CH 6

In actuality, there was no need for them to constantly be at odds with each other, and they could try their hand at being friends, Yi Ning thought.

Seeing his face gaining some colour, Yan Xuan knew that his blood had taken effect and the tension in his heart eased up a little. Then, recalling how Yi Ning had rejected him earlier, his lips twitched up wickedly and he said to Yi Ning, “No need for thanks. After drinking my blood, your life is now mine.” 

Yi Ning immediately picked up on what he meant: His blood could control whether someone lived or died.

“You–”

Actually, there had been a moment just now when he really thought Yan Xuan was sincerely treating him well. As expected, there was no way for them to be friends.

“Him? Venerable Lord, isn’t that blood…” 

Gan’er began speaking, only to be interrupted by Yan Xuan, “Shut up.”

“Oh.” Gan’er obediently shut her mouth, but her eyes still slid around, looking from Yi Ning to Yan Xuan.

What use does the Venerable Lord have for tricking this human cultivator? That blood obviously only had the ability to increase cultivation and suppress poison.

Yi Ning didn’t know if he should be angered over Yan Xuan using blood to control him, or to thank the other for letting out blood to save him. He hated the feeling of having his life and death in someone else’s control, and especially because that someone else was Yan Xuan.

“Why are you still in a daze, it’s time to go.” Yan Xuan lifted his gaze to look at Yi Ning and said lightly. The poison had to be detoxified, his blood could only suppress it for a period of time.

Yi Ning remained silent and didn’t reply to his words.

Once again, because of that little bit of warmth, he easily trusted someone else. Just like he was betrayed by Gong Xiuxian, Yan Xuan only helped him because he had an ulterior motive.

He should have realised this earlier, but towards the hand that Yan Xuan reached out that was covered in wounds, Yi Ning was unable to muster up real hatred. 

He only hated the him who was greedy for warmth.

Gan’er had already understood what was going on, and excitedly leaned over to ask Yan Xuan, “Venerable Lord, are you going to Ganlin City to dispel the poison? Bring Gan’er along!”

“No.” Yan Xuan straightforwardly shot her down. Gan’er’s little fank instantly sank, staring aggrievedly at Yi Ning, and hatched another plan. “Venerable Lord, I can help you protect this powerless human. This way, even when you’re not around, you can rest assured!”

Her words caused Yan Xuan’s actions to stall. He lazily lifted his eyes to look at Yi Ning and said, “Does Immortal Master Yi Ning need someone to protect him?” 

Yi Ning knew he was doing this on purpose. The Yan Xuan now seemed to be sulking, every word of his filled with thorns. It couldn’t be that he was angry because he refused to drink his blood just now?

Gan’er wasn’t tuned in to the turbulent undercurrent between them. She looked blankly at Yi Ning, her two little legs trembling as she hid behind Yan Xuan, stuttering out, “H-h-he, he’s Yi Ning?”

The four words ‘Immortal Master Yi Ning’ were familiar to every demonic cultivator. The tale of the year when a single blade massacred thousands of demonic cultivators was a legend that had become the shadow hanging over every demonic cultivator. In the demon world, just the mention of Yi Ning’s name could frighten a child to tears.

Gan’er felt unsteady on her feet; she turned around in preparation to slip away, only for Yan Xuan to grab her by the back of her collar. By her ear came the sound of her Venerable Lord’s indolent voice, “Why are you running? This Lord suddenly feels that what you say is true, and permits you to come along.” 

“Venerable Lord, I think Immortal Master Yi Ning doesn’t really need me…” Gan’er wanted to cry but had no tears to shed as she hugged Yan Xuan’s thigh, yet she was snatched up once again and this time, Yan Xuan directly tossed her to Yi Ning’s side.

Yi Ning looked at Yan Xuan, then lowered his head to look at the trembling Gan’er, before opening his mouth and stating calmly, “You do not need to worry, I no longer have any spiritual energy.”

His voice was very light, but oddly enough it caused one to feel at ease. Gan’er blinked her eyes. Why did she feel that Immortal Master Yi Ning wasn’t that scary after all, and furthermore, his body gave off a fragrant smell, smelling incredibly delicious. Gan’er saliva was on the verge of spilling out of her mouth.

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Gan’er nodded, reluctantly peeling herself away from Yi Ning’s side and left to bring over the demon carriage from outside the hall.

The demon carriage was a carriage drawn by an ink-black horse. On the surface, it looked just like a luxurious carriage in the human world; in actuality, it was indestructible and could travel a thousand miles in a day. 

When Yi Ning saw the demon carriage, he suddenly recalled the image of Yan Xuan sitting on the carriage in the past.

Nine years ago, when Yan Xuan was only sixteen or seventeen, he would pester Yi Ning daily, troubling him to no end. One day, he saw that the curtain of the demon carriage was lifted slightly and Yan Xuan was dozing with his head lowered. His eyelashes were thick and long, and it made him seem cute and obedient. In sleep, he looked no different from a sixteen or seventeen year-old human child.

At that time, Yi Ning had thought, how good would it have been if he were a human child.

As if sensing Yi Ning’s gaze, Yan Xuan suddenly opened his eyes and, like a little devil, directed a grin at him. The next second, he flew over, demonic fog wrapping around Yi Ning and getting slashed apart by his sword. 

“Immortal Master, why are you peeking at me?” When the demonic fog dispersed, he heard Yan Xuan ask this in a low voice while leaning against him.

Snapping back to the present, Yi Ning looked at Yan Xuan sitting across from him, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. To think that they would have a day when they would sit peacefully in the same carriage.

“What’s wrong?” Yan Xuan asked casually, seeing Yi Ning’s gaze lingering on him.

“Nothing much.” Yi Ning looked out the window, obscuring the emotions in his eyes. 

At that moment, he had felt like Yan Xuan didn’t really want to kill him, be it nine years ago or in the present time.

“Do you want to eat something?” Sitting beside Yi Ning, Gan’er took out a piece of dried rations from her storage ring and handed it to Yi Ning.

Yi Ning was about to respond that he had been practicing inedia for many years when he remembered that he no longer had any spiritual energy, so he reached out his hand and accepted the offering.

Seeing Yi Ning eating in tiny bites was a novel experience in itself. It was as if an immortal had fallen into the mortal realm and was stained by the colours of the mortal world. However, being human was troublesome; Yan Xuan glanced over lightly, then took out a snow lotus fruit from his storage ring and threw it to Yi Ning. 

Yi Ning: …

When he didn’t receive a response, Yan Xuan took out an array of precious sacred fruits and spiritual medicine and tossed them all to Yi Ning.

Yi Ning couldn’t take it anymore and pressed down on Yan Xuan’s hand to stop him. “The rations are sufficient for me.” Somehow it felt like Yan Xuan was trying to feed him.

Yan Xuan looked at the hand pressing down on the back of his hand, lightly quirked an eyebrow, and remained silent. 

Gan’er stared at the snow lotus fruit with drool dripping from her mouth, remarking emotionally, the Venerable Lord is too generous. After all, this was a tribute from other demon clans in the past, and was worth a fortune.

“Immortal Master, if you’re not hungry, why not let me have a bite of this…” Gan’er’s little hand sneakily slid towards the snow lotus fruit, but was subsequently scared into retreating by Yan Xuan’s cold gaze.

This is for Yi Ning to eat. He’s an ordinary mortal now, so if you dare snatch his food, I’ll give you a beating.

Gan’er mysteriously understood the meaning in Yan Xuan’s gaze. With a whimper, she obediently shrunk back into the corner. 

After a while, a big and round snow lotus fruit shook in front of her. Gan’er took it in joy as Yi Ning’s cold voice sounded in her ear, “Eat it. Thank you for your rations.”

He was always like this, treating children tenderly, regardless if the child was human or a demonic cultivator.

Yan Xuan inexplicably became irritated. If he had known this was going to happen, he wouldn’t have allowed Gan’er to come along.

“Thank you too.” 

Yi Ning lowered his gaze, saying lightly to Yan Xuan.

He was only indifferent in personality, he still knew gratitude. Whoever treated him well, Yi Ning could discern it clearly.

Yan Xuan’s heart trembled and he turned his head away, replying with a light, “En.” The irritation within him disappeared like smoke in an instance.

The sky darkened into night, yet the demon carriage’s speed didn’t decrease in the slightest; it seemed like by daybreak they would be able to reach Ganlin City. By his side, Gan’er was already fast asleep, Yi Ning leaned against the window, resisting his drowsiness. 

“Sleep.” Yan Xuan said mildly, “If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t be here now.”

Yi Ning was naturally clear about this, it was just that he was unwilling to lower his guard so easily. Since he was the one who brought up the topic, Yi Ning also wanted to have a chat with him about it. “Why don’t you want to kill me?”

“Do you really want to die?” Yan Xuan asked impatiently. Why was it that in Yi Ning’s mind, he was always looking forward to Yi Ning’s death?

Yi Ning was silent for a while, before he slowly replied, “I don’t.” After a pause, he lifted his eyes to look at Yan Xuan, the clear glow of the moonlight reflected in the depths of his eyes. 

“Do you?” Do you want me to die?

Being gazed at by this pair of eyes, Yan Xuan’s breath caught in his chest and he firmly suppressed the restless beating of his heart. He turned his face away, his voice incredibly light and indifferent as he replied, “For now, I don’t.”

He said “for now”, implying that he would in the future?

But Yi Ning knew this was the greatest concession Yan Xuan could make. After all, the one who personally sealed him in the mountain was Yi Ning, it was a miracle he didn’t hate him. 

“Thank you.” Yi Ning felt like he had already thanked Yan Xuan too many times, but besides this phrase, he had nothing else he could say.

He was using a person he had once personally sealed away to escape his evil disciple and dispel the hex poison. This sort of incident should not have appeared in Yi Ning’s life’s trajectory.

Perhaps it was because of the deep night, Yi Ning suddenly wanted to repay Yan Xuan in some way, to resolve the uneasiness in his heart.

“Sleep.” 

“Actually, we can become friends.”

The two of them spoke simultaneously. Yan Xuan was stunned, and as he looked at Yi Ning’s faintly-red ear tips, he asked strangely, “What did you say?”

Only after he spoke did Yi Ning realise how foolish his words sounded. Yan Xuan was a Demon Venerable, how could he not have any friends? Furthermore, he was the one who sealed him away for nine years.

It was only Yi Ning who didn’t have any friends, which was why he felt that these kinds of relationships were incomparably precious. 

“It is nothing, I…” Yi Ning turned his gaze away sadly, only to hear Yan Xuan’s voice sound out, “Of course we can–”

He was suddenly pressed incredibly close, and continued with a smile laced with danger, “–but wouldn’t Immortal Master Yi Ning’s reputation be ruined if he became friends with a demonic cultivator like myself?”

Too close, they were too close. They were so long that without needing to make a sound, they could hear each other’s heartbeats. Yi Ning’s fingertips curled slightly and he said in a low voice, “Thirst.”

“You!” Yan Xuan was suppressed by the Thirst Hex and could only grind his teeth in hatred. One of these days, he would make Yi Ning become unable to say this word aloud.” 

Seeing his annoyance, Yi Ning turned away, hiding the smile in the corner of his lips, and fell asleep leaning against the carriage’s window.

Knowing he did it on purpose, Yan Xuan cursed under his breath, then tossed his outer robe onto Yi Ning’s body.

After a night of deep sleep, when Yi Ning woke up, his body was still warm. The demon carriage was stopped inside the city gates; it was unknown at what point in time did they enter the city.

“Why didn’t you wake me?” Yi Ning hurriedly got up, but there was no trace of Yan Xuan in the carriage. 

Gan’er’s mouth was stuffed full with a pastry, so her words were unclear. “The Venerable Lord left to acquire information, he told me to tell you to eat first.” Gan’er then pushed a packet of pastries wrapped in oilpaper into Yi Ning’s hands.

The pastries were still hot, emanating a faint fragrance. Yi Ning pursed his lips. He had never expected that Yan Xuan would remember to get breakfast for him. 

In the past, Gong Xiuxian would never remember these kinds of trivial things. Just like on the day of the Lantern Festival, he waited by the mountain gate for several hours, only to receive a rosy-pink lantern and burnt-out candle in return.

He couldn’t understand how even Yan Xuan could do something like caring about trivial matters such as breakfast, so why couldn’t Gong Xiuxian.

Ultimately, it was because of a lack of sincerity. A Shizun like him was already no longer novel to Gong Xiuxian, he only treated him as an object that belonged to him. It was possessiveness, not love.

When he finished eating, the curtain of the demon carriage’s door was pushed aside, and Yan Xuan’s gaze landed on Yi Ning’s body. “Are you done eating?” 

Yi Ning nodded his head. He suddenly felt that it was a little funny; Yan Xuan was obviously younger than him, yet he always liked to use the tone of someone looking down from above to speak to him.

“En, let’s go.” Yan Xuan turned to leave and Yi Ning hurriedly stopped him, asking, “Where are we going?”

What Yi Ning was poisoned by was the demon race’s hex poison, so the person who understood the poison the best was naturally also of the demon race. Yan Xuan’s gaze pierced through the spire of the glazed tower in the distance which was wrapped by clouds of demonic fog that was invisible to the naked eye. That was the living quarters of Ganlin City’s Lord; inside it was a person who could help Yi Ning dispel the poison.

His eyes swept across Yi Ning’s ear; having just woken up, there was a lock of unruly hair sticking up. His expression was indifferent as he said, “To dispel the poison.” 

“Oh.” Yi Ning got down from the demon carriage. When he brushed past Yan Xuan, the other suddenly reached out a hand and touched his ear.

Light and quick, like a dragonfly’s wings brushing the surface of the water, that lock of hair melted back into Yi Ning’s ink-black strands. Yi Ning looked at him in suspicion.

“There was a bug.” Yan Xuan expressionlessly threw down such a phrase, then turned and began to lead the way.

Was that so? Then it’s no wonder why the area he touched felt a little itchy, Yi Ning thought.