CH 15

Si Di embraced Xiao Zhenyun tightly, his head nestled into the crook of Zhenyun’s shoulder, inhaling deeply. 

“Si Di, ease up a bit…” Xiao Zhenyun felt like he was being suffocated, struggling to free his arms from Si Di’s grasp. With some effort, he managed to wrap his own arms around Si Di, attempting to release guide element, and said with difficulty, “How should I do this? I’m not very skilled at using guide powers…”

A massive black wolf, blending seamlessly with the night, appeared silently behind them. It’s warm and velvety belly pressed against Xiao Zhenyun’s back. The wolf lay on its side, using its body heat to warm Xiao Zhenyun. The wolf’s tongue gently touched Xiao Zhenyun’s ear as it sniffed, finally confirming his identity and obtaining its master’s silent approval. The wide tongue then licked the bottom of Xiao Zhenyun’s earlobe, forcing Xiao Zhenyun’s head to lean forward, resting his chin on Si Di’s shoulder.

The confused sentinel seemed to have learned something from the behavior of his spiritual body, his bewildered green eyes half-opened, fixating on the white and slender neck of the person in his arms.

While Xiao Zhenyun was trying to evade the wolf’s closeness, the next moment, a sudden sensation was initiated by Si Di. Si Di sniffed from the center of Xiao Zhenyun’s collarbone, then moved upward, eliciting shivers along Xiao Zhenyun’s spine.

“…” He was caught between the sentinel and the spiritual body, in a dilemma.

The guide’s body contained rich guide element, effective in calming the sentinel and reinforcing the mental link. Xiao Zhenyun understood this, but he couldn’t accept being tossed around like a piece of candy by Si Di and the wolf.

“Si Di, how did you pull me into your spiritual domain last time?” Xiao Zhenyun held Si Di’s chin with one hand, shaking him lightly as he asked.

“…” Si Di, still a bit drowsy, looked somewhat clueless. “I don’t know…”

“Then how do you establish a mental link?”

“…” Si Di replied with uncertainty, “I don’t know.”

“Why are you as clueless as Xiao Nian?” Xiao Zhenyun was getting frustrated.

Si Di, now innocently reprimanded, immediately looked aggrieved. If a little puppy felt wronged, it would whine and pout, but when a wolf brother felt wronged, his way of seeking comfort was much more forceful. The wolf’s tail swiftly curled around Xiao Zhenyun’s waist, gripping him tightly like a snake capturing its prey. Then, it snatched Xiao Zhenyun’s wrist and bit down, asserting, “I’m not a guide, how would I know?”

“Wet, cold, cold! It’s so cold!” Xiao Zhenyun nearly jumped as the tail chilled him, but Si Di pressed him down, relentlessly continuing to nuzzle his chin and ears, teasingly.

“I feel so uncomfortable, help me already.”

If Si Di’s previous approach felt like being a piece of candy to Xiao Zhenyun, now he must feel like a well-marinated piece of pork.

“Alright, alright, I’m helping. Just don’t… hey!” Xiao Zhenyun quickly covered his ears, feeling like he was going crazy.

This delaying tactic wasn’t helping at all. To fundamentally solve the issue, a mental link needed to be established. Xiao Zhenyun struggled to free himself from Si Di, only to be bitten harshly on the shoulder by the sentinel. There was no blood, but a visible tooth mark remained. He immediately used his other hand to press the sentinel’s teeth, while gripping Si Di’s face with his fingers. “Si Di, don’t bite like a dog! Think carefully, how did other guides establish mental links with you?”

Si Di remained silent, not moving. Xiao Zhenyun thought he was actually considering the question when, as he looked up, he found Si Di’s gaze dark and fixated on his lips, with a near palpable aggressiveness.

“…” Damn it. The intention was too obvious; pretending not to understand was impossible.

Xiao Zhenyun managed to maintain his composure for a few seconds, but then he gave in and leaned down, actively biting Si Di’s eyelid. He even imitated Si Di’s nuzzling, leaving a bit of saliva behind.

The attempt at calming had an opposite effect, igniting an even stronger hostility in the sentinel’s gaze.

The mediocre guide, Xiao Zhenyun, felt thoroughly awkward and shot back annoyed, “What’s with that look in your eyes? What do you want?”

“…Not enough,” Si Di muttered, his voice hoarse, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“Not enough? What can I do about that? Should I bleed for you to drink?” Xiao Zhenyun released the sentinel’s hand, nursing a grudge, “And you know, I can’t…”

“…” Hearing these words, Si Di silently lowered his head, as if wanting to see for himself whether Xiao Zhenyun could get it up or not.

“What are you looking at?” Xiao Zhenyun quickly used his hand to press the back of Si Di’s head, forcing him to meet his gaze, and then helplessly and amusingly tilted his head slightly, “I’ll cut you some slack…”

The leisurely teasing tone vanished in a kiss.

At the moment their lips touched, Si Di couldn’t help but shiver, followed by a surge of intense longing. Xiao Zhenyun tasted blood in his mouth, thinking that Si Di, this wretched dog, was insatiably greedy; he wouldn’t spare even a drop of blood, and he probably wouldn’t leave a piece of himself later, would he?

One layer of wolf’s fur was piled upon another. In the slight distance, Xiao Zhenyun suddenly sensed a translucent, glowing, chain-like object. It seemed both distant and within reach—an enigma.

He strained his mind to reach out and grasp it, but each attempt came up empty.

He had never seen this thing before, yet deep down, he knew what it was.

Finally, he managed to hook the broken ends of the chain together, a crisp clicking sound echoing in his ears. Countless sensations that did not belong to him flooded into his mind—restlessness, anxiety, pain, thirst… these were all Si Di’s emotions, conveyed to him through their mental link.

His consciousness was engulfed by a surging tide, rising and falling, unable to break free. Amidst the struggle, his mind detached from his body, and after a moment of daze, he found himself in a bright place.

Xiao Zhenyun could faintly sense the real situation. Deep within a cold, dark cave, he and Si Di faced each other shirtless, seeking warmth. Eyes closed, they were in a typical state of mental wandering. Their lips barely brushed, a fleeting touch with each breath, a brief separation, then they closed in again.

Tai Ji lay behind him, the soft hair on his belly warming Xiao Zhenyun’s back.

Most of his consciousness lingered in a lush, dripping-green grassland. Nearby were mountains, and a stream flowed close by. Gentle sunlight bathed his shoulders, and as Xiao Zhenyun looked around, he spotted a curious bathing deer in a small stream.

Seeing its owner, the stag leaped joyfully out of the water, vigorously shaking off water with its massive antlers, then prancing over to rub against him.

This was his spiritual domain. Xiao Zhenyun’s emotions were influenced by his spiritual body; he touched the lively stag and broke into a smile.

It was his first time entering his own spiritual domain.

Xiao Zhenyun, a self-taught guide who had entered this world unprepared, lacked formal training from the White Tower, without a teacher, without practical experience. Counting from the day of his transmigration, it had been about three or four months. Surprisingly, he had been unable to enter his own spiritual domain before. He considered himself a student with terrible understanding.

After playing with the stag for a while, Xiao Zhenyun suddenly wondered, where was Si Di?

They had established a mental link, and then…?

The stag raised its head, beneath its dense eyelashes were deep, black, round eyes. It seemed to understand its owner’s thoughts and gently nudged Xiao Zhenyun with its antlers. Then, it knelt down, indicating for him to climb onto its back.

Xiao Zhenyun had never imagined he would one day ride deer-back. He struggled to move himself onto the stag’s back, leaning forward, hands gripping its antlers for balance. Once stable, the stag stood up slowly and headed in a predetermined direction.

They reached the border of the spiritual domain, where the entire landscape resembled a half-dome, a hemisphere. Beyond it was emptiness, while the path the stag walked opened into an exit, leading to brightness outside and darkness within. The closer they got, the larger the exit’s scope became. There was no clear boundary between inside and outside, where light met darkness and merged.

The stag stopped at the very edge of light and shadow, not moving a step beyond. It emitted a gentle call, inquiring about Xiao Zhenyun’s opinion.

Xiao Zhenyun extended his arm to prop himself up, and gazed curiously into the depths of darkness. As far as his eyes could see, it was a fragmented, shattered world, like a broken crystal ball slowly floating in the air. The stag called again, this time its voice resonating loudly, its clear deer cry reverberating in the boundless darkness. Shortly after, an echo came from afar, “Xiao Zhenyun?”

It was the voice of Si Di.

Weary and hoarse. As if a traveler who had crossed mountains and rivers, about to collapse from exhaustion, suddenly discovered redemption and hope.

“It’s me,” Xiao Zhenyun’s voice remained calm. Based solely on the sound, he couldn’t discern the other’s location. “Where are you?”

“I don’t know,” Si Di replied, “I’m trapped.”

… How could it be ‘I don’t know’ again?

Si Di seemed to catch Xiao Zhenyun’s inner complaint and quickly explained, “You are the guide I established a mental link with. Only you can find me and lead me out.”

Xiao Zhenyun grasped something faintly, asking, “How are you doing right now?”

This time, the response from the other side was a bit slower, “Not too well… I’m about to be consumed.”

“What will happen after you’re consumed?”

“Mental chaos. While you can continue seeking within the spiritual domain, in reality… your situation will also become very dangerous.”

“Even if you’re dying, you better hold on for me,” Xiao Zhenyun’s words were short. He patted the deer’s neck, and the stag understood immediately, lifting its front hoof and taking a step forward. Light spread instantly from beneath its hooves, as if a brilliant golden lotus had blossomed in the void.

It continued to stride forward with its head held high, its hoofbeats crisp, leaving bright marks wherever it stepped, like a trail of lotus flowers or dancing fireflies, briefly pausing on its antlers, fluttering and lively, then swiftly taking off like a startled bird.

Last time, the stag licked the fur of the black wolf, leaving him almost hollowed out. He was much more cautious this time, stopping the stag after it had walked a few meters.

“Si Di?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you still alive?”

Si Di laughed weakly, “You better worry about yourself. I don’t know if I can survive after the chaos, but you definitely won’t.”

“So many words? Seems like you’ll live a while.” Xiao Zhenyun chuckled too. He closed his eyes; this was their spiritual world, where vision and hearing were inferior to intuition. Seated on the stag’s back, in a certain moment, he seemed to ‘see’ Si Di’s head hanging low, as his playful words lifted the corners of his lips.

Shadows had already consumed more than half of Si Di’s body, leaving only his head, one arm, and half of his chest.

“Found you.” Xiao Zhenyun extended his hand excitedly, closing his five fingers in the air almost casually. The untouchable gathered into solidity within his palm, forming a masculine arm. He gave a strong tug, and Si Di was instantly expelled from the darkness in a daze.

Xiao Zhenyun subconsciously reached out to catch him, but the stag’s reaction was even quicker, knowing that his small frame couldn’t bear two men. Before Si Di fell into Xiao Zhenyun’s embrace, the stag arched its hind legs, causing Xiao Zhenyun to lose balance and fall backward, landing on the trail of golden lotus alongside Si Di.

Xiao Zhenyun: “…”

Deer meat seemed quite appetizing? Would it be illegal to consume one’s own spiritual body?

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