Chapter 118#
The Unfeeling Curse was still slowly unraveling.
The curse was many years old and deeply etched. Even with the method to break it, completely removing its influence was not something that could be done in a short time.
The memories of his youth were but the beginning.
…
In the Langfeng City Lord’s Mansion, Xie Zhefeng had grown accustomed to being solitary. Even after joining Luoyue, he still couldn’t become a socially adept person.
His fellow disciples always said he never took the initiative to socialize and was impossible to read.
Except for An Wuxue.
His senior brother was the person in this world who understood him best. Even if he didn’t speak often, An Wuxue could clearly and plainly see through his thoughts.
But even his senior brother didn’t know that he wasn’t truly a man of few words.
It was just that no matter who he faced, there seemed to be nothing worth saying.
His master was the immortal elder of two worlds who had attained the Dao through the Unfeeling path; he was naturally cold and emotionless, so Xie Zhefeng was quiet in front of Nanhe Xianzun.
In front of others, he had even less to say.
But in front of his senior brother, Xie Zhefeng had too much to say, yet didn’t dare to utter a single word.
An Wuxue seemed socially graceful, able to talk to anyone, but in reality, he was the one who never opened his heart.
When his senior brother was angry, he didn’t show rage; when he was happy, he didn’t celebrate.
Even if he felt dissatisfied, he would just laugh it off.
No one could see what An Wuxue was thinking.
Xie Zhefeng wasn’t sure what his senior brother thought about love and romance. He didn’t dare to expose his own delusions, so he didn’t dare to say much.
One year, after the inner demon born from the resentful souls of his birthplace was slain by Xie Zhefeng, An Wuxue finally let go of his mental knot and was willing to celebrate his birthday for the first time.
Qi Xun, Qin Wei, and Shangguan Liaoliao all prepared spiritual treasures as gifts. The young disciples of Luoyue Peak pooled their spiritual stones to forge a scabbard. Even Lou Shuiming, who was temporarily cultivating at Luoyue at the time, was there.
It was incredibly lively.
Xie Zhefeng had prepared more than one spiritual item.
But on the fourth day of the second month, looking at the bag full of items, he was still not satisfied.
His senior brother was the first disciple of the world’s greatest sword; would he truly be happy receiving rare spiritual treasures?
Xie Zhefeng hesitated for a long time. Finally, while An Wuxue was practicing his swordsmanship, he feigned casual conversation and brought up several topics, eventually asking nonchalantly: “…Senior Brother grew up on Luoyue Peak, so you should have everything you need—is there any unfulfilled wish in your heart?”
An Wuxue’s hand swinging the sword paused.
The young man took his words very seriously, not brushing them off, but quietly pondering for a moment before saying: “If I really think about it, there is indeed one.”
Suppressing the urgency in his heart, Xie Zhefeng asked with feigned calm: “What is it?”
An Wuxue’s eyes shifted slightly as he recalled: “When I was young, I found a uniquely appearing miasma beast in a thicket of Bewildering Flowers.
“That miasma beast must have just been born, but there was a faint blackness around its eyes, making it slightly different from other pure white miasma beasts. It couldn’t fully blend into the Bewildering Forest and was abandoned by its clan. I picked it up, and before I could ask if it was willing to go with me, Master had already come to find me to take me away.
“Frightened by the sharp aura of an immortal, it kicked me and ran away from my arms. I was too weak then to stop it, and I never saw it again. I once went back to look for it, but it was too timid and seemed to have hidden itself; I couldn’t find it. It wasn’t like ordinary miasma beasts and wouldn’t be good at hiding in the miasma. I don’t know if it survived living in isolation as a young beast…
“If you ask me about unfulfilled matters, on a large scale, world peace counts as one, but the Immortal Calamity is not something you or I can easily influence. On a small scale, it would be that beast.”
Xie Zhefeng looked at An Wuxue.
His senior brother held a sword that could slay demons and practiced the Luoyue Heart Technique that overlooked the cultivation world. Any rare treasure he wanted, he could find a way to get.
For such a prestigious first disciple of an immortal, a favored son of heaven with gifted gold-and-jade bones, the only unfulfilled wish in his heart was the safety of a young beast he had met by chance.
Xie Zhefeng felt that even the sunlight filtering through the bamboo forest was not as warm and elegant as his senior brother.
“The Bewildering Forest?” he asked. “Is it the one next to Luoyue Peak?”
An Wuxue nodded, picked up his sword again, and said casually.
“Forget it. When my divine sense cultivation progresses further, I’ll go look for it again.”
Xie Zhefeng said no more.
That night, he secretly slipped out of Luoyue Peak and found that Bewildering Forest where the miasma beasts lived.
The Bewildering Forest was filled with soul-stealing Bewildering Flowers. When the pollen scattered, it would form a thick white mist of miasma, blocking one’s divine sense.
If a cultivator with slightly weak willpower entered, they would fall into the maze and be unable to get out until their spiritual power was exhausted and they died.
Miasma beasts were pure white and naturally beneficial to the soul; alive, they helped one practice divine sense, and even after death, their entire bodies were treasures. Such rare spiritual beasts happened to have no ability to harm others, so they could only live together, hiding in the Bewildering Forest and relying on the miasma and the cover of their kin to survive.
The little miasma beast An Wuxue mentioned had a natural faint blackness around its eyes and couldn’t fully blend into the miasma, which was why it was abandoned.
Looking for them where the miasma beasts were gathered wouldn’t work.
He didn’t even bring a sword, just stepped into the Bewildering Flower thicket like that, walking toward the more remote areas.
The miasma that protected spiritual beasts and demon cultivators had no effect on him. He walked through the flowers boldly, observing the directions the miasma beasts fled and hid after sensing his approach.
It was mid-winter then, and the cold wind in the miasma froze one’s blood and bone. Frosty mist hung wetly on Xie Zhefeng’s hair. He stayed in the Bewildering Flower thicket for two hours.
Once he had memorized all the places the miasma beasts fled from, he walked toward the only direction where there had been no movement.
—Since that little beast had no way to protect itself and couldn’t stay with the group, it would most likely hide on the spot rather than run when encountering danger.
Xie Zhefeng picked a flower leaf covered with frost and dew from under a Bewildering Flower.
He put the leaf to his lips and began to play.
Under the moonlight, within the miasma.
The flowers moved with the wind, bringing a soul-bewitching fragrance. The brilliance of the moon couldn’t penetrate the white mist, but it was scattered into a faint, thick bright light, like daylight in the night, a paradise on earth.
The young sword cultivator played a lonely tune, the music continuous and without a hint of hostility.
At some point.
A small white ball poked its head out from the flowers.
The little beast was only about the size of two adult palms, pure white all over, but with faint blackness around its eyes.
It blinked its eyes and gave Xie Zhefeng a timid look, then suddenly spread its wings and flew in front of him.
The music stopped abruptly.
The Bewildering Flower leaf drifted down, and Xie Zhefeng caught the little white ball.
“Wuu wuu…”
“Wait,” Xie Zhefeng said softly to it, “don’t recognize me as your master. I’ll take you to someone else. He’s much better than me—he’s better than everyone in this world.”
“Wuu…?”
The next day.
An Wuxue finished celebrating his birthday and received a pile of gifts.
Qin Wei and Lou Shuiming were drunk and were incoherently comparing swords nearby. Their spiritual light swept away countless immortal flowers and spiritual herbs, making An Wuxue frown deeply.
Finally, Qi Xun couldn’t take it anymore and used a formation to trap Qin Wei, who was not good at formations, saying disdainfully: “If you want to make a fuss, do it in the trapping formation. I’ll let you out when you sober up.”
Lou Shuiming said drunkenly: “It’s also my fault…”
Shangguan Liaoliao shook her head and said: “It’s a pity that Shadow Projection Stones are rare and hard to find. I don’t have one on me, otherwise I would definitely record your rowdy behavior just now and show it to you when you wake up.”
An Wuxue chuckled from the side.
Night fell, and the feast ended.
Xie Zhefeng accompanied An Wuxue back to the bamboo forest where they lived together when they were disciples, giving his senior brother the spiritual treasure he had prepared earlier.
An Wuxue was about to say thank you.
In the night, a soft “wuu wuu” sound came from the bamboo forest, along with the sound of wings flapping.
An Wuxue’s brow furrowed, and in the blink of an eye, he stepped toward the sound.
“Who!?”
“Wuu!”
A white miasma beast flew in front of him.
He was stunned, and his vigilance instantly vanished.
The little beast moved closer: “Wuu.”
An Wuxue saw the faint blackness under the little beast’s eyes.
“You…” he said in surprise, “it’s you!?”
His eyes lit up, and he carefully raised his hand to receive the little beast into his arms, happily stroking its fur.
The little beast rubbed against him.
“…Why are you here? Did you… come looking for me?”
“Wuu wuu!”
The little beast rubbed against him again.
Amidst his surprise, he really couldn’t contain himself and couldn’t help saying: “Eh, why are you so cute? I was so worried about you, I didn’t expect you to take the initiative to find me. Are you willing to follow me?”
“Do you have a name?”
“The blackness around your eyes always makes me think you want to sleep. How about I call you Kun-kun?”
“Kun-kun, do you know? Today is my birthday. You are truly the most surprising birthday gift heaven has given me.”
“…”
Under the dark night, Xie Zhefeng watched An Wuxue’s back in the bamboo forest. He saw Kun-kun quietly poke its head out from An Wuxue’s arms to look at him, its round eyes rolling.
He said nothing.
Senior Brother, happy birthday.
In all the days and years to come, I hope you can be like this night every day, and like today every year, with a clear mind, long-lasting peace, and much joy.
He chanted silently in his heart.
On that night of the fifth day of the second month many years ago, Kun-kun’s appearance had always been a small secret between Xie Zhefeng and Kun-kun.
The Bewildering Forest was right next to Luoyue Peak, and the miasma was dangerous. Without an elder leading the way, no Luoyue disciple dared to go near it.
An Wuxue only thought that Kun-kun had flown out of the Bewildering Forest on its own; he never thought of any other possibility.
A surprise brought by heaven’s chance encounter is far more pleasing than a gift someone spent much effort on to please others. Xie Zhefeng just wanted his senior brother to keep believing that.
After An Wuxue started raising Kun-kun, Xie Zhefeng often secretly brought Kun-kun small snacks that miasma beasts liked to eat. The person and the beast were always quietly preparing surprises for An Wuxue together.
Sometimes Xie Zhefeng knew An Wuxue liked ice cakes but didn’t want him to go through the trouble for no reason, so he never brought it up. Therefore, he specially made ice cakes for An Wuxue and let Kun-kun pretend to run around to lead An Wuxue to the kitchen.
He would then pretend to look back in surprise: “Why is Senior Brother here? You caught me eating snacks… How about I bribe Senior Brother a bit, and you don’t tell Master?”
“Wuu wuu!” Kun-kun had already taken a bite on the side.
An Wuxue could only smile helplessly and sit down with the two of them.
One time, An Wuxue led Xie Zhefeng and a group of fellow disciples to handle some business in the mortal world below Luoyue Peak.
The Immortal Calamity had been plaguing the world for a long time, but Luoyue Peak was after all the greatest sect in the cultivation world, and the mortal world below it was still peaceful. During the day, there were even some mortals with stalls.
An Wuxue took a fancy to a sword tassel.
But that tassel was woven by a mortal using ordinary materials; it couldn’t withstand the spiritual power of a spiritual sword. Hanging it on the hilt would cause it to be turned into dust by the spiritual power.
His senior brother looked at it for a while and finally just said: “Let’s leave it for some mortal swordsman who is fated to have it.”
Xie Zhefeng was by his side and noted the location of that stall. The next day, while An Wuxue was away, he went alone to the stall owner to learn how to make this sword tassel. After returning to Luoyue Peak, he used spiritual cloth and spiritual rope used by cultivators to make an identical one.
After his senior brother went to sleep, he blew on a leaf to call Kun-kun and let Kun-kun carry it to An Wuxue’s pillow for him.
During the day, he passed by An Wuxue’s house and heard his senior brother asking Kun-kun: “…Where did you get this? Does it have an owner? If it does, you have to return it.”
Kun-kun shook its head: “Wuu wuu!”
And…
And many more.
Later, as Xie Zhefeng grew older, at some point, the Unfeeling Curse took root in his soul and hollowed out all his memories related to love.
He no longer remembered the music drifting in the Bewildering Flower thicket in the early morning of the fourth day of the second month, nor did he know why Kun-kun flew into An Wuxue’s arms on its own under the bright moon of the fifth.
He also forgot those hazy past events that originated from a youth’s heart.
Once when An Wuxue mentioned Kun-kun’s origin, Xie Zhefeng asked: “Was it picked up from the Bewildering Forest by Senior Brother?”
At that time, An Wuxue said blankly: “It was during one of my birthdays, in the bamboo forest of Luoyue Peak, that Junior Brother and I came across it together. Junior Brother was there, why do you ask me that?”
Xie Zhefeng frowned, recalled for a bit, and could only say: “I have no impression. Maybe I forgot.”
His senior brother’s face showed gloom: “True, it’s just a small matter, not worth Junior Brother’s attention…”
Later, An Wuxue died in front of the Luoyue mountain gate, and Xie Zhefeng ascended.
After his senior brother died, in that bamboo forest where he and his senior brother practiced swordsmanship together, he picked up the bewildered and helpless Kun-kun.
The little thing also cried until its eyes were red. It actually didn’t hate him, but crawled into his arms and wiped its tears with his white robe.
It rubbed against Xie Zhefeng’s chest.
“…Are you comforting me?” Xie Zhefeng’s voice was low and hoarse. “I killed him. You are his spiritual pet, don’t you hate me?”
“Wuu wuu! Wuu wuu!!”
Kun-kun cried out urgently, but couldn’t say anything to Xie Zhefeng.
Xie Zhefeng didn’t understand at first.
But a thousand years is too long; even beast language that one doesn’t understand can be sensed to some extent.
He gradually understood what Kun-kun meant.
It didn’t blame him.
It felt that he didn’t do it on purpose, and there must be a hidden reason.
“I don’t even believe in myself,” Xie Zhefeng said as if to himself, “why do you believe in me?”
“Wuu wuu!”
“…”
In the following years, he always thought it was because the spiritual beast was ignorant of the world, with simple thoughts, not knowing what love or hate was.
It was only at this moment that Xie Zhefeng suddenly realized.
It wasn’t that the spiritual beast was ignorant, but that he himself had forgotten the reasons.
He didn’t know that while he was unconscious, Kun-kun lay beside him, listening to An Wuxue say helplessly: “He killed me, you know. Why have you been so close to him from the beginning to the end?”
“Wuu wuu!”
An Wuxue didn’t understand either.
…
Mortal generations change, and the world’s affairs never end.
Under Luoyue Peak, in the Bewildering Forest, the past was buried in the cool night dew and frost, with only a spiritual beast that couldn’t speak human words remembering it all along.
Remembering for thousands of years.