“Has your cultivation slipped? Is it because of him?”
Outside, the sun shone brightly, reflecting off the perennial snow. Inside, the room was as warm as spring. The light gauze curtains of the bed had been lowered, and within the canopy, the sleeping youth’s eyelashes fluttered before he slowly opened his eyes.
Shi Qing stared at the curtains above him as blurred fragments flashed through his mind: Linhai City, Zhong Ling, the demonic energy after jumping into the well, the pain, and the last person he saw—the “fairy”—was Xie Ciyou!
Shi Qing sat up abruptly and looked out past the bed curtains. Where was he? Aowu Pavilion?
Did Xie Ciyou discover that he had absorbed demonic energy? If he did, how would Xie Ciyou deal with him?
Shi Qing’s face was pale, but he comforted himself internally. It was fine; the Immortal Gate Token could not detect the demonic energy before. Even the Heavenly Dao said he was clean. Surely Xie Ciyou would not just execute him on the spot.
However, Aowu Pavilion possessed another warning artifact, an embodiment of the Heavenly Dao: the Divination South-Pointing Compass.
Aowu Pavilion followed the mandates of the Heavenly Dao. The Compass and the Immortal Gate Token were its physical avatars. Those ordered for execution by the Compass were always individuals who threatened the world’s destiny. Whether they were widely praised saints or powerless commoners, if the Compass calculated they should die, Aowu Pavilion would strike.
Since ancient times, Aowu Pavilion had been the only sect connected to the Heavenly Dao. They followed its will blindly. Faced with the Compass, they practiced a simple creed: those killed are those who deserve to be killed. There is no right or wrong, only obedience.
What the immortal sects truly feared was not Aowu Pavilion, but the Heavenly Dao itself. It controlled the rules of the world and maintained its stability. No one in the hundred sects, no one living in this world, could defy the Heavenly Dao, for no one could bear the price of such a sin.
Shi Qing remembered the time Xie Ciyou led the Aowu Pavilion disciples to quell the chaos among the sects, beheading twenty-one sect leaders in succession.
On that somber, rainy night, thunder crashed and lightning tore through the sky, illuminating Xie Ciyou’s face. He had looked like a white-clad god of death, cold and heartless.
Shi Qing had stood against him with a raised sword, just as they had during their duels in the Aowu Pavilion plum grove, yet everything was entirely different.
Shi Qing never expected that after parting at sixteen, their next meeting would be under such circumstances. He had rushed there to see an old friend one last time before that friend became a ghost under Xie Ciyou’s blade.
That friend was Feng Ming, the old Master of the Tianji Sect. During the time Shi Qing spent at the Tianji Sect exchanging knowledge of arrays, the old Master had been forced to “expel” Shi Qing because his presence shattered the disciples’ confidence. However, the Master cherished talent and had taken great care of him. Even afterward, he frequently sent messages to Shi Qing, not for anything important, but out of an elder’s care, asking about his well-being, discussing arrays, and sending intricate mechanical devices.
At that time, Shi Qing was busy taking Gu Yan around for training. He often took a long time to process his mail. By the time he opened Feng Ming’s final message, several days had passed. It was a cry for help.
He and Gu Yan had just emerged from a secret realm. Without resting, he rushed over. When he arrived, he saw Feng Ming kneeling on the ground. His long hair, which should have been meticulously tied up, was disheveled and had turned completely white.
At the critical moment, Shi Qing blocked a strike from Xie Ciyou. Xie Ciyou countered instinctively, and the two stood sword to sword.
Once Xie Ciyou recognized him, he waved for the surrounding Aowu Pavilion disciples to stand down. His gaze lingered for a moment on the tip of Shi Qing’s sword pointed at him, then moved to Shi Qing’s face. He asked coldly, “What do you intend to do?”
“Little Daoist Shi,” Feng Ming’s voice was hoarse. The face he lifted was exceptionally aged, with dried blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked like a man with one foot in the grave.
Shi Qing looked away from Feng Ming and said as calmly as possible, “I have come to see an old friend.”
He moved to approach Feng Ming, but Xie Ciyou barred his path with his sword.
“He has been possessed by a demon,” Xie Ciyou said.
“Is there no cure?”
“None.”
“Let me try.” Shi Qing looked into Xie Ciyou’s eyes, remembering the perennial snow of Aowu Pavilion.
“It is unnecessary.”
“Why?” Shi Qing was baffled. He was not there to cause trouble; he just wanted to confirm things for himself. He had been uneasy on the journey there. If he had seen the letter earlier, perhaps he could have helped.
Xie Ciyou pursed his lips. “He is on the Compass’s execution list.”
“Must he die even if there is a cure?” Shi Qing looked at Feng Ming. The old man looked haggard and weak, as if a gust of wind could knock him over. The gaze he turned toward Shi Qing was still kind and warm. Shi Qing could not bear it.
“It is only temporary,” Xie Ciyou said, his voice cold.
Shi Qing knew what he meant. Demons were cunning. He had met many possessed people who, when faced with death, would hand control back to the original soul. The demons were gambling, betting that the opponent would not strike while the original owner begged for mercy. It was a cruel tactic for both the victim and the executioner. They would hold a sliver of hope that the original soul could defeat the demon and reclaim the body. If one struck then, they would be killing an innocent person. Often, a moment of hesitation led to a demonic backlash. Such tragedies were countless.
Shi Qing knew all this. He knew the current Feng Ming was indeed Feng Ming, but he also knew it was just the demon’s deathbed struggle. The old Master, a late bloomer who usually looked middle-aged, had been drained into a dying old man.
“Master Feng, I am sorry. I came too late.”
“Little Daoist Shi, do not blame yourself. The demon who possessed me heard that Aowu Pavilion was hunting demons and tried to trick you in a panic. It is fortunate you did not come sooner.” Feng Ming’s voice sounded like scraping wood, yet even now, he was comforting Shi Qing. “It is not your fault. I only blame my own shallow cultivation for falling into the demon’s trap. He thought that by letting me out, I would beg for my life. He underestimated me.”
A sneer escaped him; it was the Master’s final display of dignity and defiance. He bowed his head toward Xie Ciyou. “Though the Immortal Master carries out slaughter, it is to save the world. To die at your hands can be considered my final contribution to the common people.”
“Naturally.” Xie Ciyou held his sword vertically before his chest and bowed to Feng Ming. Then, he stepped forward and drew his blade. There was no murderous intent, nor was there pity; he was as indifferent as emotionless ice.
Standing before Feng Ming, Xie Ciyou asked, “Do you have any final words?”
“I only wish to ask: the Immortal Master has killed many today, and many more will fall by your hand in the future. Are you certain you can hold onto your heart, without regret or guilt?”
Xie Ciyou stood as straight as a mountain pine, his expression immovable. “For the sake of the common people, I feel no regret and no guilt.”
Feng Ming nodded. Having let go of life and death, his mind was clear and peaceful. He even found a moment of leisure to discuss the Dao. “Is this path the rumored Great Path of Heartlessness?”
“It originates from there, but it is not heartless.” Upon hearing this, Feng Ming shook his head and sighed, a look of pity in his eyes.
Xie Ciyou’s eyes, usually as calm as an ancient well, finally flickered with confusion. “Why?” Why that expression?
It was said that in ancient times, some attained enlightenment at the moment of death and ascended. At the brink of death, Feng Ming truly understood. He faintly felt the call of the Heavenly Dao and had a profound sense of the world’s laws. Unfortunately, the current Heavenly Dao was likely struggling to protect itself.
Having glimpsed the final secret, Feng Ming shook his head helplessly and smiled at Xie Ciyou. “Once the sword is drawn, there is no turning back; if the heart is moved, there is danger. You perform heartless deeds but are not a heartless person. If you ever face a dilemma between the one you love and the common people, how will you choose?”
Xie Ciyou lowered his eyes and remained silent.
“Forget it. When the time comes, you will have your own solution. Do it.” Feng Ming gave a kind smile to Shi Qing, who was bowing to bid him farewell, then calmly closed his eyes.
Xie Ciyou’s hand rose, a mist of blood erupted, the sword energy dissipated, and Master Feng fell.
Shi Qing did not stand up for a long time. When he finally looked up, he had restored his sorrowful expression to a mask of normalcy. But internally, he felt a deep desolation. His silence only added to the sense of detachment on his cold face.
Now that this was over, he had to get back to Gu Yan. Gu Yan had just accepted a secret realm’s inheritance and his spiritual veins were unstable.
Xie Ciyou turned to him. “Master Feng’s body will be returned to the Tianji Sect for burial.”
Shi Qing paused. “Thank you.”
At that moment, the Aowu Pavilion disciples deactivated the barrier. Sects from outside swarmed in. Seeing the scene, they fell silent, except for the young Master of the Tianji Sect, Feng Ling, who wept bitterly as he took his father’s remains.
Shi Qing intended to leave, but Xie Ciyou interrupted him again. “You…”
“Hm?” Shi Qing looked at him. It had been four years since they last met. The last traces of boyishness had vanished from Xie Ciyou’s face. He was like an exquisite blade forged in ice and snow: beautiful and alluring, but sharp and dangerous. He had truly grown into the high and mighty figure from the book who obeyed only the Heavenly Dao and ignored personal feelings.
Xie Ciyou swept an emotionless glance over the surrounding crowd and spoke. “Three years ago…”
Before Shi Qing could hear the rest, a teleportation talisman at his waist exploded. Amidst the golden light, a youth appeared, blocking Xie Ciyou’s view of Shi Qing. The youth’s footing was unstable, and he tumbled forward into Shi Qing’s arms.
Shi Qing knew who it was and reached out to support him. Only Gu Yan could use his specially made teleportation talisman to reach him. Fearing Gu Yan might be in danger, he had given him the talisman so Gu Yan could find him instantly, no matter where he was.
“What are you doing here?” Shi Qing steadied the sixteen-year-old youth who was leaning dizzily against him.
Gu Yan shook his head hard. Once he recognized Shi Qing, he said happily, “It actually worked! Are you okay? I saw you leave in such a hurry and you did not return for so long. I was worried.”
Gu Yan was exceptionally handsome, tall, and more robust than others his age. He was currently holding Shi Qing’s hand, looking him over as if afraid he was hurt.
“I am fine.” Shi Qing tried to pull his hand back. Though they had been together for a while, he was still uncomfortable with Gu Yan’s excessive physical intimacy.
When they first met, Gu Yan was being thrown into a venom pit at the Five Poisons Sect, nearly becoming a human-venom hybrid. Perhaps his past experiences had left him with deep psychological trauma; he was always afraid Shi Qing would abandon him and became intensely anxious whenever Shi Qing was away for even a moment.
Feeling the grip on his hand tighten, Shi Qing sighed. “Let me check your body.”
He pulled his hand away as Gu Yan hesitantly let go and began to check his pulse. Gu Yan’s internal spiritual energy was unstable; he needed help soothing it.
Shi Qing said, “Let us go back.”
Remembering Xie Ciyou’s unfinished sentence, Shi Qing looked at him. “What were you saying just now?”
Xie Ciyou’s gaze shifted from Shi Qing’s hand on Gu Yan’s wrist. His expression turned slightly colder. “Demonic possession is on the rise. You should be wary of people with unknown backgrounds.”
With a wave of his hand, he directly summoned the Immortal Gate Token to strike at Gu Yan’s soul. He was so fast that Shi Qing could not stop him. A murderous chill radiated from Xie Ciyou.
This action drew the attention of the onlookers.
“What is going on? Is that youth a demon?”
“I heard that Immortal Master Shuangyu recently destroyed the Five Poisons Sect after they were possessed by demons. He rescued a youth and has been taking care of him ever since. This youth appeared suddenly and is so intimate with him; it must be him.”
“Who is this boy? To be favored by the Immortal Master without being his disciple? He is quite handsome; could it be…”
“Are you tired of living? How dare you spread rumors about the Immortal Master!”
“Shh, look! They are fighting! The two Immortal Masters are fighting!”
Everyone looked up. Two figures soared into the sky, leaving Gu Yan trapped by the Immortal Gate Token. The crowd watched as the two figures clashed in the air. They were moving so fast that many could only see afterimages.
“Why are they not using swords?”
“If they used swords, would we even be able to stand here?”
“True. For the two Immortal Masters to fight like this without blades, their techniques are truly divine.”
Those with high enough cultivation marveled at the exchange, while others huddled around them, begging for play-by-play commentary.
“Immortal Master Ciyou’s moves are clean and direct, while Immortal Master Shuangyu’s are ever-changing. It matches their respective sword intents.”
“Who is winning?” a bystander asked.
“It is hard to say—oh!”
“What happened? Is there a winner?”
“No, I cannot see them anymore. Can you?”
“I cannot keep up either.”
The onlookers were dazed and amazed. Some were gnashing their teeth in jealousy, while others were so inspired, they left immediately to go cultivate. The gossips whispered, “Immortal Master Shuangyu is fighting Immortal Master Ciyou for that boy. That youth is truly special to him.”
Only Shi Qing knew the truth. He was not fighting Xie Ciyou because of Gu Yan. He was fighting because Xie Ciyou had looked at his failed attempt to block the token and remarked coldly, “Has your cultivation slipped? Is it because of him?”
Shi Qing thought: Slipped your foot! Why do you not try spending two months busy in a secret realm with a burden, then rushing here without a moment’s rest? Can I even be compared to a fairy like you, who is surrounded by disciples and treated like a star?
Enraged, Shi Qing had lashed out, and the two began to fight.