Yu Suisui pulled Xie Rongjing over: “Why did you call him here?”
“Just a routine procedure,” the blue-robed talisman cultivator replied.
Pushing forward the still-trembling Lu Sheng and Zhao Lei, he asked Xie Rongjing: “Do you recognize these two?”
Xie Rongjing’s expression only lasted a few seconds before returning to its previous state. Seeing someone addressing him, he withdrew his gaze that had been glued to Yu Suisui and smiled: “I do. I killed them.”
Why does everyone speak with this sarcastic tone? The talisman cultivator sneered inwardly.
Just because he’s latched onto the Tian Zhao Sect’s young mistress, he really thinks he’s something special.
But with Yu Suisui still present, he didn’t challenge Xie Rongjing: “This matter was mishandled by the Law Enforcement Hall. We’ll compensate you with some spirit stones and cultivation resources.”
Yu Suisui stared blankly.
If she remembered correctly, this compensation wasn’t even coming from their own pockets, was it?
She thought they already had thick enough skin, but apparently it could get even thicker.
Truly impressive.
“Are you satisfied with this?” the blue-robed talisman cultivator asked again.
Xie Rongjing nodded.
At least he knows his place. The talisman cultivator’s expression improved slightly.
If the other party didn’t know what was good for him, he had a hundred ways to make his life difficult.
Because the Law Enforcement Hall’s actions kept getting more outrageous, Yu Suisui miraculously… calmed down instead. She had already written them off as idiots – why would anyone get angry at a bunch of idiots?
She cast a pitying glance at the talisman cultivator surnamed Gongsun.
With just a little thought, it was clear that although Xie Rongjing hadn’t killed anyone recently, that didn’t mean he was some pitiful pushover – even if he appeared to be one now, he was definitely the kind who held grudges.
Later, when almost the entire Tian Zhao Sect got wiped out, this gentleman would definitely be on the death list.
Since he was just an extra destined to die, there was nothing more she needed to say to them.
“Steward Niu, is there anything else you need from us?”
Yu Suisui didn’t even give the blue-robed talisman cultivator a proper glance.
If there was nothing else, she would take Xie Rongjing and leave.
“Nothing, nothing!”
Steward Niu desperately wished this troublesome figure would leave quickly, answering with particular haste.
But at the same time, he didn’t want to give up clinging to this thickest thigh. Seeing Yu Suisui preparing to leave, he still smiled obsequiously and said politely: “Young mistress, take care. Feel free to visit when you have time… and also, this subordinate’s surname is Ma.”
Walking out of the interrogation room and seeing the azure sky outside, Yu Suisui felt the same clean slate sensation as when she first transmigrated to this world.
With her mindset leveled out, it became easier to see things clearly. She was going to help Xie Rongjing anyway, so she never expected anything from these idiots in the Law Enforcement Hall. Moreover, they were just minor cannon fodder that wasn’t even mentioned in the original story, making it even less worthwhile to get angry with them.
No matter what would happen in the future, Xie Rongjing really was pitiful right now – the relatively well-behaved kind of pitiful. Except for occasionally acting abnormal, he was still generally within the non-threatening range.
Good, she felt she could make an effort again.
It was like the difference between being forced to work and working voluntarily – superficially both involved labor, but there was actually a subtle distinction.
Thinking this, Yu Suisui poked Xie Rongjing beside her, deciding to check on this involved party’s mental health.
Xie Rongjing tilted his head, his attitude humble and polite: “What is it, young mistress?”
See, this was the antagonist’s attitude.
Infinitely better than that talisman cultivator’s.
Yu Suisui wasn’t very good at comforting people. Her comforting skills were still limited to “don’t feel bad” and “don’t be sad,” but Xie Rongjing appeared completely unruffled, making her feel too embarrassed to say such things.
“So… are you feeling upset?”
Thus, she changed her approach to comforting him.
Xie Rongjing shook his head somewhat sheepishly.
The wind scattered a few strands of hair across his forehead and gently ruffled his collar, revealing faint pink scars on his collarbone that were nearly faded.
Any normal person subjected to such injustice would surely feel grief and heartache, but Xie Rongjing didn’t. It was as if neither the person whose meridians had been severed nor the one whose name had been cleared was him.
He didn’t look particularly happy, nor particularly sad.
Yu Suisui was very familiar with the expression Xie Rongjing wore now—that faint smile. Come to think of it, this was how he looked most of the time when facing her.
She couldn’t quite figure out what he was really thinking. Was he worried about being unable to move freely after losing his meridians?
He probably was. After all, this was the cultivation world, where cultivation level was absolutely crucial.
Although Xie Rongjing had no shortage of life-preserving methods, who would complain about knowing too many?
Yu Suisui felt she had found the right direction for her comfort and directly referenced the plot: “I’ve heard that sixth-level medical cultivators can reconstruct meridians. There will definitely be a divine doctor who can cure you in the future. Even if we can’t find one temporarily, it’s fine. There should be some cultivation methods that don’t require spirit energy, only mental power.”
“The Sword Immortal” was an progression fantasy novel told from the perspective of the righteous male lead, and it didn’t elaborate much on what Xie Rongjing was capable of. Yu Suisui thought for a moment and remembered that he seemed to command an army of a hundred thousand ghosts.
He could summon evil spirits and command them to do his bidding—he must be a ghost cultivator.
This ghost manipulation technique only required using mental power to control the summoned evil spirits, without needing particularly strong spirit energy from the user themselves.
In the original plot, before his meridians were restored, Xie Rongjing had relied on ten thousand ghosts to maintain his strength as the number one villain.
And now, he was looking down at Yu Suisui with a steady gaze: “Thank you, young mistress.”
Damn, the great villain really seemed so understanding.
Encouraged, Yu Suisui continued her comfort more smoothly: “It’s fine. If you need anything in the future, you can just tell me directly.”
Xie Rongjing thought for a moment and politely asked: “Can young mistress kill people with the sound of a zither?”
“I can’t,” Yu Suisui replied.
Huh? What did he just ask?
Xie Rongjing’s expression was so natural, as if he had asked “have you eaten, young mistress?”
So natural that she didn’t react immediately.
Xie Rongjing’s expression remained unchanged: “I see.”
Why ask that so suddenly?
Yu Suisui was confused. She didn’t look like a murderer, did she?
“Just asking casually.” As if noticing her change in demeanor, Xie Rongjing’s peach blossom eyes curved into a smile, making him look like a harmless, innocent youth.
Smiling like this, he suddenly changed the subject: “Could you let me be alone for a while?”
After something like this happened, wanting some quiet time was completely understandable.
Yu Suisui completely agreed and left North Peak on her flying sword.
Evening arrived as twilight enveloped everything.
The last rays of sunset at the horizon were covered by the night. The outer sect disciples finished their day’s work and returned to their respective residences.
Lu Sheng was no exception, though he didn’t return immediately. Instead, he went to secretly drink with a dozen or so outer sect disciples. The alcohol had been brought back from the foot of the mountain and had cost him a full five spirit stones.
Night had deepened, and as the other disciples were all preparing to rest, he reluctantly picked up his wine jug and headed back.
Life down the mountain was truly carefree—he could drink as late as he wanted and occasionally find a wandering cultivator to relieve his boredom. These inexperienced female cultivators, usually at the Half Realm or barely the First Realm, would be easily charmed by a few sweet words once they learned he was a disciple of the Tian Zhao Sect, foolishly believing they had found true love. Ha!
But he was only reminiscing. That kind of life was enjoyable for a week or two, but it grew tedious over time. Besides, being a wandering cultivator was too difficult. Climbing the ranks within the sect might still offer hope of reaching the Triple Realm and becoming an Inner Sect Disciple.
If it weren’t for waiting for the Devil Seed to die, he would have returned with Zhao Lei long ago.
Initially, the two of them had simply delayed their return to the sect. Taking a few days off to have fun outside was perfectly normal. Unexpectedly, they received a message from a fellow disciple one day, saying that rumors had spread about them being killed by Xie Rong Jing due to their prolonged absence.
How absurd! Lu Sheng wanted to laugh. It was true they had been assigned to the same group as Xie Rong Jing for a sect mission, but who would want to stick around with the Devil Seed? They had parted ways as soon as they left the sect.
He shared this news as a joke with Zhao Lei. Zhao Lei, though small in stature, was sharp-witted and came up with a brilliant idea—”Let’s not return just yet. The sect rules state that killing a fellow disciple is a grave offense. The Devil Seed will surely be executed!”
Lu Sheng’s spirits lifted. Many people despised the Devil Seed, and there were frequent attempts to cause him trouble. But that little beast was unnaturally cunning, and they rarely gained any advantage.
Perhaps it was because Outer Sect Disciples rarely exceeded the Second Realm, Lu Sheng thought. But the elders in the Law Enforcement Hall were different—some were even experts at the Fifth Realm. Surely, they could deal with him.
“Won’t this implicate us?” Lu Sheng was almost convinced but still had some concerns.
“How could it?” Zhao Lei replied, exasperated. “We haven’t killed anyone or done anything wrong. At most, we’re just returning a bit late. What could they possibly do to us? Once that little bastard is dead, we’ll return as heroes of the Outer Sect. Who knows? We might even be promoted to Inner Sect Disciples during the next selection!”
…
Unfortunately, he only had his Meridians destroyed and didn’t die. Lu Sheng took a sip of wine, feeling a slight regret.
But there was no need to dwell on it. Sometimes, living in agony was worse than a quick death. If he had been somewhat afraid of that little beast before, there was nothing to fear now.
Recently, for some reason, the Devil Seed had caught the young mistress’s favor… But it wasn’t a big deal. The young mistress was like the moon in the sky—she was merely feeling a momentary pity for the Devil Seed and would grow bored of him soon enough. When that time came, who would still protect him?
By the way, the young mistress was truly beautiful, heh… Why wasn’t she interested in me? Am I not more handsome than that little pretty-faced Devil Seed?
Lu Sheng had drunk a bit too much tonight, and his head was feeling fuzzy. This wasn’t his limit, but since he had to face confinement tomorrow, he couldn’t drink any more.
Just then, he heard a strange sound.
The sound wasn’t particularly pleasant, as if played on some unknown instrument—intermittent and fluctuating in pitch. Who the hell wasn’t sleeping at this hour? Lu Sheng muttered a curse under his breath in annoyance.
Suddenly, his mind fell into chaos, his vision blurred, and he no longer knew who he was or where he was.
All his senses were stripped away, as if he had abruptly lost connection with the world.
From the shadows ahead, a dark figure slowly emerged.
The newcomer had ink-black hair, snow-white skin, dark eyes, and crimson lips—on this moonless night, he resembled a soul-snatching male enchantress.
He held a leaf in his hands, softly playing an eerie melody on it.
Following the haunting tune, Lu Sheng walked forward with vacant eyes, step by step, until he reached Zhao Lei’s residence and knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Zhao Lei opened the door, bleary-eyed, and upon seeing the visitor, snapped irritably, “Didn’t I tell you? We shouldn’t meet for a while. If the young lady really finds out, we’ll both be in serious trou—”
ble.
His words would never be finished.
Zhao Lei’s shocked expression froze on his face, blood gurgling in his throat as he stared in disbelief at his own chest.
There, a bloody mess revealed where Lu Sheng’s fingers had transformed into sharp blades, piercing straight through him.
Zhao Lei died quickly, so he never saw what happened next: Lu Sheng condensed a sphere of water in the air and plunged his head into it.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths…
He suffocated himself to death inside it.
The strange melody ceased, and Xie Rong Jing curled the corners of his lips in a silent laugh.
He smiled simply and lightly, as if he had merely played a childish, cruel prank.