☆, Chapter 34: The Darkening Technique is Great (Great my foot!)

I'm here!

Shen Qingqiu felt as if his brain was boiling, and he felt a sudden surge of heat. This was like a scene from The Ring playing out right before his eyes! He grabbed his folding fan, nimbly flipped over, and jumped out of the wooden window.

Finally, she tore off the goosebump-inducing facade she wore during the day and revealed her true nature to settle scores with him!

The escape was driven entirely by instinct. Years of ingrained habits made him insist that even when escaping, he should run with style and grace. He landed steadily, his feet barely touching the ground, and his body leaped forward.

Luo Binghe's clear and bright voice was extremely penetrating, carrying a cool laugh as it reached his ears: "During the day, I saw Master treating Gongyi Xiao with kindness and gentleness, and at night he lit a lamp to wait for Uncle Liu until late at night, showing his deep affection. How come when it comes to me, he is so distant?"

Holy crap, the distance between us shrinks N times with every sentence we say! This speed is unbelievable!

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath, thinking that no matter what, he should find a helper first, and shouted from his dantian: "Liu Qingge!"

Luo Binghe's voice drew closer again, this time less gentle and laced with a cold laugh: "Uncle-Master Liu is currently entangled in a battle and is probably too busy to come. If you have any instructions, Master, why don't you tell me?"

I wouldn't dare accept that!

Shen Qingqiu knew that Liu Qingge was probably being held back by Luo Binghe in some way and couldn't be relied on. So he poured all his spiritual power into his lower body, hoping to unleash a burst of speed.

But he unfortunately forgot that this was the period when the incurable poison was taking effect!

By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. In that instant, her blood seemed to freeze, and Shen Qingqiu's body suddenly sank.

The next moment, his throat was suddenly choked, and his back slammed heavily against the cold, hard stone wall. His spine and flesh ached from the impact, and his head was buzzing.

The Luobing River is almost within reach.

Shen Qingqiu was slammed against the wall with one hand, the back of his head hitting the wall with a thud, and he was stunned. It took a long time for his vision to clear and overlap.

Bathed in moonlight, Luo Binghe's silhouette appeared even more striking, as if sculpted from ice and jade, his beauty unparalleled.

He leaned very close and said softly, "It's been so many years since we last met, yet Master keeps calling out other people's names. This disciple is truly heartbroken."

He kept saying he was sad and heartbroken, but with a smile on his lips and a murderous look in his eyes, he was obviously lying through his teeth!

Shen Qingqiu felt as if his throat was being squeezed by an iron hoop, making it difficult to even breathe, let alone speak.

He could barely form a sword incantation with his fingers, but his spiritual energy was stagnant, so even if he did, it would be in vain. No matter how perfectly he formed the incantation, he couldn't summon the Xiuya Sword.

Moreover, Luo Binghe's hand was gradually tightening its grip.

Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu's eyes lit up as a huge dialog box popped up.

This dialog box is completely different from before. The old one resembled an error message from Windows XP; now it's simple, understated, luxurious, and sophisticated…and the key is the content! System prompt: [Do you accept this system tip to resolve your current minor inconvenience?]

You call this a "minor annoyance"?!

Shen Qingqiu roared hoarsely in his mind: "Come on! Is there an easy mode?! I need an easy mode!"

System: [Permission activated. Activate key items to maintain survivability?]

Shen Qingqiu's eyes were practically glowing green with suppressed rage: "There's another crucial prop?! How much 'cool factor' do you want to buy it? You tell me!"

System: [The item is already in your equipment. Do you wish to use the "Fake Jade Guanyin" item, consuming 100 Rage points from Luo Binghe?]

Holy crap, it's a fake jade Guanyin, the only keepsake left by Luo Binghe's adoptive mother!

He had forgotten all about the life-saving items and high-level equipment he received when he first arrived in this world. He was like a beggar with a golden bowl in his arms. System, you finally reminded him of one thing!

Shen Qingqiu: "Use it, use it, use it!" His Adam's apple was practically being squeezed in two!

System: [Friendly Reminder: This item can only be used once, and can consume a maximum of 5000 of Luo Binghe's rage points.]

Shen Qingqiu pulled back from the brink: "Wait—!!!"

Luo Binghe's rage level is only 100 points right now?! Are you kidding me?! If 100 points is already this terrifying, what will he be like when his rage level is 5000 points? The scene is too beautiful to imagine! The key point is—using an item that can reduce rage by up to 5000 points to deal with a situation where he only has 100 points, and then losing the ability to use it from now on, even if his life is at stake right now, Shen Qingqiu still needs some time to feel sorry for him and struggle with the decision!

If this continues, he will either suffocate or die from a shattered throat.

Just as Shen Qingqiu hardened his heart and prepared to grit his teeth and use the life-saving item, the pressure on his neck suddenly loosened.

Shen Qingqiu braced himself against the wall, managing to stay upright and avoid collapsing to his knees on the spot. With no way to run away, he decided to face the BOSS head-on.

Luo Binghe had almost strangled him to death, and now he was smiling as he helped him up, just like when he helped him down from the carriage or brought him snacks. Shen Qingqiu momentarily forgot to struggle, finding this seemingly schizophrenic behavior chilling.

Luo Binghe sighed, "Why did you run so fast, Master? I almost couldn't catch up."

Heh, couldn't catch up with me? Who was it that was so leisurely following behind, playing cat and mouse for ages without even breaking a sweat?

Shen Qingqiu took a few breaths and slowly spoke, his voice a little hoarse: "You've got some nerve. Coming back so openly, aren't you afraid people will discover your true identity?"

Luo Binghe's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Is Master concerned about this, or worried about this?"

Shen Qingqiu found his words quite interesting. What's the difference between using "concern" and "worry" here?

He couldn't help but ask, "Do you think I won't tell anyone?"

Luo Binghe looked at him with pity and said, "Master, that also depends on others being willing to believe you."

Shen Qingqiu's heart skipped a beat.

What he means is that he plans to do what the original work did: first ruin his own reputation, and then slowly drive him to a dead end and slowly kill him.

The original Shen Qingqiu has two major despicable traits: 1. He molested many young girls and women; 2. He brutally murdered many fellow disciples and non-fellow disciples.

But Shen Qingqiu asked himself, since using this body, he absolutely hadn't inherited any of the original owner's hobbies and ambitions. Could Luo Binghe really ruin his reputation, prestige, and social status?

System: [Friendly Answer: Of course.]

Shen Qingqiu: "Shut up, okay? There's nothing the male lead can't do, only things he can't think of. Of course I know he can thank me."

System: [You're welcome. No B-points will be charged for this answer.]

Shen Qingqiu simply closed the pop-up dialog box.

He rubbed his throat, stood there for a while, and found that Luo Binghe was just staring at him with his eyes open, showing no intention of continuing to attack.

Still watching?

Surely it's not that they feel they've been apart for a few years and want to make up for all the time they missed, is it?

System: [Protagonist's enjoyment level +50.]

Shen Qingqiu: "You leveled up, but you didn't even bother to give a reason for the extra points? Don't accuse me of cheating. I didn't do anything, so where did the satisfaction points come from? And could you please just stay away for now!"

After a long pause, Shen Qingqiu asked, "What exactly do you want to do after you come back?"

Luo Binghe said, "I just missed the kindness my master had shown me, so I came back to visit."

Shen Qingqiu automatically interpreted this as someone returning to settle old scores with him.

The question-and-answer session with Luo Binghe was surprisingly harmonious. Shen Qingqiu gradually grew bolder in his speech, his finger moving to the hilt of his sword without changing his expression: "Just to kill me? What about the plague in Jinlan City? Does that mean the residents of this city are all 'kind to you'?"

Unexpectedly, these words touched a raw nerve in Luo Binghe, causing his eyes to flash with a cold light, and the faint smile that had just appeared vanished without a trace.

After a long pause, Luo Binghe said, "Master truly despises the Demon Clan." There was a trace of suppressed anger in his tone.

Actually, no.

Luo Binghe gritted his teeth: "No, it should be said that he deeply hates me."

See, you seem to know a lot... what?

I didn't say that. I don't mean I absolutely hate it, just have a bit of a psychological aversion to it. Please don't overthink it, thank you!

Luo Binghe suddenly took a step closer to him, and Shen Qingqiu's expression became wary, so he also took a step back.

Their eyes met in the air, and Luo Binghe seemed to realize his own temper, his voice growing colder as he spoke.

"Does Master really think that I'm destined to do things like murder, arson, massacre, and the destruction of cities and countries sooner or later, simply because of the bloodline in my body?"

Shen Qingqiu could only remain silent.

If he had a physical copy of "The Arrogant Immortal Demon Path," he probably would have slapped the book across the face long ago.

If you have the evidence, then deliver! The entire 20 million-word epic is packed with the evidence you've been asking for! It's not just murder, arson, massacre, and slaughter of cities and nations; you've turned the demon and immortal realms upside down. To describe what you've done without leaving a trace is an understatement!

Seeing that Shen Qingqiu lowered his eyes and remained silent, Luo Binghe took it as a tacit agreement and sneered, "If that's the case, why did you say such high-sounding words in the first place, that we don't distinguish between races, only between good and evil?"

His face suddenly darkened, a fierce look flashed between his brows, and he lashed out, shouting, "Utterly hypocritical!"

Shen Qingqiu was prepared and quickly retreated, narrowly avoiding the attack. Looking back, he saw that a section of the wall he had been leaning against had been shattered.

Although he knew that Luo Binghe's personality would change drastically after coming out of a place like the Abyss of No Return, he never expected it to be this drastic. To say he was capricious would be an understatement.

Knowing the outcome of the book is one thing, but seeing someone you once knew so well turn out like this is quite another. Especially since this outcome can basically be attributed to him.

Luo Binghe didn't seem to have really intended to hit him. After venting his anger with a critical strike, he calmed down a bit, turned his head, and reached out as if to grab him. Shen Qingqiu suddenly drew his Xiuya sword.

He hadn't drawn his sword manually in a long time; he used to summon it mostly with sword incantations, but now, without spiritual power, he had to operate it manually. He couldn't just surrender; at least not now, he absolutely couldn't sit idly by and wait to die.

This was a huge miscalculation. They originally thought Luo Binghe would need five years to climb out of the Abyss, but who knew he'd become so powerful, cutting the timeline in half. And judging by the days, the Sun and Moon Dew Flower, which Shen Qingqiu was keeping as his life-saving trump card, wasn't even ready to be effective yet.

Seeing this, Luo Binghe slowly raised one hand, allowing Shen Qingqiu to see the swirling, purplish-black demonic energy in his palm. He said slowly and deliberately, "Master, guess how many times it would take for the Xiuya Sword to be completely corrupted if I caught it?"

No need to guess, I bet five cents at most one time! Shen Qingqiu felt extremely desolate.

Luo Binghe took another step closer, and Shen Qingqiu had no choice but to draw his sword to meet the attack.

He had already mentally prepared himself for the Xiuya Sword to be ruined, but Luo Binghe seemed to suddenly see something, paused for a moment, and abruptly withdrew the demonic weapon from his palm, directly blocking the sword's edge with his hand.

Shen Qingqiu hadn't expected to actually stab him. This was the second time! In that moment of stunned silence, Luo Binghe slashed at his wrist, causing his hand to loosen, the longsword falling to the ground, only to be kicked away by Luo Binghe.

Luo Binghe gripped Shen Qingqiu's wrist tightly with one hand, blood flowing from his palm and soaking Shen Qingqiu's sleeve. The blood kept flowing, making Luo Binghe feel inexplicably choked with anxiety. Just as he was feeling confused, Luo Binghe turned Shen Qingqiu's hand over: "You've been infected?"

Shen Qingqiu's arm was sparsely covered with small red spots, which were slightly more numerous than during the day.

Luo Binghe's slender fingers lightly brushed over the spots, causing the red marks to dissipate at his fingertips.

As expected, this little thing posed no threat to Luo Binghe.

Luo Binghe seemed to soften his expression and said, "Master's hand has certainly suffered a lot."

...They actually thought of the same thing. Shen Qingqiu looked at his smooth, untouched hand and became even more confused about Luo Binghe's thought process. Judging from the current situation, perhaps he remembered that this hand had also helped him block the barbs on the poison armor, and there was a bit of lingering affection?

Just as he was making this guess, he suddenly felt a punch land on his lower abdomen.

Luo Binghe smiled and said, "One thing at a time. Since it was Master who started this, then you should swallow the bitter pill yourself. You should make amends for the wounds Master left behind."

Shen Qingqiu thought he was using symbolism to express the emotional trauma he had caused him back then, but then he felt a sharp pain on his scalp and was forcibly pulled up by the neck. Luo Binghe's hand was brought to his lips, and a bloody taste rushed into his mouth.

Shen Qingqiu suddenly opened her eyes wide.

He then realized that the "wound" Luo Binghe was referring to was the wound he had left on Luo Binghe's hand with the Xiuya Sword!

Holy crap—you can't drink this stuff! Absolutely not!

He abruptly slapped the hand away, looking down to vomit the blood he had swallowed, but Luo Binghe forcibly twisted his head back and continued to pour blood down his throat. Luo Binghe tore open the wound on his hand, and warm blood gushed out continuously. He seemed even happier: "Master, don't vomit! Although the blood of the Heavenly Demon is filthy, drinking it won't necessarily kill you, right?"

You won't die, but you'll suffer a fate worse than death!

Author's Note: I realized the word count for the last chapter was way too high...