Chapter 2: Coming Again The dark golden pupils gradually began to glow. ...
Gu Congxing was running on the mountain road of Danqing Peak when he met two outer disciples. They stopped at first and then saluted Gu Congxing with nervous expressions.
"Senior Brother Gu."
Gu Congxing did not stop, but just nodded slightly and passed by him with an expressionless face.
When they could no longer see Gu Congxing, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Senior Brother Gu is young, but he always looks like he doesn't want strangers to come near him. I really don't want to run into him."
"Yes. Senior Brother Gu has the appearance of a young immortal, but his temperament is actually very cold. Apart from practicing swordsmanship, he doesn't seem to do anything else on weekdays."
"Hey, you came late. How could you have known how fierce he was during the last sect competition..."
These two disciples did not know that Gu Congxing, who they said was devoted to swordsmanship, was actually thinking about his junior brother Zhong Ming at this moment.
He was clearly an obedient and introverted child, still childish, so how could he have become the Demon Lord in his previous life?
When he returned to the sect in his previous life, all the tragedies had already happened: his master had passed away, his junior fellow apprentice had been possessed by a demon, and his senior brother was in a coma. After that, he heard the news that his junior fellow apprentice had become the Demon Lord.
According to his memory, the junior fellow apprentice had been a disciple for a year and was not yet 15 years old.
When Zhong Ming first entered the sect, he naturally went with his master and senior brothers to greet him. At that time, the junior brother had just returned from the mortal world after a catastrophe, and fortunately, his master had rescued him and brought him back to the sect.
Gu Congxing's first impression of Zhong Ming was his unique appearance - the boy had curly black hair, thick eyelashes, and very light eyes, which were actually dark gold.
At that time, Zhong Ming shrank timidly behind his master, his hands still tightly grasping the hem of his master's clothes, like a stray animal that had strayed into the immortal gate.
"Zhong Ming, this is your second senior brother Gu Congxing."
Following his master's words, Zhong Ming raised his eyes and met Gu Congxing's gaze.
Gu Congxing remembered that he must have imitated his senior brother and forced a smile.
After all, my junior brother is so timid, it would be bad if he got scared.
Unfortunately, perhaps because the smile he forced was still a little stiff and ugly, when the junior brother saw it, instead of nodding shyly like he did to the senior brother, his eyes widened and he was stunned for a while.
It was not until the eldest brother cleared his cough that the younger brother seemed to react and respectfully called him "Second Brother".
Gu Congxing: "...Junior brother, there's no need to be so polite."
After that, Gu Congxing consciously stopped bothering his new junior brother and continued to practice sword and travel as before.
It's not that he didn't notice that Zhong Ming's personality became more and more silent in the following years, but he thought that this child was shy and introverted. He never thought that he had suffered violence in the sect!
【Host, we are here. 】
Gu Congxing stopped, lowered his eyes and concentrated, searching for the trace of his junior brother Zhong Ming in a sea of bamboo.
Why is there no one here?
"Hey, idiot, why don't you continue fighting?"
"Aren't you a tough guy? I didn't expect you to be so weak."
"Tsk, seeing you like this is disgusting!"
Hearing the cursing coming from not far away, Gu Congxing immediately ran towards the source of the sound.
But everywhere you look, there is still lush greenery, and no human traces are seen.
"Could it be..." Gu Congxing's eyes turned cold, he raised the Whale-Slaying Sword and slashed forward with all his strength!
The golden sword intent exploded when it touched the air, tearing apart the illusion of tranquility and revealing several figures who were committing evil.
"Damn! Which bastard actually broke my invisibility array!"
A monk wearing the uniform of an inner sect disciple turned around, but when he saw who was coming, his ferocious and ferocious expression suddenly changed drastically, and he screamed in extreme panic.
"Brother Gu! Why are you here?!"
His hoarse shouting also made the other two outer disciples turn around hurriedly. For a moment, they widened their eyes in disbelief and took a step back, revealing the disciple they had just punched and kicked.
The black figure lying on the ground trembled violently when he heard the sound and raised his head.
There was blood under his messy hair, and his dark golden eyes blinked slowly.
"Second Brother...?"
"Junior Brother!!"
Just that one glance and Gu Congxing felt his hair stand on end and his eyes tear up.
How dare they——!!
The sudden burst of golden spiritual power carried a thousand pounds of pressure and instantly attacked the three evildoers!
“Help, help!”
The three men all had ashen faces. They cried for help and took out their own magical weapons to resist, but they were still hit by the spiritual power. Their internal organs were severely damaged, and they vomited a mouthful of blood!
Gu Congxing's face was as gloomy as water, and he approached the inner disciple crawling on the ground with a long sword in his hand.
Those unbearable curses just now came from this person.
Sensing the astonishing murderous intent, inner disciple Chen Wang, who was coughing up blood, hurriedly said:
"Brother Gu, please, please, don't kill me——"
Gu Congxing raised the Whale Slaying Sword, his eyes dark as he spoke slowly, word by word:
"According to the sect's precepts, it is strictly forbidden to fight without reason, injure or kill fellow disciples. Minor offenses will receive thirty lashes and a three-month fine of spirit stones and spirit pills. Severe offenses will receive eighty lashes and be confined to the cliff of remorse for a month. Anyone who kills a fellow disciple will have their spirit veins destroyed on the spot and be expelled from the sect."
A hint of a smile appeared on Gu Congxing's lips, but it made Chen Wang even more frightened.
"Oh, by the way, disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage simply can't withstand eighty lashes of discipline and will die. That's why these people have 'voluntarily' left the sect."
The three people present had not yet established their foundation. The one with the highest cultivation level, Chen Wang, was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.
"Since your fate is nothing more than being beaten to death by the whip, or being expelled from the sect and becoming an unknown wandering cultivator, it shouldn't be too much for me to take one of your hands or feet here first, right?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the air became even colder.
An outer sect disciple was so frightened that his legs were shaking and he almost lost control of his bladder.
The other two were also trembling all over, and their words of plea for mercy were broken in their throats, turning into meaningless whimpers.
Zhong Ming had already sat up, staring blankly at the back of his second senior brother in front of him, clenching the pill in his hand.
——The golden spiritual power that had just fiercely attacked the three people gently brought a healing elixir to himself.
The dark golden eyes that reflected Gu Congxing's figure began to light up little by little.
Gu Congxing was unaware of the changes in his junior brother behind him. He just snorted coldly and raised his sword.
Chen Wang's face turned pale and he screamed in horror.
"No--"
"stop!!"
A majestic roar sounded, and then a fireball talisman suddenly attacked Gu Congxing!
Gu Congxing turned his head, and raging flames were reflected in his pupils.
“Second Brother——!!”
Zhong Ming witnessed the fireball talisman coming from the darkness and suddenly attacking Gu Congxing. He was about to rush forward, but he saw his second senior brother retreating and turning over like a ghost, avoiding the huge ball of flames.
The next moment, he swung his sword and unexpectedly changed the direction of the talisman that had passed by, heading straight for Chen Wang's left arm!
"ah--!"
Chen Wang screamed in terror again, but he was unable to break through the fireball with sound waves. He had no choice but to endure the blazing attack, and his left arm suddenly caught fire.
"Wang'er!" Elder Chen, who had just used the talisman, cried out in pain and immediately used a water ball talisman to put out the fire on Chen Wang's body.
Gu Congxing took a closer look and found that the flames had only burned some of the surface skin and flesh, and he couldn't help but feel sorry in his heart.
The next moment, his attention was occupied by Elder Chen who was blocking his way.
"Gu Congxing! How dare you be so arrogant and domineering as to take the life of a fellow disciple within the sect!"
Elder Chen's hair stood on end in anger, his eyes fierce and fierce: "Do you really think that you from Zhuoguang Peak can bully me, Danqing Peak, because there is no one there?!"
Faced with this false accusation, Gu Congxing was not anxious, but couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth.
Before his death, he was scolded by nearly a hundred monks. Unexpectedly, less than a day after his rebirth, he was scolded again.
It really is a reenactment of the scene.
Elder Chen looked at Gu Congxing's strange smile, and felt a chill in his heart, and he couldn't help but shut his mouth.
"Elder Chen, I remember you. May I ask, Senior, what is the punishment for harming a fellow disciple without reason?"
Gu Congxing asked slowly.
"Of course they will receive a disciplinary whipping and a monthly salary fine. In serious cases, they will be sent to the cliff of reflection or even expelled from the sect." Elder Chen sized up Gu Congxing's expression and said in a cold tone, "Why, are you going to demand the full punishment and surrender to me?"
"Second Brother, I'm asking on behalf of the three of them."
Zhong Ming, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke, and the timing was just right.
He was still bleeding, but he straightened his back and walked step by step to Gu Congxing's side, even taking a step forward slightly, in a protective posture.
"Chen Wang previously tricked me into coming to Danqing Peak under the pretext of teaching me talismans, and then he sent Wang Sheng and Zhang Li to launch a surprise attack, trapping me here."
"Although I tried my best to fight them, I could not win three of them at once. They insulted me maliciously and injured me to this extent."
Zhong Ming said word by word, "If Senior Brother hadn't come to my rescue in time, I would have been seriously injured and would have been unable to recover. Perhaps after Master comes out of seclusion, he will hear the news of my death."
When he heard the last sentence, Gu Congxing's body stiffened.
I know that the junior brother's tone of voice at the end was light and it was obviously an exaggeration to provoke those people.
However, when he thought that after his resurrection, he heard the news of Zhong Ming's death in his previous life, Gu Congxing still felt a pang of sadness in his heart.
However, no one present noticed that Gu Congxing's expression was unusual. Elder Chen's face had already turned ashen and his voice was excited.
"What nonsense! How dare you fabricate such lies and slander my brother!"
Gu Congxing came back to his senses and looked up at Elder Chen with an expressionless face, his previous fake smile gone.
"This is the talisman of the concealment array I broke when searching for my junior brother." Gu Congxing held up a few broken talismans in his hands, his voice as cold as ice, "There's still residual spiritual energy from the caster on them. We'll know the truth once we go to the Discipline Hall and investigate."
Chen Wang, Wang Sheng and Zhang Li suddenly became listless, like ducks with their throats pinched.
Elder Chen's eyelids twitched violently.
Zhong Ming continued, "I also have the communication spirit paper that Chen Wang used to trick me into coming here."
Elder Chen was so depressed that he couldn't utter a word, his face flushed the color of liver.
Chen Wang stared at Zhong Ming in astonishment, cursing in his heart a thousand times: Damn it! This bastard who sprang out from the mortal countryside, no wonder he could win the favor of the Sword Master, he is indeed a scheming bastard!
Noticing Chen Wang's gaze, Gu Congxing gave him a cold glance.
Chen Wang felt the gripping fear again and quickly shrank behind Elder Chen.
"Well, Elder Chen, now that the truth has been revealed and the matter here is over, I will take my leave."
Gu Congxing still had no expression. He held onto Zhong Ming's waist, placed one of his junior brother's arms on his shoulder, and summoned the sect's spiritual crane.
"After all, Junior Brother's injury cannot be delayed."
Feeling that his junior brother's body had become a little stiff, Gu Congxing looked around with a cold gaze and leaped to the back of Linghe.
When Ling He left, his clear voice echoed in the ears of the four people like a spell.
"I will report today's events to the Discipline Hall without error. Everyone, thank the Qingxuan Sword Sect for its strict discipline and for punishing those who commit crimes. Otherwise..."
"What awaits you is more than just the Whip and the Cliff of Repentance."
***
Gu Congxing sat upright on the spiritual crane, and Zhong Ming beside him also sat upright, but his eyes would glance over from time to time. However, once Gu Congxing wanted to turn his head, he would immediately look away.
"...Junior brother, how are your injuries?"
"Thanks to my senior brother's elixir, I feel much better now!"
Zhong Ming's face was a little red, and his eyes fell on Linghe's neck when he spoke. He had none of the momentum he had when he confronted Elder Chen just now.
Gu Congxing looked intently at his expression, and saw that the boy's handsome face was getting redder and redder. He couldn't help but frown and move closer.
"Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"
As he said this, he raised his hand and stroked Zhong Ming's cheek.
"No! No!"
Zhong Ming and Gu Congxing looked at each other for a few seconds, then immediately shook their heads and denied it repeatedly, but his face looked like a ripe apple, and even his ears were flushed.
Gu Congxing could almost see the steam coming out of his head.
He became more and more certain that his junior fellow apprentice was seriously injured, and immediately mobilized his spiritual power to urge the spiritual crane to fly faster.
The clouds and mist dispersed, and the scenery of Tianyu Mountain under the morning light was magnificent and vast, slowly unfolding like an endless scroll.
On Tianyu Mountain is the number one sect in the current cultivation world - the Qingxuan Sword Sect.
The main peak is located in the center, surrounded by five other peaks, filled with spiritual energy, like a fairyland.
"Senior Brother, do you want to take me back to Zhuoguang Peak?" Zhong Ming looked towards the mountain in the north.
"No, I'll take you to Muze Peak to heal your injuries first."
The spiritual crane flew quickly towards Mu Ze Peak on the south side where the medical practitioner was, and silence flowed between the two.
Gu Congxing felt the warmth of his junior fellow apprentice beside him, and suddenly remembered that he and he had never been this close in their previous lives. Their relationship had always been lukewarm.
In fact, Zhong Ming had come to see him several times since they first met in his previous life.
Sometimes they ask about doubts they have about practicing the mental method, and sometimes they ask for help with the tips for getting started with sword style.
However, this did not make the two of them become familiar with each other.
In less than two months, he rarely came to see me.
Gu Congxing thought that perhaps Zhong Ming realized that he was in a hurry every day and was not able to teach him, so it would be better to find someone else.
After all, he was completely focused on one thing at the time - to investigate the truth behind the Kong family's massacre based on the phoenix feather found in the clan.
When Gu Congxing was fourteen years old, the Kong family, one of the four major families in the world of cultivation, was wiped out. None of the nearly one hundred people in the family survived. Corpses were scattered all over the Biwu Island, and it became an endless purgatory.
This bloody incident shocked the world of cultivation. All the sects and families were in danger for a while and sent out many cultivators to investigate, but unfortunately they found nothing.
Ultimately, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that this case may be related to the forbidden techniques practiced by the demons.
Gu Congxing thought so too. However, not long after the incident, he discovered that deep in a secret place within his own clan, there were several secret treasures of the Kong clan - Phoenix Feathers!
And when he accidentally overheard the conversation among the elders, every word he said was actually related to the extermination of the Kong family!
He was horrified and felt that the tribesmen who had taught him to keep his heart upright, promote good and eliminate evil for a long time had become unrecognizable.
Even the Gu family, one of the four great families and a prestigious and upright one, was losing ground in his heart.
He had also secretly investigated and even questioned his brother. His brother, who was particularly strict with him, was furious that time and scolded Gu Congxing for talking nonsense.
After that, he was imprisoned in the tribe's punishment tower and was not released until a month later.
At that time, Sword Master Chen Mu led the disciples of Qingxuan Sword Sect to Gu's. The disciples of the two sects exchanged Taoism and practiced martial arts. Among them, Gu Congxing shined, and his Liuyun sword technique amazed everyone.
So, before leaving, Chen Mu came to ask Gu Congxing whether he was willing to become his disciple.
Gu Congxing agreed without hesitation.
However, after that, he made the most wrong decision in his life——
After refining and transforming a phoenix feather, he gave it to his master as a gift of apprenticeship.
At that time, he thought smugly that this object looked like an exquisite high-level magical weapon. If he hadn't come into contact with the original Phoenix Feather, he wouldn't have noticed anything unusual.
If the master showed a strange reaction, or asked about the origin of this thing, then he might be related to the family massacre, and I would have to find another way out.
Fortunately, Master just accepted it with a smile and did not show any abnormality.
Some even liked it so much that they used it as a sword tassel.
Gu Congxing wanted to remind his master not to show this item, but that would make his gift look suspicious. And if he wasn't very close to the Sword Master, he wouldn't be able to find it.
Even if they discovered it, ordinary people would not notice anything unusual - even someone who also possessed the Phoenix Feather would find it difficult to discover in a short period of time what the core of this magic weapon that had been refined and contaminated with the Sword Master's protective aura was.
unless……
They are from the Kong clan, who share the same ancestry as this Phoenix Feather.
But now that the Kong family has been wiped out, there is no more worry.
...But who could have known that it was this negligence of mine that would lead to the death of my master.
"Senior Brother?"
A soft call sounded in his ears, and Gu Congxing suddenly came back to his senses.
The sorrow and grief between his brows were like thick ink that was difficult to melt, blurred in his eyes and hidden under his eyelashes.
"What's wrong, Junior Brother?"
Zhong Ming propped himself up and looked at him for a long time, then moved closer.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Brother, did I cause you a lot of trouble this time?"
Gu Congxing raised an eyebrow in surprise: "No. Why do you say that?"
——Because you look sad.
Zhong Ming moved his throat and swallowed the words. He lowered his eyelids and was silent for a moment before speaking:
"Brother, I'm not like you and Big Brother, the chosen ones of heaven. I'm just an ordinary child in the human world. I've never practiced Taoism before entering the sect, and even my spiritual roots are of the weakest wood element."
"Since I was accepted as a disciple by Master, it's natural that some people will feel unfair and think I'm unworthy."
"Chen Wang is one of them. He was malicious towards me before, and I couldn't stand it anymore and fought back. That's why I am like this today..."
Zhong Ming's hair was blown by the wind, revealing the bloody wound on his eyebrow.
"But I didn't know he was the son of the elder of Danqing Peak. Brother, should I not fight back..."
"What nonsense!" Gu Congxing immediately frowned and interrupted Zhong Ming's self-doubt. "When someone bullies you, you can't just sit there and keep silent. Otherwise, that person will only get more aggressive!"
"Junior brother, you didn't do anything wrong."
Zhong Ming raised his eyes and looked straight into Gu Congxing's eyes.
Gu Congxing added, "And there's no need to worry about it. Chen is just a Jindan-stage elder, and above him is the Danqing Peak Master. If he insists on causing trouble, neither Master nor Zhuoguang Peak can shake him."
Zhong Ming's eyes became brighter and brighter. He let out a long breath, and even his shoulders relaxed.
"That's good."
When Gu Congxing saw him like this, he felt like a trembling little animal relaxing and exposing its belly.
Speaking of which, why didn’t Junior Brother ask for help?
Master is currently in seclusion, so naturally we cannot ask him for help.
What about Senior Brother Lan Jue? He was such a dignified gentleman, and he held great prestige within the sect. If he could intervene, he could certainly save Junior Brother from this ordeal.
If all else fails, he can come to me and resolve the dilemma.
"Junior Brother, why don't you ask for help from Senior Brother or me?"
Zhong Ming was stunned when he heard this: "Brother, don't you remember? Ever since I accepted the Corpse Gu mission, my eldest brother hasn't returned to the sect for several months."
Gu Congxing then remembered that the eldest brother had not returned yet, so he asked again, "Then why didn't you come to me?"
"Brother, you're always busy and toilsome. I can't bear to bother you with these trivial matters." Zhong Ming tilted his head and said, "The other time, when I went to look for you, I ran into you sleeping on the ground. I could tell at a glance that you were extremely tired."
Gu Congxing had no recollection of this happening.
He was just retracing his memories when he heard Zhong Ming continue, "I know I'm slow, so I want to make up for my shortcomings with hard work and strive to establish my foundation as soon as possible... just so that I can one day stand beside my senior brothers and be worthy of Master Zhuoguang."
The boy's tone was light and full of undefeated spirit.
Gu Congxing looked at him silently.
"Junior brother, you can come find me later."
"Really?!" Zhong Ming's eyes lit up.
"nature."
Gu Congxing looked at his joyful expression and couldn't help but raise the corner of his lips: "When have I ever lied to you?"
"Brother! Thank you so much!!"
Zhong Ming came close to Gu Congxing, tilted his head and looked at him closely, his dark golden eyes seemed to be filled with bright sunlight.
The next moment, he had thrown himself into Gu Congxing's arms. He rubbed his furry head against Gu Congxing's and made a muffled sound.
"Brother, Zhong Ming will never forget this kindness."
Gu Congxing blinked as he felt endless warmth all over his body. After a moment, he chuckled and hugged Zhong Ming tightly.
Did you protect it?
At least it's different.
He didn't see that Zhong Ming's eyes suddenly widened when he was hugged by him, and in his dark golden eyes, there were inhuman vertical pupils.
“……?” Zhong Ming felt something unusual in his vision, frowned and shook his head.
When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were pure again.
"Senior Brother." He murmured softly.
"Senior Brother."
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Gu Congxing: My well-behaved and gentle little white flower junior brother.
Others in the sect: ???
Zhong Ming: A shy smile.
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