Chapter 197 Misty Rain Pavilion (Twenty-Five)

The fox clan's alluring fragrance is renowned for its ability to bewitch the mind.

This incense was obtained by Jiang Gu after he killed Jiang Lin. Wei Feng had seen him use it. This alluring incense was always associated with the romantic affairs of the fox clan, which was mostly despised by the world. However, Jiang Gu never had such concerns. He could even bring out the value of this low-class thing far beyond its original effect. Wei Feng once thought that his master was omnipotent.

However, when this kind of thing is used on oneself, the state of mind is completely different.

Jiang Gu's gentleness and intimacy were still vivid in his mind, and the sweet joy and excitement still lingered in his blood. For a moment, all the difficulties and obstacles, all the unbearable pain and torment, became insignificant. He truly believed that Jiang Gu was willing to become his Daoist partner.

But all of this was a facade created by Jiang Gu.

He couldn't even understand why Jiang Gu would do this.

He tried to find the person using the Fire Rope and the Jade Bracelet, but as expected, Jiang Gu severed the connection with these magical artifacts. Wei Feng's expression grew colder and colder, and Wu Tuo was so frightened that he jumped off his shoulder and transformed into human form.

"Perhaps he doesn't want to be disturbed while undergoing his tribulation," Wu Tuo tried to comfort him.

Wei Feng gripped the empty end of the Fire Rope tightly and said in a deep voice, "You have no idea how badly his primordial spirit was injured."

Wu Tuo looked at him somewhat at a loss. If Wei Feng still resembled his former self when Jiang Gu was around, the current Wei Feng made him feel unfamiliar, and even somewhat inexplicably afraid.

“Master won’t abandon me.” Wei Feng seemed to be talking to him, but also to himself. “He risked his life to save me and left me the Jade Bracelet and the Fire Rope. He won’t just leave. But he’s so badly injured, how will he survive the tribulation?”

Wu Tuo scratched his head. "Jiang Gu will definitely have a way."

"I have a way too!" Wei Feng gripped the Fire Rope tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, and gritted his teeth, saying, "He just doesn't believe me."

Even if he didn't believe him, Jiang Gu shouldn't have left in this way, and even used the fox clan's alluring fragrance on him... Although Wei Feng didn't want to admit it, perhaps his entanglement and wishful thinking annoyed Jiang Gu, which is why he used this method to warn him.

Wei Feng's mind was in chaos. Just as his rationality was on the verge of collapse, a talisman suddenly appeared in front of him. The talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, revealing lines of characters in the air. Wei Feng recognized the sharp and vigorous handwriting at a glance.

"We will meet at the Tower of Life and Death in ten days."

Wei Feng's bewildered expression froze for a moment. He stared intently at those words, nervously twitching the corners of his mouth, and said to Wu Tuo, "Master didn't abandon me."

"Shall we go to the Tower of Life and Death now?" Wu Tuo asked him.

Wei Feng didn't speak, but let out a gloomy laugh.

——

Jiang Gu looked at Lu Liyu, who was injured but still able to breathe, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.

Jiang Xiangyun walked over and blocked his view, smiling as he said, "Seventh Brother, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."

He noticed the other party's movements even earlier than Jiang Gu, so he used the Vermilion Bird rune to locate the meeting. However, to his surprise, the little monster that Jiang Gu was protecting like a precious gem was not with him.

"Where's your little apprentice?" Jiang Xiangyun asked with a smile, looking behind him.

"He ran away to save his own life," Jiang Gu said.

Lu Liyu chuckled.

Jiang Gu's cold gaze fell on him, and he said in a deep voice, "Has your bond been broken?"

Just as Lu Liyu was about to speak, Jiang Xiangyun immediately interrupted her, "Not yet. This bond is extremely difficult to break. Even my great-grandfather couldn't untie it. I've tried many times but haven't been able to. I can only continue to keep the person by my side."

Upon hearing this, Lu Liyu raised an eyebrow playfully and remained silent.

Jiang Gu narrowed his eyes, and Yao Li, who was next to him, gripped his sword tightly, as if he would immediately retaliate if Jiang Gu dared to make a move.

"Seventh Brother." Jiang Xiangyun tried to put his arm around his shoulder, but as expected, he dodged it. He didn't mind and just smiled and said, "He took Song Suilou and my nephew Wei Feng away back then. I know he deserves to die, but with this bond, if he dies, I won't live either. Although he didn't play any role this time, let him live a little longer for the sake of your elder brother. Besides, you are seriously injured and it's not good for you to fight again."

Jiang Gu lifted his eyelids and glanced at him.

He naturally understood the implication in Jiang Xiangyun's words. Before setting off for Wangyue, Jiang Yinzhong had also tampered with his and Jiang Xiangyun's primordial spirits. Jiang Xiangyun must have something that could determine his life or death. Moreover, Jiang Xiangyun and Lu Liyu were bound by a bond of affection. If he killed Lu Liyu, Jiang Xiangyun would not survive, and it was hard to guarantee that Jiang Gu's life would be used as a substitute. This was why he had not taken Lu Liyu's life.

It's one thing for them to be fully aware of these interests, but it's another to bring them up in the open. Besides, Jiang Xiangyun is good at dealing with people, so their cooperative relationship is barely acceptable.

However, Jiang Xiangyun also knew that since Advisor Jiang had spoken up, he must have already prepared a backup plan and figured out that his seventh brother was extremely intelligent. He had finally managed to recruit him to his side, and if he were to become an enemy, it would be a loss.

Jiang Xiangyun considered his options several times, but finally decided to speak frankly, "Seventh Brother, he is still of great use to me, and I will protect him no matter what."

"Conditions." Jiang Gu didn't waste any more words with him.

Jiang Xiangyun breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "Before we came to Wangyue—when we entered Songsui Illusionary Realm, the patriarch asked us to leave part of our primordial spirit in the Heavenly Mystery Box. The Heavenly Mystery Box was planted with a Life-Swapping Gu. This Life-Swapping Gu can allow someone else to take the place of another when one of them is on the verge of death. It can be a cultivator from the main family who has been planted with the Gu, or it can be an exchange of primordial spirits within the Heavenly Mystery Box. Relatively speaking, exchanging within the Heavenly Mystery Box is faster and more effective. I suppose Seventh Brother already knew this."

Jiang Gu's eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I have a way to have your Heavenly Secret Box destroyed, so the patriarch can no longer control you, and your life will no longer be tied to mine.” Jiang Xiangyun laughed, “Seventh brother, isn’t this condition sincere enough? It’s more than enough to exchange for Lu Liyu’s life.”

He understood that Jiang Gu entered the Heaven and Earth Pavilion with him at least 70% because of the Heavenly Secret Box from the main family. Someone as proud as Jiang Gu would absolutely not want to be controlled by others.

"Deal," Jiang Gu said. "I will not kill Lu Liyu."

His quick agreement made Jiang Xiangyun wary. "Really?"

“Of course.” Jiang Gu glanced at Lu Liyu not far away. The beggar waved at him with a smile, but Jiang Gu coldly withdrew his gaze.

Jiang Xiangyun belatedly realized, "What about your apprentice?"

Jiang Gu slowly tugged at the corner of his mouth, "He has never been one to be disciplined."

The implication was that just because he wouldn't kill, it didn't mean Wei Feng wouldn't.

Jiang Xiangyun looked at him, both amused and exasperated. "Seventh brother, you really are—"

“I’ll buy you time to escape the blockade.” Jiang Gu didn’t give him any more chance to bargain. “But you must help me take Wei Feng with you out of here.”

Jiang Xiangyun's reason for refusing was that, from any perspective, it was a very worthwhile deal.

“Alright.” He paused. “However, my nephew Wei has a violent temper. If he’s not happy, I might have to resort to other methods.”

"It's alright, as long as we don't damage the foundation."

Jiang Xiangyun looked at him curiously, "Seventh brother, tell your elder brother the truth, what exactly is going on between you and your little apprentice?"

Jiang Gu looked at him expressionlessly.

“Even a biological father might not do this much for his son. Don’t try to fool me.” Jiang Xiangyun said with a knowing look on his face.

Jiang Gu came to see him despite being seriously injured, so it was impossible that he really came to kill Lu Liyu. He was just trying to exchange conditions with him. Moreover, in Jiang Xiangyun's opinion, of the two deals, Jiang Gu cared more about Wei Feng's safety. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Lu Liyu a warning first. On the surface, he was exchanging the Heavenly Secret Box for Lu Liyu's life, but in reality, Jiang Gu was warning him to keep an eye on Lu Liyu.

Jiang Xiangyun would never believe that Jiang Gu had put so much effort into this, considering they were master and disciple.

"Just master and disciple." Jiang Gu's expression turned even colder, and before he could ask any more questions, he disappeared from the spot.

"Young Master, are you really going to destroy the Heavenly Secret Box? Without the Heavenly Secret Box, we will be unable to control Jiang Gu." Yao Li looked at Jiang Xiangyun.

"Even with the Heavenly Secret Box in hand, do you really think we can control him?" Jiang Xiangyun smiled. "It would be better to go with the flow and do Seventh Brother a favor, which would also save Lu Liyu's life."

“Young master, do you really have feelings for this man surnamed Lu—” Yao Li frowned disapprovingly.

Jiang Xiangyun looked at Lu Liyu outside the soundproof enclosure, a dark glint flashing in his eyes. "The path of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion is blocked. With Lu Liyu here, we can take over the Burning Platform Hall in a reasonable manner. Of course, this will also require the help of my seventh brother and my nephew Wei. We will naturally have to put in some effort to resolve their conflicts."

"Can Jiang Gu handle this alone?" Yao Li asked again. "Do you need my help?"

Jiang Xiangyun pondered for a moment, "No need. Since he hasn't said anything, he probably doesn't need it. Sometimes, having too many people is a burden for him. Besides, Wei Feng is probably going to be difficult to deal with. We have to take him away no matter what."

"It's strange that Seventh Brother cares so much about him. Could it be that he has really fallen in love with this little monster?" he asked Yao Li.

"..." Yao Li imagined Jiang Gu, who was ruthless yet moved, and couldn't help but frown.

The possibility of this is even smaller than if Lu Liyu were to die right now.

——

Jiang Gu formed a hand seal, watching the musical note ignite, and heard Jiang Xiangyun's teasing voice again.

'...What exactly is going on between you and your little apprentice?'

He was barely able to control his sword. The biting wind on his face carried a chill, and the alluring scent of the fox clan wafted behind him. His chaotic thoughts gradually calmed down.

Handing Wei Feng over to Jiang Xiangyun so hastily was not his original intention, and he did not initially intend to force Wei Feng out of his control. However, in a moment of impulse, he made such a flawed decision and even used aphrodisiac on Wei Feng.

A moment of impulse.

Jiang Gu pondered the word repeatedly, and the scene in Tianchi inevitably appeared in his mind, making his heart beat slower.

*

Several hours ago, the water in the mountain cave's Heavenly Pool.

As they were healing their wounds, Jiang Gu swam over and reached out to support Wei Feng's chin when the water was about to cover Wei Feng's nose.

Although he was severely injured, he still possessed a sliver of spiritual energy, enough to lift Wei Feng from where he stood. But instead, he swam over, and before he could even comprehend what was happening, Wei Feng's arm instinctively wrapped around his waist, his wet forehead pressed against his shoulder, and he mumbled indistinctly, "Master..."

His hand, which was on Wei Feng's shoulder, paused slightly.

Wei Feng never cared about appearances in front of him, and he was completely naked. He had intended to heal his wounds alone, so he was only wearing trousers. Wei Feng was naked in his arms, their warm skin pressed together without any obstruction. He closed his eyes, wanting to push him away.

Perhaps because the method of healing in this pool was extremely domineering, Wei Feng whimpered in a daze, his voice trembling with a hint of tears, "Master, it hurts... Master, I want to go home."

Jiang Gu pushed his hand away and froze on the spot.

Wei Feng never mentioned "home" to him. Jiang Gu was used to being homeless and wandering. The dark tomb in the far south was just something he used to tease Wei Feng about as home. But in his heart, there was no such thing as home. Wei Feng probably thought of Yanghua Sect after seeing Wu Tuo.

Before meeting Jiang Gu, his life was relatively stable and smooth.

Perhaps because his body was warm, Wei Feng hugged him even tighter. The fire rope connected to Wei Feng's sea of ​​consciousness, and Jiang Gu knew that he was not awake, so he did not push him away again.

He raised his hand and touched Wei Feng's wet head. The ghostly patterns around him clung pitifully to his wrist and rubbed against him affectionately. The faint scent of Wei Feng wafted through the misty steam. Wei Feng's naked body was covered in wounds but dazzlingly white. He obediently and meekly wrapped his arms around his waist and nestled in his chest, calling him "Master" in a confused and pitiful state.

For a moment, Jiang Gu didn't know what he wanted to do.

By the time he realized what was happening, he had already grabbed Wei Feng by the back of the neck, lifted his chin, and leaned down to kiss him.

Rippling water, swirling mist, their breaths mingling, he was only inches from Wei Feng's lips, within reach if he so desired.

He knew what that touch felt like: soft, warm, and beautifully shaped, with a pair of sharp little tiger teeth between them. In their few encounters, Wei Feng always liked to bite the corner of his mouth with those teeth, like a fledgling animal marking its territory.

As he approached, Wei Feng's breathing became somewhat rapid. He seemed to instinctively sense Jiang Gu's approach and frowned, eagerly wanting to get closer, but Jiang Gu turned his head away and dodged.

Soft lips brushed against my ear, and my heart felt a burning sensation in my chest, almost suffocating.

Wei Feng leaned on his shoulder, grumbled twice in dissatisfaction, and then his breathing became even again.

Jiang Gu listened to the rapid heartbeat in his chest, his jaw tightened, he frowned and closed his eyes, placing his palm on Wei Fengguang's bare back and holding him even tighter.

It must be because of Wei Feng's heart. He thought to himself, in a self-deceptive way.

The usually unmoving Dao Heart of the Ruthless Dao began to tremble for the first time, and ripples appeared in the calm sea of ​​consciousness, which he then forcibly stabilized.

That's all.

He forced himself to let go of the person in his arms, but he still couldn't help himself. He reached out and wiped away the bloodstains on Wei Feng's cheek, and pressed his blood-stained fingertips to Wei Feng's soft lips, rubbing them red from their original paleness.

Jiang Gu had never done anything so meaningless before, but he did it anyway.

He stared at the oblivious Wei Feng for a long time before finally letting go of the ravaged, reddened lips, and then got up and left Tianchi.

It wasn't until he heard Wei Feng call him "Master" outside the cave that his somewhat confused mind gradually cleared up. Looking at Wei Feng's oblivious and foolish appearance, he felt no guilt or self-reproach as a teacher.

Do what you want to do, no need to worry about it.

However, he didn't need Wei Feng in his next plan, and the other party's unbridled approach made him a little flustered, so he just left him there.

As for what his relationship with Wei Feng was... they could only be considered master and disciple.

He would never submit to so-called "fate" and hand over his and Wei Feng's fate to someone else. At least from the current situation, he and Wei Feng could never overstep the boundaries of their master-disciple relationship.

Looking at the ruins of the ancient temple of Fuquan in the distance, Jiang Gu suppressed the resentment welling up in his heart, quickened his speed on his sword, and landed at the agreed location.

"You've come." The person who had been facing away from him slowly turned around.