TRYMBPIETM 53: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (16)

Chi Qingzhou lowered his head, staring blankly at the shadow on the ground, a trace of confusion in his eyes.

Is that the case?

But why had he never heard of this before?

Xing Shuangzhan’s voice slowed: “Qingzhou, it’s not that you’ve never heard of it, you just forgot. It’s not a secret. For thousands of years, many have tried to use similar methods to escape disaster, but unfortunately, very few have succeeded.”

Forty-five years ago, the Xuanxu Sect might have had such an idea when they seized his ghost energy during the sacrificial ceremony.

“They made thorough plans back then, but as you and I both know, they can’t be called successful, nor can they be called failures.”

But Chi Qingzhou was different.

He was the only one who succeeded completely, the only one to take this method to its extreme.

Xing Shuangzhan spoke with a hint of mockery: “The Taoist who gave you the sacrificial method probably never thought that his casual action would lead to to succes.”

Chi Qingzhou suddenly realized: “So that’s how it was.”

Although his memory of that master from back then had faded, he vaguely felt that the other person would not have been happy seeing his situation.

He slightly tilted his head and couldn’t help but laugh.

“He’s really a good person.”

Xing Shuangzhan couldn’t help but smile as well.

Seeing his little contract partner not disheartened by the blurred memory, he finally relaxed and casually said, “Sheng Yihang’s accomplices might have thought that your success came from the Puluo tribe’s bloodline in you. He assumed that and went to the Puluo tribe looking for an opportunity, but in the end, he returned empty-handed.”

Because Chi Qingzhou’s success had nothing to do with his bloodline.

Chi Qingzhou thought for a moment.

Xing Shuangzhan reminded him: “He have noticed you for long. Do you remember where the curse on you came from?”

Chi Qingzhou: “Hmm, I remember. The curse on me comes from my bloodline, so it can’t be easily removed.”

The curse on him was very special.

Xing Shuangzhan had tried every method but couldn’t trace its origin. He could only confirm that the link of the curse was blood-related.

In contrast, its effect was easy to identify—it transferred the potential disasters that his relatives might face onto him.

This effect seemed quite common.

The Cultivation world was full of spells that transferred misfortune or substituted lives to ward off disaster, but this curse was completely different.

Firstly, this was a curse, not a spell;

Secondly, this curse didn’t transfer minor disasters or ordinary misfortunes; it only completely transferred those related to the bloodline;

Finally, this curse was completely bound to his bloodline and soul, even hindering the healing of his soul wounds. This forced Xing Shuangzhan to use pure emotion to suppress his injuries.

Xing Shuangzhan said: “Three months ago, I encouraged you to go back to the Chi family to see if we could figure out who casted the curse.”

Unfortunately, due to various disturbances, they didn’t manage to find anything.

His tone carried a subtle hint of genuine satisfaction: “This time, however, it provided us with a direction.”

Chi Qingzhou understood: “So, Brother Su thinks that the trench-coated man’s statement is more credible?”

Xing Shuangzhan replied directly: “It’s highly credible.”

At the very least, the curse on Chi Qingzhou was definitely related to Fan Tao.

Chi Qingzhou’s thoughts began to clear up.

He couldn’t help but ask: “Brother Su, did the Xuanxu Sect prepare a backup plan 45 years ago when they wanted to steal your ghost energy?”

Xing Shuangzhan confirmed his guess: “Yes. So after sensing their intentions, I chose to disperse the ghost energy directly.”

But he couldn’t ensure that the ghost energy was completely dispersed.

Chi Qingzhou nodded, thoroughly sorting out this complicated matter.

The trench-coated man’s issue might trace back to 45 years ago.

Forty-five years ago, the Xuanxu Sect wanted to create a world-destroying fierce ghost of their own, but they weren’t sure if it would succeed, so they prepared a backup plan.

If the creation of the ghost failed, they would extract Xing Shuangzhan’s ghost energy and create a non-human, non-ghost cultivitaor.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t know who Xuanxu Sect initially chose, but according to the trench-coated man, in the end, it was him who became this non-human, non-ghost existence.

From the fact that the trench-coated man would suffer backlash when refining a living corpse, he probably wasn’t lying.

Chi Qingzhou wasn’t sure if the trench-coated man volunteered, but he knew very well that it was definitely not a pleasant outcome.

A living soul couldn’t hold too much ghost energy, and forcing it would only cause the soul to be torn apart by the ghost energy.

Chi Qingzhou had experienced how painful soul injuries could be. If the trench-coated man’s situation was similar to his, he would certainly have tried everything to solve this aftermath.

This man had a deceitful nature; to survive, he had probably done many unscrupulous things.

It was obvious that none of what he did could have succeeded.

In one failure after another, he was accidentally caught by Chi Xiaoyuan, who threatened him into doing things for him.

As a cultivator, the trench-coated man must have had his own pride.

He wouldn’t have been willing to be controlled by Chi Xiaoyuan, a mere ordinary person. Perhaps they even had conflicts because of this, but in the end, he feared Fan Tao’s presence and had no choice but to listen to Chi Xiaoyuan.

Because he had misunderstood that Fan Tao was the Grand Shaman of the Puluo tribe.

The Grand Shaman of the Puluo tribe was good at communicating with mountains and forests, borrowing moonlight, and was naturally able to restrain situations like possession by ghosts.

Although the Puluo tribe’s ghost deities weren’t as powerful as true gods, they still had the authority to determine fate and judge ghosts.

The trench-coated man, with his many misdeeds, wouldn’t dare to offend Fan Tao if he wanted to stay alive.

So Luo Huaiyu’s sister didn’t misinterpret, and the trench-coated man didn’t lie to Sheng Yihang.

But Chi Qingzhou was absolutely certain that his mother was not a shaman of the Puluo tribe.

His memory was actually very good. As long as the memory hadn’t been blurred, he could recall every detail clearly.

When invited to attend the ceremony, he could remember every shaman token in the ancestral hall. There were names like Nuo Qi and Nuo Xin, but there was no name of Fan Tao.

Moreover, based on the details of his weekly meetings with his mother over the past three months, she didn’t seem like someone who knows about cultivation.

Additionally, his experience at the age of 10 could prove this point.

If Fan Tao had known about the Puluo tribe’s great calamity, she would never have allowed him to be beaten to death by his adoptive father.

If he had died, who would have borne the calamity for Fan Tao and Chi Xiaoyuan?

Chi Qingzhou furrowed his brow, uncertain about his own memory.

Chi Qingzhou tapped his toes on the shadow and turned to confirm with Xing Shuangzhan: “Su Ge, I didn’t have the curse when I was ten, right?”

Xing Shuangzhan replied, “Before you turned 19, you didn’t have the curse.”

Chi Qingzhou hummed in acknowledgment. “So the curse was placed on me when I turned 19?”

Xing Shuangzhan paused for a moment before replying in a low voice, “I don’t remember. After you turned 19, there are no fragments in my memory that relate to the curse.”

Chi Qingzhou said, “I see.”

He wasn’t too surprised.

Since he and Xing Shuangzhan shared a contract, it was only normal that his situation would affect Xing Shuangzhan.

After a moment of thought, he said, “I suspect that the man in the coat misunderstood my mother’s identity and linked it to the curse on me. He might have thought that my mother personally placed the curse on me.”

With half of her bloodline from the Puluo tribe and the name “Fan tao,” it was indeed easy for a cultivator to associate her with a shaman.

The Great Calamity of the Puluo tribe and the bloodline curse on Chi Qingzhou also indirectly supported this idea.

This perfectly matched the man’s ruthless evaluation of Fan tao.

As for why the man thought Fan tao had personally placed the curse on him, Chi Qingzhou wasn’t sure.

But he had another, somewhat absurd theory.

“Why was the man in the coat so eager to go to Ling County? Could he have thought that I’m living so easily now because the curse has caused some kind of mutation in me?”

Xing Shuangzhan let out a low laugh, as if agreeing with Chi Qingzhou’s guess.

Chi Qingzhou, silent for a few seconds, tried to tactfully evaluate, “He doesn’t seem very smart, does he?”

Is this something an ordinary person would think?

Xing Shuangzhan said, “Qingzhou, he’s not like you. A person who endures the constant pain of a soul being torn apart, unable to alleviate it no matter what they try, over time, would be driven mad.”

Not everyone had the strength and resilience that Chi Qingzhou possessed.

Chi Qingzhou thought carefully for a moment before affirming, “It’s definitely because he’s not kind enough. Good deeds will be repaid.”

And not being kind could even lower one’s intelligence, so people shouldn’t do bad things!

Xing Shuangzhan barely stopped himself from laughing at Chi Qingzhou’s conclusion, finding him to be a precious little thing.

Chi Qingzhou, used to Xing Shuangzhan’s chaotic nicknames for him, thought for a while and realized that, aside from the parts they had figured out, many mysteries were still unsolved.

For example, whether the ghostly energy on the man in the coat really came from Xing Shuangzhan, or who exactly had placed the curse on him.

His mother wasn’t a shaman, so there must have been someone behind it all.

Did his father and brother know of this person’s existence?

Was this person the same master who had appeared when he was ten?

Could his mother’s tolerance of those rumors be related to the person behind it?

Also, it was indeed strange that his mother didn’t have a surname—could there be a special reason for this?

And were all these things connected to his plan three years ago?

Chi Qingzhou thought deeply, getting lost in his thoughts.

…

While Xing Shuangzhan and Chi Qingzhou were talking, a barrier was deliberately constructed to prevent certain matters from being overheard by outsiders.

Thus, to others, it appeared as though Chi Qingzhou was speaking, then suddenly fell silent.

The others, who didn’t understand the situation, waited for a while but received no further explanation, growing more and more confused.

In particular, the guests and the director, who were ordinary people, were completely lost, unable to follow what was happening.

Several people exchanged confused glances. Chi Qingning, one of the parties involved, became anxious and couldn’t help but tug at Chi Qingzhou’s sleeve, trying to bring him back to his senses.

Luo Ting, seeing this, reacted quickly and grabbed Chi Qingning’s wrist, giving him a warning look.

Chi Qingning was startled and his face turned pale.

Luo Huaiyu didn’t understand why Luo Ting had stopped Chi Qingning and looked at him questioningly.

Luo Ting shot a glare at Chi Qingning before letting go of his hand and walking to Luo Huaiyu’s side. He lowered his voice and said, “You just met Qingzhou today, so you probably don’t know his past. When he was young, he was switched at birth. That person over there,” he pointed his chin toward Chi Qingning, “is his adopted younger brother.”

Luo Huaiyu was stunned for a moment, then instantly regretted speaking so directly earlier: “No wonder Qingzhou doesn’t want to believe the things about Fan tao. It’s my fault; I should have been more tactful.”

Chi Qingzhou snapped back to his senses upon hearing their voices and instinctively blinked.

“I’m not upset, Ah Yu, don’t feel guilty.”

Luo Huaiyu glanced at him cautiously. Though he didn’t quite believe it, he wouldn’t undermine his friend in front of others, so he nodded, agreeing with whatever Qingzhou said.

Chi Qingzhou: “…”

He felt that Ah Yu’s reaction was so dismissive, as if he didn’t really believe him at all.

But he had a very ordinary relationship with his mother, and he didn’t dismiss Ah Yu’s explanation simply because there were too many flaws in the man in the coat’s words.

Now that the logic was smooth, there was nothing to reject.

Chi Qingzhou wanted to explain, but when he looked around at the curious guests, he knew it wasn’t the right time, so he reluctantly gave up.

Luo Huaiyu, seeing Chi Qingzhou’s response, felt even more sorry for his friend.

In his mind, he repeatedly cursed Fan tao. If he ever got the chance to meet her, he would definitely tie her up in a sack and beat her!

Chi Qingning looked around, confirming that neither Luo Ting nor Luo Huaiyu seemed to want to speak any further, and hurriedly grabbed Chi Qingzhou’s sleeve, anxiously asking, “Second Brother, what they said isn’t true, right?”

Chi Qingzhou turned around. Chi Qingning’s eyes were red, and tears kept welling up, clearly affected by the shock.

He patted this little fool’s head with some sympathy.

“Big Brother isn’t an irrational person. He wouldn’t do anything beyond the legal limit. He probably just wants you to forget what you’ve discovered. The man in the coat misunderstood. Big Brother doesn’t really want your life.”

Not really wanting his life, then does that mean he really just wants him to keep quiet?

Chi Qingning trembled all over, unable to tell if his feelings were more about anger, sadness, or fear.

He couldn’t control his sobs, tears streaming down his face.

“Second Brother, I—I’m so scared…” He clenched Chi Qingzhou’s clothes tightly, looking at him desperately.

Chi Qingzhou patted his head again, gently comforting him, “Don’t be afraid. Everyone has to die. Whether it’s early or late, we all die. There’s no difference.”

Chi Qingning froze for a moment, forgetting to cry.

The watching guests and director: “…”

Luo Ting and Luo Huaiyu: “Pfft!”

Xing Shuangzhan, hidden in the shadow, laughed with joy.

Chi Qingzhou innocently tilted his head. Chi Qingning snapped back to his senses after a moment of blankness, then processed Chi Qingzhou’s words again and immediately became even more distraught, crying even harder.

…

Amid Chi Qingning’s continuous sobs, Chi Qingzhou asked Luo Huaiyu’s sister for some details, confirming that the man in the coat and Sheng Yihang left after discussing about Fan tao, and nodded thoughtfully.

It seemed that the man in the coat really didn’t know that Luo Huaiyu’s sister had woken up, and had just casually warned Sheng Yihang at the time.

So, the man’s words were highly credible.

Chi Qingzhou politely thanked Luo Huaiyu’s sister, and Luo Huaiyu’s family secretly relaxed.

It seemed that they had successfully made up for their mistake, and they had kept their heads!

Luo Ting understood the meaning behind Luo Huaiyu’s family’s expressions and almost wanted to laugh, but didn’t dare to, so he pretended nothing had happened and urged Luo Huaiyu to go train.

“I have some things you can use over there. Bring your family along, and let’s go together.”

Luo Huaiyu, confused, asked, “Huh? But I still need to get revenge on Sheng Yihang.”

And why, as a corpse herder, are you collecting things I can use?

Luo Ting gave him a look that seemed to say, “You just don’t understand, do you?”

“It’s something Qingzhou asked me to do. Anyway, bring your family with first. Even if you want to get revenge, you’ll need to become a living zombie first, right? Otherwise, it’ll be hard to deal with Sheng Yihang.”

That made sense.

Luo Huaiyu, while still thinking about what “Qingzhou asked me to do” meant, glanced at his family inquiringly.

His family had no objections, and so it was settled.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t ask more questions or stop them after hearing Luo Ting’s words.

He trusted the person he was three years ago and the person he was now.

Once Ah Yu became a living zombie, the opportunity for revenge would surely come soon.

The guests and the director watched as Luo Ting left with the four walking corpses and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they hadn’t fully understood the situation tonight, and Teacher Chi hadn’t offered any explanations, at least they were safe, right?

Director Hu even rubbed his hands and looked at Chi Qingzhou expectantly: “Teacher Chi, will our show finish safely from here on out?”

Chi Qingzhou replied, “Of course.”

Director Hu brightened up: “So there won’t be any more of these, uh, scientifically unexplainable things, right?”

Chi Qingzhou gave him a puzzled look: “I don’t know.”

Director Hu’s smile froze on his face.

Chi Qingzhou saw the disheveled look on his face and thought for a moment before kindly comforting him, “Don’t worry, even if we do encounter something, there won’t be any life-threatening danger. After all, there’s still Teacher Shen, right?”

Suddenly called upon, Shen Wenxing: “…”

He forced a weak smile and dryly said, “I think, it’s better not to rely on me.”

Before coming to this episode, he was sure he could handle anything. He was only slightly worse than his cousin, but now…

He felt he might not even be able to beat Luo Huaiyu, just a weak chicken.

Director Hu: “…”

Great, now I want to cry even more.

The guests also felt a bit dejected, a mix of fear and a sliver of hope.

What if it really is safe from now on?

Chi Qingzhou didn’t answer that question. He just raised the corner of his mouth, looking obedient as he asked, “It’s already quite late. Aren’t you all going to rest? Don’t we have activities tomorrow?”

The guests exchanged glances and quickly understood the meaning of his words—tonight’s danger was over, and they could finally get a good night’s sleep.

All of them, including Director Hu, felt a chill in their hearts as they deeply suspected more trouble would arise later. They immediately decided to go back and rest.

After all the walking and games today, they were exhausted. If they didn’t rest properly, how could they deal with any problems tomorrow?

They all quickly said their goodnights, nudging each other as they hurried toward the villa, eager to return to their rooms and rest.

The program staff received the notice that the danger had passed, and they cheered before rushing back to their rooms to sleep.

The lights in the villa gradually went out, and in the darkness, silence descended once more.

Chi Qingzhou didn’t hurry back to his room. He stood on the second-floor terrace of the villa, gazing at the moon for a while, then sighed softly.

“I regret it a bit,” he said.

“Hmm?”

Xing Shuangzhan stepped out from the shadows, wrapping his arms around Chi Qingzhou’s waist and pulling him into an embrace.

“Regret what?”

Chi Qingzhou relaxed, leaning against Xing Shuangzhan, his head resting on his shoulder. “I regret not chasing that man in the coat earlier. If I hadn’t let him go, I might already know a lot of things.”

Xing Shuangzhan chuckled softly, and Chi Qingzhou felt the chest behind him gently vibrate.

“Don’t rush,” Xing Shuangzhan picked him up, positioning him so that he faced him and placed him on the marble railing of the terrace, which was more than half his height, “There will be opportunities soon.”

Chi Qingzhou placed his hands on Xing Shuangzhan’s shoulders and, from this position, looked down at him.

He didn’t ask if Xing Shuangzhan knew anything. Instead, he slowly revealed a pure, innocent smile.

“Su Ge,” he said softly, “Could you help me put on the silver chain that Ah Ting gave me earlier?”

Xing Shuangzhan nodded and took the silver chain from the left pocket of Chi Qingzhou’s coat. Before handing it to him, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Xing Shuangzhan paused, slightly tilting his head back, his eyes deep and intense.

Chi Qingzhou’s smile grew even more innocent.

He tilted his head, kicked off his right shoe, and, barefoot, applied a little force, stepping onto Xing Shuangzhan’s thigh.

“I remember this is an ankle chain,” he said softly, with a hint of unhidden delight, “Su Ge, could you put it on for me? Please?”

Xing Shuangzhan’s gaze grew even deeper.