Sheng Zhao wanted to refute, but didn’t know where to start.
Seeing Sheng Zhao’s embarrassed expression, Yun Feng, feeling she had hit the nail on the head, tactfully didn’t pursue further.
She smiled and gently flicked her finger. Sheng Zhao suddenly felt a refreshing scent of bamboo leaves brushing past him, instantly feeling enlightened, and his whole person became a bit more clear-headed.
The chaotic and vague impressions returned to his mind. He pinched his brow, and the empty sense of detachment suddenly dissipated, as if his feet had finally touched the ground, starting to feel solid.
- That’s right, he thought: he was the third-generation outer disciple of Mount Longhu.
Today, he was originally sweeping the fallen leaves in the courtyard. As for why he fell asleep while sweeping, it was because he had been punished all night the previous day, copying scriptures in the ancestral hall.
And the reason for the punishment… was as the rabbit had said, because he violated the rules and brought offerings to them.
Mount Longhu had clear levels, with the distinction between inner and outer disciples very clear. Outer disciples couldn’t practice advanced arts like the inner disciples of the Zhang family. Most of the time, they only learned basic talisman techniques, and their daily lives consisted of attending morning and evening classes, copying scriptures, offering incense, and meditation.
Outer sect disciples wouldn’t enter the inner courtyard. Most of them did low-level chores outside. Some clever ones were responsible for greeting and delivering messages, while some with mediocre aptitude were assigned to do sweeping tasks.
In the second year after entering the sect, Sheng Zhao was assigned to oversee the Locking Demon Tower in this remote mountain top, where he has been for seven years now.
This wasn’t a good job because everyone in the world knew that if all the Daoist sects in the world were gathered and divided, the one that is incompatible with the demons is Mount Longhu.
The founder of Mount Longhu followed the way of killing into Daoism, killing demons from the day he entered the world, from powerful demons to just-formed monsters, almost never letting any go.
This wasn’t wrong either, as demons had strange temperaments, were difficult to control, and were mostly unruly and violent, often sucking people’s spiritual energy and killing innocents. The number of innocent human lives killed by them was countless.
Coupled with the saying “Those who are not of our kind, their hearts must be different,” during his more than twenty years in the sect, he has received countless commendations and merits.
Initially, everyone thought that he had already stepped onto the ladder of ascension with half a foot, but for some reason, after that life was over, he couldn’t ascend.
And afterwards, Mount Longhu inexplicably changed its nature, no longer killing demons on sight, but changed to catching them alive, locking them in the Locking Demon Tower and converting them day by day.
This change was extremely abrupt. Sheng Zhao initially didn’t know why this was the case, but later, after spending a long time in the Locking Demon Tower, slowly getting along with the demons inside, he learned the answer from their mouths.
“It’s because he killed too many,” said a little cat demon at the time, holding a small flower wreath in its mouth, swaying its tail and gloating, “The heavens don’t recognize him, so they sent him back for re-cultivation—But you’re different from those annoying Taoists. This flower wreath is for you, as a thank you for letting us out last time.”
This was Sheng Zhao’s third year in the Locking Demon Tower. At that time, he hesitated to accept the flower wreath and whispered, “Don’t thank me, I’ve been punished for this… I won’t dare next time.”
The furry little cat demon jumped onto the windowsill, lazily stretched in the sunlight, and shook its tail, turning its head to look at him. Vows.
“You’re different from them,” the little cat demon’s emerald eyes were incredibly clear as it stared at him, as if it could suck away his soul, “You’re naturally destined to stand with us.”
A gust of wind outside happened to blow, causing Sheng Zhao to shiver in the wind.
However, the little cat demon’s words were like a prophecy. In the following four years, he broke countless rules for these seven hundred and sixty-five demons in the tower.
Mount Longhu didn’t like demons, so naturally they didn’t have a good attitude toward them either. But even if his senior brothers and master lectured him one by one, forbidding him from getting too close to these demons, he would still secretly bring some offerings to make them happy.
Until later, a Fox Fairy Temple was established in the mountain, and a beautiful fox sister moved in, only then did his days get a little better.
“I see you’re quite disoriented today, but do you have any new insights?” Yun Feng suddenly asked.
Sheng Zhao hurriedly came back to his senses, scratching his head embarrassedly, and said softly, “How could I have any insights? It’s just about having fun with everyone and avoiding punishment.”
He sighed, with a hint of desolation between his brows.
“I have no roots, no foundation, and no talent. I’m slow in learning any arts. I’ve been studying the Eight Characters for three years and still haven’t figured it out. Maybe I just lack insight,” Sheng Zhao said. “And in daily life, I just hang out with you all. There’s no progress in cultivation for me. Now I can only do my duties well and not think too much about anything else.”
He was sincere, but he didn’t realize that his words also implicated the two people in front of him. Fortunately, the chubby rabbit had spent a lot of time with him and knew his temperament, so he didn’t pay any attention to it.
“That’s not entirely true,” Yun Feng said slowly. “You’re just walking a different path from them. You have a kind heart and can understand the love and hate of the demon race, and there’s a reason for that.”
“What’s the use of that?” Sheng Zhao said with a bitter smile. “Cultivation is cultivation, and it has nothing to do with understanding the demon race.”
“How could that be?” Yun Feng put the rabbit in her hand on the table, looking at him with a smile in her eyes, and said meaningfully, “Who can say what cultivation is exactly? Eliminating demons and upholding justice is cultivation, but who said that having a compassionate heart towards the demon race isn’t cultivation?”
Sheng Zhao didn’t understand her meaning.
“People in the world are born with reasons,” Yun Feng said. “They have theirs, and you have yours – I can see that you are naturally destined to stand with the demon race.”
This sentence sounded too familiar, so much so that Sheng Zhao was stunned for a moment and subconsciously wanted to ask for clarification.
“Sister, I don’t understand—”
“Wen Sheng, in this lifetime, you have a debt to the demon race,” Yun Feng interrupted him, slowly saying, “The demon race remembers your kindness—although I can’t see your origins and where you’re headed, I can see that you will have good fortune in the future.”
After she finished speaking, regardless of whether Sheng Zhao had anything else to say, she stood up on her own and walked outside.
Sheng Zhao subconsciously wanted to follow, but just as he took two steps, he felt something cool land on his face.
He slowly raised his hand to touch it, and when he looked up, he realized that it was raining.
The large raindrops fell on his hand, bringing a slight cool sensation. Sheng Zhao looked at the overcast sky and, for some reason, felt completely lost again.
- It’s going to thunder, he suddenly thought.
The thunderclouds in the mountains were terrifying. In just a moment, the rain in the sky grew heavier and heavier, and the dark thunderclouds rolled down, almost reaching the top of his head.
The chubby rabbit was startled, and seeing Sheng Zhao still dazed, it quickly jumped off the table, grabbed his pants leg, and tried to pull him back into the house.
“Wen Sheng! Are you crazy?” the chubby rabbit called out vaguely, “Quickly go inside, it’s going to rain heavily soon, and you’ll be soaked like a drowned rat!”
However, Sheng Zhao seemed not to hear anything. He just stared at the sky blankly, maintaining the posture of reaching out to catch the raindrops, not knowing what he was thinking.
“I always feel…” Sheng Zhao muttered to himself, “this rain seems familiar.”
“Oh, rain and thunder are all the same!” the chubby rabbit became anxious and said, “How many times do you see rain in a year? Of course, it’s familiar!”
But Sheng Zhao still didn’t move. He had a subtle feeling in his heart, telling him that what the rabbit said was wrong. He had only seen this scene once in his life—and it was unforgettable.
- Which time was it?
The rain in the sky started to become sparse, and the rabbit saw him dazed as if he lost his soul, so it hardened its heart and bit his calf.
Feeling the pain, Sheng Zhao suddenly came to his senses, and when he looked down, the rabbit was already three steps away, jumping up and down with its teeth and claws.
“Hurry up!” the rabbit urged repeatedly, “I don’t want to get soaked in the rain with you! My fur is so shiny, getting wet will dirty it!”
Sheng Zhao wiped the raindrops on his body, agreed with a sound, and turned to follow him into the house.
However, before he could even take a step, he suddenly heard a furious shout coming from behind the rolling thunderclouds.
“Sheng Zhao, how dare you walk with it!”
This angry shout was like a bell, pounding down along with the thunder. Sheng Zhao felt his whole body tremble, as if a current had struck him directly from the sky, immediately waking him up.
Yes, Sheng Zhao thought in confusion, what’s wrong with me?
He looked down at his hands, pulled at the sleeves of his robe, as if finally tearing open the veil in front of him and finding the strange source.
- This isn’t my clothes! Sheng Zhao thought in shock.
The memories and sensations that had been cut off suddenly returned to his body in an instant. Sheng Zhao looked at the quaint little building in front of him and finally realized the cause and effect.
- He was lured here by the bell, and Hu Huanyang and Zhang Jian were still waiting for him on the mountain.
Realizing this, Sheng Zhao dared not to enter the house again. Subconsciously, he took two steps back, intending to look back at the source of the angry voice just now, but before he could turn halfway, he suddenly felt something rush out from the side, wrapping around his waist.
Immediately after, the other party exerted force abruptly. Sheng Zhao didn’t even have time to resist, and his whole body was pulled backwards.
In the blink of an eye, he only managed to open his eyes and see the sky covered by the dark clouds, a streak of lightning leaked from the clouds, emitting a dangerous and ominous feeling.
In that instant, the last missing piece of memory in his mind returned.
It’s over, Sheng Zhao’s heart sank, thinking that trouble was brewing. How was he going to explain to the petty-minded boss that not only had he been bumped into, but also that another fox sister had touched his hand?
