Chapter 25

"I was so engrossed in listening to you that I ate all the snowflake crisps meant for Yinbing."

Ting Shu sulked for a day or two, but eventually, Ning Shiting managed to coax him.

Though he was consoled, it didn't mean he was no longer angry or sad. Instead, he vaguely understood that this matter was irreversible. Being angry or crying wouldn't help, so he had no choice but to come back obediently.

With Ning Shiting around, Ting Shu no longer cared about the family he might have had. Moreover, Baili Hongzhou's identity as "Gēgē" overshadowed Ning Shiting's position, and he had to return to this stranger because of some inexplicable blood ties and the universally accepted notion that "blood is thicker than water."

He couldn't understand.

But Ning Shiting said, "This is how the world works. There are always... some things you don't want to do but have to, Ting Shu."

Ting Shu replied, "I don't care about how it should be. I just want to do what I like. Staying by Gongzi's side is great, and Gongzi definitely likes me too, so why should it change?"

Ning Shiting smiled gently and didn't say anything, only reaching out to pat his head.

In fact, from the moment Ting Shu started following him, he should have understood. He had lived a life of licking blood off the blade, but this child was willing to trade his life for his own.

In his previous life, even if Ting Shu didn't die for him, he could still have been drawn into various turmoil.

In a way, Ting Shu's personality was just like his own, only Ting Shu's eyes were on him, whereas in his previous life, his eyes were only on Qing Wang.

In that instant, Ning Shiting recalled the words he heard in the Baicao Garden this afternoon.

— "That's why I said you're hypocritical. Clearly reluctant, yet you still send him away."

It seemed that with just a blink, he could see the boy in the wheelchair, sitting upright in the autumn sun, his brows and eyes sharp and vibrant with youthful vigour.

In recent days, his relationship with Gu Tingshuang seemed to have eased a bit.

At least now, Gu Tingshuang was willing to take the initiative to talk to him, and the time he spent rejecting his kindness had lessened a bit compared to before.

Every evening, Gu Tingshuang still took his usual walk, accompanied by his little wolf.

The little wolf, having become familiar with both Ning Shiting and Ting Shu, would linger here for a while longer.

Ning Shiting would prepare snowflake crisps with ice skin and a pot of tea for Gu Tingshuang, placing them outside the courtyard. If Gu Tingshuang wanted to eat, he would take it himself; if not, after he left, someone would bring it into the room, and Ning Shiting would eat it.

Occasionally, during breaks from reading the Xizhou Chronicles, Ning Shiting would come out to stretch or move a lounge chair to nap for a while.

When Gu Tingshuang came over, if Ning Shiting was woken up, he would open his eyes and softly say, "Yinbing, you’re here," his words tinged with drowsiness, and then he would close his eyes again and breathe steadily.

Sometimes, if he wasn't awake, Gu Tingshuang would stay in the courtyard, flipping through the miscellaneous stories Ning Shiting left on the table, often losing track of time.

The light breeze in the courtyard rustled softly in his ears, the little wolf rolling on the ground, gnawing on toy artefacts, and the nearly imperceptible presence of the Jiaoren.

In his peripheral vision, there was always a figure, sometimes dressed in red, sometimes in light blue.

When dressed in red, he resembled a winter plum blossom—snow white skin, eyes as pale as azure, and soft white hair; when dressed in moon white, he was like a stream by the coast, light-coloured and slightly blue, clear and gentle—like a wave leisurely crashing upon the shore and into one's eyes.

Ten days after Ning Shiting returned from the incense conference, mysterious funds arrived at the mansion.

All the money had been converted into precious items from the immortal world, such as spiritual medicines and items to boost spiritual consciousness. Even for a prestigious house like the Qing Wang’s Residence, it would take years to obtain some of these items.

That day, while taking his usual walk, Gu Tingshuang passed by and saw Ning Shiting examining the gifts, discussing with Ting Shu, "Who could have sent these?"

Ting Shu speculated wildly, "Maybe it's from that Gēgē of mine whom I've never met, sent to buy me with."

Ning Shiting lightly tapped Ting Shu's hand with the brush he was holding, "Don't say such things outside. I've already restored your status. You're no longer my book boy, but the Xaio-Shaoye of the Baili family."

The matter of naming Ting Shu was also settled recently. Ning Shiting had chosen many names for him, but he refused them all.

After much deliberation, he still chose the name "Ting Shu," making his full name Baili Tingshu.

Additionally, other servants who came in with Ting Shu also had names like Ting Feng and Ting Qiu. Because Ning Shiting favoured Ting Shu, he changed the "Ting" character in their names to "Hua."(1)

Ting Shu asked, "But who would have sent these? Gongzi doesn't know anyone else. Could it be a reward from the Wangye?"

"He doesn't have the time to reward me with these things," Ning Shiting seemed puzzled as well. Just as he was about to instruct someone to put the items away, he bumped into Gu Tingshuang.

Gu Tingshuang lowered his eyes. The young man's indifferent gaze lingered on the items for a moment before he calmly said, "They were sent by the people from the Asura Path.(2) I used my spiritual sense and found the Rakshasa ghost mark on them."

"Rakshasa?"

Ning Shiting was taken aback for a moment, then quickly seemed to realise something.

This was probably from the original master of the Soul Returning Incense; someone he had met at the incense conference.

"Are you close with him?" Gu Tingshuang asked directly.

His attitude was so straightforward, making it clear that he knew everything that had happened after Ning Shiting left the mansion.

Ning Shiting had previously doubted the extent of the details the "Little Wolf told me" could cover but, considering the cultivation method he had learnt from the "Ninefold Spirit Mastery," he believed it. The first level of this technique involved manipulating spiritual senses to communicate with all things. Otherwise, Gu Tingshuang wouldn't have survived his return from Spirit Mountain each time he'd gone.

After pondering for a while, Ning Shiting heard him ask again, "That person was looking for you, right? Why don't you admit it?"

Ning Shiting replied softly, "I don't know him. It's just that when I was fifteen... I left Dongzhou with the Qing Wang. Before leaving, I concocted the Zhen Sandalwood Incense, which wasn't what I wanted, so I casually gave it to the family of a comrade-in-arms. The Qing Wang commanded us never to speak of what happened in Dongzhou. I'm merely following his orders. If you say so, these items might have been sent by him, as a gesture for the incense I gave back then."

He spoke as if he hadn't been the one who had murmured about wanting to kill the Qing Wang.

Whenever he mentioned this matter, he always appeared especially reticent.

Gu Tingshuang recalled the flash of Ning Shiting's memories he had read that night and knew that the matter wasn't so simple.

However, his nature was such that he didn't intend to ask more questions and simply left.

That day, while Ning Shiting was handling matters of the household, he wasn't in the usual courtyard where he read and managed affairs but at the front gate of the mansion.

This deviated from his daily walking routine.

If Gu Tingshuang was following the Little Wolf, then this explanation wouldn't hold either.

Everyone in the mansion knew how Gu Tingshuang educated that Little Wolf—with strict, meticulous obedience training, akin to training a real person. The Little Wolf would only come back to him crying after playing too far, never requiring Gu Tingshuang to drive his wheelchair to chase after the pup.

When Ning Shiting thought back to the encounter with Gu Tingshuang, he suddenly realised—this was the first time in four years of despondency that Gu Tingshuang had approached the main gate of Qing Wang’s Mansion.

Hulu and Lingjiao also said, "Dianxia has indeed been going to more places these past few days. We even heard he went near the apothecary. Although Dianxia still doesn't like going out much, he stays out for longer periods now."

Ning Shiting asked, "How about his cultivation? Has the Shizi been eating and resting well these days?"

Hulu replied, "Everything's fine. He eats the meals delivered on time, rests every night after dark, and practices during the day. The Little Wolf also eats three meals a day and is growing stronger."

Ning Shiting said, "That's good."

Messages from the Bluebird arrived from all over, piecing together scattered pages, forming the final half of the "Ninefold Spirit Mastery" manual that he was collecting for Gu Tingshuang.

Ning Shiting took some time to compile the manuscript, suspending uncertain parts with flexible strings, intending for Gu Tingshuang, who truly understood the content, to organise it himself.

On the afternoon he finished sorting it out, Ning Shiting brought a bag of pastries and a bundle of calming herbs to the Shizi's residence.

Gu Tingshuang was practising as usual and kept him outside the door, not allowing him to enter.

But this time, he spoke from inside, asking, "What do you want?"

Ning Shiting hadn't visited for several days. The lotus flowers in the pool of the Shizi's residence had grown, and the breeze in the courtyard felt much lighter.

He said, "I've compiled the latter half of the 'Ninefold Spirit Mastery.' There are some parts where I'm unsure of the order, so you'll have to figure them out yourself."

Gu Tingshuang's lazy voice came through the door, "Just keep it for now. I have the first four volumes, which are enough for now."

He truly felt it was enough.

Gu Tingshuang had wasted four years, concerned only with the narrow world defined by his paralysed legs. Such a long time was enough for him to abandon worldly pursuits and views. Spending this life with the wolves of Spirit Mountain seemed acceptable.

Ning Shiting sighed softly at this thought.

In his past life, Gu Tingshuang had, due to his long absence from the world, taken a convoluted path when he finally decided to seize power. He could understand people's hearts and, with his spiritual awareness, his sight was as clear as a blazing inferno.(3)

But the world did not acknowledge him. If Gu Tingshuang could find a place to settle in Qing Wang’s Mansion because of his parents' protection, then after moving out and severing ties with the Qing Wang, he truly had no one left in the world.

No family, no friends, no influence, no convincing achievements. The ancient white wolf was feared by all, yet no one believed that a frail, wheelchair-bound boy could truly control these beings that spanned both the divine and demonic realms.

Ning Shiting, having followed the Qing Wang, knew well how much blood and sweat it took to develop from nothing to such greatness.

"Then I'll just leave the pastries on Shizi's desk."

Ning Shiting tucked the book into his sleeve and, upon turning back, saw a butterfly fluttering over his head and landing on the edge of the desk, causing him to smile.

"The weather is nice today. Perhaps I'll go out to pick some herns later. Would Shizi be interested in accompanying me out for a walk?"

There was no response, indicating that this time Gu Tingshuang didn't even bother to say "scram."

He neither admitted to disdaining contact with others nor explained himself, yet he was sensitive to the topic, making it seem like he feared the idea of "going out."

Seeing he would receive no answer, Ning Shiting didn't get angry. He left the pastries with a smile.

After that day, Gu Tingshuang didn't leave his residence for several days, even cancelling his usual evening walks.

Ning Shiting visited a few more times, but each time he only saw a butterfly.

He came at irregular intervals, sometimes whenever he had free time, or multiple times a day if he had the chance.

Occasionally, he would leave pastries and depart, most often snowflake crisps. Sometimes, he would sit and chat with Hulu and Lingjiao about matters of Xizhou, from street gossip to immortal palace secrets.

Gu Tingshuang, sitting in the Xiuxin Garden, had his ears filled with the sounds coming through the door.

During breaks in his practice, he couldn't help but hear snippets.

Things like how the current Immortal Emperor, though suspicious of the Qing Wang, was even more wary of Ting Shu's Gēgē, Baili Hongzhou... or how the Immortal Emperor had taken another concubine, causing discord with the Empress...

It was mostly these two servants talking. They were very respectful toward Ning Shiting, with an admiration that bordered on reverence. When discussing these topics, they were quite serious, hoping to offer Ning Shiting some assistance.

But Ning Shiting was too silent, hardly saying anything.

Only once, when Lingjiao suggested, "Since the Baili family is also under suspicion, and Ting Shu Xiao-Gongzi likes you so much, why not keep him here," did Ning Shiting let out a light "ah," interrupting him.

"Gongzi, what's wrong?" Hulu's voice was tense.

Then came a faint laugh, and he could picture the Jiaoren gently pursing his lips, his eyes filled with amusement.

"I was so engrossed in listening to you that I ate all the snowflake crisps meant for Yinbing."

It sounded both self-reproaching and innocent, like a plea for forgiveness.

Gu Tingshuang, listening quietly on the other side, couldn't help but slowly, slowly, curve his lips into a small smile.

Foot Notes

1. 听 (tīng) is the character that all these people had used for their names (it means “listen” or “hear”)—even Gu Tingshuang (顾听霜) has one in his name (although Ning Shiting can’t and won’t that and the “ting” in Shiting is “tíng”). They are now going to use 画 (Huà) or “painting”.

2. 修罗 (xiūluó) are “Asura” spirits or demons, also a part of Indian Mythology like the Rakshasa.

3. 洞若观火 (Dòngruòguānhuǒ) is an idiom that means to “fully apprehend”