Chapter 3 – To Die Before Victory
Xu Xing Zhi: "……"
Just thinking about how the person on his back was Meng Zhong Guang, Xu Xing Zhi could only felt a chill on his spinal and the back of his brain.
The crucial thing was, he did not know how to continue Meng Zhong Guang"s words to him.
Firstly, it was clear that these people know Xu Xing Zhi, but he does not know how the original Xu Xing Zhi acted around these people and the image he portrayed to them.
Secondly, with regards to any resentments or kindness that happened between Meng Zhong Guang and Xu Xing Zhi in those previous years, Xu Xing Zhi was oblivious.
According to logic, Meng Zhong Guang murdered the master and even caused Xu Xing Zhi to be expelled from the Immortal Sect. The original Xu Xing Zhi should have hated Meng Zhong Guang to the extreme.
Saving Xu Xing Zhi from this problematic situation was a long spear.
While he was hesitating on how to answer, a sharp and cold light swept across, and the tip of the spear was pointed straight at Xu Xing Zhi"s chest.
Xu Xing Zhi unconsciously raised up both his hand and took a step back, blurting out: "……oh no."
He regretted the moment these words flew out.
When he was still Xu Bing, he will always have some improper phrases. If the original Xu Xing Zhi did not have this kind of indecent broken mouth personality, he might have already exposed himself.
While he was still contemplating on, Xu Xing Zhi abruptly heard a brittle cracking sound.
——the body of the spear was cracked open right in front of Xu Xing Zhi"s eyes.
The tip of the spear pointed at the sky while the body was cracked opened, and the broken part revealed a white stubble.
Meng Zhong Guang"s left hand was gripping at the crack of the spear. His eyes never once blinked as he stared at the young man holding the spear with the intention to impale. His tone lacked any special emotions: "… Zhou Bei Nan, get down."
The young man named Zhou Bei Nan clutched at the broken spear. There was no desire to back off.
The threat was useless and Meng Zhong Guang gave no more mercy. He pulled off the tip of the spear from the body and with a flipped of his hand, he hurled them back to Zhou Bei Nan.
Zhou Bei Nan instantly dodged, yet his neck was still torn, flesh blood instantly gushed down.
……the ghost servants controlled by ghost cultivation will not be harmed in the slightest by any normal magic artifacts. Only the magic artifacts held by the ghost soldiers can damage the sh.e.l.ls of those ghosts.
The tip of the spear pierced through the huge stone behind him. The huge stone was akin to tofu, it exploded and was pulverized into powder.
Meng Zhong Guang"s voice was heavy: " …..Do not point this thing at Senior brother."
Zhou Bei Nan showed no sign of fear and he rotated his palm. The broken spear flipped around and it lifted Xu Xing Zhi"s chin up. He questioned Meng Zhong Guang: "Is this really Xu Xing Zhi? Do you believe?"
He turned towards the audience: "……Do all of you believe?"
Xu Xing Zhi saw that no one replied and the situation was getting unpleasant. He was brazen and shamelessly lifted up his arms: "I believe."
Zhou Bei Nan gave a cold smile: "You? Aren"t you afraid you are just a walking corpse of Jiu Zhi Deng?"
In the real world, Xu Xing Zhi read numerous books. He once saw a record about "walking corpse" in a mystery collection.
"Walking Corpse" is a type of monster transformed from a dead corpse. Its appearance, speech, and actions were all the same as an ordinary human. It can even think, live, and eat like a living human.
However, walking corpses do not have feelings. There is no distinction between love and hate, black or white are reversed, the light and darkness are hard to differentiate, hot and cold are on the same side. They only follow the orders and control of their master.
Zhou Bei Nan did not continue any irrelevant talks. He withdrew the spear and his left hand gathered a ghost fire. He walked towards Xu Xing Zhi and shoved the fire in his face.
The firelight stopped at three inches before Xu Xing Zhi"s eyes.
The ghost fire was a stern agidity but it did not burn. However, the bone rooted chill still formed a layer of frost on Xu Xing Zhi"s face.
In order to maintain the image of the original Xu Xing Zhi that was almost ruined by himself, Xu Xing Zhi forced himself to not close his eyes and watched his eyelashes form a layer of frost.
With the burning of the ghost fire, Zhou Bei Nan"s original steadiness was shaken.
It stood to reason that a real walking corpse will mistake such a cold flame as a hot fire, and instinctively avoid it out of fear.
He stared at Xu Xing Zhi incredulously: "How could it be? ……you are not a walking corpse?"
Xu Xing Zhi had nothing to say.
He clasped his hands behind his back, unfathomable but extremely guilty as he watched Zhou Bei Nan.
Zhou Bei Nan waved his hand and the ghost fire turned into thousands of blue fireflies, dissipating away.
However, he still retained doubts that weren"t willing to part. He said to Meng Zhong Guang: “……you take out his magic artifact. I will battle him now and I will definitely know if he is true or not.”
Xu Xing Zhi had no choice but to remind him: "I am nothing but a mortal."
Zhou Bei Nan naturally did not believe his words: "You mean you were pulled off of your immortal sacrum?"
Xu Xing Zhi did not agree nor disagree.
Zhou Bei Nan gave a bleak laugh: "Impossible, according to what I know, no one ever survived after being pulled off his immortal sacrum."
Xu Xing Zhi: "That is what you know."
Zhou Bei Nan no longer spoke but directly grabbed at his shoulder.
Before Zhou Bei Nan could touch himself, Xu Xing Zhi"s right-hand wrist was captured by Meng Zhong Guang. He grasped at it in one go.
The strength was big and Xu Xing Zhi almost was dragged by him.
He blocked Xu Xing Zhi behind him and there was a terrible cold air in his voice: “If he is a walking corpse and dares to use Senior brother"s face. I would have already killed him when I first met him.”
Xu Xing Zhi: "……"
He rubbed at his chilly neck, thinking, Who exactly taught this child? So impolite.
He was so kind-heartened to carry him home and he actually wanted to strangle him to death.
But thinking of his purpose of coming here, Xu Xing Zhi shut his mouth.
……anyway he himself was not a good person, so what the point of the kettle calling the pot black.
Meng Zhong Guang paused for a moment but continuing: "Senior brother indeed lost his power, I had already checked on the way back. The spiritual veins inside his body no longer function and there is no more spiritual energy flowing."
After speaking, he turned and his voice instantly softened: "……Senior bother, is this what happened?"
If he did not have to play the senior bother who had been pitted by him, if he did not know that the person in front of him was a savage demon, if he did not came here to kill him, Xu Xing Zhi will think that this child looked pretty cute.
Xu Xing Zhi resisted the urge to touch his head and looked away.
Meng Zhong Guang also felt his resistance, and the light in his eyes dimmed and faded away. He was like an ownerless puppy that was begging for a pat.
Zhou Bei Nan seemed to have believed a little, but the suspicion still existed: “Are you certain that he is not someone pretending to be him?”
Skeleton girl could no longer endure this: “Brother Zhou…”
Zhou Bei Nan thought for a moment, and his brow was picked up as if he had thought of a perfect verification method.
Xu Xing Zhi noticed his change of expression and he began to concentrate and prepare for his next difficult question.
Zhou Bei Nan said: “…..Since young, you have given me a dozen nicknames. As long as you can say three, I will believe that you are Xu Xing Zhi.”
Xu Xing Zhi："……"
……nickname, and there was actually more than ten f.u.c.king nicknames.
Xu Xing Zhi felt that the original owner was not a very proper senior brother.
However, after Xu Xing Zhi verified with the scattered memory, the original owner actually did such a boring thing.
There are four celestial mountains in the immortal sect. Xu Xing Zhi and Meng Zhong Guang were the disciples of Fengling Mountain. Zhou Bei Nan was the son of the Tianchuan Island, and the other two mountains were Danyang Peak and Qingliang Valley.
The original owner"s memory was extremely fragmented. Xu Xing Zhi can only see from some messy fragments that as long as the original owner and Zhou Bei Nan faced each other, they will squash and beat each other. Their relationship was very bad. As a result, Xu Xing Zhi gave him a dozen of nicknames to highlight the special status of Zhou Bei Nan in his mind.
Xu Xing Zhi paused for a moment and from his scattered memories, he flipped out a nickname: "Bei Bei."
Zou Ben Nan: "……"
Xu Xing Zhi: " Pumpkin." (1)
Zou Ben Nan: "……"
Xu Xing Zhi: "Ah, there"s still Ah Men"
Zou Bei Nan could no longer tolerant: "…..shut up!"
The twin sword maiden let out a peal of joyful laughter.
Zhou Bei Nan"s face was not hanging securely, he turned his head and scolded: "Laugh what laugh? What is there to laugh?"
The maiden was not afraid: "Uncle, I understand the first two, but what does "Ah Men" means?"
Xu Xingzhi sneaked a head out from Meng Zhong Guang behind. He kindly explained: “Because when he was young, he was a fatty. ‘Zhou Bei Nan" means ‘door to the north and south". This nickname was too sloppy, so to make it simple. I called him ‘Ah Men".”
Zhou Bei Nan"s ears were red. He threw the half broken spear on his hand to the floor: "Xu Xing Zhi, do you want to be beaten up."
Xu Xing Zhi hid behind Meng Zhong Guang, pretending to be dead.
In between the conversations, a black shadow ran from afar.
…….it was the ghost face youth on top of the cliff just now.
Xu Xing Zhi had yet to make any reactions, the youth had already sent himself to his chest, his voiced laced with sobbing sound: "Senior Brother Xu!"
This youth was indeed short, only reaching Xu Xing Zhi"s chin. The face not covered by the horrifying mask was clean and clear, if one was to look briefly, he might identify him as a child.
Xu Xing Zhi was stunned by the hug and since he wasn"t able to call out his name, he lifted his hand and touched the hair: "……En, It"s me."
The youth lifted his head, behind the mask was a faint green iris, it was round and it looked like a young fox: "Senior bother Xu, it has been thirteen years, where have you been?"
Xu Xing Zhi bitterly smiled.
……Wait a minute, let me fabricate something out.
He had yet to make anything up and the youth was dragged out from his embrace.
Xu Xing Zhi was unsure if it was just his illusion but Zhou Bei Nan"s expression was getting uglier. He pointed at the spear broken by Meng Zhong Guang, and told the youth: "……fix it."
Ghost mask youth was struggling: "Senior brother is still here, I want to ask him first……"
After Zhou Bei Nan"s eyes swept around Meng Zhong Guang, he forcibly pulled the iron mask youth to leave: "Now is not your turn to converse with him."
Iron mask youth seemed to understand something and obediently closed his mouth.
Meng Zhong Guang did not greet anyone else but pulled at Xu Xing Zhi"s left wrist and walked straight to the inner of the tower.
Xu Xing Zhi wanted to break off from him but was helpless due to lack of strength. He could only be dragged away like a dog.
In a hurry, Xu Xing Zhi looked back and realized that the skeleton girl who treated Meng Zhong Guang"s burns was staring at him.
When Xu Xing Zhi looked back at her, she bowed her head in a hurry and turned away.
Her straight black hair was tied in a band and as she left, it flew like a wave.
When the two entered the tower, the twin sword maiden went to the ghost mask youth"s side, curiously asked: "Brother Lu, is that Brother Xu that was often mentioned?"
The ghost mask youth was playing with the broken spear and was not happy: "He is."
The twin sword girl caught her short haircut that was cut in a mess: “Why do I think he is frivolous?”
The ghost face youth said: “Although Senior Brother Xu seemed to be impetuous, he is the nicest person in the world.”
Zhou Bei Nan rolled his eyes: "Ah."
Ghost mask youth turned to face Zhou Bei Nan, angrily said: "Why are you smiling? Still smiling! You should know fixing ghost artifact uses a lot of energy! Can"t you use it more carefully?"
Zhou Bei Nan："……can, can, can."
Afterward, Zhou Bei Nan turned to the twin sword maiden, asking: "Ah w.a.n.g, where is Qu Chi and Tao Xian? "
Zhou w.a.n.g answered: "I heard that in between the south mountain was discovered to contain some spiritual stones. G.o.dmother and G.o.dfather went to get the spiritual stones. They will probably be back after midnight."
Zhou Bei Nan thought carefully for a moment and pulled Zhou w.a.n.g, seriously saying: "Help Uncle with a favor alright?"
Zhou w.a.n.g turned her ears toward him, and Zhou Bei Nan told her what happened.
The ghost mask youth who was standing at the side abruptly lifted his head: "Zhou Bei Nan, you are still suspecting Senior brother Xu?"
Zhon Bei Nan:"…..my conversation with Ah w.a.n.g, why are you eavesdropping?"
Ghost mask youth angrily said: "You are my ghost slave, your eyes are my eyes, your ears are my ears, do you think I really want to listen?"
Zhou Bei Nan was helpless and he might as well as told them frankly: "For thirteen years, he was missing and now Xu Xing Zhi suddenly appeared. I do not believe that he came without a purpose. All of you don"t forget, Jiu Zhi Deng always wanted us died!"
As he was saying, he looked at the bronze gate of the tower, coldly said: "……especially Meng Zhong Guang who have stayed in the wilderness for 113 years yet he never die. I"m afraid he has long became that person"s heart thorn.
Inside the tower.
Different from the bleak and desolate exterior of the tower, the inside was adorned with elegant and stillness. As if there was living water flowing through the inner of the tower. There was flowstone and paintings on the walls. The static shadows sinking between the walls with hazy water mists.
If Xu Xing Zhi was to walk into a paradise, then he will be the savage fisherman.
Meng Zhong Guang gently waved his hand and a door made of bamboo opened.
He introduced Xu Xing Zhi to the room. The tables and chairs were all prepared and there were even ornaments decorated with gems and the likes.
Meng Zhong Guang softly called: "Senior brother, this is your room. I had already prepared for you for a long time. All the objects, I have placed them exactly the same way, but some of the items could not be found in the wilderness. Don"t be angry, I will get them all one by one for Senior brother in the future.
Xu Xing Zhi pretended to be indifferent: "En."
Meng Zhong Guang pulled Xu Xing Zhi to sit at the bedside. His eyes shined with a strange light: "Senior brother touched Lu Yu Jiu just now. Can you touch my hair now too, okay?"
Very good, ghost mask youth is called Lu Yu Jiu, so next time he do not have to worry about not able to call out his name.
As Xu Xing Zhi was pondering, he did not look at Meng Zhong Guang nor did he answered his question, but only look elsewhere.
This one gaze, Xu Xing Zhi saw a delicate bamboo fan neatly placed at the end of the bed. It looked quite mysterious.
Xu Xing Zhi took it with his left hand and slowly unfolded the fan.
Eleven words on the surface of the fan: "At this moment in the wide world, who can contain me?"
The other side, "The first in the world, Xu Xing Zhi of Fengling."
Xu Xing Zhi: "……"
Meng Zhong Guang who was being ignored once again cleverly came together: "Senior brother, I have always been keeping your magic artifact, do you like it?"
Xu Xing Zhi: "……."
He felt that the taste of the original owner was a mystery.
Xu Xing Zhi wanted to put the fan back to its original position, but the moment his hand just reached out to the bed, a vine swiftly came out from the foot of the bed and tightly wrapped around Xu Xing Zhi"s left wrist.
Xu Xing Zhi was horrified: "What is this?"
Happiness laced in Guang Zhong Guang"s voice: "Senior brother, you are finally willing to talk to me."
Xu Xing Zhi: "…….alright, I will talk to you, put this thing away."
The rough vines do not seem like it has any intention to let him go.
Meng Zhong Guang was full of hope and he asked: "When Senior brother was carrying me back, didn"t you say that the reason you came to the wilderness was to look for me? I am here. Senior brother don"t go anywhere else, is that okay?"
Xu Xing Zhi: "…….."
Seeing that Xu Xing Zhi was not making any sound, Meng Zhong Guang could not conceal his dismay. He stood up and said: "Since Senior brother is not willing to talk to me, I will wait for a little longer."
Xu Xing Zhi saw that he was really going, he couldn"t help but urgently said: "Let go of me!"
Meng Zhong Guang was already at the door side and he was shocked by Xu Xing Zhi"s shout and turned his head back.
There were actually tears swirling in his eyes.
"Senior brother, please be patient for now. Everything I do is for Senior brother. The wilderness is too dangerous, as long as Senior brother stays at Zhong Guang"s side, you will be safe. I beg Senior brother to accommodate to Zhong Guang request. Please stay.
Xu Xing Zhi: "……"
If he was not in a tied-up state that he could not even move, just by seeing Meng Zhong Guang"s face full of grievances, ten out of ten people will feel that the one being tied up was Meng Zhong Guang.
Xu Xing Zhi was still harboring a seam of hope, "Let go of me, I"m not going anywhere else."
Meng Zhong Guang pondered for a while, asking: "Senior brother don"t like the vines?"
Xu Xing Zhi nodded: ……”En."
……the vines breed insects easily, and Xu Xing Zhi was extremely afraid of insects to death.
Meng Zhong Guang"s heart and mind were unwilling: "……that"s alright."
Very soon, Meng Zhong Guang once again closed the door and left.
Xu Xing Zhi meaninglessly rested on the head of the bed. The vines that were originally coiled around his left hand transformed into a st.u.r.dy gold shackle. It was a really luxurious brilliance.
His moved his wooden hand to touch the dagger on his wrist, truly doleful.
…..this must be the so-called to die before he gained victory.
End of Chapter 3.
Translated at rrrrhexiatranslations
Footnotes:
(1) Pumpkin=Nan Gua, Zhou Bei Nan
For those who are unaware, En is an interjection indicating approval.
Ah is prefix used before monosyllabic names, kinship terms etc to indicate familiarity.
TN: Drop a comment if you spot any mistakes or unclearness i"ll come back to take a look, this chapter came earlier then expected…………..