He walked halfway, then turned back and reached into his sleeve to pull out a handful of small black beans. He scattered them in a circle around the building where Yu Yi was.
As the black beans fell to the ground, they transformed into wriggling little black insects. Some burrowed into the soil, others hid behind leaves and branches, quickly concealing themselves in the surroundings. The surveillance bugs had captured almost every corner of the building in their sight, which finally satisfied Xue Chenjing.
No matter how much Yu Yi's affection for Xue Mingyuan might grow, even if she fell in love with him in the end, as long as his power remained stronger than Xue Mingyuan's, he could keep her locked in his heart's sea forever.
From now on, the only one who would appear before her would be him, Xue Chenjing.
She would look at this face, and even if she was thinking of Xue Mingyuan, even if she missed him terribly and loved being with him, in reality, she could only face Xue Chenjing.
Just like his parents, she might cry and beg him, plead with him to let his brother out for a while, to let them see his brother.
Ah, her face was so beautiful - fair skin, pretty eyes and brows, long thick eyelashes, lips naturally tinted as if with rouge, with a small lovely beauty mark on her upper lip. Her smile was so sweet, and even her crying must be beautiful.
Especially if she were to cry and beg him, that would be even more beautiful. But unfortunately, no matter how she pleaded, he would never agree. Eventually, she would become like his parents, desperately searching for traces of Xue Mingyuan in him as if gone mad.
"Hehe." Xue Chenjing imagined that scene and became so excited that his face flushed red. His wrist trembled as he scattered the insect beans, unable to suppress his laughter.
He wasn't angry at all now, not worried at all about how happily they might be together at the moment. Even if they were planning how to kill him, it didn't matter.
As long as he was powerful enough, he would never let Xue Mingyuan have the chance to kill him, nor would he let Yu Yi have the chance to kill him. He wouldn't let anyone who wanted to kill him have the opportunity.
Xue Chenjing took a few quick breaths, narrowing his eyes as he gazed at the building. With a flushed face, he murmured, "Yi, my dear Yi, hurry up and fall in love with my brother."
With that, he turned and walked away satisfied, this time without looking back.
The System: "???" The System detected the change in his series of thoughts and felt at a loss.
Host, you are truly strange!
Nowadays, the Twelve Great Immortals had almost monopolized the resources in the cultivation world. Secret realms like Zhaohua Palace and Emotion Flower Valley were completely out of reach for ordinary cultivators.
Therefore, the invitation released by the Master of Zhaohua Palace in the sky above Yinzhou City was very tempting. It attracted countless cultivators to rush towards Zhaohua Palace, causing the usually bustling Yinzhou City to become quite deserted.
Cultivators hurrying out of the city could be seen everywhere on the streets. Cultivators, after all, were more composed than ordinary people, moving urgently but not chaotically.
As they flew past on the street or over rooftops, people could only see their fluttering robes and a fleeting glimpse of their upright figures. In the blink of an eye, they had flown far away, leaving behind only a gust of fresh wind from their passage.
The citizens of Yinzhou City craned their necks to watch, with some sighing, "It's good that they're leaving, now we can finally have some peace and quiet for a few days."
Others bit their sleeves in regret, saying, "How come they all left at once? Now we won't be able to see beautiful people on the streets anymore."
The Unmasked Tower was temporarily closed for renovations, with all business inside suspended. The managers of shops stationed there by various sects had also withdrawn one after another.
Two cultivators in brocade robes and jade ornaments came out of the Unmasked Tower together. Shen Qingzhi glanced at the golden characters of the Zhaohua Palace invitation still lingering in the sky, opened his folding fan, and waved it gently twice before saying, "Sigui, I must answer my master's summons and return to oversee the opening of the Emotion Flower Valley secret realm. Let us part ways here."
Pei Jingchao cupped his hands in salute, "Safe travels, Senior Brother Shen."
Shen Qingzhi boarded the carriage waiting in front, and after settling in, lifted the curtain of the window and said with a smile, "Will Sigui continue to stay in the city?"
"I still have some other matters to attend to," Pei Jingchao replied vaguely, unwilling to say more.
Although meeting Yu Yi again, she seemed to have changed a lot compared to the girl who had saved him before, Pei Jingchao was ultimately unwilling to give up. The more difficult Yu Yi was to approach, the more Pei Jingchao's heart yearned for her. Now that Yu Yi had entered Pure Flame Pavilion to temper her sword, Pei Jingchao wanted to wait a few more days, at least to give her another communication token, not wanting to lose contact with her again and be unable to find her whereabouts for several years.
Shen Qingzhi didn't ask further, but showed a troubled expression and said in a joking tone, "I've received several messages from Junior Sister Yu Xiu, implying blame that I've kept you tied up here, unable to return to Mount Li early."
Pei Jingchao's brows furrowed slightly, and he replied helplessly, "Yu Xiu has a childish nature, as you know, Senior Brother. Don't take offense at her words."
"Of course I know her temper, I won't get angry with Junior Sister Yu Xiu." The smile in Shen Qingzhi's eyes didn't diminish, but he didn't miss the fleeting look of annoyance on Pei Jingchao's face at the mention of Yao Yuxiu.
By the looks of it, this couple from Mount Li, celebrated throughout the cultivation world, might become a pair of resentful partners in private.
There would surely be an interesting drama to unfold.
Shen Qingzhi tapped his chin with his folding fan and advised, "However, since Junior Sister Yu Xiu has sent messages all the way to me, it's clear she truly misses you. Sigui, if you have time, you should go back to see her. Otherwise, I'll really become that annoying stick that 'breaks up the lovebirds' in her eyes."
Pei Jingchao became even more helpless and laughed, "What are you saying, Senior Brother?" He paused for a moment, but eventually compromised, "I was planning to go back for a while after finishing things here anyway."
Shen Qingzhi nodded with satisfaction, "That's good then. I'll take my leave first."
The two bid farewell, and Shen Qingzhi knocked on the carriage door. The carriage responded and sped towards the city gates, moving as swift as lightning. In a moment, it had passed through the gate tower of Yinzhou City.
After leaving the city, the coachman raised his whip and struck the rumps of the two white horses at the front. A talisman was activated by spiritual power, and a fierce wind arose beneath the horses' hooves. They rose into the air, and with each step, golden imprints bloomed beneath their feet, as if stepping on lotuses.
The wheels of the carriage left the ground, and a circular golden imprint appeared beneath the carriage, steadily supporting it as it traveled through the air.
Shen Qingzhi closed the window, shutting out the howling wind. The interior of the carriage was spacious and comfortable, very quiet. Incense smoke curled upwards, and even the tea in the cup on the table didn't ripple.
He took out a communication talisman and let it hover in front of him, respectfully saying, "Master."
An authoritative female voice came from behind the talisman, asking, "How is it?"
Shen Qingzhi replied, "It's only because Juechen Zi is still unconscious that Sigui dares to neglect Yu Xiu like this. But he's not fully confident in controlling Mount Li yet, so he doesn't dare to truly anger Yu Xiu. I estimate he will leave Yinzhou in a day or two and won't interfere with our plans."
The Master of Zhaohua Palace gave a faint "Mm" in response. She didn't care about the affairs of a junior like Pei Jingchao and asked, "Are you certain that the lotus seed is on that demon you mentioned?"
Shen Qingzhi affirmed confidently, "When the demon-eating butterfly entered his body, it indeed detected chaos energy on him."
The Master of Zhaohua Palace let out a long breath, her voice revealing a kind of ruthless determination, "Good. For the sake of the Reincarnation Lotus at the bottom of the Ghost City, this palace has waited for so long, only to have two nobodies break in and cause damage. I will not forgive them."
Zhaohua Palace had never removed the earth-bound spirits in the Ghost City, precisely to conceal the true Ji Family Ancestral Hall below. The barrier seemed to only suppress ghosts, but in reality, it was meant to keep outsiders out.
Ordinary cultivators would instinctively avoid the barrier set up by Zhaohua Palace when they saw it, and even if they didn't avoid it, it wouldn't be easy to enter.
Zhaohua Palace hadn't set up heavy defenses around the Ghost City, deliberately treating that ghost city as just an ordinary yin area. This was partly to avoid drawing too much attention and inviting scrutiny from other sects, which might lead to the discovery of what lay beneath.
Secondly, there was another layer of formations within the ghost city concealing the Ji Family Ancestral Hall. Back then, even the Master of Zhaohua Palace, who knew in advance about the existence of such an ancestral hall, had spent considerable effort to find it.
How could they have anticipated that it would be damaged by two rogue cultivators?
Shen Qingzhi said, "Only two people came out of Ghost City that day. Xue Chenjing is now on his way to Zhaohua Palace, while Yu Yi is still detained in Pure Flame Pavilion. However, I have arranged for people to wait outside Pure Flame Pavilion. As soon as she emerges, they will guide her to Zhaohua Palace with a reason she absolutely cannot refuse."
"Good, Qingzhi. You should return quickly as well," said the Master of Zhaohua Palace, ending the communication. The floating communication talisman flickered and burned to ashes.
Pei Jingchao acted just as Shen Qingzhi had predicted. He stayed in Yinzhou City for only two more days, unable to wait any longer for Yu Yi to come out. He reluctantly compromised and returned to Mount Li first.
Over these two days, Yao Yuxiu sent a message talisman nearly every hour urging him to return. In the end, she even resorted to using the Mount Li Sect Leader's summons.
Even Juechen Zi himself rarely used the summons unless there was an urgent matter concerning the sect. The Sect Leader's summons were divided into public summons and targeted summons. The former would be received by all Mount Li disciples outside the sect, while the latter was directed at only one specific person.
However, this time, Yao Yuxiu not only used the Sect Leader's summons for personal reasons but also chose to use a public summons.
Now, all Mount Li disciples outside the sect could see how hysterically Yao Yuxiu questioned him: why was he lingering outside, why wouldn't he return, why wasn't he responding to her message talismans, was he looking for that benefactress of his again?
Pei Jingchao had been searching for Yu Yi for five years, and Yao Yuxiu had noticed something. She had flown into a rage over this "life-saving benefactress" who had never appeared before her.
Pei Jingchao looked at the unsightly words floating on the summons and shattered the table with a palm strike. But he had no choice but to accept the order. This was the Sect Leader's summons; if he didn't obey and return, it would be tantamount to betraying Mount Li.
Pei Jingchao reached out and grabbed the summons, his knuckles cracking as he infused it with spiritual power to indicate his acceptance and immediate departure for the sect.
This life of being tied down like a dog was suffocating him.
The two Mount Li disciples waiting outside the door had naturally also received the message in the Sect Leader's summons. Hearing the commotion inside, they exchanged a glance before silently lowering their eyes.
A moment later, Pei Jingchao summoned the two into the room and said, "Lin Yao, Lin You, you two stay outside Pure Flame Pavilion and continue to keep watch for me. If there's any movement, inform me immediately."
The two accepted the order and left. Pei Jingchao pushed open the door, gathered the remaining disciples, and instructed, "We're returning to Mount Li."
Yu Yi was completely unaware of what was happening outside. She was still in that inheritance sword realm, and in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had passed. Every day, she learned swordsmanship from Ming Zhaojun until she was utterly exhausted.
She had carved out a separate piece of rock, using her sword to create a smooth surface where she wrote down her insights on sword practice or some of her past experiences from before she transmigrated. She prayed that her parents wouldn't be too sad about losing her. The past that she once dared not recall, she could now think about calmly and even smile at.
These were not sources of her pain, but sources of power for her heart sword.
Yu Yi used to not dare express her desire to "go back" because she always felt it was hopeless. But now she could calmly accept the possibility that she might not return, while still not giving up on any future opportunity to go back. If she could come here, surely there might be a chance to return!
After breaking through the Heart Servitude of the first sword of Chasing Spring, she learned the subsequent sword techniques very smoothly. Now she had already reached the fourth sword. According to records left by previous practitioners, this sword was another hurdle, and very few people managed to break through the fourth sword and learn the fifth.
Even her master, the Qingxuan Daoist Priest, had only learned four swords.
Every night of the new moon, Xue Mingyuan would climb the mountain alone at midnight to use his heart sword to separate the demonic side of himself. On those nights, the wind on the cliff would howl particularly eerily.
Occasionally, Xue Mingyuan wasn't so resolute. Once his mental state showed cracks, Xue Chenjing would seize the opportunity to invade, tempting Xue Mingyuan to fall into depravity together, just as he had tempted her before. On such nights, when Xue Mingyuan tried to separate from him, it would be exceptionally painful.
Sometimes Yu Yi could even deeply empathize with that pain.
She had been stuck on the fourth sword for a long time, but on one such night, her stagnant bottleneck showed signs of loosening. The first four swords of Chasing Spring focused on self-cultivation, while the latter five contained implicit ideas about bringing order to the world. The fifth sword was called Heart Mirror, using one's own heart as a mirror to reflect others' hardships and learn from them to avoid falling into the same predicament.
Yu Yi thought for a moment and concluded that, in simpler terms, it was probably about seeing things clearly as an outsider.
She drew her sword, the sword mark on her brow lighting up as she activated the sword technique for the fifth sword of Chasing Spring. A stream of light flowed along the center of the blade, and the wooden sword body gradually became snow-bright, like a mirror surface, reflecting the demonic shadow on the other side of the cliff.
Xue Chenjing's red eyes flashed across the sword body, filled with pleading. He opened his still childish arms to embrace a demon attracted by him, innocently and expectantly asking, "You desire me so much, so you'll love me, right?"
He was seeking love from a demon.
