Shiyue was swamped with work.
After Shichen entered the trial realm, all the half-finished tasks were left to him. With the Sword Fate Exchange Conference approaching, Elder Qiu suddenly changed the deadline, demanding that he submit the conference coordination plan tonight for review by the three elders first, then discuss it with the six Sword Masters before implementation.
When he asked why she didn’t assign more people to help, she would only smile and reply, “Little Yue is meticulous in his work. I trust him.”
In such a critical situation, his master suddenly contacted him through the spirit talisman: 【Feng Shuo has returned, injured. Come to the Linlang Pavilion.】
Shiyue threw down the scroll in his hand and headed out, leaving the illusion demon to continue the work. He thought irritably why Shichen hadn’t killed Feng Shuo, only for him to reappear now, and injured at that. With Cen Shu’s stubborn and relentless nature, who knew how long the dispute would drag on in front of the elders.
He wouldn’t actively harm his fellow disciples, but that didn’t mean he didn’t wish for troublesome ones to die. Feng Shuo dared to scheme against him, and Cen Shu dared to injure Ling Yin this despicable master-disciple pair from the Carefree Sword Sect deserved nothing but death.
He arrived late, and the Linlang Pavilion was bustling, crowded with a sea of people. The three elders and six Sword Masters were all there, each accompanied by their beloved disciples.
Qiu Yuhai sat in the main seat, fiddling with her long nails. Cen Shu stood stiffly to the side, holding his injured disciple, his face tense. Ling Yin sat silently, the wound on her temple clearly visible for all to see.
Shiyue entered, nodded to the elders, and stood beside Ling Yin.
“Good, Little Yue is here. Now everyone is present,” Elder Qiu leaned lazily in her chair, blowing on her nails. “Little Cen, say what you have to say face-to-face. Think about it do you want to start with how you think Little Yue harmed your disciple, or with how you injured your senior sister’s face?”
Cen Shu pursed his lips, remaining silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “Feng Shuo has lost his memory and is injured. It’s clear someone harmed him in the trial realm. Our Xuanqing Sect values reputation above all. The disciples of the Sword Masters fought side by side against the demon beasts, and the Starry Sky Pavilion recorded it all in the reports only Feng Shuo was missing. How is he supposed to stand among his fellow disciples after this?”
Not far away, Meng Zhuo lowered his head and scoffed softly, muttering, “I spit on that. Clearly, he wanted to show off but failed. Now he’s out here barking wildly.”
Unfortunately, no matter how softly he spoke, everyone in the pavilion could hear him clearly.
Nearby, He Qianqiu frowned and scolded him sharply, “Meng Zhuo! If you have something to say, say it out loud! What kind of behavior is it to gossip behind your fellow disciples’ backs?”
Meng Zhuo jumped in fright, his eyes widening as he stared blankly at one spot, stunned and speechless.
His master, Meng Qingsui, quickly turned to look at him. “A-Zhuo? A-Zhuo? Are you having another episode?”
As soon as Meng Qingsui touched him, Meng Zhuo leaped up, grabbed a teacup from the table, and smashed it to the ground. He then jumped into the center of the room and roared at everyone:
“Fine! I’ll say it! I’ll say it loud! What’s there to argue about this trivial matter, even calling a meeting? Don’t you know how busy my senior brother is? Just grab any new disciple outside and ask wasn’t it Feng Shuo who first incited a hundred new disciples to use a spirit-attracting array to capture a top-tier demon beast? At first, I thought he had some brilliant plan, but I stepped in and tried it myself. What kind of useless array is that? If it could catch a dog, I’d take his surname! He came up with a terrible idea, then just walked away, leaving the mess for us to clean up. If it weren’t for my senior brother awakening his sword spirit, we’d all be dead! And someone says he was harmed? He harmed us, if anything! If it weren’t for my senior brother! If it weren’t for my senior brother! We’d all be dead! I’d kill you all! Kill you all! You should all kneel and thank him!”
His voice grew louder as he shouted, and he jumped so hard the floor of the Glittering Pavilion shook. Lou Feng and Lou Hua, standing nearby, exchanged a glance before stepping forward to grab him, one on each side, and dragging him out of the pavilion.
Meng Qingsui wiped sweat from his brow and said to He Qianqiu, “See, Sword Venerable He? My disciple can’t handle pressure. Once he has an episode, he blurts out everything. Next time, don’t be so loud.”
“…”
Thanks to Meng Zhuo’s sudden outburst, Shi Li didn’t need to say a single word in his own defense. Elder Qiu naturally steered the conversation toward the wound on Ling Yin’s forehead.
Cen Shu reluctantly bowed her head and apologized, but Ling Yin, abandoning her earlier calm demeanor, refused to let it go. She pointed out that Cen Shu had always shown disrespect toward the Heartless Sword Path. If she could act this way toward a fellow senior sister in front of everyone, who knew how badly she treated the juniors of the Heartless Sword Path in private?
Ling Yin spoke slowly and methodically, layering accusation upon accusation, until Cen Shu was so furious she repeatedly reached for her sword, ready to fight. Meng Qingsui joined the fray, supporting Ling Yin, while the other Free Sword Venerables were no less vocal. The arguing grew heated, turning the Glittering Pavilion into a lively scene.
In such a situation, Shi Li couldn’t rush back; he had to stay and support his master.
These six Sword Venerables had all been taught by the sect leader and three elders. They had grown up together, learning swordsmanship side by side, and as they argued, they began dredging up old grievances, laying bare all the grudges and entanglements from their youth.
Cen Shu gritted her teeth and blamed Ling Yin, accusing her of insisting on founding the Heartless Sword Path and splitting the once-unified Xuanqing Sect into two factions. The Free Sword Path was the original founding school of the sect and the foundation of Xuanqing Sect’s standing in the Star Realm. Everyone should practice the Free Sword Path, what was the Heartless Sword Path anyway? Ling Yin had forgotten her roots!
Ling Yin sneered and questioned He Qianqiu, asking how he had promised the sect leader that he would support the Heartless Sword Path and allow the two major sword paths to coexist within the sect. As soon as the sect leader left, he dropped the act, openly and secretly suppressing the Heartless Sword Path. Perhaps he was just using Junior Sister Cen to voice his own thoughts.
They had been arguing about these same things for years. The three elders, fearing they might get dragged in, had long since left.
Lou Feng and Lou Hua stood behind their master, Xiang Jinxiu, idly playing cards with spiritual energy in secret.
Shi Li poured tea for Ling Yin and Meng Qingsui, fueling their battle.
While the Sword Venerables argued fiercely, the juniors generally didn’t join in especially since Shi Li was among them. No one was foolish enough to compete with him.
As Shi Li poured tea for Uncle Meng for the third time, he suddenly felt something strange. Frowning, he looked up and found Feng Shuo’s gaze fixed intently on him.
Feng Shuo had claimed amnesia after emerging from the trial secret realm, saying he had forgotten everything from the past two days and didn’t know how he had been injured.
Shi Li knew it was Shi Che who had injured him. Whatever his intentions, losing his memory was just as well. Shi Che had taken his revenge and avoided investigation.
Shi Li didn’t like being stared at like this. He returned the gaze coldly, and Feng Shuo ultimately couldn’t hold his ground, looking away first.
It was already very late when he left the Linlang Pavilion. Elder Qiu, considering he had spent the evening arguing with the Sword Masters, granted him special permission to submit the Sword Fate Conference proposal tomorrow morning.
Which meant he was expected to pull an all-nighter tonight.
Shi Li hurried back. Unlike Shi Che, the phantom demon wasn’t very capable it only knew how to handle simple auxiliary tasks and couldn’t work independently. The remaining work still had to be done by him.
As soon as he stepped through the gate, the phantom demon, waiting in the courtyard, grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the house.
“What’s wrong?”
The phantom demon pushed open the door for him to see. The room, originally piled high with scrolls and documents, was now neatly organized. On the table lay a thick, comprehensive proposal for the Sword Fate Conference.
Shi Che had previously completed one-third of it, and Shi Li himself had done another third. Now, the final third had been filled in by someone else.
Even though it was done in three separate parts, the ideas flowed seamlessly.
The phantom demon was running low on spiritual energy. After leading him to see the room, it began to look drowsy. It sat down at the table, waiting to turn back into a radish, clearly exhausted.
It was only then that Shi Li noticed he had missed a message from Shi Che on the Spirit Communication Talisman.
[Are you there? Can I come sleep with you tonight?]
Sent three hours ago.
It seemed Shi Che had come to his home without receiving a reply, only to find him absent, leaving behind a busy but clueless phantom demon and a room in disarray.
“Don’t fall asleep yet.” Shi Li caught the phantom demon’s head as it nearly slumped over, pointing at the scrolls. “He came and kept you busy all afternoon?”
The phantom demon nodded.
“Just worked, nothing else?” Shi Li gently brushed his thumb over the phantom demon’s lips.
The phantom demon shook its head, drawing an “×” in front of its mouth to indicate: His mouth hurts, can’t kiss.
Shi Li laughed. “Serves him right, for kissing so desperately last time.”
The phantom demon blinked, as if understanding something, and happily curved its lips.
Great.
The two Shi Lis have kissed.
The two Shi Lis love each other dearly.
“What are you grinning about?” Shi Li pinched its cheek. “Did he say where he went?”
The phantom demon tugged at its clothes, stretched slightly, leaned back comfortably in the chair, and gently closed its eyes.
Shi Li understood the phantom demon was taking an air bath, imitating his usual posture when soaking in the bath.
Behind the mountains of Wentian Island, white mist swirled.
Shi Li stepped into a secluded realm, stopping before a cluster of spiritual light.
Once his identity was confirmed, the obstructing light dispersed, revealing a quiet, hidden path ahead. As he stepped onto it, the entrance vanished on its own.
This was his private domain. To enter, one had to be recognized by his presence alone. Since he claimed this place, no one else had ever set foot inside.
And now, in the hot spring around the corner, a man sat with his back to him, eyes closed as he soaked leisurely in the warm water. Beside him on the ground were his discarded clothes, a black sword, and a silver mask.
Shi Li approached, unfastening Huajing. The cool tip of the scabbard lifted a few strands of wet hair that had fallen over the man’s shoulder.
Shi Che turned to look at him. Under the boundless night sky, amidst the swirling mist, the young swordsman stood on the shore in an untainted silver robe, looking down with faint spiritual light shimmering from the star-shaped dart on his shoulder.
It was that expensive outfit he liked again.
“Care to join me for a soak?” Shi Che shifted aside, making room for him.
The hot spring water splashed against his bare chest and shoulders with his movements, turning into droplets that trickled down. Shi Li’s sword sheath moved along with him, slowly sliding from the back of his neck to the scar left by lightning on his back.
Amidst the swirling mist, Shi Li crouched down. “I didn’t get a good look last time. Can I take a closer look now?”
“Wouldn’t it be clearer if you got into the water?”
“No need. I can see just fine from the shore.”
Shi Li leaned in close. No matter how he looked at it, these were two overlapping lightning scars. “Did you really endure three tribulations?”
“Yes,” Shi Che turned slightly to give him a better view. “But the first one didn’t strike me.”
Shi Li narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Is there some kind of protection period for this sort of thing?”
Shi Che chuckled and flicked the sheath of Hua Jing. “What were you doing this afternoon? You piled up so much work that when I went over, Little Radish was practically dizzy from all the tasks.”
“Feng Shuo came out of the secret realm injured by a strange short blade. We were arguing about who the culprit was.”
“Oh, did you figure it out?”
Shi Li’s gaze shifted to the black sword resting on the shore. “If you don’t repair this sword of yours soon, the culprit will be revealed in no time.”
Shi Li had handled Shi Che’s black sword before and knew it was a fine blade. No matter how down on his luck Shi Che was, his standards for choosing a sword would never be low.
“I’ll help you repair it. How hard can the materials be to find?”
No matter how difficult, it couldn’t be harder than finding materials for Hua Jing.
Shi Che smiled. “Forget it. The materials to repair this sword are even rarer than those for Hua Jing.”
“But I plan to temporarily patch it up. Some materials will require your help.” Shi Che summoned the black sword into his hand and drew the broken blade from its sheath.
“One hundred mid-tier demon wolves, demon birds, and demon bears each. Collect their intact demon cores. These three types of cores correspond to three shades of black dark black, ink black, and raven blue, which will be used to patch different parts of my sword. So they need to be stored separately to prevent their colors from mixing. Also, be careful not to damage the cores when killing them. Is that too troublesome?”
“Not at all.”
Maintaining appearances was a serious matter, and in this regard, Shi Li never shied away from trouble.
But still.
Although Shi Che’s sword couldn’t compare to Hua Jing, it was still extraordinary.
He intended to cover his sword with a large number of mid-tier demon cores to lower its quality, making it appear as nothing more than an ordinary sword not too ostentatious.
Simply hunting demon beasts and gathering materials wasn’t troublesome for Shi Li, but the subsequent process of patching the sword wouldn’t be easy for Shi Che.
Usually, people used higher-grade materials to embellish their swords, thereby enhancing their quality. But now, Shi Che was doing the opposite using low-grade materials to patch a high-quality sword. Leaving aside other considerations, any sword with even a hint of temper would automatically reject such repairs.
Shi Li tapped Shi Che’s sword with Hua Jing and asked, “Will it agree to be patched like this?”
“It’s fine. My sword is very obedient.”
Shi Li glanced at the sword, feeling an inexplicable sense of competitiveness. “Hua Jing is also very obedient.”
Shi Che glanced at Hua Jing but said nothing.
Shi Li: “Hua Jing moved. Don’t provoke it.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the silver sword suddenly unsheathed itself from his hand, striking Shi Che lightly before calmly returning to its sheath.
“What’s wrong? I didn’t say anything wrong,” Shi Che tapped Hua Jing’s sheath with his finger. “Are you obedient?”
Hua Jing trembled angrily, its sheath glowing with a silver light. The sword spirit seemed ready to emerge and confront him directly.
Shi Li called out to him, and Shi Che immediately softened, gently stroking the sheath and correcting himself, “Alright, alright. Hua Jing is a good sword. Hua Jing is the most obedient.”
Hua Jing detected the sarcasm in his tone and trembled even more violently.
Shi Li’s hand went numb from the vibration, so he switched hands to hold the sword and said disdainfully, “Really not behaving.”
Shi Che agreed, “That’s right.”
Hua Jing:
Shi Che finished soaking, propped his arms on the shore to climb out, his arm muscles swelling with the effort. Water droplets slid down his waistline the swordsman’s muscles were aesthetically pleasing and powerful, a blatantly young and sensual body.
“Senior Brother, I have no clothes to wear. I don’t want to wear the old ones.”
He only remembered to ask for clothes after getting out of the water.
Shi Li was sitting on a bamboo chair not far away, his arm resting on the table, propping up his chin with his eyes closed as he rested.
On the table were pastries, paired with a wine pot and two cups likely brought by Shi Che. Shi Li had little interest in food and hadn’t touched them.
Hearing the call from the shore, he didn’t open his eyes but fished out a soft, private garment from his Qiankun bag and told Shi Che to come get it.
Shi Che walked toward him step by step through the water.
The wooden chair suddenly wobbled. Sensing the damp, warm air rushing toward him, Shi Li slowly opened his eyes. What met his gaze was a pale, dripping chest the skin taut, the muscles beautifully defined. Further down were the sleek, lean lines of his narrow waist, and further still lay the wildness lurking in the dense thicket…
“Senior Brother.” Shi Che leaned in, one hand propped on the bamboo chair, his upper body tilting toward him. “Take a good look. Am I old? Where am I old?”
“If you come one inch closer,” Shi Li leaned his head back slightly, his gaze shifting from the wildness and sweeping over his chest, “it’ll be shoved into my mouth.”
Shi Che laughed, “Even better. Taste it, and you’ll know how firm my flesh is. I’m not old at all.”
Shi Li stuffed the clothes into his arms. “Put them on.”
“Am I old?” Shi Che pressed relentlessly.
“Put on the clothes first, then we’ll talk.”
“You say it, then I’ll put them on.”
“Not old!” Shi Li snatched the clothes and pulled them over Shi Che’s head.
Shi Che stood before him, leisurely putting on the clothes. “Then why did you call me a five-hundred-year-old fossil and tell me to go die? Apologize.”
“That was.”
There was no way to explain it, so Shi Li skipped the explanation entirely. “I’m sorry.”
Shi Che pressed his advantage. “Do you still have the medicine for the cut on my lip? Give me a jar.”
Shi Li dug out the medicine and handed it to him.
Shi Che pushed his luck. “Help me apply it.”
Shi Li obediently unscrewed the lid but suddenly paused.
What was he doing?
He slapped the porcelain jar onto the table. “Apply it yourself.”
Shi Che sat down beside him, picked up the small jar, and was about to apply it to his lips when he stopped and set it down again.
“Doesn’t it hurt anymore?” Shi Li glanced at him.
“I should eat and drink well before applying it, or it’ll rub off later and affect the medicine’s efficacy.”
He picked up a pastry to eat, pushed the plate toward Shi Li, and poured wine for both of them.
Shi Li didn’t like drinking. He lowered his eyes to the wine in his cup, his fingertips tracing the rim.
Shi Che picked up his cup and drank. “After finishing work this afternoon, I went out for a bit and accidentally wandered into an apricot blossom grove. Upon asking, I found out I’d reached the residence of Sword Venerable Qianqiu. I also heard he’s always loved hiding fine wine.”
“You dug up He Qianqiu’s wine?” Shi Li perked up with interest.
Shi Che tapped the small wine bottle on the table it looked ordinary but was actually a Qiankun bottle with limitless capacity.
“He hid wine under every tree. I poured it all out and replaced it with mountain spring water.”
He refilled his own cup. “So we need to drink quickly, drink a lot, and destroy the evidence before he finds out.”
Shi Li drained his cup and praised, “You’re truly wicked.”
One cup of fine wine after another went down. After drinking, the urge to tell stories arose. Shi Che asked him if he was curious about the future of the two great sword paths of the Xuanqing Sect.
Shi Li had long prepared himself mentally, feigning calmness. “Seeing you like this, the Heartless Sword Path must have been defeated. We’ve been trampled under He Qianqiu’s feet.”
“No, in the end, the Heartless Sword Path unified the Xuanqing Sect. The Carefree Sword Path was pushed to a corner, struggling to survive. As the youngest and most powerful Heartless Sword Sovereign, I stood atop the peak of ten thousand people. Not just the Xuanqing Sect, but half the Star Realm was mine. Everyone revered and feared me. I made them practice only the Heartless Sword, and none dared disobey.”
Shi Li: “A fantasy before being struck by lightning.”
Shi Chen rested his head on his arm. “You don’t believe me?”
“In your past life, at this time, you were probably down on your luck, with a bad reputation and unable to ascend. How did you manage to stand atop the peak of ten thousand people?”
“A stroke of luck. You know, when fortune comes, even a pig can ascend.”
He spoke with a mix of truth and falsehood, making Shi Li take it seriously. He leaned closer and asked, “So you and Master managed to bring down He Qianqiu? Did you humiliate him thoroughly?”
“No, he ascended.”
“…”
Shi Li sat up straight, expressionless, and sneered coldly. “Truly a stroke of luck.”
Shi Li stopped drinking, while Shi Chen directly picked up the wine pot and drank from it, speaking slowly. “The first time I failed the tribulation, I lost Wentiandao. They seized Huajing, insisting it was sect property, not my personal possession, and wanted to embed it into the mountain gate to assert ownership of the famous weapon.”
“Huajing was tough enough to break itself before the mountain gate. The golden turtle’s tail protected the broken sword, slapping anyone who approached. They had no choice but to return Huajing to me.”
“The second time I failed the tribulation, I took a blow on my back, and Huajing was also shattered by the golden lightning, beyond repair.” He placed the black sword on the table, gently stroking the hilt. “Fortunately, I obtained Pohuang, which allowed Huajing’s sword spirit to reside within.”
This was the first time Shi Li learned the name of his black sword.
He had named his lifebound sword “Huajing,” filled with hope for a splendid and prosperous future. What considerations had Shi Chen given when naming his second sword “Pohuang”?
“The third time…”
Shi Chen seemed somewhat drunk, dazedly setting down the wine pot.
As the pot tipped over, Shi Li reached out to steady it, only to have his wrist seized by Shi Chen.
After emerging from the hot spring, Shi Chen hadn’t worn his mask. His blue eyes reflected Shi Li’s face. “Before the third tribulation, he was already gone. He left me, made me heartbroken, sleeping alone at night, with no one to kiss.”
The grip on his wrist tightened. “Was I not good to him? Did I not make him feel loved? Why did he betray me? Does he hate me? Because I was incompetent, always failing, unable to protect him? Was he disappointed in me, no longer liking me, unwilling to love me, help me, or stay with me as he did when we were young? So he had to leave me.”
He smiled faintly. “All of you are going to leave me. Huajing hates me I didn’t protect it well, so it eagerly rushed to you. You hate me too, Shi Li. From the first moment we met, you hated me. I stole your phantom demon, angering you. I’m so down on my luck, frightening you. I’m old, making you despise me.”
“Who hates you?”
Shi Li interrupted him. Huajing unsheathed itself, pressing close to Shi Chen’s cheek as if to comfort him. Shi Li said solemnly, “Neither I nor Huajing hate you.”
Shi Chen tugged at his lips. “How can you not hate me? You despise me for being old and demanding repayment by forcing a kiss. I’ve been heartbroken for a long time I just wanted a kiss. Who else could I turn to if not you? Aren’t my face and figure impressive enough? Where do I look old? If I hadn’t told you, you’d never have known I’m five hundred years old!”
“I never said you were old.”
“You don’t want to kiss me. It must be such a hardship for you to kiss an old man.”
“I’m not suffering, and I don’t mind kissing you Wait, no.”
Shi Li almost got tangled in his words. He stood up, positioned himself in front of Shi Che, and looked down at him seriously. “Can you sober up and talk properly? If not, then stop talking and go back to sleep.”
Shi Che curled his lips in self-mockery. “I know, it must be such a hardship for you to talk to an old man. I’m five hundred years old I could practically be your father.”
“…”
“It must be such a hardship for you to have an old man living in your home. This cozy little nest you share with your lover, and here I am, barging in as an outsider.”
Shi Li abruptly reached out to cover his mouth, her palm roughly scraping over his injured lips. Shi Che gasped in pain and immediately fell silent.
Shi Li hadn’t expected him to hold such a grudge. Usually, he put on a carefree front, but once drunk, he seemed determined to settle every single score.
Shi Li unscrewed the porcelain jar, dipped her fingers in the ointment, and began applying it to him. Shi Che resisted, so she pinched his chin and frowned. “Stay still.”
The cool, soft ointment transformed into a shimmering glow as soon as it touched his lips. The throbbing, numbing pain in Shi Che’s mouth quickly faded. In his drunken haze, he lifted his gaze to see Shi Li carefully applying the medicine, her eyes lowered in concentration.
“Open your mouth.”
Shi Li had always been wasteful with medicine, especially with small jars like this once opened, she insisted on using it all at once.
She meticulously applied the ointment to the inside of his lips as well.
The medicine wasn’t bitter; it simply dissolved into a colorless, odorless glow. Applying more wouldn’t hurt Shi Li knew exactly how fiercely she had sucked on his lips.
She wasn’t very skilled at kissing. At the time, seeing how aggressively he came at her, she refused to back down. Wasn’t kissing just pressing lips together and sucking back and forth? Surely, the one who sucked harder was the winner.
Finally done, Shi Li released him, only to be caught off guard as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her forward into an embrace.
Shi Che remained seated, tightening his arms around her and burying his face against her waist.
“I missed you so much,” he murmured.
Shi Li knew she was being mistaken for that lost fragment of his soul.
I missed you too.
She leaned down, pulling Shi Che’s head into her embrace, responding with the gestures of a phantom spirit.
Shi Che’s breathing instantly grew ragged, his fingers clutching the fabric at the small of her back.
Shi Li wondered how to get him back to sleep. Mimicking the state of a phantom spirit without spiritual energy, she let her head rest weakly against his shoulder, hoping to lure him back to his room. Instead, Shi Che began rummaging through his clothes for candy, intending to replenish the spiritual energy of his “phantom spirit.”
“…”
With a complicated expression, Shi Li retrieved a piece of candy from her own clothes, slipped it into his collar, and let Shi Che believe he had found it himself. He unwrapped the candy and fed it to his “phantom spirit.”
Shi Li hadn’t eaten candy in a long time. She stiffly swallowed it, then picked up his mask and black sword one by one, took his hand, and led him home.
She was actually pretending to be her own phantom spirit.
Shi Li crunched down hard on the candy.
How absurd.