After Sheng Jun Chapter 2 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 2: Meeting Again (part 2)
Everyone present was shocked.
They looked at the gray figure that had instantly disappeared into the forest, exchanged glances, and said, "Retreat first, go back and report to the Sect Master."
The pursuers quickly left. Zhu Yan, like a headless fly, darted around the forest for a while before a figure suddenly descended in front of him.
He jumped. "Who's there!"
Jiang Xingzhi waved his hand, dispelling Zhu Yan's instinctive attack. "Mountain God."
Zhu Yan stopped, panting heavily. He looked at the person in front of him with a startled expression—long hair tied high, cascading down his back, a dark indigo robe light as a cloud.
His refined features were strikingly handsome, but his complexion was paler than usual. It was hard to imagine that this was the person who had just saved him.
He hesitated. "Was it truly this Daren, who saved me?"
Jiang Xingzhi's distant voice echoed again. "Mount—ain—God—"
"..." Zhu Yan quickly bowed his head. "Thank you, Daren!"
Jiang Xingzhi nodded. "You're injured. Come."
Zhu Yan looked up. "Come?"
Before he could finish, a slender white hand grabbed the back of his collar, and he was swiftly lifted into the air and carried through the forest.
Zhu Yan, suspended in mid-air, widened his eyes: …Whoa!
When they stopped, they were in front of a cave. Jiang Xingzhi tossed Zhu Yan inside, his movements as light as if he were carrying a small chicken.
He settled Zhu Yan, whose face was a picture of ‘doubting life’, and clapped his hands. "Treat your wounds first. Once you're feeling better, I have some questions for you."
Having just arrived, he was worried about finding a reliable person to understand the current situation, and he happened to encounter an unlucky person who didn't seem like a villain, being chased.
—A life-saving grace, narrowly escaping death, under such circumstances, the words spoken should be sincere.
Zhu Yan, clutching his wound, felt uneasy. "What does Daren wish to ask?"
Jiang Xingzhi said, "I haven't been out of the mountains for a long time. I just want to learn a little about the current situation."
Zhu Yan finally relaxed, lowering his head to tend to his wounds. As he did so, he showed some embarrassment: he had been fleeing for so long that the coagulated blood had stuck his clothes to his wounds.
He said, "I'll need some water."
Jiang Xingzhi was very accommodating. "I'll get some for you."
He turned to leave the cave, but Zhu Yan stopped him. The latter seemed hesitant. "Daren, what if those people come back…"
Jiang Xingzhi reassured him. "Don't worry. I've already set up a barrier around here. Not even a fly can get in!"
He said this with his back to the cave entrance. His slender figure was backlit, appearing majestic and imposing mountain to Zhu Yan, inexplicably reassuring. Zhu Yan felt grateful and said, "Once I've treated my wounds, I will tell Daren everything without reservation."
Jiang Xingzhi smiled gently. "Good. That's our beautiful agreement."
The surroundings were a wilderness; finding a water source wasn't easy.
Fortunately, Jiang Xingzhi was extremely fast. His vast divine consciousness poured out like water, and in a short time, he found a river several miles away. He used his spiritual energy to hollow out a section of a tree trunk to make a container, scooped up a ladle of water, and flew back.
The wind whistled past his ears. Jiang Xingzhi used this time to organize his thoughts: he would first ask about the average cultivation level, the major sects currently in existence; then inquire about the mundane world and any significant recent events.
If he could find a clue about his rebirth, perhaps he could find a way back.
Jiang Xingzhi mapped out his plan, increased his spiritual energy, and his return speed increased.
The indigo figure instantly returned to the wilderness, heading straight for the cave. As he passed through the barrier, a subtle feeling flashed through his mind, but before he could think about it, he had reached the cave entrance.
His gaze fell on the scene inside the cave, and Jiang Xingzhi paused slightly.
Inside the cave, where not even a fly could enter, there was a tall figure.
The man he had just parted ways with was sitting opposite Zhu Yan. Hearing the sound, he turned his head, his handsome features illuminated by the light from the cave entrance, appearing even more sharply defined.
Zhu Yan sat stiffly, and when he saw Jiang Xingzhi, his eyes suddenly flashed with a plea for help. "Daren… our beautiful agreement!"
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
Feeling the gaze on him, Zhong Ming stood up. "You're back."
He said it naturally, as if they had made an appointment.
Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help but praise, "Sir, you're quite at home."
Zhong Ming smiled slightly. "I was just waiting for you to fulfill your duties as a host."
He looked at Jiang Xingzhi, who rubbed his chest. "What's wrong? Feeling unwell?"
Jiang Xingzhi waved his hand. "Heart trouble."
A faint chuckle seemed to echo in the cave.
Jiang Xingzhi skipped over that, handing the ladle to Zhu Yan and turning to ask, "So, how did you end up here, sir?"
Zhong Ming, "I saw a barrier and decided to take a look."
Zhu Yan's hand, which was pouring water, trembled: What a convenient detour!
****
The three of them were in the same space. Although it was their first meeting, the atmosphere wasn't stiff.
Zhu Yan was busy treating his wounds, Jiang Xingzhi sat beside him, waiting calmly, and Zhong Ming stood with his arms crossed, looking out of the cave, his dark eyes reflecting the light, like cold stars.
As Jiang Xingzhi was observing the man opposite him, a “hiss” came from beside him.
He looked over and saw Zhu Yan twisting to treat a wound on his back. His strong back was covered with cuts from various weapons, his awkward posture vividly demonstrating how to turn a small wound into a large one.
"Here, give me the medicine." Jiang Xingzhi decided to be a good Samaritan.
"Thank you, Daren."
The outstretched hand was white and slender, the wrist thin. Zhu Yan revealed his wheat-colored back, the wounds a mixture of blue and red. The contrast between the two was striking.
It was very distracting. Zhong Ming's fingertips unconsciously clenched. He abruptly stood up, grabbed Jiang Xingzhi's wrist, and leaned down, looking at him. "Your hands are too cold."
Jiang Xingzhi was stunned. "…So?"
Their hands separated instantly, but the rough, burning sensation lingered on his wrist.
"Not suitable for applying medicine to wounds."
Jiang Xingzhi rubbed his wrist, trying to erase the lingering sensation. "Perhaps you've heard of cold compresses?"
Zhong Ming chuckled. "Cold enough to stop bleeding? Are you a natural elixir?"
"..."
Ignoring Jiang Xingzhi, he walked behind Zhu Yan, bent down, and with a pair of clearly defined knuckles, lifted Zhu Yan by the back of his collar.
Then, with an expression of resignation on Zhu Yan's face, he lifted him up in the same manner as Jiang Xingzhi, placing him far away from Jiang Xingzhi.