Chapter 39#

Chapter Thirty-Nine#

Xue Jingci had never celebrated a birthday for anyone before.

Back then, Xie Zheng was still in mourning for his deceased parents, so he never celebrated festivals. Naturally, Xue Jingci had no way of knowing how such a day should be celebrated.

After Guanzi heard him finish, he thought for a moment and suddenly pulled a spirit stone from his robe.

“Then wrap this spirit stone inside a dumpling.”

Xue Jingci picked up the spirit stone and asked, “Why?”

Guanzi mentioned how Xiao Xun had been injured by the falling rocks yesterday, and said he had suffered since childhood, never being on good terms with luck.

“In the lower realm, during the New Year, we put copper coins in dumplings. Whoever eats the one with the coin will have continuous good luck for the year.”

Xue Jingci instantly understood his meaning. Guanzi, however, stuffed the spirit stone back into his pocket and reached out to him.

“I’m not providing the spirit stone; use your own.”

Hearing this, Xue Jingci immediately produced a much purer spirit stone and placed it in Guanzi’s palm.

Guanzi’s eyes widened. “My goodness, this is a top-grade spirit stone. You really are good to that disciple of yours. How about I also take you as my master?”

Xue Jingci was amused by him, finally understanding how the system had been corrupted by this man.

By the time the dumplings were steamed, footsteps and chirping sounds came from outside the courtyard.

Lin Heng entered the courtyard. Wanting to show goodwill to Shu Mo, he carried a bamboo basket filled with chicks to find him, asking him to build a fence together.

Shu Mo was quick and agile, soon erecting a fence in an open space of the courtyard.

Lin Heng poured out the chicks and pulled out a handful of grain to feed them.

The fluffy yellow chicks chirped and gathered around. One of them was bumped and fell, sprawling on the ground.

Shu Mo squatted down, picked up the chick, rubbed its dizzy head, and used his other hand to grab some rice to feed it separately.

Guanzi spat out a melon seed shell and remarked, “No wonder everyone wants to come to the upper realm. Not only do people look better after living here, but even a chicken looks spirited and much prettier than those in the lower realm. They’re just a bit small; these wouldn’t even be enough for a stir-fry.”

Shu Mo spoke up: “They can be raised for a while.”

Lin Heng peeked at Shu Mo secretly, feeling that this person might not be as gloomy and terrifying as he seemed. He took the initiative to start a conversation: “You seem to like small animals quite a bit. Did you raise any before?”

Shu Mo said: “I once raised a pigeon.”

Lin Heng’s eyes lit up, thinking he had found a topic. He quickly followed up: “Where is it now?”

Shu Mo put down the chick: “It was beaten to death.”

Lin Heng was embarrassed and didn’t know what to say for a moment. After a long while, he said, “Then you must have been very sad?”

“I was very sad.”

Just as Lin Heng was thinking about offering some comfort, he saw Shu Mo stand up and say: “But the soup made from it was very fragrant.”

“You—how could you eat it! Wasn’t it your pet?”

Shu Mo looked down at Lin Heng: “What else? It was already dead.”

He reached out to steady the fence and looked at Lin Heng: “It was really delicious.”

He turned and left, leaving Lin Heng standing there in a daze.

It wasn’t until the aroma of food wafted from a distance that he moved his feet and walked to the central water pavilion.

Seeing the steaming dumplings, Lin Heng became happy again in an instant. He picked one up and stuffed it into his mouth, even forgetting to dip it in sauce.

After finishing one, he reached out again, hissing from the hot soup leaking out.

Seeing him eat so quickly, Xue Jingci’s expression shifted.

In the afternoon, he had discussed with Guanzi to intentionally place the dumpling with the spirit stone in front of Xiao Xun so he would definitely eat it.

Who would have thought Lin Heng would eat like a starving ghost, quickly finishing what was in front of him and reaching for the side?

His luck was truly good; this pair of chopsticks was aimed straight at the dumpling containing the spirit stone.

Xue Jingci quickly extended his own chopsticks and snatched it away first.

Xiao Xun rarely saw Xue Jingci so urgent and silently noted in his heart that he loved this kind of filling.

When he snapped out of it, he found a plump, round white dumpling in his own bowl.

Xiao Xun was momentarily stunned. Realizing what happened, he looked at Xue Jingci, only to see him staring with clear eyes, seemingly waiting for him to eat it.

He lowered his head, picked up the dumpling, and realized something was wrong as soon as he took a bite.

Something was hidden inside.

Lin Heng immediately saw the stone brimming with spiritual energy and blurted out, “Wow, a spirit stone!”

Guanzi explained: “Hiding things in dumplings is a custom of ours in the lower realm. In a pot of dumplings, there’s only this unique one. The person who eats it is bound to be full of blessings.”

Lin Heng had heard of this custom during his training in the lower realm. Although he found it interesting, he was also somewhat confused and asked, “But isn’t that a custom for the New Year? Today isn’t a special day, is it?”

Xue Jingci looked at Xiao Xun and smiled: “It’s Xiao Xun’s birthday.”

Steam rose from the bowl. Xiao Xun’s eyes reddened; he didn’t dare look up, only clutching his chopsticks tightly.

“Happy birthday.”

Xue Jingci said softly: “Eat quickly. After eating this dumpling, you will surely have good luck from now on.”

Xiao Xun took a deep breath and stuffed the entire dumpling into his mouth.

The savory flavor spread across his palate. His other hand tightened around the spirit stone, carefully stroking it with his fingertips, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment.

In his past life, he had entered the sect late, and Xue Jingci had always been cold to him. There had never been such a warm moment between them.

But this time was different. Xue Jingci remembered his birthday and personally gave him the dumpling containing good luck.

Lin Heng, suddenly learning it was Xiao Xun’s birthday, quickly opened his storage bag and rummaged through it, pulling out several exquisite trinkets and placing them before Xiao Xun.

Guanzi brought a jar of wine and poured it for everyone. They all stood up to clink glasses.

The cups clinked with a crisp sound, and before they knew it, everyone was slightly tipsy.

The moon was bright and the air was clear. A gentle breeze brushed their faces, and river lanterns floated by, their candlelight flickering in the pond water.

Xiao Xun put down his wine cup and turned to look at Xue Jingci, feeling as though everything was a dream. He had his Master by his side.

And some… not-so-important friends.

His heart throbbed heavily. He cautiously leaned toward Xue Jingci and said hoarsely, “Master, my head hurts.”

Xue Jingci heard his muffled voice, thick with a drunken nasal tone, and quickly supported him.

Remembering he had just recovered from an illness and shouldn’t drink, Xue Jingci bid the others goodbye and helped Xiao Xun back to his room to sleep.

Back in the room, Xue Jingci covered him with a quilt. Just as he was about to leave, his wrist was tightly gripped.

“Master, I…”

Xue Jingci didn’t pull away, letting Xiao Xun hold him, waiting for him to continue.

Outside, Lin Heng and Guanzi were still noisy, mixed with the chirping of birds. The lively bustle made one feel as if they were back in the mundane world of the lower realm.

Even Xue Jingci’s cold, moon-like face was tinged with a bit of that mundane warmth, his eyes bright and gentle.

Xiao Xun’s heart softened inexplicably, and many things he had never spoken of to others came pouring out.

“I’ve actually always known my luck was bad. When I was little, I wanted to eat a meat bun but couldn’t, while others would take one bite and throw it away. People’s fates are different from birth…”

As Xiao Xun spoke, his voice grew softer, and he tentatively leaned against Xue Jingci’s arm.

Seeing his eyes half-closed as if drunk, Xue Jingci didn’t push him away. He shook his shoulder slightly and said, “Today is your birthday. As your Master, it’s only right that I give you a birthday gift.”

Xiao Xun smiled: “What does Master want to give me?”

Xue Jingci didn’t answer. Xiao Xun fell asleep leaning on his shoulder. In a daze, he felt someone supporting his shoulders to lay him back on the bed and gently pulling up the covers.

A strand of hair brushed against his face. He was familiar with this scent and desperately wanted to reach out and pull the person close into his arms, but in the end, he didn’t move.

He truly fell asleep like this. In his dream, the past life was like yesterday. Master was still in that date tree, watching him practice his sword under the tree.

“Master…”

Xiao Xun whispered softly, but the person in the dream didn’t respond.

He was about to look up when he felt a sharp pain in his chest, nearly splitting his soul in two.

Xiao Xun’s body began to tremble, and the surrounding scenery started to shift. A blinding light made him unable to open his eyes. He shielded his face with his sleeve, only to hear the dull sound of a wooden fish by his ear.

“Benefactor, it has been a long time.”

Xiao Xun snapped out of it and found himself back in the familiar Buddhist hall.

The young monk stood before him, his kasaya dazzlingly bright. The light seemed to emanate from this person.

Sandalwood incense drifted in the hall. Eight thousand Buddhas were carved into the walls, surrounding the dome and gazing down with solemn majesty.

“Does the benefactor still remember this golden seal?”

The monk spoke slowly. Xiao Xun looked down and saw a golden Buddhist seal floating on his chest like a brand.

A faint sense of foreboding rose in Xiao Xun’s heart.

The monk continued: “I once branded this golden seal upon you. This seal protects your body. Your fate is extraordinary. Though your childhood was bitter, if you live past the day after tomorrow, you will surely achieve great success. However, such an exceptional fate is also easy to covet. If someone tries to move it, this golden seal will alert you.”

Xiao Xun didn’t answer, only feeling his blood and bones turn cold.

The white light stabbed into his eyes again, bringing him back to reality.

A sharp, burning pain stabbed at his chest; it was the golden seal trying to wake him. Yet Xiao Xun did not open his eyes.

Because the person currently before him was Xue Jingci.

Xiao Xun remained motionless, wondering if Xue Jingci would feel any pity for him. Perhaps this person was momentarily lost. As long as he stopped, he would act as if nothing had ever happened.

The candle wick in the room burned slowly, making a crackling sound, and finally dropped a long trail of ash.

Xiao Xun felt something being extracted from his body. Even the gaps between his bones hurt intensely, yet his heart felt as if it were being torn apart, hurting a hundred times more than his body.

After an unknown amount of time, he felt Xue Jingci slowly stand up, tuck him in, and then blow out the candle and leave the room.

The cold night wind blew in through the crack of the door. Xiao Xun opened his eyes again.

He stiffly turned his head and saw Xue Jingci’s tall, slender figure walking further away in the moonlight, his white hem fluttering in the wind.

Xiao Xun’s hand hidden under the quilt unconsciously clenched, nearly tearing a hole in the bed. He stared at that figure and whispered, “Master… is this the gift you gave me?”

“In the previous life, did you only take me as a disciple for my fate?”

Xiao Xun closed his eyes, masking the gloom and madness rising in his gaze. But a voice in his heart was screaming frantically.

Xie Zheng treated you like that, yet you could still die for him. While I use all my strength and still cannot get even a shred of your sincerity.

His heavy breathing echoed in the room. All the beautiful memories of the past were like the threads controlling a puppet, tightly strangling his neck.

Xiao Xun took a deep breath and suddenly became sober, feeling for the first time how ridiculous he truly was.