As it happened, Jing City University’s winter camp was coming up soon.
It was a study program specially provided for outstanding high-school students. Those qualified to participate only had to pay a small portion of the food and lodging costs to live and spend time on the Jing City University campus.
It served both as a recruitment event and a free intensive course before the college entrance examination. The wealth of educational resources went without saying, and there were plenty of recreational activities besides. The camp lasted half a month and ended two days before Lunar New Year’s Eve, making it convenient for everyone either to go home for the New Year or stay in Jing City and experience different holiday customs.
Qin Shu had originally signed up because he wanted to drag Pei Zhao along and spend the New Year in Jing City, where things would be livelier. After all, the parents on both sides probably did not have much free time…
He had already suspected something was wrong with Pei Zhao’s parents back then. It was only after the two of them started dating that he finally learned the truth: those so-called “parents” were actually empty-shell puppets Pei Zhao had made from dead souls. Dressed in paper funeral clothing and paired with prepared false social identities, they simply made it easier for Pei Zhao to move around in the human world.
But if there were no parents to speak of, that changed things. Qin Shu planned to go home with Pei Zhao for the New Year. If there were too many people and things got too lively, they might even disturb the peaceful little world the two of them wanted for clinging to each other.
As for the winter camp they had already arranged, it would be better to treat it as a pleasant life experience.
Ever since winter break began, Qin Shu had been stealing bits of free time from eating, drinking, and doing housework to pack at a leisurely pace. Clothes came straight from the drying rack into the suitcase once folded, while important documents and anything else he wanted to bring were tucked into his bag in advance. That way, he would not be in such a rush when it was time to catch the flight and accidentally leave something important behind.
Pei Zhao was a little busier. He spent all day holding the luminous pearl and studying it. For one thing, Pei Zhao genuinely liked the pearl. The round, glowing storage artifact glittered day and night, and whenever he held it in his arms, his mood always seemed to improve a little.
More importantly, the pile of jade slips inside was practically mountainous. Even after he picked out and read the most critical information, there was still a massive amount of scripture and reference material he had not had time to examine closely.
According to Pei Zhao, “Compared with the Luofeng Scripture Pavilion, it has even more, not less.”
Zuo Zhe was dead, but the lifetime of resources he had left behind contained an enormous amount of valuable knowledge: lost cultivation methods, all kinds of rare techniques, even histories from ancient times… Compared with heavenly treasures and earthly riches, this knowledge was the most important wealth in his entire collection.
In an era where the line of inheritance had been broken, Zuo Zhe had possessed so much knowledge yet refused to put it to proper use. He had been completely unwilling to share spell-cultivation techniques he did not even need himself. Even subordinates like Blind Granny had received only the most sinister, least beneficial scraps.
All he knew how to do was hoard things for himself. He would rather keep them buried until he died than let anyone else prosper. No wonder Zuo Zhe had never had any friends.
Qin Shu felt that with a mentality like that, Zuo Zhe could never have accomplished anything truly great. Pei Zhao was completely different. In only three days, he had already sorted out all the lost records related to body cultivation and Gu-making, added the materials he already possessed himself, packed everything together, and had the white dragon deliver it all back to Phoenix Village.
The white dragon was much faster than any courier service, and safer too.
After all, Phoenix Village also had a breach. The Cave God’s remains were still there, and the phoenix had reappeared, but none of that changed the village’s serious shortage of capable successors.
Helping them grow as quickly as possible and learn a few more ways to protect themselves and fight enemies would give them another layer of security.
The white dragon had only just been taught a lesson by Yuanbao, so even being used as a delivery worker was not something he dared complain about. Besides, Phoenix Village was where Xiao Zhu had died. He was quite willing to go back and take a look. Without saying anything, he obediently carried off an enormous box of supplies.
In theory, if the white dragon flew at full speed, a round trip from Jiangcheng to Phoenix Village would take only about ten minutes. Yet it was not until that afternoon that he finally descended at an unhurried pace onto the lawn of Qin Shu’s home.
At the time, Qin Shu was tidying the flower beds in the yard. They would be leaving Jiangcheng soon, so it was time to give everything one last thorough going-over. To protect the newly planted saplings from the last cold snap of early spring as well as insect damage, he had wrapped them in special protective material and was working up quite a sweat.
Then the enormous shadow of the white dragon slowly descended from the sky, instantly darkening Qin Shu’s field of vision by several shades. He put down his shovel and wiped away his sweat. “Whew… Why did it take you so long to get back?”
“They were too enthusiastic. They practically held me hostage and wouldn’t let me leave until I’d eaten three rounds of offerings. Tch, what a nuisance.”
The white dragon complained gloomily, but there was very little genuine malice in his tone. Then he spat out a huge pile of things. There were fresh mountain products, specialties from Phoenix Village and Yun City, New Year goods that had only come onto the market in the past month, cured meat and ham, and even Gu-insect food prepared especially for Yuanbao.
Besides all that, there was a dazzling blood-red feather carefully packed inside an ebony box. Outside the box were layers of heavy silk and another iron case, wrapped so securely that almost nothing could get through.
It took Qin Shu quite a while to open everything. The instant he finally did, he understood why it had been wrapped so heavily.
“…This isn’t a phoenix feather, is it? It’s burning hot to the touch. The box is practically scorched through.” Qin Shu stared for a moment before exclaiming in shock, “How could you just accept something this valuable?!”
“With three layers inside and three layers outside, how was I supposed to know what it was?! If you don’t want it, pull out one of my dragon scales and send that back instead. Happy?”
The white dragon snapped right back, irritably blasting a huge puff of cloud from his nostrils. “Besides, the gifts Lord Zhaoyuan sent over weren’t worth any less than this feather. They can’t produce anything better right now. You showed them such goodwill, so what else were they supposed to do except ask that little bird for a proper return gift?”
“All right, all right, you’re right, you’re right.” Qin Shu laughed. “Ao Wang, you’re awfully fiery today.”
The sudden use of his name made the white dragon’s heart jolt. He fell silent for quite a while, took a moment to get his emotions under control, then muttered, “I’m just a helpless widower. Hmph. The scenery stirred up old memories. What’s wrong with my temper getting a little strange all of a sudden?”
“Fine, nothing wrong with it. Thanks for making the trip.” Qin Shu almost laughed again, but decided that would be inappropriate and forcibly held it in. “Go ahead and be angry for a while. I’ll give you some space. Just don’t get so mad you knock over my saplings.”
He put away the shovel and handed the phoenix feather to Yuanbao for temporary safekeeping. Then he carried all of Chen Shui’s return gifts into the house in one go. Ignoring Yuanbao’s increasingly obvious wriggling hints, Qin Shu stacked everything neatly in one corner of the basement.
Pei Zhao was also in the basement, busy studying the alchemy furnace they had brought back from Zuo Zhe’s house. The temperature was rather high. Even with the air conditioner turned up as far as it could go, the room was still unbearably hot.
He looked uncomfortable, but his hands never stopped moving. At some point, for reasons Qin Shu could not understand, Pei Zhao even put the increasingly beautiful eyeball into the furnace and roasted it for a while before taking it back out for a careful inspection.
“Zhaozhao~ I missed you!” The moment he finished carrying everything, Qin Shu immediately moved closer, pulled Pei Zhao into his arms, scooped him up around the waist, and carried him straight out of the basement without allowing any objections.
Pei Zhao’s resistance proved useless. Trapped in an embrace even hotter than the alchemy furnace, he was carried all the way back to the living-room sofa before he finally escaped.
No, not completely. Qin Shu pressed him down with his head resting on Qin Shu’s lap, picked up the pitcher of iced drink they always kept on the table, poured a full glass, thoughtfully added a straw, and held it to Pei Zhao’s lips.
“All right, take a break. Don’t go back to the basement today. I know how badly you handle heat.”
Seeing that Pei Zhao still looked dazed, Qin Shu gently pinched his cheek and forcibly pushed the straw into his mouth. “Drink. Seriously, staying in a terrible environment all day is going to cause problems. Look at me. So my head wouldn’t stay packed with things, I deliberately went outside and did some physical work today.”
“…Mm.” With his cheek pinched, Pei Zhao turned his head slightly, lowered his eyes, and took a long drink of ice water through the straw. He answered in a muffled voice and did not insist on going back.
Satisfied, Qin Shu stroked his soft hair and softened his tone. “Our flight’s in two days. Is there anything else you need me to bring?”
After the water cooled him down and the oppressive heat gradually faded, Pei Zhao relaxed, lazily resting his head on Qin Shu’s lap. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Bringing the luminous pearl is enough. Actually, we could put all our luggage into the storage space too. Saves trouble.”
“Good point. But we should still put on a show and bring a suitcase. Otherwise the other students might think there’s something wrong with us, showing up completely empty-handed. Hahaha.” Qin Shu laughed at his own idea.
Pei Zhao closed his eyes, the corners of his lips curving slightly. “Who cares what other people think?”
“That won’t do. They can think there’s something wrong with me, but if they think there’s something wrong with you, I refuse to accept it.”
“Mm… fair point.” Pei Zhao suddenly looked thoughtful. “Then we’ll bring one suitcase.”
“Oh, right. Any snacks you want for the trip? Hmm, there should be ice cream on the plane. I didn’t go with the school’s arrangements this time. I booked our tickets separately, so it’ll just be the two of us…”
Qin Shu lowered his voice. “There might still be some light snow in Jing City, so I packed an extra scarf and thick coat or two. I think you look especially cute in a scarf. All fluffy.”
“All right. I’ll listen to you.” Pei Zhao’s voice quietly softened too.
He realized that he really liked listening to Qin Shu ramble about trivial everyday things. The exhaustion he had suppressed while staying busy over the past few days rose up before he knew it. Eyes closed, he nestled a little deeper into Qin Shu’s embrace like a sleepy cat.
Reading was enjoyable, but reading day and night without stopping, constantly thinking, unable to make a mistake or overlook anything, was actually extremely draining to the mind. Pei Zhao had not realized he was tired until now.
Their idle conversation grew softer and softer until only the television remained in the background. Curled together on the sofa, the two of them somehow drifted into an afternoon nap.
By the time they woke again, it was already dark.
Yuanbao was repeatedly trying to pry open the clay jar containing his brand-new food. Only when he heard movement from the living room did he hurriedly stop, leave the basement with an air of perfect innocence, and pretend nothing had happened.
Qin Shu’s lazy gaze paused, following the dark-red figure that shot across the carpet. One look was enough to know Yuanbao had been plotting something.
That nap was way too comfortable. I’ll let him off this time.
Times when Qin Shu could completely empty his mind and laze around like this were becoming rare. He did not want to get up, so he simply pulled Pei Zhao back against the soft sofa cushions and went to sleep again.
Only after they had rested thoroughly did they have the energy to keep working. The phoenix feather did not stay with Qin Shu for long. Pei Zhao soon took it away, saying he needed to modify and process it a little before Qin Shu could safely carry it around.
After all, the feather was simply too hot. If it accidentally fell onto the carpet, the house would be on fire one second later. Wearing it directly would burn through his clothes in the blink of an eye.
Even if an ordinary person accidentally obtained an unimaginably rare treasure, without enough ability they might not be able to keep it for long. This was a perfect example.
Pei Zhao’s modification method was extremely simple. He borrowed some translucent crystalline threads from the eyeball, wove them into a hollow sphere, put it into the red artifact-refining furnace overnight, then threaded it onto a fine silver chain. Just like that, a perfectly normal-looking necklace was finished.
The blood-red phoenix feather was enclosed inside the crystal-clear container. It did not glow normally, only glittering when sunlight swept across it, like an especially beautiful little pendant.
According to Pei Zhao, the chain that looked like pure silver also contained a little Profound Yin Cold Jade and Earth Marrow.
Earth Marrow was a common material for spell cultivators’ clothing. It was extraordinarily tough and durable, highly elastic, impervious to blades and spears, and resistant to both water and fire. Paired with Profound Yin Cold Jade, the necklace could even be taken off and used as a magical artifact when weapons were scarce… essentially giving it a built-in enchantment.
“I’m not a professional artifact refiner. I only read a few books out of interest, so I could barely manage something this simple.” As Pei Zhao explained, he personally fastened the delicate, cool chain around Qin Shu’s neck, his expression unusually serious.
Qin Shu obediently stood still. Only after confirming the necklace was secure did he wrap Pei Zhao in a fierce hug, turn his head, and kiss him several times. “This is simple?! Pei Zhao, you’re a genius. This is incredible… I’m going to kiss you to death!”
Pei Zhao had no time to react before Qin Shu lifted his chin and sealed his lips again. The phoenix-feather pendant pressed between them, coolness spreading from it, yet the heat of their contact was far more overwhelming. Pei Zhao seemed to lose every bit of strength to struggle almost immediately.
Quite a while later, during the first moment Qin Shu finally allowed himself to breathe, Pei Zhao spoke softly. “New Year’s Eve.”
“…Hm?”
“You told me to pick a day.” The tips of Pei Zhao’s ears were faintly red as he pressed his face against Qin Shu’s and repeated softly, “Then New Year’s Eve. If you don’t do it, I’ll make you regret it.”
Qin Shu froze, then instantly understood. All the smooth naturalness vanished from his movements, and even his words came out stumbling. “Then… w-we’re not watching the Spring Festival Gala?”
Qin Shu had not objected, which meant there was no problem. Pei Zhao still did not look at him, keeping his face tucked against Qin Shu’s neck. “We can… watch it afterward. The Gala doesn’t start until eight.”
“And New Year’s Eve dinner, cough… never mind, then we’ll eat later. Being too full would interfere with the activity anyway.” Qin Shu drew a deep breath. “Okay. It’s settled. It’s a good day, and it feels more ceremonial. Works for me. I’ll tell Auntie Su ahead of time so she doesn’t… so she doesn’t invite us over for dinner.”
“Mm. All right.”
After that painfully serious discussion ended, an awkward silence spread between them.
For a moment neither knew what else to say, yet neither wanted to pull away. They simply stood in the living room hugging for a long while, until a hungry Yuanbao crawled out from Qin Shu’s clothes and started wriggling again.
“You little mood-killer, seriously…” Qin Shu laughed in exasperation, picked Yuanbao up, and flicked him sharply on the head. Then he suddenly remembered something important.
“Oh, right. On New Year’s Eve, should I board these little guys at Old Tang’s place first? So they don’t see anything they shouldn’t.”
“…Mm. You’re right.” Pei Zhao immediately realized the issue too and supported the idea without hesitation.
Hearing this, the enormous head of the white dragon poked through the living-room window. “I have to be boarded too?”
“Obviously. What else?”
“It’s just the seven emotions and six desires. I really don’t understand what you two are so embarrassed about. Hmph. You’re clearly two monsters wearing human skins, yet you insist on copying humans and hiding everything away.” The white dragon was utterly baffled. “You two have kissed so many times already, making out wherever you please. You never bothered avoiding me before.”
“That’s completely different! Forget it, you wouldn’t understand. Just don’t come over to watch when the time comes. If you don’t want to stay at Tang Rui Cheng’s, go play somewhere else by yourself. Jiangcheng gets lively during the New Year. Wherever you go, there’ll be something fun to watch.”
“…I can go play wherever I want by myself?” The white dragon’s eyes lit up.
“Yes. Satisfied?”
“Satisfied, satisfied. When the time comes, let me take that little black lump with me too. I guarantee I’ll bring him back safely.” The white dragon was in a rare good mood, and even his attitude improved considerably. Before Qin Shu could change his mind, he quickly withdrew his head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever said he wasn’t allowed to go wherever he wanted in his free time, have I? I’ve literally never restricted him once.” The strange atmosphere disappeared remarkably fast, leaving Qin Shu only confused.
“He’s probably a little afraid of you. Not much, but enough to make him behave and listen.” Pei Zhao smiled. “He was the most timid one in the West Sea even back then. His older brothers were even more reckless, so some died and some were injured… Ao Wang’s the only one left still bouncing around.”
“Speaking of which, where did all those missing Dragon Kings go? I suspect they were assigned to suppress world fractures, but none of the oceans on Zuo Zhe’s map were marked. Every breach was on land or in the mountains, distributed along the earth veins.” Qin Shu suddenly thought of something. “How are we supposed to find them later? There’s still been no news at all.”
“If Zuo Zhe didn’t exile them into the void, then we can follow the map and search one by one.” Pei Zhao paused. “But if some fractures truly can’t be repaired and have to be suppressed personally by dragons, then finding them won’t accomplish much. They won’t be able to leave easily, nor can they provide much assistance.”
“…I understand. In the end, we still have to solve the root problem. Otherwise everyone is basically living in prison.”
Qin Shu sighed, but he did not feel especially discouraged. There were still many things they needed to work hard to solve. They just had to keep moving forward one step at a time. There would always be a way.
And the first step toward solving a problem was to go out there and face it!
One day later, the two traveled light and arrived safely at Jing City Airport after a flight of roughly three hours.
The moment they stepped off the plane, dry cold air swept toward them. Qin Shu turned to look at one corner of the sky, where faint dragon shadows drifted in and out of the clouds.
“I like this place.” Pei Zhao suddenly took a deep breath.
At the same time, the white dragon, who had arrived in advance with the little creatures, sighed appreciatively into Qin Shu’s ear. “Not bad, not bad. The scent of dragon qi is everywhere. Feels like coming home… I like this place.”
“What does dragon qi smell like?” Qin Shu pulled his suitcase with one hand and took Pei Zhao by the wrist with the other, leaning closer to ask curiously in a low voice.
“It’s difficult to describe. Perhaps only dragons can sense what is special about it… history, culture, spiritual resonance, the blessings and protection left behind by our ancestors. For the dragon race, the place where all of that flourishes most is here.”
Pei Zhao looked relaxed, and even his tone softened. “That’s a good thing. It means Jing City’s world-fracture problem isn’t as serious as we imagined. Although there’s no deity suppressing it right now, someone else must have stepped in to help, enough to slow the collapse. No wonder Zuo Zhe never came back to Jing City after partially succeeding here.”
“I knew it. Jing City has to have more old monsters around, those unbelievably powerful hidden masters secretly keeping the peace…”
Qin Shu was fascinated and more than a little excited. He had never met a reclusive master at the stage of Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao. If they could persuade one or two to help, everything they planned next would be much more secure.
Elio’s Notes: “Refining Emptiness and Merging with the Dao” is a traditional Daoist inner-alchemy term for an exceptionally advanced, culminating stage of cultivation.
But putting that aside… Jing City really had a lot of ghosts.
Just on the walk toward the airport exit, Qin Shu spotted two or three resentful ghosts who had died by jumping from buildings. They were already close to becoming malicious ghosts capable of hurting people, so Qin Shu casually shattered them and collected the remaining soul fragments.
There was also an absolute character who had tried to sneak onto a plane without a ticket, only to get sucked into an engine and torn apart. Now a puddle-like monster, it was a kind of prankster ghost Qin Shu rarely encountered. Dragging its incomplete limbs along the floor, it would secretly yank luggage and backpacks away from passing travelers and pull them into hidden corners just to cause trouble.
Prankster ghosts usually did not carry much resentment and rarely killed anyone… but messing with people’s luggage at an airport was still far too wicked. Losing important documents could delay something serious. Qin Shu personally carried the trembling creature out of the airport and told it to go play somewhere else.
The bus sent by the university arrived on time. It picked up not only Qin Shu and Pei Zhao, but also twelfth-grade students who had come to Jing City from all over the country. Since the vast majority were still minors, unless a parent was present, a teacher had to personally escort them back to the university.
Three ghosts were lying on the bus. All were university students who had died in traffic accidents.
More importantly, all three had been killed by this bus. The crushing marks on their bodies matched its wheels almost perfectly.
Something was wrong. Qin Shu said nothing more and quietly pulled Pei Zhao to sit in the back row.
It wasn’t just the bus… There was probably something seriously wrong with this university too.