Ever since the inception of the Three Peaks Sect, Wu Hengmu had raised funds to construct Feixian Peak’s Treasure Pavilion, leaving them heavily indebted to the royal lineage to this day. Its interior was luxuriously decorated, making it look altogether too ostentatious upon the otherwise utterly destitute Feixian Peak, looking as though it should not even exist within the same space.
Ever since he was a child, Ye Qianjue had planned to enter the Treasure Pavilion, but unfortunately, his wish had never been granted.
Held restricted within Ye Yuan’s embrace at this moment, he actually felt a bit excited. Ye Qianjue looked up at Ye Yuan’s arrogant face; it would be wonderful if this man could take him inside.
“Release him! If you dare touch even a single hair on his body, this Venerable will grind your bones to dust and scatter your ashes!”
Gu Qingyun’s gaze was deathly cold, his usual gentleness completely vanished without a trace.
Ye Qianjue clasped his hands over Ye Yuan’s forearm, which was slung across his chest, staring at him with a face full of curiosity.
“What are you looking at? Look any further and I’ll kill you.”
Ye Yuan lowered his voice to threaten Ye Qianjue, then cast his violently cruel gaze toward Gu Qingyun, shouting, “Hand over this Venerable’s inner core, and perhaps I might release him~”
“Otherwise—” Ye Yuan tightened his grip, his face filled with absolute smugness.
His breath grew thin all of a sudden. Ye Qianjue furrowed his brows, struggling in some pain, but his pitiful appearance failed to evoke even a shred of conscience from Ye Yuan.
Gu Qingyun’s pupils contracted. Watching his beloved disciple suffer such a tribulation, his heart felt momentarily lost.
The hand gripping his sword was trembling, and his frost-like countenance turned even paler.
What should he do?
Ye Yuan’s inner core was right inside Ye Qianjue’s body; it wasn’t as if he could tell Ye Yuan that!
No way! If he told Ye Yuan, Ye Qianjue would surely die.
Gu Qingyun narrowed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. Shifting his gaze, he spotted the three fierce beasts atop the pavilion roof, and an idea formed in an instant.
“The inner core is inside this Treasure Pavilion. If you want it, it can be fetched and given to you.”
Saying this, Gu Qingyun made a motion as if to take a step forward.
“Hold it!”
Ye Yuan’s hand tightly choked Ye Qianjue’s neck. He took a step back, saying cautiously, “Don’t move. Stand right where you are and remove all the barriers you’ve set up. This Venerable will fetch it personally. Gu Qingyun, if you dare play any tricks, your little disciple will die by this Venerable’s hand.”
As if to demonstrate his power, he tightened the action of his hand.
Instantly, the pain caused Ye Qianjue’s tears to flow.
With a face full of pain and fear, Ye Qianjue silently looked toward Gu Qingyun, his eyes filled with helplessness.
Gu Qingyun’s entire body trembled, his heart practically bleeding.
Enduring the urge to slaughter Ye Yuan, Gu Qingyun cast a spell from a corner where no one could see. In an instant, the three stone statues atop the beams came to life.
Standing before the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, Ye Yuan looked at Gu Qingyun with the dawn of victory across his face. He then moved his steps to walk toward the main doors of the Treasure Pavilion. Just when he was completely off his guard, a roar erupted from right above his head, deafening to the ears!
“Gu Qingyun, you dare play me!”
Ye Yuan roared out loud. Since Gu Qingyun had broken the agreement, he would destroy Ye Qianjue!
He raised his hand to strike.
Just as he was about to kill Ye Qianjue, the Demonic Sound Beast unleashed another roar. That piercing demonic sound, capable of boring through ears and intestines, instantly shocked Ye Yuan into releasing Ye Qianjue, leaving him frantically covering his ears.
“Master!”
Ye Qianjue swiftly fled. When Ye Yuan extended a hand wanting to grab him back, it was already too late.
The corners of Ye Qianjue’s eyes were crimson as he threw himself into Gu Qingyun’s embrace feeling deeply aggrieved. He choked out, “I will never disobey Master’s words again… Woohoo… Master…”
“Let Master see.”
Gu Qingyun lifted Ye Qianjue’s chin, and upon seeing the neck covered in red bruises, a murderous intent instantly surged within him. He said in a deep voice, “Step to the side. Your master will kill him to enforce justice on behalf of Heaven.”
A dense, prickling pain radiated from his neck. Ye Qianjue looked toward the fallen Ye Yuan; watching his agonizing state, a few traces of sympathy actually arose within him.
…He looks so pitiful.
Gu Qingyun wielded the Lindong sword, walking toward Ye Yuan.
Ye Yuan’s head felt dizzy and heavy. This Demonic Sound Beast, one of the three demonic beasts, was specifically tailored to counter the Demon Race; its demonic sound only caused damage to those of the Demon Race. He had no idea when this Gu Qingyun had captured three of his Demon Race’s mythical beasts to use as watchdogs!
“Gu Qingyun! You are despicable and shameless!”
After Ye Yuan spoke, he used all the strength in his body to flee into the Treasure Pavilion and slammed the doors shut. Because of the barrier, the three beasts dared not enter, leaving them only to pace back and forth in front of the pavilion.
Gu Qingyun leaped up, using his sword qi to blast open the main doors, and entered the building alone.
Watching his Master enter with sword in hand, Ye Qianjue felt that things boded ill! His Master wanted to kill the Demon Venerable, but… he did not want the Demon Venerable to die. He felt that the Demon Venerable wasn’t truly evil, and hadn’t actually wanted to kill him just now.
Ye Qianjue frowned where he stood, then walked into the main doors. The three mythical beasts snorted heavily from their large nostrils, looking incredibly fierce.
“Be good, be a little good”
Ye Qianjue extended his hand and placed it upon the nose of the Demonic Sound Beast, stroking it gently. Unexpectedly, it began to act spoiled out of sheer comfort, its eyes instantly turning gentle and kind.
“So good!”
Ye Qianjue successfully entered the Treasure Pavilion. He searched all around, and finally, in the distance, he heard the sound of books collapsing and porcelain shattering.
“Master! Stop!”
Ye Qianjue hurriedly ran over, and as he looked down, it turned out to be his spiritual pet!
Gu Qingyun knitted his brows, looking at Ye Qianjue.
Within a brief window of time, Ye Qianjue rapidly digested this truth: his dog was the Demon Venerable, and the Demon Venerable was actually his dog!
Carrying a heart filled with excitement and trepidation, Ye Qianjue shielded Ye Yuan with his body.
“This… This is my dog…” Ye Qianjue said in disbelief, then put on a face full of displeasure, saying, “Why did you run off blindly! You even ran all the way here!”
Ye Qianjue scooped up Ye Yuan, who had transformed back into a dog, and smiled, “Master, this is my spiritual pet, have you forgotten?”
Ye Qianjue rubbed the dog’s back, turning around with the intention of taking the dog away as if nothing had happened.
“Hold it!”
Gu Qingyun’s sharp, freezing voice echoed out.
“This dog is transformed from the Demon Venerable. He wanted to kill you just moments ago, why are you still so single-mindedly protecting him?”
Gu Qingyun was perplexed. He could not understand why the disciple he fought with all his might to protect would, in the end, still defend the Demon Venerable!
The dog in his arms was shivering all over, looking thoroughly terrified. If he were to be killed by Gu Qingyun again this time, Ye Yuan had no idea how many more years he would have to wait before he could see the light of day again!
He absolutely had to act spoiled at this moment; Ye Qianjue was his very last hope.
Sure enough, after Ye Qianjue saw Ye Yuan panting in such a state, his heart instantly softened.
He lowered his head to look at Ye Yuan, saying softly, “Master, Qianjue really likes dogs. He is not just a dog, he is also my friend and family, just like Master… I am too lonely all by myself.”
Speaking up to this point, Ye Qianjue’s eyes filled with tears, looking utterly pitiful as if about to weep.
“The senior brothers of Feixian Peak don’t like to play with me. Everyone is afraid of something happening to me, because every single time a tiny problem occurs, you show up, Master. The senior brothers are all afraid of Master’s punishment, so over all these years, no one has played with me. Right now, Senior Brother Bai and Senior Sister Bai are also very busy, both occupied with the Immortal Alliance Conference, so there is even less of anyone to keep me company.”
Ye Qianjue’s rosy mouth pouted, the wings of his nose flushing red as tears flowed uncontrollably down his face.
A few droplets fell right onto Ye Yuan’s body.
Ye Yuan lifted his head to look at Ye Qianjue. This was his first time seeing a man cry, and crying so beautifully at that.
A trace of guilt emerged within Ye Yuan’s eyes. Ye Qianjue had said just now… that he was a friend and family?
“You still have your master.”
Gu Qingyun remained silent for a long while before uttering these words.
“It’s different. Master treats me well, Qianjue knows that, but… it’s not the kind that I want.”