“He’s not here,” Shi Li didn’t want to be the kind of beast who betrays his lover, adding, “Even if he were, I wouldn’t let you kiss him.”
“You’ll do. I want to kiss someone right now.”
Before he could refuse, Shi Che flicked the Hua Jing sword wedged between them. “I’ll trade you the Hua Jing sword spirit. If you don’t kiss me, I’ll take it back.”
Hua Jing had manifested a sword spirit in front of everyone, and the news had already spread far and wide. Shi Li couldn’t possibly let it be taken away.
Shi Che’s meaning was clear he was openly pricing Shi Li’s physical appeal, even going so far as to remove his mask and use the face Shi Li didn’t dislike to demand a kiss.
Shi Li lowered his blue eyes, lost in thought. Shi Che raised a hand, his fingers winding around the black hair that fell over Shi Li’s chest. His voice was low and gentle, like a soothing whisper, yet also like a seductive lure.
“I’m not just anyone. Kissing me won’t make your little radish angry. If you indulge me, I’ll keep creating value for you.”
“You don’t know how to kiss, Shi Li. I’ll teach you.”
“Open your mouth.”
Taking advantage of Shi Li’s momentary distraction, Shi Che braced one hand on the ground and placed the other on the back of Shi Li’s neck, embracing him as he leaned in to press his lips against Shi Li’s.
When it came to kissing, it was best to take the initiative. If the other person was hesitant, taking the first step gave them the chance to yield.
He had demanded the kiss as payment, so he might as well make sure he was satisfied. Skillfully prying open the other’s teeth, their two soft tongues met in a warm, wet space.
Sucking, entwining, exchanging breath.
Shi Che’s kissing skills were too good, stirring desire in just a few moments. Steam filled with lust spilled from their lips and tongues, gradually warming their entire bodies.
Their spirits were compatible, unopposed to each other. Two young, vibrant bodies could find pleasure even in a simple kiss.
Tasting the sweetness, Shi Li’s body finally relaxed, no longer stiff. His eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers threading through Shi Che’s hair, applying gentle pressure to pull him closer an act of both acceptance and compromise.
Since Shi Li responded, Shi Che grew bolder. While kissing, he adjusted his position, kneeling on one knee between Shi Li’s legs, facing him as he cupped the back of Shi Li’s head and wrapped an arm around his waist, deepening the kiss.
Heavy, intertwined panting, intermittent sounds of wet kisses, and the rustling of fabric rubbing against each other echoed through the cave.
The two fell to the ground, the silver ornaments on Shi Li’s clothes clinking together joyfully.
“You’re crushing me.” Shi Che pulled away from his lips, breathing heavily. He flipped Shi Li over, roughly tearing off his outer robe before gripping his chin and kissing him again.
Shi Li hadn’t expected such a rough move. Snapping out of the lingering atmosphere of the kiss, his eyes widened in anger.
What sudden madness was this?!
That was his expensive robe!
He had specifically changed into it before going out to slay the demon beast, just to look cool. Now, Shi Che had torn it off and tossed it aside, leaving the precious mermaid silk and jade iron mixed with gravel and dirt, instantly lowering its value a hundredfold.
“Bastard…”
Shi Che had said he wanted to kiss, and he did just that nothing more. They kissed sitting, kneeling, rolling around, until he was thoroughly satisfied.
When it was over, the two had moved to another corner of the cave. Shi Li leaned against the wall, his clothes disheveled from the tussle, while Shi Che half-collapsed into his arms, burying his face in Shi Li’s neck to catch his breath.
It was Shi Li’s first time experiencing such an intense, prolonged kiss. The anger from having his robe torn off had subsided during the process. His blue eyes stared blankly ahead for a long moment before he asked, “Are we done?”
Shi Che shifted slightly, reaching behind him to grab the mask from a short distance away.
He lifted his head from the crook of Shi Li’s neck, lowered it to put on the mask, then raised it again, a habitual, leisurely smile once more playing at the corners of his lips. The earlier gloominess had vanished completely. “All set.”
He straightened Shi Li’s hairpiece, which had been knocked askew. “Thank you.”
He was the one who had leveraged a favor to steal a kiss, and he was also the one offering thanks afterward.
Shi Li’s gaze lingered on his lips moist and flushed, clearly kissed thoroughly. If left overnight, they’d probably swell.
He couldn’t see himself, but he likely wasn’t much better off. The fiery, tingling numbness on his lips was impossible to ignore.
Shi Che rolled over to sit side by side with him, summoning his dust-covered outer robe from afar. He brushed off the dust and sprinkled it with a generous amount of cleansing spiritual light.
Shi Li took out a small white jade porcelain bottle from his Qiankun bag, dipped his finger into the transparent ointment inside, and applied it to his lips. The precious medicinal substance transformed into a shimmer of spiritual light upon contact, silently nourishing his lips.
Noticing this out of the corner of his eye, Shi Che lightly tapped Hua Jing with his knuckle.
Hua Jing instantly unsheathed, floating in mid-air and positioning itself horizontally before Shi Li, allowing him to use the blade as a mirror to tend to his overly kissed lips.
“…”
With a sword spirit, Hua Jing had become more attuned to human nature. Shi Che tilted his head, the lower half of his face appearing alongside Shi Li’s in the reflection on the blade.
“A sword spirit can do anything. Make good use of it don’t let it get too idle.”
“Mm.”
Shi Li meticulously applied the restorative ointment to every part of his lips, fearing they might swell by tomorrow. If some painting apprentice captured it and sent it to the Starry Sky Pavilion, it would be utterly embarrassing.
Once finished, he tossed the porcelain bottle to Shi Che, took the freshly cleaned outer robe from his hands, stood up, and straightened his appearance from head to toe.
“I have to go. You stay and join this batch of new disciples for the trial. Head directly to their training grounds when it’s time I’ve arranged for you to be included.”
Shi Li had to pause briefly after every couple of sentences; the breath he’d lost during the kiss still hadn’t fully returned.
Kissing him was more exhausting than slaying a top-tier demon beast.
“No problem.” Shi Che held the porcelain bottle, leaning against the stone wall as he waved casually. He quickly slipped into the role of a new disciple, his tone light and cheerful. “Take care, Senior Brother.”
Shi Li glanced at him.
With the mask covering the upper half of his face, he had reverted to his usual teasing, frivolous demeanor.
During the kiss, he had been domineering and forceful, his gaze fierce and unyielding, unwilling to stop until he was satisfied as if he hadn’t kissed anyone in centuries.
“How old are you, really?” Shi Li asked.
“Guess.”
Shi Li wasn’t brushed off this time. He ventured a guess, “Eight hundred?”
Shi Che raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”
“The lightning scar on your back layers of old and new marks. You’ve endured it at least twice.”
The lightning tribulation for ascension was a rare opportunity, requiring one to first reach the Fourfold Enlightenment Realm and then await the right moment.
Even if one experienced it once, a second occurrence wasn’t guaranteed. Based on his own cultivation speed and fortune, Shi Li estimated that enduring two tribulations by eight hundred would still be considered young.
Shi Che stared at him for a moment, as if thinking that since they’d already kissed, there was no point hiding his age. “I came from the Ninth Year of the Star Era.”
Shi Li was astonished. “Five hundred?”
“Mm,” Shi Che replied flatly. “This is my third lightning tribulation.”
Shi Li lowered his gaze, his hand tightening around Hua Jing’s hilt as some emotion threatened to burst forth.
Knowing he wouldn’t say anything pleasant, Shi Che was about to shoo him away when he heard him murmur softly.
“Three tribulations by five hundred… I really am a genius.”
“…”
“Stay put and let me know if you need anything.”
Shi Li seemed quite pleased with his age, happily walking away with confident strides.
Watching the silver-blue figure disappear, Shi Che tossed the small porcelain bottle in his hand, his tongue lightly brushing the inside of his lip as he savored the lingering sensation.
He had always been close to his own phantom demon a mere wisp of a soul, lacking much self-awareness, mostly obedient and well-behaved, its joys shallow, its anger mild, never truly fierce even when upset.
After losing his own phantom demon and arriving here, he had grown close to Shi Li’s phantom demon. After all, it was the same wisp of soul simple, naive, reacting in the same way.
Humans couldn’t naturally split themselves, so he had never had the chance to touch a “self” with an identical soul proportion.
Shi Li had pleasantly surprised him today.
A higher soul proportion truly made a difference vibrant, beautiful, with its own refined temperament and temper. If kissed too fiercely, it would even apply medicine.
He lowered his gaze, twisting the bottle cap, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips.
From today onward, Shi Li was no longer just ginger he was also a delicious little potato.
The next moment, his smile froze.
Shi Li had given him an empty bottle, its walls clean and smooth, not a drop left.
“…”
Ginger was still ginger.
Outside the trial secret realm, before the Heaven-Gazing Mirror.
Shi Li was the first to emerge, crossing paths with Cen Shu, who stood guard outside. He paused briefly, then bowed to her. “Sword Venerable Cen.”
Cen Shu stood ramrod straight, her gaze fixed ahead, gripping her sword as she stared at the Heaven-Gazing Mirror. “Hmm, have you seen Feng Shuo?”
“No.”
“All of you were there. Why did only Feng Shuo suddenly disappear and not participate in the battle?”
Shi Li looked puzzled. “Sword Venerable Cen is asking me?”
Cen Shu finally turned to look at him, her lips curling slightly. “Shouldn’t I ask you, Young Master?”
Shi Li replied calmly, “This disciple does not know.”
Cen Shu withdrew her gaze from him.
Shi Li began to walk away. As he passed her, he heard her say, “Standing too high, stepping on everyone it’s not a good thing.”
Shi Li didn’t pause his steps, leaving his words behind. “If that day ever comes, whether it’s good or not won’t be for Sword Venerable Cen to decide.”
Cen Shu sneered, turning to leave, one after the other.
Once everyone had left, two scribes crawled out from behind the Heaven-Gazing Mirror. One of them slammed the scroll in her hand heavily.
“This is insane! Who gave the false information, daring to deceive even the Starry Sky Pavilion! I stayed up all night finishing the draft early, writing about how the Young Master was arrogant and looked down on everyone, how his sword held no love or compassion for the world, how the emotionless sword path truly lacked emotion and now there’s a complete reversal today! A scribe’s life matters too!”
“Alright, alright, just rewrite it. After all, we still have the first-hand news,” the other scribe yawned, tossing her a piece of paper. “The title’s drafted. Let’s go, release it as soon as possible.”
The ink on the paper was still wet, the brushstrokes bold and vigorous:
Rumors of Discord Within the Xuanqing Sect Proven False? Sudden Incident During the Sect Trial, Two Major Sword Paths Unite to Slay the Beast
The Hua Jing Sword Bathed in Blood, Singing to the Stars, a Battle That Breathed Life into All Creation!
The Xuanqing Sect and the Starry Sky Pavilion maintained close ties. As soon as the initial draft was completed, it was sent to Elder Qiu’s Glittering Pavilion.
Elder Qiu, originally named Qiu Yuhai, was approaching her seven-hundredth birthday. In appearance, she was an elegant and dignified middle-aged woman, dressed in vibrant attire, her nails painted a bright pink and pressed to her lips as she laughed sharply, like a suona horn. Her floor-length crimson gown was embroidered with golden thread in the pattern of blooming pomegranate flowers.
She was the elder sister of Qiu Yiliang, the founding sect master of the Xuanqing Sect. With the sect master absent, all sect affairs fell under her authority.
Shi Li was extremely reluctant to come to the Treasure Pavilion. The other two elders’ pavilions were named things like the Breeze Pavilion and the Bright Pavilion, but only this one was called the Treasure Pavilion.
He thought Elder Qiu was vulgar, always fond of material possessions, which didn’t match the temperament of the Xuanqing Sect at all.
At that moment, a pair of pale, smooth hands were holding his, long nails stroking the back of his hand one after another. Elder Qiu was smiling so widely her eyes had disappeared.
“Little Li, oh Little Li, you truly live up to being the lucky star of our Xuanqing Sect. So young, and you’ve already given birth to a sword spirit. Those old folks outside are going to be green with envy!”
Shi Li stood stiffly beside her, staring intently at his captured hand, forcing a slight smile as he said, “Elder Qiu, you flatter me.”
“Ah, I always say, child, why be so distant? Your master is Yiliang’s direct disciple, which makes her his own daughter. And you are your master’s direct disciple, which makes you her own son. In the end, we’re all family. Shouldn’t you call me Great-Aunt?”
“…”
Shi Li couldn’t bring himself to say it. He hated it most when people tried to get chummy with him. He stood frozen in silence, planning to muddle through as he always did.
“Hahahahaha…”
Suddenly, a burst of laughter came from outside the door, and Elder Lin Ping strode in.
“Yuhai, you can claim kinship with anyone you meet. Who told you that a master is like a parent? Little Li is shy spare him!”
True to his name, Elder Lin was plain and unremarkable in appearance, with a broad, kind face. He looked at the two of them with a cheerful smile.
Qiu Yuhai reluctantly withdrew her hand, gesturing for a young attendant to bring a seat and handing over the Starry Sky Pavilion’s report to Lin Ping. “Here, take a look for yourself. After reading it, you might even want to give Little Li a kiss.”
“Is that so? Let me see…” As he spoke, Lin Ping quickly flipped through the pages. Not long after, he suddenly looked up, his gaze burning as he stared at Shi Li.
“…”
Shi Li turned around, ready to run.
In the end, Elder Lin didn’t kiss him. Shi Li managed to hold out until the third elder arrived, showcasing his majestic sword spirit to them from every angle without missing a detail.
At that moment, Elder Qiu’s sharp, suona-like laughter could be heard from miles away.
Elder Lin looked at him with admiration, a gratified smile hanging at the corner of his mouth, nodding repeatedly.
As for the third elder, Chu Jingcheng, who arrived fashionably late, he had been glaring at Shi Li with a dark expression since the moment he entered. When Shi Li drew his sword and revealed the sword spirit, he felt as though Chu Jingcheng’s stare was about to bore a hole through his wrist.
It didn’t matter. This wasn’t the first time Elder Chu had glared at him it was always like this.
Besides, compared to Elder Qiu’s exaggerated laughter, Elder Chu’s resentful, jealous gaze was far more exhilarating. This was the positive feedback Shi Li wanted.
So satisfying. Elder Chu was truly a good man.
Finally done dealing with the elders, Shi Li set off for the Xuanqing Hall to find his master.
Just as he reached the outside of the hall, he heard a commotion. The usually mild-tempered Meng Qingsui was slapping the table loudly.
“Cen Shu! You must give us an explanation for this. As soon as you entered, you smashed your sword at my senior sister. Sword Venerable Ling was magnanimous enough not to pursue it, but what did you mean by what you said afterward? What do you mean by ‘we conspired to harm your disciple’? The Heaven-Gazing Mirror covered the entire secret realm everyone saw it. The children fought side by side, but your Feng Shuo was nowhere to be found. As a master, instead of learning how to teach your disciple properly, all you know how to do is pick fights with fellow sect members. I’ll ”
Meng Qingsui untied the sword from his waist, ready to throw it at her.
“Qing Sui.” Ling Yin called him to a halt, walking unhurriedly to the center of the hall. “The innocent remain clear. The Heaven-Gazing Mirror only reflects grand scenes. As for the specifics, I will question Shi Li later.”
Cen Shu sneered, glancing at the wound on her forehead from the blow. “Question Shi Li? Will he tell you the truth?”
Ling Yin stared into her eyes. “Shi Li does not lie.”
Cen Shu slammed her sword onto the table, her gaze cold and heavy as she retorted, “I will wait until tonight. If there is still no news of Feng Shuo, neither you nor your disciple will escape.”
Ling Yin withdrew her gaze and left the Xuanqing Hall.
Outside, she immediately ran into Shi Li, who was waiting by the hall.
Ling Yin headed toward the direction of Inquiry Sky Island, with Shi Li following her.
He held his sword, his tone calm. “You’ve been scarred, Sword Venerable Ling.”
He knew that with Cen Shu’s abilities, she couldn’t have harmed a single hair on Ling Yin unless Ling Yin chose not to dodge and deliberately took the injury.
“Mhm,” Ling Yin replied. “This wound had to be taken.”
Shi Li didn’t understand. “It’s painful and ugly. Why take it? If I wanted to avenge you, would I have to tear off Cen Shu’s face?”
Ling Yin sighed softly and asked him, “Is Feng Shuo alive?”
Shi Li answered honestly, “I don’t know. I would never harm a fellow disciple.”
Ling Yin nodded. “That Zhong Ling look into her.”
“She’s already under control. I’ll interrogate her when I have time.”
Upon reaching Inquiry Sky Island, the two walked straight to the central training ground. Standing on the platform and looking down, they saw dozens of disciples training. Tall, imposing sword puppets mercilessly overwhelmed these emotionless sword cultivators in both strength and speed.
The atmosphere around them was heavy, every move a lethal strike.
Ling Yin said, “Sometimes I wonder if it’s right to have them train like this.”
“Of course it is,” Shi Li replied, leaning on the railing as he looked down, a faint glint of excitement in his eyes. “Learning the sword means learning to kill. They temper themselves on the battlefield of life and death. When it comes to internal sect duels, all they need to do is stand on the platform with their swords in hand the sheer killing intent alone is enough to make their opponents’ legs go weak.”
A disciple raised his longsword high and, without hesitation, brought it down on the sword puppet’s head. Flesh scattered, crimson fluid splattered, and a thick, heavy scent of blood filled the air. The puppet’s head rolled to the ground with a thud, as if a real human head had been severed.
His silver robe stained with blood, the sword in his hand became the weapon with the heaviest killing intent on the entire training ground.
The disciple was met with waves of cheers. Shi Li watched him with admiration, committing his face to memory.
Ling Yin turned around, her back to the training ground as she spoke to him. “I hope people come to learn the Emotionless Sword not to practice killing. Sword arts shouldn’t be associated with such things.”
“I know,” Shi Li said, following her lead and turning to sit on the railing, gazing at the sword in his hand. “In your words, it’s about sharing, passing down, offering it to the world anyone who wants to learn can do so, and it doesn’t matter if they’re good or bad.”
“But now, it struggles just to survive. Its only advantage is that it belongs to the Xuanqing Sect. Look at the eight schools of the Sword Forge have they been able to breathe freely for centuries? Their sword techniques aren’t bad either, but when it comes to learning the sword, everyone still comes to Xuanqing Mountain, wanting to learn the Emotionless Sword or the Carefree Sword. Those people might not truly understand it, nor do they necessarily like it much, but for the sake of its reputation, they’ll fight tooth and nail to get themselves up here.”
Shi Li drew out Huajing and tossed it behind him. The towering sword spirit instantly manifested in mid-air, grasping the Huajing Sword and, amidst a chorus of gasps, replacing the decapitated sword puppet that had just been struck down.
With the Huajing Sword Spirit as a sparring partner, the disciples’ morale soared instantly. Many secretly released recording spiritual energy, preparing to capture footage of themselves battling the sword spirit in their most heroic poses.
“Since we’re in the Xuanqing Sect, we should do what the Xuanqing Sect does. Without training like this, we can’t surpass the Carefree Sword, and the Heartless Sword Path will struggle to rise as well.”
Ling Yin turned her head to look at him. “You’re not old, yet you always think so much.”
Shi Li noticed the wound on her temple again, feeling both angry and amused. He simply lowered his head to avoid looking. “No choice, Master. You gave me a difficult problem, so I have to work hard to solve it. Don’t worry one day, I’ll make the entire Star Realm see.”
He suddenly fell silent.
After two hundred years of studying the sword, he had said this to Ling Yin countless times.
Just like when he was a child studying, he would pat his chest and promise his parents, telling them to wait and see he could memorize an entire book in a single day.
He loved seeing the light in their eyes when he made such promises.
Later, when he could no longer make promises to his parents, he made them to Ling Yin instead. He told her to wait and see he would always be the first in the entire Xuanqing Sect to rise and practice swordplay. He would utterly defeat the Carefree Sword Path before the elders. He would make everyone love the Heartless Sword, make the Xuanqing Sect inseparable from it, and ensure that every issue of the Star Pavilion Gazette featured the Heartless Sword.
And now? What was there to see?
One day, he would make the entire Star Realm witness his failure.
He stepped down from the railing, turned around, and gripped his sword hilt tightly, watching uneasily as the sword spirit sparred with the disciples below.
“Master,” he asked, “do you think I’ll fail?”
“That depends on what you want to do,” Ling Yin also turned around, looking down at his sword spirit. “You’re clever and hardworking. Over all these years, you’ve always succeeded in what you set out to do.”
“But what if I suddenly become foolish and useless in the future? What if I end up doing things I never imagined and fail?”
Ling Yin frowned, considering his question seriously. Then she said, “Usually, no one speaks of themselves that way. But from what I know of you, if you’re willing to make yourself foolish and useless for something, then whether you succeed or fail, it must be something you truly believe in. So, as your teacher, I would encourage you stand up and keep going.”
“Right ” Shi Li muttered to himself, sinking into confusion. “Did his teacher not encourage him?”
“Whose?”
“No one’s,” Shi Li suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Ling Yin. “Master, how old are you this year?”
Ling Yin seemed to find his question strange. After hesitating for a moment, she replied, “Half a year ago, I celebrated my birthday and went home specifically for it because I turned four hundred.”
Shi Li remembered and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Ling Yin looked puzzled. “Is there a problem?”
“No.” Shi Li turned his gaze back to the training grounds, though the corners of his mouth were still curved upward. “How strange.”
“…”
Later, Shi Li was exiled to the training grounds by his master for disrespecting his elders. There, he faced his own bloodthirsty sword spirit with a wooden staff, fighting from afternoon until dusk for a full two hours before finally leaving.
Every disciple’s recording spiritual energy was uniformly aimed at him.
In order to maintain his image, Shi Li forced himself to keep a straight face and acted cool for two whole hours.
Afterward, he rubbed his sore arm, growing more and more frustrated. He was angry at himself for asking his master’s age, for laughing, and for saying those words.
It occurred to him that Shi Che was already five hundred years old older than Ling Yin was now and he found it rather strange.
It was all Shi Che’s fault.
He was in the midst of a fit of anger when the newly replaced spirit talisman suddenly lit up.
Shi Che: [My mouth hurts so much. Several people just asked me if I’d been bitten by a demon beast.]
Shi Che: [I’ve never kissed for that long before. My illusion demons in the past never sucked on me like that.]
Shi Che: [Do you still have that ointment? Give me a bottle when we get out. I need to apply some too.]
Shi Che: [You’re really far-sighted, such a refined person ]
Shi Li: [You deserve it.]
Shi Li: [Who cares about you?]
Shi Li: [Go die.]
Shi Li: [Still , stop pretending to be cute.]
Shi Li: [Five-hundred-year-old old thing.]
Shi Li: [You.]
Shi Che: [?]