In the midst of a perfect situation, how did the topic turn to killing again? Zhu Yanyin held onto the beam with one hand, “Aren’t we here to rescue people?”
Li Sui: Kill first, then rescue.
Zhu Yanyin shook his head frantically: I’m not going.
Li Sui glanced at him for a moment. “If you don’t want to go, you can let go.”
Zhu Yanyin still tightly grasped his sleeve. I won’t let go. If I do, and you go off to kill someone again, what then? One cannot simply kill indiscriminately. Moreover, Brother Mingchuan and Liu Xiyang are still half-dead, tied to chairs. According to the normal procedure, shouldn’t we eavesdrop on their conversation first? Perhaps we can uncover the secrets of the Demon Cult and Chi Tian.
Li Sui patiently said, “Chi Tian has no secrets, only ambitions.”
Zhu Yanyin, however, disagreed with this viewpoint. In this world, as long as one is human, there will inevitably be secrets.
Li Sui asked, “Then what is your secret?”
Zhu Yanyin was stumped by the question. Do we really need to discuss this matter at such a nervously tense moment?
Li Sui’s interest was piqued. He repeated, “What is your secret?”
Zhu Yanyin looked at his eager expression, unable to utter a word for a long time. With many years of memories missing compared to others, he naturally had a fewer secrets. Despite digging for thoughts and racking his brains, he could only come up with something like, “I hid a box of not-so-proper Jianghu novels under the bed in Jiangnan.” It was too embarrassing. He might as well shut up.
Li Sui, however, seemed determined to wait for the answer, to the extent that he didn’t even bother to kill anyone anymore.
Zhu Yanyin shrank back, “Why do I have to speak first? You go ahead.”
Without hesitation, Li Sui said,”People in the Jianghu all know that Chi Tian robbed me of my inner strength, but what they don’t know is that the sixteen guardians of the Burning Fire Hall also achieved their current cultivation level thanks to me.”
Zhu Yanyin: I was shocked on the spot after hearing this.
He originally just wanted to casually brush off the topic and let it pass. He was even prepared to be pinched hard on the face. But what does “everyone in the Jianghu knows that Chi Tian has stolen my inner strength” mean?
Li Sui furrowed his brow, “What kind of expression is that?”
Zhu Yanyin struggled to swallow a mouthful of saliva. I came to know without any guard that all sixteen guardians of the Burning Fire Hall have achieved their current cultivation levels all because of you. Can’t I have five thunderclaps strike my head?
He recalled that when they were in Baitou City, Li Sui had indeed mentioned that Chi Tian’s martial arts skill was called Devouring Moon, specializing in absorbing others’ inner strength. Since both of them were disciples of Tian Menzi, and they practiced martial arts together, it wasn’t surprising that the shixiong plotted against the shidi. However, what was the story behind the sudden appearance of the sixteen guardians? Could it be that they also practiced the same Devouring Moon? Seventeen people simultaneously absorbing one person’s inner strength?
Zhu Yanyin unconsciously conjured up a horrifying scene of a swarm of blood-sucking insects stinging Li Sui. His back instantly broke out in a cold sweat. He suddenly realized the weight behind this secret – if Chi Tian and his sixteen guardians derived their inner strength from Li Sui, then, in other words, the current bloody turmoil in the Central Plains Wulin is undeniably linked to the Wanren Palace.
Li Sui urged, “Now it’s your turn.”
Zhu Yanyin’s lips seemed glued shut, becoming increasingly silent like a mute chicken. Firstly, because he was continuously shocked, and secondly, because compared to this secret with Li Sui, anything he said seemed insincere. Even if he were to collapse on the spot and perform a dramatic act of rock placed on chest, it would pale in comparison.
He had no choice but to forcefully hold back his words: “Actually, back then, I thought about secretly forging a sword identical to the Xiangjun Sword and wearing it at my waist to show off.”
Compared to “I single-handedly raised seventeen malignant tumors for the Wulin,” it still seemed insignificant. But for a wealthy young master from Jiangnan with a spotless reputation and a past as clean as a blank sheet, he really had already tried his best. If one were to dig any deeper, the only so-called “secret” left would be, “The other day, my vomiting and diarrhea weren’t due to a cold, but because I secretly ate fried meat skewers sold outside,” which could only shock his loyal old steward.
However, Li Sui didn’t regard him with disdain. On the contrary, he inexplicably laughed for a while before saying, “Everyone in the world fears the Xiangjun Sword, yet only you like it.”
Zhu Yanyin: “En.”
Although this liking is quite superficial, purely based on the sword’s appearance, but superficial liking is still liking.
Li Sui reached out his hand and gently touched his face in the dim light: “When I die in the future, you can take this sword with you.”
Zhu Yanyin: “?”
The three people on the bed were still settling accounts afterward: If you want an extra box of rouge, I want an extra box of face powder. However, the man was unusually stingy and stubbornly refused to speak. The bargaining gradually turned into sharp mockery, crude and unpleasant. In such a damned atmosphere, it was really not a good place to discuss future arrangements. Besides, Zhu Yanyin didn’t believe Li Sui would actually die because of Chi Tian. He said, “That’s something seventy or eighty years from now.”
Li Sui looked thoughtful, as if he hadn’t considered something so far into the future; seventy or eighty years was an extremely unfamiliar concept. Half of his face was obscured in the shadows, with the candlelight flickering and casting shifting reflections in his eyes. His entire demeanor exuded a strange sense of softness. From this, it can be seen that the big demon lord not only has a peculiar sense of humor but also chooses peculiar times to relax; just moments ago, he was impatiently ready to kill someone, but now he suddenly became languid. Zhu Yanyin even felt that if he didn’t speak up soon, it wouldn’t be long before this ancestor would leisurely fall asleep on the beam.
So he quickly reminded, “When are we going to rescue Brother Mingchuan?”
With a sweep of his sleeve, Li Sui caused the cheaply carved large bed beneath to creak and sway, abruptly silencing the argument.
Zhu Yanyin: “You… you… you killed them?”
Li Sui: “Do you want me to kill them?”
Zhu Yanyin breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t me, I didn’t, don’t talk nonsense.
Li Sui brought him down to the ground.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“Yes.” Liu Xiyang’s voice was hoarse as he struggled to move closer to him. “Brother Zhao, please try to untie the ropes for me. We have to find a way out ourselves; that malicious woman has probably escaped long ago.”
Li Sui frowned.
Zhao Mingchuan, feeling dizzy and confused, didn’t understand: “Escape?”
Liu Xiyang said, “That malicious woman set out this time, seemingly intending to bribe the disciples of the reputable sects for the Demon Cult, to place them as spies within the Wulin Alliance. Last night, she saw someone being hunted by various sects and thought she could recruit another master with nowhere to go. But later, under the light, she realized it was you, Brother Zhao. Who doesn’t know the relationship between Mingjian Sect and Wanren Palace? How could she dare provoke you? Her expression changed immediately.”
Li Sui’s expression also changed: “Someone come!”
Zhu Yanyin, who was still holding his breath and concentrating on eavesdropping, was startled by this shout. What ‘someone come’? Do you have people here too?
The disciples from Wanren Palace had been guarding around Drunken Spring Pavilion last night and did not notice anyone escaping. However, upon inspecting the rooms, they discovered that the brothel surprisingly had an underground tunnel. A cold sweat broke out on their backs: “It’s the incompetence of these subordinates.”
“Palace Master Li! Palace Master Li! We’re over here!” Liu Xiyang from the next room heard the commotion and shouted loudly.
Li Sui, annoyed by the noise, retaliated with a backhand strike of palm wind.
The wooden partition wall shattered with a sound, and Liu Xiyang also collapsed unconscious.
Zhao Mingchuan, who was about to shout for help beside him: “…”
Zhu Yanyin hurriedly ran over to untie the ropes: “Brother Mingchuan, you didn’t—”
The person was then dragged away again by the big demon lord.
The guards from the Zhu Residence had long been stationed around Drunken Spring Pavilion. Upon seeing their young master being brought out, they immediately surrounded him. Li Sui glanced at the person in his arms and asked, “Do you want to go back to the inn, or do you want to come with me to kill someone?”
The large snow-white pendant Second Young Master Zhu: “…”
Li Sui was somewhat displeased with his silence, but he still returned the person to Zhu Zhang. He mounted his horse and rode towards the outskirts of the city in pursuit.
“You be careful too!” Zhu Yanyin shouted loudly from behind.
Li Sui didn’t look back, but he used his sleeve to gather the wind and swept away the flowers that lined both sides of the long street.
Scarlet petals showered like rain, stars scattered into the embrace.
…..
Upon hearing the news, members of the Wulin Alliance also hurriedly arrived at the brothel. Liu Xiyang had suffered greatly these past few days and was currently lying weakly in bed. However, members of the Liu Family Village were quite pleased to see his half-dead appearance. They eagerly surrounded him as if welcoming a triumphant general—Finding him alive and having endured mistreatment was enough evidence for him being a victim and having no connection to the Demon Cult. They were overjoyed.
As for Zhao Mingchuan, no one had expected that the thief running rampant throughout the city last night would turn out to be him. Early in the morning, Wan Zhuyun gathered everyone for a meeting. All the influential figures attended, except for one from the Mingjian Sect who claimed illness. Even so, no one raised any suspicions; they all believed he was genuinely ill. This shows just how well-respected Young Master Zhao is.
In addition, after hearing the whole story, more than a dozen martial arts sects led their disciples out of the city to pursue the woman—Even with Li Sui around, the Demon Cult is still the public enemy of the Wulin. Now that they’ve resurfaced, everyone naturally can’t just sit back and do nothing.
As for Wan Zhuyun, he originally intended to go as well, but Zhao Mingchuan sneaked off to Shannan Inn in the dead of night, clearly with some inside information. Therefore, he stayed behind to personally handle the follow-up matters.
Supported by his disciples as he descended the stairs, Zhao Mingchuan got straight to the point: “I suspect Shangru Mountain Villa has dealings with the Demon Cult.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the other sects present were taken aback. They recalled Du Qian, who looked like an old monk, drowsy day and night, only interested in spending money without inquiring about matters… He has dealings with the Demon Cult?
During this period, Zhao Mingchuan had discovered quite a bit. Although there was no direct evidence of Du Qian’s direct contact with the Burning Fire Hall, he found medicine packets in the trash discarded by Shangru Mountain Villa, containing remnants of Soul-Chasing Grass. Jiang Shenglin also mentioned that recently everyone in the Wulin Alliance was easily angered and impulsive, likely due to overdosing on Soul-Chasing Grass. In addition, he talked to many sects and discovered that in several major disputes, there was always the shadow of Shangru Mountain Villa fanning the flames, as if they were afraid that the world was not chaotic enough.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xiyang beside him also realized, “Yes, yes. The reason we wanted to leave the group is because Hall Master Du mentioned that if we take a boat from Linzhou, we would pass many colorful pleasure spots along the way. It would be much more comfortable than traveling day and night on the road.”
“You still have the nerve to say that!” The head of the Liu Family Village, faced with this wayward nephew, was infuriated to the point of being dizzy and raised his hand to slap him across the face.
Both of them pointed out issues with Shangru Mountain Villa. Wan Zhuyun scanned the crowd with his gaze and asked, “Where is Hall Master Du?”
Someone answered, “Huh, he just said he was coming over with us, but how come he’s disappeared in the blink of an eye?”
Wan Zhuyun sensed that something was wrong. When he took people to search, Shannan Inn was already empty, with no trace of Du Qian anywhere to be found.
“Chase!”
….
Outside the city, the surroundings were so quiet that not even a breeze stirred.
A woman was galloping through the forest. She wore a coarse blue cloth garment, her appearance plain and unremarkable, looking like an ordinary peasant woman. However, the bright red nailpolish on her fingertips hinted at an incongruity with her identity. Her posture on horseback also showed the demeanor of someone skilled in martial arts.
Li Sui was like a black whirlwind, whistling past the forest.
The woman dodged alertly. Although she avoided the deadly palm strike, she fell off her horse in the process.
Li Sui coldly looked at her. “Are you one of Chi Tian’s people?”
The woman let slip two blades from her sleeves. “I have never met the Sect Leader Chi Tian. Palace Master Li, refrain from making baseless accusations.”
Knowing full well she was no match for Li Sui, she had no intention of lingering in battle. The blades in her sleeves were just a distraction; the smoke bomb that fell into her palm with the blades was her only way out. Taking advantage of Li Sui’s momentary lapse, she swiftly retreated two steps backward. A dense fog exploded in the forest with a deafening blast, filling the air with a choking smell that made it impossible to keep one’s eyes open.
The woman’s figure disappeared without a trace, as light as a ghost.
The Snow-Kicking Black Roan couldn’t bear the blinding thick fog and trotted backwards for a short distance, showing no intention of chasing after the person.
Neither did Li Sui. His expression was cold and ominous as he drew the Xiangjun Sword from its sheath, sweeping it through the air with tremendous force—
Boom!
The entire forest exploded.
It truly exploded, as if several tons of explosives were ignited simultaneously. Dust, debris, and fallen leaves surged into the air at first, then scattered down like rain, smashing branches and causing a real storm of flying sand and rocks. A massive airflow stirred up a foul odor and dispersed the mist. In the depths of the forest, a gray figure agilely leaped up, narrowly avoiding the powerful internal energy, akin to a sharp blade.
The woman, her nerves still unsettled, landed on the ground and continued fleeing towards the depths of the dense forest.
At this moment, more than a dozen other sects had also arrived at the woods, initially brimming with ambition to capture the demon. Who would have thought that upon arriving, they would witness Li Sui’s airborne slash, with his nearly supernatural internal energy. It left everyone speechless with shock. This was followed by a surge of negativity, making them think, “Why did I even come here?” They stood there dazed for a while before remembering they should go up and help.
The woman fell to the ground with a “bang,” blood oozing from the corner of her mouth.
The other sects: “…”
How could this happen so quickly? Wasn’t she just running a moment ago?
Li Sui ended his move and landed on the ground. The metallic clash as the Xiangjun Sword returned to its sheath sent a shiver through everyone present. Someone quick-witted hurriedly took out a rope to tie up the woman, only to find her pupils dilated and that she had already breathed her last breath.
“Palace Master Li, she had poison sacs embedded in her fingernails. She bit them just now and took her own life.”
Li Sui frowned; he had intended to keep a captive alive.
The crowd brought horses over and took the woman’s body back to the city.
However, on the other end, Wan Zhuyun did not manage to find Du Qian’s group smoothly. The mountain path was empty, not a ghostly figure in sight, so he had to temporarily turn back.
Zhu Yanyin had been unable to sit or stand still at the inn, feeling as uncomfortable as if there were nails on his chair. When he finally heard the news of Li Sui’s return, he disappeared from the room with a “whoosh”.
Zhu Zhang, holding a tea cup: “…”
Zhao Mingchuan, lying on the bed: “…”
Li Sui threw the reins to his disciple and casually lifted up the wealthy young man from Jiangnan, who had nearly tripped over the threshold because of running too fast.
Zhu Yanyin asked, “What happened?”
Li Sui replied, “Dead.”
Zhu Yanyin glanced at the hand holding his arm and asked nonchalantly, “What kind of death?”
Li Sui cruelly replied, The kind where I crush her head with the hand you’re holding right now, and brain matter stains my hands.
Zhu Yanyin’s face turned pale. “Let go quickly!”
Li Sui was very malicious. While he did let go, the next moment, he pinched his face at lightning speed.
Zhu Yanyin: Ahhhhh!
His entire body’s hair stood on end, and he rushed back crying to wash his face.
Li Sui leaned against the tree and laughed for a long time.
Lan Yan stood on the second floor, looking at this bizzare scene, and fell into a long silence.
Jiang Shenglin still insisted, “No problem, this is all normal!”
Zhu Yanyin had washed his face nearly eighteen times before the steward finally came to say that Palace Master Li hadn’t actually crushed anyone’s head. I’ve already asked the martial arts sects who went with him, and they can all testify to that.
Second Young Master Zhu: “…”
Zhu Xiaosui took the opportunity to say, “Young Master, it’s better to stay away from Palace Master Li in the future.”
Zhu Yanyin mumbled vaguely. Hmm, let’s discuss it later.
Then, within less than an hour, he personally pushed Zhao Mingchuan in a wheelchair and hurried to the Wulin Alliance’s council chamber, brimming with enthusiasm that couldn’t be restrained.
Zhu Xiaosui: “…”
Life is not easy, sighed the bookboy.
All the martial arts sects were present. When Liu Xiyang saw Tan Shuqiu in the crowd, his gaze involuntarily flickered, seeming extremely guilty.
“Why don’t you hurry up and explain everything clearly!” scolded the leader of the Liu Family Village. “You’re fortunate this time. If there’s any more concealment, I won’t spare you!”
“Yes,” Liu Xiyang was like a frostbitten eggplant, “The four of us originally never thought of taking the water route. Even if the journey was hard, we would only complain a bit. But one day, Hall Master Du overheard us. He casually mentioned that taking the water route would be much more comfortable, albeit more expensive.”
Liu Xiyang and his three companions usually enjoyed pleasure-seeking. Now, upon hearing they could still eat, drink, and have fun while traveling, their spirits inevitably lifted. After a private discussion, they decided to find an excuse to visit Grandmaster Chanji and enjoy themselves in Linzhou.
As for why they brought Tan Shuqiu along, it was purely for the money. Although Canglang Gang had no status, they had money. The father and son of the Tan family both had gullible faces. So, Cui Wei invited Tan Shuqiu. Sure enough, the other party was overjoyed and readily agreed.
Tan Shan’s face turned pale with anger. “If you only wanted to deceive for money, why did you later try to kill my son?”
“We never intended to kill anyone,” Liu Xiyang hurriedly defended. “Originally, we planned to deceive him for money and find a way to drive him back to the Wulin Alliance. But that night, Brother Cui suddenly mentioned he had learned a new unorthodox formation that was incredibly powerful and could trap peerless masters. None of us believed it; we mocked him for bragging. Brother Cui then set up the formation in the woods and tricked Brother Tan and his followers into entering it.”
Indeed, after a whole night passed, Tan Shuqiu’s group had not been able to come out of the woods. The other three then believed that Brother Cui truly knew how to set up formations and urged him to quickly break the formation and release the people.
“As a result, Brother Cui only knew how to set up the formation but didn’t know how to break it. After studying for a long time, he made the formation even more confusing.”
The four of them panicked for a while. They initially wanted to turn back for help, but later made a misguided decision… Liu Xiyang avoided Tan Shuqiu’s gaze and said, “Brother Cui was afraid of others finding out about his study of unorthodox methods, so he opposed returning to the Wulin Alliance. He also said the formation would unravel on its own in three days, so we decided to leave first.”
Zhu Yanyin stood by listening and was left speechless. Even if Cui Wei said the formation would unravel in three days, couldn’t the other three have waited outside the forest for those three days? They actually left so recklessly. Did they truly believe Cui Wei’s words, or were they just seeking comfort for themselves, not really caring about Tan Shuqiu’s life or death? It seemed the latter was more likely.
Tan Shan’s heart was also burning with anger. He was about to step forward to hit a certain someone. The leader of the Liu Family Village had to swallow his pride and plead for mercy, while Wan Zhuyun also tried to soothe the situation with a few words, before continuing to ask, “Who was the woman, and how did Cui Wei, Zhao Honghu, and Ge Changye die?”
“It was someone from the Demon Cult. She killed them all with her own hands,” Liu Xiyang recalled that bloody night, still appearing extremely frightened. “At first, we thought she was just an ordinary peasant woman.”
The first encounter was in Xiaonan Village. The four of them were resting in a tea pavilion, discussing their plan to go to the Linzhou Flower and Bird Market to buy antiques. Suddenly, a woman at the adjacent table took out a jade pendant from her bosom and begged Liu Xiyang to help appraise it.
“At that time, I saw that the jade pendant was in excellent condition, so I proposed to buy it.”
Perhaps because he had just swindled a large sum of money from Tan Shuqiu, Liu Xiyang was extremely generous. When the woman heard she could sell it for so much silver, she also appeared ecstatic and even said that there was a pile of such things at home, all dug up by her husband from underground. She wondered if they could all be sold together.
Liu Xiyang was particularly fond of antiques, a fact well-known to the other three. They naturally didn’t want to spoil his mood, especially since the woman happened to be from the countryside near Linzhou and was going in the same direction. So, they agreed to travel together.
Zhu Yinyin listened attentively. Since there were too many people in the council chamber, he preferred not to sit down, so he stood behind Zhao Mingchuan the whole time, assisting with pushing the wheelchair. The people around were also considerate, and they all voluntarily stepped back a few steps, making space and allowing for better ventilation around the two of them.
After a while, Lan Yan suddenly walked over and said, “Young Master Zhu, my Palace Master asked me to come and help.”
Zhu Yanyin was puzzled and asked her in a low voice, “Help with what?”
Lan Yan replied, “Help support Young Master Zhao.”
Zhao Mingchuan was both puzzled and flattered. Why do you need to help support me? I’m sitting just fine, there’s no need to assist.
Lan Yan took the wheelchair from Zhu Yanyin’s hands. Although she wasn’t sure why she was taking on this task, who could blame her own Palace Master for not being in his right mind lately.
Li Sui sat opposite, observing Zhu Yanyin maneuver through the crowd towards him. He lightly tapped his fingers on the table, and even Liu Xiyang looked more favorable in his eyes.
If no one dared to squeeze past Zhu Yinyin, then no one dared to get close to Li Sui either. Perhaps the council hall wasn’t big enough, otherwise, all the heroes of Jianghu present could have performed a live show where there was no one in sight within a three-mile radius. Even now, they maintained a three-foot distance, just enough for the snow-white and fluffy Second Young Master Zhu to stand.
Li Sui was in a good mood. With just a glance, someone immediately brought over a large chair. “Young Master Zhu, please have a seat!”
Under the scrutiny of everyone’s eyes, Zhu Yanyin couldn’t easily refuse and had to take a seat. However, the chair was indeed too enormous. It was clearly meant for a siesta or nap. Once seated, one would inevitably lean back unconsciously, instantly exuding a demeanor different from everyone else present. After all, everyone was there to discuss affairs related to Wulin, yet there was Second Young Master Zhu reclining in the chair, looking as though he had come for a siesta.
Li Sui lazily propped his forehead. Most of the time, he had no expression. Only when turning his head to look beside him, did he “snicker” with a laugh.
Zhu Yanyin, sunk into the soft chair: “…”
Is it that amusing?
LoL 😆…thank you for the update🌺
I love our awkward palace master being in love
This was a very poetic chapter ⸜(｡\˃ ᵕ ˂// )⸝♡
also me anytime anything happens in this novel ლ(｀∀´ლ)
Thanks for the chapter