Chapter 112 – Sharing a Bed

On the way back, Wei Yang slept the entire journey. It wasn’t until the car entered the new district that Zeng Jingxuan woke him up. Although he knew this was a normal reaction, he still felt a bit embarrassed. He discreetly touched his chin to make sure he hadn’t drooled in his sleep, then pretended to look out the window and said to the two people in the front seat, “The community is just ahead. Take a left at the next intersection, and we’ll be there soon.”

Zeng Jingxuan seemed to know the way and smoothly turned the steering wheel, casually saying, “After we drop you off, we’ll find a hotel to stay at.”

This sentence immediately perked Wei Yang up. He quickly sat up straight, leaning against the front seat, and put on a smile. “Master Zeng, my place is quite spacious. There are two beds, enough for the three of us. Brother Qi’s luggage is still at my place anyway. And since we just dealt with those Jiangtou Masters, who knows if they’ll come back for revenge? It’d be more convenient if we stayed together…”

Using all his persuasive skills, Wei Yang enthusiastically promoted the benefits of staying at his place. This wasn’t like before when Brother Qi had no reaction to him. If Master Zeng took him away now, Wei Yang might not even be able to catch up. There was no way he could let them stay elsewhere!

Perhaps something in his words struck a chord with Zeng Jingxuan. After a moment of contemplation, he finally nodded. “Alright. Then we’ll trouble you for a few days.”

A few days? A lifetime would be fine! Of course, Wei Yang didn’t dare say that out loud. Instead, he smiled and said, “Master Zeng, you’re too polite. To be honest, Brother Qi had a hand in getting that place too. Feel free to stay. I’m happy to have company!”

His smile was extremely sincere, not at all like someone who had just gone through a tough time. Zeng Jingxuan glanced at his nephew sitting beside him and noticed that the icy expression on his face had deepened. He sighed inwardly but didn’t argue. Instead, he drove straight toward Chaoyang Community.

Once they were back at his place, Wei Yang finally felt at ease. Although he was still unsteady on his feet, he dutifully led the two upstairs. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by Lao Ye. Having been abandoned by his caretaker for several days, the turtle’s anger meter was probably about to max out. He crawled to the door with a huff, clearly ready to demand an explanation. Wei Yang quickly smiled apologetically, about to say something, but the turtle stretched out its neck, bypassed its owner, and plopped down in front of Zeng Jingxuan with an air of confrontation.

Wei Yang coughed awkwardly and explained, “Master, this is Brother Qi’s uncle. Don’t cause any trouble. Master Zeng, this is my pet turtle. He’s been free-range for a while, so his temper isn’t the best. Please don’t mind him.”

Being blocked by a turtle at the door, Zeng Jingxuan was both amused and exasperated. Staring down a turtle clearly wasn’t the best way to make an impression. At that moment, Zhang Xiuqi, who was standing nearby, spoke up. “There’s the Great Derivative True Technique on its shell. It’s a spiritual creature.”

Zeng Jingxuan raised an eyebrow. “I can’t see it now. Is it a hidden diagram? Where did this thing come from?”

“I found it on the side of the road,” Wei Yang answered absentmindedly. The Great Derivative True Technique? Did Brother Qi remember that? This was something that happened when he was in a trance. If he could recall this, could he also remember the journey back to his hometown? Thinking of this, Wei Yang couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy. He floated unsteadily toward the kitchen, calling out, “Master, come here. I’ll get you some shrimp…”

However, even the promise of food couldn’t sway Lao Ye. It widened its beady eyes, still assessing the reliability of this new visitor. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiuqi bent down and gently touched the turtle’s shell. The motion was so familiar that Lao Ye, for once, didn’t bite. It simply sniffed his fingers and finally let out a “ha,” stepping aside to let them through before strutting off to the kitchen for its meal. Zhang Xiuqi stood up, hesitated for a moment, and then walked into the living room.

It had been a few days since he’d been home, but the place looked exactly the same as before. His gaze swept across the room, but he didn’t show any particular emotion. Seeing his demeanor, Zeng Jingxuan sighed and pulled him down to sit on the sofa. After rewarding Lao Ye, Wei Yang came out holding two bottles of Coke. He smiled awkwardly at Master Zeng and said, “There’s no hot water at home. How about some soda for now? I’ll order food right away. The takeout from the restaurants around here is pretty good… Huh? Where’s the takeout menu?”

Normally, Wei Yang had a good memory, but today he couldn’t for the life of him remember where he’d put the usual takeout menu. His foggy brain felt like it was wrapped in a thin haze, and he could only frantically rummage through the sideboard. Zhang Xiuqi’s fingers twitched slightly, and he reached under the coffee table, pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to his uncle. Zeng Jingxuan glanced at him but didn’t say anything. He took the paper and said, “Ah Yang, is this the menu you were looking for?”

“Yes!” Wei Yang quickly ran over, smiling. “Look at my memory. Thank you, Master Zeng.”

Zeng Jingxuan shook his head and said seriously, “Your vitality hasn’t fully recovered yet. Don’t overexert yourself.”

Wei Yang had already noticed this. The feeling of physical exhaustion was something he’d never experienced before—it was as if he’d been completely drained. But with Brother Qi right here, he couldn’t bear to go off and sleep just yet. He just smiled dismissively and said, “I understand. Thank you for your concern, Master Zeng.”

After ordering the food, he sidled up to Zeng Jingxuan and said hesitantly, “Master Zeng, to be honest, Brother Qi and I have been on a few missions together recently. I’m not sure if he remembers, but we made a few million from them. Of course, most of the credit goes to Brother Qi. I’ve deposited the money in the bank, and I need to give you an account of it…”

Zeng Jingxuan chuckled. “I know a bit about your little operation. The art of persuasion is probably more important than actual skill. Xiao Qi has never been in it for the money. To be honest, we don’t need the money. You can keep it.”

Zhang Xiuqi’s Heavenly Soul was something no amount of money could buy, but Zeng Jingxuan didn’t mention that. This made Wei Yang feel somewhat relieved. If they were just passing acquaintances, discussing money would be natural. But if they were friends who could risk their lives for each other, money became trivial. Even though his mind was still a bit foggy, Wei Yang sensed that Master Zeng seemed to be softening. He couldn’t help but think that this coma had been worth it. As long as Brother Qi could remember those past experiences… He unconsciously glanced at the Little Celestial Master sitting nearby, and the anxiety in his heart eased a bit. If they spent another ten or fifteen days together, there was still hope of reconnecting with Brother Qi.

Feeling more assured, Wei Yang relaxed completely. The takeout from the restaurant arrived quickly, and he eagerly invited everyone to eat. Having known Master Zeng for a while, he knew that both of them were the type to eat in silence. Naturally, he didn’t make any noise either, and the meal passed uneventfully. After they finished eating, the two got up and went to the study. Wei Yang wanted to follow, but the drowsiness from digestion made him feel more and more sleepy. After sitting on the sofa for a while, he finally admitted defeat and decided to wash up and go to bed. But before sleeping, he had one more thing to prepare.

Having made up his mind, Wei Yang busied himself in the bedroom for a while before walking up to the study door and knocking politely. A voice from inside said, “Come in.”

Wei Yang pushed the door open and saw the two of them sitting at the desk, seemingly examining some jars and bottles. His eyes lit up. “Are those the Three Corpses we collected before? If Brother Qi doesn’t remember clearly, I can explain. I was there when we dealt with the Three Corpses…”

Not only was he there, but many things had happened during that time. He hoped Brother Qi could slowly recall those memories. However, Zeng Jingxuan smiled and said, “No need. We’re just chatting casually. Did you need something?”

Rejected once again, Wei Yang felt a bit deflated, but he quickly regained his composure and coughed lightly. “I’m feeling a bit sleepy and want to go to bed. I’ve also found a new set of bedding, so you can use it on the small bed here tonight.”

This was a very considerate arrangement, and no one could find fault with it. However, Zeng Jingxuan frowned slightly before nodding. “I see. You should rest and recuperate properly. Go get some sleep.”

Seeing that he didn’t refuse, Wei Yang was overjoyed. He hurried to the bedroom to get the bedding, but someone quickly passed him and picked up the set of bedding, heading toward the study. Watching Zhang Xiuqi’s tall and upright figure, Wei Yang rubbed his nose, feeling that this trick was rather childish. But by shamelessly pulling this off, it was likely that the one sharing his bed tonight wouldn’t be Master Zeng, right? Using this kind of “open scheme” felt more straightforward.

Feeling reassured, Wei Yang washed his face and comfortably lay down on the bed, quickly falling asleep.

Meanwhile, looking at the “one set” of bedding Zhang Xiuqi had brought over, Zeng Jingxuan shook his head with a wry smile. This kind of simple-minded trick didn’t need to be deciphered. If it were before, he might have said something, but seeing the state of these two young men, those words were hard to say. He sighed softly and returned to the main topic. “The Three Corpses can barely be used as medicine to draw some Yin Ghost Talismans, but the residual souls we collected from the Iron Buddha are more troublesome. It was already a formidable thing, so using it to set up a formation might not be foolproof.”

Zhang Xiuqi put down the bedding in his hands and said coldly, “Even if it can’t be used to set up a formation, it can still be the key to breaking one.”

However, using the residual soul to break a formation would likely result in mutual destruction. Both of them were aware of this, but neither said it out loud. After a moment, Zeng Jingxuan said, “The Dark Moon is approaching. They’ll enter the mountains by the end of the month at the latest. By the Full Moon next month, that grand formation will likely be activated. We have at most ten days to prepare. If we miss this opportunity and they destroy the new spiritual aperture, there probably won’t be anyone left who can deal with that guy.”

“I know,” Zhang Xiuqi replied coldly. His calm, unblinking eyes revealed something terrifying—a mix of hatred and resentment, a fierce determination. When his Heavenly Soul had returned, this was the first emotion to surface.

His father had been killed before his eyes, his mother’s soul had been scattered, and anyone would have been destroyed by such a tragedy. But Zhang Xiuqi hadn’t been broken. Instead, he had grown stronger, using these trials to sharpen his blade, gradually becoming the person he was now. Retrieving his Heavenly Soul was like lifting the final veil of fog, allowing his edge to shine through completely. Zeng Jingxuan sometimes wished his nephew could have a more normal life, but without all this, he might not have even survived those twenty years.

Moreover, his hatred for that group of people was no less than Xiao Qi’s.

Gently putting down the piece of Dead Jade in his hand, Zeng Jingxuan exhaled. “Alright, let’s start by drawing the Yin Ghost Talismans. Processing the Three Corpses will probably take some time.”

Zhang Xiuqi turned and walked over to the travel bag, pulling out something that looked like a medicine grinder to start preparing the pigments. However, Zeng Jingxuan suddenly asked, “What about him? You’re not saying anything. Are you planning to leave without a word?”

Zhang Xiuqi’s hand paused slightly, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he took the glass jar containing the Three Corpses and poured them into the grinder, carefully grinding them. Looking at that cold figure, Zeng Jingxuan couldn’t help but recall the child from twenty years ago—so intelligent, straightforward, and with a touch of old-fashioned integrity, stubbornly earnest. But that incident had changed everything, shattering all the good in him and leaving only frost and obsession.

Perhaps he had truly been wrong. Zeng Jingxuan’s gaze flickered to the closed door for a moment before he looked away. He also took out some medicinal ingredients and began preparing them.

Processing the materials and redrawing the talismans took time, and before they knew it, the sky had darkened. After finishing with the Three Corpses, Zeng Jingxuan sat down on the small bed in the study, feeling tired. “We’ll need to gather some more materials tomorrow. Let’s call it a day and get some rest. You also need to recover your energy and get back to your best condition.”

Zhang Xiuqi nodded and turned to leave the room. Zeng Jingxuan was momentarily stunned but didn’t stop him. He watched the figure disappear through the study door and sat in the room for a while longer before sighing and getting up to prepare the bed.

The bedroom was dimly lit. Lao Ye had already returned to its nest and was comfortably basking in the moonlight on the artificial mountain. The faint moonlight and distant streetlights cast mottled spots of light on the bed, illuminating the young man’s face. Wei Yang was already deeply asleep, curled up on the bed. Having lost too much vitality, his face was as pale as if covered in frost, and his breathing was so faint that it seemed a gust of wind could scatter him without a trace.

This was the aftermath of using the Bone Formation. Wei Yang had the bloodline of the Wu Family but knew nothing of their techniques. Using that Bone Formation was like a child wielding a sledgehammer—it was easy to hurt oneself. This depletion of vitality was the best possible outcome. There were countless forms of backlash in the world—shortened lifespans, sudden deaths. Manipulating miracles beyond nature always came with a corresponding price, and some prices were too steep for anyone to pay.

Zhang Xiuqi’s chest tightened. He closed his eyes and stood motionless by the bed for a long time. Finally, he lay down on the familiar bed. Even though his Three Souls were now complete and he no longer needed to clench his teeth to restrain his soul, he still maintained his coffin-like sleeping posture. Twenty years of habit had turned it into instinct. But tonight, listening to the faint breathing beside him, he found it hard to fall asleep.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xiuqi silently turned to face the sleeping figure. Although Wei Yang was deeply asleep, his expression wasn’t peaceful. His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he were dreaming of something troubling. Zhang Xiuqi unconsciously reached out, wanting to smooth out that little crease with his finger. But in the end, he didn’t touch him. His outstretched hand clenched into a fist, and he withdrew it. He turned away from the sleeping face and closed his eyes.

Soon, even that faint movement ceased, and the room was left with only the sound of two soft breaths.