Chapter 611: The Field of Jisang Like a Grave (4)

Chapter 611: The Field of Millet Like a Grave (IV)

"Si Jiu, keep up!"

Flying snow and snarling beasts, the slender silhouette blocking the way, the sharp twin blades glimpsed past the temples.

The guardian's voice boomed with the vigor of a man, yet Zou Si Jiu behind her gradually let the smile fade from his lips.

Facing the tide of enemies with blades drawn—this courage was not everyone's to claim.

Even if Shou Yu was a bright demon, Zou Si Jiu could not fathom what trials she had endured to possess such a desperate resolve.

"It seems my luck has finally run out. This ominous omen, I cannot withstand it."

Tense and alert, Shou Yu failed to notice the complex gaze behind her. Just as her right foot was about to step forward, a hand suddenly pressed against her shoulder.

A force belonging to the same born master froze her in place, motionless.

"What do you intend, Zou?"

Shou Yu's eyes widened, as if grasping something, her face etched with anxiety.

"I am not dead yet. Drawing a blade is not your place. Turn back and learn to cook and sew in a dream—it suits you better."

"You damn fool, why this confusion? Here, you have no advantage or authority. How could you possibly break through alone?"

A figure circled to her front. Before Shou Yu could finish speaking, a scorching breath fell upon her lips.

Dominant, fierce, brimming with aggression.

All words choked in her throat. Instinctively, Shou Yu closed her eyes, and the twin blades clanged to the ground. Her curved arms clutched the man before her tightly.

"Whether I can send you out safely, I do not know. But I cannot watch you die before me."

That crimson, enough to warm heart and lungs, vanished into his embrace.

"Spare the curses. Let me be a hero in your eyes, just this once."

Zou Si Jiu whispered, bending to retrieve the fallen short blades. With a swift motion, he surged forward.

Roar!

Two farm beasts lunged savagely, their outstretched fingers like claws, tips glowing with an unsettling emerald darkness.

At the moment of collision, Zou Si Jiu crouched low, evading the attacking arms. The inverted blades slashed upward, slicing across the beasts' throats, spilling a stream of blackened blood.

"Shou Yu, do you remember our first meeting? It was in the Wo District, within a dream. I foolishly compared the size of our back doors with others, pulling out years of savings. When I saw the difference, I lost. Of course I did."

"How I cursed myself then, regretting why I had followed Li Jun, that harbinger of disaster. A day without killing, a day being killed—what kind of life was this? Not the work of the yin-yang order."

Snow fell like rain, beasts surged like waves. Zou Si Jiu's blade rose and fell, scattering limbs and severed arms.

"Curses aside, what could be done? If you cannot win, you must endure."

"But just as I was ready to close my eyes and wait for death, I looked up and saw you. Just like today, you stood before me, lifting me up, sparing me shame. Then I thought, hey—if I could have a woman like you as my wife, what regret would remain?"

A smile tugged at Zou Si Jiu's lips as his blade plunged into a beast's skull, twisting. The head soared skyward, a three-foot geyser of blood erupting from the severed neck.

"My fortunes were poor in my early years, wandering many lands, feeling the northern winds, the southern rains, wading through rivers of Shu and Chu. I met many people, but none favored me. The Wo District was my turning point—I found kindred spirits: Li Jun, Ma Wang Ye, Chen Qi Sheng, Xie Bi An, Fan Wu Jiu. Most importantly, I met you."

"Those bastards always claimed I was smitten by your looks, spouting nonsense! I know my heart best—I fell for you, truly and deeply!"

Puchi!

A twisted claw tore five gashes across his back, blood seeping with threads of black.

Zou Si Jiu bit down on the sweetness rising in his throat, swallowing hard. The blades whirled, slicing off an arm.

"Shou Yu, I know you saw through my tricks with Chen Qi Sheng and the others. As Ma Wang Ye said, I was showing off my axe before the door, inviting ridicule. But when you didn’t expose me, I was truly glad."

"Then I thought—you must have some feelings for me too. Even if you don’t now, that’s fine. You have less, I have more. Having this chance is enough for me."

The bloody siege raged on. Zou Si Jiu fought desperately, yet the enemies before him showed no sign of dwindling.

Suddenly, the crowded beast pack split open a gap.

A figure charged forward with brutal force—Wu Shi Xia, whom Zou Si Jiu had once 'killed'.

Her form now dwarfed ordinary humans, arms transformed into beastly limbs, muscles bulging, veins swelling. She struck Zou Si Jiu with a punch.

The fierce wind nearly drained him. He hastily raised his blade, but her fist slammed into the crossed blades, sending him flying.

Thud!

Zou Si Jiu’s back slammed into the wall of a shop by the street. The lingering force spread through his body, cracks racing along the wall.

Snow from the eaves cascaded down, drenching him, as if boiling water poured over his head, steam rising in thick clouds.

"Don’t weep, Shou Yu. Don’t weep. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just feared if I didn’t speak these heartfelt words now, there’d be no chance later."

Zou Si Jiu pressed his back against the wall, head bowed, tangled hair shielding his face.

Blood droplets stained his chest, his blade-wielding arms trembling. His palms were already a blur of blood and flesh.

"I was once a con artist, a trickster of the martial world, but I only cheated money, never hearts. So don’t mind my glib tongue—I’m not good with sweet words."

"But I remember years ago, passing through Chengdu Fu, I chanced upon a wedding. The groom and bride were common folk, the scene modest, yet the guests were many and lively."

"As I passed, I saw the groom and his brothers scheming to trick the door. Inside, people cheered, demanding he tell his and the bride’s story."

His voice paused, as if recalling the scene.

"Damn, I was hit hard and dazed—many details are lost. Haha, but one line I remember clearly."

Zou Si Jiu slowly straightened, legs straining, back scraping the wall.

"The groom said their meeting was 'a fleeting breeze before the wind, like strangers meeting, love like old acquaintances,' destined by fate. After their union, it was 'ten thousand years too long, let us cherish the present,' love renewed."

"You know me—I have no education, no grasp of such meanings. I don’t know if the groom was right, but those lines felt beautiful. You feel the same, don’t you?"

Zou Si Jiu lifted his head, wiping his face with his sleeve, his eyes deep with exhaustion.

"Shou Yu, don’t blame me. I’ve tried, but this time, I can’t break through."

Zou Si Jiu whispered, "But rest assured, I’ll get you out."

As he spoke, a violent surge erupted from within him.

The ferocious beasts, once fearless, now showed fear, retreating uncontrollably amid their rising growls.

"Attempting to self-detonate and shatter this dream? Zou Si Jiu, you can’t."

Wu Shi Dong recognized his intent at a glance.

He sought to explode the dreamscape, sending the bright demon away!

"Won’t know till we try."

Zou Si Jiu spread his arms, grinning, "Shou Yu, wasn’t I magnificent this time?"

The surge grew, and in a blink, it burst from the block, engulfing the entire Chongqing Fu.

Now, all living beings in the dream felt a violent heartbeat, as if facing a volcano about to erupt—despair with no escape.

"Kill him!"

Wu Shi Dong’s cold shout rang out. Xia and Qiu bodies shot forth like arrows, and the retreating beasts surged again at her command.

"You bitch—if there’s another chance, I’ll kill you four sisters!"

Zou Si Jiu's visage was ferocious, his eyes brimming with unwillingness, scarlet blood seeping and winding down his features.

"Since you refuse to concede, let's do it again."

An abrupt, aged voice echoed between heaven and earth.

The drifting snow hung suspended in midair, the war-beast's muscles tensed, holding its pouncing stance, blood gathering on Zou Si Jiu's chin, congealed yet not falling.

In an instant, everything here seemed frozen.

"Zhao Mengze!!!"

The three avatars of the witch shrine simultaneously raised their heads and howled.

The next moment, Zou Si Jiu felt his vision twist and shift; when clarity returned, he found himself alone on an empty street, all enemies and the surrounding chaos vanished.

Only Zhao Mengze, his hair and beard white as frost, stood across the street, smiling warmly at him.

"Old Zhao, what's going on now?"

Though he didn't understand what had happened, Zou Si Jiu knew he was, for the moment, safe from death.

The tension in his heart snapped; he slid down the wall and plopped onto the ground.

"I may be the legitimate Dream Lord of the Yin-Yang Sequence Three; even without seizing the dream-weaving right, I could still meddle in a pretender's hands and forcibly pull you out."

"Don't spout nonsense; this dream isn't built on a millet reverie but resides in that woman's consciousness. If it were truly that simple to tamper with, I, Old Zou, wouldn't have been beaten so badly."

Zou Si Jiu waved his hand irritably, "Speaking of which, how did you end up like this?"

"I"

As Zhao Mengze's words left his lips, a cold, clear visage suddenly appeared beside Zou Si Jiu.

"This time we've troubled you, thank you, Mr. Zhao, for your assistance."

The suddenly appearing guardian clasped his fists before Zhao Mengze, his words earnest.

"It's merely what we ought to do, no matter."

Before Zhao Mengze could finish, the guardian whirled about and slapped Zou Si Jiu across the face.

Smack!

"Zou Si Jiu, I tell you: if you pull this stunt again, I'll kill you myself before anyone else lifts a finger. With outsiders present, I'll settle the score later!"

The guardian spat those words venomously, turned his head, gave Zhao Mengze a tight-lipped smile, and vanished.

"He's not even dead yet—why so vicious?"

Zou Si Jiu rubbed the cheek where the slap had landed, muttering under his breath, then turned to see Zhao Mengze eyeing him up and down with keen curiosity.

"What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a married couple quarrel?"

"I never imagined your luck—so poor you'd choke on cold water—could grant you such fortune."

Zhao Mengze clicked his tongue, sighing, "Truly, fate toys with us."

"Now, to the point—what exactly is the situation?"

Zou Si Jiu rolled his eyes and asked, "Did you really yank me out by force?"

"Isn't that obvious? You haven't had your brains knocked out, have you?"

"Then how do we count this dream?"

Zhao Mengze chuckled, "I'd say it's a draw."

Zou Si Jiu fell silent for a moment, his gaze drifting again to Zhao Mengze's white hair, brows furrowed.

"You"

Zhao Mengze spoke calmly, "Gone."

"What do you mean?"

Weary, Zou Si Jiu's body summoned a surge of strength, propelling him up from the ground.

"Literally."

Zhao Mengze smiled, "In folk terms, I'm now giving you a dream."

"How could that be."

Zou Si Jiu stood frozen, staring blankly at the old man before him.

"What's so strange about that? Others have plotted for decades; if it were really this easy for us to overturn, it would truly be a joke."

Zhao Mengze said evenly, "This time, I and Tian Que have indeed lost."

After a long silence, Zou Si Jiu's tense expression eased, revealing a weary, bitter smile.

"Old Zhao, given your strength, you could have escaped, right? Why did you insist on pushing it to this extreme?"

He let out a slow breath of foul air, his body deflating as he sank back to the ground.

"Seeing you ponder for so long, I expected some profound insight, but all you asked was this pointless question?"

Zhao Mengze stepped forward and crouched beside Zou Si Jiu.

"Do you want to know why?"

"No."

Zou Si Jiu gritted his teeth: "I trekked a thousand miles from the border to the southwest just to rescue you, and now you've been killed—what's the point of all this?"

"I never thought you'd be so sentimental; it's merely a technical art, yet you'd risk your life for it."

Zhao Mengze raised his hand and patted the person's shoulder, "Thanks."

Zou Si Jiu snorted, "Thanks for what? A drop of kindness deserves a spring in return—that's my creed as I wander the jianghu. And what do you mean 'just a technical art'? Everyone knows its worth; don't pretend to be magnanimous here."

"You brat, I'm already dead—can't you speak a little more politely?"

Zhao Mengze laughed and scolded, "When you're with your wife, you're not like this at all."

"How could they be the same?"

Zou Si Jiu's eyes fixed on the ground before him, and he quietly asked, "So, Old Zhao, why didn't you flee?"

"Just like you—repay a drop of kindness with a spring."

Zhao Mengze lifted his head, his face suffused with a nostalgic glow of his words: "I used to be weak, penniless, stubborn as bone, unable to even share a chamber pot with those Eastern Imperial Palace folks; my rise to Sequence Three came thanks to Tian Que's aid."

"Li Jun and his ilk are your brothers; Yi Huang and his lot are mine as well."

Zhao Mengze chuckled, "They were slain before my eyes; I must avenge them. The reasoning is simple, the action obvious. The only pity is that this outcome is not what anyone wished."

"Old Zhao, you spoke too soon; we haven't reached the end yet."

"I knew you'd say that."

Zhao Mengze turned his head to regard the cold, hard expression of Zou Si Jiu, his eyes full of relief.

"Don't act rashly; I finally pulled you out, only for you to dive back in—wouldn't we be asking for trouble? Forty-nine, keep the green hills, and you'll never lack firewood. Find a way to survive, spread my teachings far and wide; in this world, that's all I have left. Do you hear me?"

"Hmm."

Zou Jiujiu answered in a deep, resonant tone.

"That's exactly right—knowing when to advance and retreat, following heaven's will; this is what our Yin-Yang order ought to do."

The desolate night wind swept through the street, as if it were bleaching Zhao Mengze's silhouette a shade.

"Actually, from the moment we first met, I sensed you were truly like me in my youth, so I chose to teach you 'Heaven and Earth Share Longevity'."

Zhao Mengze proudly exclaimed, "Now it seems my intuition was spot on—I didn't misjudge you."

"Old Zhao, you say you didn't misjudge—so what kind of person do you think I really am?"

"You, hahahaha."

Zhao Mengze burst into laughter: "You're a person of boundless fortune!"

The laughter flew into the sky, scattering in the wind.

Zou Jiujiu finally stopped staring ahead, turning his head to gaze at the empty space beside him.

"Old Zhao, you're wrong. I, Zou Jiujiu, am just a simpleton."

Zou Jiujiu's eyes suddenly sharpened; the heavens and earth shifted before him, reflecting in his depths a void of darkness, with only a gambling table set before him.

This time, he was not a chip lingering on the table, but seated in the place once belonging to Zhao Mengze.

"You dare return? It seems Zhao Mengze wasted a life saving you."

Across the gambling table, the witch's shrine brimmed with delighted eyes.

Zou Jiujiu's departure and return surprised her, and moreover stirred a sense of absurdity.

She looked at him with a half‑smile: "Zou Jiujiu, judging by your posture, are you planning to gamble with me again?"

"Gamble."

Zou Jiujiu unhesitatingly pushed all his chips forward.

"In this dream I set only one rule: you enter with all four of your lives together."

Zou Jiujiu said, word by word: "Between you and me, one round decides life or death!"