The Husky and His White Cat Shizun

Chapter 82: I Can Hardly Believe It

Outside the Fragrant Charm Inn on Linling Island, the proprietress was dressed in vibrant colors with bracelets jingling on her snow-white wrists. Lean and willowy, she leaned against the entrance, cracking melon seeds while a snake gallbladder scent lingered in the air.

Whenever the Xuan Yuan Pavilion held an auction, her inn was always the most popular choice for guests. With her beauty, wit, and astuteness, she could easily guess what her customers desired just by observing their gaze.

The sun was high in the sky, past noon. After spitting out a melon seed, the proprietress estimated that the bidding event would end within two hours. As Linling Island's accommodation fees were steep, most cultivators wouldn't stay long. Today's earnings from rooms wouldn't be substantial. However, it mattered little since the immortal knights and heroes would usually dine before departing, providing another chance to earn some profit.

Brushing off fruit peels from her skirt, the proprietress called to her waiter, "Er Fu, polish the tables and chairs in the main hall once more. Bring out another basket of my snake gallbladder melon seeds, placing a plate on each table. We must prepare for the evening business."

"Alright, Boss! Right away," the waiter responded, scurrying off.

Satisfied, the proprietress smiled. She had enjoyed enough sun and finished her melon seeds. Just as she was about to return to oversee operations, a black-and-white blur appeared at the end of the road, riding on the wind. Upon closer inspection, it was a handsome, black-clad immortal knight carrying someone in his arms, rushing urgently into her inn.

"Room! Room! Room! Room!"

"..."

Perhaps due to his sudden arrival and unusual behavior, the inn's waiter was startled, his mouth agape, unable to recover from the surprise.

Mo Ran thundered, "A room! Are you deaf? Where's the innkeeper?!"

"Oh, Exalted Immortal," a young woman's voice rang out behind him, laced with three parts amusement and seven parts apology, a tone that defused any anger. Mo Ran swiftly turned, meeting the proprietress's charming, affable smile. "My apologies for the delay. My junior apprentice is new here. If you have any needs, consider me the innkeeper."

Raising his dark, handsome brows, Mo Ran urgently repeated, "A room!"

The proprietress swiftly and discreetly sized him up. Seeing that he was cloaked, she guessed he was an Exalted Immortal attending the Xuan Yuan Assembly. However, in his haste, his hood had fallen back, revealing a handsome, youthful face. But that wasn't the most important thing. What mattered more was the embroidered purse with the Black Tortoise symbol on his wrist – it was a Qiankun Pouch, a gift from the Xuan Yuan Pavilion for customers to carry their purchases.

He was wealthy.

Very wealthy.

Upon seeing the person he held in his arms, concealed by a large cloak and leaning inward, she couldn't discern their appearance. But the proprietress had keen eyes; she swiftly scanned the snowy silk robe, her gaze landing on the hand peeking out from the wide sleeves.

It was slender and graceful, with skin like porcelain, finely tapered fingers, and distinct bones.

A beauty.

The proprietress immediately understood.

Although it was an attractive man, dual cultivation wasn't an unusual occurrence among cultivators. There was nothing particularly strange about it.

"Da Fu, prepare a room," the proprietress responded quickly, not asking further questions. She snapped her fingers and instructed, "The most comfortable one, the Sun and Moon Suite."

Chu Wanning's illness had struck fiercely and without warning. Fortunately, they were in Solitary Moon Night's territory, where skilled healers were abundant. Mo Ran summoned a physician to take Chu Wanning's pulse.

The experienced immortal sect physician closed his eyes as his calloused fingers tapped gently on Chu Wanning's wrist, remaining silent for a while.

Mo Ran couldn't help but ask, "Doctor, how is my master?"

"There doesn't seem to be any major issue, but..."

Mo Ran despised people who spoke in riddles. He widened his eyes. "But what?"

"It's just that I find it very odd. Your master possesses remarkable cultivation, unparalleled in this world. Yet, after a careful diagnosis, his spirit core appears incredibly fragile, even less resilient than a newly-foundation-built junior cultivator."

If cultivation were compared to water, a spirit core would be the container holding that water.

Spirit Cores are innate, while cultivation is nurtured over time. Thus, those with stronger innate Spirit Cores tend to find cultivation easier. However, once cultivation reaches a certain level, it in turn nourishes the Spirit Core, so usually, both aspects complement each other.

A grandmaster like Chu Wanning must have an incredibly robust Spirit Core, which is why ordinary physicians wouldn't pay special attention to it during a diagnosis.

Hearing this, Mo Ran exclaimed, "How is that possible?!"

"The old man also found it inconceivable. That's why I diagnosed him repeatedly, but the results were the same every time."

"My master's Spirit Core can't even compare to a Foundation Establishment cultivator? This... How could this be possible? It's a joke! Doctor, please check again. Could there have been a mistake?"

"I've always been cautious in my medical practice, and I only speak when I'm absolutely certain. If Young Fairy doesn't believe me, seek out another physician to examine his Spirit Core. The outcome will still be the same."

Mo Ran was stunned.

The doctor continued, "It's precisely because your master's Spirit Core is very fragile that it reacted to some powerful weapon. The weapon's attributes must have resonated with his own, albeit not belonging to him. Hence, he suffered a backlash, and his Spirit Core couldn't withstand it, causing him to fall into unconsciousness. I'll prescribe some medicinal soup for him. After taking it and getting ample rest, he should recover quickly."

After seeing the doctor off, Mo Ran sat by Chu Wanning's bedside, propping his cheek in his hand, lost in thought for a long while.

A weak Spirit Core?

How could that be...

But that old man had no idea what happened at the Xuan Yuan Assembly, yet he accurately mentioned Chu Wanning's encounter with a powerful weapon. It didn't seem like he was just spouting nonsense.

There was also "Unreturning." Back at the Xuan Yuan Assembly, Mo Ran had only released a tiny bit of spiritual energy, yet it caused an abnormal reaction in Chu Wanning, who then fell unconscious. Thus, he didn't have time to determine if that saber was truly his divine weapon from his past life. If it was, why would "Unreturning" resonate with Chu Wanning? Why would it even backlash against him?

Lost in thought, Mo Ran stared at Chu Wanning, not knowing how long had passed when the person on the bed seemed to be plagued by a nightmare again. His beautiful brows furrowed, and his eyelashes fluttered nervously.

Without realizing why, Mo Ran reached out and gently stroked his mentor's forehead. "Master..."

"..."

"Master... Chu Wanning... You've lived two lifetimes. Could there still be secrets about you that I don't know?"

The shopkeeper soon prepared the medicine in the back kitchen and brought it over to Mo Ran.

After tasting it, he found it indeed bitter, the flavor Chu Wanning disliked the most. Mo Ran sighed and called out to the woman who was about to leave.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any sweets?"

"Ahh... The candies in my shop are freshly made, and today's batch is all used up. But if Immortal Master desires them, I'll send someone out to buy some right away."

Mo Ran glanced at the steaming medicinal soup and shook his head. "Never mind then. The medicine will lose its efficacy if it cools down. Thank you all the same."

"Oh, there's no need to be polite, Immortal Master. Call me if you need anything else."

With that, the proprietor tactfully left, pulling the door shut behind him.

Placing the medicine on the bedside table, Mo Ran sat back down on the couch, one hand resting on his knee while the other reached out to help Chu Wanning sit up. "Master, time for your medicine."

Feeding him medicine was a familiar task from his previous life. Mo Ran held Chu Wanning in his arms, allowing him to lean against his chest, then picked up the medicine bowl and scooped out a spoonful. Blowing on it to cool it down, he slowly offered it to Chu Wanning's lips.

This was already the second time he had taken care of Chu Wanning since his rebirth. Despite hating this person, he still found himself incredibly anxious whenever he saw Chu Wanning unwell.

"Bitter..."

Though still asleep, Chu Wanning was somewhat aware, his brows furrowing in a half-awake state as he turned his face away, refusing to drink more.

Mo Ran was all too familiar with this reaction; he held the spoon steady and gently turned Chu Wanning's head back, coaxing patiently, "Just one more sip, and it'll be over. Come on."

He offered another spoonful.

Chu Wanning managed to swallow half the soup before choking on the other half, causing his brows to furrow even more tightly.

"So bitter..."

"It's sweet, I promise. The next spoon will be sweet. Here, have some more."

"Ugh..."

"Another spoon! I guarantee it will be sweet beyond your wildest dreams! This is the sweetest syrup in the world, personally sourced by me!" Lost in coaxing, Mo Ran unintentionally slipped in words from his past life, "It's delicious, you'll regret not opening your mouth."

With a mix of persuasion and deceit, he managed to feed the entire bowl to Wanning. After the last spoonful, Mo Ran exhaled in relief, ready to tidy up. Suddenly, a blur of white flashed before his eyes, and before he could react, he was slapped hard across the face.

"A liar! Get out!"

Chu Wanning spat out those words fiercely, then turned his head and fell back into a deep sleep. Left with a stinging cheek, Mo Ran gaped, then eventually covered his face, feeling wronged. Just as he was about to retaliate, a muffled groan escaped the person in his arms, indicating a distressing dream that had darkened their expression even more.

Seeing Chu Wanning's state, Mo Ran couldn't summon any anger. With no candy at hand, he noticed the Qiankun Pouch on the bedside table and decided to take out a bottle of Mengxiang Dew. Gently patting Chu Wanning's cheek, not too softly or harshly, as a form of retaliation.

"Rest for a while, I'll fetch some sweet scented dew for you to drink."

"..."

Noticing Chu Wanning's silence, Mo Ran supported him, planning to help him lean back onto the pillow. However, as he drew closer, he heard a low and muffled gasp, followed by a whisper, "It was... me who wronged you..."

Mo Ran was taken aback. "What did you say?"

With his eyes tightly shut, Chu Wanning's fan-like eyelashes trembled, seemingly suppressing immense pain as all the color drained from his face. It was evident that he had fallen into another dream, a more terrifying and grotesque one. He shook his head slightly, and an unusual shade of sorrow appeared on his usually noble and cold countenance.

"I... It was I... who wronged you..."

For a moment, Mo Ran felt his heartbeat accelerate. An odd sensation rose in his chest, as if a secret was just within reach, concealed by a thin veil. He couldn't help but fixate on Chu Wanning and ask softly, "What do you mean 'you' wronged me?"

"It was I... who wronged... you..."

In that fleeting moment of confusion, perhaps due to the dim candlelight, Mo Ran thought he saw a glimmer of moisture in the depths of Chu Wanning's dense lashes.

"It was I who wronged you."

These four words, light as mist when spoken by you, yet thunderous as a blast in his ears.

Mo Ran shot up from the bedside, his entire body freezing in shock! His pupils constricted as he stared in disbelief at the serene and handsome face on the bed. His expression changed instantly, and the impact in his heart was like a horde of galloping horses and chariots. His fists clenched, his blood seeming to boil into a raging fire one moment, then freeze into icy black the next.

"What did you say?... You..."

After a stunned pause, Mo Ran fiercely grabbed Chu Wanning's throat. His eyes turned fierce, the pretense of innocence and naivety he had cultivated since his rebirth vanished. "Chu Wanning, what did you just say?"

"Say it again! Say it again!!"

It was I who wronged you; no complaints in life or death.

This was a curse he could never forget in this lifetime, a nightmare that tormented him across two lifetimes.

How many times had he closed his eyes, only to hear these four sorrowful words echoing in his ears, while the speaker was no longer among the living.

But these words were clearly something Chu Wanning had only said on his deathbed in their past life. Why now? Why would he—

Could it be that Chu Wanning has also been reborn?!!

Author's Note: I'm updating earlier today because while drafting, I unintentionally created a subplot error. It would be too difficult to correct it later, so I've decided to revise the previous chapter instead. Normally, I don't edit during non-updating hours as I don't want to disrupt your reading experience. Hence, I thought it best to release this chapter earlier. The amendment is insignificant, just a minor detail, so there's no need for you to go back and reread. It won't affect your understanding of the story. Mwah mwah~