Chapter 9: Past Events  

Su Han Sheng chattered away cheerfully.  

Even Xie Shizhi, with his naturally calm temperament, was so embarrassed he wished he could vanish into thin air. “Young Master… uh, Young Master…”  

He couldn’t come up with an excuse.  

Chong Jue looked at him.  

“The Young Master is mischievous,” Xie Shizhi coughed dryly, forcing himself to continue. “He’s still at an age where he loves to play. I hope the World Honored One will not take offense.”  

Though Su Han Sheng was usually quite unreliable, Xie Shizhi never expected him to dare disrupt the presence of the World Honored One of Mount Sumeru.  

The World Honored One, though compassionate and benevolent, had held his exalted position for many years. Such an affront would surely provoke his wrath—  

Chong Jue’s voice was clear and gentle as he spoke indifferently, “Since he loves to play, let him play to his heart’s content. He may come in the afternoon.”  

Xie Shizhi: “…”  

…wrath?  

Xie Shizhi was stunned.  

There wasn’t the slightest hint of anger?  

After speaking, Chong Jue’s plain monastic robes fluttered lightly as he turned to return to the Buddha hall in As Returning Pavilion.  

Xie Shizhi was still in a daze when he saw the aloof and distant World Honored One suddenly pause. From his sleeve, he produced a small box and flicked it gently toward Xie Shizhi.  

Elder Xie caught it with both hands and asked solemnly, “World Honored One, what is this?”  

Was it a Magical Artifact to punish Su Xiao Xiao for deceiving his elders?  

Or scriptures for the Young Master to copy as punishment?  

Or perhaps—  

Xie Shizhi silently drew a sharp breath—could this be Mount Sumeru’s Dharma Treasure, the Ascetic Mustard? Had the World Honored One, in his fury, decided to seize Su Han Sheng and subject him to trials to temper his mind, only releasing him once he had learned discipline?  

It was said that when Buddhist cultivators of Mount Sumeru developed demonic obstructions, they would undergo ascetic trials within the Ascetic Mustard. Upon emerging, they would be purified of worldly attachments and fully devoted to the Buddhist path.  

Xie Shizhi’s thoughts spiraled further, his hands nearly trembling as he held the small box.  

Chong Jue said, “Milk candy. Xiao Xiao has loved it since childhood.”  

Xie Shizhi exhaled in relief.  

So it was just milk candy—that was a relief…  

Wait, what?!  

Chong Jue had already returned to the Buddha hall to chant scriptures.  

…leaving Xie Shizhi standing there, respectfully holding the sweetly fragrant box, utterly bewildered and unable to regain his composure for a long time.  

The Heavenly Dao is just—this must be a dream.  

***  

Su Han Sheng happily admired Qi Jian Yi’s ashen expression all the way back, savoring the sight of the usually cold and unshakable young man struggling to maintain his composure. Only when he had his fill did he leisurely hum a tune and stroll back.  

Strangely enough, though the Phoenix Bone should have acted up yesterday, today, even under such intense sunlight, he felt no discomfort at all while holding an umbrella.  

As soon as he returned to Frosty Expanse Garden, his Lifebound Tree gently leaned in, opening the door to his residence for him. Inside, a man in black robes sat on the couch brewing tea, as if he had been waiting for a long time.  

It was Xie Shizhi.  

Su Han Sheng stepped inside and greeted meekly, “Greetings, Elder Xie.”  

Xie Shizhi motioned for him to sit. “Has Young Master Qi left?”  

“Yes,” Su Han Sheng replied, inexplicably guilty. “He just left. This time, I didn’t even give him a single leaf of the Lofty Ganoderma.”  

Su Han Sheng knew full well that while Xu Nan Xian often threatened to bring their senior brother to discipline him, most of it was just bluster. But Xie Shizhi was different—he would genuinely tattle, even exaggerating Su Han Sheng’s minor misdeeds tenfold.  

“Young Master Qi is an honored guest of the Echoing Warmth Sect. It was only proper for the Young Master to see him off. Missing the morning scripture lecture is understandable, and the World Honored One will not blame you.” Xie Shizhi smiled faintly. “Does the Young Master have any other friends to send off this afternoon?”  

Su Han Sheng: “…”  

The usually quick-witted Su Han Sheng was left speechless.

Xie Shizhi tempered his authority with kindness, softening his expression as he took out the box of milk candies given by Chong Jue from his sleeve. With a gentle voice, he said, “I remember how attached you were to the World Honored One as a child. You gnawed through several soft strings of his rosary beads. See, even after all these years, he still remembers your fondness for milk candies and specially asked me to bring these to you.”

He opened the lid of the box, revealing over a dozen snow-white square milk candies, their sweet fragrance wafting through the air.

Su Han Sheng caught the strong milky scent and frowned slightly.

Was he a three-year-old child to be coaxed with such childish tricks?

“I don’t like sweets,” Su Han Sheng pushed the box back. “My fourth senior brother enjoys them. Elder Xie can take them to him later.”

Xie Shizhi’s gaze darkened slightly.

This was clearly a roundabout refusal.

Not wanting to meet Chong Jue, Su Han Sheng feigned a cough, covering his mouth. “The Bone Affliction might flare up soon. I’m feeling unwell and would like to rest.”

Had it been Xu Nan Xian, he would have already erupted in anger. But Xie Shizhi merely watched Su Han Sheng calmly, neither stopping nor persuading him. After a long silence, he smiled gently.

“Very well. Your health comes first, Young Master. Have Chang Kong prepare some medicine for you to drink before resting.”

Su Han Sheng found Xie Shizhi’s smile somewhat unsettling. Hesitating for a while, he finally retreated to his inner chamber, glancing back every few steps.

Xie Shizhi took a sip of tea.

Chang Kong, who had been eavesdropping outside, peeked in timidly. “Elder, are we really not going to make the Young Master go to the prayer hall?”

“As the Young Master, if he refuses, how can I force him?” Xie Shizhi smiled. “…Fetch the communication talisman from Responding Dao Lord.”

Chang Kong: “…”

Claiming not to use force while secretly planning to tattle to the Young Master’s senior brother?

Truly worthy of Elder Xie.

***

In the Spirit Mustard of As Returning Pavilion’s prayer hall.

Chong Jue sat in meditation, his eyes closed. The sandalwood incense from the small burner curled upward, enveloping him in a hazy mist. A jade box adorned with lotus patterns rested on the small table, its lid slightly ajar, revealing a corner of the gla.s.s rosary beads.

After counting hundreds of beads, noon had long passed, yet Su Xiao Xiao still hadn’t arrived.

His temper was quite stubborn.

Chong Jue stopped turning the beads and slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the drifting incense smoke for a long while before sighing silently. His snow-mist-like figure vanished from the spot without disturbing even a wisp of smoke.

…In the inner chamber of Frosty Expanse Garden, Su Han Sheng drank his medicine and lay down.

Perhaps due to his stabilized Divine Soul, this time he fell into a deep and peaceful slumber. In his drowsy state, he caught a whiff of an unusual scent, as if someone had lightly touched his forehead.

…It was like the mingling of ice and snow with bodhi flowers, accompanied by the chime of Mount Sumeru’s temple bells, lulling his consciousness into a dream.

In the dream, white mist filled the sky, and a crisp, indescribable snowy fragrance wafted with the wind, lifting the strands of Su Han Sheng’s long hair.

His perspective seemed unusually low. Su Han Sheng looked up in confusion to see a faceless man seated beside him, his gla.s.s rosary beads clicking softly, their clear sound carrying a soothing Zen-like tranquility.

Su Han Sheng heard a child’s babbling voice call out, “Un… Uncle.”

The beads stopped moving as the man looked down.

“Hmm?”

Su Xiao Xiao whispered, “Want candy.”

The uncle remained silent.

Thinking he would be denied like his fourth senior brother, Su Xiao Xiao quickly shook his head. “Xiao Xiao! Xiao Xiao doesn’t know.”

The uncle asked softly, “Doesn’t know what?”

Su Xiao Xiao covered her mouth, shaking her head and mumbling, “N-no, don’t know. Just don’t know. Senior brother said if I don’t want a beating, I should say I don’t know.”

Uncle: “…”

Su Xiao Xiao hung her head, still softly muttering “don’t know,” desperately trying to prove she didn’t want a beating.

Suddenly, a pair of strong hands gently lifted her onto a lap, enveloping her from all sides with snow-white kasaya robes carrying the fragrance of bodhi flowers.

“Uncle?”

The man, whose every movement was as gentle as mist, fed her something sweet.

Su Xiao Xiao, whose milk teeth had just fully grown, eagerly clamped down on it.

It was an overwhelmingly sweet…

milk candy.

Su Han Sheng felt as if he’d stepped into empty air, jolting awake abruptly.

It was already dusk, the setting sun’s afterglow slanting through the slightly parted bed curtains onto the back of Su Han Sheng’s hand—fortunately the sunlight wasn’t strong, just leaving a faint redness.

The Lifebound Tree lifted the bed curtain, offering a cup of warm water.

Still dazed, Su Han Sheng leaned back as he was given water to drink, his mouth still seemingly lingering with the cloying sweetness of the milk candy from his dream. Unable to help himself, he choked slightly and began coughing quietly.

The coughing made his internal organs ache faintly, but it at least brought him to full wakefulness. Biting his knuckle, he frowned as thoughts surged through his mind.

Everyone in the sect said that when the Profound Advent Immortal Lord perished, Su Han Sheng had run a fever for half a month straight. The once bright child had his brains “fried silly,” losing all memories from early childhood.

The dream had felt so real that Su Han Sheng couldn’t help wondering if it was a forgotten memory.

Though judging by how he barely reached people’s thighs in the dream, he must have been only three or four—perfectly normal not to remember things from that age.

And Uncle… the milk candy…

Su Han Sheng’s face immediately turned green.

Though he knew his sleeping partner from his past life was of higher seniority, it had always felt somewhat abstract, not fully sinking in.

But this dream…

Su Han Sheng clutched his head, wishing he could just die.

The long sleep had left his head aching, and he didn’t want to dwell on that distressing mess. Listlessly, he checked his meridians and was surprised to find the Phoenix Bone lying completely dormant, showing no signs of acting up.

Glancing at the Towering Ganoderma covered in frost by his bedside, he thought blankly, “Is this thing really that effective?”

The Phoenix Bone’s calm was a good thing, and Su Han Sheng wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Pushing aside the bed curtains, he threw on robes and got up, wanting some fresh air.

Any more sleep would surely rust his brains.

But just as he finished putting on his outer robe, his gaze unintentionally swept over the small bedside table, and he froze.

The small table by the bed was usually where medicine was placed when the Phoenix Bone acted up and Su Han Sheng was too feverish to rise, though normally it just held a slender vase with some winter plum blossoms to decorate the room.

Yet today, on that small table sat an exquisite jade box carved with lotus patterns.

Frowning, Su Han Sheng called, “Chang Kong?”

In a few days he’d be leaving for Enlightenment Academy, and Chang Kong was probably busy packing his things, as there was no response for quite a while.

Su Han Sheng raised a hand, and the Lifebound Tree hooked the jade box, dropping it into his palm.

As soon as he caught it, an aura of frost and bodhi flowers wafted over him, reminiscent of the person who’d held his hand in the dream—steady and reassuring.

Opening the lid, he found a string of gla.s.s rosary beads imbued with spiritual energy.

Su Han Sheng’s lips twitched slightly.

…Along with a handwritten copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra beneath the jade box, the sender was obvious.

What was this supposed to be?

An apology? Or a birthday gift?

Su Han Sheng pouted and was about to toss the glass rosary beads back into the jade box when hurried footsteps echoed from the outer chamber—it could only be Xu Nan Xian.

“Xiao Xiao, come out!”

The room was unlit, the last rays of sunset had faded completely, leaving the space pitch black.

Su Han Sheng was startled and immediately scrambled onto the bed.

But Xu Nan Xian moved swiftly, covering the distance in a few strides before entering the inner chamber. He grabbed Su Han Sheng by the scruff of his neck, holding him like a cat.

“What are you running for?!”

Su Han Sheng, still groggy from waking up, vaguely recalled the near-beating he had almost received earlier that day. Thinking Xu Nan Xian had come to settle the score, he blurted out instinctively:

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”

Xu Nan Xian: “???”

Xu Nan Xian casually snapped his fingers, and the lamps in the room lit up all at once. With his high cultivation, he effortlessly lifted Su Han Sheng with one hand, puzzled. “What don’t you know? Don’t know what?”

Su Han Sheng cautiously studied Xu Nan Xian’s expression and realized his senior brother didn’t seem intent on punishing him. He whispered, “Senior Brother… um, you’re not angry anymore?”

“Angry about what?” Xu Nan Xian set Su Han Sheng down as if nothing had happened, speaking magnanimously. “If I got angry at you every time, I wouldn’t have enough lives to spare.”

Su Han Sheng finally relaxed, though something still felt off.

This time, he had skipped the World Honored One’s scripture lecture. Normally, Xu Nan Xian would be furious enough to ignore him for days—why was he letting it go so easily now?

But he soon found out.

With the room now brightly lit, Su Han Sheng noticed Xu Nan Xian was dressed in the black-and-white robes of Enlightenment Academy, a sash tied around his waist, and a spear strapped to his back—clearly prepared for a journey.

Su Han Sheng ventured, “Senior Brother, where are you going?”

“That’s what I was about to tell you.” Xu Nan Xian fiddled with the Enlightenment Academy token in his hand. “There’s an urgent matter at the academy. I have to return overnight and set off soon. I won’t be able to take you there on the nineteenth.”

Su Han Sheng was taken aback. “Huh?”

“I’ll have Chang Kong pack your things for you.” Xu Nan Xian, ever efficient, rattled off instructions. “As for your Lifebound Tree… tsk, it’s too flashy. Make it smaller and plant it in a pot to carry along.”

Still dazed, Su Han Sheng mumbled, “Oh.”

Xu Nan Xian flicked Su Han Sheng’s forehead with a finger and raised an eyebrow. “What’s there to fear? I won’t make you go to Enlightenment Academy alone.”

Su Han Sheng’s heart skipped a beat—a bad premonition creeping in.

Then Xu Nan Xian spoke in that familiar, envious tone: “The World Honored One is returning to Enlightenment Academy in a few days. Elder Xie has already arranged for him to take you along. Tsk, traveling with the World Honored One—you should be over the moon.”

Su Han Sheng: “…………”

Su Han Sheng: “What?!”