After sunset, Yu Xinghe, like a bride on her wedding night, once again donned his familiar phoenix coronet and embroidered robes, and choked back tears as he sat in the sedan chair carried by weasels.
He lifted a corner of the curtain and timidly asked his master, who was following beside him, "Master, will I really be alright?"
Shen Gurong, dressed in red with wide sleeves gathered, followed beside the sedan chair, a hideous ghost face paper pasted on his face, a corner of which was blown up by the wind, revealing thin, bright red lips.
"Don't worry." Shen Gurong's voice was increasingly nonchalant, but inexplicably gave Yu Xinghe a sense of security.
Only then did Yu Xinghe lower the curtain and obediently become his bride.
The ghostly paper masked everyone's presence. Once the gates of Fengdu opened, Shen Gurong followed the weasel across the city. The once turbulent moat had dried up over the centuries. Shen Gurong stepped across the cracked riverbed, his peach-blossom eyes showing no emotion.
But upon closer inspection, the light in his eyes, as clear as a flowing spring in his youth, was not so different from the dried-up riverbed beneath his feet.
His youthful days were like a mirage, only his scarred eyes held reality.
After crossing the moat, they entered Fengdu through the back gate. Thick gray fog still shrouded the area outside the city. The weasel, transformed into human form, dressed in a festive red robe, carried a sedan chair, swaying precariously towards the wasteland.
They seemed to be wandering aimlessly. Shen Gurong followed behind the sedan chair, his eyes flickering slightly. Two butterfly-like creatures, one red and one black, perched on his shoulder, fluttered their wings.
The red Daoist butterfly's wings fluttered soared almost to the ground, constantly rubbing against Shen Gurong's face, looking extremely anxious.
Shen Gurong smiled, gently flicking the red spirit butterfly with his index finger, and softly said, "What are you afraid of? No one can hurt me."
Mu Zhe remained on the spirit boat, his brows furrowed. The spirit butterfly formed from his divine consciousness gently brushed against Shen Gurong's hand. Even knowing Shen Gurong's cultivation was extraordinary, he couldn't help but worry.
Wen Liubing, standing nearby, was much older. He sat cross-legged on the ground, talking to Shen Wanglan, who was playing with a nine-linked ring puzzle.
"Little kid, where did you come from? How could there be any living people in Fengdu City?"
Shen Wanglan glanced at him, pouting, "I don't want to talk to you, you look so stupid."
Wen Liubing: "..."
Wen Liubing said seriously, "I'm not stupid. I'm the Demon-Slaying Commander, leading countless demon-slaying warriors across the Three Realms. No one has ever dared to call me stupid."
Shen Wanglan tilted his head, his face innocent and naive, "But you do look silly."
Wen Liubing said in a deep voice, "Take it back."
Shen Wanglan thought for a moment, realizing he wasn't being fair, and said, "Okay, I'll take it back."
Wen Liubing's expression softened.
Shen Wanglan stretched out his chubby little hand, smiling, and said, "Let's play."
Wen Liubing wanted to get some information out of him, so he nodded in agreement.
The hand-to-hand slap game tested reaction speed. Shen Wanglan and the truly clueless Yu Xinghe sparred for a long time, and Shen Wanglan never lost, leaving the little good-for-nothing Yu Xinghe in tears.
Shen Wanglan became arrogant, believing himself invincible.
Then he enthusiastically invited that never-before-seen Demon-Slaying Commander to play.
Demon-Slaying?
That name was too embarrassing; it sounded like someone of questionable character.
With these thoughts in mind, Shen Wanglan was beaten so badly by Wen Liubing that he cried loudly.
Shen Wanglan: "..."
Wen Liubing was single-minded and wouldn't hold back just because Shen Wanglan was a child. Several crisp slaps echoed from the spirit boat. Shen Wanglan's delicate hands were red from the blows, his eyes filled with tears as he glared angrily at Wen Liubing.
Wen Liubing withdrew his hand in confusion, still saying, "What's so fun about this kind of game?"
Shen Wanglan: "..."
Shen Wanglan bit his lip, glared at Wen Liubing for a long time, then burst into tears, running to Mu Zhe's side and throwing himself into his arms.
"Mother Mu, boohoo, that person bullied me!"
Mother Mu: "..."
Mu Zhe looked down at Shen Wanglan expressionlessly, his gaze falling on his tear-streaked and snot-covered face, then at his own sleeve soaked by Shen Wanglan's tears, his lips twitching slightly.
Shen Wanglan's appearance was strikingly similar to Shen Fuji, and his tearful expression was remarkably like Shen Gurong in his childhood. Mu Zhe steeled his heart, but still couldn't bring himself to throw him away.
He frowned as he wiped the tears from Shen Wanglan's face, saying softly, "If you're a man, don't always shed tears. It's pathetic."
Shen Wanglan sobbed, then said softly, "Okay, I'll listen to Mother Mu."
Wen Liubing, standing to the side, asked in surprise, "Why are you so nice to him, but so disdainful of me?"
Shen Wanglan turned and glared at him, "Because Second Father said Mother Mu is the best person in the world, so I have to listen to him."
Wen Liubing: "..."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe blushed expressionlessly.
Afterwards, his gaze towards Shen Wanglan finally softened.
Mu Zhe took off his tear-stained outer robe and threw it aside. Just as he was about to change into a new one, Wen Liubing suddenly asked, "What happened to your neck?"
Mu Zhe froze, immediately raising his hand to cover his neck.
Shen Gurong had bitten a red mark on the back of his neck, which was conspicuously exposed after he took off his outer robe.
Mu Zhe mumbled, "N-nothing."
Shen Wanglan glared at Wen Liubing, huffing, "You're asking about other people's private affairs? It's obvious you don't have a wife."
Wen Liubing: "???"
Mu Zhe: "..."
What on earth has Shen Wanglan been through?!
Mu Zhe felt increasingly uneasy. He'd suspected something was amiss when Shen Gurong said Shen Wanglan was his brother's child, but he'd been too preoccupied with jealousy to think about it carefully. Now, however, he finally had time to consider it.
Shen Wanglan… also surnamed Shen, and his appearance bore a striking resemblance to Shen Gurong as a child.
Could it be that Shen Gurong wasn't just joking about his brother's child?
Mu Zhe's face darkened at this thought. He called Shen Wanglan over and said, "I'll ask you questions, you answer them, okay?"
Shen Wanglan always listened to the "best person in the world," and obediently nodded.
"Who is your biological father?"
The first question stumped Shen Wanglan. He had become a ghost before he was even a month old, and his memories over the years were fragmented, causing his mind to sometimes resemble an adult and sometimes a child. Sometimes, he could even mistake his own father based solely on his aura.
Now that his aura was gone, Shen Wanglan bit his finger, racking his brains for a long time before finally saying, "Shen Fuji..."
Mu Zhe frowned. He had never heard of the name Shen Fuji, but Shen Gurong had mentioned that he did indeed have an older brother, who was said to be quite strict with him, and would break his legs if he were homosexual.
Shen Gurong was terrified.
Mu Zhe hesitated for a long time before asking, "Does your father have any brothers or sisters?"
"Yes," Shen Fuji had been whispering in his ear for a hundred years. Shen Wanglan could remember nothing else, but this was the only thing he remembered. He repeated Shen Fuji's words in a childish voice.
“My younger brother is named Shen Gurong, and my younger sister is Shen Xiwu. They got lost while watching the lanterns.”
Mu Zhe was stunned for a long time, then, as if he had suddenly realized something, his face turned ashen.
Shen Gurong had originally planned to tell Mu Zhe everything after killing Li Genglan, but he hadn't expected Shen Wanglan to let slip the most inappropriate thing at the most inopportune time.
Shen Gurong knew nothing, following the sedan chair step by step. He walked countless steps in the mist, until suddenly the gray fog dissipated, and Shen Gurong stepped out. A strong demonic aura rushed towards him, ruffling a strand of hair on his shoulder.
Shen Gurong slightly raised his eyes.
Xianzhou City was right before him.
He smiled and reached out to tease the red butterfly on his shoulder.
For some reason, the butterfly, which had been fluttering most excitedly, now wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, its wings drooping listlessly as if on the verge of death.
The Dao Companion Pact's spirit butterfly, formed from divine consciousness and bound to the seven emotions, indicated that Mu Zhe was undoubtedly in a foul mood.
Shen Gurong raised an eyebrow, wondering why Mu Zhe had suddenly become so dejected after only a short absence.
Who had provoked him?
He raised his hand, condensing the array formations and steps he had encountered on his journey from Fengdu to Xianzhou City into the Dao Companion Pact, instantly transmitting it into Mu Zhe's consciousness.
Xianzhou City was difficult to enter because of the dense poisonous fog surrounding it, capable of devouring one's spiritual energy. Even a Mahayana cultivator would perish within the fog if they couldn't find their way into Xianzhou.
The vast Xianzhou was surrounded by a massive array of formations, and only by passing through the Gate of Life could one avoid the poisonous fog and enter Xianzhou.
Shen Gurong had already navigated the array and memorized the Gate of Life, successfully transmitting it into Mu Zhe's mind.
Mu Zhe received the Gate of Life array and trembled slightly before reacting.
He stood up, his face ashen. "Master has entered Xianzhou."
Wen Liubing immediately gripped the Lanting Sword and said coldly, "Let's go."
Mu Zhe leaped off the spirit boat with a cold expression.
Shen Wanglan, leaning on the railing of the spirit boat, waved to him, "Waiting for you to come back."
Mu Zhe's face was grim, but he still managed a weak reply, "You wait here patiently, don't wander off."
Shen Wanglan obediently nodded.
Mu Zhe then set up a barrier on the spirit boat before heading to Xianzhou with Wen Liubing through the Gate of Life.
Shen Gurong had already leisurely entered Xianzhou with Yu Xinghe.
Xianzhou was teeming with demonic cultivators, ferocious beasts, and strange creatures that were half-human and half-demon. Yu Xinghe was terrified, but Shen Gurong remained unfazed, a playful smile on his lips.
The Lin Xia Chun sword at his waist, however, sensed its master's killing intent and emitted a low hum.
Suddenly, the black cloud banners of Xianzhou City fluttered loudly. In the central hall, Li Genglan, seated in a wooden wheelchair, abruptly opened his scarlet demonic eyes. He licked his lips, his voice low and hoarse: "They've arrived."
Beside him, Shen Xiwu, dressed in the robes of a disciple of Liren Peak, was expressionlessly coiling a snake in her hand, her eyes lowered. Hearing this, a smile appeared on her beautiful face.
"The Holy Lord has arrived?"
Li Genglan smiled: "Yes, he arrived quickly."
Shen Xiwu tilted her head, her eyes filled with childlike innocence: "You captured me from Fengdu just to use me to blackmail the Holy Lord Shen?"
She had secretly followed him all the way from Liren Peak, finally managing to catch up when Shen Gurong's spirit boat accidentally plunged into Fengdu, but before she could even enter, she was dragged into the mist.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw this crippled man before her.
Li Genglan's avatar could roam freely throughout Xianzhou and even the Three Realms, but his true body was confined to a corner like a cripple, unable to move an inch.
The tendons in his wrist, severed by Shen Gurong, were slowly healing under the dense demonic aura of Xianzhou City. In just a few days, one of his hands had completely recovered. He now leisurely rested his chin on his hand, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Do you think you're qualified to be Shen Feng Xue's weakness?"
"Who knows?" Shen Xiwu jumped down from the high chair. She was thirteen years old, but her frame was still small, and an unstoppable ghostly aura surrounded her, making her appear eerily sinister like a vengeful spirit.
She strolled to Li Genglan's wooden wheelchair, tilted her head, circled him once, and then asked with a smile, "You're the one who dragged me into my dreams all these years, trying to make me kill Holy Lord Shen, aren't you?"
Li Genglan liked talking to intelligent people, even if the person opposite him was just a young girl.
“Yes, the water ghost’s dream barrier is really useful.” Li Genglan’s lips curled into a smile as he slowly said, “Just give him a hollow promise that will allow his ship to dock, and he’ll do anything for me. Tsk, the infatuated people in this world are truly foolish and laughable.”
Shen Xiwu casually played with the snake in her hand and said, “Now, do you still want me to help you kill Holy Lord Shen?”
Li Genglan said indifferently, “Can you kill people?”
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiwu suddenly laughed. The beautiful young girl’s laughter was sweet, but her ghostly eyes were extremely eerie. Her fair hand rested on the armrest of Li Genglan’s wheelchair, and she leaned forward slightly, asking him with a sinister smile, “Kill people? I can.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the snake wrapped around Shen Xiwu’s wrist suddenly shot out like an arrow, biting Li Genglan’s still unhealed left hand.
Li Genglan’s pupils contracted, and his right hand rose almost uncontrollably, about to strike Shen Xiwu’s forehead.
Shen Xiwu didn't blink, instead looking at him expectantly. She gripped Li Genglan's hand, along with her own snake, tightly to the armrest, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "Go ahead," she said, "what are you afraid of? Are you scared?!"
Li Genglan had never encountered anyone more insane than himself. His hand froze in mid-air for a long moment, but he still didn't strike.
Seeing him withdraw his hand, the excitement in Shen Xiwu's eyes faded. As if her expression had changed, she casually retracted the snake, saying listlessly, "Boring. I thought you were a fun person, but I didn't expect you to be so boring."
Li Genglan remained silent, nonchalantly forcing out the snake venom that had almost seeped into his heart.
Once all the snake venom had been expelled, Li Genglan gave Shen Xiwu a sinister look: "Aren't you afraid I'll really kill you?"
Shen Xiwu propped her head up, her eyes crinkling: "You wouldn't dare. If you kill me, what will you use to threaten Lord Shen?"
Li Genglan: "I've said it before, you have no right to threaten Shen Feng Xue."
Shen Xiwu smiled, saying: "I may not, but I did in my past life."
Li Genglan's eyes turned cold.
“You and Holy Lord Shen have an irreconcilable feud, and in my past life, I seem to be related to him by blood,” Shen Xiwu said casually. “If I’m not mistaken, you plan to have me kill Shen Feng Xue with my own hands, to let him taste the pain of being killed by the person he cares about most.”
Li Genglan found this increasingly interesting, and suddenly laughed, “How did you know?”
Shen Xiwu’s ghostly eyes were unfocused, as if she were contemplating something, and she sighed, “If I were you, I would do the same. Because the pleasure that arises from it… is a thousand times, ten thousand times greater than killing an enemy with one’s own hands.”
Li Genglan finally looked at her seriously.
This little girl is quite extraordinary.
“From as far back as I can remember, I’ve been having the same dream,” Shen Xiwu said, crossing her legs and resting her chin on her hand with a smile, “I dream that in a turbulent river, someone claiming to be my brother is walking towards me step by step on stones.”
But why are there so many stones between them? Shen Xiwu watched helplessly as the man walked towards her step by step, yet he didn't come any closer. An insurmountable chasm seemed to separate them, just one step away, yet it felt like they could never cross it.
"Xiwu, don't be afraid, brother will be by your side soon."
"By your side soon."
"Xiwu, just one step."
"Xiwu..." The dream was too real; every time she woke up, Shen Xiwu couldn't help but burst into tears, her heart aching.
Shen Xiwu stared intently at Li Genglan, saying, "I've lived for over ten years, always waiting for him to come to my side..."
Her pupils suddenly contracted. Several multicolored snakes had suddenly appeared, writhing and crawling towards the immobile Li Genglan.
Shen Xiwu leaned back in her chair, her posture languid, but her face was filled with a cold, murderous intent: "...And you want me to kill him?"
Li Genglan ignored the venomous snakes slowly crawling towards him, but his interest in Shen Xiwu grew stronger.
If this child were to cultivate the demonic path, she would surely become a figure who stirs up chaos throughout the Three Realms.
Just as he was about to speak, the entire city of Xianzhou was suddenly enveloped by an extremely cold spiritual energy.
Li Genglan's fingertips trembled violently.
Shen Xiwu smiled, raised her hand, and the venomous snake slowly crawled back.
Her eyes curved, the malice on her face completely vanished, as if she were showing off something, finally revealing some of the childishness appropriate for her age.
"Look, my brother has come to pick me up."
At the same time, Shen Gurong's voice resounded throughout the entire city of Xianzhou.
"Li Genglan."
Shen Gurong stood atop the high city wall of Xianzhou, behind him a fiercely burning black cloud banner. Yu Xinghe was stunned, staring at his master in disbelief.
Shen Gurong gripped Lin Xia Chun, coldly transmitting his voice to every corner of Xianzhou.
"Come out and face your death."
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