Just Follow This. Be Gentle.
A deathly silence spread through the courtyard. Ji Chaoyun felt as though a massive stone had settled over his heart, so heavy that he could barely breathe.
After a long while, he finally asked hoarsely, “So... the clan leader’s wife died by your hand?”
“Yes.”
“She was your birth mother!”
Bai Qiuyue raised his eyes to look at him and smiled faintly. Supporting himself against the white wall behind him, he rose to his feet. He had barely taken half a step forward when several Divine Soldiers blocked his path.
Bai Qiuyue gazed at the gleaming blades held against his throat, the curve of his lips never once fading. “Who said those two were my parents? They merely provided a vessel for the reincarnation of my soul. Their true son died long ago.”
“Is that what Yan Huaqing told you?”
Bai Qiuyue merely smiled without answering. “I already told you. I am very grateful to them, and I greatly admire them. If not for the Fox Clan’s devoted protection, if not for the clan leader’s wife persevering until the end, how could His Excellency’s plan ever have succeeded?”
“You...” Ji Chaoyun’s hand clenched tightly at his side, as though only by doing so could he suppress the chill rising from the depths of his heart. “You truly are a madman.”
“Yes. Am I not precisely that?” The chains around Bai Qiuyue’s wrists clinked. He suddenly raised his hand and seized the blade nearest to him.
Blood instantly streamed down the blade and dripped onto the soft grass.
Bai Qiuyue slowly ran his fingertips along the razor-sharp edge, allowing it to slice through his flesh. “Do you know why your Immortal Realm has fallen to such a state? Because you care too deeply about your attachments. The bonds of family, the bonds of close friends... These useless things serve no purpose other than making people weak and fearful, leaving them trapped in their ways and unwilling to move forward.”
Ji Chaoyun asked, “Do you truly not consider yourself one of the immortals?”
“An immortal? Merely because of this Heavenly Fox shell?” Bai Qiuyue said. “I have long since grown tired of these immortal bones. If I were not worried about exposing His Excellency’s plan too soon, how could a handful of insignificant Divine Soldiers possibly capture me?”
He tilted his head, his bloodstained lips curling into a chilling smile. “I gave you a chance, Little Dragon. Yet even now, your Feng Qi has not returned. Since that is the case, you cannot blame me.”
“...Forgive the offense.”
The moment his words fell, a violent gale suddenly swept through the courtyard.
A tremendous demonic aura erupted from his body. Nine white fox tails unfurled behind Bai Qiuyue and swept outward, sending the Divine Soldiers surrounding him flying.
It happened too quickly. Shuofeng barely had time to shield Ji Chaoyun as they rapidly retreated.
The two withdrew beside the bamboo couch. Shuofeng stood before Ji Chaoyun with his spear raised, the impact of the demonic aura leaving the taste of blood in his throat.
The Divine Soldiers who had been closest to Bai Qiuyue were already sprawled on the ground beneath the crushing pressure, unable to rise.
Shuofeng erected a barrier around Ji Chaoyun and said hoarsely, “This demonic aura... belongs to Yan Huaqing.”
Ji Chaoyun stared in disbelief. “How could that be...”
The front of the courtyard was in ruins. As the dust gradually settled, a pair of shackles fell to the ground.
Bai Qiuyue casually rubbed his wrists. The wound across his palm healed before their eyes at astonishing speed.
Without even glancing at the fallen Divine Soldiers, he stepped through the crowd. “Little Dragon, we have already wasted too much time. Come. Go with me to Qingqiu.”
Ji Chaoyun’s expression was as still as water. “You and Yan Huaqing... share cultivation?”
“How else could we be called two halves of one?” Bai Qiuyue said gently. “His Excellency has guided me since childhood. He taught me martial arts and aided my cultivation, and now he even shares his cultivation with me. Tell me, should I not repay him?”
As he spoke, he had already reached Ji Chaoyun and Shuofeng.
“Now do you understand why I dared come looking for you despite knowing there was a trap waiting for me on Wenqu Peak?” Bai Qiuyue’s brows lifted with amusement as an eerie red light appeared in his eyes. “In this entire Immortal Realm, aside from that ancient god who can contend with His Excellency, what do these people amount to?”
He raised one hand like a claw and slashed forcefully.
With a sharp crack, the barrier shattered. Before Shuofeng could resist, an invisible force seized him by the throat and lifted him bodily into the air.
“Stop!” Ji Chaoyun shouted.
He met Bai Qiuyue’s mocking gaze.
“You’re still as kind as ever, little dragon.” Bai Qiuyue said, “You know what I’m going to say. If you don’t want everyone here to die because of you, then obediently come with me to Qingqiu.”
Ji Chaoyun closed his eyes. “Let him go. I’ll go with you.”
Bai Qiuyue smiled in satisfaction and casually tossed Shuofeng aside. Shuofeng’s face had turned scarlet from suffocation, and he nearly crashed into the small table beside the bamboo couch.
Ji Chaoyun looked toward him worriedly.
Bai Qiuyue said carelessly, “Don’t worry. None of them will die, as long as you behave yourself and...”
His voice abruptly stopped.
A sword had pierced straight through his waist and abdomen, instantly staining a large expanse of his plain white robes red.
Bai Qiuyue froze for a moment before raising his eyes.
Ji Chaoyun’s gaze was lowered. In his right hand was a slender immortal sword, its hilt engraved with scarlet-gold phoenix patterns.
“Scarlet Feather Sword.” Bai Qiuyue quickly recognized it. “So he left the Scarlet Feather Sword with you. This weapon can indeed injure demons, but your cultivation is far too low. How could you possibly unleash its true power? Surely Feng Qi did not think you could defeat me with this alone?”
“You possess the highest cultivation of the Demon Clan. How could a mere wandering immortal like me possibly contend with you?” Ji Chaoyun’s voice remained calm. “But there is one thing you miscalculated.”
Ji Chaoyun raised his eyes and enunciated softly, “Did you think you were the only one capable of using a cultivation-sharing technique?”
As his words fell, the spiritual power around the Scarlet Feather Sword suddenly surged. An even more powerful and extraordinarily pure force enveloped the blade.
Bai Qiuyue’s expression changed instantly.
He swiftly retreated, pulling the blade from his flesh and sending droplets of blood scattering through the air. Ji Chaoyun did not hesitate in the slightest and thrust his sword toward him.
Ji Chaoyun’s swordsmanship had always been sharp and aggressive. With divine power supporting him, his attacks became even more ferocious. In an instant, he closed the distance between them. Bai Qiuyue drew his sword to block, and the two rapidly exchanged several moves.
The once peaceful courtyard had become a complete wreck. Two entirely different currents of sword qi flew wildly in every direction, sparing neither the surrounding flowerbeds nor the courtyard furnishings.
Although Bai Qiuyue had suffered a sword wound, he possessed Yan Huaqing’s demonic arts and showed no sign of weakness against Ji Chaoyun.
Ji Chaoyun, on the other hand, gradually began to slow under the strain of such an intense battle.
Neither of the two combatants noticed someone struggling to his feet behind them.
“Young Master, move!”
Shuofeng shouted.
Ji Chaoyun sensed something flying toward him from behind. He swiftly turned aside, catching sight from the corner of his eye of what Shuofeng had thrown.
It was the pot of medicinal soup Shuofeng had brought him earlier.
Bai Qiuyue instinctively raised a hand to block it. His left hand formed a claw and shattered the pot in one strike, sending the remaining medicinal soup splashing across the back of his hand.
“This...!”
As though burned by raging flames, Bai Qiuyue looked down. Wherever the medicinal soup had touched his left hand, his flesh was rapidly corroding and blackening, and the damage even showed signs of spreading.
Even Ji Chaoyun was stunned. “What exactly is that...”
Shuofeng’s gaze wandered. He stared fixedly at the overturned table, as though the person who had just thrown the pot had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Bai Qiuyue quickly struck several acupoints along his shoulder and arm, barely managing to stop the injury from spreading. “Medicine refined with divine blood... He truly does care deeply about you.”
“Divine blood...”
Bai Qiuyue’s face had gone pale as paper. He laughed softly. “Forget it. Today, I was simply outmaneuvered. Little Dragon, we will meet again another day.”
After saying this, his figure dissolved into a wisp of green smoke and vanished from where he stood.
The tension finally left Ji Chaoyun’s body. He staggered, and the surging divine aura in his abdomen caused his spiritual core to violently tremble, turning into a deep, stabbing pain.
“Mm...” Ji Chaoyun groaned and was caught from behind.
Shuofeng steadied him and helped him toward the bedchamber. “Young Master, hold on a little longer. The Divine One will be back soon.”
Shuofeng helped Ji Chaoyun lie down on the bed. Ji Chaoyun caught hold of his sleeve. “Divine blood... What exactly is going on?”
Shuofeng’s gaze darted away. “Please don’t speak for now. You need to rest...”
“Tell me.” Ji Chaoyun’s gaze turned cold. “Feng Qi and I clearly agreed that leaving Divine Soldiers in ambush and sharing his divine cultivation with me would be enough to hold Bai Qiuyue off until he returned. Why was divine blood added to the plan?”
“This...” Shuofeng hesitated, then suddenly raised his hand and formed a spell.
Scarlet light sank into Ji Chaoyun’s brow. His lips parted, but before he could say anything else, his consciousness plunged into darkness.
☁
“...You cast a spell on him?! Do you know what condition his body is in right now? If he does not wake up, I will hold you responsible!”
Ji Chaoyun opened his eyes groggily and immediately heard a familiar voice outside the door.
He turned his head and saw the white-haired, white-bearded elder sitting beside the bed.
The Medical Sage visibly relaxed and released the hand he had placed over Ji Chaoyun’s spiritual meridian. “Young Master, you are finally awake. Do you still feel any discomfort?”
Ji Chaoyun shook his head.
“That’s good.” The Medical Sage slowly said, “Young Master need not worry. The child in your belly has already stabilized. Rest well over the next few days and there will be no problem.”
Ji Chaoyun was about to speak when the door opened and three figures entered the room.
Feng Qi walked in front, with Shuofeng and Tianshu following closely behind. The Medical Sage rose and bowed to Feng Qi, then quickly stepped aside to make room.
Feng Qi strode to the bedside and anxiously asked, “You’re finally awake. How do you feel? Does anything still hurt?”
Ji Chaoyun silently looked at him without answering.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became rather strange. Everyone exchanged glances, while only the Medical Sage remained composed. “This old man will go outside and prepare several prescriptions of spiritual medicine for Young Master.”
He took the other two with him and closed the door behind them.
Feng Qi sat beside the bed and took Ji Chaoyun’s hand. “Little Dragon, I was very worried.”
Ji Chaoyun turned his head away. “The Divine Lord arranged layer upon layer of protection. What was there to worry about?”
“...” Feng Qi swallowed and laughed awkwardly. “You know already.”
Ji Chaoyun suddenly sat upright, frightening Feng Qi into hurriedly steadying him.
“Feng Qi!” Ji Chaoyun snapped. “Why did you not discuss it with me before taking blood from your heart to refine medicine?”
Feng Qi met his gaze innocently, but eventually yielded beneath Ji Chaoyun’s angry expression. He murmured, “If I had discussed it with you, would you have agreed?”
“You knew I would not agree, yet you still did it?” Ji Chaoyun said. “Do you have any idea how much taking blood from your heart can damage your cultivation?”
Knowing he was in the wrong, Feng Qi lowered his eyes and said softly, “But I was worried about you.”
“If circumstances had not forced us into this, how could I possibly have agreed to your and Uncle’s suggestion of using you as bait?” Feng Qi said. “I could station every soldier I have on Wenqu Peak. I could give you all of my divine power. Even then, I still would not feel at ease.”
His fingertips gently brushed Ji Chaoyun’s cheek. “If anything happened to you, would that not be the death of me?”
Ji Chaoyun’s heart immediately softened, and his voice gentled considerably. “Even so, you can’t do something like this...”
He caught Feng Qi’s sleeve. “Has your injury healed? Will your cultivation be badly affected?”
“It won’t. Don’t worry.”
Feng Qi was about to continue when a light knock suddenly sounded at the door.
He thought for a moment before saying, “I’ll go outside first. Lie down for a while longer. As for the situation now... I’ll tell you everything when I come back.”
“All right.”
Feng Qi lowered his head and gently kissed Ji Chaoyun’s forehead before rising and leaving the bedchamber.
When he stepped outside, the other three were still waiting there in silence. Tianshu’s expression in particular was extremely grave.
Feng Qi asked, “What happened?”
Tianshu sighed and lowered his voice. “We just received word. Bai Qiuyue falsely spread news of a gathering for the Immortal Realm Alliance. More than half of the immortal clans in the Immortal Realm have now arrived in Qingqiu, and after that, all trace of them disappeared. Those who went are either high-ranking figures of their sects and clans or outstanding talents of the younger generation. If something truly happened to them...”
“Damn it!” Feng Qi cursed under his breath. “Uncle, contact Elder Brother first. We need to act as quickly as possible and rescue everyone trapped in Qingqiu.”
Tianshu nodded. “I will go immediately, but your body...”
Feng Qi hurriedly stopped him.
He instinctively glanced toward the room. Only after confirming there was no movement inside did he raise a hand to his chest. His lips were faintly pale.
“I’m fine.” Feng Qi said. “I merely lost some vital energy. I will recover in a few days. It’s nothing serious.”
Tianshu looked as though he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he merely sighed and turned to leave.
The Medical Sage finished writing the prescription for Ji Chaoyun’s spiritual medicine and handed it to Feng Qi. Feng Qi was about to ask Shuofeng to escort him away when the Medical Sage said, “Divine One, this old man must remind you of one more thing. Taking blood from your heart has damaged your vital energy and cultivation. For the next few days, I fear you will no longer be able to transfer spiritual power to Young Master.”
“...A great battle is approaching. You cannot afford to be careless.”
Feng Qi froze.
He silently accompanied the Medical Sage toward the courtyard. Only after they had stepped through the gate did he say quietly, “But Chaoyun’s body... I cannot simply leave him without spiritual power.”
The Medical Sage’s gaze shifted away, as though he found the subject somewhat difficult to broach. “Actually... there is another way to replenish his spiritual power.”
Feng Qi immediately asked, “What should I do?”
The Medical Sage’s expression stiffened for a moment before he gave Feng Qi a reproachful look.
He lowered his head and rummaged through the cloth pouch he carried with him. After a moment, he pulled out a thin booklet and stuffed it into Feng Qi’s arms.
With a perfectly serious expression, he said, “Just follow what is written here. Be gentle with your movements, and it will be fine. Do I really need to teach you something like this at my age...”
“?”
Without waiting for Feng Qi to react, the Medical Sage turned away, muttering something under his breath as he hurried off.
Completely bewildered, Feng Qi opened the booklet.
A moment later, he closed it again.
The tips of his ears quietly turned red.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
Medical Sage: You have to ask how to do even this??? Could it be that this Divine One is actually incapable?
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