The White Moonlight Disdained by the Male Protagonist of Redemption - Chapter 22.2

Crossing of the River of Passage (Shichuan Du):

The River of Passage was black and deep, its surface rippling slightly like the gaping maw of a wild beast. There was nothing but utter blackness—no other colors at all.

A massive boat was moored at the center.

To call it a boat was generous. It looked more like a luxurious river barge, four stories tall and extravagant in design—entirely plated in crimson-gold, with all kinds of gems embedded along the hull. A peacock statue made of green jade stood proudly at the prow—exceedingly lavish.

Lanterns were hung all over the ship, sustained by divine power, flickering with light. These colors, which should’ve been swallowed by the darkness, shone even brighter than they naturally would.

A man in black robes descended from the air, landing silently on the second-floor balcony of the great vessel.

He was lean and wiry, wearing a cloak with a hood. A few strands of his silver-white hair hung at his waist, swaying gently. In his chest was lodged a blade-shaped object—completely embedded, only the dark, plain hilt protruding from his heart.

He carried a wind lantern, its dim light casting a soft glow over his pale, corpse-like hand.

The double doors to the main hall on the second floor were open. He walked over but didn’t enter, instead stopping at the doorway and knocking lightly.

 Cui Baogui was drawing eyeliner with an extremely fine charcoal pencil in front of a mirror when he heard the knock.

This was a technique he invented himself. His eyes were large and often praised as beautiful, but he wasn’t satisfied—he felt they lacked spirit and brightness.

After trying various methods, this one worked best: sharpen the charcoal pencil finely, soften the tip with water, and use it to fill in the lash line, drawing a bold line to make the eyes pop.

But it required full concentration—no distraction, no trembling hand, and best if done in one smooth motion.

So when the knock came, his left hand was holding up his eyelid, and the right was halfway through the line. His mouth slightly open, he mumbled unclearly, “Come in, come in.”

Feng Jingzhuo entered.

He walked lightly, not making a sound.

Seeing Cui Baogui was still drawing a line on his eye, he stayed silent.

Cui Baogui held his breath, carefully dragging the pencil to the corner of his eye. Near the end, his hand involuntarily trembled, and the pencil nearly stabbed his eye. He jolted, the line ended up crooked. He tried fixing it by thickening it, eventually managing a barely acceptable result.

He blamed the interruption and turned, annoyed, “You—”

Whoa. He jumped up. “Mountain God… why are you here…?”

His eyes drifted downward to the blade in Feng Jingzhuo’s chest, and his expression changed slightly.

Feng Jingzhuo put down the lantern. “There was a quake at Lianyun Ridge. I went to check and relocated some living beings. Caught two Xiu demons along the way—thought I’d bring them to you.”

Cui Baogui nodded. The quake at Lianyun Ridge had been quite loud. “Right, the mountains are your domain.”

He picked up the lantern and glanced at the tightly sealed demons. Headache. “You… you already do enough, and now you’re helping me catch fugitives—those two demons must’ve taken a lot of effort. I don’t even know how to thank you.”

Feng Jingzhuo said, “No need, Underworld God.”

Having known him for a long time, Cui Baogui understood: if he said no need, he truly didn’t care. To Feng Jingzhuo, there was only one thing in the world that he cared about.

Cui Baogui tried to be polite. “Since you’re here, let me… Treat you to a meal?”

Feng Jingzhuo replied, “No need.”

He glanced over and gave a slight nod, then turned to leave.

Cui Baogui said, “Mountain God, wait.”

He surprised even himself.

They weren’t close. Most of his troubles were caused by this man. Normally, he couldn’t wait for him to leave.

But this person… Just seeing him made one feel an inexplicable sorrow. He looked whole, but it was as if he were made of pieces barely glued together. If you touch him, he’d fall apart. He didn’t need to cry or say anything—you could just tell that his heart was shattered and his soul was fractured, even worse than a walking corpse.

Especially that glance just now—it carried guilt and reassurance.

Like he was saying, “Sorry for acting on my own,” and also, “I won’t trouble you.”

Even so, Feng Jingzhuo didn’t stop. He kept walking toward the door. Cui Baogui caught up to him. “Mountain God—you drove the Soul-Rending Spike into your own chest. Do you know what that means?! Do you know the consequences?! ”

Feng Jingzhuo stopped.

Perhaps it was his nature—he couldn’t ignore genuine concern. He turned back and said, “Thank you for your concern, Underworld God. It’s nothing.”

Cui Baogui said, “Why not rest here a bit before leaving? ”

Then rephrased, “You should rest here. Take a moment. That Soul-Rending Spike…”

He found himself unable to continue.

Feng Jingzhuo offered a faint smile. “No need. Thank you.”

Cui Baogui truly wanted to persuade him. Just as he opened his mouth, a loud and cheerful voice rang out from outside:

“Underworld God, congratulations! The God of Fortune is here to see you! ”

…Illiterate, clearly.

If the Mountain God weren’t still here, he would’ve stormed outside to give her a piece of his mind—“Congratulations” is not the right word here.

Still, he maintained a smile and spoke to Feng Jingzhuo. “Mountain God, have you heard? A new god recently ascended—he seems to have strong divine power. She was named the God of Fortune…

That’s great, really impressive. Why don’t you stay a bit longer? We’re all gods—might as well get to know each other.”

His once-lonely domain had suddenly welcomed four gods today—just enough for a round of playing cards.