Chapter 38 [VIP]

What on earth is going on? Why do they save him every time but then never show up? Does meeting him mean he can't gain experience? Jiang Zhuochen sat up, his heart filled with confusion.

With protection in place, Jiang Zhuochen became even more reckless on the journey ahead. He took the healing pills he carried with him to restore his mobility.

But this little world seemed to be working against him at every turn, with crises coming one after another, and each one erupting when he let his guard down a little.

Once, in order to avoid a group of disciples from other sects whose whereabouts were shrouded in mystery, he had to take a detour, but inadvertently triggered a hidden restriction on the ground that was almost integrated with the crystal. In an instant, countless dark blue ice cones condensed above his head, accompanied by a biting cold, and shot towards him like a torrential rain, blocking all his escape routes.

Once again, in a relatively dry grotto, he discovered several Moonflower Grasses emitting a gentle white light, a perfect remedy for healing and strengthening the body. He carefully reached out to pick them, but the moment his fingertips touched the leaves, the ground beneath his feet suddenly exploded. A massive scorpion, its carapace gleaming with a cold light and its tail hook raised high, lunged out, its deadly hook aimed for his back.

Every time he was helpless and on the verge of death, a perfectly timed, yet "mysterious" external force would intervene.

Each intervention resolved the crisis precisely and efficiently, then vanished without a trace, never appearing again, leaving not even a trace of extra spiritual energy fluctuations, as if nothing had ever happened.

Jiang Zhuochen's doubts grew like a snowball. Once or twice could be attributed to coincidence or luck. But so many times, in such a vast secret realm, he was always rescued at his most dangerous moments. He simply couldn't believe that Xu Xing hadn't been watching his every move.

But why doesn't he show himself? Most of the time, there's no one around, yet he won't even show his face. If he's so worried about his safety, why did he send him into this perilous place in the first place?

Is this really a way to toughen him up?

Jiang Zhuochen dragged his weary body to a relatively secluded crystal cave to rest. He leaned against the cold cave wall, rubbing his temples.

So tiring. I never knew being a true cultivator was so hard. He closed his eyes, his fingers immediately fell to the ground, and he drifted off to sleep in the cave.

In the following days, Jiang Zhuochen got used to the high-intensity danger and even started speculating with himself when Xu Xing would make his move. He acquired a large number of treasures from the secret realm during this time, but his cultivation level didn't improve at all.

Just as the secret realm was about to disappear, he was guided out of its entrance by a wisp of spiritual energy. He met the gaze of Xu Xing, who was standing in front of the spirit boat cabin, and came to his side carrying a pile of treasures.

"Master, you want me to go in just to take these treasures?"

"Do you like it?" Xu Xing asked naturally.

"I like it." Jiang Zhuochen nodded, then complained affectionately, "But I'm so tired."

Xu Xing tidied his sideburns and said, "If you're tired, go back and rest."

Jiang Zhuochen nodded, put the treasure away, and then looked around. "Have my senior brothers returned?"

As soon as he finished speaking, several familiar faces emerged from the entrance of the secret realm. Jiang Zhuochen leaned against the spirit boat and waved excitedly. Seeing that he was safe and sound, his senior brothers finally felt relieved and raised their hands in response.

More and more cultivators emerged from the entrance, returning to their sects' gathering places with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow. Before long, the camp was crowded with people again.

Shen Hezhou and his group boarded the spirit boat, gave a brief report to Xu Xing, and were then given permission to go into the cabin to rest.

Jiang Zhuochen entered the room and sorted the treasures into categories. Once the tension that had been building within the secret realm eased, he involuntarily yawned, his thoughts momentarily stalling.

He looked up in confusion, then looked down again as his fingers touched something on the table, his eyes gradually regaining their clarity.

After packing up his treasures, he wiped away the tears that welled up with sleepiness, took a few steps to the bedside, lay down, and hugged his pillow.

As he grew increasingly sleepy, he vaguely heard the sound of the door being pushed open, guessing that it must be his master. He struggled to wake up, but his heavy eyelids could only be lifted slowly.

Xu Xing took in this blank and lifeless look, and he panicked, rushing to the bedside.

Jiang Zhuochen stretched and turned to face Xu Xing, speaking softly and gently, "Why did Master come over?"

After this whole ordeal, Jiang Zhuochen was exactly the same as before, no longer as sluggish as a puppet. Xu Xing sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the blanket up a bit for him. "All the disciples have arrived. I came over as soon as I finished my business."

"Is that so?" Jiang Zhuochen shifted into a more comfortable position, his fingers tracing circles on Xu Xing's robe. "Master, you were the one who saved me time and time again in the secret realm, weren't you?"

"Mm," Xu Xing replied.

"Why?" Jiang Zhuochen couldn't understand. He actually had a lot of questions, but he was too sleepy to think about them much. Before falling asleep, he mumbled, "I'll ask when I wake up..."

Xu Xing's brow furrowed after the other fell asleep. He grasped the fingers that were gripping his sleeve and gently slid his fingertips across the back of the other's hand.

Jiang Zhuochen seemed to be making up for the sleep he had missed in the secret realm. Even the shaking of the spirit boat landing couldn't wake him. It was the footsteps coming and going outside and the constant noise of conversation that made him reluctantly open his eyes.

He forgot about the question he was supposed to ask before going to sleep and stopped thinking about it. Returning to his room, he casually tossed his bundle onto the bed and then went with his other senior brothers to find Xu Xing to give a detailed report on what had happened in the secret realm and whether they had completed the tasks assigned before their departure.

Jiang Zhuochen sat in the chair, showing no reaction whatsoever to their conversation.

Xu Xing observed this without showing any emotion, his expression softening slightly. This startled Ling He, who was giving her report, causing her to tremble with fear. She stammered as she continued, mentally reviewing what she had said wrong.

Fortunately, there was no real danger, and Xu Xing waved for them to leave. Ling He didn't have time to think, fearing that her master would change his mind, she pulled Jiang Zhuochen, who had stood up, and fled outside as if she were escaping.

Jiang Zhuochen turned to Xu Xing and called out, "Master, let's go eat."

The night was deep, and the moonlight was like water.

Xu Xing pushed open the carved wooden door of the bedroom. There were no candles lit inside, only the cold moonlight shining through the window and illuminating the space. His gaze was drawn to the curled-up figure on the bed.

Jiang Zhuochen had slipped in at some point and was now lying on his side on the inside of the bed, breathing evenly and deeply, sleeping soundly without any guard. His long, dark hair was spread out on the plain brocade quilt, and his outstanding features, bathed in moonlight, lost their usual liveliness, revealing a rare calm and vulnerability.

Xu Xing's steps faltered at the doorway. Without disturbing him, he stood quietly in the shadows by the door, his gaze fixed on Jiang Zhuochen, a deep, indescribable, almost painful pity welling up in his eyes.

The daytime affairs of the sect receded like the tide, leaving only the sleeping figure before him and the heavy reluctance in his heart.

The empty half of the bed seemed to be inviting him, and Xu Xing unconsciously walked to the bedside, openly tracing Jiang Zhuochen's outline.

Time is running out.

Although he had tested the waters and found that intense concentration could temporarily suppress the symptoms, he hadn't expected the backlash to be so rapid. He couldn't let Jiang Zhuochen suffer any relief, and he couldn't bear to.

Xu Xing watched like this for a long time, until the moonlight shifted and the chirping of insects outside the window subsided. Finally, he sighed silently.

When Jiang Zhuochen woke up, he was momentarily disoriented. The familiar, cool scent of cedar lingered in his nostrils. He sat up abruptly, looked around, and was shocked to realize that he was sleeping in his master's bed.

Messy fragments of memory from last night flooded his mind. He and his fellow students felt sleepy after dinner, and somehow ended up here and fell asleep.

In the beams of light streaming in from the window, he gazed at the tiny, floating dust particles, but his thoughts drifted like a kite with a broken string, wandering into a vast, empty void, a nameless emptiness lingering in his heart.

He remained leaning against the headboard, his eyes vacant, as if his soul had drifted away from his body.

After an unknown amount of time, the door was silently pushed open. Xu Xing walked in, his steps slow and gentle, as if afraid of disturbing something.

He immediately spotted Jiang Zhuochen, who was lost in thought, and that look in his eyes made his heart clench even more than yesterday. He silently walked to the bedside, lifted his robe, and sat down beside him.

Jiang Zhuochen seemed unaware of Xu Xing's arrival, still immersed in that boundless emptiness.

Xu Xing's gaze lingered on Jiang Zhuochen's slightly pale profile for a moment, and then a cool, bony hand gently landed on the back of Jiang Zhuochen's neck.

It was a soothing gesture; the fingertips, calloused from years of wielding a sword, were applied with unusually gentle force, slowly kneading the taut flesh.

The warmth of his palm seeped through his skin, and Jiang Zhuochen felt as if he had been pulled out of deep water by this subtle touch. His eyelashes trembled violently a few times, and his unfocused pupils finally began to slowly focus. He turned his head somewhat blankly and met Xu Xing's deep eyes, which seemed to be filled with too many emotions that he could not understand at the moment.

"Awake?" Xu Xing's voice was deep and unreadable.

Jiang Zhuochen opened his mouth, but his throat was dry, so he could only let out a low, hoarse "hmm".

"What do you want to do today?" Xu Xing asked casually, as if asking an ordinary question. His fingers did not leave the back of the other's neck, and the gentle kneading pressure was reassuring, calming Jiang Zhuochen's chaotic thoughts slightly.

Jiang Zhuochen remained silent for a long time. What should he do? Practice his sword? Attend a lecture? Or... go find his senior brothers? These thoughts flashed through his mind, but like a stone thrown into a deep pool, they only stirred up a ripple before sinking. He shook his head blankly, the movement so subtle it was almost imperceptible.

Looking at him like this, Xu Xing felt a faint pang of pain in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by a deeper calm. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled Jiang Zhuochen into his arms.

Jiang Zhuochen was taken aback by this action, but based on the principle of unconditionally trusting his master, he raised his hands and hugged the other person, snuggling into his arms.

After a long pause, Xu Xing released his hand, his fingertips gently tracing the warmth of the other's neck, a barely perceptible sigh escaping his lips: "You've been quite obedient lately."

Clever?

Jiang Zhuochen was slightly taken aback. The word felt like a soft, gentle prick. He tried to search his hazy memories for evidence of his obedience. Had he not bothered his master? Had he secretly slipped down the mountain? Or had he not bothered his senior brothers… for what exactly had he been bothering them for?

He frowned, memories flashing through his mind, but he couldn't piece together a complete picture. He was even more confused, and could only look up at Xu Xing, silently asking him what he had done.

Meeting his completely puzzled gaze, Xu Xing's decision became even clearer. He leaned slightly closer, lowering the distance between them, and spoke in a more persuasive tone.

“Since the Heavenly Punishment,” he deliberately slowed the pronunciation of the word “Heavenly Punishment,” observing Jiang Zhuochen’s reaction, “it seems I haven’t seen you consult your fellow disciples for fortune-telling. Are you tired of it?”

The words "fortune telling" were like a key that unlocked a long-sealed box in his memory. Jiang Zhuochen's mind went blank for a moment, and countless blurry fragments rushed to his mind.

The noisy fellow disciples, the clinking of copper coins, and his own incessant questioning... those images were vivid yet distant, carrying a kind of liveliness belonging to the past, yet completely out of sync with his current state of mind. He subconsciously reached for his empty waist, where a few polished copper coins should have once hung.

Tired? He felt a sudden, inexplicable panic. Not tired, but…forgotten? Or afraid?

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