In the many years that followed, Mu Cheng always remembered the days he spent with Lian Yunzhi at Ten Perils Mountain.
At that time, Lian Yunzhi had already formed his Golden Core, and most of the demon beasts in Ten Perils Mountain could not harm him. Even if there were higher-level ones, as long as he did not provoke them, those demon beasts would not attack him on their own.
They quickly found the Beast Taming Sect Ruins and even reached the back mountain secret area of the Beast Taming Sect—a place that had never been trodden by later generations.
“Have I always been this lucky?”
Lian Yunzhi sat on the huge swing in the Beast Taming Sect’s small courtyard. As it swung high, he turned his head and smiled at him.
At that moment, a breeze blew through, and colorful petals drifted on the wind, only to be lifted again as Lian Yunzhi swung up on the swing, weaving into the hem of his clothes and his hair ribbons.
The vibrant colors entered his sight along with Lian Yunzhi’s smile at that instant.
Mu Cheng’s eyes had healed.
“Yes,” Mu Cheng walked up. He originally wanted to push Lian Yunzhi high again, but he could not restrain his emotions and leaned down to kiss his eyes. “Master has always been lucky.”
They dual cultivated amid the flower clusters and grass. Lian Yunzhi took the Talisman Brush and redrew the temporary Furnace Cauldron Inscription on his body. He drew halfway, then complained that his hand was sore and fell asleep with his head pillowed on Mu Cheng’s arm, forcing Mu Cheng to finish the lower half with one hand.
While searching for Beast Taming Sect scriptures, Lian Yunzhi unexpectedly found a jar of Spiritual Wine.
Mu Cheng was a mortal and felt tipsy after tasting just a drop.
Yet Lian Yunzhi drank more than half the jar.
Lian Yunzhi collapsed drunk in a lush cluster of Spirit Capturing Grass flowers—that was the first time in Mu Cheng’s life that he saw Spirit Capturing Grass blooming. Those small, pure white flower buds were surprisingly beautiful.
Lian Yunzhi hugged the wine jar and lay drunk amid the flowers, smiling as he told Mu Cheng how amazing he was, calling him his treasure. As he spoke, his eyes inexplicably reddened, and he said that the Immortal Pill had been so hard to obtain, and… Mu Cheng, don’t die. The last time you were on the verge of death, it hurt so much here, it was so uncomfortable.
He pointed to his heart, his eyes brimming with aggrieved redness.
Mu Cheng suddenly felt as if the drunk one had become himself.
He felt lightheaded, as if walking on clouds, and a surging joy and affection exploded in his heart.
He kissed Lian Yunzhi’s fingertips, kissed Lian Yunzhi’s heart. Like the most loyal servant in the world, he knelt before Lian Yunzhi, willing to do anything for him.
They kissed, dual cultivated, lay head to head, and talked about many things.
They talked about cultivation, about secret realms, about demon beasts, and about the outside world.
“What do you think the outside world is like?” Lian Yunzhi gazed at the starry sky and mused. “I’m already at Golden Core. Can I go out and make my way there too?”
Mu Cheng said, “I know of a place where one can leave Xiaoze State. Those two Golden Core Puppets came from there. After capturing them, I went over and sealed the rift with a formation.”
Mu Cheng had thought about leaving too, but at that time he still had parents and his grandfather in Xiaoze State. Moreover, the outside world might also be shrouded in black mist and foul stench, but it certainly would not have Lian Yunzhi.
“I can’t leave yet. My parents and grandfather are still here, and the Lian Family needs me,” Lian Yunzhi said. “But we can go take a look first.”
Mu Cheng said, okay.
And so they left Ten Perils Mountain.
.
Mu Cheng had not expected that taking Lian Yunzhi to see the “rift” would be discovered by the Lian Family members, let alone that the Lian Family Head would think Lian Yunzhi planned to leave Xiaoze State without a word.
Just as Lian Yunzhi and Mu Cheng stood on Black Wind Cliff overlooking the hurricane rift below the cliff, Lian Yunzhi received a message from the Lian Family saying that his mother was critically ill and about to pass away.
Lian Yunzhi hurried back to the Lian Family. His father looked haggard and anxious as he gazed at him and asked if he had any Immortal Pills—if so, to take them out and save his mother’s life.
Lian Yunzhi’s face paled as he followed his father into the inner chamber.
Mu Cheng wanted to follow too, but he was stopped by the servants.
“The Madam is gravely ill and should not see outsiders. Please wait outside, Young Master.”
Mu Cheng waited.
But what he waited for was an intoxicating fragrance in the air. He sensed something wrong and pulled out a talisman to counterattack, only to be struck unconscious by a palm from the Mu Family’s Golden Core Puppet.
When he woke again, he was in the Mu Family’s prison.
This was the place where his bones had been shattered before, the place where his spiritual root had been extracted before.
And this time, his back was cut open once more.
