Chapter 93: Guarding Heaven's Pass pt. 14

Luo Xu ignored Lin Changming and retreated with Ming Zhuo first: "That boy attendant serves the River God and cannot leave the hall without permission, so he will definitely give us the Water of Illumination."

Ming Zhuo said, "For convenience, it's naturally here. It's only a few steps away from the main hall. If that boy attendant needs anything, he just needs to call out."

Lin Changming interrupted their conversation, thrusting his sword: "You're stirring up people’s hearts again!"

"You said 'again'," Ming Zhuo dodged the sword, "why do you say 'again'? Since I entered the formation, have I done anything to you?"

Lin Changming said, "Kidnapping my Shifu isn't considered a bad thing?"

"You say I kidnapped him, but it was all your doing." Ming Zhuo thought quickly, seeing that Lin Changming was stubborn and decided to attack his heart. He grabbed Luo Xu's hand and lifted it for Lin Changming to see: "Don't you understand? The reason he's following me is that the person he hates and loathes the most now is you!"

Lin Changming's face changed dramatically, as if Ming Zhuo had hit his deepest fear. His sword trembled, and his voice faltered: "No... you're talking nonsense! Shifu would never hate me... I..."

Ming Zhuo said, "Where does this 'never' come from? Did he tell you himself? Or is it just your own delusion?"

Lin Changming replied, "Of course, Shifu told me himself! You shameless fallen god, what do you understand? My Shifu and I are of one mind, we've faced countless dangers together and never left each other. If it weren't for you sowing discord, he would never follow you!"

Ming Zhuo suddenly laughed, his tone mocking: "Are you chasing your Shifu or a lover? You know best in your heart. You call him Shifu, but what kind of Shifu? The kind you dream about and desire, violating the propriety of your rank? You say I'm a fallen god, but I think you're truly a degenerate disciple!"

Lin Changming suddenly clutched his chest, shaking his head hastily: "I didn't... I never to him..."

Ming Zhuo seized the opportunity: "Do you dare to say it in front of him? Say that you've never had improper thoughts about your Shifu, that you don't like Jiang Lang-jun at all, that you've always seen him only as your Shifu!"

Lin Changming's emotions surged, and he spat up blood due to his tumultuous qi.

"This array consumes a great deal of spiritual energy, and without Jiang Linzhai's assistance this time, it naturally takes much more effort," Luo Xu said, raising his foot to hook the desk. "Ask him a few more questions to make him lose his mind; maybe the array will break."

"I don't know if he'll get angry enough," Ming Zhuo dodged, "but I certainly feel he's ready to kill. Have you found the water?"

Luo Xu pulled the desk closer. He had looked around the hall and found the desk to be the most unusual, and recalling the colour of the river, he guessed that the Water of Illumination might be hidden there. He pushed the paintings off the desk, picked up the ink, and took a sip, hoping for the best. The bitter taste was overwhelming.

"It's the Water of Illumination," Luo Xu said, frowning as he kicked the desk towards Lin Changming. "A person can only undergo the Examine Sins once. Jiang Linzhai has already done so, so this time it has to be someone else."

Ming Zhuo said, "Let's wait until we finish kissing!"

He retreated to the desk, scattering the disordered paintings as he turned back. Luo Xu steadied himself, as if waiting for him.

The two had kissed several times during their entrapment in this array, but the context and their intentions were different each time. Ming Zhuo wasn't afraid of these kisses—they were too hurried, merely purposeful touches, and because of this, they made him feel at ease. He pulled Luo Xu's collar, tilting his head to find Luo Xu's lips—

A fleeting touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

His spiritual energy surged instantly, but it was far from enough. Luo Xu said, "I believe I better understand the method to share spiritual power."

However, time was pressing. He couldn't explain further, so he grabbed Ming Zhuo's nape and kissed him again—his kiss was much fiercer than Ming Zhuo's. This time, the spiritual energy rushed like a torrent, once again awakening the Blood Shackle Curse.

Pēng.

The white silk band reappeared in an instant, winding around Ming Zhuo's arm and returning to cover his sight. He held the transformed pipa and, without thinking, strummed it. With the pipa channelling the spiritual energy, Ming Zhuo's identity reverted to that of the Moon God. He immediately asked Lin Changming, "Are you Lin Changming?"

Immersed in his role, Lin Changming naturally answered, "No, I am Jiang Linzhai's senior disciple!"

"Good," Ming Zhuo said, turning his body and bumping into Luo Xu's chest. "I permit you to Examine Sins!"

By confirming his identity as "Jiang Linzhai's senior disciple," Ming Zhuo aimed to investigate the story of him being Jiang Linzhai's senior disciple, thus shaking Luo Xu's soul again. Countless past scenes from the hall scattered like falling flowers and leaves, spreading in the gust of spiritual energy—

The familiar rain started again.

Lin Changming came back to life.

He opened his eyes and took out a booklet from his bosom. On the cover was a drawing of a plum tree. Each time he died, he painted a plum blossom on the tree. By now, there were already a hundred or so blossoms.

Lin Changming looked at the densely packed plum blossoms on the booklet and couldn't help but sigh deeply. Ever since he witnessed the truth of Jiang Linzhai's madness at the River God Temple and subsequently died over a dozen times, the situation had become quite awkward. To break the formation, he had to awaken Jiang Linzhai. However, Jiang Linzhai was parasitised by the River God and wouldn’t listen to him. Helpless, he had to continue pretending to be Jiang Linzhai’s senior disciple. But pretending to be the senior disciple wasn't easy. Any slight mistake would lead Jiang Linzhai to see through his disguise.

In order to avoid being killed, Lin Changming continuously studied Jian Yi’s personality in the death loop. He vowed that now, besides Jiang Linzhai, no one in the world knew Jian Yi better than he did. He immersed himself in the identity of "Jian Yi"—he had no choice. Sometimes, he would even call out the wrong name in his sleep. If Jiang Linzhai heard it, he would inevitably die. He had to completely deceive himself so that Jiang Linzhai would believe he was truly Jian Yi.

With this thought, Lin Changming put away the booklet and turned to buy a few buns from a nearby stall.

The bun seller greeted him warmly, “Immortal Master, you’re here again! What filling would you like this time?”

Lin Changming replied, “The usual, all vegetarian.”

The bun seller packed the buns, took Lin Changming's money, and gave him a few copper coins in change. Lin Changming noticed the coins were covered with a layer of grease.

Lin Changming had bought buns from this street stall more than ten times. At first, the bun seller’s face was pale, and his speech was awkward, making it obvious that he was fake. But over time, the bun seller not only became rosy-cheeked but also started engaging Lin Changming in conversation. If Lin Changming wasn’t clear-headed and didn’t remember that he was trapped in the Nightmare Sealing Formation, he might not be able to distinguish reality from illusion.

This was troubling.

The realism of the Nightmare Sealing Array was related to the skill of the person who set it up. These changes indicated one thing: Jiang Linzhai's cultivation was increasing. A person's cultivation would not increase for no reason, so these changes confirmed Lin Changming’s suspicion.

Jiang Linzhai was parasitised by the River God and might still be in the same situation as before.

Apart from this, Lin Changming couldn't think of any other reason that could cause such a significant increase in cultivation in just a few days.

“This matter is truly beyond a calamity,” Lin Changming mumbled to himself against the rain, “how can I kill him now?”

Lin Changming was not Ming Zhuo; he didn't understand puppet techniques or deities, so he didn't consider the possibility that the River God might be impersonating someone. To him, the current situation had only one solution: to kill Jiang Linzhai.

Though the story of Jiang Linzhai and his disciples moved him, as one of the Four Mountains, he couldn't allow the River God to continue causing chaos. Since the River God was parasitising Jiang Linzhai and refused to leave, he had to kill Jiang Linzhai to end it all.

Unfortunately, Jiang Linzhai had already been one of the world's top swordsmen before entering the formation, and his cultivation had now greatly increased. Lin Changming found it challenging even to get close to him, let alone kill him.

Thinking of this, Lin Changming felt a slight pain in his neck. He pocketed the copper coins and walked back with the buns.

After witnessing the truth of Jiang Linzhai's madness at the River God Temple, Lin Changming initially planned to use Jian Yi’s corpse to remind Jiang Linzhai not to indulge in illusions. But when that plan failed, he resorted to pretending to be Jian Yi, which unexpectedly worked; Jiang Linzhai believed his words.

He claimed that he had sent his junior brothers and sisters out of the city and stayed behind to watch over his Shifu on behalf of his Shizu.

Lin Changming didn't really know the Shizu in question. He made this claim because he had heard Jian Yi mention that the Fire Fish on his sleeve was embroidered by the Shizu before Jian Yi died. He boldly borrowed the grandmaster's name, and it worked.

Jiang Linzhai no longer urged him to leave the city but instead brought him to live in this city. They stayed near this street in a small courtyard. Jiang Linzhai no longer wandered the streets; every day, he would wake up and sit on the tree in the courtyard, gazing at the River God Temple.

Lin Changming turned the corner and returned to the courtyard. The door was half open, and as he stepped in, he casually said, "Why is the door not closed? Shifu, there are beggar kids outside, and they might sneak in to steal things..."

The courtyard was filled with petals from the worry-free flowers. Jiang Linzhai sat on a rattan chair under the tree, holding a bowl of meatballs. He was instructing a group of beggar children squatting in front of him to say, "Call me."

The beggar children eagerly complied, some calling him "Da-Wang," some "Immortal Master," and others "Diēdie."(1,2) They all looked up at Jiang Linzhai with puppy-like eyes, eagerly eyeing the bowl in his hand.

Jiang Linzhai said, "Those who called me 'Diēdie' stand aside; those who called me 'Da-Wang' come get your reward."

The "reward" was the meatballs. He distributed them one by one, and the beggar children were overjoyed, circling around him and calling out "Da-Wang, Da-Wang."

Lin Changming stepped forward to shoo away the beggar children. "If you're full, leave. Don't crowd around my Shifu. Shifu, how many times have I told you, don't open the door when I'm not here. These little rascals are here to steal things."

"What's worth stealing in this broken courtyard," Jiang Linzhai tossed the bowl to Lin Changming and picked up a storybook from the rattan chair. "Where have you been? You've been gone for so long."

Lin Changming had just died, but he couldn't say that, so he made up a reason, "I was watching street performers."

As he spoke, he guessed in his mind that Jiang Linzhai's next words would be: "You haven't cooked yet."

Sure enough, the next moment, Jiang Linzhai said, "You haven't cooked yet."

Lin Changming took out the already prepared buns. "Freshly steamed, all vegetarian, thin-skinned and thick-filled. Shifu, have a couple to tide you over; I'll start cooking now."

Every word was carefully chosen, and Lin Changming had learned the hard way that Jiang Linzhai was a spoilt young master with particular tastes about everything, even the type of buns and their fillings.

After offering the buns, Lin Changming tucked the hem of his robe and took out two new storybooks from his pocket, placing them nearby to prevent Jiang Linzhai from getting bored. With that done, he washed his hands and headed to the kitchen to start cooking.

How pitiful! 

Chopping the chicken, Lin Changming lamented, "Lin Changming, you were somebody in the six prefectures, and now you've fallen to cooking for someone."

The soup couldn't be too bland, the chicken had to be well-stewed, and there needed to be a plate of braised beef... Lin Changming set the table in the courtyard, poured the soup, and humbly said, "Shifu, please eat."

After the meal, Lin Changming immediately started cleaning up. Finally, in the evening, after seeing Jiang Linzhai to bed, he collapsed onto his own.

Being a disciple really didn’t include the dignity of being human!

Lin Changming took a deep breath, not even wanting to count the days anymore. He buried his head and slept, but suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. When he opened his eyes, he saw Jiang Linzhai sitting by his bed.

Lin Changming's heart stopped, and he almost jumped up. Clutching his neck, he blurted out the life-saving phrase, "I am Jian Yi!"

The Author Has Something to Say

A small, small, small, small, small, small biscuit (Kneeling)

Thanks for reading

Foot Notes

1. 大王 or “Da-Wang” is “Great King”.

2. 爹爹 or “Diēdie” is a word for father, more like “Daddy” or “Papa” than father.