Ch 66 – Severity of the Wounds

Bang.

Standing outside the cabin, Fang Yang raised another finger. This was the tenth, each one representing a broken wine bowl.

During the period Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were waiting outside the cabin, Wu Wenbo had already drunk ten bowls without saying a word. Sect Leader Wu had never thought that his good friend, who was supposed to be at the bottom of the rankings, would actually surpass him.

Ji Chengyue’s Lingxiao Sword Sect had begun to improve, and as Ji Chengyue’s friend, he should be happy for him. But being happy for him was one thing. Suddenly being at the bottom of the rankings was another.

He couldn’t bring himself to blame Ji Chengyue for not being brotherly enough, nor could he use him to vent his frustrations. The mere thought struck him as petty. So even though Wu Wenbo’s heart was as bitter as a lemon, he kept silent.

He simply drank, glaring at Ji Chengyue as he did so.

Seeing how upset he was, Ji Chengyue could do nothing but keep him company.

Therefore, even though he sensed his beloved disciple outside the cabin, he had no opportunity to go out and ask after Cao Zirui, whom he hadn’t seen for a day.

“He’s drinking too much!” Fang Yang stared at his raised fingers and simply put his hands down. Judging by the continuous shattering sounds in the cabin, he probably couldn’t keep up with Wu Wenbo’s alcohol tolerance even if he counted his toes.

Cao Zirui started to speak when he heard this, but his words turned into muffled coughs: “Cough, cough…..”

Fang Yang had a sudden realization: “Your internal injuries haven’t healed yet! I actually dragged you out here in the wind for so long!”

He scratched his hair in distress, taking Cao Zirui’s hand to lead him toward the cabins where the disciples were resting.

“It’s okay, my injuries aren’t so bad after taking some pills. I’ll be fine after some rest. It’s just a breeze – I’m not that delicate.” But despite his words, he didn’t protest when Fang Yang pulled him toward the cabins, just following along obediently. 

However, they had only taken a few steps when they bumped into someone.

Fang Yang looked up at Xue Ren, who was a head taller than both of them. This was Cao Zirui’s genuine shixiong.

Xue Ren’s eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the two of them holding hands. When had his shidi become intimate with another person?

He didn’t reveal his confusion, but directed a friendly smile at the two of them.

Seeing this, Fang Yang hurriedly saluted Xue Ren. Cao Zirui also nodded and called out: “Shixiong.”

He said “shixiong” the same as he usually did, in his usual indifferent tone with no emotional fluctuations.

It seemed that even though Lu Chengye had failed for some reason, that useless trash who was more trouble than he was worth hadn’t given him up.

Based on Xue Ren’s understanding of his fellow junior disciple, Cao Zirui would never pretend. This fellow possessed a textbook sense of integrity, thanks entirely to the attentive protection of his parents and master. He had never experienced the hardships of life, and lived entirely by the profound principles of his books.

Xue Ren used to dislike Cao Zirui’s character. He was the gentleman that his master hoped for, so what was Xue Ren?

Foxtail grass growing wild in the mud?

But at this moment, he was grateful for this aspect of Cao Zirui. It was precisely because he knew that Cao Zirui couldn’t pretend that he was able to infer that Cao Zirui was unaware of his identity as the mastermind behind the scenes.

It was more unbelievable than a fairy tale for a person who couldn’t lie to pretend to be calm in front of Xue Ren, who was adept at reading the words and expressions of others.

But regardless of his knowledge, there was a saying that went: a guilty conscience shines through.

Even though he felt that Cao Zirui was completely unaware, Xue Ren still didn’t dare relax his guard. Once this matter was exposed, he would be ruined.

Therefore, he did not ignore his shidi as he usually would, only playing nice when there were others around.

Not only had he approached him today, he even took the initiative to show interest in Cao Zirui’s trip to the Floating Island Secret Realm. Xue Ren smiled and said: “Shidi gained a lot from this trip. I’m sure you must have had some adventures inside the secret realm.”

The harvest had been far from fruitful, and a score of 6,000 points was merely above average. But adventure…..if being hunted counted as one, he had indeed experienced an adventure.

Cao Zirui deliberated. Although he had originally planned to tell his master directly about this matter, it wouldn’t hurt to tell his shixiong in advance. In any case, there was nothing to hide.

So he told him the story of being hunted down in the secret realm. Xue Ren’s brow furrowed as he listened, his expression severe, as if he couldn’t believe that such a villain existed.

Without interrupting Cao Zirui, he listened silently as his shidi told him of his miraculous escape and introduced Fang Yang to him as his savior.

Xue Ren sent Fang Yang a grateful expression, then continued to listen to Cao Zirui. When he heard Cao Zirui say that the golden arrow chasing the two of them had inexplicably broken in half due to a sudden earthquake, he could only curse to himself.

What damn crazy reason for failure was this!

Lu Chengye was a useless piece of trash. He’d spend so much effort and paid so much to obtain that heaven-grade magic weapon, the Burning Sky Bow. Before he could even get started, that loser not only lost his life in the Floating Island Secret Realm, but also took his Burning Sky Bow along with him!

Xue Ren took a deep breath and utilized all of his life’s cultivation to suppress vulgar words in his heart. He offered a relieved smile to Cao Zirui once he finished telling his story: “I’m glad Shidi is okay. I never thought your journey to the Floating Island Secret Realm would be so life threatening. I almost lost you in just one day.”

Fang Yang, who had been silent all this time, suddenly cut in: “He’s not okay, he was seriously injured. He blocked most of Lu Chengye’s attacks with his Water Soul Beads, and the remaining force of the Golden Arrow hit him. He was unconscious for several hours. He did take some medicine later and seemed to be alright, but he was still coughing just now.”

Cao Zirui hadn’t mentioned his injuries during his narration, and Xue Ren hadn’t asked. He only cared about whether Cao Zirui was dead or alive, and whether or not he had been exposed. He couldn’t care less how badly injured Cao Zirui was.

But now that he knew, he immediately looked upon Cao Zirui with worry: “So it’s like this.”

That’s great, he thought to himself.

Then, he let out a sigh and blamed himself: “It’s this shixiong’s fault. I hadn’t expected a demonic cultivator to infiltrate our sect.”

He defined Lu Chengye’s nature in just one sentence. It was obvious that Lu Chengye didn’t have the demonic qi that such a cultivator should have, and there had not been any speculation in Cao Zirui’s description that painted him that way.

But in coming to this conclusion, his purpose was naturally to muddy the waters and clear himself completely of suspicion.

Fang Yang and Cao Zirui were somewhat taken aback by the phrase “demonic cultivator,” but after their initial surprise, they felt that this made sense.

Otherwise, why would Lu Chengye have hunted them down? He had a motive to hunt down Fang Yang, but it had been obvious that Fang Yang was just included by association and that Cao Zirui, who had no grudges with him, was the real target. 

If Lu Chengye was a demonic cultivator who infiltrated Lingxiao Sword Sect, everything made sense. Demonic cultivators were the natural enemy of righteous cultivators.

Lingxiao Sword Sect wasn’t doing very well at the moment, but Cao Zirui was a rising star. Although Ji Chengyue hadn’t said so explicitly, anyone with a discerning eye could see that he wanted to train Cao Zirui into the next Ling Yun. He had even passed Ling Yun’s original Lingxiao swordsmanship on to him.

If Cao Zirui really succeeded in his cultivation and became the next Hedao-stage cultivator a hundred years later, the strength of the righteous path would greatly increase, which would be devastating news for demonic cultivators.

Thus, they were incredibly farsighted and intended to strangle this rising star in the cradle.

It made perfect sense.

Cao Zirui and Fang Yang nodded in agreement. Cao Zirui also comforted Xue Ren, who seemed to be taking this failure personally: “There’s no need for Shixiong to blame himself. I was able to return safely this time because of the bell you gave me before I left. It gave me advance warning along the way, which is what allowed me to escape so many times.”

Xue Ren couldn’t help but look down at the bell hanging at Cao Zirui’s waist. It would have been better if Cao Zirui hadn’t mentioned it, and Xue Ren could only curse to himself. He’d even prepared this tracker for Lu Chengye, so how could he have still failed?!

But he actually felt some relief. Cao Zirui was unaware of the bell’s secret, and was still carrying it with him now. He must truly be clueless.

However, Xue Ren’s abundance of caution would not allow him to rest at ease. He said to Cao Zirui: “This matter must be reported to Shifu. He will make the final decision.”

Cao Zirui nodded: “I was just about to tell Shifu about this, but there hasn’t been an opportunity.”

Fang Yang echoed: “That’s right. Sect Leader Wu is a big drinker, and he’s making our sect leader accompany him while he drinks.”

Xue Ren frowned: “Drinking is such a trivial matter. How can it be compared to you being hunted down by a demonic cultivator? I’ll go call Shifu out right away.”

Having said this, he made his way urgently toward the cabin.

He knew that this matter could not be hidden from his master. Given how much his master cared about Cao Zirui, it was impossible for him not to notice that he was injured.

Even if he wanted to hide it, he couldn’t. It would be better to take the initiative. He must be present when Cao Zirui spoke with their master about this, so that he could observe their master’s attitude and intervene when appropriate.

Now was the best time. Xue Ren donned a righteous expression as he risked angering his master by calling him out when he was accompanying his friend to drink.

As soon as he reached the cabin door, Ji Chengyue lifted the door curtain and came out. Through the half-open curtain, Xue Ren glimpsed Sect Leader Wu Wenbo slumped over inside, completely inebriated.

The cabin floor was littered with broken wine bowls that were countless in number. The amount he drank was truly not small.

Ji Chengyue’s countenance was very sober. He hadn’t drank much at all, as Wu Wenbo had swallowed it all to drown his sorrows.

He was a little surprised to see Xue Ren. He had thought it was Cao Zirui standing outside the cabin.

After that brief surprise, he found that he wasn’t wrong – Cao Zirui and another familiar-looking disciple were behind Xue Ren.

“Shifu.” Xue Ren bowed to Ji Chengyue.

Ji Chengyue nodded to him in response, then shifted his gaze past him toward Cao Zirui.

Even though he was standing right in front of him, he disregarded Xue Ren. Upon seeing this, Xue Ren clenched his fists that were placed in front of him for a salute, but his face didn’t reveal the slightest dissatisfaction.

He just donned a worried expression and briefly recounted to Ji Chengyue what he had heard.

Ji Chengyue shifted his gaze back to Xue Ren as he listened, his face full of astonishment. When he came back to his senses, he paced quickly toward Cao Zirui.

He looked at Cao Zirui, who seemed fine on the surface, but he quickly realized that something was wrong: “How did your cultivation drop to the ninth level of Qi Refining?”

Before Cao Zirui could answer, Ji Chengyue grasped his wrist and took his pulse.

“Blazing Sun Flower…..” Ji Chengyue was the sect leader, after all, and could not be compared to the barefoot doctor, Administrator Zhang. He immediately saw the reason Cao Zirui’s cultivation level had plummeted. 

At the same time, he also noticed his injuries.

All of his disappointment over Cao Zirui’s gains from his trip instantly turned to worry and heartache for his injuries. How could he not feel sorry for the disciple he had personally raised?

The wind was strong on deck, so Ji Chengyue took the three of them directly into another cabin to talk.

Inside the cabin, Cao Zirui recounted his experience in the Floating Island Secret Realm, with Fang Yang supplementing the tale from the side.

Xue Ren listened quietly with a worried look on his face. Once Cao Zirui was done speaking, he asked Ji Chengyue: “Shifu, such a demonic cultivator infiltrated our sect. I am willing to investigate on your behalf to discover if there are any accomplices.”

Ji Chengyue didn’t speak for a long time, staring at Cao Zirui with no indication of what he was thinking.

After a while, he repeated softly: “Demonic cultivator?”

His gaze simultaneously shifted to Xue Ren, whose heart skipped a beat under those sharp eyes. Only then did he remember that no matter how reserved his master was, he was ultimately a sword cultivator.

But he immediately calmed down and repeated in a resonant voice: “Shidi and Lu Chengye have no past or present grudges between them. Presumably, only a demonic cultivator would have such a vicious heart.” 

“Shifu, I think that what Shixiong says makes sense,” Cao Zirui added helpfully.

But Ji Chengyue did not respond, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. He simply looked at Xue Ren.

Xue Ren maintained the same posture of ceremonial respect with his hands raised in front of him and his head lowered, his expression unclear.

But his inner garments were already soaked with cold sweat.

It was not clear how much time had passed, but to Xue Ren, it felt like a century before Ji Chengyue finally spoke: “Indeed, only a demonic cultivator would have such a vicious heart.”

He waved a hand at Xue Ren: “I’ll leave this matter to you. You must uncover all of the spies in the sect.”

Xue Ren breathed a sigh of relief. His master didn’t suspect him, otherwise he wouldn’t have handed this important matter over to him. He could finally put aside his worries.

“Yes,” he responded, but he didn’t leave.

Ji Chengyue turned his head to regard Fang Yang, finally remembering who he was. Wasn’t he the lucky fellow who had picked up the Ice Grass?

When Cao Zirui was narrating the incident, he’d mentioned that Lu Chengye had also poisoned Fang Yang. They had been afflicted with the same poison, and Fang Yang had also saved Cao Zirui’s life.

He stretched out his hand toward Fang Yang: “Where is the Ice Grass?”

This was clearly a request to hand it over. Fang Yang was briefly taken aback, but obediently took it out and handed it to him.

Ji Chengyue pinched the crystal-clear herb with his fingertips and pondered: “Misfortunes often bring good fortune. You were both poisoned by the Blazing Sun Flower, yet you both found the antidote. It can be said that this is the will of heaven.”

He smiled at the stunned Fang Yang: “Don’t worry, I’m not coveting your belongings. It is only that Ice Grass is very rare. While consuming it directly can achieve the effect of cleansing the body, it is far inferior to the absorption effect after refining it. I will find someone to refine it into pills and then return it to you.”

Fang Yang scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. For a moment, he really had thought the sect leader was going to rob him.

But when he came to his senses, he realized that as the sect leader of Lingxiao Sword Sect, Ji Chengyue had all sorts of resources at his disposal. Although Ice Grass was expensive, 10,000 spirit stones was nothing to him.

Ji Chengyue said: “You have made great contributions on this outing. After the Sea Market ends, I will have someone send you a reward when we return to the sect.”

What was the Sea Market? Although Fang Yang didn’t understand, Ji Chengyue had no intention of explaining it to him. He waved a hand at the three of them and said: “It’s getting late. You should go back and rest.”

The three of them bowed and went to leave.

Ji Chengyue suddenly called out: “Zirui, you stay for a moment.”

Xue Ren’s expression immediately changed, and he glanced at his master’s face out of the corner of his eye in suspicion. Why was his master keeping only Cao Zirui behind? Did he have suspicions about him?

Just as he was feeling incredibly tense, Ji Chengyue explained to the equally puzzled Cao Zirui: “Master wants to take a look at your condition. You’ve taken so many pills, and you might not know which ones are the best for your injuries.”

So that was it. Xue Ren felt relieved once again. He feigned concern, saying: “Take care of yourself, Shidi.”

Then he lifted the door curtain and left the cabin.

Fang Yang turned and waved farewell to Cao Zirui: “I’m leaving too.”

Cao Zirui waved back.

Ji Chengyue was surprised by such a scene, but felt a sudden relief. He had always had some concerns about Cao Zirui’s personality, but now that he’d finally made a friend, he could put his worries aside.

He connected to Cao Zirui’s meridians again and used his spiritual power to carefully sort out the hidden injuries among them. 

When everything was taken care of, it was already late. Cao Zirui stood up and thanked his master. But just as he was about to leave, Ji Chengyue called out to him again.

This time, it wasn’t about his injuries, but instead…..

Ji Chengyue looked at the bell hanging at Cao Zirui’s waist and suddenly said: “Is this the one your shixiong gave you?”

“En.” Cao Zirui nodded.

Ji Chengyue reached out to grasp the bell and squeeze it in his hand, seeming to inspect it casually. Then he released it with a kind smile, saying: “Go back and have a good rest. Don’t use your spiritual power casually in the near future.”

“Yes,” Cao Zirui responded, then finally said his farewells and left.

With Cao Zirui gone, Ji Chengyue alone remained in the cabin.

The room was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of a candle flickering in its candleholder beside the table, illuminating the darkness.

Ji Chengyue stared at the flickering candlelight, watching the ever-changing interplay of light and shadow. He was silent for a very long time.

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