Chapter 66: Zhongshan Country [13]
The flashlights from the people at the backshone downwards; only able to see a corner, but it was enough to make themshocked.
A wide river with black guard fences; thelight shining on it made it dazzle, like first-grade black jade.
“Xiao Rongrong?!”
Qi Xi’s voice echoed below, Zhang Qiuflashed the light around, he did not find Qi ZhiRong. In a matter of shorttime, where on earth could Qi ZhiRong go?
“Listen.” Li Shu raised his headand gazed at the top of the river.
Zhang Qiu listened carefully, and actuallyheard a m.u.f.fled roar, but the sound was too low to it distinctly.
“Let’s go up.”
Qi Xi suddenly said. Zhang Qiu looked at QiXi and discovered that Qi Xi’s expression looked bad, because he was worriedabout Qi ZhiRong. But who knew if Qi Xi would fell into a trap once he was up,it would not be good, so Zhang Qiu hastily said, “You—— You watch out forQi ZhiRong, I totally think he’s weird.”
“It’s a Xiezhi’s roar.”
“What?”
For a moment, Zhang Qiu disagreed with QiXi, but after he thought about it, he asked, “The roar above isXiezhi’s?”
Qi Xi nodded, because he was the same kind,he would not mistake it.
Everyone walked up the riverbank steps to goupwards. Although they could not see vividly from a distance, but they couldroughly see a palace style. The closer they came, the louder the roar. In theend, Qi Xi was running. At the palace entrance, the black gates were carvedwith complex veined pattern.
“Wings.” Qi Xi said: “Xiezhihas wings, but having wings are relatively rare, very precious. It is the kingamong us.”
Zhang Qiu had seen Qi Xi in his true formwithout wings. Was the owner of the tomb a Xiezhi king?
Qi Xi had pushed open the heavy stone gate,and a loud roar came. Zhang Qiu was tightly embraced by Li Shu and crushed tothe ground. His eardrums were buzzing. He couldn’t hear the people talking.Zhang Qiu looked back and saw fresh blood coming out of several bodyguards’nostrils and ears, which should have been hurt by the roar just now.
He hurriedly touched Xiao Jiang’s head. XiaoJiang’s mouth moved to speak, and Zhang Qiu gradually able to hear Xiao Jiangsaying Daddy.
It was good that he was alright.
Apart from the few bodyguards who missed thetime to react, the rest were alright. Li Shu pulled up Zhang Qiu and looked inside.At the end of the entire main hall was a pair of golden wings standing in theair. The Xiezhi’s roar echoed in the surrounding. But besides the first one,the next roar became weaker and weaker, with grief and resentment. Even withoutknowing what happened here, Zhang Qiu also would not think that the owner ofthis place was a Xiezhi.
The golden wings were very big, emitting afaint golden light, utterly beautiful.
Qi Xi stood in the middle and looked around.From the start, he did not see the owner of the golden wings, but the low roarcontinued.
“It’s already dead; this is the soul ofthe dead.” Zhang YuShui patted Qi Xi on the shoulder, took out talismanpaper in his hand, and said, “Go!” with his hands making formationand his mouth chanting. The talisman paper flew straight to its golden wingsand ignited before it touched them.
As the talisman paper burnt out, theXiezhi’s true form emerged in the middle of the golden wings.
This was a strong and muscular Xiezhi, whowas killed when it was in its upright prime. As soon as it emerged, this Xiezhithat had been deceived long ago harbored hatred roared angrily. It looked downat all the human beings at its feet with hatred. It wanted to kill them, killthese despicable and shameless human beings.
But it was imprisoned in place. No matter howit howling or jerking, it could not break away.
“Roar!”
Qi Xi suddenly changed to his true form. Infront of the golden Xiezhi, he looked like a cub, howling lowly. The originallyirrational and full of hatred Xiezhi slowly quiet down. Qi Xi jumped over, butpounced on empty. The golden Xiezhi bowed its head and its eyes were tearing asit rubbed Qi Xi’s neck like an elder and looked at Qi Xi with affection
“I also have a son who is as golden asyou.” The old huge Xiezhi opened its mouth with a mournful tone, and wavedits wings to stroke Qi Xi’s back. “He is also so young, naive, kind andjust. He believes in human lies and makes friends with human beings, but he didnot realize that despicable human beings have taken advantage of him.”
The Xiezhi’s tender and compa.s.sionate eyessuddenly sharpened against the human beings in front of him. “You have tobe careful not to believe in human.”
“They’re my friends and won’t hurtme.” Qi Xi raised his head and looked at the other. He didn’t know why,but when he saw this same kind, his heart felt a type of intimacy. “Whokilled you in the end?”
“You really look like my son.” TheXiezhi’s eyes fell into memories and rubbed gently against the horn on Qi Xi’shead.
During the Zhongshan Country period, most ofthe ancient Divine Beasts had disappeared or hidden. The Xiezhi’s son was ahappy and simple Golden Horned Xiezhi. The elder Xiezhi knew that human beingswere cunning and despicable. The human believed in power and would hunt andkilled them. So he had been encircling his son in the woods, but never expectedthat yet again the Golden Horned Xiezhi met a black-haired youngster.
“… The human called him Gongzi Huan.He was badly injured. My son brought him back, healed him and played with him.When the injury healed, I sent Gongzi Huan away…”
The Xiezhi thought that this would break offits son’s relationship with Gongzi Huan, but the young and naïve little Xiezhiwas curious about the human world in Gongzi Huan’s mouth. Every day, one humanand one beast made an appointment. By the time the elder Xiezhi found out, itsson had gone to Zhongshan Country with Gongzi Huan.
At that time in Zhongshan Country, GongziHuan had just succeeded the throne. He was young and ignorant, and was attackedby Jin Country the whole journey. He went hiding in Mount Taihang and wasrescued by the young Xiezhi. The Gongzi Huan in his prime of youth could notswallow this humiliation. Every day he wanted to stress on being a rich andpowerful country, to take back what belongs to him. The young Xiezhi was fullof justice, willing to help his friend. Fighting from all four quarters togather underlings, Gongzi Huan suffered patiently, butfirmly resolved on revenge. But after seven or eight years, he still gotnothing.
“I believed him then, but eight yearslater, when I set foot in Zhongshan Country again, I became like thistoday.” At this point, the Xiezhi’s eyes filled with bitterness.“Gongzi Huan took advantage of my son’s trust and my son fell into thetrap he had set up…”
The elder Xiezhi was torn apart alive; its boneswere crushed into dust and mixed into the brick walls of the palace; the singlehorn was placed on the top of the palace roof; its skin was made into windows;and its pair of wings were dismantled and pressed here by an array.
“What about your son?”
Qi Xi’s eyes were filled with sadness, tearsflowing out. He howled lowly in grieved.
“I desperately made him run away,watching him run away with my own eyes…” The Xiezhi had deep sadness inhis eyes.
Zhang Qiu knew that the young Xiezhi wouldnot run away alone. His friend used his trust to set up a trap. His father diedin order to save him from torment.
Indeed, as Zhang Qiu thought, the youngXiezhi came back riddled with scars, eyes rolling with tears and stubbornlylooking at his friend. At the last moment, he did not believe that his friendwould do that to him. But the next moment, the young Xiezhi saw his father’s wingswere torn down, and his whole being went crazy roaring and pouncing around.
Having being together for ten years, GongziHuan learned Xiezhi’s weaknesses from the young Xiezhi.
In Mount Taihang, the young Xiezhi’s grieflingered for a long time.
“Ah Huan—— Ah Huan—— Ah Huan—— Ah Huan——”
“I am willing to use my soul to curseyou for not getting what you want for eternity.”
“Curse Zhongshan, the destroyed country.”
“Ah Huan——Ah Huan——Ah Huan I hateyou.”
When the elder Xiezhi closed its eyes on itsdeath, it saw its son fall into a pool of blood, dying. “He didn’t runaway. I don’t know where he was. Maybe Gongzi Huan killed him, maybe he’s not deadyet.” As he said the last sentence, he himself felt uncertain of this hope.
Qi Xi’s throat voiced out a sad tune and he rubbedon the wings of the elder Xiezhi. Aside from the wings were real, the rest werespiritual.
“Good boy, good boy, you are like myson.” The elder Xiezhi’s eyes rolled out tears and it fell down. Clearly,it was a spiritual body, but the tears really fell on Qi Xi’s back, feeling theice-cold penetrated his skin.
Ancient Divine Beast’s corporal body coulddie, but the soul was immortal. However, the flesh and soul were separated andimprisoned for thousands of years in the array. The elder Xiezhi’s soul hadbeen consumed too much in a short time that it looked as if it was going todissipate.
Qi Xi noticed something was wrong and lookedback at Zhang YuShui.
“I can fix his soul, just have to breakthe array. But first, I have to know where the array is.” Zhang YuShuilooked at Zhang Qiu. “Little brother, I need to borrow your blood.”
Zhang Qiu immediately pulled up his sleeveand wished he could give a bowl.
This palace was where the elder Xiezhi’ssoul was. The soul was scattered and trapped in the whole palace. Zhang YuShuisaid, “Everyone withdrawn first. Too much Yang Qi is not conducive tocondensing the spirit body.”
Qi Xi reluctantly retreated. The elder Xiezhi’ssoul that was not enough of support, slowly dispersed. They quickly withdrawfrom the palace and closed the black door. Zhang YuShui stained with ZhangQiu’s blood, began to draw talisman on the closed door.
The bodyguards all retreated to the stepsand Li Shu and Pixian Hui w.a.n.g guarded Zhang YuShui because at this time, hecould not be interrupted.
Zhang Yushui used this method before, but solidifyingthe soul of human was different from solidifying the soul of ancient DivineBeast. The latter consumed a lot of energy, and it was easy to make mistakes ifone did not pay attention. With steady brushwork, Zhang Yushui concentrated onwriting smoothly. Writing further, his forehead started to seep out bead ofsweats the size of bean.
Zhang Qiu nervously watched and dared notbreathe loudly. Reaching the end, the vermilion talisman texts on the blackstone door faintly appeared golden flowing light. One could feel the power bystanding not far away.
Soon.
Qi Xi’s eyes were relaxed.
“Mr. Qi?!”
Below the steps, the bodyguard whispered in surprisewhen he saw the incoming person
“Roar!”
As the bodyguard’s voice just dropped, followingnext in the quiet palace was a sudden burst of roar. Zhang YuShui’s hand shookin panic, but immediately stabilized his state of mind.
“Gongzi Huan, it’s you, it’s you!”
The elder Xiezhi in the palace seemed towant to rush out at all cost. The whole palace doors and windows were shaking.Zhang YuShui knew that the elder Xiezhi wanted kill Gongzi Huan even at thestake of its soul fly away and scatter. But now was not the time for revenge,no matter what, life was more important.
“Senior, calm down! Otherwise, yoursoul will be annihilated——” Zhang YuShui said aloud and began to writequickly. “Who’s coming? Get out of here!”
Zhang Qiu had seen the incoming person fromfar away; it was Qi ZhiRong. Naturally Qi Xi also saw, and immediately cameforward to block Qi ZhiRong’s step up with a complicated expression.
Qi ZhiRong breathed indifferent, lookinginto Qi Xi’s eyes with a flash of complexity. He stopped in place and heard thefurious roar as if it hit him on the face. He opened his mouth in hoa.r.s.e,“Xiao Xi is not dead.” [Xiao xi=brook/streamlet]
The slamming doors and windows immediatelyquieted down.
In the palace came the low roar of the elderXiezhi, slowly dissipating. Just now, it exhausted its soul at the risk ofdeath for revenge, but after hearing Qi ZhiRong’s words, all the resentment inthis tone had dissipated.
Zhang YuShui quickly drew up his last strokeand said towards Qi Xi’s worried eyes, “There is no danger, but his soulconsume too much, so we must quickly remove the array, otherwise my array willnot be able to support him.” After that, he looked at Qi ZhiRong on thesteps and said, “Who on earth are you?”
“I’m Qi ZhiRong.” Upon seeing QiXi’s disbelieving eyes, Qi ZhiRong whispered with tone a bit lonely: “As Isaid, I don’t care about the previous incarnation of this life, I’m just Qi ZhiRong.I’m just Qi ZhiRong…”
Qi ZhiRong indirectly admitted that he wasGongzi Huan in the elder Xiezhi’s mouth.
“Xiao Xi——” Qi Xi’s eyes wereblank.
“It’s his son.” Qi ZhiRong said.
Zhang Qiu looked between Qi ZhiRong and QiXi. Could Qi Xi be the Xiao Xi, the son of the elder Xiezhi? Otherwise, itwould not likely be coincidental like that. Qi Xi was indifferent to everyone,but Qi Xi repeatedly made an unreasonable scene and turned into a cub. Althoughthe cub was cute, but it was not a normal pet upon seeing, but Qi ZhiRong neversaid anything. Even when Qi Xi kissed Qi ZhiRong on his mouth last time, Qi ZhiRongdidn’t beat him up.
Looking back on how Qi Zhi Rong treated QiXi, Zhang Qiu only now found that Qi ZhiRong was really unusual towards Qi Xi.
“Come with me.” Qi ZhiRong said.
Qi Xi stood in place, his eyes full of coldness,staring at Qi ZhiRong’s back. “You killed the elder Xiezhi.”
“I don’t know.” Qi ZhiRong lookedback at Qi Xi on the steps, somewhat confused. “It should be him, but Ican feel that he didn’t want to do it. He really didn’t want to do it. Heregretted it.”
The "he" Qi ZhiRong meant should be GongziHuan.
Zhang Qiu felt that at this moment it wasbetter to seize the time to break up the array first. Talking while walking, everyoneshould be honest and open; otherwise they would always be on guard againstanyone.
“Say as you walk.” Li Shu openedhis mouth and looked at Qi ZhiRong. “You’d better not play anytricks.”
Qi ZhiRong laughed at himself. “What hedid, I carried his persistence from childhood, what tricks I could play, I saidI was just Qi ZhiRong.”
“But you are not.” Qi Xi truncatedQi ZhiRong’s words, “You have memories, you remember at the party.”
What party? Zhang Qiu thought. The party thatQi Xi mentioned should be one held by Qi ZhiRong. At that time, they met Qi Xiin order to wait for the Su father and son. During that time, Qi Xi instructedXiao Jiang to bring him food in return for the apple carved fox. After eating asnack, Qi Xi hurried away. Later, Qi Xi saved them in the car accident.
At that time Qi Xi was in his true form,Zhang Qiu thought Qi Xi could beat Su Yu, but only today he knew that Qi Xi haddrunk mixed alcohol that night and met Qi ZhiRong in the back garden of thehotel. They obviously had something going on. Qi Xi could not control himselfand fearing that he would change to his true form, he left early. He did not expectthat en route to return home, he still changed to his true form.
“Nn, I felt familiar at first sightwhen I saw you, and a voice in my heart told me that it was you that I was lookingfor all the time.” Qi ZhiRong admitted directly, “But I am me, and IQi Zhi Rong will not be controlled by anyone. If it weren’t for my healthproblems, I wouldn’t care about these unreal things surrounding my life.”
“If you don’t want his soul flies awayand scatters, you should follow me.” Qi ZhiRong took the lead down thestairs. “Believe it or not, suit yourself.”
Zhang Qiu looked at Li Shu. Li Shu nodded.They followed Qi ZhiRong. Following behind, Qi Xi was in a state of spiritualdistress. Obviously, today’s shock was so great that all kinds of news pouredinto one place. Qi Xi opened his mouth but did not know what to say.
In front, Qi ZhiRong started to talk withhis back against them. Zhang Qiu couldn’t see Qi Zhi Rong’s expression.
“Because I met Qi Xi, I found thatoccasionally my body was uncontrollable, and within my brain intermittently appearedmany strange, past memories about a Divine Beast cub, called Xiao Xi and He wascalled Gongzi Huan.” Qi ZhiRong spoke in a flat tone, like he was talkingabout other people’s affairs.
The story was not different from what theelder Xiezhi had said, even at the final pitfall, Qi ZhiRong told all thememory in his mind. Qi Xi gritted his teeth with resentment and deathly staredat Qi ZhiRong’s back.
“… I can feel that He was unwilling,He felt very painful, but He could not control His hands, and the orders came fromHis mouth. He was like a marionette being controlled, doing what He did notwant to do. Day and night He was remorseful.” Qi ZhiRong stopped andpointed to the river. “In the beginning, there was nothing here. He built.i.t, hid Xiao Xi under the river. He violated a person’s order and did not dealwith Xiao Xi as He did with the elder Xiezhi.”
Qi ZhiRong had been reluctant to admit thatGongzi Huan was him. The He meant in his mouth was Gongzi Huan. What about a person’sorder?
Zhang Qiu recalled that there was a tall,thin figure in the murals carrying something to Gongzi Huan. Was that personthe one who controlled Gongzi Huan? It was also possible that everything was QiZhiRong thoughtlessly chose to confuse and nothing was out of his control. It wasGongzi Huan’s fault, who could explain all of these clearly?
They kept walking down the river fence untilthey reached a place where Qi ZhiRong gazed at it for a long time, lost inthoughts, and then whispered, “He used to like swimming very much. It wasme who hurt him…”
Zhang Qiu found that Qi ZhiRong’s expressionwas quite fuzzy when he spoke, but soon he could see Qi ZhiRong’s expressionagain.
“Oh, did you find out?” Qi ZhiRonglooked at Zhang Qiu and laughed. “I said that this body was occasionallyout of my control.”
“You are too rejecting. Maybe you shouldtry to accept that Qi ZhiRong is Gongzi Huan and Gongzi Huan is Qi ZhiRong.”Zhang YuShui opened his mouth and said, “What are you afraid of?”
Qi ZhiRong looked at Qi Xi subconsciouslyand quickly retracted his eyes. “I don’t know what you said. He’s him. I’mme.”
Zhang Qiu felt that Qi ZhiRong might beafraid of Qi Xi hating him, if he admitted that he was Gongzi Huan, because theone who killed Qi Xi’s father was Gongzi Huan. Whether he was controlled ornot, the one ordered it was Gongzi Huan. How could Qi Xi accept Gongzi Huan?
It was really a headache.
“At that time, that person asked me tobuild such a palace. With Divine Beast Xiezhi suppressing it, Zhongshan Countrywould be blessed for prosperity for generations. He asked me to build a smallpalace here and bury Xiao Xi’s bones underneath it. Later, he disappeared. Idug the palace open, but the water from the source came out. I could not findXiao Xi’s bones. I simply made people built the river…” Qi ZhiRong said atthis part using "I", seemed like Gongzi Huan.
Li Shu suddenly said, “What did heoffer you?”
“A piece of jade; a flawless white jade.It was said to be able to reverse life and death, give immortality, and give aflourishing fate of the nation.” Qi ZhiRong said until here, and his eyesshowed a blank look and he frowned, “I, I can’t even remember what helooks like…”
Finished talking, Qi ZhiRong returned to hisindifference, but Zhang Qiu found that along the way, Qi ZhiRong seemed afraidto look at Qi Xi.
“The eye of the array should be here.The person who gave you the idea was very malicious. Both sides served as the eye of the array.They restrained each other and until finally dissipated the souls. But becauseof your later alteration, there was a drastic decrease in effectiveness. I hadsaid that the elder Xiezhi had suffered such serious injury, but the soul actuallyable to survive till this day…” said Zhang YuShui.
Fortunately, this time Pei Qing came. AzureDragon belong to water, they didn’t need diving equipment. Pei Qing changed tohis true form. One dragon tail whipped down and the river was divided into twoparts. Zhang Qiu could faintly see cyan slate. Thanked to Pei Qing’s action, LiShu and Qi Xi had gone down. They searched at the position according to Qi ZhiRongfor a long time but did not find Xiao Xi’s bones.
Zhang YuShui held the bronze mirror and reflectingit at the place where the river separated. Zhang Qiu faintly felt a golden colorflashed past his eyes. Qi ZhiRong’s voice trembled beside him. “It’s XiaoXi, it’s his horn.”
Qi Xi’s hands went down to touch slippery ice-coldmud. He looked as if he was scalded. He held the thing in his hand for a longtime and could not recover. He did not know when he reached ash.o.r.e.
“… When the foundations were built,that person put the array on it. Fortunately, you tore it open in the end. Partsof Xiao Xi’s soul remained here and the rest blankly re-cultivated to its trueform, forgetting the past events.” Zhang YuShui said.
Qi Xi lightly shivered. He didn’t know whohe was, nor did he know his parents or brothers. He only remembered he wa.s.signed by Sister Ping, who said Qi Xi was a good name that when people searched,it was guaranteed to make him popular. He also didn’t know what he had donebefore. He was a Xiezhi, but a Xiezhi without memory. He thought all the DivineBeasts were the same (no memory).
Born ignorance, had no past events.
With the eye of the array broken, the elderXiezhi, which was trapped in the palace, was able to free, but he was severelydamaged that the best way to return was to promptly enter reincarnation.
Qi Xi held the golden horn in his hand and lookedblankly at the elder Xiezhi. The elder Xiezhi rubbed his head and tears rolleddown on Qi Xi’s back as its howl in low voice. Its voice was deep and low yetgentle and tender.
Along with Zhang YuShui’s reborn talisman,the elder Xiezhi disappeared in the air.
“Daddy.” Qi Xi’s cheeks unconsciouslystreaming with tears as he murmured in a low voice.
Suddenly, the golden wings in the airabruptly fell and steadily covering Qi Xi’s figure. The huge golden wingscompletely covered Qi Xi, and underneath it came Qi Xi’s low howl and gasp.
Zhang Qiu wanted to come forward to check itout but was pulled by Li Shu.
“Inheritance.”
Slowly the gasping sound in the hallstopped. Qi Xi, wrapped in wings, stood up slowly, with a wicked face andnaked, a pair of huge golden wings on his back and cold eyes locked onto QiZhiRong in the crowd.
Zhang Qiu had never seen such a serious and cold-faced Qi Xi.
Xah: Okay this is the last arc (kinda). It was quite challenging to work with blurry eyes (I was crying). And lucky (or not) me was jump-scared by a lizard three times… 3 times… It’s midnight… The lizard kind of jump from the ceiling and onto my desk… Maybe its practicing stunt… who knows, maybe the next lizardman~
> Chapter 67