RIIDMDR chapter 125

 

Not only was Yao Lin startled awake, but Nan Xu’s heartbeat also seemed to skip a beat. He looked at Ning Sui in disbelief. The latter’s expression was grave and sincere.

Nan Xu’s mind went blank instantly. Just a while ago, Zhixing said there wouldn’t be any problems in the short term. How could such news have arrived in just a few months?

He subconsciously looked toward Tingchuan, whose face was equally unpleasant. His eyes were slightly lowered, and his pupils seemed unusually deep. His lips were pressed tightly together as if he were lost in thought.

Nan Xu didn’t know why he felt so panicked—his hands and feet were cold, as if his subconscious were already grieving. His heart throbbed painfully, and his eyes remained unblinking for a long time until they were filled with red veins.

His nose felt sour, and he lifted his head slightly, feeling as if his eyes were no longer under his control.

Since coming to the demon realm, Nan Xu had never met Jing Yuan, yet now it felt as if an invisible thread bound them together—one that was being cut apart by a dull blade, slicing through the thread and his flesh.

“Is what you said true?” Yao Lin was stunned for a long time, grabbing Ning Sui’s arm and asking repeatedly.

Seeing his disbelief, Ning Sui couldn’t bear it, but still said, “The news sent back by the White-browed Falcon Clan of the South Sea yesterday at nightfall, could it be false?”

Yao Lin released his hand. Though he had tricked his clansmen countless times, he would never joke about something like this—no demon in the South Sea would ever joke about Senior Jing Yuan. So, no matter how much he refused to believe it, it must be true.

“This matter has already spread. We thought you’d care, so we came to inform you. Senior White Phoenix asked that if you return to the South Sea, you also check on Senior Jing Yuan,” said Ning Sui.

The demons of the South Sea were deeply attached to Jing Yuan. However, the rest of the demon realm would not mourn him too deeply, only sighing that the world had lost its Azure Dragon. For demons of a similar age, however, like the White Phoenix Ancestor of the Bird Clan, the emotions were far more complicated.

Yao Lin nodded. “I’ll set out for the South Sea immediately.”

At some point, Zhixing’s door had opened. The Bai couple stood on the staircase, and Zhixing looked confused. They had examined him before; things shouldn’t be like this.

“I’ll go too,” said Zhixing.

Yao Lin looked overjoyed, as if he had seen hope. However, the Bai couple’s faces changed. Zhixing’s mother hurriedly said, “My son must not.”

His father added, “Your spiritual power hasn’t recovered at all yet. What use would it be to go? Don’t throw yourself into danger again.”

The light in Yao Lin’s eyes dimmed. He looked at Zhixing, who was so frail. After being together for so long, Yao Lin knew how weak Zhixing was. As the Bai couple said, if Zhixing went now, he would fail to save Jing Yuan and might lose his own life. Besides, Zhixing was still so young. Yao Lin couldn’t help but persuade him: “Zhixing, listen to your parents.”

“Two hundred years ago, I could do it. Two hundred years later, I can still try with all my might. I don’t believe my medical skills are that useless.” Zhixing shook his head firmly. “Besides, Senior Tingshu must hope I can save him.”

At the mention of Tingshu, the Bai couple fell silent. Zhixing’s mother wiped away tears, unable to speak.

The long-silent Tingchuan finally spoke. “If medicine could cure everything, Tingshu would have saved Yun Yi. He died because he exhausted his spiritual power. Do you also want to follow in his footsteps?”

Aside from Tingchuan, Tingshu’s close friend, no other demon in this house dared say such words. Zhixing was momentarily speechless, and the others fell quiet as well. What he said wasn’t wrong. If Zhixing could save Jing Yuan with his current level of spiritual power, then thousands of years ago, when spiritual energy was abundant, the extraordinarily gifted Tingshu wouldn’t have exhausted himself trying to save Yun Yi and still failed.

He spoke too realistically. Zhixing’s face turned pale as he hated his own powerlessness.

Their discussion continued, but Nan Xu couldn’t hear a word of it. His ears were filled with noise, and he only came back to his senses after a while. His voice was hoarse when he spoke; he didn’t realize it was too soft for others to hear.

“I want to go see Jing Yuan,” he said.

Tingchuan turned his head, his gaze complex and layered with emotion. After a long pause, he nodded. “All right, I’ll go with you.”

The Bai couple looked at their son’s pale face and gritted their teeth. They said, “Let your father and mother go in your place. Even with our limited ability, we’re in better shape than you are now. Rest in the mountains. If he can be saved, we’ll do everything we can.”

After all, they were descendants of the Bai family of Xishan. Although they lacked their son’s talent, the bloodline’s innate gift might still be useful.

Zhixing was first filled with gratitude, then bit his lip and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Father, Mother.”

The Bai couple knew the danger well. The spiritual energy environment of the demon realm was nearing its end, and every loss brought them closer to spiritual annihilation. That’s why Xishan stopped accepting patients a thousand years ago. Only the stubborn Zhixing still clung to Tingshu’s ideal of saving all beings.

Thus, the plan was settled. Nan Xu handed the inn to Zhixing and went to pack his things. Unlike other demons, he needed food and clothing for warmth.

He quickly packed two bundles. When he stepped into the courtyard, Tingchuan had already led the serow. Demons travel fast, and the serow wasn’t far behind. Riding it would spare Nan Xu much hardship. Having eaten well on Mount Zhuyu’s main peak, the serow looked stronger now, with a sleek, glossy coat. Nan Xu placed his bundle on its back.

Zhixing came out with a small bundle and handed it to Nan Xu. “These are pills I made earlier and kept in the inn. There aren’t many medical books about humans in the demon realm, so I could only figure out how to make these. It’s a long journey, owner. Keep them for protection.”

Nan Xu accepted the bundle, which contained a dozen tiny clay bottles labeled for easy identification.

Grateful for Zhixing’s thoughtfulness, Nan Xu noticed the Bai couple upstairs fetching things and took the opportunity to remind Zhixing about matters at the inn. Business wasn’t booming, but visitors did come from time to time. Since there were no laws in the demon realm, one could never know what the next guest would be like. When Tingchuan was around, everything was fine, but now that he was gone, Nan Xu couldn’t help but worry.

Behind the house lived two wild boar demon brothers. Though they had been obedient lately, Nan Xu feared that they might revert to their old habits and bother Zhixing after a while. So, he went to warn them.

Nan Xu only returned to the courtyard after Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu promised again and again. Yao Lin and the Bai couple were ready. Nan Xu took one last look at the wooden house, then mounted the serow.

Before dawn, the group descended the mountain at a swift pace. By the time the sun rose, they had already reached the foot of the main peak. Nan Xu asked Xu Ji to look after Zhixing while he continued onward.

While the others walked, Nan Xu mounted the serow. He could tell they weren’t tired at all—in fact, they even slowed down to match his pace.

As Nan Xu stroked the serow’s mane, he once again felt the difference between demons and ordinary creatures.

After leaving the main peak, Yao Lin seemed to be freed from some restraint. He said, “Owner, I’ll go ahead to the South Sea to see what’s happening.”

Knowing he couldn’t match the other’s speed, Nan Xu nodded. Yao Lin took a few quick steps and transformed into a bird—white on the head, neck, and chest, with blackish-brown wings and tail feathers streaked with brown stripes. The narrow brown mark on his forehead made him look elegant despite his chubby frame.

Spreading his wings, he soared into the clouds. With a long shout, he disappeared into the distance.

Sitting on the serow’s back, Nan Xu looked up at Yao Lin’s vanishing figure with a hint of envy. With such speed, it was no wonder he could travel freely between the South Sea and the mainland.

With Yao Lin gone, the Bai couple also said their goodbyes and left, leaving only Nan Xu and Tingchuan.

Nan Xu looked at Tingchuan. He knew Tingchuan’s bond with Jing Yuan was deep. Judging by Yao Lin’s urgency, it wasn’t hard to imagine Tingchuan’s feelings. Nan Xu said, “You…”

Tingchuan interrupted him. “I’ll go with you.”

“But—” Nan Xu began.

As if knowing what he was going to say, Tingchuan cut him off again. “He may not want to see me, but if I go with you and he’s still there, maybe he’ll be happier.”

Nan Xu didn’t understand, so he stayed silent.

Tingchuan sighed softly. “Besides, I can’t help him anyway. If he truly can’t last until then…”

Nan Xu didn’t hear the rest—or maybe Tingchuan never said it—because drowsiness washed over him. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept the night before, having been woken up suddenly and experienced such emotional turmoil. After traveling so far, exhaustion finally set in.

He yawned several times. After traveling a short distance, he was lulled by the serow’s smooth pace—perhaps aided by Tingchuan’s magic—and the bumps didn’t feel as bad as he expected. Though the posture was uncomfortable, it was already afternoon by the time Nan Xu opened his eyes again.

He sat up and stretched his sore limbs, hearing his joints crack audibly. Looking around, he realized they had crossed several mountains and were now in a valley. Tingchuan walked beside him, showing no sign of fatigue.

“Do you want to rest and eat something?” Tingchuan asked when he saw Nan Xu awake.

Nan Xu wanted to refuse, but the serow also needed to eat, so they stopped by a stream. When he dismounted, he felt a slight chafing pain on his inner thighs, but he endured it. However, his feet felt oddly unsteady.

The serow went to drink water while Nan Xu filled his gourd. He drank two mouthfuls before taking out some flatbread to offer to Tingchuan. Tingchuan shook his head. “I don’t need to eat often. You should keep it for strength.”

Knowing their rations were limited and the road was long, Nan Xu didn’t insist. He stuffed the bread into his mouth, chewing in large bites and swallowing with water.

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