Chapter 45: A Kind of Softness Struck by Lightning

Thunder rumbled as the storm clouds thickened above. This time, having learned from its previous mistake, the thundercloud lingered, making certain the coffin was no longer hidden below, and struck with relentless force, determined not to give Wen Jinghe a moment to catch her breath.

Lightning crashed down upon her, yet it was as if a thin film had enveloped her body—she felt only a tingling itch. Beneath her feet, a larger cloud formed, and though the thunder truly struck her, its power was absorbed by the coffin.

“My friend, let me add a little extra for her!” came a familiar voice.

Wen Jinghe responded with sudden urgency, and the storm, finding it could not subdue her, finally dispersed.

[ooc, ooc, oooc, maintenance, collapse, main brain, backend...]

“…” So this is how the game ends?

“Are you alright?” After the familiar greeting, Lu Wei appeared before Wen Jinghe again, yet his gaze was tinged with confusion.

“My friend shielded me,” Wen Jinghe gestured to her feet.

With others approaching, she could only hint at the truth, but Lu Wei seemed to understand.

He voiced his bewilderment: “Your mind is smoking.”

“Huh?”

“Inside,” he traced a circle at his temple. “Your sea of consciousness.”

“Smoking?”

“That little one is smoking, dissipating.”

Wen Jinghe slumped in the pool, looking defeated. “Can it still hear me now?”

“You can try.”

“Qiao Yu is so wonderful, Qiao Yu is the kindest, Qiao Yu—” Wen Jinghe stopped, suddenly aware that the man before her wore Qiao Yu’s face. She glanced up at the sky. “No response.”

“You seem quite afraid of it. And it’s the one stopping you from showing kindness to Qiao Yu?”

“Yes.” Wen Jinghe moved closer. “Let me share a secret: If I violate that rule, this world will fall into chaos, and I’m forbidden to tell you this secret.”

“Then you…” Lu Wei’s eyelid twitched. Seeing nothing unusual occur around them, he urged, “You should meditate for a moment.”

“…Alright.”

Lu Wei cleared his throat, adopting a lofty tone. “I am the White Deer War God. You are but a minor peak master, not even the sect master. What right have you to command me?”

“Don’t think you can do as you please just because I inhabit your disciple’s body!”

“You are nothing but a worthless creature who’s lost even your ninth-rank cultivation!”

“Worthless? Who are you calling worthless?” Wen Jinghe flung her sleeve, suddenly raising her head, eyes cold and deathly. Overwhelming with authority, she almost wished to choke the life from him, and indeed, she reached out, gripping Lu Wei’s throat. “A mere last-generation war god dares to be impudent before me?”

Lu Wei was thrown aside but did not retaliate. Lying on the ground, his gaze remained fixed on Wen Jinghe’s mind. If he was correct, that indistinct mass of energy was devouring the smaller one.

“Worthless?” Wen Jinghe sneered, pressing her foot against his face. “If I am worthless, why bother living?”

Lu Wei instinctively shivered. “Who are you, really?”

She called herself “the one”—someone from before his own fame. How could such a creature be hidden within Wen Jinghe?

“Heh… cough, cough… Get down!”

“He belongs to me.”

Two voices mingled from Wen Jinghe’s mouth. “This body is still mine. I brought it out; its fate is in my hands.”

“You are nothing but a waste, daring to… heh… get down…”

“I won’t! You’re the one who should rest. You’re injured—go rest, be good.”

“You dare treat me like a housecat!”

“A tiger fallen to the plains is bullied by dogs; a phoenix in distress is less than a chicken. These are obvious truths…”

“You… Just wait… Don’t beg me to return…”

“You came up on your own!” Wen Jinghe spat bloody foam, her expression dazed. “How is it now?”

She meant her mind. Lu Wei understood. “It’s faint, almost gone.”

“Alright. Let me know when it grows stronger. I’m not afraid of it; I’m considering how to use its main brain to serve me.” Wen Jinghe nodded, gasping for breath as she slumped beside Lu Wei, finally relieved to see he was unharmed.

“…,” Lu Wei thought his worry was wasted.

“Senior brother, what’s wrong with Xiao Wu? Why is she so frightening—always thunder and tribulation?” Bai Teng patted her chest. She hadn’t dared approach during the last few strikes; for seasoned practitioners like them, interfering with the heavens’ punishment could bring disaster.

“Probably, it’s a disease of a soft heart punished by thunder!” Fan Zifan stroked his chin.

Wen Jinghe was no longer the same. Her newfound connection to the mundane brought misunderstanding from those around her, and heaven’s own punishment.

“Is the thunder set against her?” Bai Teng fretted.

Ever since Wen Jinghe awoke, nothing good seemed to happen to either her or the sect.

“You’d best return and tell the others: Xiao Wu needs rest these days. No visits unless necessary.”

“Will her mind ever return to how it was?” Bai Teng still worried.

Before, Wen Jinghe was heartless—a mere machine for cultivation, treating any who crossed her as ants to be crushed.

Bai Teng had wanted to befriend her, but Wen Jinghe’s awakening felt like a fuse lit. She sensed that the sect would only grow more turbulent.

“Probably not,” Fan Zifan answered uncertainly.

“Take good care of her. If you need anything, just ask me.”

“Perfect.” Fan Zifan seized Bai Teng’s hand. “Actually, I could use your help. Do you have any discarded talisman papers?”

Bai Teng frowned, feeling for a moment as if Wen Jinghe herself stood before her. She teased, “What do you need those for, Senior Brother Fan?”

“Don’t ask. They’ll be useful.”

“You’re not…,” Bai Teng’s gaze flickered between Fan Zifan and Wen Jinghe in the pool. She whispered, “Are you getting them for Xiao Wu?”

Fan Zifan reluctantly nodded, turning away and waving his hand behind his back. “Just give them to me!”

Talisman papers discarded by disciples were worthless in the sect, but for wandering magicians, they could be a lucrative scam.

“Are things really this bad?” Bai Teng was a little surprised.

Yet the changes on the peak were obvious. Once barren, it now showed fresh innovation—especially the pool built of spirit stones, a luxury. Wen Jinghe could bankrupt herself in an instant, so it was understandable.

“Here you go! Senior Brother Fan, honestly, if you’re not too proud, you might try the Sumeru Peak or Lingxiao Peak for other scraps to sell.”

“…Don’t get angry, don’t get angry. He’s helping Wen Jinghe find work; whatever makes her happy should make me happy too!”

“Heh, alright, I’ll think about it.”

“I’m off then. When I’ve gathered enough, I’ll have Miaomiao deliver them to you.”

“Good, good.” After Bai Teng left, Fan Zifan’s expression changed entirely. He leapt into the pool. “Xiao Wu! For you!”

“Thank you.” Wen Jinghe lifted her chin tiredly. “As payment, you can draw a vial of his blood and see why the demon clan is after him.”

Lu Wei: …