Meng Yuandao knew Ye Linshuang’s identity.
He was the Sword Master of Nanli Jingtian!
When Ye Linshuang respectfully addressed Shu Wuxi as senior, it meant Shu Wuxi’s status was even more precious. And since Shu Wuxi had just poured tea for Lu Xiaochan, Meng Yuandao became even more afraid of Lu Xiaochan.
“Immortal Lord… it… it was like this…” Meng Yuandao stammered.
Lu Xiaochan raised his eyebrows, thinking “Not bad at all, I just gave myself the immortal title ‘Lan Meng,’ and people have already stopped calling me ‘Immortal Youth’ and directly started calling me ‘Immortal Lord’!”
“That day when the Chenhuan Cave Master came to cause trouble…”
Lu Xiaochan immediately raised his hand to stop him. “You couldn’t defeat the Chenhuan Cave Master, and he placed death marks from Pengyuan Mountain down to the Meng family! Your concubine was pregnant, and her face was scarred by the Cave Master’s true qi. I know all this! What happened next? Where did these evil spirits come from?”
Lu Xiaochan’s “preface” didn’t leave any face for Meng Yuandao, who was red with embarrassment and could only continue.
“Madam Kang made a fuss every day about the scar on her face, and I was also worried that the Chenhuan Cave Master would return for revenge. So I sent a message by blue bird requesting Nanli Jingtian to send someone to mediate. Unexpectedly, the very next day, an Immortal Lord from Nanli Jingtian arrived!”
Ye Linshuang’s fingers tightened on his teacup, and Lu Xiaochan understood that this “Immortal Lord” must have been the possessed “Lord Lianyue Yuan.”
“The Immortal Lord said there was a way to both heal Madam Kang’s face and improve my cultivation, so the Chenhuan Cave Master wouldn’t be so arrogant…”
“Oh, so the method was to capture all the virgins from Pengyuan Mountain into the Meng family! Cut their wrists to drain their blood! Then use the Soul Refining Cauldron to refine their resentment?”
“No, no, no! Madam Kang was constantly terrified, worried about losing both her face and her life, so she became possessed by evil spirits. Those deceased young women, it was all her… it was all done when she was controlled by evil spirits! She used the cauldron gifted by that Immortal Lord to refine something unknown and ate it! Come to think of it, my unborn child must have had problems because of eating the pills refined in the Soul Refining Cauldron!”
Meng Yuandao immediately began shirking responsibility.
“What about you?” Lu Xiaochan raised his chin.
“I… under that Immortal Lord’s guidance, I became… became possessed… I couldn’t even control myself, and I’m not very clear about what happened afterward…” Meng Yuandao wept, portraying himself as a victim, looking as pitiful as a small cabbage.
Lu Xiaochan found the turbid spiritual energy around him offensive and had no interest in listening further, so he waved his hand dismissively.
“Get out! Get out! Get out! Looking at you makes me want to vomit everything I just ate!”
Meng Yuandao immediately scrambled away.
Lu Xiaochan looked at Shu Wuxi beside him, then glanced at Ye Linshuang sitting further away. They seemed to already understand everything Meng Yuandao had said.
“This story is so boring. Those poor deceased girls. So, Brother Wuxi, these evil spirits weren’t waiting for us on the road, meeting us was completely coincidental?” Lu Xiaochan tugged at Shu Wuxi beside him.
“Yes, that’s right. They just happened to run into us and couldn’t resist trying to seize your elixir core,” Shu Wuxi answered.
“So there’s no Demon Lord here either? I thought we’d encounter someone like Luli, and then watch you refine them, Brother Wuxi! The mastermind here was that Lord Lianyue Yuan, right?”
“Yes,” Shu Wuxi nodded.
The silent Ye Linshuang suddenly stood up and, despite his usual proud demeanor, bowed to Lu Xiaochan.
“I apologize on behalf of Lord Lianyue Yuan. Our Nanli Jingtian will definitely bring Lord Lianyue Yuan back…”
Before Ye Linshuang could finish, Lu Xiaochan waved his hand. “It’s fine! It’s fine! Lord Lianyue Yuan did these things because he became possessed. It wasn’t your doing!”
Ye Linshuang closed his eyes, and Lu Xiaochan could sense the sadness and reluctance beneath his fluctuating spiritual light.
How strange, Lu Xiaochan thought, Lord Lianyue Yuan had trapped Ye Linshuang in the Soul Refining Cauldron, wasn’t that bullying?
How could Ye Linshuang not hold any grudge against Lord Lianyue Yuan despite being wronged?
“I observed Lord Lianyue Yuan’s spiritual energy – it was pure and clear, yet tainted with threads of evil energy. I don’t think they willingly fell into the demonic path! There must be hope for redemption! Once the inner demon is removed, they’ll surely be a good person again!”
Lu Xiaochan didn’t know how else to comfort Ye Linshuang, but he could sense that he didn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of Lord Lianyue Yuan.
“Thank you.”
But Lu Xiaochan still wondered how Lord Lianyue Yuan had fallen to the demonic path.
Shu Wuxi turned to Lu Xiaochan and said, “Are you tired? You barely slept last night.”
“Not tired! Not tired! I don’t want to sleep at all!” Lu Xiaochan rubbed his belly, “I ate so much, I’m stuffed.”
Shu Wuxi wiped away the sesame seeds that had stuck to Lu Xiaochan’s face from eating sesame cakes. “Then go for a walk to help digest.”
After speaking, he placed his hand on Lu Xiaochan’s belly, circulating true qi through his internal organs. Instantly, Lu Xiaochan no longer felt uncomfortably full.
“You two want to have private conversations again, so you’re sending me away! Hmph!”
Lu Xiaochan walked out, thinking that Pengyuan Mountain was already riddled with evil spirits, what was there left to see!
Ye Linshuang looked at Shu Wuxi and asked. “Sword Master, could he be… could he be Lord Liche?”
Shu Wuxi didn’t answer him.
Ye Linshuang understood. “If that’s the case, he must not be left alone. The Demon Capital’s evil forces have long coveted his elixir core…”
Shu Wuxi raised his wrist, and the Immortal-Locking Ribbon faintly appeared. Only then did Ye Linshuang realize that wherever Lu Xiaochan went, he was under Shu Wuxi’s protection.
“Lord Linshuang, do you know what the infant taken by Lord Lianyue Yuan is?”
“If this junior hasn’t guessed wrong, it should be the physical vessel being nurtured by the Demon Capital for the Evil God Chaos. Ordinary vessels, even the possessed Dongxu Sword Master from back then, weren’t truly evil things – even if the Evil God Chaos used them, they wouldn’t be satisfactory.”
“That’s why the demon forces refined the young women’s resentment into pills and gave them to Madam Kang. The fetus in her womb absorbed the evil thoughts and took human form, naturally different from ordinary vessels.”
“It seems the Demon Capital’s evil forces want to release Chaos’s primordial spirit. Sword Master, shouldn’t you return to Wuyi Jingtian soon?” Ye Linshuang asked.
“My sword remains in the Sword-Releasing Stone, guarding Wuyi Jingtian. There’s no need to worry.”
“Earlier, Sword Master said you had questions for me. What questions were they?”
Ye Linshuang looked at Shu Wuxi – since Lu Xiaochan left, his expression hadn’t shown any ripples of emotion.
This was different from the desireless state of Sword Master Miaochen Yuan of Nanli Jingtian. Miaochen Yuan had a compassionate heart and cared for all living beings, but Shu Wuxi was completely empty.
No self, no others.
“Lord Lianyue Yuan didn’t just trap your primordial spirit in the Soul Refining Cauldron… do you hate him?” Shu Wuxi asked.
“No, I don’t,” Ye Linshuang answered.
“But I heard people say, unless it’s someone you love, it would be a great humiliation,” Shu Wuxi looked at Ye Linshuang.
Ye Linshuang suddenly remembered, over 1,300 years ago, when he followed his master to Wuyi Jingtian.
At that time, Miaochen wasn’t yet the Sword Master of Nanli Jingtian, but rather the disciple of Zhuhua, the master of both Miaochen and Lianyue.
Supreme Lord Zhuhua’s visit to Wuyi Jingtian wasn’t to discuss how to resist Evil God Chaos, but rather at Tailing Pavilion’s request to mediate a dispute between the two sides.
This dispute arose because Sword Master Yang Cang had imprisoned Kunwu’s junior brother, Liche.
Everyone said Yang Cang was hollow inside, without any emotions or even compassion.
Such a person couldn’t possibly be angered, and Liche, with only 600 years of cultivation, couldn’t possibly have offended Yang Cang.
Yang Cang avoided meeting Supreme Lord Zhuhua, so Zhuhua waited there until Lord Liche escaped by himself.
This escape led to major consequences.
Yang Cang, who had never left Wuyi Jingtian, chased all the way to Tailing Pavilion, and when he couldn’t find the person, almost cost Kunwu his life.
At this moment, the Dongxu Sword Master, possessed by Evil God Chaos, took the opportunity to ascend Wuyi Jingtian to take the Wuxi Sword from the Sword-Releasing Stone. As the Sword Sea trembled, various sect leaders rushed up to stop the Dongxu Sword Master.
Kunwu said to Yang Cang – if the Sword Sea fell to the mortal realm, Liche would also perish along with all living beings.
Only then did Yang Cang return to Wuyi Jingtian and participate in that battle between immortals and demons.
Seeing Shu Wuxi’s question now, Ye Linshuang could guess that back then, Sword Master Yang Cang must have desired Lord Liche but couldn’t have him.
If this obsession wasn’t resolved, the Sword Master would become possessed, and the world would be invaded.
Ye Linshuang answered. “Sword Master, you should ask this junior a different question.”
“What question?”
“Did Lord Liche sacrifice himself for all living beings, or just for one person?”
Shu Wuxi remained silent.
Ye Linshuang turned around, looking at the bright clear sky, and said, “I don’t hate him. In the Soul Refining Cauldron, I asked him – Martial Uncle, why did you fall to the demonic path?”
“How did Lord Lianyue Yuan answer?”
“He didn’t. But I really want the answer. So asking this junior your question is useless. You should ask that Immortal Lord Lan Meng instead.”
At this moment, Lu Xiaochan was squatting under a tree with Meng Ningsheng, a dried foxtail grass between his teeth.
“Hey, Meng Ningsheng! Do you know about Lord Lianyue Yuan?”
Lu Xiaochan bit down on the grass, causing it to flip up and brush against Meng Ningsheng’s face.
Meng Ningsheng sneezed, and Lu Xiaochan disgustedly scooted away a bit.
“Who in the mystical world doesn’t know about Lord Lianyue Yuan!”
“Then tell me quickly! I want to know!”
“Lord Lianyue Yuan and the current Sword Master Miaochen Yuan of Nanli Jingtian are twins. Except for their different genders, they look identical, but their personalities are completely different. Lord Miaochen Yuan is steady and magnanimous, while Lord Lianyue Yuan was somewhat libertine. Among all the beautiful people under Nanli Jingtian, basically everyone had some sort of…”
“I know, either a brief romance or intimate encounters!”
As Lu Xiaochan spoke, the foxtail grass swayed, and Meng Ningsheng kept dodging. Just as he moved away, Lu Xiaochan would huff, forcing him to move back.
“This Lord Lianyue Yuan only appeared libertine, but their heart was pure,” Lu Xiaochan added.
“How do you know?”
“I can tell from their spiritual energy. Eh… there’s no point explaining this to you, you don’t have the wisdom eyes to see their energy.”
Lu Xiaochan gestured for Meng Ningsheng to continue the story.
“Regardless, Lord Lianyue Yuan’s cultivation was very high. Before the great immortal-demon war, Evil God Chaos first infiltrated not Dongxu Jingtian, but Nanli Jingtian! The then-Sword Master Supreme Lord Zhuhua almost had their elixir core stolen. When Evil God Chaos fled Nanli Jingtian, Lord Lianyue Yuan pursued them on sword for forty-nine days! Think about it, could an ordinary person chase Chaos for forty-nine days?”
Lu Xiaochan paused – no wonder Lord Lianyue Yuan’s sword could block Shu Wuxi today, this person was incredibly powerful!
“Then what happened? Don’t pause for breath, can’t you tell it all at once?” Lu Xiaochan wanted to hit Meng Ningsheng.
“After Lord Lianyue Yuan returned to Nanli Jingtian, they became possessed. Some say they were tempted into evil desires while pursuing Evil God Chaos, others say their primordial spirit was burned by Chaos’s karmic fire during those forty-nine days… there are all sorts of theories, who knows which is true and which is false!”
“What about Lord Linshuang? What’s their relationship with Lord Lianyue Yuan?”
“Mastial uncle and disciple…”
“That’s all?”
Lu Xiaochan didn’t believe it. If they were just ordinary martial uncle and disciple, why would Lord Lianyue Yuan specifically trap Ye Linshuang in the Soul Refining Cauldron?
If Ye Linshuang was allowed to live, with their cultivation and insight, they might one day become Lord Lianyue Yuan’s enemy.
Meng Ningsheng coughed once, and Lu Xiaochan turned to see Ye Linshuang standing behind him with sword in hand.
Lu Xiaochan had no intention of staying quiet, and while maintaining his squatting position, tilted his head up to ask. “Just because Lord Lianyue Yuan still considered you their disciple, they spared your life? I don’t believe someone who’s become possessed would still care about past relationships.”
Ye Linshuang knelt on one knee before Lu Xiaochan and answered. “Whether Martial Uncle Lianyue spared me because of our sect ties, I don’t know. But if they wanted my life, they could have taken it without issue.”
“Why? Do you respect them that much?”
“I was born in the extremely cold Northern Sea. When I was young, I almost became a sacrifice for Evil God Chaos. I thought my primordial spirit would surely perish, but unexpectedly, the aurora in the sky was drawn into a sword formation, and all the evil spirits binding me were refined away. I had never seen such beautiful aurora in my life. Later, someone told me that the person who used the aurora in the formation was the Sword Master of Nanli Jingtian, Lord Lianyue Yuan.”
Lu Xiaochan was stunned.
So initially, Lord Lianyue Yuan should have been Supreme Lord Zhuhua’s successor?
If not for that day when they became possessed while pursuing Chaos, perhaps today’s Sword Master of Nanli Jingtian would be Lianyue instead of Miaochen?
Lu Xiaochan could imagine Ye Linshuang looking up at the aurora in the ice and snow, in the midst of darkness.
“For exactly one hundred years, I stayed in that place, from Northern Sea… gazing toward Nanli.”
So, even if Lord Lianyue Yuan fell to the demonic path and was despised by the world, Ye Linshuang would always wait for them.
Just like how he had gazed toward Nanli during those hundred years of cold nights in Northern Sea.
“They will return,” Lu Xiaochan said.
“Thank you,” Ye Linshuang stood up, “I’ve come to bid farewell to Lord Lan Meng.”
“Are you returning to Nanli Jingtian to report?”
“Yes. Until we meet again.”
With that, Ye Linshuang departed on his sword, graceful as the wind, quickly disappearing from sight.
Meanwhile, Shu Wuxi remained seated at the table, letting the sun set in the west.
After bidding farewell to Ye Linshuang, Lu Xiaochan wandered aimlessly around Pengyuan Mountain until he reached the back mountain. Due to his blindness, he lost his way.
Thinking about how Shu Wuxi had sent him away to have some private conversation with Ye Linshuang, Lu Xiaochan felt annoyed. He deliberately leaned against a boulder, picked some dried grass nearby, and started weaving cricket cages to pass time.
He wouldn’t tug on the Immortal-Locking Ribbon – he would just wait for Shu Wuxi to come find him.
Soon after, night fell, and Lu Xiaochan heard some rustling sounds – not insects, not rats.
What was it?
It sounded like two people’s heartbeats.
Lu Xiaochan slowly turned around, peering from behind the boulder – it was a man and a woman.
Lu Xiaochan didn’t recognize the woman. Her spiritual light was faint – she probably hadn’t formed her elixir core yet.
The man… seemed to be the Second Junior Brother from the Meng family?
What were they about to do?
The two embraced, and the man seemed to be undoing the woman’s collar.
“Senior Brother…we shouldn’t…it’s pitch dark here… what if there are evil spirits about?”
“There won’t be! Don’t worry! The Sword Master of Nanli Jingtian eliminated the evil spirits – they’re a hundred times more powerful than our master! Let your Senior Brother kiss you! I’ve been pent up for so long dealing with evil spirits, let me hold you quickly!”
“Senior Brother, if Fourth Senior Sister finds out, she’ll definitely whip me to death!”
“That shrew, just like the First Madam, knows nothing but scolding! Always criticizing me for being useless! Just wait, tomorrow I’ll tell Master I want to marry you too, that’ll anger her to death!”
Lu Xiaochan almost hiccupped – so it was because the main wife was fierce that he didn’t dare do things in the bedroom, and came to the back mountain to meet his lover!
This guy was too despicable, only thinking about his own pleasure – the back mountain was desolate, how could he treat his junior sister like this?
That fellow was too impatient, Lu Xiaochan couldn’t bear to watch.
His junior sister must truly love him, not minding the lack of status, embracing him, kissing passionately.
“In the desolate mountain and withered forest… is this some kind of wild pleasure?”
Lu Xiaochan moistened his lips, stretching his head out further.
Unexpectedly, the Immortal-Locking Ribbon on his wrist tightened, pulling him backward into someone’s embrace.
Looking up, Lu Xiaochan saw Shu Wuxi’s cold, stern face.
“I opened your wisdom eyes, not for you to see these things.”
His voice was deep, and his hand on Lu Xiaochan’s waist felt like it could snap his bones.
Lu Xiaochan’s heart suddenly sank.
Oh my, this is not good, not good!
But then he thought, Shu Wuxi shouldn’t have any concept of “don’t look at improper things” in his mind, as propriety had no meaning to him.
If he saw it, he saw it, so why was he angry?
Oh—Lu Xiaochan understood, it must be because he was enjoying watching by himself without sharing with him?
Fortunately, those two people were too lost in the moment to hear Shu Wuxi’s voice.
Lu Xiaochan put his index finger to his lips, making a gesture for silence, then pulled Shu Wuxi down.
Unexpectedly, Shu Wuxi didn’t cooperate at all and didn’t move.
Standing there so conspicuously, was he waiting for those two people to discover them?
Lu Xiaochan widened his eyes and pulled harder, and Shu Wuxi finally lowered himself.
He had one hand on the rock and the other held by Lu Xiaochan, effectively embracing Lu Xiaochan from behind.
Lu Xiaochan’s ear was right against Shu Wuxi’s cheek, and as he watched and listened intently, his ear tips twitched, making Shu Wuxi’s shoulders tense up. Lu Xiaochan leaned to his ear and whispered. “This is also part of life’s variety, let’s watch… let’s watch…”
His breath fell on Shu Wuxi’s ear and neck hollow, and the hand that Lu Xiaochan had been holding now gripped his waist instead.
Lu Xiaochan inexplicably felt a bit hot, tugged at his collar, then said. “Why is he biting her? Hiss! Doesn’t that hurt? Isn’t that bad for the body?”
“Xiaochan, they can’t hear you talking.”
Meaning there was no need to whisper, they could speak openly!
“What? What immortal method did you use again? You must teach me later!” Lu Xiaochan showed a friendly expression and patted Shu Wuxi’s back with the back of his hand.
“You don’t like these things,” Shu Wuxi said.
“What? I don’t like it? How is that possible…although I haven’t experienced it myself, but back in Lushu Town, Xiao Erge told me—all men like it!”
“You will cry,” Shu Wuxi said again.
His voice was cold yet somewhat hoarse, as if a fire was burning in his throat, burning it dry and painful.
“You’re the one who’ll cry.” Lu Xiaochan tilted his head, suddenly thought of something and said with a mischievous smile, “How could I forget, Brother Wuxi, you’re a man too. Xiao Erge said ‘all men like it,’ so do you like it or not?”
“I like it. But you don’t like it.”
Lu Xiaochan then realized that from beginning to end, Shu Wuxi hadn’t looked at those two people at all, but had been looking at him instead.
“How… how do you know I don’t like it!” Lu Xiaochan elbowed Shu Wuxi, but he was still held tightly in Shu Wuxi’s embrace, and the embrace kept getting tighter.
Lu Xiaochan suddenly couldn’t focus on watching anymore, all he could feel was Shu Wuxi’s breathing, the strength of his embrace, and was he still looking at him?
“Xiaochan, they’ve already left, what are you still watching?” Shu Wuxi’s voice spoke up.
That cool voice carried a heat that seemed like it could set Lu Xiaochan’s blood on fire.
Lu Xiaochan then realized that the senior brother and sister pair had long finished their business, and he had been crouching behind the rock for so long that his legs should have gone numb, but he noticed he hadn’t used any strength at all.
Because Shu Wuxi’s arm around his waist had been supporting all his weight the entire time.
“I… I was savoring the moment!” Lu Xiaochan pushed against Shu Wuxi, but couldn’t move him.
“Let’s go back. I had the Meng family prepare hot water for your bath.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Lu Xiaochan quickly stood up and started walking in a random direction with large strides.
Shu Wuxi pulled him back.
“Not that way.”
“Then why didn’t you say so earlier!”
Hmph! You must have known I was lost before, yet you took so long to come find me!
Shu Wuxi led him along, while Lu Xiaochan walked with his head down.
He thought about how Shu Wuxi was holding his hand right now, and remembered how when he first gained his wisdom eyes, he always loved to stare at and study Shu Wuxi’s hands. Now with his heart wavering, Lu Xiaochan couldn’t help but brush his fingers against the back of Shu Wuxi’s hand.
Hmm, it felt really nice.
