The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 39: This Seat's New Weapon

Upon entering the cave, they found themselves in a narrow tunnel. Walking on the slippery steps made of lake-bottom stones, their feet felt the slick sensation all the way to their hearts. After passing through this passage, they were greeted with a sudden burst of light, like a new world had opened up before them.

The divine armory that Gouchen Supreme Palace described as "small and cluttered" was much larger than it seemed. The ancient tree was vast, and the space within it reached up to the highest heavens and down to the depths of the earth. Bookshelves spiraled upward, displaying countless weapons in an orderly manner. Looking up, they could not see the ceiling; the rows of platforms holding the world-renowned weapons exuded an air of grandeur, towering endlessly.

In the center of the armory, a blazing furnace lay horizontally, filled with molten iron that glowed orange-red. Unfinished weapons soaked within, undergoing refinement. The weapons crafted by Gouchen Supreme Palace surpassed even the renowned Purple Lightning and Green Frost, as the terrifying heat only served to enhance their luster, with dragon-like radiance illuminating the surroundings.

Most intriguingly, various parts whizzed through the air, seemingly influenced by the ancient tree's magical formations, moving autonomously.

Tiny flower petals and embedded jewels danced like mischievous spirits, squeaking and creaking as they darted around. Occasionally, they collided, producing shimmering sparks that sounded like a delightful melody.

Gouchen Supreme Palace turned his gaze and smiled slightly. "It's a bit small, isn't it?"

Shi Mo: "…"

Uh.

Xue Meng: "…"

"Small? Then what would you consider large?"

Mo Ran: "..."

I have a word for your mother, but I'm unsure if it's appropriate to say.

Chu Wanning: "..."

The God of the Northern Dipper's Palace Order, Xue Meng and Shi Mo, are free to choose whatever they fancy; if they find something they like, they can take it. As for Mo Ran, the God of the Northern Dipper seems quite interested in him, offering several weapons to try, but none have been quite satisfactory.

"Feng Ming Jiao Wei." Unfazed by the previous attempts, Gou Chen Shanggong presented the fourteenth weapon. "Give this one a try."

Mo Ran: "This... I have no knowledge of music."

"No problem, just strum it casually."

Following the instructions, Mo Ran played a few notes on the ancient zither with its polished front and charred end. To his surprise, the strings vibrated uncontrollably, producing a shrill tone.

Gou Chen Shanggong promptly set aside Feng Ming and, using a spell, returned the zither to its place. He then picked up a lustrous green jade pipa.

Mo Ran: "…Let's skip this." As a manly man, he had no business playing such a delicate instrument as the pipa; only those pretty boys from Kunlun's Treading Snow Palace would do such things.

Gou Chen Supreme Palace insisted, "Give it a try."

"…Alright then." Mo Ran reluctantly took the pipa and followed the instructions, but his resentment seemed to have been too strong. After only a few strums, he actually snapped the string.

"…"

Staring at the broken string, Gou Chen Supreme Palace said after a long moment, "Do you know what this string is made of?"

Mo Ran replied, "…You're not asking me to pay for it, are you?"

"It's the white hair of the Goddess of Mount Wu," Gou Chen Supreme Palace murmured. "It cannot be severed by a sword or burned by fire; it's the essence of earth spirits. Yet you…you…"

Mo Ran turned his head in horror. "Shifu! I can't afford to pay for it!"

Chu Wanning: "…"

Gou Chen Supreme Palace plucked at the remaining strings, muttering to himself, "Wood overcomes earth. If you could destroy the essence of earth spirits, does that mean your suitable weapon would be the essence of wood spirits?"

"What?"

"It shouldn't be like this..." For some reason, Lord Gouchen glanced at Chu Wanning. Chu Wanning caught his gaze and asked, "What shouldn't be?"

Lord Gouchen didn't answer immediately but instead waved his hand, summoning a pottery flute and playing it gently. As the sound of the flute faded, a blood-red summoning array suddenly cracked open in the sky.

"Ji Baihua, come out."

Mo Ran abruptly lifted his head, and both Xue Meng and Shi Mo were drawn to the commotion. They saw Lord Gouchen's fingers manipulating the intricate array in the sky. Then, a fox spirit with a fluffy tail burst through the formation, its silver fur shimmering and radiating light.

The fox spirit circled in the air before gracefully landing in front of Mo Ran.

This fox spirit was exceptionally handsome. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a man. A crimson dot adorned his forehead, and his almond-shaped eyes were slightly raised, exuding anger laced with affection. He was draped in luxurious robes, holding a golden silk box in his hand. Looking at Lord Gouchen, he smiled and said, "My lord."

Lord Gouchen replied, "You should have sensed why I summoned you, right?"

"I am aware, my lord."

Lord Gouchen asked, "What do you think?"

Ji Baihua chuckled. "Yes, it's worth a try."

The two of them carried on their conversation, completely ignoring the other four people present.

Mo Ran couldn't help but intervene. "What are you two talking about?"

"Hmm? Little Immortal Lord can't wait, huh?" Ji Baihua said with a bright smile. "That's quite amusing. When I sensed your spiritual energy from afar just now, I initially thought you'd be an old man with a head full of white hair, but to my surprise, you're actually a handsome young lad."

Mo Ran: "......"

Gou Chen Shangguan said, "Ji Baihua, let's get down to business first."

"Well, alright, I was just joking around," Ji Baihua said, narrowing his eyes and swishing his fluffy tail. "What's serious, then? Oh dear—Little Gou, don't look at me like that. This story is actually quite a long one—"

Mo Ran smiled. "Can you make it short, then?"

Ji Baihua also grinned. "Sure, sure. If I were to shorten it, it would be very brief." He summoned his spiritual energy, causing the brocaded box in his hand to float before Mo Ran.

"Here, take it."

...Indeed, it speaks volumes with few words.

Mo Ran took the brocaded box and weighed it in his hand, turning it over.

The box shimmered with golden light, its surface radiant with a myriad of colors. It was uncertain what divine weapon lay inside, for there was no visible opening or seam on the box. The only decoration was a yin-yang fish pattern on its lid, two contrasting black and white carp intertwined, forming the symbol of the eight trigrams.

"How do I open this?"

Ji Baihua chuckled. "The secret to unlocking it is a whisper from my lips to your ears, not to be heard by others."

Xue Meng asked, "So you're saying we should step away?"

Ji Baihua smiled. "No need for you all to leave. Just let me offend this young Immortal Lord for a moment." With a wave of his hand, Mo Ran's surroundings suddenly darkened, and before he knew it, they were now in a small, enclosed chamber.

"Young Immortal Lord, there's no need to be nervous. This is a spatial displacement technique I'm proficient in. The box containing the weapon is a unique talisman I've crafted myself. Therefore, I cannot reveal the opening method to you in front of others. Please don't take offense."

Mo Ran smiled. "It's alright. But I am curious, what kind of weapon is inside that requires such a special container?"

"I can't tell you that," Ji Baihua replied. "Divine weapons have their own personalities. This one doesn't want its appearance known easily. If you upset it, even if you manage to open the box, it still won't acknowledge you as its master."

"{Mo Ran} was speechless for a moment, and could only laugh bitterly. "What kind of weapon is this with such peculiar temperament? Alright, alright, just tell me how to open this box then."

{Ji Baihua}, seeing that he didn't insist on pushing for answers, felt a bit more favorably disposed towards him. Clapping his hands and smiling, he said, "Prince Immortal, you're straightforward. Then I won't beat around the bush either. This box is called Everlasting Longing. As you've seen, it has no seams or gaps. To open it, two conditions must be met."

{Mo Ran} replied, "I'd like to hear more about them."

{Ji Baihua} continued, "My fox spirit clan holds true love and genuine affection in the highest regard. Thus, the first condition is that there's only one person in this world who can unlock Everlasting Longing. This person is of utmost importance to you; you must deeply love them, and they must also hold affection for you and remain loyal."

{Mo Ran} smiled. "So that's how it is. It's quite an unusual requirement, but not too difficult." He still had faith in his feelings for {Shi Mo}.

Upon hearing this, {Ji Baihua}'s lips curled slightly. "How is it not difficult? Since ancient times, human hearts have been the hardest to fathom. What you think might not be the truth. I've wandered the world for a long time and have seen too many people lose sight of their true feelings, unsure of who they truly love. In these millions of years, very few have managed to open Everlasting Longing – it could even be said that there have been almost none."

{Mo Ran} was puzzled. "Why is that? Even if I get it wrong, I can keep searching. I could just try everyone I know one by one, eventually finding that so-called 'most important person' in my life, right?"

{Ji Baihua} explained, "That brings us to the second condition. Apart from you, only one other person can touch Everlasting Longing. That means you have only one chance. If you choose the wrong object to unlock it, it will close forever, and no one else will be able to access what's inside."

{Mo Ran} chuckled. "No wonder you wanted to keep everyone else away. If they heard you say that, it would be awkward for me too. If I were to carry the box to someone for them to look at, they'd know who I have feelings for. That would be embarrassing." Pausing, he toyed with the silk-wrapped box in his hand and added, "But your little trinket is indeed intriguing. So it's a one-time-use keyhole; if you make a mistake, the box becomes useless."

"Of course it's only usable once. Otherwise, how many times do you expect to use it?" {Ji Baihua} glared at him. "You mortals dalliance in the mortal realm for mere decades, unknowingly neglecting countless opportunities for true affection. Remember, deep emotions like those embodied by Everlasting Longing—once the choice is wrong, it's hard to turn back."

"Haha, Great Fox Immortal, rest assured; while others might make mistakes, I am well aware," Mo Ran clasped his hands together and bowed slightly, smiling. "I won't fail this love."

Ji Baihua glanced at him, his voice low and melodious, exuding grace and charm. "Young Immortal, don't be too confident. In my eyes, you are actually ignorant of the Guest of Wu Mountain, unaware of your fated one."

Mo Ran froze, his smile still frozen on his face. "What do you mean?"

The handsome immortal, who claimed to believe in true love and good karma, didn't elaborate, only sighing softly. "Without a command, longing remains, breaking willow branches. Sigh..."

Mo Ran, not being well-versed in literature, couldn't understand the poetic allusion, but he sensed that the fox immortal was trying to hint at something. Unfortunately, he was too slow-witted to decipher the meaning.

Just as he was about to ask again, Ji Baihua smiled gently, saying his mission was accomplished. With a wave of his sleeve, he sent Mo Ran out of the secret chamber. Suddenly, Ji Baihua stiffened, then shattered into pieces, leaving behind only a black chess piece that fell where he had once stood.

Unfortunately, Mo Ran missed this scene. Had he witnessed it, many events beneath the lake might have unfolded differently...

When Mo Ran regained his senses, he found himself back in the Divine Armament Repository, holding Cháng Shāng Xīn. The other four were waiting for him inside. Upon seeing his return, the Upper Palace of Gouchen grinned, his lips curving into a bright smile. "That little fox is quite amusing, making such a fuss over opening a box. So, did you figure out how to open it?"

At this crucial moment, there was no time for deep contemplation. Mo Ran thought for a moment and chuckled. "Easy peasy."

He casually strolled over to Shi Mo. "This lock is ingeniously designed, so intriguing that I doubt you could solve it even after ten or eight years of pondering. Want to give it a try?"

As he spoke, he nonchalantly passed the box in front of Shi Mo.

The resplendent brocaded box rested before Shi Mo, its golden glow illuminating his gentle and exquisite features.

"Shi Mo, you should try it first," Mo Ran attempted to seem indifferent, but his heart was knotted, and his palms were damp with sweat.

This was a wager on whether or not he could acquire a new Divine Weapon – it called for utmost caution. Yet, he felt that he had already been extremely careful. He was someone who had died once; did he still not know who mattered most to him?

He wasn't stupid.

Shi Mo seemed hesitant but eventually took Chang Xiang Si from Mo Ran's hands.

Mo Ran's heart leapt into his throat, yet after staring for a long while, everything remained as usual – there was no reaction.

Mo Ran: "…."

Shi Mo held the box delicately, examining it closely. His fingertips traced the yin-yang fish pattern, and he then remarked in surprise, "There's not even the slightest gap. I can't find the lock anywhere."

Why wasn't there any response? !

Why did Shi Mo touch the Longing for Evermore, yet it remained completely unresponsive?

Could it be — Ah! Yes! It was the gloves!

Mo Ran glanced at the insulating deerskin gloves Shi Mo wore on his hands and felt a sudden realization. He was about to ask Shi Mo to remove them and try again. Suddenly, without any warning, a hand with slender fingers and well-proportioned bones reached out, smoothly taking the Longing for Evermore into its grasp.

Mo Ran was struck as if by lightning, screaming in horror, "Master — !"

Chu Wanning was startled and almost dropped the box. However, his calmness ran so deep that his inner turmoil was not visible to others.

Mo Ran wailed like someone who had lost their loved one, "Master — !!!!"

Xue Meng's skin prickled with goosebumps, "Crying, crying! All he did was take your box. What's wrong with you? You're howling as if someone stole your wife."

"I — I —" Mo Ran was so furious that he was nearly fainting, unable to speak the truth, so he could only cover his face and cry out, "Oh my heavens..."

Chu Wanning! Why didn't you wear gloves??

You're so afraid of the cold!

Amidst the icy snow, we all wore them—why not you alone?

Suddenly, Mo Ran paused.

Of course...

The demon-repelling pendants they wore needed to resonate with Chu Wanning's spiritual energy. That was why Chu Wanning hadn't bought him a pair of insulated gloves from the beginning.

He didn't wear gloves to protect them.

Yet he had never spared Chu Wanning a single concerned glance, and it was only when they were about to unlock Eternity of Love that he suddenly realized the one who feared the cold the most had been shivering all along.

Mo Ran was utterly heartbroken, lamenting his misfortune for missing out on the Divine Weapon. Just as he was sighing inwardly, unexpectedly, as Chu Wanning's fingertips gently brushed against the Yin-Yang fish, the metal fish came to life, wriggling and coiling around the box's surface with surprising agility.

There was a brief pause.

With two crisp "snap" sounds, the Yin-Yang fish entwined and rose up, transforming into handles. With another turn of the handles by Chu Wanning, Eternity of Love split apart, revealing the glittering golden object within.

Mo Ran was stunned.

Ji Baihua's words echoed in his mind.

"The Longing for Beauty can only be unlocked by one person. This person holds great significance in your life, and you must deeply love them. In turn, they must also have affection and loyalty towards you."

...Could this person be Chu Wanning?

How could it possibly be Chu Wanning!

Impossible, absolutely impossible!! How could he deeply love Chu Wanning, and how could Chu Wanning possibly like him? What a colossal joke!

This must be a mistake, the box must be wrong, this box is broken.

However, before he could fully process this shock, an even more astonishing event unfolded as Chu Wanning picked up the divine weapon within Longing for Beauty.

Not only was Mo Ran stunned, but the other three, including Chu Wanning himself, wore expressions of disbelief.

Reflecting the radiance of the weapon, a delicate, shimmering willow vine illuminated their faces.

Chu Wanning: "..."

Xue Meng: "..."

Shi Mo: "..."

The two words got stuck in Mo Ran's throat for a moment before they were reluctantly uttered, filled with disbelief.

"......Heavenly Inquiry???"

Author's Note:

If this were a gaming novel, let's analyze the cause of death for the three apprentices:

Chu Wanning: Died from being pulled into danger (OT)

Mo Ran: Died from collapsing as tank (falling T)

Shi Mo: Died because teammates were too clumsy (no support)

Xue Meng: Died from overly seductive movement (careless positioning)