“Dong!!!”
“Dry weather, be careful with fire!”
In the dead of night, the Watchman had just finished striking the Drum and was walking back.
This was Shenxiao Town.
Rubbing his dry eyes, the Watchman realized he’d hurried out this morning and left his reading glasses back at the shop.
The blurry stone shadow swayed under the moonlight, and he couldn’t help but take two steps forward.
The Drum still hung on his wrist, jingling softly with his steps, giving him a bit more courage.
Under the blue stone pillars of Shenxiao Town’s Cloud Gate, there really was a child sitting there!
The child’s thin body was wrapped in a gray-white robe, making the Watchman swallow hard as a sudden tightness crept up his neck.
It was almost August now — this was no joke, especially since someone had died here a few days ago.
As if sensing his gaze, the child slowly lifted their head.
A chill surged from the Watchman’s feet, crawling up his spine to the back of his head.
He saw the child’s eyes covered with a piece of cloth, and he was instantly terrified, frozen in place.
“A ghost!!!”
With a bang, the Watchman bolted.
“Annoying! Do I really look like a ghost?”
Jiang Che sat on a stone block, waiting for Yun Fan.
Yun Fan had carried Jiang Che here overnight, then was heading toward the Yizhuang himself.
The Yizhuang was the place where dead bodies were kept.
“Senior Brother! I’m back!”
From a nearby alley came the sound of hurried footsteps, Yun Fan running over with sweat beading on his temples.
It was clear he had grown over these years — running this far and not even feeling tired.
Back then, Yun Fan had no talent for cultivation at all, but since his family had barely managed to send him here, Jiang Che had registered him as a Servant Disciple.
The boy was extremely grateful. Not only did he finish his own chores, but he also took care of Jiang Che’s daily needs.
Soon after, Jiang Che formally accepted him.
He wondered if Yun Fan had been bullied because of Jiang Che over the years.
Hearing Yun Fan shout, Jiang Che whispered, “Keep your voice down, what time is it now!”
“Oh, sorry, Senior Brother.”
Jiang Che took a deep breath.
“How did it go?”
The matter in question was Jiang Che’s request for Yun Fan to help retrieve Xiao Xia and her father’s bodies.
The Yizhuang was guarded day and night. No matter what world, the dead were always treated with utmost respect.
“Senior Brother, don’t worry. Yun Fan brought them here. The night watchman grilled me for a long time. Sorry to keep you waiting.
That watchman was really annoying. If it weren’t for my acting skills, I wouldn’t have convinced him these two were distant relatives—my grandfather’s sister’s cousin’s wife’s aunt’s little uncle… some three-times removed relative.”
Yun Fan’s expression was proud, but he didn’t notice Jiang Che’s changing mood.
“All right, Senior Brother. They’re all inside the Storage Ring, and don’t worry — the bodies are preserved with Ice Talismans.”
Jiang Che’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t prepared to face this, his throat felt as if something was stuck, making it hard to speak.
The indescribable emotion kept him from being surprised that Yun Fan even had a Storage Ring, though Yun Fan had no reason to boast — Lin Yin gave it to him for cleaning Jiang Che’s residence daily.
“Then, take me somewhere more open.”
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan hoisted Jiang Che on his back again and ran out of town.
In the sky above, a dark green figure hovered, watching everything unfold. She could easily have helped Jiang Che with all this…
A moment later, Jiang Che was brought to an Empty Land not far from Shenxiao Town.
No one was around; the silence was profound.
He told Yun Fan to take the bodies out.
Yun Fan nodded and complied, retrieving the bodies from the Storage Ring.
The two corpses lay before them, well preserved, but their skin was utterly colorless, giving off an eerie vibe.
Combined with the chill of the night, Yun Fan shivered.
He dared not breathe heavily, sensing Jiang Che’s aura shifting continuously.
Jiang Che slowly moved forward and crouched down, and Yun Fan thoughtfully reached out to hold Jiang Che’s hand, guiding it gently to the two bodies.
Jiang Che touched Xiao Xia’s forehead first. The initial contact was a lock of soft hair, twisting around his fingertips with a dry texture.
Then, he lightly stroked her face.
He wanted to confirm by her face that this was indeed Xiao Xia — no room for carelessness here.
“She’s the one…”
Jiang Che’s voice was hoarse, almost lost in the night wind, carrying a despair that felt like dust settling.
The familiar contours gradually took shape in his heart through his touch. He was certain this was Xiao Xia.
Yun Fan stood beside him, barely daring to breathe. The strange atmosphere froze him in place; he could only watch silently.
He didn’t know what kind of relationship his Senior Brother had with this girl, but he could feel Jiang Che’s sorrow.
Approaching August.
The cold wind struck again, and Jiang Che’s lips trembled faintly in the breeze.
The touch beneath his fingertips was cold and stiff, completely lacking the warmth he remembered.
He traced down the icy skin to the corner of the mouth that once carried a shy smile. Now, it was tightly sealed, frozen in the silent agony or muffled sobbing of death’s final moment.
Jiang Che was not without feeling — it was just that past memories were too painful. For the last three years, he had learned not to dwell on painful memories, so he could live like an ordinary person.
But for someone used to sadness, contact with it would eventually break through the defenses.
There was no denying it; like a scar, no matter how much you held back the tears when the wound first formed, when a familiar person asks about it, the tears inevitably spill.
“Senior Brother…”
Yun Fan cried out, noticing blood seeping through two spots on the cloth covering Jiang Che’s eyes.
Jiang Che didn’t reply, only running his hands over Xiao Xia’s face, trying to memorize her features.
This simplest of tasks was harder than reaching the sky for him…
After a long time, Jiang Che’s emotions gradually steadied.
“Shovel…”
“Shovel.” Jiang Che’s voice was soft but carried undeniable firmness.
“Ah?”
Yun Fan beside him didn’t immediately understand.
“I said, bring me the shovel!”
Jiang Che’s low roar was overwhelmingly commanding.
Only then did Yun Fan remember the shovel Jiang Che had asked him to bring before descending the mountain.
He took a shovel out of the Storage Ring and waited for Jiang Che’s instructions.
“Give it to me…”
“Senior Brother, do you want to dig up the grave? I can do it.”
“Give it to me…”
Seeing Jiang Che’s serious expression, Yun Fan reluctantly handed over the shovel.
Jiang Che took a few steps forward and, guided by instinct, thrust the shovel into the soil. The sound of the iron blade cutting into earth pierced the quiet night.
One scoop after another.
Until the pit was deep enough, Jiang Che climbed out, ready to dig the second one.
Yun Fan hurried over to support him, trying to take the shovel, but Jiang Che refused.
He kept digging alone — very unlike him. Usually calm, even when emotional, Jiang Che could quickly compose himself.
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