Hindered by his injuries, Song Qing Shi felt uncomfortable when he wasn't reading. He asked Song Jin Cheng for some medical textbooks. However, what kind of slacker carries textbooks? Song Jin Cheng produced hundreds of pulp novels from his mustard bag, most of them featuring naive heroes stumbling upon adventures, winning over beauties, and gaining powerful creatures as followers.
Song Qing Shi borrowed "The Tiger-Slaying Trio" and flipped through a few pages. Although he hadn't read anything from this author before, he found the old-fashioned style and punishing plot intriguing. He wondered where he could buy the subsequent volumes.
Song Qing Shi replied, "I think it hasn't been published yet; I'd like to know the ending too."
Song Jin Cheng promised to have a bookstore owner he knew to look out for it.
Song Qing Shi considered that sharpening the axe wouldn't interfere with chopping wood. With his physical condition not optimal for any strenuous activity, he decided to read the pulp novels to relax his mind and plan other things once he was fully recovered. So, he started reading the novels that Song Jin Cheng had recommended.
These pulp novels were genuinely intriguing.
Song Qing Shi, generally an aloof individual, found himself engrossed and even yearning to venture into a hidden realm to find magical herbs mentioned in the novels. He quickly began jotting down analyses of various potions, comparing them with drugs he knew could stimulate the nervous system.
Biting his pen, he pondered the formulas for new kinds of poison, then felt like a fool for considering such complicated concoctions. Old habits die hard...
Song Jin Cheng, who wasn't a fan of fasting, went out to buy some food.
Feeling stuffy after having the windows closed for so long, Song Qing Shi limped off the bed to open the window. He then lay back on a daybed below the window, basking in the sunlight and reading while munching on some fruit.
The weather was perfect, the sun warmly beaming down. He had to cast a few cleansing spells to eliminate the mildew smell from the inn's mattress. Grapes tasted great but were too tedious to peel and deseed, so after eating a couple, he lost interest.
After reading for a long while, he rubbed his sore neck, and as he attempted to stretch, he winced from the pain in his injured ribs. Just then, he felt multiple strange gazes on him. Turning his head cautiously, he found the window sill outside packed with birds of all kinds—sparrows, larks, cuckoos—all aligned in rows, tilting their heads and curiously observing him.
This situation is unreasonable.
Song Qing Shi glanced around him, seemingly unable to find any bird food, and fell into contemplation.
Could it be that the innkeeper enjoys feeding the birds? Thus, the birds arrive punctually in search of food?
The flock suddenly dispersed, making way for a beautiful, red mythical bird that flew in from a distance. Medium in size, with golden-red wings and a long tail, its eyes a subdued gold, the bird circled him twice before landing gently on his shoulder. It chirped melodiously twice, nuzzled his cheek affectionately, and even pecked gently at his ear. Song Qing Shi felt a bit elated. He often dealt with animals in his experiments and usually had a poor rapport with them. Dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, and parrots all seemed to dislike him, though he had better luck with reptiles and other cold-blooded creatures.
He was fond of this enchanting mythical bird and cautiously scratched its face, offering it a grape to eat.
A glimmer of amusement appeared in the eyes of the mythical bird. It pecked gently at his lips and then spread its wings to soar away.
Song Qing Shi touched his lips, sinking into deep thought.
He had no memory of ever being kissed.
So, had his first kiss been stolen by a bird?
...
Atop the Eternal Summit, seated on a golden throne entwined with countless red vines, the Divine Lord finally revealed a genuine smile for the first time: "Found it."
Over the years, his distaste for the world's filth had grown, and he rarely ventured from his sanctuary of Wu Tong Terrace.
Therefore, he used the Blood King Vine as a vessel, imbued it with his divine consciousness, and created numerous avatars and identities scattered across the world. These avatars handled or monitored troublesome elements, dealt with the more unclean aspects of the world, or carried out tasks not befitting his main form.
His avatars shared sensations with him, serving as extensions of his own body. The only difference was their weaker power.
The Divine Lord sensed the aura of phoenix blood. Regrettably, his skill had been insufficient in years past, and his soul-branding spellwork had been rudimentary. He could only locate the soul brand within a radius of a hundred miles.
For this reason, he dispatched countless birds as his eyes, frantically scouring the world. Once they found a suspicious target, he would approach for confirmation through one of his avatars.
It took a considerable amount of time and tracking, but he finally found his gem.
He thought that after three thousand years of waiting and learning patience, he could suppress the madness that came with desire. However, the moment his divine consciousness, transformed into the mythical bird, found that person, he realized that his desire was simply encased in a thin layer of ice. A single feather's fall would cause cracks in his reason, allowing molten madness to burst forth and destroy everything.
He needed to breathe and to calm down.
From Zhao Ye's soul memories, he had already confirmed what would happen to failed task-takers. Song Qing Shi would have his memories erased and be reassigned to other tasks. He thought this would be acceptable; Song Qing Shi would forget his painful past, his humiliations, as well as his own madness and terror, and start anew.
He could masquerade as a regular person, employing the gentlest and most restrained methods to gradually acquire everything he desires.
No coercion, no plundering, no fear...
He had devised countless schemes to control the world, leading the other person step-by-step into the sweet trap he had set, just as before, to fall in love with him anew. To willingly surrender their heart and body, to willingly bear all his desires, so the two could live a life of happiness and contentment ever after.
His only concern was: who exactly was Song Qing Shi's current mission target?
The mere thought of Song Qing Shi showering another target with affection filled him with murderous jealousy. Yet, to ensure the mission's success, he'd have to keep that person alive, luxuriously imprisoned within his sphere of control, before substituting himself in their place.
Every step must be taken cautiously; there could be no room for failure...
The Divine Lord forcibly quelled the madness within him and refocused his divine consciousness. Considering the injuries on Song Qing Shi, he dispatched his red mythical bird avatar to a secluded corner. There, it burst into numerous golden sparkles, only to regather and transform into a black-robed man donning a silver mask. This was one of his avatars stationed in the Valley of the Medicine King; perfectly positioned to approach and ascertain the current situation.
...
Song Jin Cheng, carrying a heap of snacks and new storybooks, joyfully returned to the inn. Upon seeing the upright black-robed figure at the door, and the cold phoenix eyes beneath a simplistic silver mask, he was so startled that his belongings tumbled to the ground. Almost yelling out, he muttered, "Mas...?"
He clamped his mouth shut, turned his head, and contemplated fleeing, his heart filled with dread.
Why would the elder master of the Valley of the Medicine King be here?! Wasn't he supposed to be reclusive?!
Terrifying tales of the elder master raced through Song Jin Cheng's mind...
Known as Master Yue, the elder master was reputedly an ancient ascendant who had lived for thousands of years, guardian of the Valley of the Medicine King. Stern and humorless, he mostly secluded himself, venturing neither beyond his courtyard nor his front door, occupied solely with raising white mice. Thanks to him, the valley now harbored a multitude of test animals—mice, special mice, even rats, goats, and monkeys—utilized for safe pharmaceutical research before any human trials.
Song Jin Cheng had been fortunate to witness the elder master twice. The first was when a shameless senior apprentice had failed in courting a female apprentice and nearly caused a scandal. The elder master meted out public punishment, lashing him fifty times, nullifying all his cultivation, and expelling him from the valley. The second was when several seemingly talented senior apprentices criticized their founder's pill formula as flawed when they couldn't successfully refine it. The elder master effortlessly proved them wrong by successfully refining the pill, then penalized them with three lashes each, confining them to solve exercises in the rear mountain for three full years. Upon their release...each appeared shell-shocked, several even going bald.
He must remain calm...
There were thousands of apprentices and servant pharmacists in the Valley of the Medicine King. Master Yue had only seen him from afar amid the crowds; he probably wouldn't recognize him.
Song Jin Cheng bolstered himself mentally as he turned back around, attempting to quietly retreat.
Master Yue's voice calmly cut through the air: "Song Jin Cheng, halt."
"Elder...Master," stammering, Song Jin Cheng's steps froze mid-air before landing. Turning around with a sorrowful face, he sensed his stylish hair might not survive the elder master's stern gaze. Hurriedly, he knelt and pleaded, sobbing, "I was wrong, I shouldn't have skipped my studies, please spare me!"
Master Yue glanced at him disdainfully, quickly calculated the time, and used his divine consciousness to probe the interior before pushing the door open and walking in.
Song Jin Cheng hastily crawled in after him.
Just as Song Qingshi had finished reading and was about to take a sip of water to rest, he saw Song Jincheng scrambling in, fawning over a masked stranger. They seemed familiar with each other, and then he noticed the stranger was intently staring at him. Although the stranger's dark golden eyes were beautiful, they held a tinge of agony—as if wanting to consume him whole.
Why the agony? Why did he want to consume him?
It took a slow-thinking Song Qingshi quite a while before a light bulb went off in his head. He remembered his mountain of debt. Could it be…
He quickly sat up straight, confessing earnestly:
"I will pay back the money."