WPCID 17: I Think I Bought This for You Before

Shen Zhou tested the strength of the iron chain, quite satisfied.

Though it looked unremarkable, it was actually a magical treasure. In his previous life, Lu Buzhuo had used it to bind him, its length adjustable at will, making it extremely useful.

Looking up, he saw Lu Buzhuo staring at him with slight surprise. After a moment’s thought, assuming Lu was unwilling, Shen Zhou’s expression hardened. “What are you looking at? Your talismans are so effective—if you run off, where would I find you?”

Lu Buzhuo let out an “oh,” pulled his sleeve over the chain’s clasp, and didn’t ask anything further. He only made a request: “I’m thirsty.”

Shen Zhou: “?”

His mouth opened, a torrent of words ready to spill, but he was left at a loss. Habitually, he found some hot tea and poured it for Lu Buzhuo to drink. After a moment of stunned silence, he touched Lu’s hand, found it cold, and took off his outer robe to drape over him.

After drinking the tea, Lu Buzhuo recovered a bit and raised his second question: “Where are we sleeping tonight?”

Shen Zhou: “…”

They definitely couldn’t return to the inn.

Biancheng wasn’t far—under the moonlight, its faint outline was visible—but the city gates had long been closed.

Shen Zhou stood up to look around, then climbed a nearby tree, spotting what seemed to be a straw pavilion in the distance.

He jumped down, about to fetch Lu Buzhuo, but before he could turn, he heard a soft jingle of chains. Lu Buzhuo was dragging the iron chain, following him.

“…”

It was oddly surreal.

Shen Zhou glanced back at Lu Buzhuo, hesitated, and decided not to pull the chain. He took a couple of steps toward the pavilion.

The jingling continued to trail behind him, slow and quiet, occasionally startling a few unknown insects that hopped into his path, brushing against his hem.

…

The moonlight was clear, the grass frosted, and the rustling of their steps mingled with the clinking chains, weaving a serene night that calmed the heart, inexplicably making one want to claim this moment forever.

At the pavilion, the jingling suddenly grew distant.

Shen Zhou turned to see Lu Buzhuo returning from a distance, holding a picked-up branch. Lu walked backward around the pavilion, drawing lines on the ground.

After finishing, he entered the pavilion and held out his hand: “Give me some spirit stones.”

Shen Zhou, puzzled, handed over a large bag anyway.

They weren’t his, after all.

Lu Buzhuo placed the spirit stones, and the wind instantly softened, even growing a bit warm. After setting up the wind-blocking array, he picked the warmest spot to sit, ready to sleep, completely ignoring the chain.

Shen Zhou: “…”

He held back but finally couldn’t resist. He picked up the chain, shook it once, then again.

“Hm…?” Lu Buzhuo cracked open his sleepy eyes, glancing at it. “Just leave it. I sleep deeply, so keep an eye on me tonight—don’t let someone steal me away.”

Shen Zhou: “???”

Shen Zhou: “No, I…”

Lu Buzhuo was truly exhausted that night. Before Shen Zhou could finish, he tilted his head and fell asleep.

Shen Zhou gripped the chain, glaring at him for a while, suddenly tempted to take it off.

After some thought, he decided Lu Buzhuo had a point. He wrapped the other end around his waist twice and lay down beside him to sleep.

Within Lu Buzhuo’s spiritual platform.

One of the slightly damaged stone pillars trembled, dislodging a few pebbles.

The moment they hit the ground, a massive wave surged without warning, towering dozens of feet high, roaring toward the shore. It was repelled by strange runes on the pillar, scattering into mist.

As the tide receded, a translucent figure appeared silently beneath the pillar.

He glanced around, smiled, and walked toward a stone grotto with familiar ease.

Demonic energy surged from a vortex below, gathering like a massive, sheer black cloak billowing behind him.

Deep in the grotto, Lu Buzhuo was resting with his true form, eyes closed.

Sensing something, he slowly opened his eyes, staring ahead with a sharp, icy gaze, like a frigid wind over a frozen plain.

“Since you’re here, why hide?”

“You really do know I exist.” The figure stepped forward, chuckling. “Only that silly half-demon would believe you’ve forgotten everything.”

“I know what’s in my spiritual platform,” Lu Buzhuo said, lowering his gaze and brushing off the demonic energy clinging to him as he stood, not sparing the figure a glance. “But I truly don’t remember what you are, so I didn’t lie to him.”

“Didn’t lie to him?” The demonic energy on the ground flowed, wrapping around the figure like a giant black python. “You told him those things weren’t your doing. But in truth?”

The figure approached slowly, his upturned eyes identical to Lu Buzhuo’s, whispering with a smile: “I only got annoyed occasionally, hit him a few times, accidentally hurt his wolf ears. But you…”

Lu Buzhuo raised two fingers, lifting them slightly.

A stone pillar by the sea hummed, and the figure’s soul began to fade, as if pressed back by an irresistible force.

“…But you forced him to dual-cultivate, carved out his golden core, and abandoned him in the perilous Wangu Cave. Tell me, who’s the real villain?”

Lu Buzhuo’s expression grew even more listless. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the soul vanished completely, and the spiritual platform returned to calm.

He walked out of the grotto to the shore, gazing at the jagged pillars and swirling vortex, a trace of confusion in his brow. After a long pause, he murmured, “…Nonsense.”

He was merely a wandering soul trapped in this body. What did that shadow’s words have to do with him? But why would a mere wandering soul know so much about the seals within this spiritual platform?

A sudden pang gripped Lu Buzhuo’s heart.

A forgotten memory was unwittingly pried open, and the entire spiritual platform trembled from an unknown source, the pillars shaking, on the verge of collapse.

…

Suddenly, his wrist was tugged by an invisible force, urgent and insistent.

Shen Zhou was woken by demonic energy.

It was still dark, the hour unclear. Demonic energy began pouring out of Lu Buzhuo, drawn by the demonic core in Shen Zhou’s body, rushing in so fiercely it nearly burst his qi sea.

Shen Zhou jolted awake, still confused, and swallowed several mouthfuls of demonic energy.

“Lu… cough cough, Lu Buzhuo? Lu Buzhuo??”

The pavilion was filled with faint demonic energy, so thick he could barely see his hand.

Unable to see or hear a response, his heart sank. He groped around, his fingers brushing the chain around his waist. Remembering what was tethered to the other end, he quickly pulled it back.

After two tugs, the demonic energy vanished.

“You—” Shen Zhou blinked, seeing a sleepy-eyed Lu Buzhuo dragged over by the chain. Realizing the chain might not be entirely appropriate, he paused, inexplicably explaining, “You didn’t respond, so I thought you were dead.”

Lu Buzhuo blinked as if waking from a dream, not angry. He lazily raised his hand, admiring the clasp on his wrist, even shaking it to make it jingle.

“This thing’s nice,” he said.

Shen Zhou’s wolf ears drooped: “?”

“Did that guy from last night catch up?” Lu Buzhuo continued, glancing around before looking at Shen Zhou. “It’s been a cold night. Want to go into the city for a bowl of wontons?”

The city walls in the distance glowed with the first light of dawn, their dark outline slowly fading, revealing every detail.

Shen Zhou: “…”

Still stunned and unsure how to respond, Lu Buzhuo had already stood up.

The chain in Shen Zhou’s palm jingled softly. He snapped out of it and followed, the long chain dangling between them, clinking chaotically, stirring his heart.

Shen Zhou stepped closer, then closer still.

Finally, the chain shortened to an inch. He hesitated, then reached into Lu Buzhuo’s wide sleeve, fumbling until he hooked Lu’s pinky.

He wavered, then slowly, half-holding, tightened his grip.

“Oh, right.” The moment their hands clasped, Lu Buzhuo turned back, his eyes curving in the morning light. “Do you like osmanthus milk cakes? I think I bought some for you before.”