Chapter 35#

Chapter Thirty-Five#

If he had believed Pei Huang and drunk this wine, he might have fallen into the demon race’s trap.

Even if he believed in his heart that Pei Huang was not that kind of person, what would the Young Master of that year have thought?

A half-demon body, tormented for half a lifetime, the bitterness of being alone and helpless he had experienced, understanding that sorrowful pain more clearly than anyone.

Even if he died and came to this world, he was grateful to be able to live among people.

Could the Young Master truly give up this opportunity and never return to his tribe?

The candlelight flickered, and Xue Jingci only then came back to his senses. At this moment, thinking about what the Young Master would do was useless. What he needed to consider most was the City Lord’s thoughts.

Could this thing called love truly have the power to bewitch people’s hearts, overcoming suspicion towards other races?

The candlelight then flickered again. Just then, a strange cold wind suddenly swept in from outside the window.

Xue Jingci looked up at Pei Huang, thinking, I’ll gamble just this once.

He wanted to bet that if the commoners were safe, the City Lord would also be lenient and treat her beloved with sincerity.

Xue Jingci no longer hesitated and drank the wine in the cup in one gulp.

Pei Huang was somewhat stunned. He had felt nervous before. Xue Jingci had always disbelieved that the Young Master loved the City Lord and was willing to betray his faction for her, and also disbelieved that the City Lord would forgive that deceitful person.

Yet, he still made such a choice.

He couldn’t help but smile. After Xue Jingci finished drinking, he calmly took out the packet of poison, knelt down, and pleaded guilty.

“The City Lord’s trust, this humble one receives with shame.”

Xue Jingci watched him quietly.

Pei Huang, word for word, recounted everything entrusted by the demon race, without the slightest intention of excusing himself from beginning to end, determined to await his punishment.

Xue Jingci remained motionless. The candlelight in the corner flickered gently.

He put down the cup and said faintly, “This wine is intoxicating. What did you say? I didn’t hear clearly.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The candlelight slowly returned to warmth, turning into a warm, glowing orange-red.

And in front of the main seat facing the door, a pair of ghostly figures appeared out of thin air, standing on either side of the red candles, facing the two.

The married couple were still dressed in wedding robes. The City Lord’s head was still covered by a crimson veil, her expression unclear, but her body was stained with blood, pierced by countless arrows. Thick blood flowed from her feet, almost covering the entire room.

The Young Master’s death was even more tragic and terrifying, his entire body burned to a pulp, his face almost unrecognizable.

However, the wedding robes on both of them were neatly worn, and each held a red silk ribbon, connecting the two from afar.

The silk’s color was so red it was almost black, faintly exuding a sense of confinement. Intense obsession flowed within it, making anyone who looked at it for too long feel dizzy.

The figures of the two and the candlelight slowly returned to normal. The bloodstains on the ground dissipated, and the Young Master’s face also recovered by seventy percent, though his complexion looked cold and pale, and his eyes were cloudy.

However, the hands tightly gripping the red silk remained as they were, covered in bloodstains and decay.

It was this section of red silk that tightly bound the two in the illusion, their love and hate intertwined, never-ending for a thousand years.

Xue Jingci recognized their identities, rose and bowed, calling out, “Greetings, City Lord, Young Master.”

Pei Huang followed with a slight bow, silently observing them.

The two made no movement. Soon, Xue Jingci sensed something, frowned, and gripped Pei Huang’s wrist tightly. “This place is collapsing.”

Pei Huang turned to look at the tightly closed door and said anxiously, “Go!”

The entire secret realm began to shake. Just as the two were about to leave, the married couple slowly approached.

Xue Jingci’s figure paused. He turned to the City Lord and asked, “Do you have something to say?”

The City Lord slowly extended her hand, took a letter from her sleeve, and handed it to Xue Jingci.

Xue Jingci looked down at it. The handwriting was strong and vigorous, reading: “To my sworn brother Yan Xing.”

At the bottom, the City Lord’s name was written: Yan Hui.

Xue Jingci reached out and took the letter, looking up at Yan Hui. “I will deliver it for you.”

The bride’s hand withdrew, gripping the red silk again. Her fingertips, which had already somewhat recovered their pearly white, rapidly withered, like a true thousand-year-old corpse.

Yet, despite such pain, why did neither of them let go?

Xue Jingci truly couldn’t understand. He glanced at Pei Huang, then turned and pushed open the door, walking into the white light.

However, Pei Huang rubbed his ear but wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, he looked at Yan Hui and extended his hand.

“If you intend to stay, give the item to me.”

Yan Hui didn’t move, seemingly observing him through the thick red veil.

The entire world shook even more violently. Pei Huang sighed, looked at her, and said, “If you didn’t want to stay, you wouldn’t let us go either. Now that the power of obsession is fading, you can’t deal with it.”

Just then, the Young Master stiffly moved, raised his hand, and touched the table. The next moment, a heavy sword wrapped in black cloth appeared on the table.

“Thank you!”

Pei Huang grabbed the item, turned, and pushed open the door to leave.

After leaving the room, Pei Huang found that outside was already in chaos. It turned out that besides the souls of humans, there were also many souls of demons in the ghost bead illusion.

They had no obsessions, only the brutal bestiality of their lives.

Now that the illusion was broken, they actually broke free from the ghost bead. As soon as they sensed the aura of living beings, they would swarm and devour them.

Pei Huang’s brow furrowed. He quickened his pace to search for Xue Jingci’s figure and finally, in the southeast corner of the altar, sensed a trace of familiar sword energy and a thick scent of blood.

It was as if an invisible hand tightly gripped his heart. Pei Huang leaped, jumping to the edge of the altar.

Pei Huang immediately saw that bamboo-like figure. Xue Jingci’s movements were swift and ruthless, firmly protecting Xiao Xun behind him.

Xiao Xun was currently half-covered in blood, his breath weak and his life hanging by a thread, but he still wielded his sword, fighting against the demon souls.

Although Xue Jingci was powerful, he was surrounded by enemies and had to look after the heavily injured Xiao Xun, so he also sustained some minor injuries.

Pei Huang leaped to their side. Just now, from the periphery, he had roughly counted the number of surrounding demon souls. At this moment, he quickly found a direction to break through the encirclement.

“This way.”

Pei Huang drew a soft sword from his waist. With a gentle flick, he cut open a path with sword energy full of killing intent, like parting water. Xue Jingci no longer held back, cooperating by swinging his sword to clear a way out.

Just then, Pei Huang suddenly felt an extremely strong sense of oppression coming from behind him.

He turned slightly and saw that in the darkness, those demon souls actually gave up attacking and instead began to devour each other.

The bodies of countless demon souls began to melt, and finally, they vaguely pieced together a humanoid limb: first a foot, then a hand…

Once they successfully merged, an even more terrifying and troublesome enemy would be born.

They had to stop them.

Pei Huang made a decisive decision, turned his head to Xue Jingci, and said, “You take him first; this place is collapsing quickly.”

Xue Jingci glanced at him faintly, but showed no intention of leaving. He only swung his sword faster.

His nose twitched, and he quickly smelled the scent of blood coming from Pei Huang. Just as he was about to ask where he was injured, an urgent alarm sounded in his mind.

The kitten leaped onto his shoulder, meowing anxiously, “Host! Xiao Xun’s condition doesn’t seem very good.”

Hearing this, Xue Jingci quickly turned to look at Xiao Xun and saw that he had, at some point, switched to holding his sword with both hands. At this moment, he thrust out a sword, but his body uncontrollably slid down, almost kneeling on the ground.

Xue Jingci quickly carried him on his back. Only when he heard a faint breath escaping from Xiao Xun’s nostrils did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Pei Huang pursed his lips and turned his gaze away, looking toward the distance.

Many cultivators were gathered there. They had used some kind of magic tool to forcefully break a large hole in the hard cliff face.

Countless sand and wind poured in from outside the crack, and the desert outside could vaguely be seen.

The exit appeared!

Countless cultivators rushed toward the exit. Jiang Chengyi, mixed in the crowd, saw Xue Jingci carrying Xiao Xun and immediately came to help.

He pulled the two out of the secret realm. Turning around, he saw Pei Huang walking backward and quickly followed him.

Outside the cave entrance, the elders of various sects had already been waiting for a long time. Seeing the disciples break out of the secret realm and escape on their own, they quickly gathered around.

Xie Zheng stared intently at the cultivators escaping in disarray from the cave entrance, his hand on the hilt of his blade unconsciously clenching, until he caught sight of an extremely familiar figure. He quickly walked over to block him and asked in a deep voice, “Are you injured?”

Xue Jingci frowned at Xie Zheng, not knowing what tricks he was up to. Just as he was about to bypass him, a hurried cough suddenly sounded in his ear.

Xiao Xun coughed up a mouthful of blood and slowly regained consciousness.

Xue Jingci raised his sleeve to wipe the blood from Xiao Xun’s lips. Just as he was about to ask about his injuries, he saw Xiao Xun’s eyelashes flutter.

Xiao Xun opened his eyes, his face as pale as paper, and asked weakly, “Master, are you injured?”

To the same question, Xue Jingci answered seriously, gently comforting him, “I’m fine, just a bit tired from expending too much spiritual energy. I’ll recover after meditating for a while. Don’t speak yet; I’ll take you for treatment right away.”

Xie Zheng finally heard the answer to that question. His hand, tucked inside his sleeve, clenched involuntarily. He watched helplessly as Xue Jingci carried Xiao Xun away.

He tried hard to calm himself, but his heart felt as if it were burning, and he couldn’t settle down.

“Young Peak Master!”

Jiang Chengyi helped Chen Zhao out. Seeing Xie Zheng, his expression was quite agitated, and he rushed over to ask, “Why did you come personally?”

Xie Zheng took one last look at Xiao Xun and Xue Jingci’s retreating figures, then withdrew his gaze and asked faintly, “All those who went to the secret realm this time are elite disciples of my Lingxu Sect. Naturally, I must see with my own eyes to be at ease. How are your injuries?”

Jiang Chengyi had always admired Xie Zheng. Hearing this, his eyes couldn’t help but light up. He shook his head and said, “I’m not seriously injured. It’s just Junior Brother Chen who is badly hurt and needs immediate treatment.”

Xie Zheng patted Jiang Chengyi’s shoulder and whispered, “Go back.”

Not far away, Xue Jingci put down Xiao Xun from his back, glanced at him, and said, “Since you’re awake, walk by yourself.”

Xiao Xun’s tightly closed eyes moved. He climbed off Xue Jingci’s back, carefully hooked his arm, and smiled, saying, “If Master doesn’t support me, I won’t have the strength to walk.”

Xue Jingci didn’t speak. Earlier, when he was stopped by Xie Zheng, Xiao Xun had woken up, but after saying just one sentence, he fainted again.

At first, Xue Jingci was very nervous, but after a few steps, he realized something was wrong, understanding that this time Xiao Xun was only feigning unconsciousness.

In front of Xie Zheng, Xue Jingci didn’t expose him, only revealing it now that they had walked this far.

Seeing him silent, Xiao Xun looked a bit nervous and asked, “Is Master angry?”

Xue Jingci shook his head. Xiao Xun waking up was a good thing; his mission could finally continue.

Xiao Xun’s hand, hooked around Xue Jingci’s arm, swayed gently, and he whispered, “Master, listen to my explanation. I only pretended to be unconscious because I saw you didn’t want to talk to Xie Zheng, so you’d have an excuse to leave quickly.”

He was already so injured. If Xie Zheng still insisted on keeping Xue Jingci, wouldn’t it delay his treatment?

Xue Jingci finally understood Xiao Xun’s thoughts and found it somewhat amusing.

Seeing him smile, Xiao Xun felt relieved and comforted him, “But it was my fault for making Master worry for so long. Don’t worry, I’m already fine.”

Xue Jingci “mm-ed.” The two continued walking toward where the medical cultivators were.

After walking a distance, Xue Jingci suddenly remembered something and couldn’t help but look back.

He wondered how Pei Huang was doing now.

Before he could think further, Xue Jingci suddenly felt his arm being tightly gripped by someone.

He turned his head and saw Xiao Xun’s eyes tightly closed, cold sweat beading on his forehead, and painful gasps escaping his lips.

The next second, Xiao Xun collapsed as if all strength had left him. Xue Jingci protected his body, and the two fell to the ground together.

Fortunately, it was a desert here, so falling didn’t hurt much.

Xue Jingci was about to help the Xiao Xun in his arms up to check him but was interrupted by Yin Xinyao.

“Junior Brother Xue, let me take a look.”

Yin Xinyao rushed over hurriedly, squatted down, and used a silver needle to probe Xiao Xun’s meridians.

With this probe, her expression changed drastically, and she said urgently, “Not good! All the meridians throughout his body are shattered. He absolutely cannot be moved at this moment!”

Hearing this, Xue Jingci’s arms, holding Xiao Xun, tightened, and he dared not move again.

Yin Xinyao took out a lotus leaf-shaped magic tool from her sleeve. After injecting spiritual energy to activate it, the magic tool suddenly enlarged, gently enveloping Xue Jingci and Xiao Xun.

Many dew drops formed on the edge of the lotus leaf, rolling toward the two, carrying thick spiritual power. Like a timely rain, it dispelled the internal heat from their bodies.

Xue Jingci knew this magic tool was rare and sincerely thanked Yin Xinyao.

Yin Xinyao waved her hand, activating the magic tool, and transferred the two to the Lingxu Sect’s flying boat.

Once on the flying boat, Yin Xinyao, fearing Xue Jingci’s worry, briefly explained Xiao Xun’s condition.

“Too much ghost energy is attached to his meridians, causing cracks in them, but it’s not to the point of complete severance. My father can definitely cure him, but we need to get back quickly.”

Xue Jingci hadn’t expected Xiao Xun to be so severely injured. At this moment, he wished Xiao Xun had truly been feigning it.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Heng, Lin Su, and Song Jue also boarded the flying boat.

Xue Jingci looked at them and asked, “You came out late; did you see Pei Huang?”

Lin Su nodded and said, “He’s already out, just a bit injured.”

Xue Jingci felt relieved but also somewhat downcast.

Seeing that all Lingxu Sect disciples had boarded the spiritual boat, Xie Zheng immediately activated the flying boat, rapidly flying toward the Heavenly Gate formation.

Xue Jingci looked down at the increasingly distant desert, a hesitant look in his eyes.

However, the flying boat had already rapidly ascended, and Xiao Xun’s injuries were extremely severe, making even him unable to move. He sighed lightly and let it be.

The kitten saw he was a bit unhappy and rubbed against his hand.

“You’re unhappy?”

Xue Jingci looked down at it and couldn’t help but whisper, “I promised Pei Huang I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye, but I broke my word.”

The system shook its head to comfort him. “Ah Su’s constitution is special, equivalent to having one foot in the gates of hell. So, like me, he wasn’t caught in the ghost bead illusion. You don’t need to worry about that little ghost; he’s full of ideas and will definitely be fine.”

Xue Jingci knew Pei Huang was very capable, but he hadn’t been able to keep his promise…

But Xiao Xun’s life was important, so he could only silently look back at the heavy clouds and said nothing more.

The flying boat passed through the Heavenly Gate formation and soon returned to the sect. All disciples were sent to Medicine Peak.

Yin Xinyao’s father, Yin Fang, the Peak Master of Medicine Peak, smelled of herbs and looked kind and benevolent.

Seeing Xiao Xun was severely injured, Yin Fang made an exception and allowed him to stay, soaking in the medicinal spring at the peak to nourish his meridians.

Although Xiao Xun remained unconscious, fortunately, he received timely treatment and was not in mortal danger. He would wake up after some time.

During the days he waited for Xiao Xun to awaken, Xue Jingci successfully became an outer sect elder. Once the sect master personally bestowed the elder token, it would be announced to the entire sect.

But the thing he cared about most was not becoming an outer sect elder, or when Xiao Xun would wake up, but when Xu Wang would come to Lingxu Sect.

That night, Xue Jingci sat by the window, staring blankly at a peach branch.

His room had many peach branches. He didn’t know what method Xu Wang used, but he could make the peach blossoms bloom as fresh as ever, and unknowingly, many had accumulated.

Now that Xue Jingci had become an outer sect elder, the sect had allocated him a more spacious courtyard.

Fearing Xu Wang wouldn’t find him, he specially placed all these peach blossoms by the window.

In the middle of the night, a soft knocking sound suddenly came from outside the window.

Xue Jingci quickly opened the window and called out, “Xu Wang.”

Xu Wang handed him another peach branch and said with a smile, “Your new house is quite nice. You sent me a message so urgently; it couldn’t just be to invite me to see your new house, could it? If you do that, I’ll misunderstand that you’re interested in me.”

He spoke frivolously, then pretended to think seriously. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t agree, but your face is still very pleasing to the eye. If you bribe me with some spiritual stones, maybe I’ll half-heartedly agree. Consider it?”

Xue Jingci ignored him, handed over a family letter, and said calmly, “I want you to give this letter to the shopkeeper of ‘Return to This Place’.”

Xu Wang was curious. “Just this one letter? Written by you?”

Xue Jingci shook his head. “Just give it to him, and tell him for me to ask for some benefits.”

Xu Wang took the letter and said casually, “He’s so poor he can’t even pay wages. Where would he get benefits?”

Xue Jingci had only said it casually. At this moment, he was more concerned about another matter, and a rare look of unusual emotion appeared on his usually cold face.

“That person who gave me the amber before, do you still remember him?”

Xu Wang nodded. He had a deep impression of that youth. After all, at such a young age, he dared to entrust someone to send things to the upper realm, which was truly interesting.

“I remember. What about him?”

Xue Jingci’s eyes lit up. “If you can find him, tell him for me…”

Xu Wang asked him, “Tell him what?”

He spoke halfway, then suddenly couldn’t continue. He tried hard to think for a long time but didn’t know what to say.

Should he explain to Pei Huang why he left without saying goodbye?

But what was there for him to specially explain?

Xue Jingci felt awkward in his heart, as if saying it would make it seem like he cared about it so much, but perhaps the other person hadn’t thought that much at all.

But he had promised he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.

Pei Huang wouldn’t be angry, would he?

Seeing him silent for a long time, Xu Wang turned his head to look into the night, urging, “Hurry up and speak. There are many patrols in this area; I can’t stay long.”

Xue Jingci looked up, thought for a long time, and finally returned to the room to retrieve a small box.

“Just give this to him for me, and ask him if it can still be repaired.”

Xu Wang gently weighed the box. Hearing a crisp sound from inside, he asked curiously, “What’s inside?”

Xue Jingci said, “Amber.”

“Broken?”

Xu Wang thought of that beautiful amber sealing a peony and couldn’t help but open the box.

At this sight, he immediately gasped and said, “What a pity. It’s so badly damaged. I don’t think you need to ask him. Unless he has the art of time reversal, it’s absolutely impossible to repair.”

Xue Jingci snatched the box, closed it again, and handed it back, looking at him stubbornly. “Just take it and ask. Maybe…”

“What if he has a way?”

Xu Wang stared at him, then suddenly let out a meaningful “oh.” For some reason, Xue Jingci felt a bit nervous.

But in the end, Xu Wang said nothing, flashed into the night, and disappeared.

A cold wind blew through the courtyard, restoring a sense of tranquility. The leaves rustled in the wind.

Xue Jingci only felt his fingers chilled by the wind. Looking down, he realized he had, at some point, crushed flowers, staining his hands with peach-pink floral juice.