Is This How It Starts? I Choose To Fake My Death [Transmigration Novel] - Chapter 7

“Luo Ning, stop digging and go inside to hide!”

Upon hearing Luo Honglin’s words, Luo Ning wanted to go with them to deal with the group that had broken into the village, but not wanting to hold them back, she bit her lip and turned to enter the secret tunnel along with everyone else.

The secret tunnel was not yet finished, and the entrance was concealed with temporarily chopped pine branches.

Luo Ning pressed against the wall, peering out through the gaps.

A portrait was being unfurled in midair.

The golden-robed man on the portrait was lifelike, faithfully replicating even his aura of long-standing superiority.

Just as her second brother had said yesterday, the man in the portrait possessed the grace of a dragon and phoenix, looking both handsome and imposing with a head of dazzling silver hair like an immortal.

In terms of appearance, only Brother Shen could compare to him.

As for whether this person was as fierce and terrifying as her second brother described, she had no way of knowing.

She silently comforted the frightened children behind her, secretly keeping track of the time.

After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, Luo Honglin hurried back and pushed aside the branches at the entrance.

“Everyone come out.”

Luo Ning let go of her worries. When she emerged and saw Luo Honglin’s solemn expression, she hurriedly asked, “Uncle, how did it go?”

Luo Honglin first waved her off. Once the villagers were properly settled, he motioned for her to come closer.

Luo Ning obediently followed him a short distance away.

Luo Honglin asked, “Do you know where Shen Ji is?”

Luo Ning paused, startled: “Brother Shen’s injuries haven’t fully healed yet. I even sent him medicine and food this morning, so he should still be at home right now.”

Luo Honglin nodded: “Come with me to find him.”

“Oh.” Luo Ning had no doubts, asking along the way, “Does Uncle want to find Brother Shen about the new medicinal formula?”

Luo Honglin frowned, letting out a soft sigh before shaking his head: “Don’t ask. Let’s find Shen Ji first.”

Luo Ning scratched her chin without refuting: “Oh.”

They walked with familiar ease to the wooden cabin where Shen Ji was recovering.

Seeing the doors tightly closed, Luo Ning and Luo Honglin exchanged glances before stepping forward to knock on the ring knocker.

“Brother Shen, are you in?”

Silence reigned inside.

Not in?

Luo Honglin raised his voice as well, calling out into the room: “Shen Ji, it’s me, Luo Honglin.”

Still, no one answered from inside.

Luo Ning said curiously, “Could Brother Shen have gone out?”

Yet there was only one path here, and they hadn’t crossed a single soul along the way.

Worried that something might have happened, she knocked again and simply pushed the door open to step inside.

Luo Honglin initially intended to stop her, but after opening his mouth, he withdrew his hand and entered with her.

The wooden cabin was small and afforded a clear view at a glance.

On the round table near the entrance sat an opened food box; the medicine bowl and porridge bowl were empty and left casually about, likely because of a hasty departure without time to clean up.

The wooden bed in the left-hand inner room and the round table were separated merely by a partition, visible the moment one stepped through the entrance. The bed was empty as well.

Only two medicine cabinets standing taller than a head on the left side formed a parallel barrier, blocking off a blind spot from view.

Yet upon entering, the window behind the cabinets was wide open, and no figure could be seen.

Luo Honglin took in the entire interior setup at a glance and told Luo Ning, “He isn’t here, let’s go.”

“Wait a moment.” Luo Ning walked over to the table to tidy up the bowls and chopsticks, turning around with the food box in hand: “Alright.”

As she spoke, she instinctively glanced to the side, taking a forward step by inertia before hesitating to a halt.

“Luo Ning?”

Luo Ning looked to the side again.

Strange.

A wisp of silver-glowing object had clearly been right there just moments ago, looking extremely familiar, almost as if she had just laid eyes on it.

Looking a second time, however, it was gone.

Did she see things?

Just as Luo Ning was about to walk over to check carefully, Luo Honglin pulled her back by the arm.

“Alright, now that Shen Ji lives here, we shouldn’t barge in casually. One exception was already improper, don’t linger any longer.”

Luo Ning blinked, coming back to her senses: “I understand.”

With that, the two left the wooden cabin one after the other.

The door was pulled firmly shut.

Not until the two sets of footsteps faded far away did an abrupt disturbance sound from behind the parallel medicine cabinets, breaking the silence inside the wooden cabin.

Brilliant silver-bright long hair slipped out of Shen Ji’s embrace once more, cascading down below him.

Propelling himself up by propping his elbows beside Xie Feng’s temples, Shen Ji slowly sat up and took a light intake of breath.

Without needing to see it, he could feel that the bite marks on the side of his neck must be deep.

Looking down at Xie Feng, he asked, “Burning the bridge before crossing the river?”

Hearing someone approach just moments ago, he had pressed his upper body down and pulled Xie Feng close simply to minimize their silhouette and prevent discovery.

He hadn’t expected Xie Feng to return kindness with enmity without a moment’s hesitation, biting deeply and fiercely the instant he closed in.

Xie Feng lay against the crimson-red inner lining of the cloak, the golden mark between his brows rendered all the more striking as though carved into flesh, while the pale gold luster blended into his pupils darkened slightly.

Hearing Shen Ji’s voice, those half-opened eyes lifted to gaze at him.

The fiercely burning dry heat and the bone-freezing, chilling frost appeared simultaneously within the depths of a single pair of eyes, brewing hidden killing intent in the rapidly heating narrow space.

Shen Ji looked at him, his expression growing slightly cold as well: “Your Majesty the Phoenix Emperor, if you wish to stop, you may release me at any time.”

Had he not been locked in place by the spiritual energy released by Xie Feng, he would never have agreed to this dual cultivation. Now that it had been unexpectedly interrupted by an uninvited guest, Xie Feng’s sudden change in attitude made it look as though he were being coerced.

Xie Feng’s thin lips parted slightly as if he wanted to speak, and the golden mark between his brows flashed right on cue.

His breathing turned rough abruptly, the hand resting on Shen Ji’s right arm tightening steadily as he furrowed his brow to fight against the surging, explosive tide erupting from within!

Shen Ji’s arm trembled slightly, brushing away Xie Feng’s hand. Just as he prepared to stand up, his wrist was locked once more by the familiar spiritual energy.

This time, the gold within the silver flames blended in by more than half, resembling a corrosive erosion.

The primordial divine beast bloodline’s instinct once again overpowered rational clarity.

Raising his hand into a claw, Xie Feng locked onto Shen Ji’s throat out of thin air and commanded hoarsely, “Assist me.”

Shen Ji dropped his gaze to scan the seemingly gentle shackles binding his wrists, speaking at a leisurely pace.

“Very well.”

As the words fell, he stopped holding back. Doubling down on the force pressing against Xie Feng’s waist, he flipped the other onto his back beneath him, pausing his movements abruptly.

Beneath the disheveled silver hair, Xie Feng’s pale-white spine suddenly tightened, and faint golden patterns emerged like starlight, spreading across his body from top to bottom.

It was a phoenix.

The golden patterns traced along his meridians, carved from his brow down to his shoulders and neck, continuing their downward spread.

Until this phoenix covered Xie Feng’s entire body, outlining a breathtakingly gorgeous silhouette.

Shen Ji’s gaze shifted slightly as he raised a hand to stroke the delicate texture of the feathers along his spine.

Xie Feng shuddered violently.

Ambiguous red marks surfaced beneath Shen Ji’s palm, rapidly spreading with his gentle caresses and quickly staining his spine red amidst the Phoenix Emperor’s suppressed and restrained heavy breathing, diffusing across his entire body like expanding phoenix patterns.

A flush of color surged over the cold-white, jade-like body, gradually turning a soft, pale pink.

Xie Feng’s towering wrath was firmly suppressed, leaving him to utter merely two cold words through clenched teeth: “Stop it!”

Shen Ji’s fingertips glided across his spine, light enough to tickle, before leaning down to press closer. Staring into his side profile with pitch-black, star-like eyes, he whispered beside his ear:

“Your Majesty, let us continue.”

Xie Feng’s breathing turned heavy, and he snapped his eyes shut.

His consciousness remained clear.

Yet his body was engulfed by instinctive desires, sinking deeper by the moment.

A round of dual cultivation stretched from daylight into dusk.

Utilizing the glow of the sunset clouds at the horizon, Shen Ji put his clothes back on and turned his gaze toward Xie Feng.

Xie Feng sat cross-legged upright, his entire figure enveloped in swirling golden light that blurred his form, leaving only half his face exposed.

Unlike the fiery passion during the dual cultivation, Xie Feng post-completion reverted to the cold indifference imprinted in his memory.

Ignoring it, Shen Ji likewise sat cross-legged, forming hand seals to channel and assimilate the hard-won spiritual energy.

While the gains from last time had wasted half, this time he absorbed everything in full.

Yet dual cultivation’s benefits to him fell far short compared to Xie Feng’s, coupled with his sealed Dantian, meaning he completed his cultivation session in a mere half-hour.

Standing up, Shen Ji looked out the window.

Night was falling; wisps of cooking smoke rose everywhere across the village, and lamplight reflected distantly from various windows.

Glancing one last time at Xie Feng, he shut the window and stepped out the door alone.

Having previously inspected the layout of the entire Shouluo Village, he knew the location of Luo Honglin’s residence.

Since the other party had visited in the morning at an inconvenient hour, this time was ideal for a formal return visit.

As village chief, Luo Honglin wouldn’t seek him out without reason, and these past two days Luo Ning had mostly acted as the public face; if genuine trouble loomed, it was best not to wait overnight.

Most importantly, he had skipped two meals.

Prolonged, intense physical exertion invariably incurred massive consumption.

At that moment, the system chimed in: “Host, my applied special condition has been approved!”

Hearing this, Shen Ji’s expression turned serious: “Where are the things I requested?”

The system opened the inventory page.

A translucent panel unfolded before Shen Ji.

The beginner rewards had been entirely expended, leaving the inventory supposedly empty, yet it was now packed with diverse equipment.

Shen Ji raised a hand to click on the dagger ranking first.

“Wolf King,” a combat knife specially customized for secret operation units, had accompanied him for nearly seven years and operated as fluidly as an extension of his own arm.

Reversing his grip on the hilt, he felt his grip tighten slightly.

Having died once, he never expected a chance at a reunion.

“I know the Host’s condition was for all weapons ever used, but that was rejected on the grounds of excessive quantity…” The system paused suspiciously before adding, “What got approved was all the items the Host carried during your final combat operation.”

He figured it out; the conditions offered by a host couldn’t possibly be that simple.

Carried items from a single battle alone filled three entire pages; if it included every weapon ever used, it would have burst the inventory open!

Shen Ji flipped backward.

It was plenty sufficient.

There were no satellites here, rendering a portion of high-tech gear effectively obsolete.

Flipping to the combat uniform, he considered it and decided against changing.

Combat gear certainly offered superior convenience and familiarity, but it lacked the protective properties of his current attire; in an unknown environment, survival remained the primary priority.

The system added, “The two points from dual-cultivating with the main villain have also been credited to the account and can be checked anytime.”

Mentioning this caused it immense heartache.

Aside from its special condition, the reward of 1 point per session completely failed to tempt the host. Driven to desperation, it had to raise the stakes to 2 points just to barely satisfy the host, meaning henceforth, every dual cultivation session would demand double the compensation.

The crux was that despite seemingly experiencing a lot since arriving in this world, the main quest hadn’t officially commenced yet.

If it completed quests using subsidised out-of-pocket points and still failed, wouldn’t it become the laughingstock of the entire system community upon returning?

Yet the host it bound was equally unreliable, wanting to strike on a whim.

The methods taught by its seniors didn’t work on him.

Judging from his pre-mortem equipment, he remained someone it couldn’t afford to provoke.

Too humiliating!

As a system, it failed to manipulate the host and ended up being thoroughly manipulated by the host instead!

Amidst its self-pity, Shen Ji arrived before the gates of Luo Honglin’s courtyard.

Without needing to knock, Luo Ning, who was chatting with a young man in the yard, spotted him, her eyes brightening as she hurried over.

“Brother Shen!” Luo Ning called out as she opened the gate. “Where did you go today? I looked for you twice and you weren’t in.”

Shen Ji said, “Apologies, I went out for a stroll today and lost track of time.”

“It’s fine.” Luo Ning motioned for him to enter, “Mainly, Uncle was looking for you and waited quite a while. Oh right, how is the little bird?”

Shen Ji said, “It ran away.”

“Ran away?” Luo Ning couldn’t hide her disappointment, “That’s such a pity…”

Shen Ji stated indifferently, “An ungrateful wolf cub that can’t be tamed, nothing to regret.”

He could raise a bird.

Just not the King of Birds.

Before Luo Ning could press further, she accidentally caught sight of the fierce scar across the back of his right hand and swallowed her words back down.

Hearing the commotion inside the house, Luo Honglin came out to greet him as well.

Catching sight of Shen Ji, he exchanged a glance with his wife, who understood immediately and stepped forward to herd Luo Ning and their two sons outside.

Shen Ji turned his attention to Luo Honglin.

“Young friend is a sharp person, so I’ll be direct.”

Luo Honglin closed the door and told Shen Ji, “A few people from the demon realm came to the village today. When I went to receive them, I discovered they were carrying another portrait. And the person drawn on it was you, young friend.”

This news fell well within Shen Ji’s expectations.

The Scarlet Phoenix Spiritual Venerable striking against Xie Feng and discovering his disappearance would naturally trigger the first reaction: dispatching Scarlet Foxes to scour the mortal realm for Xie Feng while conveniently eliminating him, a mere mortal, with effortless ease.

Luo Honglin continued, “I did not mention that you reside in Shouluo Village. Fortunately, they weren’t as attentive toward your matter as they were toward the immortal, asking merely a couple of questions before letting it drop.”

Shen Ji said, “Thank you for covering for me.”

Sensing Luo Honglin’s lingering anxiety, he spoke up again, “Having troubled you here for two days, I—”

“No, no!” Luo Honglin hurriedly interrupted him, “I came looking for you precisely for this matter. I have no intention of chasing you away, nor is it convenient for you to leave right now since your injuries haven’t fully healed. However, staying in Shouluo Village is truly unsafe. I was thinking, I have a cabin up on Tianshan where I occasionally stay for a few days during hunting trips. If you don’t mind, going there to recuperate would be for the best.”

Shen Ji said, “I appreciate your kindness, but the time has come to say goodbye.”

Prior to today, traveling solo allowed him considerable freedom; now, burdened with the ticking time bomb of Xie Feng, Shouluo Village would face certain doom if discovered, making it impossible for him to linger here any longer under any circumstances.

Luo Honglin shook his head: “I understand you don’t want to implicate us, but I cannot stand by and watch someone die. Rest assured, once I send you off, I will spread word that you returned to your hometown.”

With demons hunting a mortal down to the mortal realm in such unbridled fashion, as descendants guarding the snow domain, Shouluo Village had no reason not to offer refuge.

Inflexible in his persistence and refusing any rejection, Shen Ji had no choice but to agree.

Luo Honglin said, “There’s no time to lose, I’ll escort you up the mountain tomorrow morning.”

Shen Ji said, “No need, just tell me the address and I’ll go myself.”

With Xie Feng accompanying him, involving Luo Honglin would only complicate the concealment.

Luo Honglin nodded: “That works too, it avoids arousing suspicion.”

Acting on his decision, he went to the inner room, retrieved a piece of white cloth, drew a rudimentary route map, handed it to Shen Ji, and instructed, “Don’t take the main road tomorrow; depart from behind the house, it’s more secluded.”

Shen Ji raised a hand to take it: “Thank you.”

Having resolved a worry, a smile surfaced upon Luo Honglin’s solemn face: “A mere convenience, no need for formalities.”

He pulled Shen Ji toward the table: “Alright, let’s not dwell on this. You came so late, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Sit, dinner will be ready in a moment.”

Politely declining twice to no avail, Shen Ji shared this evening meal with the Luo family.

After the dinner, he quietly left the remaining eight spiritual stones upon the table before taking his leave of them.

Leaving Luo Honglin’s courtyard, Shen Ji trod through the cool, refreshing night air back to his quarters. Before even stepping through the door, he felt a relentless wave of heat surging outward from inside!

It was Xie Feng.

Frowning slightly, Shen Ji pushed open the door and crossed the threshold.

The swirling golden light inside the inner room flared fiercely the moment the door opened!

Fortunately, lasting merely a second, the tidal spiritual energy converged back simultaneously. Yet instead of sinking into Xie Feng’s Dantian, it returned completely to the golden phoenix shadow between Xie Feng’s brows.

Closing the door, Shen Ji turned around to find Xie Feng slowly opening his eyes.

Within those eyes, the golden light retreated, restoring the cold, detached pale silver.

Shen Ji’s eyelids twitched.

This scene felt altogether too familiar, causing the system to panic wildly: “Host, the main villain isn’t about to recover his cultivation, is he?”

No one could provide an answer.

Without dodging Xie Feng’s gaze, Shen Ji merely said, “You’re awake.”

Upon seeing this mortal, the killing intent in Xie Feng’s eyes materialized like substance.

Having shed his shackles without a moment of hesitation, he raised his hand to form hand seals, and a dense, golden flame shadow flashed instantly before Shen Ji!

He held nothing back.

The Phoenix Emperor’s power reigned supreme across heaven and earth; even reduced to a fraction of its former glory, it was hardly something an ordinary mortal could withstand.

The moment this flame shadow condensed, the high-temperature airflow melted the edges of the wooden tables and cabinets on either side.

The system screamed: “Host, watch out!”

A near-death sense of crisis rushed to his head. Shen Ji grew stern, instantly channeling the spiritual energy he had just refined and assimilated to erect a massive shield before himself.

Yet the soul-reaping, life-claiming fiery glare entered like an unobstructed realm, piercing right through the spiritual shield with unstoppable momentum!

Bizarrely, however.

The moment it surged against Shen Ji’s chest, it abruptly stopped.

The system’s suffocating panic abruptly cut off.

Shen Ji stepped back a pace, and it closely tracked forward, transforming into the familiar flame that affectionately brushed against his cheek and coiled around his wrist.

Curious and terrified, the system wondered aloud: “Host, the main villain’s attacks can’t hurt you!”

Shen Ji had likewise perceived a clue.

Xie Feng had attacked him twice, neither time looking like play-acting. Since he genuinely harbored intent to kill him, he wouldn’t engage in redundant gestures.

Lowering his gaze, he appraised the golden flames curling around his wrist.

Back at Minghuang Palace, Xie Feng’s spiritual energy manifested as silver; down in the mortal realm, it gradually shifted to gold. This could hardly be a coincidence.

Could it be that his heritage awakening had been tampered with, causing Xie Feng’s spiritual energy to malfunction and slip out of control?

If true, it served as a favorable boon for his personal safety.

Amidst his reflections.

The coiling golden flames were recalled by Xie Feng.

Shen Ji lifted his eyes to look at him.

Xie Feng’s volatility was evident throughout this dual cultivation session.

Changing his mind repeatedly during the process and turning hostile the moment it ended made him remarkably difficult to handle.

“I believe it’s best we clear a few things up.”

Shen Ji walked steadily toward the bed, presenting facts and reasoning logically, “Though I inadvertently harmed you back at Minghuang Palace, I saved your life, and today I was forced to dual-cultivate with you again. All things considered, our grievances should be wiped clean.”

He failed to notice that Xie Feng, still sitting cross-legged on the floor, swayed slightly while the golden mark on his brow stabilized more firmly by the second.

“Now that you’ve regained your human form and are free to come and go, you can simply leave. Do not forget, your true enemy is not me, but the Scarlet Phoenix Spiritual Venerable.”

Xie Feng stared at the mortal’s back before him.

Forming hand seals with both hands, he found himself utterly unable to spare mental bandwidth.

The Heavenly Spirit Cauldron was indeed immensely beneficial to him. Even though this dual cultivation felt like sheer humiliation to him, the spiritual energy within his meridians had grown genuinely abundant.

Yet the spiritual energy he refined was not absorbed into his own body; instead, it was sucked dry down to the last drop by the heritage mark.

The primordial spiritual energy that ought to have eradicated Shen Ji just moments ago had also been suppressed by the ancient divine beast bloodline, failing not only to kill Shen Ji but causing him to become distracted for a moment and nearly allowing the gold mark to taint his Dantian.

If this continued and the golden mark completely consumed him, he would forever lose any chance of a turnaround.

Currently, the most optimal and viable option was to continue dual cultivating to condition and manage the Heavenly Spirit Cauldron close at hand.

Pondering this, Xie Feng’s hand seals tightened viciously.

Dual-cultivate with Shen Ji?

The actions Shen Ji had perpetrated not long ago remained vivid in his memory.

Recalling something, Xie Feng’s calm breathing turned slightly heavy for a moment, and the spiritual energy circulating within him abruptly stalled.

A deep crease formed sharply between his brows, and his hand seals moved like phantoms as he repeatedly tried to mend and suppress it.

Yet the power contained within his bloodline was overwhelmingly tyrannical, seizing onto this single improper flaw and refusing to grant him any chance at correction.

The crease between Xie Feng’s brows deepened.

Left with no alternative, he cast one final look toward Shen Ji and flipped his hands rapidly.

A flash of golden light illuminated the room once more.

Shen Ji assumed Xie Feng had finally finished dressing and turned around to look.

Only to find the space beneath the window completely vacant.

In the middle of the room, the bright red cloak lay flat on the floor, replaced entirely by a snow-white, foolish little bird crouching motionlessly.