Chapter 190

Chapter 190

◎No Longer Cold◎

It had been over a week since he left, and the Yang Energy left by Xiao Ye on him was gradually diminishing, while the Yin Energy within him was slowly recovering. However, whether it was the coldness or the warmth, he had become so accustomed to it that he could instinctively block out some of the sensations.

Moreover, being busy with the matters on the mountain and the immense exhaustion from last night, he was now feeling weak and his head was throbbing, which was why he hadn't immediately noticed the changes in himself.

Now, seeing the boundary of the sunlight, the contrast between cold and heat was too obvious, and Ji Nanxing suddenly realized.

He carefully assessed his own body; it was a normal warmth, not the warmth suppressed by Xiao Ye's Yang Energy, but a warmth from within, as if he had been rejuvenated.

Ji Nanxing returned to his hotel room and immediately went into the bathroom to pull open his clothes and look. The light from yesterday had dispersed across his chest, but now, even when using his spiritual eye to check, there was nothing unusual on his body.

After some thought, Ji Nanxing called his master.

As soon as Yan Beisheng answered the phone, he said with a laugh, "I expected you to call around this time. So, how was last night's adventure? Quite an experience, wasn't it?"

Hearing this, Ji Nanxing realized his master had anticipated everything, and he felt reassured: "So, master, you arranged for my senior brother to bring me here specifically for this trip? What exactly transpired last night? Did I really go back a thousand years? And what was that green light the witch gave me? Why does it seem like the Yin Energy on me is gone?"

Yan Beisheng lay on his rocking chair, eating fruits and snacks he had snatched from the students of the archaeological team, and said, "Have I ever told you where I picked you up from?"

Ji Nanxing was stunned, seemingly not expecting that this matter was related to his birth. So, when the witch last night said he had the power of this place, she wasn't referring to something on him, but to him?

"What exactly is going on, master?"

Yan Beisheng: "The altar of Xiaotong Mountain, one Yin, one Yang, one side life, one side death, Yin gives birth, Yang dies, it's a mirror arrangement, also known as stealing the sky and changing the sun, but the entire layout is maintained by the power of the mountain range, borrowing the power of heaven and earth to fulfill human desires."

Ji Nanxing: "What does that have to do with me?"

Yan Beisheng: "Of course it has to do with you, you were born here, otherwise with your destined fatal fate, how could you steal the sky and change the sun to cover your destiny and live until today? Your mother bore you in that land of death, that mountain land just happened to have both Yin and Yang energy eyes, ordinary people would only consider the Yang energy eye as the land of life, but in fact, that is the land of death, and the Yin energy eye is the true land of life, plus the relic was suppressing below at that time, which gave you a chance to survive, your existence besides being called a coffin child, it's more fitting to call you a mountain child, your survival, all thanks to this mountain energy."

So his disciple indeed has a bit of Buddhist affinity, luckily he acted fast, otherwise such a talented disciple would have been pulled to become a monk, monks can't fall in love or marry, if he really became a monk then the world would have one more poor soul destined to be alone from birth.

Ji Nanxing digested the meaning of his master's words a bit, and after a while asked: "The witch from a thousand years ago shouldn't have any relation to me, right? What did she give me yesterday?"

Yan Beisheng: "That has nothing to do with it, it's just that your opportunity has come, what she gave you should be witchcraft, witches in ancient times had real skills, they borrowed the power of heaven and earth for their own use, and before death, they would return this cultivated power to nature, or pass it on to the next witch, you carry mountain energy, she could see at a glance that you are a mountain child, since she was going to die anyway, and there was no next successor, might as well give it to a destined person."

Ji Nanxing: "It's a bit strange; I need to process it."

Yan Beisheng laughed out loud: "What's so strange about it, the power of heaven and earth is beyond human comprehension, not to mention crossing a thousand years in one night, reversing time and space is possible, use what was given to you wisely, the Yin Energy hasn't disappeared, it's just formed a balance on you, in the future when you fall in love with someone, holding hands and hugging won't freeze others, isn't that great."

Ji Nanxing helplessly: "Master."

Is that the main concern?

Yan Beisheng also stopped teasing his disciple: "Actually, when you were little, I took you to Xiaotong Mountain once, that day there happened to be moonlit frost, at that time I tried to send you over to see if you could seize this opportunity, if you caught it you wouldn't have been cold since childhood, unfortunately the timing wasn't right then, Xiaotong Mountain had life energy, but the resentment of death was suppressed, without the confrontation of two energy fields, the time dimension couldn't be opened, I had no choice but to bring you back and wait longer, fortunately, what is meant for you will come to you, in the future my precious disciple won't have to fear the cold in winter anymore."

Thinking about this, Yan Beisheng still felt some regret, it was after this trip that he decided to move, otherwise if the Yin and Yang had been balanced early, there wouldn't have been a need to go through all that trouble of moving.

Ji Nanxing slightly pursed his lips, his eyes slightly warm: "Thank you, master."

Yan Beisheng coughed lightly: "If you really want to thank me, top up Xiao Wang's account with more Happy Beans, a lot more, and also buy more snacks."

Xiao Wang, one of the students of the archaeological team, also the little unlucky one who lost over a hundred thousand Happy Beans.

The young members of the archaeological team now flee at the sight of him, it's not as if he doesn't repay; after all, his disciple covers the expenses, they truly lack respect for their elders and care for the young.

Ji Nanxing laughed and agreed, after hanging up the phone he lit some calming incense sticks and began to meditate, only when he was fully immersed in meditation did Ji Nanxing clearly sense two forces within his body, one Yang, one Yin, unable to merge, yet maintaining a harmonious balance.

Ji Nanxing wasn't particularly thrilled about achieving the balance of yin and yang within himself. He had long been accustomed to it. While winters were quite cold, summers were just perfect. However, being able to balance the yin and yang in his body meant that he wouldn't need to be overly cautious when getting close to his family in the future.

But Ji Nanxing didn't rush to tell his family about this. They were all grown up now, each with their own lives, and didn't need to be together all the time. His adoptive dad and mom had been working hard for many years, and it was rare for them to have some quality time alone. It was better to let them enjoy themselves first.

Additionally, whether the two forces within him could stay balanced, and whether the other force would remain calm when he used one of them, would require time to explore. He figured it was best to wait until he was sure he had full control before telling his family.

Ji Nanxing packed his things and went up the mountain again. Deputy Director Dai, seeing him return, smiled and asked, "Didn't your senior brother say you went back directly?"

Ji Nanxing replied, "I came up to take a look. I have a flight tonight and will leave soon."

Deputy Director Dai patted his shoulder and said, "Thanks to you. If it weren't for all those exorcism talismans you scattered, the Sanskrit bell might not have suppressed the massive resentment so quickly."

Ji Nanxing asked, "So the situation here should be under control now, right?"

Deputy Director Dai nodded, "Don't worry, just go back and focus on your studies. Once we finish up here, we'll also leave."

Ji Nanxing didn't ask further and walked around. When he saw the deathly area, he felt a pang of emotion. This was the place where he was born, which meant it was also the place where his biological mother had died.

Ji Nanxing didn't say much to others but performed another exorcism and lit a few incense sticks. One of the senior monks looked at him and said, "Young friend, why have you returned?"

Ji Nanxing watched the incense sticks steadily burning in the soil and said, "I realized I hadn't paid my respects, so I came back to do that before leaving."

The senior monk softly chanted a Buddhist mantra and said, "Young friend, you have a good heart. Have you ever thought about joining the Buddhist order? From what I see, you are full of Buddhist nature."

Ji Nanxing smiled and said, "Master, please don't say such things. If my master hears this, it would be a problem. The incense has burned out. Masters, we shall meet again if fate allows."

After coming down the mountain again, Ji Nanxing felt a weight lifted. He never dwelled on the past. In this life, they didn't have a mother-son bond, but maybe in the next life, they could reconnect.

His flight was at six PM, and since the distance wasn't too far, it only took an hour and a half to reach his destination.

On the plane, looking down at the vast mountains below, Ji Nanxing thought about his master's words.

About his mother, his master had always been upfront with him. His mother had been killed, and the person who killed her was his biological father.

That man was a gambler who was after his mother's money. His mother was an only child, and after her parents passed away, she inherited a considerable sum of money. Of course, this amount was insignificant to the Ji family, but for an ordinary family, several million was a huge amount, especially seventeen years ago.

The worst part was that his mother was pregnant with him at the time. When it was determined that she was carrying a boy, the man plotted to sell both his mother and the unborn child.

In some places, people bought children because they couldn't have their own—buying girls to raise as child brides and boys to raise as their own for the purpose of continuing the family line. A pregnant woman, once the child was born, could be gotten rid of, leaving only the child, which was considered more "family-like" than raising a child kidnapped at a few years old.

His mother, knowing their plans, fought hard to escape, both for herself and for him. Unfortunately, she never made it out of the mountains.

His master said that when he found his mother, she was still alive but beyond saving. In those mountains, a pregnant woman with her clothes soaked in blood couldn't be saved.

In the end, his master took him, still attached by the umbilical cord, to the Ji family. The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for trafficking and murder, and the group of traffickers in the mountains was completely dismantled.

To keep him from being affected by this incident in the future and to avoid people looking at him with prejudice for having a murderer as his biological father, the Ji family told their relatives and friends that his mother had died and his father was unknown.

So, in a way, he was quite fortunate. Although he was born without parents, he gained a family full of love, even if they weren't related by blood. Even after seeing the worst in people, it was hard for him not to love this world.

Upon receiving news of Ji Nanxing's flight, Xiao Ye skipped evening self-study and went to the airport early to wait. Afraid that his school uniform would be too conspicuous, he even went home to change into casual clothes.

A black T-shirt paired with light blue jeans and a pair of limited-edition sneakers made his outfit both low-key and strikingly handsome. Coincidentally, a group of paparazzi waiting for some celebrity mistook him for a new rising star and took numerous photos of him.

Some even approached him, asking which company he was with, what works he had, and if he could give an autograph.

When Ji Nanxing walked out with his backpack, he saw many people surrounding Xiao Ye. With his advantageous height and build, Xiao Ye indeed didn't pale in comparison to some celebrities.

As soon as Xiao Ye saw Ji Nanxing, he immediately broke away from the crowd, jumping and waving outside the barrier, making sure Ji Nanxing wouldn't miss him.

The people who had just tried to get his autograph now had indescribable expressions. He looked quite handsome, but there was something a bit silly about him.

Xiao Ye wished he could act like he was picking up a child from kindergarten, pushing through the crowd to be the first to reach him. As soon as he saw Ji Nanxing, he hugged him tightly: "You said three to five days! It's been nine days, a full nine days! That's two days longer than a week!"

After hugging him for a while, Xiao Ye let go, took Ji Nanxing's backpack, and naturally held his hand as they walked out: "If it weren't for my grandpa stopping me, I would have gone to find you on the third day. Was it dangerous there? Why did it take so long?"

Xiao Ye suddenly stopped, then pulled Ji Nanxing to a less crowded spot and reached out to touch his forehead: "Not hot, so no fever, right? But why are your palms so warm?"

His fingertips were cold, but his palms were warm. Usually, this only happened after Xiao Ye had been warming him up for a long time. They hadn't been together for almost ten days, and without Xiao Ye's Yang Energy to warm him, Ji Nanxing's body should have been cold.

Ji Nanxing wasn't ready to tell him about what happened on the mountain yet: "I'm so tired. Did you come by yourself or did the driver bring you?"

Hearing that he was tired, Xiao Ye stopped worrying about how cold he was. Since his forehead felt normal and he didn't have a fever, he quickly guided him out: "The driver brought me, he's waiting outside. Did everything go smoothly?"

It went pretty smoothly, but a lot of people died there, so the resentment was heavy. It took some time to suppress and disperse the resentment."

"Are you hungry? Did you have dinner? Should I order something for us to eat at home before you shower and sleep?"

Ji Nanxing shook his head: "No, I have a bit of a headache. I'll just go to sleep when we get back."

Seeing how exhausted he looked, Xiao Ye held back all the questions and comments he wanted to make. Once they were in the car, he let Ji Nanxing rest his head on his lap: "I'll massage you. It'll take about half an hour to get home. Close your eyes and rest for a bit."

This time, Ji Nanxing had gone out of the province once more. Based on past experience, every time he left the province, he would return sick. Xiao Ye decided not to sleep tonight and just keep an eye on him.

After they got home, Ji Nanxing took a quick shower and went straight to bed. Xiao Ye unpacked his bag, which was full of worn clothes. Unsure if they had been washed or not, he tossed them all into the washing machine for another round.

While the clothes were in the wash, he squatted in the bathroom and scrubbed the shoes, which were covered in dirt from hiking. Ji Nanxing had a lot of shoes, all purchased by his older siblings.

There was a whole shoe cabinet here, and the house in Fuxing City had an entire wall filled with shoes. It was said that in his family's manor in Zhuangge, there was a room just for clothes and another for accessories, shoes, and hats—more than he could ever wear.

Fortunately, his Ji Naonao wasn't the type to be extravagant. He washed things when they got dirty and only threw them away when they were worn out. Xiao Ye knew a rich kid who never washed his shoes and only wore clothes once before tossing them.

Those people really should see what a true young master was like.

After tidying up the house, Xiao Ye quietly climbed into bed. He slowly moved closer to Ji Nanxing and gently placed his hand on his. He had intended to warm him up, but then he noticed that Ji Nanxing's body was already quite warm.

Xiao Ye quickly checked his forehead again and even used a forehead thermometer to make sure his temperature was normal. Only then did he relax.

It had been almost ten days since they last saw each other, and now the person he had been longing for was lying right beside him. Xiao Ye lay on his side, staring at Ji Nanxing's sleeping face, unable to get enough. He wondered how Ji Nanxing had been living these past few days, whether he had slept well, eaten well, and if the exorcism had been exhausting and difficult.

In the kitchen, there was still soup simmering, and in the slow cooker, there was corn porridge. Tomorrow morning, he would see if Ji Naonao wanted porridge or noodles. If he wanted noodles, he would use the soup as a base. He needed to make sure Ji Nanxing was well-nourished.

As he planned for the next day and gazed at the person he cared for, Xiao Ye felt an overwhelming sense of happiness just lying there and watching.

After a solid night's sleep, Ji Nanxing woke up feeling heavy-headed and with a sore throat. Although he had expected it, he was still a bit frustrated. Hadn't the yin and yang balanced out? Why couldn't he break the curse of getting sick every time he left the province? Did he have to wait until he turned eighteen and his fate became more solid?

Xiao Ye had already been up for a while. Hearing movement in the room, he gently pushed the door open to check. Seeing that Ji Nanxing was awake, he turned to get clothes from the wardrobe: "I've already taken the day off from school. Rest at home today. What do you want for breakfast? There's porridge, noodles, or some dumplings that Wang Ma made."

Ji Nanxing, his voice hoarse, said: "Noodles."

Hearing his voice, Xiao Ye knew he hadn't escaped the inevitable: "Alright, I'll go cook the noodles. You go wash up. After eating, take your medicine and rest some more. If you feel really unwell, you have to tell me. I'll take you to the hospital."

Ji Nanxing nodded. After washing up, he came out to find breakfast already on the table. Seeing the soup base, he knew Xiao Ye had prepared it specially. After a few sips of the warm soup, his throat felt a bit better: "How's Lv Yang doing?"

Xiao Ye sat beside him, eating together: "Still unrepentant. He even went to the police station to report that someone had cursed him. Zhang Yuan ran into him twice, but there hasn't been much movement lately. I haven't gone to see him either. You said as long as he truly repents, he won't be affected by the resentment of the abused animals anymore. So, whatever happens to him is his own karma."

Ji Nanxing didn't dwell on it too much. Once something was done, the consequences were for the person to bear.

After breakfast and taking his medicine, Ji Nanxing went back to sleep. Xiao Ye thought about it and decided to check on Lv Yang's situation. Since Naonao had asked, he must want to know the follow-up. Before leaving, he called a bodyguard to stay at home, just in case Naonao felt unwell while sleeping and there was no one around.

Lv Yang is now a senior and seems to be considering graduate school. When he went to the police station to file a report, he had to fill out his details first, so Xiao Ye quickly learned which school and department he was in by asking Zhang Yuan.

Wearing a hat and mask, Xiao Ye headed straight to Lv Yang's dorm after entering the university. Finding the department was easy, but he didn’t know the class schedule. Fortunately, as soon as he arrived at the dormitory building, he heard a loud commotion coming from that floor.

He followed the crowd gathering to watch the spectacle and saw Lv Yang, who looked alarmingly thin, wildly smashing at the air. The hallway was already strewn with things he’d thrown—chairs, textbooks, teacups, even phones and computers.

Lv Yang’s roommates couldn’t hold him back and were afraid of being hit, so they could only retreat. Others in the dorm had no idea what was wrong with Lv Yang and were too scared to get close, fearing he might hurt someone in his frenzy.

Someone had already gone to fetch the dorm supervisor, but they hadn’t arrived yet.

Someone who recognized him tried calling his name to calm him, but Lv Yang couldn’t hear anything. He was wildly swinging a broken chair leg.

Lately, he’d been reliving every cruel act he’d committed in his dreams. No matter how much coffee or tea he chugged, it didn’t help. Even if he tied his hair back and forced himself to stand, he’d still pass out the moment he closed his eyes. Now, not only could he not hurt cats or dogs, but even thinking about them filled him with terror.

But even so, reality hadn’t let him off the hook. The constant torment day and night left him with no mind for studying. The hospital couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him, but his mental state and sudden weight loss were obvious to everyone. They advised him to consider taking a temporary leave of absence and to seek further examinations at other hospitals.

He knew that no matter how many hospitals he went to, they wouldn’t find anything. But he could consider taking a leave of absence. Maybe he could find a temple or a Taoist monastery to stay at after taking a break. Since it was the spirits of the cats and dogs tormenting him, he could find a master to exorcise them.

Today, Lv Yang had returned to ask about taking a leave of absence. As he was packing his things in the dormitory, a shadow flashed before his eyes.

Lv Yang hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in a long time. Even though he passed out as soon as he closed his eyes, the mental torture had slowed his thinking and reactions. When he saw the shadow, he didn’t immediately realize what it was.

It wasn’t until the shadow that had flashed before him came and sat down in front of him.

It was a cat, a blue cat with a round face, but unlike ordinary blue cats, this one was dragging its intestines.

Lv Yang remembered this cat. He remembered how he had cut open its belly and pulled out its intestines. He also remembered how he had been cut open and had his intestines pulled out in his dreams.

Now, this cat, which should have been dead, was sitting in front of him. Its eyes were no longer innocent but fierce and full of hatred.

Besides this cat, there were also the Ragdoll whose fur he had torn off, the dog he had thrown into boiling water, and many other cats and dogs he had tortured and killed, all closing in on him step by step.

Lv Yang was terrified. He grabbed whatever was nearby and started smashing things wildly, his eyes bloodshot as he screamed, “Get away! Get away! Don’t come near me! You’re all dead! It’s all fake! You’re all dead! I killed you with my own hands! You can’t be alive! Get away! All of you, get away!”

The classmates who had been trying to find a chance to restrain him, fearing he might hurt someone, immediately backed off upon hearing his words. What was going on? What was he talking about, killing with his own hands?

Someone had already called the police. Could this guy have killed someone? If so, that would be terrifying.

Standing outside the crowd, Xiao Ye was recording with his phone. His behavior wasn’t out of place, as many people were filming. He wanted to capture Lv Yang’s miserable state to show Naonao.

This guy, who refused to apologize or admit his mistakes, was about to face social ruin. Perhaps within half a day, videos of Lv Yang’s madness would spread across various platforms. The law might not give him severe punishment for torturing and killing cats and dogs, but it didn’t matter—society’s judgment would force him to change.