One Person, Two Hearts, Unsettled Mind

Chapter 40: One Person, Two Minds, Hard to Decide

Zi Bofeng finally understood what had felt wrong just a moment ago. It wasn't that Zi Jian's finger had tapped into his memories, but rather that these memories had been struggling to surface, trying to warn Zi Bofeng, trying to make him stay vigilant.

The old man had just mentioned demons—immortals would slay demons and eliminate devils!

Uncle Blue Rock—

Taking a deep breath to hide his thoughts, Zi Bofeng looked back at his father.

"Father, don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Zi Bofeng said.

Zi Jian shook his head, not knowing how to respond.

"Then... Father... I'm heading out..." Zi Bofeng quietly observed his father's expression. Seeing no sign of opposition, he slipped away in a flash.

He would rather face Feijianzi's flying sword than endure his father's look of disappointment and worry.

It is said that everyone has two selves within them. When faced with something they cannot bear to confront, one self retreats, while the other steps up, strong and resolute.

And right now, within Zi Bofeng's heart, there was exactly this kind of retreat and confrontation.

Yet, if he truly stood on the opposite side of the immortals, what would happen to his father, his aunt, and Little Stone? What about the villagers? What about the Prefect and Luo Qianshan?

If it were merely Feijianzi, perhaps things would be simpler, but behind Feijianzi, there must be a sect or school; at the very least, that old Daoist was not someone to be trifled with.

Lost in thought as he walked, he suddenly looked up to find that he had unconsciously wandered back to the side of Big Blue Rock.

Zi Bofeng stepped forward, gently stroking the rough surface of the blue stone, and asked, "Uncle Blue Rock, why didn't you tell me that you were the big blue stone from the banks of the Yang River back then?"

"You... remembered?" The characters on the blue stone appeared somewhat messy and hesitant.

"Yes, I finally remembered. But Uncle Blue Rock, why are you here?" This was the only thing Zi Bofeng couldn't fathom.

"Look up, and place your palm upon me."

Zi Bofeng looked up and saw that the stone patterns above were twisted, vaguely forming a mark resembling a fish tail.

Zi Bofeng stood on his tiptoes, reached out to press his hand against the fish tail, and closed his eyes.

The Luo Fish had suppressed the great flood, but in doing so, it lost its reliance. In that instant, the Daoist had severed the Luo Fish's tail with one sword strike and pierced through its body with another.

The fish tail, carrying the overwhelming demonic aura of the heavens, fell from the sky, crashing into the water. It sank beneath the surface, drenched in a spray of blood, and landed upon that blue stone.

The fish tail seemed unwilling to die just like that, or perhaps it was worried about something. It thrashed with all its might, actually burrowing into the blue stone. Then, it began to swim, pushing the massive stone against the current, rising upward along with the surging, monstrous floodwaters.

When it reached the crest of a wave, the fish tail leaped with all its strength.

In legends, a fish that leaps over the Dragon Gate becomes a dragon. This fish now had only its tail left; it could not become a dragon, but it truly ascended to the heavens.

The fish tail thrashed frantically, like a propeller, flying straight upward. The higher it flew, the smaller the tail became, and the smaller it became, the harder it struggled. The demonic aura within the tail poured out wildly, propelling the blue stone like a meteor flying against the current, straight out of the world, transforming into a star in the nine heavens.

This flight lasted for two years.

Until one day, the blue stone, having become a star, finally found its destination. On a night of wind and rain, it descended from beyond the heavens, accompanied by a thunderous roar, and landed on Bird-Mouse Mountain.

Luo Fish...

The image of the Luo Fish, which had grown blurry in his memory, gradually became clear. Even in death, the Luo Fish had not forgotten him; it had sent Uncle Blue Rock to his side to protect him and keep him company.

Zi Bofeng clenched his fists, then relaxed them.

"Uncle Blue Rock, you must be at the mid-stage of the fourth realm now, right?" Zi Bofeng asked.

"I am at the late stage of Opening Wisdom," the blue stone replied. These days, Zi Bofeng had been lecturing on the Dao every day, and the content was far richer than the poetry and books Zi Bofeng had read in the past. Uncle Blue Rock's wisdom had gradually opened, and he was on the verge of breaking through this level.

"Then, back then, the Luo Fish..."

"The Luo Fish had already awakened its innate spell; it should have been at the late stage of the fifth realm, the Body Moistening Realm," the blue stone said. "However, the Luo Fish was different from me. It was a creature of natural spirit, inherently several times stronger than I."

If even a Luo Fish, which was inherently several times stronger than Uncle Blue Rock and at a higher level, had suffered such a crushing defeat at the hands of the Daoist on Bird-Mouse Mountain, and considering Feijianzi's dazzling sword strike, Zi Bofeng felt even more conflicted.

It seemed as though two Zi Bofengs were warring within his heart. One was the "other" Zi Bofeng, whose heart held hatred, anger, and an unspeakable desire for slaughter—not at all like a self-restrained scholar, but like someone who had been humiliated and harmed. But there was also the "current" Zi Bofeng, whose heart held calmness, contemplation, and the clear understanding of an observer—momentary rage could not solve any problems; it would only complicate them.

The "other" Zi Bofeng began to carefully weigh Luo Qianshan's assassination plan, considering its feasibility and what to do after assassinating Feijianzi...

But the "current" Zi Bofeng was pondering different questions—every debt has a creditor, every grievance has a perpetrator; Feijianzi was not the old Daoist, was he truly guilty? Assassination was not the right method to use, and after the assassination, the conflict would only escalate—how would he handle that?

Before he could reach a conclusion, he suddenly heard a strange noise behind him. He spun around abruptly and saw a white shadow hurriedly hiding.

"Don't hide, I see you. Come out," Zi Bofeng said. The white shadow quietly poked its head out from behind a rock.

A white fox—the white fox that had run away.

It had finally returned after all.

Its pointed ears twitched, and there were several shocking scars on its chest and abdomen, clearly from the Three-Clawed Eagle, still faintly smelling of blood.

"Don't be afraid, come here." Zi Bofeng squatted down and beckoned, "Come here, I won't hurt you."

The white fox hesitated before walking over. Zi Bofeng reached out and gently stroked its head. The white fox narrowed its eyes and rubbed against his palm.

Zi Bofeng carefully picked it up, and it struggled for a moment before tucking its head into his chest.

"Don't be afraid, I'll take you to treat your wounds."

Zi Bofeng carried the little fox and quietly headed down the mountain. He didn't dare go home for fear of being scolded by his father. Looking left and right, he simply went to Yan Lao Wu's house.

Yan Lao Wu was in his courtyard preparing his gear for the mountains. Seeing him, he was stunned and said, "Where did you catch that little fox? Its fur is damaged, it's not worth much, and besides, fox meat doesn't taste good."

Upon hearing that Yan Lao Wu intended to eat it, the fox kicked its legs frantically, desperate to escape. Zi Bofeng had to hold it tight, saying, "I'm not going to eat it; I want to dress its wounds."

Yan Lao Wu cast a few glances at Zi Bofeng, making him feel somewhat guilty. Could it be that this old man also knew he was capable of raising monsters?

However, Yan Lao Wu said nothing. He went inside to fetch some medicinal powder, then crouched down to carefully clean the White Fox's wounds.

Some of the wounds on the White Fox's body had already begun to fester. Yan Lao Wu used a small knife to trim away the rot, applied the medicine, and wrapped it carefully with bandages. The White Fox lay in Zi Bofeng's arms, its four paws digging tightly into his clothes. Its body trembled from time to time—the pain was clearly intense—but it knew this was meant to heal it, so it did not struggle.

"There." Yan Lao Wu tightened the bandage and gave the Little Fox's head a gentle pat. "This little fellow is quite something."

"Yes, it's very well-behaved." Zi Bofeng reached out, channeled the Monster Raising Art, and traced the character for "Heal" in the air over the Little Fox, hoping it would be effective.

"Go on then." Zi Bofeng set the White Fox down and patted it lightly. "Behave yourself these next few days, and don't get wet."

The White Fox looked back, let out a few soft cries, and then flicked its tail as it scurried away in a flash.

"Bofeng, sometimes, it's best not to keep company with such creatures." Yan Lao Wu watched the White Fox's retreating figure and offered a gentle word of caution to Zi Bofeng.

"I understand." Zi Bofeng nodded; he knew the old man must have discovered something.

"Old man, could you give me some of that snake medicine you have?" When the old man had taken out the powder to dress the fox's wounds, Zi Bofeng had noticed a bottle with a crude drawing of a small snake on it. It seemed Yan Lao Wu couldn't write the character for "snake" and, fearing a mistake, had used a drawing to label it instead.

"What do you need snake medicine for?" The old man paused, surprised. "Who got bitten by a snake?"

"No one, I just want to keep some on hand." Zi Bofeng didn't dare tell the truth.

The old man looked at him suspiciously but gave him some anyway, instructing him on how to use it before watching him leave.

After leaving Yan Lao Wu's house, Zi Bofeng wiped the sweat from his brow. Ever since his father had tipped him off, he had been jumpy and paranoid, terrified that someone else would pop up and claim to know he could raise monsters.

The only thing Zi Bofeng felt fortunate about was that the culture of this world was similar to his previous life; unlike the foreigners in the West, people here were filled with awe toward extraordinary powers rather than rejection or suspicion.

Thinking about it carefully, ancient Chinese legends were filled with strange people and bizarre events, many of whom were honored guests of high-ranking officials and nobles. Since ancient times, the Chinese had displayed a unique capacity for tolerance.

At night, Zi Bofeng was startled awake by a tapping sound on his window. He turned his head to look immediately.

Zhuzi had intended to take the puppies home, but Little Stone had refused, so Xitui was still at Zi Bofeng's place for the night. Hearing the noise, the dog jumped up at once, letting out a low growl.

Upon hearing that sound, Zi Bofeng knew it must be the Little Fox.

He opened the window to see the Little Fox standing on its hind legs, tapping the window lattice with its front paws. Zi Bofeng had told it not to forget to knock next time, and the little creature had truly remembered.

Seeing Zi Bofeng, the Little Fox opened its mouth and dropped the Legend of the White Snake. Zi Bofeng laughed, "I'll go get the volume for you."

The White Fox shook its head and turned back to let out a few soft calls into the darkness behind it.

A rustling sound echoed through the night. Zi Bofeng squinted into the moonlight and saw a green snake, as thick as two fingers, slithering over from the distance. It hesitated, afraid to come closer.

Not far away, Tauxue shook its head uneasily and let out a low snort; it was clearly very wary of the snake.

"Is this your friend?" Zi Bofeng was stunned. He recognized it as a bamboo viper. Its venom was primarily effective against small animals and was delivered in such small doses that it rarely killed humans, but that didn't mean it wasn't potent. Zi Bofeng hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand.

The White Fox chirped at the bamboo viper. The green snake swayed on the ground, then suddenly sprang up, coiled around Zi Bofeng's arm, and slithered up to his shoulder.

The cold, slick scales of the bamboo viper gave Zi Bofeng goosebumps. He fought the urge to fling the snake away and stood perfectly still, waiting.

Record of Raising Monsters