Chapter 85: Guarding Heaven's Pass pt. 6

“You're out of ink,” Ming Zhuo grabbed Luo Xu's lapel, “you need to drink the Water of Illumination first———” 

Sword energy flashed like a rainbow, and the bridal sedan instantly fell apart. The two of them rolled together amidst the red silk and satin. As the rain drizzled down, Luo Xu pushed away the chaotic red silk covering him: “Drinking water during the day doesn’t count?” 

“It doesn’t count,” Ming Zhuo said, “otherwise, my spiritual energy would have reacted when we were cramped in the sedan chair.”

This sentence revealed too much. It turns out Ming Zhuo could borrow spiritual energy just by touching him. Unfortunately, Luo Xu didn’t have time to ask more, because Lin Changming's sword had already reached him.

Ming Zhuo stepped on the broken wood of the sedan, causing it to flip in the air and block the strike, but Lin Changming’s sword momentum was unstoppable, and the wood was immediately split apart.

“Ruyi Lang,” Lin Changming's sword continued its attack toward Ming Zhuo, “you deserve to die!”

In a flash, Luo Xu shook open the red silk, wrapped it around Lin Changming's sword, and pulled hard: “A teacher for a day, a father for life. Lin Changming, do you actually want to kill your Shifu?”

Lin Changming's sword could cut through iron like mud, and the red silk wrapped around it broke apart in no time. He halted his attack, his tone heavy with grief, “Shifu, you've been deceived by him, you can no longer tell truth from falsehood! I am not Lin Changming, I am—” 

Raindrops fell on his face, and for a moment he seemed dazed, as if he had forgotten his own name, “I am... I am your head disciple... I am not Lin Changming. Who is Lin Changming? Shifu, who is Lin Changming?”

“Lin Changming is me, I am Lin Changming,” Ming Zhuo took the opportunity to step back, observing Lin Changming’s expression, “Today, as Ruyi Lang marries Jiang Lang-jun, it is Lin Changming marrying Jiang Linzhai.”

Lin Changming was struck as if by a heavy blow: “You can't... Lin Changming can't marry Jiang Linzhai!”

Ming Zhuo said, "Why can't I?"

Lin Changming's face turned ashen. His eyes, pitch black, made him look like a walking corpse at night, as if he was draped in ghostly skin, unable to answer the question. Perhaps influenced by him, the surroundings began to change. Countless Fire Fish lanterns suddenly swam out into the pitch-dark sky.

These Fire Fish lanterns shimmered like beautiful flowing fire, breaking through the gloomy clouds on this rainy night, and filling the entire sky. The once desolate streets were suddenly crowded with people in the blink of an eye, and even the dilapidated sedan chair magically restored itself. The sound of suona rose again, and the impromptu wedding procession pushed past Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu, with joyous women throwing paper money around, loudly proclaiming, "Send off the bride—"

The procession swayed and staggered past Lin Changming towards the direction of the River God's Temple. Lin Changming's lips trembled. Amidst the fluttering paper money, he called out despondently, "Shifu."

As the sedan chair brushed past him, he reached out as if to grab the curtain. A gust of wind blew, lifting the curtain, and revealing the person inside. The figure was dressed in festive attire, their face partially obscured, their profile framed delicately in the glow of the Fire Fish lanterns.

"Shifu," Lin Changming turned, calling out the person's name, "Jiang Linzhai..."

Jiang Linzhai didn't even glance at him, keeping their eyes lowered in concentration. Lin Changming dropped his sword, staring blankly at the sedan chair. The curtain fell, blocking his view. The crowd surged towards the brightly lit River God's Temple, leaving Lin Changming standing alone in place, unable to take a step forward.

"Pēng!"

The Fire Fish lanterns exploded in the sky, sprinkling golden-red confetti-like fireworks, showering down on everyone.

"Send off the bride—"

Another wedding procession appeared, identical to the one that had just passed, but emerging from another street. Immediately after, the entire city street began to change, with identical roads appearing from all directions, each hosting its own wedding procession.

Lin Changming stood there dazed, as sedan chairs continued to pass by. He raised a hand to touch his face, feeling it damp with moisture. The rain persisted, and he couldn't tell if it was tears or rainwater, lost in a haze as if he had seen this scene countless times before.

—Before breaking the formation, you asked me if there was ever a genuine moment in the countless times. I can answer you now: there wasn't, not even once.

"People lie," Lin Changming murmured, shielding his eyes amidst the crowd's commotion, "Shifu, people always lie."

Suddenly, Luo Xu tightened his grip on Ming Zhuo. "To the riverbank!"

Lin Changming lowered his hand. The wedding processions seemed frozen in place as if under a spell, halted halfway. There was no River God in the River God’s Temple, and Ming Zhuo was now Ruyi Lang, so—

A joyous woman twisted around, grinning at Ming Zhuo, "Ruyi Lang is here! Good Lang-jun, why so quiet? You nearly made everyone make a wasted trip, almost missing the auspicious hour."

The bustling crowd all turned around, faces powdered with white makeup, laughing incessantly at Ming Zhuo. Men, women, young, old—all laughed in unison, their voices chiming together as they twisted and turned, rushing towards him.

"In words, he says Ruyi Lang cannot marry Jiang Lang-jun, but in his heart, he wants Ruyi Lang to only marry Jiang Lang-jun," Ming Zhuo ran alongside Luo Xu, "This person is truly insincere—using his mouth to say yes but no in his heart!"

"If you dare to marry him, you dare to kill," Luo Xu took long strides, flipping over the obstructing grocery cart, then stepping on the edge, allowing Ming Zhuo to leap after him, "The road is blocked, onto the roof first!"

Ming Zhuo agilely flipped onto the roof, with Luo Xu closely following. The street below was packed with wedding escorts, jostling against each other, all askew. The scattered Fire Fish embers fell from the sky, igniting the river surface with a resounding hōng.

"He's fixing the loophole," Ming Zhuo stepped on the tiles, the jewels on his body jingling, "Examine Sins will consume too much spiritual energy. Drink a bit more later!"

"How much is 'a bit'?" Luo Xu tried to make his tone less villainous, "After drinking, how many kisses will it take to borrow enough power?"

Ming Zhuo said, "I don't know."

The Fire Fish embers began drifting everywhere, now truly turning into wandering flames. Wherever they landed, large hellfire flames would ignite. Several fire serpents snaked across the roof. Luo Xu found the festive attire inconvenient. Just then, he heard Lin Changming shout "Order" and already chased after him.

"The timing is perfect," Luo Xu simply tore off his outer robe, wrapped it around his hand, and swung his sword, fending off the flames, "In all things, there must be order, Lin Changming. How can forced transactions work?"

"Shifu," Lin Changming said, "If this wicked deity doesn't die today, He will surely return with a hundredfold revenge tomorrow! Weren't you once most resentful of fallen gods harming people? Why are you stopping me?"

"Why do you think?" Luo Xu replied with a wicked heart, "Naturally, it's because our marriage vows have been exchanged. From now on, our souls are entwined, for better or for worse."

Lin Changming's heart felt like it was being twisted with knives, "It's impossible!"

Luo Xu's gaze turned slightly cold, pointing two fingers towards the River of Light, "Aren't you clear-headed about this?"

He was hinting at fixing the loophole, but Lin Changming seemed possessed, insisting on "impossible." Regardless of whether Lin Changming was mad or foolish, Luo Xu didn't care. He threw the flaming festive attire straight at him, letting it burn magnificently before Lin Changming's eyes.

The two arrived at the riverside, where the river had turned into a sea of fire. Fire Fish embers fluttered chaotically. Luo Xu bent down to scoop up a handful of ink, saying before drinking it, "You deceived me."

The metallic foil on Ming Zhuo's forehead shimmered in the firelight as he caught the water spilt by Luo Xu. "Who deceived you?"

"To borrow spiritual energy, just a touch is enough," Luo Xu stared at him, "Why must you make it a kiss?"

"Firstly, with merely touching you can only restore a tiny amount of spiritual energy. Only a kiss can restore enough to cast spells. Secondly," Ming Zhuo raised his hands arrogantly, his tone proud, "I want to kiss you because you are mine to begin with—"

Luo Xu gulped down the Water of Illumination, then gripped Ming Zhuo's chin, demanding only this half-answer.

I am yours.

The jewels jingled, and bitterness filled Ming Zhuo's mouth. Neither of them had kissed anyone else, so neither knew the other's skill. From their first kiss, they challenged each other.

This kiss was deeper than the previous two. The ink bead on Luo Xu's finger slid onto Ming Zhuo's neck. He moved closer, wanting Ming Zhuo to know clearly and unmistakably who he was.

Hōng—

The flames raged. Ming Zhuo's spiritual energy surged into his body like a gust of wind. In this bitter and fierce attack, he finally learned to close his eyes. The glittering embers filled the sky. Ming Zhuo's black hair fluttered as he heard the clinking of the blood-shackle curse.

Pā.

Ming Zhuo's waist jade and pearl chain quietly broke, and he suddenly felt light, drifting upwards. A white silk ribbon, as pure as the moonlight, wound out from his fingertips, gliding along his arm and finally covering his eyes.

Zhēng—

Fire Fish embers flew past, and Luo Xu still held Ming Zhuo's hand. Rarely did he show such an expression, in the interplay of fire and moonlight, his silver hair brushed by the drizzling rain, his eyes reflecting only one person.

Or perhaps, a god.

The crescent moon on Ming Zhuo's forehead was half-hidden, and a pipa had fallen into his embrace. He slightly lifted it to sniff in mid-air, then revealed a meaningful expression, "Ng... so this is what it's like to be a deity."

Lin Changming flew down, still holding remnants of festive clothing. Upon seeing Ming Zhuo, he exclaimed, "Ruyi Lang, you couldn't resist revealing your true form! Shifu, this nefarious god has devoured countless people, masking its true appearance by borrowing the power of the Water of Illumination. It appears as the local River God, but has long since degenerated into a monster..."

"You're quite mad. I don't think it's the River God either," Ming Zhuo swayed closer to Luo Xu, handing him the pipa, "Play."

Luo Xu embraced the pipa and asked first, "How did it come to this?"

"You should ask it," Ming Zhuo pointed to his chest, the conspicuous curse of the blood shackle under his jewellery. He seemed curious about Luo Xu's expression through the blindfold, "Have my arms grown longer?"

"No," Luo Xu's found it hard to divert his gaze and felt fortunate that Ming Zhuo couldn't see, but he wasn't polite either, pulling him back into his arms, "What's this pipa for?"

Ming Zhuo grabbed his hand and placed it on the pipa strings, "Play."

Luo Xu said, "You can't?"

"Of course I can't," Ming Zhuo urged, "Hurry, play before the spiritual energy drains away."

Luo Xu couldn't either, but the business fire almost broke through the sky, and there wasn't much water left in this river. Success or failure was decided in this single move. So he pressed upon the strings and played a sequence of notes.

The pipa's sound rang out, and the moonlight around Ming Zhuo flowed as if it were substantial. But here lay a challenge; the Examine Sins spell required a specific target designated by the deity to be effective. At this tricky moment, seeing Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu's intimate demeanour, Lin Changming's eyes widened in fury and he shouted to Luo Xu, "Shifu!"

Ming Zhuo remained steadfast. He pressed Luo Xu's shoulder and pushed him back, commanding, "I permit you to Examine Sins!"

Luo Xu's soul trembled, and the flames around them roared louder. The drizzle turned into torrential rain, and countless scenes of light and shadow rolled back layer by layer, like the unfolding of complex petals—

"On North Heron Mountain, there's a flower called 'Wuyou.' My Shifu loved this flower and named my sword Wuyou. I heard every sword's name is a prophecy. I wonder if people's names are the same way. If so, I'd like to be called Jiang Wuyou. But my Shifu not only disagreed but also beat me up for it. So until today, I'm still called Jiang Linzhai. Linzhai is fine too. It means, 'reflecting oneself in water, self-examination during fasting.' I indeed should reflect on myself."

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