Chapter 20
Part 2
Leopard didn’t even bother rolling his eyes. He must have forgotten to consult the almanac before stepping out. Here he was, a shape-shifting leopard, yet pain had broken him. Where was that fiercely proud spirit? Leopard couldn’t even cry now. His gleaming white fangs were snapped clean off at the roots. The agony was unbearable—opening his mouth sent waves of pain shooting through him. Such humiliation made him want to smash his head against a wall and die.
Wen Heng set down his basket and asked Gouzi, “Where’s Wushang?”
Gouzi immediately broke into a lecherous grin. He shuffled over to Wen Heng and nudged him. “Hey, hey, let me tell you, Mr. Lian definitely has a thing for you. He just asked me how old you are, where you’re from, what you usually do… You’ve got a shot, you’ve got a shot!”
Wen Heng smiled faintly and pushed Gouzi away. “Stop talking nonsense. Mr. Lian is a man of great importance. Don’t even think about it. Besides, we’re both men.”
Gouzi immediately jumped up. ” What’s wrong with being men? I’ll tell you, there are several couples in Xiaoyan Town, and they’re living just fine.”
Wen Heng slowly picked up the items from his basket: “Gouzi, if you keep talking nonsense, I’ll beat you. Now hurry up and cook.” Gouzi pouted: “Pfft, all talk and no action.”
Leopard was in too much pain, curling up into a ball. After losing all four limbs, he’d also lost his front teeth. Life was unbearable now. Doggie hugged Leopard and comforted him: “Meow meow, I’ll soak some steamed buns for you later. You’re still so young, and you’re teething. The teeth that grow in now are your real ones. These are just baby teeth.”
Leopard rolled his eyes. Humans really had some nerve. He wasn’t some cub—once his teeth were broken, they might never grow back. It was all Wen Heng’s fault! If not for Wen Heng, he wouldn’t be so unlucky!
If Wen Heng hadn’t smashed Li Er Dog onto him while he was resting, he wouldn’t have attacked Tian Huan. Had he not attacked Tian Huan, he wouldn’t have been tempted to eliminate Wen Heng on the spot. Now… his leg and teeth hurt so badly, he wished he were dead.
When Wen Heng entered, he saw Lian Wushang sitting cross-legged with an air of effortless calm, like an immortal about to ascend. Spotting Wen Heng, Lian Wushang opened his eyes: “Back already?”
Wen Heng nodded. “Yeah, I’m back.” What was with this old married couple banter?
Lian Wushang glanced at the limp leopard in Gouzi’s arms, then looked at Wen Heng, who was stacking wood to start a fire. Wen Heng pulled out the fire starter, took it from the bamboo tube, and blew on it several times without getting a spark.
Old Wen’s treasured fire starter was originally meant for ordinary households. He’d found it but never brought himself to use it. Only after he left did Wen Heng unwrap it and try it. Little did he know it would fail after just a couple uses. Ah… no fire…
“Is there anything I can help with?” Lian Wushang noticed Wen Heng clutching a small, round ball of paper and asked with thoughtful concern. Wen Heng smiled helplessly, squeezing the fire starter. “No fire. We’ll have to eat raw tonight.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the woodpile Wen Heng had stacked in the dilapidated temple burst into flames, startling both the dog and Wen Heng.
Wen Heng exclaimed in surprise, “Wushang, you can start a fire? Are you… a cultivator?” He’d heard cultivators could channel the essence of heaven and earth—starting a fire or drawing water should be a breeze for them.
Lian Wushang’s face glowed beautifully in the firelight as he nodded. “Just a little skill in drawing energy.”
Gouzi gasped. “That’s so convenient! “That’s incredible! Master Lian, you could practically ascend to heaven!”
Wen Heng smiled warmly as he used his begging staff to stir the burning wood, ensuring it burned more fully and evenly. Doggie took the opportunity to toss a few wild taro roots into the fire. “So there’s already taro to eat! Old Wen loves taro the most.”
Wen Heng chuckled: “When we entered the woods today, I spotted a patch of wild taro and dug up quite a few. Tomorrow when we leave, we’ll plant some on Old Wen’s grave. That way, whenever he wants some, he can just dig them up himself.” Having taro right by the doorstep—how convenient!
“Alright!” Gouzi nodded happily. Baozi stared in disbelief. These two beggars were truly unpredictable—why didn’t they play by the rules?
“Where are you headed?” Lian Wushang approached the fire. His luxurious blue robe dragged along the ground without a speck of dirt—truly exceptional quality. Especially remarkable was how the robe dragged into the flames—the bright fire licked at the fabric, yet not a single thread was singed.
“Heard there’s a town called Qingcheng next door, much bigger than Xiaoyan Town. Doggie and I were thinking of checking it out.” Wen Heng pulled Lian Wushang’s robe from the fire and gave him a smile. Truth be told, Wen Heng was now gaunt and sallow—his smile wasn’t exactly pleasing to the eye. Yet, it strangely gave Lian Wushang a sense of security.
Their evening meal consisted of roasted taro, which the dog devoured with relish. Wen Heng took a few symbolic bites. Lian Wushang… Lian Wushang vomited until he was gasping for breath, eventually coughing up blood again.
Wen Heng patted Lian Wushang’s back. “What’s wrong with you? Let’s take you to the pharmacy in Xiaoyan Town. You can’t keep vomiting like this.”
Lian Wushang coughed a few times: “Just an old ailment. It’s nothing.”
It was merely his immaculate body being tainted by Wen Heng’s stale steamed bun. Ten days or half a month of vomiting would cure it.
After vomiting, Lian Wushang sat cross-legged in meditation, looking exceptionally fragile. The leopard, now missing its front teeth, lay beside the fire with a look of utter despair. Snoring Doggy mumbled in his sleep, rolling around in the straw. Wen Heng, guarding the door and the fire, hugged his begging stick, staring blankly at the flickering flames.
The entire night passed in this quiet manner.
Early the next morning, Wen Heng prepared to go to North Alley to get the cart from Old Zhang. The moment he opened the door, a chill swept over him. In the dilapidated temple, everyone except the dog had opened their eyes.
“Morning, Wushang.” Wen Heng seemed to have grown accustomed to the name, and fortunately, Lian Wushang didn’t mind. He stood up, a faint smile blooming like a highland flower: “Morning, Wen Heng.”
“We plan to leave Xiaoyan Town today. Wushang, are you still searching for that young relative of yours? If you have nowhere to go after we leave, you can stay here for now. Of course, it’s not much of a place—I mean, it’s fine for temporary shelter.” Wen Heng paused. He couldn’t encourage Lian Wushang to join them just because he felt a connection.
After all, their connection was nothing more than a chance encounter. Wushang still had his family to find.
With that, Wenheng stepped outside. As he walked away, he wondered if Wushang would still be here when he returned. He was a cultivator, so lofty and distant…
Not long after Wenheng left, Baozi steeled himself and climbed onto the bench opposite Wushang. Come on then. You wanted to kill me? Go ahead.” Lian Wushang gave him a faint glance before extending his hand.
Baozi resignedly closed his eyes. Enough. He’d had his fill of this miserable existence. Better to die by Lian Wushang’s hand. A man like him, drenched in blood, would likely have his very soul destroyed after death.
The expected pain never came. Instead, the leopard found himself cradled in Lian Wushang’s palm.
Lian Wushang spoke slowly, “The spiritual energy in your limbs has been severed.”
Spiritual energy was to cultivators what flesh and blood were to mortals, permeating every part of their bodies. Under normal circumstances, it circulated autonomously within them.
Even if a cultivator’s flesh suffered severe damage, the spirit energy could promptly replenish it, allowing rapid recovery. That’s why cultivators rarely found missing limbs troublesome—they could simply regrow them. Never before had anyone heard of a cultivator attacking another and severing the spirit energy flow to their body parts.
This was precisely Leopard’s predicament now. The spiritual energy in his limbs had been deliberately severed. Even if his bones healed, his limbs would remain powerless. Worse still, they were limp and flaccid, utterly incapable of supporting his body.
Even with abundant spiritual energy outside, Leopard’s limbs couldn’t integrate with his body. Though they were still attached to him, they no longer felt like his own.
Hearing Lian Wushang speak, Baozi understood his purpose. It turned out Lian Wushang had long known he was here with Wen Heng, but Wen Heng’s peculiarity had drawn Lian Wushang’s attention. Lian Wushang deemed Wen Heng more dangerous and terrifying than Baozi himself.
“Hmph. I can’t escape anyway. Kill me or skin me—it’s up to you.” The leopard bowed his head in resignation. He’d pondered this for a long time—such a life was too agonizing.
“You’re overthinking it.” Lian Wushang casually stroked the leopard’s glossy, sleek fur.
Doggie stirred groggily, rubbing his eyes. “I just heard some really rough voices talking about killing. Where’s Ah Heng? Good morning, Mr. Lian…”
Lian Wushang held the leopard in his arms, nodding slowly. “Morning. Wen Heng’s out.”
His gentle, harmless demeanor would brighten anyone’s mood. But among cultivators, who truly remains a pure lotus?
Author’s Note:
Leopard: Two bastards, two bastards falling in love! One’s a lotus, the other’s a drought
demon! So freaking twisted! So freaking twisted! [Please read this to the tune of “Two Tigers”]
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
