Chapter 49#

Chapter Forty-Nine#

The cold wind rustled through the green grass outside the felt tent.

Pei Huang turned to help Utuya move cups, plates, and bowls. The moment his back was turned, the calmness in his eyes instantly shattered. The burning emotions hidden beneath surged, almost breaking his self-control entirely.

Perhaps Xue Jingci had long forgotten. Many years ago, when he was drinking tea by the window, he had once casually tucked a leaf into the scriptures he was copying.

When he left, Xue Jingci didn’t take those scriptures with him.

The things Xue Jingci left for Pei Huang were truly few. Spirit stones and silver. At first, he didn’t want to touch them, but living a nomadic life, there were always times when he was short of money.

Later, to treat A Su’s injuries, the last spirit stone was also used up.

The injury medicine Xue Jingci gave him had saved his life several times, but eventually, it too ran out.

The mended black magic robe, worn every day, finally became tattered beyond repair, and even the most skilled tailor couldn’t fix it.

So when Pei Huang accidentally opened a scroll of scriptures and saw a maple leaf fall out, the joy in his heart almost overflowed.

It turned out Xue Jingci had left something for him.

He carefully picked up the maple leaf, but the dried leaf was too brittle and crumbled in his palm with a light touch.

From that day on, Pei Huang began copying the scriptures Xue Jingci had left behind.

Until his handwriting was almost identical to that on the scriptures, Pei Huang thought with almost naive hope that even if he never had the chance to see that person again in this life, at least he could finally keep something that wouldn’t be lost.

After leaving Saihan’s home, Pei Huang worked even harder when hunting, planning to prepare more animal skins before the caravan arrived.

Previously, he only hunted with brute force. Now, when no one was paying attention, he would directly use the power within his body to quickly kill his prey.

However, several times after he attacked, he vaguely felt someone observing him.

The prairie was vast and boundless, and it was difficult for a single person to hide. Pei Huang searched everywhere but saw no one.

He felt uneasy and asked the fellow hunters. They all showed envious expressions.

One hunter named Tutu, who was closest to him, leaned over and said mysteriously, “Have you heard the legend of the Snow Mountain Deity?”

Pei Huang raised an eyebrow: “Snow Mountain Deity?”

“Oh, you’re an outsider; it’s normal not to know.”

Tutu lowered his voice and said, “Legend has it that beneath the Snow Mountain Deity, there is a Golden Crow Divine Emissary who often walks among mortals.”

“When he watches you, you will receive a blessing.”

Pei Huang nodded and didn’t say much more.

Upon returning to the felt tent, he immediately asked Xue Jingci, “Have you felt like someone was following you these past few days?”

Xue Jingci shook his head: “Who would follow us?”

Pei Huang realized his slip of the tongue and said, “Perhaps it’s not a person, but a wild beast.”

Wild beasts on the prairie often travel in packs. Sometimes, after witnessing their kin being hunted, they would secretly retaliate against the hunter.

But Xue Jingci instinctively knew Pei Huang wasn’t talking about wild beasts.

He had long known that this was actually another world, and it was clear Pei Huang knew it too. He must have some special purpose for being here.

Xue Jingci pretended not to know and cautioned, “You must be careful.”

Pei Huang nodded, then turned to skin the beast outside the tent: “Saihan said a caravan will come in a few days to buy animal skins at a high price. I won’t go hunting for now.”

He guarded the entrance, vigilantly watching the movements in the village.

For an entire day, the prying gaze didn’t appear again. However, in the evening, an uninvited guest arrived in the village, specifically asking for Pei Huang by name.

The villagers recognized him as Gegen, the merchant who bought animal skins at the market, and enthusiastically pointed him the way.

When the man saw the freshly skinned animal hides in Pei Huang’s hand, his eyes narrowed into slits with a smile. He gave a thumbs-up and praised, “Good stuff! Good stuff!”

Even though Pei Huang ignored him, Gegen didn’t mind and continued to speak to himself, “You haven’t been to the market these past few days, so I came myself. I want to buy twelve animal skins from you. We’re quite familiar with each other, so I’ll give you a higher price. Forty wen per skin, how about it?”

Pei Huang sneered: “Not selling.”

Gegen then became a bit anxious. He had an agreement with a familiar caravan to sell them fifty animal skins, but he hadn’t gathered enough yet and was afraid he would break his promise.

“I, I’ll raise the price for you! Forty-five wen per skin!”

Pei Huang calmly raised his eyes, a clear hint of impatience in them: “The caravan will arrive in a few days. They offer a hundred wen per skin. Why should I sell to you?”

Gegen’s face flushed red. He hadn’t expected his little scheme to be exposed so directly.

Over the years, caravans came frequently, and most herdsmen knew they were generous. Only outsiders like Pei Huang were kept in the dark.

Now, with several days until the caravan arrived, no one else would sell their animal skins.

Thinking that Pei Huang had seemed easy to talk to before, Gegen shamelessly tried to get close: “Caravans offer high prices, but they don’t come many times a year. How about this: for this batch of animal skins, I’ll give you eighty wen per skin. After the caravan leaves, I’ll still buy your animal skins at sixty wen per skin. What do you think?”

Seeing Pei Huang still silent, Gegen put on a sincere expression: “You know I’m a merchant. It was wrong of me to deceive you before, but let’s not let money get in the way. You still want to do this animal skin business long-term. After the caravan leaves, no one else will offer more than sixty…”

Pei Huang interrupted him with a cold face: “Not selling.”

He stared at Gegen, his tone leaving no room for negotiation: “I’ve always lived by one principle since childhood: things don’t happen more than three times.”

“I’ve already given you a chance before, but you’ve deceived me three times. I won’t sell you any more goods in the future.”

Xue Jingci was sitting inside the felt tent eating dried fruit. Hearing this, he suddenly stopped chewing.

In his heart, he subconsciously began to count seriously.

First time, Donglai Village.

He left Pei Huang with compensation and left without saying goodbye.

Second time, Luocheng.

Pei Huang said he was going to buy lanterns, but he sensed demonic energy and left directly again.

Third time, Ghost Pearl illusion.

Pei Huang and he had agreed to go to Spirit Mountain to eat after leaving, but at that time, Xiao Xun was too heavily injured to move. He hadn’t even asked Pei Huang if he was injured before returning directly to the Lingxu Sect.

Xue Jingci put down the dried fruit, realizing he seemed to have abandoned Pei Huang three times as well.

Things don’t happen more than three times, so…?

As he pondered, Pei Huang had already chased Gegen away and returned to the tent, the cold expression on his face not yet having completely faded.

Xue Jingci subconsciously looked at him, his cheeks slightly puffed out with dried fruit he hadn’t had time to swallow.

He looked like a rabbit diligently chewing grass.

Pei Huang had never seen him like this before and almost wanted to laugh, but he quickly noticed the unusual expression on Xue Jingci’s face.

He was stunned, knowing Xue Jingci must have heard him say “things don’t happen more than three times.”

Pei Huang had spoken of his lifelong principle just to shut the merchant up, but seeing Xue Jingci’s downcast expression, his heart felt as if it had been pricked.

Xue Jingci didn’t know that even if he abandoned him three times, he would never coldly and heartlessly leave him like he would others.

Because for Pei Huang, Xue Jingci was never just “others.”

Now, he was merely hiding those excessive and embarrassing feelings from before, trying his best to treat Xue Jingci as an ordinary friend. Once Xue Jingci was almost fully recovered, he would have to find a way to avoid him and activate the bloodline power within his body.

Pei Huang was deep in thought when he suddenly felt a sting on his fingertip.

There were many insects on the prairie, so Pei Huang didn’t pay much attention. But soon, his eyes widened in surprise.

On his finger, a tiny berry-red figure had appeared at some unknown time!

“Ah bo bo bo.”

Xue Jingci heard this sound, then saw Pei Huang’s expression, and his heart also jumped.

Originally, only he and the system could see the little berry, but from Pei Huang’s expression, it seemed he could see it too.

The kitten pulled the little berry over with a paw, meowing with a “hate iron for not becoming steel” tone: “You stupid little thing, don’t you know you’re a God-grade spirit treasure, yet you just casually suck other people’s blood.”

Since ancient times, there has been a saying that spirit treasures recognize their master by dripping blood.

The little berry also belatedly realized what had happened, regretfully patted its head, and closed its eyes, pretending to be dead.

It had just suddenly smelled an extremely sweet scent and couldn’t resist taking a bite.

Xue Jingci subconsciously grabbed Pei Huang’s finger. His sense of smell was keen, and he quickly noticed an unusual scent in Pei Huang’s blood.

The little berry seemed to be born to like eating dark and evil things, and Pei Huang’s blood seemed to contain extremely pure demonic energy.

Could it be that he had been cultivating demonic arts all these years?

Pei Huang uncomfortably pulled his finger away. Now he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen the little berry.

He looked at Xue Jingci and sighed, “Is that your God-grade spirit treasure? You should keep a closer eye on it next time. If it were someone else, they might not be able to resist such temptation and would commit murder to seize the treasure.”

Xue Jingci, however, remembered the “things don’t happen more than three times” principle and also thought about how Pei Huang had been diligently taking care of him these past few days.

He simply picked up the little berry and placed it in Pei Huang’s palm: “It bit you on its own, so it’s fated with you. It’s a gift.”

“A gift for me?”

For the first time, Pei Huang couldn’t hide his thoughts, and shock was completely displayed on his face.

Before Pei Huang could refuse again, Xue Jingci grabbed his hand, which he was trying to withdraw, and forcibly pulled him back to his side.

Then he gently placed the little berry in Pei Huang’s palm.

Xue Jingci stared at the little berry and said calmly, “Don’t call me Papa anymore.”

Only then did the little berry truly become anxious. Remembering the Main God’s instructions, it hugged Xue Jingci’s finger and made “bo bo bo” sounds.

Pei Huang had originally thought the “bo bo bo” sounded like a small fish blowing bubbles, but now it sounded a bit like “Papa.”

It seemed this spirit treasure had a chick-like attachment to Xue Jingci, which was why it called him that.

Pei Huang was thinking when he suddenly heard Xue Jingci say seriously, “From now on, he is your Papa.”

Although Xue Jingci had lost all his cultivation and his strength wasn’t great, Pei Huang felt as if he had been frozen in place by these words.

His heart skipped several beats.

He lowered his eyes to look at the pale fingers wrapped around his wrist.

Aside from when Xue Jingci was unconscious and he carried him, their distance had never been this close since their reunion.

The surroundings were silent, with only their intertwined breaths remaining.

Just then, a figure suddenly flashed past outside the tent.

Although Xue Jingci had lost his cultivation, his soul power was still present, and he quickly sensed the powerful aura of the newcomer.

He immediately shouted, “Who’s there?”

There was no answer from outside. Xue Jingci let go of Pei Huang’s hand and immediately lifted the tent flap to investigate.

Moonlight scattered on the grass, and several blades of grass could vaguely be seen bent over, as if someone had stepped on them.

Pei Huang remembered the gaze that had been observing him for a long time. He instructed Xue Jingci to stay and wait for him, then unhesitatingly followed the tracks.

But the person’s movements were elusive, and they vanished within a few breaths.

In the air, only a faint, almost imperceptible aura of demonic cultivation techniques remained, surprisingly similar to Pei Huang’s own.