WBICDPH Chapter 66 Part 2

“I’m not skilled enough and only vaguely remember what the Death Spirit Flower looks like. But my master once told me that everything in the world follows certain principles. The Flame Crown Grass growing in volcanic craters resists fire. The Heartguard Herb growing on glaciers repels cold. If the Death Spirit Flower grows on ghostly energy, its effect should relate to ghosts or souls. It shouldn’t influence temperament or manipulate emotions. So…”

His voice trailed off as he stopped flipping pages.

“Found it.”

He had a habit of sketching illustrations in his notes. Beside the entry for the Death Spirit Flower was a rough ink drawing of a small blossom. It looked similar to the one he had eaten—but, counting carefully, the drawn flower had six petals and six stamens.

He flipped to the next page.

“Seven Emotions Flower. It resembles the Death Spirit Flower, but has seven petals and seven stamens. Extremely rare and peculiar. It’s required nourishment… is human—”

He paused briefly before finishing:

“Malice.”

For some reason, hearing that sent a chill down Hua Nanzhi’s spine.

“Born of malice, grown from malice. When consumed, it amplifies negative emotions. What people then release is, simply put, still malice. That’s the true vicious cycle here.”

“Then…”

Hua Nanzhi swallowed nervously, thinking of something terrifying.

“The village chief said the flowers filled the fields overnight back then. If they grow from human malice… what kind of horrible thing must have happened that night? I don’t even dare imagine it! If the villagers truly committed some evil act, then being trapped here by their own malice would be their just deserts. Should we even save them? It feels so unfair.”

“No.”

Lin Jin added a note about the Seven Emotions Flower’s effects, then closed the notebook and returned it to his storage ring.

“We were never here to ‘save’ someone,” he said slowly. “We’re here to uncover the truth and restore justice to the wronged. Karma will take its course. Those who did wrong will face consequences. But it’s not our place to wield the blade.”

Though Lin Jin had been affected by the Seven Emotions Flower, he hadn’t consumed much, and the Qingxin Pill had helped. After some time, he mostly recovered.

The two of them then thoroughly searched Double Happiness Village and its surroundings.

The houses were clustered together, while each family’s fields surrounded the village in a ring.

For farmers, the land was their roots and soul. But now, the fields that had sustained generations were ash-gray. No wheat grew there anymore—only clusters of Seven Emotions Flowers, symbols of malice.

Their fragrance filled the air, thick and cloying.

Lin Jin believed the villagers’ negative emotions and malice couldn’t have directly transformed into part of the ghostly mist without intervention. There had to be human manipulation involved. And if the conversion had continued year after year, manpower alone wouldn’t suffice. The only possibility was an array formation.

So he took out paper and drew as he walked. After circling the village, he had a complete map of Double Happiness Village, hoping to spot some pattern.

The work was exhausting. By the time they finished, Lin Jin’s energy was completely drained. He made it back to the Zhu family courtyard purely on willpower.

“Honestly,” Hua Nanzhi said, unable to stand it any longer and generously supporting him, “you just walked around the village once. Why are you this exhausted? Can’t you train more in your spare time?”

Lin Jin painfully rubbed his lower back.

“Do you think I can just train and suddenly be good at it? If I haven’t ascended on the spot, it’s not because I don’t want to!”

He pushed open the courtyard gate and sighed heavily.

“No one’s lived here in years, right? Who knows how filthy it must be inside. Just thinking about not being able to collapse on the bed immediately and having to clean first, I—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because after opening the gate, he realized the Zhu house didn’t look quite the same.

Earlier, he and Hua Nanzhi had been in a rush before nightfall and hadn’t paid much attention. He only remembered the wooden house being broken and barely livable.

But now, the holes in the roof had been patched, the crooked doorframe straightened, and warm light glowed from the windows. It even looked… cozy.

He and Hua Nanzhi exchanged confused looks and hurried inside.

The interior had been cleaned and neatly arranged. New furnishings had been added. A small brass incense burner released waves of sandalwood fragrance atop a carved rosewood table, and an elegant landscape painting hung on the wall.

Xiao Yunkong sat at the table, calmly sipping tea from a set of jade-green teaware. Seeing them, he blinked slowly.

“You’re back?”

Lin Jin gaped and walked around the room in disbelief.

“Senior Brother, you did all this?”

“Mm.” Xiao Yunkong poured each of them a cup of hot tea. “There wasn’t much else to do. Master once mentioned that, unlike other cultivators, you require sleep each day. So I prepared a bedroom for you and your little dog.”

“…?”

Right. Xiao Yunkong and Hua Nanzhi didn’t need sleep. Meditation was enough for them. But Lin Jin did.

Exhausted, he drank the tea and went straight into the bedroom prepared for him.

The room was warm and inviting. A few potted plants sat in the corner. The bedding was brand new, soft and comfortable. Lin Jin collapsed onto it with relief.

The fluffy little creature tucked in his robes wriggled free and popped its head out.

Qiuqiu stepped across Lin Jin’s chest and hopped to a small side platform beside the bed.

Only then did Lin Jin notice it—a miniature bamboo bed, like a crib. It was padded thickly and looked even more comfortable than his own bed. Xiao Yunkong had even placed a small stuffed doll and a rattle on it.

But Qiuqiu didn’t appreciate the gesture. Finding them in the way, it kicked both off and settled comfortably in the center of the cushion.

“… ”

Lin Jin couldn’t help laughing.

At least it was Senior Brother Xiao’s kind intention. Lin Jin picked up the doll and rattle and placed them beside his own pillow.

Xiao Yunkong was nothing like the original novel described.

There was no trace of selfish jealousy, nor of a cold, emotionless sword cultivator.

Instead—

He was adorably clueless.

And obsessed with fluffy things.

Lin Jin shook the rattle lightly, looked around at his cozy little room, and couldn’t stop smiling.

He was practically a nurturing mom.