Chapter 14: “Ruomu Huating” Part Three

Chapter 14: "Ruomu Huating" Part Three

"Master!" Fu You rushed forward, his hands flurrying to support Shen Yuan.

The object in Shen Yuan's lower abdomen relentlessly battered his meridians, never ceasing for a moment. The divine race's formidable self-healing abilities and boundless lifespan only made this excruciating pain feel like a different kind of torture.

If he were alone in Ruomu Huating, he could succumb to the pain without restraint. But with another pair of eyes watching him now, he couldn't afford to show any hint of vulnerability.

Beneath the fox fur cloak, Shen Yuan dug his thumbnail into the flesh of his index finger. Pushing Fu You away, he forced himself to stand upright with great effort.

Fu You stumbled, falling to the ground. When he got up, he saw Shen Yuan wipe away blood from his lips before fiercely grinding the blood into the soil. Gasping for air, he growled fiercely, "What do you want? Haha... quite an actor, aren't you?"

Despite his seemingly frail body, his gaze was sharp and resilient, akin to a green bamboo rooted firmly in a rock.

Indeed, Fu You had ulterior motives. Guilty, he looked around nervously, speaking softly but sincerely, "I don't want anything from Master – I just... I just want to paint a portrait of you, if Master permits..."

Seeing the sincerity in Fu You's clear eyes and hearing the genuineness in his small voice, Shen Yuan didn't think he was lying. He felt that his existence, devoid of freedom, was better off ending sooner rather than later.

Besides, on the first and fifteenth of every month, there would be a voice urging him towards demonic corruption, igniting his thirst for blood.

The builder of this courtyard seemed to have anticipated his behavior, for a set of chains was installed in one of the rooms. He would always ensure to lock himself up beforehand.

Thus, the voice would urge him again to seek out Chi Zi E for demon eradication, to embrace death and thus be free of all troubles, to cease pretending to be a virtuous soul.

Desperate to put an end to it all, he tried to end his life, but failed. He was trapped within the confines of the yard, unable to leave. It was only when the yard inexplicably opened up that he realized how feeble he was, incapable of venturing far.

Yesterday, he astonishingly fainted leaning against the door, and today, someone came seeking help after a tragedy occurred.

Fixing his gaze on the painter before him, he pondered for a long while before resolutely saying, "Painter, you're called Fu You, right?"

"Yes."

Recalling the peculiar demeanor of the commoners just now, Shen Yuan inquired further, "Is there an evil presence in Ciye?"

"Yes."

"Follow me."

Fu You promptly complied and, as they walked, he continued his explanation, "It appeared in the town half a year ago. On the first and fifteenth day of every lunar month, it comes out at night and takes one person away."

"Were you and the common folk in front of my courtyard thinking that I was responsible?"

"No, no, no! I don't think so, but others might have different opinions. Although I don't know much about you, I've heard a thing or two from the townsfolk. They say that you and this courtyard appeared out of nowhere, so they're guessing that either you're a deity... or..." Fu You hesitated whether to continue.

"Go on, speak your mind."

"Either that, or something even more terrifying than the malevolent spirit."

Shen Yuan remained silent.

Fu You continued, "But personally, Fu You doesn't believe you to be an evil entity. As they say, one is influenced by the company they keep. If you were truly malevolent, the divine tree in your courtyard wouldn't flourish so vibrantly, and your appearance doesn't resemble someone with ill intentions—no crooked eyes or twisted lips."

"One cannot judge a book by its cover," Shen Yuan responded.

"But there's also the saying that one's appearance reflects their heart," Fu You countered.

As they spoke, they arrived at a room. Shen Yuan pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit interior.

He invited, "Come in. These are all storage items, some of which can't be exposed to sunlight, so it's rather dim in here."

Inevitably, rooms that avoided sunlight carried a chill that greeted one upon entering.

The shelves were packed with items, creating an oppressive ambiance.

Eventually, they stopped in front of a wooden rack at the far end of the room.

Shen Yuan reached out and picked up a gourd. Turning to Fu You, he said, "Take this to Scarlet Water City's Xun Wu Street. Look for an old gardener named Zhang on North Street. If he verifies your identity, tell him, 'Grant me a Demon Extermination.' He will then ask if you're resolute, to which you should reply, 'Yes...'"

Shen Yuan's voice reverberated in Fu You's mind like a swirling vortex, causing him to break out in cold sweat as if something was stuck in his throat. Through the cracks of the wooden frame, he caught sight of two iron chains.

What were they for?

"Fu You?" Seeing no response, Shen Yuan raised his voice to call his name again.

Fu You snapped back to reality, rapidly blinking to conceal his previous emotions.

Shen Yuan confirmed, "You are indeed called Fu You, right?"

"Yes."

"That chain was set up by the owner of the courtyard long ago."

"Oh, I see... I thought that your weakness was due to..."

"Stop imagining things. This courtyard is sealed. I can't leave, and no one else can enter," Shen Yuan interrupted. "Did you hear what I just said?"

Fu You lowered his head. "N-No, I didn't."

Shen Yuan repeated himself.

After listening, Fu You took the gourd and examined it carefully. It was an ordinary gourd with nothing remarkable about it.

He said, "Scarlet Water, in the far north. It would take ten days to travel there and back from here." Then he asked, "Why don't you go yourself, Young Master?"

Shen Yuan turned his head to look at a black armor standing in the room. His eyes were filled with suppressed sorrow.

On the first day in the courtyard, he had inexplicably put on the armor, which fit him perfectly as if it was tailored for him.

Recently, he had worn it again, and the armor was much larger and heavier, swaying loosely on his body and weighing him down with each step.

"As you can see, I'm quite frail," Shen Yuan joked bitterly. "If I were to go to Xun Wu, I'd likely collapse halfway there and end up as food for stray dogs. Haha."

Fu You felt uneasy hearing this. "That's not funny at all."

Shen Yuan accompanied Fu You to the door.

Just as Fu You was about to step out, he turned back and said hesitantly, "I haven't asked for your name, Sir."

Shen Yuan replied, "I don't remember. I don't remember anything. Anything will do."

Fu You wasn't sure if Shen Yuan was being sincere or just brushing him off, but since Shen Yuan didn't want to share, he wouldn't push the matter.

He asked again, "Then, after everything is done, could I paint a portrait of you, Sir?" This was a question that mattered greatly to him.

Shen Yuan declined once more. "I'm not worth your effort."

"How could that be?" Fu You promptly refuted. "Father said that glass is fragile, and clouds scatter easily, but throughout history, only calligraphy, paintings, and literature endure the test of time. That's why it's essential to preserve beauty. Only beautiful things are worthy of my brushstrokes. I trust my instincts, and I believe you're worth it."

Shen Yuan sighed, steeling his resolve as he said harshly, "If your painting can make me vanish, then go ahead. I desire nothing more than the absence of eternity, in any form."

Fu You expressed mild disappointment. "I certainly don't possess such skill."

Shen Yuan sighed again. "Even if there were a method in this world to bring life back to decaying bones, I wouldn't wish to return –"

The implications... Was the Young Master implying that life was worse than death?

- Fu You couldn't grasp it. The person before him exuded elegance, even grace. Compared to him, Fu You felt insignificant and nauseatingly inferior.

What could the Young Master possibly be dissatisfied with?

...

Fifteen days after Fu You set out for Xun Wu, it was New Year's Day, with howling winds and snowfall blanketing the sky.

Rong Rong's parents climbed over the wall into Ruomu Huating.

Gazing at the grand estate, they couldn't resist the temptation. Flexing their fingers, they entered the house, ready to pilfer some valuables.

Snowflakes remained unmelting, and each step on the snow produced a crisp "crunching" sound.

With numerous thefts under their belts, they knew that in such grand households, there was always a concealed chamber storing rare treasures. However, locating it was no easy task.

After fumbling around for half a day, they came up empty-handed.

"Old woman, let's stop searching," Rong Rong's father pointed to the jade steps outside the house. "These steps are made of jade; let's just knock off a piece. Judging by its quality, it should be worth quite a fortune."

"We'll make too much noise clinking and clanking about. It could easily alert... "

Ding Ling—

Suddenly, a clear bell chimed.

"Oh! Where did that bell sound come from?" Rong Rong's father panicked. "Could it be that we've been discovered?!"

"..." His wife faced away from him, offering no response.

"Old woman, why aren't you speaking?" He reached out to pat his wife's shoulder. As soon as he made contact, she swiftly turned her head.

She appeared as pale as gold leaf, with black markings crawling across her skin like barren ivy on a winter wall.

"Don't scare me, old lady!... Although we often bicker, I've never dared to lay a hand on you, you tigress that you are..." Rong Rong's father retreated in fear.

However, his partner slowly closed in. She raised her hand to grip her husband's neck, dragging him into Shen Yuan's locked room.

The light was dim, but Shen Yuan was bathed in a gentle glow. He knelt on the ground, his silver hair hanging lifelessly, while vicious chains clamped onto his wrists, binding him tightly.

"Uh... Ha... Haha..." He let out intermittent gasps, seemingly enduring some pain.

A distant whisper echoed in his ear, "You can't die! Don't consume the Demon Extinguisher! I don't want to disappear!"

Shen Yuan chuckled softly, "So you're afraid of death."

"Do you think everything ends with death? No, let me tell you, even in death, your flesh will become sustenance for malevolent spirits. Promise me, embrace the path of darkness. Your body should be under your own control. Not only that, the torment that haunts you day and night will fade, and you'll be free."

"I don't wish to harm others," Shen Yuan resisted.

The voice countered, "What does it matter to you if others live or die? You should think more about yourself! You saw that armor, didn't you? That's the very armor you wore when you charged alone into the demon king's encampment, severing one of his arms and saving your queen mother. Back then, everyone believed you'd ascend to become a Martial God, a Martial God! And now? Trapped in this courtyard, a half-dead invalid. Aren't you at all bothered by this?"

He was so agitated that he feared he might harm others. Shen Yuan had no choice but to lock himself up, listening and enduring in silence. "Stop talking, I don't remember anything, I know nothing..."

Suddenly, sensing someone approaching, Shen Yuan lifted his head abruptly and roared, "Get out!" He was afraid that he might lose control and kill them.

The sound of clinking chains echoed with his movement.

He gritted his teeth, his upper lip quivering, revealing a fierce and wild beast-like appearance. His eyes were filled with ink, without a hint of white.

Seeing this, Rong Rong's father was terrified, taking three steps back and hiding behind his wife. "Monster!" He then hurriedly covered his mouth, afraid that his voice would be too loud and alarm Shen Yuan, thus exposing their location.

The images of the twenty-seven people who were previously slain still lingered in his mind, naturally associating Shen Yuan with that demonic creature.

He didn't want to die, nor did he want to provoke anyone. He turned to flee.

His wife firmly held him back, preventing his escape, and said fiercely, "Cut open his stomach."

Rong Rong's father dared not speak, only shaking his head. He didn't dare.

"He can't see you now, he's in a state of confusion," the words came from his wife's mouth, but the voice didn't belong to her. It sounded more like a child's, both innocent and mature, strangely eerie. She intimidated, "If we don't kill him now, when he wakes up, we'll all die!"

"By no means, by no means..." Rong Rong's father, having lived most of his life, was now trembling in fear, tears streaming down his face. "Old woman, let's hurry home, hurry home..."

"Useless!" His wife discarded him aside.

He took off running, turning back to call out "Old woman," but receiving no response. Realizing persuasion was futile, he resolutely continued on.

The woman drew a dagger from her waist and approached Shen Yuan step by step, forcefully plunging it into his heart.

"Ugh!..." Shen Yuan looked down, the dagger's icy glint piercing his eyes. "Hahaha! You actually want to kill me? I've tried countless methods for decades and still haven't died! Hahahaha! She wants to kill me?! What a joke! You're overestimating yourself!"

Laughing maniacally, he snapped the chains and reached out to pull out the dagger, licking every drop of his blood from its blade before swallowing it all, then discarding the weapon.

Pointing at his bleeding chest, he said, "Here, it's empty."

As he spoke, blackness crept from the edges of his eyeballs, covering them entirely. He growled fiercely, "If you dare to kill me, you must also have the courage to be killed!"

"Embrace fate!" he bellowed.

In an instant, blood splattered across the intricately carved wooden door, crimson and thick, seeping slowly through the cracks.

With a thud, Shen Yuan knelt silently, his face ashen, his eyes pitch black.

It was unclear how long he remained in that position when suddenly, the door burst open.

"Ayuan—" Ju Lang called out, his voice trembling.

At the sound of his gentle cry, Shen Yuan's eyes snapped back to life, now distinctively black and white.

Around that time, Rong Rong, the ancestor of the Rong family, arrived at the entrance of the room. She saw a gruesome scene of blood and mangled flesh inside, along with two lifeless bodies – a man and a woman. Horrified, she screamed, "Father! Mother!"

This scream jolted Shen Yuan back to reality.

He had killed someone?

Yes, he had.

Realizing what he had done, his hands went limp, and he hastily dropped the Life-Plucking Fan from his grasp.

Ju Lang flicked his sleeve, and the door instantly slammed shut, barricading the girl outside.

He whispered soothingly to Shen Yuan, "It's alright. We're home now."

However, the more he comforted Shen Yuan, the tighter Shen Yuan's heart clenched, causing him pain. He crouched down, hiding in a corner, and wept in agony while holding his head, his voice muffled, "I really, really tried my best to control myself. Whenever it's close to the first or fifteenth of the lunar month, I would lock myself up... But I still, still couldn't... I'm not innocent at all... I'm sorry, I'm sorry to them..."

Ju Lang stepped forward and squatted down, pulling Shen Yuan into his embrace. He spoke even more gently, "Living in isolation and maintaining harmony with others can't always protect you from the schemes of cunning individuals. Don't blame yourself all the time."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry..." Shen Yuan trembled in Ju Lang's arms, repeatedly apologizing.

Snowflakes swirled, and the chill seeped into the room.

After an unknown period...

Shen Yuan's emotions gradually calmed. He lifted his head, observing Ju Lang intently before asking, "Who are you?"

Ju Lang asked in disbelief, "You don't recognize me anymore?"

Shen Yuan shook his head, "I only remember a man pulling me out of the water, bringing me to this courtyard, and then casting a restriction that wouldn't let me leave. I can't recall anything else... You just called me Ayuan, and the name feels familiar, so I guess my name is Ayuan?"

Ju Lang reached out and held Shen Yuan's cheeks, forcing eye contact. Their gazes met, his filled with sincerity and warmth, "Your name is Shen Yuan, my Snow on the Brow, the one in my heart."

Shen Yuan's eyes flickered for a moment before he chuckled, "The one who pulled me out wasn't you."

He removed Ju Lang's hand from his cheek and muttered, "Suddenly claiming I'm your beloved, where were you when I was soaking in the water? I was already wrinkled."

As he spoke, the object in his abdomen surged again, battering his organs into pieces. Despite the excruciating pain, he lowered his head to see his skin continuously splitting and bleeding. "Strange? Why is this happening?"

Ju Lang explained, "A blood curse. It activates once you kill someone."

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan felt a hint of relief. He thought to himself, It never activated before. Those people weren't killed by me.

In that instant, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, along with some fragmented organs. However, aware of what his flesh represented, he forcefully held it back and swallowed it down.

Although he appeared calm on the surface, the blood curse within him was surging fiercely. Coupled with the torment in his lower abdomen, he had become numb to the pain.

Was there any way to alleviate just a bit of the agony? Even a little would do...

He looked down at himself.

His green robe now stained with blood, resembling a crimson shirt, could be considered a "New Year's celebratory attire." However, his time was running out, and this New Year might be his last...

He knew this request was inappropriate, but... it didn't matter anymore... This person in front of him didn't truly have affection for him, so he shouldn't decline such an offer.

This stranger claimed to fancy him solely for this purpose or perhaps for some other benefit he could provide.

Fixing his gaze on Ju Lang, he gave up hope and said, "You said I'm the one in your heart. So, if I were to invite you to share a night of passion, you wouldn't refuse, right?"

Ju Lang reached out to brush Shen Yuan's disheveled hair. "Don't say such things."

Shen Yuan looked deeply into his eyes, his apricot-shaped gaze hazy. "Then, do you agree?"

Ju Lang's pupils constricted. "You claim not to know me, yet you ask me for such a thing."

Preparing the Imaging Pearl, he gently held it in his mouth. He pulled Shen Yuan closer, embracing him tightly as if trying to merge their bodies together. Then, he held Shen Yuan's chin firmly, surprising him with a gentle kiss.

Ju Lang's kiss was tender, but Shen Yuan couldn't move his head, for the hand on his jaw was pressing down hard, leaving him no room to resist. All he could do was part his lips and receive the kiss.

The Imaging Pearl swirled between their lips and tongues.

At that moment, a glint of silver light flashed before Shen Yuan's eyes. In the seventeen years of his life, which had been as blank as a piece of paper, images suddenly flooded his mind, filling it with new content.

--------------------