Chapter 47 I Came for You Under the Bright Lights, I'm Kissing You.
In the darkness, Chen Zhou plummeted rapidly.
The black tide transformed into sharp blades, cutting into his skin. His cultivation was completely restored, and the wounds would immediately heal themselves once they appeared.
So he did not stop the black tide from eroding him, and fell deeper and deeper in pain.
He couldn't tell whether he wanted to become aware of his pain or to wallow in it.
But suddenly, he sensed something.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
The black tide blocked his vision, a flash of white light streaked across Shen Zhou's pupils, and his Heavenly Eye opened for the first time in a long time.
Then he saw a streak of bright red light flying rapidly, cutting through the black tide, heading straight for him.
His descent suddenly slowed, and the red light indeed drew closer and closer, finally landing in his arms.
Soft, warm, vibrant life.
He gripped the man's arm tightly with his fingers, but the question that came out was a demanding one: "Who told you to get down?"
Hua Deng, covered in wounds from the black tide, couldn't withstand the pressure of his ten fingers any longer and immediately cried out in pain, "I came here of my own accord! Let go!"
He loosened his grip on her arm slightly, but still held her tightly. She looked up and could vaguely make out Shen Zhou's silhouette. She couldn't help but say, "Don't be so fierce. Hurry up and protect me. Don't let me get hurt. It really hurts."
Shen Zhou said coldly, "You deserve to suffer terribly so you'll learn your lesson."
Hua Deng nodded perfunctorily. She hugged Chen Zhou's waist and could feel that the Black Tide was being kept out by something. At least the wounds that had been causing her pain were no longer getting worse.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
But Shen Zhou's voice still carried anger: "Do you know where this is?"
“I know, Qilin Prison.” Hua Deng circled his hair with her fingers, as if she had discovered a new toy. “I thought it was something special, but it’s nothing special.”
"Is that all?" Shen Zhou lifted her chin, their heads touching, and spoke each word clearly, "Do you know how many people have tried to break into the Qilin Prison in the past twenty thousand years? How did they die? Didn't the books teach you?"
The lights remained silent.
The book does indeed state that the East Sea is a forbidden area of the Nine Provinces, where countless extraordinary individuals have perished. Two cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending stage once ventured into the East Sea together, only to be completely suppressed within half a day, their remains vanishing without a trace.
She muttered softly, "I know, but I didn't think that much about it at the time."
Shen Zhou's tone grew increasingly cold and somber: "If you didn't think that much about it, why did you come down?"
The streetlight bumped into his head and said, "I don't want you to be alone."
“…”
Shen Zhou seemed not to understand what he had heard, staring at her without blinking.
Even in the darkness, he could clearly see the shape of the lanterns, so he couldn't understand her words at all.
Why can't I be alone?
He muttered to himself, not knowing who he was asking.
Hua Deng answered spontaneously, "Because being alone can be lonely, I want to keep you company."
Shen Zhou tightened his grip on her waist inch by inch until he completely pulled her into his arms.
The lantern rested against his chest, and after a long silence, she asked, "When can we land?"
Shen Zhou's voice was slightly hoarse as he whispered, "Three years later."
Hua Deng was amused by him and said, "Okay, then I'll take a nap first, and see you in three years."
Shen Zhou seemed to smile as well, and said, "Go to sleep. See you in three years."
Hua Deng was not asleep. The Black Tide had already invaded her body during their previous contact, and she became confused and unconscious.
Shen Zhou stroked her back as if comforting a child, soothing her pain and tirelessly treating her.
He knew this place too well. After an incense stick had burned, he wrapped his arms around the lantern and brought her down heavily to the ground.
Suddenly, my vision brightened.
*
When Hua Deng woke up, she found herself in a quiet wooden house.
She immediately looked for Chen Zhou's figure, only to find the window wide open and a light rain falling.
A thin child sat by the window, and the moment she saw him clearly, her eyes widened.
It's actually Shen Zhou from when she was a child! Has she entered her memories again?
But she soon realized something was wrong. The little Shen Zhou she had seen before was gentle and cute, but the one in front of her was like a puppet, just staring blankly ahead.
Then she heard a man's voice, clear and crisp: "Kid, do you really not know how to speak? Your throat doesn't seem to be wrong with you."
"Hey, it's definitely because no one taught you. Come on, learn from me, Master—Master—Master—"
The man repeated it tirelessly.
Hua Deng instantly realized that this was indeed a memory, but it was Xue Zifei's memory.
Unfortunately, from this angle, you can't see his face at all. Hua Deng is really curious about what this legendary master looks like.
Xue Zifei sauntered up to the little boy and circled him: "That shouldn't be the case. Do you have a hearing problem too... Hey, are you looking at my sword?"
As he moved, the boy's gaze shifted, remaining fixed on the immortal sword at his waist.
Xue Zifei thought for a moment, then took the sword off and handed it to him: "Be careful, don't hurt yourself, this sword is—"
He immediately lost his voice.
The moment the boy gripped the sword, the wind around him stopped, and the raindrops outside the window froze in mid-air.
The boy reached out and caught a raindrop, and the magic sword was drawn with a clang.
As spiritual energy surged forth, he comprehended the Dao of Sword and broke through to the Golden Core stage.
"Sword." That was the first word the boy uttered.
The scene faded like ripples on water, leaving a blank space around it, and in front of the lanterns appeared an ordinary wooden door.
She hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door.
Behind the door lay a new scene, still within Xue Zifei's memories.
Shen Zhou was still five or six years old. He sat on the steps by the door with a long sword that was taller than him, looking down at the ants carrying their food.
He quickly lost patience, raised his foot to stomp on the ants, but for some reason put it down.
Xue Zifei patted his shoulder from behind and said with a smile, "Disciple, look what your master brought back for you? Beggar's chicken, kids love it!"
"Get out of here."
Xue Zifei said with a grin, "Before I leave, could you tell me your name first?"
Shen Zhou said coldly, "No."
Xue Zifei stroked his chin: "No name? If you don't have a name, then take my surname. I'll give you a name... let's call you 'Wu' (meaning 'nothing'), since you have nothing anyway!"
"casual."
The scene changes again, and another door appears. The lanterns are lit as usual, and people go inside.
Shen Zhou stood under the locust tree, his figure already quite tall, but his face was still a bit childish, about thirteen or fourteen years old.
He still had a serious and unsmiling demeanor, but his eyes now held a hint of unruly arrogance.
Xue Zifei stared at him for a moment, then suddenly screamed, "You, you, you—you've broken through to the Nascent Soul stage?!"
"Stop shouting." Shen Zhou said impatiently, holding his sword. "You couldn't beat me when I was in the Nascent Soul stage, so what difference does it make whether I'm in the Deity Transformation stage or not?"
Xue Zifei was speechless for a moment, then burst into laughter: "I'll tell Senior Brother Headmaster, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, and Fourth Senior Brother right now..."
He listed a whole bunch of names, and finally said, "My apprentice is so talented, they must be so envious!"
Shen Zhou listened quietly, a smile in his eyes, but more than that, a strange sense of loneliness.
“Xue Zifei,” he suddenly said softly, “I’ve been thinking about something from before.”
Xue Zifei, who had turned to run away, suddenly turned back upon hearing this: "What is it? Something from before you were five years old?"
Shen Zhou shook his head and said, "It's nothing."
The recollection ends here, and Hua Deng pushes open the third door.
This time, Chen Zhou was almost exactly the same as the one she would later become familiar with.
He sat silently on the cliff by the east coast. Xue Zifei jumped over and patted him on the shoulder, but he just dodged slightly and didn't turn around.
“I knew you’d be here!” Xue Zifei sat down next to him. “Watching the sunset? It’s really beautiful. You used to love coming here.”
Shen Zhou stared ahead, the setting sun painting his pupils red. He asked, "Why did you come? Didn't the sect leader and the others stop you?"
Xue Zifei said, "My senior brother, the sect leader, won't stop me. Although my second senior brother tried to dissuade me, he still has to listen to me in the end!"
As he spoke, he took out a flask of wine and, despite Shen Zhou's refusal, persisted in forcing it on him: "Drink up, my disciple should drink, drink as much as you want!"
Shen Zhou took the wine pot, but looked at him without saying a word.
Xue Zifei laughed and said, "Why are you looking at me?"
Shen Zhou said, "I have betrayed my master and am no longer your disciple."
“Although I don’t know why you left, I never said I disowned you.” Xue Zifei pointed four fingers to the sky. “I swore that I would be your master for life.”
Shen Zhou lowered his head, lifted the spout of the pot, and silently took a sip.
As the sun sank into the sea, the two men staggered to their feet, their faces flushed with drunkenness.
“You can’t take my surname anymore,” Xue Zifei suddenly said, pointing to the nearby woods. “How about you be called Wang Tudi (Landlord Wang) from now on? Or Wang Dashu (Big Tree Wang)?”
Shen Zhou glanced at the woods and said slowly, "I have a name."
He smiled, his voice tinged with alcohol, and said somewhat unclearly, "My real name is Shen Zhou."
...
When the fourth door appeared, Hua Deng noticed that it was covered with chains. She did not try to open it; perhaps it was something she could not touch.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long; in the blink of an eye, all her memories vanished.
She pulled herself away from the shattered scene, lifted her eyelashes, and saw Shen Zhou's face.
She was sitting on a wooden chair, with Shen Zhou sitting opposite her, his hand covering the back of her hand, treating her injuries.
Looking around, she found herself still in the wooden house, but the child and her master were gone, leaving only the two of them.
“Are we still in the East China Sea?” she asked.
“Yes,” Shen Zhou said, “in Xue Zifei’s memory.”
"Oh." Hua Deng nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
Shen Zhou glanced at her and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
She has always been very smart; she never asks questions she shouldn't.
The wounds caused by the Black Tide are extremely difficult to heal. Hua Deng was afraid that Chen Zhou would waste his spiritual power, since he was more seriously injured, so he said, "I'll do it myself. I still have a lot of medicine here. You should heal your wounds first."
Shen Zhou said, "No need..."
"No need for anything, hurry up!" Hua Deng frowned and glared at him.
Shen Zhou raised an eyebrow and withdrew his hand: "Then I'll help you apply the medicine."
"I don't need it!" Hua Deng's ears turned slightly red. "Turn around, you're not allowed to look!"
Are you sure you can do it?
"Of course! Turn around now!"
Shen Zhou gave an ambiguous twitch at the corner of his mouth and slowly turned away.
Hua Deng finally let out a breath and began to take off his clothes.
She was only halfway through undressing, with her inner garments still on. Looking at Shen Zhou's back, she still felt uncomfortable all over, so she simply leaned over and took off his hair ribbon, covering his eyes as before.
Shen Zhou didn't struggle, but just clicked his tongue lightly: "You're overthinking it, I really have no interest in watching."
Hua Deng snorted, "Mind your own business. Anyway, I don't like you opening your eyes."
She returned to her seat, applied the ointment, and put it on her wound.
The wound was cold and stinging, making her wince in pain. She tried to distract herself by talking: "Have you been here before?"
“Yes,” Shen Zhou said. “After Xue Zifei died, I brought his soul here, hoping to bring him back to life.”
Hua Deng was stunned. She hadn't expected Shen Zhou to bring this up so suddenly. She thought he would avoid the topic and just make a few casual jokes.
But since the matter had already been brought up, she couldn't refuse to answer, so she cautiously asked, "Didn't you say the Qilin Prison is very powerful? How did you get in?"
"The Qilin Prison is indeed powerful. I was trapped inside for seven days. When I came out, I searched everywhere for the Heavenly Secret Jade."
The streetlights are wide open.
The magic array set up by the three immortals together only trapped him for seven days?!
No, thinking about it carefully, he was only in the early stage of the Fusion Realm at that time, and he was surrounded and killed by Qiu Ce and others, and was seriously injured and on the verge of death. If it were Shen Zhou now, she could not imagine how strong he would be.
“You seem surprised,” Shen Zhou said calmly. “Actually, immortals aren’t as strong as you think.”
Hua Deng: "..." Listen to this, is he even speaking human language?!
She twitched her lips, then hesitated before continuing, "So, did you find the Heavenly Jade?"
If they find him, is Xue Zifei still alive?
She didn't ask aloud, but Shen Zhou knew what she wanted to say: "The Heavenly Jade is an unparalleled treasure in the world. It can bring the dead back to life and restore flesh to bones, and even revive the deceased. This is beyond doubt."
He said, "But that day I learned that the Heavenly Jade only works on complete souls, and my master died from self-destruction, his soul was shattered and beyond saving."
His voice was calm and clear. The speaker may not have shown any particular emotion, but the listener felt as if a heavy hammer had been dropped on their heart.
Hua Deng's fingers lost their grip, pressing the ointment forcefully onto the wound, while she remained completely unaware of the pain.
What would Chen Zhou be feeling at that time?
Unable to take Xue Zifei's body with him, he could only burn his master's flesh with his own hands. He carefully preserved the remaining soul and ventured all the way to the East Sea. But what awaited him was not salvation, but the mockery of fate.
All he could do was seal Xue Zifei's memories here, day after day, year after year.
Sensing her silence, Shen Zhou casually said, "Everyone has to die, it's nothing."
Back then, he almost never made it out of here.
Jinze always believed that he went to the East Sea to heal his injuries. It was indeed helpful for his recovery, but in reality, he was doing more of one thing.
Holding the soul lamp that sealed Xue Zifei's soul, he tried again and again with the Heavenly Secret Jade until the soul lamp dimmed and went out completely.
The seal on the Soul Lamp could only last for a maximum of thirty days. During those thirty days, he continued to cultivate, hoping to break through to the Tribulation Transcending stage.
If he can retrieve the remaining memories, perhaps he will be able to reshape Xue Zifei's soul.
But he couldn't do it.
On the thirty-first day, he was still in the fusion period.
"There are always things in this world that cannot be undone," Shen Zhou said indifferently. "If you stayed by my side, you might encounter the same things."
Hua Deng replied quickly and lightly this time: "You are much stronger than you were back then, so I won't."
"I'll be leaving sooner or later," Shen Zhou said.
"Then I'll take good care of myself so you won't be sad when you leave."
"I'm not sad."
"You were sad when you missed Xue Zifei."
"Then you're wrong. I never miss the dead."
"But why did you bring me to the East China Sea?" Hua Deng asked. "Did you also want to visit him that day?"
"..."
He remained silent throughout the day.
Hua Deng gave up applying the medicine, put on her clothes, walked up to him, and stared at his face.
In exchange, I'll tell you a secret.
She took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly, and tried to make her voice sound normal.
"I have things I must do in this world, and without you, I would be a hundred times, a thousand times more in danger."
"and."
"I've already died once."
Shen Zhou moved his head slightly, as if he wanted to look up at her, but realizing that he couldn't see her, he gave up.
Hua Deng was relieved that she didn't have to look him in the eye. Even so, she was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she swallowed hard as she finished speaking.
She said, "So, I'm not as timid as you think."
After a moment of silence, Shen Zhou said, "Of course you're quite bold."
Not just small, they're utterly heartless.
"And, and also, I have already..." Hua Deng continued.
Shen Zhou asked, "Already what?"
I have already considered you my Daoist partner.
She was too ashamed to say such things aloud, so she knelt on one knee beside him and whispered, "I've already done with you things that only Daoist partners would do."
Shen Zhou clenched his fist at his side, but he seemed unmoved, as if nothing had happened: "Didn't you say it was okay with other people too?"
Hua Deng choked, embarrassed and annoyed, and said, "Can't you just pretend I didn't say anything?"
Shen Zhou smiled faintly and said, "No."
Hua Deng puffed out her cheeks, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, then hugged his neck and said, "Really not?"
"..." Shen Zhou's expression froze. He grabbed her waist and asked after a while, "Who taught you this move?"
Hua Deng snorted softly: "Didn't I say? I never thought of anyone else, only you."
She paused for a moment and then said softly, "Besides, I've already let you treat me like that, what more do you want?"
Shen Zhou said, "How have I treated you?"
Hua Deng pinched his arm: "What do you think?"
Shen Zhou smiled, then fell silent, sighed softly, and said in a tone that seemed to be stating something: "But that's because you're sick, Hua Deng."
There was no answer for a long time, and he didn't expect to get one.
Suddenly, the red blindfold fell off, illuminating his vision with light, which then leaped into the girl's panicked yet determined gaze.
The streetlights removed the blindfold from his eyes.
He began, "You—"
Hua Deng was so shy that her hands were trembling. She didn't give him a chance to speak, but cupped his face in her hands and said earnestly, "Even if I don't get sick, I'm willing."
"—Do you understand?"
She mustered her courage to finish speaking, then immediately looked away, refusing to look at his expression.
But this man insisted on grabbing her chin, turning her around, his calm black eyes no longer calm, but turbulent, staring intently at her, and said in a hoarse voice: "Say it again."
Hua Deng didn't want to talk, so he just kept looking at her, as if he wanted her to say it.
Finally, Hua Deng relented: "I said I do... Hmm!"
He actually—
Her pupils contracted instantly. Hua Deng couldn't believe it. She stared blankly as the familiar face drew closer, until it was impossible to get any closer.
And then came his breath, his warm lips.
As soon as the thought crossed my mind that his lips weren't cold, Hua Deng's eyes were covered and his lips were pressed against mine.
He wrapped his arms around her waist, his lips brushing against hers, and as the temperature rose, he took her lower lip into his mouth, gently sucking and biting it.
Hua Deng used to like biting her lower lip like this, but she had never felt such a tingling sensation before. He seemed to be smiling, and whispered coaxingly, "Hua Deng."
Hua Deng subconsciously opened his mouth: "Hmm?"
She was completely unprepared, which allowed the cunning hunter to take advantage of her vulnerability, pry open her teeth, and conquer her territory.
His tongue clung to hers, like fish playing in water. Whenever she tried to back away, he would pretend to leave, only to press against her again when she tried to test him.
He relentlessly took from her, and before she knew it, they had rolled to the ground. With a flick of his wrist, Hua Deng knocked the vase off the table, and the vibrant crabapple blossoms fell into her hands, which she then clutched and crushed.
The flower juice soaked into the spaces between my fingers, its vibrant color dazzling to the eye.
How can people be so affectionate...
Hua Deng's cheeks flushed red, and she pushed him impatiently, almost unable to breathe.
Only then did that wretched fellow loosen his grip a little and release his hand from covering her eyes.
Her hair was disheveled under the bright lights, her eyes were misty, and a strand of silver hair still clung to her lips as he leaned down and kissed her again.
Her face flushed red from looking at the streetlights, she grabbed his collar tightly with her fingers and asked breathlessly, "How...do you know what you're doing?"
"I know." Shen Zhou leaned in and affectionately nuzzled her nose, chuckling softly, "I'm kissing you."
A terrible shiver seemed to be coming again, and Hua Deng quickly turned her face away, grumbling, "I won't allow you to kiss me."
Shen Zhou then lowered his head to kiss her earlobe. The more she tried to dodge, the more audacious he became, asking with a smile, "Why?"
Hua Deng weakly pushed him away: "Your kiss makes me uncomfortable."
Her body is already sensitive, and he still kissed her like that, it's so annoying.
Chen Zhou stopped, kissed her chin, and said, "Then teach me how to kiss."
Unable to get a reply from Hua Deng, he wasn't in a hurry. He grabbed her hand, leaned down, and pressed down on her again.
His fingers, glistening with crabapple sap, intertwined with hers, the vibrant color mingling between them. He kissed her forehead, her eyelashes, and finally returned to her lips, which were bleeding from the kisses, pecking at them lightly.
Slowly, Hua Deng grasped his hand.
It is said that kissing is a way for humans to express desire, but when she looked into Chen Zhou's eyes and saw through his actions, what she felt most was not desire, but love.
It's the kind of cherishing she had when she was a child, when she was afraid of breaking her favorite gift even if she touched it.
She glanced at Chen Zhou as if possessed.
He did indeed pause, then cupped the back of her head, his breath lingering: "Shall I continue?"
"……Um."
She found out very quickly.
She was completely wrong, terribly wrong.
This is not the her from her childhood; this is a truly aggressive hunter who, once he finds a weakness, will possess and devour her without restraint.
He had been covering her eyes, but when she opened them by chance, she found that he was watching her intently, not missing a single one of her reactions.
The moment she had the thought of backing down, he would feign mercy and let her go for a moment, only to send her into another terrifying tremor as soon as she let her guard down.
He licked each of her teeth, lingering especially on that particularly sharp canine tooth, teasing her to the point of almost unbearable pain.
Gradually, the two switched places. Hua Deng was held on his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and lowered her head to accept his kiss.
She was clearly the one being kissed so hard she was leaning back, only to be pressed back down by his large hand, yet this posture made it seem as if she was actively seeking the kiss, tireless.
She forgot everything; her mind was blank, save for his presence and his passionate words.
“I gave you a chance,” he said.
His muffled words lingered between her lips and teeth as he kissed her more deeply, drawing out her saliva and licking her lips.
Three months... How can three months be enough?
He held her waist with all his might, yet he couldn't bear to hurt her. In the end, he simply embraced her tightly, almost embedding her into his bones.
He bit her tongue and said, panting, "You are the only person in this world I want to kill."
You told me not to be sad, you let me experience this world, and you said you would definitely choose me.
Not to be outdone, Hua Deng bit back, even harder, until the tip of her tongue broke and blood filled her mouth.
He laughed through the pain, hooking his arm around her and coaxing her into a deep kiss. The streetlights pushed against his chest, and a tear unconsciously rolled down his cheek.
Tears welled up at their lips, but were quickly wiped away by their intertwined lips.
Amidst the mixture of blood and tears, every word Shen Zhou uttered felt as if it were carved into his heart with a knife, leaving it dripping with blood.
"If you dare to lie to me, I'll rip out your heart, break your legs, and keep you by my side forever."
The lantern pressed against his forehead, she took his hand, and listened quietly to his words. She should have been afraid, but at that moment, she felt a lump in her throat and was about to cry.
This man, who seemed indifferent to everything, evoked the most intense emotions she had ever felt in her life.
Love and hate intertwined, fate entangled, she knew she could no longer escape.
But what was the point of running away? She lowered her head, hugged his neck tightly, and awkwardly returned his kiss.
"No, Shen Zhou, I won't."
She repeated it over and over again.
"I will always be like this today..."
"To come to your side."
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