A dagger suddenly plunged into his heart.
Bei Sining felt a sharp pain in her chest, slowly lowered her head, and looked at the boy in disbelief.
Suddenly, the disciples of the Six Harmonies Sect unleashed their magical weapons and attacked the demons who had come to offer their congratulations. The hall was instantly filled with the sounds of battle.
The jade cup shattered on the ground, spilling wine that reflected shimmering light.
Screams, cries, questions, fire and smoke.
Bei Sining's favorite white tiger had its stomach pierced and lay in a pool of blood. His pupils contracted, and he tried to rush over, but found that he couldn't move.
"Why?" Bei Sining asked.
The boy suddenly blushed and smiled slyly.
"Brother Ning? Don't you understand?" The boy took two steps back, touched Bei Sining's face, and held the bright red, glistening little stone in his hand.
"That's true. It's just a demon, what do you know?"
It's just a demon.
What do I know?
...I don't understand, it's clearly you, you humans, humans...
Wen Zheng heard Bei Sining's last words, and then it was like something exploded.
Because he heard a rumbling sound.
The sudden surge of hatred was like oil being poured on a raging fire, as if fire was roasting every nerve. Yet his limbs and bones were ice-cold, so cold that his teeth chattered. Wen Zheng clenched his teeth, as if he could taste blood in his mouth, but he stumbled as he took a step.
Calm down and don't get forcibly ejected!
Wait, wait a little longer!
The scene changed, and he returned to the secluded mountain path.
He was breathing heavily, clutching the snow on the ground with both hands, and it took him a while to stop the spasms.
When Wen Zheng finally raised his head, he found that he had unknowingly changed his position.
He was teleported to the foot of the mountain without knowing when.
Wen Zheng stood up blankly, looking around. This time, his perspective was perfectly straight. The gray stone path stretched upwards before him, and further away, there were layers of towering mountains. Dark trees swayed gently, and the space felt somber.
It's snowing.
Suddenly, a red paper umbrella appeared where he had just been.
Bei Sining, holding an umbrella, walked towards him step by step.
This wasn't the real him, Wen Zheng knew, but his eyes still reddened as he suppressed the urge to rush over.
"Wen Zheng." The NPC called his name with a smile and conveyed the message he wanted to tell him.
"On the ancient road, no travelers are seen; only you are seen on the cold mountain."
Author's Note: ["Siming Cat, you are born lucky. You will have an exceptionally good Daoist partner in the future who will love you, respect you, and regard you as a god."]
(On the ancient road, no travelers are seen; on the cold mountain, only you are seen. - Tang Dynasty, Liu Changqing, "Delighted by the Visit of Imperial Censor Huangfu at Bijian Villa")
(Waaaaah)
Chapter 94
Bei Sining pulled up a chair and sat down opposite Wen Zheng.
He recalled the plot of this instance, calculated the time, and guessed where Wen Zheng had seen. He rested his chin on one hand, a strand of black hair slipping from behind his ear.
From the moment he asked Rick to make this chip, he was destined to face his current situation and be judged by Wen Zheng. Even if he wanted to delay, he couldn't do so for long.
The past belongs to him; the decision he made was his, and it's no use regretting it now.
Besides, he had nothing to regret, at most... a little regret.
I couldn't spend more than a few days with Wen Zheng.
Bei Sining knew that Wen Zheng used to genuinely like him. Now, he could distinguish between true feelings and feigned affection. But after seeing his past, would Wen Zheng still show him the look of affection he once had?
Probably not.
He did many wrong things. He lied, denied the truth, tampered with surveillance footage, and conspired with the local demons to deceive him. He even fled when Wen Zheng confessed his love and avoided him when he was needed.
Bei Sining felt ashamed of his cowardice.
Moreover, he has even lost his companion stone; he has lost God's blessing and is no longer qualified to find a good partner.
Who would want to spend their life with a cat that has lost its companion stone?
The thought that his partner had so foolishly trusted the wrong person, wasted his love, and handed something so important over to someone else... Wen Zheng must feel disgusted just looking at his face.
He was already a crippled cat.
Actually, I should have shown him the chip the day I delivered it. Bei Sining thought to herself, leaning back in her chair.
Because Wen Zheng had been too good to him these past few days.
Even when they were together before, Wen Zheng would keep a little distance from him. Bei Sining originally thought this was his habit, but recently he realized that it was his definition of a "partner" relationship. He no longer resisted hugs, and when they slept, he would press close together. After the bed curtains were drawn, he would let the ambiguous atmosphere fill the small space, and then look at him with smiling eyes.
He stole it.
Another mistake was made.
When Wen Zheng comes out, he'll probably hit me.
Will that poem be able to salvage any points? Bei Sining held her forehead, struggling internally, growing increasingly nervous as time went by.
Finally, when his nerves were stretched to the limit, Wen Zheng moved.
"..." Bei Sining suddenly stood up, took two steps back, and felt his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to vomit. After enduring the dizziness, he managed to look up and meet Wen Zheng's bloodshot eyes.
He was filled with rage.
Bei Sining felt a chill run down her spine. She opened her mouth but then closed it again, waiting for Wen Zheng to speak first.
"...Do you like me?" Wen Zheng looked at him, his tone steady, with only a hint of urgency at the end.
"If you like me, then I will..." He subconsciously wanted to say that old line, but he couldn't finish it. What was the point of hiding it now? So he paused and said bitterly, "I like you even if you don't like me."
How did you know?
“I…” Bei Sining closed her eyes: “Even without the companion stone, I already understand.”
Behind Bei Sining was a small window. He was backlit, looking at Wen Zheng's bright face. His eyes reflected the stars outside the window, and a resolute anger.
In that instant, Bei Sining felt the other half of his heart turn cold. He wanted to stand there and take the beating, yet he also selfishly wanted to preserve the last bit of dignity. He stood there stubbornly, feeling as if a long time had passed, so long that he could hardly bear it.
“I,” he suddenly spoke, his voice dry, “I’m sorry.”
After saying that, he walked past Wen Zheng, opened the door, and went outside.
"Come back!" Wen Zhengqi's scalp tingled. "Are you an idiot?! You fucking..."
Bei Sining's back stiffened, and she subconsciously turned around. She saw Wen Zheng's trembling hand stopping her. She wanted to say something but couldn't. Finally, she said in a hoarse voice, "Try moving again."
Immediately afterwards, he was hugged tightly by Wen Zheng.
"Don't move," Wen Zheng had exhausted all his strength by now, tears streaming down his face and quickly soaking Bei Sining's shoulder. He choked out, "Let me hold you for a while."
The warm body in their arms brought them both a sense of security.
They all felt fortunate.
Bei Sining thought incredulously, "What does this mean? What does this mean?"
Does he still like me? Does he still like me? Should I think about it some more?
...It must be because I chose the right poems!
"………………" Wen Zheng gritted his teeth, raised his head, and tapped his chin: "You said it."
***
"So, what happened after that?" After the two of them calmed down, Wen Zheng, wrapped in protective clothing, and Bei Sining stepped onto the cold Arctic snowfield.
The vastness of the sky and the openness of the land here naturally broaden one's mind. If it weren't for the inconvenience of living here, it would be a pretty good place.
"I detonated my demon core and blew up the Cave Immortal's Abode." Bei Sining said coldly, "They only wanted two things: the resources of the abode and my companion stone. Unfortunately, they had a clever plan, but they got neither."
"Ah," Wen Zheng said in surprise, "didn't you give away that companion stone you mentioned?"
Bei Sining felt guilty and subtly inferior when this was mentioned.
Without the companion stone, it's like the most beautiful cat missing its eyes, broken ears, and a broken tail—it's looked down upon by demons.
Wen Zheng was simply not used to this concept, which is why he felt indifferent, but he still cared about it.
“…It’s no use.” Bei Sining explained, “Those people know too little. The companion stone only contains power when it is given away willingly. Although it becomes unrelated to its owner after being refined, it was connected to me before it was refined. If I don’t want to give it away anymore, it will become just an ordinary stone.”
Wen Zheng's worldview was challenged, and he suddenly felt that this kind of world was quite wonderful, so he asked more questions.
What about the three sects and six factions, what about demons and humans? Bei Sining talked until her throat was dry, recounting all the gossip she had ever heard, and even complaining about her subordinates who only knew how to cause trouble. When she came to her senses, she realized she was laughing.
His smile gradually faded as he heard Wen Zheng ask, "Are they alright now?"
"...Probably."
Bei Sining looked up at the sky; there wasn't a single cloud, it was a clear night.
"The Six Harmonies Sect had a good plan. There were many demons in the main hall at the time, and I couldn't possibly take them all down with me. But I destroyed what they wanted, and in the end, all their efforts came to nothing, which was not the ending they expected."
"Once they see me dead, Peacock and the others will do everything in their power to avenge me. Don't underestimate Beiyao Mountain; with all these years of accumulation, they will never let themselves be slaughtered again." Bei Sining's voice, despite the low temperature, carried a hint of warmth: "They will choose the next Demon King and live a good life."
"..." Wen Zheng took a deep breath and then continued after a moment, "Your friend will be sad."
"Why bring this up?" Bei Sining said self-deprecatingly, "I'm just not as skilled, I'm blind, or as you would say, I'm an idiot. I got carried away after a few compliments, who else would I be fooling if not me?"
Wen Zheng kicked him: "Don't talk like that, it annoys me."
"Ah...oh," Bei Sining responded, then stammered, "What's bothering you?"
“Don’t belittle yourself. You are a hero of the demon race, and your friends should all think so.” Wen Zheng looked at him: “What you did for your people, they will definitely see, hear, and remember forever. You are very brave.”
Wen Zheng smiled and said, "Although I don't want you to think about that so-and-so, it's not a good idea to throw the baby out with the bathwater."