RIIDMDR chapter 68

 

This was his mountain, his place of peace in the demon realm. He truly had no reason to be afraid.

Realizing this, the fear and helplessness in Nan Xu’s heart vanished instantly. He could no longer feel the scorching heat of the sun, which seemed about to burn him. Like a paper tiger, the sun looked fearsome with bared fangs and claws but could be pierced with a single poke.

“Do not threaten me again. Since you dare not harm me, then put away your claws.”

A light breeze lifted the yellow sand into the sky, heading straight toward Nan Xu. It was like the silent resistance of the mountain formation or a friend playing with him.

…

When Ting Chuan opened his eyes, Nan Xu was holding a water gourd and wetting his lips.

Seeing that he was awake, Nan Xu’s eyes, full of worry, immediately squinted into a smile. “Finally awake.”

Ting Chuan propped himself up with his arms. In front of him was the familiar, simple cabin. His head felt heavy, as if a stone had been stuffed inside it.

Rubbing his head, Ting Chuan accepted the water gourd from Nan Xu. “You had heatstroke. Drink some water.”

Ting Chuan paused for a moment after taking the gourd, his gaze lingering on it for a few seconds.

Nan Xu half-knelt on the ground, gently supporting Ting Chuan’s back as he watched his every move. Seeing this, Nan Xu smiled. “I’ve got my backpack back. We’ll go out once you’ve rested.”

Ting Chuan tilted his head toward Nan Xu. He seemed different somehow—it was hard to describe precisely—but it was clear that he had gained confidence. Unlike before, when he was constantly on edge in the formation, he seemed relaxed now. With this new demeanor, he seemed to consider the formation his own territory.

Seeing this, Ting Chuan understood, his lips curling slightly. His long fingers rubbed his brow, he was still unaccustomed to the discomfort caused by the heat of humans.

After drinking a few more sips of water and resting for a while, the dizziness in his head had faded somewhat. He smiled at Nan Xu. “Are you feeling unwell?”

Nan Xu shook his head. “I’m fine. Finally, I got to take care of you. Otherwise, you’d always insist that you were fine. I really should have thought my body was too weak.”

In fact, in this situation, Ting Chuan cared for him far more than he had cared for Ting Chuan. If he were to calculate precisely, he would see that he owed Ting Chuan a lot. Moreover, if Ting Chuan couldn’t endure, Nan Xu felt it was mostly his own fault for holding him back. After all, Ting Chuan had safely navigated every small formation in this mountain as a demon.

There was no point in calculating now. Nan Xu kept this feeling in his heart and didn’t mention it. After Ting Chuan stood up, he bent down to pick up the gourd as well. This temporary residence wouldn’t last much longer, they should leave the formation.

He pushed open the door, and outside, there was neither endless yellow sand nor piled snow. As far as the eye could see, flowers bloomed, and the grass was lush and green.

Ting Chuan paused for a moment and shook his head helplessly. Nan Xu followed him out, smiling. “If I had known a property certificate could control this formation, we probably wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

He attributed his ability to control things in the mountain to the contract he had signed with the system. Having ended up in the demon realm so unexpectedly, he didn’t think anything of it.

Ting Chuan didn’t step out immediately. Near the door, a patch of ground was bare with a fire burning. A stick held two golden-brown flatbreads over the fire. Nan Xu proudly showed Ting Chuan his cleverness. He pulled the stick from the ground and handed Ting Chuan the flatbreads. “Eat something first. I carefully tested the distance from the fire. Too close and it burns, too far and it’s cold. This golden color is just right.”

Zhi Xing had hastily made the flatbreads that morning. Although Zhi Xing had improved at cooking in recent days, experience with flour-based foods was limited. Only salt had been added, so they didn’t taste great. Still, Nan Xu asked how they were, and Ting Chuan took a bite. The crisp sound reached his eardrums as he bit down. He nodded. “Delicious.”

Indeed, quite good, Ting Chuan thought. In the three thousand years since the little demons’ demise, he had never found anything flavorful to eat. He didn’t enjoy eating, and going years without food was normal for him. He never imagined that one day he would want to share a meal with someone, not for the spiritual energy in the food, but to enjoy tasting it together.

Hearing this, Nan Xu smiled and sat beside Ting Chuan. The temperature was just right, and no fire was needed to warm them. Yet, Nan Xu couldn’t resist poking the firewood to hear it crackle.

“Found Luo Yi’s magical tool?” Ting Chuan saw the unremarkable hairpin beside the backpack.

Nan Xu followed his gaze and said, “Mm,” nodding. “I got it back from the formation. The backpack and the winter clothes were washed away by the water, too. It made sense, though the winter clothes were dirty with yellow mud and needed washing.”

Nan Xu looked justified, as if he were complaining that the formation didn’t clean the clothes before returning them.

Ting Chuan chuckled lightly. Nan Xu’s face flushed, and he muttered, “Clearly, it should have listened to me but went against me. This formation has no sense of property at all.”

Ting Chuan was silent for a few seconds. “The formation doesn’t have much consciousness. It doesn’t yield to someone who is timid and fearful in this weather. It wants you to accept it in any form, just as you adapt to human life. The more you resist, the more it will force itself upon you.”

Nan Xu didn’t understand, but Ting Chuan saw things more clearly. He nodded, planning to think about it more. He felt that he had missed an important clue, and he saw many things as if he were watching shadows on a paper window—he had a rough understanding but missed the details.

After eating and drinking, Nan Xu extinguished the fire and continued walking with Ting Chuan. Ting Chuan wanted to carry the heavy backpack, but Nan Xu wouldn’t let him. Since realizing his slight ability, Nan Xu’s spirit had been excellent.

The path was covered with flowers and grass, the temperature was perfect, and the sun was gentle. Nan Xu couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is the kind of outing I wanted!”

Though entering the formation was chaotic, leaving it with flowers lining the path fulfilled part of his fantasy.

After some time, Nan Xu paused, sensing something. He turned to look at the scene behind him.

The flowers on the mountain wilted from far to near, the green grass turned yellow, and clouds covered the sun. Nan Xu and Ting Chuan stepped into a rapidly withering world, then returned to the blazing summer.

The birds’ songs made the scene feel real. No matter how brilliantly the flowers bloomed in the formation, they were just illusions, far less touching than real scenery.

When they returned to the entrance, Luo Yi and her senior sister had disappeared. They weren’t sure if they had re-entered the formation or returned to the inn.

The two retraced their path. Near the courtyard gate, a familiar figure dashed out. Guan’er ran quickly, his tail spinning like a propeller. Nan Xu felt like he could take off at any moment.

After spending a few days in the formation, Guan’er appeared slightly bigger. Having eaten well at the inn, the previously underdeveloped little dog had grown rapidly and would soon reach Nan Xu’s waist. He looked impressive and majestic.

Guan’er didn’t slow down, pouncing on Nan Xu. Nan Xu took two steps back, stopping only when his back pressed against Ting Chuan’s chest.

“Guan’er, you’re too strong!” Nan Xu said. “What did Zhi Xing feed you?!”

Guan’er placed his front paws on Nan Xu’s waist and nudged upward with his tongue extended to get closer.

Nan Xu laughed uncontrollably and rubbed the dog’s head, bonding with Guan’er.

Zhi Xing ran out, still holding a stick. Seeing Nan Xu and Ting Chuan, he smiled brightly. “Innkeeper, Senior Ting Chuan, you’re back.”

Zhi Xing wasn’t usually so outgoing. His eyes showed relief. Nan Xu instinctively felt that Zhi Xing might have faced trouble while they were away, perhaps from the wild boar demons behind the house?

This thought caused Nan Xu’s playful mood to vanish. He wanted to take the stick from Zhi Xing and teach those two brothers a lesson.

But the stick was too thin. Nan Xu looked around for a more suitable tool and soothed Zhi Xing, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I’m back to have your back.”

Zhi Xing paused and asked, confused, “Innkeeper, how did you know guests came to the inn? Are you omniscient?”

Nan Xu: …Ah?

Nan Xu froze and asked Zhi Xing, “Weren’t the wild boar demons bothering you?”

A few meters away, Zhi Xing looked puzzled, doubting his ears. “Innkeeper, did you know Zhuang Wu was being bullied?”

Nan Xu: ?

After entering the formation, Nan Xu’s mind was sluggish. He couldn’t process it in just a few sentences. He stood there, forgetting to pet the dog. Guan’er jumped on him a few times before turning to find Ting Chuan.

Ting Chuan crouched down, giving Guan’er the chance to bite his tail. After Guan’er spun in place, Ting Chuan slowly said to Nan Xu, whose brain cells were fried: “Go inside and see.”

Nan Xu snapped out of his daze and nodded.

A few demons and a dog entered the courtyard. Nan Xu saw a tall, handsome male demon sitting on a lounge chair and directing Zhuang Wu. His eyebrows were slightly raised and his peach blossom eyes showed only arrogance, not seductive charm—like the unique boldness of a young man. Nan Xu’s first thought was of Golden Crow.

Yun Yi, the Golden Crow, had that extreme flamboyance. Though not exactly the same, there was a resemblance.

Nan Xu initially thought this must be a junior from the Golden Crow tribe. But the next second, he rejected this idea because those peach blossom eyes felt too familiar.

Nan Xu turned to Ting Chuan and stared into his eyes.

Indeed, the resemblance was uncanny—not just the eyes, but the entire face was identical.

Nan Xu showed a suspicious expression. “Your illegitimate son?”

Ting Chuan raised an eyebrow and looked at Nan Xu as if he wanted to tap his head.

“Uncle?!” a surprised young voice sounded.

Nan Xu was wrong. He vaguely remembered Yao Lin gossiping about Ting Chuan having a nephew—the son of his older brother who was raised by Ting Chuan.

After leaving the formation, Ting Chuan’s magic returned, and he changed back into his usual attire of a long robe with wide sleeves and a graceful posture.

Even though Nan Xu had realized it, Ting Chuan still lightly tapped his head. Then, he placed his hands behind his back and replied softly, “Mm.”

Nan Xu clutched his head and glanced sideways, his eyes wide. He looked completely serious, as if he hadn’t just been hit at all. With that ethereal, Daoist-like demeanor, he really knew how to put on airs in front of juniors.