Chapter 150: Thin?
Just after stuffing the pill into Quan Xinghe’s mouth and straightening his back, Feng Shi’s vision went black.
A sharp ringing pierced his ears, and the qi and blood within his body surged violently.
Barely having time to react, Feng Shi leaned over and spat out a mouthful of blood.
All other sounds faded away; Feng Shi could only hear his own heavy, ragged breathing, his accelerating heartbeat, and Qingqing’s grumbled complaints.
[See? I told you your vitality would be heavily injured, and now you’re the one in pain…]
Feng Shi was in too much pain to answer. He furrowed his brows and tried to circulate his qi, but doing so only made the agony worse, making him wish for death.
[What are you doing! Don’t circulate your qi!]
Qingqing’s voice grew frantic.
Feng Shi swayed heavily and coughed up another mouthful of blood. The world before his eyes tilted, swaying to one side.
In the distance, several disciples ran toward him quickly, their faces etched with anxiety, shouting something. But their voices were drowned out by the ringing in his ears, making them impossible to decipher.
Feng Shi tried to steady himself, but his body wouldn’t obey his commands.
The disciples’ movements seemed to happen in slow motion as they drew closer and closer. But when they were still ten paces away, Feng Shi collapsed into a warm embrace.
A faint, familiar fresh scent wafted into his nose. In his delirium, Feng Shi felt as if he had traveled back in time.
The one who caught him was his white-haired, white-robed, ice-cold “High Mountain Flower” Shizun.
But when he finally made out the features of the person holding him, the familiar face in his memory reversed, becoming youthful. The white hair turned black, and only then did he realize: Oh, right. We’re a hundred years in the past now. My dear Shizun is currently just a green, tender young boy.
Still, it was him all the same.
“Senior Brother Liu!”
The surrounding Chongshan Sect disciples all crowded around nervously.
The disciples from the other sects were also somewhat stunned.
This was because Liu Yi had seemed perfectly fine just moments ago, only to suddenly spit blood and collapse, looking quite severely injured.
After swallowing the pill Shen Songhe fed him, Feng Shi recovered from the wave of agony. His darkening vision gradually cleared.
He first examined his internal condition, discovering that his body had been heavily damaged by the backlash. His spiritual energy was congested and difficult to circulate, and his spiritual veins had sustained a certain degree of damage.
At a preliminary estimate, even with the pills he had refined to nurse it, it would take over a month to fully heal.
It seemed he wouldn’t be able to use spiritual power casually for the time being.
Feng Shi let out a sigh of relief and peacefully laid flat in Shen Songhe’s arms.
This was fine too.
He would just slack off and rest easily for a month.
“Shixiong! Shixiong! What’s wrong, Shixiong!” Just as Feng Shi was envisioning his future, he was abruptly shaken awake.
In front of him, Shen Songhe was shaking his shoulders desperately, his face full of panic. It was the first time his usually aloof face displayed such rich emotion.
Feng Shi wasn’t feeling well to begin with. Being shaken like this made him want to spit another mouthful of blood. His face paled as he hastily stopped him: “Alright… cough cough, alright, Xiao He, Shixiong is fine. But if you keep shaking me like this, I probably will be…”
Hearing this, Shen Songhe quickly let go, holding his hands up awkwardly. A moment later, he carefully wrapped his arms around him again. “I’m sorry, Shixiong.”
Feng Shi observed his expression.
He saw clear, undeniable guilt swimming in the youth’s eyes, his long eyelashes clumped together with moisture.
Yo yo yo, you poor little thing.
Feng Shi smiled, a wicked urge rising within him. He had just wanted to tease him when, unexpectedly, Shen Songhe suddenly scooped him up into a bridal carry.
Feng Shi’s eyes widened slightly. His weak hand instinctively flew up, gripping the boy’s lapel.
Despite Shen Songhe’s frame not having fully matured yet, his strength was formidable. Even without using spiritual energy, he picked Feng Shi up with ease, startling even Feng Shi himself.
Seeming to see through his shock, Shen Songhe lowered his head and explained softly, “It’s because Shixiong is too thin.”
Thin (Shòu).
Bottom (Shòu)? (T/N: In Chinese, “thin” (瘦 – shòu) and “bottom/receiver” in BL contexts (受 – shòu) are homophones. Feng Shi is sensitive to this word due to the original novel’s plot.)
Feng Shi couldn’t stand hearing the word ‘shou’ right now!
So he retorted rather childishly. His voice was hoarse and a little fierce: “You’re the thin one!”
Shen Songhe blinked. He didn’t understand why his Shixiong wanted to argue over this issue of being thin, but he answered honestly, “Mm, I’m thin too, but I’ll grow up.”
Feng Shi: “…” So you’re just bullying me because I won’t grow anymore!
After Shen Songhe had carried him a few steps, Feng Shi belatedly remembered the forgotten child.
“Where is the child?” Feng Shi asked.
Earlier, seeing Feng Shi injured, Shen Songhe had rushed over without a second thought, leaving the child behind.
Only after Feng Shi asked did he remember.
However, turning his head, the spot where the child had been sitting was empty. Only the tassel that had been attached to the jade pendant lay abandoned on the ground.
Nearby lay a few Taichu Sect disciples, completely unconscious.
The arms holding Feng Shi suddenly tightened.
Sensing the change and realizing what it meant, Feng Shi looked over. Upon seeing the tassel and the disciples, his expression shifted slightly, but he still comforted the boy. “Don’t panic. It’s not your fault. Take me over there.”
Shen Songhe pursed his lips, guiltily saying, “I’m sorry, Shixiong.” He then walked over.
Although Feng Shi was conscious, he had temporarily sealed his spiritual veins. Without strength, he couldn’t even stand steadily, so whatever he wanted to do, Shen Songhe had to act on his behalf.
Fortunately, the Taichu Sect disciples had merely fainted and woke up with a nudge.
As for Feng Shi’s questions—what had happened? Where was the child?—these disciples were completely clueless, as if their recent memories had been deliberately wiped.
The only remaining clue was the tassel.
Since Feng Shi couldn’t detect the aura within it, he had no choice but to instinctively call out to Qingqing: “Little cutie, come out and help scan this.”
Qingqing popped its head out on cue, but with its arms crossed, its voice crisp:
[Hmph! I’m sorry, dear Host, but this system currently only provides chat services. Please conduct yourself with dignity!]
Feng Shi: “…” I forgot.
“Fine, you may step down.”
Lacking spiritual power, he was basically an ordinary mortal, leaving him no choice but to ask Shen Songhe.
But Shen Songhe said there was nothing unusual.
Left with no other options, Feng Shi had to rally people to help search the underground palace, fearing the child had just hidden somewhere.
“Sigh, we didn’t even know the child’s name. It’ll be hard to recognize him if we search for him in the future,” Feng Shi lamented.
Shen Songhe blinked. “Wasn’t his name Pei Qi?”
Feng Shi’s first reaction: “You actually know how to read those two characters?”
His second reaction, bolting up as if jolted from a dying state: “Holy sh*t! What did you say? What’s his name? Which two characters?”
Startled by his suddenly raised voice, Shen Songhe tentatively replied, “Pei… Qi?”
Hearing this name, Feng Shi admitted his heart skipped a beat once again. Disbelieving, he asked, “Are you absolutely, positively sure you didn’t read it wrong?”
Shen Songhe thought for a moment before nodding affirmatively. “I don’t think so.”
Receiving the definitive answer, Feng Shi’s strength vanished instantly. Like a deflated balloon, he slumped back into Shen Songhe’s arms, lifeless.
Shen Songhe looked at his poor complexion, a bit worried. “Shixiong, is there something strange about these two characters?”
Feng Shi stared at the vaulted ceiling of the underground palace, digesting the information on his own. It took him a long while to register the boy’s voice. He gave him a profound, lingering look. “When you grow up, you’ll understand.”
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