Chapter 195 Misty Rain Pavilion (Twenty-Three)

Just as Wei Feng was about to make a move, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind.

He was shirtless, their skin pressed together without any barrier. The warm touch of Jiang Gu's hand on his shoulder made his mind go blank for a moment before he could hear Jiang Gu's voice clearly: "...What?"

“It’s Wutuo,” Jiang Gu said.

Wei Feng stared suspiciously at the child not far away. It took him a long time to find the memory of Wu Tuo in his jumbled memories. He turned to Jiang Gu and said, "Master, it really has taken human form."

"Hmm." Jiang Gu looked at the little child curled up on the ground in pain.

Wei Feng walked up to the child, squatted down, poked his head, and tentatively called out, "Wu Tuo?"

Utuo let out a weak groan, "...Master."

Wei Feng tentatively patted its head, put a pill in its mouth, and infused it with some spiritual energy—besides the blow Wei Feng had dealt, it also had many wounds from being bitten by spirit beasts. After eating the pill, it transformed into a small kitten with fiery red fur. Wei Feng grabbed it by the scruff of its neck, lifted it up, put it in his arms, and patted its head. "I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you just now."

He lowered his eyes, his movements were gentle, and he had completely lost his previous fierce look, appearing even more gentle.

Utuo weakly licked his fingers and coughed up a few mouthfuls of foul blood.

"Master." Wei Feng walked up to Jiang Gu, holding the tiny creature the size of his palm, and looked at him for help, as if he had turned back into the naive young man from Yanghua Sect.

Jiang Gu examined Wu Tuo in his arms and said, "He wasn't seriously injured, just exhausted."

Wei Feng was relieved, but asked in bewilderment, "Why did it come to gaze at the moon?"

Jiang Gu's eyebrows twitched slightly. "You didn't know that your psychic spent some time with it outside the border town?"

"Ah." Wei Feng touched his nose a little awkwardly, "I was only focused on getting angry when I was receiving the memories from the distraction."

"Angry?" Jiang Gu asked, puzzled.

Wei Feng's gaze suddenly turned resentful. "You tricked me into communicating with you spiritually, and afterwards you sealed my memories. Moreover, it was just a fragment of my spirit, and the memories transmitted were not real. I didn't even experience what it felt like."

Jiang Gu: "..."

"Although we communicated spiritually again, I still feel that the first time was definitely more interesting. Once I leave the Boundary Realm, I will definitely devour the divided spirit within my body and think it over carefully." Wei Feng hugged Wu Tuo and said with a grin, "Master, do you think our divided spirit might also become divine—ow!"

Jiang Gu sheathed the Crimson Snow Sword with a blank expression.

Wei Feng held Wu Tuo in one arm and covered his head with the other, saying, "Fine, I won't talk then."

——

at the same time.

There were countless corpses of spirit beasts all around, and a brightly colored plant whose fruit had been picked.

Lu Liyu, dressed in tattered clothes and covered in dust, sat on the ground. He looked up at the noble young master in front of him and wiped his face helplessly. "Young Master Jiang, this is not fair of you. I promised to help you explore the temple, and you promised to help me break the life-and-death contract and give me a divine artifact. What happened? Not to mention that I didn't get a single remnant of the divine artifact, and I couldn't break the life-and-death contract either. Now the Eight Pavilions have set up a barrier in this area. That old man Nie is Xiao Dan's right-hand man. He's not someone to be trifled with. Why don't we just part ways and run for our lives now?"

Jiang Xiangyun did not loosen the rope in his hand at all, and it wrapped around his bones, dripping blood through his flesh.

"Ouch—be gentle, be gentle, A-Yun, A-Yun, be gentle." Lu Liyu gasped in pain and grabbed his sleeve. "I won't go, I won't go, I just made it up."

The rope's tension eased slightly, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Lu Liyu was covered in cold sweat. He struggled to get up from the ground, clutching Jiang Xiangyun's sleeve. He was slightly shorter than Jiang Xiangyun. He put his bloody hand on Jiang Xiangyun's shoulder, and unexpectedly, Jiang Xiangyun did not dodge.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise and said with a grin, "You're a young master from a prominent family, you can have any female or male confidante you want. To be honest, I only got involved with you to complete my mission. Now I've betrayed the Eight Pavilions and become a rat that everyone wants to kill. Luo Xiaoyuan, Bai Luan, and the others who came out with me are all dead. I can't go back to the Burning Platform Hall, and I can't break the life-and-death contract. I don't have many years left to live. We just accidentally broke the love contract. You don't have much use for me anymore, do you think?"

Jiang Xiangyun laughed angrily, "Is this your excuse for all those outrageous things you did last night?"

Lu Liyu's eyes darted around as she looked up at the sky, her thin chin peeking out from her messy hair. "Didn't you insist on breaking the bond? That's how the Bodhi Flower is used. Besides, you didn't lose anything. My back is still hurting right now."

"Just a little suggestion, you need to practice more in the future, otherwise you won't even be able to find a cultivation partner." He got more and more excited as he spoke, his smile both ambiguous and irritating. "It's all thanks to my own efforts—mmm!"

Jiang Xiangyun gagged him with a rope, unusually losing his composure, "Lu, Li, Yu!"

"Young Master!" Yao Li's voice suddenly came from behind.

Jiang Xiangyun abruptly suppressed his anger, turned to look at Yao Li who was approaching, and smiled, "Uncle, what brings you here?"

Yao Li glanced at Lu Liyu, who was disheveled and bound like a dumpling, and said to Jiang Xiangyun, "Young Master, I have been guarding outside the barrier as instructed, but just now several unfamiliar divine senses came this way. I'm afraid they are the people from the Eight Pavilions. We'd better hurry."

“The Eighth Pavilion’s target is Seventh Brother and his little apprentice, so they shouldn’t be able to spare too much attention for us.” Jiang Xiangyun paused. “However, we can’t be careless. We need to leave as soon as possible.”

Yao Li nodded, "Yes."

Jiang Xiangyun turned to look at Lu Liyu and said in a deep voice, "Since I have promised to help you break the life-and-death contract, I will do so. If you really want to leave, it is not too late to wait until the life-and-death contract is broken."

Lu Liyu gave him a meaningful smile.

Jiang Xiangyun ignored him. Seeing this, Yao Li asked, "Young Master, has the bond been broken?"

"Hmm." Jiang Xiangyun didn't want to talk any further. "Let's go."

However, as soon as they stepped out of the barrier, they saw the seriously injured Lin Feibai and Hu Jingchen with him. The young man saw him as if he had seen a savior, "Young Master Jiang, please help me!"

Yao Li turned to look at Jiang Xiangyun.

Jiang Xiangyun stepped forward to help Lin Feibai, "Let's go."

Lin Feibai gripped his hand tightly, "I can't thank you enough, young master, I..."

“We’re all from Pingze, there’s no need for that.” Jiang Xiangyun patted his shoulder.

Lin Feibai's eyes reddened slightly. "I have another request. I heard that she encountered some trouble before, and her primordial spirit... has been trapped in my natal magic weapon. I am currently severely injured and I'm afraid I won't be able to hold on for much longer..."

Jiang Xiangyun pondered for a moment, "Don't worry, I know someone who can help you solve this problem."

"Who?" Lin Feibai was immediately delighted.

Jiang Xiangyun said, "My seventh brother is Jiang Gu."

Lin Feibai was stunned. "Young Master Jiang the Seventh?"

Everyone knows that Jiang Gu is a cold-hearted and ruthless Daoist who doesn't concern himself with other people's business; expecting him to help is simply a pipe dream.

"Don't worry, I'm closest to Seventh Brother. He'll definitely help me if I ask," Jiang Xiangyun said with a slight smile.

——

When Wu Tuo woke up, he saw a familiar face and instinctively opened his mouth, "Master—"

"Awake?" Another handsome face blocked its view.

Wu Tuo looked at Wei Feng and whispered, "Master Wei Feng."

Wei Feng didn't mind his full name and patted its fluffy little head with a smile, "Long time no see, Wutuo."

Wu Tuo nuzzled his palm with his head, then suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit and said anxiously, "Master, hurry and save Zhiyan and Elder Yu! They've been sent to the Life and Death Tower by Wu Hezhi and are in imminent danger!"

Wei Feng was taken aback and subconsciously looked at Jiang Gu, who was cultivating with his eyes down, clearly not caring.

"Don't worry, tell me what happened in detail." Wei Feng patted its head.

Wu Tuo looked up at him. Wei Feng's reaction was different from what he had imagined. In his memory, Wei Feng was an extremely warm and kind person, and the most soft-hearted. He would definitely be extremely anxious to hear that his old friend was in trouble. However, the Wei Feng in front of him was very calm, even somewhat indifferent and vaguely wary. Not to mention anxious. He was just like... another Jiang Gu.

But Wu Tuo still recounted everything that happened after they entered Jiexiang in detail.

After exchanging Wei Feng's distraction for the Misty Rain Token with Jiang Gu, Qu Fengyu and Xuan Zhiyan successfully infiltrated the Boundary Village. After several twists and turns, they finally regained the bodies of Shen Yuxin and Wu Hezhi, but they disagreed on whether to return to Pingze or stay in Wangyue.

"...Actually, Wu Hezhi has been acting strangely ever since we arrived at Wangyue. Zhiyan was the first to notice something was wrong and has been secretly investigating... He mentioned it to me several times, intentionally or unintentionally, but we were always arguing, so I didn't take it to heart. I suppose he had his own reasons for agreeing to exchange your distraction for the Misty Rain Token..." Wu Tuo said, "Later, on the night Elder Yu decided to leave, Wu Hezhi indeed made his move. His true identity is actually the deputy head of Qiankun Tower, and Jie Fuxue is just his subordinate. They are actually in Yanghua Sect for..."

Wu Tuo repeated Wu Hezhi's words to them verbatim that day.

After listening, Wei Feng asked an unimportant question, "How did you know that was my divided spirit?"

“I can smell it.” Wu Tuo said sadly, “It’s just a small part of your primordial spirit in your body. I told Zhi Yan that you had lost your memory again at that time, and he felt that it must be something that Master—your master—did to you. But it’s safer for you to stay with him than with us.”

Wei Feng fell silent.

“I’m not saying this to argue anything, I just want to tell you the truth. Zhiyan also has his own difficulties. Master, please don’t let this cause any resentment between you,” Wu Tuo said softly.

“I’ve already broken off relations with him, so there’s no reason for us to have any grudges,” Wei Feng said in a low voice. “Since you’ve chosen to stay by its side, I can’t continue to use the master-servant contract to bind you. I might as well take this opportunity to dissolve the master-servant contract.”

Utuo stared wide-eyed in shock. "Master, even you don't want me anymore?"

“My current situation…” Wei Feng paused, realizing for the first time what it meant to be “too complicated to explain in a few words.” He chuckled and said, “It’s a long story, but in short, following me is not a good thing. Xuan Zhiyan is more suitable to be a good master than I am. Wu Tuo, I don’t blame you, I just think you should follow your heart.”

Wutuo lowered its head in frustration. Wei Feng smiled and pinched its ear. "Actually, you can transform now, so you don't have to be anyone's pet. Look at Wangyue, there are plenty of powerful demon cultivators there. You can be your own master, without having to listen to anyone's orders. Just be yourself."

Wu Tuo looked up again, a mixture of suspicion and curiosity in his eyes. "Really?"

“Of course.” Wei Feng vigorously rubbed its little head. “I know for sure that being restrained is not a pleasant feeling at all, and nothing is more precious than freedom.”

For the first time in a long time, Wutuo recalled the days before it met Jiang Gu. It lived freely and unrestrained in the deep mountains. Although it had no family, it had many companions...

The formation that broke the bond slowly lit up beneath it, and Wei Feng, relying on his meager spiritual power, broke the master-servant bond between himself and Wu Tuo.

Wu Tuo transformed into a little boy, touched his brow where there was no mark, and looked at Wei Feng, "Thank you..."

He opened his mouth, unsure of what to call Wei Feng.

"Call me brother." Wei Feng said with a smile, "Judging from your human form, you should still be considered a cub in your demon cultivation world at your age."

Wu Tuo scratched his head sheepishly. He understood that Wei Feng was doing this for his own good, but he also understood the meaning behind his words. He said with some difficulty, "Brother, could you please go and save Zhiyan and the others? I can exchange all the treasures I have for them... I'll give you this three-hundred-year-old inner core, which can help you heal your injuries."

Leaving aside Wei Feng, he knew Jiang Gu's style of doing things all too well. Without a corresponding exchange of benefits, he would never meddle in other people's business, let alone expect anything from their meager master-servant relationship from the past.

But Jiang Gu didn't even glance at him from beginning to end, and Wu Tuo couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"The inner core is so important, you should keep it for yourself." Wei Feng tugged at the graying braid at the back of the boy's head with a bit of curiosity, almost pulling him down. He guiltily steadied the boy, "We were originally planning to go to the Tower of Life and Death as well."

Utuo's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Wei Feng nodded. "Wait a moment."

Wu Tuo watched him nervously as he walked toward Jiang Gu.

"Master, we..." Wei Feng made a soundproof barrier and sat down next to Jiang Gu, unsure of how to begin. He touched his nose. "Are we still going to the Tower of Life and Death?"

Jiang Gu opened his eyes and turned to look at him.

Wei Feng expected to be rejected, or at least severely reprimanded—neither way, he expected a pleasant response. He had just taken it upon himself to dissolve his master-servant contract with Wu Tuo because he feared Jiang Gu wouldn't keep Wu Tuo. Now, Jiang Gu was trying to take advantage of the situation and rescue his estranged friend.

However, Jiang Gu's gaze remained calm and indifferent as he looked at him. "Why don't you go?"

"I want to save Xuan Zhiyan." Wei Feng mustered his courage and spoke, offering himself a somewhat weak reason. "When I was distracted and lost my memory, I called for help, and Xuan Zhiyan responded to my communication talisman... Is that alright, Master?"

He was seeking Jiang Gu's consent.

"That's your own business," Jiang Gu said calmly. "If you want to save them, then go ahead and do so."

Wei Feng tried to detect sarcasm and anger in Jiang Gu's tone and expression, but Jiang Gu acted as if he were narrating something completely ordinary, or even as if he didn't care at all.

He suddenly felt a little uneasy, "Master, actually—"

“I am your master, not your teacher,” Jiang Gu said earnestly. “You have your own wishes, and you don’t need anyone to make decisions for you.”

Just as he had tried every method before but still couldn't make Wei Feng control his feelings for him, Jiang Gu suddenly realized something when he heard his conversation with Wu Tuo: Wei Feng was never an object he could control, but a living person just like him.

Looking at Wei Feng's cautious expression, he suddenly realized that Wei Feng was too obedient to him, and he had sometimes become Wei Feng's weakness. True strength never depends on anyone.

Wei Feng doesn't need it.

His gaze darkened, and he made up his mind.

He wanted to personally eliminate Wei Feng, this weakness.