Chapter 93: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (IX)

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Chapter 93: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (IX)

When someone who had never truly cared for another person suddenly decided to do so, their actions often seemed excessive to everyone else. Miao Lichen lowered his twin swords and looked at the man before him, who smiled brightly as he held out the demonic beast’s core. His lips pressed together slightly before he casually put away his swords, accepted the core with practiced ease, and tossed it into his storage space.

Clearly, this was far from the first time it had happened. Whenever Miao Lichen was about to make a move, someone else would kill the demonic beast before he could. Sometimes, he did not even need to draw his twin swords.

To most cultivators, demonic beast cores were primarily used for alchemy and artifact forging. For the rare beast tamers among cultivators, they could also be used to feed their contracted beasts. Miao Lichen, however, could absorb the energy within them completely, making the Dankou Secret Realm an ideal hunting ground. The only drawback was the two tails constantly following him.

Calling them two tails was not entirely accurate. Jiang Lingwen stayed by his side at all times, while the transmigrator Kong Xuan followed Jiang Lingwen everywhere. Kong Xuan watched Miao Lichen with unmistakable hostility. At first, he still wore a fake smile, but as time passed, he could no longer hide his true feelings. The jealousy and animosity in his eyes became increasingly obvious.

With practiced familiarity, Miao Lichen stepped onto Jiang Lingwen’s flying sword once again. Kong Xuan stood alone on his small boat-shaped flying artifact. Though his cultivation had only recently reached the Golden Core stage and remained obviously unstable, the artifact was just as fast as Jiang Lingwen’s flying sword. Naturally, it was not something Kong Xuan could control with his own strength. It was powered by spirit stones, consuming quite a few of them, but that clearly meant little to him. Kong Xuan’s status guaranteed he would never lack material resources. Compared to human cultivators, the Spirit Clan appeared weaker only because they had never truly united. In terms of resources, however, humanity could not compare with the Spirit Clan, whose inheritances were passed down through bloodlines.

The Spirit Clan’s inheritance was far more direct than humanity’s. Rather than Master and disciple, a demon’s greatest teachers were its parents. Since they shared the same bloodline, there was no need to hide resources, cultivation techniques, or combat arts. Giving their children the very best came naturally to every parent, regardless of race.

That was why Hè Liancheng had confidently declared that if the phoenix were ever to reappear, this world would no longer belong solely to righteous cultivators and demonic cultivators.

Jiang Lingwen naturally noticed the increasingly hostile way Kong Xuan looked at Miao Lichen. He casually rested an arm across Miao Lichen’s shoulders, as though that alone could shield him from something. Meeting Miao Lichen’s puzzled gaze, a faint smile curved his lips. It seemed he had been worrying too much.

Kong Xuan might know many things, but he possessed little real ability. Although he appeared to be at the Golden Core stage, his cultivation was extremely unstable, similar to Jiang Lingwen’s former self, except even less solid. If he wanted to harm Miao Lichen, he would need several more years of cultivation. Besides, with Kong Xuan’s personality, there was no chance he would obediently spend those years in secluded cultivation.

Thinking back to what had happened several days earlier, Jiang Lingwen glanced at Kong Xuan’s neck. Faint red marks were still visible there, disappearing beneath his collar. Throughout his life, Jiang Lingwen had encountered all sorts of people with unusual preferences. Some enjoyed filling a room with the scent of tobacco before certain activities, while others had different eccentricities. Yet he had never imagined someone would enjoy being abused while immersed in a pool of wine. The scene inevitably reminded him of King Zhou’s infamous “Lake of Wine and Forest of Meat.”

Alcohol heightened the sensation of pain. For someone so obsessed with pain, Jiang Lingwen had initially assumed that, even if he did not like such people, he would at least feel no aversion toward them. After all, he himself enjoyed inflicting pain on others. Yet after meeting Kong Xuan, genuine disgust welled up within him. The pleading look in Kong Xuan’s eyes as he begged others to hurt him, growing intoxicated by the pain, struck Jiang Lingwen as so degrading that it made him want to end Kong Xuan’s life on the spot. But now was not the right time.

Jiang Lingwen narrowed his eyes and gently brushed a hand through Miao Lichen’s hair, tucking the loose white strands, stirred by the wind from the flying sword, behind his ear. His voice was so soft it scarcely sounded like his own. “From now on, stay as far away from Kong Xuan as possible.”

In his disciple’s eyes, Jiang Lingwen was still the kind elder everyone in the Heavenly Sword Sect spoke of, the man who never refused anyone’s request and always did his utmost to fulfill it. Such a person would never casually take another cultivator’s life. Therefore, some things were better done out of Miao Lichen’s sight.

“Mm.” Miao Lichen did not ask why. He simply agreed. That obedient response deepened the smile on Jiang Lingwen’s face.

∇ Capture Target Jiang Lingwen Favorability: 40.

“Kong Xuan may be a seer,” Jiang Lingwen explained. He did not mention that Kong Xuan had once told him Miao Lichen had never existed in the original course of events. According to Kong Xuan, Jiang Lingwen’s only disciple had always been Feng Yingruo. That was why Kong Xuan had been so shocked upon hearing Miao Lichen’s name and had instinctively regarded him with hostility, fearing he would disrupt the smooth path Jiang Lingwen had been destined to walk.

Kong Xuan had also said that seers rarely possessed great strength themselves. Because of their unique abilities, they often faced danger and therefore sought out a king, someone powerful enough to protect them. Jiang Lingwen was the person Kong Xuan had chosen, so he intended to eliminate every obstacle standing in Jiang Lingwen’s path.

Jiang Lingwen, however, had no intention of placing complete trust in a stranger, especially one with such peculiar inclinations. A person’s life was best controlled by their own hands. Whether he ultimately won or lost should be a decision he made for himself. Prophecies could serve as warnings if known, but life went on just fine without them. Among all the senior cultivators who had stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, how many had ever been seers? Besides, he had once been a modern atheist.

Miao Lichen had not originally existed in his life? Who could guarantee that every prophecy was absolutely accurate? Since Miao Lichen now stood beside him, then he clearly existed. Still, Kong Xuan had accurately guessed many things about him, so his words could not be dismissed entirely. Perhaps Miao Lichen’s supposed absence had been due to external circumstances. For example, dying young. Such tragedies were hardly uncommon, whether in the mortal world or the cultivation world.

That was precisely why Jiang Lingwen treated Miao Lichen with such care. He was reluctant to let him face anything that might place him in danger. Jiang Lingwen himself had realized this. Every time he convinced himself not to interfere again, the moment danger appeared, he found himself stepping in regardless.

He lowered his gaze to the demonic core in his hand. Even he found this version of himself unfamiliar, yet he did not dislike it. Watching Miao Lichen quietly store away the core once more, his lips pressing together ever so slightly and his usually impassive eyes revealing the faintest hint of inner conflict, Jiang Lingwen could not help but smile warmly.

∇ Capture Target Jiang Lingwen Favorability: 50.

“We’ll be leaving the Dankou Secret Realm soon.”

“Mhm.” Miao Lichen glanced sideways at the hand once again resting on his shoulder. Jiang Lingwen showed no intention of removing it. As the person leading the Heavenly Sword Sect’s expedition, his sudden disappearance would undoubtedly have caused considerable confusion. Moreover, if the plot had not changed, his “senior brother” Feng Yingruo should already be waiting outside the entrance to welcome him back.

“When we leave, stay close to me. I’ll arrange a new residence for you within the sect. Your current quarters no longer suit your status.” Jiang Lingwen even briefly considered giving up his position as an elder and moving into the sect’s secluded cultivation grounds himself. He quickly dismissed the idea. Those who entered that place rarely came out again. The senior cultivators all maintained the dignified bearing expected of their generation. Even when they left seclusion, they seldom lingered within the sect, instead setting off in search of new opportunities. That would greatly reduce the time he could spend with his disciple.

Jiang Lingwen knew that if he did not take the initiative to appear before Miao Lichen, then with Miao Lichen’s personality, he would almost never seek him out. Having already been absent for two years, Jiang Lingwen knew full well that he was far from the most important person in Miao Lichen’s life. Thinking of how Miao Lichen’s name had unexpectedly appeared on the list for this expedition into the Dankou Secret Realm, it seemed the people closest to him all possessed rather distinguished backgrounds. The smile faded from Jiang Lingwen’s lips, and when it returned, it carried a dangerous edge.

“Mm.” Seeing Jiang Lingwen’s faintly furrowed brow, Miao Lichen added another sentence to his brief reply. “I understand.”

When it came time to leave the Dankou Secret Realm, Kong Xuan unexpectedly chose not to accompany them. While following the protagonist certainly had its advantages, he had no idea how many cultivators would be waiting outside. Some might be able to discern his identity as a demon. Unlike phoenixes, peacocks could not openly walk among human cultivators without fear of being recognized. Even Hè Liancheng had nearly been beaten to death by cultivators after drawing too much attention to himself early on. Even ten of Kong Xuan together would still fall far short of Hè Liancheng’s strength.

Many people had already gathered outside the entrance to the Dankou Secret Realm. The moment Yan Yangxi saw Miao Lichen emerge, he visibly relaxed. Bowing respectfully to Jiang Lingwen, he greeted him as Martial Uncle. The other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples who emerged from the secret realm likewise respectfully addressed Jiang Lingwen as Elder.

Jiang Lingwen nodded and had just begun to speak when a fiery red figure suddenly threw himself into his arms. Looking down, he saw the youth’s flushed cheeks and the unconcealed joy shining in his eyes.

Rather than finding such an unrestrained display unbecoming, the surrounding Heavenly Sword Sect disciples saw it as proof of Feng Yingruo’s deep respect for his Master. The cultivation world had always placed great importance on the master-disciple relationship, and several of them found themselves viewing Feng Yingruo even more favorably.

Without drawing attention to himself, Miao Lichen slipped his hand free from Jiang Lingwen’s grasp and quietly stepped back to stand beside Yan Yangxi. Unlike the distant indifference he showed most disciples, Yan Yangxi nodded to him and even took the initiative to greet him. For Yan Yangxi, that alone was exceptionally rare.

Everything appeared perfectly harmonious—provided one ignored the trace of impatience and disgust hidden deep within Jiang Lingwen’s eyes.

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