Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 68

Jiang Rui took the Peach Tree’s words to heart.

It wasn’t just the tree; even Miao Xuan had warned him upon his first entry into the Secret Realm that his destiny was inextricably tied to a Love Calamity. If luck was on his side, it would be a life of peace, a lifelong partner, and overflowing blessings. If not, the horrific death he suffered in his previous life might actually be the “lighter” outcome.

Jiang Rui’s hand instinctively brushed his arm. His fingers were no longer the rough, dark, calloused hands of his past life; they were slender, fair, and delicate—hardly the hands one would expect of a man.

Rong Jingtang’s fingers surfaced in his mind. They were naturally beautiful, and there had been moments when Jiang Rui had found himself staring at them in a daze. In his previous life, he had watched those very fingers be snapped one by one, laid out bloodily before his eyes.

Jiang Rui closed his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. The peach tree before him was shrouded in a pale pink mist, and the scent was instantly refreshing. He gave the tree a small smile. “Do you have a name?”

The branches swayed. “I am a solitary peach tree. According to tradition, I should take the surname of the master of this house.”

“Surname Rong?” Jiang Rui mused for a moment. He doubted Rong Jingtang would mind, so he said, “Fine. If you take human form in the future, you shall be called… Rong Jingsheng, how about that?” This allowed the tree to share the “Jing” generation character with Rong Jingtang. Although the tree was far older than Rong Jingtang or even his ancestors, it spoke with the simple directness of a child.

“Good, good!” The tree swayed excitedly, its branches already budding with vibrant life. “I must ask one more favor: as long as you are in this residence, please protect the safety of the master.”

The tree rustled its leaves. “That is natural. From the moment I was planted, I became the guardian of this household.”

Jiang Rui nodded and stepped back. He retrieved some spiritual spring water from the Secret Realm and poured it over the roots. “In the future, I will provide you with more water to aid your cultivation. I look forward to the day you take human form.”

The tree gave a distracted flick of its branches; it was no longer in the mood to chat. The water Jiang Rui had provided was even richer in spiritual energy than the previous pills. It was intoxicatingly delicious.

With the matters of the Rong household temporarily settled, Jiang Rui spent his time after classes inside the Secret Realm, searching through ancient texts.

The Yin Jade had been handed over to Miao Xuan. Due to Jiang Rui’s successful Foundation Establishment, Miao Xuan had finally refined a physical form to manifest before him.

Strictly speaking, Miao Xuan looked like a true immortal: dressed in blue and white robes, a small jade gourd at his waist, and a translucent white crown atop his flowing black hair. He should have been the image of an elegant gentleman, except… Miao Xuan manifested as a small child.

Miao Xuan maintained a dead-serious expression, but Jiang Rui—who had grown more irreverent lately—often found it hard not to laugh. Seeing a pouting, adorable child speak in a grave, ancient tone was simply too much of a “clash.”

“I have inspected the Guanyin Jade,” Miao Xuan said. “This matter is inextricably linked to the Buddhist school.”

Jiang Rui had suspected as much, though he didn’t know the specifics.

“The man named Rong Anchen possesses a powerful ‘Buddha-nature.’ While much of it comes from the artifact he carries, his own soul is inherently compatible with it,” Miao Xuan explained, holding the jade before Jiang Rui. “Rong Anchen’s body currently houses two souls. However, the soul belonging to Rong Anchen himself is likely unaware of the other’s presence.”

Jiang Rui’s brows knitted tightly.

“An entity capable of surviving under a powerful Buddhist artifact and attempting a ‘Possession’ (Duoshe) is no ordinary spirit. With your current cultivation, you are not yet a match for it.”

Jiang Rui knew Miao Xuan was right, but a sense of helplessness washed over him.

“Do not worry,” Miao Xuan said, floating cross-legged in the air with his short legs. “This spirit has lived within Rong Anchen for a long time but hasn’t dared to fully take over. First, because Rong Anchen has ‘Buddha Bones.’ Second, because there is something buried beneath the Rong estate… and third, because of that peach tree planted by the ancestors.”

Jiang Rui had a realization. Peach wood was a natural ward against evil. A peach tree over a hundred years old could protect a household from a hundred ghosts. It was a major reason why the Rong family’s fortune had turned from decline to prosperity.

“Perhaps all of this was foreseen by someone long ago,” Jiang Rui smiled. He felt as though he was finally seeing the bigger picture. His encounter with Miao Xuan and his rebirth weren’t accidents; they were pieces of a larger puzzle.

Suddenly, Miao Xuan’s expression reached the brink of a breakdown.

Again?!

Every time he spoke to Jiang Rui, the boy would slip into a state of “Epiphany” (Dunwu)! This happened once, twice, three times… it was as if heaven were playing favorites.

A huffing Miao Xuan locked Jiang Rui’s physical body inside the Secret Realm and set up layers of protective arrays. Finally, he erased the “hollow shell” projection Jiang Rui had left in the outside world.

As for Jiang Rui’s afternoon classes… well, as an artifact spirit, Miao Xuan wasn’t expected to keep track of a student’s schedule.

This epiphany pushed Jiang Rui straight through the early stage of Foundation Establishment and into the mid-stage. Strangely, no lightning calamity descended.

Miao Xuan’s explanation was tinged with jealousy: “That peach branch you wear as a bracelet is a significant piece of the tree’s original body. Peach wood wards off calamities. Unless it’s a ‘Punishment Bolt,’ your future lightning tribulations will be significantly dampened in power.”

Jiang Rui’s joy was plain to see. He stroked the wooden beads on his wrist, realizing he had truly reaped a massive reward from a random act of kindness.

By the time Jiang Rui felt himself being shaken awake, several days had passed.

He opened his eyes to a sea of white. The familiar, sharp scent of disinfectant filled his nose. As he sat up, he heard the sound of continuous, familiar sobbing.

“Mom? Why are you…” Jiang Rui took in his surroundings and realized what had happened.

During his breakthrough, his body had undergone an intense tempering process, becoming scorching hot—as if his internal organs were being roasted. It seemed his external “shell” had reflected this state. Coupled with his days of deep sleep, his roommates had panicked.

Zhao Jinyan had been the first to notice. Though Jiang Rui looked peaceful, his face was unnaturally flushed, and he couldn’t be woken for over twenty-four hours. They had rushed him to the hospital.

The doctors had diagnosed him with a persistent, high-grade fever and a coma. Jiang Rui thanked his lucky stars that Miao Xuan’s “shell” had been convincing; otherwise, the headline at Peking University would have been about a top student’s body vanishing into thin air.

He quickly moved to comfort his mother. Mrs. Jiang looked haggard. It was a three-day train journey from Qing City to the Capital. His parents were simple people who had never flown and were terrified of their son’s condition.

Seeing the fine lines around his mother’s eyes and her exhausted state, Jiang Rui felt a pang of guilt.

“Mom, I’m fine. See? The fever is gone. Maybe it only broke because you arrived,” he said softly, his voice taking on a childlike softness he only used with her.

Mr. Jiang paced the room restlessly, his hand reaching for his pocket to find a cigarette before stopping himself. This honest, somewhat timid man looked utterly helpless in the face of his son’s “illness.”

Jiang Rui’s heart softened. “I’m really okay, Dad. Take Mom and get some rest. The doctor will be here soon.”

His father nodded, blinking hard against his reddened eyes. Mrs. Jiang didn’t want to leave, but since there was a spare cot in the room, Jiang Rui insisted they sleep there.

Once his parents lay down, Jiang Rui flicked his finger. A subtle, pleasant fragrance filled the ward. Mrs. Jiang, who had intended to keep watch, struggled for only a few seconds before falling into a deep, restful sleep beside her husband.

Jiang Rui let out a sigh of relief, stood up from the bed, and turned his gaze toward the door of the hospital room.