Cultivating Immortality, Starting from Childhood Sweethearts-Chapter 285 - Two Souls (Two in One - )

“Two souls?”

Xu Ming looked at Zhou Wanfeng, utterly puzzled.

“Can we talk in private?” Zhou Wanfeng smiled at Xu Ming, then gestured toward the room.

Xu Ming nodded. This wasn’t something that should be discussed here. “Let’s talk outside the courtyard.”

“Let’s go to your room instead, I’ve never been there before~” Zhou Wanfeng teased.

Xu Ming: “…”

“Relax, Young Master Xu. This is your territory. Do you really think I could overpower you and push you down?”

If that princess gets jealous and I end up dying in Wudu, what then? I just got out, and I’d rather not die so soon.

Since the matter was urgent, Xu Ming let her take some liberties. “Follow me.”

Xu Ming led Zhou Wanfeng to his courtyard.

Since growing up, Xu Ming had always lived with Xu Pangda, but since Xu Pangda was currently away on duty, the courtyard was now Xu Ming’s alone.

Zhou Wanfeng stepped into Xu Ming’s room.

The place was spotless, with no trace of dust.

As for the furnishings, they remained exactly as they were a year ago when Xu Ming had left—completely unchanged.

This was to ensure Xu Ming wouldn’t feel uncomfortable upon returning.

Back when he was just a concubine’s son, Xu Ming had been practically invisible, receiving no attention whatsoever.

But now that he had made a name for himself, the Xu family had become exceedingly diligent in their “icing on the cake” efforts. They paid attention to every tiny detail, desperate not to offend him.

This fit perfectly with Xu Ming’s perception of Wudu’s noble families—quick to apologize when necessary, eager to curry favor if you had value, and completely indifferent if you didn’t.

In truth, this wasn’t unique to Wudu.

Most aristocrats under heaven behaved this way.

Although Xu Ming’s past relationship with the Xu family had been strained, now that they were treating him well, he saw no need to push back. After all, one doesn’t slap a smiling face. He couldn’t very well rise to power and then wipe out the Xu family, could he?

“This is your room? It’s so plain. And this courtyard is rather small. Is this really how the Xu family treats their top scholar?” Zhou Wanfeng asked.

“They offered me a bigger courtyard, but I’m not used to it. I chose this one myself,” Xu Ming replied.

“Alright, then~” Zhou Wanfeng understood his reasoning—Xu Ming simply didn’t want to owe the Xu family too much.

Without asking for permission, Zhou Wanfeng sat down on Xu Ming’s bed and lightly patted the mattress.

“Even your bed is so hard.”

“I prefer sleeping on a firm bed,” Xu Ming said.

Zhou Wanfeng pouted. “But if I kneel on it, my knees will turn red.”

Xu Ming: “…”

He knew exactly what Zhou Wanfeng was implying, but he chose to ignore her.

“Now can you tell me? What exactly happened to my mother?” Xu Ming asked.

“I don’t know the specifics. It wasn’t me who did anything to her. But no matter what, there are only two possibilities.”

Zhou Wanfeng lay sideways on Xu Ming’s bed, her ruqun draped over her body, accentuating her lush, curvy figure.

A phrase Xu Ming had once heard in his past life suddenly popped into his head—

“With a woman like this, when she crashes into you, there will be waves.”

Xu Ming quickly banished the thought, shaking off the memory of that short video.

Short videos really do have a negative impact.

“Just now, Young Master Xu’s gaze was quite... suggestive~ But I don’t mind at all~ If you’d like, we could take our conversation a step further~”

As she spoke, Zhou Wanfeng slightly pulled down the collar of her fur coat, revealing a patch of smooth, fair skin.

Xu Ming wasn’t so naïve as to turn away; instead, he maintained a calm expression while looking at her. “I prefer to keep things straightforward. Senior, please get to the point.”

“Hmph~” Zhou Wanfeng pretended to be hot, lifting the hem of her skirt to her thighs, revealing two round, well-shaped legs. “Young Master really lacks a sense of romance.”

She yawned and continued, “In a person’s body, there can only be one soul—this is common knowledge. So, when does the phenomenon of two souls occur?

First, when a soul possession attempt fails, leaving two souls fighting for control over the body. This often happens when a cultivator’s body dies, but their soul escapes and tries to take over another body to ‘reincarnate.’

Second, it’s a natural occurrence—this happens when something goes wrong during reincarnation and two souls enter the same body. This usually manifests as dual personalities from an early age.

Of course, one soul may go dormant for a time, but eventually, the other personality might suddenly awaken, causing the body to exhibit two souls at once.

Lastly, someone may choose to seal their own soul.”

“Seal?” Xu Ming frowned.

He understood the first two possibilities, but the last one truly confused him.

“That’s right.” Zhou Wanfeng smirked, then slipped off her robe, revealing only a red peony-embroidered dudou. Her pale skin was now exposed in large swaths.

She was wearing only a pair of red silk underpants below.

In the Wu Kingdom, these underpants were known as “triangle pants.”

Yes, the world actually had “triangle pants.” They were introduced from the Western Regions, practical for summer and cooler than other types of clothing. Most women in the Central Plains wore them, made from smooth silk.

With just those two garments left on, Zhou Wanfeng laid herself bare before Xu Ming. Any sudden movement, and her dudou wouldn’t be enough to hide her more noteworthy assets.

“Come help me massage my shoulders~” Zhou Wanfeng beckoned with a playful smile. “I’m exhausted. Only if Young Master helps me relax will I be able to explain things properly~”

Xu Ming: “…”

For the sake of his mother, Xu Ming had no choice but to approach.

Zhou Wanfeng grinned as she lay on the bed, her soft body slightly pressing out of shape.

As Xu Ming massaged her shoulders, she resumed speaking, “Some cultivators, in order to hide from being discovered by powerful figures, will seal their soul after going into hiding. It’s similar to locking away their memories, but more thoroughly done.

Then, within their new body, a new soul gradually begins to form. This new soul is a later development, a new consciousness that can be understood as a new set of memories.

When the original soul decides it no longer needs to stay hidden and wants to resurface, two souls will appear in the same body.

There are generally three outcomes: one, the original soul regains control and the newer soul becomes a part of it.

Second, the two souls share the same body.”

Xu Ming frowned. “Isn’t there a chance that the newly formed soul could take control of the body instead?”

“Impossible.” Zhou Wanfeng shook her head. “The strength of the two souls is not on the same level. In my view, this scenario is absolutely impossible.”

Xu Ming: “…”

“Is there a way to figure out which situation my mother is in?” Xu Ming asked.

“There is a way, but I don’t have it. A ‘Taoist priest’ might, though,” Zhou Wanfeng replied, turning over on the bed.

Just as Xu Ming was about to withdraw his hand, Zhou Wanfeng clasped his hands against her chest. “I can help you contact the priest. How about that?”

“Then I’ll trouble you, Senior,” Xu Ming said as he quickly pulled his hands away from her grasp and the “focus of her attention,” causing Zhou Wanfeng to cast him a coquettish glance.

However, Zhou Wanfeng didn’t push her luck. “Give me a message-flying sword. I’ll write a letter to him. Since you saved him from Sanshi Peak, he’ll definitely come to help you. But even if he comes, it’ll take at least a month or two. During this time, Little Brother Xu, you mustn’t let anything slip~”

“I won’t,” Xu Ming said as he walked out of the room.

“Little Brother Xu, won’t you stay and sleep with your big sister for a while?” Zhou Wanfeng called after him. “Don’t worry, I won’t harm you. I just want to enjoy some time with you. And you don’t even have to take responsibility. Just treat me like a courtesan from a pleasure house~”

“I don’t like visiting pleasure houses,” Xu Ming replied as he walked out of the room without giving her a second glance.

Watching him leave and even thoughtfully close the door behind him, Zhou Wanfeng stretched lazily on the bed, hugging the quilt Xu Ming had once slept in. “Such a naïve young man, unable to appreciate the charms of an older sister~”

As she spoke, she buried her face in Xu Ming’s quilt and took a deep breath, her eyes glinting with a strange light. “Even after a year, this quilt still holds traces of his essence. Perhaps he really could help me break through.”

Xu Ming chose to sleep in Xu Pangda’s room instead.

Xu Pangda’s room was cleaned daily, so it was spotless.

Even so, Xu Ming felt uneasy, suspecting that Zhou Wanfeng might sneak in during the night. After some thought, he decided to set up a protective array.

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Xu Ming went to greet his mother.

After a night of rest, he noticed that her complexion did seem slightly better, though only marginally so.

Xu Ming refrained from asking probing questions like, “How have you been feeling lately?” or “Do you feel like there are two voices in your mind?” Such questions would only alert her. Instead, he acted as though everything was normal, simply reminding his mother to take care of her health.

Later, Xu Ming took Shengsheng to explore Wudu, buying her some candied hawthorn and preserved fruits.

He then brought Shengsheng to the Princess’ Residence to see Wu Yanhan.

Upon seeing Wu Yanhan, Shengsheng happily rushed toward her, only to be promptly held down to practice boxing.

At first, Shengsheng was reluctant. She didn’t mind practicing boxing but wanted to spend more time with Brother Xu, who had just returned.

However, when Wu Yanhan told her, “You can’t slack off in your training. If you want to protect your Brother Xu, you need to work hard,” Shengsheng immediately perked up.

Leaving Shengsheng at the Princess’ Residence to train, Xu Ming went to visit some old friends he hadn’t seen in over a year.

He had heard that Li Han and the others were still alive and had even become centurions. The Emperor, knowing Xu Ming would likely visit his friends upon returning, had even granted them leave in advance.

If nothing unexpected happened, they should be off-duty today.

Arriving at the gate of a courtyard, Xu Ming knocked lightly on the door.

Before long, a young woman answered.

She was fair and pleasant-looking, not exactly stunning but attractive in a way that could be described as “village belle” material. However, for some reason, Xu Ming caught a strange scent in the air.

Looking past the door, Xu Ming noticed many children in the courtyard—at least a hundred of them.

‘Is this some sort of orphanage?’ Xu Ming wondered.

“I am Xu Ming, a comrade of Li Han from the Blood Asura Battalion. Apologies for the disturbance. May I ask if Li Han resides here?” Xu Ming inquired, wondering if he might have come to the wrong place.

“So you’re the top scholar. My apologies for not recognizing you,” the woman said with a slight bow. “Li Han has often mentioned your name to me.”

“And you are...?” Xu Ming hesitated, unsure of how to address her. Could she be Li Han’s wife?

“My name is Ye Ye—’Ye’ as in leaf, and ‘Ye’ as in night. You could say I’m Li Han’s elder sister,” she replied, giving another courteous bow.

“Greetings, Sister Ye,” Xu Ming responded respectfully.

“Li Han is supposed to return home from the army today, but he hasn’t arrived yet. Please, come inside and wait,” Ye Ye said, gesturing toward the courtyard.

“Then I’ll trouble you.”

Xu Ming followed her into the courtyard.

However, the further he walked, the stronger the strange smell he had noticed earlier became. It was almost... demonic?

“The longer a demon lives in a place, the stronger their demonic aura becomes,” a thought suddenly surfaced in Xu Ming’s mind.

“Surely not...?” Xu Ming’s heart tightened in alarm.

But what if it was?

To be safe, Xu Ming activated his Dao Pattern Eye.

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After its most recent evolution, his Dao Pattern Eye had gained the ability to see through disguises, including those of demons.

Xu Ming scanned the courtyard carefully, concerned that there might be some hidden demon posing a threat to the people here.

His gaze swept across the entire area but revealed nothing unusual.

However, when Xu Ming’s gaze landed on Ye Ye, his brows furrowed deeply.