…Back to Fragrant Ze Mountain?
Wenren Sheng’s mind suddenly flashed with the words he had said.
【I like Brother】
【I want to go back to Fragrant Ze Mountain with him and get married.】
In an instant, Wenren Sheng’s head spun. He shrank back a little and stammered, “B-back, back back back… back to Fragrant Ze Mountain? What for…”
Could it be… going back to get married?
So sudden?!
But he wasn’t prepared yet. He hadn’t ascended, hadn’t learned any wedding etiquette, and still didn’t know how to be a good bride for the Mountain God. How could he just rashly go back and get married like that?
Wenren Sheng covered his face and jumped back a few steps in a panic, looking like a startled little rabbit.
“No no no, Brother, too soon,” he spoke at top speed. “I’m not ready yet, I I I—I want… to learn first, then wait a few days, okay!”
He Mu paused for a few seconds and repeated, “Wait a few days?”
“Yes yes yes,” Wenren Sheng covered his face and shook his head. “Not refusing Brother—just want to prepare a little. Once I’m prepared, it’ll be fine!”
He Mu seemed not to understand what he meant, but he still leaned down slightly, hands on his knees, and patiently asked, “Then Shengsheng, tell me—what do you want to prepare?”
“I…”
He Mu leaned in rather close, and Wenren Sheng’s heart pounded wildly. He hemmed “I” for ages but couldn’t get the words out.
He Mu watched him for a moment from the side and saw what was up.
“Oh,” He Mu’s lips curved into a faint smile. “You mean this, huh.”
“…Huh?”
What “this” or “that”?
Did he… not mean the marriage thing?
“I do very much want to marry you, but we can’t rush this. I won’t be so careless as to have you marry me just like that,” He Mu ruffled Wenren Sheng’s hair. “The ‘back to Fragrant Ze Mountain’ I was talking about was for proper business.”
Wenren Sheng stared at him in a daze, his wolf ears instinctively flattening back.
“Proper business?”
He Mu hummed in acknowledgment. He rubbed and kneaded Wenren Sheng’s ear fur—not too lightly, not too heavily. Ears were a demon’s happy spot; a slightly firmer touch made Wenren Sheng hum in comfort.
As he rubbed, he said, “I took a quick look at Shan Yue’s prescription just now. A few of the herbs can only be found at Fragrant Ze Mountain. We need to make a trip back.”
“Besides, it’s been two years since you went to sweep the clan leader’s tomb, hasn’t it?” He Mu’s eyes curved. “Perfect chance this time—let’s go pay respects.”
What answered him was Wenren Sheng’s soft purring.
“Purr…”
After being kneaded for a bit, Wenren Sheng unconsciously nestled his face into the man’s palm. His body clung to He Mu like a magnet, stickily hugging on.
After a couple little purrs, he finally mumbled in agreement, “Wherever Brother goes, that’s where I’ll go…”
Moments ago, he’d been furious like a little chili pepper about to explode. Now, once coaxed, he turned perfectly obedient again. Listening to Wenren Sheng’s clingy sounds, He Mu felt his heart melt into water.
He couldn’t resist nipping Wenren Sheng’s ear tip, drawing a whimper from him.
“So itchy!” Wenren Sheng jolted awake from his hazy comfort and hurriedly ducked his head to wriggle free. “Don’t bite the ears.”
He Mu chuckled softly to himself—he wasn’t as if he hadn’t bitten them before. Sometimes Wenren Sheng even asked him to bite his ears on purpose.
But he nodded all the same. “Won’t bite, Shengsheng.”
Wenren Sheng tilted his head to smooth down the short fur on his wolf ears. Then he scooted forward and hugged He Mu on his own, wheedling, “Then we’re good now.”
“We’re good.” He Mu hugged him back.
“Don’t go back tomorrow,” Wenren Sheng looked up at him. “Let’s head out now—sneak a word to Sister Shan Yue and Night Dharma Protector. That’ll keep it more hidden.”
They absolutely had to gather the herbs, but until they got the antidote for the Calamity Essence, they needed to stay hidden as much as possible. No letting Siming catch their trail.
He Mu pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Your call.”
After a quick discussion of the plan, Wenren Sheng volunteered to go let Shan Yue know.
As for Ye Lan—with his stubborn streak—if he found out Wenren Sheng was heading back to Fragrant Ze Mountain, he’d insist on tagging along no matter what.
They were short-handed, and the medicine hall couldn’t go unguarded. So while Wenren Sheng spoke to Shan Yue, He Mu handled distracting Ye Lan.
“Lord Cangyu.” Cold sweat beaded at Ye Lan’s temple as he stiffly saluted He Mu. “Any orders?”
He Mu didn’t care much for talking to the man. He glanced toward the medicine hall and offhandedly said, “I heard from Wenren Sheng—you’ve got feelings for Wenqu Star.”
Ye Lan’s face shifted in alarm. “Young Master told you?”
Did he even need to ask?
Wenren Sheng wore every secret on his sleeve. Last night, after a little pressing from He Mu, out it all poured—like a sieve.
Afterward, he’d even begged He Mu to counsel Ye Lan properly and help him move on sooner.
“I asked,” He Mu shot him a sidelong glance and said flatly. “Straight talk: better not tell her. Find a chance to hole up in a temple and cultivate in seclusion for a while. Forget the whole thing properly.”
“This…” Ye Lan hesitated. “Lord Cangyu…”
He Mu raised a hand and cut him off coldly. “I used to cultivate the Emotionless Dao myself, but I don’t break up happy couples. I’m laying it out like this today because I know—no matter what you tell her, it won’t make a difference.”
He’d only known Wenqu Star for a bare century or so, but He Mu read people well.
Wenqu Star clung to her Dao Heart with a mad obsession. No creature in the world—human or demon, man or woman—had ever sparked the slightest attachment in her.
Years back, pure curiosity had driven He Mu to check her name on the Paired Branches Tree. To his surprise, not even half a Red Thread clung to it.
Even Emotionless Dao cultivators had a short, severed Red Thread on theirs—symbol of personally snipping three thousand silken bonds, swearing off worldly ties.
Wenqu Star’s name? Nothing.
No locks, no vows to bind her—yet she was the real deal, a true emotionless soul.
He Mu toyed with the Thumb Ring on his hand and said carelessly, “Here’s the thing: confess your feelings, and she won’t get mad. Won’t scorn you. Won’t reciprocate. She’ll just… remove you from her side.”
“…” Ye Lan fell silent.
“Wenqu Star saved your life. You’re her most loyal dharma protector,” He Mu kept fiddling, eyes flicking to Ye Lan. “You leaving would cause her trouble. Weigh that carefully.”
Wenren Sheng had stressed telling him gently, over and over—but He Mu’s words left little room for face.
Ye Lan’s gaze dimmed. He sank into silence.
He Mu glanced toward the medicine hall. The front door cracked open just a sliver—a tail tip poked out, tapping the ground.
Their prearranged signal from Wenren Sheng: greeting done, time to go.
He Mu pinched the Thumb Ring between thumb and finger, sliding it back onto his knuckle.
“That’s it, then,” he straightened up. “Your choice.”
At those words, Ye Lan snapped back to himself and hastily saluted.
“Safe travels, Lord Cangyu.”
Wenren Sheng clutched the strap of his bundle, letting a bit of his tail dangle out the door. He gave it a gentle swish.
Shan Yue set down her teacup and eyed Wenren Sheng in confusion. “What’s this, young hero?”
Wenren Sheng flushed. “Prearranged with Brother—after filling in the divine doctor on things, I shake my tail like this for him to see. Then he knows.”
“Oh, got it.”
Shan Yue’s brows and eyes softened into a smile. She said sincerely, “You and Lord Murong really have a wonderful relationship.”
“N-no way,” Wenren Sheng’s face reddened. “We argue all the time!”
Shan Yue skimmed the foam from her tea with the lid and chuckled lightly. “Just woman’s intuition.”
No sooner had she spoken than Wenren Sheng felt someone snag his tail tip. His back bumped against a chest, and he got nudged forward.
“Chat done?” He Mu scratched under Wenren Sheng’s chin.
Seeing it was He Mu, Wenren Sheng nodded obediently. “Yup. Divine doctor said back in seven days is fine.”
“Plenty of time.”
He Mu flicked a copper coin from his sleeve into his palm. He flipped it between his fingers twice—instantly, it became a yellow paper talisman.
“Borrowed two Earth-Shrinking Talismans from the local Land Gods this morning. We can go now.”
Wenren Sheng blinked and caught the drifting talisman paper in both hands.
Homeward bound.
Just for some necessary herbs… just two years away from Fragrant Ze Mountain… yet Wenren Sheng felt that twinge of near-hometown timidity.
The shrine there. The mountain spring. The temple. Even the clan leader’s tombstone—all frozen in memories from two years back.
He’d fled in such haste, no chance to cram every blade of grass and tree into his head. Now he wasn’t even sure he remembered the road home.
“Shengsheng.” He Mu laced their fingers together. “Your master taught you how to use it, right? Want to give it a try?”
Wenren Sheng pursed his lips, turned to He Mu, and smiled.
“Let me, Brother.”
His fingers locked tightly back around He Mu’s.
“I’ll show you my cultivation progress.”
With that, he circulated a Minor Celestial Cycle afresh. Heavenly wind flooded the room, rattling Shan Yue’s teacup with clinks.
Wenren Sheng’s hair tips floated lightly. He took the talisman in his mouth, shut his eyes, and gathered Spiritual Power.
Then—he pointed into empty air.
Ding—
Sounds around his ears smoothed flat, like wiped by a sheet of water.
Wind lashed his cheek harder, fiercer—like an eagle’s wings whistling past, numbing flesh and bone.
Moments later, the boards under Wenren Sheng’s feet turned to rough gravel.
He drew deep breaths and slowly opened his eyes.
The medicine hall was gone. Lush ornamental woods filled the view. The grand mountain gate loomed into sight. The wayside shrine from memory stood unchanged—but half-smothered in moss now, the Cangyu True Monarch statue inside mostly veiled.
“Here.”
He Mu murmured.
Wenren Sheng’s palms grew hot with nerves. He tried to pull his hand free from He Mu’s—but the man gripped tighter, tugging him into his arms.
“No one’s around,” He Mu said. “We can be open about it now, yeah?”
Wenren Sheng stayed shy, giving a light push. “This is my home. I’ll feel awkward…!”
Felt like committing some huge taboo. So embarrassing!
He Mu “oh”-ed and teased, “Your home is my home too. We lived here together—childhood friends. Holding hands now, and you’re embarrassed?”
Wenren Sheng went speechless. “Childhood friends who grew up together from little—that’s childhood sweethearts. I got unilaterally raised by Brother. What childhood sweethearts?”
He Mu squeezed his hand and chuckled low. “Then what—child bri—”
“Please!” Wenren Sheng knew exactly where that was going. Mortified, he went up on tiptoe to clap a hand over his mouth. “Brother, don’t say it!”
He dreaded it—He Mu kept talking so freely, Wenren Sheng started worrying about his reputation down the line.
After they married, he absolutely wouldn’t let He Mu pull this anymore!
The two bantered and tussled in whispers for a bit. Then He Mu went still.
His expression sharpened. His gaze swept toward the woods.
“Shh,” he whispered low. “Someone’s here.”
Wenren Sheng sensed it too. Faint clinks of metal drifted from the trees, mixed with soil being flung—like someone digging at the ground.
His eyes were keener. He narrowed them a touch and spotted the source.
Deep in the woods stood a Daoist in blue-and-white robes. He gripped an iron shovel in both hands, boot braced on the edge, stomping down hard.
The man looked young. Vaguely familiar.
Wenren Sheng tensed. His eyes fixed on the thing being dug up.
A cenotaph.
Wenren Sheng remembered crystal clear: across all Fragrant Ze Mountain, only he’d raised a cenotaph for the clan leader.
This was… grave robbing?!
