Chapter 44 (Part 2) – Broken Promise

Breaking free from the vines, Xiang Feng picked up the wooden sword at his feet, preparing to fight to the death. But before he could act, a calm voice interrupted him. “How many days has it been since you drank the holy spring water?”

Xiang Feng froze, his movements halting.

Rong Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, tossing a porcelain vial at Xiang Feng’s feet. “Drink it.”

He usually avoided meddling in others’ affairs.

But Yu Zhengzheng’s concern for Shanshui was evident; she’d even cried over it earlier. If Xiang Feng were to attack Hengwu Xianjunwith full force… In any case, Rong Shang didn’t want to see her crying again.

Xiang Feng glared at the vial with his crimson eyes, but inexplicably, his resentment extended to Rong Shang as well.

Ah, he had almost forgotten.

Rong Shang had saved him, but he didn’t know what Rong Shang had done to him afterward. He couldn’t stand bright light and needed to drink human blood periodically. On top of that, he was bound to the holy spring water of Guixu Mountain.

If he didn’t drink the spring water at regular intervals, his mind would be overtaken by inner demons, eventually losing all sanity and succumbing to their control.

Rong Shang claimed the spring water suppressed his inner demons, but Xiang Feng knew better. Rong Shang used the spring water to control him, to ensure he remained a loyal, obedient dog.

And yet, what choice did he have but to obey?

After all, Rong Shang had saved his life.

Bending down, Xiang Feng picked up the vial, drained its contents, and then hurled the empty bottle against the dark wall of the cave.

The bottle shattered into countless shards, scattering along with Xiang Feng’s towering rage.

His eyes returned to their original color, and his demeanor calmed. As clarity returned, he looked around in a daze, memories flooding back into his mind.

Guilt flashed across his face, and he couldn’t bring himself to meet Shanshui’s gaze.

He wanted to speak to her, but when the words came to his lips, he didn’t know what to say.

In the end, he remained silent, gently lifting the unconscious An Ning from the ground. Retrieving some hemostatic and pain-relieving pills, he fed them to her.

“There will be danger here shortly. Move ahead; it’s safer up ahead,” Hengwu Xianjunsaid, without a single mention of what had just transpired. It was as if the incident had already been forgotten. He tapped his communication bracelet twice. “I’ve just contacted my subordinates. Once they arrive from the Demon Realm and remove the array core at Shayu Valley, this formation will collapse.”

With that, he turned and, without waiting for a response, led Shanshui away.

The others followed one after another, but Yu Zhengzheng remained rooted in place.

What was Hengwu Xianjundoing?

She could understand his desire to protect Shanshui’s reputation, but for someone who had just been enraged enough to nearly kill Xiang Feng to suddenly act as though nothing had happened… Was it possible that Hengwu Immortal, being of such advanced age, had suffered a fit of anger-induced dementia?

Rong Shang’s fingertip pressed against her brow. “What are you thinking?”

Yu Zhengzheng found him annoying and grabbed his hand. “Stop bothering me. I’m thinking.”

He flipped his hand to hold hers, his fingers gently brushing over her knuckles. The calluses on his fingertips rubbed her delicate skin, leaving a faint pink hue.

Rong Shang narrowed his long eyes slightly, an inexplicable reluctance to let go surfacing.

Her hand was soft, warm to the touch, the heat seeping into his cold palm, as if imparting a trace of warmth to him.

Once they exited the formation, his divine power would return.

At that time, he would no longer have the excuse to hold her hand like this.

A faint sense of melancholy welled up in him, and he tightened his grip slightly, as if trying to hold onto something.

Yu Zhengzheng winced from the pain and glared at him. “Stay away from me.”

Rong Shang’s gaze darkened. She was growing bolder, even daring to speak to him like this now.

Noticing her tone, Yu Zhengzheng softened her voice, asking the question that had been bothering her the most. “Why did you save Xiang Feng? He’s a scumbag.”

Rong Shang didn’t answer.

Why had he saved Xiang Feng?

It had been so long, even he had almost forgotten.

Back then, he had just escaped from the East Sea. To avoid the pursuit of the Third Crown Prince of the Eastern Emperor, he had fled to the mortal realm.

That was his first encounter with the outside world. He was drenched in blood when he arrived in the mortal realm and was immediately captured by the local authorities.

The guards didn’t bother to ask questions, deciding to torture him outright. In retaliation, he slaughtered every guard in the office, but the effort drained his divine power, leaving him unconscious outside the building.

When he awoke, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. Snowxi had taken him in and placed him in her medical clinic in the mortal realm.

Snowxi, the master of Lingbi Palace, was the most skilled healer in the cultivation world. She often descended to the mortal realm to help people and perform good deeds. However, saving him wasn’t out of kindness; she was intrigued by the curse marks on his back and wanted to study him.

After a brief conversation, he quickly left. The next time they met, thousands of years had passed. He came to her on Qingcheng Mountain, carrying a dragon tendon, requesting her to refine a pill for him.

Snowxi refused to make the pill but didn’t dare provoke him. Instead, she took the dragon tendon and used it as leverage to keep him at bay while she roamed the world, avoiding him.

Eventually, he found her in the mortal realm. While sipping tea at a teahouse, he noticed a group of black-clad men with long blades storming into a coffin shop. They appeared to be pursuing someone. Though he disliked meddling in others’ affairs, he stayed put, assuming Snowxi would show up—wherever trouble brewed, she was sure to follow.

His vantage point allowed him to see everything unfold. The one being hunted was the eldest son of the Xiang family, Xiang Feng. A young girl from the coffin shop tried to hide Xiang Feng. Though her intentions were brave, she was no match for the assassins.

The black-clad men held a blade to her neck, demanding answers. Despite knowing the consequences, she refused to betray Xiang Feng. At that moment, her father returned and, seeing his daughter in danger, attacked the men with a piece of wood.

The girl seized the chance to break free and fought alongside her father. Both were overpowered, and the assassins slit their throats before setting the shop ablaze.

Seeing no sign of Snowxi, he left the teahouse disappointed. But as he exited, he was struck by a scene: the girl, whose throat had been cut, was dragging an unconscious Xiang Feng out of the burning coffin shop with all her strength.

Blood streamed from her neck, soaking the ground. Her exposed throat showed the torn veins and arteries. Yet she seemed oblivious to the pain, stubbornly pulling Xiang Feng’s heavy body away from the flames.

He had seen countless bloody scenes before, but her resolve stunned him.

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice Snowxi arriving. She treated the girl, but it was too late. Before dying, the girl begged Snowxi to save Xiang Feng, to which she agreed.

Realizing she couldn’t avoid him, Snowxi reluctantly promised to refine the pill and told him to return for the dragon marrow in ten years.

Snowxi took Xiang Feng with her, and he left with an empty coffin.

A decade later, he returned to Qingcheng Mountain, encountering Snowxi at its base. She was disheveled, her dress torn to shreds, her feet bound with iron chains, and her body weakened by poison. She lay in a cluster of winter jasmine flowers, begging him to end her life.

He refused. Snowxi, after all, could refine dragon marrow and was still of use to him. Mocking her misfortune, he reminded her it was self-inflicted. Yet, even in her plight, she spoke on Xiang Feng’s behalf, explaining that he had been manipulated.

She pleaded with him to shelter Xiang Feng, explaining how to suppress his inner demons. The divine spring water of the Heavenly Steps on Guixu Mountain could keep the demons at bay, but the side effect would turn Xiang Feng into a bloodthirsty monster.

Snowxi forced him to swear by the name of the gods—a sacred and binding oath in the divine realm—to take Xiang Feng in, suppress his demons, and never harm him under any circumstance.

Reluctantly, he swore, as Snowxi used the dragon marrow as leverage.

She didn’t know then that while she was pleading for Xiang Feng’s life, he was slaughtering her disciples at Lingbi Palace.

Snowxi, knowing her end was near, handed him the dragon marrow. She expressed gratitude and then ended her life with a smile, using the sword he gave her.

After her death, he kept his promise, taking in the outcast Xiang Feng, who was hunted by all the major sects in the cultivation world.

He didn’t care much for Xiang Feng’s fate and rarely intervened. However, after Xiang Feng found Shanshui by the divine spring on Guixu Mountain, he underwent a drastic change. For a long time, the presence of Shanshui suppressed Xiang Feng’s inner demons.

Regrettably, all of Snowxi’s efforts unraveled when An Ning entered the picture.

Rong Shang lowered his gaze, his voice calm: “I swore to Snowxi that I would take in Xiang Feng.”

Yu Zhengzheng froze. Her spine stiffened, and she slowly clenched her fists. Her voice was dry: “Did you also… like Snowxi?”

Rong Shang glanced at her. What did she mean by “also like”?

Snowxi had nothing to do with him. He disliked people who only thought about love. Snowxi forced him to swear because she liked Xiang Feng—nothing more.

Had she not been poisoned and faced her demise, Snowxi would have likely ignored everything and pursued Xiang Feng.

He didn’t care for foolish women like her.

Instead of directly answering, Rong Shang said diplomatically, “I like intelligent women.”

Yu Zhengzheng blurted out instinctively, “Was Snowxi smart?”

Rong Shang raised an eyebrow. “You’re smarter than her.”

Yu Zhengzheng: “…”

Her face flushed instantly. She shook off his hand and sprinted ahead like a startled rabbit.

What did he mean by saying she was smarter than Snowxi?

Of course, she was smart.

Catching up with the group, Yu Zhengzheng found that they had stopped. Hengwu Xianjun had gathered some dry wood and lit a fire with a fire striker. “They should reach Shayu Valley by tomorrow night. It gets cold here at night, so gather around the fire to keep warm.”

Xiang Feng had already returned to normal at this moment. He was holding An Ning in his arms. Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, An Ning was still unconscious.

Afraid she might be cold, he held her closer to the fire.

When Yu Zhengzheng saw Hengwu Xianjun moving about as if nothing had happened, she froze in disbelief.

How could his heart be so indifferent?

Hengwu Xianjun noticed her standing there idly and waved a hand toward her. “It’s almost dark. There might be wolves around here. Stay closer to the fire; it’s safer.”

Yu Zhengzheng remained cold-faced, ignoring him. If he didn’t care, then fine—she would settle the score with Xiang Feng herself.

Hengwu Xianjun wasn’t lying. In a short while, darkness swiftly enveloped the cave. It became eerily cold, like a midwinter snowstorm, chilling her toes to the bone.

Although she was fuming, she didn’t want her legs to freeze. She moved closer to the fire, and the cozy warmth soon lulled her into drowsiness.

Yu Zhengzheng shifted her position slightly, trying to adjust for a more comfortable nap. But as she tried to pull her legs back, she suddenly realized she couldn’t move.

She wanted to lift her head, but even this simple action was impossible.

Then, she heard faint noises beside her ears. Looking toward the bright fire, she saw a dense swarm of unknown red creatures surging in their direction.

Panicking, Yu Zhengzheng shouted, “Wake up! Everyone, wake up!”

Hengwu Xianjun rose to his feet, still cradling Shanshui in his arms. His movements were leisurely, his face adorned with a serene smile. “No need to shout. We’re all awake.”