In all those years, they never learned of Luo Binghe’s existence. Furthermore, Su Xiyan didn’t succeed to her position of power as expected. Instead, she silently vanished to somewhere unknown. Even long after they’d once more greeted the sun and sky, they still hadn’t learned.
Therefore, when Zhuzhi-Lang saw that face for the first time at the southern border, he was so shocked that he forgot to complete the business he’d been tasked with. After a bout of fighting, he went straight back and reported it to Tianlang-Jun.
Hence, there had been the battle at the Holy Mausoleum.
After Shen Qingqiu had been spat out and settled with proper arrangements, Tianlang-Jun had stared at Zhuzhi-Lang as his nephew single-mindedly fanned burning coals with a cattail leaf fan. “Do you think he’s like me, or like her?”
Zhuzhi-Lang knew very well who this “he” and “her” referred to. “Didn’t my lord say it himself? He’s like his mother.”
Tianlang-Jun shook his head and smiled. “The way they pretend to be callous…”
In truth, both of them knew that Luo Binghe’s tendency to be attached to and dependent on others, and his utter lack of reservations in his obstinate infatuation, were more like Tianlang-Jun.
Tianlang-Jun leaned his cheek on one hand as he watched the closed-eyed Shen Qingqiu and sighed. “But he’s far more fortunate than I am.”
The person who Luo Binghe refused to let go of was someone like Shen Qingqiu. That was indeed a fortunate thing. At least Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t summon the entire cultivation world to seal Luo Binghe beneath Cang Qiong Mountain.
On top of that, there had only ever been two people in this world who hadn’t looked at Zhuzhi-Lang’s ugly appearance with disgust. One was Tianlang-Jun, and the other was Shen Qingqiu.
“How about it?” asked Tianlang-Jun. “Do you want to steal that fortune for yourself?”
Zhuzhi-Lang stared at Tianlang-Jun for a long time before understanding what he meant. Then he blushed a bright red. “My lord!”
“Steal it, steal it,” said Tianlang-Jun. “We’re all demons—why fuss about something like this? Besides, he’s only your younger cousin. What are you afraid of? The last lord of the Mobei clan even openly stole his younger brother’s official wife.”
“I don’t have any such wishes!”
Tianlang-Jun was confused. “Then why is your face red?”
Zhuzhi-Lang patiently bore with him. “My lord…if you hadn’t asked me to find all those books, or told me to read them with you, or recited them aloud to force me to review them, this subordinate’s face definitely wouldn’t have turned red.”
Because of this exchange, some strange things echoed in his ears from time to time, which made him unable to look at Immortal Master Shen with a clear conscience.
Zhuzhi-Lang understood why Tianlang-Jun habitually teased him this way. Beneath all the ribbing was a desire to probe and provoke.
From the day he emerged from beneath Bai Lu Mountain to the sun and sky, Tianlang-Jun hadn’t planned to use his new body for long, nor had he had any plans regarding the future.
But when he saw Shen Qingqiu, Tianlang-Jun had actually felt a kind of relief. He’d thought, Finally, someone to whom I can entrust my foolish nephew.
Zhuzhi-Lang’s stupid brain could only revolve around other people. He never thought of himself. If he could find a new person to follow, then even after Tianlang-Jun got himself killed, he wouldn’t end up lost with nowhere to go. Tianlang-Jun thought that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t a bad target to follow, regardless of what kind of “follow” it was.
Having achieved this mysterious peace of mind, Tianlang-Jun became increasingly reckless with throwing about his demonic energy, and his body’s deterioration and decline hastened, day by day, to the point that his arm or fingers often fell off. Zhuzhi-Lang was overwhelmed to the point of exhaustion trying to find means by which to repair him.
One time, he was trying to use a needle and thread to mend his lord’s limbs. Tianlang-Jun held out his arm for Zhuzhi-Lang to prick however he wished and said, “Your instincts have always been very accurate.”
Zhuzhi-Lang gave a confirmation.
“Between me and Luo Binghe. Who will win and who will lose?” After a long silence, he said languidly, “Even if you don’t say it, I know. I’m plainly going to lose.”
Zhuzhi-Lang bit off the thread and tied a knot.
“After today, how about you follow Peak Lord Shen?” Tianlang-Jun asked, sincere yet not. “He’s already taking care of Luo Binghe; taking care of you as well shouldn’t be too different.”
“My lord should sleep,” said Zhuzhi-Lang.
But Tianlang-Jun continued to talk nonsense. “Aren’t you heading to Immortal Master Shen’s tent tonight to help him remove the Ties That Bind? You were listening when I asked if he and Luo Binghe had dual-cultivated before. His reaction made it obvious that they haven’t. The early bird catches the worm. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Zhuzhi-Lang acted like he couldn’t hear and bowed down to remove Tianlang-Jun’s shoes. But then Zhuzhi-Lang’s hands went empty: Tianlang-Jun had crooked his legs so his shoes were firmly upon the beast skin cover. “What must I do to crush your self-esteem?” he asked in all seriousness. “To make you lose heart and give up on me—so that you’ll leave?”
“My lord has read too many scripts and plays,” said Zhuzhi-Lang. “That trope is old hat. You could never crush this subordinate’s self-esteem. That’s why my lord should sleep.”
“I don’t want to go to sleep so early. Quickly, go to Peak Lord Shen’s tent. I’ll come to see you two after a bit.”
“My Lord, you’re so willful,” Zhuzhi-Lang said helplessly. Pestering others endlessly, full of wild fantasies, forever coming up with these stupid suggestions.
“Haven’t I been ‘so willful’ this whole time?” asked Tianlang-Jun. “So how about it? Why not consider leaving me?”
His lord was acting like a drunk today. The number of things he said that left people unable to laugh or cry had multiplied by ten. Zhuzhi-Lang shook his head and reached out several more times before he finally caught hold of Tianlang-Jun’s shoes. He yanked them off by force and repeated, “My lord should sleep.”
Tianlang-Jun was pushed onto the bed and forcefully covered with a blanket. “You’re becoming more and more like a mother,” he said. Then he sighed. “Do you think your uncle is only poking fun at you? You don’t urge me to stop, nor do you seek a way out for yourself. If you’re always like this, Zhuzhi-Lang, what are you going to do in the future?”
✦ ✦ ✦
“As expected, I can’t bring myself to hate humans.”
Tianlang-Jun had said this to Shen Qingqiu.
When Zhuzhi-lang heard these words, he was actually a little happy for his lord.
Tianlang-Jun had finally admitted that his true heart had never changed. Finally, he would no longer need to force himself.
Amidst the rolling dust and falling rubble, Tianlang-Jun sighed and muttered, “Zhuzhi-Lang, that appearance of yours truly doesn’t look good.”
This time, Zhuzhi-Lang had no need to complain. Its only thought was that it still had a tiny bit of strength left—enough to hold on for a little longer, so that its lord wouldn’t die with it. There was no need for him to worry that dying alongside it would be unsightly.
As Mai Gu Ridge transformed into smoke and dust with a thunderous roar, an enormous snake plummeted down toward the heart of the Luo River, which glittered like silver scales.
In truth, Shen Qingqiu hadn’t finished listening to what Tianlang-Jun had been saying, for after that first sentence there had been another, quiet, heard only by Zhuzhi-Lang.
Tianlang-Jun had said, “But why is loving a person such a difficult thing?”
At the time, Zhuzhi-Lang had been unable to squeeze out a smile, nor had it been able to speak. As if lost in thought, it had flicked out its tongue, spraying Tianlang-Jun with a face full of snake saliva.
It truly is difficult, it thought. But no matter how difficult, it’s less difficult than making one’s heart stop loving.