Shocking! Today's breaking news in the cultivation world!
At the moment when the Heart-Protecting Mirror of the Guiyuan Immortal Estate shattered and demonic creatures ran rampant, Xie Jingci publicly declared her sovereignty over Fourth Young Master Pei, highly emphasizing him as her "destined Dao companion," leaving everyone in the secret realm dumbfounded!
Xie Jingci spoke with such certainty that Pei Yu's eyes glazed over in anger. Thinking it over, he realized he was in the wrong no matter how he looked at it, and he almost burst into curses.
But in the end, he held it back.
His loathing for Pei Du was real, as was his desire to see him plunge to rock bottom and be ground into the dirt. However, this kind of hatred was unpresentable and could only be suppressed deep in his heart, left to slowly fester.
Now that Pei Du had been kicked out of the family, he no longer had to live in the shadow of the so-called "sword Dao genius." As the undisputed heir to the Pei family, no matter what, he still had to maintain his proper demeanor in front of his fellow Daoists.
Pei Yu took a deep breath, hiding the gloom surging in the depths of his eyes. "I was merely stating my guess. Why must Miss Xie be so angry?"
Meng Xiaoting scoffed. "'Stating your guess'—that's not quite the right phrase, is it? How does that saying go again? Oh! Maliciously framing and slandering others!"
Mo Xiaoyang shook his head rhythmically. "A beast in human clothing."
Meng Xiaoting: "Cruel and merciless."
Mo Xiaoyang: "Mercilessly striking down the innocent."
Long Xiao smiled gently. "An innocent-looking playboy, dressing up flashily and indulging in a life of debauchery all day long. Truly full of empty flair."
—Help! Even the gentle and refined beacon of the righteous path had been led astray down the path of no return, using idiom chains to speak in a passive-aggressive manner!
In the past, Pei Du had always been all alone, while Pei Yu relied on his family's power to bring a group of servants to ruthlessly mock him. Now the situation had completely flipped, and Pei Yu had instead become the loner being publicly humiliated by a crowd.
Pei Yu was so angry he could have had a heart attack.
The sudden mutation in the secret realm had caught everyone off guard. After a bout of fighting, many people had suffered injuries of varying degrees.
Fortunately, there were several small rooms distributed next to the main hall, providing a place for heavily injured cultivators to heal.
The vast majority of those present were elites of the orthodox sects, and they quickly and orderly divided up the rooms.
The person applying medicine for Xie Jingci was Meng Xiaoting.
She briefly informed Meng Xiaoting about Wandering Immortal Yunshui and the inner demon, leaving the young girl stunned. While carefully wiping the blood off Xie Jingci's shoulder, she looked at Chu Zheng by the door in sudden realization. "Oh, oh! So this senior is actually a woman on the inside... I was wondering just now why you allowed him to come in while applying medicine."
Xie Jingci looked down at her own injuries.
She had grown up pampered since childhood. Although she often carried a blade around to fight, she never missed out on any necessary healing and maintenance. Looking closely, aside from the newly added wounds this time, not a single trace of an old scar could be found.
In the cultivation world, there was never a shortage of panaceas to fade scars or even regenerate severed limbs.
For some reason, even though she was looking at her own wounds, Xie Jingci suddenly thought of Pei Du.
The reason Pei Fengnan adopted him, aside from his similar appearance to his eldest son, was largely due to Pei Du's innate sword bones.
Pei Mingchuan was a lost cause, and although Pei Yu was outstanding, he could not be considered exceptional. As the head of the Pei family, Pei Fengnan needed to find the sharpest sword to serve him.
Pei Du was the best candidate.
Outside of cultivation assessments, the academy would often arrange for disciples to go on outings, but Pei Du had never participated.
Thinking about it now, Pei Fengnan had forbidden him from all interactions with outsiders. In Pei Du's short life, the vast majority of his time had been spent slaughtering in secret realms.
He clearly had such a gentle personality, as clear as water.
Yet after so many years, Pei Du hadn't made even a single true friend, leaving him with only a body full of scars of varying depths.
Back when she had removed his clothes to heal him, Xie Jingci had been startled.
"...Cici?"
Meng Xiaoting waved a hand in front of her eyes. Seeing Xie Jingci return to her senses, she grinned. "What are you thinking about, being so absorbed?"
She paused, a subtle smile spreading across her lips. "Oh—I know. You're thinking about your destined Dao companion."
The girl emphasized the last few words heavily. Xie Jingci was already in a daze, and upon hearing this, her ears instantly burned with heat.
"Your ears are red."
Meng Xiaoting gleefully watched the joke unfold. "Actually, you don't need to be embarrassed. You looked so cool when you drew your blade! When we rushed over from the side hall, a group of older female disciples around us were screaming in excitement, and even said—"
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly heard whispering outside the small room.
It was a few young female cultivators, who couldn't stop giggling as they spoke. "Oh my god, as expected of Xie Jingci, doing exactly what I've always wanted to do. Declaring sovereignty in front of so many people—destined Dao companion, she really knows what to say."
"I told you so! Those two definitely had something going on early on. They look like deadly rivals on the surface, but who knows how affectionate they are behind closed doors. Otherwise, with Pei Du and Xie Jingci's personalities, neither party would have agreed to the marriage arrangement if they truly had no feelings for each other."
"I don't know why, but when Miss Xie said those words, I actually couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. I felt even happier than Young Master Pei—is it because it's been too long since I've met a man I fancy? I want to find a Dao companion too!"
Another person chuckled, "How could you be happier than Young Master Pei! Did you guys notice? When he heard Xie Jingci's words, he was completely stunned. Even when he was dragged away to be healed later, he still looked like he was dreaming."
"Tsk tsk, he was silly with joy. If someone said those words to me, I would willingly marry them."
Meng Xiaoting tried desperately to hold back her laughter, her face flushed red. It wasn't until the voices of the female cultivators gradually faded away that she finally burst out laughing. "I can testify that they weren't lying. Young Master Pei really was silly with joy at the time."
Xie Jingci's face felt like it was on fire, and her voice was muffled. "...Stop laughing."
Her head felt a bit swollen. She looked up at the silent Chu Zheng and quickly changed the subject. "Senior, now that the Heart-Protecting Mirror is shattered, what should we do?"
Although they had formed a sword formation, the spiritual energy consumed to maintain it was immense. Coupled with the demonic creatures lingering and attacking relentlessly outside the formation, the sword formation would shatter completely in less than seven days.
If they wanted to save everyone's lives, hiding in here was not the solution.
"With the Heart-Protecting Mirror shattered, my true body must have already been eroded by demonic energy."
This senior truly lived up to her reputation for being cold and aloof. Even though things had reached this point, Chu Zheng did not show the slightest hint of panic, her tone unchanging. "Now that the inner demon has succeeded, it should have left immediately. But since the sword formation was formed, it is likely still residing within the body of the person it possessed."
Meng Xiaoting's eyes lit up. "Then we can find the inner demon first! This way, not only will we find out what Senior's inner demon is, but we can also prevent it from continuing to do evil!"
Xie Jingci nodded thoughtfully. "When an inner demon possesses someone, does it damage their sanity and make them obey its every command?"
"No."
Chu Zheng shook her head. "That is merely a remnant soul of the inner demon. It's not enough to mess with a person's mind, especially these Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall. The method it uses should be residing in that person's sea of consciousness, speaking to bewitch and continuously mislead them."
Everyone knew the purpose of the Heart-Protecting Mirror. Once it was damaged, the secret realm would inevitably fall into chaos. An ordinary cultivator would never do such a despicable thing that harmed others without benefiting themselves.
The reason for taking the risk to bring the evil aura inside...
Xie Jingci's eyes darkened slightly.
Knowing about the evil demonic aura and happening to be in the main hall, Pei Yu truly spared no extreme to frame them.
However, this was also an excellent opportunity.
He believed he had the help of his inner demon, but he would never have thought that Wandering Immortal Yunshui's divine sense was following her and Pei Du. Once this matter was exposed, not to mention Pei Yu's reputation being completely ruined, the Zhanyuan Sword in his hand could also be easily taken back.
When the demons were wreaking havoc earlier, she had seen it all.
The Zhanyuan Sword did not submit to his control and could not even be unsheathed. Pei Yu was so anxious that his eyes went blank, but to save face, he could only pretend that he did not want to get involved in the fight, retreating step by step.
It was truly ridiculous.
She wanted to say something more but felt a heavy sway in her mind.
The system had bought her an incense stick's worth of free time, and now that the time was up, the punishment was imminent.
"...I used too much spiritual energy just now, and I'm a bit tired."
She pursed her lips and smiled, showing not the slightest hint of abnormality. "I'll rest in my room for a moment. Why don't you two go check on how Pei Du and the others are doing."
Meng Xiaoting did not suspect anything. Hearing that she wanted to rest alone and not wanting to disturb her, she nodded repeatedly. "You're injured, so please don't move around carelessly!"
Xie Jingci waved her hand at her.
Soon, the figures dispersed, and the door to the small room was gently closed.
The pain was like the rising tide, creeping up little by little.
Xie Jingci took a shallow breath.
The small room was completely empty without any furniture. She had just been sitting in the corner with a blanket taken out from her storage bag beneath her. Now, she gradually curled her body into a ball, and the blanket wrinkled along with her.
Xie Jingci had never wanted to make others worry about her.
Therefore, even though the pain was intense, as if an invisible fire was gradually surging through her entire body, making even her bones ache deeply, she merely knitted her brows tightly, curled herself up tighter and tighter, and bit her arm to keep from making a sound.
When the pain reached its extreme, her consciousness involuntarily became increasingly blurred.
In the midst of chaos, Xie Jingci faintly heard a knocking sound, followed by the sound of the door being opened.
Along with that sound came a refreshing, gentle breeze and a cool, woody fragrance.
...Why was Pei Du here?
Xie Jingci subconsciously felt embarrassed. She buried her face in her knees and listened as his footsteps drew closer. He called out softly, "Miss Xie?"
He must have crouched down and was gradually approaching her.
Whether it was an illusion or not, when Pei Du spoke again, not only was his voice trembling, but it also carried a faint, panicked hoarseness, almost bordering on a sob. "...What's wrong?"
Xie Jingci didn't have the extra strength to answer him. If she opened her mouth at a time like this, she feared that before she could even speak, she would involuntarily let out a cry of pain.
It was truly too embarrassing.
She didn't want Pei Du to see her in this state.
Amidst the piercing agony, a pair of hands gently covered her back.
Pei Du's movements were clumsy yet careful, as if touching fragile porcelain, as he gathered Xie Jingci into his arms little by little.
A cool aura like a clear spring suddenly flowed into her meridians, which had been as scorchingly hot as a sea of fire.
Pei Du hardly had any strength left in his body, yet he was slowly infusing spiritual energy into her.
This person... liked her.
She also couldn't help her feelings for him.
Those shy emotions dissipated one by one at some unknown point. Xie Jingci returned his embrace, reaching out to wrap her arms around the young man's straight, bamboo-like back.
Her breaths were hot and erratic, her fingertips pressing tightly against his spine, almost greedily drawing the coolness from his body. Pei Du's body stiffened severely, but he did not pull away.
Thanks to the spiritual energy he infused, the pain finally eased somewhat. Xie Jingci drew upon her meager remaining clarity and hoarsely explained, "During the chaotic battle, some demonic aura entered my body."
When invaded by evil demonic aura, even though the aura would gradually dissipate, one would experience heart-wrenching agony before that happened.
What she was experiencing right now was extremely similar to that situation.
Xie Jingci thought she was truly thoroughly done for.
Even though she was suffering to this extent, what she was thinking about in her heart was actually how Pei Du's suffering must have been even greater than hers when Bai Wan forcibly injected demonic aura into him at the Ghost Tomb.
How much pain must he have been in back then?
Her body's trembling gradually began to ease.
When Xie Jingci lifted her head, her face was already deathly pale.
She only tilted her head up, her body still slumped in Pei Du's embrace. As her gaze drifted upward, it collided with a pair of reddened eyes.
Whether he was severely injured, maliciously harassed and humiliated, or even at the Ghost Tomb that day, Pei Du had never shed a tear.
At this very moment, however, the young sword cultivator lowered his long eyelashes. A flush of red quietly bloomed from the depths of his eyes, spreading to the upward-slanting corners and drawing out layers of watery sheen.
"...Miss Xie."
He realized his loss of composure and tried to blink and look away, but unexpectedly, as his eyelashes fluttered like delicate little fans, a transparent water droplet fell.
He was utterly flustered and wanted to raise a hand to wipe away the moisture, but he felt that doing so would be too embarrassing.
Shedding tears in front of Miss Xie—just this one thing was enough to make his whole face flush red.
Pei Du's voice was hoarse as he half-closed his reddened eyes. "I'm sorry."
A pale, luminous hand touched the corner of his eye, gently swiping across it.
Miss Xie's tone was casual, lacking much strength. "Why are you saying sorry?"
He couldn't bear to let her suffer pain.
The reason he risked his life to become stronger was because his greatest wish was to stand by her side and keep Miss Xie from getting hurt.
Pei Du originally thought he had earned the right to protect her, only to find that he was still so useless.
He was about to answer when he suddenly heard Xie Jingci chuckle. "Your spiritual energy is quite soothing. I like it a lot, thanks—Are all your wounds bandaged? Did my struggling just now tear them open?"
"They are all flesh wounds. It's nothing serious."
Pei Du shook his head. "Miss Xie's strength wasn't that great, and when Xiaoyang treated my injuries, he wrapped the bandages very tightly."
She knew Pei Du had injuries on his body, so even when she was in such pain that her consciousness blurred, she had tried her best not to thrash around or grab wildly.
A very brief silence fell over the small room.
The crimson flush at the corners of Pei Du's eyes had not faded. With his gaze slightly lowered, he couldn't help but freeze. "Miss Xie, your clothes..."
Hearing his voice, Xie Jingci lowered her head and followed his gaze down.
Her previous clothes had been stained with blood, so after Meng Xiaoting applied medicine for her, Xie Jingci had changed into another outfit.
This long dress had a simple design without too many flashy decorations, making it perfect for exploration and combat. What should have been light green fabric now had a glaring patch of red spreading across her shoulder.
Xie Jingci was not surprised by this. Before Pei Du came in, her pain had been unrelieved, so it was only natural that she had torn her wound open.
"I'll go find Miss Meng—"
Pei Du instinctively stood up, but the person in his arms did not let go. Instead, she tilted her head up and looked at him with a smile.
Previously, his attention had been entirely occupied by her pain. It was only at this moment that Pei Du realized the position between the two of them was extremely intimate.
Miss Xie's hands were pressing against his spine. With a slight movement of her thumbs, she traced the contours of his bones, setting his heart ablaze with panic, and her soft body... was also pressed tightly against his chest.
She did not let go.
"If the wound tears open, it will hurt a lot."
Xie Jingci's lips curved upward. "The Guiyuan Immortal Estate is fraught with danger, and right now I am completely powerless. Are you going to look for Meng Xiaoting and leave me here all alone?"
Although there was a smile in her words, the ending note dipped slightly, sounding like a coquettish plea. Pei Du's heart trembled under her direct gaze, and he subconsciously replied, "No."
Xie Jingci's voice was very soft. "So?"
He felt as if a giant boulder was pressing down on his sea of consciousness. Teased until he was dizzy and disoriented, he could only follow her lead. "I—"
Pei Du paused. "I will help Miss Xie apply the medicine... may I?"
Xie Jingci smiled like a cat that had successfully stolen a fish, slowly leaning back against the corner wall.
And so, he naturally leaned forward.
"I didn't want to trouble you, but I don't have much strength left."
She lowered her voice, carrying a pointed implication. "It seems I can't even lift my arms."
The split wound was located on her shoulder. Since she couldn't lift her arms, she naturally couldn't take off her clothes herself.
Pei Du half-knelt on the freezing ground, hearing the sound of his own heartbeat.
His thinly calloused right hand slowly reached out, landing on Miss Xie's front lapel, which was as thin as a cicada's wings.
"...Pardon my offense."
Fortunately, the style of this garment was simple, so he wouldn't fumble in a panic while untying it. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the lapel parted slightly and slipped down toward her shoulder.
He gradually caught sight of Miss Xie's fair neck, collarbone, and the curve of her shoulder. His heart beat like a drum; he didn't dare to look further down, nor did he dare to move his fingers recklessly.
The wound was a long gash sliced open by demonic energy. The bandage had fallen off, and blood was currently seeping out.
Pei Du took out the prepared medicinal ointment. He first wiped away the blood for her, then extended his index finger and dabbed it gently onto the long gash.
Even when her heart was scorched by ten thousand fires earlier, Xie Jingci hadn't made a single sound, yet now she trembled slightly and drew in a sharp breath of cold air. "It hurts so much."
The moment she voiced her pain, it melted away more than half of his heart.
"I heard that if the pain is unbearable, having someone blow on it might make it feel a bit better."
She seemed to be murmuring to herself, but at the end, she looked up at him. "Pei Du, is that true?"
The young man close at hand had his long eyelashes lowered. Hearing this, his movements paused. As if undergoing a fierce internal struggle, he leaned in a little closer, puffed out his cheeks slightly, and blew a breath of cool air onto her wound.
Like a lost hamster, puffy-cheeked and utterly silly.
Xie Jingci let out a soft chuckle. His face turned even redder. He quickly bandaged her up, pulled her lapels closed, and swiftly retreated. "Done."
"Thanks a lot."
Her body was still soft and limp, rendering her voice lazy and gentle, carrying an inherently seductive desire. "You applied medicine for me and transferred your spiritual energy to me. Shouldn't I do something in return?"
Today's Miss Xie seemed quite different from usual.
Even just a light smile from her was enough to make him dizzy, filling his heart with an indescribable sweetness.
Pei Du forcefully suppressed his wild thoughts and replied to her earnestly. "Miss Xie has shown me great kindness; such a small matter is not worth mentioning. Also, inside the main hall today, I must thank Miss Xie for saying those words."
He paused briefly, his gaze darkening slightly. "There were many people around at the time. Actually, Miss Xie didn't have to do that for me—"
Xie Jingci, however, kept smiling and directly interrupted him. "Just tell me one of your wishes, it's fine. Young Master Pei wouldn't want me to feel guilty, would you?"
From the moment Miss Xie asked him to apply the medicine, something had been gradually closing in on him.
Like a snake lurking in the jungle, its tracks unseen, following like a shadow, yet not as sinister and ruthless as a snake. Instead, it was wrapped in all kinds of romantic sentiments, slowly entangling him bit by bit, just like—
Pei Du couldn't articulate exactly what that feeling was.
It was a meticulously woven trap, and he couldn't escape.
"When we return to Yunjing, could Miss Xie... take me out to eat sweets once?"
He asked cautiously, "Just the two of us."
Miss Xie didn't say anything.
He couldn't figure out her thoughts and suspected he was pushing his luck. Just as he was planning to vaguely brush over the topic, he suddenly heard her say, "Is that all?"
Pei Du blanked.
Miss Xie's clear voice rang by his ear. "If you want to push your luck a bit more, that's fine too."
That inexplicable feeling returned.
Like fine, dense ropes coated in sweet sugar, binding him so tightly he couldn't move.
"Young Master Pei has been upright his whole life. Have you never had a moment of pushing your luck?"
She suddenly leaned closer, her hands resting against his chest. "Why don't I teach you."
His heartbeat was as chaotic as a violent storm.
Pei Du's breathing grew unsteady, his voice low and hoarse. "Miss Xie..."
"For instance, hugging or holding hands, I wouldn't mind."
She pursed her lips and paused. "Or—"
The hands resting on his chest silently moved upward like soft vines, cupping his cheeks and swiftly pulling him down.
He instantly held his breath.
Miss Xie tilted her head up, her breath letting out a lingering puff of warmth.
The faint pink blush, spread from shedding tears, had not yet faded, and her lips, exceedingly soft, quietly kissed the reddened corner of his eye.
The time flowing around them seemed to stand still.
Pei Du suddenly thought that even if he died in this very moment, he would do so willingly.
When her lips finally moved away from the corner of his eye, they stopped a fraction of an inch from him.
Xie Jingci's mouth curved slightly upward, like a rosy, moist little hook. "Or like this... do you like it?"
But he couldn't die.
Once he closed his eyes, he would never see Miss Xie again.
He wanted to live for her.
To live well, for her sake.
"Pei Du."
Xie Jingci cupped his face, her voice soft and sweet as honey, seeping straight into his heart. "If I said that today in the main hall..."
It was too close.
They were almost nose to nose. Miss Xie's eyes were as clear as mirrors; with a gentle flicker, they reflected his stunned image.
At this very moment, in her pupils, only Pei Du's reflection remained.
In the bitter cold of deep winter, a faint heat quietly bred in the air, lingering, sweet, elusive, recklessly scorching his chest.
The young sword cultivator, who had once slain a hundred evils with a single sword and was renowned for his calm self-control, was now flustered and helpless. Enveloped entirely by her warm breath, he could not retreat.
Pei Du faintly guessed the words she was about to say, and subconsciously mocked himself for not knowing his place and letting his imagination run wild.
Yet, a humble hope still remained at the bottom of his heart, leading his heart to pound wildly.
Miss Xie's eyes curved in a smile, but her gaze held an unquestionable resolve. "Including 'willingly staying by your side'... what if every single one of those words came from the bottom of my heart?"
During the academy's final exam, Pei Du had racked his brains to create a chance encounter, just to be able to tell the sun he had looked up to for so long: let me stay by your side.
It was nothing but an unreachable wish, carrying incomparable cowardice and affection, delivered to her in the form of a joke.
After that, Pei Du continued to grit his teeth and draw his sword time and time again, trying to get just a little bit closer to her.
It felt like a dream.
Just as he was exhausting all his strength chasing after her silhouette, Miss Xie suddenly turned around and threw herself straight into his arms.
That was the sun that belonged to Pei Du.
She gently kissed the corner of his eye and told him with a smile, "I'm here."
