Crossing the Threshold Part 1

Feng Rugu took a short rest on his sword, and by the time he returned to Jianchuan, the moon had already risen.

After a sweet sleep, taking his medicine, and sweating it out, Feng Rugu felt much more refreshed. However, he was a bit surprised that he couldn't find his senior brother anywhere after searching all over.

He knew that with his senior brother's polite and proper nature, even if he had to leave for some reason, he would have someone pass on a message. Now without a single word, he must still be in Jianchuan. So Feng Rugu didn't rush to rest, but leaned on the table, waiting for his senior brother to return, while intently watching the lamp flame burst open like golden chestnuts.

When Chang Boning returned, what he saw was Feng Rugu leaning by the table, idly watching the lamp flame.

Hearing the door, Feng Rugu looked up, his eyes glistening with a hint of moisture.

This wasn't because he was sleepy or anything else. Feng Rugu's eyes naturally carried a bit of watery shimmer. His gaze always gave the mistaken impression that "this person is sentimental".

Seeing him, a smile welled up from the bottom of Chang Boning's heart. Using his foot to hook the door closed, he first tested Feng Rugu's forehead temperature. Only after confirming the fever had subsided did his heart settle: "Went to see the guest?"

"I haven't even interrogated senior brother yet, but senior brother has started grilling me." Feng Rugu shamelessly turned the tables. "Where did senior brother go?"

Chang Boning concealed part of the facts, but answered the rest truthfully: "While wandering near Jianchuan, I encountered a Daoist friend. We talked with great pleasure, unknowingly forgetting the time."

Feng Rugu: "What did you talk about?"

"Nothing more than planting flowers and plants, the scenery of the four seasons."

"How boring."

Chang Boning pursed his lips in a light smile, obviously quite appreciative of this chance acquaintance: "...He understands it."

"In my view, all the flowers and plants in the world can only be divided into edible and inedible, good-looking and not good-looking." Feng Rugu propped his chin, speaking in a sweet and soft voice, "But I know, the flowers senior brother grows are the best-looking in the world."

Having been isolated from the world in the mountains for ten years, Feng Rugu's speech today still carried the flamboyant and childish tone of a young man.

Chang Boning laughed on the surface, his heart tinged with sweetness, as he sat down by the table.

He didn't tell Feng Rugu about agreeing to correspond with that chance Daoist acquaintance.

In Chang Boning's view, this was just a small matter.

He carefully considered his wording and tentatively asked: "Rugu, you and Ru..."

"Senior brother." However, Feng Rugu had another matter on his mind. He interrupted his words, casually fiddling with the teacup, and asked him, "Do you still remember Han Jing?"

Today, when the bridge collapsed, Feng Rugu exchanged a distant gaze with that Tang saber swordsman in the misty fog.

The Tang saber swordsman wore a bronze demon mask, but his figure standing with his sword was extremely similar to his old friend from the past. It's just that compared to Han Jing, that person's waist was slimmer, and his temperament had greatly changed, making Feng Rugu not dare to easily acknowledge him.

He thought that senior brother and senior brother Han were about the same age and entered the Dao around the same time, so he assumed they would be more familiar with each other.

Who would have thought that a hint of confusion surfaced in Chang Boning's eyes: "...Who is Han Jing?"

Feng Rugu was stunned for a moment, then clicked his tongue, leaned over, and disrespectfully gave Chang Boning's forehead a light smack: "Remember now?"

Outsiders say that Chang Boning, Lord Duanrong, has a pure Dao heart, clear inside and out. But in Feng Rugu's view, he is seven parts pure and three parts foolish, sometimes really infuriating.

Those three parts of foolishness lie in his exceptional clumsiness with human emotions, exceptional slowness in recognizing faces, and exceptional insensitivity to names.

Chang Boning rubbed his forehead, thought for a while, and finally remembered who Han Jing was.

It's just that after ten years, the appearance of old friends had long faded and become distant in his mind. No matter how much grief there was, it seemed to be veiled by a layer of light gauze, the feelings no longer distinct.

Moreover, back then in the "Forgotten World", Han Jing went missing, while Feng Rugu lost half of his flesh and blood, severely injured one eye, and had his cultivation almost completely crippled.

From that time on, Feng Rugu was always at the forefront of Chang Boning's mind, making him worry day and night.

Compared to him, anyone else seemed as faint as dust.

Even when brought up now, Chang Boning was still more worried about Feng Rugu, afraid he would recall the unbearable past events from ten years ago: "Why suddenly think of him out of the blue?"

Back then, when Han Jing went missing in the Forgotten World, his master Qu Chi, the Lord Zhiyue of Danyang Peak, would always come to investigate whenever the gate of the Forgotten World opened once every three months. He would bring a horsetail whisk and a long sword, going in and out of the Forgotten World's gate, searching for his beloved disciple.

He walked on the long streets of the Forgotten World, not changing his regular clothes, not concealing his spiritual presence. The demonic path didn't dare to obstruct him in the slightest.

Once his cultivation reached the realm of a sage, staying any longer would disrupt the balance of this world, an act the Heavenly Dao could not tolerate, and he would be struck by Heavenly Thunder.

At that time, it happened to coincide with the reopening of the Forgotten World's gate. Qu Chi also gave himself a time limit.

He actually endured the Heavenly Thunder for a full fifteen days.

He walked alone on the streets of the Forgotten World, single-handedly withstanding the thunder strikes.

Wherever Qu Chi went, within a hundred miles, the wind howled and thunder raged. Those of the demonic path all avoided him like the plague.

This was his last time searching for his disciple.

After fifteen days, Lord Zhiyue, Qu Chi ascended to the upper realm with a peach blossom tree and a heart full of regrets.

Before leaving, Qu Chi gathered the Daoist sect members and said many important things. Finally, he said, if any Daoist friends see his disciple somewhere in the world, please tell him that the sect's gate is always open for him. If he gets tired outside, there are peach blossom cakes at home, as well as the peach blossom wine he buried under the peach blossom grove on the day he entered the sect.

At that time, Feng Rugu's injuries had not healed, so he could only stay in Fengling Mountain to recuperate. Hearing others recount Qu Chi's words, he still felt sentimental.

Senior brother and senior brother Han were both lords, and the friendship between lords had always been as mild as water.

It's better not to remember. Remembering would only add to the heartache.

Feng Rugu habitually took out his pipe, but found that he had run out of bamboo tobacco leaves.

...He should go to Luojiu to get some tomorrow.

Thinking about such daily matters, the sadness in Feng Rugu's heart was diluted quite a bit.

He swept out the bit of residue at the bottom of the pipe and barely lit a wisp of smoke fragrance over the lamp: "It's nothing. Just suddenly thought of an old friend."

He had a sudden whim and asked: "Senior brother, if one day, I disappear like senior brother Han..."

Chang Boning was genuinely puzzled: "Why would you disappear?"

Feng Rugu hid his face behind the smoke, leaving only a pair of particularly bright eyes: "When that time comes, it would be best if senior brother quickly forgets about me."

Hearing such crazy talk, Chang Boning thought he was entertaining strange, ungrounded ideas again: "Nonsense."

Feng Rugu smiled and smoked, looking much more energetic.

Seeing him like this, Chang Boning also felt at ease: "Where do you plan to go next?"

Feng Rugu said: "I will rest for half a day tomorrow and set off in the afternoon."

Chang Boning: "So soon?"

"I still need to find someone."

"Who?"

Feng Rugu held the cigarette holder in his mouth, smoke billowing out: "Among the righteous path, if you want to vanquish demons and eliminate evil, the top choices are Fengling, Danyang, and Yingtian River; but if you want to investigate and seek out spirits, you must find 'that person'."

After seeing off Chang Boning, Feng Rugu savored the remaining half of the pipe, then removed all his clothes and stood in front of the mirror, carefully observing.