As dawn approached, the two lay nestled together in deep slumber.
In the next moment, without any warning, they opened their eyes simultaneously.
Shi Che slept on the inner side, facing Shi Li, his arm draped over Shi Li’s chest and his head resting on his shoulder. Sensing Shi Li stir, he withdrew his arm.
Shi Li threw off the covers and got out of bed to dress. As usual, he would first practice his sword for half an hour before waking the disciples of Wentiandao for their training.
The disciples of Wentiandao had to rise half an hour earlier than ordinary disciples, and Shi Li rose half an hour earlier than them.
Now that he was up, Shi Che, the “ordinary disciple,” could sleep for another hour.
“I really don’t want you to leave,” Shi Che propped his head up to look at him.
During the recruitment period, Shi Che stayed here to help him with work. Shi Li was busy outside, neither returning home to sleep nor allowing the phantom demon to keep him company.
Unable to sleep alone, Shi Che had no choice but to work tirelessly day and night. When he grew tired, he would step outside for a breath of fresh air. Occasionally, when Shi Li returned, they would exchange a few words, treating it as a moment of relaxation.
This was the first time the two had shared a bed.
Last night, emboldened by alcohol, Shi Che insisted on holding him. Shi Li didn’t say much, after all, Shi Che had helped him finalize the conference plan, easing his urgent needs.
It was unclear whether it was the alcohol or the embrace, but Shi Che had slept unusually well.
“Don’t waste such a beautiful morning in bed.”
Shi Li tucked away the phantom demon, now transformed into a small radish, closed the cabinet, and said to Shi Che, “You should get up too.”
“If I get up, I’ll have nothing to do,” Shi Che shifted to lie flat, staring blankly at the canopy above. “You still have many goals to delve deeper into the Heartless Sword techniques, to strive for higher realms. I’m different. I’m invincible.”
Shi Li snorted mockingly, “If the price of invincibility is becoming an aimless waste, I’d rather never reach the peak.”
“You’ll never reach the peak anyway. Once you ascend to the Fourfold Enlightenment Realm, there won’t be another realm for you to aim for. All that’s left is the mechanical process of ascending ranks, ranks, and more ranks… waiting endlessly for the heavenly tribulation to grant you ascension.”
“By the way,” Shi Che narrowed his eyes, recalling something, “you’ve been stuck at the third rank of the Seeking Realm for a long time, haven’t you? When will you break through?”
“I don’t know,” Shi Li rubbed the hilt of his sword. “I’ve accumulated enough merit, but I’m missing an opportunity.”
Among the four realms of the Star World, even the dullest individuals could climb the first two realms step by step through sheer effort it was merely a matter of time.
The leap from the second to the third realm was a hurdle. Some were destined to lack the aptitude and would remain stuck in the second realm for life.
Shi Li had no such worries. He was born to ascend to the highest realms. As long as he accumulated enough merit to break through, he could do so at any time.
He was now waiting for an opportunity because “actively breaking through after accumulating enough merit” and “being recognized by the laws of heaven and earth, allowing a natural breakthrough” were two entirely different concepts.
What was fought for was far inferior to what was bestowed by heaven, meaning the path to higher ranks would be more arduous and difficult. Therefore, most preferred to accumulate merit in advance and wait for the opportunity to break through naturally.
Shi Li was already among the elite of the younger generation. Reaching the third rank of the Seeking Realm at two hundred years old was a height many could only dream of in their lifetimes. There was no rush to break through.
Shi Che smiled faintly, “That’s good. Wait a little longer. There’s no hurry.”
Shi Li asked, “When did you break through to the Enlightenment Realm?”
He had weathered three heavenly tribulations by the age of five hundred, undoubtedly reaching the Fourfold Enlightenment Realm early on. Shi Li wanted to ask for the exact time to have a clear idea in his mind.
Shi Che pondered for a moment, a mischievous glint flashing in his blue eyes. “Come over and give me a kiss, and I’ll tell you.”
Shi Li approached the bed. “Really?”
“Why would I lie to you?” He propped himself up with his hands behind him, lifting his upper body and tilting his face, waiting for the kiss.
Shi Li knelt on the bed with one knee, one hand resting beside him as he leaned in close. His other hand reached over Shi Che’s thigh, gripping lightly and precisely.
Shi Che’s body stiffened abruptly.
Shi Li had seized control of his most vulnerable spot, his face now inches away, lips nearly touching.
“I want an answer right after the kiss. If you lie to me,” he whispered, “I’ll crush it.”
With that, he leaned in to kiss him, but Shi Che instantly turned his face away. “Then forget it. I lied I don’t want to say.”
Shi Li didn’t pull back. Instead, he negotiated, his voice low and coaxing. “Tell me, when did you break through to the Enlightenment Realm? I won’t go practice swordplay. I’ll stay home and kiss you.”
Shi Che leaned back, avoiding his gaze, his voice tinged with hoarseness. “I won’t say, and I won’t kiss either. Let go of me now and go practice your swordplay.”
The two remained locked in a silent standoff for a moment before Shi Li turned and left.
Once the door closed, Shi Che let out a heavy sigh of relief, his eyes already reddened.
This young lord wasn’t foolish. A kiss afterward was a reward, but a kiss beforehand was merely an advance payment. Shi Che had planned to renege, but Shi Li wasn’t foolish enough to fall for it he had secured a bargaining chip in his own hands.
It was just that this bargaining chip was utterly undignified. Who on earth had taught him to grab someone there for negotiations? Shi Che had initially harbored some impure, lewd intentions when tricking him into a kiss, but now, after being threatened in such a flirtatious manner, he had no choice but to indulge in those lewd thoughts.
He sighed, slowly slipping his hand beneath the covers.
With Zhong Ling under control, one person was missing from Wentiandao, but none of the disciples paid it any mind.
Most of them were only concerned with themselves whether they had worked hard that day, how much they had gained from training, and whether they had earned the recognition of their senior brothers.
This was the most driven group in the entire Xuanqing Sect.
Shi Li used his newly formed sword spirit as their sparring partner, further provoking a few unwilling disciples to fight with all their might, some even losing control on the spot.
Apart from his own sword practice, Shi Li spent his days on Wentiandao’s training grounds engaging in duels. He never hid his strength, imparting everything he knew to disciples seeking guidance while showing no mercy to those who revealed weakness.
Earlier, he had handed three disciples who couldn’t keep up with the training pace to Ling Yin. Under the master’s guidance, one remained, while the other two were sent off the island.
The Heartless Sword was unlike the Carefree Sword it lacked centuries of accumulated heritage and belonged to an emerging sword school.
The master and disciple tirelessly refined their sword techniques, striving for perfection.
Shi Li had a sharp eye and exacting standards. Wentiandao implemented a system of eliminating the weakest, with personnel constantly shifting. Those sent off the island worked twice as hard in private, hoping to catch the young lord’s eye again.
During the midday break, Shi Li left the training grounds, bypassed the hot springs at the back of the mountain, and entered the secluded forest at the far end of Wentiandao.
A stone cave served as a prison, where Zhong Ling was temporarily confined.
As the formation at the cave entrance opened, the young man sitting quietly at the stone table stood up. “Senior Brother.”
“I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had a chance to find you.” Shi Li walked slowly to the stone table, pressing Zhong Ling’s shoulder to make him sit. “Let’s keep it brief. Did you spread false news about the master on your own initiative, or were you instructed to do so?”
Zhong Ling looked up at him. “Will your punishment differ depending on my answer, Senior Brother?”
“If you were acting under someone else’s orders to scheme against me, I would interrogate you to find out who was behind it, then expel you from the island. Since your actions haven’t caused me any real harm, I have no right to banish you from the sect.”
Shi Li sat down opposite him, his fingers tracing the hilt of the Huajing Sword at his waist. “But if this was your own initiative, I need to ask first why?”
On Wentiandao, he and Zhong Ling were considered close and familiar. If Zhong Ling wanted to deceive him, he was the most likely to succeed and the one who would chill Shi Li’s heart the most.
“Do you remember when I first joined the Xuanqing Sect, Senior Brother?”
“Yes.”
Zhong Ling hadn’t entered the Xuanqing Sect through the regular recruitment process. He came from the Eight Sword Forges, one of the top talents among the lower sword sects. Ling Yin admired him and personally went to recruit him, which sparked fierce conflicts with several elders of the Eight Sword Forges.
Zhong Ling also wanted to climb higher, to join a major sect and gain more resources and support. So he resolutely bid farewell to his old sect, enduring the condemnation of his former peers, and joined the Xuanqing Sect.
On his first day, Shi Li tested his swordsmanship. After their duel, he invited Zhong Ling to Wentiandao.
Zhong Ling had smiled and said, “I’ve long admired the Young Master and the Ruthless Sword. To be able to cultivate together as fellow disciples from now on is truly something to look forward to.”
Shi Li hadn’t reacted much. Most disciples who first came to the island would try to get close to him, expressing admiration. But gradually, they would come to fear him, resent him, grow silent, and swing their swords over and over, attacking again and again, all for the sake of defeating him.
A group of former prodigies, repeatedly crushed and negated by a true genius the fire of unwillingness in their hearts burned ever brighter.
They wanted his praise. They wanted to defeat him.
Shi Li’s approval and the blood he shed after being injured were the greatest motivators in their monotonous training.
Zhong Ling was different. From the start, he actively struck up conversations with Shi Li, joked with him, asked if he was resting well, and showed concern for his injuries. Over time, Shi Li grew much closer to him.
“I’ve always admired you, Senior Brother. I know how much you and Master have sacrificed for the Ruthless Sword. Everyone on the island fears you. On our training grounds, there’s nothing but killing intent and bloodstains everywhere. No one talks to you, so I often took the initiative to approach you.”
Zhong Ling’s sword lay on the table as he lowered his head, gazing at it. “Because I thought you were pitiful, Senior Brother. You were always alone, busy and restless, never a moment of peace. The Ruthless Sword Path grew stronger and stronger. You led the people on Wentiandao to become more powerful day by day, yet they grew more and more distant from you.”
“Everyone has emotions and senses. When injured, they feel pain; when tired, they need rest. But you, Senior Brother, always acted as if nothing was wrong, never showing vulnerability. Even when bleeding during training, you’d continue practicing with us, covered in wounds. No one said anything, but deep down, everyone felt uncomfortable.”
“Senior Brother, you are strong. The Ruthless Sword is strong. This time, you’ll surely attract another batch of talented disciples to Wentiandao, and you’ll train them to become exceptional as well.”
“But I believe such a sword path has no future.”
“That day during training, you scolded me for being soft-hearted, for not striking your waist and missing the chance to win. But what I was thinking was that waist injuries are hard to heal, and you still had to deal with the sect’s recruitment. I didn’t want you to carry an injury for days just because of one training session. We are human, not weapons. Before we strike, we consider many things. So…”
“So,” Shi Li interrupted him, “you still haven’t answered my question.”
Zhong Ling had said a lot, but it seemed as if none of it had reached Shi Li’s ears. His blue eyes revealed a chilling indifference.
Zhong Ling looked at him with disappointment. “Doesn’t any of this move you, Senior Brother?”
“Junior Brother Zhong, your betrayal is an established fact. I am only concerned with your motives and the identity of the person behind you. As for your unnecessary and melodramatic complaints, there’s no need to bring them before me. The rules of Wentian Island have always been this way you knew them before you came. What made you think you could change them?”
“I thought my relationship with you was different. Ugh!”
He was suddenly choked by the throat as Shi Li stepped onto the edge of the stone chair he was sitting on, leaning in closer. His expression was dark and gloomy, radiating extreme impatience.
“You wanted to switch to the Carefree Sword Path, and Cen Shu gave you a guarantee if you helped him and his disciple plot against me, he would take you as his disciple. Is that it?”
Caught off guard by the sudden aggression, Zhong Ling struggled to breathe, tilting his head back to look at him as he gasped out, “Yes. I wanted to switch to the Carefree Sword Path, even if it meant starting from scratch. This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this, Young Master. A wise bird chooses the tree it perches on. I found a path with more promise than Wentian Island. Ugh!”
Shi Li tightened his grip, smiling dangerously. “If I were to deal with you here, would your new master come looking for trouble?”
“Senior Brother, our relationship was good.”
“Indeed. I am a man of very narrow tolerance. The better the relationship, the more I want to kill the one who betrays me.”
“Senior Brother, think twice.” Cultivators weren’t easily suffocated, but the agony of approaching death was unavoidable. Zhong Ling’s face twisted in pain as he grabbed Shi Li’s wrist. “I am about to join the new disciples in paying respects to my new master and entering the Carefree Sword Path. You have no right to execute me. Don’t cause trouble for yourself or Sword Venerable Ling.”
He gathered spiritual light in his palm and suddenly struck his own chest with immense force. A muffled sound of flesh and bone shattering echoed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering it all over Shi Li’s face and chest.
He had actually shattered his own Heart of Ruthlessness!
Shi Li’s blue eyes trembled violently, and he almost instantly flung Zhong Ling away. Hot blood slid down his cheek, and the thick scent of blood filled his nostrils. The anger he had felt moments earlier transformed into an unknown fear as he tightened his grip on the hilt of the Hua Jing Sword.
Zhong Ling collapsed to the ground, clutching his throat as he coughed violently. Gasping for breath, he staggered to his feet, leaning against the wall, and summoned the longsword from the table into his hand with a flick of his wrist.
“I’m sorry, Young Master, for betraying you. Fortunately, you are unharmed.”
Shi Li stood where he was, offering no response.
Zhong Ling walked past him and slowly left.
Shi Che obediently practiced as a sparring partner for the new disciples on the training grounds. Despite his age, he was forced to train his reflexes with wooden dummies, just as he had at fourteen a tedious affair.
Among this batch of new disciples were several exceptionally talented youngsters. Shi Che went over to offer guidance, secretly showing off several impressive and stylish sword techniques from the Ruthless Sword Path to attract their attention.
The children erupted in awe, crowding around him, eager to learn more advanced sword techniques.
Not far away, Meng Zhuo sat in a stone pavilion with a dark expression, arms crossed. Wei Ran stood beside him, fanning him diligently.
Meng Zhuo sneered coldly, his gaze fixed on the figure surrounded by children. “Those moves were definitely taught to him personally by Shi Li. To know so many Ruthless Sword techniques before even formally joining the sect my dear senior brother truly has high hopes for him.”
He gritted his teeth so hard they creaked. Wei Ran broke out in a cold sweat, too busy fanning Meng Zhuo to wipe his own forehead.
“Ah, Senior Brother Meng, isn’t he just promoting the Ruthless Sword Path? We’re all on the same side here no need to draw such clear lines.”
Meng Zhuo simply wouldn’t listen to him, continuing to sneer on his own. “Heh… Probably raised by his side since childhood, huh? Even his mannerisms and movements are so similar, how many years of affection must that be? For Shi Li to go against his principles just to push him in here. hehehehehe.”
He let out a hoarse, rusty-bell-like laugh, startling Wei Ran so much he could barely catch his breath. Suddenly, Shi Che left the group of children and stood quietly to the side for a moment, seemingly checking messages on his communication talisman. Then, from a distance, he waved toward the pavilion and pointed toward the exit, indicating: I have something to attend to, I need to leave early.
Wei Ran nodded frantically at him from behind Meng Zhuo.
Go, go, go, hurry up and leave! If you don’t leave now, Senior Brother Meng is going to lose it!
Shi Che rushed to Inquiry Sky Island at top speed. The moment he stepped into the stone cave, he was hit by the overwhelming scent of blood and the chaotic, swirling spiritual energy inside.
“Shi Li.”
His voice was low as he spoke, his gaze quickly scanning the entire cave. Then he strode forward, pulling Shi Li his face covered in blood out from the deepest corner.
“I can’t clean it off,” Shi Li said, patting spiritual energy onto his face. “My clothes are ruined. His blood is mixed with fragments of a Heartless Dao core.”
This wasn’t ordinary filth it was a malicious insult and curse. The other party had willingly harmed themselves just to leave this mark on him, making sure everyone would see how Shi Li had driven a Heartless Sword Dao disciple to shatter his own Dao core, abandoning a century of cultivation to switch to the Carefree Sword Dao.
Shi Che looked at him without any surprise, as if he had long known this would happen. Even Shi Li’s reaction seemed within his expectations.
Shi Li lowered his gaze, staring at the blood-stained silver ornament on his chest. “When you told me to be careful of Zhong Ling, did that include this?”
“Yes.”
“He also shattered his Dao core in front of you and switched to the Carefree Sword Dao?”
“Correct.”
“Yet you didn’t tell me,” Shi Li said softly.
He should have been angry. He should have held his sword to Shi Che’s throat, threatening him not to keep anything from him anymore. Or he could have demanded back the life-borrowing jade token he’d given him, forcing him to become a completely powerless waste.
But at this moment, he couldn’t muster even a trace of anger. He only spoke in a calm tone tinged with an unknown emotion.
Because Shi Che had no obligation to tell him everything in such detail. What was this to him? A minor, insignificant shock. The excitement of the trial realm’s sword spirit birth hadn’t even faded yet. Once he stepped out, he would still be arrogant, still standing atop the clouds, admired by all.
But back then, Shi Che had already been drowning in the overwhelming mockery after the trial realm battle. For something like this to happen at such a time was like adding frost to snow. With just a little push from those with ill intentions, it would have become another frenzy of humiliation and slander.
When misfortune strikes once, it strikes everywhere. That undefeated demon beast in the trial realm had been the beginning of all his misfortunes.
Shi Li raised his hand. Shi Che almost thought he was going to attack him and instinctively moved to dodge. But Shi Li only reached toward his ear and removed his mask.
A handsome, clean face, with blue eyes filled with confusion and a hint of wariness. He even wondered if Shi Li had taken off his mask to slap him.
He had deliberately withheld the full information from Shi Li, not letting him truly avoid all risks with complete certainty.
How could Shi Li be so lucky as to avoid all the pain and struggles he had endured?
Besides, Shi Li was almost stingy when it came to emotional needs. Shi Che hated the way he himself seemed to crave love from the other like someone so starved they’d mistake ginger for a potato.
The moment Shi Li reached to remove his mask, Shi Che had already decided: if Shi Li dared to slap his face, he would dare to strip Shi Li right here.
With that blood all over his face, Shi Li would have no choice but to beg him.
And Shi Che would teach him exactly how to beg.
But he never expected that in the next moment, the cool touch of a silver wrist guard brushed against the back of his neck. Shi Li leaned forward, as if loosely embracing him with one arm, and brought his lips close to Shi Che’s ear.
“Were you very hurt back then?”
His heart skipped a beat violently, and a soul starved for affection thrashed wildly within his consciousness.
All of Shi Che’s vulgar and malicious thoughts dissolved in an instant.
“It’s fine,” he heard himself reply. “I’ll help you clean your face. As for the clothes, I threw them away back then and made a new set shinier. I’ll bring them for you to try later.”
“Okay.” Shi Li buried his face against Shi Che’s shoulder. “Thank you for your trouble.”
“No trouble at all,” Shi Che wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him even closer into his embrace. “No trouble at all.”
Ginger is an ingredient exceptionally skilled at disguise chaotic and deceptive, hiding within delicious potatoes, indistinguishable from the real thing.
Shi Che had long trained his eyes to spot it, knowing full well when he picked up a piece of ginger, yet he still couldn’t resist putting it in his mouth.
Shi Li returned the embrace.
“Thank you. I’m glad you’re here.”
Shi Che closed his eyes, allowing himself to sink into this embrace.
Who could blame him, when it radiated such a rich, savory aroma of potatoes.