Chen Zhou continued walking while wondering what these over-imaginative monsters were up to lately.
Rounding two newly pitched tents, he spotted a pale green figure in the distance.
Su Xue was squatting by a makeshift nursery, her movements gentle as she pruned the withered leaves of a medicinal herb.
A group of seven or eight little demons surrounded her, all of them transformed from flowers and plants; some held watering cans while others carried flower hoes, quietly encircling her.
Chen Zhou approached.
Sensing his presence, Su Xue turned her head and met Chen Zhou's gaze directly.
"Lord?"
Su Xue hurriedly stood up, several grass leaves sliding from her knees to the ground.
She didn't stop to brush them off, instead offering a quick salute.
"You... you've returned so soon?"
Chen Zhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the nursery.
In just a few short days, a temporary medicinal field had already taken shape.
Dragon-Blood Grass, Seven-Star Flower, Bone-Knitting Vine... all were drought-resistant and hardy varieties, growing quite well.
Su Xue followed his gaze and explained with a hint of embarrassment.
"These children are all plant transformations from Poison Flame Mountain in the Southern Region; they used to follow me to learn about pharmacology."
"Since we were coming to the provincial capital, I thought the Western Region... might need some greenery, so I prepared in advance."
"Lord, are we departing for the Western Region now?"
As she spoke, her voice unconsciously sped up.
"Please wait a moment, I'll pack up right now..."
"No rush."
Chen Zhou watched her begin to hurriedly pack her tools before turning to count the little demons following her, then asked casually.
"Where is Piao?"
"Wasn't she excitedly clamoring to go before? Why don't I see her now?"
Su Xue's movements stiffened for a fraction of a second.
She kept her head down, sliding her silver shears into a leather case and stuffing the case into a cloth bag at her waist.
"...Miss Piao was called back by Ugly Hag."
She did not look up.
Chen Zhou gave a light laugh. "Su Xue, you're not suited for lying."
Su Xue's face instantly turned red.
She pursed her lips, and it took a while before she stammered.
"Lord... how did you..."
"Your ears."
Chen Zhou pointed at the pair of long ears atop her head.
"Whenever you lie, the tips of your ears twitch."
Su Xue instinctively raised her hands to cover her rabbit ears.
Sure enough, the fuzzy tips were still vibrating slightly, like startled grass leaves.
She lowered her hands and bowed her head, giving up on the deception as her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.
"Miss Piao... she was indeed called back by Ugly Hag."
Chen Zhou raised an eyebrow. "What, everyone has things to hide from this deity?"
"Is it because Piao is too straightforward and can't keep a secret, so Ugly Hag took her away first, fearing she'd let something slip?"
Su Xue twisted her fingers together, not daring to look up.
After a long moment, Chen Zhou waved his hand.
"Forget it. If you don't want to say, then don't."
"Busy, everyone's busy. It's good to be busy."
Su Xue looked up in astonishment.
"Let's go."
Chen Zhou turned around. "This deity shall act as if he knows nothing. It's time for us to head to the Western Region."
Su Xue finally snapped out of it and nodded vigorously.
"Yes!"
She quickly straightened her appearance and then spoke aloud to the group of little demons at the nursery, who were all pricking up their ears to eavesdrop.
"Pack your things! Follow the Lord to the Western Region!"
The little demons responded in unison.
The large group soared toward the Western Region.
The Western Region was much further than the Eastern Region.
But with Chen Zhou's current realm, it took barely an hour before yellow sands came into view.
The sky was a murky earthy yellow, and the ground was a boundless sea of golden sand.
The wind blew from afar, whipping up fine grains of sand that swirled around a figure standing before the Yellow Spring Crossing.
Tuoba Feng had already removed the stone coffin from his back and was standing guard at the entrance with a neatly lined army of heroic spirits.
The souls were all clad in armor and holding weapons, silent as statues.
As Chen Zhou landed, Tuoba Feng dropped to one knee.
"The sinner Tuoba Feng welcomes the Lord God."
The heroic spirits behind him also knelt in unison.
Chen Zhou's gaze swept over the spirits, finally resting on a small figure at the end of the line.
It was a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old; her form was much thinner and paler than the other heroic spirits, as if she would vanish with a puff of wind.
She wore her hair in two pigtails and was dressed in oversized armor that didn't fit. She held no weapon, kneeling on the ground like the others with eyes full of vacancy.
"Is that your daughter?"
Chen Zhou told Tuoba Feng to rise.
Tuoba Feng looked in the direction of Chen Zhou's gaze, his expression suddenly softening.
"Yes, that's Xiaoyun."
"She's seven years old this year."
As he spoke, Tuoba Feng walked over, bent down, and carefully gathered Xiaoyun into his arms.
His movement was as light as if he were holding a handful of sand.
Xiaoyun leaned quietly against his chest, her pigtails brushing against his chin.
She didn't speak or move.
She just leaned there quietly.
Her eyes were hollow.
There was no light, no spirit, and none of the emotions belonging to a living person.
The fate of a Grave-keeper was to become a heroic spirit after death and continue guarding the god's tomb.
They would not remember their past lives, their fathers, or how hard they had once tried to protect someone.
Yet Tuoba Feng didn't seem to mind.
He held her, his pace steady as he walked at the very front.
The yellow sand swallowed their ankles, leaving deep and shallow footprints behind.
Tuoba Feng pulled out a sand jujube and placed it in Xiaoyun's hand; Xiaoyun obediently took it and then carefully tucked it into her sleeve.
Tuoba Feng let out a sigh and suddenly spoke.
"Xiaoyun loved sand jujubes most when she was alive."
"There isn't much good to eat in the Western Region, so sand jujubes are the sweetest things here."
"Every autumn, I would search for them on the leeward side of the dunes."
"When my luck was good, I could find a small handful."
"She couldn't bear to eat them all at once and would always hide them."
"Under her pillow, in the corners of the wardrobe, in..."
"In the cracks of the stones at the entrance of the god's tomb."
"She said they were offerings left for Lord Divine Remains."
Tuoba Feng laughed. "Xiaoyun was like that when she was alive, and now, even though she has no memories, she still keeps the habit."
Chen Zhou said nothing.
Following behind, Su Xue pursed her lips tightly.
Xiaoyun lay quietly in her father's arms, her hollow eyes staring into the void.
She couldn't understand any of this.
Nor could she remember.
But her fingers gently gripped the corner of Tuoba Feng's clothes.
The god's tomb drew near.
Amidst the yellow sand, the stone doors of the god's tomb stood open; some of the seal markings carved on the doors had blurred, while others were covered by fresh bloodstains.
And behind the stone doors, a shriveled figure was huddled in the shadows.
Half a head peeked out.
Watching the outside world warily.
It was a mummified corpse so thin it was just skin and bones.
The skin clung tightly to the skeleton, the eye sockets were two pitch-black blood-holes, and the mouth was sewn shut with coarse black thread; some of the threads had already snapped, and the parched lips had crumbled into bits of meat.
She huddled behind the tomb doors, only daring to reveal half of her face.
She seemed to be waiting for someone.
When she saw Tuoba Feng appearing with the large group, she visibly flinched and tried to shrink back into the tomb.
However, when her gaze landed on Su Xue following Chen Zhou, and the group of plant spirits behind Su Xue, the mummified corpse seemed to light up instantly.
Even without eyes, Chen Zhou could feel the joy radiating from her.
Rate on N.U.
