He Mu’s eyes flickered.
After Wenren Jing uttered the words “Heavenly Spiritual Root,” his knuckles slightly curled, and he quietly activated the Color Kill resting by the door.
He said in a deep voice: “Why do you know about the Heavenly Spiritual Root?”
Color Kill unsheathed silently, a cold gleam flashing as the sword tip turned, pointing at Wenren Jing’s back.
Wenren Jing seemed oblivious to the killing intent behind him. He kept his head lowered, slowly explaining: “I overheard it from a few Land Gods.”
“They said the possessor of a Heavenly Spiritual Root has extremely high aptitude. Even if it descends on a demon, a two- or three-year-old pup could use the Transformation Technique…”
At this point, Wenren Jing’s words paused.
He sneaked a glance at Wenren Sheng, then hurriedly looked away, continuing: “So that’s how I knew Wenren Sheng was—”
“Clan Leader!”
Wenren Sheng, listening on the side, suddenly realized his true identity was about to be exposed. Anxious, he shouted loudly to interrupt Wenren Jing.
“Ah, ah?” Wenren Jing jolted in shock, looking at Wenren Sheng in terror. “What’s wrong?!”
Wenren Sheng glanced back at He Mu and saw no change in his expression. Gaining confidence, he puffed up and said to Wenren Jing:
“Don’t talk about such unimportant things. I just want to know why you suddenly left Fragrant Ze Mountain… that’s all!”
Wenren Jing nodded woodenly: “Oh, oh.”
Seeing him nod in agreement, Wenren Sheng finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. In his heart, he couldn’t help complaining about the clan leader’s foolishness—how could he blab everywhere that he was a demon?
The Mountain God still didn’t know he was a demon.
Wenren Jing continued: “Anyway, those Land Gods said they would find the Heavenly Spiritual Root that had descended into the world and take the Spirit Root away at any cost.”
“After I knew the Heavenly Spiritual Root was on you… I started thinking about leaving Fragrant Ze Mountain.”
He Mu frowned even tighter upon hearing this.
Because he was timid and afraid of trouble, he just abandoned Wenren Sheng on Fragrant Ze Mountain?
That reasoning wouldn’t convince him.
He slightly shifted his two fingers, forcing Color Kill even closer to the clan leader, as if ready to take his life at any moment.
Seeing this, Wenren Sheng hurriedly grabbed He Mu’s fingers with both hands, winking frantically at him and mouthing emphatically:
Don’t kill the clan leader!
He Mu shrugged and pulled Color Kill back a bit.
He hadn’t intended to kill anyway—just to scare Wenren Jing a little.
Abandoning a child?
Too low-class. He despised people like that most.
Unexpectedly, Wenren Sheng in his arms was very calm. He pressed down on He Mu’s hand and asked in a steady tone:
“So, Clan Leader, you left Fragrant Ze Mountain with the clan because you were afraid of the Heavenly Spiritual Root?”
If that was the reason, Wenren Sheng could accept it.
At least it wasn’t because they hated him.
Besides, even a deity like Wenqu Star had initially kept her distance from Wenren Sheng because of the Heavenly Spiritual Root—let alone the clan leader?
He was just an old Rabbit Spirit with so many clansmen to care for. There was no reason for him to risk it all for Wenren Sheng.
He was merely a little demon accidentally taken in by the clan leader.
“…”
Though his emotions weren’t greatly stirred, thinking of this made Wenren Sheng’s heart ache inexplicably.
It would have been better if he’d been a rabbit from the start.
For blood-related kin, the clan leader might have made a different choice.
Who would have thought that at this moment, Wenren Jing suddenly straightened up and said:
“Afraid? Why would I be afraid?”
Both of them were stunned for a moment and looked up at Wenren Jing in unison.
Wenren Sheng opened his mouth, hesitating: “…Clan Leader didn’t leave Fragrant Ze Mountain because he was afraid of bringing disaster upon us?”
Wenren Jing looked at Wenren Sheng in disbelief and said: “Of course not. I just tricked those Land Gods by saying the Heavenly Spiritual Root was in a Rabbit Spirit, then led the clan away from Fragrant Ze Mountain overnight.”
“Rabbits all look pretty similar. When the Land Gods caught up, I told the little ones to scatter everywhere. They counted and counted, over and over, but could never get the number right…”
At this point, Wenren Jing seemed to recall something amusing. He suddenly covered his face and chuckled twice, laughing as he spoke.
“In the end, they found nothing—no Heavenly Spiritual Root, not even a single hair! Haha! Those stupid pigs are just—”
He Mu: “…”
Wenren Sheng: “…”
The two opposite him fell silent. Wenren Jing immediately realized he’d gotten carried away and quickly restrained his gleeful laughter.
“But we left in too much of a hurry and I didn’t have time to tell you. I was just afraid you’d… blame me.”
Wenren Jing’s voice grew small again from guilt, his speech quickening.
“And you’re such a clingy kid. If you knew, you’d definitely follow, and then… it would ruin everything…”
Hearing this, He Mu silently sheathed Color Kill.
Wenren Sheng was dazed for a long while before slowly piecing together the whole story.
So, the clan leader had moved the clan to draw away those bad guys for his sake?
It wasn’t because he’d done something wrong and been hated, or because they feared the Heavenly Spiritual Root…?
H-How could it be like this!
Wenren Sheng looked helplessly at He Mu.
“I…”
He Mu didn’t know what to say either. He could only stroke Wenren Sheng’s hair soothingly: “At least the misunderstanding is cleared up now. Don’t be sad.”
Sad?
Wenren Sheng didn’t feel sad at all.
He just didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. His throat felt blocked with the world’s most unpalatable thing—so nasty he couldn’t even speak.
Wenren Sheng puffed his cheeks, abruptly lowering his head, desperately holding back the feeling.
But soon, his eyes, nose, and throat were overwhelmed by a intense sourness. It was as if he were wrapped in a giant onion, tears uncontrollably welling up.
Not sad…
But he really wanted to cry!
Wenren Sheng sniffled, mumbling something under his breath. In the end, he couldn’t hold back his emotions—they burst forth all at once.
Grievously, he turned and hugged He Mu’s neck, sobbing: “I want to go home… I never want to talk to this old man again!”
Wenren Jing startled and hastily stood up: “Hey, little one, s-sorry…”
He Mu was also stunned for a moment, somewhat bewilderedly catching Wenren Sheng in his embrace.
“Shengsheng,” he awkwardly cooed, “don’t cry, don’t cry…”
“Leaving me alone on the mountain, it’s so, so lonely. I’d rather be caught by the Land Gods than be abandoned. The clan leader doesn’t understand anything at all!”
Wenren Sheng grew more aggrieved as he spoke, until the last few words were nearly drowned out by sobs, mumbling incoherently.
He Mu lightly patted Wenren Sheng’s back and softly cooed, “Alright, alright, Shengsheng, I’ll take you home first, okay?”
While holding Wenren Sheng and standing up, he shot the clan leader a look and whispered, “You stay at the foot of the mountain for now. In a few days, I’ll have him come find you.”
Wenren Jing anxiously watched Wenren Sheng, wanting to hug him too.
But as soon as he reached out, He Mu had already formed the hand seal for the Earth Shrinking Technique with one hand, and the two vanished from the teahouse in the blink of an eye.
In the Mountain God Temple.
He Mu placed Wenren Sheng on the bed and squatted at the bedside, looking up at him cry.
Unlike the previous times.
Before, Wenren Sheng had always cried cautiously, pursing his lips as tears rolled down his cheeks, leaving clear tracks.
But now, the tears on his face were all smeared together, his breaths coming in hiccups, crying so hard he seemed about to pass out, looking utterly heartbroken.
He Mu sighed softly and used a handkerchief to wipe the tear stains on his cheeks.
“Hero, why are you crying like this?”
Upon hearing “hero,” Wenren Sheng immediately clamped his mouth shut and stopped crying.
But having cried so fiercely just now, he still hiccuped now and then, looking both amusing and pitiful.
In a voice hoarse from crying, he quibbled, “I-I only cried a little. I was planning to stop right about now anyway.”
“So you’re not crying now?”
“No more crying.”
Wenren Sheng declared firmly.
There wasn’t really anything to cry about anyway. The clan leader was just particularly dense and hadn’t read his mind. He wasn’t that petty.
“Good boy,” He Mu said, eyes curving as he rubbed Wenren Sheng’s cheeks. “Tomorrow is Lidong. Want me to sleep with you tonight?”
Lidong…
Wenren Sheng repeated it in his mind.
D-Doesn’t that mean seclusion time is almost here?
Oh no, but he hadn’t paid proper attention to Wenqu Star’s lessons lately. What if he went into seclusion and couldn’t convince the Heavenly Spiritual Root to return to his body? Wouldn’t he be stuck in that pool forever?!
Wenren Sheng covered his tabby cat face and cried out, “What to do? I-I-I, I’m not prepared yet!”
“Huh?”
He Mu couldn’t immediately see the connection between “not prepared” and his offer to sleep together.
Could this kid get shy about sleeping with someone?
He Mu said, “Didn’t you sleep with wild rabbits when you were little? It’s the same with me next to you now. What’s there to be shy about?”
“What?” Wenren Sheng dropped his hands and pouted. “I’m not shy at all. The Mountain God is so full of himself.”
He Mu asked puzzledly, “Then what do you need to prepare?”
“Getting ready for seclusion,” Wenren Sheng said, counting on his fingers. “For the next three months, I have to study every day, and I need Wenqu Star to stay a bit longer.”
“The things she taught last time, I still haven’t learned them. If I don’t learn them well, I won’t be able to talk to the Heavenly Spiritual Root…”
He muttered as he planned, head down, counting off ten fingers in a row before finally finishing his study schedule.
“That’s it.”
After counting, Wenren Sheng nodded in satisfaction.
But when he looked up, he found He Mu had already rolled himself up in the blanket and lain down on his bed.
“Ah!”
Wenren Sheng hurriedly climbed onto the bed too, tugging at He Mu and complaining, “The Mountain God wasn’t listening at all!”
He Mu, eyes closed, brushed him off. “Mm, mm, I’m listening, I’m listening.”
Even an idiot could tell he was just humoring him!
Wenren Sheng plopped down on the bed, intending to sulk.
But from this angle, He Mu couldn’t see him at all, so even if he was mad, it wouldn’t be noticed.
Wenren Sheng thought for a moment, then carefully lifted the edge of the blanket and slipped inside.
He Mu, who had been pretending to sleep, soon felt a warm little bundle snuggling into his arms, its fluffy head rubbing against him nonstop, like a small animal urging him to get up and play.
He Mu couldn’t help but laugh out loud at him.
He lay flat on his back and scooped Wenren Sheng up in one go.
“Alright, what were you saying? I’ll give you one more moment to say it, and then it’s time to sleep, okay?”
Wenren Sheng nodded happily. He shifted his body to lie on the other side of the bed, flat on his back just like He Mu.
He clutched the corner of the quilt, saying excitedly, “Should I… talk to the clan leader about it again tomorrow?”
He Mu clasped his hands behind his head and replied, “Didn’t you say you didn’t want to talk to him anymore?”
Wenren Sheng shakes his head: “I still have to say it—he’s my lifesaver. Although I think his reason for leaving is not good at all, I still really like the clan leader.”
“You’re not that old, yet you’re quite good at empathizing with others,” He Mu laughed. “It’d be great if you cared a bit more about yourself. You’re always like this—I’m really afraid you’ll get tricked away by someone.”
Hearing this, Wenren Sheng rolled over and grinned at He Mu.
“No way.”
Now he has a family, and is no longer that lonely little wolf from Fragrant Ze Mountain in the past.
Even if deceived, the Mountain God will protect him.
He Mu also turned onto his side. He kissed Wenren Sheng’s forehead, smoothed his hair for him, and then drew the child into his arms.
Sleep well, Shengsheng. Tomorrow is Lidong.
Hiding in this warm, spacious embrace, Wenren Sheng’s head grew dizzy. He felt his body slowly shrinking, and even vaguely imagined that he had sprouted fluffy ears and a tail.
But Wenren Sheng was already so sleepy that he couldn’t even lift his eyelids to confirm.
He murmured, his consciousness slowly fading away with his own voice.
“Lidong ah…”
The day of growing up is coming soon.
