Chapter 79: Pause the talisman drawing; I’ll go greet him!
Outside the high-speed rail station, there was a direct bus to the Jingshi Mountain Scenic Area. Yu Shi, dragging his luggage, led Feng Xuexiang to wait for the bus.
“Is it okay to take the bus?” he asked.
“Yes,” Feng Xuexiang obediently replied, his hand at his side lightly swiping the air.
Not far away, a man standing beside a luxury car and looking in their direction suddenly felt his vision blur.
He rubbed his eyes, glanced toward the platform, and searched the nearby crowd, but still couldn’t find the person he was looking for.
Frustrated, he dialed a number. “I couldn’t pick up Ninth Master at the station… I was here waiting early, but I didn’t see him… Yes, I understand, Ninth Master doesn’t want to be disturbed. I only brought one car…”
Whenever Ninth Master of the Feng family traveled, he was always surrounded by people. Not using a private jet was already considered extremely low-key for them. High-speed rail? When had Ninth Master ever taken public transportation with so many people?
But if Ninth Master wanted to travel alone, who would dare stop him? The most the Feng family could do was send a car for him, and even then, they had to be discreet to avoid angering him.
But even so, Ninth Master had no intention of cooperating with them. With his abilities, it was easy for him to avoid being noticed by them.
A simple illusion could make them lose track of him.
The man was still standing by the luxury car, making a phone call, when a bus passed by. Feng Xuexiang was sitting by the window.
He was tall, and the seat was a bit cramped for him, but he didn’t mind. In a good mood, he imitated Yu Shi beside him, pulling out a travel brochure from the seat pocket in front of him to read.
“Are we going here?” Feng Xuexiang asked, pointing to a lavish palace in the brochure.
“Yes,” Yu Shi replied without looking up.
He could feel the gazes from all directions, all of them intensely focused on the person beside him.
Some people were whispering to each other, saying:
“Really beautiful… Is that a boy or a girl?”
“He’s definitely a guy!”
“Should we… approach him?”
“Better not. It feels like we don’t stand a chance.”
“Is that hair real or fake?”
Just like on the high-speed rail earlier, Feng Xuexiang was too eye-catching.
In the past, Feng Xuexiang was always in environments where people knew his identity as a spirit demon. They were too afraid and reverent to even think about paying attention to his appearance, let alone discussing it openly.
But now, outside of that environment, the people around him, unaware of his identity, were instantly captivated by his extraordinary looks.
If it weren’t for the lingering effects of his natural pollution aura that subconsciously kept people from approaching, they would likely have been surrounded by now.
As they got off the bus, Yu Shi said to Feng Xuexiang, “Stay close to me and don’t wander off.”
He was a bit worried that Feng Xuexiang might get kidnapped.
Feng Xuexiang eagerly grabbed Yu Shi’s suitcase. “I can carry this up the mountain for you!”
Yu Shi replied, “Give it back. I’m leaving the luggage at the foot of the mountain.”
Feng Xuexiang: “…”
Yu Shi: “Don’t be silly.”
After storing the luggage and buying tickets, Yu Shi, carrying a small backpack, led Feng Xuexiang up the mountain.
Still not giving up, Feng Xuexiang reached for his bag. “I can carry your backpack.”
It was just a small bag, not heavy at all.
Yu Shi, exasperated, pushed him to the front. “You walk ahead. Hurry up.”
Feng Xuexiang walked in front, but with every step, he turned back to look at Yu Shi, his brows furrowed with worry, concerned that Yu Shi might suddenly abandon him and sneak away.
The palace was on the mountain, and there were thousands of steps leading up. Although not very steep, constantly looking back made it somewhat dangerous.
Yu Shi finally said, “Forget it, you walk behind me.”
Feng Xuexiang immediately stopped, letting Yu Shi walk in front, and slightly spread his arms. “Alright, I’ll stay behind you. If you accidentally fall, I can catch you.”
As if that would happen—how could he possibly trip on such steps?
Just as Yu Shi was thinking this, a little girl descending the stairs nearby suddenly slipped. Yu Shi reacted swiftly, grabbing her just in time to prevent her from tumbling down.
The girl, still shaken, blushed with embarrassment. While thanking Yu Shi, she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Feng Xuexiang behind him.
She wasn’t the first. As Yu Shi and Feng Xuexiang continued upward, several other tourists, too distracted by Feng Xuexiang’s appearance, misstepped on the stairs and nearly fell.
Yu Shi: “…”
He pulled a mask from his bag and handed it to Feng Xuexiang. “Cover your face. And put on your hat too.”
When they reached the first palace halfway up the mountain, Yu Shi joined the crowd to offer incense.
This world was different from his own; many non-human beings were active here, so Taoist temples and palaces were much more popular than in his world.
Even on a weekday, the mountain was packed with people, all bustling to offer incense and buy talismans.
Jingshi Mountain’s talismans were famous—after all, it was a major temple with a strong tradition, unlike smaller, less reputable temples where the talismans might not be effective.
There were various types of talismans for sale, but the most common were protective talismans.
There were three levels of protective talismans. The lowest level, the blue-sealed talisman, could only keep the wearer calm and clear-headed, preventing them from being influenced by the residual aura of ordinary spirits.
The mid-level, red-sealed talisman could keep ordinary spirits from approaching for a short time, also helping to avoid many potential scares.
The highest level, the gold-sealed talisman, was said to protect the wearer from demonic corruption. It was rumored to be personally drawn by the temple master, and only one was released for sale each day.
Considering the dangers of this world, Yu Shi decided to buy a gold-sealed talisman, despite its high cost, as a precaution.
Unfortunately, there were too many people wanting to buy it, so he couldn’t get one and had to settle for a red talisman instead.
Seeing Yu Shi’s disappointment at not getting the gold-sealed talisman, Feng Xuexiang pursed his lips and said, “That talisman isn’t very useful. It can only affect newly formed minor demons and can’t even eliminate them. Plus, it’s only good for one use.”
As a spirit demon who had always dealt with top-tier dangerous demons, Feng Xuexiang naturally looked down on such a weak talisman.
Yu Shi carefully placed the talisman close to him.
Unwilling to let it go, Feng Xuexiang added, “You’d be better off carrying me with you instead of that talisman. No matter what powerful demon you encounter, you won’t have to be afraid.”
“Alright, I got it,” Yu Shi replied as he went to a nearby shop, bought some water, and grabbed two cups of instant noodles. After preparing them, he brought them over to Feng Xuexiang.
“There’s no place to eat here, so let’s just have this for lunch.”
Feng Xuexiang, forgetting about the red talisman, held the instant noodles and smiled more brightly than the golden tiles of the palace.
“You knew I wanted this, didn’t you? You were paying attention to me on the bus too.”
Yu Shi observed his joyful expression and slowly said, “Some food smells really good, but in reality, it doesn’t taste that great when you eat it.”
“You want to eat it just because you’ve never had it before, so you want to try. But after you try it, you realize it’s nothing special.”
Feng Xuexiang caught the underlying meaning in his words, and his smile faded, his expression turning melancholic and dejected.
He lowered his eyes, stirring the noodles tinged with red oil. “I know. I came to find you, even though you might find me annoying. Just thinking about that possibility makes me feel tormented, but I still came.”
“I felt that if I didn’t come, you would give up on me. Isn’t that right?”
Yu Shi remained silent for a moment before finally saying, “Eat quickly. These noodles won’t taste good if they sit for too long.”
Feng Xuexiang suddenly let out a laugh. “There’s something I haven’t told you. The longer a spirit demon lives, the less they can taste food. The reason I think your cooking is delicious is just because you’re there with me.”
…
When Feng Xuexiang stepped into the area of Jingshi Mountain, a small bell at the temple on the mountaintop spontaneously rang.
The ringing of this bell indicated that a non-human entity had entered Jingshi Mountain. Fortunately, the bell’s sound wasn’t urgent, signaling that the entity wasn’t a harmful demon, otherwise, the entire temple would have been put on lockdown.
Nevertheless, since a powerful non-human being had entered, it was necessary to figure out its origin.
The Taoist priests on the mountain spent a long time checking the surveillance footage and even took several photos using revealing talismans.
Finally, one of the senior priests exclaimed, “Isn’t this the spirit demon from the Feng family?”
He had previously been fortunate enough to be invited to the excavation of the Chi Heng tomb, where he had seen several spirit demons from the southern families in person, leaving a deep impression on him.
But weren’t these spirit demons supposed to be revered and kept at home like ancestors? Why had one suddenly shown up here?
Regardless, with Ninth Master Feng now on their territory, they couldn’t ignore his presence.
The temple master, who had been drawing talismans, declared, “Pause the talisman drawing; I’ll go greet him!”
A group of priests hurried down to the mountainside, only to find Feng Xuexiang sitting on the railing, eating instant noodles—five yuan a cup from their own shop—and drinking the broth until it was all gone.
The priests: “…”
Feng Xuexiang glanced at them curiously, then smiled as he showed Yu Shi, “Look, I finished it.”
Yu Shi, more perceptive than him, asked, “It seems like these Taoist priests are here to see you?”
Feng Xuexiang replied, “I don’t know them.”
“Oh my! Ninth Master Feng! What an honor it is to have you here!” exclaimed the young man leading the group, who was none other than the temple master. With a wave of his hand, his disciples surrounded Feng Xuexiang and Yu Shi.
“You don’t visit often, so please allow us to extend our humble hospitality. Come, come, it’s just about mealtime, and you must try our vegetarian health banquet!”
Feng Xuexiang looked down at the hand shaking his own, raising an eyebrow slowly.
This person, though young, was quite formidable—much more capable than many of the useless members of the Feng family.
“Alright,” Feng Xuexiang said with a smile.
Sensing the magnetic field around Feng Xuexiang rapidly expanding, the temple master instantly released his hand, stepping in a dazzling sequence of seven steps to neutralize the force emanating from Feng Xuexiang.
“Did anyone capture a picture of me shaking hands with Ninth Master Feng?” he asked the disciple next to him, secretly wiping away a cold sweat.
As expected of a spirit demon, his power was truly astonishing. He wasn’t easy to approach either—smiling one moment, and in the blink of an eye, he could have turned the tables on him.
…
Yu Shi had originally planned to head back down the mountain, but the commotion had alarmed the temple master, who then politely invited them to the temple at the mountaintop. Not only did they have a vegetarian meal, but they were also invited to stay overnight.
The temple at the mountaintop had rooms specially arranged for devout visitors. If someone had been affected by ghosts or demons and had absorbed some dark energy, they could apply to stay there for a while.
The pure energy of the mountain and the presence of the many practicing Taoist priests could help dispel such negative forces.
Faced with such warm hospitality, Yu Shi couldn’t refuse, and the luggage he had left at the foot of the mountain was even brought up by the Taoist priests. He decided to stay the night.
After he agreed, Feng Xuexiang had no objections either.
The enthusiastic temple master even took them on a tour of his own bedroom.
Seeing the chaotic state of the room, Yu Shi’s fingers twitched, his professional instincts almost getting the better of him, but he managed to turn away.
Noticing the pile of gold talismans and half-finished ones on a nearby desk, Yu Shi took a closer look, confirming that these were indeed the gold talismans priced at 9,999 yuan below.
The temple master, sharp as ever, noticed Yu Shi’s interest and, with a knowing smile, grabbed a handful of the gold talismans and stuffed them into a bag for him.
“This is nothing special, just a little something from the mountain to take back with you. These are talismans I’ve drawn myself; they might come in handy, or you can give them to friends. Don’t be shy about it!”
“No need…”
“Ah, take it! Consider it a gift between friends! Don’t be polite now!”
Yu Shi found himself in a tug-of-war, much like being forced to accept a red envelope during New Year celebrations. Eventually, he was left with a bag full of gold talismans.
As the tour concluded, Feng Xuexiang lingered behind, speaking softly to the temple master. “If there’s something you need my help with, just say it.”
The temple master chuckled, “You’re sharp as always. I didn’t even have to ask, and you already knew.”
Feng Xuexiang replied calmly, “There’s no such thing as kindness without reason.”
If someone was kind to him, it was naturally because they wanted something. The only person who had ever been good to him without asking for anything in return was that one person.
The temple master explained, “My master captured a demon down the mountain some time ago and brought it back, sealing it in the great bell. But it’s restless and keeps trying to escape. We’re having a hard time keeping it suppressed. Since you’re here, could you lend us a hand?”
…
Meanwhile, Yu Shi, having tidied up the room, sat by the window, gazing at the sunset.
The room had an excellent view, allowing him to see the sea of clouds and the setting sun.
With Feng Xuexiang occupied with the temple master, Yu Shi finally had a moment to himself to sort through his thoughts.
He gradually became lost in the sight of the rolling clouds outside.
This was a scene he had always wanted to see in person, ever since his time in the previous world. But now that he was here, he found that it didn’t bring him as much joy as he had imagined.
His mind wandered, unbidden, to thoughts of Feng Xuexiang. He recalled the spirit demon’s words: “It tastes good only because you’re here with me,” and “If I didn’t come, you would have given up on me, wouldn’t you?”
As the sun dipped completely below the horizon, the sky turned a deep blue-purple, and the clouds became a soft lavender.
Suddenly, a bell rang out from the distance, resonating across the mountaintop.
At this hour, most of the tourists had already descended the mountain, leaving the pathways nearly deserted.
Before the sky fully darkened, Feng Xuexiang returned, resting his head on Yu Shi’s shoulder.
“I’m a bit tired,” he murmured, his voice tinged with a vulnerable need for comfort.
Yu Shi, though curious about what Feng Xuexiang had been up to, decided it wasn’t his place to pry. Instead, he silently watched as the temple lights slowly illuminated the mountainside.
“If you’re tired, let’s not sit here. You should rest,” Yu Shi suggested.
Feng Xuexiang suddenly asked, “Are you upset? Is it because of me?”
Yu Shi fell into a brief silence.
Feng Xuexiang leaned against his back, a smile forming on his lips.
‘Yes, that’s right. Whether he’s happy or unhappy, it should be because of me,’ Feng Xuexiang thought.
His gaze traced the lines of Yu Shi’s furrowed brow with a tender possessiveness. No matter what, I’ll never let you go.
Ever since Yu Shi had carried him out of that murky lake, there was no way he could let go.
