Chapter 53 Don't let my appearance fool you, winters in the human world are actually quite cold.

Before we knew it, the next full moon night arrived. The celestial phenomena tonight were eerie. The sky was unusually clear, and a cold, round moon hung high in the sky, its light pouring down. It wasn't snowing, but the air was dry and bone-chilling, a kind of cold that made your teeth chatter.

Mingjian huddled up in the cold, clinging tightly to Xiao Bumian's slightly cool embrace for warmth.

As the night deepened, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Xiao Bumian suddenly moved. He stood up, his bare feet stepping onto the cold floor, the iron chains on his ankles rattling crisply with each step, particularly jarring in the quiet night. He walked to the window, reached out and pushed it open, letting in a rush of icy night air.

Then, without saying a word, he took Mingjian out of his arms and gently placed him on the windowsill outside the window.

Mingjian's cat paws left several clear plum blossom prints on the frost-covered windowsill. He looked up, somewhat bewildered, and gazed at Xiao Bumian with confusion.

Xiao Bumian said gently, "Hmm, don't come back tonight, okay?"

Mingjian was stunned.

He felt that Xiao Bumian's tone when speaking to him at that moment was not like that of someone talking to a cat, but rather like that of someone talking to a person.

He subconsciously looked up, his gaze meeting Xiao Bumian's beautiful yet unfathomable peach blossom eyes, which seemed to hold some emotion he couldn't understand.

Mingjian gave Xiao Bumian a complicated look.

In the end, he only responded with a very soft "meow".

He hadn't planned to watch it anyway.

He didn't want to see Xiao Bumian in such a pitiful state, and he was even more afraid that his already wavering resolve would be completely shaken because of it.

Mingjian wagged its tail, took one last deep look at the person inside the window, turned around, jumped off the windowsill, and ran away without looking back.

He didn't stop until he had run a certain distance, and then looked back into the distance.

The cool moonlight bathed the window, and the flickering candlelight inside cast Xiao Bumian's lonely figure onto the window paper.

He stood there silently, his face appearing exceptionally pale and desolate in the interplay of moonlight and candlelight. Behind him were withered winter trees, their gnarled branches reaching towards the night sky like ghostly claws, creating a scene of despair and oppression.

Mingjian abruptly turned his head away, no longer looking, and quickly disappeared into the thick darkness of the night.

In the darkness of the night, a shadowy glint flashed in Xiao Bumian's eyes, yet there was also a hint of excitement.

He pressed his hand to his chest.

He thought about it slowly, so now that he's let Mingjian go, will Mingjian come back to kill him?

Xiao Bumian slowly closed the window, completely shutting out the cold and moonlight outside.

He returned to the center of the room, sat down in front of the chessboard, picked up the black and white pieces, and placed them one by one, with great patience and precision, on the crisscrossing grid lines.

Time passed little by little.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew outside the window, whistling through the bare branches and making the window creak.

The candlelight flickered violently, stretching and distorting Xiao Bumian's shadow on the wall.

He placed the last chess piece.

And it was at this moment—

With a creak.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

Xiao Bumian's hand holding the chess piece paused almost imperceptibly. He raised his eyes to look at the uninvited guest at the door, a gentle, faint smile habitually spreading across his face. However, his beautiful peach blossom eyes were icy cold, devoid of any smile, piercing straight at the newcomer.

The man, dressed in a simple white robe, appeared to be around forty years old. He had a lean face, an extraordinary air, and a compassionate, benevolent expression. Behind him followed Gu Weishen, Gu Guanlan, Yun Guiyuan, and…

Xiao Bumian tilted his head, his gaze falling on the last woman.

It was his mother, Xiao Yun.

Upon seeing Xiao Bumian, Gu Guanlan screamed as if she had seen a ghost, desperately trying to hide behind Xiao Yun.

Xiao Yun immediately hugged him tightly, covered his mouth with her hand, and comforted him with a trembling voice, trying her best to remain calm, "Lan-ge'er, don't be afraid, don't be afraid! Mother is here! He...he wouldn't dare to bully you!"

Seeing this familiar scene, Xiao Bumian couldn't help but laugh out loud, a hint of mockery in his voice.

Nothing had changed at all; everyone from his memories was there.

However, Gu Guanlan's crying was so jarring that it quickly exhausted Xiao Bumian's already limited patience.

It's noisy.

If she cries again... I'll just kill her.

Xiao Bumian thought to himself casually.

Was Gu Guanlan that noisy back then?

Xiao Bumian couldn't remember clearly anymore; it seemed like there wasn't any.

Because of Ji Sui.

As expected, the next moment, the male cultivator in the black-and-white robe flicked his fingertips, and an invisible, intangible power instantly enveloped Gu Guanlan. Gu Guanlan, who had been crying incessantly just moments before, fell completely silent. His eyes quickly became empty and dull, his pupils dilated, and he became like a puppet.

Gu Weishen doted on this son the most, and upon seeing this, he was terrified. He fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead hitting the cold ground heavily, his voice trembling: "Immortal! Immortal, please calm your anger! Immortal, you are magnanimous! My son is young and ignorant, and he never intended to offend your might..."

His forehead was instantly covered in cold sweat, his expression a mixture of worship and fear of Ji Sui. He was almost prostrate on the ground, his posture so humble that he was practically in the dust.

Ji Sui's gaze swept over them indifferently, his voice revealing neither joy nor anger: "What's going on?"

Gu Weishen, as if grasping at a straw, immediately pointed at Xiao Bumian and said through gritted teeth, "It's all that demonic seed's doing! He's the one who killed my son!"

He seemed to recall the past, his voice filled with resentment, "Three years ago, it was this demon! Taking advantage of our inattention, he threw my son Guanlan into that dry well in his courtyard! I don't know what evil magic he used, but we couldn't find him anywhere! If it weren't for the servant who brought him food later noticing something strange in the well, my son would probably be dead by now!"

"But... but my son has been greatly frightened since that day. Whenever he sees this demon seed, he can't help but be terrified and lose his composure, which is why he offended the immortal."

On the other side, Xiao Yun still held Gu Guanlan tightly with his empty eyes, patting his back unconsciously and making soft soothing sounds.

Xiao Bumian stood opposite them, watching the farce with an expressionless face, as if it had nothing to do with him and he was just an observer.

He looked at Ji Sui, and a very subtle smile slowly curved his lips.

Since personally killing Ji Sui, Xiao Bumian had not heard or thought of that name for a long time.

Ji Sui, the founder of Jianming Immortal Mountain, a legendary figure revered by everyone in the cultivation world... Hmm, he still remembered that many, many years ago, when he first arrived at Jianming Immortal Mountain, it was Ji Sui who personally accepted him as his last disciple.

Unfortunately, Ji Sui at that time did not recognize who this "extraordinarily talented" new disciple was.

Xiao Bumian still remembers the moment he pierced the bone chain into Ji Sui's heart, when the other seemed to recognize him, and the sudden look of fear and disbelief on his face.

He thought he must utterly loathe this person. Otherwise, why would the violent urge to tear this person to pieces again remain so vivid even in this predetermined memory?

However, he still felt that Ji Sui died too easily. He was clearly a formidable opponent like Xie Wuwang, yet he seemed to have deliberately revealed a weakness, dying swiftly and decisively, which made him feel it was unreal.

Therefore, Xiao Bumian believed that he was not dead at all.

Even Mingjian's appearance might be another pawn planted by Ji Sui to kill him.

Just then, Ji Sui turned his head and his gaze fell on Xiao Bumian.

The sixteen-year-old boy stood tall and straight like a pine tree. Even though he was dressed in plain white clothes and had shackles on his feet, putting him at a significant disadvantage, his unique temperament, which was somewhere between youthful and mature, still made him stand out from the crowd.

A complex look of regret flashed across Ji Sui's eyes.

This boy's innate talent and cultivation ability far surpass all of his direct disciples; he is a prodigy, one in a thousand years. It's just a pity... he has half-tainted demonic blood flowing through his veins, especially since his father is a powerful demonic cultivator like Xie Wuwang.

The laws of nature are balanced; the stronger the bloodline combination, the harder it is for them to be accepted by the world. This destined this child to die young, with no possibility of a smooth upbringing.

Therefore, rather than letting him die like this, it would be better to extract his unparalleled talent and soul fire for other uses, perhaps even contributing to the great cause of the cultivation world. As for Xiao Bumian, being able to die without such pain is already the best ending he could give him.

Ji Sui sighed silently in his heart.

He slowly walked forward, squatted down in front of Xiao Bumian, his gaze peaceful, even with a hint of hypocritical pity, and said gently, "Child, to be able to die without pain today is the greatest blessing I can give you. I only wish that in your next life, you will be fortunate enough to be born into the human race and grow up peacefully and smoothly."

Xiao Bumian chuckled as if he had heard a joke, tilted his head, and said clearly, word by word, "I will kill you."

Ji Sui clearly did not take this still young half-demon seriously. The compassionate smile on his face remained unchanged. He simply stood up slowly, turned to Yun Guiyuan, who was standing with his head bowed to the side, and spoke in a gentle tone.

Ji Sui didn't take it to heart. He still smiled and said gently, "Guiyuan, let's start the battle."

Yun Guiyuan remained expressionless. He raised his hand as instructed, and a spiritual light flowed from his fingertips.

Centered on Xiao Bumian's location, a massive array pattern rapidly extended outwards, shimmering with a faint, eerie blue fluorescence.

Dark, heavy clouds moved with the wind, obscuring the crimson moon that was gradually turning blood-red. The clouds were thick and heavy, churning in the inky twilight, like a gigantic maw about to devour the entire world.

The wind howled fiercely outside.

Gu Weishen had never seen such a scene before. He was both shocked and horrified. He had only heard that the Imperial Preceptor Yun Guiyuan had extraordinary abilities, but he had not paid much attention to it, thinking that others were exaggerating.

Now that I've witnessed it with my own eyes, I can only secretly rejoice that although I had disrespectful thoughts in the past, I only dared to speak resentfully behind people's backs and never actually did anything. Otherwise, I'm afraid I would have been dead long ago.

Xiao Bumian, however, remained unusually calm, as if he were not the one being nailed to the ground by the Soul-Devouring Nails piercing his limbs.

His pristine white clothes were stained crimson with blood, and his disheveled black hair was spread haphazardly beneath him, highlighting his pale face and lifeless, dark eyes, making him look like a glamorous ghost crawling out of hell.

Ji Sui narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a condescending judgment, "The demonic bloodline within you has destined you to be inherently cruel and filled with malice. Fortunately, it hasn't yet become corrupted, and you can still prevent an even greater calamity from occurring."

As he spoke, golden light burst forth from within the formation.

The intense pain caused Xiao Bumian's body to spasm almost imperceptibly, but he still gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

Ji Sui's voice rang out again in the room. He said, "Madam Gu, the process of extracting the root bone and soul fire is dangerous. I'm afraid we'll need your help. Otherwise, this boy's demonic backlash might harm innocent people."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun's fingertips curled slightly. She lowered her head and walked forward step by step.

Ji Sui assumed she was afraid.

But the moment she looked up, I realized that her eyes were brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

Yun Guiyuan handed her a dagger and said, "Please, Madam, feed him a mouthful of your blood."

Xiao Yun snatched the dagger almost as if he were grabbing it, and with a frenzied expression, he slashed his palm hard.

Bright red blood gushed out instantly, dripping from her fingertips onto Xiao Bumian's pale lips.

Xiao Bumian stared at her silently with his bottomless black eyes.

In fact, the mother and son did bear some resemblance. Xiao Bumian inherited Xiao Yun's beautiful peach blossom eyes and slightly cold lips. However, at this moment, those thin lips were stained with drops of crimson blood, which, combined with his pale face and dark eyes, made him appear even more eerie, sinister, and inexplicably dangerous.

Ji Sui began to extract his bone marrow. It was an extreme pain that could not be described in words.

Xiao Bumian's body trembled violently, veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his clothes.

But amidst this extreme pain, he suddenly laughed. At first, it was a low, suppressed laugh, but then the laughter grew louder and louder, filled with endless mockery and madness, echoing within the shimmering golden array, sending chills down one's spine.

More blood gushed from the wound that had been forcibly ripped open in his lower abdomen, quickly staining his plain white clothes red and spreading a large, shocking patch of red on the ground.

A strong wind was blowing outside, which dispersed some of the dark clouds.

Ji Sui took out the root bone and carefully integrated it into Gu Guanlan's body.

Looking at Xiao Bumian, whose eyes were bloodshot from losing his root bone, in the center of the formation, Yun Guiyuan said, "This demon has lost its root bone, and its demonic nature may be difficult to suppress. If we take its soul fire again, it is very easy for it to go out of control and backfire. To ensure safety, I would like to ask Madam Gu to take out its soul fire herself."

The room fell silent. Xiao Bumian stopped laughing and stared intently at Xiao Yun.

After a long while, he tilted his head and asked softly, with a tone that was both innocent and cruel, "Mother...do you want it?"

"If you want it... I'll give it to you."

Xiao Yun trembled as a result of his words and gaze, and the resentment, fear, and twisted desires that had been suppressed for more than a decade erupted completely at this moment.

She lunged forward, gripping Xiao Bumian's neck like a vengeful ghost, and screamed shrilly, "You should have died long ago! I should have strangled you when you were born!!"

Xiao Bumian remained silent. He merely watched his mother with almost indifferent eyes as she reached into the depths of his dantian, which had been ripped open, and cruelly and slowly extracted the soul fire that sustained him from his body.

An indescribable chill spread like a tide, inch by inch, rapidly devouring his remaining body temperature and consciousness.

Just as his consciousness was about to completely sink into boundless darkness, suddenly, a white cat rushed out from some corner and bit Xiao Yun's wrist.

"Ah!" Xiao Yun cried out in pain, pulling his hand back, interrupting the process of extracting the soul fire.

Upon seeing this, Gu Weishen roared, "Beast!" He rushed forward, grabbed the white cat, and threw it away violently.

Mingjian's small, thin body crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He was in so much pain that he almost fainted, but he still struggled to lift his head and let out a weak, anxious meow in Xiao Bumian's direction.

Trying to awaken those eyes that were gradually losing focus.

He had already run far away, determined not to look back. But the farther he got from the mansion, the more panicked he became, as if some inexplicable force was pulling him away.

Although he kept telling himself that it was just a memory, that everything had already happened and could not be changed, and that it was meaningless for him to go or not go.

But the winter in the human world was just too cold. He remembered Xiao Bumian's warm embrace and Xiao Bumian's unusually high body temperature. In the end, all reason and the thought of self-preservation were overwhelmed by a stronger impulse, and he turned around and ran back desperately.

Xiao Bumian was lost in his memories again until he heard Mingjian's voice. He opened his eyes and saw Mingjian on the verge of death. A terrifying gloom and violence gradually filled his eyes.

Gu Weishen stood there, looking down at them with a mocking expression on his face.

Xiao Bumian raised his eyes, staring intently at Gu Weishen's face, his voice hoarse yet carrying a chilling curse.

“Even if you die… I will make sure you never have a day of peace.”

When Gu Weishen met his eyes, his heart clenched, and he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of panic.

Just then, Ji Sui intervened, stabilizing the situation and finally extracting the faint, dark blue soul fire from Xiao Bumian's body, placing it into a specially made jade bottle.

He looked at the jade bottle with satisfaction and said to Yun Guiyuan, "With this item, combined with the formation, we can completely suppress the demons in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave and ensure peace in the Three Realms for a hundred years."

He glanced at Gu Guanlan, who was still unconscious on the ground, and said to the excited Gu Weishen and the dazed Xiao Yun, "Starting next month, Gu Guanlan will officially become my personal disciple and return to the Immortal Mountain with me to cultivate. In the future, we will protect the peace of the Three Realms together."

Upon hearing this, Gu Weishen's elation instantly vanished, and he knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly, "Thank you, Immortal!"

Xiao Bumian ignored these words.

He lay in a pool of blood, wondering why... Mingjian looked so sad?

In this "dream," wasn't Mingjian sent by those people to kill him? Why would he rather rush out to his death than actually kill him?

He curled his fingers very slowly, and with his last bit of strength, gently raised his bloodied hand to cover the white cat's moist and sorrowful eyes beside him.

"Don't look at me..." His voice was weak and almost inaudible, "I'm...very ugly right now..."

Mingjian felt the hand covering his eyes turn cold again and let out a final, low sob.

As the familiar feeling of detachment washed over him, Mingjian knew that this fragment of memory was finally coming to an end, and he was about to lose consciousness.

He closed his eyes.

Xiao Bumian felt the cat under his palm gradually losing its life and warmth, and knew that Mingjian's consciousness had left.

He slowly released his grip.

Before anyone knew it, Gu Weishen and the others had already left.

Inside the room, only Xiao Bumian and Yun Guiyuan, who had returned and stood quietly for a moment before slowly approaching, remained.

Xiao Bumian watched Yun Guiyuan walk over and squat down. His eyes, which were always filled with compassion, now revealed a hint of confusion that even he himself could not understand.

He placed his hand on Xiao Bumian's wound, and his spiritual energy flowed through Xiao Bumian's damaged meridians, repairing the fatal wounds at an extremely slow pace and stopping the gushing blood.

Xiao Bumian asked, "Why?"

Yun Guiyuan was silent for a moment, then said, “Immortal Venerable Ji Sui saved my life. To repay this debt, I once vowed to help him accomplish something. Now, that matter is settled.”

He paused, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he had encountered a difficult puzzle. "The rules of the Yanling Sect are strict, and it is forbidden to deduce one's own destiny. But I defied the sect's rules and cast a divination for myself. The divination showed that even after my death, there was still a cause and effect that had not been resolved, and that cause and effect seemed to be related to you. I don't know what that cause and effect is now, but I am very curious."

Xiao Bumian had no recollection of how this person would eventually die, nor did he have any interest in the mysterious "cause and effect" he spoke of.

He turned his head with difficulty to look at the dilapidated window frame.

Outside the window, the sky was dark, and the snow, which had been brewing all night, finally began to fall in a flurry. Large snowflakes silently covered the bloodstains in the courtyard, temporarily burying all the filth and cruelty under a vast expanse of pure white.

I wonder what Mingjian is doing right now.

Xiao Bumian's consciousness began to blur, and his thoughts drifted away.

I never knew winter could be this cold.

It was freezing cold.

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Author's Note: Sorry for the irregular updates lately. I had a deferred exam last semester, and I have another exam this Wednesday. Also, I want to finish writing some plot points before posting, so this is the only way I can update [crying emoji]. Regular updates will resume after Wednesday.