CH 3

A streak of lightning flashed inexplicably across the clear sky, illuminating Yi Ning’s bone-white face under the eaves. It seemed like rain was imminent.

When he opened his eyes, his stomach rippled with unbearable pain. Yi Ning lowered his head to stare blankly at the wound on his stomach, which seemed to still be oozing blood. 

His hands and feet were ice-cold and bloodless. Yi Ning looked disbelievingly at everything, pulling away the bandages wrapped around the wound with trembling hands. The blood rushed out in waves, and Yi Ning’s breathing picked up. He was on the verge of going insane.

When the final layer fell away, Yi Ning saw skin and flesh which had been gouged open, and the hollow cavity inside.

His spiritual core… had been shattered by Gong Xiuxian.

Now that Yi Ning’s cultivation was gone, it was akin to him being confined on Mount Yunqing. Mount Yunqing was surrounded by formations personally laid down by his own hands. If one couldn’t break through the formations, they couldn’t leave. Who would have thought that he would be trapped by the formations he laid for his protection. 

He bowed his snow-white neck, looking down at the complicated spells on his sword.

The words Gong Xiuxian said to him before he left, stroking his hair all the while, echoed in his mind. “Disciple used to believe that Shizun was so high up you were untouchable, but the way you are now couldn’t be better. If you’re jealous of Liu Rugeng, I’ll come accompany you at night as well, okay?” His voice was low and anticipatory, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Looking at Gong Xiuxian now was like looking at a stranger, as if he had finally removed his disguises and showed his true colours. In the past, Yi Ning had never allowed him to touch him, but now that Yi Ning no longer had his cultivation, didn’t he have to obediently listen to what he said?

Yi Ning laughed coldly, but even he didn’t know if he was laughing at Gong Xiuxian or himself.

I dedicate my heart to the bright moon, yet the bright moon illuminates the ditch.

Evening time, the first person to arrive was Liu Rugeng.

“Immortal Master, I heard you’ve lost your spiritual core and your cultivation, which now makes you no different from ordinary mortals like me, so I brought you something to eat.”

The food in that box steamed with heat and emanated a fragrant smell. It was also almost certainly poisoned. 

“That poison is the demon race’s hex poison.” Yi Ning unhurriedly wiped the sword in his hand. He won’t kill Liu Rugeng, what he was more interested in was the reason why Liu Rugeng wanted to kill him.

If he was truly nothing more than an ordinary servant, then it would be enough for him to capture Gong Xiuxian’s heart, there was no reason to harm him further. Yet Liu Rugeng tried to poison him over and over again, most probably under someone’s orders.

If his conjecture was right, then the lantern that night had the hex poison applied to it. However, Yi Ning’s heart was unsettled at that time, and so he was poisoned in a moment of unguardedness.

But who would use this sort of poison? Liu Rugeng knew demonic cultivators of the demon race? 

“Immortal Master, your calm appearance is truly frightening.” Liu Rugeng found a stool and sat down in front of Yi Ning, saying leisurely, “I thought the first thing you would ask me was why I would want to steal your disciple from you.”

Yi Ning had always been calm and rational, the only person who could cause him to lose control over his fury was Gong Xiuxian. And now, there wasn’t anybody.

When they appeared together on the same bed, Yi Ning gave up on Gong Xiuxian. People called him cold-blooded, even Yi Ning himself thought so.

“However, I’m surprised the Immortal Master is still in the mood to ponder over the poison. Don’t you have to serve Gong Xiuxian tonight?” Liu Rugeng’s gaze skittered over Yi Ning’s body, as if saying ‘An Immortal Master like you isn’t so different from an ordinary mortal like me’. A lofty, respected person like him wouldn’t know what it was like to be pressed under someone else’s body. To ruin someone, it wasn’t necessary to act personally; just by crushing his dignity, the person himself would be crushed as well. 

Sensing the scorn in the other’s eyes, Yi Ning’s eyes darkened minutely, but ultimately, he didn’t speak.

Seeing him maintaining his composure, Li Rugeng felt he was incredibly dull, and left the hall after throwing down a few mocking words.

As he was leaving, Yi Ning saw something fall down from his body, shimmering with a weak golden light.

It was a book. 

Yi Ning’s brows furrowed as he picked up that book and barely managed to decipher the title – Shizun and I’s Wedding Night. Yi Ning’s expression changed slightly and he flipped open the book and began to read.

The words in the book, like the title, lacked strokes, but he could still make out the content.

Qtja kjr wbgf lwqbgajca kjr atja Tl Rlcu rjk tlr jcv Xbcu Wlezljc’r cjwfr.

“Shizun, does this disciple not make you happy? Don’t think about running away anymore, otherwise this disciple is going to get angry.” 

“Shizun’s spiritual energy is gone, and your core was also dug out by me, so how do you still have the energy to be so obstinate? Why can’t you be a little more obedient…”

“Shizun, if you keep looking at other people, I will ruin this pair of eyes of yours.”

Tl Rlcu bcis oilqqfv atgbeut j ofk qjufr, yea tlr olcufgr tjv jigfjvs mgewqifv atf qjufr bo atf ybbx. Lbk eaafgis ilmfcalber, tbk geatifrr jcv vfqgjnfv! Qtja kjr vfrmglyfv lc atf vfcrf afza atja oliifv atf qjufr kfgf atf cewfgber rmfcfr bo tlr lwqglrbcwfca jcv tewliljalbc ja atf tjcvr bo Xbcu Wlezljc.

Furthermore, in the book, Gong Xiuxian married both him and Liu Rugeng! 

Because he was disobedient, Gong Xiuxian sealed his spiritual energy and destroyed his spiritual core, locking him up in Mount Yunqing’s main hall and leaving him free for Liu Rugeng to humiliate. Just because he gave someone a second glance, even his eyes had been dug out.

Yi Ning didn’t dare believe this was true, but what was written in the book about Liu Rugeng coming up the mountain, viewing the lanterns, sleeping together in the same bed after a drunken night, and even the destruction of his spiritual core… they were all events that had already occurred,

What was going to happen next was… Tonight, Gong Xiuxian would forcefully have his way with him in the main hall…

This was also what Gong Xiuxian said before he left, so it appeared that what was written in the book was all true. Yi Ning gritted his teeth, ripping the book into shreds. 

The shredded pages of the book lost their golden glow, and the words written on them vanished.

Yi Ning turned to leave the main hall, intending to demand answers from Gong Xiuxian. If he truly was that insidiously cruel, then Yi Ning would fight with him to the death. Even if they both perished, he would never allow Gong Xiuxian to humiliate him like this.

Outside the main hall, ice-cold raindrops fell on his head. Soaked by the rain, the chill shocked him to his senses.

No, why should he die. 

The ones who should be punished were Gong Xiuxian and Liu Rugeng.

The angrier he got, the calmer he became. Yi Ning’s gaze was emotionless and resolute. He could not go to the side hall, and should instead head to the back mountain.

If he was going to die, then he’d rather die by Yan Xuan’s hands.

“Heavenly Law, what did you release into the human realm?” A white-clothed girl asked the woman by her side. The woman called ‘Heavenly Law’ smiled slightly, stroked her hair, and said, “Nothing much, just helping some fated people.” 

The girl frowned and said uncomprehendingly, “Didn’t you say we can’t interfere in the affairs of the human realm? Why did you go back on your own words?”

Heavenly Law nodded and said, “But he was originally destined for ascension, it was just that he found the wrong fated person every time. I have waited for Heavenly Gentleman Gouchen for a long time, so lending him some help is no matter.”

The girl nodded her head in semi-understanding, and said suddenly, “So he is Heavenly Gentleman Gouchen. Why is he so foolish, mistaking the wrong person for his fated person every time?”

Heavenly Law smiled but didn’t reply, leading the little girl to disappear into the clouds. 

Don’t be mistaken again this time.

The wind blowing at the cliffs of the back mountain was stronger than usual. The rain that was blown into the cave splattered against Yan Xuan’s face, slightly ticklish.

The days he spent being sealed were all passed in boredom like this, after time passed, he also grew used to it. Only when Yi Ning visited would ripples arise in his heart.

But the times when Yi Ning visited grew fewer and fewer, to the point where Yan Xuan would feel slight excitement if he heard footsteps. 

Since he just visited the day before, it would estimatedly be another year before they met again. Yan Xuan hung his head and yawned; it wasn’t that he was sleepy, he was simply mimicking human behaviour.

“Yan Xuan.”

A calm voice suddenly sounded. Yan Xuan thought he had imagined it, but when he raised his head, Yi Ning was there standing at the cave entrance, his clothes and hair soaked by the rain. Even so, he didn’t seem pathetic, but rather solemn and serene, carefree and elegant.

In a fraction of a second, Yan Xuan’s heart thumped loudly, and his mind was blank, but the words that left his mouth were: “Why are you back?” 

Yi Ning’s words were stuck in his throat, and he suddenly didn’t know if he should speak. A moment later, though, Yan Xuan spoke first.

“Do you have nothing better to do? You’ve come to find me, yet you aren’t saying anything.” Yan Xuan leaned languidly against the cave wall, revealing a mocking smile as he said, “Does your disciple know you keep seeking me out?”

Yi Ning pursed his lips, remaining where he was without saying anything. When he brought up Gong Xiuxian, his expression darkened slightly, and he spoke up to interrupt his words, “There is no longer any relationship between he and I.”

When he heard his words, Yan Xuan was stunned for a moment, and his heart belatedly started racing. Forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, he said blandly, “No longer any relationship? Then why did you come looking for me?” 

Yan Xuan could faintly guess what Yi Ning wanted to say, he just didn’t dare be certain. That fool Gong Xiuxian, it couldn’t be that he really broke it off with Yi Ning?

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Yi Ning found that he couldn’t say it aloud. But if he didn’t do this, he didn’t have any better options. Thus, after a pause, he steeled his heart and said, “Actually, we can make a deal.”

Yan Xuan lowered his eyes to look at him, as if he had never anticipated that there would be a day where Yi Ning would make a deal with him. The corners of his lips tilted up as he said, “What kind of deal? I help you, you devote yourself to me?”

Truly, the moment he spoke, he caused his head to hurt. Yi Ning suppressed the impulse to pour realgar wine over his head and restrained his temper. 

“Enter a fake bond with me to shake off Gong Xiuxian.”

Yan Xuan paused and thought that he had misheard. Some time passed before he dragged his gaze up and down Yi Ning’s body assessingly as if he were looking at something novel, before asking, “Are you possessed?”

Yi Ning: “…”

Yi Ning’s lips twitched, and he turned to leave. “Forget it if you’re not willing. I’ll think of some other way.” 

Suddenly, the sound of clinking chains sounded out. Yan Xuan stretched out his arm to grab him, but only ended up brushing against the edges of Yi Ning’s clothes. “Wait a moment. You’re being serious?”

Why say it like that, as if they were forming an actual bond. Yi Ning retreated half a step a little uncomfortably, and spoke again, “Of course I’m being serious. I’m nothing more than a useless person right now, can’t you tell?”

The surroundings immediately quieted down. It was so quiet in fact that he could hear Yan Xuan’s shallow breaths. Yi Ning thought that the other person must be thinking that he deserved it, that the disciple he raised was an ingrate who bit that hand that fed him.

Yi Ning sighed. As expected, this was a bust. 

“Come here.” After a long while, Yan Xuan finally spoke up. His tone was bland, and he didn’t agree nor disagree. Yi Ning’s brows knitted lightly; he couldn’t guess what Yan Xuan was thinking, but he still walked over. Ultimately, he still needed Yan Xuan’s help right now.

The closer he got, the oppressiveness coming from the other man was transmitted over even more clearly. This level of pressure was akin to nothing to Yi Ning; he had always been strong and calm, anger or joy, no emotions ever showed on his face. Even if he lost his spiritual energy, his mental strength was still formidable.

When he walked in front of Yan Xuan, the other person suddenly tugged him over to his side. The heavy chains collided, letting out a chiming sound.

“Release me.” The man’s breath puffed against Yi Ning’s neck, seeming both eager yet repressed. If Yi Ning had lifted his head at this moment, he would’ve seen Yan Xuan lightly licking his lips, like a venomous snake scenting the air while on a hunt. 

Yi Ning thought that the reason why Yan Xuan was so eager for the seals to be undone was to take the chance to kill him, so he said, “You can’t kill me. If you help me, I’ll give you a chance.”

“Kill you?” Yan Xuan raised an eyebrow, fingers pressing against Yi Ning’s shoulder, pulling him slightly closer, so close that he could see Yi Ning’s long lashes, pale lips, and the tips of his fair ears. Yan Xuan suddenly felt heated, like he was being incinerated by fire.

As long as Yi Ning was by his side, this fire couldn’t be extinguished.

“I won’t kill you, release me.” Yan Xuan’s voice was suddenly a little hoarse. His eyes were lidded, and his hand remained firmly grabbing onto Yi Ning’s body, as if fearful he would run away. 

Yi Ning found his train of thought laughable. Even if Yan Xuan was afraid he would run away, it was probably only because he wanted to kill him.

However, he still removed the imprisonments with a wave of his hands. This seal was laid by him, and only he could undo it. In a split second, the electric whip wrapped around the chains fell limp like it lost its lifeforce.

The seal lasting for nine years was released.

Yan Xuan lowered his head to look at the electric whip and lightly clenched his fish. The electric whip was immediately consumed by demonic energy, transforming into a pile of dust. 

Only now did he confirm that Yi Ning truly did release his seal.

“Don’t think about taking revenge, I still have some cards up my sleeve.” Yi Ning furrowed his brow as he watched him destroy the electric whip, interpreting his actions as a reflection of his hatred, and thus spoke those words.

Who would have known that Yan Xuan wouldn’t say anything, his gaze fixed firmly on Yi Ning’s body. Yi Ning belatedly realised that they were standing extremely close, so close that he could feel the dangerous aura radiating off Yan Xuan’s body.

The strength of a Demon Venerable, Yi Ning was naturally aware of. 

Yan Xuan shook out his wrist, his gaze trailing up and down Yi Ning’s body. He said blandly, “Your jade pendant. Who gifted it to you?”

His words were a non-sequitur. Yi Ning was still stunned when he spoke again, “Gong Xiuxian, isn’t it?”

Yi Ning didn’t understand the reason behind his interrogative tone and hesitated momentarily before saying, “Why?” It was indeed Gong Xiuxian who gifted it to him.

He didn’t deny it, so Yan Xuan took it as an admission. In the next second, he tugged off the jade pendant, clenching it in his palm. The jade pendant was subsequently reduced to fine powder. 

“You!” Yi Ning had never expected he would do this, looking disbelievingly at him. He opened his mouth to speak when Yan Xuan spoke first, “That bracelet. Who gifted it to you?”

“What do you intend to do?” Yi Ning vigilantly protected the bracelet, but his wrist was grabbed by Yan Xuan and the bracelet forcibly taken away.

As expected, it was also consumed by demonic energy and burned.

“Lapel pin. Who gifted it to you?” Seeing that Yan Xuan was about to reach his arm out again, Yi Ning couldn’t endure it any longer. “This one is mine.” 

“Lies.” Yan Xuan chuckled coldly, unhurriedly pressing Yi Ning against the wall and pulling off the lapel pin that was filled with Gong Xiuxian’s scent.

The lapel pin fell to the ground and was ground into the dirt by his foot. It was almost like he was grinding Gong Xiuxian into the ground.

Yan Xuan raised his head and was faced with a harsh slap from Yi Ning. Although the slap held no spiritual energy and it was only superficially painful, Yan Xuan was still stunned. What entered his eyes were the tips of Yi Ning’s ears, reddened from anger, his collar that had been tugged loose, and his fair shoulders and exquisite collarbones that were revealed because of it.

Attractive. 

Yan Xuan subconsciously extended his tongue to lick at the wound at the corner of his lips that was opened by Yi Ning’s slap, his throat suddenly feeling dry.