Chapter 8 His Dimples Is this adorable little boy Shen Zhou? ...
When Hua Deng woke up the next day, she was thankfully not late.
She pushed open the door, and Shen Zhou was standing in the courtyard with his sword in his arms, eyes closed and still. Hearing the voice, he suddenly spoke: "I thought Foundation Establishment cultivators didn't need to sleep."
Hua Deng pretended not to hear: "Come on, junior brother, Master is waiting for us."
She laughed inwardly. Being a senior sister to someone in the Integration Stage was the best feeling ever!
"You probably don't know yet," Shen Zhou looked at her, a hint of mockery in his eyes, "The sect leader said I could be his master. So, in that sense, you're mine—"
"Chen Zhou, why aren't you wearing a mask today!" Hua Deng exclaimed, interrupting him. It was three parts acting and seven parts real.
Shen Zhou paused for a moment, then turned his head nonchalantly: "Wearing it is in the way."
"Really? Aren't you okay without a mask?"
Hua Deng completely forgot about what she had told him yesterday—that he shouldn't wear a mask anymore—and Shen Zhou didn't remind her either, listening to her chatter with his eyes downcast.
"The Beidou Palace is hunting you down, so the Yaoqing Sect must know about you too, right? You might run into your enemies as soon as you step outside. Aren't you afraid of getting into trouble again?"
"They can't see." With that, Shen Zhou offered no further explanation and walked outside.
Hua Deng was completely confused and finally got the answer by asking the system.
"This is a high-level disguise technique," the system said. "He can freely change how others see him. Except for what you see, which is his true appearance, everyone else sees a completely different face, like this."
The system provided her with a diagram.
The person in the picture bears some resemblance to Chen Zhou, yet the difference is vast, transforming from breathtakingly beautiful to bland and indifferent.
The streetlights gradually came on.
"He's so perceptive, I really want to give him a raise." She cupped her face in her hands and stared intently at Chen Zhou's retreating figure.
"Add it, host."
"Let's forget about it." Hua Deng thought for a moment, then shook her head. "We can't let beauty cloud our judgment!"
System: "..." Are all you rich people this stingy?
In the first lesson, the sect leader chose the "Soaring Immortal Scripture" as the introductory cultivation method for Hua Deng.
While observing Shen Zhou's expression, he cautiously said, "Disciple, you have a wood-attribute heavenly spiritual root and a rather special physique. This cultivation technique can help you cleanse your Jade Palace, expand your spiritual veins, and lay a good foundation for your breakthrough to the Golden Core stage."
Shen Zhou scanned the contents with his divine sense, and in less than half a second, he nodded to Hua Deng, indicating that there were no problems with the contents.
Hua Deng sat down to attend class with peace of mind.
With Shen Zhou watching, the sect leader dared not be distracted, but halfway through the lesson he couldn't help but think: If only I had known this would happen, why did I do it in the first place?
Although it is said that before the Holy Body of Union matures, engaging in dual cultivation with someone will turn that person into a furnace, absorbing yang to replenish yin, that is why he hesitated and kept Hua Deng at home until he was eighteen.
If he had known that Shen Zhou would emerge today, he would have brought Hua Deng back much earlier. What did it matter if he lost some of his cultivation?
"what's on your mind?"
Shen Zhou's voice came from behind, his tone indifferent.
"Wait!" The sect leader suddenly snapped out of his daze, clutching his head with both hands. "Don't slap my face this time... Ouch!"
After two classes, the sect leader left, limping.
Before leaving, he handed Hua Deng a jade token, his face bruised and swollen, and said, "Disciple, this is the key to the Divine Weapon Pavilion. You are quick to learn and have a good understanding. Having a suitable weapon will speed up your cultivation. You can go in and choose one yourself when you have time."
After saying that, he turned and ran away as if a ghost was chasing him.
...
The Divine Weapon Pavilion is located at the summit of Chongyun Peak. To reach it, one must climb 3,999 steps.
The higher you go, the thinner the spiritual energy becomes, which can both filter out disciples who are unable to control the magical artifacts and prevent thieves from breaking into the vault to steal them.
This ingenious design is said to have been hastily created by the first sect leader in a fit of rage after ten of his magical treasures were stolen.
At this moment, the long staircase beneath our feet disappears into the clouds in a white haze, while the lanterns stand before the steps, looking sorrowful and lamenting.
We shouldn't have come here.
What kind of magical treasure could she not afford, that she would have to suffer in a place like this?
She had just started to turn around and decide to leave when a voice behind her called out, "Why aren't you leaving?"
The tone trailed off, conveying a sense of laziness, clearly indicating that he was getting impatient waiting for her.
She turned around and saw Shen Zhou leaning against the tree trunk with a boss-like posture. An idea immediately came to her mind. She hinted to him, "Look at these steps, aren't they especially high? It must be so troublesome to walk up them."
Shen Zhou maintained his crossed arms posture, looking relaxed: "So?"
Hua Deng smiled shyly: "Why don't you carry me on your back?"
"Carry you on my back?"
Shen Zhou straightened up, as if he were really considering the feasibility.
Hua Deng was surprised that he was so easy to talk to, and looked at him with hope and anticipation.
Under her hopeful gaze, Shen Zhou simply turned around: "You wish."
Hua Deng: "..."
She knew!
"Fine, I won't carry you. I'll walk myself. I have two legs, what's so special about that!"
She had originally planned to pay him to do the job, but now she was determined not to give this rude guy a single penny.
Even if she were to die from exhaustion today, she would climb up this hill and never bow her head to the devil Chen Zhou!
...
An hour later, Hua Deng collapsed halfway down the road, his hands bracing against the steps to calm his racing heart.
A wisp of snow-white fabric brushed past her hand, spotless, her steps unhurried, as if strolling leisurely in a garden.
Hua Deng cursed inwardly.
On the surface, she remained calm, her eyes closed, drenched in sweat: "Just pull me up, that's enough, isn't it?"
The man's slow, deliberate voice drifted back from the front: "—No."
"..."
It's not surprising at all.
Hua Deng gritted her teeth and huffed as she followed, her menacing expression suggesting she wanted to devour Chen Zhou.
Shen Zhou never looked back, yet it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head, accurately pinpointing her direction and always maintaining a distance of three feet. He slowed down when she stopped and sped up when she walked.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the Divine Weapon Pavilion, Hua Deng practically crawled on the ground, her heart pounding and her breath trembling: "Chen Zhou, I'm going to deduct your salary!!"
Having grown accustomed to the term "salary," Shen Zhou kindly explained to her: "According to Article 8 of the contract, Party A shall not deduct Party B's salary without cause; otherwise, Party A shall repay double the monthly salary."
After saying that, he looked the streetlights up and down, his disdainful gaze clearly conveying: Is it really necessary to be so tired?
Hua Deng wanted to kick him to death: "You try suppressing your cultivation to the Foundation Establishment stage if you dare!"
She plopped down on the ground, clutched her back, took out a small jade bottle, and poured pills into her palm.
The pills were dark black and emitted a rich fragrance. Shen Zhou said calmly, "Frequent consumption of Qi-boosting pills will damage the spiritual meridians."
Hua Deng knew, of course, that the book clearly stated that taking large amounts of Yi Qi Dan would lead to dependence and slow down the self-recovery speed of Yu Fu.
but.
"Don't talk to me if you're in a fusion phase and lack empathy." She snorted coldly, then poured the contents into her mouth.
Before it could even reach his lips, the bean-sized pill suddenly changed direction and whizzed back into the jade bottle.
"?" Hua Deng looked up angrily, "What are you doing!"
Shen Zhou glanced at her, said nothing, and pointed his index finger lightly behind her.
A warm current flowed down his spine, instantly spreading throughout his limbs and bones. Hua Deng almost jumped up: "What?! Don't put strange things into my body!"
Shen Zhou fell silent for a moment at her words, then slowly said, "It's my spiritual power, don't worry about it, just keep going."
Before long, Hua Deng felt her body regain its lightness, and her fatigue was swept away.
"What kind of magic is this? Can I learn it?" She jumped around excitedly.
"We'll talk about it when you reach the Nascent Soul stage." Shen Zhou withdrew his hand.
"Oh." This time, Hua Deng didn't complain and obediently nodded.
Shen Zhou pushed open the door of the Divine Weapon Pavilion to make way for her. Hua Deng stepped inside, only belatedly realizing that she hadn't used the jade token given to her by the sect leader.
...Alright, is there anywhere in this world that can stop Chen Zhou?
The Divine Weapon Pavilion is elegantly decorated, adhering to the style that the Medicine Purification Sect has always maintained. Instead of stone slabs, the ground beneath your feet is covered with pure white clouds and mist, which are soft yet firm to the touch and filled with rich spiritual energy.
The lanterns circled the clouds and smoke, looking at everything from swords and spears to halberds, but none of them satisfied the eye.
Shen Zhou stood still, not moving an inch. Seeing this, he asked, "Don't you like anything?"
"Too plain. I prefer something sparkly." She shook the gold hairpin on her head.
"Bling, brilliance?" Shen Zhou looked around and pointed to the white silk in the corner, saying, "This kind?"
"I mean gold and silver jewelry, the sparkly kind! All the things I use are sparkly, haven't you noticed?"
Shen Zhou: "I didn't notice."
Hua Deng gave a fake smile: "Be more careful next time. I'm your employer, after all."
As the saying goes, since we're already here, it would feel like a waste to leave empty-handed. After looking around at the streetlights, I finally chose a fan named "Ink White".
In her past life, she played a doctor in a game, and she fought with a fan every day, which is quite similar to the one in her hand, so she felt a strong sense of familiarity.
"A fifth-grade magic artifact," Shen Zhou said. "Do you like this?"
Hua Deng gestured a couple of times: "Using a fan is more elegant, and you can kill someone from a distance without getting blood on your hands."
It was probably the phrase "no need to get blood on your hands" that won Shen Zhou's approval. He didn't question Hua Deng's taste, which was rare for him, and nodded, saying, "Not bad."
"Then you should pick one too. There are so many things, why not take them?" Hua Deng waved generously.
"No need." Shen Zhou turned his face away, looking uninterested. "I only know how to use a sword."
“No, you can try something else once in a while. Look at this mirror, it’s perfect for checking yourself in the morning.” Hua Deng said as he walked toward the mirror next to him and reached out to grab the edge of it.
Caught off guard, a strange sense of shock gripped her, leaving her stunned and unable to move.
Shen Zhou reacted quickly, raising his hand to pull her away.
"Wait, don't touch me!"
But it was too late. Before Hua Deng could shout, Chen Zhou's hand reached her shoulder.
A wave of dizziness washed over me, and the streetlights briefly went out of control.
When she opened her eyes, the scene had completely changed. The ethereal Divine Weapon Pavilion had vanished, replaced by a simple bamboo house with a fresh and elegant, slightly old-fashioned atmosphere.
What's going on? Did she time travel?
Hua Deng instinctively wanted to look around, but found her body out of control, only able to maintain a straight standing posture. Very close to her was a little boy in a yellow shirt.
She was looking at the boy at eye level. Had she gotten shorter?
The boy gazed at her silently, his face still bearing the obvious traces of baby fat. His thick black hair was styled into two buns, tied on top of his head with bright red ribbons, making him look like Nezha. He was indeed handsome, so handsome that it was somewhat androgynous.
Hua Deng stared at his round little face and delicate, soft eyes, estimating that he was only six or seven years old at most, but for some reason he looked very familiar.
At that moment, the little boy moved; he stepped back a little, and Hua Deng felt his body also moving backward.
Her field of vision widened, and she realized that what was opposite her was a full-length mirror as tall as an adult. The child was none other than herself, looking in the mirror.
She inhabited someone else's body.
The little boy pursed his lips, drew the wooden sword from his waist, and enthusiastically practiced his movements in front of the mirror, his posture clumsy but quite earnest.
After a few moves, he was covered in sweat and had to stop reluctantly, holding the small wooden sword with a shy smile.
When he smiled, a small dimple appeared on his left cheek, standing out against his porcelain-white skin like a flower suddenly blooming in the snow.
Just as he was lovingly stroking the wooden sword, he heard a noise behind him. The boy turned around and saw a woman in white walking in through the doorway, leaning against the doorframe with one hand, and asking, "My little darling, do you like practicing swordsmanship?"
The woman was tall, and because she was backlit, it was difficult to see her face clearly under the streetlights. One could only infer from her voice and words that she was a gentle person.
The boy nodded emphatically, his voice still childish: "I like him, just like Daddy!"
The woman seemed to smile, said nothing, and extended her hand to him: "Let's go, let's go eat. Tonight is your favorite crucian carp soup." The two, one big and one small, held hands, turned and walked towards the sunset, their figures gradually blurring until they disappeared.
"…………"
"Hua Deng, open your eyes."
A cold male voice entered his ears, like a bell to drive away evil spirits, forcefully and irresistibly pulling back the consciousness of the streetlights.
She opened her eyes in a daze.
Shen Zhou remained standing there, looking down at her. Seeing that she had woken up and was lying on the ground, he had nothing to say, let alone offer to help her up.
Fortunately, Hua Deng was too slow-witted to care about such things. She glanced at Chen Zhou's face and then at the annotations on the mirror next to him.
"The one who possesses this mirror can see into the deepest memories of others."
Wait, memory?
A flash of inspiration struck, and the streetlights slowly turned towards the darkness of day.
Growth can change a person a lot, but it will always leave some traces.
For example, the distinctive widow's peak, the curve of the corner of the eye, and the slight hump on the bridge of the nose all perfectly matched the person in front of me.
Damn it.
Could this adorable little boy be Shen Zhou?
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