"You... weren't you dead?"
Young Master Su froze and lowered his head, staring at the black stone in his hand, feeling as though he were holding a death sentence—it burned in his grasp.
In panic, he threw the stone aside, scrambling to his feet and running without a second glance, desperately heading toward the light outside the bamboo forest.
The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, like ghostly whispers sneaking through the shadows.
Gu Zhengxing bent down, picking up the stone from the ground. He carefully wiped it clean with a handkerchief and tucked it back into his robes with a soft sigh. "You trust the words of others, but not your own feelings?" He muttered to himself. His expression suddenly twisted with malice, his voice dropping to a chilling low, "Such a person deserves to die."
He flicked his fingers, and a wisp of eerie blue ghost fire appeared at his fingertips, its flame twisting around a skull’s face that seemed to wail in agony.
The ghostly flame, like a fluttering blue butterfly, darted through the bamboo grove, the flickering light resembling the beats of its wings, moving in an eerie dance.
Just as Young Master Su stepped out of the bamboo, a bone-chilling cold gripped him. It was an indescribable sensation, as though his scalp were being peeled back and a frozen hand reached into his body, crushing both soul and flesh with relentless force.
"Ah—!"
He clutched his head, his mouth wide open in a horrible scream, the pain of the ghost fire gnawing at his soul like slow, torturous dissection.
Young Master Su fell to the ground, writhing in agony, his skin turning ashen where the fire had burned through. His body shriveled like a dry twig, rapidly withering away.
Flames oozed from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, the faint outline of blue fire flickering beneath his skin, pushing him to the brink of agony—and yet he did not die.
The faceless ghosts carrying the giant sedan approached. The curtains around the sedan billowed, revealing the figure of the young man in blue—standing tall and composed, exuding an imposing presence within the sedan.
All the oils and moisture in Young Master Su’s body were evaporated by the ghost fire, leaving him a shrunken, dried husk lying on the ground, his body resembling a starving infant.
He stretched out a trembling hand toward the ghostly sedan, his voice barely a whisper, "Save me... save me..."
Gu Zhengxing stepped down from the sedan, placing his foot on the head of one faceless ghost, his gaze cold as he looked at the man on the ground.
"You trust the words of others, but not what your own eyes tell you," he said with disdain, "and now you still have the nerve to beg for my help?"
"I believe you... I believe you now..." In his agony, Young Master Su would have believed anything. He would do anything, if only to survive.
Gu Zhengxing's eyes softened for a moment, and he drew out his bamboo flute, raising it to his lips and playing a mournful tune.
The moment the first note sounded, the ghost fire on Young Master Su’s body flared up again, burning fiercely. The flames consumed him completely, reducing him to nothing but a small, shriveled corpse.
The bones left behind were as brittle as dry twigs, shriveled and fragile, the remnants of a life now extinguished. The only trace left of Young Master Su was the small, still form that lay on the ground, quiet and peaceful as though cradled in a mother’s arms.
Gu Zhengxing knelt on one knee before the scorched bones, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed over the charred remains.
His lowered gaze flickered, shifting between regret, self-blame, and a deep, suffocating pain.
"I can't control it...it keeps urging me to take revenge, asking when I'll fulfill my promise."
He suddenly clasped his head, letting out a tortured scream. "I don't want to kill! I don't hate anyone!"
"Li Yanbi has no grievance with me, why should I kill his son?"
In an instant, Gu Zhengxing's expression turned cold. He chuckled softly. "But it says to kill the last one..."
He nodded, as if realizing something, and stroked his chin. "Li Lanxiu, if he doesn’t see me, then he's lucky and will be spared."
"If he does see me—"
Gu Zhengxing flicked his finger, and a wisp of ghostly blue fire appeared at his fingertip. He blew gently, extinguishing the flame. "Then let him taste the pain of the ghost fire devouring the soul."
As the words fell, the ghost face ring on his finger glimmered slightly. He took out a charm from the ring, a Four Seas Commerce Guild talisman, and felt it in his hand for a moment.
A demon core from a five-hundred-year-old great demon!
Gu Zhengxing’s eyes brightened, and he stared at the talisman as if it were a precious treasure. He murmured softly, "Demon core...a five-hundred-year-old demon core."
"Good! Truly wonderful!"
There were restrictions between the demon realm and the ghost realm. As a judge of the Yin Court, he couldn’t enter the demon realm. If it weren’t for that, his inner demon would have been resolved long ago.
In the West Garden’s Cloudwater Hall, a meticulously designed waterside pavilion resembled a piece of architecture from an immortal’s realm.
The pavilion was surrounded by crystal-clear water, where koi swam and white lotuses bloomed.
The corners of the pavilion’s roof curved upward, adorned with elegant bronze bells. When the wind passed through, the bells chimed with a crisp, pleasant sound.
Chu Yue leaned against the window frame with his arms crossed, staring blankly at the drifting clouds.
Ever since the day his Immaculate Spiritual Physique had been revealed, Elder Shen had brought him to Cloudwater Hall and arranged for him to temporarily stay in this pavilion to cultivate properly while waiting for the upcoming sect competition.
Elder Shen treated Chu Yue with great care. This pavilion had originally been prepared for Bai Zhenchuan, as a beautiful, tranquil residence.
Bai Zhenchuan had never come. Now that Elder Shen had arranged for Chu Yue to stay there, it was clear how highly he regarded him.
Perhaps fearing that he would feel out of place, Cloudwater Hall had even brought Guyunzi from the outer sect to keep him company.
Guyunzi moved carefully, examining the vast room as he walked. He gasped in amazement. "This glazed screen with a hundred birds—the birds actually move…"
He touched the table and sighed. "It feels as smooth as a beauty’s face. Could it be made of true azure jade?"
"My heavens, the drawers are filled with spiritual white immortal pearls. Just one of these would sell for hundreds of spirit stones at the cultivation market, and they're being used to line your drawers…"
"This ornament—could it be ancient red coral? I saw some in an outer sect elder’s room. His was barely the size of a palm, but yours is as tall as me."
Guyunzi’s understanding of wealth was being constantly reshaped. All sorts of rare treasures he had never once seen were gathered in Chu Yue’s room.
He chattered on for a long time before realizing that Chu Yue hadn’t responded even once. Chu Yue had been silently staring at the sky the whole time.
"Chu-shidi, is something bothering you?"
Guyunzi couldn’t imagine what could trouble Chu Yue. He was living the dream—everything that ordinary people longed for was within his grasp. He was the sect’s rising star, nurtured with great effort, with a boundless future ahead of him.
All their old friends had followed him in his rise, gaining status along with him. No one in the outer sect dared to bully them anymore. Whenever they saw Guyunzi, they bowed and fawned over him.
Chu Yue furrowed his brows, shook his head and said, "This place is boring. It's not as good as the outer sect."
Guyunzi looked around the room in confusion. "You think this place is worse than the outer sect?"
Chu Yue touched the spot on his neck where the slave mark had been, pressed his thin lips together and said nothing.
"What’s so good about the outer sect?" Guyunzi sat in a comfortable reclining chair, running his hands over the armrests as if reluctant to let go. "You were always getting bullied there. Have you forgotten Young Master Zhou?"
At the mention of Young Master Zhou, Guyunzi clicked his tongue in admiration. "Young Master Li treated you well back then. You cut off Young Master Zhou’s hand, and he didn’t even punish you. You were both his people, but he was much closer to you than to Young Master Zhou."
That much was obvious. Chu Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled indifferently.
Guyunzi looked at him with envy. "During the trial in the Azurerain realm, Young Master Li only brought you. The rest of us barely escaped with our lives. We’re still recovering from our injuries, but you came out completely unscathed."
Chu Yue's gaze flickered. He suddenly recalled the tiny mole on the back of Li Lanxiu’s foot. Turning his head, he looked out at the pond, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.
Guyunzi smacked his forehead, bringing up the worst possible topic. "Since you’ve arrived here, have you seen Young Master Li?"
Chu Yue's expression darkened. He jumped down from the window frame and strode to the door. He pushed it open. Outside, two rows of servants from Cloudwater Hall stood waiting. They bowed in unison and said, "Young Master Chu."
A steward from Cloudwater Hall was also standing outside, smiling as he asked, "Chu-shidi, do you need anything?"
Chu Yue got straight to the point. "When can I leave?"
The steward’s eyes flickered. "The sect competition is imminent. Elder Shen hopes you will focus on your cultivation. Once the competition is over, you may go wherever you wish."
Chu Yue had heard this exact answer several times before. Without reacting, he simply nodded and asked, "Has anyone come looking for me today?"
"Of course!" The steward smiled. "Many people have come to see you. You’re famous throughout the sect now. Everyone wants to get to know you."
Chu Yue ignored him and asked only one question. "Has anyone from Violetstage Peak come?"
The steward thought for a moment before answering. "Only Violetstage Peak hasn’t."
Chu Yue closed the door, walked back inside and clasped his hands behind him, gripping the hilt of his blade. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath to steady himself.
Guyunzi had overheard the conversation outside. Unfamiliar with the inner sect’s affairs, he asked bluntly, "Young Master Li hasn’t sent anyone to find you? Did he abandon you?"
Chu Yue opened his eyes and stared at him coldly, saying nothing.
Guyuzi couldn't figure out his thoughts. He found him harder to understand than when Chu Yue used to be in that quiet, reserved state.
Chu Yue loosened the hilt of the knife at his waist, nodded to Guyuzi as a greeting, and swiftly climbed out of the window, landing on the ground and immediately concealing his presence.
He could no longer stay in Cloudwater Hall. Everything here made him feel an odd sense of restlessness. He had to go meet someone, someone who could ease this feeling.
Guyuzi followed him out the window, moving quietly along the corridor. "Chu-shidi, where are you going?"
On the way out of the waterside pavilion, he had to pass through a peach orchard. Chu Yue spread out his spiritual sense. There were many cultivators in the orchard. He took large steps forward. "Don't follow me."
"If I don’t follow you, do you expect me to stay in the room and get scolded?" Guyuzi understood clearly that the reason Cloudwater Hall had called him here was to keep an eye on Chu Yue.
Chu Yue motioned for him to conceal his presence and walked silently into the blooming peach blossom grove.
In the peach orchard, blossoms fluttered like snow. The most clever people in the sect were waiting there, holding various gifts, gathering in twos and threes to chat.
"Chu-shidi is here!" A sharp-eyed disciple was the first to spot Chu Yue and immediately shouted in excitement.
As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone in the peach orchard turned to look in Chu Yue's direction, quickly gathering around him. Each person wore a warm smile on their face, as if they were sworn brothers in a past life.
"Chu-shidi, I specially prepared this skyspirit grass for you. I wish you continued progress in your cultivation," a shixiong said. He held out a sprig of spiritual grass that emitted a faint glow, offering it to Chu Yue.
"This is a sevenstar pill I took from my family's secret collection. It will greatly benefit your cultivation. Don't be polite with me, shidi!" Another shixiong hurriedly presented a jade vial.
...
Voices all around spoke similar words. Chu Yue responded with a calm expression, slightly nodding, and accepted everything. He stored each item into his qiankun bag. When he stepped out of the crowd, his qiankun bag was half full.
Outside the peach orchard, there were others whose demeanor clearly differed from those inside who had been fawning over him. These newcomers wore refined uniforms from various peaks. They sat in scattered places without speaking to each other.
When Chu Yue walked out, one of them stood up and cupped his hands in greeting. He spoke with poise. "Chu-shidi, I’m the chief disciple under Master Zhou of Resonance Peak. Upon hearing of your recent breakthrough to the Golden Core stage, my master entrusted me with this Penglai treasure blossom. It will help you advance even further."
"I’m a disciple of Master Ye from Cloudrise Peak. My master noticed that you wield a blade, and he happens to possess a high-grade blade technique. If you're interested, you’re welcome to return with me to Cloudrise Peak and observe it."
Compared to those desperate to curry favor, the attention from the various peak masters was considerate and measured. Whether Chu Yue was their disciple or not, he was already marked as someone who would carry the sect’s future. Helping him grow meant helping the sect thrive.
Chu Yue nodded politely and accepted everything. After collecting this round of offerings, his qiankun bag was entirely filled with top-tier treasures.
When he finally left the peach grove, Guyuzi, who had never witnessed such a spectacle, felt a sense of shared honor. His face glowed with pride. "Chu-shidi, they all want to take you in as a disciple. You really are at the height of your glory now!"
Chu Yue quickened his pace toward the ferry crossing. He glanced back at Guyuzi. "Stop following me. I’ll be back."
Guyuzi halted. His not-so-bright mind probably guessed where Chu Yue was headed.
By the time Li Lanxiu returned to Violetstage Peak from the cultivation market under the Four Seas Commerce Guild, it was already late at night.
A crescent moon hung low in the sky. Moonlight spilled across the palace on Violetstage Peak like water. Silver gleamed gently over the stone path, casting a quiet glow over the scene.
On the palace steps, Chu Yue sat upright. His tall shadow stretched long in the moonlight.
He kept his head raised, gaze fixed in one direction. His dark blade lay horizontally across his open knees. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the sheath until a figure appeared.
Li Lanxiu’s white robes shimmered like snow. His loose outer robe, bright red and elegant, flowed around him. Between the strands of his black hair, peacock feathers shimmered faintly. His steps were slow and unhurried, each one so light it seemed to fall on clouds.
There was still some distance left, but Chu Yue stood up, quietly watching him.
Li Lanxiu gave him a once-over and asked with a gentle smile, “Have you been waiting long?”
Chu Yue shook his head and slid his black blade back behind his waist. “Young Master.”
Li Lanxiu glanced at the brightly lit hall. “Why didn’t you wait inside?”
Chu Yue hesitated for a moment and avoided answering the question. “I happened to be free today, so I came to visit Young Master.”
Li Lanxiu vaguely sensed something unusual about him. He lazily hooked a finger.
Chu Yue stepped closer and stared at him directly. He lowered his voice. “Young Master.”
“Mm.” Li Lanxiu casually touched his face, pinched his cheek and gave it a little shake. “Come in with me.”
Chu Yue followed him into the hall and stood at the foot of the platform.
Li Lanxiu sat on the throne draped in brocade, picked up the white jade wine pot on the table and tilted it. Only a few drops of wine trickled out. He turned to look at Miaosu.
Miaosu kept her head down and avoided his gaze. “The shixiong and shidi have been coming by often for drinks lately. Young Master’s Hundred-Blossom Brew has all been finished.”
“Not even one jar left?” Li Lanxiu hadn’t thought his shixiong and shidi could drink that much.
Miaosu thought for a moment and said, “One jar remains. Would Young Master like to drink it tonight?”
Li Lanxiu listlessly set down the wine pot. “No, save it for everyone to drink together.”
Miaosu was just about to leave the hall when Chu Yue, smiling faintly as if quite interested, asked, “A-jie, do the shixiong and shidi often come to drink with Young Master?”
“They never used to come at all.” Miaosu rather enjoyed being called “A-jie.” Chu Yue was now the sect’s most celebrated figure. She said, “Since the trial ended, they’ve been coming more often. It used to be quiet here, but now it’s gotten lively.”
Chu Yue gave a slight nod and casually asked, “Does Chuxuan-shixiong come often too?”
Miaosu laughed. “Chuxuan-xianzhang is upright and stern, with a lofty character. He gets upset when he sees disciples drinking and dislikes these kinds of gatherings. He rarely comes.”
Chu Yue gave a soft chuckle and asked nothing more.
Li Lanxiu silently watched him for a while. He leaned his elbow on the armrest of the throne and propped up his chin. “Come here.”
Chu Yue walked to his side and bent down without needing to be told. “Young Master.”
Li Lanxiu studied his expression and casually reached out to touch his hair.
Chu Yue took out his qiankun bag and began placing treasures from inside one by one onto the small table. “This is skyspirit grass, a sevenstar pill…”
The treasures on the small table shimmered with radiant light. Li Lanxiu sat up, opened a porcelain bottle with interest, poured out a pill and gave it a sniff. He picked up a jade stone and toyed with it in his palm, clearly in a good mood. “Interesting. Where did all this come from?”
Chu Yue knelt beside him and looked up. “They were given to me by people who don’t matter. What’s mine is yours, isn’t it, Young Master?”
Li Lanxiu shot him a sidelong glance. He tapped him on the bridge of the nose and chuckled softly. “Good boy.”
Chu Yue leaned a little closer. The air he breathed was filled with Li Lanxiu’s crisp, clean scent. He licked his lips slightly. “Are you happy, Young Master?”
Li Lanxiu looked at the dazzling pile of treasures, playing with one in each hand. Those priceless items might as well have been toys in his grasp. He answered casually, “I am.”
“Then am I still yours?” Chu Yue stared at him and lowered his voice.
Li Lanxiu set down the item in his hand and turned to face him. He didn’t answer the question. Instead, he asked softly, “You haven’t gotten used to living at Cloudwater Hall, have you?”
Chu Yue’s heart gave a sudden jolt. He froze for a moment, then slowly nodded.
Li Lanxiu stroked his cheek—this time with gentleness, nothing like the perfunctory touch from earlier. “Once the sect tournament is over, come back. Live here.”
A flicker of light flashed in Chu Yue’s eyes. His fingers clenched tightly against his knee, suppressing the urge to grab the hand on his face. He responded quietly, “Okay.”
Li Lanxiu returned to the earlier question. He lifted Chu Yue’s chin with one finger, smiling with a soft scoff. “Of course you’re mine.”
“Then will I be your only one?” Chu Yue leaned in closer, his gaze fixed on him with earnest devotion.
Li Lanxiu’s fingertip slid upward, tracing a slow circle around Chu Yue’s trembling lips.
Chu Yue nearly couldn’t stop himself from opening his mouth to take the finger in—but suddenly, his face was shoved aside.
That languid, pleasant voice lingered over his words. “It depends on your behavior.”
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