Chapter 9: Liking the Mountain God

Color Kill seemed to sense the power behind the door as well. The sword body trembled lightly twice.

“Evil Suppressing Curse…” He Mu lifted the talisman on the door and mused, “Could it be that the spirit root was sealed together with some evil spirit?”

Wenren Sheng’s face paled somewhat. The sudden fluctuations of spiritual flow made his body unaccustomed, and a parched bitterness filled his throat, with a faint urge to vomit.

“Mm…”

He let out a low hum and quickly covered his mouth.

No, don’t complain.

The spirit root was right in front of him. He just needed to endure it a little longer.

That was what he thought, but the sensation from the spiritual flow felt like sitting on a boat that rocked endlessly. The more he tried to hold it in, the stronger the sour nausea in his stomach became.

Wenren Sheng’s eyes reddened from the strain. He couldn’t help but hunch over and let out two weak hums.

“Adjust your breathing. Your true qi has gone into reverse.”

He Mu quickly noticed Wenren Sheng’s abnormality. He pulled over Wenren Sheng’s wrist, placed two fingers on the pulse, then drew a talisman from his waist and stuck it to the center of Wenren Sheng’s shoulder blade.

As soon as it was applied, the talisman ignited with a wisp of eerie blue flame out of thin air, quickly burning the paper to ashes.

After the talisman paper burned away, Wenren Sheng’s breathing instantly smoothed out a lot. He clutched his chest, feeling a faint warmth.

The flame from the talisman paper earlier seemed to have entered his body.

“Feeling better?” He Mu asked. “Your spirit root has been separated from your body for too long, so there will be some discomfort. I passed some spiritual power to you.”

This time, He Mu extended his hand proactively, signaling for Wenren Sheng to hold on to him.

Wenren Sheng blinked, staring blankly at He Mu’s hand before looking up into his eyes.

“What, not scared anymore?” He Mu curved his eyes.

Wenren Sheng finally reacted sluggishly. The Mountain God wanted to hold his hand, to protect him.

He nodded hurriedly and grasped He Mu’s pinky. His icy plain-like beautiful eyes sparkled with delight.

“I’m scared,” he said happily, “super super super scared.”

This look showed not the slightest bit of fear.

But the kid’s smile was too adorable. It made He Mu want to pinch his cheeks, so the words to expose him never made it out.

With one hand holding Wenren Sheng’s, He Mu’s movements became much more cautious.

He removed one Evil Suppression talisman from the door. The spiritual flow fluctuations reacted immediately. The Four-Cornered Copper Bells on both sides trembled violently at once, clanging with ear-piercing rings.

Wenren Sheng faintly heard pained groans from behind the door, accompanied by something continuously slamming against the stone door, as if it could burst out at any moment.

“Is this really my spirit root?” Wenren Sheng couldn’t help but ask. “Why is it so unfriendly?”

He Mu said, “There are two different strands of spiritual power clashing against each other inside. Something else is probably sealed in there too.”

Wenren Sheng gave a vague “oh” of half-understanding and subconsciously gripped He Mu’s hand tighter.

“Will it be very powerful?”

“No,” He Mu casually flung the Evil Suppression talisman in his hand. “At this level, even you could handle it easily.”

“Really?” Wenren Sheng made a bitter melon face. “But I…”

“Really,” He Mu said firmly. “Don’t lack confidence. Your aptitude is excellent; you just lacked some opportunities.”

He paused, then added, “This opportunity—I will lead you to it. You can rest assured.”

With He Mu saying this, much of the fear in Wenren Sheng’s heart dissipated instantly.

He was right. He couldn’t lose confidence.

Though he had lost half his spirit root, hadn’t the Mountain God lent him his Amber Gold Sword?

Color Kill was so powerful. As long as he didn’t get nervous, he could definitely use it well.

Eh, speaking of which, it had felt light in his hand earlier, as if he weren’t holding anything…

Wenren Sheng belatedly looked down at his palm.

It was empty. Nothing there.

“…”

“Where’s the sword?!”

Wenren Sheng covered his face and shouted.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Color Kill responded, flashing with silver light as it slowly floated in front of Wenren Sheng.

It remained still, only the plum blossom patterns on the blade flickering on and off, as if breathing steadily.

Wenren Sheng then remembered that in his fright earlier, he had flung the Amber Gold Sword away with both hands and turned to hug He Mu’s leg.

If Color Kill hadn’t had such high spirituality, it might have gotten chipped from the fall.

“Sorry!”

Wenren Sheng bent over to apologize at once.

Color Kill didn’t seem angry. It hovered quietly in midair, seemingly waiting for Wenren Sheng to take it again.

But the next problem arrived right away.

Wenren Sheng’s other hand was still holding He Mu’s. A single hand couldn’t manage Color Kill’s weight. He needed at least three hands to handle both sides.

Whichever he let go would make him seem biased, and the other would surely feel hurt.

Ah, he was completely overwhelmed!

Wenren Sheng looked at Color Kill, then at He Mu, his eyes spinning in circles from anxiety.

Seeing him at a loss like a puppy that had lost its tail, He Mu’s lips curved slightly. He chuckled softly.

The kid was truly amusing.

“Shengsheng,” He Mu leaned in a bit and deliberately asked, “So, do you like it, or do you like me?”

Wenren Sheng was nearly scared to tears. He squeezed He Mu’s hand and stammered,

“I-I…”

He “I”ed for a long time, his brain nearly overheating, but he still couldn’t figure out how to answer He Mu’s question.

Just as tears were about to well up in Wenren Sheng’s eyes, He Mu timely let go, releasing Wenren Sheng’s hand.

“Alright, alright,” he said, switching to ruffling Wenren Sheng’s hair. “You’re about to reclaim your spirit root and become a great hero. Why cry?”

Wenren Sheng sniffled, his eyes full of confusion.

He Mu said no more. He nodded his chin toward Color Kill in Wenren Sheng’s hand. “Hold the sword to protect yourself. I’ll break the array.”

“…”

Wenren Sheng still hadn’t realized he’d been teased by He Mu. With teary eyes, he gripped the sword and obediently stepped to the side.

Though Color Kill had shrunk in size, it was still quite heavy. Wenren Sheng held it with all his strength, but his mind replayed the moment he had clung tightly to the Mountain God earlier.

It had been a long time since he had depended on someone like this.

Or rather, a long time since someone he could depend on had appeared.

But the Mountain God was reliable. Wenren Sheng always subconsciously wanted to rely on him, even stick to him—like those two shadows under the moonlight, linking their souls tightly together.

Like family.

Sigh, but why did he always drop the ball at crucial moments?

Wenren Sheng pouted and grumbled inwardly.

Back on Fragrant Ze Mountain, when he played with his shadow puppet, he never stuttered or struggled to speak.

Was it like the Mountain God said, because he lacked confidence?

Or because it had been too long since he talked to others, so he got nervous as soon as he spoke?

“Sigh…”

Wenren Sheng let out a soft sigh, his round eyes filled with worry.

Just as his mood sank, he suddenly felt a faint itch on his arm.

Looking down, several strands of spiritual power had emerged from Color Kill’s guard again, wrapping gently around Wenren Sheng’s wrist like silk threads.

This power was as gentle as babbling streams, flowing over his skin bit by bit, reaching his heart and smoothing away all the sharp, rough, ups-and-down edges of his emotions.

Gradually, Wenren Sheng’s mood really seemed soothed by the sword.

A joyful expression colored his face. He leaned close to Color Kill’s hilt and whispered, “Thank you!”

What a forgiving good sword!

With his emotions settled, Wenren Sheng adjusted his grip on the sword and looked up at He Mu again.

He Mu had said he would break the array, so he had to assist well from the side.

But what did “breaking the array” entail?

Pasting talismans, or casting spells?

Whichever it was, Wenren Sheng couldn’t do it. He could only cheer from the sidelines.

Just as he thought this, tinkling sounds came from He Mu’s side.

Wenren Sheng looked up and saw He Mu groping around on the door for a moment before tapping it twice with his knuckles, seemingly locating the stone door’s weakest spot.

“Ah,” Wenren Sheng opened his mouth, “Could it be—”

Before he finished, He Mu suddenly pressed one hand against the rough stone door while drawing back the other arm.

Veins bulged as he turned palm to fist and thrust forward with tremendous speed and force!

Bang!

With an ear-shattering boom, a half-person-high cloud of dust rose around He Mu. At the spot where his fist landed, the stone door cracked like a spiderweb before collapsing entirely, sending boulders tumbling down.

Fortunately, Color Kill timely unfolded a barrier, blocking the dust from Wenren Sheng and preventing him from coughing.

Even so, the tremendous crash made Wenren Sheng close his eyes for a moment when the stone door shattered.

But he quickly opened them again, his gaze sparkling with unique excitement, sweeping away the gloom from before.

“Super cool, right?” Wenren Sheng couldn’t help saying to Color Kill in his hand. “I’ll become a great hero like that someday!”

With that, he mimicked He Mu’s pose and punched at the air, scattering a bit of dust.

“Whew,” Wenren Sheng said smugly. “This cool.”

Over there, He Mu—who had brute-forced through the Evil Suppression—dusted off his hands and strode over the rubble pile. Seeing this, Wenren Sheng hurriedly grabbed his sword and followed behind him.

The two stepped into the deepest part of the chamber one after another.

The scene inside soon came into Wenren Sheng’s view. He finally saw the source of that cloyingly sweet fragrance.

Along the edges of the walls in the room stood four incense burners in a neat row. But instead of incense sticks, they contained live creatures resembling Rouge Bugs. Their bodies sizzled under unquenchable flames, writhing and twisting nonstop.

In the center of the incense burners sat a tattered rattan chair, occupied by an elderly person.

No, rather than a “person,” it was more like a skeleton, skin-wrapped bones so emaciated that Rouge Bugs crawling out from the burners writhed onto him, seemingly gnawing at his flesh.

Yet the old man seemed utterly lifeless, head bowed as he rocked the chair with endless creaks.

Wenren Sheng wasn’t afraid of bugs—he loved chasing butterflies on ordinary days—but this eerie sight still made him somewhat timid.

He pulled He Mu’s red cloak over his head, gripped Color Kill tightly with both hands, and gave himself a sense of security.

“Is he a person or a ghost?” Wenren Sheng asked in a hushed, breathless voice. “Why is something like this locked in Chen Lian’s room? Is he still alive?”

He Mu couldn’t answer these questions yet either. He focused, his eyes turning reddish-gold again as he stared intently at the figure on the rattan chair.

After a long moment, He Mu spoke: “Neither living nor dead, neither man nor ghost.”

Neither living nor dead, neither man nor ghost—what did that mean?

Wenren Sheng felt a chill down his spine. He tugged at He Mu’s cloak again, wrapping himself like a bride with a veil.

Then he heard He Mu say, “Your other half spirit root is on him. Take his life, and you can reclaim the spirit root.”

At the mention of “take his life,” Wenren Sheng quickly set down Color Kill and reached into his bundle.

The Three Pure Ones Bell that He Mu had given him lay intact inside.

Before setting out, he had repeatedly reminded himself: only by ringing the bell could He Mu kill. Such opportunities were precious and must not be wasted rashly.

Wenren Sheng had no time for the sword now. He hurriedly cradled the Three Pure Ones Bell and shook it vigorously twice before He Mu could speak.

However, aside from the faint rustle of fabric, no sound emerged.

Shock crossed Wenren Sheng’s face. He stared blankly at the Three Pure Ones Bell in his hand.

No sound?

Was it because his strength was too weak, and the Heavenly Court hadn’t heard?

Panic flickered in Wenren Sheng’s expression. He gripped the bell’s clasp and shook it even harder.

Only after a moment did the Three Pure Ones Bell emit a slow, resounding toll, like a night watchman’s gong, shaking the heart with dread.

Clang—

“It rang!” Wenren Sheng quickly looked at He Mu. “Is this okay now?”

He Mu’s expression didn’t improve. He frowned at the Three Pure Ones Bell in Wenren Sheng’s hand, about to say something.

But before the words came out, a familiar voice sounded from the entrance behind them, cutting off He Mu’s response.

“Wenren Sheng,”

That person’s words carried a sour edge,

“Looks like you don’t lack friends by your side either.”