Chapter 82
Sheng Ningyu naturally wanted to go to the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City.
Whether it was the substitute puppet that appeared beside Chu Jiye before, the rumor about the "spirit bone" that inexplicably circulated in the ghost market, or even the "mysterious degree" that Chu Jiye mentioned before...
It seemed that everything was guiding her to the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City.
But before that, Sheng Ningyu had one more thing to do.
Sheng Ningyu stared at the flickering Netherworld Flames before her. Her spiritual bones were not yet fully formed, and after unleashing such a powerful sword strike, her spiritual power was instantly depleted.
A hand reached out from behind to support her, but Sheng Ningyu moved faster and nimbly dodged it, turning around and leaning against a section of the collapsed roof beam.
Made of gold and jade, with carved railings and painted pillars, it truly lives up to the reputation of the Chu family; they are indeed wealthy and noble.
Almost simultaneously, a detached voice came from behind: "Are you starting to hate me again?"
Sheng Ningyu was completely stunned.
These words seemed to come out of nowhere, but the expression on the person in front of him didn't seem like a joke at all.
Because of the overwhelming sword force unleashed by her sword strike, the Netherworld Flames were frozen in that moment and never spread outwards again. Now, the flames have paused, and it is nighttime.
The heavy shadows of the trees obscured the moonlight, making the light already dim. The howling wind around them made the figure standing behind her appear even more aloof and cold.
Those who came to say goodbye were all taken aback for a moment.
Xie Qianjing seemed to have abandoned all pretense. He shed his usual gentle smile, and a red sword mark between his brows made his face appear as white as snow. He looked like a sickly, frail man, but his eyes revealed a kind of resentment and hatred that was quite eerie.
He resembled neither a demon nor a ghost, but was in no way like a proper cultivator.
Suddenly, I realized that Xie Qianjing was indeed not him.
But how could he have overlooked this matter before?
Just as Yuan Bushu was about to take a closer look, a dark shadow suddenly appeared, completely obscuring the snow-white ghost.
"Senior Brother Yuan, is there something you need from me?" Sheng Ningyu peered behind him, but seeing no one, asked curiously, "Isn't Sister Ayan here?"
“There’s something going on at the sect, so she went ahead.” Yuan Bushu put aside his previous thoughts and said seriously, “I’ll go find Shuhe first, and then I’ll return to Yunwang Palace.”
Now, with puppet obstacles emerging one after another, the Netherworld Fire raging, and the death of the Chu family patriarch... each and every one of these events is enough to turn the entire cultivation world upside down.
I have a vague premonition that the world is truly about to change.
He looked at Sheng Ningyu, and through her bloodless face, he could vaguely glimpse the fearless and spirited girl from back then.
Originally, Yuan Bushu should have set off immediately, but now he couldn't help but remind him, "Young Master Feng has returned to the Phoenix Clan. As the morning news says, there has also been some movement around Gui Canglou. After that, he will probably go to the Thousand Poison Cave... We are afraid that we will not be able to see you for some time."
Sheng Ningyu keenly grasped the key point: "Is Senior Sister Han unwell?"
Previously, she had been preoccupied with her own thoughts. Although she had chatted and joked with Han Yuyi and they seemed to have no connection, whenever her old ailment was mentioned, Han Yuyi would always smile and gloss over it, refusing to say more.
Yuan Bushu sighed: "Let other people's problems be. As for your chronic illness, Junior Sister, you should take care of yourself first."
Sheng Ningyu herself was unaware, but to others, her pale and powerless appearance made it seem as if she would dissolve into the air and drift away with the wind at any moment.
Yuan Bushu was filled with worry, stuffing handfuls of life-saving pills into Sheng Ningyu's Star River Pouch, almost emptying himself of everything.
"Day after day, endlessly, all things are born and die in the same way. There will always be regrets, debts, and unfulfilled desires. It is impossible for everything to go as you wish. You are still weak, and your spiritual bones are not yet complete, yet you have exposed yourself to the world. Be careful."
Don't always make things difficult for yourself.
Sheng Ningyu was both amused and exasperated: "Senior brother, I was so weak before because I lost my spiritual bone and had just come out of the coffin..." Seeing that Yuan Bushu's expression changed again, Sheng Ningyu quickly skipped over this part.
Judging from the string of words she uttered later, one can only imagine how long she had been holding it in.
Yuan Bushu couldn't help but raise his hand and tap Sheng Ningyu's forehead. Unexpectedly, such a slight movement made Sheng Ningyu's face turn pale and her body sway, as if a tree branch about to break in the wind was about to snap completely in the next second.
"Junior Sister Sheng!"
Yuan Bushu was startled by her expression and immediately reached out to help her, but someone was faster than him.
Her arms were restrained and pulled back, and Sheng Ningyu pressed herself against a cold body.
"The former Palace Master need not worry."
Xie Qianjing stepped out from behind Sheng Ningyu.
He placed one hand behind Sheng Ningyu, half-embracing her, while giving Yuan Bushu a slight smile.
He left behind the lingering smell of burning gunpowder and the charred ruins, which stretched into a long, dark shadow.
The ghostly and eerie appearance from before had faded away, and Xie Qianjing was now more dignified and aloof than any of the aristocratic immortals that Yuan Bushu had ever seen.
Dust settles and light emerges, untouched by the world's grime.
He didn't retract his hand, paused for a moment, and finally nodded slightly to Xie Qianjing to complete the proper etiquette. Then he turned his gaze back to Sheng Ningyu.
"Before leaving, Ru Chao specifically asked me to tell you not to act impulsively and not to be stubborn. There is nothing in this world that you cannot do. At worst, you can send a message to Gui Canglou, Yinzhu City, or Yunwang Palace. There will always be someone to help you."
Sheng Ningyu couldn't help but laugh: "The last few, were they added by Senior Brother Yuan himself?"
Yuan Bushu coughed lightly: "In my opinion, Young Master Feng thinks so too."
According to this young lord of the Phoenix Clan, he wished he could confine Sheng Ningyu within the Phoenix Clan's shop. If he were to see Sheng Ningyu in her current state, her actions and words would only be more egregious than his.
“And…” Yuan Bushu shifted his gaze to Xie Qianjing.
"The master of Gui Cang Lou asked me to convey his gratitude to the Demon Lord for the medicine."
medicine?
What kind of elixir is Yunwang Palace unable to produce? Why would they need Xie Qianjing to give it to them?
Sheng Ningyu was taken aback, but before she could ask, Yuan Bushu had already waved goodbye to the two of them, leaving only a voice transmission in Sheng Ningyu's ear.
Ru Chao said he had thought about it for a long time, but he still felt that Immortal Rong Que would not harm you.
Rongque.
The name that had appeared in her heart countless times since she awoke came to her ears again.
Some warned her to be careful, some refused to believe he would harm her, and some thought he had his reasons for being in the Nine Heavens Pavilion...
Sheng Ningyu still remembered that brief encounter.
The Pavilion Master was elegant and graceful, dressed in a snow-white robe, with a long flute at her waist and white silk covering her eyes. Her demeanor was exceptional, like the jade hairpin flowers that once bloomed in abundance in the Sword Pavilion.
Her senior brother still had gentle features, and his ethereal appearance was further enhanced by the flickering firelight, making him seem like a noble young master who had stepped out of a painting.
Who are you thinking about right now?
Her voice sounded like it was filled with frost and snow. Only then did Sheng Ningyu realize that she was still leaning against Xie Qianjing, and she immediately tried to get away.
Sensing the intention of the person in his arms, Xie Qianjing's expression turned completely cold. He turned the person in his arms around, and Sheng Ningyu noticed that the smile he had shown when facing his former senior brother had disappeared again.
"You spoke very sweetly at the Chu family just now." Xie Qianjing bent down and pressed his forehead against the person in his arms. "Sheng Ningyu, are you lying to me again?"
He was tightly held in her arms, and the lingering demonic energy around him was still present.
Sheng Ningyu had never realized so clearly before that the person holding her was no longer the stern-faced, unyielding little immortal lord she once knew.
He would never be called "Immortal Lord" again. Sheng Ningyu did not miss the fleeting fear in her senior brother's eyes just now.
The Bodhi Immortal Lord who was once single-mindedly focused on slaying demons and monsters has become the Demon Lord, feared and trembled by all the demons.
Despite his ruthless actions and cold, hard words, his eyelashes trembled uneasily, as if he would crumble like those collapsed palaces if Sheng Ningyu admitted to the deception.
"Xie Qianjing."
Sheng Ningyu was almost amused by his words: "Are you really not afraid of pain?"
Seeing that he remained silent and motionless, Sheng Ningyu pinched his wrist, and sure enough, there were new wounds on it.
"You gave your own blood to your senior brother?"
Xie Qianjing looked at her quietly for a while, then let go of her and said, "You feel guilty towards Han Yuyi."
Sheng Ningyu was taken aback and remained silent.
Xie Qianjing pursed her lips and said softly, "Don't feel guilty."
Do not feel any guilt towards them.
If you feel guilty, just feel it for him alone.
All eyes were on him—those of hatred, resentment, and guilt… he wanted them all.
Xie Qianjing said softly to himself, "Your senior brother said that her illness is psychological. My blood can stabilize her temporarily, but there is no need to add more."
Sheng Ningyu suddenly raised her head, almost gritting her teeth as she said, "Thank you, Qianjing!"
If Yan Ruchao truly needs it, does Xie Qianjing have to keep supplying him with his blood indefinitely?!
Xie Qianjing stood quietly in place. He glanced down at Sheng Ningyu's wrist, his gaze light and detached, just like his pale face, devoid of any warmth: "It's just a bowl of blood, it's not like I didn't spare it."
Just a bowl of blood?
To hell with "it's just a bowl of blood"!
Sheng Ningyu was furious and took a few steps forward to grab his hand, but stopped in mid-air just before they made contact.
The moment Sheng Ningyu withdrew her hand, the world spun around her, and a wisp of ice and snow enveloped her once again in her arms.
"Why don't you want to touch me anymore?" Xie Qianjing seemed afraid to look at her, only holding her in his arms, his gentle tone carrying an extreme chill.
"Is it because of Chu Jiye? You also feel guilty towards him, don't you? And he kept that face until his death..."
Sheng Ningyu was held tightly in Xie Qianjing's arms.
She was already exhausted, so she simply stopped moving, turned her head away, and lazily waited to hear what else this person would say.
"...Or have you already grown tired of me?" Xie Qianjing said softly. "Jiuzhong, you're going to find someone else, aren't you?"
"Xie Qianjing, be reasonable."
"Your spirit remains are inside my body!"
Sheng Ningyu grew angrier as she spoke, but she dared not make a move, fearing that she would provoke the inexplicably insane Demon Lord in front of her.
“I know all too well how painful it would be to touch someone else’s spirit bone.” Sheng Ningyu broke free from his embrace and looked up. “Xie Qianjing, before we go to the Mountain and Sea Never Sleeps City, I must return the spirit bone to you.”
Xie Qianjing lowered his head, stared at her expressionlessly for a while, and then suddenly his eyes curved into a smile.
His eyes were as black as ink, like a bottomless abyss, but when he smiled they became clear and bright, as if that abyss was nothing more than a snowflake in the night, devoid of light.
It will melt away in large swaths as soon as it encounters light.
Xie Qianjing said, enunciating each word clearly, "No."
Sheng Ningyu: "?"
Sheng Ningyu: "What did you say?" Xie Qianjing chuckled: "I said, I don't want it anymore."
Having said all that, he still doesn't want it?
Seeing her so excited, Xie Qianjing smiled instead.
He took Sheng Ningyu's hand and pressed it against his heart: "Jiuzhong, you've forgotten again." He sighed softly, "I am a demon."
Sheng Ningyu didn't react immediately: "So what if it's a demon?"
“Demonic cultivators are the opposite of ordinary people. While cultivators feel pain, demonic cultivators only feel pleasure.” Xie Qianjing inserted his fingers between hers, his thumb rubbing the thin calluses on the edge of her palm, feeling an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
"The more it hurts, the more pleasure I feel."
Sheng Ningyu pursed her lips, disbelieving: "There's no such thing as that."
“You are not a demon, so naturally you wouldn’t understand.” Xie Qianjing chuckled softly. “Besides, I no longer need the spirit bone. Now that it’s in your body, it’s a good place for it.”
What kind of "good place" is this?
Sheng Ningyu choked, unable to find the words to refute him for a moment.
Over the past century, she has often been described as "unruly and reckless," but at this moment she feels that the words and actions of the person in front of her truly deserve the description of "lawless."
She leaned closer, staring intently at Xie Qianjing.
"what you do?"
"I'm looking at you," Sheng Ningyu grinned, "to see how you can utter such rebellious words with that radiant, otherworldly face."
Xie Qianjing let her look, but kept stroking her fingers.
His fingers trembled slightly as he stroked from fingertips to the base, and through the thin layer of flesh, it seemed as if some yearning was constantly clamoring.
Xie Qianjing seemed to have returned to normal. He took her hand as usual and conjured a small spirit boat: "Since we are going to the City That Never Sleeps, we will probably run into your old friends again. This matter should not be publicized. Let's find a place to stay first, find out some information, and let you regain some strength."
In the blink of an eye, he had arranged everything, no longer caring about what had happened before.
But Sheng Ningyu was unwilling to let this opportunity pass.
"You're not angry anymore?" Sheng Ningyu leaned against the cramped spirit boat, picked up a piece of sweet cake and put it in her mouth, trying to dispel the rising taste of blood. "Do you believe me now that I didn't lie to you? Or..."
In a flash, Sheng Ningyu suddenly remembered what Yan Ruchao had said about the inverted love and hate of demonic cultivators, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Xie Qianjing, did you try to kill me again just now?"
The Milky Way glitters across the sky, a gentle breeze caresses the face, and the moonlight shimmers and flows.
Xie Qianjing had his back to Sheng Ningyu, so he couldn't see Sheng Ningyu's expression, but he could hear Sheng Ningyu's cold voice: "And what about you? Why are you staring at me?"
Sheng Ningyu raised her eyebrows and said meaningfully, "Is it 'not allowed' again? I just love watching you."
"You like it?" Xie Qianjing repeated to himself, then suddenly turned his head and smiled sweetly, "Of course you can."
"If you like looking at me, then look at me often. Don't look at anyone else."
other people?
Sheng Ningyu took a bite of the sweet cake and mumbled, "I wouldn't dare."
She wouldn't dare to look for anyone else.
If he were to seek someone else, who knows how many more cuts this fickle Demon Lord would make on his wrist?
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