Chapter 60 Blasphemy 9. It made him so infatuated.
The altar was cold and desolate, with thick fog floating on the water. Red silk and water rippled together, as soft and gentle as a wandering soul.
The young master had a waist as supple as a snake and legs as jade vines. His skin was so white it was almost bluish, except for his lips, which were very vibrant, a deep red tinged with moisture, as if he were drunk.
"elder brother……"
He called out.
Although Chu Shenxiang had already guessed what was going on before she opened her eyes, she still couldn't help but sigh when she actually saw it.
She's such a nuisance.
He remained expressionless, but with a mere glance, two black arms, like pythons, slithered out from nowhere, swiftly biting Shen Mingxin's slender waist, which swayed like a willow in the wind, and intercepting her.
"Don't have this dream too often."
Chu Shenxiang Road.
His voice was flat and cold, without any inflection, revealing a hint of weariness that was barely perceptible, like ice.
With a flick of his black arm, he pulled Shen Mingxin away.
"On what grounds?"
Forced to leave, Shen Mingxin sat on the cold ground. The tender affection on her face was immediately replaced by dissatisfaction and arrogance: "This is my dream, so I can do whatever I want. You're in my dream, so you have to listen to me. Quick, put me back. I've just started and I'm having some fun!"
Chu Shenxiang paused, ignoring the suggestive words, and said, "Do you know you're dreaming?"
“Of course,” Shen Mingxin replied.
Some dreams leave people completely unaware and unable to control them, while others allow people to clearly know they are dreaming, even while still in the dream, and to think and react in the same way as in reality.
Chu Shenxiang hadn't expected that Shen Mingxin's beautiful dream would belong to the latter type.
Chu Shenxiang gazed at Shen Mingxin's face, which was made even more alluring by her emotions, and said calmly, "How long has it been?"
"What?" Shen Mingxin raised a slight brow with her phoenix eyes. "What do you mean, how long?"
"How long have you been having this kind of dream?" Chu Shenxiang asked.
In her dream, Shen Mingxin was half-drunk and half-awake. Even though it wasn't entirely real, it was still much more lively and vivid than her previous blank and infatuated state in the midnight temple.
Hearing Chu Shenxiang's question, he still felt somewhat ashamed. His waist, trapped under the black arm, trembled slightly before he glared and said, "What business is it of yours how long I've been doing this? I was suffering from a deficiency of both essence and blood recently, so I couldn't even have dreams like this. Now that's great, it's not easy to dream about these things, so can't I have some fun? It's not like I actually climbed up the statue to do it..."
Chu Shenxiang thought to herself, "You must have climbed quite a few times."
"Let me go!"
Shen Mingxin struggled against the black arm.
The pampered person, except for the area where he practiced archery year-round, had no calluses on his body. From head to toe, he was delicate and soft, as if he were made of porcelain. When this person was still, he was fine, but when he moved, the sensation in the black arm became exceptionally clear, as if he had captured a piece of soft jade, the touch was indescribably wonderful.
Chu Shenxiang paused, lowered her gaze, and looked down at her abdomen.
Something seemed off there.
"See, you thought so too."
Shen Mingxin naturally noticed the commotion and smiled smugly, his eyebrows raised like a fox that had just stolen some fish.
After laughing, he exclaimed in surprise, "Come to think of it, I've dreamt of you so many times, but I've never seen this before. Why did it happen tonight? And it's so... scary." He paused, searching for that one word.
Not only was Shen Mingxin surprised, but Chu Shenxiang herself was also surprised.
He still reacted like that. Two hundred years had passed, and he thought he had long since lost such abilities. He hadn't reacted at all when Shen Mingxin had twice been possessed by the statue.
Of course, whether he has it or not makes little difference to him.
Chu Shenxiang's aloof gaze swept over it, as if she were looking at an ordinary object that had nothing to do with her.
“I’ve come tonight to discuss important matters with you,” his voice remained deep and cold. “As for the rest, you can do as you please after I leave.”
Having said that, he threw out the ball of light.
He didn't intend to get entangled with this half-awake, half-asleep adopted brother any longer; he wanted to get things done as soon as possible and get away.
Unfortunately, his adopted brother didn't seem to want him to get away.
The ball of light had barely unfolded, before it could condense into smoke, when it was dispersed by a wisp of red gauze.
It condenses again, then ripples again, then disperses again, condenses again, ripples again, disperses again, over and over, stubbornly entangled.
Chu Shenxiang is a god, and what came was also divine consciousness. But Shen Mingxin is the master of this dream after all. If he really doesn't want anything, Chu Shenxiang has no good way to stop him unless she truly opens her divine consciousness and forcibly controls him.
But doing so would harm its soul.
"This is something important to you, and you can't be willful," Chu Shenxiang said calmly. "If you really don't want it, I won't force you."
The ball of light dispersed again, but did not condense again.
Chu Shenxiang withdrew her black arm and turned to walk away.
You weren't like this before.
A splash of water came from behind, followed by a distraught whisper: "It's not that I don't want to hear about important matters. Go ask Grandpa. When has he ever acted recklessly when something really happened? I know life is hard for everyone, and no one can make me truly act recklessly. I... I've just been holding it in for too long, and I'm feeling really awful. Tonight won't be easy..."
"You're so cruel, you won't even let me have a dream."
"The night is still so long. Once it's over, what can I not listen to? This is my dream, yet you're acting so domineering..."
Shen Mingxin seemed completely drunk, leaning against Hongxiao, muttering to herself, her eyes moist.
Chu Shenxiang glanced at him: "If the dream ends, you'll listen to me?"
Shen Mingxin looked up at him with her eyes that had been filled with tears.
Chu Shenxiang stared at him indifferently for a moment, then slightly raised her fingers, and nine black arms swam out from all directions.
Shen Mingxin was suspended in a chain, kneeling with nowhere to rest, her whole body filled with fear and could only be held onto one hand.
That hand, rather than being the hand of a living person, was more like an object filled with death.
It has no warmth, as if it were not made of flesh and blood, yet it clearly possesses the cold hardness of bones and the expansiveness of tendons. It must have been meticulously crafted, long and symmetrical, with perfect joints, without the slightest excess.
It is extremely beautiful, but compared with some full-bodied plants, it appears somewhat thin, like a piece of bamboo cut from the long river of time, a little rugged, a little sharp, and a little tough and unbreakable.
Shen Mingxin tried to break it, but it almost broke him instead.
The huge altar looked as if a sudden rain had fallen, its gray background covered with a layer of shimmering water, and the air was filled with a damp, almost sweet smell.
With the black arm loosening its grip, Shen Mingxin, like a bird caught in a net, fell to her knees at the feet of the deity.
"Will you be obedient?"
The voice of the deity descended from above, cold and indifferent, like ice that had never melted.
Shen Mingxin convulsed slightly and raised her head absently.
The deity lowered his eyes and met his gaze.
He wore a pale blue robe, neither carrying a lamp nor frozen in place, neither too far away nor too unreachable, yet he was even less than frozen in place or unreachable. At this moment, He was right before me, one right hand hanging slightly, still shrouded in his lingering, dripping wetness, but what did it matter?
Gods are gods, and mortals are mortals.
Thinking this, Shen Mingxin lowered her head and swallowed a muffled groan.
Chu Shenxiang seemed to sense something, and lowered her gaze slightly, sweeping over Shen Mingxin's front.
The pile of red silk there seemed even darker, as if a bowl of water had seeped in.
Chu Shenxiang paused, realizing that he had clearly done nothing more.
“This is the first time I’ve ever dreamed of Shen Xiangjun like this,” Shen Mingxin suddenly laughed. He tilted his head back slightly, his shoulders and back softened, and he leaned back on a black arm. “Just like my real sworn brother, he’s just a rock.”
Chu Shenxiang looked at his posture, somewhat puzzled. After a pause, she calmly asked, "Are you in love with Shenxiang-jun?"
Shen Mingxin was quite surprised to hear this: "Why would you ask that?"
“Oh, I see,” he said, a beat late in the way. “You think that because I often have dreams like this about Shen Xiangjun, he must be my dream lover, or rather, my dream god?”
"Unfortunately, no."
Shen Ming thought to himself, "I'm not some weirdo, why would I like a stone statue that doesn't even have the sensation of heat or cold, joy or sorrow?"
Within the spiritual sea, humanity suddenly sprang to life, shouting angrily, as if a virtuous woman had been defiled by a heartless man.
Chu Shenxiang glanced at it but ignored it, and only asked Shen Mingxin, "If it's not love or desire, then what is the origin of this dream?"
"Want to know?"
Shen Mingxin rested her forehead on her hand, her wet hair long and thin like snakes, crawling all over her snow-white skin. She blinked and said, "I won't tell you."
Chu Shenxiang remained silent.
He was somewhat curious about it, but not necessarily in dire need of knowing. Most things in the mortal world are the same; what could be so special about them?
Seeing that Chu Shenxiang really didn't press the matter, Shen Mingxin immediately begged for mercy again, secretly using his two white ankles to grab the corner of the blue dress: "Next time. Next time, if you let me be obedient again, I'll tell you everything, good brother."
Seeing the spring-like look return to the man's face, and knowing that the night was drawing to a close, Chu Shenxiang made a quick decision. Without taking the bait, she simply raised her hand and tossed the ball of light out.
"Focus your attention and look closely."
Chu Shenxiang Road.
This time, without the interference of the red silk, the ball of light unfolded smoothly, revealing scenes from tonight's events involving Shenchou and the deity who resembled Lord Chunshan within the Shenxiang Temple.
Indeed, Chu Shenxiang suspected that the strange deity accompanying Shen Chou was none other than Chunshan Gong, who had recently entered Yu County.
Chu Shenxiang had heard the name of this deity several times from the people of Yuejia Village, especially the village chief's son. Its most obvious symbol was embracing a spring branch. In addition, the incense seed that Shen Mingxin had previously been given was mainly for driving emotions, and the Spring Mountain Lord was in charge of having children, so the two could not be said to be completely unrelated.
Although Shen Mingxin was not very clear-headed in his dream, he was not stupid. As soon as the heavy figure appeared and the voice came out, he stopped and stared at the ball of light.
Seeing that he understood the importance of the matter, Chu Shenxiang felt that she had accomplished her mission and was ready to withdraw. Without lingering, she silently withdrew her divine consciousness and dispersed into the mist.
"Chen Chou actually tried to harm me and my grandfather!"
Shen Mingxin couldn't understand some of the words spoken within the light, but he understood the most crucial ones perfectly.
After reading it, he staggered to his feet, turned around and went to find Shen Chou to explain, and even tried to pull Chu Shenxiang to stand up for him.
But when he pulled, he pulled nothing at all.
Shen Mingxin looked back and saw that the altar was empty and desolate, with no one else there except him.
He took a step back in confusion, but suddenly lost his footing and fell off the altar.
"Ha!"
Shen Mingxin kicked off with both feet, yelled and got halfway out, then suddenly opened his eyes and kicked the bed railing with a bang.
"Young Master?" The maid on night watch outside heard the commotion and hurried inside.
Shen Mingxin stared at the soft gold bed curtains for a moment, then asked, "It's nothing... Qinggui, what time is it?"
"It's past dawn, young master," Qinggui poured warm water, "You woke up so early, are you having nightmares again?"
"I guess so."
Shen Mingxin sat up slightly and took the teacup.
His mind was still churning with the dream he had just had. One moment it was that hand covered in the damp, rocky color, the next it was the blurry yet pure and aloof face of Shen Xiangjun, and then it was the sticky, sweet, and cool puddles, all of them trickling down his legs.
He wanted to but didn't want to, unable to control himself, so he could only indulge his whims and plead in a chaotic manner.
After the matter was over, Shen Chou suddenly appeared in his dream, not only ruining his good mood, but also conspiring with a deity whose origins were unknown but who resembled Lord Chunshan to take revenge on the Shen family.
The Shen family treated him as well as Shen Mingxin, but they still raised him like a wealthy family, providing him with fine clothes and delicacies and not allowing him to suffer the slightest grievance. Such kindness could only be met with retribution? Judging from the meaning between the lines of Shen Chou's words, there was a grudge, but what kind of grudge could it be?
Shen Mingxin was a carefree person; he could hardly remember any of his past dreams after waking up. But this dream was strange; although some were hazy, most were clear, and he could remember most of them after waking up for a while.
He instinctively felt that something was wrong with the dream, so he didn't dismiss the vivid images in the dream as mere imagination.
But if it's not just wishful thinking, could it be the truth?
If it's true, how did he know? Was it really Shenxiangjun appearing in his dream to tell him?
It's obvious that it's impossible.
If Shen Xiangjun had truly manifested herself, upon seeing his dream, she would probably have beaten him to death on the spot. How could she have calmly reached out her hand, causing him to be so infatuated?
After finishing his tea, Shen Mingxin's thoughts gradually cleared.
Perhaps it was because I had been too preoccupied with the timing of Chen Chou's return during the day, and the incense scent on him that was so similar to that of the followers of Chunshan Gong. What you think about during the day, you dream about at night; this revealed the worries in my heart.
Thinking about it this way, it makes perfect sense.
Shen Mingxin calmed down, slightly raised her eyes, and looked at the small statue of a deity directly opposite the head of the bed with composure.
Shen Mingxin felt that although he did not believe in the rampant talk of ghosts and gods, he was not the atheist and faithless person that Shen Zhuan thought he was.
He claimed not to believe in ghosts and spirits, yet he would honestly follow certain taboos; he claimed to believe, yet he dared to scheme and steal the main offerings in the ritual of inviting the gods. He himself couldn't explain the truth of the matter.
"Young Master, has your bedding been spilled with tea...?" Seeing that Shen Mingxin was not going to sleep anymore, Qinggui raised her wrist and lifted the bed curtains. The dim light from the window shone in, and with her sharp eyes, she immediately noticed the unusual thing inside Shen Mingxin's bed curtains.
“I was thirsty last night and went to get some tea, and spilled some,” Shen Mingxin said, her fingers tightening around the corner of the blanket. She lowered her head to hide her flushed face and said in a normal tone, following Qing Gui’s guess, “You don’t need to worry about it. I’ll take it to the laundry room in the backyard later.”
Qing Gui didn't say much, and then asked Shen Mingxin if she had eaten.
Shen Mingxin was distracted and had a poor appetite, so he casually ordered two dishes. Qing Gui then curtsied and went to prepare them.
Once the inner room was empty, Shen Mingxin, as if bitten by a snake, quickly rolled out of bed, grabbed some new clothes to change into, and then bundled the bedding into two bundles, carrying them to the backyard discreetly.
An old nanny saw this and smiled with satisfaction: "Young master's health is really good now."
Shen Mingxin was so ashamed that he ran away in a panic.
The sky is a bit overcast today.
After breakfast, Shen Zhuan took Shen Mingxin and Shen Chou to the pharmacy. Shen Mingxin wanted to test them, so she asked Shen Chou about Master Chunshan. Shen Chou's expression was unchanged. He only said that he had heard of Master Chunshan's name, but he was not a believer.
“When you travel as a merchant, you will believe in something more or less no matter where you go,” Shen Chou laughed. “If you want to say that, I also believe in Master Chunshan.”
Shen Mingxin was not very convinced.
Upon returning home in the afternoon, he secretly instructed Shushi to keep an eye on Chenchou's movements. Later that evening, Shushi reported that Chenchou had left the house and appeared to be heading out of the city, and would not be back for some time.
"Go and distract those two maids in Chenchou Courtyard," Shen Mingxin whispered. "It won't take long, a quarter of an hour will suffice."
Soseki was taken aback: "Young Master, you mean..."
“I’m going to search through Shen Chou’s belongings,” Shen Mingxin said, opening his folding fan and raising his eyebrows slightly. “As far as I know, Lord Chunshan has a great need for incense offerings. His followers will carry small statues of the deity or stone carvings of spring branches with them for worship. If Shen Chou has any of these, we can know whether he is a follower of Lord Chunshan.”
Soseki said, “Young Master, you seem to dislike this Lord Chunshan very much, just because of human sacrifice?”
"Isn't that enough?" Shen Mingxin glanced at him. "Alright, hurry up and go, lest that cunning Shen Chou come back again."
Soseki thought it made sense and quickly accepted the order and left.
After waiting for a while, Shushi gave the signal, and Shen Mingxin immediately set off, sneaking into the sultry courtyard.
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Author's Note: [Pigeon] I've remembered all the extra chapters for celebrating 5k, 6k, and 7k nutrient solution views. I'll be organizing my backlog of chapters these next few days to make up for it!
(But it shouldn't be completed all at once, but rather in stages, cough cough)
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