Chapter 44: You Said It’s Him

Who did this?

Wenren Sheng was completely dumbfounded. He had been kissed until his eyes were wet and red, his breathing slightly rapid. When he saw the messy state all over his body, his gaze became even more bewildered.

“But just now… there wasn’t anything…”

Wenren Sheng explained somewhat helplessly.

He could not see He Mu’s gaze or sense his emotions. He could only stand there at a loss, his hand involuntarily gripping He Mu’s shoulder tightly.

But He Mu did not seem very angry. The back of his hand wandered vaguely near Wenren Sheng’s nape, as if stroking a docile cat.

“Shengsheng,”

He pressed his finger belly slowly against the tender neck beside Wenren Sheng’s ear.

“I remember, it was you who promised to marry me back then, saying you would wed me for life, for eternity, just the two of us.”

His voice carried a scalding heat, along with a hint of forceful threat.

“But on our wedding night… you went outside to find someone else first?”

Wenren Sheng’s heart trembled, mist rising in his eyes.

Though he knew he had not done such a thing, the moment He Mu said it, it felt like some shameful secret had been exposed. Shame surged uncontrollably within him.

He clearly had not done this.

Though he had left the Mountain God for a long time, Wenren Sheng had never been moved by anyone else, let alone had such intimate contact with another.

But where did the red marks on his body come from? Wenren Sheng racked his brains but could not figure it out. He felt so wronged that tears were about to fall.

“I really didn’t. I don’t know how these marks got here either. Just now, I wasn’t here. I was in a ruined temple and met an old lady. Then she told me…”

“She said she wanted to fulfill my wish from before death, but my wish isn’t like this. I haven’t died either…”

Wenren Sheng babbled his explanation, but because he was too anxious, his words came out jumbled and incoherent.

Seeing his teary eyes, He Mu smiled faintly and rubbed the back of Wenren Sheng’s neck.

He said softly, “You really didn’t seek out anyone else?”

“Of course not!”

“No one you like?”

“No!”

“No skin-to-skin contact?”

“…………”

When it came to this question, Wenren Sheng could not answer.

Just an hour ago, he had been forcefully kissed by Murong He. Saying no to skin-to-skin contact now would be no different from lying.

He did not want to lie to the Mountain God, but confessing now would only confirm that he had gone looking for some other man on their wedding night.

Wenren Sheng was at a loss for words. He desperately wanted to just close his eyes and faint dead away.

He did close his eyes, but He Mu did not let him off because of it. Soon, Wenren Sheng felt something cool slide over his collarbone, slipping in through the half-open collar.

He could not help but look down and saw that He Mu was wearing the thumb ring he had given him.

The confession gift he had given He Mu two years ago.

“Uh…”

Wenren Sheng let out a low hum and grabbed He Mu’s wrist.

“Why are you wearing… this thing?”

He Mu did not answer his question. His finger belly slipped under Wenren Sheng’s inner robe, and the thumb ring followed.

The jade was both cool and smooth, very hard. When it brushed over his chest, it even made Wenren Sheng’s body tremble lightly.

Wenren Sheng could not stand being touched like this. He panicked and stopped He Mu.

“Wait, you… what are you doing?”

He Mu undid another button on Wenren Sheng’s robe, his hand already slipping through the clothes to touch his waist.

“You’re still young. Even if you made a mistake, I won’t blame you.”

He held Wenren Sheng’s waist and pulled him closer, saying gently,

“Tonight, you’ll do it with me bearing these marks. When you cry, I’ll show some mercy.”

“…………”

Wenren Sheng had never heard He Mu say such blatant words to him. He felt that if this continued, the image of the Mountain God in his heart was about to collapse.

Seeing He Mu lean in to kiss him again, Wenren Sheng quickly turned his head away to dodge.

He panted urgently for two breaths, his pupils gradually coming into focus.

Fortunately, the coolness of the jade had stimulated him a moment ago. Wenren Sheng regained a bit of reason from the heat.

If this scene was what that matchmaker meant by “fulfilling the wish,” then the current situation was probably some bewitching illusion.

He did not know what would happen if this “wish” continued—whether his soul would be forever trapped in the Underworld.

He had to find Murong He first.

Wenren Sheng took a deep breath and looked steadily at He Mu. “I need to find Murong He. Where is he now?”

He Mu’s expression cooled.

“…Murong He?”

Wenren Sheng nodded. “Murong Brother came here with me. We can’t separate. Take me to him.”

“Brother?” He Mu sneered. “You think it’s appropriate to say that in front of me?”

“I—”

He Mu finally showed some anger. Without waiting for Wenren Sheng to finish, his hand firmly gripped Wenren Sheng’s waist. An urgent and aggressive kiss landed back on his lips.

“Mm… don’t… kiss…”

Wenren Sheng was kissed until he could not breathe. He could not even clench his teeth properly. He kept being invaded by scorching breaths, and his ears were filled with shameful kissing sounds.

While kissing, He Mu also groped him. The touch of the thumb ring roamed chaotically under his clothes, kneading him now and then, making the back of Wenren Sheng’s neck go numb. Uncontrollable soft moans escaped his throat.

But at this critical moment, Wenren Sheng’s mind grew clearer.

He was in the Underworld now. He absolutely could not sink into this illusory dream. If he let He Mu continue, he might never wake up.

He had come to see the clan leader, not to consummate a marriage. He also did not want to give away his first time just like this.

Wenren Sheng steeled his heart. His canine teeth clamped down, biting He Mu hard.

A bloody sweetness instantly filled his mouth. He Mu grunted and finally parted lips with Wenren Sheng.

Seizing the chance, Wenren Sheng pushed He Mu away and stood up. He grabbed the half-removed veil from his head and flung it onto He Mu.

“The Mountain God is a very gentle person. He wouldn’t treat me like this or bully me until I cry!”

Wenren Sheng glared angrily at He Mu and scolded,

“Don’t think I’m that easy to fool!”

As soon as he said this, He Mu’s gaze toward him suddenly froze, becoming rigid and still.

Then, the surroundings began to change.

The red canopy, candlelight, quilts, and even He Mu’s face—all twisted like a churned dye vat, blending into one color.

The veil did not land in He Mu’s arms but fell empty to the ground.

The scene before him reverted to the original ruined earth temple.

Cold sweat beaded on Wenren Sheng’s forehead. His steps staggered, and he steadied himself against the nearby altar.

It really was fake!

It was impossible anyway. If the Mountain God had truly appeared in the Underworld at this moment, Wenren Sheng would eat this altar on the spot.

Bang!

At that moment, the clash of weapons rang in his ears. Then, with two whooshes, a figure slid to a stop beside Wenren Sheng.

He Mu shook the dust from in front of him, holding his sword horizontally with his left arm. Without turning his head, he said, “You’re back?”

Wenren Sheng hurriedly looked over and saw He Mu fighting an ugly monster.

The monster was covered in cuts all over. It looked like a creature pieced together from dismembered flesh blocks.

Hundreds of blue butterflies swirled around the monster, flapping their wings in unison and whipping up a fierce wind that blew Wenren Sheng’s hair back.

He raised his arm to block the wind and asked, “Who is this?”

“That matchmaker from earlier,” He Mu explained. “We accidentally fell for her illusion arts. I broke out a bit earlier than you.”

With that, He Mu glanced back at Wenren Sheng. His free hand casually adjusted Wenren Sheng’s clothes for him.

“Your illusion was quite steamy.”

The tone on “steamy” sounded odd. Wenren Sheng looked down and saw his clothes half-open. Everything had been seen clearly earlier.

His face reddened in shame and annoyance as he hurriedly buttoned up.

“No!”

Wait, no—if he had been here the whole time after waking, then the sounds he made just now…

He Mu seemed to guess what Wenren Sheng was thinking. His lips twitched slightly.

“You sounded so good,” he teased. “Did you meet your sweetheart?”

Wenren Sheng’s ears turned red. He immediately scolded, “None of your business!”

He Mu snorted coldly to himself. How was it none of his business? Clearly, Wenren Sheng had called out “Mountain God” so pitifully earlier that it messed up his sword techniques.

The monster in the distance did not give them time to chat. It reached out, and tens of thousands of white threads burst from its palm, attacking the two fiercely.

Wenren Sheng dodged to the side and crouched low. His wolf ears and tail emerged again.

Amid the howling wind, he shouted loudly to He Mu, “Why is this monster blocking us in the Underworld?”

He Mu shook off the white threads wrapping his sword and replied, “You might recognize it. It’s called Qianxiang, a genderless monster.”

“Qianxiang…?”

Wenren Sheng drew a dagger from his waist and stroked the blade, turning it into a longsword.

Illusion arts, blue butterflies, and that bizarre body…

Wenren Sheng’s pupils shrank.

“…Fox demon?”

“It looked like a fox before I started killing it,” He Mu said as he dodged attacks and moved closer to Wenren Sheng. “But now it’s neither human nor demon. Who knows what it is.”

The threads from Qianxiang’s palm were extremely tough. Swords could hardly cut them. Wenren Sheng could only slash out some space to avoid being pierced.

If it really was a fox demon, then it was his parents’ killer.

Wenren Sheng gripped his sword hilt tightly, his brows furrowing slightly.

“The kin I came to see was killed by him,” he said to He Mu in front of him.

He Mu did not wield the sword himself but controlled it with magic. His Amber Gold Sword was a single-handed blade that pierced through the threads like lightning, very powerful.

Hearing Wenren Sheng’s words, he showed no surprise, merely humming lightly.

Wenren Sheng’s pupils contracted further. In the Underworld, the closer he got to his deceased kin’s soul, the more his anger surged.

“I want to kill him,” he said through gritted teeth.

He had to avenge the clan leader.

“Alright, I’ll help you,” He Mu said. He hooked his fingers back, recalling the Amber Gold Sword. “But spare him for now. Let’s probe his background first. The killer of your kin might not be just one.”

“Got it.”

Wenren Sheng stroked his sword with two fingers and exhaled a breath of cold air.

“Please have Brother cover me.”

As soon as he spoke, Wenren Sheng stomped down, flicked his sword to deflect a white thread, and leaped onto it. He then used them as footholds, stepping rapidly toward Qianxiang at extreme speed.

He Mu did as Wenren Sheng asked, handling attacks from all sides without providing more support.

This vendetta had to be settled by Wenren Sheng personally.

Otherwise, he could not comprehend his Dao Heart, his cultivation would not advance, and his intent for Ascension could not stabilize.

Wenren Sheng focused his mind on the steps of his Lightness Skill. His attention had never been so concentrated. He felt as if he had become one of those hundreds of blue butterflies, flying lightly against the wind.

Seeing Wenren Sheng closing in relentlessly while his attacks were repeatedly interrupted by the golden longsword, Qianxiang grew disordered. Several threads from his hand tangled together, impossible to untie.

Until Wenren Sheng stepped onto the last thread. His eyes flashed with cold light. He spun and raised his sword toward Qianxiang’s neck.

“You killed my kin,” he shouted. “Your soul has no right to reincarnate!”

As his words fell, two clear clangs rang out.

He Mu and Wenren Sheng’s swords converged, both pointing at Qianxiang’s neck.

At such close range, Wenren Sheng realized Qianxiang’s face and body were even more terrifying than he imagined.

Besides the bone-deep cuts, there were countless festering sores covering his entire chest.

The flesh on his head was pieced together crudely, even his facial features misaligned. The entire demon had no complete form and reeked of rotting meat.

Wenren Sheng’s stomach churned.

He held back and asked, “You… why did you become like this?”

With his throat pinned by crossed swords, Qianxiang could no longer attack. He tilted his neck slightly and glared at Wenren Sheng through gritted teeth.

“Why…?”

“You dare ask me why!”

Qianxiang let out a shrill screech, pointing at He Mu not far away while clutching his blood-drenched face and howling:

“Look at my current appearance… it’s all his doing, all of it… He skinned me alive and carved the flesh from my bones! I suffered so much under his hands. I died in such agony!!!”

Wenren Sheng felt his eardrums ache from the sound, chills creeping up his spine one vertebra at a time.

Skinned alive and flesh carved out?

Murong He did that?

Why would Murong He know this fox demon? Had he come to Xiang City before? To Fragrant Ze Mountain?

Wenren Sheng remembered that when he left Fragrant Ze Mountain, he had left Color Kill behind and spared Qianxiang’s life.

Now that it resided in the Underworld, someone must have ended its life.

That person… was it Murong He?