CH 38.3

He picked up the storage bag and put the fox fur into it. Suddenly, he remembered something and searched inside the bag, taking out a spirit herb.

Shen Bubu frowned suddenly, “Daddy, throw it away quickly!”

Shen Liuxiang was stunned. The herb was entirely purple. He had picked it from Ning Runxin’s cave that day. He felt something was off at that time, so he picked one and put it in the storage bag. Now he remembered to examine it.

“Is there something wrong with this herb?” he asked.

Shen Bubu sniffed it, “This is the Purple Divine Grass, used to enhance cultivation by any means necessary. Although it can help with breakthroughs, it will damage the spiritual veins, leading to the permanent loss of the opportunity to reach a higher realm.”

Shen Liuxiang was shocked. He had heard that every plant and tree in Ning Runxin’s cave was carefully selected by Daoist Jianzhen.

He knew how dangerous the Purple Divine Grass was. If he knew and still picked it, wouldn’t he…?

As Shen Liuxiang was lost in thought, the spiritual energy in the surroundings suddenly tightened.

A man silently appeared on an empty chair beside the tea table. He poured himself a cup of tea, his face exuding a cold aura.

An unvoiced pressure spread.

Shen Liuxiang’s hand holding the spirit herb trembled, and it fell to the ground without him realising it.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a completely unfamiliar place. His head was throbbing, and his mind was filled with repeated whispers.

“You are the beloved disciple of Zhongqing, and I don’t want to hurt you. I will give you a chance – tell me where Zhongqing is.”

“He can be so cruel to me, but he can’t let you go. He must have told you where he is.”

“As long as he’s in this world, I’ll find him no matter where he hides.”

“If you don’t want to die, tell me!”

Shen Liuxiang felt a hand choking his neck tightly, cutting off his breath.

Just as he was about to suffocate, the pressure was released.

Yu Fusheng let his long hair fall, and the jade crown on his head broke into two halves. A cold black aura surrounded him, and his face looked like a fierce ghost from hell.

He squatted down slowly, pinching a hand seal and murmured, “Zhongqing, look carefully. Your disciple forced me to do this. He didn’t tell me your whereabouts, so I had to use soul searching to find out. You shouldn’t blame me, right?”

“But even if you blame me, it doesn’t matter. Come out and kill me then.”

The cold hand touched his forehead, and Shen Liuxiang trembled all over. It wasn’t physical pain but the pain of his soul, as if a sharp knife was cutting away his soul, trying to separate it from his body.

The pain became unbearable, and Shen Liuxiang’s consciousness began to disintegrate. Unconsciously, he stabbed his finger into the skin on his arm, desperately trying to transfer some of the soul’s agony to his physical body.

Seeing this, Yu Fusheng seemed highly amused and threw him a dagger.

“Endure a bit more. Before I finish examining your soul, don’t die. Zhongqing must have left a soul imprint on you. I will find a way to break it,” Yu Fusheng said.

Time passed slowly, and unknowingly, Shen Liuxiang was covered in wounds, and his robes were stained with blood, all of which were caused by his own fingernails and the dagger.

But the torment on his soul continued, seemingly endless.

The sky was gloomy, and it was still some time before dawn.

Back at their residence, Zhou Xuanlan glanced at the lit room, hesitated for a moment, stood at the door, and called out, “Master.”

There was no response from inside.

Zhou Xuanlan lowered his eyes, his fingers resting on the door.

He purposely came back later, hoping that his master would cool down. But it seemed like his master was still ignoring him.

His fingers loosened, thinking of leaving, but feeling reluctant, he called out again, but still, there was no response from inside.

Zhou Xuanlan furrowed his brows and pushed the door open.

His master’s figure was nowhere to be seen in the room, only Shen Bubu lying unconscious on the ground.

Beside him was a half-broken spirit grass.

Zhou Xuanlan picked it up, and his gaze fell on it. His eyes narrowed slightly.

On the white and radiant leaves of the herb, there was a crooked word, seemingly carved in a state of extreme panic.

The word ‘Yu.’

Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes narrowed even more, and he rushed out of the room.

Tonight, there was an attack by the Demon Lord and then Sword Sovereign’s breakthrough to the Harmonization Realm. One big event followed another, and it finally quieted down. The disciples of Sword Sect were busy registering the conditions of the disciples from various sects to see if there were any injuries.

Ye Shi was in charge of Qingling’s area. He had just arrived at his residence when a figure rushed past him like a gust of wind.

He turned around and recognized who it was, then hurried to catch up. “Wait, let me finish counting the numbers.”

The figure ahead suddenly stopped and turned back. Ye Shi looked at the youth with a frosty face, feeling a bit uneasy in his heart despite both of them being at the Golden Core stage.

“What’s wrong with you?” Ye Shi asked.

Zhou Xuanlan grabbed his collar and asked coldly, “Where is Yu Fusheng’s cave?”

Ye Shi blurted out, “How can you directly call the Master’s name!”

“I’m asking you where he is!!!” Zhou Xuanlan’s eyes were bloodshot, and his slender hand trembled, as if trying to suppress the killing intent in his heart.

Both at the Golden Core stage, but Ye Shi suddenly felt intimidated.

“Come with me,” he said, “Tell me along the way what happened. Aren’t you Immortal Shen’s disciple? Why don’t you go to your Master when something’s wrong?”

In a moment, the two arrived at a tall and towering mountain peak.

“Master’s cave is on this peak,” Ye Shi explained, frowning after hearing the incident with the carved word on the spirit grass and said, “Maybe there’s a misunderstanding. Master has no reason to harm Immortal Shen. Calm down first.”

Zhou Xuanlan didn’t say a word and rushed into the peak.

Ye Shi hurriedly stopped him, “There are senior brothers and sisters guarding here. We should report first!”

At this moment, dozens of Sword Sect disciples carrying long swords appeared in front of them. The leader of the group spoke coldly, “What’s the matter?”

Ye Shi bowed and was about to explain when Zhou Xuanlan directly acted, blasting a path forward.

“Bold! How dare you cause trouble in front of Master’s cave!” The others drew their swords and attacked Zhou Xuanlan.

Ye Shi was sweating profusely. Seeing the situation had become uncontrollable and that there was no way to end it well, he made up his mind and intervened to stop a few disciples.

“Damn it, even if I get expelled from the sect, I can’t let things go wrong! Hurry and go save Shen Liuliu! Don’t let anything really happen!” he shouted.

Zhou Xuanlan shook off the person who tried to stop him and quickly rushed to the entrance of the cave in the blink of an eye. The disciples guarding the peak were furious and immediately chased after him.

Ye Shi suffered some injuries and fell a few steps behind everyone else.

When he arrived, there was silence inside the cave. The disciples guarding the entrance looked stunned and terrified.

A bloody smell permeated the air, and a foreboding feeling rose in Ye Shi’s heart.

He hurriedly approached.

In his sight, Shen Liuxiang’s black hair was disheveled, lying in a pool of blood. He held a dagger in his hand, and half of the blade was embedded in his bloody wrist.

Standing beside him was a disheveled person, resembling a ferocious ghost. He pressed one hand against Shen Liuxiang’s forehead and kept muttering, “I will definitely find it… I will definitely find it… Zhongqing, where is your soul imprint!”

“Master… Master,” someone trembled and called out.

Yu Fusheng’s face changed, seemingly turning mad. He roared, “No one can stop me!”

He attacked the people in front of him with a palm strike.

Then, Yu Fusheng turned to look at Zhou Xuanlan, who had just arrived. “Are you also here to stop me from finding Zhongqing?”

Silence filled the air for a moment. Zhou Xuanlan looked up, a cruel and bloodthirsty smile appearing on his lips.

“I’m here to kill you.”

The cave that had stood for a thousand years collapsed with a terrifying demonic aura spreading. As dawn approached, an ancient and primeval power with the force to destroy the heavens and earth descended.

The world trembled, and the sky changed.

Shen Liuxiang’s last bit of consciousness sensed someone hugging him tightly, as if trying to merge him into their bones.

The person’s voice was hoarse, trembling lightly. “Master, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”

Shen Liuxiang’s fingertip moved slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes. He heard a soft call in his ear, “Junior Brother.”

He was dazed for a moment, sat up, and felt his sea of consciousness splitting with pain.

“Don’t move, calm your mind and rest for a while.” Ling Ye sat at the edge of the bed, reaching out to support him.

After a long time, the pain gradually dissipated. Shen Liuxiang sighed with relief. He opened his mouth, only to find his voice was hoarse and almost inaudible.

He asked hoarsely, “Where’s Zhou Xuanlan?”

Ling Ye remained silent for a moment before replying, “He’s in the Demon Suppression Prison of Sword Sect.”

Shen Liuxiang was stunned.

The Demon Suppression Prison was mentioned in the original story, where Sword Sect imprisoned unruly demonic beings. Why would they lock up Zhou Xuanlan?!

His face turned pale. He hastily got out of bed, but Ling Ye held him back. “Calm down and let me finish explaining.”

Comfortingly, Ling Ye rubbed Shen Liuxiang’s black hair and spoke gently, “He seriously injured Daoist Jianzhen.”

“He did it to save me!” Shen Liuxiang grabbed Ling Ye’s sleeve. “Senior Brother misunderstood. You all misunderstood. Yu Fusheng took me to his cave to search for my Master’s whereabouts. He used the Soul Search Technique on me!”

Ling Ye’s eyes turned icy cold. “What did you say?!”

He firmly grasped Shen Liuxiang’s wrist, gently sending spiritual power into it to understand the situation inside his body.

“Every word I said is true,” Shen Liuxiang said anxiously, getting off the bed. “It’s a misunderstanding. I will go explain and ask the people from Sword Sect to release Zhou Xuanlan.”

“Hold on,” Ling Ye held him and didn’t let go. “It’s useless.”

“What do you mean?” Shen Liuxiang frowned.

Ling Ye’s face remained calm as he said, “No one will believe you, or perhaps, why he attacked Daoist Jianzhen, all of that doesn’t matter now.”

Shen Liuxiang was stunned.

Ling Ye’s eyes gradually turned cold as he said each word distinctly, “Zhou Xuanlan also killed disciples of Sword Sect, and most importantly… he is a demon.”

A thunderous roar echoed in Shen Liuxiang’s mind, and his heart surged with enormous waves.

From their residence to the Demon Suppression Prison, all the Sword Sect disciples wore white ribbons around their swords and had solemn expressions.

Shen Liuxiang lowered his head, recalling Ling Ye’s words from earlier.

The current consensus was that Zhou Xuanlan, a member of the demon race, had hidden his identity for so long but couldn’t suppress his bloodthirsty nature any longer. He killed Sword Sect disciples and severely injured Daoist Jianzhen, which was an unforgivable crime. He must be dealt with swiftly.

The Demon Suppression Prison was pitch-black. When the door opened, some light came in.

Shen Liuxiang had never imagined that one day he would see Zhou Xuanlan, with black iron chains piercing his shoulders, confined in a dim and eternal darkness.

At this moment, Zhou Xuanlan looked extremely disheveled, kneeling on the cold, hard ground. His black hair was in disarray, and his clothes were tattered and stained with blood. His exposed skin was covered in wounds.

When he heard footsteps, there was no response.

He seemed like an inanimate object.

Only when he heard someone dissuading, “Immortal Shen, this is a fierce beast. Please don’t get close,” did Zhou Xuanlan show a momentary reaction. He raised his pitch-black, deep eyes and gazed at Shen Liuxiang. His lips moved slightly as he whispered, “Master.”

A barely audible voice.

Shen Liuxiang took a step forward, clenching his fingers until they turned red. He forced a smile and squatted in front of Zhou Xuanlan, using his sleeve to gently wipe the bloodstains from his face.

Zhou Xuanlan looked slightly stunned, his eyes showing a cautious expression as he said, “Aren’t you afraid of me, Master? I am a demon. They all call me a fierce beast.”

Shen Liuxiang replied, “I already knew.”

Zhou Xuanlan widened his eyes, looking incredulous. Then, he saw Shen Liuxiang curl his lips, a slight quirk at the corners of his eyes.

“Aren’t you just a little demon?”

Zhou Xuanlan choked in his throat, “Master.”

Shen Liuxiang looked around. If he closed the door, this place would be pitch-dark, and he wouldn’t be able to see his own hand.

He asked, “Are you afraid of the dark?”

Zhou Xuanlan didn’t understand and shook his head.

Shen Liuxiang felt relieved and leaned close to Zhou Xuanlan’s ear, whispering softly, “Then stay here obediently, I will save you.”

Zhou Xuanlan replied hoarsely, “Master, don’t waste your efforts.”

Even if he lost his cultivation, Sword Sect’s confinement of him was top-tier. Everyone believed that he had gone wild with his demonic nature and killed those Sword Sect disciples.

Even without these crimes, they wouldn’t let him go.

A young demon beast that could severely injure a Mahayana Realm cultivator posed a great threat to the cultivation world. No one would fail to understand that his death would put everyone’s minds at ease.

Zhou Xuanlan saw through it all, accepting his sudden identity as a demon beast and ignoring all the fear and malice from the outside world.

The only thing he cared about was his master.

Would his master come to detest him now, believing that he had gone wild with his demonic nature and slaughtered innocent people?

With an anxious expression, he asked, “Master, do you believe me? I didn’t kill those disciples.”

Shen Liuxiang was taken aback, then he gently tapped Zhou Xuanlan’s forehead with his fingertip, his voice trembling slightly. “Fool.”

…

Shen Bubu had been waiting anxiously when he finally saw his father returning. He rushed over and hugged him.

Shen Liuxiang skillfully picked him up and placed him on the table. “I won’t have time to look after you now. You’ll go back to Mount Ginseng with the team leader.”

What nonsense about ‘the fierce beast must die’? – whether his disciple lived or died, it was his call to make.

Shen Bubu grabbed his hand and shook his head vigorously. “Daddy, the team leader told me that Sword Sect’s Demon Suppression Prison has layers upon layers of disciples guarding it. There’s no way you can secretly rescue Big Brother.”

Shen Liuxiang remained silent.

Sneaking someone out in complete secrecy was impossible. There were at least five or six people lurking in the shadows, keeping an eye on his every move.

If he wanted to save Zhou Xuanlan, he could only force his way through this path.

Seeing his father’s silence, Shen Bubu became anxious. “Daddy, it won’t work. Even if you manage to rescue Big Brother from the Demon Suppression Prison, Sword Sect’s people will stop you. And even if you get past Sword Sect, there will be people from the entire cultivation world trying to stop you. It’s impossible to save Big Brother!”

As he finished speaking, the door suddenly opened, and Ling Ye walked in.

Shen Liuxiang poured himself a cup of tea without looking at Ling Ye and asked, “Did you come here to stop me, Senior Brother?”

“Yes,” Ling Ye replied calmly. “He’s still so young, but he already has the ability to fight against Mahayana Realm cultivators. In the future, he will undoubtedly become a formidable enemy.”

Shen Liuxiang picked up the teacup, took a sip, and found that it was cold tea. He said, “He has lost all his cultivation and is powerless.”

Ling Ye said, “What the world seeks for is only three words – peace of mind.”

Shen Liuxiang tapped his fingertip lightly, pouring the remaining cold tea in the cup onto the ground. He raised his phoenix-like eyes, and his gaze turned icy. “All I seek for is also only three words—he is safe”