Chapter 23: Protection

January 6th, 2023

The whole place was dead silent.

Every single person slowed their breathing. Shan Qingyang was collapsed on the ground, trembling. Even in his dreams, he hadn’t imagined that after being so cautious and prudent, he would actually still end up drawing that devil here.

Ji Fangfang looked despondently at the languid, leisurely young man before her. Although he looked gentle and amiable and harmless to anyone, he gave off a concealed air of someone who sat high above and looked down upon everything else as ants or dust.

“Something like killing living beings to cultivate a demonic fetus is normally something that us demonic cultivators do. Not only have you done it, but you’ve even thrown the blame onto this lord. Did you ever ask for this lord’s opinion……?” Fang Li laughed softly.

Each and every person in the crowd was trembling, and not a single one spoke up. Only the sound of Fang Li’s laughter reverberated clearly throughout the cave.

Fang Li lowered his eyes, his gaze falling onto Shan Qingyang, and he raised an eyebrow. “As for the blood spirit fetus, since you’ve already said that it was this lord’s doing, then it would be rude to refuse. This lord can only gladly accept it.”

Shan Qingyang crouched on the ground, his old face full of wrinkles, and revealed the most flattering smile possible. “If, if this blood spirit fetus, p-pleases Your Excellency, it would naturally be this old man’s honor, to offer it to Your Excellency……”

“Very well. Then on behalf of the blood spirit fetus, I’ll grant you—” Fang Li smiled faintly, “A quicker death.”

Shan Qingyang’s smile immediately froze on his face. He didn’t even get the chance to speak the rest of his words before Wu Yimei’s whip twisted around him, and a head rolled onto the ground. The old man’s face was still in its open-mouthed state, but that mouth would never be able to speak again.

In the time it took to smile and chat, a grand and mighty Soul Formation cultivator had been ground to dust like an ant. Each person remaining had a face as ashen as death. They thought they’d been in enough despair before, but now they knew that they’d been wrong.

So it turned out, there was even more despair.

Shan Qingyang already had the highest cultivation here, and he’d even presented the blood spirit fetus to that devil, but even so, he hadn’t been able to preserve his life, so how could they save their own lives? Recalling the ways they’d mocked and ridiculed Fang Li previously……

It was said that the devil was more cruel and cold-blooded than anything and would seek payback over so much as a dirty glance. Who knew how he would torment them? Flaying their skin or pulling out their tendons would probably be the basics……

Falling into Night Sky Palace’s hands meant death, but falling into that devil’s hands meant a fate worse than death. Since that was the case, then it would have been better to fall into Night Sky Palace’s hands; at least they’d have a quick death……

Fang Li turned back to look at the crowd. Seeing their terrified, desperate faces, the corner of his lips softly hooked upwards.

So this was the feeling of being feared like a ghost by all……

The taste of it actually wasn’t bad.

He seemed to understand a little why Yan Sui would lose himself in it.

Everything in this world was made up. Only power was real. He didn’t need other people’s understanding, pity, approval, or sympathy…… What he wanted was the power to overturn the world. Terror was his only nourishment, enough to let him push forward through anything, never to look back.

So-called “truth and justice” should only be held in his grasp. If he said it was right, it would be right, and if he said it was wrong, it would be wrong. Those who disobeyed him, who doubted him, should all be killed……

A trace of a sneer crept into Fang Li’s expression. He slowly raised his hand…… Suddenly, a scorching hot palm fell onto his wrist, forceful yet steady.

Fang Li slowly turned his head.

He fell into a pair of cool and fathomless black eyes. Xie Huai’s voice entered his ears like an icy spring. “Your Excellency, don’t forget what you promised me.”

Strengthen your spirit and guard your heart. Don’t let a moment’s impulse lead you to do something you’ll regret.

Fang Li looked blankly at Xie Huai for a second. Suddenly, the violent energy that had drowned out his entire world receded in the blink of an eye like the tides. His expression slowly resumed its clarity……

Just now, he’d probably been affected by the atmosphere, and in a split second, it had evoked Yan Sui’s past memories. He’d almost been influenced by Yan Sui’s violent energy and done something he shouldn’t, but thankfully, Xie Huai had woken him up in time. Who could have known that bringing Xie Huai with him would have this kind of benefit; not even a heart-cleansing pill was as effective as Xie Huai……

Now that he thought about it, this was already the second time Xie Huai had helped him.

Fang Li’s eyes curved, and he turned his hand to hold Xie Huai’s in return. The spirit of a demon lord who was deeply in love immediately possessed him, and his tone became devoted yet gentle. “Seeing as this lord made a promise to Yuyi-jun, this lord will certainly do what was promised……”

Saying that, he turned to look at the crowd. His lips parted slightly, and he spat out a single phrase. “Get out.”

The crowd had originally thought that disaster was upon them, and that they wouldn’t be able to escape from a torment worse than death.  They were miserable and in distress…… Who could have known that the person next to that devil would actually persuade him to stop, and that devil would actually listen to him? …… Wait, what had that devil called that person just now?

Y-Yuyi-jun?

Everyone looked as if they’d seen a ghost, but this wasn’t the time to be astonished. That “Get out” was like a blade being removed from their throats, and they half-tumbled, half-crawled as they fled clean away from this place.

Ji Fangfang was one of the calmer ones, and she glanced at Fang Li with a complicated expression, then quickly stepped away.

Seeing what was happening, the Night Sky Palace disciples left on the other side wanted to take the opportunity to secretly escape…… But who knew that as soon as they’d taken a single step, Wu Yimei’s whip would lash out at them. Wu Yimei’s cold and gloomy gaze swept over them, and he said in a hoarse voice, “Who said you could leave?”

The Night Sky Palace disciples’ faces were ghastly pale, each in endless despair.

Yet Fang Li paid no attention to all of this. Anyways, Wu Yimei would take care of it.

His line of sight moved away, falling onto the Cloud Swallowing Beast.

The Cloud Swallowing Beast had been provoked by Night Sky Palace over and over again, and it had swallowed too much blood and vital essence. The presence of the blood spirit fetus put it in endless pain, and right now it was curled up on the ground, trembling, letting out pained, ear-piercing whinnies……

When it saw Fang Li approach, its instinctive fear made it want to flee, but a faintly cool hand settled softly onto its forehead. A clear and frigid chill permeated into its body from its forehead, and in the blink of an eye, soothed its pain. It immediately stopped struggling, letting Fang Li stroke it.

Fang Li’s hand fell onto the Cloud Swallowing Beast’s forehead. Seeing its eyes reddened from pain, he slowly closed his eyes.

A gentle, refined man in white robes walked out from the depths of a bamboo forest. His inky black eyes swept over, and he laughed softly. “A’Yan, you’re reading the Spirit Beast Records?”

The youth nodded and said in pleasant surprise, “Shixiong.”

The man in white stroked his head, his gaze flitting past the book in his hand, and smiled. “The Cloud Swallowing Beast, huh…… A’Yan, did you know that the most precious part of the Cloud Swallowing Beast actually isn’t its core?”

The youth said with a bit of puzzlement, “But the book says that it really is the core that’s the most precious.”

The white-robed man took the book from his hands, lowering his eyes with a gentle smile, his tone slow and leisurely like a cool breeze brushing past his ears. “What’s written in the book might not be complete. Although the Cloud Swallowing Beast’s core is precious, if fresh blood is used to stimulate its vicious nature, and the blood and vital force of a thousand people are used to nourish it, it can produce a blood spirit fetus. A cultivator who obtains the blood spirit fetus can create a second nascent soul. Whether for cultivating or for saving one’s life, it’s much more precious than a beast core.”

The youth pondered it over earnestly. After a short while, he said, a bit unable to bear it, “It’s much too cruel to collect the blood of a thousand people to feed it with.”

The white-robed man closed the book and smiled approvingly. “A’Yan really is kind. The first thing you think of isn’t how valuable the blood spirit fetus is, but that this action is too cruel and unjust.”

The youth’s face reddened slightly, and he said docilely, “If the blood spirit fetus is taken from the Cloud Swallowing Beast, it would have to die, right? I read in the book that the Cloud Swallowing Beast is an auspicious beast. It’s very kind. Not only does it never harm anyone, it will even save people. If something like this really does happen, is there really no way to save it……?”

The white-robed man fell into silence for a few moments, then said, “It’s not that there isn’t a way to save the Cloud Swallowing Beast. As long as the blood spirit energy is extracted from its body before the fetus has completely formed, the blood spirit fetus will lose the energy that nourishes it. After the fetus dies in the womb, it will naturally disappear, and the Cloud Swallowing Beast will be able to live on.

“But…… The uncontrolled blood spirit energy isn’t anything good. Most people have no way to control this kind of violent energy, and extracting it will harm the body. It’s really a method of exchanging a life for a life. Who would be willing to pay the price of risking their life just to save a mere spirit beast?”

Hearing this, the youth felt a bit pained and said, “Thank goodness nobody knows about what Shixiong has said, and it’s not written in the book, either. This way, nobody will hurt the Cloud Swallowing Beast.”

“That’s right……” The white-robed man smiled, looking dotingly at him as he said, “Perhaps it’s precisely because the Great Sage didn’t want anyone to know that he didn’t record it in the Spirit Beast Records…… A’Yan, you have to remember, on the path of cultivation, you must guard your true heart and walk the righteous path. Only in this way can it last long, or else, in the end, the backlash will swallow you up.”

The youth looked with yearning and admiration at his shixiong, solemnly nodding his head.

The man in white turned, slowly fading into the distance.

Before his eyes, he vanished like clouds scattering before the wind.

But the guilt and regret in Yan Sui’s heart seemed to linger for a long, long time. I’m sorry…… In the end, I still betrayed your expectations.

I’m sorry……

Fang Li closed his eyes. Then, his gaze fell onto the Cloud Swallowing Beast. He reached out his hand, brushing over its snow-white pelt.

The roiling blood spirit energy flooded into his body, and Fang Li felt a sweetness at the back of his throat. But he firmly swallowed back that mouthful of blood, up until the hazy redness in the Cloud Swallowing Beast’s eyes thoroughly vanished.

The Cloud Swallowing Beast’s eyes returned to their clear, pitch-black color, and it rubbed docilely against Fang Li’s palm with gratitude. After standing up, it trotted back and forth around him.

Fang Li patted the Cloud Swallowing Beast and smiled. “I’ve already gotten my compensation. You should go.”

The Cloud Swallowing Beast seemed to be able to understand human speech, and it was a little reluctant to part. Only after a long while did it finally turn around and disappear into the mountains.

Fang Li shook his head. When he stood up and lifted his head, he was met with Xie Huai’s concerned face……

He smiled.

Yan Sui’s shixiong had been correct. After going down the wrong path, in the end, the backlash would swallow you up. Yan Sui struck with unconventional blows and spared no means for his ends, and this body wouldn’t be able to hold up for much longer. A little bit of blood spirit energy was nothing to it, and being able to save the Cloud Swallowing Beast could be counted as fulfilling one of Yan Sui’s wishes.

Xie Huai looked at Fang Li’s face that was even paler than before, and he couldn’t help but crease his brow. He wanted to step forward and support Fang Li’s swaying body that was on the verge of falling, but within the short span of his hesitation…… Wu Yimei had already cut in front of him to lend Fang Li a hand.

Fang Li shook his head and laughed softly, raising an eyebrow. “No need to worry. Just now, it was too much of a curative. This lord just needs to take a while to digest it.”

Xie Huai’s brow furrowed tightly. Was that really the case?

Just as Fang Li had said, the blood spirit fetus was indeed a precious treasure, but since Fang Li had let those people go, then right now, the blood spirit fetus shouldn’t have formed yet. Would extracting it at this point still count as a benefit? He looked at Fang Li’s increasingly pale and fragile face. Looking at that appearance, it really didn’t seem like he’d gotten any benefits, but rather like he’d sustained an injury in order to save the Cloud Swallowing Beast……

Precious few words of truth ever came out of this person’s mouth. Was he putting on a brave face in order to hide something again?

Xie Huai lowered his eyes to hold back his complicated expression. He wanted to ask, but in the end, he didn’t speak. From what standpoint could he show concern for him?

Besides…… On the surface, this person seemed mild and easygoing, but in truth, he was more guarded and fathomless than anyone. He never allowed anyone to approach even the slightest bit, and he didn’t permit anyone to peer into his heart.

Why is that…… Is it because you’re afraid of being hurt?

Fang Li braced himself with Wu Yimei’s hand, and after a moment’s contemplation, he said, “Let’s leave the mountain.”

He needed to hurry to rest and regain his breath.

Although Xie Huai was a righteous man of honor…… In the end, their standpoints were different, and their relationship was a hostile one. At a time like this, Fang Li didn’t dare order Xie Huai to follow instructions. He could only rely on Wu Yimei.

 【 The System was anxious: Host, host! What were you doing just now, why did you stick your nose in other people’s business?! 】

 【 Fang Li smiled: Don’t worry, I’ll survive until the end of the plot. 】

 【 System: …… 】Can’t I worry for you?

But Fang Li hooked up the corners of his mouth and smiled. Seeing as he’d come to this world and gotten the chance to start over, then he should properly live these last few months in Yan Sui’s place……

If Yan Sui were still here, he would probably have made the same choice, wouldn’t he?

……………………

At the entrance of the main suite of the Xining county inn, Wu Yimei stood guard with his hands by his sides, completely still.

Seeing Xie Huai come over, Wu Yimei raised his eyes, his expression ice-cold as he said, “His Excellency hasn’t come out of closed door cultivation yet. Please leave, Yuyi-jun.”

Xie Huai’s expression sank somewhat. Ever since the events on the mountain had ended, Fang Li had left the mountain and immediately gone into closed door cultivation, letting Wu Yimei stand guard at the door…… and not giving Xie Huai another chance to approach.

After a long time, the corner of his mouth pulled downwards in self-ridicule. That’s right, it was expected for Fang Li to be on guard against him……

While he was in such a weak state, it was naturally only Wu Yimei who he trusted the most who had the right to accompany him by his side.

As for himself, what did he amount to?

Besides, he shouldn’t have had this kind of thought from the start. From the start, he shouldn’t care about or worry for that person……

Xie Huai’s eyes dimmed, and he abruptly turned and left.

Xie Huai arrived downstairs. The waiter brought a pot of tea, and he sat there alone, looking out the window at the crowds passing by.

After a quarter hour, a youth of around fifteen or sixteen dressed in coarse hemp robes and carrying a bamboo basket, appearing to be a farmer from the village, walked into the inn.

The youth had a round face and little dimples when he smiled, as well as a pair of cute, pointed canines. He dillydallied on his way to the table behind Xie Huai and sat down, cautiously looking around to make sure that there were no suspicious people about, then suddenly slipped over to Xie Huai’s side.

The youth’s eyes were full of tears as he said with worry, “Elder Sect Brother, you’re okay!”

The youth was Xie Huai’s younger sect brother, named Tao Lu.

The day that devil had besieged Cloudbank Keep, Xue Huai had given himself up to the devil for their sake. All of them had been extremely worried for Xie Huai, and as soon as they thought about how Xie Huai might be enduring torment, they suffered every day and night, finding it hard to eat or sleep……

During this period of time, they had tried again and again to approach Hollow Ridge, and they’d been captured several times, but for some reason, that devil had actually released them again. But they still had no way to get even a hair’s breadth closer to Hollow Ridge, and they couldn’t rescue their elder sect brother at all……

Plus, all sorts of rumors were coming out of Hollow Ridge, saying that Yuyi-jun Xie Huai was a calamity, that he had bewitched the demon lord until he’d lost his soul, that they spent day and night in the throes of indulgence, describing Xie Huai like he was some kind of person who’d lost himself to depravity.

Tao Lu felt angry and aggrieved, but there wasn’t a single thing he could do, until suddenly one day, someone on the ridge sent word saying that Yuyi-jun was unharmed for the moment and that they didn’t need to worry too much, nor did they need to pay attention to the rumors and gossip.

Ten days later, that person had someone send word again saying that Yuyi-jun and the demon lord had left the ridge.

But no one knew of the demon lord’s whereabouts.

Up until two days ago, when Xining county’s rumors reached Cloudbank Keep, saying that the demon lord had brought Yuyi-jun with him to Mt. Wanxun, destroying Night Sky Palace in one act of evil against another to seize the blood spirit fetus, and furthermore, Yuyi-jun had been all intimate and lovey-dovey with the devil, not looking at all like someone who was being coerced. He obviously knew the devil’s identity, yet he didn’t warn the others and had instead aided and abetted in helping that devil trick everyone. They said that Yuyi-jun had long already become that devil’s follower……

These days, the rumors said in private were as ugly as anything one could imagine.

Tao Lu and the others naturally didn’t believe them. They’d gone to great lengths to finally find Xie Huai’s whereabouts and hurried over to Xining county, just to get a glimpse of Xie Huai.

Today, seeing that his elder sect brother wasn’t missing any arms or legs and was living well, Tao Lu felt his tears overflow and said in a choked voice, “Elder Sect Brother, right now, everyone is saying that you’re helping the devil do evil, and that you helped that devil destroy Night Sky Palace, but don’t worry, we definitely won’t believe those stories. It must have been that devil who forced you!”

Xie Huai lowered his eyes, his expression impassive. As for how rumors would spread in the outside world, he’d already anticipated it. Only, this time, it wasn’t just Fang Li being slandered, but himself as well, that was all……

Actually, Fang Li had discovered something odd about this matter from the very start, and he’d also guessed Night Sky Palace’s scheme, but he knew that his status was unusual and had no way to gain the others’ trust, so he’d intentionally scared them off midway in order to give them a chance to escape…… The rest of them were mostly the greedy, insatiable type, sending themselves into danger even though they clearly knew it was a dead end.

But Fang Li had still given them a chance. Even up until the very end, he hadn’t held any past grudges and had let them go, doing his utmost for both justice and compassion. Fang Li was using his own methods to save lives, saving the lives of those people who, to him, actually really weren’t worth saving……

If not for Fang Li, they would already long be dead at Night Sky Palace’s hands.

As for Night Sky Palace’s Shan Qingyang and the others, although they looked like righteous cultivators, their actions were those of the demonic path, plotting sinister schemes, and even death couldn’t pay back their crimes.

Even if Fang Li hadn’t acted, in his place, Xie Huai would have done the same to uphold justice.

It was only a pity that the public was ignorant and looked only at the surface, unwilling to think further about the causes and results. People parroted whatever they heard, hearing the wind and mistaking it for rain.

As soon as Tao Lu thought about the rumors outside, his chest was filled with pain. It was bad enough that those people didn’t know how to return one’s kindness, but they even disgraced him like this. Tao Lu opened his eyes wide and said with determination, “Elder Sect Brother, I’ll always believe in you! They must be the ones slandering you! I heard it all, if not for you stopping him, that devil would have killed everyone. Obviously it was that devil at fault, and it has nothing to do with you……”

Xie Huai watched the youth’s resentful eyes and heard his furious words, but what he thought in his heart was instead……

The only difference between him and Fang Li was probably that when facing the same condemnation from the world, there were still people willing to believe in his innocence from start to finish……

But not a single person would be willing to believe Fang Li.

They all thought as a matter of course that Fang Li should be just like the rumors.

That Fang Li was forcing him.

Xie Huai closed his eyes.

“Roadside gossip shouldn’t be trusted lightly.” He spoke slowly, his voice cool and clear, every word deliberate. “Those who walk the path of cultivation should have clear eyes and a clear mind. Don’t let emotions and grudges affect your judgment. Since you know that those rumors about me are slander, then why is it impossible for the rumors about Yan Sui to also be slander?”

Tao Lu was stupefied for a moment. After a long time, he finally reacted. It couldn’t be that Elder Sect Brother’s words were implying that the rumors about that devil were false?

Was Elder Sect Brother speaking up for that devil?!

Tao Lu sat there in a daze at a complete loss. After half a day’s time, a preposterous notion rose to his mind: Elder Sect Brother couldn’t have, really been bewitched by that devil, could he?!

……………………

The Author Has Something to Say:

Xie Huai: The wife doesn’t trust me, I’m feeling disappointed, but I still won’t let others badmouth him.

Fang Li: ???

PS: To prevent my dears from overthinking too much, I’ll repeat again, Fang Li isn’t Yan Sui, Xie Huai isn’t Shixiong, this is a transmigration novel, first love on both sides, it’s not reincarnation of a past life, it’s not reincarnation of a past life, it’s not reincarnation of a past life, important things have to be said three times

……………………

TL Note: As you can see, I’m using Shixiong instead of “Elder Sect Brother” for Yan Sui’s shixiong… Mostly because writing it out feels stiff and kind of unnatural for A’Yan. Anyway, he gets special treatment.