The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 251: Return to Dragon Blood Mountain

"What do you intend to do with the First Taboo Spell?"

It was not the first time he had asked this question, but it was only on this day that Mo Ran, in a good mood, replied leisurely, "Go back in time."

"And then?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord raised an eyebrow. "Save him."

The identity of "him" was self-evident.

Chu Wanning stood before Mo Ran, his snowy white robes contrasting against the background. "If you had thoroughly studied the texts related to the First Taboo Spell, you would know that no one who has manipulated time has ever ended well. The last grandmaster attempted to bring his daughter back from another timeline, only to end up killing his alternate self in that timeline. You surely know how that story concluded."

Mo Ran furrowed his brow, shifting his posture to sit with crossed legs and propping his chin on his hand as he gazed at Chu Wanning. "Your humble self really didn't know that."

"..."

"What's the point in dwelling on such examples of failure?"

Chu Wanning said, "No one has ever succeeded."

Mo Ran replied, "Then I'll be the first to do so."

Chu Wanning continued, "Once time and space become disrupted, you have no idea what consequences will arise."

Mo Ran nearly scoffed, "Even if the world falls into chaos and floods overwhelm the earth, what does that have to do with me?"

Undeterred, Chu Wanning persisted, "Even if you manage to bring Shi Mingjing back from another timeline, what about the other you? How would you reconcile with yourself? If the incident of two masters forcefully taking someone were to happen again, have you thought about how to handle it?"

Mo Ran smiled warmly, "He's just another version of myself in the mortal world. If he tries to stop me, I'll simply eliminate him."

Chu Wanning abruptly fell silent, a chill running down his spine.

Mo Ran had truly lost his mind.

With a near-stiff voice, Chu Wanning slowly continued, "What if... the same mistake as before happens. If there's an accident during your struggle with yourself for Shi Mingjing, the Shi Mingjing in this world might be torn apart by the rifts in time and space. You..."

Before he could finish, a loud crash echoed.

Mo Ran abruptly rose to his feet, kicking over the fruit tray on the table in front of him. Grapes, tangerines, and lychees, sweet as they were, now rolled across the floor like the corpses and severed heads he had once slaughtered.

Heaven-Stepping Lord strode forward, his embroidered dragon-patterned red shoes crushing the scattered fruit. The grapes split open like blood, while the lychees burst like brains – amidst this mountain of sweet-smelling fruit that resembled a massacre, he suddenly grabbed Chu Wanning's collar with a ferocious gaze.

"You know you look down on him and wish for his death," Mo Ran said darkly. "But your malevolence is excessive. After all, he was your disciple, who once respected and trusted you. Chu Wanning, how could you curse him like this?"

"I didn't curse him; what I told you is the truth," Chu Wanning replied.

Mo Ran shouted fiercely, "Who cares about your truth? If the person I want is trapped in another realm, I would tear through space and time to save them! If the mortal world stands in my way, I'll tear it apart; if even I am the obstacle, then kill me – but if you continue to stand in my way, then..."

He paused, his eyes wild yet moist. What then? Would he trample on Chu Wanning? But he had already broken his spine. Would he defile him? Chu Wanning was already the man he had taken as his spouse.

So, would he kill? A sudden ache filled his heart, leaving him speechless, unable to finish his sentence.

Mo Ran stormed away, leaving Chu Wanning standing alone in the vast, empty hall. Darkness surrounded him, and he knew that this darkness was a trap set by someone, whether it be Heaven-Stepping Lord or the Venerated Immortal of the Northern Dipper. Both were now deeply entangled.

But what should he do?

If the First Forbidden Spell were cast, tearing a small rift might not be catastrophic, much like how a wound can scab over, time and space can also heal themselves. However, if the tear was too large and introduced too many variables, the two mortal worlds could become entangled, possibly leading to the outcome recorded in ancient texts.

Crumbling.

"In the mortal world, order prevails. If that order shatters, divine retribution shall descend, and all shall return to chaos."

—Chu Wanning couldn't recall where he had come across this phrase, but its meaning was deeply etched in his memory. It described the consequences of the Gate of Time and Death falling out of control.

When divine retribution descends, and all returns to chaos, it means that the gods will punish the mortal realm, reducing the two disordered timelines to dust, erasing them back to nothingness.

If the First Forbidden Spell were to spiral out of control, the cost would be the complete annihilation of both timelines. Thus, at all costs, this must be prevented; Mo Ran could not be allowed to continue on this path.

That night, engrossed in handling the case files of the chaos in Kunlun, Mo Ran didn't seek out Chu Wanning for further intimacy. Thus, Chu Wanning carried his lantern once more and made his way to the Book Collection Pavilion.

It was also a small act of kindness on Mo Ran's part. He knew that Chu Wanning was no longer a force to be reckoned with, so he didn't usually obstruct him on the Summit of Life and Death, unless provoked. Whether it was the Book Collection Pavilion, the rear mountain, or even the Divine Armory, Mo Ran had no qualms about Chu Wanning's visits.

It was akin to raising a cat.

Clipping its claws and filing down its fangs was enough. To break its legs and render it immobile, completely stripping it of its wild nature, would be far too tedious.

In the Book Collection Pavilion, Chu Wanning organized all the threads of information he had gathered and combined them with the current situation, ultimately concluding two things: first, the mastermind behind the scenes was extremely skilled in using poisons, but their spiritual energy was certainly not strong. This was easy to understand, because if this person possessed abundant spiritual energy, they wouldn't need to rely on others to carry out such tasks. Second, Shi Mo's death was undoubtedly orchestrated by the mastermind to fuel the hatred within Mo Ran's heart.

This was also confirmed in ancient texts Chu Wanning had studied. "The Eight Sufferings of Enduring Hate can erase all warmth from a person's heart, but it can also preserve fond memories of a specific individual." The intricate demonic script was deciphered. "Thus, the caster often ensures that the Enduring Hate Flower's master retains their normal memories of the caster, making the master identify with and rely on them, willing to die for them." Shi Mo had already passed away, and Chu Wanning had witnessed it firsthand—there was no mistake. So Shi Mo couldn't have been the one who cast the spell. However, Mo Ran clearly remembered all the beautiful memories associated with Shi Mo. The person behind this had taken advantage of Mo Ran's remaining pure affection to lure him into touching upon the three forbidden arts. From the precious game of Go that controlled the world to the resurrection technique that brought the dead back to life, to the Time and Space Gate of Life and Death that could alter the cosmos. Mo Ran had indeed attempted each of these, regardless of success. Who would be so desperately eager to control all three forbidden arts? Who would wish to tear through time and space, risking the annihilation of both worlds, just to satisfy their own desires? Chu Wanning couldn't fathom it, but the answer to this question wasn't important right now. What mattered was how he could stop Mo Ran from mastering the Time and Space Gate of Life and Death before it was too late. After much contemplation, he finally saw the only path before him: he must kill the Heavenly Emperor, then return to the past to prevent the Eight Sufferings of Enduring Hate from taking root in Mo Ran's heart. He needed to find a way to remove it. Once someone had experienced the Eight Sufferings, they couldn't be affected by it again. That way, even if the puppet master managed to activate the Time and Space Gate of Life and Death after the Heaven-Stepping Lord's death, they wouldn't be able to gain the formidable strength of Mo Weiyu. Kill the Heavenly Emperor... In the Book Collection Pavilion under the night sky, moths flitted towards the lantern Chu Wanning carried, diving into its flame and being instantly devoured, leaving behind only the stench of charred remains. Chu Wanning watched the flickering candlelight, observing the foolish moths.

The flames were bright, but the heart was icy cold.

Kill the Immortal Trampler... Kill the Immortal Trampler...

Kill Mo Ran. Kill that man, manipulated and exploited, with precious few days of happiness.

As his former master, he had failed to protect him, and now he must personally plot his downfall.

Chu Wanning abruptly closed his eyes, tilting his head back and resting it between the bookshelves. The lantern flickered, and he would soon be like a moth drawn to the flame.

He must kill Mo Weiyu.

It was raining.

A gentle drizzle, intimate and lingering.

Chu Wanning, his male companion, stirred from a light slumber.

Mo Ran's desires and energy had always been astounding. Chu Wanning wondered if this man would relentlessly pursue Song Qiutong in the same way, whether his release was driven by mere animalistic lust or an exclusive longing only for him.

It didn't matter.

Mo Ran was lying beside him, already asleep, not much different from countless other long nights. Lately, he had become increasingly outrageous, demanding more and more. After their intimacy, he often chose to stay, and they would make love again before the court the next morning. Kill him.

But the disparity in their strength was too great; Chu Wanning didn't think he stood a chance, even with Mo Ran so close at hand. He told himself to wait just a little longer.

Ultimately, there were two things he needed to do: kill, and open the Gate of Life and Death before the mastermind behind the scenes could, to prevent Mo Ran's past self from being further consumed by the Long Hate Flower. Since the first couldn't be accomplished immediately, he would focus on the second. —— Unlock the First Forbidden Spell, the Gate of Life and Death.

Somehow, he had a faint recollection of this forbidden spell in his mind. Combined with the rubbing Mo Ran had found, after numerous failures, he had finally roughly restored the incantation. But without a spirit nucleus, it was extremely difficult for Chu Wanning to cast spells. Fortunately, he had an innate rapport with Nine Songs, allowing him to summon even without a spirit nucleus. So, although it was challenging to figure out, the setbacks he faced were obvious. Nevertheless, Chu Wanning eventually borrowed Nine Songs' power to tear open a tiny rift in time and space.

It was a real passage to the past.

As he approached, he faintly heard a whistle coming from within the rift—

The Gate of Life and Death, opened by a whistle, closed by another. Exactly as rumored.

He heard a distant, echoing voice ask him, "Where do you intend to go?"

At first, his heart pounded like a drum, but as the boat approached its destination, he felt an unexpected calm.

"Where are you bound?"

When that voice repeated its question, Chu Wanning glanced at the Wu Mountain Palace, where music and dance had already begun. Today, he had provoked Mo Ran into a rage, and now Mo Ran had summoned Song Qiutong to keep him company. He likely wouldn't come looking for Chu Wanning anymore.

He took a deep breath, his phoenix eyes shimmering with determination. "I want to go back to the year when Mo Ran was first cursed by the Eight Pains Longing Flower."

He tried to articulate his wish more clearly.

"That is, the year when the flower was still in its initial stage, when everything could still be undone. ...Do you understand?"

There was no reply from within the rift, but just as Chu Wanning was about to lose hope, a brilliant light illuminated the space, and a temporal tunnel slowly opened.

Stepping through, the world spun around him. When all was calm again, he opened his eyes to find a few peach petals drifting down before him.

He... he had actually returned to so many years ago!

At this time, the Summit of Life and Death was bathed in moonlight and clear winds, marking the late spring season.

"..." Chu Wanning stood for a moment, trying to calm his emotions, then pushed aside the profusion of flowers and stepped out from the crack.

He found himself in the sect's rear mountain. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of the flowers planted by Madame Wang, while distant flickers of light indicated the lamps burning in the thousands of disciples' rooms, forming a tranquil river of stars in the night.

Revisiting this familiar place felt like a dream.

Standing where he was, Chu Wanning's face showed little emotion, but his heart was a turmoil of feelings. He walked slowly down the path, watching the young disciples laughing and playing, seeing Elder Xuan Ji sparring with Elder Luchen on the sword practice field, and turning a corner, even catching sight of Madame Wang's fat cat, named Cai Bao, crouching on the wall, its fluffy head tilted to sniff the blooming roses on the fence.

He had been wrong; it wasn't like a dream at all. In all the best dreams of these years, he had never returned to this summit of life and death.

Chu Wanning strolled alone, absorbed in the ever-changing scenery before him.

He was aware that he didn't have the habit of leaving the Red Lotus Water Pavilion during the night in this time and place, so he wasn't overly concerned about encountering his present self.

As he walked, he suddenly encountered two youths approaching from the opposite direction. One was as radiant as a lotus blossom, and the other shimmered like a brilliant peacock's screen. His already leisurely pace came to an involuntary halt.

They were none other than the youthful Xue Meng and Shi Mo.