After Sheng Jun Chapter 17 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 17 Overlapping Shadows (part 1)
Outside the building, in the pitch-black night.
Wan Xing concealed his aura as he rushed toward the small pavilion. Regardless of how intimate those two had appeared during the day, he was determined to personally confirm whether they had any other motives.
Light still shone from the two-story pavilion. Wan Xing landed silently on the roof.
Just as he was about to extend his divine sense into the pavilion, he heard a man's low call from below, "Xingzhi."
Immediately after came a dull "thump" and the creaking of a bed.
Wan Xing immediately perked up his ears:
"Hiss..."
"Did you hurt yourself?"
A pained voice responded, "What do you think? Who told you to suddenly..."
There was helplessness mixed with coaxing, "I already warned you to cooperate properly."
"..." Wan Xing hesitated on the roof, wondering if he should still extend his divine consciousness inside.
After a moment's pause, he quickly swept his divine consciousness through the room—only to see bed curtains hanging down and shadows swaying.
Tsk, even with an ailing body, they're still being so intense.
Young people... young people! He clicked his tongue and turned to leave.
…..
Second floor of the pavilion.
Jiang Xingzhi leaned against the wall, holding the back of his head and quietly wincing. A hand covered the back of his head, while Zhong Ming still braced himself above him. "What are you getting excited about?"
Jiang Xingzhi's heart was still pounding rapidly, his body feverish, his chest like a pot of boiling water bubbling up.
He must have gone mad, as he had just thought it was Xu Jian calling him.
Zhong Ming's face was very close. Jiang Xingzhi examined his features carefully—his facial features weren't similar at all, so why would he have this kind of misconception?
Seeing the person zoning out right under his nose, Zhong Ming frowned slightly and called him again, "Jiang Xingzhi."
Jiang Xingzhi came back to his senses, straightened up and pushed him away, "The person has left, get up quickly."
A light push didn't move him; Zhong Ming was still massaging his head. The dry palm gently rubbed the spot on the back of his head that had been bumped, truly like a Dao companion.
"Stop rubbing," Jiang Xingzhi halted him.
"What's wrong?"
"I think you just rubbed out two of my hairs."
"..."
The hand on the back of his head finally moved away, and Zhong Ming straightened up. Jiang Xingzhi also stood up, the air around them began flowing again, dispelling the heat from his body.
Zhong Ming stood to the side, sweeping his gaze over the two tufts of hair sticking up on Jiang Xingzhi's head. "It was just calling your name once, why such a big reaction?"
Jiang Xingzhi: "Who told you to suddenly call..."
"Call what, Xingzhi?"
"Stop right there."
Zhong Ming was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke, "Has no one called you that before? The person you like..." his throat tightened, and he asked as if casually, "has he never called you that?"
Xu Jian... that scene flashed through Jiang Xingzhi's mind again.
What was he thinking? Why would he think of him in that moment? But if it were Xu Jian pressing him down like just now, looking down and calling his name...
Damn! Jiang Xingzhi's heart started pounding again. He tried to maintain his composure as he looked away, "He wouldn't call me that."
Zhong Ming stared at him. In the dim candlelight, that pale face quickly flushed crimson, though he seemed unaware. Just thinking about a certain person, the corners of his eyes and brows betrayed his emotions, truly an endless spring scene.
This was the person he had thought about for over a hundred years, yet he couldn't embrace him.
Because the other person's heart was thinking of someone else.
Jiang Xingzhi finally drove away the chaotic thoughts in his mind, only to turn his head and meet a deep gaze.
He paused, "...What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Zhong Ming withdrew his gaze, "I didn't expect to be the first to call you that."
Jiang Xingzhi recalled, "Actually, you're not."
Those eyes suddenly turned to him, "Who else has called you that?" He wanted to see which other dog had the same thoughts as him...
Jiang Xingzhi counted for him, "My father, my mother, my uncles, my teachers..."
"That's enough." Zhong Ming raised his hand to stop him.
Jiang Xingzhi looked at Zhong Ming a few more times, trying hard to shake off the misconception from earlier, "But if you really want to call me that, it's fine."
"Is that so?"
"Like them, in a caring way."
A person from a thousand years ago could somewhat be considered his elder. He hadn't forgotten about Bai Mu's sword technique, which had a significant probability of making him Xu Jian's ancestor.
"Caring?" These two words rolled on his tongue, followed immediately by a cold laugh as Zhong Ming turned to leave.
Jiang Xingzhi called after him, "Where are you going?"
"Didn't we say we'd explore the front mountain first?" The broad-shouldered man turned back, "Rebellious son, hurry up."
"..."
****
The two left divine consciousness behind as a precaution, then silently made their way through Yuhua Sect in the night, heading toward Fenghe Tower and the Library Pavilion at the front mountain.
Jiang Xingzhi, feeling the cool breeze, cleared his mind again, "You go to Fenghe Tower, I'll go to the Library Pavilion. Contact me if anything happens."
"Do we have to separate?" Zhong Ming asked.
Jiang Xingzhi chided him, "You need to learn to grow up on your own."
Zhong Ming glanced at him sideways, deeply feeling this person still loved to push his boundaries.
"Fine."
The two parallel figures split up, transforming into streaks of light as they entered Fenghe Tower and the Library Pavilion.
Jiang Xingzhi entered the pavilion through a half-open carved window.
His gaze fell upon neatly arranged bookshelves. At this time, there was no one else in the pavilion; the books were immaculately arranged, categorized and displayed between the shelves.
As he was looking around, his divine consciousness suddenly stirred. He turned his head to see a tuft of hair poking out from between the bookshelves.
A thin voice sounded, "Who are you, daring to intrude into the Library Pavilion!"
That tuft of hair squeezed out from the gap between the bookshelves, trailing a heavy record book behind it, which hit and knocked askew several books with a "thud."
Jiang Xingzhi now saw clearly that it was a wolf-hair writing brush, its body merely a faint shadow, while the record book behind it detailed the borrowing and returning of each book.
He was intrigued, "Artifact spirit?"
Some ancient objects, long nourished by spiritual energy, gradually develop spirits. The brush before him was evidently a rare brush spirit. However, it had not yet formed a physical body, so its level should be below the Xuan level.
Jiang Xingzhi looked at it with great familiarity: ancient objects developing spirits—this lamp knows this process best.
The small brush floated over, "You still haven't said who you are, beware I'll tell the Sect Master!"
Jiang Xingzhi said kindly, "I am your ancestor."
Its tail hair immediately bristled, "You're insulting me!"
Jiang Xingzhi soothed, "Look how sensitive you are. I am an ancient spirit from the glass lamp, a heaven-level spirit tool. People revere me as the Divine Lamp."
The small brush was half-believing, "You're also an artifact spirit? An even more ancient one?"
Jiang Xingzhi let actions speak louder than words. He raised his hand to touch the Moon-Holding Pearl on his neck, withdrawing the divine consciousness that concealed it. In an instant, the sacred power of phoenix blood surged toward the fragile brush!
Boom—the ancient pressure came surging, extremely overwhelming.
The small brush bristled again, screeching in alarm, "I believe! I believe, Old Ancestor!"
Jiang Xingzhi leisurely retracted the divine power of the phoenix blood, his face maintaining its kindly expression.
The ancient power clearly had an impact on the newborn artifact spirit before him. It trembled as it approached, "Then... what is Ancestor here for?"
Jiang Xingzhi smiled slightly, "I have some questions for you."
……
A quarter of an hour later, Jiang Xingzhi sent a message to Zhong Ming, "Bai Mu, come to the Library Pavilion first."
The small brush had already perched on Jiang Xingzhi's shoulder, standing by the carved window facing the wind. At first, it found the old ancestor scary, but unexpectedly, he was so kind, not only nourishing it with rich spiritual energy but also helping it acknowledge its ancestry and naming it "Jiang Langhao."
What a magnificent name, how suitable for it! Awooo~!
Jiang Langhao affectionately nuzzled Jiang Xingzhi's shoulder. As it was nuzzling, a figure suddenly descended before them—an unfamiliar man in dark clothes wrapped in the cold night wind suddenly appeared, frightening Jiang Langhao into another shrill cry, "Who's that!"
Zhong Ming frowned as he looked at the wolf-hair brush standing on Jiang Xingzhi's shoulder, "What is this?"
Jiang Xingzhi calmed the bristling Jiang Langhao and said to Zhong Ming, "Just added a new member."
"..." Zhong Ming gave him a deep look. They had only been separated for a quarter of an hour, and this person had already added a new member.
Jiang Xingzhi asked, "Did you find anything?"
"Nothing much. Fenghe Tower is Yuhua Sect's treasure pavilion, storing many magical tools and technique books."
"There's nothing in the Library Pavilion either. The Grand Elder has never been here."
"You even know that?"
Jiang Xingzhi gestured for him to look at the new addition on his shoulder.
Jiang Langhao proudly straightened its brush handle. As a native artifact spirit and the Library Pavilion's manager, what didn't it know!
The soft tail hair was almost poking Jiang Xingzhi's neck, sticking close.
Zhong Ming swept his gaze over it. Annoying, he wanted to swat it away.
He called to Jiang Xingzhi, "Let's go back first. We'll ask those youngsters about the forbidden area tomorrow."
"Alright." Jiang Xingzhi agreed, then told Jiang Langhao to come down from his shoulder first, "Tonight's matter is a little secret between us, ancestor and descendant."
Jiang Langhao: "Mm!"
After agreeing, it saw its ancestor about to leave with the strange man who had just appeared, and couldn't help but quiver its hair coquettishly, "Ancestor~ who is he, is he also an artifact spirit?"
Jiang Xingzhi glanced at Zhong Ming's expression, thinking that the latter didn't seem too keen on the "lamp holder" charade, and said, "No, he's just a person from this era."
Jiang Langhao immediately became smug, "Oh~ our disciple's grand-disciple!"
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Zhong Ming's gaze toward it was extremely cold.
****
Having rescued the fearless newborn Jiang Langhao from a survival crisis, Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming flew back to Mist Pavilion.
Above was the pitch-black night sky, below was the silent mountain gate.
As Jiang Xingzhi was flying, he heard Zhong Ming chuckle, "Why didn't you say I was the lamp holder?"
Jiang Xingzhi guessed, "I thought you'd prefer to be human."
Zhong Ming asked, "You didn't want me to be human at Kouyue Sect and Qingfeng Pavilion?"
Jiang Xingzhi was embarrassed, "Wasn't this lamp in need of a shill at that time?"
Zhong Ming: "..."
He really was a shill, in every sense of the word.
The two moved extremely fast, returning to Mist Pavilion after just a few exchanges.
The guard outside wasn't disturbed at all. Jiang Xingzhi closed the carved window, and turned to see Zhong Ming removing his dark outer robe with his back to him.
The tight inner clothing wrapped around his form tightly, revealing all his muscle lines, clearly showing the fierce explosive power contained within.
As he was looking, Zhong Ming turned back, one hand on his waist belt. Their eyes met, and he said, "How long are you going to stare?"
Jiang Xingzhi withdrew his gaze, curling up on the bed, "Why did you decide to change clothes?"
"We're going to the forbidden area tomorrow, changing into something convenient for movement."
"That's thoughtful of you." Rustling sounds came from his ear as Jiang Xingzhi faced away from him, "Should I change too?"
"No need."
"Why not?"
Footsteps approached from behind. Jiang Xingzhi turned to see that the other had already changed into a tight-sleeved long robe, looking efficient and elegant, walking to the bedside in a few steps.
Zhong Ming looked down at him, "You look good in this outfit."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..." What???
Before he could ask further, Zhong Ming said, "It's midnight, are you sleeping or not?"
Jiang Xingzhi's attention was immediately pulled away. He snuggled into the blanket, "Sleeping." He watched Zhong Ming turn to leave, and asked with a guilty conscience, "What about you?"
"Meditation." The latter sat down at the table, "What else, lie in a bathtub?"
"..." Jiang Xingzhi closed his eyes, "Good night, Bai Mu."
This sleep lasted until broad daylight the next day, with bright sunlight streaming through the tightly closed carved windows, casting a few bright lines on the floor.