Chapter 99

Tears covered Song Qing Shi's face, and his voice had grown hoarse from crying. The sensation of agony finally started to fade, but the ordeal wasn't over. He had to face what was coming with strength and finish what needed to be done. Feng Jun fetched him water to clean himself and allowed him some rest. Then they moved to a secluded wilderness, setting up various protective formations. Feng Jun administered another dose of medicine and proceeded to ruthlessly continue the grueling process until the Golden Core was formed.

Dark clouds gathered; the thunder tribulation was imminent.

Fearing that Heaven might not play by the rules, Feng Jun took all necessary precautions and stood guard at Song Qing Shi's side.

Fortunately, the tribulation went as expected, without any unexpected events.

Song Qing Shi consumed a temporary stamina-boosting elixir, forcibly mustered his energy, and concentrated his focus. Skillfully manipulating the twin flames within his body and utilizing numerous magical implements and talismans, he successfully passed Heaven and Earth's test. In the end, the dark clouds dispersed, and both his body and Golden Core became more perfect through the purification of thunder and lightning.

At last, it's over.

Song Qing Shi lay on the ground, feeling as though he'd been emptied out, weary and in pain, unable to move even a finger. Feng Jun approached, asking many caring questions and offering gentle words that Song Qing Shi couldn't quite make out. He managed to muster a grateful "thank you" to Feng Jun before losing consciousness.

Feng Jun cradled him in his arms, checked that the Golden Core was intact, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He softly kissed the disheveled strands of hair of the man in his arms, wanting to let go yet unable to part with this pure scent that had ensnared his heart like an addictive poison.

"No need to thank me."

"Whatever you've lost, I'll find it for you; whatever you desire, I'll give it all to you..."

"My body, heart, life, and soul—everything I have can be yours..."

"Let me be your one and only answer..."

　...

The next day, Song Qing Shi felt sore all over and was reluctant to get out of bed. Draped in a robe, he lay on a divan, studying medicinal recipes. Feng Jun was preparing an alchemical furnace and workshop for him. Planning to utilize available resources, he intended to refine a batch of basic elixirs. Tian Wu Men happily supplied him with a wealth of ingredients, hoping to obtain some finished products.

Song Jin Cheng arrived with buns from Rong Gui Fang and, noticing Song Qing Shi's hoarse voice and weary demeanor, inexplicably looked guilty. After hesitating for a while, he cautiously asked, "Did you have a tough time last night?"

Recalling the agony of the previous night, which made him feel as if ants were still crawling over him, Song Qing Shi uncomfortably shifted his position and didn't particularly want to discuss it: "Hmm, it's all behind me now."

Song Jin Cheng's eyes reddened, "Did you use any medicine?"

Song Qing Shi honestly answered, "Yes, I did."

"That's good to hear," Song Jin Cheng said, visibly relieved to see that despite his pain, Song Qing Shi seemed physically okay and mentally strong, showing no signs of self-harm or blame towards himself. "There's really no way around it, you have to let go. There's no hurdle in this world that's insurmountable," he offered, somewhat haphazardly, as a word of consolation.

He was about to say something more uplifting when he caught sight of Feng Jun in the distance. Instantly, he fled like a mouse who had just seen a cat.

Song Qing Shi was bewildered, thinking that the young man had become even more foolish.

Feng Jun had prepared several alchemical furnaces, so Song Qing Shi pushed aside thoughts of that fool and eagerly got up to begin alchemy with Feng Jun. To his delight, he found Feng Jun's alchemy skills to be quite impressive and their chemistry impeccable. Feeling nearly overwhelmed with joy, he couldn't believe his luck in encountering such a beautiful and talented partner—perhaps a reward for lifetimes of accumulated karma.

He resolved to listen to Feng Jun faithfully and be the most devoted of boyfriends.

Although he might not currently be as skilled, handsome, or perhaps as wealthy as Feng Jun, Song Qing Shi was determined to cultivate diligently. He would buy a grand house, a luxurious magical ship, and then a ring for a marriage proposal, following every traditional step meticulously. He wouldn't let others mock Feng Jun for settling for a freeloader.

Full of ambition, Song Qing Shi divided his attention between alchemy and planning for the future.

　...

After days of bustling preparations, Tian Wu Men finally arranged everything for the array-puzzle solving event. Fen Shen, the Elder Ancestor, set up the grand defense formation. Then, hundreds of disciples gathered and sat in orderly rows in the martial arts field, enveloping the area in a stifling silence. Feng Jun discreetly summoned his Phoenix avatar to stay nearby, ever vigilant.

The puzzle array set up by Master Mo Yuan posed no risks; one could opt to quit answering questions, admit defeat, and leave the array at any time.

Each person was granted only one opportunity to enter the array and solve the puzzle; there would be no second chances.

After Yu Wen Yan explained the rules, Song Qing Shi summoned two distinct flames into his palms, which gradually coalesced into red and black lotuses. These were his soul weapons, naturally manifesting after he'd formed his Golden Core.

Perhaps this, too, was a part of the memories he'd lost.

Lost in thought, Song Qing Shi activated his Tiger's Paw, skillfully distributing the two flames across the copper ring. The iron seeds inside the ring began to move, creating melodious, crystalline sounds that quickened in pace. Soon, one after another, the runes on the ring lit up, emitting a magnificent golden-red halo that spread like mist, enveloping the entire martial arts field.

The mist grew denser and the surroundings quieter.

Song Qing Shi's consciousness grew hazy. After what felt like an eternity, the mist dissipated, and the world came into focus. To his astonishment, he found himself reverted to his 12- or 13-year-old self. Not only had his cultivation dropped to the Qi-training stage, but it was also worse off than back then, equipped with a junk cultivation method rather than the Cold Jade Method he used to practice.

Passing cultivators threw him disdainful looks; a kind-hearted female cultivator even tossed a piece of broken silver in front of him.

Surveying his tattered clothes and muddy fingernails, Song Qing Shi gloomily pondered for a while, suspecting that he was mistaken for a beggar. He picked up the silver with the intention to return it to her, but found himself unable to speak—only capable of making simple babbling sounds.

The compassionate female cultivator's eyes filled with even more pity, and she tossed him two more silver coins, suggesting he treat himself to some good food.

Clutching the silver coins, Song Qing Shi sank further into gloom.

At that moment, a resonant male voice spoke in his mind, sounding somewhat like Feng Jun but with a deeper undertone and an indefinable sorrow: "May I ask, are you willing to save me?"

Hearing that a question was posed, Song Qing Shi instantly perked up, responding eagerly, "I'm willing!"

After all, he was a physician, and saving lives was his forte.

The voice in his mind vanished, and after a considerable pause, a mission appeared in his sea of consciousness:

The story, titled "Floating Flowers in the Sea of Sin," narrated the life of a beautiful young man named Qu Yu Rong. Once the pampered young master of the illustrious Qu family in the Celestial Realm, his life took a dark turn when his family was annihilated. With his water-attributed spirit root and exceptional beauty, he was sold into the most infamous brothel in the Celestial Realm, subjected to further indignities. The tale that followed was not harmonious, involving several men with complicated feelings toward him. Eventually, Qu Yu Rong came to find pleasure in his circumstances, becoming the cherished plaything of these men.

Song Qing Shi felt disoriented by what he read. From a psychological standpoint, it was apparent that Qu Yu Rong was suffering from severe Stockholm Syndrome. His so-called love was nothing but a habituation to torture, mistaking occasional kindness for genuine affection.

At the moment, Qu Yu Rong had just been sold and was undergoing training at the brothel.

Song Qing Shi's mission was to rescue Qu Yu Rong from his ill fate and guide him towards a genuinely happy life.

Song Qing Shi felt confident about the mission. Though he had never attempted anything like this before, he had an instinctive belief in his competence in such matters.

Rubbing his hands together, he accepted the mission promptly and set off confidently to find the Heavenly Fragrance Brothel and the pitiable young man named Qu Yu Rong.

Within this array world, he was assigned the role of a mute herbal gatherer. Passing by a mirror, Song Qing Shi noticed that his current body bore a striking resemblance to his younger self in the cultivation world—short, skin-and-bones, sallow-skinned, and downright unattractive. He surmised this was an adjustment made by the array, not something to fret over since he could revert back afterward.

Being mute didn't affect his ability to write.

Song Qing Shi took a wooden sign, wrote the characters for "Heavenly Fragrance Brothel" on it, and gestured around asking people for directions. After struggling with several illiterates, he remembered the world's script was ancient and promptly changed the font. Finally, a kind stranger pointed him in the right direction, and he jogged toward his objective.

Having been a rogue cultivator, he had no friends and usually stayed either in the wilderness or shut inside his house; he had never visited a brothel.

Standing in front of the Heavenly Fragrance Brothel, Song Qing Shi pondered how to get in as an underage individual. A passing brothel manager glanced at him, possibly assuming he was there to sell himself, but seeing his unattractive appearance, scoffed and shooed him away.

The avenue of selling himself for entry was now closed...

Circling around the Heavenly Fragrance Brothel, Song Qing Shi suddenly remembered something his older friend Song Jin Cheng had taught him—scaling walls when necessary.

While he disliked the act of scaling walls to enter friends' houses or to engage in mischievous deeds, he didn't mind doing so for life-saving purposes.

If scaling the wall was a requisite for completing the mission, then so be it.

Song Qing Shi surveyed his surroundings with little mental hesitation. Satisfied that nobody was watching, he used a nearby large tree as leverage to scale the perimeter wall.

The Heavenly Fragrance Brothel, a celestial establishment, had a defensive barrier set up around its walls, designed to send alerts upon touch.

The antiquated barrier was rather rudimentary. After some brief analysis, Song Qing Shi effortlessly identified the critical node in the array. Quietly, he used a stone to tear open a small fissure, subtly modified the formation to leave a loophole, and then slipped through it.

It was midday, a time when the brothel was closed for rest, and the area was deserted.

Focusing his spiritual energy, Song Qing Shi performed a hand seal to conceal his aura. He then controlled several butterflies, using their visual perspectives to scout the surroundings. Evading the guards, he stealthily advanced towards the backyard where the young attendants resided.

"Who are you?"

Suddenly, a youthful voice emanated from below, accompanied by the faint clinking of chains.

Startled, Song Qing Shi looked around and finally located a basement window. Inside sat a frail, disheveled youth, likely around fourteen or fifteen years old. His skin was pallid from lack of sunlight, his body emaciated from prolonged malnourishment. His ankles were chafed and bloody from long-term chaining, his hands bound behind him, and his entire body bore the marks of abuse.

Slowly lifting his head, the young man's face revealed two long scars, an imperfection that paradoxically drew the eye, tarnishing what should have been a stunning visage. His beautiful phoenix-like eyes lacked focus, as though he couldn't see, and beneath his left eye was a small, red teardrop-shaped mole.

Song Qing Shi was stunned.

Although the youth's appearance and demeanor varied slightly, he recognized this as a semblance of Feng Jun.

He hurriedly turned towards the window, wanting to ask who the person was, but after much effort, only indecipherable noises emerged from his throat.

The young man, unable to comprehend what Song Qing Shi was trying to convey but aware he was still watching, subtly shifted his posture to display his slender waist and elegant legs. A bewitching smile crossed his lips, and his voice, soft yet captivating, dripped with honeyed words, as if to lure his prey into a delightful trap:

"I've never heard your voice before; you're not from here, are you?"

"Would you save me? I'll serve you well."

"I'm still untouched, you know, a virgin. Would you like me?"

"Are you asking for my name?"

"I am called Wu Huan."