NEBM Chapter 35.2: Truths and Illusions

In the gray-robed man’s eyes, he held a bloody deer head. But, in Shen Zhixian’s eyes, it was just a gray skeletal head!

As for the deer… It was just a thick black qi that had compacted into near solidity.

The man cut a few large pieces of black flesh and said, “I’ll go clean it.” After saying this, he went to the side of the stream to clean the blood.

After washing and cleaning, he let out a sound of delight. His clawed hand slammed into the water, and caught a long-armed swimming fish.

“A fat and tender fish!” he happily praised. He effortlessly twisted the fish’s head and threw it aside, and then began to clean the rest of the fish.

The fish head fell into Shen Zhixian’s line of sight. It was a skeletal a fish head, without blood or flesh.

After a while, the man in the gray robe tidied up, pulled Yan Jin over to start a fire, and began grilling the fish.

He seemed to be very accustomed to these things. As if falling into a routine, he began to turn the fish back and forth, nibbling on a piece here and there as he worked. Then, he comforted Shen Zhixian while grilling. “You’ve just arrived, but even though we can’t see you, you can still eat.”

Shen Zhixian watched him gobbled up the weird black qi. It looked incredibly creepy—No no no no! Forget it. He didn’t want to eat such strange things!

As Shen Zhixian was thinking this, Yan Jin also began to eat the meat in silence.

Compared to the man in the gray robe, he ate very well. As usual, Shen Zhixian pursed his lips and said nothing.

“Delicious?” While the man in the gray robe was enjoying himself, he couldn’t help but vaguely boast, “So good! It’s really a pity you’re not eating …”

He raised his head and grinned in Shen Zhixian’s direction. Shen Zhixian’s spine suddenly stiffened, then relaxed after a moment.

—A skull.

Only for a brief moment, the head of the man in the gray robe became a skull.

There was no blood nor flesh, only a black cloud lingering on it. Shen Zhixian didn’t know if it was originally his, or if he’d eaten it.

Creepy.

The situation was unknown and he didn’t want to make any rash decisions. Fortunately he hadn’t eaten and drank these weird things.

Shen Zhixian, who could not eat nor drink, sat quietly aside, waiting for the two people who could eat and drink to eat and drink. By then, it was almost dark.

This place wasn’t a good resting place so, afterward, the three of them moved on. Finally, they came upon a relatively clean place and decided to rest there.

The man in the gray robe occupied a tree, while Shen Zhixian and Yan Jin sat under the same tree, resting against the trunk.

Shen Zhixian closed his eyes, camouflaging his breath so that it appeared slow and long, as if he’d fallen asleep. All the while, he was secretly watching the surrounding movements with great vigilance.

Nothing happened for half of the night. Shen Zhixian was tense for a long time, making him somewhat exhausted. Only by constantly pinching his palms, could he barely stay awake. Suddenly, Yan Jin moved slightly.

His movements were barely noticeable, but Shen Zhixian had been guarding against him at all times, watching his movements at all times. At this moment, Shen Zhixian’s mind jerked to attention and he immediately put down his sleepiness.

Yan Jin didn’t do anything. He carefully observed Shen Zhixian, his calm and indifferent gaze moving over his body from head to toe. After a moment, he raised his hand.

Shen Zhixian immediately crushed the jade pendant that he’d been holding.

This jade pendant looked extremely hard, but in fact, it was just a thin shell with a lot of spiritual power inside. After Shen Zhixian shattered it, the spiritual power moved around him instantly, forming a short-term barrier, which then blocked Yan Jin’s hand.

A slight zttt sound, like the sound of meat being roasted on the fire. Yan Jin quickly retracted his hand. A pair of red eyes stared tightly at Shen Zhixian for half a moment before he quietly settled back into place.

Shen Zhixian breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning, the three took a short break before the man in the gray robe led them away again.

Shen Zhixian didn’t move and muttered to himself for a moment. He casually said to Yan Jin, “Let’s separate. This way, we can find more good things faster.”

He thought that Yan Jin wouldn’t agree and began to think about what he should say next. Who knew that Yan Jin would unexpectedly agree. He nodded almost instantaneously. “If Master wants to separate, then let’s separate.”

Shen Zhixian looked with certainty at Yan Jin for half a while. The latter looked the same as usual, and his eyes were still respectful. Seeing Shen Zhixian so still, he spoke again. “What’s wrong, Master?”

“Nothing.” Taking a direction opposite to them, Shen Zhixian began to walk away.

At first, he walked calmly and naturally until he bypassed the road. After confirming that the two people behind him could no longer see him, he then quietly accelerated his pace.

Yan Jin …

He was almost certain that Yan Jin was a fake. He didn’t know why someone would pretend to be Yan Jin.

Shen Zhixian didn’t feel any malicious intent from this fake Yan Jin, but it appeared that this fake Yan Jin had no good intentions toward him either. He seemed to be determined to lead Shen Zhixian somewhere…

He didn’t know where the real Yan Jin was but he assumed that Yan Jin should have also entered the secret realm. Shen Zhixian thought quickly that he needed to find Duan Yuan!

He walked fast. The surrounding scenes were similar, and he couldn’t tell which way was safe. It seemed to be a matter of luck. He walked for half an hour, but when he reached the other side, he was shocked and stopped suddenly—

The scene from earlier was repeated.

Not far from the path spreading out, a familiar figure appeared before him again.

Shen Zhixian only glanced at him and turned without hesitation to go in the other direction, but this time, after only taking a few steps, there was another shadow standing there.

After changing directions several times in a row, the scenes were all the same.

Shen Zhixian stopped, and then he heard many footsteps coming from all directions—Those “Yan Jin” were approaching him!

He took a deep breath, chose a certain direction, and ran away!

The last time he ran like this without spiritual power, it was just after he’d transmigrated and was heading to the Cliff of Reflection to see little Yan Jin. Shen Zhixian began to grow out of breath, finding an odd sense of joy in his suffering. But, fortunately, he knew his own ability. It was a good thing he’d been conscientiously exercising himself.

Otherwise he would have fallen down already!

Those “Yan Jins” also seemed to know that he’d ran away. They chased after him. He could hear their voices: empty, calm, indifferent, and low.

“Master …”

“The disciple is here …”

“It’s dangerous there…”

“Come here…”

When he heard these words, Shen Zhixian’s scalp tingled. There was a “Yan Jin” who sounded like he was approaching in the direction in which Shen Zhixian was running. As a result, he was the one closest to him. Shen Zhixian could even hear the sound of his clothes being blown by the wind.

As if that article of clothing was within easy reach.

This was very bad. He hurriedly looked back, and sure enough, the red-eyed and indifferent “Yan Jin” was already very close to him. All that was needed was a few more steps and he would be able to reach out—

Before him, the road forked out, the path heading into the mountains. There was a small hill on the roadside with the situation on the other side of the hill completely invisible to him. Shen Zhixian gritted his teeth and made a decisive turn at the bend.

As soon as he turned, a figure flickered in front of him. He was caught off guard and smashed into him!

Due to the physiological reaction that followed the hard impact, Shen Zhixian’s eyes turned red almost instantly. His nose instantly became sore and he gasped.

Before he had time to react, the “Yan Jin” behind him had already caught up to him. The person he’d just bumped into decisively wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him to the side, while slashing his sword.

The sword instantly split into “Yan Jin,” who immediately scattered into black mists that drifted away with the wind.

Shen Zhixian’s heart fluttered, and he couldn’t tell whether it was because he’d run too hard or because he was too nervous.

He gasped and looked up slowly at the man holding him.

Another Yan Jin.

———————————
Xixi: I posted an extra chapter so don’t forget to press next. XD

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