Chapter 17#
Chapter 17#
Xue Jingci was not a person without a heart.
The teachings his Granny gave him before her death had always remained in his heart. Thus, he always wanted to understand the human heart better, filled with an infinite desire for exploration.
But in the System’s view, this was not necessarily a good thing.
Seeing Xue Jingci treat Xiao Xun better and better, the System couldn’t help but remind him: “Don’t forget the incident with Xie Zheng and fall into the same pit again.”
Xue Jingci remained silent and did not answer, only shaking his head.
Regarding this second time taking a disciple, compared to the tragic lesson of the past, he had actually reflected for a long time in his heart.
When he first arrived, he didn’t understand the rules of this world. He was both a teacher and a friend to Xie Zheng. Although he taught him many things, in daily life, he was more like the one being taken care of. Therefore, it was natural that Xie Zheng didn’t feel he was a qualified master and didn’t truly acknowledge him in his heart.
Therefore, this time, when facing Xiao Xun, Xue Jingci no longer casually waived the many rules between master and disciple, allowing the other to be respectful toward him and not dare to overstep.
He thought that by finally putting on the airs of a master this time, he would surely inspire awe and respect in Xiao Xun.
Little did he know that what Xiao Xun admired most in his past life was precisely this cold and inviolable appearance of his.
The more indifferent he was, the more Xiao Xun felt that this was the master he was familiar with, and an obsession born from regaining something lost welled up in his heart.
With a command, Xue Jingci led Xiao Xun toward the martial arts arena.
Now that the assessment had ended, there were fewer people at the arena, but there were still many familiar faces, Lin Heng being one of them.
Seeing Xue Jingci’s figure, Lin Heng wanted nothing more than to turn and run.
Lin Su grabbed his cowardly cousin by the collar and looked at Xue Jingci, saying, “You’ve come at the right time. Since you were beaten into a state of fear by him that day, beat him back today. Otherwise, your inner demon will be hard to dispel, which is detrimental to your cultivation.”
“Cousin, there’s no need!”
Lin Heng showed a look of difficulty, but his back was heavily pushed by Lin Su, making him stumble forward a few steps and block Xue Jingci’s path.
Thinking he was looking for trouble again, Xue Jingci’s gaze instantly turned sharp.
Xiao Xun said softly, “You watch from the side; I’ll go meet him.”
Xue Jingci knew Lin Heng’s strength, so he felt at ease letting Xiao Xun go and sat on the outer steps to watch the match.
Seeing Xue Jingci walk away, Lin Heng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Xiao Xun: “I don’t bully a cripple. Xue Jingci is watching; don’t you…”
Before he could finish, Lin Su gave a loud shout: “He’s just a disciple who just entered the mountain gate. If you’re afraid even of a sparring match, watch out or I’ll beat you when we get back!”
Lin Heng was in a dilemma. Seeing Xiao Xun had already stepped onto the platform, he had no choice but to follow gloomily.
The two stepped onto the platform one after the other. In just a few moments, they exchanged more than a dozen moves. Sword qi crisscrossed, as white and sharp as snow.
After the dust settled, everyone saw Lin Heng sitting on the ground in a mess—he had lost completely!
Xiao Xun turned and jumped off the platform, walking toward Xue Jingci and asking with a smile, “I didn’t lose face for you this time, did I?”
Xue Jingci sensed his happiness. First, he gave a faint praise of “not bad,” and then said directly, “Lin Heng’s state was off today; he only displayed thirty or forty percent of his power. You are prone to underestimating your enemy; you still need to be careful when facing him in the future.”
Xiao Xun nodded in agreement.
“Cousin!”
Lin Su was stunned for a moment and quickly jumped onto the platform, picking up his useless younger brother.
“What exactly happened to you? Xiao Xun’s sword style was soft and weak, he only won through clever tricks. He’s absolutely no match for you. What the hell are you afraid of!”
Lin Su was an upright person and never spoke behind people’s backs, so this critique fell entirely into Xiao Xun’s ears.
Hearing these blunt words, Xiao Xun avoided Xue Jingci’s gaze. His smile vanished, and a strange coldness appeared in his eyes.
Lin Heng’s face was pale, and he whispered in defense, “His swordsmanship actually had shadows of Xue Jingci in it. I panicked for a moment…”
Hearing this, Xiao Xun froze. The coldness in his eyes vanished completely in an instant, and a warm, gentle smile appeared on his face.
“Just because of that?”
Lin Su was dumbfounded and slapped him on the back of the head. He hadn’t expected Lin Heng to be afraid of Xue Jingci to such an extent.
Full of frustration at his brother’s failure, he tossed Lin Heng off the platform, turned to Xue Jingci and said, “Do you dare to fight me again?”
Xue Jingci was not interested and shook his head: “No.”
Having said that, he led Xiao Xun away, leaving Lin Su fuming in place.
The two walked down the mountain steps, but it wasn’t the way back to their residence. Xiao Xun recognized it was the direction of the inner sect, but he still asked, “Master, where are we going?”
“To the inner sect’s Medicine Peak.”
Xue Jingci glanced at Xiao Xun’s arm: “The weather has changed these past few days. Does your right hand often hurt?”
Xiao Xun hadn’t expected that he had hidden it so well, yet it was still discovered by Xue Jingci. An indescribable warmth welled up in his heart.
He nodded gently: “Perhaps I strained my muscles and bones while practicing the sword. It’s no matter.”
“A hand that holds a sword cannot be treated carelessly.”
Xue Jingci said faintly, “It’s a rare day for the Medicine Peak to hold consultations. It’s better to go and take a look.”
Xiao Xun followed obediently and didn’t refuse further.
When they reached the inner sect territory, Xue Jingci unexpectedly encountered someone—it was the young disciple who had been on duty outside Xie Zheng’s house previously.
When their eyes met, the young disciple’s expression was awkward, not knowing whether to advance or retreat.
Xue Jingci, however, walked over naturally, bowed respectfully, and then took an umbrella from his storage bag: “Thank you for Senior Brother Jiang’s umbrella last time.”
“You’re welcome; it’s just an umbrella.”
Although Jiang Chengyi was young, his seniority was much higher than Xue Jingci’s. Hearing him respectfully call him Senior Brother, he wasn’t quite used to it and couldn’t help asking, “You’re coming to the inner sect this time… it couldn’t be that you’re still…”
Xue Jingci interrupted him: “I’m just going to the Medicine Peak to treat an injury. I’ll take my leave now.”
Jiang Chengyi couldn’t help but size up Xiao Xun. Seeing him stuck to Xue Jingci’s side and not leaving for a second, he was momentarily stunned.
Once he came to his senses, he remembered that Senior Brother Xie Zheng was also going to the Medicine Peak to pick up medicine today!
The Medicine Peak was located in a valley where the temperature was warmer. Tall trees towered, blotting out the sun. Many spiritual herbs were planted there. Things that outsiders could not obtain were just a piece of grass by the road in a great sect.
Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the leaves onto the half-rolled bamboo curtains. The air was filled with the fragrance of medicine, calming the mind.
The elder on duty examined Xiao Xun’s arm and said, “There are many old injuries on your hand, and your meridians are stagnant. I will use needles to clear them for you today and then prescribe some medicinal soup.”
Xue Jingci didn’t stay to watch the medical practitioner use the needles. He went straight out with the prescription to get the medicine.
When he reached the pharmacy and heard the staggering price, he was momentarily stunned.
The medicinal soup for clearing meridians actually cost three high-grade spirit stones.
Seeing Xue Jingci wearing the clothes of an outer sect disciple, the pharmacy disciple assumed his funds were not abundant and said thoughtfully, “There are several herbs in this medicinal soup that are five hundred years old. They can be replaced with hundred-year-old ones. That way, it will only cost one high-grade spirit stone, and the efficacy won’t be much different.”
Xue Jingci shook his head: “No need to change. Please gather the medicine for me, Senior Brother. I need to return to the outer sect to get the spirit stones. I will surely return before sunset.”
After saying that, he turned to go back to where Xiao Xun was receiving the needle treatment, intending to tell him.
The pharmacy disciple agreed. Just as he was about to sort the herbs, he suddenly saw a person and a tiger standing outside the pharmacy.
A look of excitement immediately appeared on his face as he stepped forward respectfully and said, “Senior Brother Xie, why have you come in person today?”
Xie Zheng withdrew his gaze and responded, “In passing.”
“The pills and decoctions you wanted last time have all been prepared. It comes to a total of three hundred high-grade spirit stones.”
Xie Zheng nonchalantly untied his storage bag and handed over a bag of high-grade spirit stones, asking, “The person just now—what medicine did he buy? Why could the ingredients be replaced at will?”
His tone was distant and indifferent, as if he were just asking casually.
The pharmacy disciple said, “It’s the Five Spirits Qi-Moving Soup. Normally, it costs three high-grade spirit stones to gather the medicine. But that person didn’t look like he had much money, so I took the initiative to ask him if he wanted to switch to herbs of lower age, which would only cost one.”
During the conversation, the pharmacy disciple had already brought out all the items Xie Zheng needed. After counting the spirit stones, he asked, “Senior Brother Xie, the pharmacy has recently received many thousand-year-old herbs. Should I replace yours? It would only cost an extra hundred high-grade spirit stones.”
Xie Zheng was silent for a moment and said, “No need.”
He took his things and, after leaving the pharmacy, walked along the road toward the consultation area.
From a distance, he saw Xue Jingci talking to a young disciple.
Xie Zheng remained still, waiting until a long time after Xue Jingci had left before walking toward Xiao Xun.
Hearing footsteps, Xiao Xun looked up and smiled faintly: “Master, why did you return so soon…”
When he saw clearly who it was, he was stunned for a moment. He respectfully performed an outer sect disciple bow and said, “Outer sect disciple Xiao Xun greetings to Senior Brother Xie.”
“Master?”
Xie Zheng’s gaze fell on Xiao Xun as he asked scrutinizingly, “You know me? Did Xue Jingci tell you?”
Xiao Xun looked up with a faint smile and shook his head: “Who in the Upper Realm doesn’t know that Senior Brother Xie Zheng is the savior pointed to by the prophecy.”
Xie Zheng’s face was unpleasant: “Xue Jingci took another disciple?”
Xiao Xun smiled but didn’t speak.
Xie Zheng stopped beating around the bush and said directly, “You’ve just entered the sect and probably don’t know much. I will only warn you once: stay far away from Xue Jingci. Otherwise, you won’t even know how you died in the future.”
Xiao Xun lowered his head slightly, his face buried in the shadows of the leaves, making it impossible for anyone to see his expression.
Only when he sensed Xie Zheng was about to leave did Xiao Xun look up again and say softly, “Senior Brother.”
Hearing him call him “Senior Brother,” Xie Zheng immediately turned around and stared fixedly at him. He released his full aura, and the tiger beside him snarled and growled.
Xiao Xun ignored it as if he were completely unaware of the pressure. He reached out and lightly caught a falling leaf, chuckling, “Someone like you, Senior Brother, may never understand that some things must be held tightly in one’s hand.”
“The moment you accidentally let go… you will never see them again in this life or the next.”
Xiao Xun’s hand loosened slightly.
A cold wind blew, and the falling leaf in his hand was swept up, spinning as it flew into the sea of clouds, instantly vanishing without a trace.
Xie Zheng looked at the aura on Xiao Xun that was completely inconsistent with his age and cultivation, and he became alert in his heart, though it didn’t show on his face at all.
After the two stared at each other for a long time, Xie Zheng scolded, “Stubborn and incorrigible.”
After saying that, he turned and left. No one knew that his hand in his sleeve was tightly clutching a blood-colored jade pendant, his mind unsettled.
This jade pendant was as red as fire and very finely carved—it was the very one Xue Jingci had returned to him.
But after many years, many cracks had appeared on the jade pendant, as if it would shatter at any moment.
Not long after he left, Xue Jingci suddenly stepped out from the shadows of the trees. He walked closer to size up Xiao Xun and asked, “What did Xie Zheng say to you just now?”
Xie Zheng’s cultivation was high now, and he couldn’t hear clearly what the two were talking about, so he couldn’t help but be confused.
Xiao Xun gave a light snort, a look of anger appearing in his eyes: “That Xie Zheng, for some reason, actually came to speak ill of you, telling me to stay away from you, otherwise I wouldn’t know how I died.”
“I refuted him immediately. Although he has a high status and I shouldn’t offend a person of high rank, you are the teacher who instructs me. How could I let anyone treat you with such disdain!”
Seeing Xue Jingci remain silent, Xiao Xun carefully observed his expression and said with a smile, “I think he must be jealous of your outstanding appearance and exceptional talent, worrying that you will steal his thunder in the future. The Xie Zheng everyone praises seems to be just like this.”
Xue Jingci didn’t speak, but the corners of his lips curved up slightly: “Let’s go, time to return.”
Xiao Xun, seeing that he wasn’t sad, felt relieved. He took the medicine bundle from his hand and followed quietly behind.
The two returned to their residence together. Xue Jingci brewed the medicinal soup and had Xiao Xun drink it, instructing him to rest well. He also went back to his room to rest, showing no abnormality at all.
However, in the middle of the night, he suddenly sat up and shook the System awake.
The little kitten was half-asleep. Just as it opened its eyes, it was picked up by Xue Jingci and gently shaken, and its head was lightly poked.
Xue Jingci’s tone was wrong; it actually carried a bit of annoyance.
“Why should I hide?”
The System hadn’t yet come back to its senses from its dream: “Ah? What…”
Xue Jingci shook it forcefully: “Open the store; I want to exchange for items!”
The dazed kitten opened the store for him. Xue Jingci directly placed an order for an invisibility talisman, jumped out the window, and headed straight for Xie Zheng’s courtyard.
Xie Zheng lived in a three-entry courtyard, with arrays set up at each layer. Normally, not even a bird could fly in.
Even Xue Jingci had spent three years researching before finding a way to break through.
The day he broke off with Xie Zheng, he had hinted that he could come secretly. Who would have thought this man would be so ungrateful and now dare to provoke him and cause trouble in front of his mission target.
Xue Jingci’s reaction was slow; it was only in the middle of the night that he felt he couldn’t let it go.
Xie Zheng had just finished practicing with his blade and was about to return to his room to rest when he suddenly noticed someone sitting on the wall. His heart instantly surged with waves of shock.
He drew his blade and gathered power to strike, but froze when he saw the figure.
The night wind brushed across the person’s face, and moonlight covered his whole body. Xie Zheng had remembered this cold and holy face for ten whole years; there was no way he could ever forget it.
It was Xue Jingci.
Xie Zheng was like someone pinned to the ground; his entire blood seemed to freeze.
He never expected that with Xue Jingci’s cultivation, he could bypass all the arrays and sneak into his courtyard silently!
Xue Jingci stared at him quietly, as if looking at a stone: “I have not looked for trouble with you, and I have never spoken ill of you. After all, we were once master and disciple; why make things so unpleasant?”
Xie Zheng was momentarily speechless. Xue Jingci threatened coldly, “Stay away from my disciple. I’m returning those words to you as they are. From now on, I will only treat you as a dead person. Don’t come looking for me.”
The white tiger on the ground growled fiercely, and the little kitten also poked its head out with an air of superiority, tossing a dead mouse into the courtyard and looking over coldly, actually looking even more arrogant than the tiger.
After saying that, Xue Jingci picked up the cat and flew off into the moonlight.
Xie Zheng’s face changed instantly, and he immediately chased after to stop him: “How did you break in? Explain clearly.”
Xue Jingci turned to look at him: “You want to fight me?”
A look of wariness appeared in Xie Zheng’s eyes as he looked at Xue Jingci and said, “Do you truly think that your actions are flawless and no one knows about your filthy deeds?”
His tone contained a hint of warning: “If you still want to stay in the Lingxu Sect, you’d better cripple that evil skill of yours as soon as possible.”
Xue Jingci simply couldn’t be bothered with what he was saying. A killing intent that was almost tangible appeared in his eyes as he directly drew his sword and attacked Xie Zheng.
The spiritual energy around him surged to the extreme, and a phantom figure faintly appeared.
Xie Zheng was horrified.
He had never seen such a manifestation (Dharma image)!
The System sensed the devouring power leaking from Xue Jingci and quickly reminded him, “Host, your power is incompatible with the power system of this world. Using it by force will cause the world to collapse. Don’t be angry, don’t be angry!”
The killing intent in Xue Jingci’s eyes gradually vanished, and the Dharma image behind him also turned to ash.
He wiped his sword and turned to leave.
A duty disciple noticed the commotion here, chased after them with a lantern, and asked, “Senior Brother Xie, what happened? Could a demonic cultivator have invaded?”
Over these years, demonic cultivators had always been active, and now they were actually bold enough to intrude into the Lingxu Sect at night!
Xie Zheng lowered his head, his hard profile hidden in the darkness. Only after a long time did he say, “It’s nothing. I just couldn’t hold back my power while practicing my blade just now, which caused the noise.”
After everyone had left, Xie Zheng looked up at the endless towering mountain peaks in the night, his hand tightly clutching the jade pendant, his knuckles pale.
Xue Jingci felt satisfied. He finally felt sleepy and returned to his residence holding the little kitten.
Just as he was about to push open the window, the System teased him, “You still talk about me, aren’t you also being led astray by that brat?”
Xue Jingci’s finger paused, and he turned to go to the door.
However, before he could take two steps, his entire body tensed. In an instant, his cold sword was out of its scabbard and flew toward the bed.
“Who!”
Only then did the System see a figure sitting on the bed.
The sword light was cold, instantly splitting into several white lights to surround and trap the person.
Only when he saw the person’s face clearly did Xue Jingci retract his sword. He walked closer and asked, “Xiao Xun? Why aren’t you sleeping yet?”
Xiao Xun lowered his head. Hearing this, he slowly looked at him and reached out to grab his wrist, looking completely different from usual.
Only after a long time did Xue Jingci see him open his mouth, his tone gentle.
“Where did Master go just now?”