Unyielding Bone of Dust

The delicate beauty bowed to Lin Suqing and said, "My lord, I am the Lamp Lighter of the Crown Prince's mansion. I have come to lead you to the guest chamber bestowed by His Highness. Please follow me." With those words spoken, she transformed back into a moth shape and flew ahead to guide the way.

With the moth leading the way, the lamps spontaneously lit up wherever they passed. After they passed, the lights abruptly extinguished.

In this world, magic was everywhere, as if stepping out from a dream.

Today had been truly exhausting. Lin Suqing had just entered the inner room of the chamber, and with a mind full of questions that he had no time to ponder, he collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

The moth gently alighted on a white candle, and with a flutter of its wings, the candle immediately lit up with a faint flame.

As the light flickered, the brightness in the room waxed and waned. Lin Suqing turned over, and his eyelashes trembled slightly. In his dream, he mumbled, "I want to cultivate immortality... I want to go back... I must..."

Hearing this, the moth lingered by the window for a moment before flying out into the vast night sky, disappearing into the darkness.

Lin Suqing, having strayed into an alternate world, knew nothing of this place. He was completely unaware of the tumultuous twists and turns that awaited under this world's mysterious and unpredictable heavens.

Outside Danxue Mountain, ghostly fires flickered, and wild beasts wailed. The dark undercurrents hidden in the pitch-black night were surging and boiling, as if they were on the verge of erupting.

...

...

The next morning, as dawn began to lighten the skies, Lin Suqing suddenly sat up in bed, exclaiming, "Ah, I'm late!"

He looked around in surprise, seeing only silk quilt covers and brocade draperies. His gaze took in the carved beams and exquisitely decorated windows, luxurious to every detail.

It was then that he fully woke up, smacking the back of his head and muttering to himself, "So it wasn't a dream after all..."

Since it wasn't a dream, then he knew he needed to adapt to the situation.

He knew all too well that he must find a way to curry favor with the Second Crown Prince so he might be introduced to the path of immortality. But to win someone's heart, he must cater to their preferences, and yet he had no idea what the Crown Prince liked...

As Lin Suqing was racking his brain over this, the sound of a dog suddenly came from outside the door. Perfect timing!

He jumped out of bed, pushed open the door, and saw the dog sprawled by the pond in the courtyard, stretching its paws and playfully scooping at the koi in the pond for amusement.

Before he even stepped over the threshold, the dog noticed his presence, turned its head towards him with a grin, and called out, "Wow, you're up early! I was planning to come and wake you up in a bit."

"Dog... Zhui Feng." Lin Suqing thought he had corrected himself promptly, but he was still met with a splash of water in the face as the dog reprimanded him, "How dare you address me by name so casually?"

However, as soon as it had finished speaking, it immersed itself back into playing with the koi, carelessly saying, "Oh well, I'll allow you to call me that."

Such a candid dog! Lin Suqing secretly admired the dog's easygoing nature in his heart.

Seizing the moment, he crouched down next to the dog and asked straightforwardly, "I have a question, do you know what His Highness likes to eat? I am, after all, His Highness's servant, and I want to make some tasty breakfast for him."

Since yesterday, he and the dog had become somewhat acquainted. Moreover, aside from the dog, there was no one else he could ask for help at the moment.

The dog's ears twitched slightly, it held its fluffy paw up to its chin thoughtfully, and said, "Hmm... The immortals don't consume ordinary food... Although our master doesn't mind eating... but that's still wasteful..."

The dog suddenly paused, as if it had inadvertently blurted out something it shouldn't have, and quickly changed the subject, speaking seriously, "Anyway, all you need to know is that immortals don't consume ordinary food."

Lin Suqing had actually caught the brief moment of oddness, but since the dog didn't seem willing to reveal more, he couldn't press for information. Accidentally touching on taboos could bring deadly trouble.

"Hmm... If you're asking what our master likes...," the dog's eyes darted around, then it suddenly looked back at him and reminded, "You could go and collect some morning dew from the bilberries in the mountains. The dew from bilberries used to make cold tea is especially refreshing~ The master should like that."

Bilberries?

"Thank you, Zhui Feng!" Lin Suqing got up ready to leave, then suddenly realized he had, in his haste, mistakenly called the dog by the wrong name.

Fearing that the dog would snap at him if he moved too slowly, he quickly dashed away as if in flight.

He had once read in a poem, "Its toughness none can sever with a blade, Its ache remains where bilberries have laid."

For this reason, he had specifically looked up "Bliss Herb." Legend had it that it was a kind of aromatic herb that grew on rocks and could be used as medicine, claimed to cure heartache when eaten.

Could it be that the Crown Prince had a heart condition? Do immortals also suffer from heart disease?

He couldn't understand why the Crown Prince would prefer the dew of the Bliss Herb rather than the Bliss Herb itself?

Those matters of immortals, he did not comprehend at all. Right now, he couldn't afford to think too much, and he hurried out of the palace, heading toward the nearby mountain to search.

When passing through the bamboo grove, he took the double-edged dagger from his waist—which he had acquired the day before—and cut off a piece of bamboo to fashion a bamboo tube.

It seemed to him that using this freshly split bamboo tube to collect the morning dew would surely be most refreshing and fragrant.

However, it was at this moment that he suddenly recalled the dangerous situation from yesterday. He immediately regretted his hasty decision: "Why did I run out here alone!"

I'm such an idiot!

Lin Suqing regretted it so much that he even wanted to give himself a good beating. How could he be so impulsive and reckless!

But it was obviously too late for regrets now. He had been away from the Crown Prince's estate for quite some time, and if the Crown Prince inquired about the whereabouts of his servant, and the dog replied he went to collect the morning dew of the Bliss Herb for the Crown Prince... and yet he returned empty-handed...

Wouldn't that be failing to secure a good grip on his thigh, instead drawing disdain for breaking his word?

With such heavy thoughts, he had no choice but to steel himself and continue searching, even if it meant death.

He stuffed the bamboo tube into his trouser pocket and gripped the double-edged dagger tightly to his chest, ready to defend himself against any danger that might arise.

...

...

Meanwhile, at the summit of a high cliff inside a pavilion, the dog sat beside the Crown Prince's foot, reporting, "My lord, I have already tricked that mortal into the mountains as bait."

The pavilion was open on all sides, with only a stone table and two stone stools within. The stone table served as a chessboard, where a complex and intricate game was unfolding.

With a peaceful breeze in his face, the Crown Prince sat serenely and placed a white piece on the board, emotionlessly saying, "Good."

The dog's furry head itched as the wind teased it. Standing up to shake its head before sitting back down, it grumbled, "My lord, the Divine Monarch Zhong Kui has sent several messages already, asking you to descend the mountain soon..."

"Hmm." The Crown Prince's gaze remained fixed, placing down another black piece, creating a life-and-death problem with his own white pieces.

He gazed at the chessboard for a moment, then released the black and white pieces he was still holding. His slender, pale hands with distinct joints naturally rested on his knees.

The gentle breeze at the top of the high ridge brushed lightly against his forehead, stirring the fine strands of hair and playing with his flowing robe.

And so, he silently looked out over the beautiful scenery of Danxue Mountain and its lakes and hills.

Without care, the dog sat on the ground, breaking little claws and gazing bleakly at the sky, muttering, "Only the Malignant Spirits are left, I guess... I wonder if that idiot will be eaten by a beast before he even draws them out... Ah, that's right!"

The dog suddenly remembered that Lin Suqing had confidently run off to search without needing it to describe in detail.

Thinking this quite strange, it asked the Crown Prince with curiosity, "My lord, that mortal actually recognized the Bliss Herb..."

...

...

Lin Suqing carefully navigated through the mountains and forests, thinking thrice with every step, fearful of any danger.

He focused intently, listening to all the sounds around him, vigilant lest he miss any noise that could suddenly herald a monstrous creature threatening his life.

As he walked, he suddenly caught the sound of what seemed to be a child crying. The voice was about as old as the dog's but a bit more delicate, likely that of a young girl.

He froze in shock. Could it be the dog's sweetheart?