RIIDMDR chapter 40

 

Zhi Xing didn’t like to talk, but he loved basking in the sun. In the morning and evening, when the sun wasn’t as hot, he would pull up a stool and sit in the courtyard, playing with the inn’s Rubik’s Cube. Nan Xu picked a plate of loquats and placed them on the stone table beside Zhi Xing. Out of admiration and a touch of sympathy, perhaps, Nan Xu treated this young man with a little more care than others.

He bought some loofah, eggplant, and corn seeds, which he planted, leaving little empty space in the vegetable patch. Seeing the fully planted patch filled him with a sense of satisfaction. However, if it weren’t for the well in the yard, watering the patch every three to five days would have exhausted Nan Xu.

The bean sprouts in the pots were almost fully grown. Perhaps thanks to the stream water, they were thriving. Nan Xu grabbed a handful of them and washed them in the yard. The soaked sprouts were spotless, and a simple rinse with clean water cleaned them.

After the well was built, Nan Xu asked Tingchuan to fetch two sturdy stone slabs from the mountain. One slab served as a cover for the well, which was placed over the opening when the well wasn’t in use to prevent small animals and dust from falling in. The other slab was placed near the well for washing vegetables.

As for the courtyard’s drainage problem, Nan Xu called on Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu for help. Together, they dug hidden channels beneath the stone slabs. This kept spilled water from pooling on the surface, making the entire courtyard feel much fresher.

When the bean sprouts were placed on the table, Nan Xu received a notification from the system. He had guessed correctly; only crops grown from seeds purchased from the system would be considered completed tasks. In some ways, this unintelligent behavior was consistent with 006’s sluggish performance.

However, the Bai couple were reluctant to leave their room and always stayed upstairs. Tingchuan mentioned that there had been fluctuations in spiritual energy in the inn for the past two days, mingled with the auras of ganoderma lucidum and pearl ginseng. Zhuyu Mountain’s main peak was blessed with natural beauty, and the couple must have been using it to refine elixirs for Zhixing. Upon learning this, Nanxu didn’t inquire further.

The main quest required developing new business opportunities. Currently, the inn’s offerings were limited to accommodation and dining. Considering the current situation, Nanxu planned to set up a wooden shelf in the main hall to display and sell the inn’s products, as well as various local specialties. Judging by the bird tribe’s fondness for his pickles, this approach seemed worth a try.

Tingchuan had gone somewhere unknown. He’d been out and about quite a bit lately. After Nanxu finished measuring the length and width of the wooden frame in the main hall, he went to the back hills to cut down a tree. Months of hard work had increased Nanxu’s stamina. Although he still looked thin and not as muscular as Zhuang Si and Zhuang Wu, carrying a thick log was no longer difficult for him.

He was sawing and planing wood in the yard. Zhixing was not far away and occasionally glanced over, as if curious about what Nanxu was doing. Whenever Nanxu looked up and their eyes met, Zhixing would casually look away. Having rarely seen such a shy boy, Nanxu found Zhixing quite amusing and occasionally exchanged a few words with him while planing the wood.

Zhixing was shy and felt awkward about not responding when Nanxu spoke to him. As the morning wore on, they became quite familiar with each other. He slowly moved from the stone bench to the wooden chair and then to the small bench next to Nanxu. His entire body was bathed in the midday sun. Nanxu asked him to move the bench closer to him, but he blushed and pretended not to hear.

He didn’t insist and moved the bench closer to the shade himself. Sure enough, before long, Zhixing cautiously moved into the shade.

Perhaps it was the daily chats that had worked, or maybe Nanxu’s repeated feedings had opened Zhixing’s heart slightly. They had become much more familiar with each other, and he would occasionally initiate a conversation with him.

After two days, Zhixing looked much better than when he first arrived. Nanxu assumed the medicine the Bai couple had brewed was taking effect. However, the next night, just as Nanxu was falling asleep, he heard noises coming from the second floor. It sounded like someone was talking loudly. He sat up when he heard someone quickly walk up the wooden stairs. A few seconds later, there was a knock on his door.

When Nanxu opened the door, he saw the middle-aged woman. Her hair was disheveled and messy. Her usual quiet and cautious demeanor was gone, and her eyes were filled with anxiety and trepidation. The moment she saw Nanxu, her anticipation nearly overwhelmed her. The glint in her eyes made Nanxu take a step back.

“What happened?” A clear voice came from behind, reassuring Nan Xu. Nan Xu leaned against Tingchuan’s chest.

Realizing he had lost his composure, Nan Xu composed himself and glanced at the woman with confusion.

“Save my child!” The woman reached out to pull Nanxu away, but Tingchuan blocked her. Tears welled in her eyes as she choked out, “Please, is there any way you can save my child? Please, you’re so powerful. Save him.”

Nanxu had no time to consider how he had caused such a false impression. Seeing the woman’s expression, he took her hand and asked, “What happened to Zhixing?” as they walked out.

“I don’t know. He took the medicine and said he was sleepy. I thought he was asleep, but when I felt his pulse, it was gone, and he wasn’t breathing.” The woman grew increasingly frightened as she spoke and nearly tripped on the stairs. Fortunately, Nanxu helped her and saved her from falling.

Tingchuan, who was following behind, frowned at her words.

If the woman had forgotten how to walk, why would she care about falling? She clutched Nan Xu’s hand like a lifeline, tears streaming down her face and her whole body trembling. “Is Xing’er okay? Is he just in a deep sleep? If I call his name loudly, will he wake up?”

Her tone was filled with hope, and her words were rambling and incoherent, as if Nan Xu could just say something to make it so. He couldn’t bear the weight of her hope. He silently walked upstairs, feeling the grip of the panicked woman beside him tighten. He said, “Let’s take a look first.”

His heart swirled. He didn’t know how to heal humans, let alone demons. Regardless of whether he could save him, he had to go and see.

Besides, Zhixing was pure and kind—such a likable youth. Nan Xu couldn’t bear to imagine Zhixing possibly … After all, he was still so young.

But the truth was that Nan Xu saw Zhi Xing lying on the bed with a pale face and a still chest, as if the demon within had fallen silent. The moment he took a look, his heart skipped a beat as a vision flashed through his mind. His hand was still on Zhi Xing’s wrist, but he couldn’t grasp what was flashing through his mind. He subconsciously held his breath.

There was no pulse beneath his fingertips; even the gradually cooling wrist was palpable. Nan Xu had never been so reluctant to sharpen his five senses.

The middle-aged man knelt beside the bed. He had exhausted all his spiritual energy trying to save the child, and now just holding on was a struggle. His eyes were filled with fatigue, despair, and, more importantly, a numbness that refused to accept reality.

Nan Xu’s fingertips trembled uncontrollably.

He was afraid not just of the young Zhixing Spirit but also of finding a connection with this young man somewhere deep within his soul.

He desperately wanted Zhixing to wake up, but he was powerless. Nan Xu turned to Tingchuan, pleading for help. He had been in the demon world for so long that he should have had more experience.

Tingchuan met Nan Xu’s gaze, took two steps forward, and reached out to feel between Zhixing’s eyebrows. He pried open the boy’s eyes and looked inside. “He’s not dead yet, but my spiritual power isn’t refined enough right now. I can’t save him.”

“Is there anyone who can save him?” Nan Xu thought. There were always demons with advanced cultivation in the demon world. If the Bai couple went to ask for help, perhaps there would be a chance.

Tingchuan shook his head. “The Xishan Bai family practices rejuvenation techniques, so their spiritual power is different from that of other demons. Zhixing is the most gifted among them. Demons with higher cultivation levels don’t possess such pure spiritual power. Forcing them to help would only make matters worse.”

Nan Xu’s heart sank. His last hope seemed shattered. The room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the woman’s sobbing. As if losing his last bit of strength, the man slowly slumped to the floor, leaning against the bedpost.

“No, there’s nothing wrong with the medicine,” the woman muttered, clutching Zhixing’s clothes. She couldn’t understand. “This is the best elixir already.”

“If only my uncle were here. He’s the most gifted doctor in the world.” The man was beginning to collapse. He held Zhixing’s hand as his body temperature gradually cooled, slowly eroding his sanity. “As long as my uncle is here, my son will be fine. Xing’er is still so young.”

Nan Xu listened to the couple’s incredulous words and tried to clear his mind. This felt too sudden, too unexpected.

Such a demanding requirement—the purest spiritual power, the essence of heaven and earth. Where can I find it?

[Side Quest 4: Heal the Dead and the Wounded.]

Nan Xu’s spirits perked up the moment the system notification chimed. He eagerly opened the system and saw the newly refreshed text on the task list. His heart leaped with joy.

There’s hope! There’s hope!

Nan Xu focused on the task and clicked on it, only to receive a short message:

[Twenty-four-hour countdown.]

Atop the main peak of Zhuyu Mountain lies a sacred spring, whose waters are warm year-round. After reading the prompt, Nan Xu turned and grabbed Ting Chuan’s arm. “There’s a hot spring on this mountain, isn’t there?” he asked.

Ting Chuan was surprised. “Yes, how do you know? Why are you asking?”

Nan Xu replied, “Zhi Xing can be saved at that hot spring at the top of the mountain. You often hike in the mountains, so you should know where it is, right?”

Ting Chuan remained silent. He looked at Nan Xu, sizing him up as if trying to read something from his face.

That hot spring shouldn’t be known by anyone else. Also, why did Nan Xu say it could save Zhi Xing? How did he know about it?

The couple’s gazes were fixed on Nan Xu, who could feel their intense stares on his back without turning around.

He was a little anxious. “Take us there. We have to give it a try.”

Tingchuan withdrew his inquiring gaze and coughed lightly. “It’s not that I don’t want to take you. There’s a large formation at the summit of the main peak. No demon has ever left after entering.”

The glint in the Bai couple’s eyes dimmed at this news. Formations of all sizes exist on the other mountains, and every demon in the demon world has heard of them. With luck, a small formation might allow someone to escape, but a large formation is guaranteed to prevent it.

Nan Xu had heard many of the inn’s monsters mention this, and he was timid, too. Glancing back at the lifeless Zhixing, he gritted his teeth and said, “Then I’ll take him in.”

006 said that the remaining mountains belonged to him and that the only things that could harm him were nature and wild beasts. He had lived in the mountains for so long that all the formations had circumvented him. Therefore, if he took Zhixing with him, his chances of escaping would be better than anyone else’s.

Besides, the system had released a side quest, which meant that escaping was possible. It was his responsibility.

He was so obsessed that Tingchuan didn’t have the right to stop him. The boy in the bed reminded Tingchuan of an old friend. If he could save him, he might be recorded in that person’s lineage. He undoubtedly wanted to save him.

However, even demons couldn’t withstand that massive formation. How could Nan Xu, a human without magical powers, escape unscathed?

The two stared at each other in what seemed like a silent contest.

After a moment, Tingchuan sighed and stepped back.

“Okay, I’ll take you there.”