Chapter 42: “Open and Frank, Knowing No Secrets”

Chapter 42: "Open and Frank, Knowing No Secrets"

Chi Zi'e's gaze met An Zhi's, causing a sudden chill to run down his spine. He quickly turned his head, burying his face into Ju Lang's shoulder.

A gentle breeze swept by, causing An Zhi's hair to sway in front of Ju Lang's eyes. He reached out to catch a strand, examining it closely.

"Clearly, I saw him running this way," Chi Zi'e said after circling around fruitlessly, then pursued in another direction.

Upon hearing Chi Zi'e's footsteps fade away, An Zhi lifted his head, only to find that his hair was still held by Ju Lang, resulting in an unexpected tug. He winced, scrunching up his nose, and let out a long hiss.

Ju Lang hurriedly released his grip, flustered. "I, I... I... didn't mean to..."

"Then it was on purpose?" An Zhi rubbed the sore spot on his scalp, reproachfully asking, "Why do you keep looking at my hair?"

Ju Lang glanced at An Zhi but quickly averted his gaze, focusing on the ground. Unbeknownst to him, his eyes had taken on a faint red tinge.

An Zhi found himself mesmerized by the corners of Ju Lang's eyes, pondering, Why do his eyes turn red so easily? He's like a young girl.

Only now did he realize how strikingly handsome Ju Lang truly was.

There's an overall aura of sharp and solitary coldness about him. His sword-like eyebrows arch high into his temples, pointed and piercing, like a blade unsheathed, slicing through the air. A mere glance at his face might seem to cut the skin.

When he lifts his phoenix eyes to meet hers, a chill seeps through her bones instantly. His murderous intent is palpable.

Yet, when he assumes the coyness of a maiden before her lover, or when his emotions fluctuate and the corners of his eyes flush red, those same phoenix eyes become utterly enchanting.

Ju Lang is a frosty longsword when he stands straight, and a venomous addiction when he exudes allure.

Lost in his crimson-laced eyelids, An Zhi remains transfixed for a moment. Only then does she regain her wits, wondering to herself, Why would I find a man so attractive?

Feeling somewhat awkward, he shifted his position, subtly creating some distance between himself and Ju Lang.

Observing this, Ju Lang's brows furrowed deeply, his eyes flickering with an indescribable gleam. He took hold of An Zhi's wrist, guiding them both down to the ground before pulling An Zhi behind the tree for cover.

There, before my eyes, stood only a tomb.

Before the grave, incense sticks still trail their wispy tendrils of smoke.

"Do you know where we are?" The tone of Ju Lang's voice indicated his irritation at An Zhi's deliberate distance. "Take a look at that tombstone."

An Zhi narrowed his eyes, spotting the tombstone and furrowing his brow in confusion. "Carved Stone? Who is that?"

It was clear that he was unfamiliar with this name.

Ju Lang sighed, turning around to say helplessly, "Let's go."

No matter how terrifying or enigmatic he was, he was the only one willing to assist An Zhi. If not for Ju Lang, who else could An Zhi follow?

After a moment of hesitation, An Zhi stepped forward to catch up.

The warm evening light filtered through the tree branches, casting a pattern of light and shadow on the two as they walked along.

An Zhi remained by Ju Lang's side, while Ju Lang strolled ahead without much concern. He asked, "Where are you going?"

Ju Lang slowed his pace, walking alongside An Zhi. "Wherever you go, I'll go."

An Zhi glanced at him sideways.

His face still resembled a withered tree trunk or cold rock, yet it was also chiseled like ice and jade, pleasing to the eye.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm and gentle glow, it seemed to imbue the atmosphere with a sense of nostalgic tranquility.

An Zhi felt once again that Ju Lang was an unparalleled handsome figure in this world.

Illusion, it must be an illusion!

Closing his eyes, An Zhi gently shook his head, trying to erase the scene from his mind.

Ju Lang had seen his reaction clearly and asked, "You still don't know where you're going?"

An Zhi nodded and softly responded with a "Mm," then promptly suggested, "Why don't we go to Shangchicheng to find Xuan Zhu and the others?"

Walking side by side through the woods, their pace was unhurried.

Ju Lang said, "Sure, but not yet. As I mentioned earlier, the people of Shangchicheng are well aware of your appearance. If you don't disguise yourself, they might sacrifice you to their altar."

"I have no intention of being a sacrifice!" An Zhi nodded vigorously at the thought.

The two walked in silence for a while before Ju Lang suddenly spoke up, "Did you know that I was found and raised by Leshi? Even though he only found me and had no further contact, even deliberately avoiding me, he's still my favorite. When I grew up and had the ability to help him, he... left."

"Inopportune, isn't it—" An Zhi let out a light sigh.

Ju Lang lifted his gaze to see the setting sun, its brilliance already fading, allowing him to stare directly at it for a moment. "The past is like smoke, dissipating away."

An Zhi recalled the incense burning before the Leshi tomb. "How can you say the past is like smoke? At least you still remember him."

A tiny curve formed at the corner of Ju Lang's mouth. It was a rare sight, perhaps the first time he had visibly smiled.

Reminded of this, An Zhi was even more perplexed, feeling that Ju Lang's identity had become increasingly elusive.

If Ju Lang was a real person, how could he have been raised by Leshi? Leshi was a character in a game, after all!

"Surprise is unnecessary. Some things will become clear in due course," Ju Lang said, as if he knew An Zhi's doubts. Then, he changed the subject. "Yet, I'm not quite keen on your understanding just yet."

An Zhi frowned. "Why?"

Ju Lang replied, "You're currently in a state of ignorance but also happy. I'm afraid those memories might become shackles and obsessions for you."

For An Zhi was not Shen Yuan, and Ju Lang held back an unspoken truth: They wouldn't be shackles, but a liberation.

"Right," he suddenly recalled something and asked, "Why are you called the God of Death?"

Ju Lang turned to face An Zhi, his gaze slightly lowered as he spoke softly, "I once went to the bottom of Yu Yuan for someone, slaughtering most of the wandering ghosts that resided there. The ones I didn't kill managed to escape to the mortal world. I wanted to eliminate all of them, so I joined the organization. Within the organization, whenever there were reports of disturbances caused by ghosts from the bottom of Yu Yuan, I would always be the one to respond. Over time, that title was attached to me."

An Zhi inquired, "Did you have a grudge against those ghosts?"

Ju Lang hesitated for a moment before answering, "Yes." It was a single word, but it was spoken with a visibly trembling voice.

For a long while, neither of them spoke again.

In the silent forest, their footsteps echoed loudly, the crisp sound of leaves crunching under their feet on the dry ground.

After a long silence, An Zhi swallowed quietly and asked softly, "Why couldn't Chizi E see us just now?"

As soon as An Zhi finished, Ju Lang immediately replied, "That tree didn't want Yi Shujun to find us."

The answer was too surreal, and An Zhi was momentarily skeptical. He joked, "Could that tree possibly know us?"

"Who knows?" Ju Lang said, reaching out his hand again to pluck a strand of An Zhi's silver hair, examining it between his fingers.

Was it fear of Ju Lang, or an inability to tolerate even the touch of his fingers on her hair? An Zhi shifted away subtly, gently freeing her hair from his grasp.

Feeling rejected, Ju Lang let his hand fall, his voice tinged with disappointment. "If you despise me this much now, it'll only grow worse in the future."

Upon hearing this, An Zhi's brows knitted even tighter – surely Ju Lang had wronged Shen Yuan in some way.

But no one would confess their misdeeds to the person they'd harmed. Why then was Ju Lang so openly revealing this?

An Zhi asked, "Are you Wang Pan's illegitimate child?"

"What?" Ju Lang was taken aback by An Zhi's sudden question, his face showing confusion.

An Zhi continued, "You two resemble each other so closely, unless you're twins, how else could it be?"

Ju Lang chuckled. "We're the same person."

"Ah?!" Now it was An Zhi's turn to be bewildered.

Ju Lang explained, "You believe that Wang Pan dislikes you, but in truth, he was captivated by you the moment he first saw you. He would follow you anywhere, to the ends of the earth. However, there are still many regrets between you two, like watching snow together or soaking in hot springs."

An Zhi responded with an "oh," muttering softly, "But I'm not Shen Yuan, and you're not Wang Pan." Recalling that day, he exclaimed, "I didn't realize you were so skilled!"

Ju Lang raised his eyebrows playfully. "I learned from the best."

The two walked side by side through the forest at dusk.

An Zhi turned his back and deliberately hopped along the ruts left by the wheels, his ponytail swishing back and forth. "Did you do something to Shen Yuan that you're afraid I'll remember and ignore you?"

Following An Zhi's footsteps, Ju Lang replied, "Yes, my intentions are complex and not straightforward."

Suddenly, An Zhi remembered Fu You injecting Feng Lingyu into his body. He halted, spun around, and sternly asked, "Are you in cahoots with Zhe Dan? Did you use the Feng Lingyu to inject it into me so Zhe Dan could watch us fight each other?"

Ju Lang grasped An Zhi's shoulders. "No. I did it to stabilize your soul. I had no idea it would cause you pain."

"Why would you need to stabilize my soul?"

"You just woke up; I was afraid you'd disappear again."

"But I'm just a player. Disappearing means going home. Don't you want me to go home?"

"{...}" Ju Lang's expression might not fluctuate much, but when he was emotionally stirred, his entire eye socket would flush crimson, particularly the skin around the corners of his eyes, which was more delicate and prone to reddening.

At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, swollen, and red, and his words stumbled as he spoke. He resembled a child wrongly accused by an adult, desperately trying to prove his innocence while struggling to articulate himself properly, only to feel helpless and frustrated under the adult's scolding. He looked pitiful indeed.

An Zhi couldn't bear it for a moment and reluctantly gave in with a grumble, "Fine! I get it!"

By now, he had mentally built a levee around Ju Lang, preparing to guard against any potential emotional floods.

In those days, when travel was slow.

1. To walk with hurried steps?

2. It would only slow them down.

3. By the time they emerged from the forest on the outskirts of Ci Ye, the moon had already cast a quiet, silver glow.

4. An Zhi was exhausted to the point his legs trembled, while Ju Lang remained calm and composed, without a hint of fatigue. Judging by his pace, he could easily cover another ten miles.

5. "I can't go on anymore!" — He abruptly stopped and squatted on the ground.

Hearing no footsteps behind him, Ju Lang changed direction and approached, looking down at An Zhi from his elevated position. "Tired?"

"Of course not!" An Zhi lifted his head, only managing to see Ju Lang's two nostrils.

Even from this deathly angle, Ju Lang's face remained striking.

An Zhi sighed inwardly, then vocalized his thoughts, "At this rate, how long will it take us to reach Shangchi City with just our legs?"

Ju Lang replied solemnly, "Ciye lies in the far south of Jiu Li, while Shangchi City is in the southern extremity of Heng Yao. At our current pace, day and night, we should arrive in about two months."

"Two months?!" An Zhi rolled his eyes, then drooped his head weakly. He mumbled, "Can't we ride something or fly on swords or something?"

Ju Lang responded, "I'm accustomed to using feathers, not carrying a sword."

An Zhi suggested, "I've seen you guys controlling things with your minds, like a form of mental wandering. Since you don't have a sword, can't you fly on a feather instead?"

Ju Lang still answered seriously, "I wish for us to reach Shangchi City at a slower pace. The scenery and people along the way seem beautiful; let's take our time and appreciate them closely."

An Zhi scoffed. "Slow? Ha, it's not just slow, it's extremely slow—"

"Two handsome lads," a stranger suddenly approached and inquired, "Do you need a ride?"

"Ride!" An Zhi's eyes lit up, and he leaped to his feet, rushing toward the man.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small motorbike.

He smiled awkwardly. "I-I don't think this will get us to Shangchi City, though..."

Hearing this, the man's eyes widened, either from excitement or fear. He shrieked, "Shangchi City!"

Seeing the man's sudden frenzy, with his eyes bulging almost out of their sockets, An Zhi instinctively took a step back, creating some distance between them.

"This man is not ordinary," he thought. "I should be cautious."

"Both of you are going to Shangchi City! There lies the corpse of a demon god. Any ordinary monster or ghost who obtains it can ascend to grea...," the man's words were cut short by the sharp sound of a blade piercing flesh.

Judging from the noise, Ju Lang quickly pulled An Zhi to his side.

They looked over to see a pitch-black knife protruding from the man's lower abdomen, glinting with a deadly edge.

"No blood?!" An Zhi found it odd.

As he spoke, the man transformed into a wisp of smoke, dispersing throughout the heavens and earth.

With the smoke gradually fading away, a figure emerged from the mist.

The man deftly twirled the Mystic Blade in his hand before suddenly releasing it. The blade spun a few times in the air before he reached out to catch it. After taking hold of the blade, he placed his hands behind his back, concealing the Mystic Blade within the embrace of his back.

An Zhi clapped in admiration. "Impressive!"

"I am not here to perform acrobatics!" The voice, though slightly immature, carried an air of arrogance.

Gazing upon him, one would perceive a young man in his late teens. He stood with his head slightly uplifted, hands behind his back, an air of both indulgence and arrogance etched on his face. Under the moonlight, his eyes gleamed with two piercing points of light, resembling a favored child of heaven.

Yet, he was still in the midst of his growth spurt, and his frame was slender compared to an adult's.

An Zhi fixed his gaze upon him, his brows slightly knitted in puzzlement. The young man's voice struck him as eerily familiar, yet he could not, for the life of him, recall ever laying eyes on that face before.

Just as I was about to inquire after the young man's name, Ju Lang beat me to it and asked, "Are you the owner of that blade?"

Upon hearing this, An Zhi couldn't help but shiver.

Usually, Ju Lang's voice was already tranquil and cold as ice. But in that moment, it turned even more biting and sharp, resembling an icy dagger hanging from an eave in winter, poised to plummet down at any second and pierce through one's skull.

The young man, fearless like a calf, replied confidently, "That's right!" His tone suggested a sense of pride for being the owner of such a blade.

Little did he know, in the very next second, Ju Lang would charge at him with murderous intent.

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