attention without anyone noticing. "Besides, it's obviously me who wants to marry you, and you're going to live with me in Xiyuan Sanfang in the future..."
Wei Ci's frosty face relaxed a little, half wanting to laugh, half pretending to be angry: "It's late, go to bed." Cang Ming complained: "Brother Wei Ci, you are so fierce." Wei Ci sighed, gently pushed her to the bed, then turned and left leisurely. There was an indescribable certainty and charm in his back.
The house was exquisite and quiet, with all kinds of items available. As soon as the door closed, Cang Ming immediately ran to the window, rolled up the curtains and took a look. He was sitting under a tree not far away, his eyes closed and he whistled leisurely.
Feeling Cang Ming's angry gaze, he opened one eye and said coldly: "General, go to sleep. I will keep watch."
Cang Ming closed the window, thought for a moment, took off his outer robe, let his long hair down, lazily walked out of the room, and walked slowly towards the hot spring. Wei Ci looked up, then immediately looked away, blushing and saying, "Cang Cang, what are you doing?"
"If I don't take a hot bath every day, I won't sleep well." Cang Ming squatted by the water and explained nonchalantly.
Wei Ci still turned his face away and hummed: "It was my negligence that I forgot to bring you hot water. Just go back to your room and wait."
Cang Ming paddled the water with his hands, pretending to jump in: "I like hot springs, so I'll take a bath here."
Wei Ci finally stood up, muttering, "I really can't do anything about you." Then he retreated out of the woods.
After waiting for a while, he could no longer hear the footsteps. The surroundings were as quiet as a painting. Cang Ming quietly crawled to the back door hidden by green trees, opened the door silently, and fled.
The fireworks signals from the northeast had ceased. From this night on, countless Taoists would travel day and night to the border areas.
Cang Ming, clutching her Ice Blade Sword, didn't dare fly near the ancient building, instead running at top speed beneath the shade of trees. After running a few miles, she breathlessly transmitted her message, "Wei Ci, I'm running. Don't worry. I'm only going to save my homeland and do something big along the way, so I can accumulate merit, join the ranks of immortals, and eventually achieve godhood..."
Before she could finish her words, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Directly in front of her, Wei Ci leaned against a large tree, his hands casually folded across his chest, one foot resting on the trunk, his head tilted to one side as he looked at her.
“…” Cang Ming stopped with disheveled hair.
Wei Ci waved and said, "Come here."
Cang Ming said firmly: "How do I know if you are the real one or an imposter? It is not convenient for me to go over!"
Wei Ci walked up to her helplessly step by step, lifted her chin with his hand, and gently spread the lipstick she had smeared on with his thumb.
Cang Ming raised his head and looked at him blankly. He asked, "What is there in the North?"
"Yes, the ultimate mystery of the universe?" Cang Ming answered tentatively.
"..." Wei Ci looked at her sadly and intently, making her dare not look up again.
The two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Without saying a word, he draped the sea-blue robe that had been discarded in the ancient building around her, then reached behind her head to tie her hair and put the crown back on. In this subtle and restless atmosphere, a roar suddenly rang out from behind Cang Ming: "Ghost Buster!"
"It's me!" Cang Ming hurriedly turned around and answered loudly, thinking that someone was trying to catch ghosts again, so that he could save more money to pay off the debt to Tongduo Mountain.
A man in a red shirt hurried over. It was Wei Qiang, whom he had not seen for many days. Cang Ming was surprised and happy. He patted his shoulder and said, "It's you! I almost didn't recognize your voice."
Wei Qiang's expression was solemn. "Ghost Buster, I followed Zou Chaoxian back to her former home on the East China Sea. I treated patients for several days and tried more than a dozen different prescriptions, but..."
Cang Ming's heart tightened. As expected, Wei Qiang said, "But Zou Chaoxian's old father has passed away. Alas."
Cang Ming lowered his head, feeling that life was short, born to be mired in sadness. He wondered if Xi Sheng would ever let go of his ego and live a peaceful life. If so, was eternal life a punishment?
Wei Ci gently placed his hand on her shoulder, dispelling her chaotic reverie. She asked Wei Qiang, "How is Xisheng?"
"She has taken care of the funeral and is accompanying her old mother." Wei Qiang frowned, "And I am going back to the border!"
Cang Ming nodded and said, "I believe you have also seen the signal from outside the pass."
"I wonder what happened outside the customs. Are my father and the others implicated?" Wei Qiang was worried and eager to go home. "Ghost Buster, I won't talk about it for now. I need to go back and take a look."
Cang Ming blurted out: "It's just right, let's go together." After that, she glanced at Wei Ci cautiously. Wei Ci's face was expressionless, but the temperature around them dropped sharply to freezing point.
"Then let's set off immediately!" Wei Qiang looked at Wei Ci, not understanding what was going on, and kindly advised, "If there really is a ghost-slaying operation this time, Ghost Slayer might be able to accumulate merit and become a god through this, which is actually a very good thing."
Wei Ci, who was born as a book demon, looked even colder.
Cang Ming said quickly, "Even if I become a god, I won't leave you." She hooked her pinky finger with Wei Ci's and tickled his palm. It was a childhood habit.
Wei Ci finally looked up to the sky and sighed, then said to Cang Ming: "If becoming a god is what would make you happiest, then I will do my best to help you."
Cang Ming suddenly felt like crying and whispered, "I'm sorry, I was too willful. I just wanted to fight for my parents and my master, and also for... all the people in the world."
Wei Ci took her hand and said, "Then let's go." The world was split and twisted again. Wei Ci took her closer to their hometown outside the Great Wall. Wei Qiang was left behind, and no one knew how he would get there.
When the ice dragon tunnel that teleported the two of them disappeared, Cang Ming opened his eyes, looked around, and was suddenly frightened.
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