CH 2

The wind seemed to have stopped, and the only sound audible on the cliff was the metallic grinding noise of the chain links.

Yi Ning was silent for a moment before he leapt down from the cliff, landing stably inside the cave’s entrance. 

“What, you went to see the lanterns but didn’t even bring one back for me?” Yan Xuan seemed very interested in having a chat with him.

He thought he went to see the lanterns?

Yi Ning’s eyes lingered on the charred skin of Yan Xuan’s wrists, probably caused by the electric whip. Demonic cultivators had incredibly strong self-healing abilities. There was no longer any bloody flesh and skin, it had all healed into a large, purple scab.

After a pause, he lifted his eyes to Yan Xuan’s face and said, “There’s nothing much to see.” 

Yan Xuan was stunned by his gaze, and his heart skipped a beat, like it was electrocuted by the electricity from the electric whip, feeling a prickling itchiness. Yet the words that left his mouth carried mockery. “I didn’t expect Immortal Master Yi Ning to enjoy these kinds of festivities.”

Yi Ning’s brow wrinkled, and he didn’t speak. It was just that Yan Xuan refused to let the topic go, and continued, “Did you go with that stupid disciple of yours?”

He always referred to Gong Xiuxian as such.

Yi Ning felt gloomy and didn’t want to respond, yet Yan Xuan scented a different smell than usual. Demonic cultivators also had incredibly sharp senses of smell.

“Why is there another man’s scent on your body?” Yan Xuan’s eyes narrowed, and his voice subconsciously cooled. He sneered. “Is one Gong Xiuxian not enough for you?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yi Ning looked at him distrustingly. Yan Xuan’s mood always suddenly swung between hot and cold, it was like this nine years ago as well.

Yan Xuan scoffed and said, “Even more unknowing of shame than demonic cultivators.”

Now, Yi Ning understood. He was insinuating that he was seducing people. He slowly walked towards Yan Xuan; following his approach, the fresh scent of snow pines lingering around Yi Ning’s body drifted into Yan Xuan’s nose. 

It seemed to bring with it a coldness, like that of mist or fog.

Just a little closer, just a little closer would be even better, Yan Xuan thought.

In the next second, Yi Ning retrieved a jar of realgar wine from his storage ring and emptied it over Yan Xuan’s head. His movements were refined and smooth, and also merciless.

“You!” Yan Xuan was soaked by the realgar wine, and as the wine dripped down from his hair, down his neck, onto his collarbones, down his chest… 

Black python markings surfaced on his skin, and even crawled all the way up to the corners of his eyes. His body emitted a strong demonic energy, and his pupils had become a slitted gold, shining with a terrifying brilliance.

Yan Xuan was a demonic cultivator of the snake race.

“Behave.” After Yi Ning said that word in a calm tone, he placed the wine jar back into his storage ring and leapt out of the cave.

Realgar wine wouldn’t kill him, just cause him a period of burning pain. Yan Xuan gritted his teeth as he glared at the cave entrance, the smell of realgar wine filling his nose and causing him to feel nauseous. 

Just you wait, Yi Ning, one day, I will let you experience this sort of feeling for yourself.

The next day.

Liu Rugeng smiled as he walked out of the hall with Gong Xiuxian. It was unknown what the two of them were playing at, with their hands entwined, when they bumped into Yi Ning.

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Ole Eeufcu’r alwlv nblmf rbecvfv lc tlr fjg. “Pwwbgaji Zjrafg… Po Pwwbgaji Zjrafg vbfrc’a ilxf la, atfc P’ii ajxf la vbkc. P pera atbeuta atja atf ijcafgc Xbcu Wlezljc ybeuta ibbxfv ubbv tjculcu tfgf.”

Yi Ning didn’t say anything. No matter how ignorant he was of people, he would have understood by this point.

When his cold gaze met with Liu Rugeng’s, the other seemed to have been frightened by his gaze and shrunk behind Gong Xiuxian, saying, “Immortal Master, I was wrong.”

Gong Xiuxian frowned slightly, shielding Liu Rugeng behind him and said, “Shizun, it’s just a lantern. Today, I’ll go down the mountain and buy one back for you, don’t be mad.” 

He and Yi Ning, ever since they got together, had never argued before, so Gong Xiuxian thought that Yi Ning was always gentle and easy-going. Furthermore, it was just a little issue of a lantern.

Yi Ning chewed on the words ‘don’t be mad’, and suddenly felt a little like laughing. Was he angry, or was Gong Xiuxian biased?

“Take it down.” Yi Ning said coldly, leaving no room for argument. He was the owner of Mount Yunqing, if he wanted it taken down, then it had to be taken down.

Gong Xiuxian helplessly took down the lantern, handing it to Liu Rugeng, then walked to Yi Ning and extended his hand. “Shizun, let’s not squabble anymore and cultivate together.” He had been too preoccupied with having fun with Liu Rugeng these days, and neglected his cultivation. 

Yi Ning looked at that pair of hands that had been touched by Liu Rugeng, and felt a little disgusted. He didn’t touch Gong Xiuxian, and didn’t give him another glance either, turning around to walk into the main hall.

Irritating, irritating. Yi Ning sat alone in the main hall to cultivate. Behind him, Gong Xiuxian seemed to have something to say, but Yi Ning shut off his five senses, refusing to listen to his explanation.

Gong Xiuxian didn’t know that he had shut off his five senses, and continued talking. “Shizun, today is Rugeng’s birthday, don’t be angry at him anymore. If you’re angry, you can scold me, this disciple will forever be with you.”

Yi Ning didn’t respond, so Gong Xiuxian only took that he heard it but didn’t want to respond, so he sighed and said, “Tonight, Rugeng wants to drink some wine. Shizun, I will leave first to buy wine from down the mountain.” 

Seeing that he still had no reaction, Gong Xiuxian looked helplessly at Liu Rugeng. The other’s eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of tears, yet he forcefully endured the urge to cry, and said to him, “No matter, Xiuxian, let’s go off first.”

“Okay.” Gong Xiuxian’s heart softened. In any case, this was his childhood playmate; he had been wronged so much in his life, protecting him was the proper thing to do. He didn’t understand why Shizun became so stubborn.

When the two of them left the main hall, Liu Rugeng turned his head to look at Yi Ning and sneered.

See, your good disciple will eventually become tired of your boring personality. 

It was only after cultivating for an entire day, until the morning of the following day, did Yi Ning’s heart finally regain its calm. He thought about finding a chance to have a discussion with Gong Xiuxian about how it was perhaps better for Liu Rugeng to live at the foot of the mountain.

But he couldn’t find them in the main hall. Was Gong Xiuxian only concerned with having fun these days, and couldn’t even accomplish the minimum of cultivating daily? Yi Ning’s brows knitted and he left for the side courtyard where Gong Xiuxian resided to find him.

The weather today was still gloomy, and it looked like it was going to rain again. Yi Ning thought, in a while, he definitely had to remind Gong Xiuxian to purchase more clothes, and to not waste his money on silly trinkets.

Yet he had just entered the courtyard when Yi Ning noticed a wine jar rolling to a stop by his feet. 

Wine. Yi Ning’s gaze hardened. He had once said that Mount Yunqing forbade wine, and Gong Xiuxian still sneakily bought some?

It seems like he, as the Shizun, was too soft on him. Even though in the past, Gong Xiuxian wouldn’t do anything rule-breaking, what should be taught, should still be taught.

Yi Ning stepped past the wine jar and pushed open the main door to the building. The stink of alcohol wafted out, so strong it caused his brows to wrinkle. He lifted his eyes and scanned the room. There was nobody in the room, but there seemed to be someone lying behind the bed hangings.

Furthermore, it was two people. 

Yi Ning was stunned, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. It took all the strength in his body to force himself to calm down.

It can’t be, there’s no way, they probably just drank too much.

Gong Xiuxian had always lived honestly and maintained purity of body and mind, even when the two of them were together, he had never done anything outrageous.

He slowly walked over, every step akin to stepping on his own heart. The closer he drew, the clearer he heard his own heartbeat. 

When he pulled aside the curtain, Yi Ning heard his heartbeat–

–stop.

The scene that laid in front of him left him speechless, as if something was stuck in his throat. Wave after wave of bile churned in his gut, disgusting.

Disgusting. Disgusting! 

Yi Ning suddenly drew his sword, slashing down at the two people lying entangled together on the bed. Right before the swordpoint met its mark, Liu Rugeng’s shrill cry rang out from the bed.

He hadn’t been asleep in the first place, and was instead sneakily observing Yi Ning’s expression, gleeful and contemptuous. But when he saw him drawing his sword, Liu Rugeng finally knew fear, and hurriedly shouted to wake up the Gong Xiuxian sleeping beside him.

Yet, that sword hovered above Gong Xiuxian’s head, but ultimately didn’t land. Gong Xiuxian had raised an arm to block the blow, and the blade of the sword dug into his flesh, causing rivulets blood to gush out.

Not– not worth it. It wasn’t worth birthing a heart’s demon over a disloyal disciple like this. Yi Ning closed his eyes and said coldly, “Scram!” 

Liu Rugeng, snuggled up against Gong Xiuxian’s body, started wailing, while Gong Xiuxian was so frantic, his head was a field of white and he could only continuously repeat, “Shizun! Shizun, it’s not what it looks like!”

Yi Ning silently lifted his sword, and said again, “Scram.”

“Shizun, I was muddle-headed after drinking yesterday night, it’s this disciple’s fault. I swear to never drink again from today onwards…” Gong Xiuxian was still attempting to explain himself, yet Yi Ning could no longer hear a single word he was saying.

Yi Ning’s eyes were already thoroughly reddened. He knew that if this continued, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from doing something. Yi Ning looked at Gong Xiuxian, and slowly spat out, word by word, “Fine. I will leave.” 

“From today onwards, I will no longer have any association with you.”

Yi Ning turned to leave. He wouldn’t forgive Gong Xiuxian, definitely not.

To think that he didn’t even know… when his little disciple became someone like this.

Nauseating. 

Days passed, and Yi Ning refused to see Gong Xiuxian once, but he knew Gong Xiuxian was kneeling outside.

He knew it was Liu Rugeng who was actively seducing him, but if Gong Xiuxian had just firmly rejected him, would things have turned out like this? In the end, it was Gong Xiuxian himself who couldn’t resist.

Yi Ning gripped the sword in his hand a little tighter. It wasn’t hatred borne from love, he just deeply despised the feeling of being betrayed.

“Shizun, you don’t need to forgive me, I only wish for you to let out your anger, and not ignore me anymore.” Gong Xiuxian was truly frightened by Yi Ning, this was the first time he saw Yi Ning this enraged. 

Yet the main hall was silent, Yi Ning wouldn’t respond to him. Gong Xiuxian could no longer bear it, and forcibly pushed open the hall door. What he didn’t expect was that there was a formation set-up in the main hall, and it was a slaughter formation to boot.

“Shizun, aren’t you going too far?” Gong Xiuxian’s expression wasn’t too pleasant anymore either. He had never expected Yi Ning would treat him like this.

However, Shizun had always treated him gently, so it was probably just lingering anger. Gong Xiuxian comforted himself for a while, and pulled out his sword from his storage ring, breaking down Yi Ning’s formation with a slice.

That year Yi Ning took him in, it was because his natural aptitude far surpassed others’, and his progress from one year’s of cultivation was equivalent to multiple years for others. After so many years, Gong Xiuxian’s cultivation wasn’t much weaker than Yi Ning’s. 

Yi Ning sensed him barging in, and immediately stood up and pierced forward with his sword.

A killing move! This was the killing move “Certain Obliteration” that Shizun didn’t bring out lightly! A single move could exorcise evil and reap countless lives.

Gong Xiuxian lifted his arm to block it, but he had already been pushed outside the hall.

“Shizun, you used Certain Obliteration against me?” Gong Xiuxian looked disbelievingly at him, dodging his blade to grab Yi Ning’s wrist and said, “You hate me, is that it?” 

Certain Obliteration was formed from hatred, and if hatred didn’t exist, it usually could not be brought out.

Shizun… hates him now?

“Rugeng is only an ordinary mortal, a few decades later he will return to dust, so why quibble with him over minor things?” Gong Xiuxian hurriedly spoke, yet Yi Ning’s only reply was the merciless blade of his sword.

The rain outside grew heavier. 

Yi Ning wanted to pull back his arm, but Gong Xiuxian’s strength was too great, and he gripped his wrist so hard it hurt. He simply couldn’t struggle free.

The most important thing is, Yi Ning felt the acid in his stomach boiling again, his qi and blood churning around, head engulfed by a splitting pain, his vision flashing black. This happened every time he circulated his spiritual energy, and was definitely abnormal.

He was poisoned!

As for who poisoned him… The figure of a man dressed in blue clothes drifted up in Yi Ning’s head. Liu Rugeng’s smile was hazy, and on closer observation, there was a viciousness hidden beneath that seemed tempered by poison. 

“Scram.” Yi Ning forcibly maintained his composure, turning his head to not look at Gong Xiuxian. If he looked at his face, he would recall that day he found the two of them wrapped around each other in bed, and feel like throwing up.

Gong Xiuxian saw the revulsion in the depths of his eyes, and felt a deep stab of pain by his gaze. Is that it, even Shizun now disdains him as dirty.

He used his forearm to block Yi Ning’s blade. Fresh blood spurted out, and Gong Xiuxian’s voice had also chilled considerably. “Shizun, so many days have passed already, you should calm down now.” Gong Xiuxian dragged him to his side, and there was a small knife in his hand.

“What do you want to do–” Yi Ning could no longer see clearly, if he circulated his spiritual energy, the poison’s effects would become even more pronounced. He had just used a killing move, so he estimated it wouldn’t be long before he fainted. 

Yi Ning stood straight, like bamboo and pine after rain, and it couldn’t be seen from his appearance that he was on the verge of falling over.

“Nothing much, there are just some things that I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” Yi Ning lightly patted Yi Ning’s back, like he was soothing a child.

Suddenly, Yi Ning’s sword aura disappeared.

He wanted to pull away and dodge, but his footsteps staggered, and he crashed to the floor. Gong Xiuxian stood in front of him, his gaze trembling. 

“Sleep.”

Shizun, I definitely won’t let you leave me even half a step.