Heaven-Stepping Lord felt that he had never been so frustrated in his life, not even when he descended the mountain to farm, chop wood, slaughter pigs, or babysit for others.
That was because at least back then, he had disguised himself and gone by the pseudonym "Venerable Kuo"!
Ironically, both to his delight and dismay, the villagers held a rather favorable opinion of his "Venerable Kuo" persona. They praised him as robust and capable, ready to work for money and leave without any fuss. He was considered an excellent laborer.
The only thing they found peculiar about him was his penchant for bragging, constantly boasting about his past, saying things like, "Back in my day, I had over a thousand servants," or "In my youth, I possessed countless treasures." And so on.
Additionally, he had a bit of a fiery temper, always threatening to chop people's heads off, even using such threats when trying to calm down crying children. Yet, whenever his employer mentioned docking his wages, he could only put on a forced smile while soothing the frightened child by lifting them high up.
He gritted his teeth and coaxed in a venomous tone, "Rock-a-bye baby, on the willow tree. Lady Meng says, 'Be a good little one for me.'"
When the child finally stopped crying and smiled, the master turned away, unaware. Seizing the opportunity, he ground his back teeth and whispered under his breath, "Just you wait! When Chu Wanning no longer cares about you, this deity will ransack every last possession of your ungrateful lot! Pah!"
But this time was different. He wasn't in disguise or using an alias.
As the mighty Empyrean of Immortal Steps, his outer robe had been soiled by Xue Meng's vomit, forcing him to discard it. Now, he wore only a plain black cross-over robe underneath, devoid of any decoration, making him look like a destitute laborer.
Moreover, he had to clean up the mess. Who else would do it when everyone else was asleep but him?
The Heaven-Stepping Lord, with a look of clear disdain, escorted the inebriated Xue Meng back to their inn's guest chamber and unceremoniously deposited him onto the bed, subsequently drawing the covers over him in a perfunctory manner.
"Blame it on your intoxication, you drunkard!"
Saying so, he raised his hand to slap Xue Meng twice in mid-air, to which Xue Meng responded with groans and whimpers. Heaven-Stepping Lord stood there for a while, feeling exceptionally bored, then left the room.
Yet, instead of returning to his room, he went back to the shopkeeper and purchased a few more jugs of wine. He then made his way to the stairway of the inn, sitting alone there as he drowned his sorrows in alcohol.
Sipping the tea, he stealthily glanced at Chu Wanning's room.
He deliberately made loud noises, hoping for Chu Wanning to react on his own initiative.
Unfortunately, after all that ruckus, it was Guest A who eventually responded, peering out and shouting, "Are you crazy?!"
Heaven-Stepping Lord glared ferociously. "You're looking for death!"
Guest A never imagined that the person outside was none other than the mighty Heaven-Stepping Imperial Lord. Startled, they squeaked in fear and hurriedly retreated back into their room.
Heaven-Stepping Lord rolled his eyes and muttered, "If it weren't for the fact that I'm much more patient now, you'd have lost your head! You impertinent commoner!"
Continuing to drink, he became increasingly melancholic and felt increasingly wronged with each sip.
By the end of his binge, he glared resentfully at the guest room at the end of the corridor – the lights had long been extinguished, and Chu Wanning hadn't come to soothe him or even care if he returned. He had just gone to sleep!
Heaven-Stepping Lord gritted his back teeth in frustration. If it were Grandmaster Mo, wouldn't Chu Wanning have tried every means possible to comfort him with kind words?
Fuming, he drained another flask.
Xue Meng said there was no difference between him and Grandmaster Mo. Chu Wanning claimed they were one and the same person, and Grandmaster Mo himself also said that they were not distinct, merely different stages of the same individual.
None of them were right!
Heaven-Stepping Lord stubbornly insisted. They were indeed different! Just look at Chu Wanning's attitude! Why did he discard the sachet he had painstakingly embroidered with his favorite phrase from countless books, only to keep that rag made by that hypocrite?
They all deceived him about his lack of culture! Fooled him into thinking he was illiterate! The world had wronged him!
Even Chu Wanning, that scoundrel, didn't truly care for him! Although he had come to Impermanence Town to find him, he hadn't said a single comforting word or apologized for losing the gift he had prepared for their Qixi celebration. It was a sachet he had searched through volumes of literature to create, containing the most cherished words – something others would have coveted!
An ungrateful wretch!
Drinking on, he became somewhat dazed, leaning against the balustrade with a clear "I'm not happy" expression etched on his face.
In his stupor, he thought he heard a door creak open somewhere, footsteps drawing closer until they halted beside him.
Heaven-Stepping Lord lifted his head. Through the veil of mist created by the flickering lamplight, he saw that face he had despised for half his life, pined for a decade, and yearned for across two lifetimes – the clear and handsome visage of Chu Wanning.
Pausing for a moment, he murmured to the newcomer in a low voice, "Chu Wanning..."
Merely uttering this name made his heart feel damp. Regardless of whether he was under the control of the Eight Sorrows Longing Flower, his desire for Chu Wanning remained the most intense and profound. His heart seemed soaked in longing, but beyond that, there was also resentment, tenderness, sorrow, and affection. Did he not love him? In truth, his feelings for Chu Wanning had never been any less than those of his other persona.
But what could he do? He had been a puppet for over a decade, then a living corpse. The Eight Sorrows Longing Flower had drained him of his vitality. He was like a dragon trapped in darkness for too long, accustomed to loneliness and savagery. When the sunlight of the mortal world embraced him once more, he was actually afraid.
This fierce dragon could only snarl ferociously, baring his scarred yet still sharp claws, pretending that he was above associating with others.
In reality, he knew how envious he was of his own reincarnated self.
Despite all the evidence stacked before him, despite everyone telling him that Grandmaster Mo was him, that they were one and the same, he refused to acknowledge it. He stubbornly defied the entire world.
Saying, "No, I am not the same as that person."
In truth, he was lying. This was because he had dreamed of returning to Wushan Hall too many times. In those dreams, he started anew, with flames engulfing the mortal world and him by his side. But upon waking, everything vanished once more.
He lay on the vast bed, surrounded by floating curtains, resenting why he had awoken, cursing Lord Zhou for not returning his pleasant dream, and blaming Zhuangzi for not making his butterfly fantasy come true.
In truth, every time he declared, "I'm not Grandmaster Mo!", he secretly hoped someone would soothe him and, ideally, gather thousands of palace maids to chant a hundred or eighty times a day, "You are Grandmaster Mo, inseparable from him." Only then would he feel reassured.
"Why did you drink so much?"
In his sight, Chu Wanning furrowed his brows, attempting to help him up, but was abruptly pulled down by him.
"Mo Ran, what are you doing... mmph..."
With immense strength, he held Chu Wanning tightly, passionately and possessively kissing him without restraint. But as the kiss deepened, he seemed to remember something and deliberately softened his approach, mimicking someone else.
"I can do this too..." Amidst the lingering scent of wine and the melancholy of Heaven-Stepping Lord, he murmured fuzzily, "It's not difficult."
Chu Wanning didn't understand what he was talking about and tensed up. The hallway was too open, offering no cover. He feared that someone might walk out and witness this scene, so he tried to break free, but was pressed against the wooden railing by Heaven-Stepping Lord for an even more intense kiss. Given Heaven-Stepping Lord's boldness, it wouldn't be impossible for them to continue right there in the stairway.
However, just as Chu Wanning's resistance grew stronger, Heaven-Stepping Lord unexpectedly ended the kiss, his dark purple eyes drooping slightly as they fixated on Chu Wanning's moist lips. He leaned in for another gentle peck, almost like a devoted dog seeking approval from its owner, and then did so again after a moment.
Chu Wanning: "..."
After kissing Chu Wanning three times, Heaven-Stepping Lord stopped, despite the evident longing and moisture in his eyes. He held Chu Wanning close to his chest, controlling his desires.
He sighed deeply, "Tell me, am I dreaming again...?"
The man, usually arrogant and untamed, was unusually soft as he whispered against Chu Wanning's shoulder. Upon hearing this, Chu Wanning began to understand.
In this world, no matter which fragment of Mo Ran's soul it was, Chu Wanning knew him best.
Chu Wanning raised his hand, caressing Mo Ran's shoulder blades just like when he was still young. He patted him gently and said, "This isn't a dream. Come on, let's go back to our room."
Despite being groggy, Heaven-Stepping Lord was stubborn. He mumbled, "I'm not sleeping. I'm not going back."
Chu Wanning sighed, "What are you doing now?"
When Heaven-Stepping Lord was unhappy, he would throw a tantrum. He whined, seemingly aggrieved, "You turned off the lights, yet you didn't come to find me. You're intentionally provoking me..."
Despite being the previous Empyrean of the mortal realm, when he drunkenly nestled in Chu Wanning's neck, Chu Wanning strangely felt that Heaven-Stepping Lord resembled a beautiful concubine vying for affection.
Chu Wanning was momentarily speechless at the thought that had just crossed his mind. Eventually, he said, "Isn't it something I learned from you? You used to say that only those who dared not enter with the lights on would sneak in during the darkness. I was sparing your face."
"…? What a joke. Who needs your consideration?" Even in a half-asleep state, he remained arrogant. "This seat can destroy heaven and earth; there's nothing this seat dares not do…"
His voice gradually softened.
"Chu Wanning…"
"Mm?"
"Wanning…"
"…"
In the end, it turned into a soft whisper, no different from their youthful days: "Shifu…"
Chu Wanning fell silent for a moment before lifting his hand to stroke his hair.
"Mm."
"Will you still be here when I wake up tomorrow?"
With his eyes closed, Chu Wanning repeated a phrase he often said during the past two years of seclusion: "Go to sleep, I'll always be here."
Heaven-Stepping Lord finally settled down, and after a while, even breathing could be heard. It turned out that the inebriated Emperor had found peace and was now sound asleep. Chu Wanning carefully supported him as they returned to their room. The person lying on the bed had a well-proportioned face, free of aggression; he was no different from the young boy who had once saved a worm with an oil-paper umbrella all those years ago.
The Gu flower withers, and nightmares shall never return.
Yet, ——
"Why did you throw away this Lord's silk pouch!" Heaven-Stepping Lord suddenly kicked off his blankets and yelled in his sleep.
"I insist on a blind date! I must win...win...the grand gift box from Taobao Mountain Villa...which contains five hundred copies of..." rare and exquisite erotic art albums.
Fortunately, the latter half of his sentence dissolved into incoherent muttering, preventing Chu Wanning from hearing it.
Yet, even if Chu Wanning was unaware that the ultimate goal of the matchmaking was to obtain those titillating novels, he still found himself rubbing his forehead in exasperation when faced with this man who persisted in muttering in his sleep.
He would never admit to Xue Meng that the reason he lost the brocade bag Mo Ran had given him was because the Heaven-Stepping Lord had shamelessly embroidered a risqué passage from a romantic novel, known as the "Eighteen Touches," on it.
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Furthermore, he would never breathe a word to Mo Ran that the absurdly comical yet decidedly Heaven-Stepping-Lord-esque brocade pouch had not been discarded but was instead locked away in a wooden box that only he could open.
Just like everything else he's given him in the past.
-
The next day, Xue Meng rose early in the morning.
It was rare to be under the same roof as Chu Wanning, so he planned to go out and buy some of his Shifu's favorite breakfast dishes as a filial gesture. But when he reached the ground floor, he found that the table by the window in the inn was already laden with a lavish breakfast spread, and Mo Ran was setting out bowls and chopsticks.
Looking up to see him descend, Mo Ran smiled. "Up so early?"
"..."
Despite already knowing about Mo Ran's alternating personality cycle every third day, experiencing it firsthand was still rather odd. Xue Meng felt somewhat stiff for a moment, standing in place for a while before he vaguely acknowledged with an "Mm."
"I embarrassed you yesterday, didn't I? Sometimes I can be like that."
Scratching his head again, Xue Meng said uneasily, "Forget it, I've been making fun of you for longer than a day or two." As he walked over to the table and surveyed the area carefully, he couldn't help but ask, "Did you borrow the kitchen from the innkeeper?"
"Yes," Grandmaster Mo said with a smile, placing a plate of crispy pan-fried buns in front of him. "There's also congee simmering on the stove, almost ready. Can you help me carry three bowls?"
"Okay," Xue Meng agreed, following Mo Ran into the small kitchen.
Lifting the lid, the fragrant steam from the rice porridge billowed out, revealing plump shrimp and fish slices. Mo Ran efficiently ladled out three servings while Xue Meng searched for condiments.
Perfectly cooked soft-boiled eggs, halved and placed atop the steaming porridge, were sprinkled with white sesame seeds, chopped green onions, crisp fried shallots, and drizzled with aromatic sesame oil – a feast for the senses.
Curious, Xue Meng couldn't help but ask, "Did... uh, yesterday's you know how to make this too?"
"Yes, and he was just as skilled as I am now," Mo Ran replied. "But he liked throwing tantrums. Many of these recipes were actually ideas that came to him when he was in control, but he wouldn't cook them, preferring to leave it for me to prepare."
Xue Meng hummed in response, muttering softly before asking, "Then why did your Master throw away his sachet but keep yours?"
Mo Ran paused in his slicing of the boiled eggs, then turned to smile at Xue Meng. "We're one person, and I find that embarrassing. So, I don't talk about it."
Xue Meng's eyes widened. "Are you telling me you're suddenly shy after all the embarrassing things you've done in front of me? How come you didn't feel ashamed when you called me that ridiculous nickname yesterday? Speaking of which, we haven't settled that score yet—"
Grandmaster Mo, truly a man of whim, promptly changed his tune. "Oh, let's just say we're two separate people then. You can settle it with Heaven-Stepping Lord when he returns. Be a good boy."
Xue Meng: "???"
"Yes, right." After arranging the last bowl of seafood porridge, Mo Ran seemed to suddenly recall something and spoke to Xue Meng with utmost seriousness, "There's one more thing I need to remind you about."
Xue Meng was startled by his sudden solemnity and felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. "Y-You go on."
Mo Ran said, "Actually, I don't know what you're thinking or what's going on between the two of you. How did it suddenly... Well, it's your personal matter, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to pry. But after some thought, as your older brother, now that I'm aware of this, I should at least offer you some guidance."
Xue Meng: "Huh?"
"Xue Meng, you're still young, so you can certainly explore relationships. But he's older, more experienced, and holds a higher position than you. It won't be easy for you to interact with him. You have a fiery temper, so remember to restrain yourself and be more understanding. I'll keep your secret, and if you ever have any doubts or confusion when Master isn't around, you can come find me at Nanshan Mountain."
Mo Ran patted his shoulder. "Don't emulate me and pretend to date just to provoke others."
"...You've got nerve saying that?" Xue Meng paused, then shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, what are you talking about?" (BiqugeTV)
Mo Ran looked at him warmly as an older brother, showing great tolerance. "It's alright. As your brother, I have experience and understand your struggles. Actually, whether it's our Master or Venerable Jiang, they're both high and mighty, used to their pride. Since you're younger, if you have a disagreement with him, it's best to apologize first. A harmonious family leads to prosperity in all things."
Xue Meng's face instantly turned pale. "Y-You know? How did you find out? I-I didn't... I'm not..."
Mo Ran said, "I figured it out yesterday, that's why I congratulated you."
Xue Meng was astonished. "Was it that obvious?"
Smiling, Mo Ran patted him again. "Well... somewhat. But you could try to hold back a bit more."
Xue Meng was devastated.
He thought he had been restrained enough. How did Mo Ran still manage to figure out so quickly that he and Jiang Xi were father and son?!!
Fortunately, as he floated away from the kitchen, he didn't hear Mo Ran's sigh of bafflement. "Strange, what has happened in these past two years for Xue Meng to get together with Jiang Yechen... Didn't he always like girls before... Ah, I just can't wrap my head around it..."
Xue Meng remained unaware until bidding farewell to Mo Ran and Chu Wanning that he had undergone an incredible transformation in Mo Ran's eyes, now seemingly becoming part of Mo Ran's own ilk.
As they parted ways, Xue Meng gripped Mo Ran's arm anxiously, warning him, "You're not allowed to tell anyone about me and Jiang Yechen!"
You're not allowed to tell others that I'm that bastard's son!
Mo Ran sincerely raised his hand in a vow. "I'll keep your secret."
I won't mention to anyone that you've charmed Leader Jiang.
The brothers shared an unspoken understanding, exchanging a fist bump under Chu Wanning's puzzled gaze. The elder then led Chu Wanning back to Southern Screen Mountain, while the younger sibling returned to the Misty Peak of Life and Death, its surface shimmering with the morning light after the rain.