After Sheng Jun Chapter 2 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 2: Meeting Again (part 1)
His shoulders scraped against the ground, two powerful legs bracketing him on either side, pinning him beneath.
Jiang Xingzhi was momentarily stunned, but quickly recovered. He twisted his head and used his shoulder to ram into the attacker. Bang! The collision of bodies produced a muffled sound, but the spiritual energy he unleashed felt like it had struck an unyielding wall.
His heart tightened: the opponent's cultivation was no lower than his own—a Mahayana Peak!
The clash of spiritual energy sent sand and stones flying, snapping trees in the surrounding area.
Their arms pressed against each other, shoulders against chests. Jiang Xingzhi raised his knee, but it was pressed down firmly just before it could strike the other man, trapped between those strong thighs. He let out a muffled "Hmm!"
After a brief struggle, Jiang Xingzhi lay on his back, the man still holding his hands, and with a slight shift, the man circled him, pinning him closer.
Jiang Xingzhi gasped for breath. "You…"
Before he could finish, the man above him suddenly leaned down, resting his chin on his shoulder, with a soft thump.
The hands holding him seemed to tremble. Hot breath washed over his ear, a steady heartbeat transmitted through the solid chest to his own. Something brushed against his neck, light yet causing a slight shiver.
Jiang Xingzhi's brow twitched. "…Sir."
A profound silence fell, only the rustling of the mountain wind through the grass breaking the stillness.
After a while, the man let out a low "Hmm," then persistently asked, "Where are you going?"
"To where the people need most." Jiang Xingzhi's words were followed by an odd silence from above. He seized the opportunity to move, his wrist brushing against the man's palm.
Those hands were large and rough, their temperature significantly higher than his. The moment their skin touched, both were startled by the other's temperature.
The hand gripping his tightened. "Why are you so cold?"
Jiang Xingzhi's face was still pressed against the ground. "Sir, consider what you've just done."
"..."
The large hands released him, and the man sat up.
The distance created allowed Jiang Xingzhi to finally see the face of this "pervert"—sharp brows, eyes like jade, a few strands of dark hair falling across his brow bone; a strikingly handsome yet imposing face.
Dark, close-fitting clothing accentuated his physique: broad shoulders, narrow waist, clearly defined lines.
Even though Jiang Xingzhi had seen countless people over hundreds of years, he was still struck by the man's beauty.
It was a pity he was a pervert.
The "pervert" furrowed his brow, then took his wrist again, gently rubbing it in his palm, his lowered lashes concealing the expression in his eyes, as if overly concerned about his cool temperature.
"What's wrong?"
Jiang Xingzhi saw that his serious expression didn't match someone who had just "ambushed" him; he looked more like a compassionate physician dispensing medicine.
He was speechless for a moment, pulling back his hand. "Regardless… what does this mean, Sir?"
The moment his hand was released, the man's fingertips trembled imperceptibly. He looked at Jiang Xingzhi, his thin lips moving slightly, his voice low and husky, "I mistook you for someone else."
Jiang Xingzhi narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"
The man looked at him steadily. "Yes."
Seeing the man stick to this explanation, Jiang Xingzhi had no other choice but to accept it. He pointed to his face and asked, "Do we look very much alike?"
They remained sitting on the ground in the same position as before.
Zhong Ming looked down—Jiang Xingzhi's face was very close, his complexion cold and white like jade. His handsome brows and eyes were relaxed, his eyes like a deep pool of jade.
The slightly raised corners of his eyes held a hint of mischievousness, just as they had during their countless encounters over the past few hundred years.
All of that had vanished with a thunderous clap of heavenly thunder, but now it was finally back.
"Very much alike," he said slowly, his dark eyes unreadable.
Jiang Xingzhi felt a chill run down his spine, and he chuckled nervously. "Wouldn't it be your enemy?"
That gaze was like that of someone about to devour him.
"..." Zhong Ming suddenly smiled. This sharp face, adorned with a smile, had a captivating beauty. He looked at Jiang Xingzhi, "Yes, a blood feud."
Jiang Xingzhi's smile froze. "I can feel it."
The overwhelming pressure just now, if not for his Mahayana Peak cultivation, any ordinary person would have been crushed into a pulp. Whoever provoked such a ruthless person… had a bright future ahead of them.
Luckily, it wasn't him.
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his robe. "Since Sir mistook me, you can settle your grievances, and let's part ways."
As he walked down the mountain path, he saw the man following him like a shadow.
Jiang Xingzhi turned back. "I just resemble your enemy, Sir." So don't follow him.
"It's on the way."
"..."
Jiang Xingzhi patted his shoulder, stepping aside to let him pass. "You go first, I'll take another path." Before the other man could reply, he turned and vanished in a flash of light.
Only one figure remained on the desolate path.
Zhong Ming looked in the direction where the other had disappeared, the corner of his mouth twitching upward, but quickly suppressing it.
He looked down at his hand, the coolness lingering in his palm.
****
Jiang Xingzhi flew towards the city, vast countryside stretching below.
Midway, he sensed a disturbance, altering his course to land in the low-lying woods below.
Within moments, five or six auras rapidly approached.
The leader was severely injured, followed by four or five others. Their cultivation levels were all at the Foundation Establishment mid-to-late stages. They quickly appeared in Jiang Xingzhi's view.
Through the gaps in the leaves, he saw a man in a gray short tunic clutching his abdomen, desperately running, his clothes stained with blood, his breathing heavy, looking distressed, yet with a strong will to survive in his eyes.
Those pursuing him shouted:
"Zhu Yan, violating the rules means death!"
"Give it up, you've fled to the wilderness, only an immortal can save you now!"
As the chase continued, the distance between them narrowed, and despair crept onto Zhu Yan's face.
At that moment, a wind suddenly swept through the mountains. Bang! The pursuers collided with an invisible barrier, blocked from getting any closer.
The pursuers were startled, stopping and looking around vigilantly. "Who's there!"
Jiang Xingzhi's distant voice seemed to come from the mountains, "This is the mountain god's territory. No loud noises or fighting allowed."
The pursuers: "..."
The leader, angered by this casual statement, said, "Mountain god? I think someone's playing tricks!"
He spoke as he hurled a concealed dart toward the source of the sound. A sharp whistling sound—whizz—pierced the air. Immediately following was the sound of a collision—clang! The dark iron dart was struck down to the ground, a single leaf piercing cleanly through it.