The room was engulfed in a colorful fog. Shen Changan reached out again and again, trying to grasp the tiny figures dancing before his eyes, but his fingers closed on empty air. Suddenly, his expression changed thinking, perhaps Dao Nian wasn't a demon but rather there were evil spirits coming to harm him.
With this thought, he scrambled to his feet, his gaze warily darting around the room. "Stay back! Don't come near him!"
Dao Nian, watching Shen Changan shielding him with the ferocity of a rabid dog, turned an icy gaze towards Old Zhao. "What did you feed him?"
"I just gave him some Xianling mushrooms from Changbai Mountain, something to boost energy and health." Old Zhao thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Oh no, I forgot Master Shen is human… this type of mushroom might be slightly poisonous to humans."
Watching Shen Changan throwing punches and kicks at the empty air, Old Zhao's voice was a little weak. "Really, just slightly..."
"Although this thing is slightly toxic. He'll be fine after a good sleep." Old Zhao continued, shrinking back, afraid to meet Dao Nian's eyes. "If it was really harmful to humans, I wouldn't dare give it to him!"
Dao Nian ignored him and stretched out his hand to put Shen Changan to sleep.
"As long as I stand here today, none of you will lay a finger on him!"
Dao Nian's hand froze. He looked at the clearly-not-himself Shen Changan, his half-lidded eyes slowly opened. Dao Nian lifted his head, meeting the gaze of the man standing protectively before him.
And in those eyes, he saw himself, reflected in their entirety.
"Dao Nian, don't be afraid." Shen Changan took a deep breath. In his vision, the tiny figures dancing around Dao Nian had transformed into a monstrous creature with three heads and six arms. While the wings on Dao Nian's back became blood-sucking skeletons.
Dao Nian stared into Shen Changan's eyes, and through them, he saw the world as Shen Changan perceived it.
So in Shen Changan's eyes, they were surrounded by monsters with bloody maws, all wanting to devour the wheelchair-bound Dao Nian.
"Go away!" Shen Changan roared, fiercely grabbing a gigantic eagle. This eagle's wings were bathed in blood, its crimson eyes burning with a ravenous hunger for Dao Nian's flesh.
Crack! Shen Changan violently tore off the eagle's wings. Blood splattered everywhere. He wiped his face and stared intently at the still howling, writhing monsters around them. "Your father has never been afraid of anyone. If you've got the guts, let's fight outside."
If he couldn't even protect his best friend, what face would he, Shen Changan, have to live in this world?
Suddenly, an evil spirit leaped out from among the monsters. Shen Changan couldn't block it in time. Seeing the evil spirit about to pounce on Dao Nian, he simply threw himself onto Dao Nian, blocking the evil spirit behind him.
"Aagh!" Shen Changan screamed out. He looked up at pale-faced Dao Nian, and gave him a weak smile. "Don't be afraid, I..."
Before he could finish speaking, his head tilted to the side as he passed out.
Drawn by the commotion, Liu Mao, Shen Tu, Wu Qu, and the others rushed in. The sight that greeted them was Shen Changan, thrashing and yelling at thin air, before collapsing onto their Master, showing a look of relief that says "it's good that you can live," before fainting.
Has he just acted out an entire tragic drama of heroic sacrifice by himself?
"Has Master Shen been watching too many melodramatic hero-saves-beauty plays lately?" Shen Tu asked Liu Mao telepathically. "Did Old Zhao sneak him some alcohol?"
Liu Mao took a few steps back secretly. "If you have the guts, go ask the master."
Shen Tu shot Liu Mao a look, took a deep breath, and... also stepped back. He didn't have the courage either.
"Master, Changan seems to have fallen asleep," Old Zhao said, his voice trembling as he watched Shen Changan "die" with a peaceful smile on his face. "He's fine. He'll be back to normal by morning."
"I know." Dao Nian severed his spiritual connection with Shen Changan. He looked down at Shen Changan who was sprawled across him and adjusted his "death" position to make him more comfortable. "In the future, don't give him these things anymore."
"It was my negligence." Seeing Shen Changan's usual lively demeanor had almost made him forget that Shen Changan was human, not a deity.
Humans have such short lifespans...
Old Zhao glanced at Dao Nian, who had allowed Shen Changan to torment him for so long, and felt a little uneasy. Humans live short lives, yet Master cares for him so deeply. What will happen when Shen Changan grows old and frail, when his time comes to an end? Will the Master, in his affection, bend the rules of life and death to keep Changan by his side?
But, will Changan accept this long and meaningless life?
"Master, I'll take Changan back to his room..."
"No need." Dao Nian stopped Old Zhao's outstretched hand, and disappeared in front of Old Zhao with Shen Changan.
Only after they disappeared did Liu Mao and the others sneak out from their hiding places.
"Old Zhao, what did you do to Master Shen?" Liu Mao recalled Shen Changan's earlier behavior. "Master Shen seemed quite off."
"Accidentally let Changan eat too many mushrooms that humans shouldn't consume."
"No wonder fewer and fewer mortals worship you these days," Liu Mao raised an eyebrow. "As the Kitchen God, you make food that poisons people. Who would dare believe in you anymore?"
"Well, at least I had my glory days." Old Zhao picked up the empty bowl from the table. "Still better than those who never even made it onto the divine register."
Sensing that the conversation was about to devolve into a "my ancestors were richer than yours" argument, Shen Tu interjected, "Both of you, quiet down! What if you wake Master Shen?"
The two immediately fell silent. They weren't afraid of Master Shen, but they were afraid of their Master.
Wu Qu, who hadn't been here long, had seen how Shen Changan got along with the Master, but today was on a whole other level.
He had heard many rumors about the Master—that he disliked noise, disliked creatures getting close, rarely smiled, and certainly didn't concern himself with the affairs of living beings.
To both gods and demons, their Master was the embodiment of the Way of Heaven—a symbol, an existence who, though possessing consciousness, had no emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.
But today, when he saw the Master reach out to hold Shen Changan, preventing him from falling from the wheelchair, a thought suddenly struck him. Is it true that the Heavenly Dao lacked emotions, or is it simply the wishful thinking of other beings who believed he shouldn't possess such things?
Living beings, in times of hardship, often curse the heavens for their indifference, for their cruelty. But what does it truly mean to be compassionate?
Is it letting beings take and take without restraint until heaven and earth's vitality is exhausted and all life faces extinction—is that true compassion?
Is maintaining the world's orderly operation, where there must be death as well as life, being heartless?
That night, Shen Changan slept very tiredly. One moment he was a prince in the land of giants, the next he was a pitiful youth waiting for a knight's rescue.
He found himself leaned on a high windowsill, waiting and waiting, until finally a knight came. Unfortunately, the knight had a disabled leg and could not climb up the tower to save him.
"Brave young man, please jump down from the tower. I will definitely catch you."
"What if you miss?" Shen Changan shouted back.
"If I cannot catch you, I am willing to use my own body to protect your safety."
Shen Changan hesitated but still didn't jump.
"Brave young man, please believe me. I am the knight who has come to save you."
"I'm here... for you."
The phrase "I'm here for you" kept echoing in his mind. When Shen Changan opened his eyes, what he saw was the beautiful and exquisite roof, and... Dao Nian's expressionless face.
He suddenly sat up in bed, but due to insufficient blood flow to his brain, he became dizzy and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, Dao Nian was sitting nearby, so he fell into Dao Nian's embrace... well, slightly below it, around the abdomen area and a bit lower.
Dao Nian smelled clean and fresh, but the position was a bit awkward. Shen Changan scrambled back, sat up straight, pretending nothing had happened. "Dao Nian, why are you in my room?"
"Need I refresh your memory?" Dao Nian didn't seem the least bit fazed by where Shen Changan had just fallen on him. He just looked at him calmly, waiting for his reflection.
"Last night..." It all came flooding back. Not only had he been caught snacking with Uncle Zhao, but he'd also hallucinated an army of monsters trying to devour Dao Nian. And he, Shen Changan, bravely used his body to shield his friend from a fatal blow...
He touched his back, but it was clean and without any pain.
Shen Changan felt like there was something wrong with his memory. "What exactly happened last night?"
"You ate Old Zhao's poisonous mushrooms and had hallucinations." Dao Nian handed him a glass of water and said, "Drink."
"What's this?"
"Poison, to counter poison." Dao Nian's face was cold.
Shen Changan took the bowl and drank it all in one breath. Hmm, this poison is quite sweet.
"Were the noodles delicious?" Dao Nian asked.
"Y-yes, delicious." Shen Changan was an honest child.
"Want more?"
"N-no more." Seeing Dao Nian's expression growing stormier by the second, Shen Changan felt that if he dared say "yes," Dao Nian might fly up from his wheelchair and explode his head.
"You've grown bold, sneaking food with Old Zhao." Dao Nian put the empty bowl aside. "Since you're so capable, you can eat more tonight."
Shen Changan shook his head vigorously. He never wanted to be so embarrassed again.
"Last night..." After a while, seeing Dao Nian's expression return to normal, Shen Changan asked quietly, "No one else knows about... you know, the things I did while I was hallucinating, right?"
"What do you think?" Dao Nian lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "Heh."
Shen Changan: "..."
"Oh my heavens, I'm so embarrassed." He muttered, "I knew Uncle Zhao's friend wasn't reliable. Fresh mushrooms in dead winter, claiming they're from Changbai Mountain. Eating this kind of thing makes people hallucinate. These mushrooms clearly seem more like ones from Yunnan Province—fake products that could kill people."
"You..." Dao Nian listened to Shen Changan's muttering and sighed. "Nevermind, just go back to sleep."
"Is Uncle Zhao okay?" Shen Changan asked with a pair of big eyes, snuggling under the covers as Dao Nian tucked him in. "He ate even more of those mushrooms than me last night."
"It's okay, he won't die." Dao Nian patted him, "Shut your mouth and go to sleep."
"Oh." The gentle pressure of Dao Nian's hand on his body seemed to have magical powers. Shen Changan drifted back to sleep in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Shen Tu watched Old Zhao eating from a large bowl. "Come on, Old Zhao, you can do it! Only five more bowls to go. Master is being so generous, letting you have so much of these precious Xianling mushrooms. Aren't you touched?"
"Ugh!" Old Zhao covered his throat and vomited into the nearby bin.
He never wanted to hear the words "Xianling Mushroom" ever again. He wouldn't touch the stuff for at least the next five hundred years.
"Continue." The expressionless Dao Nian appeared at the kitchen door. "Since you enjoy eating it so much, eat more, don't stop."
Old Zhao: "..."
The thing he regretted most in his life was carelessly eating strange things with a human child—especially since this child was being raised by the Master.
Author's Note:
Old Zhao: I dare not move, I dare not move.