Chapter 5 He Xu "Since I was young, my appearance has been different from that of ordinary people, and everyone avoids me like...

Gu Congxing's teaching plan was very meticulous. When Zhong Ming was unable to engage in strenuous activities, he taught him his inner skills and secret techniques. After Zhong Ming had recovered from his injury for a full month, he taught him sword techniques.

I have to say that the master has a unique vision, and all of his disciples are extremely talented.

When Gu Congxing learned that it had only taken Zhong Ming ten days to draw Qi into his body, breaking the boundary between a mortal and a cultivator, he couldn't help but marvel at his junior brother's high level of comprehension.

You know, most cultivators need at least several months or even a year to achieve this goal, but Gu Congxing only took half a month and was praised by his disciples for his extraordinary talent.

When Gu Congxing told Zhong Ming about this, he was overjoyed and became even more motivated to practice.

Gu Congxing thought that teaching his junior fellow apprentice would undoubtedly be worry-free and quite rewarding.

It would be better if we could save a little more effort.

Just like now, my junior brother's posture of holding the sword is always crooked, and he needs to correct it himself.

"Raise your arm and retract your wrist." Gu Congxing stood behind Zhong Ming, holding up his right arm and lightly tapping his sword-holding wrist with his other hand.

From a distance, it looked like Gu Congxing was hugging Zhong Ming from behind.

Zhong Ming felt the heat behind him and the faint breath beside his ear, and his body stiffened involuntarily.

"Junior brother, calm your mind."

“Yes, yes!”

After Zhong Ming finished the sword move, Gu Congxing nodded in appreciation. Although he still needed to refine his initial movements, he was quite skilled in the actual sword dance.

"Junior brother, you have basically mastered the basic sword techniques, but you will need more practice in the future. Now, I can teach you the first move of the 'Flowing Cloud Sword Technique'."

The Liuyun Sword Technique is a Gu family tradition. After thousands of years of transmission and refinement by the Gu clan, it has become renowned in the world of cultivation. It contains eighteen sword moves, and Gu Congxing had already mastered the fifteenth by the time he left the Gu family.

How many cultivators have used up all their elixirs and magic weapons and tried their best to enter the Gu family's outer sect, just to learn a few moves of this sword technique - however, Zhong Ming did not know this, and Gu Congxing did not intend to tell it.

As long as his junior brother can live well, he will not be stingy with swordsmanship or magic weapons.

"Buzz—"

Gu Congxing wielded the Whale-Slaying Sword, his body like a flying dragon in the clouds, his steps like dancing on the water, and the golden sword light was unstoppable.

At this moment, a bamboo leaf fell down. Gu Congxing raised his eyes and moved forward in an instant. He raised his sword slightly. It seemed like a very light movement, but it instantly split the bamboo leaf and the long bamboo behind it into two pieces.

"The sword moves lightly yet fiercely, rising from behind, using softness to overcome hardness, its thousand changes are like flowing clouds."

Gu Congxing made a sword flower, sheathed the sword, and a carefree smile appeared on his jade-like face.

"Junior brother, do you like this Liuyun Sword Technique?"

Zhong Ming was already staring in a trance.

Coming back to his senses, he nodded heavily: "Of course! Senior Brother's swordsmanship is indeed unparalleled!"

Gu Congxing laughed: "Compared to Master's swordsmanship, it's just a show of skill before an expert."

In the following two months, both of them worked day and night, dancing with swords.

Zhong Ming cultivated rapidly and had successfully established his foundation, while Gu Congxing had also reached the great perfection of his foundation and would soon be able to form a golden elixir.

Sometimes, when Gu Congxing looked at Zhong Ming practicing hard, he couldn't help but think of the days when he was traveling in Beizhou - when he was practicing sword in the Gu family martial arts field.

At that time, he was even younger than Zhong Ming, and his elder brother Gu Mingting was always by his side teaching him, meticulously and without getting tired of it.

His elder brother had mastered the Liuyun sword technique to perfection. Gu Congxing had admired him since childhood and began to practice sword technique at an early age.

At that time, every time Gu Congxing mastered a move, his brother would lift him up high, sometimes even throwing him into the air, and then catch him steadily.

"My brother is truly gifted, he's not an ordinary person!"

At that time, he would stretch out his hands and hug his brother's head with joy. Sometimes, he would be a little naughty and secretly ruffle his brother's long hair which was carefully tied up.

Whenever this happened, Gu Mingting would pinch his brother's cheeks and scold him gently, telling him not to mess around.

But the voice was clearly extremely doting.

Even longer ago, when Gu Congxing was still a child, he would always cling to his brother. Sometimes, when he got too spoiled and said he couldn't walk and needed someone to carry him, his brother would always hold him in his arms, even while looking down on his pretentiousness.

He would pat his brother's back and knead his brother's soft earlobes with a smile.

In his brother's arms, Gu Congxing always felt a great sense of security and fell asleep in a comfortable position.

"Gu Mingting..." Gu Congxing murmured softly.

So, when did it start to change?

It seemed that it was when he was 12 years old and his elder brother was officially designated as the next head of the family.

Their parents died young, and their cousin Gu Ci took over as the head of the Gu family. At that time, their uncle and brother had been cultivating in the Gu family's forbidden area for over a month. When they emerged, their brother was different from before.

He became extremely severe.

He had been very gentle towards Gu Congxing before, but after that, he seemed to smile less and less.

There was even one time when Gu Congxing learned the latest sword style as usual and went to Gu Mingting to hug him, but was knocked away by a palm.

"How can you still be so weak and spoiled even at this age? If you can't learn all the Liuyun Sword Styles within three years, get out of the Gu family!"

Gu Congxing fell to the ground in a daze for a long time, then ran away without saying a word.

In reality, Gu Congxing had never had much of a relationship with the other members of the Gu clan; he only clung to his brother. It was only in front of his brother that he revealed his weak side.

After that, Gu Congxing never asked Gu Mingting for a hug again - not only that, he stopped acting like a spoiled child and followed the instructions of the clan elders, bowing properly to his brother whenever he saw him.

As if it was the first time he saluted, Gu Mingting's body froze for a moment before he responded coldly.

Gu Congxing thought, maybe he remembered it wrong.

That man was the one who was willing to give his brother a heart-destroying pill—

"Second Brother?"

Zhong Ming waved his hand in front of Gu Congxing and called softly.

When Gu Congxing came to his senses, he found that Zhong Ming had finished practicing sword skills and was sweating.

The boy's dark golden eyes were clean and clear, with a warm smile.

"Second Brother, the sun is shining brightly today. How about we lie down together and bask in the sun?"

“…Alright.”

The two men lay on their backs on the grass, watching the clouds roll by.

After a moment, Zhong Ming spoke leisurely, "Brother, I had a dream yesterday. In the dream, I visited many unfamiliar places. It's really strange. I've only been to fishing villages and the Qingxuan Sword Sect in the mortal world, but the scenes in the dream felt very real..."

"Brother, is there a place called Fushen Forest in this world?"

Gu Congxing's expression froze.

He naturally knew it, and could even be said to be familiar with it.

Fushen Forest is located at the junction of Youbeizhou and the Demon Realm, and it is the place where the Gu family often sends disciples to patrol.

Why did Zhong Ming dream of Fushenlin?

After a moment of silence, Gu Congxing summoned a scroll from his storage bag and threw it into the air, and a map slowly unfolded.

The world they are in - "Hexu Realm" includes three small worlds: the human world, the cultivation world and the divine world.

The Three Mulberry Branchless Tree is a giant tree in the world. It runs through three small worlds and stands in the center of the world.

Gu Congxing pointed in the distance and said, "That forest stretching for a hundred miles is the Fushen Forest. However, this place is extremely dangerous and cultivators below the Golden Core stage are not allowed to enter. Unless you have reached the Nascent Soul stage, you cannot enter the depths of the jungle."

Zhong Ming stared at the map in a daze, his eyes moving between the five continents, as if he was looking for something.

Zhong Ming opened his eyes slightly until he saw a landmark in the north.

Gu Congxing followed his gaze and his heart sank.

That is the demonic realm...

The five continents of the cultivation world are Zhongyuzhou, Donglaizhou, Youbeizhou, Luoxizhou, and Nanmingzhou. Sects and aristocratic families are scattered across them, with "one sect, two factions, and four aristocratic families" being the most respected.

The "one sect" refers to the Qingxuan Sword Sect, and the "two factions" are the Tianlin Sect where Si Junjian is located, and the Ganyang Sect where Xiao Wangyou is located.

The "Four Generation Families" are the Jiang, Gu, Yuan, and the already exterminated Kong family.

Among them, the Gu family and the Tianlin sect were somewhat special because they not only had to lead their disciples in cultivation, but also had the duty of monitoring the outside world, being on the front lines of the fight against the demon clans.

Because Youbeizhou borders the Demon Realm, and Luoxizhou, where the Tianlin Sect is located, is adjacent to the Monster Realm.

It is also for this reason that the Gu family and the Tianlin sect have always had a relationship of mutual appreciation and admiration, and have become good families.

As for the demons, they were naturally the Gu family's sworn enemies. The demons had claimed the lives of many cultivators, especially the Gu family's disciples.

Gu Congxing was about to ask Zhong Ming why his gaze lingered on the Demon Realm, but he heard him ask first:

"Brother, I heard that the Gu family is very powerful and wealthy. Why did you go all the way to join the Qingxuan Sword Sect?"

Gu Congxing was speechless for a moment.

The scene of him being trapped in the tribe's punishment tower came flooding back to his memory.

The surrounding iron walls were shrouded in darkness, and only by looking up high could one see a little light from the dome.

At that time, there was another formation at the bottom of the tower where he was. The walls around him would become increasingly cramped day by day, causing people to gradually collapse in the claustrophobic environment.

In fact, as long as he admitted that he had heard or seen wrongly and stopped caring about the Phoenix Feather, he would be released immediately.

But Gu Congxing was unwilling.

The young man pounded on the door, shouting angrily even though his arms were blue:

“I’m not wrong—!”

"Why didn't you allow me to investigate the sudden annihilation of the Kong clan? Why does the Kong clan's Phoenix Feather exist within the clan?!"

"Is this the righteous path you taught me?!!"

"Gu family! Isn't the Gu family a famous family that fights demons and defends the way? Let me out, I want to know the truth——"

Naturally, no one will respond.

Instead, it was replaced by a heart pill.

When the iron gate opened and Gu Congxing saw his brother's handsome face again, he was delighted.

When his brother smiled for the rare time and handed him a piece of hot spiritual food, Gu Congxing thought that the two brothers could go back to the past - until he found out that the cherry contained the Heart-Losing Pill.

This drug will make people confused and memory-hazy, and they will not return to normal until a week later, but they will lose their memory of the month before taking it.

Although it does not cause much harm to the human body, it can easily manipulate other people's minds, so this pill has long been banned.

Gu Congxing also accidentally learned about the refining method and characteristics of this pill in the secret realm of the clan.

Fortunately, during the past two years of being ignored by his brother, Gu Congxing developed an interest in the art of alchemy. He would secretly refine various elixirs and carry them with him. His brother, who had always been indifferent to him, was unaware of this.

That's why he was able to secretly swallow the antidote when the guards weren't paying attention, and then pretend to have the symptoms of the Lost Heart Pill, pretending to have forgotten about the Phoenix Feather.

It was not until a short while later that the master came to the sect and he became his disciple.

If he had not been disappointed again and again, how could he have decided to leave his hometown?

"...Master's swordsmanship is unrivaled throughout the world, and the Qingxuan Sword Sect also reigns supreme among the many sects. All cultivators strive to reach the pinnacle of enlightenment and ascend to heaven. Naturally, I will choose the stronger side."

Gu Congxing's voice was calm. He didn't want to publicize the family's scandal.

Zhong Ming seemed to be completely unaware of what was wrong with Gu Congxing's expression, and simply followed his words and asked:

"After ascending, can we reach the divine realm?"

"That's the rumor, but no one knows the truth. After all, even the existence of the divine realm is controversial these days, and even the creation myths are rarely circulated."

"Creation myth?" Zhong Ming's eyes lit up.

"That's right. Legend has it that two thousand years ago, the Hexu Realm consisted of only the God Realm and the Human Realm. However, due to a war between the five divine beasts, the sky collapsed and the earth sank, and half of the Human Realm sank, which is the present-day human world."

"The other half remained where it was. Although it was ravaged by war, it was protected by the gods and its spiritual energy flourished, thus becoming the present day world of cultivation."

After hearing this, Zhong Ming pondered for a moment and stopped asking questions.

Gu Congxing stopped talking, letting the warmth around him gradually fade away and the cold wind howled.

He sat up, feeling a little tired for some reason, and walked straight towards his residence without paying any attention to Zhong Ming beside him.

Tomorrow is the day the auction starts, and he still needs to make some preparations.

But after taking only a few steps, he was hugged tightly by someone.

Gu Congxing tugged at the arms that were clasped tightly around his waist, but couldn't budge. He sighed softly.

"What are you doing?"

Zhong Ming's voice came from behind, muffled but with some urgency.

"I'm sorry, brother. I didn't mean to upset you...it's just that I'm scared."

"I didn't lie to you. I really did dream, but it wasn't just Fushen Forest. I dreamed of other places as well." Zhong Ming was silent for a moment, then he spoke with a determined look, "Zhangwei Mountain."

Gu Congxing was shocked.

Zhangwei Mountain! It is deep in the heart of the demon clan and is the location of the demon palace for generations!

If the Gu family did not have a deep understanding of the demons, Gu Congxing would not have known what Zhangwei Mountain was.

Zhong Ming, how come you even dreamed about Zhangwei Mountain?

No wonder his eyes finally fell on the map of the Demon Realm in surprise. It turned out that he was looking at Zhangwei Mountain!

"Brother! The scenes I saw in my dream were all blood moons, black soil, and demons everywhere. But I didn't feel scared in the dream, I even felt a sense of familiarity!"

Zhong Ming seemed to be unable to hold back any longer. He turned the figure in front of him around and looked at Gu Congxing face to face.

He woke up from the dream in panic, but then thought it was just an ordinary dream and didn't take it seriously.

But when I asked casually today, I found out that they all really exist!

The moment Zhong Ming saw Zhangwei Mountain marked on the map, his breath was taken away.

"Brother, I've looked different from ordinary people since I was young. I was raised by an old man, without a father or mother. When I was young, everyone in my fishing village said I was a demon and had killed my relatives. Everyone avoided me like the plague."

Zhong Ming raised his head with a sincere look on his face.

"I was with Grandpa, and I just wanted to live a peaceful life with him, but who knew a demon would come to the village!"

Gu Congxing couldn't help but concentrate and listen to him.

"That beastly demon cultivator slaughtered the entire village! Grandpa was also killed to protect me... Later, I was lucky enough to be rescued by Master and brought here, but I will never forget the bloodshed that day. Senior Brother, I hate demon cultivators and the demon clan!"

His brows were furrowed, and tears glistened in his dark golden eyes.

"But why do I look different from you? Why do the people around me always die one after another? Why do I have that damn dream in such a beautiful time!?"

Zhong Ming's voice became louder and louder, and the pain in his eyes was about to overflow.

His tears kept falling, hitting the brown ground like blood.

Gu Congxing couldn't help but stretch out her arms to hug him, letting his tears wet her clothes.

“Senior Brother…”

Zhong Ming whimpered a few times and slowly closed his eyes.

"I'm really scared. If I'm really related to the demons, how are you, as a descendant of the Gu family who have an mortal enemy with the demons, going to get along with me?"

"How should I... face you?"

Gu Congxing hugged him tightly and patted his back gently.

He heard his own voice trembling a little: "No, Junior Brother."

"Zhong Ming, as long as I'm here, I will never let you become possessed by the devil."

"There will never be any irreconcilable enmity between you and me."

In a flash, the ending of Zhong Ming in his previous life suddenly popped up in Gu Congxing's mind.

He was possessed by the devil, turned into the Demon Lord, and eventually died tragically.

But now, he had clearly completed the task of assisting his junior fellow apprentice, and had diligently guided him, even selecting for him a method of mind that would clear his mind and stabilize his heart.

Why, why!

How could such a dream occur? What on earth went wrong?

Suddenly, Gu Congxing thought of something he had forgotten for a long time - a character inscription.

After comforting his junior brother, he called out the system to find out what was going on.

Gu Congxing touched Zhong Ming's head, slid his hands down, lifted his cheeks, and wiped away his tears with his thumbs.

Zhong Ming had stopped talking and stared silently at the person before him. Only his eyelashes trembled slightly, and another line of tears slid down.

Gu Congxing looked at the exquisite face in front of him. She had deep features, a straight nose and thin lips. He always thought she was very beautiful.

"So what if you look different from others? In my opinion, you are as beautiful as a flower. They must be speaking ill of you out of jealousy."

Zhong Ming blinked and was stunned for a moment.

Immediately, he burst into laughter through his tears.

"So, Senior Brother can tell jokes, too."

"No, I really mean it. Your curly hair makes you easy to spot in a crowd, and your golden eyes seem to glow in the sun."

Gu Congxing's fingers gently slid across Zhong Ming's eyebrows, then gently fell on his nose, moving slowly as he spoke.

"The nose is like someone from the Western Regions, and the shape of the lips is also very beautiful."

Zhong Ming's breathing became a little rapid, and two blushes appeared on his cheeks.

"Such an exquisite appearance, I always have no time to admire it, how can I think of anything else?"

Zhong Ming kept silent, just blinking in panic.

Gu Congxing hugged Zhong Ming again, resting his chin on the boy's neck. It was a little hot.

"The passing of a loved one is sad, right? But from now on, you'll have me, Senior Brother, and Master by your side. We're all incredibly powerful, so how could we fall so easily?"

As he spoke, the ending of his previous life made Gu Congxing's heart ache. But he kept telling himself that it was in the past.

The future is in your hands.

Zhong Ming hummed softly.

It's like a big dog with its fur standing on end, and after its fur is smoothed, it nestles obediently in its owner's arms.

"It's just a dream, it doesn't mean anything. As long as you practice diligently and keep your heart upright, who would dare to say you have any connection with the demons? If anyone really speaks nonsense, I will pull out their tongue for you."

Gu Congxing's forehead lightly touched Zhong Ming's forehead, and sure enough, he saw a familiar light in those golden eyes.

"Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you."

"Sleep peacefully, Junior Brother."

Gu Congxing cast a sleeping spell. Zhong Ming raised his eyes, looked at him deeply, and fell into a deep sleep.

After carrying his junior brother back to bed, Gu Congxing returned to his usual indifferent expression.

"system."

[Ding! Long time no see, host!]

"What exactly is this character inscription you mentioned earlier?"

[Character epigraphs usually only have one sentence. The host can understand this as... the author's verdict on the character.]

"Verdict?" Gu Congxing sneered, "What an unpleasant statement."

As a character in a book, my understanding of others is ultimately one-sided. If I could get a brief evaluation of the characters in the storybook, it could be useful in the future.

Give it a try.

[Host, character inscriptions are not necessarily all positive. Also, character inscriptions are not necessarily all accurate.]

It doesn't look like it's anything good.

Gu Congxing glanced at it and slowly placed his palm on Zhong Ming's head.

He didn't seem to be having nightmares anymore, a small smile playing on his lips.

Gu Congxing's eyes were gentle, and he silently recited in his heart: Character Inscription.

Zhong Ming's character inscription.

Then, a silver light emerged from the place where the two people touched, forming characters bit by bit.

Gu Congxing's heart was beating like a drum. Those words were...

[This is all fate, no one has any control over it]

Gu Congxing's breath was choked.

As if sensing the depressing atmosphere and Gu Congxing's unusual anger, the characters dissipated and began to reassemble.

Gu Xingcong's expression was distorted, but he still held on to a glimmer of hidden hope.

What I just said was wrong.

The newly formed character inscription only has four characters:

【Fate is hard to beat】

…

Although he had expected this, Gu Congxing still felt his heart pounding after seeing these words, and blood oozed from his clenched fists.

"……hehe."

Gu Congxing's emotions were in turmoil, and he couldn't help but laugh out of anger.

He went outside, looked up at the sky, and angrily questioned the sky.

"Author, is this your verdict on the characters you created?!"

What a bullshit verdict! What a bullshit character inscription!

Since it is not necessarily accurate, it means that it is not fate!

I can’t defy your destiny!

"We cultivators are best at changing our fate!"

"Just wait and see! I will definitely change this damn fate! I'll show you who is the master of this body and soul!"

Even if my life ends in death, even if my heart and soul are slain, I will definitely achieve my wish!

The author has something to say:

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[Let me see] The world map has been commissioned on Weibo, welcome to take a look

【Small Theater】

On the other side, Venerable Zhuoguang was in seclusion in the cave.

Chen Mu: I haven’t seen my disciples for a long time. Let me use the water mirror to take a look.

Eldest Disciple: Wandering around the world, eating and strolling.

Shen Mu: Laziness. Next.

Second Disciple: Practice diligently.

Shen Mu: Praise. Next.

Third Disciple: Super! Practice diligently!

Chen Mu: Diligence. Wait, who is he holding?

(The water mirror expands, revealing the second and third disciples hugging each other tightly.)

Chen Mu: ...

(Break the water mirror) (Adjust cultivation speed to double) (Quickly summon the eldest disciple back to the peak)