The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 289: A Visit to the Apex of Life and Death, Half as a Ghost

These past few days, the nightmare in the cultivation world had become even more rampant. The Precious Chess Game was spreading like a plague throughout the mortal realm. The person behind it seemed like a madman, not discriminating against the identities of their hosts, taking both the elderly and children alike under their wing.

With such a widespread strategy, no one could guess what their true intentions were.

Some people mournfully sought help from the Heavenly Sound Pavilion, but the Pavilion Master suddenly claimed illness and refused to see anyone. Even when refugees starved to death at the pavilion's gates, the doors remained firmly shut. Gradually, these people reluctantly realized that perhaps they had been wrong from the very beginning.

But it was all too late. Grandmaster Mo was dead, Chu Wanning's whereabouts were unknown, the Apex of Life and Death had collapsed, and major sects were preoccupied with their own troubles. More and more chess pieces devoid of consciousness wandered the mortal world, killing and setting fires. The battle raged on like dry grass burning, spreading at an alarming rate across the entire cultivation world.

Jiangdu, Yangzhou, Shu, Leizhou... Ornate buildings and moonlit boats all groaned in sorrow beneath the scorching flames. Walls crumbled, and countless scenes of mortal beauty vanished solemnly amidst the raging inferno.

On the Heavenly Sound Pavilion's stargazing platform, Shi Mo gazed at the blurred mountains and waters in the distance. He stood alone for a moment before faint footsteps sounded behind him.

A woman's silk slippers tread lightly on the thin layer of snow. A pair of hands covered his, and Mu Yanli draped a warm cloak around him.

"Where is Heaven-Stepping Lord?"

"He left early this morning."

"...You've already sent him to do that task?" Mu Yanli was slightly startled. "Why so soon?"

"There's no need to wait any longer. All the preparations are in place; we just need the right moment. It's all up to him now."

After Shi Mo finished speaking, he fell silent for a while. His usually calm voice trembled slightly when he spoke again.

"Sis," he whispered to Mu Yanli. "After so many years, two lifetimes... I've finally managed to..."

Mu Yanli turned her face to see his peach blossom eyes shimmering with moisture, a mix of intense emotion and apparent grievance.

Shi Mo closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly despite his efforts to control it. "Let's go."

In a deep voice, he continued, "The Gate of Time, Life, and Death will open soon. We'll take all the chess pieces we've prepared and send them there."

"All the chess pieces?"

"Every single one."

"But there are so many people..." Mu Yanli's face paled, but upon seeing the pain and excitement on Shi Mo's face, she remained resolute. "...Alright. I understand."

She turned to leave, but just as she was about to step off the Star Gazing Platform's edge, Shi Mo suddenly called out to her.

"Wait!"

She looked back to see Shi Mo standing sideways under the dusky sky, his cloak billowing in the strong wind. He gazed at Mu Yanli as if he wanted to say something, but his reddened eyes betrayed his unspoken words.

Mu Yanli met his gaze for a moment before she spoke. "Don't worry, even if it's cruel, I won't betray you."

Shi Mo abruptly closed his eyes. People often seemed overly sensitive and vulnerable at critical moments.

His voice trembled slightly. "In this lifetime, I've betrayed myself..."

"He didn't betray you," Mu Yanli said. "He betrayed the entire Butterfly Bone Clan, betrayed all of us. His hands may not be stained with the blood of cultivators anymore—but he has condemned us all to hell."

Silence ensued.

"I understand your helplessness," Mu Yanli said to Shi Mingjing. "Nan, no matter what others say about you in this world, within the Butterfly Bone Beauties, you are undeniably a hero."

And with that, she left.

Shi Mo gazed at her receding figure until she was out of sight. He then turned around, placing his articulate hands on the intricately carved railing. The icy sensation spread deep into his heart.

"Hero?" Shi Mo looked up at the heavy, overcast sky and sighed after a moment's silence. "I can't be a hero anymore. No hero carries so many lives on their shoulders."

A fleeting wistfulness flickered in his eyes before it solidified into an icy coldness.

"I, Hua Binan, have schemed and struggled against heaven and earth in two lifetimes. I don't believe that the Heavenly Dao cannot be altered. Now, with the Gate of Time, Death, and Life, the Precious Chess Game, and these forbidden arts in my grasp, I'm eager to see who in this world can still stop me."

His knuckles clenched, turning white like jade.

"Forget about being a hero. I just want a way out."

Three words dissipated into the wind.

"For us."

On the vast, snowy plateau of Kunlun, a black figure dashed swiftly.

The fierce wind and snow were like knives cutting into his cheeks, but he narrowed his dark, almost purple, eyes, seemingly impervious to the bone-chilling cold.

He moved like an eagle soaring above the cliffs, leaping gracefully onto the green-tiled roofs with unparalleled agility. Among the numerous experts patrolling Treading Snow Palace on Kunlun Mountain, none had noticed his arrival. Not a single trace was left behind in the snow he tread upon.

In no time, the man reached the peak of Treading Snow Palace. From there, he could see the ethereal and tranquil Tianchi Lake through the snowy winds, veiled in mist.

The figure, like a bolt of black lightning, came to a halt.

Standing atop Kunlun, the man stood straight as a dagger, his dark eyes fixated on the surface of Tianchi Lake. A strong gust of wind rose, blowing away his cloak to reveal a pale, strikingly handsome face.

It was Heaven-Stepping Lord.

Having undergone Shi Mo's second refinement, he now possessed the spirit nucleus of Grandmaster Mo, regaining his former immense power. Moreover, he no longer defied the "Master's" commands.

He had finally become the deadly weapon and source of spiritual energy that satisfied Shi Mingjing.

However, since waking up in the Heavenly Sound Pavilion, fragments of disconnected memories kept surfacing in Heaven-Stepping Lord's mind. He had always believed he hated Chu Wanning and loved Shi Mingjing, that his emotions and affections were intertwined with these two individuals.

Yet, something didn't feel quite right.

Lately, he would often hear indistinct voices and see vague visions.

He witnessed Chu Wanning meticulously wrapping dumplings in the Hall of Mother Meng, while he himself pleaded, "Shifu, let's start over, alright? Just pay attention to me... please..."

He saw the moon hanging above the sea cliff, illuminating only their two hearts. He held Chu Wanning's hand tightly, who kept his head lowered, his usually sharp phoenix eyes appearing moistened with red. Chu Wanning spoke to him, "I'm not good enough. I've never been liked before..."

He saw their passionate embrace on the bed in an inn, as storms raged outside, but they remained oblivious.

He noticed Chu Wanning lifting his eyelids at the Red Lotus Water Pavilion, gazing at him—

His heart skipped a beat.

Heaven-Stepping Lord abruptly opened his eyes.

What was all this?

He saw Chu Wanning looking at him with such tenderness, a gaze that he could never have obtained through torture, captivity, humiliation, or persistent persuasion.

Heaven-Stepping Lord felt a headache coming on. He raised his hand, and the harsh light of day shone upon the cold spikes on his wrist guard. Rubbing his forehead, he cursed softly, "What nonsense is this?"

He stood on the rooftop, lost in thought for a moment. The snowfall in Kunlun was heavy, quickly frosting his shoulders. He felt a faint sense of surprise, for deep down, he found this to be pleasant, like a beautiful dream. Strangely, he found solace in Chu Wanning's gentle gaze within the dream.

"I must truly be mad."

He blinked, casting aside these absurd thoughts and pressing on.

His master's command was for him to seek out the most potent spiritual energy in Kunlun and fully unlock the portal to his past life. Logically, he should head north. Yet, upon seeing Tianchi Lake, he couldn't help but detour around it.

That was where he had lost Chu Wanning forever.

Heaven-Stepping Lord restrained himself for a moment, standing still, but ultimately succumbed to the impulse to walk in that direction. As he passed by the corridors of Treading Snow Palace, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Daddy... Mama..."

The voice was deeply ingrained in his memory, causing him to abruptly halt, hiding in the shadows with his dark eyes peering downward.

Then he recognized the source and scoffed. "I wondered who it could be. It's you."

In that courtyard, only Xue Meng was present. With a flask of wine in his arms, he lay slumped on the table, thoroughly drunk.

"This time, your parents were not killed by this deity." Heaven-Stepping Lord watched Xue Meng's inebriated state with amusement, stroking his chin. "But whenever you grieve, I am delighted. I haven't forgotten whose fist left a hole in my chest."

"How does it feel, to have your heart ache like this?"

The courtyard was silent, devoid of any others.

Heaven-Stepping Lord gazed down for a while longer, then on a sudden whim, a black shadow fluttered, and he had already materialized before Xue Meng.

The drunken Phoenix, in his stupor, didn't sense his arrival. He continued to reach out, caressing the wine flask, attempting to pour more of its nectar into his mouth.

But suddenly, a cold hand reached out, grasping the red clay pot, halting his action.

"You... Who...?"

"Guess for yourself."

With great effort, Xue Meng managed to lift one of his swollen, tear-stained eyes, squinting drowsily up at the hand before him. He found himself staring into the handsome yet mocking face of Heaven-Stepping Lord.

Heaven-Stepping Lord had never seen Xue Meng so defeated. Though he was convinced that in his previous life, Xue Meng had secretly crumbled many times behind closed doors, this was the first time he was witnessing it firsthand. He licked his lips, feeling both thrilled and exhilarated.

Lowering himself, he gazed at Xue Meng as if he were prey, "Interesting. It seems that Chu Wanning's most prized disciple also turns to alcohol for solace, drowning himself in a drunken stupor."

Sitting sideways on the edge of the stone table, he then reached out to lift Xue Meng's chin.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you in your youthful days," Heaven-Stepping Lord said with a tinge of sentimentality. "After spending too much time in the mortal world, this seat almost forgot the arrogant face you had when you were young."

His fingertips gently traced along.

Gliding over the cheeks, nose bridge, brows, and then tapped lightly on the forehead.

"Xue Meng, do you know? There's one thing that this seat actually regrets," he gazed into Xue Meng's startled eyes, gradually revealing a chilling smile, "In my previous life, a fleeting moment of kindness allowed you to live, but you turned around and tried to kill me. Sometimes, this seat wonders... if I should have killed you from the start."

"People, the living may not be comfortable, and the dead may not suffer," Heaven-Stepping Lord's voice was low and gloomy. "Xue Meng, do you want to join your parents?"

As he spoke, he leaned forward.

His icy breath brushed past Xue Meng's cheek, and two cold fingers touched the artery at Xue Meng's neck – all the while, he kept his gaze locked onto Xue Meng's eyes.

He watched his own reflection in those teary, blurred eyes, like a ghost descending upon the world.

"In truth, everyone in this mortal realm will eventually die," Heaven-Stepping Lord's teeth gleamed white and menacing. "We were half-brothers for a lifetime. Since we've encountered each other here, why don't this seat send you on your way first and help you find liberation?"

With a flick of his fingers, he was about to deliver the fatal strike.

"Brother..."

Suddenly, a whisper, soft as a sprout piercing through soil, shook the heavens and earth.

Heaven-Stepping Lord paused.

Xue Meng looked at him, seemingly finally recognizing the figure before him through his drunken haze. Tears dampened his heavy robes as he choked back sobs, staggering to his feet and grabbing hold of Heaven-Stepping Lord's cold arm like a drowning man clutching at driftwood in an endless sea.

"Brother..."

He called out to him.

Unable to discern the subtle differences between Mo Ran's two lifetimes, Xue Meng saw only him - his brother, his family, the embodiment of his most carefree years returned.

This time, Heaven-Stepping Lord heard clearly and was certain he had not misheard. Thus, he was taken aback, unsure of what expression to wear on his face.

His mind was in disarray once more.

In his blurred vision, Heaven-Stepping Lord saw a fleeting image of himself and Xue Meng sitting in the Red Lotus Water Pavilion, brewing tea and wine, toasting under the moonlight.

...Could this have been another memory tampered with by Grandmaster Mo?

"Brother," Xue Meng's eyes were hazy with intoxication. Hugging Heaven-Stepping Lord, he initially tried to suppress his sobs, but eventually, his voice trembled as he wept bitterly, "Don't go... Don't leave me behind..."

After a moment, he seemed to recall something else, causing him to shiver violently, his lips turning pale. "Don't kill my father, don't force them... I killed those people, not my parents. Come after me instead..." Large tears rolled down, soaking Heaven-Stepping Lord's chest. "Don't... Don't take out my brother's heart..."

Amidst these alternating sobs, Heaven-Stepping Lord's murderous hand finally slowly lowered. He stood stiffly for a moment, attempting to push away Xue Meng. But Xue Meng held onto him tightly, their blood seemingly inseparable.

Gradually, the area closest to his heart was soaked through with tears.

Heaven-Stepping Lord eventually fled, leaping onto the roof tiles and crouching along the eaves, watching Xue Meng curled up in the snow, weeping bitterly.

In his memories, Xue Meng had always been fierce, arrogant, and sharply critical. Yet, in this blizzard, what remained was a child who had lost his brother.

He watched Xue Meng cry for an extended period. Eventually, Xue Meng got up. Whether it was due to sobriety or exhaustion, he stood dazedly in the courtyard for a while before carrying the wine jar and wandering into the depths of the plum blossom garden. The young man walked aimlessly, his expression distant, gradually disappearing—fading away—

Heaven-Stepping Lord gazed at the uneven footprints on the snow that no longer turned back, stretching deep into the snowstorm until Xue Meng's figure was out of sight.

Amidst the biting north wind, a resonant song suddenly echoed, a short ballad from Sichuan that Xue Zhengyong had once sung in his lifetime. Now, it flowed from Xue Meng's throat, echoing through the Treading Snow Palace on Kunlun Mountain.

"I bow to old friends, half turned ghosts; only in this drunkenness can we find joy." The voice was young, but the tune held the weight of years. "Beneath the osmanthus tree, our youth hidden, we drank together, faces aged, hair already graying."

The snow dyed the young man's black hair white.

The hoarse voice mingled with the sounds of snow and wind, all sounds in the world seeming bleak.

"The dream of celestial light shatters, all paths lead far away..." Fading into the distance, almost ethereal. Perhaps it wasn't Xue Meng who moved away, but the young man whose sobs eventually drowned out the words, his voice choking with tears, "Leaving me, an old soul, with tears brimming."

Abandon my aged self.