After Sheng Jun Chapter 38 (Part 1)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 38 The First Signs Emerge (part 1)
Jiang Xingzhi's eyes shot up: There was such a thing???
When had he ever specifically picked out gifts for Bai Mu? What he picked was for Xu Jian, alright!
After Zhu Xu finished speaking, it was quiet around the stone table. The three didn't hear Jiang Xingzhi's response, and when they turned to look, they saw his expression was rather peculiar.
"Sect Master?" Zhu Xu asked carefully, "...Wasn't there?"
Three pairs of eyes looked over simultaneously, and Jiang Xingzhi snapped back to attention. He paused for a moment, then said seriously, "Mm, there was."
Although there wasn't, Bai Mu's face still needed to be preserved.
Having said this, he prepared to leave, "You take your time choosing, this Sect Master will head back first."
"Sect Master, take care!"
The blue figure turned and disappeared up the mountain steps.
The area around the stone table fell quiet again. Zhu Xu and Zhu Yan exchanged glances, "So was there or wasn't there?"
Wu Jie picked up a wheat-ear braided cord, its golden color complementing the gold powder beneath his eyelids beautifully. He smiled slightly, "Naturally there was."
…..
Jiang Xingzhi returned to the mountain peak in an instant.
When he landed in front of the courtyard, a black-robed figure was sitting with his back to him on a meditation stone, cross-legged and wiping his sword. The ancient blade concealed its light, but when a finger wiped across the sword body, cold light gleamed fiercely.
Seemingly sensing the movement behind him, Zhong Ming turned his head, "You're back."
Jiang Xingzhi stared at him suspiciously and walked over in a few steps, "Bai Mu."
"What's wrong, Deng Deng? Why so serious?"
His footsteps briefly circled around the courtyard gate and walked up to Zhong Ming. Jiang Xingzhi voiced his suspicion, "Did you tell Zhu Xu and the others that I specifically picked out gifts for you?"
Clang! The sword body was wiped by a poorly controlled force, producing a resonant hum.
"..." It's over, seems like I showed off too much.
Jiang Xingzhi saw him purse his lips without speaking and pressed further, "Did you or didn't you?"
Zhong Ming fell silent for a moment, then steadied his mind and looked up. Those eyes were like cold stars, and when their gazes met, Jiang Xingzhi's heart skipped a beat, inexplicably generating a feeling of unease.
Some subtle emotion flashed by.
Before he could grasp it, the man in front of him spoke, "Those two young men kept asking, I had to find some excuse."
Zhong Ming's tone was gentle and slow, falling into his ears with a rather pitiful quality, "Otherwise everyone else has something, but I don't—wouldn't that be quite embarrassing?"
Jiang Xingzhi wasn't fooled by his pitiful appearance, "You would care about that?"
His face was clearly thicker than anyone's.
Zhong Ming replied, "You try being stared at with those pitying looks for half a day."
"..." Jiang Xingzhi put himself in that position—it would indeed be a bit embarrassing.
But there was no need to say it was something he had specifically picked out for him.
He now had an indescribable feeling, as if every sentence Bai Mu said seemed reasonable, yet somehow not quite right.
Jiang Xingzhi struggled and scratched his head—as long as it didn't involve making money, his brain just wouldn't turn!
Just as he was scratching, his wrist was caught and pulled away.
Zhong Ming put down his long sword and stood up, using his other hand to smooth down the hair that had been ruffled up, saying gently, "Don't scratch anymore, when your hair sticks up it makes your head look lumpy."
Jiang Xingzhi: "..."
He slapped away Zhong Ming's hand with a simple retort, "Your head is the lumpy one!"
Zhong Ming let out a contented chuckle.
Jiang Xingzhi couldn't help but glance at him a few times: Being scolded yet still so happy—his head really is lumpy.
****
The weather was perfect today; the autumn sunlight was actually more brilliant than late summer. Jiang Xingzhi bathed in the sunlight, and the chaotic thoughts in his mind were cleared away somewhat.
He felt he'd been too sensitive lately, always making strange associations.
It all seemed to start from that blush-inducing dream in the hot spring pool...
Jiang Xingzhi suddenly paused, his heart itching.
The hot spring pool was nice, and that dream was also nice—leaving it idle was such a waste.
Seeing that Zhong Ming was still meditating with closed eyes and probably wouldn't come looking for him anytime soon, he changed direction and excitedly rushed through the forest toward the hot spring pool.
The mountain forest leaves had turned much redder than the last time he came, but they were also much sparser, allowing larger patches of sunlight to fall through the gaps.
The formation beneath the hot spring pool operated day and night, always maintaining steamy mist and keeping the water at a suitable temperature.
Jiang Xingzhi removed his outer robe and casually threw it by the pool's edge. The indigo fabric piled on the crimson fallen leaves seemed like the only bright spot in this mountain forest.
Splash—a snow-white figure entered the water.
Jiang Xingzhi first leaned against the pool's edge to warm up, then turned to lie prone on the bank. He waved his hand and set up a restriction on the pool's edge—if anyone came, the restriction would wake him from his dream.
After completing his preparations, he finally pillowed his head on his arms and closed his eyes.
His loose hair spread along the curve of his back and disappeared into the water surface. Jiang Xingzhi deliberately thought of Xu Jian in his mind, allowing himself to slowly sink into his sea of consciousness...
Consciousness moved with his thoughts, and he quickly appeared in the dreamscape.
Jiang Xingzhi had originally thought that thinking of Xu Jian would make him appear at the other's Fuqing Mountain like last time in the illusion. But when the blurry surroundings gradually became clear, what came into view was a cluster of silver fireworks.
A voice fell beside his ear, "Whatever wishes you have, I'll help you fulfill them all."
Jiang Xingzhi suddenly moved away the fireworks blocking his vision, only to see Xu Jian's face illuminated by scattered river lanterns under the wishing tree.
He didn't come to his senses for a long while, staring at the other person in stunned silence.
This was in a dream, and his floating thoughts didn't allow him to think too much independently, but his subconscious told Jiang Xingzhi that this dream seemed wrong.
In his daze, Xu Jian had already grasped his hand and pulled the fireworks back in front of him, "Hurry up and make a wish."
The pleasant voice seemed to have some kind of magic. Without thinking, Jiang Xingzhi followed the other's words and closed his eyes, making a wish. When the fireworks burned out and he opened his eyes again, Xu Jian smiled at him, drew away the used sparkler from his hand and threw it away, then naturally took his hand and walked toward the bridge, "Let's go look over there."
Jiang Xingzhi hummed in response, being led along in a daze.
The hand holding his was just as he remembered—warm and dry, with sword calluses gently rubbing against the back of his hand, quite intimate.
Jiang Xingzhi thought: Was he on a date with Xu Jian?
He turned his head to look at the person again. At Xu Jian's waist, a pale yellow tassel swayed—it was clearly the tassel pendant he had bought.
While he was trying hard to figure out the situation, the scenes in the dream continued to progress. They competed for the Yuan Sui ball in the dim sky and crowded masses. Xu Jian pressed against him from behind, half-embracing his shoulders, using spiritual power to carve out a small space just for him.
The noisy voices of people receded like tide, leaving only the voice by his ear still clear:
"Want it that badly?"
"Catch it properly."
The low, indulgent voice mixed with warm breath seemed to carry different meanings.
Jiang Xingzhi's face suddenly flushed red. The Yuan Sui ball fell into his embrace in the next moment. Holding the golden Yuan Sui ball, he turned to look at Xu Jian, who lowered his head with a smile and kissed the corner of his lips.
A blurred voice came from their touching lips, "Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."
That kiss was warm and gentle, making his heart race uncontrollably.
…..
The dream scenes kept changing, with unimportant transitions fast-forwarding rapidly through his mind.
When he focused again, Jiang Xingzhi was already in an inn.
He was curled up on the bed, with thin bed curtains half-drawn. Xu Jian's figure was hazy and unclear. He heard himself ask:
"Don't you have a beloved who ascended?"
"Mm, I do."
Jiang Xingzhi's heart immediately turned sour, "You still like someone else."
The person outside the curtains came over, lifting the curtain with one hand. Xu Jian sat on the bed's edge looking at him, "There's no one else. Isn't my beloved you?"
Jiang Xingzhi blinked—was it himself? Oh, he seemed to have ascended before. Just as he was thinking this, the other person raised his hand to cover his face and leaned down, calling his name, "Xingzhi."
Another tall figure appeared within the curtains. Jiang Xingzhi grabbed onto Xu Jian's clothes and was embraced. He had a vague premonition of what would happen next—after all, it was his own dream.
He was nervous yet expectant, but still had to ask coyly, "Who told you to come up?"
The person holding him laughed, "Wasn't it you who wished for this and that?"
Heat rushed to his cheeks! Jiang Xingzhi closed his eyes in embarrassment.
In the darkness, the intoxicating dream suddenly shook violently and abruptly stopped just before "this and that."