Chapter 23 Kiss You, Don't Be Afraid

"Want some more?" Xiao Bumian asked considerately.

Mingjian glanced at the bowl where Xiao Bumian had only eaten one wonton. He cursed inwardly for not being hungry and insisting on dragging him out to eat, while thinking that Xiao Bumian was so thin probably because he didn't eat.

"I'm full." Mingjian shook his head.

Xiao Bumian sighed with some disappointment, "Then let's go."

Half an hour later, the two returned to the Zheng residence. Ming, still preoccupied with the clues, went straight to the steward and asked him about the marriage between Prince Anling and Zheng Langjun.

The steward was initially wary, but upon seeing the Demon Extermination Bureau token in Mingjian's hand, he served the two a cup of tea, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "My lord, my young master and His Highness are indeed in love. My young master was originally engaged, but it was a marriage arranged by my master when he was drunk. The two have no feelings for each other."

"Last year, in order to help the young master and son-in-law develop their relationship, the master specially sent the young master to Yunliu Academy. Unexpectedly, the young master met His Highness the Crown Prince at a poetry gathering. That day, the Crown Prince played the zither and the young master played the flute. The two developed feelings for each other after a few exchanges."

As the butler spoke, sadness welled up in his eyes, "Master initially disagreed, until the young master went on a seven-day hunger strike..."

His voice suddenly choked up, "In the end, the master softened his heart and personally went to apologize to the son-in-law, and then went to ask the Mermaid King for a marriage decree. With the wedding just around the corner, who would have thought that... that such a thing would happen."

The housekeeper raised his hand to wipe away his tears with his sleeve.

Suddenly, he knelt before the two men. “My lords, although I am just the steward of the household, I have watched my son grow up. I really do not want to see him die so inexplicably. I beg you to seek justice for my son.”

Mingjian dared not accept the courtesy and quickly helped him up, saying, "Of course, but who is this son-in-law you're talking about?"

The butler straightened up slightly and said after a moment's hesitation, "It is Young Master Bai, Bai Zhang."

After thanking the butler, the two left the main courtyard.

Throughout the journey, Mingjian kept thinking about the case. He asked, "Xie Hanwei, do you think it's possible that it was a crime of passion?"

Xiao Bumian's eyes curved slightly as he said gently, "Does Junior Brother mean that Young Master Zheng was killed by Bai Zhang?"

Mingjian fell silent for a moment.

Junior brother, junior brother, my foot! If he's not, he's not. Why do you always call him that in such a sarcastic way?

He silently rolled his eyes. "Isn't that right?"

"I don't know," Xiao Bumian said with a slight smile. He thought for a moment and then added, "But if it were me, I would probably kill him."

He observed Mingjian's expression intently, his fingertips curling slightly at his side. "He betrayed Bai Zhang. If I were Bai Zhang, I would kill him."

Mingjian: "..."

He wasn't wrong; he had sensed that Xiao Bumian's emotions were unstable since this morning, and it seemed that Xiao was waiting for him here.

Does he mean that if Mingjian betrays him, he should kill him?

Wait a minute, Mingjian quickly recalled what he had said in the past few days. He shouldn't have walked into Xiao Bumian's line of fire. What was he angry about?

Seeing that Ming's smile was forced, he pretended not to understand Xiao Bumian's implied meaning and vaguely said, "I also think it's unlikely."

But the two still went to the Bai residence.

However, they did not see Bai Zhang. The servants of the Bai family said that Bai Zhang was still in the school and that his day off was still a few days away.

Whether it is credible or not, the servant's words do prove that Bai Zhang was not the one who killed Zheng Langjun.

The sky gradually turned gray, and the bright moon was hidden by clouds.

Mingjian and Xiao Bumian returned to the princess's residence.

Bai Zhang wasn't even in the city; the trail went cold again.

"The maid said that she passed by Zheng Langjun's door at dawn this morning and heard a creaking sound. When she pushed the door open, she found a bloody hole in Zheng Langjun's chest, with strange teeth marks around the edges. Gu Zhi and I went back to check Zheng Langjun's body and found that his body was stiff and bluish, obviously he had been dead for a long time, and must have been murdered at 9 pm last night."

Song Heyu said in a deep voice.

The group sat around a stone table outside the courtyard, exchanging information they had gathered. After Song Heyu finished speaking, Mingjian frowned and asked, "Can you tell what bit it?"

Song Heyu shook her head. "I can't tell. It doesn't look like a bite from a mermaid or a cultivator."

"What's there to guess? This kind of torturous method must be the work of the demons again," Gu Zhi said impatiently.

Song Heyu: "Silence."

Gu Zhi: "...#&%!"

Song Heyu: "Save your energy, no one around can understand you anyway."

Mingjian didn't know if he had evolved, but he could really understand.

He said you can't afford to play games.

Gu Zhi paused abruptly, then nodded vigorously in agreement.

Song Heyu: "..."

Xiao Bumian glanced at Gu Zhi, then quickly lowered his eyelashes, with only a small shadow under his eyelids trembling slightly from time to time.

Song Heyu coughed awkwardly and continued, "In any case, we should still go to Yunliu Academy tomorrow."

Although the servants of the Bai family provided Bai Zhang with an alibi, it's not impossible that Bai Zhang deliberately concealed his whereabouts from the family and secretly returned to the city alone. Only by going to Yunliu Academy and asking the classmates who were on good terms with Bai Zhang can the investigation be continued.

Mingjian nodded.

“That’s how it is,” Song Heyu looked up at the sky. Dusk had fallen heavily, and the last rays of the setting sun were swallowed by the dark clouds. “It’s getting late today, and everyone has worked hard. Why don’t you go back and rest first, and go to the academy early tomorrow morning?”

The night was unusually quiet; even the usual chirping of insects had disappeared.

The next morning, Mingjian quickly washed up and went out.

He gently knocked on Xiao Bumian's door, his knuckles making a crisp sound on the wooden door. "Xie Hanwei?"

After calling out several times without receiving a response, Mingjian frowned. Pushing open the door, he saw that the room was furnished as usual, the bed was so clean that it seemed no one had ever used it, and only a half-burnt incense stick on the table was emitting wisps of smoke.

That's strange. Where could Xiao Bumian have gone so early?

Mingjian walked around the courtyard, even searching the pavilion behind the rockery, but still couldn't find Xiao Bumian.

Never mind, let's go find Furuie and the others first.

Mingjian strode off toward the southwest.

Little did he know that the corridors of the princess's residence were winding and circuitous, and after turning several corners, he found himself lost.

Mingjian: "..."

Just as he was leaning against a vermilion pillar in a daze, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.

"Shi Lian! Where did you hide Xie Linzhao?"

It was Xue Ci's voice.

Sigh! Caught up in the latest gossip, Mingjian no longer felt annoyed and stood there eavesdropping with great interest.

"Xue Ci, please let me go first, okay?" Shi Lian sighed.

He felt that the Thousand Machines Sect was really not to be trifled with; not only did they have a temper that would explode at the slightest provocation, but they also always disregarded the overall situation.

Xue Ci's face turned ugly. "I don't want to, unless you tell me where Xie Linzhao is first?"

“He was seriously injured and is now recuperating in the courtyard. He doesn’t want to see anyone,” Shi Lian said.

Xue Ci paused, his voice suddenly rising, like a taut string snapping, "He's injured?!" He grabbed Shi Lian's wrist with such force that he almost crushed the bones, his eyes filled with anger, "I didn't even have the heart to hurt him, was it someone from your Sword Sect Immortal Mountain who did it?"

Shi Lian remained silent. Although Xie Linzhao did not say who injured him, it was undeniable that the disciples of Jianming Immortal Mountain were not very friendly to him, and they were largely to blame for his injury.

Shi Lian didn't explain much to Xue Ci. His cultivation was higher than Xue Ci's, and he easily broke free from Xue Ci's restraint. He pursed his lips and said, "This is his intention. He is currently recuperating in the courtyard. If you want to go in, then go in."

Xue Ci, however, backed down. Although he was a troublemaker, he still couldn't bear to see his beloved looking at him with disgust.

After a long silence, Xue Ci handed all the healing pills in his Qiankun bag to Shi Lian, saying, "These were prepared for me by my father. I don't need them now. Give them to him."

He snorted and tilted his head, saying, "You don't need to tell him it was from me. It makes it sound like I, Xue Ci, am so eager to get it."

After saying that, he turned and strode away.

Shi Lian watched his retreating figure, then looked down at the pills in her arms and sighed helplessly.

Once the two had gone far away, Mingjian dared to sneak out from the corner.

He seemed lost in thought, never expecting that Xie Linzhao had been injured.

Is Xie Linzhao dying now? Is the mission the system mentioned to save Xie Linzhao to bring him back to life?

Mingjian was completely baffled.

System: [Host, even 051 doesn't know. The original story only mentions this part briefly.]

Mingjian: ? ? ?

Are you kidding me? This is the first meeting between the main characters, the top and the bottom! There's even a hero saving the damsel in distress scene. In a storybook, that could be stretched into dozens of chapters. How come the original work just glossed over it?

The system said: [The original novel mainly focuses on the relationship between the two in the later stages.]

Mingjian smiled wryly, but doubts about the system's capabilities resurfaced in his mind.

Regardless, Mingjian had already planned in his mind that after returning from Yunliu Academy, he would sneak over in the middle of the night to see if Xie Linzhao was going to die. If he was going to die, then everyone would be happy...

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Mingjian suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest.

Grandpa's.

If he were to die, he could just feed Xie Linzhao a bunch of pills to prolong his life.

The invisible hand that had been stirring in his heart suddenly disappeared.

After walking back and forth for half an hour, Mingjian finally arrived at Guzhi's courtyard.

Gu Zhi had already washed up. Seeing him come in, she asked, "Why didn't you come with Xie Hanwei today?"

Following his gaze, Ming Jiancai saw Xiao Bumian leaning against the wall, holding his sword.

Mingjian wanted to ask him where he had gone, but then remembered that Xiao Bumian had entered the secret realm to find something, so it was normal for him to disappear from time to time. He immediately felt it was unnecessary, so he glanced at him and then looked away.

I overslept.

Anyway, he would never admit that he had spent most of the day looking for Xiao Bumian.

Xiao Bumian already likes him, and if he finds out, Xiao Bumian might just start imagining all sorts of passionate love stories.

“Oh, okay,” Gu Zhi didn’t suspect anything. “Let’s eat first, and then go to Yunliu Academy.”

Mingjian was initially worried that Xiao Bumian would not cooperate, as the three of them had not yet reached the Golden Core stage and had not yet practiced abstaining from grains. However, Xiao Bumian had been practicing abstaining from grains for many years. Although he had been eating a few fruits these past few days, he had been eating very little.

In the past, Mingjian would always be with him. If he didn't eat, Mingjian wouldn't care. But today was the first time he had breakfast with Song Heyu and the others.

Fortunately, Xiao Bumian didn't cause any trouble and sat down obediently.

Mingjian was afraid that he would give himself away, so he picked up his chopsticks and started putting food into the bowls and plates in front of Xiao Bumian.

Xiao Bumian glanced at him but did not stop him.

Only when Xiao Bumian's bowl and plate were piled high with food did Song Heyu ask, "Junior Brother, can Junior Brother Xie eat that much?"

Mingjian then stopped.

Xiao Bumian didn't say anything. After Mingjian finished eating, he found that Xiao Bumian had also finished all the food in his bowl and plate.

This was the first time Xiao Bumian had ever eaten so much.

Mingjian was somewhat surprised.

Song Heyu and the others had finished getting ready and went to the front to ask the servants of the princess's residence to prepare two carriages.

Mingjian seized the opportunity to ask, "Are you feeling unwell?"

I've heard that people who have fasted for a long time will get sick if they suddenly eat too much.

He suddenly regretted taking so much food.

It would have been better to say from the beginning that Xiao Bumian had a poor appetite.

Xiao Bumian only felt a little sleepy, but he didn't feel uncomfortable. However, he found the worried look on Ming's face quite novel.

He didn't know what this feeling was, nor did he know that Mingjian's expression was one of worry, but he liked it very much.

Xiao Bumian shook his head. "Sleepy."

Mingjian blinked, and only after seeing that Xiao Bumian was indeed not uncomfortable did he breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'll sleep in the carriage later."

There were two carriages. Song Heyu led one over, saying, "There are four of us, one carriage is too crowded."

He said casually, "Junior Brother, you and Junior Brother Xie can ride together."

Gu Zhi was about to say that he wanted to go with Ming Jian, but he suddenly caught sight of Xiao Bumian's deep eyes and Song Heyu's disappointed expression, and the words stuck in his throat.

Mingjian had no objections, but when he thought about how he and Guzhi would be in the same carriage and Guzhi could talk to him all the way, he gave up.

He should stay with Xiao Bumian.

Xiao Bumian lifted the carriage curtain first and got in.

Ming Jian deliberately sat diagonally opposite Xiao Bumian, trying to stay as far away from him as possible.

Xiao Bumian habitually raised the corners of her lips and asked gently, "May I sit next to you?"

Mingjian: "...Can I say no?"

He only sat so far away because he didn't want Xiao Bumian to take advantage of him!

Xiao Bumian chuckled softly, stood up and sat down next to Mingjian, shaking her head, "No, you can't."

Why ask if you can't?

Oh well, it's not like they've never been taken before. They've even slept in the same room and sat together in the same carriage. So what?

Suddenly, Mingjian felt a weight on his shoulder.

He froze.

The unusually cool breath occasionally brushed against Mingjian's neck, making him bristle. Sometimes it would even touch his sensitive spots, causing Mingjian to tremble involuntarily and develop small goosebumps on the back of his neck. He gripped the hem of his clothes tightly. The feeling was strange, like a feather tickling him, making his fingertips tingle with itch.

Mingjian paused for a long while, his Adam's apple bobbing, as he tried to push Xiao Bumian away.

Xiao Bumian arched her eyebrows, her voice unusually soft, "I'm so sleepy, let me lean on it for a while."

Upon hearing this, Mingjian froze as if under a spell, not daring to move an inch.

He didn't know how things had turned out this way. In short, the journey from the Princess's residence to Yunliu Academy, which should have taken an hour, felt like an eternity to Mingjian. At first, he cursed Xiao Bumian in his heart, but later he became completely numb and let it be. He even quietly relaxed his shoulders to make Xiao Bumian more comfortable.

Ultimately, he also bears some responsibility for this.

If he hadn't served so much food to Xiao Bumian, he wouldn't have felt sleepy after finishing his meal.

So they were even, Mingjian consoled himself with a sense of despair.

Fortunately, the carriage soon arrived in front of Yunliu Academy.

Mingjian was still hesitating whether to wake Xiao Bumian, but he opened his eyes first, smiled and said, "Thank you, Junior Brother."

Mingjian had already given up on correcting how Xiao Bumian addressed him.

He forced a smile. "It's alright, as long as you slept well."

Xiao Bumian said in a soft and gentle voice, "I slept very well, but Junior Brother's heart seems to be beating a little fast."

After saying that, he got off the carriage, leaving Mingjian alone inside.

Mingjian was furious.

He got out of the car, grumbling and cursing. Who could he blame for his racing heart? It was all because Xiao Bumian had been leaning on him the whole time. Even a ghost would feel strange and have a racing heart.

Xiao Bumian probably doesn't think he likes him.

Mingjian suddenly felt that his innocence was gone, and hung his head in despair.

Seeing that he looked so listless, Gu Zhi asked in shock, "Mingjian, you've only been in the carriage for an hour, how come you look like a ghost has drained your yang energy?"

Mingjian: "...Hehe."

It was indeed a ghost. He gave Xiao Bumian a resentful look.

Xiao Bumian accepted it calmly, with his usual smile on his face.

Song Heyu's eyes subtly swept back and forth between the two of them.

The four entered the academy. It was midday and the sun was shining obliquely. They found a teacher and asked him where Bai Zhang was.

The teacher was grading papers when he heard their purpose and pointed them in the right direction. "Bai Zhang is a very diligent student. He should still be studying at school right now."

After thanking the teacher, he walked through the corridor back to the school.

Hearing that someone was looking for him, Bai Zhang, who was sitting in the corner writing his policy essay, looked up and said, "Wait a moment."

He put down his books and pens, carefully weighed down the half-written essay with a paperweight, and as he stood up, his light blue sleeves brushed against the desk, carrying a faint scent of ink.

Bai Zhang walked up to the four men, clasped his hands in front of his forehead, and respectfully performed a standard scholar's bow. "What business do you gentlemen have with me?"

Song Heyu had a good impression of the scholar, and he asked, "Does Young Master Bai know Zheng Wenlang?"

Bai Zhang paused, his expression somber. "I know him. He and I were engaged before, but unfortunately we were not meant to be, and we broke off the engagement at the end of last year."

Observing his expression, Song Heyu felt he wasn't faking it, and continued to ask, "Have you left Yunliu Academy these past few days?"

"No," Bai Zhang shook his head, unsure of what he meant by the question. "The academy has a one-day break every half month, and there are still two days until the rest day. I've been at the academy these past few days."

When was the last time you saw Zheng Wenlang?

“It was at the end of last year, after the engagement was called off, that I heard he was about to marry the heir of the Prince of Anling, and I haven’t seen him since.” Bai Zhang noticed something was wrong and frowned. “But what happened to Wen Lang?”

Mingjian secretly used his divine sense to ask Xiao Bumian.

"Is he telling the truth or lying?"

"Really?" Xiao Bumian said with little interest.

Mingjian understood perfectly well that, according to Bai Zhang, he was still at the academy when Zheng Wenlang was killed, so it was impossible for him to have killed Zheng Wenlang.

Song Heyu said, "Zheng Wenlang is dead."

Upon hearing this, Bai Zhang's face turned deathly pale. If Gu Zhi hadn't caught him in time, he would have almost fallen.

“Thank you,” Bai Zhang said, his lips trembling. “You mean Wen Lang is dead? Who killed him?!”

Bai Zhang asked in despair.

"There's no conclusion yet," Song Heyu sighed. "We came here to investigate this matter, and we hope that Young Master Bai can tell us more about Young Master Zheng."

Bai Zhang looked dejected and mocked himself, "You came looking for me because you thought I killed Wen Lang, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come out of the city specifically for that purpose."

“Young Master Bai, before this case is settled, everyone who has been in contact with Young Master Zheng is a suspect.”

Bai Zhang's lips were pale, and he forced a smile. "I understand. I am truly heartbroken by Wen Lang's passing, but I had no relationship with him a year ago. I don't know what happened to him afterward. You've come to the wrong person."

With that, Bai Zhang bowed and withdrew.

"Young Master Bai!" Gu Zhi said anxiously.

Suddenly, Mingjian asked, "Is the jade pendant on Young Master Bai's waist a token from when he and Young Master Zheng made their engagement?"

He had just noticed that Bai Zhang unconsciously stroked the jade pendant at his waist when talking about Zheng Wenlang, which suggested that the pendant was very important to him, and that his behavior still showed that he still had feelings for Zheng Wenlang.

Mingjian took a gamble, wanting to see just how much this jade pendant meant to him.

Bai Zhang paused in his steps.

After a long silence, he said in a hoarse voice, "Wen Lang and I were supposed to get married this year, but Wen Lang suddenly fell in love with Prince Anling. He told me that he only has the affection he has for his brother, and it has nothing to do with romantic love."

“But I love him. In the beginning, I didn’t want to let go. I wanted to pass the imperial examination and marry him in a grand ceremony, but he didn’t want to. He cried and begged me to break off the engagement. I didn’t want to break it off, so he forced me by hurting himself.”

“I don’t know why a poetry gathering could make him think that he and Prince Anling are a match made in heaven. I’m afraid he was deceived by Prince Anling, so I had someone investigate Prince Anling. Only then did I discover that Prince Anling already had someone he loved, but his family was unwilling to accept her and told Prince Anling that if he wanted to take that person into his household, he must first have a wife with a clean background.”

Bai Zhang gradually fell into his memories, his voice hollow, "I told Wen Lang everything I knew, but Wen Lang thought I was trying to frame Prince Anling and was lying to him. He didn't want to believe it, and he forced me not to love him by inflicting one self-inflicted wound after another, and forced Prime Minister Zheng to ask the Mermaid King for a marriage by going on a hunger strike."

“I was heartbroken and cut off all contact with him. I have never seen Wen Lang since then.”

Bai Zhang said self-deprecatingly, "I'm not afraid to tell you this, but even though we get a day off every half month, I'm afraid of running into them in the city, so I haven't been back to the capital for half a year."

Everyone remained silent.

After a long while, Mingjian asked, "Young Master Bai, could you tell me who Prince Anling's lover is?"

“He is Yu Zhu, a male prostitute from Qin Shi Lou.” Bai Zhang gritted his teeth, hatred surging in his eyes. “My lords, believe me, it must have been Yu Zhu who killed Wen Lang. The Prince of Anling once promised him the position of his principal wife, but in the blink of an eye he wanted to marry Wen Lang. He must have been filled with hatred, which is why he wanted to kill Wen Lang.”

Song Heyu sighed and patted his shoulder reassuringly, "Whether it is or not, we still need some time. I hope Young Master Bai takes care of himself."

As twilight descended, the carriage slowly rolled along the cobblestone street, its wheels clattering amidst the bustling marketplace. The curtains swayed, letting in the warm yellow light of lanterns, and the long street teemed with people. The tavern was packed, then suddenly erupted in cheers as the storyteller slammed his fist on the table.

"As I mentioned last time, those midnight ghosts specialize in gouging out people's hearts!" The guests held their breath, the lanterns under the eaves swayed in the wind, casting ghostly shadows on the window paper. "They first target newlyweds, then young girls, and lastly the groom. Remember this, everyone—"

The gavel struck again, “If you hear the bride laughing in the dead of night, close the door and do not light any lamps!”

Another round of cheers erupted.

After getting off the carriage, none of them were in much spirits and went back to their rooms to rest.

Mingjian lay in bed, rolling around several times but still couldn't fall asleep.

System: [If you can't sleep, you can do some strategy missions!]

Mingjian: "..."

At this moment, he would rather drag the system out of his consciousness and beat it up.

System: [Hehe]

After struggling for a while, Mingjian finally got out of bed and resigned himself to his fate.

He pushed open the door, and the luminous pearls around him were covered with seaweed, only faintly revealing a few scattered lights that were mottled on the cobblestone path.

Mingjian tried hard to recall how he had gotten lost this morning and planned to go back the way he came. He needed to check if Xie Linzhao was going to die.

If he's really about to die, quickly feed him some pills to prolong his life. Then take the opportunity to introduce yourself, and the initial encounter will be complete.

The system felt something was off, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to make no mistake, so it had to give up.

Just as Mingjian was about to leave, he suddenly saw Xiao Bumian push open the door and come out.

He couldn't explain why, but he suddenly realized it when he saw Mingjian hiding.

No, why would he feel guilty?

It made it seem like he was going out to have an affair and was afraid of being discovered by his husband.

However, since he had already hidden himself, going out now would inevitably raise suspicions of protesting too much. Ming could only hold his breath and hide obediently, hoping to come out after Xiao Bumian left.

But suddenly I smelled a strange fragrance.

In the deep of night in the princess's residence, the fragrance was particularly jarring.

Mingjian thought he had smelled something wrong, so he sniffed again to make sure he hadn't.

Fearing he might lose consciousness if he inhaled the aspirate, he quickly covered his mouth and nose.

[Host, please rest assured, testing has shown that this strange fragrance is harmless to you.]

It has to be said that this is when the system finally showed some usefulness.

Seeing that Ming had put his hand down, he couldn't help but take a few more breaths.

Surprisingly, it smells quite nice.

Mingjian didn't care why Xiao Bumian went out so late; he just hoped Xiao Bumian would leave quickly.

At this moment, the doors of the rooms under the corridor opened one after another, and many cultivators pushed open the doors and walked out.

Mingjian: ? ? ?

What happened?

It's not really possible for so many people who can't sleep to come out and admire the moon together, is it?

He spotted a familiar face in the group.

Guzhi?

What's Koji doing here?

There were a few faces that Mingjian vaguely recognized; he had seen them in the courtyard of the Zheng family mansion. They were the rogue cultivators and disciples from other small sects who had entered the secret realm together.

Mingjian suddenly thought of the strange fragrance floating in the air.

They seemed to be under the control of the incense.

To be honest, Mingjian didn't really want to go out, because for him, his life was the most important thing.

But he remembered that when Gu Zhi went shopping last time, she brought him back a candied hawthorn.

Mingjian: "..."

He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

Mingjian pretended to be controlled by the strange fragrance and hid in the crowd.

The streets were deserted, with only a few dilapidated stalls. The festive decorations that appeared when I returned at dusk seemed like a dream. On the long street, only a group of cultivators whose consciousness was controlled followed behind Xiao Bumian.

All of this was so bizarre that Mingjian still couldn't quite believe his eyes.

What is Xiao Bumian doing? Where is he going?

Surely he's not the monster from the rumors.

Mingjian's mind raced as he silently walked to Guzhi's side and kicked Guzhi's shin, hoping to wake him up.

Instead of waking him up, he collapsed with a snap.

Because this group of people isn't very bright, the fall of one old branch leads to the fall of many others.

Mingjian remained silent.

He regretted his decision once again.

If he could go back half an hour, he would never have listened to the system and gone to find Xie Linzhao; instead, he would have knocked himself unconscious and fallen asleep.

There's no need for me to be acting like a fool here now.

Even though he was clearly in despair, he pretended to be stupid and collapsed along with her.

Hearing the noise, Xiao Bumian turned to look, chuckled softly, and said in a gentle voice, "So stupid."

Mingjian: "..."

No one knows what Xiao Bumian did, but after a while, the people who had fallen in front of him stood up again, and Mingjian followed suit and stood up as well.

Xiao Bumian seemed to be in a good mood and did not suspect that one of them was still conscious.

To this day, Mingjian still doesn't understand what Xiao Bumian is trying to do.

He could only follow Xiao Bumian around the street like a fool for several rounds.

Until Xiao Bumian stopped in his tracks, a bone chain suddenly appeared in mid-air, instantly wrapping around the first few rogue cultivators and cutting them in half.

The stench of blood immediately filled the air.

A thick fog of blood.

Mingjian suddenly froze.

Xiao Bumian lifted his eyelids, and blood splattered on his fair skin, making him look even more sinister.

He chuckled softly, "If you don't come out now, I'm going to kill all the merfolk you've been raising."

Mingjian has recovered quite a bit by now.

Damn it, this guy is a real yandere.

He had a really unlucky day.

In the morning, I witnessed two men fighting over one man; in the evening, I stumbled upon a murder scene.

Mingjian was wondering who Xiao Bumian was when he heard Xiao Bumian's words.

The next second, a figure suddenly flew out from under a covered walkway on the long street, and hundreds of mermaid scales gleaming with a cold blue light pierced towards Xiao Bumian.

Xiao Bumian handled the situation with ease, the bone chains moving like living things, deflecting all the scales. The figure flew down, its movements unpredictable, its five fingers arched like sharp claws, aiming straight for Xiao Bumian's heart.

Mingjian suddenly remembered the hole in Lin Wenlang's heart.

Could this person be the monster they're looking for?

"Where are my things?" Xiao Bumian asked.

The demon remained silent, seemingly aware that its attacks were ineffective against Xiao Bumian.

He slashed the dagger across his heart, and in an instant, a monstrous demonic aura erupted from the monster. Dark mist churned in the air, cracking the cobblestones wherever it passed. The candlelight in the street lanterns was nearly extinguished by the demonic energy.

Mingjian: "!!!"

He screamed inwardly, yelling for help.

The system was also seeing this scene for the first time, and it cried uncontrollably in Mingjian's consciousness.

It's obvious that this useless system is beyond my control.

All I can do is pray that these two lunatics don't cause any collateral damage.

They were probably still somewhat useful, because the monster avoided attacking them during the fight.

In contrast, Xiao Bumian was completely unceremonious.

He didn't care at all who his sword might hit. Instead, every time he accidentally injured a cultivator, he would laugh and say to the demon, "Another one died. What should we do?"

Mingjian, terrified, dodged the battlefield between the two, cursing Xiao Bumian inwardly while wondering what connection this demon had with Xiao Bumian.

What exactly is this "thing" that Xiao Bumian is talking about?

Finally, Xiao Bumian grew impatient. He suppressed his smile, his eyes darkening, and said softly, "Fine, I'm not playing with you anymore."

The moment the words were spoken, the air along the entire street suddenly froze, and a demonic aura, even denser than the night, surged, binding the demon's limbs.

The bone chain transformed into a thin sword in Xiao Bumian's hand. Xiao Bumian walked forward step by step, smiling as he thrust the sword into the demon's heart amidst the demon's terrified gaze.

The sound of a sword piercing flesh echoed through the empty street, bringing a sense of pleasure to the listener.

Mingjian was completely bewildered.

The system was also confused.

No, how could Xiao Bumian have demonic energy on him?

Didn't we agree that Xiao Bumian hadn't fallen into demonic possession yet?

Perhaps his gaze was too direct, Xiao Bumian suddenly sensed something, tilted his head, and looked in Mingjian's direction.

The pleasure in his eyes had not yet completely faded when their eyes met, and the demonic energy vanished instantly.

Why is his cat here?

An overwhelming sense of irritability washed over Xiao Bumian.

What should we do? Mingjian must have seen it.

He must have seen the demonic energy emanating from him.

Everyone who once told him they wanted to be his friend turned to loathe him after seeing the demonic aura emanating from him.

Even the cat he raised a thousand years ago—ever since that cat saw him use demonic energy to kill a hungry wolf that wanted to eat him, that cat has never let him touch it again.

I'm sure Mingjian will do the same.

He's also afraid of him.

Let's just kill him.

Kill him before he hates you.

Xiao Bumian thought to himself.

He lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, concealing the sinister look in them.

Xiao Bumian released the lifeless demon, walked up to Mingjian, smiled with arched eyebrows and a hint of red in his eyes, and raised his hand to stroke Mingjian's face.

The bloodstains meandered, falling to the ground like blooming red plum blossoms.

"What are you doing here?" he said very softly.

[Warning! Warning! The target's current redemption value has dropped to 0]

[Warning! Warning! The target's current redemption value has dropped to negative, and their murderous intent value is 100%. Danger has been detected. Please leave immediately.]

[...]

The mechanical hum and alarm sounds amplified infinitely in Mingjian's consciousness, becoming sharp and piercing.

"Don't be afraid of me," Xiao Bumian said softly.

“Fine,” Xiao Bumian said after a long silence, “I’m going to kill you.”

Mingjian wondered if he was possessed by a demon, or perhaps at this moment he only had instinct left, and that this was the only way for him to survive.

He thought to himself.

Mingjian suddenly leaned closer, closed his eyes, and pressed his thin lips to Xiao Bumian's slightly cool lips.

-----------------------

Author's note: [doge] Can I ask for the mystery liquid on such a wonderful day?

Please, please! [Heart][Orange Heart][Dog Head with Rose in Hand]