CH 33

Who was the person outside the door?

Was it a cultivator who came to see him off the same as the sword cultivator, or a disciple of Baihua Palace, or… him?

Xiao Yuan lowered his voice and asked, “Who is it?”

A low voice came from outside the door: “I heard that the Young Sect Master Shen is about to leave Baihua Palace, and I am here to see you off.”

Xiao Yuan clenched his fists tightly – it was really Xiao Du! Was it a coincidence that he came to ‘Shen Fugui’ at this time, or……

Xiao Yuan looked down at the nine-tone snail on the table. He couldn’t take any risks.

If Xiao Du heard the conversation between him and the sword cultivator just now, the only thing he could know was that the nine-tone snail was in the hands of ‘Shen Fugui’. He had a face-changing technique to protect him, so his identity wasn’t exposed completely. If he was careful, he might be able to handle it.

Xiao Yuan quickly made up his mind and changed his face. He had used this face in the past, it had no distinguished features and was so ordinary that it was often overlooked. Then he opened the closet and stuffed the red lotus, nine-tone snail and other things in.

As the door didn’t open for a long time, Xiao Du seemed to be impatient and said, “What, does the young master not want to see me?”

Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, opened the door and said, “Young Sect Master Shen has already left.”

Xiao Du looked at him unabashedly, his gaze sharp as if he was about to drill a few holes in him.

Xiao Yuan’s heart thumped; it seemed that Xiao Du had really heard the conversation between him and the sword cultivator.

For two years, the nine-tone snail had been lighting up from time to time to search for his presence. In the first few months after he ‘died’, sometimes it would glow all night and Xiao Yuan felt a little distressed about the spiritual power put into it. How great it would be if it could be given directly to him. Later, the nine-tone snail was quiet for a while, and soon after, it occasionally lit up.

Xiao Yuan could probably figure out Xiao Du’s thoughts. At first he didn’t want to accept it, then he had to accept and finally he calmed down and returned to doing his usual Demon Lord things: pampering his younger brother and step by step achieving his goal of killing the entire world.

But Xiao Du still didn’t let him go. With the heart-protecting spell, he knew that he was probably not dead. The corpse made by Luo Lan could deceive Gu Louyin and Mu Yingyang but could not deceive him.

Xiao Du was looking for him.

Xiao Yuan couldn’t figure out why Xiao Du was looking for him. For Xiao Du, he was just a chess piece with a beautiful face that could be used. If the chess piece was lost, then it was lost, just find another one to replace it. Gu Louyin was looking for him because of guilt, then what was Xiao Du doing it for? Just for that unwarranted desire to control?

As early as when he first arrived at Xingtian Sect, Xiao Yuan was vaguely aware of Xiao Du’s abnormality. Xiao Du was used to holding everything in the palm of his hand and he could not allow anything to deviate from his vision. Whether it was Xiao Du’s unbridled affection for him when he was his gege, or the Acacia Gu later, or the nine-tone snail, or the heart-protection spell, it was clear that Xiao Du had put a lot of effort into him. But he did not help Xiao Du get Qingyan, so how could Xiao Du accept it?

Xiao Yuan could foresee the consequences of being recognized by Xiao Du. It would be nothing more than going back on the old path and losing his freedom again.

He could be with anyone, but he had to stay away from Xiao Du.

Xiao Yuan smiled softly: “What else can I do for the immortal master?”

Xiao Du asked, “Who are you and why are you in Shen Fugui’s room.”

After two years of waiting, the nine-tone snail responded for the first time. Xiao Du was not as overwhelmed as Gu Louyin had been when he realised who he was. He remained calm, no urgent need was visible in his speech or demeanour, and he even managed to come knocking on the door without any haste.

Xiao Yuan said, “I am just a sword cultivator of Tianhe Sect and I also came to see off Young Sect Master Shen. Unexpectedly, I was a step late.”

Xiao Du raised his eyebrows and said, “Why haven’t I seen you before?”

Xiao Yuan smiled and said, “With so many people at the flower viewing party, the distinguished cultivator might have seen me but doesn’t remember it.”

Xiao Du curved his lips, “That’s it. Then do you know where Shen Fugui went?”

Xiao Yuan breathed a sigh of relief secretly and said, “It’s probably time for him to go back to Xuanle Sect.”

Xiao Du looked at him, still smiling: “So I can only go to Xuanle Sect if I want to find him?”

“Probably so.”

“Got it.” Xiao Du turned around and walked to the door, then suddenly stopped again and said, “I’m still curious about one thing.”

Xiao Yuan calmly said, “What’s the matter?”

Xiao Du said carelessly: “If you are a sword cultivator, what about your sword?”

Xiao Yuan: “…”

“For a sword cultivator, a sword is like your life.” Xiao Du approached Xiao Yuan step by step, “Don’t tell me you forgot to bring it.”

Xiao Yuan knew that once Xiao Du became suspicious, it was useless for him to say anything. Instead of making up nonsense, it was better to make up a mystery. If Xiao Du couldn’t guess who he was, he wouldn’t act rashly.

Xiao Yuan said with a serious expression: “I do not question your identity, so why should you question my identity? You are looking for your people, I am looking for my people, you and I should mind our own business. I advise you to keep your curiosity to yourself.”

Xiao Du narrowed his eyes when he heard this. Xiao Yuan smelled a hint of danger but still looked at him without showing weakness.

Xiao Du said, “Are you looking for someone too?”

“Yes.”

Xiao Du smiled, “Then I’m afraid you won’t have time to look for them.”

As the words fell, a violent wind blew up in the room, opening the doors and the windows and causing their frames to rattle. Even the quilt and jade pillows on the bed were also blown up in the air.

Xiao Yuan raised his arm to block his eyes, but he couldn’t stabilize his body and took half a step back. It was not because of his cultivation base, but because the wind was full of true qi, piercing like ten thousand arrows everywhere. Not only his room, but the entire garden was shrouded in the spiritual power released by Xiao Du.

The cultivators who didn’t know what was happening walked out of their rooms one by one, marveling at the sudden gale.

“This cultivation base… is it Lu Liluan?”

“No, Lu Liluan practices healing. This aura is fierce, domineering and indestructible, how can it be hers.”

“Which immortal lord could that be?”

Feeling the flow of spiritual power on his chest, Xiao Du hooked his lips, and took out his gleaming nine-tone snail in front of Xiao Yuan, “He came to find me.”

Xiao Yuan opened his mouth and as soon as he was about to speak, the closet door slammed open, and the nine-tone snail accompanying the one in Xiao Du’s hand flew out and was picked up by him.

Xiao Du said, “Who are you and where did you get the nine-tone snail?”

Xiao Yuan gritted his teeth, refusing to admit it. “What is that thing?”

Xiao Du looked at the nine-tone snail that he had been looking for for two years and said slowly: “It’s okay. Let’s go to another place and talk slowly.”

Xiao Yuan only felt that the scenery in front of him blurred and Xiao Du’s beautiful but chilling face also appeared hazy. The moment before he lost consciousness, he felt that he had fallen into a familiar embrace, and the heart of the person holding him was beating very fast. He blinked heavily and fell asleep completely.

Xiao Du glanced at the closet, put the red lotus in his sleeve, picked up Xiao Yuan in his arms and left Baihua Palace like nobody’s business.

Meng Chi had been waiting in Hongxiu for a long time, and when she saw Xiao Du suddenly appear with a man in his arms,  she thought it was Xiao Rong and hurriedly said, “Lord, young lord, what…”

Xiao Du said, “It is not Ah Rong.”

Meng Chi said in surprise: “But the Lord is carrying him? Who is he?”

Xiao Du said briefly: “I don’t know, but he probably knows Ah Yu’s whereabouts.”

Then no wonder.

Xiao Du said, “Let’s go back to Xingtian Sect.”

“Wait,” Meng Chi looked around, “where is the young lord?”

Xiao Du: “…”

Meng Chi didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry: “Looking at the Lord’s expression, did you forget him?”

Xiao Du said calmly, “Send someone to pick him up.”

Xingtian Sect was shrouded in a shadow, as cold as an ice cellar. For those who came back from Baihua Palace’s spring full of blooming flowers, it seemed like entering wintertime all of a sudden.

In an empty hall, several burning torches hung on the walls. The firelight was dim, and behind the light gauze drapery, there was a carved sandalwood bed, on which laid an unassuming man. The man was asleep, his breathing deep and quiet.

Not far from the bed, there was a soft couch, and Xiao Du was half lying on it, dressed in red. His eyes reflected the lights around him and a small square brocade box was in his palm.

Meng Chi came in and reported, “My Lord, Guardian Li has already picked up the young lord.”

Xiao Du said “en” absent-mindedly.

Meng Chi stepped forward and asked curiously, “What is Your Lordship looking at?”

Xiao Du frowned slightly, “Could she have lied.”

“The Lord says ‘she’, is it…?”

Xiao Du calmed down and said, “Bring Ah Rong over.”

Xiao Rong was taken to Xiao Du and said with an aggrieved expression: “Gege, how could you leave me alone?”

Xiao Du beckoned, “Come here.”

Xiao Rong swallowed, walked up and sat down at Xiao Du’s feet, timidly putting his head on Xiao Du’s lap, “Gege, I was scared.”

Instead of comforting him as in the past, Xiao Du asked, “Ah Rong, how much do you remember about your biological parents.”

Xiao Rong said, “I, I remember everything.”

“Then tell me how they died and where they were buried.”

“My mother was killed by bad guys, and the ashes of her corpse were burned cleanly by Qingyan.” Xiao Rong spoke fluently, without the slightest hesitation, “and my father died of illness, and my mother scattered his ashes on the banks of the Luoshui River where they first met. When I was young, every death anniversary of my father, she would take me to the Luoshui River to pay respects to him.”

Xiao Du chuckled, “Yes, I also remember her saying that the ashes of her dead husband were scattered on the banks of the Luoshui River. But Ah Rong, I went to Baihua Palace this time and saw your father’s tomb.” He believed his stepmother’s words and had never looked for the corpse of his younger brother’s biological father in these years. He had no means to recognize his younger brother using the blood ban spell, so he could only rely on clues, tokens and memories left back then.

Xiao Rong raised his head abruptly, widened his eyes and said, “How can it be possible!”

Xiao Du said slowly: “Yes, how can it be possible? But I also thought that your mother was the chief disciple of Baihua Palace back then, and she stayed in Baihua Palace until she remarried. The Burial Garden was a masterpiece of feng shui. It is rumored that those who are buried there will have a smooth life full of wealth and glory after reincarnation. It is not surprising that she would bury her dead husband there.”

“But, but, why would my mother lie?”

“I don’t know.”

Xiao Rong murmured, “That’s strange.”

Xiao Du took Xiao Rong’s hand, gently opened his palm and said, “I’ll give Ah Rong a little something.”

Xiao Rong looked from the left to the right, “What is this, gege?”

“It’s a piece of bone from your father’s coffin.”

Xiao Rong screamed and almost threw the brocade box away.

Xiao Du pressed his shoulder and said, “I have set a blood ban spell on it.”

Xiao Rong looked at him with horror: “Gege…”

“Don’t be afraid. Maybe the person in the coffin is not really your father and maybe you are not his bloodline.” Xiao Du said with a subtle smile, “Just treat it as if your gege is playing a game with you, okay?”