Chapter 21: The Mole Behind the Neck

On Fragrant Ze Mountain, the arrival of spring and the onset of winter both came a little slower than in other places.

Thus, the creatures who lived here had temperaments that matched the mountain—either elderly folks enjoying their twilight years or innocent children ignorant of the world. Even the immortals were carefree beings who had lived for several hundred years.

Yi Jinxiang felt like she was the only one on Fragrant Ze Mountain who truly cared about the mountain’s future.

Ever since Wenren Sheng had gone into seclusion, the Mountain God and He Mu had stayed with him inside the barrier at the back mountain. The Divine Temple lost two rowdy presences from then on and became much quieter.

At first, Yi Jinxiang had planned to deliver her farewells and head straight back home. But when she passed by the Scripture Pavilion they frequented and saw the pile of unorganized scriptures, she found herself unable to leave.

As Wenren Sheng’s master, she decided to stay briefly and clean up his mess in the end.

That brief stay turned into five years.

In the end, she simply stayed alongside Wenren Jing and began helping the Mountain God manage the Divine Temple.

With snakes and rabbits under one roof, arguments were inevitable. Yi Jinxiang was unhappy that Wenren Jing kept bringing his rabbits and descendants into the Divine Temple, and Wenren Jing disliked how she always flicked her snake tail to scare the rabbits. They bickered endlessly for the first two years over this.

Several times, Yi Jinxiang got so angry she nearly devoured the old rabbit on the spot. But mindful that her merits were complete and she couldn’t kill, she forcibly held back.

In the latter two years, they each moved to the southeast and northwest corners of the Divine Temple. Yi Jinxiang no longer heard rabbits scampering at night, and Wenren Jing’s clansmen weren’t startled by snake tails anymore. The war thus came to an end.

Two years of liveliness, two years of quiet.

In the final year, the two finally reconciled. They moved stools to the mouth of the back mountain, taking turns watching during the day and night, waiting for the first news of Wenren Sheng emerging from seclusion.

And so they waited until the end of the fifth year.

“It shouldn’t be.”

Yi Jinxiang snapped her fan shut with a “pa” and suddenly stood up.

“Cangyu said he would emerge today. Why hasn’t he come out even as the sun sets?”

Wenren Jing wasn’t much calmer. He held a palm-sized rabbit and spun in place several times, nearly dizzying it.

Hearing Yi Jinxiang’s words, he stammered a suggestion:

“How about… we go in? Take a look?”

Yi Jinxiang waved her fan to block him virtually and shook her head. “No one can enter Cangyu’s barrier. We can only wait for now.”

She knew full well how much importance He Mu placed on this seclusion. Not only had he set up the barrier at the back mountain, but he had also personally stayed by Wenren Sheng’s side, rarely showing himself over the five years.

“Ah—”

Wenren Jing plopped back down onto his chair upon hearing this and began sighing heavily.

“Oof, if we wait any longer, I’m going to freeze to death…”

Yi Jinxiang didn’t like hearing his endless grumbling. She shot Wenren Jing a glance and cut him off. “We’ve already waited this long. What’s a couple more hours? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Wenren Jing tucked the rabbit in his arms and muttered, “Pretending again.”

Yi Jinxiang heard him clearly and glared viciously.

“You old thing, what did you say?”

Wenren Jing shrank back and said, “You’ve been standing up and sitting down hundreds of times right here. Why only accuse me of being anxious…”

“You…”

Yi Jinxiang choked on his words and, in a fit of anger, kicked Wenren Jing right off his chair.

“You must have one foot in the grave to dare talk to me like that!”

Wenren Jing was old, but his reactions were nimble. By the time Yi Jinxiang’s kick landed, he had already rolled and scrambled several li away.

He was extremely timid and deathly afraid of Yi Jinxiang turning into that giant python to scare him again. He quickly huddled off to the side, trembling, not daring to provoke her anymore.

Yi Jinxiang was too lazy to pursue it. She rolled her eyes, opened her fan again, and flapped it irritably a couple of times.

“Clearly a Rabbit Spirit, yet with the personality of a mouse.”

After muttering that, her gaze returned to the back mountain, worry clouding it once more.

“Wenren Sheng,” she sighed softly, “I hope nothing happens to you. Come out soon.”

On the other side.

He Mu sat with his legs crossed at the stone table by the cold pool, fiddling with the Little Wooden Sword Wenren Sheng had given him, though his gaze remained fixed unmoving on the calm pool water.

“How much longer are you going to stay?”

he asked with a smile.

At his words, bubbles rose from the pool surface as if in response.

“Oh…”

A warm, mellow voice softly answered He Mu.

After a moment, faint splashing sounds rose, and from the center of the hazy pool water, a long-haired youth slowly stood up.

His back was to He Mu, the water lapping just at his lower back. The cold pool’s chill made his skin gleam white as jade.

The youth had slender bones and a slim waist, his long hair nearly covering his entire back. Only a few water droplets could be seen trailing from his shoulders, silently falling back into the pool.

Though still a little one to the Mountain God, his figure had stretched out considerably compared to five years ago.

He Mu suddenly felt a bit awkward and averted his gaze unnaturally, continuing:

“I’m fine either way, but your master and clan leader are waiting for you outside. You really don’t want to see them?”

Wenren Sheng ducked back down into the pool upon hearing this, squatting there like he was sulking.

He Mu had no idea what he had done wrong.

Actually, an hour ago, Wenren Sheng had already awakened.

But for some reason, the Little Ancestor was unhappy right after waking and refused to leave the water, acting like a shy little fish.

He Mu propped his chin, pondering for a moment before probing again: “You won’t come out?”

Only then did Wenren Sheng turn around. Half his face was submerged, and he blew two bubbles while looking at He Mu with deeply resentful eyes, two flushes of red on his cheeks.

“I know. I want to go out too.”

He Mu spread one hand. “Then why haven’t you gotten up?”

“…”

After a long silence, Wenren Sheng sighed and mumbled softly, “I’m not wearing anything on me.”

He Mu: “…”

Now it was He Mu’s turn to fall silent.

Clothes had been prepared, but he hadn’t left the barrier for days, focusing solely on waiting for Wenren Sheng’s emergence, and in the moment, he forgot about it.

He opened his mouth, hesitated for a good while, and in the end said nothing.

A moment later, he stood up abruptly and tossed out a “Wait here” before vanishing.

Wenren Sheng, stark naked in the cold pool, finally relaxed a bit. He swam to the edge, draped his arms over it, and let out a wistful sigh.

“Sigh…”

“The Mountain God is still so unreliable.”

An hour ago, he had awakened in the pool and discovered his body had reformed. The Heavenly Spiritual Root he had held in his palm before sleeping was gone.

He tried channeling the spiritual power in his body and confirmed the Heavenly Spiritual Root had fused into him before poking his head out of the cold pool with relief.

He had assumed He Mu would leave clothes by the pool, but after searching around, Wenren Sheng found not a scrap of fabric—He Mu had completely forgotten!

Thus came the scene earlier where Wenren Sheng stood up from the pool only to squat back down, hinting for He Mu to find him something to cover up with.

Unfortunately, He Mu hadn’t caught on at all.

Five years later, and the Mountain God was still so unreliable—Wenren Sheng was starting to worry about him.

But more than that, Wenren Sheng was focused on his own changes right now.

“Fifteen…” With one cheek resting on his arm, Wenren Sheng idly drew circles on the ground with his finger. “Seems like… I haven’t grown much.”

Over these five years, though he had been sealed in the cold pool along with the Heavenly Spiritual Root, his body and mind hadn’t stopped developing.

Through the Heavenly Spiritual Root, he had perceived the world in another way, just like the sensation during his first sword swing—his soul seemed to leave his body. Not only could Wenren Sheng see his own body, but also Fragrant Ze Mountain and even what others on the mountain were doing.

He had been asleep, but also constantly growing. His soul had drifted to many places across the Four Seas Eight Wastelands bit by bit.

So for Wenren Sheng, these five years hadn’t just passed with eyes closed and opened—he was now truly a fifteen-year-old youth.

Wenren Sheng straightened up and peered down at the water surface.

He felt his appearance hadn’t changed much, just that his features were sharper than in childhood, his bone structure more refined, and his eyes had gained a pretty curve at the corners.

Beyond that, there wasn’t much difference—everything was the same as before.

With that thought, the worries in Wenren Sheng’s heart eased considerably.

He flopped back to the pool edge, cupped his face, kicked his legs under the water, and waited happily for He Mu to bring him properly fitting clothes.

He Mu truly didn’t keep him waiting long. He soon hurried back to the back mountain with two stacks of clothes.

Upon entering the barrier, he found Wenren Sheng obediently in the water, blinking up at him.

“I asked tailors several times, but without measurements, I really didn’t know your size,” He Mu set the two stacks by the pool and explained. “These are made to my size at fifteen. Try them.”

Wenren Sheng’s eyes lit up at once. He eagerly grabbed the top outer robe, carefully unfolding and inspecting it.

“It looks just like the one from when I was little!” Wenren Sheng said delightedly.

He Mu nodded matter-of-factly. “Yeah, and there are other colors too. You can try those after we go out.”

Wenren Sheng set the clothes down and hurriedly waved He Mu on. “Then turn around quick, Mountain God. I need to change.”

He Mu wasn’t pleased. He crossed his arms and questioned, “When you changed as a kid, you never made me turn around.”

Wenren Sheng’s face flushed bright red. “Wh-what? Even as a kid, I made you turn away and not look. Don’t spout nonsense, Mountain God!”

Seeing him so flustered his fur was practically standing on end, He Mu quickly waved with a laugh. “Hey, don’t get mad. I’m just teasing. I’ll turn now.”

With that, he turned around on the spot, giving Wenren Sheng space to change.

Wenren Sheng scrambled out, dried himself off, and hurriedly pulled on the undergarments and mid-robe, wrapping himself up completely.

He Mu heard no more sounds and asked, “All dressed?”

Wenren Sheng hummed in affirmation, took He Mu’s hand and shook it, and said, “My hair’s too long. Can you help tie it up, Mountain God?”

He Mu turned back, his gaze landing on Wenren Sheng’s hair.

The Cold-Avoiding Pearl he had given Wenren Sheng also repelled moisture, so his previously dripping hair was now fully dry, though a bit frizzy. The few curls on top stuck out stubbornly.

The hair had grown much longer—enough for a ponytail that would reach his waist.

Could hair grow this long in five years…

As He Mu pondered, he gathered Wenren Sheng’s hair to one side and looked at the remaining outer robe.

Wenren Sheng dressed seriously, but his hands were too clumsy. After failing several times to tie the sash, he couldn’t help muttering.

“What the heck… why is this still so hard to tie!”

Seeing him so anxious, He Mu’s eyes crinkled with amusement. This kid’s temperament hadn’t grown up much—he still threw tantrums.

As he thought that, his gaze drifted unconsciously to the collar at the back of Wenren Sheng’s robe.

The clothes He Mu had made weren’t a perfect fit yet. The mid-robe’s collar was a bit loose, revealing a slender, slightly lean neck.

And in that glance, He Mu noticed for the first time a faint mole on Wenren Sheng’s right shoulder near the nape—an extremely cleverly placed one.

As a kid… was there a mole here?

He Mu stared at the pale ink spot, lost in thought, and before he knew it, had looked for quite a while.

It wasn’t until Wenren Sheng said “Done” that he snapped back.

“Oh…” He Mu withdrew his gaze and let Wenren Sheng’s hair fall back down. “Want me to tie it up?”

Wenren Sheng shook his head. He beamed at He Mu, then slipped his arms under He Mu’s and hugged him proactively, even rubbing his face against him.

“I missed you so much,” he said softly. “It’s been forever.”

Though he could occasionally talk to the Mountain God via the bracelet from the bottom of the cold pool, it was intangible and only during brief lucid moments each day—far from enough.

Now reunited with his beloved family, all the longing in Wenren Sheng’s heart fluttered out like butterflies.

“Did you miss me, Mountain God?”

He Mu’s breath hitched at the sudden embrace.

They were too close, and He Mu caught a faint orchid scent on Wenren Sheng—comforting to smell.

A moment later, he finally reacted. He hurriedly ruffled Wenren Sheng’s hair and lowered his head to hug him back.

“Of course,” He Mu said softly, “I’ve missed you so, so much too, Shengsheng.”

Wenren Sheng’s eyes grew a bit sour at those words. He tightened his embrace, sticking closely to He Mu. He wished he could be like when he was little, jumping up so He Mu would carry him directly.

Of course, the Mountain God could easily pick up the current him without any trouble. It was just that Wenren Sheng felt it would make him seem like he hadn’t grown up at all, still acting like a little kid.

He was fifteen now, old enough to be a great hero. He absolutely could not do that.

As dusk approached, the two hugged for a good while. Only when the sky began to darken did they reluctantly let go of each other.

Wenren Sheng was perfectly satisfied with the hug. He looked up at He Mu with a smile, bounced excitedly a couple of times, and asked, “What about Master and the clan leader? Are they still waiting for me outside?”

Only then did He Mu remember the two people waiting outside.

He said with sudden realization, “Oh, I almost forgot.”

“…Almost forgot?” Wenren Sheng said incredulously. “Th-then doesn’t that mean Master and the clan leader have been standing outside the whole time? Won’t they be mad?”

He Mu thought to himself that Wenren Jing probably wouldn’t be angry, but Wenqu Star was another story.

He figured that since she doted on her disciple so much, her anger would vanish completely the moment she saw Wenren Sheng.

With that in mind, He Mu patted Wenren Sheng’s back without a care.

“No worries. You go first and see them.”

Wenren Sheng nodded vigorously. With permission granted, he darted toward the barrier’s exit like a sparrow without another word.

He Mu didn’t follow right away. He stood behind, watching Wenren Sheng’s back with a beaming smile.

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed, and he’d grown this big.

Yet He Mu still felt Wenren Sheng was very small, still that skinny kid he could never fatten up—the Wenren Sheng who turned into the Little Wolf when he slept.

He Mu gestured with his hand to measure the height of Wenren Sheng he remembered, then aligned it with his own body, marking the spot where Wenren Sheng had just hugged him.

“He’s grown a little taller,” He Mu muttered to himself. “But not by much…”

At that thought, as if possessed by a ghost, He Mu recalled the faint mole he’d seen on the back of Wenren Sheng’s neck earlier.

That spot was often a person’s vital point. Anyone with even a bit of martial skill would protect it deliberately, not expose it without reservation like Wenren Sheng had.

But what concerned He Mu the most right now wasn’t that.

“…Why hadn’t I noticed it before?”

He Mu murmured to himself.

Had it appeared because his body had changed a bit during his seclusion?

At that thought, He Mu felt inexplicably restless for some reason. He irritably ruffled his own hair, thinking it was probably because they hadn’t seen each other in so long that he was paying extra attention to that small change.

He shook his head, trying hard to push the thought from his mind.