The Unveiling Truth

The body lay prone, just as it had that day, though its attire had changed. A light blue silk shirt was draped over the seemingly frozen form, creating an odd sense of disharmony.

The intense pull from his previous encounter resurfaced. Compared to the imagined fullness and abundant spiritual energy, the body before him now seemed excessively hollow. A powerful urge, like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart, screamed for him to approach it. Yet, He Suosi resisted.

He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that this was absolutely not the right time.

He subtly shifted his gaze, turning toward Yuan Zhigong.

Yuan Zhigong was staring at the body on the cold jade bed, seemingly lost in a quiet daze. Only when he sensed He Suosi’s gaze did he snap back to reality, the confusion in his eyes replaced by a cold, composed expression.

“The first person to discover his soul had departed was Fairy Yunrou,” Yuan Zhigong stated.

Yuan Zhigong likely anticipated He Suosi’s next question, for he quickly added, “Indeed, even within the Cloud Sky Sect, if someone intended to harm Qianqiu Daojun—whether for the secret of the innate supreme treasure or out of long-held jealousy—Fairy Yunrou’s power was insufficient to protect him. She entrusted him to me.”

He Suosi wanted to sneer, but he suppressed it, adopting an innocent, bewildered expression instead. “Who would want to harm Qianqiu Daojun? And why would they wish him ill?”

Yuan Zhigong shook his head slightly. “Fairy Yunrou did not say.”

He Suosi uttered an ‘Oh,’ directing his gaze back to the bed. His eyes gradually grew cold, and a murderous intent solidified into a storm-like presence, only to quickly dissipate, replaced by clear tranquility. He stared at his own body, suppressing the urge to immediately touch it, then leaned closer, lowering his head to examine it.

He wondered if it was an illusion, but his lips seemed slightly more swollen than the last time he had seen them.

He Suosi refused to entertain any further thoughts on that matter. His gaze shifted, and on the bed, he noticed the jade slip he had been cultivating with before his transmigration. Strangely, this jade slip was different from what he remembered.

Though its translucent jade quality and the fine golden tassels hanging from its top confirmed it was the same slip, this time, several lines of text seemed to faintly appear on its surface. They were unclear, however; if he focused intently, he saw nothing at all.

He pointed to the jade slip, asking Yuan Zhigong, “What is this?”

Yuan Zhigong picked up the jade slip, stroking it. “This is the last jade slip Qianqiu Daojun was using. It is said he held it in his hand when he collapsed.”

He Suosi frowned slightly. “Fairy Yunrou even gave you this?”

Yuan Zhigong replied, “I found it myself. In her urgency, Fairy Yunrou only managed to get his body out. I speculated there might be clues left in the cave, so I went to look and found this jade slip beneath the stone platform.”

He Suosi took the jade slip from Yuan Zhigong’s hand, lightly caressing the surface where the faint words seemed to appear. He spoke casually, “It seems, besides its translucent jade quality and abundant spiritual energy, there’s nothing particularly special about it.” He suspected only he could see the words on it.

Indeed, Yuan Zhigong nodded in agreement. “It’s nothing special. I’ve also read the contents. Perhaps because it has already recognized its master, I could only see half of it. But even that half revealed nothing extraordinary; it seems to be just an ordinary soul refinement technique.” As he spoke, he stared directly at He Suosi, seemingly hoping to catch a flaw in his expression.

However, He Suosi undoubtedly disappointed him. His gaze remained bewildered, displaying an expression more lost than Yuan Zhigong’s own.

“Then it seems unrelated to this jade slip,” He Suosi declared, lying through his teeth.

Yuan Zhigong, helpless, took the jade slip from He Suosi’s hand. He neither admitted nor denied anything, instead asking, “You… you are quite knowledgeable about treasures, Nishang. You truly haven’t seen this jade slip or anything similar, have you?”

He Suosi nodded. “That’s right.” His gaze lingered on the jade slip for only a moment before returning to his own body. One rarely saw themselves from such a perspective, which still filled him with a slight sense of wonder.

Lying on the bed was, without a doubt, a handsome young man with an elegant demeanor. His appearance was well-groomed, and his expression was peaceful and serene. He was somewhat surprised that he would look like this while sleeping. Then, he glanced over the neck and exposed collarbones, secretly exhaling in relief after confirming there were no unseemly marks.

It seemed Yuan Zhigong wasn’t depraved enough to defile a soulless body.

As He Suosi sighed in relief, Yuan Zhigong suddenly asked from beside him, “What did you see?”

The question was too sudden, and Yuan Zhigong was too close. He Suosi jumped, stumbling backward directly toward the body on the cold jade bed. Time seemed to slow down by hundreds of times. He Suosi’s entire mind screamed, ‘No, no, no!’ Just as the two bodies were on the verge of contact, He Suosi found himself being pulled away.

Sweating profusely, Yuan Zhigong had yanked him aside, preventing him from colliding with the body.

Although he wasn’t sure if touching it would cause them to swap back, his intuition from the very beginning told him that doing so would definitely lead to severe consequences.

Yuan Zhigong looked at him, his eyes filled with doubt. “Why are you so afraid?”

He Suosi, still reeling from the shock, worried that Qianqiu Daojun’s body might be damaged. He hastily pushed Yuan Zhigong away, struggling to speak in a low voice, “It’s a bit cold here, Immortal Monarch. Let’s leave first.”

Yuan Zhigong did not respond.

He Suosi already had a bad premonition.

They had been playing dumb with each other, but while He Suosi couldn’t stop, it didn’t mean Yuan Zhigong couldn’t. Perhaps he had already reached his limit.

He subtly raised his head, glancing at Yuan Zhigong from the corner of his eye. He saw the Monarch’s gaze was heavy, fixed unblinkingly on him.

He Suosi felt his heart clench violently, and he couldn’t help but take a step back.

Yuan Zhigong let out a sigh. “You know now. I always knew you would know.”

He Suosi was speechless. He realized that Yuan Zhigong’s current state was abnormal. Because his cultivation was far superior to Pei Nishang’s, he always kept his aura restrained in front of her. Now, for some unknown reason, his presence was completely unleashed. Even though he did nothing, it made He Suosi’s heart tremble, rendering him unable to move.

He Suosi tried to retreat but found himself collapsing onto the ground, silently cursing the uselessness of this body.

Indeed, in the eyes of many, Pei Nishang was a rare genius. Yet He Suosi only regretted that she hadn’t cultivated to the Integration stage, which would allow him to contend with Yuan Zhigong. Wait—although Pei Nishang wasn’t, He Suosi was.

Upon realizing this, he remembered his previous unwillingness to return to his original body. Wasn’t it precisely because he feared Yuan Zhigong had tampered with his body or the room?

He gritted his teeth. “Yuan Zhigong, what’s wrong with you?” His voice was hoarse, not its usual tone, due to the extreme burden on his internal organs from the oppressive aura.

Yuan Zhigong’s expression could even be described as gentle now. After fully revealing He Suosi’s identity, he seemed to have shed all worries and restraints. Hearing He Suosi’s strained voice, he even showed a hint of pleasure.

He Suosi belatedly thought, ‘Could it be—is he—a yandere now?!’

Yuan Zhigong slowly approached, then crouched before him. “Why are you afraid? Let me think… because you don’t want to touch your own body.”

When he said “your own body,” his tone softened, but each word felt like a needle piercing He Suosi’s heart, making him tremble with fear. He struggled to suppress his panicked expression, reaching out with difficulty to grasp Yuan Zhigong’s fingers. “Immortal Monarch, I’m very uncomfortable like this.” He was so uncomfortable he was about to spit blood.

No sooner had he spoken than He Suosi spat out a mouthful of blood, the taste of rust instantly filling his mouth.

He silently apologized to Pei Nishang in his heart. Having used this body for so long, he truly had developed some attachment to it.

He Suosi vomiting blood seemed to startle Yuan Zhigong. The oppressive feeling that left no escape suddenly lessened significantly. Yuan Zhigong stared blankly at He Suosi for a moment, then suddenly reached out and picked him up.

The young girl’s figure was petite, weighing virtually nothing in his arms, yet Yuan Zhigong’s expression was solemn, as if he were bearing a thousand-pound weight.

He Suosi saw him slowly carrying him toward the cold jade bed, and his expression instantly changed. He grabbed Yuan Zhigong’s arm, gripping so hard that pale finger marks appeared on the skin.

Yuan Zhigong paid no attention, lowering his head to ask, “What will happen if we touch?”

He Suosi gazed at his body not far away, speaking softly, “My soul will scatter.”

Yuan Zhigong’s footsteps halted. “You’re lying to me.”

He Suosi’s expression remained unchanged. “Why would I lie to you? What good would it do me to lie about this? Shouldn’t I want to return to my own body?”

He Suosi felt Yuan Zhigong’s muscles suddenly tense. The look in his eyes as he gazed at He Suosi again was almost fanatical. “You finally admit it.”

He Suosi clung to Yuan Zhigong’s shoulders, raising his head to be level with the other’s, then pressed both hands against Yuan Zhigong’s face. “Then what about you? Is there anything you want to admit?”

Auras intertwined, and in an instant, a subtle, ambiguous atmosphere permeated the air. A pink blush gradually bloomed on Yuan Zhigong’s face. After a long moment, he spoke, “I just really wanted to see you.”

‘How inexplicable,’ He Suosi thought to himself.

However, on the surface, he maintained a serious, even slightly hesitant expression. “You… why do you want to see me? Do we know each other?”

Yuan Zhigong froze. “You really did forget me.”

He Suosi’s brow furrowed—this expression wasn’t feigned. He genuinely found it strange. Could it be that his original body, before transmigration, truly had a relationship with Yuan Zhigong?

At this thought, goosebumps immediately prickled his skin. He remembered transmigrating to the foot of a mountain, waking up covered in injuries, dressed in luxurious clothes but with nothing else on him. He had thought he was just a wealthy young master who had been robbed. Later, he entered the Cloud Sky Sect and began cultivating, never investigating his mundane family background. Could it be that this original body was not the wealthy young master he imagined, but a cultivator who had an affair with the Guangyu Immortal Monarch?!

He glanced at Yuan Zhigong, thinking darkly, ‘If he likes the original owner of this body, and he finds out I’ve taken over it as a transmigrator, wouldn’t I die a miserable death?’

He hadn’t expected the initial crisis he feared had not yet passed.

He lowered his head, burying his face in the shadows. “How could I forget you?”

Yuan Zhigong’s face was instantly filled with despair and sorrow, then his arms tightened further. “It’s better to forget. Not all memories are good; there’s nothing worth remembering.”

He Suosi’s imagination ran wild, and he felt a growing unease. ‘What bad memories? You damn well better explain yourself!’

However, seeing that the immediate crisis had passed, he felt somewhat relieved. Just as he was about to speak, asking Yuan Zhigong to take him back to his room, he heard Yuan Zhigong say, “But, you’re lying to me again.” This sentence, accompanied by a long sigh, carried an inexplicable sense of desolation.

He Suosi’s expression remained unchanged, but he cursed loudly in his heart, ‘Are you ever going to stop?’

Yuan Zhigong said, “Your soul won’t scatter. If it would, you wouldn’t tell me.”

He Suosi’s fingertips trembled, and he frowned. “You don’t even believe me about this?”

Yuan Zhigong’s tone was soft. “It’s you who doesn’t believe me. Because you don’t trust me, if your soul truly would scatter, you would worry about me forcing it to happen, and you wouldn’t say it. You’ve always been this kind of person.”

He Suosi had to admit that, on this point, the “original body” Yuan Zhigong knew was indeed identical to himself.

He finally spoke truthfully. “Yuan Zhigong, I don’t know what will happen if our bodies connect, which is why I’m hesitant to try.”

“You will return,” Yuan Zhigong asserted inexplicably.

He Suosi cursed ‘lunatic’ in his heart. Seeing no way out, he simply asked directly, “Alright, Yuan Zhigong. Then I ask you, have you done anything to my body? If I return to my original body, what kind of treatment will I receive?”

Yuan Zhigong’s expression was calm. “As long as you don’t leave me, any treatment is possible.”

He Suosi sneered. “And what if I want to leave?”

Yuan Zhigong remained calm, as if discussing something unrelated to himself. “I have planted the Twin Love Root Flower within your body. From now on, we will live and die together, and you cannot be separated from me by more than thirty zhang. Otherwise, your heart and internal organs will ache unbearably until you die and your Dao dissipates.”

He Suosi was stunned. He quickly calculated: thirty zhang is three hundred chi, and one chi is 0.3 meters, so three hundred chi is about one hundred meters. ‘Damn it, even the distance from the bedroom to the outhouse is longer than that!’

He Suosi finally couldn’t hold back, bursting out in an angry shout, “You’re a pervert! How dare you do such a thing to someone else’s body?!”

Yuan Zhigong had already grasped He Suosi’s hand, extending it toward the body on the bed.

He Suosi’s voice was sharp. “You’ll regret this!” As he spoke, he closed his eyes, preparing for how to react to the imminent body swap.

However, the other’s movement stopped.

He Suosi heard a heartbeat, a sound more frantic than even during their previous confrontation. He opened his eyes to find Yuan Zhigong’s forehead covered in cold sweat, and his palms trembling slightly.

He stared at the Monarch in surprise.

Yuan Zhigong’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He finally carried He Suosi away from the body. Though his complexion was already fair, He Suosi could see that Yuan Zhigong’s face was now truly pale, utterly devoid of color.

“In the end, I still don’t dare,” Yuan Zhigong said. “Even though I know you’re lying to me, what if your soul really does scatter? The mere thought of that possibility makes me realize I can’t risk it.”

He Suosi felt his heart suddenly clench, a subtle, needle-like pain making his breathing quicken. He wanted to say something to comfort Yuan Zhigong, but he quickly decided there was no need. Finally, he said, “I wasn’t lying to you.”

Yuan Zhigong said nothing. He closed his eyes, stepped back, and leaned against the cold wall. Frost quickly formed on his hair and pupils, making him look like a beautiful corpse.

He said, “Whatever. Just keep lying to me.”

“As long as you stay by my side, lying to me is fine too.”

He Suosi opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing.