After Sheng Jun Chapter 28 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 28 Same Dream in Different Place (part 2)
A soft response came from beside him. He couldn't help but turn to look, only to see the man facing sideways, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
"Bai Mu, what's wrong?"
Could it be that he had changed his mind, or perhaps wanted to search for rare treasures but was too embarrassed to say so?
Jiang Xingzhi considerately said, "If you want to act alone, you can at any time..."
Zhong Ming suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp. "I don't want to."
That gaze lingered on Jiang Xingzhi's face for a few breaths, then shifted slightly, falling on the pale earlobe visible among his hair.
Just now in the illusion, he should have taken a bite before leaving.
Seeing his firm resolve, Jiang Xingzhi withdrew his suggestion. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed the other seemed to be staring at his ear. He unconsciously touched his ear, "...What are you looking at?"
Zhong Ming concealed his expression. "Nothing."
Jiang Xingzhi speculated, "But your look just now was identical to when I see snacks."
"..."
Zhong Ming asked, "What, do you look in a mirror when you eat snacks?"
"I'm self-aware enough to understand the feeling."
The topic began to drift in a strange direction.
As the two continued their back-and-forth discussion, they swiftly passed over vast mountains and rivers below.
The terrain within the secret realm changed unpredictably. Jiang Xingzhi searched according to his memory, yet wasn't entirely certain.
"Wait a moment," he called to Zhong Ming to stop in mid-air, then took Jiang Langhao out of his storage pouch.
"Ancestor~" A tuft of hair suddenly puffed out!
Jiang Langhao spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees in the air, "Have we reached the secret realm?"
Jiang Xingzhi gestured for it to look around. Jiang Langhao gazed down and exclaimed, "What magnificent rivers and mountains!"
As its words fell, not far away, a massive three-headed python "rumbled" as it rolled and crushed a patch of forest.
Jiang Xingzhi instinctively glanced at Zhong Ming: apparently the warning hadn't worked.
Zhong Ming's mouth twitched; he too realized this problem.
Jiang Langhao seemed oblivious, "Did we just enter?"
"We've been in for a while."
"Then why did you only just let me out~"
"..." Jiang Xingzhi's mouth opened and closed.
They had been pulled into an illusion right after entering, with no chance to release Jiang Langhao.
Recalling the recent illusion, his face began to heat up again.
When he didn't answer, Jiang Langhao bounced before him, its voice chirping in surround sound: "Why?" "Why?~"
Zhong Ming glanced at Jiang Xingzhi, seeing that handsome face bearing a hint of youthful embarrassment, just as he had seen in the illusion.
As his heart fluttered, he couldn't help but feel jealous of whoever had appeared in Jiang Xingzhi's illusion.
—If only it had been himself.
That phrase "I dreamed of you, Xu Jian" truly seemed like a beautiful dream.
While Zhong Ming lowered his eyes in silence, Jiang Xingzhi had already changed the subject, describing to Jiang Langhao the location he sought.
"We need to find a desert. But when I went toward the direction where the air was dry, the scenery along the way wasn't familiar."
"Not familiar? Has Ancestor been here before?"
"...Well, being an ancient spirit relic, I've naturally been here before."
As Jiang Xingzhi said this, he secretly glanced at Zhong Ming, who looked up from his contemplation and seemed to smile.
He pretended to remain calm as he turned back, continuing his conversation with Jiang Langhao, "See where we should go?"
Jiang Langhao's brush tip waved, "According to ancient texts, secret realms in the world exist in five forms. Didn't Ancestor say that sinking through the desert underground leads to a palace in the sky? This indicates that this secret realm belongs to the category of inverted heaven and earth."
"Since it's inverted, everything must be thought of in reverse. The desert area isn't necessarily dry; let's fly toward a humid place and see."
Jiang Xingzhi nodded, "That makes sense."
He then sought Zhong Ming's opinion, "What do you think?"
Zhong Ming rarely did not contradict Jiang Langhao, "Let's go toward the humid place."
He also vaguely remembered that the desert entrance wasn't dry.
It's just that when the two of them had sought treasure, arguing all the way, not only did the absent-minded Jiang Xingzhi forget the specific circumstances, even he had nearly forgotten the details.
The two of them then took Jiang Langhao and changed direction, flying away.
****
They hadn't flown more than a few li when a disturbance came from the swamp ahead.
Jiang Xingzhi saw from a distance countless vines shooting out from the swamp, attacking a figure in the sky.
With a swing of a folding fan, large sections of vines were severed joint by joint.
"It's Pavilion Master You," Jiang Xingzhi recognized the person. "His moves are quite sharp."
That sharp? Zhong Ming pressed his lips together.
The next moment, the vines hovering in the air suddenly "boom!" exploded! Yet the person who struck hadn't moved.
Jiang Xingzhi glanced at Zhong Ming, amazed that the latter would actually take the initiative to help.
His eyes held deep meaning: Bai Mu indeed wants to befriend You Suqing.
Ahead, You Suqing looked at the level-three Ghost Vine beneath his feet that had been easily dealt with, secretly shocked by Zhong Ming's unfathomable strength. He turned to face the two who had flown up, "Thank you."
Zhong Ming stood with his hands behind his back, silent. Seeing his tsundere behavior, Jiang Xingzhi responded for him, "You're welcome. Bai Mu has always been kindhearted."
Zhong Ming: "..."
You Suqing couldn't help but look at Zhong Ming's face several times. Are you sure about that?
Jiang Xingzhi noticed You Suqing still holding a peculiarly shaped pendulum, somewhat like a "dragon-seeking ruler," with its needle wavering, subtly pointing in a certain direction.
He asked, "Pavilion Master You, what's this?"
You Suqing replied, "This is a magic tool I use to seek treasure swords. How else would Hidden Sword Pavilion acquire so many sword collections?"
Jiang Xingzhi marveled for a moment, then sheepishly transmitted to Zhong Ming, "He works so hard to find swords, and we actually considered making a profit off him."
"..." Zhong Ming gripped his ancient sword, tapping it with his index finger. "It was just a thought, nothing wrong with that."
Jiang Xingzhi followed his lead, "Hmm!"
The three prepared to resume their journey.
After traveling a short distance, they realized they were heading in the same direction.
You Suqing waved his folding fan, what a coincidence? He said to Jiang Xingzhi, "I might as well travel with you both."
Jiang Xingzhi replied, "As long as Pavilion Master You doesn't mind."
"I enjoy Brother Jiang's company, so I certainly don't mind."
As the words fell, Zhong Ming's gaze moved over as if on cue. Jiang Xingzhi, seeing Zhong Ming staring directly at You Suqing, transmitted a reminder, "Didn't you want to make friends? Be more proactive."
Zhong Ming: "..."
He glanced at the man standing on Jiang Xingzhi's other side, wearing a pure white mask and leisurely waving his fan, paused, then said, "Fine."
With that, he moved to position himself between the two.
You Suqing's movements halted, "Brother... Bai?"
Zhong Ming looked at him and slowly said, "I'm standing here to better chat with my new friend."
Behind his mask, You Suqing silently opened his mouth: Hahaha~
Jiang Xingzhi happily waved his hand, "Right, friends are found everywhere within the four seas!"
"..." Zhong Ming just gave him a glance.
What bullsh*t.
He almost got trapped in the illusion, who the f*ck wants to be your friend.