Chapter 65

Ning Shiting was a fascinating person. His Jiaoren nature made him both soft and fragile. Before meeting him, Gu Tingshuang had never imagined someone whose emotions alone could cause a faint red to bloom at the corners of their eyes.

"You will outshine everyone."

In that instant, Gu Tingshuang was reminded of a distant memory. Ning Shiting's words brought him back to a time when the wnagfei—his mother—was still alive. She would occasionally hold him in her arms, gaze tenderly into his eyes, and say, “My son is the starlight in the sky. One day, you will shine brilliantly and become the brightest among them all.”

As a child, Gu Tingshuang had been shy and thin-skinned. He could never fully accept such unabashed praise from his mother. Gu Tingshuang was not an arrogant person. Yet, as someone blessed with a Celestial Spiritual Root, he had grown up as a living legend in Xizhou.

He still recalled how, when he was young, someone had compiled a list of all those in Jiuzhou who possessed a Celestial Spiritual Root. The result yielded only a mere four or five individuals. He was the youngest among them; the others were several centuries or even millennia older.

Those individuals had already left behind illustrious legacies. Their names were well known, spoken of in marketplaces and teahouses alike.

Gu Tingshuang was not one to boast. However, throughout the long years, many who had encountered him said that his name, too, would one day be recorded in the Xizhou Chronicles of Immortals. Like those legendary figures before him, he might ascend to the skies to harvest light from the clouds, making companions of the winds and clear skies. Or perhaps he would descend to the depths of the abyss, where no one had ever ventured, to capture a thousand-year-old coiling dragon.

Some of those figures were said to have singlehandedly defeated armies, swept away the troubles of the celestial realm, and ventured beyond the nine continents to far-off places—the demon realm, the ghost realm. Where they disappeared to remained a mystery, but people believed that perhaps, a thousand years later, they would return.

Some even gained the chance to ascend to immortality.

Now, however, the spiritual energy of Xizhou was no longer what it once was. It had weakened significantly. In the past, immortals had been unrestrained, drifting like the wind across the six realms. But as spiritual energy was increasingly devoured, immortals lost their protection, no longer able to roam the six realms as freely as before.

Xizhou was now coveted by other weakened but ambitious races—blood clans, demon clans, and more. Ever since the White Wolf Clan's Wolf King dissipated into the heavens a thousand years ago, they had lost their opportunity to gaze into and influence the six realms.

Gu Tingshuang said softly, “But from now on, I won’t shine anymore. I’ll disappear into the mountains. In everyone else’s eyes, I’m already dead—a failure. And in the future, I’m destined to live only on Spirit Mountain.”

Ning Shiting replied in a low voice, “No matter where you go, or what life you ultimately choose for yourself, Dianxia, you will always shine.”

Gu Tingshuang lifted his gaze and looked at Ning Shiting for a while.

Ning Shiting’s eyes were still the same—firm and gentle. He had never seen any trace of deceit or evasion in Ning Shiting’s gaze. For a fleeting moment, he wondered: Was it that this Jiaoren truly didn’t know how to lie, or had his ability to lie become so masterful that it was imperceptible?

Just like how he couldn’t understand Ning Shiting’s true thoughts about Gu Feiyin—what kind of feelings and attitude he held toward him—or even what he thought of himself.

“Does Dianxia not believe me?” Perhaps seeing the doubt in Gu Tingshuang’s eyes, Ning Shiting smiled faintly. “In truth, Dianxia has never cared much about others’ opinions. I only hope Dianxia will always remain this way. Whether you live among the people or hide as a white wolf deep within the forests and mountains, I believe that your light is something no one can ever dim.”

Gu Tingshuang retorted, “You’re spouting nonsense again, Jiaoren.”

His avoidance and the momentary flash of shyness were so obvious—so characteristic of a young man’s unrestrained spirit.

After a moment’s thought, Gu Tingshuang muttered quietly, “Unless you… unless you let me knock you out once, so I can see whether you’re lying or not.”

Ning Shiting raised his eyes and asked, “Why do you need to knock me out? Will knocking me unconscious somehow prove whether I’m lying, Dianxia?”

Gu Tingshuang, having misspoken, didn’t even realise it. Instead, he simply glared at Ning Shiting with a faint trace of irritation.

Ning Shiting spoke softly, *“*Then, Dianxia, what did you see in my dream the last time you knocked me out? I had forgotten that the spiritual skill Dianxia practices can discern the hearts of people. Why not just use it directly on me?”

He was so clever. It was Ning Shiting who had helped compile the Ninefold Spirit Technique into a proper book, and he still remembered parts of its contents.

Previously, Gu Tingshuang had told him that he had only barely reached the first level, far from the third level required to read people’s emotions and thoughts. But now it seemed clear—Gu Tingshuang had been cautious of him and had lied.

Gu Tingshuang grew even more flustered. The knot of his throat bobbed as he mulled over what to say, eventually hardening his tone with a cold retort, “When I use it is none of your concern. If I use it, then it’s used—there’s nothing more to discuss.”

Ning Shiting didn’t seem upset, merely curious. It seemed like he had casually brought it up, but seeing Gu Tingshuang so visibly unsettled only piqued his interest further. His smile curved, his eyes gleaming faintly under the flickering candlelight. “So, what did Dianxia see in my dream?”

Gu Tingshuang fell silent for a moment.

He could never forget what he had seen in Ning Shiting’s dream that day. It wasn’t some trivial matter—it was Ting Shu’s death, and Ning Shiting’s own torment and nightmares.

When he withdrew from the dream, Ning Shiting had collapsed into his arms, tears still clinging to the corners of his eyes.

Ning Shiting was a fascinating person. His Jiaoren nature made him both soft and fragile. Before meeting him, Gu Tingshuang had never imagined someone whose emotions alone could cause a faint red to bloom at the corners of their eyes.

It looked so sweet and tender, like something delicious. It seemed as though, through that pale, translucent skin, one could peer into the depths of Ning Shiting’s flesh and blood, as if to claim him entirely for oneself.

Gu Tingshuang finally spoke, his voice calm but tinged with reluctance. “I didn’t see anything. Your nightmares are too overwhelming—I couldn’t tell what was fantasy and what was memory. In any case, what I saw that day would only make you cry if I said it aloud. And I’m not in the mood to make you cry again, so I won’t say anything.”

Ning Shiting said softly, “Dianxia, next time… don’t do that.”

Hearing this, Gu Tingshuang instead felt a flicker of rebellion rise in him. He asked, “Why can’t I? I’ve reached the third level, and there’s no one else around to let me practice. The little wolf is too stupid, and the servants are too loyal. Since you are my prey, it’s your responsibility to help me train. Or do you mean to say that if my father were cultivating this technique and wanted to see into your mind, you’d agree without a word?”

Ning Shiting sighed again and murmured softly, “Dianxia…”

This wasn’t a fair comparison.

Right now, he still had to keep appeasing Gu Feiyin, pretending to be the same as before. He feared that Gu Feiyin would detect his rebellious intent and grow suspicious too soon.

In the months since he had come to Xizhou, two significant incidents had been presented directly to the Immortal Emperor, causing considerable trouble for Gu Feiyin.

The first was Su Yue’s death.

Ning Shiting knew exactly whose hand Su Yue had died by. Currently, Gu Tingshuang no longer showed his face, and the world, after scrutinizing Qing Wang’s manor, would only suspect Ning Shiting, paying no attention to Gu Tingshuang—much less linking him to the white wolves of Spirit Mountain.

The incident had enraged the Su family. As the maternal family of the current Immortal Empress, with several influential court officials carrying the Su name, the Immortal Emperor had directly questioned Gu Feiyin. This was one reason Gu Feiyin hurriedly returned to Xizhou and had Ning Shiting kneeling to give his report.

Yet this matter still had room for resolution. No matter how Gu Feiyin pressed him, Ning Shiting maintained that he knew nothing, insisting that it was the Su family’s god-hunting actions that had angered the wolves of Lingshan. This finally made Gu Feiyin relent.

The second matter, however, was directly tied to Ning Shiting himself.

At the Nine Provinces Incense Conference orchestrated by the Su family, in collaboration with the Rakshasa King, Ning Shiting had been drawn into the trap to create a batch of Soul Returning Incense. On the surface, it seemed like a gain for Qing Wang’s manor.

The Su family lost face, and Ning Shiting had deduced the recipe for the Soul Returning Incense. Consequently, the manor’s civil affairs office gained a critical incense formula, which would undoubtedly win back the support of the immortals and citizens.

But in reality, this move harbored a deeper venom. The Su family’s real goal was to uncover Ning Shiting’s identity as a North Sea Poisonous Jiaoren.

To most people, hearing that the young lord of the Qing Wang’s manor was a rare poisonous Jiaoren would only elicit sighs—lamenting the fate of such a beautiful soul or his hardships in youth. However, to figures like Gu Feiyin and the Immortal Emperor, such information was distilled into one conclusion: Gu Feiyin had been harbouring a deadly weapon by his side.

The toxins of the poisonous Jiaoren were not widely understood, but when Ning Shiting single-handedly broke a killing formation of thirty assassins, it only made Gu Feiyin’s position even more tenuous.

Though no one openly mentioned the assassins, the Su family would never let the matter go.

Every impeachment would ultimately reach the Immortal Emperor, directly accusing Gu Feiyin of grave offences: targeting the Su family, harbouring a deadly assassin, and being a dangerous figure with unfathomable intentions.

Thus, Ning Shiting deliberately exposed his identity. He knew staying in the heavy snow would provoke the Su family into action, yet he waited there—

Waiting to push Gu Feiyin closer to ruin. Waiting to take his revenge against the one who had destroyed his life.

For this, he would pay any price.

Ning Shiting, as before, lay sideways next to Gu Tingshuang, his eyes slightly lowered, his lips curved into a faint smile.

He reached out and placed his hand gently into Gu Tingshuang’s palm. “If Dianxia wishes to probe, then do so. I know Dianxia has never trusted me. Perhaps once you’ve looked into my thoughts, you’ll finally be at ease.”

The Jiaoren’s hand, soft and cool through the faint mist of the Luo’s waters, rested in his palm.

Gu Tingshuang froze slightly.

He wanted to say no. He wanted to say… he wanted to believe him. But this Jiaoren was so adept at sweet words. If someone could hide their emotions so thoroughly—if Ning Shiting could even falsify his feelings—

If he thoroughly probed his emotions and found that Ning Shiting bore him no ill will, that he stood completely on his side, then—

Then something uncontrollable would erupt.

Gu Tingshuang didn’t understand this feeling. He only knew that, for him, it felt like an abyss.

He turned his face away. “No need. Not now. Whether you stand with me or betray me doesn’t matter much to me.”

Ning Shiting smiled softly. “Is that so?”

Seeing Gu Tingshuang unwilling to use his spiritual sense on him, Ning Shiting withdrew his hand, as though he were the one feeling a touch of regret.