Chapter 14

After returning from the mountain, I fell into another sickness, neither mild nor severe. Over the years, I have grown almost accustomed to this frail, sickly body; while it can hardly be called efficient, it is just barely functional.

The first person I saw upon my return was my second brother. He initially seemed intent on saying something to me, but after seeing me lying listlessly in bed, he sighed and turned away to brew my medicine instead.

Bai Wei sat by my bedside, tilting her head as she asked, "Where did Weiwei go?"

I gave her a brief account of my experiences at the foot of the mountain. Whether she understood or not, she listened with complete focus from beginning to end.

"Weiwei is sick." Bai Wei put on a thoughtful expression. "To be sick means you have to take medicine. Weiwei doesn't like medicine. What does Weiwei like to eat?"

"Anything but medicine," I replied, sounding thoroughly aggrieved.

"I don't want Weiwei to be sick, I want Weiwei to get better." Bai Wei suddenly threw herself onto my chest, muttering unhappily, "What does Weiwei need to do to get better? Why is Weiwei always sick?"

I wanted to know that, too.

I forced a smile. "It’s just a small illness, I’ll be fine in a few days. I brought back many spirit fruits from the mountain that don't grow here. I even have their seeds. Why don't we go to the back mountain and plant them together in a few days?"

Bai Wei’s attention was instantly diverted, and she beamed again. "That sounds lovely."

Jiang Wen brought the brewed medicine to me. I wanted to take it myself, but seeing the expression on my second brother's face, I obediently opened my mouth. He fed me with a spoon; I drank the bitter concoction with a grimace, feeling as though my tongue had gone numb.

Bai Wei leaned against the head of the bed, mimicking my expressions. When I smiled, she smiled; when I pulled a long face, she followed suit. Watching us, Jiang Wen’s voice softened. "Do you remember how you used to throw tantrums every time you had to take your medicine as a child? Several times you secretly poured it into the flower pots. When Big Brother found out, you’d come looking for me. For days after, you’d hide whenever you saw him, and when he came to me with a disciplinary ruler, you’d cling to me for dear life, refusing to let go."

Now that he mentioned it, I remembered, though that memory held no joy for me. In those days, Big Brother forced me to drink my medicine every single day, and he confiscated all the snacks I had hidden away. Every night, my nightmares were filled with the sight of his stern, set face.

But that was a long time ago. I haven't seen Big Brother in ages. Even his letters home are restrained, containing only a few sparse words each year—words I could recite backwards, always telling me to drink my medicine, look after my health, and listen to Father.

"Big Brother..." Jiang Wen paused, as if weighing how to continue. He finally smiled as if it were nothing. "He will come back."

Bai Wei hadn't seen me for days and insisted on sleeping with me, so I made room for her on the bed. Jiang Wen took the empty bowl away, gently closing the door behind him.

I lay in bed for over a fortnight. I felt as though my very bones had softened from the inactivity. During that time, there were a few instances where my consciousness blurred and I slipped into nightmares, yet these times were different from before; I slept with unusual tranquility, and when I woke, the scent of plum blossoms seemed to linger on my pillow.

By the time I could walk again, autumn had arrived on Nine-Fold Mountain. The leaves had all donned robes of withered yellow, save for the lotuses in the Green Lotus Pond, which bloomed as brilliantly as ever. The pond was untethered by the seasons, remaining as warm as spring even in the dead of winter. As soon as I could get out of bed, I hurried to see Xiao Bai.

Before heading down the mountain, I had left enough food for it to last a full month, and safely inside the Green Lotus Pond, it had nothing to fear from wild serpents. However, the moment I entered the pond, I sensed something was wrong.

The white snake was being held in someone’s hand, tied into a knot, looking utterly resigned to its fate. A figure had appeared in the pond. The man wore black silk robes with cloud patterns and a golden belt. He wore no crown, and his cuffs and collar were adorned with tassels. His fingers were long and slender, with a gilded ring on his pinky. His face was bewitching, with long, narrow eyes, thin lips, and a high bridge of nose. When he looked at someone, he always carried a chilling, ghostly detachment.

He raised those narrow eyes. Their color was incredibly pale, like freshly formed amber, looking almost like molten gold under the autumn sun.

That gaze, filled with a demonic aura, fell upon me. I felt as though I were being watched by a venomous snake, one that slowly coiled around me, laughing in a low, pleasant tone as if savoring a grand feast. "What, don't you recognize me anymore?"

I widened my eyes, looking at him in disbelief, before suddenly shouting, "Let Xiao Bai go!"

I lunged at him. From what I knew of this guy, if Xiao Bai stayed in his hands, it would surely be played to death.

I fell into a cold embrace. His chest felt like ten-thousand-year-old black ice—cold and hard. Those icy hands landed on my neck, slowly stroking it as if weighing a piece of fine meat. I broke out in goosebumps, but since Xiao Bai was in his grasp, I had to suppress my outrage. I held my breath and asked, "...What do you want?"

"Xi Wei, it’s been years, why won't you call me?" He breathed into my ear in that low, soft tone, like a snake flicking its tongue.

I endured it, biting back my frustration. "...Brother."

"…Ha." He squinted in delight, his hand still resting on the nape of my neck. I snuck my hand toward his sleeve to grab Xiao Bai, who was lying there looking utterly defeated. My heart ached for it, but just as I was about to snatch it away, he flicked his hand upward, forcing poor Xiao Bai’s beady eyes into a cross-eyed squint.

I was furious and pounded on him. "Give it back to me!"

Si Gui pinched the white snake by its vitals. I watched in terror as he twisted Xiao Bai into all sorts of shapes. Saddeningly, I could neither beat him nor do anything to him. At this point, I had no choice but to use that old trick. I took a deep breath, wrapped my arms around his, and cooed softly, "Brother, please give it back to me. I’ll do anything you want..."

He seemed to chuckle. Those eyes, longer than most, stared straight at me. His pale fingers pinched my cheeks, tracing a path from my forehead to my lips. He pressed hard, like kneading dough, as if confirming something.

"You look... nothing like me," he muttered to himself. "Who do you take after?"

Thank heavens I don't look like you!

He spoke in that soft, spine-chilling tone, "Xi Wei, are you really my sister?"

I suddenly had a premonition that if I answered "no," something truly terrible would happen, so I remained silent. Si Gui tossed the white snake onto me with bored indifference. I hurriedly caught the terrified Xiao Bai, who flicked its tongue at him and dove into my sleeve.

I turned to run as soon as I saw an opening, but I was caught by the nape of my neck. Si Gui, like a lingering ghost, said, "My dear sister, have you forgotten what you just said?"

I stiffened, determined to hide with my second brother as soon as I returned, but for now, I had to submit. After all these years, I had learned how volatile his temper was. Sometimes you couldn't stand up to him; the more you opposed him, the more it piqued his interest. There was a streak of rebellion buried deep in his bones. I really don't know who he takes after; he is clearly the one who looks the least like Father.

I was held in his arms, and he hooked my chin as if holding a pet. I was covered in goosebumps. His hands were restless, reaching for my chest and hooking out my longevity lock. "Where did this come from?"

His tone turned dangerous.

I buried my head, listless. "None of your business."

Si Gui stroked the lock and suddenly laughed. "Xi Wei, you’re still the same as before, always fond of raising useless things. Have you forgotten that poor little bird?"

When I was ten, I had found a bird with an injured wing at the foot of the mountain. I didn't know the species, but it had beautiful blue feathers and a crisp, melodic song. I adored it; every day, I ground up spirit fungus to feed it, and I couldn't rest until I had checked on it before sleeping. The bird seemed to get better, but each day its spirit withered. I found all sorts of miraculous medicines for it, but it died one morning.

"You hid it in the Green Lotus Pond. This little thing is just like that bird, only the golden cage has been replaced by a larger one. Xi Wei, do you want it to end up like that little bird?"

Xiao Bai poked its head out of my sleeve, unaware of the danger, and rubbed against my wrist. I pushed it back into the depths of my sleeve. Si Gui toyed with a lock of my hair. "I heard Jiang Wen is back, too. Heh, are you thinking of running back to him?"

He suddenly let me go, his bangs obscuring his eyes, though they couldn't hide his gloom and coldness. "I brought something good back this time. Come on, let’s go see Father."

I only had time to tuck Xiao Bai away before he led me out of the Green Lotus Pond. I hadn't seen much of Father lately, supposedly due to the situation in Wei City. The Demonic Sect had been acting up frequently, and there was too much for my father to manage. Demons and monsters had invaded repeatedly, and both Kunlun and the Orthodox Sects had sent disciples to the borders. Both sides were probing, with constant minor frictions. The strength the Demonic Sect revealed in the battle of Wei City was truly daunting, and that was merely the tip of the iceberg; the Demon Lord’s subordinates included the "Seven Absolutes and Eight Venerables," fifteen top-tier experts all lurking in the shadows.

The Heavenly Venerable sat in his study with a pot of cold tea on the table. In front of Father, Si Gui managed to restrain his sharp edges. He brushed his sleeves and said, "The situation in Southern Border is chaotic, with the Gu Sect reigning supreme. I received word from their corpse-drivers: the New Moon has arrived, the Three Saints have returned, and the Witch King is born."

I knew my three brothers had been carrying out missions for years. All three of the Heavenly Venerable’s children were sent to various parts of the human world and rarely returned home, which I assumed was related to these tasks. Judging by his tone, Si Gui had been sent to the Southern Border. I couldn't imagine what he had been doing there all these years, but knowing his talent for causing trouble, he had surely done nothing but entrap others.

The Southern Border, also known as the "Land of Hundred Yue," had a harsh environment full of poisonous insects and beasts. The spiritual energy was thin, and newborns often suffered from birth defects, so the people of Hundred Yue were often looked down upon.

Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn period, the states of Wu and Yue rose to power there due to the fertile river soil. Historical records describe them as "black-toothed and tattooed, with eel-skin crowns," and noted that the people were brave, martial, and prone to "licentious sacrifices." There was also a saying: "South of the Nine Doubts, there is little land work but much water work; thus, the people cut their hair and tattoo their bodies to resemble scaled creatures."

In short, people in the heartland spoke of the "Land of Hundred Yue" with utter contempt, refusing to take it seriously. Many members of the Immortal Sects did not even consider the people of Hundred Yue to be fully human.

Si Gui placed an item on the table. My gaze was instantly drawn to it. It was a... flower?

"The Forget-Me-Not of the Underworld, the flower that the Great Emperor of Fengdu planted at the boundary between life and death. The Gu Sect used this as the standard for selecting their Saintess this year—whoever grows this flower first wins. The corpse-drivers say they want to use it to guide the dead back to life. As for which dead person, I don't know."

The Heavenly Venerable looked at the flower. "The Three Saints."

Si Gui wore a knowing expression. "Indeed. I wonder what kind of 'Saints' these are, secretly appointed as they are. The spiritual energy in Hundred Yue has been thinning, and the High Priest of the Gu Sect is getting old and his eyes are failing him. He didn't even notice when his Saintess was replaced by someone from the Demonic Sect. Heh, the one who came this time is the 'Thousand-Faced Absolute' of the Demonic Sect. They are after the 'Witch King'."

I was utterly confused but didn't dare interject. But how could such a small place as Hundred Yue attract one of the Demonic Sect’s "Absolutes"? What was so special about this "Witch King"?

"Thousand-Faced Absolute, one of the Demonic Sect’s Seven Absolutes—a thousand faces and a thousand masks," the Heavenly Venerable said slowly. "The Witch King: King of Ten Thousand Gu, Ancestor of Ten Thousand Arts."

Si Gui laughed, a sound so gloomy and chilling that it reminded me of how he used to deceive me when I was little. "What does the Demon Lord want with the 'Witch King'? What, does he want to practice Gu?"

"Where did you get this flower?" I couldn't help but ask.

If the Gu Sect was selecting a Saintess based on who could grow this flower, how did it end up in Si Gui’s hands? Did he enter the competition... Knowing his twisted sense of humor, he was quite capable of something like that.

Si Gui’s eyes, paler than glass, looked at me with a mocking smile. "The 'Thousand-Faced Absolute' was stubborn and insisted on disguising himself as a Saintess to sneak in. This flower was brought by them. If I let them succeed so easily, where would the fun be? So I stole it. Those three dead souls probably won't be coming back for a while."

I stared at him in disbelief. How was he not yet beaten to death by the combined forces of the Demonic Sect and the Gu Sect?

"There can only be one Forget-Me-Not of the Underworld. Unless this one is destroyed, there will never be a second. Without this flower, the Three Saints cannot return, the Witch King cannot be born, and the Demon Lord’s plan will naturally fall through." Si Gui spoke with a hint of regret, though I couldn't tell if he was regretting the lack of chaos or pitying the Demonic Sect and the Gu Sect.

"Xi Wei, did you know that besides guiding the dead, the Forget-Me-Not has another function? It can reveal a person’s past and present lives." Si Gui looked at me. The shadows outside the window slanted across his face, making his features—part fairy, part ghost—seem even more eerie and sinister.

I couldn't help but shrink back. Why did he seem so ghostly after his trip? Was the feng shui in the Southern Border that bad? He looked as if his entire family had died...

...Wait, his entire family included me.

The Heavenly Venerable gazed at the only Forget-Me-Not in the world. After a long silence, he said, "This matter is not yet finished. You must return to Hundred Yue once more."

He struck a sword aura onto Si Gui as a seal. "Lord Sky-Candle may also be heading there. There is no need for a head-on confrontation; do what you can."

We were both shooed out by Father. I couldn't help but let a smile tug at my lips. Si Gui leaned into my ear, grinning. "What are you happy about?"

I caught sight of my second brother and hurried over to him, shaking off this plague of a person. However, upon getting closer, I realized there was someone else with him. Zou Yan sat in his wheelchair, and as our eyes met, this usually good-natured "blind man" suddenly wore an expression that could only be described as dangerous.

"Oh," I heard Si Gui’s excited, suppressed voice. "Zou Chuhuan, are you that 'Heart-Eyed' one who killed your master and betrayed your sect?"