I am paying off debts for the original owner in the cultivation world.
Sheng Muxue stopped replying, and Xie Jinghong continued to speak to himself: “Later, he became the Divine Venerable. To establish his authority, he killed many people.”
“Because of that incident, my father constantly opposed him. He disregarded the status of the Xie family in the Immortal Realm and killed my father.”
“My older brother could not swallow this grievance and sought an explanation from him, but he was also killed.”
“As for me, heh.”
Xie Jinghong suddenly chuckled, though no one could know how much bitterness lay within that laugh.
“I am the only direct descendant left in the Xie family. Before my father and brother died, they entrusted the entire Xie family to me. For the sake of the Xie family, I cannot die.”
“Therefore, I stopped stirring up trouble. I buried my hatred deep in my heart and chose to forget all of it.”
“Later on, Yun Zheng probably wanted to see me act like a dog, bowing and scraping before him, so he gave me the post of the Yuheng Star Lord. He let me take charge of the Thunder Reprimand Department to oversee punishments in the Immortal Realm.”
“But even so, the relatives in my family look down on me. They look down on my useless body, and they look down on my attitude of letting bygones be bygones with Yun Zheng. Many of them left the Xie family.”
“Our Xie family is no longer as prosperous and bustling as it once was. On the contrary, over these years, it has fallen into great decline.”
“From a prominent family that has stretched back since ancient times, we are now merely gasping for breath under my generation as the head of the house.”
As he spoke, Xie Jinghong sighed deeply. Endless sorrow surged into his lungs, making him appear even weaker and more powerless.
Sheng Muxue felt quite sympathetic toward him after hearing this.
It was truly miserable enough.
If there were an all-book competition for who was the most miserable, this person would surely take first place.
And if he took first place, no one would dare to take second.
“So what? Do you intend to use my hand to take revenge on Yun Zheng?”
“Also, how did you know that I am the divine consort?”
Xie Jinghong ignored the first question and answered the second one directly.
“I am unable to cultivate. I have absorbed less than one-tenth of the cultivation given to me by my father and brother, and it will never grow again.”
“In order to protect the Xie family, I have no choice but to force myself to take unconventional paths and learn some unorthodox methods.”
“For example, the art of deduction.”
“The art of deduction allows me to see through most of the illusions in this world. Furthermore, I can even foresee events that are about to happen.”
“I have known about you for a long time. You do not want to marry him at all. You only want to return to Qingqiu to stay with your family.”
Sheng Muxue’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It was not because his guess was accurate, but because he was relieved that he had not deduced that he was the reincarnation of the Demon Venerable.
After all, what he said just now was “most,” and perhaps he was the lucky “small minority.”
Sheng Muxue continued to ask: “What do you mean by helping me?”
“Of course, I mean helping you escape.”
“Does helping me escape mean helping you get your revenge?”
“If he did not think you were useful to him, why would he marry you? Whether it is love or utility, you are extremely important to him. Wouldn’t making him lose something important be more painful than letting him simply die?”
Well, that logic held up.
Sheng Muxue was suddenly persuaded.
Also, does Yun Zheng really think he is important? Should he not hate him more?
Whatever. Since the poison was already administered and he had already run away, why bother thinking so much?
However, Sheng Muxue remained skeptical of Xie Jinghong’s words, mainly because he had just been tricked by him once.
He asked again: “Since you want to help me, why did the spirit stones you gave me have restrictions on them?”
That was the biggest issue.
“Otherwise, you would have run away.”
Xie Jinghong answered irrelevantly: “The most dangerous place is the safest place. Even if you leave the city, you will be caught sooner or later if no one protects you.”
“It would be better to stay in my Xie Mansion. The Xie family’s barrier formations can weaken a cultivator’s perception. Even though Yun Zheng has become a god, he still has a weakness: his perception is not outstanding.”
“As a side note, I do not primarily practice the art of deduction. About eighty percent of my efforts have been put into the study of formations.”
“I am well-versed in the Four Symbols formations. Most of the portable formations sold at the chambers of commerce are my handiwork.”
Sheng Muxue knew that Yun Zheng’s perception was not outstanding.
This was why it took him a year between the first and second time he restored his spiritual power to find him.
As for whether that big fire was his doing, it was likely almost certain.
If he could not find him, would he threaten his family?
Sheng Muxue suddenly felt uneasy and quickly said: “Can you hide my parents and my brother? If Yun Zheng cannot find me, he will certainly strike at my family.”
“You can rest assured about that. I have already calculated it and have long sent people to take them to the Kunlun Snow Region.”
“The Kunlun Snow Region?”
“Yes, it is another layer of the Immortal Realm outside the Nine Provinces. I heard that it was where the Empress of the Nine Heavens God Emperor lived in ancient times.”
So the Nine Heavens God Emperor had a wife? The book never mentioned it.
That was true; he was just background filler, so why bother mentioning his wife? She was not the protagonist anyway.
Sheng Muxue felt slightly relieved, but he soon thought of another question: “If, and I mean if, Yun Zheng finds me, will it affect you and the Xie Mansion?”
Xie Jinghong did not answer immediately, but instead gave Sheng Muxue a “what do you think” look.
Sheng Muxue understood immediately, then smiled with relief: “Do you no longer care about life or death? Or do you no longer care about the Xie family?”
“What does it matter if I care?”
Xie Jinghong seemed to have only a dead heart left in his words. He looked despondent and said: “I have supported myself alone with my sick and broken body for so long that I am already tired.”
“If it were not for the heavy burden placed upon me by my father and brother before they died, I might have followed them long ago.”
“At the very least, I have guarded the Xie family for nearly two hundred years. When I see my father and brother again on the path to the Yellow Springs, I will not be too ashamed to face them.”
“However, if you do not want me to die because of you, then hide yourself well. Do not leave the mansion and stay here with peace of mind. I will always protect you.”
Sheng Muxue felt a strange pang in his heart upon hearing that last sentence.
He tentatively and reluctantly chose to believe Xie Jinghong.
Although Xie Jinghong had other motives for helping him, he had helped him after all.
But if he knew that the person, he was helping was the one who caused him to be unable to stand for the rest of his life, what would he think?
The pot was already strapped to his back. Even if the act of crippling him had nothing to do with himself, Sheng Muxue’s conscience would not let it rest.
All he could say was that since he would have to stay in the Xie Mansion for the next few days, he might as well take the opportunity to compensate Xie Jinghong.
It could be considered making up for the trouble the original owner planted in him.
He only hoped that if he ever deduced his true identity in the future, he would be merciful to him, given that he had once treated him well.
Fine.