At his current age, Weng Ping Ran had only heard of the mountain god’s feats but had never seen the mountain god in person.
Nan Deng did not quite match the image he had imagined.
Compared to the legendary mountain god, Nan Deng appeared more innocent and youthful, more like a little mountain god still in his growth phase.
Perhaps he did not understand the boundaries of intimacy? In such cases, proper guidance was even more necessary.
But this was merely Weng Ping Ran’s speculation. If he was wrong, it would be highly disrespectful to the mountain god.
However, seeing the close interaction between Lian Yi and Nan Deng made him uneasy.
Judging by Nan Deng’s appearance, he seemed young, which sometimes made people overlook his status.
Recalling how upset Nan Deng had been when he suggested taking Lian Yi away, Weng Ping Ran felt even more troubled.
Maybe… it’s better to wait and see.
For now, most of the suspicions around Lian Yi had been cleared, and with both the mountain god and the chaos god present, Lian Yi would likely behave properly.
As for feeding shrimp… let him feed. The chaos god is eating too.
Weng Ping Ran took a few deep breaths and quietly left the lounge.
Nan Deng, who was waiting for the shrimp to be peeled, looked up at the doorway.
He knew Weng Ping Ran had been there, but didn’t come in and left quickly.
Nan Deng didn’t mind; he was both hungry and tired, nearly collapsing into Lian Yi’s arms.
Just like the last time he used his divine power, he became very clingy, always wanting to be closer to Lian Yi.
After feeding the last shrimp, Lian Yi took off his gloves and lifted Nan Deng onto his lap.
Meanwhile, the door to the lounge slowly closed and locked itself from a distance.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Lian Yi asked softly.
Nan Deng mumbled that he wasn’t and said he was hungry.
Half-leaning in Lian Yi’s arms, he was fed an entire small cream cake before slowly sitting up on his own to eat.
After filling his stomach, Nan Deng rested for a while and finally recovered by three in the afternoon.
The test results for the quarantine area patients came back, revealing that everyone there had been cured, with their symptoms completely gone.
Nan Deng’s divine power only targeted the plague infection and did not interfere with other ailments.
Upon hearing the news, Nan Deng quietly went to the hospital entrance, watching as the now-recovered patients were discharged and headed home together.
Confirming that everything was going as expected and leaving the aftermath to Weng Ping Ran and the other Celestial Masters, Lin Jiu escorted Nan Deng and Lian Yi back to the hotel.
The parrot needed to return to prepare for the night patrol and bid farewell to Nan Deng halfway.
Before leaving, it carefully said goodbye to the rabbit head, “Lord Chaos God, I’ll be leaving now.”
The rabbit head was sound asleep in Nan Deng’s arms, only its furry back of the head visible from within his clothes, completely oblivious to the parrot’s words.
Back at the hotel, in a more familiar environment and with no third person present, Nan Deng felt a belated surge of excitement.
“Did you see that?” he followed Lian Yi, “I think I’ve become stronger!”
Not only did he use his divine power again to clear the plague, but also earlier in the lounge, when Weng Ping Ran said he would take Lian Yi away, the surroundings were influenced by his emotions.
Actually, Nan Deng had been scared at the time, and a bit flustered. But he quickly calmed down.
Reflecting carefully, he believed no one noticed his moment of panic.
Lian Yi put away the snacks and treats Lin Jiu had bought, then turned and opened his arms, accurately embracing Nan Deng.
He made a soft sound of acknowledgment while gently stroking Nan Deng’s smooth black hair.
Nan Deng, in a good mood, hugged Lian Yi tightly: “I can protect you now…”
Although, except when the restriction was activated, Lian Yi didn’t seem to need his protection.
Thinking of the restriction on Lian Yi, Nan Deng’s expression turned to worry: “Did Elder Weng mention when he’ll check your body?”
“In a couple of days,” Lian Yi replied.
Once the plague in Changyang was eradicated, Weng Ping Ran would follow Nan Deng to the next area.
At that time, Weng Ping Ran would arrange for a few doctors who specialized in spells to examine Lian Yi, to confirm whether the restriction was still in place.
The plague and Lian Yi’s health were the two things Nan Deng was most concerned about at the moment.
“Alright,” he said, slightly standing on tiptoe, his bangs brushing against Lian Yi’s neck, “hold me…”
Nan Deng had expended his divine power and perhaps hadn’t fully recovered, only feeling secure when clinging to Lian Yi.
Lian Yi held him for a while, then took him to the living room sofa.
Nan Deng curled up in the warm embrace, watching TV and gradually nodding off.
At night, Lian Yi went to shower alone, while Nan Deng, just like the previous night, kept watch by the bathroom door.
Through the semi-transparent frosted glass door, only a blurry silhouette could be seen inside.
Yawning, Nan Deng traced patterns on the glass with his fingertips.
With him standing guard outside, Lian Yi’s time in the shower was forcibly shortened.
When he opened the door, he reached out to catch Nan Deng who immediately pounced into his arms, his expression stern: “I told you to go to sleep.”
If it weren’t for Lian Yi’s insistence, Nan Deng would have wanted to stay in the bathroom, watching him to feel completely at ease.
Nan Deng glanced at Lian Yi’s cold expression and suddenly leaned in to kiss his cheek.
After the kiss, he whispered, “I’m worried about you…”
Perhaps it wasn’t entirely out of worry; he just wanted to be with him all the time.
Nan Deng had noticed Elder Weng Ping Ran’s attitude towards Lian Yi during the day and felt a bit distressed, hoping Lian Yi’s mood would improve.
Lian Yi didn’t say anything. He hesitated, then lowered his head to kiss Nan Deng on the lips.
His movements were gentle, and water droplets from the tips of his hair accidentally fell onto Nan Deng’s face. He immediately pulled away.
Nan Deng didn’t mind. He wiped away the droplets with his sleeve, and unconsciously licked his lips, quietly looking at Lian Yi.
Lian Yi returned to his usual demeanor, took Nan Deng’s hand, and said, “Let’s sleep.”
—
The next day, Lin Jiu brought Lian Yi a brand-new communicator and two sets of the chief celestial master’s uniform.
Watching Lian Yi put on the black coat, Nan Deng initially felt uneasy.
But he was no longer the ghost he once was and would not be scared by a piece of clothing anymore.
In the morning, Weng Ping Ran was responsible for confirming whether other areas were covered by Nan Deng’s divine power and if the plague was eradicated.
With nothing to do, Nan Deng put on a mask and hat and went for a stroll on the street.
To avoid drawing attention, Lian Yi switched back to casual clothes, and Lin Jiu did the same.
Several celestial masters assigned to protect Nan Deng stayed at a distance, keeping watch over the street corners.
With his limited time outside, Nan Deng’s curiosity was strong. He is interested in food and fun.
He found a shop selling pancakes and his eyes lit up.
Lin Jiu paid for them. Nan Deng ate two in one go, then tugged on Lian Yi’s sleeve to go elsewhere.
Two celestial masters secretly guarding them followed quietly.
“How strange,” one whispered, “why is the Mountain God so close to someone with a natural fatal body?”
The other, also a student of Weng Ping Ran, had once believed that Lian Yi was a disaster that should have been eliminated early on.
He looked up, then lowered his head: “Chief Lian’s position has been restored; perhaps there were misunderstandings before… We shouldn’t discuss this too much.”
Not everyone could gain the favor of the Mountain God; maybe it was just luck.
Nan Deng had walked several streets and stopped to rest. Lin Jiu bought him a box of ice cream, knowing his preferences.
When the celestial masters in the distance looked up again, they saw Lian Yi unwrapping the ice cream. The Mountain God seemed a bit tired, leaning against him with his arms around his waist.
Weng Ping Ran’s student hesitated for half a second, his breath catching slightly.
His hands trembled as he took out the communicator, wanting to contact Weng Ping Ran, but felt that discussing the Mountain God privately was not appropriate.
Glancing discreetly again, Lin Jiu beside him remained calm, showing no signs of surprise at this scene as if it were not the first time.
After much hesitation, the student put away the communicator, deciding to pretend nothing had happened.
However, the relationship between Nan Deng and Lian Yi had always been such that it couldn’t be hidden from just one person.
Later in the afternoon, some speculations did reach Weng Ping Ran.
It was said that the Mountain God had a close relationship with a certain celestial master, akin to lovers.
Weng Ping Ran was furious: “Who is making baseless speculations? Find out immediately! They’ll be fined three months’ salary!”
He staunchly defended the Mountain God’s reputation and would not tolerate such rumors.
The student from earlier in the morning stood beside him, silent at his words, keeping his head low.
However, his thoughts diverged from Weng Ping Ran’s. Although the Mountain God was indeed the Mountain God, why couldn’t he have worldly emotions?
No one could define what the Mountain God should be like. It’s just that… the Mountain God’s choice of companion was indeed unexpected.
Could someone with a natural fatal body become a suitable lover?
Moreover, after Lian Yi’s death, his soul…
The student quickly stopped his thoughts, no longer dwelling on them.
Soon it was evening, and Weng Ping Ran had no more time to deal with this matter.
He hurriedly went to see Nan Deng and handed him a planned route, detailing their next destination.
Nan Deng sat in the hotel’s small dining room, opening the notebook handed to him by Weng Ping Ran.
In truth, whether he looked at the route or not didn’t matter much; the next area was adjacent to Changyang, reportedly the epicenter of the epidemic.
As Weng Ping Ran spoke, he said, “There’s one more thing…”
He took out his communicator and placed it in front of Nan Deng.
“Xie Yun has disappeared. I’ve sent someone to search his residence,” Weng Ping Ran said as he scrolled through several images on the communicator. “These… perhaps they have something to do with you?”
The images were several pages from ancient texts, with barely recognizable writings, along with a hand-drawn portrait.
Nan Deng took the communicator and examined it carefully, shaking his head. “I don’t know this person.”
He looked at the portrait, feeling no familiarity whatsoever. He did recognize the writings on the other pages; they were records about the Mountain God.
At this moment, the rabbit head jumped out from Nan Deng’s embrace and crouched on the table.
It also leaned close to the communicator screen, its large black eyes scrutinizing.
Weng Ping Ran asked cautiously, “Have you seen this person before?”
The rabbit head stayed still for a moment, twitched its ears, then turned to look at the tissue box on the table.
Meanwhile, Nan Deng deciphered the writings on the pages and slowly read aloud, “The one hundred and thirty-sixth…Mountain God.”
