r18novel Page 34
Page 34
"Baby Feng."
"I hope that she can be cherished and loved like a treasure for the rest of her life, and live a peaceful and happy life."
As he spoke, he pulled out a smooth wooden plaque from the innermost part of his body, on which two characters were crookedly carved in the most rudimentary way.
He gently stroked the two words with his fingers, his eyes filled with tenderness that was almost melting into water.
The night in the valley grew even deeper.
The campfire burned quietly, casting long shadows of the two men.
One is the acting leader of the Quanxing Sect, who is regarded as a "heretical sect" by the entire world of supernatural beings.
One was a closed-door disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion, who was hailed as the leader of the righteous path.
At this moment, all identities, stances, and sectarian differences no longer matter.
They were just two lonely souls who met by chance in this chaotic world and were willing to open their hearts to each other.
Chapter 38 Bloody Feud
Wugensheng's honesty was like a key, unlocking the deepest lock in Zhang Yunyuan's heart.
Looking at the unguarded tenderness on Wugensheng's face, a tenderness that belonged to a father, something in his heart was gently touched.
The flickering flames cast long shadows of the two men, reflecting the undisguised vulnerability in Wugensheng's eyes.
In this chaotic world, how difficult it is to find someone who is willing to entrust you with their greatest weakness and secrets.
This profound trust, if not reciprocated with equal sincerity, would be the greatest desecration of the word "confidant".
“I once had a treasure in my family too.”
Zhang Yunyuan's voice was very soft, like a feather, drifting amidst the crackling of the campfire.
Upon hearing this, Wugensheng carefully put the wooden plaque engraved with "Baby" back to the position closest to his heart, raised his head, and looked at him with his clear eyes.
Zhang Yunyuan didn't look at him, but instead poked at the fire, trying to make it burn brighter, as if the flickering flames could bring him some warmth.
"I was born in Zhangjia Village at the foot of Longhu Mountain, a very ordinary little village."
“My father was a carpenter, very skilled. People from all around would come to him to make furniture. He always had a pleasant pine scent on him.”
“My mother…the flowers she embroidered were the most beautiful in the whole village. The twin lotus flowers she embroidered seemed to exude the fragrance of lotus.”
As he spoke, he unconsciously drew something on the ground with a twig, as if sketching the outline of a home that was already blurred but unforgettable.
“I was about four or five years old at that time, and I don’t remember many things clearly.”
"I only remember that my father made me a wooden horse, which was coated with tung oil and so smooth that you could see your reflection in it."
“My mother sewed me a cloth tiger with black, shiny pebbles for eyes. I always feel like it will come to life and keep me company at night.”
“My happiest moment every day is riding on the rocking horse, hugging the cloth tiger, and waiting for my dad to come home from work.”
“When he came home, he would always lift me high above his head. His stubble would prick my cheeks and make them itch, but I would always giggle.”
His tone was calm, without much emotional fluctuation, as if he were telling someone else's story.
But Wugensheng could hear the turbulent undercurrents beneath that calm.
"Then, one day..."
Zhang Yunyuan stopped moving, the branch in his hand hanging in mid-air.
"A gang of bandits has come to the village."
His voice was completely calm, as if he were recounting an old story unrelated to himself, but his eyes, which were reflecting the firelight, suddenly lost focus.
"They killed anyone they saw, looted anything they could find, and burned the whole village down with a single fire."
“My father hid my mother and me in the cellar, then grabbed an axe and ran out, never to return.”
"Later, the cellar door was chopped open."
“My mother shielded me tightly beneath her body… I could feel her body trembling, hear her teeth chattering, and feel her hot tears dripping onto my neck.”
“I could hear their filthy laughter, which terrified me more than the roars of wild beasts.”
"The strong smell of blood and burnt food filled the small cellar, and it also filled my childhood."
"After that, I don't know anything anymore."
Zhang Yunyuan dropped the branch in his hand, raised his head, and looked at Wugensheng.
His eyes shone brightly in the firelight, yet were terrifyingly empty, as if all the light had been sucked into that bottomless darkness.
"When I woke up again, I saw my master."
"He stood amidst a sea of fire and corpses, like a god."
"He told me that my parents, and everyone in the village, were dead."
Wugensheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that any words seemed utterly pale in the face of such a tragedy.
He could only listen in silence, a feeling of indescribable heaviness and sorrow welling up in his heart.
Zhang Yunyuan's voice still didn't reveal much hatred, only a bone-chilling coldness.
“Master said that he has avenged those beasts for us.”
"From that day on, I hated all the evil in the world."
"I hate those bandits who burned, killed, and looted; I hate those soldiers who took advantage of the chaos to do evil; and I also hate those self-proclaimed carefree Quanxing demons whose behavior was no different from that of evil ghosts."
At this point, Zhang Yunyuan suddenly smiled, a smile that carried an indescribable complexity and self-mockery.
“I think they are no different from the bandits who slaughtered my whole village back then. They are all a bunch of evil ghosts who only know how to take and have no respect.”
"My opinion only changed slightly after you came along."
The story is over.
It's very simple, and also quite cliché.
In a chaotic world, the tragedy of families being torn apart and people dying is all too common.
But when Zhang Yunyuan said it, it carried a chilling truth.
Wugensheng looked at him quietly, without saying a word for a long time.
He finally understood why this boy, who looked no more than sixteen or seventeen, always possessed a calmness and aloofness that belied his age.
He finally understood why Zhang Yunyuan's eyes showed no disdain or disgust like those of ordinary righteous disciples when he heard that he was the acting leader of Quanxing Sect; instead, they were filled with inquiry and scrutiny.
Because they are the same kind of people.
They were all orphans who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
However, one of them was picked up by a Taoist priest and struggled in the mud of the martial world, becoming "Wugensheng" (meaning "rootless").
One was rescued by a celestial master and grew up under the protection of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, becoming "Yunyuan".
Two completely different life trajectories, yet they both originated from the same tragic starting point.
Wugensheng's expression gradually shifted from sympathy and heaviness to a rare, steely resolve.
He picked up a thick branch and threw it into the fire, sending sparks flying like fireflies.
"you're right."
His voice was deep and powerful, each word sounding as if it were being struck from his chest.
“Those who use the banner of ‘Quanxing’ to do evil deeds are no different from bandits who massacre villages.”
“They have tainted the original meaning of ‘fully embracing one’s true self and not being burdened by material possessions,’ turning doing whatever one pleases into lawlessness.”
Zhang Yunyuan looked at him with some surprise, not expecting him to react this way.
Wugensheng slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a resolute shadow in the firelight.
He looked up at the narrow strip of starry sky cut out by the cliff, as if making a declaration to heaven and earth.
“I cannot choose my birth, nor can I erase the bloodstains on the name ‘Quanxing’.”
"But I can decide where its future will lead!"
He turned around abruptly, staring intently at Zhang Yunyuan, raised his right hand, and solemnly swore an oath.
I hereby swear!
His voice echoed through the valley, carrying an undeniable power.
"As long as I, Wugensheng, remain the acting leader of Quanxing, Quanxing will no longer be a place that harbors filth and evil!"
"I will re-establish the rules and purge the scum!"
"In the future, with Quanxing in my hands, it will still be dedicated to eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path! When it sees injustice in the world, it will still draw its sword to help and uphold justice!"
These words, spoken with resounding force, echoed endlessly in the silent valley.
He wasn't apologizing; he was making a declaration.
It is a declaration of an ideal, and also a solemn promise to the young man before me.
Zhang Yunyuan watched him quietly, looking at the man's resolute profile in the firelight, and the flame in his eyes that was no less powerful than the campfire, a flame called ideal.
After a long while, he nodded slightly.
He didn't say a word, but that nod carried more weight than any words.
He was never one to hold a grudge, especially since this man had just shown him his most vulnerable side and made such a heavy vow.
The atmosphere fell into silence again.
But this time, the silence was no longer a barrier, but rather a tacit understanding of standing side by side.
"so……"
Wugensheng suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, his tone regaining a hint of amusement.
"The day you helped Li Muxuan out of a predicament at Yinghe Tower, it wasn't because of any chivalrous code, nor because you disliked the people from Qingzhu Garden."
He looked at Zhang Yunyuan, his eyes flashing with understanding.
"You just... simply can't stand seeing these people do evil, even if they are so-called righteous disciples, right?"