CH 2

Content warnings: Disturbing Imagery

A hazy memory surfaced in his mind. Shen Liuxiang swayed slightly on his feet and walked slowly towards his residence.

He had made a massive mistake.

The Yushen technique was a technique that only cultivators within the sect were allowed to access. Shen Liuxiang heard that Ye Bingran wanted it so he stole the scroll to give to him.

Though the whole matter was kept under wraps, Ye Bingran disdained such behaviour and came to Qingling Sect in person to return the scroll.

The matter spread all over the land within the span of half a day.

“He’s an immortal1To be exact, he’s not actually immortal. However, he does have very high cultivation and probably can live for hundreds of years., yet he tried to commit theft! How disgustingly shameless!”

“Bah! How could he be considered an immortal? In recent years, Qingling Sect’s reputation has been completely ruined by him! If I were Immortal Ye2Not Ye Bingran (different characters). This person is referring to Sect Master Ye, I’d have long expelled him from the sect.”

“Everyone in the world knows about this matter now. I want to go to Qingling Sect to see how matters are settled. Generally, if a disciple commits such a crime, forcefully cutting off his cultivation would be considered a light punishment.”

“Even if Shen Liuxiang has his status as an immortal, his punishment should not differ by much, else there would no longer be a way to block the mouths of the public.”

“Sigh. Back in the day, Shen Liuxiang was a peerless individual. Yet now, he has turned into a complete madman for a heartless sword cultivator. How hateful! How regretful!”

…

Whether it be normal characters like passers-by on the streets or important characters like the leaders of various factions, everyone knew about how Shen Liuxiang clung to Ye Bingran.

His jealousy for Su Baiche3Quick reminder that this is the protagonist shou of the novel, his junior disciple brother was also widely-known. Not only did Shen Liuxiang consistently cause trouble for Su Baiche, but he would also imitate Su Baiche poorly, making himself look like a joke.

There was a widely circulated painting in the world. In the painting, Su Baiche was dressed in snow-white robes and reclined upon a couch. Several white lotuses were placed beside him.

He looked like an immortal4PSA: Not all immortal-stage cultivators are good looking. This is just a phrase used to describe beauty.—clean and cold. The delicate beauty of flowers paled in comparison to him.

Wanting to imitate him, Shen Liuxiang also wore white clothes and white flowers in his hair.

He was born with natural, vivid beauty, a direct contrast to Su Baiche’s elegance. Shen Liuxiang thus cast a spell to smear his face a ghastly white, hoping for to get one more glance from Ye Bingran. 

Look. I’ve turned myself into the type you like. Why don’t you take a look at me?

Shen Liuxiang probably had such thoughts in his head.

Ye Bingran grew increasingly disgusted with Shen Liuxiang. However, he did not wish to appear rude towards Qingling Sect, so he tried to avoid Shen Liuxiang at all times, never once taking drastic actions against him.

But this time, he had caught Shen Liuxiang’s weakness. He would let Qingling Sect deal with their own people.

Searching through his memory, Shen Liuxiang walked towards Dawn Cloud Peak.

As an immortal, he was entitled to a residence of his own. On normal days, he rarely received visitors.

On the road, many disciples could be seen walking in a hurry, the words “Cliff of Rebirth” and “Shen Liuxiang” spilling out from their mouths.

Yet… No one managed to recognise him. The disciples only felt that he was a strange person and that it would be better to stay away.

Shen Liuxiang rarely showed himself and spent most of his time either in seclusion or outside the sect stalking Ye Bingran.

The impression that the group of disciples had of him was—white clothes, white flowers and extraordinarily long hair reaching to his feet. He would occasionally appear abruptly just like a ghost.

Every disciple that passed him by would stare at his retreating figure with doubts in their hearts.

“That man has a section of hair that strangely reminds me of Immortal Shen.”

“Stop talking nonsense. Immortal Shen’s hair, entwined with Ye Bingran’s hair, is still several inches longer. It’s probably a coincidence.”

Shen Liuxiang: “…” 

Fortunately, he had twisted his long hair up.

This was one of the absurd things Shen Liuxiang did.

There was a marriage custom that mortals followed. After marriage, the newlyweds would each cut off a lock of hair then tie them together, symbolizing that their hearts beat as one. 

As a result, once, when Ye Bingran was unprepared, Shen Liuxiang grabbed the opportunity and cut off a piece of Ye Bingran’s long hair to tie to his own.

He even went to the lengths of announcing this matter to the whole world, causing everyone to call him crazy.

He was probably the only immortal since time immemorial to have done such a shameful thing.

Back in the room, Shen Liuxiang found a pair of scissors and grabbed that long section of hair. He raised his hand and brought the blade down with a cracking sound. 

This thing was simply too annoying!

Against his expectations, the red ribbon tying his hair together flashed once and sent the scissors flying. Shen Liuxiang’s hands even went a little numb from the shock.

“…”

There was actually a protection spell on this.

The corners of Shen Liuxiang’s mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to find some other artefact and forcibly remove that lock of hair.

However, at this time, something at his bosom started to heat up.

He retrieved it from his robes. It was a round object shining with white light—a voice transmission device.

“Where are you?”

This voice belonged to the man in blue who had sent him away earlier—Immortal Ling Hua.

Shen Liuxiang answered honestly, “Dawn Cloud Peak.”

The other side did not respond. There was a short silence. Then, a furious outcry was transmitted.

“Are you one of the stupid pigs raised by Ling Dan?! I wanted to help you run away from the sect and return after Senior Brother returns! But look at you! You walked into the trap on your own accord!”

“Do you truly think that Ling Yue and Senior Brother are as soft-hearted and forgiving as they usually seem to be? Or do you think that entering the Sifang5Translates literally to “four directions” Blood Pool will not cause you to die from excessive pain?”

The Sifang Blood Pool, built at the summit of the Cliff of Rebirth, was the most severe punishment Qingling Sect had to offer.

As its name suggested, it contained four extreme trials—an area cloaked in lightning, a mountain of blades, a sea of fire and lastly, a pool of acidic water.

The previous time Sifang Blood Pool opened was during the punishment of a demon powerhouse who had stirred up trouble in the mortal world—Ao Yue.

In the novel, Shen Liuxiang, upon hearing that the Sword Venerable was coming to the sect, crazily headed over to see him.

However, he was captured by the law enforcement elder, thrown into the Blood Pool and punished in full. By the time he left the pool, he was already on his last breath.

Even so, he still crawled to Ye Bingran’s side to tug at the corner of his clothes, telling him not to worry, that he did not blame him. His actions were tinged with the madness of love.

These actions completely angered everyone else in Qingling Sect.

Even Ling Hua, who consistently defended Shen Liuxiang, wanted to throw him back into the Blood Pool so that he could snap out of his delusions.

Disgraceful and lowly to such an extent—what a massive joke!

Shen Liuxiang pondered for a moment.

In his current situation, Qingling Sect was the best place to stay. In order to stay, he had no choice but to accept the punishment to appease the public. 

“I’m not going to run away,” he calmly said.

“Please tell Ling Yue that he need not go out of his way. I will head to the Cliff of Rebirth myself and receive my due punishment.”

Ling Hua doubted his ears.

What?

You want to obediently wait for your punishment?

Ling Hua turned his head and met Ling Dan’s eyes, seeing his surprise reflected on the other’s face.

“Are you sure? Liuxiang6For those who are still unfamiliar with some of the names: first name Shen, given name Liuxiang, this is not a joke. Even Senior Brother would suffer substantially after entering the Sifang Blood Pool.”

On the day of Ao Yue’s sentencing, the weather itself had changed.

Pained, desolate howls resounded in the surrounding peaks. The more timid disciples were too afraid to even take a step out of their rooms.

“I’ve made up my mind. There is no need to waste your words on me.”

The light around the voice transmission device dimmed. The other party was probably in a state of confusion.

Shen Liuxiang placed the device on the table and searched for wearable clothes in the room. The dark, ink-coloured robe he was wearing was meant for a teenager’s body and was a little too short for him.

He searched for a long time. Every single article of clothing he saw was white. Staring at the completely white wardrobe, Shen Liuxiang felt as if he was about to start seeing stars.

Having no choice, Shen Liuxiang picked one at random. 

The Cliff of Rebirth was located at a remote location. It was forbidden for disciples to fly on their swords in the sect’s premises, so it took some time for all the disciples to gather. 

The small gourd fastened to Ling Jinye’s waist swayed lightly, exuding a faint lustre.

Zhou Xuanlan was walking by his side. They could both be considered the cream of the crop amongst the disciples. As a result, their names were well-known and their every move attracted attention.

However, today, they attracted a truly excessive amount of attention, all thanks to Zhou Xuanlan’s identity as Shen Liuxiang’s disciple.

Ling Jinye worriedly glanced at the person standing beside him and found that Zhou Xuanlan was not paying attention to their surroundings. He had his brows knitted instead, seemingly pondering about something.

“Are you worried about Immortal Shen?” Ling Jinye asked.

Zhou Xuanlan was taken aback and shook his head.

Immortal Shen and he were master and disciple only in name. 

During the entry test for Qingling Sect, Ling Jinye, Ling Mushan and he came out as the top three.

According to the rules, they would be accepted by the three Immortals as direct disciples. Zhou Xuanlan’s luck was poor and ended up under Shen Liuxiang.

The only time this Shizun had paid him any mind was when he had first been accepted as a disciple.

At that time, Shen Liuxiang had bestowed a jade pendant upon him. After that, Zhou Xuanlan had never received any attention from Shen Liuxiang again. 

Years passed in the blink of an eye. Zhou Xuanlan had only seen Shen Liuxiang once in person, back in that great hall.

Apart from that, all he knew of Shen Liuxiang were his amazing feats, heard through the conversations of passers-by.

Zhou Xuanlan looked at the jade pendant fastened to his belt. His footsteps abruptly paused for a moment. 

“What’s wrong?” Ling Jinye asked, having noticed his reaction.

Zhou Xuanlan raised his head with a strange expression on his face. That weird man clad in white on the bank of Juechun River…seemed to be his Shizun?

A moment later, he regained his composure. “It’s nothing.”

He did not have an ounce of goodwill towards that Shizun of his. 

Who cares?

Unexpectedly, just as this thought surfaced in his mind, the jade pendant on Zhou Xuanlan’s waist lightly flashed and a green light formed a barrier around him.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Xuanlan disappeared.

Ling Jinye stretched out his hand but could not grab hold of anything.

Blinking a few times, he looked at the jade pendant fastened to his waist and came to a realization.

Zhou Xuanlan had been summoned by Shen Liuxiang, the same way his Shizun summoned himself.

After a momentary pause, Ling Jinye’s eyes widened.

Immortal Shen had to be up to something! What else would he summon Xuanlan for? Use him as a scapegoat?!

In a great hurry, Ling Jinye cast a spell on his jade pendant.

“Shizun, help!!”

***

The spiritual energy in the room wavered and the green light dissipated.

Shen Liuxiang sat cross-legged on the couch, resting his chin on his palms. Blinking at the youth who had suddenly appeared, his eyes gradually lit up.

It worked. 

Following the formula in his memories, Shen Liuxiang had tried to exert power on the return jade7Jade pendant’s name and succeeded in summoning Zhou Xuanlan against his expectations.

“Hello,” Shen Liuxiang greeted with a gentle smile.

He had already declared his intention to receive punishment. If he planned on heading to the Cliff of Rebirth, he needed to make some preparations. 

After much thought, Shen Liuxiang figured that there was only one person who was able to help him.

“Shi…Shizun.”

Zhou Xuanlan had been summoned without rhyme or reason. Taking in his surroundings, his gaze fell upon the person lying on the couch. A trace of uneasiness appeared on Zhou Xuanlan’s face. 

After awkwardly acknowledging Shen Liuxiang, Zhou Xuanlan asked, “May I know what you have summoned this disciple for?”

Shen Liuxiang stretched out his slender index finger and poked at his face.

“Do you know how to undo transfiguration spells?”

After going through some memories, Shen Liuxiang recalled that his face had not been caked in white powder. The cause of his current looks was a transfiguration spell that could not be washed off with water.

“It’s a low-level spell. Naturally, this disciple can undo it,” Zhou Xuanlan replied, his face full of suspicion. 

This was a basic spell. There was no way Shen Liuxiang did not know of it.

“Come, come, help your Shizun undo this spell first.”

His ghost-like face had long surpassed Shen Liuxiang’s ability to endure. Without further ado, Shen Liuxiang called for Zhou Xuanlan to come forward.

In the novel, only a single line was used to describe Shen Liuxiang’s original appearance.

Shen Liuxiang felt a little curious. What would his face look like without the effects of the transfiguration spell?

“…Please forgive this disciple’s disrespect,” Zhou Xuanlan said while forming a hand seal. The next moment, his index finger fell upon Shen Liuxiang’s forehead.

The finger lightly tapped once. 

The transfiguration spell was removed. The spacious room sank into a strange silence.

Zhou Xuanlan’s finger was frozen, remaining outstretched on Shen Liuxiang’s forehead. His gaze fell upon the face that was inches apart from his.

Dazed, Zhou Xuanlan blankly stood still.

Afraid of being blinded from the spell, Shen Liuxiang had hurriedly closed his eyes right before Zhou Xuanlan’s actions. He had already waited for a long time, yet he felt no response from his disciple. 

Shen Liuxiang’s long, dark lashes trembled slightly. His thin lips parted.

“Are you done? I’m going to open my eyes.”

The wind outside was getting stronger. Entering through the open window, it blew past the pieces of paper on the table, making a rustling noise.

The black-robed youth woke up from his stupor and retracted his hand.

“I’m done. You can open your eyes now, Shizun.”

It was rumoured that Immortal Shen of Qingling Sect was a peerless beauty.

This rumour did not contain any falsehood.

Shen Liuxiang cracked open his left eye first, taking in Zhou Xuanlan’s reaction.

Upon seeing his strange expression, Shen Liuxiang’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately opened his right eye as well.

“Bring me a bronze mirror!”

How ugly did he have to be to scare this child so?!

Why couldn’t he at least have a passer-by’s face?!8Plain, common, forgettable face

Shen Liuxiang lamented. I used to be in the entertainment circle, relying on my face to earn money… how far have I fallen?

Zhou Xuanlan looked around the room, spotted a mirror and handed it over.

The figure reflected in the mirror had handsome features. His eyebrows and eyes seemed to come right out of a painting.

His skin, no longer ghastly white, was now healthily pale, with a translucency to it that reminded one of white-coloured spiritual energy.

Upon closer inspection, there was a small mole at the corner of his right eye. His thin lips had a slight arch to them and would raise slightly whenever his eyes crinkled.9Basically this: , but 1827349x more attractive It was a little alluring.

Shen Liuxiang looked at the face so similar to his own and suddenly lost interest. At least this was much more pleasing to the eye.

All he had to do now was find a protective artefact. 

Sifang Blood Pool was well-known across the land. All who entered would lose the majority of their spiritual power and experience the pain of being struck by ferocious lightning, the pain of ten thousand cuts from one thousand blades, the pain of being set ablaze in a sea of fire and the pain of having flesh and bone melted into nothingness.

Shen Liuxiang’s scalp tingled just thinking about it.

He had to find a way out.

He recalled that the novel once mentioned a top-grade treasure in Qingling Sect called the Soul Protecting Robe. It was the only top-level defensive artefact in the cultivation world and its whereabouts were unclear.

In this world, there were only two people who knew where the artefact was hidden. One was Sect Master Ling Ye, who knew everything. The other was Zhou Xuanlan, who had discovered its whereabouts by accident. 

Shen Liuxiang’s main purpose for summoning him was for this. The difficult question now was how to make Zhou Xuanlan reveal its whereabouts.

If he was Zhou Xuanlan, he would definitely be tight-lipped.

The information on such an artefact was not something that a mere disciple could or should know.

Shen Liuxiang pondered for a moment, thinking about how the youth, despite his cold expression, had left him a warm robe at Juechun River before leaving. 

Shen Liuxiang’s eyes flickered slightly.

Shen Liuxiang stood up, walked to the small tea table and took a sip of cold tea.

“As you can see, your Shizun has displaced his spiritual power while cultivating, resulting in my sea of consciousness being damaged. I can no longer remember some spells.”

After saying this, Shen Liuxiang covered his face and coughed once.

Zhou Xuanlan was torn between believing and not believing Shen Liuxiang’s words.

It was true that some cultivators would lose their sense of self and turn demonic during their cultivation due to unsettled minds or other similar reasons. 

When such cases occurred, the cultivators would be injured to varying degrees. Some who got off lightly would end up with damage to their cultivation, while others could very well lose their lives.

However, Shen Liuxiang was different. His cultivation was immensely high and his foundation was deep, having long stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm. There was no way he could have made such a mistake. 

Still mired in doubt, Zhou Xuanlan suddenly heard a sigh.

“My reason for summoning you today is to settle some affairs before I am gone.”

What?!

Zhou Xuanlan abruptly raised his head, only to find that Shen Liuxiang had walked to the window at some point. Shen Liuxiang’s clothes billowed in the wind and his loose hair danced in the air.

He turned his head back slightly and gazed at Zhou Xuanlan. His beautiful eyebrows drooped and his eyes held a trace of grief.

“In recent years, I have indulged in ‘love’ and made many mistakes. The one I feel the most guilty towards is you.”

Zhou Xuanlan was stunned.

Shizun’s expression did not seem to contain any fakeness.

Zhou Xuanlan’s mood suddenly became complicated. He had been a child when he came under Shen Liuxiang as a disciple.

At that time, he had fantasized about how Shen Liuxiang would bestow favour upon him, but Shen Liuxiang had shattered his sweet dreams. 

Shen Liuxiang had been indifferent to him for years. It had been a long time since Zhou Xuanlan last cared about the word ‘shizun’. Why did Shen Liuxiang bring this topic up now?

“Shizun does not need to feel guilty. This disciple holds no resentment against you,” Zhou Xuanlan said, suppressing the slight twinge in his heart.

“Shizun has great fortune as if blessed by the heavens themselves. There is no need to bring up your arrangements for your death.”

Shen Liuxiang was silent for a while, then placed his hand on the window sill.

“You should know that I was harmed by the demon clan ten years ago and nearly lost my life then. Though I was saved by Ye Bingran, my injuries have not recovered till this day.”

“Now, I’ve made a mistake while cultivating, exacerbating the injury. This body…is barely holding on.”

Zhou Xuanlan could not believe it.

Shen Liuxiang’s lips were red, his teeth were white and his complexion looked great. Zhou Xuanlan refuse to believe that Shen Liuxiang’s body was ‘barely holding on’.

“Shizun must be joking.”

The corners of Shen Liuxiang’s mouth twitched slightly. He nearly broke out of his persona.

Asshole.

Zhou Xuanlan actually doubted his acting! How was this any different from making him lose his job?!

Shen Liuxiang straightened his back and turned around with a thin trace of anger on his handsome features. 

“You think your Shizun is lying to you?”

After saying these words, Shen Liuxiang activated the spiritual energy in his body. His complexion turned ghastly immediately.

With a ‘wah’ sound, he vomited some blood. The dark red liquid slid down the corners of his lips and left traces on his fair, jade-like skin.

Against the backdrop of his pale skin, the crimson blood was incredibly conspicuous.

Zhou Xuanlan’s face changed slightly. “Shizun—”

Shen Liuxuan wiped the blood on his lips off with his fingertips and took a slow breath.

With a hoarse voice, he said, “I have a piece of advice for you: Don’t be misled by appearances. You have to look at the essence of things.”

Shen Liuxiang coughed lightly and started to slowly explain.

“An immeasurable number of outsiders have set their sights on Qingling Sect. If they knew of my imminent death, they will surely feel less vigilance and may take the opportunity to attack while the Sect Master is away. There are bound to be some disciples who are unable to defend themselves and hold on, so I… definitely cannot show any weakness!”

Zhou Xuanlan was stunned.

Was Shen Liuxiang forcibly suppressing the restless spiritual power in his body for the sake of the Sect?

His tone became lighter. 

“Shizun does not need to be discouraged. Though you are currently unable to use your spiritual power, your life is safe. Once the Sect Master comes back, I’m sure you can figure out a way.”

Shen Liuxiang’s eyes flickered slightly.

“I’m afraid that I’m unable to hold on until the Sect Master comes back. My punishment will commence in half an hour. If I were to suffer the torture of Sifang Blood Pool in my current state… My death is almost guaranteed.”

Zhou Xuanlan frowned. 

“Shizun can tell the law enforcement elders the truth…”

“Absolutely not,” Shen Liuxiang immediately rejected Zhou Xuanlan’s suggestion. Then, he flicked his sleeves with a dignified expression. 

“If this immortal does not step foot into the Sifang Blood Pool today, I will be unable to prevent rumours from spreading.”

“The public will definitely scold Qingling Sect for breaking the rules for personal gain and consider us a Sect without discipline. Our disciples in Qingling Sect will not be content either. Bending the rules now will cause great harm in the future.”

Zhou Xuanlan wavered slightly. 

Shen Liuxiang’s actions were once again made with the Sect in mind. He had never once thought that his Shizun, who caused Qingling Sect’s reputation to fall to the bottom, would hold such considerations.

Shen Liuxiang took a look at Zhou Xuanlan’s expression and felt that the time was ripe.

He retrieved a golden storage bag and solemnly said, “Shizun has let you down in the past. As for the future…sigh. There probably won’t be a future left.”

Shen Liuxiang walked towards Zhou Xuanlan, who still had a slightly childish air around him.

Gently pulling at his hand, Shen Liuxiang placed the storage bag in Zhou Xuanlan’s palm.

“This contains everything I have accumulated over the years. You have to hold on to this carefully. Consider it—”

Shen Liuxiang coughed slightly and continued.

“Consider it Shizun’s congratulatory gift. In the upcoming competition amongst the disciples, I am sure that you will take first place…It’s a pity that I will not be around to see it.”

Having said what he wanted to say, Shen Liuxiang gently smiled at the youth with his bloodstained lips.

His appearance had a terrible beauty to it, poignant yet resolute.

Zhou Xuanlan suddenly felt as if he had something stuck in his throat. He was unable to say a single word.

He only felt Shizun’s cold fingertips gently holding his hand. The sensation was akin to having cool silk brush past his skin.

Underneath the cold, he could feel the softness of Shen Liuxiang’s fingers, inadvertently dazing him.

“If I am unable to overcome the upcoming calamity—” 

Shen Liuxiang let go of Zhou Xuanlan’s hands and rested his palm upon his shoulders. Leaning forward slightly, he gazed directly into the pair of ink-dark eyes.

A few moments passed. Shen Liuxiang chuckled lightly.

“Remember that cultivation is not something that you can slack off in. In addition, no matter what happens, you have to take care of yourself… I do not wish to meet you under the nine springs10Under the nine springs = the yin realm where people go after death anytime soon.”

After these words, Shen Liuxiang retracted his hand and sighed with a disappointed expression on his face.

“If Senior Brother was here, this calamity would not pose such a difficulty—I could ask him for the Soul Protecting Robe… Forget it, my fate is as such. There is no use in lamenting.”

Zhou Xuanlan looked down at the storage bag. His fist clenched slightly. 

Soul Protecting Robe?

He should have ignored those words, but…

Damn it!

He knew exactly where that robe was!!

Names:

***

TN: Shen Liuxiang’s an actor for a reason. Zhou Xuanlan’s being played right into his hands hahahaha. Let me assure you that this is gonna be a common occurrence from now on XD

Edit: Forgot to mention I split up the text into more paragraphs because I realized most readers are probably reading on phones, and what looks like a normal paragraph on a computer screen probably looks lengthy on a phone screen. Do let me know if the length of paragraphs now is appropriate or if you want to increase/decrease the length!

Recruitment for editors is still open and ends 28 Feb 2022. If interested, join the Dummy Discord, check #recruitment-notice and DM me at waterlemon#8591 to apply~

To be exact, he’s not actually immortal. However, he does have very high cultivation and probably can live for hundreds of years.

Not Ye Bingran (different characters). This person is referring to Sect Master Ye

Quick reminder that this is the protagonist shou of the novel

PSA: Not all immortal-stage cultivators are good looking. This is just a phrase used to describe beauty.

Translates literally to “four directions”

For those who are still unfamiliar with some of the names: first name Shen, given name Liuxiang

Jade pendant’s name

Plain, common, forgettable face

Basically this: , but 1827349x more attractive

Under the nine springs = the yin realm where people go after death