The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 114: Master, Promise Me

Thump. Thump. Thump.

His heartbeat was deep and slow.

Chu Wanning blinked too, his eyes flickering with surprise, joy, awkwardness, and unease. Elder Yu Heng truly lived up to his name; he remained cold as ice for ten years, maintaining his composure when it came to saving face. He quickly hid any trace of emotion, as if he hadn't just scolded Mo Ran in disappointment.

"What are you doing down here if you're not dead?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chu Wanning regretted them.

Looking at Mo Ran, it was clear that he had come to save him. But if Mo Ran were to say those words directly to him, Chu Wanning imagined his heart would race out of control, creating chaos within him.

In his nervousness, he forgot that he was already dead and had no heart to begin with.

But Mo Ran stared straight at him without saying that.

He probably understood that saying "I came for you" would make Chu Wanning feel embarrassed and flustered.

So he hesitated for a moment before pressing his lips together. Lowering his eyelashes, he asked gently, "Guess why I came down, Master?"

"...To find discomfort."

"Has Master changed your name to Discomfort?" Mo Ran chuckled. "And you didn't even tell me."

Chu Wanning seemed pierced by this unprecedented tenderness and quickly withdrew his hand, blushing with anger. "Nonsense! How dare you!"

Mo Ran had finally uncovered a secret.

He realized that Chu Wanning's anger was just a facade. This man was too awkward, preferring to wear a mask of fierce colors to conceal all his emotions beneath—whether they were gentle, joyful, carefree, bashful, or sorrowful.

How foolish.

Chu Wanning was foolish, wearing the mask for a lifetime without complaint.

And so was he. It took him two lifetimes to realize it.

But after this exchange, the atmosphere wasn't as heavy as before. All four of Chu Wanning's souls had been found, and now there was a chance for rebirth.

Mo Ran was in high spirits too and didn't let go of Chu Wanning's hand, chatting incessantly about why he had come to the Underworld and telling him about Master Huaizui. Whenever he mentioned certain events, he couldn't help but pause, waiting for the lump in his throat to subside before continuing with reddened eyes. The three words he repeated the most during this explanation were "I'm sorry."

Chu Wanning truly didn't know what to say.

He treated others kindly not because he expected anything in return, nor did he want anyone to feel indebted to him after receiving his kindness.

In truth, he feared that his passionate sincerity, his warm heart and lungs offered wholeheartedly, would be casually set aside by the other person, left to cool off on its own.

Thus, despite his openness and integrity, he concealed his kindness towards others.

He had worn a mask his entire life.

But one day, the person he liked reached out and, without any hesitation, peeled away the thick layers of anger painted on his face, as if removing his protective shell.

He stood there, dazed, suddenly unsure of how to react.

Lost in thought, Mo Ran knelt down in front of him, still holding his hand as if afraid he would vanish.

For a fleeting moment, an absurd and shameful thought crossed Chu Wanning's mind.

His disciple had always been audacious and unpredictable. With Mo Ran holding his hand like this, he suddenly felt that the other party might be planning something.

"…" Startled by his own thought, his expression darkened even further, unsure of how to react. He defaulted to his usual cold demeanor.

But Mo Ran didn't do anything. He just held onto him, as if he were a precious treasure found again.

This was the person he had discarded with contempt in his previous life.

"Master."

After letting go of all animosity, he knelt before Chu Wanning, sincere, respectful, and fervent.

"I was wrong in the past. From now on, I'll go wherever you tell me to, east or west. I just want you to be okay." Perhaps his emotions ran deep, for although Mo Ran still smiled, there was a hint of moisture in his eyes. "Come back with me. Will you?"

Chu Wanning remained silent, his face as calm as water, while turmoil raged within him.

"Master."

The young man's voice was gentle and tender, with a lingering hint of youth.

When Mo Ran hated someone, it was genuine hatred.

But when he cared for someone, it was with every fiber of his being.

He had always been stubborn and extreme in his ways.

"Come back with me, won't you? You promised me, didn't you?"

Chu Wanning remained still, gazing at him with a faint, unreadable expression, lost in thought.

Mo Ran feared displeasing him, so despite his sadness, he maintained a smile on his face, trying not to embarrass himself unnecessarily and add to his master's troubles. He tugged on Chu Wanning's hand playfully, coaxing him. "If Master is willing, just nod your head."

Silence.

Mo Ran grew anxious at the lack of response and added, "Can I count to three for an answer?"

More silence.

"If Master doesn't say anything, I'll take it as a yes," Mo Ran said nervously yet tenderly. Pausing for a moment, he began to count, his voice softening with each number.

"One, two, three."

Yet Chu Wanning was like someone who had been frozen for too long. Suddenly placed in warm water, he didn't feel warmth but pain instead.

He used to be unwanted, so being frozen didn't bother him. But once someone treated him kindly and warmth enveloped him, it was as if he finally had the right to feel pain. Suddenly, every inch of his flesh ached, and every inch of his skin seemed to crack.

Only now did he realize how much it hurt.

His fingertips trembled slightly against Mo Ran's increasingly sweaty palm.

Seeing that Chu Wanning remained silent, Mo Ran grew even more anxious, fearing that he had lost all hope and didn't want to return to the mortal world.

But he dared not move, afraid that any movement would cause Chu Wanning to abandon him. He maintained a warm smile and said, "I counted too quickly just now. You probably weren't prepared. Let me count again."

"One, two, three."

Chu Wanning: "…"

Mo Ran's Adam's apple bobbed, and he too was trembling. With a nearly laughing plea, he said, "Shifu, can you hear me?"

Chu Wanning's phoenix-like eyes finally seemed to regain some life, though they remained distant as he gazed fixedly at Mo Ran's face without any reaction.

"I'll count slowly again, in case you didn't hear me," Mo Ran said. "One, two, three."

"..."

"This is the last time, I promise..."

"One, two, three."

"I really mean it this time."

"One, two, three..."

Chu Wanning looked at the person kneeling before him, counting one, two, three repeatedly like a fool, as if by doing so, time could be reversed, withered trees could bloom, and lost loved ones could return.

The disciple before his eyes stubbornly and diligently counted, clumsily yet obstinately, as if he was enumerating his own sins and the kindness his Master had shown him.

By the end of the counting, his voice trembled, and his smile was fraught with anxiety.

"Shifu."

Mo Ran lifted his head, his eyes rimmed with red. But having caused so much suffering to Chu Wanning, he didn't want to cry in front of his conscious Shifu and add to his pain.

So he held back, still smiling, his tone light as if they were negotiating.

"I'll count again. Just acknowledge me, alright?"

Chu Wanning was pierced to the core by this plea.

He trembled as he tried to withdraw his hand from Mo Ran's grasp.

But this time, Mo Ran held on tightly, refusing to let go.

The young man looked at him steadily, his gaze unwavering, with a dogged determination.

He said, "One, two, ..."

Suddenly, there came the sound of hurried footsteps, shouts, and curses from outside. Chu Wanning lifted his head abruptly, seeing a sea of lights downstairs. A vast army of ghost soldiers was charging towards them, heading straight for their location.

Rong Jiu, in the end, seized the chance to betray them.

"There! Upstairs! Upstairs!"

"Grab that little thief!"

"How dare they! This is rebellion!"

Amidst the chaos and urgency, torches and ghostly figures surged like a tidal wave from afar, aiming to engulf and condemn the two of them into an eternal abyss with no hope of redemption.

Yet, Mo Ran didn't turn back. In that moment, holding Chu Wanning's hand, he felt an unexpected tranquility.

Though Chu Wanning wasn't his lover, he was someone Mo Ran loved and respected, someone who loved and treated him kindly. Gazing at him, Mo Ran's heart found stability.

Chu Wanning scolded, "Are you out of your mind?! What are you still standing there for?"

As he spoke, he grabbed Mo Ran's hand and pulled him up from the ground. Amidst the flickering lights, his gaze burned as brightly as it did in life. Chu Wanning frowned and snapped, "Let's go!"

Mo Ran was taken aback for a moment. "Us?"

Chu Wanning was furious. "Who else could it be?!"

Mo Ran was stunned. He trembled as he closed his eyes, only to reopen them moments later. Suddenly, he smiled, a beautiful smile that glistened with moisture in his eyes, like a blossom saturated with dewdrops, radiant and boundless.

He finally, finally breathed a sigh of relief, gripping Chu Wanning's fingers tightly.

Their hands intertwined.

He pressed against Chu Wanning's forehead, speaking softly and solemnly. "Three."

"Three what?! Hurry up and go!"

The endless horde of vengeful spirits were closing in, and Mo Ran turned back, exclaiming in alarm, "Shifu, create a barrier first to hold them off! Then I'll guide you into the Soul-Redirecting Lamp!"

"I can't."

"…What?!" Mo Ran was dumbfounded.

Chu Wanning's face remained cold, but he felt a twinge of embarrassment, his anger fueled by his humiliation. "If I still had my magic, how could I be trapped in this dilapidated cage?"

...

Got it.

Chu Wanning's soul lacked "cultivation."

Due to the requirement of reciting an incantation undisturbed to store a soul in the Soul Summoning Lamp, although it didn't take long, it was absolutely impossible under the current circumstances. Thus, Mo Ran could only pull Chu Wanning along and run.

Fortunately, despite losing his cultivation, Chu Wanning's physical abilities remained, so he didn't hinder Mo Ran. The two of them rushed through the path, with an endless tide of ghost soldiers chasing after them. When they reached the entrance of the main hall, Chu Wanning asked, "Do you know the way?"

Mo Ran replied, "I don't recognize him."

Chu Wanning: "..."

Undeterred, Mo Ran pointed at the towering palace walls. "Let's climb up there. We'll have a clearer view."

Fortunately, Chu Wanning's skills in lightness kung fu were firmly rooted, and even without his cultivation to support him, leaping across rooftops was still no issue. He gracefully landed on the eaves tiles and, looking down to see the horde of corpses rushing forward with ferocious roars, he said to Mo Ran, "Summon the ghosts!"

Mo Ran obeyed the instruction and proceeded to rub his palms together. A piercingly bright, icy-cold scarlet light burst forth like a serpent's flickering tongue, darting outward with fierce intensity. The vermilion willow leaves shimmered coldly in their dance, while the divine and martial willow vine coiled gracefully around his feet.

"Infuse spiritual energy up to five li, enter the Crooked Pond, and converge at Shangyang. Draw it downward."

Whoosh!

As if struck by an idea, Chu Wanning added, "Don't pour in too much spiritual energy."

Mo Ran was taken aback by this, but it was already too late to retract his power.

With a thunderous boom, the coiling serpent of flames erupted upon release, resembling a furious dragon spewing lightning and fire. It roared out from the palm of Mo Ran's hand, piercing through the horde of corpses. The blazing, ferocious flames licked almost the entire corridor, shifting stars with its fiery touch, ascending like clouds from the Cauldron Lake. In a blink of an eye, it incinerated the dozen or so soldiers at the forefront along with the bricks, tiles, and vegetation!

Chu Wanning: "…"

Mo Ran: "…"

"Not to mention I told you to be more restrained with your spiritual energy!" Chu Wanning scowled, his anger evident.

"I already did that before you…" Realizing he shouldn't argue back and should show respect, Mo Ran reluctantly closed his mouth and said, "You're right, Master."

"Never mind." Chu Wanning brushed off his sleeves. "I should have mentioned it sooner."

Mo Ran was taken aback—so all it took for his Master to yield was for him to admit his mistakes first?

He blinked and couldn't help but laugh.

Chu Wanning glanced at him. "What are you smiling about? Aren't you leaving?"

The author has something to say: Haha, thanks for everyone's suggestions! If I ever feel like changing the book title, it'll probably be to 'This Venerable One Has Gone Straight.' If that happens, don't jump out of updates and not recognize me, okay? 23333~