Liu Zhuang Xian

However, the feeling was unbearable.

He desperately wanted to return to Shu Wuxi’s side, longed to be embraced by him, yearned to listen to his breathing.

Just then, a silhouette appeared faintly, seemingly waving at Lu Xiaochan.

It was Brother Wuxi!

Had he come looking for him?

Lu Xiaochan was overjoyed and rushed forward as the figure drew closer.

Shu Wuxi’s features became increasingly clear, his cold demeanor carrying a hint of gentleness. His eyes slowly lifted, filled with tenderness and… an allure like falling into an abyss.

“Wuxi… Brother Wuxi?”

Shu Wuxi approached Lu Xiaochan. His slowly raising eyelashes stirred Lu Xiaochan’s breath. His expression was enchanting, his lips slightly parted, his fingertip hooked under Lu Xiaochan’s chin.

Lu Xiaochan’s heart began beating faster and faster, and he kept swallowing nervously.

Shu Wuxi turned his face, his eyelids lowered, and holding Lu Xiaochan’s waist, he was about to fall backwards.

Lu Xiaochan’s hands braced against Shu Wuxi’s shoulders. Shu Wuxi’s lips curved into a slight smile, cutting open a wound in Lu Xiaochan’s soul, allowing countless thoughts to flood in uncontrollably.

Lu Xiaochan wanted to completely possess this man, wanted to see him show a bewitched expression, wanted his powerful neck to rise and fall for him.

He gazed at Lu Xiaochan, the coldness in his eyes melting like ripples spreading outward, yet suddenly contracting, as if trying to trap Lu Xiaochan’s soul within.

As Lu Xiaochan lowered his head to kiss him, what flashed through his mind was Shu Wuxi’s silhouette waiting for him under countless cold moonlit nights.

His expression, his breathing… the warmth of his embrace, they weren’t like this!

Lu Xiaochan’s finger sliced across the tip of the Wuhen Sword!

The crimson blood droplet fell onto the sword tip, spiritual energy surged and flowed into the Wuhen Sword. Using this drop of blood’s momentum, the sword formation suddenly expanded!

The shadow of Shu Wuxi beneath him shattered, dispersing like countless specks of dust.

Lu Xiaochan said coldly, “What kind of evil spirit dares to impersonate Shu Wuxi!”

“Hahaha! How interesting! You pine for Lord Yang Cang endlessly, so I made one for you, yet you reject it. Why is that?”

After the dust settled, Lu Xiaochan was startled to find himself surrounded by evil energy. Countless evil spirits drifted about, some showing fierce expressions trying to bite him, but were killed by the sword formation he had just created.

Among the evil spirits, Lu Xiaochan saw a seductively contoured figure. Its gender was indiscernible, yet it was like countless fine threads entangling, wrapping around Lu Xiaochan’s eyes, wrapping into his heart.

Demonic fire inexplicably flickered and burned. Lu Xiaochan’s throat felt terribly dry. In his ears, he seemed to hear Shu Wuxi’s breathing, his soft moans, his gentle sighs.

That figure increasingly resembled Shu Wuxi – his shoulders, his waist, those legs that made Lu Xiaochan envious of their length.

Lu Xiaochan took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his pounding heart.

“Where is this place?”

“You already know the answer in your heart, Lord Liche.”

That cold voice was identical to Shu Wuxi’s, except its trailing tone held a subtle hint of allure, giving the originally emotionless voice a different kind of charm.

Nine thousand li below Chongluan Palace was the entrance to the Demon Capital.

Earlier while chasing on his sword, he must have been lured into the Demon Capital.

“Don’t you like it here? Here, you can do whatever you want with me.”

Lu Xiaochan snorted coldly. “You’re not my Brother Wuxi, what’s the point of doing whatever I want with you?”

“You’re holding yourself too tightly.”

Unconsciously, those fierce evil spirits transformed like smoke.

Each one took on Shu Wuxi’s appearance, vivid and lifelike, with affection in their eyes.

“Aren’t they your Shu Wuxi?”

Lu Xiaochan exhaled, knowing he was in trouble this time.

He didn’t care about fame or fortune, had no killing intent, wasn’t afraid of hunger or pain – he just couldn’t resist Shu Wuxi!

Countless illusions of Shu Wuxi gradually seeped into his sword formation. His heart was unsettled, wavering terribly.

In that instant, the evil energy condensed and rushed straight at Lu Xiaochan’s face.

Lu Xiaochan opened his eyes wide, watching as Shu Wuxi’s illusion came almost to his face, about to kiss his lips!

That wasn’t Shu Wuxi!

In that moment, a sword energy burst forth from within him, crushing and shattering the pressing evil spirits.

The illusion of Shu Wuxi right before his eyes instantly shattered!

Lu Xiaochan drew in a sharp breath – this sword formation was domineering and powerful, with an extraordinary aura!

This was the Heaven’s Palace sword formation formed by Shu Wuxi’s sword intent left in his body, triggered by his thoughts!

But… but why was it still there when Shu Wuxi’s sword intent left before heading to Northern Sea had long dissipated?

And the power of this one was just like it had been released by Shu Wuxi himself?

That condensed evil spirit was blasted away. Lu Xiaochan suddenly awoke – if he had actually let Shu Wuxi’s illusion kiss him then, it would surely have sucked out his elixir core!

His back was soaked with cold sweat.

Lu Xiaochan had never been so terrified before – he had nearly perished here.

“What does it matter if Yang Cang left sword intent for you – it can block for a moment, but not forever!”

The evil energy surged, transforming into overwhelming waves that crashed forward.

This was different from the usual condensed evil clouds. Here in their own territory, the evil spirits had overwhelming power. The sword formation Lu Xiaochan had created with all his might was destroyed by the impact. Countless evil spirits unstoppably entered his elixir sea.

Invisibly, this tremendous force hooked onto his elixir core, trying to drag it out of his body bit by bit.

The Wuhen Sword hummed and vibrated. Lu Xiaochan’s blood vessels reversed flow. He tried to resist with his sword, but his cultivation was gradually dissipating.

He wanted to form a medical spell to purify his elixir core, but the weak medical spell had no effect.

“Stop struggling – I will give you everything you want, just enjoy it peacefully… Lord Liche.”

Everything he wanted?

What was everything he wanted?

His vision blurred, consciousness gradually growing confused.

Something seemed to shatter – was it his elixir core? Or his soul?

He saw that youth again, carrying bottles and jars, secretly searching for something.

Ah, that was none other than himself – the former Lord Liche.

Probably because his elixir core was about to leave his body, everything that had been sealed away flashed through his mind like a lantern show.

If it was inevitable, it would be good to remember what happened over a thousand years ago…

He wanted to know how Shu Wuxi had first had the idea, how his feelings had developed, how he had fallen in love.

He wanted to know if his past self… had cherished him?

His mind felt terribly heavy. He wanted to struggle but rapidly sank! Sank into his blurry memories.

Lu Xiaochan saw himself looking left and right in the long corridor. In Wuyi Jingtian, besides himself who was alive and well, there was only Lord Yang Cang.

Lu Xiaochan, ah, Lu Xiaochan, you must be doing something that couldn’t be discovered by Lord Yang Cang.

Ah, he remembered, he was looking for the Returning to Origin Umbrella.

During that time he felt stifled in Wuyi Jingtian, planning every day how to leave.

He had originally sent many soul-condensed azure birds to find Kunwu, but got no news back. Maybe his soul condensation technique was too poor, and the azure birds dissipated before reaching Tailing Pavilion.

So every day he would shout in front of the Wuyi Sword Sea that if Kunwu didn’t come take him home, he would jump down.

However, Lu Xiaochan had never had the courage to jump into the Wuyi Sword Sea.

–After all, freedom was precious, but life was worth more.

Once he found the Return to Origin Umbrella, he could hide a letter, and then the umbrella would carry this letter, floating over the Wuyi Sword Cold, reaching Tailing Pavilion. Though Kunwu was terrible, he wouldn’t ignore his letter and not come take him home!

Coming to a stone chamber, he first pushed the door, but it didn’t budge at all.

He pouted and said to himself, “There must be a mechanism, right? Where’s the mechanism?”

Lu Xiaochan felt around for a while, finally finding a stone block carved with the ancient spiritual beast Chang Yan. He pressed the stone block but there was no response. He used all his strength but still couldn’t turn it.

“Can’t press it down, can’t turn it… then let’s try pulling it out!”

Lu Xiaochan pulled the stone block outward, and surprisingly the door actually moved open!

He immediately beamed with joy like blooming peach blossoms and darted inside, only to discover this stone chamber contained no treasures at all, but countless soul-condensed azure birds instead.

They had their eyes closed, curled up into balls, quietly perched on the lamp stands.

The more Lu Xiaochan looked at these azure birds, the more familiar they seemed.

He couldn’t help reaching out to poke one, and that little azure bird opened its eyes and began chirping and talking.

“The soup dumplings at Tang’s shop at the foot of Zhuxu Mountain are the most delicious! But you have to be really really careful when eating them! Otherwise you’ll get scalded by the soup inside! Senior brother got scalded! He even said I was a starving ghost reincarnated! He’s the one who is! Hahaha!”

Lu Xiaochan was shocked – wasn’t this what he had said when sending messages to his master via soul-condensed azure birds before?

By rights these azure birds should have long dissipated, why were they still here?

Lu Xiaochan poked each one, and they all spoke in his voice.

All were trivial matters, like what he had eaten, what foolish things he had done that he thought were wise, how Kunwu had mocked him again and so on.

“What are you doing here?” Shu Wuxi’s voice sounded.

Lu Xiaochan turned around, looking at him in surprise.

“Here… why are all these my soul-condensed azure birds here?”

Shu Wuxi lowered his eyes slightly, reached out his hand and lightly touched a little azure bird’s head. Lu Xiaochan immediately felt as if his own head had been patted.

“Before, when your master came to Wuyi Jingtian to watch over me breaking through the third level of the great power, you and Kunwu would send messages by azure bird every day.”

“Yes… but that was several months ago!”

Lu Xiaochan thought, could his soul condensation technique actually be so refined that it wouldn’t dissipate after months?

“After your master left here, you still sent soul-condensed azure birds every day. So I kept them.”

Suddenly, Lu Xiaochan had a somewhat narcissistic thought.

“That…that…you wouldn’t happen to infuse spiritual energy into these azure birds every day to keep them ‘alive’ until now, would you?”

“Without them, no one would talk to me,” Shu Wuxi said.

So Shu Wuxi really had preserved these soul-condensed azure birds.

Lu Xiaochan stepped forward, tilting his head trying to see Shu Wuxi clearly. “You… you keep me here, won’t let me go home, is it just so I’ll talk to you?”

“Mm.” Shu Wuxi’s response was very soft.

“But I’m already here, talking to you every day, why do you still keep these soul-condensed azure birds?”

“Because every time you come talk to me, you’re unhappy, only talking about wanting to go home. But these azure birds talk to me happily.”

Shu Wuxi lowered his eyelids. Though his features were clean-cut and handsome, they seemed emotionless, yet Lu Xiaochan suddenly felt affection.

“That’s because you always ignore me when I talk, we can’t connect!” Lu Xiaochan replied.

Shu Wuxi fell silent and didn’t speak again.

Lu Xiaochan suddenly understood – it wasn’t that Shu Wuxi ignored him, but because he didn’t understand the things Lu Xiaochan liked. The things Lu Xiaochan liked, he had never truly seen or experienced.

Shu Wuxi’s silence didn’t mean he hadn’t listened well.

On the contrary, he had always listened very carefully.

“What are you looking for?” Shu Wuxi asked.

Lu Xiaochan’s heart skipped a beat – how could he dare tell him that he wanted to find the Return to Origin Umbrella to send a message to Kunwu?

If Shu Wuxi knew, even with his expressionless face, he couldn’t hide the desolation in his eyes.

“Looking for treasures! This is Wuyi Jingtian, there must be lots of treasures! And they’re from ancient times too, which makes them even more interesting!” Lu Xiaochan smiled with narrowed eyes.

Shu Wuxi then nodded and said, “The treasures aren’t here, I’ll take you to them.”

Lu Xiaochan immediately followed Shu Wuxi out happily.

The magical artifacts in Wuyi Jingtian weren’t as many as Lu Xiaochan had imagined, but each one was a rare supreme item.

Lu Xiaochan was thoroughly absorbed just studying these artifacts.

And Shu Wuxi was by his side, telling him the functions of these artifacts, then quietly watching him play with them.

Lu Xiaochan would occasionally look up and see Shu Wuxi watching him.

Quietly, faintly, yet also very deep and distant.

Lu Xiaochan put down the artifact in his hand and inched closer to him. His eye sockets were beautiful – at first glance they seemed cold, emotionlessly empty.

But looking like this, as if bewitched, Lu Xiaochan saw countless things in this emotionlessness that wanted to be said but couldn’t be expressed in words, unfathomable, cold to the extreme yet warm.

Lu Xiaochan was drawn in, his fingertip touching Shu Wuxi’s eyelashes.

Shu Wuxi suddenly stepped back, and Lu Xiaochan abruptly came to his senses.

“Sword Master… I didn’t mean to! I didn’t…”

But Shu Wuxi showed no anger, only asking, “What’s wrong with my eyes?”

“They’re beautiful.” Lu Xiaochan lowered his head, not daring to look at him anymore.

“When you see many beautiful things, do you touch them all like this?” Shu Wuxi asked.

Lu Xiaochan immediately shook his head. “Beautiful things are meant to be looked at!”

“Then why did you touch my eyes?” Shu Wuxi asked again.

“I don’t know why…I just really wanted to know if they were real… how they were different from other beautiful things…”

Lu Xiaochan’s voice grew softer and softer. He could hear his heart beating, one beat after another, as if it would break free from his body and jump to a place beyond his control.

“Me too,” Shu Wuxi softly replied.

“What?”

“When I touch you, it’s the same.”

Lu Xiaochan then understood that Shu Wuxi was referring to how he would always lie beside him and touch his hair.

“My hair isn’t as beautiful as your eyes…” Lu Xiaochan lowered his head even more.

His skin had always been thick, but this time he felt embarrassed for no reason until he almost had no face left!

“But you are beautiful. Beautiful when you look at me, beautiful when you’re asleep.”

His heart suddenly sank, falling into endless softness, leaving him at a loss.

So when Shu Wuxi was beside him at night, he wasn’t touching his hair, but him as a person.

Lu Xiaochan hugged his knees and buried his head.

“Xiaochan, what’s wrong?”

Before, hearing him say his name had felt cold and irritating.

But now, just two syllables held endless meaning, making him want to savor them again and again.

Lu Xiaochan didn’t speak, but Shu Wuxi’s finger touched his exposed ear.

“Xiaochan, why are your ears so red?”

Lu Xiaochan kept his head down, not speaking.

Shu Wuxi quickly withdrew his hand.

Lu Xiaochan then understood – Shu Wuxi’s withdrawal wasn’t due to coldness, but an instinctive desire not to be disliked by him. He freed one hand and caught Shu Wuxi’s fingers.

Shu Wuxi’s whole body tensed up, frozen there, not moving, even holding his breath.

Lu Xiaochan suddenly felt how could such a person be cold and boring, he was actually very cute.

Shu Wuxi’s fingers slowly curled, holding his.

All of Lu Xiaochan’s blood seemed to flow between his fingers, his entire soul feeling Shu Wuxi’s palm temperature.

It was very warm, even a bit hot.

Just then, Wuyi Jingtian suddenly began to shake.

Lu Xiaochan heard the Wuyi Sword Sea surging and rolling, as if brewing a world-destroying thunderstorm.

Shu Wuxi suddenly stood up.

“Sword Master, what’s wrong!”

“Someone is trying to take my Wuxi Sword from the Sword-Releasing Stone.”

After speaking, Shu Wuxi turned and left. Lu Xiaochan had only followed half a step when Shu Wuxi turned and pushed him into Wuyi Jingtian’s magical artifact – the Nine Heavens Pure Lotus.

“Xiaochan, the visitor’s cultivation is very high. If you come with me, you’ll be in danger.”

Lu Xiaochan fell into the heart of the Pure Lotus, and its petals immediately closed tightly to protect him.

Lu Xiaochan was extremely anxious, not knowing what was happening outside.

Wuyi Jingtian’s weather suddenly changed. The Dongxu Sword Master had been possessed by the Evil God Chaos, entering Wuyi Jingtian intending to take out the Wuxi Sword that suppressed the Wuyi Sword Sea!

The sect leaders from various sects all came to Wuyi Jingtian. It was said this battle was extremely critical. Many sect leaders were injured by the Dongxu Sword Formation, with many perishing, including Kunwu and Xiaochan’s master, the Medical Lord of Tailing Pavilion.

Even the Sword Master of Beiming perished. (TL: Northern Sea)

And Shu Wuxi displayed Wuyi Jingtian’s strongest sword formation – Question Heaven – for the first time.

When this formation was deployed, the Wuyi Sword Sea entered the formation. Sword energy crisscrossed between heaven and earth, forcing the Evil God Chaos out of the Dongxu Sword Master’s body!

Chaos suffered heavy injuries and fled in panic.

Though the Dongxu Sword Master’s cultivation was profound, after enduring the “Question Heaven” sword formation, his energy was exhausted.

He refused Kunwu’s medical treatment, asking him to preserve his energy. He repented that he had always wanted to compete with Wuyi Jingtian, and his obsession was too deep, which allowed the evil god Chaos to possess his body and elixir core.

The various sects suffered great losses, with major changes in leadership. Kunwu inherited the position of Medical Lord, but still didn’t forget to bring back Lu Xiaochan.

The four direction sword sects were also searching for Evil God Chaos’s whereabouts, wanting to completely destroy it while it was injured and weak.

When Lu Xiaochan finally came out from the Nine Heavens Pure Lotus and saw Shu Wuxi again, he immediately launched a medical spell to fight with him.

But how could he be Shu Wuxi’s match? He was immediately pinned to the ground.

Shu Wuxi pressed one hand on his chest, immobilizing him, while his other hand pressed beside his ear.

He was very close to Lu Xiaochan, so close that Lu Xiaochan could clearly see every emotion that never showed in his eyes.

Shu Wuxi was bewildered – he didn’t understand why Lu Xiaochan was angry.

“Do you know how worried I was about you in the Nine Heavens Pure Lotus! Every moment I was anxious! Afraid that the evil god would eat you!”

Shu Wuxi then pulled Lu Xiaochan up with one arm and pressed him into his embrace.

“That won’t happen. I will protect you.”

He gently patted Lu Xiaochan’s back, pressed against his cheek, and didn’t let go for a long time.

For the first time, Lu Xiaochan discovered that being held by someone was a very special feeling.

It seemed like he was the one being encircled by those arms, but the one truly bound was Shu Wuxi.

He had an urge to burrow into the other’s embrace.

To burrow into his blood and bones, burrow into his deepest places, burrow to a place where he would think of him constantly.

The following days were very peaceful.

When Shu Wuxi meditated, Lu Xiaochan would rest his chin on his hands and watch him.

He would watch for days and nights, never feeling bored, only feeling his heart was full. Being able to watch Shu Wuxi at all times meant the endless time wasn’t wasted.

On Shu Wuxi’s desk sat a row of small jars, where spiritual herbs had already sprouted.

Lu Xiaochan knew that under the pressure of Wuyi Jingtian’s Sword Sea, not a blade of grass could grow.

These spiritual herbs could survive because Shu Wuxi infused spiritual energy to nourish them every day.

Of course, it was just to please him!

Thinking of this, Lu Xiaochan lay on the table grinning foolishly to himself.

Shu Wuxi raised his hand to pat Lu Xiaochan’s head. “What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing, it’s a secret,” Lu Xiaochan said with narrowed eyes.

Several days later, Kunwu and Lord Yuan Zhuhua, Nanli Jingtian’s Sword Master, came to Wuyi Jingtian to request Lu Xiaochan’s return.

Shu Wuxi coldly refused. Kunwu demanded to know why Shu Wuxi wouldn’t return Lu Xiaochan, but Shu Wuxi remained unmoved. When Kunwu tried to force his way in, Shu Wuxi actually used the Sky-Piercing Sword Formation. Fortunately Lord Yuan Zhuhua blocked it, otherwise Kunwu would have lost his life there.

In Shu Wuxi’s meditation chamber, Lu Xiaochan heard Kunwu’s roar.

“Lord Yang Cang – why exactly do you keep my junior brother confined here! You’ve developed an obsession, be careful of following Dongxu Sword Master’s path!”

Lu Xiaochan had a bad premonition. He wanted to leave the meditation chamber to see Kunwu, but found the chamber door was locked tight.

Even using all his spiritual energy, he couldn’t push it open.