CH 10

Boundless killing intent emanated from Yan Xuan’s body, like he wanted to level the surrounding area and everything within it. Yi Ning’s brow pinched tightly and he walked in front of Yan Xuan to halt him, asking, “What are you doing?”

Yan Xuan pulled out his saber, indifferently wiping down the blade, and answered straightforwardly, “Killing people.” 

His tone was too natural, to the point Yi Ning almost thought he was talking about a mundane event like an after-lunch walk.

The blade of the saber reflected Yi Ning’s frozen expression. Yan Xuan pursed his lips and walked past Yi Ning, single-mindedly walking forward.

Evidently, he had no intention of explaining himself, yet Yi Ning could not simply allow him to just kill people. He was fine just now, so why did he suddenly want to kill someone?

Yi Ning tugged on his sleeve, his voice dark, “Who are you going to kill? Didn’t you promise me…” 

“What did I promise you? Why don’t I know about it?” Yan Xuan stood firm, coldly spitting out this line.

This was the first time Yan Xuan acted so discourteously to him, so it seemed that he was currently mired in his rage.

Yi Ning suddenly stopped talking, staring into Yan Xuan’s eyes. His eyelashes trembled faintly as he looked at him, troubled and a little awkward.

The mocking words that were spill out from Yan Xuan’s lips were caught in his throat and forced back down by his gaze.

Too foolish, using this trusting gaze to look at him, like a lamb to slaughter who didn’t know the other party’s sinister intentions.

Being stared at like this, Yan Xuan couldn’t take another step, let alone speak any harsher words.

“What did I promise you?” Yan Xuan exhaled and asked once again, exerting effort to calm down his agitated mental state.

Yi Ning tightly pursed his lips, and when Yan Xuan thought he had no intention of speaking, finally slowly opened his mouth. “Nine years ago, you told me you would never kill people on a whim.” 

Yan Xuan was stunned and the hand holding Yinzhen trembled slightly.

He suddenly recalled that on the day Yi Ning sealed him away, that was what he said to him.

Heavy rain battered down on the earth, stirring up dirt and sand that would scrape past a person’s face. Yan Xuan still remembered the charred corpse by his side, with its face corroded away by demonic fog. It was a black demonic fog unique to half-demons.

Swiftly afterwards, Certain Obliteration bore a hole in Yan Xuan’s shoulder. 

Certain Obliteration was, to a demonic cultivator, akin to Heavenly Lightning. Obliterating all things with a single strike, meting out certain death to all under Heaven.

His body was invaded by a power that didn’t belong to demons, and Yan Xuan’s body felt like it was about to split apart.

He staggered, on the verge of toppling over, and looked at the pale blue silhouette approaching him, his vision blurred from the rain. Yan Xuan reached out his hand and grabbed onto the corner of Yi Ning’s clothes, saying lightly, “I told you it wasn’t me who killed him. You don’t believe me?”

Yi Ning expressionlessly bit the tip of a finger and dotted the blood onto Yan Xuan’s forehead. 

“Don’t seal me away.” Yan Xuan wanted to grab Yi Ning’s hand, but he was in too much pain, the pain running through his body was tearing apart his consciousness. His gaze unfocused, he could only shakily force himself to stay standing and look at him.

“Tl Rlcu… vbc’a rfji wf jkjs.”

“Tl Rlcu, P kbc’a gjcvbwis xlii qfbqif jcswbgf.”

Tl Rlcu’r tjcv tfrlajafv obg j yglfo wbwfca ktfc tf tfjgv tlr kbgvr, yea lc atf fcv tf ralii mbcalcefv ab ijs vbkc atf rfji. 

Tjc Wejc kjr ilxf j nfcbwber rcjxf, jikjsr islcu lc kjla obg qgfs. Po tf mbeivc’a yf ajwfv, atfc tf mbeiv bcis yf rfjifv jkjs.

Yet at the time, Yi Ning didn’t realise that from the beginning to the end, Yan Xuan hadn’t drawn his saber even once.

With a multitude of thoughts in his mind, Yan Xuan lowered his eyes to look at Yi Ning. The Yi Ning now could no longer execute Certain Obliteration, let alone seal him again.

He only needed to lightly wave his saber to reap Yi Ning’s life. 

“The Immortal Master sure remembers events from long ago clearly.” Every time Yan Xuan called him Immortal Master, it would be followed by words filled with ridicule.

Yi Ning knew he was thinking about what happened back then. He paused, then continued, “I know I don’t have the right to order you around. However, if you’re thinking of killing people, I won’t turn a blind eye.”

Yi Ning’s gaze was resolute. He was, after all, Mingguang Sect’s Immortal Master. Cultivation wasn’t for ascension, but for eliminating evils.

If previously, it was because they both had their own intentions, or because Yan Xuan still valued old relationships, that they temporarily joined hands, the Yi Ning now no longer had any methods of suppressing Yan Xuan besides the Thirst Hex. 

What if Yan Xuan decided to act?

Yi Ning’s mouth was tense. The moment Yan Xuan made his move, he would be ready to use the Thirst Hex to suppress him. At the most, he’d just use his hand to block. Perhaps, after seeing blood, it would cool his head a little.

He had mentally prepared himself for Yan Xuan attacking him, yet he had never expected that Yan Xuan would grab his collar and pull him close.

His breathing was heavy, and he was gritting his teeth, harshly spitting out a few words. 

“You have the right.”

Between heaven and earth, only you have the right.

After Yan Xuan had viciously said those words, he loosened his hand. Before he walked away, he shot him a cold glance, as if still harbouring rage, but he still slid his saber back in its sheath.

Yi Ning almost thought he had misheard him. He watched dumbly as Yan Xuan brushed past him without looking at him, as if nothing had happened. 

He really was listening to him.

Furthermore, he was unexpectedly obedient.

Yi Ning watched as Yan Xuan walked towards the foyer, anger simmering under the surface, and once again kicked the door to smithereens.

If his anger had erupted just now, then without cultivation, there was no way Yi Ning could have endured even a single strike from him. 

Gan’er shakily slid up to him. Just now, when she noticed that the Venerable Lord was about to erupt, she hurriedly ran away. She never expected that Immortal Master Yi Ning would be so impressive, surviving with all his limbs intact.

“Immortal Master, don’t provoke the Venerable Lord.” Gan’er tugged on his clothes, gesturing for him to bend down and listen. “The Venerable Lord said that all those with the surname Yan are his enemies, and that he must kill every single one of them.”

Yan Xuan’s enemies? Yi Ning’s expression was momentarily dazed, and when he lifted his head to look over, there was already a commotion coming from the foyer.

“Who are you!? You dare to barge into the Yan Clan Pharmacy!?”  A few people rushed out from the foyer, dressed in duanda with towels around their neck, each and every one of them wearing furious expressions. It was no surprise, after all, Yan Xuan even smashed the main copper door, he looked nothing less than someone who intended to tear up the place. 

These should be the students training in the pharmacy. Yi Ning looked over, and with his sharp eyes, spotted someone on the top floor pulling aside a beaded curtain and looking out.

It was a woman.

Yi Ning’s pupils constricted, because he saw that, beside the woman’s temples was a sharp knife, glinting coldly in the darkness.

He forcibly suppressed his emotions and retracted his gaze, instructing Gan’er quietly. 

Not much time had passed, but Yan Xuan had already destroyed everything in the pharmacy. Compared to their initial fury and anger, the trainee doctors had been so frightened after seeing Yan Xuan smash a wall with his fist that they no longer dared to make a peep.

Seems like they still had self-preservation instincts. Yi Ning exhaled lightly in relief. As long as nobody intentionally provoked Yan Xuan, Yan Xuan typically wouldn’t kill people willy-nilly.

As for Yan Xuan’s enemies, Yi Ning surmised that people who could become Yan Xuan’s enemies couldn’t be anyone weak.

After he smashed everything, his rage should also be calmed slightly. Yi Ning had only just thought this when he heard Yan Xuan call out coldly. 

“Yan Chengyun, get out here.”

“I’ll give you half an incense stick’s worth of time.”

Following which, Yi Ning noticed that on the top floor of the building behind the beaded curtain, somebody moved. The glint of the knife also disappeared.

A man dressed like a scholar slowly walked out from the rubble. The people by his side fervently tried to stop him, some even going so far as to place themselves bodily in front of him. 

“Doctor Yan, you mustn’t go, that person is insane!”

Yan Xuan slowly lifted his eyes and looked at the man, letting out a light, mocking chuckle, before asking, “Did you ask for help from Fang Shilan, or was your collusion Fang Shilan’s proposal?”

The man’s face was stark white, and he reached out to pull the person in front of him behind him before saying, “Third brother, if you have an issue, direct it at me. It doesn’t concern other people.”

Yi Ning was stunned. He knew Yan Xuan was a half-demon, but he didn’t know where the human half of his blood came from. 

This seemingly-frail man was actually Yan Xuan’s older brother.

“Third brother?” Yan Xuan narrowed his eyes and laughed coldly, a crazed hatred leaking out from the depths of his eyes. “Yan Chengyun, do you want to be reunited with your parents?”

Yan Chengyun’s body trembled, gripping onto a handkerchief and coughing twice, endless pain and sorrow on his face as he cried, “What did you do to mother and father’s remains!?”

“Naturally, I drained them of blood, little by little, then skinned them and carved the meat from the bones, then I turned the bones into a curtain. Whenever I feel irritated, I’ll pay them a visit.” Yan Xuan lightly closed his eyes, as if thoroughly enjoying himself. 

When those words came out, everybody present felt a cold chill go down their spines. The people present all revealed terrified and disgusted expressions.

“Monster, demon…!” It was unknown who said it first, but everyone else was incited by that cry, and they all yelled furiously, “Demon!”

Yi Ning watched more and more people emerge from the pharmacy, rallying against Yan Xuan.

Yet Yan Xuan didn’t pay them any mind, he pointed his saber at Yan Chengyu and said indifferently, “Don’t worry, I said before that as long as any of you dare to appear in front of me, I will kill whoever it is. Very soon you will all be able to be reunited, aren’t you ecstatic?” 

Yan Chengyun’s body was blocked by the commoners, so Yi Ning couldn’t see the expression on his face and could only see that his body was trembling.

Whether it be from fear, or something else.

The commoners blocking Yan Chengyun from Yan Xuan said, “We can’t let him kill Doctor Yan, Doctor Yan treated our illnesses and saved our lives!”

The citizens of Ganlin City truly had good hearts. Yi Ning thought about that City Lord, Mu Xiaoyun. This was probably the fruit of his efforts. 

Yet the kinder they were, the easier it was for others to take advantage of them.

Seeing how Yan Xuan was about to swing his sword, Yi Ning hurriedly rushed forward to stop him.

“Yan Xuan, remember your promise.” Sweat beaded on Yi Ning’s forehead. He could see Yan Xuan’s eyes shimmering gold, his pupils occasionally flickering to a snake’s slitted pupils. It seems as though he really can’t control his killing intent any longer.

What Yi Ning thought of at this moment was not how to stop Yan Xuan, but what kind of enmity could possibly cause Yan Xuan to become like this. 

He reached out a hand and cupped Yan Xuan’s face, wanting to call out to him and ask him to look at himself, but the black demonic fog on his body continued to pour out unceasingly. The commoners behind them were startled by this sight, and loudly yelled that a demon had entered the city.

Just one swing, and everything here could be destroyed by Yan Xuan. These screaming, ignorant people, Yan Chengyun’s kindly face that hid an ugly evil, the Yan Clan Pharmacy signboard hanging proudly above the door, and that painful, nauseating past could all be subsumed by the ocean of blood in the wake of his blade.

Yet he lowered his eyes and looked at Yi Ning.

“You said it just now. Only I have the right to tell you what to do.” Yi Ning’s hand gripped onto the hilt of his saber. 

Slowly, he took away his saber.

Yan Xuan tightly pursed his lips, turning around and leaving the pharmacy. Before he left, he lightly spoke one line to Yi Ning. “In your eyes, I am also nothing more than a demon who wantonly slaughters.”

Yi Ning’s body stiffened. He wanted to say, that’s not true.

He had never thought that before.