Chapter 73 We Become Daoist Partners

Xu Zangyu leaned against the bed as Xiao Mingxin channeled spiritual energy into his dantian, causing the core in his abdomen to crack and bleed.

"Junior Brother broke through the seal by fighting someone?"

"It's those thieves who've been eyeing Yu'an. They seem to have a grudge against Qu Wumen, but from what I overheard of their conversation, they must be from the Qiushui Sect."

Thinking of Qiushui Sect's covetous intentions, Xu Cangyu felt extremely disgusted. The people of Qiushui Sect were like rats stealing food, impossible to catch or drive away.

If he had spiritual power, that would be fine; why waste time talking to these people? With a thought, he felt a tearing pain in his dantian.

Xiao Mingxin's spiritual power suddenly surged back, "Don't recklessly use your spiritual power."

He could feel Xiao Mingxin's comforting words, and after trying to calm himself down, he couldn't control the sudden surge of anger rising in his heart.

If Xiao Mingxin were the one to eliminate the trouble, would he act like this?

Obviously not.

Ultimately, Xiao Mingxin is the protagonist of this world, and the opportunity belongs to him. As for him, the thief who stole the protagonist's opportunity, will Heaven tolerate him stepping on the protagonist's head?

Xu Zangyu was still unwilling to give up. He was able to snatch it by his own strength, and he would not become a stepping stone for the protagonist like in the book.

Xiao Mingxin has everything: cultivation level, good looks, and even the future position of the Tianyi Sect leader. Isn't that enough?

He must restore his spiritual power.

He was fed up with being at the mercy of others.

If Xiao Mingxin can't help him fully recover, then what about the others?

A hand pressed against his abdomen. As spiritual energy flowed in, Xu Cangyu realized that Xiao Mingxin's spiritual energy was stronger than before. He was stunned for a moment and said, "...Senior brother, have you broken through again?"

Xiao Mingxin gave a faint "hmm," as if he were simply stating an ordinary matter.

Xu Cangyu was far from calm. He was already doing well to recover from his injuries and go into seclusion, and Xiao Mingxin had actually broken through?!

He remembered that Xiao Mingxin was previously at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, so now...

Late Nascent Soul stage!!!

Heaven knows how far away the Nascent Soul stage is; many people spend decades, or even centuries, to reach it.

Back then, he almost risked his life to break through to the Golden Core stage, barely managing to catch up with Xiao Mingxin. But now, in the blink of an eye, Xiao Mingxin has surged ahead again.

It was impossible for Xu Zangyu not to be jealous. Countless times, Xu Zangyu was so jealous that his heart was twisted. He didn't know how to calm this feeling. Thinking about everything Xiao Mingxin had done for him, he couldn't bring himself to hate her.

This often made him feel a despicable sense of guilt for stealing things that belonged to Xiao Mingxin.

But a voice inside him told him he shouldn't do this. Reason kept pulling him back and forth until he heard a painful groan and Xiao Mingxin vomited blood.

"Senior brother."

Xu Zangyu snapped back to reality and stammered, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

“I know,” Xiao Mingxin said inscrutablely, wiping the blood from his mouth and withdrawing his spiritual power. “I suppose my junior brother’s injury cannot be treated hastily.”

"I'll go to the kitchen and bring my junior brother's meal."

The barrier was removed, and Xiao Mingxin stepped out of the room, his face suddenly turning gloomy and terrifying.

The mouth can lie, but the heart cannot. Soulmates who are of one mind will accept and embrace each other's spiritual energy.

Previously, he could see it as Xu Zangyu's seal not being broken, making it impossible to control the rampaging spiritual power. Now that the seal has been broken, Xu Zangyu's spiritual power's rejection of him has not diminished at all.

Anger almost burst from his chest. Xiao Mingxin put one hand to his forehead, panting as he suppressed his anger before heading to the kitchen.

The food in the pot was kept warm by spiritual energy and was still steaming. After composing himself, Xiao Mingxin entered the room.

When Xu Cangyu saw Xiao Mingxin enter, her expression was normal, but her excessive calmness made him uneasy. It seemed that all her emotions were suppressed under the mask. Xu Cangyu did not have the courage to take off the mask. He took the porridge that Xiao Mingxin handed him and drank it carefully.

A square table was placed on the bed, with several small dishes laid out. Xu Cangyu had no appetite and stopped eating after a few bites.

The room was unusually quiet except for the sound of chopsticks being used, and the oppressive atmosphere made Xu Zangyu very uncomfortable.

"Has your room been arranged, Senior Brother?"

Xiao Mingxin glanced at him, "It's alright."

"Room number four in the Heaven section is unoccupied; you may stay there temporarily, senior brother."

Another brief silence followed.

Xiao Mingxin suddenly spoke up: "No one in the world can be more compatible than a Daoist partner. Perhaps if we form a Daoist partner contract, my junior brother's spiritual power will not recognize me as an outsider."

Xu Zangyu's heart suddenly tightened, "What does Senior Brother mean..."

Seeing that he stopped eating, Xiao Mingxin removed the food and said, "Junior brother, you can think it over before you decide. This is the only way I can think of to save you right now. If you are not willing, I will not force you to agree."

Xu Zangyu said in a muffled voice, "I'm afraid of taking advantage of my senior brother."

He heard Xiao Mingxin's voice, as clear and cold as when they first met: "Protecting my junior brother is my inescapable responsibility as the senior brother."

Xu Zangyu was stunned for a long time, not even knowing when Xiao Mingxin left.

responsibility……

Xiao Mingxin has always been a responsible person. Although he keeps people at arm's length, he is always at the forefront of every mission.

Xu Cangyu suddenly thought, if he wasn't the one who was poisoned by the fox demon that time... then who is standing next to Xiao Mingxin now?

He patted his forehead and lay back down. Life doesn't offer many "what ifs," and thinking too much is useless. He'd rather recover his spiritual power as soon as possible.

His unwavering goal has always been to cultivate himself properly.

The next day, the discomfort in his body was gone, but Xu Cangyu still wanted to take a bath. He lay in the bathtub, his bones feeling soft and relaxed. He washed the string of beads that he had almost forgotten about again and again until he could no longer smell anything, and then casually tossed it aside.

He must have been out of his mind to give this to Xiao Mingxin. Anyway, if Xiao Mingxin asks for it back, he can just say he lost it and buy Xiao Mingxin another one.

As the hot water cooled down, the reddened skin on my body slowly returned to normal, except for a red mark on my chest.

Xu Zangyu touched it and found that it was not the blood that had seeped out, but a mark, which was very unique and shaped like a flower petal.

When did he get this thing on him?

Xu Cangyu didn't know what the mark was, but Xiao Mingxin, who was knowledgeable and experienced, might understand it. However, he was a little scared and didn't dare to ask. Who knew what it was? He decided to check it out privately first.

After taking a bath and changing clothes, I stepped on something mixed in with my old clothes. I glanced at it, picked it up, opened the window, and quickly threw it away.

He opened the door to the side room, and at the same time, the door to room number 4 in the "Heaven" section opened. Xu Cangyu looked over and happened to meet Xiao Mingxin's gaze. He smiled and greeted him, "Good morning."

Xiao Mingxin walked over and the first thing she asked him was, "How is your recovery going?"

Xu Zangyu knew he was implying something, and blushed. "It's all over now."

"You can leave that beaded string to me now."

"This..." Xu Cangyu looked hesitant. "I took a shower this morning and I don't know where I put it. I've been looking for it for a long time but I can't find it. How about I replace the pendant for you?"

Xiao Mingxin sighed: "Wenxin actually quite likes that string of beads."

"Wenxin, did your senior brother name the sword you used?"

Famous swords possess spirits; they are named "Curse" and are used by their masters.

That strange sword was originally given by Xiao Mingxin to Xu Cangyu, but Xu Cangyu refused it, so it ended up in Xiao Mingxin's hands. Since then, Xiao Mingxin has never let go of that sword, which must be very fitting for him, so he recognized it as his natal sword.

But why is it specifically called "Asking the Heart"?

Is there something puzzling about him?

"It's fine if it's lost; I suppose that string of beads has no connection with Wenxin."

To everyone's surprise, the sword in Xiao Mingxin's hand hummed as if in protest, and Xiao Mingxin even scoffed, "It's no use thinking about it."

Suddenly, the Heart-Questioning Sword broke free from his hand and flew out, rushing into Xu Cangyu's room, circling around, and then flying out of the window.

Xu Zangyu's heart sank, and he rushed over. He saw Wenxin Sword rummaging through the grass, using the blade to pick out the muddy beads, and then bringing them up to Xiao Mingxin to curry favor.

Xu Cangyu forced a stiff smile. "So it fell out of the window. I must have accidentally fallen out this morning while leaning against the window."

He handed over a brand-new jade pendant, saying, "That string of beads is dirty, use this instead."

Xiao Mingxin didn't take it. He used the Cleansing Technique to clean the jade bead. The Questioning Heart Sword was already close to his hand. He grabbed the Questioning Heart Sword and put it back in its sheath. He calmly clipped the jade bead to his waist.

As for the jade pendant, it kept dangling in front of him, which was quite an eyesore.

"Junior brother, have you forgotten that this jade pendant was a gift from your fellow junior brothers to celebrate your breakthrough?"

"Ah...hahaha, so that's how it is...I'm sorry, senior brother, I'll definitely buy it for you myself next time." Xu Cangyu put the things away guiltily, and the scene Xiao Mingxin described suddenly came to mind.

Xiao Mingxin's expression seemed to darken further. "Next time?"

This wasn't the first time he'd heard Xu Zangyu say something like that, and in the end, his hopes were met with only a long wait.

Xiao Mingxin's deep gaze made him shudder, and he immediately changed his mind, "There's no time like the present, I'll take my senior brother to choose one right now."

The buzzing sword in his hand suddenly stopped.

Xu Zangyu took another face-changing pill and greeted Zheng Ruo, who was busy at work.

Turning around, she realized that Xiao Mingxin hadn't caught up yet.

Inside the room, the Heart-Questioning Sword poked and prodded at Xiao Mingxin's waist, but he waved it away.

"This is mine, don't even think about it."

The Sword of Inquiry resisted even louder, but Xiao Mingxin gave a cold smile, "You like it? I was just telling him."

"If you keep making a fuss, don't expect him to choose a sword tassel for you."

The Sword of Inquiry was intimidated by his words and immediately became obedient, but it still secretly rubbed against Xiao Mingxin's head with the hilt of its sword, trying to hang the jade bead hanging on Xiao Mingxin's left waist.

Therefore, Xiao Mingxin tucked it behind his right hand, making it impossible for him to get close.

Heart-Questioning Sword: "..."

Why be so serious about people?

Xu Cangyu was about to go find Xiao Mingxin when Xiao Mingxin came downstairs in the blink of an eye. "Sorry to keep you waiting. The Asking Heart Sword was acting up earlier. This sword is always disobedient."

The Sword of Inquiry was smashed again and again by a large pot, and before it could even turn around and protest, Xiao Mingxin seized its life force.

"It's beyond my control, so it probably needs to be reworked."

The sword visibly trembled. Xu Cangyu found the sword quite interesting and not so eerie or terrifying after all. He stroked the hilt and the tip of the sword to comfort her, "I'll buy you a sword tassel later."

The Sword of Inquiry trembled with excitement, suddenly transforming into a snake whip that circled Xiao Mingxin's arm before extending its head toward Xu Cangyu.

Xu Zangyu silently withdrew his comforting hand and moved far away from the snake-head-like hilt of the sword. He hadn't forgotten the snake-like feel of the sword in his hand, its segmented body resembling a snake's spine.

Although the demonic aura had diminished considerably under Xiao Mingxin's taming, it was still hardly cute.

The finger that had been holding the Heart-Questioning Sword, which had been sensing Xu Cangyu's departure, immediately drooped and its head fell down. It was then knocked on by Xiao Mingxin and transformed back into a sword.

Xiao Mingxin, of course, did not comfort him. She put the Heart-Questioning Sword behind her back and said, "Don't worry about it."

Xu Cangyu didn't think too much about it. He pulled Xiao Mingxin's wrist and went out. Soon after, Xiao Mingxin's hand slid into his palm and they intertwined.

In front of everyone, several pairs of eyes had already been looking over. Xu Cangyu was a little embarrassed, but Xiao Mingxin remained calm and didn't care about those gazes at all. However, when those naked eyes fell on Xu Cangyu, he glared back at them fiercely.

Those being stared at by Xiao Mingxin felt as if they were being targeted by a vicious wolf, their hearts sinking and they dared not look at her any longer.

Turning to face Xu Zangyu, he still maintained that gentle and mild demeanor.

After walking into the shop and browsing for a while, he picked up a piece of white jade that was both light and not cumbersome, which suited Xiao Mingxin.

Xiao Mingxin suddenly grabbed his hand from behind, "Junior brother, do you still remember the gift you owe me?"

Xu Zangyu's mind went blank for a long time. A gift? What gift?

Birthday gifts? In cultivation, there are no years, and very few people celebrate their birthdays.

A thank-you gift? Xiao Mingxin doesn't seem to have mentioned it.

The most important thing for disciples who cultivate immortality is—

Xu Cangyu finally dredged up a memory from the corner of his mind, "Senior brother, are you referring to your breakthrough gift?"

Breaking through to the Golden Core stage is an extremely important day for the disciples. It is a customary practice in Tianyi Sect to present a congratulatory gift to a disciple who breaks through to the Golden Core stage, both as a congratulation and as an encouragement to other disciples.

Xu Zangyu owed Xiao Mingxin a congratulatory gift. At that time, Chu Shu casually gave him an ancient zither at Chaolu Peak, but Xiao Mingxin returned it.

Later, after several twists and turns, he completely forgot about it.

"No matter what it is, as long as it is my junior brother's heartfelt gift, I will cherish it."

He put the jade pendant aside, saying, "I'll choose another one for my senior brother."

Xu Zangyu looked at the weapons and accessories but couldn't think of what to buy for Xiao Mingxin.

The shopkeeper was a shrewd man and could tell at a glance that the two had an unusual relationship. He handed over a round black silver pendant and said, "Why don't you take a look at this, sir?"

It's quite pretty, with simple, antique patterns, but not particularly unique. Xu Zangyu casually asked, "How much silver?"

The shopkeeper chuckled and said, "Just one thousand taels of silver."

"With just one thousand taels, I'm buying a piece of scrap iron?"

Xu Zangyu wasn't distressed about the thousand taels of silver; rather, the item wasn't worth a thousand taels at all.

"This is not scrap iron, but a love token," the shopkeeper said, splitting his hands into two pieces, which he then placed in the hands of the two men.

Xu Zangyu immediately felt a powerful attraction, as did Xiao Mingxin; that attraction came from the jade pendant in Xu Zangyu's hand.

"The purpose of the love charm is to be of one heart and never be apart; even if you are thousands of miles apart, it can still guide you to your other half."

Xiao Mingxin showed great interest, and Xu Cangyu couldn't help but admire the boss's business acumen, using small trinkets to win over customers.

In the end, Xu Zangyu still paid the money, and Wenxinjian, fearing that he would reveal his identity, buzzed in response.

Xu Zangyu: "The Heart-Questioning Sword is light and agile; using a sword tassel would be superfluous."

Having obtained what he desired, Xiao Ming immediately hung it around his neck, no longer caring about the Heart-Questioning Sword. "A sword need not concern itself with superficial appearances."

Now Wenxin Sword was truly anxious, and the snake wrapped itself around the jade pendant in Xu Cangyu's hand, refusing to let go.

"I originally wanted to find some spirit stones to inlay on the Heart-Questioning Sword, but since it likes jade pendants, let's buy jade pendants instead."

Xu Cangyu put down a beautiful emerald green spirit stone, which looked quite valuable. The Wenxin Sword trembled, and the jade pendant he was holding fell to the ground with a thud.

"Buzzing"

I want spirit stones! I love spirit stones!

Xu Zangyu: "What did it say?"

Xiao Mingxin's face darkened as he used his spiritual power to subdue it. "It says it doesn't care about these superficial things. Let's go."

Sword of Inquiry: "…………"

The Sword of Inquiry remained listless until a hand tied a small, golden cat to his head.

"This isn't something I gave to someone else; it's just a little trinket I made on a whim."

"I was learning to cast gold at the blacksmith's shop when the overflowing molten gold unexpectedly gathered into a little kitten. I thought it was cute, so I couldn't bear to throw it back into the furnace."

Xiao Mingxin couldn't suppress a hint of jealousy. What need was there for anything on the tip of a sword? He had never received anything made by Xu Zangyu himself.

Sensing its owner's thoughts, the Heart-Seeking Sword immediately became alert and wrapped the kitten tightly around its head.