NEBM Chapter 20: Sui Xian

Yan Jin planned really well.

Shilian Mountain was massive. Not only were they transmitted to a random corner on this mountain, they were also stripped of their spiritual force. Let alone five days, even after ten and a half months, no one would be able to find a way out.

This was the third day, and they still hadn’t found the tactical spot for the teleportation formation.

Shen Zhixian suggested that since the teleportation formation would activate in the next five days, they merely had to wait it out. It would also save them from wandering around like headless flies. Not to speak of other perils, he also still had to contend with possibly getting a heart attack while stuck here.

As a result, Yan Jin silently thought it over and then shook his head.

He hadn’t delved much into the formation method itself. This time, in order to change the teleportation formation, he’d ask Senior Brother Shao from Third Peak for help. As a result, he only learned the fundamentals needed to affect the change…Of course, Senior Brother Shao probably wouldn’t have guessed that Yan Jin would be so brave as to put his instructions into practice.

In short, Yan Jin’s formation was actually not changed properly. He could only ensure that Shen Zhixian would teleport to a specific location in the mountain and then be teleported back in five days. If, by some chance, he were to be teleported to a different place…there was no guarantee that the five days limitations would remain in affect.

The angrier Shen Zhixian got …the more benevolent he seemed.

He endured his anger and said lightly, “Weren’t you afraid I would teleport out of range and never be able to get out again?”

Yan Jin answered this question without hesitation. “This disciple has faith in Master. Besides, I left behind a letter. Once you read it you wouldn’t walk around.”

Shen Zhixian: “ … ”

This bad disciple really did accurately guessed his mind. If he really were teleported to that place and saw the letter, his first reaction would be disbelief. He would try to find the formation but, if he couldn’t locate it, he would definitely returned to the same location by the fifth day.

She Zhixian refused to speak to this traitor anymore and took a narrow path. Yan Jin followed behind him, so silent that Shen Zhixian could barely hear his quiet footfalls..

As Shen Zhixian walked, he wondered how he should deal with this traitor. If he were too soft, he would repeatedly be made a fool of. If he were too harsh, he wouldn’t be able to defeat him. So, the best way was to simply…

He was so lost in thought that it took him a long time to notice his surroundings. He suddenly realized that the area today was too quiet. Yesterday, he came across a few monsters. But, today, it’d already been more than half a day and he hadn’t even seen a hint of one.

Shen Zhixian vaguely felt that something was wrong. The moment he was about to speak, he heard movements coming from behind him. Turning around, he realized that it was a fat rabbit. It brushed passed them, feet thumping loudly, and suddenly ran into a tree nearby. The collision caused it to flip over and fall to the ground. Then, it simply laid motionless.

Shen Zhixian: “…”

He was about to comment and say that this was a silly rabbit when, all of a sudden, the tree the rabbit had ran into began to sway violently. It creaked loudly as a splinter appeared midway on the tree’s trunk.

The nearly ten meter tall tree suddenly toppled over onto the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. Shen Zhixian covered his nose with one hand and retreated a few steps. He watched as the fallen rabbit abruptly jumped up on to the trunk, opened its mouth to expose two massive teeth and began to gnaw at the bark. Within moments, it had gnawed a gradually deepening hole in the trunk.

Shen Zhixian: “….”

That was disturbing.

Shen Zhixian looked at the large, energetic rabbit gnawing away at the tree bark. He wanted to say something but hesitated. Finally, he decided to just take a detour around it. But at that moment, something suddenly moved.

A gray and black flower rose from the tree bark, it’s petals quietly unfurling over a large bowl-shaped center as it slowly crept forward.

The rabbit was so busy that, by the time it saw the flower, it was too late. Before it could even move, the flower shot forward like a snake, it’s petals opening wide and swallowing up the entire rabbit in a single gulp.

The soft but resilient petals closed over the whole rabbit, which struggled fiercely even as it began to die. After a while, the struggles ceased.

The flower petals rippled and shifted for a while before unfurling once more and spitting out a pile of bones that had been picked clean, leaving not a single speck of meat behind.

Having eaten it’s fill, the flower was completely sated and its petals shook with satisfaction. After a moment, it shrunk back against the bark, lying in wait for a new prey. Suddenly, there came a sound of flapping wings. A huge turtledove lunged forward, it’s pointed beak sharp enough to pick up small pebbles.

It’s beak skillfully closed on the flower stem, severing it, and the whole flower was lifted up and carried away.

This chain of predators happened in less than a quarter of an hour.

Shen Zhixian frowned. These demonic beasts were abnormally ferocious. The demonic beasts within Shilian Mountain should only be a little bit fiercer than ordinary animals. Moreover, their habits should also be no different from ordinary beasts.

The tree-eating bunny, flesh-eating flower, and flower-eating turtle…These were demonic beasts that should not have appeared in Shilian Mountain at all!

He subconsciously thought of Yan Jin and wanted to ask him, but then he realized that this couldn’t be Yan Jin’s handiwork. Even though Yan Jin was the protagonist, he shouldn’t have been able to transfer in so many weird monsters under the sect’s watchful eyes.

The spirit lock was still in effect, meaning that they still had no spiritual protection. Shen Shixian didn’t want to take any more risks and decided to return back the same way they’d came. After walking for a long time, they ended up inadvertently circling around and returning to the same spot they were at before.

The fallen tree lay silently in front of them, signalling their failure.

The two looked at each other, and Shen Zhixian asked, “Keep going?”

Yan Jin didn’t say anything, but his hand tightened on his sword.

The new path was not so easy to traverse. More strange demonic beasts appeared one after another. There were not only more of the same types of rabbits, flowers, and turtledoves that they’d seen previously, but also many strange demonic beasts. Shen Zhixian was able to recognize some of these strange beasts but not all of them.

Yan Jin was very guarded. His sword was half-sheathed, ready to strike at any time. But, what was the most strange was that these demonic beasts clearly recognized them as food. Yet, the moment they approached, these same beasts would suddenly panic, before wheeling around and running away.

If was as if the beasts had gone senseless with fear, so much so that they could only run slowly, acting like they would otherwise be eaten on the spot.

Shen Zhixian shot Yan Jin a disbelieving look. Could this be the power of the protagonist’s halo? The kind that came pre-installed with a golden finger that made any demonic beasts who see him run away in fear?

Yan Jin noticed his gazed and looked right back at him. Why did he feel that these demonic beasts were afraid of his master?

Several times, the demonic beasts were ready to meet with his sword. But, as soon as Shen Zhixian turned and looked over, those same monsters would instantly freeze, then quickly run away

The master and disciple looked at each other, and each felt as if his guess was right.

The demonic beasts all ran away. Although they didn’t know why, they were still glad since it meant less trouble and less danger. After another half an hour, the trees became sparse. Shen Zhixian squinted and look ahead some distance away. He murmured, “There’s an open space.”

The open space didn’t look small at all.

The closer he got to the open space, the more Shen Zhixian frowned. Everything that fell into his eyes seemed to elicit a sense of deja vu.

Had he been here before?

He stood in front of the open space, searching his memory but found nothing. As he was thinking about it, he suddenly caught a flash from the corner of his eyes.

He turned his gaze fully in the direction of the flash and realized that it was a hazy figure, which stood not too far away, looking at him quietly.

The moment he saw the face clearly, Shen Zhixian’s expression displayed a look of wonder. He instinctively took a few steps forward, looking at the figure in shock.

The moment he stepped forward, the surrounding air suddenly fluctuated, indicating that something had been activated.

Yan Jin noticed this unusual change and, within a heartbeat, rushed forward to follow Shen Zhixian. But, he immediately found that an invisible barrier had silently risen up.

It was exactly between him and Shen Zhixian.

……

Shen Zhixian didn’t notice the change behind him. He stared at the hazy figure in front of him. It was a handsome, middle-aged man dressed in a moon white long robe with a sword hung by his waist. He had one hand resting over the open space. As he looked at Shen Zhixian, his lips stretched into a smile.

There was so much affection in his eyes.

This face was exactly the same as his master…the face of the former sect leader.

Shen Zhixian tentatively called out, “Master.” He looked closely at the figure, thinking that the former sect leader had died long ago due to qi deviation. But, why was he suddenly in front of him?

The figure stayed motionless and even the smile on his face remained the same, like a carefully designed scroll painting. Although the image was vivid, it lacked vitality.

Shen Zhixian looked back over his shoulder and found that the place where Yan Jin was supposed to be standing was empty. His brows furrowed and rationality told him he shouldn’t take risks alone. But, an invisible force seemed to compel him to step forward.

There was an oddly shaped, incandescent white object half-buried in the pile of dirt, attracting his attention.

Before he could stop himself, Shen Zhixian bent down to pick up the object, weighing it in his hand. This was actually a large piece of spiritual jade…No, not just one piece. Many pieces.

Countless pieces of finger-sized spirit jades were carved into various shapes, which laid entangled like a Luban Lock.

Shen Zhixian used to love playing with this kind of small toy. He’d even spent some time researching the skills. At this time, he simply turned the toy around in his hand. Suddenly, his ten fingers flew into action, rapidly flipping and disassembling the pieces.

This Luban Lock was more refined and detailed than the ones he’d solved before. As a result, the solution was slightly different from the general, though it was still similar to the solution he’d worked out before.

In the end, a weird sense of familiarity took over. When the last two spirit jades were finally separated, all of the spirit jades disintegrated and drifted down his fingers like ash.

The only thing that was left behind was a finger-sized turquoise jade lying quietly within the palm of his hand. It was heavy and was covered with a glossy sheen. Shen Zhixian looked at it thoughtfully. The turquoise jade suddenly scattered into a brilliant ray of light and shot toward to hazy man before him.

The motionless figure suddenly moved.

The wind blew through and shook his wide sleeves. His face softened, and the whole person gradually became full of energy. He nodded slightly at Shen Zhixian. “You’re back.”

Shen Zhixian looked at him in surprise but did not speak.

The figure didn’t seem to care about his reaction. In other words, this was simply an illusion that had been laid a long time ago. Every move was carried out step by step and would not spontaneously change just because of external reactions.

Still smiling, he said, “I know this thing could only be unlocked by you.” His voice was kind and gentle, intermixed with relief and nostalgia. “Sui Xian, you’re back, right?”

Sui Xian.

The name slammed into Shen Zhixian’s heart like thunder, blasting him into a trance.

He couldn’t help but take another step forward. His voice was slightly shaky as he said, “You…just now, were you calling me? You–You’re calling me?”

The figure ignored his words, sighed, and continued, “The me you see today is just a phantom. The grandmaster from Xuanji Pavilion helped me set a divinatory diagram. There’s no escaping from fate. At this moment, I don’t know what my circumstances are and also whether my disciple Sui Xian is safe and well. I merely have something to say that Sui Xian should bear in mind.”

Shen Zhixian held his breath subconsciously.

The figure slowly said, “It should be yours so you should not yield. You must take responsibility for it and must not renounce it.”

Shen Zhixian was shaken and dazed. He seemed to hear a young voice in his ear, full of heroic passion and grand aspirations, brimming with the reckless, ostentatious vigor of youth, saying, “As long as there’s me, Qingyun Sect would never decline. Master, you can rest assured and retire in peace.”

But things had changed with the passage of time. Someone had died from qi deviation, and someone else’s grand aspiration had long ago drained away.

Shen Zhixian’s mood was complicated. A sourness permeated his heart, making him uncomfortable. In the wind, he heard his own voice, muttering, “I’m back…”

Who was talking and who was back?

Was it him, or was it the original “Shen Zhixian”? Or, was it the “Sui Xian” that the figure was talking about?

Shen Zhixian only felt that his thoughts were chaotic. Complex emotions and rough memory fragments filled his head, entangling like a mass of weeds, making him unable to think. The figure’s gentle and heavy voice entered his ears.

“….Song Ming is a good child. It’s a pity that his cultivation is insufficient. He can only stay at his current level for a while but can go no further. I told him before that once you come back and use the token as evidence, he needs to return the position of sect leader to you. And, here you are.”

“I wish you good health and a smooth life. Take Qingyun Sect to the top, but don’t feel restrained by it. Take time to explore the gaps between the heavens and earth.”

The figure began to blur and a shimmer of light flickered around him like fireflies. Then he scattered in the wind. The old person’s voice gradually faded, along with his kind smile. Shen Zhixian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart as it surged uncontrollably with grief, causing his eyes to sour. From the corners of his eyes, tears fell.

He was obviously just an outsider. He had no idea what kind of chance had allowed him to attain this body. No matter how good the former sect leader was to “Shen Zhixian,” it was ultimately a matter only between the former sect leader and the original owner.

Was this the instinctual emotion that belonged to the original owner…?

Shen Zhixian urgently gasped for breath, finding it difficult to restrain this sour sadness that suffused him. His knees gave out abruptly and he fell onto the gravel, not caring that the small pebbles had broken the skin of his knees and were making him bleed.

“Goodbye, my disciple Sui Xian.”

In the breezy wind, the barrier shattered and the figure dissipated. His final sigh drifted away with the wind.

Only a few words were blown by the wind to Yan Jin.

The barrier blocking him suddenly disappeared. Yan Jin had no time to see what was happening with Shen Zhixian before he heard that name. His expression instantly became shocked and he looked in disbelief at Shen Zhixian.

Who was Shen Zhixian talking to? Who was calling Sui Xian? Who was it…that called Sui Xian?

When he was caught be behind the barrier, he could only watch as Shen Zhixian talked to a vague figure. But, he couldn’t hear his words. It was only when the barrier was broken that he heard just enough to affect his mind.

Numerous questions rose in his mind. He should have asked what had happened within this short time span, but timidity nailed his footsteps in place.

He stood stiffly for a long time before he finally approached, his mannerism returning to the calmness that had grown out of hardship, steady like the foundation of a mountain that had met countless winds and rain.

“Master…” He said in a low voice. But, Shen Zhixian did not respond, as if he hadn’t even heard Yan Jin’s approach.

From Yan Jin’s vintage point, he could only see that Shen Zhixian’s well-shaped lips were trembling slightly. Not knowing what to say, Yan Jin knelt down beside him and heard the murmur that was so soft, it was almost breathless.

“….The third wish is for us to be like a pair of swallows resting on a beam, together year after year.”