Chapter 0246 – Memories of Childhood – Absolute Returns

Then he found the cave. Because of his short stature, he was able to get into the cave. The entrance to the cave was so narrow that no other child could get in, but he could. Through the narrow entrance was a small space just big enough to fit him alone. There was a small gap in the cave where he could see the outside world.

Hiding in the cave, he felt incredibly relieved and comfortable.

From that day on, that cave became his secret base.

“I remember how cozy it felt to hide in a cave.” Marble said.

Jian Wuji’s heart was sour, he just asked “when was the happiest”, I did not expect that Marble actually want to go back to childhood.

“Can you describe the cave and its surroundings in detail?” Jian Wuji asked.

“What are you asking for?”

“Nothing, just curious.”

Marble briefly described it, but Jian Wuji broke the pot and didn’t give up until he had described all the details.

“What the hell do you want?” Marble asked in disbelief.

“Don’t you be afraid.” Jian Wuji said with a smile.

“Pop!”

Jian Wuji snapped his fingers and the two of them instantly appeared in front of a cave.

Marble’s mouth dropped open in surprise; this was the same cave he used to play in as a child, where he used to hide from the world’s distractions and find inner peace.

“Is this an illusion?” Marble’s voice trembled a little.

He knew that Jian Wuji was a strong martial artist, but he didn’t think that he would still be able to perform illusion techniques.

“This is the Time and Space Shift Technique.” Jian Wuji replied truthfully.

“Could it be Sect Leader Windy Sky’s mastery?” Marble asked.

“Exactly.”

“Ah ……”

Marble was once the closest person to Sect Leader Windy Sky, so he knew about this mastery.

“He actually taught you this mastery?” Marble asked in surprise.

“Other than Sect Leader Feng Tian, only another Demon Lord knows that I know this mastery, even my father doesn’t know.” Jian Wuji said.

Marble was even more surprised.

“Why are you telling me this secret?”

“Because I wanted to bring you here.”

Marble withdrew his feet from the stream and stood up, “Second Duke!”

He’s really pissed off.

“That’s what worries me! You’re too emotional! How dare you tell such an important secret to an enemy like me!”

Still looking at the stream, Jian Wuji said indifferently, “Why are you my enemy?”

Marble froze.

“Sooner or later you will be mine, just like a few other Demon Lords.”

Jian Wuji raised his head and looked at Marble.

The two men’s gazes met in the air. Sword Wuji was seated, Marble was standing, and their lines of sight were just about flush.

Marble clearly saw that Jian Wuji’s eyes were firm and sharp like never before. The cynical Jian Wuji had disappeared, and in his place was a Jian Wuji who wanted to become the Heavenly Demon God Sect Master.

“Please be mine.” Jian Wuji said word for word.

Marble’s heart skipped a beat, and he was filled with a contradiction that moved him and resisted at the same time.

Jian Wuji continued, “I know that you are very loyal to my big brother. I also have many people I respect, such as my parents, my master, and my brother and friends. Even Senior Poison King, I am willing to learn how to bark with him.”

“If that’s the case, why are you being so kind to me? Even if I’m not your enemy, I’m just the least important of your many friends, so why are you telling me such an important secret?”

Jian Wuji lowered his head and looked at his feet.

“Claptrap ……”

He gently lapped the water, “Honestly, I don’t know. Should I say to you, as I did to the other Demon Lords, ‘This is my sincerity!’ Or, like you said, am I just being emotional? Or, am I simply admiring your loyalty to my big brother?”

He stopped lapping the water, “Maybe I’m just a fool who’s easily moved, easily softened. I don’t know.”

“One of these days, you’re going to make a big mistake because of your emotionalism.” Marble said.

“When the time comes, please stop me.” Jian Wuji said.

Marble froze.

“I have been working hard to become your friend. You said that I helped clean up after the Poison King Senior in order to curry favor with him and told me to be mindful of my status. No, even if I became a Sect Master, I would still do anything for my friends. This is me, an emotional Sect Leader. Please be by my side, remind me, stop me, and tell me, ‘You can’t do this, you emotional guy!'”

Marble was silent for a moment, then said, “I refuse.”

He remained loyal to the Grand Duke and never changed.

The two fell silent again.

“Can you widen the entrance to the cave a bit? I’d like to go in and have a look. By the way, there’s a small gap in the cave where you can see the village below, remember?” Marble suddenly said.

Jian Wuji changed the structure of the cave according to Marble’s request.

Marble burrowed into the cave.

“How does it feel?” Jian Wuji asked.

“No good, it’s too narrow, it’s too stuffy, I’m going to lose my breath.” Marble said.

Jian Wuji was a bit puzzled, what was so interesting about such a small and stuffy cave?

Marble looked through the gap to the village below. Jian Wuji’s illusion was so realistic that he could even see smoke curling up in the distance.

He used to hide in the cave and look down at the village below, fantasizing that his mother or brother would come to him for dinner. However, his fantasies never materialized.

Until one day, he left the cave and instead of going back to his village, he walked in another direction, away from home. Since then, he has never gone back.

Marble looked at Jian Wuji through the gap. Jian Wuji had his back to him and was looking down at the village below.

“You must have many happy memories, is this the only one that is the best? The first time you learned martial arts, the day you became a Demon Sovereign, there must have been someone who truly recognized you, you must have many more happy memories than this, you just can’t think of them now. Today, are you not happy?”

Golden rays of light filtered through the cracks of the cave.

“Who the hell are you?” Marble asked.

Jian Wuji still had his back to him, “I am your future Sect Master, please come out of that small, stuffy cave.”

Marble didn’t retort, but silently walked out of the cave and sat down beside Jian Wuji.

The two sat side by side, looking out at the village in the distance, then up into the sky, where a small bird flew freely through the air.

“That’s the bird! I don’t envy it at all now!” Jian Wuji exclaimed.

Marble thought to himself that he really needed to learn how to use more appropriate words to describe Sword Wuji.

Jian Wuji lay on the ground, “I’ll lie down for a while.”

There were white clouds floating in the blue sky.

“Look at that cloud, I made it, but it’s really pretty! It’s so cozy!”

Recently, Marble had often looked at the sky with Jian Wuji, but only now did he truly feel relaxed. He felt that the taut aura on Marble’s body had finally loosened up.

That was enough, as long as he could relax.

Jian Wuji didn’t do this to become a sect leader, but because he genuinely wanted to be friends with Marble.

He hoped that Marble would feel his sincerity.

Just then, Marble lay down as well.

He rested his hands behind his head and looked at the sky, then closed his eyes.

He remembered when he was a child, lying in a cave and looking at the sky. He felt the soft grass gently caressing his back, the sounds of birds chirping and streams in his ears, and little ants crawling around his feet. The memories of the past and the feelings of the present were intertwined and came back to him with incomparable clarity.

Jian Wuji looked at the faint smile that appeared at the corner of Marble’s mouth and also closed his eyes, his heart filled with peace.

The breeze brought gusts of coolness and drowsiness.

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