《Pulling Together a Villain Reformation Strategy》


 CH 1

    Chapter 1 ¨C Ridiculously Melodramatic Opening


    The sword pierced his chest. The sensation of the blade¡¯s edge plunging into his heart was cold as ice, even as the setting sun seared the sky above.


    Looking at the familiar face in front of him, Jiang Xunyi felt he should be extremely delighted at what had just happened. Yet his heart did not not feel a fraction of relief.


    He had unluckily transmigrated into this book many years ago, becoming a gloriously stupid mini-boss. No matter how his heart felt, on the surface he had carefully and tirelessly maintained the requisite accomplishments for a villain. In line with how time was the ultimate reminder of one¡¯s finite life, he had clutched every minute and second to happily unleash his ¡°talent¡± of seeking death. He had personally laid the bricks for the male protagonist¡¯s road to dominance, and finally completed his life¡¯s last task¡ª¡ªallowing the protagonist to kill him.


    According to the System¡¯s promises, he could finally ¡°retire after this meritorious service¡± and happily go home!


    But why, in this moment, did he feel a hint of sorrow and grief at the mistrust of a fictitious character?


    Oh well, it¡¯s all about to be over anyway.


    Jiang Xunyi closed his eyes, speaking his last lines with his final breath: ¡°Yun Xie, I¡­¡­ you¡­¡­¡±


    [Beep beep beep beep beep¡ª¡ªOOC warning! Error in the actor¡¯s lines, the character role has collapsed, the assigned task has not yet been completed, opening the Rebirth System!]


    These words suddenly sounded in his mind.


    What?! This was how it was written in the script, okay?! Jiang Xunyi took a deep breath to try and argue, but after taking in this breath, he was never able to exhale it back out.


    He died.


    ¡°He died.¡±


    Yun Xie stared blankly as the man in front of him fell over. He seemed to have not yet realized what just happened. Only when his sword was pulled out of his hand by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s falling body, did he seem to hear an icy cold voice saying this to him.


    No, impossible!


    As if woken from a dream, he knelt down stiffly. He wanted to press on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s still-bleeding wound, but his hands shook incessantly. Tears trickled down his cheeks, splashing onto that eternally beautiful and flawless face and slowly turning ice-cold.


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t stop his flowing tears. He wanted to shut his eyes, but there was no way he could look away from the exquisite features right in front of him. It felt as if in the next moment Jiang Xunyi would sit up, arch those sharp brows, and mock him like always: ¡°So embarrassing, what¡¯s a manly man like you crying for?¡±


    But he didn¡¯t, he didn¡¯t. He will never do such a thing again.


    Yun Xie trembled uncontrollably. He only felt as if freezing shards of ice had been poured onto his body, chilling him to the very bone.


    Blood and air roiled within his chest, filled with grief and despair yet with nowhere to vent. He looked at his own hand in disbelief, seeming to doubt whether this was an enemy¡¯s illusion.


    I obviously didn¡¯t want to kill you, I obviously like you in that way, how did you and I fall to this point?


    ¡°Ah-Xun1, I¡¯m begging you, please get up, I was wrong, I don¡¯t blame you¡­¡­. Whoever you hate, we can go together to kill them all¡­.If you want to go to the demons, we can seek asylum from the Demon Lord together¡­. Please, get up¡­. I¡¯m begging you¡­.¡±


    His entire body was powerless. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t pull Jiang Xunyi up from the ground, so he simply lay down by his side.


    The setting sun had fallen, the night breeze rose. A small ray of moonlight struggled to emerge from behind the expanses of dark clouds. Like the rising tide, the dim light gradually flooded this mountainous wilderness. The distant noise of battle slowly faded away. They seemed to be laying on the deepest of ocean floors, while his heart seemed to be as crystal clear as the water of the sea.


    ¡°Ah-Xun.¡± Yun Xie called him in a gentle voice, his heart suddenly calming down: ¡°Do you remember when I said I liked disciple-sister Qiu, and told you not to fight with me for her?¡±


    ¡°I was lying to you.¡±


    ¡°I only¡­. didn¡¯t like that you were always with her¡­.¡±


    ¡°I never told you, the person I like is you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Ah-Xun¡­¡­Xunyi¡­¡­Take me with you¡­¡­¡±


    Footnote (what a huge contrast to my other translation project lol):


    1. Nickname for Jiang Xunyi, taking the first character of his name and adding ¡°Ah-¡± in front.

 CH 2

    Chapter 2 ¨C The Idiot Du Heng


    There are some alive who have already died; there are some alive who should have long since died.


    Jiang Xunyi felt this phrase fit himself very well, since he had clearly already died¨C¨Cdied guilty of evil crimes, died at the perfect moment. Yet he had not been dead for even an hour when he opened his eyes once again.


    This definitely wasn¡¯t the promised ¡°returning home¡±!


    Upon opening his eyes, his surroundings were pitch-black to the point where he couldn¡¯t even see his hand in front of him. He could only hear weeping and sobbing noises echoing from his side, coming from both men and women. Furthermore, he seemed to be in a relatively enclosed space.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips moved slightly, silently chanting a few incantations. Upon touching his brow bones with his fingers, his line of sight finally became clear.


    Around a dozen young men and women were here in this narrow mountain cave, each one wailing and weeping so grievously as if their dear mothers had died. At the mouth of the cave, two masked men dressed in black robes with red embroidery grasped long lances and stood utterly still.


    These people obviously did not know why they had been locked up here. It was also obvious that although Jiang Xunyi no longer held the leading role ¡°equally famous as the main character, one of the Dual Jades1 of the Spirit Stage¡±¡­ he had definitely transmigrated yet again.


    Jiang Xunyi wrinkled his nose, sensing that some disguise object had been applied to his face, though he had no intention to remove it at the moment.


    He didn¡¯t know if he had transmigrated into a book again this time. Will I have to play a villain boss? The feeling of being screamed at, accused, chased, and beaten isn¡¯t pleasant, I don¡¯t want to go through that again! ¡­Fuck, could this girl right beside me not use my sleeves to wipe her tears?


    Jiang Xunyi roared complaints in his heart, but his face maintained a smile. He patiently waited until the girl took a temporary intermission from wiping her mucus and tears, and then suppressed his irritable nature to speak slowly and softly: ¡°I just woke up and my brain is a little unclear. Girl, where is this place?¡±


    Unexpectedly hearing someone speaking into her ear, that woman trembled from shock. Then upon immediately discerning it was Jiang Xunyi talking, she straight-up shook her sleeves and spat out: ¡°You damned second idiot2, have you forgotten my name again? And has your pig brain ever been clear once? We¡¯re about to die and you still want to stick to my side, pah, I¡¯m truly unlucky.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s patience had all been used up. He had originally been confident that he could return to the modern world after completing that task, but then ended up in this annoying situation. He had continually restrained the anger in his heart, yet was now inexplicably being berated by this person out of nowhere. His facial expression immediately changed and he had just raised his hand, when he heard another voice quietly urging from the side: ¡°Big Sister Fang, don¡¯t scold Du Heng any more. After all, he was deceived into taking the fall for the young lord. He¡¯s quite pitiful too¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slowly put his hand down and did not speak any more.


    This Big Sister Fang spoke through her tears: ¡°Pitiful? Yeah right! All he can do alive is be disdained and looked down upon by everyone. He might as well die off nicely and cleanly. But why did we get roped in the same situation?! Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s resurrection back into this world is said to require eighteen male and female sacrifices born on the Ghost Festival. I already knew I would have trouble escaping this calamity¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had already stopped listening to her endless complaining after that. The four words ¡°Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡± had completely drew his attention and put him on high alert3. That name quickly raced through his mind over and over.


    Dammit, he¡¯s actually still inside this accursed ¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies4¡·.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was super sensitive to this name, but Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s presence was extraordinarily strong. Inside this¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·book, he counted as a very important villain boss character. Before Jiang Xunyi¡¯s betrayal, he and the protagonist Yun Xie strategized together how to take this Demon Sovereign down¡­¡­Wait a second. Fuck.


    Demon Lord Xuan Li resurrected back into this world?!


    This isn¡¯t right!


    Back in the day I spent so much goddamn effort and almost fucking died to kill him, how come he gets to be revived at the drop of a hat?!


    Now Jiang Xunyi somewhat realized why he still couldn¡¯t go back home.


    In addition, this shocking realization also shocked out some memories and impressions of Du Heng¡ª¡ªthat is, his current body.


    Speaking of Du Heng, what Big Sister Fang said about him being a ¡°damned second lunatic¡± wasn¡¯t technically wrong. Du Heng really was a congenital, incurable idiot.


    Of the top sects in the cultivation world, the seventh place belonged to the Heze5 Du Sect. The Du family head had both a wife and a concubine. The wife was named Yin Ling, the concubine called Cheng Dan. This wife and concubine both gave birth to a son on the same day. The concubine¡¯s son was born earlier, and named Du Li. This Du Li was very famous with a virtuous and wise reputation; Jiang Xunyi had heard of him before, though never seen him in-person. On the other hand, Madam Du suffered a difficult birth. Only after an entire day and night in labor did she deliver the Du Sect¡¯s first legitimate child, who took the name Du Heng. Unfortunately, though Du Heng was the son of the first wife, his head had been injured at birth so he became dull-witted and slow.


    Making matters even worse6, his mother also passed away from illness when he was still an infant. As the classic wicked stepmother, Cheng Dan wouldn¡¯t live up to this title if she didn¡¯t screw him over. The only reason Du Heng had been able to smoothly live up until now was because no one wanted to deal with this intellectually disabled idiot. Then when Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s re-emergence selected eighteen men and women as sacrifices, Cheng Dan certainly couldn¡¯t bear to send her own dear son to die. In the midst of her fretting, she thought of Du Heng.


    Du Heng and Du Li were originally brothers of the same age and status. Their appearances even looked half-similar, so Cheng Dan slightly modified Du Heng¡¯s face and dressed him up as his older brother. Together with the other seventeen men and women, he was sent into Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s Breaking Heaven Demon Cave7. ¡­It was still unclear how he got replaced with Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi secretly controlled his breath8, and discovered this body actually had an abundance of spiritual energy. It was still slightly below that of his original body, but he did not know how Du Heng had cultivated this much. This comforting revelation raised his mood enough to start caring about the outside world.


    The woman who had just been called Big Sister Fang actually had the surname of Cheng. She was also a young lady from a great cultivation family, and was in fact Cheng Dan¡¯s niece. This was why she could recognize Du Heng was not Du Li. At the moment, she was still crying while talking. Her words through her tears were honestly quite expressive and meticulously detailed. After just listening for a while from the side, Jiang Xunyi already understood the basics of the situation before him.


    These eighteen people¨C¨Cincluding him¨C¨Cwere currently lambs awaiting the slaughter. The previously set hour for them to be sacrificed to the Demon Sovereign had already arrived, but for some unknown reason, Xuan Li¡¯s arrival had been delayed. This indefinite wait actually filled everyone¡¯s hearts with tension, anxiety, and extreme uneasiness.


    Jiang Xunyi held a blade of grass in his mouth as he leaned against the corner of the wall, concentrating on appearing as a quiet beautiful man. On the inside, his heart was unstable from this flood of new information. After being killed once, this world had changed too much¨C¨Che had a bit of trouble keeping up. After pondering his situation over for a moment, he decided to stay here to wait and see what was going to happen.


    Just at this moment, his sleeve was pulled by someone. Jiang Xunyi looked back to see that someone sitting down by his side. It was the girl who had recently stopped Cheng Fang from abusing him.


    This woman was named Cheng Wei, and was the younger twin sister of Cheng Fang. Though these sisters were born together from the same mother, their temperaments and appearances were as different as could be. Cheng Wei looked around to see no one was paying attention to her. Only then did she reach into her sleeve, quietly take out some small snacks wrapped in a handkerchief, and whisper: ¡°Little Brother Heng, you¡¯re probably hungry, right? Here, come eat a few snacks.¡±


    This body had not reached the level of being able to fast9, so Jiang Xunyi really was somewhat hungry. After just casting a spell, he could see in the dark and glanced over to see that the handkerchief wrapping the snacks was clean. He was very satisfied and unceremoniously took the snacks over. He gulped them down one at a time, without even saying a word of thanks.


    Hey, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have manners, but because he was supposed to be an idiot.


    Cheng Wei seemed to be used to it and didn¡¯t mind his attitude. Instead, she softly tidied up Jiang Xunyi¡¯s somewhat messy hair and quietly sighed: ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know how this Demon Sovereign Xuan Li became so powerful. Back in the day, the Yun and Jiang disciple-brothers fought a life-and-death battle to defeat him, and had to set nine seals before he was suppressed. No one could have expected him to manifest again so quickly. It¡¯s a pity that after Jiang-shixiong¡¯s10death, Yun-shixiong was seriously ill and didn¡¯t even speak for many months. He probably received an extremely heavy blow, and I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll be able to come rescue us in time¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi ate the snacks, his mouth secretly twitching. Complete and utter nonsense, where did she hear these Jianghu11rumors? I really was killed by him¨C¨Cyeah fucking right he ¡®received a heavy blow¡¯. In the future when he finds out I¡¯m alive again, that¡¯ll be when he¡¯ll truly receive a heavy blow¡­¡­


    Still, it was rare for someone to actually bring him up in a situation like this, and even be willing to call him ¡°Jiang Shixiong¡±. Although Jiang Xingyi usually handled matters quite viciously and did not have any tender feelings for the fairer sex, he would not dispute these meaningless things with a girl who was treating him kindly. As a result, he only listened silently and then carefully showed a silly smile to this gentle beauty.


    Cheng Wei was mostly just talking to herself, and didn¡¯t really expect him to understand what she was saying. Seeing this, she pat his head. She originally wanted to give him some encouragement since that would be better than nothing, but before she could open her mouth to speak, a huge clanging noise came from outside the door.


    The chaotic din inside the cave immediately stopped, and everyone looked at the door. Two arrays of masked men in black-red robes entered, all carrying spears. The leading man knocked on the ground with his spear and harshly ordered: ¡°All of you, go out!¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. Ë«èµ(shu¨¡ng b¨¬): èµ=jade annulus (ring-shaped artifact), traditionally used as symbol of rank. The entire phrase of Ë«èµ often refers to a pair of matchless things¨Cin this case, Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie as the premier talented duo of their generation.


    2. Du Heng is the second son of the Du family.


    3. ÕñÁû·¢ñù lit. ¡°make a deaf man hear and a blind man see¡±


    4. This book title has some relationship to Yun Xie¡¯s name: Yun means Cloud, and is the exact Cloud in this title.


    5. ºÊÔó(h¨¦ z¨¦) I think is a real prefecture located in the Shandong Province, in eastern-northeastern China.


    6. Ñ©ÉϼÓ˪ lit. ¡°adding hail to snow¡± = one disaster on top of another, making a bad situation even worse


    7. ìåÌì: ìå=to violate, to go against, ruthless/tyrannical; Ìì = sky, heaven


    8. µ÷Ï¢ = Pranayama, a meditative technique of controlling the breath to draw out one¡¯s life force (or something like that).


    9. ±Ù¹È (p¨¬ g¨³) = originally a Taoist practice of abstaining from grain. In cultivation novels, this instead refers to how once you reach a high enough level of cultivation, you don¡¯t need to eat or drink.


    10. ʦÐÖ (sh¨© xi¨­ng) lit. ¡°disciple elder brother¡± = senior fellow male apprentice. I don¡¯t want to keep spamming ¡°disciple elder brother¡± over and over, so I decided to keep this as ¡°Shixiong¡±.


    11. ½­ºþ (ji¨¡ng h¨²£© lit. ¡°rivers and lakes¡± = the martial arts world of ancient China

 CH 3

    Chapter 3 ¨C Acting the Fool


    Jiang Xunyi narrowed his eyes. He could feel that under their frightening guises, these men were wooden and slow. They must be Xuan Li¡¯s loyal subordinate demonic puppets. These things were not humans or ghosts, but more like walking corpses with a certain amount of cognitive ability. They had the advantage of strength and power, but the disadvantage of¡­ being stubbornly one-track minded.


    Jiang Xunyi had previously been the chief disciple of one of the two major sects of the cultivation world, the Hidden Spirit Sect1. He had even been recognized as the likely succeeding sect head for the next generation. For one who had achieved fame in his youth as one of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage alongside this book¡¯s main protagonist Yun Xie, dealing with these things wouldn¡¯t be much trouble for him. The only problem was that it wasn¡¯t just him in this situation; the other trapped people had mixed qualifications. If Jiang Xunyi swaggered around openly to break them out, knowing Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s cruel disposition, these kids would likely be done for.


    Jiang Xunyi did not act blindly. Amongst the crowd of trembling young men and women, he obediently stood up and was the first to exit the cave door.


    Numerous demonic puppets lined the way forward. In the back, one squadron of puppets waited for all the sacrifices to go out of the cave, and then followed behind as an escort. It seemed that this demonic cave was located underground. The group of people walked uphill along a long narrow road. Gradually, noisy talking could be heard over their heads, from above the ground.


    Carefully discerning between the chattering sounds, Jiang Xunyi heard a familiar voice that sent a sudden shock through his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but pause his steps. In that moment, he felt hot blood rushing to the top of his head, and his heart almost jumped out from his throat.


    This body was a little thin and weak, so with this burst of excitement, he instantly felt his vision going black. The demonic puppet by his side saw he wasn¡¯t walking and immediately raised the long spear in its hand, fiercely smashing down on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder.


    But the spear did not smash down. Instead, someone stopped it halfway down.


    Jiang Xunyi finally recovered. Looking back, he couldn¡¯t help but freeze slightly.


    Behind him was a handsome young man wearing blue. Despite being young, his expression was mild and gentle, with an elegant bearing. His hand grasped the other end of the spear as he politely reasoned with the puppet: ¡°This elder brother2, Young master Du only walked a tad bit slow. He did not intend to defy your orders. Can this elder brother please be a little accommodating and refrain from using violence? I will urge him to hurry.¡±


    This charming and urbane bookworm aura, this simple and slow temperament that insists on doing good deeds even on the verge of death¡­ Even without looking at his face, Jiang Xunyi could recognize him. This person was the eldest disciple of the Solar Envy Sect3, named Xue Yingzhi. Back in the day, Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie discovered him abandoned atop a great snow mountain. He was also born on the day of the Ghost Festival. Without even thinking about it, Jiang Xunyi knew Xue Yingzhi must be the undercover agent sent here by Yun Xie.


    He praised this kid in his heart. The demonic puppet seemed to be moved too and slowly took back the spear in its hand. Suddenly, it lifted the spear again. Before Xue Yingzhi could react, it slammed down on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder and harshly ordered: ¡°Go!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Didn¡¯t we establish that these things had low intelligence? This thing¡¯s even smarter than him!


    Xue Yingzhi was also shocked. Afraid of Jiang Xunyi exploding with anger and attempting to resist, he hurriedly grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand and quickly walked forward. Only then did he whisper: ¡°Brother Du, are you alright? At the moment we are all in danger, so you will have to unfortunately endure this for now¡­¡±


    Xue Yingzhi definitely did not know the inside story of the Du clan and was likely treating him as Du Li. Jiang Xunyi had never seen this cheap big brother of his, so he didn¡¯t know how he should speak to imitate him. Just as he was pondering this over, he heard Xue Yingzhi continue with a sigh: ¡°Brother Du¡¯s illness still hasn¡¯t gotten better? A few days ago, when I heard the news that the Du family head was suffering from Lost Soul Disease, I had trouble believing it. I didn¡¯t expect the news to be true.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi closed his mouth and walked along in silence.


    When they finally reached a large pool filled with dark red magma, the leading demonic puppet stopped: ¡°Take off your clothes and jump down.¡±


    ¡ª¡ªThis sacrifice was truly too simple and crude!


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the molten magma seething and bubbling in front of him. He stood absolutely firm, refusing to move an inch. The people behind him were shoved and jostled on up until they surrounded the magma pool in a circle. Every face looked dim and ash-gray as they faced off with each other, but no one dared to jump.


    The demonic puppet became impatient. It did the same old technique of lifting its spear and then smashing down towards the nearby Cheng Wei. Seeing her little sister about to be pushed into the pool, Cheng Fang¡¯s terrified face lost all color, but she did not dare to scream out loud. She could only press her hands tightly over her mouth and shut her eyes.


    However, there was no sound of a human body falling into the magma. Cheng Fang opened her eyes to see Cheng Wei standing by her side with a completely stunned expression, while two demonic puppets fought and exchanged blows with a passion.


    ¡°¡­¡± Cheng Fang whispered: ¡°What happened?¡±


    Cheng Wei mumbled: ¡°All I felt was that I somehow moved over here all of a sudden. After that, the first person¡¯s spear hit his companion, and then the two of them started fighting¡­¡±


    On the side, Jiang Xunyi stood with his hands in his sleeves, his eyes wide as he looked around with shocked ignorance. Hidden in his sleeves, his fingers continuously flicked, using invisible manifestations of spiritual energy to silently attack several other demonic puppets.


    He manipulated multiple streams of different spiritual energy at the same time, but maintained very precise orientations and positioning. When the demonic puppets were attacked, they would all subconsciously parry with their hidden weapons. But their hidden weapons would only hit air; instead, their own spear-tips would strike their companions. In just a few moments, numerous demonic puppets began to mercilessly beat each other down around the pool of magma. The scene was absolutely beautiful.


    Xue Yingzhi was also shocked by this change. He hadn¡¯t yet reacted when he suddenly felt a strong force coming from behind him. His whole body instantly flew through the air involuntarily, smashing into the wall. The Solar Envy sect practiced a unique art: including their sect master Yun Xie, all disciples possessed a body strengthening4 skill that made them extremely resistant to injury. Xue Yingzhi was not hurt by this collision; instead, his body smashed a huge hole into the wall. Jiang Xunyi giggled and clapped his hands: ¡°Fun! Fun! I want to go inside to play!¡± With this, his figure flashed across Xue Yingzhi¡¯s body and entered the passage created by the hole.


    Xue Yingzhi still hadn¡¯t realized that his fall was from being mercilessly kicked out by Jiang Xunyi. Upon seeing the situation, his face turned white from shock. He unsuccessfully tried to catch Jiang Xunyi, and hurriedly raised his voice: ¡°Brother Du, be careful of any dangers inside!¡± Without even thinking, he stood up and ran in too.


    Jiang Xunyi put up a happy and cheerful appearance running at the front. In his heart, he couldn¡¯t help but disgustedly roll his eyes at the sound of his own silly laughter. If anyone else knew I¡¯ve actually fallen to the point of acting this goddamn stupid, I¡¯ll definitely destroy him and his entire sect. After thinking it over, he remembered that even his body had been switched, so most likely no one would ever know¨C¨Che could still relax a little more.


    Looking at the bubbling pool of molten magma before them, everyone¡¯s hearts were filled with terror and panic. They had just wanted to take advantage of the demonic puppets going crazy in order to flee. No one understood how Xue Yingzhi smashing into the wall had opened up a passageway, and no one dared to lead the pack. With Jiang Xunyi here now to test the waters, everyone saw him hopping and jumping around, still as lively as ever even after covering a great distance. They relaxed and quickly followed one by one, secretly laughing at the Demon Sovereign¡¯s idiocy for making such an unconcealed secret passage.


    They had no way of knowing that this secret passage was deliberately designed to ward off trespassers and escapees, with a multitude of mechanisms and traps. Jiang Xunyi had broken into here multiple times and could not be more familiar with all these mechanisms. He had expertly woven his steps to extinguish all of them, or else he would have long since become a human skewer.


    With Xue Yingzhi¡¯s kind and sincere temperament, he had originally been closely following behind Jiang Xunyi out of fear that this ¡°Brother Du¡± who had lost his mind would run into a mishap. But when he was about to emerge from the cave, he felt his vision blur and Jiang Xunyi blinked away without leaving a trace.


    Upon exiting the cave, Jiang Xunyi saw the terrain was flat and open, without the demonic puppet guards that he had imagined. In their place were different disciples with various colored uniforms, scurrying back and forth, apparently in a busy haste. Seeing this, his suspicions could already be confirmed: Xuan Li¡¯s new interest in boiling people alive wasn¡¯t because of a sudden whim to spice things up, but because he had encountered these trouble-making pursuers!


    Before changing bodies, the System had constantly popped up to confirm its existence, but ever since his resurrection it had never appeared again. Jiang Xunyi considered the situation and still decided to follow the protagonist. After all, all the important plots revolved around Yun Xie.


    It was just¡ª¡ªhe had believed he had already bid farewell to all those old enemies and friends, and had not expected to see them again so soon.


    Jiang¡¯s mood was somewhat complicated, and he took a deep breath. Those following him were all from great clans; no matter how useless they were, they should not be in any danger at this time. Instead, having them tag along would get in his way. His figure flickered and he teleported forward, instantly freeing himself from those stragglers.


    Footnotes:


    1. ÁéÒþÅÉ: Áé=¡±spirit¡±, Òþ=¡±hidden/secret/concealed¡±


    2. ´ó¸ç(d¨¤ g¨¥) lit. elder/eldest brother. In Chinese, you often refer to strangers with these familial terms despite there being absolutely no blood relation


    3. ÑôÏÛ×Ú: Ñô=¡±sun, the masculine yang¡±, ÏÛ=¡±envy/admiration¡±


    4. ºáÁ· lit. ¡°horizontal training¡± I think refers to how martial artists strengthen their bodies to smash through wood or steel, etc.

 CH 4

    Chapter 4 ¨C The First Leak of Aggressiveness


    Not far from the cave entrance was a small mountain. Jiang Xunyi stood at its foot, narrowing his eyes as he looked up towards the top. A crowd of people formed a dense mass on the mountaintop, though the distance made it difficult to distinguish which faction they belonged to. He thought for a moment and was just about to gather his energy1 to go up, when a large man suddenly rushed out of the slope and pointed at him, yelling: ¡°Kid, who the hell are you? Where¡¯d you pop out from? Do you know where this is? You must be blind to dare trespass here!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had originally been the chief disciple of the Hidden Spirit Sect. After the death of his Shifu2 Immortal Master3 Ti Ming followed by the accusation of Jiang Xunyi colluding with the Demonic Faction, the Hidden Spirit Sect had split into East and West divisions, supporting and opposing him respectively. Seeing that this man wore the West Hidden Spirit uniform and also spoke in such an unpleasant way, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s old hatreds and new grudges immediately added together.


    Killing intent rose in his heart, but his face instead showed a slight smile. He paid no attention to the man and walked directly onto the mountain.


    The man saw that such a shabby and ragged-looking boy actually dared to ignore him, and immediately flew into a rage. He lunged forward to kick Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Dantian4, only to hear a ¡°crack¡±¨C¨Chis leg was broken by the vital energy protecting Jiang Xunyi. The man¡¯s body flew backwards, landing heavily on the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi clicked his tongue: ¡°How¡¯d that feel?¡±


    What exactly just happened?! The man couldn¡¯t believe that the young man in front of him was actually capable of such a feat. He rapidly pulled out the personal sword at his waist, his fear and surprise temporarily overpowering his rage as he struggled to sit up.


    But he didn¡¯t have time to say anything when Jiang Xunyi already smiled and said: ¡°I¡¯m5 still standing, but you actually dare to sit? Very brave of you.¡±


    With the elegance of his walking posture and the fluttering of his clothes, his bearing was that of a debonair nobleman who stood out from the common masses, even as he directly moved to ¡°gently¡± step onto the man¡¯s body.


    Jiang Xunyi had always been unrelenting and merciless when it came down to business. This step was infused full of real power and instantly stopped that man¡¯s pulse, while his own pace did not even pause as he drifted away.


    He had always prized his reputation, so all his acting like a fool was only because he had no other choice. He was happy to now be able to throw his weight around without having to conceal anything, even though the only witness had straight-up died. While walking onward, he faced the clear ice wall bordering the path up the mountain, using the reflection to tidy his hair out of habit.


    The hand tidying his hair did not retract for a long time.


    The person reflected in the ice wall wore clothing of passable quality, but it had been reduced to tattered rags. Like before, he was tall and lithe with an aura of delicate elegance6, it was just¡­¡­ His mouth was crooked and his eyes mismatched, along with blood smeared over his face that obscured his original features.


    In a stunned daze, Jiang Xunyi looked at the ice wall for a long time before he finally understood the reflected person was himself¡ª¡ªwhat the fuck, the Du family¡¯s elder brother shouldn¡¯t look like this, right?!


    He actually used this face to excitedly act cool? It would have been more merciful if lightning struck him instead7! That man just now was shaking the whole time¡ªcould it be that he wasn¡¯t afraid, but was instead actually laughing until he peed his pants?!


    Jiang Xunyi pressed his hand on the wall to cover his face. He could not calm his surging emotions for a long time.


    After a while, he slowly stood up and weighed his options for a moment. In the end, he tragically resigned himself and continued walking up the mountain with this face.


    This was a disguise anyway. Du Heng¡¯s mother was supposed to be an outstanding beauty within¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·, so hopefully his original face should not be so¡­. unusual. Though right now he still had proper matters to take care of, so staying low-key would be nice.


    I¡¯m not asking to look good, I¡¯m only asking to at least look like a human being¡­.


    The farther he traveled up the mountain, the more bustling his surroundings became. Jiang Xunyi moved extremely fast, darting through the crowd like a ghost even with the blue skies and shining sun overhead. Other people only felt their vision blur before he disappeared without a trace. Very quickly, he found his target and stopped behind the cover of a massive ancient tree.


    Jiang Xunyi leaned against the trunk and sat down. On the other side of the tree was a gathering of young disciples in the middle of lively gossip. Judging by the color of their outfits, they should be under the Solar Envy Sect. The mouths of these little brats, fresh out of the Jianghu, was often the easiest source of news.


    As soon as he sat down, he felt physical weakness setting in. He simply crossed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, basking in the sun while lazily listening to the chatting children behind him.


    Unexpectedly, the very first sentence almost made Jiang Xunyi jump up from his seat. He heard a hoarse boy¡¯s voice speaking: ¡°The way I see it, Sect Head Jiang really can¡¯t see the big picture! This Jiang Xunyi clearly reaped what he had sown. He got the punishment he deserved for his crimes, what¡¯s that have to do with our sect master? Sect Head Jiang just has to keep pestering and badgering! We went up the mountain this time to siege the Demon Sovereign, and were already somewhat short on staff. He doesn¡¯t help out, fine. But he even shouts and makes a fuss over wanting to snatch back Jiang Xunyi¡¯s corpse. What, would anyone actually keep that sort of thing? It¡¯s probably already been minced into paste!¡±


    The Sect Head Jiang he mentioned was Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Shidi8, named Jiang Molou. Both of them had been picked up as children by his Shifu, Immortal Master Ti Ming, and they also took the same last name as their Shifu¡¯s secular family. After Jiang Xunyi¡¯s rebellion, he had heard that Jiang Molou took over the East Hidden Spirit Sect and was continuously looking for him. It was only that he did not want to drag his brother down with his own infamous reputation, and therefore did not contact Jiang Molou at all before his death. He didn¡¯t expect that Jiang Molou would also come to this mountain at this time.


    As he frowned, he heard a girl whispering: ¡°You can¡¯t say it like that. There¡¯s nothing wrong with Sect Head Jiang caring for his elder brother. Plus if Jiang Shi¨C¨CI mean, if Jiang Xunyi was truly that bad, why would Sect Master be devastated to this extent after his death? Maybe there¡¯s some hidden secret behind all this or something¡­¡­¡±


    The previous boy was full of adolescent delusions9 and seemed to be one of Yun Xie¡¯s loyal stupid fans. He most hated hearing those words, and at once sarcastically replied: ¡°What do you mean by that? Our sect master is devastated because he cherishes both personal affections and greater justice. As a member of the Solar Envy Sect, you¡¯re actually speaking on behalf of that villain? Hmph, it¡¯s only because of his ¡®first under the heavens¡¯ face, isn¡¯t it?!¡±


    ¡°You! What nonsense are you spouting?!¡±


    Another person hurriedly tried to mediate: ¡°Don¡¯t quarrel, don¡¯t quarrel. Look, our sect master and Sect Head Jiang are over on that side, how about we hasten over there?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced in the direction he was pointing. He rose and darted away, incidentally brushing a phoenix flower off his sleeves.


    The young man who spoke first refused to give up the issue. He was just about to denounce the ¡°Sect Head Jiang who can¡¯t see the big picture¡± some more, when he suddenly felt a burning pain searing across his face. He touched the area to feel blood dripping off his face.


    As he froze from shock, someone next to him pointed at him and exclaimed in surprise: ¡°Shixiong, what hit you just now was¡­ was¡­ a flower petal!¡±


    Yun Xie and Jiang Molou were rare experts in the cultivation world, so Jiang Xunyi of course could not be as casual in front of them as he had been just now. He stopped his footsteps upon seeing those two people from a long distance away. Drawing in his spiritual power, he simply walked over at a natural pace like any other ordinary person.


    Both sides of the dispute were eminent figures, so there were quite a few people stretching their necks to watch the fun from the side. When Jiang Xunyi walked over, the surrounding people were watching with great pleasure. No one paid attention to him, so he concealed himself behind a large man and silently looked over.


    Although Jiang Molou had already taken the responsibility of Sect Head, he was still wearing the same robe of all Hidden Spirit Sect disciples, light blue with ocean wave patterns. At this moment, he was using his sword to prop himself up. His face did not look good; it appeared that he had suffered some losses. His phoenix eyes10, cold and dark, glared unrelentingly at Yun Xie: ¡°Are you going to give it over or not?!¡±


    On the other side, Yun Xie was in even more haggard shape. He had become quite a bit thinner and now looked emaciated, with one foot already in the grave. If this world had heroin, Jiang Xunyi would even think he¡¯d been taking drugs.


    Yun Xie looked straight at Jiang Molou¡¯s face, as if he wanted to find something on his body. After a moment, he lowered his gaze: ¡°Never.¡±


    Jiang Molou wiped the fresh blood by his lips. His face heavy, he unsheathed his sword. A disciple next to him exclaimed: ¡°Sect Head Shixiong, you¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou waved his hand to interrupt him, and coldly said: ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was lined with exhaustion. His speech carried an undercurrent of dull apathy, as he flatly said: ¡°Do as you please.¡±


    His hands behind his back, he turned away and moved to leave, as if this world would never again have anything that would attract his interest.


    Jiang Molou gathered his energy: ¡°Yun Xie! You better not think I¡¯m joking, look at this!¡±


    Yun Xie did not look back, but a disciple by his side exclaimed: ¡°It¡¯s the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac11! Sect Master, Sect Head Jiang is¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s voice was ice cold: ¡°That¡¯s right. Below this mountain is the Imprisoned Demons Valley. If I crush this Myriad Souls Bag here, its aura of fury will leak, inevitably breaking the seal outside the Imprisoned Demons Valley and killing the people here. Yun Xie, he sent a letter to me before he died, saying that if one day he died under your hand, I do not need to avenge him. But if you force me, I won¡¯t care about that anymore.¡±


    Yun Xie hurriedly turned back around: ¡°He sent a letter to you? Where is it? Give it to me!¡±


    Jiang Molou: ¡°Already torn to pieces.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s fury rose: ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    Seeing Yun Xie¡¯s emotional fluctuations, Jiang Molou¡¯s own mood improved somewhat. He spoke indifferently: ¡°He¡¯s already dead, what use is there to preserving his letters? Yun Xie, don¡¯t make me remind you¨C¨Cyou were the one who killed him. What are you doing all this pretending for?¡±


    As if he had received a heavy blow, Yun Xie retreated two steps. A layer of black aura flitted across his fair and handsome face, and blood suddenly spurted from his mouth.


    ¡°Sect Master!¡±


    ¡°Shixiong!¡±


    Several people stepped forward to support him, and Jiang Xunyi could not help but frown slightly. Even though he had been killed by Yun Xie, it was an ending that had long been set in stone by the book. His own death wish had of course played a factor too. Still, they had been dear brothers who grew up together. When Yun Xie¡¯s sword stabbed his chest, some feelings of frustration and depression were inevitable. But the person in front of him becoming like this was something far outside of his expectations.


    This was not a good thing, both for his plan to depend on the protagonist and for the existence of this entire book world.


    Extreme hatred built up in Jiang Molou¡¯s heart, and he turned a blind eye to Yun Xie¡¯s current state. He raised up the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac: ¡°To the Sect Master Yun so revered for his righteousness¡­ Since you killed my big brother for the ¡®common people under the heavens¡¯, then you shouldn¡¯t be able to just stand by and watch all the people on this mountain being reduced to dust because you wouldn¡¯t hand over a corpse, right?¡±


    Yun Xie pushed away the people next to him and stood up. Upon listening to Jiang Molou¡¯s words, he suddenly laughed out loud: ¡°As matters stand today, how could I care about anyone else? Ah-Xun is no longer here, there is nothing else in this world worth my time. If you want to destroy it, go ahead! If everyone dies, that¡¯ll be a clean ending!¡°


    After he said this, gasps of shock rang out all around him. There was no one in the world who didn¡¯t know the sheer power of the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s magical weapons. This Jiang Molou was also famous for his obstinate stubbornness. Who would have thought that when facing disaster, Yun Xie would actually have this attitude? The surrounding audience immediately went into an uproar. Some bitterly pleaded with Jiang Molou, some rushed to Yun Xie to speak. Jiang Xunyi sucked in a deep breath and had just taken a step, when he heard the sound of decadent and vulgar music at the foot of the mountain.


    Xuan Li!


    Footnotes:


    1. ÌáÆø lit. ¡°raise air¡±. In ancient/Wuxia settings, it refers to the technique of gathering energy (Qi) to use one¡¯s Lightness Skill (ÇṦ) to move really fast, climb walls, etc.


    2. ʦ¸¸ (sh¨© f¨´) lit. ¡°teacher father¡±. I¡¯m assuming everyone knows what a Shifu is, but yeah it¡¯s basically one¡¯s master in martial arts, who takes on a fatherly role.


    3. originally ÏÉʦ (xi¨¡n sh¨©): ÏÉ = ¡°immortal¡±, ʦ = ¡°master/teacher/expert¡±


    4. µ¤Ìï (d¨¡n ti¨¢n) lit. ¡°Cinnabar/Elixir Field¡± = region in the body where a person¡¯s Qi is concentrated. Most novels refer to the lower dantian, located three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel.


    5. Jiang Xunyi here refers to himself as ¡°±¾×ù¡± (b¨§n zu¨°) lit. ¡°this seat¡±. This is a very arrogant/proud way to refer to yourself, kind of like you¡¯re declaring yourself to be a super important person. In the future I will likely leave this as ¡°I¡±, but the associated sentence will have a generally proud tone.


    6. ÓñÊ÷ÁÙ·ç lit. ¡°a jade tree facing the wind¡±


    7. This is a derivative of the punny phrase ¡°×°B±»À×Åü¡±, which literally translates to something like ¡°If you pompously show off when pretending to be cool, you¡¯ll be struck by lightning¡±. I can¡¯t even try to translate the pun¡­


    8. ʦµÜ (sh¨© d¨¬) lit. ¡°disciple younger brother¡± = junior fellow male apprentice. Again, I don¡¯t want to keep spamming ¡°disciple younger brother¡± over and over, so I decided to keep this as ¡°Shidi¡±.


    9. Öжþ lit. ¡°second year of middle school¡± is a borrowed term from Japanese; you might know it better as ¡°chuunibyou¡± or ¡°chuuni¡±. Refers to that phase everyone goes through in adolescence where you either act like a know-it-all and look down on others, or have delusions of magical powers.


    10. ·ïÑÛ lit. ¡°phoenix eyes¡± = elegant, almond-shaped eyes with the inner canthus pointing down and the outer canthus up. Something like this:


    11. ÊÉ»êÍòÆÇÄÒ: ÊÉ = ¡°to devour¡±, »ê = the immortal/Yang/masculine parts of one¡¯s soul that leaves the corpse after death, Íò = ¡°ten thousand¡±, ÆÇ = the mortal/Yin/feminine parts of one¡¯s soul that stays with the body after death, ÄÒ = ¡°bag, sac, purse¡±

 CH 5

    Chapter 5 ¨C Demon Sovereign Xuan Li


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart shivered and he paused his footsteps. Even Yun Xie and Jiang Molou stopped talking.


    As the music gradually approached, a band of people slowly walked over. The man who led the pack wore a red robe that contrasted with his white hair. His facial profile was clear and distinct, but the corner of his eyes had an air of unrestrained nefariousness. His one-sided collar stood tall, giving his overall appearance a few shades of grotesque eccentricity. This was precisely the Demon Sovereign Xuan Li who had already died in the Heart Demon1 Cave.


    Xuan Li surveyed all around him, and laughed out loud: ¡°Sect Master Yun, long time no see. How did you get into this shape? Seeing you like this truly pacifies my anger.¡± He smiled and turned to look at Jiang Molou. He was just about to say something when he suddenly froze, having discovered he had recognized the wrong person. He looked to Yun Xie: ¡°Where¡¯s that good brother of yours, the eldest young master Jiang, Jiang Xunyi?¡±


    The color drained from Yun Xie¡¯s face and he didn¡¯t speak. The disciple next to him was that boy with adolescent delusions who had just been ¡°disciplined¡± by Jiang Xunyi. At this time, his face was still wounded in action. His scar had not yet healed and he¡¯d already forgotten the pain; he loudly replied: ¡°Jiang Xunyi abandoned his previous principles and sought help from the Demons to hurt my Sect Master. Sect Master has already exterminated him! You evil villain, if you refuse to repent, you will meet this same end!¡±


    When he said this, the crowd of Hidden Spirit Sect members behind Jiang Molou all glared angrily at him. Some even drew their swords, but were stopped by Jiang Molou. But Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s expression froze, and it was a while before he said: ¡°What¡­¡­did you say?¡±


    The boy stared blankly. Xuan Li could not get an answer from him, and asked again: ¡°Who died? Jiang Xunyi? Jiang Xunyi died?!¡±


    His voice grew louder and louder, directly quaking and buzzing in people¡¯s ears. The crowd of people were forced back by Xuan Li¡¯s imposing grandeur, and no one answered him.


    In the end, Xuan Li actually started to laugh hysterically: ¡°Hahahaha! A good death, a good death!¡± He looked up at Yun Xie: ¡°That kid has always been savage, arrogant, and condescending. As the lord of the Demons, I actually don¡¯t know when he sought help from over here! Interesting, very interesting!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had been surprised at seeing this man about to shoot his cheap mouth off2. However, his understanding of this book¡¯s plot had stopped at his own death. He did not know if Xuan Li really was supposed to come back to life, if Yun Xie was supposed to later find out the truth, etc. After briefly hesitating whether to stop him, he had already allowed Xuan Li to speak.


    Yun Xie tightly gripped the sword in his hand. Fresh blood ran down the cracked tiger¡¯s mouth, crossing the silver-white blade. A sharp-eyed person might notice that this sword was actually Jiang Xunyi¡¯s personal sword, named Extinguished Flower3. It was unclear where Yun Xie¡¯s own personal sword Bright River4 had gone.


    His lips moved to say something, but his voice was so hoarse he was almost inaudible. The disciple next to him had to translate: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li suddenly stopped laughing. His face twisted ferociously: ¡°Hmph, now there¡¯s only one of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage left, how could I not take advantage of your difficulties? None of the people here had better think about leaving this mountain alive, that¡¯s what I mean!¡±


    Jiang Molou once again clenched the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac in his hand, and coldly said: ¡°I just happen to have this intention too.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he abruptly recoiled from shock¡ª¡ªhis right hand had not yet pulled out his sword, but his left hand was suddenly empty. Someone actually stole the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac right under everyone¡¯s eyes! Immediately afterwards, the back of his head was briskly slapped; it didn¡¯t hurt, but the area instantly turned red.


    Although Jiang Molou¡¯s reputation was slightly inferior to that of his brother Jiang Xunyi, that was because of his cold and alienating personality as well as his ceaseless preoccupation with cultivation. Speaking on martial strength alone, he could even fight toe-to-toe with Yun Xie.


    In his entire life, he had simply never come across anyone effortlessly stealing an object right out of his hand. There were only two possibilities. The first was that this person was very familiar with his habitual movements, but those who met this condition had all died. The second possibility was that this person was unfathomably powerful.


    Jiang Molou¡¯s heart quaked inside, but his face still bore that frozen look. He looked up, wanting to see the appearance of this attacker.


    ¡­¡­He couldn¡¯t see clearly.


    Facing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s completely blood-smeared and tactfully difficult to distinguish facial features, even the most discerning eyes would have trouble seeing this person¡¯s true face.


    Jiang Molou: ¡°¡­¡­¡± What the hell is this creepy thing?!


    At the same time, the people behind him who didn¡¯t see the whole sequence of events began to yell: ¡°You lunatic brat, where¡¯d you come from? Hurry and get lost!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Even daring to make trouble here, this kid must be crazy and tired of living!¡±


    With one hand behind his back, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s other hand shook the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac in front of him. He slowly drawled: ¡°If I were you, I would never say something so rude to an opponent holding a lethal weapon. Completely neglecting the reality of the current situation like this¡­ In the end, who¡¯s the crazy one here?¡±


    With these words, silence fell over the crowd.


    Two figures rushed out from behind Yun Xie, attacking Jiang Xunyi from both sides and yelling: ¡°Childish buffoon, you don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth! Hurry and put the thing in your hand down!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi let out a long laugh, before his face abruptly turned serious. He waved his sleeve and shouted: ¡°Get lost!¡±


    The two men had not yet come close when they were already shaken away by a powerful spiritual wave. They rolled away, dizzy to the point where they could not get up for a long while.


    These two people were from small cultivation sects only here for backup, and were not under the Solar Envy Sect. Upon receiving this ¡°discipline¡±, they had only themselves to blame, and Yun Xie did not look at them. Instead, he quickly advanced forward two steps, only staring at Jiang Xunyi. He spoke with gravity: ¡°Who¡­¡­are you?¡±


    His expression was full of respect and awe. Only the tremor in his voice could not be hidden no matter what.


    Jiang Molou saw Yun Xie¡¯s reaction, and suddenly seemed to understand something. He also turned his head sharply to peer at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face.


    Jiang Xunyi stood with his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky, completely ignoring these two people. At this time, Xue Yingzhi, the little angel who had just come home, slowly shuffled over and considerately whispered to Yun Xie: ¡°Shixiong, this is the Du clan¡¯s eldest young master, Brother Du Li. As I understand it, these past few days he suddenly fell seriously ill and his mind became somewhat muddled. That¡¯s why¡­ his behavior is¡­ slightly abnormal.¡±


    Xue Yingzhi normally never told lies, and Yun Xie was also clear about the situation. The light in his eyes died again. He laughed bitterly with a few shades of self-deprecation, and shook his head. His heart filled with bleak sorrow and his vision blurred; he simply stabbed his sword into the ground and sat straight down.


    These past few days, his internal breathing and circulation had been unstable. Now this agitation of his emotions caused stagnation and nausea to build up in his chest. With these faint signs of Qi deviation5on top of his complete dejection and despondency, he only wished to die. Unfortunately, staying alive still had a bit of use. Yun Xie could only sit cross-legged and close his eyes to start recuperating his spiritual power, upon which he immediately stopped sensing the fighting in the outside world.


    Jiang Xunyi half-smiled, his expression irreverent. This was his original signature expression. If this was placed on his previous peerlessly handsome face, most of the female cultivators on this mountain who had just condemned him would likely ¡°defect to the enemy.¡± Unfortunately, right now this glorious appearance was too ¡°creative.¡± Ordinary people¡¯s aesthetics were incapable of appreciating this honor, and found it extremely strange (to say the least). Some of the people who had rushed out to denounce him looked at the two brothers now lying on the ground, and their footsteps subconsciously shrunk back.


    Jiang Xunyi was now self-aware, so he understood what he must look like right now. He continued to endure it. In any case, he did not take off the disguise from his face¡ª¡ªif this Du Heng¡¯s true face was even uglier than the disguise of his big brother, what could he even do at that point?


    Melancholy rose in his heart and he lowered his head. He let out a sigh and casually murmured: ¡°¡®Each passing spring reminds us of our finite lifetimes.¡¯6 Back in the day, the summit of our mountain had admirable and outstanding figures like the Three Saints. Today, my humble self7only wants to ask if there are still heroes in this world.¡±


    After saying this, he shook his head and put the Soul-Devouring Myriad Souls Sac away into his clothes.


    No matter how twisted and dark this thing was, it was still a treasure of the Hidden Spirit Sect passed down from generation to generation¡ªhow could others be allowed to encroach upon it? Jiang Molou¡¯s sword power soared and he yelled out a ¡°Put that down!¡± With the force of storm and thunder, he had already rushed to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s front.


    Xuan Li¡¯s temper was originally poor. At the same time as Jiang Molou¡¯s attack, this Demon Sovereign also struck with his palm, sneering: ¡°Where¡¯d this lunatic come from? He really can exaggerate!¡±


    Both of these men were mighty experts in the current cultivation world. Even before hitting Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, this sword and palm had already created enough energy to make the surrounding grass and rocks fly everywhere, pelting the nearby cultivators. Almost all of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s routes for retreat were completely sealed.


    Jiang Xunyi lightly tapped his toes. Amidst all his busyness, he fiercely rolled his eyes at Jiang Molou. This dolt! He can go all out to forcibly improve his cultivation despite internal injuries, fine. But this time he¡¯s going all out to cooperate with this villain against his own Shixiong! If this idiot had to go to market, he¡¯d probably end up getting his own pants scammed away.


    Jiang Xunyi refused to think about whether this round of complaints was actually reasonable. His figure leaned askance and he flew through the air, aiming his fingertips towards the space between Jiang Molou¡¯s brows.


    Between the eyebrows was exactly the location of Jiang Molou¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel8. Alarm bells rang in his mind and he subconsciously dodged sideways, instantly creating an opening in their encirclement.


    Jiang Xunyi quickly turned around to clash palms with the Xuan Li coming at him from behind. He borrowed this force to make his entire body fly out that opening, as smooth and graceful as a floating leaf. With a shake of his sleeves, he landed steadily on the ground.


    During this exchange of blows, shocked exclamations had already risen from the observing crowd. Someone shouted: ¡°He is not the eldest young master Du! That trick he made was clearly the Solar Envy Sect¡¯s Flowing Sun Finger!¡±


    Another person refuted him: ¡°Pah! Are you blind? That lunatic¡¯s body method9 is clearly the Du clan¡¯s Brushing Willows Secret Technique!¡±


    Yet another person hurriedly said: ¡°Don¡¯t quarrel, don¡¯t quarrel, hurry and watch! These few blows he exchanged with Sect Head Jiang¡­ don¡¯t they look like the Sumeru10 Palm Method11 of Floral Moon Temple12?¡±


    In an instant, Jiang Xunyi had already used numerous martial exercises. The crowd was completely dazzled and could no longer recognize them clearly. While parrying off Jiang Molou¡¯s sword, Jiang Xunyi managed to find the time to glance at the onlooking masses out of the corner of his eye. He felt a vague sense of superiority, something like ¡°all you mortals are far too stupid and ignorant.¡±


    Who is he? Jiang Xunyi¡ªthat is, a reader of this book. Although he didn¡¯t finish reading it, he still had quite a bit of omniscient perspective. In particular, he had been extremely fascinated with the various moves in the book, so he had carefully examined and analyzed these when reading. Then after transmigrating, he had cultivated all the way from childhood and built a foundation for these moves. The martial arts of multiple sects were now at his fingertips. In just a few minutes, he could cross over between seven or eight sects¡ªhow could they recognize them all?


    A bunch of fools.


    Footnotes:


    1. ÐÄħ (x¨©n m¨®) lit. ¡°heart demon/devil¡±. Probably better thought of as Inner Demons. Rather than literal demons or devils, these are a practitioner¡¯s negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation. (Credits to https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/)  In this case, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li literally named his cave after this phenomenon.


    2. ×ì¼ú lit. ¡°cheap/lowly/base mouth¡±. Basically means this guy loves to spout provoking and mean bullshit. Please let me know if you have a better way to translate this lol.


    3. Ã𻪠(mi¨¨ hu¨¢): Ãð= ¡°extinguish, go out, destroy¡±; »ª = ¡°magnificent, extravagant, flowery¡±


    4. Ã÷ºÓ (m¨ªng h¨¦): Ã÷ = ¡°bright, wise, open, light¡±; ºÓ = ¡°river¡±


    5. ×ß»ðÈëħ lit. ¡°to catch fire and be entered [possessed] by devils¡±. A state wherein the cultivation base becomes dangerously unstable, causing internal damage to the body and symptoms of psychosis. People who succumb to their Internal Demons, who practice cultivation/martial arts incorrectly, or who rashly use forbidden arts are all at risk of falling into this state. Again, credits to Immortal Mountain


    6. The original was ¡°Ò»ÄêÓÖ¹ýÒ»Äê´º£¬°ÙËêÔøÎÞ°ÙËêÈË¡±, which is from a Tang dynasty poem by Song Zhiwen. It more literally means something like ¡°after one year goes by, it will soon be the spring of another year; humans always yearn to live a hundred years, yet you never hear of anyone actually living that long.¡± Please let me know if you have a smoother translation


    7. Jiang Xunyi refers to himself here as ¶Åij lit. ¡°A certain Du¡±. This is a humble way to refer to yourself (inserting your last name in place of Du of course), basically divesting yourself of any claim to titles or honors. In the future I¡¯ll probably try to keep this as ¡°I¡±, and make the surrounding sentence have a humble tone.


    8. Á·ÃÅ (li¨¤n m¨¦n) lit. ¡°practice door¡±. Basically, as martial arts practitioners get more and more powerful, their body¡¯s endurance will also get stronger¡­ except there will always be one area that will be relatively weak in comparison. I chose to use Achilles¡¯ Heel since it¡¯s a pretty apt analogy.


    9. Éí·¨ (sh¨¥n f¨£) lit. ¡°body technique/method¡±. This is a martial arts method that uses the muscles of the waist, abdomen, chest, shoulders and back; there¡¯s a focus on how to properly run/stand still/jump/crouch/dodge/twist/collide etc.


    10. ÐëÃÖ (x¨± m¨ª) = Mt Meru or Sumeru, sacred mountain in Buddhist and Jain tradition


    11. ÕÆ·¨ (zh¨£ng f¨£) lit. ¡°palm technique/method¡±. This is a martial arts method that focuses on striking and defending with the palm (in contrast to the fist)


    12. Ô»ªËÂ: Ô = ¡°moon¡±, »ª = ¡°magnificent, extravagant, flowery¡±, Ë = Buddhist temple

 CH 6

    Chapter 6 ¨C A Play of Opponents


    As his fingers lightly swept away Jiang Molou¡¯s sword, half of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arm was starting to become numb. Jiang Molou was not inferior to him in skill; if Jiang Molou had not been previously injured and Jiang Xunyi did not rely on his understanding of the other¡¯s moves, he would not be an easy opponent at all. Not to mention there was still the relentless Xuan Li, who seemed to have received some unknown provoking stimulus and was now nonstop gnawing on him like a rabid dog. Jiang Xunyi originally only wanted to ¡°straighten his clothes and leave upon finishing his responsibilities, hiding his strength and identity1.¡± He did not expect that these two would join forces against him. Now it seemed like he himself should be included in his rant about how ¡°there are no longer any capable heroes in this world.¡±


    Numerous thoughts raced through Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind. As he saw Xuan Li smashing yet another palm over, he inwardly cursed. His anger rose and his right hand clenched into a fist, swinging over to meet it head-on. The might of his fist produced a vigorous rippling wind, yet he only struck empty air.


    Jiang Xunyi abruptly looked back to see that Xuan Li¡¯s palm strike was actually aimed straight at Yun Xie, who was still controlling his breath on the ground!


    It turned out that while Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had been fighting with Jiang Xunyi on the surface, on the inside he had been nursing a burning hatred for Yun Xie since he heard what had recently happened. He naturally would not let go of this newfound opportunity to get rid of Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi did not know exactly how Yun Xie had been injured or what exercises he was doing. All he saw was that this fellow wasn¡¯t dodging, sitting there stock still as if he didn¡¯t want to live. Jiang Xunyi immediately panicked. He didn¡¯t know whether this panic was because he had followed the plot to help the protagonist so much over all these years that it had become a conditioned reflex. In any case, by the time his mind had reacted, his body had already rushed over to grab Yun Xie and roll them away, evading that mountain-splitting and rock-shattering palm by Xuan Li. But they were blown by the aftershock of Xuan Li¡¯s palm and Jiang Xunyi had overshot the roll¡ª¡ªthe two of them rolled straight off the cliff.


    However, everyone knew that a mere fall off a mountain cliff could not kill two martial arts experts, so Xuan Li mercilessly flew forward to strike with another palm. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even have time to say a ¡°Fuck¡±; he could only bitterly store his energy to try and meet it. Unexpectedly, the Yun Xie he was carrying suddenly stopped pretending to be dead and turned over to block for Jiang Xunyi with his back. Accelerated by this heavy force, the two men plummeted into the wreathing fog below the cliff.


    The sounds of shock, surprise, abuse, blame, and laughter on the cliff all mixed together. Seeing the Imprisoned Demons Valley approaching before his eyes, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s conditioned reflexes drove him to take the Extinguished Flower sword from Yun Xie¡¯s waist. He had just wanted to fly up on the sword2 when a new idea came to mind. He pulled the sword out of its scabbard instead, lighting up the valley with purple radiance. Waves of spiritual energy circulated, and the swift and fierce sword aura opened a tiny crack in the seal on the Imprisoned Demons Valley. Jiang Xunyi tightly clutched Yun Xie¡¯s injured and comatose body to dart into the gap.


    The enchantment automatically closed again in the blink of an eye.


    Everyone spoke of the Imprisoned Demons Valley as a place of limitless evils and dangers, and in the past few millennia no one had ever been able to leave. However, from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s perspective, there was no place under the sun that could trap him. Instead, it was the cliff that had a way too annoyingly complex situation with enemies and friends alike, which he wanted to temporarily avoid.


    As for Yun Xie, this was the protagonist, involved in his main goal of returning home. He had to take Yun Xie with him at all times for ¡°convenience of study.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes were tightly shut. Jiang Xunyi casually checked his wrist pulse3 and felt that while Yun Xie¡¯s injury was not light, he wouldn¡¯t die. He might as well not bother worrying, and ran to the nearby river on his own to wash his face.


    Upon washing the dust and blood off, the water surface reflected a handsome and refined face. This should be the appearance of this body¡¯s elder brother Du Li. Jiang Xingyi could sense he had actually been wearing a mask over his face this whole time.


    Unexpectedly, this Du Li was actually quite good-looking. But since Du Heng had already been disguised as Du Li, how did he get stained with all those ugly blotches? They looked to be¡­ deliberately covering up something.


    Jiang Xunyi frowned. He glanced back to check that Yun Xie still hadn¡¯t woken up, and then carefully began to take the mask off his face.


    He had previously heard that Du Li¡¯s mother Cheng Dan was a rare master of disguise, so it seemed like this mask should be her work. It was honestly a marvelous creation of masterful workmanship; if Jiang Xunyi hadn¡¯t been wearing it himself, he would definitely never have noticed its existence.


    Only after spending immense time and effort did he finally manage to remove the mask intact. Jiang Xunyi looked down at his reflection, and was immediately shocked stupid.


    The man in the water had fine eyebrows and handsome eyes with a look of quick intelligence and soft refinement. On his jade-like skin4, his facial features were exquisite and outstanding, peerless without lacking heroic spirit¡ª¡ªthis was clearly his own face!!!


    Du Heng actually looks exactly the same as Jiang Xunyi?! Then why had he never heard of this before? Was this the reason why he resurrected into this person¡¯s body?


    Was all of this a coincidence or¡­ a conspiracy?


    Jiang Xunyi had a hundred questions but no answers. He angrily put the mask back on his face. Even after recovering Du Li¡¯s appearance, he still felt this wasn¡¯t enough, so he grabbed some soil and smeared it on his face to recover that original weird look.


    When Yun Xie opened his eyes, he only felt severe pain all over his body. He blanked out for a moment, but quickly remembered how he had previously been injured by Xuan Li¡¯s palm.


    Yun Xie closed his eyes for a moment, feeling that his injury had not been taken care of. He scanned his surroundings and saw he was lying on an ice-cold mountain rock. He looked around further to discover that idiot with obscured facial features from before, currently holding a blade of grass in his mouth and snoozing away on the side.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s spot was dry and comfortable, warm and sunny. His face was still smudged with colorful blotches so his expression was not visible. But from his sitting posture alone, one could feel this person¡¯s coziness at this moment.


    This look, was actually a bit like¡­¡­


    Yun Xie¡¯s heart ached, and he immediately stopped that line of thinking. Still clutching his chest, he slowly stood up, walked over to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, and¡­ kicked his leg.


    Jiang Xunyi opened his eyes: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Of course he could hear Yun Xie¡¯s footsteps coming over, but anticipating that Yun Xie was going to assail him with a thousand questions, he was too lazy to pay him any attention. He therefore shut his eyes and feigned ignorance, and had not expected this kick at all.


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie had known each other since they were little, and they had always been equally famous. Before Jiang Xunyi¡¯s rebellion, they had definitely forged a deep and profound bond. All things considered, aside from that very last stab, Yun Xie usually did not show even a trace of acrimony towards Jiang Xunyi. So Jiang Xunyi had actually forgotten this protagonist¡¯s established characterization: appearing as gentle and refined as jade, but in fact bearing a vicious and ruthless disposition¡ªblack-bellied, cold-hearted, and just all-around extremely nasty to other people.


    Yun Xie spoke with a dull tone: ¡°How come Eldest young master Du¡¯s Lost Soul Disease still hasn¡¯t been cured yet? I previously once heard that this disease of yours fluctuates in severity. Just now on the mountain, your speaking manner still seemed fine and decent. How did you return to insanity so quickly?¡±


    Yun Xie was half-dead himself, how did he manage to still be so annoying?! If this was someone else, Jiang Xunyi would make him personally feel the truth behind the saying ¡°trouble coming from a loose tongue.¡± But since it was Yun Xie¡­ No, he still had to hide his identity to keep an eye on the protagonist.


    Their eyes met for a moment. Yun Xie¡¯s alertness secretly reached its peak, but Jiang Xunyi suddenly giggled and extended a hand, shouting: ¡°Give money! Give money!¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­What did you say?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi asserted eloquently: ¡°I just saved your life, you should give me money. In the past, when I saved Ah-Hu¡¯s life, Uncle Wang gave me a lot of copper coins! Give me money, I want to go home!¡±


    Full of doubts, Yun Xie sized him up, thinking: This person keeps oscillating between crazy and sane, is he truly pretending after all? What is his intention in following me? If he had malicious motives, wouldn¡¯t it have been more convenient for him to kill me while I was still unconscious just now?


    Yun Xie had always been the type to overthink matters. He never trusted other people easily, and was by no means easy to hoodwink. Fortunately, back on the cliff Yun Xie had been completely focused on his injuries to the point where he did not pay any attention to the clamor around him. Later when Jiang Xunyi moved against Jiang Molou, Yun Xie naturally hadn¡¯t seen his skills then either. If it weren¡¯t for these lucky coincidences, suspicion would have long since risen in Yun Xie¡¯s heart.


    He had already envisioned numerous possibilities within the blink of an eye, but his outer expression did not change. He continued probing with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s newly given information: ¡°Ah-Hu? Who is that?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi excitedly said: ¡°That¡¯s the old sow raised by Uncle Wang!¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He took a deep breath, and smiled slightly: ¡°Is that so?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had just opened his mouth to speak when he saw Yun Xie¡¯s hand suddenly move with lightning speed, aiming to grab his throat. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s natural reflex to this surprise motion would be to parry, but he fortunately had amazing self-control. His right hand trembled slightly but he forced himself to hold back, allowing Yun Xie to pick him up by the collar.


    Yun Xie¡¯s previous smile had now completely disappeared without a trace. He fixed his gaze on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face and spoke with ghastly seriousness: ¡°Cut out all the acting like a crazy idiot. I¡¯m asking you: Just now when Xuan Li attacked us with his palm while we were on the cliff, you swept your hand horizontally, first drawing an arc in the air before reversing your palm to counter¡ª¡ªThis move is clearly, is clearly, the sole creation of the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Jiang Xunyi, so how do you know how to use it?! What relationship do you have with him?¡±


    His emotions turbulent, he raised Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body high into the air. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s toes were exactly at the level of Yun Xie¡¯s shins. He didn¡¯t even know what was going through his mind but he had probably somehow gotten addicted to acting crazy, because some inexplicable impulse made him kick off Yun Xie¡¯s legs. His entire body started rocking back and forth around the axis of Yun Xie¡¯s raised arm, as if he was playing on a swing.


    Jiang Xunyi gave himself the accompanying sound effects: ¡°Wheee¡ª¡ª¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Now he kind of believes this person is actually crazy!


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Fuck, could it be that after switching into this body, Du Heng¡¯s insanity has infected him?


    Like he had touched something dirty, Yun Xie snapped his wrist to throw Jiang Xunyi away. He normally appeared to run the whole gamut of emotions in conversation without any problems, but in actuality this was only his attitude towards Jiang Xunyi. Ever since Ah-Xun¡¯s death¡­. His heart had been reduced to ashes, and all his patience gone with it.


    Yun Xie moved forward to step onto Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest. He applied pressure and spoke with the utmost coldness: ¡°Speak! Who taught you that move?!¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t seen that familiar move, how could he have neglected his own safety to block Xuan Li¡¯s palm for this lunatic!


    A new idea appeared in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind. He put on a wretched and plaintive appearance: ¡°It was a big brother wearing light blue clothes. He was almost as tall as you and didn¡¯t like to laugh. He also carried a sword that was super shiny! Ah, this sword of yours looks a lot like his!¡±


    Yun Xie slowly took back his foot. He watched Jiang Xunyi struggle to sit up and make a big fuss over massaging his chest, before he whispered: ¡°It actually¡­ was really him¡­¡­ Why did he teach you? What exactly is your name?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pretended he didn¡¯t hear the first question. He patted his chest and said with pride: ¡°My name is Du Heng!¡± After saying this sentence, his expression immediately changed into panic: ¡°No, no, Second Mother5 said I can¡¯t tell others I¡¯m Du Heng, I should be called Du Li¡­ Right! My name is Du Li, I¡¯m Big Brother.¡±


    With Yun Xie¡¯s intelligence, he instantly caught the key points from those incoherent words. Remembering the Du family situation, he immediately reacted: ¡°So you¡¯re that child of the Du family head who¡¯s been dull-witted from birth¡­ This time you were sent to die in Du Li¡¯s place?¡± He smiled coldly, with unspoken ridicule: ¡°Not bad. Du Li usually seems like an honest and considerate person, I didn¡¯t expect this to be his true nature. Interesting.¡±


    Having completely lost interest in Jiang Xunyi, he offhandedly pulled out a silver coin and threw it to him, and then turned around to leave.


    Jiang Xunyi was sharp of sight and quick of hand; he rapidly rushed to cling onto Yun Xie¡¯s sleeves, shouting: ¡°You can¡¯t leave! You can¡¯t leave! That¡¯s way too little silver, you have to send me home!¡±


    An aura of fury flashed in Yun Xie¡¯s eyes, and his right hand was already pressed onto the sword hilt at his waist.


    Shit, you even want to hack at me with my own sword?!


    Footnotes (so much fewer than the last few chapters lol):


    1. ÊÂÁË·÷ÒÂÈ¥£¬Éî²Ø¹¦ÓëÃû literally translates to something like ¡°Having kept his word, he straightens his clothes and leaves; deeply burying his deeds and fame¡±. This was originally a line in the¡¶ÏÀ¿ÍÐС·[Ode to Gallantry] by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. I modified it so the translation is clearer and fits this context better.


    2. Óù½£ lit. ¡°driving/charioteering a sword¡±. In Xianxia novels, swordsmen often have the ability to control their sword enough to actually ride on it (kind of like standing on a surfboard lol), using it as a method of aerial transportation.


    3. Yes, according to traditional Chinese medicine, you can assess how healthy someone is by examining their pulse alone. I don¡¯t recommend trying this at home though


    4. This is white jade we¡¯re talking about, not green jade.


    5. ¶þÄï lit. ¡°second mother/lady¡±. This refers to how Cheng Dan is not the first wife of the Du family (vs. Du Heng¡¯s birth mother).

 CH 7

    Chapter 7 ¨C Dense Obscuring Fog


    Jiang Xunyi blurted out: ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve recognized it, this sword is that blue-clothed big brother¡¯s! You stole his sword, and now even want to hack at me¡­ Once he knows, he¡¯ll definitely become a ghost and come find you!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s entire body trembled. His facial expression wavering and volatile, he looked back at Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi was originally just offhandedly venting; he didn¡¯t actually expect that his own departed spirit would be able to shake this dignified protagonist. He was going to continue talking about something else when Yun Xie had already swiftly re-sheathed the sword.


    Yun Xie picked him up from the ground and straightened him up. He then took a handkerchief from his clothes and moved to wipe away the smudges on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face.


    Jiang Xunyi was first taken by surprise, but after considering it over, he felt he should trust the disguise skills of his cheap stepmother.


    As expected, Yun Xie did not notice the second mask layer. He had never seen Du Li before, so he now inspected Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. He did not find anything from this examination, and thus said: ¡°Speak clearly, what exact relationship do you have with that person? Why did he previously pass this palm method to you, and why would he be angry if I killed you? And¡­ How¡­ how do you know that he is no longer alive?¡±


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t die, how could he give his sword to another?¡± Jiang Xunyi brightened up: ¡°He passed his palm method to me because he likes me of course~ That big brother said he had a friend called Yun something something. He said I look just as cute as that friend of his, so he taught me awesome skills to beat people up!¡±


    He said this purely to disgust Yun Xie. As he talked, he constantly watched Yun Xie¡¯s face, eagerly looking forward to him showing an expression like he¡¯d eaten shit. He didn¡¯t expect Yun Xie to abruptly lower his head.


    Jiang Xunyi froze. One of Yun Xie¡¯s teardrops had already fallen onto the back of his hand.


    His tears were cold as ice, but Jiang Xunyi recoiled like he had been burned. He abruptly took a step back, his mood churning with complex feelings.


    Yun Xie quickly raised his head again. If his loss of self-control was seen by other people, he would certainly kill them without blinking an eye. But this time since Jiang Xunyi was an idiot who didn¡¯t understand anything, Yun Xue simply wiped his face calmly. He spoke as if nothing had happened: ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t kill you. Come over here and carry me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± All his emotions and sympathies just now were a goddamn waste.


    Yun Xie grew impatient: ¡°What are you standing there all distracted for? I am injured. You carry me and I¡¯ll tell you how to go home.¡±


    Acting the fool was not as cool as he had imagined. At the very least, seeing Yun Xie pull this bullshit but having no way to expose him was unimaginably miserable.


    Jiang Xunyi slowly walked over and reluctantly carried Yun Xie on his back, walking in the  direction he pointed.


    After their kerfuffle, both people now remembered: they were at the bottom of the Imprisoned Demons Valley, the most sinister place in legend. But after being here for a long time now, don¡¯t even mention any great demons, why had they not even seen a single ghostly shadow?


    However, since things had already reached this point, they could only go forward one step at a time.


    After walking for a while, Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to continue. He felt that Yun Xie was a complete dead-weight on his back.


    Normally, the two of them would squabble with each other and call out each other¡¯s bullshit¡ª¡ªhe had actually ordered a dignified novel protagonist around like a close manservant. He had never expected times to change like this; he had even been stabbed to death by this ¡°servant¡± once, and had now fallen to this extent. Thinking of this reversal in fortunes, Jiang Xunyi immediately felt an acute sense of unfairness. He purposely made his strides uneven, bobbing back and forth just to keep Yun Xie from staying comfortable.


    Yun Xie yelled: ¡°Walk more steadily!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi giggled: ¡°Are you dizzy? It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll twist your butt and you won¡¯t be dizzy anymore.¡± While he spoke, his right hand really did give Yun Xie a twist behind him.


    To be honest, Jiang Xunyi had always been a clean freak and never liked other people getting too close to him. But Yun Xie was an exception. Since childhood, the two of them had constantly swapped cultivation pointers and slain monsters together. They had eaten and slept together too many times to count. Despite the break in their relationship, this habit had long since been ingrained into Jiang Xunyi¡¯s behavior, so he did not feel there was anything wrong with his action just now. But Yun Xie did not know the truth. His entire body shook from outrage. If it wasn¡¯t for how he had not yet cleared up the relationship between Ah-Xun and this brat, he would have already killed this kid seven or eight times over!


    Yun Xia fiercely slapped away Jiang Xunyi¡¯s groping hand. Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t put off by the pain, and instead cheerfully said: ¡°White-clothed big bro, what¡¯s wrong with you? Last time my elder brother carried Xiao Wei, I saw him do this too, and then Xiao Wei immediately stopped shouting she was dizzy!¡±


    After the ¡°Ah-Hu¡± just now, Yun Xie absolutely did not want to know what this ¡°Xiao Wei¡± was!


    But even though he didn¡¯t want to know and didn¡¯t ask, Jiang Xunyi continued on his own: ¡°Xiao Wei is the most popular girl in our area¡¯s ¡®flower house¡¯1, though she doesn¡¯t look as pretty as you~¡±


    He even casually badmouthed this cheap elder brother of his who he¡¯d never met!


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yun Xie took a deep breath. After Jiang Xunyi¡¯s death, he had originally thought there was nothing left to love in his life and everything else would appear as meaningless as mist and smoke. But at this moment, he genuinely felt a deep and profound emotion from his very core: rage!


    The arms looped around Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck abruptly tightened into a stranglehold. Yun Xie was just planning to teach him a lesson when Jiang Xunyi had already let out an exaggerated shout and stumbled to sit down on the ground, incidentally throwing Yun Xie off his back.


    Yun Xie elegantly balanced on his tiptoes, sweeping his body horizontally and then standing firm. His face flushed with anger: ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi made a pitiful woebegone face: ¡°My foot hurts, I can¡¯t walk.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­If I strangle your neck, your foot will hurt?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Ever since I was little, I¡¯ve had a disease: the ¡®when someone moves my neck, my foot will hurt¡¯ disease.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Xie inwardly thought: Will I really be able to hold myself back from beating him to death? I¡¯m actually spending this much time wrangling with this madman?!


    Jiang Xunyi looked pitiful, his entire body shivering¡­ because he was about to faint from choking back his laughter.


    Yun Xie¡¯s face alternated between blue and white with rage. He finally flicked his sleeves and turned around, taking the lead to walk in front.


    Pleasure rose in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart and he agilely stood back up. In high spirits, he loyally followed behind Yun Xie with dexterous movements.


    Yun Xie seemed to have completely conceded defeat. He no longer bickered with him and walked silently in front. His injuries were not light, so he was very easy to walk behind. After following him for a while without anything happening, Jiang Xunyi finally had the spare time to make sense of this recent series of events.


    Up until now, the System had been as silent as the dead, without any news whatsoever. He didn¡¯t know if this was a bug. To be honest, this thing not making its usual clamor wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing; it was just that he had no way of knowing what plot events would happen next. Right now he could only first observe the situation with Yun Xie.


    Currently what made him most uneasy was¡­¡­.Why was the inside of the Imprisoned Demons Valley actually this calm? Not just calm¡ª¡ªhe could even sense the faint aroma of food and the hawking shouts of street vendors coming from the distance.


    Yun Xie minded his own business to walk on his own. Upon hearing that the man by his side had quieted down, he instead felt unused to this silence. He turned around slightly to see Jiang Xunyi walking half a pace behind him, a frown on his face.


    When this person was silent, he actually looked decent, without a trace of idiocy. Despite the ragged clothing draped over his body, his height and slenderness on top of his elegant posture actually gave him a slight air of gracefulness. Cleaned of bloodstains, that handsome face at this moment had a rare depth to it, with some¡­¡­ indescribable and inexplicable familiarity.


    Without changing expression, Yun Xie watched him for a while. Before Jiang Xunyi could notice, he turned his head back and fiercely shut his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi had not heard wrong just now. After walking for a long while, they really did come to a bustling town, with people coming and going on the streets. There was no hint of demonic energy whatsoever. Yun Xie¡¯s dashing eyebrows arched slightly. He seemed to also feel some uneasiness. He gently pressed an area below his collar and hesitated for a moment, before finally signalling Jiang Xunyi to follow him forward.


    Jiang Xunyi saw this action and quietly thought: I don¡¯t know what precious treasure is hanging on Yun Xie¡¯s neck. I¡¯ve only been with him for such a short period of time and this fellow¡¯s already touched it three times. Hmph, I¡¯ll have to grab it over and make Yun Xie anxiously jump around for it!


    He narrowed his eyes to glance at it again, but the pendant was blocked by Yun Xie¡¯s collar. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t see it clearly. Instead, he noticed that Yun Xie¡¯s face seemed to be getting worse and worse, to the point where he looked like he was about to bite the dust.


    Jiang Xunyi certainly knew Yun Xie had been badly wounded, but how could Yun Xie call himself a protagonist without having a little endurance? As a result, Jiang Xunyi had avoided paying attention to him all this time. Now watching Yun Xie endlessly walking forward like a zombie, he was finally overcome with helplessness. He let out a low sigh and then plopped straight down to sit on the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi called out loudly: ¡°White-clothed big bro¡ª¡ª¡±


    The passersby surrounded them to watch. His face blue with anger, Yun Xie turned back and said coldly: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pointed to the shop next to him: ¡°I¡¯m hungry, I wanna eat~¡±


    A nearby onlooker wanted to laugh, but was swept by Yun Xie¡¯s gaze like cold lightning and immediately choked it back.


    Yun Xie did not say a word. He turned back, stepped up, and swept the curtain aside to enter the restaurant!


    Jiang Xunyi smiled happily and stood up from the ground to follow him in.


    The shop¡¯s waiter greeted them with a face full of smiles and an attentive manner. However, he didn¡¯t speak and only handed a menu to Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but look the waiter over, quietly guessing: ¡°Could this person be a mute?¡±


    Yun Xie did not ask him what he wanted. He instead adeptly ordered a table of dishes on his own, most of which were Jiang Xunyi¡¯s favorite foods. The two of them had extremely different dietary preferences. In the past, every time they went out to eat, Yun Xie would order dishes favoring Jiang Xunyi¡¯s tastes. Now that Jiang Xunyi was no longer here¡­ he didn¡¯t know if it was just out of habit or something else, but he still followed those old rules to order food.


    Originally, Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t actually want to eat anything; he had only planned this stop to let Yun Xie rest for a while. But now looking at the dishes in front of him, his interest rose. He lifted his robes to sit opposite to Yun Xie, picked up his chopsticks, and went to select a Jade Marrow Snow Baby2.


    Unexpectedly, Yun Xie suddenly extended his chopsticks to block him. He used internal strength to instantly snap Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chopsticks into two broken pieces: ¡°These are not for you to eat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi mustered his patience to ¡®ask for guidance¡¯: ¡°Then what should I eat?¡±


    Right at this time, the waiter carried over a bowl of white rice and placed it on the table. Yun Xie pointed his chopsticks at it: ¡°You eat this.¡± After a pause, he took a tiny saucer of complimentary pickles from his own side and put it between them: ¡°You may also pick from this.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Before he transmigrated, he had been a dandy son of rich parents. After transmigrating over and becoming a member of a prestigious sect, he had grown even more accustomed to living a life of luxury3. How could these kinds of things even enter his eyes? He simply threw his broken chopsticks onto the table and sulkily refused to eat.


    Footnotes:


    1. »¨Â¥ lit. ¡°flower house¡±. Usually means a fancy and exquisite building, but in this context it refers to a place for high-class escorts.


    2. ÓñËèÑ©Ó¤¶ù: I don¡¯t know what this is, or even what real food it might be based off of. Please let me know if you have any idea lol


    3. ½õÒÂÓñʳ lit. ¡°brocade garments, jade meals¡±

 CH 8

    Chapter 8 ¨C Thunderstruck by Bygone Events


    In the past, Jiang Xunyi had often been a picky eater. If he missed just one bite, Yun Xie would coax and plead with him nonstop. Now that he had changed his ¡°shell¡±, his treatment was as different as night and day. Jiang Xunyi threw away his chopsticks and sat detachedly on the side, but Yun Xie didn¡¯t even lift his eyes. He slowly scooped up a spoonful of rice¡ª¡ªYun Xie didn¡¯t touch the dishes in front of himself either.


    Awkwardness and discomfort rose in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart; he wasn¡¯t sure if it was out of resentment or melancholy. He couldn¡¯t help but humph: ¡°He¡¯s already dead, what use is there in pretending like this?¡±


    He blurted this out without thinking, and immediately cursed his own loose tongue. However, Yun Xie did not reply. He continued to shovel the rice in his bowl around as if he hadn¡¯t heard Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, though he didn¡¯t send any food into his mouth. After a moment, he put the spoon down too.


    The two of them sat wordlessly at this table of dishes that had barely been touched. The atmosphere was silent and strange. Instead, voices could be clearly heard coming from a nearby table of diners.


    One harsh and unpleasant voice was the loudest amidst the clamor: ¡°All of you guys are wrong. The way I see it, although that Solar Envy Sect Master Yun killed Jiang Xunyi, he didn¡¯t necessarily do it for some ¡®great righteous cause of slaying evil¡¯.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his brows imperceptibly, and a trace of a smile appeared on his face.


    Even Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but incline his head to glance at that table.


    The people at that table were in high spirits. They didn¡¯t seem to notice the two of them on the side, and continued to converse excitedly. A teenage boy spat: ¡°You can say this kind of gossip to us, fine, but whatever you do, don¡¯t say this outside. Sect Master Yun has countless fans; if someone else hears this talk, you¡¯re gonna get beat up.¡±


    The teenager paused. He seemed to be curious, and asked the same question lingering in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart: ¡°Moreover, I heard he and Jiang Xunyi were good brothers for many years, and their affections for each other ran deep. If Yun Xie didn¡¯t kill him for the cause of great righteousness, why did he do it then?¡±


    The big man chuckled roughly, sounding very vulgar, but refused to say anything until the other people at the table kept pressing him for more. Only then did he continue with an air of mystery: ¡°Brothers? Hehe, you really don¡¯t know a thing. Have you seen how that Sect Master Yun treated Jiang Xunyi? Do you feel those two truly seemed like brothers?¡±


    A slightly sedate voice said: ¡°The Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage had an illustrious reputation, and they used to be almost inseparable1. Anyone can bear witness to this. In my opinion, that Jiang Xunyi was extremely icy and arrogant, with a haughty sense of superiority. He didn¡¯t seem like someone easy to get along2 with. But you all know how Yun Xie always treated him¡ª¡ªJust by watching from a distance, you could see his look of love and care¡­¡±


    When he spoke up to that point, Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but shudder in revulsion. He had always gotten along with Yun Xie since they were children. He never felt there was anything wrong with this, but that person¡¯s mouth made those same words sound disgusting. He silently wanted to argue and curse, but when he thought about it carefully, he couldn¡¯t come up with a proper refutation. That person also seemed to realize the strangeness of what he was saying, and stopped talking mid-sentence.


    The big man with the harsh duck voice smiled instead. He lowered his voice: ¡°You felt something wrong, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s say they were good brothers. Have you ever seen Sect Master Yun ever treat a second person that well? You said Jiang Xunyi had an icy and arrogant disposition, but Sect Master Yun is himself a proud and favored son of heaven3. What, you think he isn¡¯t arrogant too? He also has a famously troublesome and difficult temper¡ªyou think he¡¯s that thoughtful and attentive to just anyone?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands had been playing with a teacup. When he heard this sentence, his hand could not help but tremble slightly, and the tea immediately spilled onto his hand. He frowned and put the teacup down. He glanced over at Yun Xie to find his expression completely blank; it was unclear if Yun Xie had heard those words just now.


    The previous teenager showed a look of repugnance: ¡°What are you saying? In the end, what are you trying to hint at?! You¡¯re making way too many groundless accusations4 here! Can you even tell anything from these crappy little details?¡±


    After being shouted at by him twice now, the man with the harsh duck voice grew angry and sneered: ¡°Fine, all of these are crappy details, what do you want to hear instead? How about I tell you, Yun Xie personally admitted he ¡®had intimate relations5 with Jiang Xunyi¡¯!¡±


    It was as if a Five Day Divine Lightning Tribulation6 had instantly struck Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head, rendering him utterly dumbstruck and stupefied. Fortunately, the teacup in his hand had already been put down, so he didn¡¯t make any more gaffes and barely managed to maintain the appearance of a fool.


    This ¡®intimate relations¡¯ can¡¯t be the same ¡®intimate relations¡¯ that he knows, right? This person probably means something like ¡®taking on the same surname¡¯7 , right??


    Otherwise, don¡¯t mention actually experiencing these things, he had never even heard about this before, okay?!


    And Yun Xie¡­ fuck, I simply can¡¯t imagine it. Is there some contagious craziness going through these people¡¯s heads? Would this shounen8novel¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·actually have things like Fudanshi9?


    The teenager was clearly also thunderstruck. Only after a long while did he finally stutter out: ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this is simply¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished expressing his thoughts when he was already kicked out of the way.


    The teenager was instantly indignant, but discovered his companion had already been kicked over by a tall man. That tall man now stepped on the duck voice¡¯s chest and shouted: ¡°What did you say?!¡±


    The duck-voiced man struggled to look up, and his face instantly lost all color: ¡°Yun Xie?!¡±


    When that name was spoken, the entire restaurant froze from surprise. Several bystanders had also recognized the man in front of them. As if someone had poured cold water onto their heads in the dead of winter, they felt a chill seeping into their bones from head to toe.


    One person who had previously remained silent now spoke up, his voice trembling with fear: ¡°Sect¡­ Sect Master Yun, I apologize for our offensive words just now, but¡­ but in fact, our hearts all hold you in the highest esteem. We only thought that villain Jiang Xunyi was really too despicable, actually biting the hand that fed him. Please, Sect Master Yun, forgive us, forgive us.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi curled his lip, he was used to this by now.


    Yun Xiu had originally been glaring at the man he was pressing on the ground. At this moment, he turned his head to stare menacingly at the person who had just entreated him, and lightly said: ¡°You¡¯re talking about Jiang Xunyi?¡±


    The man continuously nodded: ¡°Right! Right! I¡¯m talking about that immoral and conscienceless Jiang Xunyi, he¡¯s worse than a dog or pig! Even if you two once had that¡­ heh heh¡­ that past together, it must have been because he concealed his evil thoughts and tried in vain to seduce and bewitch you, he really is contemptible¡­¡±


    His voice spontaneously stopped and blood splashed onto the floor. When that man fell to the ground, his eyes were still opened wide with complete disbelief. It seemed he had never imagined Yun Xie would so easily take his life.


    Yun Xie stood in front of him, coldly recovering his sword and flicking the fresh blood off Extinguished Flower¡¯s blade: ¡°Asking for death!¡±


    The two ¡°Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage¡± were known for handling business with ferocity and ruthlessness, but they had always used their extraordinary talent for justice and chivalry, and also came from famous sects. Before Jiang Xunyi went renegade, they had an excellent reputation. No one could have imagined Yun Xie would kill people at the drop of a hat just for saying a few sentences. The people in the shop were instantly stunned. After a moment of dead silence, that person¡¯s companions shouted in both outrage and terror, and moved to surround Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi watched indifferently from the sidelines. He felt that though their skill didn¡¯t look to be low, these few people all had unfamiliar faces, so there shouldn¡¯t be any famous experts among them. Based on Yun Xie¡¯s normal ability, he¡¯d probably only need a few moments to subdue them.


    But Yun Xie was currently wounded, unable to use his full strength. After being besieged for several rounds, his previously graceful and quick body method was already worsening.


    Jiang Xunyi quietly sighed. He chucked the teapot on the table onto the ground, and threw a tantrum: ¡°Your fighting isn¡¯t even the tiniest bit fun to watch! Boring!¡±


    That teenager who had previously been thrown out by Yun Xie saw him expose a weak point in the fighting. Just as he drew his sword to stab Yun Xie, he felt his face sting with pain¡ª¡ªhis face had actually been badly scratched by the flying broken porcelain pieces of the teapot. He instantly flew into a rage: ¡°You idiot, you¡¯ve really got a death wish!¡± The force of his sword changed direction, slashing at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head. His move was fierce and quick, leaving no room to react¡ª¡ªhe obviously wanted to execute Jiang Xunyi under this sword.


    Jiang Xunyi turned and ran, screaming in horror: ¡°Ahhhhh!!! These entertainers are trying to kill people!¡±


    The teenager exploded with rage. He didn¡¯t care to wonder how this complete lunatic had avoided his blow of certain death. He flourished his sword to chase after Jiang Xunyi, and the two of them joined the brawl with Yun Xie and the others.


    Jiang Xunyi saw the sword edge slicing towards him, and simply dove forward. That teenager¡¯s sword hit empty air, so he rapidly strained to angle his sword down and stab again. At the same time, a black-clothed man behind Jiang Xunyi was annoyed by this idiot getting in the way. The black-clothed man also attacked with his palm, deciding to get rid of this moron before anything else.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands clasped his head to put on the appearance of fear, yelling: ¡°Two against one! Where¡¯s your principles?!¡±


    The teenager let out a sneer and was about to talk, but suddenly felt his left leg numb and then instantly lose all sensation. His body could not maintain balance and immediately fell over. He didn¡¯t know that Jiang Xunyi had utilized that flustered appearance of clasping his head as a smokescreen; with that motion, Jiang Xunyi had used his elbow to hit the Creek Divide and Supreme Rush acupoints10 on the teenager¡¯s ankle. Precisely in the moment when the teenager was stupefied, his skull was suddenly smashed by a palm.


    It was the exact palm that black-clothed man had shot at Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi calculated the angle between his two attacker¡¯s positions without the slightest error, used himself as bait, and perfectly lured the pursuing teenager into his companion¡¯s palm. That teenager did not even have the time to bitterly scream before his lifeblood gushed from his head11. The black-clothed man was frozen in place from shock. He had not yet retracted his outstretched hand when Yun Xie seized the chance to press his Jade Pillow acupoint12 from behind, and he immediately fell to the ground and perished too.


    Two enemies removed from the field in a mere moment¡ª¡ªAn undetectable smile passed across Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. Immediately after, he pretended to climb up from the ground in a confused panic. But he had always loved cleanliness; even though the clothes on his body were already tattered and broken enough, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his sleeves.


    Footnotes:


    1. ÐÎÓ°²»Àë lit. ¡°inseparable in both form and shadow¡±


    2. Ïà´¦ can mean either ¡°get along¡± or ¡°live together.¡±


    3. ÌìÖ®½¾×Ó lit. ¡°proud son of heaven¡±. The modern usage is referring to famous figures who have made significant contributions to humanity.


    4. ²¶·ç×½Ó° lit. ¡°chasing the wind and clutching at shadows¡±


    5. ¼¡·ôÖ®Ç× can mean both ¡°blood relations¡± and ¡°intimate relations from sexual intercourse¡± ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã)


    6. ÎåÌìÉñÀ× lit. ¡°Five Days of Divine Lightning¡±. I think this is referring to a specific type of Lightning Tribulation (lightning storms that the heavens send down on cultivators about to break through to a new level of power). Not super sure though.


    7. ͬÃûͬÐÕ lit. ¡°same name and same surname¡±. This is Jiang Xunyi¡¯s desperate attempt to interpret ¼¡·ôÖ®Ç× as ¡°blood relations¡± (as in, him and Yun Xie taking on the same surname and becoming legally related) instead of ¡°sexual relations¡±


    8. ÄÐƵÎÄ = novel aimed at boys, often with combat, conquest, picking up girls, etc. I didn¡¯t know how else to translate this, so I just borrowed the Japanese ¡°Shounen¡± (media aimed at boys 15 and under)


    9. ¸¯ÄÐ lit. ¡°rotten male¡± = men who like Boys¡¯ Love. I believe this term is borrowed from the Japanese ¡°Fudanshi¡± (the male counterpart to Fujoshi), so I just put that in.


    10. ѨµÀ ¡°acupuncture points¡±: Given the close relationship between acupuncture and Qi flow, acupuncture points are given some relatively mystical powers in Wuxia/Xianxia, from healing to unconsciousness to freezing one¡¯s body to instant death. Here, Jiang Xunyi hits the ½âϪ [Creek Divide] and Ì«³å [Supreme Rush] points on the dorsal side of the ankle¡ª¡ªdon¡¯t ask me what they¡¯re supposed to do lol.


    11. Okay the original term was ÆßÇÏÁ÷Ѫ, which means blood flowed from all seven openings in his head (the two ears, the two eyes, the two nostrils, and the mouth). I couldn¡¯t find a way to smoothly say this in English though


    12. ÓñÕíѨ lit. ¡°Jade Pillow Acupoint¡±, located on the back of the skull

 CH 9

    Chapter 9 ¨C Melee


    The other fighters had originally been terrified of Yun Xie. Now seeing their companions dying one by one, their formation dissolved into complete chaos. They quickly fell under Yun Xie¡¯s sword and palm, until there was only one person left.


    At this time, the shopkeeper, waiters, and other restaurant guests had already escaped without a trace. Aside from the floor of corpses, there were only Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi, and that very last still alive enemy in this empty hall.


    That man used both hands to point his sword at Yun Xie, but the tip of his sword shook incessantly. His gaze was fixed on Yun Xie as he tried to retreat, trembling in fear. After taking a few steps back, he accidentally stepped on the corpse of his companion and couldn¡¯t help but stagger. He immediately starting sobbing tragically1, out of terror or misery or both.


    Yun Xie¡¯s face had a look of utter apathy. His sword moved to slice without any change in facial expression. Aware of his own misfortune, that man gnashed his teeth and simply resolved to go all out before he died. Before Extinguished Flower cut into his body, he used all his strength to fling the sword in his hand at Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi watched indifferently from the side without an ounce of worry or concern. Only when the sword lost its momentum while nearing Yun Xie¡¯s neck and started to fall to the ground, did his eyes flash. He suddenly thought of something, and secretly shot a finger over to strengthen the sword aura. With a flash of white light, the blade grazed across Yun Xie¡¯s neck, leaving a shallow scratch of blood across that snow-white collar. The chain that had been continuously hanging around Yun¡¯s neck broke, and the pendant dropped off his chest.


    Yun Xie had already been badly wounded to start with, and had grown even more exhausted from spending so long desperately grappling with these enemies. After killing that man in front of him, he felt an acidic sweetness rising in his throat and almost vomited out blood. He hurriedly used his sword to support himself. He watched with wide eyes as his necklace broke, and he didn¡¯t have time to rescue the pendant from falling.


    Jiang Xunyi had taken advantage of him being off his guard to sneak attack him, intending to see exactly what was hanging around Yun Xie¡¯s neck. Having grown up together, the two of them knew each other very well, and Jiang Xunyi had never seen Yun Xie possess anything worth treasuring to this extent.


    As a result, when the pendant landed on the ground, he froze from shock.


    The pendant had originally been a rectangular object less than half a finger in length, delicate and fine. But as it continued to fall, it expanded in the air. When it finally slammed onto the ground, it stirred up dust and dirt. Jiang Xunyi finally realized: this was actually a coffin made of amethyst jade2!


    ¡­¡­


    Yun Xie actually hung a coffin as a ¡°heart-shaped locket¡± around his neck?! This is way too abnormal3!!


    However, Jiang Xunyi was not in the slightest mood for jokes. He already faintly had an unbelievable conjecture who would be in that coffin.


    Without caring for anything else, Yun Xie hurriedly rushed over to open the coffin, carefully picking up the person lying inside. This time Jiang Xunyi could see clearly: that corpse had facial features as beautiful as a painting, exquisitely handsome4 and incomparably familiar¡ª¡ªit was himself!


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind was completely blank. For a moment, he did not know how to react, and could only stare blankly at Yun Xie.


    Upon seeing that this still perfectly preserved body had not fallen apart from that quaking drop, Yun Xie finally let out a breath of relief. He gently supported the head of the corpse and placed it back inside. He lifted his hand, intending to close the coffin back up.


    But as his hand pressed the coffin lid, his eyes were still glued to that familiar yet strange pale face. He didn¡¯t move for a long time.


    Like he had been infected by Yun Xie¡¯s abnormality, Jiang Xunyi followed his gaze to stare at the corpse. He felt his back stiffening as if any movement would make his spine crack and rattle, while his heart had long since been overwhelmed with all this new information.


    A sea of scattered thoughts churned in his mind: What¡¯s Yun Xie staring at a dead man for? There¡¯s nothing good to look at! ¡­Heck I¡¯m a little terrified at this sight myself, how is his psychological quality5 so good¡­ Wait, no, what am I thinking, the point is¡­ The point is, what the fuck does he mean by this, I¡¯m already goddamn dead and he still won¡¯t let my body rest in peace, why hasn¡¯t he returned the corpse to Molou? Is he afraid he killed the wrong person and needs to keep checking? Fuck, I¡¯m gonna have to secretly think of a way to beat him up for this¡­


    His heart was a complete mess, and he himself didn¡¯t even know what he was thinking. Then he saw Yun Xie suddenly close his eyes, lean over, and gently kiss the corpse¡¯s forehead, before resolutely closing the coffin lid.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He looked at Yun Xie¡¯s back, at this silhouette that had grown significantly more gaunt. He couldn¡¯t decide whether to run up and give him a beating, or to hold him and cry on each other¡¯s shoulders together. He especially couldn¡¯t understand whether this person had been bewitched, or if he himself was hallucinating. Just while he was endlessly revolving between these thoughts¡­ Yun Xie suddenly clapped his scabbard, without even turning his head back. The radiance of the Extinguished Flower sword erupted as it rushed menacingly towards Jiang Xunyi.


    You deceptive bastard6!


    At this life-or-death instant7, Jiang Xunyi actually remembered a comment this book¡¯s author had once made evaluating Yun Xie: Yun Xie¡¯s mind is full of machinations, his methods vicious and merciless. His actions often go against others¡¯ expectations. If he is a friend, he will be your most reliable friend in the whole world. And if he is an enemy, he will likewise be your most terrifying enemy in the whole world!


    The First Law of the Protagonist: The protagonist can never die! No matter what horrible injuries they previously suffered, how much blood they¡¯ve lost, as long as the ¡°boss¡± hasn¡¯t been defeated, they will be able to eternally hold on using their ¡°one last breath¡± to continue fighting for another three hundred rounds.


    The Extinguished Flower sword moved with incredible momentum, while Jiang Xunyi was completely unarmed. Without even thinking, he leapt into the air and flipped to step onto the sword blade. His foot used force, and he actually stamped this personal sword that had followed him all his life down onto the ground.


    The Extinguished Flower sword hummed briefly and then stopped trembling. Yun Xie¡¯s figure moved swiftly, his fingers extending like a claw to grab Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. Jiang Xunyi flicked his toe to pick up the hilt and sent the sword flying back at Yun Xie. Yun Xie evaded to the side, and lifted his scabbard to catch and retrieve Extinguished Flower.


    Seeing Yun Xie use his own sword so smoothly, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s anger grew even further. He turned around, his tone bleak and gloomy: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie raised his sleeves to wipe a bloodstain by his lips. A trace of a smile played at the corner of his mouth as he measured up Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Finally stopped pretending? Heh, even I was almost fooled by you.¡±


    The smile on his elegant and handsome face should have been pleasing to the eye, but his eyes were frighteningly cold, creating an indescribably discomforting mismatch.


    Jiang Xunyi saw his accursed behavior and immediately knew: Yun Xie had killing intent. But he did not panic, only put his hands behind his back and lightly reminded him: ¡°Sect Master Yun, I saved your life.¡±


    Yun Xie sneered: ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t save me, I wouldn¡¯t necessarily die.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Okay that is actually true. This is the protagonist we¡¯re talking about, he¡¯ll always endure any beating.


    ¡°Moreover¡­¡­you rushed over yourself, what¡¯s that have to do with me!¡± Before he finished speaking, Yun Xie had already struck again, with his palm this time!


    Yun Xie had always been proud and arrogant, supremely self-confident in his own ability. Seeing Jiang Xunyi actually didn¡¯t have a weapon, he did not unsheathe his sword again, instead attacking with his bare hands.


    An aura of fury rose on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. He no longer dodged or evaded, instead meeting Yun Xie¡¯s palm directly. Their spiritual energy clashed, and several nearby tables and chairs instantly shattered into pieces.


    Yun Xie¡¯s smile widened and he gritted his teeth: ¡°Not bad, not bad at all, even using this move¡ªDid he teach you this too? Who are you? What exactly is the relationship between you two?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi switched styles, now using the Solar Envy Sect¡¯s move ¡°Surpassing Envy Thousand Bells¡±8. He sneered: ¡°I know way more than just this. If you want to know who I am, first beat me and then we¡¯ll talk!¡±


    Though his mouth was talking the talk, actually walking the walk was not that easy. Although Yun Xi was injured, he had extraordinary talent and extensive battle experience, plus the ¡°protagonist halo¡± was shining around his head like always. On the other hand, while Du Heng¡¯s body boasted plentiful spiritual energy, he had never undergone rigorous training. He had probably not practiced a single one of Tian Li¡¯s 38 Sword Techniques9. As a result, his current flexibility, explosive force10, and endurance were all far below Jiang Xunyi¡¯s past level. Even though his brain reacted as fast as always, his body could only physically reach about half of that reaction speed, so any parrying was quite laborious.


    In this kind of situation, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s most logical course of action would be to just keep delaying and drawing out this duel with Yun Xie. After all, the latter had recently suffered through numerous battles already; his physical strength was failing him, and he would likely collapse after just a little bit more time.


    But although Jiang Xunyi usually looked to be an undisciplined and casual person, his true nature was actually extremely competitive and stubborn. Now that Yun Xie had forced out his temper, he refused to dodge or evade, and met every blow straight on. For a few moments, all that could be heard in the room was a nonstop succession of punches and kicks.


    After being resurrected, it wasn¡¯t that Jiang Xunyi hadn¡¯t fought with other people. However, his martial arts had been higher than his previous opponents and Yun Xie hadn¡¯t been paying close attention to those battles. Now that the two of them were perfectly matched in ability, Jiang Xunyi no longer had the leisure to hide his true fighting style. He began to constantly use the moves he had practiced since childhood.


    In the midst of this violent battle, his fist fiercely collided with Yun Xie¡¯s palm in mid-air. Immediately after, his body rotated and he swept his leg to kick towards Yun Xie¡¯s head. Yun Xie used his elbow to hold him off, and jumped two steps back in bewilderment and incredulity. His voice trembled: ¡°Who¡­ who are you really?¡±


    As he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but glance out of the corner of his eye at the coffin next to him. Through the translucent cover, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body lay utterly still in the coffin, without any breath of life like always.


    Jiang Xunyi struck as swiftly as the wind, without an ounce of mercy, and replied: ¡°I¡¯m your uncle, bitch!11¡°


    Yun Xie saw the aggressive momentum in his every action, the exact same appearance he had cherished in his heart for so many years, and he fell even further into a trance. As Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm cleaved over, Yun Xie subconsciously deflected with his right hand while his left hand pointed two fingers to hit Jiang Xunyi¡¯s throat.


    Back when the two of them had learned martial arts together, they had analyzed and found the weaknesses in these two moves thousands of times. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even have to think to retaliate, but all of a sudden, his foot slipped¡ª¡ªKarma was a bitch, he accidentally stepped on the face of the teenager he had tricked into death.


    In a battle between masters, even the tiniest lapse could be life-threatening. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s stumble almost sent his throat straight into Yun Xie¡¯s fingers. Faced with this shock, the doubt collecting in Yun Xie¡¯s heart burst free. Yun Xie didn¡¯t want to hurt him, and hurriedly drew his own strength back in. He almost vomited blood from the backlash of his spiritual energy. Clutching his chest, he retreated back two steps. When he raised his head again, he froze.


    His blow didn¡¯t hurt Jiang Xunyi, but perfectly knocked off the other¡¯s mask!


    Footnotes:


    1. ÌéÀá½»Á÷ lit. ¡°tears and mucus flowing profusely and mixing¡±


    2. ×ÏÓñ lit. ¡°purple jade¡±. Think something like this:


    3. ±ä̬ can mean ¡°abnormal¡± but also ¡°perverted¡±


    4. Yeah uh¡­ Jiang Xunyi loves describing his own handsomeness with a billion different descriptors, so I¡¯m sorry if these descriptions get a little repetitive lol


    5. ÐÄÀíËØÖÊ lit. ¡°psychological quality¡± ¨C measure of mental health based on some combination of personality/adaptibility/motivation/mentality/behavior


    6. Artistic license used for these more vulgar comments


    The original term was ¿Óµù, which is online slang for a deceptive/cheating bastard. ¿Ó literally means ¡°hole/pothole¡±, but when used as a verb it has the connotation of deception, kind of like if someone dug a hole deliberately to make you fall in.


    7. ǧ¾ûÒ»·¢ lit. ¡°a thousand pounds hanging by a single hair¡±


    8. Ô½ÏÛǧÖÓ: Ô½ lit. ¡°jump over, exceed, surpass¡±, ÏÛ ¡°envy/admiration¡± (same envy as in Solar Envy Sect), ǧÖÓ ¡°thousand bells/chimes¡±


    9. This is actually an absolutely hilarious reference: Tian Li 38 Sets (ÌìÀû38Ì×) is a real-life reference book widely used to prepare for the Chinese College Entrance Examination.


    10. ±¬·¢Á¦ lit. ¡°explosive force¡± = the force your muscles can produce in a short frame of time (ex: sprinting). In particular, this comes from our fast-twitch Type II muscle fibers (excuse my geeking out).


    11. Artistic license used here for this insult (please let me know if this is way too inaccurate lol). The original was ¡°ÎÒÊÇÄã´óÒ¯!¡±

 CH 10

    Chapter 10 ¨C Inner Demons of the Past


    So quickly he was caught off guard, that unforgettable face from his deepest dreams had appeared before his eyes¡ª¡ªno longer cold or wooden, but instead alight with a vivid vitality. Luminous enough to burn one¡¯s gaze, the exquisite silhouette of his graceful figure seemed to be plated with a layer of light gold by the soft sunlight from the windows. Without the cover of the mask, Yun Xie could clearly recognize those haughty and obstinate eyes, so familiar as to have been carved into his very bones.


    It was a face that should clearly be youthful and elegant, but no expression could erase that bone-deep arrogance and sharpness. He most loved that nonchalant and cold smile playing at the corner of those lips. After Jiang Xunyi, there would never be a second among all people of this world.


    Just this one glance, this one glance¡­ Even if he died, he would never mistake it!


    Yun Xie opened his mouth, wanting to call Jiang Xunyi¡¯s name. But his throat seemed to choke on something¡ªbefore he could speak, his tears first trickled down.


    A cold breeze swept across Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and he realized his mask had fallen. He was also shocked for a moment, but in the end he would not be as agitated as Yun Xie after all. His brows slightly wrinkled and he looked at Yun Xie through the corner of his eyes. He was about to open his mouth to speak, when his expression suddenly changed.


    The scene of the shop, the tables and chairs, the floor strewn with corpses¡­ all instantly vanished. The entire town disappeared without a trace. Around them was the very same desolate wilderness they had first landed in!


    At the same time, a light white mist rose not far from the two of them. It gradually thickened and spread in range, moving precisely towards their positions.


    Dammit, they were so stupid! They should have long since realized the Imprisoned Demons Valley could never be that simple. He and Yun Xie were both careless!


    The vexed Jiang Xunyi stopped caring to compete with Yun Xie. He swiftly took his own Extinguished Flower sword back, fiercely kicking Yun Xie at the same time: ¡°What are you standing around there like an idiot for? Hurry and look to the side! Are you trying to get us killed?!¡±


    This kick seemed to knock Yun Xie out of his dazed dream. His entire body quivered, and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from reaching out to hold Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist, the hard bones of the wrist pressing into his palm. Yun Xie blurted out: ¡°Ah-Xun!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°What exactly is that white mist, shit, that thing is coming over¡ª¡ªFuck, Yun Xie, hurry up and let go of me! Pay some attention to the situation, will you?!¡±


    So dense it had almost solidified, the thick white fog was like a grotesque and bizarre ancient beast, roaring as it rushed towards the two of them. Despite Yun Xie¡¯s addled and confused brain, his instincts could still feel the presence of danger. He closely guarded Jiang Xunyi in his arms, dropping to the floor to lay down and take cover.


    But this didn¡¯t help. In a heartbeat, the omnipresent white fog devoured both of them without leaving a trace.


    Amidst the dizziness and confusion, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind had a flash of blankness¡ª¡ªnot referring to his emotions or mood, but instead a complete description of what happened. His mind was truly blank, as if that memory just now had been forcibly erased by someone.


    When Jiang Xunyi recovered consciousness, Yun Xie was gone. He didn¡¯t know where Yun Xie had run off to, and didn¡¯t know why the white fog had disappeared. In the blink of an eye, a scene of hazy mountains at night appeared in front of him¡ª¡ªa scene he found oddly familiar.


    The previous bright sunshine had turned into late night. At this moment, his surroundings were utterly silent except for the chirping of autumn insects. Jiang Xunyi currently stood under an ancient tree, the vast and untouchable wind blowing straight into his arms.


    He did not move an inch, cautiously standing in the same place for a while before finally slowly walking out from under the tree. He swept aside some leaves that blocked his vision and turned his head. Immediately afterwards, his eyes suddenly opened wide!


    Every blade of grass here, every leaf on every tree¡­ He would never forget them even if he died, but even after he died he had not been able to return here. This was¡ª¡ªHidden Spirit Mountain!


    ¡­Why am I here? Right here and now, is this reality or illusion, past or future? Where¡¯s Yun Xie? Dammit, where did Yun Xie run off to this time?!


    His thoughts churned like the ocean waves. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest rose and fell with his deep breaths.


    Suddenly, he heard the slight sounds of rustling grass in the distance. His face turned cold and he was about to dodge away, but the arriving person had already come closer. As if Jiang Xunyi was invisible, that person passed him right on by without a second look.


    That person¡­¡­ was himself.


    Just from this brief glance, Jiang Xunyi had already seen everything clearly. That other self wore the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s light blue ocean wave uniform. A long sword hung by his waist and his left palm held a small cauldron1. He looked to be in a hurry.


    The shape of that small cauldron was extremely unique, so much so that Jiang Xunyi immediately realized the circumstances before him. This was the very night when his Shifu passed away, and Jiang Xunyi as the next inheriting sect head was instead driven away under accusations of treachery. The entire series of events leading to his falling out with Yun Xie all started from this.


    At this moment, Jiang Xunyi should have just received his master¡¯s order to attack Heavenly Water Palace2. After extinguishing the demons in Heavenly Water Palace, he obtained the Heavenly Water Divine Cauldron. When he went up the mountain, he instead discovered that the disciples under Jiang Molou¡¯s command had all been sent to the Western Region, while his Shifu Immortal Master Ti Ming was dying¡­


    In a flash, all kinds of thoughts flooded into his mind as a continuous stream. Jiang Xunyi instantly realized why the ¡°Imprisoned Demons Valley¡± did not have the sinister evil spirits and demons he imagined, because the ¡°Demons¡± referred to each person¡¯s Inner Demons3!


    He and Yun Xie had been on guard against each other when walking over. With this gulf between their hearts and their moods remaining stable, the surrounding valley showed the corresponding scene of a prosperous town in the secular world. But from his struggle with Yun Xie all the way to the fall of his mask, their moods had begun to severely fluctuate, so they instantly fell into a fantasy landscape!


    But it was still unclear whether this illusion belonged to Yun Xie¡¯s Inner Demons or Jiang Xunyi¡¯s. Jiang Xunyi had always been decisive and aggressive, so he only hesitated for a moment before resolving to go up the mountain along this once-familiar road.


    He knew what would be waiting for him at the end, but when some matters had to be faced, he would not avoid them.


    As Jiang Xunyi walked forward, he didn¡¯t realize that with every step, the rags on his body gradually transformed into those light blue wide-sleeved robes he had once so often worn. His body shape also went through subtle changes, while the image of his past self in front of him gradually faded away, slowly melting into the night.


    Dusty faded memories poured into his mind like a gushing spring, and his present consciousness gradually turned blurred and indistinct. When he finally saw the familiar mountain gate, he had already fallen completely into the powerful current of past events.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªStart of Illusory Flashback¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Worry and uneasiness filled Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart.


    He had single-handedly used a full seven days to raze the entire Heavenly Water Demonic Palace, so despite his extraordinary spiritual strength, extreme exhaustion was inevitable. He had originally wanted to find a place to rest for a while, but he unexpectedly received a secret letter from his Shizhi4 Yu Hang. The letter used unclear language, but it explicitly mentioned that Immortal Master Ti Ming had been infected with some disease, with the fear that¡­ the illness was grave.


    This section of the plot had only been briefly mentioned in the book, and Jiang Xunyi only knew that Immortal Master Ti Ming indeed passed away later. But ever since transmigrating into this book, this Shifu had raised him like a true father. With these deep affections, this shocking news was no small matter, so he disregarded the injuries on his body and rode his sword as fast as lightning all the way back.


    Upon ascending the mountain, he saw white spiritual banners fluttering at the door. His pupils narrowed, but he did not see disciples weeping before coffins or memorials, so his heart maintained a strand of hope. He sensed the atmosphere was a little strange, so he strained to concentrate and pull himself together. He gathered his energy to leap into the air, silently climbing over the walls of the courtyard. After a few rises and falls, he headed straight for Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s normal residence, the Forgetting Meditation Hall5.


    Upon arriving outside of the hall, he carefully pricked his ears and did not hear any movement. At once, he entered the hall through the window. His eyes swept over the room, and then he slowly walked step by step towards the curtained bed in the center of the room.


    After just taking a few steps, an elderly and hoarse voice had already sounded: ¡°Which distinguished guest has come from afar? This decrepit one is unable to get up in greeting and is truly neglecting you.¡± This voice was peaceful and kind, precisely belonging to Immortal Master Ti Ming.


    Seeing this pleasant surprise, Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t care for anything else, and stepped forward to open the bed curtain: ¡°Shizun6, it¡¯s me!¡±


    After saying this, his expression stiffened. The face of the Shizun before him was emaciated and gaunt, his eyes cloudy and turbid, a dense layer of deathly air enveloping his brows. He appeared to be already taking his last breaths.


    Jiang Xunyi froze, unable to say anything. Even though he already knew the ending, a wave of sorrow and grief instantly flooded his heart. But Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s face lit up with joy: ¡°Xun-Er7, you came back? I was just wishing to see you again, this is too wonderful.¡±


    His lips had already dried to the point of cracking into multiple splits, so blood oozed out as he spoke. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s throat bobbed up and down, and the veins on his right hand behind his back  bulged. Only after pausing for a moment did he speak with difficulty: ¡°Shizun, this disciple will pour you some tea.¡±


    But Immortal Master Ti Ming reached out to hold his wrist, and said warmly: ¡°No need, Xun-Er, let Shizun look at you you again.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi knelt down by the bed, lowering his body obediently. Immortal Master Ti Ming touched his face, his expression one of love and affection. Suddenly, he whispered: ¡°Second Elder harbors evil intentions, and the offshoot branch disciples are also not benevolent. Molou is not on the mountain right now. Xun-Er, you are alone and a vulnerable target. Leave the mountain immediately, and never come back!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not understand what he meant. He intuitively felt that Shizun¡¯s words were extremely weird. Resentment built up in his heart, and he instead asked: ¡°Shizun, were you harmed by them into this state? This disciple will exact revenge for you!¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming shook his head. The hand holding Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist tightened, and he repeated again with greater emphasis: ¡°Hurry and leave!¡±


    Discord and confusion roiled in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart, and he did not want to make Shizun angry, so he could only stay silent. But after waiting for a moment, Immortal Master Ti Ming stopped speaking. Jiang Xunyi felt something wrong, and quickly reached out to check his breath.


    Immortal Master Ti Ming had already died. Only his eyes were still open with that remaining grievance8.


    Faced with this shock, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body moved, and the hand grasping his wrist instantly loosened. Immediately afterwards, Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s body suddenly collapsed into a soft pile, as if his bones had disappeared. His skin then cracked open, yet no fresh blood flowed out. A man who had just now been kindly-faced, in the blink of an eye actually became a terrifyingly malformed anomaly.


    Jiang Xunyi was dumbstruck, both heartbroken by the horrifying death of his Shizun, and shocked by the grotesque and odd scene before him. After pausing for a moment, he suddenly hugged Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s remains.


    He had always possessed an unyielding and firm personality, so although at this moment his tears had already covered his face, he still bit his lip and refused to make a sound. He only pressed his forehead against the ice-cold wooden bed, letting his teardrops drip onto the ground one by one.


    Footnotes:


    1. ¶¦ (d¨«ng) = ancient Chinese cauldron with either 3 or 4 legs, like this:


    2. ÌìË®¹¬: Ìì = ¡°sky, heaven¡±; Ë® = ¡°water¡±; ¹¬ = ¡°palace¡±


    3. ÐÄħ (x¨©n m¨®) lit. ¡°heart demon/devil¡±, probably better thought of as Inner Demons. Rather than literal demons or devils, these are a practitioner¡¯s negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation. (Credits to https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/)


    4. ʦֶ (sh¨© zh¨ª): Ö¶ = nephew. Yu Hang is the disciple of one of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Shixiong or Shidi, so just like in a blood family, Yu Hang is his ¡°disciple-nephew.¡±


    5. ×øÍüÌÃ: ×ø = ¡°to sit, meditate¡±; Íü = ¡°to forget¡±; Ìà = ¡°hall or court¡±


    6. ʦ×ð (sh¨© z¨±n) lit. ¡°honored teacher/master¡± is an especially respectful way to refer to your Shifu


    7. Ti Ming adds ¶ù (¨¦r) to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s name. This is an affectionate nickname for someone you see as a beloved child.


    8. ËÀ²»î¨Ä¿ lit. ¡°dead but will not close one¡¯s eyes¡± refers to dying with a remaining grievance that has not yet been solved. In contrast, î¨Ä¿ means to close one¡¯s eyes in death and die with content.

 CH 11

    Chapter 11 ¨C Dual Jades


    In this empty night, the surroundings were utterly silent and still. The only sound that could be heard were the occasional insuppressible cries of grief by nocturnal birds.


    Suddenly, the door of the room slammed open. The freezing night wind blew straight in, cold enough to send shivers up one¡¯s spine. Jiang Xunyi slowly raised his head. His eyes were still red, but his tears had long since dried up.


    He stood up without looking behind him. He only spoke coldly and indifferently: ¡°You all¡­ finally came.¡±


    Outside the door stood grand rows of Hidden Spirit disciples, all fully armed with swords. Leading them were two old men with cold and solemn faces, one wearing black and the other wearing white. These were precisely the famous ¡°Hidden Spirit Two Elders,¡± called Jingzhou and Jinghai, their status second only to the sect head Immortal Master Ti Ming.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mood was originally poor. Now upon turning around to see these two people, his gaze turned even sharper. The script he got from the System only told him a few major events surrounding Yun Xie, skipping over many details and supporting roles. After he as an outsider entered, the plot had often developed according to his own exertions and directions. But he had long since known that these two old farts were up to no good. These two must be inextricably tied to today¡¯s events.


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at Immortal Master Ti Ming still lying in bed, and muttered: ¡°By the heavens above, if I don¡¯t vent my anger by killing these two people, I won¡¯t leave even if I¡¯m being lifted by a sedan chair.¡±


    Jingyuan had always disliked Jiang Xunyi¡¯s defiant and supercilious appearance. At this time, seeing Jiang Xunyi grumbling something to himself, Jingyuan grew even more impatient. He stepped forward and yelled: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you heartless and shameless disciple, you actually killed1 your master!¡±


    Once his words landed, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared from everyone¡¯s vision. The shocked Jinghai quickly ordered: ¡°Hurry! Don¡¯t let this fellow get away!¡±


    However, in the blink of an eye, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure reappeared behind Jingyuan. With a single shrill clang, everyone on the scene saw the boundless clear and cold dazzle of a sword. Elder Jingyuan wordlessly fell to the ground, blood spurting from his heart.


    This mighty elder famous for decades had actually been slain with a single stroke, without even the slightest ability to fight back!


    Jiang Xunyi had long since been called a genius since childhood, and was said to be undefeated ever since his skills fully developed. But with his cold and arrogant personality, he was not easy to get close to. As a result, most people on the scene had never seen him fight before, and all believed the rumors were greatly exaggerated. Now seeing this today, they finally realized the sheer terrifying strength of this man, and could not help but silently recoil in shock.


    After Jiang Xunyi¡¯s successful strike, he drifted backwards on the tips of his toes. He knew in his heart that his attack just now took advantage of Jingyuan being completely unprepared, and also involved a significant element of luck. Now all the other people had definitely raised their vigilance, and any further attacks would not be nearly as easy.


    Seeing the sheer extent of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s rampant aggressiveness, Elder Jinghai was both enraged and mournful. He shouted fiercely: ¡°Disrespecting and killing one¡¯s masters and elders2 is an extremely evil sin! Jiang Xunyi, the Hidden Spirit Sect will not tolerate a traitorous disciple like you. All disciples, hear this order: together, take down this treacherous villain!¡± After giving this nice-sounding order, Jinghai himself instead retreated backwards.


    Jiang Xunyi consistently showed no quarter when it came to business, and at this time he had absolutely no affection for these fellow sect disciples. Hearing Jinghai¡¯s order, he sneered out loud and mustered his strength to sweep horizontally. The first few disciples were immediately sent flying, their life or death unclear. Jiang Xunyi took the opportunity to jump up, leaping towards the main hall at the front of the mountain.


    This person¡¯s temperament was weird, never acting according to common sense. When you feel he is tightly trapped and should be retreating, he insists on staying here to kill. When you feel he has taken the upper hand and will definitely start slaughtering people, he instead turns around and flees without leaving a trace! Elder Jinghai¡¯s face was red with anger. Without any caution or fear, he led the crowd of people to chase.


    The Hidden Spirit Sect was one of the famous leading sects in the cultivation world with many capable disciples, not to mention the numerous defensive arrays that were not just used for display. No matter how powerful Jiang Xunyi was, after having to continuously fight and retreat this entire way, his clothes had already become ripped and stained with blood. Upon retreating to the Universal Joy Hall atop the highest peak of the Hidden Spirit Mountain, he suddenly stopped moving in place, stabbing his sword into the ground.


    Elder Jinghai was happy at the thought that Jiang Xunyi must have exhausted all his energy and could not flee any further. He immediately said: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you first killed the Sect Head and then an elder. These are already unforgivable crimes, but if you willingly hand over the Sect Head Seal3, perhaps your life might still be spared.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his feather-like eyelashes, subconsciously looking down at the jade hanging in front of his chest. The token of the Hidden Spirit Sect Head was a pure white jade pendant that had been passed down from generation to generation. Although Jiang Xunyi had not yet officially become the succeeding Sect Head, given his extraordinary talent, no one else in the sect could compete with him. Therefore, Immortal Master Ti Ming had long since passed the seal to him so he could handle the sect¡¯s affairs in Ti Ming¡¯s place.


    Upon thinking to this point, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips curled up: ¡°Old man Jinghai, you already have one foot in the grave yet you¡¯re still fixated on this Sect Head Seal?¡±


    Elder Jinghai had held his respected and venerated position for many years. When was the last time anyone had ever said something like this to him? He immediately flew into an agitated rage: ¡°What nonsense did you just say?!¡± After this, he looked all around him and in the end remembered the dignity of his position: ¡°The Sect Head Seal is our sect¡¯s treasure, and naturally can¡¯t be given to a villain like you who disrespects and kills their elders2. We have already determined Huang Yan to be the next Sect Head of our sect. You¡¯re still not handing over the Seal?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi deliberately faked surprise: ¡°Huang Yan? What the hell¡¯s that?¡±


    When his words landed, a Hidden Spirit Sect disciple who looked to be about the same age as him immediately jumped out of the crowd and yelled: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, your insults have gone too far!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced him over: ¡°Oh, it turned out to be you. This senior brother was temporarily forgetful, no offense to Huang-Shidi. I was just a little curious¡­ Shidi, your martial arts have always been weak and your personality cowardly. More importantly, neither riches nor beauty are on your side, and your appearance is frankly wretched. What good things did you give this old man to trick him into giving you the Sect Head position?¡±


    Huang Yan was so furious his entire body trembled uncontrollably. His hand was already pressed onto the hilt of his sword, but upon remembering Jiang Xunyi¡¯s level of skill, he honestly did not dare to pull out his sword. He could only put on a fierce appearance while remaining cowardly at heart, as he shouted: ¡°If¡­if you utter any more crazy words, don¡¯t blame this sect head for neglecting the camaraderie between fellow disciples!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flourished his sword and sneered: ¡°Is that so? Then you¡¯re free to try it out. If I, Jiang Xunyi, can¡¯t take your life within three moves, I¡¯ll serve my head up with my own two hands!¡±


    Huang Yan¡¯s face paled, and he couldn¡¯t help but take a step back.


    Jiang Xunyi pointed his sword and fingers4, as solemn and unmoving as a mountain.


    Huang Yan¡¯s expression changed slightly. He hesitated again and again, until he suddenly shouted: ¡°For a traitor like you who disrespects and kills their elders2, no talk of morality or righteousness is needed. Everyone, let¡¯s go together and take him¡­ take him down!¡±


    The disciples around him had different facial expressions, but they all hesitated and refused to move or attack. Instead, quite a few people revealed a hint of shame.


    Jiang Xunyi laughed out loud: ¡°The so-called gentlemen of character can bend and stretch. Huang-Shidi really deserves to be called a gentleman of character too!¡±


    At this moment, light laughter sounded in the air. A clear and bright voice came from outside the door: ¡°That¡¯s right, a nicely shameless ¡®gentleman of character¡¯!¡±


    The crowd of people with swords drawn all turned back to see a genteel and elegant young man standing at the door. In contrast to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s exquisite sharpness, his manner was refined and gentle, with a temperament as fine as jade. He looked to be a cultured scholar¡ª¡ªif no one knew he was the Solar Envy Sect Master Yun Xie famous for his ruthless and vicious methods.


    Yun Xie had originally been the head disciple of Solar Envy Sect, and had only just taken over the Sect Master position for less than a year now. Everyone knew that he and Jiang Xunyi were fire-forged friends. The crowd of Hidden Spirit Sect members had been right about to take down Jiang Xunyi, but they did not expect Yun Xie would actually rush over at this critical moment. Their expressions thus changed in unison.


    Jiang Xunyi was also extremely surprised. But he did not know why he was surprised¡ª¡ªhe only felt that upon seeing Yun Xie like this, he could not help but think: Yun Xie was not supposed to appear here.5


    On the other hand, Yun Xie looked completely normal. He looked Jiang Xunyi up and down, sizing up the latter¡¯s battered and exhausted appearance. With a cheerful grin, he said: ¡°Brother, I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time, you truly are getting better and better at dressing up! Were you injured?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wiped the fresh blood off his face to reveal a face as spotlessly white as jade. He harrumphed coldly: ¡°The blood is all from other people, there¡¯s no way I can die.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes swept the hall. Although the smile on his face did not change an inch, those he looked at could not help but feel a chill. Yun Xie spoke slowly and leisurely: ¡°Elder Jinghai,  have long since secluded yourself and not bothered with the outside world. Why are you now participating in the infighting between these younger disciples?¡±


    Jinghai spoke dully: ¡°Jiang Xunyi has committed the great sin of killing his master, intolerable by heaven. Seeing my sect is currently leaderless6, I of course have to uphold justice in their place. Now why did Sect Master Yun come here?¡±


    Yun Xie spread his hands: ¡°Elder Jinghai, you have no need to ask a question to which you already know the answer. I came here naturally to tell you sirs¡ª¡ª¡± As he spoke, he gently drew his personal sword into his right hand. His expression turned severe, and he spoke darkly: ¡°If you want to kill Jiang Xunyi, you¡¯ll first have to step over my dead body!¡±


    Yun Xie had always emphasized polish in his appearance, but at this time though his expression was leisurely, his hair was slightly messy and his clothes dusty. He looked to have hurriedly rushed over here right after receiving the news. His travel speed was naturally incomparably faster than ordinary disciples, so this dignified sect master actually¡­ had no one accompanying him.


    This was the locality of Hidden Spirit Mountain, and they had a huge crowd of people. Jiang Xunyi could be said to be disadvantaged in both location and numbers. Even with Yun Xie present, he would only be dragging Yun Xie into his own trouble. Upon thinking of this, he frowned and said to Yun Xie: ¡°Do you need to come and meddle? I can take care of all these idiots myself. You should return to your Solar Envy Mountain to plant flowers and stroll with the birds.¡±


    Yun Xie had not yet answered, when a Hidden Spirit Sect disciple first preempted him to yell: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you bastard son of a whore¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t even finished talking when his head was sent flying by an explosive strike from Yun Xie, and his body fell straight down.


    Only when that disciple¡¯s eyeball rolled to Elder Jinghai¡¯s feet did he react: Yun Xie actually killed a disciple of his sect in the public eye! A clamor rose from the other people as well. They had all heard of Yun Xie¡¯s sinister and cruel methods, of how those who died under his hand never had their corpses intact. Upon seeing this with their own eyes today, they were even more startled and frightened.


    As if nothing had just happened, Yun Xie grinned happily and batted his eyes at Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Ah-Xun, I¡¯ve7 just pledged my loyalty8, and am afraid I can¡¯t leave~¡±


    With this great injury to his reputation, Elder Jinghai¡¯s anger grew: ¡°All disciples, charge forward! Kill this traitorous disciple and recapture the Sect Head Seal!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glared in helplessness at Yun Xie. He laughed bitterly: ¡°Count this round as my loss, fight it is then!¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. Jingyuan doesn¡¯t use the usual ɱ ¡°kill¡± here. He instead uses ß± (sh¨¬), which specifically refers to killing one¡¯s superior or parent.


    2. ÆÛʦÃð×æ lit. ¡°bully one¡¯s master and extinguish one¡¯s ancestors¡± refers to an unfilial disciple who betrays the teachings of their ancestors and attacks their elders. Ancient Chinese culture, especially martial arts, was very hierarchical and focused on respecting one¡¯s elders, so this is an immense crime.


    3. Just to clarify, the Sect Head Seal (ÕÆÃÅÓ¡) is an emblem of the Sect Head¡¯s authority, the token of their office. It works as a stamp/seal/signature. Handing it over means Jiang Xunyi is surrendering his position as the next Sect Head.


    4. ½£¼âбָ is kind of hard to describe and I don¡¯t understand it that well myself¡­ I think it¡¯s a swordsmanship technique where the hand not holding the sword also points two fingers in various directions, something like these two figures:


    5. For plot clarification¡­ I believe this is a hint of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s present consciousness struggling to break through the illusion of the Imprisoned Demons Valley


    6. ȺÁúÎÞÊ× lit. ¡°group of dragons without a leader¡±


    7. Yun Xie here calls himself ¸ç¸ç (g¨¥ g¨¥) lit. ¡°big brother or big bro¡±. Of note, ¸ç¸ç isn¡¯t just referring to a brotherly relationship; some girls may flirtatiously call their lover/boyfriend/husband ¸ç¸ç too.


    8. ͶÃû×´ = pledge of loyalty used in ancient times to join an illegal group, often involving swearing a blood oath, etc.

 CH 12

    Yun Xie gave a long whistle and the Bright River sword shot out of its sheath, immediately letting out an imminent wave of resentful energy. He struck with craftiness and cruelty, forcing the surrounding disciples to keep retreating under his quick chain of attacks. Yun Xie took the opportunity to send two people flying. Lightly landing on his toes, he moved forward to stand back-to-back with Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi stepped backwards so his back pressed up against Yun Xie¡¯s, and he felt Yun Xie suddenly tremble. Surprised and concerned, Jiang Xunyi whispered: ¡°Were you injured?¡±


    Yun Xie gave a dry cough and smiled: ¡°Impossible, how could the useless trash in your sect ever injure me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi whispered: ¡°That¡¯s good. Listen to me: in a few moments, let¡¯s act together to knock down that golden statue in the middle of the hall. Below it is a passage that can reach the back of the mountain. Even though we can¡¯t completely get rid of these guys, we can at least grab a moment to breathe. It¡¯d be better than staying an easy target1 like we are now.¡±


    Yun Xie was surprised: ¡°Isn¡¯t that the statue of your ancestor disciple-grandfather?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was ice-cold: ¡°So what? He¡¯s already dead. If a broken stone can¡¯t protect the future generations, it¡¯s useless to keep around anyway!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed out loud, and said brightly: ¡°Ah-Xun oh Ah-Xun, I truly like you more and more with every passing day!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi irritatedly said: ¡°Will you shut up?!¡±


    Yun Xie blocked the attacks of two disciples. He suddenly turned back to pinch Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, then quickly jumped away to hide behind the statue in the center of the hall.


    Yun Xing historically acted according to his whims, so Elder Jinghai was happy to see him behaving crazy at this time. He subsequently hurried to attack Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi bent sideways to avoid Elder Jinghai¡¯s whip. As if his mind had been muddled with anger at Yun Xie, he flew backwards to smash a palm towards Yun Xie regardless of everyone else around him.


    Yun Xie dodged, and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm hit the statue. Yun Xie had picked the perfect positioning, so his palm force converged with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s. With a loud crash, the entire body of the life-like statue of the ancestor disciple-grandfather immediately shattered!


    Elder Jinghai was utterly flustered and infuriated. Just as he was about to go forward, he noticed the two men had vanished without a trace.


    He choked with resentment and rage, and kicked a nearby overturned chair until it broke into pieces. Suddenly, a woman¡¯s voice rang out from behind him: ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shixiong? Is your temper this bad?¡±


    Elder Jinghai looked back to see the newcomer, and his expression subsequently turned even more ugly. In a low voice, he blamed: ¡°Zihui, it¡¯s all because I first listened to you that even after learning about this little brute Jiang Xunyi¡¯s background from Sect Head Shixiong, I didn¡¯t bring the news to light outside, which ended up helping him out. But you see what¡¯s happened now? We nourished a snake in our bosom2and missed the opportunity to act!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie sprinted along the tunnel for a long while. Only after reaching the back of the mountain did they dare find a mountain cave to sit down and rest.


    Jiang Xunyi threw his own Extinguished Flower sword to the ground. He sat down with his back to the stone wall, not saying a word.


    Yun Xie kicked him lightly with his toes, and bluntly said: ¡°Can you stop always looking like someone owes you thousands of silver? Gege3 rushed over here like my life depended on it to save you, so at least give me a smile!¡±


    After he said this, Jiang Xunyi unexpectedly did not get up to beat him up. Instead, his face was pale and a trace of blood slowly oozed from his lips.


    Scared, Yun Xie hurriedly squatted down and reached over to assess his pulse. He panicked: ¡°You actually suffered such a serious internal injury? Hurry and meditate, I¡¯ll help you control your breath.¡±


    When the two of them touched skin-to-skin, a shudder ran through Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body. He shook Yun Xie off, the movement seemingly out of his own control.


    Yun Xie froze. At a loss, he looked at Jiang Xunyi. Jiang Xunyi himself did not understand why he just reacted like that. He felt as if something had suddenly possessed his body to inexplicably reject Yun Xie. But at this moment, he did not feel anything different about himself. Facing Yun Xie¡¯s hesitant and doubtful face, he could only smile and say: ¡°What did you do that for? Don¡¯t worry, I already said there¡¯s no way I can die.¡±


    Yun Xie saw the blood by his lips and was greatly distressed for him. Without thinking much, he reached out to help Jiang Xunyi wipe it off, and whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t talk anymore. I¡¯ll go to the cave entrance and set up two Concealment formations, then come back to help you control your breath. We¡¯ll rest for a bit and then leave.¡±


    Yun Xie was extremely proficient in arrays and formations, so their pursuers still had not found them even by more the time Jiang Xunyi finished controlling his breath and restored most of his energy. The two of them conferred over their options. Both felt that compared to taking the initiative to come out of hiding and attempting to brute-force their way off the mountain, it would be better to preserve their energy instead. As a result, they sat together in the mountain cave to rest.


    Yun Xie¡¯s hand had received a small scratch. When he saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s situation had improved, his old habits resurfaced¡ªhe began to shamelessly beg Jiang Xunyi to help bind his wound.


    Impatience written all over his face, Jiang Xunyi tore a piece of cloth from Yun¡¯s clothes and used force to wind it around Yun Xie¡¯s hand twice. At the end, he slapped it heavily: ¡°It¡¯s all good, now get lost.¡±


    Yun Qi screamed: ¡°Ahh¡ª¡ªJiang Xunyi! Were you a goddamn butcher in your last life?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered: ¡°Sect Master Yun has a sharp eye. In fact, I¡¯m4 one in this life too.¡±


    Yun Xie covered his face with his sleeves and mourned: ¡°This slave¡¯s5life is truly harsh, scaling mountains and wading through rivers to come here looking for my man6, not realizing the one who¡¯s been in my thoughts all this time is actually such a heartless enemy.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pulled off the hand covering Yun Xie¡¯s face, and then placed his other hand around Yun Xie¡¯s throat. He menacingly said: ¡°Stop being so disgusting, tell me how you came over here.¡±


    He had moved extremely close to Yun Xie, to the point where the warm breath of his exhalations almost fluttered on Yun Xie¡¯s face. A faint wave of medicinal scent wafted from below his sleeves, slowly scattering in the air.


    Yun Xie instantly turned absent minded, and immediately forgot what he had said just now. He especially disregarded how his life was currently being pinched in the other person¡¯s hands, and how if that person used the slightest bit of force, he would be killed on the spot.


    The two of them made a habit out of roughhousing, so when Jiang Xunyi saw Yun Xie neither fighting back nor saying anything, he instead found it strange. He shook Yun Xie by the neck: ¡°Hey!¡±


    After a pause, Yun Xie recovered from his daze. He casually tugged Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lapel to fling the latter off, and gave a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I only felt faint all over just now¡ªI might have been poisoned or bewitched.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was used to Yun Xie¡¯s love of spouting nonsense, so those words went in one ear and out the other. He ignored him and asked again: ¡°How did you come over here?¡±


    Yun Xi curled his lip: ¡°How else could I have come over? The radiance of springtime has been very beautiful recently. I originally wanted to rest a few days on the mountain, when I heard my subordinates report that a certain fool was being framed. Gege3 instantly had my heart in my mouth, feeling butterflies in my stomach, burning with anxiety as if a knife was twisted in my heart7, so I rushed over as fast as I could~¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slowly nodded: ¡°Sect Master Yun really is amazing, actually knowing how to use so many idioms.¡± Yun Xie¡¯s choice of the word ¡°framed¡± had considerable deeper meanings, as if to tell him something.


    Yun Xixiao laughed: ¡°Young master Jiang, you flatter me. Getting praise from you, this humble one is truly¡­¡± He had not finished talking when his look suddenly changed.


    Seeing Yun Xie¡¯s expression, Jiang Xunyi could guess most of what was going on: ¡°Someone attacked the Concealment array?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes turned cold while his smile grew even more brilliant: ¡°I¡¯m afraid they have all assembled together. This highland is spacious and empty, better than the hall back there at any rate. Let¡¯s go out and move whenever we have the opportunity, continuing to fight and retreat at the same time.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned: ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but Hidden Spirit Mountain is completely surrounded by an enchanted barrier. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s already been started up.¡±


    Yun Xie brushed it off: ¡°So what? If us brothers live, we¡¯ll leave together. If we die, we get to die together. I think this arrangement isn¡¯t bad.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had not yet answered when a loud crash rumbled from all around them as the array was broken. A crowd of armed Hidden Spirit disciples moved to encircle them, followed by many more people.


    Some Solar Envy Sect disciples had actually made it over too, and currently stood far in the distance. Upon seeing Yun Xie emerge from the cave, they wanted to rush forward but were then stopped by the Hidden Spirit Sect crowd. The entire scene was complete pandemonium.


    One Hidden Spirit Sect disciple shouted: ¡°Sect Master Yun, Jiang Xunyi is utterly conscienceless, despicable, and vile. You mixing in with the likes of him¡­¡± Before he even finished his words, he was killed on the spot in a splash of blood.


    Yun Xie flicked the blood off his sword, and coldly said: ¡°If you do not know how to speak human words, there¡¯s no need for you to remain a human.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pulled Yun Xie behind him, and whispered: ¡°These guys are not aiming for you. You should look for a chance to first return to Solar Envy Mountain.¡±


    Yun Xie shook him off, and smashed a palm to kill a disciple attempting to sneak attack Jiang Xunyi. He frowned: ¡°If I wanted to go back, why would I have even bothered to come? You and I have always said we will live together and die together. Jiang Xunyi, by trying to kick me away at this time, are you trying to discard me after ¡®using¡¯ me~8?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t decide whether to laugh or cry. He raised his eyebrows: ¡°I really have gone crazy from desperation to even think about trying to reason with you. Together it is then. Though continuing to fight like this isn¡¯t ideal; we still have to think of a way out.¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at the cliff off to their side, and grinned cheerfully: ¡°Have you ever read any novels? In these kinds of critical moments, jumping off the cliff is the best way to survive.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi gave him a kick: ¡°What a joke, it¡¯s all broken rocks below that cliff, you think you¡¯re made of iron?¡±


    Yun Xing¡¯s eyes lit up with a new idea. He smiled: ¡°In fact, I still have a way, though it¡¯ll depend on whether you¡¯re willing to give up that Sect Head Seal.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword sliced off half a man¡¯s head: ¡°We¡¯re about to die, what could I be reluctant to give up at this point? If it weren¡¯t for how they still wouldn¡¯t let us go even if I threw the Sect Head Seal out, I¡¯d give it to Huang Yan right now.¡±


    Yun Xie said: ¡°If you¡¯re really willing to part with it, take it out so this brother can see.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to talk nonsense with him. He pulled the small seal print out from around his neck, and offhandedly threw it to Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie played with it for a moment. Suddenly, with a flick of his hand, he threw the Sect Head Seal to the nearby Elder Jinghai.


    This turnaround was so drastic that everyone was stunned. Elder Jinghai grasped this Sect Head Seal that had fallen from the sky, still not quite believing it was real.


    Jiang Xunyi froze for a second. Without caring for the enemies opposite to them, he suddenly turned around and seized Yun Xie¡¯s collar, furiously yelling: ¡°What the fuck are you doing?!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s fist pounded his lower abdomen. Although Jiang Xunyi did not let go, his hand loosened. Yun Xie took the opportunity to shout: ¡°I already seized the Hidden Spirit Sect Head Seal for you, hurry and catch him¡­¡­ cough cough cough¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi grabbed his throat and sneered: ¡°Thanks to all these years of brotherhood, I actually believed you really came to save me. Now it seems I truly am blind! Hmph, given your heartlessness, don¡¯t blame me for my disloyalty!¡±


    As he spoke, he turned around to use Yun Xie as a human shield, the Extinguished Flower sword flashing as it was propped against Yun Xie¡¯s neck. He raised his voice: ¡°Today, you gentlemen will either let me leave the mountain, or I¡¯ll drag the Solar Envy Sect Master to the grave with me.¡±


    Huang Yan shouted: ¡°Dream on! Jiang Xunyi, what¡¯s going to happen today is no longer up to you to decide!¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. ÎÍÖÐ×½±î lit. ¡°catching a turtle in a jar¡±. It¡¯s kind of similar to the English phrase ¡°shooting fish in a barrel¡±


    2. Ñø»¢ÒÅ»¼ lit. ¡°rearing a tiger to court calamity¡±


    3. Yun Xie here calls himself ¸ç¸ç (g¨¥ g¨¥) lit. ¡°big brother or big bro¡±. Of note, ¸ç¸ç isn¡¯t just referring to a brotherly relationship; some girls may flirtatiously call their lover/boyfriend/husband ¸ç¸ç too.


    4. Jiang Xunyi refers to himself as Сү, which I believe vaguely means something like ¡°young master¡± or ¡°prince.¡± A somewhat arrogant way to refer to yourself I think?


    5. Yun Xie playfully refers to himself Å«¼Ò lit. ¡°slave of your house¡±, which is a humble way for female servants (and wives) to refer to themselves


    6. ·ò can be either ¡°man¡± or ¡°husband.¡±


    7. Yun Xie uses a whole chain of parallel idioms here, which are all varying versions of ¡°anxious and worried¡±: Ðļ±Èç·Ù£¬ÐÄ»ÅÒâÂÒ£¬ÐÄÈ絶½Ê. I did my best to find approximately equivalent English phrases.


    8. ʼÂÒÖÕÆú refers to the type of relationship where you seduce/dally with/make use of a woman and then abandon her. A colloquial English equivalent might be ¡°Love ¡®em and Leave ¡®em¡±

 CH 13

    Chapter 13 ¨C Yuele City


    Yan Qixin was Yun Xie¡¯s direct Shidi, and only just below Yun Xie in consistently commanding the Solar Envy Sect. At this time, he glared fiercely at Huang Yan for his comment and then turned to speak to Elder Jinghai: ¡°Jinghai-Daozhang1, our Sect Master was only seized as a hostage by Jiang Xunyi because he helped you capture this Sect Head Seal. You shouldn¡¯t sit back and ignore him being in danger, right?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s change of loyalties had occurred too quickly. Just one moment before, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had still been brothers with deep affections, trusting their life and death to one another. Now they pointed their swords and knives at each other. Under everyone¡¯s eyes, Yun Xie had been captured for the greater good. Solar Envy Sect closely protected their own, so if Yun Xie was injured or lost, they would not let the matter go.


    As Elder Jinghai grasped the Sect Head Seal, he weighed his options over and over. In the end, he felt that the Solar Envy Sect could not be offended. What¡¯s more, Jiang Xunyi was now isolated and powerless, so it would not be difficult to get rid of him in the future.


    With this plan in his heart, Elder Jinghai spoke clearly: ¡°Sect Master Yun is righteous and just, we of course cannot endanger him. Jiang Xunyi, let go of Sect Master Yun and leave here!¡±


    Huang Yan had always been extremely fearful of Jiang Xunyi. Hearing Jinghai¡¯s words, he hurriedly said: ¡°Elder!¡±


    Jinghai coldly glanced at him. Huang Yan suddenly shivered and did not dare to speak again.


    Jiang Xunyi laughed out loud: ¡°Huang Yan, you timid mouse, even upon becoming Sect Head you would still be a completely useless coward! Since you don¡¯t dare to kill me, get out of the way!¡±


    Huang Yan gnashed his teeth in hatred, but he also knew Jiang Xunyi¡¯s decisiveness and determination. If Jiang Xunyi was stimulated, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to enter a life and death struggle2. Huang Yan therefore did not dare to say anymore, and clenched his fists as he let Jiang Xunyi pass.


    Openly swaggering, Jiang Xunyi drove Yun Xie down the mountain. Just as they were about to leave the formation, three silver shuttles3suddenly volleyed through the air, shooting towards his back. At the same time, a man rushed out from among the Solar Envy Sect disciples. He reached out to grab Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder, apparently attempting to seize this chance to take Yun Xie back.


    The silver shuttles came out of the blue and only had to travel a short distance, so they appeared simply impossible to anticipate. But Jiang Xunyi was a consistently alert and vigilant person. In the face of this imminent peril, he barely managed to hold Yun Xie and roll away in the nick of time, dodging the shuttles coming from the two sides too. He offhandedly stretched his elbow to heavily strike the incoming man¡¯s chest. The sneak attacker sprayed out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi picked up Yun Xie and slowly stood back up. He stepped one foot onto that disciple¡¯s chest and said coldly: ¡°One hostage is enough for me to use. Even if you are this eager to recommend yourself, you should first check your own worth.¡±


    With his ability, Jiang Xunyi would only have to apply a tiny bit of strength to kill this disciple on the spot. On the side, many voices immediately began to shout and yell in fury:


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you are such a foul and despicable villain!¡±


    ¡°Zhang-Shixiong!¡±


    Yan Qixin braced himself to ask: ¡°Jiang Shi¡ªJiang Xunyi, when can you let our Sect Master go?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke with indifference: ¡°I always keep my promises4. I said I would not kill him, so I will certainly preserve his life. If Sect Master Yun would ¡®please¡¯ escort me along the way, all you sirs should go back and wait.¡±


    Before this, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s reputation had been widely known and he had numerous admirers. At this time, his assertion was so certain that no one actually retorted back. They allowed him to go down the mountain, and he rapidly left their sight.


    Jiang Xunyi walked for another stretch of road, before he suddenly released his hold of Yun Xie. He threw Yun Xie onto the ground and frowned: ¡°Do you actually know how to act or not? I¡¯m holding you hostage, not transporting your corpse! What are you doing not walking on your own, why do you keep leaning against me instead?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled mischievously as he crawled back up. He touched the bruises around his neck and sighed: ¡°You really are too cruel, pinching me to this extent. I was naturally so overwhelmed with pain that I couldn¡¯t move my legs. Now see, when I hit you that once, I didn¡¯t even dare to use force.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi rolled his eyes, but said: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I really did hurt your sect¡¯s disciple just now.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face turned serious: ¡°It¡¯s no matter, his hidden weapons were poisonous enough. If it weren¡¯t for how quickly you dodged, the consequences would have been unimaginable. What you gave him was a fitting lesson for daring to use hidden weapons to hurt you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked around, only to see their surroundings were entirely deserted. The heavens and earth before them were boundless and vast, and a sense of loss filled his heart. He sighed: ¡°Where to?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed: ¡°Young beau, come follow this slave5!¡± As he spoke, he flew upwards on his sword, waiting with his hands behind his back in midair for Jiang Xunyi to follow.


    Vexation and annoyance were written all over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, but he still called his sword, rose into the air, and then¡­¡­. crashed back down.


    These past few days, Jiang Xunyi had been rushing back and forth, and received continuous injuries. He had originally kept himself going with sheer grit, but now without a strong enemy to face, he immediately couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. Now after straining himself to gather his energy, he was finally completely exhausted. As a result, the Extinguished Flower sword actually didn¡¯t listen to his call.


    Yun Xie was greatly frightened and his smile vanished. He collected his sword and landed back down, hurriedly moving to support Jiang Xunyi. He asked a chain of questions in succession: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did your internal injuries erupt? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?¡±


    As he spoke, he felt stickiness on his hands. He looked at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s right shoulder to see it covered in fresh blood.


    Yun Xie frowned and tore off a section of his sleeve, wrapping Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injuries while saying: ¡°I saw your swordplay was smoother than a street juggler¡¯s, when did you receive this injury? You didn¡¯t say a word either. If anything happens to you, how am I going to explain this to Shishu when I go down to the Yellow Springs6 in the future?¡±


    Seeing that Yun Xie had almost finished binding his wounds, Jiang Xunyi slapped the back of Yun Xie¡¯s hand: ¡°Pah, like I need you to explain for me.¡±


    As he spoke, he stood up and brushed the dirt off his body, resuming his usual arrogant attitude to boss Yun Xie around7: ¡°Come here, use your Bright River sword to take me.¡±


    Holding his waist, Yun Xie called his sword to fly into the air. He spoke through gritted teeth: ¡°Bastard, this is what I get for worrying about you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was far too used to getting scolded by Yun Xie, and too lazy to refute him. Instead, he looked ahead of them and frowned: ¡°This direction¡­ Hey, where are we going exactly?¡±


    Yun Xie made his expression serious again: ¡°Before8, you told me that Shishu9 died because of the Marrow-Washing Jade10. At that time, the situation was too urgent and I didn¡¯t have time to ask you further¡ª¡ªWhy do you say that?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi gave a bitter smile: ¡°When that great calamity occurred fifteen years ago, even though I was still young, the scenes from that time were deeply carved into my memory. Those who died from being sucked by the Marrow-Washing Jade10 all had their meridians fragmented. Their skeletons turned soft and collapsed, and the skin over their entire body split open. They died extremely ghastly and horrible deaths. I saw Shizun¡¯s remains¡­ were just like that too.¡±


    Yun Xie was doubtful: ¡°They let you see the remains?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shook his head: ¡°I was urgently called back to the mountain. I felt something odd about the situation upon coming back, so I first circled around to come in through the back mountain trail. As a result, I saw Shizun¡¯s remains¡ª¡ªIt was the Marrow-Washing Jade, I¡¯d bet my life on it.¡±


    His description was somewhat vague and evasive. Given Yun Xie¡¯s intelligence, he immediately heard something wasn¡¯t right. But since Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t willing to say any more, he did not ask. He only said: ¡°A few days ago, Yuele City invited my sect¡¯s disciples to slay demons. But after sending a total of five disciples, all of them were lost. I originally planned to go and see the situation myself, but then an earthquake blocked the way so I did not move.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded, he naturally knew this point because it was all written in the plot.


    Yun Xie¡¯s face turned solemn: ¡°As far as I know, those five disciples all died the same way.¡± He turned to look at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and emphasized every word: ¡°Exactly the same as Shishu!¡±


    Their eyes met. Both of them could see the same unconcealable shock in the other¡¯s eyes: The Marrow-Washing Jade could not move on its own. The only possibility was that the Demon Sovereign Xuan Li sealed in that jade¡­ had already escaped out of it!


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mood was complex. The System had given him a task to help the protagonist eliminate Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. But this process was full of twists and turns, and was not pleasant for Yun Xie. Even if these were characters in a book, Yun Xie had always treated him extremely well all these years. The two of them had been mutually drawn to each other and become close friends. Jiang Xunyi wanted to say some more about what was going to happen, and opened his mouth a few times to speak. But as if he had been afflicted with a Silencing Curse, no words came out of his mouth. He couldn¡¯t help but feel unhappily suffocated.


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t know what Jiang Xunyi was thinking. Seeing his strange expression, Yun Xie firmly declared: ¡°My sect¡¯s disciples were among those who died, so this matter is inherently related to me. Given your current half-dead state, don¡¯t even think about acting on your own again!¡±


    Jiang Xun sighed: ¡°I got it, first check Yuele City out and then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Although Yun Xie loved to talk leisurely and enigmatically, his sword riding was quick as lightning. In less than half a day, the two arrived at the outskirts of Yuele City.


    Yun Xie originally wanted to fly directly into the city. But upon getting close, the sword suddenly paused and began to stagnate in place, unable to go forward. Yun Xie could only choose the nearest hill to stop.


    Jiang Xunyi jumped off from the sword, and asked in surprise: ¡°An enchanted boundary?¡±


    Yun Xie chose a high spot to look from, and saw a thick and dense black mist in the air above the city. He took a folding fan out from his sleeves and shook it, his air of 30% elegance leaking out 120% coquettishness. He smiled: ¡°Is the Demon Sovereign trying to stew all the people in this city in a pot? If that¡¯s how it is, things aren¡¯t looking good~¡±


    His current ¡°completely unconcerned because this matter doesn¡¯t involve him¡± appearance was really just asking for a beating. Jiang Xunyi rolled his eyes: ¡°If you maintain this accursed look of yours in front of other people, stay away from me. I don¡¯t want to get dragged in when you¡¯re getting beaten up!¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t care at all: ¡°This is nothing. I have no connections to the people in this city, blood or otherwise, so in the end there¡¯s no need for me to spend any compassion11 on this. I only care about you¡­ and my sect¡¯s disciples. And I didn¡¯t come here for them.¡±


    The great protagonist¡¯s three views12 lacked morality! If someone else heard Yun Xie say those words, they would definitely reprimand and rebuke him. But given Jiang Xunyi¡¯s familiarity with Yun Xie¡¯s temperament, he was entirely unbothered. He only said: ¡°You can talk all you want, but don¡¯t you still have to enter the city anyway? Let¡¯s hurry, if I get any hungrier I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll only be able to move if you carry me.¡±


    Yun Xie raised his brows: ¡°Hey, look at how Jiang-Shidi¡¯s talking, as if this enchanted boundary doesn¡¯t exist!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi scoffed: ¡°This enchantment is aimed at cultivators, it does not affect ordinary people. It¡¯ll be fine if you just seal my cultivation while wearing this jade pendant on yourself.¡±


    Yun Xie knew the jade ornament he was talking about was a magical instrument of the Hidden Spirit Sect that could conceal one¡¯s cultivation. He did not take the jade pendant over, and only said: ¡°Why bother with this trouble? Just carry it yourself, and then seal my cultivation.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi chucked the jade pendant into Yun Xie¡¯s arms: ¡°I¡¯m too tired right now. Everything involving fighting is entrusted to you, now hurry up!¡±


    Still bickering and arguing, the two of them entered the city. They discovered that Yuele City wasn¡¯t in the dire straits13 they had imagined, but actually had numerous pedestrians weaving back and forth, bustling and prosperous.


    Yun Xie had never understood the definition of ¡°low-key¡±. He swaggered up to the restaurant with the grandest shopfront, and pulled Jiang Xunyi to sit down in the hall. He arbitrarily ordered a few dishes and called the waiter over: ¡°This little bro14, my brother and I are newcomers to this city. We¡¯re utterly idle and bored, so may we trouble you to talk about any new things that have been happening recently, to help pass the time.¡± He placed an ingot of silver on the table as he spoke.


    The waiter saw these two men had handsome faces as well as generosity to spare, so he hurriedly smiled: ¡°This young master asked the right question, there just happens to be a huge new thing going on in the city center right now.¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. µÀ³¤ (D¨¤o Zh¨£ng) is an honorific used for Daoist priests. Cultivation already has such strong roots in Daoist mythology, so some cultivators with particularly Daoist origins (vs. Buddhist, Confucian, or independent origins) will be referred to as ¡°Daozhang¡±.


    2. ÓãËÀÍøÆÆ lit. ¡°Either the fish dies or the net splits¡±


    3. Ëó(su¨­) is literally a shuttle used in a weaving loom, probably modified a bit to be better thrown as a projectile. Shuttles fall under the classification of ¡°Hidden Weapons¡± °µÆ÷, which also includes things like darts, daggers, coins, needles, etc. Yes, martial artists in Chinese Wuxia tradition can use some weird stuff as weapons sometimes.


    4. һŵǧ½ð lit. ¡°one promise is worth a thousand gold¡±


    5. Yun Xie playfully refers to himself as Å«¼Ò lit. ¡°slave of your house¡±, which is a humble way for female servants (and wives) to refer to themselves. Combined with how he refers to Jiang Xunyi as СÀɾý (something like ¡°young noble son¡± or as I translated it, ¡°young beau¡±), this sentence is Yun Xie continuing to act all flirtatious and girly.


    6. »ÆȪ lit. ¡°The Yellow Springs¡± is the underworld of Chinese mythology.


    7. ÒÃÖ¸Æøʹ lit. ¡°to order people by pointing the chin¡±


    8. It¡¯s implied that Jiang Xunyi explained the situation of Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s death to Yun Xie when they were resting in the cave last chapter.


    9. Yun Xie refers to Immortal Master Ti Ming as ʦÊå (sh¨© sh¨±) lit. ¡°disciple + younger uncle on the paternal side¡±. This is because Yun Xie¡¯s own master was the older disciple-brother [Shixiong] to Ti Ming. (Ti Ming and Yun Xie¡¯s master weren¡¯t in the same sect, but they were good friends. It¡¯s been consistently shown that Hidden Spirit and Solar Envy Sects have traditionally been so close that their disciples will cross-call each other Shixiong, etc.)


    10. Ï´ËèÓñ: Ï´ = ¡°to wash¡±, Ëè = ¡°bone marrow/pith¡±, Óñ = ¡°jade¡±. Of note, some Daoist (and thereby cultivator) teachings say that the bone marrow is a reservoir of one¡¯s Qi flow. As you age, your marrow becomes ¡°dirty¡±. If you can somehow find a way to ¡°wash¡± your marrow, your body will start to produce healthy blood once again, restoring your youth. This Marrow-Washing Jade appears to suck life force out of other people to wash your own marrow. (Again, all of this is homeopathic traditional Chinese medicine, so don¡¯t try this at home kids :P)


    11. ±¯ÌìÃõÈË lit. ¡°bemoan the state of the universe and pity the fate of mankind¡±


    12. Èý¹Û lit. ¡°three views¡± refers to one¡¯s ÊÀ½ç¹Û ¡°view of the world¡±¡¢ÈËÉú¹Û ¡°view of human life¡±¡¢and ¼ÛÖµ¹Û ¡°view of one¡¯s values¡±. Put together, they are one¡¯s complete worldview/outlook on life. In this case, Yun Xie¡¯s worldview doesn¡¯t exactly have a normal sense of moral responsibility.


    13. Ë®Éî»ðÈÈ lit. ¡°deep water and scorching fire¡±


    14. Yun Xie calls the waiter С¸ç lit. ¡°little elder-brother¡±, which is a way to refer to a guy younger than you. Again, no blood relation here.

 CH 14

    Chapter 14 ¨C Face-Slapping


    Yun Xie¡¯s interest was piqued: ¡°Oh?¡±


    The waiter said: ¡°On the South Street up ahead, there¡¯s a cultivator young nobleman who¡¯s teaching and discussing the Dao every day! That young nobleman has absolutely incredible skill, able to not only use the sword and practice martial arts, but also to call the wind and summon the rain. Even his appearance is incomparably beautiful¡­¡± He looked at Yun Xie¡¯s and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s faces and felt a guilty conscience, so he ambiguously corrected himself: ¡°¡­his appearance isn¡¯t bad either. He should have already arrived by now. If the two of you have nothing to do, you can go over there to have your eyes opened.¡±


    Upon listening to the end, Yun Xie had already lost interest. He waved to dismiss the waiter, and then turned back to ridicule: ¡°Ah-Xun, how about Gege takes you over there in a bit to open your eyes and check out that beautiful young nobleman?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi leaned on the chair and said lazily: ¡°Don¡¯t treat it like it¡¯s nothing. Maybe this person is from some sect and knows something, and came to check things out? Might as well go see, perhaps we¡¯ll even run into an acquaintance.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s fingers tapped Jiang Xunyi¡¯s acupressure point to remove the prohibition on his martial arts. He smiled: ¡°Whatever you say~¡±


    The two went out of the restaurant and soon arrived at the South Street. Sure enough, they saw a grand and spectacular crowd of people, packed shoulder to shoulder as they surrounded a certain space. Jiang Xunyi typically detested watching these kinds of bustling scenes, but in order to find the truth of what was going on, he had no choice but to hold his nose and endure it. He took a deep breath and tried to squeeze closer to the center.


    On the other hand, Yun Xie¡¯s eyes lit up as he caught side of a snack shop on the side of the street. He pushed Jiang Xunyi and said: ¡°You go first, I¡­. I saw there¡¯s some monster1 energy on that side, I have to go over to check it out.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flatly said: ¡°A snack monster?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed out loud: ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± He poked Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and then turned around to disappear without a trace.


    Jiang Xunyi snorted and ignored him. He resigned himself to trying to pass through the densely packed crowd. Upon barely managing to squeeze into the first row, he saw a man on stage wearing a dark blue military outfit, waving his right hand. In the open space in front of the man, a column of water suddenly sprung up out of nowhere. Under his control, the water froze in place, the ice towering loftily above the crowd.


    The surrounding crowd immediately erupted into thunderous applause.


    That man looked to be in his twenties. His features were indeed elegant, but his face was full of undisguised arrogance. Hearing the audience¡¯s praise, he smiled proudly: ¡°In fact, this does not really count as difficult. As long as you enter my Heavenly Seal School2, if you are truly qualified, you may also have this lucky opportunity.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had previously heard of the Heavenly Seal School, but he had never seen this person before. Despite this man¡¯s impetuous heart, he clearly had no real accomplishments and seemed to only be here to recruit disciples for his sect. Overwhelmed with deep boredom, Jiang Xunyi only bitterly regretted sacrificing all that effort to squeeze into this crowd, and immediately wanted to leave.


    He had just thought of leaving and his body hadn¡¯t yet moved, when a flurry of silver bolts3 flashed in the air, fiercely rushing straight at him!


    Given Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ability, evading these bolts would of course be effortlessly easy. But right now he was completely surrounded by ordinary people, making it difficult to avoid accidental injury to others. In addition, he clearly saw the course of the silver bolts and knew they would not harm him, so he simply stood in place without moving.


    In the eyes of others, this luxuriously dressed little nobleman had been scared stiff, and several people couldn¡¯t help but exclaim out loud.


    However, the silver bolts all pierced Jiang Xunyi¡¯s robes and cuffs, and did not hurt his flesh.


    Only after seeing this did the crowd breathe a sigh of relief. The cultivator on stage grinned from ear to ear: ¡°Ah, I¡¯m truly sorry. I saw a personal sword hanging on this young nobleman¡¯s waist, as well as an extremely impatient expression on his face. I4 thought you were some mighty power of another sect so dodging these toys would be effortless for you. I didn¡¯t intend to actually break this sir¡¯s5 clothes.¡±


    In fact, the man was secretly annoyed at heart. He originally saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s handsome appearance squeezing in and thought it might grab his own limelight. He wanted to scare Jiang Xunyi to expose a thoroughly ugly appearance. He didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi would not move or become shocked, but instead make people lose interest.


    Jiang Xunyi indifferently said: ¡°I saw this sir¡¯s5 animal head and small eyes6, a truly remarkable appearance eager to bully the weak and bow before the strong. If you really thought I was a mighty power, wouldn¡¯t you have long since knelt before me in greeting?¡±


    When was the last time that man had been so taunted and ridiculed? His anger rose and he immediately wanted to fight back. Only after remembering the watching crowd around him did he manage to press his temper back down and force himself to endure: ¡°Common laypeople do not know the immensity of heaven and earth and inevitably speak with rude impertinence. If you recognize your wrongs to me right now, we can let this matter pass.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered mockingly. He had yet to say anything when Yun Xie¡¯s voice came from behind: ¡°Ah-Xun, I only left for a little bit and you¡¯re already so bored as to crack jokes with a street entertainer?¡±


    Hearing these words, that cultivator¡¯s face flushed red with anger, and even the people below the stage began to speak:


    ¡°How dare these young people slander the immortal master?¡±


    ¡°The two of you hurry and apologize, it won¡¯t be good if you anger this remarkable  young nobleman with supernatural powers.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not pay any attention to them. He looked back to see Yun Xie¡¯s arms full of paper bags, and spoke slowly and leisurely: ¡°A rich harvest.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and batted his eyes: ¡°Sorry to make you wait. That monkey¡¯s tricks aren¡¯t fun to watch at all. Let¡¯s leave?¡±


    Yun Xie was truly amazingly talented: as soon as he appeared, he immediately pulled Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Aggro7 onto himself instead. That man didn¡¯t care about his own demeanor anymore¡ªhe suddenly pulled out his sword and pointed it at Yun Xie to shout: ¡°You little brat, get on up here and fight me!¡±


    Yun Xie had still been facing Jiang Xunyi with a radiant smile. Now as he turned to bestow that man a proper glance, his face turned dark and he spoke indifferently: ¡°You are no match for me, call your Shizun here instead.¡±


    With a loud shout, that cultivator stabbed his sword towards Yun Xie. Yun Xie¡¯s hands were stuffed full of snacks, so he hurriedly turned to hide behind Jiang Xunyi and smiled: ¡°Ah-Xun, hurry and help me!!¡±


    Jiang Xingyi blocked in front of Yun Xie. With a pinch of his outstretched fingers, that previously threatening sword was immediately stopped in place. No matter how much force the other side used, the sword could no longer move even half an inch.


    The cultivator was red-faced with what could be shame or anger or both. After letting go of the sword, he formed a secret seal with his right hand and tried the same thing again, making an ice blade fly at Jiang Xunyi.


    At this time, the surrounding observers had already dispersed into the distance, so Jiang Xunyi had no more scruples. With a flick of the fingers of his left hand, a cluster of raging flames manifested from his fingertips. The blaze then turned into a small fire dragon, instantly swallowing that ice blade and then slamming into that cultivator¡¯s chest. The man immediately toppled backwards, blood spurting from his mouth. The front of his robes had also been burned by the fire dragon, and he now fumbled around in complete and utter panic.


    At the same time, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s right fingertip gently applied a small amount of force, and that long sword was effortlessly snapped into two halves.


    With this reveal of his true skill, everyone around him instantly fell into absolute silence. The cultivator was shocked and strove to cover his chest: ¡°Who¡­ are you really?¡±


    Yun Xie suddenly raised his voice: ¡°School Master Wu, are you here to pick up this ¡®heroic¡¯ street entertainer?¡±


    His words had just landed when several people immediately walked out from the crowd, led by a heavyweight middle-aged man. Upon coming closer, this man bowed to Yun Xie and smiled bitterly: ¡°That inferior disciple Feng Duan has always been insolent, and this time he didn¡¯t recognize Sect Master Yun. My4 teaching of disciples was not strict enough¡ªI am truly ashamed and can only humbly apologize to you.¡±


    This man was precisely the School Master of the Heavenly Seal School, Wu Tianqi. As he turned his head to see Jiang Xunyi right next to Yun Xie, a thought passed through his mind and he hurriedly said: ¡°Would this one happen to be¡­¡±


    Yun Xie reached out to pat Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder, and smiled faintly: ¡°Offending me is nothing. If School Master Wu is truly sincere, you should be apologizing to our young master Jiang.¡±


    Hearing that this person really was Jiang Xunyi, Wu Tianqi couldn¡¯t help but secretly complain at this hardship. These two men were young in age yet high in skill, born with unyielding and obstinate tempers. The Heavenly Seal School could not afford to provoke either of them, but unexpectedly managed to offend both today. Wu Tianqi hurriedly wiped his sweat and repeatedly apologized to Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi did not like taking his anger out on the undeserving. Seeing Wu Tianqi like this, he moved to stop him: ¡°School Master Wu, there¡¯s no need for this. It is only a mere misunderstanding, I naturally will not take this to heart.¡±


    Wu Tianqi did not expect that despite his ice-cold appearance, Jiang Xunyi was actually so pleasant of speech. He breathed a great sigh of relief, and turned to yell at the still-stunned Feng Duan: ¡°Bastard8! Still not apologizing to Sect Master Yun and young master Jiang?!¡±


    Feng Duan could never have expected these two young men were actually the famous Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage. Faced with this astonishment, he could hardly speak, only kneel on the ground trembling. Yun Xie stood to one side, clearly allowing Jiang Xunyi to take charge. Just looking at Feng Duan made Jiang Xunyi feel irked at the whole troublesome matter. As more and more onlookers surrounded them, he waved his hand: ¡°I already said it was a misunderstanding, there is no need to bring this up again. School Master Wu, we still have other business, you may do as you please.¡± He tugged at Yun Xie, intending to leave.


    Footnotes:


    1. As an aside, I¡¯m translating Ñý(y¨¡o) as ¡°monster¡± while keeping ħ(m¨®) as ¡°demon.¡± In general, Ñý are objects or living things that managed to ¡°evolve¡±, gain consciousness, and achieve greater power by absorbing spiritual energy and training themselves.


    2. ӡǬÃÅ: Ó¡ = ¡°Seal, print, stamp¡±; Ǭ = one of the Eight Trigrams symbolizing Heaven/male principle; ÃÅ = ¡°Gate/door but also school/sect¡±


    3. â = ¡°awn/arista/tip of a blade¡±. In this case, I¡¯m not super sure but I think â refers to blade-like projectiles, so I just translated it as ¡°bolts¡±


    4. ÔÚÏ (z¨¤i xi¨¤) lit. ¡°this one who is beneath you¡± is a humble way of referring to oneself.


    5. ¸óÏÂ(g¨¦ xi¨¤) is an honorific used to refer to others with respect. Its meaning can vary from ¡°sir¡± to ¡°your distinguished self¡± to even ¡°your majesty¡±


    6. â¯Í·ÊóÄ¿ lit. ¡°head of a river deer and eyes of a mouse¡±, basically referring to a person who looks ugly and also seems to be sly and crafty.


    7. ³ðºÞÖµ is equivalent to ¡°Hatred/Threat/Aggro¡± in MMORPGs. A player that generates the highest Aggro onto an enemy will be prioritized by that enemy¡¯s attacks. Yun Xie is therefore the best tank ever lol. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_(video_gaming)


    8. ÐóÉú lit. ¡°domestic animal¡± or ¡°brute¡±

 CH 15

    Chapter 15 ¨C Heavenly Seal


    Wu Tianqi saw the situation and hurried to say: ¡°The two of you, please hold on! Since you two have already come here, I should fulfill my responsibility of friendship as the lord of this area. My mansion has many guest rooms, if I may invite¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished talking when he was unceremoniously interrupted by Yun Xie: ¡°No¡­(ack)¡­No problem, that, uh, Ah-Xun and I were just thinking to ask for School Master Wu¡¯s hospitality, haha.¡±


    He had originally wanted to refuse, but just after saying the first word, his waist suddenly hurt from Jiang Xunyi pinching him very very hard. Yun Xie caught on and hurriedly corrected himself.


    Wu Tianqi was overjoyed and led the two of them away on the spot. In the back, Yun Xie gnashed his teeth and glared at Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Were you trying to pinch me to death just now? You were the one who wanted to leave, then you wanted to stay, is there something wrong with your brain?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi leisurely said: ¡°The Heavenly Seal School is the largest cultivation sect in Yuele City, so they definitely must know some of what¡¯s going on. I was just thinking we could go to Wu Tianqi¡¯s place to inquire a little. And your skin is so thick, I was afraid that if I only used a little force, you wouldn¡¯t feel anything. My bad~¡±


    Yun Xie was about to refute back, but he tilted his head to see Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes gently drifting over1, glancing at him with a hint of a smile. His sharp eyebrows were obliquely arched and his complexion as fine as jade, so indescribably beautiful that Yun Xie was momentarily bewildered to the point where he forgot how to speak.


    Jiang Xunyi saw Yun Xie not cursing or arguing back, and instead lost interest. He shrugged his shoulders and moved ahead, leaving Yun Xie in the dust.


    Behind him, Yun Xie breathed the slightest sigh of relief. He wiped his face once. When he looked up, he had resumed the appearance of a face full of smiles, and followed everyone else to enter the Heavenly Seal School.


    The Heavenly Seal School of course could not compare to large sects like Hidden Spirit and Solar Envy. There weren¡¯t many people, but their residence location was quite spacious. The courtyard was clean and tidy, and a bead curtain hung at the entrance of the main hall. Jiang Xunyi had always been somewhat of a neat freak, so he was satisfied at this sight.


    Yun Xie had long since grown tired from walking, so he took long strides to squeeze in front of Jiang Xunyi and enter the main hall.


    His hands behind his back, Jiang Xunyi followed behind Yun Xie. He lifted his leg to step inside, but who would have expected that after Yun Xie entered, he used force to swing the curtain out, making the hard beads pelt Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face.


    Jiang Xunyi was of course angry: ¡°Bastard!¡± He kicked towards Yun Xie¡¯s leg, making him roll into a somersault to dodge.


    These past two years, both Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had reached their highest momentum yet. In addition, because of the enchantment surrounding Yuele City, the news of Jiang Xunyi killing his master had not yet arrived. As a result, all the disciples of the Heavenly Seal School had long since been waiting inside the hall to welcome these two experts. They had not expected that these two brothers reputed to have an extremely close relationship would actually start fighting right after entering the door. The disciples could not help but stand slack-jawed in shock.


    Wu Tianqi had become acquainted with Yun Xie earlier, so he knew of Yun Xie¡¯s arrogant disposition and extraordinary skill. Now seeing Jiang Xunyi kicking him into a battered mess, Wu Tianqi¡¯s heart was in his throat¡ª¡ªif these two honored gods started fighting here and one got injured, the Heavenly Seal School wouldn¡¯t be able to take the consequences.


    Fortunately, Yun Xie appeared to have an extraordinarily good temper towards his companion. After regaining his balance to stand firm again, he only looked back to smile at Jiang Xunyi: ¡°If you want to lose your temper, you can do whatever you want once we go back to our rooms and close the door. We¡¯re in public right now, what are you doing this for?¡± As he spoke, he even batted his eyelashes.


    Jiang Xunyi did not have Yun Xie¡¯s level of shamelessness, so he could only grind his teeth and pretend he didn¡¯t hear that.


    Wu Tianqi really could not understand the relationship between these two sirs. Seeing this situation, he hurriedly interrupted: ¡°The two of you must be tired, I have already ordered meals and rooms to be prepared. Why don¡¯t the two of you¡­ first take a break?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked back at Wu Tianqi with a slight smile on his face, and did not speak.


    His smile looked beautiful and pleasing to the eye, but Wu Tianqi felt an inexplicable chill run up his back. He mustered up his courage to smile apologetically: ¡°Young master Jiang, if you have any requests just say them, the Heavenly Seal School will help however we can without delay.¡±


    Do whatever you want, just don¡¯t smile, I¡¯m begging you.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze slowly swept a circle over the disciples in the hall. Wherever he looked, that person would invariably lower their head to avoid his eyes. Only after this did Jiang Xunyi speak: ¡°What requests could I have? Wasn¡¯t it School Master Wu who wishes to talk about something?¡±


    Wu Tianqi had not expected him to be so astute and keen despite his young age, and was momentarily surprised. Just as he was thinking about how to answer, Yun Xie also spoke: ¡°Given School Master Wu¡¯s warm hospitality, it is your word that counts. If there is nothing to talk about, then forget it.¡±


    Wu Tianqi understood Yun Xie better than Jiang Xunyi, so he could hear the true meaning of those words: if he did not say the truth now, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi would not listen to him in the future if he wanted to bring it up again. He hurried to dismiss all the disciples in the hall and invited the two men to sit down. Only then did he speak: ¡°Young master Jiang truly has incredible foresight. Recently, some strange things have indeed been occurring in Yuele City. An enchantment was set around the city to restrict cultivators from entering and exiting. My spiritual power is low, so I was in the middle of trying to seek help from outside when I ran into the two of you nobility.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was concise and succinct: ¡°Demon Sovereign Xuan Li?¡±


    Wu Tianqi¡¯s body trembled and his eyes showed deep fear: ¡°You are correct¡ª¡ªin the past few days, more than thirty cultivators have died in Yuele City, twenty one of which were disciples of my Heavenly Seal School. Their appearance upon death¡­ their appearance upon death was exactly the same as the corpses left behind after Demon Sovereign Xuan Li took people¡¯s lives back in the day!¡±


    Yun Xie set down the teapot, and his expression turned serious: ¡°I heard that after Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s death back then, his soul was sealed away but his body was hidden inside an enchanted boundary called the ¡®Heart Demon2 Sea¡¯. Looking at it now, could it be that the seal has lost its effectiveness?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi met Yun Xie¡¯s eyes, and then turned his head: ¡°If Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s soul escaped, then the Heart Demon Sea should manifest in the world. May I ask School Master Wu, was Yuele City the location where Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s soul was separated from his body back in the day?¡± Though he and Yun Xie held much higher statuses than Wu Tianqi, they were still young. A drama with a thousand killers was naught but subjective cheap gossip, so Wu Tianqi knew more than them regarding these old matters from long ago.


    Wu Tianqi hesitated a moment before slowly nodding. He added: ¡°It¡¯s said that because Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s body was sealed inside the enchantment, even if his soul did get out, it should look for another host to stay temporarily, entering and controlling that host¡¯s mind. Completely eliminating Demon Sovereign Xuan Li requires not only finding the Heart Demon Sea and destroying his body, but also killing that new host.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled faintly: ¡°School Master Wu does not need to say so much. Since you so thoroughly understand this method of killing Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, go ahead and act! It¡¯s just that if you delay a few more days, I¡¯m afraid this Heavenly Seal School is going to be completely destroyed~¡±


    Wu Tianqi was timid and afraid of getting involved, so he did not dare to take the initiative himself. He indeed had the idea of encouraging Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi to act for him. Now upon being called out by Yun Xie, he immediately felt both guilty and vexed, yet did not dare to let these emotions out. He could only hold his anger back and laugh awkwardly: ¡°Sect Master Yun has a good sense of humor, hahaha.¡±


    Yun Xie said: ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t have a good sense of humor. I¡¯m just not stupid.¡±


    Wu Tianqi¡¯s face and ears flushed red, and he couldn¡¯t say anything more.


    Jiang Xunyi saw Yun Xie was about done, so he interjected from the side: ¡°School Master Wu, slaying demons and monsters is my generation¡¯s responsibility. Yun Xie and I will not stand by and ignore your plight. It¡¯s just that since School Master Wu has entrusted this matter to us, we will be the ones to decide what to do and how to go about doing it. We hope you that you will refrain from acting presumptuously.¡±


    After these two men teamed up on him to ¡°continuously withdraw funds¡±, Wu Tianqi no longer dared to have other thoughts and now agreed to everything in succession.


    Jiang Xunyi nodded. He had just lifted his robes to rise from his seat, when the door to the hall slammed open. He reflexively pressed his hand on his sword hilt and turned to look. He saw the newcomer was a 17-year-old girl wearing a pink butterfly-patterned dress, her facial features quite beautiful.


    Yun Xie immediately frowned upon seeing the girl. He had not yet said anything when she already raced over and said happily: ¡°Yun-Gege, it was actually you who came! Long time no see, did you miss Hui-Er?¡±


    Wu Tianqi shouted: ¡°Hui-Er, how can you be so rude?!¡± It turned out this girl was Wu Tianqi¡¯s daughter Wu Hui. She had already started to adore Yun Xie three years ago, so hearing that he had now come to the Heavenly Seal School was an extremely pleasant surprise to her. She had completely disregarded everything else going on to barge in as fast as she could.


    Yun Xie took a step back, avoiding her hand trying to pull his sleeves. He raised his eyebrows: ¡°This must be Miss Wu? Greetings.¡±


    Wu Hui froze for a second before stamping her foot: ¡°Yun-Gege, don¡¯t joke, how could you not recognize Hui-Er?¡±


    The main protagonist¡¯s harem was really everywhere, so irritating that even a god would get annoyed. Jiang Xunyi had waited for a while on the side, but by now he had lost his patience and indifferently said: ¡°I¡¯m going first.¡± He turned around to leave.


    Yun Xie hurried to say: ¡°Ah-Xun, I¡¯m going too.¡±


    Wu Hui¡¯s eyes turned to look at Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your relationship with Yun-Gege?¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. ÑÛ²¨Á÷ת lit. ¡°eyes rippling, flowing, turning¡± is typically used to describe the gentle movement of a women¡¯s eyes, filled with affection


    2. It¡¯s the return of our old friend ÐÄħ (x¨©n m¨®) lit. ¡°heart demon/devil¡±, probably better thought of as Inner Demons. Rather than literal demons or devils, these are a practitioner¡¯s negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation. (Credits to https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/)

 CH 16

    Chapter 16 ¨C Walking Corpses


    Faced with her rude question, Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to pay her any attention, and merely minded his own business to continue walking out. Wu Tianqi was so terrified his face lost all color. He couldn¡¯t care to reprimand his daughter, only hurrying to apologize for her, but within a few steps Jiang Xunyi had already disappeared.


    Yun Xie frowned. Having lost face in front of her crush, Wu Hui was quietly angry and annoyed. She turned to Yun Xie, thoroughly wronged and aggrieved: ¡°Yun-Gege¡­¡±


    Yun Xie impatiently blocked her hand pulling at his sleeve, and indifferently said: ¡°Miss Wu, as a woman, you should still watch yourself.¡± As he spoke, he did not tarry any longer, turning away to leave too.


    After leaving the main hall, Jiang Xunyi asked a Heavenly Seal School disciple for the location of his lodgings and then went to his room. The weather that day was cloudy and overcast. The sky outside gradually darkened, but he did not light the lamp. He only lay on the bed in a slight daze, thinking about the plot events soon to come.


    Suddenly, the room door opened and a figure flashed inside.


    Jiang Xunyi did not get up. His arms folded behind his head, he leisurely said: ¡°Every single time you enter my room, you don¡¯t knock. There¡¯s going to be a day where I think you¡¯re a thief and kill you.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed: ¡°A flower-picking thief?¡± He looked around this gloomy room and shook his head: ¡°Oh my~ Why are you lying on the bed without even lighting the lamp, all heartbroken and alone? Could it be¡­ you saw those admiring me just now and got jealous?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t grasp his exact meaning. He thought Yun Xie was insinuating he liked Wu Hui, so he responded with a sneer: ¡°I have no interest in that kind of little girl.¡±


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t do anything when faced with this sheer dense cluelessness, and he choked on his words. He angrily stomped over to the bed and kicked Jiang Xunyi¡¯s leg. ¡°Move in a little, give me room to lie down.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t move an inch, only lazily said: ¡°Was your bed shattered by lightning?¡±


    Yun Xie simply bent over, both hands reaching under Jiang Xunyi into a hug and pushing him towards the inside of the bed. He openly and grandiosely lay down on the now available outside edge, and laughed: ¡°Just do what I tell you to do, less useless jabbering.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was caught off guard, and Yun Xie¡¯s sneak attack was successful. Hearing these words, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temper rose even further. He flipped back over and swung a fist at Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie gently grasped his wrist and whispered: ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble, I have something to say.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi harrumphed, tore his hand out of Yun Xie¡¯s grasp, and raised his chin to look down imperiously.


    Yun Xie laughed and looked at the flower pattern on the blanket: ¡°Hey, I say, do you really want to seal away Demon Sovereign Xuan Li?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°Sealing him would only be treating the symptoms and not the cause. His strength has long since deteriorated compared to before. I want to directly scatter his soul.¡± He tilted his head to look at Yun Xie, but in this darkness Yun Xie¡¯s expression could not be seen clearly. Jiang Xunyi then took a deep breath and added: ¡°This is just my own choice. You don¡¯t have to accompany me.¡±


    On the pillow, Yun Xie turned his head, a few strands of black hair slightly tousled: ¡°Aside from you, there is no one else in this world who deserves my accompaniment. If even you and I were separated, it would be far too lonely.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips curled up in a smile¡ª¡ªhe knew that nothing would sway Yun Xie¡¯s decision now. His heart warmed slightly, and he casually patted Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder. But when he turned his face away, his brows could not resist wrinkling into a frown.


    Yun Xie resisted the urge to clutch his hand. He lay quietly on the side, listening to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s long breaths. His heart felt soft and warm, and he couldn¡¯t help but reveal a silly smile in the dark where no one could see.


    However, the smile had not spread past his upper lip corner when he suddenly felt an aching pain in his chest. A powerful sorrowful grief surged up from the bottom of his heart. For some unknown reason, he felt tears almost gathering in his eyes.


    By his side, Jiang Xunyi suddenly turned over and sat up.


    Yun Xie had not yet fully recovered, and his voice was low and hoarse: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi whispered: ¡°Outside.¡±


    Yun Xie pressed his temples: ¡°These footstep sounds are only those of a normal disciple, you¡¯re just paranoid.¡±


    His voice had just cut off when a knock sounded on the door. Jiang Xunyi kicked the Yun Xie lying on the outside of the bed, urging him to open the door. Jiang Xunyi himself moved to sit on the bed¡¯s edge.


    Yun Xie opened the door to find the person standing outside was actually Wu Hui. The two of them had each not expected the other person to be there, and both froze for a moment.


    Wu Hui was surprised at this odd sight: ¡°Yun-Gege? I just went to your room to find it empty. So you were here all along.¡± As she spoke, she glanced inside the room either accidentally or on purpose: ¡°Is young master Jiang also here? How come you two didn¡¯t even light the lamp?¡±


    Yun Xie expressionlessly turned his body to block her line of sight, and spoke coldly: ¡°Need something?¡±


    Seeing his appearance, Wu Hui¡¯s smile froze on her face. Feeling wronged, she said: ¡°Dad told me to invite you two for a meal.¡±


    Yun Xie was just about to open his mouth, when his shoulder suddenly felt heavy¡ªHe was pushed to the side by the Jiang Xunyi behind him. Jiang Xunyi nodded at Wu Hui: ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Miss Wu. The two of us will head over right now.¡±


    Wu Hui had just learned the identity of this young master Jiang from her father. Even though she held some slight hostility towards this person, she did not dare to act rashly. Seeing his answer, she reluctantly bowed and then left without saying a word.


    Yun Xie ridiculed him: ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell before that you held such tender feelings for the fairer sex1. You¡¯re fawning on this little miss, but she isn¡¯t fond of you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi rolled his eyes: ¡°Still better than you frowning and giving the cold shoulder to every woman. In the end, we¡¯re living at this Heavenly Seal School. Can¡¯t you let them save just a little bit of face?¡±


    Yun Xie whined: ¡°Ah-Xun, just to eat and live here for free, you¡¯re even making your big brother Yun sell my charms?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pushed him away: ¡°Get lost.¡± He tidied his clothes and walked out.


    In honor of the arrival of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, Wu Tianqi had arranged an unusually rich dinner banquet. The servants pouring tea and water had all been replaced with the Heavenly Seal School¡¯s disciples, just to show off their grace and elegance for these two guests. Jiang Xunyi did not like to talk much in public. On the other hand, Yun Xie talked cheerfully and made witty jokes during the meal, attracting the glances of many female disciples.


    Jiang Xunyi had taken two bites when a female disciple walked past to pour tea for him. Just as he was about to thank her, he glimpsed the back of that woman¡¯s hand out of the corner of his eye. His heart quaked, and he hurriedly grabbed her wrist.


    Yun Xie was sitting right next to him. Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s movement, Yun Xie¡¯s eyes darkened but his face instead brightened into an even more brilliant smile. ¡°Ah-Xun, this is really too lecherous of you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flung out his hand, and then immediately turned his body in his chair to kick at the woman¡¯s chin. He angrily said: ¡°Yeah right lecherous, her hand has the spots of livor mortis2!¡±


    Yun Xie had already discovered the anomaly just after his ¡°lecherous¡± comment. Now he also leapt up, his right hand activating a secret art. A bolt of purple light immediately flashed through the hall, and several Heavenly Seal School disciples let out screams. Under the shine of that purple light, they actually turned into ferocious-looking walking corpses covered in black spots!


    With this abrupt transformation, the remaining normal disciples within the hall let out exclamations of shock. Various colors of sword light rose through the air, attacking these walking corpses. But these terrifying-looking monsters were actually completely unaffected. One walking corpse pounced forward, extending its claws to snap the neck of a former fellow disciple.


    Jiang Xunyi called out: ¡°Everyone, do not worry. These are the result of cultivators having been corrupted by demonic energy. They do not fear blades or swords, and can only be affected by purification-type spells.¡± His voice was not loud, yet among the countless screams and shouts, it actually transmitted clearly to everyone¡¯s ears.


    Wu Tianqi secretly smiled bitterly: The extraordinarily talented Jiang Xunyi made it sound so simple, but these purification-type spells were not easy, especially when used to deal with these heavily transformed walking corpses. There were very few people in the Heavenly Seal School with this ability. Wu Tianqi could only add: ¡°All those who do not know purification spells should retreat, do not be stained by the demonic energy!¡±


    Yun Xie created an enchanted boundary without even looking, and shouted: ¡°Everyone inside!¡± Immediately afterward, he no longer cared for the rest of the people, instead gathering his energy to leap to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side. He frowned: ¡°What exactly is going on?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand supported a ball of flickering and wavering purple light: ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! But I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s related to Xuan Li.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned his head towards Yun Xie: ¡°The Sweeping Demons Seal?¡±


    Yun Xie understood his meaning and nodded. He extended a hand to gather a bolt of blue light, merging it into the ball of purple-colored light in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm. The two colors blended together, revealing a captivating blue-violet radiance. That ball of light then gradually formed a huge iris, its sparkling brilliance circulating in the dim candlelight of the hall. The walking corpses enveloped by this iris each let out a painful anguished howl, and instantly melted into puddles of pus.


    All the world knew of the Spirit Stage Dual Jades; they could be said to be the goal that the entire younger generation of disciples strove for. But there were very few people who had actually seen their grace in action. The surrounding Heavenly Seal School disciples had originally revered these two men already. Now upon seeing those rampaging walking corpses neatly cleaned up in the blink of an eye, they were even more enraptured, immense admiration written all over their faces.


    Footnotes:


    1. Á¯ÏãϧÓñ lit. ¡°pity fragrance and cherish jade¡±. Basically means to give kind treatment to women


    2. ʬ°ß lit. ¡°corpse spots¡± = Livor Mortis or Suggillation: After death, blood pools in the body, causing discolored patches to appear on the skin.


    3. To clarify, ºçĤ is referring to the iris of an eye. Just think of it as a great big ring that looks like a blue-purple eye.

 CH 17

    Chapter 17 ¨C Eloping to the Moon


    Jiang Xunyi calmly retracted his hand and met Yun Xie¡¯s eyes. Wu Tianqi hurried forward: ¡°I am truly ashamed at having troubled the two of you.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression showed rare seriousness: ¡°The demonic energy is spilling out; those with insufficient skill to resist it will become corrupted just like the ones we saw just now, with unimaginable consequences. I have set up an enchanted boundary at the inner courtyard inside the Heavenly Seal School. School Master Wu, please restrict your disciples from carelessly going out in the near future.¡±


    Beads of cold sweat appeared on Wu Tianqi¡¯s forehead. He repeatedly agreed, and then said: ¡°I will send people to redo the banquet¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned. Given his cleanliness and fastidiousness, he now felt some nausea after having seen those disgusting walking corpses just now. He shook his head: ¡°I¡¯m not eating any more.¡±


    Yun Xie saw the situation and hurriedly said: ¡°I¡¯m not eating either.¡±


    The two of them returned to their individual rooms, and Jiang Xunyi first took a bath. He had rubbed his hair dry and was about to go to bed, when Yun Xie jumped in from the window.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled: ¡°Ah-Xun, you didn¡¯t eat anything just now¡ªwon¡¯t you be hungry like this? Hurry and get up, Gege¡¯s taking you to the night market for a feast!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t actually hungry, but remembering what had happened this evening, he felt it was somewhat awkward to stay here. After pondering it over, he nodded and followed Yun Xie out.


    Yuele City at night was extremely lively and bustling, with rows upon rows of street stalls. The shouts of vendors and the aromas of food mixed together, all in all giving off the atmosphere of an animated and vibrant mortal society. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mood improved at this sight. He followed Yun Xie to sit down at a shack that counted as passably clean, and they ordered a few appetizers.


    Yun Xie saw the mildness between Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brows, and his own lips could not help but curl up into a smile. He first picked out a pair of clean chopsticks and handed them to Jiang Xunyi, and then moved several of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s favorite dishes over to the other side.


    Jiang Xunyi had evidently grown used to Yun Xie indulging him ever since they were little, and he did not find anything strange about this arrangement. He naturally took the chopsticks over and began to eat.


    However, on this day they were doomed to have no way to eat in peace. The two of them had just sat down for less than fifteen minutes, when suddenly a dry and hoarse voice came from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side. The voice carried a hint of a faint sigh as it floated into his ear: ¡°The Demon Sovereign¡­ finally resurrected.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned back to look, and was practically shocked out of his seat. Ever since he had become famous at an early age, he rarely encountered any worthy opponents, and had especially never encountered someone who could silently circle behind his back without his noticing. In particular, the woman behind him was unkempt and disheveled, all skin and bones. Her face seemed to have only a single thin layer of skin adhered to her skull. Only her eyes were bright and wide, fixated on him with something similar to feverish mania, making her appearance even more bizarre.


    Upon being stared at by those eyes, Jiang Xunyi momentarily felt his entire body stiffening up. A feeling of ever-increasing unsolvable mysteries1 rose in his heart, so he actually forgot to move.


    Yun Xie followed him to look up, and was also shocked. He quickly reached out to grab Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders and pull him to his side, and watched the woman with heightened vigilance.


    But the woman did not care the slightest about Yun Xie¡¯s hostile gaze. She only looked straight at Jiang Xunyi.


    When Yun Xie¡¯s hand settled on his shoulder, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart calmed down significantly. He made an effort to collect himself: ¡°Regarding this senior¡¯s words just now, I would like some elucidation on the details.¡±


    With concealed fear in her faint croaking voice, that woman continued: ¡°Xuan Li has forcibly possessed a new body and now descends on Hidden Spirit¡­ You must be cautious of him, he is truly dreadful, truly dreadful¡­¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    The woman suddenly smiled. Her appearance was already terrible enough when she wasn¡¯t smiling, and now with this smile she didn¡¯t even look like a human. Yun Xie found this sight too horrible and turned away, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes widened as he waited with bated breath for the answer.


    ¡°Immortal Master Ti Ming!¡±


    Hearing these words, Jiang Xunyi was completely stunned. He had suspected Huang Yan, had suspected Elder Jinghai, but he could never have suspected his Shizun who loved him so dearly and furthermore had already passed away. What¡­What exactly was going on here?


    The woman shot a deranged and erratic look at Jiang Xunyi. All of a sudden, she clapped her hands and laughed out loud.


    Yun Xie¡¯s hand tightened, and he growled: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    With his expression turning serious, Yun Xie appeared very majestic and dignified. Even this lunatic woman was awed and intimidated. She indeed shut her mouth and looked back at him.


    With this glance, her expression suddenly changed drastically. She extended a hand to point at Yun Xie, her voice quavering: ¡°How¡­ how are you also¡­ No, impossible!¡± Her entire body trembled violently, as if Yun Xie was the most terrible demon or monster in the world. She staggered and stumbled back two steps, and turned to rush out the door.


    Yun Xie watched gape-mouthed as she left, and said to himself: ¡°What the hell is this? Only speaking halfway and then stopping right at the good part is really way too annoying!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi let out a sigh and waved aside Yun Xie¡¯s hand still on his shoulder: ¡°Did I mishear her just now? That woman was talking about my Shizun?¡±


    Yun Xie said: ¡°You heard her correctly, but that doesn¡¯t mean what she said was true. Just the words of a crazy old hag, don¡¯t take it too seriously.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips curled up in a faint smile as he looked at Yun Xie: ¡°Like you didn¡¯t take it seriously? You ¡®didn¡¯t take it seriously¡¯ but still placed a Tracing Talisman on her!¡±


    Yun Xie applauded him: ¡°Sure enough, Ah-Xun deserves your fame. On this earth, only you can see through my talismans at a glance. But don¡¯t get jealous: that woman looked so ugly, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d take a fancy to her.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi harrumphed: ¡°After all we¡¯ve gone through today, I finally have the chance to eat a full meal¡ªcan you first stop being so disgusting?¡±


    Yun Xie let out an overblown and pretentious sigh, and then bowed his head to eat.


    After the two had finished eating, the street lamps outside of the restaurant had already begun to light up. Seemingly out of nowhere, Jiang Xunyi asked: ¡°Where?¡±


    Yun Xie had achieved a deep tacit understanding with him, so hearing this he stood up and replied: ¡°Apparently not far, just a few streets away from us¡ª¡ªlet¡¯s go and check it out.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi followed him out of the restaurant. Yun Xie flicked a finger, and a vague red string appeared in mid-air that only the two of them could see.


    As they followed this red string all the way over, Yun Xie¡¯s expression turned more and more alarmed. Jiang Xunyi whispered: ¡°What is it?¡±


    Yun Xie hesitated for a moment before speaking: ¡°Why do I sense¡­ an increasingly dense aura of death¡­¡±


    His talisman was connected to that emaciated woman¡¯s body, so this aura of death right now was naturally referring to no other person but her. Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi not replying to those words, so he added: ¡°I probably got it wrong.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Jiang Xunyi said. ¡°You sensed correctly.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi jerked his chin forward, and Yun Xie attentively looked in that direction with slightly narrowed eyes. Next to the road was a corpse with ragged robes, scattered hair covering its face. It was exactly the woman who had just been alive and kicking not long ago.


    Yun Xie rushed over first to check the body. As he neared the corpse, he involuntarily cried out: ¡°The Marrow-Washing Jade again!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi also walked over and casually glanced over the body: ¡°Limp and soft as mud, skin and flesh cracking open¡­ Rather than the Marrow-Washing Jade, it¡¯d be more accurate to say Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. I reckon we¡¯re now about to draw his attention too.¡± Despite the content of his words, his face did not even show the slightest bit of fear.


    Yun Xie was even more indifferent, and he even smiled: ¡°Not necessarily. I heard that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li is a perverted lecher. Maybe he just took a fancy to that woman and wanted to engage in some deviant behavior, but then unexpectedly encountered resistance and lashed out in anger for the kill¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Hah! You might as well say this woman took a fancy to him and Xuan Li had no other choice but to defend himself.¡± As he spoke, he had already turned around: ¡°Stop talking nonsense, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Still grinning cheerfully, Yun Xie was about to follow him. However, he had not yet taken one step when their surroundings suddenly darkened, the nearby lights extinguished. A gust of fierce wind rose from the flat ground, sweeping sand and rocks to pelt their faces. Yun Xie backed up to block in front of Jiang Xunyi, covering his own nose and mouth with his sleeves. He looked up with alarm and uncertainty.


    He saw a mass of thick black clouds above them, overlapping and gathering together. A bolt of purple lightning ripped open the sky with a rumble and flash.


    Amidst the booming thunder, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s countenance changed in surprise: ¡°What¡¯s going on? How did Heavenly Lightning get called over?¡±


    Yun Xie promptly made a decision: ¡°Don¡¯t ask me! There are too many mortals here, let¡¯s first leave and draw the lightning away!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded and the two turned at the same time to sprint towards an area without other people around.


    That mass of clouds chased over relentlessly2. Bolts of lightning struck the ground right behind them, almost scraping their heels. Jiang Xunyi had never in his life fled in such helter-skelter desperation before. He could only keep running to the point where he almost couldn¡¯t breathe, and he forced out a fragmented comment: ¡°How¡­ come I¡­ get the feeling¡­ this cloud is alive¡­¡­ Did you¡­ did you seduce its wife¡­¡±


    Yun Xie grabbed his hand, laughing as he pulled Jiang Xunyi to run: ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, but if it is true, am I now eloping with you?¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. I believe this phrase ¡°Ðþ¶øÓÖÐþ¡± lit. ¡°mysteries upon mysteries¡± comes from the µÀµÂ½› (d¨¤o d¨¦ j¨©ng) [Classic of the Dao and its Virtue], which is the famous fundamental text of Daoism.


    2. ÈçÓ°ËæÐÎ lit. ¡°like the shadow following the body¡±

 CH 18

    Chapter 18 ¨C A Gigantic Misunderstanding


    The exhausted Jiang Xunyi managed to roll his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Xie speedily pulled him into an alley to continue running. Jiang Xunyi had always had a highly retentive memory, so he could not help but startle: ¡°This road¡­¡­ How come I remember¡­ this alley wasn¡¯t here last time?¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t even look back: ¡°That¡¯s right, it wasn¡¯t. What, you want to double back?¡±


    As another bolt of lightning struck down, Jiang Xunyi let out a wry laugh and his temper instantly disappeared. But just at this moment, both his and Yun Xie¡¯s feet slipped at the same time. Caught off guard, both staggered in place. Amidst the deafening crack of thunder and lightning, Jiang Xunyi instantaneously stretched out to push Yun Xie away. But Yun Xie had long been prepared for this. He threw himself onto Jiang Xunyi, protecting him in his arms.


    Shocked, Jiang Xunyi hurriedly tried to elbow Yun Xie¡¯s chest: ¡°Get away, I don¡¯t need you to block for me.¡±


    At this moment between life and death, Yun Xie instead smiled. His shallow breath brushed past Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ears, suddenly carrying an indescribable gentleness: ¡°Ah-Xun, in fact, I¡¯ve always¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Huh? Where¡¯d the lightning go?¡±


    Yun Xie choked on his own words on the spot. He only felt the second half of that sentence had just slammed back into his stomach, and he almost couldn¡¯t take a breath. While stewing on this annoyance, he finally reacted: Given the speed of that lightning, in the time that he and Jiang Xunyi had been shoving each other back and forth, they should have long since been killed by the lightning strike. However, their surroundings were now entirely calm. Even that booming and rolling thunder could no longer be heard.


    He observed their surroundings and was immediately taken by surprise: not only had the dark clouds and lightning disappeared, but even the small alley they had passed through to get here was gone without a trace. Above them was a clean dark blue sky, without even a shadow of a cloud. Two bright moons hung high above, one full and the other crescent, their distant light illuminating each other.


    He and Jiang Xunyi were actually lying on top of a vast black ocean, so infinite that he could not see the water¡¯s end even when straining his eyes. Yet they did not sink; the water did not even dampen their clothes. However, the sea surface still wasn¡¯t calm¡ª¡ªeach wave seemed to move with fiercer momentum than the last, overlapping and crashing down in front of them. Even experts of Lightness Skill1 like Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had trouble standing steady.


    In this hollow emptiness, there was only the boundless sea and boundless sky. Even those with mighty powers could not help but feel immense awe and reverence, as if they had become naught but a lone soul between the heavens and the earth, incapable of understanding from whence they came and to where they will go¡­..


    Yun Xie bowed his head to meet Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes. With rare seriousness, he sighed: ¡°Only today do I now realize the sense of scale in the phrase ¡®Akin to a single reed, drifting over infinite vast emptiness¡¯2.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi expressionlessly patted his back: ¡°Is Sect Master Yun snug and cozy pressing down like this? Could you first get off this little brother¡¯s body?¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He slowly climbed up and shook his head: ¡°How in the world have I managed to stay friends with a dull log like you for so many years?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi scoffed and stood up too. He strolled forward on the surface of the sea and murmured to himself: ¡°A fantasy scape?¡±


    Yun Xie stood on the sea surface, his body continuously rising and falling with the waves. He shook his head: ¡°Who could have that level of skill to make both you and I unconsciously fall into an illusion? In addition, the most important thing to note is¡ª¡ª¡± He maliciously glanced over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body: ¡°Those in a fantasy scape should lack a sense of olfaction and taste, but Ah-Xun, I can smell your body fragrance really strongly~!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled coldly and waved his hand to strike the air. A dragon of fire suddenly ascended in the empty air, and rushed towards Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie elegantly dodged to the side, but he noticed that under the fire dragon¡¯s light, the sea waves appeared somewhat strange and eerie. Distracted, he quickly said: ¡°Wait a second. Ah-Xun, illuminate these waves again.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi saw he didn¡¯t appear to be joking, so he followed Yun Xie¡¯s words to stretch out his hand and open his palm upwards. A cluster of flames immediately ignited on his jade-white palm and slowly floated into the air. The flames gradually grew larger, brightly shining over their surroundings.


    This time they both saw the truth. When every wave rose to its crest, it would take the shape of a huge human face, making menacing gestures3 as it crashed back into the sea. Although each human face had different expressions, from joy or anger to sadness or pain, every single one was exaggerated to the extreme.


    Jiang Xunyi involuntarily exclaimed: ¡°The Heart Demon Cave!¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were fixated on the changing faces, as his mouth explained: ¡°The Heart Demon Cave is a forbidden place on the Hidden Spirit Mountain. It¡¯s said that after entering this cave, the emotions4 in one¡¯s inner heart will be greatly magnified, stimulating people to breach their shackles and act as best suits their heart¡¯s desires. I¡¯ve never been in there, but I have seen some picture scrolls showing what the inside of the cave looks like. These human faces look exactly the same as those painted on the walls of the cave.¡± He now had a fairly good idea of what was going on: this boundless ocean was most likely the Heart Demon Sea, the location where Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s body was hidden according to legend.


    After hearing this, Yun Xie frowned: ¡°But how come I feel this wave is deliberately hiding from us? Check this out.¡± As he spoke, he stepped forward in the direction of the current, and the sea waves indeed retreated backwards. They still lapped against Yun Xie¡¯s feet, but not a single drop of water splashed onto his body.


    Behind him, Jiang Xunyi held his sword out and spoke coldly: ¡°Reckless and heedless thing. Since it knows to fear us, it shouldn¡¯t appear here and try to threaten us!¡±


    As he spoke, he flew into the air and leapt in front of Yun Xie. He raised his hand to call Extinguished Flower to him, and the sword blade suddenly flared up with a bright light. Jiang Xunyi grasped the hilt with both hands, and chopped straight at the huge waves before them!


    The sword energy overflowed, akin to a bolt of lightning splitting open a mountain, the crackling electricity dazzling the eyes. Powerful enough to make the mountains cry out and the seas howl, the sword sliced to the very end, actually splitting this monstrous tide into two clean halves.


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but cheer and applaud at this breathtakingly perfect execution.


    With a roaring boom, the seawater parted open along Jiang Xunyi¡¯s strike. A high platform covered with ice and snow broke out of the water. Right in the middle of the platform sat a dark black wood coffin.


    The instant Yun Xie saw that coffin, his heart inexplicably jumped in his chest. His head began to spin from dizziness, and he hurriedly massaged his temples.


    Jiang Xunyi directly formed a secret seal to ride his sword up to the high platform. Worried he would run into something, Yun Xie refocused his attention and followed him up too.


    Jiang Xunyi did not notice his strange behavior. Hearing Yun Xie come up, he didn¡¯t even turn around: ¡°The way I see it, this coffin definitely holds Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s body. No wonder we suddenly broke in here¡ª¡ªwe must have hit the enchanted boundary.¡±


    Standing behind him, Yun Xie only felt his heart beat faster and faster, seeming like it was about to burst out of his chest. His ears buzzed incessantly, to the point where he could hardly understand what Jiang Xunyi was saying. He only felt that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was so clear and bright as to touch his heart, seemingly right next to him yet also far away. An infinite longing suddenly rose within him, a longing that Yun Xie had bitterly repressed for years.


    It seemed as if a voice in the bottom of his heart was madly and frantically repeating: ¡°Possess him¡ª¡ªmake him become completely yours¡ª¡ªmake him never able to leave you again!¡±


    Something was wrong! Was this an Inner Demon? Or something else? Yun Xie used all his life¡¯s willpower to restrain the thought of rushing to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side. He stretched out a hand to firmly grip the sharp edge of Bright River¡¯s blade, and the sudden jolt of severe pain managed to clear his mind.


    However, on the other side of the high platform, the ignorant Jiang Xunyi slowly pushed open the coffin lid¡ª¡ª


    Inside the coffin, a pale face with abundant charm and allure appeared, the hair on its temples as black as ink. Its exquisite facial features were arranged in a serene expression, with the hint of a smile on its lips.


    Jiang Xunyi leaned forward on the coffin and reached out to touch its chin: ¡°This Demon Sovereign looks deceptively decent¡­¡±


    Upon speaking to this point, something tightened around his waist. He was dragged straight down from the side of the coffin and fiercely pressed down on the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back stung from the fall. Just as he was about to let loose a string of profanities, he looked up to see Yun Xie staring at him with red eyes, a touch of insanity in his expression.


    Jiang Xunyi was shocked: ¡°Yun Xie? Ah-Xie5! What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie gasped heavily, apparently trying to struggle against something. But ever since the moment Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s face had been revealed, he could no longer suppress his heart¡¯s surging desire. While Jiang Xunyi was still calling his name, Yun Xie abruptly bowed his head and began to kiss Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheek in a frenzy.


    But amidst this madness, a faint feeling of sorrow and despair sprung from the bottom of his heart, like the millennium-old eternal ice at the center of a blazing fire: inconspicuous, yet unignorable.


    Like a poisonous worm eating away at one¡¯s bones.


    The utterly dumbstruck and stupefied Jiang Xunyi could now completely confirm Yun Xie had been bewitched. While struggling to turn his head away, he managed to extract a hand from Yun Xie¡¯s crushing grasp, and gathered his strength to strike at Yun Xie¡¯s neck.


    Out of fear of hurting Yun Xie, he did not dare to use his full might, but this strike was still by no means light. However, Yun Xie only trembled slightly at this blow. He instead formed a secret seal to call out his Binding Spirit Rope, and tightly tied up Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands.


    This Binding Spirit Rope was a Solar Envy Sect magical instrument which tightened the more one struggled and moved. With the apparently insane Yun Xie pressing him down on the ground and then binding up his hands, even with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s level of skill, he was still at his wit¡¯s end.


    Yun Xie¡¯s kisses moved downwards from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheek. All of a sudden, he bit straight into Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck. This bite used enormous force, and fresh blood immediately began to pour out of the wound.


    Jiang Xunyi sucked in a breath, and couldn¡¯t resist yelling: ¡°Holy shit¡ª¡ªYun Xie, you fucking¡­¡­ take a clear look at who I am!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s entire body quaked, and he slowly raised his head. His lips were covered with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s fresh blood, his hair in a mess, his phoenix eyes entirely bloodshot. That normally warm6 face no longer showed even the slightest trace of a smile. Instead, his expression was one of indescribably desolate sorrow and grief.


    Jiang Xunyi had not expected him to actually look like this, and he felt some inexplicable sadness himself. But he soon discovered that Yun Xie¡¯s expression was rapidly changing and his body could not stop trembling, as if he was struggling against something.


    He immediately realized that Yun Xie¡¯s own consciousness was currently fighting hard to regain control of his body. Jiang Xunyi quickly took the opportunity to kick his body off of himself. He then rapidly retreated backwards to lean on the coffin. Numerous thoughts raced through his mind, but none could explain the situation in front of him.


    Yun Xie boasted immense spiritual power as well as a firm and resolute will¡ªin this respect, even Jiang Xunyi was far inferior to him. The two of them had also constantly been together all this time. No matter what, there was no way he could have been controlled by some demonic creature without either of them noticing whatsoever!


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have the time to think about it any further. With great difficulty, he managed to form a secret seal with his bound-up hands to call Extinguished Flower out and slice apart the Binding Spirit Robe tying him up. But just as his hands regained freedom, a heavy weight landed on his body¡ªYun Xie once again tackled him onto the half-opened coffin lid.


    The hard edge of the coffin banged right into his waist. Immediately afterwards, the entire weight of a well-built man pressed down on him. Jiang Xunyi saw stars from the sheer pain. On the other hand, the crazed Yun Xie¡¯s strength seemed to have multiplied; he held Jiang Xunyi down to the point where he could barely move.


    Jiang Xunyi lay helplessly on the coffin cover. He felt Yun Xie lowering his head down, seeming about to kiss his lips. He subconsciously turned his head away, and happened to see the face of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li still lying in the coffin.


    That face which had clearly just been still and tranquil, was now actually twisted into a bizarre smile!


    Author¡¯s Notes (translated): In short, at present, Little Jiang and Little Yun are still tracing through these past events in the illusion¡ªBlame me for not saying it clearly. They are currently lost in the ¡°past¡±, though Little Jiang is about to wake up soon~ after this intimate contact ^_^ The main story is also coming back soon~


    Footnotes:


    1. ÇṦ = Lightness Skill = the ability to lighten the body and move with great agility & swiftness. At high proficiency, practitioners of this skill can run across water, leap to the top of trees, or even glide through the air. Credits again to https://immortalmountain.wordpress.com/glossary/wuxia-xianxia-xuanhuan-terms/


    2. Oh boy poetic phrasing. The original phrase is ×Ýһέ֮ËùÈ磬ÁèÍòÇê֮ãȻ, originating from Su Shi¡¯s piece of rhymed prose Ç°³à±Ú¸³ [Former Ode on the Red Cliffs]. I believe it¡¯s used to describe a single boat floating along a vast river. Please let me know if you have a better way to translate this


    3. ÕÅÑÀÎèצ lit. ¡°bare teeth and brandish claws¡± = to make threatening gestures


    4. ϲŭ°§ÀÖ = the four emotions of Happiness, Anger, Sorrow, Joy


    5. °¢Ðª = Jiang Xunyi¡¯s childhood nickname for Yun Xie, taking Yun Xie¡¯s name and adding ¡°Ah-¡± in front. While Yun Xie still frequently calls Jiang Xunyi ¡°Ah-Xun¡±, it¡¯s implied that the very proud Jiang Xunyi quit using this affectionate childhood nickname a while ago¡ªexcept for rare circumstances like this.


    6. ÎÂÈóÈçÓñ lit. ¡°warm as jade¡±

 CH 19

    Chapter 19 ¨C Dream Within a Dream


    Jiang Xunyi was taken by surprise¡ª¡ªcould it be that the abnormality with Yun Xie was actually related to the corpse of this Demon Sovereign?


    Upon thinking to this point, an idea suddenly sprang to his mind. A type of spiritual flower grew on Hidden Spirit Mountain, named the Praj?¨¡ Wisdom Lotus1. This five-petaled flower was extremely beautiful and tender, excellent material to suppress demonic energy and clear one¡¯s mind and spirit. When the two of them had been binding their wounds back on the mountain, Yun Xie had picked one of these flowers as a joke and gifted it to him. Even though Jiang Xunyi had scoffed and turned up his nose, he had still offhandedly stuffed it into his storage. Now this flower had ended up coming in handy.


    At this time, Yun Xie¡¯s hands were no longer pressing down on him but instead touching along Jiang Xunyi¡¯s belt. Jiang Xunyi took advantage of this opportunity to rapidly retrieve the already dried flower and send it into his own mouth.


    With a hissing rip, his outer robe was torn open.


    Jiang Xunyi cursed: ¡°Useless piece of trash.¡± He ground his teeth and mustered his resolve, and then suddenly lifted his body slightly to kiss Yun Xie¡¯s lips.


    Even in the midst of Yun Xie¡¯s madness, this movement by Jiang Xunyi brought him a surge of pleasure. Yun Xie ignored everything else to hold Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheeks in his hands, frenziedly using his tongue to open Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips.


    ¡ª¡ªAnd then he toppled straight over onto the ground.


    Upon successfully sending the flower petals into Yun Xie¡¯s mouth, Jiang Xunyi had just breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed Yun Xie fainting over. He couldn¡¯t help but startle. He sat up and reached his hand to touch between Yun Xie¡¯s brows, urging his consciousness2  to explore into and inspect Yun Xie¡¯s primordial spirit3.


    Because they had known each other since childhood, Jiang Xunyi was very familiar with Yun Xie¡¯s primordial spirit. He could currently feel that Yun Xie¡¯s primordial spirit had already settled down to become peaceful and tranquil. But Jiang Xunyi could continuously sense a whiff of inexplicable demonic energy, so imperceptible as to be almost imaginary, coming from some unknown location.


    He closed his eyes and controlled his spiritual power. When he urged his consciousness in once again, the sensation was much clearer. Jiang Xunyi could faintly glimpse a black mist curling around Yun Xie¡¯s silver-white primordial spirit. Upon taking a closer look, that mist was actually one of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s mortal souls!


    Oh, so that¡¯s why!


    This was why that woman became so terrified upon seeing Yun Xie during their meal in the market. This was also why Yun Xie went into a frenzy when Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s body was revealed. It seemed that when Demon Sovereign lost a mortal soul4, it actually somehow entered Yun Xie¡¯s body!


    Jiang Xunyi deliberately paused, feeling this was all a bit strange¡ª¡ªthe System had not spoken to him for a long time now. It stood to reason that these kinds of important events related to the protagonist should all have a corresponding task assigned by the System.


    He frowned slightly, but he currently didn¡¯t have any other solution. He could only use the Praj?¨¡ Wisdom Lotus to temporarily seal away that mortal soul, and then help Yun Yun nurture his primordial spirit.


    After all this work, Jiang Xunyi coughed up a mouthful of blood, but he finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart: Yun Xie probably was incapable of either dying or going crazy now.


    Now that he had calmed down, Jiang Xunyi could feel faint pains and aches all over his entire body. In particular, any slight movement would cause waves of pain to ripple both in his lower back that the coffin edge had banged into and in the wound in his neck from Yun Xie¡¯s bite.


    After a while, Jiang Xunyi slowly stood up. Grinding his teeth, he exerted his strength to push Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s coffin cover shut, and painted twelve talismans in succession on the top. Then he turned around and gave the unconscious Yun Xie a kick to vent his anger. He harrrumped coldly: ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me keeping in mind how you weren¡¯t in control of your own body and had lost your mind, I¡¯d goddamn kill you today.¡±


    After guiding the Demon Sovereign¡¯s soul, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s own primordial spirit had also been wounded. He currently did not have the strength to break out of this place carrying both Yun Xie and Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s coffin, He simply lay down on the ground, controlling his breath while waiting for Yun Xie to wake up.


    When Yun Xie opened his eyes, he was still partially in a trance. It seemed that he had been dreaming just now. In that dream, he had become insane and uninhibited, setting down all his prior restraints, fulfilling his long-held yearnings towards that person he longed for. That scene had been so realistic and authentic to his desires and reactions, as if it really were true.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right¡­ in the end, that was only an insane dream. If it occurred in the real world, he absolutely would not bear to hurt Jiang Xunyi the tiniest bit, let alone coerce him with such brutality.


    ¡ª¡ªNeither Yun Xie nor Jiang Xunyi knew that this Heart Demon Sea could magnify people¡¯s desires and weave the most realistic dreamscapes. As a result, even though nothing really happened between them, the unconscious Yun Xie still saw a scene of himself forcing Jiang Xunyi. On the other hand, because Jiang Xunyi was foreign to this place and lacked any obsessions in his heart, he was not affected.


    Closing his eyes, Yun Xie recalled the feeling of kissing Jiang Xunyi in the dream and could only feel a display of ten thousand fireworks going off in his heart. He had never felt so satisfied in his life, and almost did not want to wake up.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ though fortunately it was all false. If it was not a dream, how could I treat Ah-Xun like that? Wait, something¡¯s wrong, how exactly did I fall asleep? Ah-Xun!¡± Upon thinking to here, Yun Xie¡¯s heart turned cold at the fearful thought that Jiang Xunyi had run into trouble, and he suddenly sat up.


    As soon as he turned his head, he saw Jiang Xunyi lying down not far from his side, also sleeping peacefully. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and his lips unconsciously curved into a smile.


    Suddenly, his smile froze at the corner of his lips¡ª¡ªYun Xie discovered that Jiang Xunyi currently cut an extremely sorry figure, actually the exact same appearance as in his dream!


    Red and swollen lips, dark purple teeth marks on his neck, rope marks around his wrists, and¡­ and completely torn and ripped clothes!


    Was that not a dream?! What¡­ what was this?


    Did he actually truly hurt him? That¡¯s Ah-Xun we¡¯re talking about!


    Yun Xie wasn¡¯t sure whether he was currently dreaming right now. He wanted to fiercely slap himself in the face, and also wanted to rush over to check out Jiang Xunyi¡¯s situation, but his entire body was stiff and incapable of movement.


    If this was a dream, then this must be the cruelest and most terrible dream in the world! He actually personally hurt his most treasured person¡­


    At the thought that this matter would cause Jiang Xunyi to suffer and even be disgusted with him, Yun Xie only wished to die right now. He had bitterly endured his feelings in silence for all these years, out of fear that Jiang Xunyi would grow estranged from him. Now everything was ruined, in such a horrible way too.


    Jiang Xunyi had originally wanted to lie down and rest, but since he had been far too exhausted, he had actually fallen into a bit of a daze. But he had still kept his vigilance up, so he was roused awake by Yun Xie sitting up. At this time, he opened his eyes to see Yun Xie with a pained expression on his face, gaze fixated on himself. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but freeze: Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s mortal soul had clearly already left his body, so why did Yun Xie still look possessed?


    Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes opening and subconsciously held his breath, observing his reactions. He saw that this intimate and close friend of many years first froze in place and then immediately put up his guard, placing his right hand on the Extinguished Flower sword by his side. Yun Xie felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart.


    Yun Xie shut his eyes. His voice was hoarse: ¡°Ah-Xun, I¡­¡­.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned: ¡°You recognize me? You¡¯re no longer possessed? Do you have any impression of what happened just now?¡±


    Yun Xie had already thought everything through: even if Jiang Xunyi wanted to kill him, as long as he lived well, Yun Xie would never fight back. He didn¡¯t expect that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s reaction to actually be so peaceful. He hurriedly said: ¡°Ah-Xun, I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡­.hurt you just now¡­. You¡­ you¡­.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi saw the sheer pain and torment with which he said those words, as if Yun Xie was even more of a victim than himself. He let out a sigh of relief and casually tossed Extinguished Flower down: ¡°That¡¯s enough, I know you were trapped by an Inner Demon just now. What just happened¡­ sigh¡­ wasn¡¯t your intention. We¡¯re all men here, there¡¯s nothing worth caring about in the first place, so don¡¯t bring it up.¡±


    Yun Xie had not expected Jiang Xunyi to forgive himself so easily, but his mood had not improved by much. While feeling 30% fortunate, he also felt 70% guilt. Remembering Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injuries, his heart couldn¡¯t resist aching in distress, without any more of his usual lively willfulness. All of a sudden, he got up and then knelt down in front of Jiang Xunyi, looking up at him to say: ¡°Ah-Xun, if you feel wronged, just kill me. I, Yun Xie, will absolutely have no complaints. I only beg you that if I die, refine me into a puppet to protect you.¡±


    What the hell? What¡¯s this for?


    Jiang Xunyi was shocked. Looking at Yun Xie¡¯s current appearance, he must have clearly remembered everything that happened when he was possessed. But they are both two grown-up men who only kissed a few times, that¡¯s all. This guy¡­ He usually seems utterly shameless, how did he get like this now¡­


    Jiang Xunyi could not help but lament with a tinge of emotion: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so protective of your dignity, brother, I really couldn¡¯t tell beforehand.¡±


    His tone was half-joking, but when he finished speaking he noticed that Yun Xie¡¯s face had turned even more pale, looking as if he wanted to knock himself dead on the ground.


    Could this be the legendary¡­ ¡°dignity of a straight man¡±? But I¡¯m not bent either.


    Jiang Xunyi could only pick Yun Xie up from the ground: ¡°I say, are you not done going crazy? I already said it¡¯s nothing, what are you doing this for? Sss¡ª¡ª¡± Upon bending halfway down, he felt an aching pain and hurriedly moved his hand to his waist. It seemed he had probably banged too hard on the coffin, injuring his bones and muscles.


    The frightened Yun Xie¡¯s remorse and self-blame grew even further. He stood up to support Jiang Xunyi and hurriedly said: ¡°How bad are your injuries? Let me see.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi waved him away: ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Yeah right letting you see, quit taking advantage of me.¡± He had originally seen Yun Xie¡¯s excessive self-blame and wanted to lighten up the atmosphere. But he didn¡¯t expect that after saying this, Yun Xie¡¯s face paled so as to be almost bloodless. It looked like he wanted to let go of Jiang Xunyi, yet was also worried about his wounds, so overall he seemed practically at a loss for what to do.


    Jiang Xunyi had never seen Yun Xie like this, and felt a little discomfort in his heart at this sight. He sighed and patted the back of his good friend¡¯s hand, and spoke seriously: ¡°Yun Xie, I truly do not blame you. This place has an evil influence, plus you did not act on purpose, so how could it be your fault? You have been my brother for so many years and our friendship was originally forged in fire, so this kind of event of course will not separate us.¡±


    Yun Xie wanted to speak but then hesitated. He finally forced a smile: ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t bring it up any more. Since you¡¯re not willing to let me check your wounds, let¡¯s think of a way to get out of here. We can look for some medicine and rest.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi knew the knot in Yun Xie¡¯s heart was currently difficult to solve, but he thought it should improve after a few days. He therefore did not say any more, only nodded and turned around to check Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s coffin.


    Although Yun Xie did not know the specific cause for his abnormal behavior, he clearly understood the reason was absolutely inseparable from this accursed place and Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. At this time, an aura of fury flashed over his eyes and he raised his hand. Nine bolts of silver-white lightning followed the wave of his hand to strike down, immediately shattering that coffin into dust. However, Xuan Li¡¯s remains were perfectly intact.


    With a cold laugh, Yun Xie slammed his sword handle. Bright River answered his call and came out of its sheath. The sword radiance exploded as it flew at Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s body. The wrath of the protagonist was really no small matter: in the blink of an eye, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s corpse was broken into pieces.


    Footnotes:


    1. °ãÈôÁ«: °ãÈô = the Buddhist concept of Praj?¨¡ (Wisdom), AKA insight into/intuitive understanding of the true nature of reality; Á« = lotus


    2. Éñʶ = spiritual knowledge/consciousness/wisdom. I believe this term originates from Buddhist teachings, but I¡¯m not super sure how to explain it lol.


    3. ÔªÉñ = ¡°Primordial Spirit¡±. I¡¯m not good at translating these very spiritual terms, but here¡¯s a rough translation from a Chinese encyclopedia: ¡°The primordial spirit is a kind of substance higher than one¡¯s flesh body and capable of existing on its own. By cultivating it, cultivators can gradually exert greater control of their soul. It is the true essence and meaning of everything in human life.¡±


    4. In Daoism, every human is supposed to have 3 Immortal Souls »ê(h¨²n) and 7 Mortal Souls ÆÇ(p¨°). The Immortal Soul represents one¡¯s spiritual side, ethereal and yang, ascending to heaven after death. The Mortal Soul represents one¡¯s carnal side, corporeal, yin, substantive, usually attached to one¡¯s mortal body

 CH 20

    Chapter 20 ¨C Roused Awake


    Jiang Xunyi had originally wanted to stop him, but there was nothing he could do about his own mouth being slower than Yun Xie¡¯s actions. Seeing there was nothing unusual with Yun Xie currently, he gave in. After some slight hesitation, he decided not to mention the abnormal soul inside Yun Xie¡¯s body.


    With the destruction of the Demon Sovereign¡¯s corpse, the surrounding vast space also collapsed with a crash. In the blink of an eye, the two already stood back in the dark night street, their surrounding completely empty of people. The night wind swept up a a few remnants of incompletely burned paper money, chasing the floating shreds through the street. Red lanterns dangled below one shop¡¯s eaves, like blood-red eyes spying in their direction. A waning moon hung in the sky like a hook.


    Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi each had different thoughts weighing on their mind. At this time, they met each other¡¯s eyes. The same feeling rose within them, as if all those events had taken place a lifetime ago.


    When they returned to the Heavenly Seal School, the sky had not yet lightened. The two of them did not alarm the disciples keeping watch, directly flipping over the wall to enter the complex. Jiang Xunyi let out a breath of relief. He wrapped himself in a ragged outer robe and headed back to his room. Yun Xie did not tease him like usual. In low spirits, he only followed behind Jiang Xunyi to escort him back.


    The utterly exhausted Jiang Xunyi did not have the energy to talk sense into him, and could only allow him to follow along.


    Unexpectedly, when he pushed the room door open, he saw a person leaning on his bed dozing off. Upon seeing Jiang Xunyi entering, pleasant surprise appeared on the person¡¯s face: ¡°Shishu!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was taken by surprise at the sight of the 16-year-old boy in front of him: ¡°Yu Hong? How come you¡¯re here?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eldest Shixiong Yu Lin had met an early death, and Yu Hong was his only son. When Jiang Xunyi had been besieged a few days ago, he and Jiang Molou had been sent out in advance. Jiang Xunyi had not expected him to actually appear in Yuele City at this time.


    Yu Hong was extremely happy to see him, and smiled widely: ¡°Shizu1suddenly woke up a few days ago! Shishu2 is naturally no longer under any suspicion, and old man Jinghai and the others have all been imprisoned. Shizu used divination to deduce you were at the Heavenly Seal School, and ordered me to call you back to the mountain. I originally couldn¡¯t enter the enchantment around Yuele City. Just I was getting incredibly anxious, the enchantment suddenly broke on its own. I searched all the way to here. Huh? Yun-Shishu is here too, hello Yun-Shishu!¡±


    Yun Xie reluctantly pulled the corner of his lips up and nodded in greeting to him.


    Jiang Xunyi frowned: ¡°What about Molou?¡±


    Yu Hong: ¡°Youngest Shishu has not yet returned to the mountain, presumably because he does not yet know what happened.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had already realized the enchantment rupture Yu Hong was referring to must have been caused by the two of them destroying Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s corpse. However, Shizun¡¯s corpse had already taken on that appearance back then¡­ How did he resurrect? Was he truly possessed by Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s soul?


    With these heavy thoughts weighing on his mind, he could only feel perplexed by this dense fog of confusing events. Yet a strange familiarity of unknown origins rose within his heart. While trapped in these chaotic emotions, he heard Yu Hong abruptly exclaim: ¡°Shishu, your injuries¡­ How did you get like this?!¡±


    Only then did Jiang Xunyi remember: his current appearance was not particularly decent, especially with that eye-catching tooth print on his neck. Probably anyone¡¯s thoughts would run in an askew direction. He could only force a smile, uncertain of how to explain it. He hurriedly shot a meaningful look at Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie¡¯s usual silver tongue could whitewash even the darkest shade of black. But now when his eloquence was actually needed, he unexpectedly turned pale and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Seeing both of their expressions turning ghastly and their countenances in disorder, Yu Hong immediately understood something. Pain lanced through his heart, as he grasped Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist and choked out a sob: ¡°Shishu, you¡­you¡¯ve suffered¡­¡±


    This little brat! Jiang Xunyi sucked in a cold breath and subconsciously drew his hand back. Yun Xie and Yu Hong simultaneously looked over to see two bruises ringing around those fair wrists. Beads of fresh blood condensed on the edges of the wounds, the marks deep enough to be carved into the bones.


    Before the two of them could speak, Jiang Xunyi immediately took back his arm. He had never possessed much patience, and his personality was also unyielding and competitive. At this time, upon being looked at with those gazes filled with grief and pity (¡­¡­), he immediately flew into a rage from humiliation: ¡°Going so far for these tiny little scratches? I¡¯m not dead yet! Yu Hong, if you dare to keep looking at me like this, I¡¯ll goddamn dig your eyes out! I¡¯m going to sleep, get lost get lost get lost!!¡± He pushed Yun Xie and Yu Hong out and slammed the door shut.


    Yu Hong knew that with his Shishu¡¯s temper, Jiang Xunyi meant what he said. He did not dare to knock on the door to inquire further, and could only turn to Yun Xie: ¡°Yun-Shishu¡­¡±


    A line of fresh blood suddenly burst out from the corner of Yun Xie¡¯s lips. The startled Yu Hong immediately stepped forward to support him: ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Without saying a word, Yun Xie pushed his hand away and silently turned back to his own room.


    Yu Hong watched his departing figure. For some reason, he actually saw a deep sense of anguish and pain in this silhouette. He suddenly connected the dots: Yun-Shishu and his own Shishu had been close since childhood. If Shishu came down with just a light illness, Yun-Shishu would become incredibly anxious. Now after some unknown bastard injured Shishu to this extent, Yun-Shishu must definitely feel even more sorrowful. Yu Hong sighed, his heart sinking heavily in his chest.


    When Jiang Xunyi rose the next day, right as he exited his room, he saw Yun Xie leaning on the corridor waiting for him. His scalp immediately tingled numbly, for fear that this person would again put on the whole ¡°kneel and beg for punishment¡± routine for that insignificant matter. But Yun Xie seemed to have returned to normal, and just smiled at seeing him: ¡°Ah-Xun.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi breathed a sigh of relief, adjusting his clothes as he walked over: ¡°What are you doing here? Watching the door?¡±


    Yun Xie casually said: ¡°I just came over. Yu Hong dropped by to ask, are¡­ are your injuries better? Headed back to your sect today? I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    ¡°All superficial wounds, no problem at all.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi continued: ¡°Is Solar Envy Mountain in a famine right about now? Are you just coming to sponge off food and drink? Hurry back to check out those little fools in your sect currently worrying their heads off for you. I¡¯ll be fine going back with Yu Hong.¡±


    Yun Xun paused. He knew in his heart that Solar Envy Sect currently lacked its leader, with everyone in the sect believing he had been abducted. The whole place must have become a mess, and he should indeed go back. However, the situation with Ti Ming was currently unclear and Hidden Spirit Sect had already become dangerous territory. His own business was naturally lesser in importance compared to Jiang Xunyi. After hesitating for a moment, he still insisted: ¡°I have to go back with you.¡± He glanced at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression and added: ¡°Even if you don¡¯t take me, I know the way there.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi saw he wouldn¡¯t be able to shake him off, and could only helplessly say: ¡°Very well then.¡±


    Yun Xie originally had a serious expression on his face, and only exposed a smile upon hearing those words. But this smile was very different from those in the past¡ªno longer lazy, flippant, and a little frivolous, but instead overflowing with gentleness and steadfast determination. He whispered: ¡°Xunyi, after all these matters are finished, I have something¡­ I want to tell you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi felt something about Yun Xie¡¯s body seemed a little different, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it and nodded: ¡°Alright.¡± Yun Xie let out a sigh of relief, and Jiang Xunyi continued: ¡°Then let¡¯s do it like this. If you have anything resembling a token, have Yu Hong take it to Solar Envy Mountain to inform them.¡±


    Yun Xiu faithfully listened to his words as always. He looked up to see Yu Hong currently coming over from the other side of the corridor, so he took out a small and exquisite jadeite ring and handed it over: ¡°This is my sect leader token. Yu Hong, take a trip over to Solar Envy Mountain in my place. Tell Yan Qixin to temporarily assume the sect leader position and await my return.¡±


    Yu Hong complied. Jiang Xunyi just happened to be standing between the two of them, so seeing Yun Xie passing him the ring, he didn¡¯t even think before picking it up and turning to hand it to Yu Hong. But just as that ice-cold jadeite ring entered his hands, it actually began to glow with extreme brilliance. Scorching heat seemed to stream upwards from the palm of his hand, burning all the way to his internal organs. With this abrupt chain of events, even though Jiang Xunyi¡¯s natural calmness stopped him from making a sound, he still sprayed out a mouthful of blood from the intense pain. His vision darkened and his body toppled over.


    Yun Xie and Yu Hong were both stunned by this unforeseen development. Yun Xie was the first to react¡ªhis heart skipped a beat from terror, and he hurriedly reached out a hand to help: ¡°Ah-Xun! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Without waiting for his hand to touch Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders, Jiang Xunyi had already used Extinguished Flower to support himself, swaying and staggering but ultimately remaining standing. He grit his teeth and took slow breaths, unable to speak.


    Yu Hong exclaimed: ¡°Shishu!¡±


    Yun Xie felt as if a knife was being twisted in his heart, and rushed to say: ¡°What exactly is going on? Hurry and let me see!¡± He moved forward to hold Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist, but unexpectedly, just as he stretched out a hand, Jiang Xunyi suddenly looked up. With a ringing hum, Extinguished Flower left its sheath and brazenly propped against Yun Xie¡¯s throat. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was cold: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Yun Xie indeed stopped moving. He did not know what had happened and his heart was still flooded with worry for Jiang Xunyi, thus allowing that sharp blade to slice open the skin on his neck. Fresh blood dripped onto his snow-white collar. Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi wiping the blood off his lips with the back of his hand. Without caring for anything else, he gently asked: ¡°Better now?¡±


    His eyes were clear and suffused with sincere concern. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand tightened on his sword hilt, and he lowered his gaze.


    The jadeite ring was a token carried by the protagonist with great importance for the plot. As a transmigrated character whose existence centered around the protagonist, Jiang Xunyi was also very sensitive to its breath. When the ring landed in his hands just now, he was at last awakened from this old dream of past recollections.


    However, looking at the Yun Xie in front of him whose nature as real or false was unknown, whose every expression and behavior was exactly the same as in those bygone days¡­ Jiang Xunyi discovered that even in this illusion, he was incapable of giving Yun Xie a couple strikes to vent his emotions.


    Dammit, are you serious! I didn¡¯t expect that I¡¯m still a ¡°Holy Mother¡±3!


    As Jiang Xunyi fiercely ridiculed himself, he re-sheathed his sword and threw the ring in his palm to the stunned Yu Hong. He arrogantly said: ¡°A tiny old injury, that¡¯s all. What trouble could I run into?¡± Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced over Yun Xie¡¯s bleeding wound and commented: ¡°Such slow reaction time, did you turn stupid?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled gently and did not refute Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, but deep contemplation flashed through his eyes.


    Because of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hematemesis incident this morning, Yun Xie absolutely refused to set out immediately. He was determined to make Jiang Xunyi rest for half the day before he was willing to depart. With Jiang Xunyi recovering his present consciousness, this rest time was perfect for him to ponder the workings of this illusion. He thus did not oppose Yun Xie and merely returned to his room without a word.


    The illusion must have been born from their hearts, but he did not know whether this current fantasy scape had originated from Yun Xie¡¯s or his own Inner Demons. He was also unsure whether the Yun Xie in front of him was a phantom, or a real person trapped like he had been before this awakening. The only thing clear right now was that his surroundings should be temporarily safe at this time.


    Jiang Xunyi remembered that when he first entered, he had clearly seen the ¡°himself¡± of the past, but soon after that his past self was replaced by his real existence. This meant that the illusion was constantly assimilating and devouring one¡¯s self-consciousness. Looking at it from this point of view, the illusion should attack at the height of conflict, when one¡¯s emotions were fluctuating most severely.


    That should be¡­ the battle of Hidden Spirit Peak.


    This time, I definitely will not again¡­¡­


    Jiang Xunyi slowly pulled out his Extinguished Flower sword, staring at the gleaming silver blade with a slight smile on his face. The dazzling sword light sharpened the contrast between the black and white of his eyes, his reflected gaze as cold as ice.


    Author¡¯s Notes (Translated): Young master Jiang is awake, the main plot isn¡¯t far now either~


    Footnotes:


    1. ʦ×æ lit. ¡°master + ancestor¡± is again an example of familial terms being used for disciples and masters. In this case, Immortal Master Ti Ming is the Shifu of Yu Hong¡¯s own father/Shifu, so Yu Hong is effectively calling him ¡°disciple-grandfather¡±.


    2. ʦÊå lit. ¡°master + younger uncle¡±. Again, since Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou are the younger disciple-brothers to Yu Lin, Yu Lin¡¯s son Yu Hong calls them ¡°disciple-uncles¡±


    3. ʥĸ lit. ¡°holy mother¡± is one way of referring to characters who are incredibly pure, kind, generous, all-forgiving, and self-sacrificing. It can be somewhat of a derogatory term if a character is too selfless lol.

 CH 21

    Chapter 21 ¨C Crow Moon Concubine


    After resting, the two men dispatched Yu Hong out and then rushed back to Hidden Spirit Sect under the light of the stars. When they entered the mountain gate, they discovered the sect¡¯s atmosphere was indeed quite different from when they had previously left.


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie had just arrived at the foot of the mountain when some sharp-eyed disciples caught sight of their figure. They immediately reported this news to the higher-ups, so when Jiang Xunyi formally entered the main gate, he was faced with this scene of a crowd of people bowing in greeting.


    Jiang Xunyi had been favored by Immortal Master Ti Ming since childhood and was also known for his vicious and merciless temper, so quite a few people had been happy with his previous loss of prestige and injury to his reputation. As a result, with Immortal Master Ti Ming now waking up and dealing with Elder Jinghai on behalf of this beloved disciple, everyone knew the winds had changed. Hearing of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s return, even though they trembled with fear and trepidation, they still hurried to greet him, only hoping to avoid the ire of the next sect head.


    Since his memory had been restored, Jiang Xunyi was naturally well-aware of their psychological activities. He stood with his hands behind his back, first glancing over the crowd with a faint imitation of a smile. Only then did he turn to Yun Xie by his side: ¡°What do you say makes people change their attitudes from arrogance to obsequiousness?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed lightly: ¡°When a mad dog wants to bite people but has ruined its own teeth, this is how it looks.¡±


    Except for their two voices in dialogue, their surroundings were entirely quiet at this time. The crowd of disciples¡¯ faces flushed red hearing these words, but they did not dare to defend themselves. Their expressions could only contort with awkward embarrassment.


    Jiang Xunyi shook his head: ¡°Boring.¡± As he spoke, he walked further into the sect. For a moment, Yun Xie quietly watched his figure with deep contemplation, before finally following behind him.


    In his mind, Jiang Xunyi knew in actuality he should not go inside first, but he did not know if there would be any consequences for altering his behavior to differ from his memories. He therefore did not change expression as he took each step on that old road towards Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s side room, but his hands had at some point clenched into fists behind his back.


    The further he walked inside, the fainter the demonic energy became. Yun Xie suddenly broke the silence: ¡°Ah-Xun.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shot him a look. Although he could restrain his emotions, in the end a barrier of estrangement had risen up in his heart compared to their past few days together. He only indifferently said: ¡°Speak.¡±


    Yun Xie seemed not to notice Jiang Xunyi giving him the cold shoulder. He reached out to point at the nearby flowerbed and smiled slightly: ¡°I remember the first time I saw you was right here. Back then you were probably only three or four years old? The other children were all having a snowball fight, covered in mud and dirt. Only you were wearing a snow-white fox fur robe, as exquisite as if carved from jade, standing coldly on the side, neither playing with them nor acknowledging me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi humphed. No shit, I had lived for more than twenty years before transmigrating here, why would I have a snowball fight with a bunch of little brats. He casually answered: ¡°I ignored you because there were far too many people who did acknowledge you, I got annoyed just looking at it!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed out loud. But when Jiang Xunyi turned back around, Yun Xie rapidly lifted his sleeves and wiped his eyes.


    That room was still as familiar as always. Not too many days ago, Jiang Xunyi had even shed tears holding Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s corpse here. Today, the man who had raised him from childhood now stood at the windowsill, his face illuminated by a gentle smile.


    Upon entering through the door, Jiang Xunyi did not move any further forward. He bowed deeply and spoke in a serious and heavy voice: ¡°This disciple greets Shizun.¡± Yun Xie also took a slight bow and called out a ¡°Shishu.¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming smiled: ¡°Good, good. Xun-Er, Xie-Er1, why do you two have such gloomy expressions? Are you not happy to see this teacher has woken up?¡± As he spoke, he moved forward to help Jiang Xunyi back up.


    Jiang Xunyi maintained his bowed posture without moving an inch. Only after a while did he slowly say: ¡°Shizun, this disciple does not dare to accept your grace.¡±


    Catching sight of the slight change in Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s expression, Yun Xie immediately turned sideways to block in front of Jiang Xunyi, and was then pulled back again by Jiang Xunyi.


    Yet Immortal Master Ti Ming suddenly smiled: ¡°You two children, what are you acting so awkward and difficult for? Xun-Er, this teacher knows you have been wronged these past few days, so I specially vented your anger for you¡ªCome look.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had long since known what he was going to see, but even though this was his second time undergoing these events, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel nausea rise to his throat. Even Yun Xie subconsciously raised his voice on the side: ¡°Elder Jinghai?!¡±


    A huge earthen urn stood by the window. At first Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s body had blocked it from sight, so Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had not paid it any attention. Now that Ti Ming had moved slightly to the side to make way, they could clearly see everything in the urn¡ªInside was a ¡°human swine¡±2 with all four limbs cut off!


    Although Jiang Xunyi had always acted with firm resolve, he had never liked during piecemeal and torturous methods to abuse his enemies. Now seeing the limbless Elder Jinghai whimpering from a broken throat, Jiang Xunyi did not feel the slightest bit of pleasure or delight at achieving a great revenge. Instead, all he felt was deep disgust. He was just as enraged this time as he had been when he first saw this scene, and used force to overturn the Eight Immortals3 Table by his side. A corner of the table immediately broke off from the impact, and Jiang Xunyi shouted: ¡°If you do not wish to die too horribly, stop posing as my Shizun and tarnishing his good name!¡±


    When Immortal Master Ti Ming heard this, he suddenly began to laugh. As the laughter continued, the sound gradually transformed from low and deep to high and shrill. When it stopped, this person still retained that appearance of a transcendent immortal, but the voice that left its mouth was that of a bewitchingly charming woman: ¡°Oh my my, you two are such elegant and romantic men, this concubine was originally exceedingly overjoyed to see you today. But looking at the two of you¡­ though one always has a genial smile on his face, his eyes only see one man alone. The other has such a hot temper, without any understanding whatsoever of tender feelings for the fairer sex. Truly enough to fill one¡¯s heart with sorrow~¡±


    Abruptly having his thoughts and concerns laid bare, Yun Xie¡¯s face flushed red. On the other hand, Jiang Xunyi was completely stupefied at the bloodcurdling sight of his Shizun¡¯s body affecting shyness like a young girl. The first impressions from his previous life were carved deep into his mind, so he had believed Immortal Master Ti Ming must have been possessed by the Demon Sovereign. Now that he was aware he had found the wrong person and was also forced to see this rather traumatic scene, his heart felt doubly stifled.


    Yun Xie really did have thick skin. After just a moment of discomfort, his expression quickly recovered to normal. He pressed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder and walked forward, smiling: ¡°I heard that serving under Demon Sovereign Xuan Li are the two beautiful concubines Wu Yun [Crow Cloud] and Wu Yue [Crow Moon]. Although this miss is wearing a man¡¯s skin, her every move is elegant and her manners graceful. Is this not the legendary beauty surpassing all flowers, Crow Cloud Concubine?¡±


    Hearing those words, that person¡¯s face suddenly sank. She screamed in shrill fury: ¡°What nonsense are you saying?! How could that dirty thief who betrayed the Demon Sovereign ever compare to me?! Hmph, even if she originally had beauty enough to topple cities, after the sovereign sucked all her vitality dry, she has long since become an unsightly old hag!¡±


    Yun Xie was originally coaxing information out of her, so hearing this he came to a sudden understanding: ¡°Oh, it turns out that you are Wu Yue.¡± After he finished speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but meet Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes. Both of them remembered the unkempt and disheveled woman in Yuele City who had given them that warning, and couldn¡¯t resist sighing with emotion¡ªaccording to Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s meaning, that Crow Cloud Concubine presumably betrayed her master for some unknown reason and therefore received such a punishment. In the end, that beauty of a generation actually fell to such a wretched fate.


    Jiang Xunyi could no longer muster up the patience to continue this conversation. His hand pressed on Extinguished Flower as he coldly spoke: ¡°Where is Xuan Li?¡±


    Crow Moon Concubine smiled: ¡°My dear disciple, look at your handsome little appearance, you¡¯re even more captivating when angry. Just accompany me to sleep for one night, and this teacher will say everything~¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was so furious he couldn¡¯t help but laugh from sheer rage: ¡°Want me to accompany you? First see if you can withstand it!¡± His robes billowed in the wind as he unsheathed his sword and leapt into the air, slicing downwards at Wu Yue¡¯s head with the move ¡°Drums of Heaven¡¯s Uproar¡±44¡ªhe actually did not hesitate to split this person wearing his kind master¡¯s face in two.


    This Drums of Heaven¡¯s Uproar was suffused with indomitable and violent vigor. With the strike of this sword, that ubiquitous mighty pressure first locked one¡¯s movement down. Crow Moon Concubine had nowhere to dodge, and could only summon up her entire body¡¯s vitality to contend with Jiang Xunyi head-on. Unexpectedly, she was still unable to withstand the power of the other side¡¯s blow, and this freshly seized body was actually destroyed.


    Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s vitality escaped from all her orifices5, but she was not particularly scared or panicked, even giggling instead. She turned around and waved her sleeves to leave, but suddenly without any warning, someone caught her throat.


    The shocked Crow Moon Concubine remembered: ¡°This is bad! I actually forgot there¡¯s still this Solar Envy Sect brat here.¡± The Solar Envy Sect were premier experts at controlling people¡¯s souls. While Jiang Xunyi had been drawing her attention with his eye-catching blow, Yun Xie had continuously been setting up an array. From their extensive experience fighting together, the two of them now cooperated in natural synchrony with perfect accuracy.


    Yun Xie pinched Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s neck in his hands. His face was gloomy and dark, clearly infuriated by this woman¡¯s flirty words towards Jiang Xunyi just now. He spoke with seemingly carefree lightness: ¡°Wu Yue, I6 advise you to best say everything you know, otherwise¡­ I believe you are not particularly willing to taste the Solar Envy Sect¡¯s soul-refining techniques.¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s long-standing power and influence clearly weighed heavily over her head; even though Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s face had turned deathly white from fear, she made as if to speak but stopped every time. In the end, she finally shook her head in dejection, tenaciously biting her lips.


    Just as Yun Xie was about to speak again, Jiang Xunyi sensed the demonic energy in the air rising significantly in a mere flash. Without taking the time to speak, he rapidly turned around and flew into the air, slamming a palm to send one panel of the window flying directly out. A figure was revealed behind the window¡ªit was actually Huang Yan.


    Huang Yan¡¯s natural disposition was weak and cowardly; despite currying favor with the two elders and forcing Jiang Xunyi out to replace him as the next sect head, he could never rid himself of that cowering attitude characteristic of a small man intoxicated by success. However, after these short few days of separation, even though he was simply standing outside the window at this time, his posture was one of condescending scorn and natural arrogance.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was calm and unhurried in its certainty: ¡°Demon Sovereign Xuan Li.¡±


    Amidst all the chaos, Yun Xie turned to look at him, a complex expression flitting across his face.


    Footnotes:


    1. Just a reminder that Immortal Master Ti Ming refers to Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie by affectionate nicknames since they¡¯re basically his son and nephew respectively. (Ñ°¶ù for Jiang Xunyi, Ъ¶ù for Yun Xie)


    2. ÈËåé lit. ¡°human pig/swine¡± is a type of torture/punishment that was most famously performed on the unfortunate Consort Qi. According to legend, the jealous Empress L¨¹ Zhi chopped off Consort Qi¡¯s limbs, gouged out her eyes, cut off her nose and ears, made her dumb with toxins, locked her in the pigsty, and called her ¡°human swine.¡± Really makes you feel sorry for that poor lady.


    3. °ËÏÉ or ¡°Eight Immortals¡± are a group of legendary immortals in Chinese mythology, revered by Daoists. See good old Wikipedia for more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight_Immortals


    4. ÐúÌì³É¹Ä


    5. ÇÏ = ¡°opening, hole, orifice of the human body¡±


    6. Yun Xie here refers to himself as ±¾×ù lit. ¡°this seat¡±, which is characterized by a generally proud and arrogant attitude emphasizing his own position/importance.

 CH 22

    Chapter 22 ¨C Become True


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li smiled slightly outside the window, before suddenly flashing into the room: ¡°The Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage¡­ After slumbering for so many years, I would never have expected there would already be two such talents in the younger generation: actually capable of escaping intact from the Heart Demon Sea and even destroying my original body¡ªtruly amazing.¡±


    It would have been fine if he had not brought this up¡ªonce he mentioned this incident, Yun Xie recalled how he had injured Jiang Xunyi within the enchantment. Although on the surface Yun Xie appeared fine after this event, every night he would remember what happened and feel incredibly ashamed and regretful. Now he gnashed his teeth and laughed coldly as he unsheathed Bright River. Right in front of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s face, he sliced one arm off Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s soul.


    An injury to the soul was ten times more damaging than one to the flesh. Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s face instantly distorted and she opened her mouth to scream in agony, but Yun Xie choked her neck so she couldn¡¯t speak. She could only look tearfully towards Demon Sovereign Xuan Li.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li smiled: ¡°Making such an embarrassing fool of yourself¡ªwhat are you still alive for?¡± As he spoke, he raised his hand and formed it into a claw to swipe in midair. Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s soul suddenly condensed into a large ball, and was sucked into Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s palm.


    Without even pausing, his other palm then smashed towards Yun Xie. Yun Xie recognized the power of this strike and concentrated all his attention on raising his sword to meet this palm. At the same time, Jiang Xunyi attacked Demon Sovereign Xuan Li from the other side to aid Yun Xie. The entire wing-room could not take the superposition of these three spiritual powers, and all four walls actually exploded open.


    The three men jumped away from each other. They avoided the scattered wood fragments and found their footing in the outside courtyard, only to discover that at some unknown time, numerous cultivators had arrived outside. Jiang Xunyi backflipped in midair and dexterously landed on a nearby pine tree. He raised his voice: ¡°I do not know what all these Daoist-friends1 have come to Hidden Spirit for? My bustling schedule today makes it inconvenient for me to properly treat guests. If you gentlemen do not have any urgent matters, please first go back!¡±


    Unexpectedly, after he said this, everyone looked at each other but no one spoke. A hint of an ashamed blush even appeared on some faces.


    After a moment of confusion, Jiang Xunyi thought of something and glanced at Yun Xie. Sure enough, he saw Yun Xie seemed to have firm grasp on the situation. At this time, a gray-bearded old Daoist emerged from the crowd. This was the head of the Thousand Clocks Monastery2, Daoist Xu Yuan.


    Xu Yuan first bowed to Jiang Xunyi, and then spoke with great sincerity: ¡°Young master Jiang, we were previously deceived by villains to believe the matter of you murdering your master. We originally¡­originally came over in order to exact justice for Immortal Master Ti Ming. Unexpectedly, on the way here we actually received a letter from the disciples of Solar Envy Sect. With that message in addition to what we saw just now, we now understand you were wrongly accused¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned to raise an eyebrow at Yun Xie. Yun Xie nodded with a smile on his face¡ªthis was indeed his work. He knew that with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s pride and ambition, even if he was unjustly wronged he would not be willing to explain himself. But just because Jiang Xunyi did not care didn¡¯t mean Yun Xie could stand other people vilifying his beloved. He thus wrote numerous letters that very night and made Yu Hong take them to Solar Envy Sect, and then ordered his disciples to explain the truth to the leaders of various factions.


    Seeing the faint praise-seeking in Yun Xie¡¯s expression, Jiang Xunyi sighed in his heart but refused to give thanks orally. He only mentioned the matter in an understatement: ¡°Hmph, unnecessary meddling.¡± Yun Xie laughed, and Jiang Xunyi turned back to address Taoist Xu Yuan: ¡°Daozhang exaggerates. At this time, instead of getting entangled in this matter, how about suppressing that Demon Sovereign first?¡±


    Despite his young age, his words carried a faint commanding tone and were in fact very rude. But because of the great reputation of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage as well as the guilt in everyone¡¯s hearts towards Jiang Xunyi, no one raised any objections.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li gave a contemptuous snort: ¡°Just a bunch of bungling oafs, utterly useless no matter how great their numbers.¡±


    He abruptly waved his hand, and a black whirlwind immediately manifested, howling through the air. Wherever it swept, the grass and trees were uprooted, and flying sand and stones blotted out the sun and sky. Jiang Xunyi bore the brunt of the windstorm; in a haste, he jumped off the tree and rolled several paces backwards.


    Folding his hands and then immediately spreading them out, he summoned a fire dragon to break through the air, roaring as it rushed from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm towards Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. At the same time, Yun Xie had already leapt out behind Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. He fiercely kicked off the Demon Sovereign¡¯s back with both feet and then leapt over his head, landing by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side.


    Unexpectedly, when the fire dragon neared Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, it actually did not affect him one bit, and then dissipated with a casual wave of his hand. Just as Jiang Xunyi had frozen from astonishment, he suddenly felt a sharp pain lancing through his chest, and could not help but let out a muffled grunt of pain. He fell to his knees, barely holding himself up with his sword.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li laughed out loud and smashed a palm at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s spiritual shield. However, his palm paused right before the impact. Xuan Li cast a sidelong glance at him and smiled: ¡°Do you admit defeat, young master Jiang?¡±


    His last few words were extremely light, and actually carried a hint of ambiguous flirtatious meaning3.


    The rumbling boom of thunder sounded in the distance. The heavens and earth quaked and trembled, appearing as soft and pliable as silk. That infinite blue sky had already transformed into a dark blood-red, gradually transitioning into a distant pitch-black. Billions of stars sparkled and twinkled amidst the darkness, strange and inexplicable.


    Jiang Xunyi did not dodge or evade. Instead, he raised his head and laughed loudly: ¡°Such a trifling illusion, still not waking up?!¡±


    Xuan Li trembled with astonishment. Suddenly, the expression on his face dulled. His whole person gradually became ethereal, only dimly discernible. Like a reflection upon the water, the colors faded and dimmed from his body. It was not just him¡ªall the people on the side with varying expressions and positions similarly lost all color and turned misty, as if someone had cast a spell over them.


    Jiang Xunyi stood back up and was about to look for Yun Xie, when he suddenly heard a deafening crack of thunder coming from the sky above. Those fading human figures suddenly collapsed onto the ground like soft mud, and then quickly combined together with blinding speed. By the next moment, they had already transformed into hideous-appearing evil spirits.


    All up and down the mountains, countless such monsters flooded over, as thick and numerous as stalks in a field. The thunder above roared and boomed. In an instant, heavy rain began to pour down. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire body was drenched with rainwater, almost to the point where he could not open his eyes. He couldn¡¯t even begin to look for Yun Xie in this utterly ink-black night, and anxiety filled his heart. He pulled his sword out of its sheath and swept it horizontally, immediately sending a mass of human-like shadows flying.


    However, those broken limbs quickly reformed into new ghosts, continuing to attack Jiang Xunyi. If this continued, even if they could not exhaust him, they would certainly be able to crowd him to death.


    Jiang Xunyi did not dare to act rashly, and deftly took several steps back in succession. Just as he halted his swordsmanship to observe the situation, a clear whistle and a ray of brilliant light pierced the dark night. Blue light glowed in the distance, then transformed into the radiance of an enormous sword that actually sliced directly towards the pitch-black sky!


    A sword of primordial spirit! Yun Xie wanted to directly use his primordial spirit to break this illusion!


    Jiang Xunyi sheathed his sword and sprinted like the wind, running straight towards the location of that blue light. The swaying and shaking of the heavens and the earth had never once stopped, each wave more intense than the last. At the same time, a figure in the distance came closer and closer to him. When they could almost see the other¡¯s silhouette, Yun Xie suddenly threw himself at Jiang Xunyi and hugged him tightly. The two men rolled over onto the ground. Outside, the lightning flashed and thunder roared like it was the end of the world. But amidst it all, Yun Xie closely protected Jiang Xunyi in his arms.


    Jiang Xunyi struggled for a few moments, but Yun Xie seemed to have made up his mind and absolutely refused to let go. Only when the motion outside had slightly subsided did Yun Xie finally release him. His entire body was completely soaked, and a trace of blood lined his lips. A Peace Jade Buckle4 stitched onto his chest had already shattered.


    Jiang Xunyi tore himself away from him and rose to assess their surroundings. The environment around them had already transformed back into the appearance of the Imprisoned Demons Valley. He ground his teeth and couldn¡¯t hold back a sneer. He leaned over and picked up Yun Xie by the collar, inquiring in a chilly and threatening tone: ¡°Oh Great Sect Master Yun, may I ask when you awakened?¡±


    Yun Xie did not move an inch, allowing Jiang Xunyi to freely pull him up. His voice was hoarse: ¡°Ah-Xun¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not respond, only roared: ¡°I¡¯m asking you!¡±


    Yun Xie whispered: ¡°That time I saw you vomiting blood after taking my ring, my heart was unstable¡­¡±


    Even though Yun Xie always looked unruly and careless, he in fact boasted incredible sagacity. No matter their size or importance, very few matters could fool his gaze, and he especially paid incredible attention to anything related to Jiang Xunyi. When he returned to his room, he thus asked for his jade ring back from Yu Hong and repeatedly inspected it. Although he was one step slower than Jiang Xunyi, he finally woke up from the illusion as well.


    However, upon awakening, he then remembered the matter of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s death and resurrection. Looking back, he did not know if this was reality or an illusory dream he longed for yet could never obtain. He therefore kept his composure and continuously probed for the truth, finally confirming that the person in front of him had truly returned to life.


    After taking over the Sect Leader position, he had read the sect¡¯s ancient books and records. He therefore inherently held a greater understanding of the Imprisoned Demons Valley compared to Jiang Xunyi. As a result, he did not hesitate to sacrifice his primordial spirit and shatter this illusion.


    Given Jiang Xunyi¡¯s pride and competitive personality, even more rage rose in his heart at the thought he had been fooled and ridiculed. He put down Yun Xie and sneered, clapping his hands in applause: ¡°So intelligent! Sect Master Yun is indeed worthy of his reputation for always thinking three steps ahead. This insignificant one5 is ashamed at my inferiority and gracefully admits defeat!¡±


    Yun Xie had a stomach full of questions he wanted to ask, but this person did not want to talk with him at all. Now stabbed by the accusatory tone of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, his spirits fell even further. His voice trembled: ¡°Ah-Xun¡­¡±


    Not a single trace of a fluctuation could be seen on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. He spoke with cold indifference: ¡°My apologies¡ªAlthough you have tried every possible way of probing, you have still recognized the wrong person. This humble one6 is Du Heng.¡±


    He felt aggrieved remembering how just now he had been running around like a goddamn idiot trying to find Yun Xie. He contemptuously spat in his heart, feeling that even if everyone in this world died, Yun Xie wouldn¡¯t have any problems whatsoever. With his temper rising, he no longer wanted to follow Yun Xie. He coldly humphed out a ¡°Goodbye!¡± before turning around to walk off.


    Yun Xie rushed up to grab him, entreating: ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, absolutely everything is my fault, but no matter what, please let me say a few words first, Ah-Xun¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flung him off, and furiously roared: ¡°Do you not fucking understand human speech?! I said I¡¯m not so I¡¯m goddamn not!¡±


    Author¡¯s Notes (Translated): Yun-ge is truly a shrewd rascal, reaching the peak of perfection in blackbelliness. If he had never encountered Jiang Xunyi, he would be invincible¡­


    Footnotes:


    1. µÀÓÑ lit. ¡°Friends on the Dao¡± is one way for fellow cultivators to address each other, basically saying ¡°Fellow Daoists¡±.


    2. ǧÖÓ¹Û: ǧ= ¡°thousand¡±, ÖÓ= ¡°clocks¡±, ¹Û = Taoist monastery.


    3. êÓÃÁ literally translates to ¡°ambiguous/indistinct + concealed¡±, but it has romantic connotations. Think of it like the trial period of romance: starting to cross the boundary between friendship and love, with flirtatious undertones.


    4. ƽ°²Óñ¿Û


    5. Jiang Xunyi here calls himself ¡°Ð¡ÈË¡± lit. ¡°little person¡±, which is a humble and self-deprecating one of referring to yourself. Interestingly enough, this same phrase is used to refer to people of low social status, as well as nasty villains.


    6. Again, ÔÚÏ (z¨¤i xi¨¤) lit. ¡°this one who is beneath you¡± is a humble way of referring to oneself.


    The illusory flashback arc is finally over!! Next chapter is the transition to the next arc.

 CH 23

    Chapter 23 ¨C Rascal Online


    In actuality, having reached this point, both of them were well aware of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s identity. But Jiang Xunyi had always felt that if he himself acknowledged this point, he would truly have to accept the past that he could not bear to look back on, that he was not ready to look back on. He would rather shut the door and plug his ears, to willingly take on that title of idiot and become that Du Heng.


    Jiang Xunyi, you may put on all the pretenses you want, but in fact you are just like any other coward.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s fluctuating expressions were all seen by Yun Xie¡¯s eyes. Yun Xie was silent for a moment, before finally compromising. Letting out a slight sigh, he fixed his clothes, got up, and clasped his hands in salute1. He whispered: ¡°¡­Young master Du, just now I temporarily lost my composure and offended you. May I ask young master to overlook my behavior¡­ It¡¯s just that the two of us have never met before, but I owe young master Du my life. Such noble justice and chivalry is truly admirable; I hope you can give me a chance to repay this grace.¡±


    This person¡¯s clever mouth turned around far too fast. Before, he had even fiercely said stuff like ¡°Saving me was your idea, even if you didn¡¯t save me I wouldn¡¯t necessarily die.¡± Now the winds had completely changed direction to ¡°I shall definitely repay this life-saving grace.¡± He truly understood Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temper being amenable to coaxing but not coercion. But times had changed: ¡°Imperial Concubine Yun¡± had long since fallen out of favor, and Jiang Xunyi only paused for the briefest moment before continuing to stride away.


    Yun Xie was not discouraged in the slightest and continued his own unremitting efforts. He sprayed out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest as he tumbled to the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi stopped and looked back, glancing indifferently at him: ¡°Are you going to continue pretending? You need to roll your eyes back for the complete set.¡±


    Yun Xie turned his face up towards the sky and did not get up. He smiled bitterly: ¡°Ah-¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t finished his words when he saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression change, so he hurriedly corrected himself: ¡°Young master Du, you¡¯ve witnessed my foolishness2. Before falling from the cliff, this humble one went into Qi deviation while exercising my skills. From that continuous fighting just now, I suffered many internal injuries. Sigh, I want to get up¡­.but¡­ I really am¡­ . powerless¡­¡±


    The last few words were truly spoken with innumerable twists and turns, sung with affected pathos, as if he would actually take his last breath the very next second.


    In this world, there exists a certain kind of man who always insists on being macho and masculine. As long as he still draws breath, he will always march forward with his back unbent and unbowed. These men are ¡°Defenders of Dignity¡± to the bitter end, and their main representatives would be those like Jiang Xunyi. In contrast, there also exists a kind of even more mystical creature, who often exaggerates the pain from the tiniest of scrapes into that of shredded muscles and broken bones. These creatures are called ¡°Rascals¡±, and the most outstanding among them would undoubtedly be none other than Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were cold and indifferent, as if this person¡¯s life and death was completely unrelated to him. However, given how he always meant what he said, just getting him to stop in place counted as a victory. Yun Xie coughed loudly, spying on him out of the corner of his eyes during every cough. After putting on this act for a long time, his lung capacity was somewhat running out, and he almost did actually roll his eyes back.


    Yun Xie brokenly said: ¡°Young master Du¡­.. I¡­ I still hope you¡­will show mercy and compassion¡­ Send the Buddha to the West3¡­ No matter what, take me out of this valley at least¡­. This valley is too steep, I¡­ cough cough cough, I can¡¯t climb up¡­¡±


    Are you kidding me? A perfectly dignified protagonist putting on the tear-stained face of a beauty4 to tell him: ¡°This valley is too steep, I can¡¯t climb up¡±?!


    Jiang Xunyi was so furious he almost laughed from sheer anger. But he still knew in his heart that Yun Xie had indeed suffered multiple heavy blows previously, and should indeed be in quite a bit of pain. Now with Yun Xie bringing this up, most of the suffocation and unrest withdrew from his chest. His reason slowly took over, and he changed direction to head back. He stepped over Yun Xie¡¯s body without any concern, and spoke indifferently: ¡°If you can follow me, then let¡¯s go. If you can¡¯t, you can continue to lie dead right there.¡±


    Compared to when they first came in, the statuses of the two seemed to have completely reversed. Yun Xie nimbly flipped over and climbed up, blindly and slavishly following behind Jiang Xunyi out of the deep fear that Jiang Xunyi really would throw him away.


    Jiang Xunyi did not say anything, but his footsteps unconsciously slowed down.


    Yun Xie¡¯s lips lifted. Behind Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back, he showed a relaxed smile that had not appeared on his face for a long time.


    As long as he¡¯s alive! As long as both of them are alive, this time, he definitely will not again¡­


    Yun Xie¡¯s thoughts and imagination ran wild the whole way. Both men remained completely silent as they ascended, one in front and one in back, until they reached the top of the valley where the illusionscape and enchanted boundary had already been broken.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­..¡± What was that about it being very steep? Very dangerous?


    He looked back at Yun Xie. Yun Xie hurriedly tried to use the same old trick again: ¡°Send the Buddha to the West¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t resist any longer: ¡°I can let you ¡®return to the West¡¯5 right now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± A very wronged Yun Xie: ¡°I really don¡¯t know the way from here¡­¡±


    The woods here were dense, with slender bamboos and flowing streams. Mellow and soft songs from unknown birds sounded from amidst the branches. Floral fragrances floated along the light breeze, gladdening the heart and refreshing the mind. Jiang Xunyi assessed their surroundings. He decided to believe in Yun Xie just this once, because in this valley he himself could not find the way.


    Jiang Xunyi had not yet decided on which path to follow, when a sudden wave of dizziness passed over him. A long-lost, yet also familiar to the point of being annoying, voice clearly sounded in his mind¡ª¡ª


    [System malfunctions have finished repairing. The host¡¯s tasks will soon be released, thank you for your continued use. ]


    [Task 1: Safely escort the protagonist to Solar Envy Mountain.]


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    He turned back to glance at Yun Xie, but saw that Yun Xie¡¯s deliberately wronged and aggrieved appearance just now had disappeared without a trace. Yun Xie was currently looking at him deeply, with an unreadable and indescribable gaze. It seemed like he could not have imagined Jiang Xunyi would suddenly look at him, so he froze up. He looked like he didn¡¯t know what expression he should make, while also appearing to be a little afraid of Jiang Xunyi becoming angry. His expression was both stiff and nervous.


    Times of happiness were akin to water: once past, truly past for good¡ª¡ªrelentlessly passing through one¡¯s clutching fingers, until soon even the mere sensation of dampness has dried in the wind. On the other hand, those unbearable memories of the past were like the sharpest edges, each one a knife cutting and slicing away at one¡¯s heart. The scars they left behind refused to fade with the days and years, like a permanent reminder not to dispel them, of the sheer impossibility of dispelling them.


    Jiang Xunyi retracted his gaze and suddenly felt himself losing interest. ¡°I am looking for the path to Solar Envy Mountain.¡±


    Yun Xie looked at him with joyful surprise, undisguised hope leaking out in his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi did not have the slightest wish to be the target of his misunderstanding. At the same time, there was no way he could explain that his heart was not going soft or anything, it was just a request by the system. He could only add a sentence: ¡°I have a friend there, I wish to go over and see him. Just on the way, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s smile disappeared. His heart soured, and he blurted out: ¡°What friend? Called what?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi arrogantly said: ¡°What does that have to do with you? If you don¡¯t want to go back, you can stay here.¡±


    Yun Xie quickly said: ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯m not going.¡± Before, when had he ever needed to speak to Ah-Xun with such solemn carefulness from the polite perspective of an outsider? His voice turned sour and hoarse, but he still persisted in finishing his words: ¡°I will¡­ travel alongside young master Du.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi indifferently said: ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Upon turning around, he let out a breath of relief¡ª¡ªhe couldn¡¯t resist talking back harshly for a moment just now, but fortunately Yun Xie had been agreeable. If Yun Xie had refused to go, this task would have become troublesome.


    He turned around and took a few steps forward, but didn¡¯t hear any other footsteps behind him. Looking back, he saw Yun Xie standing in place, staring at him with hesitation and awkwardness.


    The suspicious Jiang Xunyi: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie coughed awkwardly and summoned up his courage: ¡°The path back to Solar Envy Mountain¡­ should be towards the west¡­ That, uh, you are going the wrong way¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Xie smiled apologetically. Jiang Xunyi furiously made a U-Turn and continued to walk forward.


    One really should never sympathize with Yun Xie. He had literally just pitifully said he did not know the way. It turned out he had been pretending after all¡ª¡ªWithin just a short while, the two of them had already come out of a secluded and quiet forest. In the distance, they could see a village.


    Watching the people coming and going, Jiang Xunyi suddenly remembered something. He offhandedly said: ¡°I still find it strange: when we were at the bottom of the valley and reached that town, how come the streets were filled with people passing us by, making the place seem lively and crowded, but I did not hear even the slightest whisper of a human voice? Even after entering the restaurant, the waiter that came forward to take orders did not say a single word. Now that I think about it, the reason probably lies in how you and I had already entered the illusion. But if that is the case, how come I could clearly hear the words spoken by those men ¡®looking for death¡¯?¡±


    By those ¡°looking for death¡±, he was referring to the table of men discussing the relationship between Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi in the restaurant, who had later been killed by the two of them.


    When all was said and done, the two of them had developed deeply ingrained habits towards each other after getting along all these years. As he spoke, Jiang Xunyi actually did not notice that despite deceiving himself and others to declare himself as Du Heng, he used an incomparably familiar tone towards Yun Xie.


    But Yun Xie noticed. His nose soured, and a tiny spark of happiness grew in his heart. He explained: ¡°That was probably due to my unstable mood. The illusionscape we entered was actually my Inner Demon, so that round of dialogue¡­¡± Yun Xie mustered up his courage: ¡°¡­was probably the reflection of my inner feelings.¡±


    What feelings? Jiang Xunyi subconsciously felt that something was wrong here, but he could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong. He hadn¡¯t had the time to carefully think it over when the two of them had already entered the village.


    After walking a few more steps, Jiang Xunyi suddenly remembered: the words of those men back then¡­. seemed to have been cursing at and condemning himself¡­¡­ So these were Yun Xie¡¯s inner feelings at that time? He turned his head back to shoot a ferocious glare at Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­.?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi humphed angrily. He then realized this anger was rather unreasonable: Yun Xie had already killed him, what was a few words of condemnation in comparison? In any case, the two of them had originally stopped having any common ground for understanding, and had long since gone their separate ways. He could only hope that the System would grow a bit of a conscience, so that after he quickly completed this last act and enabled the plot to return to the right path, he could go home a little earlier.


    Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression was not quite right. Just as he was deliberating whether to ask, a loud shout suddenly came from behind them: ¡°Hey! Monk! Monk! Wait up!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Hearing this call, both Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie reflectively looked at each other, and unintentionally spoke in unison: ¡°He¡¯s calling you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yun Xie was quite self-aware, and soon reacted: ¡°Yes, calling me, he¡¯s definitely calling me.¡±


    Many villagers in remote places were ignorant. They only knew that eminent monks could slay monsters and destroy demons, and did not care whether the person in question actually had hair, or was actually wearing a monk¡¯s cassock6. Upon seeing a cultivator, they would often call the cultivator a monk instead. Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had previously been called in such a manner many times in the past. Every time, they would always start up a round of mutual bickering and mockery. With this sudden encounter, it seemed that this old problem still had not been corrected.


    But times had changed. Yun Xie naturally knew he should recognize reality. He understood that his position in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes was not the same as in the past, so he did not dare to attract Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ire. In addition, between the two of them, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s outer robes had long since been shredded to a frankly unsightly degree, while Yun Xie¡¯s Solar Envy Sect uniform was very conspicuous. The person was indeed calling him.


    Footnotes:


    1. Ò¾ is an ancient manner of greeting, basically clasping one¡¯s hands together in front and bowing. Something like the guy on the left here:


    2. Yun Xie specifically says ¡°¼ûЦÁË¡±, which is a humble/self-deprecating phase that means something like ¡°I¡¯ve made you laugh with my foolishness.¡±


    3. ËÍ·ðË͵½Î÷ lit. ¡°send the Buddha to the West¡± basically means ¡°if you¡¯re going to do a good thing, do it all the way to the end.¡±


    4. À滨´øÓê lit. like raindrops on a pear blossom


    5. ¹éÎ÷ lit. ¡°return west¡± references the Western Paradise (Sukh¨¡vat¨©) in Buddhism. Basically, Returning West is a euphemism for dying lol.


    6. ôÂôÄ is a fully ordained Buddhist monk¡¯s outer robe, also called a Kasaya. It¡¯s the red vestment in this picture:

 CH 24

    Chapter 24 ¨C Deathly Village


    Faced with this unexpected trouble, Jiang Xunyi impatiently stopped and frowned. At the same time, the System popped up once again to reinforce that it still existed:


    [Task 2: Find out the truth. ]


    Jiang Xunyi was momentarily thrown off: ¡°Find out the truth? Find out what truth? Can¡¯t you speak clearly just once? ¡­System, did you run out of power? Hey!!¡±


    The system did not say anything more. By this time, the villager who had called out ¡°Monk¡± had already rushed in front of them, panting for breath: ¡°Wait¡­ wait a moment¡­ monk¡­ and beggar1, can you two catch monsters?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± He looked down at his own clothing and immediately understood who was being referred to by ¡°beggar¡±. Seeing his expression, Yun Xie almost laughed out loud. He only held himself back by quickly coughing into his sleeves a couple times.


    You¡¯re the beggar, okay?! Your entire family are all beggars!


    Jiang Xunyi glimpsed Yun Xie out of the corner of his eyes and immediately knew what he was thinking. He rolled his eyes at Yun Xie, before turning his head to look expressionlessly at that villager: ¡°I¡¯m a beggar? If I dare to beg, do you dare to give in return?¡±


    Of course, he was not idle or bored to the point of haggling with a mere countryside villager. He was only dissatisfied with the other¡¯s rudeness, and just offhandedly shot back. However, that villager originally did not hold any hopes for Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi in the first place purely because their figures were not the tall and burly type. Although Yun Xie was wearing the uniform of a cultivator, his face was pale and his manner refined, making him appear like he didn¡¯t have long to live. While Jiang Xunyi¡­.. Cough cough, just based off his current ¡°style,¡± the villager didn¡¯t even give him a proper glance.


    But now once Jiang Xunyi opened his mouth to speak, his voice was clear and cold, actually indescribably nice on the ears. The villager couldn¡¯t help but look at him properly. He was first shocked by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s good looks. Then upon being stared down by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s knife-like gaze, his heart trembled with fear and timidity. The villager immediately recognized this was not a lowly person, and his words turned polite: ¡°It¡¯s because this insignificant one is too clueless, may you two young masters please refrain from blaming me, refrain from blaming me.¡±


    With Jiang Xunyi by his side, Yun Xie¡¯s heart was satisfied and his behavior became gentle in turn. He shook his head with a smile on his face: ¡°You mentioned catching ghosts and monsters just now. What ghosts exactly?¡±


    On the side, Jiang Xunyi sank into deep contemplation. He originally was not a nosy person by any means, but this person¡¯s appearance was too timely to be a mere coincidence. It was not clear if the System¡¯s incongruous ¡°Find the Truth¡± just now was connected to the haunting in this village. It wasn¡¯t that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s level of understanding was too low, but because the System had never released a task for this level of minutiae before.


    While considering the situation, he listened in on the conversation between the villager and Yun Xie. Through this multi-tasking, he achieved a general understanding of what was going on.


    To sum it all up, there wasn¡¯t anything particularly extraordinary. The village had a nearby river, where villagers would often go to catch fish and bathe. These past years, it had always been calm and peaceful, without anything happening. But starting a short while ago, anyone who entered the water never came back up. Not even a single corpse was found¡ª¡ªin other words, even all those who went down to salvage the bodies had also died.


    From listening to this, it could be deduced that some underwater spirit or monster had newly come to this river. Since it had to hide in order to hurt people and couldn¡¯t come ashore to expand the range of its haunting, its cultivation was clearly not very high. Given Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ample experience killing demons and monsters since childhood, they had seen far too many situations similar to this and neither one took it particularly seriously.


    A thousand hopes rose in Yun Xie¡¯s heart at the possibility of continuing to interact with Jiang Xunyi, so he naturally jumped at the chance to stay here for a few more days. He therefore whispered: ¡°Young master Du, from my perspective, slaying demons and monsters is my generation¡¯s responsibility. Since we have run into this situation, how about we help out and solve this problem?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi praised him with a faint imitation of a smile on his face: ¡°Sect Master Yun is truly a highly principled and righteous person.¡± Without waiting for Yun Xie to speak, he briskly added: ¡°Since this is the case, then let¡¯s go check it out.¡±


    In accordance with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s personality, he did what he said with vigor and resolve. But that villager refused to lead the way no matter what, stating that after nightfall he would absolutely never dare to approach the river. Since he was not in a hurry, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi were in even less of a hurry, so they followed him back to the village to stay the night.


    Outside of the village, there hadn¡¯t been any very noticeable abnormalities. But as soon as the two of them stepped foot into the village, they quickly sensed an extremely strong atmosphere of death wreathed around the area, like that of a graveyard. Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie met each other¡¯s eyes in slight surprise. Although Du Heng¡¯s body did not have the same level of spiritual sensitivity as his original one, Jiang Xunyi did not think this was an error in his judgement. According to reason, inside such a heavy aura of death, there should not be a single living person here. However, the people here were all in high spirits and very much alive and kicking¡ª¡ªa truly incomprehensible phenomenon.


    Yun Xie was obviously somewhat perplexed about this matter too. Without changing expression, he took two steps forward to grab the wrist of that villager leading the way and smiled: ¡°Brother, I still don¡¯t know what your name is?¡±


    The man had not expected a character of such refined appearance and temperament would actually call him brother, and was overwhelmed by this unexpected favor: ¡°I don¡¯t dare, don¡¯t dare. I2 am my family¡¯s eldest, so you¡­ you can call me Xu Da3.¡±


    Yun Xie let go of his wrist and smiled: ¡°Good, this humble one¡¯s surname is Yun, while this young master is surnamed¡­. Du, and he is my Shidi.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not speak up to refute him. Still, he couldn¡¯t resist secretly glaring at Yun Xie, thinking ¡°who the hell is your Shidi.¡± However, when Yun Xie received Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze, he shook his head with dignified solemnity. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but momentarily freeze.


    With this one action, he already understood Yun Xie¡¯s meaning: ¡°no abnormalities found at all; it¡¯s unclear how the people in this village survived in such a strong atmosphere of death.¡±


    Sure enough, the System would not send him tasks so casually, and especially would not give him any easy work to do. Jiang Xunyi frowned, vigilance secretly rising in his heart.


    When Yun Xie chose to kill him back then, that was the end of their brotherly bond. Although it was unclear why upon being reborn, all Jiang Xunyi saw was Yun Xie¡¯s remorse, guilt, and nostalgia towards himself as well as this task to ¡°escort the protagonist back to his mountain¡±¡­ in the end, he could not trust the other person like before. This current situation therefore involved both a dangerous environment as well as a person who he did not know whether to consider a friend or enemy. The only thing Jiang Xunyi could truly count on right now was himself.


    Jiang Xunyi avoided Yun Xie¡¯s gaze, bowing his head to fix his own sleeves as he followed the other two into Xu Da¡¯s courtyard.


    Upon entering through the door, the hall and rooms did not count as large. The space had been cleaned up very tidily, but there wasn¡¯t much for furnishing. Two skinny little girls peered out timidly from behind some curtains. When they came into contact with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze, they hurriedly retracted their heads back.


    The embarrassed Xu Da said: ¡°Countryside girls who haven¡¯t seen the world¡­. If the two of you can tolerate this for one night¡­¡±


    His words were broken up and fragmented, distracted by the voices of the woman and children inside. He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when the loud crying of a child sounded out, and Yun Xie let him return to their rooms first. When Yun Xie turned around, however, he saw Jiang Xunyi lifting his foot to block the door of one of the inner rooms, looking at him with his arms crossed.


    Yun Xie understood his meaning, but pretended to be ignorant: ¡°Is young master Du tired? Let¡¯s rest early then.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was completely blunt and straightforward: ¡°I am not rooming with you.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled bitterly: ¡°This is the countryside, there aren¡¯t any spare rooms. Just tolerate it this one time.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Matters of housing can be tolerated, but matters of life and death cannot. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll get chopped by you overnight, and die an unjust death.¡±


    This was the unspeakable entanglement between the two. Yun Xie felt like the softest place in his heart had been abruptly pinched, and his smile nearly collapsed. He forced the corners of his mouth up: ¡°Why do you think this? I would not¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke with underlying meaning: ¡°It¡¯s not my own thinking. Isn¡¯t this exactly how things are?¡±


    Yun Xie opened his mouth to speak but stopped again. He finally laughed bitterly and silently turned away.


    Seeing how he immediately stopped his rascal antics, Jiang Xunyi was still a little unused to his behavior. He kept the posture of his foot stepping on the door and his arms crossed on his chest as he watched Yun Xie¡¯s silhouette disappear, an indescribable sense of wrongness in his heart. Still, he couldn¡¯t call Yun Xie back to sleep together. After a long time, he finally let out a scoff and stood up to go to sleep in the room.


    When he got up the next morning, Yun Xie was already waiting outside his door. When the two of them met face-to-face, they both had equally dark circles under their eyes. The one who had slept outside of course lacked energy, but the person who slept inside that room did not appear to have gotten much rest either. Yun Xie was a little distressed, and his fingertips couldn¡¯t help but stroke across Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyelids: ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep well?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi arched his head back to avoid his fingers, and humphed: ¡°Who said that, it was extremely comfortable.¡±


    With the sound of heavy overlapping footsteps, Xu Da walked over towards the two of them, followed by several other villagers. Yun Xie swallowed the words on his tongue. He put his signature warm smile back on display once again, and nodded at the arriving people in greeting. Jiang Xunyi nodded with him.


    One white-haired old man in the middle of the group appeared to have a temperament that stood out from the crowd of ordinary villagers. He moved forward and said: ¡°This old man is endlessly grateful for how these two young noblemen are willing to lend a helping hand. It¡¯s just that the thing in this river is very dangerous, and you two are of such a young age. We don¡¯t want to let you two throw your lives away for no reason, so¡­. if you two young noblemen go back now, this old man understands.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised an eyebrow: ¡°Old man, you have no need to be so overly concerned.¡± He was not worried at all. In any case, even if it was a demonic god descending upon the world, all he had to do to avoid death in times of danger was hide behind Yun Xie.


    So when one thought about it more carefully, the System making him escort Yun Xie back to Solar Envy Mountain was truly rather unnecessary.


    Jiang Xunyi strode forward to leave towards the river, when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. He looked back to see one of Xu Da¡¯s two little daughters tottering out of that simple earthen house, opening her arms as she chased over to throw herself at him.


    Jiang Xunyi was originally somewhat of a clean freak and disliked casual contact with other people. But out of the fear that the little girl would fall over, he subconsciously opened his hands and caught her in his arms.


    Yun Xie watched sourly from the side.


    Jiang Xunyi only felt a tightening force around his waist, and he had already been hugged. At a loss, he looked down to see the little girl¡¯s pale face and emaciated limbs. Only her big eyes were watery as she stared at Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Beautiful big bro, don¡¯t go, you¡¯ll die.¡±


    These were obviously the unwitting words of a little girl, and her voice still carried a hint of childish sweetness. However, as Yun Xie stood by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, he felt his heart inexplicably leap in his chest, with a vague sense of fear and trepidation.


    Footnotes:


    1. Òª·¹µÄ lit. ¡°asking for food¡± is a somewhat more polite term for beggar


    2. The villager refers to himself as °³ (¨£n), which is how Northern dialects say ¡°I¡±.


    3. Ðí´ó: Ðí is his surname, while ´ó literally means ¡°big/eldest/boss¡±. Xu Da therefore means something like ¡°eldest of the Xu family.¡± Sometimes commoners in ancient times would not get proper first names, but instead be referred to with their ¡°sibling order¡± (ex: ¡°Da¡± for eldest, ¡°Er¡± for second, ¡°San¡± for third)

 CH 25

    Chapter 25 ¨C Strange Things in the Riverbed


    Yun Xie looked around to find that except for himself, it seemed that no one else had this feeling. Jiang Xingyi even smiled and reached out to gently twist the child¡¯s cheek: ¡°Be good and wait here, Gege is going to catch that big monster for you to play with, okay?¡±


    Perhaps to avoid them continuing to poison the worldviews of these children, the gray-haired old man coughed awkwardly and interrupted again: ¡°In fact, there really aren¡¯t any monsters in the river. No one in this village has ever seen anything. Aside from people who enter the water dying¡­ in the early morning, I often see a huge whirlpool appearing in the water without any cause, downright terrifying looking.¡±


    Yun Xie recovered his composure: ¡°You are talking about this current time of day, right?¡±


    The old man looked at the color of the sky and nodded: ¡°About now.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi racked his memory but could not think of anything this could be. He glanced at Yun Xie: ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look?¡±


    His words were concise and comprehensive, cold and indifferent. But this was a rare occasion where Jiang Xunyi voluntarily spoke to Yun Xie¡ª¡ªjust this short sentence was enough for Yun Xie¡¯s heart to set off fireworks, and he did not even think before agreeing.


    Jiang Xunyi smiled at the little girl still leaning on him. Managing to lift her off himself like peeling skin, he turned towards the river.


    Probably because of the repeated loss of life, those villagers who had originally lived near the river bank had already moved away. After around ten minutes, the small group of people arrived at the completely deserted riverside. The abundant trash and weeds only made the place seem more overgrown and abandoned.


    Walking a few steps closer, Jiang Xunyi did indeed see an enormous vortex on the originally calm and waveless river, endlessly swirling. But despite the size and rapidity of its flow, it did not make a single sound. Like an immense mouth gaping wide, the silence of the scene made the sight even more disturbing.


    Although most of the villagers next to them had seen this scene before, several of them still could not hold back their exclamations of horror.


    Jiang Xunyi subconsciously touched his waist. His Extinguished Flower sword had already been taken back from Yun Xie. Now making contact with the ice-cold hilt, it was as if his entire heart had stabilized. However, just at this same time, a warm palm covered the back of his hand.


    Jiang Xunyi did not dodge or hide, but turned his head to meet Yun Xie¡¯s gaze: ¡°What?¡±


    Yun Xie whispered: ¡°I am afraid that attacking rashly would not be appropriate, you should still remain cautious.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi casually scoffed: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, after not seeing you for a while, did you feed all your courage to the dogs?¡±


    He did not realize at all that despite continuously saying he was Du Heng, he did not have any professional pride to continue acting as a fool in front of Yun Xie. His every word and action was like back in the old days; only his cold and harsh attitude was no longer the same.


    Yun Xie unconsciously used a little bit of force to tightly clench Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand, and whispered: ¡°If I was on my own, I would charge even into the dragon¡¯s pool or tiger¡¯s lair1. But in this world, the only thing I do not dare to treat carelessly¡­ is you.¡±


    Did the author of ¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡· recently get rid of their single status or something? This writing style wasn¡¯t quite right.


    Yun Xie¡¯s ¡°corny¡± words made a row of goosebumps rise on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s skin. He shivered and shook Yun Xie off: ¡°Talk like a normal person. Tell me, what are you planning?¡±


    Yun Xie was not angry to have been shaken off, and instead smiled: ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that those who died did not leave a corpse? Then let¡¯s find the corpses.¡±


    It was naturally a good thing that someone else was willing to take on this trouble. Jiang Xunyi arched his brow and made an inviting gesture, while he himself backed up a step.


    The eyes of everyone at the scene concentrated on Yun Xie as he calmly took out a dagger. Just as he had cut off a branch the size of an adult¡¯s arm from a nearby tree, the sound of hooves came from behind. Someone shouted: ¡°Out of the way! All out of the way!¡±


    Both Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi looked over. The flying dust halted and landed a foot away from Jiang Xunyi without a single speck touching his sleeves, but no one had the presence of mind to notice those details. Two men wearing the red and black uniforms of local constables dismounted from their horses and quickly walked over, about to talk.


    But they had not yet opened their mouths when Jiang Xunyi already spoke indifferently: ¡°You two are constables? From where?¡±


    Constables: ¡°¡­¡­¡± We originally wanted to introduce ourselves to intimidate this bunch of unruly people, but now being rudely asked like this, no matter whether we continue to introduce ourselves or not, neither option seems like it will give the effect we wanted.


    Of the two constables, one appeared to be already past thirty, while the other looked like a young man. The young man paused and then puffed out his chest: ¡°Yes, my name is Deng Zhi. Alongside elder brother Huang Wei here, we are both constables from Guoyang County. You two Daoist priests seem to be quite young, but you dare to engage in such deceptive swindling to fool these ignorant villagers? You¡¯re going back to the government office with us!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi merely grunted, and actually did not lose his temper. He lazily pointed at Yun Xie: ¡°This has nothing to do with me, I¡¯m just here to watch the show. If you¡¯re going to catch someone, catch him.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He immediately felt he had lost all his love for this world.


    Seeing the constables turning their gaze to him, Yun Xie wordlessly smiled. He threw the branch in his hands up into the air and caught it again, and slowly said: ¡°The two of you came in such a ¡®timely¡¯ manner to insist we are swindlers¡­ it seems like you feel that we are not able to deal with the thing in the river, but you are? Then would it be possible to let this humble one perform a magic trick before leaving, so when chatting with my fellow prisoners in jail in the future, I¡¯ll have something to talk about.¡±


    As the older of the pair, Huang Wei appeared to be more cautious. He had originally received a police report and rushed over in a hurry. But now seeing these two men, he felt that although they did not seem like the type to catch monsters, they seemed even less like swindlers. Hearing the sharp edge behind Yun Xie¡¯s smiling words, Huang Wei did not dare to be too arrogant. After muttering to himself for a moment, he said: ¡°Since you have said this, I will give you two the opportunity to prove yourself. If you resolve this matter, I will count this as a merit for you. If you cannot¡­¡± He turned his head to look at Jiang Xunyi, and said sternly: ¡°Then you will come together to Guoyang County to eat prison food, you won¡¯t be able to run!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s lips smiled but his eyes were ice-cold. He shook his head: ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡±


    Deng Zhi was surprised: ¡°What won¡¯t do? What do you mean by that?¡±


    Yun Xie spoke with refined courtesy: ¡°If we resolve this matter, the two of you shall kneel in apology.¡±


    Deng Zhi was so angry he couldn¡¯t help but laugh: ¡°If you cannot resolve it?¡±


    Yun Xie casually said: ¡°Nothing is unresolvable.¡±


    His word were as domineering and intimidating as ever. Unfortunately, without waiting for the protagonist¡¯s halo to blind people with its light, Jiang Xunyi had already used up all his patience from listening. He raised his hand and waved it through the air. Deng Zhi only felt a swift and fierce gust of wind, but this gust was actually as sharp as a knife, scraping past him to slice half of a branch off a large tree. The large branch landed right in Yun Xie¡¯s hands, and Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°What are you wasting your words with them for? Just do what you wanted to do.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed, and obediently stopped talking. He overlapped the two branches in his hands together. The willow branch and the scholar tree branch actually merged together in an instant, gradually becoming one. Deng Zhi watched intently from the side. He was unable to stop his eyes from widening at this sight, and then secretly cast a sidelong glance at Yun Xie¡¯s wide sleeves.


    Yun Xie was too lazy to pay him any attention, and minded his own business to pick up his dagger. His long and pale fingers appeared extremely dexterous, and he rapidly carved the tree branch into a small human figure. The miniature had all his limbs but no facial features, so it appeared quite strange and abnormal, not like anything respectable.


    Yun Xie put the little man on the ground, while Jiang Xunyi had already casually begun to speak to Xu Da: ¡°Give the birth Eight Characters2 of any person who disappeared in the river.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled, while the gray-haired old man who had consistently led the villagers now frowned. ¡°The birth Eight Characters are so important, how could we so casually give them to outsiders.¡±


    With this change in tone, the people next to him were very surprised. Xu Da said: ¡°Village Chief, just looking at these two brothers, you can tell they are capable people. You can¡¯t doubt them just because of a few words from the constables.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes flashed, but no change in emotion could be seen on his smiling face: ¡°The birth Eight Characters are important to the living, but this is my first time hearing that the Eight Characters of the dead cannot be carelessly spoken either. Alright then, if you¡¯re not going to say it that¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just search around randomly.¡±


    Without even looking, he tossed his dagger down. The dagger landed with incredible precision, poking a round hole exactly into the heart of the little wooden man on the ground. Yun Xie then hooked his finger towards the river by his side. Three droplets of river water followed his direction to fly into the human figure on their own, and that round hole re-closed. Watching from the side, Deng Zhi and Huang Wei¡¯s eyes had widened in shock, but the gray-haired old man frowned.


    Yun Xie smiled: ¡°Stand up.¡±


    The little man stood straight up from the ground.


    Yun Xie: ¡°Go.¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the wood man actually stepped forward with a swaying gait. At the same time, rustling and splashing sounds came from the river water. A human head gradually emerged from the water and began to walk towards the shore. Its movements were stiff and its pace unstable, exactly the same as the behavior of the wooden man!


    The whirlpool on the river surface had disappeared at some point. As the human figure came closer and closer, its features were faintly discernible. This was a corpse with extensive rotting and decay. Chunks of flesh actually fell off with its steps, making for an extraordinarily terrifying sight. Amidst the shocked exclamations, Jiang Xunyi stepped aside to make way and turned his head aside from disgust: ¡°Make him stay farther away from me when walking¡ª¡ªwhy didn¡¯t you pick a better one to call!¡±


    How could he have had the chance to pick and choose for this sort of thing¡­ Yun Xie continued smiling and did not argue with Jiang Xunyi, and only said: ¡°Then you stand closer to me¡ª¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when his face instantly changed expression.


    Jiang Xunyi had just asked a ¡°What is it?¡± when he heard a loud crashing noise behind him. He hurriedly turned to see that the corpse Yun Xie was controlling had actually sunk back into the water, and its status could no longer be seen. At the same time, the wooden puppet on the ground had also fallen to a crawl. It incessantly kicked its small wooden legs, as if trying to free itself from something.


    Author¡¯s Notes (Translated): Thanks to the many years of tacit understanding between childhood friends, aside from some unspeakable sentiments and freak misunderstandings, they are still comrades who fight shoulder to shoulder. It¡¯s difficult to change their habit of standing together.


    Footnotes:


    1.Áú̶»¢Ñ¨ lit. ¡°dragon¡¯s pool and tiger¡¯s den¡± is just a saying for great danger


    2.Éú³½°Ë×Ö lit. ¡°Birth Eight Characters¡± is one¡¯s birth data as used in Chinese astrology. It¡¯s a combination of year, month, day, hour, heavenly trunk and earthly branch. ex: people say two destined lovers will have matching Eight Characters.

 CH 26

    Chapter 26 ¨C A Strange Tale


    Yun Xie no longer paid any attention to the wooden puppet. His expression turned serious: ¡°There is something under the water holding down the corpse. But how come even though it¡¯s so close, the only thing I can sense is the aura of death, without any demonic energy?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi whispered: ¡°Same for me.¡±


    Just at this moment, the little wooden puppet suddenly fell to the ground with a bang, and stopped moving. A mocking smirk showed on Huang Wei¡¯s face at this apparent confirmation that these two were indeed deceptive swindling Daoist priests, and he arrogantly commanded: ¡°Okay, the two of you are coming back to the government office with me.¡±


    Yun Xie ignored him. Looking into the water, he instead smiled: ¡°Interesting. After all these years, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen anyone, living or dead, dare to fight with me over something.¡±


    With a wave of his hand, the wind from his palm volleyed through the air to disturb the river surface. Huge overlapping waves rose and struck against the riverbank, their sheer momentum almost exceeding that silent whirlpool just now. Amidst the shocked exclamations of the crowd, something around the size of a washbasin suddenly emerged from the water surface. Before anyone could make it out clearly, it sprayed a column of water towards the shore, and then immediately sank back down.


    On the side, Jiang Xunyi had finally stopped being a bystander. At the same time as Yun Xie¡¯s palm, with his sharp sight and quick hand, he had already slammed his sword hilt to make Extinguished Flower soar into the air. Jiang Xunyi promptly leapt up, flipped in mid-air, and stepped steadily on the blade to fly immediately above the river. When that thing sank back into the water, he had just caught up with it. He actually carelessly explored a hand and directly hauled it up like a fish, pulling that monster in the water right out of the river.


    Without waiting for anyone to see it clearly, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression had already changed, and he chucked the thing back into the water.


    The shocked Yun Xie quickly rushed over and asked in a flurry: ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were you hurt?¡±


    The expression on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face was one of great misfortune. After riding his sword back to the shore, he peered at his hand that had picked up the monster with an unusually complex look.


    Yun Xie grabbed ahold of his hand and checked it over: ¡°What exactly is it? Say something!¡±


    ¡°Too disgusting.¡± After much difficulty, Jiang Xunyi spat out a few words: ¡°Hurry and lend me half a catty1 of bath beans2, I have to wash my hands.¡±


    Yun Xie knew he had an obsession with cleanliness, but he now understood Jiang Xunyi had not been injured and therefore let out a sigh of relief. A very unhappy Jiang Xunyi went to the side to wash his hands. Although the others were curious what exactly he had touched, seeing the scowl on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, no one dared to ask. In the meantime, Yun Xie stepped forward to stare at the water surface.


    When Huang Wei had seen the monster coming out of the water just now, he had long since nimbly hid in the distance. At this time, he now frowned. ¡°After all this difficulty it was finally caught, but then you put the thing back. What should be done now?¡±


    Without even looking back at him, Yun Xie suddenly reached backwards to grab Huang Wei¡¯s collar. With a single hand, he lifted up this man who appeared several times stockier than himself.


    Deng Zhi was alarmed: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed devilishly: ¡°The monster in the water loves to eat timid people who are afraid of death and talk too much. Excuse me for making you bait.¡±


    As he spoke, he had already let go of Huang Wei to mercilessly hurl him into the water.


    Water splashed everywhere amidst the screams, and some pitch-black thing flashed by the water surface. Huang Wei howled in terror, but just as he opened his mouth, the river water had already poured into his stomach and he instantly could no longer scream. Just as he thought his lowly life would end here, he suddenly felt his body lighten as he was kicked back onto the shore.


    Borrowing this tiny brief opportunity granted by Huang Wei falling into the water, Yun Xie had swiftly and adeptly found the position of the monster. Learning from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mistake before him, he did not use his hand to touch it, but instead exercised caution. After kicking Huang Wei out, he flipped back onto the shore while slamming his palms together three times fast in succession. A blue ray of light instantly flew out from his palm and drilled into the riverbed, forming the shape of a cage in the blink of an eye. This cage carrying the monster slowly floated up from the water.


    With a hook of Yun Xie¡¯s finger, the cage fell on the open space on the bank of the river.


    Yun Xie did not have the time to see what it was when the onlooking villagers on the shore had already surrounded the cage, and then dispersed just as quickly.


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡± What¡¯s this for?


    He walked over without hesitation and fixed his eyes on it. Despite his extensive experience and knowledge, even he couldn¡¯t help but startle¡ª¡ªin the middle of the cage made from his spiritual power, a washbasin-sized oval shape was entrapped. It looked like a large turtle, but even without approaching close to it, one could smell the strong stench of rotting flesh on that thing, extremely nauseating.


    Yun Xie had seen no shortage of dead people, and had previously been compelled by circumstances to perform autopsies and the like. As a result, even though he almost vomited, he still managed to endure it. Using his sleeves to block his nose, he sluggishly crept over to discover: a human head was actually protruding from within the turtle shell!


    Taken aback, he looked again more closely. The other four limbs were also human hands and feet, but the skin was broken and the flesh exposed, so decayed and putrid that their original shapes could barely be made out.


    Yun Xie was genuinely distressed for Jiang Xunyi¡ª¡ªordinary people would not be able to comfortably look at this sort of thing, let alone someone with extreme fastidiousness.


    Jiang Xunyi had finally washed his hands clean, but upon walking over and seeing that thing, his tragic memory just now was re-evoked. His tone was extremely unhappy: ¡°What the hell is this! Who¡¯s so wicked as to stuff a person into a turtle shell!¡±


    Hearing the second sentence, Yun Xie laughed. Upon being glared at by Jiang Xunyi, he tried to hold his smile back: ¡°I don¡¯t know, why don¡¯t we ask around?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke with underlying meaning: ¡°Who would be best to ask?¡± Though his question was directed at Yun Xie, his gaze roamed through the crowd. The villagers clearly didn¡¯t know anything, but when contacting those sharp eyes, they involuntarily felt a prick of guilty conscience. Finally, Jiang Xunyi fixed his gaze at a certain place. A corner of his mouth curled upwards, in an imitation of a smile.


    Xu Da only thought that Jiang Xunyi seemed to be looking at himself. Under this immense terror, he stuttered out: ¡°Br-Brother Du, I¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi waved him off, still facing in that same direction: ¡°Village Chief Wang, given your venerable age and eminent virtue, how about giving us an explanation?¡±


    Stunned, Xu Da turned back to meet the shocked gaze of the gray-haired old man behind him.


    This old man, named Wang Xi, was the chief of this village. In his early years, he was once a teacher in a private school, and thus considered himself a cultured person compared to the ordinary villagers. He originally did not attach much importance to these two youngsters Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi. Now seeing Jiang Xunyi actually turning to him for answers, though he was momentarily shocked, he quickly recovered his calm and frowned slightly: ¡°What does young master Du mean? Forgive this old man for not quite understanding.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°You don¡¯t understand? You don¡¯t understand who reported this matter to the officials? Come now, the two constable sirs are already here, we could know everything just by asking them. It¡¯d be truly boring if you continue faking that confusion.¡±


    Wang Xi involuntarily looked over at the two ¡°sirs¡± currently as drenched as drowned rats3, and said: ¡°I¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not want to listen to his explanations, so he cut him off and took over the conversation: ¡°As the chief of the village, according to reason you should be very worried about this kind of matter, and should have thought of a way to invite someone to solve this problem. But yesterday night when Xu Da found Yun¡­ Sect Master Yun and I, you didn¡¯t show your face. This clearly expressed that solving the matter was not your intent. When you met us on the second day, your direct words and indirect hints have incessantly emphasized how powerful that thing is, wanting to persuade us to leave. When we insisted on coming here, those two constables rushed over immediately afterwards. Judging from both their words and actions, they also understood this matter very well. If it weren¡¯t for you having them called over, ordinary villagers probably wouldn¡¯t be able to invite these two¡­ So, overconfident and arrogant official, why are you so unwilling to have someone catch this monster?¡±


    His rapid-fire chain of words possessed assurance and composure, without any room for any interruptions or interjections. Wang Xi opened his mouth a few times but had nothing to say, and felt extremely suffocated. Then when Jiang Xunyi finished speaking, Xu Da on the side had already called out: ¡°Village Chief, why?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Wang Xi grew irritated, and angrily said: ¡°A kid you¡¯ve only known for less than two days, and you¡¯re believing anything he says?¡±


    With these words, the already somewhat doubtful villagers on the side also froze. Upon further consideration, Jiang Xunyi was indeed only giving his own speculations. But this person¡¯s aura was really too strong; no matter what words came out of his mouth, others felt the need to trust in it for no reason.


    Since they did not believe it, Jiang Xunyi did not continue speaking, and Yun Xie smiled: ¡°Since that¡¯s how it is, then forget it. We were originally trying to catch this thing, not investigating any case. It¡¯s not good to overstep our place and meddle in others¡¯ affairs4, so we¡¯ll kill it and then leave straight away.¡±


    As he spoke, he waved his hand and threw his dagger out at the turtle man in the cage. The dagger flew with fierce momentum. Just as the sharp blade was clearly about to touch that thing¡¯s neck, Wang Xi shouted: ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t!¡±


    Yun Xie snapped his fingers and the dagger stopped in mid-air. His face still showed that same old gentle and elegant smile as he patiently asked: ¡°Is Village Chief Wang telling me not to kill him?¡±


    In Wang Xi¡¯s eyes, Yun Xie¡¯s smile was even more terrifying than Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cold face. He had read countless people after living so many years. With his experience, he could naturally see that although Yun Xie appeared to be amiable, he was actually a vicious and merciless character, decisive in his murderousness. Wang Xi did not dare to delay any further, and hurriedly said: ¡°Yes, yes, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t kill him¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment, and finally finished the rest of his words with difficulty: ¡°He¡­ he is not a demon or monster, this is my¡­ son¡­¡­¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. ½ï = catty = a unit of measurement around 500 to 600 grams.


    2. Ô趹 lit. ¡°bath beans¡± are a type of powder pellets used by the ancient Chinese in place of soap, made with flour and added medicines.


    3. The original phrase in Chinese is ¡°ÂäÌÀ¼¦¡± which basically means something like ¡°chickens that had fallen into a soup pot¡±. I just picked an equivalent idiom in English.


    4. Ô½ÙÞ´úâÒ lit. ¡°go beyond the sacrificial altar and take over the kitchen¡±

 CH 27

    Chapter 27 ¨C Longevity Turtle


    When these words came out, everyone was shocked. Even Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie did not know how to react. An especially courageous villager took a few steps forward to examine carefully, and indeed shouted in surprise: ¡°It¡¯s true! Isn¡¯t this the Wang Yi who died two years ago?!¡±


    Surprise was written all over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and he subconsciously met Yun Xie¡¯s eyes. This expression made his ice-cold handsome face come alive for the first time since his identity had been revealed.


    At this sight, Yun Xie felt some joy rise in his heart and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Meanwhile, Wang Xi had already blurted out the most important part, so he didn¡¯t wait for them to continue interrogating him. Wiping his face, he sat down and began to tell his story.


    ¡°When I was young, I liked to read books and study, but our village has always been destitute and poor. Most of the children in the village my age had long since begun to help their parents farm the land. Very few were able to go to private schools. Fortunately, my father counted as rather open-minded. He only said that as long as I found my own payment for a private reading tutor, he would send me to the next town, and I would not have to help out on the family farm. After hearing this, I thought of many ways to make money: digging up medicinal herbs, cutting wood, fishing¡­ I tried everything.¡±


    ¡°On that day, I had come to the river once again, intending to catch some fish and bring it to the town to sell. I didn¡¯t expect that after spreading the net for a long time, I actually hauled up a large turtle!¡±


    When he said this, Yun Xie could not help but glance at the ¡°turtle man.¡± Wang Xi noticed his gaze and gave a bitter smile: ¡°Yes, this one. At that time, the turtle was still very ordinary, and it had not yet grown so large. The only difference in its appearance was that its body always shimmered with a layer of beautiful faint white light. I couldn¡¯t help myself from reaching out and touching it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°And then?¡±


    Wang Xi¡¯s face turned somewhat drunk with ecstasy as he recalled: ¡°I will never forget that feeling for the rest of my life. The sensation was like soaking my entire body in warm water, very relaxing. I felt like I was floating and fluttering, as if I had returned to my mother¡¯s womb, as if I was flying in the sky and laying on the clouds¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows in astonishment. It wasn¡¯t that he felt any longing or amazement at Wang Xi¡¯s description. Instead, he found it very familiar¡ªcultivators studied and strove for the unity between nature and man. Every time he meditated or achieved a new level of cultivation, he had also gone through such experiences. But he did not understand why an ordinary person like Wang Xi would become like this after touching the turtle shell. If everything could be this simple¡­ Jiang Xunyi looked back at the fetid-smelling ¡°Divine Turtle¡± and felt that even if this was the case, he never wanted to touch that thing again in his life.


    Wang Xi was still continuing on: ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it took until the white fog before my eyes at last cleared up. After looking for a long time, I finally realized I was actually in the body of the turtle!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Should he be grateful that Du Heng is at least a human?


    Yun Xie also thought of how Jiang Xunyi had changed bodies for no rhyme or reason. Even though it was unclear how this had happened, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s resurrection was for him an extremely fortunate event. Still, Yun Xie¡¯s expression turned serious and he asked: ¡°What about your own body? How did you come out?¡±


    Wang Xi said: ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I was incredibly shocked after discovering all this and wondered what was going on. When I resolved to go out, I then inexplicably returned to my own body.¡± He took a deep breath, and continued: ¡°When I walked back to the village, I actually found that ten years had passed!¡±


    The surrounding villagers had also been enraptured by the story, and Xu Da could not help but ask: ¡°How could that be? You clearly only stayed in that turtle¡¯s body for a little while!¡±


    On the side, Jiang Xunyi had reached some understanding of the matter, and murmured to himself: ¡°In¡¶Zhuangzi1¡·it is written: ¡®The Morning Mushroom knows nothing of the dawn and twilight, the Summer Cicada knows nothing of the spring and fall.¡¯2 Their lives are too short, so to them a single moment is the length of an entire lifetime. On the other hand, for millennia-old turtles that can live for ten thousand years, time passes too slowly. When you entered its body, your time naturally slowed down as well. This sort of event sounds bizarre and unthinkable, but after thinking over it carefully, it becomes reasonable. I actually never imagined such a thing before!¡±


    Given Yun Xie¡¯s top intelligence, he had also reached an understanding upon hearing up to this point. Following Wang Xi¡¯s line of thought, he said: ¡°So your son becoming like this was also your intentional doing. Did you wish for him to live another two years?¡±


    Wang Xi slightly lowered his head: ¡°It was a moment of madness and obsession, but I had no other way! In the past three generations of my Wang family, we have only had a single child. I only had this one son when I was forty years old, and cherished him like a treasure. Who could have imagined that two years ago, when this child was sleeping, he inexplicably stopped breathing. His face turned purple, and looked to be suffocating.¡±


    Wang Xi sucked in a deep breath, lingering trepidation and fear from that memory haunting him even now. He subconsciously raised his voice: ¡°At that time, at that time I was extremely scared. I carried his body and ran several Li to the doctor, but all the doctors said he was beyond saving. Just as all my hopes had turned to dust, I suddenly saw that shining divine turtle by the river! You tell me, if it was you, how would you choose, huh?! It it were you, would you save him?!¡±


    The noisy scene at once quieted to utter silence. Even the usually cold-hearted Jiang Xunyi had no words. None of them were qualified to answer this question. Only Yun Xie shut his eyes and took a deep breath, his thoughts unclear.


    Wang Xi gasped heavily for air. Only after taking a moment to calm himself did he continue: ¡°He was about to stop breathing. In a panic, I couldn¡¯t think of anything else, and pressed Little Yi¡¯s hand onto the turtle shell. At that time he only had one last breath left, and didn¡¯t even have the strength to speak. He just looked at me with those wide eyes. I told him, child, this is the only chance for you to live. You have to remember, no matter what, you must not think about coming out. You must tell yourself, you want to live no matter what!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked over at Wang Yi. He discovered that from those turbid and muddy eyes, flowed a track of tears.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t know what to call this feeling in his heart, and was not willing to reveal his true emotions. Looking up, he noticed Yun Xie was watching him. Jiang Xunyi rolled his eyes at him, and then pretended nonchalance to turn towards Wang Xi and ask: ¡°Well, I understand everything you have said so far. But how come your temporary stay was perfectly fine, while he has rotted and festered?¡±


    Wang Xi smiled bitterly and shook his head: ¡°At first the turtle was not this large. After Little Yi went in, he could still speak a few sentences to me. Although he could never meet anyone else ever again, at least he could accompany us. I happily brought him back home to raise him. But who could have anticipated that he kept growing bigger, and also gradually developed a human-like appearance. I am the village chief, so villagers often come and go at my home. I saw I wouldn¡¯t be able to continue this and hide him any longer, so I placed him in this section of the river. Every night I would take advantage of the dark to come over and feed him. But I didn¡¯t expect that as time passed, he not only became like this, but also gradually stopped being able to understand my words. I noticed that he no longer came over to eat on time. I was originally anxious and worried, until¡­ I later found out what he was eating.¡±


    Most of the people present understood the underlying meaning behind his words: it seemed that the people who disappeared in the river were actually all eaten by Wang Yi. A shiver ran through the crowd, but watching the tears dripping from Wang Xi¡¯s aged eyes, some other feeling seemed to mix in with their resentment.


    Everyone had seen Yun Xie¡¯s and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s extraordinary actions just now, and they already faintly regarded these two people as gods coming down to the mortal world. After finishing telling his story, Wang Xi calmed his emotions and forced a smile towards the two men: ¡°As the village chief, I have worked conscientiously for this village over all these years. I could not have imagined that it was actually my own son that ultimately hurt everyone¡­ This old man is too ashamed to say anything else. I only ask that these two young noblemen spare my son¡¯s life.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi opened his mouth to speak but stopped. With a look at Yun Xie, he changed what he was going to say: ¡°I am but a nameless pawn, not qualified to say anything. Sect Master Yun¡¯s words are what count for everything.¡±


    Hearing Jiang Xunyi say this, Yun Xie¡¯s mood worsened again. With a smile on his face, he said: ¡°I am an outsider, and only know to kill demons and slay monsters. How could I meddle in these things? I successfully caught the origin of this evil, now as for everything else¡­ ¡± His eyes nimbly turned to the two unlucky constables on the side, and he immediately said: ¡°That is definitely the business of these officials!¡±


    Huang Wei¡¯s entire body was sopping wet, and his heart was secretly filled to the brim with regret. He had always thought of himself as standing at the top of the world, given his evaluation of himself as having supreme martial arts skills, as well as possessing kinship ties to the county magistrate. He had never paid any regard to the villagers in this rural area. How could he have imagined that this time, he had picked on the wrong person and encountered these two young lords who he couldn¡¯t afford to offend. He had originally wanted to slink away with his tail between his legs at the end of this matter. But he didn¡¯t expect that before he could even take a step back, he was called out.


    He didn¡¯t dare to pretend he didn¡¯t hear Yun Xie¡¯s words, so he could only return along with Deng Zhi. Acknowledging his own misfortune, he caught this hot potato.


    Afterwards, Huang Wei hesitated for a moment, and then looked towards Yun Xie and the slightly farther Jiang Xunyi: ¡°May I borrow a moment to speak with these two young noblemen?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed and said: ¡°No. Jianghu fortune-tellers and scammers like me rely on speaking to earn money. If I spoke whenever you told me to, wouldn¡¯t you be making me go cold and hungry3?¡±


    Huang Wei knew Yun Xie was deliberately making things difficult, but he could never have understood where he had made Yun Xie unhappy. He could only follow Yun Xie¡¯s line of reasoning: ¡°For this you can rest assured. I will definitely give you the correct price¡¯s worth of money.¡±


    Yun Xie happily said: ¡°After talking so long, you¡¯ve only said this single useful sentence. Go ahead.¡±


    In the distance, Jiang Xunyi leaned on a tree to watch these two bickering. His heart was secretly puzzled: The truth of this matter ought to have already come to light4, but for some unknown reason, he hadn¡¯t received any system prompt of a task completion. Now seeing Huang Wei¡¯s face showing the expression exclusive to NPCs, Jiang Xunyi hesitated for a moment before reluctantly getting up from the tree to catch up with those three people.


    Deng Zhi had also heard Huang Wei¡¯s previous words. Surprised and bewildered, his gaze switched back and forth between Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, and he whispered: ¡°Brother Huang, are you going to tell them about¡­ that matter?¡±


    Huang Wei nodded, his expression solemn: ¡°These two young noblemen possess extraordinary skill. One can tell just by looking that you are true masters. There is a problem that has troubled me for a long time now, and I would like to ask you two to help observe and study the matter.¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. Zhuangzi (ׯ×Ó) is an ancient Chinese text from the late Warring States period (476¨C221 BC), containing stories and anecdotes that exemplify the carefree nature of the ideal Daoist sage. Named for its author, the famous sage Zhuangzi, it is one of the two foundational texts of Daoism (alongside the famous Dao De Jing), and is generally considered the most important of all Daoist writings. You might have heard the famous quote about Zhuangzi dreaming he was a butterfly, which originates from this text!


    See more at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhuangzi_(book)


    2. ¡°³¯¾ú²»Öª»ÞË·£¬ó³òÁ²»Öª´ºÇï¡£¡± is the original quote. Credits to the translation from A. Charles Muller here: http://www.acmuller.net/con-dao/zhuangzi.html


    3. ºÈÎ÷±±·ç lit. ¡°drink the northwest wind¡± basically means for someone to go cold and hungry, to live on air, etc.


    4. Ë®Âäʯ³ö lit. ¡°when the water subsides, the rock emerges¡±

 CH 28

    Chapter 28 ¨C Huang Wei¡¯s Story


    Jiang Xunyi was as laconic as ever: ¡°Speak.¡±


    Huang Wei choked for a moment before reacting, He shuffled closer and was just about to speak, when Yun Xie stopped him unhappily: ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk, just talk. What are you getting so close for?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi rolled his eyes at Yun Xie. Huang Wei felt it was very necessary to give an explanation first, so he took a few steps back before speaking: ¡°What just happened¡­ was indeed us rudely mistreating the two of you young noblemen. But this is truly because too many Jianghu wizards1 had come by before. They not only scammed away lots of money, but are even so detestable as to trick people into losing their lives. I abhor those types of situations, so that¡¯s why I temporarily misunderstood the two of you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately heard something not right about these words, and asked: ¡°Too many previously came by? Didn¡¯t this abnormality appear in the river only recently? This alone required inviting so many people?¡±


    Huang Wei looked at him in surprise and froze for a moment before replying, ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just because this village was originally a ghost village2, so strange things often happen here.¡±


    Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi met each other¡¯s eyes, and both thought of the dense aura of death in the village. Huang Wei continued: ¡°It seems both of you young noblemen know about it too. Us local officials have always avoided these affairs of gods and ghosts as taboo. Numerous very strange things have happened in this village before, but every time we sent people over, they were completely baffled and could not find what was going on. We could only leave the matter unsettled, and suppress all those files. It¡¯s funny, really, how ignorant I was at that time. I thought it was because those other people were too incompetent and therefore pushed the matters they could not solve onto the ghosts and gods. It was only when I came to this place five years ago to handle a case, that I realized it wasn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°That case wasn¡¯t originally too strange. It was just a family surnamed Sun reporting to the authorities that the elderly grandfather in their family suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe for some unknown reason. None of the methods the family members used did anything. They could only watch wide-eyed as the old man suffocated until his face turned purple and swollen, and then stopped breathing¡­¡±


    Yun Xie raised an eyebrow: ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same way the village chief said Wang Yi died?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi followed up: ¡°But when one is elderly, passing away from some hidden illness is quite normal and reasonable. What could reporting this to the authorities accomplish?¡±


    Huang Wei said: ¡°My tale is a long one so if the two of you may listen to my slow talking for the time being¡­ In fact, this method of dying was already not uncommon in this village. Many people had died in this sort of inexplicable way. Before when we looked at the file, we also guessed as such. We believed that because of the village¡¯s remote location, most of the villagers had intermarried between each other, so it was inevitable for there to be some inherited diseases passed along. As a result, we didn¡¯t take it seriously. But this report was not because of Grandfather Sun¡¯s death alone, but because after his death, someone had chopped the corpse apart.¡±


    ¡°The people of this Sun family were extremely filial. After Grandfather Sun passed away, they had originally taken turns to guard the spirit, so the body had never been left alone. On the third day when they opened the coffin, they unexpectedly discovered this matter. They couldn¡¯t think of any enemies who would have done this, and were not willing to leave this unsettled. They came to the government office to report this case because of their anger. The government office was handling a lot of cases around that time and I was the only one free, so I followed them over.¡±


    Hearing the word ¡°coffin¡±, Jiang Xunyi suddenly thought of the miniature coffin holding his corpse hanging around Yun Xie¡¯s neck. It had previously been knocked down by him, and was later taken back by Yun Xie to keep wearing. Jiang Xunyi still didn¡¯t know what Yun Xie was keeping his corpse for. At this time he subconsciously glanced over at Yun Xie¡¯s neckline.


    Yun Xie noticed his gaze looking over and his lips could not help but turn up a little into a smile, but his body did not dare to move. Pretending like he hadn¡¯t seen anything, he continued to listen to Huang Wei speak:


    ¡°Upon arriving, I followed the Sun family members to see Grandfather Sun¡¯s corpse, only to see that the corpse had indeed been shattered into pieces. The cut surface was very neat and fine, definitely the result of someone¡¯s deliberate intention and extensive effort. Fortunately it was winter, so the body had not yet begun to rot. Except for having been sliced apart, there was no other damage. The way I saw it¡­ it didn¡¯t seem like someone was venting their anger. Despite much pondering, I was still puzzled and perplexed. I repeatedly questioned the separate Sun family members on their own, but all of them insisted that no one had ever left, and that body had always been lying inside the coffin.¡±


    ¡°In the end, I had no other way except to declare it an unsolved case. The Sun family members found a corpse stitcher to sew the body back together¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Corpse stitcher?¡±


    Deng Zhi interjected to explain: ¡°Craftsmen who specialize in sewing and mending corpses. Some people who met a violent death die in quite a miserable state, so their families will find a corpse stitcher to make the corpse intact again. The higher the level of the stitcher, the more durable and more invisible the traces of sewing.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded in acknowledgment.


    Huang Wei continued: ¡°However, it was getting late that day. When the sun was about to set, there was still half a head that hadn¡¯t been stitched on yet. The corpse stitcher announced they would come back the next day, and then left for the night. I thought the roads would be slippery on such a snowy day and I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back to the government office, so I stayed in this village for a night. But I didn¡¯t expect that in the middle of the night, something went wrong again.¡±


    When Huang Wei said the phrase ¡°something went wrong¡±, Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt his mind seemed to be ¡°ripped away¡± by some extremely sharp object, and his vision immediately darkened from the sheer pain. The world spun before his eyes, and he almost toppled over. Given his consistently tenacious and proud personality, he clamped his teeth into his lips to avoid shouting out loud. But in that moment, sweat had already covered his face, and even the veins on his forehead seemed about to burst.


    Although Yun Xie seemed to be seriously listening to Huang Wei on the surface, he was actually paying great attention to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s every move. At this time he immediately noticed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s abnormality and was so scared his heart skipped a beat. He pounced forward to support Jiang Xunyi, but because he used too much force, he himself swayed and almost lost his balance before the two of them managed to stand firm by leaning on a big tree: ¡°Ah-Xun? What¡¯s wrong? Where are you uncomfortable?¡±


    A sharp pain lanced through Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head and his ears buzzed incessantly. Beads of cold sweat slid down those white jade-like cheeks, soaking a portion of his collar in a mere moment. He subconsciously grasped Yun Xie¡¯s wrist tightly to the point where the veins bulged on the back of his hand. In this foggy haze, he couldn¡¯t clearly hear what Yun Xie was saying. He almost felt like he was about to die yet again.


    Yun Xie knew Jiang Xunyi¡¯s usual temper, so when he saw Jiang Xunyi actually driven into this state by the sheer pain, his hands and feet felt cold. He didn¡¯t know what to do. He could only wipe the cold sweat from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead with shaking hands, and whisper: ¡°Ah-Xun, don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t scare me anymore¡­¡±


    Only when the words left his mouth did he notice his voice break.


    Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s pain had come quickly and left just as quickly. Within just a moment of effort, that sensation of agony coming from the depths of his brain had actually disappeared without a trace. When he regained clarity, his entire body felt ice-cold and seemed to be soaked in cold sweat, reminding him that everything that had happened just now was in fact real.


    Jiang Xunyi recuperated for a moment before finally reacting that he was currently leaning on Yun Xie, and one of his hands was even grasping Yun Xie¡¯s wrist. He didn¡¯t feel that two grown men leaning on each other like this was any big deal, but he did feel a little bit embarrassed, so he immediately let go and stood up straight. He glanced over at Yun Xie¡¯s hand to see five bruised and swollen fingerprints on his wrist. Jiang Xunyi lowered his gaze and his lips moved slightly, before looking away again.


    Yun Xie watched him cautiously. Although he had been pushed away, his hands still protected Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side as if afraid he would fall. He asked in quick succession: ¡°Are you okay now? Still uncomfortable? What happened just now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wiped cold sweat away with his sleeves. He couldn¡¯t help but tremble a little upon recalling that feeling worse than death3, but he had still sensed someone closely supporting him the whole time. He had originally wanted to ignore Yun Xie¡¯s questions, but after a pause, he spoke: ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    This attitude of casual understatement just made one feel even more vexed and upset. Yun Xie frowned, both worried and helpless. He really wanted to open up Jiang Xunyi¡¯s skull to take a good look at what was inside, but there were currently too many misunderstandings between the two of them. Even though his hands and teeth both itched, he could only pent up his grievances and hold his clenched fists behind his back.


    Jiang Xunyi thought for a moment and felt the crux of the issue might lie in this strange case. In addition, the system had never sent out the notice of a task completion, so he looked over at the blankly staring Huang Wei: ¡°Keep talking, what exactly happened that night.¡±


    Huang Wei snapped out of his absent-mindedness, and hurriedly responded: ¡°That night I had slept until the middle of the night, when suddenly the Sun family members came over to knock on my door. When I got up to ask, they said ¡®The corpse of our grandfather suddenly disappeared¡¯!¡±


    Due to Yun Xie¡¯s pent-up resentment, his words turned cynical and peculiar: ¡°That¡¯s strange. It¡¯s just a single dead person, how come he keeps being cut up and now stolen? What, was he made of gold?¡±


    Huang Wei smiled bitterly and shook his head: ¡°This time, it can¡¯t be said he was ¡®stolen¡¯.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi carelessly said: ¡°You mean that the dead man grew legs and ran away himself? Oh, and an incompletely sewn together dead man at that.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Huang Wei nodded heavily: ¡°That¡¯s exactly right.¡± He continued: ¡°That night it was originally supposed to be Sun Erlang and Sun Sanlang4 rotating shifts to keep watch. The first half of the night was calm and peaceful. But in the later half, when Sun Sanlang went to take over, the two brothers spoke a few words to each other and didn¡¯t pay much attention for that brief period. When they turned around, they discovered that the coffin cover was open, and that body¡ªthat body with half a head still not sewn on¡ªwas actually gone!¡±


    ¡°I was very puzzled upon hearing this, so I went to check out the footprints on the ground. I discovered there was only one shallow trail, and didn¡¯t find a second person. I didn¡¯t think too much of it at the time, because if someone had stolen the body and carried it on their shoulders, it would be normal for them to leave only one trail of footprints. I just had trouble imagining how this person had done so. Therefore, the three of us followed the footprints all the way to the door of a house. The footprints disappeared there, but Sun Sanlang suddenly stopped in place.¡±


    ¡°I was surprised: ¡®Why did you stop walking? The way I see it, that thief probably entered this house.¡¯ But Sun Erlang stuttered out: ¡®Sir Huang, this¡­ this¡­ this is the house our grandfather lived in before his death!¡¯ I immediately felt a chill in my heart, but with these two boys watching from the side, I couldn¡¯t just give up and turn tail5. So I mustered up my courage, pulled out my personal sword, and then kicked the door open and went inside!¡±


    Footnotes:


    1.ÊõÊ¿ can mean a variety of things including ¡°wizard¡±, ¡°magician¡±, ¡°warlock.¡±


    2. ¹í´å lit. ¡°ghost village¡±. I¡¯m not super sure what a good non-literal translation would be¡­ perhaps ¡°haunted village¡± or ¡°cursed village¡±? Whatever the case, living people definitely don¡¯t want to live there.


    3. Éú²»ÈçËÀ lit. ¡°living worse than death¡±


    4. Remember how commoners in ancient times didn¡¯t really have proper names, but more like ¡°titles¡± indicating their order of birth among their siblings? In the same vein as Xu Da, the names of these two youths were Ëï¶þÀÉ and ËïÈýÀÉ, which roughly translate to ¡°second son of the Sun family¡± and ¡°third son of the Sun family.¡±


    5. ´òÍËÌÃ¹Ä lit. ¡°beat the drums of retreat¡±

 CH 29

    Chapter 29 ¨C Breaking Open The Cocoon


    Speaking to here, Huang Wei took a deep breath. His eyes widened, and his entire body unconsciously trembled, as if he could still see that scene. Although Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi were not afraid of these kinds of things, they were still a little bit infected by his expression. They unconsciously listened with bated breath, to hear Huang Wei say:


    ¡°I saw¡ª¡ªI saw a sewing basket had fallen onto the ground inside the door, scattering its contents. That corpse was sitting on the ground, in the middle of using a needle to sew on the remaining half of his head! Seeing us enter, he continued sewing as he slowly turned his head to look at us¡ªHis eyeballs were like fake ones, wobbling in their sockets, as if they would fall out any second! Then his mouth slowly split open, and he smiled at me!¡±


    Huang Wei¡¯s voice grew louder and louder: ¡°His teeth had begun to rot, so with this smile, I could see the dark yellow gums and¡­.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yun Xie suddenly patted Huang Wei¡¯s shoulder. Huang Wei¡¯s voice abruptly stopped, his eyes still filled with fear that had not yet dissipated. He looked at Yun Xie with confusion and fright. Only after a long while did his gaze refocus. He sucked in a deep breath and wiped his face in dejection, forcing himself to raise his spirits: ¡°That¡¯s how it was. In short, this village is extremely weird and grotesque, and this was not the first time strange things have happened here.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi murmured: ¡°What then? Did that corpse attack you?¡±


    Huang Wei shook his head. ¡°We were all very badly frightened and ran out of the house. When we went back, that half of the head had already been sewed back on. The corpse was lying on the ground as it should have been all along, and showed no more abnormalities by the time it was buried.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi rubbed his chin and did not speak for a long time, his thoughts still lingering on what the system¡¯s purpose could be. It was instead Yun Xie who asked: ¡°Besides this matter, have you seen with your own two eyes any other anomalies in this village?¡±


    Huang Wei thought for a moment: ¡°I have heard before that the people of this village have far too many strange bad habits. One of them is that they never eat hot food. I originally thought this was just hearsay. I didn¡¯t expect that upon coming here in the dead of winter, I actually couldn¡¯t even get hot water to drink. When I asked why, the people only said these were rules set by their ancestors. They didn¡¯t know the original reason and have just followed this custom over the generations.¡±


    Yun Xie recalled the events of the past couple days and realized that yesterday night in the village, Xu Da¡¯s family had indeed brought only cold dishes for them as guests. A haze of suspicions clouded his mind. He felt that some faint idea had flashed through his head, but was unable to catch it in time. However, his face didn¡¯t change expression as he nodded: ¡°I understand. This matter¡­¡± He looked over at Jiang Xunyi and made sure he had no objections before continuing: ¡°We will solve it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered slightly. Yun Xie never said ¡°We¡¯ll do our best¡±, ¡°We¡¯ll try¡±, or any other similarly ambiguous promises. He had always been extremely confident he could do whatever he set his mind to, full of that protagonist¡¯s aura.


    His body probably did have some power to convince others; when Huang Wei listened to Yun Xie¡¯s words, he really did breathe a sigh of relief and cup his hands in obeisance1, ¡°Then I must greatly thank these two young noblemen.¡±


    Yun Xie said: ¡°Regarding Village Chief Wang¡¯s son, you two go take it back and first lock it up. If I discover the truth of this place, maybe I can find a way to restore him to his original state¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished talking when a distant voice yelled towards the remaining villagers at the riverbank: ¡°Are the people of the Fang family here? Hurry and come back with me, your little third son doesn¡¯t have much time left!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi perked up and immediately interrupted Yun Xie: ¡°Another death, let¡¯s go see!¡±


    He felt that it really was quite lucky of them to be able to make it to the rare occasion of a death. Out of his eagerness to solve this case, his running sped up and he left Yun Xie in the dust a few steps behind. Just as his front foot stepped into the door, he looked up, and could not hold back his surprise.


    Inside the door stood two fine-featured youths dressed in light blue robes decorated with sea waves, their sleeves fluttering and personal swords hanging by their waists¡ªthe standard for Hidden Spirit Sect disciples. Jiang Xunyi saw their get-up and immediately felt a cold wind blowing past his unmasked face. He unconsciously turned straight around to leave, and crashed right into the Yun Xie behind him.


    Yun Xie froze for a moment. He quickly caught sight of the two youths and instantly reacted to pull Jiang Xunyi behind him, blocking him from their sight. His mind raced to think of what he should say to mediate.


    Unexpectedly, the two teenagers only stared in confusion at their chain of actions. The two of them looked at each other before one of the youths cupped his hand in greeting1: ¡°Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan. You two are?¡±


    These two youths appeared to not recognize Jiang Xunyi, and actually seemed to have never seen Yun Xie before either. Hearing these two names, Jiang Xunyi suddenly remembered that Hidden Spirit Sect had always set up a branch garrison in the Western Region. Many disciples there only stayed in that remote area and had never even come to the Central Plains. Only after his own defection did these Western disciples follow Jiang Molou back to the main sect, so it was normal for him to have never met them. He had once read over the name list of branch disciples, and seemed to recall these two names truly had been among them.


    He thus heaved a sigh of relief, and turned back from behind Yun Xie: ¡°Ah, so the two of you are originally immortal masters from the Hidden Spirit Sect. The two of us are but nameless pawns, not worth mentioning. My surname is Du, his is Yun. We passed through here just to put up for the night. After hearing a life was lost, we came over to check it out.¡±


    Yun Xie did not know the inside story, but hearing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s tone, he knew the crisis was gone. He thus followed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lead to smile, and nodded at the two youths.


    The two youths probably could never have imagined any famous figures appearing in this remote and desolate place, so Jiang Xunyi being too lazy to make up different surnames did not attract their attention. Wei Xiuqi looked these two men over: although it was said that one could not tell the age of a cultivator, both of these people had magnificent appearances, with dazzling elegance as well as still-tender youth. However, their bodies gave off the aura of seasoned veterans acting cool2, plus the long sword by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist looked vaguely familiar. Wei Xiuqi therefore cupped his hands in obeisance1 again, and politely called out ¡°Young master Yun, young nobleman Du.¡± He then explained: ¡°Nie-Shidi and I were also passing by here when we felt this village had an extremely heavy atmosphere of death. Then when we entered, we heard someone had passed away here, so we came here to see what was going on. Since we have encountered each other like this, why not go in together?¡±


    Yun Xie secretly shot a glimpse at Jiang Xunyi, and flatteringly said: ¡°That would be excellent. I have long since heard that although the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s disciples come from such an illustrious background, their bearing and demeanor are all first class without exception. This humble one has admired them for too long. Now seeing them first-hand today, this reputation is indeed fully justified.¡±


    This painstaking effort was really tough on poor Yun Xie. Normally, aside from when he looked in the mirror, he never gave anyone else the honor of looking straight at them. Nowadays in order to please Jiang Xunyi, he was even shamelessly saying such things to two mere juniors3.


    Jiang Xunyi secretly spat in his heart, but a hint of a smile leaked out in the way his eyes curved. After all, everyone loved listening to pleasant words of praise. Even Nie Yan on the side, who didn¡¯t seem to like speaking, could not help but show his face: ¡°Young master Yun is too polite. Since it has been thus settled, then please go ahead.¡±


    The four people entered the house together. Upon walking halfway, they could hear faint sounds of sorrowful weeping. Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan were still unpracticed and inexperienced, and had not witnessed many partings of life and death. They could not help but show a faint expression of being unable to bear this. On the other hand, Yun Xie¡¯s refined and cultured false smile still hung on his face like a mask as he stepped forward at a normal pace.


    Only Jiang Xunyi¡¯s footsteps paused. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath as the spinning scene before his eyes made him dizzy. The lamenting cries in the distance seemed to evoke another memory, appearing in his mind like returning waves beating against the shore¡ª¡ª


    That scene did not belong to the current antique and ancient world. High-rises, elevators, long hallways, white doctor¡¯s coats coming and going¡­ That was the hospital he used to live in. Jiang Xunyi had been placed on the top floor. In those two years when he was sick, he was the only patient in that entire floor. Except for that scene, the only other things he could see were his parents and older brothers coming to visit from time to time, as well as the medical staff. That monotonous white color could almost drive one insane.


    So when the day came that he felt he was finally going to leave this place, he could almost say he let out a sigh of relief. However, his parents¡¯ bitter weeping and the pain of parting had been transmitted into his heart. At the same time that unwillingness and reluctance surfaced in his heart, he suddenly heard an inorganic mechanical voice: [Through transmigrating into a novel and finishing tasks, you can earn this one chance to come back to life. Does the host accept?]


    Alarm and fear, joy and surprise, confusion and bewilderment, hope and anticipation¡­ all kinds of emotions had mixed and intertwined at that time. Now remembering back, it seemed like only yesterday. And after coming to this world, he took those first difficult steps until he gradually adapted, and then personally overturned everything he had built¡­


    Suddenly, a pair of hands warmer than his own body pressed down on his shoulders, actually scalding enough that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s soul returned from its wandering and he gave a start. He opened his eyes to meet Yun Xie¡¯s worried and anxious expression: ¡°I called you many times and you didn¡¯t answer, what are you standing here for? Is your body uncomfortable again?¡±


    His gentle eyes were tender with concern. But Jiang Xunyi instantly felt like he seemed to have been seen through, or perhaps he was extraordinarily unwilling to show weakness in front of his person¡ªhe waved aside Yun Xie¡¯s hand to fiercely and angrily say: ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡±


    But this time, Yun Xie did not let go as usual. Instead, he flipped his hand to grasp Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist, and coldly said: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, are you done?¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. ¹°ÊÖ indicates cupping your hands in a greeting/salute, like in this picture:


    2. ×°±Æ = Acting/pretending to be cool even when you¡¯re not actually that cool on the inside


    3. ºó±² lit. ¡°later generations¡±. Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi are still quite young themselves, but these disciples are basically still teenage kids, so Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi definitely have the honor of seniority here.

 CH 30

    Chapter 30 ¨C Imbecilic Little Fresh Meat1


    His transformation from the little lamb to the big gray wolf was so sudden that even Jiang Xunyi was dazed. He actually didn¡¯t fight back, only looking up in astonishment.


    Their eyes met in midair. Jiang Xunyi immediately lowered his eyelashes, but Yun Xie did not dodge or hide: ¡°What? Want to say you¡¯re Du Heng and that I have recognized the wrong person again? Jiang Xunyi, I don¡¯t dare to say this about anyone else, but I would still be able to recognize you even if you turned into ash or smoke. I know you hold resentment towards me in your heart, so just say it out loud! You don¡¯t even dare to admit your own fucking identity, all you know is to butt heads with me over some stupid trivial things. Are you some spoiled missy? You¡¯ve always been like this since you were young, always this eccentric and lousy behavior. If there¡¯s trouble you just keep it suppressed in your heart, and you won¡¯t speak out when you¡¯re uncomfortable. If you don¡¯t say¡­ if you don¡¯t say it, how the fuck am I ever going to know about it!¡±


    The front half of his speech was still very aggressive and quite intimidating, leaving the listening Jiang Xunyi stunned. But as he continued speaking, he seemed to think of something, and his voice carried a hint of a sob. Jiang Xunyi looked at his reddened eyes with surprise. He found that after his own rebirth, this person had actually become a crybaby, someone he dared not provoke, to the point where tears would fall after a single unsuited sentence.


    Jiang Xunyi slowly let out a sigh. He pulled off Yun Xie¡¯s claws to discover that his grip was not tight at all. ¡°Sect Master Yun,¡± he said indifferently: ¡°Even though this place is in the middle of nowhere and there is no great need to rely on your looks for food, you should still pay some attention to your image.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not say that he was Du Heng again, and did not say he wasn¡¯t either. But in the end, his mouth did not spit out a single word truly from his heart. He deliberately ignored how Yun Xie¡¯s gaze instantly dimmed. Instead, he brushed shoulders with the two teenagers poking their heads out in consternation from inside the door as he strolled into the room.


    Great cultivation sects such as Hidden Spirit Sect had always held the young disciples they trained to strict standards, requiring self-control, self-discipline, patience, an even temper, as well as a slow voice and unhurried pace. These two fledgling youths had never had the chance to see such a scene before, so after the initial surprise was over with, they eagerly continued to spectate. It was only when Jiang Xunyi exited the scene to walk over did they realize the inappropriateness of their behavior, and their faces immediately flushed red. Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi directly entered the room without saying anything.


    Wei Xiuqi saw Yun Xie standing there all alone, and somehow had the inexplicable feeling this young master Yun was a little pitiful. Just as he wanted to go up and give a couple sentences of comfort, he saw Yun Xie raise his hand to heavily wipe his face.


    With this wipe, it was like he had put on an invincible mask capable of conquering any obstacle. When he raised his head again, he had again assumed that elegant and cultured appearance. Like a refreshing spring breeze caressing one¡¯s face, he greeted the two youths: ¡°What are you doing just standing there? Hurry and go in.¡±


    Although Yun Xie was proud down to his very bones, in reality he was always reliable and dependable when it came to handling affairs. There were very few things in this world that could make him lose control, but at this time he was already regretting his loose tongue just now.


    It always seemed that whenever he faced Jiang Xunyi, because he cherished him so much, he repeatedly tried to measure his behavior, and always found himself regretting, regretting, regretting¡­.


    He had originally planned everything out already, knowing that this time he must treat Jiang Xunyi with sufficient patience. He understood this man¡¯s personality too well: reserved, stubborn, and always hiding an unknown heap of things in his heart. Over all these years, he had still never been able to truly see through Jiang Xunyi. Dealing with this person required more than ten times the energy of dealing with the most dangerous of enemies. However, every time his mind had planned everything out nicely, once he did face off with that man, he would involuntarily lose control, making all his best laid plans go to waste.


    While his mind reflected, Yun Xie sanctimoniously patted the shoulders of these two little fresh meat1 as they opened their mouths to speak but hesitated. The three of them went in together.


    Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had recently displayed their talent from catching the turtle at the riverside, so they received the admiration of all the villagers. As a result, just as Jiang Xunyi entered to show his face, the person originally guarding the spirit directly and efficiently left, handing the scene over to them.


    When Yun Xie and the two young disciples later entered, Jiang Xunyi was already standing in front of the corpse, arms crossed in deep thought. Wei Xiuqi looked over at him and felt that this extraordinarily handsome young master Du did not appear to have any great plans for the time being, so he thus moved close to Nie Yan. The two of them began gesticulating and pointing together. They even took out paper and brushes, looking like they planned to conduct observation and emulation field work on the spot.


    This action could no longer be said to originate from Jiang Molou¡¯s teachings, but instead looked like an exact copy of his style. Even the lost in thought Jiang Xunyi and the very  frustrated and disappointed Yun Xie both unconsciously raised their heads, sizing up the two youths at the same time.


    After their eyes met, each turned their head away.


    Nie Yan carefully went through one round of observation and comparison, and whispered: ¡°Shixiong, I think this person should not be an ordinary corpse. This is the empty shell left when a living corpse dies for the second time. Look, there should be twelve breaths within the human body, evenly divided into base breath, middle breath, and residual breath2. After death, a person¡¯s air apertures3 will open, and all these breaths will leave. But this person¡¯s body has thirteen air apertures, and only that extra air aperture¡¯s breath dispersed recently. This is truly very strange¡­ I¡¯m afraid that a person with thirteen air apertures is even harder to find in this world than a person with three eyes, and we actually ran into one. ¡±


    Wei Xiuqi¡¯s hand pinched a small book and he nodded in agreement: ¡°Is what you said from the  ¡¶Corpse Scripture¡·that Shifu required us to memorize before? I missed that class due to illness, but I heard An-Shidi say this book was written4 by Shibo5. The ¡®Air Aperture Theory¡¯ inside was even first proposed by that old man himself. Shifu said we¡¯re required to know it by heart, so make a copy for me in a bit.¡±


    ¡°That old man¡± Jiang Xunyi silently covered his eyes with his palm. He felt the kind of sorrow and grief6 similar to a modern student skipping school only to accidentally encounter the top of the class.


    However, his ears still continued to pick up on the noisy whispers of those two little fellows: ¡°Nie-Shidi, you should also be more careful. I heard that one should be extremely careful of breaking taboos in front of these kinds of corpses, so as to avoid any corpse transformations7. See here, it¡¯s written that one must first be careful not to make improper comments judging this person¡¯s life before death, and especially not to make any random promises. Second, one must not use one¡¯s skin and flesh to directly touch¡­..¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t bear it any more. He suddenly stepped forward, staring at the corpse and talking to himself: ¡°This person did not even close his eyes upon death. He was born with an unlucky appearance8, and looks to have led quite an immoral life¡ª¡ªno wonder he met an early death.¡± As he spoke, he reached out and directly closed the eyes of the dead: ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I will definitely find out your cause of death, and allow you to die with understanding.¡±


    Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan were utterly dumbstruck, watching with wide eyes as this Second Idiot9 committed the entire set of taboos. Their young minds had encountered too great of a shock, and were stupefied into two tree stumps.


    Wei Xiuqi: ¡°¡­¡­.the deceased¡¯s skin and flesh¡­¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t clear whether they should be called unlucky or lucky. If they were swapped for someone else, Jiang Xunyi naturally would not be willing to teach them. But seeing these two kids were pure of heart and also disciples of Jiang Molou, even direct disciples10¡­. When the young Jiang Molou was able to use this learning method to achieve success, that was because of his tenacious personality and extraordinary talent, making him a rarity seen maybe once every hundred years. But not everyone could learn this way, so Jiang Xunyi finally decided to temporarily detach his mind from ¡°the out-of-control system¡± and ¡°the brain-dead Yun Xie¡± and educate these two juniors properly.


    Seeing Jiang Xunyi breaking the taboos with such extreme audaciousness, the corner of Yun Xie¡¯s lips turned up slightly. He did not show any hint of worry at all, but instead put his hands in his sleeves and took a few steps back to avoid hindering his actions.


    The Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s textbooks were indeed authoritative publications, not on the same level as those inferior scripts sold for one yuan a stack. After Jiang Xunyi finished his series of actions, the four people in the room clearly noticed a dark and cold wind suddenly blowing through the room with a long hooting cry.


    The portent of a corpse¡¯s sudden movement11.


    It wasn¡¯t clear if Wei Xiuqi swore and cursed in his heart, but in any case he still expressed his determination to protect Jiang Xunyi. With one hand, he pushed this obvious Jianghu swindler who didn¡¯t know a single thing behind himself. He and Nie Yan both pulled out their swords, nervously watching the corpse on the deathbed with round wide eyes.


    The corpse¡¯s originally blue and purple face gradually turned white. Its mouth slowly opened wide as well, revealing the blackened teeth inside. Accompanying the angry bellow of the dark wind, it stiffly stood up straight.


    At the same time, the keen and astute Jiang Xunyi turned his head back, exactly facing off with an enormous ghost face making a threatening expression as it hovered in midair. His brows did not even wrinkle as he carelessly waved a random hand. This resentful spirit which had run here from who-knows-where to try and do some borrowed intimidation¡­ instantly dissipated into ash and smoke. The two youths in front with their backs turned didn¡¯t even notice a thing.


    With his momentary effort looking back, the harsh sound of a chittering laugh suddenly came from the deathbed. Jiang Xunyi immediately turned back around, only to see the fluttering white cloth curtains had all been pulled down by a large hand with entirely sharp nails as well as dark purple skin. That corpse let out a shrill scream, and threw aside the rotten cloth to pounce at Wei Xiuqi.


    Under this great fright, Wei Xiuqi pointed his sword and hurriedly stabbed, but the corpse¡¯s knees curved and it flexibly bent its waist to dodge. This time even Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie were somewhat surprised¡ª¡ªEven if a normal person¡¯s corpse transformed after death and was made into a living corpse, the stiffness of their body could not be altered and their joints were often unable to bend. It was unclear why this corpse was so mysterious, not only able to move freely and flexibly, but also using what appeared to be proper techniques just like a martial arts master.


    Upon escaping Wei Xiuqi¡¯s stab, it turned around and actually rushed towards Jiang Xunyi. Jiang Xunyi dodged behind Nie Yan¡¯s back with complete and utter shamelessness, and encouragingly said: ¡°You can do it.¡±


    Nie Yan seethed with rage12, and had to use his entire life¡¯s accumulation of self-restraint to hold himself back from saying certain words. He raised his sword and attacked the corpse, his strike both fierce and accurate¡ª¡ªit was unknown whether he was treating this enemy as Jiang Xunyi as he tried to cut it down. Wei Xiuqi hurriedly ran over to help out.


    Taking advantage of this tussle between two people and one corpse, Jiang Xunyi chose a spot not too close and not too far away, and began to spectate. This position was perfectly placed so as to ensure that if the two youths encountered danger, he could take the shot at any time, while also enabling him to observe any inadequacies in the teenagers¡¯ moves. He stood with his hands behind his back as he watched, and from time to time would provide commentary: ¡°Right shoulder, left chest, lower abdomen¡­.. attack his lower body13¡­¡±


    Of those on the scene, only Yun Xie could understand the impeccability of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze. All his directions were aimed at the opponent¡¯s greatest flaw in each move. Mastery to this point was extremely difficult, and unfortunately these two teenagers were not able to comprehend that mentality.


    At this time, Nie Yan had just performed a horizontal slice to cut towards the corpse¡¯s chest, but he himself almost received a direct blow by that swipe. If it weren¡¯t for Wei Xiuqi¡¯s timely rescue, half of his skull would likely have been destroyed. Jiang Xunyi clicked his tongue and let out a sigh: ¡°Aw, you should have hit his back.¡±


    Footnotes: (still haven¡¯t beat WAFIL¡¯s record yet)


    1. СÏÊÈâ lit. ¡°little fresh meat¡± is modern Internet slang for young fresh energetic good-looking men, usually referring to teenage male idols. The closest thing might be ¡°young hunk¡± since that also carries connotations of meat, but in this case I decided to keep it as is since the two youths don¡¯t really come off as ¡°hunky¡± lollll


    2. The original terms are ±¾Æø¡¢ÖÐÆø¡¢ÓàÆø. I think this also has to do with Chinese divination/astrology. I tried looking it up but this kind of stuff is honestly gibberish to me¡­ It¡¯s something like ¡°±¾Æø is related to the five elements and is the strongest, while ÖÐÆø has to do with the heavenly branch, and finally ÓàÆø is related to the earthly branch and is the weakest.¡±


    3.  ÆøÇÏ: Æø = ¡°air, breath¡±, ÇÏ = ¡°aperture, opening, hole, orifice¡±


    4.  He specifically uses the verb ±à, which is a little ambiguous. It could be ¡°write¡±, but it could also be ¡°compile¡± or ¡°edit.¡± I chose ¡°write¡± just to make Jiang Xunyi more of a genius lol.


    5. Wei Xiuqi says ʦ²®, which is another term within the disciple-master family tree. ²® means an uncle who is older than the father figure. In this case, Jiang Xunyi is the Shixiong to Jiang Molou, so Jiang Molou¡¯s disciples will call Jiang Xunyi Shibo.


    6. Fun fact: the term used here is ÓÇÉ£, which I think is distorted Internet slang for the similar phrase ÓÇÉË (¡°distress¡± ¡°grief¡±). Or maybe it¡¯s just a typo, who knows.


    7. ʬ±ä lit. ¡°corpse + change/transform¡± refers to how some dead corpses can come back to life in a twisted and inhuman way, basically like the process of zombification lol.


    8. What Jiang Xunyi does here is Physiognomy, or fortune-telling by reading one¡¯s face/appearance. (Holds similarities to Palmistry, which is reading one¡¯s palm.)


    9. This term is a call back all the way to the beginning of the story, when Du Heng was labelled as an ¶þã¶×Ó lit. ¡°Second Idiot¡± for being the second son and an idiot.


    10. µÕϵ refers to the disciples who are in the direct line of descent within the sect, who directly receive teachings from their master. These are the most prestigious disciples of a sect, compared to some other disciples who do not get direct teachings from their master or some who have not even been picked up by any master.


    11. թʬ lit. ¡°swindle/cheat/pretend + corpse¡± refers to the belief in Chinese folklore that a corpse holds a single residual breath of air. If this air is disturbed by an animal, the animal¡¯s soul will enter the corpse, and it will come back to ¡°life¡± as a monster that only knows how to bite like a wild beast. In this context, I think թʬ is used as the superstitious sudden movement of a corpse as it comes to ¡°life¡±.


    12. ÆßÇÏÉúÑÌ lit. ¡°spouting smoke through the seven orifices¡±


    13. Jiang Xunyi specifically says ¡°ÏÂÅÌ¡±, which is a term used in martial arts to refer to everything below the waist, especially the legs because they are the source of a martial artist¡¯s stability and generation of force.

 CH 31

    Chapter 31 ¨C Researchers


    The two of them were working themselves to death over here, all because they were getting completely dragged down by this idiot. On the contrary, Jiang Xunyi was just standing on the side and blabbering away without a care¡ªhave some shame, will you!


    Nie Yan couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer, and his anger and agitation burst out: ¡°I¡¯m facing him straight-on, how could I attack his back? If you¡¯re so capable, you do it!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had not expected to see the ¡°you can you up¡°1 phrase here¡ªit seemed that sarcastic commentary wasn¡¯t any different between ancient and modern times. Jiang Xunyi gave a jeering laugh: ¡°Then watch closely!¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking and how he lifted his legs couldn¡¯t even be seen, when his entire person had already flickered in front of Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan with the lightness of the morning mist. With a casual raise of his hand, the edge of his palm assumed the shape of a knife to slice into the corpse¡¯s back. He smiled: ¡°Just like this, victory.¡±


    He withdrew his hand, and that corpse which had just now been moving with incomparable toughness and violence¡­ now toppled head-first onto the ground.


    This fierce corpse with which they had been entangled in a long battle and had believed to be the most dangerous and sinister thing they had seen¡­ was actually disposed of with a single laughing gesture. Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan both had the same sensation that this was a dream, as they felt their self-esteem and worldview being thoroughly overturned.


    ¡°¡­¡­Senior.¡± In the end, Wei Xiuqi was a little older than Nie Yan, plus his mind was more careful and meticulous. He was therefore the first to react, slowly sheathing his sword: ¡°Many thanks for Senior¡¯s directions and pointers. Xiuqi2 and my Shidi are both infinitely grateful. But¡­ but¡­ if I may take the liberty to ask, the ¡®Famed Flower Toppling Kingdoms¡¯3trick you just used is clearly a Hidden Spirit Sect move. How did Senior come to know it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even think before his finger had already habitually pointed towards his long-standing scapegoat hero, Yun Xie: ¡°Oh, he taught it.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    As a quiet member of the peanut gallery4, he probably would never have expected to suffer this trouble not of his own making. But at the same time, Jiang Xunyi unintentionally ¡°looking at him in a favorable light¡±5 made his heart feel a sliver of sweetness. He therefore happily took this blame6, reacting with extreme quickness to take a step forward and re-introduce himself: ¡°Yun Xie from the Solar Envy Sect. I did not clarify my identity just now, may the two of you please refrain from blaming me.¡±


    Given Yun Xie¡¯s status, he was already being quite modest by speaking to these two juniors in such a tone. Moreover, although he was the Solar Envy Sect Master, everyone knew that Yun Xie¡¯s Shifu Chengwu-Daozhang and the previous Hidden Spirit Sect Head Immortal Master Ti Ming had been bosom friends7. By association, the head disciples of their sects, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, had mingled together from an early age. It was therefore a matter of course that Yun Xie could have learned moves from the Hidden Spirit Sect.


    However, after Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan heard this, they looked at each other and actually showed alertness and vigilance. They stepped back together, and Wei Xiuqi reluctantly said: ¡°It turned out to be Sect Master Yun.¡± However, neither bowed.


    Nie Yan¡¯s hostility was more intense than his fellow disciple¡¯s. He straightforwardly said: ¡°Our master once said that my Shibo Jiang Xunyi died under Sect Master Yun¡¯s sword. As long as one man from our sect remains, we refuse to live under the same sky8 with you. Forgive this humble one for being unable to salute Sect Master Yun.¡±


    In front of Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie acted eternally humble and servile, and never shrank from showing his regret and guilt. But this was because his heart held affection towards Jiang Xunyi; it did not mean that he would also assume a lowly posture in front of two little disciples. He just could not help but become alarmed at them raising this topic in front of Jiang Xunyi. In the space of a brief moment, he was already racking his brains for a method to grab Jiang Molou over and give him a sound berating. However, thanks to immense self-restraint, his face smiled: ¡°The two of you are not disciples of my Solar Envy Sect in the first place, so whether you salute or not is entirely up to you. It¡¯s just that I am still your elder, so if I may put on airs and speak a few extra words: Sometimes, an onlooker not personally involved in the situation may not be able to see everything clearly. Those who cultivate should still be cautious in word and deed when it comes to the phrase ¡®truth¡¯.¡±


    His words were spoken with profound meaning and unfathomable enigma, pretending to be cool with perfect success. In the end, these two disciples were still young and tender, so Yun Xie¡¯s words left them speechless. The most qualified one to speak, Jiang Xunyi, did not follow them to accuse Yun Xie. He only casually changed the topic, turning to Wei Xiuqi as if this matter had nothing to do with himself: ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him for a long time¡ªis Jiang Molou doing well?¡±


    Wei Xiuqi originally should have felt angry at how he directly called Jiang Molou by his name9. But looking at the newly appeared seriousness in this person¡¯s expression and dignified manner, Wei Xiuqi had the feeling Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire person had been swapped out, and he involuntarily answered: ¡°Our master is still in good shape physically, but the sect¡¯s general affairs are many and complicated, and his mood is somewhat depressed. Many thanks for Senior¡¯s concern.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hummed in acknowledgment: ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± He looked back at the corpse on the ground and said: ¡°You two are calm upon encountering an enemy as well as quick and nimble to react, so you did not lose face for him. Unfortunately, your actions are too rigid and inflexible. When encountering these kinds of things, the first priority in your thinking should not be which taboos to obediently avoid, but instead what methods should be used to suppress it when it does erupt. In the same way, when you encounter a strong enemy, should you think about how to face this adversity, or how to plead for leniency and avoid enraging the opponent? These taboos are only boundaries and limits set for the weak.¡±


    He looked so young and elegant, but his words carried deep judgment and insight more penetrating than some sect elders. His tone was also permeated by an aura of domineering arrogance that considered everyone and everything beneath his notice. Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan looked at Jiang Xunyi differently. Together, they turned their sword hilts and bowed ceremoniously, expressing their gratitude for receiving instruction.


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his gaze and smiled, unperturbed as he accepted their salute. His eyes then turned towards the dead body on the ground, and his expression became solemn: ¡°However, I have never seen such a strange corpse before. Thirteen air apertures? What is this, could it be a deformity?¡±


    Yun Xie also walked over. With great calm and composure, he ignored the vigilant eyes of Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan: ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi tilted his head to look at him, and Yun Xie went on to say: ¡°Have you ever imagined the possibility that air apertures could be artificially opened by someone?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi really had never imagined such a possibility. Yun Xie¡¯s words seemed to open a new line of logic for him, and Jiang Xunyi murmured to himself for a moment. Suddenly, his sharp eyebrows arched. He pulled out his sword and swung it down at the corpse in front of him: ¡°If that is the case, there should be trauma left behind on the body¡­¡±


    Without finishing speaking, his sword aura had already sliced open the clothes of the deceased without leaving even a single mark on the body. However, upon seeing the resulting scene, not only did Jiang Xunyi choke on his words, even Yun Xie, Wei Xiuqi, and Nie Yan all could not help but widen their eyes at the same time¡ª¡ª


    The corpse was completely covered in stitches of various colors; it was actually composed of countless pieces sewn together while still alive!


    Jiang Xunyi had trouble believing his own eyes. Without caring for any of his usual fastidiousness or obsession with cleanliness, he crouched down and exploratively touched the thickest seams at the corpse¡¯s left chest.


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression stiffened. But this corpse probably wanted to maintain its chastity even in death¡ªbefore Jiang Xunyi could make contact, it suddenly sat straight up. Akin to a dying flash of activity10, it actually opened its mouth to bite the corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s robes.


    Jiang Xunyi was thoroughly caught off guard and startled. He agilely jumped away, only to hear a ripping tear: his originally tattered robe was thus transformed into a cardigan.


    Jiang Xunyi originally wanted to stand firm, but his right foot tingled numbly and he almost fell backwards. Yun Xie supported him with an arm around his waist, and sourly said: ¡°Be more careful, what are you so excited to touch its lower chest for?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He would die before admitting that was actually a muscle cramp just now. This body¡¯s physical fitness is truly too lacking, he needs supplemental calcium.


    Upon slapping away Yun Xie¡¯s hand and looking forward again, the corpse had already been beaten back down by Nie Yan¡¯s sharp eye and deft hand, and no longer got up to cause trouble.


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°His thirteenth air aperture is located on the left chest, and is indeed man-made. But just opening an air aperture absolutely does not require such a large-scale¡­. undertaking. What kind of person wants to torment a corpse thus? And what is their goal in doing so?¡±


    Yun Xie walked in front of Jiang Xunyi and crouched down. His hand investigatively pressed down on each inch of this rough and gnarled body: ¡°No, it¡¯s not that someone wants to torment the corpse. Look, the color of this thread has faded with the passing of time, and these stitches are embedded deep into the flesh. This was already in place many years ago¡­¡±


    Upon speaking to here, he had trouble continuing. Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°You realized it too, right? So much needlework, and all connected to vital areas. This is clearly the result of having been chopped up into pieces and then put together afterwards¡ªHow could such a person still be alive! But against all reason, this person only just died; the body has not even completely cooled yet. What exactly is going on here?¡±


    He and Yun Xie had already completely entered a working state of mind. On the side, Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan tried to exercise their brains at full speed but still ended up stupefied, deeply experiencing the feeling of their IQ being rolled over and crushed.


    At this time, there came a commotion outside the door. Since Nie Yan¡¯s brain was currently deficient in oxygen, he naturally looked to the entrance, only to see a group of Fang family members walking inside. They wore white mourning garments and their faces were covered in tear tracks, so they were probably here to observe the ancestral rites for the deceased.


    But those people had just stepped inside when they immediately stopped in their tracks. Horror and dismay was written all over their faces, as dumbstruck as wooden chickens.


    Nie Yan subconsciously followed their gaze to look at the four of them gathered around the corpse. He instantly became a wooden chicken too¡ª¡ª


    In the dimly lit spiritual hall, four people surrounded a corpse that had been stripped completely naked. Among them, one person was not properly dressed and his expression showed ardent eagerness. Another person had leaned over the corpse and was currently touching all over the body¡­..


    Even if his own role was just a minor onlooking character in the background, Nie Yan¡¯s face still flushed red.


    Yun Xie¡¯s hand was about to touch the corpse¡¯s buttocks area when he involuntarily paused¡ªHe had obviously sensed the awkward atmosphere around him. Upon looking up, he saw the relatives of the deceased in a crowd at the door. In a daze, he turned his head away, only to then see Jiang Xunyi, Wei Xiuqi, and Nie Yan standing away from himself in a ¡°This has nothing to do with me¡± manner, all watching him with eyes full of condemnation and bitter grief.


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. ¡°You can you up¡± is a popular Chinese phrase on the Internet. It¡¯s written out in English but is the direct literal translation of ¡°ÄãÐÐÄãÉÏ¡±. It basically translates to ¡°If you¡¯re so capable of doing it, go ahead!¡±


    2. Wei Xiuqi refers to himself by his first name, which is another informal/humble way of self-address.


    3. Ãû»¨Çã¹ú: Ãû = ¡°fame, reputation¡±, »¨ = ¡°flower¡±. Çã¹ú is a shortened version of the Chinese phrase Çã¹úÇã³Ç lit. ¡°toppling states and cities¡±, which refers to a stunningly devastating and calamitous beauty (think Helen of Troy :P)


    4. ³Ô¹ÏȺÖÚ literally translates to something like ¡°the crowd eating melons¡±. It refers to bystanders who are just watching an event for the entertainment, who don¡¯t have any actual attachment to what¡¯s going on. I translated it to peanut gallery here, but another English equivalent would be a spectator happily munching popcorn.


    5. ÁíÑÛÏà¿´ usually translates to ¡°viewing someone in a new light / treating someone favorably¡±


    6. ±³ÁËÕâ¸öºÚ¹ø literally translates to something like ¡°Carrying this black pot on your back.¡± Of note, ¡°carrying a pot on your back¡± is a Chinese idiom for ¡°taking the blame for something.¡±


    7. ĪÄæÖ®½» means very close friends, ¡°bosom buddies¡±, someone you can confide everything in. (In short, Chengwu-Daozhang and Immortal Master Ti Ming were BFFs :P)


    8. ²»¹²´÷Ìì refers to enemies who are so irreconcilable that they ¡°cannot live under the same sky.¡±


    9. Calling Jiang Molou by his name instead of his title (¡°Sect Head Jiang¡±) is usually an impolite act unless you are actually very close to him.


    10. »Ø¹â·µÕÕ lit. ¡°final radiance of the setting sun¡± refers to the last spurt of activity or lucidity before death

 CH 32

    Chapter 32 ¨C Body of Dust1


    With an expression of speechlessly beseeching heaven, Yun Xie rolled his eyes. He slowly stood up and immediately switched faces to his most amiable and personable smile, as he explained: ¡°I am currently¡­¡±


    No one paid any attention to his words. A village woman who looked over 40 years old seemed to have been suddenly awakened from a dream. She rushed over with agile and swift movements, scaring Yun Xie to take a step back. In this short period of time, that woman had already thrown herself on the corpse and begun to weep her heart out: ¡°My son¡­ You were born under such an ill star, even after you¡¯re gone you still have to undergo this kind of suffering¡­ It¡¯s all because Dad and Mom are so useless¡­¡­¡±


    The veins on Yun Xie¡¯s popped and he was about to open his mouth to speak, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Jiang Xunyi with his arms crossed watching from the side, a hint of a smile playing around his lips. A thought raced through Yun Xie¡¯s mind¨Che intentionally put on a helpless expression, the words at the tip of his tongue changing direction as he smiled bitterly and cupped his fists in salute: ¡°Aunt2, you¡¯ve misunderstood, I was just inspecting your esteemed son¡¯s body, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    The woman banged her head on the ground in her immense grief. She clutched his clothes, dragging the hem down to madly wipe her tears, and shouted: ¡°Hurry and look! So heartless and conscienceless¡­ this person saw my son¡¯s handsomeness and actually did such a despicable thing yet does not admit it¡­ As a little old lady, what can I do? Even after suffering this injustice, I can only swallow it down into my stomach¡­¡±


    The woman¡¯s tears intensified the more she cried, echoing up to the rafters with ever increasing pathos. Suddenly, her vision lit up as a shining white silver ingot shook in front of her eyes. Jiang Xunyi sighed from his crouched position: ¡°Hold this then, as the fee for your singing performance.¡±


    The village woman couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the last half of his speech, but this didn¡¯t affect the lightning speed with which she took the silver from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands and bit the ingot with her front teeth3.


    Only after seeing her accept the money did Jiang Xunyi then glance over the faces of these Fang family members who had come over. He asked: ¡°Aunt2, why is it that after seeing your son¡¯s body to be in this state, you¡¯re not surprised at all?¡±


    The village woman had already finished checking the silver and was just about to happily stuff it into her bosom. Upon hearing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s question, her expression immediately turned vigilant: ¡°Where is there anything wrong with my boy? What¡¯s there to be surprised at? I¡¯m telling you guys, don¡¯t think that¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi quickly raised a hand to stop her: ¡°Alright, alright, it was him who held malicious intent towards your son, he¡¯s a contemptible person. But we¡¯ve already given compensation, can you stop bringing up this topic for now?¡±


    Yun Xie felt greatly wronged: ¡°You clearly know that you are the only one for me4¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi treated his words as utter nonsense, and didn¡¯t even look back: ¡°Shut up.¡±


    Having successfully teased him, Yun Xie¡¯s heart was already satisfied. He followed Jiang Xunyi to crouch down. While casually knocking on the corpse¡¯s face, he idly said: ¡°Me, interested in him? That¡¯d be impossible even just based off his skin. I say, Aunt, can you tell me why your son¡¯s body has so many threads and stitches?


    The village woman glared at him and confidently said: ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that! Everyone¡¯s like this, what¡¯s special about my son?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s nostrils flared and he let out a cold scoff, with a tone of warning: ¡°That¡¯s about enough. If you want to extort more money, you still have to remain within the realm of reason. At least try to make up something a little closer to reality.¡±


    A youth behind the village woman grew impatient and yelled: ¡°It was obviously you guys who harmed my big brother¡¯s body, what are you looking for an excuse for! It goes without saying that everyone¡¯s like this, what, are you guys not?¡±


    Yun Xie chuckled: ¡°If everyone was like this, we¡¯d all long since be dead already. Little kid, telling lies will get punished by thunder and lightning.¡±


    After he said this, it was unclear if it was just his illusion, but he actually felt that all the villagers in front of him stiffened at the same time.


    Yun Xie¡¯s smile faded. He frowned and stood up, and exploratively tried a: ¡°You all¡­¡­.¡±


    The talking youth stared straight into space, his eyes losing all focus, gaze fixated on him like a dead fish. In a dazed and wooden voice, he repeated: ¡°Long since be dead already¡­. Long since dead already¡­¡±


    His voice grew faster and faster, and more and more urgent. Soon, the people around him seemed to have been infected, and this chant transformed from one voice to many. Alarmed and bewildered, Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°Were they bewitched?¡±


    He raised his hand, a layer of purple light amassing at his fingertips, and hesitated for a moment. But who could have imagined that before the purple radiance even fired, all the villagers in front of them suddenly collapsed.


    They truly did ¡°collapse¡±: these people which had just now all been standing before the four of them, actually crumbled into a pile of scattered body parts.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand was still raised in mid-air, and it was a long while before he recovered. At a loss, he turned around to look at Yun Xie. Yun Xie opened his mouth to speak, when his expression suddenly changed and the words at his lips suddenly became a: ¡°Not good!¡±


    The echoes of his voice had not yet faded when Jiang Xunyi had already rushed out. Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan fell behind, their eyes meeting in total confusion and ignorance. Nie Yan asked: ¡°Shixiong, what¡¯s not good?¡±


    Wei Xiuqi frowned: ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everything about this place is strange, we should still follow them out to see.¡±


    Nie Yan agreed and the two disciples turned to exit. But neither of the two saw that from the piles of body parts on the ground, a stream of black gas was overflowing, and gradually taking a shape¡­


    Jiang Xunyi hurriedly ran outside, originally hoping to be able to save at least one or two people. But upon making it to the Fang family¡¯s gate and seeing the scene outside, he instantly stopped in his tracks, his feet feeling as heavy as lead and incapable of taking another step.


    Before his eyes, the village that had just now still been so lively and bustling¡­ seemed to have become another world. Not even a whisper could be heard of the previous clamorous talking; instead, the atmosphere had solidified into an uneasy and disturbing dead silence. The farmers plowing the fields, the women embroidering in the yard, those villagers at the river bank who had just now been enthusiastically discussing among themselves, reluctant to leave¡­ without exception, every single one had turned into a pile of horrifying dismembered corpse parts.


    Like hell on earth.


    In the same way, strands of black gas emerged from the corpse parts and spread through the air. However, Jiang Xunyi now had no way of seeing those small strands; for some unknown reason, at this moment those things seemed to have come alive, slowly squirming together to form an enormous human figure. It seemed to creep and crawl towards him, while his own limbs seemed to have suddenly become shackled down by invisible chains. Despite his great ability, he could only watch with wide eyes as that monstrous thing came closer and closer to himself¡­. In the distance, the sun had set in blink of an eye, leaving the heavens and the earth as black as pitch.


    Uneasiness, like a man-eating python stalking and devouring its human prey, crawled up his spine, climbing up higher and higher¡­¡­.


    Suddenly, he felt a tightness and a warmth around his shoulders. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire body quaked, and those illusory shackles immediately lost all control over him. He took a step back and gasped heavily for breath. He could feel how his cold sweat had already dampened his heavy clothing, as if he had just escaped from a nightmare. However, he now looked up once more to see the scene before him again: Even though the landscape was strewn with corpses, there was no longer that sinister and terrifying ambiance seeking to devour him. Instead, the sky above him was cloudless and the lazy sun shone down to illuminate the entire scene, giving one a clear sense of ¡°life¡± and ¡°existence.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi let out a long breath, and straightened his back. Yun Xie retracted his hand. He knew Jiang Xunyi¡¯s dogged pride, so he rapidly covered up the trace of concern in his own eyes: ¡°This body of yours has not undergone training and is incapable of resisting illusions, be more careful.¡±


    Then he stuffed a wad of something into Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arms: ¡°I just borrowed this from those two children¨C¨Cthese current clothes of yours have almost broken down into rags. You should change first, in case you catch a cold.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi silently glanced towards Yun Xie, and seemed to feel something different about him. If he had to pinpoint it down, it would be how his initially careful and apologetic attitude had changed into natural familiarity. The way Yun Xie now treated him was the same as back when the two of them had been so close as to be inseparable: casual, and not as polite.


    But his shoulders still felt that residual warmth. It wasn¡¯t clear if it was because his mood had not yet stabilized, but he actually accepted the clothes without saying a word. He didn¡¯t even ask how Yun Xie had ¡°borrowed¡± them from his beloved Hidden Spirit Sect disciples, and did not pursue his manner of address.


    On the surface Yun Xie had successfully pretended to be a serious and strict big gray wolf, but in reality he was so nervous he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. Only when Jiang Xunyi accepted the clothes did he silently let out a breath of relief and feel his internal organs falling back to reality.


    By now, the black gas emitted from all the corpses had gathered together, and condensed into a faint giant face in midair. Its eyes protruded from their sockets, its nose concave and its teeth long and sharp, looking extremely ferocious. Jiang Xunyi did not delay at all¨C¨Che directly ripped off his tattered robes and threw them to the side, and spoke while putting on the clean clothes: ¡°This is probably the residual air that came out from the thirteenth air aperture¨C¨Csure enough, there was something afoot!¡±


    His tone was very hurried. Yun Xie looked back intending to answer him, but he forgot his lines when his words had reached the tip of his tongue: Upon changing into the Hidden Spirit Sect uniform, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s elegance shone through, his features as fine as a painting. The slim girdle and wide sleeves of those light blue robes inlaid with white seams made his posture even more graceful, a true talented beauty5. It seemed that at this very moment, the torrent of time had silently surged backwards, and those unspoken emotions of loss and grief departed to some faraway place. Looking back at the past and present, it was the person before him who was the only real thing in this world.


    At the edge of this trance, the rays of light before his eyes seemed to rise and fall like waves of water, while the beautiful features of the other party were also caught in these ripples and blurred in his vision.


    Yun Xie blurted out: ¡°You look really good in those clothes.¡±


    After all this time, Jiang Xunyi had finally received the opportunities to wear the clothes of his old sect, and there were some deep feelings rising in his heart. But this emotion had not had the time to ferment into desolation and sorrow, when it evaporated like the smoke thanks to Yun Xie¡¯s incapability to remain serious for more than three seconds. Jiang Xunyi only treated it as Yun Xie looking for a beating, and his temper worsened accordingly: ¡°Are you sick or something?6¡°


    The fierce wind whipped up the sand and stone in the empty land before them, as the mass of black gas was already about to reach them. Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but laugh at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, while casually tearing a branch off a nearby tree. Using this a sword, he stabbed towards the giant face in front of them.


    In his hands, a simple tree branch became a peerless weapon of the ages. In a split second, the sword aura exerted its pressure on all present, and rainbow light dazzled the eye. Spiritual power and resentful energy smashed into each other, with a ripping and tearing sound that sent chills down one¡¯s spine. At the same time, Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan had chased on up. Their personal swords buzzed and hummed in unison, while Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Extinguished Flower remained completely silent and still.


    Wei Xiuqi¡¯s surprise was mixed with disbelief, as he whispered: ¡°Is that¡­¡­who came?¡±


    Their surroundings were too noisy; Jiang Xunyi was not able to hear the two most crucial words, so he casually asked: ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. I¡¯m actually not super sure why the author chose this title ·ÛÉí¡­ There are some things this chapter which may have a vague connection. Or it could also be a homonym for something slightly more relevant like ·ÖÉí


    2. Again, Chinese loves using familial terms as a polite way to address people who aren¡¯t actually related to you. ´óÉô means ¡°Aunt¡±, and is a respectful form of address to a woman around the age of your mother.


    3. No, she¡¯s not trying to eat it. Biting gold or silver is an old-fashioned way to crudely test the purity of the coin/ingot by seeing their softness. (The much softer lead was sometimes used to make fakes of silver coins.)


    4. To be precise, Yun Xie says ¡°ÎÒÖ»¶ÔÄã¡­.¡± which is an incomplete sentence. Literally translated, it would just be a fragment along the lines of ¡°I only ___ for you¡± (yeah Chinese grammar is much different than English sometimes). It¡¯s implied that what he intended to say was something like ¡°I only hold those feelings for you¡±. I just did a more liberal translation.


    5. Ö¥À¼ÓñÊ÷ lit. ¡°orchids and jade trees¡±


    6. The connotations of this line is a little finicky to translate¡­ Jiang Xunyi specifically says ¡°ÄãÓв¡°É¡±, which literally translates to something like ¡°Are you sick? / You¡¯re sick, right.¡± However, the more liberal translation would be something like ¡°Dude, what the hell¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

 CH 33

    Chapter 33 ¨C Still Afraid This Reunion is Only Within A Dream1


    But just as the words left his mouth, even he wasn¡¯t able to hear his own speech¡ªfrom the north, the sharp whistle of a sword pierced the air. A blue-robed man standing on his sword rushed over with the swiftness of lightning. Even the black fog present was swept to the side by his fierce momentum.


    His posture as he rushed out was very handsome and cool, but the angle was tricky and his timing unfortunate. Due to the obscuring black fog, Yun Xie¡¯s attack just happened to be aimed straight at this newcomer. Seeing this problem, Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have time to think¡ªhe borrowed the momentum of a nearby large tree by kicking off it and leaping into the air. A bolt of spiritual energy burst from his fingers to shoot the flying sword and its rider down from the sky.


    Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan exclaimed in unison: ¡°Shizun!¡±


    Thankfully, Jiang Molou was indeed a peerless martial arts master¡ªeven though the black fog had blocked his line of sight and he was caught off guard by this attack on his personal sword, his posture was still neat and clean as ever as he made this surprise landing. Just as his feet touched the ground, he took advantage of the chance to unsheathe his sword for an ¡°Ignition Dragon Curse,¡± aimed straight at the Jiang Xunyi who had sneak attacked him.


    At the same time, Jiang Xunyi also used ¡°Ignition Dragon Curse¡± to meet this attack. The two swords originating from the same master¡¯s teachings thus crashed straight into each other.


    The moment the two blades crossed, their long call rang loud and clear, piercing the very heavens. Jiang Molou¡¯s wrist turned to pull back the blade¡¯s edge and he indifferently looked up, but the moment his gaze met his attacker¡¯s, his eyes suddenly opened wide.


    His face, normally as cold as the ice and frost, revealed shock and surprise for the first time. His long sword fell to the ground but he seemed to be completely unaware, instead raising his hand to grab Jiang Xunyi¡¯s right shoulder: ¡°You!¡±


    What met his hand was a thin layer of clothing as the sea wave-patterned robes of the two men overlapped, holding the vague familiarity of bygone days. Jiang Molou felt almost as if a raging fire had ignited in his heart, while in reality a rush of scorching hot blood flooded through his chest. Under this extreme swing in emotions, he could not tell whether this was an illusion or reality, dream or waking.


    Jiang Molou¡¯s other hand trembled as it lifted up, seeming to want to touch Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. But with this movement, his ice-cold touch accidentally crossed the skin on his own chest.


    As if a bucket of cold water had splashed him right in the face, the fire in Jiang Molou¡¯s heart was instantly extinguished.


    It was the Sect Head Seal that hung around his neck. Within this single year2 since he had mourned the loss of his Shifu and Shixiong, the Sect Head Seal had been stolen away by the traitors in the sect and then returned to his hands after many twists and turns. This eternally cold piece of jade was akin to a drop of ice-cold heartblood3, reminding him at every second and every moment of the decaying of their sect and how much had been lost since those previous days.


    Even though all this time he had stubbornly refused to take off his sea wave-patterned robe and replace it with the sect master uniform, the events of that year would forever be engraved onto his heart.


    Jiang Molou lowered his gaze. His chest rose and fell fiercely as he used his entire life¡¯s supply of perseverance to keep his calm and wave-less exterior, and slowly let go of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders.


    He was not the only one losing control of his demeanor¡ªunder this completely unexpected face-to-face encounter, even Jiang Xunyi was stupefied. In contrast to Yun Xie, he did not hold the tiniest bit of vigilance towards Jiang Molou, so before his brain could process the scene, his mouth had already blurted out: ¡°Molou?¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s reaction did not have any of his imagined happy surprise. The grasp Jiang Molou had just released from his shoulder instantly moved to press his sword hilt, full of murderous intent: ¡°Who are you? You dare pretend to be my Shixiong?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­What do you think?¡±


    Jiang Molou looked Jiang Xunyi over intently. Even though Du Heng had exactly the same appearance as his previous body, a few differences in the details could ultimately still be picked out, so Jiang Molou refused: ¡°You absolutely can¡¯t be him! He is already dead!¡±


    When he didn¡¯t want to admit his identity, there was always someone pressing him to admit it. Now that he was finally recognizing it from his own mouth, other people didn¡¯t believe him. Jiang Xunyi had already accepted this reality, and resignedly said: ¡°Okay, okay, you don¡¯t believe it¡­¡±


    Without warning, he was pulled behind another person. Yun Xie directed his faint words towards Jiang Molou: ¡°It¡¯s truly for the best that Sect Head Jiang thinks such. I hope that in the future you will remember your words today and refrain from coming to pester us.¡±


    Jiang Molou had always possessed a strict and rigorous personality, so words like ¡°miracle¡± and ¡°coincidence¡± were a foreign language to him. He had originally held the firm belief that dead was dead, and the person in front of him being dressed like this must be an immense conspiracy. But Yun Xie now standing to the side and saying these words instead caused him to hesitate and doubt.


    Below Jiang Molou¡¯s eternally frosty and bitter face lay hidden confusion and entanglement. His gaze darted back and forth between the two men, until Jiang Xunyi finally didn¡¯t have the heart to keep watching him like this: ¡°Alright, what are you looking at me for. You and I have grown up together all this time, yet you actually can¡¯t even recognize whether it¡¯s me. Fine, how about this: back when you were five years old, you wanted to eat the offerings that Shizun had presented to the ancestral sect founders, but you were too embarrassed¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s conditioned reflexes kicked in: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s smile was a tad gloomy. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t say a single sincere word in his presence, but upon encountering Jiang Molou his entire person seemed to have completely relaxed. This subconscious difference in treatment was even more unbearable for him than Jiang Xunyi¡¯s malicious attitude.


    Just as the ¡°Shut up¡± left Jiang Molou¡¯s mouth, he seemed to realize what had happened. His voice trembled slightly: ¡°¡­You really didn¡¯t die!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t too happy with him: ¡°Your tone sounds pretty disappointed, huh?¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s lips quivered, and he didn¡¯t say anything for a long while. Instead, Jiang Xunyi smiled, shaking his head and sighing with both helplessness and indulgence.


    This scene of ¡°With clasped hands, we look into each other¡¯s teary eyes; Unable to utter words, choking on emotion¡±4 almost gave the watching Yun Xie a myocardial infarction. He took a deep breath; in this moment of silence, he heard a noisy din in the distance, getting closer and closer like the advancing tide.


    Jiang Molou¡¯s expression changed: ¡°Oh no, I actually forgot, it¡¯s that herd of old men¡­ What¡­What¡¯s going on with you? Never mind, now¡¯s not the time to talk, hurry and come leave with me!¡±


    He wasn¡¯t good with words in the first place, and under this excitement his speech devolved into incoherent rambling. He only grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand directly to take him to leave, and had even forgotten about his two poor disciples.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Wait a moment, I haven¡¯t figured out the mystery here¡­ you have to first explain!¡±


    Yun Xie flew into a fury: ¡°Jiang Molou! Are you treating me as if I¡¯m dead?¡±


    The two men¡¯s words mixed together and Jiang Molou couldn¡¯t hear either one clearly. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, another man had already arrived behind him, laughing as he rode his sword through the air: ¡°Sect Head Jiang, what are you running so fast for¡­¡­.. Jiang Xunyi, you¡¯re not dead?!¡±


    The volume of his voice suddenly increased for that last sentence. Immediately afterwards, his figure suddenly landed in front of these people stuck in a deadlock.


    Hearing this voice, Jiang Xunyi instantly understood what Jiang Molou had meant by his concern. Unfortunately, it was already too late. He turned his head, half of his snow-white face hidden in the shadow of the towering trees, and coldly said: ¡°Feng Xue.¡±


    His face no longer showed that mocking hint of a smile, and his entire person¡¯s temperament instantly became gloomy. The contrasting black and white in his eyes made his gaze akin to two bolts of cold electricity, razor-sharp and threatening, so it was the originally aggressive Feng Xue who instead took a step back.


    There were four great families in the cultivation world: Du, Feng, Yue, and Han. Feng Xue was indeed the head of the Feng family5, and had achieved fame over a hundred years ago. Even though he now appeared to be an old man past his prime, his strength could not be underestimated. Moreover, in the past he had conflicted significantly with the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage. Yun Xie¡¯s expression was calm even as his mind ran as fast as lightning. He darted another glance at Jiang Molou, who held the position of head of a sect. It was currently unclear why these two men appeared in this desolate wilderness at the same time and happened to know Jiang Xunyi.


    However, even though this situation was a perilous one, he actually felt this wasn¡¯t a bad arrangement. After all, no one would want their beloved to hide their identity and bury their name for an entire lifetime. If no one forced him, Jiang Xunyi would likely never be willing to admit who he himself was.


    Jiang Molou was standing closer to the two of them, and whispered to them in an impartial and flat tone: ¡°Half a month ago, Xuan Li re-emerged into the Jianghu, and the Solar Envy Sect Master fell into the Imprisoned Demons Valley with his whereabouts unknown. Both these events were important affairs, so the heads of the various major sects in the cultivation world convened twenty Li west of the Imprisoned Demons Valley entrance for a congress discussing countermeasures. The meeting had not yet begun when we felt an incredible amount of sinister aura coming from this direction, so we each came over to check it out¡­ I was the earliest to arrive, and most likely everyone else is about to get here.¡±


    In that last sentence, even his tone could not help but reveal a subtle bitterness.


    Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan were already used to being treated as background props. Even now, they still couldn¡¯t believe their ears. Wei Xiuqi quietly said: ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t hear that wrong, did I? That senior is eldest Shibo?! No wonder¡­no wonder he¡¯s so powerful!¡±


    Nie Yan was so dumbstruck he could hardly reply. Of course, he himself was completely confused too: ¡°Didn¡¯t eldest Shibo pass away? Wasn¡¯t he killed by Yun Xie?¡±


    Due to his excitement, his voice was a little on the loud side. He was a little excited when he was excited. Although the current situation was an emergency, Yun Xie still took a bit of effort to pull himself out of his busyness and give Nie Yan a furious eye-roll. He had a deep suspicion that the reason this disciple was so terse must be because even he himself knew he was simple-minded and was thus too ashamed to speak.


    Hearing this, Jiang Xunyi said to Jiang Molou: ¡°This bunch of people do not possess a united will. Even if they do arrive, they won¡¯t be able to do anything to me. On the contrary, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll be in trouble, so you should first take your two disciples and leave until this all blows over.¡±


    Jiang Molou stared at Jiang Xunyi, and faintly said: ¡°That is impossible.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s anger rose, and he coldly said: ¡°Stop arguing. Everyone¡¯s already arrived, none of us will be able to escape.¡± His style had always been to act however he felt like acting. Now at this moment, he held even more of a desire to stir up trouble, so he idly waved his hand in greeting to the newcomers: ¡°Sect Head Liu, Family Head5 Du, Old Man Cheng¡­ Hey, it looks like everyone¡¯s here? Wow, you all covered the distance quite fast!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Jiang Molou grew furious in return: ¡°Yun Xie, what are you posing as a good person for? Go stand on their side, don¡¯t get so close to me and my brother6!¡±


    Yun Xie hadn¡¯t replied yet when on the side, the Feng Xue who had been ignored for a long while now couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore. He abruptly burst into a rage: ¡°Jiang Xunyi! You wanton thief and traitor! Back then I just didn¡¯t believe Yun Xie would actually kill you. Now what crafty trick are you going to use to feign death and escape this time? Whatever, if heaven won¡¯t take care of you, I will!¡±


    He pulled out his sword: ¡°Don¡¯t think that just because you faked death once, all those things are resolved. You bastard who raped7 my daughter, you and I are mortal enemies who can¡¯t share the same sky!¡±


    Footnotes (I hope y¡¯all like poetry):


    1. The title of this chapter comes from the poem ¡¶ðÑð³Ìì¡· by the Song Dynasty poet Yan Jidao. The poem¡¯s title literally translates to something like ¡°Pheasant Days¡±, and it is about the moment when two lovers reunite after a separation.


    Here¡¯s my extremely rough and crude translation of the full poem:


    ²ÊÐäÒóÇÚÅõÓñÖÓ£¬µ±ÄêÞÕÈ´×íÑպ졣


    ¡°Rainbow sleeves attentively held up a jade glass; yet back in the day, I willingly inebriated myself to a flushed red.¡±


    ÎèµÍÑîÁøÂ¥ÐÄÔ£¬¸è¾¡ÌÒ»¨Éȵ׷硣


    ¡°Dancing until the moon above the tower fell below the arched willows, until the song ended and the wind of the peach blossom fan stopped¡±


    [The peach blossom fan would be an accessory used by a songstress in her dance. Here after a long night together, the songstress finally grew tired]


    ´Ó±ðºó£¬ÒäÏà·ê£¬¼¸»Ø»êÃÎÓë¾ýͬ¡£


    ¡°Ever since parting, I remember that encounter; my dreaming soul has so often met with yours.¡±


    ½ñÏüÊ£°ÑÒøâGÕÕ£¬ÓÌ¿ÖÏà·êÊÇÃÎÖС£


    ¡°Tonight, I must shine the silver lantern, still afraid this reunion is only within my dreams.¡±


    In plain language, the poem is basically saying ¡°All those years ago in our first encounter, your hands were attentively holding up a wine cup with such charm and grace, and I willingly drank until my face flushed red from drunkenness. Your song and fan dance began with the bright evening moon on the willow branches, until the moon above the tower fell into the dark night. All this time we danced and sang together, until you were so exhausted that you could not wave your peach blossom fan.


    Ever since that parting, I have always fondly remembered that beautiful encounter. In my dreams, I have embraced you so many times. Tonight, I must raise up the silver lantern to examine you carefully, still afraid this reunion is yet another dream.¡±


    2. Yeah apparently it¡¯s only been a year since Jiang Xunyi¡¯s death? Don¡¯t ask me how the timeline works lol¡­


    3.  ÐÄͷѪ literally translates to something like ¡°blood from the tip of the heart.¡± In traditional Chinese medicine it¡¯s supposed to possess special properties (something like ¡°it¡¯s the most condensed blood in the body¡±), and is therefore considered very precious. (Fun fact: in some cultivation novels it¡¯s associated with one¡¯s spiritual powers.)


    4. This is a line from the poem <ÓêÁØÁå> [Bells Ringing in the Rain] by Liu Yong, a Song dynasty poet. The original Chinese is ¡°Ö´ÊÖÏà¿´ÀáÑÛ£¬¾¹ÎÞÓïÄýÒ­¡±. I believe the topic of the poem is about lovers bidding farewell to each other lol.


    5.  ¼ÒÖ÷ lit. ¡°head of the family.¡± Of note, this is a cultivation world where families can be so powerful as to rival actual sects.


    6. Cute fact: When Jiang Molou is excited or otherwise not paying attention to formalities, he calls Jiang Xunyi by the informal ¸ç (somewhat similar in tone to ¡°big bro¡±) just like he did when they were little.


    7. Feng Xue uses the term Ç¿±©, which was partially censored in the original text. This term carries the connotations of an especially violent/brutal rape.

 CH 34

    Chapter 34 ¨C Older Brother


    Under the remaining rays of the setting sun, the utterly silent and dead village was swept up in this shocking turn of events1. A heavy sword pierced through the air, its blade a full three finger-widths wide. The inertia and force of its movement was mixed with the boom of a thunderclap1, its frightful rage almost swallowing up the people present.


    This old man wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, but it wasn¡¯t like Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have the strength to engage in another fight and his hand had originally already moved onto his sword¡¯s scabbard. But when he unexpectedly heard the words ¡°raped my daughter¡±, a tear-stained meager face flashed across his mind. With an ache in his heart, his movements stopped and he instantly lost the opportunity to act first.


    Yun Xie and Jiang Molou struck at the same time. Yun Xie¡¯s sleeves directly unfurled towards the incoming blade¡¯s edge, while Jiang Molou¡¯s personal sword chased through the air to sweep horizontally at Feng Xue. Both men were world-class experts, and their attacks were accordingly no small matter. Fortunately for their opponent, both were intending to save Jiang Xunyi, not to harm Feng Xue. The old man swiftly retreated, dodging the blow and failing to touch Jiang Xunyi.


    At the same time, another man rushed out from behind their group, flashing forward to block Jiang Xunyi behind himself.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡± His hand was still stopped on his hilt. Everything had happened too quickly, and only now was he able to silently let his hand fall back to his side. He had already imagined being detested and hunted down as the norm. Okay, he could understand his Shidi protecting him. For an enemy to protect him¡­ alright, they had once been die-hard friends, so he could grudgingly understand it. Now, as for this elder brother with a completely unfamiliar background popping out of some nearby hill¡­ what kind of deep sentiment and strong affection would actually cause him to block this knife?


    Even though this situation was indeed very moving, his guilty conscience pricked him: his System had clearly set his role as the Villain, okay?! V-I-L-L-A-I-N.


    Jiang Xunyi was not the only one both moved and confused. The rest of the people who had rushed over were all renowned sect leaders or venerable and famous on their own. They were already shocked upon first seeing the perfectly alive and well Jiang Xunyi. Now witnessing the perpetually proper and elegant Du Family Head actually go forward to protect him, their disbelief grew even further. The whole scene was more of a spectacle than a great theater play.


    Some people immediately started to stutter out: ¡°Jiang¡ªJiang Xunyi? How did he appear here? Is this a ghost?¡±


    Other people raised their voices: ¡°Family Head Du! What¡¯s the matter with you? Could it be that you have long since known this traitor? You¡¯re actually daring to defy Elder Feng in order to protect him?!¡±


    The man in question did not respond to any of the doubts and suspicions being thrown around. He first turned slightly, revealing the profile of a handsome and gentle face, as he spoke calmly: ¡°Are you alright? Were you frightened?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had a near-photographic memory, so he immediately recognized this person. This man bore the exact face of the first layer of his mask, exposed back when Jiang Xunyi had washed the blood off his face. That was the older brother of this current body, the eldest son of the Du family, born from a concubine2, the current family head Du Li.


    He had originally believed that since Du Li allowed Du Heng to replace him as the sacrifice for the Demon Sovereign, this pair of brothers must have had a completely antagonistic3 relationship. Okay, how one could possibly be antagonistic with an idiot was a matter up for further discussion, but in the end this current scene of harmonious brotherly affection shouldn¡¯t be occurring, right?


    Had Du Li seen him before? Did Du Li know that there was a person in this world whose appearance was so similar to his own half-brother? Why was he not the least bit surprised to see that Du Heng was no longer a fool?


    Jiang Xunyi looked into Du Li¡¯s eyes, only to see purely clear honesty. He slowly replied: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    Du Li nodded and did not say anything more. Only now did he turn back around and cup his hands in salute towards the crowd: ¡°My younger brother is blameless, and I do not know how he could have offended all of you. His brain has never worked properly ever since he was little, so if anyone has any issues, please direct them towards this humble one.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    That speech sounded well-intentioned and all, but why was he so angry upon hearing a particular section?


    Yun Xie heard Du Li¡¯s words, and actually did not speak for once. After staying silent for a moment, he looked back, wordlessly meeting Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi felt his gaze, and his heart trembled. He seemed to understand what Yun Xie was asking him through those eyes.


    He wanted to say: Du Heng or Jiang Xunyi, what choice will you make? Are you willing to change your name and identity, to throw away those past gratitudes and grudges like clearing the ledger of an unrecoverable debt? Are you happy with this? Are you¡­ capable of actually doing that?


    What happened in the past¡­ Is it that you do not wish to remember those events, or can you actually truly forget them? Will those things that you cannot face instead grow deeper and heavier with the passing years if left unresolved, until they become the burden weighing your heart down? One can turn the pages of a book without a care, but when he was so deep in the fray himself, could he really treat all of this as the matters of a book?


    Amidst his terror, he came to a sudden flash of understanding.


    ¡°I am still Jiang Xunyi.¡± The corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lip raised as he smiled and looked at Du Li. However, this smile was not soft as the spring breeze, but instead with a touch of vigor and high spirits, adding a sword-like sharpness to his slim figure: ¡°Du Heng is already dead. My apologies, Family Head Du, but you have recognized the wrong person.¡±


    Du Li was originally right in the middle of negotiating with the frightened sect leaders. Given Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wide reputation for obstinate arrogance as well as the ¡°dagger hidden in smiles4¡± Yun Xie¡¯s currently ambiguous position between enemy and friend¡­ no matter if Du Li had recognized the wrong person or not, those present were completely tense and on guard as if facing a formidable enemy. Their countless mouths and tongues were even more chattery than a gaggle of gossiping villager women, on the verge of talking Du Li to death. Now hearing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s answer, the entirety of this empty village suddenly quieted down. A nearby murder of murky crows seemed to have been startled by this atmosphere, cawing raucously as they flew by overhead and disappeared ominously into the distance.


    Du Li¡¯s eyes held the correct amount of amazement and horror. However, for some inexplicable reason, Jiang Xunyi had the persistent feeling that¡­ this person already knew everything deep down. As if Du Li¡¯s surprise wasn¡¯t because Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t his brother, but because Jiang Xunyi actually admitted this fact out loud.


    Du Li reacted extremely quickly, shaking his head and laughing: ¡°Ah-Heng5, don¡¯t make trouble. Did your sickness strike again?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± He originally mustered up quite a bit of willpower to stand up and admit his identity, so hearing Du Li¡¯s response did not make him feel particularly good. What was most annoying was how Du Li¡¯s tone was still completely kind and temperate! Was he actually pretending or not?


    Du Li turned to the crowd and explained: ¡°I have never seen young master Jiang before, and do not know if his appearance is in fact as similar to my younger brother as you all have identified. However, this child is confused and addled, and I could never mistake my own little brother for another. Ah-Heng, if you open up your clothes and take a look, you can see if your right shoulder has a gold-colored pattern in the shape of a snowflake. That is the snowflake seal carried since childhood by the Du family¡¯s sons of the first wife6. Once the snowflake seal is branded into the body, it will destroy the flesh and extinguish the soul upon death, removing any opportunity for possession or body theft. The seniors present should know this very well, correct?¡±


    The seniors present really did know about this rule in the Du family. However, seeing how Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mannerisms were exactly the same as before¡­ if anyone actually believed he was a fool, they would probably be the real fools here.


    Feng Xue was the first to speak: ¡°Fine, then first take off your clothes and let us see.¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s wrath prevented his brain from filtering his words before they left his mouth: ¡°Keep dreaming!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Do you know how to use that phrase correctly? If you don¡¯t, please refrain from blindly using it!


    He strongly felt he couldn¡¯t continue to ¡°¡­¡­.¡± any longer, plus he had absolutely no desire to take off his clothes. A manly man going shirtless was originally no big deal, but now after Jiang Molou¡¯s ¡®unique¡¯ choice of words, the situation was infinitely weirder. It didn¡¯t help that all these burning gazes were fixated on him. Moreover, why should he prove he is Du Heng?


    Jiang Xunyi had no way of denying it, so he simply gave up and didn¡¯t defend himself. Feng Xue¡¯s temper rose: ¡°Come and take it off! What, feeling guilty¡ª¡±


    He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when a powerful gust of wind swept before his eyes. Faced with this great shock, he hurriedly bowed backwards to barely avoid a projectile of overwhelming vital energy. The attack scraped his face like a knife, even shaving off several strands of his white beard. Immediately afterwards, a slender hand curled into the shape of a tiger¡¯s claw, gracefully moving to grip his throat.


    Feng Xue was of course no pushover. Despite his shock, he reacted instantly, stretching out one arm to parry the blow and then punching back with his other hand.


    Jiang Xunyi did not dodge or evade, his fist attacking in the same manner. The two fists clashed right into each other, knocking both parties back several steps. Jiang Xunyi flung out his sleeves and sneered: ¡°Still can¡¯t recognize who I am?¡±


    Feng Xue had previously had his reputation besmirched because of his daughter¡¯s disgrace, so he hated Jiang Xunyi down to his very bones. They had exchanged blows countless times, both in secret and out in the open. Even though he hadn¡¯t been the one to kill Jiang Xunyi in the end, he was absolutely familiar with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s moves, and abruptly flew into a rage: ¡°Brute! It really is you!¡±


    He raised his sword, ready to rush forward again, but his wrist was blocked by someone from the side, knocking his heavy sword out of his hands onto the ground.


    Feng Xue turned his head to see his blocker clearly. He suppressed his anger: ¡°Sect Master Yun, I have always treated you with the utmost courtesy. You clearly know that this brat humiliated Qiu-Er8, so don¡¯t stick your nose into other people¡¯s business. You, how are you worthy of Qiu-Er¡¯s affection for you?¡±


    Every time Yun Xie heard about the matter of ¡°Jiang Xunyi raping Feng Qiu,¡± he felt the sourness and bitterness of someone force-feeding him two pounds of coptis juice9. Most uncomfortable, even now he still didn¡¯t know for certain whether this incident was true or false. All this time, his breath had been suffocated in his chest, unable to be released. Now that Feng Xue had brought the matter up, he couldn¡¯t help but shoot a fierce glare at Jiang Xunyi, before turning his head to speak calmly to Feng Xue: ¡°Family Head Feng, I say, you¡¯re already getting up there in years, so all your pretentious swaggering has long since lost any amusement value. Given the way you typically treat Feng-Shijie, do you think us all blind and deaf?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not see Yun Xie glaring at him. Instead, it was Du Li who murmured to himself for a moment and then opened his mouth to speak: ¡°Sect Master Yun, even though I have never had the honor of meeting with you before, I have often heard of the famous Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage. It was said that you two had a deep and profound friendship back in the day, so you must definitely recognize Jiang Xunyi¡¯s appearance. Does Sect Master Yun also intend to stubbornly insist my little brother is young master Jiang, thus endangering him?¡±


    Yun Xie naturally understood Du Li was hinting for him to avoid screwing Jiang Xunyi over and to hurriedly pluck him out of this messy situation. However, he didn¡¯t agree with this approach at all, instead proudly declaring: ¡°Jiang Xunyi is Jiang Xunyi. Will that fact change whether I acknowledge it or not? What¡¯s so shameful about that name? Please pardon my ignorance, I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Feng Xue grew angry: ¡°What about him isn¡¯t shameful? He originally was the spawn of a lowly brothel slave, born to be base and treacherous!¡±


    Yun Xie flew into a fury: ¡°You old fart, what are you saying?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. He raised his hand and unsheathed his sword, ready to beat the living daylights out of this old man. But at this time, a quiet feminine voice whispered: ¡°¡­¡­Xunyi.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand paused.


    It was Feng Qiu.


    Footnotes:


    1.  Fun fact: ¾ªÀ× lit. ¡°shocking thunder¡± is used to refer to both a ¡°shocking turn of events¡± and the actual sound of a thunderclap.


    2. Du Li is referred to as a ¡°Êü×Ó.¡± Êü means he was born of a concubine, not the main wife. The opposite of Êü is µÕ (see footnote 6).


    3. Ë®»ð²»ÈÝ lit. ¡°water and fire do not mix.¡± The English equivalent would probably be the phrase ¡°like oil and water¡±


    4. ЦÀï²Øµ¶ lit. ¡°dagger/knife hidden in smiles¡±


    5. Just like how Yun Xie calls Jiang Xunyi ¡°Ah-Xun¡±, Du Li similarly nicknames Du Heng by taking the first character of his name and adding ¡°Ah-¡± in front.


    6. Du Heng is referred to as a ¡°µÕ×Ó¡± where µÕ means ¡°legitimate¡± or ¡°born of the first/main wife¡±


    7. Jiang Molou specifically says ¡°Äã³ÕÐÄÍýÏë!¡± This is similar in tone to the phrase ¡°Keep Dreaming¡± which is usually ¡°×öÃÎ!¡±. However, ³ÕÐÄÍýÏë has the added connotation of a particularly fond dream or wishful thinking.


    8. Feng Xue adds ¶ù (¨¦r) to Feng Qiu¡¯s name. This is an affectionate nickname for someone you see as a beloved child. You might recall that Immortal Master Ti Ming referred to Jiang Xunyi as Xun-Er and Yun Xie as Xie-Er, and Wu Tianqi referred to his daughter Wu Hui as Hui-Er.


    9. »ÆÁ¬Ö­ is the juice of the plant Coptis chinensis, also known as Chinese goldthread and known for its very bitter flavor.

 CH 35

    Chapter 35 ¨C Sharing Affection


    For him, this girl was different than other people.


    Back in the day, there had been good relations between the Solar Envy Sect and the Feng family, especially due to their close proximities. As a result, Feng Qiu and Yun Xie had been acquainted very early on. Given how Jiang Xunyi was as inseparable from Yun Xie as his shadow, he was naturally very familiar with her as well. In addition, he had always held some strange feelings towards her.


    This wasn¡¯t because Jiang Xunyi himself adored Feng Qiu or anything, but because the ¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·book¡¯s setting influenced his emotions: Feng Qiu, the eldest daughter of the Feng family head Feng Xue, had held unrequited love for Yun Xie since childhood. She was also the only woman Jiang Xunyi ever loved. She was later defiled through Jiang Xunyi¡¯s crafty scheming, and met her end sacrificing herself to save Yun Xie. She ultimately became the eternal white moonlight1 in the protagonist¡¯s heart, and was one of the major reasons behind the falling-out between the pair of sworn brothers.


    Although Jiang Xunyi was not as infatuated and obsessed as described in the novel, whenever he saw her he would always subconsciously want to treat her well. Perhaps this was that so-called ¡°connection decreed by fate.¡± Unfortunately, the horrible matter of raping the other party was a task assigned to him by the system. Jiang Xunyi had straight-up resisted this idea and refrained from going through with it, but for some unknown reason the story had still progressed to this point.


    He knew he hadn¡¯t done anything to Feng Qiu, but when faced with those eyes brimming over with glistening tears, he still felt his heart throb with pain.


    Jiang Xunyi slowly put down the sword aimed at Feng Xue, and softly said: ¡°¡­¡­.Qiu-shijie.¡±


    Feng Qiu nodded, but her gaze subconsciously drifted over to Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was frosty as he avoided looking at her. On the other hand, the surrounding sect leaders were feasting their eyes on this dramatic spectacle, and had even forgotten to denounce and condemn the traitor¡ªAnyway, no matter what Jiang Xunyi had done, they hadn¡¯t suffered any harm from it. When there was nothing else to do, following along and yelling a couple sentences to show off their righteousness was enough. Now as they got to see the full show of grievances and hatreds entering the stage, no one had the presence of mind to manage that!


    Who could have expected that Feng Xue, who just now still had the appearance of a kindly father anxious and indignant on behalf of his daughter, suddenly changed expression at the sight of Feng Qiu walking out. He reached out and yanked her back to his side, and scolded: ¡°A disgrace like you still dares to come out and make a fool of yourself, have you no shame?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi coldly said: ¡°Mind your speech.¡±


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t bear it any longer: ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you should first mind yourself!¡±


    As the scene erupted in chaos, the center players were entangled in a back-and-forth, while the bystanders on the side also began to discuss among themselves:


    ¡°Why is this Feng family head so ferocious? Just now I thought he loved his daughter very much!¡±


    ¡°What do you know? That Feng Xue has always regarded men as superior to women2, and looked down on this daughter of his. Before, he had the desire to use her to climb3 onto Sect Master Yun, so he seemed passably tolerant on the surface. Then when that Jiang Xunyi disturbed the situation, he became ashamed and resentful¡ªJust look at that huge temper tantrum. The way I see it, he¡¯s currently yielding to Sect Master Yun, intentionally or otherwise, because his idea of recruiting a son-in-law still has not disappeared.¡±


    The person who had started the questioning was stunned: ¡°Feng Xue dares to try that? Without even mentioning the character and origins of that Yun Xie¡­ in the beginning before this trouble with Jiang Xunyi, this Feng Qiu still wouldn¡¯t be a worthy match for him. Anyway, what surprises me the most is how closed-minded4 this eldest young master Jiang must be, to ignore all those beauties chasing him in favor of insisting on forcing himself on this kind of woman and bring shame and ruin upon himself.¡±


    His companion didn¡¯t answer, probably because he couldn¡¯t understand it either. That man¡¯s gaze flickered between Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi, and Feng Qiu. He then whispered to his companion: ¡°You see, life is so much easier when you¡¯re good looking. Miss Feng clearly admires Sect Master Yun, and even after suffering such a big loss, she looks like she actually holds no resentment towards Jiang Xunyi. In the end, it¡¯s just because he looks handsome¡­. Ow, what are you pulling me for?¡±


    The companion smiled bitterly, itching to clamp that blabbering mouth shut. He could only lower his head to hide his face, and vaguely mutter: ¡°Wanderer Zihui5 is watching you!¡±


    Hearing that name, the man shivered from terror. Trembling with fear, he looked up and indeed saw a woman dressed as a Daoist nun in the middle of glaring at him. This woman¡¯s appearance was very beautiful, but her brows and eyes were suffused with an intimidating murderous aura. This was precisely the current head of the West Hidden Spirit Sect, as well as the Shimei6 of the deceased Elder Jinghai.


    It was common knowledge that she most hated hearing other people praise Jiang Xunyi, no matter the context.


    Only when the other party finally shut up did Wanderer Zihui scoff coldly and shout: ¡°Jiang Xunyi is just a traitor who defied his superiors. No matter how good his appearance, it can¡¯t make up for his dishonorable morals! Since he has entered my sight today, I shall clean my sect of this stain! ¡±


    Her voice rang out loud and clear over the whole scene. Yun Xie looked over at Wanderer Zihui and sneered: ¡°I want to see who dares to strike the first blow. If you hurt a single strand of hair on his head today, I will make you wish for death!¡±


    Wanderer Zihui grew angry: ¡°Yun Xie, there really is something wrong with you! Such erratic capriciousness is the behavior of lowly villains! Back when we were capturing this traitor from our sect, you obstructed us time and time again, hindering our plans. Later when the news came that you had killed him, I still had my doubts. Us now seeing him standing here perfectly alive and well must be due to some trickery and fraud on your part! Hmph, what falling-out between the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage? It now looks more like two scum acting in collusion. Fancy all those young disciples idolizing you two as gods back then, aren¡¯t you ashamed?!¡±


    Hearing this speech, Yun Xie¡¯s anger gradually grew more serious instead. He shut his eyes, and actually responded: ¡°What you said was correct, I once committed many wrongs, but the past is in the past¡­. No matter how much bitter remorse and regret I feel, it¡¯s useless. But today, I swear to the heavens: From henceforth, if I, Yun Xie, ever have the slightest hint of intent to hurt Jiang Xunyi, may the heavens and earth strike me down, and my soul fly away and scatter!¡±


    His words were spoken to Wanderer Zihui, but his eyes were looking at Jiang Xunyi. The phrase ¡°May the heavens and earth strike me down, and my soul fly away and scatter¡± may be just a joke or exaggerated rhetoric to a mundane person, but every cultivator on the path towards immortality knew this was the heaviest possible vow.


    The events of the past did not rest quietly, but always arrived at the moment when one was most unprepared. Jiang Xunyi looked towards the resolute-toned Yun Xie, only to feel countless scattered pictures flooding his heart. Among them were scenes from the previous life and from this life, coming in a continuous stream without any guiding threads, so in this moment he actually had difficulty distinguishing between reality and memory.


    Jiang Molou grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arm: ¡°Don¡¯t believe him!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­I wasn¡¯t going to, don¡¯t grab so tightly. What¡¯s the point in each of you wrangling over every tiny annoying trifle from the past? Are we running away or not?¡±


    He was growing anxious too¡ª¡ªaccording to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s usual methods, improper words should be met with a fight. If he can¡¯t beat the opponent, he¡¯ll take advantage of the chaos to escape. If he can beat the opponent, he¡¯ll vent his anger with a thorough thrashing. Here he had been about to strike on several occasions, yet there was always someone popping out of nowhere to block his way¡ª¡ªThis really wasn¡¯t good for his pent-up resentment.


    Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou managed to briefly converse, but before they even had time to come to a conclusion, they spotted a blue ray of light shooting straight up into the clouds through their peripheral vision. In the blink of an eye, the darkening twilight sky was abruptly illuminated once more. The blue light cast shadows on everyone¡¯s horrified faces, like the haunting of demonic ghosts.


    Jiang Xunyi abruptly looked up, his voice jumping up an octave: ¡°Yun Xie! Are you crazy? Hurry and stop!¡±


    The Yun Xie who had always been docile and obedient towards him¡­ didn¡¯t stop this time. Just now, when Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou were whispering to each other, Wanderer Zihui had sneered at Yun Xie: ¡°I don¡¯t care how exactly you resurrected him. But since he could be killed once, he can be killed a second time!¡±


    As she spoke, a magnificent light burst from her hands, revealing the splendid Sharing Affection Banner7 she was holding.


    The Sharing Affection Banner was a device of divine condemnation¡ª¡ªit was unclear how it had come into her possession. This thing had the power to call forth heavenly lightning. It was particularly specialized at striking down those beings who shouldn¡¯t be in this world yet defy the natural order to remain, such as those living on a borrowed lifespan, those who had seized another¡¯s body for possession, and those whose soul had returned from the grave.


    Yun Xie had always been unsure of how Jiang Xunyi had resurrected from the dead. He had always been on tenterhooks, unable to sleep soundly at night. Now seeing this taboo object on top of hearing the opponent say ¡°can be killed a second time¡±, the greatest hidden pain in his heart was stimulated once again. Murderous intent instantly rushed into his chest, and without saying another word, he immediately struck back.


    The biting cold sword aura was still in the distance, but all those present had already been forced to retreat by this indiscriminate killing intent. The hurricane gales whipped people¡¯s robes and sleeves. The Sharing Affection Banner seemed to have sensed the danger too, as it let out a low humming sound and trembled uneasily in Zihui¡¯s hands.


    With a rumbling bang, the originally crumbling thatched house to the side was the first to be unable to withstand such tremendous pressure, and actually exploded.


    Those present at the scene finally put down their desire to watch the fun. They involuntarily revealed expressions of surprise and agitation, as if they had just realized that Yun Xie had been called a genius since he was a child, and it was not without reason that he stood at the peak of the cultivation world at such a young age¡ª¡ªHis true strength was actually terrifyingly powerful to this extent!


    As everyone retreated back, only Jiang Xunyi raised his sleeves to protect his eyes. He struggled to take one step forward at a time against the power of the wind, and shouted towards Yun Xie: ¡°What are you doing?! You¡­¡­¡±


    He still wanted to yell out a few more words, but his throat choked on the incoming gust. He couldn¡¯t speak anymore, but his heart grew even more anxious. A divine device like the Sharing Affection Banner could no longer be called any ordinary artifact. It was even on the verge of possessing its own consciousness. Given its ridiculous and tyrannical strength, even if struck with an earth-shattering mortal blow8, it would not receive an iota of harm. It was an existence that absolutely could not be provoked. And Yun Xie actually dared to fight this thing head-on with the intent to ruin it¡­ Besides complete and utter madness, one couldn¡¯t find any other reason for his behavior. Don¡¯t look at his majestic and imposing manner, appearing to hold the upper hand; Jiang Xunyi understood Yun Xie¡¯s weight class too well. Unless today was the finale of¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·, even if Yun Xie had just eaten eighteen pounds of spinach9, it was impossible for his strength to be boosted to that extent.


    But did such a stupid ending exist in the world? Wouldn¡¯t the author get beaten to death?!


    What exactly is Yun Xie trying to do?!


    Jiang Xunyi finally understood what other people in the past must have felt when they lectured him to control his impulses and calm down¡ª¡ªPeople who don¡¯t listen to advice and persuasion are simply way too damn annoying!


    Footnotes:


    1. °×Ô¹â lit. ¡°white moonlight¡± is a term referring to one¡¯s first pure love, usually one with a tragic ending.


    2. ÖØÄÐÇáÅ® lit. ¡°placing heavy weight on males, only giving light weight to females¡± is one way of referring to the sexist tendencies in ancient Chinese society, especially the practice of favoring sons over daughters.


    3. Åʸ½ literally refers to a plant/vine climbing, but here it¡¯s used in the context of social climbing.


    4. Ïë²»¿ª lit. ¡°can¡¯t think open¡±


    5. ×Ô»Û(z¨¬ hu¨¬) is her name, which ironically means something like ¡°self + wisdom¡±. You might have remembered the Two Elders talking to someone called ¡°Zihui¡± offscreen back in the flashback arc.


    É¢ÈË(s¨£n r¨¦n) is a type of title that literally translates to something like ¡°Scattered person¡±. In the context of cultivation novels, it usually refers to independent/self-taught/unaffiliated cultivators who don¡¯t associate with a particular sect. Zihui here may have been an independent cultivator at some point who later joined the Hidden Spirit Sect. However, since she¡¯s not actually independent, I translated the title to Wanderer.


    6. ʦÃà lit. ¡°disciple + little sister¡±. Yep, she¡¯s associated with Elder Jinghai and Jingzhou.


    7. ËßÇé is the title of this chapter, as well as the name of this magical banner. It literally translates to ¡°telling/saying/speaking¡±  + ¡°feelings/affection/love¡±. I randomly translated it to ¡°Shared Affection¡±


    8. ¸«îá¼ÓÉí literally means something like ¡°the executioner¡¯s axe chopping on one¡¯s body¡±. I went for a more liberal translation since no one¡¯s executing banners around here.


    9. This is probably a reference to the Popeye the Sailor cartoon, who grows progressively buffer the more spinach he eats.

 CH 36.1

    Chapter 36.1 ¨C The Page Too Has its Joys and Sorrows


    In this single moment of effort, the sword¡¯s blazing light clashed with the bright aura of the Sharing Affection Banner. The previously dark and gloomy sky immediately glowed alight with an ominous dark red, as if all the gods and Buddhas of the heavens also felt fright. A howling gale rose from the earth, so fierce that those present could not open their eyes against the wind. A rainstorm abruptly began to pour, and the nearby grass houses crumbled into scattering ash.


    Jiang Molou rushed up with lightning speed. His hand formed into a seal that barely managed to prop up a barrier, and he dragged Jiang Xunyi to retreat back.


    The two of them hadn¡¯t had any time to evade, when they suddenly heard Wei Xiuqi exclaim: ¡°Shidi!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned to see Nie Yan losing his balance and sliding off the mountain slope, on the verge of tumbling into the battle ring.


    As the closest one to his falling figure, Jiang Xunyi immediately flew to save him. Jiang Molou grabbed Wei Xiuqi and threw him to the safe zone first, then followed right after.


    The torrential rain rendered the soil loose and slippery, with gusts of wind periodically sweeping over the earth. Even Jiang Xunyi stumbled as he moved. He used all his strength to snatch Nie Yan and pull him up by his collar. Jiang Molou was about to catch up with him, so Jiang Xunyi stuffed Nie Yan into his arms and shouted: ¡°Go! Stop dilly-dallying!¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s face was soaked with rainwater, but he didn¡¯t even have a spare hand to wipe it away. He subconsciously took Nie Yan first and then reached out to Jiang Xunyi. But he was caught off guard by his wrist being unexpectedly grabbed. He was subsequently flung backward, leaving his hand grasping empty air.


    Jiang Molou blurted out: ¡°Ge!¡±


    His voice was swallowed up by the huge roar between the heavens and the earth. Sword aura pierced the air like a rainbow passing through the sunlight. Midway through, the aura scattered into sword rain, striking downwards without rhyme or reason. After tossing Jiang Molou away, Jiang Xunyi immediately reversed his hand to unsheathe his sword. But what he did not expect was that when the sword rain was about to reach him, it actually curved around his body as if it had met an invisible barrier, without even touching a corner of his clothes.


    In this moment, Jiang Xunyi reacted extraordinarily fast. He only froze for the briefest of instances and immediately understood: Yun Xie¡¯s statement just now to ¡°never hurt Jiang Xunyi¡± was a true ¡°vow.¡±


    This ¡°vow¡± was equivalent to a kind of curse. When the speaker performed a corresponding seal at the same time as making the vow, a contract was formed that could not be disobeyed no matter what. Those who do not comply with their vow will inevitably suffer severe backlash.


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at his left shoulder and indeed saw a ray of white light flashing before fading away.


    However, under these circumstances with crackling lightning strikes, piercing sword aura, and plundering gales everywhere¡ªShit, and also a bunch of wailing useless trash in the background¡­. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have an ounce of time to feel moved. Since the protagonist was courting death, his brain was already about to explode from the screaming din of the System.


    He was now quite close to Yun Xie¡¯s location. He could hear Jiang Molou calling him, but the two of them could no longer see each other¡¯s figures through the storm. Instead, this position allowed him to spy the current situation of Yun Xie and the Sharing Affections Banner clearly. The Sharing Affections Banner had quite obviously been provoked, and was currently stuck in a stalemate with Yun Xie. Wanderer Zihui had suffered a backlash of power and had collapsed on the side, her life or death unknown.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sharp brows rose slightly, and he re-sheathed his sword. He subsequently pressed his left hand to his right wrist, and lightly called out: ¡°Go!¡±


    His right hand then formed an Empty Clasp1 and slowly lifted up. The empty air before him transformed into a meter-long teal blade, with violet streams of light circulating on the edge.


    Jiang Xunyi arched his hand to throw this long sword formed from convergence of his primordial spirit up towards the sky. Controlling the sword with his vital energy, he directed it to strike downwards at the air right between Yun Xie and the Sharing Affections Banner.


    The two sides currently stuck in a standstill now encountered a third force entering the fray, and naturally put up a fierce resistance. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s long sword was immediately bounced away back up into the sky. He looked up, no panic appearing on his face. His two palms rapidly clapped together three times and then formed a chain of numerous complicated magic seals, making the blade dramatically grow over a hundredfold in size. In the span of a mere instant, it had become a giant sword that seemed capable of cleaving the heavens and the earth. It streaked across the sky like a meteor, chopping down once more with overwhelming force2.


    With this clash of vital energies, rays of sunlight shot in all directions. The billowing black clouds of the night sky were painted in blooming color, as if ten thousand fireworks had blossomed with devastating beauty. The sword let out the sound of howling wind and booming thunder as it managed to slice halfway downwards before stagnating in place. Jiang Xunyi shouted: ¡°Yun Xie, are you done yet?! Looking for trouble, are you? If you¡¯re looking for trouble, I¡¯ll play with you.¡±


    Separated by a heavy cloud of smoke and fog, Yun Xie looked back at him. His originally pitch-black pupils were currently tinged blood-red, and his expression was something halfway between resisting and struggling.


    Seeing his appearance showing faint signs of possession, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brows furrowed. His hands pressed together with even more force, and his primordial spirit sword cut another fraction deeper.


    But just this additional fraction seemed to have exhausted his entire body¡¯s vitality, and the sword could not move any further downwards. Just at this time, another crashing clamor erupted from mid-air, akin to the roaring of the mountains and seas, as the Sharing Affections Banner suddenly burst apart. Yun Xie¡¯s sword aura flew horizontally, carrying his sword and his person to sweep over half the village. Having abruptly lost its opposition, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s primordial spirit sword cleaved the air to carve a deep crevice into the earth.


    However, Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have the presence of mind to recover his vitality. He hurriedly turned back to search for Yun Xie, only to discover another person¡¯s figure suddenly appearing from mid-air not too far away and catching Yun Xie in its arms.


    With the appearance of this person, the clouds dispersed, the rain vanished, the windstorm came to a halt. The night stars glittered far into the distance, as if everything that had happened just now was just a dream. Only the utter chaos on the ground remained, to remind people that it all had been real.


    Jiang Xunyi wiped the rainwater off his face and looked towards the other party. He found that the person holding Yun Xie was an old man with kind brows and pleasant eyes, his bald head polished and shiny enough to reflect the starlight. A wisp of a gray beard drifted gently from his chin. He wore K¨¡?¨¡ya3 robes and a string of Buddhist prayer beads encircled his wrist, so from appearances he seemed like a monk.


    He only ¡°seemed like¡± a monk, because the old man¡¯s other hand was holding something that looked to be a¡­ chicken drumstick.


    While the old man took a bite out of the chicken drumstick, he smiled and patted the closed-eyed Yun Xie resting on his body, and then spoke to Jiang Xunyi: ¡°Amitabha, this old monk4 has heard of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage possessing inborn intelligence and exceptional physiques, rare geniuses in this world. This old monk has always yearned for a meeting. Now from today¡¯s view, they are instead incomparably childish, foolish, rude, and impetuous. Their only redeeming quality would be their faces. Ah, it truly makes one sigh.¡±


    He intentionally or unintentionally patted Yun Xie¡¯s face. It was unclear if this was threatening Jiang Xunyi against reckless action, or sighing with emotion at Yun Xie¡¯s fine looks.


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Jiang Xingyi gnashed his teeth in anger, but still had to maintain a smile on his face: ¡°I truly have never heard such a brilliant and wise opinion before. If I may dare ask, who is this distinguished person? What have you come here for?¡±


    The old man smiled: ¡°This old monk is not as famous as young master Jiang, so you wouldn¡¯t recognize me even if I said it. My Dharma name5is He Deng6. I have come here for you, of course.¡±


    That last sentence was clearly a perfectly ordinary thing to say, but the way the old man said it somehow managed to add a hint of provocation and teasing. Jiang Xunyi glanced at the motionless Yun Xie in his arms and then looked away nonchalantly. He chose to ask a completely irrelevant and insignificant question: ¡°What you¡¯re holding in your hand right now is¡­ a chicken drumstick?¡±


    He Deng froze momentarily, but very quickly started to chuckle: ¡°Yep.¡±


    Looking at his posture, he seemed to be waiting for Jiang Xunyi to raise the doubt of why he was eating meat despite being a monk, to which he would mockingly respond with a ¡°Wine and meat may pass through the intestines, but Buddha still remains in the heart.7¡±


    However, Jiang Xunyi unexpectedly arched a brow: ¡°Then I advise you to best put Yun Xie down.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Because he absolutely hates oil getting on his clothes.¡±


    Accompanying Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, the originally motionless Yun Xie straightened up, his left hand arcing to attack He Deng¡¯s face with the speed of lightning. He Deng obviously had not expected a dignified sect master to actually use the childish tactic of playing dead, so under this great shock he hurriedly leaned back to evade. Yun Xie took the opportunity to flip backwards out of his range of control, landing by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even look at him, and only indifferently said: ¡°You¡¯re actually still alive. Your luck never runs out, huh?¡±


    Yun Xie looked to Jiang Xunyi and gently said: ¡°No matter the time or place, as long as you are with me, I will always possess infinite strength to keep going.¡±


    Absolute nonsense! Unfortunately, right now was not the time to question him on what exactly he had done, so seeing him refuse to tell the truth, Jiang Xunyi unceremoniously said: ¡°Then there must be something wrong with you.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled, stretching his sleeves to wipe off a trace of blood by his lips and secretly straightening his back. He and Jiang Xunyi looked to be casually chatting, but in reality neither¡¯s heart was relaxed. There was still a huge group of people behind them looking for trouble which had not yet been resolved. Now seeing this mysterious old man popping up too, who hadn¡¯t yet made his stance clear between enemy or friend¡­ the situation was simply a complete and utter mess.


    However, even under such circumstances, a strange sense of pleasure emerged from Yun Xie¡¯s heart. Even if Jiang Xunyi maliciously gave him the cold shoulder on the surface, when they did encounter an outside enemy, he still automatically stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him. It gave Yun Xie the illusion that nothing had ever happened between them. Even if it was just deceiving himself¡­ this was fine.


    Footnotes:


    1. Ðé£: Ðé = ¡°empty, void, false¡±, while £ = ¡°collect, hold together, gather¡±. Apparently this is a move in Taiji (Tai Chi) martial arts? But I couldn¡¯t find an existing English translation so I just made one up lol.


    2. ´Ý¿ÝÀ­Ðà lit. ¡°like crushing dry weeds and smashing rotten wood¡±


    3. You might recall ôÂôÄ (K¨¡?¨¡ya) was mentioned back in Chapter 23 as a Buddhist monk¡¯s outer robe, also called a monk¡¯s cassock.


    4. The old man consistently refers to himself as ÀÏñÄ which is literally ¡°old monk¡±. He actually never refers to himself as ¡°I¡±, but if I changed every single one of his ¡°I¡±s to ¡°this old monk¡± the dialogue would be a little too clunky. (Chinese sentence structure allows you to go whole paragraphs without saying ¡°I¡±, but English is less forgiving.)


    5. ·¨ºÅ or Dharma name is a new name given to newly ordained Buddhist monks, nuns, etc. It is of course separate from their original Ë×Ãû or ¡°common name.¡±


    6. ºÍµÆ: ºÍ = ¡°harmonious, peaceful¡± while µÆ= ¡°lamp, light¡±


    7. ¾ÆÈâ´©³¦¹ý£¬·ð×æÐÄÍ·×ø is apparently an actual saying in some Buddhist circles.

 CH 36.2

    Chapter 36.2 ¨C The Page Too Has its Joys and Sorrows


    During their brief exchange of dialogue, the various sect heads who had just been forced to retreat now rushed back up one by one. They all came to a halt a few steps away for an unspoken reason. Only Jiang Molou took his two disciples with him to walk directly to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, without even looking at the surrounding people.


    This act finally gave them a subject to discuss, and Feng Xue was the first to speak: ¡°Sect Head Jiang, Sect Master Yun, do you two mean to protect that scum until the end?¡±


    Jiang Molou was as concise as ever: ¡°He is my Shixiong. Since he has returned, he shall be the Hidden Spirit Sect Head in the future.¡±


    Yun Xie was uncharacteristically quiet as he stood on the side. Instead, it was He Deng behind their group who finished his chicken drumstick, wiped his mouth, put his palms together devoutly1, and then spoke with great benevolence: ¡°Amitabha, another idiot has arrived.¡±


    Jiang Molou probably had never been called such a term in his life. For a moment, he didn¡¯t react, or perhaps he suspected some hidden meaning behind those words, so he looked to Jiang Xunyi in complete confusion.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°He¡¯s insulting you.¡±


    Jiang Molou: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Upon being completely ignored once again, Feng Xue couldn¡¯t endure any longer, and raised his voice: ¡°If this is the case, then do not blame me for being rude. Everyone, attack together! No matter how sky-high their abilities are, they can¡¯t beat all of us at once!¡±


    Yun Xie slowly took a step forward, blocking in front of Jiang Xunyi, and indifferently said: ¡°Who dares?¡± His tone was not particularly harsh, but it carried a chilling momentum: ¡°It is not as if you all do not know who I am. If any here do not understand the correct decision between advancing and retreating, then do not blame me for casting aside mercy. Killing people has always been the simplest matter in the whole world.¡±


    Glancing at Yun Xie¡¯s clenched fists behind his back, Jiang Xunyi knew he was definitely bluffing. He was originally injured in the first place, and had just fought such an earth-shaking battle with the Sharing Affections Banner. At this moment, he was likely already at the end of his rope2¡ªdon¡¯t even mention killing a person, even killing a chicken would probably be a problem for him.


    He quickly strode up and grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s arm. While it looked like he was blocking Yun Xie from attacking, he was in fact supporting Yun Xie¡¯s body. He whispered under his breath: ¡°What are you flaunting around for, hurry and shut up. Molou, you carry him and leave first. Without him as an encumbrance, I¡¯ll probably be able to run away even faster than you two.¡±


    The endlessly noisy He Deng spoke out again: ¡°These two benefactor brothers share deep feelings, enough to move one¡¯s heart. However, with a gulf between their hearts, how can there be no obstacles in their minds3? Young master Jiang, are you thus willing to forgive Sect Master Yun for that deadly enmity?¡±


    In this kind of extremely urgent situation, he still wanted to blab away with no end in sight. The chatter was enough to explode one¡¯s brain, and Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie simultaneously roared: ¡°Shut up!¡±


    He Deng did not shut up. He continued to speak while watching them: ¡°Unexpectedly, the two of you experienced a bout of life and death, yet still remain so close that nothing can come between. Young master Jiang, are you not afraid that Sect Master Yun¡¯s current injuries are all faked? Have you considered that perhaps you encountered all these people precisely because he secretly invited them over, intending to capture and kill you once again?¡±


    Faced with such blatant attempts to sow discord and drive a wedge between them, even someone with immense self-restraint wouldn¡¯t be able to take it any longer, let alone Yun Xie. He ground his teeth in rage¡ªif it weren¡¯t for his injuries being so heavy that he lacked even a modicum of spare strength, he would truly abandon everything else in favor of making his first priority chopping down this old man.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t show much reaction to these words. Instead, it was Jiang Molou who was abruptly shocked, pulling Jiang Xunyi behind his own back and lifting up his sword to prop it against Yun Xie¡¯s neck.


    But before he could complete the move, Jiang Xunyi had already flicked his finger to knock Jiang Molou¡¯s sword away: ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, are we seriously going to play this game of internal strife? You don¡¯t have to worry, Yun Xie would not do such a thing.¡±


    Yun Xie raised his head, quietly watching Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Molou said: ¡°You still trust him? He killed you!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°He killed me, but it was an open and fair killing. My skills were no match for his, so there is nothing more to say. What¡¯s more, whether he killed me is one matter, but whether I trust him is another matter entirely.¡±


    At this time, it was already past midnight. Feng Xue saw that Yun Xie was indeed badly wounded, so he couldn¡¯t help but take a couple steps forward. However, he still held an ounce of fear towards this bizarrely behaving old man, so he hesitated for a moment before attempting to test the waters: ¡°May I ask the reason behind the Great Master¡¯s coming? If you do not recognize these two men in the first place, I would advise Great Master to first avoid meddling in other people¡¯s business.¡±


    Great Master He Deng was all smiles: ¡°Although this old monk has never met the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage before, the Buddha¡¯s mission has always been to deliver all living creatures from suffering. I was not acquainted with them before, but now I am. I came here today precisely to resolve the confusion between these two.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°What resolving confusions, I have no need for that.¡±


    Great Master He Deng laughed: ¡°Amitabha, it seems that you are still unwilling to forgive Sect Master Yun. If this is the case, this old man might as well help young master Jiang repay this enmity.¡±


    The moment the words left his mouth, his palm suddenly shot out without any warning whatsoever, smashing straight onto the crown of Yun Xie¡¯s head. He had moved with incredible blazing speed¡ªneither Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou on the side, nor Yun Xie himself, had any time to react.


    With such a clean blow to the crown of the head, no matter who the attacker was, there was no reasonable chance of survival. Jiang Xunyi could only watch as Yun Yie sprayed out blood from his nose and mouth and toppled over. His heart skipped a beat and his mind was completely blank in that instant, feeling as if his whole body was paralyzed.


    But immediately afterwards, Jiang Xunyi felt a wave of extreme grief and anger rush to his chest. Blood flooded to his brain, and amidst the resentment he didn¡¯t think before blurting out: ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you!!¡±


    He smashed his palms out, even forgetting to unsheathe his sword. A stream of spiritual energy intertwined with his characteristic fire dragon, rushing up towards the heavens before attacking He Deng with the momentum of a churning sea4.


    But this earth-shattering palm of his¡­ appeared to do absolutely nothing to this bony aged monk. With a casual wave of He Deng¡¯s sleeves, the immense force was deflected at an angle to hit the nearby empty ground instead. With a huge bang, another wave of sand and rocks was stirred up from the earth, barraging all those present.


    He Deng smiled slightly: ¡°Having avenged such a great hatred, is young master Jiang actually not pleased?¡±


    As he spoke, his figure seemed to sway slightly. He leaned over to pick up Yun Xie¡¯s corpse, and then turned and leapt away. His silhouette rose and fell, when suddenly he pulled out a great saber5 from some unknown location. With one stroke through the air, an enormous opening was actually ripped open in the empty space, and He Deng carried Yun Xie to jump inside. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s rage seemed to have overcome his reason, and he followed without even thinking.


    Behind them, the crowd of people watched with wide eyes as the crack in space-time shuddered and twisted a few times before once again disappearing into the air, leaving no trace of the three people behind.


    Footnotes:


    1. Ë«ÊÖºÏÊ®: You¡¯ve probably seen monks put their hands together in prayer, like in this picture:


    2. Ç¿åó֮ĩ lit. ¡°an arrow at the end of its flight¡±


    3. He Deng¡¯s line here is likely a reference to the most famous Buddhist scripture the Heart Sutra, which emphasizes that Bodhisattvas have ¡°ÐÄÎÞ¹Ò°­¡± [¡°No worries in their heart¡± or ¡°No obstacles in their mind¡±]


    4.  ÅŽ­µ¹º£


    5. µ¶ can refer both to a knife and to a single-edged sword/saber. Since He Deng is literally tearing space open, I felt a knife might not be large enough for this endeavor.

 CH 36.3

    Chapter 36.3 ¨C The Page Too Has its Joys and Sorrows


    When Jiang Xunyi jumped out of the fissure, his feet did not find any solid footing. Looking down, he found himself falling from the sky, the wind howling past his ears.


    The cool breeze rushing past his face gave him back a fraction of his reason. He flipped over in mid-air, borrowing the crags of the nearby cliffside in order to achieve a steady landing.


    The bloody carnage of the village and the raucous crowds of people just now had all disappeared without a trace. In their place were silent empty mountains and dense shadowy woods, without even a whisper of a living creature. Although it was still the dark of night, the night sky here was crystal clear, studded with twinkling stars that cast a gentle light which calmed one¡¯s heart. However, this tranquil landscape held no trace of He Deng and Yun Xie.


    After the experience of the Imprisoned Demons Valley, Jiang Xunyi could not help but wonder if he was again caught in some strange and mysterious Inner Demon. He pinched all over his limbs, inspecting whether his current body was that of Du Heng or still Jiang Xunyi. Only after determining this was not an illusion did he begin to slowly size up the surrounding environment.


    As his momentary shock and anger faded, Jiang Xunyi finally reacted¡ªThere was no way Yun Xie could die so easily. Without considering anything else about the situation, if Yun Xie had indeed met with unexpected misfortune1, the system¡¯s blaring alarms would be reverberating in his head for days. And right now, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind was as calm as still water.


    Though Jiang Xunyi cracked this idle joke to himself in his heart, his facial expression was still as solemn as ever, as if in this short period of time he had forgotten how to smile. As he passed through the forest, a paved cobblestone road quietly appeared before his eyes. The path meandered and twisted through the wood, and at its end lay an ancient Buddhist temple.


    The winding path led to a secluded retreat, a mediation hall deep in a flowering wood.2


    Jiang Xunyi seemed to have arrived at some realization. He did not knock on the door, but directly pushed open the temple gate and walked inside. The front hall of this temple had been constructed with lofty and towering grandeur, but the years seemed to have taken its toll. The wood and stone bricks all showed the heavy wear of age, and the incense sticks were few and far between. Not even a shadow of a person could be seen. As he followed this little path overgrown by grass and weeds, his floating long robes stirred up a mottled shadow among the flowers.


    Just as his foot stepped into the door of the rear hall, the rattle of a wooden knocker rang out, its echo piercing the extreme quiet of the surroundings.


    In the front of the apse, a candle had been placed on top of the offering table, radiating a weak glow that seemed to tremble in unease, as if it was going to be extinguished at any moment. A sprawling mural decorated the wall behind the offering table, depicting a monk kneeling before a statue of the Buddha, perhaps in penitence, perhaps in worship.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s footsteps did not halt and the wooden knocker did not cease its rattling, yet still not a single soul appeared. His mind quietly ran calculations, until he took the eighteenth step and the wooden knocker fell silent. Jiang Xunyi immediately came to a stop as well, having exactly reached the offering table with the candle.


    His cold voice sounded: ¡°If it¡¯s a meeting you¡¯re looking for, hurry and show yourself already. Since you have led me to this place, why bother putting on this mystifying disguise?¡±


    As Jiang Xunyi spoke, he did not hesitate to swing his sword towards the mural before him. With a heavy and dull sound resembling the crack of leather, the walls on both sides shattered, yet that picture of a monk did not show even a sliver of damage. Jiang Xunyi felt an indescribable strangeness seeping through his subconscious, so he continued to stare at the painting scroll. In the center of the painting, a white fog-like object gradually expanded larger and larger, until it protruded out of the canvas, and then fell through the air¡ª¡ª


    And turned into an old monk.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The old monk slowly ambled over, his smile radiant: ¡°Amitabha. Young master Jiang, you always attempt to destroy objects when you lose your temper. Have you ever considered the feelings of us impoverished people?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi, uncharacteristically, did not sneer mockingly at this joke. Instead, he lowered his eyes and slowly said: ¡°Eighteen steps and a person within a painting¡­ Great Master He Deng, if you possess such magical powers, why bother putting up such a deceitful front? It is said that a hundred years ago, there existed a painting monster which frequently wreaked havoc, its haunting causing the disappearance of countless great talents. Later on, several cultivation geniuses of that generation came together to set up a formation, suppressing it into the eighteen layers of hell3 and extinguishing its existence from the Jianghu. Was that you?¡±


    Hearing his calm and flat tone, He Deng couldn¡¯t help but look at Jiang Xunyi differently: ¡°Knowing this so well, is young master Jiang not afraid of this old monk?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi indifferently said: ¡°There exist none whom I fear, only those who I find annoying.¡±


    Both of them were avoiding the main topic of conversation4, as if competing against each other¡¯s strengths. Neither took the first step to bring up Yun Xie¡¯s name.


    He Deng gave praise: ¡°Keeping calm in the face of uncertainty, remaining fearless in the hour of peril¡­ Despite being on the stupider side, this old monk has truly begun to appreciate you. The fame and reputation you have achieved at such a young age appears to be not entirely undeserved.¡±


    The vein on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead throbbed faintly.


    With great difficulty, he grinded his teeth and swallowed down the rude words on the tip of his tongue. He then heard He Deng¡¯s light words fluttering past his ears and transmitting into his brain: ¡°But upon thinking it over, it makes sense. Young master Jiang does not belong to this world in the first place. Having long since grown accustomed to these kinds of situations, why would you feel fear?¡±


    !!!!!!!


    Jiang Xunyi felt his brain rumble to a halt. Those words, spoken in such a mundane and normal tone, continued to circulate nonstop in his mind, almost occupying his entire consciousness. A shudder rose through his spine, and his first thought was that he could not admit anything: ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    He forced out a smile and tried to keep his tone calm: ¡°What an amusing joke. Just because you heard tidings of my death, you really believe I died? You¡¯re not treating me as a ghostly soul, are you? Haha, such foolish ignorance¡­.¡±


    ¡°The day the protagonist achieves success will be when you can return.¡± He Deng interrupted him without a care, shattering that illusion of peace:  ¡°Did you hear this kind of promise before?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi abruptly shut his mouth and looked at him with the expression of one seeing a ghost.


    He Deng spoke with a tone that could be either praise or mockery or both: ¡°It is because of this kind of promise that you will care so deeply about Sect Master Yun¡¯s life and death, that you will help him without resentment or regrets. Even after being killed by him once, you still appear by his side¡­.. Now, young master Jiang, do you know the reason why, despite being so utterly loyal to the end, you still remain in this place now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi calmed down and re-focused: ¡°You know?¡±


    He Deng took out a book from his sleeve and flung it onto the table, smiling: ¡°Back in the Imprisoned Demons Valley, the two of you extricated yourselves free too quickly. Now this time, why not follow this old monk to revisit the remainder of those past events.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his head to see four magnificent words on the book¡¯s cover: ¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·.


    As if enchanted, Jiang Xunyi slowly reached out his hand to open the book. In a split second, a ray of golden light overflowed from the pages, illuminating his elegant face. Those bygone scenes reappeared before his eyes, misty and ethereal. When they passed through his heart, it did not feel like revisiting his own memories. Instead, it seemed to bring a omnipotent perspective viewing everything from above, looking down upon all the joys and sorrows of the story¡¯s characters. Because of this, not only could he sense his own perspective, but he could even faintly receive Yun Xie¡¯s thoughts and emotions.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªDividing Line of Memory and Reality¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª


    That day on Hidden Spirit Mountain, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had discovered Huang Yan was actually being possessed by Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, and the two sides had been embroiled in a fierce battle.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s strength absolutely could not be underestimated. However, he was borrowing another¡¯s body to return from the grave, so he was of course not used to using this different and weaker shell. In addition, one of his mortal souls had been sealed within Yun Xie¡¯s body by Jiang Xunyi, so his soul was incomplete. As a result, in the end Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie again managed to claim victory, placing nine consecutive seals on his soul.


    His original body had been shattered into bits by a very angry Yun Xie earlier, so it should be even more impossible for him to recover his vitality. From all the visible signs, it seemed that he should not be able to emerge to create chaos again for at least one hundred years.


    Over the course of this battle, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Shizun Immortal Master Ti Ming had died, resurrected, then died again. His Shidi Huang Yan had been possessed by Xuan Li. Now after reclaiming his own mind and body, Huang Yan was imprisoned. Of the two elders Jingyuan and Jinghai, one had died in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands and the other had died in Crow Moon Concubine¡¯s. Overall, over half of the sect¡¯s masters had been lost, leaving everyone without an ounce of victory spirit.


    Jiang Xunyi wiped a handful of sweat from his face and chucked his completely blood-soaked personal sword onto the ground. He no longer cared to manage his usual fastidiousness, dropping directly down to sit and lean back against a boulder. His entire body ached with soreness and weakness, and the only thing he wanted at this moment was to never get up again.


    Sadly, there was no lack of annoying people in this world. A head of some unknown family trotted up, attempting to curry favor. Seeing Jiang Xunyi sitting on the ground without any care of his appearance, he did not dare to look down while talking to this young genius, yet he also could not sit on the ground in the same way. After hesitating for a moment, he could only awkwardly lift up the corner of his robes and half-squat by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, like a particularly stupid mushroom.


    In utter exhaustion, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes drooped half-closed. He lazily soaked in the warm sun shining on his face, not giving a single glance to the other person.


    That family head smiled: ¡°Young master Jiang, congratulations.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­.¡±


    In a single word, his favorable impression level of this person had dropped from zero to negative.


    He turned his head and looked at this oddity with an unkind gaze, his mind secretly considering whether he should slap this family head into accompanying Xuan Li for eternity.


    This family head had eyes as big as light-bulbs, yet sadly lacked vision. He didn¡¯t see Jiang Xunyi¡¯s harsh attitude, and continued speaking cheerfully: ¡°Young master Jiang and Sect Master Yun are indeed young talents, actually winning such honor at such a young age. Now looking at this current situation, Wanderer Zihui has long since paid no attention to the affairs of the world, so young master Jiang, you are now the top person in Hidden Spirit Sect. Seeing this, I cannot help but feel happy for you¡­..¡±


    This person¡¯s words were seeped in a kind of perverted jubilation from achieving power, gaining wealth, and one¡¯s father dying5. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind had originally been trapped in countless complexities and problems. Now hearing this twisted bullshit, a wave of rage flooded his heart. He had no desire to leave the other party with even a bit of face, and coldly said: ¡°Happy? What is there to be happy about? Should I be happy my Shifu died?¡±


    That family head¡¯s smile congealed on his plump face.


    At this time, the shadow of a slender figure was thrown by the sun onto them. Jiang Xunyi covered his eyes and spoke to the newly arrived Yun Xie : ¡°Is the matter finished?¡±


    He had not wanted to look upon the remains of his fellow sect members, so he pushed the matter of clean-up to Yun Xie and ran here to bask in the sun. Once Yun Xie was finished dealing with that matter, he had come over to look for him.


    Yun Xie was still as full of smiles as ever, not showing any of his true emotions. From appearances alone, he did not seem like he had just finished a funeral, but instead like he had just returned from a wedding feast. He nodded towards Jiang Xunyi, and bent down to give him the cloak draped over his hand: ¡°Come, get up. Go back to take a bath and eat something. The weather is cool and it looks like the sun is about to set, do you really intend to stay here overnight?¡±


    The family head who had just tried to strike up a conversation with Jiang Xunyi had originally come here to get recognized by both Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage. Having pricked himself on the nail that was the cold-faced Jiang Xunyi, he immediately felt his injured soul soothed by Yun Xie¡¯s demeanor as kind and intimate as a spring breeze. He stood up in a hurry to enthusiastically say: ¡°Sect Master Yun!¡±


    Yun Xie was even more enthusiastic than him. Taking in the situation, he smacked the other¡¯s shoulder and earnestly said: ¡°Oh my, this family crest¡­ This gentleman must be the Peng Family Head! It¡¯s an honor to meet you at last¡ªI have long since admired your name, and didn¡¯t expect to see you here today today!¡±


    Peng Zheng almost spat up blood from the force of that smack, but hearing Yun Xie¡¯s words he perked up at the unexpected flattery: ¡°Sect¡­Sect Master Yun has actually heard of me?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed: ¡°Naturally! I¡¯ve heard glorious stories of how Family Head Peng killed his own younger brother and pressured his own mother to death in order to win his position. Then a while ago, you sent a letter to my sect¡¯s Elder Kong He, wanting him to convince me to support Jiang Molou as the next Hidden Spirit Sect Head. Ah, that matter was executed very beautifully, and it gave me a profound impression of you. A truly profound impression.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the two with slight amazement. He let out a noble and cold sneer, which could have been directed at either Yun Xie¡¯s knives hidden behind a smile, or at Peng Zheng¡¯s sheer despicable shamelessness.


    Peng Zheng¡¯s face turned a remarkable shade of green. Upon hearing the last sentence, his originally furious expression transformed into shock and panic. The matter of him killing his younger brother and murdering his mother to rise to power had long since been widely known, but this was in accordance with the principle of history being written by the victors6. Since it was his own family¡¯s affairs, no one would say anything about it to his face. Now that Yun Xie had pointed out and exposed his trickery, he would of course grow angry. But this second event he thought he had performed with the utmost secrecy, and didn¡¯t expect Yun Xie would have already known the truth. Under this great shock, he looked again at Yun Xie¡¯s handsome and exquisite face, only to find that same smile now infinitely terrifying.


    Everyone knew the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage moved as one, completely inseparable. Peng Zheng secretly supporting another main-branch disciple as the successor to Hidden Spirit was equivalent to declaring his opposition to Jiang Xunyi. Now discovering that Yun Xie had long since known of this fact, he of course feared for his life. He shivered in place, cowering, unsure what to say. On the side, Jiang Xunyi propped his hands on his knees to stand up, frightening Peng Zheng into taking another step back.


    But Jiang Xunyi ignored him. His hand curled around the cloak, and he only said: ¡°Yun Xie, time to go.¡±


    Yun Xie gave a sound of agreement, and followed behind Jiang Xunyi to start the walk back. When he passed by Peng Zheng¡¯s side, he smiled at him and whispered: ¡°Farewell, Family Head Peng.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stopped a few steps away to wait for him. Seeing Yun Xie coming over, he couldn¡¯t help but scold: ¡°All you know is to put on that mystifying front. What¡¯s so fun about scaring him to stave off your boredom¡ªHave you nothing better to do?¡±


    Yun Xie felt greatly wronged: ¡°Xunyi-gege, he was luring you, how could I endure that!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°Keep talking, that¡¯s all you have to do. If you disgust me to the point of vomiting, I¡¯ll vomit right on your clothes.¡±


    He murmured to himself for a moment, and then spoke again: ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to make trouble for Peng Zheng again. Whether Molou or I become Sect Head, it¡¯s all the same to me. If he wants the position, I¡¯ll let him. If you go overboard, others will think there is discord between Molou and me.¡±


    Yun Xie sourly said: ¡°Alright, I know, you have always been good to Molou.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi seemed to smile as he arched a sword-like brow: ¡°Oh, am I not good to you?¡±


    Yun Xie paused, and took a deep breath: ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t seduce me.¡±


    Believing that Yun Xie was deliberately trying to disgust him, Jiang Xunyi was about to retaliate with his own ridicule when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spied a person walking over. Upon seeing clearly who it was, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. His voice softened at once: ¡°Qiu-shijie, you came?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression sank. He called out a ¡°Qiu-shijie¡± as well, but it seemed rather lukewarm.


    The newcomer was precisely Feng Qiu. She had never been a particularly cheerful and lively girl, and her face always carried a hint of faint melancholy. Today her mood looked even more bleak than usual, making her beautiful face seem somewhat gloomy.


    Jiang Xunyi could also see it from her face. His brows creased, and then smoothed out again as if afraid he would scare Feng Qiu. He casually shook open the cloak in his hand and draped it around Feng Qiu¡¯s shoulders, purposefully making his tone relaxed to ask: ¡°Qiu-shijie, what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look very happy¡­ If anyone dared to provoke you, just say the name and Yun Xie and I will go beat them up.¡±


    He knew Feng Qiu admired Yun Xie, so when Yun Xie showed absolutely no reaction after he said this, he secretly reached out to pinch Yun Xie¡¯s back. Yun Xie could only reluctantly say: ¡°Ah-Xun is right. Qiu-shijie, what happened to you?¡±


    Even though there were very few people left in the cultivation world who didn¡¯t know Feng Qiu liked Yun Xie, she had to admit that Yun Xie¡¯s attitude was extremely half-hearted compared to Jiang Xunyi. She couldn¡¯t help but turn her gaze to Jiang Xunyi¡ªthis man had just gone through a life-and-death struggle, and his elegant and handsome face still showed some slight scars. His narrow-sleeved robes, the color of an azure sky after rain, had already been torn and ripped almost to shreds. But on the rare occasions he revealed that extraordinarily gentle smile, it made one feel the entire world had brightened up, as pleasing to the eyes as the break of dawn, as the dark clouds parting to show a clear spring sky¡­¡­


    As she looked at him, Feng Qiu¡¯s lips involuntarily opened and closed. She could not say a single thing, but twin lines of tears tracked down her cheeks.


    Jiang Xunyi was shocked, and even the insouciant Yun Xie could not help but look over. Feng Qiu covered her mouth with one hand, exerting all her strength to suppress the sob in her throat: ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­.. I¡¯m fine, you two don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned and ran, no longer daring to look back at the two men.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even think before wanting to chase her. But just as he lifted his foot, he was pulled back by Yun Xie. He tried to shake Yun Xie off, anxious: ¡°Yun Xie, first let me go, Qiu-shijie¡­¡±


    Yun Xie said: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go. This is your Hidden Spirit Mountain¡ªyou have so many matters to handle, are you going to actually take care of them? You can¡¯t throw everything at me, you know.¡±


    He seldom, if ever, used this unhappy tone when talking to Jiang Xunyi. Jiang Xunyi looked back to find Yun Xie¡¯s expression looking very unpleasant as he said: ¡°In the future, don¡¯t care so much about Qiu-shijie¡¯s affairs. Let me go instead.¡±


    The system did not lose this opportunity to issue instructions: [In order to increase the protagonist¡¯s coolness hitting on girls, may the male supporting character please remain self-aware and shy away.]


    Jiang Xunyi immediately came to a realization from this reminder, but his ¡°defined characterization¡± faintly influenced his mentality once again. His genuine concern for Feng Qiu ended up leaking out, and he looked at Yun Xie with suspicion: ¡°Do you like Qiu-shijie?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s anger made him rash: ¡°Yes!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi analyzed that Yun Xie was probably angry at him for being so attentive to Feng Qiu and showing no understanding of the timing, also known as ¡°trying to steal Yun Xie¡¯s girl.¡± However, this matter wasn¡¯t in his control in the first place¡ªthe System had given this character the setting of liking Feng Qiu. He could only pretend not to notice Yun Xie¡¯s motivations, and continue speaking: ¡°But your attitude does not suggest so.¡±


    Yun Xie retorted: ¡°Then what attitude should I have? Should I smile whenever I see her? If I did that, wouldn¡¯t you instead ask me if I was about to screw her over?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    Yun Xie really was a very self-aware person. If this was truly the case, he was actually rather worried.


    Footnotes:


    1.  Èý³¤Á½¶Ì lit. ¡°three long and two short¡± refers to someone running into an unexpected accident/death. There¡¯s no consensus on where the saying came from: one possibility is that it is referring to how a coffin is made of 3 long and 2 short pieces of wood.


    2. ¡°Çú¾¶Í¨ÓÄ´¦£¬ìø·¿»¨Ä¾É is a line from the Tang dynasty poet Chang Jian¡¯s poem¡¶ÌâÆÆɽ˺óìøÔº¡·or [A Writing on the Meditation Hall behind the Poshan Temple].

 CH 37

    Chapter 37 ¨C Dark Tides Surging


    Having stumped him with that question, Yun Xie sneered and pulled his arm out of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands. With a flourish of his sleeves, he abruptly turned and walked away.


    Jiang Xunyi was very puzzled by this temper tantrum, but he also knew that Yun Xie¡¯s anger never lasted more than half a day. He thus didn¡¯t bother to care for Yun Xie¡¯s antics, and changed direction towards the wing room where Huang Yan was being detained.


    He had just taken two steps, when all of a sudden the long-lost voice of the System sounded in his mind:


    [Story Outline: The villain Jiang Xunyi had always loved the childhood friend Feng Qiu, and held envy towards Yun Xie as the person in Feng Qiu¡¯s heart. Ultimately, acting on an impulse, he took advantage of Feng Qiu being alone to rape her. He then flaunted this event in front of Yun Xie to vent his long-standing resentment. Final ending: Jiang Xunyi had his reputation ruined in a complete defeat and fall from grace, slain by Yun Xie.


    New Mission Released: Please help ¡°Jiang Xunyi¡± complete the storyline. The details are up to your own discretion. Ultimate Goal: To be killed by Yun Xie. Reward: Start the Returning Home program.]


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s footsteps came to a halt, and his heart thudded in his chest like booming thunder.


    He didn¡¯t expect his story to be finished so soon. However, now looking back at the countless days and nights he had unconsciously spent in this world within a book¡­ for a supporting character, he had already accompanied the protagonist a very long way.


    He used to think that the meaning of his life here was to complete these tasks and go home. After laying in that sickbed for so long, even now Jiang Xunyi could still remember his mother¡¯s eyes red and swollen from her tears, as well as haggard faces of his father and older brother. He truly did want to go back, to show them his recovered and healthy self.


    But when this time had finally come, why did his heart feel so reluctant and unwilling?


    And this way of leaving, was truly¡­¡­.


    Having thought to here, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart shivered. He refused to continue exploring his bit of emotion, and hurriedly began to argue with the system: ¡°Did you just say for me to rape Qiu-shijie? What the fuck? Is this a joke? Even actors in movies and film have stunt doubles and an actual bottom line. In the beginning I agreed to complete tasks, not to sell all my scruples!¡±


    [As a crucial story event in this book, this plot point cannot be skipped. The host¡¯s request is rejected.]


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­..With this kind of inappropriate content1, aren¡¯t you afraid of being censored? Aren¡¯t you afraid of having chapters locked?¡±


    [The host¡¯s language of communication is beyond the scope of this system¡¯s understanding and cannot be decoded. Please convert to a different mode.]


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Faking ignorance? Truly too shameless.


    As he considered this over, his heart wasn¡¯t actually that troubled. If the system didn¡¯t agree, that was fine¡ª¡ªJiang Xunyi was no longer that little freshly-arrived newbie who always followed the rules. He knew very well that in many cases, the missions were presented by the system in a very strict manner, but with a careful eye, there were no shortage of loopholes that could be drilled through. Since he was currently unable to come up with a bypassing provision, he decided to throw it aside for now. Anyway, it¡­ wasn¡¯t urgent.


    He had already stayed here for so many years, he wasn¡¯t concerned about staying an extra one or two days. Jiang Xunyi truly felt that going home was not a pressing matter.


    While thinking this through, he still ended up deciding to go find his unfortunate Huang-shidi to have a pleasant talk about life, when he suddenly spotted an old man in coarse clothing coming towards him.


    This old man did not look to be young, but his spirit was hale and hearty. Although the clothes on his body were simple and plain, they were clean and tidy. This time Jiang Xunyi actually gave a sincere smile, and he raised his voice: ¡°Uncle Chen2, I am back.¡±


    This Uncle Chen was not a cultivator, but a servant who had done odd jobs around Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s courtyard ever since Jiang Xunyi was young. Although he did not have as long a lifespan as a cultivator, Immortal Master Ti Ming had given him many spiritual medicines, so he could still much longer than the average mortal lifetime, and it could be said that he had watched Jiang Xunyi grow up. The relationship between him and Jiang Xunyi was excellent¡ª¡ªupon seeing Jiang Xunyi, joy and happiness immediately appeared between his kind brows. He hurried to set down his broom and wipe his hands on his clothes.


    Jiang Xunyi stepped forward and took his hand without caring for his appearance: ¡°Uncle Chen, you are growing older by the year. Now that Shizun has passed away3, there is not much work that needs to be done in this courtyard, so you should rest. Why bother doing this?¡±


    Uncle Chen smiled, and reached out to pat Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders: ¡°A kid like you is still trying to manage an old man like me? You must first take good care of yourself. Look, you¡¯ve recently lost weight. Young people like you need to eat more with every meal¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi listened quietly, showing a very rare level of patience. In fact, he could say that he greatly enjoyed this process, because according to the character settings of¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·, it was extremely likely that this Uncle Chen should be his father.


    Jiang Xunyi, the son of a servant.


    According to the original story, although Uncle Chen should be well aware of his identity and origins, Jiang Xunyi himself should not know this at this point. However, he should learn this very soon. And it was precisely as a result of this discovery that he would become extremely dissatisfied and envious of Yun Xie for having an outstanding and celebrated background as the other Dual Jade of the Spirit Stage. Of course, Jiang Xunyi did not think so now¡ª¡ªif he were to find himself jealous of that damned rascal Yun Xie, he would prefer to buy a piece of stinky tofu and suffocate himself with it.


    But every time he saw Uncle Chen, he would always have a very affectionate feeling, as if he had a family here, as if this place could be called a home to him. Even though in his last life his father had always been impeccably attired with a suave and graceful demeanor, completely different from this elderly man whose face was lined with the marks of age, they were all fathers to him. Now that Immortal Master Ti Ming was no longer here, this old man was Jiang Xunyi¡¯s only remaining sustenance.


    With a very un-¡±Jiang Xunyi¡±-like friendly attitude, he listened to the entirety of a long and cumbersome chain of prattling regarding ¡°eating, sleeping, and wearing warm clothes.¡± Only then did he arrive at Huang Yan¡¯s wing room, his hand still holding the home-kept chicken egg that had been forcibly stuffed into his arms.


    Jiang Xunyi had no intention of torturing or abusing him, but since Huang Yan had previously been possessed by the Demon Sovereign, people with lingering fears all treated him as a key target of concern. As a result, when Jiang Xunyi saw him, Huang Yan¡¯s body had been tied up with nine Commandment Ropes, and a yellow talisman was taped to his forehead. He lay prostrate on the bed, his spine completely straight and his face flushed red from the restraints, bearing a striking similarity to a carrot that had nothing left to live for.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi almost laughed out loud. He waved his hand to the guarding disciples who followed him in: ¡°What¡¯s all this for? Set him free.¡±


    The disciple hesitated, still not daring to loosen the bonds: ¡°Shixiongshould still be somewhat cautious¡­ This¡­ What if he springs a trick on you during the conversation¡­.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not want to waste words, and only said: ¡°He¡¯d have to borrow eight-hundred lives worth of courage for that. It¡¯s fine, just free him and then you may retreat.¡±


    That disciple saw he could not be convinced, and also knew Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temper full well. He could only go up to loosen Huang Yan¡¯s restraints and tear off the talisman. Only then did he walk out, repeatedly turning back at every step.


    Huang Yan rolled his body to sit up on the bed, watching Jiang Xunyi with vigilance and fear. After hesitating a moment, he quickly abandoned his usual moral integrity to call out ¡°Shixiong.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi poured himself a cup of tea and took a sip, before sighing with emotion: ¡°This terrified and disheartened look of yours is still more pleasing to the eye. This face making Xuan Li¡¯s expressions was truly too unsightly.¡±


    Faced with this seemingly neutral tone, Huang Yan did not know how to pick up this line of conversation. Instead, Jiang Xunyi noticed the numerous bloody cracks in his lips, and could not help but think of Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s appearance before his death. He took another sip from the cup, before smoothly tossing it to land stably in front of Huang Yan: ¡°Here, drink some water.¡±


    After taking the cup, Huang Yan hesitated slightly before gulping it down. He was first of all truly too thirsty. In addition, Huang Yan probably knew himself that if Jiang Xunyi wanted to kill him, he would not need poison at all.


    Jiang Xunyi watched him drink. Out of the blue, he asked: ¡°In the end, who killed Shizun?¡±


    Huang Yan choked on his water.


    Jiang Xunyi slowly said: ¡°Xuan Li did not possess such great strength. If he was capable of killing Shizun, he would not have been defeated by Yun Xie and I today. Shidi, I am truly curious¡ª¡ªwhy did he choose to possess you?¡±


    Huang Yan¡¯s entire body trembled fiercely. Just at this moment, the latticed window on the side of the room suddenly let out a ¡°squeak¡±. Just as Jiang Xunyi turned his head to look over, Huang Yan suddenly let out a scream unlike that of a living person. He rushed to crawl down from the bed and pounced over to hug Jiang Xunyi¡¯s leg, weeping bitterly: ¡°Shixiong, I was wrong! I was wrong! Have mercy on me, I really don¡¯t know anything! Demon Sovereign Xuan Li is, he is really far too terrifying, I-I-I don¡¯t want to be possessed by him again!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Jiang Xunyi looked at the window that had been blown open by the wind, and silently turned his head back. With this kind of shameful behavior, Huang Yan really was not suitable material for plotting conspiracies.


    The cold wind blowing into the room actually cleared one¡¯s mind, so Jiang Xunyi decided to simply ignore it for now. He reached out to press down on Huang Yan¡¯s shoulder, pushing him off away from his leg, and solemnly asked: ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Huang Yan¡¯s head bobbed as he consecutively nodded and wailed out: ¡°Shixiong, I was wrong, I w-w-w-wasn¡¯t trying to grab your Sect Head position, it was those two elders who made me! I really¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°Alright, no need to say anymore, I know everything. If there is anything you would like to eat, just say so and I will have people make it for you.¡±


    Huang Yan: ¡°¡­¡­..¡±


    His crying abruptly stopped. Stunned, he looked at Jiang Xunyi, apparently unable to understand what he meant by those words.


    Jiang Xun sighed: ¡°After all that has happened to the sect, the Hidden Spirit Sect is currently embroiled in turmoil and uneasiness. Without strict leadership, how could the public be convinced? You rebelled against the sect in order to seize power. Even if Shizun¡¯s death was not related to you, there was not a trace of your presence in the time before he passed away. The only thought going through your mind was how to collude with the two elders to deal with me. Just this one act is a crime punishable by death. If it weren¡¯t for the excessive negative emotion in your heart, you would never have attracted the Demon Sovereign. With the alarm and anxiety in everyone¡¯s hearts right now, there is no way I can spare your life.¡±


    Huang Yan was struck dumb, and despair filled his eyes. Jiang Xunyi did not give him another glance as he turned and left.


    Upon leaving the courtyard, he saw Yun Xie standing at the door with his back to him, hands crossed behind his back. Jiang Xunyi was not the least bit surprised, and spoke calmly: ¡°I was just wondering who would be so idle as to have nothing better to do except run outside our window and listen to our dialogue. It turned out to be you.¡±


    Yun Xie turned back: ¡°Pah, don¡¯t put feathers in your own cap4. If I went over, would I let you hear my footsteps?¡± While throwing insults, he couldn¡¯t help but shamelessly tug on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s partially open collar: ¡°You usually look so fierce and harsh, but at critical moments you show a woman¡¯s soft heart5. I say, why bother wasting words on Huang Yan? A single palm strike and all that trouble will be over. Just that little bit of meat on his body, and you still want to keep it until the New Year to add some vegetable sides?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not move. He looked down to watch Yun Xie¡¯s hands playing with this own collar, and calmly said: ¡°Yun Xie.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly shot him a brilliant smile, his right cheek showing a small dimple. Yun Xie¡¯s breaths came to a halt at this magnificent sight, but then Jiang Xunyi suddenly switched faces, lifting his leg to kick his knees: ¡°My Shifu just died not too long ago, and I¡¯m really fucking not in a good mood right now. On top of that, I have to listen to your huffs and tantrums all day long, are you looking for a beating?¡±


    Footnotes:


    1. Jiang Xunyi refers to this novel as a С»ÆÊé lit. ¡°little yellow book¡± which is a term referring to (usually trashy) books with content inappropriate for minors (cough you know what I¡¯m talking about). I couldn¡¯t find an equivalent term in English, so I just phrased it differently.


    2. Again, Chinese culture uses familial descriptors as polite terms for other people, even if that individual isn¡¯t a member of your family. In this case, Uncle Chen is one generation above Jiang Xunyi, hence the term ¡°Uncle.¡±


    3. Jiang Xunyi uses the term ÏÉÊÅ which is one of the many Chinese euphemisms for death. This particular one literally means something like ¡°their immortal path has come to an end.¡±


    4. Íù×Ô¼ºÁ³ÉÏÌù½ð lit. ¡°to paste gold onto your own face¡± basically means to ¡°make yourself out as better than you really are.¡± The closest English phrase would probably be to ¡°blow your own trumpet¡± or ¡°put a feather in your cap¡±, so that¡¯s what I used.


    5. ¸¾ÈËÖ®ÈÊ lit. ¡°women¡¯s benevolence¡± is referring to someone being excessively softhearted, kind, or merciful.

 CH 38

    Chapter 38 ¨C The Edge of Lust¡¯s Blade1


    Yun Xie stumbled over from the kick, but actually started to smile. He jumped up from the ground and pointed a finger at Jiang Xunyi, before rolling up his sleeves2 and rushing over to begin wrestling with Jiang Xunyi.


    Neither of the two used spiritual power, but rather exchanged blows without any rules or standards to speak of. They did not have a shred of proper appearances at this moment, instead resembling two scuffling children. Jiang Xunyi ended up pressed down on the ground open to Yun Xie¡¯s beating, when he heard the footsteps of someone walking towards them. He hurriedly used one hand to obstruct the evilly grinning Yun Xie¡¯s attempted stranglehold. Upon looking up, he saw it was Feng Qiu coming over once again.


    He nimbly flipped Yun Xie onto the ground, and then got up and patted his clothes, calling out with elegant grace: ¡°Qiu-shijie.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Oof3.


    Feng Qiu was about to open her mouth to speak, when she saw Yun Xie getting slammed onto the ground. She quickly rushed over to help him up: ¡°Ah-Xie, are you alright?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡­..¡± Oof3.


    Yun Xie smoothly blocked her hand. Shooting Jiang Xunyi a glance, he deliberately gave a slight smile, and generously said: ¡°It¡¯s nothing, at most just a few bruises. They¡¯ll be fine once I go back and massage them, Shijie does not need to worry.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes silently asked him: ¡°Is there any limit to your shamelessness?¡±


    Yun Xie did not change expression, his smile as refreshing as the spring breeze.


    The two of them were used to horsing around since childhood, actually growing closer with every fight. However, from Feng Qiu¡¯s perspective, their silent eye contact4 seemed akin to some surging undercurrent. She therefore bowed her head slightly and picked up the cloak draped on her arm: ¡°I came to return these clothes. Ah-Xie, these are yours, right?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi watched Yun Xie take them back with a smile, and itched to give him another couple good kicks¡ªthat cloak was indeed Yun Xie¡¯s, sure, but he was clearly the one who gave it to Feng Qiu!


    Upon sending the cloak, Feng Qiu left. Yun Xie stood in place, following her with his eyes. Jiang Xunyi took a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him. He still felt something strange about the situation: ¡°I always have this feeling that today Qiu-Shijie is acting odd, as if there is something she wishes to speak with us about. Do you have that feeling too? When you followed her, what did you two talk about?¡±


    Yun Xie agreed: ¡°I was thinking so too. She didn¡¯t say much¡ªthe moment I asked her, she cried, so I came back.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glared at him: ¡°Be honest, do you actually like Qiu-Shijie? Literally no one would believe it5 based on the way you talk.¡±


    Yun Xie absent-mindedly gazed out into the foggy distance: ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem as if I like her? Then let me ask you¡­ if I liked a person, how do you think I would treat him6?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brows furrowed, and he actually considered the matter seriously for a while. In the end, he only let out a sigh: ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine. My primary problem is that I cannot even contemplate which type of woman would be able to stand you.¡±


    Hearing this, Yun Xie¡¯s originally reserved face became a little more vivid. He laughed and said: ¡°Ah-Xun, by those words are you actually saying that there is no woman worthy of me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi turned right around: ¡°Okay, loving to dream big is a good thing. Keep it up, I¡¯m going back to sleep first.¡±


    Behind his back, the smile on Yun Xie¡¯s face gradually disappeared. Without saying a word, he watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s silhouette fade into the distance. His clothes rippled in the night wind, delineating the outline of his slender figure to add a touch of lonesome frailty.


    After bathing, Jiang Xunyi lay down on the bed, feeling as if all the bones in his body were falling apart to the point where they creaked when he moved. He was probably truly too exhausted¡ªthe moment his head touched the pillow, he shut his eyes out of dizziness.


    He didn¡¯t know how long he slept, as he was continuously disturbed by dreams of numerous bygone events. In the midst of one dream, he suddenly heard some kind of vague rustling sound right by his bed. Given his longstanding training, Jiang Xunyi woke up in an instant, his mind already clear. He vigilantly opened his eyes a tiny fraction while his body still lay motionless, intending to see who exactly this visitor was.


    Unable to see the scene outside of his bed, he couldn¡¯t see the scene outside the bed. He could only hear the person¡¯s light and graceful footsteps. It seemed to be a woman, a woman with excellent footwork ability7. But when the footsteps were around one step away from the bed, they fell silent, as if that person was standing still and sizing him up.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s breaths were even and natural, his skill7 at faking sleep attaining new peaks of perfection8. His falsely closed eyes spied the dim and hazy outline of a person slowly bending closer to him. He was just secretly sneering in his heart, when suddenly a warm and slippery hand came down to rest on the exposed back of his hand, and immediately afterwards the characteristic soft flesh of a woman actually leaned on his own body.


    Out of all the possibilities, he absolutely could never have imagined this!


    Jiang Xunyi felt his scalp tingle. Without even thinking, he abruptly sat up and lifted his hand to push the person away. Upon opening his eyes, what entered his vision was a half-naked woman leaning on his bed with one knee on the sheets. And the absolutely most horrifying realization to Jiang Xunyi, was that the woman was actually his Shigu9Wanderer Zihui!


    Jiang Xunyi moved to sit on the side of the bed, utterly aghast: ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡­.¡±


    Upon receiving this particularly bad scare, he simply had no idea what would be best to say in this situation. He shut his eyes, trying his best to suppress his emotions, before coldly speaking: ¡°What are you doing here? Given how you just casually strolled into my bedroom, if I decided to strike pre-emptively, you would already be dead.¡±


    Although Wanderer Zihui was one generation older than him, there was not that large of an age gap between them, and she still maintained the outer appearance of a young woman. Jiang Xunyi had never had a close relationship with her in the first place. Now at this time where he had no idea what this woman was up to, he did not bother speaking with the slightest bit of respect.


    Wanderer Zihui¡¯s usually chilly and severe face actually turned bashful and coy. She stretched her arm out intending to hold Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand, but when he dodged away she could only grasp his sleeve. She did not grow angry, and gently said: ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that time I once called you a deceitful and wicked bastard, and even took advantage of Shixiong being away from the mountain to punish you with lashes from the discipline whip and make you kneel on shards of glass¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°So you came bringing a bramble to ask for a flogging10? Then where¡¯s the bramble?¡± He sneered and pulled his sleeve out of her grip: ¡°If that is the case, you don¡¯t have to say anything, I don¡¯t give a damn about that.¡±


    As Wanderer Zihui looked at him, her eyes gradually reddened. She suddenly rushed forward to hug Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist, one of her hands clutching his wrist in a death grip: ¡°Then do you know why I am doing this? Because I could never have imagined that there is such a man in the world as beautiful yet as cold and detached as you! Why?! Why is it that I am clearly the one with higher status and position, but you are not the slightest bit willing to even give me a glance! Why aren¡¯t you willing to get close to me and curry favor with me like other disciples? Why is it that¡­ you look at me so differently, as if I am just a meaningless scrap of waste paper!!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi tried to pull her off himself, but unfortunately she was grabbing him too tightly and also wearing too little clothing. Wherever he pushed, he was touching naked skin, to the point where he had no safe place to act. He could only indifferently give his evaluation: ¡°That last metaphor isn¡¯t bad. So, what exactly are you here to do?¡±


    Zihui freed one of her hands, with which she ripped off her last remaining clothing. Her fully naked body11 was as glossy as congealed fat12. With soft fragrance and feminine charm, she pounced into Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arms: ¡°Tonight, I came here just to be together with you. I beg you, look at me properly, even if it¡¯s just one look, even if it¡¯s just for tonight¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression was cold and harsh, his handsome face appearing like carved white jaded, without the slightest hint of being emotionally moved. What he didn¡¯t expect was that in the next moment, Zihui began to sob as she whispered: ¡°I really could not bear to part¡­ I really couldn¡¯t bear it¡­. If you allow me to fulfill my wish this once, I will tell you a secret¡­¡­.¡±


    In this single instant, numerous thoughts flashed through Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind. Even though he had some general awareness of the major events in Yun Xie¡¯s life, he could not see his own past and future clearly. Just today, the system had released a task for him that he definitely would not complete. Now within just a few hours, Zihui was saying these kinds of things¡­ what exactly was going on? Was she referring to his final fate of having his reputation ruined and getting killed by Yun Xie? But according to reason, at this time he had not touched a single hair of Feng Qiu, so Zihui naturally could not know anything about that future. So what would this the so-called secret be?


    While he was caught in this daze, his hands slightly loosened their pushing, so Zihui took advantage of his lapse to lean closer. Her full red lips touched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck, and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire body froze. He had always had a penchant for cleanliness, so upon coming into contact with someone like this, his thoughts were not disturbed nor his passion stirred, but he was instead rather disgusted. He had originally vaguely considered the possibility of selling some charm to trick some truths out of her, but now he found he really couldn¡¯t do it.


    With no small amount of effort, he pushed Zihui away. With this motion, Zihui¡¯s sharp fingernails scratched a red line down Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist.


    His wrist lit up with a burning pain, but Jiang Xunyi did not pay any attention to this tiny injury. He looked at Zihui¡¯s beautiful body with the coldness of watching a dead animal: ¡°I do not wish to use unpleasant words towards a woman. Take your clothes and leave right now.¡±


    Given her usual overconfidence in her beauty, Zihui had not expected that even this would be rejected. She was both ashamed and furious, and bit out through clenched teeth: ¡°You truly have a heart of stone, actually daring¡­ actually daring¡­¡­. Hmph, you don¡¯t even want to listen to what I know?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to even talk. He turned his head away and impatiently waved his hand.


    Zihui¡¯s face flushed completely red. Unable to endure any more of the invisible humiliation brought on by this irreverent attitude, she clutched her clothes, threw them over herself, and strode out.


    Jiang Xunyi only turned his head back after she had left. He carefully examined the ground of the room, and found no abnormalities. Lost in thought, he had the vague feeling there were changing and treacherous dark tides behind the scenes, as if something was about to happen, but he was unable to find even the slightest whiff of a clue. After sitting alone for a while, he leaned backwards and lay back down on the bed, but did not feel any trace of sleepiness.


    This night was truly a time of troubles13¡ªas he restlessly tossed and turned in bed for a while, the system similarly showed no signs of slowing down: [Task released: Please immediately complete the plotline ¡°Rape Feng Qiu¡±, without delay, without delay, without delay]


    It actually knew the principle of ¡°Important things must be said three times¡±14. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s vexation gave him vigor, and he grew enraged: ¡°Do you have any humanity at all? Even Foxconn15 doesn¡¯t exploit their employees this much! Right now I am Absolutely. Not. Interested! You heard that? I¡¯m not doing it! Not doing it! Not. Doing. It!!!!!!¡±


    With those last few words, he roared louder and louder. Thankfully he had always liked peace and quiet so there were no guards posted at his door, and no one was alarmed his voice. The system seemed to have been frightened by his fierce resistance and became completely silent.


    Jiang Xunyi angrily turned over, furiously despising this bullying system that only picked on the weak16. In his irritation, he wrapped himself up with the blanket. After gaining the boundary of this quilt wrapping, his body probably felt physical safety, so this time he very quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.


    Author¡¯s Comments: Young master Jiang, do you still remember that the cloak was draped over you by little Yun in the first place?


    Footnotes:


    1. The original Chinese title É«×ÖÈ絶 references how the word É« (which usually means color but in this context refers to lust and other licentious activities) is partially composed of the character µ¶ [knife]. I just did some artistic translation.


    2. Ħȭ²ÁÕÆ lit. ¡°Rub one¡¯s fists and wipe one¡¯s palms¡±


    3. The original phrase is ÐÄÈû lit. ¡°A stuffy feeling in one¡¯s heart¡±. This was too hard to translate directly so I tried to convey the feeling instead.


    4. üÀ´ÑÛÈ¥ lit. ¡°Eyebrows come, eyes go¡± isn¡¯t always flirtatious, but this phrase is often used to describe two lovers making goo-goo eyes at each other


    5. ¹í¶¼²»ÐÅ lit. ¡°Even ghosts would not believe it¡±


    6. Important note: in Chinese, ¡°he¡±/¡°she¡±/¡°it¡± are all pronounced the same way, so Jiang Xunyi would not be able to tell what gender Yun Xie is referring to.


    7. You might know ¹¦·ò better as ¡°Kung Fu¡±, but it often refers to martial skills in general. Here I chose to translate these separately based on the context.


    8. ¯»ð´¿Çà lit. ¡°the stove fire glowing turquoise¡± is a reference to Daoist alchemy concocting pills of immortality. The phrase basically means that this person is a master of their craft.


    9. ʦ¹Ã lit. ¡°Disciple-aunt¡±, referring to a woman who is in the same generation as (and younger than) Jiang Xunyi¡¯s Shifu


    10. ¸º¾£Çë×ï refers to someone offering a humble apology and asking to be punished. The original phrase conjures up the image of someone bringing up a thorny birch and requesting to be flogged with it.


    11. Fun fact: ëØÌå is also used to refer to a slaughtered animal¡¯s carcass lol


    12. Fun fact #2: ÄåÈôÄýÖ¬ can be viewed in a positive light as in a woman having soft/smooth/glossy skin, but the literal words used do not conjure up a particularly nice image, so guess what I used lol


    13. ¶àÊÂÖ®Çï lit. ¡°an eventful autumn¡±


    14. I¡¯m pretty sure ÖØÒªµÄÊÂ˵Èý±é is a Chinese Internet meme/slang.


    15. ¸»Ê¿¿µ or Foxconn is a Taiwanese company infamous for overworking its employees. You may have heard of the ¡°Foxconn Suicides¡± in 2010.


    16. ÆÛÈíÅÂÓ² lit. ¡°Bully the weak/soft and fear the strong/tough¡±

 CH 39

    hapter 39 ¨C Causing Trouble


    However, events would soon prove that impulsive actions often create rather unpleasant consequences. The system was about to practice what it preached: just because Jiang Xunyi swore and yelled, reality would treat it as if nothing had happened?


    Martial arts practitioners were particularly fastidious about training in all types of weather, from the coldest of winter to the hottest of summer. But this morning, perhaps because of tiredness or some other reason, Jiang Xunyi slept all the way until the sun had risen high in the sky1. He did not wake even when Yun Xie walked into his room.


    Yun Xie¡¯s pace was initially hurried, but upon entering the inner room he discovered Jiang Xunyi was still lying in bed and couldn¡¯t help but freeze. He subconsciously lightened his footsteps as he moved closer to the bed, to see that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were shut and his wool blanket tightly wrapped around his body, so that only his eye-catching face was revealed. With his current posture, he actually appeared several years younger, extraordinarily lovable and pitiable.


    The morning light softly illuminated his body. His long eyelashes, akin to the wings of a butterfly, trembled slightly, and the sunlit shadows trembled with them, like something out of a dream.


    A gentle and warm smile appeared on Yun Xie¡¯s face, but his heart felt a twinge of sour sorrow. As he remembered that unmentionable episode of chaotic and crude delirium, he suddenly felt as if a sharp hook had pierced the bottom of his heart. He watched as Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body move slightly, spreading the blanket open a fraction to reveal a slender neck. Seeing this, Yun Xie could not help but reach out and tuck the quilt in for him.


    After tucking it in, he froze and remembered that his original intention in coming here was to wake this person up. He instantly smiled and shook his head, lightly patting Jiang Xunyi as he called: ¡°Ah-Xun, Ah-Xun? Get up! Look what hour it is already!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyelids flickered. His head ached as if it was splitting open, and his eyelids seemed to be weighed down by something. He impatiently pulled Yun Xie¡¯s hands off him, and turned over so his back was facing Yun Xie.


    For no reason, Yun Xie felt his actions were very cute and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. After laughing, he immediately felt something was wrong. His brows furrowed and he increased his strength:¡±Ah-Xun? What happened to you, hurry and wake up!¡±


    His clamorous voice wormed its way into one¡¯s head, and Jiang Xunyi finally opened his eyes with great reluctance. He lifted half his body up from the bed to see Yun Xie, very dissatisfied: ¡°It¡¯s so early in the morning, what are you doing!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression was grave. He pressed one hand on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder while the other hand held his chin, and turned Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head towards the high sun outside the window: ¡°Early morning? Look outside, see what time it is already.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slapped Yun Xie¡¯s paws off, and clutched his forehead as he sat up. He looked out the window in confusion, then looked back at Yun Xie, before his mind finally started to clear up: ¡°How could I have slept for so long? When¡­ When did you come here? Why didn¡¯t I hear your arrival?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s heart clenched in worry, to the point where he didn¡¯t even have the spirit to joke with him. He placed two fingers of his right hand to the side of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck and sensed his pulse for a moment, then pressed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temple and forehead respectively. He hesitated: ¡°No abnormalities. It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve fallen into any trap. How do you currently feel? Are you uncomfortable?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pulled the quilt off himself and took two steps off the bed. Yun Xie reached out a hand, intending to support him, but Jiang Xunyi shook his head: ¡°I am fine, there¡¯s nothing wrong.¡±


    Given his level of skill, this was a very strange occurrence. The two men gazed at each other in helpless dismay, a tinge of uneasiness in their eyes. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart was troubled by certain things, making him feel even more apprehensive. He could not speak of those things to Yun Xie, so he could only treat it as if nothing was bothering him: ¡°What did you come to find me for?¡±


    Yun Xie suppressed his worries, while his heart secretly recorded down this matter. He said:¡±I saw you were sleeping until now and had not eaten anything since last nightmare, so I was calling you to wake up and eat something before going back to rest.¡±


    When he finished speaking, he didn¡¯t hear Jiang Xunyi¡¯s answer. Finding this strange, he looked towards him, only for Jiang Xunyi to suddenly speak: ¡°Say, if¡­¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°If what?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi paused, before continuing: ¡°Say, if I don¡¯t want to drink congee this morning¡­ is that alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure, it¡¯s no problem even if you want to eat human flesh.¡± Yun Xie¡¯s lips put on a false smile: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to say what¡¯s on your mind, fine. Why bother?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi knew that despite those words, Yun Xie in fact still wanted to ask him what was wrong. He sighed. In the end he still did not say a word, only patted Yun Xie¡¯s shoulders: ¡°Let me change clothes, and then let¡¯s go out.¡±


    Because of the recent fierce battle, almost half of the entire cultivation world had gathered here at Hidden Spirit Mountain. In this bright and fresh morning, groups of cultivators could be seen along the road. From time to time, people would come forward to greet the Yun and Jiang duo. As Jiang Xunyi grew increasingly vexed, he poked Yun Xie and was just about to speak when he suddenly heard a person in front angrily rebuking: ¡°You disgraceful bitch, you¡¯re an embarrassment to my family! What are you still alive for? Who was the man2, are you going to say it or not?!¡±


    Hearing these words, as the current host here in Hidden Spirit, Jiang Xunyi could not remain aloof and indifferent. He hurriedly strode over and immediately put away his impatient expression. Seeing the old man currently turned away from them about to swing down a fist, he cleanly blocked the blow, protecting the woman who had fallen trembling on the ground behind his solid back: ¡°Family Head Feng, what are you doing?¡±


    Feng Xue¡¯s mood was originally horrible. Now seeing the newcomer was Jiang Xunyi, he resentfully took his hand back, his expression colored by a bit of both fear and disdain: ¡°Young master Jiang, this is personal business within my Feng family. You should not interfere.¡±


    The person he was attempting to strike, was his own daughter Feng Qiu.


    Jiang Xunyi could never bear to see Feng Qiu being wronged. Without caring that the other party was her father, he unceremoniously waved Feng Xue¡¯s hand aside and turned around to help Feng Qiu up.


    His hand reached out, but Feng Qiu suddenly let out a scream and shrank back. Jiang Xunyi froze for a moment, while Yun Xie had already walked over from the side. He intentionally or unintentionally blocked Jiang Xunyi to support Feng Qiu up himself. This time Feng Qiu did not sidestep or dodge¡ªthe onlooking Jiang Xunyi did not feel particularly pleasant at this sight.


    But though Yun Xie helped her up, he never gave a proper glance in Feng Qiu¡¯s direction¡ªhe just didn¡¯t want her and Jiang Xunyi to come into contact. He then continued the trail of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words to speak to Feng Xue: ¡°No matter what, this is the territory of Hidden Spirit Mountain. Family Head Feng, since you do not want to let others know this business, why chide your daughter in such a public place with numerous people? If you go back and shut the door, no one will know even if you beat her to death.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s words fired a nuke that truly attacked indiscriminately, and tears immediately began to trickle down Feng Qiu¡¯s cheeks. Jiang Xunyi frowned. In the end, he did not open his mouth to speak out of concern for Yun Xie¡¯s momentum, but instead secretly kicked his calf from behind.


    Feng Xue was also rendered speechless by Yun Xie, and realized that his behavior had been somewhat inappropriate. He could only say: ¡°It was this old man who forgot propriety in the face of anger. May young master Jiang please forgive me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi asked: ¡°So in the end, what monumental event happened to make Family Head Feng so furious?¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you actually have the nerve to ask?!¡± A voice came from the distance. A black-clothed young man slowly walked over, numerous disciples lining up behind him. He wore a loose and light robes, and had a long sword strapped to his waist. His looks could be called handsome, but there was a faint aura of irascible vanity between his brows. His gaze carried a touch of condescending arrogance that made one feel somewhat uncomfortable.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­..Who¡¯s this?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed: ¡°The Tranquil Night3 Sect Head, Chen Yuanxin. He inherited his dad¡¯s position just a couple years ago, and hasn¡¯t amassed much fame. Though the way I see it, he seems to hate you quite a bit.¡±


    When he said this sentence, the volume of his voice did not decrease at all, and Chen Yuanxin¡¯s expression instantly became very ugly. Jiang Xunyi said: ¡°Now he probably hates you more than me.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled: ¡°Who am I doing this for?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had nothing to say in response. Yun Xie suddenly lowered his voice: ¡°Ah-Xun, why is it I get the feeling that there have been an extraordinarily large number of people trying to make trouble for us recently?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not answer. In his mind, he felt that Yun Xie could be getting dragged down by himself, plus Yun Xie¡¯s mouth always seemed to attract the dislike of others. In the end, there were still more people specifically trying to make trouble for himself. As for a possible reason, it was probably because¡­. He was a villain, and about to die.


    Having been stimulated by Yun Xie¡¯s comment, Chen Yuanxin was not in the mood to continue leaving people hanging, so he coldly announced: ¡°You are so outrageously debauched in your lust that you raped Feng Qiu! Such shameless and ignominious behavior, you are unworthy of your fame! All men have the right to punish one bearing such immense crimes4. Standing on this Hidden Spirit Mountain today and facing the heroic souls of the Hidden Spirit Sect ancestors, Jiang Xunyi, are you not ashamed?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi really wasn¡¯t ashamed at all. His heart was as calm as still water, and he even had the urge to laugh¡ª¡ªChen Yuanxin had read his stage lines flawlessly, but the point was that Jiang Xunyi clearly remembered having gone to sleep right after yelling at the system. He had done absolutely nothing, so Chen Yuanxin trying to jam storylines together like this was more than a little too far-fetched!


    On his side, Yun Xie directly burst out laughing: ¡°Sect Head Chen, are you not fully awake yet? Or have you not eaten breakfast and thus grown dizzy from hunger?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips had not yet curled up, when he suddenly saw Feng Qiu raise her head and look in his direction. Her eyes were as clear as limpid autumn waters, tinged with melancholy and heartbreak. Jiang Xunyi froze for a moment, and an ominous premonition rose in his heart.


    Feng Xue grew angry: ¡°Feng Qiu! Speak, was that man Jiang Xunyi or not?!¡±


    These words passed into Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ears and seemed to crash heavily into his heart. For a moment, his soul and spirit was entranced and trembled from the shock. His body wavered and took a step back, as he said: ¡°Qiu-Shijie, you were actually¡­..¡±


    His voice was hoarse as he spoke, so the sound was extremely quiet. This feeble and powerless sentence was very quickly suppressed by the angry or excited voices of the others.


    As more and more people clustered around to observe, countless gazes were concentrated on Feng Qiu¡¯s body. Her voice quivered, and she stuttered out: ¡°Everyone¡­ Everyone, don¡¯t ask any more, I can¡¯t say¡­ I can¡¯t say¡­ I was originally a bringer of misfortune, I don¡¯t deserve¡­¡±


    Feng Qiu was on the verge of being unable to continue speaking any further. The turbulent waves of terror in her heart were currently roiling against their constraints, yet her lips remained sealed. All those cold-eyed onlookers had no way of understanding, instead seeing her struggles as a joke to be told after a meal. She almost had the sensation that everyone was mocking her, was judging and discussing her, using their gazes and tongues as knives to torture her to death by a thousand cuts.


    ¡°Yes, it was him!¡± Feng Qiu finally couldn¡¯t help but burst into tears. She covered her face with her hand and wailed: ¡°It was Xun¡­ It was Jiang Xunyi, he forced me, he destroyed me! I thought ¡­ I thought I was still qualified to dream about being together with Ah-Xie, but now everything is ruined! You all had to force me to say it, now I¡¯ve said it, are you satisfied?!¡±


    Feng Qiu had always been gentle and warm, and the number of occasions on which she lost her composure could be counted on one hand. The previously noisy surroundings instantly fell into utter silence. Even Yun Xie stopped speaking. His hand was still firmly supporting Feng Qiu¡¯s arm, but upon closer inspection it was extremely stiff.


    Footnotes:


    1. ÈÕɹÈý¸Í lit. ¡°until the sun rose to the height of three bamboo trees¡± basically means late in the morning.


    2. ¼é·ò is usually used to refer to a male adulterer (ex: a husband asking his cheating wife who was the other man). Here the situation is a little bit more nuanced than that, so I just went with the simplest term.


    3. »ÞÄþ: »Þ = ¡°night, dark, last day of a lunar month¡± while Äþ = ¡°tranquil, peaceful¡±


    4. ÈËÈ˵öøÖïÖ® is a saying modified from a quote of the philosopher Zhuangzi¡¯s work ¸ýÉ£³þ Geng-Sang Chu.

 CH 40

    Chapter 40 Devoted


    Hearing what Feng Qiu said, Jiang Xunyi felt an intense sympathy that emerged as pain and despair. He couldn¡¯t even tell if this was what he was really feeling this for himself, or if he was just reacting so genuinely to the taken-for-granted fact that ¡°Jiang Xunyi liked Feng Qiu¡±. Blood rushed to his head until he felt dizzy, his mind still spinning with what Feng Qiu had said¨C¡±Now everything is ruined!¡±


    In that moment, his original emotions surged back. Momentarily he forgot the reality around him. He almost believed that Feng Qiu was speaking nothing but the truth, and that the culprit she was accusing was really him.


    After a moment, the one who broke the silence first was Yun Xie. He took a deep breath, releasing Feng Qiu and drawing his hands behind him, disguising his tumultuous emotions with this action. Only he knew how afraid he was right now. Out of fear that Jiang Xunyi would misinterpret things, he did his best to maintain a calm demeanor, speaking without hesitation, ¡°Sister Qiu, you must be confused. Xun would never do something like that. You¡¯ve been terribly upset, and I understand how you feel. But you can¡¯t speak so carelessly about things like these.¡±


    Feng Qiu glared at him, eyes wide. There was as much heartbreak in her face as there had been affection. Large drops of tears fell from her eyes, her face ashen gray like death.


    With trembling hands she pulled her tight collar aside, revealing her slender throat. The visible marks were shocking just to look at: with a single glance, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brows knitted together. Clenching his teeth, he walked up quickly. Before Feng Qiu could even step back out of fear, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand darted out to stop her from pulling her clothes off any further. ¡°Don¡¯t do this.¡± he said in a low voice.


    His posture was impeccable, but his voice was low and hoarse. Like she had been burned, Feng Qiou pushed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand aside, glancing at him quickly. Before anyone could read the emotions in her gaze, she let her head drop.


    Of course everyone else would think that she was filled with nothing but hatred.


    Being pushed aside like this by Feng Qiu, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s loose sleeves slid off his arms, showing his delicate wrists and well-built arms. On his pale skin, the bright red scars were even more astonishing.


    Seeing the marks, Chen Yuanxin spoke up. ¡°Sir Jiang, what are those on your arms?¡±


    They were the marks that had been left when he rejected Zihui Sanren last night. Jiang Xunyi remembered all of this with incredible clarity, but he couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Master Timing had raised him since he was a child. The Hidden Spirit Sect had been like his second home. Zihui Sanren had been famous for so long, and was also his elder. If anyone else caught wind of this, the Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s clear reputation would be ruined in an instant. Even Jiang Molou, coming back from the far west, would no longer be able to take pride in the name.


    It was impossible to choose. In that moment, Jiang Xunyi finally sensed destiny¡¯s power and subtlety. It was as if an invisible hand reached through the haze, manipulating dark tides that were disguised beneath heavy fog. He kept trying to hide, but remained as lost as ever.


    He even had a hazy thought: was it because his own resistance and refusal to cooperate that what happened to Feng Qiu became even worse? Was this fate¡¯s vengeance? If he tried to fight back, would it just end up bringing down other people, and even¡­the main character, Yun Xie? Last night he had slept for so long, completely unconscious. What had happened?

 CH 41

    So many years have passed by, he has become an all-round capable person from a little kid. Would keeping his cool and tolerate the only things he could do?


    All the shock, sorrow, embarrassment, hesitation in him¡­ all kinds of emotions intertwined inside him like turbulences. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead kept sweating. In an instant, his shirt became all wet. He dared not think anymore. He could only hear Chen Yuanxin asking him over and over again, ¡°why aren¡¯t you speaking? Master Jiang, how come when I look at the mark on your arm, it looks like you¡¯ve been scratched by a woman?¡±


    If this happened any other time, Jiang Xunyi would fight back without hesitating, ¡°Master Chen sounds so determined. You must be very experienced. I guess you have the habit of bullying other people, no matter male or female?¡± But at this time, he didn¡¯t have the mood to do so. In others¡¯ eyes, Jiang Xunyi looked both cold and proud when he stood in the opposite side of Chen Yuanxin. Only he knew that he¡¯s feeling stiff, and he had to bite his lips to swallow back the words that he was going to say.


    He didn¡¯t want to admit it, and he didn¡¯t dare to resist it without holding back. He was deeply saddened by the damage that Feng Qiu was suffering, but it was difficult to find out the confusing truth.


    Yun Xie began to hear Chen Yuanxin¡¯s accusation toward Jiang Xunyi, and he was not feeling happy. However, he still believed that Jiang Xunyi would never do something like this. The only thing that he couldn¡¯t figure out was the reason Feng Qiu intentionally made Jiang Xunyi look bad, but when he saw the reaction of Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie began to doubt too.


    The two grew up together, and he was too familiar with the personality of Jiang Xunyi. If Jiang Xunyi really didn¡¯t know about anything, he would be resentful given how much he cared for Feng Qiu, but the first thing he¡¯d do would surely be teaching Chen Yuanxin a lesson, before anything. Then, he would go as far as he could to dig out the person who had insulted Feng Qiu. Jiang Xunyi was never a person who would be overwhelmed by a small blow.


    But now, he looked pale and he didn¡¯t say a word.


    This thought was horrifying. Yun Xie didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d react if Jiang Xunyi did that with another woman¡­he¡¯s never a superstitious person, but at this time, he could only pray silently. And he really hoped that this wasn¡¯t true. He was trying so hard to suppress his emotions, but there was still a big urge of rage that kept turning and twisting in his heart, it took him a lot of effort to keep cool, at least on the surface.


    This was originally the liveliest place on Lingyin Mountain. No matter where one went, he¡¯d have to pass through this. There were more and more people getting near, Chen Yuanxin didn¡¯t let go and Feng Xue was staring at him angrily. Jiang Xunyi still hadn¡¯t said anything, he looked as if he¡¯d lost his soul. They were getting louder and things were just completely out of control. Yun Xie tightened his fist and took a deep breath, then he said loudly, ¡°Master Chen, master Feng, please calm down and listen to me first.¡±


    Although they belonged to the same Lingtai, but what¡¯s different from Jiang Xunyi was that, the master of Yun Xie died early, and he was already the leader of a sect. Also, there weren¡¯t as many troubles in Yang Xian sect, and everyone was pretty united. After Yun Xie took over, they developed even more quickly. Although everyone knew that he was close with Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie¡¯s words were still important to them, and everyone got quiet instantly.


    ¡°Master Jiang has been very tired after the seal, and I can see that he isn¡¯t in the best shape. I apologize to everyone on behalf of him. Although I do not know every detail of the incident, I¡¯m just wondering, given how much Jiang Xunyi could do, and he¡¯s in his own area, the Lingyin Mountains, if he¡­is really interested in Miss Feng, many people would try their best to cover this up, so why would this thing become public now? Also, after the fight last night, everyone is exhausted and injured. He might as well sleep for days to rest up, how could he be interested in doing such thing?¡±


    What Yun Xie said was reasonable and it made sense, people around him started to comprehend better as well. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s reputation was quite high before, and even with the rumors that he had betrayed, many young people still admired him almost blindly. They would never believe that Jiang Xunyi would be such an evil person. This time, he had even returned to the mountains and finished with the seal, making Lingtai¡¯s reputation and status over the top. It would be impossible to make people believe that he¡¯d do such a thing.


    And¡­when looking at the elegant face of Jiang Xunyi, he¡¯s several times better than Feng Qiu. People really couldn¡¯t believe that he needed to force anyone to do it.


    Seeing how the others¡¯ facial expressions changed, Yun Xie made a face to Jiang Xunyi, yet Jiang Xunyi still didn¡¯t speak. Chen Yuanxin sneered and replied slowly, ¡°what master Yun said was without proof, everyone knows that you¡¯re close with Jiang Xunyi. Even if he kills someone, you¡¯ll help him in burying the corpse. No matter what he does, you¡¯d still help him, even if he turns the right and wrong values upside down! What will believe you?¡±


    This sounded really unfriendly. Yun Xie was already feeling pissed off before, and at this moment, he couldn¡¯t hide his emotions anymore. He raised his head to hit on the scabbard heavily. His Minghe sword was released and flew toward Chen Yuanxin straightly. Chen Yuanxin took a glimpse and tried to block it with his sword, yet he saw the Minghe sword falling before getting near. It went straight into the empty ground and made a loud noise.


    There¡¯s dust all over, people started coughing and taking steps back.


    Yun Xie said coldly, ¡°good, since you don¡¯t believe me, it¡¯s even better. Let¡¯s fight instead of arguing! Whoever will survive will have his words believed!¡±


    He¡¯s a man acting by his emotions. At this time, he acted as if he wanted to unroot the whole mountain. Jiang Xunyi had enough troubles for himself and he didn¡¯t want to bother his brothers. He yelled, ¡°Yun Xie!¡±


    Usually, Yun Xie looked smiley and warm, but he now looked extremely cold. Since he bit his teeth too hard, the two sides of his face looked particular clear. He didn¡¯t look at Jiang Xunyi at all, and only said, ¡°shut up! Let me get this sorted first. And we¡¯ll sort out our matter.¡±


    God knows what problem they had to solve between them. Feng Xue didn¡¯t want things to become so extreme with Yun Xie, but this person had to interfere in this matter anyhow, and he looked even more emotional than the person involved. There didn¡¯t seem to be another solution. He could only say, ¡°Master Yun, pardon me if I¡¯m too direct. This is after all¡­a matter between me and master Jiang. I would suggest you keep quiet if you don¡¯t every detail.¡±


    Yun Xie stared at him like thunder and replied, ¡°Lingtai will always step forward or backward. And we¡¯ll always be together no matter what we do, and no matter if we survive or die!¡±

 CH 42

    ¡°Master Yun, I¡¯d suggest you spare your effort.¡± After Yun Xie finished, there¡¯s another voice, and everyone searched for that voice. They saw a good-looking woman in a Taoist dress walking toward them, and she said, ¡°you¡¯ve always been someone with righteousness. For this, I¡¯m sure everyone is looking upon you. However, it¡¯s a pity that you still haven¡¯t realized the real side of some thugs, and I really can¡¯t see Master Yun to continue being fooled. I¡¯d rather we finish this matter today and get rid of this traitor.¡±


    While Jiang Xunyi looked at Idle man Zi Hui, he had nothing to say. He had now completely realized the hostility of the world. The system had used all possible ways to tell him not to reject the task. For example, for this time, if he rejected proactively to become a rapist, then he could only passively become one. There would actually be no positive sides, and he would even lose the only opportunity to enjoy himself.


    He was heavily shocked but this shamelessness, ¡°Zi Hui, what do you mean?¡±


    Idle Man Zi Hui looked at him coldly, her eyes completely without any remaining affection and admiration, ¡°you don¡¯t even call anyone Master Uncle anymore, it seems to me that you know how sinful you¡¯ve become, and you can¡¯t bear to stay in Lingyin Sect anymore, right? However, since you¡¯ve made such a big mistake, you can¡¯t just walk away like that. I have to apply the Thunder punishment on you in front of my senior brother Ti Ming, so that you can make it up for the Feng family, also to the ascendants of my Lingyin Sect.¡±


    After she finished, she didn¡¯t give any opportunity for Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi to interrupt, and she yelled, ¡°Lao Chen! Let us know what you¡¯ve seen yesterday!¡±


    A man in his rough clothes slowly walked out from the crowd.


    After Jiang Xunyi found out that Feng Qiu had really been raped, he had become totally numb. Initially, he thought that nothing could make him emotional ever again, but when he saw that familiar, calm face, Jiang Xunyi felt as if someone had poured cold water on top of his head, making him so cold that he couldn¡¯t speak nor move, so cold that he felt chilly to the bones.


    His lips trembled, and his voice was hoarse, ¡°Uncle Chen?¡±


    Uncle Chen didn¡¯t react delightfully like he used to; he only turned his head away silently. He seemed to want to say something, but he wasn¡¯t willing to speak to Jiang Xunyi.


    Idle man Zi Hui stared at Jiang Xunyi and said plainly, ¡°good, you¡¯ve just admitted that yourself.¡± She pointed at Uncle Chen and told everyone else, ¡°this person is responsible to take care of all the miscellaneous matters of the backyard of our master, and he has been working for my senior brother Ti Ming for mother than dozens of years. He¡¯s always been loyal and never lies. Uncle Chen, tell everyone what you saw last night.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked firmly at Chen Li, but Chen Li didn¡¯t look at him back. His lips moved for a while, but he still hadn¡¯t spoken a word. Instead, he used his trembling hand, full of senile plaques, slowly took half a sleeve in his arms and handed it to Idle man Zi Hui.


    Idle man Zi Hui didn¡¯t take it. Her hands were still inside her sleeves, and she said coldly, ¡°just show it to everyone.¡±


    Uncle Chen then showed everyone the cloth, and he said, ¡°this morning at dawn, I saw Miss Feng running out of Master¡¯s room, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone in his room, the light wasn¡¯t on either. I saw that Miss Feng was crying while running, and I wanted to ask if she¡¯s fine. However, I didn¡¯t catch her, but¡­I got this.¡±


    He had watched Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou growing up, and he had been calling them both Master, which sounded very sincere.The cloth was woven with brocade, it was white and dazzling, it also looked like a cloud falling from the sky. In the sunlight, it showed a faint dark golden pattern, so beautiful and elegant, and you could see that it was something which belonged to Jiang Xunyi. Feng Xue roared furiously, ¡°don¡¯t cry anymore! Qiu¡¯er! Tell us what has happened really!¡±


    Feng Qiu was sobbing, and she almost couldn¡¯t speak. After a long while, she managed to stutter a few words, ¡°I¡­I was looking for an opportunity to poke his Shenfu point, and while he fainted, I immediately escaped¡­¡±


    The Shenfu point located somewhere at the back of one¡¯s head. For high-level masters like Jiang Xunyi, there would certainly be no way to let anyone touch this critical spot. However, when both are into their emotions, anything could happen. As a result, everyone couldn¡¯t help but start looking at Jiang Xunyi with despise. Zi Hui said, ¡°so, everything is clear now. Jiang Xunyi, what else do you want to tell us?¡±


    Feng Qiu, Uncle Chen, Zi Hui¡­the figures of these people have gradually become beasts, both twisted and furious. He was already feeling a bit sick that morning, now that he had to endure such a strong surge of anger, Jiang Xunyi felt that everything in front of his eyes has become dark. He only saw that the people¡¯s lips were opening and closely, and he had to spend a lot of effort to understand what they were saying. He felt that blood was rushing to his chest, and when some blood had already reached his throat, Jiang Xunyi swallowed it back to his stomach.

 CH 43

    He said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, uncle Chen, the master has passed away, I will never believe that even you would betray me. So many years¡­so many years¡­unless I die now, wait¡­no! I won¡¯t accept it even if I die! Uncle Chen, tell me why you would do this, were they forcing you?¡±


    His voice sounded so light and these words were so powerless. Yun Xie felt a great sympathy to him, and he wanted to support him, but when he touched the skinny shoulder of Jiang Xunyi, and when the familiar cold fragrance like pine under the snow rushed to his nose, he felt so furious again, and he wanted to destroy everything.


    He seemed to hear someone ask him, ¡°Master Yun, aren¡¯t you the first person who saw Jiang Xunyi this morning? May I ask if Master Yun had seen anything?¡±


    When Yun Xie heard his own voice, he replied calmly and coldly, ¡°everything is normal ¨C let me say it again, Jiang Xunyi will never do such a thing. If none of you believes me, then I¡¯ll bear the responsibility with him.¡±


    It¡¯s like his soul was cut into half, one half was being pitiful to Jiang Xunyi, and another half was filled with rage and doubt. He felt that what he was saying sounded so unfamiliar.


    However, what he had just said was like boiling hot blood, spitting out of Yun Xie¡¯s mouth and dropping directly on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart, making his almost numb organs regain their sensitivity. He took a deep breath and stood straight, he patted on Yun Xie¡¯s arm and said with his hoarse voice, ¡°Yun Xie, thank you.¡±


    Chen Yuanxin looked at these two people and smiled after seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s reaction. On his usually nonchalant look, there seemed to be a sense of gentleness, which almost looked sick to him. He said, ¡°Master Jiang, since you said so, that means you¡¯re denying it?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi gently pushed away Yun Xie and refused his support, and when he just wanted to say, ¡°of course I am denying it¡±, but he immediately shut up when he wanted to speak. He found out that he dared not to.


    After killing so many monsters and going through so many dangerous situations, Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t afraid of being killed anymore, and he might as well bet on something heavy, yet he couldn¡¯t pay Yun Xie back his destiny and future. Yun Xie was the only person that he couldn¡¯t let go, that¡¯s his best brother.


    For every step that he took, he had to be extra careful, just like a lonely person travelling in the dark. ¡°Cloud rises and turbulences in the sky¡± was initially established for Yun Xie, and no one could accurately say what consequences there would be for Yun Xie if Jiang Xunyi started to rebel.


    His heart started beating more and more frantically, every transmigrator would have similar thoughts. They usually stood on high ground and looked down on people, as they probably thought that they were not the same as anyone else. However, when facing one¡¯s inevitable destiny, they would finally realize how little they actually are, just like dust that could be blown away at any time.


    Jiang Xunyi understood that he had been defeated completely. He now had a strong feeling that he couldn¡¯t solve anything, and although he understood how things had become, he couldn¡¯t change any of them. It¡¯s as if destiny knew how wild his behavior was, and how arrogant he was. Therefore, destiny wanted to teach him a lesson and to torture him, as if it could get more fun out of it.


    Jiang Xunyi clenched his fist tightly and he looked as cold as ice. He tried hard to make his voice sound as stable as possible, yet his rapid breathing had revealed his real emotion. Never had one sentence made him feel so humiliated before, ¡°no, I admit that it¡¯s me.¡±


    The noise around him were like retreating waves, but there was an even louder voice hitting his soul. Yun Xie hurriedly turned and looked at Jiang Xunyi like a stranger. Feng Qiu, who had been crying loudly on the side, had now forgotten to weep.


    After saying this, Jiang Xunyi had surprisingly calmed down entirely. He crossed his hands around his chest and said nonchalantly, ¡°well, you all have done so many different things, and the only purpose is to make me admit. Isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was trembling and it¡¯s hard to control himself, ¡°Jiang¡­Jiang Xunyi, you have to make sure that you¡¯re not joking.¡±


    It was finally the main part of the episode, yet there wasn¡¯t an inch of happiness in his heart. Jiang Xunyi decided to let it all go and he now couldn¡¯t care less, ¡°I¡¯m not joking, I¡¯ve been an admirer of sister Qiu for a long time, but she only thinks of you, haven¡¯t you realized that/¡±


    At this moment, Yun Xie really wanted to kill him, but there was only one Jiang Xunyi in the whole world, he couldn¡¯t let him go.


    At this moment, the disgusting system made an announcement: [friendly reminder: you¡¯ve already completed 90% of your mission. Please carry on.]


    I¡¯m really thankful for your friendly reminder!


    Jiang Xunyi snorted in his mind, he really wanted to dig out his brain and destroy this damn system ¨C 90% It¡¯s really not obvious! Since it progressed so rapidly, he really wanted to see how it would make Yun Xie kill him.


    He was not just being confident. He knew that Yun Xie wasn¡¯t someone who gave up on his friends for women, and it wasn¡¯t his character either. Although he once said that he liked Feng Qiu, anyone with a bit of intelligence would never believe him. Therefore, although Jiang Xunyi felt furious after having admitted it, he didn¡¯t think that Yun Xie would kill him because of that. If he assumed Yun Xie to be that kind of person, then many other things in the future would torture him even more, and put him in danger more often. All in all, Jiang Xunyi was quite surprised that he had already completed a large part of the mission.

 CH 44

    Chapter 44 ¨C Snow Melts into Spring


    Yun Xie spoke right besides Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ear, his warm breath brushing over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s skin in a way that made his scalp tingle. Jiang Xunyi pushed Yun Xie away with a roll of his eyes, exclaiming, ¡°Disgusting!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed contentedly. Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just get beat to death? Why are you still alive? You even ran into the book like me¡­ did you go into the past?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Master He Deng added. ¡°Just now, Master Jiang believed Sect Master Yun was killed by me and almost fought to the death with me. Luckily, you didn¡¯t really die, otherwise these old bones might not even be enough for him to fight.¡±


    ¡°No I didn¡¯t!¡± Jiang Xunyi quickly lied. ¡°Old man, don¡¯t think you can say whatever you want just because I didn¡¯t mention the fact that you pushed me just now.¡±


    Master He Deng laughed without saying anything and Yun Xie added, ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯m okay ¨C in fact, as long as you no longer hate me and alienate me, nothing in the world can hurt me anymore.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face froze, but he didn¡¯t call Yun Xie disgusting. He was no longer distracted by his squabbling with Master He Deng. For the first time, he turned his head to look directly at Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie smiled silently, his eyes soft, head slightly angled. His long eyelashes cast a fan-like shadow below his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi was quiet for a long while before he finally sighed. ¡°After you recognized me, why didn¡¯t you explain? Why didn¡¯t you say you were led astray by the devil in your heart?¡±


    A bitter and slightly pained smile appeared on Yun Xie¡¯s face. At this point, they seemed to forget about the existence of Master He Deng.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to explain. I dare not ask you to forgive me because I can¡¯t forgive myself. It is my fault. My.. my mind was weak. At the Heart Demon Sea I had already hurt you once, and I made another big mistake later. If¡­ you really can¡¯t come back, I don¡¯t even know how long I could last.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t know how to tell Yun Xie about the whole ordeal with Xuan Li. His heart ached from Yun Xie¡¯s sad words. He took the initiative to step forward and place a hand on Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I am also at fault¡­ Actually, I had already made up my mind before I entered the temple. We grew up together and our lives are entwined. No matter what, I can¡¯t bring myself to ignore you. You don¡¯t have to mention the past ever again¡­ after all, you are my best brother.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­£¡£¡£¡¡±¦²( ¡ã ¡÷¡ã|||)¦õ


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°We went through all of that and you still think of me as a brother? Did you not see my feelings just now?¡±


    ¡°I can see that you¡¯re feeling really irritable,¡± Jiang Xunyi answered honestly. He looked at Yun Xie¡¯s expression and thought that he was very moved, so he patted Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder. In a sure tone, he continued, ¡°Naturally, since we have been brothers all our lives, I will treat you as my brother forever.¡±


    Yun Xie felt a little like crying.


    Without giving Yun Xie an opportunity to cry out, Master He Deng finally caught an opportunity to intervene. ¡°Now that the knot in Master Jiang¡¯s heart has been untangled, what are your plans?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke concisely. ¡°From where I came is where I shall go. On the outside, many people are waiting to settle accounts with me. I can¡¯t hide in your temple for my entire life.¡± He looked at He Deng seriously and said some rare good words. ¡°Today, Yun Xie and I were able to relieve our previous doubts, and for that, we have to thank the Master.¡±


    ¡°Those things, do you understand it all?¡± Master He Deng said.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips raised. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand before I died. When I died once, I kept thinking about it. I¡¯ll know anything I don¡¯t understand once I go out and ask.¡±


    He smiled quite coldly. On the outside, Master He Deng said Jiang Xunyi was stupid, but in reality, he knew that he was very keen. In addition, a fox with a face full of smiles was also by his side. In the world, there was no one as shrewd. With these two together, as long as there wasn¡¯t any infighting, nothing bad could happen.


    He felt relieved. ¡°Since this is the case, you-¡°


    Before he could finish, Yun Xie had already squeezed in from behind, pulling Jiang Xunyi back. He leaned in front of Master He Deng and asked, ¡°Wait, I was hurt before and felt a tremendous pain in my chest. My spiritual power was also weakened. Why did these problems seem to disappear after you hit me? In addition, I seemed to go to the past and met A¡¯Xun!¡±


    ¡°With regard to your physical condition, Sect Master Yun can stop worrying. You had a knot in your heart, so your spiritual energy was stagnant. In addition, there were several times where you forcibly raised your cultivation, which caused serious internal injury. In that moment, I already opened up the spirit veins of your entire body. It will be fine once you go back and rest for a few days.


    Yun Xie was annoyed. ¡°This sucks. Now how would I pretend to be pitiful?¡±


    Master He Deng was speechless.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t stop talking, I still have questions about what happened after,¡± Yun Xie reminded.


    He had thought that Master He Deng would definitely avoid the subject and refuse to answer. Unexpectedly, by asking, he saw Master He Deng pull out a cloth bag.


    Yun Xie looked at the shape of the object within and asked, ¡°Knife?¡±


    Master He Deng really took out a short knife from the cloth bag, but the shape of the knife was very strange. The back of the knife was extremely curved and the blade was extremely blunt. It looked like killing chickens with would be difficult, let alone a person.


    Yun Xie was someone who could recognize legendary items, and as soon as he saw the knife, he was shocked. ¡°Death Blade? This is a legendary weapon capable of splitting time and space. It actually exists?¡±


    Master He Deng let him take a look before he put it away: ¡°Sect Master Yun is well-informed. This is precisely the Death Blade. I used this to bring the two of you back to the past, and I have to congratulate Sect Master Yun for defeating your past and changing your ending. Perhaps your state of mind will have a breakthrough.¡±


    Yun Xie was really moved this time, his eyes trembling. He was about to say something when Jiang Xunyi patted Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder behind him and said, ¡°You go out and wait for me for a while.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled at him and didn¡¯t move.


    Jiang Xunyi frankly said, ¡°I have something to hide from you, and I want to tell the master. Go out, don¡¯t listen.¡±


    He finished the sentence, which sounded definitely unacceptable to ordinary people. However, Yun Xie was not an ordinary person. His eyes rolled quietly and said with a smile: ¡°A¡¯Xun, what do you have to say to him and not me? I say, this is too mean. Look, compared to the old man, I am younger, more beautiful, and more understanding. You might as well ¨C ow!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slammed his foot on Yun Xie¡¯s foot. ¡°Leave. Right. Now!¡± he said with his teeth gritted together.


    Yun Xie smiled, and actually stopped asking before he obediently left.


    Jiang Xunyi then turned to look at Master He Deng and crossed his arms. ¡°This matter is very important to me. I have to say a few words so don¡¯t blame me. Master He Deng, dare I ask where you come from?¡±


    Master He Deng put his hands together, in the solemn style of Buddha. ¡°Naturally, I come from my place of origin.¡±


    Seeing Master He Deng nod, Jiang Xunyi calmed down and continued. ¡°This is a bit weird. Is the reason you pay so much attention to my attitude towards Yun Xie because of the task or because of him? No matter what my purpose in helping Yun Xie is, what does this have to do with you?¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi asked, he wasn¡¯t very confident. However, by hearing this sentence, he had an idea and waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t fool me with that mysterious bullshit. Uh, how about this, I ask you, do you know planes, trains, TVs, computers¡­ um, and Chen Derong?¡±


    He was going to say Zhao Liying, but when he thought about it, based on the age of the old man, Zhao Liying hadn¡¯t debuted yet before he transmigrated. He thought hard for a long time, and finally found a name that should resonate.


    Sure enough, Master He Deng suddenly moved when he heard the last three words, slapping Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t know someone as young as you would know Chen Derong! Promising. The one she acts with, um, Ma Jingtao, is my favorite!¡± he said, full of excitement.


    Jiang Xunyi was speechless. He felt that the other party had insulted the term lao na[1].


    He also remembered that Master He Deng latched onto chicken legs not long ago and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°So you also admit that you transmigrated?¡±


    Yun Xie is not here anymore, so Master He Deng didn¡¯t hide anymore and instead nodded calmly: ¡°But when I came in, this book was still called ¡®Wind Demon Sword Sovereign¡¯, and the protagonist was not that Yun Xie kid.¡±


    ¡°Sect Master Yun¡± became ¡°that Xie kid¡± as soon as he left. Jiang Xunyi glared at him before asking, ¡°How did you get into Yun Qi Tian Lan again? ¡­ Ah, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    After he finished this sentence, his brain finally reacted. ¡°When you came, you said this book is also called ¡®Wind Demon Sword Sovereign¡¯, which means that this is actually a book in a series story?¡±


    Master He Deng¡¯s eyes flashed in surprise and nodded.


    Jiang Xunyi shrugged his shoulders and didn¡¯t continue to ask about this book.


    Instead, he thought about it and asked, ¡°Master, you just asked me if it¡¯s only because the system said that Sect Master Yun is the key to going home that I care about his well-being, help him without complaint and regret, and stay by his side even after he killed me once, right?¡±


    Master He Deng narrowed his eyes and looked at Jiang Xunyi. It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized that the handsome young man in front of him was really not easy to deal with. If there were any mistakes, he would be able to notice it in an instant.


    He originally didn¡¯t want to say too much, but at this time, he couldn¡¯t help but appreciate his talent. With a shake of his head, he said, ¡°Why would I concerned about that? What I am concerned about is whether you regard life here as real life. Did Master Jiang ever think about just why you were brought here? Are you living in this place to die according to other people¡¯s regulations?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wanted to stop talking, and He Deng saw his hesitation. ¡°Relax, this temple is the only place under the sky that can shield the signal of the system. However, you can¡¯t be too casual once you leave.¡±


    Even so, Jiang Xunyi slightly lowered his voice: ¡°Are you suggesting that I resist the system?¡±


    Master He Deng did not answer him positively: ¡°I have always heard that Jiang Xunyi is proud and dust-free, and he is by no means a person who can easily be manipulated. Now, are you really willing to live a life like this? If I let you choose yourself, then would you kill Xuan Li? Would you save mortals?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his eyes and softly said, ¡°Of course, the debt I owe to myself must be settled.¡±


    Master He Deng had expected his answer long ago: ¡°You have a duty to complete the tasks entrusted to you[2]. Maybe by acting according to your own will, you can find the real answer.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately asked, ¡°Entrusted to me by who?¡±


    ¡°Buddha said, ¡®Unspeakable.¡¯¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was speechless. He was normal for only three seconds and now here he goes again.


    He felt that nothing could be gained anymore, and he suddenly smiled. ¡°The master has given me so much, and I am very grateful. Do you want to listen to my ideas?¡±


    Master He Deng smiled and said: ¡°If you want to say them, I certainly want to hear.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here so long that I mostly understand the system. I died in the last life, which is basically equivalent to ¡®game over¡¯. This is actually not my fault, and it is instead caused by a system bug, so I received a chance to change the status and live again. Based on this, the mission system from before can no longer interfere with me and force me to kill my mother, rape, and seek death. Instead, the system will issue me new tasks based on the identity of ¡®Du Heng¡¯.¡±


    Master He Deng did not expect Jiang Xunyi to analyze the truth. He originally wanted to make a few comments. Instead, not only did he have nothing to say, he was deeply impressed by his words. Seeing him pause, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Then what?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi put his hands together: ¡°Actually, I have been thinking about why I came to this world to do these weird things. What is the system¡¯s purpose? I¡¯m guessing the system gets energy from completion of plot points, so I will definitely get the corresponding punishment for avoiding a task. Then¡­ if I have to complete my task, can I destroy the plot from another angle and deplete the energy of the system a little at a time?¡±


    As he spoke, a slight expression of excitement appeared on his cold face. ¡°For example, let¡¯s say that one day the system gave me a task to beat you up. After I finish the task, the system can¡¯t control me anymore. Next, according to the plot, you will hold a grudge and join Yun Xie to deal with me. At this time, the system did not tell me how to deal with Yun Xie, so I can kill him first, then the plot involving you and Yun Xie dealing with me would be ruined¡­ so if this continues, one day the script will be full of holes, and eventually the energy source of the system will disappear.¡±


    Master He Deng was silent for a while before he finally said: ¡°¡­Except for the fact that your example was a little strange, your other ideas are very successful, I think it can be tried.¡±


    He looked at Jiang Xunyi, eyes filled with something inexplicable. ¡°I had once thought that with your temperament, it would be hard to happily complete the tasks, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have thought of this much.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly: ¡°One more thing thing to do is worse than one less thing to do. I used to think that this wasn¡¯t necessary.¡± As he spoke, he cracked his knuckles. ¡°But now it violates my bottom line. Master has suffocated for such a long time, I¡¯m really sorry for not doing anything.¡±


    Master He Deng said: ¡°The key now is that without the system, you will never know what the plot should be and how should you change it?¡±


    After he finished speaking, he saw Jiang Xunyi glance at Yun Qi Tian Lan on the table and smiled bitterly. ¡°This is useless, because even if I wanted to, I can¡¯t give you this book, let alone let you to read it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi crossed his arms. ¡°I understand. Although I don¡¯t know how you made this temple, since you haven¡¯t left the world in this book, I guess you are also constrained by the laws of the system and can¡¯t do some things. I don¡¯t like forcing people to do things. If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine. No matter what, today I would like to thank the master for your help. Take care, I¡¯m leaving, bye.¡±


    He walked away without any lingering emotions, but instead, Master He Deng felt uncomfortable. He always felt that Jiang Xunyi was not a person who could give up so easily. He thought about it for a long while, and then he slapped his legs and scolded: ¡°Those two stinky boys!¡±


    He forgot Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ability to remember everything he saw! Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi have always been able to understand each other very well. He didn¡¯t know what method Jiang Xunyi used to hint at Yun Xie to stick to him and distract him with small talk, but in that time, Jiang Xunyi took the opportunity to glance over the book, remember a rough idea, and what more did he need to say?


    Jiang Xunyi walked out of the gate. The world was suddenly filled with light and the mountain temple as well as the deep paths disappeared.


    There was no sun in the ancient temple. It was only when he came out, that found that the cold night had gradually faded. The curtain of the sky was opened, and the morning light was revealed.


    A man in white was standing under the tree with his back to him, absent-mindedly playing with a willow branch in his hand. He was tall and outstanding, and the sunlight surrounded his body with a rim of gold.


    Jiang Xunyi squinted and brought his hands to his forehead to block the light. With a loud voice, he shouted, ¡°Yun Xie!¡±


    Yun Xie turned back when he heard the sound. Their eyes met. Yun Xie¡¯s eyes were very bright and deep, and there was a smile on his lips.


    Waiting could be compared to a self-made prison. Time slows to a stop as the whole world seems to be frozen at the moment of separation. No matter how painful it was, he stubbornly refused to leave and refused to forget.


    This time, he was finally reunited with the person who he was willing to wait for.


    Just this short distance seemed equal to three thousand miles of turbulent water and thousands of years of separation. Jiang Xunyi crossed over in a few strides, walked in front of Yun Xie, stretched his hands and smacked his chest.


    He didn¡¯t use much strength, but Yun Xie suddenly felt a terrible pain in his chest. His body trembled once and all his tender feelings melted into rolling water.


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi!¡± he cursed. ¡°Are you looking for beating?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered: ¡°Huh?¡±


    Yun Xie suddenly startled and stood obediently while covering his chest, giving Jiang Xunyi a pitiful look: ¡°Xunyi-gege[3], I¡¯ve have devotedly followed you for so long. I desperately beg for forgiveness and all I ask for is just a smile, but you even ruthlessly raise your hand against me. Even if I didn¡¯t suffer any internal injuries, my heart is still about to break into pieces.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi made a ¡°pei¡± sound then pressed several points on his chest, expression unreadable. ¡°Forcefully advancing ¨C I was wondering how you were so powerful before. Yun Xie, If you are tired of life, you can find a more joyful way of death next time.¡±


    His fingers were slender and strong, and he pressed Yun Xie¡®s acupuncture points with just the right force, which alleviated his pain. At the same time, a cold fragrance of indifference drifted from his sleeve[4], but, conversely, his actions made people feel warm. The unreasonable smile on Yun Xie¡¯s face gradually gathered up, and he inexplicably felt touched from the bottom of his heart.


    He took a deep breath and just as he was about to say something. Yun Xie quickly followed with, ¡°So, was it really you who raped Qiu-shijie[5]?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Jiang Xunyi resolutely exclaimed.


    Yun Xie was fired up. ¡°Why did you have to admit it? Otherwise, none of this would¡¯ve happened. Jiang Xunyi, I finally understand why that old man He Deng said you are stupid like a pig. I totally agree with him!¡±


    ¡°I have to remind you that he is talking about the two of us,¡± Jiang Xunyi said unkindly. He paused for a moment and spoke again. ¡°You don¡¯t have to excite me, you can rest assured that some things have to be kept a secret because of time. I won¡¯t hide things from you forever.¡±


    He showed such obvious anomalies. His speech was inconsistent, and Yun Xie was shrewd. Although he didn¡¯t ask, he actually had a lot of doubts in his heart, so tried to indirectly test him.


    Jiang Xunyi really didn¡¯t want to hide things from Yun Xie, but he didn¡¯t know how to tell him. To tell the truth, until now, if it wasn¡¯t for the system sometimes appearing to remind him of its existence, even he would have no clue whether or not it was real.


    Yun Xie looked at Jiang Xunyi and smiled, but he didn¡¯t deny it. Suddenly, he changed the subject and mentioned official business. ¡°What are you going to do now? From my perspective, we have been chased so many times, shouldn¡¯t we go back and settle the debt for those ¡®eloquent masters¡¯?¡±


    ¡°We only have two people, but they are a gang. Do you think the odds are good?¡± Jiang Xunyi joked.


    Yun Xie smiled: ¡°To deal with people, we have to rely on the brain. If we can¡¯t beat them, it can be used.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi held his chin, his eyes flashing. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Sowing discord? Use our beauty?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows, his eyes fixed on Yun Xie¡¯s face for a long time. The two could not help laughing at the same time.


    [1] ÀÏñÄ ¨C the monk refers to himself as lao na which is how old monks refer to themselves. They have to stay celibate.


    [2] ÊÜÈËÖ®ÍУ¬ÖÒÈË֮ʠ¨C after accepting a request, you must fulfill it


    [3] ¸ç¸ç ¨C a cute way to call someone older brother, not necessarily blood related


    [4] ʦ½ã ¨C elder martial sister


    [5] In ancient China, perfume and other scents drifted out from their long sleeves and it came to represent beauty.

 CH 45

    Chapter 45 ¨C Starting Over


    Previously, Master He Deng brought the two over by breaking time and space. When re-examined, it seems that the location of the two wasn¡¯t far from the small village full of death and corpses. They should be able to arrive there soon.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Jiang Xunyi said, before he began to head east.


    Yun Xie grabbed him and smiled, ¡°We should go northwest.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    At this moment, there was a loud noise nearby, and chaotic branches and stones flew towards them. Yun Xie immediately shielded Jiang Xunyi, knocking aside the rocks with a sweep of his sleeve. He ducked behind a big tree and looked towards the place where the sound came from. The alert look on his face morphed into surprise.


    ¡°Jiang Molou?¡±


    There was a dazzling light, filling the air with rainbow halos. A blue-clothed figure rushed out of the sky like lightning and stopped only a few steps away from the two. Suddenly there was a loud noise in the air, and several streaks of light from the glare of black swords condensed into their original shapes. They were all knocked down with only a bare hand. This awe-inspiring move could have come from no one but Jiang Molou.


    Jiang Xunyi frowned and jumped out. Yun Xie caught him backhandedly and whispered in his ear, ¡°Look again, your brother is very strong. Nothing will happen to him, so what are you in a hurry for?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ears were itchy with his warm breath, and he slightly hid his head to hide. Right as he ducked, the swords flashed and a person leapt out. His palm slammed against Jiang Molou¡®s. Both took a step back and landed on the ground.


    Yun Xie felt that the other person was a little familiar, and just as he asked, ¡°Who is this?¡±, Jiang Xunyi had already exclaimed, ¡°Chen Yuanxin? He has a pale little face[1], and yet he could still return Molou¡¯s blow. Not bad, I must have misread him.¡±


    Yun Xie was dissatisfied and said, ¡°What do you count as a pale little face? Is his face whiter than mine?¡±


    After Chen Yuanxin landed, he staggered, almost falling down before he quickly supported himself on a big tree next to him. He said with a loud voice: ¡°The fame of Lingyin School¡¯s power really is well-deserved, but Sect Master Jiang, think clearly. Everyone is looking for Jiang Xunyi right now. No matter how deep the Lingyin School¡¯s roots are, you still won¡¯t be able to protect him. You have great prestige. As the leader of a school, are you going to let the whole Lingyin School pay for one person? As long as I raise my hand[2], I don¡¯t know how many people will not be happy until he¡¯s dead.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t understand and whispered to Yun Xie, ¡°How did I offend them? I can count the number of people that were related to the incident on one hand. Why is everyone so indignant?¡±


    Yun Xie sneered. ¡°Excuses. In the cultivation world, your Lingyin and my Yangxian were originally the top. Finally, not only did Lingyin split in two, but you were also exposed. How can everyone not use this to their advantages? Huh, with how gluttonous everyone is, they really are not afraid to die.¡±


    On the other side, Jiang Molou was unmoved and said to Chen Yuan coldly, ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill you first!¡±


    Before the words were finished, the sword qi burst out with a scary screech. As the blade approached, it released an oppressive energy that even caused their clothes to rise.


    Chen Yuanxin looked shocked before his expression relaxed in the blink of an eye. The corners of his lips gradually bent into a strange smile before he began to draw his sword out of the sheath.


    However, just after he pulled out his sword, his blade was stopped.


    Two slender and white fingers sandwiched the bright blade of the sword. The young man in the light blue robes stood sideways elegantly, exposing his flawless side profile.


    ¡°Jiang! Xun! Yi!¡± Chen Yuanxin was shocked to see who was blocking him and roared angrily, ¡°Jiang Xunyi, why are you still not dead?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi held his fingers together, holding the sword. He stared at him with a stern expression, his eyebrows mocking.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t died yet, so how can I die?¡± he said.


    Jiang Molou was almost unable to stop his sword. If Yun Xie didn¡¯t jab his wrist, Jiang Xunyi would¡¯ve been stabbed by him. Although he knew it was impossible with the others skill, he was still afraid, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. ¡°Nonsense!¡± he angrily exclaimed.


    Jiang Xunyi smiled, stunned. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re going against me?¡±


    Jiang Molou glared at him fiercely before reluctantly returning his sword to its scabbard. When he thought that this man had an accident, his heart hurt with an unspeakable pain. He felt that if Jiang Xunyi could come back safely, he would pay any price. But when he actually saw him, he found that not only was he was still alive and kicking, he wasn¡¯t even taking his own life seriously. He was so angry that his teeth itched. No matter what, he couldn¡¯t give him a warm face.


    Jiang Molou has been awkward ever since he was young, so Jiang Xunyi was very experienced in dealing with him. He smiled and said: ¡°I know you¡¯re happy to see me, but the time isn¡¯t right, so express your happiness later. First tell me, what is the situation now?¡±


    Jiang Molou: ¡°¡­¡± He was very depressed, but he had to talk about it, so he reluctantly explained.


    It turned out that after Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie somehow disappeared with the old monk, everyone was shocked. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s resurrection was not a trivial matter, and it was hard to distinguish if Yun Xie was a friend or an enemy. If this matter wasn¡¯t settled while Yun Xie was knocked out, the trouble would probably be endless, so he began to look for the two.


    Wherever they went, Jiang Molou would naturally go to look, but everyone knew that he and Jiang Xunyi were brothers that were even closer than blood related brothers. No matter where he went, many eyes were on him. Worried and irritable, he fought with several people on his way to find them, even leaving behind his two disciples. Halfway along, he found that Chen Yuanxin was still trailing him, and the two began to fight.


    Jiang Xunyi seemed to be listening carefully to Jiang Molou¡¯s story, but his two fingers holding Chen Yuanxin¡¯s sword were motionless. Chen Yuanxin pulled the sword with no results for a while. He was eager to escape and wanted to let go of the sword handle and leave immediately. Unexpectedly, his hand seemed to be stuck to the sword, and he couldn¡¯t let go.


    Yun Xie watched with interest. Jiang Xunyi glanced at him then turned his head to Jiang Molou: ¡°Molou, before they come here, you should leave here now and take your two little cubs back to Lingyin Mountain. I will get out and write to you immediately.¡±


    Jiang Molou knew that Jiang Xunyi believed he wouldn¡¯t be able to take a side easily. If he stayed, it was hard not to get involved.


    He refused, saying, ¡°I¡¯m not going. There is nothing terrible. What the hell are you doing, you¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment. Pretending as if he didn¡¯t care, he said casually, ¡°You¡®re not hurt, are you?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi faintly heard voices coming from afar. Unlike usual, he did not tease Jiang Molou and waved his hand. ¡°I am very good, Yun Xie suffered a little injury, and now¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou was immediately disinterested. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good.¡±


    Yun Xie looked like a white lotus, giving Jiang Xunyi a pitiful stare: ¡°A¡¯Xun, look at him¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou snorted. ¡°Fake.¡±


    ¡°Both of you shut up!¡± Jiang Xunyi yelled fiercely. ¡°Molou, hurry up. Do you think I am unable to protect myself? The Lingyin School is in trouble right now. Be careful of people taking advantage of you not being on the mountain.¡±


    In Jiang Molou¡¯s heart, he was not very good at conspiring. However, since Jiang Xunyi¡¯s incident, in the face of pressure from elders and the outside world, he propped up the Lingyin School alone and grew a lot in a short time. He understood the implication immediately, hesitating for a moment before he looked up at Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi nodded at him, thinking for a moment before he said, ¡°Help me do something along the way.¡±


    He whispered into Jiang Molou¡¯s ear then patted his shoulder and asked, ¡°Is the time a little tight? Do we still have time?¡±


    Jiang Molou replied, ¡°What a coincidence, I have already brought the person out and I can deliver later.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled and said, ¡°Good boy. Then you can go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Molou clenched his sword handle. ¡°Thank you this time, but if I don¡¯t hear from you within a month, I will never listen to you again in my life.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m really scared of people like you who bring up lifetimes in their promises. Everyone¡¯s life is so long, how can it be that simple ¨C come on, go!¡±


    Jiang Molou stretched out his finger again as a warning to Yun Xie. He turned around and, with a few leaps, there was not even a shadow of him.


    Chen Yuanxin took a deep breath and was about to speak when Jiang Xunyi suddenly ignited a flame from the palm of his hand.


    The flames seemed to burn directly on his skin, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands showed no signs of damage. The red flames covered his fair skin, showing a different kind of beauty.


    An inch of flame separated from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm, and meandered up the sword. The tip of the blade soon became black.


    Chen Yuanxin was terrified and said: ¡°What are you going to do? Stop it! Ah¡ª¡± After he spoke, he couldn¡¯t help screaming.


    A person who cultivates will receive their own sword once they reach a certain age, and famous swords have spirits. Once the sword is taken, it is closely related to its owner. Basically, the sword and the man become one. If the sword spirit dies, the person dies too. Jiang Xunyi condensed his spiritual power and melted the end of Chen Yuanxin¡¯s sword, which is tantamount to hitting the other person¡¯s primordial spirit. Ordinary people were naturally unable to withstand this pain.


    While Chen Yuanxin let out earth-shattering screams, Yun Xie looked at him with a smile and crossed arms without any discomfort. However, Jiang Xunyi suddenly stopped his hand, his expression somewhat different.


    Yun Xie froze for a moment and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi prodded Chen Yuanxin, who was unconscious on the ground, with his toes, frowning: ¡°What a waste. I wanted to ask him something, but before I could ask, he fainted.¡±


    Yun Xie patted his shoulder and smiled: ¡°That¡¯s nothing. If you want to ask something, I¡¯ll call you a few more people.¡± After he finished speaking, he raised his hand and shouted to the distance: ¡°Hey, brother over there! Are you looking for Jiang Xunyi? He is here!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    [1] С°×Á³ ¨C a rookie, pale because they don¡¯t go out much


    [2] Õñ±ÛÒ»ºô ¨C raise hand as if calling for a crusade

 CH 46

    Chapter 46 ¨C My heart is not stone


    With a smile, Yun Xie said to Jiang Xunyi, ¡°Your name is so useful. Once you shout it, it will immediately attract a lot of people.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flexed his wrists, seemingly smiling. ¡°I found that you can¡¯t give me a good face. Yun Xie, if you want to die, you should¡¯ve said so earlier.¡±


    Seeing that the two were about to fight again, the nearby cultivators who were looking for them had already surrounded them. Jiang Xunyi temporarily retracted his hand, and Yun Xie greeted them with, ¡°After one night of not meeting, everyone looks haggard.¡±


    However, the first person who arrived was neither Zihui Sanren nor Feng Xue. Yun Xie looked at the familiar faces in front of him and raised his eyebrows in surprise.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your favored Yan Qixin?¡± said Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Even the people of Yang Xian sect have rushed over. It seems that this time the incident is not small. I really have face.¡±


    ¡°Of course, who dares to look down on Master Jiang,¡± Yun Xie replied with a smile, his tone intimate. Then he turned his eyes to Yan Qixin, but there was no trace of a smile in his eyes. ¡°Qixin, I really couldn¡¯t tell. Turns out you are still a person who loves to join in the fun and bring your brothers to see the big show.¡±


    Yan Qixin heard the faint displeasure behind Yun Xie¡¯s tone, and he knelt on the ground with his knees bent. He shouted, ¡°Qixin took it upon himself to bring all his brothers down the mountain, may the sect master please allow him to atone for his sins.¡±


    Yun Xie was not very old. Although he was the sect master of Yang Xian sect, he wasn¡¯t the eldest disciple. According to seniority, Yan Qixin was still his elder sect brother, so it looked bad for him to kneel outside. Jiang Xunyi frowned, and after seeing Yun Xie had no intention of speaking, he said, ¡°Brother Yan, Yun Xie doesn¡¯t blame you. Let¡¯s stand up and talk.¡±


    Yan Qixin hesitated then said, ¡°Thank you Brother Jiang.¡± His eyes, however, were looking at Yun Xie.


    Whenever Jiang Xunyi spoke, no matter what Yun Xie personally thought, he wouldn¡¯t refute him, so he followed with, ¡°Stand up. Tell me, what are you all doing here?¡±


    It was alright before he asked this question, but once the words left his mouth, the people who had just stood up in front of him knelt down again.


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yan Qixin said, ¡°Sect Master, please return to the mountain with your disciples!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face sank for a moment, and he was unhappy in his heart, but he teasingly raised his sword eyebrows instead. ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my business yet, why would I back to the mountain? Yan Qixin, are you three years old? Can¡¯t live without me?¡± As he spoke, he didn¡¯t forget to add a sentence aimed at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°A¡¯Xun, if the one speaking these words were you, how good would it be.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi ignored him, frowning as he asked, ¡°Did something happen to Yang Xian sect? Yun Xie, why don¡¯t you go back and look over it first? I¡¯ll solve the matter here and then go to you.¡±


    Yan Qixin looked at him with a trace of shame on his face. ¡°There isn¡¯t a problem.¡± He hesitated a little, and then lowered his voice to Yun Xie slightly. ¡°Sovereign, when master was alive, he often said that you were extraordinarily smart from birth and perhaps a prodigy was born. How can you not understand that in this world, it¡¯s impossible to dictate what is right and wrong? I know that you and Brother Jiang are close to each other and you don¡¯t believe he could do such a thing. To be honest, I don¡¯t believe it either! But how would this change anything? Out of those people, how many of them are concerned about what¡¯s true or false? They just want kick someone when they¡¯re down and pull down the famous Lingtai Shuangbi, which has been in the limelight these past few years. The Lingyin School has split and can¡¯t be saved, but Sect Master, Yang Xian sect still needs you! You have diminished these days, and you must have suffered. It¡¯s best for you to go back to the mountain with me!¡±


    His remarks came from his heart and his feelings were justified. He just happened to say aloud Jiang Xunyi¡¯s deepest worry. Although he has long been aware that Yun Xie is the protagonist of this world, with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ability, he does not need to rely on anyone¡¯s halo to survive. He can dig at the wall of the system without guilt, but he is extremely reluctant to involve Yun Xie. He didn¡¯t want to cause Yun Xie to lose the favor of destiny because of his actions.


    So by saying that he now wants to clear his dirtied name, deplete the power of the system little by little, and change the world, isn¡¯t he also changing Yun Xie¡¯s originally easy life?


    In contrast, Yun Xie himself was terribly calm. He didn¡¯t have a slight touch of emotion on his face. He still spoke with his usual lazy tone. ¡°Yan Qixin, I haven¡¯t seen you in so long and your eloquence has grown. If one day your mind grows as fast as your eloquence, then this Sect Master will be most pleased. You said yourself that people can¡¯t stand Lingtai Shuangbi, not just Jiang Xunyi alone. How long would I be able to hide? When you were a child, you read so many books, haven¡¯t you heard of the concept that the teeth will be cold without the lips?¡±


    Seeing that Yan Qixin didn¡¯t give up and still wanted to say something, Yun Xie¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared and he sighed, ¡°Do you still need me to say the order again? Take the others and go back to the mountain!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, just stay,¡± Jiang Xunyi finally said lazily. He was upset, but he was just wondering if he would have an impact on Yun Xie¡¯s fate if he destroyed the system. He didn¡¯t agree in the slightest that he would drag Yun Xie down by needing protection everywhere as Yan Qixin said ¨C through this idiot¡¯s mouth, Jiang Xunyi almost felt that he was described as a mischievous demon concubine.


    He looked as if he was about to laugh but he didn¡¯t. ¡°It¡¯s just a few weak pimples following behind us making a reckless clamor. Look how scared Brother Yan is. Yun Xie, if you don¡¯t let these people in your sect stay and get some experience, how would you be good in the future?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was cynical and acrimonious, but Yun Xie¡¯s eyes were full of love and he smiled. He replied to Yan Qixin, who was still kneeling on the ground, ¡°Then get up and don¡¯t talk, just stand behind me. In a bit, I¡¯ll let you understand¡­ Lingtai Shuangbi never needs to hide its head and tail.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right. The one who hides his head and tail¡­ Isn¡¯t it someone else?¡±


    As he spoke, his sword was drawn with a whistling sound, the silver-white glare from the sword flashing in a semi-circular arc. The grass moved slightly, and several people jumped out from the side covered in leaves, an embarrassed look on their faces.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s with a flick of his wrist, he returned the sword to his sheath: ¡°Still playing hide-and-seek at your advanced ago? You seniors are very interesting.¡±


    ¡°Amitabha.¡± Without waiting for the others who were forced out to speak, a Buddhist phrase had been introduced into his ears.


    The Lingyin School has always believed in Buddhism. Although Jiang Xunyi had transmigrated over from modern times, he had already been in this world for so many years. He felt a natural sense of closeness with anything related to Buddhism. But he had just seen Master Hedeng, so after hearing the phrase, his mind conjured a chicken leg involuntarily.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The person who walked towards them from far away was not He Deng but was instead Master Wushou, the head of Yan Xiang Temple.


    It is said that Master Wushou has not left the temple for a hundred years. Although there are many people who have heard of his name in the world, few have seen his face. Even Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had only met him when they followed their respective masters to visit Yanxiang Temple at a very young age. They knew that despite his not astonishing appearance, this old, dark, and thin monk had amazing spiritual power. He was outstandingly virtuous and a true monk.


    The two exchanged a look. With a respectful look on their faces, they came forward to salute together. Yun Xie said politely, ¡°Junior Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi greets the master. I did not expect that after a hundred years of meditation, we would be able to meet here. It is truly a surprise.¡±


    It is rare for him to speak so seriously. His originally matchlessly elegant appearance seemed gentle but also fake. Master Wushou looked satisfied. He looked at Jiang Xunyi on the side and praised, ¡°Although I have not left home for many years, I have heard the names of you two. I knew at a glance that both of you are extraordinary and good children. What is the reason for the trouble these days?¡±


    His appearance is serious, but he is very kind when he speaks. Yun Xie¡¯s master had passed away earlier, so few people talk to him in the tone of an elder. His heart of stone was moved. He couldn¡¯t help but feel warm when he heard those words and suddenly felt close to the old monk in front of him. He complained, ¡°Master, my brother Jiang Xunyi and I have been working hard since childhood, and we are determined to eliminate evil spirits and save the world. But there are always so many people who like to bully others. I don¡¯t know which malignant person we provoked, but a pot of dirty water was inexplicably thrown onto A¡¯Xun. When we explain, no one listens. We can¡¯t escape, either. We really have nowhere to go. I hope the master will arbitrate for us!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was determined to maintain his expression, but he still blushed ¨C he felt embarrassed for Yun Xie.


    He suddenly felt that the words Zihui cursed towards him were more appropriate if directed towards Yun Xie ¨C it¡¯s hard to imagine that there are such brazen people in the world!


    Before he could deal with the shameless Yun Xie, he saw Master Wushou look over, and quickly pulled out a smile and cupped his hands. Without unnecessary nonsense, he simply said, ¡°Master, I was not the perpetrator of the previous incidents.¡±


    Master Wushou stared at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, who looked back neither humbly nor arrogantly, his back straight.


    His appearance is also beautiful, but unlike Yun Xie¡¯s more elegant appearance, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s facial features were more delicate. His sword eyebrows and lips are thinner, which made him look more indifferent and sharp, but his figure was slightly thin, causing him to look as if he were an fragile icicle under the warm winter sun that stubbornly persists. At a glance, his most radiant quality was his cold and serene temperament, which was particularly eye-catching.


    Master Wushou stared at him for a moment, his eyes gradually softening. His hands twisted over his prayer beads, and he sighed softly: ¡°Excessive love is bound to end, and the strong are bound to be humiliated¡­¡±


    The words were like ominous proverbs, Yun Xie¡¯s eyebrow twitched, and he said, ¡°Master¨C¡°


    Jiang Xunyi grabbed him and stopped Yun Xie¡¯s words.


    There were more people around, not only because Jiang Xunyi was here, but more because they wanted to pay respect to Master Wu Shou, who had not left the temple for a long time. Feng Xue was at the forefront. He originally couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to interject, but when he heard Master Wushou¡¯s appreciative tone towards Jiang Xunyi, he became anxious and shouted, ¡°Master, my daughter¡­¡±

 CH 47

    Chapter 47 ¨C The Truth of The Past


    Wu Shou turned around, looked at him calmly, and slowly shook his head. ¡°Family Head Feng, it is not him.¡±


    Wanderer Zihui was seriously hurt by Yun Xie. At this time, she needed help from the disciple standing besides her to stand. After listening to this sentence, she subconsciously screamed. Fortunately, at the critical moment, she remembered the identity of the person in front of her and swallowed her rebuke. Tolerantly, she said, ¡°The master should not be deceived by the appearance of this rebel! Jiang Xunyi is a son of a prostitute, has a humble background, and he murdered his birth mother¡­¡±


    ¡°My birth mother?¡± Jiang Xunyi glanced at her. ¡°That Ning Fen is uglier than you. She doesn¡¯t look like me at all. Is she really my mother?¡±


    Wanderer Zihui smiled anxiously and shouted, ¡°May all the fellow cultivators listen, how can there be such a rebel! I won¡¯t mention how you treat me, an elder, but Ning Fen took out a slip of white paper with black words and even you, Jiang Xunyi, recognized in front of everyone that it was Senior Brother Ti Ming¡¯s handwriting. Will you turn around and deny this?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°I didn¡¯t deny this, nor do I need to deny. In your eyes, a prostitute is the lowest person in the world, but if she really gave me this life, I will never deny it.¡±


    When he said this, someone immediately shouted, ¡°Huh, what a great, awe-inspiring tone. Now of course your word is law; It¡¯s almost as if you weren¡¯t the one who killed her!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi felt that this voice was a little bit familiar, and when he looked to the side, he saw that it was Huang Yan. He could not help admiring the author of the book Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies for making the best use out of the characters. Huang Yan had to assume the responsibility of cannon fodder that attracts hate everywhere and is constantly imprisoned then released, captured then rescued. He was about to be squeezed dry. Who knows if they¡¯ll add some boxed meals[1]?


    Jiang Xunyi sighed from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Junior Brother Huang, I didn¡¯t expect you to still be alive.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said, ¡°A¡¯Xun, haven¡¯t you heard the phrase ¡®when people are shameless, they are invincible¡¯ before? Huang Yan was able to kowtow to you for mercy, so of course he can immediately turn around and throw himself under Martial Aunt Zihui¡¯s skirt. Such people often live well.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had a strange look on his face. He felt that the unruly Yun Xie was talking about himself.


    As the two were mocking Huang Yan, they saw an old man and two young men walking over from far away, soon nearing them.


    Although the two young men were young and unfamiliar, the clothes they wore were extremely recognizable and they were instantly identified as disciples of the Eastern Hidden Spirit Sect. It was Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan, and the old man sandwiched between them was Uncle Chen ¨C this is what Jiang Xunyi requested from Jiang Molou just now.


    Yun Xie was not surprised and seemed to have already guessed that this would happen. Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan stepped forward and said, ¡°The disciples greet Martial Uncle.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded to signal that they could rise before he turned. ¡°¡­Uncle Chen.¡±


    Uncle Chen looked even older, and his back was already beginning to hunch. He looked at Jiang Xunyi, a horrified expression on his face. He didn¡¯t show any happiness at all to see that he was alive. His lips moved without making any sound.


    The corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mouth quirked in a self-mocking way. Yun Xie looked at his side profile, heart aching, then stepped forward to hold Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder in a comforting manner.


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly backhandedly smacked his hand. His gaze looked profound, stunning Yun Xie. Huang Yan said loudly, ¡°Why did you bring Old Chen? That day we clearly saw that you killed someone. Do you think you can clear your name by coercing a handyman to testify?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sighed. ¡°Huang Yan, you are too dedicated in your role as cannon fodder. I admire you.¡±


    Before others could clearly catch his words, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword had been unsheathed and rushed at Huang Yan without warning.


    This move may be considered very fast in the eyes of ordinary people, but it wasn¡¯t in line with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s usual level, even allowing the shocked Huang Yan the chance to evade. Without pausing, Jiang Xunyi attacked again, his every move like wind, none hitting their mark.


    Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan surrounded Uncle Chen, but their eyes followed the battle ¨C they were under the orders of their master to protect their martial uncle or die.


    ¡°This man is not Martial Uncle¡¯s opponent,¡± whispered Wei Xiuqi. Suddenly, his shoulders tingled, and his entire arm felt weak. With an ¡°Aiyo¡± sound, he grabbed his arm. He heard the same exclamation besides him and turned his head to find Nie Yan mirroring his actions. Uncle Chen, who was originally under their watch, immediately broke free of his bonds and quickly dashed forward.


    Nie Yan looked back and saw that Yun Xie, who he labeled as bad from the beginning, was standing behind him. He immediately yelled angrily, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie raised both of his hands and smacked each man¡¯s shoulder. The numbness suddenly disappeared. He smiled. ¡°You stupid kids, so worrisome. If you two were smarter, your martial uncle and I wouldn¡¯t need to exert so much effort.¡±


    At the same time, Jiang Xunyi knocked the sword Huang Yan was using to defend himself into the air. His Extinguished Flower sword gleamed as it streaked towards Huang Yan¡¯s chest. Uncle Chen quickly leapt in front of him, shielding him from the blow.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword paused with an accuracy that appeared to be calculated, the tip of the sword stopping exactly above the other¡¯s nose.


    He spun his sword[2] before he sheathed it, raising his eyebrows slightly as he spread his hands.


    Master Zihui saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression and her heart dropped. She couldn¡¯t help but internally scold, ¡°Stupid, this kid is so quick-witted that it¡¯s impossible to recover after he finds a mistake!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled faintly, saluting Master Wushou before he respectfully and sincerely said, ¡°Master protects virtues, Xunyi proclaims his thanks in advance. Today, Xunyi just wants to prove his innocence; May the master be a witness.¡±


    Once he spoke, he bowed slightly, and his fingers lightly flicked a large tree besides him. The branches immediately stretched out and morphed into the shape of a seat. A vine of purple flowers even twisted around the back and armrests.


    ¡°Master, please,¡± said Jiang Xunyi.


    Master Wushou thought for a moment, nodded, then sat down on the seat Jiang Xunyi prepared for him. By doing so, he showed that he promised to act as a witness.


    Feng Xue¡¯s face turned red and he couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Master.¡±


    ¡°Amitabha,¡± Master Wushou said calmly. ¡°The truth will inevitably be discovered. Family Head Feng, I¡¯m sure you also hope to find the true culprit that hurt your daughter, right? Since that¡¯s the case, what is the harm in waiting a little more?¡±


    Feng Xue was speechless. Jiang Xunyi ignored him and only spoke to the old man lying on the ground. ¡°Uncle Chen, I don¡¯t understand. Huang Yan was never close to you when he was on the mountain, and he even often spoke harsh words to the servants. Why are you trying to protect him like this?¡±


    His voice was loud. Once he asked this question, everyone¡¯s eyes immediately fell on the ordinary-looking old man in front of him.


    Huang Yan had already stood up on his own, and Uncle Chen slowly climbed up from the ground as if he hadn¡¯t heard Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. He lowered his head to brush off the dirt on his cloth shirt. His face was hidden in the shadows, his weathered silhouette exhibiting a layer of deepness.


    Jiang Xunyi was surprisingly patient. After waiting a long time, Uncle Chen slowly raised his eyes and asked, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled, but his smile didn¡¯t reach the bottom of his eyes. As if it were perfunctory, he did not repeat his question. Instead, he turned his head and began to talk about something that seemed unrelated to the current situation. ¡°Uncle Chen is old, his ears are not good, and he can¡¯t even clearly hear people speak. But I remember I heard my master say that when you were young, you also had a good time. You once met a famous prostitute named Ning Fen on the shore of Huizhou Lake and the two of you had a fling¡­¡±


    As soon as he said this, there was an uproar. After all, few people would link Uncle Chen to something like that. Huang Yan was shocked and pointed at Uncle Chen. ¡°Y-you are Jiang Xunyi¡¯s father?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered. ¡°He is your father.¡±


    Huang Yan did not comprehend right away, instead thinking that Jiang Xunyi was cursing at him. He angrily yelled, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°It seems that Junior Brother Huang doesn¡¯t understand yet.¡± Yun Xie came from behind and stood by Jiang Xunyi, saying lightly, ¡°Back then, Martial Uncle Ti Ming did not only adopt Jiang Xunyi. The note that Ningfen took out has neither a beginning nor an inscription. Even if it really is from Martial Uncle Ti Ming, it is not certain that the child he mentioned is Jiang Xunyi. As far as I know, Junior Brother Huang was also brought to the mountain as a baby. Until now, do you still not know who your biological parents are? If Uncle Chen is not your father, why would he block the attack for you?¡±


    When Yun Xie lied, he never blinked. As he spoke, his face was resolutely determined, as if he had investigated the whole matter clearly. Jiang Xunyi even wondered if he believed it himself.


    Huang Yan looked at his expression and immediately felt as if he was struck with a thunderbolt. He murmured, ¡°H-how can I?¡­ My father is a servant, my mother is a prostitute? This is absolutely impossible!¡± He suddenly raised his head in anger. ¡°You have definitely made a mistake. How do I know why this old man is shielding me? Impossible! Impossible!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes swept over Yun Xie before his eyes silently shifted away ¡ª he wasn¡¯t even completely sure that Huang Yan was the son of Chen Shu and Ning Fen. He made a guess based on his glance at the original story at He Deng¡¯s place. He was testing Uncle Chen just now and Yun Xie followed up. Of course, all his words were pure guesses.


    Wanderer Zihui watched Huang Yan get carried away by Jiang Xunyi with just a few words. and was furious. She had to say, ¡°In any case, Jiang Xunyi, if you don¡¯t have a guilty conscience, then why did you kill Ning Fen? Even if she is not your biological mother, you shouldn¡¯t hurt innocent people! Not to mention, you also offended Miss Feng. Hmph, do you think you can easily escape this?¡±


    ¡°Ning Fen killed herself,¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    Wanderer Zihui glared fiercely at Huang Yan, who finally reacted. For the time being, he put his affairs aside and immediately said, ¡°Nonsense! She was doing just fine, and as she was middle of talking, she just decided to kill herself without rhyme or reason? Is she insane? If you¡¯re going to lie, at least make up a good one, alright?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, shut up!¡± Yun Xie finally got fed up with Huang Yan¡¯s stupid insults and interrupted him mercilessly. ¡°I¡¯ll find her soul, and I¡¯ll know once I ask. What¡¯s with the useless words?¡±


    [1] In movies, when a character dies and the actor isn¡¯t needed anymore they get a boxed lunch.


    [2] ½£»¨ ¨C basically some fancy sword moves

 CH 48

    Chapter 48 ¨C Shield One¡¯s Mistakes


    Solar Envy Sect¡¯s best technique was soul-raising. It was not surprising for Yun Xie to say this, but Master Wushou slowly responded, ¡°Master Yun, I will ask a few more questions. Now, seven days have long since passed since Ning Fen¡¯s death. It stands to reason that even if reincarnation did not occur, the spirit has already forgotten everything that occurred before death. How will you ask?¡±


    Yun Xie gestured at Jiang Xunyi, signaling him to pass his sword, then smiled at Master Wushou. ¡°Master, I can¡¯t be certain about things that occurred before Ning Fen¡¯s death, but the two crimes of ¡õ¡õ[1] and an evil tongue make it impossible for her to qualify for reincarnation this quickly. Even if she can¡¯t speak, her soul remains in the same state as when she died, so with one look, we will know the truth.¡±


    Master Wushou nodded and didn¡¯t speak anymore. Jiang Xunyi swiveled the hilt of the sword and handed Extinguished Flower to Yun Xie before taking a step back.


    Yun Xie held the sword in his right hand, two raised fingers tightly held together on his left hand. His fingers slowly slid across the sword. An almost transparent blue light immediately appeared on the sword. He then cut his fingers and used the blood to quickly write two lines of words on the blade. The combination of red and blue carried an indescribably strange beauty. Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Yun Xie flung the sword into the ground. With his hands forming a seal, he shouted, ¡°Soul out!¡±


    The scarlet words on the sword sank into the soil as if they were alive, and the earth murmured like boiling water for a while before all movement ceased.


    The technique of calling on souls is the unspoken secret of Solar Envy Sect. Although many people have heard of it, few have seen it with their own eyes. When they did not see any reaction after a while, everyone felt impatient. However, the serious expression Yun Xie directed at the ground compelled everyone to forcefully restrain themselves.


    After a while, there was a sudden ¡°ka-cha¡± sound, and the ground was split by a big hole. A dull-looking spirit appeared in front of everyone.


    Jiang Xunyi looked closely and saw that although the spirit was covered with chains all over their body, the appearance did not change at all. It was Ning Fen.


    Yun Xie looked at the chain and smiled. ¡°She indeed committed the sin of suicide, as she suffers from a prison of chains.¡± Although he said this, he didn¡¯t expect others to believe him from just these words. He stepped forward and tugged lightly. All the chains bounding the spirit were pulled off and the dagger stab wound in Ning Fen¡¯s chest was clearly visible to everyone.


    Even though it was a spirit, it was still a woman¡¯s spirit. However, Yun Xie seemed to have no sense of virtue regarding this. He squatted down and pulled the spirit to show the wound to everyone. The familiar slight sneer appeared habitually on his lips. ¡°How is this everyone, did you notice anything?¡±


    No one answered. Jiang Xunyi stood with his arms crossed and looked on from the side. He lightly said, ¡°If the wound caused by the dagger was from suicide, it would be slightly to the right, going from deep to shallow.¡± He gestured casually. ¡°I am taller than Ning Fen. If she really was stabbed by me, the wound should be angled downwards and go from shallow to deep.¡±


    As he talked, Yun Xie acted out his words. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes swept over the crowd before he pointed to a thin boy and said with a loud voice, ¡°Yu Fei, I remember your father was world-famous for his work in autopsies, and I know you have also studied the field. Can you come up and see if I am right?¡±


    Yu Fei was inconspicuously hidden in the crowd and was shocked to suddenly hear his name. He looked at Jiang Xunyi, his eyes showing a complex mixture of surprise and suspicion.


    He was originally a disciple of Pu Lin Sect, but Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie were his biggest role models in his childhood. He couldn¡¯t imagine that Jiang Xunyi would be involved in something like this. When he first heard of it, his heart was full of anger from being deceived. However, as time passed, his doubt increased, as it did not seem like something Jiang Xunyi would do.


    He didn¡¯t expect that Jiang Xunyi would still remember his name. When he stood up, his heart was full of mixed feelings, which were hard to express.


    Jiang Xunyi naturally did not know what he was thinking. When Yu Fei stepped out, he motioned to Yun Xie to make some room for him. ¡°Junior Brother Yu, thank you for your trouble[2].¡±


    Even though his reputation was destroyed, Jiang Xunyi was still his former idol. When Yu Fei heard Jiang Xunyi say this, his face inexplicably became red. Yun Xie looked at him with a smile and got up to make way.


    Yu Fei¡¯s heart felt an inexplicable chill when Yun Xie looked at him that way. He squatted down quickly and carefully inspected the body.


    The reason why Jiang Xunyi called him was because Yu Fei was notoriously arrogant and would never tell a lie. He really lived up to the expectations, checking the body before he hesitated and finally said, ¡°What Senior Brother Jiang said just now was completely right. Everything indicates suicide, just¡­¡±


    Wanderer Zihui seemed to see a glimmer of hope and quickly said, ¡°What is it? Say it quickly.¡±


    Yu Fei drummed up his courage and raised his voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that a woman like Ning Fen who is not capable of martial arts will inevitably be afraid before she commits suicide. Generally speaking, they will usually falter before acting. The scars they leave behind are called ¡®hesitation wounds¡¯. However, she has no hesitation wounds.¡±


    Yun Xie immediately replied, ¡°This can only show her determination to die. But she really did not die by A¡¯Xun¡¯s hand, this is clear, right?¡±


    This time, Yu Fei nodded without hesitation. ¡°There is no doubt.¡±


    A middle-aged man standing in the front frowned. ¡°This is a bit strange ¨C Master Jiang, I would like to ask one more question. This woman has never met you before, so why did she die to frame you without any injustice? And she even killed herself so resolutely.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at him and Yun Xie immediately whispered beside him, ¡°Shen Chong from the Chan[3] Buddhism Sect.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately said, ¡°Shen Daxia[4] said it well, regarding this point, Xunyi has the same doubts in his mind.¡± He turned to the old man who had not spoken for a long time. ¡°Uncle Chen, I have always been very respectful of you. Without injustice, why do you want to scorn me? That night, did Senior Sister Qiu really run out of my room? Did the half of my sleeve you took out really come from her?¡±


    Although Uncle Chen¡¯s face was pale, he did not hesitate to speak. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes; There is definitely no mistake.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at him with a trace of disappointment in his eyes, and Yun Xie immediately said, ¡°This is easy to handle. Since that is the case, may Senior Sister Qiu and Uncle Chen please compare your recollection of what happened. If all of the details match, then we will listen to your words. How do the two of you feel about this?¡±


    When Feng Xue heard Yun Xie say this, he immediately pulled on his daughter, who was standing next to him. With his voice lowered, he asked Feng Qiu, ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Feng Qiu slowly frowned as if she didn¡¯t recognize this and turned blank eyes to her father, then slowly moved to the two people standing in the middle of the crowd. Jiang Xunyi stood straight with his hands clasped behind his back, and Yun Xie stood besides him lazily with his arms crossed, expression cynical and indifferent. However, when you think about it, he was always standing half a step away from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, as if to ensure that the other can find him as soon as he reaches out, always accompanying him like this.


    ¡°Father,¡± Feng Qiu suddenly said in a low voice. ¡°At that time¡­ were all the things you said to me true?¡±


    Feng Xue was immediately vigilant. ¡°We¡¯ve already come this far, what else do you want to do?¡±


    However, Feng Qiu had no time to answer because Yun Xie had already walked over unhurriedly. He greeted with a slight smile, ¡°Senior Sister Qiu.¡±


    Feng Qiu looked at him and saw that Jiang Xunyi, who was in the distance, had also cast his gaze over, but unlike usual, he did not approach. A bitterness appeared in her heart, and she turned her head to say, ¡°A¡¯Xie.¡±


    Yun Xie slightly nodded with a gentle smile on his lips. His elegance was truly unrivaled. He looked directly at Feng Qiu and spoke in a concerned tone. ¡°Senior Sister Qiu, in fact, I also know that your feelings are not fake. A¡¯Xun and I are very sorry for repeatedly asking you about this matter. However, this is related to his reputation. We can¡¯t be careless, so I don¡¯t know if you¡­ can you allow us to cross-examine your recollection with Uncle Chen¡¯s?¡±


    His words were both comforting and thoughtful, but he didn¡¯t plan to really listen to Feng Qiu¡¯s opinion. He raised his hand and made a ¡®please¡¯ gesture to Feng Qiu.


    Feng Qiu had loved Yun Xie from an early age and was unable to resist such tenderness. She was compelled to take two steps forward before she was suddenly caught by Feng Xue. He quickly and heavily urged, ¡°Qiu¡¯er.¡±


    Yun Xie raised his eyebrows. Feng Xue turned to him and said, ¡°Sect Master Yun, my daughter doesn¡¯t want to be near Jiang Xunyi, so considering this, just let her talk here. ¡°


    Although Yun Xie always called him ¡°Bastard¡± and ¡°Smelly Kid¡±, the most unacceptable thing in his life was others criticizing Jiang Xunyi. He was immediately fired up and rudely shot back, ¡°Family Head Feng, what do you mean by your words? What is ¡®Don¡¯t want to be too close to Jiang Xunyi¡¯? Jiang Xunyi is handsome beyond measure and absolutely stunning. Who in this world doesn¡¯t know? Why don¡¯t you want to be close to him?¡±


    Feng Xue originally intended to emphasize Feng Qiu¡¯s experience again, selling it as a miserable memory, but he had no idea how he angered Yun Xie again. The blunt rebuttal caused his mouth to fall open and he was speechless for a while.


    Feng Qiu took the opportunity to step forward and whispered, ¡°A¡¯Xie, I want to ask you a question first.¡±


    Yun Xie was actually very angry with her, but the exploiting-beauty plan he decided on earlier had not been completely finished yet, so it was not good to change his face immediately. ¡°Please speak.¡±


    He still had a smile on his lips and a soft voice, but his eyes were cold.


    Fortunately, Feng Qiu didn¡¯t look at his eyes but instead lowered her voice even more. ¡°A¡¯Xie, why are you so good to Xunyi?¡±


    What kind of question was this? Yun Xie raised his eyebrows in surprise. At that moment, he almost thought that Feng Qiu was aware of something. However, he soon found that he was overthinking it, because Feng Qiu followed up by murmuring, ¡°Although the Dual Jade of the Spirit Stage are inseparable and your brotherly love is like the relationship between the hands and feet, Solar Envy and Hidden Spirit are two separate sects. It is impossible for all of your interests to be exactly the same. The two of you, the way you treat him¡­ do you really need to devote yourself to this degree? Did you ever think that if there was no Jiang Xunyi, you would be able to dominate the younger generation¡­¡±


    At the beginning, Yun Xie still had an incredulous expression, but once he heard the last few words, his face gradually became more serious. He suddenly interrupted Feng Qiu. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have thought of this yourself. Who told you?¡±


    [1] ¡õ¡õ ¨C it was originally censored like this but I think it¡¯s prostitution


    [2] ÓÐÀÍÁË ¨C directly, it¡¯s ¡°I am troubling you¡± but I wrote what it¡¯s supposed to feel like especially with Yu Fei¡¯s reaction


    [3] ìø×Ú ¨C Zen Buddhism


    [4] ´óÏÀ ¨C kinda means hero, is how to respectfully refer to a warrio

 CH 49

    Chapter 49 ¨C Involuntary


    Feng Xue felt that something was wrong as Feng Qiu spoke, but he was afraid that interrupting her would cause Yun Xie¡¯s suspicion to grow. When he heard the other¡¯s question, his forehead was covered in sweat. He stopped thinking of anything else and quickly interrupted, ¡°Qiu¡¯er! What nonsense are you saying? I know you have always been fond of Sect Master Yun, but you can¡¯t spew the random trash you hear from unknown sources everywhere. What is this mess?¡±


    Yun Xie stretched his finger out at him. ¡°You shut up.¡± He turned to Feng Qiu and spoke one word at a time. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you, even if I wanted to be famous, I would never use this type of despicable method. What¡¯s more, those fake titles are meaningless to me. Right now, my only wish is to help Jiang Xunyi get rid of the stigma surrounding him.¡±


    The moment she heard this sentence, a complex expression of surprise and sorrow formed on Feng Qiu¡¯s face. Her lips trembled, and no words were spoken.


    At the same time, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice came from a few steps away. ¡°Yun Xie, are you finished? Can Senior Sister Qiu come over here for a little?¡±


    The moment Yun Xie heard Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice, the expression on his face softened significantly. He turned to him with a smile. Raising his voice, he said, ¡°Senior Sister Qiu and Uncle Chen don¡¯t have to say anything anymore. I already understand what went on.¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi heard Yun Xie say this, his feet stilled. He immediately understood that the other was afraid that Feng Xue would take advantage of him approaching his daughter, so he took a few steps towards Yun Xie instead. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who¡­ who raped Senior Sister Qiu in the end, but she lied about it.¡± Yun Xie looked back at Feng Qiu. ¡°Senior Sister Qiu, I thought about it, and according to your words, you actually lied for me, right?¡±


    Feng Qiu was already a little shaken, but she did not expect Yun Xie to have guessed the truth from just a few words. Her heart¡¯s secret was suddenly exposed, and she took a step back suddenly, not knowing what to say.


    Jiang Xunyi was very surprised to hear this sentence right as he came over and questioned, ¡°For you?¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Qiu just asked me if I had considered that my status could be improved without you.¡± Yun Xie explained this to him concisely, but his eyes kept looking at Feng Qiu. ¡°A¡¯Xun, you indeed attract hatred. I¡¯m not surprised someone wants to ruin you. I¡¯m just very surprised that this person was able to persuade Uncle Chen, Ning Fen, and Senior Sister Qiu to frame you at the same time. This eloquence is truly great; it does not lose to mine.¡±


    ¡°Senior Sister Qiu has always loved you. If someone told her that the two of us secretly disagreed and that you will be happy if I die, I¡¯m sure she would consider it.¡± Once Jiang Xunyi heard Yun Xie¡®s words, he also understood that he was obstructed because of this reason. He felt that this was very curious. ¡°Not bad, even this type of trick can be devised, what a talent. But Senior Sister Qiu, even if Yun Xie has such an important place in your heart, you and I have also known each other for many years. Is the way I treat you¡­¡±


    When he said this, he felt that this was not worth talking about and stopped. Both Feng Qiu and Uncle Chen were once very dear in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart. Now that it has gotten to this point, the more he picks at it, the more pitiful he seems.


    Jiang Xunyi mulled over the strange series of events and only thought it was ridiculous. He laughed twice, a rare display. Yun Xie was uncharacteristically facing the floor, his handsome face looking as if it were about to drip out water.


    ¡°Xunyi¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Feng Qiu¡¯s voice floated trance-like through the air, like thin ice floating on water. She seemed to want to turn her face to Yun Xie to take a look at the other¡¯s expression, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to face him. She had no choice but to leave her gaze on his snow-white shirt.


    Tears rose to her eyes, blurring her vision, and the pattern embroidered on the delicate neckline was like a smile that had faded away, twisted by the scattering of time, unable to ever be seen clearly again. ¡°I do feel sorry for you! But I didn¡¯t have a choice¡­ Xunyi, have you ever liked a person? Do you know how it feels? I like A¡¯Xie, I¡¯ve liked him since I was a child. I like him so much that I would take out my whole heart. I just want to make him happy¡­ I don¡¯t want to make him sad, and I don¡¯t want to make him worry about anything¡­¡±


    Her remarks were full of love and infatuation and all the women present were moved, expressing their support. However, both Jiang Xunyi, who was quietly listening, and Yun Xie, who was the object of the confession, showed not even the slightest touch of emotion.


    Jiang Xunyi felt that that he had opened the door to a new world. He couldn¡¯t help but secretly look at Yun Xie. Did this kid really have such powerful charm? He had never felt it before. Were Feng Qiu¡¯s eyes defective or were his eyes defective? But what he saw was a Yun Xie that looked cold, although that expression looked much more reliable than his normal hippie smile.


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t notice Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t want anyone to say such things to him in front of Jiang Xunyiand solemnly interrupted, ¡°Senior Sister Qiu, don¡¯t say such things. Even if you want to pull A¡¯Xun down, there is no need to use this method that sacrifices your own reputation. I do want to know, if it was not Jiang Xunyi, who was with you? What happened to you ¨C don¡¯t all say it was all to ¡®make me happy¡¯. With this kind of thing, I am unable to be happy.¡±


    This whole situation was an unfortunate series of coincidences, and he really felt cheated. In fact, he not only couldn¡¯t feel happy, he even felt really mad.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know who that person was, but I know that even if I said it, you wouldn¡¯t be able to find him¡­¡± After a long time, Feng Qiu still answered Yun Xie¡¯s question with difficulty even though she had to work hard to suppress the urge to cry. ¡°He had appeared silently for five consecutive nights. H-he insulted me¡­ no matter where I was, no matter how many people are around me, he can cause people to be completely unaware of him. Every day, I feared him coming; I was scared to death. But no matter how many methods I tried, I couldn¡¯t avoid him!¡±


    There was an uproar nearby, and Yu Fei, who was standing the closest, immediately raised his voice and said, ¡°Miss Feng, by saying this, you admit that everything you said about Senior Brother Jiang in the past was just slander?¡±


    Feng Qiu was in the middle of sobbing. However, after hearing this, her body froze with her tears continuing to roll down.


    It was too bad that no one around her was a commiserating person. This pitiful display didn¡¯t give her any sympathy points. Yun Xie said coldly, ¡°If you dare to do this, you have to accept the consequences. A¡¯Xun has been hurt by you to this degree and hasn¡¯t cried. What are you crying for? Senior Sister Qiu, now clearly say the truth in front of everyone. Was the person who had violently abused you in those days Jiang Xunyi? Were you lying?¡±


    The truth was already clear, but Yun Xie still asked her to speak out. Feng Qiu felt infinite humiliation under everyone¡¯s eyes. However, Yun Xie¡¯s gaze was like a sharp blade forcing her to speak.


    ¡°Yes, it was me who lied¡­¡±


    Yun Xie shouted, ¡°Raise your voice!¡±


    Feng Qiu had never heard him talk so sternly and was so terrified that she did not even dare to sob. She forced herself to raise her voice. ¡°The previous information was a lie, Xun¡­ Jiang Xunyi has always been upright and has taken good care of me. He did not humiliate me.¡±


    She bit her lip fiercely and continued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at Feng Qiu¡¯s crying appearance and his feet involuntarily moved, but in the end, he still didn¡¯t step forward. He could feel that after transmigrating to a different body, his inexplicable feelings for Feng Qiu were slowly fading. When the other person finished speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but take a deep breath then closed his eyes.


    Yun Xie glanced at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s movements in the corner of his eyes and quietly withdrew the hand that meant to block him. He was silent for a moment, then said to Feng Qiu, ¡°Is the reason you were afraid to mention this to others because you feared that the real perpetrator is a demon?¡±


    Feng Qiu nodded while covering her mouth, trembling. ¡°His body can turn into black mist and can also become a entity. I found that he seemed to have many scars on his body, when t-touched, it felt like stitches on clothes¡­¡±


    This time, Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie spoke in unison. ¡°What, stitch?¡±


    Then the two men glanced at each other, both thinking of the strange dead village not far away.


    Yun Xie suppressed his suspicion and looked back at Feng Qiu. ¡°So you knew that this matter wouldn¡¯t be concealed for long and needed to find someone to fix everything. You just happened to think that A¡¯Xun and I were at odds, so in order to help me, so you pushed everything onto him?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Feng Qiu¡¯s voice was hoarse. She looked at Jiang Xunyi with tearful red eyes. It was unknown whether her expression was one of hate or anxiety. She spoke one word at a time. ¡°It¡¯s because on the last night, he called your name in my ear.¡±


    This sentence is too connotative.Only insightful people would be able to identify the deep meaning behind this, and it was unknown whether or not the unrelated people around them were able to perceive it. Yun Xie¡¯s expression suddenly darkened, but Jiang Xunyi was surprised and confused. ¡°Called me? Why call me? Does he know me?¡±


    Yun Xie sourly said, ¡°Not bad, you can even find an acquaintance in this way. Young Master Jiang¡¯s network is quite extensive.¡±


    Although he spoke in this manner, the worries in his heart were greater than mere jealousy. He couldn¡¯t immediately think of where such a person could be found, but no matter what their purpose was, them targeting Jiang Xunyi was definitely not a good thing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, we¡¯re talking about serious matters.¡± Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t think much of it. If he could not think it through, it was better to not think of it. He turned his eyes away from Yun Xie and looked at the old man who had been silent for a long time. ¡°Now that Senior Sister Qiu has already admitted the truth, Uncle Chen, do you have anything else to say?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi asked this sentence, but he either didn¡¯t seem to need the other party¡¯s answer or knew that the other party wouldn¡¯t answer. He continued his inference. ¡°You have lived on Lingyin Mountain for decades. You¡¯ve watched almost all the disciples of my age grow up. Among them, only me, Molou and Huang Yan have no father and mother, and the ones who don¡¯t even know the names of their own parents are Huang Yan and I. At first, I don¡¯t know why, but you believed I was your son. Therefore¡­ you were very nice to me.¡±

 CH 50

    Chapter 50 ¨C Old Embarrassment


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but sigh before continuing. ¡°Later, you realized that it was not me who was related to you, but Huang Yan, who was about to be executed by me. No matter what, you needed to save him. You and Ning Fen were encouraged by someone to join forces and target me. Just to save him, you paid with the honest reputation you worked your entire life to build, and Ning Fen paid with her life. Was it really worth it?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s guess almost completely coincided with reality. Chen Li was speechless for a moment. Light streamed from behind him, and his face seemed to be older at this moment.


    He opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say, so he lowered his head and cast his gaze on the dusty ground.


    Life has no roots, free-floating like dust.


    After a period of silence, he finally spoke slowly. Although his back was already bowed, Chen Li still struggled to stand straight. ¡°Yes. You are right. That night, you suddenly fell into a coma in your room for reasons unknown. It was me who tore the sleeves on one of your old clothes and it was also me who spread this news. Miss Feng really did come, but at that time, you didn¡¯t wake up at all. Everything was set-up by me; I was the one who accidentally discovered Miss Feng¡¯s secret and persuaded her to do this.¡±


    Although he had long since speculated this, when he heard these words, Yun Xie still felt a pain in his chest. He couldn¡¯t help stepping forward and glaring at Chen Li, but the words would not come.


    For this, for such a ridiculous reason¡­ this ridiculous reason indirectly led to him personally killing the person he loved!


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t imagine what his world would look like without Jiang Xunyi¡¯s inexplicable resurrection. Although he seemed to look as comfortable as before, the fear, terror, pain, and longing could not be forgotten in this lifetime.


    The sorrow and anger gradually receded and eventually became unspeakable fear and exhaustion, causing even people like Yun Xie to be unable to help trembling slightly.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at Yun Xie, who looked as if he was about to fight to the death with Chen Li. Fearing that he would lose control and kill him, he quickly reached out and said, ¡°Hey, Yun Xie¡­¡±


    Yun Xie suddenly grabbed his hand, turned around, and gave Jiang Xunyi a hug.


    Jiang Xunyi froze, but then he felt Yun Xie¡¯s uneasiness through the other¡¯s faint trembling. His heart was slightly moved, and the hand that was about to push him away slowly shifted to his back, where he patted lightly.


    Everyone knew of the good relationship between the two. In the eyes of others, this is the affectionate hug between brothers. Only Nie Yan and Wei Xiuqi looked at each other as if they discovered something extraordinary.


    Jiang Xunyi let out a rare sigh. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Yun Xie, aren¡¯t I alive?¡±


    There is a cold fragrance on his body, carrying the smell Yun Xie was so familiar with. It was reminiscent of the winter¡¯s pine branches, the summer night¡¯s first lotus, and the dream¡¯s frost and flame, carrying immeasurable pain and love.


    Yun Xie took a deep breath and slowly let go of Jiang Xunyi. When he turned around, his face had become cold. ¡°Chen Li, don¡¯t you feel remorse after doing such a thing?¡±


    Chen Li looked at Huang Yan on the side and saw that his face was completely filled with shock and disbelief but no trace of being moved. He slowly sighed. He knew very well that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to live past today, and since this kid is the only thing he cared about in this world, he still didn¡¯t look away. He stared at Huang Yan¡¯s average face, a face very similar to his own when he was young.


    He wanted to maintain his dignity in his last moments and tried his best to suppress it, but his voice still unconsciously trembled. ¡°Master, you just asked me if doing these things is worth it just to save him. Maybe in the honorable eyes of your kind, no one would care if he lost his life, or maybe you merely see him as an ant, but I care!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was speechless for a moment, listening to Chen Li muttering, ¡°Why can you take control of my son¡¯s life? Why is it so difficult for little people like us to survive¡­¡±


    He suddenly remembered that in the last days of his original life before he had crossed, he also hated his powerlessness and the injustice of fate. He once pretended to half-joke to his brother, ¡°Hey, big brother, if I were to die one day, you must be filial and don¡¯t make our parents sad.¡±


    But he was knocked on the forehead by his brother Jiang Yu¡¯an. ¡°What nonsense. I tell you, you are dad and mom¡¯s precious pimple. If you dare to have an unexpected accident, our family will not survive.¡±


    But they did not have a choice; surviving is so difficult, and in the end, he eventually died.


    At this moment, Chen Li suddenly looked up at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Master, do you know why I thought you were my child at first?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi recovered and frowned slightly after hearing Chen Li¡¯s words. He really didn¡¯t know the answer to this question. He himself mistakenly believed the other was his father only because the beginning of the book Rising Clouds and Billowing Sky said so. As he thought about this, he tilted his head and saw that the light in Chen Li¡¯s eyes was shining in an unkind way.


    When things have become this troublesome, Jiang Xunyi will naturally not be naive enough to think that the other party will still be kind to him. Still, he was not too afraid. The man who learns of the correct path in the morning can die in the evening without regrets, so the truth must be revealed.


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°When I brought my son up the mountain and asked Immortal Master Ti Ming to raise him, he agreed without knowing that this is a prostitute¡¯s child. I knew that Hidden Spirit Sect was difficult to enter, so I kept this a secret in my heart. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t know back then, but he wanted to find a cover for the beloved disciple he had just brought back.¡± Uncle Chen looked at Jiang Xunyi and said one word at a time, ¡°Because your real mother is a dancer from the Underworld.¡±


    The word ¡°Underworld¡± fell into everyone¡¯s ears, and Yun Xie¡¯s heart burst into shock. His first reaction was to blurt out, ¡°Shut up!¡± He immediately looked to Jiang Xunyi.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was very nervous, but the Underworld was different from normal realms. The women who served as prostitutes were either of the most humble origins, traitors and sinners, or have committed unforgivable mistakes. They were not allowed to conceive future generations. Originally, everyone should have taken sterilization medicine when they first enter the Underworld. On the chance that an accident happened and they gave birth, and the child was immediately drowned.


    In other words, Jiang Xunyi¡®s life was a mistake in itself. It can be said that having such a background was a hundred times worse than being the ordinary son of a prostitute. It was no wonder Immortal Master Ti Ming had to deliberately cover the matter up.


    Chen Li stared at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face with a slightly malicious smile on his lips. In his view, even ordinary people can¡¯t accept this news, not to mention the arrogant Jiang Xunyi, and a slightly perverted joy couldn¡¯t help but arise in his heart.


    Compared to Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi himself was much calmer. He even glanced at Yun Xie with a baffled expression. ¡°Why are you so worked up? He¡¯s talking about my mother, not your mother.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow, and continued, ¡°Besides, to be born in such a place but still survive is a testament that my mother must love me very much. This result is better than believing that my own father wanted to kill me.¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi to respond in this way. In his shock, he suddenly smiled involuntarily. He couldn¡¯t tell if what he felt was pride or distress. At a glance, Chen Li was stunned and could no longer speak.


    Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°Uncle Chen, is she still alive?¡±


    Chen Li was still unable to react, and said dumbly, ¡°She is long dead.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded and stopped asking questions.


    Jiang Xunyi and his reputation have both experienced ups and downs. The people around him had no idea how to respond. Hearing these words, there were both admirers and people filled with disdain. He ignored all the discussion around him. When he saw Master Wushou slowly stand up, he walked forwards slightly and said, ¡°Master.¡±


    Master Wushou patted his shoulder and said, ¡°You can think like this, good.¡± His eyes swept Feng Xue, Wanderer Zihui and others, and slowly said, ¡°According to my viewpoint, the truth of the matter related to Young Master Jiang has been made clear. I wonder if anyone has any other opinions?¡±


    Zihui and the others really wanted to have other opinions, but from now on, they could not say anything more about the matter.


    ¡°Thank you Master,¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    Yun Xie was focused is on another point ¨C even with good reason, he still did not believe that Chen Li was the leader orchestrating this matter behind-the-scenes. ¡°Please wait. Since your debts are cleared, this should also mean someone else owes us. Wanderer Zihui, Family Head Feng, you had so much to say before, shouldn¡¯t you say something now? Chen Li, who was it that was cooperating with you to frame Jiang Xunyi? Even if you don¡¯t want to live, don¡¯t you still want your son¡¯s life?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi murmured, ¡°Hey, Huang Yan has violated the sect rules and can not be spared. You can¡¯t promise anything.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his eyes unblinking. ¡°I know, I was lying.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    As it was related to Huang Yan¡¯s life, Uncle Chen really twitched, hesitating for a while. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Yun Xie suddenly shouted, ¡°Who!¡±


    His reaction was extremely fast, and as soon as he spoke, his body had jumped into the sky, quickly blocking in front of Chen Li. Caught between his two fingers was a silver needle.


    At the same time, Jiang Xunyi had also leaped in the opposite direction towards the area the hidden weapon shot out from.


    Yun Xie raised the needle in front of him and saw the tip of the needle gleaming with blue light. It was obviously poisoned. His beautiful face suddenly showed a sneer. He dropped his hand and turned around, and the smile on his face froze.


    Chen Li fell to the ground, his chest already still.


    He had died inexplicably!


    At this moment, Jiang Xunyi also returned without success. He flipped on a branch and fluttered down beside Yun Xie, frowning. ¡°I didn¡¯t catch anyone.¡±


    After saying this, he saw Chen Li who fell to the ground and exclaimed in shock. ¡°This¡­¡±


    Yun Xie was puzzled. ¡°I just turned around and he suddenly fell to the ground, dead.¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the hidden weapon been stopped by you? How could this be?¡± Jiang Xunyi crouched down to examine Chen Li¡¯s cause of death but was surprised to find that there wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of a wound on his body, nor were there any internal injuries.


    He was a little unwilling, but he still stretched out his hand to press the other person¡¯s chest. His expression changed and in shock, he leaned back and almost sat down on the ground.


    Yun Xie rushed to helped him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was completely shocked. ¡°His¡­ his heart is gone!¡±


    This was absolutely unprecedented. Yun Xie helped Jiang Xunyi up, took out a dagger, and cut the other person¡¯s chest without hesitation. He really found that all the organs in the chest cavity were intact and healthy, but where the heart was supposed to be was just an empty space.


    It was as if it had disappeared into thin air.


    The two looked at each other and saw the shock in the other¡¯s eyes.

 CH 51

    Chapter 51 ¨C Ta Ge [1]


    Yun Xie looked at the silver needle still in his hand. ¡°I¡¯m sure that this had never touched him.¡±


    ¡°Show me.¡± Jiang Xunyi reached out and tried to pick it up, but he was stopped by Yun Xie.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. It¡¯s smeared with Upas tree poison. What if it accidentally hurt you?¡±


    He tore off the corner of his clothes and wrapped the needle in his arms, afraid that Jiang Xunyi would snatch it away. A person in the crowd shouted, ¡°Sect Master Yun, how did a human heart disappear into thin air? Maybe this place is dangerous!¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes and saw that he was a Chan Sect disciple. He said unkindly, ¡°How would I know? What does this have to do with me? Even if there is danger, I will only be protecting myself. It has nothing to do with me whether or not you live or die. Since you are here to watch our drama for fun, even if you mysteriously die, you can¡¯t blame anyone but yourself.¡±


    Chen Li¡¯s strange method of death came first, as Jiang Xunyi¡¯s matter had already been taken care of. Yun Xie¡¯s words really served as a deterrent. The crowd immediately began to retreat, although some came up to greet Yun Xie. He ignored them, giving the others no face at all. It was only when he saw Feng Xue and Wanderer Zihui also get up and walk away that he hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not stop them.


    Although the two of them were deeply involved in framing Jiang Xunyi, it was obvious that neither of them were the mastermind behind the scene. Based on the fact that they were still alive, they probably didn¡¯t even know as much as Chen Li. It was useless to ask. Instead, it¡®s worth more to use them as bait for the long line he was casting out to catch big fish.


    Feng Qiu was following Feng Xue, but she couldn¡¯t help but look back at Yun Xie. Their eyes met and Yun Xie calmly said, ¡°Sister Qiu.¡±


    Seeing that Yun Xie was unexpectedly still willing to acknowledge her, Feng Qiu felt both surprised and happy, and she responded quickly.


    Yun Xie stared directly at her and spoke one word at a time. ¡°I have never liked you, and I will never like you in the future. Before dreaming, you should first think of exactly what quality of yours would make me like you, right?¡±


    Feng Qiu¡¯s face suddenly paled, her lips trembled, and she was speechless for a while. Yun Xie had no intention to talk to her again. He turned to see Jiang Xunyi talking to Wei Xiuqi and Nie Yan. He didn¡¯t walk to him but instead quickly moved to Huang Yan, who was about to secretly leave.


    Huang Yan looked at him as if he had seen a ghost and quickly said, ¡°Martial Aunt Zihui! Martial Aunt Zihui save me!¡±


    Yun Xie was too lazy to even say anything. He casually stretched out his hand and snatched Huang Yan¡¯s saber away from him. With one stroke, he cut off the other¡¯s head.


    The blood scattered everywhere, and the nearby West Hidden Spirit disciples were stunned. Not only did they never see a murderer, they had never seen such an arrogant murderer ¨C this was done right in front of their sect master.


    Wanderer Zihui originally didn¡¯t want to bother, but Yun Xie¡®s actions embarrassed her right to her face. She furiously said, ¡°Yun Xie, don¡¯t meddle with our Hidden Spirit Sect matters!¡±


    Yun Xie threw the sword on Huang Yan and replied coldly. ¡°The name ¡°Zihui¡± was really well-chosen ¨C you think you are so smart but you are extremely stupid. Let me tell you, if you¡®re still going to act recklessly, the next one to die will be you.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and walked away, ignoring Wanderer Zihui¡¯s ugly expression.


    At this time, Jiang Xunyi had already sent away his two martial nephews. He greeted Yun Xie and looked at the blood drop on his sleeve. ¡°Oh, you killed Huang Yan. I almost forgot about him.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°You are always soft-hearted. Every time you kill someone, you hesitate. I decided to help you deal with it. Well, actually, by my logic, Feng Xue and Zihui cannot be let go either, but our hands are full, so whatever.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi thought that Yun Xie was right. This matter was indeed because caused by his own mistake. If he had killed Huang Yan earlier, there wouldn¡¯t have been so much trouble.


    Suddenly, Jiang Xunyi had a fleeting feeling. He suddenly felt as if he was lying somewhere without light, his vision completely dark besides a bright red light directly to the upper right of his head. When Yun Xie said this sentence, the light bar flashed for a moment and appeared to be a little shorter.


    Cultivators have excellent eyesight. Even an single inch of difference was visible. Jiang Xunyi was shocked for a moment before he registered what happened. This was probably a sign that the system was weakened. The original plot involved romantic feelings between Yun Xie and Feng Qiu, and although the length of their encounters were not long, they still were together for a time. However, with his current attitude, it was obviously impossible for him to be with Feng Qiu, so this plotline was destroyed. Since Jiang Xunyi did not interfere between the two, he would obviously not be punished by the system.


    After proving the conjecture he said to He Deng, Jiang Xunyi felt a little excited. Fortunately, was used to being expressionless and didn¡¯t show any emotion this time either.


    He heard Yun Xie say besides him, ¡°A¡¯Xun, where are you going to go next? I want to go back to the village and take a look. I don¡¯t know why, but I really feel that something is wrong.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi still had the task of ¡°finding the truth¡±, so of course they would travel together. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going too. You¡¯re not bringing your right-hand man Yan Qixin?¡±


    ¡°I asked him to follow the Feng family secretly ¨C I have always been suspicious of the person Feng Qiu met. I had to find a task to give to Yan Qixin, or else he would have nothing to do and end up lazing around.¡±


    He looked at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s profile and said in a half-joking tone, ¡°You are so lustful that you can¡¯t think straight. In the beginning, you were so good to Feng Qiu but you were still ruined by her. I tell you, lust makes you vulnerable. In the future, you will be the safest only with me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi automatically ignored Yun Xie¡¯s nonsense. ¡°But in fact, she is right. When you think of it, it would really benefit you if I died.¡± He used his elbow to nudge Yun Xie then teased, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that your face, although it did not wreck the entire nation and its citizens, ended up indirectly harming me. Hello, compensation, compensation?¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t get mad. ¡°What compensation? I followed you ungrateful brat through wind and rain. I¡¯ve paid with my entire person, and what do I have that is not also yours?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned around and walked towards the village. ¡°Alright brother, thank you.¡±


    His voice was soft, as if he didn¡¯t want Yun Xie to hear such words. Yun Xie caught up with him and walked besides him, but he was somewhat absent-minded. After a while, he suddenly said, ¡°A¡¯Xun, when did you begin to suspect that Ning Fen was not your mother?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled. It was not unexpected for Yun Xie to ask. ¡°I never thought she was. As a parent, when seeing your own flesh and blood, even if it¡¯s too late to spoil them with affection and even if the tongue blames and complains, unconditional love can be seen in the eyes. But she stared at me with disgust and fear. This is definitely not the look of a mother.¡±


    Yun Xie let out a soft voice and said, ¡°There are so many different types of people under the sky, there will always be exceptions¡­¡±


    He originally wanted to comfort Jiang Xunyi, but he heard the other person say warmly, ¡°Yun Xie, I know the logic of what you said. But I also believe that my mother must be the best woman in the world.¡±


    When he said this, what appeared before his eyes was the woman who secretly tucked in the quilt for him when he was a child, the woman who left work to be there for him on his birthday and make him longevity noodles, the woman who forced herself to smile even with red eyes in his final days when he couldn¡¯t move on the hospital bed¡­ but for him, his mother was in another world.


    Yun Xie was involuntarily stunned, and he turned his head to look at Jiang Xunyi. In this season, leaves blanketed the sky above their heads. The wind blew past with a rustling noise. The scattered sunlight cast glimmering rays of light on Jiang Xunyi. After he died, Yun Xie couldn¡¯t dissipate the guilt in his heart. He hadn¡¯t looked at the other so seriously since Jiang Xunyi came back to life. He felt that Jiang Xunyi looked a few years younger, and his face was paler than before. His profile was still elegant and his silhouette was exceedingly beautiful.


    When he looked at this person, he felt uncontrollable distress and pity. He couldn¡¯t say anything in response to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words just now.


    Because in this world, they were orphans without fathers and mothers.


    Because they were orphans, they can only become strong themselves. Because they were orphans, no matter how good they were, no one will show a smile of gratification and pride.


    As they walked on shoulder to shoulder, neither Jiang Xunyi nor Yun Xie could have thought that they could master the sword. As the two talked, it didn¡¯t feel like long before they were back at the rundown village.


    When they first arrived here, although they could sense a strong death-qi, it was still a place full of the clamor of people, a lively place full of neatly arranged houses. At this moment, the houses had collapsed, the trees had fallen, and corpses were everywhere.


    Where Yun Xie had destroyed earlier, the empty space was piled with dry branches and messy leaves. Jiang Xunyi walked forward a few steps before he suddenly paused, bent down, and picked up something. Yun Xie turned to the side to look and saw that it was a red head ribbon.


    ¡°It belongs to that little girl,¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    The little girl he mentioned was the Xu family¡¯s little daughter. Jiang Xunyi even remembered that when she hugged his waist, the eyes directed at him were clear. He twisted the head ribbon in his hand and quietly said, ¡°My Buddha is merciful.¡±


    Although Jiang Xunyi had already glimpsed through Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies at He Deng¡¯s temple, the book was after all the original, and the current plot had been changed a lot by the added variable of his transmigration. The only reliable parts were the characters and the very significant plot points, so he knew nothing of what transpired in this town, as the book never mentioned it.


    Yun Xie patted his shoulder. ¡°I have an idea. I suspect that they were not living people at all. But, even they didn¡¯t realize this until we were in the hall and I said the sentence, ¡®If everyone was like this, everyone would be dead.¡¯ Once the villagers were awakened from this state, they disappeared in an instant.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not express his position and only asked, ¡°Your basis?¡±


    Yun Xie bent down and cut a piece of the shattered corpse on the ground with his dagger before beckoning Jiang Xunyi to come examine it. ¡°The meat on this man¡¯s body looks the same as the living, but after cutting it, we find that there is not much water nor blood inside. It looks like it has been specially dried. This would definitely not be the case for a person who has only died a few days ago.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had seen him use this dagger several times. At this time, he finally made time to ask, ¡°Hey, where¡¯s your Bright River sword?¡±


    Yun Xie froze for a while, then smiled lightly, casually responding, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it out. It¡¯s on the mountain.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s question appeared to be flippantly asked. He nodded indifferently and returned to the topic. ¡°I agree with you. In fact, when Wang Xi began to talk about the case of his son Wang Yi¡¯s body in the turtle, I began to have doubts ¨C since he can survive for such a long time using that method, his body obviously has not lost vitality. It is strange to say why it will rot.¡±


    At the thought of Wang Yi¡¯s appearance, he suddenly felt that his right hand was a little numb and couldn¡¯t help rubbing it hard. He continued, ¡°Now, according to your explanation, Wang Yi¡¯s body has actually died long ago. Soaking in water is basically properly treating the corpse, and after soaking for a long time, the body would rot. This explanation can be reasonable.¡±


    Yun Xie nodded. ¡°Then there are only two questions left, or you can say there is one.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi understood. ¡°Who exactly stitched them like this, and why?¡±


    ¡°Why do I feel that this is becoming more and more complicated?¡± Yun Xie sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go. There are so many people; we¡¯re bound to find someone alive who can answer our question.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he found that Jiang Xunyi was looking at him very strangely. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked, confused.


    Jiang Xunyi slowly said, ¡°I remember the first time I heard you say, ¡®There are many people so we should go out and catch up with the latest news¡¯ was when I was just 16 years old. You said you wanted me to gain knowledge and took me to a brothel.¡°


    ¡°¡­¡± Yun Xie spoke with disgust. ¡°What brothel? So crude! When can a rough man like you be more refined? Do you know what it means to be romantic? Do you know what is small talk? Your thoughts are so dirty.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said coolly, ¡°I really don¡¯t know. You said you wanted me to gain knowledge and yet after we went, you stole every girl from me. Whoever I took a liking to, you stole. You completely ignored them after you stole them from me. In the end, you were exposed by the procuress and even implicated me. Yun Xie, you know, I had never been so embarrassed in my life at that time¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yun Xie was so shocked that he had a hard time speaking. He really couldn¡¯t communicate with the wood pimple[2] in front of him. He had no choice but to surrender. ¡°Okay, okay, okay, it¡¯s all my fault ¨C for real, why are the two of us fighting over these things. I didn¡¯t say we were going to a brothel. Relax, we won¡¯t go this time.¡± He suddenly smirked and drew nearer to Jiang Xunyi. ¡°A¡¯Xun, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re saying these things to excite me because you¡¯re jealous and afraid that I will go find girls?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s mouth was already used to spilling out nonsense without inhibition, but after he finished this joke, his heart thumped, and he voluntarily stopped talking.


    He used to joke with Jiang Xunyi like this all the time, but ever since his actions at the Heart Demon Sea, his guilt was so overwhelming that even his mouth became more honest. He originally wanted to find a chance to confess to Jiang Xunyi, but he didn¡¯t expect so many twists and turns to happen. It was only now that the knot between the two was untied. When he was excited, he had no filter. It was only after the words left his mouth that he realized what he said and, fearing that Jiang Xunyi was angry, looked at him immediately.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t think what was wrong, and casually cursed back. ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    He was about to leave right after he spoke, but when he turned his head, he saw that Yun Xie looked strange. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he asked, confused.


    Yun Xie sighed softly. His expression slightly darkened, but his tone was suddenly soft. ¡°Without realizing it, I found that I owe you so much.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was shocked. ¡°What¡®s wrong with you!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s mood plummeted. ¡°Sometimes, I really don¡¯t know if you don¡¯t understand or are just pretending not to understand. Both of us clearly already¡­how can you still¡­ah!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was confused when Yun Xie sighed, and even after listening to everything, he couldn¡¯t understand what the other was saying. He could only sigh internally that Yun Xie was getting more and more insane, and he didn¡¯t know if this sickness was curable.


    Not far from the village was a small town. Not long after traveling, the two arrived. Jiang Xunyi looked around and felt that the town was normal, but there were very few people, and it looked depressing.


    He looked at the clear sky. ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense. The weather is so good today, so why is there no one on the street? Yun Xie, there isn¡¯t a ghost here, right?¡±


    ¡°My magic weapon hasn¡¯t¡­¡± Yun Xie replied.


    Before he could finish, an old man happened to pass Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side. Hearing this sentence, he couldn¡¯t help laughing and stopped walking. ¡°These little juniors are really interesting. How can there be ghosts and gods in this world?¡± Well, you are young, so you believe that. Don¡¯t be afraid, we don¡¯t have ghosts in this town.¡±


    The spirits and wild ghosts who died under Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword numbered at least 800, if not 1,000. This was the first time he heard someone tell him ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid¡±. He really felt that he was being laughed at, but traditional Chinese virtues said to respect elders and love the young, so when facing an elderly man, he had no choice but to smile bitterly. ¡°If what you say is true, then may I ask why is there no one on this street?¡±


    The old man looked at him then Yun Xie next to him, his expression one of joy. ¡°Well, naturally, there is a reason. I¡¯m guessing that the two young masters are not locals, so makes sense that you would not know. Today is our Ta Ge Festival. On the day of the Ta Ge Festival, men, women, and children must gather regardless of age in front of the Sangluo River to sing and play without leaving until midnight. There are many good girls here, and they like young men like you the most. If the two of you are free, you can go take a look.¡±


    Once he heard this, Yun Xie knew that this should be a festival similar to the Qixi[3] Festival, where young men and women expressed their affection for each other. He laughed and replied, ¡°Thank you mister, but the two of us have been married for a long time. It is better for us not to partake in the festivities.¡±


    His words were quite ambiguous, and if the sentence was in the language section of the Chinese college entrance examination, it would be incorrect. However, ordinary people naturally don¡¯t understand the hidden meaning. Although Jiang Xunyi felt that something was awkward, he couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly wasn¡¯t right, so he doesn¡¯t say anything. The old man seemed to be full of regret when he sighed. ¡°Young people sure get married early. If so, I advise the two of you to put on masks to cover your faces. The woman here treat others ¨C cough ¨C very warmly.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie both seduced women with their heroic airs[4]. They have always been well-received by women. They immediately understood the implications of the word ¡°warmly¡±. After they comprehended what the old man was saying, they nodded their heads in thanks before saying goodbye.


    Once Jiang Xunyi saw old man leave, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s still go check it out, otherwise we won¡¯t be able to find anyone to ask.¡±


    Yun Xie said with excitement, ¡°Of course, we must participate! But you wait, I will buy you a mask first.¡±


    ¡°Cover yourself!¡±


    Yun Xie blinked mysteriously while digging out money for the mask. ¡°If both of us cover our faces, we wouldn¡¯t be able to ask anything. I¡¯ve never been led astray by women, unlike you, with your hard mouth and soft heart, so you should be the one to wear the mask.¡±


    He smiled and put a cat mask on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head, turned around and paid.


    ¡°How come when we wear a mask, we can¡¯t-¡± Jiang Xunyi¡¯s attention was diverted just as he was in the middle of asking a question. Shocked, he exclaimed, ¡°Damn Yun Xie, you are actually so rich!¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said, ¡°You think I became a sect master for no reason? How can the lord of a sect have no money? How about it, do you regret giving your position to Jiang Molou? A¡¯Xun, if you want to be in charge of the Hidden Spirit Sect, with just one word, I¡¯ll go up the mountain and kill Jiang Molou, and in the future, the one making money will be you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice, carrying a false cheerfulness, came from behind the squinting cat. ¡°Go to my Hidden Spirit Mountain and murder? I am afraid that it will be you who dies first, and Mo Lou and I will split the money in your purse. We¡¯ll buy desserts every day and sit on your grave to eat.¡±


    ¡°Your grandmother!¡± Yun Xie thought of the scene, and suddenly felt his heart half-freeze. ¡°Too vicious!¡±


    As soon as they talk, the two of them would swerve off topic, and after messing around for half a day, Yun Xie still ended up not wearing a mask. He swaggered to the banks of Sangluo River.


    His handsome little white face really did stand out in the group of rough guys. As soon as he came out, he was pelted by various wildflowers. The strong smell caused him to sneeze twice, and he almost turned hostile on the spot.


    Yun Xie had an honorable status since he was a child, and anyone who dared to offend him was buried in a grave. Therefore, as he himself said, he was indeed immune to the coquettishness of women. He never believed that girls should be excused. He had a really avant-garde sense of equality in this regard, and even Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t complain. But there was something to be done, so he didn¡¯t show annoyance. He unpleasantly picked a small flower off his coat and threw it to the ground, kicking it to the side.


    [1] ̤¸è ¨C a traditional type of Chinese dance, made popular in the Tang Dynasty


    [2] ľͷ¸í´ñ ¨C people often use ¡°wood pimples¡± or ¡°stump-like¡± to describe people who are stupid, unintelligible, and satisfied.


    [3] ÆßϦ½Ú ¨C Chinese Valentine¡¯s day


    [4] ÆïÂíÒÐбÇÅ ÂúÂ¥ºìÐäÕÐ ¨C from a Tang dynasty poem, a man rides a horse and leans against a bridge. His heroic air attracts the attention of the women wearing red in a building nearby.

 CH 52

    Chapter 52 ¨C To Be Continued


    His action led to a wave of whispers from the women. Only Jiang Xunyi saw the impatience in Yun Xie¡¯s heart and chuckled. ¡°What an idiot. Since you don¡¯t like it, then why didn¡¯t you wear a mask?¡±


    He just wanted to finish things as soon as possible and leave. Without waiting for Yun Xie¡¯s response, he turned to stop a woman. ¡°Miss, please stop for a moment. I want to¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was clear and very beautiful. The woman turned around with a smile, but after seeing his mask, she looked disappointed and perfunctorily said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time. There are so many people here, why would you just stop me? Go ask others.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie pulled him back and smiled. ¡°Who is the idiot? A¡¯Xun, you don¡¯t understand. The customs of festivals like this are pretty much the same. It¡¯s usually the day women look for someone they like. When you wear a mask, you already have a wife. Time is precious, so what girl would be willing to interact with you? Watch this.¡±


    As he spoke, he walked over to demonstrate. He stopped the woman Jiang Xunyi had just talked to. ¡°Miss, hey, it¡¯s really strange. There are so many people here, but the first one that caught my eye was you. With how beautiful you are, why don¡¯t you have a male partner?¡±


    The woman saw Yun Xie¡¯s perfect face and was suddenly shocked. The smile on her face was extremely enthusiastic. ¡°I haven¡¯t found a favorite yet. I am Rou Rou, and if the young master doesn¡¯t mind, come to be my man!¡±


    Yun Xie did not expect the other party to be so passionate. His eyes turned and he used his chin to nod at Jiang Xunyi. He smiled and said, ¡°I am Yun Xie. If the beauty requests it, it is naturally exactly what I am looking for. But, my brother is here for the first time. Since he is introverted and shy, I still have to accompany him. I suppose¡­ I will come and play with the girl later.¡±


    He deliberately said ¡°later¡± lightly, so Rou Rou would obviously misunderstand and appreciate Yun Xie¡¯s apparent affection and consideration even more. She said happily, ¡°I thought all scholars were very devious, but you are very good. I like it. But since you don¡¯t want to be with me now, why did you stop me?¡±


    Never mind when Yun Xie didn¡¯t open his mouth, but when he hit on girls, he became extraordinarily coquettish. Jiang Xunyi was dumbfounded on the side. Once he heard that they were finally talking about official business, he quickly stepped forward and asked, ¡°Miss, we wanted to ask¡­¡±


    Once Rou Rou turned around and saw Jiang Xunyi, her face suddenly sank.


    ¡°¡­¡± He had lost to Yun Xie; it really was a blow to his self-esteem.


    Fortunately, although she was cold, the girl didn¡¯t leave, so he continued on, ¡°¡­Is there a particularly good tailor nearby?¡±


    As soon as Jiang Xunyi said this, Yun Xie secretly praised ¡°savvy¡± in his heart. The things they wanted to inquire were too bizarre and strange for ordinary people, and on such a lively and joyous day, there was indeed no way to ask. It was better to start with the stitching.


    Rou Rou was really curious. ¡°Why are you looking for a tailor? You even came here to find one. There are so many tailor shops outside, aren¡¯t there enough for you to pick?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi responded with speed and immediately lowered his voice. ¡°In regards to this topic, I won¡¯t hide the truth from you. In fact¡­I am looking for a tailor who can sew bodies, that is, or a mortician. My wife ¡­¡±


    As soon as this remark came out, Rou Rou¡¯s complexion suddenly changed. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s acting had a leap in quality ever since he succeeded in acting silly. He originally planned to perform a bitter drama, but he forgot he was wearing a mask and thus did not have the blessing of appearance nor a scholar¡¯s pedigree. The effectiveness was greatly reduced. He saw that Rou Rou wanted to walk away, thought about it, and immediately raised his foot to secretly kick Yun Xie¡¯s calf.


    Yun Xie was impressed, and he quickly followed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. ¡°Miss Rou Rou, you don¡¯t even know how hard my brother¡¯s life is. it¡¯s hard to be poor and ugly from a small family, and life is difficult. He finally married a wife, but not even two years later, she fell off a cliff to her death.¡± His eyes reddened. ¡°That death, sigh, was really terrible. So young, and yet even the corpse cannot he kept. How can people feel content?¡±


    Rou Rou said, ¡°Why are you so emotional about his wife¡¯s death?¡±


    ¡­Shoot, he overdid it.


    Yun Xie anxiously added, ¡°It was his wife that died but she was also my little sister. I¡¯m his brother-in-law.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was speechless.


    He sighed softly, and then continued with Yun Xie¡¯s line of conversation. ¡°As the poem goes, ¡®I¡¯m like a mandarin duck without its mate; or tung trees, after frost, in half-dying state[1].¡¯ The most tragic thing in the world is the early death of one¡¯s lover. I am incompetent; when my wife was alive, I could not treat her well and keep her safe. Now that she has died, no matter what, I want her to be able to be buried with her body whole. Otherwise, as a husband, how will I face her in the Underworld?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was sincere, soft, and Rou Rou was slightly moved. She looked at Yun Xie again and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Well, now that we have already said this much, I will tell you ¨C originally, there were a few tailors with outstanding craftsmanship here. But after an incident that happened ten years ago, no one has ever seen them again. No one is even willing to take the job of a mortician, so you should still look elsewhere. No matter how much longer you take, I guess it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Yun Xie looked surprised and lost. ¡°How can this is so? I clearly heard people say that someone can be found here. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s too late; if I went somewhere else to find a good craftsman, my sister is going to rot¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s try somewhere else. How could things that happened ten years ago continue to affect today? Let¡¯s try our luck nearby.¡±


    He cupped his hands in goodbye to Rou Rou: ¡°I still have to thank you.¡±


    Rou Rou saw Yun Xie stepping up to follow Jiang Xunyi and felt that the ideal man in her hand was about to fly away. She was afraid that Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi would not listen to her advising. ¡°Hey, I say, why are you two so stubborn? If I say that if you can¡¯t find it, you will definitely not be able to find it. It doesn¡¯t matter if ten years, or even one hundred years pass, no one will dare to touch this moldy matter!¡±


    Yun Xie had a doubtful expression. ¡°How can this be¡­ Rou Rou, can you tell me what happened exactly ten years ago?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was gentle, and Rou Rou¡¯s heart was shaken when she heard him say her name. She could no longer resist, and lowered her voice, saying, ¡°Okay, since you said so, I will tell you secretly ¨C this matter is still ugly. Once you¡¯ve heard it, don¡¯t mention it anymore.¡±


    Seeing the two nodding their heads, she exhaled softly. She checked to make sure that the people around them all ran to the bank of the river in a lively way. Once there was no one around to pay attention to them, she said, ¡°At that time, I was still young, so I heard most of this from others. There is a spirit mountain two hundred miles west of our town. I don¡¯t know how many years ago this happened, but back when my mother was not born, the spirit mountain was angry and spewed a lot of fire. The fire burned for three days and three nights until a Taoist monk finally helped extinguish it. But at that point, a small village at the foot of the mountain was completely buried in the ground by debris falling from the spirit mountain.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately understood and quickly translated in his head: a volcano erupted, and the magma buried a village.


    This was still the material of science and culture.


    But the focus of Rou Rou¡¯s story was not the process of volcanic eruption, but what had occurred ten years ago. ¡°The people in that village were completely wiped out. This matter was forgotten. but ten years ago, the earth moved again¡­¡±


    Yun Xie sighed sincerely. ¡°Then this place has truly suffered from disasters.¡±


    Rou Rou smiled bitterly. ¡°That is true. But coincidentally, the earthquake also shook out the remains of the village buried years ago. Because the mountains and rocks fell down instantly, the burial speed was fast and the village was perfectly preserved. My dad went to dig with people at that time and retrieved a few copper ornaments. But the weirdest thing is, there were no dead bodies in the whole village!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°It¡¯s truly is weird that things haven¡¯t been taken but the bodies have been lost. Then may I ask if there were any signs that someone went through this village?¡±


    Ruo Ruo was dumbfounded. ¡°What are ¡®signs that someone went through the village¡¯?¡±


    Yun Xie expanded on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words with a smile. ¡°If the village was buried in an instant like you said, even if an earthquake uncovered the city, as long as no one enters, dust should fall when you open the door and the floor inside the house should be very clean. There are many other details that can show the truth¡­¡±


    He looked at Rou Rou and cleverly changed his tone. ¡°However, no one expected such strange things to happen. It is not strange for your father not to pay attention to this.¡±


    Rou Rou said, ¡°I don¡¯t know about any of this, but even if someone has gone in, for them to ignore everything and only take corpses, doesn¡¯t that mean there is something wrong with them? And just listen to what I say next; there will be corpses appearing.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart thumped; he felt that he had listened to stories of missing bodies several times. He died for a while and didn¡¯t yet understand the new market. When did this become so popular?


    Yun Xie said, ¡°Are the aforementioned corpses appearing later the sewn zombies? ¡­ hey, that¡¯s not right.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke at the same time. ¡°Miss Rou Rou said just now that the corpses went missing. If the corpse can be found, it is surely dead, so it shouldn¡¯t be reanimated.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spoke politely and detached, far from Yun Xie¡¯s likable demeanor. Rou Rou never liked unemotional men, so she didn¡¯t really care to acknowledge Jiang Xunyi. What she didn¡¯t expect was that the more he spoke, the more she realized how quick his mind was. She couldn¡¯t help but regard him slightly better than before. ¡°It¡¯s like this: because the features of the corpses that reappeared were indistinguishable, the government can¡¯t determine their identity, so they just say to the public that they have disappeared.¡±


    She sighed. ¡°But everyone knows that once these people are afraid, no one will come back. Just by thinking that the people who died tragically are not them, the people in the family will probably feel somewhat comforted.¡±

 CH 53

    Chapter 53 ¨C Your Heart and My Heart


    ¡°Seven days after the earthquake, we suddenly found that several people in the town had gone missing, but no one could tell how they disappeared. We hurried to report the case. After investigating, the government found that all of the people who disappeared were morticians[1]. Not only was the person gone, but many of the needles in needlework shops also disappeared. This was too strange, but no matter how much they investigated, they couldn¡¯t find an answer, so they could only give up.


    ¡°At that time, although everyone was scared, they weren¡¯t afraid of losing their jobs. On the other hand, because of the disappearance of the morticians, the rest of the people in the town actually were doing better in business. But then, someone went back to the village that was originally buried under the ground.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°They sure are bold. You said that no one¡¯s body was found in that village, followed by the disappearance of living people. I thought no one would dare to dare to go back.¡±


    Rou Rou replied, ¡°Adults don¡¯t dare, but do the teenagers understand this? I¡¯m afraid the more their families stopped them from going, the more curious they were. My big brother was among the group of people who went. After arriving in the village, they were originally looking for something new and interesting. They probably went around and felt that it was too ordinary, but their hearts were not settled. They were so bored that they took a hoe to dig¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi leaned forward slightly. ¡°What did they dig up?¡±


    Rou Rou smiled bitterly. ¡°They dug out three big boxes.¡±


    She paused, a disgusted expression on her face, and she seemed to be very reluctant to talk about what followed. Jiang Xunyi had already guessed what happened. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the box was filled with corpses.¡±


    ¡°It was indeed corpses¡­ and I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Rou Rou paused and continued with difficulty. ¡°My brother took part in digging out the boxes, and after returning, he fell ill. The witch doctor said that he offended the ghosts and gods, and everyone in the whole family was required to kowtow to the three boxes. Even though I was young at that time, my father and mother still brought me to participate. The people in the box were not wearing clothes. Their whole bodies were rotten, and you couldn¡¯t see their original appearance at all. I won¡¯t forget that scene in my whole life.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°So that¡¯s why no one could discern their identity.¡±


    Rou Rou nodded softly, fear in her eyes. ¡°You have to know that it was winter at that time! The snow-capped mountains were terribly cold. If you buried someone, they wouldn¡¯t end up like that even after two months. Those morticians were barely missing for a few days, and they numbered far more than three, so although everyone had their own suspicions, no one was sure that the bodies belonged to the missing people. But if the box was originally buried under the ground, then after so many years, the bodies should¡¯ve been reduced to skeletons, and it still wouldn¡¯t be like this. No one could figure it out.


    ¡°Although the dead bodies did not necessarily belong to the morticians, that scene was still really, really terrible! It was not a good thing at all, and after this, everyone was really sullen, so we don¡¯t have a mortician here anymore. A lot of craftsman skills have also been lost. If you are searching, go far away and look elsewhere!¡±


    Rou Rou hasn¡¯t mentioned this for many years, and it was hard to finish relaying everything. Thinking about the scene at that time, her heart felt panicked. She couldn¡¯t understand why she exposed everything when she was planning to never mention this in her life again. At this moment, she felt afraid, accompanied by some inexplicable grievances.


    She pouted and looked at Yun Xie. ¡°Okay, I have finished all I have to say. Are you scared silly now? Let¡¯s see if you believe my words now. Hmph, the excitement that you just mentioned, go look for it now!¡±


    Her tone was obviously coquettish, but unfortunately the pretty and suave appearance of a gentleman Yun Xie previously adopted was demolished right then. He ignored her flirtatious glance as if he was blind and did not comfort her as she wished. Instead, he stood up with fear and anxiously pulled at the corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s clothes. ¡°A¡¯Xun, what Miss Rou Rou said is right. This is very scary; let¡¯s leave quickly!¡±


    Rou Rou: ¡°¡­¡± She felt too disillusioned.


    Jiang Xunyi kept smiling and, continuing to stay still, yanked back his clothes. In the end, he was kinder than Yun Xie and cupped his hands as a salute. ¡°Thank you miss for letting us know. You can rest assured that we will never mention this to outsiders.¡± He took out a yellow paper folded into a peace symbol from his sleeve. ¡°This is¡­ a senior monk gave it to me before. I shall give it to you today. This symbol is very effective, and I hope it can keep you safe and secure.¡±


    Rou Rou accepted it with difficulty. She felt a little thankful in her heart, but she also thought it was mostly useless. As she took it, she couldn¡¯t help but glance at Yun Xie, but only saw him looking at Jiang Xunyi intently. His eyes were gentle, and the corners of his lips were unconsciously slightly upturned. It wasn¡¯t clear what he was thinking. She couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned, a sense that something was unusual suddenly flitting through her heart.


    At this moment, a woman in a red dress ran towards them from afar and shouted loudly, ¡°Rou Rou, your mother is calling you back.¡±


    Rou rou replied, ¡°Ah, why?¡±


    The woman said, ¡°I only heard that your family seems to have gone to a impressive learned man whose fortune-telling is very accurate. Your mother wants you to go back so he can tell your fortune with marriage. Your brother has already gone, so you should quickly go, too.¡±


    Rou Rou made a sound of acknowledgement, probably thinking that she would be able to come back soon after leaving. She tucked the yellow rune into her purse and said to the two, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and take a look.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°Okay. Thank you for today.¡±


    Rou Rou¡¯s eyes were like flowing water, and she glanced at Yun Xie with a mixture of anger and a smile. Her thoughts were unclear as she looked back at Jiang Xunyi before turning away.


    Once she left, Jiang Xunyi immediately said, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to that village to see.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry. Look how lively it is by the river; let¡¯s play before we go,¡± Yun Xie replied.


    Jiang Xunyi was surprised. ¡°You still want to play?¡±


    Yun Xie grasped his hand and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a rare visit, just take it as accompanying me to see the festivities. You¡¯re always so rigid; aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was dragged forward reluctantly by him. ¡°What¡¯s worth looking at? No matter how lively it is, it will inevitably come to an end. Joyous things are only temporary; instead of waiting until later to lose the feeling, it¡¯s better to just avoid it completely.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°Your way of thinking is not right. It¡¯s because the joy in front of you is real and the past is unreachable that we must catch it. When we can be happy, why not smile more?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stopped playing spouting philosophy at him and looked back. ¡°Yun Xie, what do you want¡­¡±


    Yun Xie put his arm around his shoulder, and he spoke as if he was saying something deep. ¡°A¡¯Xun, you know, many of the things in this world that make people happy require greediness. The more greedy you are, the happier you will be. Good brothers share happiness and sadness. I only want to take you with me to have fun. If you have a heavy burden on your shoulders, you might as well give me some.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slightly lowered his eyes and smiled, no longer resisting. He let Yun Xie take him to a field on the side.


    The two of them chose the most lively place and saw a group of people clamoring in a circle, constantly yelling something. The scene was very lively. Yun Xie pulled on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arm and squeezed to the front. He saw two young men fighting in the middle, their movements looking quite decent[2]. At the end, one of them even lifted the other high above his head before tossing him out.


    The thrown person was a complete mess, rolling all the way to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s feet before he was helped up. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I admit defeat!¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t today the day when young men and women get together? Why are they fighting? Is it to grab girls?¡±


    Someone beside him heard him and replied, ¡°You have to fight even if you aren¡¯t fighting for a girl. Today, if the boys don¡¯t show their skills, how can the girls know whether the person in front of them is a hero or a pimple? But this guy Liu Bo attacks so cruelly, I¡¯m guessing that after winning this game, no one would want to fight with him.¡±


    Liu Bo wasn¡¯t satisfied and thumped his chest, shouting, ¡°Is there anyone else coming up!¡±


    No one answered.


    Someone below laughed loudly. ¡°Liu Bo, if you haven¡¯t gotten enough, why not pull out the little slave in our town? You can beat him however hard you want, and even if you kill him, you won¡¯t have to pay with your life.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned slightly. He knew that in many places there was a custom of keeping slaves. People like this were generally low-born or guilty of serious crimes, so they were reduced to slaves. If no one is willing to pay for them, they don¡¯t belong to a specific family. Everyone can bully and scold them, and even if they die, no one will care.


    In fact, when he thought about it, if he really was born to a woman from the Underworld as Uncle Chen said, he would¡¯ve been a slave if he wasn¡¯t brought back by Ti Mingxian.


    Soon, a pale and thin young man was brought in. He was wearing a steel collar with a chain on his neck. He was led in slowly by the leash as if he were a dog.


    Suddenly his forehead warmed from Yun Xie lightly flicking his fingers against Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brows. ¡°Frowning again. This is nothing more than fun. The Hidden Spirit Sect deserves to be a Buddhist temple. You, the chief disciple, are really compassionate.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at him, and was suddenly curious: ¡°I want to know, is there anything you care about in this world?¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t even think before saying, ¡°You.¡± He added, ¡°Besides you, there is no one.¡±


    While the two were talking, the fight had already begun.


    The slave boy who was brought in was only 15 or 16 years old, and his figure was very thin. When he stood in front of the burly Liu Bo he was a whole half a head shorter. With one glance, you could tell that he was not his opponent. Once they started to fight, the difference was even more apparent. After just a few moves, the slave boy was sent flying by Liu Bo¡¯s kick. The old wounds on his body were once again opened, and blood stained his linen cloth.


    He simply lay down on the ground and no longer got up. Even when Liu Bo kicked again, he was immobile.


    [1] People who sew together corpses. I wasn¡¯t really sure if there¡¯s an English word so I just used mortician.

 CH 54

    Chapter 54 ¨C Freedom


    Yun Xie commented, ¡°This kid is quite smart. Actually, I think that although he is weak, his movements are quite methodical. He shouldn¡¯t have collapsed just from this little amount of beating, but because he doesn¡¯t want to be beaten too much, he would rather just pretend to die.¡±


    But by doing this, it wasn¡¯t entertaining for the crowd, so a young man in a luxurious dress smiled and said, ¡°Hey, Qi Shijiu, don¡¯t be so listless. How about this, if you win today, I¡¯ll let you be free, how about it?¡±


    This person was obviously pretty powerful. After hearing his words, everyone started to coax, ¡°Qi Shijiu, did you hear that? Since Young Master Gao said so, it must be true!¡±


    ¡°Get up, get up, come on!¡±


    Qi Shijiu moved and raised his head violently from the ground. His face was covered with dirt, but his eyes were astonishingly bright, as if two clusters of small flames were burning in it.


    Jiang Xunyi saw his eyes and froze for a moment.


    ¡°Is what you said true?¡± Qi Shijiu asked hoarsely.


    Young Master Gao laughed and scolded, ¡°So you really didn¡¯t die, hurry up and fight! I don¡¯t even wish to deceive you.¡±


    Qi Shijiu wiped the blood on his lips with his sleeve, clenched his fists, and rushed up again.


    Someone smiled and said, ¡°Do you want to gamble?¡±


    Young Master Gao shook his head and said, ¡°We won¡¯t be able to gamble, Everyone will probably bet on Liu Bo. This bet has only one side. After all, who wants to lose money for no reason?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly said in a loud voice. ¡°Let¡¯s gamble. I¡¯ll bet on Qi Shijiu.¡±


    The people around him looked at him in surprise. They didn¡¯t expect that a fool who loves to lose money would be let out to gamble in broad daylight. Even Qi Shijiu couldn¡¯t help but look back at him. Jiang Xunyi smiled at him.


    Although the bulky wooden mask blocked his face, Qi Jiu could still see a thin, slightly raised lip from the gap of the engraved oversized cat¡¯s mouth. He was momentarily distracted, and his chest was suddenly slammed with a punch. He shouted again and turned to meet him.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the battlefield intently, and then commanded without looking back. ¡°Give money.¡±


    It was obvious who this was directed to. Yun Xie distressingly clicked his tongue and pretended to look reluctant. Just as he was about to open his wallet, Jiang Xunyi snatched it backhandedly. The entire thing was thrown to the bet collector.


    Yun Xie lamented, ¡°That¡¯s the money I saved for my wife¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi chuckled lightly. ¡°Yun Xie, are you willing to follow me in believing that there will be a miracle?¡±


    He didn¡¯t realize, but in fact, every time he spoke, Yun Xie would look at his side-profile with a smile. This type of smile was so faint that maybe even Yun Xie himself didn¡¯t notice it. It wasn¡¯t that something interesting happened, but it was a heartfelt smile that appeared because he was content.


    But Yun Xie¡¯s tone still wasn¡¯t very serious. ¡°A¡¯Xun, you are really a loser. Fine, I¡¯ll treat this as giving you face. If you don¡¯t win, you will have to pay me with a wife.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were still on the field, and he said casually: ¡°Even ten or eight is nothing difficult.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed softly. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, I only want the best. Don¡¯t eat your words.¡±


    Based on the many years he spent with Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi instinctively felt that there was a hidden meaning behind his words, and he was wary. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll just steal it back for you later. After all, no one can beat us here.¡±


    Yun Xie made a ¡°pei¡± sound and turned his head to watch the battle.


    The temptation to be free was too great. Qi Shijiu obviously tried his best. There were more and more wounds on his body, and his clothes gradually turned into the color of blood. However, he rushed up again and again and was knocked down again and again.


    The large, tall figure and the short, thin figure wrestled with each other. Gradually, the previously excited and screaming people fell silent, and several girls covered their eyes. Liu Bo raised his fist then lowered it, stepping back. ¡°Admit defeat. I won¡¯t fight.¡±


    Qi Shijiu¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°No!¡±


    Liu Bo shouted, ¡°You definitely can¡¯t beat me, and I won¡¯t go easy on you! Do you know that because you are a slave, even if I kill you, I won¡¯t be detained by the government?¡±


    Qi Shijiu did not speak and rushed up again.


    He did not know how many times he was thrown out by Liu Bo, but every time, he climbed up without hesitation and rushed up.


    After being beaten so much, his body gradually became numb. The pain was not as obvious, but his energy gradually ran out.


    At this time, Qi Shijiu saw the image of his parents before they died, the many years of swearing and contempt, the darkness, the blood, the longed for sunlight, and the smile just hidden under the mask¡­


    Someone thought of him as a person, so he must live like a person!


    Finally, blood began to appear on Liu Bo¡¯s body. When he was punched again on his abdomen, Liu Bo took a step back and sat on the ground with a wry smile. ¡°This kid is really a crazy dog, I lost.¡±


    Qi Shijiu stood silently, blood and sweat dripping onto the mud. It took a long time before he reacted and suddenly turned back to look at Young Master Gao.


    Cheers rang out around him. In this world, there are many people who were evil or had an innate desire for violence and blood, but there were even more good people who feel pleased at the victory of others because enthusiasm and undying hope have always been the most infectious emotions in the world. Seeing his success, everyone seemed to feel that they had also overcome the hardest and most difficult challenges in life.


    Someone said cheerfully, ¡°Young Master Gao, can you tell your father to set him free?¡±


    Young Master Gao met the expectant gaze of the person in front of him, his eyes fierce and eyes flashing with interest. He slowly unbuttoned his coat and replied with a smile. ¡°Of course. But only if he wins against me.¡±


    The person who asked the question was stunned. ¡°You didn¡¯t say that!¡±


    ¡°I only said that I would give him freedom when he wins, but I didn¡¯t say how many matches he had to win, did I?¡± Young Master Gao threw his gorgeous coat to a servant. ¡°Ah, but this time I can make it clear. If he can win against me, I will definitely let him go.¡±


    Compared to the indignation of the people around them, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi were still very calm. Jiang Xunyi glanced at Young Master Gao and found that he had bulging muscles under his tunic. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that although he looks like he is just the son of a rich family, he actually practices martial arts.¡±


    As he said this, he himself had taken a step forwards. Right when he was about to speak, he was dragged back by Yun Xie, who grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s right hand and pressed it onto his chest. With a wronged voice, he said, ¡°Feel it. Is his body better than mine?¡±


    Yun Xie looked thin, but after all, he was still a martial arts student. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand could clearly feel his strong muscles through the thin cloth. However, what the other had, he had too. He didn¡¯t feel anything special.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± Jiang Xunyi was fired up. ¡°I want¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Yun Xie interrupted him unkindly. ¡°Are you going to help Qi Shijiu? If you fight for him, taking care of the one with the surname Gao is indeed not a problem. But if that¡¯s the case, then you might as well have stopped him from fighting in the first round and saved yourself the effort you spent to gamble. Whether we buy him or take him away forcibly, it¡¯s all a piece of cake to us, but in the future? You can¡¯t always take care of him and keep him from being bullied by others. A¡¯Xun, I¡¯m not berating you. There are so many unfair things in this world. The unfortunate are always running around. Will you take care of everyone you see?¡±


    What Yun Xie said did make sense. He would always be the most sober and calm person. The reason Qi Shijiu attracted Jiang Xunyi at the beginning was his patience towards his fate. It was a fierceness that refused to admit defeat no matter what. Jiang Xunyi felt as if he saw another caught in a chaotic struggle with fate. But if he helped Qi Shijiu, what was the point of all of this? Perhaps he will only destroy him.


    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Jiang Xunyi lightly punched his chest before he pulled his hand back. ¡°What you said makes sense.¡±


    When Yun Xie finished speaking, he was a little afraid of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s anger and added, ¡°Actually, anything is okay as long as you¡¯re happy. I don¡¯t care what happens to him, but I think you seem to hope that the kid can win. Since this is so, we can give him a chance.¡±


    He had noticed that there seems to be an unresolvable knot deep inside Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart. Although he cannot touch it, he can feel that he seemed to be struggling and searching for something, and he hoped to find some sort of verification through Qi Shijiu.


    Qi Shijiu seethed at Young Master Gao¡¯s rogue-like back and forth behavior. His fists were tightly clenched, and his eyes were fierce, but a kind of tiredness spread from his heart to his body. The overuse of physical strength caused the muscles of his entire body to tremble slightly.


    Young Master Gao smiled. ¡°What, are you angry? I¡¯m not someone who likes to force others. You don¡¯t have to fight. It¡¯s good to go back and be a little slave, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The joy of knocking a hopeful person into the dust can easily make people feel the illusion that they are powerful, causing their tone to be full of excitement.


    Qi Shijiu shouted, strode up a few steps, and both of his hands hit the opponent¡¯s lower abdomen at the same time. His body was bleeding, his physical strength was depleted, and he must think quickly in order to end the fight.


    Yun Xie made an ¡°Yi¡± sound, and straightened slightly. ¡°I underestimated him. I didn¡¯t think this kid still has a move. His martial arts is a bit interesting.¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending; you noticed before, right? You spoke so impressively before. I was wondering why you stopped me from helping him. Well, you turned out to have a well thought-out plan.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glared at Yun Xie. When Yun Xie only smiled and did not refute, he shrugged and continued, ¡°But the one surnamed Gao learned moves for display only. His bottom half is weak and his feet are not steady. Looking at it, in normal conditions, Qi Shijiu might really be able to win. But now, he probably doesn¡¯t have much energy left. The two men are just competing to see who can persevere the longest.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s lips turned up unconsciously. ¡°But I understand why you noticed the kid with the surname Qi ¨C do you remember, back when we were kids, we had a fight the first time we met. At that time, I was clearly a lot more powerful than you, but every time I felt that I¡¯ve beaten you down, you always rushed up again and completely exhausted me. This kid is a bit like you.¡±


    He reached out and moved his index finger. ¡°But he is only slightly similar in this one regard. He is far worse than you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi split his focus. While paying attention to the situation in the field, he listened to Yun Xie bragging about the two¡¯s childhood. Although he didn¡¯t answer, the corner of his eyes curved.

 CH 55

    Chapter 55 ¨C New Ground


    Although Jiang Xunyi¡¯s criticism of the mistakes of Young Master Gao¡¯s lower half hit the nail, at the same time, he still had the advantage of being agile and flexible. He could avoid Qi Shijiu¡¯s strenuous attacks lightly. Not even a corner of his clothing was touched. Instead, Qi Shijiu¡¯s own speed gradually slowed down, causing him to suffer several hits.


    Finally, Young Master Gao smiled coldly, spinning around in midair, foot slashing down onto the head of Qi Shijiu. He kicked him to the ground and blood immediately ran down the other¡¯s cheek.


    Yun Xie saw that Jiang Xunyi was slightly moved and couldn¡¯t help frowning. He felt a little regret in his heart. Originally, he wanted Jiang Xunyi to rejoice over seeing Qi Shijiu win, but this idea backfired. If this kid really lost, he was afraid that it would make A¡¯Xun unhappy.


    After Young Master Gao kicked the person down, he refused to stop and walked over, smashing his foot heavily on the other person¡¯s abdomen. Yun Xie secretly hid a small stone in his hand. He was about to shoot, but he paused.


    The moment Young Master Gao stretched out his foot, Qi Shijiu suddenly jumped up, violently jerking the other party¡¯s calf with one hand and slamming his other hand against his chest.


    It was strange, as the move seemed weak, even causing Jiang Xunyi to let out a regretful ¡°hey¡±, but Young Master Gao actually collapsed face-first and did not get up even after a while.


    Amidst the gasping crowd, only Yun Xie raised his eyebrows, expression ambiguous.


    However, after this unexpected and sudden display, Qi Shijiu¡¯s strength seemed to be exhausted, and he fell to the ground, slack, and remained motionless. His body was bruised and bloody, and he looked like a mess. Only a slightly undulating chest proved that the man was still alive.


    A little girl standing next to Yun Xie let you an ¡°Aiya¡± and whispered, ¡°Brother, do you think we should help them up?¡±


    Her elder brother replied, ¡°Don¡¯t look for trouble. This is not the end. The rule of us men is that the last one standing is the winner. If Qi Shijiu can¡¯t get up on his own, it can¡¯t be said that he won against the young master. Then, he would still have to be a slave for a lifetime.¡±


    However, even after everyone waited a long time, the two remained motionless.


    Young Master Gao¡¯s servants were the first to be impatient. They were worried about their master but were afraid of being scolded, so they didn¡¯t go up and instead shouted, ¡°Mayor Li, in my opinion, this is enough, right? Even if our Young Master didn¡¯t win, Qi Shijiu also didn¡¯t get up. Can we count it as even?¡±


    The man called hesitated for a moment, sighed regretfully, shook his head and was about to speak when someone suddenly said, ¡°Qi Shijiu, stand up!¡±


    The voice belonged to Jiang Xunyi.


    Everyone looked at him in surprise, and even Yun Xie was shocked.


    But Qi Shijiu was still motionless.


    Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°You have been patient for so many years and have persisted until now. You¡¯re only missing the last step. Are you willing to take it?¡±


    Qi Shijiu¡¯s body moved. He seemed to want to prop himself up, but failed to do so


    Jiang Xunyi said forcefully, ¡°As long as you stand up, you will be free! Qi Shijiu, that little injury is nothing, you stand up!¡±


    Qi Shijiu moved again, and this time, even the people next to him were infected by this emotion, staring nervously at him.


    And finally, staggering, Qi Shijiu stood up.


    Although he was covered with blood and bruised, he stood up!


    Jiang Xunyi also sighed deeply as if something heavy had been lifted off his shoulders. He turned to look at Yun Xie. ¡°Did you see it? He won!¡±


    Yun Xie looked into his eyes, his furrowed forehead relaxing. He stepped forward and gave Jiang Xunyi a strong hug. ¡°Yes, he won.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled and smacked his back. Their shoulders collided before they let go of each other. The two looked at each other with smiles in their eyes.


    Qi Shijiu panted and looked back at Jiang Xunyi. Although he won, he didn¡¯t have a trace of joy in his eyes. Instead, he exhibited a little bit of reluctance and sorrow, but Jiang Xunyi was not paying attention.


    Suddenly, Young Master Gao¡¯s servant cried out in anger and horror, ¡°Young Master? Young Master! God! This, this kid actually killed the young master!¡±


    After all, Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t a child ignorant of worldly affairs. After a short period of excitement, he quickly adjusted his emotions and couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it, but the young master¡¯s chest was stabbed with a dagger. Since he¡¯s wearing black clothes and fell face down, it wasn¡¯t discovered at first.¡± Yun Xie looked at him, smile unchanging. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°So what? The one with the surname Gao brought this on himself. However, it seems that his family is pretty powerful. Because of this¡­ who is coming?¡±


    The death was a big event. At this time, cries and screams rang out loud and disturbing, but Jiang Xunyi keenly discerned a sound that was very familiar to him ¨C it was the sound of the sword breaking through the sky.


    Yun Xie lowered his voice. ¡°Strange, how can there be a large number of immortal cultivators in such a small place? Let¡¯s wait a little and watch what happens.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, dozens of men and women wearing black clothes had already appeared on their swords. They landed not far from the river bank, appearing like a deity fluttering down in an arrogant manner.


    The black clothes on their body were embroidered with red thread, forming clusters of fire, accentuating the colors so the blacks seemed darker and the red seemed more saturated. When their coats fluttered, it appeared as if a fire was burning. Except for Young Master Gao¡¯s unlucky domestic servant, almost everyone¡¯s eyes were attracted.


    Mayor Liu¡¯s expression carried both surprise and awe. He had already recognized the other party. ¡°This¡­ you are immortals of the Flame Gate? I heard a few days ago that the immortals were coming from the west to recruit disciples¡­¡±


    The middle-aged Taoist priest heading the group interrupted him impatiently before he could finish speaking. With a wave of his hand, he said, ¡°Since you have heard of it, there is no need for me to say anymore. Let the children stand in a line. I will come check your qualifications.¡±


    He paused and added, ¡°Not only children, but also young men and women with excellent qualifications are acceptable, too.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at Yun Xie and whispered, ¡°What is the Flame Gate?¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Most of the sects that would come to this sort of place to pick disciples are small martial arts sects that have only been founded in recent years. These people may be able to trick ordinary people, but their cultivation seems mediocre. Although, one thing seems strange to me. Why do I always feel that¡­they have some kind of power in them, which reverberates with something within me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was surprised and slightly fearful. His first thought was of the Demon King Xuan Li¡¯s soul fragment in Yun Xie¡¯s body. He suddenly felt that there was something to be found from the people and, without even thinking, he said, ¡°Follow them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yun Xie agreed without asking and smiled. ¡°But they will only pick up children and young men and women with excellent qualifications. You are very confident.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled, his hands secretly formed a simple seal, and a white light flashed on his body. ¡°Are the qualifications of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage still not good enough?¡±


    Yun Xie formed a seal with him and smiled. ¡°I am only worried about being so good that we scare them.


    For mortals, those cultivators were basically immortals. After all, from civilians to royal nobles, who doesn¡¯t want to be forever young and beautiful? Therefore, children and young people from various families scrambled to line up and wait for selection.


    The group of around ten¡¯s personal cultivation levels were mediocre. Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, as higher-level immortal practitioners, easily concealed their spiritual powers and integrated into the end of the line.


    Under the eager eyes of everyone, the middle-aged Taoist priest first pointed to Qi Shijiu, who was detained by several people. ¡°Come here and let me see.¡±


    Qi Shijiu only hesitated for a moment before he immediately decided to go up ¨C anyways, no matter what the result was it was better than how he is now.


    He had just taken a step when the servant of the Gao family pulled Qi Shijiu back and scolded, ¡°Do not move!¡± He said to the Taoist priest, ¡°Taoist leader, this kid can¡¯t go with you, he is a slave¨C ¡°


    The sword light flashed over; before the servant even finished speaking, the other had attacked.


    The middle-aged priest returned the bloody sword back to the scabbard and said irritably, ¡°Your mom, when I speak, how can you intervene!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie glanced at each other and were also a little surprised. It was rare for there to be such an angry person among those who cultivate. What¡¯s more, this person behaved so freely, and looked really evil.


    Qi Shijiu did not seem have any feelings about this person¡¯s death. He walked out amidst a field of shocked whispers. The middle-aged Taoist reached out his hand and pressed it flat on top of his head. After a while, his face brightened. He reached out and pinched several of his joints, praising, ¡°Good seedling.¡±


    He pointed behind him and said, ¡°Stand in the back.¡±


    The Taoist priest had no intention to ask for Qi Shijiu¡¯s approval from beginning to end. Of course, Qi Shijiu would also not object. With a docile appearance, he walked to his designated position.


    The middle-aged Taoist continued to check them one by one. Because of his ruthless move earlier, everyone trembled slightly and many people already had cold feet, but they did not dare to express their opinions and came forward one by one. After some time, only a few people were left, with most of the others rejected.


    The selection soon got to the end of the line. Yun Xie gave Jiang Xunyi a wink and stepped forward. The Taoist priest¡¯s eye gleamed as soon as he saw him. He was even more delighted after putting his hand on Yun Xie¡¯s head. A crazy expression slipped out and he slapped the other¡¯s shoulders repeatedly. ¡°Good! Good! It¡¯s a really good qualification. Stand there quickly.¡±

 CH 56

    Chapter 56 ¨C A Shared Cot


    Jiang Xunyi was next. Before testing, the middle-aged Taoist wrinkled his forehead at the mask. ¡°You¡¯re a whole man, what is there to hide? Even if you are ugly, does that mean you can¡¯t even face people? Take it off, take it off!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hesitated slightly, and the middle-aged Taoist reached out and yanked his mask off roughly.


    As soon he took the mask off, he froze, holding the mask in one hand and pressing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder with the other hand. He did not react for a long time. Fortunately, there were many people who were astonished to see Jiang Xunyi¡¯s appearance, so his dumbfounded look was not out of place.


    Yun Xie frowned and took a step forward, but he was stopped when Jiang Xunyi secretly gestured at him. Fortunately, the middle-aged Taoist did not further toe at Yun Xie¡¯s bottom line. He quickly recovered and put his hand on top of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head. After a quick inspection, he waved. ¡°Yes, you can stand behind, too.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until Jiang Xunyi walked past that Yun Xie whispered in his ear, ¡°I don¡¯t like how that orange peel looked at you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced back at the Taoist and noticed that he really did have large pores and wrinkles all over. He suddenly felt that Yun Xie¡¯s description was very accurate and couldn¡¯t help laughing.


    Yun Xie saw that he hadn¡¯t grasped the key point and felt stifled. He reached out and pulled Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head back. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m being serious right now, why are you laughing? I think the reason why he looked shocked when he saw you is definitely not that he was enchanted by your appearance. You see, if we are discussing appearance, although, according to the rumors of the jianghu[1], I may lose to you in terms of appearance, as second place, I can still be said to look dignified, right? But the orange peel did not even spare me a second glance. This shows that he doesn¡¯t care much about the appearance of men, therefore it was absolutely abnormal how he stared at you for so long and was careless when checking your qualifications.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi felt that it was interesting and smiled. ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t care about the appearance of men. You have very keen observation skills.¡±


    In fact, he has also seen the clues, and after teasing Yun Xie, he also lowered his voice. ¡°Just now, you were standing behind him, so you didn¡¯t see. I felt like the Taoist looked at me as if he has met me before and was a little surprised, and also¡­ aiya, I can¡¯t express it. But don¡¯t have any recollection of meeting him.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know whether or not Du Heng has met him before. However, Du Heng was born with dementia, and it is certain that he would not leave the family house. He probably wouldn¡¯t have any chance to meet people, so Jiang Xunyi silently swallowed this sentence.


    Yun Xie said, ¡°In short, you have to be careful and never take any risks. I don¡¯t know where he is going to take us ¨C hey, look, isn¡¯t that Rou Rou? Turns out she was also selected.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi followed Yun Xie¡¯s line of sight. Sure enough, he saw Rou Rou standing there, coincidentally right next to Qi Shijiu. She seemed to see Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi too but was too scared of the fierce Flame Gate members to step forward and talk.


    The middle-aged Taoist had recruited enough people. Without stopping to give the children time to say goodbye to their parents, he immediately set foot on the way back to the Flame Gate. Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi walked silently, mixed into the crowd. Yun Xie looked at the roadside scenery and suddenly laughed. ¡°This group of people is really obedient; they¡¯re saving us time and energy.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°?¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°Look at the mountain in the distance, and then look at the wreckage on the side of the road. I estimate that they are going to find the village that was uncovered after being buried.¡±


    He was right; the Taoist did take people to the village, but contrary to Yun Xie¡¯s expectations, he didn¡¯t delay in the village for too long. He only ordered the newly recruited people to stand in a row while the rest of the disciples guarded beside them. He ordered three people to follow and left in a hurry.


    Jiang Xun instructed, ¡°See what he wants to do.¡±


    Yun Xie had originally secretly posted a surveillance rune on the middle-aged Taoist, but he didn¡¯t expect it would be discovered by Jiang Xunyi before he even mentioned it. He couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Nothing can be hidden from you.¡±


    His right hand hid in his sleeves with two fingers tightly held together. He performed a few incantations and a faint blue light ignited on the tip of his fingers. The scene in front of him immediately shifted to the location of the Taoist and the view of his real surroundings faded away. Besides, Jiang Xunyi was by his side, so Yun Xie didn¡¯t worry about anyone plotting against him at all.


    Jiang Xunyi was guarding at his side when he suddenly felt someone coming over. His head turned immediately, but it was just Rou Rou.


    Jiang Xunyi nodded to her and did not speak. Rou Rou looked at Yun Xie, who was standing beside him, then looked at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s clothes. Finally, she recognized him. Shocked, she exclaimed, ¡°You¡¯re the person who talked to me just now? It turns out that you are so handsome after taking off your mask!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned his head and smiled lightly. When he checked to see that no one was paying attention to them, he suddenly stepped forward, leaned towards Rou Rou, and closed the distance between the two.


    Rou Rou was shocked, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips moved slightly, and he spoke softly. ¡°Is that enough? You¡¯ve acted for so long, you must be tired. Miss Rou Rou, we are free after all, so why don¡¯t you talk about your relationship with the Flame Gate? Is it fun to dress up as a peasant girl?¡±


    Although his voice was very light, they were like a thunderbolt to Rou Rou. She violently whipped her head around to look at him. Even though she faked her obsession with Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s appearance, when she looked closely at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s beautiful profile, she couldn¡¯t help but feel dazed, freezing for a moment.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face was frosty, but when he glanced down, his long and curled feather eyelashes were clearly visible and the cold fragrance diffusing from his sleeves was even more noticeable. His expression was difficult to describe.


    He saw that Rou Rou¡¯s face was stiff, ambiguously refusing to speak. He suspected even more that the other¡¯s heart bore ill-intentions. His tone was cold when he spoke. ¡°Do you know why I stopped you? Because in the beginning, you walked by Yun Xie and I no less than five times. I thought you were fascinated by Yun Xie¡¯s appearance, but if that was the case, when you refused me and promised him, you should have been staring at his face, not his waist.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stared at her face without blinking. His sleeves lifted slightly and he slipped the sword handle of the Extinguished Flower sword out. ¡°Are you looking at this sword? Then for your information, although the sword was hanging by Yun Xie just now, it is mine. So now¡­why don¡¯t you talk about your purpose?¡±


    Rou Rou was speechless. She thought she had done a good job of covering up, so she didn¡¯t expect that the facade would be seen through. When she heard Jiang Xunyi interrogating her in this manner, her eyes reddened, and with her sweet appearance, she looked even more pitiful. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You are right. I really was only looking for a cultivation master to go with to the Flame Gate. I know that the sword is a rare, top-grade weapon, which is why I talked so much. But you have to believe me, I don¡¯t have malicious intentions towards you! Everything I said was the truth, and it¡¯s all the real things experienced by the family of the girl I am pretending to be.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned a blind eye to her appearance and said lightly, ¡°If you had malicious intentions, you would have already been killed on the spot. But still, since I don¡¯t like others using me, I have to directly say this.¡±


    Rou Rou had believed that he was just a dumb, honest man earlier, but now, she realized that she was wrong after seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart of stone. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Yun Xie suddenly opened his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi looked back. ¡°How is it?¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t answer and glanced at Rou Rou¡¯s panicked expression with a smile. ¡°You confronted her so soon?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded. ¡°She came up to me herself.¡±


    Rou Rou was terrified and pointed at Yun Xie. ¡°You also know I am not¡­¡±


    Yun Xie chuckled. ¡°If we didn¡¯t even have this ability, the two of us would have just been wasting all of these years. But now is not the time to talk. The Taoist is coming back. You go first, I will find you when I need you.¡±


    His tone right when he began speaking to her was condescending, and instead of asking, he naturally commanded Rou Rou as if she was his servant. He completely lost the gentle appearance just now. Fortunately, Rou Rou was sensible enough and, after freezing from shock, she actually went back silently.


    Jiang Xunyi immediately asked, ¡°What did you see?¡±


    Yun Xie was afraid that the Taoist would come back soon and spoke quickly. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely be surprised when you hear. A¡¯Xun, do you remember that Rou Rou said that people dug out three large boxes with corpses in it??¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded. ¡°He went to find that?¡±


    Yun Xie continued, ¡°He didn¡¯t go find it; I suspect that it was the Taoist himself who placed it there. After he arrived at the back of the mountain, he didn¡¯t look for anything and all and instead walked up to an empty area. I looked at it and the ground has obviously been dug at before, as the soil was not even. After re-digging, the box that Rou Rou mentioned was still there, although the body had already been taken away.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said in surprise, ¡°So the reason he took three people there was¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was serious, and he nodded slowly. ¡°He found the three boxes, stunned the three of them without killing them, and sealed them alive in the box before painting a seal on the top of the box. After the seal was signed, the boxes were buried again. I suspect that this is a formation, and a bloody evil formation at that.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said thoughtfully, ¡°It appears that this matter is not simple. There really is a problem with the Flame Gate. Hey, Yun Xie, if things are really like you said, I think there must be more than three boxes. This amount of evil qi is not enough to support the entire formation. There should be more in other places.¡±


    As soon as Yun Xie was about to answer, he saw that the middle-aged Taoist had returned and immediately swallowed back his words. Jiang Xunyi understood and immediately stood obediently.


    The middle-aged Taoist returned, and his eyes swept over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. When he saw that his head was down and his appearance was weak and thin, he didn¡¯t comment and instead called out, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone hurry up!¡±


    When he left, he was in a group of four. Now, he was alone. It was really strange, but no one dared to ask. After hearing his words, they all scrambled to catch up, fearing that they would fall behind and get their heads chopped off.


    Not only was the Flame Gate shady, they also lacked virtue. All the Taoists who came originally flew on their swords, but they recruited a group of rookies who knew nothing, which of course affected their flying. The middle-aged Taoist bought a horse for each disciple at the market in front but did not allocate any to the newly recruited mortals. While they were riding their tall horses in front, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had to follow with their own two legs.


    Du Heng¡¯s physique was not good, and his physical strength was even worse. Yun Xie saw that Jiang Xunyi was having a hard time and felt distressed. ¡°A¡¯Xun, why don¡¯t you pretend to be dizzy? Then I can carry you on my back.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered. ¡°It¡¯s also possible that the Taoist will think that I am too burdensome and cut me down with his sword. Come on, I¡¯m a grown man; this is nothing to me. Quietly go your own way.¡±


    Yun Xie sighed and whispered, ¡°You care about me and are afraid that I would be tired. I understand.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    As he tried his best to chase the horses with their tails flicking in front, he simultaneously thought about what harsh words to use to counter Yun Xie. Suddenly, he felt that the corner of his clothes seemed to have been pulled by someone.


    Jiang Xunyi looked back, and was surprised to find Qi Shijiu.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    Qi Shijiu had seen him take off his mask from afar, but this was still the first time he saw his face clearly. His face could not help but redden, and he stuttered, ¡°I, I see you have trouble walking. Are you hungry? This¡­this is for you.¡±


    Having said that, he took out a paper bag from his arms and stuffed it in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands before fleeing.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°???¡±


    Yun Xie stuck his head over. ¡°Yo, what good stuff did you get? Open it and let me see.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi carefully squeezed the paper bag in his hand, then carefully unwrapped the layers of paper wrapped around it. It was two pieces of rose cake.


    Qi Shijiu¡¯s words were incoherent just now, and Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t understand what he was saying at all. He peeled the layers of paper off as if he was unpacking explosives. He didn¡¯t expect it to be such a thing. ¡°Why did he give this to me?¡±


    Yun Xie would rather he not understand. He took the opportunity to stretch out his hand and easily grabbed the paper bag from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand. Lifting his head, he poured the two rose cakes into his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a waste for you to eat it. It¡¯s better to give it to me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was taken aback, but it was too late to try and stop it. He quickly grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s neck and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re gluttonous to death! What if it¡¯s poisonous! Spit it out!¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°Tch, wood pimple. You can rest assured, poison will not kill me.¡±


    As they made trouble along the way, they felt that the time passed faster, and the group seemed to reach the Flame Gate Sect in no time.


    The Flame Gate was not well-known, but it was situated on land with remarkable feng shui and extremely strong spiritual energy. When they were about to reach the front of the mountain, Jiang Xunyi found that the surroundings were lush and green, with the fragrance of plants filling his nose. The towering peaks seemed to break through the sky, and the mountains were surrounded by colorful clouds, gorgeous and beautiful.


    Yun Xie gradually retracted his hippy smile and whispered, ¡°The owner of the land is not simple. I am a little curious.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? We¡¯ll see them soon.¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t expect that he was overestimating his worth. It didn¡¯t matter if they were children with good roots. Although they have already built a foundation, Yun Xie and his aging had stopped in their twenties. When it comes to learning, according to their age, they have already missed the best period. They could only stay outside at the foot of the mountain. At this point, not only were they unable to meet the owner, it was even difficult to meet the orange peel.


    Moreover, the so-called arrangements were very unacceptable.


    Jiang Xunyi had barely stepped into the place where they were assigned to stay and raised his head to look around when he immediately took a step back. He silently looked at Yun Xie behind him.


    Yun Xie was confused and poked his head out from behind Jiang Xunyi. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh ¨C the small room had long shared cots on each end, leaving only a tiny aisle that a thin man could only pass through sideways. The bedding should be years old. It was difficult to see the color, and it was all piled up in a mess. A basket of buns and a basket of pickles were placed on the window sill as a meal. The smell of feet slowly wafted through the room.


    Jiang Xunyi, who was blocked by Yun Xie at the door, could not bear it anymore. ¡°Don¡¯t block me, let me go!¡±


    Yun Xie put his hand on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder and turned around, pushing his back and walking outward while still laughing. It¡¯s not that the run-down place was interesting, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hard face was really entertaining him.


    Jiang Xunyi obviously understood Yun Xie¡¯s laugh, and gritted his teeth. ¡°If you laugh again, I will kill you and eat you!¡±


    Yun Xie came forward shiftily with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Do you want to ¡°eat¡± me? A¡¯Xun, how do you want to eat? Do you want me to take a bath first?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slapped his hands and said coldly, ¡°The left half is roasted and the right half is cooked and eaten. After eating, the skeleton is thrown out and fed to dogs.¡±


    At this time, a young man who had come with them hurried besides them and shouted, ¡°Hey, where are the two of you going? Just now the immortal leader said that we have to stay in our rooms, we can¡¯t run around, and it is time to rest.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t take it when he heard the word ¡°rest¡± and waved his hand. ¡°We¡¯re going out to get some air.¡±


    The young man reached out and seemed to want to pull him, anxiously saying, ¡°No, the immortal master said there might be other inner disciples coming here, and we can¡¯t run into them. You will involve us.¡±


    One of Yun Xie¡¯s arms laid bonelessly on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body, but his left hand blocked the other¡¯s hand unambiguously. ¡°You can rest assured that as long as you go back to the room and lie down, nothing we do will involve you. A¡¯Xun, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As soon as he turned his head, he bumped into someone.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie raised his head. Jiang Xunyi grabbed him and pinched Yun Xie¡¯s waist. The disciples were already yelling angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? You even dare to run into Senior Brother Zhuo!¡±


    Opposite to them were a few young men wearing black robes with flames embroidered on.They were surrounding someone person in the middle. When they scolded Yun Xie, he uncharacteristically did not retort and only smiled modestly.


    Jiang Xunyi said with a fake display of respect, ¡°This senior brother, I¡¯m really sorry, we didn¡¯t see you.¡±


    The man stared at him fixedly, then turned to look at Yun Xie again. He raised his hand to stop the dog-like people behind him who still wanted to scold them, his face sinking like water. ¡°You two come with me.¡±


    Amidst the stares of the crowd that screamed ¡°You are dead,¡± Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi followed the handsome young man alone to a hill in the distance.


    After escaping everyone else¡¯s line of sight, the man¡¯s face changed suddenly, laughing and stepped forward to give Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi a fierce hug each. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in 20 years. Who could¡¯ve known we would meet here!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled and said, ¡°Zhengfan, hello. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that you were still in the world.¡±


    The man turned out to be an acquaintance of Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie, a man with the surname Zhuo. He was the only beloved son of the ¡°sword god¡± Zhuo Feihong, and was an outstanding figure in the younger generation. Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie were both very close friends with him. However, he disappeared suddenly 20 years ago and no one knew where he went. Jiang Xunyi also searched for him for a while, but it was a fruitless search. He did not expect to meet here.


    Zhuo Zhengfan had been isolated from the world for so many years. He didn¡¯t even know that Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had once turned against each other, so instead of asking Jiang Xunyi how he was alive, he joked, ¡°I listened to a few of my brothers today and heard that Martial Uncle San took in many mortals to be workers in the outer sect. How did the two heroes also mix in? When I first saw Brother Yun, I dared not admit it.¡±


    Yun Xie was also initially startled when he saw him. If it weren¡¯t for Jiang Xunyi pinching his waist, he might¡¯ve revealed something to the people around them. He smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m also wondering the same thing. Zhengfan, your family is very large. If there is any conflict, do you have to come to this little school to live?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan smiled slightly and looked around with caution. Yun Xie clapped his hands together then spread his hands, slightly yelling. ¡°In the name of the Lord of Prosperity, every living thing must listen to my order and be silent!¡±


    Two white lights flew out of his palm and circled around the three people. It would appear to have disappeared quickly in the eyes of ordinary people, but Zhuo Zhengfan and Jiang Xunyi both knew that Yun Xie had set a silencing curse. Although this mantra is simple, it became extraordinary when made by him. Zhuo Zhengfan would not be heard by outsiders even if he yelled.


    ¡°You are very careful.¡± Zhuo Zhengfan smiled. Despite saying this, he still lowered his voice. ¡°I have always believed in the character of you two brothers, and I don¡¯t wish to hide the truth. I am actually undercover.¡±


    [1] ½­ºþ ¨C the community of martial artists

 CH 57

    Chapter 57 ¨C Laughing and Leaving with a Flick of One¡¯s Clothes


    Jiang Xunyi was a little surprised. ¡°You have been undercover for 20 years? Then your father¡­¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°Father knows this. However, I didn¡¯t go back to see him even when I knew that he had passed away. I truly am unfilial.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi squeezed his shoulder hard, and Yun Xie¡¯s eyes glanced at the two of them. ¡°However, the Flame Gate is not well known. I¡¯m curious: what about it is worth you going undercover like this?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan suddenly felt that his shoulder was slightly itchy. When Jiang Xunyi withdrew his hand, he couldn¡¯t help rubbing it before he said, ¡°It¡¯s called the Flame Gate now, so it¡¯s not surprising that you haven¡¯t heard of it. However, Brother Yun should know of the Shui Yan Palace, which was besieged by the Eight Great Sects thirty years ago, right? That¡¯s the real predecessor of the Flame Gate!¡±


    The situation was getting increasingly unexpected: back in the day, everyone knew the Shui Yan Palace and there was no one who did not laugh at it. It was a very well-known cult. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s impression of it was that it was similar to the Falun Gong[1]. The disciples in the sect were all crazy, committing ¡õ¡õ[2] and murder. When they went insane, even the government did not dare to provoke them. And the most notorious part of Shui Yan Palace was that they conducted human experiments, studied various biological and chemical weapons, and especially liked to mess with corpses. Therefore, the Immortal Cultivation Realm could not tolerate this. This was the reason for the siege, and after paying a heavy price, it was finally scorched to the ground.


    Unexpectedly, there were still remnants of the Shui Yan Palace around today, and even more unexpectedly, they had run into them.


    However, what was most unexpected for Jiang Xunyi was that, disregarding the integrity, it had once been one of the largest sects. Yet, they were so poor today.


    He had to use a big shared cot, damn.


    The Zhuo family¡¯s intelligence system has always been well-developed, and Yun Xie felt no need to ask Zhuo Zhengfan how he knew the information. Instead, he said, ¡°Since even the powerful Shui Yan Palace can be destroyed, it¡¯ll be even easier to clean up this small group of people. If you had mentioned this to me and A¡¯Xun earlier, the Solar Envy Sect and Hidden Spirit Sect would have definitely contributed. Isn¡¯t it too overly cautious to act so secretly? You should know this, so since you spared so much effort to go undercover, could it be that there is something else that happened?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan said, ¡°Brother Yun guessed right; I did this because as we were investigating, we found that the Marrow-Washing Jade was here.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wondered aloud, ¡°Marrow-Washing Jade? Is the Flame Gate actually linked to the Demon Race?¡±


    He became more alert and soon thought of another thing. He turned to Yun Xie. ¡°I heard that Shui Yan Palace was the best at refining corpses. Do you think that the bodies who had thirteen orifices opened were created by them? And¡­ the revived Xuan Li? ¡°


    Zhuo Zhengfan anxiously said, ¡°Are you serious?!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was calm as he said slowly, ¡°A¡¯Xun¡¯s guess is indeed possible, but the two of you shouldn¡¯t worry. Zhengfan, we are all here and we must not let you fight alone. Tell us about all the developments here. I originally came here with A¡¯Xun to try and figure out some things. We coincidentally can work with you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was not dissatisfied with what Yun Xie decided on his behalf and smiled. ¡°Exactly. Let me guess. Seeing Zhengfan today, I suddenly remembered that there have been many people who have disappeared for no reason for all over these few years. Ren Tianqi, who was with you that year, Shang Cheng, Zhu Xu, who disappeared inexplicably from a cliff 15 years ago¡­ Do we have a chance to meet everyone again?¡±


    He had a very good memory and said the names in a series without any omission.


    Zhuo Zhengfan sighed. ¡°Xunyi, you are really a god. Among these people, except for Brother Zhang who didn¡¯t arrive, likely because of an unexpected encounter, all the other people were sent here by father in secret.¡±


    He had been in contact with these two for many years and knew that Jiang Xunyi was satisfied now, but Yun Xie required more explanation or else he would be suspicious. Zhengfan continued, ¡°There were many people coming, but they did not notify the two of you because my father told us ¡®Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi are the leaders of your generation. They will go further than you in the future. You shouldn¡¯t do such a thing.¡¯ You also know that my father has always valued you very much. He actually wanted to protect you¡­¡±


    At this, not only did Jiang Xunyi sigh, but even Yun Xie was a little moved. ¡°We are indebted to Senior Zhuo for his affection. The fact that I had never known anything is shameful. You can rest assured that I will do my best to help you this time. It¡¯s my responsibility to eliminate the demons. How can I let you bear it alone?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan sighed. ¡°Good brother, thank you. But there are no more deployments anymore ¨C a total of 17 young heroes came here over the past two decades, but now¡­ only I am left.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    ¡°You have come here, so you should have seen that the Flame Gate is divided into an outer sect and an inner sect. Generally, people like us who have only entered at this age will not get much trust, so we can only stay in the outer sect first and work our way up step by step. This process encourages the disciples to fight with each other. There is no punishment for killing, and you are rewarded if you win. Naturally, everyone has to anxiously scramble to survive. Sometimes, if they do not have a suitable corpse, they just choose someone from among the outside disciples¡­ Alas, in this manner, they were killed one by one. It really causes heartache. In addition, the sect master here is a mysterious figure. Even though I finally made it into the inner sect, I haven¡¯t even seen his face yet.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi intended to say something, but he swallowed the words that were about to spill out back into his stomach. ¡°Well, I understand now. Since the situation is like this, let¡¯s plan slowly.¡±


    He heard a noise from nearby and added, ¡°Zhengfan, you have already spoken to us for so long. If you still don¡¯t go out, I¡¯m afraid it will cause others to be suspicious.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s face showed that he was deep in thought before he nodded. ¡°What you say is correct. You go out with me so you can go back and rest early.¡±


    Once Jiang Xunyi thought of the smelly room, his scalp felt numb. He would rather sleep outside and drink the wind and eat the soil. In a rush, he said, ¡°No, no, no. Let¡¯s make it seem like Yun Xie and I were disciplined by you. We will hide here for a while.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s problem was known by all his old friends. Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s eyes lit up with laughter and he reached over to smack Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Why are you still like a girl? Brother, I¡¯ve lived here for ten years!¡±


    Before Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders were hit, and his hand was intercepted by Yun Xie halfway. Zhuo Zhengfan was stunned, but Yun Xie clenched his hand sincerely. ¡°Zhengfan, why don¡¯t you go quickly!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Zhuo Zhengfan froze for a long time before he realized that his move was rejected. His eyes swept over Jiang Xunyi, and he immediately yelled, ¡°Yun Xie, I haven¡¯t seen you for so many years. Why do you still have bad morals!¡±


    He saw that Yun Xie leaned on Jiang Xunyi before he grinned. He really wanted to paste the characters ¡°dog male¡± on his face, but faced with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s unknowing face, he couldn¡¯t torment him. He had no choice but to scold this one weak line before he left with the fragrance of a single dog.


    Yun Xie yawned and said, ¡°Zhengfan is too noisy, even my ears hurt.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was just saying that Zhuo Zhengfan did not have it easy for so many years, but he threw the words away once he saw that the other had left. ¡°Zhengfan acted too cautiously and missed a good opportunity. If it were me, I think that it would be better to show your abilities as soon as possible to attract the attention of the Flame Gate sect master. Maybe they could still seize the opportunity. This would be more effective than their method of slowly dying.¡±


    After complaining a bit, he remembered the many sacrifices and couldn¡¯t bear it. At this time, the plot has been messed up, so there was no mention of the matter that took place here in Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies. Zhuo Zhengfan has never played a role since his disappearance. It is estimated that he ended with failure. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s investigation has basically led him to understood that the system¡¯s task must be inseparable from the Demon Clan. Now that he had already delayed completing the task for a long time, he had to speed up. If he could let Zhuo Zhengfan escape whole, it must be an opportunity to reduce the energy of the system.


    He couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°I have to find a way¡­ I have to enter the inner sect.¡±


    When Yun Xie heard that he wanted to find a way, he shuddered with fear. However, he didn¡¯t feel that it was a bad suggestion, so he immediately warned, ¡°The two of us must cooperate with one on the inside and one on the outside, so we won¡¯t be able to act together. The one going will be me, you shouldn¡¯t take risks.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi laughed and rose abruptly. He volleyed over to lie on the branch of a big tree. He leaned on his arms and said, ¡°You really like to unnecessarily worry these days. Why does it matter who goes? Do you think I have no power and need to hide behind you?¡±


    Yun Xie was speechless for a moment, his heart ill at ease, but he knew that the other party was right, so he did not continue to argue. He leaned on the thick trunk of the big tree where Jiang Xunyi was lying.


    Jiang Xunyi elegantly lay on the tree, his white robes fluttering in the wind. As the night wind continued to lightly blow, the shadow formed by the moonlight danced around Yun Xie¡¯s cuffs, appearing as if it could be touched as long as you reached out your hand.


    He raised his hand subconsciously, but there was nothing between his fingers, nothing in his control.


    When they first met, they were two small playmates. As they interacted with each other more, they became the closest of brothers. However, he did not know when the deep and heavy yearning love entangled his heart. He worried about him and wanted him, but he couldn¡¯t overcome his own fear, the fear that he would be ruining that proud body, destroying their friendship.


    The relationship between the two was like this, poisoned. No matter how close the distance seemed, what he longed for was at the horizon.


    The willow branch Yun Xie was playing around with morphed into a flute with one twist. He held it up to his lips to play.


    Yun Xie has always been elegant, and his flute skills matched his image. As the rumor goes, his playing can attract birds and spring flowers. It¡¯s just that these days, he really enjoyed playing solemn songs, and tonight¡¯s melody was filled with bitterness. The sweet notes were low, and countless notes seem to fall to the ground with the silver moonlight. In the silence of the night, the song clearly showed a broken heart.


    Jiang Xunyi gradually smiled listening to this flute melody. He opened his eyes and turned his head slightly, staring silently into the distance.


    At this time, the night was deep, and the autumn wind rustled. Brilliant lights came from the houses on the mountainside in the distance, hidden behind the whirling trees and flickering like neon lights.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the lights and was startled.


    He hadn¡¯t seen real neon lights in a long time. The events of his past life felt far away as if it were a fantasy dream that has never happened. However, he always saw his present world as the fantasy setting of a book, not reality.


    Did Jiang Xunyi of modern society traverse into a book, or did the Jiang Xunyi of the book only dream that he has been to such a high-tech country?


    Thousands of years ago, a mad philosopher whose wife had died and wanted to sing a song once suspected that he was actually a butterfly dreaming of being a man[3]. On this silent late autumn night, Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt the same confusion in his heart.


    He sighed along with the flute. ¡°One cannot do nothing forever. It is indeed necessary to save the Milky Way and to clear the skies. Because of his outstanding meritorious deeds, he wanted to leave a portrait of him on the Kirin Pavilion as a reward, but he laughed and walked away with a flick of his clothes¡­  The temples are sparse, gray hair can be found easily, and the good things are consumed in vain by mistake¡­¡±[4]


    When he thought about it like this, he felt awkward again.


    The author has something to say:


    Sorry everyone, all of a sudden, power failure cut off the school network, the computer is dead, the phone has a little bit of power, and because I was afraid it wouldn¡¯t last, I uploaded it earlier ¡­¡­


    Here, Little Jiang¡¯s mentality towards the two worlds is gradually changing.


    [1] Falun Gong is a Chinese cult


    [2] The author censors things like this so this is just how it is in the original text.


    [3] Refers to Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi¡¯s (Chuang Tzu) ¡°Butterfly Dream¡±


    [4] From Nalan Xingde¡¯s ¡°Jin L¨¹ Qu¡± (Ballad of the Golden Threads)

 CH 58

    Chapter 58 ¨C You, Can You Do It?


    Several lights flickered on by them, and Jiang Xunyi glanced sideways casually. They appeared to be a few fireflies, so he didn¡¯t care and rested his hand on his forehead to sleep.


    Suddenly he felt that something was wrong and his eyes immediately flashed open. Yun Xie was already slightly swaying and jumped up to sit on a branch beside Jiang Xunyi in a flash. He held the flute in his hand, no longer playing as he leaned over with a smile. ¡°A¡¯Xun, look over quickly, don¡¯t these fireflies look like stars in the sky?¡±


    Without needing him to speak, Jiang Xunyi had already noticed the spectacle. There were originally only a few fireflies around them, but as time passed, there were more and more. After Yun Xie said this sentence, he laid the flute on his lips again, and the melody drifted through the night. The clusters of fluorescent lights flew about in the dark night, and from afar it really looked like the galaxy, unspeakably vast and gorgeous.


    It seemed to only be a second, and yet it also seemed that a long time had passed. Jiang Xunyi suddenly smiled, the fluorescent light and tree shadows casting on his face alternately. His skin color appeared more white, giving him a different kind of beauty. He turned over, sat up, and spread his hands. Immediately a few fireflies flew over and landed on the palm of his hand. The faint glow illuminated his palm, and it seemed like no matter the troubles of the world, everything was in his hands.


    ¡°Even after seeing a jumble of flowers, the mirror is not disturbed[1]¡­I thought it was a dream, but I didn¡¯t expect everything to be true.¡± Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly and pointed his finger gently at the end of Yun Xie¡¯s flute. ¡°Brother Yun, stop playing, let¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie seemed at peace as they fell asleep. In fact, they were at a standstill, thinking of how to persuade the other. When they heard the bell ringing near the disciple¡¯s assembly early the next morning, they immediately looked at each other.


    Jiang Xunyi thought, ¡°I have to find a way to get into the limelight to quickly enter the inner sect.¡±


    Yun Xie thought, ¡°I have to stop him!¡±


    They didn¡¯t say anything, but they both saw ghosts in the other¡¯s eyes and immediately looked away at the same time.


    They returned to the door of the tattered hut and saw that the uniforms worn by the disciples of the outer sect had been sent out. After they put on the clothes, they found that the patterns was exactly the same as the one on the clothes the disciples of the inner door wore, but the colors were reversed. Instead, there were black flames on a red background.


    When worn by men, the red outfit was very unflattering, especially on the new disciples who didn¡¯t grow up as a cultivator. Their temperaments lacked refinement, and they looked like lively country bumpkins celebrating a good harvest. It was absolutely unbearable to look at them.


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie finally arrived after changing clothes. The two were exquisite, elegant, and had different temperaments from the rest. They stood out, with their appearances seeming to shine, and they immediately attracted most eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face filled with frost when he faced outsiders and refused to look at anyone as he calmly walked to the end of the line and stood still. However, Yun Xie still had a gentle smile on his face. He looked very harmless, merely following Jiang Xunyi. After a few steps, he was stopped by someone.


    He lowered his head to look at the woman, who was a lot shorter than himself. ¡°What is it?¡±


    The girl also wore a red coat of the same style, apparently also an outer disciple. She stared at Yun Xie¡¯s handsome face, her mouth moving with no words for a long time before saying, ¡°This ¨C this brother, may I have your name, please?¡±


    After such a pause, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure was already submerged in the sea of disciples. Yun Xie looked sideways and casually said, ¡°Miss, do you like me?¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t expect him to be so direct. She was so shocked that her face flushed suddenly. Before she could speak, Yun Xie continued, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I would like to thank you, but I already have someone I like. Please go back.¡±


    Although Jiang Xunyi was wearing the same clothes as the others, he was luckily tall enough for Yun Xie to find him after he scanned the crowd for a long time. He immediately wanted to head over.


    The girl was a little unwilling, chasing him and saying, ¡°Brother did not even look at me, and yet you already know that I must not be as good as the one you favor?¡±


    After being blocked by her again, Yun Xie stopped. He didn¡¯t show impatience and instead stared at the other person with a gentle smile. His eyes were intoxicating as he said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re not as good-looking as him, not as smart as him, and your cultivation is inferior, too. Farewell, there is nothing about you that is comparable to him. Are we done now?¡±


    He liked to say cruel words with a smile, and this answer was especially heartbreaking. He was able to get away immediately, leaving the little girl crying as he walked over to Jiang Xunyi as if nothing happened.


    When Yun Xie came up to him, Jiang Xunyi felt the depletion of the system energy subtly, and he was stunned for a second. Yun Xie had just destroyed the seedling of a romance with someone who was part of the protagonist¡¯s exclusive harem.


    Before he even made a move himself, Yun Xie had already helped so much. He was really taking the initiative. Actually, when he really thought about it, it seemed that even after so many years, he had never seen him fall in love with any woman. He sure was a pure and dignified hero.


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help worrying about his brother¡¯s health. After all, Yun Xie had help him so many times from birth to death. Much of what happened had not been written in the original book. It couldn¡¯t be that as the plot was changed¡­ a part was destroyed, right?


    So right as Yun Xie approached, he saw Jiang Xunyi glance at him with a very strange look. His eyes glanced down faintly, his face slightly reddening before he turned away quickly.


    ¡°¡­¡± Yun Xie panicked inexplicably. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi paused before asking, ¡°That girl was confessing to you just now, right? You¡­ refused her?¡±


    Because of the sensitive topic and especially because of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s troubled expression, Yun Xie was too scared to even joke. ¡°¡­Ah, yes.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was originally just randomly speculating, but when he saw Yun Xie¡¯s guilty look, he was startled and wondered what was wrong with this man. The protagonist of the eloquent stallion novel had a hidden disease that was difficult to reveal? It couldn¡¯t be¡­


    He wanted to ask directly, but could not even open his mouth. Even if the two were close brothers, it was hard to directly ask a question that was so harmful to the other¡¯s dignity. In addition, Jiang Xunyi was too prideful to ask, as he never had Yun Xie¡¯s thick skin. It was a bit embarrassing to even think about it. He hesitated for a long time before turning around and saying, ¡°I think the girl just now was good. Why didn¡¯t you try to be with her¡­ En, how about trying to get along?¡±


    Although he already knew the other didn¡¯t have romantic feelings towards himself, once Yun Xie heard these words come from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mouth, he could no longer even deceive himself. Yun Xie felt dizzy, and he immediately felt that he encountered a huge loss. He turned his head to stare at Jiang Xunyi, his eyes deep and dark, and his delicate and gentle face filling with frost.


    This was the first time he had looked at Jiang Xunyi like this, and Jiang Xunyi inexplicably felt guilty, as if he had just done something sinister. When he thought about it, with Yun Xie¡¯s alertness and intelligence, he probably had already guessed what he meant. If he didn¡¯t guess wrong, such a question might have really hurt, so he felt bad.


    ¡°N-never mind, I¡­ cough, just curious, pretend like I didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    Yun Xie tried his best to restrain the sadness in his heart and lowered his eyes without any expression. ¡°Do you want me to be with other women? Why?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t know what to say. Yun Xie suddenly asked, ¡°Speak, why?!¡±


    What do you mean why? You have to ask why now?


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice trembled faintly, appearing to put a lot of weight on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. Jiang Xunyi felt that he had to answer, but he also didn¡¯t want vomit words out as if he wasn¡¯t a man. He had no choice but to steel his nerves and say, ¡°That is, I just wanted to ask you. Do you have a problem somewhere, ah, or do you not like women? We are good brothers, so I won¡¯t look down on you. If you have problems¡­ don¡¯t hide it from me. If you tell me, we can find a way together¡­¡±


    What the hell was this? The more Jiang Xunyi wondered, the more ridiculous his thoughts became. His voice gradually lowered, but Yun Xie was just frozen.


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his head and touched his nose.


    Suddenly his shoulders sank, and Jiang Xunyi was unexpectedly hugged¡ªYun Xie had pounced over, punching him lightly, before he finally broke down. He couldn¡¯t help lying on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders and laughing. The confused crowd looked over at them.


    Even if he was used to Yun Xie¡¯s reckless behavior, there were some things that he couldn¡¯t bear. It may be that his current neurological state was more sensitive, so even he felt that two grown men laughing and hugging each other for a while was not normal. Feeling annoyed, he said, ¡°I am just worried about you! What are you laughing at?!¡±


    Yun Xie was breathless and couldn¡¯t stop laughing. If one were to describe this feeling accurately, it could only be said that he was completely shocked. ¡°A¡¯Xun, you¡­ Hahahahaha, how could you think like this? You ¨C you are just too interesting!¡±


    Just as Jiang Xunyi was about to turn and throw him away, Yun Xie suddenly increased the intensity of the hug and buried his head in the other¡¯s neck. His expression was unknown, but there was still a little hint of a smile in his voice as he asked lowly, ¡°A¡¯Xun, if what you asked me was true, then how would you help me¡­ find a solution together?¡±


    As he spoke, his lips gently brushed the skin of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck, seemingly unintentional. The wet and warm touch shocked Jiang Xunyi. A strange feeling arose in his heart, electrocuting him, so he suddenly pushed the other away and took a half step back.


    Jiang Xunyi was puzzled, but he saw that Yun Xie¡¯s expression was quite normal, so he felt that he was overthinking. ¡°Me? I would help you ask for medicine from a doctor¡­ W-what did you think I should do?¡±


    Even Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t know what he himself was talking about. It didn¡¯t look like Yun Xie had an issue. He just wanted to travel back to a few minutes ago and shut his big mouth.


    Although the inner disciples had not yet come, their movements had attracted a lot of attention, and they felt a lot of eyes on them. Yun Xie still had a smile on his face and glanced around without a trace of anxiety. The circle of onlookers suddenly felt their hearts thump and looked away, inexplicably afraid to look at him.


    After looking around for a moment, Yun Xie had already calmed his heart. He secretly admonished himself that this was dangerous, as it was not the right time to reveal his feelings. With all of his effort, he kept the smile on his face. ¡°Alright, look at how frightened you are. What are you thinking about? A person who cultivates to immortality has to be clear-hearted, so don¡¯t urge me to learn something wrong. But strange, we previously¡­ shouldn¡¯t you know that I¡­cough, nothing.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stared at Yun Xie for a while before he accepted the answer. He hummed and rubbed his cheeks, which were still a little bit hot, with the back of his hand


    The two of them had spent a while talking, and somehow, although the bells of the disciple¡¯s assembly had clearly sounded for a long time, not even one of the inner disciples did not come out. Jiang Xunyi silently felt awkward for a while, secretly glancing at Yun Xie. Seeing that the other didn¡¯t seem to care at all, he hesitated for a moment, and just as he was about to speak, there was a wailing from the distance.


    [1] ÂÒ»¨ÃÔÑÛ£¬²»ÉËÃ÷¾µ ¨C a line from a poem that directly translates to a flurry of flowers won¡¯t disturb the mirror, which means chaos won¡¯t disrupt peace and calm.

 CH 59

    Chapter 59 ¨C To Enjoy the Limelight


    The shout came from the woman who had just talked to Yun Xie, but the voice that had just sounded soft and sweet now seemed like some kind of beast. The eyes of the crowd collectively moved over, and what they saw was her body swelling quickly, the clothes on her body ripping, and the beating of the blood vessels under her thin skin becoming more and more visible, until suddenly, under everyone¡¯s shocked gaze¡­


    Her body suddenly burst!


    Jiang Xunyi felt his heart beat; at this moment, he suddenly remembered a similar incident in the book. Although the scene¡¯s location was different, it was enough for him to make some guesses as to what to do in this situation. He immediately took Yun Xie¡¯s arm and pulled him to his side.


    Yun Xie stumbled. ¡°A¡¯Xun?¡±


    At this moment, screams came one after the other. Many people were suffering from the same situation simultaneously. Jiang Xunyi turned a deaf ear to it all and sternly said in Yun Xie¡¯s ear, ¡°That woman turned out like this right after speaking to you. Is this incident related to you?¡±


    His breath was cold and misty, and when breathed onto people¡¯s faces, it would cause them to inadvertently fall into a trance, but his tone was very serious. Yun Xie froze, stunned, and replied, ¡°Me? How can you think this¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, he suddenly felt that his right shoulder and waist were both numb. His body suddenly couldn¡¯t move, but his brain reacted quickly. ¡°His grandmother, I was actually fooled!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had been plotting, for once getting the better of the fox-like Yun Xie. He squeezed his cheek happily and hung his Extinguished Flower sword around Yun Xie¡¯s waist. ¡°We already agreed on one of us entering the inner sect and one of us staying in the outer sect. Yun Xie, hide well.¡±


    After he was finished speaking, he flew up and leapt out from behind everyone.


    At this time, as everyone was panicking, many disciples around him changed. Some of their bodies directly burst and died while others instantly became bloody demons. There were many normal people scrambling back, but they didn¡¯t know where they should go.


    In stark contrast to the current miserable image, the weather was excellent. The blue sky was clear and the white clouds drifted leisurely. In the blink of an eye, a red shadow pierced the sky. With a ¡°bang¡±, he spun around and kicked at the same time as he landed. A slender leg swept across, and a monster with swollen limbs and bloody eyes was horizantally kicked out.


    A man who had just been thrown to the ground by another monster seemed to see hope and quickly shouted, ¡°Save¡­¡±


    But it was already too late, and before this sentence was finished, the monster had leaned over and smashed its hand down until the man¡¯s brains burst. There was a terrifying cry from the crowd, and the monster rushed towards another person.


    Although Jiang Xunyi wanted to be in the limelight, he couldn¡¯t reveal all his cards yet, which was why he gave his sword to Yun Xie. At this time, he confronted the monster with his bare hands. Before he even reached the scene, he swayed his long sleeves and the two people closest to the monster were lifted out. He knelt on one knee, hit the ground heavily, and shouted, ¡°Open!¡±


    Cracks spread out from the place where he smashed with his fist as if chasing towards the monsters in all four directions. The soil condensed into a giant hand, firmly holding the monster¡¯s lower limbs. Jiang Xunyi clenched his palm, and spikes emerged from the soil and pierced upwards.


    The technique had a huge range, but there was a disadvantage: after dispersal, the power was insufficient. Jiang Xunyi did not dare to use excessive spiritual power in order to hide his strength. Seeing that a monster of the largest size will break free of the shackles, he was planning to attack again when he heard the extremely subtle sound of something whistling through the air. The mud beside the monster suddenly turned into a sharp blade and instantly stabbed him through the heart.


    Jiang Xunyi calmly looked in Yun Xie¡¯s direction.


    Although he secretly plotted successfully just now, his purpose was nothing more than to seize this opportunity. He wasn¡¯t too harsh with his attack, so Yun Xie was able to quickly escape the jab to his acupuncture point and help him, which was also expected. Fortunately, he was obedient and simply helped instead of rushing up to grab the limelight together.


    At this moment, he heard a few shouts of, ¡°Stop!¡±


    Two men in black descended from the sky. Without any movement, the monsters all collapsed. The men and women who were in shock were still screaming until one of them was slapped by the man in black on the left. They finally fell silent.


    Standing on the right was Zhuo Zhengfan. Compared to his companion, who was way too calm, he was full of surprise. He obviously didn¡¯t know what was going on. When he saw Jiang Xunyi, he almost exclaimed out loud, but he controlled himself and steadily went back. With a calm face, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi patted the dirt on his body and stepped forwards with a salute. ¡°Two senior brothers, I don¡¯t know why, but many disciples of the sect suddenly changed into demons. After the change, some people lost their minds and hurt people all around. I was at a loss. It is fortunate that the two senior brothers arrived in time.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan awkwardly made a sound of acknowledgment, his heart secretly finding this funny. He did not expect Jiang Xunyi to follow Yun Xie¡¯s example, with even such greasy words able to come out of his mouth, although he was missing the other¡¯s smile, instead appearing slightly indifferent.


    When he thought of this, he glanced secretly at the crowd around him. Sure enough, Yun Xie was also looking at them from the distance and gave him a wink.


    The person next to him was called Song Yu. By seniority, he was Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s senior brother. He stared at the other person without saying a word. Although Jiang Xunyi had bowed slightly, he didn¡¯t seem to be a little humble. The panic-stricken disciples became more calm and nodded secretly.


    Twenty years is not long for those who cultivate. The Flame Gate had changed from a first-class big school to such a little-known small school in just that amount of time. The loss from this existed in every disciple¡¯s heart, and they all wanted to revitalize the school. Therefore, there was a desperate desire for talent. Song Yu¡¯s heart was moved, but some words must be asked clearly. ¡°Based on appearance, you should be one of the disciples who started yesterday, right? This technique of soil cracking is clearly¡­ a unique technique of the Shui Yan Palace many years ago. How did you learn this?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had already considered this when he performed the move, but and at this time, he showed an expression of slight surprised. ¡°Is this true? The disciple did not know this, but had met a dying old man near Xian city ten years ago, who taught me this technique.¡±


    The person he mentioned was the master of Song Yu. At that time, he was one of the escapees from the Shui Yan Palace siege, but he died shortly after because of his injuries. Now, there was probably not even a piece of him left, so Xunyi conveniently pulled this out as a shield.


    Song Yu was slightly startled, and his tone shifted to one that was hurried. ¡°Do you know what his name is? Besides this, did he tell you anything else?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shook his head blankly. ¡°No.¡±


    A bit of disappointment flickered through Song Yu¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, he reached out and slapped Jiang Xunyi on the shoulder.


    Yun Xie, who had been watching from afar, couldn¡¯t help but take a step, narrowing his eyes nervously.


    However, Song Yu just squeezed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders, then patted him on his chest and back. Du Heng¡¯s body was very advantageous. With one glance, it was clear from his thin body that he did not train much. Song Yu dispelled the suspicion in his heart, and his voice softened. ¡°Very well. You are a natural talent, so go back, pack up, and move to the inner sect tomorrow.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly and cupped his hands. ¡°Yes. Thank you, brother.¡±


    Seeing him calm, without the slightest exaggeration of ecstasy, Song Yu appreciated him more. He nodded and said to Zhuo Zhengfan, ¡°Junior Brother Zhuo, I have other important things. Since there is no danger now, I will leave the matter here to you.¡±


    After Zhuo Zhengfan agreed, he turned away.


    Zhuo Zhengfan crushed a stomachful of words down. He watched Song Yu go away, then immediately sent all the people present to work before stopping Jiang Xunyi. ¡°What happened? You¡­entered the inner sect at once?¡±


    So many people had died! He had struggled for ten years!


    Yun Xie took Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword and walked over with a smile. ¡°Our A¡¯Xun is very capable, you can¡¯t help but agree.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan looked at Yun Xie¡¯s expression suspiciously, then suddenly reacted, pointing at Jiang Xunyi in surprise. ¡°Ah, you did it on purpose!¡± He thought it was an accident at first, but then he became afraid, anxiously turning around in a circle. ¡°You two really have grand ideas! Do you know where this is? I haven¡¯t dared to come forward after so many years of struggle. Xunyi, you actually¡­ Brother Yun, why didn¡¯t you stop him instead of letting him play tricks!¡±


    What do you mean why did he not stop him? When this ancestor wanted to do something, even the emperor couldn¡¯t stop him! Yun Xie glared at Jiang Xunyi, but he said, ¡°A¡¯Xun is not wrong. This is the only way. You¡¯ve already done this for so long, do you still want to continue indefinitely? How much longer would that take!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan thought of his dead companions, speechless.


    Jiang Xunyi saw that Zhuo Zhengfan was worried. Although Yun Xie was talking, he slightly raised his eyebrow, and he joked, ¡°What are you two doing? It¡¯s my life no matter how you look at it. If it¡¯s successful, we benefit. If it¡¯s not, it¡¯s just me who will die. It¡¯s also¡­¡±


    ¡°What nonsense!¡± When Yun Xie heard this, his heart tightened suddenly, and he grabbed his wrist angrily. ¡°Jiang Xunyi, don¡¯t always hang the word ¡®death¡¯ on your mouth!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was startled and looked at Yun Xie in surprise.


    Jiang Xunyi froze for a moment, glanced at Yun Xie¡¯s slightly trembling arm, and the image of the two of them suddenly bursting into tears after the two of them met again appeared in his mind. Therefore, he didn¡¯t have a rebuttal for once and patted him, promising, ¡°Okay, I just slipped up just now. I won¡¯t mention it again.¡±

 CH 60

    Chapter 60 ¨C Goodbye


    Yun Xie closed his eyes and suppressed the sadness in his heart as he pulled Jiang Xunyi into his embrace. ¡°Be absolutely careful!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan, who was standing on the side, was almost unable to tolerate this anymore, but it was difficult to speak, so he just let out a dry cough.


    Jiang Xunyi shoved at Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder, so he let go reluctantly before fiercely glaring at Zhuo Zhengfan. ¡°Zhuo Zhengfan, did you choke on chicken feathers?¡±


    The difference in treatment was too obvious. Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s heart felt slightly congested, but at least he finally had the chance to intervene. He endured and got back to business. ¡°It¡¯s not like Xunyi is going into a sea of ??swords and fire. You don¡¯t have to be like this; I lived in the sect for ten years, aren¡¯t I still alive?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan paused for a while, and then continued, ¡°But these days, I happened to be sent out to teach the outer disciples. Brother Yun, we will be close.¡±


    Exchanging Jiang Xunyi for Zhuo Zhengfan was an unspeakable loss for Yun Xie. His face darkened, but there was nothing he could do.


    Zhuo Zhengfan was also disgusted. ¡°Yun Xie, don¡¯t forget that I am now your brother. Can you wipe that expression off your face? I would rather look at your hypocritical smile.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°I can¡¯t laugh. Since you¡¯re going to stay in the outer sect, why shouldn¡¯t I also show off my skills, then go in to accompany A¡¯Xun?¡±


    He spoke as if entering the inner door was like a walk around his own garden. Zhuo Zhengfan felt light-headed. ¡°No, there is still a purpose behind keeping you here ¨C I received new information, which I was originally going to tell you this today. It is said that the Flame Gate had recently secretly destroyed some small sects, and they kidnapped all of the high-ranking disciples and brought them to the mountain. It seems that they intend to use them to refine high-level living corpses. When I heard that, I knew they were probably held somewhere near here.¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°You want me to join you to save them together?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t personally have very great ability, not to mention that I have stayed here for so long that my hands are no longer clean. I am afraid that even if I find them successfully, but they will not be willing to follow me. With your title as the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, it will be very different.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Yun Xie will help you here. I¡¯ll enter the inner sect to see what the hell is going on with this Flame Gate.¡± Jiang Xunyi looked at Zhuo Zhengfan and made a decision for them directly. ¡°I suspect that there is something wrong with the buns they give to the outer disciples. This mutation probably happened through the influence of drugs. Song Yu¡¯s surprised expression when he saw the monsters was fake. I observed that all the monsters fell down after he twisted his fingers. The two of you had better not eat.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan smiled. ¡°Relax, if I can survive this long, the experience I gained was definitely not a waste.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi paused again. Song Yu gave him time to allow him to pack things, but Jiang Xunyi had nothing. There was really nothing worth cleaning up, and he could just lift his legs and leave. However, without knowing why, he paused and turned to Yun Xie. ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t get hurt.¡±


    The enthusiasm Yun Xie worked so hard to suppress came back in full force by those few words. After clenching his teeth for a long time, he didn¡¯t reach out to stop him. He smiled and replied. ¡°I understand. A¡¯Xun, don¡¯t go hooking up with anyone behind my back.¡±


    He didn¡¯t realize then that he really had a crow¡¯s mouth[1].


    ¡°Get out of here,¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    He didn¡¯t stay this time, and gave Zhuo Zhengfan a salute before turning and walking away without even turning his head.


    Zhuo Zhengfan glanced at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s disappearing back and then at Yun Yun. He smiled suddenly, shook his head and sighed, ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t expect that you really could bear it even after so many years. Brother Yun, you have always acted decisively, so why is this so painful? In the mind of Xunyi, you have always been his closest brother, and you two share very deep feelings. How could anything destroy your bond? Since this is the case, why not try to confess?¡±


    The corner of Yun Xie¡¯s lips twitched, but his smile did not reach his eyes. ¡°It is exactly because he regards me as a brother.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was stunned, and he quickly looked away.


    As brothers, they could laugh and mess around together, but couldn¡¯t be affectionately intimate[2]. They could fight side by side, but couldn¡¯t stay together forever[3]. With a barrier as high as Heaven, where were true feelings supposed to go?


    The outer disciples were placed at the foot of the mountain, and only the inner disciples could only climb up the mountain. Jiang Xunyi entered the yard and found that everyone here lived in a separate home, with their own nice areas to take meals. It was so different from the bottom of the mountain that it made sense why people would kill for the spot.


    He thought of Yun Xie, who was probably still suffering from the mountain wind and gnawing on the wall at this time. He couldn¡¯t help letting out a gloating smile. However, before the smile had formed, he glanced to the side and saw that the little fellow who led the way did not leave. He immediately coughed, then said lightly, ¡°Yes, you can go.¡±


    The little fellow bowed. ¡°Young master, I was sent to serve you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi listened to his voice and felt that it was familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had heard it.


    ¡°Raise your head.¡±


    He saw the other person¡¯s appearance clearly. ¡°¡­Qi Shijiu?¡± Jiang Xunyi only remembered now. It seemed that he did not actually see him at the foot of the mountain. ¡°How did you end up here as a servant?¡±


    Qi Shijiu swept his eyes over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face and quickly looked away. He bowed his head. ¡°There is a staff shortage, so Senior Brother Song sent me. ¡°


    After speaking, Qi Shijiu weighed this sentence several times in his heart. He seemed to feel that this was not proper, and because he was afraid of Jiang Xunyi misunderstanding, he quickly added, ¡°I came here willingly.¡±


    ¡­ to follow you.


    Jiang Xunyi saw that he looked as if he was about to smash his head into the dirt. He didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for a child, so he casually patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid of me. I don¡¯t need you to wait on me, so you are allowed to do whatever you want.¡±


    After he was done speaking, he took the lead in stepping into the room. Qi Shijiu¡¯s head was still buried, but once he saw the red clothes flash out of his sight, he knew that Jiang Xunyi had left. He stared at his back in a daze for a long time before he touched the place on his shoulder that the other had touched. He quickly followed from afar.


    The inner disciples of the Flame Gate have really set on the path of immortal cultivation and thus needed to practice sword training every day. It was naturally easy for Jiang Xunyi to complete this. However, after a few days, he still did not find any clues. The master of the sect didn¡¯t show up at all, and the affairs of the school were managed only by a few senior disciples. He had no choice but to stay calm.


    The night was quiet.


    The sky was full of stars.


    Jiang Xunyi seemed to be relaxed, but in reality, he was very vigilant in this unfamiliar place. He could not sleep well in bed and went to sleep on the roof every night. This place was well ventilated and had a wide view. Besides the vulnerable state he was in when lying down, he was very satisfied with everything else.


    He rested against his arms for a while, but his mind was full of thoughts and he was sleepless. About two or so days later, he suddenly heard soft footsteps.


    This step was extremely light and was hidden in the faint wind. If someone besides Jiang Xunyi was there, for them, the sound would likely not be audible.


    He sat up, but didn¡¯t go down, instead leaning against the roof, gazing intently into the dark night.


    The footsteps were getting closer, and a young man¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled. This Qi Shijiu followed him wherever he went, but he never approached and only chased after him from afar. Jiang Xunyi had a cold, indifferent disposition, and after he told him to stop twice, he was too lazy to care about him again. He didn¡¯t know what the other¡¯s purpose was, but from what he saw, the child seemed to be truly loyal.


    A woman¡¯s voice replied, ¡°Is Young Master Jiang here?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised an eyebrow, surprised ¨C the person who came was Rou Rou.


    Qi Shijiu was very good-natured. He knew that Jiang Xunyi was in the yard, but he heard no movement. He knew that the other wanted to ignore it. He turned his head and said, ¡°Whether he is here or not, it is not related to you. You should go.¡±


    Rou Rou didn¡¯t speak for a long time. She had taken the chance to secretly sneak out in the early night, so she didn¡¯t dare to shout. The footsteps of leaving didn¡¯t ring out. After a while, Qi Shijiu repeated, ¡°Go quickly.¡±


    Rou Rou didn¡¯t say anything, but something made a humming sound.


    Jiang Xunyi straightened his back.


    The sound was very low and slight, and it sounded like it came from far away and yet seemed in one¡¯s ear. It stopped after just a moment, but he felt that the sound still surrounded him.


    He jumped off the roof, his coat slightly lifting, and he appeared in front of Qi Shijiu and Rou Rou. He whispered, ¡°Shijiu, you go back to sleep.¡±


    Without a dissenting word, Qi Shijiu bowed and backed away silently. He stood at a distance where he would never hear the two talking, but he did not return to the room.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t care. He looked at Rou Rou and asked a seemingly insignificant question. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s your surname?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Zhu,¡± Rou Rou whispered. ¡°Zhu Xu is my brother ¡°


    Zhu Xu, a young hero who came here with Zhuo Zhengfan. Unfortunately, he was kidnapped along the way and turned into a refined corpse. Jiang Xunyi had even mentioned his name not long ago. When he heard this, he could not help but fall silent for a moment.


    He swallowed back the meaningless words of mourning and sighed. ¡°So you pretended to be a peasant girl in order to mix in here. Do you want to avenge your brother? Your¡­ Where did your Marrow-Washing Jade come from? Can you show me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi spread his hands and slightly lowered his head to look at Rou Rou. His sword eyebrows were slightly raised, and there seemed to be a little pity in his eyes. The moonlight hit him softly from one side, turning the face that was always cold a little more gentle.


    His hands were slender and white as jade, but with strength that could not be ignored. Rou Rou only hesitated a little before placing the thing she had been holding in her hand carefully in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm.


    [1] Crow¡¯s mouth means jinxing something


    [2] Literally rubbing ears on temples, used to refer to lovers being intimate and falling in love


    [3] Refers to lovers staying together foreve

 CH 61

    Chapter 61 ¨C Seeking Danger


    The object was small, only a piece of the Marrow-Washing Jade that had peeled off. It was firmly wrapped in a piece of black cloth that let out a faint golden light. Even when Rou Rou knocked on the piece of jade just now, the cloth was still wrapped around.


    Jiang Xunyi knew that the cloth was a piece of the robes worn by the former host of Yan Xiang Temple when he was ascending. The Marrow-Washing Jade was a thing of yin and evil. Without such a restraint, even Rou Rou¡¯s spirit would be swallowed.


    Rou Rou whispered, ¡°Although my brother was an outer disciple, he was able to go up the mountain by chance, risking his life to retrieve a piece of this thing. He was able to send this home after many twists and turns, but he himself never came back.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned slightly and didn¡¯t rush to look at the jade, instead using one hand to reach for a handkerchief. However, just as he was about to pass it over, he realized that Rou Rou did not shed any tears.


    She only raised her head and said very seriously, ¡°I am lowly capable. I will not mess up, and I will not mess with you. After¡­ my brother passed away, I am the only one left for my parents. I don¡¯t want to die, but I want to contribute anything I can. No matter what the result is, it can give his spirit in heaven solace.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi put his palms together and solemnly promised, ¡°Then please, trust me.¡±


    Rou Rou glanced at him deeply. Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°How did you come up? Can you return by yourself?¡±


    Rou Rou replied, ¡°Senior Brother Zhuo asked me to give Senior Brother Song something. I took his token and came up. A girl like me doesn¡¯t attract much attention. By the way, he said to please be careful and proceed cautiously.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi let out an ¡°En¡±. Rou Rou added softly, ¡°This is from Big Brother Yun.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at what passed over and saw that it was Yun Xie¡¯s jade sect master authentication ring. As he took it into his hand, he could not help but chuckle and say, ¡°It¡¯s just him that is troubled. Please tell Yun Xie that everything is fine, and he should worry less and just follow Zhengfan to do things.¡±


    Rou Rou lowered her gaze and nodded. ¡°Then I will go down the mountain.¡± She turned to leave.


    Jiang Xunyi watched her take two steps, then suddenly called out, ¡°Miss Zhu, I heard that Zhu family has a collection of books called ¡°Hundred Lian Manual¡±. It was recorded in the book that the Marrow-Washing Jade can actually be attracted to the **[1] of one¡¯s heart and move, right?¡±


    Rou Rou paused and said calmly, ¡°Although we are currently in a cooperative relationship, my brother was martyred through his sacrifice, and I owe you nothing.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied calmly, ¡°I know, I just wanted to ask. You don¡¯t need to answer.¡±


    Rou Rou stared at him for a moment, but she didn¡¯t say a word. Finally, she turned around and left. Jiang Xunyi smiled and didn¡¯t push her. However, after just two steps, Rou Rou suddenly paused and said, ¡°You are right.¡±


    After saying that, she hurried away without stopping again.


    At this time, the night was desolate, so desolate that one could almost smell the scent of dawn. Jiang Xunyi pressed his hand on the black cloth, hesitated for a few moments, and finally did not uncover the jade. He backhandedly put the Marrow-Washing Jade into his arms and shouted, ¡°Shijiu!¡±


    Qi Shijiu ran over immediately, so fast that it seemed that he had been waiting for Jiang Xunyi¡¯s call with all his concentration. However, when he arrived in front of him, he cowered and stopped three steps away as if he felt that he was too lowly and thus didn¡¯t dare to get closer to the god of his heart.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the stubborn little boy for a moment, then shook his head awkwardly, ¡°If I tell you not to follow me, you still wouldn¡¯t listen, right?¡±


    Qi Shijiu raised his head anxiously to speak when he heard that the other¡¯s tone was off. It was a pity that the person he faced never gave others a voice. Before he opened his mouth, he was chopped on the side of his neck with a palm, and his head dipped down in a daze.


    His last impression was a pair of cold hands supporting him and the indifferent fragrance of pine branches drifting from the bottom of his sleeves.


    Jiang Xunyi put his arms around Qi Shijiu and hauled him back to the room like a chicken. He put him on the bed, thought about it, then tore off a piece of his shirt and tucked it in his arms. This way, even if he didn¡¯t come back, Zhuo Zhengfan would naturally save Qi Shijiu after seeing this piece of clothing.


    Then he hesitated for a moment, then tore off another piece of cloth, bit his finger and wrote a few lines on it. He originally intended to stuff it into Qi Shijiu¡¯s arms, but after pausing for a moment, he took it back and turned around to leave.


    In fact, after meeting Rou Rou, Jiang Xunyi had already quickly made a decision. After arranging everything, he immediately went out, quietly skimming over the roof. At this time, he had changed into the black robe of the inner disciples, which just happening to help him blend into the night without showing a trace.


    Looking down from his high vantage point, it seemed that all the trees and houses had fallen asleep, and it was quiet all around. In the cold late autumn night, every exhale became white mist and floated away.


    Jiang Xunyi stretched out his hand and touched the fragment of the Marrow-Washing Jade in his arms. He used his fingers to twist the covering lightly and a ray of evil energy appeared from the top like a thread. He placed it by his lips and blew lightly, and a straight silver wire appeared in midair, flickering as it extended to the west.


    Just as Jiang Xunyi stretched his waist, the sound of the patrol disciple¡¯s footsteps rang out nearby. He quickly lowered his body and balanced on the ridge of the roof. A layer of cold frost had formed on the roof, and the coldness seemed to be soaking into his bones through his skin. He was listening attentively to the other person¡¯s walking route, but suddenly he fell into a daze, as he felt that the energy value of the system had depleted a bit.


    Undoubtedly, this must be because of something Yun Xie did. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but smile as he thought of it. After a while, when it was quiet, he jumped up suddenly and moved towards the west like light smoke.


    There were dangers everywhere here, and it was impossible to discern whether there were any high-level masters around, so Jiang Xunyi did not dare to use his spiritual power. He was entirely dependent on qing gong[2]. When he reached the end of the silver line, he waved his sleeves and dissipated the evil energy. He used both hands to support himself on the roof then threw himself forward, grabbing the eaves of a room before letting his body drop. His figure swayed slightly, and then his whole body had slipped silently into the side corridor.


    This move was beautiful, but when he walked here, Jiang Xunyi could clearly feel the cold and evil air. It seemed that the temperature in this place was much lower than in other areas, and his chest was wet with dew. A thin layer of frost has formed on his clothes, causing it to stick to his body, making it very uncomfortable.


    He slowed down and walked across the corridor with his hands clasped behind his back and the black corners of his clothing floating in the air. His footsteps were so light that no sound was heard. After walking for a few steps, he suddenly stood still, opened the window of a side room and jumped in.


    When Jiang Xunyi entered the room, the Marrow-Washing Jade made a teeth-rattling ¡°Creak¡± in his arms. Jiang Xunyi bit his finger and made a dot on the fabric wrapped around, then whispered, ¡°Seal!¡±


    The noise gradually disappeared, but the uneasiness in the air became more and more intense.


    With the little moonlight coming from outside the window, Jiang Xunyi quickly turned around to observe the small room, only to feel that everything was normal. He pondered for a moment, and suddenly he had an idea. His fingers tapped on the wall and the floor.


    Everything was solid.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brow furrowed, and he glanced at the sky outside. Even though he was always calm, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little impatient. As he was thinking of a solution, there was suddenly a muffled noise from his sleeve.


    It felt like the sudden vibration of a phone during the college entrance examination. Although it was not sharp, it could be heard clearly in the silence. Jiang Xunyi was so scared that a cold sweat almost broke out, and he quickly reacted, holding down his wide sleeve. A bit of a sword¡¯s hilt was exposed ¨C what made the noise was the Extinguished Flower sword he held there.


    This was the sound of recognition made between swords of the same sect. Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi moved quickly and didn¡¯t let this sound alarm anyone. However, his eyes lit up. He spun around abruptly and slammed his head against the screen behind him.


    His body penetrated the screen without any hindrance, and in a blink of an eye, he had appeared in another space ¨C there was actually an extremely well-hidden barrier.


    After passing the enchantment, he saw a long corridor in front of him. A faint light came from the end of the corridor, and a person was shouting, ¡°You bastards without any conscience! Don¡¯t think that this will make the little master afraid. I tell you, if you have the ability, don¡¯t let me get out alive, or else I will let my little uncle know and you will be annihilated again and again in a blink of an eye!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi heard this stupid scolding style, and even though he was in a dangerous place, he couldn¡¯t help but facepalm. He couldn¡¯t bear to look ¨C this voice belonged to his Martial Nephew Yu Hong.


    He knew the nature of this kid too well; he could still swear in full force here. It must be that there was nothing life-threatening for the time being, and he will simply ignore him for now, instead standing outside and carefully looking at the surrounding environment.


    He wanted to be cautious, but the conditions did not allow it, as the system that hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time appeared again:


    ¡¾Urgent mission: rescue Yu Hong and ensure that he is out of danger.¡¿


    This is the first time that the system has added the word ¡°urgent¡± in front of the task. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but freeze. It was his martial nephew, so even without the system¡¯s reminder, he would¡¯ve saved him. However, the main problem now was how to save him. There were dangers everywhere, so he couldn¡¯t just rush in and kill people recklessly. He was neither the Hulk nor the boss of the Axe Gang[2].


    ¡°I understand, wait a minute, I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    The system alarm suddenly sharpened:


    ¡¾Warning! Warning! Asking the host to perform the urgent mission immediately!¡¿


    Was this not persuasive enough.


    Before Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words were finished, he staggered as if he was pushed hard by someone and fell straight through the door where Yu Hong¡¯s voice came from. The noisy surroundings fell silent and gazes came from all over like a searchlight.


    What the hell, this was cheating!


    Unfortunately, Jiang Xunyi was cheated and almost slammed into the ground with his head. Even as he almost fell, his mind was racing ¨C the system was so anxious likely because energy has been lost in the past few days. The ambiguous task of¡¾finding out the truth¡¿had been delayed, and thus energy was no longer available. The system had to rely on this so-called ¡°emergency task¡± to regain energy.


    As thoughts ran through his mind, several violent shouts were heard next to him.


    ¡°Where did he come from?!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hurry up, grab him!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stepped sideways to avoid the swords, turning over and leaping over several people¡¯s heads to land near Yu Hong.


    [1] ** ¨C As always the author censors bad words so just think of what fits


    [2] Ýp¹¦ ¨C Basically Chinese martial art parkou

 CH 62

    Chapter 62 ¨C Lovesickness


    Yu Hong was stunned. ¡°Martial¡­¡±


    He reacted quickly, noticing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s black clothes as soon as he uttered the word, and he quickly turned to shout, ¡°Who are you? You are so brave: you can even bother this young master as he gets comfortably interrogated? Get out of here!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was almost crying from his stupidity. He raised his hand and slapped Yu Hong¡¯s head and said coldly, ¡°After a scholar has been away for 3 days, you must look at him with new eyes[1]. Amazing. You now dare to tell your martial uncle to get out?¡±


    Yu Hong was dazed from the beating. Jiang Xunyi knelt and dodged the knife flying over from behind and kicked it back without looking at it. He only heard a bang, followed by multiple screams, but he still didn¡¯t look back. He looked down at the chain tied to Yu Hong¡¯s body and sneered. ¡°How capable.¡±


    It was unclear whether his sneer was directed at Yu Hong for being stupid or the Flame Gate for being audacious. He raised his right palm and slashed down like a knife. The chain was immediately broken. With his left hand, Jiang Xunyi pinched Yu Hong¡¯s neck and lifted him up. With his right hand, he swept his sleeves and knocked over an entire group of people. He loudly shouted over the deafening sound of the spiritual attack, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    Yu Hong shot upright as if it was a conditioned reflex and said loudly, ¡°No, I can fight!¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go on!¡±


    He spread his right hand, and the Extinguished Flower sword unsheathed sharply, sweeping toward the enemy in front of him fiercely, appearing as a ray of light in the air, before turning thousands of times, sprinkling red flowers of blood all over the area in a blink of an eye. The move really showed what it meant to ¡°kill a bloody road.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi attacked without mercy. After he came up, he started fighting without saying a word. The disciples of the Flame Gate lived in seclusion for many years, and it had been a long time since they have seen such a cruel figure.


    A man who was relatively injured less with a bruised nose and swollen face struggled to get up from the ground. He shouted, ¡°Who are you? Report your name!¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi.¡± Jiang Xunyi took out the sword again and said lightly, ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s useless even if you know my name.¡±


    His sword light flashed over, and the man fell to the ground.


    Yu Hong had picked his saber up from the ground and was following from behind, but he didn¡¯t have a chance to make a move. He only had time to wipe the blood off of his face and merely watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s brutal beating with a stunned look, understanding that his martial uncle had the spirit to do big things today. He had already received the news that Jiang Xunyi had not really died, but he didn¡¯t quite understand the ins and outs of the matter. But now, he almost felt that he had been possessed by something. He pulled on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sleeves and stammered, ¡°M-martial uncle¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you¡­?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied with a calm face, ¡± Itchy hands.¡±


    Yu Hong was about to speak, when suddenly, his expression morphed to shock. He took two steps forward and stood beside Jiang Xunyi with his sword drawn, staring at the door warily.


    Jiang Xunyi had also sensed a powerful and evil spiritual energy, sending an incomparable sense of oppression from the door to the two inside the house. The Extinguished Flower Sword seemed to feel the danger and began to tremble slightly, glowing with lavender light.


    The system was really cheating. By how it pushed him into the scene, the one coming must be the boss of this level. He should have strictly arranged the strategy and tactics, but he was kicked out before he had gained enough experience. This is a losing rhythm.


    Jiang Xunyi hit the blade of his sword, and the glow and buzzing noise were immediately suppressed by him. His eyes were fixed on the door, and he spread out a hand to block Yu Hong¡¯s chest, pushing him behind him. He spoke firmly, ¡°I don¡¯t care how you showed up here. If we get into a fight later, don¡¯t come up and help. If you have the opportunity to run down the mountain, you must first ensure your safety. Did you hear me? If you don¡¯t even run away, you can just stop being a disciple of the Hidden Spirit Sect. Just find a mountain valley and bury yourself there!¡±


    The window lattices on all four walls made a horrifying creak before they shattered. Yu Hong was both stunned and anxious, and he said hurriedly, ¡°Martial Uncle, then what will you do?¡±


    The pressure was getting stronger and stronger, but the figure still had not appeared even after long. Jiang Xunyi already had to pull Extinguished Flower out of her sheath to fight the pressure with his sword-qi, his wrists trembling slightly. His tone was also hurried. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. You¡¯re jusy a kid; who cares about what I do? I tell you, your Master Yun is at the foot of the mountain now, just care about going to him. Give this to him, do you hear me?¡±


    Actually, Yu Hong was not much younger than Jiang Xunyi, but he was part of a different generation from him. Ever since he was a child, he had gotten used to listening to his teachings. He also knew that he wouldn¡¯t be of any help here, so he gritted his teeth and clenched the piece of cloth Jiang Xunyi handed over tightly as he responded, ¡°Yes!¡±


    At the same time as this answer, the purple barrier coming from his Extinguished Flower sword exploded, unable to withstand the opposing force of the two sides. Jiang Xunyi leapt back from the aftermath of the burst, then, while in the air, sent Yu Hong¡¯s body away. He said in a low voice, ¡°Hurry and go.¡±


    Yu Hong was thrown out without gentleness, and he rolled on the spot before standing up, dizzy. As he heard the sound of swords clashing behind him, he remembered Jiang Xunyi¡¯s instructions. Fearing that he would not be able to move when he turned his head, he gritted his teeth and rushed down the mountain.


    After Jiang Xunyi said those three words to Yu Hong, his internal breath diverged, and his chest immediately surged with blood. A mouthful of blood almost spurted out, but he was afraid that Yu Hong would not leave, so he swallowed it again. This was the first time in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s life that he encountered such an opponent who could force him to be like this without even showing his face.


    After the aftershocks from the bursting barrier dissipated, a figure appeared in front of him. However, his face and body were hidden in a black mist, and it was difficult to see clearly. Even the sword of the opponent seemed to be just a foggy shadow, vaguely taking the shape of a narrow knife. It didn¡¯t look amazing, but with an unusually strong force, it struck down towards his head.


    If it had been before, Jiang Xunyi would not hesitate to raise his sword to meet him, but things were different now. Even if Du Heng¡¯s body was full of spiritual power, his arm strength could not keep up, so he dare not to counter the attack.


    Pushing hard on the ground with his right leg, his entire body slid out of the gap between the sword and the shadow with his back facing upward.


    However, he didn¡¯t just dodge. The moment he passed by, Jiang Xunyi flicked his finger. The strength of his finger was far worse than the force of the opponent¡¯s move just now, but the position was just right, like a drop of thick ink splashing into the water, releasing the force on the knife in an instant.


    The opponent seemed a little surprised, and the sword¡¯s momentum slowed slightly. Jiang Xunyi took this opportunity to attack immediately. The gleaming edge of the sword had a sharp chill, emanating a glow. It carried an unwavering strength, which rushed down.


    However, after using such exquisite swordsmanship, the color of surprise in the other¡¯s eyes only grew stronger and stronger. Suddenly, the opponent swept across and slashed towards his calf. Jiang Xunyi jumped up and simply stepped on the blade with his toes fiercely, spinning in the air. His sword energy carried the firelight and shot towards the opponent¡¯s neck straight.


    Unexpectedly, the man¡¯s sword didn¡¯t have time to block it, and instead, his hand turned around and directly grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s blade. A ¡°clang¡± sound like steel rang out, and the long sword in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand flew out. The skin between his thumb and index finger cracked, and blood flowed down his fingers.


    He strained quickly and immediately slammed a punch, stricking the opposite door.


    However, as soon as this trick was used, he whispered ¡°not good¡± in his heart!


    In the dim light, he could only faintly see a mirror-like thing swaying in the palm of the man. The saber that Jiang Xunyi had thrown aside, for reasons unknown, flew up and cut his own chest.


    The severe pain almost swallowed his mind. At the last moment before his consciousness disappeared, he vaguely saw a face he had seen before. The three-character name turned in his mouth, but he could no longer spit it out.


    On the other side, on the days Jiang Xunyi went up the mountain, the other outer disciples were having a good time.


    Zhuo Zhengfan had a mild temperament, and he didn¡¯t make things difficult for people very often. In addition, most of the people here were of low birth and didn¡¯t have the stinky young master values of Jiang Xunyi, and thus did not have high requirements for the quality of life. Although the food and housing weren¡¯t good, they couldn¡¯t be worse than their homes, so they were calm.


    The only restless person was Yun Xie himself.


    ¡°You say, before we came, didn¡¯t the Taoist say they would teach us to cultivate immortality? He even added that immortals can live forever, so how come even after these many days, no one is here to teach us cultivation, ah?¡±


    After the two people ate their meal, they leaned against a big rock and soaked in the sun. One of the dark-skinned teenagers used a straw stick to pick his teeth as he elbowed his companion.


    ¡°Aiya, how would I know? Just be content; this kind of life is good. I heard that the disciples in the past had to do work every day and got beaten up. That is to say, Senior Brother Zhuo who came to take care of us this time has a good heart. We two can secretly slack off.¡±


    At first, the man was not convinced. ¡°I know that Senior Brother Zhuo is good. I¡¯m just angry. We are all just starting out, so why does that malignant star get to do whatever he wants? Everyday, he doesn¡¯t eat with us or sleep with us, whatever. But it seems that even Senior Brother Zhuo doesn¡¯t pay much attention to it. What is up with him!¡±


    His companion smiled slyly and said in a low voice, ¡°Look at his appearance, can he be on the same level as us? The one with the surname Jiang who came with him before looked better than a woman, with a small waist and a small white face. He just arrived and entered the inner sect. If I had to say¡­¡±


    ¡°If you had to say what? Talk louder, I want to hear, too.¡±


    The two people had been talking warmly when suddenly there was a very nice voice behind them. Both of them felt a chill behind their backs. When they turned their heads, they saw the one they called ¡°malignant star¡± standing with a smile and crossed arms. His face was so beautiful he did not look like a mortal, but in their eyes, it was like seeing a monster.


    The dark-skinned teenager who spoke at the beginning jumped up and stammered, ¡°H-Hello, Senior Brother Yun.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled kindly and sat down beside the two of them. Suddenly frightened, they rolled and climbed back several steps.


    Yun Xie picked up a stone from the ground and threw it up and down twice. As if he was just playing, he crushed it into powder. ¡°Hey, why are the two brothers running? How good the sun is here, let¡¯s talk about the sky! What were you talking about so happily just now, why don¡¯t you add me?¡±


    The dark-skinned boy¡¯s companion looked sullen. ¡°Brother Yun, we were wrong.¡±


    Yun Xie said unhappily, ¡°You are not right: We are all in the same sect, and yet you still disagree with me like this! Come and sit together, don¡¯t be afraid of me!¡±


    The two teenagers were almost scared to tears by him. At this moment, their savior Zhuo Zhengfan came over from behind and said with a calm face, ¡°Did you come here to chat and chew on your tongue? How decent! Go and fill all the water tanks in the yard. If you can¡¯t finish, you are not allowed to sleep!¡±


    Of course, the ancestor Yun Xie was not included in this ¡°you¡±. Yun Xie stood up with a smile, and the two teenagers had already run away until there wasn¡¯t a trace of them.


    Yun Xie said, ¡°Zhuo Zhengfan, I finally wanted to chat with people for a while, but I was disturbed by you again. You are really boring.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan has long since lost the freshness of reuniting with him after a long time. He found that this man has not changed his personality even after many years, and he could still make people angry enough to stamp their feet. ¡°Yun Xie, is this chatting? If I didn¡¯t punish them today, I¡¯m worried that you will eat them alive. Didn¡¯t they just gossip about Xunyi behind your back? Is this necessary?¡±


    Yun Xie said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s boring to stay with you, Zhuo Zhengfan. I tell you, if your side is not ready within three days, that¡¯s it. I don¡¯t care even if the sky falls, I¡¯ll go up the mountain to find A¡¯Xun.¡±


    This difference in treatment shouldn¡¯t be this obvious. Even knowing that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s status is unmatched in Yun Xie¡¯s mind, Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s heart still felt inevitably choked. ¡°You put too much emphasis on sex¡­ No, that isn¡¯t right, it should be friends before friends[2]? Pei, what I said is¡­¡±


    He was unable to complain, so he could only change the subject in an annoyed way. ¡°I have already arranged the route and guards. We can act in two days. I say, what are you worrying about? You know better than me about Xunyi¡¯s ability. You should worry about the people of the Flame Gate. He has always acted cautiously, nothing can go wrong.¡±


    Yun Xie listened calmly, and slapped his hand on the big tree beside him. ¡°I hope so.¡±


    To the shock of Zhuo Zhengfan, the big tree crashed to the ground.


    Yun Xie clapped his hands, and the feeling of depression in his heart from his inexplicable worries was lifted a lot. ¡°Zhengfan, sorry, I have been a little irritable lately.¡±


    People suffering from unrequited love were too terrible. Zhuo Zhengfan dare not provoke him again and waved his hands again and again. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡­¡±


    Yun Xie closed his eyes, took a deep breath, showed a smile, and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan ran away without looking back.


    [1] Ê¿„eÈýÈÕ®”¹ÎÄ¿Ïà¿´ ¨C a saying that means someone can change a lot in just 3 days.


    [2] ÖØÉ«ÇáÓÑ is the original and it basically means hoes over bros. But Zhengfan switched it to ÖØÓÑÇáÓÑ which is bros over bros since Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi are just bros right now. Poor Yun Xie haha

 CH 63

    Chapter 63 ¨C The True Assist is Here (1)


    The blood finally stopped, but a biting red stain was left on the front of his white shirt.


    He thought about how Jiang Xunyi should be in a lot of pain, but as he lied there, his nearly bloodless thin lips seemed to be pursed in a shallow smile. His eyes and eyebrows were pitch-black and striking, and he looked like a beauty with heavy makeup on.


    However, a teardrop suddenly flowed down the corner of his narrow eyes and sank into the hair that looked like crow feathers.


    He stared as if he was bewitched and finally couldn¡¯t help but lower his head to kiss him¡­


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Amidst the confusion of his few sober moments, the only real thing that could be felt was the pain in the chest. The pain was like a steel knife scraping his bones, and it penetrated into his internal organs. It could almost drive a man insane.


    However, he seemed to smell a kind of gardenia¡¯s fragrance in this endless pain.


    Jiang Xunyi felt like he was slowly laughing. ¡°Dad, mom, big brother¡­I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    There was a gardenia tree in the courtyard of his villa. Every summer, the courtyard was full of this plain and long-lasting fragrance. In a moment of delirium, Jiang Xunyi seemed to feel as if he could touch the soft white petals, but in a blink of an eye, everything was gone.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind was muddled, and muttered to himself, ¡°Today is the day I was discharged from the hospital. If you don¡¯t go to the hospital to pick me up, I will come back by myself. Dad, you must have been dilly-dallying, making everyone late. Did mom scold you? Brother, I can play basketball with you now, so why don¡¯t we two brothers compete with each other¡­¡±


    The image before his eyes was clear, and it was hard to tell whether it was a dream or not. Where does the dream of the night go if not home[1]?


    Finally, the unanswered whispers gradually stopped, and he fell into the deep darkness again.


    He didn¡¯t know how much more time passed, but in his daze, Jiang Xunyi felt his face itch. He instinctively stretched out his hand to block, but he only felt warm skin.


    The shadow cast by Wanderer Zihui on him was so deep that before Jiang Xunyi was even fully awake, the appearance of a naked woman appeared in his mind.


    Thinking of this, he immediately turned over and sat up, pushing the person who was half pressed against him aside. However, he didn¡¯t expect his body to be so weak, and with just this move, he almost toppled off the bed. He was picked up by the person, who half hugged him and laid him down on the bed again.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injury was severe, and pain cleared his mind. Recalling what happened before, he knew that struggling was useless, and he simply didn¡¯t move. His eyes flashed, and he spoke word by word: ¡°Chen Yuanxin.¡±


    He revealed a pair of extremely beautiful eyes. The corners of the eyes were slightly pointed, a very contrasting black and white. The drifting fabric beside him carried the color of fire, making his eyes appear even more radiant. It seemed that even his long eyelashes were coated with a layer of gold. But at this moment, his thin face full of anger, his eyes seemed sharp, brilliant as a sword.


    Following his illness, his skin was pale, and his appearance was increasingly handsome. It was impossible to find the slightest flaw, and even straight people couldn¡¯t help but want to possess him. He was extraordinary, and yet it was impossible to possess his arrogant body. They could only endure the pain in their chests and unwaveringly live on.


    Chen Yuanxin¡¯s finger turned white, and he finally put Jiang Xunyi back on the bed, smiling with restraint. ¡°Someone like Young Master Jiang can still remember Yuanxin. I am really flattered.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face didn¡¯t expose the fragility and helplessness he had in his dream at all. He just coughed twice and reached out to cover his chest ¨C blood was already faintly showing there. He was unable to speak for a while, but he let out a simultaneous cough and a laugh. With his other hand supporting himself on the bed, he was able to determinedly sit up slightly straighter.


    Seeing him swaying, Chen Yuanxin hurriedly reached out to support him. He touched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest injury with one hand and sighed slightly. ¡°Can you be careful with your body? Young Master Jiang, when you don¡¯t cherish yourself like this, I have no need to pity you. If you really can¡¯t be free, why don¡¯t you let me top you here, and I can solve the pain of lovesickness.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was stunned for a moment before he realized what he meant. He came from a modern world, so naturally, he had heard that there could be feelings between two men. However, he had only ever taken it as a story and had never connected it to himself. At this time, he could not fully understand Chen Yuanxin¡¯s words.


    However, his current situation did not allow him to think too much. Jiang Xunyi quickly grabbed his opponent¡¯s wrist and forcibly stopped his actions. He laughed as he said, ¡°We¡¯ve been enemies for so long; I didn¡¯t even know that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was into something like this! What¡¯s the matter, are you tired of playing with the Demon Race, and thus came to me to become a concubine?¡±


    When the words ¡°Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡± were spoken, Chen Yuanxin¡¯s movements suddenly stopped. However, after a moment of surprise, his heart suddenly heated up ¨C what he wanted was exactly such a person. He was free with both his words and actions, and even if he was at a disadvantage, he left the impression that he should never be looked down upon.


    ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hair crown[2] had fallen off, and he leaned against the head of the bed in only his white inner robe. He seemed even thinner and his image was disorderly, but his imposing manner remained undiminished. Seeing that the other had been stirred up, he became more relaxed. ¡°Your Excellency looks surprised; aren¡¯t you looking down on my ability? In fact, when I used my soul fire[3] to smelt Chen Yuanxin¡¯s sword, I could feel that although the sword belonged to ¡®Chen Yuanxin¡¯, there was an almost indecipherable connection to you. However, I didn¡¯t want to incur more problems at that time, so I didn¡¯t expose it. Up to this point, there have been traces of demons behind all the incidents. If I were not able to guess that the culprit was you, then I am living in vain.¡±


    He briefly paused, looked at the other party for a moment, then said, ¡°Xuan Li, I see you¡¯re not taking things by force but instead disguising yourself. Hey, what¡¯s the matter? After being beaten by me several times, do you not dare to show your true colors? You are a very talented person, and your wretched appearance was so accurate that even the fox Yun Xie has been blinded.¡±


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi is really Jiang Xunyi. Even here, he is still aggressive.¡± Demon Sovereign Xuan Li sighed with a smile, then stretched out his hand to remove his disguise, revealing a face with a distinct outline, just like Jiang Xunyi had guessed. Not only was his disguise on his face, even his neck was covered with a layer of fake skin. When he tore it off, he suddenly revealed a circle of stitches on his neck.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze swept across the sight calmly, almost seeming like he hadn¡¯t paused at all, but something finally became clear in his heart.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li didn¡¯t see his shock, instead even feeling that the other was bored. He threw away the mask offhandedly and took a bottle of ointment from the bedside. He roughly forced his way over and stretched out his hand to tear off the front of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s clothes, revealing the wound on his chest.


    It took all of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s energy for him to maintain his calm look and speak, so he was no longer able to block Xuan Li¡¯s movements. He simply endured as the other put the unknown ointment on his wound. He raised his chin slightly and said, ¡°I thought you were an unrestrained homosexual, but seeing you act so gently and considerately, Xunyi feels that he had misunderstood. Miss Xuanli, you are so unrestrained; are you not afraid that your reputation will be ruined if you spend time with someone who was once labelled as a rapist?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had lived for so many years, and yet he had never heard someone talk to him like this. He froze for a moment before realizing that Jiang Xunyi was calling him a sissy. His hand didn¡¯t stop applying the medicine, but he couldn¡¯t help but laugh again.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was full of scorn. ¡°Don¡¯t smile. When you smile, your mouth and eyes get slanted. It¡¯s too shabby.¡±


    Xuan Li¡¯s smile froze.


    Jiang Xunyi casually added, ¡°Did you kill all the tailors with good craftsmanship back then? The craftsmanship of those remaining is not very good. I suspect he forgot to sew your brains.¡±


    After he said this sentence, there was a sudden pain in his chest as Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s fingers plunged into his wound. The flesh that had grown a little bit was suddenly torn, and blood gushed out.


    The demon race¡¯s wound medicine was already potent, and with this move, the pain inflicted felt like no less than a thousand swords. However, Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t show weakness and only smiled. ¡°Finally done with acting? Xuan Li, we are enemies. For you to fake this image, even if you don¡¯t feel tired, it still makes my teeth sore. This is much better.¡±


    He looked like he was really not affected by the pain. If it weren¡¯t for the cold sweat covering his forehead and the paleness of his face, Xuan Li would have believed that he had attacked too lightly.


    He slowly raised his hand, fingertips covered with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s blood. ¡°Master Jiang, you are truly smart, but why don¡¯t you understand that the more you know, the faster you will die?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered, but Xuan Li suddenly leaned down, pinched his chin firmly, and wiped the blood on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips with his other hand.


    Jiang Xunyi was mysophobic, and he couldn¡¯t stand even his own blood. Caught off guard, he said angrily, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±


    His pale lips were stained bright red, and he became even more beautiful. With his sword eyebrows and phoenix eyes, jade face and vermilion lips, all combined with his angery expression, his appearance had an unparalleled scorching effect. Xuan Li¡¯s breathing increased, and suddenly he lowered his head and kissed him.


    Jiang Xunyi almost exploded.


    As a neat freak who was reluctant to even make physical contact with strangers, in this moment, he could not consider any humiliation or integrity issues at all. He just felt that this was too disgusting!


    Xuan Li pressed down on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders, licked the blood from his lips, and stroked Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lower abdomen with his other hand. With a strength that even he himself didn¡¯t know the origin of, Jiang Xunyi slammed his knee up. As Xuan Li was dodging, he quickly broke free, his five fingers darting towards the opponent¡¯s throat. This move was accurate and fierce, and if the other was not careful, five holes would be inserted in his neck. It was a move that carried killing intent.


    Xuan Li finally completely tore off his warm mask and smiled coldly. ¡°Good! You never had to hesitate to kill me.¡±


    At the same time, he stretched out his right hand and grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s didn¡¯t panic; he immediately shot his hand out towards the other¡¯s temple.


    Xuan Li didn¡¯t expect that he still had such a skill even with his severe injury. This time, he was really taken aback. He was barely able to lean back and avoid the move before it killed him. There was a ¡®click¡¯, and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist bone was crushed to pieces in his hand.


    Xuan Li said coldly, ¡°I originally wanted to treat you well, but you asked for it!¡±


    He reached out and grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist, pressing it down again. In the confusion, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his hands immediately loosened its grasp. At the same time, Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, and he spouted a mouthful of blood, splashing Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s face.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li originally didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but this person had been too irritating, and he couldn¡¯t control himself for a while. At this time, he was shocked at just how pale Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face was, and he subconsciously raised his hands to support him. However, just has his hands began to rise, his chest felt choked.


    A faint redness flashed across his face, and after a while, a silver needle was forced out of his chest. As soon as the needle touched the air, it changed into a cloud of smoke and dispersed.


    Through this, Xuan Li also calmed down a bit. Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s appearance, he felt both pity and anger in his heart and said coldly, ¡°After suffering such a serious injury, you still dare to condense your spiritual power to make a needle. It seems you really don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled instead. ¡°Xuan Li, so you know now? It is not that easy to climb into my bed. I¡¯ve always liked smart and gentle people. You have a wild temperament and it doesn¡¯t suit me, so you had better just leave.¡±


    Xuan Li was so angry that his teeth hurt, but he couldn¡¯t bear to kill Jiang Xunyi. The other wasn¡¯t scared of a beating and it was impossible to argue with him. He felt like his heart was suffocating and didn¡¯t say anything for a long time. He spun around and kicked the stool beside the bed before shouting, ¡°Servants! Where did everyone go? Where is Deng Xing? Make him come here quickly!¡±


    [1] Ò»Ò¹‰ô»êºÎÌŽ£¬ÄǻؗîÈ~˜ÇÖÐ ¨C from Yan Jidao¡¯s¡¶Çåƽ˜·¡·. Also I wanted to let you guys know I am very terrible at translating ancient Chinese poetry, so I just did my best with what I felt like it meant.


    [2] This is a hair crown


    Chapter 63 ¨C The True Assist is Here (2)


    The maid at the door trembled with fear and quickly scurried away to find the person. Demon Sovereign Xuan Li flicked his sleeves and walked outside. Suddenly, Jiang Xunyi said coldly, ¡°Xuan Li.¡±


    He stopped, and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice continued from behind him. ¡°Were you the one behind the Feng Qiu situation?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li stiffened for a moment before he sneered. ¡°Asking me? Hmph, people like you who are cold-hearted and don¡¯t know how to love don¡¯t know many things.¡±


    The hurrying Deng Xing almost ran into the angrily leaving Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. When he entered the room, his face filled with shock at the sight of the sick youth leaning on the headboard of the bed. ¡°Aiyo, you¡¯re so tiny, and yet you can make the demon sovereign who conceals his emotions this angry. You sure are talented. How are you more bloody than a murder victim after you two went to bed together?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi ignored him and lazily raised his broken hand. He got up, raised his chin and motioned for the other party to deal with it.


    Deng Xing originally saw his handsome appearance and assumed he was Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s new male pet from who-knows-where. However, he now saw that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injury was not the same as the ¡°injury¡± he imagined. He was confronted by a stranger in a humiliating situation, but he was not angry, nor did he flinch at all. Instead, he was calm, as if the blood on his body had only been accidentally thrown up.


    Deng Xing couldn¡¯t help but show some interest in him, and while trying to connect the bones in his wrist for him, he said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell, but you are a man. However, I advise you to be smarter, otherwise you will be behind when you endure hardship. No one can run away from the demon sovereign once he wants them.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression was indifferent. Deng Xing talked for a long time but still couldn¡¯t get a response. He almost thought that this person was mute when he suddenly moved his head over and mindlessly said, ¡°You do a good job of connecting bones.¡±


    His voice suddenly sounded out, startling Deng Xing. His hand shook, and he almost misplaced Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wrist bone. ¡°Aiyo, you are going to scare me to death. These are your bones; if anyone gets hurt, it would be you, so be careful! Be careful, or else I will just leave you here.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled unclearly. He had a great smile: there was a small dimple on his cheek, and even Deng Xing couldn¡¯t bear to say anything. However, who knew that he wasn¡¯t done speaking. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. If you dare, I¡¯ll kill you. ¡°


    Deng Xing was taken aback by his gloomy tone, then he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Young man, do you have a wound on your head? You¡¯re just skin and tender flesh. I¡¯m afraid that if I give you a sword, you won¡¯t even be able to hold it, can you? Hahaha¡­¡±


    The laughter stopped abruptly. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand was already clasped to the opponent¡¯s throat, and he said lightly, ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? Then why don¡¯t you feel it? ¡°


    Although Deng Xing was not expecting this, people who have been with the demons for a long time knew not react too slowly. However, even if he instantly used three or four moves to block and avoid the attack, it was as if he could not affect Jiang Xunyi at all. That white, jade-like hand had already landed on the most vulnerable part of his body without any hindrance.


    In that moment, he felt real killing intent and a desire for blood, a feeling that didn¡¯t seem to be able to come from such a person and yet was natural


    The wound medicine Xuan Li applied to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s wound contained spiritual energy-suppressing ingredients. Fortunately, the two people had struggled for a long time, and the effect of the medicine had worn off enough for him to make a bluff to frighten Deng Xing. Deng Xing only felt that the strength of the hand on his throat was getting stronger and stronger, and finally, he couldn¡¯t help but scream dumbly, ¡°Quick, stop! Cough¡­ Are you crazy? If you kill me¡­ Cough Cough cough, you too¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said coolly, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I will lose my life if you die. You earned it.¡±


    Deng Xing¡¯s face turned purple, and he burst into tears. ¡°What do you want?!¡±


    If what he had transmigrated into was a comic book, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire upper face would be covered in shadows at this time in a sinister way. He kept the tone of an old grandmother telling ghost stories to her little grandson as he asked Deng Xing, ¡°Do you know what my name is?¡±


    Deng Xing could hardly speak. ¡°You¡¯re called grandfather! You¡¯re called king! You are my ancestor! Good guy, forgive me! Please let me go!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said briefly, ¡°My name is Jiang Xunyi.¡±


    Once these three words entered his ears, Deng Xing opened his mouth suddenly. He almost forgot about life and death as his eyes almost popped out of his eyes ¡ª the man Demon Sovereign Xuan Li caught turned out to be him! He want to sleep with this malignant star? Gosh!


    Jiang Xunyi looked at his expression and said leisurely, ¡°You actually know me. How about this, have you read the ¡¶Corpse Scripture¡·? Has the section compiled by Xunyi been seen by the eyes of a master evil doctor? I heard that you are not only good at medical skills, but also all kinds of evil formations. Tsk tsk, you really cannot judge by appearance.¡±


    Deng Xing whispered, ¡°You actually know me? How did you know?!¡±


    A thin layer of cold sweat covered Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead. He tried his best to force his arm not to tremble and quickly shouted, ¡°I am asking the questions right now! Deng Xing, did you open the thirteenth orifice in those bodies? What¡¯s with burying a dead body in a wooden box?!¡±


    Deng Xing looked at him as if he had seen a ghost, shocked. His name was quite famous a few decades ago, but he was famous for fearing both death and enemies seeking revenge. He had already not appeared in public for a long time. It turned out that he had taken refuge with the demons. When he was summoned today, he just thought that he was only going to take a look at a male pet¡¯s injury, and he even felt that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was making a fuss over something small. He didn¡¯t expect to meet this malignant star, nor did he expect to be recognized through his unique bone-fixing technique. He was truly unlucky.


    He was too familiar with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s name. He knew of both members of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage. Although they are of decent origins and were as beautiful as Pan An[1], they behaved ruthlessly and absolutely did not joke around. When he was exposed, he suddenly lost the confidence to deny anything. He murmured to himself for a moment and uncertainly said, ¡°L-let go of me first.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was indifferently. ¡°Just speak.¡±


    Deng Xing didn¡¯t dare to bargain anymore, so he had no choice but to speak with a bitter face.. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. Don¡¯t kill me after I say ¨C Young Master Jiang, you are a learned man; the ¡¶Corpse Scripture¡·is very well compiled, especially the ¡°Qi Aperture Theory¡±. After reading that chapter, I was greatly inspired. At that time, a new batch of corpses was discovered here. All of them were buried in the ground by volcanic ash and suffocated to death. Not only were the corpses perfectly preserved, the spirit and remaining energy have not yet dissipated. Such corpses are too rare. I wondered if all of these people could be immortal as long as they could use their thirteenth-qi orifice¡­ ¡­¡±


    The corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips rose slightly, and he raised his brows with a sneer and smile. ¡°Then what¡¯s up with the stitches on their bodies?¡±


    You even know this?! Deng Xing completely dispelled the idea of ??fooling him and replied obediently, ¡°Later, the Demon Sovereign resurrected. Everything was ready, but his body was destroyed by some bastard¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Yeah, I know this. It was Yun Xie that chopped him into pieces.¡±


    Deng Xing: ¡°¡­¡±


    He has been with the demon race for so long that he had already regarded himself as one of them. It is normal to add curses when mentioning those who opposed Xuan Li, but he did not expect that he had hit the gun[2] ¨C who didn¡¯t know that the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage always advanced and retreated together with a relationship that has been good since they were children. He had cursed Yun Xie in front of Jiang Xunyi, which was no different from cursing him, too. ¡°I, I¡­ Aiyo, Young Master Jiang, look at my cheap mouth. I¡¯m talking nonsense, nonsense.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled insincerely. ¡°What is it? Your cursing was pretty good. Yun Xie is indeed a jerk. You can tell him in person next time.¡±


    What a joke. The only person in this world who dared to scold Yun Xie in person probably the one in front of him. Deng Xing¡¯s expression was bitter. ¡°It¡¯s me who failed to speak correctly. Sect Master Yun is the most wise and martial artist, and it¡¯s me who is a bastard.¡±


    Jiang Xun was unbothered. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Deng Xing quickly scrambled to continue. ¡°Master Jiang, you are an expert, so you must understand that although the demon sovereign can possess another person¡¯s body, if it is not his original body, he will be restricted in many ways. I found a way¡­¡±


    Before he could finish talking, Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°I understand. So, the people in that village were all your experiment subjects, and you succeeded. Not only did they survive, your demon sovereign was also revived. Deng Xing is very good doctor.¡±


    Deng Xing hurriedly said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, don¡¯t mention it. Master Jiang, you see, I have said everything I should say, and I dare not say a word to deceive you¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled and moved the hand that had been on the opponent¡¯s throat before patting his face. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve done well, I will spare your life. Doctor Deng, you are a wise man. Naturally, you should know, if you dare to go out and mention this to others, then I will tell Xuan Li that you have told me everything. Why don¡¯t you guess? Will he eat you raw?¡±


    Deng Xing quickly cried out. He promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Jiang, this beggar is not a fool. I will definitely not say anything.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi finally nodded. Deng Xing, like a rabbit, ran towards the door.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice drifted over, and Deng Xing¡¯s whole body immediately stiffened. He turned his head back with an expression that showed he wanted to run, but was afraid.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his hand, his expression flat. ¡°You have not finished treating the injury, continue.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [1] Pan An ¨C one of the 5 Chinese men in history known for his looks


    [2] Hit the gun ¨C implicating oneself

 CH 64

    Chapter 64 ¨C A Gentleman Is Lonely In the World


    Although Deng Xing was loose and unprincipled, his medical skills were indeed very good. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s internal and external injuries combined were not minor, but after a few days, he was able to get out of bed. When Demon Sovereign Xuan Li walked in, he found him with his injured hand behind his back, the other hand holding a pen as he stood at the table, writing.


    Jiang Xunyi always preferred plainer colors such as white and blue for his clothing. No servant here knew of the fame of this young man and only thought that he was one of Xuan Li¡¯s male pets when they sent the clothes. Each set of clothes were brighter and more beautiful than the last. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t say much, and when he had to change clothes, he didn¡¯t hesitate and just wore what they had brought.


    Therefore, in the eyes of Xuan Li, the clothes he wore today were indeed very different from his usual style. He wore a robe as light as gauze on the outside and a peach-red inner garment¡£Golden silk outlined the shape of peach blossoms on his collar, and a jade belt the width of a palm wrapped around his waist.


    If you put such clothing on anyone else, not only would they fail to appear pretty and flirtatious, they wouldn¡¯t match the clothes, only looking ridiculous. Jiang Xunyi had a clear temperament, and he radiated frost. The colors of the clothes were all suppressed, so in the eyes of the beholder, he looked elegant. His increasingly handsome face was three points romantic, seven points arrogant.


    In this world, even if there is a man who looked just like him, no one could match his demeanor.


    Xuan Li suppressed the waves in his heart and stepped forward, picking up the piece of paper on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s table. He couldn¡¯t help but praise ¡°good words¡±!


    Xuan Li had come every day for the past few days. Jiang Xunyi was too lazy to pay attention to him, and he didn¡¯t even glance at him out of the corner of his eyes. Xuan Li was also used to his cold treatment. ¡°Look at the Qinwang Mountain and the heavy rain pouring as if a river and a lake were falling down. I don¡¯t know if the clouds turned into rain, or if the rain turned into clouds. In the sky, the west wind blows vigorously, and the dark clouds change and disappear instantly. Look to the bright moon, starry night, and listen to the sound of the sky. The call of the thousands of caves in the world are like landslides and thunder¡­[1]¡°


    Jiang Xunyi said impatiently, ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the point of reading? I know you can read and show off.¡±


    Xuan Li threw the paper aside and whispered with a smile, ¡°Why are you writing this? Spoiling the fun. I think you might as well write about ¡®Pink peach blossoms complementing a ruddy face fair[2]¡®¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he leaned a little closer and kissed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheek.


    Jiang Xunyi turned his head to avoid it, twirled the brush in his hand, and pointed the penholder at one of Xuan Li¡¯s eyes. He spoke coldly. ¡°You want to die again, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Xuan Li put his hands together and pressed on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders so he sat on the soft chair behind him. ¡°I give you spiritual energy-dispersing medicine every day, and you still dare to resist? Xunyi, I really don¡¯t know whether to call you brave or naive.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said in disgust, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that.¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s gaze intensified. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t like this name? Should I call you¡­ A¡¯Xun?¡±


    The only person in the world who said the two words ¡®A¡¯Xun¡¯ was the unreliable Yun Xie. Jiang Xunyi found it uncomfortable to hear it from anyone else. He has lived for two lifetimes and never found out what **[3] was, so he frowned and said, ¡°Xuan Li, has your brain been irreparably smashed by Yun Xie? If you have something to say, say it. Why do you constantly loiter around? Let me tell you, no matter what you do to humiliate or kiss up to me, it¡¯s all useless.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I do this to humiliate and kiss up to you?¡±


    The nonsense was unending. Jiang Xunyi impatiently said, ¡°What else? Don¡¯t tell me you really are a woman and want to marry me?¡±


    After saying this, his back met with empty air, and he fell, as the backrest of the chair could actually be lowered. Jiang Xunyi was suddenly pressed underneath Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, who said into his ear with gritted teeth, ¡°I want to top you.¡±


    Xuan Li pressed Jiang Xunyi down fiercely. ¡°I heard that the person you like is the eldest miss of the Feng family, but the person in her heart should be your good brother Yun Xie, right? Then I don¡¯t know whether she has ever rubbed her ears on your shoulder[4]. I really don¡¯t understand: how on earth is she worthy of Jiang Xunyi treating her differently? Jiang Xunyi, do you know, I really want to see someone like you fall from the altar and submit to a person like a slave¡­¡±


    What Feng Qiu had said in the past flashed in his mind between the sparks and the fire, and Jiang Xunyi suddenly understood. ¡°So that¡¯s why you insulted Feng Qiu and induced her to blame me! Zihui, Feng Xue, Uncle Chen, Ning Fen¡­ ¡­These people all work for you?!¡±


    Xuan Li: ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi, this frustrating thing. He was lucky that he had a good body, or else sooner or later, he would be beaten to death!


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was about to speak when the door of the room suddenly slammed open.


    The two people looked in the direction of the door together. A man dressed in the uniform of the Flame Gate disciples ran in, panicked. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw the position of the Demon Sovereign Xuan Li and Jiang Xunyi and immediately knelt down.


    Demon Lord Xuanli stood up and said coldly, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Behind him, Jiang Xunyi sat up and straightened his collar without any embarrassment.


    The man knelt on the ground, not even daring to look up, as he said with a trembling voice, ¡°My lord, the dungeon at the foot of the mountain has been blown up!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi paused before he quickly concealed any emotion. Xuan Li¡¯s first reaction was exactly to turn his head and look at him. Jiang Xunyi looked at him with a confused expression, and Xuan Li turned back. ¡°I know now.¡±


    The man kneeling on the ground heaved a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, ¡°Yes, then this subordinate shall retreat.¡±


    Xuan Li sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to retreat. What are you anxious about? Do you want to go report to a lady?¡±


    He had many concubines and male pets, and he had seen a lot of the actions done because of jealousy. When he saw that this person dared to enter the room without knocking on the door, he guessed that he was not only here to report news, but he must have also been ordered by someone to spy on them and figure out what Jiang Xunyi¡¯s position was in his heart.


    Usually when he met with these occurrences, he would be too lazy to deal with it, but this time, he would not tolerate it. The man was already panicking, but when he heard Xuan Li say this, he became even more anxious. He said quickly, ¡°My Lord¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li lifted his foot and kicked him, hard. The man screamed as he flew out into the sky before slamming into the wall hard with his head. His brain burst and he died on the spot.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li turned to Jiang Xunyi. Jiang Xunyi knew that he must suspect that the situation at the dungeon had something to do with him. However, he didn¡¯t say anything about it at the moment and only said indifferently, ¡°So disgusting.¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s face slightly relaxed, smilin softly as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to clean up for you right away.¡±


    After he said this, he clapped, and a few servants walked in immediately. A few went to clean up the stains on the corpse, and another one brought a bowl of medicine and bowed to Jiang Xunyi.


    Xuan Li said softly, ¡°This is the medicine to remove spiritual power, you haven¡¯t taken it yet today, right?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered, picked up the medicine bowl and drank it.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li stared at him as he drank, and only after he finished did he smile with satisfaction before turning and striding away.


    The servants here had served Jiang Xunyi for a while now, so they knew his temper. In addition, they knew that he was favored by the demon sovereign, so even though every servant was burly and strong, they did not dare to talk to him and just cleaned up quickly before they saluted and left.


    Jiang Xunyi motionlessly closed his eyes and rested his mind. After a long time, he slowly raised his hand and spread his palm. In his hand was clearly a piece of jade.


    Jiang Xunyi took a closer look and saw that the jade pendant was black and had a beautiful, smooth appearance. With one glance, you could tell that it seemed to be something valuable. Other than that, there seemed to be nothing special about it, but he knew that there must be something mysterious in it. Through these few days of interaction, Jiang Xunyi discovered that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was not a person who liked luxuries, and yet he carried this ornament every day, so if it was not a gift from an important person, the token must have a very important secret hidden in it. Stealing it was already a great risk; if he got nothing, it would be a great loss.


    He fiddled with it mindlessly for a while. Suddenly his eyes narrowed, and he held the jade pendant up to be illuminated by the candle next to him. The corners of his lips slightly quirked into a smile. His slender fingers tightened, and although he had just taken medicine to deplete his spiritual power, he easily broke the jade pendant into two pieces.


    A piece of silk paper, as thin as a cicada¡¯s wing, appeared in the center of the jade pendant. Words and pictures were drawn on it, as if it was a rubbing from a stone inscription. Jiang Xunyi¡®s eyes flashed open, his eyebrows drew together, and the smile on his lips disappeared.


    Suddenly, he raised his head, tucked the silk paper quickly into her palm, and said coldly, ¡°Who?¡±


    A man jumped in from outside, looked around, then immediately turned to shut the door. He knelt in front of Jiang Xunyi and shouted, ¡°Master.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked down and was unable to laugh or cry, ¡°Qi Shijiu? To be able to even follow me here, you sure are talented.¡±


    Qi Shijiu didn¡¯t know whether Jiang Xunyi was joking or admonishing him, so he quickly explained, his face full of fear. It turned out that after he woke up, he found that Jiang Xunyi was no longer there. He immediately searched everywhere only to find that everyone was secretive about this matter. Song Yu did not punish him and instead transferred him to the courtyard of a young lady in Xuan Li¡¯s harem. He inquired for several days before he learned of the whereabouts of Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°How are you so tricky? The yard I live in has guards outside. How did you get in?¡±


    Qi Shijiu¡¯s normally reserved face became anxious. ¡°Master, I didn¡¯t sneak my way in here, but a little wife of the Demon Lord sent me to invite you to a dinner! She must be trying to embarrass you! I will find a way to distract everyone, you should quickly go!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was aggrieved. ¡°She is a woman who does not leave the house and has no grievances against me. Why does she want to embarrass me?¡±


    Seventeen or eighteen kinds of conspiracies swept through his mind suddenly, but he felt that none of them were valid.


    Qi Shijiu glanced at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s overly gorgeous clothes, and his fists were clenched tightly by his side. He whispered in a low voice, ¡°Young master, you have suffered¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi followed his gaze and looked at his collar. He was stunned before he realized: this woman was looking for him to fight out her jealousy? So she wanted to take advantage of Xuan Li¡¯s absence from the mountain to see what ¡°Xuan Li¡¯s new favorite¡± looks like.


    Randomly, an image of Consort Hua from ¡°Empresses in the Palace¡±[5] pointing at his nose and cursing the ¡°little vixen¡± flashed through his mind, and he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Sounds interesting, let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    Qi Shijiu didn¡¯t expect him to react like this and said in surprise, ¡°Master, y-you don¡¯t want to run away?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi waved his hand and sneered. ¡°There is no need to escape. If I wanted to leave, none of these straw bags would be able to stop me. However, I still have things to do, so I won¡¯t go anywhere. Then Shijiu, lead the way.¡±


    He thought for a little, and then added, ¡°Pretend to be unfamiliar with me first, and then you will act when I wink.¡±


    Qi Shijiu came by an order, with the token given by the lady in his hand, so the two of them were successfully released from the guards guarding the periphery and went all the way to the legendary Tingfang Pavilion where the concubines of Xuan Li lived.


    The front hall of Tingfang Pavilion had already been set up for a banquet at this time, and all of the guests were Xuan Li¡¯s concubines and male pets. All of them had extraordinary looks, and every two people were assigned to a table. More than ten tables have been set up, the whole hall filled. In the middle, performers were singing and dancing. With the beauties gathered, the hall was like the scenery of spring as far as the eye could see.


    At the top, there was an empty Grand Master¡¯s chair, which was reserved for Lord Xuan Li. Next to that chair sat two women. One had a coquettish charming face but a murderous air between her eyebrows. She was the host, Li Ji. The woman next to her was soft and pure, with a gentle appearance. She was listening to Li Ji¡¯s words with her face turned towards her.


    ¡°In short, since that person came, the Lord has not been to any of us. Not only that, we can¡¯t even catch a glimpse of that person. We sisters can¡¯t even see if we wanted to. If we are talking about freshness, then that¡¯s weird. Sister, you came only a few days earlier than that person, so why didn¡¯t we see that the Lord act so caring towards you?¡±


    The woman who was listening to her whispered, ¡°Sister, I just want a place to stay. These things are something I dare not care about.¡±


    A trace of contempt flashed in Li Ji¡¯s eyes, then she rolled her eyes and smiled again. ¡°I heard that he was once respected and famous. He was an old acquaintance of you brothers and sisters, and he even once had a relationship with you¡­ why don¡¯t it be up to you to entertain him later?¡±


    The woman seemed to be taken aback and hurriedly said, ¡°I only have the Lord in my heart. He ¨C even if he has the heart, I have never cared about him, let alone¡­ let alone the fact that he is now one of the Lord¡¯s people. Oh, sister, you¡­ you shouldn¡¯t think too much.¡±


    Li Ji sneered, but didn¡¯t say anything more about the matter. She sniffed bitterly, ¡°I want to see today what kind of character he is¡­¡±


    Once she said this, the door of the hall creaked open, and Qi Shijiu walked in. He lowered his head before he said, ¡°Mrs. Li, the person has been brought here.¡±


    A young man with a tall figure followed him in. He walked slowly, and immediately countless eyes were drawn to him. After seeing him clearly, the noisy hall fell silent again.


    No one could say anything for a while, and there was only the voice of a woman¡¯s singing from a distance, soft and lingering, scattered into the night breeze:


    ¡°The building¡¯s shadows are slanted in the sunset, and the beloved sees you as if it was their first time. The man on the road is like jade, and the young master is unparalleled in the world¡­


    It took Li Ji a long time to find her voice. ¡°You, you are the one¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lifted his left hand and swept it lightly across the hall. His eyes finally fell on the woman next to Li Ji and stopped for a moment. Then, he smiled and turned to Li Ji. ¡°I am Jiang Xunyi. I was invited by the madam to come to the banquet. But madam, you don¡¯t seem to have prepared my seat?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li loved to be adventurous. In this room, there were thin people, fat people, and everything in between. The few male pets all seemed glamorous and bitchy, even more feminine than herself, so Li Ji never expected that it would be such a man who walked in. Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s smile that appeared like a cool breeze or the clear moon, she even started to regret that she was making things difficult for him for him and was speechless.


    Perhaps everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face or perhaps it was because his expression was so calm and graceful that no one noticed that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s path was a bit weird ¨C there was nothing in front of him to stand in the way, but he went around in a circle before approaching.


    Although Li Ji didn¡¯t speak, there were many people who wanted to say something. One person hid her mouth and smiled. ¡°Sorry, there are so many sisters here that there is no place for you. I do lack someone to make tea behind me. Would you like to come? ¡°


    Jiang Xunyi looked towards the speaker and saw that the person who was talking to him turned out to be a man in a green robe. He was petite, with frivolous eyebrows and a soft voice. The green brocade dress accentuated the whiteness of his tiny face, so he looked just like a stalk of green onion.


    Jiang Xunyi bit his lower lip and restrained his smile. His perception of Demon Sovereign did improve ¨C with such a lively and bright harem, it was impressive that he did not go blind or mad. He dealt with all of them without pressure. He truly deserved his role as a man who could lead the demons.


    He did not answer the provocative little green onion, and instead, his gaze swept to the woman next to Li Ji. Besides her was a man with a strong figure, armed with a sword and dressed as a general. Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows and smiled before walking towards him.


    The one talking just now was a male pet named Qing Yan. They had discussed this beforehand and planned to make Jiang Xunyi feel embarrassed by not arranging a place for him. However, they did not expect this person to be so different from what they imagined. Seeing Jiang Xunyi ignoring him, he suddenly felt shameless and said angrily, ¡°Newcomer, didn¡¯t you hear me talking to you?¡±


    His angry voice did not sound like a man at all, and without looking back, Jiang Xunyi said lightly, ¡°Speak well, don¡¯t act like a baby.¡±


    Qing Yan was stunned, and the words he was going to say were forgotten. His face was a little red for no apparent reason.


    At this moment, Jiang Xunyi had already walked up to the man dressed as a general. The man looked at him, alerted, and said, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi folded his arms. ¡°This place is good, I want to sit in your seat. You can go to the side.¡±


    How could he be arrogant even when his spiritual energy was imprisoned?! The man said angrily, ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you¨C¡°


    Before he finished speaking, he heard a loud ¡°click¡±, and the chair under him was kicked into pieces by Jiang Xunyi. At the same time, he felt a strong pressure on his shoulders, and he suddenly dropped onto the wood pieces. Crushed chrysanthemums reflect pain[6].


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows., ¡°What about now?¡±


    When he made such a sudden move, the people in the hall were frightened. It was not uncommon for these people to be jealous and play their own tricks, but they have never seen such a blatant attack, and they were dumbfounded. Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t look at anyone and placed his foot on the man¡¯s chest. The soles of his boots pressed down lightly, and the sound of broken bones came from under his feet.


    ¡°Hold on!¡± The woman who had just spoken to Li Ji finally couldn¡¯t bear it and stood up. ¡°You, you sit here. Let me give you my place.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not move his feet, but swept his hand behind him and turned to look at her. The corners of his lips were slightly curled as he said slowly, ¡°Sister Qiu, you are finally willing to speak.¡±


    [1] ¡°Qin looks at the top of the mountain, watching the chaotic clouds and the rain¡­the world is calling out.¡± From Xin Qiji¡¯s ¡°Han Gongchun¡±. This poem uses nature as a metaphor for the world, and it feels like Little Jiang¡¯s temperament and the description is also wonderful.


    [2] ¡°Human Face and Peach Blossoms Reflecting Red¡± from Cui Hu¡¯s ¡°Timing the Capital City Nanzhuang¡±. This was originally about how Xuan Li molested Xiao Jiang and said he was good-looking, but he didn¡¯t pay attention to using a tragic poem, and it became a truth, and it also hinted that there was no future between them.


    [3] The author censored this and idk what it¡¯s supposed to be so I guess that¡¯s up to your interpretation.


    [4] Rubbing ears on shoulder is a idiom that means closeness and intimacy.


    [5] A really famous 2011 Chinese drama about the relationships and infighting of concubines.


    [6] A line from my favorite Chinese song ever, ¾Õ»¨Ì¨ by Jay Chou (when I saw this line I was so excited)

 CH 65

    Chapter 65 ¨C Serious Yun [1]


    The autumn sun was very warm. Under the big tree covered with yellow leaves, a beautiful young man was sleeping.


    Behind the Hidden Spirit Mountain was white snow that never melted. At the bottom of Solar Envy mountain was a huge expanse of flourishing blossoms. The lonely and lofty canopy of the heavens. The blue and white robes. The sword as cold as blood. Two teenagers who grew up together.


    ¡­That once ridiculous kiss and hug of companionship.


    And later blood-red as far as the eye could see.


    When Yun Xie opened his eyes, his eyes were still a little blank. He hadn¡¯t dreamt in a long, long time.


    Because he did not dare to dream.


    In reality, Yun Xie was not joking when he spoke before. After Jiang Xunyi was killed by his own hands, he did not dare to let himself fall asleep.


    Because his heart was filled with longing, if he did not dream at night, he would be feel increasing lost day by day, as if there was an empty space where his heart was supposed to be.


    But if he dreamed of him, the more beautiful the dream, the colder the reality of the morning, as if the faint morning light had become a bone-eating sharp blade.


    Therefore, Yun Xie really did not expect to dream of Jiang Xunyi again today. He was immersed in the bittersweet wave of emotions with no escape when he suddenly woke up for no reason, his heart thumping inexplicably. Looking up, he saw Rou Rou coming over from a distance.


    He jumped up from the ground in an instant and said anxiously, ¡°Where is A¡¯Xun?¡±


    Rou Rou had just returned to the mountain after seeing Jiang Xunyi, and before she could find Zhuo Zhengfan, who sent her up the mountain, she was accosted by Yun Xie. Confused, she replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t he on the mountain?¡±


    Yun Xie was brought back to reality by these words, and he settled down, wiping sweat from his forehead. He pretended to be calm and collected as he said, ¡°En, I know. I meant did he say anything? Did you deliver the thing?¡±


    Rou Rou said, ¡°It has been delivered. I don¡¯t think there was anything. I think he is pretty good, and his living condition is much better. He also said for you to stop worrying and follow Zhengfan to do things well, and that¡¯s it.¡±


    Yun Xie listened to her retelling and could imagine Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arrogant and joking look, with the corners of his lips raised, and his mood gradually improved. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±


    Rou Rou heard him say thank you, but she did not leave. Instead, she looked at Yun Xie, looking like she was going to smile. ¡°Big Brother Yun, you put on such a display in front of me at first, softly speaking and appearing knowledgable and interesting, and I actually thought you were a real gentleman. Now I can see that you were actually just pretending to get information from me, right?¡±


    She was completely right, but Yun Xie had a thick face, so without the slightest shame, he replied, ¡°That makes the two of us. Miss Zhu, you are not an innocent and cute girl. When you first talked to me, your eyes were almost stuck to my face. Why did you get bored with my appearance so easily? It seems that this is something you can throw away once you¡¯re done with it.¡±


    His words played tricks, and Rou Rou¡¯s face was completely crimson from the words. She let out a ¡°Pei¡± sound and said in dissatisfaction, ¡°You can know people, know their face, and not know their heart. I was deceived by your appearance when I first saw you! Now I think your brother is much better than you, so I don¡¯t plan to like you anymore. I decided to like Big Brother Jiang.¡±


    Yun Xie narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course A¡¯Xun is much better than me, so you can¡¯t like him because you don¡¯t deserve him.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a retort, and sped up his speech while waving his hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done talking about it. It¡¯s really boring to have a conversation with a little girl who is caught up in beautiful daydreams.¡±


    As soon as Zhuo Zhengfan walked over, he saw Rou Rou flushed with anger, a fist about to smash into Yun Xie. He swiftly avoided the blow. With a turn of his head, he saw Zhuo Zhengfan coming and immediately jumped behind him.


    Zhuo Zhengfan blocked Rou Rou with a tired face and said to Yun Xie, ¡°Brother Yun, can¡¯t you stop finding things for me to handle?¡±


    Yun Xie said frankly, ¡°I¡¯m lonely here by myself. How about this, why don¡¯t you bring A¡¯Xun here in exchange.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­Are we all ghosts?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and stopped playing with him, ¡°Come on, Zhengfan, let¡¯s talk about business. You¡¯ve seen me walk in circles these days until I am probably annoying you to death. With how hurried you are rushing over, has it already been arranged to rush over today?¡±


    Even if he couldn¡¯t stand Yun Xie¡¯s neurosis, Zhuo Zhengfan still had to admire his IQ. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m here to tell you that the places where the various factions are detained have been clarified, and the guards at the door are all heinous and therefore killable. We can act tonight.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s spirits were lifted, and he finally showed a sincere smile. ¡°Okay.¡±


    The Flame Gate was eager to expand their influence, and after they have secretly conspired with the demons, their recent actions cannot be described by anything other than arrogant. Eighteen smaller cultivation sects had been eliminated, and the ones with higher cultivation were locked in a stone prison underground in the back mountain. If it hadn¡¯t been for Yun Xie coming here by accident, he was afraid he would never have known that there was such a place in the world.


    Zhuo Zhengfan led Yun Xie to the door of the stone prison, standing at a distance and watching the guards at the door. He explained to Yun Xie, ¡°This stone prison is built to be hidden. In order to transport people in and out quickly, a lot of tunnels have been dug. What I think is that after we move out, we can set off an explosion, which can confuse them. But I can¡¯t do this alone, so you have to come, too.¡±


    He was afraid that Yun Xie would not want to and added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Xunyi, I¡¯ve already edited the name list. Even if you and I were exposed, no one would think of troubling him.¡±


    However, he did not expect that Yun Xie agreed happily with an, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Before Zhuo Zhengfan could express surprise at his cooperative attitude, he had already pushed the other¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You go in, I¡¯ll wait for you at the door.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was confused. ¡°How can you get in without me taking you? ¡°


    Yun Xie¡¯s right middle finger and index finger were brought together, and he lifted his arm and painted a pattern that Zhuo Zhengfan could not distinguish on the mountain wall. ¡°This dungeon is strictly controlled, and I am a new face. We will inevitably be caught if I follow behind you. It¡¯s better for you to go to the front door alone. Zhengfan, I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    The mountain wall in front of Yun Xie instantly turned into a translucent color, and the entire rock surface rippled like water waves, and Yun Xie turned to Zhuo Zhengfan with a smile before he rammed into the wall


    Similar forms of this wall-piercing technique could be seen in all sects, but in ordinary places, there was no pressure when performing the move. However, the stone prison was full of magic circles and there were many guards. If spiritual energy is manipulated carelessly, it will cause an attack. Zhuo Zhengfan was not as bold as Yun Xie, so he can only take his token and take the front gate.


    The foundation of the prison was a naturally formed stone cave. After entering the main entrance, there were still many intricate paths full of various natural stones, and the right path was very difficult to identify. Fortunately, Zhuo Zhengfan has been here countless times, and he was very familiar with it. After smoothly entering, he saw Yun Xie standing in front of a mountain wall, staring at the black stone opposite him. His expression was focused and affectionate, which made Zhuo Zhengfan feel that Jiang Xunyi was in the stone.


    He leaned over to Yun Xie and lowered his voice. ¡°What are you looking at? This stone is worthless, and time is short. Follow me!¡±


    Yun Xie frowned and shook his head, dodging Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s hand before whispered: ¡°Wait a minute, something is wrong here.¡±


    He stretched out his hand, a faint blue light shining from his white palm, and lightly wiped it on the stone wall in front of him. Under the gaze of the two people, the rough shell of the stone wall crumbled, exposing a flat and smooth stone surface full of handwriting patterns. If Jiang Xunyi was here, he would be surprised ¡ª because the content written on it was exactly the same as what was written on the thin silk he had stolen from Xuan Li.


    Zhuo Zhengfan took out a torch from his arms and threw it into the air. The torch hung in the air and burned on its own, illuminating the stone wall in front of Yun Xie. His eyes were drawn over, and when he saw the words, he exclaimed in surprise, ¡°What is this? I have been here for a long time, and I have never noticed it, but you saw it with just a glance.¡±


    Yun Xie casually said, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m the prodigy¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡±


    He finally understood why Yun Xie liked Jiang Xunyi so much. For the two brothers who were part of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, the only person they wouldn¡¯t look down on would be the other.


    Yun Xie said casually, ¡°Zhengfan, look at the formation on this. Have you ever learned it in the Flame Gate?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan squinted his eyes and hesitated. ¡°I haven¡¯t learned it before. This formation looks so evil. What does the painting mean? Are people buried in a coffin?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s thin lips curled slightly as he sneered coldly, ¡°Not quite right. The picture means that a stranger is stuffed in a completely enclosed wooden box alive to be suffocated, then buried in the seven positions according to the position shown in the picture. The evil energy is used to supply something evil.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan said with horror, ¡°What evil thing?¡±


    Yun Xie enunciated each word, ¡°Xuan Li Demon Lord!¡±


    His fist was clenched in his sleeve, and he explained to Zhuo Zhengfan, ¡°You have been cultivating in the deep mountains, and it has been a long time since you went out. You don¡¯t know, but his body was broken into pieces by me. However, not long after that, he appeared completely intact¡­ ¡°


    Zhuo Zhengfan could not resist, ¡°Hey, with how keen you are, did not feel that something wasn¡¯t right? How did you only think of this now?¡±


    Yun Xie paused for a little before he said, ¡°A little thing happened¡­¡­ I¡¯m not in the mood to think too much. In short, if I am right, Xuan Li¡¯s body should have been sewn up again ¡ª have you read the¡¶Corpse Scripture¡·compiled by A¡¯Xun? One of the strategies written in it has said very clearly that this formation should be used to viciously gather the grievances generated before the tragic death of a person. It will form a huge amount of energy, just for one to quickly restore his cultivation. Hmph, I don¡¯t know how many lives have been lost for such an evil purpose. They deserve to die!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan originally wanted to ask what had happened to make people even someone like Yun Xie muddle-headed, but he was distracted after hearing the rest of what he had to say. He frowned and looked at the words and patterns on the stone again. ¡°I understand what you said, but there is one more difficult question. You see, there are a total of seven boxes. The label on the picture is unclear, and the scope is unclear. It¡¯s too big. If we want to destroy this formation, we have to find the corpse first, and that¡¯s too difficult.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was a talent of the generation, and he could bear the burden of humiliation in the Flame Gate for decades. He was extraordinary, but when he got in front of Yun Xie, he always didn¡¯t have enough IQ. After saying this, he didn¡¯t even believe in himself. ¡°¡­Is that right? Don¡¯t tell me that just by seeing the picture you know where the boxes are.¡±


    Fortunately, Yun Xie didn¡¯t refute him and smiled slightly with a shake of his head. ¡°I can¡¯t see it either.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan said suspiciously, ¡°You are telling the truth? What are you happy about?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°Zhengfan, have you ever considered that we don¡¯t actually need to look for a box at all. The box is filled with grievances and evil spirits, so when someone nears the place where the box is buried, negative emotions will also breed¡­¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan suddenly realized. ¡°Smart! From this picture, there are four boxes on the top of the mountain and three on the bottom of the mountain, which means that we only need to go there and find a few people and set off the gloom in their heart. That¡¯s it!¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°We don¡¯t need to look for the three on the bottom. I already know the specific location. We only need to find the four on the mountain. It¡¯s fine, I am the best at making people angry.¡±


    As he spoke, he stretched out his hand, five fingers forming a claw. He pulled out the stone with things written on it from the wall and stuffed it into his spatial bag. With a snap of his fingers the wall returned to its original shape.


    Zhuo Zhengfan smiled. ¡°I am afraid that no one in the world can come up with this method except for you. It seems that you will have to bother Brother Lao Yun to take you up the mountain again.¡±


    Yun Xie unconsciously pressed his chest, where his heart was. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter me.¡± He smiled softly. ¡°I just happened to think of it. If A¡¯Xun saw this thing, he would definitely be able to think of this..¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡± Although Jiang Xunyi was not there, the sense of existence is really everywhere.


    The author has something to say:


    I called Jinjiang¡¯s customer service, and it¡¯s finally done. Everyone has been waiting for a long time, but I have found the way to deal with this situation. I believe there will be no problems next time. Sorry, sorry, every time I¡¯m going crazy with my obsessive-compulsive disorder¡­


    Thank you dear afiado¡¯s rocket launcher (e), I am very happy to be smashed, and the blue queen also thank the babies for their nutrition and understanding~mua~


    After leaving his A¡¯Xun, Little Yun needs to be more manly. He doesn¡¯t know the bad news yet and has to do something first. But soon, I will try to add more~


    Although they are not together, they always live in each other¡¯s words and minds (_), show affection!


    [1]ÔÆ ¨C clouds but it is also Yun Xie¡¯s surname

 CH 66

    Chapter 66 ¨C Provoke


    When Jiang Xunyi said ¡°Senior Sister Qiu¡±, the others were confused, but the woman¡¯s movements became stiff, and after a pause, she said, ¡°Xunyi.¡±


    This little lady who was newly married a few days ago was actually Feng Qiu!


    The man who was getting stepped on by Jiang Xunyi who could blurt out his name was naturally familiar to him, too: it was Feng Qiu¡¯s eldest brother Feng Qi.


    Feng Qi was a narrow-minded man who thought of himself as a young hero. However, he was always outshone by the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, causing him to carry jealousy in his heart. That¡¯s why when Jiang Xunyi¡¯s name was ruined, no one was happier than him. However, he didn¡¯t expect the situation to be so impermanent. With one turn, it was exposed that not only was Jiang Xunyi innocent, but they were the ones who had a relationship with the demon clan. Feng Xue, his father, decided if they were in for a penny, they were in for a pound and took the Feng family to take refuge in the demon clan.


    Therefore, Feng Qi hated Jiang Xunyi to his bones. When he first heard the news, he really thought that Jiang Xunyi was really imprisoned by Demon Lord Xuan Li and at his mercy, but he didn¡¯t expect that his spiritual energy wasn¡¯t dissipated, nor did he suffer a grave injury. Bah, he was able to step on him with one move!


    Jiang Xunyi looked cold and arrogant, but he was not actually a person who would seek retribution. But today, he was acting uncharacteristically and had no intention of letting Feng Qi go. Feng Qiu originally did not dare to talk to him, but now, her brother was about to be trampled to death. In desperation, she could only speak.


    She knew that Jiang Xunyi had liked her since she was a child, and when she heard that the other still called herself ¡°Senior Sister Qiu¡±, she assumed that he was still thinking about his old love, so she quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s me. Xunyi, what are you doing? Everyone is just calling you to come to have a meal. You should sit down and talk carefully if you have something to say. Look, I even gave you a seat.¡±


    Feng Qiu thought that based on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s affection for her, he would naturally respond to her words and obey, but she didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi to sneer suddenly. ¡°What position do I have, and what do you guys have? You are just a plaything to serve people, and you want to sit and eat with me. Are you worthy?¡±


    After Jiang Xunyi switched into Du Heng¡¯s body, the feelings he had for Feng Qiu that had been influenced by the identity of the characters in the plot slowly faded. He actually didn¡¯t like this type of woman, plus, he had even been cheated by her several times. There was no affection of any type that could persist. What¡¯s more, he had originally intended to find trouble today, so naturally, he would not be polite. However, Feng Qiu had never been treated like this by Jiang Xunyi. Looking up at his slightly sneering face, she felt shame and embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t help but freeze.


    Even Li Ji couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°DIdn¡¯t little sister just say that he was interested in you?¡±


    Feng Qiu flushed, and she looked up at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face in a daze. She couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the past. After she was rejected many times by Yun Xie, whom she had admired since she was a child, she assumed that it must be because Yun Xie was worried that Jiang Xunyi liked her and was unwilling to compete with his friends. Not only that, she had to commit to marrying Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. However, the person in his heart was again this man. Feng Qiu had always known since Yun Xie¡¯s cold, repeated rejections that she actually hated Jiang Xunyi in her heart.


    But even if she hated him, she had to admit that he was a very charming man. She enjoyed the feeling of being loved by such a person, but she never expected that one day Jiang Xunyi would have a change of heart!


    With the sudden turn of her thoughts, resentment lingered in her chest.


    Jiang Xunyi was like a cannon attacking indiscriminately, scolding everyone in the hall before he then took two steps back inexplicably. He followed with a relentless kick, and Feng Qi¡¯s entire body was picked up by his toes before slamming into the wall, hard.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injured left hand was still behind him, and his right hand made a move out of thin air. The empty chair that was originally reserved for Xuan Li slipped to his side as if it was alive. He lifted the corner of his robe and sat down leisurely.


    At this point, Li Ji finally struggled ashore from the whirlpool of sodomy and said angrily, ¡°This is so backwards! Are all the people outside dead? Why didn¡¯t you catch this kid for me? You act so arrogant, but you are just relying on being favored now. I tell you, after what you did today, even if the Lord comes back, he will not protect you!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi laughed inwardly; he didn¡¯t expect Xuan Li to come back to ¡°protect him.¡± If Yun Xie is strong, perhaps Xuan Li would not have a chance to come back, but if Xuan Li can really come back, he¡¯ll probably realize that his jade pendant is missing and confront him about it. Time was tight, so Jiang Xunyi had to quickly find the location of the four boxes.


    Following Li Ji¡¯s order, the door of the hall opened with a ¡°bang¡±, and a middle-aged man rushed in with two teams of guards. At the same time, Feng Qi, who was kicked out by Jiang Xunyi, also jumped up, seething. Gritting his teeth and disregarding his injuries, he drew his knife with a shout.


    As if Jiang Xunyi hadn¡¯t seen him, he poured a glass of wine and looked out the window. He smiled and sighed, ¡°The moonlight is beautiful tonight. It¡¯s a pity, a pity¡­¡±


    Qi Shijiu couldn¡¯t help but cry out, ¡°Young master, be careful!¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Feng Qi was already in front of him. Jiang Xunyi raised his hand fiercely, and the glass of wine was accurately poured on Feng Qi¡¯s face. The knife fell to the floor with a ¡°clang¡±, and Feng Qi suddenly began screaming.


    The wine was poisonous. Jiang Xunyi gave a meaningful look at Feng Qiu¡¯s direction, but he could no longer see her because more than a hundred people had rushed over from outside the door and surrounded him. The sound of a series of swords being unsheathed rang out, and several shining silver blades slashed at him.


    Feng Qiu lowered her head to help her brother, smoothing out the uncontrollable smile on her lips.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t get up, instead sliding down the wide chair back, dodging the first few knives. Then, he grabbed the chair with one hand and leapt up with this as a fulcrum. With the help of a sharp spin, his legs kicked out in turn. The speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to see his figure, leaving only the image of clothes fluttering in mid-air like the petals of brilliant peach blossoms suddenly blooming. Every person who rushed up was either kicked or fell to the ground, leaving no gaps.


    Jiang Xunyi landed, eyes squinting before sweeping over the enemies that rushed up. He slapped the chair in front of him with the back of his hand.


    Boom!


    The chair was smashed into pieces by him, and each piece burst into flame. Pieces fell like a rain of flower petals, greeting the attacking blades. The total of these hundred people added up could not even reach Jiang Xunyi with a long sword. The wooden blocks in the air did not stop: they nailed into the wall in the shape of a ¡°d¡±.


    Feng Qiu stood up suddenly and said sharply, ¡°Is anyone there! Transfer everyone here; we absolutely can¡¯t let him go! This person is one of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage! He is Jiang Xunyi!¡±


    At the same time, a huge explosion sounded faintly nearby, followed by three more sounds, so powerful that it seemed that the entire mountain shook for a while. Then, countless wailing sounds spread out, wave after wave. In a blink of an eye, the night sky and the moon that was still hanging high was covered by a black mist that obscured everything.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s spirit was stirred, and he pointed at the ¡°d¡± shape on the wall. The whole wall suddenly glowed with golden light. At the same time, the footprints he had carefully laid out while leaping around rose from the ground, forming a huge formation that inhaled all the hostility in the sky.


    Jiang Xunyi picked up Qi Shijiu and said, ¡°It¡¯s done, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Qi Shijiu hummed in agreement only to find that the person holding his shoulder beside him had slowed. He turned, a little puzzled. Jiang Xunyi wavered suddenly and fell onto on one knee. A blood stain on his chest was expanding.


    He had been slashed by his own weapon in the chest earlier, and both his internal injuries and external injuries were very serious. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t an injury that could heal so quickly. Jiang Xunyi was able to act as if nothing had happened before for so long, even forcibly starting a formation. At the moment he was about to use his spiritual energy, the wound on his chest suddenly numbed, and a sharp tingling pierced his heart. His eyes were dark, and he barely took a mouthful of blood before more forced itself out, flowing down the corners of his mouth.


    Of course it happened at this time! Of course it happened here! He was always pretentious, but when it came down to it, he fell short at the critical moment!


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt that he didn¡¯t have to use effort to irritate others in order to activate the evil formation. He felt more gloomy than anyone else.


    He tried to suppress his anger and irritability, gritted his teeth and tried to calm the pain, but as long as he mobilized his breath even a little, he began sweating profusely, and the clothes on his chest and back suddenly became soaked, his breath choking in his throat.


    Qi Shijiu paled from shock, but he didn¡¯t know how to help Jiang Xunyi. In a blink of an eye he saw Feng Qi struggle and raise his body, feeling for a knife beside him and lunging over to stab Jiang Xunyi. He leaped up angrily, holding Feng Qi¡¯s arm desperately to stop him, and the two wrestled together.


    On the other hand, Jiang Xunyi struggled to focus his gaze, but saw that although Feng Qi was stopped, Feng Qiu was carrying an icy expression as she lifted two jade fingers and rushed towards his temple like a sword.


    He sighed softly, closed his eyes and said nothing. However, his hands felt around his waist for an object. This man had been strong throughout his life, and he would not give up easily even if he was at the end of his life. The word ¡°help¡± was even more foreign to him.


    Suddenly, a variety of different expressions immediately took over everyone¡¯s fact, but everything happened in an instant. Before Feng Qiu¡¯s finger reached, Li Ji had already exclaimed in surprise and joy, ¡°Sovereign!¡±


    This was followed with a ¡°bang¡± as Feng Qiu was suddenly knocked to the side by the palm of the angry Demon Sovereign. ¡°Slut, what are you doing?!¡± He immediately grabbed onto Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    For the demon sovereign to hurry back at this exact time, Jiang Xunyi really didn¡¯t know if it was a good or a bad thing. Trembling, Jiang Xunyi finally touched the jasper ring Yun Xie asked Rou Rou to give him in the purse on his waist. He quietly put it on his hand and coughed twice without answering Xuan Li.

 CH 67

    Chapter 67 ¨C Are You Stupid?


    The breath he exhaled when he coughed was full of blood. Xuan Li looked at the mess in the hall, both angry and regretful. There was no way to take Jiang Xunyi away, and suddenly, he spun around and gave Feng Qiu a heavy slap in the face. ¡°Woman, you must be tired of living.¡±


    Feng Qiu was too familiar with Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s cruel temperament. Seeing that the situation was not good, she quickly cried out, ¡°My lord! My lord! He attacked first, I¡¯m only¡­ only jealous because this concubine cares about you too much. Please consider my father¡¯s reputation¡­¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li sneered. ¡°You care about me? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know anything. Don¡¯t you care about Yun Xie? What a pity, what else did you mention about your father? Your father was killed by Yun Xie!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned his head to see Feng Qiu¡¯s eyes widen suddenly, voice wavering as she said, ¡°Impossible!¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li sneered and stopped talking nonsense with her. His hand darted out and snapped Feng Qiu¡¯s throat. ¡°Then you can go to the underworld and ask him!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had already slightly caught his breath, and he used his hands to slowly straighten up. He saw that Qi Shijiu had dealt with Feng Qi and was about to come over, so he stepped back a little calmly, kicked him lightly, and Qi Shijiu stopped in his tracks immediately.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had just killed Feng Qiu without hesitation, and leaving behind many of his wives and concubines, he grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist with his right hand and leapt out of the window before rushing towards the side peak.


    The cold wind felt like a blade of ice, and he was also a little dizzy at first. However, later, he felt like Xuan Li¡¯s speed actually seemed to slow down. Jiang Xunyi was tightly held by him, and he couldn¡¯t muster any strength anyway. He simply closed his eyes and calmed his nerves. After he began to think, he gradually started to understand the situation ¨C Xuan Li had probably already fought Yun Xie, who had broken the magic circle the opponent relies on to maintain energy. Xuan Li probably suffered at the hands of Yun Xie and now wanted to escape.


    As he was thinking, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li suddenly stopped, put him on the ground, and sat down beside him, taking a couple of breaths.


    Jiang Xunyi opened his eyes without saying a word. Scattered all around were withered yellow leaves, and the bare branches above his head pointed directly at the night sky. They seemed to be in the depths of a forest. Besides him, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s clothes were disheveled, his face was gray, and he was already showed a trace of lifelessness.


    Jiang Xunyi knew that it was because his remaining energy could no longer support the magic needed to keep his body going, but Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had been famous for 100 years and was not an ordinary person. Jiang Xunyi himself was quite injured too, so he just sat quietly, using spiritual energy to heal his wounds without taking the opportunity to attack.


    Xuan Li relaxed for a little then turned his head to see Jiang Xunyi quietly leaning on the tree trunk and meditating. With a smile, he said, ¡°Master Jiang is truly a hard to come by wise man, and he is very sensible. I really have to like you. ¡°


    Jiang Xunyi closed his eyes, and said indifferently, ¡°You have already fallen to this point; what¡¯s the use of saying this useless nonsense? If you would actually die if you don¡¯t speak, it¡¯s better to tell me where the jade is. How did my master die? Why did Chen Li¡¯s heart disappear inexplicably?¡±


    He originally did not have much feeling, but after such a series of words, he suddenly realized that Xuan Li had really done so many wicked things, damn it. After working so hard to get to this point, who would you kill if not him. Even if you exchange his life for 800 bodies, it would still not carry the same weight as the ultimate boss. After all, it would only take one palmful of spiritual energy.


    In the original book, with a protagonist being a thousand-year-old fox like Yun Xie, who is both treacherous and shameless, it is estimated that Xuan Li would probably not survive more than 20 episodes.


    Jiang Xunyi thought of this, and the corners of his mouth couldn¡¯t help but smile. Suddenly, his shoulder warmed. Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had suddenly leaned over and put his hand on his shoulder.


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt his scalp numb. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li laughed in a low voice. ¡°A¡¯Xun? You think what I say is meaningless, but what about what Yun Xie usually says to you? He loves you. You are so resistant, but how come when Yun Xie harbors romantic interest for you, you can accept it and are willing to live and die with him?¡±


    He paused as he said the first two words, speaking very lightly as if he was called a ghost. Just as Jiang Xunyi was about to scold him for his tone, he heard the next few words and was so taken aback, he thought he heard wrong. ¡°You, you say Yun Xie what?¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was shocked when he saw his expression. After looking at Jiang Xunyi for a long time, he realized the other didn¡¯t look like he was faking it, and he burst into laughter. ¡°So you actually don¡¯t know? So you didn¡¯t know! Hahaha, what a pity that I first¡­ I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, it turned out to also be unrequited love!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s secret love life was really too bitter, such a contrast with his normal appearance and behavior. The more he thought about it, the more funny it was to Demon Sovereign Xuan Li. ¡°Young Master Jiang, Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie has been in love with you for many years. I am afraid that those who are close to you can all see that, and yet you know nothing? You¡­hahaha, are you stupid?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He had been sick since he was a child in his modern world, so his personality was a bit withdrawn and he ddin¡¯t have much contact with people. After he transmigrated here, he became a cultivator, who was meant to be pure-hearted and less lustful. He was indeed not very sensitive to emotional matters. Xuan Li¡¯s words were just like a cloud breaking the sky, opening a door to a new world.


    Yun Xie¡¯s handsome face suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, and the usual laughter, his words, his deeds all began to flash through his mind one after another. Suddenly, the things that were thought to be weird and nonsensical had reasonable explanations. However, he didn¡¯t know how someone who couldn¡¯t stand any wrongs would be able to carry such a secret for so long. What kind of mood did he have when he escaped with him, faced each other with swords, bitterly waiting¡­ all the way to the present.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart was beating like a drum as images from the past wandered back and forth in his mind, like an invisible sharp blade opening a part of his brain that he never cared about. At this moment, he felt as if he suddenly understood a lot, and yet he felt like he didn¡¯t understand anything¡­


    Xuan Li still remembered how disgusted Jiang Xunyi was when he interacted with him before, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression at this moment made his heart sink. He knew that no matter what, he would never beat Yun Xie.


    But people are often such weird creatures. If they can¡¯t get what they want, or if someone has more hope and is superior to them, it will trigger extra anger¡­ not to mention, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li had originally been bitter enemies with Solar Envy¡¯s sect leader.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li looked at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s pale and beautiful face, and his gaze slowly travelled down. What followed was a slender white neck and a beautifully contoured collarbone¡­ Jiang Xunyi was too dangerous and hateful, and sometimes he really wanted to kill him, and yet sometimes, he really wanted to¡­


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s hand was still on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder like before, and his breathing rate unconsciously increased. In a low voice, he whispered, ¡°Do you feel better?¡±


    He leaned very close and continued to whisper softly: ¡°If you are better, then let¡¯s repay our debts.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was very clear about the extent of Xuan Li¡¯s perversion, and even though his mind was still very confused, the years he spent cultivating has given him an instinctual keenness. When the other party said the first sentence, he became vigilant.


    Suddenly, he felt the other¡¯s hand press down hard, sparking pain in his shoulders. Jiang Xunyi immediately realized that Xuan Li seemed to be smashing all his bones like last time.


    Jiang Xunyi had been meditating for a long time, so he wouldn¡¯t be powerless to resist like before.


    His hand suddenly shot out and firmly grasped Xuan Li¡¯s wrist, and the other hand, regardless of the previous injury, quickly swung out and hit the opponent¡¯s chest.


    Xuan Li saw that he was at the end of a crossbow and didn¡¯t care about Jiang Xunyi¡¯s weak resistance. A cruel smile hung on his lips, and he swung his palms to retaliate.


    However, he didn¡¯t expect his palm to be intersected by another, and the one who was falling backwards turned out to be him!


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s unhealed bones clashed against each other, a pain so powerful that a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He subconsciously grasped the ring on his hand, and the cool touch seemed to suppress the pain a little. Immediately afterwards, he remembered that this was Yun Xie¡¯s belonging, his face felt inexplicably hot.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi had exchanged blows multiple times, and they were very clear about each other¡¯s moves. He stood up from the ground and said bitterly, ¡°Yun Xie?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t talk nonsense with him; his heels swept back and he was about to get away when Demon Sovereign Xuan Li suddenly let out a yell. In spite of his injury, he shot an arm out, the limb constantly morphing to be thicker and longer before it grabbed Jiang Xunyi menacingly in a last bid for life.


    Jiang Xunyi turned in mid-air, changing directions urgently, and flew to the right side to dodge, but suddenly a person rushed out from behind him, his arm rested on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back to dispel Xuan Li¡¯s hold on him before he took Jiang Xunyi in his arms, blocking the palm of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li for him.


    This spiritual energy was so familiar that one could recognize it without turning their head. Jiang Xunyi was shocked and blurted out: ¡°Yun Xie!¡±


    It was not a coincidence that Yun Xie appeared here.


    After he and Zhuo Zhengfan found the formation map near the entrance of the dungeon, they no longer stopped and went straight inside, walking all the way to the place where the hapless people were held.


    This cell was built underground, and it was naturally not very comfortable inside. It was extremely moist, and the air was permeated by the smell of soil, which made people¡¯s throats itchy. The Yun Xie who had always been delicate and whiny in front of Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t talk nonsense this time and followed Zhuo Zhengfan in without frowning.


    The long corridor was lined with cells on both sides, a small oil lamp outside every two cells. The light was very dim, but even so, it was enough to show people¡¯s shadows. Zhuo Zhengfan and Yun Xie stepped in one after the other, and someone in the first cell on the right immediately yelped.


    Yun Xie reacted very quickly. Before he opened his mouth to make a sound, Yun Xie snapped his fingers and commanded in a low voice, ¡°Quiet!¡±


    The man¡¯s mouth suddenly closed as if being pinched, and he couldn¡¯t make a sound anymore. Then, Yun Xie immediately applied another shielding technique to isolate this space from the outside world to prevent guards outside from hearing movement

 CH 68.1

    Chapter 68 ¨C Sect Master Yun (1)


    Zhuo Zhengfan and Yun Xie both glanced at each other before Zhuo Zhengfan whispered, ¡°They have all been drugged with something similar to a muscle relaxant. I brought the antidote; let¡¯s split up?¡±


    Yun Xie paused. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, Zhengfan, wait for me for a while.¡±


    ¡°Okay, but time is running out, so hurry up.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said slowly, ¡°Relax, we are not in a hurry.¡±


    He walked to the iron door of the first cell, reached out and twisted the lock, simply and roughly breaking into the prison. He pushed open the door and entered silently like running water. ¡°Sect Master Wu, how are you?¡±


    The person who was silenced by him raised his head in a little panic. The candle light shone on his fat round face. It was Wu Tianqi, the master of Yingan Sect in Yuele City. His daughter Wu Hui was also by his side, and when she saw Yun Xie, she exclaimed, ¡°Brother Yun, is it you? Did you come to save us?¡±


    Yun Xie sat down on a chair next to her, but when he saw that she seemed to want to leap onto him, he immediately followed with, ¡°Yes, I had killed and fought my way from the outside into here to rescue you. If you take a look, you can still see the blood and brains and whatnot splashed on me. Oh, it¡¯s really hard work.¡±


    Wu Hui stopped immediately and no longer had any intention to leap over.


    Yun Xie raised his lips and pointed casually to lift Wu Tianqi¡¯s ban.


    Zhuo Zhengfan didn¡¯t know what Yun Xie was going to do. He sneaked into the dungeon fearfully. He couldn¡¯t act with swagger like this master here. He took out a paper bag from his arms and put it on the table. ¡°Sect Master Yun and I¡¯m here to take you out. Here is the antidote for the muscle relaxant. After you take it, your spiritual energy will slowly recover, and then you must leave with us quickly!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan didn¡¯t expect that after he finished saying this, the father and daughter duo merely looked at each other, and no one moved. Instead, Yun Xie slowly meandered over. With a squeeze of the bag, he said, ¡°Zhengfan, remember what I said? Now you know, right? Sometimes, even if you are kind, people won¡¯t believe you.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan said anxiously, ¡°How come it is so difficult, then what should I do¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, he saw Yun Xie suddenly get up and take long strides to stand right before Wu Tianqi. His hand darted out like lightning to squeeze the other¡¯s cheeks, forcing his mouth open before he poured all the powder in. Then, he picked up a broken porcelain bowl from the table and subserviently offered him two sips of water.


    Zhuo Zhengfan : ¡°¡­¡±


    As soon as Yun Xie let go, Wu Tianqi coughed loudly, almost choking to death. However, miraculously, he felt that the stagnation of the meridians in his body had reduced a lot.


    Yun Xie smiled faintly, irony saturating his tone. ¡°Do you still have doubts now?¡±


    Wu Tianqi quickly shook his head. Yun Xie was not in the mood to tease him, so he tossed the bowl away and said directly, ¡°Okay, Zhengfan, I¡¯m troubling you to take Miss Wu out to have her to swallow the antidote in front of the people in the next cell. Then, pass the antidote to the people in the next cell. This way of taking the medicine one by one will stop people from making a fuss. I will wait for you here.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan nodded, but Wu Hui said in a coquettish tone, ¡°Big Brother Yun, this place is so scary. The cell next to me has many crazy people. I don¡¯t want to go. Why don¡¯t you stay with me?¡±


    Yun Xie calmly replied, ¡°What are you saying? Stand further away. You¡¯re not allowed to cry and fuss. I never said that I don¡¯t beat women. Zhengfan, take her away.¡±


    Distracted by something on his mind, he appeared extraordinarily stately. Wu Hui was so taken aback, she didn¡¯t dare to make any more noise and obediently followed Zhuo Zhengfan out. Yun Xie turned around, looked at Wu Tianqi for a moment, and smiled.


    The candlelight outlined his beautiful and innocent facial features, and faced with that smile, Wu Tianqi couldn¡¯t help feeling a hint of a chill. ¡°Sect ¨C Sect Master Yun, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Master Wu, I am always kind to others, and I don¡¯t like embarrassing others. I just wanted to take the liberty to ask something. Of course, if you don¡¯t want to answer, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Wu Tianqi shivered and immediately said, ¡°I will tell you all I know without reservation.¡±


    Yun Xie let out a huff. ¡°I like people who are knowledgeable. Sect Leader Wu, I heard that your wife¡¯s surname is Du. She is the aunt of Du Li, the current head of the Du family, right?¡±


    Wu Tianqi¡¯s expression was tense for a moment, but he quickly concealed it. ¡°Sect Master Yun is right.¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at him, then calmly withdrew his gaze. He drawled, ¡°Your families are close and frequently spend holidays together. There¡¯s something I wanted to inquire: I heard that Du Heng, the youngest son of the Du family, is a fool. What was the ailment? Was he born with it or was it afflicted? How is his relationship with Du Li?


    Wu Tianqi replied immediately, ¡°So what Sect Master Yun wanted to ask was this. A¡¯Heng was indeed born this way, not harmed by another. When he was sixteen or seventeen, he would only say the simplest words, looking pitiful. Since there was no threat, his elder brother has always been good to this younger brother.¡±


    Yun Xie spoke as if he heard something profound. ¡°So it¡¯s like that?¡±


    He obviously didn¡¯t reveal anything, so Wu Tianqi couldn¡¯t help but stammer, ¡°Y ¨C yeah. ¡°


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I was just surprised to see how excited you were to answer. Seems like you already knew I want to ask something like this.¡±


    Wu Tianqi quickly said, ¡°Ha, isn¡¯t this because A¡¯Heng happened to be born with a very similar appearance to Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s Young Master Jiang. The Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage have a deep friendship, this I know. For Sect Master Yun to care about this matter is not strange, not strange.¡±


    After he finished this sentence, the smile on Yun Xie¡¯s lips only deepened, and he immediately felt an ominous feeling. He only listened to the other party slowly saying, ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not surprised, but I¡¯m a bit puzzled. Sect Master Wu is the uncle of Du Heng, it¡¯s really impossible that you wouldn¡¯t know that his appearance is exactly the same as Jiang Xunyi. But¡­ then why did you not show any surprise when you first met A¡¯Xun in Yuele City?¡±


    Wu Tianqi was speechless, but at this moment, Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s voice drifted in. ¡°Brother Yun, how are you here? My antidote has been distributed, should we set off? The situation is critical, so don¡¯t delay too much.¡±


    Wu Tianqi was relieved, and when he saw that Yun Xie didn¡¯t reply, only humming in response, he stood up and turned to leave.


    ¡°Master Wu!¡± Yun Xie¡¯s voice rang out coldly, and he stood up. After Wu Tianqi¡¯s footsteps were stopped, he grabbed his collar and pushed him into the wall.


    ¡°Zhengfan , wait for me at the door.¡±


    Wu Tianqi said in horror, ¡°Sect¡­Sect Master Yun, what are you going to do? That¡¯s all I know. Don¡¯t tell me you are planning to kill someone?¡±


    Yun Xie completely lost his patience, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Wu Tianqi, listen carefully. Jiang Xunyi is my brother, his business is mine, and so I asked you this today. I advise you to speak from beginning! To! End! If one day I find that you have lied, then I do not think Sect Master Wu can bear the consequences.¡±


    He finished speaking and, as if holding something back, took a deep breath. He slowly let go of his hand, and where his fingers had pressed, Wu Tianqi¡¯s collar was fluttering in pieces from Yun Xie¡¯s grip.


    It is much harder to crush the cloth than to crush the stone. When Yun Xie let go, Wu Tianqi couldn¡¯t help as his legs became weak. He fell to the floor and said with a trembled voice, ¡°Sect Master Yun, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to say it, it¡¯s because I was cursed. Under the curse, I can¡¯t say anything about this¡­¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at him, and immediately pulled out a talisman with his left hand. ¡°


    Incompatibility to the bright world may not be unspoken.¡± [1] Suddenly, several silver lights appeared in the air. The temperature around the two of them dropped rapidly, and the water vapor in the air was condensed into a piece of frost. Wu Tianqi was shaking because of the chill and had to curl up into a ball, but Yun Xie seemed to be unable to feel the low temperature at all.


    He spoke indifferently, ¡°Now you can talk.¡±


    Wu Tianqi gently tested the waters. ¡°A¡¯Heng is not actually a descendant of the Du family¡­¡±


    After he said this, he found that he had not been hurt in any way. He immediately had enough courage to continue. ¡°Originally, my sister-in-law¡­ oh, that is, Madam Du, did give birth to a child, but the childbirth was difficult, and the mother died just after giving birth. Therefore, the child¡¯s body was weak and he was sick all the time, and before he was twenty, he died¡­ this current Du Heng was actually picked up by his brother, and the Xuehua [2] seal on his body was also branded on later.¡±


    ¡°Branded on?¡±


    Wu Tianqi nodded. ¡°On the second day after the child died, before we had time to bury him, A¡¯Li brought back a boy who looked exactly the same as A¡¯Heng. But he didn¡¯t expect that despite the boy¡¯s handsome elegance, he was actually a fool. But at that time, A¡¯Li was already the head of the family. He insisted on keeping the news of A¡¯Heng¡¯s death secret and wanted to raise the boy as a younger brother. We just took him to be excessively sad, and no one could persuade him, so we just let him do as he wished. But Sect Master Yun, you also know, A¡¯Heng has looked very similar to Young Master Jiang of the Hidden Spirit Sect since he was a child. There is no one who does not know of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, plus Young Master Jiang himself is also well known to be extremely clever. For one, Big Brother A¡¯Li was ashamed, and secondly, he didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, so he deliberately didn¡¯t let him come out to meet strangers, which is why there was no news before.¡±


    Yun Xie pondered for a moment and confirmed again. ¡°You said before that Du Li and Du Heng have a very good relationship. Is this true?¡±


    Wu Tianqi felt like he was about to be frozen into a dog, and said with a sad expression, ¡°It¡¯s true, Sect Master Yun, if it wasn¡¯t because I had no other choice, why would I lie to you?¡±


    Yun Xie nodded, took out a veil from his arms, and opened it carefully. There was a silver needle inside ¡ª it was the one that was directed at Chen Li before it was intercepted by him. ¡°Do you know this thing?¡±


    Wu Tianqi shook his head.


    Yun Xie looked at the needle tip that was still shining with blue light. He smiled and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we pierce you?¡±


    Some things didn¡¯t need to be tried to know it is poisonous, okay! Wu Tianqi¡¯s expression morphed in fright, and he shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Sect Master Yun, please forgive me, I really haven¡¯t seen it!¡±


    Yun Xie stared at him, and after a long while, he took the silver needle back and waved his left hand around them. The ice and snow suddenly dispersed, the expression on his face slightly loosened, and he took two steps forward to help Wu Tianqi up. ¡°Just kidding, don¡¯t be afraid. Thank you Master Wu for telling me these things today.¡±


    Wu Tianqi shivered and stood on his own, hurriedly avoiding Yun Xie¡¯s support. ¡°I don¡¯t dare, don¡¯t dare.¡±


    When Zhuo Zhengfan saw the enchantment disperse, he immediately rushed over with Wu Hui. ¡°Brother Yun, although the people outside were convinced to take the medicine, they still have some doubts and refuse to leave with me. You should come forward.¡±


    Yun Xie nodded, and walked out after Zhuo Zhengfan.

 CH 68.2

    Chapter 68 ¨C Sect Master Yun (2)


    ¡°Sect Master Yun!¡±


    ¡°Sect Master Yun?¡±


    ¡°Look, Sect Master Yun is here, we¡¯re saved!¡±


    The moment they saw Yun Xie, the perturbed people seemed to have found a pillar, and they surrounded him with surprise and joy. In the eyes of these little sects, the well-known Yun Xie was naturally much more trustworthy than Zhuo Zhengfan, who has been to the cell several times in the past as the prison guard. Full of excitement, they gathered around:


    ¡°Sect Master Yun, you came, the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage really deserve its reputation! You will take us out?¡±


    ¡°What the hell is this place, we were imprisoned here randomly. Sect Master Yun, can the person next to you be trusted?¡±


    ¡°The people here are very fierce. There are only three senior brothers left in my sect. Sect Master Yun, do you have a grasp on the situation after going out? Is Young Master Jiang also coming? Are you meeting outside?¡±


    ¡°Sect Master Yun¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone shut up!¡±


    The crowd was clamoring and making a huge ruckus, and Yun Xie couldn¡¯t take it. ¡°I know what you said. Just after taking the antidote, it¡¯s better to save energy! What I don¡¯t understand is why you¡¯re crowding around me if you have hands and feet and a brain. If I don¡¯t come, will you not leave? You will die here?¡±


    His words made everyone speechless. Yun Xie sighed, his heart harboring a sense of hatred for these new sects. However, it was indeed not a place for preaching. He finally swallowed his words and only patted Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s shoulder before coldly saying, ¡°This man is the son of the sword god, Young Hero Zhuo[1]. Without him enduring humiliation for years, no one would even know if your corpses had rotted into bones and scum here. If you suspect that someone will harm you, consider if you are important enough.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan didn¡¯t expect Yun Xie to say this and flashed him a surprised look. He was both a little moved and a little confused, and he finally sighed and said, ¡°Oh, what¡¯s the point of saying this, they¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t continue his sentence and shook his head. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    The roads in the stone prison were intricate and complicated, composed of various natural underpasses extending in all directions. It would be very difficult to navigate if it weren¡¯t for Zhuo Zhengfan leading the way. Everyone was taught a lesson by Yun Xie, and this time they all got up and walked silently. Yun Xie followed at the end of the team, but he had Wu Tianqi¡¯s words in his heart, and he faintly felt that something was wrong. However, no matter how clever he was, he couldn¡¯t think of a specific reason.


    In the sea silence, a person suddenly asked, ¡°Sect Master Yun, were your words true just now? Young Hero Zhuo¡­ wasn¡¯t actually taking refuge here?¡±


    Yun Xie turned his head and saw that it was Jin Zhi Sect¡¯s disciple Ma Bin.


    Indifferently, he replied. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ma Bin continued, ¡°We trust Sect Master Yun, and we have handed over our lives to you. Do you have any evidence to back up your claims?¡±


    Yun Xie was a little irritated, but he also knew that it probably wasn¡¯t only Ma Bin who had this question in his mind, so he patiently replied, ¡°What evidence do you need? The two words ¡®Yun Xie¡¯ are the evidence, and besides, no one here is worth going through so much trouble to deceive. Even if I wanted to kill all the people here, it¡¯s not necessary for me to go through so much trouble, right?¡±


    His words were domineering and rude, and it stunned people all at once. After a long while, Ma Bin said in a low voice, ¡°After so many years, you are nothing like what people say about you.¡±


    ¡°En, that means what they said is wrong.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡± This powerful confidence.


    As he spoke, he saw light before his eyes as a beam of moonlight illuminated the open space in front of them. They had already emerged from the ground. Besides Yun Xie and Zhuo Zhengfan, these people had not seen the sun for a long time, and when they could finally breathe fresh air, even the thought of their ruined sects could not stop them from letting out low cheers.


    Yun Xie raised his hand, and the cheers stopped immediately. No matter where he was, he would naturally act as a leader. Although he looked young, he had a calm and constant temperament.


    ¡°Now your spiritual powers are almost restored, right? I need eighteen people to follow Young Hero Zhuo to guard at the foot of the mountain. The rest follow me up the mountain. Today, we are in for a penny, in for a pound[2]. Let¡¯s get rid of the Flame Gate so that this place of filth and dirt will not do harm to others in the future.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was clear and decisive as he directly gave his orders, but the others were shocked, and it took a long time for someone to pluck up the courage to speak.


    ¡°Sect Master Yun, we all just managed to get away with our lives. If we do this now, isn¡¯t it the same as going back to death?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said, ¡°May I ask what you mean?¡±


    Another person with a more grumpy temper said immediately, ¡°Young people are hot-blooded, so it¡¯s easy to be impulsive. End the Flame Gate? Haha, this isn¡¯t something that can be done right after you say it. Sect Master Yun wants to be a martyred hero, but my set of old bones can¡¯t afford to accompany you. If you¡¯re going, you can go on your own, goodbye!¡±


    After he said this, he immediately started to move. Yun Xie didn¡¯t feel angry, but smiled happily, ¡°No problem. If you don¡¯t go, that¡¯s not a problem. But leaving? You can¡¯t do that. ¡°


    He raised his hand, and the wind around him suddenly stirred, forming a blade of wind that slashed out. The expression of astonishment still remained on the face of the person who spoke as his head rolled to the ground.


    The blood spilt all over the floor, and no one expected that he would be so arrogant as to openly kill people. He didn¡¯t even make a sound before he made a move. The people next to him were all frightened, and Zhuo Zhengfan blurted out, ¡°Brother Yun!¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at him. He paused and didn¡¯t say anything more.


    After a long while, someone spoke up with a trembling voice, ¡°Sect Master Yun, what does this mean?¡±


    Yun Xie stretched out his hands with an innocent look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did I do something wrong? I was the one who saved his life, so it should be used for me. If he doesn¡¯t listen to me, I have to take it back. Isn¡¯t this just fair? Ah, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never looked good killing people, how appalling. Come, come, come over and personally throw him aside for me.¡±


    Even though everyone has heard of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage having a reputation for doing cruel things, but it is hard to imagine that this gentle-looking young man would be so ruthless. Only now did the people see Yun Xie¡¯s fickleness, and no one dared to raise any more objections.


    If it was Jiang Xunyi that was here, naturally he wouldn¡¯t say a single extra word of nonsense, but Zhuo Zhengfan¡¯s style of dealing with things was not the same. He originally did not agree with Yun Xie¡¯s doing this, and after hesitating a moment, he opened his mouth to speak. But after thinking about it, it became clear that if they did not act harshly at this time, the people¡¯s hearts would be inharmonious. It¡¯s fine if they didn¡¯t act with them, but if they left and revealed something, it will be fatal.


    Thinking of this, his feet moved to go up to deal with the corpse. However, before he could do anything, Ma Bin suddenly stepped up first and moved the corpse in a different place.


    Yun Xie also looked at him somewhat surprised. Ma Bin¡¯s smile was nervous, but his tone was firm. ¡°Sect Master Yun, I believe in you, I am willing to follow you.¡±


    Other than Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie didn¡¯t really care if others worshipped or hated him, so he just smiled faintly. ¡°Okay, there are good prospects. Then does anyone else have objections?¡±


    There were no more, so Yun Xie followed what he said earlier. He quickly divided the people into two groups and then said, ¡°Zhengfan, retreat with them, hurry up!¡±


    They had discussed this plan earlier, so Zhuo Zhengfan immediately understood what Yun Xie wanted to do and quickly led the way. As they left, Yun Xie stood there, watching the dark and silent mountain for a while before he suddenly smiled and raised his hand. A silver bow that was half the size of a person appeared out of thin air in his hand along with a long arrow of the same color.


    He lifted his long bow effortlessly, his clothes fluttering in the wind, then drew the string. The arrowhead quickly ignited and became raging fire. It shot out of the string and hit the symbol Yun Xie had drawn before on the mountainside.


    In the dark night, a loud rumble was heard before the mountain exploded, blazing flames bursting into the sky. Thick smoke and rubble pounded their faces, but they stopped one after another around Yun Xie.


    The flames reddened his snow-white skin, and Yun Xie smiled slightly. ¡°I like fire.¡±


    His expression was gentle, as if he had seen something beloved, and he stood for a while before he put the bow and arrow away, turned, and leapt away.


    Yun Xie was extremely fast, and after a few leaps, he caught up with Zhuo Zhengfan and said quickly, ¡°Zhengfan, listen to me. Once the glow of the fire intensifies, Xuanli will definitely come down the mountain soon. I plan to draw him away at that time, and A¡¯Xun can take the opportunity¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw someone running towards them from the distance. Before Yun Xie could ask, he already cried out in tears, ¡°Martial Uncle Yun! Martial Uncle Yun!¡±


    Yun Xie took a look and hurriedly greeted him. ¡°Yu Hong, why are you here?¡± He thought for just a moment and understood, then laughed. ¡°I know, are you here to look for your martial uncle? Don¡¯t fret, he is not with me now. If you have the courage to go up the mountain, why don¡¯t I take you to see him?¡±


    Yu Hong was different from Jiang Molou and had been very close to Yun Xie since he was a child. He was full of admiration for Yun Xie and also lacked the wary nature of Jiang Molou, so even after he heard that Yun Xie killed Jiang Xunyi, he still refused to believe it. In his mind, he absolutely believed in Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s bond.


    On his way, he finally passed through the stacks of formations and guards to finally reach the bottom of the mountain. He kept inquiring about the situation but didn¡¯t get the slightest bit of news, so his heart¡¯s worries about Jiang Xunyi had reached the extreme. When he saw Yun Xie, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore and knelt, crying out, ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, my martial uncle he¡­ he seems to have been taken away¡­whether he lives or have died is uncertain, you must save him!¡±


    [1] ÉÙÏÀ ¨C shao xia, it¡¯s a title that means like young swordsman


    [2] Ò»²»×ö¶þ²»ÐÝ ¨C to carry something through, no matter the consequences

 CH 69

    Chapter 69 ¨C Take care, may we meet again


    The smile on Yun Xie¡¯s face froze, and in that moment, he felt that his heartbeat had completely stopped. His body shook suddenly, and a familiar fear overcame his heart.


    Zhuo Zhengfan was also taken aback. Just as he took a step to support him, he saw that Yun Xie Xie had already stood firm in an instant, straightening his back as if he had forced his inner pain back.


    He had been the future sect master ever since he was a child and was thus was born with a burden three times heavier than others. No matter how much pain he had in his heart, he couldn¡¯t show any sign on his face. Even if he falls, he will be the last to fall in this world.


    Yu Hong was full of pain and anxiety. Suddenly he felt his shoulders tighten as Yun Xie grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up. He raised his head and saw the other¡¯s calm and firm face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Yun Xie¡¯s voice was quick and forceful. ¡°Think about who your martial uncle is, he will definitely be fine. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go find him!¡±


    He tightly grasped Yu Hong¡¯s shoulder until the joints of his fingers became a little white. Seeming to speak to Yu Hong, but at the same time himself, he said, ¡°My Solar Envy Sect Master¡¯s identification is a jade ring that can cure hundreds of poisons when worn on the body, and it even has my own spiritual power, which your uncle knows how to use¡­ when worn, no matter what, it can protect him once.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s palm was pressing into Yu Hong forcefully, who involuntarily began to tear up before he nodded heavily. He took out a piece of cloth from his arms and handed it to Yun Xie. ¡°Uncle Yun, this is what martial uncle asked me to give you.¡±


    Yun Xie took it and was immediately stunned by the blood on the cloth, causing him to subconsciously close his eyes. Only after a moment did he finally begin to look at it. Seeing that his hands were shaking, Zhuo Zhengfan hurriedly supported him on the side. It was only then that Yun Xie saw the writing clearly.


    ¡°¡­Sealing Xuanli¡¯s soul is a last resort¡­ Therefore, brother Wang must be careful and never directly face Xuanli¡­ I beg you to think twice about everything and cherish all hope¡­ Yu Shenan, pretending to be captured is also an expedient strategy, you just don¡¯t think, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan felt like he was still in the fog and asked urgently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? It¡¯s Xunyi okay? Is he pretending to be caught?¡±


    Yun Xie balled the cloth, raised his hand and was about to throw it away, but after a moment, he put his hand back and cursed, ¡°What are you trying to show off, all you can say is bullshit!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan and Yu Hong looked at each other, no one daring to answer. Yun Xie speeded up his words. ¡°I¡¯m going to find that kid. The plan is still as I said just now. The situation on the mountain should have been messed with enough by him. It won¡¯t be too dangerous, so we should just go ¨C Zhengfan take over my position, Yu Hong listen to your uncle Zhuo, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    When the last three words ¡°I¡¯m leaving¡± were spoken, Yun Xie¡¯s figure had already flown so far that Yu Hong only saw a white shadow skipping up the mountain like lightning. Before Yun Xie¡¯s figure completely disappeared, there were several earth-shattering explosions on the top of the mountain, so powerful that even the entire mountain shook. With a wailing that sounded like a cacophony of ghosts crying together, a black hostile energy suddenly enveloped the mountain.


    This was the result of Jiang Xunyi angering Feng Qiu and the others on the mountain and finding the four boxes. However, at this time, the others didn¡¯t know what had happened, and they were even more worried. Yun Xie was stunned immediately, and when Zhuo Zhengfan saw him, he couldn¡¯t help but utter an, ¡°Ah¡±. However, Yun Xie then got up from the ground without saying a word and disappeared in an instant.


    When he was finally alone, the forced image of strength and stability finally broke to pieces. After running for a while, he remembered that he could still use the sword, so he took out the Bright River sword that had been unused for so long from his space pocket. He tossed in midair then flipped to stand on the sword before he swept up the mountain like a wind.


    Due to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s provocation, most of the guards were transferred to the yard where Li Ji was located. However, the perimeter¡¯s defense was not relaxed. When Yun Xie rushed through the mountain, he immediately caused countless exclamations and scolding:


    ¡°Who? Who dares to ride a sword up the mountain, hurry and get down!¡±


    ¡°Not good, the person who came is not good, quickly activate the magic circle!¡±


    ¡°No, no, this mountain is clearly restricted, so why can he still use the sword?! This person has deep skills. Unpredictable, be careful everyone!¡±


    Yun Xie turned a deaf ear to the disturbances underneath, instead using both hands to create a spell. There was no sword in his hand, but sword energy blazed in the air. The blue light and shadow almost split the sky and the earth, sweeping out with a force of destruction, and instantly leveled off half the mountain. He had no intention to kill them however, so without even looking back, he flew over.


    Fortunately, although Yun Xie can¡¯t directly contact Jiang Xunyi, he can faintly feel the location of his sect master token.


    However, right after identifying the direction, he suddenly felt a spiritual chill and quickly jumped off the Bright River sword. He flipped over and ducked just as a long black knife shot right past his back. Yun Xie stood strong, Minghe sword in hand, and shouted, ¡°Xuan Li!¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li clenched his teeth. ¡°Yun Xie, it¡¯s you again!¡±


    The feuds between the two was so great that once they faced each other, and the sky would be darkened in minutes. Yun Xie, who was worried about Jiang Xunyi, saw at this time that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was not with him and felt relieved. He backhandedly grabbed the hilt of the Bright River sword and smashed the scabbard at the opponent.


    The sword¡¯s shadow split from one into three in mid-air, then divided into countless small swords, surrounding Xuanli Demon Lord in the middle. Yun Xie took advantage of this opportunity to turn and run towards the top of the mountain as if he didn¡¯t even want his saber anymore.


    When Demon Sovereign Xuan Li heard that the dungeon had exploded, he rushed to the door of the prison, but just as he arrived, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, so strong it seemed like someone had tore his heart out. He immediately realized that the blood evil formation he had laid was broken, and his heart chilled. In his anger, he rushed to the mountain immediately, wholeheartedly trying to settle the account with Jiang Xunyi. Unexpectedly, he ran into Yun Xie again here. Thinking of the way that they probably watched and helped each other and the way they were always united, he felt even more angry. Both he and Yun Xie wanted to rush to meet Jiang Xunyi first. Naturally Demon Soverieng Xuan Li couldn¡¯t let his opponent go so easily.


    As the saying goes, if the sword is lost, the person is lost. For the immortal cultivator, they were very sensitive to their personal weapon. Before Yun Xie took a few steps, he suddenly noticed that the sword formation had dispersed and quickly turned back. When he saw Demon Sovereign Xuan Li take out something, he immediately moved to retrieve the Bright River sword.


    With a tap, the Ming He sword was called back. At the same time, he felt that the spiritual energy coming from the other was extremely familiar. When he looked up, he found that the Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was holding the Extinguished Flower Sword!


    If the sword lives, the man lives, if the sword is lost, the person is lost¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for an extremely dangerous situation, how could Jiang Xunyi let his sword fall into the hands of another?


    Yun Xie¡¯s heart froze, fear and fury filling him until he felt something prick at the corner of his eyes, which he wiped with his sleeve. It turned out that he was so angry that he had lost his breath, and blood flowed from his eyes.


    He coldly shouted, ¡°Who owns the sword?!¡±


    Demon Lord Xuanli raised the sword in his hand, and an evil curve appeared on his lips. ¡°Sect Master Yun can¡¯t even recognize your brother¡¯s sword? He has been on the mountain with this monarch for so many days already, and the relationship has long since changed from what it used to be, so the intimacy is normal. It is nothing to use the weapon. Your outburst will makes people doubt for no reason.¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t say anything to Xuan Li Demon Sovereign¡¯s face, but his pupils clearly shrank, and two lines of blood flowed down from the corner of his eyes. With the calm and unwavering expression, he looked strange and terrifying.


    However, a moment later, the usual and familiar sarcasm appeared again. ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, with your fragmented virtues, can you still have wishful thoughts? Xuan Li, if you want to dream, piss off to hell to do it!¡±


    He quickly backhandedly slapped his own shoulders and head, yelling, ¡°Go soul, arrow ghost, seal quickly open!¡± [1]


    Xuan Li¡¯s face changed suddenly. ¡°Yun Xie, you actually unlocked the prajna flower¡¯s seal by yourself. Are you not afraid of qi deviation again? You lunatic, what do you want to do?!¡±


    His soul was sealed in Yun Xie¡¯s body, and in the beginning, when Yun Xie¡¯s emotions were going crazy, he could even use his hearts demons to disturb the other¡¯s mind, but now Demon Sovereign Xuan Li is no longer what he used to be. Without the skill of that time, Yun Xie¡¯s actions was likely to cause a backlash of the soul and cause both of them losses.


    Yun Xie spouted a mouthful of blood, staring straight at the other person, and slowly said, ¡°In the past, my mind was bewitched by you, and I made two grave mistakes, so this is the greatest source of resentment in my life. So no matter how great the price I pay today, I must get rid of your soul so you can¡¯t do harm to the world anymore!¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li angrily smirked. ¡°Extremely arrogant! This monarch has been famous for hundreds of years, but you? A young man¡­¡±


    Before the second half of the sentence was spoken, Xuan Li¡¯s eyes suddenly widened as Yun Xie unexpectedly hit a yellow talisman on his own chest ¨C it was originally a soul talisman, but in this instance, he aimed to strip Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s spirit from his body. Perhaps even Jiang Xunyi, who grew up with him, wouldn¡¯t have expected Yun Xie to do such a trick.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too surprised.¡± Yun Xie was somehow still able to speak. ¡°Because there are so many impossible things in this world.¡±


    As he spoke, his chest gradually glowed with a dull light. Yun Xie peeled off the symbol and shook it in the wind. A cloud of gray mist appeared on his hand in a blink of an eye.


    The pain of forcibly stripping the soul is tantamount to digging out your own heart. Yun Xie¡¯s forehead was covered with a cold sweat, but he smiled, gathered his five fingers in front of Xuan Li, and in a blink of an eye, the fog turns into ash.


    Xuan Li had already been hit hard by Jiang Xunyi earlier and was unable to stop Yun Xie. Suddenly he pressed his lips as a whistle and shouted, ¡°Where is the black armored general! Where is the wandering warrior!¡±


    As he called, the surrounding area filled with a great amount of black fog and a strong rancid smell. Using his sword support him, Yun Xie looked around only to see a corpse growing out of the soil like some kind of plant, surrounding him.


    The corpse¡¯s face had blue and looked dull, but he could see clearly that it was Feng Xue!


    Yun Xie¡¯s moves were merciless, but the murderous corpse made by a person with a high level of cultivation was extremely difficult to deal with, so he was stuck here for a while.


    Turning his head, he saw that Xuan Li has disappeared without a trace.

 CH 70.1

    Chapter 70 ¨C White (1)


    After twists and turns, Yun Xie finally got rid of the entanglement of the monsters and ghosts that were acting under Xuan Li. Half his life was already lost from being scared for Jiang Xunyi. At this time, he finally found the person he was looking for and recklessly pressed him into his arms, immediately feeling that his whole heart was at ease.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s strike was firm, and Yun Xie even felt that his internal organs had shifted for a moment, but he still refused to let go, hugging Jiang Xunyi tightly to his chest. As long as he knew that nothing happened to the person in his arms, even if his shoulders and back were under severe pain, he was still relieved. Burying his head into the side of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck, he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    When Jiang Xunyi first saw him, he was pleasantly surprised, but he quickly remembered the words of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li and immediately felt inexplicably awkward, so he gave Yun Xie a push.


    He didn¡¯t use much strength in the push, so Yun Xie did not let go, unmoving as he held him in his arms. Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt a little wetness on his neck. He raised his hand to feel it and brought back a palm full of blood. He finally reacted and pushed open Yun Xie¡¯s hands and supporting him with his arm.


    Anxiously, he asked, ¡°Yun Xie, how is your injury?¡±


    Yun Xie wiped the corner of his lips with the back of his hand and smiled. ¡°Small injury. A¡¯Xun, help me up, let¡¯s finish him together.¡±


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li sneered. ¡°Yun Xie, between the two of us, it is still not clear who will be the first to die.¡±


    Seeing Yun Xie¡¯s state, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face darkened immediately[1]. He was was obviously injured, and hearing Xuan Li still speaking cold words made his heart so furious, he snatched the Extinguished Flower sword from his hand and stabbed Demon Sovereign Xuan Li without saying a word.


    It was both fierce and quick with great force, but not even mentioning normal people, even Jiang Xunyi had only wanted to vent his anger and didn¡¯t expect that Demon Sovereign Xuan Li would actually be pierced by his sword.


    What he didn¡¯t expect even more was that the Extinguished Flower sword turned out to be broken with only half of the blade left!


    In surprise, he almost forgot to pull his sword out until Demon Sovereign Xuan Li laughed wildly. He withdrew the sword, leaped back two steps with Yun Xie, and vigilantly watched the big demon boss who suddenly lost his mind.


    In fact, Demon Sovereign Xuan Li was even moreso suffering but unable to speak. Although he severely injured Yun Xie at that moment, he was also seriously injured by the counter blow from his opponent. He had not yet adjusted his breath before Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sword smashed through like thunder without giving him a chance to cushion the blow. The amount of damage could be imagined.


    He laughed wildly and looked at the two people standing side by side in front of him. ¡°This monarch has been famous for hundreds of years, who knew that I would repeatedly fall into the hands of you two stinky boys. It is really retribution¡­ But Jiang Xunyi, two against one¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s unfair?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t answer, because as the other spoke, all of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s joints burst like fried beans, and a burst of black air gradually poured from his body.


    Jiang Xunyi cried out involuntarily, ¡°Not good, he wants to blow himself up!¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what his current mood was, and all he could feel was that at this moment, he couldn¡¯t think of the protagonist role, the mission, or even whether he would die. He just knew subconsciously that Yun Xie can¡¯t die!


    Brother, lover, mission goal¡­ whatever the feeling was, at least in this world, Yun Xie was the only¡­. the only one¡­


    Countless thoughts passed by, but the amount of time that actually passed was only enough to glance at the other. How many times had he been near death in a very dangerous situation? Jiang Xunyi was not afraid of dying. His only regret was that he would die in front of Yun Xie again, afraid of making his heart uncomfortable..


    But even if he is sad, as long as he can live, there is hope.


    I¡¯m sorry, Yun Xie¡­


    Jiang Xunyi flew forwards, and at the same time, Xuan Li raised his hand and sent a palm out. He was pushed and blocked by Jiang Xunyi, whose fingers were as fast as lightning, temporarily sealing both his Heaven Projection and Spirit Manor[2] acupuncture points. He followed by grabbing Demon Sovereign Xuan Li and exhausting all his spiritual power to suppress the demon energy that the other party wanted to dissipate. The two of them rolled towards the cliff beside them, actually intending to die together.


    Yun Xie¡¯s injury was not light, and he was originally leaning on a tree to adjust his breath. When he saw this scene suddenly, he felt the world spin and wanted to yell for Jiang Xunyi to come back. Just as he began to use spiritual power, he vomited blood. He coughed twice and couldn¡¯t suppress the tremor in his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­you, don¡¯t go, I beg you¡­A¡¯Xun!¡±


    At a distance, Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t hear Yun Xie¡¯s shouting, but at this moment, he almost telepathically understood and looked back.


    From a distance, Yun Xie looked anxious, and in his trance, a thought suddenly passed: Is what Demon Sovereign Xuan Li said true? This time, he wasn¡¯t able to ask Yun Xie before he died.


    At this moment, Jiang Xunyi suddenly realized that he was also reluctant to die.


    As he fell rapidly, he suddenly felt that that he was about to reach the bottom of the cliff, and yet Demon Sovereign Xuan Li did not move. If this is the case, he did not get killed by the self-detonation but instead fell to death first.


    He originally carried the desire to die a martyr, but that was such a waste of emotions. Jiang Xunyi quickly flipped over and leaped up, smacking downwards to dispel the momentum of the fall. His clothes fluttered in the wind before gently falling on the ground.


    He cast aside Xuan Li and shouted, ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡±


    ¡°The one this lord wanted to kill the most is Yun Xie, but Young Master Jiang hurriedly stood up for him. How can one strike if you are like this?¡± Demon Sovereign Xuan Li suddenly lowered his voice. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that you would be softhearted¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his brows and looked at him warily.


    Demon Sovereign Xuan Li lay on the ground, black air flowing out of his seven orifices. His voice was almost inaudible as he said, ¡°Chen Li and your master were not killed by me¡­ to you I truly¡­¡±


    The voice stopped abruptly. In midair was another figure that had jumped down. Before the person landed, the broken sword in his hand had already flown out, impaling Xuan Li¡¯s heart impartially, without allowing him to finish his last sentence.


    Jiang Xunyi stepped forward and pulled Yun Xie away. ¡°Yun Xie, what¡¯s up with you, why did you follow? I finally got him¡­ oh-¡°


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was sinking[3], and he waved away Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand, instead turning around and grabbing his shoulder before staring at him. ¡°Jiang Xunyi, what is the meaning of this? You are planning to let me watch you die again? You want me to live when I¡¯d rather die? How much fucking hatred is between us for you to want to treat me like this?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi knew that he was wrong, and some rare vulnerability showed through. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to be in danger¡­ besides, aren¡¯t you injured?¡±


    ¡°What about you, so you weren¡¯t injured? Did you know that it¡¯s more uncomfortable for me to see you hurt than my own damn self hurt?! Oh yeah, earlier you even carried me on your back when we investigated the Flame Gate¡ª you¡ª¡± Yun Xie was so angry that he couldn¡¯t even speak, his forehead throbbing with blue veins. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped himself heavily.


    With a very crisp ¡°pa¡±, half of Yun Xie¡¯s face immediately swelled.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t bear to hit Jiang Xunyi, and he hated that he didn¡¯t protect him. Even after slapping himself, he still felt unhappy, so when he turned around and saw the corpse of Demon Sovereign Xuan Li, he kicked him again. The corpse that had been stitched by needles and thread suddenly fell apart and became a pile of remains.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The guilt disappeared. Jiang Xunyi felt that he was in the right, and he still couldn¡¯t tell if Yun Xie even had a strand of hair that liked him.


    Yun Xie turned his head and looked at the face in front of him. It was very familiar and yet he couldn¡¯t get tired of looking at it. Thoughts unknown, he sighed deeply.


    After a long time, his irritable mood finally calmed down, the anger in his eyes faded, and gentleness slowly began to exude from him. He whispered softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to be angry with you, but you should know that I would rather be stabbed with a thousand swords and have an arrow pierce through my heart than have you suffer any harm¡­ Jiang Xunyi, I like you, I have liked you for many, many years.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips moved, and after a long pause, he finally said, ¡°So everything you said in the past is¡­¡±


    Even though he knew it beforehand, it was still a little weird to think that this is a person who grew up with him, called a brother, and fought side by side with him only to suddenly want a role-change. ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t playing with me, right? ¡°


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Yun Xie took a deep breath before sneering. ¡°I know you think I have always been babbling, never speaking the truth. But Jiang Xunyi, although I may not uphold every word I say as a promise, but think about it, have I ever lied to you? In fact, the only person who ever feels like I¡¯m joking around is you!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stared at Yun Xie for a while, and unexpectedly, there was neither shock nor rage, and he couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking.


    Yun Xie had held back for far too long, and only after he finished speaking in one breath did he realize what just happened and slow down. Thinking about what he had just said, he suddenly felt nervous and became a pile of wood, unable to even breathe. He relied on years of concentration to barely maintain his mighty and domineering facial paralysis, but in his heart, he was anxious, carefully trying to figure out Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression with the feeling that the other could judge his life or death with one word.


    In fact, he has lived for so many years, killing decisively and acting arbitrarily. He was held up high by countless people starting from when he was still a teenager. He wasn¡¯t someone with an anxious personality at all. But he had no other way: he just liked Jiang Xunyi so much, so much, so much that he becomes humble.


    [1] ÃæÈç½ð¼ˆ ¨C literally means face like gold paper, but this means your face is bloodless from extreme anger or fear


    [2] ÌìÍ», Éñ·â ¨C two acupuncture points. According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture points are located on meridians which transport qi


    [3] Ãæ³ÁÈçË® ¨C lit. face heavy like water, means a gloomy expression or dissatisfaction

 CH 70.2

    Chapter 70 ¨C White (2)


    In this world, putting on a display to fool others was okay, but Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie had known each other for so many years, so at a glance, Jiang Xunyi could see that the other¡¯s dog face[1] was putting on a pitiful show that he couldn¡¯t bear to watch. He suddenly snorted, slightly torn and slightly confused at how everything happened without reason. He just felt that ever since he took his little life back, it would be nice to be happy about the things in this world and not think so much.


    He stretched out his hand and hooked Yun Xie¡¯s chin. ¡°What are you saying with a straight face? Are you trying to fight with me? You¡¯re still not giving this master a smile?¡±


    Yun Xie had always known that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temperament was strong, and when faced with his crush that was as soft as intestines, he was afraid that Jiang Xunyi would want to cut off ties. He wanted to say something else to make up for the stupid things he had just said, but at this moment, he was too taken aback and suddenly forgot to say any more.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s fingers were still on his chin, and his skin felt infinitely sensitive. Yun Xie could even feel a warmness from the cold, jade-like fingertips.


    He met Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes in disbelief and saw that the other was slightly smiling.


    When their eyes met, Yun Xie suddenly understood Jiang Xunyi¡¯s meaning, and a rush of blood flooded his head. Suddenly, there seemed to be thousands of fireworks in full bloom in front of him, and it was almost impossible to tell whether or not this was a dream. He originally excelled at eloquence, but at this time, he felt that the thousands of words in his heart were all trapped, and he couldn¡¯t speak even a word. He couldn¡¯t do anything besides stare at Jiang Xunyi hysterically, the corners of his mouth rising higher and higher.


    ¡°¡­Yun Xie.¡± Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°No, why do you love crying so much? Can you wipe your face before you talk? All these tears are rubbing on my clothes.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s heart was in full bloom, and in his agitation, a mouthful of blood spurted out.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡± Should he even mess with him anymore?


    He retracted his hand. ¡°Okay, act like I didn¡¯t mention it. Show me your injury, how do you feel now¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Yun Xie suddenly grasped the hand that was trying to withdraw and pressed it onto his chest. His other hand reached to hold the back of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head before he leaned in and kissed him.


    Jiang Xunyi instinctively struggled, but as Yun Xie kissed him, he forgot all his thoughts. The force of the kiss gradually increased until he was unable to even move. His movements were a bit jerky, but his expression was extremely devoted as if an entire lifetime¡¯s worth of passion and zeal were all pinned to this very moment.


    This kiss that brought the taste of blood and yet was indescribably sweet seemed to have created a layer of red dust[2] in an instant, and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s vain heart seemed to find something it has always lacked, and the awkwardness of unfamiliarity seemed to gradually disappear.


    After a long time, Yun Xie let go, lifting his left hand to stroke Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheek gently and pressing his forehead against the other¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Jiang Xunyi also lacked the calmness he had in the beginning, and his mind was only thinking that Yun Xie¡¯s eyes were deep and bright. To look at each other from such a distance only made everything more intense. The tip of his ears were a little hot, yet he still doggedly kept a serene expression. He raised his hand and patted Yun Xie. ¡°Move away a little ¨C look at how dirty you are, rubbing blood all over me.¡±


    After saying this, Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t hold back a smile ¡ª his facial features were originally peerless, with brows as sharp as swords, and a cold side profile. His facial expressions had never fluctuated much. However, after such a display, his face carried the scorching beauty of spring blossoms.


    Yun Xie was also looking at him with a smile when suddenly his eyes reddened.


    Jiang Xunyi gradually recovered and began to act as usual, raising his hand and snapped his fingers in front of Yun Xie¡¯s eyes. ¡°What are you in a daze for, Yun Xie, come back!¡±


    Yun Xie was about to speak, but when he glanced at him, he saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injured hand. There was pain in his heart, and the urge to kiss him again dissipated. ¡°Come and let me see your hand. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t care. ¡°Nothing, the bones are already healed. It¡¯s just a surface injury. Don¡¯t worry, my condition will never be worse than yours.¡±


    The more Jiang Xunyi was nonchalant, the more uncomfortable Yun Xie felt. He forcibly dragged Jiang Xunyi over to check his injuries. Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s palm and the shocking wound on his chest, his brows furrowed, his face almost dripping with gloominess. ¡°Xuan Li, that bastard. I just wish I could kill him again!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi really felt that there was nothing serious about the injury. He originally wanted to push away the sentimental Yun Xie as usual, but just as he raised his hands, something unknown came over him and he let his hands drop, letting Yun Xie examine the injury. But seeing Yun Xie¡¯s expression of melancholy, he still couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°It¡¯s alright now, you will get wrinkles if you frown so much. Hurry up and take back that expression, I¡¯m very good now!¡±


    Yun Xie bandaged Jiang Xunyi¡¯s injury and closed his shirt. With both a laugh and a sigh, he said, ¡°Alas, the hero is helpless and passionate. As long as I see you suffer, I can¡¯t help it. How could this be?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his hand. ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t be nauseating.¡±


    He rolled up his sleeves and concealed the uncomfortable expression on his face by bowing his head. ¡°You didn¡¯t hold back on scolding me today. Stretch out your hand. I want to see how brilliant and heroic our Sect Master Yun is.¡±


    The piece of Xuan Li¡¯s soul was originally sealed in Yun Xie by him, so Jiang Xunyi naturally could tell at a glance that the seal had been removed. Although he joked around, he was actually quite worried in his heart. However, he didn¡¯t expect that when he took Yun Xie¡¯s pulse, he found that the other¡¯s spiritual power was smooth, the devilish energy was completely eliminated, and even the injury was much lighter.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Although he really didn¡¯t want Yun Xie to be injured, why was it that he recovered from such a terrible injury in no time at all, while Jiang Xunyi was still half-dead like a seventy or eighty-year-old! The protagonist¡¯s halo is about to blind people!


    Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shocked face and couldn¡¯t help but smile. He brought the hand in his palm to his lips and kissed it, softening his voice when he said, ¡°This devilish energy has bothered me for a long time. Now that it¡¯s been removed, I feel even more relaxed¡­ A¡¯Xun, don¡¯t worry. As long as you are healthy, it¡¯s my greatest stability.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes fell directly on his face. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ears were hot, his face pretending to be calm. ¡°I, I, I, I, of course, I am not worried. Who doesn¡¯t know that you have thick skin?¡±


    Yun Xie endured and endured and finally let the corner of his mouth quirk up before he laughed.


    Jiang Xunyi angrily said, ¡°If you laugh again, I will kill you¡­¡±


    At this moment, Zhuo Zhengfan faintly shouted from a distance, ¡°Brother Yun, is it you at the bottom of the cliff? Have you found Xunyi?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his voice. ¡°Zhengfan, we are both here!¡±


    He took his sword back from Xuan Li and went up the cliff with Yun Xie to find that not only was Zhuo Zhengfan there with his group of rescued cultivators, even Yu Hong and Qi Shijiu were there.


    When Yu Hong saw him, he immediately rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist. Full of joy, he cried out, ¡°Martial Uncle!¡±


    Before he had time to cry out about his worries, he was picked up by the collar and tossed aside. Yun Xie smiled. ¡°You¡¯re already an adult, why are you still like a three-year-old child?¡±


    ¡°Martial Uncle Yun.¡± Yu Hong shuddered, and immediately stood up properly, still looking at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Uncle, are you okay?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stretched his fingers and flicked his forehead with a smile. ¡°Very good. I still have the strength to ask what is Young Hero Yu doing at the top of Flame Gate¡¯s Mountain? Want to find a good grave for yourself?¡±


    Yu Hong lowered his head quietly and shrank back, appearing like a little daughter-in-law. He dared not to talk any more.


    Jiang Xunyi pursed his lips and temporarily let him go, standing aside and pretending to listen to Zhuo Zhengfan talking to Yun Xie. However, doubts arose in his heart ¨C the Yun Xie of now is not like how he was in the story, and by dissipating Demon Sovereign Xuan Li¡¯s soul¡¯s demonic energy, the energy value of the system was weakened. At the same time, Jiang Xunyi had successfully completed the emergency task of saving Yu Hong and increased the energy a little bit. This was no different from what was expected, but why was the task of¡¾Finding the Truth¡¿still not completed even after Xuan Li¡¯s death? The quest this time had dragged on for so long, so what was the truth about it?


    As he was thinking, a wave of dizziness hit before he found that the energy bar of the system had suddenly increased a lot.


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help being surprised: the energy value of the task he completed had already been added, so he didn¡¯t know where this new energy came from. However, the energy bar only briefly flickered into visibility as the points were added, and it disappeared just as he wanted to see it again. He had no choice but to give up and merely note this in his mind.


    Although he had traveled to ancient times, he still feel that he was living in a cloud of smog, how unfortunate¡­


    Zhuo Zhengfan was still speaking to Yun Xie on the side. ¡°¡­It all went as you expected, so now the Flame Gate is only down to a few remnants and generals. They can¡¯t last long. According to my opinion, some people¡¯s sin is undeserving of death. I want to reorganize this place and form a new school, so I plan to stay for a while.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°Good deed. Do you need me to assign someone to help you?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt that today¡¯s Yun Xie was a bit abnormal. Although he normally smiled when he talked, his expression today was particularly lively. With one glance, you could tell it was joy from the heart, and his words were spoken like poetry. He didn¡¯t know what was up.


    Zhuo Zhengfan couldn¡¯t help taking a peek at Jiang Xunyi, but saw that he was standing next to him normally, sword in hands and head lowered. He didn¡¯t know what the other was thinking about, but everything seemed normal.


    ¡°No, thank you, Brother Yun,¡± Zhuo Zhengfan said. ¡°I have enough staff here. You and Xunyi are both important figures in your sects. I am afraid that leaving your sects for too long will cause you to accumulate many responsibilities, so you should head back soon ¡ª besides, isn¡¯t the Sword Testing Conference just two months away?


    Yun Xie actually forgot about this event ¡ª the Sword Testing Conference was regarded as a grand event in the cultivation world, held once every ten years. The disciples were able to learn from each other, and more importantly, the major sects of the cultivation world will be re-ranked at this meeting, so the leaders of each sect attached great importance to it. What¡¯s more, Solar Envy Sect and Hidden Spirit Sect have been tied for first place for a hundred years. This time the Hidden Spirit Sect fell apart, so the Solar Envy Sect became the focus of everyone¡¯s attention. Even though Yun Xie didn¡¯t pay much attention to it, and the things he needs to manage will not be delayed.


    When Jiang Xunyi heard the words ¡°Sword Test Conference¡±, he returned from his thoughts and immediately said, ¡°Yes, I also don¡¯t know what¡¯s happened with Molou. I have to go back and see before the conference.¡±


    When Yun Xie heard ¡°Molou¡±, he immediately took a deep breath. Jiang Xunyi glanced at him. ¡°If your teeth hurt, take medicine.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t know why he felt this way, but he kept thinking that something terrible has happened!


    [1]ÈËÄ£¹·Ñù ¨C elegant person on the outside but dog-like bad behavior on the inside


    [2] ÍòÕɺ쳾 ¨C refers to the hustle and bustle of worldly life in this world. It originated from the dust raised after the chariots and horses on the dirt road in the past, as a reference to the road to fame and fortune.

 CH 71

    Chapter 71 ¨C How is the Kingly Heart?


    Yun Xie looked at the cultivators who had been rescued by him. ¡°I see that these people do not belong to any sect or school. Why don¡¯t you go back and consult them? If they are willing to stay, they could help you.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan knew that Hidden Spirit and Solar Envy were big schools and were very strict with their disciple selecting process. Most of the disciples were recruited from a young age, and they rarely accepted disciples who were under other sects.


    Just as he nodded, he heard a juvenile disciple speak up. ¡°Sect Master Yun, can I follow you?¡±


    The man was Ma Bin, who had asked Yun Xie a question before. Jiang Xunyi had never met him, so he glanced at Ma Bin and asked, ¡°Which sect did you belong to? Do you know how to wield a sword?¡±


    With Jiang Xunyi¡¯s identity, it was already very polite for him to pose such a question to an unknown disciple like this, but Ma Bin didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he said, ¡°You¡¯re Jiang Xunyi? I¡¯ve heard of many rumors about you.¡±


    From his expression, it was very evident that the rumors he mentioned were not about wise and martial deeds. Jiang Xunyi was not angry. Instead, his gaze fell on a jade Buddha hanging on Ma Bin¡¯s chest before he was absorbed in thought.


    Yun Xie smiled and rubbed his temples carelessly. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    Ma Bin was taken aback. He didn¡¯t expect that he couldn¡¯t even remember his name and was a little disappointed, so he hurriedly said, ¡°The disciple is called Ma Bin.¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°En, the name is good, but it doesn¡¯t fit the person. Just now Young Master Jiang asked you which sect you were from and whether you know how to wield a sword, so why didn¡¯t you answer it directly? Is the answer too shameless to tell others or are you deaf and can¡¯t hear clearly?¡±


    Yun Xie was always smooth and eloquent, but these words were extremely rude. Ma Bin¡¯s entire face blushed crimson, and he stammered, ¡°I, I am wrong, Senior Jiang, I used to be Jin Zhi Sect¡¯s disciple. As for the sword ¡­¡­ I learned a little. ¡°


    So he really was from Jin Zhi Sect. Jiang Xunyi nodded. ¡°If you want to come along then follow. Yu Hong, bring him along on your sword. ¡°


    After saying this, he turned his eyes on the crowd. When he didn¡¯t see Qi Shijiu, he felt that it was a little strange, so he asked, ¡°Zhengfan, do you see Qi Shijiu?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was stunned for a moment before he reacted. ¡°You mean the kid who always follows you and doesn¡¯t like to talk? I saw him just now, and he was not injured. How did he disappear in such a short time?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled as he said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he is pleasing to the eye, so he was killed and buried in the back mountain just now.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan looked at Yun Xie suspiciously. In his mind, Yun Xie could definitely do this, and he didn¡¯t know if he was telling the truth or not.


    Jiang Xunyi, however, was relieved immediately. Without even caring about Yun Xie¡¯s nonsense, he said directly, ¡°Well, then it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was unclear who this was directed to.


    Yu Hong hesitated for a moment, then addressed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words from earlier. ¡°Martial Uncle, I¡­ had better¡­ not go with you for now.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to come then don¡¯t come. Why are you hesitating? Or do you have some secret?¡±


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t dare to argue with him, not to mention Yun Xie, who would support Jiang Xunyi without question, was standing right there. Even though he had to pause, he continued reluctantly, ¡°Actually, I came out this time to complete a mission, but before i could find the truth, I accidentally crossed paths with the Flame Gate¡­ Martial Uncle told me you were also heading here and that if you learn of this task, he will take off my skin and use it as a mattress.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi laughed. ¡°Then will you listen to him or listen to me?¡±


    Yu Hong smiled bitterly. ¡°Listen to him in front of him, listen to you in front of you. I hope you will say a few good things about me when you see Martial Uncle so he will be gentle when he peels my skin off.¡±


    Yun Xie frowned slightly when he heard this. Although he had been at odds with Jiang Molou since he was a child, he also had to admit that Jiang Molou would never do anything to harm Jiang Xunyi. Hearing Yu Hong say such things, he didn¡¯t want Jiang Xunyi to listen any further, but he also couldn¡¯t stop him, so he resorted to poking Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side a little.


    They listened to Yu Hong continue, ¡°The city lord of Tengge sent someone to the Hidden Spirit faction a few days ago to ask for support. He said that more than 100 bridegrooms died in the city over the past 30 days. All of them died violently on the night before their marriage. Now all of the people are panicked, saying that the city is haunted, and many tried to flee. However, for some reason, every time they walked to the woods near the gate of the city, they would get lost. Some people escaped with luck, while the fates of others are unknown even now, so Martial Uncle sent me to take a look at it.¡±


    Tengge was a big border city nearby. Because most of the people in the city were ethnic minorities, the folk customs have always been very unrestrained.


    Although this incident would be exceedingly bizarre to a normal person, it was not a big deal for an immortal cultivator. It was usually a fox spirit trying to absorb Yang energy. Seeing that Jiang Molou sent him out on his own, he obviously didn¡¯t think much of the incident, so there was even less reason to hide it from Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi was unmoved. He folded his arms and said, ¡°If you are going to speak, then finish what you were saying all at once.¡± He paused, and then added, ¡°Tengge is far away from Hidden Spirit Mountain. Seems like this place should be under the Du family¡¯s jurisdiction. They are so close, so why didn¡¯t the city lord find the Du family? Was Molou afraid that the Du family would want to claim me as a son and therefore wanted me to stay away from them?¡±


    Yu Hong said, ¡°Martial Uncle, you have guessed it all. This can¡¯t be regarded as me telling you. However, something has indeed happened to the Du family right now, so I¡¯m guessing they¡¯re just buried in work.¡±


    Although Yun Xie wasn¡¯t involved and looked like he didn¡¯t care, in fact, he was very well-informed on such news, and he immediately said, ¡°I know this ¨C 20 days ago, Du Rui suddenly killed his wife and his four children for no reason. When he came to, he wanted to commit suicide but was stopped by the Du family head and is now locked up. His wife was also from a large sect, and her father and brother mercilessly charged over. The Du family is currently in a mess, so they definitely couldn¡¯t afford to take care of this incident.¡±


    The name Du Rui was not exactly unheard of, and as soon as Yun Xie said this, Yu Hong and Jiang Xunyi knew who he was referring to almost immediately. This person should be Du Heng¡¯s cousin, young and famous, shrewd and capable. His status in the family is second only to the head of the family, Du Li, and he was incredibly famous. With him going crazy, the amount of difficult ordeals for the future has only increased. In addition, the Du family has an inadequate selection of successors. With Jiang Xunyi¡¯s identity and ability, perhaps no one would oppose to the Du family dragging him back.


    ¡¾Secondary mission release: Solve the Tengge Mystery. The main mission ¡°Finding the Truth¡± has not been completed, please hurry up. ¡¿


    Jiang Xunyi immediately made a decision. ¡°Yu Hong, I will go with you. Yun Xie, why don¡¯t you go back to Solar Envy Mountain first. You¡¯ve been out for so long, so you should¡­¡±


    He has heard that a little absence makes the couple grow fonder, but has never heard of the couple seeking the absence. They had finally started their relationship, and Yun Xie felt that it was not even enough to be with Jiang Xunyi only twelve hours a day. Hearing that he actually wanted to send himself away, he immediately couldn¡¯t take it, draping his arm around Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder and sticking his face close. He sadly complained, ¡°Big Brother Xunyi, are you inciting chaos and abandoning it? You¡¯re sending me away in such a hurry, are you discarding the previous oaths we made on the mountain? That¡¯s not good. I have to watch you. There are too many little vixens in places like Tengge.¡±


    Ma Bin had never seen this side of Yun Xie before and couldn¡¯t help being stunned.


    Yu Hong was accustomed to seeing Yun Xie tease Jiang Xunyi, and laughed without caring about it. However, he missed the implication behind Yun Xie¡¯s words.


    Jiang Xunyi was startled by Yun Xie suddenly throwing himself over, and he involuntarily dodged. However, Yun Xie¡¯s seemingly weak hold on his shoulders was actually very strong. Jiang Xunyi was frozen for a second, looking down at his head leaning on his shoulder before he suddenly smiled. He raised his hand and patted Yun Xie¡¯s face. ¡°Okay, marry a chicken and fly with a chicken. If you are willing to follow your husband, why wouldn¡¯t I be willing to take you?¡±


    Yu Hong¡¯s ¡°hahaha¡± stopped ¨C he knew Jiang Xunyi very well, and he felt that his martial uncle¡¯s natural reaction should¡¯ve been to kick Yun Xie away. But now he could perform such actions and say such words with a little smile on his face? It¡¯s a foul, it¡¯s nonsense, it¡¯s too out-of-character!


    Of course Yu Hong didn¡¯t know what ooc was, but even Yun Xie raised his head suddenly, looking at Jiang Xunyi with a touched expression before he subconsciously stretched out his hand to cover the back of the other¡¯s hand.


    Even though Jiang Xunyi did not refuse Yun Xie¡¯s confession, from start to finish, he only had an attitude of mere tolerance, never making any promises from the beginning to the end. Perhaps it was because of his character, or maybe¡­ he pretended to accept only to preserve the friendship between the brothers. Even though Yun Xie has always been arrogant and conceited, he did not dare to confidently believe that Jiang Xunyi had any deep-rooted love for him.


    But¡­ but resisting was fine, not responding was fine. As long as the he was still here, he was willing to approach step by step.


    So he never had any hope that Jiang Xunyi would take care of him. He was ready to get beaten or scolded, but he was not ready for the unexpected joy that felt like flying in the sky. For a while, he didn¡¯t know what to say. In his agitation, he wished that he could kiss Jiang Xunyi twice on the spot.


    The atmosphere was wrong! Yu Hong¡¯s eyes glanced this way and that way, then all of a sudden, he seemed to understand something. With a roll of his eyes, he stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Xunyi, an exaggerated smile on his face. ¡°Hey, Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle! Don¡¯t take too much time joking around with Martial Uncle Yun. I.. I was busy thinking about Tengge and haven¡¯t slept well for several days. Fortunately, you are willing to take action. W-w-why don¡¯t we hurry over and s-solve it?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t react fast enough and found himself getting pulled away from Yun Xie by Yu Hong. He looked at Yu Hong as if he was looking at someone insane, making Yu Hong stammer at the end.


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Hong. Go. To. Hell!


    Jiang Xunyi looked back, and at the sight of Yun Xie¡¯s gloomy expression, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Okay, in that case, let¡¯s leave. Let¡¯s go to Tengge together to see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Yu Hong pulled him over and whispered, ¡°Martial Uncle, the situation with Miss Feng¡­ you must be very sad, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡±


    Yu Hong sighed deeply. ¡°I understand what you must feel seeing your loved one do something like that, but there are so many good women in the world, and Feng Qiu is not worthy of you at all. Martial Uncle, don¡¯t give up on yourself¡­ Look, you and Martial Uncle Yun have always been good brothers, and it¡¯s not that you don¡¯t know that he likes to joke like this. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    After thinking about it, he added earnestly, ¡°Even if it is true, you have to be restrained.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He stretched out his hand to pinch the back of Yu Hong¡¯s neck and said with a smile, ¡°Care about your own affairs first! Shameful. You weren¡¯t even finished with your mission and you were about to get chopped by someone. Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed for youself? Why are you sticking your nose into my business! Yu Hong, let me tell you, don¡¯t cry for me to help save even your finger. If you don¡¯t figure this mission out by yourself, you don¡¯t even need Molou to make a move. I will personally peel off your skin to make a big drum, and I¡¯ll compare whether it¡¯s stronger than cowhide.¡±


    Yu Hong felt that his mouth was attracting misfortune and no longer dared to preach to Jiang Xunyi, instead walking to the side miserably. He truly felt that because his father died early, he became a poor little cabbage. With two unpredictable uncles who love skinning, he felt that his life will be lost sooner or later.


    This place was already close to the border and was not far from Tengge. Riding their swords, the group of four made it to the city in no less than the time needed to burn two incense sticks. Jiang Xunyi was leading in front, and when he saw the city gate from a distance, he immediately clicked his tongue lightly and descended.


    Yun Xie followed him to the ground before turning his head and calling out, ¡°All the swords should be put away. Let¡¯s pretend to be ordinary people when we go in. No need to disturb the snake by hitting the grass.¡±


    Before the latter two had caught up, Jiang Xunyi leaned over and whispered, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention the news about the Du family before.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed dryly. ¡°What¡¯s the point of mentioning such trivial things?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly. ¡°Really? Then are we pretending to be ordinary so we don¡¯t startle the snake or to not alarm the Du family?¡±


    Yun Xie blinked. ¡°Okay, you will always be so wise and a hero, I am bowing down. A¡¯Xun, bring your ear closer. let me tell you.¡±


    As soon as Jiang Xunyi leaned over, Yun Xie, hidden from the other two by their overlapping figures, suddenly kissed him on the cheek very quickly then fled with a big laugh.

 CH 72

    Chapter 72 ¨C Bridal Procession


    ¡°Yun Xie!¡± Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cry of anger stunned the birds in the forest.


    Yun Xie chuckled softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, A¡¯Xun. If you feel so upset, I can let you kiss me back!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi made a ¡°pei¡± sound. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s enter the city quickly. If you dare to mess around again, I will hack you up!¡±


    He was like a teacher with a group of misbehaving children on a field trip. First, he had to scare Yu Hong, next he shouted at Yun Xie. He hauled the group into the city. But when they walked on the street, they found that this place was far from the desolate city in their imagination. On the contrary, the sound of drums rang out, the streets were bustling with excitement, and the music was clearly meant for a wedding.


    When Yu Hong saw Jiang Xunyi glance over, he felt that the skin on his body tightened, and he said quickly, ¡°Martial Uncle, I didn¡¯t lie to you. I only told you what the people who came to ask for help said, and I didn¡¯t miss a word!¡±


    ¡°I know. I just think it¡¯s a bit weird. Isn¡¯t it a wedding? Why isn¡¯t there a bridegroom riding a horse in front?¡±


    At the sight of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s slight frown, Yu Hong immediately stepped forward and said, ¡°Martial Uncle, why don¡¯t I go and ask?¡±


    Yun Xie glanced at him and was suddenly knocked on his shoulder.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Stay standing, you don¡¯t need to do this. Yun Xie, you go ask.¡±


    Ma Bin quickly interjected, ¡°Why don¡¯t I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Yun Xie hummed in response and happily headed over to inquire about news.


    Ma Bin: ¡°¡­¡±


    In all honesty, Yun Xie was indeed the most suitable person to inquire about news. His appearance was gentle and refined, one-of-a-kind, and he had the ability to speak like a person with people, speak like a ghost with ghosts[1]. After heading over, in just a moment, he was able to understand the whole story. Turning back, he said, ¡°It is indeed a marriage, but it is a ghost marriage.¡±


    Yu Hong said, ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, are you talking about the kind where single men and women who die are buried together to accompany one another in the afterlife?¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°Yes. With how big the wedding ceremony is today, it can be assumed that the only child of a wealthy family in the city has died suddenly. He bought a beautiful fresh female corpse that had only been buried yesterday to be his wife. For this, the family gave the father and mother quite a sum of money to dig the corpse out of the soil again. Here, the coffin is at the back, so it¡¯s coming here soon. She is said to be a beauty that only comes once in a hundred years, so if we want to see, we have to hurry.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hummed, ¡°Ignorant. You can even believe this kind of nonsense? If it were me¡­¡±


    He originally wanted to say, ¡°If it were me who died¡±, but Yun Xie¡¯s words from before suddenly rang in his mind, and he immediately shut his mouth before reflexively looking back at Yun Xie. He found that the other was looking back at him seriously.


    When their eyes met, Jiang Xunyi turned his head away first, changing the topic. ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s just not true.¡±


    Yu Hong laughed. ¡°What Martial Uncle said is right. Even the couple who look good together will quarrel, but after one dies, they just carelessly matchmake like this. Are they not afraid that mismatched temperaments would cause loud squabbling in the underworld?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled slightly. ¡°It¡¯s probably because loneliness is really terrible. But for me, there is only one person in the world that I would want to accompany me. If I die first, I will wait for him at the entrance of the Naihe Bridge[2]. If he is the one to lie in the coffin first, I would just split the earth to uncover the grave and jump down to go with him.¡±


    Yu Hong was confused, ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, the words you just said, why does it¡­ makes people feel uncomfortable for no reason?¡±


    Without looking at Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi flicked his fingers on Yu Hong forehead, casually saying, ¡°What do you mean uncomfortable. If two people are are fated and love each other, of course they would wish to live and die together. If it were me, I would wish for the same.¡±


    These two city people messed around too much, and even facing each other, they had to speak indirectly through Yu Hong. Yun Xie¡¯s throat felt dry and his heart was tender. Just as he was about to say a few gentle words, he suddenly heard a thunderbolt-like loud noise behind him and many people turned their heads at the same time. Separated by the dense crowd, they were not even able to make sense of what was happening before they heard someone shouting hoarsely, ¡°The corpse is rising! The corpse is rising! The bride is going to crawl out of the coffin!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had just stepped forward when his arm was immediately caught by Yun Xie, who rushed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡±


    At this time, the coffin containing the female corpse shattered. As the crowd cried out, a woman in a red wedding gown staggered and stood up from the ruins. She was indeed very beautiful, but her face had turned blue and her seven orifices were bleeding. No matter how pretty she was, no one would dare to look anymore. Shocked, the people on the street screamed and fled, but they trampled each other in the stampede, and the more they ran, the more chaotic the scene became.


    The woman stretched her arms, her five fingers suddenly growing until it was two feet long, and grabbed the throat of a person who was carrying the coffin next to her.


    Ma Bin exclaimed and was about to draw his sword, but just after pulling only a few centimeters of the blade out, a hand suddenly reached over his side, and with a push, his sword was involuntarily sheathed.


    Ma Bin looked up, and when he saw Jiang Xunyi, he said angrily, ¡°What are you doing? Do you care about their life and death?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said flatly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to interfere.¡±


    Ma Bin blurted out, ¡°You really are as vicious and inhumane as the rumors say! Cold-blooded and selfish!¡±


    Yu Hong furiously yelled back, ¡°What are you talking about?! You want to fight?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Jiang Xunyi commanded. ¡°Everybody shut up. If you are stupid and deaf, then observe what others are doing. This bride is clearly not an ordinary corpse. If you go up and beat her with a sword, how can you investigate the matter? Do you think everyone only relies on guts like you?¡±


    He really didn¡¯t care to argue with a little kid like Ma Bin. Although his manner of speaking was not angry and pretentious, the people next to him suddenly did not dare to speak again. At the same time, Yun Xie had already made his move.


    The man who was carrying the coffin was already scared half to death when he saw the coffin burst open. At the sight of the grim woman stretching out five sharp fingers towards him, his soul flew away and in the moment, he forgot to dodge.


    A hand was stretched out and directly grasped the wrist of the female corpse. A man¡¯s voice shouted, ¡°By my order, the evil spirits retreat!¡±


    A yellow talisman attached itself to the female corpse¡¯s forehead, and she suddenly keeled over. The more courageous people in the crowd looked back at this scene and stopped their stampede, standing still and looking over.


    Although this was a world where cultivators and mortals coexisted, in the eyes of an average person, a true immortal would wield a long sword, the spiritual energy floating about them. Those who use such simple yellow talismans were generally street fortune-tellers or ghost hunters. Thinking about it this way, a ghost that can be handled by a yellow talisman is not a terrible ghost and of course is not scary.


    The man carrying the coffin hurriedly said, ¡°Thank you, little brother. It really scared me just now.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°It could be dealt with just a wave of a hand. It¡¯s really not a zombie, and it¡¯s nothing terrifying. Just a word of advice. This situation is likely happening because the astrological birth chart of your family¡¯s young master does not match well with this girl. If this marriage could be canceled, you should just cancel it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi, who was listening from a distance, couldn¡¯t help laughing. Yun Xie¡¯s words were pure nonsense. The man was dead and gone, what astrological birth chart? However, the tone he used was so serious, people stopped to listen. The passersby who had just been frightened broke out in discussions, all asking both sides to stop the marriage so as not to harm the innocent.


    However, before the man¡¯s side could give any answers, the man next to the coffin was already furious and shouted, ¡°Where did this litte kid spewing nonsense come from! My sister and the Li family¡¯s son are clearly a match made in heaven, which is why I am willing to send the body to the Li house. With just a few words, all of this is ruined? You liar, you¡¯re still not running away!¡±


    Right after he said this, a man next to Jiang Xunyi was already whispering, ¡°What match made in heaven? It¡¯s all nonsense. Hmph, the Yang family¡¯s young master obviously took money from Master Li and dug out his sister from the grave to give the body away. He¡¯s just afraid of losing the money. Of course, he has to vehemently deny. In my opinion, what this little brother said is very reasonable. Otherwise, why would the corpse rise for no reason?¡±


    Yun Xie was not angry after being scolded, merely touched his chin and saying, ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t believe me? If you don¡¯t believe me, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m just casually saying this anyways. But, as a brother, you are way too careless in choosing your brother-in-law. If your sister is angry later, don¡¯t say that I did nothing to save you. Then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Having said that, he shook his head, seemingly helpless, took the yellow talisman off the body, and turned around to leave.


    As soon as the yellow talisman fell away, the mana that was forcibly suppressed was suddenly released. Yun Xie had only turned his body halfway, and already he heard several screams coming. Among them, Young Master Yang was the most high-pitched. ¡°Quick! Come back! Th-Th-The female corpse is rising again!¡±


    Yun Xie turned around and said in astonishment, ¡°Who do you want to come back? Sorry, was it me? But you obviously let me go?¡±


    Young Master Yang was almost crying. ¡°You can go, but put the yellow paper back! Quickly put it back¡­ Ah, she, she, she, she is here!¡±


    Yun Xie glanced in the direction of Jiang Xunyi in the crowd, and then slowly smiled. ¡°That won¡¯t work. My spiritual paper is very expensive. If I don¡¯t diligently stay frugal and instead throw this all over the street, my wife will scold me when I go back. My family¡¯s wife, pei, is super powerful.¡±


    As he spoke, he turned towards the crowd and raised his voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, wife?¡±


    Yu Hong smiled dumbly. ¡°Martial Uncle Yun is really interesting. He says it like it is true, hehehe.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Very good, you both are dead!


    Slight discoloration had set in on her hand, and the contrast to her originally snow-white skin only increased the horror. Just as she was about to reach Young Master Yang, he shouted hoarsely, ¡°No, no, no, Young Master I am wrong. I will cancel this marriage, please stop her!¡±


    At this time, the escorts from the man¡¯s side of the family also called out from afar, ¡°Young Master, please take care of this female ghost. No matter how much money you want, our Li family will pay!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed, the yellow talisman twirling in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t scratch your head and pose, hurry up!¡±


    Yun Xie heard Jiang Xunyi¡¯s imperial decree and without hesitation, he immediately flicked his hands and pasted the yellow talisman on the forehead of the female corpse. She immediately collapsed again.


    In front of Young Master Yang, who was full of tears and snot, Yun Xie¡¯s originally not burly figure appeared extraordinarily tall. Paired with his perfect face, this added a lot to his image. The people on the street exclaimed in admiration, and Jiang Xunyi seemed to see the shining halo of the protagonist above his head.


    He looked at Young Master and couldn¡¯t help but think, This is true cannon fodder.


    His insignificance and ignorance only served to amplify the protagonist¡¯s tall figure, his selflessness, fearlessness, and how he would heroically face death. As for himself, it really was a mess. Even as a villain, he could be so handsome, how unprofessional of him.


    Thinking about it, he felt a little bit pleased.


    The members of the Li family only dared to come over when the female corpse was down and immediately stated that they would send the Yang family bride back into the ground for safety, canceling this ghost marriage. Then, they invited Yun Xie to eat at their home.


    Yun Xie humbly refused, ¡°No need, there is always a reclusive hermit that appears during these so-called crisises. I am like this. Today I have successfully sent back the spirit, and you will not be in danger as long as you don¡¯t break the ward, so leave.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said in a low voice, ¡°Go quickly, let¡¯s find a place with only a few people to wait, we are too eye-catching.¡±


    Yun Xie squeezed out from the crowd, but his face was expressionless, lacking the happiness he expressed while speaking just now. It was not until he saw Jiang Xunyi, who was waiting for him in the distance, did he slightly calm down, striding over with big steps.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Did you see it clearly? How exactly did it happen, is it tricky?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled, and when he lowered his head, he saw a little dust on the hem of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s robe, so he bowed and patted him. Only after he completed this did he continue, ¡°Nothing is tricky. I¡¯m just a little angry.¡±


    Yu Hong: ¡°¡­¡±


    Martial Uncle Yun looked happy when he was angry, and bystanders really can¡¯t tell¡­


    ¡°I could tell,¡± Jiang Xunyi said. ¡°Then say, what¡¯s hidden behind this incident?¡±


    ¡°Go, go, go, let¡¯s find a place to sit down and talk, don¡¯t drink wind on the edge of the street. I¡¯ll find someone to pay the bill later.¡±


    Under the leadership of Yun Xie, the four of them found a restaurant and sat down. Without looking at the menu, Yun Xie casually ordered a whole list of dishes and a small pot of wine.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Yu Hong, Ma Bin, you two have dinner.¡± He also poured Yun Xie a glass of wine. ¡°The woman died injustly, was it caused by the Yang family or the Li family?¡±


    Ma Bin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How did you know that the woman must have died injustly?¡±


    Yun Xie sipped his wine with a smile. ¡°Our Young Master Jiang¡¯s ingenuity goes beyond mere insight into things. You will know in the future. Don¡¯t interrupt your seniors, go eat.¡±


    He put down his wine glass and paused. Remembering what happened, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he turned to Jiang Xunyi. ¡°A¡¯Xun, your eyesight has always been good. For you to ask me something like this, you must have seen something just now. The woman had only died recently and her body was already discolored. In addition, it was dark purple. She was clearly suffocated to death. And when I held her hand¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Jiang Xunyi suddenly interrupted, ¡°Did you wash your hands?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie gave him a look, and said sullenly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what a purification spell is?¡±


    Only then did Jiang Xunyi come around. After all, he came from the present, and it was already ingrained that not washing with water would be unclean.


    Thinking of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s terrible cleanliness addiction, Yun Xie suddenly thought of the not-guaranteed happy future and suddenly felt a little worried.


    Seeing his melancholy expression, Jiang Xunyi misunderstood. He raised his arm to fill Yun Xie¡¯s wine glass again, pushed his hand, and smiled. ¡°Alright Brother Yun, I¡¯m not disgusted by you. Now can we talk?¡±


    Yun Xie recovered his spirit when he found that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s fingertips brushed his hand. It was the smallest touch, but his heart skipped a beat, and he dryly coughed before he quickly continued. ¡°Oh¡­. When I grabbed her hand, I found something similar to dust or sawdust between her nails. The time was not right, so there was no way to check it carefully, but I think it should have been left from scratching the coffin.¡±


    When Yun Xie spoke up to here, his complexion grew heavy. ¡°In my opinion, this matter has nothing to do with the Li family. The family has money. After their son died, is it really that hard to find a good-looking corpse? Most likely, rumors spread that the Li family was looking for a corpse bride, and in order to get money, Young Master Yang suffocated his sister.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s knuckles knocked on the table, and he thoughtfully said, ¡°Then I understand why the female corpse was violent. She had died unjustly, and her body carried resentment. Then, she wore the all-red wedding robes. The red color usually wards off evil spirits, but at this time it is also the easiest way to provoke bloody evil, and it will definitely cause¡­¡±


    When he said that, he suddenly stopped and looked at Yun Xie. The two said in unison: ¡°The red wedding robes!¡±


    Yu Hong was listening to Yun Xie¡¯s account from the side. He was very angry at first, but since he came from a big sect, he had a much better education than Ma Bin. He only listened without interjecting in the middle. At this point, he still hadn¡¯t caught up, and seeing that the two of them had both stopped talking, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Martial Uncle, what happened to the wedding dress, is there something weird?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Do you remember what we came here for? The bridegroom always died inexplicably on the day of marriage! Previously, I thought it was nothing more than foxes and other things, but then I thought about it more and felt that there was something strange ¨C in just one month, so many people died. For a common fox spirit just trying to gather strength, why make such a big ruckus? Now it seems that the red wedding robes happen to coincide with something, causing death.¡±


    After speaking all of this in one breath, Yun Xie nodded in agreement. Although the two people did not discuss this, their opinions were the same.


    Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°Moreover, there are two things I really want to know. That is, what were the conditions of the grooms¡¯ death, and what is happening to the women who married them.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go ask for you.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, this doesn¡¯t need much work. Get married and then you¡¯ll know.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression looked both weird and expectant. ¡°Get¡­ married¡­?¡±


    Although Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, he could tell that this person seemed to have no good intentions. He rolled his eyes at Yun Xie, and at the moment he was about to speak, and a person came up behind him, and with a move of a stool, plopped down by their table.


    [1]ÈË˵ÈË»°¼û¹í˵¹í»° ¨C to be able to get along with different people very well


    [2]ÄκÎÇÅ ¨C the bridge leading to the Underworld

 CH 73

    Chapter 73 ¨C Flirt


    Yu Hong was in the middle of drinking water when he was pushed by the newcomer. He put down his tea cup and said angrily, ¡°Hey, you¡­¡±


    Yun Xie raised his hand and made a ¡°stop¡± gesture, smiling as he said, ¡°Martial Nephew Yu, this person is here to pay the bill, you should be more polite.¡±


    Yu Hong was taken aback, but then he looked back at the person next to him and recognized that it was the Young Master Yang who had sold his dead sister. He had a troubled look, and when he looked at Yun Xie, he trembled.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Your Uncle Yun put a tracker on him.¡±


    Yun Xie poured a glass of wine for Young Master Yang and pushed it over with a smile. ¡°Try it, this is the best nu¡¯erhong[1] I ordered. Originally your sister was going to get married today. You should really drink some.¡±


    Young Master Yang¡¯s hand shook, and the water suddenly spilled. After Yun Xie clicked his tongue, he suddenly knelt down. ¡°Good hero, good hero, let the villain go! The villain does not know anything!¡±


    Yun Xie tapped his fingers on the table, and the spilled wine on the table suddenly turned into a smooth mirror. He got up and grabbed the back of Young Master Yang¡¯s collar and hauled him up to the table, slowly saying, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be a fool, look at yourself. You can remember what you don¡¯t know.¡±


    Young Master Yang was puzzled, but Yun Xie was pressing on him and he had no choice but to look down at the mirror. In it, he saw besides him the image of a female ghost with her tongue out, wrapped around his neck like a scarf, a mouth full of sharp fangs aimed at the throat, eager to bite.


    Before he had time to scream, Jiang Xunyi had already picked up a rag and gagged his mouth. Fortunately, they were seated behind a screen, and no one paid attention to them. Jiang Xunyi shouted, ¡°Talk now! Otherwise, we will let the female ghost kill you.¡±


    Yu Hong seemed to understand at this moment why Yun Xie always said ¡°you are so unrefined¡± when he saw Jiang Xunyi.


    Young Master Yang whimpered twice, and Yun Xie took the rag out of his mouth. He spoke slowly and clearly, ¡°Why did you kill your sister?¡±


    Young Master Yang stiffened, stammering, ¡°I, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately slapped the table, and Yun Xie silently pursed his lips into the hint of a smile. Young Master Yang was scared half to death by the two of them, one cold and one warm, and he too afraid to stay silent. ¡°Two heroes, kings, my, my family is so poor that I had no choice. B-besides, I am not the only one who does this. All families without money but many daughters do this¡­ Recently, no one dares to be a bridegroom, even if you have a daughter, there is no way to marry them off, but if you sell their bodies, you can earn a hundred and twenty silver ingots, so they are worth more dead than alive ¡­¡­ ¡°


    Ma Bin¡¯s rage burst out. ¡°You are not a person!¡±


    Tengge¡¯s custom of ghost marriage was very old, so Yun Xie had expected this for a while, so to him, this was nothing surprising. He continued to ask, ¡°You said that no one dared to be a bridegroom¡­ For those who got married earlier, when the bridegroom dies on the night of the wedding, how does the bride not realize? How did the bridegrooms die, did you see before?¡±


    Young Master Yang heaved a sigh of relief, his eyes shifting as he said, ¡°It turns out that the good hero wanted to ask this. It¡¯s nothing special. The bridegrooms die on their wedding beds on the night of their weddings, and there are no injuries on their body. They looks as if they had fallen asleep, and no one knows how they died. The brides never remember anything, and they all say they fell asleep inexplicably once they entered the bridal chamber. I, ah no, the villain has heard it several times.¡±


    This person really bloomed after getting a little sunlight. They gave him a nice tone, and suddenly his tongue was so slick. Yun Xie noncommittally smiled. Young Master Yang looked at his expression and then sneakily shot a glance at the mirror on the table. He found that the female ghost on her neck was gone and could not help but let out a long sigh.


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at Yun Xie then turned to Young Master Yang. ¡°You can leave.¡±


    Ma Bin interjected, ¡°No, you can¡¯t let him go. He has done such an terrible thing, how can you just let him go?¡±


    The reason why Jiang Xunyi did this was that karma would always come around. The immortal cultivators have always regarded killing demons as their own responsibility, but they rarely interfered with the grievances of mortals. Just now, Young Master Yang saw that the female ghost disappeared, but it was just an illusion made by Yun Xie. In fact, he had done too many bad things and was full of grievances, so his time was limited.


    Jiang Xunyi was naturally too lazy to explain. Instead, Yun Xie glanced at Ma Bin in surprise, and Yu Hong took the opportunity to file a complaint.


    ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, you haven¡¯t even seen it before. There have already been several instances where this kid contradicts my uncle. ¡°


    Yun Xie saw that Young Master Yang had stopped moving, so he picked him up and directly tossed him out the door. ¡°Get going, I won¡¯t send you off. Remember to pay the bill.¡±


    He turned to look at Ma Bin, and although he did not say anything, he emanated a coldness.


    Ma Bin stammered, ¡°I, I¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a place to live,¡± Jiang Xunyi suddenly intervened. ¡°Yun Xie, let¡¯s go. ¡°


    Yun Xie looked away without any expression, but then beamed at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Probably because of their closeness, even when their relationship status was set, their interactions did not change much. What¡¯s more, they were carrying around two sparkling lightbulbs[2], and only when they entered the inn room did they experience momentary peace. Jiang Xunyi had only been able to enter the door and put his things down when Yun Xie had already appeared in his room.


    Jiang Xunyi had estimated that he was coming, so he turned his head and smiled. ¡°You sure are fast¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Yun Xie suddenly stepped forwards and hugged him. Jiang Xunyi was startled, but Yun Xie had already placed his hands on his shoulders before lowering his head and putting their lips together, kissing him hard.


    His expression at this time was very serious, the kiss pious and passionate, as if all his thoughts and anxiety were poured into it.


    Jiang Xunyi was a little resistant at first, but gradually he was infected by Yun Xie¡¯s mood and slowly raised his hands, pressing on his back.


    Yun Xie shook, and his hug became tighter.


    After a long time, the two people slowly separated, Yun Xie reluctantly let go of his hand, but his eyes were shining. ¡°Only now am I able to convince myself that what happened that day is true, and you are really willing to be with me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t seem to hear what he said. After a pause, he stretched out his hand to compare the two, shocked. ¡°You are actually taller than me?¡±


    If you ignore his reddened ears, you would think he really was unaffected by the affections.


    ¡°¡­¡± Yun Xie finally laughed and shook his head. ¡°You only just realized? Do you want me to bend my knees when I stand with you in the future?¡±


    ¡°¡­You might as well kneel.¡± Jiang Xunyi smiled scornfully, but saw that Yun Xie wasn¡¯t joking. He just smiled quietly and looked at him with gentle eyes.


    Outside the window, the moon¡¯s light was like water, and inside the room, the eyes were intoxicating.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze softened involuntarily. ¡°It¡¯s so late, for you to not go back and sleep, is there something you want to say?¡±


    Yun Xie stepped close again, smiling as he turned his face to the side without saying anything.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows and looked at him with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite a smile.


    Without withdrawing his smile, Yun Xie closed his eyes.


    After a long while, Jiang Xunyi finally chuckled, seeming a little helpless. With slight embarrassment that was not easily detectable, he pressed down on Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.


    Yun Xie was satisfied, and, knowing that he could not go too far, forced himself to suppress other thoughts. He took Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand and raised it to his eyes. ¡°Is the injury better?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°This injury is so small, it has pretty much healed already.¡±


    Yun Xie gently held his hand and didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Actually, I had something to tell you when I came here today ¨C if you don¡¯t want Ma Bin to follow, why don¡¯t I send him away? This kid is always rash and does not look pleasing to my eyes.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°I think he admires you very much.¡±


    ¡°There are too many people admiring me, it¡¯s not worth anything. I¡¯m not happy with how he contradicts you.¡±


    ¡°Hey, forget it, he¡¯s Sect Master Ma¡¯s son. When we were young, we met a fox demon by mistake, and you almost lost your virginity. But thanks to his father, we were saved. We still have not returned this debt. When you have time, you can give him pointers, and it can count as repaying Sect Master Ma. What¡¯s the point of me fighting against a little hairy kid? Am I that free?¡±


    Why is it that both people met the fox demon together, but he was the only one that ¡°almost lost his virginity¡±? Yun Xie complained silently in his heart, but he didn¡¯t dare to show anything on his face, so he smiled and said, ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll ¡®guide¡¯ him.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi squinted at him and said nothing else.


    Suddenly, the faint sound of a whistle could be heard from a distance.


    He listened attentively for a moment, then pushed Yun Xie. ¡°Your Solar Envy sect¡¯s contact code?¡±


    The words ¡°so annoying¡± were written on Yun Xie¡¯s face, and he let go of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand helplessly. ¡°I¡¯ll go and see. You rest early.¡±


    After Yun Xie left, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s smile slowly faded. He spun around and pushed the window open. The cold night wind blew in, and his billowing sleeves created a chill. He stared at the empty courtyard in silence and was suddenly struck by the feeling that he was unaware of where he was.


    If he was entangled with his world, could he still complete his missions without distraction? Could he one day leave without concern or¡­ die?


    Perhaps this was wrong. But how could you control your own heart?


    After a long time, Jiang Xunyi let out a long sigh. Suddenly, he pressed the window sill and leapt out of the window. Plainly, he said, ¡°Get out!¡±


    Ma Bin walked out from behind the bushes without any shame, coldly staring at him. He stayed silent for a long time.


    ¡°You came here to stay in the cold wind in the middle of the night just to stare at me? Are you sick?¡±


    Ma Bin forcefully asked, ¡°What is your relationship with Sect Master Yun?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at him in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect this kid to be much more sophisticated than his stupefied martial nephew. However, he still did not look highly on him and said unceremoniously, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t dare to say? Then I guessed right! You¡­you are so powerful, but you win favor through seduction! Hmph, I always thought the information I heard before was weird. Turns out it is like this! If it wasn¡¯t for you leading Sect Master Yun astray with your face, with his bright future, righteousness, and dedication to the greater good, how could become the target of public criticism and¡­ run around with the son of a prostitute from the underworld?


    He originally wanted to say bastard mixed breed, but facing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s icy face, he was inexplicably unable to speak. After pouring all of his words out in one breath, he paused, and his chin was suddenly pinched.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his hand and squeezed his chin, lowering his head.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the other and felt that he has found a strange flower. Of course, he could see Ma Bin¡¯s protectiveness over Yun Xie, but no matter how in love Jiang Xunyi was, he couldn¡¯t describe Yun Xie as righteous and dedicated to the greater good. It really did not fit his brother.


    Ma Bin was already a big guy, but he could still not compare to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s tall stature. He was still less than half a head shorter, and being looked down on gave him some pressure. He stammered, ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled and slowly said, ¡°You said I was winning favor through seduction? It¡¯s not too wrong. How about this, why don¡¯t I give you a chance ¨C if you are willing to serve me, I will use all the knowledge I have accumulated in my life to teach you to be a powerful person. No matter if it is calling wind or rain, no one dares to refuse to listen. Are you¡­ willing?¡±


    If this was said by someone else, it would be a joke, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s knowledge was renowned. His level of spiritual power is obvious to all, and he could make such a promise without bragging. Ma Bin was stunned and raised his head, only to think that the other¡¯s handsome face was flawless even if it looked up close. He didn¡¯t know whether he was confused by the sudden role-reversal or if he was seduced by his implied meaning. Ma Bin¡¯s throat became dry. After swallowing, he couldn¡¯t speak for a long while.


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly laughed, using his free hand to patted his face. ¡°I¡¯m just teasing you, don¡¯t take it for truth ¨C Too bad, you look like you would win favor through seduction, but without the seductiveness.¡±


    Ma Bin: ¡°¡­¡±


    Just as Jiang Xunyi was about to let go, he heard someone shout, ¡°Hey, what are you two doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi let go of Ma Bin, turned his head and smiled at Yun Xie, who stormed over in a huff. His voice was nonchalant. ¡°Back so soon?¡±


    Yun Xie unceremoniously pulled him to his side and rolled his eyes at Ma Bin. ¡°If I didn¡¯t come back, it would¡¯ve been bad. I found that I can¡¯t stop watching you for even a second. Jiang Xunyi, I tell you, can¡¯t you be more obedient for me!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s unabashed attitude made Ma Bin was very shocked. Stunned, he said, ¡°Sect Master Yun, why are you like this? You¡­ are all men. Jiang Xunyi is even the son of¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you,¡± Yun Xie interrupted mercilessly. ¡°What can be determined by birth? Like you, who is the son of a sect master, have you made a name for yourself and started a family? Have you saved the common people? If you want to point out other people¡¯s flaws, you must first see if you are worthy. It really is weird: I really want to know who gave you the confidence to interfere in our private affairs as an outsider.¡±


    His tone increased in severity. ¡°Ma Bin, I remember I had told you before. You are not allowed to directly call A¡¯Xun¡¯s name, and you are not allowed to be rude to him. Now you have not obeyed my words, so go away. Go wherever you want to go, you don¡¯t need to follow us anymore.¡±


    Ma Bin didn¡¯t expect that he was going to be driven away, and was shocked. ¡°I, I was wrong¡­ Sect Master Yun, I can stay to protect you, and I want to fight side by side with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop whining.¡± Yun Xie waved his hand, a familiar sarcastic expression on his face. ¡°You are not worthy to fight by my side. There are more people who want to follow me, and there is no shortage without you. Anyway, I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡±


    When he was done speaking, he picked up Ma Bin¡¯s collar and with a wave of his hand, he unceremoniously threw him out of the courtyard.


    Jiang Xunyi often fought with Yun Xie, but generally speaking, Yun Xie rarely disobeyed what he said, and Jiang Xunyi never refuted Yun Xie¡¯s face in front of outsiders. The whole time Yun Xie was angry, he didn¡¯t speak until Ma Bin was thrown out. Then he said, ¡°This man is narrow-minded, stubborn, and difficult. I think if no one takes care of him, it will probably get worse in the future.¡±


    ¡°His father is his father, he is him, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m speaking for him? I just want to tell you, be careful brother, don¡¯t let him hate you in the future. One day, he may develop and come back for revenge.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°He can develop such great skills? Then I have to wait and see. But A¡¯Xun, for you to think for me like this, I am very happy.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi saw that he was not serious, so he stopped talking, smiling extremely faintly, dimples lightly exposed. ¡°I heard the emergency contact signal just now. Are you done taking care of it after coming back so soon? If there is something going on with your sect, you can go back first. I can take care of things here myself.¡±


    ¡°This matter is not only related to me, it is also related to you. A¡¯Xun, do you remember attending Master Haiwen¡¯s lecture when we were young? He once said that, according to legend, there is a ghost temple in this world carrying a secret that is shocking to the sky. However, no one has seen this temple¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°I remember, didn¡¯t He Deng come from this temple of legend? What happened? It was discovered?¡±


    Yun Xie exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s such a big deal, why do you react so calmly? It really appeared to the west of Lin Tai, where the Sword Conference will be held in two months. But currently, no one dares to go in, and it is guarded by people from each sect. The opinions of each sect master were gathered to decide how to deal with it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi asked, ¡°How to deal with it?¡±


    After he asked this sentence, it happened that Yu Hong also came in. He saluted to the two and said, ¡°Martial Uncle, Little Martial Uncle has sent you a message.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi guessed that he was also talking about this. He opened the letter that Yu Hong handed over and browsed it hastily, frowning slightly.


    ¡°Yun Xie, did you propose to blow up the ghost temple?¡±


    The immortal world basically had two opinions about this mysterious ghost temple that appeared out of thin air. Due to the many horrible rumors surrounding it, one group proposed to bomb it directly while the other group advocated to go in to explore its secrets. The two sides were in a deadlock. Solar Envy Sect, represented by Yun Xie, put forward the bombing proposal, which immediately tilted the result to one side, so the current attitude of the Hidden Spirit Sect is very important.


    Yun Xie spread his hands as if his answer was obvious. ¡°Of course. If people were really asked to explore the ruined temple, the old people will definitely make excuses and raise obstructions, and in the end, we will not be able to escape. I live well, I have food, clothes and a wife ¨C Um, partner, so why would I go look for death?¡±


    [1] Å®¶ùºì is a type of Chinese alcohol


    [2] lightbulb is third wheel

 CH 74

    Chapter 74 ¨C Quarrel


    His words were reasonable, but not only did the ghost temple involve an important plot, logically, it should have some connection with the¡¾find out the truth¡¿mission. If it was really blown up, even more terrible things may follow.


    After hearing what Yun Xie said, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand paused for a moment before he quickly wrote a few words and tucked the paper into Yu Hong¡¯s arms. ¡°Then I am sorry, for my opinion is contrary to yours. But if it is really does come to exploring the ghost temple, one of us should be enough. I¡¯ll go in, and you can take care of the situation outside¡­¡±


    Yun Xie suddenly burst with anger and interrupted him. ¡°You go in alone while I watch? Are you kidding! Are you even talking about a person?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi originally said this sincerely, but when he was countered by Yun Xie, he felt bad and blurted out, ¡°Yun Xie, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yun Xie did not expect that he would apologize, so he paused, expression softening, and placed a hand on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A¡¯Xun, as I understand it, you are not the type to be curious about the ghost temple. Can you tell me the reason for this?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi closed his eyes, and yet he could not find an answer, so he replied, ¡°Sorry, there is something I must do. This ghost temple is strange and matters a lot. We don¡¯t know what the consequences will be if we blow it up forcibly. If we don¡¯t go in and see, it would not be wise to make such a rash decision. I must see it with my own eyes, otherwise I will be uneasy.¡±


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but frown again, retorting, ¡°This matter was originally not your responsibility, and it has nothing to do with you. Have you ever thought about the consequences if you go in by yourself? Why do you always have to care about every mysterious issue? Everyone in that area avoids the temple because of fear, but you rush to volunteer. Jiang Xunyi, are you crazy? In case you want something, I¡­¡±


    He paused, mouth curving downwards. When he was agitated just now, his voice had become a little louder. ¡°Sometimes I really can¡¯t understand you. What is in your heart? Don¡¯t think too much, don¡¯t do too much, is that not good?¡±


    Anger also burst within Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Then why do you always stop me? Yun Xie, I am not a three-year-old child, and I have my own motivations when I do things! What are the consequences? It¡¯s nothing more than death! Do you think human life is very valuable? How much blood do just you and I have on our hands? You want me to shrink into a shell like a tortoise every time? Are you only satisfied if I don¡¯t bother with anything at all?¡±


    Yun Xie roared, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to live anymore, you can kill me first! For everyone to go die together, we can count it as clean! I am telling you, Jiang Xunyi, I only care about you. What righteousness and common good?! It has nothing to do with me! As long as I¡¯m alive, don¡¯t even think of being reckless. Even if everyone in the world is dead, you still need to live for me! I can¡¯t understand your virtue, so in short, you are not allowed to go!¡±


    As he spoke, he suddenly raised his hand, and the letter that Yu Hong had just tucked into his arms flew into the air. With a wave of his sleeve, the letter scattered into a pile of scraps.


    Jiang Xunyi slammed his palm on the stone table next to him. ¡°Why do you have so many problems? If you can¡¯t understand, then leave!¡±


    Yun Xie was so angry that he trembled, a hand reaching out to point at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Okay, these are your words. After I fucking leave, I¡¯m not coming back. If I come back, I¡¯ll be your grandson!¡±


    As soon as he said this, the two were both shocked. Yu Hong had never seen them act in this way, and he was almost scared to death. At this time, he exhausted his life¡¯s courage to interrupt. ¡°Martial Uncle, Martial Uncle Yun, calm down¡­ Martial Uncle Yun has good intentions¡­ But the words you said, Martial Uncle Yun, were a little too much¡­¡±


    Yun Xie had no brains when he was speaking, and as he vented his anger just now, his mind was almost blank. He raised his head and looked at Jiang Xunyi only to see that Jiang Xunyi was also staring at him calmly.


    As soon as Yun Xie made eye contact, he immediately weakened, and regret poured over him like waves. His mind could only think that Jiang Xunyi was handsome and fierce, and he both liked and feared him. He immediately wished to swallow the words that he had just said, his heart shouting, ¡°Please say something. Just one line, just one line and I will not go!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi finally opened his mouth. Under Yun Xie¡¯s nervous stare, he smiled coldly. ¡°Go then. I won¡¯t see you off.¡±


    Yun Xie was lost for a while, then repeated angrily, ¡°Okay, if I come back again, I will be your grandson!¡±


    He turned and walked away.


    Worried, Yu Hong called out, ¡°Martial Uncle Yun¨C¡°


    Jiang Xunyi waved his hand. ¡°Yu Hong, let him go.¡±


    Yu Hong didn¡¯t expect his tone to be so peaceful. He turned his head in surprise, but only saw that Jiang Xunyi had stood up and was walking slowly to his room. ¡°It¡¯s late. You should go back, too.¡±


    Yu Hong looked at the paper torn by Yun Xie, and his words died on his tongue. He did not dare to ask Jiang Xunyi what to do, so he turned around in distress and went back to his room.


    In fact, his worries were all in vain, because Yun Xie regretted it less than three minutes after he went out.


    He wandered outside the courtyard of the building they lived in until the soles of his shoes had thinned, and only when he was almost blown away by the cold wind did he finally recover his sanity.


    ¡°What am I doing? That stinky boy Jiang Xunyi is too irritating. He acts based on impulse and never takes his life seriously. Does he even have logic? No way, I can no longer spoil him. His bad temper is from being spoiled under Jiang Molou¡¯s sect. I¡¯ve known for a long time that I can¡¯t have a good face when dealing with such a little bastard¡­ and I don¡¯t know if his internal injury has healed. If he gets angry now, won¡¯t it affect the injury? Well, in fact, I am also in the wrong, and I should admit it¡­ I said that if I go back, I will be his grandson, uh, grandson is just a grandson!¡±


    He talked to himself as if he had a mental problem, seemingly fighting with heaven and earth on his own. After a while, he looked up and found that he had already reached the door of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s room. There was the slight glow of candlelight inside, but there was no sound.


    Yun Xie paused before finally gathering the courage to put on a bold front and kick the door. ¡°Grandpa, open the door!¡±


    The door squeaked open. It turned out to be unlocked.


    Yun Xie walked in, and after his eyes adjusted to the light, he found that Jiang Xunyi was lying on the bed without a quilt, and it was not clear if he was asleep or not. He had taken off his hair crown and put it aside, and his black hair streamed out besides him on the pillows. His face was calm, and he looked beautiful.


    Yun Xie¡¯s heart thumped, and he lifted his robe to sit on the edge of the bed. Stretching out his hand, he stroked his face, brushing away the strands of hair on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead.


    His voice was soft as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t pretend, I know you are not asleep.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi opened his eyes, his eyebrows as calm as water, and his face carried no joking intention. Just as he opened his mouth, Yun Xie¡¯s other hand pressed his lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yun Xie said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the ghost temple together.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what your plan is, and I don¡¯t know what you are doing, but no matter what, I won¡¯t let go of your hand.¡±


    After turning the words around in his heart for a while, he had finally let them out, and it felt as if a big rock has been lifted off his chest. Yun Xie smiled, feeling that the moonlight was hazy like wine. Those who breathed it in began to feel dizzy as if drunk. And under this drunkenness, Yun Xie saw an expression he had never seen before on the man besides him.


    Yun Xie patted Jiang Xunyi and covered him with a quilt. However, he himself did not make a move to lie down. He just leaned against the bed and whispered, ¡°Go to sleep, I will guard you.¡±


    ¡°Yun Xie,¡± Jiang Xunyi whispered. ¡°You told me the truth today. What have you been worried about all the time?¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t speak, but Jiang Xunyi knew that he had heard it. After a long time, Yun Xie¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°I¡¯m worried about wronging you.¡±


    In fact, he worried about a lot of things: if Jiang Xunyi was injured, if he was sad, if he would leave him, and the most worrying thing was if Jiang Xunyi had only ever seen him as a brother but only accepted as to not ruin the friendship, and thus meaning Yun Xie had wronged him.


    Although he only said five words, Yun Xie felt that Jiang Xunyi should understand his meaning. He smiled softly, quietly helped tuck him in the quilt, and added, ¡°But no matter if you love me back or not, I love you still.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi inhaled and let out a long sigh, then suddenly moved his hand to feel around the inside of the bed. During Yun Xie¡¯s momentary pause, a long sword was already placed between the two people.


    He grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°You want to kill me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi also smiled. His wrist shook, and the scabbard slipped off. The whole room filled with light from the sword.


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but look over, and he blurted out, ¡°Good sword!¡±


    ¡°This sword is called Kunwu. It is a famous sword handed down from ancient times. It cuts jade like mud, and alerts you when there is danger. It will not be worse than your Bright River sword.¡± Jiang Xunyi turned the hilt upside down and handed it over. ¡°Here you are.¡±


    It was indeed an ancient sword, but it was not just any piece of broken copper and iron that could be picked up on the street. It must have taken a lot of effort to obtain, and yet Yun Xie had no idea when he had the time to find such a treasure.


    Yun Xie stammered, ¡°You, when did you¡­¡±


    ¡°The first time I asked where your Bright River sword went, you said that you didn¡¯t bring it out. I knew something must have been wrong, and so thinking of that, I got this sword. I hope it can continue to protect you. Although I didn¡¯t expect the Bright River sword to be broken. I don¡¯t know any other who has such ability¡­ You broke it yourself, right?¡±


    Yun Xie closed his eyes for a moment, then finally said, ¡°I hurt you with it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly stretched out his hand and firmly grasped the back of Yun Xie¡¯s hand, which was holding the hilt of the sword, letting him feel the temperature of his palm. ¡°Yun Xie, I have never made hasty decisions out of sympathy or guilt. Believe me, I will always be by your side, forever.¡±


    The warmth from his hands seemed to penetrate to the bottom of his heart. Yun Xie opened his eyes, the dazzling light from the sword illuminating both Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face and his heart.


    It seemed as if the uneasiness, struggles, and regret had instantly turned into the kind of stability that was the subject of melodies sung during nights on the desert, south of the Yangtze River. One of Yun Xie¡¯s hands was still placed on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s cheek, and he involuntarily leaned down, their breaths intertwining.


    As if enchanted, he lowered his eyes and kissed him. As for the sword between them, one of them had waved a hand and knocked it to the ground with a ¡°clang.¡±


    It seemed as if someone was whispering lightly, the gentle thoughts softly saying, ¡°Thank you, not only for your company, but also¡­ for all the difficulties I have brought you¡­¡±


    Early the next morning, Yun Xie¡¯s first reaction when he opened his eyes was to look to his side. On the inside of the bed, Jiang Xunyi had turned on his side, facing him. He had yet to wake up, and his forehead rested on Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder.


    Yun Xie held his breath cautiously and did not dare to move. After a long while, he raised his other hand and gently put it on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist, a smile on his face.


    Although no one was watching now, he still recognized that he was smiling so stupidly that it damaged his wise martial artist image. Unfortunately even after several attempts to stop, the corners of his mouth went higher and higher, and he just wanted to go out and yell in the yard to express his joy. At the same time, he also wanted to kiss Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side profile a few times.


    With great exertion, Yun Xie tried to restrain his passionate heart, and he quietly hugged Jiang Xunyi, waiting for him to slowly wake up.


    Jiang Xunyi opened his eyes and saw that Yun Xie¡¯s silly smiling face was filled with refreshing energy. After two minutes of confusion, he gradually felt that there was no place on his body that was right. Remembering yesterday evening, he immediately raised his leg and gave Yun Xie a kick.


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t dodge or avoid, letting him kick, but Jiang Xunyi took a breath and overexerted himself, feeling that his old waist was not his own.


    Yun Xie hurriedly asked, ¡°Where does it hurt? I will rub it for you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi made a ¡°pei¡± sound. ¡°Stop being a wolf in sheep skin, if it wasn¡¯t for you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What about me?¡± Yun Xie rubbed his waist gently, saying with a smirk, ¡°I gave you a chance, but you didn¡¯t know how. A¡¯Xun, I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so¡­Aiya!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi scolded, ¡°Shameless! Shut up, or I will kill you with a single sword!¡±


    Yun Xie whined sadly, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re so ruthless. Last night we were in the bridal chamber, today you murder your husband¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t listen anymore and pushed him. ¡°Alright, stop acting.¡±


    Yun Xie was pushed away by him, but he slid up again and said with a smirk, ¡°A¡¯Xun, don¡¯t you remember? I asked if you knew how to do it?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was not as shameless as he was, so he gritted his teeth and said nothing.


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t seem to be joking. Suddenly he stretched out his hand to embrace Jiang Xunyi and rocked him in his arms. He asked, half acting like a baby, half serious, ¡°Do you know what I was thinking at that time? I was wondering what would you do if I told you that I could only spend my life with a man, and that I need you to stay with me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t expect the hole in Yun Xie¡¯s brain to be so big. He couldn¡¯t help but feel stunned. Just as he was about to say that he was talking nonsense, he turned his head and caught the seriousness in Yun Xie¡¯s smiling eyes.


    The words he had planned to say were lost now, and he hesitated, answering honestly, ¡°Mostly I will agree.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled softly, and involuntarily tightened his arms. He buried his head slightly in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder and whispered, ¡°Yeah, our A¡¯Xun is really the kindest. I thought that, and so I thought that if I could get with you, I could castrate myself ¡ª Not only castrate myself, if you wanted me to cut myself a thousand times, I would do it!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect Yun Xie, who has always been proud, to have such an idea. Although absurd, Jiang Xunyi could see that he was telling the truth. In a moment of emotion, he whispered, ¡±Yun Xie¡­¡±


    Unexpectedly, Yun Xie nibbled the side of his neck and laughed softly, ¡°But I really didn¡¯t expect you to know nothing. Hey, we were close to ruining our lifelong happiness, but we didn¡¯t, how fortunate how fortunate.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Jiang Xunyi returned with a punch. ¡°Yun Xie, get out!¡±


    He didn¡¯t expect to hit so hard just now. This person was like a bandaid, unmoving, but he had put his whole heart into this conversation and was completely unprepared for the hit. In this moment, Yun Xie was actually knocked under the bed.


    Yun Xie sat on the ground foolishly, and the two people looked at each other. They suddenly couldn¡¯t help laughing at the same time.


    In fact, it would have been fine to be able to live like this for a lifetime.


    However, even if the tree wishes for peace, the wind continues on. Troubles in this world were always unavoidable. The two of them had been intimate for a long time already, so just as Jiang Xunyi dressed and went out, Yu Hong recklessly rushed in.


    ¡°Martial Uncle, I just went to Martial Uncle Yun Xie¡¯s room and found that he hasn¡¯t come back yet. Do you think we should¡­¡±


    His words stopped abruptly when he saw Yun Xie popping out from behind Jiang Xunyi, tying his belt as he said with a smile, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    Yu Hong looked at him and then at Jiang Xunyi, and was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, you are back? You came to see my uncle so early, no wonder I didn¡¯t see you.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said nothing, but he secretly sighed in his heart that this Hidden Spirit faction was filled with inexperienced nerds through and through. He was so dull, it really made sense that he had known Jiang Xunyi since childhood.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yu Hong remembered what was going on and smiled bitterly. ¡°Someone has died again. This time¡­ from the Du¡¯s family.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s hands, which were fixing his clothes, paused and looked at Jiang Xunyi, then quickly continued, ¡°The Du Family? Who is the dead? For their family, who has been cultivating for hundreds of years, to be disposed by a fox spirit, they will be the laughingstock of the world. If I were Du Li, I would definitely cover this matter strictly, without letting anyone know it at all.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said leisurely, ¡°I¡¯m afraid he is not as far-sighted as you, Sect Master Yun.¡±


    Yun Xie shook his head. ¡°Not necessarily, not necessarily.¡±


    Yu Hong interjected, ¡°The two uncles may not know, but Family Head Du had fallen ill. It is said that after his cousin Du Xian passed away, he suffered excessive grief. Now, he can¡¯t even get out of bed. ¡°


    Just as he spoke, knocks rang out on the front door three times, and a voice spoke slowly. ¡°The family head of the Du family has taken the liberty to ask to see Sect Master Yun and Young Master Jiang.¡±


    Yu Hong: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie said, ¡°Yu Hong, stop talking next time. I¡¯m afraid to see you open your mouth.¡±

 CH 75

    The voice was projected through a secret transmission method, and it sounded clearly in the ears of the three people, but it was difficult to distinguish the position of the speaker. Jiang Xunyi striked the air with his palm, the power shaking the courtyard door open, and said loudly, ¡°Please come in.¡±


    After he spoke, a middle-aged man in a plain blue robe had already appeared before the door. This man was ugly, his complexion sickly with both blues and yellows, but he was tall. Jiang Xunyi glanced over and joined his hands in a salute. ¡°Family Head Du¡¯s disguise technique must have been passed on by Ling Ci. It is truly subtle.¡±


    Du Li stepped forward, his eyes silently sweeping across his face. Although there was no expression on his face, there was a soft emotion expressed in his eyes, and he slowly said, ¡°Second brother.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sarcastic smile froze, his heart trembled, and a mysterious emotion subtly appeared. His lips moved slightly, but he did not speak.


    Yun Xie smiled. ¡°I heard that Family Head Du was sick. I thought it was an illness of the physique. But looking at it, is it a mental affliction? I told you last time that this is Jiang Xunyi, not Du Heng. Your memory is very bad, sir.¡±


    Du Li said lightly, ¡°I lost a brother, you lost a close friend. Naturally everyone hopes the one that lives is the one in his heart. Sect Master Yun should understand better than I.¡±


    Yun Xie was taken aback for a moment, and did not have any reply for once.


    Jiang Xunyi laughed for a while. ¡°Patriarch Du is humorous. Your words are really interesting. The visitor is a guest, so it¡¯s not good to ask you to stand here. Why not come in for a cup of tea?¡±


    Without a change in his composure, he pushed Yun Xie and then led Du Li directly into Yun Xie¡¯s room. However, Du Li looked back at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s door before turning back thoughtfully.


    Entering the room and sitting down, Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°Yu Hong, go and pour the tea.¡±


    Yu Hong made an agreeing noise and got up. Yun Xie then added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to come back after you pour the tea. In fact, Family Head Du may not be very thirsty, but it is estimated that he does not want you to hear his words.¡±


    Yu Hong did not know whether to laugh or cry, so he looked over at Jiang Xunyi. Seeing Jiang Xunyi wave his hand, he nodded and left the room.


    Yun Xie smiled and said, ¡°Now, can Family Head Du talk about what ¡°business¡± brought you here?¡±


    Du Li nodded slightly at him and then looked around, seeming a little uneasy, before his hands rised up to join in front of his chest.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes flashed, and he suddenly interrupted him. ¡°Family Head Du, you should be tired after walking so far. As for the barrier of isolation and defense, let me cast it.¡±


    Du Li knew that Jiang Xunyi was defending against him, but he was not angry. He raised his hand gracefully, and said, ¡°Please.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not waste time on courtesy and immediately raised his hand to form a seal. From his hand signs, the air around them fluctuated, and a glow that had the appearance of waves slowly appeared and disappeared. The most advanced isolation spell was cast on the surrounding area. Not only were the people outside unable to get in, but the people within could not leave without Jiang Xunyi¡¯s permission.


    This is equivalent to detaining a dignified Patriarch in front of others, an action that was truly arrogant. However, Du Li smiled as he watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s actions without any intention to stop him. His disguised appearance was originally quite mediocre, and especially when sitting with Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, it was very lacking. However, when he smiled like this, there was an indescribable calmness that people dared not look down on.


    Yun Xie put his hands on his knees and fixed his eyes on Du Li¡¯s face. ¡°Family Head Du, I truly cannot fathom what situation can cause someone like you to act so secretively to this point. But both the Solar Envy sect and the Hidden Spirit sect have extremely limited friendship with the Du family. If you are here to give money and gifts as a landlord, I will laugh. You can put those things down and leave. But if you are here for help, then you had better keep your mouth shut.¡±


    Du Li smiled. ¡± Sect Master Yun, I heard that there is a Buddhist scripture cave behind Solar Envy Mountain that contains thousands of books. In addition, there are several secret rooms that carries books about sect secrets and bizarre mysteries. These texts can only be studied by the Sect Master and the successors who will inherit the title. I don¡¯t know if Sect Master Yun has seen the record of the ¡®Bamuna Curse¡¯?¡±


    Yun Xie was very calm. ¡°I have never entered a Buddhist scripture cave.¡±


    This was the truth. He was so lazy every day, there was practically grass growing on him, so how could he have gone to the Buddhist scripture cave? What studying, pei!


    Jiang Xunyi spoke concisely: ¡± If there are two baby boys born on the same day in a family, each are left with half of a life.¡±


    Du Li replied, ¡°Everyone says that Young Master Jiang is knowledgeable and well-versed, an avid reader of the classics, and he really deserves this title¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was indifferent. ¡°Do you still dare to think he is your silly brother now?¡±


    Du Li, startled, smiled slightly and shook his head. It couldn¡¯t be discerned whether he thought he himself was ridiculous or if he didn¡¯t accept what Yun Xie said.


    He then continued, ¡°As Young Master Jiang said, a family that has been cursed by the ¡®Bamuna curse¡¯ will have two baby boys born on the same day in each generation, and one of these two baby boys has life but no soul, and the other has a soul but no life. Only by using a sacrificial technique to combine the lives and souls of the two can one of them be saved. 700 years ago, a mortal enemy in the Du family used his life to curse the family, and even when it reached my generation, it has still not been unraveled.¡±


    Yun Xie thought of Wu Tianqi¡¯s words before, and immediately reacted. ¡°So this is the truth behind the real Du Heng¡¯s death. It seems that Family Head Du was the one who had been saved? Congratulations. Congratulations.¡±


    His tone was not so much congratulatory, but rather gloating. Du Li was clearly startled by Yun Xie¡¯s words, but he calmed down quickly. ¡°Sect Master Yun is well informed and sharp in mind. How¡­ astounding. ¡°


    ¡°Yun Xie, what are you talking about?¡± Jiang Xunyi said.


    Yun Xie briefly summarized Wu Tianqi¡¯s words, but he was a little nervous, afraid that Jiang Xunyi would be overwhelmed, so he explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to hide it from you, I just didn¡¯t think there was any need to mention it deliberately and cause you to overthink.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t bothered, and waved his hand freely. He had been trained to be a sect master ever since he was a child and was very sensitive to these things. He had already understood the subtleties -because the two boys were born on the same day, unless they were twins, they were born to two different mothers, so no matter which one the head of the family chooses, it will cause resentment from the other side of the family. Over time, every birth brought disaster. What¡¯s more, there were not many women who cultivated immortality. The main support for a family was young children. How can the Du family thrive like this? Each generation must be increasingly inferior compared to the last.


    ¡°I heard that there have been some disturbances in the Du family recently. Is it related to the Bamuna curse?¡± Jiang Xunyi pondered for a moment, and then added, ¡°Or to put it differently, are the strange occurences in Tengge City related to your Du family?¡±


    Du Li¡¯s fingers clicked on the table with a crisp sound. He laughed before he said, ¡°This kid¡­¡±


    Yun Xie frowned with displeased at the familiar tone, but when he turned his head, he saw Jiang Xunyi, who was sitting next to him, suddenly stand up. A porcelain cup placed on the case table was accidentally overturned by him, and the sound of shattering in the overly quiet room was an unexplained shock.


    Du Li¡¯s smile froze. Yun Xie didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to him, and he also stood up, grabbing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arm with one hand as he said, ¡°A¡¯Xun?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at Yun Xie, eyes blank as if he had just wandered back from another country, before his eyes gradually cleared.


    He patted the back of Yun Xie¡¯s hand, gently moved his hand away, and sat back down with a dry cough. ¡°Sorry, I suddenly thought of something else and forgot myself for a moment. May the two forgive me.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s hand hung in the empty air. It was not until Jiang Xunyi sat back in the chair that he withdrew his hand in relief, flicked his sleeves, and also sat down. His eyes turned to Du Li¡¯s, and his expression was not good.


    The atmosphere in the room suddenly became weird. Jiang Xunyi took a silent breath and tried to turn his chaotic thoughts back to the case. ¡°First, there was the inexplicable death of the bridegrooms in the city, then Du Rui went crazy and killed himself, his wife, and his children¡­ The Bamuna Curse¡­¡±


    A lightbulb in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind flashed on, and he finally connected the dots, discovering the most critical question. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Uncle Ling has another son besides Du Rui?¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi stood just now, he caused Yun Xie and Du Li to both become absent-minded. On the other hand, he himself forgot this happened while talking, which really made people speechless. Du Li was stunned for a while before realizing that Jiang Xunyi was talking to himself. ¡°Well¡­ yes, it seems that Young Master Jiang has already guessed it. Back then, my uncle¡¯s two sons Du Rui and Du Qi were born in the same year, the same month, and the same day, and naturally, he was not exempt from Bamuna¡¯s curse. Because Du Rui is the child of his legitimate wife, his uncle finally chose to let him survive. It was calm and peaceful for many years, but for some reason, a few days ago, he suddenly went crazy and began to murder¡­ It happened so suddenly, and I had no time to stop it. I had only rushed over and was able to stop him before he was able to make the killing strike on himself.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°So you are suspecting that it was caused by Bamuna¡¯s curse?¡±


    Du Li nodded. ¡°Besides that, I really can¡¯t find any other reason.¡±


    Yun Xie frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Du Rui alive? Did he say anything?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to say anything,¡± Du Li said. ¡°He has been locked up. But the matter is difficult to make public, and it would also not be a solution for me to keep him forever. However, if Young Master Jiang went back to participate in this matter as a son of the legitimate branch, the situation would be very different. Young Master Jiang, to be honest, your background as the son of a woman from the underworld has been made public. Such a background is very harmful to your reputation. Wouldn¡¯t you consider changing your identity and starting anew? With the reputation of the Du family and your talent, the future will be limitless.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was unmoved, speaking like an old god. ¡°I am proud of such a unique background.¡±


    Du Li: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie looked at him and suddenly approached Jiang Xunyi to whisper in his ear, ¡°A¡¯Xun, the way he hesitates while talking makes him seem like he is not a good person, so don¡¯t talk nonsense with him. Let¡¯s go back to the room. Is your body better? Does your waist still hurt? Do you want me to knead it for you again?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled lightly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    He stomped on Yun Xie¡¯s foot and stood up. Just as he was about to speak, Du Li had already stood up with him, and took out something before Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Sect Master Yun, Du Li took the liberty to come today, and I have intruded on you, so I had brought a gift here. I don¡¯t know if it is to your taste. May I invite Sect Master Yun to take a look?¡±


    Yun Xie raised his eyebrows slightly and looked at the things in Du Li¡¯s hands. Before he could do anything, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face had already morphed into pleasant surprise, and he stepped forward, voice faltering as he said, ¡°Yun Xie, look at it, this is the Yingxue Cangshi!¡±


    The 37th Sect Master of the Solar Envy Sect, You Ming, was killed by an enemy, and after death, his corpse was left exposed to the wilderness. Yingxue Cangshi was a magic treasure of the Solar Envy Sect Masters that had been carried on his body, and with his death, it went missing. This incident became a source of bitterness for the Solar Envy Sect even until the death of Yun Xie¡¯s master, who explained that Yun Xie must find the Yingxue Cangshi. Jiang Xunyi naturally knew about this incident, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be in Du Li¡¯s hands.


    He walked to Du Li¡¯s side in two steps and fixed his eyes on the white and flawless round jade. In an instant, he confirmed that it was definitely authentic and said hurriedly: ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°A¡¯Xun!¡± Yun Xie stepped forward and pulled Jiang Xunyi back to his side, smiling. ¡°I¡¯m not excited, what are you excited about?¡±


    His eyes fell upon the Yingxue Cangshi. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether this thing is authentic or not. Family Head Du should put it away after showing it off. For you to give such a substantial gift for no reason, it makes it even more obvious that what you are asking for is not simple. To say it simply, I dare not accept it.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t accept it, then I will. It¡¯s me who has to do the work anyways, why are you busy rejecting?¡± Jiang Xunyi broke free from him and took the Yingxue Cangshi over without any explanation. Du Li did not stop him. Jiang Xunyi raised his hand to interrupt Yun Xie¡¯s yet to be uttered words. ¡°Yun Xie, don¡¯t tell me any nonsense about not caring about this thing. I grew up watching Martial Uncle exhausting manpower and material resources to find the Yingxue Cangshi. By his side, I saw that he had entrusted this to you before his death. Think about your master. Are you still stopping me?¡±


    Yun Xie opened his mouth, lips moving wordlessly, but he couldn¡¯t refute Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, so he smiled bitterly. He had no father or mother since he was a child, and he was raised in a sect. He had a deep affection for his master, no less than between a father and son. How could he not want to take the Yingxue Cangshi back? However, he just did not want Jiang Xunyi to take any risks. He couldn¡¯t hide anything from Jiang Xunyi, so he couldn¡¯t find a way to explain it.


    Jiang Xunyi directly clapped. ¡°Family Head Du, this transaction is done. Tomorrow morning, I will return to the Du family as Du Heng.¡±


    Yun Xie pursed his lips and took a deep glance at Jiang Xunyi.


    Du Li nodded and said, ¡°That would be good. The two are worthy of being fateful friends since childhood. The brotherhood is deep and truly enviable.¡±


    After He finished saying this, he did not leave, standing still and watching Jiang Xunyi for a while. He couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Second brother¡­¡±


    Yun Xie immediately decided it was time to see off the guests, and he walked to the door. ¡°Oh, Patriarch Du doesn¡¯t want to sit for a while? If you don¡¯t sit, then take care when you leave. I won¡¯t see you off!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled, making a hand seal to unlock the barrier and allow Du Li to leave.


    After Du Li left, Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi glanced at each other. Jiang Xunyi opened his hands, and in his palm was the Yingxue Cangshi. ¡°Take it.¡±


    Yun Xie did not answer, instead whispering, ¡°A¡¯Xun¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered, and went straight forward to stuff this hard-won artifact into Yun Xie¡¯s shirt. He then patted his chest frivolously, and said, ¡°Sect Master Yun, take it. I had slept with you last night, take this as compensation.¡±


    Yun Xie was in a daze, and subconsciously clutched his chest. Jiang Xunyi had already idly put his hands behind his back and walked out of the room.


    The reason why Du Li was so happy to give the Yingxue Cangshi to Jiang Xunyi was because he was well-known for his faithfulness to promises. It is conceivable that if it were Yun Xie in the position, it is estimated that no one will be willing to give him things directly.


    Yun Xie also knew that he couldn¡¯t stop Jiang Xunyi, so he didn¡¯t bother to argue, instead naturally accompanying him to Du¡¯s house the next morning.


    The doorman of the Du family heard the knock on the door early in the morning, and felt annoyed. He only pushed open a side door slightly before he said in a rough voice, ¡°Who?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was calm and quiet. ¡°Zheng Xing, don¡¯t you recognize me?¡±


    All of Tengge City¡¯s power belonged to the Du family. As the saying goes, those who can guard the prime minister¡¯s door is a seven-rank official[1]. Zheng Xing was the Du family¡¯s concierge, and naturally became arrogant. When he heard Jiang Xunyi called his name directly, his heart was annoyed, and he couldn¡¯t help looking up. However, with one glance, he was shocked.


    The person in front of him wore a light blue brocade, a jade crown tying his hair up and silver belt looped around his waist. His outfit made his skin appear like jade, his temperament cold, but his eyebrows were thick and dark, and his features delicate as if painted. With one glance, his eyes were assaulted by the brilliance, and he almost dared not to look directly.


    Next to him stood a young man in white, appearance extremely handsome and gentle, but when he glanced over with a smile, Zheng Xing felt an inexplicable chill.


    These two¡­ were ghosts? Or immortals? He looked away in embarrassment, but then suddenly seemed to think of something again, and his head whipped back, a finger extending to point at Jiang Xunyi.


    ¡°You, aren¡¯t you that fool?¡± he exclaimed.


    Just as he raised his arm, a sharp pain shot through him. Yun Xie stood still without didn¡¯t move, only smiling as he said, ¡°Who are you saying is a fool?¡±


    Zheng Xing said, ¡°He, he¡­Aiyo, oh my god!¡±


    Just as he uttered two syllables, he felt like there was a knife slashing the flesh of his arm, and he almost wanted to roll all over the floor. He immediately knew that the person in front of him was not good to provoke. ¡°I am wrong, I am wrong, yes, is the second son back? This villain¡­ confesses ah ah ah!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi frowned slightly. ¡°So noisy.¡±


    As soon as he said this, Zheng Xing suddenly felt that the sharp pain that made him want to die had disappeared. Yun Xie smiled as if nothing had happened. ¡°Go and open the front door, your second son is back.¡±

 CH 76

    Chapter 76 ¨C The Du Residence


    Both of them were proud and arrogant, never walking through any entrance besides the front door. After swaggering in, they realized that even with the great disturbance they caused, there were not many people who came out to see what was going on.


    Yun Xie smiled as he said, ¡°It seems that the Du family is a mess.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°Du Li was the one who asked us to come over, and yet he didn¡¯t show up himself. He clearly wanted me to assert myself as the legitimate Du son, but I¡¯m afraid everyone thinks Du Heng is foolish and hopeless. This place is far away as a border town, so even if word of my recent actions travelled over, they must take it as mere jianghu rumors, and it would not be regarded as an important thing at all. ¡°


    Yun Xie sent him a deep look and said, ¡°Why do I feel that you always try to think highly of Du Li?¡±


    ¡°Look at yourself. Don¡¯t be so apprehensive all the time. I want to think about you highly, but I can¡¯t do it.¡±


    Because you are already the best in my heart, and you cannot be better.


    This sentence twitched in his throat, but he could not pretend to be nonchalant if he spoke those words, so he pressed his lips together and smiled.


    Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi have become accustomed to each other¡¯s teasing, so the last sentence shouldn¡¯t have been out of the ordinary, but instead, Yun Xie was exclaiming, ¡°Why are you blushing? Is it hot?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, he suddenly closed his mouth. Yun Xie followed his gaze and saw Du Li striding towards them, flanked by a few people.


    ¡°Second brother!¡± He walked straight to Jiang Xunyi and stretched out his hands to hug him. ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s fist clenched tightly behind his sleeve, but at the sight of the large group of people behind Du Li, he could only turn around angrily.


    Jiang Xunyi was stunned for a moment, then he slowly hugged Du Li back before straightening up and taking a step back. He spoke lightly, ¡°¡­Big brother.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you have returned. I have already prepared your room, why don¡¯t you go rest¡­¡±


    ¡°Big brother.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi interrupted his welcome. ¡°The reason I have returned this time is because I have heard of the matter involving Brother Rui and fifth younger brother. I don¡¯t need to rest or anything. You should let me meet them first.¡±


    The fifth younger brother he mentioned referred to the one Yu Hong mentioned before in the Du family who had died on his wedding night. The bridegroom¡¯s official name was Du Xian.


    Du Li greeted Yun Xie and led the two of them inside. As they walked, he said, ¡°A¡¯Rui has not yet woken up at this time, but your fifth brother has not been buried. You can go and see him.¡±


    He glanced at Yun Xie, then turned to Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Brother has something else I want to discuss with you ¡ª the lady who married your fifth brother was originally the young lady of the Zhu family, well-matched in social and economic status, so I chose a good day for the happy event. I originally thought that even if there were some evil monsters, they would not dare to act here, but I didn¡¯t expect that the fate could not be avoided. Let¡¯s not mention our family¡¯s affairs for the time being, but the girl was also detained.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips quirked. ¡°So? Big brother wants me to marry her?¡±


    Backup marriage[1]?


    Yun Xie blurted out: ¡°Pei! That¡¯s just a wishful thinking!¡±


    Du Li smiled. ¡°Wishful thinking? Does Sect Master Yun think that my younger brother is not worthy of Miss Zhu? Then if you want to marry, you can do it.¡±


    Yun Xie was stunned for a moment before he suddenly understood what he meant ¨C Du Li did not intend to let either of them marry Miss Zhu, but wanted to hold another wedding to investigate the truth of the deaths!


    Jiang Xunyi turned his head and said to Yun Xie politely, ¡°Sect Master Yun, do you want to marry her?¡±


    Yun Xie shivered, stepped back vigilantly, and said with a smile, ¡°No, I won¡¯t marry, won¡¯t marry ¡°


    He thought for a while, still a little hesitant, and then added, ¡°But if I don¡¯t marry, you are the who one who has to marry¡­ Ah, even if you want to, the bride may not be willing!¡±


    While talking, Du Li had left the group he brought outside and had led Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi into the mourning hall. A woman¡¯s voice followed Yun Xie¡¯s words. ¡°Who said I¡¯m not willing. Is there any woman in the world who would refuse to marry someone like Second Young Master Du!¡±


    Yun Xie choked for a long time without speaking. He raised his eyes and immediately called out, ¡°Zhu Rou, why is it you again? Why are you everywhere?¡±


    It turned out that this hapless bride was the gentle girl who helped them at the Flame Gate.


    She stood in front of the coffin, wearing a white mourning robe. After hearing Yun Xie¡¯s words, she immediately placed her hands on her hips, eyebrows raised. ¡°Do you think I like to be a widow here? This one is already unlucky enough, and seeing you makes me even more disappointed. Yun Xie, can¡¯t you control your words?¡±


    In the days when Jiang Xunyi went up the mountain and fell into Xuan Li¡¯s hands, Rou Rou had already been acquainted with Yun Xie at the foot of the mountain. When the two both realized that the other was hiding their true colors, not a shy girl nor a kind gentleman, Yun Xie didn¡¯t care about keeping up appearance anymore Rou Rou was seriously distressed by her own blindness in the past, so her attitude towards Yun Xie has quickly changed from admiration to disapproval, so as soon as they met, they would fight.


    Jiang Xunyi hadn¡¯t seen this side of Rou Rou, and he was taken aback for a long time before he spoke.


    ¡°Zhu Rou?¡± His voice had a suspecting tone. ¡°Don¡¯t you like Yun Xie?¡±


    Yun Xie was standing behind Jiang Xunyi, and he curled his lips.


    Zhu Rou replied angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t like him anymore. Although this man looks handsome, he is too good at acting and is incompatible with someone honest like me. Now I like you, Master Jiang. Let¡¯s get married tomorrow.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was suddenly a little scared and didn¡¯t want to get married.


    Du Li cut in, ¡°It turns out that fifth sister-in-law know Sect Master Yun and¡­ the second brother.¡±


    ¡°I have met them several times by coincidence.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi walked to the coffin and lifted the white cloth covering it. ¡°Miss Zhu, you should move aside, I will look at the corpse.¡±


    Although Rou Rou had spoken acrimoniously just now, in fact, ever since Jiang Xunyi walked in, she had been too embarrassed to even look at him. At this moment, she saw him approach as he spoke, his beautiful face close enough to reach, a faint cold fragrance drifting out into the air. Her face flushed and, without a single word, spun around and walked away.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t notice her reaction, his hands shooting forwards with force to cleanly tear Du Xian¡¯s clothes in half, stripping him in a moment.


    Du Li didn¡¯t even have time to stop him, instead feeling stunned before he smiled and simply stopped talking.


    When Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi observing the naked man with all his attention, he walked up to him and said quietly, ¡°What do you think about his body?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pressed the deceased¡¯s stomach, still keeping his eyes on him, and said casually, ¡°Eight pack abs. He kept his figure well.¡±


    Yun Xie leaned closer and blew softly into his ear with a whisper. ¡°I have it too, haven¡¯t you touched it?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was thinking about something, ignoring him. Yun Xie continued, ¡°But I see you undressed him so fluidly, so how come when it¡¯s your turn, you feel embarrassed and need to ask me¡­ Oh!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi retracted the fist that had struck Yun Xie¡¯s stomach, sneering as he turned his head. ¡°En, you have it too, I feel it.¡±


    He took his hand away from the corpse and covered it with a white cloth. Du Li had already brought fresh water to Jiang Xunyi, who washed his hands as he said, ¡°Miss Zhu, when Du Xian died, did you¡­ not consummate the marriage?¡±


    When he asked this question, he was obviously a little embarrassed, half lowering his head and repeatedly performing the movements to wash his hands as if trying to pluck a flower out of the water.


    Rou Rou raised her willow eyebrows, paused, and glanced at Jiang Xunyi. She didn¡¯t lose her temper, instead saying seriously, ¡°No. I was sitting in the new house from start to finish, and I couldn¡¯t see what was going on outside. I waited for half a day and yet no one came to take off my veil, and because I was really impatient, I pulled the veil off myself. Before I could see the situation clearly, it all went blank.¡±


    Du Li¡¯s expression screwed up, and he said, ¡°Fifth sister-in-law, you mean that you didn¡¯t see fifth brother entering the room at all? But we clearly watched him enter.¡±


    Rou Rou nodded in affirmation. ¡°This is definitely not wrong. I did not see him after visiting the wedding hall.¡±


    Things were strange, and Yun Xie withdrew his playful look. ¡°What did your surroundings look like when you woke up?¡±


    ¡°When I woke up, my surroundings were black and smelled of soil. My body felt very stiff, and everywhere hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­You were in a coffin when you woke up?¡± Yun Xie asked


    ¡°No.¡± Rou Rou¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I was under the bed. ¡°


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    It was the first time he saw Yun Xie get played like this, and Jiang Xunyi pursed his lips for the sake of saving Yun Xie¡¯s face. He tried his best to restrain the corners of his mouth from twitching, stopping himself from laughing and pretending to be serious. He changed the subject with, ¡°So you were in a coma under the bed all night. When you were found the next day, Du Xian was already dead?¡±


    Rou Rou nodded. Du Li understood what Jiang Xunyi wanted to know and added, ¡°We have checked the bed and clothes of fifth brother. It was extremely clean and tidy, without any stains.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°That¡¯s weird. He has no injuries on his body, but his yin is extremely heavy. Look, in between the eyebrows, on his philtrum, and the lower abdomen, you can even see that his skin is faintly green. Young men should have a lot of yang energy and should not be like this. Yun Xie, can you call the soul?¡±


    Yun Xie nodded his head. He opened his palm, and a yellow talisman paper appeared. Vermilion handwriting manifested on the paper, saying, ¡°No such person is found¡± ¨C when the others were unaware, he had already secretly tried to call the ghost.


    He added, ¡°The soul is scattered, and I can¡¯t find it.¡±


    It was a very serious topic, but Yun Xie winked at Jiang Xunyi inexplicably.


    Seeing his expression, Jiang Xunyi was slightly startled, and at that moment, his mind miraculously filled in what Yun Xie¡¯s thought process was. He dared to swear by his sexuality, so what this unscrupulous person must have wanted to say was¨C


    ¡°A¡¯Xun, look, it¡¯s so nice to be with me. You never need to worry about your yang energy being low.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He was deeply ashamed of understanding so quickly.


    Yun Xie continued, ¡°A¡¯Xun¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t need to say anything.¡± Jiang Xunyi quickly and rudely made a decision. ¡°Miss Zhu, it wrongs you to have to pretend to marry me, but since we cannot see anything right now, why not try?¡±


    [1]  ½ÓÅÌÏÀ ¨C literally it means a guy who catches plates but it means a man who catches the girls other guys throw away

 CH 77

    Chapter 77 ¨C Riding a Horse in the Street


    The glass lamp, jade cup, and mermaid silk created a fog-like atmosphere. It was almost winter, but the room was warm like spring. Outside the window, a row of red beads hung under the corridor outside, appearing like small lanterns in the dark night. The wind blew by, and the weak light rippled gently like water, sending a wave of warmth.


    Yun Xie had led an extravagant life and had been able to recognize what it was at a glance. The beads were gemstones polished with dragon flint dug from underneath a volcano. It naturally emitted heat and could make the whole courtyard warm and mellow. In addition, fresh flowers bloomed within the yard, and their dim fragrance filled the area.


    He frowned and looked at the beautiful scenery outside. The sound of footsteps rang out softly behind him. Jiang Xunyi walked to the window and stood to the side of Yun Xie. ¡°This Du family is so lavish and beautiful, I almost think it¡¯s spring again.¡±


    Yun Xie turned around and stared intensely at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s beautiful eyes. As he looked, the expression in his eyes gradually became deeper and deeper. He couldn¡¯t help but lightly reach out with his fingertips to stroke from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyebrows to his lips. As if under a spell, he leaned in slowly and kissed him lightly.


    The kiss was tentative, but it was immediately received. Yun Xie wrapped his hands around Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back and hugged him, softly whispering in his ear, ¡°This is natural. Where there is you, there is a bright spring.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flipped his hand to press on Yun Xie¡¯s hand, which had been trailing downwards. He gritted his teeth and laughed in a low voice. ¡°En, if you don¡¯t freely touch me when you say this, then you will seem more sincere.¡±


    Yun Xie was finally interrupted, and he chuckled and leaped back to avoid Jiang Xunyi¡¯s kick. ¡°But every time I see you, I feel tempted. I can¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Jiang Xunyi folded his arms and sneered. ¡°Blaming me.¡±


    He pointed to the door. ¡°Sorry, but this is originally my room. If you go back to your own room, naturally you don¡¯t need to see me.¡±


    Yun Xie exclaimed, ¡°How can my crappy place compare to yours? It¡¯s a doghouse, how can I live there.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi flicked his robes and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea leisurely before he tossed it back. He played with the exquisitely carved cup in his hand, raising his sword eyebrows slightly. ¡°After holding back for a long time and beating around the bush, the true words from the heart have finally come out. After all, you want to ask why Du Li treats me so well, right? Just ask, do you need to try and seduce me?¡±


    Yun Xie listened but did not answer for a moment. Jiang Xunyi looked up in surprise and saw Yun Xie suddenly come over and slowly squat down in front of him. Placing his hand on his own knees, he tilted his head up and looked into his eyes.


    ¡°A¡¯Xun, I¡¯m not trying to seduce you, I just¡­ can¡¯t help it.¡±


    His demeanor suddenly became serious, and Jiang Xunyi was uncomfortable for a while. He wanted to turn his head, but the way Yun Xie was positioned made him really unavoidable. He lowered his eyes slightly and muttered, ¡°If you aren¡¯t, then you aren¡¯t. Why are you so serious?¡±


    Yun Xie looked at him seriously. ¡°I always worry about gains and losses. I am afraid that you will suddenly leave me. I am afraid I won¡¯t be able to see you. But what I¡¯m most worried about is your safety. A¡¯Xun, if you think I¡¯m suspicious or extremely petty, it is alright. In short, this Du Li¡¯s behavior is unreasonable. You¡­ your attitude towards him is also out of the ordinary. I really can¡¯t rest assured.¡±


    Yun Xie closed his eyes deeply, and suddenly with a powerful hand, he pulled Jiang Xunyi off the chair. Jiang Xunyi was caught off guard and suddenly fell into Yun Xie¡¯s arms. The two of them were half-lying on the soft carpet, Yun Xie hugging his waist tightly as he kissed the side of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Such things¡­ I really can¡¯t bear it again¡­¡±


    The words were spoken as loudly as a mosquito, but they both understood that he was referring to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s death right before his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi originally wanted to push him away, but when he heard Yun Xie say this, his heart softened, and he slowly relaxed, leaning his head against Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder. As he patted his back, he promised, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Although he only uttered 5 words, when he was the one speaking, the words carried a lot of weight.


    Jiang Xunyi paused, then continued, ¡°Du Li actually¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, he and Yun Xie suddenly looked down the corridor at the same time and saw Rou Rou standing there dumbfounded, with a red wedding robe on the ground.


    She looked at the two people, her eyes filled with disbelief as she stood motionless. She was probably frightened stupid and didn¡¯t know to leave.


    With a glance, Yun Xie guessed that she should have arrived to give Jiang Xunyi his bridegroom robes. At the thought that this woman would be with A¡¯Xun tomorrow, even if it was fake, it made him very unhappy. Yun Xie simply closed his eyes and remained motionless, as if he hadn¡¯t seen Rou Rou at all, and reburied his head in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck.


    Just then, an explanation to why the two brothers had suddenly lost themselves for a moment and comforted each other could¡¯ve barely been made. But now, it was hard to deny anything, so she said softly, ¡°You¡­¡±


    Yun Xie felt Jiang Xunyi¡¯s body move. Knowing that he was probably going to push him off and then say a lot of nonsense, he sighed in his heart. However, he didn¡¯t want to do too much to make Jiang Xunyi unhappy. Just as he was about to let go, he felt that Jiang Xunyi had also raised his hand and hugged him.


    Yun Xie trembled, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was indifferent as he spoke without looking back. ¡°Thank you for coming to deliver the clothes. It¡¯s getting late. Miss Zhu should go back first. I have something to do, so I won¡¯t send you off.¡±


    Zhu Rou finally reacted. Her whole face was red, and it was unsure what her inner feelings were. She covered her face with her sleeve, turned, and walked away quickly.


    As soon as she left, Jiang Xunyi unceremoniously pushed away Yun Xie, who was currently intoxicated from the joy of being acknowledged. He got up from the ground and kicked him roughly. ¡°Yun Xie, I ask you, have you ever heard of a scheming bitch?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ah?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi continued, ¡°You are like a little wife who became pregnant but wasn¡¯t able to get married and is now willing to pull any scheme to be on top. Now, do you still worry about me getting married to Zhu Rou? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that you are quite willing to risk it all, I would kill you every minute.¡±


    Yun Xie froze for a moment, smiled suddenly, and slowly climbed up from the ground. He dusted off his clothes and said leisurely, ¡°A¡¯Xun, you speak so fiercely, but why didn¡¯t you push me away just now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    You try to save someone¡¯s face and instead of appreciating, they just get more insolent. He really shouldn¡¯t have sympathized with him.


    The new wife had just become a widow, and she was about to marry another soon, which was not out of the ordinary. According to customs, if a woman who had just become a widow could find someone to marry within seven days, she can get married. If she can¡¯t find anyone, she can only wait until three years after the funeral. This was why Du Li arranged the date of marriage between Jiang Xunyi and Zhu Rou in this way.


    However, in the current situation, what was surprising was not that a woman was about to marry, it was that a man dared to marry. When Jiang Xunyi put on his wedding robes and rode a horse for the wedding procession, almost every person was in the street. Many wanted to see who was so daring as to marry at the cusp of this storm, but after a glance, no one could bear to leave. They crowded the roadside and filled a long street.


    Yun Xie led Yu Hong to sit on the roof of a restaurant facing the street, with one hand on his knees, and the other pointing at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Yu Hong, look at your uncle¡¯s dress today. It¡¯s really beautiful. Are you jealous?¡±


    Yu Hong glanced at Yun Xie, feeling that although his tone was as relaxed as before, his face was cold, and there was not even the slightest hint of a smile. Yu Hong didn¡¯t know what he was thinking when he decided to say something to make Yun Xie happy, impulsively saying, ¡°Uncle Yun, my uncle is not really married, don¡¯t be upset¡­¡±


    Yun Xie smiled, bewildered, and turned his head to look at Yu Hong. Yu Hong immediately felt that his words were very out of the blue and quickly said, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Yun Xie stretched out his hand and patted his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m just saying kid, you¡¯re following behind your uncle every day, so a little bit of his likable vigor must be able to rub off on you. What you said today is good, I love to hear it.¡±


    He took out a gold leaf and tucked it into Yu Hong¡¯s arms. ¡°Here, I¡¯m rewarding you. Go buy some sweets to eat.¡±


    Yu Hong pinched the golden leaf and didn¡¯t know if he should laugh or cry. When he was about to speak, he saw Yun Xie¡¯s expression change, standing up.


    Yu Hong hurriedly followed. It turned out that Jiang Xunyi had already rode up to the front.


    Taking a closer look, his scorching red dress made his face appear like jade and his hair appear like ink. Even with lifelong intimacy and a promise to live and die together, in this moment, he looked unattainable.


    Yun Xie saw that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze was casually sweeping towards their side and suddenly a smile appeared on his face. He touched his chest with his hand and then brought it to his lips in a kiss. He snapped his fingers, and on his hand, a little white flower meandered out.


    At this moment, a gust of wind blew by. Yun Xie let go, and the flower fell precariously.


    Jiang Xunyi was riding on a horse, and he felt that it was a bit annoying to be seen by everyone. But on such a day, he couldn¡¯t show any expression that would hurt Rou Rou¡¯s reputation, so he could only maintain the smile on his face stiffly. After the journey, he felt that his whole body was numb.


    He wanted to stretch his neck, but as soon as he looked up, he saw Yun Xie standing on the roof in a white clothes blown by the wind, a coquettish smile on his face. Jiang Xunyi almost twisted his cervical spine. His first reaction was to glare at him, but when he caught Yun Xie¡¯s gaze, he saw the other performing such actions.


    After his momentary shock, his gaze became more soft, and he raised his hand gently, his sleeve creating a gust of wind. Twisting the little flower in his hand, he half turned away and smiled.


    The long street quieted down, then became even more noisy. Jiang Xunyi took the little flower into his arms and swiftly galloped away on his horse, never looking back.


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t leave until he could no longer see Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back. He smiled and pulled Yu Hong to jump down. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should also do something big.¡±


    Yu Hong was frightened and stammered, ¡°M-Martial Uncle Yun, you and my uncle¡­¡±


    Yun Xie looked surprised. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s just a flower, is it strange? How many times did I tell you already, brother Xunyi and I are in love with each other, did it all go in one ear and out another?¡±


    Yu Hong: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yes, you have said it many times. I have been listening to you since I was seven or eight years old!

 CH 78

    Chapter 78 ¨C Murder in the Bridal Chamber


    Because the wedding might turn into a funeral at any time, no one dared to cheer for the groom to drink wine at the wedding banquet on the off chance that the wine was singled out as the cause of death and the Du family came after them. For this reason, Jiang Xunyi was able to quickly get up to walk to the bridal chamber.


    He walked through the corridor, but his steps were getting slower and slower. The little servant who led the way was initially shy, but at the sight of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s appearance, he assumed that he must also be scared. Suddenly he knelt on the ground and threw the lantern aside. Grabbing the corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s robes, he shouted, ¡°Second Young Master, let¡¯s not go forwards. Why-why don¡¯t we go back¡­ I¡¯m so scared!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi leaned down and picked the lantern up, his slender fingers coming up to brush away the dust on it. He said quietly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to come with. Since you are afraid, you just go back by yourself.¡±


    The little servant stopped shouting and raised his head in a daze as if he couldn¡¯t believe what Jiang Xunyi said was real.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows. ¡°Still not leaving? If you don¡¯t go, then get up and follow me.¡±


    ¡°No! No! I¡¯m going! Second young master, take care.¡±


    The servant immediately jumped up from the ground after he spoke, not even looking back as he sprinted out like crazy. Jiang Xunyi stood there and watched. Just as the boy was about to make a turn, he raised his voice. ¡°Wrong, turn right!¡±


    The little servant quickly changed direction, then he disappeared instantly.


    When there were no others around, Jiang Xunyi patted the lantern. He seemed to hesitate, and after a short pause, he walked forward step by step along the path the little servant was leading him down.


    He entered the bridal chamber peacefully, pushed the door open by himself, and saw the bride on the bed with a veil on, waiting for him.


    Jiang Xunyi stood in place with his hand behind his back, observing her for a while. A charming smile spread over his face, and he said leisurely, ¡°I have let the lady wait for a long time.¡±


    Even after he finished saying this, he didn¡¯t come forward, merely standing in place and waving his sleeve gently. The red veil was suddenly swept to the ground by the gust of wind he created, and the bride raised her head. Her face was powdered and lips colored vermilion, her mouth like a cherry and nose like fine jade. She was indeed a rare beauty, but she was not Rou Rou.


    The moment she showed her face, the appearance of the room had also silently changed. Although the new room was still a bridal chamber, its furnishing was very different from that of the Du family, and it looked more a simple hall in a general countryside house. However, a large coffin for two was placed on the bed.


    The corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips were quirked in a cold sneer, but the woman walked over by herself, putting her hands around his neck and whispering quietly, ¡°Husband, let¡¯s rest.¡±


    Her breath smelled of orchids, and she spit lightly on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. Jiang Xunyi tilted his head calmly, lightly held the opponent¡¯s wrist, and said softly, ¡°Miss, did you marry the wrong person? This one indeed married a beauty, but not a dead person¡­¡±


    At this time, the woman suddenly transformed, a beast-like howl emitting from her throat. However, Jiang Xunyi was a step faster. Before she could attack, he ruthlessly struck, a single arm lifting and thrusting forwards.


    The beautiful face from earlier had now been distorted, the skin on the face falling off, and the eyes coming out of the socket. Meanwhile, her long hair just kept getting longer and longer, and like a murderous python, it rushed towards Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s saber flew out of its sheath, cutting off the long hair that had been wrapped around his ankle. He followed by kicking the opponent¡¯s chin, shouting, ¡°Since you are dead, you should be peacefully enter the reincarnation cycle. You even make a vain attempt to kill and absorb essence. You must be seeking death!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha¡­hehehehe¡­¡±


    As he was scolding, a peal of laughter rang out. However, it didn¡¯t sound like it came from only one person. Instead, it seemed like countless female voices were laughing at the same time, mocking Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. With one kick, he sent the head flying, and it rolled to the side. Countless ghosts poured out of the wound, creating a translucent enclosure with Jiang Xunyi in the middle. All of them looked like women, but they also looked miserable and cold.


    At the sight of their state of death Jiang Xunyi initially felt slight surprise. Then, as if he had realized something, he sighed, and a trace of compassion flashed in his eyes, and threw the Extinguished Flower Sword out.


    As soon as the long sword was released, the blade of the sword became a cloud of fluttering flowers, and the hilt floated in the sky, magically changing into the shape of a square. Wavering lights filled the air, blooming flowers appearing and disappearing. The attacks of the surrounding female demons gradually slowed down, but the spell was obviously also extremely exhausting. Sweat soon beaded on his forehead, but the laughter that was like a cry continued to pour out wave after wave. He formed a seal with his hands and whispered, ¡°The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, while practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita¡­ It is the same as the old form, thinking, action, and consciousness. ?¨¡riputra, the material form is the same as emptiness, and emptiness the same as the material form¡­.¡± ¢Ù


    With the recitation of the scriptures, several golden lights fell, and a few of the banshees disappeared without a trace under the shroud of light. However, the remaining few became more and more fierce, and Jiang Xunyi felt the pressure on his body getting heavier. Suddenly the cloud of flowers began to rain down, and the Extinguished Flower Sword fell from mid-air. Jiang Xunyi flew to catch it then swept the sword outwards. He took advantage of the momentum to jump out of the window.


    He had taken a few steps back when suddenly his waist was held. Jiang Xunyi turned his head to the side. ¡°Yun Xie?¡±


    Yun Xie hugged Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist and did not let go, pulling out the sword Kun Wu with his other hand and pointing the tip at the banshees. ¡°A¡¯Xun, are you okay? Are you injured?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at the hand holding the sword, gaze sharpening, before he said, ¡°¡­No.¡±


    Yun Xie looked as if he had let out a breath. In the blink of an eye, he saw that the other¡¯s face was pale and his forehead was covered with cold sweat. The sight caused him to feel distressed again. He raised his sleeve and wiped Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. ¡°You take a rest and leave the rest to me.¡±


    Before he could move his hand back, he was suddenly grasped by Jiang Xunyi. Yun Xie raised his head in surprise. ¡°A¡¯Xun?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi gritted his teeth. ¡°Yun Xie, sorry!¡±


    The banshees behind them screamed and rushed towards Jiang Xunyi. Without even turning his head back, he slapped them back. However, the Extinguished Flower Sword struck Yun Xie¡¯s neck without hesitation.


    Even though he already understood the situation, Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help turning his head away when the familiar face showed an expression of stunned pain.


    Yun Xie¡¯s figure transformed into white mist before dispersing in a blink of an eye. The wind from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s sleeve temporarily stopped the banshees, but his body was knocked back and slammed into a courtyard wall.


    With a ¡°bang¡±, he smashed into the wall at full strength. It collapsed, the gravel and mud falling down. Jiang Xunyi used his arm to smash open a falling brick. Suddenly, his body was pulled to the side and he was enveloped in someone¡¯s arms. They rolled together, the person blocking the next collision for him.


    Jiang Xunyi really sighed this time. ¡°Yun Xie, how is everything on your side?¡±


    Yun Xie pulled him to his feet. He looked back at the female demon who was rushing over, a fire immediately igniting in his eyes. ¡°Look at you, can you take care of yourself first when you do anything? There are so many banshees, and you still want to exorcise them? I¡¯m afraid you will explode and die before you finish!¡±


    The words he spoke were fierce, but his movements were very gentle. He reached out his hand to help Jiang Xunyi wipe the dust off his face before he patted Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest and arms again to reassure that he was not injured. At this time, the woman¡¯s long hair had already quietly curled up on the back of his clothes. Yun Xie didn¡¯t look back, instead coldly shouting, ¡°Unsheath!¡±


    Within just these few days, he had gotten accustomed to the new sword. There was a whistle and a flash like lightning, and most of the banshees that had been fighting were wiped out.


    ¡°Yun Xie!¡± Jiang Xunyi moved as if he wanted to block the Kunwu Sword, but after a pause, he still retracted his arm. ¡°They¡­ are female enchantresses¡­¡±


    Yun Xie was a little surprised, but still did not stop. ¡°So what? You can¡¯t exorcise them, so do you want to be like Buddha and use your body to feed eagles and accompany them to the palace of the Underworld?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s thoughts had always deviated from classic teachings. Although he was born in an orthodox sect, he could not be said to be traditionally ¡°chivalrous.¡± However, Jiang Xunyi knew that his words were reasonable, so he didn¡¯t stop him and just sighed slightly. At the same time, the yard he had just broken out of silently disappeared, leaving only a field of snow-white powder, sparkling under the moonlight.


    The room Yun Xie was in was the real bridal chamber. Yu Hong also ran out of the room, and when he saw the powder covering the ground, he exclaimed, ¡°Martial Uncle, what is this? What had happened?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s snowing, can¡¯t you see?¡±


    Yu Hong was very surprised. ¡°It¡¯s snowing? This snow is too weird, why is it only present in such a small area?¡±


    He stepped forward, took a handful of the powder from the ground, and brought it to his face.


    ¡°¡­Ahhh!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yu Hong ran to his side to complain. ¡°Martial Uncle, t-that is ash!¡±


    ¡°Mn, don¡¯t touch me with your hand.¡±


    Yu Hong looked at his hand with a sorrowful face. ¡°Martial Uncle Yun, why are you teasing me again¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t even look at him and sneered. ¡°Because you are stupid. You are really losing face for our Hidden Spirit Sect. Mo Lou actually sent you here by yourself. Pei, if you were the one marrying tonight, I am afraid that there will not even be bones left. Look. See what¡¯s special about the ashes.¡±


    Yun Xie echoed, ¡°Yes, yes, Jiang Molou is really ignorant¡­ Aiya, you¡¯re beating me for another man.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had stomped on Yun Xie¡¯s foot as he was walking into the room. Du Li and Rou Rou were both inside. Rou Rou¡¯s stare was complicated as she glanced over at him, then at Yun Xie who was following behind. Obviously, she still hadn¡¯t recovered from what happened last night.


    ¡°Second brother, are you okay?¡± Du Li asked. ¡°Your complexion is not good.¡±


    He seemed to be addicted to calling out ¡°Second Brother.¡± Jiang Xunyi glanced at Du Li indifferently and nodded his head.


    Du Li continued, ¡°Shortly after you left the front hall, we saw that you sent the servant back. The boy was so scared, it caused me to worry, so I also came to the bridal chamber. However, I found that you were no longer there, and my sister-in-law had fainted under the bed again. According to the young man, you were also walking in the direction of the bridal chamber, so why is it that we were clearly going to the same destination and yet had arrived at different locations?¡±

 CH 79

    Chapter 79 ¨C Female Enchantress


    Jiang Xunyi had experienced it in person, so he had already formed a guess. ¡°I remember there is a magic weapon called the phantom mirror. It can create apparitions with the images it has reflected, and it can even imitate the images of close people deep in one¡¯s heart. I don¡¯t know if it is exactly the phantom mirror, but I¡¯m sure that what I walked into should be an illusion created from something similar. As for the one who led me in, it is the bloody evil spirit condensed from countless resentments centered on the red wedding dress.


    The illusion appeared exactly as reality, except that everything was opposite. Jiang Xunyi had an extraordinary memory and a keen nature, so he quickly caught onto the subtle difference. In addition, when he later encountered the illusion of Yun Xie, he immediately noticed that he was wielding the sword with his left hand, which was contrary to normal. This confirmed that what he saw was not reality. For an ordinary person, their five senses would have been blinded after they entered the illusion. Once your mind is lost, it will be difficult to get out.


    Yun Xie sat next to Jiang Xunyi with a hand supporting his chin as he watched him talk with a smile. When he heard up to this, he raised his hand and threw something on the table, making a soft ¡°click¡±. ¡°A¡¯Xun, you are so smart. Isn¡¯t this a phantom mirror?¡±


    The group looked over at the same time. The mirror that Yun Xie had thrown on the table was only palm-sized, with a hideous ghost head carved on the back. Du Li reached out and turned it over, and a flash emitted from the mirror¡¯s surface. The front of the mirror was clear and dazzling, emitting a faint silver light. It appeared to be the actual legendary phantom mirror.


    Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°You act fast. It seems that you have made progress recently. When we have time, we should have a match.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°Are you not willing to submit again? Alas, you are eager to win. I say why bother? in fact, this is all because of you¡­¡± He suddenly leaned towards Jiang Xunyi and raised his sleeves to hide them from view. He gently pointed at his ear. ¡°As husband and wife, we are one, why do you care so much about this? In the future, we can be more diligent in double cultivation and make progress together¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s entire ear was red, but it was not easy to openly beat Yun Xie in front of so many people, so he could only grit his teeth and roll his eyes at Yun Xie fiercely.


    In reality, he didn¡¯t need to hide. The others were already used to the two showing their love regardless of time and place. Rou Rou softly bowed her head and picked at the pearls on her sleeves, Yu Hong took an empty teacup to his lips to drink seriously, and Du Li glanced at the mirror over and over again until finally, Yun Xie sat upright.


    As if nothing had happened, he asked, ¡°Second brother, what is the resentment you spoke of?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised the corner of his lips and turned to Yu Hong. ¡°Tell me, what did you find?¡±


    Under Jiang Xunyi¡¯s direction, Yu Hong had already realized that there was something wrong with the ashes, and he hurriedly said, ¡°I found that the white powder in the yard just now felt heavy in my hands. It¡¯s not like grabbing a handful of ashes, but rather like grabbing a handful of iron powder. But no matter how I look at it, I still think it should be the remnants of the burning of human bones.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°Because she is not an ordinary demon, but a female enchantress.¡±


    He had already said this to Yun Xie just now, but the other three people said in unison, ¡°Then what?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was about to explain, but Yun Xie had already said mockingly, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s fine if Yu Hong and Miss Zhu don¡¯t know, but for the head of the Du family to not even know what a female enchantress is? This is a murderous spirit whose story was widely spread back then. It¡¯s said that when a rich child dies before marriage, in order to assure that they are not lonely in the afterlife, their families would buy a suitable female corpse at high prices. However, it is a little difficult to die at such a coincidental time. In order to make money, many poor families sealed their young daughters alive in a coffin to suffocate and sold them off. This is where the saying that ¡®the dead are more valuable than the living¡¯ came from.¡±


    He stared at Yu Hong¡¯s hand, gaze distant, and continued, ¡°It is a pity that these young girls not only suffered a terrible death but had also been¡­ betrayed by their own family. How could there not be resentment? They were sealed in the coffin, and over time, they gained magical powers from their oppressive resentment. They swallowed the bones of the men around them and broke out of the coffin, wreaking havoc everywhere. Later, they were burned clean by a wandering cultivator¡¯s true fire. Now, someone must have collected their ashes and used their resentment to activate the phantom mirror¡­¡±


    When he said ¡°betrayed by their own family¡±, the tone of his words deliberately hardened. Du Li¡¯s face turned pale, and he took a sip of tea from the teacup.


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his eyes slightly. This is the reason why he tried to exorcise the female enchantresses in the first place. However, there were so many opponents and the resentment was too strong. Only a few were exorcised by him, and the rest were wiped out by Yun Xie. However, even though he had regrets, there was no alternative.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so pitiful,¡± Yun Xie concluded. ¡°These women are only cruel because they were abandoned. If anyone cherished them at the time, they would not fall to this point. Yu Hong, when you picked up the ashes, did you feel that it was supposed to be the delicate skin of a woman? They would think that you are a lover who truly cares for them, but who knew you would just leave again¡­¡±


    ¡°Martial Uncle Yun!¡± Yu Hong gritted his teeth together. His expression looked like he wanted to chop off his own hand. ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed evilly, but Du Li stood up and said, ¡°This magical mirror is a rare spiritual weapon. In that case, it seems that as long as this is in our possession, there is no need to rush to find the perpetrator. Then I leave this matter in the hands of Sect Master Yun and Young Master Jiang. I have other business to take care of, so I will leave first.¡±


    Yun Xie inexplicably felt that Du Li was not pleasing to the eye. While it seemed that his words were only meant to scared Yu Hong, in fact, he was mocking the Du family and how they offered Du Heng instead of Du Li. He merely ran his mouth a lot, but he didn¡¯t expect to irritate Du Li so much. The other¡¯s expression had twisted so much, it was unable to be hidden, and he scrambled to flee. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished at the sight.


    Thoughts flashed in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s mind, but when Yun Xie looked over, his expression had returned to normal. He got up and walked to the window, looking back after a long while. ¡°It¡¯s dawn.¡±


    The sun had risen, and the dawn sunshine slipped past the window lattice to spill on him, draping a golden suit over him.


    Zhu Rou looked at his exquisite silhouette lit by the sun, and the entanglement in her heart that had formed on that night became more and more disturbed at this moment. Without thinking, she blurted out a sentence she had been thinking of for a long time in her heart. ¡°Brother Jiang, we have already bowed at the altar, why don¡¯t I really marry you?¡±


    When they had first met, she was attracted to Yun Xie¡¯s temperament, but she soon discovered that this handsome and gentle man actually had a cold heart. It seemed that there was no one in the world worthy of his attention. He wasn¡¯t as learned and interesting as expected, and her shallow feelings quickly disappeared. On the other hand, after interacting with Jiang Xunyi a few times, she had grown addicted to his cold gentleness. She felt that she was actually sinking deeper and deeper, unable to forget.


    Who knew that these two lousy men got together!


    After Zhu Rou said this sentence, she immediately regretted it, but Jiang Xunyi had already heard it all, so she couldn¡¯t take it back. She stared at him with unspeakable longing in her eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi was startled and laughed as if it was a joke. ¡°Are you serious?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t say anything particularly hurtful to a woman like he does to Yun Xie, but although he didn¡¯t even blatantly refuse, Zhu Rou¡¯s heart sank.


    Jiang Xunyi was once ranked first among the five young masters in the cultivation world. He was able to beat both the moody Yun Xie and the indifferent Jiang Molou. Besides his appearance, it was because although he looked cold, with just one interaction, it was evident that this person actually had a good demeanor and temperament, so he had always been known to be as gentlemanly as jade. In Zhu Rou¡¯s eyes, the only one who could make him gloomy, embarrassed, annoyed, and utter bad words was Yun Xie.


    When she said that sentence, she wanted to hand her entire heart over, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s smile was still so polite, and there wasn¡¯t even a ripple in his demeanor. Because of his good upbringing, he showed a hint of apologetic tenderness, but she knew that¡­ he never had her in his heart.


    A lot of thoughts flashed in her mind, but Zhu Rou just smiled faintly and replied, ¡°No, I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    Yun Xie interrupted the conversation between the two of them and stood up. ¡°Are you finished? What kind of joke is this? It makes me jealous. A¡¯Xun can only marry me alone. This has nothing to do with you at all. We¡¯ve already taken up the entire night, Yu Hong, take Miss Zhu out to play. A¡¯Xun and I still have secrets to talk about.¡±


    Yu Hong and Zhu Rou had been involuntarily driven out by Yun Xie, and Yu Hong felt a little bad, so he said softly to Zhu Rou, ¡°Miss Zhu, don¡¯t hold this against him, Martial Uncle Yun treats everyone like this¡­¡±


    Zhu Rou was not angry at all, and she smiled lightly. ¡°Even to your martial uncle?¡±


    Yu Hong was stunned. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not true. They¡­ They are the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, and their lives are intertwined. Of course it¡¯s different between them.¡±


    Zhu Rou said leisurely, ¡°Thinking back, on the Spirit Stage, the two men competed and won the championship side by side, how spirited¡­ It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m young and was not able to witness it. But forget it, there is nothing more to dwell on now.¡± She tugged on Yu Hong¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to Brother Du and let him help arrange two rooms for us.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not stop Yun Xie from chasing the others out. After the two people walked out and left the yard, he flicked his clothes back and sat down at the table. He stretched his fingers and flicked the phantom mirror, and it suddenly hummed.


    ¡°Du Li hadn¡¯t finished talking. We came here because Du Rui was cursed by Banmena, but even now, I still do not seen what this matter has to do with the female enchantress.¡±


    Yun Xie sat down beside him. ¡°A¡¯Xun, do you know where I got this mirror?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lazily raised his chin, motioning for him to continue.


    Yun Xie continued, ¡°After you married someone else, I was full of desperation and despair, so I wandered around the Du family¡¯s house for some relaxation. However, after so many turns, I got lost. I was walking and walking, and when I looked up, I realized Aiya, this is not good, I actually arrived at the family¡¯s ancestral hall!¡±


    Even if nine and a half out of ten of Yun Xie¡¯s sentences were nonsense, Jiang Xunyi could extract the key point he wanted to express. ¡°You went to visit the Du family¡¯s ancestral hall? What is inside?¡±

 CH 80

    Chapter 80 ¨C Red and White


    In reality, the Du family¡¯s ancestral hall was tightly guarded, with a group of family servants patrolling at the door. It was not easy to enter, but this couldn¡¯t stop Yun Xie. He directly drew a wall-piercing charm on the roof and jumped in lightly.


    The light inside was dim, and rows of memorial tablets were neatly arranged. Among them was one for the newly deceased Du Xian. Yun Xie picked up his tablet and looked at it for a long time. Finding no abnormalities, he put it back in place.


    However, as he put it back, he inadvertently pressed the altar with his hand and immediately felt something was wrong: it felt a bit rough, as if it had some patterns carved on it.


    Using his finger, Yun Xie drew a weird pattern on the desktop. ¡°A¡¯Xun, have you seen this?¡±


    This table was made from jade, but with a light swipe from Yun Xie, it could be etched into like mud, and it quickly showed a clear image.


    Jiang Xunyi took a closer look, then hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s a bit familiar¡­¡±


    Yun Xie knew that Jiang Xunyi had always had an amazing memory. If he could not remember the specific appearance for something he has seen, the encounter must have been an extremely instantaneous accident¡­ or it was from someone who would not put him on guard at all.


    He patted the back of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand, and said softly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not very important. If you can¡¯t think of it, then don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll move on. After I discovered this pattern, it was naturally confirmation that something was strange about the altar, so I knocked up and down, and I realized that there was a hollow space.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°You opened it and found this mirror inside? Besides the mirror, there should be other things, right?¡±


    Yun Xie gave him a thumbs up. ¡°In fact, on the inside was a memorial tablet was being worshipped. The mirror was just pulled from the base. The name on the tablet is¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi blurted out, ¡°Du Qi!¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Du Rui¡¯s late brother, Du Qi. I¡¯m just confused: since his death is something everyone knows, why should only his tablet be hidden? But If he is not dead, why should he get a memorial tablet?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his hand and touched the pattern Yun Xie had just painted on the table. Under his spiritual power, the area once again turned smooth. With deep meaning in his voice, he said, ¡°In this world, there is not only the dead and living¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the energy of the system increased again.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    In this world, there was truly not only the living and dead, as there were also living corpses, zombies[1], and detached souls¡­ So did he unintentionally pry into a big secret of the universe? He had finally lowered the energy value of the system slightly, and now it had risen back a lot just because he ran his mouth.


    ¡°A¡¯Xun?¡± Yun Xie shook his hand. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi came back to his senses, put this matter aside for the time being, and said casually, ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t think we are saying anything that Yu Hong and the others cannot listen to. Why do you want to say it privately? Yu Hong is good in all aspects, but he is a little short-sighted. In fact, he should listen more.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. However, those two are too stupid. After I speak, they will definitely ask questions. It¡¯s too bothersome and I¡¯m too lazy to explain.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately agreed with him. ¡°You¡¯re right. In fact, I am also too lazy to explain.¡±


    Yun Xie smiled and fluttered his eyelashes, lowering his voice slightly. ¡°Furthermore, although there is nothing they can¡¯t listen to, there are still things they can¡¯t see.¡±


    In Jiang Xunyi ¡®s momentary pause, Yun Xie had already pulled him into his arms.


    ¡°Yun Xie, you¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t say the following words, because Yun Xie¡¯s lips had already covered his own, and the two of them stumbled for a few steps before falling on the bed all at once.


    Jiang Xunyi was a little dizzy and instinctively tried to get up, but Yun Xie¡¯s shoulders pressed against him, and he whispered into his ear, ¡°A¡¯Xun, this¡­ is originally a bridal chamber.¡±


    His sash was loosened, and the lapels of his clothes suddenly fell open. Yun Xie slipped his hand past the cloth and his cool fingers touched the skin of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s waist. He slowly stroked up from his abdomen to the back of his waist, gently lifting his body.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s complexion was extremely white, and in Yun Xie¡¯s eyes, everything other than his skin was overwhelming red: the robes, the bedding, and the veil. This expanse of red and white was better than a world of color.


    It was daytime, and the bed was covered with sunlight, which caused people to feel unreasonable shame. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help covering his eyes with one arm, but Yun Xie firmly grasped his wrist and pulled it down.


    ¡°A¡¯Xun, look at me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi tilted his head slightly. He could feel Yun Xie¡¯s hot breath on his neck, his wet lips pressing on his collarbone. His senses were magnified infinitely, and yet the other¡¯s hand just kept stroking his waist. Jiang Xunyi finally burst with irritation from his indescribable loss of control, and he squeezed out a few words. ¡°¡­If you are going to¡­ then hurry up!¡±


    But there wasn¡¯t a trace of a teasing tone in Yun Xie¡¯s voice, and as his hand fumbled downwards, his voice was so soft that it seemed like water was about to drip out. ¡°Don¡¯t move, A¡¯Xun, let me see your injury¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was stunned. Yun Xie¡¯s voice carried a note of distress that was hard to detect. ¡°Actually, I saw that you seemed to be in a lot of pain last time¡­ I really feel¡­ A¡¯Xun, let me see if your injury has healed. Don¡¯t worry, this time I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°It has already healed.¡± After the silence, Jiang Xunyi suddenly stretched out his hand and took the initiative to wrap his arms around Yun Xie¡¯s neck. ¡°I am willing.¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi woke up, the sky outside was already dark. In the shadows, he heard something rustling, the sound so soft that it might have been nothing.


    Jiang Xunyi shifted, and the arm that lay across his chest patted him softly through the quilt. Yun Xie said, ¡°Woke up?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hummed in agreement. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep?¡±


    He paused, raised his upper body again, and leaned over Yun Xie to lift the curtain to glance at the chaotic sky outside the window. ¡°It¡¯s snowing?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was a little cheerful. ¡°Yes, this year¡¯s first snow.¡± He squeezed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand into his arms, and sighed with a chuckle, ¡°How can I sleep with someone by my side?¡±


    ¡°Pei, then you don¡¯t need to sleep anymore in the future.¡± Jiang Xunyi sat up and pulled the robes by his side over to dress. ¡°Since you are not asleep, why didn¡¯t you get up to catch the thief?¡±


    Yun Xie also got up to help him tidy up his clothes. He smiled as he said, ¡°What¡¯s the urgency? I can even wait for another half of an incense to burn up.¡±


    The sound of fine footsteps in snow kept getting closer and closer, and Jiang Xunyi picked up his coat only to find that it had been ripped into dregs. He couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes at Yun Xie, who smiled and made a gesture of surrender before he passed his coat over.


    Jiang Xunyi trembled in disgust, but put it on his body.


    At this moment, an indescribable change suddenly took over the room. There was no sound from the door or windows, but the flow of air seemed to become faster. It seemed that there was something meandering along the ground, and it was approaching silently.


    After such a long time, Jiang Xunyi eyes had already been able to adapt to the darkness. He silently mouthed to Yun Xie, ¡°Where is the mirror?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled slightly, pointed to the table outside the tent, and stretched his hand to the pillow calmly, touching Kun Wu.


    The buttons on Yun Xie¡¯s coat were very complicated, and it was even more difficult to handle in the dark. Jiang Xunyi raised his chin at Yun Xie to hand the matter to him, buttoning his coat by himself and ignoring the movement outside.


    Suddenly, there was a soft ¡°ca¡± sound, and a bluish-white hand emerged from the ground out of thin air, five fingers forming claws and darting straight towards the mirror on the table!


    At this moment, the curtain of the bed swayed, and Yun Xie flew out, his sword like a shooting star as it slashed down on that hand. At the same time, his feet stamped in the position of the five elements[2], instantly sealing the retreat path.


    The hand immediately shrunk back, but two fingers had already been cut off, and it quickly sunk back underground.


    Yun Xie leaned back and thrust his blade into the ground, coldly shouting, ¡°Get out!¡±


    A ¡°crack¡± sound rang out as the ground split open, and a figure in black clothes emerged from the fissure. He squeezed past Yun Xie like a loach, rushed to the door, but stopped suddenly.


    Jiang Xunyi stood at the door with his hands clasped behind his back. The slightly large white clothes lost its gentleness when worn by him, gaining a few degrees of elegance instead. He said flatly, ¡°Take off the mask.¡±


    The man took a step back in shock, then he suddenly reacted, raising his hand and sending a whip right at Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face like a snake. He waved his sleeve to prevent the attack, and the collision caused a ¡°Pa¡± sound to ring out.


    Yun Xie was only in his middle robe, and he shouted from the back, ¡°Hey, A¡¯Xun, be careful! This is the last outer robe we can wear!¡±


    His shout was so loud, even the black-clothed person¡¯s movements paused.


    Jiang Xunyi gritted his teeth. ¡°Then you go to Du Li to ask for a new one! Stop acting; thanks to you, is there anyone who doesn¡¯t know what is going on with us?¡±


    Yun Xie had just laughed when his expression twisted and he shouted, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    At the same time, he drew an arc in midair with his right hand and threw the Kun Wu sword at the man in black.


    It turns out that the ruckus caused by Yun Xie had attracted everyone, and the fastest one was Rou Rou. The man in black seemed to be afraid to fight Jiang Xunyi, and he suddenly spun around and rushed at Rou Rou.


    Yun Xie¡¯s rescue was very timely: the sword split the opponent in half. What he didn¡¯t expect was that a man in black turned into two in an instant, and one of them snapped the whip towards Yun Xie, and the other continued to rush towards Rou Rou.


    Yun Xie caught his sword and said in surprise, ¡°Is this thing a man or a ghost?¡±


    The author has something to say:


    In addition, I would like to ask a small question. If this story is over, would you like an extra to be released in the middle? ? It¡¯s about when the young Yun Yun found out that he likes Little Jiang. Or do you want it after the story is over?


    [1]»îʬ¡¢½©Ê¬ ¨C I honestly don¡¯t know the difference. I thought they both meant zombies¡­


    [2]ÎåÐз½Î» ¨C the 5 elements in Chinese philosophy have like certain positions on a map

 CH 81

    Chapter 81 ¨C The Other


    At the sight of something pouncing on her as soon she entered the yard, Rou Rou couldn¡¯t help but shout in surprise before she drew out a dagger to defend herself. However, she was not given a chance to take action. Someone flashed in front of her, pulling Rou Rou behind him before he blocked the attack for her with one hand.


    Rou Rou whispered, ¡°Young Master Jiang ¡­¡±


    ¡°Mn,¡± Jiang Xunyi said briefly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    He had been observing the opponent¡¯s moves, and saw that they weren¡¯t actually in a hurry to make a killing strike, so he began to make some calculations in his mind. After a few attacks, he suddenly grabbed the opponent¡¯s wrist firmly, the whip falling to the floor. He then flew up and kicked the back of the man¡¯s knee, causing him to kneel on the ground with a groan. Jiang Xunyi moved his fingers lightly, and the black mask landed on the ground.


    He said coldly, ¡°Qi Shijiu, it¡¯s really you.¡±


    On the other side, Yun Xie took care of the other attacker in a flash. As he pulled his sword out of the corpse, the body had already become a light smoke and dissipated ¨C it turned out the figure that split out was nothing but a phantom.


    At this time, the other people had arrived. Du Li stepped into the door and tapped his palms twice. The candle in the room lit up, illuminating everyone¡¯s face and expression clearly. Each person¡¯s shadow was lengthened as it cast on the wall, creating an uneasy atmosphere.


    However, what Du Li saw first was the messy bed and the ripped clothes on the ground. His brows were slightly furrowed, and he raised his head to look at Yun Xie only to find that the other¡¯s eyes were already scrutinizing him. The two gazes collided, each filled with thoughts.


    Yun Xie suddenly curled his lips and smiled, the offender complaining first. ¡°Patriarch Du, why are you looking at me like this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡± With how frank Yun Xie was acting, Du Li couldn¡¯t say anything. He saw Jiang Xunyi look over, and he pursed his lips, turning his gaze to instead look at Qi Shijiu who was still restrained by him. ¡°Are you¡­ Du Qi?¡±


    Before Qi Shijiu had a chance to answer, Yun Xie realized that Jiang Xunyi was still standing in the doorway, and he hurriedly shouted, ¡°A¡¯Xun, come in first, don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    There was a group of people between the two of them, and Yun Xie couldn¡¯t squeeze past, so he turned to Du Li. ¡°Whether he is Du Qi or a finger, can I trouble Patriarch Du to bring me two robes first? Aiya, once it snows, winter has arrived. It¡¯s really cold.¡±


    Du Li wanted to pretend that he didn¡¯t see the pile of unsightly clothes on the floor, but who expected that Yun Xie would actually call it out? He really deserved to be called annoying. The more he saw that others didn¡¯t want to listen, the more he must mention it. He had no choice but to say, ¡°Sect Master Yun, please wait.¡±


    He raised his voice and asked someone to bring in the clothes. After such a delay, Qi Shijiu had already calmed down a lot, and he coldly laughed before saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that all the famous heroes would actually spend so much effort just for me, I am really flattered.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m surprised you can pretend in this way. By the way, A¡¯Xun, how do you know it was him?¡±


    ¡°How did I know? I didn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t until we fought with him that I recognized his moves. Qi Shijiu, you sure are a character. You messed up the whole city of Tengge on your own, so you don¡¯t have to be too modest.¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t speak, Qi Shijiu was still confident, but once he spoke, he immediately averted his eyes and looked at the ground. ¡°Does Young Master Jiang think that I am doing something wrong? Du Rui and I are both descendants of the Du family, so why can he spoil his wife and concubine and be blessed with children while I can only be a slave to be beaten and scolded by everyone? We were born on the same day and are the same age, but he has been the son of the Du family since he was a child. I could only be a strand of consciousness clinging to a memorial tablet smuggled out by my mother. It took decades to finally appear as someone who is not a ghost nor a person. I still don¡¯t understand why there is such a hierarchy even though we are the same. Why should there be high and low?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was not moved by his remarks ¡ª helplessness and resentment were not new to him, and it was hard to feel angry with him. If it wasn¡¯t for Yun Xie striking quickly back then and killing him without giving him time to say anything, Jiang Xunyi would probably also have to make a speech like this.


    In this world, there were so many people that lived a hard life and were hapless, but none of that was a justification for evil.


    Instead of this, he focused on something else. ¡°So this is how you are alive. No wonder you have the spiritual power to manipulate the phantom mirror even when your martial arts skills are not very good.¡±


    Yu Hong had arrived just in time to hear these words, and he asked, ¡°Martial Uncle, is he talking about raising ghost children?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi nodded, and then explained. ¡°You¡¯re right to say it¡¯s like the folk tale of raising ghost children, but it¡¯s more advanced. If I¡¯m not mistaken, his memorial tablet must have been made of wood from a pagoda tree that has grown in the temple for more than ten years. It should be hollowed out in the middle to host the soul in it and kept away from light. The resentment and souls swallowed by the phantom mirror combined with¡­ created the body with the image of a young man that we see today.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t complete his words. In fact, although Qi Shijiu had barely gained a corporeal form, he couldn¡¯t be counted as entirely a person anymore. So although his half-brother Du Rui was cursed to go insane, he did not die.


    Qi Shijiu looked at him for a while. ¡°Young Master Jiang, what else? Why didn¡¯t you finish? I used resentment and remnant souls. In addition to this, I had to eat rabbits and dogs and other animal corpses every day in order to survive. Are you sympathetic and can¡¯t bear to say it, or are you disgusted?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi said indifferently, ¡°Whatever you think.¡±


    Qi Shijiu sighed. ¡°Young Master Jiang, you rescued me from the pits of hell, and Shijiu is extremely grateful. Even my liver and brain are not enough to repay you. Do you look down on me for what I did?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression was still indecipherable, and he said lightly, ¡°Stop acting. Whether I rescued you or was approached deliberately by you, only you know. Qi Shijiu, I, Jiang Xunyi, have no valuables and even less virtue. I am but an ordinary person, and I want to know what I have that made me worthy of your scheming and effort.¡±


    Yun Xie tilted his head slightly and looked at Jiang Xunyi. This person has never been fond of exposing his emotions, and there was no expression on his face when he spoke, even though he did spend a while with Qi Shijiu. In the eyes of others, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s calmness appeared almost unfeeling. Only Yun Xie caught some very subtle sighs in his tone.


    However, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words instead made Qi Shijiu joke, ¡°Young Master Jiang doesn¡¯t have to be modest, there are so many things worthy of schemes on you. What a pity, what a pity¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes flickered, and the corners of his lips slightly raised, but his eyes carried a sense of coldness. He slowly walked to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side, then replied to Qi Shijiu, ¡°Why pity?¡±


    Qi Shijiu looked at him coldly, his smile slowly disappearing from his face. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that he didn¡¯t kill you, instead ruining my plans.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi really didn¡¯t understand this time. This was clearly a grievance between Qi Shijiu and the Du family. They were only here to make soy sauce[1], and in a blink of an eye, they were the ones blamed?


    He glanced at Du Li subconsciously, but found nothing strange on the other¡¯s face. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t forget your purpose or ultimate wish, you would not have to ask this. Young Master Jiang, you seem to be ruthless, but in fact care too much about justice. You saved Shijiu, and I am deeply grateful, so today I will give you this advice: Don¡¯t ruin yourself because of momentary softheartedness.¡±


    His words were full of hidden meaning, but even someone as smart as the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage wouldn¡¯t be able to figure out what the deep meaning is. The expression on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face changed a little, but he finally only said indifferently, ¡°I didn¡¯t save you, and what you do has nothing to do with me. This was originally a Du family affair. Yun Xie and I only came to help out a little for compensation. I¡¯m not in the mood to pay attention to so much. Patriarch Du, the business we have promised to help with has been completed, and you can take care of the rest.¡±


    Du Li said, ¡°You are going¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Yun Xie shouted in a deep voice, ¡°Retreat!¡±


    In order to shield Jiang Xunyi from the wind, he was standing outside the door, so it was too late for him to make a move. He could only watch as Qi Shijiu suddenly grew violent, slapping Du Li with a palm.


    Du Li keeled forward, and Qi Shijiu leapt to grab the phantom mirror on the table. Jiang Xunyi flashed forwards, the Extinguished Flower sword unsheathing, and he slashed down on the opponent¡¯s right shoulder without hesitation. Taking advantage of Qi Shijiu¡¯s move to evade, he grabbed the mirror in his hand.


    The energy value dropped again.


    What exactly was going on?!


    In Jiang Xunyi¡¯s short moment of shock, Qi Shijiu¡¯s body suddenly seemed to go boneless as he twisted into an impossible posture. A silver light flashed in his hand, aimed at Yun Xie¡¯s abdomen. ¡°He can¡¯t bear to kill you, so I¡¯ll do it!¡±


    At such a moment of crisis, Yun Xie was actually pleased by the phrase ¡°can¡¯t bear¡±. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh and hurriedly hid behind Jiang Xunyi.


    ¡°If Young Master Jiang can¡¯t bear me dying, you have to protect me. He wants to kill me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi backhandedly grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s collar and dragged him forward. ¡°Take it, it¡¯s free.¡±


    ¡°Pei, cruel!¡±


    As Yun Xie spoke, he flew up and slapped the crown of Qi Shijiu¡¯s head with a palm.


    Yun Xie originally had another move, his sword ready in his left hand, but he didn¡¯t expect Qi Shijiu to not even try to dodge, instead getting hit right on.


    The energy value rose.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the mirror in his hand, and suddenly a strange thought came into his mind¡ªthis system certainly did not survive by one person doing tasks alone. What if¡­Qi Shijiu was also a transmigrator? This could explain several of the changes in the energy value. At those points in time, Jiang Xunyi did not do anything, but every time, it coincided with Qi Shijiu¡¯s actions!


    In fact, his words just now had a lot of meaning that could be contemplated. But now that he has been hit by Yun Xie, it was unlikely that he would survive. Did that mean that his task was completed, and he can go home?


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s breathing became short. Yun Xie was preparing for another strike when he suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he still retracted his hand.


    Jiang Xunyi stared straight at Qi Shijiu, watching his behavior.


    Qi Shijiu¡¯s eyes were lost, and a line of blood flowed from the corners of his mouth, but he staggered to the ground with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Yun Xie exclaimed, ¡°What the hell is this kid doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had no time to waste on answering. He couldn¡¯t help but take two steps forward. However, at this moment, Qi Shijiu¡¯s eyes, which were about to close, suddenly widened, so much that it seemed as if his eyes would split.


    Yun Xie hurriedly pulled Jiang Xunyi back. With an unexpected strength, Qi Shijiu sat up straight, pointing his finger in front of him as he shouted, ¡°You!¡±


    Yu Hong happened to be standing in that position and couldn¡¯t help jolting in fright. Confused, he asked, ¡°Wh-what about me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°He didn¡¯t mean you.¡±


    Qi Shijiu shouted hoarsely, ¡°Impossible! You lied to me¡­ You lied to me! Mom and Dad¡­ I, I¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, everyone watched his body distort, freezing in a very terrifying form before it turned into a string of light, then dissipated into the air.


    Yu Hong said in surprise, ¡°Martial Uncle, what happened to him?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know.¡±


    After hearing the words ¡°mom and dad¡±, he was basically sure that his guess was correct. However, he couldn¡¯t understand what had just happened. The sense of ominousness was like a cloud of unfathomable black fog, slowly taking over his heart.


    Amidst everything brewing in the dark, there seemed to be an invisible hand, quietly creating unpredictable storms that everyone was stuck in, unable to get out.


    The author has something to say: If you¡¯re willing, my dears, we will start the extra episode tomorrow~ but the show will be back soon, thank you for your support~


    The extra episode is about the women¡¯s clothing you all ordered before, but that part is pretty short and the one who wears it¡­ secret ^_^.


    [1]´ò½´ÓÍ ¨C buying soy sauce means you¡¯re just passing by

 CH 82

    Chapter 82 ¨C Extra ¨C Awaiting Your Return (1)


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the rice bowl in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but sigh silently. He slowly nudged aside the chopsticks on the bowl, movements cautious, and rolled his eyes at the table.


    He thought to himself, ¡°As soon the master goes out, that old lady is starting to do it again. Psycho.¡±


    The Mid-Autumn Festival was August 15th this year, coinciding with the day Immortal Master Ti Ming took him back 16 years ago, so it also counted as Jiang Xunyi¡¯s birthday. Immortal Master Ti Ming only said that he would go down the mountain before hurrying away without giving any specific location. Even until now, he was still not back. The two remaining elders were even more so removed from society and never dealt with the younger generation.


    Therefore, the one who took charge of the celebrations of the festive season was Wanderer Zihui.


    Everyone knew that Wanderer Zihui didn¡¯t like Jiang Xunyi, but no one knew why. As long as Immortal Master Ti Ming wasn¡¯t there, his Martial Aunt could follow the principle of ¡°even if there are no mistakes, make up mistakes to punish.¡± She always found faults in order to teach Jiang Xunyi a lesson. Even thunder wouldn¡¯t change this rule. However, Jiang Xunyi was stubborn. Even after being punished, he would neither admit his mistakes nor file a complaint. In addition, Wanderer Zihui was an elder, so even when he was punished, other people would not be able to challenge her authority. He was very unlucky.


    Master was not on the mountain, and even the wood pimple Jiang Molou knew that this was a high-risk period, and he felt nervous. At this time, they had not officially begun eating. He was sitting next to Jiang Xunyi, and when he noticed his movements, he immediately touched him with his elbow. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi motioned to the bowl in front of him with his chin. ¡°The one who¡¯s always looking for trouble is acting up again. If this bowl wasn¡¯t deliberately placed in front of me to frame me, I¡¯ll eat the table.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t say, Jiang Molou wouldn¡¯t have noticed. He heard a closer look and was stunned, angrily exclaiming, ¡°Sacrifice bowl?¡±


    The sacrificial bowl was a magical instrument used to hold incense before the memorial tablets of the previous masters. There was one for each person. The bottom of the bowl was engraved with all the achievements of the head in his life. It was made of polished red stone from the extreme south and was incredibly precious. He didn¡¯t know who stole it to use as a bowl for him. In addition, based on years of experience, he guessed that something was either added to the meal or done to the bowl.


    It¡¯s all fucking routine.


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°Yes, you are not mistaken. Stop opening your eyes so wide. Molou, I advise you to sit farther away from me, lest you get involved.¡±


    Jiang Molou frowned and ignored Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. Instead, he whispered with a little anger, ¡°I don¡¯t even know when the master is returning. If it continues like this¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his words, Wanderer Zihui had already come in. All the disciples quickly got up to greet her. Jiang Xunyi also stood up, but his expression wasn¡¯t respectful and he looked at the ground, bored.


    He wasn¡¯t a punching bag, but Wanderer Zihui was his martial aunt, and it was only natural for elders to educate the juniors. If Jiang Xunyi wanted to resist, the only way was to rebel against the sect. However, not only did Immortal Master Ti Ming nurture him for more than ten years, Jiang Xunyi also had a deep affection for the Hidden Spirit Sect and couldn¡¯t bear to do this. Even according to the plot, he was indeed a character who experienced darkness ever since childhood. His mind had to be distorted so that when he grew up, he would become a villain that hates the protagonist.


    Other books always have the protagonists living miserably, but¡¶Rising Clouds, Billowing Skies¡·took a different approach. It drew a line between suffering and coolness and abused the villain while Yun Xie¡¯s only responsibility was to look cool.


    After the salute, they all sat down. Jiang Xunyi knew when he saw the bowl that Wanderer Zihui was definitely going to do something. He couldn¡¯t hide, as he was not low-key. He leaned his head on his hand and casually dipped his chopstick into the vegetable soup, using the liquid to paint beautiful women on the table to play. His actions were especially eye-catching among the disciples who had their heads bowed to eat.


    The emperor was not in a hurry, but the eunuch was in a hurry[1]. Jiang Molou was only fifteen at the time. Seeing his brother¡¯s reckless ruffian behavior, he felt worried. How could he eat? He randomly poked the rice in the bowl with chopsticks a few times, took another peek at Zihui, then carefully touched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s knee with his leg underneath the table.


    Jiang Xunyi kicked his leg back.


    Jiang Molou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Forget it. His life was a cycle of being irritated by Jiang Xunyi and then being unwilling to lash out even though he was angry. He was used to it.


    Wanderer Zihui said, ¡°Jiang Xunyi, others are eating with their heads down. What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°In response to Martial Aunt, I am not hungry today.¡±


    Zihui¡¯s eyebrows slightly raised, and Huang Yan immediately began to act. ¡°Huh? Brother, what bowl are you using, why is it different from ours?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi leaned against the back of his chair and said lazily, ¡°Martial Brother Huang, I think you chose the wrong path. If your swordsmanship was half as good as your ability to see the wind and rudder[2], you wouldn¡¯t have gotten to this point, where you can¡¯t even wield your sword. This brother suggests that you should not be a part of the Hidden Spirit Sect; you better go work in a teahouse. It¡¯s more promising.¡±


    Zihui slapped the table sharply, and the cups and plates in front of everyone jolted. ¡°Presumptuous! Jiang Xunyi, you are a dignified cultivator, as well as the chief disciple, and yet you dare to openly spit out such vulgar language in front of the junior disciples? No sense of propriety.¡±


    The Mid-Autumn Festival was supposed to be a celebration, but now, the situation was so ugly that no one could even eat. The disciples did not dare to publicly watch, so they had to bury their heads and count the grains of rice in their bowls. They didn¡¯t even dare to breath too loudly. Among them, there were many disciples who were good friends with Jiang Xunyi, but this matter didn¡¯t only happen once or twice. They all knew that when Zihui got angry, the more she was interrupted, the worse she got. They were afraid that Jiang Xunyi would be punished more severely, so no one said anything.


    Therefore it was silent, and so the sound of cracking rang out clearly as the bowl in front of Jiang Xunyi broke into several pieces.


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at the bowl apathetically, unable to even pretend to be surprised.


    Huang Yan¡¯s acting was very exaggerated. ¡°I-Isn¡¯t this bowl the sacrificial bowl of Master Ling?! Elder Martial Brother, you actually broke it!¡±


    Jiang Molou suddenly got up and said angrily, ¡°Huang Yan, you¡¯re speaking slander! The bowl was obviously¡­¡±


    This stupid boy with a one-track mind usually appeared mysterious, with a cold and handsome face. However, every time it came to Jiang Xunyi, he became anxious, revealing his bear-like nature. He was clearly about to say, ¡°The bowl was obviously broken by Martial Aunt Zihui¡±. Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi had quick eyes and hands, and he pressed him back into his seat, interrupting the second half of his words.


    Jiang Xunyi pressed Jiang Molou¡¯s shoulder with one hand and firmly suppressed him, but instead of looking at him, he turned to Huang Yan. With a lazy smile, he said, ¡°Martial Aunt Zihui only tapped the table ¡®lightly¡¯. It¡¯s clear that everyone¡¯s bowl is fine, so why did only the one with me break? It¡¯s obvious that I broke it before but didn¡¯t dare to make a statement. I was only discovered at this time, right?¡±


    Huang Yan: ¡°¡­¡± His lines were taken.


    Jiang Xunyi glanced at him disdainfully and secretly squeezed Jiang Molou¡¯s shoulder to comfort him. He got up from the seat, turned his head and left.


    Wanderer Zihui shouted, ¡°Come back! Do you have any discipline? What do you want to do now?¡±


    ¡°I broke a bowl, I am guilty, I¡¯m sorry to the sect, I¡¯m sorry to the ancestors. I¡¯m going to the ancestral hall.¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was extremely impatient with her, but he had no choice but to walk back slowly.


    ¡°Come to me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi walked over and stood in front of her. He was already tall, and since Zihui was sitting, she appeared even shorter. Jiang Xunyi looked at her thoughtfully, and suddenly he felt like he was a junior high school student who threw a basketball into an office window. Now, he was facing the old teaching assistant. For a moment, he wanted to laugh a little, so he quickly pursed his mouth.


    In fact, for Jiang Xunyi to look directly at the elders in such a straightforward manner was already rude, but with his small smile, Wanderer Zihui inexplicably had to look away. After subconsciously dodging, she then stabilized her mind again. When she spoke, her voice was no longer as severe as it was at the beginning. ¡°I didn¡¯t give an order, what are you doing? Forget it, treat it as your first offense, just admit to me that you made a mistake.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows. ¡°It¡¯s Grand Master Ling¡¯s sacrificial bowl that had been broken, why should I admit my mistake to Martial Aunt? Forgive this disciple for being dull, but I am a little puzzled.¡±


    ¡°Look at me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was originally looking away, but when she said this, he paused for a moment before he looked back. He felt that Zihui¡¯s face was a little red. He guessed it was probably annoyance. Besides that, she had one nose and two eyes and wasn¡¯t too remarkable. He didn¡¯t know what she wanted him to look at.


    Wanderer Zihui reprimanded, ¡°Look clearly, now that Martial Brother Ti Ming is not here, I am the person in charge of the sect. Jiang Xunyi, I know that you were of high standing ever since you were young, but don¡¯t look down on everyone. No matter who is right or wrong, you only need to know that the person in charge of your life is me, so of course you have to kneel down and confess your mistakes to me. I have long since disliked your arrogant look. You¡¯re usually too spoiled by my Martial Brother ¡ª now kneel in front of me, admit your mistakes and reflect on it. As long as you let me hear your sincerity, you don¡¯t need to go to the ancestral hall today.¡±


    Wanderer Zihui had been the only female disciple of this generation since childhood and grew up as a moon surrounded by stars[3]. She came from a famous family, and her appearance was indeed outstanding, so growing up, she had always been admired by other cultivators. However, only her martial nephew never glanced at her even after all her painstaking effort. Instead, this aroused Zihui¡¯s desire to embarrass him. It can be said that so far, making Jiang Xunyi yield was her greatest pursuit.


    However, the fierce couldn¡¯t win against the apathetic. For Jiang Xunyi, her peculiar designs on him were nothing short of a fantasy. His only thought was that this old lady was sick, sick, and really sick!


    Kneeling to the ancestors was nothing, but it was absolutely impossible for him to kneel to her. What¡¯s more, Zihui used this tone in front of everyone. Jiang Xunyi felt sick listening to this, and sneered. ¡°Martial Aunt Zihui must be be older than anyone else, so I am willing to bow down. But other than that, in terms of cultivation, virtue, and demeanor, Xunyi really doesn¡¯t see how the martial aunt is a role model in any aspect. Kneel to you?¡±


    Haha.


    He didn¡¯t say anything after that, just snorted in disdain.


    Jiang Xunyi had always been able to attack all the tender spots, and his words were very vicious. Zihui was shocked by his taunting skills, and was shaking with anger. She glanced at the broken bowl on the table and raised her hand to grab it before she smashed it at Jiang Xunyi without thinking.


    Jiang Xunyi tilted his head, so the broken bowl piece did not scratch his face, but it hit his forehead hard, and suddenly blood gushed out, flowing down his cheeks, covering his face with red.


    When he was in the modern times, he was the young master held in the palm of his parent¡¯s and brother¡¯s hands. Although he was not in good health, he had never suffered such a grievance. However, he was unlucky enough to have to take on this role in this world. He had already transmigrated for 16 years and had long since gotten used to it.


    He merely wiped the corners of his eyes with a sleeve lightly to see better. As for the wound, he didn¡¯t care at all.


    Zihui said angrily, ¡°How dare you! Go to the ancestral hall and kneel for three days and three nights. If I don¡¯t lift the restrictions, you are not allowed to get up, and you are not allowed to eat or drink. Think about where you went wrong! If you still don¡¯t want to repent after three days, then roll in again and starve to death!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi muttered, ¡°I knew I would end up kneeling at the ancestral hall in the end. Why not just say this earlier.¡±


    Zihui threw a piece of the broken bowl again, her face blue with anger. ¡°Still not hurrying?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi dodged the piece and walked away without looking back.


    The group of disciples that was sitting still without daring to move secretly looked at the terrifying martial aunt, then glanced at the retreating back of their senior brother. Their faces were full of admiration.


    Hidden Spirit Mountain was located in the north at a high elevation, so it snowed all-year round, and the weather was always cold. Yun Xie always loved the beautiful sight of flowers, so when he was young, he complained that this was a place where only monks would like to live. But as he got older, he felt that although this mountain seemed cold and lonely, it was somehow cute. He didn¡¯t know exactly why it was cute, but it just made people feel good when they came.


    He carried a jar in his hand, which swayed by his side as he walked briskly ¨C it was the famous Song Lao alcohol from Changsha, which not only had a mellow taste, but also had the miraculous effect of dispelling dampness and the cold. However at this time, the skills to brew this alcohol had pretty much been lost, and it was difficult to find an authentic one. Yun Xie spent seven days and seven nights in Changsha to find a wine-brewing family that had a jar that had been kept for twenty years before he could buy it for a high price. The person who made the wine at the time was no longer in the world, and it could be said that this was the last remaining jar in the world. In his excitement, he couldn¡¯t even take the time to look back at the Solar Envy sect mountain and directly rushed over to present the treasure to Jiang Xunyi.


    Yun Xie was delayed, so the time was a little late, and he was about to miss Jiang Xunyi¡¯s birthday. Although he knew that the other party wouldn¡¯t care about such trivial matters, Yun Xie was a little concerned in his heart.


    Solar Envy Sect and Hidden Spirit Sect had always been friends. In order to show respect, he didn¡¯t want to use his sword to approach the gate, and his footsteps could only quicken.


    Finally, he reached the gate of the Hidden Spirit Sect. Yun Xie saw a group of female disciples grouped at the gate from a distance, but he was not surprised at all. There were not many female disciples in the Hidden Spirit Sect, but like other sects, every time they heard that Yun Xie was coming, everyone would rush to the gate of the mountain to wait, trying to get a glimpse of him. Yun Xie had long since gotten used to it.


    With a smile on his lips, he looked very handsome, but he didn¡¯t say hello to them. While allowing them to watch, he nodded to the two Hidden Spirit disciples who rushed out to greet him.


    The two disciples were in charge of reception, so they were not unfamiliar with Yun Xie. Just after leaving the banquet, they received the news of his coming and rushed out in a hurry.


    A disciple smiled as he said, ¡°Why did Martial Brother Yun come here in person instead of sending someone to notify us in advance? We should have come out earlier to meet you. Aiya, it¡¯s discourteous of us.¡±


    Yun Xie was clever, so when he heard these words, he immediately noticed that something was wrong ¡ª even if he doesn¡¯t come to the Hidden Spirit eight times in one day, he still came often. Everyone knew that he basically only had one purpose, and that was to find Jiang Xunyi. He had no need for others to welcome him in. The more polite this disciple was, the more proof it was that something happened.


    Yun Xie paused and asked bluntly, ¡°Today happens to be the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a very unpleasant day. Is Martial Aunt Zihui acting up again?¡±


    Even though he was known to be arrogant and especially dissatisfied with Wanderer Zihui because of Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie¡¯s act of standing at the gate of the mountain and taunting the elders still made the disciple who had just spoken turn green. He laughed awkwardly as he said, ¡°Martial Brother Yun must be joking¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was cold. ¡°Who told you to laugh? Where¡¯s your eldest martial brother?¡±


    The other disciple had been trying to talk since earlier, but he was secretly stopped by the other. At this time, he saw Yun Xie look over and couldn¡¯t help it anymore. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Martial Brother Yun, Eldest Martial Brother has been punished to kneel at the ancestral hall again. He didn¡¯t even eat any food. Please go and talk to Martial Aunt Zihui. With your identity, Martial Aunt will surely¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face sank like water, and a fire rose in his heart immediately. Before the other party could finish speaking, he cut him off and replied, ¡°Okay. Thank you.¡±


    Before the words fell, the person had disappeared.


    The author has something to say:


    I originally wanted to write a short and sweet little extra, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be so long. It will probably take a few days and then the drama will come back soon. Thank you for your support.


    Everyone¡¯s comments are so warm. After reading it, I¡¯m really happy. I¡¯m sending you a lyric that I like very much recently. I hope that every little angel I love and appreciate will have no worries and fears in 2017 and be safe and happy.


    ¡°I finally understand that life must have cracks before the sun can shine in.¡±


    [1]The emperor is not in a hurry but the eunuch is ¨C »ÊÉϲ»¼±Ì«¼à¼± ¨C the person concerned isn¡¯t anxious to deal with the matter but the people around are


    [2]See the wind and rudder ¨C ¼û·çʹ¶æ ¨C to act on the wish of others regardless of right or wrong


    [3]Moon surrounded by stars ¨C ÖÚÐÇÅõÔÂ ¨C someone surrounded by admirers

 CH 83

    Chapter 83 ¨C Awaiting your return (2)


    There was no woman in the world who wanted others to say that she was old, even if she was a cultivator who could preserve her appearance forever. In addition, if the person saying it had a special level of affection within her heart, it was even more terrible.


    Wanderer Zihui was very angry at this time. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s remarks were like a big rock pressing down on her chest, almost enough to choke her to death. Zihui would rather him rot in the ancestral hall, as her heart can calm down as long as she doesn¡¯t see him. However, his cold and handsome face made her unable to resist the desire to humiliate him, hoping that he would one day obey.


    She was in a daze, unconsciously kneading the veil in her hands. Suddenly she heard a noise outside the door. It seemed that someone was saying ¡°Brother Yun¡±.


    ¡°Senior Brother Yun! Please stop!¡±


    Huang Yan took a few steps forwards, trying to grab Yun Xie¡¯s arm. ¡°This is my martial aunt¡¯s retreat, may Martial Brother Yun refrain from disturbing her.¡±


    While Huang Yan hated Jiang Xunyi, he was afraid of the cruel Yun Xie, so every time he saw him, he was very tactful. Even if he was obstructed, he would still speak politely. In fact, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that most of the people who tried to block him had already been beaten until they couldn¡¯t get up, Huang Yan wouldn¡¯t dare to step out and confront him.


    However, Yun Xie didn¡¯t want to give him any face at all. He flicked his sleeves and threw him to the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    Huang Yan was unable to fight back and fell heavily. Yun Xie looked at him with a sneer. ¡°Look at your trash appearance. Can you even be compared to him? Overconfident.¡±


    He wanted to beat Huang Yan up more, but it wasn¡¯t the place, so he merely snorted coldly and directly pushed aside the curtain leading to Wanderer Zihui¡¯s retreat.


    As soon as Yun Xie stepped in, a gust of wind hit his face, scraping his face like a knife. Fortunately, he was on guard. He immediately flew up, spun in midair, then slapped a palm forwards. The blue light from his palm instantly scattered the energy heading towards him. This move was exactly Solar Envy sect¡¯s ¡°Flying Flowers¡± move.


    At this time, he was still young and his skills weren¡¯t developed enough. He wasn¡¯t yet an opponent of Zihui, but he was quick to react and chose the right moves.


    However, only he knew that his back was covered in cold sweat.


    Wanderer Zihui needed to be mindful of her identity. In addition, Yun Xie wasn¡¯t a disciple of the Hidden Spirit sect. Naturally, if she missed once, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her to attack again. In her heart, she secretly marveled at Yun Xie¡¯s agility, but she didn¡¯t show these thoughts on her face. Her tone had slightly eased aside from a faint note of sarcasm. ¡°I was wondering which rude little thief dared to trespass on my Hidden Spirit Mountain. I wanted to teach him a lesson or two, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be Martial Nephew Yun. You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you?¡±


    Yun Xie adjusted his robes and smiled faintly. ¡°I am unharmed. Martial Aunt Zihui is overstating it.¡±


    This little bastard was basically saying she was weak. However, she couldn¡¯t do anything to him. Zihui cursed at him in her heart, wishing that Yun Xie was a part of the sect so she would have the authority to send him out to kneel with Jiang Xunyi in the ancestral hall.


    The longer he spent here, the longer Jiang Xunyi would have to kneel, so Yun Xie didn¡¯t want to delay too much. ¡°Martial Aunt Zihui, I came seeking Jiang Xunyi to practice martial arts today. However, I heard that he was imprisoned by you. May martial aunt save me some face and unlock the restrictions at the entrance of the ancestral hall.¡±


    Wanderer Zihui felt unhappy when she heard this name, remembering that Jiang Xunyi would treat a man like Yun Xie a lot better than her. A sense of frustration was born, and she coldly said, ¡°He committed an offense and behaved wildly, so he needs to be taught a lesson. There are so many disciples on this mountain. You can find others to learn from.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s tone was gentle and polite. ¡°Although there are many, it¡¯s hard to find someone I like. If Martial Aunt Zihui refuses to help, then I can only break through. It may be hard to break out of the restriction, but it¡¯s not hard to break in. However, I would need to use my weapon. If I damage something, please forgive me.¡±


    Wanderer Zihui raised her thin eyebrows, causing her to appear a bit mean. ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t dare. This disciple is just telling the truth.¡±


    This kid was notorious for acting as he pleased. He was appointed to be the future sect master of the Solar Envy sect, and thus his status was different from others. Zihui couldn¡¯t do anything to him. What¡¯s more, it wasn¡¯t reasonable for her to embarrass Jiang Xunyi. Within their own sect, all she had to do was close the door. However when the other sects got involved, it became ugly.


    Zihui¡¯s expression changed several times, and she finally gritted her teeth, face distorted into grim smile. ¡°Martial Nephew Yun has a lot of affection and righteousness. I know that you two have been close since childhood. If I don¡¯t agree today, it would be very unkind of me.¡±


    Without getting up, she formed a few hand seals. Yun Xie turned his head and saw a flash of white light. He knew the restriction on the ancestral hall has been lifted.


    Bringing his hands together in a salute, he said, ¡°Thank you, Martial Aunt Zihui.¡±


    After that, he turned to leave, but a low voice from Wanderer Zihui suddenly came from behind him. ¡°Martial Nephew Yun, I have to admit that you are a natural talent, a rare cultivator in the world. However, I also want to give you some advice: it is natural that you are frivolous in your youth, but in the world, there is always someone stronger. Even if you become an invincible and mighty power in the future, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you can change everything on your own. In the end, no one can escape their fate. The world is unpredictable. If you are arrogant and unruly, one day you will taste powerlessness!¡±


    Her tone was grim, the words ominous. However, Yun Xie didn¡¯t care. Without stopping, he went straight to the ancestral hall to rescue his good brother.


    At that time, he was young and angry, and he only felt that Zihui was talking nonsense. He didn¡¯t think much of it. But one day, he really would learn what it meant to be filled with regret and yet powerless to change anything.


    In Yun Xie¡¯s imagination, Jiang Xunyi must be hungry and cold, pitifully kneeling in the ancestral hall for a long time. However, he didn¡¯t expect to see that the kid was actually leaning against the window, admiring the moon. In his hand was a flask of alcohol, and he looked quite comfortable.


    Jiang Xunyi heard the door open and turned his head back. When he saw it was Yun Xie, he paused, but he wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. Instead, he smiled. ¡°You came at a bad time, right when I was unlucky.¡±


    ¡°Pei, look how shameless you look. It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve made a fool out of yourself. Although I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯re treated so well. You even have alcohol to drink. If I knew earlier, I wouldn¡¯t rush here so fast. The stupid wind covered me in dirt.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi laughed as he said, ¡°Who do you think would give me wine? This is the wine from the memorial altar. I just happened to be thirsty. Besides, my ancestors can¡¯t drink it, so I¡¯ll do it for them.¡±


    Yun Xie couldn¡¯t help but laugh along, and he walked forward to stand by Jiang Xunyi.


    The light was dim, and Jiang Xunyi had turned half of his face away, so he didn¡¯t see it clearly earlier. Only now did he realize that half of his white jade-like cheek was stained with blood. Even his shoulders were scarlet.


    Shocked, anger immediately filled his voice. ¡°What happened? Zihui dared to hit you? This bitch¡­ let me see it, is the injury bad?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi pushed away his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not serious. If you didn¡¯t remind me, I would¡¯ve forgotten it. It¡¯s just a small wound that happened to be a little more bloody. It may look scary¡­ hiss.¡±


    ¡°Bear it a little.¡± Yun Xie took out a handkerchief and forcibly dragged Jiang Xunyi over. He dipped the cloth in a little wine and cleaned up his wounds as he scolded, ¡°You can even forget about your own wounds. Are you a fool?¡±


    Although his tone was rough, his hand was very careful, as if he was wiping some rare treasure. As the dried blood stains were slowly wiped away, Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi¡¯s open wound and the surrounding bruises clearly, accentuated against Jiang Xunyi¡¯s pale skin. It was clearly cut by a blunt object.


    Yun Xie remembered that it was Jiang Xunyi¡¯s birthday today, and yet he was locked here at such a young age without food or drink. His heart was extremely uncomfortable.


    At that time, he didn¡¯t know what ¡°heartbroken¡± was, and he rarely felt such emotions. He only knew that he wanted Jiang Xunyi to be happy, even if the other didn¡¯t even care about it.


    Yun Xie put away the blood-stained cloth after treating the wound then shook the flask. ¡°Drinking so much wine on an empty stomach will make your stomach upset. Come on, go out with me to eat something.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Yun Xie was surprised to see him get up and immediately head out. Following behind him, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Zihui will beat you back?¡±


    ¡°Tch, since you have come in, it means that you handle her. When you¡¯re here, what am I afraid of?¡±


    Yun Xie felt that his words somehow sounded really nice, and he stepped forwards to pat Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°Good brother.¡±


    At this time, mealtime was over, so the two went directly to the back kitchen. They saw that there was quite a bit of food left over, but it was already cold.


    Yun Xie snapped his fingers and stuck a pile of yellow talismans on the bowls.


    ¡°The Three Universal Truths[1], I invoke the power of the god of fire!¡±


    The food was heated in an instant, giving off a fragrance.


    Jiang Xunyi was very satisfied with the performance of the ¡°Yun Xie microwave¡±. He sat down next to a small wooden table and commanded as if he was a master, ¡°Bring me all the bowls.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, I guess I owe you this.¡± He smiled at Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Since today is your birthday, I¡¯ll spoil you today.¡±


    He gently waved his hand, and all the bowls, chopsticks, cups and plates flew steadily and landed on the table without even a drop of soup. Jiang Xunyi picked up his chopsticks and started eating.


    Yun Xie sat next to him and didn¡¯t do anything. He watched Jiang Xunyi eat for a while before he picked up his chopsticks and started putting some of his favorite food into his dish. His eyes were gentle and indulgent, but internally, he sighed.


    Seeing him like this, his heart still felt uncomfortable.


    [1] ÈýÃûÌáÆÕ ¨C a lot of their incantations have to do with Buddhist scriptures and I¡¯m gonna be real with you it¡¯s hard to translate so just bear with me

 CH 84

    Chapter 84 ¨C Awaiting Your Return (3)


    Yun Xie watched Jiang Xunyi eat for a while then suddenly pulled out a jug of wine from his qiankun pouch. He placed it on the table with a smile. ¡°Come, look at this.¡±


    Right as he broke the wine seal, Jiang Xunyi stopped his movements and looked over. He took a moment to identify the scent, then exclaimed, ¡°Song Lao wine?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°You know me best. Good wine needs to be enjoyed with the right person. Let¡¯s drink together. Here, come and taste.¡±


    He was afraid that Jiang Xunyi would hurt his body by drinking too much alcohol on an empty stomach, so he had stopped himself from bringing it out for a long time. Now, he was full of excitement as he took out a glass and pushed it to Jiang Xunyi.


    Song Lao wine was calming, causing one to become idle for a moment. It is like liquid gold made for the winter days marked by snow[1] ¨C this was indeed a famous wine. The wine poured in the jade cup was golden and viscous, and it smelled fragrant and mellow.


    Jiang Xunyi shook the cup. ¡°I thought that this kind of wine had long since been lost. It must¡¯ve been difficult for you to find an authentic one.¡±


    ¡°How could I not find something good for your birthday?¡±


    Yun Xie poured himself another glass and raised it in a toast. He said solemnly, ¡°I hope you are as infallible as a pine tree. I am talking and laughing because of you, and I wish you a happy birthday with this cup of wine.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was silent for a moment, smiled faintly, then raised his cup to clink it against his. His voice was soft as he replied with one line, ¡°I hope that from now on, the next year will be filled with improvements.¡±


    After saying that, the two brought their cups back at the same time, lifting their heads to drink.


    Yun Xie patted him on the back, voice soft as he said, ¡°It will definitely happen.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly and bowed his head to eat. Yun Xie, on the other hand, made no move to eat, simply piling vegetables onto the other¡¯s plate while filling a cup of alcohol for himself.


    However, right as he brought the wine glass to his lips and raised his head to drink, he saw a backlit shadow quietly moving into the room, sitting straight beside Jiang Xunyi.


    The wine almost went straight into his nose, and Yun Xie quickly slammed down the wine glass. He was unable to stop himself from cursing. ¡°Jiang Molou, are you a ghost? Can¡¯t you make a sound when you walk?!¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°This is Hidden Spirit Mountain. If you don¡¯t like it then leave.¡±


    ¡°Hey, kid¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Yun Xie,¡± Jiang Xunyi said. ¡°Molou, don¡¯t talk to your Brother Yun like that.¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s lips curled, and he said distastefully, ¡°He¡¯s your Brother Yun.¡±


    After he muttered those words, he didn¡¯t dare to say any more, instead carefully examining Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead. ¡°How is your injury? ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Even though he had already said so, Jiang Molou still couldn¡¯t help but frown, scrutinizing the wound.


    It was a bit unpleasant for Yun Xie to watch, and he said sourly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you too late? If I were you, I would¡¯ve never let him get hit. Why didn¡¯t you block for him?!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi cut in, ¡°Alright, alright, you two do this every time. Every time you meet, it¡¯s so noisy. Are you not tired? In the end, Zihui is still our Martial Aunt. Molou wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop her at that time. Besides, if he blocked, he would¡¯ve just gotten hurt instead.¡±


    Yun Xie blurted out, ¡°Then what? I don¡¯t care if he gets injured!¡±


    After he said this, he was stunned for a moment. He finally realized that the uncomfortable feeling plaguing his heart was distress¡­


    Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t particularly concerned ¡ª Yun Xie suspected that he wasn¡¯t even paying attention to his conversation.


    In the first place, Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t the type to spend a lot of effort mixing mud and water[2]. Besides, every time the two of them met, they would always fight. It wasn¡¯t anything new. Jiang Xunyi got annoyed after only hearing a few words and waved his hand, speaking simply and rudely. ¡°Shut up. My head hurts because of the noise. Molou, why are you here? Did you also come to find food?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Whenever Jiang Molou spoke, he always liked to stare at the other person¡¯s face very intently. ¡°I came here to find you, to give you this.¡±


    He placed something on the table. Jiang Xunyi looked down and exclaimed, ¡°An exit token? This thing¡­ You didn¡¯t steal it just now, did you?¡±


    The rules of the Hidden Spirit Sect prohibited disciples younger than 20 from going down the mountain alone, so they set a ward around the edges of Hidden Spirit Mountain. If you wanted to go out, you had to go to the assignment room to get a token. Jiang Molou himself was only fifteen years old, so for him to have the exit token, it obviously had to be stolen.


    Jiang Molou nodded, a rare expression of anxiety on his face. ¡°The date Master is returning has not yet been determined, and who knows what tricks Martial Aunt Zihui has up her sleeve. I think you should go down the mountain to avoid the limelight. If Master knew why, I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t punish you.¡±


    Although Yun Xie didn¡¯t like Jiang Molou, he still had to admit that this was indeed a good idea. He knew Master Ti Ming had a mild temperament, and he loved Jiang Xunyi very much, so he would certainly not punish him. Therefore, Yun Xie immediately followed with, ¡°A¡¯Xun, I think Junior Brother Jiang is right. Why don¡¯t you follow me down the mountain after you finish eating? I¡¯ll take you to play.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He was just Jiang Molou, but now he become Junior Brother Jiang. Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou looked at each other, thinking at the same time in their hearts. He sure knew how to sail with the wind[3]!


    Yun Xie was excited at the thought of going down the mountain alone with Jiang Xunyi, but he suddenly recalled something, and quickly said, ¡°Jiang Molou, how many tokens did you steal? Are you going?¡±


    ¡°¡­One!¡±


    Jiang Molou really wanted to hit him!


    Jiang Xunyi hadn¡¯t gone down the mountain for a long time, and hearing what Yun Xie said, he was convinced. Besides, he thought that if he left, everyone would think that he was the one who stole the exit token, so Jiang Molou would be absolved of any blame.


    He had made his choice, so he threw down his chopsticks and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m full, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°Ah, I like a happy person like you.¡±


    He slung his arm over Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder, beckoning to Jiang Molou. ¡°This time you did a good job. See you later, Junior Brother Jiang.¡±


    Jiang Molou: ¡°¡­¡±


    Who wants to see you!


    With the token, the two of them made it down the mountain smoothly. Yun Xie directly made his way towards the small path to the left. He walked with so much purpose and direction that Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help but call out, ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡±


    Yun Xie laughed and brought out a folding fan from who knows where. With a sweep of his hand, the fan opened and covered half of his face. He leaned towards Jiang Xunyi with a mysterious smile. ¡°A good place.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shoved him, bothered, before he looked up and down at Yun Xie for a moment and finally guessed, ¡°The brothel?¡±


    This time, it was Yun Xie¡¯s turn to be shocked. ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°How could that be hard to guess? You only have so much promise. You are pretending to be confident and yet your smile is so wretched. Just now when you heard that I would come out, your eyes started shining. You don¡¯t need to think to know that you must have wanted to visit the kiln, but you didn¡¯t have the guts to do so on your own. With me, you have a cushion.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± Yun Xie sighed. ¡°Why are you so annoying? Don¡¯t forget that if I didn¡¯t save you, you would still be kneeling in the ancestral hall! Can¡¯t you say anything good for once?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°I can¡¯t act against my conscience. Why don¡¯t you tell me what you want, and I will help you do something in return.¡±


    ¡°Tch, why do you talk so much? Watch out for Zihui rushing down the mountain to beat you senseless and drag you back up. Hurry up, we need to get going.¡±


    Yun Xie obviously started it, but now he had turned the tables to complain first. However, he was right that this place was truly not suitable to stay for a long time. Jiang Xunyi had no choice but to bear it and was dragged by Yun Xie to a town at the base of the Hidden Spirit Mountain.


    The two of them had snuck out, so they didn¡¯t have a sword. Fortunately, they had each other, and the noisy duo didn¡¯t feel that the trip was too long. When they arrived in town, it was almost dusk.


    Jiang Xunyi had gone down the mountain before, but he had only followed behind his elders and was inevitably a little restrained. This was the first time he went out alone with Yun Xie.


    Looking out, the end of the main street wasn¡¯t visible. The streets were bustling, with carts and horses flowing nonstop. The shops were surrounded by crowds, and the teahouses were filled with laughter. In the autumn air drifted the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus and the smell of women¡¯s powder, which made people feel charmed for no reason.


    There were too many people, so the two were unable to use any martial abilities. Because of this, they were involuntarily forced to follow the flow of the crowd. Yun Xie was fine, but Jiang Xunyi has always disliked crowded places and was even more reluctant to touch so many people, and so he gradually fell behind Yun Xie.


    The area was too noisy, so Yun Xie had already walked for a while before he realized that he had lost Jiang Xunyi. He quickly spun around to search, thinking that Jiang Xunyi must have disappeared, but he found him following half a step away, brows furrowed.


    The moment Yun Xie glanced back, Jiang Xunyi seemed to be able to tell, and he also raised his head, their eyes meeting.


    Yun Xie smiled and suddenly felt comfort within his heart. The two of them had known each other since they were children, and it had been ten years since then. Everyone knew about just how close they were. However, standing in the world, surrounded by the clamor of strange faces, his heart came to understand something, and he felt as if he had confessed a secret to the world.


    However, it was only his own heart that was moved. Jiang Xunyi was still struggling to pass through the crowd, secretly cursing the ancient people who didn¡¯t know about family planning.


    At this moment, something was suddenly thrown into his arms.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were sharp, and his hands were agile, and he caught it in his palm. Before he could see what it was, he heard a woman¡¯s laughter coming from nearby.


    He raised his head and glanced across the street. A group of women were leaning on the railing of the brothel, each one of them looking down and smiling like a flower as they pointed at Jiang Xunyi. They were as sweet as twittering birds, transforming the autumn scenery into a spring garden.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his eyebrows and looked down at the thing in his hand. It was a sachet embroidered with mandarin ducks.


    [1] this is a poem about the wine


    [2]mixing mud and water ¨C mediating and trying to make others get along


    [3]sail with the wind ¨C be adaptable

 CH 85

    Chapter 85 ¨C Awaiting Your Return (4)


    It wasn¡¯t that there weren¡¯t any female cultivators within the sect who liked him, but most of them were reserved. It was the first time Jiang Xunyi had received such a thing, but right as he was studying it, it was grabbed out of his hand.


    Yun Xie had come over to stand by him. At the sight of two handsome boys at the same time, there was suddenly a peal of excited laughter from the women upstairs. Yun Xie ignored them, raising the sachet in front of his eyes to scrutinize it, itching to throw it away.


    ¡°This kind of thing is also given to you?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi felt that he seemed a little unhappy, but Yun Xie was usually moody anyways. Who knows what had provoked him this time? Anyone else would probably be afraid right now, but Jiang Xunyi was used to this. He immediately reached out to grab Yun Xie¡¯s wrist and snatched the sachet back. ¡°It¡¯s not for you. ¡°


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t know what was going on with himself. He was upset at the sight of a woman daring to make a move on Jiang Xunyi, and was even more upset to see that he was not refusing. However, he knew he was being irrational. He moved his mouth without saying anything, then took Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand unhappily. ¡°This place is not good. Let¡¯s go to another place ¨C I¡¯ll hold you so that you won¡¯t get lost.¡±


    Yun Xie pulled Jiang Xunyi through the crowd, and behind him came a faint, angry cry: ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t go¡­¡± He quickly left like the wind, leaving her behind.


    Jiang Xunyi was born with cold body, and his hands were always cold. Yun Xie unconsciously squeezed his hand tighter, as if he could pass his own temperature to him.


    At this time, it seemed that all of his senses were focused on the point where their palms connected. Yun Xie could clearly feel Jiang Xunyi¡¯s slender fingers, cold and smooth like white jade.


    The two walked for a while, then turned a corner. Jiang Xunyi looked back to make sure that the women could not see them then raised his hand and threw the sachet into the river next to him.


    Yun Xie was taken aback, but was inexplicably happy. ¡°So you didn¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°In the end, it is a gift, so if you just threw it away in front of them, they would be sad.¡±


    Yun Xie was in a good mood, so everything made sense. He smiled and replied, ¡°Alright, you know best how to cherish jade[1].¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shook off his hand unhappily. ¡°The happy one is you, the upset one is also you. There must be something wrong with you. Anyways, you¡¯ve led me pretty far, where are we going?¡±


    The hand in his palm disappeared, and Yun Xie was reluctant to see it go. He flipped the fan in his hand, pointed forward, and smiled. ¡°What are you impatient for? Aren¡¯t we here?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked in the direction he was pointing, and his heart thumped, as if the red dust in his eyes had been blown away all at once ¨C


    The street was very long, and it was difficult to see the end at a glance. Trees were planted on both sides, and the leaves were almost gone. They sparsely shivered in the wind, the colored lights and shadows flickering dimly all along the road. Although the traffic and horses were like running water here, there was an inexplicable sense of calm amidst the prosperity.


    Jiang Xunyi squinted his eyes at the small building where the crowds were the most crowded and read the inscription on the plaque.


    ¡°Luoyue Pavilion?¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°This is it. When recounting the most famous brothels, you cannot miss Luoyue Pavilion and Nongqing Square. One is pure, one is glamourous, and together, they are called Shuangjue. However, I think the woman in the Nongqing Square are too unrestrained. People of noble character like me still prefer the delicate and graceful ones, so it¡¯s better to go to Luoyue Pavilion.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi did not give him any face. ¡°I think you should be more interested in Nongqing Square considering your temperament, but it¡¯s just that the girl had thrown me a satchet first. Do you change locations because you think they¡¯re blind for not admiring you first?¡±


    His complaints against Yun Xie always hit the nail on the head, but this time, he was really only half right. Yun Xie was very angry with the women in Nongqing Square, but not because they didn¡¯t look at him first, but because they dared to come onto Jiang Xunyi. However, even he didn¡¯t understand his own feelings, so he couldn¡¯t explain to Jiang Xunyi.


    Instead, he raised his voice angrily. ¡°Bullshit, I¡¯m a noble and unsullied character!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re angry about this too?¡±


    He watched Yun Xie for a while, and when he saw that he really seemed to be angry, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh, shoving Yun Xie¡¯s shoulders from behind as he said, ¡°Okay, you are noble and unsullied. Today I will go with the noble and unsullied Brother Yun to visit a tasteful brothel.¡±


    It¡¯s rare for Jiang Xunyi to humor him for once, and Yun Xie looked reluctant as he was getting pushed forwards, but he couldn¡¯t stop smiling. The two people pushed and shoved each other until they reached the Luoyue Pavilion, and the diligent little servants greeted them.


    Brothels of this level were naturally different from ordinary brothels. The girls were able to sing and dance, and each were talented and haughty. Not only do they ask for money, they were selective with their customers. Instead of middle-aged wealthy businessmen, they naturally preferred to receive such a handsome young man like Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi. Moreover, the two seem to be very rich, as if they were two young masters from a wealthy noble family. As soon as they entered the hall, several women greeted them.


    Yun Xie had obviously prepared, walking in the front. He made his way straight to the upstairs room with Jiang Xunyi, and called out with a powerful aura, ¡°Call all the courtesans[2] who are not currently receiving guests here.¡±


    Within Luoyue Pavilion, there were a total of eight great courtesans, and of those, three had not received customers today. Each were worth a thousand dollars. For an ordinary person, even sharing a cup of tea with one would ruin his family. The young servant who was following was taken aback and stared at Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, fearing that they did not understand the rules.


    ¡°Young Master, our courtesans here¡­¡±


    Before his words were finished, a pearly light flashed in front of him, and something was thrown into his arms, Jiang Xunyi glanced at him lightly, his tone flat. ¡°If you¡¯re told to leave, leave.¡±


    What he threw just now was a southern pearl, round and brilliant. With one glance, you could tell it was a rare treasure. The little servant was overjoyed and immediately nodded and bowed in response, before turning around to call for someone.


    Yun Xie heard the conversation between the two and looked back at Jiang Xunyi with a smile before he dragged him into the private room next to him.


    After all, they were pure-hearted people who had just come out to watch the excitement. They don¡¯t like to have too many people around. After Yun Xie sent out the people who were waiting on them, Jiang Xunyi looked at the room with interest. Yun Xie stepped forward and smiled.


    ¡°How is it?¡±


    This room was very exquisitely decorated, with red candles casting light and curtains hanging around the room. The fragrance of heartwood incense wafted from a small silver stove, and there was a pair of green embroidered shoes on the footrest in front of the bed. The sight evoked many thoughts


    Jiang Xunyi squinted at him and said with a smile, ¡°A good place. It turns out that Luoyue Pavilion is more peaceful than Nongqing Square.¡±


    When Yun Xie Xie saw the embroidered shoes, he inexplicably felt weak, and quickly explained, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it from other people. At that time, I was wondering when you could go down the mountain so we could visit together ¡ª well, I also just inquired about the layout, and I hadn¡¯t been here before¡­ Maybe this room was not furnished. It is said that Luoyue Pavilion is the most suitable place for talk and enjoyment. It is not an ordinary place for pleasure-seeking, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, there were a few small groans from the next room. In a breathy voice, a voice gasped, ¡°Sweetheart, please, please go slower¡­¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    This slap in the face hurts.


    Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi had always been thin-skinned, and he was too uncomfortable to make fun of Yun Xie. Instead, he gave a dry cough.


    However, as they stood in silence, the ambiguous voice from next door became clearer.


    Yun Xie smiled bitterly and touched his nose. Just as he was about to speak, suddenly his expression dropped, and he quickly moved to the door.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie waved his hand for him to stop talking. After a moment of concentration, there was a strange expression on his face. ¡°A¡¯Xun, come over and feel it. Why did I feel that a demonic spirit passed by all of a sudden?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi approached him, forming a magic seal with his hands. A translucent charm flew out of his fingers and melted into the air without any abnormality.


    Jiang Xunyi then asked, ¡°Are you mistaken?¡±


    Yun Xie believed in his own feelings, but the evil energy had only appeared for a moment, and now, even he couldn¡¯t sense it. He frowned before he turned his head to whisper to Jiang Xunyi. However, he didn¡¯t expect for him to be so close. As he turned his head, his lips brushed against Jiang Xunyi¡¯s earlobe in an unintentional and sloppy kiss.


    The feeling of his lips on his skin at that moment was incredible, and the numbness spread from his lips to the bottom of his heart. His heart thumped, and his whole body froze.


    Jiang Xunyi felt that his ears were a little itchy, so he casually rubbed the back of his head before he turned his around. Yun Xie was standing stupidly like a pile of wood, and Jiang Xunyi asked, confused, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    However, Yun Xie wasn¡¯t able to explain what happened. If he told the truth right now, maybe Jiang Xunyi will stab him with a sword.


    Just as he was stammering and trying to form a response, Jiang Xunyi said, ¡°It can¡¯t be.. I just couldn¡¯t feel the evil energy you did. Is it necessary to be so bothered? You even have a nosebleed now. Why is your temperament so bad?¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    He quietly turned around and fixed his appearance in the mirror, internally thinking that they really shouldn¡¯t have come to the brothel, as the feng shui was not good.


    However, it was too late to leave now. In this moment, three beautiful women, each carrying a musical instrument, came over.


    ¡°Lesheng, Xingxiang, and Xiayi greet the two young masters.¡±


    The three beauties were either radiant, cute, or cold, each carrying its own merits. When they stood together, they were even more eye-catching, and indeed lived up to their reputation as top courtesans. Their reputation exceeded Luoye Pavilion, and they were regarded as top-notch figured in the performance industry. They even refused to meet ordinary high-ranking officials, so they were even more unwilling to depreciate their worth by visiting guests all at once. However, they heard that the two princes were lavish and appeared extravagant, so they reluctantly decided to come.


    However, after laying eyes on the two of them, their eyes also shined at the same time. In their time alive, among all the people they have met, they have never seen such a character. It was needless to say that their appearances were incomparably beautiful, but their temperaments were even more extraordinary. They were exactly the kind of guests that the courtesans look forward to.


    When Jiang Xunyi saw that Yun Xie was not going to speak, he smiled faintly and took the initiative to say, ¡°May the three ladies please sit.¡±


    The three women took a seat besides them. Two of the women noticed that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s temperament was cold, so they chose to sit down by Yun Xie¡¯s side. However, Le Sheng, who looked bright and charming, was the most courageous, and only she was more interested in the gorgeous, cold-looking young man. She half-sat and half-leaned against Jiang Xunyi, tilting her head with a light giggle. ¡°What song does this young master want to see performed?¡±


    While she was talking, Xingxiang had already stood up and filled up the wine glasses for the group. Jiang Xunyi rarely got so close to any woman, so he felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. He pasted on a facade of calmness, and just as he was about to speak, Yun Xie laughed and said, ¡°The three girls are beautiful enough to move a person. We would love to watch and listen to you no matter what song and dance you perform.¡±


    Perform far away from us! Don¡¯t sit so close!


    His smile was beautiful, and his words were nice to the ears. The three women laughed, and Xia Yi, who had not spoken yet, stood up. ¡°It just so happens that we have learned a new piece of music. Since the young master has requested this, then we shall present our performance.¡±


    As she spoke, she walked to the middle of the room, lightly sweeping her sleeves as she waited for the music.


    Xingxiang smiled and sat behind the qin. She strummed twice to tune the intrument, then started to play.


    Along with the flowing notes from the qin, Xiayi¡¯s long sleeves rised up, the purple gauze wrapped around her arms floating like a colorful cloud. Her waist twisted and her toes tapped the floor lightly. Her posture was extremely enchanting. Her long hair fluttered, stained with golden light from the red candle.


    She danced wonderfully, and Jiang Xunyi was a little fascinated. He drank a glass of wine and said with a smile, ¡°How well-proportioned the dancer is, and how bright the light silk dress is. The skirt sleeves flutter like a blizzard, flying around like a swift wind[3] ¡ª This dance has a hint of a Western style, how wonderful.¡±


    Yun Xie shot him a look. Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t paying attention, but Le Sheng, who was nestled next to him, accidentally saw it. She couldn¡¯t help but feel startled. She had no idea that the two seemingly close young masters were at odds with each other under the surface. However, as a one who worked in pleasure, she certainly understood that while some truths can be seen, some could not.


    She pretended to be unaware, and seeing Jiang Xunyi intently watching the dance, she took a glass of wine from the table and leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Why does the young master only look at sister Xiayi without giving this one a glance? If you act like that, this one will be jealous.¡±


    While she was talking, she used her fingers to gently draw circles on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders. A few strands of her hair framed her snow-white cheeks, painting an amorous picture. It was unclear what Jiang Xunyi was truly thinking, but Yun Xie watched him smile at the woman and drink the wine.


    Yun Xie raised his head and poured a glass of wine angrily.


    At this time, Xingxiang was unwilling to show weakness, and she plucked the strings, and sang the song: ¡°Do not pluck the strings and play the qin, the resentful tune is melancholy./The sky does not age, and love is resilient./The heart is made up of overlapping screens, in which there are thousands of knots that cannot be undone./The night is over, and the waning moon is not in the east window.[4]¡°


    Yun Xie has never liked such sentimental lyrics. To him, it was like moaning and groaning without being ill. It was way too melodramatic and boring. It wasn¡¯t fitting for a man to listen to, and it killed his pride to listen to it. Because of this, every time he heard such sappy words on a normal day, he would be filled with contempt.


    However, at this moment, under this circumstance, he seemed to understand the music for the first time, penetrating straight to his heart. A faint melancholy gradually seeped into his heart like a spring vine slowly taking root. Suddenly, the words and utterances seem make his heart pound, and he was unable to escape or avoid it.


    ¡°The sky does not age, and love is resilient.¡± What is love?


    ¡°The waning moon is not in the east window.¡± As the saying goes, the moon is the roundest the day after the mid-autumn festival. Tonight was precisely August sixteenth, but why would such a bright and full moon evoke a sense of inexplicable loneliness within someone who had never experienced loss?


    The osmanthus blooms during the three months of autumn; outside the window is the shadow of the blooms; the fragrance accompanies the coolness of autumn, faintly smudged by the damp wind, cooling the face.


    Yun Xie¡¯s gaze moved along the moonlight on the vermillion-lacquered window lattice, then stopped on the face of the handsome boy under the window.


    Yun Xie was suddenly angry for no reason. He felt that he and Jiang Xunyi usually got along well when he visited their sect. When they were together on the mountain, apart from Jiang Molou, no one annoying dared to come to make trouble. Everyday was filled with happiness. However, below the mountain, there were too many types of people, and everything had been messed up. Jiang Xunyi, this stinky boy, was too lustful.


    Yun Xie suddenly frowned. ¡°Stop the music.¡±


    Xingxiang and Xiayi were stunned and stopped at the same time, their expressions confused. Jiang Xunyi remembered that Yun Xie didn¡¯t like listening to such melancholy tunes, but he didn¡¯t expect his reaction to be so negative, so he looked back at him.


    Le Sheng¡¯s hand trembled, and a drop of wine spilled on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. Yun Xie saw, and his frown deepened as he ordered Le Sheng, ¡°Come and sit next to me.¡±


    Le Sheng saw Yun Xie glare darkly at Jiang Xunyi just now and had originally thought there was a gap between the two. She felt a little scared at the sight, and quickly said, ¡°Young master, if this one has done anything to offend you¡­¡±


    ¡°If you didn¡¯t do anything to offend me, why would I be offended? But why do you only toast to him? Come over and pour me a glass.¡±


    Looking at Yun Xie¡¯s posture, if Le Sheng doesn¡¯t go over, he will definitely turn hostile immediately. However, if she goes over, she would be leaving Jiang Xunyi, which would definitely be awkward.


    On the contrary, Jiang Xunyi smiled and said, ¡°You just listen to Young Master Yun.¡±


    Le Sheng gave him a grateful look, and went to sit next to Yun Xie before she poured him a glass of wine.


    Once she was far away from Jiang Xunyi, Yun Xie¡¯s expression brightened. Seeing Jiang Xunyi pouring himself a drink, he couldn¡¯t help but grab a pair of chopsticks and pick up a slice of sweet-scented osmanthus root. ¡°You have to eat something first. How many times have I said already? Drinking on an empty stomach hurts the body.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi, who was drinking, and Le Sheng, who was pouring wine, glanced at him at the same time. At this moment, they thought at the same time: ¡°Are you insane?¡±


    In the brothel, fights over jealousy were very common. When a few glasses of alcohol entered the body, even physical fights were possible. However, it¡¯s the first time for a client to be so cold to the prostitute, instead caring for the companion who snatched a girl from him. Xingxiang didn¡¯t know what was wrong with him, but also didn¡¯t dare to step forward and offend him. She hesitated, then asked in a low voice, ¡°This one is not sure what went wrong with our music and has offended the guest, which is truly wrong¡­ Why don¡¯t the two young masters choose another song, and this pair will properly perform it.¡±


    It was not easy to serve a bastard like Yun Xie. Jiang Xunyi glanced overand saw the two standing there timidly, rather at a loss. Feeling pity, he got up. ¡°Why don¡¯t I try?¡±


    Yun Xie got excited, smiling as he asked, ¡°You want to play the qin?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi walked to the guqin and took a seat, idly stroking the strings twice. ¡°I¡¯m a little worried in my heart; I don¡¯t know if I can play well. If you don¡¯t feel good about how it sounds, don¡¯t beat me.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°How could I dare?¡±


    However, although he didn¡¯t beat him, he felt that he had brought up a bad idea.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s tone was not the feminine timbre of a woman, but it was also not the same as the heroic tone Yun Xie had always liked. Although his music was sonorous, but the clear notes carried an indescribable sadness. With the soft sound of the piano, the thousands of beautiful colors withered to black and white as if a stranger had a dream of drunkenness and awakening, and was then sealed by the ice and snow.


    His playing sounded very much like him.


    Yun Xie supported his chin with a hand and watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s slender fingers plucking the strings. He appeared extremely elegant. Before he could start to admire him, he saw Xiayi standing next to him with a struck expression, very impressed by the sound of the qin. She took a flute from the music stand, and just as she was about to join in, he immediately called out, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi always committed fully to anything he did. He was about to reach the climax of the piece when Yun Xie suddenly interrupted him, and the strings snapped, the piano sound stopping abruptly.


    He was never a good-tempered person, and Yun Xie had already caused problems several times today, finally exhausting the little patience Jiang Xunyi had. He slammed the table angrily. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yun Xie became obedient all of a sudden, touched his nose with a dry cough. He couldn¡¯t find an excuse for a while, so he had no choice but to say, ¡°I, that¡­I want the two of them¡­to come and drink with me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at Xingxiang and Xiayi, who was holding a flute, and immediately realized that Yun Xie wasn¡¯t satisfied with just taking Lesheng. He had to have all three women sit next to him.


    Jiang Xunyi felt that Yun Xie was too capable of being a demon.


    It must be the stallion novel law that ¡°all beautiful women should belong to the protagonist¡± was at work, and he was used to it.


    Jiang Xunyi said unhappily, ¡°So you want the three of them accompany you to drink while I play the piano to relieve your boredom? If you keep dreaming like this, why don¡¯t you go to heaven?¡±


    As he spoke, he stood from the instrument and walked straight to the room door, storming out.


    Oh no, no more playing around, A¡¯Xun is angry!


    Yun Xie hurriedly took a few steps to hold him back, forgetting about any reputation or appearance. ¡°A¡¯Xun, where are you going?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shook his hand away and replied coldly, ¡°I feel angry just looking at you. I¡¯m going back to the Hidden Spirit sect.¡±


    He still had a wound on his forehead. Yun Xie knew what Jiang Xunyi meant, and he definitely did not only feel anger. Suddenly, he was anxious and filled with regret, hurriedly saying, ¡°Why would you go back? That old woman would just embarrass you again¡­ That, it¡¯s all my fault, I won¡¯t look for trouble anymore.¡±


    The three women in the room were dumbfounded. They didn¡¯t understand what play they were trying to put on.


    Jiang Xunyi coldly snorted ¡°Get out¡±, pushed Yun Xie away, and strode downstairs.


    However, before Jiang Xunyi could reach the first floor, Yun Xie had used martial arts to jump off the second floor. He landed in a flurry of robes in front of Jiang Xunyi, stretched out his hand, and said with a smile. ¡°Are you still anxious?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi scoffed. ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    Of course Yun Xie wouldn¡¯t let go. The two ended up having a disagreement in the crowded front hall filled with people coming and going. Then¡­ they were driven out by the old procuress.


    The author has something to say: Thank you for the landmines (¤Å£þ3£þ)¤Å, when I think about it, I feel ashamed that I have not been diligent lately, so I added a chapter ^_^, It just happens that we can finish the brothel part now, otherwise the dear readers will be anxious.


    As for Yunyun¡¯s awakening, hehehehe¡­(*/¦Ø£Ü*)


    Look at my stupid head. Yesterday I wanted to thank my friend for the nutrient solution, but I forgot to say it and ended up falling asleep with my phone. Thank you~ muah!


    Little Jiang is actually very tolerant to Yun Yun, but his patience is limited. Hahahahaha, the two people coax each other ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q


    [1]cherish jade as in treating women right


    [2]The term is like a higher-ranked prostitute but I didn¡¯t know what that was in English so i said courtesan


    [3]From a poem,¡¶Ìïʹ¾ýÃÀÈËÎèÈçÁ«»¨±±äa¸è¡·


    [4]Also from a poem,¡¶Ç§ÇïËê¡·

 CH 86

    Chapter 86 ¨C Extra: Enjoy The Good Times (5)


    Of course, with Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s martial arts, the old procuress who swung two broomsticks in her hands was no match for them, but the two of them were at a disadvantage. They were young and cared about appearances, so they would never come to blows in public. Instead, they were gloomily driven out.


    Jiang Xunyi was very angry.


    He flicked his sleeves angrily, not even wanting to look at Yun Xie. He turned angrily in the direction of the mountain, ready to leave.


    Yun Xie quickly spread his arms and jumped in front of Jiang Xunyi, smiling as he coaxed, ¡°Hey, you finally came out for once. If you just leave like this, it would be a shame. Besides, think about Zihui. Do you really want to go back and be with her?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was currently angry, so he ignored him and acted as if there was no one in front of him as he walked forwards. However, Yun Xie did not move out of the way either, and Jiang Xunyi slammed into his arms, knocking his nose on Yun Xie¡¯s chin.


    The two breaths intertwined, and Yun Xie¡¯s heart thumped. He quickly stepped back, worried.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt ?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt!¡± Jiang Xunyi rubbed his nose angrily. ¡°Go away! Zihui may be a hag[1], but does that mean you¡¯re so good? You¡¯re so bad-tempered, and I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re getting upset at.¡±


    As long as Jiang Xunyi was willing to pay attention to him, even if he was getting scolded, Yun Xie¡¯s temper had completely evaporated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault. I will definitely change in the future ¨C Young Master Jiang, Junior Brother Jiang, a great man rarely harbors grievances, don¡¯t hold this grudge against me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi squinted at him with an arrogant look. Yun Xie could only smile without a hint of impatience.


    After a long time, Jiang Xunyi finally grinned then said compassionately, ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    Yun Xie hurriedly assured, ¡°Of course.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hummed softly, his tone lightening, but he was still slightly annoyed. ¡°To be honest, with your temper, I sometimes really worry that one day you would suddenly turn around and stabbed me to death with a sword.¡±


    Yun Xie laughed. ¡°How could I bear that? If the time comes, I would rather stab myself than hurt you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°What a smooth talker¡­¡±


    He suddenly shut his mouth, spinning around to look back at the Luoyue Pavilion. ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I felt the evil spirit you just mentioned!¡±


    Yun Xie paused and immediately became serious. He closed his eyes and felt the surroundings for a while only to find that he couldn¡¯t detect it this time.


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°Don¡¯t look for it, there¡¯s no more.¡±


    Yun Xie wondered, ¡°What kind of monster is this? If its cultivation is profound, we should not be able to detect it at all. If it¡¯s just a humble little monster, how could it disappear so completely in such a short time? A¡¯Xun, shall we go back to Luoyue Pavilion and take a look?¡±


    ¡°Mn.¡± Then, Jiang Xunyi calmly continued, ¡°You can go.¡±


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡±


    They had just embarrassed themselves, who wanted to go.


    However, even so, slaying demons was their responsibility, and Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t really ignore it. After messing with Yun Xie, his bad mood lifted, and he drew his sword to scratch lines on the dirt, thinking as he said, ¡°Just now we were in the last room on the left, that is, here. I was standing on your right side, so at that moment you felt the evil spirit by yourself. There are only two possibilities¨C¡°


    Yun Xie looked at the simple map drawn by Jiang Xunyi and continued knowingly. ¡°The first is that there was a demon passing by the door, and the second is that it was in the box next to us.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked up at the window they were facing and said in affirmation, ¡°Yes. I am more inclined to the second possibility. Look at the position where I just stood. Isn¡¯t the window directly opposite to me the window of the last room on the left?¡±


    Yun Xie watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s focused side profile with a smile on his face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Then all we need to do is go to that room and take a look at it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Xunyi turned his head to face him. ¡°As I said, you go. ¡°


    Although the sky was already dark at this time, the streets were still full of people, so there was a big risk that the monster would escape or accidentally hurt them. They needed to go in to catch the monster, and yet they couldn¡¯t startle it either. The only way to do this was to walk into the room like an ordinary person¡­


    However, they had just lost so much face just now. Even if they stop feeling shame, there was still a question of whether or not the old procuress would let these two bastards through the door again.


    Yun Xie smiled dryly. ¡°Good brothers share joys and sorrows. Junior Brother Jiang, you can¡¯t be so unfeeling.¡±


    This time, the situation was a bit strange. Although Jiang Xunyi had a mouth full of indifference, he was actually not at ease, and he wasn¡¯t really willing to let Yun Xie act on his own. Spitefully, he responded, ¡°Then what do you say we do?¡±


    Yun Xie was also unsure. He touched his chin and turned his head to look at the brothel, out of which wafted the scent of powder. The hazy moonlight was visible behind the paper window, through which a figure was visible, her sleeves flowing like water, appearing like a flower in the mist, which was even more fragrant.


    However, after Yun Xie glanced over, he turned back away, disinterested. Instead, his gaze scanned Jiang Xunyi¡¯s beautiful and unparalleled side profile. To him this appearance was ten times better than the beauty of the whole building combined.


    Jiang Xunyi noticed his gaze and looked back only to see Yun Xie staring straight at him. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    A lightbulb suddenly flashed in Yun Xie¡¯s mind, and he suddenly smiled. ¡°I have a way! ¡°


    As Jiang Xunyi listened to his words, there was not a hint of joy on his face. He raised his sword eyebrows and looked up and down at Yun Xie for a while, made a wise decision internally, then said flatly, ¡°Stop telling me. I don¡¯t want to listen.¡±


    Even so, Yun Xie insisted on continuing. ¡°I¡¯ve made a genius plan, and you will regret it forever if you don¡¯t listen! A¡¯Xun, why don¡¯t we pretend to be women when we go in?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you thinking how to praise me?¡± Yun Xie fluttered his eyelashes and smiled. ¡°You were just ogling those women so intently that you were about to start drooling. Just watching made me embarrassed¡­ When I change into a women¡¯s dress, I will definitely be a hundred times better than them.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi took a deep breath and said to himself, ¡°I have seen a lot in the world before, and yet no one was this weird¡­¡±


    Yun Xie leaned in. ¡°What are you whispering? If you can¡¯t do this, then why don¡¯t you think of a plan?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi really couldn¡¯t think of anything else, and he hesitated for a long time before he choked out, ¡°¡­What about the clothes? There must be clothes.¡±


    The more Yun Xie thought about it, the more interesting his idea seemed. At this point, his focus was not on slaying monsters, but instead, he was determined to see Jiang Xunyi in a woman¡¯s dress. He had prepared a full argument and had planned to pester Jiang Xunyi until he caved, but he didn¡¯t expect the other to loosen so quickly. Yun Xie was overjoyed, so afraid that he would change his mind, he quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll steal it, I¡¯ll steal it. Leave it all up to me!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi hesitated, feeling that he had begun to develop problems after hanging out with Yun Xie for too long and changed his words again. ¡°Wait a minute, let me think. How about¡­¡±


    Before he finished speaking, Yun Xie was gone.


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    When things had already gotten to this point, it was hard to stop, so he had no choice but to lean against a willow tree next to him and wait for the shameless Yun Xie to steal the clothes.


    Yun Xie¡¯s qinggong[2] was excellent, and even without much spiritual power, he could lightly move through the treetops with his toes. After a few leaps, he silently landed on the roof of Luoyue Pavilion. He thought about what it would be like to see Jiang Xunyi wearing a woman¡¯s clothes with that cold face and almost laughed out loud.


    He leaned on the roof in a good mood. He remembered that his good brother had always been obsessed with cleanliness, and he must not wear clothes that others wore, so he planned to find the room storing the clothes to pick a new one for him.


    As Yun Xie thought, he gently peeled away the layers of blue tiles in front of him. He moved several pieces in succession until he saw dim candlelight below.


    Although he usually appeared frivolous and unrestrained, he was actually extremely careful and never acted recklessly. He made sure to look around and ensure that there was no one else nearby before he leaned down very lightly and slowly looked in the room.


    Two men stood facing each other, and it was uncertain what they were talking about. There were no women¡¯s clothes in here, and Yun Xie lost interest immediately.


    Just as he was about to put the tiles back, he saw one of them suddenly surge over, grabbing the other person¡¯s neck and pressing him against the wall in a deep kiss.


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes widened suddenly.


    The hand holding the tile paused, he suspected that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He blinked several times before looking again, and he was completely sure that the two of them were indeed male.


    So two men could be like this too?!


    Within the time it took for him to feel shocked, the two had already rolled into a ball on the ground. The person who was getting kissed had seemed very reluctant at first and had been resisting fiercely, but soon his clothes had become disorganized, and he was pressed under the other person.


    The anger at the beginning quickly turned into gasping and moaning. For the first time since his birth, Yun Xie received a huge blow on his Three Views[3]. His mind had turned into porridge, and he could hardly think. As he stared, somehow, the appearance of those two people gradually changed to the appearance of himself and Jiang Xunyi¡­


    Stop! What are you thinking about?


    With a flushed face, he jumped up, turned around, and wanted to flee. However, after walking two steps, he found that he was still holding the tiles in his hands and hurriedly turned around to put them back.


    But at this moment, he saw the man who had been pressed down by his companion take out a dagger from nowhere and stabbed it into the other man¡¯s back.


    It had originally been a pleasant scene, but a disagreement had transformed it into a crime scene. The rapid reversal of the plot made Yun Xie a little unprepared.


    After a mere moment, the stabbed person fell to the ground.

 CH 87

    Chapter 87 ¨C Extra: Enjoy The Good Times (6)


    The other man pulled out the dagger bitterly, his expression guarded. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re the one who forced me¡­ You are worse than a dog or pig! How could you, how could you do this?¡±


    Although the man had been seriously injured, he did not immediately lose consciousness. He fell to the ground with a grin. ¡°Whether you think I¡¯m sick or hate me, I don¡¯t regret what I did just now¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to humiliate you, but did you know that I have been admiring you for many years? Although you kindly brought me here for fun, but in my eyes, tens of thousands of beautiful women cannot compare to your beauty alone¡­ I don¡¯t like you smiling at those women! Seeing you act warmly with others is more uncomfortable than death¡­¡±


    The words directly entered his ears, and Yun Xie¡¯s chest tightened, then shook. That charming feelings within his heart faded away and was replaced by an unfamiliar emotion.


    The sound of singing and instruments around him was endless, but at this moment, his heart was extremely quiet. He had finally understood his feelings, and his mind was finally clear. All of his confusion and irritability had found a cathartic outlet. Yun Xie did not pay attention to what the man said next. Instead, he recalled the image of Jiang Xunyi bathing in the moonlight in front of the window.


    His whole person seemed to glow.


    At that time, the world around them had darkened, and in his eyes, there was only Jiang Xunyi. And¡­ he also hoped that it was only himself in the other¡¯s eyes.


    I have never known yearning until now, as I experience lovesickness for the first time


    The body is like a floating cloud, the heart seems to soar, and the breath weakens.[1]


    The ancient poems have been recited thousands of times, and yet it was only today that it began to resonate, as those who did not experience the feelings would not understand.


    Yun Xie tried to calm his mind, but his heart was like three thousand miles of ocean. Once it had been agitated, how could he recover?


    He could only destroy the dam holding his emotions back.


    After a long while, he stood, and with a flick of his fingers, several silver lights were silently sprinkled onto the wound of the injured man, and the blood stopped flowing immediately.


    Whether or not this person could survive afterwards depended on his own luck. At this time, Yun Xie desperately wanted to see Jiang Xunyi, so he wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch the conflict between them. With a kick, he sent the tiles back into place and turned to leave.


    However, as soon as he turned his head, he was shocked. He stumbled back a few steps and stammered, ¡°A-A¡¯xun?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was behind him with one hand behind his back and two garish robes in his other, his expression annoyed. ¡°You left for so long, I thought you just died in there. Did you know there was another flash of the demon atmosphere just now? What the hell are you doing? Where are the clothes you were supposed to get?!¡±


    Yun Xie let him scold him without saying a word, staring at the face he has seen since childhood, as a wondrous feeling arose in his heart. This person was really cold and as stubborn as a brick wall. Besides the fact that he was good looking, what was so good about him? How could he end up falling in love with his own best friend? Was he actually someone with such an extraordinary taste?


    However, considering A¡¯Xun¡¯s temperament, the fact that he agreed to his plan to crossdress and the fact that he had rushed over just meant that he was worried about him¡­


    When Yun Xie thought about it this way, he felt blessed.


    He smiled brightly as he said, ¡°Sorry, I just¡­ had something to do, so I was delayed.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi walked over, and casually stuffed the two skirts he was carrying into Yun Xie¡¯s arms. ¡°I really can¡¯t rely on you for anything.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he suddenly recalled Yun Xie¡¯s frazzled appearance just now, and he felt a little curious. He took two steps forwards, wanting to peer in, too.


    ¡°What were you looking at just now?¡±


    ¡°Hey hey hey hey!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi jumped, shocked. ¡°Why are you yelling?!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety. ¡°I noticed the demonic spirit again just now! It feels very serious!¡±


    After hearing about the official business, Jiang Xunyi was immediately distracted. ¡°Then hurry up and change! If we delay for a while, who knows whether or not something will happen.¡±


    Although the two of them were still young at this time, they were already built differently from women. Most of the girls of the brothel were thinner than ordinary women, and the clothes could not be worn. However, Jiang Xunyi unfolding a piece of clothing, glanced over to approximate the size, and then took a deep breath. The bones all over his body made a popping noise, then his entire body had become shorter and thinner, as if he had suddenly shrunk.


    This was the skill of bone shrinkage.


    Yun Xie also knew how to perform this skill, so this was nothing extraordinary, but at the sight of Jiang Xunyi simply untying his clothes and taking off his outer robe, he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. His first reaction was to wrap his coat around him, exclaiming, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at him strangely. ¡°Changing clothes? If I don¡¯t take it off, how am I supposed to wear the new ones?¡±


    The logic was right, and yet it still didn¡¯t feel right¡­ Yun Xie continued, ¡°You just take it off like that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a girl, how else would I take it off?¡±


    He had gone a few sizes down, and ended up wrapped in Yun Xie¡¯s robe, pressed into his arms. With his head on his chest, he felt very uncomfortable, so he pushed him away as he said, ¡°Go, go. Change your own clothes, don¡¯t get in the way.¡±


    With him struggling like this in his arms, the scene from just now came to Yun Xie¡¯s mind again. His mouth dried up, and he suddenly felt so hot that his hands let go, and he turned around and put on his clothes hurriedly.


    However, even when he spun around, although Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t visible anymore, the image he had glimpsed just now lingered in his mind ¡ª the slightly pale but jade-like skin, the contours of a beautiful back, the flexible waist¡­


    It¡¯s over.


    Yun Xie clearly realized that he had completely plunged in and would never be able to get out again.


    This emotional entanglement¡¯s onset was so sudden, and yet it felt right. Once he fell, he fell deeply, as if the love had existed since the beginning of time and yet also only for a moment.


    The two changed their clothes and turned around at the same time. The looked at each other for a moment, then couldn¡¯t help laughing at the same time.


    The two of them possessed a rare beauty, and they didn¡¯t look strange wearing women¡¯s clothing. What¡¯s more, the women¡¯s robe was elegant, and the skirt was wide, hiding the body shape. However, their hair was still in the nondescript style of men.


    It was Yun Xie¡¯s idea to wear women¡¯s clothing, and he should¡¯ve been the happiest at the moment, but instead, Jiang Xunyi laughed indulgently until a dimple formed by his slender eyebrows. With his long eyelashes illuminated by moonlight, his heart was filled with a sudden tenderness. He laughed not because of ridicule, but because of joy.


    It was a crazy feeling of love, almost obsessive.


    Jiang Xunyi stretched out his hand and took off his hair crown, his long hair scattering. At this time, he appeared full of heroism. Although he had no makeup on, he was already a peerless beauty.


    Yun Xie was a little dazed, and caught off guard, Jiang. Xunyi also pulled his hair loose and tucked the tie into his sleeve. He stepped back and scrutinized him for a moment. He gently lifted Yun Xie¡¯s chin with a smile.


    ¡°Big Brother Yun, you are so beautiful.¡±


    Yun Xie also smiled. ¡°As long as you like it.¡±


    However, they couldn¡¯t just leave like this. Jiang Xunyi had thought very thoroughly, and aside from stealing clothes, he also came with a makeup box. They helped each other briefly smear on makeup, hiding the slightly sharp contours of their faces.


    ¡°What about the hair?¡± Yun Xie asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do it, so just leave it.¡±


    Yun Xie felt that that wasn¡¯t right, with many gestures, he said, ¡°I see that most women¡¯s hair is just put up in a ball. I think you just go around a few times with a few rolls¡­ why don¡¯t you let me try?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slapped Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s enough, you!¡±


    Yun Xie snorted, and both of them started laughing. They ended up entering Luoyue Pavilion as they were. It seemed like they were actually regarded as the dancers as they walked over. However, before they went far, they realized several people had already glanced over, a stunned look in their eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi speeded up his pace quietly and whispered, ¡°Why are they looking at us? It can¡¯t be that they¡¯ve discovered that we¡¯re only disguised as women?¡±


    If they were discovered, they would have to tell them that they weren¡¯t perverts, but he didn¡¯t know if anyone would believe that¡­


    Before Yun Xie had a chance to answer, a drunken man had already approached them, stretching out his hand to grasp Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Where, Where is this beauty from? Is this a new courtesan? Hurry¡­ come over and have a drink with this lord.¡±


    The other was covered with the scent of alcohol, and Jiang Xunyi wrinkled his forehead and glanced at Yun Xie. At the sight of the other¡¯s calm expression as he secretly reached for a talisman in his sleeve, Jiang Xunyi quickly grabbed his wrist.


    Fortunately, at this moment, an older, tall woman rushed over with a group of people. When she saw Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, she immediately cursed.


    ¡°New wenches! Without discipline, you don¡¯t understand the rules. I¡¯m about to perform a dance soon, what are you still doing here!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The woman apologized to the drunk with a laugh, and pointed to two girls who had no guests. They took his left and right arm and led him away.


    Meanwhile, she ruthlessly prodded Yun Xie¡¯s forehead, cursing, ¡°Those with disheveled hair dare to run madly. You still aren¡¯t hurrying up to comb your hair and put on makeup?!¡±


    Fortunately, Jiang Xunyi was not the one who suffered this time. Yun Xie gritted his teeth and endured it.


    The woman finally looked at their faces after scolding, then was stunned. ¡°No wonder you are so arrogant. This appearance has the ability to go without makeup. However, I¡¯m telling you that this kind of pure look has long since been outdated! This time, the guest is not easy to handle. You must behave for this old lady!¡±


    Yun Xie almost vomited blood, but he was wearing women¡¯s clothing, and so even kneeling, he had to see this through.


    The woman looked back at Jiang Xunyi again, her eyes filled with shock again, and she muttered to herself, ¡°Unexpectedly, out of the ten girls bought for fifty taels, two of them are such first-class goods. This sale is earning us a lot of money.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    It turned out that he had only sold for 50 taels of silver.


    Seeing the wound on his forehead, the woman couldn¡¯t help showing a little regret. Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s reticent appearance, she figured he seemed more obedient than Yun Xie, and she casually comforted him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll raise you for a while, and your appearance won¡¯t be affected. Act well tonight. After a while, when your period comes, Sister Fei will ask mother to help find you a good person.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    What a crazy world¡­ Who am I? Where am I[2]?


    Yun Xie: ¡°¡­¡± So angry.


    The two of them were squeezed into a room, and Sister Fei personally went into battle, combing their hair and putting makeup on their face. The wound on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead was even painted into a half-opened peach blossom, making his cold face even more charming, devastating enough to cause the downfall of a country, both demonic and pure. When he looked in the mirror, he couldn¡¯t even recognize himself.


    He turned his head. Yun Xie, who had a gold ornament on, smiled, voice choked up. ¡°Sister.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shivered.


    As the saying goes, when one is shameless, they become invincible. Yun Xie really deserved to be the protagonist. He could put on the ridiculous dancer costume so quickly, even starting to giggle and flirt coquettishly. Jiang Xunyi felt that he couldn¡¯t compare to Yun Xie, he was really too weak.


    But why on earth had he fallen to the point where he was also here wearing women¡¯s clothing with Big Fool Yun?!


    ¡°I feel like I¡¯m dreaming.¡± Jiang Xunyi muttered to himself in the mirror.


    Yun Xie took advantage of Sister Fei rushing to handle the other girls in the house to lean close to him and laugh quietly.


    ¡°Tall straws, bound tightly. The Three Stars appear in the eastern sky. What night is this night? My love, my love, At last we are alone! How shall we celebrate?¡±[3]


    Even dressed up like this, he was still leisurely enough to tease others. Jiang Xunyi huffed. ¡°Drop it.¡±


    At this moment, the faint pipa and singing in the next room suddenly stopped. Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie looked at each other, and at this moment, they felt the presence of the seemingly non-existent demon spirit again.


    Sister Fei struck her palms three times and made a crisp sound. ¡°Girls, get up. Let¡¯s go dancing.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi took a deep breath and stood up, skirt fluttering as he followed the dancers toward the door with Yun Xie following behind him.


    As they entered, pipa notes suddenly rang out three times in a row, and colorful gauze swayed before him. All the dancers had already raised their sleeves with one hand to cover their faces, the other hand reaching up, their waists twisting. As the singing and dancing begun, Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie mingled at the end and quickly followed suit.


    Although they had never learned dancing, the two had practiced martial arts ever since they were young, and they were able to imitate sword moves right after observing it. Therefore, copying the dance was not difficult for them. Although, their movements were slightly stiff and not as charming as the others, they were able to model the other dancers well enough.

 CH 88

    Chapter 88 ¨C Extra: Enjoy the Good Times (7)


    After the group finished their dance rotation, the girls turned around and let their sleeves down. With a smile, they stretched out their arms and faced towards the seat of honor, but Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi were both stunned stupid.


    My God! ! !


    Master¡­


    And both, too¡­


    It turned out that the two distinguished guests Sister Fei mentioned were¡­ were the two who were currently sitting in the seat of honor: Chengwu-Daozhang and Immortal Master Ti Ming¡­


    At first, they thought they were just making a small sacrifice in order to catch the demon. They would just put on women¡¯s clothes and no one would know any better. But now, everything changed. They didn¡¯t catch any monster, but instead caught their two masters¡­


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face had become wooden. All around him was singing and dancing and the fluttering of colorful sleeves, but he and Yun Xie almost wanted to cry without tears. They watched as Master Ti Ming calmly poured the tea that was supposed to be delivered to his lips into his collar.


    Yun Xie was the first to return to his senses and secretly pushed Jiang Xunyi a bit. He took the lead in raising his arms and taking a few steps, following the movements of the dancers again.


    Jiang Xunyi was reminded by him, and he immediately woke up ¨C at this point, they had no choice but to see it through to the end. If others found out and the matter spread outside, none of them will have the face to appear in society ever again.


    This dance was truly something they would never forget in this life.


    Finally, the song ended. It probably wasn¡¯t only Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi who were tormented by the dance, as Immortal Master Ti Ming also looked very irritated. As soon as the song stopped, he hurriedly said, ¡°Good dancing. I can see that this dance requires much effort. You¡¯ve all worked so hard, so go and rest.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi and Yun Xie glanced at each other, then both breathed a sigh of relief. However, Chengwu-Daozhang smiled and added, ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ve long since heard that Luoyue Pavilion¡¯s dancers are the most gentle and beautiful, each with their own unique charm. Now that we have finally visited, it is a must for to let two of the best looking girls accompany our drinking with song. It is a worthwhile trip if we can experience this.¡±


    Sister Fei hurriedly stepped forward with a smile. ¡°May I ask which one the distinguished guest is interested in?¡±


    Yun Xie understood his master¡¯s improper personality and rolled his eyes up to the sky.


    Sure enough, Chengwu-daozhang said, ¡°Just the two girls in the back. Their dancing¡­ is very unique.¡±


    Sister Fei: ¡°¡­¡±


    If you say they are pretty, that would be believable.


    However, the customer was always right. In addition, the two guests of honor were refined men with unsullied temperaments, and they also gave a lot of money. Sister Fei responded with a smile on her face, turning her head back and secretly staring at Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi. She lowered her voice and warned, ¡°Go and serve them, what are you doing here like a wooden pimple!¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang pretended to drink tea, covering his mouth with a teacup.


    Sister Fei led the other dancers out, but there were others in the room waiting on the side. It was unclear if it was a deliberate move, but Chengwu-daozhang did not ask them to leave. Yun Xie hardened his heart and and walked to his own master¡¯s side. As he poured him a glass of wine, he imitating how Lesheng talked to Jiang Xunyi just now, voice coquettish and flirtatious and he said, ¡°My Lord, please drink.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang. ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The bear student had surpassed the master, and the way he was acting almost caused Chengwu-daozhang to be unable to hold it in anymore.


    But it¡¯s okay if he was unable to bully this one. There was an obedient one by his side. Cheng Wudao¡¯s long eyes flicked over, and he pointed at Jiang Xunyi with a big smile.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    However, before he could even finish speaking, Yun Xie¡¯s hands shook and he poured half a glass of wine on his lap, preventing Chengwu-daozhang from teasing Jiang Xunyi. At the same time, Master Ti Ming, who had been distracted by the toppling of his three world views, finally recovered and opened his mouth to relieve his beloved disciple of humiliation. ¡°Xun¡­cough cough, miss , come here¡­ and drink with me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, my Lord¡­¡±


    Yun Xie was trying so hard not to laugh he was trembling all over, resorting to pinching his thigh with his hands desperately. Master Ti Ming covered his face ¨C although he shouldn¡¯t have experienced the feeling of not being able to look straight, at this moment, he deeply felt this emotion in his being.


    After Jiang Xunyi said this one line, he threw caution into the wind and went forwards to pour the wine.


    Chengwu-daozhang had enough fun and was finally satisfied, so he waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s enough to be accompanied by the two of them. The rest of you withdraw.¡±


    As soon as the people left, Chengwu-daozhang raised his hand and smacked Yun Xie on the forehead. Although he didn¡¯t hitting hard, his voice was very sharp. ¡°Smelly boy. If it was just you fooling around yourself, then whatever. But why did you kidnap Martial Brother Jiang along too?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi quickly said, ¡°No, Uncle, it was me that wanted to descend the mountain.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang replied, ¡°Xun¡¯er, you don¡¯t need to cover for this kid. Would I still not know his personality?¡±


    Yun Xie rubbed his forehead and laughed as he said, ¡°Master is right to chide this disciple. Disciple saw that it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and with the weather being good for once, I went to Lingyin to visit Junior Brother Jiang. However, I didn¡¯t expect that Martial Uncle Ti Ming was not on the mountain, so I sneaked him out and brought him down to see. Junior Brother Jiang was unwilling at first. It was me who persistently dragged him down.¡±


    As he spoke, he bowed to Immortal Master Ti Ming and said with a smile, ¡°Martial Uncle Ti Ming, this disciple had acted boldly, may Martial Uncle punish me.¡±


    Although Yun Xie took all the blame, how could Immortal Master Ti Ming not understand what the situation was on the mountain? Halfway through listening, he understood and sighed. ¡°A¡¯Xie, get up. You are not to blame for this. I was too rushed as I left the mountain and didn¡¯t make enough calculations.¡±


    He dragged Jiang Xunyi over and scrutinized his forehead injury. ¡°Child, now you are a year older, and your temper should be changed, too. If you know you will suffer, why do you insist on meeting them with force? What if one day I die?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi cried out, ¡°Master, what are you talking about!¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming patted Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head. ¡°Let¡¯s look at an analogy.¡± He pondered for a moment, then continued, ¡°When I get home, I will pass the sect master seal to you. ¡°


    Jiang Xunyi frowned slightly, feeling that every sentence of what Master Ti Ming said today was very ominous. He felt so inexplicably uneasy, he even forgot the embarrassment from earlier.


    After Jiang Xunyi put on makeup, his original heroism was hidden. At this time, his eyebrows were like distant mountains, and his eyes were like autumn water. With his red lips were slightly pursed, his appearance was really clear and beautiful. As Yun Xie looked at his frowning expression, his heart thumped, and Li Longji¡¯s phrase: ¡°The eyebrows do not need to be painted, naturally long and thin as they reach towards your temples¡±[1] suddenly came to mind. Remembering that the name of this poem was originally called ¡°good times¡±, he felt a little sentimental.


    ¡°A¡¯Xie.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Chengwu-daozhang had called him, and only now did Yun Xie recover. ¡°Ah¡±.


    Fortunately, Chengwu-daozhang didn¡¯t say anything else this time, merely asking, ¡°A¡¯Xie, Xun¡¯er, why are you here? You are still dressed¡­ so finely?¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming smiled and shook his head, feeling both frustrated and indulgent towards the two children.


    Jiang Xunyi rushed in front of Yun Xie. ¡°Martial Uncle, Martial Brother Yun and I felt an evil spirit nearby and came to catch the monster, but for an unknown reason, it flashes in and out of existence¡­ It seemed to be coming from this box¡­ this disciple was not relieved, so he said to Senior Brother Yun that we should come in and take a look¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he and Yun Xie suddenly exclaimed in unison, ¡°I feel it again!¡±


    The two masters were not surprised at all. Chengwu-daozhang patted his waist as he said, ¡°Oh, is this what you mean?¡±


    The two looked over together and an inconspicuous small cloth bag hanging by his waist. The shape looked like a purse, but the color was too gray, and it was not very beautiful.


    Before Yun Xie figured out what was going on, Jiang Xunyi had already said, ¡°The Soul Eater?¡±


    He glanced at Immortal Master Ti Ming, a little confused at how his inseparable magic weapon ended up in Martial Uncle Chengwu¡¯s hands.


    Chengwu-daozhang smiled. ¡°This thing was originally your Hidden Spirit¡¯s item, and I am not used to it. Sometimes I bump it and the seal loosens, leaking some demonic aura. But once I cover it, hey, it¡¯s gone. I didn¡¯t expect that you two could even detect this. You really deserve to be good disciples taught by famous teachers.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    The way Yun Xie talked truly did seem to be nurtured by his master since he was a child, and listening to it, he really wanted to hit him.


    Chengwu-daozhang demonstrated as he spoke, and Yun Xie said, ¡°Master! You¡¯ve clearly messed with us!¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you having a good time?¡±


    As Yun Xie stood speechless, Immortal Master Ti Ming had already got up and said to Chengwu-daozhang, ¡°Brother Cheng, give me the Soul Eater.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang stopped smiling, a rare tone of disapproval in his voice. ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°This belongs to the Hidden Spirit Sect. I am embarrassed to make you do the work for me. I should hold it myself.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang said nothing, nor did he move, and Immortal Master Ti Ming¡¯s hand reached towards his waist. Chengwu-daozhang grabbed his hand, stopping him.


    Both Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi felt that something was wrong, and their expressions became solemn, looking at them together.


    Chengwu-daozhang glanced at the two children, then said, ¡°Timing, come here.¡±


    The two of them got up and walked aside. Yun Xie¡¯s lips moved slightly, but he still did not speak, instead turning to squeeze Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders. Jiang Xunyi whispered, ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    On the other end, Chengwu-daozhang also lowered his voice to murmur to Master Ti Ming, ¡°After you had a qi-deviation last time, your heart demon has not yet calmed down, and you can¡¯t suppress the Soul Eater. Why are you in such a hurry to go back? Are you anxious that I have the magical weapon?¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming sighed. ¡°When I suppressed Xuanli, I was careless for a moment, and fragments of the Marrow-Washing Jade entered my wound, no longer able to be taken out again. It was because of this that I have been corrupted by demonic energy, and I don¡¯t know when I will be demonized¡­ The Hidden Spirit Sect has built its foundation for hundreds of years; if this matter spreads to the outside world, the consequences will be disastrous. Fortunately, Xun¡¯er has gradually grown, and he also has a good relationship with A¡¯Xie. With you are there, I have nothing to worry about¡­¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang felt that this sounded ominous, and he quickly interjected, ¡°What do you mean? It sounds like you¡¯re saying your last words.¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming was taken aback for a moment, then said with a laugh, ¡°It hasn¡¯t reached that point yet, I was just overcome with emotion for a moment. It¡¯s like this, I have already talked to the red fox spirit mixed in with the singing girls. According to her, the spiritual spring we have been looking for that can restrain the devilish energy is thirty miles east of this place. I will take the Soul Eater to soak it for a while. The place is not far away, so you can rest assured and give it to me.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang still hesitated. ¡°Why don¡¯t I¡­¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming raised his hand to interrupt him then said with a smile, ¡°You should take the two little ones out first.¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang knew that he was soft on the outside and strong on the inside. Although he looked gentle, when he made a decision, he would never change his mind. Therefore, he could only sigh. ¡°Fine.¡±


    The two of them turned around, their expressions returning to normal as they had planned it. Immortal Master Ti Ming took the Soul Eater, then patted Jiang Xunyi¡¯s head with a smile. ¡°Your master is occupied with urgent matters. First go to Solar Envy Mountain with your martial uncle and stay for a few days. When things are over, I will pick you up again.¡±


    After he spoke, he turned to leave, and Jiang Xunyi hurriedly called out, ¡°Master!¡±


    He hesitated for a moment, but he couldn¡¯t think of what to say, so he finally said, ¡°Please be careful about everything.¡±


    Immortal Master Ti Ming was taken aback and laughed. ¡°Okay.¡±


    When he was gone, Chengwu-daozhang put his arms around Yun Xie¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Come on, I will redeem you for your teacher.¡±


    Seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gloomy expression, he intentionally teased him. After he said that, he turned and dragged Yun Xie out, leaving him behind. Jiang Xunyi was stunned for a moment but quickly followed behind.


    Sister Fei, who was guarding the door, saw the three of them coming out, and hurriedly greeted him. Chengwu-daozhang pressed on Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°This girl is good. I just happen to lack a cupbearer in my house. I want to buy her to serve me. State a price.¡±


    Yun Xie coughed dryly, pitching his voice up to say, ¡°Master, I have been with my¡­ good sister ever since I was a child. Can you show kindness and redeem her too?¡±


    Chengwu-daozhang refused. ¡± There is only one person in my family. There is no point in having more.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    Hey, you master and apprentice pair look like you¡¯re having fun.


    Yun Xie smiled and said softly, ¡°In that case, it¡¯s all up to you.¡±


    Then, he secretly stretched out his hand behind Chengwu-daozhang and pinched him hard on his waist.


    Chengwu-daozhang did not change his expression as he continued, ¡°Wu, I suddenly remembered that there is a bad disciple in my family. He is not a respectable person. He is not young anymore, and yet no girl wants to marry him. Why don¡¯t I buy another to be his wife.¡±


    This was originally just a joke to mess with him, but when Yun Xie heard it, an inexplicable joy rose from the bottom of his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh, turning his head to look at Jiang Xunyi with crescent-like eyes that are full of tenderness.


    Jiang Xunyi thought that Yun Xie was laughing at him, but just as he opened his mouth to scold him, the door of the next room was suddenly opened by a gust of wind, and the sound of the music filled the room, covering all his words.


    ¡°You and I are in our youth, don¡¯t lose sight of the good times¡­¡±[1]

 CH 89

    Chapter 89 ¨C Sissy


    Yun Xie felt extremely uneasy towards Du Li, and he was worried that there would be more lousy issues keeping them there after they solved the problem. Unexpectedly, Du Li did not intend to make them stay, instead happily escorting them out of town.


    However, after leaving the city, it was time for Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi to part with each other.


    Yu Hong had already headed back to Hidden Spirit Mountain to report to Jiang Molou. Meanwhile, Jiang Xunyi heard that ever since he was absolved of any crimes a while ago, many of the disciples from the western faction of the Hidden Spirit sect felt bad for wrongfully mistrusting him. As a result, they left one after another, and Western Hidden Spirit sect¡¯s reputation had greatly worsened. At the same time, Wanderer Zihui had become seriously ill without a reason. Some sects such as the Chan Buddhism sect took advantage of their misfortune and came to provoke them. From the looks of it, the Western Hidden Spirit faction should be alone now.


    On one hand, Wanderer Zihui still had several magical instruments handed down from the sect ancestors, and these could not be left in the hands of others. On the other hand, Jiang Xunyi still had hard-to-dispel misgivings towards her, and he was afraid that she would be killed before he could ask her anything, so he planned to go to visit the Western Hidden Spirit sect first.


    At the same time, with the Sword Testing Conference nearing, Yun Xie had to return to the Solar Envy sect.


    However, he was neither at ease nor was he willing. ¡°A¡¯Xun, it¡¯s not safe to go by yourself. Why don¡¯t I go with you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re way too careful. I can handle such a small group of people. If you keep escorting me, you¡¯ll reach the gate of the sect mountain.¡±


    He patted Yun Xie¡¯s shoulder and saw that the other¡¯s brows were slightly wrinkled. He knew that the other was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow because of the past, so he slowly assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just separating for a few days. You and I will both be present at the upcoming Sword Testing Conference, and we will meet at that time. Yu Hong has already returned to Hidden Spirit Mountain to bring news, and there will be no problem on my side. However, it is too careless for a sect master to be away from a sect for so long. It¡¯s better for you to go back and take a look.¡±


    For once, Jiang Xunyi said so much to coax him, and Yun Xie reluctantly closed his eyes and chuckled, shaking his head as he said, ¡°I really have no way to hold onto you.¡±


    He took a step forwards and placed a hand on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder. With his eyes half-closed, he leaned forwards to kissed his forehead lightly. Jiang Xunyi remained motionless until Yun Xie straightened, then he adjusted his sword sheath, his movements confident. With his clothes like flowing clouds, he smiled lightly and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Yun Xie looked at him, feeling in his heart that the other¡¯s appearance and expression was beautiful. The tenderness in his heart was almost overflowing, and he couldn¡¯t help but kiss him again.


    ¡°Hey, are you done yet.¡±


    Yun Xie chuckled, tilted his head, and whispered in his ear, ¡°I would turn my heart into willow twigs to retain the breeze of spring.¡±[1]


    Jiang Xunyi was taken aback for a moment, then pursed his lips. With a smile, he replied, ¡°Flowers will bloom again; the moon will wax and wane, and our hearts will stay the same.¡±[1]


    Yun Xie was overwhelmed by the words, and only reacted after a moment. Just as he began to look cheerful, Jiang Xunyi quickly followed with, ¡°Don¡¯t think you are the only cultured one. I can also recite this poem.¡±


    After saying that, he turned to leave. Yun Xie hurriedly shouted after him, ¡°Hey! Wait a minute, come back ¨C were you only reciting or were those your true feelings?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had already gone far and seemed to not hear his words, but where Yun Xie couldn¡¯t see, the corner of his lips slowly quirked up into a smile.


    The road before him took a long time to cross when they dawdled together, but alone, Jiang Xunyi was almost at the foot of the mountain within a day.


    The Western Hidden Spirit sect left Hidden Spirit Mountain under the leadership of Wanderer Zihui and built the Huihe Temple as a residence. This area is very close to the Hidden Spirit mountain. To avoid disturbances, there was a spell in place that didn¡¯t allow anyone to fly in on their sword, so Jiang Xunyi landed and sheathed his sword. At the sight of the long streth ahead, he immediately began to feel pain in his legs.


    There was no other way but to walk obediently, but just as Jiang Xunyi walked a few steps forwards, and a person suddenly leapt out from behind a big tree in front of him, silently blocking in front of him.


    Jiang Xunyi was taken aback, hand reflexively jumping to the hilt of his sword. He looked up and said in surprise, ¡°Molou, why are you here?¡±


    Jiang Molou walked over leading two horses, and he held one of the reins up to Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Heard Yu Hong¡¯s report, came to pick you up.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t help laughing, swatting away the arm that Jiang Molou had stretched out to support him. He raised his hand and pressed down on the saddle before leaping up.


    First, Yun Xie escorts him for a kilometer, then Jiang Molou immediately meets him like this. The two people were practically seamless in their connection.


    ¡°Do you two take me as paper? I¡¯m not that fragile. But this horse was delivered at a good time. Molou, why are you in a daze? Get on the horse, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jiang Molou also jumped on the horse. ¡°You don¡¯t take anything seriously, who knows when you will be stabbed again ¡ª who are you talking about when you say you two?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi touched his nose. ¡°Your Brother Yun.¡±


    Jiang Molou frowned unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t compare me to him.¡±


    ¡°Hey, we haven¡¯t seen each other in so long. Why do you throw a tantrum right as we meet again?¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡± Jiang Molou noticed that his own tone was a bit aggressive, and quickly added on, ¡°I-I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum.¡±


    I¡¯m just worried about you.


    He couldn¡¯t say this line even if he was killed.


    Jiang Xunyi made a ¡°tch¡± sound and stopped teasing him. He waved the reins as he said, ¡°You are the leader of a sect now. Why are you so sincere? I am embarrassed to make jokes with you. Let¡¯s go and take a look at what the hell Zihui is doing. The woman was still alive and kicking not long ago, how could she be sick? Anyways, I don¡¯t believe she is really bedridden.¡±


    A smile flashed across Jiang Molou¡¯s eyes, and with an ¡°en¡± sound, he urged the horse to follow Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi was right. The so-called ¡°so severely ill that it was an inconvenience to meet guests¡± was indeed an excuse. The reason why she did not see guests was because at this moment, she was no longer in Huihe temple.


    The Hidden Spirit Sect was a great cultivating sect that has been prosperous for hundreds of years. The separation into an East and West faction was something that the public knew little about, and many even worried that the relationship between the two sides was not as bad as it seemed. Naturally, they did not dare to act rashly. After Jiang Xunyi¡¯s incident, everyone understood that Jiang Molou, the head of the Eastern Hidden Spirit sect, has always been a faithful representative of Jiang Xunyi and will never help the Western Hidden Spirit sect. In addition, with Wanderer Zihui¡¯s reputation plummeting, and many people covertly or overtly began to make plans against the sect. There was no way for Zihui to escape, so she could only pretend to be sick in order to grab her things and escape.


    However, her horoscopes must be terrible, because just as she reached the foot of the mountain, she was surrounded by a group of people from the Tianxuan sect.


    Although Wanderer Zihui had only brought about twenty people, they were all Western Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s top-notch disciples. In addition, the inability to use swords in this place further hindered the other cultivators from finding them. Because they were familiar with the terrain, they used the lush forests as shelter, smoothly escaping from the back mountain. Just as freedom was in sight, there was a loud bang behind them.


    A series of huge wooden stakes appeared out of thin air, smashing down around the group. Earth flew up all around them, forming a huge blockade in the blink of an eye, enclosing everyone in it.


    Seeing that there is no way to avoid this, Wanderer Zihui had no choice but to draw her swords and turn to said to the man who led the chase, ¡°Master Cao, our two factions have never had any grievances nor enmity. You first send people to encircle my mountain gate, which I avoided. Then you even pursue us aggressively until here. What does this mean?¡±


    Cao Lei, the master of the Tianxuan sect, held a long black whip in his hand. He smiled faintly. ¡°Wanderer Zihui, the situation has already gotten to this point. What¡¯s the point of such pompous words? Hand over the Marrow-Washing Jade, and I might still leave you alive.¡±


    Zihui was startled, then couldn¡¯t help but stammer, ¡°What, what are you talking about! How could a thing like the Marrow-Washing Jade end up here?¡±


    Cao Lei continued. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend. My people have already investigated very clearly that when Immortal Master Ti Ming died, his state of death was exactly the same as a person who had died due to the Marrow-Washing Jade before. The only ones who have interacted with the jade and survived are you, Jiang Xunyi, and Jiang Molou. Jiang Xunyi is arrogant and Jiang Molou is cold. If the Marrow-Washing Jade falls into their hands, there is no reason for them to keep this from the knowledge of the public. As for people who would keep everything for themselves, there is no one else except you. How about it, do you still want to deny it?¡±


    With all of this, there was indeed nothing else for Zihui to say. Under great duress, she instead calmed down and pushed her sword back into its scabbard with a smile. ¡°Master Cao, the jade is a well-known thing of evil. What do you want to do with it? How about this, I still have a few magical weapons on hand¡­¡±


    Before she finished her words, a man behind Cao Lei had already shouted, ¡°What is with all the chirping, woman? We asked you to give us the Marrow-Washing Jade, why are there so many words!¡±


    Wanderer Zihui was born noble, and her temper was extremely hot. She has never been the type to swallow her anger. After hearing the other¡¯s rude words, she couldn¡¯t help but change her colors suddenly. ¡°I¡¯ve been speaking so politely. What kind of attitude is this? Don¡¯t push me too far!¡±


    Cao Lei leisurely laughed. ¡°Wanderer Zihui, let me tell you the truth. If Jiang Xunyi was standing here today, I really don¡¯t dare to have such an attitude. But you? You don¡¯t even deserve to talk to us.¡±


    The disciples of Tianxuan who have met Jiang Xunyi in person immediately laughed. ¡°The master is right. Zihui, as a female cultivator, your swordsmanship is not as good as your nephew, but neither is your appearance. Hahahaha, how could anyone stay courteous!¡±


    The three words ¡°Jiang Xunyi¡± prodded her vulnerable point. There is no other man in the world who looked down on her more, and yet everyone says the man is better looking than you. Wanderer Zihui was so livid, her face became ashen. Brandishing her sword, she shouted, ¡°If we cannot talk it through, then fight! I¡¯m afraid you are not capable enough!¡±


    Cao Lei sneered. ¡°Good, this is what I wanted to hear. If you said this eariler, we would be finished by now.¡±


    With a flip of his palm, a wooden fish-shaped magical tool appeared in his hand. He knocked it three times, and the surrounding trees and weeds suddenly went crazy, attacking the Hidden Spirit sect disciples. Wanderer Zihui was startled for a moment, then she quickly leaned forward to avoid a branch that pierced forwards diagonally. She swung her sword to cut the branch off, but suddenly heard a scream from the side. When she looked back, she saw a disciple of the Hidden Spirit sect had been unexpectedly caught. A slender weed plunged through his heart, and he fell to the ground, head.


    [1] Zhang Xian¡¯s ¡¶ËßÖÔÇ顤»¨Ç°ÔÂÏ¡·

 CH 90

    Chapter 90 ¨C Burning Incense


    Although she had a lot of magical artifacts in her possession, the opponents came prepared, and their numbers were large. Soon, Wanderer Zihui¡¯s spiritual power could not longer sustain the magical artifacts. After her arm was hit again, she hurriedly shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±


    Cao Lei¡¯s hands hovered in the air, still in an attack posture, as he smiled slightly. ¡°Are you regretting?¡±


    Wanderer Zihui clenched her teeth and forced out, ¡°If I give you the Marrow-Washing Jade, would you really let us go?¡±


    Cao Lei swept his gaze over her from head to toe before finally pausing on Zihui¡¯s chest. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Wanderer Zihui took a short breath, speechless for a moment. Cao Lei continued, ¡°Tianxuan is not the only sect concerned about the Western Hidden Spirit sect. Even if I let you go, how far can you go with your group of defeated soldiers?¡±


    Wanderer Zihui¡¯s expression morphed a few times. After considering for a long time, she finally reluctantly smiled. ¡°What Sect Master Cao said is correct. I didn¡¯t think it through just now, and I have to ask Sect Master Cao to take care of us in the future.¡±


    Cao Lei laughed heartily. Wanderer Zihui¡¯s appearance truly was beautiful, and what made him the most proud of was her identity: the Hidden Spirit Sect had sat high above everyone for so many years. Who would have thought that one day, even Immortal Master Timing¡¯s junior sister would bend under him?


    This feeling was really wonderful. Cao Lei hooked his finger to Zihui and said arrogantly, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Zihui looked at his smug face and her heart filled with hatred, and yet she could only bow her head and walk forwards obediently so Cao Lei could reached out and grab her into his embrace.


    This scene happened to be witnessed by Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou who were rushing over from a distance.


    The two of them had strong spiritual powers and were also standing on the high ground, so they could see everything clearly without alerting Cao Lei and others. Jiang Molou had always been hot-tempered, and at this point, he was so angry that he straightened up and was about to dismount. However, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s arm suddenly shot out to block his chest. ¡°Fifteen miles behind him, what is the sound?¡±


    Jiang Molou paused, concentrating for a moment before he whispered, ¡°There are others¡­many.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked into the distance, but saw nothing. He glanced at Zihui who was standing next to Cao Lei, then took the reins and signaled to Jiang Molou. ¡°Split up and act carefully.¡±


    Jiang Molou looked at Jiang Xunyi with hesitation, before he nodded, turned around and galloped away.


    On the other side, Cao Lei was not done humiliating Zihui, lifting a finger to point at the group of Western Hidden Spirit disciples. ¡°Stand in a row from left to right and tell me one by one whether the Tianxuan Sect or the Hidden Spirit Sect is stronger.¡±


    The disciples glanced at each other unhappily. After all, they were born into a famous sect, and after so many years of pridefulness, it was hard for them to scorn their own sect. However, the arrow-like weeds around them instantly grew by an inch, like a crossbow ready to fire.


    The first person on the left trembled with fright, and hurriedly said loudly: ¡°The, the Tianxuan Sect! The Tianxuan Sect is number one in the world, and the Hidden Spirit Sect¡­ it¡¯s not worth anything!¡±


    Zihui bit her lip rigidly, but once she glanced to the side, she saw Cao Lei looking over with a smile, and she quickly smoothed out her expression.


    Cao Lei laughed loudly. ¡°This is the good disciple of a famous sect! I will spare you today! Next one.¡±


    The second disciple was very stubborn and refused to look at Cao Lei, only turning to rebuke Zihui. ¡°Martial Aunt Zihui, I originally only left with you because I believed that senior martial brother had acted dishonorably while second martial brother was attempting to cover his crimes. However, now it¡¯s clear that that was not the case at all. Was everything you said just slander? Why are you doing this today? My Hidden Spirit Sect has been renowned for hundreds of years. Even if I bleed, I wouldn¡¯t lower my head! What is Tianxuan Sect? I have never heard of it!¡±


    Cao Lei sneered. ¡°Great, if you would rather die than surrender, then I will fulfill you!¡±


    But before he could take action, the sound of hoofbeats suddenly came from the top of the mountain in the distance. The horse was very fast, rushing all the way down the mountain, appearing before everyone¡¯s eyes in an instant. Several members of the Tianxuan Sect came forward to inspect what was happening, but before they could get close, they inexplicably were tossed to the side.


    Cao Lei was dumbstruck, and when he took a closer look, he found that there was only one person: a man sitting on a snow-white horse. His stature was tall, wearing a brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist, and a jade crown on his head. His wide sleeves fluttered in the wind as he galloped forwards. His entire being was enwreathed with the impression of orchids and jade trees[1]. Before his appearance was distinct, his aura had already taken the lead.


    There were not many with such a level of agility, and even from a distance, it was visible that he was young. A horrific idea manifested within Cao Lei¡¯s heart, and he murmured, ¡°Could it be him ¡­¡­¡±


    As the rider gradually neared, Cao Lei accidentally met the opponent¡¯s gaze. He could only think that those eyes were as cold as water and bright like stars, indescribably clear and indifferent, exquisite and extraordinary.


    It was indeed the one he had guessed in his heart. He suddenly shuddered, terror filling his heart as he shouted, ¡°Quick, stop him!¡±


    Instinctively sensing danger, he picked up the magic weapon in his hand and continuously tapped it. Following this percussion, the surrounding vegetation flew toward the man like sharp arrows.


    Even at the sight of such a dense rain of arrows, he did not have the slightest fear. He just flicked his sleeves lightly, and the chaotic vegetation all flew back without even touching a thread of his clothes. Instead, it shot into quite a few Tianxuan disciples.


    Tianxuan¡¯s number one protector saw that the situation was not good and sent out a spiritual attack. ¡°Stone-Splitting Arrow!¡±


    However, the incoming person did not stop even the slightest. The horse galloped forwards as if lightning. The arrow rushed toward the him, but without a change in his expression, he grabbed the shaft of the arrow in his hand and threw the arrow back, piercing the elder¡¯s chest.


    The disciple behind Cao Lei who had insulted Zihui earlier quickly piped up. ¡°What¡¯s the background of this man? Sect Master, I will meet this kid.¡±


    Without looking back, Cao Lei bit back gloomily, ¡°Shut up, are you looking for death? He is Jiang Xunyi!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi raised his head and saw the wooden fence surrounding the Western Hidden Spirit Sect disciples. His thin lips hooked up slightly, seemingly mocking. His slender five fingers formed several seals in front of his chest, then he pushed his palms outwards. A fireball radiating golden light flew out of his palms, exactly landing on top of the wooden fence. Flames spread with a sudden burst, morphing into a dragon. In an instant, the huge wooden fence had turned into ashes.


    The man behind Cao Lei was both frightened and angry. He leaped forward without hesitation and shouted, ¡°Who cares if it¡¯s Jiang Xunyi? He¡¯s just a boy!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi snorted lightly without answering, but his white horse suddenly accelerated. There was the flash of sword light, then the person who cursed him was already decapitated.


    Cao Lei didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi to come so quickly. Seeing that he was already close, he immediately swung the long whip in his hand towards him.


    Jiang Xunyi also drew his sword.


    However, unexpectedly, his sword did not block the whip lashing towards his face, but instead cut Cao Lei¡¯s throat directly.


    Cao Lei¡¯s whip lost its strength an inch before it reached Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. It fell to the ground powerlessly, and he choked out 3 words as he followed it to the ground.


    ¡°¡­Jiang, Xun, Yi.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi still could not be bothered to speak, his gaze sweeping around before he suddenly flew off his horse. It was clearly daytime, and yet his abilities made him ghoul-like, evoking coldness within everyone¡¯s hearts.


    The disciples of Western Hidden Spirit Sect realized at this moment who was here to save them. Several people suddenly shouted at once, ¡°Martial Brother! It is our martial brother who is here!¡± Their love and respect was audible in their voices.


    Jiang Xunyi just walked over as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything. Everyone in the Hidden Spirit Sect knew about his temperament, and they didn¡¯t mind his directness. However, the first disciple had just said something insulting to the sect and watched as the most foreboding person in his life suddenly appeared and walked toward him. He was so scared that he trembled and said, ¡°Martial Brother, I¡­I was compelled to say that just now. Please, please forgive me!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s already gotten to this point, and you still have the face to beg me for forgiveness. Just this is enough for you to die.¡±


    The man was shocked and wanted to say something, but a cold feeling pierced his throat.


    Jiang Xunyi icily returned his sword into its sheath. ¡°Those who feel that the Hidden Spirit Sect is not as good as the Tianxuan Sect can come up for a fight.¡±


    The disciples of the Tianxuan Sect who were still alive were so scared that they didn¡¯t dare to come out. After a long while, a person trembled: ¡°Young Master Jiang, we were blind. Naturally, the Tianxuan Sect cannot be compared to the Hidden Spirit Sect¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi interrupted him lazily. ¡°Go.¡±


    The other party was both surprised and happy, almost unable to believe what he was saying. Thy turned around in a hurry and made to run away. However, before they could even run two steps, a wall of flames blocked their path.


    ¡°Do you not understand the rules?¡±


    Everyone knew the unspoken rules, but they just didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi to do things so cruelly. Their faces turned pale, and after a while, they all decided that no one could beat Jiang Xunyi, so they could only grit their teeth and destroy their own spiritual veins.


    Jiang Xunyi then withdrew the wall of fire, and the group of people stumbled down the mountain. When they arrived, they were full of arrogance, but at this moment, they dared not even turn their heads.


    The people of Western Hidden Spirit were left in the same place, one by one looking at Jiang Xunyi. They felt both catharsis and shame. One of the disciples suddenly fell to the ground and cried out involuntarily, ¡°I have seen martial brother¡­ Actually, after the goodbye, this disciple¡­this disciple missed you this entire time. I had mistakenly believed the villain¡¯s words and misunderstood the senior brother¡­ this disciple should die.¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi saw that he was the person who just refused to yield, his expression slightly eased. ¡°You followed Zihui to betray the Hidden Spirit sect, and that is your wrong. But today, you had a bit of a backbone. The merits and demerits are equal.¡±


    After he finished speaking, he ignored the other party and turned his gaze to Zihui to say indifferently, ¡°Now¡­is it time to settle our account?¡±


    Compared to the implacable Cao Lei, Zihui was not as scared of Jiang Xunyi. In her mind, he was likely still the little child who was bullied back then, so she proudly, ¡°No matter what, I still have seniority. You are not the sect master, nor are you an elder. As a bastard from a lowly maid, what qualifications do you have to settle accounts with me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi sneered, but before he could say anything, the sound of hoofbeats rang out messily, as if there were many horses galloping at the same time. The leader was like a streak of lightning as he rushed forwards. Before the horses even slowed down, he had leapt down, grabbed Zihui, and slapped her seven or eight times on her face without any explanation.


    Jiang Xunyi sincerely said, ¡°¡­Molou, you sure are amazing.¡±


    Jiang Molou coldly let go of Zihui, then retrieved a handkerchief from his arms to wipe his hands. ¡°You don¡¯t like to bicker with her, but I cannot stomach such words.¡±


    [1]Ö¥À¼ÓñÊ÷ ¨C orchids and jade trees is an idiom about a child with promising prospects.

 CH 91

    He threw aside the handkerchief then took something off his neck. He walked to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side and straightforwardly hung it on his neck.


    Jiang Xunyi looked down at the sect head seal hanging on his chest, shock filling his voice. ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°This originally belongs to you, and now I am returning it.¡± Jiang Molou turned his head and glared coldly at Zihui. ¡°Regardless of the senior martial brother¡¯s life experience, he will always be the head of the Hidden Spirit sect in our hearts. Defamation of superiors warrants death.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stretched out his hand to remove the sect master seal, but for once, Jiang Molou resisted him, pressing down on the pendant on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest. He turned around and asked, ¡°What do you all think?¡±


    Behind him, the Hidden Spirit disciples who had come to participate in the sword test conference were arriving, and they dismounted together after hearing the words. With a salute, they called out, ¡°The disciple is willing to regard senior martial brother as the sect master!¡±


    Although Jiang Xunyi was not the first to join the sect, he was the chief disciple. After the death of Yu Hong¡¯s father Yu Yao, everyone regarded him as the senior martial brother.


    ¡°Brother,¡± Jiang Molou whispered. ¡°You see, they are sincere. This rightfully belongs to you, and I¡¯ve been waiting for the day when you take the mantle.¡±


    He used to be a proud son of heaven, but unexpectedly, his life changed drastically. In the past, he had to flee to escape his infamy. After encountering numerous twists and turns with despair causing him to give up all hope, Jiang Xunyi never expected that he would stand here again.


    His eyes drooped slightly, his long, feathery eyelashes concealing the expression in his eyes. Jiang Molou¡¯s hands clenched, and for a moment, he almost thought that his elder brother, who was rarely moved, was in tears.


    However, it was just an illusion. Jiang Xunyi quickly raised his head, the corners of his lips upturned slightly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    When he quarreled with Yun Xie, words spilled out of his mouth. But at this moment, he lost all eloquence, and a thousand words transformed into a simple: ¡°good¡±.


    He patted Jiang Molou on the back, who looked at him and let out an unprecedented smile.


    Wanderer Zihui had been thrown to the ground by Jiang Molou, and her cheeks were swelled up. Jiang Xunyi walked over slowly, squatting in front of her. They looked at each other for a moment, and he involuntarily remembered the time Zihui forced him to kowtow to her when he was young.


    Jiang Xunyi stretched out his hand to pinch Zihui¡¯s chin before whispering softly, ¡°Where is the Marrow-Washing Jade?¡±


    He learned this trick of pinching the chin from Yun Xie, and sure enough, it felt good.


    Zihui sneered. ¡°If you have the ability, search by yourself.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi turned his head and smiled. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dare?¡±


    He shook his head, then directly raised his hand and tore Zihui¡¯s clothes off. He flicked the robes, then tossed it on the floor. ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±


    As soon as Jiang Xunyi had acted, Jiang Molou had already walked over to help, but he didn¡¯t expect Jiang Xunyi to be so unrestrained. He was fine with beating people, but he had never torn a woman¡¯s clothing. In shock, he leapt back a few steps. Seeing that Jiang Xunyi intended to continue tugging at people¡¯s clothes, he rushed forwards and grabbed his wrist. ¡°Brother!¡±


    With a twist of his hand, he dislodged Jiang Molou¡¯s hand. ¡°Ignore my impropriety, Molou. This is my last resort. Why did you come over? You want to watch?¡±


    Faced with such an unreasonable attitude, Jiang Molou was choked half to death. He glared at him with a flushed face, then spun around.


    Jiang Xunyi had already torn off another piece of clothing, squeezed it from top to bottom, and found that there was still nothing. At this time, Zihui only had on a thin inner garment. Besides the uncomfortable chill, she was surrounded by the disciples she had led back in the day. This was really embarrassing, and with both shame and anger, her eyes reddened.


    ¡°Jiang Xunyi, you are vulgar and shameless!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was still searching her clothes, and he indifferently said, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, this is just a routine screening. Back then, you lied in front of me completely naked and I didn¡¯t have any interest, and i even more so lack interest now. What, you¡¯re still staring at me? Do you want to say that I am a rapist again? You are too confident in yourself.¡±


    With the combination of the cold and the humiliation, Zihui couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, hissing, ¡°Hold on¡­don¡¯t, don¡¯t do anymore. I¡­I¡¯ll get it for you!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi wasn¡¯t afraid that she would try any tricks, and his hand simply let go. Zihui did not dare to delay a single minute, pulling out a small purse from the folds of her under garment before handing it to Jiang Xunyi.


    The fragment of the Marrow-Washing Jade that Rou Rou had given him suddenly trembled, and Jiang Xunyi pressed down with his hand. He knew that the contents of the purse must be real. Afraid of extra issues, he didn¡¯t take a closer look, instead stuffing it into his arms. He glanced at Zihui coldly.


    ¡°How did master die?¡±


    Wanderer Zihui panted as she said, ¡°You probably didn¡¯t know that Marrow-Washing Jade is attracted by desire and can move by itself, right? Devilish energy bred in his heart, attracting the Marrow-Washing Jade¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi immediately shouted, ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    Wanderer Zihui was taken aback by him. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest heaved up and down, silent for a long time. Jiang Molou heard his voice from a distance and hurried over. After seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s red face and the fury in his brows, he hurriedly pressed his shoulders. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi took a deep breath and patted Jiang Molou¡¯s hand before standing up. However, he didn¡¯t answer him, merely stared at Wanderer Zihui without speaking. Under his sharp gaze, Wanderer Zihui quickly added, ¡°Under certain circumstances, the Marrow-Washing Jade will show the scene right before death. If you have a chance to watch it in the future, you will know that I didn¡¯t lie to you. He is also my martial brother; what good does slandering him do for me?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi tried hard to calm himself down. He already knew that the Marrow-Washing Jade will sometimes record the resentment before a person¡¯s death, but it was unclear what can evoke this recording from the jade. He had always felt concern over the unexplained death of Immortal Master Ti Ming, and he didn¡¯t want to entrust his hopes on something that only worked by chance.


    As he contemplated, the noise of people coming sounded out in the distance. It seemed to be the next wave of people had arrived to attend the conference.


    Zihui was extremely embarrassed, gritting her teeth. ¡°I have given you the thing. You, you return my clothes!¡±


    The ugliness within a family should not be publicized. Jiang Xunyi decided to put this matter aside first, and he kicked the clothes on the floor to Zihui before turning to Jiang Molou.


    ¡°Who is here?¡±


    Jiang Molou snorted unhappily.


    A feeling began to spread in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart, and his face gradually turned cold, his thin lips raised imperceptibly, and he looked forward.


    He saw that the people of the Solar Envy Sect, the Zhuo family, the Du family, and the Chan Buddhism Sect had arrived at once. With the date of the sword test conference approaching as well as the ghost temple, everyone couldn¡¯t help being more vigorous. Everyone chose to set off earlier and happened to run into each other.


    Huo Kai, the master of Chan Buddhism Sect, is a big man with a beard and a very rough personality. He laughed heartily as he greeted, ¡°Xunyi, Molou, both of you are here! Xunyi, congratulations on finally getting rid of the accusations. This big brother was very worried a while ago, and yet I couldn¡¯t even find your footprint. Hahaha, it is Sect Master Yun who has the greatest reputation, and he is able to see you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly: ¡°Thank you Brother Huo for the trouble.¡±


    As they spoke, several other people arrived, including Yun Xie, who hadn¡¯t seen Jiang Xunyi for several days. When he saw Jiang Xunyi and Huo Kai talking, he didn¡¯t interrupt, watching quietly with a smile.


    Jiang Xunyi exchanged greetings with a few people before he finally turned and also bowed to Yun Xie a bit playfully. ¡°Sect Master Yun is here too?¡±


    Thinking that Yun Xie wouldn¡¯t act up in front of so many people, he deliberately teased him. However, he forgot that Yun Xie had always had a thick-skinned face. He laughed and did not salute in return, instead directly raising his arms to hug Jiang Xunyi, secretly placing his hands on his waist. ¡°Brother, you are too formal.¡±


    Huo Kai knew that they were very close, and he laughed ignorantly. Zhuo Zhengfan couldn¡¯t help but caress his forehead, quickly stepping forwards to pull him away under the guise of reminiscing.


    Yun Xie whispered in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s ear, ¡°A¡¯Xun, after not seeing you for a few days, why do you smell of woman¡¯s powder?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi knew that this petty person must have seen the almost half-naked Zihui on the ground. With a chuckle, he grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s dishonest claws and got out of his embrace. He also lowered his voice as he replied, ¡°Why is Sect Master Yun so clear what women¡¯s powder smells like?¡±


    After the mischief, they smiled at each other. Yun Xie¡¯s heart was tickled by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s small smug expression, but he still had to let go of his hand before secretly saying, ¡°Next time, if I don¡¯t cause you to not be able to get out of bed, I won¡¯t be surnamed Yun.¡±


    At this time, a disciple of the Hidden Spirit Sect came over with Wanderer Zihui. He saluted towards Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Sect Head, what should we do with her?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression had just began to loosen, but as he turned around and saw Zihui, his face sank again. ¡°Detain her for now. Let Molou tie her up with celestial rope. Make sure to watch her closely.¡±


    The disciple took the order and went away. Yun Xie observed his expression, then constrained his smile. ¡°A¡¯Xun, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart was filled with agitation, and he sighed. Zhuo Zhengfan happened to come over from the side, and when he saw that, he quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xunyi? Xunyi, if you have anything you need help with, please speak up.¡± He then turned his head and said to Yun Xie, ¡°Mr. Wang of the Gray Heron Sect came and said that he wanted to pay respect Sect Master Yun. Brother Yun, do you want to¡­¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t stray from Jiang Xunyi. ¡°I am in a state of ill health now. This¡­ my heart hurts, please tell him.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Yun Xie cast a glance at him. ¡°I still have private things to say to A¡¯Xun!¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan: ¡°¡­¡±


    Okay, okay. We all know that Jiang Xunyi is a part of your heart. Leave yourself a way out at least.


    He left silently.


    ¡°¡­Actually, there is nothing Zhengfan can¡¯t hear¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi simply repeated Zihui¡¯s words, and finally said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is nonsense? How could my master be like this?!¡±


    For once, Yun Xie did not agree with him. In this life, his words have never been controlled, and he had always spoken unceremoniously. At this time, he pondered for a long time before he euphemistically replied, ¡°A¡¯Xun, being angry hurts your body, so first calm down. When the time comes, let¡¯s look for evidence together.¡±


    Although he didn¡¯t say it directly, with how deep the understanding was between the two, Jiang Xunyi immediately understood the unsaid meaning behind his words. In fact, he also had doubts in his heart, but the more doubtful he felt, the more fear he felt, and the more afraid he was, the more he dared not admit it. In frustration, he slapped the big tree next to him, shaking the whole tree. Irritated, he said, ¡°Damn, what evidence! I say it¡¯s false, so it¡¯s false!¡±


    Yun Xie took his hand, rubbed it gently, then said softly, ¡°A¡¯Xun, I know you can¡¯t accept it right now, but everyone has desires. This is normal. But if this desire is enlarged to a limit and you can¡¯t be satisfied, demons will develop. For me¡­ sigh, never mind. In short, you and I will not know what is going on in martial uncle¡¯s mind¡­ I understand that you don¡¯t want to hear this, but if you refuse to accept it, you won¡¯t be as vigilant and will inevitably suffer.¡±


    He spoke so patiently, as if he were coaxing a child. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t refuse to listen any longer, so he sighed for a moment, then angrily withdrew his hand. However, he didn¡¯t argue any further.


    The two walked quietly for a while, and Jiang Xunyi suddenly whispered: ¡°Yun Xie, do you think it is possible for a person to defeat your own heart demons?¡±


    ¡°Desire is born of love.¡± Yun Xie¡¯s voice was resolute. ¡°So if your love is strong enough, you can definitely restrain your desire from losing control.¡±

 CH 92

    Chapter 92 ¨C The Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage


    The spirit stage, as the name suggests, was a huge natural stone platform. At this moment, thousands of immortal cultivators gathered around the stage, with most of the people attending naturally outstanding figures of various sects as well as rising stars.


    The heads of several sects entered at the same time. Among them was Jiang Xunyi, who had recently become the number one hottest topic. Numerous eyes immediately glanced over, and the first sect head to arrive immediately gave him an enthusiastic greeting. Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi, and Jiang Molou stood side by side. They were three of the top five young masters of the era, and they all appeared extraordinary with very different demeanors. The female disciples next to them kept looking sideways, flushing and talking secretly amongst themselves.


    Huo Kai stood there for a while and couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He stepped out and murmured, ¡°Standing with you, my whole back is scorched by the eyes of the crowd. I¡¯ll just stay wherever I feel cool.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi also felt his head spin from all the chatter, but fortunately, Yun Xie went from side to side, answering most of the questions for him, and was able to escape his obligations.


    There were special seats on the west side of the stage designated for the few people with lofty identities and prestige. On one side of Jiang Xunyi was Yun Xie, and on the other side sat Jiang Molou. Next to Jiang Molou, Zhuo Zhengfan leaned over to smile at him. ¡°Xunyi, I remember when you and Brother Yun only used half a stick of incense time to kill all the monsters in the gum maple forest. This was unprecedented, and it was after this that the title the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage was given to you. Five sword test conferences have passed since then, and no one can catch up to you. I don¡¯t know if there will be any rising talents this time.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s gaze roved around the area before he laughed softly. ¡°I think it¡¯s difficult.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at the faraway dark temple off the east side of the spirit stage, a serious expression on his face. ¡°I believe no one will be thinking of the children during this year¡¯s sword conference. According to my estimate, the trials for the disciples may even be cancelled.¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°Do you see? The main focus is over there.¡±


    After Jiang Xunyi finished speaking, he suddenly felt something warm on the back of his hand. When he looked over, he saw Yun Xie quietly holding his hand under the cover of their wide sleeves.


    Without showing any expression, his thumb gently rubbed on the back of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand in a soothing motion. However, his eyes did not look over, only saying indifferently, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. No matter the amount of gales and waves, being afraid wouldn¡¯t do anything. As long as you can keep moving forward, there is nothing to be afraid of.¡±


    Huo Kai, who was sitting on the other side of Yun Xie, didn¡¯t know who he was aiming this line of speech at, so he continued, ¡°Sect Master Yun is right. However, I heard before that this temple can only accommodate one person. Because of this, the amount of people vying for a chance to get in may increase.¡±


    Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi were startled at the same time, asking in unison, ¡°Why?¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan replied, ¡°How do you two not know? This was calculated by Master Wu Lu himself. He said¡­ the ghost temple is too powerful or something, and it will spontaneously attack when an outsider invades. If one person enters, they can be covered in spells, but if there are more people entering, I am afraid it will collapse.¡±


    Yun Xie sneered. ¡°What ¡®calculate¡¯ ¨C the old bald donkey[1] hadn¡¯t really tested it out. Isn¡¯t this too careless to say?¡±


    None of the people next to him stopped him from the slander, and Huo Kai even laughed out loud. Although this Master Wu Lu was the younger martial brother of Master Wu Shou, who once stood up for Jiang Xunyi[2], their morality differed by a thousand miles. Compared with his senior brother, Master Wu Lu can be said to be a model of the six impurities. However, he was an elder and had a bright mind, so where things were going on, there he will be.


    Even so, there are not many people who have the courage and qualifications to express dissatisfaction with Master Wu Lu. Anyone familiar with Yun Xie knew that this was not the first time he has spoken plainly with disdain. However, even though he took this stance, what Master Wu Lu said could not be completely ignored.


    Jiang Xunyi was silent for a moment, then finally said lightly, ¡°We can discuss this later.¡±


    After saying this, he clearly felt Yun Xie tightly grasping his hand. However, he also knew that Jiang Xunyi had to enter the ghost temple.


    As the group talked, a monk with a white beard had already stepped onto the spirit stage. He coughed slightly, and the clamor around him gradually quieted down. Everyone looked towards him, including the girls who had been quietly looking at Jiang Xunyi and the others.


    It was Master Wu Lu.


    ¡°The purpose of assembling the sects for today¡¯s sword testing conference in fact is for one purpose. You must also know that the legendary Ghost Temple, which has not been seen in hundreds of years, had inexplicably appeared the day before the conference. This is truly disturbing. Therefore, after discussing with a few more elders, I[3] will postpone the Gum Maple Forest Demon Elimination and Spirit Stage Trial at this time. Now that we have all happened to gather, I will be so bold as to take the lead and ask everyone what you think about this matter.¡±


    After this speech, Master Wu Lu paused intentionally, and whispers started up around the venue. However, no one stood up to talk.


    Everyone can see that this matter seemed simple, and yet was hard to handle. The main problem was the legend of the rare treasure hidden within the temple. According to the legend, it may even help you directly ascend. However, although this sounded nice, how many people can be guaranteed to able to leave in one piece? What¡¯s more, even if you desperately fight and get this legendary treasure, who can guarantee that it will not instigate conflict, leading to murder?


    Jiang Xunyi smiled coldly and tapped his knuckles on the armrest of his chair. ¡°The worst situation would be that someone struggled desperately to get through the temple, but it¡¯s revealed that there was nothing there. When they come out with empty hands, they will be suspected of embezzling a treasure and will immediately become everyone¡¯s target ¨C what do you all think Wu Lu intends?¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°Look at his cross eyes. With one glance, you can tell his eyes have widened at the sight of profit. If it has to do with treasure, how could he not covet it? He probably wants the one entering to act as a sacrifice, taking all the treasure afterwards.¡±


    After he said this, his eyes glanced at Jiang Xunyi intentionally or unintentionally. He took out a folding fan from who-knows-where and waved it. ¡°Therefore, only fools would want to go in.¡±


    They had already quarreled over this matter earlier. At first, Yun Xie looked on the bright side and felt that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal as long as he entered with Jiang Xunyi. The two of them can live or die together. However, now that he heard that only one person could enter, he immediately became worried and quickly opposed Jiang Xunyi.


    Huo Kai didn¡¯t know, so he laughed as he said, ¡°You two have good minds and can see straight through. In that case, we shouldn¡¯t be the fool that rushes in. Besides, the old bald donkey is the one who cares about whatever treasure there is. Let¡¯s just sit and watch the excitement.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi: ¡°¡­¡±


    He felt countless damn arrows in his knees[4].


    ¡¾Friendly reminder: Entering the ghost temple is an important part of completing the mission and protecting the plot. If the host does not go through this step, the protagonist¡¯s life may be in danger, and the world will collapse and the mission will fail. May the host please be vigilant.¡¿


    Jiang Xunyi slowly closed his eyes and didn¡¯t respond. After a while, he let out a deep breath, feeling a little tired. He felt his temples warm slightly, and he opened his eyes to meet Yun Xie¡¯s worried and distressed gaze.


    Yun Xie was rubbing his temples carefully, softening his voice unconsciously to say, ¡°Have you not rested in the past two days? Look at the black circles under your eyes. Why don¡¯t you rest first? ¡°


    At the sight of Yun Xie, Jiang Xunyi smiled slightly, raised his hand and grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s hand. ¡°Go and sit down. I¡¯m not that fragile.¡±


    Huo Kai was stunned and couldn¡¯t help turning to Jiang Molou. ¡°Molou, I¡¯m speechless at the affection between your senior martial brother and Sect Master Yun.¡±


    Jiang Molou rolled his eyes.


    Zhuo Zhengfan sat on the side silently as an audience member and said in his heart, ¡°Stupid fool, you¡¯re asking for it[5]!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t until the whispering gradually subsided that Master Wu Lu continued. ¡°As the saying goes, ¡®Don¡¯t enter a tiger¡¯s den to get tiger cubs¡¯. From my perspective, due to the fact that we do not know anything about the interior of the temple, we still need to enter. However, as everyone should also know, in order not to disturb the evil spirits and cause disasters, only one person can enter for the time being¡­ this, let¡¯s see, who do you think we should send?¡±


    After this line, the crowd started clamoring again. Just as Jiang Xunyi said, some people cherished their lives while other people were greedy for money. In general, everyone felt that they couldn¡¯t go to their death, but they also couldn¡¯t watch anyone else get treasure. For a while, everyone quarreled.


    Jiang Xunyi was not in a hurry at this time, calmly sitting there with his eyes closed, as if he hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    An old man with a white beard and hair said, trembling, ¡°From what I think, it should be a young person to enter the temple. After all, young people can move fluidly and they should also gain experience. Old men like us should, at most, just look at the excitement.¡±


    Zhuo Zhengfan was confused. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to fight for it?¡±


    Yun Xie snorted. ¡°Can this be counted as not fighting? He plans to change the rules because the younger generation is limited by seniority and can be suppressed. It is also easier to send them to die. Really damn wicked.¡±


    What you say comes back around, because right after, someone asked, ¡°Sect Master Yun, Young Master Jiang are the two leaders of the younger generation. I am unsure what you think of this?¡±


    The author has something to say. Thank you for the landmine, may the test gods bless you, bless all the little angels. I will pray for you, don¡¯t be nervous, okay.


    [1] A derogative term for monks


    [2] In chapter 46-47, Master Wu Shou stood up for JXY when the others were accusing him of assault


    [3] He calls himself ÀÏñÄ which is a way to address elderly monks


    [4] Arrow in the knee ¨C popularized by Skyrim, in slang it represents something that held you back


    [5] He just said ¸Ã, I don¡¯t really know what that means but I guessed TT

 CH 93.1

    Chapter 93 ¨C Love each other, die together (1)


    Jiang Xunyi knew that they would only circle around by beating around the bush, and in the end, the focus would still go back to them. Right as he opened his mouth to speak, Yun Xie had already directly replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Before Jiang Xunyi could say anything else, Yun Xie suddenly reached out and patted his head gently.


    ¡°A¡¯Xun, leave this to me, okay?¡±


    Master Wu Lu was also shocked: Yun Xie was notorious for being unpleasant to talk to, and he was also very clever. It wasn¡¯t normal for Yun Xie to agree so happily like this.


    Yun Xie slowly said, ¡°Master Wu Lu, why aren¡¯t you speaking? Are you so old that you can¡¯t hear? Then I will repeat it again ¨C I will go. However¡­ I¡¯m a little concerned.¡±


    Master Wu Lu knew that he was someone who liked hiding knives behind a smile, but although he was secretly wary, he replied with a smile on his face. ¡°Sect Master Yun is joking. You are so young, and your cultivation is one of the top in the world. What is there to fear?¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°En, I know I¡¯m good, but no matter how high my cultivation is, I only have one life. Master Wu Lu, can you guarantee that if I can leave the temple alive, I can also return to Solar Envy Mountain alive?¡±


    As soon as he said this, everyone became quiet. They all held doubts within their hearts, but no one dared to fall out with someone like Yun Xie, so they could not say anything.


    Master Wu Lu cursed secretly in his heart, but he still had to answer. ¡°Where did Sect Master Yun come up with these words? If you are not at ease, I can send someone to escort you. Besides, everyone knows that Young Master Jiang has a friendship that transcends lifetimes with you. With such a person guarding outside, Master Yun shouldn¡¯t have to worry about pointless things, right?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stood up and interrupted his words. ¡°Master, excuse me, Xunyi also would like to go into the ghost temple to gain knowledge.¡±


    As soon as he stood up, countless gazes fell upon him immediately. Jiang Xunyi let the people look at him with his hands behind his back, ignoring Jiang Molou¡¯s hand pulling his sleeves and Yun Xie¡¯s stare. He merely stared at Master Wu Lu, waiting for him to answer.


    Master Wu Lu¡¯s gaze flickered between Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, feeling a little puzzled. He had originally guessed that based on the relationship between Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, they must have discussed this matter beforehand. However, looking at them now, there seemed to be a disagreement between the two.


    Could it be that a fight over treasures would break the bond between even this pair of good brothers who have seen each other through thick and thin? If this is the case¡­ actually there was nothing bad.


    In fact, from the beginning, Master Wu Lu had calculated for the person to enter the temple to be Yun Xie. He had a high cultivation base and a greater chance of success. At the same time, he acted decisively and viciously. If he is chosen, anyone who was eager to step up would back down. On the other hand, although his status is respected, at his young age, if he really gets something from the temple, he can still be suppressed by his elders.


    If the one entering is changed to Jiang Xunyi, the effect stayed the same. In addition, no matter who finally enters, if Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi truly turn against each other because of this, Hidden Spirit and Solar Envy will definitely stop looking after and helping each other. In the end, this was a even better outcome to him.


    Yun Xie wasn¡¯t able to rest assured if Jiang Xunyi entered alone. In a hurry, he didn¡¯t wait for Master Wu Lu to reply before he turned and said, ¡°Sect Master Jiang, although you are now the sect master, you are younger than me and also have less experience than me. I believe you should call me senior martial brother, so shouldn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    ¡°This is true.¡± Jiang Xunyi reacted surprisingly quickly, and interrupted Yun Xie by quickly saying, ¡°So shouldn¡¯t Senior Brother Yun give this junior the opportunity? I can¡¯t give in, so please forgive me.¡±


    He felt more sullen than Yun Xie as he spoke. He had originally been feeling uncomfortable from the phrase ¡°The protagonist¡¯s life is threatened¡±, and yet he couldn¡¯t express his worries like Yun Xie. He was both upset and anxious, and he wasn¡¯t in the mood to slowly debate. Seeing that Yun Xie still wanted to say more, he finally ended with: ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± then flew directly off the hundred-foot high platform and into the middle of the spiritual platform.


    Jiang Molou shot to his feet, but after seeing Jiang Xunyi¡¯s gaze, he pursed his lips, clenched his fists in his sleeves, and sat back down slowly.


    Yun Xie was almost choked to death by Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words. Seeing his rash recklessness, his temper flared up. He was filled with anxiety and angrily argued, ¡°I just won¡¯t let you! Jiang Xunyi, I want to see if you can enter the gate of that ghost temple without my permission today!¡±


    As he spoke, he leapt into the field, too.


    Huo Kai stammered, ¡°The, the two of them weren¡¯t like that just now, what happened? Could it really be greed over treasure? No¡­ that¡¯s impossible. They aren¡¯t such people.¡±


    Master Wu Lu looked at the two people in the middle of the field, rolled his eyes, and sighed. ¡°The two were good brothers, how can your peace be broken for some treasure? How about this, for the sake of fairness, this one and the present sect masters will act as witnesses to a trial between the two of you. Whoever wins will enter the monastery. What do you think?¡±


    Master Wu Lu made sure to promote their estrangement with his words. Everyone present were initially shocked by the dispute between Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi, but after listening to Master Wulu¡¯s words, they couldn¡¯t help but get a little excited¡ªthe Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage had always been a harmonious duo, and no one had personally seen them take action against each other. They both indeed had a high level of cultivation and exquisite technique, but they had never fought publically. It was exciting for everyone to even imagine how exciting it would be if these two people had a duel. Thinking of this, most of them looked forward to it.


    However, Jiang Xunyi bluntly replied, ¡°I won¡¯t compete with him. No matter if I win or lose, I will enter this temple today.¡±


    While he was speaking, his body had already jumped into the sky, streaking like a stream of light towards the ghost temple.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Yun Xie followed behind Jiang Xunyi, hands coming together to form a seal. A blue light immediately flew out of his palm, creating a huge barrier blocking Jiang Xunyi¡¯s path.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure slowed; Yun Xie¡¯s five fingers had curved into a claw, reaching forwards to grab Jiang Xunyi.


    The move seemed unremarkable, but in fact, it carried profound technique ¨C knowing that his opponent was Jiang Xunyi, how could Yun Xie act carelessly? No matter how affectionate and peaceful they were normally, the two of them knew each other¡¯s strengths and weaknesses very well, so when they fought, they did not dare to slack off at all.


    Yun Xie¡¯s figure flashed as he displayed several sequences of footwork in an instant. For a while, those who watched the battle only felt that there were just silhouettes flashing in all directions.


    If there is no way to avoid the hit, then don¡¯t avoid it! Jiang Xunyi sneered and turned around in midair, still appearing unhurried even as he was surrounded by thousands of shadows. His right palm formed the shape of a knife, accurately slashing at Yun Xie¡¯s wrist.


    He was really cruel: if this attack had hit, he might have sliced a hand off. Yun Xie pulled his hand back, changing his attack to kick Jiang Xunyi¡¯s calf with a kick.


    Jiang Xunyi leaped up, kicked his legs apart, then turned his palms upwards to catch Yun Xie¡¯s fist.


    The two used their fists and legs to attack the other, the situation exceptionally terse. Several of their acquaintances wanted to go forward and intervene, but no one was able to even get between them.


    After a few more moves, Yun Xie suddenly leaped and pulled out three charms from his sleeves. After he threw them, three giant dragons appeared out of thin air. The dragon surrounded Jiang Xunyi, flying along with Jiang Xunyi¡¯s movements as if they were intelligent. Yun Xie took the opportunity to jump up. With a flash, he was at the door of the ghost temple in an instant.


    Jiang Xunyi made a ¡°pei¡± sound and casually swept his arm. A bow and arrow suddenly appeared in his palm, and he raised the silver-white weapon. Three arrows shot out and pierced through the throats of all three dragons. He took the opportunity to wave his palm, sending an attack towards Yun Xie¡¯s back.


    His shot was merciless, and Yun Xie had to turn around and respond with a wave of his palm. The spiritual energy of the two collided, making a thunderbolt-like clap. They both took two steps back, then a ring sounded as they both unsheathed their swords at the same time.


    Yun Xie propped himself on the Kunwu sword and shouted, ¡°Jiang Xunyi, are you insisting on opposing me right now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slowly raised his Extinguished Flower sword and pointed it at him. ¡°If you are willing to give in, I wouldn¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Yun Xie replied, ¡°In your dreams!¡±


    Following his violent shout, his sword aura instantly forced itself towards Jiang Xunyi. For a moment, the brilliant light flickered, and power like the furious quaking of thunder and swell of waves in a stormy sea aggressively bore down upon him.


    Zhuo Chong exclaimed, ¡°Oh my God, who can defend against this? Really, Brother Yun! How can he be so merciless! Is he really not afraid of hurting Xunyi?¡±


    Jiang Molou had finally calmed down at this time, and he faintly said, ¡°He won¡¯t.¡±


    Zhuo Chong replied, ¡°What won¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before he could say anything more, a clear roar sounded out to the sky. Jiang Xunyi flipped his wrist, and in an instant, his sword multiplied until ten thousand swords surrounded him. The front row formed a sword formation, blocking Yun Xie¡¯s fierce blow.


    He spread with his right palm, and the thousands of flashing swords once again merged into one long sword and returned to his hand. Jiang Xunyi leapt up, his clothes fluttering as he spun in the air. Posed in midair, he swept the sword in his hand our, rushing towards Yun Xie¡¯s head.


    The sword glowed like multicolored glass, and his snow-white face appeared even more beautiful than before, eyes as cold and sharp as a sharp blade. Yun Xie turned his head to avoid the move, and the tip of his sword edge shifted with his hand movements.


    Jiang Xunyi twisted his waist to avoid, and Yun Xie¡¯s sword tip swept across his belt, cutting the palm-width belt into 2. At the same time, half of Yun Xie¡¯s sleeve was cut off.


    When the two had just drawn their swords just now, the whole spirit platform began to shake under the pressure from the sword auras. The following moves only increased in scale until finally, one of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s slashes missed Yun Xie and instead smashed into the ground. The blow created a long crack, and the disciples that were standing there hurriedly dodged to the side for fear of falling into the crack by accident.


    Most of the people were sitting by and watching the excitement, but now, they couldn¡¯t sit still. Unexpectedly, the two masters could fight to such a degree. Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What on earth is in the ghost temple? It can even warrant a life or death struggle.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi tore off the broken belt hanging on his waist and threw it to the ground. He leapt up and aimed a kick straight at Yun Xie¡¯s face.


    Without even trying to dodge or evade, Yun Xie¡¯s left hand slid out and directly grabbed his ankle.


    Jiang Xunyi simply twisted his waist, using Yun Xie¡¯s hand as a lever to sweep his other leg over. Yun Xie tilted his head to avoid it and let go of his hand with a flick.


    Jiang Xunyi leapt back in retreat, kneeling down with one knee. Next, he used his sword to launch himself forwards before turning the cold tip towards Yun Xie.


    Unexpectedly, instead of dodging, Yun Xie merely raised his lips in a smile. He stepped forward and moved towards the sword.


    With this move, half of the people in the field exclaimed in surprise, but Jiang Xunyi was even more shocked. He quickly retracted his sword, the tip stopping only an inch away from Yun Xie¡¯s throat. The cold sweat had already slipped down Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face.


    Yun Xie¡¯s facade dropped, and his real face was exposed.


    ¡°You still cannot bear to hurt me.¡±

 CH 93.2

    Chapter 93 ¨C Love each other, die together (2)


    Jiang Xunyi was so scared, he cursed. ¡°Pei, don¡¯t be affectionate to someone who doesn¡¯t care! If you are willing to die, I am willing to kill!¡±


    As he spit the word ¡°kill¡± out, he swung his sword and slashed towards Yun Xie, his momentum extremely fierce.


    However, it was too late. In his moment of hesitation, Yun Xie¡¯s discerning eye was already able to spot the flaws exposed when he had hurriedly retracted his sword just now. He flashed sideways, his right index finger and middle finger coming together and slanting diagonally towards Jiang Xunyi¡¯s chest.


    The truth was, no matter how much Jiang Xunyi feared hurting Yun Xie, Yun Xie¡¯s care was equal if not greater in magnitude. This move wasn¡¯t very strong, and it was only meant to force him back. However, unexpectedly, Jiang Xunyi to spew out a mouthful of blood as soon as the fingers touched his chest, collapsing to his knees and coughing until he was almost unable to lift his head.


    In the midst of the exclamations of the crowd, Wu Lu said, ¡°Congratulations Sect Master Yun, you have won¡­¡±


    The moment Yun Xie saw Jiang Xunyi vomiting blood, he was so scared that his soul flew away, so how could he care about whatever Wu Lu was saying? He rushed up to hold him, then said anxiously, ¡°A¡¯Xun, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ How, how are you? Don¡¯t scare me¡­¡±


    They had just been fighting as if they were going to beat the other to death, but in the blink of an eye, one couldn¡¯t make the last move, and the other was cuddling him in his arms. What the hell were these two people doing? The crowd of onlookers couldn¡¯t understand it.


    As they were wondering, they suddenly saw Yun Xie¡¯s body freeze.


    His acupuncture point had been pressed by Jiang Xunyi.


    ¡°It¡¯s me who should be sorry. I¡¯m fine. I was pretending just to scare you.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi stood up slowly, raised his sleeve and wiped the blood from his lips. He propped himself up against a tree besides Yun Xie, then turned to Master Wu Lu to say, ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡±


    He had deliberately reversed his inner breath in order to force out a mouthful of blood just to scare Yun Xie. He wasn¡¯t feeling very well, so he slowly leaned over and picked up the sword on the ground. He waved towards Jiang Molou from a distance and turned to enter the temple.


    The two of them did whatever they want with no sense of shame, but no one could say anything. However, the sight of Yun Xie¡¯s expression still made Master Wulu feel a chill. He was also afraid that Yun Xie would be so angry, he would become murderous. As he watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back gradually disappear into the haze surrounding the temple, he turned to the Jiang Molou.


    ¡°Second Master Jiang, this is Hidden Spirit Sect¡¯s unique method of sealing the acupoints. Now that the winner has been determined and your martial brother has already entered, could I bother you to release Sect Master Yun?¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s gaze flicked over from looking at the ghost temple. He stood thinking for a moment before he flew down without saying a word then walked quickly to Yun Xie. He supported him with one hand and unlocked the acupuncture path for him with the other.


    Although Yun Xie was not pleasing to his eyes, he still regarded him as one of his own people subconsciously. In addition, he also felt that Jiang Xunyi¡¯s behavior was a bit abnormal. Frowning, he asked, ¡°What the hell is going on with him?¡±


    Yun Xie was seething, but his anger was mixed with worry and distress, manifesting in jitteriness. ¡°Who the hell knows what the kid is thinking about every day¡­¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, a boom sounded out from the temple, and the entire building shook. The tiles on the roof fell to the ground, crackling as it hit the floor, and the people near the temple hurriedly backed away.


    Yun Xie stepped forward. ¡°What the hell is going on?!¡±


    At this moment, there was an even more violent shockwave. This time, it was not only the temple that shook, but the ground, too. A gale began to pick up, causing the sand and rocks to fly up, the trees to topple, and the buildings to tilt. Those who didn¡¯t have enough skills were unable to stand properly and stumbled to the ground.


    Yun Xie walked a few steps against the wind, then summoned Kunwu into his hand.


    Master Wu Lu exclaimed, ¡°Yun Xie, what do you plan to do? Don¡¯t mess around; the temple will really collapse if too many people enter!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s face was cold. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±


    Outside, the entire situation was a mess, but Jiang Xunyi¡¯s situation on the inside was not as bad as expected.


    He has a great memory, and once he entered the temple, he was struck by a sense of familiarity. After a few more steps, he become certain. What ghost temple? This was obviously the temple Master He Deng mentioned could block out the system!


    Jiang Xunyi followed the walkway all the way to the main hall before calling loudly, ¡°Master? Monk? Old man?¡­Hey, He Deng, are you pretending to be a ghost again? Come out right now or I will set your lousy temple on fire!¡±


    However, even after shouting multiple times, the surroundings were still empty, only echoes endlessly ringing out.


    Jiang Xunyi raised his hand and touched his chin thoughtfully. From the corner of his eyes, he suddenly saw that a silver light was flashing by his side. He hurriedly dodged to the side, grasping the hilt of his sword vigilantly, only to see an arc-shaped blade floating in the air. It approached him at an extremely slow speed, almost as if an invisible hand was handing it over.


    ¡°Death blade[1]?¡±


    After Jiang Xunyi finished speaking these two words, he saw the knife sway in front of him, as if it was nodding and saying yes.


    Curious, he reached out and poked his finger on the handle of the knife. ¡°Hey, can you understand me?¡±


    The blade shook, and Jiang Xunyi let go of his hand. The blade floated away and cut a rectangle in the air. The area it cut was like an open door, with the other side¡¯s scenery completely different from his environment.


    With just one glance, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s expression froze immediately, and his heart leapt wildly ¡ª the furniture and windows, the two people sitting opposite each other. How many times had he woken up from deep sleep with a melancholy that could not go away? After such a long time, he did not dare to imagine he could see this scene in front of him again. And somehow, it was when he was least expecting it that the image appeared before him again.


    This, this place was¡­


    A familiar voice sounded out from inside. ¡°Jiang Jin, how could you be this demented? Do you really plan to send Xun Xun in?¡±


    The speaker was an extremely beautiful woman, but although her age was not young, there was not even a trace of her years on that delicate face. On the contrary, she had a unique charm. However, her beautiful appearance was a little haggard now.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s breathing quickened, and he couldn¡¯t help taking a step forward. His body pressed forward until it almost seemed to be able to stand in that space, but there was an invisible barrier keeping him from breaking in. In his agitation, he couldn¡¯t spare any time to muse over what he had heard. Instead, he held the wall with his hand, slowly sliding down until he was kneeling.


    As a son, he still hasn¡¯t repaid his parents for all their nurturing. Instead, he lingered on the sickbed, so tired that his entire family had to worry and labor for him. In the end, his parents have to bear the pain of losing a son. He had shown such a lack of filial piety, and yet all he could do was kneel through a separation of time and space.


    There was a handsome man opposite the woman, with an expression full of helplessness. ¡°When I signed the agreement, I also had no idea the situation would develop like this. What can I do now? If we don¡¯t send Xun Xun, we would have to send Yu An!¡±


    The woman stayed silent, then gritted her teeth after a while. ¡°Why did you participate in that thing in the first place? You clearly knew this type of confidential project would put the whole family at risk¡­I hate you!¡±


    Jiang Jin said nothing.


    However, although that was what she said, the woman had reluctantly agreed to what the man planned to do. After a long time, she whispered again, ¡°Don¡¯t let Yu An know.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was in complete shock at the sight of his parents at first, but now that he had regained his senses, he began to process their conversation. Suddenly, he was struck by an unknown dread. Hoarsely, he said, ¡°You guys¡­what do you mean?!¡±


    However, no one could answer him. The image gradually disappeared in front of him. Jiang Xunyi knit his brows and lashed out at the Death Blade. ¡°Why did you show me this type of thing with no rhyme or reason? Why don¡¯t you slash a few more times so I can understand what¡¯s going on?¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, the purse containing the Marrow-Washing Jade suddenly broke free and fell to the ground. The jade rolled out of it, then black miasma began to gather, the mourning souls wailing as they rose up. Even the whole temple began to shake.


    It truly was that when it rained, it poured. Jiang Xunyi reacted immediately; this item was the most yin and demonic artifact in the world. As he carried it with him, he always allocated a portion of his spiritual power to suppress it. However, the battle with Yun Xie just now was too exhausting. Coupled with his excessive mood swings just now, he was unable to suppress it any longer!


    The Marrow-Washing Jade kept growing bigger and bigger, with vengeful and malicious spirits swarming above it. They were the remnants left by those who endured extreme suffering before they died from Marrow-Washing Jade. The scene was extremely cruel and bloody, burning the eyes. Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t get it under control even after seven or eight seals. He could only smile bitterly and say, ¡°What are you doing? Do you want to put on a show today? After familial relationships, this is the next program? Violence and gore is prohibited from being shown?¡±


    With a loud ¡°bang¡± and a cloud of dust rising into the air, half of the temple had collapsed. This was naturally not enough to hurt Jiang Xunyi. He stepped on his sword and flew into the air. Glancing at the Marrow-Washing Jade, he hesitated, internally debating whether to leave this place alone.


    Suddenly, the sharp whistle of a sword¡¯s energy came from behind him. Before he could turn around, he was already tightly held in someone¡¯s arms.


    The breath was too familiar; Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t need to turn his head to know who it was. He allowed the other person to hug him motionlessly and smiled slightly. ¡°Yun Xie, I still can¡¯t get rid of you, huh?¡±


    Yun Xie pinched his chin and tilted his face around. He roughly bit his lower lip and angrily said, ¡°When will you listen to me?! Do you have to make me worry to death until you¡­ A¡¯Xun, you¡­ cried? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    His tone started with gunpowder, but when he saw the tears in the corner of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes, he immediately became distressed. From childhood to adulthood, Yun Xie never saw Jiang Xunyi cry.


    Jiang Xunyi felt that his entire person seemed to have been divided into two parts, and his heart had been disturbed by various emotions. Within his heart, panic and doubt intertwined, and he was left almost breathless. However, when the pain reaches a certain level, there was miraculously no trace of it on the surface at all. It seems that the soul and the body had become two, both having nothing to do with each other.


    On the surface, he didn¡¯t even change the way he spoke. However, the sorrow and resentment was drowning him, and he wanted to cry and scream, to turn the world upside down, to recklessly use this world to pay for the years of ridiculousness. It was too painful, truly too painful.


    On the edge of his loss of control and depression, he saw Yun Xie.


    Jiang Xunyi was very clear that no matter what he did or wanted to do, as long as he said a word, Yun Xie would never refuse. Anything that he is unable to bear can be pushed to him without any hesitation, whether it is part of the past or the present.


    However, somehow, when he saw him, an unknown strength filled him, and he could grit his teeth and press all the debilitating emotions back into his almost numb body.


    Hearing Yun Xie¡¯s words, he wiped his face, slightly astonished. After a moment of silence, he smiled. ¡°What crying? I didn¡¯t even know myself. I was just blinded by the sand and the wind. What is there to cry about?¡±


    [1] In case you don¡¯t remember, the death blade is mentioned in chapter 44 as a legendary weapon capable of splitting time and space. It was in Master He Deng¡¯s hands.

 CH 94

    Chapter 94 ¨C Believe you


    Yun Xie didn¡¯t believe him, and his arms tightened. All his life, the thing he couldn¡¯t stand the most was seeing Jiang Xunyi sad. At the sight of him now, his heart had been thrown into disorder, and he wanted to ask what happened, but he didn¡¯t know how to say it. As he was hesitating, he suddenly heard a dry cough behind him.


    The two turned their heads at the same time and saw that Jiang Molou had also rode over on his sword. He stood in midair, a mess of ruins at his feet. With his hands behind his back, he looked at the two people sternly, expression comparable to an harsh father discovering that his daughter had a secret lover.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t intend to explain nor conceal it. As if nothing happened, he let go of Yun Xie.


    ¡°Molou, why are you also here? Wasn¡¯t it said that this place could only be entered by one person¡­?¡±


    After he said that, he looked around and couldn¡¯t help but laugh, deciding not to say anymore. This place had already collapsed; even if hundreds or thousands of people entered, it wouldn¡¯t matter. However, besides the fact that there was no horrible incident like they imagined, chaos surrounded them, and the visibility was extremely low. At present, besides the three of them, it seemed that no one else was there.


    Jiang Molou didn¡¯t react to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s words, instead asking with a serious face, ¡°What the hell is going on between you two?¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s lips moved, and seeing that he was about to say something rude, Jiang Xunyi quickly grabbed him before quickly interjecting, ¡°Yun Xie and I are¡­Master?¡±


    Jiang Molou casually glanced over at the direction of his gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject¡­¡±


    Right in the middle of his sentence, he also paused, as the figure shown on the Marrow-Washing Jade was Immortal Master Ti Ming!


    Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou were stunned, and they rushed forward together. However, the person displayed to be fighting Immortal Master Ti Ming¡­ was Yun Xie.


    Yun Xie was the one who harmed him with the Marrow-Washing Jade?!


    Jiang Molou was a cold person, and the only two people in this world he cared about were his master and senior brother. Words couldn¡¯t encapsulate the shock that filled him as he witnessed his master¡¯s death with his own eyes. Blood rushed to his head, and he drew his sword furiously without thinking, turning and slashing towards Yun Xie.


    Before the blade could even go halfway, the blade had already been stopped by someone. It was Jiang Xunyi, who stood sideways in front of Yun Xie, blocking the blow. He had clamped down on the blade with his fingers, too impatient to even draw his own sword. It took all his strength to barely stop the sword, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.


    ¡°Molou, calm down. First, clarify the situation.¡±


    Before he even saw the scene today, Jiang Xunyi had already conceived countless scenarios of what happened. Although his feelings towards Immortal Master Ti Ming were the same as those of Jiang Molou, such things were no longer enough to make him lose his mind. Not to mention¡­ that person was Yun Xie.


    At this moment, the only one who could stop Jiang Molou was him. Fearing that he would hurt Jiang Xunyi, he retracted the sword indignantly, however he had become even more angry. ¡°You¡¯re still helping him! You saw the scene just now! Why stop me?¡±


    Yun Xie had been shocked seeing the scene at first, but the thing he cared about most was how Jiang Xunyi would react. He felt fear at the thought of how he might look at him or what he might say. However, seeing him block Jiang Molou¡¯s attack for him, his heart gave birth to a little courage. He pressed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulder behind him and asked, ¡°A¡¯Xun, do you believe me?¡±


    Without even looking back, Jiang Xunyi replied without hesitation, ¡°I believe you!¡±


    With such a determined attitude, both Yun Xie and Jiang Molou were taken aback. Jiang Molou couldn¡¯t help but angrily shout, ¡°Brother! You need to realize that when he was overtaken by demonic energy before, he even killed you. Why wouldn¡¯t he hurt Master?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi countered, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s that easy to fall into the demonic pathway? You think you can stray whenever and wherever you want? Yun Xie wouldn¡¯t, because he had never thought about fighting against Master, so there would be no reason for his state of mind to be excited¡­ Never mind, you wouldn¡¯t understand it. In short, if you still treat me as your senior, just believe him once. Besides, the situation is uncertain, and I don¡¯t know who else is watching us, waiting to see our infighting. Don¡¯t fight anymore!¡±


    As if he spoke it into existence, as Jiang Xunyi was talking, he saw a figure flash past Jiang Molou. It was exactly the person he was thinking of at the moment, and he quickly called out, ¡°Molou, stop him first!¡±


    Jiang Molou¡¯s anger had not subsided, and his face was full of confusion. ¡°Who?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was shocked: the person had been very close to Jiang Molou just now, and yet for some reason, he didn¡¯t notice.


    ¡°The person who was next to you just now.¡±


    Yun Xie grabbed his hand. ¡°A¡¯Xun, what are you talking about? There was nothing there.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was startled, a chill permeating through his heart. When he looked closely, the figure had truly disappeared without a trace.


    Suddenly, the Death Blade next to him flew out to the west, and the sound of Buddha¡¯s name sounded out abruptly.


    ¡°Amitabha.¡±


    Yun Xie grabbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand without letting go. After spinning around to see the newcomer, he immediately yelled, ¡°Monk, you are finally willing to show up! Quick, tell me, is a mess you made?!¡±


    Master Deng¡¯s complexion was not very good, and he lacked the hippy smile he had when they had first met. He ignored Yun Xie¡¯s shout, instead looking at Jiang Xunyi seriously. ¡°Who were you looking for just now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t understand what was happening, and the other¡¯s tone also rubbed him the wrong way. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you?¡±


    Master He Deng¡¯s eyes were serene and deep, firmly fixing his stare on him. He seemed to have observed something on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and after a long while, he said slowly, ¡°I advise you not to meet that person.¡±


    When Master He Deng appeared for the first time, it could still be said that he was a friend, not a foe, but at this moment, Yun Xie was able to sense subtle hostility from his attitude. Vigilance began to develop in his heart, and he dragged Jiang Xunyi behind him, eyes cold and sharp as he glared at the other. ¡°I¡¯m afraid who we see is not up to you. Master He Deng, the purpose of you coming here shouldn¡¯t just be that you want to take an after-dinner walk, right? If you need something from us, I advise you to not make things unnecessarily complicated.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi broke away Yun Xie¡¯s grasp and stood side by side with him, hand coming up to rest on the hilt of the sword. ¡°Exactly, what are you trying to do?¡±


    Master He Deng¡¯s voice rose. ¡°Master Jiang is asking me? If I dare to say it, do you dare to let Sect Master Yun listen?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°If you want to say it, just say it. There isn¡¯t anything he can¡¯t know.¡±


    Yun Xie sneered. ¡°Are you done trying to sow discord? I ask you, does the image on the Marrow-Washing Jade have anything to do with you-¡°


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t hear clearly what Yun Xie said next because the flashing figure had appeared again, and strangely, it seemed that no one else noticed it aside from him.


    Ever since Jiang Xunyi had witnessed the conversation between his parents, there was always that one important thing on his mind. At this time, he couldn¡¯t care less about debating with He Deng. His body turned, ready to chase after the shadow


    Unexpectedly, right as he moved, He Deng picked up his Buddhist staff to intercept him, shouting, ¡°You will not be going anywhere today!¡±


    Yun Xie could already tell that Jiang Xunyi really needed to do something he didn¡¯t know about, something that was making him very anxious. Seeing this, he didn¡¯t hesitate before he pushed Jiang Xunyi away. ¡°Go, leave him to me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi had been in such a hurry to rush out that he forgot to say anything to Yun Xie. After getting pushed forwards, he was suddenly reminded of the fact that he had too many things that he hadn¡¯t explained clearly to Yun Xie, and he must feel extremely confused right now.


    It wasn¡¯t that Jiang Xunyi was intentionally trying to conceal anything, but one of them was the protagonist, and the other had missions to complete. They were always surrounded by fog and turmoil. Ever since they had resolved their misunderstanding, they haven¡¯t had one day of peace. In addition, Yun Xie cared too much about him. It was hard to find a way to start going into all of the details, so it had been delayed until now.


    After all, it¡¯s not likely that someone would easily accept that they¡¯re merely a character in a book. What¡¯s more, although Yun Xie had a strong will, he was slightly conceited.


    In the past, Jiang Xunyi always felt that they still had a long, long time to talk this out, but right now, he felt a hunch in his heart that compelled him, someone who never turned back, to stop. He grabbed Yun Xie¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°Yun Xie.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say anything else, but Yun Xie¡¯s firm expression had suddenly softened into a small smile. With a sword ready to take down Master He Deng in one hand, he used the other to push Jiang Xunyi out of the battleground.


    Since he was determined to buy time for Jiang Xunyi, he moved ruthlessly, catching Master He Deng off guard and forcing him to take two steps back. He Deng watched Jiang Xunyi¡¯s back fade away, surprise and anger coloring his voice as he cursed, ¡°Yun Xie, do you know what you are doing? Do you know who he is looking for? I always thought you were a smart person, but your behavior is simply death-seeking. By helping him, you have ruined yourself!¡±


    Listening to those words, Yun Xie was upset and cursed back, ¡°Pei! Stop with this act. I will gladly take the road towards my own destruction for my wife. I feel extremely happy! Why do I have to listen to the words of people who talk too much?¡±


    His words were eccentric, but his moves were very harsh, and Master Deng struggled to lift his staff and forge an opening. He yelled loudly, ¡°You¡¯re so infatuated now, but did you know that in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart, you are nothing more than a character in a book? ¡°


    Yun Xie paused in shock, his hand slowing. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    While Yun Xie was keeping He Deng detained, Jiang Xunyi had gotten out, rushing forwards and mounting his sword to hurry towards the shadow.


    However, the figure did not disappear again. It seemed like their speed was not fast, but they always fluttered forwards a few feet ahead of Jiang Xunyi as if intentionally trying to lead him somewhere. Jiang Xunyi followed for a while, then after turning a bend in a mountain, he suddenly stopped and landed onto the ground. The shadow rushed directly onto the man standing with his back facing him before it immediately disappeared.


    With a scrape, Jiang Xunyi slid to a landing before he raised his sword and placed it on the other¡¯s neck. The chilling sword light reflected half of the other side¡¯s face. He cried out, ¡°Du Li, tell me your purpose!¡±


    However, although his tone was ruthless, his hands were still imperceptibly shaking.

 CH 95.1

    Chapter 95 Part 1 ¨C Truth


    Du Li turned around, gaze sweeping across Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face. He stretched out his hand and gently pushed away the sword that had no killing intent. With a shake of his head, he said with a sigh, ¡°My brother¡­ ¡­¡±


    As if profound thunder from the heavens had struck down from the sky, his ears roared and his whole body went numb. Jiang Xunyi felt like his heart was hitting his sternum, as if his chest was about to burst open. Without even realizing it, his sword had clattered to the ground. It almost felt like his blood was boiling, and yet he still shivered uncontrollably. It was only with great effort that he could squeeze out the words, ¡°Brother¡­Jiang Yuan? You?! Du Li¡­has always been you?¡±


    Du Li, or Jiang Yuan, laughed, but there was no trace of a smile on his face. Instead, his eyes turned red, and he walked forward briskly to hug Jiang Xunyi and called out, ¡°Xun Xun.¡±


    Even if the man had always been shrouded by doubt, his oddly familiar attitude easily raising suspicion, the thought was just too unbelievable. The idea had came up in his mind before, but he did not dare to believe it. However, Jiang Yuan¡¯s expression and manner of speaking had just now clearly proved everything. Right up to the hug, Jiang Xunyi still felt like it was only just a dream. He raised his hand blankly to return the hug, then muttered, ¡°Brother, why are you here¡­¡±


    Jiang Yuan whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve come to take you home.¡±


    At this, Jiang Xunyi trembled, pausing for a moment before he suddenly raised his hand and pushed him away.


    Jiang Yuan had always known that his younger brother was smart, and he was already not very confident in how things would go. Seeing that his response now wasn¡¯t right, he had no choice but to act as if nothing had happened and ask in a puzzled way, ¡°Xun Xun?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked down wordlessly. After a while, it seemed that he had made a resolution, and he slowly said, ¡°Brother, how did you come? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that it was you before?¡±


    Assuming that Jiang Xunyi was just doubting his identity, he let out a breath in relief, explaining, ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to say anything earlier because right after arriving, I ran into an opponent who sealed my spirit under the ground of this temple. Without my full soul, I couldn¡¯t get rid of the seal, so I had no choice but to wait for this moment. Until the temple collapsed today, I had no chance to tell you this.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi thought for a moment, and then responded, ¡°So was it you who released the information about the ghost temple? Your goal was to attract everyone¡¯s attention in order to destroy this place.¡±


    Seeing the other party nod, Jiang Xunyi finally understood that the shadow he saw just now was Du Li¡¯s spirit. Because of this, it was no wonder that his face was exactly the same as Jiang Yuan. However¡­


    ¡°You had just arrived, so why would anyone oppose you? This is clearly that old He Deng¡¯s temple, but why did he seal you? Brother, now that things have gotten to this point, just say anything you have to.¡±


    Jiang Yuan shook his head helplessly, the words ¡°I really can¡¯t do anything with you¡± written on his face. He rubbed Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hair as he said, ¡°You¡¯re still so stubborn. Okay, I¡¯ll tell you ¨C this book-transmigration project was originally a scientific research project.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart thudded in his chest. ¡°Scientific research project?¡±


    Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°You should know that although our father is in politics, he has always been obsessed with scientific research. He happened to be assigned to manage the distribution of personnel and funds for a confidential experiment. The mission was to create a book world that has a conscious independent of the author. They developed a system chip and a shuttle to send people to the world of the book. As tasks are completed, the world¡¯s level would be researched¡­ However, unexpectedly, the world really did gain consciousness, taking control of the system chip. In order to ensure that it does not collapse, this system will assign you tasks to protect the protagonist and the plot to maintain the energy of this world.¡±


    So the system that controlled him was the consciousness of this world, and the purpose of the missions was to adhere to the plot by allowing Yun Xie to reach the peak of humanity. If he failed, the plot would be destroyed and there would naturally be consequences.


    This was similar to what Jiang Xunyi had guessed, but he didn¡¯t expect this to be a national-level scientific research project.


    Jiang Yuan was not finished explaining. ¡°He Deng was one of the first experimenters. He has been here much longer than you and had been assimilated by the consciousness of this world long ago. He had just started going out of control when I first arrived, but he was also a man of rare talent. He used the shielded temple to stay conscious, and he later on helped you, but now that the temple had collapsed¡­ I¡¯m afraid he can no longer be regarded as the original He Deng. ¡°


    The initial surprise gradually faded from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face, and he quietly said, ¡°So he first sealed you, then tried to stopped me from coming to see you. There is such strong hostility towards you. In other words, what were you planning to do to spoil the plot?¡±


    Jiang Yuan smiled. ¡°Of course I have some means to take you back. I have planned for this day for a long time, and now everything is ready. All we need is an Eastern wind[1]. Wait a little longer, then brother can take you home.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s lips quirked in a smile, but it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer why I came here and how you got here.¡±


    Without batting an eyelid, Jiang Yuan replied, ¡°You were in poor health and couldn¡¯t walk around. Dad originally wanted to use this technology to let you experience a new environment and soothe your mood. Unexpectedly, there was a mistake. Our parents are both extremely anxious, so I came to pick you up. However, the time in the world of the book passes much faster than in the real world, so you had to stay here for so long. It¡¯s all my fault. ¡°


    Jiang Xunyi replied, ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    As he spoke, his expression was flat and his tone determined, shocking Jiang Yuan.


    Jiang Xunyi continued dully, ¡°Dad participated in this project. There was probably an agreement from the beginning stipulating every participant to send one of their own children to be an experimental subject to preserve secrecy or make sure there were enough people participating in the research. Between the two of us, you are healthy and successful, and I am just a waste who lies in bed sickly all day long, and I even need help walking. As for who should be sent in, it goes without saying. Since this world has self-awareness, I am afraid that the idea that going home once the mission is complete is only an empty promise. It¡¯s likely that after all of their value has been used up, they are either lost in this world like He Deng or crushed into dust ¨C in fact, you are probably trying to save me behind their backs, right?¡± He pursed his lips. ¡°Thank you, brother.¡±


    He finally understood Qi Shijiu¡¯s dying words: the knowledge that he was just a test subject sent by his relatives and that all his hard work was pointless must¡¯ve caused him so much pain.


    He Deng must have hoped that Jiang Xunyi would collapse and lose any resistance, thus not endangering the plot of this world, by showing him the fragments of the conversation with his parents.


    Therefore, if Jiang Yuan wanted to break through the shackles of the world consciousness and take him home, it was bound to affect the protagonist Yun Xie.


    ¡°The images on the Marrow-Washing Jade, Chen Li dying without a heart, deliberately asking us to solve the Tengge City case, and inducing Yun Xie to kill the female enchantress who should have received a soul-calming ceremony instead¡­Brother, were these all part of your plan?¡±


    Even though Jiang Yuan had always known that his younger brother was very clever, he was still shocked at the way he exposed so many things in one breath, and he stayed speechless for a long while.


    However, what disturbed him most was Jiang Xunyi¡¯s overly flat expression. As a child abandoned by his parents, it was impossible for him to be without resentment and pain. Therefore the calmer he was, the more disturbing it was.


    However, he had worked so hard to get this far already, so he was not willing to give up. He could only face Jiang Xunyi and reveal everything, hoping that his brother can cooperate with him. ¡°Everything you say is true. Yun Xie is the protagonist of this world, but do you know why Xuanli¡¯s soul entered his body in the first place? It¡¯s because he¡¯s cruel and indifferent, and he was originally the most qualified person in this world to be the head of all demons. Because of this, he is repeatedly affected by demonic energy. As long as his hands gets more bloody, he is likely to embark on this path¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hands behind him clenched in his sleeves. After a while, he spoke.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s voice was a little hoarse from not talking earlier, and Jiang Yuan couldn¡¯t hear him clearly, so he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi slowly repeated. ¡°As for the Solar Envy Sect¡¯s Yingxue Cangshi[1], it seems to also be a part of your tricks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is indeed the real Yingxue Cangshi, but I had thrown it into the Prison Demon Valley, refining it for forty-nine days with the evil spirits of thousands of ghosts. I have been planning for a long time. Even without any Du family troubles, I would¡¯ve still tried to send the Yingxue Cangshi into Yunxie¡¯s hands.¡±


    Jiang Xun closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but his words were swallowed back, the pain of choking filling his chest.


    ¡°At this point, I might as well tell you everything ¨C Immortal Master Ti Ming died because he was wounded by the Marrow-Washing Jade during the suppression of Xuan Li. The problematic roots had long since been established, and it had nothing to do with Yun Xie. I had created the phantom image on the jade because I expected you to cut Yun Xie off after seeing it, but unexpectedly, you still believed him like this¡­ Xun Xun, I remember¡­¡±


    Jiang Yuan hesitated for a while before he finished his words. ¡°I never knew that you like men.¡±


    When he found out about Yun Xie and Jiang Xunyi¡¯s relationship at the Du house, he was so angry, he wanted to stab Yun Xie to death with a sword on the spot. In Jiang Yuan¡¯s mind, it is unbelievable that his cold-tempered younger brother would get entangled with a man. He must have been swindled and corrupted by others.


    In reality, that was almost true.


    Jiang Xunyi said coldly and indifferently, ¡°I have never liked men before, but I also have never liked women.¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to want to talk more about this issue, nor did he show much indignation at Jiang Yuan¡¯s scheming against Yun Xie. Jiang Yuan, who was worried Jiang Xunyi¡¯s feelings for Yun Xie ran too deep, breathed a sigh of relief. If it did, that would hinder the next plan. However, from what he could see now, his brother was probably only with Yun Xie because of momentary loneliness.


    Jiang Xunyi calmly continued. ¡°But what is the point of leading Yun Xie into the demonic path? Brother, you definitely should know that people like Yunxie will be successful no matter what path he chooses. As long as he is safe and sound there will be no impact on the world.¡±


    Jiang Yuan smiled. ¡°How could someone as smart as you not see my intentions yet? Yun Xie can¡¯t die because he is still the protagonist, and if something happened, this world will collapse, and you and I will also be in danger. But Xun Xun, have you ever thought about what role you play now?¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was taken aback, ¡°I¡¯m currently still a protagonist.¡± A few words flashed through his mind, and the mist that had always been shadowing the truth suddenly cleared. His whole face suddenly lost blood, and he forcibly suppressed his almost uncontrollable mood before he asked calmly, ¡°You want to change Yun Xie¡¯s role. Do you want me to replace Yun Xie and become the protagonist of this world?¡±


    [1]Missing an eastern wind ¨C ֻǷ¶«·ç, to be missing one last crucial part


    [2]Yingxue Cangshi is mentioned in chapter 75 and it¡¯s the Solar Envy sect¡¯s treasure

 CH 95.2

    Chapter 95 part 2 ¨C Truth


    The words Jiang Xunyi said were bit confusing, but Jiang Yuan understood it all at once. ¡°That¡¯s right. Xunxun, think about your original destiny ¡ª¡ª Originally, your talent and cultivation base were on equal standing with Yun Xie, but you merely served as a foil to him for your entire life until you finally died under his sword to fulfill Yun Xie¡¯s reputation of righteousness. Humph, this can¡¯t be called justice. This is just fate¡¯s game.¡±


    Jiang Yuan couldn¡¯t help but laugh dryly. ¡°But now? You are on the same level as him. Your prestige, network, and status are all no longer under Yun Xie! As long as Yun Xie succumbs to demonic energy and becomes the villain, then the world will automatically choose a new protagonist. Besides you, who could that be? Then, you can take control of the world, the system will support you, and going home is just a matter of thinking.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi took a breath, his heart beating like thunder. He felt that his voice was hollow as if he were a dead person. ¡°So Yun Xie will continue my original destiny and become a villain who everyone shouts at and beats¡­ changing his role to be the demonic head¡­¡±


    He had suddenly been awakened from his long dream, and the secrets of the past have been revealed. At that moment, love, hate, anger, and ignorance revolved within him like a merry-go-round turning around and around, and the pressure of a hundred thousand mountains pressed down on him, so much that even breathing has become torture.


    From the beginning to the end, what was the most important to him? Does anything have meaning? On the one hand, part of his heart is with his brother. This can¡¯t be held against him: going home has been his long-cherished wish. But what about Yun Xie? What does he do about Yun Xie?


    Seeing that he was unwilling, Jiang Yuan stepped forward and hugged him, patting his head to comfort him. ¡°I know you still can¡¯t bear it. After all, you have had a close relationship with him for so many years. However, think about all the hardships you suffered. Isn¡¯t this the most important thing the fact that you will be able to go home soon?¡±


    He firmly held Jiang Xunyi¡¯s shoulders, trying to convey his resolution. ¡°I know your heart must be filled with complaints against mom and dad, but their hand was also forced. Truthfully, they also miss you very much. How can conflict come between parents and children? What¡¯s more, after you go back, you won¡¯t have to lie in the hospital bed every day. This current body has become your own body¡­¡±


    Jiang Yuan saw that Jiang Xunyi was slightly moved, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°When I came, I took a lot of effort to bring your body. There are some diseases that cannot be cured in our world, but this world of cultivation and immortals has many elixirs. Even if you go back, you will be a healthy child. Then, brother will take you to travel, water ski, race¡­ we can do everything you wanted to do!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi lowered his head to avoid Jiang Yuan¡¯s gaze. Besides today, it has been a long time since he has bowed his head to someone else. ¡°Brother, thank you.¡±


    Hearing a faint tremor in his voice, Jiang Yuan couldn¡¯t help thinking about his brother¡¯s years of hard work here, and his heart hurt. He brought a hand to his head to comfort him, but before he could say anything, Jiang Xunyi raised his head again, his expression calm again. ¡°So what do I need to do?¡±


    Jiang Yuan was stunned, then swallowed the comforting words down. With a serious face, he replied, ¡°The female enchantress is a ghost that is extremely sinister and poisonous. After Yun Xie killed the ghost, he has been contaminated with resentment. In addition, even if he gets rid of the spirit of Xuan Li, the demonic energy on his body isn¡¯t something that can disappear right away. With these two points added together, once his hands are stained with more blood, he will lose control. The only barrier now is Solar Envy Sect¡¯s jade ring. If you use your relationship with him, you should be able to find out where it is hidden, then all you need to do is find it and destroy it. ¡°


    The jade ring is able to detoxify the body, and when Jiang Xunyi fell into Xuan Li¡¯s hands, it had saved his life. Ever since Yun Xie had Rou Rou deliver the ring to him, he had been unwilling to take it back again, so Jiang Xunyi had ended up keeping it with him. At this moment, Jiang Xunyi took it out and showed Jiang Yuan.


    ¡°This?¡±


    Jiang Yuan didn¡¯t expect the ring to really be in his possession, and his eyes flashed with a complex expression. He nodded, then stretched out his hand. ¡°Give it to me.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi squeezed his hand shut, then smiled as he said, ¡°Why give it to you? Isn¡¯t it just breaking this? I will do it myself.¡±


    He had always had a somber expression until now, and his sudden smile startled Jiang Yuan. Jiang Xunyi took a step back, bit his finger, then dripped blood on the ring. He threw the ring into the air, caught it with both hands, then shouted, ¡°The one who was thus gone[1], disciple Jiang Xunyi is willing to protect this thing with my life. I will ensure its peace, and if there is damage, my body will be destroyed!¡±


    A light suddenly emerged from the ring as the oath was established, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure swayed slightly, needing to support himself against the mountain wall beside him to stand firmly.


    The ring fell and was caught by Jiang Yuan, but even though he acted subconsciously, his mind had not caught up. He looked at Jiang Xunyi, realizing for the first time that the person in front of him has grown up.


    Here, he is one of the Dual Jades of the Spirit Stage, the head of the Hidden Spirit Sect. Jiang Xunyi had long been able to stand alone and is no longer the silent and weak child who only had himself and his family in the world.


    Jiang Xunyi looked at Jiang Yuan¡¯s hesitant face, and this time, he truly smiled. ¡°Smash it.¡±


    His laughter became louder and louder until he almost couldn¡¯t straighten up. ¡°If you still want Yun Xie to fall to the demonic side, just throw this ring and smash it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi was born as a strong person, and his image was more important than his life. In two lifetimes, he hasn¡¯t laughed as crazily as right now. However, when he heard his parents¡¯ conversation before, even though he had been so distraught, he still tried to endure and refused to show it. Later, in order to complete the conversation with Jiang Yuan, he could only keep stifling his feelings. At this moment, thousands of emotions were erupting. He was clearly grief-stricken, but the laughter couldn¡¯t stop.


    He seemed like a child after a successful prank, as if his laughter stemmed from the fact that he felt that the stunned look on Jiang Yuan¡¯s face was very funny. However, his laughter sounded so sad, countless painful grievances that have become too deep to hide all emanating out.


    Jiang Xunyi looked up to the sky and laughed, but tears rolled down his cheeks.


    Seeing him like this, Jiang Yuan finally came back to his senses. He spent many years thinking through his plan here. Although the method was radical and biased, he really wanted to take his brother home. As he watched the plan slip out of his fingers, he was also filled with anger and astonishment. His emotions were almost as excited as Jiang Xunyi as he exclamined, ¡°Why on earth are you doing this? Are you crazy?! As long as Yun Xie becomes a villain, you can leave here! Don¡¯t you want to go home? Jiang Xunyi!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi finally stopped laughing, wiped his face with his sleeve, picked up the Extinguished Flower sword from the ground, and said lightly, ¡°My parents don¡¯t want me to go back. What should I do? They have basically killed me with their own hands in that world, so why should you come to rescue me? Brother, I¡¯m tired. I¡¯m fine here. I don¡¯t want to go anywhere.¡±


    He stepped forward and took the ring back. Jiang Yuan let go, dazed until he heard Jiang Xunyi say indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    As if he had woken from a dream he grabbed him. ¡°Don¡¯t go! Don¡¯t you know it¡¯s too late? Yun Xie¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi shook him off vigorously. Hearing Yun Xie¡¯s name, his emotions that had been forcibly suppressed suddenly burst out again, and he shouted, ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°Why are you shouting?! If we wanted you to die, why would I struggle to come here? You are definitely not the type who will give up and go back for this reason. You¡¯re obviously the type of person who would fight harder to survive the more others wish the opposite! Jiang Xunyi, give me a reason, why are you doing this?!¡±


    The two brothers stared at each other as if enemies. However, as their eyes met, the many memories and many past events floated to their hearts one by one like a surging river, resiliently flowing on even amongst sparks and fire, never able to be held onto¡­


    Like the calm after the rage, there was unspeakable exhaustion.


    The cold wind passed by, and there was silence between the sky and the earth. Jiang Xunyi stared at Jiang Yuan¡¯s hand on his arm and was silent for a long time. Just when the other party almost thought he would not answer anymore, he suddenly whispered a reply.


    ¡°Because I like a person, and I am willing to do everything for him.¡±


    Jiang Yuan trembled, slowly letting go, then said after a long while, ¡°You really¡­ to Yun Xie¡­¡±


    This sentence seemed to have magical properties, and after Jiang Xunyi said it, his whole body felt inexplicably relaxed. He said maliciously, ¡°Yes. I think Yun Xie would be very happy if he heard this sentence, but I don¡¯t want to let him know at all.¡±


    After he said, he finally took a deep look at Jiang Yuan, then knelt in the snow to kowtow to him. ¡°Brother, thank you.¡± He stood up and continued, ¡°I don¡¯t blame my parents, nor do I blame you. You have treated me with all your benevolence and righteousness. I am not filial for choosing not to go back. Since the day I came into this world, our destinies have reached the end, and you should just treat me as dead¡­ go home quickly!¡±


    In the silence following the moment of confrontation, the two felt desolate.


    Jiang Yuan sighed heavily, closed his eyes, and turned around without speaking. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s blue dress had already blended in with the flying snow as he got further and further before he gradually disappeared.


    Jiang Xunyi ran down the mountain without looking back, but the image of Jiang Yuan¡¯s increasingly distant back seemed to exist in his heart without even needing to look. Jiang Xunyi turned a corner, his nose sour, and finally, he couldn¡¯t hold back a drop of tears streaming down his cheeks. Fortunately, there was no one around at this time. He quickly bit his lip and wiped it with his sleeve as he ran.


    He rose on his sword and hurried down the mountain.


    The author has something to say: I will continue to update tomorrow. Is the number of words in a chapter too much? Do you want to separate?


    Please trust little Jiang and little Yun, their feelings and will can withstand the test (¤Å£þ3£þ)¤Å, don¡¯t be afraid my dears.


    [1]The one who has thus gone ¨C Tath¨¡gata, or the word Gautama Buddha uses to refer to himself in Pali Canon

 CH 96.1

    Chapter 96 ¨C The End (1)


    While Jiang Xunyi was talking to Jiang Yuan, Yun Xie, full of shock, had finished listening to the truth from Master He Deng. ¡°You mean, the protagonist of the book ¡®Clouds from the Sky¡¯ is me, and A¡¯Xun¡­ Everything A¡¯Xun had done was only to fulfill a¡­ system task?¡±


    Yun Xie was very clever, and even though Master He Deng had used many unintelligible terms, he still grasped the general meaning. Suddenly, everything from his past had a reasonable explanation, and countless images had suddenly connected one by one. He felt a bone-deep coldness while his heart twinged as if an invisible hand was jerking on a string. In a daze, he said, ¡°It turned out to be like this¡­¡±


    He has always been arrogant, and he should¡¯ve been the most upset over the fact that he was just a few words from a book. However, at this moment, this wasn¡¯t at the forefront of his mind, as his whole heart was occupied by a sense of distress. ¡°A¡¯Xun had to take on so many things by himself without ever telling me¡­ he always does this. If only I had known earlier¡­ if I had known¡­¡±


    Then how could he bear to let his sweetheart suffer alone and bear all of his burdens silently and alone, without ever speaking out?


    Yun Xie murmured, ¡°If A¡¯Xun knows about his parents sending him here, he must feel sad¡­ I have to go to him.¡±


    As he spoke, he was reminded of Jiang Xunyi¡¯s distressed look, evoking a pain in his heart. His voice became hoarse, and without even caring about He Deng, so he turned and left.


    Master He Deng: ¡°¡­¡±


    What kind of person was Yun Xie! His attempt of instigation had a counterproductive effect, and he had even forgotten to care about himself. He really couldn¡¯t stand this anymore! Master He Deng yelled loudly, raised his hand, and threw his rosary beads. The beads scattered in the air, and after landing, they turned into the eighteen arhats, lining up in formation to block his passage.


    Master He Deng¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Sect Master Yun, since you obstinately persist to go in the wrong direction, I have nothing more to say. I had already told you. Jiang Yuan has persistently acted against you, attempting to lure you into the demonic side. You may not care about yourself, but I can¡¯t leave it alone. The only solution is to kill Jiang Xunyi and prevent them from proceeding with their plans. This is also for your own good.¡±


    Yun Xie slapped his sheath as he rose up, and the Kunwu sword slid out. For a moment, a gale arose around them, and birds and beasts wailed. A golden light flashed, illuminating half of the sky. However, Yun Xie¡¯s heart was sinking.


    He was a cautious person, and he had always been on guard against Master He Deng. However, what he had just heard was so disorienting that he had been confused for a while and showed weakness to his opponent. Although this Arhat formation couldn¡¯t stop him, if it delayed him long enough, it was very possible for Master He Deng to rush to Jiang Xunyi¡¯s side!


    Calm down, calm down. He must figure out a way to hold him!


    At this moment, another sword streaked over diagonally and slashed in front of Master He Deng. Yun Xie raised his head and looked up before breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°Jiang Molou, I really didn¡¯t expect that there would be a day I would feel happy to see you.¡±


    When Jiang Xunyi left, Jiang Molou had tried to follow, but strangely, Jiang Xunyi¡¯s figure had completely disappeared in the fog. He hesitated and turned back. Although he wasn¡¯t able to hear anything explaining the cause and effect, he happened upon the fight between Yun Xie and Master He Deng and immediately stepped forward with a sword.


    Jiang Molou stopped He Deng and said coldly, ¡°He asked me to believe you, so I will help you this time. There is absolutely no next time.¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s spirit was lifted and he swung his sword over an arhat. ¡°This one time is enough!¡±


    The Eighteen Arhats Array used by Master He Deng was originally the most orthodox move out of the Buddhist arrays. It was mostly used to deal with monsters, and it¡¯s method was solemn and dignified. However, without any fear, Yun Xie drew his sword and slashed forwards. As he attacked, a faint black air gradually appeared on Kunwu¡¯s blade.


    Master He Deng was restrained by Jiang Molou, and he wasn¡¯t able to break free. However, from the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of what was happening, and he couldn¡¯t help but scream, ¡°Yun Xie, you really are crazy! You have a great future, and you were born with a noble fate. You would be able to dominate the world! Don¡¯t let a mere person get in your footsteps! If their plan succeeds, it will harm you! Are you saying that you will ignore this even when it has gotten to this point?!¡±


    Yun Xie replied coldly, ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? I don¡¯t understand and don¡¯t care. Who cares about being the protagonist or not. If commanding everything under the heavens comes at the cost of love and leaves me growing old alone, then I would rather be useless for the rest of my life.¡±


    It was almost impossible to fathom that this sentence came from the arrogant Yun Xie¡¯s mouth. Master He Deng watched him mercilessly slaughter the arhats, and he uttered in shock, ¡°Yun Xie, you still¡­ No, you¡­ you have already entered the demonic path. You are so determined¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou was in the clouds and mist[1] from their conversation, and he had long since grew impatient. While Master He Deng was distracted, he swung his sword to retain him before shouting, ¡°What do you¡­¡±


    Before he could ask for clarification, his face was splashed by blood. Yun Xie drew his sword from He Deng¡¯s chest, then resheathed his sword.


    ¡°Fuck off, it¡¯s your whole family that are demons. You don¡¯t allow me to resist against your attempts to murder? What kind of thought process.¡±


    Jiang Molou looked at Yun Xie in shock, as if he couldn¡¯t believe that Yun Xie just killed him like this. However, looking closely, he found that a thick black mist had gradually overflowed from Yunxie¡¯s eyebrows. Thunder sounded from the distant sky, and purple electricity loomed in the thick fog, although it did not strike. Instead, a huge maelstrom suddenly rose up, growing as it spun. Countless faces flashed within, all kinds of wailing and roaring mixing together. Instead, a restless and deathly stillness was achieved, wrapping around Yun Xie.


    ¡°This feeling is¡­ the female enchantress?¡­ No, the female enchantress did not have such great resentment¡­¡±


    Jiang Molou strode forward and shouted angrily, ¡°Yun Xie, what did you do?¡±


    Yun Xie raised his eyes a little and looked at him calmly. In addition to the faint black air between his eyebrows, crimson veins spread up from his neck to his cheeks, eventually converging into blood under his eyes.


    Yun Xie¡¯s expression was blank, as if nothing was happening.


    Jiang Molou was taken aback. After only two steps, he felt a huge pressure pressing on him, stopping him from advancing. The violent wind raged, blowing away the thick fog that had been lingering. The crowds began to discover the movement here, rushing towards the two of them, but they were pushed out by the vortex one after another.


    Someone in the distance said in shock, ¡°That person is¡­ Sect Master Yun? What¡¯s going on? Where is Sect Master Jiang? Where is the devilish energy coming from?¡±


    As the devilish energy grew stronger, the ground shook and a black cloud rolled over Yun Xie¡¯s head. The people with a low cultivation base were already lying on the ground, and even Jiang Molou staggered. However, he had always been stubborn. Seeing that things were not right and that Jiang Xunyi still hadn¡¯t come back even after so long, he could not leave by himself no matter what.


    With his saber was two inches out of its sheath, he used the protection of the sword aura to slowly approach Yun Xie again. Jiang Molou raised his hand and wanted to form a seal. Unexpectedly, the black aura condensed and whipped towards him.


    From the side, a person rushed out and tackled Jiang Molou. The two rolled, avoiding the blow. Jiang Molou looked over at the person who was pressing on him. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re here! Yun Xie has¡­¡±


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s face sank like water, letting go of him and leaping up. ¡°I know!¡±


    After he got broke free from Jiang Yuan just now, he immediately rushed over, and along the way, he could feel the energy bar of the system constantly pulsing and losing energy, but Jiang Xunyi could no longer feel excited at the development because this just meant that the situation was out of control, and the situation on Yun Xie¡¯s side had gotten worse. When he finally arrived, things truly were very serious. Yun Xie did not just lose his mind like the last two times, he was already on the path to complete demonization!


    In just the time Jiang Xunyi and Jiang Molou had briefly spoken, there was a loud bang in the air, and the thunder that had been brewing in the sky for a long time finally smashed down towards Yun Xie.


    Everything was happening too fast. In that moment, no one had time to move. A huge, ghostly head with sharp fangs and cruel eyes appeared above Yun Xie. It opened his mouth towards the sky then swallowed the lightning whole.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart sank, knowing that he was still a step too late. The situation was growing more and more uncontrollable. The dark mist almost completely concealed Yun Xie¡¯s figure. It was impossible to find out what state he was in.


    He and Jiang Molou are already top-notch cultivators, but even after a few tries, it was difficult to even get close, much less find a way to wake him up.


    Jiang Xunyi acted decisively and said to Jiang Molou behind him. ¡°Molou, hurry up and tell everyone to step back as far as possible from here -¡°


    He couldn¡¯t hear the reply, because right at this moment, there was a loud bang. Jiang Xunyi, who was about to turn around, stood up and leapt up, landing on top of a tree beside him. There was a deep hole in the place where he stood just now. Jiang Molou had also avoided the blow at the same time. The ground between the two was quickly occupied by the spreading black fog.


    Jiang Xunyi had narrowly avoided this attack, but his sword had fallen to the ground. Facing the huge ghost head, his slender figure looked exceptionally small. Jiang Molou¡¯s heart jumped, unable to leave. He shouted, ¡°Be careful!¡±


    Jiang Xunyi roared, ¡°Leave! Don¡¯t worry about me ¨C damn, Yun Xie can¡¯t kill anyone else!¡±


    He was unarmed, and he couldn¡¯t withstand the pure demonic energy. Gritting his teeth, he just picked a leaf from the tree beside him, stood against the wind, and played a tune.


    Jiang Xunyi was a traveler from the modern times, and unlike Yun Xie, who was a pure-bred ancient person with natural coquettishness, he couldn¡¯t get used to bringing along a flute and folding fan. However, he had some musical affinity.


    The rhythm played on the leaf was calm and lingering, sending ripples into the open plains, almost intoxicating. In this moment of blood and madness, it seemed that a blue sky had peeked through.


    The black energy faded a bit, and from a distance, Yun Xie seemed to raise his head and glance at Jiang Xunyi.


    The sound of the song gradually turned sad, and Jiang Xunyi slowly closed his eyes, as if he had been immersed in his own world.


    He is by nature tenacious and willing to bear his problems patiently. All his problems had always been firmly repressed in his heart. With the pains and struggles of his life, there had not been true relaxed happiness for a while. But at this moment, with Yun Xie in such a dire situation, Jiang Xunyi was inexplicably able to find through song the valley that was once covered with green grass behind Solar Envy Mountain, the irises blooming, a floral smell emanating from the lapels of a robe, the night wind surrounding him¡­¡­


    I have waited for the end of the snowfall on thousands on mountains, but as the sound of the gavel rings out[2]¡­¡­


    The resentment retreated step by step, but Yun Xie was still standing still, neither stepping forwards nor attacking.


    He did see the appearance of Jiang Xunyi ¨C dignified like the rising sun, serene and alone. He was like white dew gathering before dawn, colored like the moon.


    Yun Xie¡¯s only thought was that Jiang Xunyi was really good-looking. Beauty was accentuated in the eyes of a lover, but it wasn¡¯t only because he liked Jiang Xunyi that he thought so. Instead, it was because Jiang Xunyi was the best-looking person in the world.


    In this life, he was able to accomplish a lot of things that no one else would even dare to dream about, but he only felt the happiest with this person.


    He felt that he had enough of everything, and there was nothing else to desire. The demonic energy from this time was different from the past two times. It didn¡¯t seem to burst from his heart, but merely seemed to graze him externally. One moment, he was conscious, then in the next, he became dazed. All his energy was devoted to barely holding on and retaining control in order to not hurt Jiang Xunyi.


    ¡¾Warning! Warning! Asking the host to immediately stop all actions that affect the protagonist¡¯s wishes.¡¿A drop of cold sweat slipped from Jiang Xunyi¡¯s forehead. The system was obviously already in a state of chaos. It was constantly interfering with his thinking, but the sound was cutting out. If it weren¡¯t for the energy getting used up earlier, the incessant noise would¡¯ve already droven him crazy.


    At this moment, a curse came from behind. ¡°What are you doing?! Are you going to kill Sect Master Yun?¡±


    The voice was vaguely familiar, followed by a whip glowing with green light. It violently shot towards Jiang Xunyi from behind.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t have time to turn his head, follwing the momentum of the whip and flipping directly under the tree. He knelt down on one knee and kept playing.


    However, the black energy that had just been pushed back suddenly soared, Yun Xie¡¯s body moved, and in a flash, he was stanidng next to the person who had attacked Jiang Xunyi. In a flash, the other person¡¯s head flew off his neck, rolling to the ground as blood splashed Yun Xie¡¯s face.


    That person is Ma Bin!


    When Ma Bin was driven away mercilessly by Yun Xie because he offended Jiang Xunyi, the energy value of the system had weakened again because of the loss of someone who should¡¯ve been one of Yun Xie¡¯s younger brothers. Jiang Xunyi noted that Ma Bin was narrow-minded and had a bad temper. He was afraid that he would hate Yun Xie and had even mentioned it earlier, but he didn¡¯t expect that the protagonist¡¯s halo was so dazzling, Ma Bin was still loyal to Yun Xie even until he was killed by him in the end.


    But why did Yun Xie kill him? Is it just because Ma Bin attacked him? Is Yun Xie sober or mad at this moment?


    Suddenly, a very subtle sensation swept across the body, and his eyesight went black. The energy bar flashed again, but this time it had bottomed out, and then¡ª


    Instantly shattered!


    The system finally crashed!

 CH 96.2

    Chapter 96.2 ¨C The End (2)


    The event he spent years waiting for had finally happened, but Jiang Xunyi couldn¡¯t even spare a second to think about it because Yun Xie had already turned to face him. From this distance, the dark air between his eyebrows and his cold expression were all visible. A drop of blood slowly flowed down from the corner of his eyes, making the rest of his face appear paler.


    ¡°Yun Xie? Yun Xie!¡±


    The Kunwu sword was unsheathed.


    Yun Xie¡¯s hands had been bloodied again, and his mind was full of chaos. He slowly raised his sword, but the one he was pointing at wasn¡¯t Jiang Xunyi¡¯s direction, it was someone behind him.


    ¡°I want to kill her.¡±


    He spoke ambiguously and mechanically slow, but Jiang Xunyi heard him clearly. While still staying on his guard against Yun Xie, he quickly glanced back to see who was so unlucky.


    As he turned his head, several possibilities flashed in his head like a movie, but when he finally looked back, it was unexpectedly Wanderer Zihui


    He stood there quietly for a while and felt that he understood Yun Xie¡¯s thoughts. Yun Xie was a man with a good temperament and youthful pride. Besides the fact that he had fallen in love with him, he was almost invincible and had never suffered. At this time, the one he hated even unconsciously turned out to be the person who had hurt Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, but he couldn¡¯t afford to even feel uncomfortable at the moment. Yun Xie had become this way, and after the system collapsed, he was the barrier holding the world in place, and he couldn¡¯t fall now.


    He stood up slowly.


    In this world, kneeling is very simple. You simply bend your knees and fold your body.


    However, it¡¯s really hard to stand up, straighten your back, and hold your head up.


    As if a silver bottle had broken[1], he began to play a note again. The sound suddenly rose, the melody intense, and countless silver-white rays of light rose from the ground to surround Yun Xie in the middle.


    Yun Xie¡¯s wish was not fulfilled, so the black air suddenly lost control and surged desperately. However, the more he struggled, the tighter the bonds formed by the white light became, finally trapping him tightly.


    Yun Xie clenched both of his fists, panting. Trails of moisture slid down his handsome cheeks, either melting snowflakes or dripping sweat.


    He felt very distressed by the sight of Jiang Xunyi arduously working, but although he wanted to control himself, he was powerless. The dark energy was restless, seeming that there would be no stopping without killing Master Zihui. Even with a mind like his, he was caught in a cycle of confusion and soberness. The only thing he remembered was that he must never hurt Jiang Xunyi.


    Jiang Xunyi threw the leaf away and suddenly leaped up. His figure flickered for a moment, then he was in front of Yun Xie, holding his wrist with one hand and grabbing his collar with the other hand. He shoved him back roughly, and the two slammed into the stone wall beside them.


    Jiang Xunyi firmly pushed Yun Xie against the stone, his face pressed so close that they almost seemed to be breathing together.


    Just like the night that he gave him the sword, Yun Xie¡¯s Kunwu sword was between them, separating them.


    The long sword had a spirit, and almost instinctively chose to protect its master, stopping on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t care, staring at Yun Xie¡¯s face. Without looking back, he condensed energy into a blade and sent it behind him, shooting straight through Zihui¡¯s heart. ¡°You want her dead? You don¡¯t need to do it. I will pass retribution on your enemies, and I will shoulder your debts!¡±


    Although, it seemed that the enemy was made for his sake.


    However, between them, what use was discerning who the hatred and debts belonged to? Could it be clearly distinguished?


    The heavy snow fell on their foreheads and their hair, slowly melting into water and slipping along their cheeks. Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyelashes were wet with crystal-like water droplets, and his face like a jade crown. He whispered, ¡°Yun Xie, wake up¡­ wake up!¡±


    Yun Xie wanted to tell Jiang Xunyi that he was not unconscious. His heart had Jiang Xunyi, and there was no way he would let go in case he harmed him. He would never let Jiang Xunyi face everything alone, and he wouldn¡¯t let himself forget him and not see him. However, he had exhausted all his strength and couldn¡¯t project his own voice, so he could only look at Jiang Xunyi almost greedily, at the face that he loved so much.


    Desire was born of love, but with enough love, you can definitely restrain your desire from losing control.


    Jiang Xunyi held Yun Xie¡¯s hand, the blade still on his neck, but he was not afraid. ¡°I know how it feels to be controlled. I know that you aren¡¯t willing to live mindlessly, reduced to a madman manipulated by demon energy. But even so, I still hope you can live, it is only if you live that there is hope¡­


    ¡°It is only that good and evil cannot coexist. I am already half an immortal. If you become a demon and join the sect of Ten Thousand Demons, you¡¯ll be somewhere I cannot reach¡­ I once heard that those killed by the Kunwu Sword will become part of the sword¡¯s guardian sword spirit. I suppose I will have truly kept the promise we made to accompany each other forever. I will walk with you on the road to becoming a devil. Yun Xie, this time, you will never worry again, right?¡±


    He stretched out his hands to embrace Yun Xie. Blood trickled down the blade, and with it, the lingering black energy gradually faded away. Jiang Xunyi did not pay it any mind, instead smiling slightly. ¡°I love you. You may not remember now, but the first time we met¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I remember! As long as it is about you, I will engrave it in my heart, and I will never forget it ever!¡±


    Yun Xie¡¯s tears filled his eyes, and his sword clattered to the ground, the blood in his eyes fading in an instant. Holding Jiang Xunyi, the two slid down the stone wall until they were kneeling down on the ground.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s hand pressed against Yun Xie¡¯s chest. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was shock or joy that he felt, but he couldn¡¯t voice the emotions he felt. ¡°Yun Xie¡­you¡¯re awake!¡±


    Yun Xie trembled and raised one hand, stemming the bleeding from the wound on Jiang Xunyi¡¯s neck. He was almost unable to find the right words to say, and he blurted out, ¡°I was always conscious, but I couldn¡¯t control my body. I hurt you again, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Yun Xie had finally completely overcome the devilish energy. Jiang Xunyi himself got rid of the system¡¯s control. However, he didn¡¯t feel the slightest joy at this moment, only a sour heartache that gradually spread from his chest to his entire body, filling him with sadness.


    They just wanted to be together, to just live well and like normal people, and yet it turned out to be so difficult.


    Jiang Xunyi¡¯s eyes were slightly wet, but his tears stubbornly did not flow. Yun Xie suddenly leaned down and kissed the corner of his eyes.


    Jiang Xunyi didn¡¯t push him away for once, and only closed his eyes slightly. He heard Yun Xie whisper in his ear, ¡°A¡¯Xun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°A¡¯Xun¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°A-.¡±


    ¡°Are you not annoying!¡± The melancholy in Jiang Xunyi¡¯s heart dispersed like ashes, and he flicked him away. ¡°Call your sister[2]!¡±


    Yun Xie laughed, his hand reaching out to pinch his face. ¡°Everything is fine, the world is peaceful. Why are you unhappy?¡±


    ¡°What about you? Are you happy?¡±


    Yun Xie smiled as he replied, ¡°Naturally. I was a little sad just now, but no matter what time, as long as I hear your name, everything is always good.¡±


    He took something out and handed it like a treasure to Jiang Xunyi. ¡°Look.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi saw a cracked jade pendant in his palm. Although it was incomplete, the jade was glossy and clean. It was clear that it was extremely cherished by others.


    ¡°This is my¡­¡±


    Yun Xie said with a smile, ¡°You just asked if I remember our first meeting, right? Look, I will never forget it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi also recalled the first time he saw Yun Xie. At that time, Yun Xie was still young, but his growing attractiveness was already visible. He was dressed in a gorgeous dress, looking like a person trying to be a dog[3], but his mouth made people want to slash him seven or eighteen times with a sword.


    At that time he thought that this person was really annoying.


    Who knew that after getting annoyed and annoyed countlessly, he could get used to it.


    Thinking of this, Jiang Xunyi smiled. Yun Xie continued, ¡°Then¡­ can you repeat the first half of that sentence? I didn¡¯t catch it.¡±


    Jiang Xunyi looked at him deeply, his affection written on his elegant face. ¡°Want to know?¡±


    Yun Xie held his breath and nodded.


    Jiang Xun smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you.¡±


    The author has something to say: Dear friends, as of today, the text of this book is over. There are two extras, and I will continue to update tomorrow.


    This is the first novel that I have truly finished, and without thinking, I wrote this much. Young Master Jiang had constantly fought his fate along this road, trying to find what he really wants. Fortunately, although he has endured a lot, he succeeded.


    He has experienced a lot of pain that others can¡¯t experience, and he has also gained some things that others can¡¯t get in his life.


    As the saying goes, there is no construction without destruction. Yun Xie and his parents represent the future and the past respectively. From the day he was with Yun Yun, there was a painful tug of war in Little Jiang¡¯s mind. Although Little Jiang looks cold, but he is actually very gentle and open-minded in his heart. Regarding this point, Yun Xie is a lot crueler than him.


    Therefore, even though he had been killed by a friend with a sword, Little Jiang did not choose to retaliate against Yunyun when he came back. He had always felt guilty for dragging down his parents when he was sick, so although he feels sad when he knows the truth, he will not resent his parents. At the same time, although his brother¡¯s actions are radical or vicious, it isn¡¯t wrong from Jiang Yu¡¯an¡¯s standpoint. His mind is only focused on Little Jiang, so he can¡¯t blame him, and this is more painful¡ªhe feels aggrieved and angry, but has nowhere to vent.


    But fortunately, he has Yun Yun. No matter when, no matter what happens, he can be sure that there is someone in this world who will stand on his side unconditionally. This is undoubtedly a very happy thing. When Little Jiang can summon the courage to cut off his past and not be disturbed by resentment and unwillingness, then he can truly integrate into this world and have a beautiful future.


    It is conceivable that they will be happy without the meddling of fate. I will also explain it in the extras. I¡¯m ashamed that I don¡¯t know how to write about revenge, but I don¡¯t think Young Master Jiang is someone who would be bitter.


    I long for the type of relationship where no matter how hard and tortuous the path to the relationship was, afterwards, you must trust each other¡¯s feelings unconditionally. I also like that even though the two are independent, you can see in the corners of their eyebrows and the corners of their eyes, in every word and deed that love is beautiful. Thank you Little Jiang and Little Yun for helping me realize this wish.


    You¡¯ve accompanied me through a world built with my own hands. I also hope that everyone, like those taking their college entrance examination, postgraduate entrance examination, students, and workers will get what they want in 2017. Even if the pace is slow for a while, it doesn¡¯t matter. I think as long as you keep walking, there will be a day when you reach the end.


    Haha, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m chattering again, thank you for watching my nonsense until here. My mind is a little confused, if there is something wrong, I apologize in advance, bow deeply, and see you tomorrow, dears.


    [1]ÒøÆ¿Õ§ÆÆ ¨C from a Tang Dynasty poem


    [2]ÄãÃà ¨C the fun and fresh alternative to your mom


    [3]ÈËÄ£¹·Ñù ¨C putting on airs