FFSC_05

Chapter 5: Don't Touch There! — No Touching Around Randomly

Xue Qi stood on the window frame, looking down at the unremarkable talisman cultivator.

"You will die tonight. Speak your last words quickly," His expression was indifferent, as if stating an inconsequential fact, "Below the Golden Core stage, body cultivators are unrivaled. I've lost count of how many talisman cultivators like you I've crushed to death."

Chen Moqing calmly pressed the small, snow-white creature that was poking its head out back into his arms.

Below the Golden Core stage, body cultivators are unrivaled— this is because cultivators who have yet to reach the Golden Core stage have bodies that have not yet been tempered by the Heavenly Dao¹ and fully transcended the mortal realm. Body cultivators, who train their physical forms, hold a far greater crushing advantage over 'mortal' physiques by virtue of their powerful bodies.

The higher the cultivation level, the lower the threat a body cultivator poses; conversely, the lower the cultivation level, the greater the threat a body cultivator poses.

"Since you have no last words, at least point out your hometown," Xue Qi clasped his hands behind his back as a gentle breeze lifted the hem of his robe, "When the time comes, I will send your remains back—"

Before he could finish, Xue Qi swung his fist!

"Consider it your soul returning home!"

The walls of the inn could not withstand the force of that single punch. Countless bricks and splinters of wood flew in all directions, and the thunderous collapse of an entire wall shook the length of the street—yet the whole of Qingzhu City remained as silent as death, with not a single lamp lit.

Rubble scattered across the street. A figure tipped his toe against a piece of stone and landed steadily in midair—it was none other than Xue Qi.

He gripped his right wrist with one hand, his eyes filled with doubt and disbelief.

A Golden Core physique?!

That person was clearly only at the Qi Refinement stage… No, wait. Even a Golden Core body cultivator couldn't have taken his full-force punch head-on without any preparation! It wasn't as if he were a sword cultivator!

The dark clouds dispersed, and the full moon hung high. Moonlight spilled across one half of the long street while the other half sank into shadow.

The young cultivator in black formed a hand seal with one hand. His loose, dark hair naturally gathered itself into a high ponytail as he stepped out of the shadows one stride at a time, treading upon the thin line of moonlight that divided light from dark.

In that moment, Xue Qi seemed to see a sword—a sword forged through a thousand temperings, its cold gleam drawn from its sheath, world-shaking in its splendor.

The night wind stirred the dark robes. The young cultivator held his left hand behind his back while his right hand extended forward, his slender, sharp-knuckled fingers spread open and facing upward, directed at Xue Qi from across the distance.

—Please, enlighten me.

The moonlight that night was exceptionally bright.

Rumbling thunder rolled and burst repeatedly along the street, yet no lightning bolt ever fell.

Xue Qi raised both arms to shield his face, circulating his spiritual energy to fend off the relentless storm of attacks. His heart was shaken—the ease he had felt at the very beginning was long gone.

Even if the opponent had used some treasure to forcibly raise his physique to the Golden Core level, in a direct clash it should still be him—a half-step Golden Core who specialized in body cultivation—who held the upper hand. So why did this person's combat ability far surpass his own as well?!

He, Xue Qi, had fought and killed his way to where he stood today, crushing countless talisman cultivators to death. How was it that, in the end, he was actually outmatched in a fight by this mere Qi Refinement junior?!

Another punch landed squarely on his arm. The force, enough to split mountains and seas, nearly tore through the hardened flesh of a body cultivator. Searing pain erupted through both of Xue Qi's arms as the impact sent his body reeling backward.

Blood sprayed through the air. Reflected in his widened pupils was a pair of eyes— eyes that even the clear, cold moonlight could not illuminate from within, like the lightless depths of a frozen pool.

Those were eyes that had witnessed countless lives and deaths, countless killings.

…This person had definitely killed more people than he had!

Suddenly, raging fire erupted, serpentine flames biting and tearing at his body. Xue Qi's expression changed drastically, a look of helpless panic crossing his face. When Chen Moqing closed in, Xue Qi abruptly slammed his fist through the flames, and the surging force of the shockwave drove Chen Moqing back three steps. Only then did it become visible— the burned-away portion of Xue Qi's clothing revealed a piece of soft armor over his chest. That first-grade Fire Blaze Talisman had been completely useless against him.

Feeling as though he had finally won a round, Xue Qi let out a cold laugh, "A treasure like this, specifically designed to counter spells– it's just the thing to use against a low-level talisman cultivator like you!"

Before he could finish speaking, a heavy punch slammed into his abdomen, sending him flying several zhang before crashing into and snapping a willow tree.

His vision went black. Before he could even get up, a black boot pressed down onto his chest. The silver chain adorning the boot swayed gently, tracing the smooth and elegant curve of a calf. The crushing force, heavy as a thousand pounds, drove Xue Qi to vomit a great mouthful of blood on the spot.

In his trembling pupils, the young cultivator in black looked down at him from above. The sole of the boot ground over the soft armor, and hairline cracks began to spider across its surface.

"Immune to spells, yet unable to withstand physical force. The object reflects its master—an embroidered pillow, all looks and no substance."

Xue Qi could not stop vomiting blood.

They were in the middle of a fight—why was he also throwing insults? And such cutting ones at that!

Yet for all his burning fury, he could only lie pinned beneath the other man's foot, unable to rise.

Chen Moqing's eyes were still as an ancient well, undisturbed. Beneath his sleeves, both hands were drenched in blood, with glimpses of white bone showing through.

These hands had wrung the necks of countless demon clan members. Now, in a battle against a mere false-core cultivator, they were already a ruin of wounds.

He simply drew out a second Fire Blaze Talisman. The faint glow that lit up across the talisman's surface softly illuminated that pair of indifferent eyes.

"No… I… I made a promise to the young master… I absolutely cannot fail…"

Xue Qi's gaze had already begun to drift, his lips murmuring as though he were rambling in a daze.

"If not for the family head's recognition, I, Xue, would long since have become food for stray dogs. If not for the young master's gift of medicinal pills, I would already be dry bones in a grave… A debt of recognition, a debt of life saved– these cannot go unreturned!"

He suddenly clenched his jaw, as though swallowing something down. The next second, the veins on his forehead bulged, his five fingers curled into claws, and he swiped at the person standing over him.

Chen Moqing's brow arched. His figure retreated swiftly, robes billowing as he landed atop the eaves, the full moon at his back.

Beneath the full moon, Xue Qi let out a roar. Dragging his mud-caked body, he slowly rose. A torrent of memories surged through his mind—the deep emotion of meeting a worthy lord, the encounter with his lover, the thrill of killing—and all of it poured into him as newfound strength.

In that moment, his previously withered aura surged rapidly back to life. His exhausted spiritual energy recovered and returned to the peak of the Foundation Building stage— and the distance between him and forming a Golden Core was no longer half a step, but merely one final sliver.

I will not fall! I will not be defeated!

This moment, I ascend to the Golden Core!

I want you dead—!!

Xue Qi raised his head with a savage grin—

And saw a new moon.

It was a strip of silver-white talisman paper, suspended high in the air, pure and bright as a newly risen crescent moon.

Moonlight poured down over Chen Moqing, coating his flowing dark hair and robes in a layer of silver radiance and white frost, before finally settling into the depths of those clear, cold, dark eyes.

"What a lot of useless words," His indifferent voice descended from above, "Go say them to the heavenly thunder."

The Thunderbolt Talisman, unleashed!

In an instant, countless searing bolts of silver-white lightning tore across the night sky, splitting the full moon asunder, condensing at Chen Moqing's fingertips into a brilliant cascade of ten thousand sword-lights.

Xue Qi: "…..."

For f*ck's sake, he had forgotten this was a talisman cultivator!!

Thunder descended from the heavens, with the force of ten thousand pounds!

Beneath the roaring, surging torrent of lightning, Xue Qi only managed to get out one sentence: "You cannot kill me! The young master and the family head will not let you—"

Chen Moqing's unhurried, tranquil voice was swallowed by the roar of thunder: "Wait for me on the Naihe Bridge², there are old acquaintances on the way."

Peak Foundation Building. His life extinguished on the spot. Soul and spirit scattered to nothing.

All that remained on the ground was a scorched black mark, and a storage pouch.

Chen Moqing raised his hand with a casual flick, and Xue Qi's storage pouch flew before him. The spiritual imprint within had vanished—it was now an ownerless object.

A small snow-white creature came treading across the moonlight and leapt swiftly onto Chen Moqing's arm, its tiny velvet paws gripping his sleeve tightly.

The little ball of fluff weighed almost nothing. Chen Moqing held his arm out horizontally. Cang Shun stared at his injured, bleeding fingers, said not a word, and lowered its head to lick his fingertips.

Chen Moqing did not withdraw his fingers. He only felt a faint coolness at his fingertips, as though a chill was threading through his meridians—and in an instant, his injuries were fully restored.

He had just opened his mouth to offer his thanks when he saw the little white fluffy ball plop itself down squarely in his hand and fix him with a round-eyed stare.

"Meow!"

【Why didn't you let me step in?】

He had been watching the battle from the sidelines the entire time and knew that the insignificant wretch was no match for Chen Moqing—but had he intervened, Chen Moqing would not have been injured at all.

And yet this person had refused to let him!

【You're not even a sword cultivator. Did you really have to meet a body cultivator head-on like that?】

【This time it's just a few injuries. What about next time?】

Cang Shun appeared quite displeased. His paws padded back and forth across Chen Moqing's arm as he muttered and grumbled continuously into his ear.

Chen Moqing took out a spirit stone and offered it to the Demon Emperor to play with.

Cang Shun would not play with it. He leapt onto Chen Moqing's shoulder and scratched at it, one swipe after another.

Light as a feather, without the slightest force behind it.

Chen Moqing then gently set the spirit stone on top of the little white creature's head. The smooth, round stone sank into a heap of soft, downy fur.

"My thanks."

Cang Shun sat motionless with the spirit stone perched on his head, his face sullen.

Chen Moqing sent his spiritual sense into the storage pouch. A moment later, his brow arched slightly.

Xue Qi's personal wealth was quite considerable—the storage pouch contained a full five thousand spirit stones, several low-grade weapon treasures, and… severed limbs.

Preserved by some special method to prevent decay, the severed limbs were without exception all right hands that had been cut off. The majority belonged to elderly people, with fewer from adult men and women—and several were arms that had clearly come from young boys and girls.

It was evident that these were the remains of Xue Qi's past opponents—his so-called 'collection,' of which he had been so proud.

Chen Moqing took all the spirit stones, put away the storage pouch, and turned to leave.

"Young friend, please stay a moment."

A clear, resonant female voice rang out. A gust of wind swept past, and beneath the full moon, a white-haired woman in blue robes was already standing in the depths of the night.

She wore a gentle smile, and the aura flowing around her carried no sense of pressure—on the contrary, it felt quite approachable.

—Mid Golden Core stage.

A breeze stirred the hem of Chen Moqing's dark robes where they fell. On his shoulder, the small snow-white creature clutching the spirit stone with both paws cast a passing glance at her, then turned its head away with indifference.

Faced with this mid Golden Core cultivator who had appeared out of nowhere, Chen Moqing's expression showed not the slightest surprise, "You have been here for some time already. Now that you've shown yourself, what guidance do you have to offer?"

"Don't be upset with me, young friend. Had Xue Qi truly been able to kill you, I would certainly have stepped in," The white-haired woman smiled, "And had I known you were going to use that Thunderbolt Talisman at the end, I would have helped you kill him."

The small snow-white creature had begun tugging at the few strands of dark hair hanging over Chen Moqing's shoulder. Chen Moqing calmly pressed a hand down over that fuzzy little head, "You have a grudge against him?"

"A rabid dog kept by the Liu family. I have no grudge against him whatsoever, only a pity for such a fine second-grade peak talisman."

The white-haired woman clasped her hands behind her back and crossed several zhang in a single step, appearing before Chen Moqing.

"In truth, at the end there he consumed a Reverse Origin Pill, sacrificing his lifespan to overdraw his cultivation. He would not have lived much longer regardless."

Chen Moqing's tone was calm, "When a grievance has been formed, only death can settle it."

The white-haired woman smiled but said nothing.

This young cultivator possessed a temperament as still and upright as pine and bamboo, yet his methods were exceedingly ruthless—quite reminiscent of a demonic cultivator's way.

To suppress a peak Foundation Building cultivator while at the peak of Qi Refinement—what a breathtaking and world-defying feat. One could only suspect that his apparent cultivation level was also a fabrication.

She deliberated for a moment, then spoke nonetheless, "I have heard that someone came to Qianxuan Pavilion today to cause trouble, preventing an esteemed guest from completing a transaction. If you still have any second-grade talismans, young friend, I would be willing to purchase them."

The words had barely left her lips when she noticed that the young cultivator's gaze toward her had shifted—warm as a spring breeze, making her feel quite at ease.

"I do, as it happens."

Chen Moqing flicked his wrist, and a silver-white talisman was already held between his slender fingers.

This time the white-haired woman was genuinely, if slightly, taken aback.

—A second second-grade Thunderbolt Talisman.

Ninety-nine percent quality!

With a thought, the white-haired woman drew the silver-white talisman toward herself. At a single glance, her expression changed.

"This talisman was crafted by you," It was a statement, not a question.

Chen Moqing gave a nod.

The white-haired woman's eyes shook with visible shock, "Your cultivation is capped at the peak of Qi Refinement."

From that alone, Chen Moqing could tell she was a talisman cultivator of considerable depth. He nodded again, "It is."

The white-haired woman studied the talisman's aura, then looked back at Chen Moqing. It was as though she had discovered some peerless and extraordinary heavenly treasure—she could no longer stand still. Clasping her hands behind her back, she began circling around him, once and then again.

Then she found herself on the receiving end of a stare from the small snow-white creature on the young cultivator's shoulder—once, and then again.

"I, Bai, has seen much of the world, yet a cultivator at merely the Qi Refinement stage producing a second-grade peak talisman—  young friend, you are the first I have ever encountered."

Second-grade talismans were not uncommon, but near-perfect quality was genuinely rare. It signified an extraordinarily high level of mastery in the talisman arts—and for such mastery to appear in a Qi Refinement cultivator was nothing short of the fantastical.

The white-haired woman's words carried undisguised shock and delight, though she ended with a sigh of regret.

A pity— this Thunderbolt Talisman was only ninety-nine percent quality, still one step short of perfection. The fault lay not with the young cultivator himself, but with the talisman paper. It was only ordinary yellow paper; had it been drawn on higher-grade cloud-silk paper, it would have achieved a flawless ten out of ten.

That said, fine talisman paper was expensive by nature. Only great clans and major sects could afford such extravagance for something as modest as a second-grade talisman.

"I did not bring enough spirit stones with me tonight. Why not come find me at Qianxuan Pavilion tomorrow, young friend? I am Bai Yue, and I will have incense burning and tea prepared in anticipation."

Chen Moqing: "Forget it. Too much trouble."

Bai Yue's tone grew meaningful, "For a second-grade Thunderbolt Talisman, I am willing to pay three thousand two hundred spirit stones. However many you have, young friend, I will buy them all."

Chen Moqing's smile was like a clear breeze and a bright moon, "Tomorrow, I will come pay my respects to Senior."

Cang Shun turned his head: "?"

Bai Yue laughed heartily, "There is no need to be wary of me. If I truly intended to do something to you, young friend, why go through such lengths?"

She swept her hand outward, and countless talisman script flew forth like stars scattered across the long street.

In an instant, the street—which had been left largely in ruins from the battle before—was restored entirely to its original state. The inn wall that Xue Qi had smashed through was whole again, as though nothing had ever happened.

Bai Yue gave Chen Moqing one more slight nod, then stepped onto the talisman script as though treading a road paved with stars, leaving behind a gracefully departing silhouette.

Dashing. Truly dashing.

Bai Yue did not look back, but the corners of her mouth curved upward without stopping.

Not a wasted effort, all that practice.

...

Upon returning to the inn, the innkeeper acted as though nothing had happened at all. Chen Moqing handed over a pouch of spirit stones as compensation and had a fresh table of dishes brought up.

Cang Shun lay sprawled across the table with complete indifference, staring with complete indifference at the plate before him—small dried fish, fried to a crisp golden perfection and dusted with fine salt and pepper.

Chen Moqing turned to face the window.

A few seconds passed. He turned back with perfect composure.

The small snow-white creature was gnawing on a dried fish, chew chew chew.

Not particularly tasty.

Quite unremarkable.

Not especially to his liking either.

He finished one in two or three bites, then swiftly snatched up the next.

Chen Moqing sat down at the table and took out a stack of blank talisman paper. Several strands of dark hair slid like silk over his shoulder, drinking in the pure moonlight pouring through the window.

The small snow-white creature picked up a third dried fish and plopped himself down beside Chen Moqing's hand.

【You're short on spirit stones?】

Chen Moqing: "Mm."

【Why not sell my fur?】

Hearing that matter-of-fact tone, Chen Moqing lowered his gaze and reached out to give the small snow-white ball of fluff a gentle pat, "Not selling."

Cang Shun said nothing.

Two seconds passed. As though nothing had happened, he picked up a dried fish and placed it in Chen Moqing's palm.

Chen Moqing took a light bite. The salt and pepper was heavy-handed—not as good as the snack the tutor who had taught him to read in his youth used to fry up to accompany his wine.

He tapped his fingers lightly against the table. The storage pouch emptied out all its spirit stones, spreading a soft, lustrous pale glow across the night.

He then drew out a stack of talisman paper, used two fingers as his brush, and with complete focus, rendered a second-grade Thunderbolt Talisman in nearly a single stroke.

In the blink of an eye, a small pile of spirit stones nearby had diminished.

It was ultimately still the constraint of his cultivation level. If he could push past Foundation Building, the spiritual energy consumed in crafting talismans would be considerably less.

Cang Shun hugged a small glowing spirit stone and spoke with an air of studied casualness: 【If you need to craft talismans, you can use my fur too.】

【Besides, you can refine it in no time at all.】

Anyone else—even a Mahayana cultivator—would have been incapable of refining anything of his.

It just so happened that this particular person…

Cang Shun rested his chin on the spirit stone and stole a sidelong glance at the person beside him, unblinking.

Chen Moqing said in a gentle tone: "If one relies on outside forces for everything, there is no point in cultivating at all."

It was true that refining talismans using the Demon Emperor's fur was a shortcut straight to the heavens, but the path of cultivation held no greater taboo than shortcuts. He would rather forge his own road forward through his own strength.

Besides, even a Demon Emperor did not shed fur every day. The fur he had collected would eventually run out—unless his life hung by a thread, he would not touch it.

And should the day come that Cang Shun wished to take back what was his, he would return it to him.

Cang Shun fell silent.

Why won't he let me help him?

The small snow-white creature lay perfectly still beside Chen Moqing's hand, seemingly lost in thought—a little fluffy ball deep in contemplation.

Two seconds passed, and Chen Moqing heard a low, deep male voice:

【There are too many bad people here. Next time, I won't stray far from you.】

Chen Moqing smiled, "I won't die."

He understood—this Demon Emperor was worried that, bound by the contract as they were, Chen Moqing's death would deal him a devastating blow as well.

To be bound and constrained by another was something even an ordinary person would find difficult to endure, let alone a great demon whose very nature was proud and unyielding.

Once his cultivation advanced further, he would find a way to research and undo the contract between them.

Cang Shun had no idea what Chen Moqing was thinking. His mood appeared to have lifted. With a dried fish in his mouth, he ambled contentedly back and forth by his side.

The next talisman was not a second-grade Thunderbolt Talisman, but a first-grade Lightning Strike Talisman.

In the art of talisman crafting, even the most powerful cultivators of high cultivation faced a chance of failure—unrelated to skill or experience, it was purely a matter of fate.

Chen Moqing was unsurprised. He set the talisman paper to the side, whereupon a fuzzy paw promptly stepped on it.

"Meow."

【This one, I'm buying it.】

The small snow-white creature tilted its chin upward and shook loose several long, fine strands of fur, white as snow, which drifted down onto the talisman paper.

Chen Moqing: "…..."

His fingers gently pinched the edge of the talisman and gave a tug to pull it free.

It would not budge.

Cang Shun stood upon the talisman with imperious authority, his bearing imposing and grand, as though what lay beneath his paw was not a cheap piece of talisman paper, but the vast entirety of the cultivation world.

Chen Moqing held up the second-grade Thunderbolt Talisman he had just crafted, "How about trading for this one instead?"

Cang Shun turned his head away.

【No. This is the one I want.】

Chen Moqing was quiet for a moment, then reached up to pat that fuzzy little head, "My thanks."

The esteemed Demon Emperor let out a haughty little grunt, batted the talisman paper up into the air with his paw, and tossed it skyward—whereupon it vanished from sight.

Half the night was spent at work. By the end, Chen Moqing had crafted four Thunderbolt Talismans and two Lightning Strike Talismans, with one attempt ending in outright failure— the burst of fine crackling lightning happened to strike His Majesty the Demon Emperor, who had been grooming himself right beside his hand at precisely the wrong moment, and sent his fur exploding outward in every direction.

Amid the Demon Emperor's loud and indignant mew protests, Chen Moqing calmly gathered the puffed-up ball of fluff into his lap, smoothed his fur down with several long strokes, and hand-fed him a few more dried fish—and only then managed to coax the dandelion-blasted Demon Emperor back into a state of peace.

The moonlight dimmed slightly. In the second half of the night, Chen Moqing sat cross-legged on the bed in meditation.

A small snow-white creature padded back and forth across the robes pooling at the edge of the bed—tumbling and flopping about one moment, stretching his paws out flat the next, now a round and plump ball of sticky rice, now a long, pale strip of year-cake.

After a while, the little ball of fluff quietly nestled up against the edge of Chen Moqing's robes and leaned gently against him.

A little while later, the little ball of fluff settled softly in his lap.

A while after that, the little ball of fluff thudded playfully onto his shoulder.

And finally, the little ball of fluff climbed brazenly to the top of his head and wriggled about to his heart's content.

Chen Moqing remained in total concentration, sitting perfectly still, like bamboo growing from bare rock, unmoved by any wind.

Cang Shun hung his head down from atop Chen Moqing's head. From this angle he could see the man's dark hair brushing over the side of his face, and his long, slender lashes casting shadows across fair skin—like the silhouette of bamboo leaves against a latticed window.

Though this was a disguised face, he remembered that on this person's true face, the lashes were even denser, and curved just a little more.

Without thinking, Cang Shun extended his paw and touched his lashes.

Chen Moqing: "...…"

He calmly pinched a certain Demon Emperor's distinguished scruff, took the loudly mew-mewing little ball of fluff, and stuffed him into the blanket. A roll here, a fold there— wrapped into a snug little dumpling.

Peace and quiet restored to the world.

—

T/N:

1). The Heavenly Dao (天道, Tiāndào)

The Heavenly Dao or Heavenly Path is essentially the supreme law of the universe; an all-powerful, all-encompassing cosmic force that governs the natural order of existence. It's not a god you can pray to, but more like the universe's own will and justice, setting the absolute rules that everything and everyone must follow. When something is described as carrying the power of the Heavenly Dao, it means it holds an authority so absolute that nothing in existence can challenge or escape it.

2). The Naihe Bridge (奈何桥, Nàihé Qiáo)

The Naihe Bridge is a bridge from Chinese mythology, located in the underworld. It's bridge that the souls of the dead must cross after death as part of their journey through the afterlife. "Naihe" (奈何) loosely translates to "helplessness" or "what can be done," capturing the inevitability of fate and death.

There's mythology around it:

•  Before crossing the bridge, souls are given a bowl of Meng Po's soup (孟婆汤), a magical broth that erases all memories of their past life, so they can be reincarnated without carrying baggage from their previous existence.

•  The Naihe Bridge sits at the boundary between the world of the living and the realm of reincarnation. And also;

•  The bridge is overseen by Meng Po (孟婆), the Lady of Forgetfulness.

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