Unyielding Bone of Dust

Lin Suqing pricked up his ears, fully concentrating on discerning those sounds, fearful of another ferocious beast's sudden attack.

The sounds were trivial, like something whispering in the distance. So minor and faint, they were nearly obscured by the crackling of the flames.

His intuition told him it wasn't some lurking danger.

He flipped the Zhen meat several times, roasting it until the juices splattered, and large drops of fat fell onto the red-hot charcoal, sizzling loudly.

The fire, fed by the fat, burned even more fiercely. Wary of the flames charring the meat, he pulled out a few pieces of firewood and took a few steps to plant the unburnt ends into the ground, creating torches for illumination.

Many wild beasts were said to fear fire; perhaps it could serve as a deterrent.

When night fell, the charcoal-grilled Zhen meat was juicy and flavorful, its aroma wafting everywhere. With the moon bright and the breeze gentle, a gentle wind could carry the scent of the roasted meat for miles.

Worried the smell might attract unwelcome visitors, he didn't care about burning his hands. He quickly wrapped the cooked Zhen meat in layers of lotus leaves, hugged it to his chest, and followed the direction Zhui Feng had run off to earlier.

His vision was limited at night, which was more dangerous than during the day. He dared not pause for a moment.

...

After passing through a bamboo forest, a stone path appeared before Lin Suqing. He took a breath, betting that this path must lead to the Crown Prince's estate.

Having traversed the path, tranquility descended all around, as if something had intimidated all creatures into silence. Not even mosquitoes dared to buzz, nor did night insects chirp. Only his own panting and pounding heart remained.

The quiet was so deep it caused his heart to race with fear, yet it also gave him an immense sense of serenity.

Continuing on, a lake appeared ahead, where several white egrets rested by the reeds in the shallow water. Upon seeing Lin Suqing cautiously approach, they whispered among themselves, "I heard today it was he who accidentally stepped on the barrier the Crown Prince used to summon the Wind-chasing Divine Lord."

"Such a thing has never happened before... this could spell disaster..."

"Hush, don't babble nonsense in front of the estate, aren't you afraid the Wind-chasing Divine Lord will tear you into pieces?"

The egrets chatted quietly among themselves, but as Lin Suqing approached, they simultaneously fell silent, pretending to meditate. Yet he had caught seven or eight parts of their conversation.

He clutched the lotus leaf-wrapped Zhen meat closer to his chest, feeling somewhat uneasy. If the Crown Prince didn't agree...

No sooner had he thought this than he shook his head firmly, telling himself not to indulge in wild speculation. His mind was made up; there was no room for doubt.

He crossed the bridge over the lake, circled several groves, and suddenly a stately residence came into view. The estate was very majestic, more like a palace.

With green bricks and black tiles, its roof corners upturned, the glittering water mirrored on the wall like a painting, giving the carved railings and jade-built garden a moist, cool aura. The pristine moonlight streaming over the estate walls filled it with a cold, timeless elegance.

What was astonishing was the signboard hanging high, boldly inscribed with three large, gold characters—"Crown Prince's Estate." The sign bore no "second," could this be the estate of the eldest Crown Prince?

However, as he looked around aided by the light, there were no other residences in sight. It must not be a mistake...

Lin Suqing held his breath as he approached the door. Just as he was about to knock, the ink-soaked door swung open on its own. He glanced around, seeing no one before timidly continuing inside.

"Lin Suqing!" The night was tranquil as water when Zhui Feng's voice suddenly appeared, echoing through the night sky. It startled Lin Suqing so much that he nearly threw the Zhen meat in his arms.

"You scared me to death!" No matter how many of Zhui Feng's Divine Skills he had witnessed in daylight, Lin Suqing still found it hard to shake off his fear of the mystical dog.

Now that he saw it, he felt a sense of relief—finally, he had found it.

Zhui Feng circled him, sniffing. Its expression shifted to shock as it said, "You actually used the branches of the Fusang tree to roast the Zhen meat?"

Lin Suqing, utterly clueless, watched as it pressed on, "Do you know who planted that Fusang tree?"

Zhui Feng's arrival swept away Lin Suqing's earlier helplessness, partly restoring his usual demeanor. He ventured, "It wasn't planted by the Crown Prince was it...?"

Zhui Feng gave him a glance, obviously indicating his answer was incorrect. Lin Suqing awaited the correct answer, but Zhui Feng avoided the question, simply saying, "Follow me."

He didn't ask further, taking it as a non-issue. He hurriedly followed.

...

They stopped in front of an inner garden on the eastern side, having walked through the corridors and pavilions.

Gouzi raised its little paw to indicate Lin Suqing should wait and tiptoed into the garden itself; it was only after a brief moment that it came out and said to Lin Suqing, "Go in."

On hearing this, Lin Suqing reckoned that the second Crown Prince must be inside this garden.

He bowed and held aloft two packages of Zhen Beast meat over his head, presenting them with utmost respect to the second Crown Prince sitting at a stone table in the garden, "Your Highness, the Zhen Beast meat is ready."

Currently in need of the Crown Prince's favor, he dared not speak as rashly as he had before.

Under the gentle moonlight, the Crown Prince poured himself a glass of light wine, his presence as aloof and frigid as ever. He glanced at the Zhen Beast meat Lin Suqing was holding, and although his expression was indifferent, a flicker of surprise passed quickly through his eyes.

"Who taught you to use poor mulberry as fuel?" he asked, his tone still detached.

Lin Suqing was taken aback at first but soon explained, "I did not recognize that to be a certain tree. I had only read in a book that using branches of lychee trees as fuel will make the roasted meat especially fragrant. That tree bore some resemblance to a lychee tree… so I broke off a branch." Immediately, Lin Suqing knelt down, "Your Highness, please forgive my offense."

"You may leave," said the second Crown Prince in an indifferent voice, bearing no blame.

After a moment, noticing that Lin Suqing had remained motionless, still kneeling in the same spot, he finally glanced sideways and spoke with a quiet, clear voice under the moonlit eve, "What is it?"

Lin Suqing immediately prostrated himself and earnestly pleaded, "I wish to follow Your Highness to learn skills, to practice immortality so that one day I might have the opportunity to return home to take care of my mother…" He had barely uttered half a syllable of the word "mother" when he quickly corrected himself, "my mom."

The Crown Prince glanced at him from the corner of his eye, downed the wine in his glass, and stated flatly, "If you have nowhere to shelter, you may temporarily stay in my residence. You may only be a servant, no delay in leaving if not."

Upon hearing this, Lin Suqing knew leaving was not an option. Even though his request to study had been declined, he took solace in the fact that the Crown Prince was willing to provide him shelter. The days ahead were long, and there would be chances to return to the matter of cultivation—he might as well stay for now.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Lin Suqing bowed, then rose and left the garden.

No sooner had he stepped across the threshold than Gouzi popped out and stopped him, "You wait."

The moment those words dropped, it ran back into the garden. In no time at all, it emerged with the two packages of Zhen Beast meat Lin Suqing had just offered up.

Seeing it running on two legs, Lin Suqing rushed forward to catch it, worried it might fall, "This…"

Gouzi proudly declared, "The master rewarded this to me, we'll eat over there," as if it was all expected.

Gouzi ran happily towards the pavilion in the middle of the lake, Lin Suqing clutching the two packages of Zhen Beast meat followed quickly behind.

They had just sat down when Gouzi said, "You're lucky. The master never uses servants; you're the only one."

No wonder such a grand palace seemed devoid of guards or palace maids to patrol or serve.

"Gouzi…" Lin Suqing barely began when he received a greasy slap on the face with a paw.

"You're Gouzi! My name is Wind-chasing Divine Lord!" Gouzi said indignantly.

Lin Suqing, covering his face, wiped off the smear of grease, suddenly recalling the conversation he had overheard alongside the reedy marshes from the egrets...

Could Gouzi actually be the Wind-chasing Divine Lord?

"I'm sorry, very sorry." Recalling Gouzi's bravery in battle against the Zhen Beast during the day, Lin Suqing suddenly became somewhat fearful of it.

To avoid being torn to shreds by an angered Gouzi, Lin Suqing earnestly apologized before daring to continue, "I noticed that both you and His Highness seemed surprised that I used poor mulberry to roast the meat. Is there a reason for that?"

Gouzi stiffened and immediately burrowed its head into the Zhen Beast meat, devouring it voraciously and uttering, "There's no particular reason, you shouldn't ask so much in the future. There are certain unspoken rules at Danxue Mountain. If you don't want to die, speak less and work more."

Having polished off the Zhen Beast meat in just a few bites, Gouzi patted its belly, hopped off the stone bench, and twirled around to address Lin Suqing, "The Lamp Lighter will show you the way, the master has granted you a spacious chamber."

True to its name, Wind-chasing, Gouzi vanished in the blink of an eye.

Almost as soon as its voice had faded into the night, a moth sprinkled with pink and blue circled the lantern hanging over the pavilion at the lake's center, then landed transforming into a delicate beauty, standing straight and slender.