Chapter 34 Staying away from someone you like, even your feelings have to be hidden. ...

The deity looked at the young girl and boy standing side by side, but did not respond immediately.

Only when the girl lifted her eyelids and glanced at him uneasily did he slowly say, "I'm going back."

Upon seeing others appear, Xiao Ling lowered her head to tighten her veil and said gently, "Cultivator Hua, Immortal Ancestor, Young Master Sang, I will return to my room now."

After speaking, he hurriedly returned to his own courtyard.

Xiao Yunxi also quickly took her leave, but before leaving, she glanced at Hua Xun casually and frowned slightly when she saw his dazed expression.

In an instant, only Hua Xun and the Divine Lord remained in Wan Garden, facing each other from afar.

Hua Xun was uneasy, fearing that the deity might have seen through her feelings. After hesitating for a long time, she finally took small steps forward, her head bowed, like a child who had done something wrong.

The deity watched calmly as the girl moved towards him step by step, showing no sign of impatience.

He only lowered his eyes and glanced at the distance between them when she stopped half a foot away from him, without saying a word.

Silence spread through the night.

Finally, a soft sigh rang out, and the deity asked calmly, "Did you find anything during tonight's exploration?"

Hearing the God's voice as gentle as ever, Hua Xun felt an urge to shed tears. She raised her eyes and nodded: "In the private residence, there are more than a hundred mortals who are also afflicted by the demonic poison, and their symptoms are very similar to those of Miss Xiao."

"Moreover, late at night, they seemed to have been possessed, and would cry out things like 'Master, save me'."

The deity responded slowly, "Xiao Ling also suffers from this ailment."

Upon hearing this, Hua Xun's eyes widened, her initial unease replaced by surprise. She unconsciously took a few steps toward the Divine Lord: "Did Miss Xiao also appear at the second watch of the night?"

The deity lowered his eyes, glanced at the shortened distance, and bowed: "Indeed."

Hua Xun frowned slightly and unconsciously walked to the side of the God Lord, looking at the water falling from the artificial hill into the pond: "It seems that Miss Xiao and those common people were all harmed by the same person."

The deity looked at her with a kind and gentle gaze.

The plum branches swaying gently in the corner of the wall have stopped at some point, peaceful and serene.

Until a night breeze swept by, bringing Hua Xun back to her senses from her daze, she suddenly realized that she was so close to the God, so close that the hem of her skirt, lifted by the breeze, could touch the God's wide sleeves.

Her heart skipped a beat, but fearing that the all-powerful god might hear something, she quietly moved a little further away.

The deity's long eyelashes drooped, and he remained silent.

Hua Xun looked down at the flowing pool water, and Xiao Yunxi's words from not long ago came to mind again.

"If the God-King knew your thoughts..."

"I won't keep you here anymore."

Hua Xun suddenly raised his head, clenched his fist, and felt a slight soreness in his throat from the tension: "Divine Lord."

The deity glanced at her, a smile playing on his lips.

Under such a forgiving gaze, Hua Xun recalled the scene she saw when she returned: the Divine Lord and Miss Xiao standing together.

She didn't feel sour, but rather... down.

Because she knew that the God-King treated Miss Xiao with the same smile, peaceful and untainted by worldly dust, just as he had treated her.

This is the gaze of a god upon all living beings.

Hua Xun avoided the God's gaze, afraid that she might accidentally reveal her true feelings again: "What do you think of Fairy Miaoyi and Xiao Wuyai?"

She chose a more tactful way of asking the question.

The deity seemed puzzled by the meaning of her words: "Hmm?"

Hua Xun pursed his lips: "Do you think it was right or wrong for Fairy Miaoyi to strip Xiao Wuyai of his immortal status, and for Xiao Wuyai to sever his own heart meridian and fall into eternal sleep for Fairy Miaoyi?"

The deity understood this time, and after a few moments of contemplation, replied, "The immortals and mortals are separate."

"So, you think it's wrong?"

"If judged by human emotions, there is no right or wrong, but under the laws of destiny, it is indeed wrong," the deity said calmly. "To cultivate into an immortal, one must go through countless tribulations and bear the responsibilities of an immortal. If one arbitrarily unites with a mortal to reproduce and the immortal fetus is inherited, it is unfair to the world."

Hua Xun was stunned for a moment: "So, you agreed to take care of Immortal Lord Yunxi because Immortal Lord Miaoyi was willing to give up her immortal status and leave her immortal position vacant?"

The deity paused slightly, quietly observing her expression.

So, you wanted to understand that child?

And those worldly items in her purse were probably bought during their nighttime outing.

After all, people of the same age often have similar interests.

"Yes," the deity replied calmly.

Hua Xun's gaze dimmed.

There is a difference between immortals and mortals.

The difference between gods and lesser demons is even greater.

"I understand," Hua Xun said softly. "My Lord, I have other matters to attend to tomorrow, so I will return to my room first."

After saying that, she headed towards the side room.

"Tomorrow?" The divine lord's voice slowly sounded from behind him.

Hua Xun stopped in her tracks, fearing that the deity would notice something amiss. She smiled and said casually, "Tomorrow I will be investigating the demon poison with Immortal Lord Yunxi."

The deity remained silent for a few moments before replying, "Hmm."

Hua Xun said "Good night" and hurriedly returned to her room.

After closing the door, she carefully let out a breath, walked sullenly to the bedside, and collapsed onto the floor.

It turns out that when you like a god, you have to carefully hide your feelings.

*

The next day, after Hua Xun got up, she opened the door and saw the God still standing in the courtyard.

Before she could even speak, the Spirit Rhinoceros Gu became lively and cheerful. But when she thought about the God's reaction if he knew her feelings, she became timid again.

Hua Xun tried to remain calm, but avoided looking the Divine Lord in the eye: "Divine Lord, would you like to come with me to find City Lord Xiao?"

She had already decided that as long as she could dispel the God's suspicions and suppress her feelings for him during this period, she could stay by his side as before.

Seeing the deity nod, Hua Xun waited for him to come over, keeping a distance of one person between them, and they walked together toward the main hall.

"Did the Divine Lord stay in the courtyard all night?" Hua Xun asked casually, as usual.

The deity calmly replied, "Hmm."

Hua Xun: "The plum blossoms in the City Lord's Mansion are even more beautiful than the ones I saw at the Chen family's house before."

The deity smiled slightly: "Each has its own charm."

"The City Lord's Mansion is so big, we've been walking for so long and we still haven't arrived..." Hua Xun made conversation.

The deity turned his gaze to the girl who never looked at him.

Although she was trying her best to act as if nothing had happened, it was still obvious at a glance that she was absent-minded.

until……

"You really think you can fool this Immortal Lord?" A boastful and arrogant voice came from the main hall. "Imprisoning people poisoned by demons in a separate courtyard, and you think you can pretend nothing happened? Hmm, Xiao Wancang, is this how the Xiao family taught you?"

The deity calmly looked ahead.

Xiao Wancang knelt on the prayer mat in the center of the main hall, his head bowed in shame, while the red-clad youth sat lazily in the main seat, unrestrained and unruly.

Hua Xun breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the voices of others.

She was truly afraid that if she stayed with the God for too long, he would discover even more of her flaws.

Hua Xun couldn't help but raise her head, her eyes brightening and becoming much more relaxed. But when she met the gaze of the Divine Lord, she panicked and quickly stepped forward: "What happened?"

Xiao Wancang knelt on the prayer mat, not daring to speak.

Upon seeing Hua Xun and the Divine Lord behind him, Xiao Yunxi subconsciously straightened his posture, then stood up, his tone remaining as casual as ever: "Teaching a lesson to the juniors."

Hua Xun: "..."

Although she knew that Xiao Yunxi was nearly a hundred years older than Xiao Wancang, the two were still completely opposite in appearance—one a middle-aged man, the other a handsome young man.

“Lord Xiao, please rise first,” Hua Xun helped Xiao Wancang up before asking, “May I ask, Lord Xiao, who exactly are those commoners you have imprisoned in your private residence?”

Xiao Wancang glanced at Xiao Yunxi, and seeing that his little immortal ancestor had not stopped him, he straightened up and shook his head: "To be honest, I did it on purpose."

"Those people are poisoned by the demon, and to avoid causing panic in the city, I had no other choice. Besides, although I've confined them to another courtyard, they are still my people! I've never neglected them; I deliver their three meals a day on time, and I've had people do their best to satisfy any hobbies or interests they may have..."

Hua Xun recalled the storybooks, zithers, and wooden swords and ponies that children had seen in the courtyard last night, and believed most of it.

“Until Ling’er was also poisoned by the demon,” Xiao Wancang sighed heavily, feeling ashamed, “I couldn’t bear to imprison Ling’er in the other courtyard, and only then did I realize what the people and families I had imprisoned were thinking.”

"So that's why you've been searching for cultivators and taking this matter so seriously?" Hua Xun pressed.

Xiao Wancang nodded, his face pale.

Hua Xun regretted helping him up from the ground.

This time, Xiao Wancang honestly confessed that the imprisoned people were not only in one place on the outskirts of the city, but also in a private residence in the west of the city, which was also full of people who were poisoned by the demon.

The demonic poison appeared in the city two years ago.

Over the past two years, people have been poisoned from time to time, and more than 280 people have now suffered from it.

What's surprising is that these people did not exhibit the arrogance and ignorance of good and evil that followed their initial transformation into demons, nor did they ever harm anyone.

Hua Xun fell into deep thought.

The Divine Lord said that the Heavenly Soul is of utmost goodness, the Earthly Soul is of utmost turbidity, and the Divine Soul is formless.

In other words, for a person who possesses a divine soul, good and evil are determined by that person's true nature.

Thinking of this, Hua Xun subconsciously looked at the Divine Lord, wanting to seek his approval, but her gaze froze halfway, and she inadvertently fell on Xiao Yunxi on the other side.

Xiao Yunxi was also taken aback when she met her gaze.

Ever since she admitted last night that she liked the God, he had been inexplicably irritated. Now, seeing her looking at him, he couldn't vent his anger and snorted, "What are you looking at me for?"

Hua Xun paused for a moment: "Immortal Lord Yunxi, would you be willing to investigate this matter with me?"

Xiao Yunxi paused slightly, glanced quickly at Shen Jun, then looked away, as if she had thought of something, and scoffed: "Why should I go with you?"

Hua Xun was not disappointed, and turned to Xiao Wancang: "Then I will trouble Lord Xiao to get a list of people who have been poisoned by the demon for me and my husband."

"Of course, I'll have someone send it over right away," Xiao Wancang hurriedly agreed.

Seeing this, Xiao Yunxi pursed her thin lips and said irritably, "Bring me a copy too."

Xiao Wancang nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Wancang did a pretty good job as the city lord. The names and backgrounds of the people had already been compiled into a book, which made it much easier to read.

Since Hua Xun made progress in her cultivation, she could read much faster, almost skimming through ten lines at a glance, and soon discovered the clues.

Most of these people suffer from chronic illnesses, such as tuberculosis, ear disease, or blindness.

Some people even have physical disabilities.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yunxi, who had finished reading before her, was lazily staring at her: "What did you figure out?"

Hua Xun couldn't help but look at the Divine Lord. He was still calmly looking at the booklet, but it seemed as if he was looking elsewhere. He sat upright, his face as bright as the moon.

It's like looking into a mirror at White Mist Cliff.

Noticing her gaze, he closed the book and turned his head to look at her.

Hua Xun felt a pang of panic, forced a smile, and looked away: "These people are all suffering from illness or disability."

Xiao Yunxi seemed to be thinking: "There's one more person."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them looked at Xiao Wancang, who was standing to the side, almost simultaneously.

Xiao Wancang was taken aback: "My daughter has no illness or disability..." As he said this, he suddenly remembered something, "I remember now, before my daughter was infected with the demon poison, she practiced Qi cultivation at home on her own, which damaged her spiritual root. Does that count?"

Hua Xun asked in surprise, "Did it damage your spiritual root?"

The spiritual root is the foundation of a cultivator. If the spiritual root is damaged, apart from immortals descending to the mortal realm, very few ordinary cultivators can completely rebuild their spiritual root.

The next moment, she couldn't help but frown, realizing that she had overlooked something.

The deity's gentle voice slowly rang out: "Miss Xiao has no spiritual root."

Hua Xun's eyes lit up.

"Yes," Xiao Wancang said, "Xiao Ling possesses spiritual roots and will be sent to the Qingxu Sect for cultivation after she turns eighteen."

However, during their brief time together last night, she did not detect any spiritual energy flowing through Xiao Ling.

However, this was as commonplace as breathing for a cultivator, and she hadn't noticed it.

Only now, when I, the Divine Lord, have pointed out the truth, do I suddenly realize what it means.

Xiao Wancang was also shocked: "Impossible, my daughter does indeed have spiritual roots!"

Xiao Yunxi looked at Hua Xun: "Those people in the villa, do you see any of them missing limbs?"

Hua Xun shook her head: "Never."

Xiao Yunxi chuckled: "This is interesting."

“Even with physical defects and flaws, and damaged spiritual roots, there are ways to ‘heal’ them.”

Hua Xun understood and looked at Xiao Wancang: "Miss Xiao, have you visited any medical clinics?"

Although Miss Xiao was able to find a cultivator to treat her, the chances of other mortals encountering a cultivator were extremely slim; it was more likely to be a human clinic.

Xiao Wancang thought carefully for a moment: "There is a medical clinic called 'Miaoshouju' in the west of Fengshen City. There is a doctor there named Yang Ping. His medical skills are so superb that he can even treat cultivators. I have taken my daughter there before."

"But when we got there, we found that the place was deserted and abandoned for a long time."

"Miaoshouju?" Hua Xun felt the name sounded familiar.

"The register has five volumes and three columns. Relatives of those who have been poisoned by the demon have mentioned this place," Xiao Yunxi replied.

The young girl and boy responded in unison, displaying perfect chemistry.

The deity smiled slightly, but the smile gradually faded, and his eyes and brows lowered.

Hua Xun's expression relaxed, and things gradually became clearer.

She stood up and faced the deity: "Sir, I will go with Immortal Lord Yunxi to investigate first."

The deity was still holding the booklet. Upon hearing this, he raised his eyes and gazed at her quietly. After a few breaths, he said slowly, "...Go."