The sky grew darker and darker, like a thick stroke of ink, pressing blackly down on Ye Jinyun.
In the cultivation world, the weak were prey to the strong, there was no kindness for no reason, only ruthless cruelty that struck first.
Although he was a transmigrator, he had also experienced the frailty of human nature, so in the illusion he missed his previous life even more.
Even though he knew it was fake, Shen Guhan had gone all the way to Hengzhou, come to the Sword Sect, asked him to form a dao bond with him, share his lifespan, and was even willing to seek out ten-thousand-year flying sand grass for him. Suspicion had already filled his heart, and there was also that system, its tasks were always related to Shen Guhan, he could not help but suspect it. As for Yiling younger sister, was she really a demonic cultivator?
“Ye Jinyun.” The managing elder of Sword Peak was calling the names.
“I’m here.” Ye Jinyun followed.
The managing elder already knew that Ye Jinyun was a new disciple taken in by the sect master, but for some reason he had not made a big deal of it and instead kept the news hidden. Still, he politely said to Ye Jinyun, “Follow me, the others will go with the deputy elder.”
With that, the managing elder and the pale-robed man beside him spoke in low voices, and then the pale-robed man led a group of outer disciples away.
Ye Jinyun stood where he was, waiting for the managing elder’s instructions. The gazes of the others toward him were full of admiration and pity, and more of them were disdain. What they admired was that he was the first person to pass the Sword Sect’s trial path. What they pitied was also that he was a waste whose spirit root had been ruined. What did they disdain? They disdained that he was a waste, that he still could not cultivate, that in the end he was different from them.
Ye Jinyun clenched his hand. He had once had a spirit root too.
“You are different from them. This is the identity token of a direct disciple of the Sword Sect, drip fingertip blood onto it and you will be a direct disciple of the Sword Sect.” The managing elder looked at Ye Jinyun, who was pale-faced, “Uncle Shen told me to take you to Sword Peak. From now on, if you have anything, just go to Uncle Shen.”
Shen Guhan again? What exactly was Shen Guhan plotting? Why was he treating him so well?
Ye Jinyun’s thoughts were in disarray, and in the end he still took the token. He bit open his finger without hesitation, and very soon the token flashed with a faint light, worlds apart from the day the Nine Profound Pillars awakened.
But it did not matter. In the end, he had stepped back onto the path of cultivation. Shen Guhan, thank you.
Shen Guhan returned to the bamboo cottage, and then received a message talisman from the sect master, asking him to go find him alone.
Shen Guhan burned the message talisman in his hand to ashes, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes.
…
Sandalwood burned, thin smoke curled upward, and the man wearing sect master robes looked at the woman in the painting. The woman in the painting was extremely beautiful.
But what could not be ignored most was her pair of lively eyes, as if it were not a painting, but a living person.
“You came?” Yu Ji had his back to Shen Guhan, his beard gray-white, his tone forlorn, as if reminiscing about something.
Shen Guhan lowered his head and said, “Master.”
Yu Ji turned around and looked at Shen Guhan. “Why did you help Ye Jinyun?”
“He is the chosen one.” Shen Guhan said.
Yu Ji looked at Shen Guhan and shook his head. “We already have a chosen one. Although Ye Jinyun also awakened the Nine Profound Pillars, he is not the best choice. Forming a dao bond with him is not worth it.”
“I will obtain the Ta’a Sword with my own ability.”
In Shen Guhan’s mind flashed the sight of blood staining the corner of Ye Jinyun’s mouth. He felt that Ye Jinyun was very good, he did not want to use Ye Jinyun, and besides, he was confident that he could get the Ta’a Sword.
“No matter what you think, your mother needs you, and this matter must be absolutely foolproof.” Seeing Shen Guhan’s confident look, Yu Ji thought of how he had been just as confident and strong when his mother was still alive, and he let out a long sigh, “Even if Ye Jinyun obtained ten-thousand-year flying sand grass, that would only make him a five-spirit-root, and Li Yichan is a single spirit root, only she is the most suitable candidate.”
“Master, my mother has been dead for many years.” Shen Guhan looked expressionlessly at the woman in the painting. She was beautiful, but he had never seen her, and could not understand Yu Ji’s sadness. The reason he was willing to listen to Yu Ji’s words was only to repay Yu Ji’s kindness in raising him, though Yu Ji did not care.
Before Shen Guhan finished speaking, Yu Ji glared at him and said in a deep voice, “Your mother is only asleep.”
Shen Guhan was silent. He was a demonic cultivator, and also the demon lord, yet Yu Ji, as the sect master, could allow him, this demon lord, to openly become the Sword Sect’s eldest disciple, and even raise him from childhood. Clearly he had already gone mad.
“No matter what, I hope you remember your mission,” Yu Ji also realized his own loss of composure, “Go down.”
“Yes.”
Shen Guhan opened the door. Before leaving, he turned back to look at the portrait, and then at Yu Ji, who was staring at the portrait in a daze. A trace of pain passed through his cold heart.
…
The night was pitch-black, and moonlight passed through the clouds and fell on Ye Jinyun’s thin shoulders.
“Why are you standing here?”
Shen Guhan spotted him standing at the doorway at a glance.
“The managing elder told me to wait for you here.”
The summer night was cold, Shen Guhan’s bamboo cottage was located among the mountain forest, the dampness was heavy, and up close, there were already a few drops of dew on Ye Jinyun’s hair tips.
Shen Guhan looked at Ye Jinyun’s still pale clothes. Why was he not wearing the magic robe he had given him?
“Aren’t you cold?” Shen Guhan said.
“It’s fine, I’m just a little hungry.” Ye Jinyun had not eaten all day. In the end, he was still a mortal, and he still needed to eat.
Ye Jinyun’s words stumped Shen Guhan. He had long since stopped eating grain, food was too distant to him, and there was not even any food in his storage ring.
Ye Jinyun looked at Shen Guhan and also knew he did not have any, and said, “If you don’t have any, then forget it. Where am I staying tonight?”
Shen Guhan did not want Ye Jinyun to go hungry. Thinking of his unorthodox junior brother Gu Shaoxin, who always loved eating mortal food, he said, “There is. Wait.”
After saying that, he sent a talisman to Gu Shaoxin.
Ye Jinyun had never expected Shen Guhan to have someone send him food. After all, last night when he had wanted to change to another bed, Shen Guhan had not agreed. He stood somewhat awkwardly to the side, and said nothing.
Seeing that Ye Jinyun looked uncomfortable, Shen Guhan was about to speak…
“Senior Brother, what do you need me for?” Gu Shaoxin was also a disciple of Sword Peak, and he did not live far away. This was the first time Shen Guhan had taken the initiative to look for him, he was very surprised, and hurried over, only to see Shen Guhan and Ye Jinyun staring at each other. Had he come to the wrong place? This atmosphere did not seem right.
“Do you have food?” Shen Guhan asked.
“Yes, yes, yes.” Gu Shaoxin was stunned for a moment, thinking it was some major matter, so without even thinking he took out the wine and dishes he had always kept ready from his storage ring.
“You can leave.” After Shen Guhan finished speaking to Gu Shaoxin, he turned his head, and then said to Ye Jinyun, “Eat.”
These were clearly his wine and dishes. It was fine if he did not get to eat them, but to give them to an outer disciple he had only met a few times? Even if he was the chosen one, he could not do this, right?
Gu Shaoxin felt that his senior brother had changed. He had become biased.
But looking at senior brother’s cold expression, Gu Shaoxin could only leave resentfully.
“Wait,” Shen Guhan looked at the only bowl and chopsticks on the table, “Bring another pair of chopsticks.”
The delighted Gu Shaoxin, who had turned back around, was struck speechless.
Watching Gu Shaoxin leave angrily, Ye Jinyun did not listen to Shen Guhan’s words. Instead, he asked, “Is that okay? After all, these are his things.”
Shen Guhan was used to it. He sat down first, picked up his chopsticks, and said, “Junior Brother Gu has an open personality, but he likes to gossip. If he stayed, you would definitely be questioned by him. It would be better to drive him away first, and save you from being annoyed later.”
Seeing that Ye Jinyun still had not sat down, his brows furrowed. “Eat, I’ll keep you company.”
Ye Jinyun really was hungry, so he did not fuss over it anymore. He sat down and ate. Halfway through the meal, he saw Shen Guhan holding his chopsticks, not taking a bite, his expression slightly cold, the corners of his mouth always pressed tight.
He seemed to have something on his mind, but he and Shen Guhan were not close, and suddenly going up to care about him would only make people dislike it. Thinking of this, his gaze fell on the wine on the table. If he drank some wine, wouldn’t they get closer?
So he said, “You’re just watching me eat alone, it feels a little strange, why don’t you have some wine.”
Shen Guhan had never liked the desire for food and drink. Holding chopsticks was only to keep Ye Jinyun company. Who would have thought Ye Jinyun would ask him whether he drank wine, he did not answer for a moment.
Ye Jinyun instead drank the first cup on his own. Since his father left, he had not had a meal in peace for a long time. The very first moment the wine went down his throat, he felt that it was not bad.
Shen Guhan watched Ye Jinyun drink it all in one go, his eyes becoming hazy. He smiled and shook his head, and also drank a cup.
“Come, another cup.” Ye Jinyun raised his cup and continued persuading him.
After two or three cups went down, Ye Jinyun felt it was about time, and asked, “Are you in a bad mood today?”
Shen Guhan paused, somewhat surprised that Ye Jinyun cared about him, and his heart grew warm. “It’s fine.”
“You lied, you drank wine, why are you still lying? Wasn’t it said that after drinking, you would only tell the truth?” Ye Jinyun stared at Shen Guhan’s eyes, and said with drunkenness.
Shen Guhan smiled. He was the demon lord, this little bit of wine probably could not even get him drunk, but Ye Jinyun’s concern made him unable to resist drinking another cup. The wine spread through his throat, and he seemed to have gotten drunk with it too.
“Look, the moon and the stars.” Ye Jinyun turned his head and suddenly pointed at the sky, his cheeks flushed, pure like a child.
Shen Guhan followed Ye Jinyun’s hand and looked. Stars filled the sky, starlight filled the heavens, and the huge moon was like a piece of jade, carrying simple gentleness. He once again felt comfort, like the feeling in the illusion, reassuring people.
So, he asked without thinking, “Ye Jinyun, do you think the dead can come back to life?”
Ye Jinyun turned his head, looked at him stupidly, then lay down on the table, completely drunk.
Shen Guhan smiled and shook his head. Having been dead for so long, how could one be resurrected?
He stood up, preparing to carry Ye Jinyun inside. “Yes, I am.” Ye Jinyun swayed as he moved closer to Shen Guhan, his pair of peach blossom eyes looking at Shen Guhan hazily with drunkenness, like a silent lure.
Shen Guhan’s pupils widened, his throat dry from the wine, and he asked hoarsely, “What did you say?”
Ye Jinyun was drunk, his whole body weak, his entire body swayed unsteadily, as if he could not stand. In the end he fell flat against Shen Guhan’s body and murmured, “I am.”
Author’s note:
Thank you all very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
Please do me a favor and bookmark my upcoming novel, love you all!
“My Shou Is Always Very Tsundere”