Chapter 38: Who Are You?

Night fell, at the third quarter of the Hai hour.

Wenren Sheng closed the book and extinguished the study lights on time.

After bidding Yi Jinxiang goodnight, he walked obediently back toward his room.

However, just as he reached the covered walkway at the corner, he suddenly stopped and looked back a few times.

“Good, no one there.”

After confirming no one followed, he quickly formed a hand seal and reverted to his true form. He dropped his bundle and sneaked along a small path toward the side gate of Splendid Palace.

Tonight, he was heading to the bell tower to meet the contact named “Murong He.”

Wenren Sheng was already eighteen this year and had entered the Golden Core Realm two years ago. Both his true form and human form remained at sixteen, with no further growth.

Though he was often mistaken for a puppy due to his small size, Wenren Sheng still loved this agile body. As a yao, it was extremely convenient.

For example, today, taking advantage of his smaller size, he quickly reached the side gate.

Compared to the heavily guarded main entrance, only a young Emerald Green Snake guarded here. At that moment, she coiled on the plaque, snoring soundly.

Wenren Sheng looked up at her, took two deep breaths, then held his breath and stepped out a paw.

Be careful, don’t disturb her…

During the day, he had deliberately sent her a box of pastries laced with a sedative hypnotic incense, which made her sleep so deeply.

Wenren Sheng carefully stepped over the side gate, slid down the grassy slope, rolled a couple of times, and finally slipped out of Splendid Palace, returning to the nighttime Cangzhou City.

He transformed back into human form and, just in case, hid his tail and wolf ears to avoid the other party being a Heavenly Court spy.

Wenren Sheng scaled the wall to the bell tower and looked down.

Due to the curfew, Wenren Sheng had never seen a black market before. This was his first time sneaking out at night to play.

Nighttime Cangzhou City was completely different from daytime. After the lanterns lit up, the entire city wove light and shadow into a bewitching, eerie scene, like it was shrouded in a glazed lamp.

The yao on the roads gradually revealed their true forms. Some large ones stood one or two zhang tall, lumbering slowly along the narrow bluestone paths, their tails able to sweep over several night market stalls.

Wenren Sheng couldn’t tear his eyes away, but he still remembered he was there for news on the Rebirth Incense, so he forcibly reined in his mind.

He glanced down from the bell tower and spotted a figure wearing a conical hat, hugging a sword and leaning against the wall.

“That’s him?” Wenren Sheng touched the dagger at his waist. “He looks tough. Better be careful.”

But careful or not, he was here to do business, so he still needed to give the guy a show of strength.

With that, he leaped down, landing silently along the wall, planning to land squarely in front of the man to let him know he was no pushover.

But as soon as he stepped out, the man suddenly looked up at him, a cold glint flashing from the silver mask on his face.

“…”

Wenren Sheng’s expression changed in shock. He hurriedly said, “Hey! Don’t step forward…”

Before he finished, the man, as if out of mischief, deliberately stepped forward onto the spot where Wenren Sheng planned to land.

“Wha…?!”

Wenren Sheng’s lightness skill was good, but he couldn’t dodge mid-air without footing. In his haste, he could only flail twice and flip over.

About to crash into the man, Wenren Sheng thought, “It’s over,” and despairingly covered his face.

Whoosh!

The next moment, he landed in a pair of sturdy arms.

…He caught him!

Wenren Sheng panted twice and moved his hands away. He was perfectly fine, held bridal-style in the arms of this conical hat man.

One hand gripped his thigh, the other wrapped around his waist, fingers digging into his waist flesh. The pose was intimate and natural, as if he had held him like this countless times.

Wenren Sheng wore thin clothes, and he could feel the man’s warm palm pressing against his skin through the fabric, rubbing itchily.

His face instantly reddened. He jumped out of the man’s arms, fur bristling all over.

“What are you doing!” Wenren Sheng said, embarrassed and angry. “You clearly saw me jumping down. You did that on purpose?”

Too much!

And why touch his leg and waist?!

Wenren Sheng angrily rebuked, “Even though you caught me, thanks, but I could’ve landed fine on my own. Totally unnecessary!”

“And, and I saw you deliberately step forward. What do you mean? Do you think that’s cool? You you you…”

But after ranting a bunch and venting his anger, the man in front said nothing.

He stared at him with an ambiguous smile, eyes unblinking, making Wenren Sheng’s skin crawl.

Wenren Sheng shivered and shrank back.

“Why are you looking at me like that… Do you know me?”

The man shook his head and said lowly, “Not really.”

The voice was unfamiliar; Wenren Sheng had never heard it.

He thus scrutinized the man closely and noticed a silver filigree mask covering the right half of his face.

Wenren Sheng recognized this magic tool, common in the jianghu. It bore a spell that made others unable to remember one’s appearance or recognize one’s voice.

Pretty cautious. He’d judged the guy unreliable just from the name earlier—wrongly so.

Wenren Sheng narrowed his eyes and leaned closer.

“You… are Murong He?”

The other didn’t move, waiting for Wenren Sheng to finish inspecting him before shortly replying, “It’s me.”

Wenren Sheng couldn’t spot anything off, so he half-believed and withdrew his gaze. “Alright, I can’t sneak out too long. Straight to the point: do you have any more ‘Rebirth Incense’? I want to buy some from you.”

“You want this?” Murong He picked up his sword again and said, “I have some, but I didn’t bring any today.”

Wenren Sheng said disappointedly, “Didn’t bring it? Isn’t this stuff super popular now? You’d have people fighting to buy it if you carried it.”

Murong He smiled and said, “Things of too high value can’t be measured in silver. I only sell Rebirth Incense to people I like the look of.”

People he liked the look of?

Tch, putting on airs.

Wenren Sheng didn’t want to lose to him, so he feigned indifference, casually waving a hand and saying lightly,

“Forget it, since you didn’t bring it today, I don’t want it.”

With that, he turned to leave.

Seeing him go, a flash of panic crossed Murong He’s face. He subconsciously grabbed Wenren Sheng’s arm.

“Wait, don’t go.”

Hooked.

Wenren Sheng thought he’d acted convincingly and reeled him in.

He smugly shook off Murong He’s hand, pretending to be heartless.

“What, something else?”

Murong He’s tone softened a bit, helpless as he said, “I didn’t say no. If you want the Rebirth Incense, come here tomorrow at the second watch. I’ll bring it to you, how’s that?”

Wenren Sheng wasn’t satisfied and shook his head. “You decide everything, so wasn’t this trip a waste? No sincerity. I’m not buying.”

With that, he turned to run again.

Murong He had to grab him again and concede further. “Then you say when to meet, okay?”

This time, Wenren Sheng relented and walked back in front of Murong He.

“Where do you live?” Wenren Sheng asked.

“…Nearby,” Murong He hesitated before saying. “You want to come to my place?”

Wenren Sheng nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow at si hour, after my morning class.”

He wasn’t deliberately making things hard for Murong He, but he couldn’t keep drugging the Emerald Green Snake sister at the gate every day, right?

Meeting at night all the time was too tough.

And how to explain to his master after going home? Say he snuck out for a secret rendezvous?

His master, who locked him up at the slightest sign of trouble, would definitely think he was hanging with some jianghu thug.

Murong He was silent for a moment, seemingly considering his answer.

Wenren Sheng understood his concerns—wind messengers were in a risky trade; you couldn’t casually tell others where you lived.

So he considerately said, “We don’t have to go to your place. There’s a teahouse nearby called Fufeng Pavilion. We can meet there, cash on delivery.”

After saying that, afraid Murong He wouldn’t feel secure, he emphasized, “I’ll take the stuff and go, won’t hold you up—”

“Hold me up, it’s fine,” Murong He smiled and interrupted. “As long as you come.”

This gave Wenren Sheng goosebumps.

What does “as long as you come” mean…

This yao talks so flirtatiously, like they’re old pals.

And Wenren Sheng kept feeling a familiar scent on him, indescribable, but it made him want to get closer.

When he held him earlier, for a split second, Wenren Sheng almost thought it was the Mountain God come for him.

Especially the warmth of his palm and the strength gripping his waist—somehow, Wenren Sheng felt his tail instinctively wanting to emerge and wag.

Just from being touched once, this reaction.

So… improper!

Wenren Sheng’s thoughts turned irritated. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anger, as if thinking of something embarrassing.

Mindful the guy was still there, Wenren Sheng shook his head. “Alright, alright, that’s it. Tomorrow at Fufeng Pavilion. Don’t say you don’t know it?”

With that, he undid the Transformation Technique, turned back into the Little Wolf, and ran off.

“Wait…”

Murong He stepped forward, wanting to chase, but the true form Wenren Sheng fled lightning-fast, giving him no chance.

Like a fish diving into water, in the blink of an eye, he vanished into the night.

Murong He stood in place, dazedly watching the direction Wenren Sheng left.

A moment later, he came back to himself, sighed faintly, and removed his mask.

With the spell undone, a young face appeared beneath, gray pupils, a faded mark between his brows.

He opened his palm, revealing a string of black-and-white beads, lustrous and smooth, faintly glowing within.

He rubbed the beads with his fingertip; the green thumb ring on his knuckle gently clinked against them.

This was the birthday gift he had once given Wenren Sheng, their only keepsake.

Unfortunately, Wenren Sheng left it behind before departing Fragrant Ze Mountain and vanished thereafter.

These years, he could only cling to these beads as a memento.

“Shengsheng…”

He half-lowered his eyes and murmured.

“I’ve finally found you.”