RIIDMDR chapter 134

 

The demons of the Demon Realm take humanoid form as a manifestation of their true selves. However, the current Nan Xu is not one of them. He was in the South Sea, where the towering Zhuyu Mountains stood as they always had.

Once Tingchuan made his decision, he immediately prepared to take Nan Xu back. The Bai couple hesitated for a moment, then decided to stay in the South Sea. After taking the pill, Jing Yuan fell into a deep sleep—perhaps for ten years, a hundred years, or a thousand years. No one knew if he would ever awaken.

As long as the Monster Realm remained trapped in a state of dwindling spiritual energy, there was no hope of curing Jing Yuan or waking him. The pill made by Ting Shu before his death was said to preserve a demon’s spiritual power and keep its soul balanced between yin and yang, preventing it from dispersing. However, no one knew how long its effects would last. There was only one such pill, and no demon had ever tested it.

Therefore, even though loyal fish demons were guarding him, the Bai couple still wanted to stay in the South Sea for a while to observe. Otherwise, Zhixing on Zhu Yu Mountain would never be able to recover at ease.

Seeing this, Dan Yin touched his now thinning hair. He chose to follow Tingchuan to Zhu Yu Mountain to check the situation rather than continue wandering. After all, they knew each other, and he still needed to ask Zhixing to make more herbal hair growth paste; otherwise, his handsome face would be for naught.

Tingchuan took Nan Xu and left first. Dan Yin carried Nan Xu’s luggage, found a leftover tomato in the kitchen, and followed them while eating it.

After crossing the sea border, Dan Yin spotted Nan Xu’s mount among the sea turtle tribe. His eyes lit up and he ran to climb onto the serow’s back. However, the seemingly docile serow suddenly kicked out with its hind legs, sending Dan Yin flying several meters away.

…

After traveling for seven or eight days without rest, Tingchuan’s heart was struck again and again by Nan Xu’s weak murmurs and pained groans. At last, Tingchuan brought Nan Xu back to Zhu Yu Mountain. The grass and trees were as they had been. As they stepped inside, the tall trees and low bushes rustled softly, as if welcoming Nan Xu’s return.

A few days later, when they reached the main peak, Nan Xu—who had seemed trapped in a nightmare—finally fell into a deep, quiet sleep, free from pain.

Only then did Tingchuan feel certain that his decision had been the right one. Under the moonlight, he climbed toward the main peak. The anxious fire in his heart calmed slightly in the still night. His once spotless robe was covered in dust, and bloodstains darkened his shoulder and neck, but he paid them no mind. At dawn, he finally saw the faint glow of the night pearl dimming in the courtyard ahead.

In his usual soft tone, he said to Nan Xu, “Wake up, we’re home.”

But his voice was hoarse from exhaustion and overusing spiritual power. Nan Xu, who was on his back, gave no response.

He entered the courtyard and gently pushed open the main room’s door. Everything inside was as it had been when they left. At this hour, Zhixing should still be asleep. But as soon as Tingchuan stepped inside, Zhixing’s door suddenly opened. His hair was a mess and his eyes were half open. But when he saw Tingchuan, he instantly sobered up. His eyes lit up, but before he could express his joy, he saw Tingchuan’s disheveled state and Nan Xu lying motionless on his back. He froze.

After a few breaths, Zhixing stepped forward and asked softly, with hope in his voice, “Is the owner just asleep?”

But he already knew the answer. If that were so, Tingchuan wouldn’t look so worn and grim with shadows clouding his eyes.

Tingchuan shook his head. “He’s been unconscious for many days.”

Zhixing’s hope shattered. Startled, he immediately followed Tingchuan into the room.

Tingchuan laid Nan Xu on the bed. Zhixing quickly moved to take his pulse. The room was utterly silent. After a while, Zhixing released his hand, his expression heavy. He told Tingchuan, “The owner’s body seems different from before.”

He fell into thought again. Tingchuan waited quietly for him to speak.

“There’s spiritual energy moving inside him—pure energy I’ve never seen before. But his consciousness seems to reject it, preventing it from becoming his own power. It’s running wild inside him.” Zhixing shook his head, puzzled.

The Bai couple hadn’t taken Nan Xu’s pulse before he left Zhu Yu Mountain. Therefore, they didn’t know what a normal pulse should feel like and couldn’t sense this anomaly. They could only prescribe medicine based on what little was written in ancient books. But Zhixing was different. He had lived with Nan Xu, and he was the most gifted healer of the Western Mountains. He could see more than most.

Hearing something new at last, Tingchuan asked, “How can he be treated?”

“I don’t know,” Zhixing replied seriously. “I don’t know why he rejects that energy. His body must have its reasons for rejecting it. If I force him to accept it, it might help for now, but who knows what will happen later.”

Tingchuan fell silent. He thought of the great demons who had perished one after another. The Monster Realm’s spiritual energy had once been abundant, and Nan Xu’s cultivation path prevented him from rejecting it; he could only endure it. When the Heaven’s Abyss appeared and sucked away the energy, he could only endure it again, unable to resist.

Only those who had lived through it could understand such pain.

Three thousand years ago, when Tingchuan returned, he didn’t witness the little demon’s final moment. Still, he knew the young demon he knew wouldn’t have broken down like this unless something terrible had happened later. Perhaps he had remained conscious all those years after disappearing, enduring endless suffering from the lingering pain of the disaster.

Tingchuan knew that lingering agony. He’d seen it in those who chose self-destruction after catastrophe. Nan Xu’s path of cultivation was unlike any other. The raccoon clan had perished overnight. What about that little demon? What if his consciousness had never truly faded?

The thought made Tingchuan’s fingers tremble. He dared not think further.

He wanted to hold Nan Xu’s hand, but he noticed how filthy his sleeves were. After cleansing them with a dust-removal spell, he finally dared to touch him.

“The owner condition isn’t immediately dangerous. Maybe we can wait and see if he chooses on his own,” Zhixing said, noticing the pain on Tingchuan’s face.

He was worried about Nan Xu too and didn’t bother asking how he had suddenly turned from human to demon. He knew how grave a wrong choice could be, and he hoped that Nan Xu could decide for himself how to deal with the rampaging energy inside.

Tingchuan nodded and fetched a basin of hot water. He gently wiped the dust and blood from Nan Xu’s face and cleaned his hands and feet. Zhixing watched, feeling useless. He said, “If the owner shows any change, call me.”

Tingchuan agreed. After Zhixing left, Tingchuan continued to wipe Nan Xu clean and dressed him in fresh clothes.

Zhixing resumed his daily chores—sweeping the yard, feeding the chickens and sheep, and watering the plants. Guan’er squatted outside the room for a long time. When he realized he couldn’t get in, he went around to the window, perked his ears up, and listened.

…

Nan Xu knew nothing about the outside world. After enduring endless pain, he became numb. In the dark chaos, all he could see was fog. No matter how far he walked, he couldn’t find the edge. Unable to go on, he hugged his knees, crouching with his back arched to ease the pain.

This place was unfamiliar to him, yet it felt deeply known. Just seeing the mist-filled darkness made him tremble, yet it also stirred a faint, involuntary urge to resist.

Perhaps this place was connected to his past.

Nan Xu didn’t understand, but he didn’t want to sink into it. He wanted to unravel the mysteries within himself. He wanted to see Tingchuan, who must be worried about him. He wanted to check on Jing Yuan after the pill. He wanted to return home to Zhixing, who was waiting for him in the mountains.

…

By noon, Zhixing took Nan Xu’s pulse again.

“The wild energy inside him has grown stronger,” he said. Then he focused again. When he sent his spiritual power in, he was met by endless darkness that nearly suffocated him. Forcing himself to stay calm, he looked again and saw distant starlight flickering faintly.

He had thought that Nan Xu would reject his intrusion given how chaotic his internal energy was, like countless glowing threads tangled together beyond unraveling.

But, surprisingly, no rejection came. Instead, a few firefly-like lights drifted around his consciousness before fading away.

Zhixing relaxed. He imagined himself not in darkness, but under a peaceful summer night sky. He pictured himself lying on the grass and gazing at the stars. The devouring blackness turned tranquil and serene.

Then he understood why Nan Xu’s body hadn’t collapsed under the storm of energy. The space within him was vast—so vast that even raging winds would eventually fade into stillness.

When Zhixing withdrew his spiritual power, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Throughout his years of healing others, he had always been able to identify the source of a problem and resolve it with his own energy. Two hundred years ago, when he treated Jing Yuan, surging seawater was the hardest thing to deal with, but he could still see hope in the changing tides.

This time, however, Nan Xu’s spiritual realm made him shrink back—not because he was unwilling, but because it was too vast and embracing. How could one find a single breeze that brushed one’s hair in such a boundless sky?

If he was right, Nan Xu’s spiritual domain wasn’t even complete yet—it was still expanding.

Meeting Tingchuan’s gaze, Zhixing pressed his lips together. He hadn’t treated many great demons and had rarely failed. He’d thought that Nan Xu’s transformation from human to demon meant that he was just an ordinary, small demon and that his only concern was stabilizing his spiritual energy.

He hadn’t expected Nan Xu’s spiritual domain to surpass even Jing Yuan’s—a feat beyond the capabilities of an ordinary demon.

Though shocked, Zhixing concluded, “Let’s wait a few more days.”

Perhaps once the spiritual domain is fully formed, Nan Xu’s consciousness will find its own way out of that vast space.

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