Chapter 40

"Those who use beauty to serve others are like flowers in the mirror, the moon in the water—illusory, shattered, and easily weary."

Ning Shiting counted; there were a total of seventy-six "wolf pups" that had followed him, and nearly all of them were adult male wolves.

He recalled the last time he had rescued Gu Tingshuang from Spirit Mountian. The wolves formed small groups of three, maintaining contact between groups and passing messages to one another. It was evident that the wolf pack had provided the remaining dwellings on Spirit Mountain as a shelter for the female wolves and their pups, while the rest had nowhere else to go, so they descended the mountain to the Shizi's residence, seeking their alpha.

Wolves, by nature, were simple and loyal to their alpha, following them unwaveringly. Although adult wolves would occasionally challenge the alpha's status, their actions wouldn't be rebellious due to such thoughts. They always prioritised the well-being of the entire pack.

Ning Shiting guessed that these wolves must have received Gu Tingshuang's permission, which was why they had all taken refuge in the Shizi's residence.

In his previous life, Gu Tingshuang never trusted humans. The wolf pack served as his eyes and ears, and he treated them better than any person. Because of this, he never experienced betrayal. Conversely, he used the wolf pack to control his opponents and partners, and even during the ten years when he forced the emperor from power and killed Gu Feiyin, he seemed to find no one who could truly enter his heart.

He refused to have his own consort or a tutor and was averse to all servants. Gradually, rumours began to circulate among the common people, saying that the Qing Wang's Shizi wasn't actually of the Qing Wang's bloodline but was born from the essence of heaven and earth. It was said that Gu Feiyin couldn't tolerate having a child who wasn't of his blood in the mansion, which is why he treated him so harshly. But the truth was that this Shizi was the reincarnation of a thousand-year-old white wolf god, inherently wolf-like, suppressing all whims. This made him so eccentric that people kept their distance.

Ning Shiting had considered advising him, but in their limited interactions, Gu Tingshuang never listened to his advice. Either he would remain silent, or he would respond with cold sarcasm. In their past lives, when Gu Tingshuang severed ties with the Qing Wang household and moved out to make his own way, Ning Shiting had already been summoned back by Gu Feiyin.

The Immortal Emperor, upon learning of Gu Tingshuang's control over the wolf pack on Mount Ling, granted him a noble title. Contrary to Ning Shiting's expectations, Gu Tingshuang didn't refuse the title to live in seclusion but accepted it, moved out, established his own residence, and began to put down his own roots.

At that time, Ning Shiting was worried that Gu Tingshuang would suffer losses in this regard, so he used all his abilities to write a letter to the newly independent Gu Tingshuang without being detected by Gu Feiyin.

The letter contained only a few words: "Power captivates the heart, like a candle wick and ashes, easily crumbling and fleeting, hard to last."

From then on, Gu Tingshuang would walk his path alone. The wolf pack, after all, were not humans, and he couldn't avoid dealing with people forever. What would he do when that time came?

Ning Shiting waited three months.

When Gu Tingshuang at last replied, his letter did not address Ning Shiting's concerns.

Ning Shiting still remembered the cool and sarcastic tone of that reply: "Those who use beauty to serve others are like flowers in the mirror, the moon in the water—illusory, shattered, and easily weary."

For the next ten years, Gu Tingshuang indeed did not become close to anyone.

In a way, Gu Tingshuang was very much like Ning Shiting.

Ning Shiting himself had also spent those ten years in lonely solitude. The only difference between him and Gu Tingshuang was that Ning Shiting did not have a heart as wolf-like as his; he still feared the cold and yearned for warmth.

Although there were many wolves, once they shrank, accommodating them was not difficult.

Ning Shiting was concerned that these wolves might cause alarm among the others, so he only summoned a few of his more reliable stewards, Hulu, Lingjiao, and Huaqiu, gave them a brief explanation of the situation, and instructed everyone to exercise caution when coming and going. No one was to enter unless necessary, and any issues had to be reported first. The night passed without incident.

These adult wolves, more so than the pups, understood the importance of the situation. After shrinking in size, they were very obedient, lining up against the wall in a neat row. When they slept, they formed a circle around the hearth, one on top of the other, keeping each other warm.

Gu Tingshuang said, “These are my wolves. A warm environment will disrupt their instincts, make them pampered like you, Ning Shiting.”

Ning Shiting smiled and said, “With a master like Dianxia, they would naturally not turn out like me. Your considerations are, of course, sound, but the wind and snow outside are indeed too harsh. The wolves have been trained so well by Dianxia that a day or two of warmth certainly won’t make them lazy, don’t you think?”

This Jiaoren had now fully understood his temperament and always said things in line with his intentions, leaving Gu Tingshuang with no reason to act up.

He got up in the middle of the night, initially intending to find Ning Shiting, but then fell asleep again. He was later woken up by Ning Shiting, exchanged a few words, then turned over and continued sleeping.

He tossed and turned for a while but could not fall asleep.

Ning Shiting helped him pull the bed curtains closed, then quietly withdrew, extinguishing the candle in the inner room, leaving no sound at all. The dark night was still, perfect for dreaming.

But Gu Tingshuang could not fall asleep; he always felt like that Jiaoren was still moving around outside, busy with something.

After tossing for a while, Gu Tingshuang held his breath and released his spiritual sense to check things out.

Since his last loss of control when using his spiritual sense, he had gradually noticed that the upper limit of his spiritual sense seemed to have increased significantly, making it much easier to use than before. However, this ease could create an illusion, leading to overuse and resulting in very strong aftereffects.

The aftereffects Gu Tingshuang experienced this time included not only an inability to return to his own body for a period of time but also symptoms similar to nightmares. The consciousness, memories, and sensations of the wolf pups and butterflies he had possessed, and even those of a single butterfly or a large tree, had all remained in his mind, like lingering afterimages.

One of the most vivid examples was when he first woke up in the body of the wolf pup. Merging with the little wolf’s consciousness made him develop an overwhelming attachment to Ning Shiting. He even involuntarily crawled into his arms, nudging his head against his hand.

Thinking of this, Gu Tingshuang felt the warmth of Ning Shiting's fingertips still lingering in his breath, sending a shiver through his body, making his teeth itch a little.

He knew he had been using his spiritual sense too much lately and should refrain from further use, but he still sent it out this time to probe the situation outside.

As expected, Ning Shiting wasn’t really asleep.

He was in the outer study, half-kneeling by the corner of the wall, bandaging the ear of a white wolf injured by the ice.

His movements were careful. Although the spiritual sense couldn't directly see physical objects, it could portray the shape and emotions of others in his consciousness.

Right now, Ning Shiting's emotions were cautious and careful, a level of caution that seemed unnecessary given he was dealing with this particular wolf pack.

Out of more than seventy wolves, half were already curled up, sound asleep, while the other half were dozing off, half-closing their eyes and stretching their paws, enjoying the warmth of a mortal's residence.

They bore no animosity toward Ning Shiting, yet Gu Tingshuang could also sense an unusual trace among the wolves' emotions.

It was normal not to show hostility because Ning Shiting was someone Gu Tingshuang had instructed them to protect. But why did the wolves also feel “respect” and “attachment” towards Ning Shiting?

Gu Tingshuang wanted to probe deeper, but at that very moment, a torrent of memories, images, and emotions that didn’t belong to him surged into his mind, causing his temples to throb painfully. It was like being scorched by a flame, so intense that he immediately retracted his spiritual sense.

He could not afford to use those powers anymore.

In that brief moment of confusion, Gu Tingshuang quickly suppressed the sensation with his consciousness, but he still paused slightly.

The memories that intruded into his mind were once again related to Ning Shiting.

Perhaps it was because he had just probed Ning Shiting's emotions; he sensed Ning Shiting's fondness and caution toward the pile of wolf pups before him. It was a feeling of wanting to reach out and touch but holding back.

But this memory involved him.

Gu Tingshuang was certain he had experienced it, yet he had no recollection of such a scene.

In the fragments of Ning Shiting’s scattered memories that had intruded into his consciousness, Gu Tingshuang appeared much taller than he was now.

His wheelchair was parked at the bottom of the courtyard steps. Beside him lay a box of pastries and a few books, one of which he held in his hands. Dressed in a black casual robe, his appearance was more mature than it was now. His figure was taller and more upright, and the sternness in his eyes and brows was even more pronounced. Gu Tingshuang looked at him and found the sight both familiar and strange.

It looked like… an older version of himself.

The setting seemed to be springtime. Behind him stood a sacred cherry blossom tree, its petals drifting down and landing on his hair. Ning Shiting approached him from behind, holding a book, and softly asked, "Did Dianxia finish summarising the Xihou Chronicals for me after I fell asleep last night?"

Gu Tingshuang, still facing away, replied casually, "I went to your place to find a book to read and ended up helping you finish. The way you wrote it was a complete mess. I couldn't stand it, so I corrected it for you." Ning Shiting chuckled.

The same kind of carefulness and joy that Ning Shiting showed when he was around the wolf cubs washed over Gu Tingshuang at that moment. He could feel the lightness and joy spreading through him, knowing that it was Ning Shiting's emotions, the most vivid colours in this fragment of memory.

But what kind of scene was this? A scene from Ning Shiting’s dream?

Gu Tingshuang recalled the other times he had caught glimpses of unusual emotions and snippets of memory from Ning Shiting. His suspicions deepened. He had already been unable to sleep; now, he was even more restless.

Throwing on some clothes, he pulled his wheelchair over, draped a blanket over his inner robes, and quietly pushed open the door, heading outside.

His movements were quiet, so Ning Shiting hadn’t noticed him yet. He was just finishing bandaging the ear of an injured white wolf, carefully putting the furry creature back in its spot and crouching down to watch them gradually fall asleep.

He seemed to want to reach out and pet them but knew that these creatures, although appearing like wolf cubs, were actually full-grown, majestic adult wolves. So compared to handling real cubs, he was more reserved. He wanted to pet them but was hesitant, ultimately stopping himself and simply lowering his eyes, watching them with a gentle smile.

As soon as Gu Tingshuang stepped out, Ning Shiting didn't notice, but the line of wolves by the wall did. The ones that were awake immediately perked up their ears and raised their heads.

Gu Tingshuang slightly raised his chin, giving no specific indication, and in a blink, he manoeuvred his wheelchair back into the darkness, closing the door behind him. A soft breeze brushed by.

Seeing the wolves’ reaction, Ning Shiting instinctively turned around, but he was too late to catch sight of anything. When he turned back, he found the wolves, one after another, lining up in front of him as they had when they first came in earlier that day. Each one was bowing its fluffy head toward him, urging him to pet them.