CH 4

He was simply a madman! Yi Ning angrily straightened up his clothing, the redness on the tips of his ears not diminishing in the slightest. He should’ve long expected that Yan Xuan wasn’t anything good, but he had never expected that Yan Xuan would do something like this. Was it to humiliate him? Yi Ning couldn’t understand.

Seeing that he still seemed to want to do something, Yi Ning inhaled a deep breath, saying calmly, “Do you know what that mark on your forehead is?” 

There wasn’t a mirror, so Yan Xuan naturally couldn’t see it. On his forehead, there was a tiny pine needle shaped golden mark. However, even if he knew what it was, Yan Xuan wouldn’t care in the slightest, his mind was filled with the images of Yi Ning’s red ear tips and the patch of snow-white that appeared and disappeared in a flash.

“Its name is Thirst.”

Yi Ning’s words had just left his mouth when the golden mark on Yan Xuan’s forehead suddenly flashed. In the next second, he felt unbearably thirsty, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of embers, dry and painful. He became like a wild beast on the verge of death; if it weren’t for his ability to endure agony, he would’ve become like any other person and fallen to his knees.

Seeing Yan Xuan’s expression darken, Yi Ning knew that the hex worked, and the tension in his heart relaxed a little. He said, “Relax, it won’t endanger your life, just make you a little more honest.” 

This was a hex that he had set back when he sealed Yan Xuan, and its express purpose was to prevent Yan Xuan from breaking the seal himself.

As long as he gave this hex a name, the hex would take on the same abilities as its name.

If the name were “Death” rather than “Thirst”, then Yan Xuan would have long been reduced to ashes. This was the entire reason Yi Ning was confident he could control Yan Xuan.

He had always been strong and meticulous, skilled in spells. His only oversight was his wicked disciple Gong Xiuxian.

“As sinister and cunning as always.” Yan Xuan fumed innerly, however his teeth felt like they were faintly itchy, like he had the urge to do a little something to Yi Ning.

He forcibly suppressed the urge, only to hear an annoying voice ring out.

“Shizun, what are you doing here?” A voice suddenly resounded. Yi Ning turned his head to catch Gong Xiuxian leaping into the cave from the cliff.

Why is he here too? Yi Ning frowned. 

The first thing that entered Gong Xiuxian’s eyes when he lifted his head was the sight of a man standing by Yi Ning’s side and holding onto his wrist.

His features were sharp, yet unusually elegant, but there was a dangerous coldness in the set of his mouth. When he met Gong Xiuxian’s gaze, an oppressive wave of demonic energy rushed towards him like a torrential flood.

“A demonic cultivator?” Gong Xiuxian immediately drew his sword and asked Yi Ning, “What is Shizun doing here with a demonic cultivator?”

His expression was gloomy, and his sight landed on the red mark at the corner of the man’s lips, as well as Yi Ning’s untidy clothes. Fury instantly gushed up within Gong Xiuxian, and his sword intent had also sharpened by several measures. 

Yi Ning didn’t know what he was thinking of, he just felt nauseated whenever he saw him. He straightforwardly turned his head away to say to Yan Xuan, “Take me away.”

Po la kjrc’a obg tlr ijmx bo meialnjalbc, tf kbeivc’a kjca ab ufa lcnbinfv klat flatfg bo atfrf akb fnfg jujlc.

Xbcu Wlezljc’r nblmf revvfcis gjlrfv, yglculcu jibcu klat la j tlca bo vjcufg. “Vtlhec, jgfc’a sbe ublcu j yla abb ojg? Tbe cffv ab atlcx mifjgis jybea ktb fzjmais la lr, ktb’r bc sbeg rlvf.”

“Beg me, and I’ll take you away.” Yan Xuan smiled lightly, purposely plastering his face intimately by Yi Ning’s, breathing out ever so faint puffs of air towards his ear. 

Itchy.

When he heard his words, Yi Ning’s lashes trembled. He had been angered to the point of near tears by Yan Xuan, so when he lifted his eyes, they glimmered with moisture, causing Yan Xuan’s breath to catch.

“Thirst.”

Yan Xuan’s mouth suddenly went unbearably dry. He gritted his teeth and coughed two times, his tongue feeling like sandpaper and his lips dessicated. His throat was so painfully parched that it felt on the verge of smoking. 

He tugged Yi Ning into his embrace, saying hoarsely. “Fine. How ruthless.”

However, right when they were about to exit the cave, they were blocked by Gong Xiuxian who said, coldly, “Shizun, is this what you have chosen?”

Yi Ning didn’t even want to say another word to him, yet Gong Xiuxian refused to relent. “What kind of relationship do you have? When did it begin?”

Someone who shared a bed with his childhood friend had the audacity to ask this sort of question. Yi Ning’s voice was chilly when he said, “What does it have to do with you? When you and Liu Rugeng were lying together on the same bed, did you think about what kind of relationship you and I had? Gouging out my spiritual core, causing me to become a waste, was that what you desired?” 

Gong Xiuxian had never expected that his Shizun, who had never been fond of arguing, would suddenly rebuke him. He simply took it as his Shizun still holding anger in his heart, which was why he acted in such an overbearing manner, and so said warmly, “Shizun, I know that you’re still angry, but you shouldn’t leave me. I only wanted to make you remain by my side.”

He wanted a cultivation partner who he could control, someone as docile as Liu Rugeng. In his eyes, Yi Ning had always been lofty and cold, so if Yi Ning wanted to leave him, he could only destroy Yi Ning’s spiritual core to make his Shizun stay by his side forever.

He really had no other choice.

Yi Ning deeply inhaled a thin breath, and said to Yan Xuan, “Go.” He didn’t want to look at Gong Xiuxian’s face any longer and had no wish to speak with him further. 

As Yan Xuan listened to their exchange, he perceptively captured the main points. So it was Gong Xiuxian who couldn’t resist the loneliness any longer and did that sort of thing with someone else.

However, even if Yi Ning wasn’t willing to pursue the matter, Yan Xuan couldn’t hold himself back anymore.

“The relationship between me and your Shizun is the exact same as the one you have with that Liu Rugeng.” Yan Xuan suddenly spoke up, a mocking and satisfied amusement hung on the corners of his lips.

Yi Ning lifted his head, stunned. He never expected Yan Xuan to get into character so quickly. 

He wanted to say something, yet his shoulder was firmly gripped by Yan Xuan. He heard Yan Xuan’s powerful heartbeat and his deep, steady voice, saying unhurriedly, “However, it isn’t as dirty as the both of yours. Rather, I have to thank you for letting him go so easily.” Those last few words were spoken one by one, with a trace of laughter in Yan Xuan’s voice.

Gong Xiuxian’s gaze was firmly pinned on the hand on Yi Ning’s shoulder, the calm expression on his face finally crumbling completely. “Shizun, I know you hate that I hurt you. You still shouldn’t have found a demonic cultivator to anger me.”

His words had just left his mouth when Gong Xiuxian’s sword intent surged forth with irresistible force. Yi Ning wanted to warn Yan Xuan to dodge when Yan Xuan stretched out a hand, the demonic energy emitting from his palm crawling up Gong Xiuxian’s blade and enveloping him in a thick, black fog.

Only did Yi Ning realise that he had yet to return Yan Xuan’s saber to him. Yan Xuan’s saber was being nourished by the spiritual spring in his hall, yet even the spiritual spring couldn’t dispel the ominous energy on the blade in the slightest. 

“His cultivation is incredibly strong, retrieve your saber first.” Yi Ning spoke up to remind him. They had to take advantage of the time when the black fog of demonic energy was trapping Gong Xiuxian to retrieve Yan Xuan’s saber. Otherwise, their chances of victory were low if Yan Xuan had to be burdened by a cultivation-less Yi Ning.

Yan Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he made a soft sound of acknowledgement in response.

He had never expected there would be a day when the two of them would cooperate together like this. Yet, this kind of feeling was pretty nice.

The two of them leaped out of the cave, rushing towards the main hall. Yi Ning, wrapped up in his embrace, sensed something fishy, asking blandly, “What relationship do we have?” 

Yan Xuan’s expression was the same as it was at the beginning, replying indifferently, “He was an eyesore so I casually said those words.” His tone was natural and infuriating.

“Oh.” Yi Ning turned his face away. His tone was flat, but a strange feeling arose in his heart. It felt warm.

When the two of them reached the main hall, the rosy-pink lantern still hung in the doorway of the hall, floating lightly in the wind. Yi Ning stood in front of the lantern, his expression dark.

Liu Rugeng had hung it back up. 

Yan Xuan sensed Yi Ning’s mood drop and looked in the direction of his gaze. A lantern entered his eyes, and Yan Xuan suddenly understood something. That day when Yi Ning came to ask him about lanterns, it was in reference to this one.

Yi Ning wordlessly entered the main hall without looking back. Yan Xuan lifted his eyes to glance at the lantern before following behind Yi Ning. After they entered, a ball of demonic energy enveloped the lantern, instantly reducing it into ash without the faintest remnants left behind.

At the front of the main hall where Yi Ning usually cultivated, the sandalwood incense on the golden nanmu table was nowhere to be seen, instead a plate of grapes and several jars of wine were laid out on the table.

Liu Rugeng sprawled out on the couch Yi Ning used for cultivation, leisurely looking at him and said, “Yo, the Immortal Master is back.” 

Yi Ning didn’t bother sparing him a glance, saying to Yan Xuan, “The spiritual spring is in the inner hall, your saber is there.”

Seeing him ignoring him, Liu Rugeng sneered and said, “You’re still putting on airs at this time, Yi Ning, did you think that you would make Xiuxian jealous if you found some random wild man?”

After his words fell, the main hall fell into silence. A beat later, Yan Xuan couldn’t suppress a laugh, saying to Yi Ning, “You were done in by the schemes of trash like this?” Greedy, shortsighted, loose-lipped and a seducer. It was probably only a brat like Gong Xiuxian who didn’t have any worldly experience who would mistake rocks for jewels.

Yi Ning glanced at him briefly and said, “Are you thirsty?” 

Yan Xuan’s throat tightened subconsciously and he shot Yi Ning a harsh glare, ordering, “Go fetch me my saber.”

“I…” Yi Ning still wanted to say something but he was chased away to the back hall by Yan Xuan.

Liu Rugeng crossed his legs and propped himself up on his elbows to assess Yan Xuan. He didn’t have any cultivation and was an ordinary mortal, so he couldn’t discern the demonic energy on Yan Xuan’s body. But he knew that on Mount Yunqing, the strongest person was Gong Xiuxian; as long as Gong Xiuxian was protecting him, there wasn’t anybody who could do anything to him.

And so he wasn’t afraid of Yan Xuan in the slightest and in fact, felt that the wild man who Yi Ning brought back was quite handsome. 

“Immortal Master Yi Ning will still be pressed beneath a man in the future, there’s no future for you if you follow him.” Liu Rugeng deliberately winked at him, pretending to accidentally reveal a slender waist for Yan Xuan to see.

Yan Xuan pursed his lips. Those words caused the scene of Yi Ning in the cave, with his clothes tugged aside to reveal bare skin, to surface in his mind.

Why did he think of this scene again? Yan Xuan unconsciously licked his lips.

Seeing his actions, Liu Rugeng thought that Yan Xuan had been enticed by him and felt inwardly gleeful. You see, Yi Ning, you can’t win against me. 

After a long time, Yan Xuan raised his eyes and said lazily, “He isn’t fond of killing, but I’m not concerned whether the blood on my hands is dirty or not.”

When Liu Rugeng heard his words, his smile froze on his face. In the next second, Yan Xuan flashed to Liu Rugeng’s side, so quickly his movements couldn’t be seen with the naked eye, and kicked him to the ground. Liu Rugeng wasn’t expecting this and vomited out a large mouthful of blood, crawling on the ground in a panic, yelling Gong Xiuxian’s name.

“Does it hurt?” Yan Xuan suddenly revealed a concerned expression. Liu Rugeng was so frightened by him that he couldn’t think straight and thought that Yan Xuan felt pity for him, so he hurriedly clutched his chest and said, “It hurts a lot.”

“That’s good then.” Yan Xuan stepped on his fingers, crushing Liu Rugeng’s bones, and said softly, “I was worried it didn’t hurt.” 

Yi Ning was drawn out by Liu Rugeng’s earth-shattering cries, Yan Xuan’s saber in his hand. The scene that entered his eyes left him frozen and speechless.

Yan Xuan was stepping on Liu Rugeng, the floor of the main hall covered in puddles of blood.

“What are you doing?” Yi Ning asked perplexedly. Why did Yan Xuan attack Liu Rugeng? Usually, he wouldn’t lift a hand to deal with issues like this, was he trying to help him?

Yan Xuan flew over, his expression unchanging as he took over his saber. When he turned around, he threw down a few words, “He called me a wild man.”