Chapter 74: This Seat Is Not Amused

"..."

Mo Ran stood there like a block of wood.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally came to his senses, scratching his head and blushing as he waved his hands frantically. "No, it's not... I don't know. This isn't my handkerchief, then where did mine go? ...I, I, I, oh, I can't even clear my name by jumping into the Yellow River..."

Staring at the handkerchief embroidered with faint peach blossom patterns, he couldn't recall how it had ended up in his possession. After fretting over it for a while, he suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Aha!"

"...What's wrong?"

"I remember!" Mo Ran let out a sigh of relief as he took the handkerchief back from Shi Mo, smiling. "Sorry about that. This handkerchief isn't mine, so I can't give it to you."

Shi Mo: "..."

I didn't even ask for it.

"But this handkerchief isn't from Master either. Don't just assume it's Master's whenever you see a peach blossom pattern," Mo Ran folded the handkerchief neatly and put it back in his own bosom, clearly relieved and comforted that he hadn't mistakenly taken his Master's. "This is actually Junior Brother Xia's."

Shi Mo seemed lost in thought. "Junior Brother Xia's?"

"Yes, I've been living with him these days. Maybe the handkerchiefs were washed together, and I accidentally picked up his by mistake this morning. Haha, my apologies."

"...It's alright." Shi Mo still smiled gently and stood up. "It's getting late. Let's go fetch Junior Brother Xia."

The two left their quarters and headed straight for the prison cave.

But before they had gone too far, Shi Mo's pace gradually slowed down. At first, it wasn't noticeable, but then he suddenly stumbled over a loose stone and almost fell. Fortunately, Mo Ran was walking beside him and caught him just in time.

Mo Ran saw that his face was pale, devoid of any color, and couldn't help being startled. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Shi Mo caught his breath. "I didn't eat much for lunch, so I don't have much strength. A short rest will do."

The more vague Shi Mo tried to be, the more concerned Mo Ran became. Thinking carefully, Shi Mo wasn't good at light footwork, and everything in Peach Blossom Paradise required feathers as currency. In the past, Mo Ran would pluck his own feathers to give to Shi Mo, but these days, he'd been locked up, and Xue Meng, who lacked brains and consideration, hadn't...

The more Mo Ran thought about it, the more worried he became. "Back when you were in the sect, you often skipped lunch, but I never saw you this weak. This isn't just because you missed one meal, is it? Tell me the truth, how long have you gone without eating?"

"I..."

Seeing him hesitate and unable to speak, Mo Ran's expression grew even darker as he pulled him in the opposite direction.

Shi Mo panicked. "Ran, where... where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to eat!" Mo Ran growled, but when he turned his head, his eyes were filled with concern. "Can't you take care of yourself when I'm not around? You're always thinking about others and putting them first! But what about you? Have you ever considered yourself?"

"Ran..."

Dragging Shi Mo along, they headed for an inn. Logically, as a Healer, Shi Mo wouldn't have been able to enter the Aggressor territory where Mo Ran and his ilk usually stayed without a staff. However, after the incident with Eighteen, everyone was on edge, and the Feathered People had lifted the restrictions between the different branches to deal with emergencies.

"What do you want to eat? Order whatever you like."

"I'll just have something simple." Shi Mo looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry. I came here to help, but in the end, I've only become a burden to you..."

"There's no need to apologize between us." Mo Ran reached out to tap his forehead gently, softening his tone. "Order your food. After that, I'll pay, and you can sit down and enjoy your meal properly."

Shi Mo was taken aback. "What about you then?"

"I need to fetch Junior Brother Xia; the culprit is still at large. Although there are guards near the prison cave, I can't help but feel uneasy."

Upon hearing Mo Ran's intention to leave, a fleeting hint of disappointment flickered in Shi Mo's eyes, but he quickly said, "Just get two buns. I'll go with you and we can eat on the way."

Mo Ran was about to dissuade him when he heard a chorus of giggles and chirping voices outside the tavern. A dozen young female cultivators, all dressed up in their finest, entered the building merrily.

"One question for the owner," the leader of the group asked with a coquettish smile. "Has Eldest Senior Brother reserved this tavern for tonight's banquet?"

"Yes, yes," the owner replied, beaming with delight. These days, the Feathered had learned that Eldest Senior Brother loved drinking and listening to music, so he would always find a tavern for a feast every evening. And wherever Eldest Senior Brother was, a flock of chattering female cultivators would swarm in beforehand.

Sure enough, the female cultivators became even more thrilled and hastily began to reserve tables. Now and then, snippets of their conversation drifted into Mo Ran's ears.

They talked about things like, "Xiao Fang, do you think my eyebrows look good today? Will Eldest Senior Brother like them?" "They look great! But tell me, is my eyeshadow too bold? Will he think I'm too forward?" and also, "You're so beautiful, Eldest Senior Brother will surely like you. Yesterday, I saw him glance at you several times." "Oh, stop it. How could that be? You have an elegant demeanor, Eldest Senior Brother must prefer talented women like you who are well-versed in literature."

"..."

In such extraordinary times, these people were still so captivated by a man that they were lost in reverie. Mo Ran's lips twitched as he turned to his junior sister and said, "Let's just get the buns and leave. I can't leave you alone in this den of wolves."

Shi Mo couldn't help but shake his head with a gentle smile, observing Mo Ran's expression.

Within this establishment, the most delectable item was the Drool-Inducing Meat Bun. Mo Ran bought ten in one go and gave them all to Shi Mo. As they walked, he would occasionally steal glances at Shi Mo, who was savoring his food, and Mo Ran's mood finally eased up.

But nobody could have foreseen that it was these buns that ended up hurting Shi Mo.

He had always had a delicate stomach and hadn't eaten much for a long time. With an empty abdomen, the sudden consumption of such greasy buns soon led to unbearable abdominal cramps.

Now, Mo Ran was completely unable to meet Chu Wanning. He hastily carried the pale and sweating Shi Mo back to High Heaven Pavilion, laid him on the freshly made bed, and went outside to summon a physician.

After medicine was prescribed and warm water was given, Mo Ran sat by the bedside, gazing at Shi Mo's exhausted appearance and blaming himself endlessly. "Still hurts? Let me rub your stomach."

Shi Mo's voice was soft and weak. "No need... It's fine..."

But Mo Ran's slender fingers, with their distinct joints, had already reached over, pressing gently against Shi Mo's stomach through the covers.

Perhaps his touch was just right, quite soothing, for Shi Mo didn't say anything more. Gradually, under this intimate massage, his breaths slowed, and he fell into a deep sleep.

Mo Ran waited until Shi Mo was sound asleep before he prepared to leave.

Yet, before he could stand, his hand was caught.

Mo Ran's eyes suddenly widened, his black irises shimmering with a subtle purple hue: "Shi Mo...?"

"Pain... Don't leave..."

The beauty on the bed still had his eyes closed, as if muttering in his sleep.

Mo Ran stood there, dumbfounded. Shi Mo had never asked for help before; he was always the one lending a hand without expecting anything in return. It was only when he was sound asleep that he would softly plead with Mo Ran to stay.

So he sat back down by the bedside, gazing intently and wistfully at that face that haunted his dreams, continuing to gently massage Shi Mo's stomach. Through the open window, petals from peach blossoms drifted down, and the sky gradually darkened.

It wasn't until midnight that Mo Ran suddenly remembered his promise to have dinner with his junior apprentice brother.

"Oh no!" He sprang up, slapping his forehead. "Oh no, oh no, oh no!!"

By then, Shi Mo was already deeply asleep. Mo Ran rushed outside, ready to dash to the prison cave. But a blue light suddenly illuminated the sky. Elder Xuan Ji appeared, cradling a child in her arms. The child held a small earthen jar close to his chest as they descended from above.

"Elder!"

Xuan Ji glanced at Mo Ran with a hint of reproach: "What's going on? Didn't you say you were going to fetch him? If I hadn't gone to check, Yu... ahem, my disciple might have had to wait until dawn in that cell."

"It was my fault." Mo Ran lowered his head, but after a moment, he couldn't help looking back at Chu Wanning. "Junior Apprentice Brother..."

Xuan Ji placed Chu Wanning down. Chu Wanning held the jar and quietly glanced at Mo Ran. "Have you had dinner?"

Completely unprepared for this question, Mo Ran stammered, "N-No, not yet..."

Chu Wanning walked over and offered him the jar. "It's still warm. Have some."

Standing rooted to the spot, Mo Ran remained motionless for a long while. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already scooped up the child and the jar in his arms.

"O-Okay, I'll drink it."

The silly child, worried that the soup would cool down, had taken off his outer robe and wrapped it around the jar, so that when Mo Ran hugged him, he felt slightly chilled.

Pressing their foreheads together, Mo Ran gently nuzzled him. Two lifetimes' worth of sincerity tumbled out of his mouth. "I'm sorry. It was my fault."

After bidding farewell to Xuan Ji, the two returned to their room.

The outer robe was too wrinkled to wear anymore, so Mo Ran, fearing the child would be cold, rummaged through the inner chamber for a small blanket to give to Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning yawned, climbed onto a stool with the little jar, and was just about to ladle the soup into two small bowls when his eyes suddenly blinked twice, landing on the half-eaten bun Shi Mo had left behind.

"..."

Leaving the stool behind, Chu Wanning strolled into the bedroom and gazed at the sleeping beauty on the bed with an unreadable expression. He felt a chill seeping through his bones, turning his previously warm heart cold and still.

By the time Mo Ran returned to the kitchen, Chu Wanning was still seated by the window, one foot on a bench, the other hanging down, with his arm casually leaning against the windowsill.

Hearing the sound, he turned his face indifferently and gave Mo Ran a fleeting glance.

"Come here, I found a fox fur blanket. You can drape it over yourself for now, it gets chilly at night."

Chu Wanning didn't respond.

Mo Ran walked over and offered him the blanket, but Chu Wanning didn't take it, merely shaking his head slowly as if closing his eyes to meditate.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"..."

"I'll look for another one then, see if there's something else you might prefer."

Mo Ran smiled and gently ruffled Chu Wanning's hair before turning to fetch another piece, only to suddenly notice the earthen jar missing from the table. He was taken aback. "Where's my soup?"

"It's not yours," Chu Wanning finally spoke up, his voice cold and detached. "It's mine."

Mo Ran's lips twitched, assuming Chu Wanning was throwing a childish tantrum. "Fine, fine, it's yours if you want it. But where is your soup, then?"

Chu Wanning said indifferently, "I threw it away."

"Thrown... thrown away...?"

Chu Wanning ignored him, gracefully leaping off the bench and turning to push open the door.

"Mm? Junior Apprentice Brother? Where are you going?" Mo Ran abandoned the blanket. The culprit was still unknown, and it wasn't safe outside. He hurriedly followed after him.

But he saw that under the peach blossom tree, the small clay pot with the soup was still clumsily left there, not having been discarded. Mo Ran let out a sigh of relief, thinking that it was ultimately his fault. Perhaps Junior Apprentice Brother had just been suppressing his anger earlier, and now, finding he could no longer endure it, there was nothing wrong with venting a little.

So he walked over and sat beside Chu Wanning.

Under the peach blossom tree, Chu Wanning picked up his small clay pot, paying no attention to Mo Ran. He opened the lid by himself and took up a spoon larger than his own face, attempting to scoop out some soup. Discovering that it wouldn't fit at all, he grew even angrier. With a snap, he smashed the spoon into pieces, sitting there in a daze, hugging the pot.

Mo Ran propped his cheek on one hand, turning to offer advice beside him. "Just drink it straight from the jar. It's just the two of us here; no one will see."

"..."

"Not drinking? Then I'll drink it. This is the first time my junior apprentice brother has made soup for me; I can't let it go to waste." He intended to tease him, grinning as he reached to snatch the jar.

Unexpectedly, Chu Wanning slapped away his hand. "Get lost."

"..." Mo Ran blinked, feeling a sense of déjà vu from their conversation. But then he shamelessly leaned in with a smile. "Junior Apprentice Brother, it was my fault. Don't be angry. I wanted to come pick you up earlier, but your Mingjing Senior Apprentice Brother suddenly wasn't feeling well, so I was delayed. I didn't mean to keep you waiting on purpose."

Chu Wanning still kept his head down, not speaking.

"You see, I've been busy until now and haven't had dinner. I'm really hungry." Mo Ran tugged at his sleeve pitifully. "Junior Apprentice Brother, kind-hearted Junior Apprentice Brother, my good Junior Apprentice Brother, please, just let your senior apprentice brother have a taste of the soup."

"..."

Chu Wanning shifted, finally placing the soup jar on the ground. He lifted his head slightly, turning it away slightly. The gesture indicated that if Mo Ran wanted to drink, he should get it himself.

Mo Ran chuckled. "Thanks, Junior Apprentice Brother."

The small earthen pot was brimming with contents, and at a glance, it was clear that the junior brother had barely eaten for himself, instead saving most of the meat for him, resulting in a pot filled with more meat than broth.

Mo Ran gazed at it for a moment, his eyes curved into a warm smile. "This isn't soup at all; it's clearly a pot of stewed meat. Junior Brother is so thoughtful."

"..."

Putting aside idle chatter, Mo Ran, who had genuinely been starving after tending to Shi Mo for so long, couldn't bear to waste his junior brother's efforts. He snapped off two thin branches from a peach tree, gathering qi at their tips to whittle them into makeshift chopsticks. He picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth.

"Woah, it smells amazing."

With the chicken in his mouth, Mo Ran's eyes took on a hazy sheen as he chuckled. "It tastes great. My junior brother is so capable."

In truth, the soup wasn't particularly delicious—it was too salty. But to please his little junior brother, Mo Ran made a valiant effort to chew through it, soon consuming most of the chicken. Throughout, Chu Wanning never once looked at him, sitting quietly by his side.

Taking a large gulp of the soup, which was even saltier than the meat and had a slightly bitter taste upon entry, Mo Ran found it tolerable nonetheless.

He plucked up another chicken leg, ready to eat it when he suddenly paused. "How many legs does a chicken have?"

Of course, no one bothered to answer him.

Mo Ran answered himself, "Two."

Then he looked at the chicken leg on his chopsticks and compared it to the bone from the one he had already eaten.

"..."

The slow-witted man finally lifted his head and stared blankly at Chu Wanning, "Junior Brother, did you... were you perhaps..." The latter half of his question hung unspoken, lacking the courage to be uttered.

Were you waiting for me, and didn't have dinner?

This pot of soup was full of meat; were you waiting for me, until the soup had almost evaporated, leaving only bits of meat? And I thought...

I thought you had eaten some and left me a little... I even thought your cooking skills weren't good enough, turning a nice chicken soup into a stewed chicken dish...

Mo Ran quietly set down the clay pot.

But he realized too late; there were only a few scraps of meat left in it.

Finally, Chu Wanning spoke up.

The voice remained calm and pleasant, with a touch of innocence and clarity characteristic of a young child.

"You were the one who said you'd come back for dinner," he spoke slowly, devoid of joy or sorrow. "So I waited. If you're not going to eat, at least send someone to give me a message, so I don't end up looking like a fool alone. Can you do that?"

"Junior Martial Brother..."

Chu Wanning still refused to look at him, turning his face away, leaving Mo Ran unable to read his expression.

"You could have sent someone to tell me that you were accompanying... that you were accompanying Senior Martial Brother Mingjing. Was that really so difficult?"

"..."

"Before drinking from my soup jar, you talked on and on. Didn't you ask if I had eaten? Was that hard?"

"..."

"Before eating, was it too difficult to check how many chicken legs were in the jar?" The last question held a hint of amusement, a tease that might provoke a smile even amidst embarrassment. But before Mo Ran's dimples could form, they froze.

His little junior martial brother... was crying.

If he were in his adult form, he would never shed tears over such trivial matters. But no one knew that the Heart-Plucking Willow had caused his transformation, affecting his mind, albeit not severely, but still leaving some impact. When in a weakened state, his childlike nature became even more pronounced.

This hidden characteristic was extremely difficult to detect, which is why neither Madame Wang nor Elder Greedy Wolf had discovered it during their pulse-taking.

"I get hungry, I feel pain too... I'm human, you know..." Even though his childlike nature was dominant, Chu Wanning still tried to suppress his emotions. He sobbed silently, his shoulders quivering, tears streaming down his face, his eyes reddened with moisture.

For so many years, as Elder Yu Heng, he had always endured in silence. No one loved him, no one accompanied him; he pretended not to care, walking coldly and distantly through the crowd who revered him.

But only when his mindset took on a childlike quality did he speak the truth, break down, and express the pent-up gloom that had accumulated for so long.

He wasn't unfriendly to others; he just did many things quietly.

But doing things quietly, without being seen or cared about, was torturous in the long run.

Seeing his junior brother's shoulders tremble slightly, Mo Ran felt pained. Reaching out to comfort, his hand was slapped away without mercy.

"Junior Brother..."

"Stay away from me." Chu Wanning, despite his vulnerability, was stubborn. Whether young or old, he fiercely wiped away his tears and abruptly stood up. "I'm going to sleep. You can go be with your junior brother. Get lost far from me."

"..."

In a fit of anger, he had even forgotten that Shi Mo was actually older than Mo Ran.

Mo Ran opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Chu Wanning had already stormed off and quickly entered another bedroom, slamming the door shut behind him.

But in the High Heaven Pavilion, each courtyard only had two bedrooms.

Mo Ran's original plan was to let Shi Mo have one room to himself while he squeezed in with his junior apprentice brother. However, his junior apprentice brother was so furious and had locked the door, so it seemed he couldn't enter that room anymore.

He also didn't want to sleep in Shi Mo's bed. Besides, after being scolded by Chu Wanning and making him cry, Mo Ran's mind was in chaos. He had no thoughts for romantic dalliances, only sitting dazedly in the courtyard filled with peach blossoms, holding the clay jar Chu Wanning had carried all the way for him. After a long while, he sighed, slapped himself, and muttered, "I'm a terrible person."

So that night, Mo Ran simply laid on the ground beneath the peach blossoms, using the sky as his roof and the earth as his bed, staring blankly at the starry expanse above.

Junior Apprentice Brother... Shi Mo... Master... Xue Meng... the fake Chongchen under Jin Chengchi... the unseen murderer... the Chu Xun and his father in the illusion...

Many vague figures flashed before his eyes. He vaguely sensed something was amiss, but the feeling was too faint. Before he could even register it, it vanished.

Peach trees bloom, their beauty blazing.

Reaching out to catch a falling peach blossom, Mo Ran gazed at the fading soul in the moonlight.

For an instant, it felt as if he had returned to the end of his previous life, when he had lain in the coffin he had prepared beforehand. That day too, the mountains were filled with withering flowers, their departure silent and unnoticed.

Only, back then, they were crabapple blossoms.

Crabapples...

Why, despite loving Shi Mo both in his past and present lives, did he inexplicably choose to be buried beneath a crabapple tree, in front of the Tower of Heaven, where he had first met Chu Wanning?

Thinking back on many actions from his previous life now filled him with horror. The longer he lived in this new existence, the more perplexed he became about why he had once acted with such brutality.

Slaughtering cities, forcing himself upon others, killing his master...and compelling Chu Wanning to do those things with him...

Mo Ran discarded the peach blossom, covering his forehead with his hand and slowly closing his eyes.

His junior apprentice brother had just said, "I get hungry too, I feel sad too. I'm human, after all." Those words echoed in his ears, spoken by his junior apprentice brother, but for a moment, Mo Ran's mind was suddenly flooded with another figure.

A man dressed in snowy attire. In an instant, his white clothes transformed into a crimson phoenix robe trailing on the ground, resembling the figure that had stood before him in the Ghost Conductor's illusory world during their ghostly wedding ceremony.

"I am human too..."

I feel pain and sorrow as well.

Mo Ran...

I can feel pain too.

Suddenly, Mo Ran felt a sharp constriction in his chest, as if something was struggling to burst out. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

He closed his eyes, breathing slowly.

Muttering softly, "I'm sorry..."

Apologizing to whom, he wasn't sure—his junior apprentice brother or the old friend in the crimson phoenix robe...

In the bedroom, Shi Mo sat up.

He didn't turn on the light. With his translucent bare feet, he silently approached the window and peered through the crack, gazing at Mo Ran lying among the petals with a pottery jar in one hand from afar. His eyes were dim, lost in thought.

Come dawn, Mo Ran, lying amidst the flowers and grass, wrinkled his nose and took in a deep breath of fresh air before stretching to wake up.

But halfway through his stretch, a piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the High Heaven Pavilion.

"AHHH-!!"

Mo Ran snapped open his eyes, shot up, and was instantly frozen in horror by the scene before him!

Fifteen elite Feathered guards tasked with protecting the High Heaven Pavilion had all been slaughtered overnight, their deaths identical to that of No. 18—each of their necks strangled by a glowing crimson willow vine.

Good lord!

The fifteen bodies were suspended among the lush peach blossom trees of the pavilion. Their red sleeves fluttered, long skirts dragged on the ground, and their bodies swayed gently with the wind passing through the grove, resembling dried flowers in a macabre display of eerie beauty.

The shriek had come from a low-ranking Feathered who had arrived to deliver breakfast. She trembled violently, her bamboo basket already fallen to the ground, its contents of porridge, noodles, and pastries spilling out.

Seeing Mo Ran standing in the courtyard, the Feathered quivered even more, fumbling behind her back to retrieve something.

Without thinking, Mo Ran stepped forward. "Wait, let me explain..."

It was already too late. The Feathered Man had activated the Breakdown Incantation tattooed on his back. The Breakdown Incantation was the most critical form of communication among the Feathered People, and within moments, crimson-winged Feathered Men descended from the sky like a dark cloud, converging upon the peach blossom forest from all directions.

The sight before them left everyone stunned.

"A Sister!"

"Sis—!"

After an eerie silence, anguished screams and cries erupted among the Feathered People. The commotion drew the attention of cultivators from Peach Blossom Island, who soon surrounded High Heaven Pavilion with exclamations, disbelief, fury, and howls.

"Mo Ran! What do you have to say for yourself now?!"

"Murderer! Insane monster!"

The Feathered People were seething with rage, their shrill cries echoing: "An eye for an eye! Kill him! Kill him!"

Mo Ran truly had no defense. "If I were the murderer, why would I stay in this High Heaven Pavilion instead of fleeing, waiting for you to catch me?"

A red-haired Feathered Man, tears streaming down his face, spat in disgust, "Disgusting! It's already come to this, yet you still have the nerve..."

Somebody else raged, "If you weren't the culprit, then why did the killer spare you while slaughtering all the guards?"

"Exactly!"

"How can one truly know someone's heart?"

"The murderer might not be you, but they must be related to you! Otherwise, why would they leave you alive? Explain yourself!"

"Blood debts must be paid in blood!"

Mo Ran was on the verge of laughing out of sheer frustration.

In his previous life, he had killed without mercy, and few dared to mention "blood debts" to him. Yet in this lifetime, where he hadn't committed the murders, he was being unjustly accused. The world... It truly was... He closed his eyes, about to speak, when suddenly a streak of crimson light flew across the sky.

The celestial immortal Feathered gracefully descended from the clouds, surveying the area with a cold expression that spoke of deep displeasure.

"Mo Weiyu."

"Immortal."

The Feathered Immortal gazed at him for a moment before approaching one of the corpses. He lifted the willow vine stained with blood from the neck of the lifeless body.

"Where is your weapon? Show it to me."

"..."

"Are you unwilling?"

Mo Ran sighed. His weapon, See-the-Damned, had been seen by countless people during his recent cultivation sessions, and even more had witnessed it when the Eighteenth incident occurred. Presenting it now, side by side with the willow vines entwined around the deceased Feathered Folk's necks, would undoubtedly weigh heavily against him as evidence of guilt. But if he didn't show it, it would only make him appear even more suspicious.

With a swish, a brilliant scarlet light appeared in his palm. From his very bones and blood, a demonic entity took form, shimmering with crackling red splendor. "If the Immortal wishes to see, then let him look."

Author's Note: The illustrator "Meatball Big Devil" has updated a beautiful ink painting of "Called Qingqiu" on Weibo. I absolutely adore this one! I warmly invite everyone to take a look when you have the time.

Yesterday, there were three dear companions whose IDs appeared but were actually in an unlogged-in state; I was unable to send them hongbao (red packets), fearing it might be an inconvenience for my darlings should they attempt to retrieve them. So, allow me to gently remind you all here:

First update of 7,500 words is here, with another nearly 4,000 words coming tonight at 10 PM. It's a double update! Double the fun, my dear readers, see you tonight!