Cultivation Retirement Plan (BL)

bgm: sword light

Shi Feng sensed the mist before he saw the dark teeming mass swirling in silent vigil over the so-called Stonecut Valley. His eyes swept over the surrounding mountains, picking out the shapes of the peaks and their relation to the stars in the cloudless skies above.

Indeed, this is Qingqiu. How many years has it been since the Fox King last held court?

It was at least long enough for the very scent of foxes to vanish from the air. True to his name, the Lord Amidst the Clouds began his descent by stepping on cumulus puffs that appeared beneath his feet like stairs. He stopped just short of the mysterious mist, clearly seeing the tormented faces still trapped within the mass.

Shroud of the Dead was an eerie obstruction, but also completely self contained. Though it held hungry souls of the dead, they were trapped within the barrier and wouldn’t attack anyone who approached. Those who tried were inherently repelled by the strong aura of death the barrier possessed. It was no danger by itself, but one had to wonder at the intentions of the one who summoned it into being. Dispelling it was the obvious choice. Shi Feng reached out a hand to do just that, causing the souls before his palm to scatter in fear. They could sense enough of his power to know he was capable of vaporizing them with one touch.

A half-immortal was no joke even to Middle Realm cultivators, to say nothing of powerless souls without a physical shell.

Shi Feng’s lips quirked up at the sight. “Do you think I would’ve lasted so long in these realms without any self-control?”

His fingers folded back until only a single index finger was pointed at the shroud. A slender stream of light streamed from its tip and quickly dissipated into the barrier, brushing harmlessly against the myriad souls crowded in its formation. There were multiple ways to dispel mist, after all. One could expose it to the sun until the light banished all the spirits within. One could overwhelm it with yang energy until the souls burned into nothingness. But his Dao was All-Encompassing, and its nature was to harmonize with all. 

No gain, no loss. Equilibrium for all beings, living or dead.

Slowly would his qi work its way throughout the entire barrier, filling in the cracks and spaces between the captive souls. It would expand the shroud beyond its limits, thinning its walls like a bubble before the final, gentle pop. The swirling mass beneath him seemed to calm after sensing his intentions, though their faces were still contorted in distorted expressions. Fear, resentment, pain...such were the grievances they had carried on into the afterlife. Shi Feng soon noticed that many of them weren’t even the souls of humans, but of Yao. Come to think of it, hadn’t a war nearly wiped out their kind some centuries ago?

With his other hand, he found and plucked out two of the strongest spirits to cradle in a protective bubble above his palm. By the strength of their souls, they should have the strongest consciousness and memory of the past.

“Who are you both and what is your story?” Shi Feng asked.

Reduced to motes of light in his hand, the two souls hesitated but ultimately caved before his presence.

“I was a general to the Fox King in my last life.”

“And I, the personal guard to the Wolf King.”

Shi Feng creased his brows. He had lived long enough to see multiple Yao take the throne to guess their last rulers. It was also useless to ask after the Fox King because only the royal Fox Clan knew of their birth names, which were abandoned as soon as they took the crown. He thus set his sights on the Wolf King’s guard. 

“Which Wolf King? What was his name and generation?”

The second little mote bobbed up and down before he replied, “I served the 73rd ruler of the Northern Icelands, His Majesty Ling Rui!”

—

Inner Courtyard, Su Manor

The moment Nan Wuyue stepped foot into the inner courtyard, he realized something was very, very wrong. 

For one thing, all noise from outside ceased. The clouds rumbled in silence above him, and even the breeze that had stirred the trees died into stillness at the entrance as if running into a door. For another, the fragrance of peonies and medicine was overwhelming. He had to stop and cover his nose to block out the scent with his sleeve, finally releasing his qi in a whirlwind to give him a cocoon of fresh air. 

Realizing something, Nan Wuyue suddenly turned back and tried to leave the courtyard. He’d hardly taken three steps when he found himself facing the other way again as if he’d never moved. Eyes widening, he immediately bit down on his thumb hard enough to draw blood. The coppery taste awakened his senses briefly, allowing him to see a silvery shimmering dome above him.

A second barrier? This time, one with illusionary properties...

The Fox Clans were masters of misdirection, after all. It was because of their cunning and smarts that they could sit at the top of the Yao world despite paling in strength to some of their rivals. No wonder his master didn’t respond to any of his signal flares when this barrier was in the way. As Nan Wuyue ran through the estate grounds, he finally saw the rest of the Su Manor servants, but they were either slumped against the pillars or lying face down on the ground, seemingly asleep. 

He didn’t stop to check if they were actually dead, but sped towards the main hall.

—

“Ahhh!”

A female shriek filled the air in the wake of Bai Tingyao’s accusation.

The group in the hall turned towards the sound to see that Ting’er had awoken and was sitting bolt upright on the couch. One hand clutched her chest as she panted for breath.

“Ting’er!” Bai Tingyao rushed towards her servant girl, but neither Su Shimeng nor Mo Yixuan followed. The former was still absorbing the shocking news of his past while the latter was keeping an eye on Su Shiyu.

“If I’m not Su Shimeng...then who am I?” Su Shimeng muttered to himself.

Mo Yixuan went straight to Su Shiyu and finally got to take his pulse. He was alarmed to find the man’s heartbeat erratic and his internal qi all in disorder. No...but why would Su Shiyu possess internal energy in the first place? Isn’t he just a human?

In the middle of examining him, the Su Clan Head suddenly gripped Mo Yixuan’s hand with his clammy fingers. Blue eyes met unfocused brown ones as the man stammered out, “L-leave.”

“You’re on the verge of a qi deviation,” Mo Yixuan replied sternly. Even he could hardly believe his own words. “Who did this to you?”

Upon closer examination, he could tell that the internal energy inside Su Shiyu’s body wasn’t his own, but some foreign entity. Perhaps it had been planted there just recently or laid dormant until the instigator saw fit to awaken it. It was burrowing into the man’s veins and even organs at a rapid pace, especially around his vitals.

Su Shiyu only shook his head and gripped him tighter. “Leave! And take...that boy with you. You have...nothing to do with...the Su Clan!”

“Let me treat you fir—”

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

At the cry, Mo Yixuan looked back to see a flash of yellow skirts running deeper into the house with Su Shimeng chasing after her. Bai Tingyao was standing next to an empty couch while the bundle of bones had completely disappeared. Alarm bells began ringing in Mo Yixuan’s head, but a familiar scent soon began to pierce through the cloud of incense. He recognized the sharp metallic notes and deep earthy tones, now intermixed disturbingly with a sickening, sweet tang of rot.

The fingers around his hand suddenly dug into his skin as Mo Yixuan turned to see the pupils of Su Shiyu’s eyes turn blood red. 

The next second, he was thrown backwards out the window.

CRASH!

Nan Wuyue halted as pieces of wood exploded from the building in front of him, shielding his face just as a figure went sailing out and over his head from the wreckage.

“Shizun!” Nan Wuyue cried as after recognizing his master’s robes.

Mo Yixuan hit the ground and rolled into a crouch, flicking his sword out sideways to recover his balance. He immediately turned towards Nan Wuyue. “Where have you been?!”

“I was held up by Ting’er,” Nan Wuyue said quickly.

“Ting’er? She’s been unconscious this whole time,” Mo Yixuan frowned.

“She’s a Yao who can switch between bodies! Shizun, they’re trying to revive the fox—”

“Tell me later!” Mo Yixuan interrupted before running back in.

Nan Wuyue shut up and hurried after his master. Only seconds had passed since Mo Yixuan was expelled from the main hall, but now it was devoid of anything except overturned furniture. As they ran towards the entrance in the back, Nan Wuyue caught sight of an altar set up by the host and hostess’s table with offerings to a blank painting, but soon forgot about it as the familiar stench of metal and earth hit his nostrils. 

“This smell…!”

“It’s Su Shiyu,” Mo Yixuan said grimly. “He’s lost control.”

“So he’s the Fox King?”

“What Fox King?”

“The statue we saw was a fox, this used to be their domain—”

Nan Wuyue rattled off what sounded like a fairy tale to Mo Yixuan’s ears, but by the time he finished, they were still running through the hallways of the house with no end in sight.

Mo Yixuan abruptly skidded to a stop. “You said the Fox Clan was adept with illusions?”

Nan Wuyue nodded before looking around with a curse.

They’d been caught in one themselves.

Mo Yixuan examined their surroundings but only saw a windowless, wooden hallway stretching out as far as they could see. There was just enough hazy light to make out an exit on one end and darkness on the other, but that hadn’t helped with their running for the past few minutes. He shut his eyes to test the other senses, but found no clues to guide them out of their current maze.

“Shizun, the stench is gone,” Nan Wuyue remarked.

“Mm.” Mo Yixuan nodded. In place of that earthy, metallic scent was the familiar notes of peony and medicine again.

“Something about this doesn’t feel right either,” Nan Wuyue added. “When I entered the inner courtyard I almost choked, the smell was so strong! But we’ve been breathing it for days without any side effects…”

Mo Yixuan nodded again, but this time the hallway swayed with him. He immediately rested a hand against the wall, blinking with a scowl as he fought to regain balance. “Is this part of the illusion too?”

“What?” Nan Wuyue was still looking around carefully while standing firm.

Mo Yixuan stared at his disciple who seemed completely unaffected by the hardwood buckling beneath their shoes. “The floor’s moving. You don’t feel it?”

Nan Wuyue shook his head, but his eyes widened in concern. “Is it the perfume? I’ll clear the air! Shizun, t-try tO h-h-hoOOoldDDd yoOOoouUurrrr b-bbbrrrreEeaaaaAAAaaathHHhhh u-u-unNntilllLLLLLLLLL—”

Mo Yixuan didn’t catch the rest of the sentence before his world went dark.

—

“Big sis, what’s wrong with big bro?” Su Shimeng asked tensely. 

He was shielding Bai Tingyao behind him as he brandished his sword in Su Shiyu’s study. Sitting in the chair across the table, his body bound the the three chains of Equanimity in its battle mode, was a man that was more beast than human. His eyes were blood-red, his hair snow-white. Snarls rose from his throat as he bared sharp, canine-like fangs. The chains tied him firmly to the chair, but his hands were still splayed at his sides, the nails curved into wicked-looking claws.

“He’s not your big brother anymore,” Bai Tingyao said softly.

“He’s still your husband,” Su Shimeng muttered back.

“My husband…?” Bai Tingyao echoed before smiling sadly. “No, Mengmeng. My husband’s already dead. And you shouldn’t be calling me sister either—”

“Nobody’s dead yet!” Su Shimeng snapped back. “I don’t understand why you’re telling me all this now, but we should fix things first! Where’s Ting’er? Why did she run off with my—with the bones?”

He’d been standing in a daze in the main hall until Ting’er dashed right past him to grab the bundle on the ground. His first instinct was to chase after her and get them back. Bai Tingyao and Su Shiyu must have followed after him, because somehow they’d all ended up in this room where Su Shimeng saw Ting’er enter last. 

He had no idea where Mo Yixuan and Nan Wuyue had gone in the meantime. If they were separated like this—

“I was just getting something from the back!” Ting’er’s bright tones interrupted his thoughts. 

It was unnerving how cheerful she sounded under the circumstances, but Su Shimeng all but paled when he saw her emerging from a small room hidden behind one of Su Shiyu’s bookcases. She had the bundle of bones tucked under one arm while cradling a round object wrapped in silk with her other hand.

Before he could ask her what it was, she undid the fabric to reveal a tiny, perfectly-preserved human skull.

It was the dead baby’s missing head.

—

Ancestral Hall, Su Manor

In the deepening darkness, the Jade Ghost flitted idly around the barrier before finally settling down next to her mother’s box. Although she couldn’t reach her real mother now, being close to her things was also a source of comfort. If only that evil fox hadn’t tricked her! She was here to protect the Su Clan, not tear it apart. Instead she’d been naive enough to get close to the sly beast because of a few favors, giving that flower girl the chance to corrupt her essence with demonic qi.

She loathed the plant Yao, but she hated foxes even more. They’d tricked her! They’d dared to hurt her mother and made the Su Clan a prey to their crimes. She’d never forgive them for as long as she existed in this realm!

Fuming softly, the Jade Ghost childishly caressed Su Yan’er’s handkerchief with her hands through the box, missing her mother again. Summer nights like these were the best when she could dance in the courtyard with the fireflies. Mother had shown her the steps herself and she had learned them all by heart. Mother had taught her other things too—how to sit and walk and smile like a lady, and important things like filial piety to one’s parents and respect to one’s ancestors! She’d absorbed as much as she could because that was all she could do. Ghosts didn’t sew or paint or play instruments—and besides, even if she did, it’d only be for mother. As things were, she was happy enough watching her Mama do those things instead.

If only her corpse hadn’t been split apart after her death—then she could stay in Su Manor forever instead of manifesting only for short periods in the shadows or evenings. Her spirit was tied to her bones, most of which were forgotten in that abandoned mine, while her skull—the Jade Ghost suddenly stiffened as she felt her remains calling to her.

No no no, someone was using them to summon her against her will! Right, that nasty fox and flower had tried multiple times in the past, but she’d always resisted them first. Even if the demonic qi ate her up, she wasn’t a puppet to be controlled! Except…

...except, why was it so hard to resist this time? Her entire spirit ached with the urge to be united, to find solace in her final resting place even if it was only a pile of rotten old bones. She was already flying towards the barrier before she stopped herself, slamming herself repeatedly against the demon-sealing wards in an attempt to break free.

No, she wouldn’t go! The only people who summoned her were always those two! They were probably going to make her do bad things again, and the Su Clan would suffer as a result. She struggled and fought, her form all but plastered against the sturdy barrier. Unnoticed to her, the earth at her feet silently broke apart to reveal a small green sprout peeking out from the dirt. It soon grew a bud that blushed into a pale cluster of yellow petals, which unfurled into bloom to deposit a single drop of blood at the base of the barrier.

Where liquid met the shimmering symbols, tiny cracks began to grow and spread...

—

“—an’er. Xuan’er!”

Mo Yixuan woke to the sensation of someone shaking him by the shoulder. He gave a jolt before sitting upright, nearly bumping foreheads with Fei Chenling.

“...sect leader?” Mo Yixuan blinked. Wasn’t he...in the middle of doing something?

“Xuan’er, you’re really something else,” Fei Chenling sighed as he stood back and crossed his arms. “Did your nerves keep you up last night? How could you doze off on your big day?”

Mo Yixuan only gave him a weird look before catching sight of something red. He lifted his heavy scarlet sleeves and stared at the delicate golden embroidery sewn into the hems. The design resembled a dragon and was repeated on his torso and the skirts of his robe.

He blinked a few times, but the red and gold didn’t disappear.

What the hell.

Weren’t these wedding clothes?

—

Footnotes:

Ling Rui (凌銳) - 73rd and last of the reigning Wolf King. Rui means “sharp, keen.”

—

{extra}

Nan Wuyue, clutching his head: ...how many barriers do we have in this tiny little town?!
Mo Yixuan, counting his fingers: The Shroud of Death, our arrays protecting the ancestral hall and Old Madam Su’s quarters, and the one messing with our perceptions in the inner courtyard—so that makes four.
Nan Wuyue: Ugh, what an unlucky number.
Mo Yixuan: We’d better prepare some barrier-breaking techniques next time.
Shi Feng: Of course, none of these barriers can hold a candle to the wall around Ah-Xuan’s heart.
Nan Wuyue: Or the thickness of your skin.
Mo Yixuan, muttering: Is a threesome really going to work with these two?
Nan Wuyue, Shi Feng: What did you say?!
Mo Yixuan: I-I said it’s tiresome working with you two!
Nan Wuyue: Shizun, I’ll make you some snacks right away!
Shi Feng: Your master doesn’t need to eat. Ah-Xuan, shall I take you on a ride instead?
Mo Yixuan: *quietly under his breath* Tch, reader polls…