After Cutting Off Love And Emotions, I Was Pestered By The Demon Sect’s Enchantress - Chapter 35

Punishing the Heart (Part I)

The steam billowed as wisps of tea fragrance drifted through the air. Zhu Shengxi looked at the teacup in her hand and asked:

“I wonder what business Fellow Daoist Li has with me?”

The tea entered her mouth with a bitter yet clear fragrance. Li Yishuang contemplated for a moment. “Have you seen Ling Zhuo before?”

That night, Zhu Shengxi had already perceived that the relationship between Li Yishuang and Ling Zhuo was far from superficial, so she was not surprised that Li would specifically ask about her. She answered truthfully, “Yes, in a desert within the Western profound Domain.”

Upon hearing this, Li Yishuang’s heart sank a bit further. She continued to ask, “Is it truly as Ye Liuxi claimed? Does Ling Zhuo take the spiritual energy of passing cultivators just to sustain the breath of the deceased Suolu clansmen?”

Zhu Shengxi knit her brows. “Yes. At that time, I was almost trapped there myself.”

The Suolu clan had been exterminated decades ago. Their souls should have entered the cycle of reincarnation, yet Ling Zhuo insisted on keeping them within the Dead City. One could only imagine how many passing cultivators had been tragically murdered.

The more slaughter one is stained with, the heavier the yin energy becomes. Cultivators prize a clear and bright state of mind; once they engage in wanton and indiscriminate killing, the karmic entanglements become too great, and they fall into the demonic path, unable to return.

Li Yishuang silently clenched her hands. Their last meeting years ago—at that time, Ling Zhuo’s eyes were full of coldness and her aura was turbulent; there were already signs of her falling into the demonic path.

Back then, she should have stopped Ling Zhuo no matter what. Having her stay within the Xuanqing Sect to meditate and reflect on her faults would have been far better than her running off to absorb yin energy and fall into the demonic path.

Seeing her lost in thought, Zhu Shengxi added, “The aura on Ling Zhuo’s body is mixed with a trace of righteous energy. She must have once belonged to one of the Three Great Immortal Sects.”

Hearing this, Li Yishuang sighed softly. “She was once a disciple of the Xuanqing Sect. My… junior sister.”

Zhu Shengxi was stunned for a moment and asked, “Does Immortal Venerable Feng Yu not only have two personal disciples?”

Li Yishuang shook her head and spoke slowly, “In the beginning, Gu Xin, Ling Zhuo, and I were the three taken by Master as personal disciples. Ling Zhuo was very talented, but she was also the one who loved causing trouble the most. We practiced together and vowed to eliminate all evil. But later, everything changed. The Suolu clan lived in the desert; they failed to receive the protection of the righteous sects and were wiped out by the Demonic Cult. After Ling Zhuo learned the news, she refused to fight the Demonic Cult with us. Instead, she harbored resentment toward Master and defected from the Xuanqing Sect.”

“Considering that it was indeed a lapse on the part of the Xuanqing Sect, Master allowed her to flee to the Western Profound Domain without driving her to a dead end. He even sent Senior Sister Gu to persuade her to turn back. But she—I know not what methods she used—actually bewitched Senior Sister Gu into practicing demonic arts as well. When Master found out, his heart was filled with great sorrow, yet he gave them one last chance: as long as they stayed in the desert and did not come out to harm people, he would not eliminate them.”

But now Ling Zhuo had left the desert and allied herself with Xie Funing. Zhu Shengxi pondered for a moment:

“Did Immortal Venerable Feng Yu send you a transmission?”

“Yes, a transmission from this morning, ordering me to eliminate Ling Zhuo and Gu Xin.” Li Yishuang gave a bitter smile.

Zhu Shengxi saw the desolation beneath her smile and couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. Fellow disciples who once practiced together must now face each other with blades drawn…

“Senior Sister Zhu.”

Zhu Shengxi looked toward the source of the voice; it was Shi Su.

Shi Su’s face was hesitant, and she failed to say anything coherent for a long while. Zhu Shengxi knit her brows slightly and asked, “What exactly is the matter?”

“Miss Ning is at the tailor shop; she says she wants you to go over there.”

Zhu Shengxi was puzzled, but she set down her teacup and followed Shi Su out.

The streets were extraordinarily lively. Since Xie Funing only took the golden cores of cultivators and did not harm ordinary people, the atmosphere in Chaosheng City remained lighthearted.

“Did she not bring enough silver?” Zhu Shengxi thought for a moment, and this was the only possibility she could come up with.

Shi Su: “Miss Ning didn’t say the reason.” She glanced at Zhu Shengxi’s expression and, unable to suppress her curiosity, asked, “Senior Sister Zhu, are you and Miss Ning soulmates?”

Soulmates? Zhu Shengxi was slightly taken aback, then denied it in a cool voice: “No.”

If they aren’t soulmates, and Senior Sister Zhu is still willing to let her stay in her room, then it can only be… Shi Su hesitated, just about to ask further, when the two of them arrived at the front of the tailor shop.

There were many women there buying clothes and jewelry. Zhu Shengxi lifted her gaze and immediately spotted that familiar figure.

Before she could even get close, she saw a young woman leaning against Ning Xu’s side, seemingly taking measurements.

Ning Xu was smiling radiantly, saying something to the young woman, completely failing to notice the newcomers. Although they were taking measurements, the two were standing very close, even exuding a hint of intimacy.

Shi Su subconsciously looked at the person beside her, only to see Zhu Shengxi expressionless. She walked up and asked directly: “What is it?”

Only then did Ning Xu turn her face. A smile that hadn’t had time to fade was still hanging between her brows as she said, “This is Miss Shen. Her family’s clothes and jewelry are very good. Do you want to take a look?”

Zhu Shengxi lowered her eyes slightly. That “Miss Shen” she mentioned had her hand resting on Ning Xu’s waist, measuring inch by inch, while Ning Xu had a smile in her eyes, permitting this move that could be described as intimate.

Even though she knew these actions were unavoidable when taking measurements, while Zhu Shengxi’s face remained calm, a few strange emotions surfaced in her heart.

She said in a cool voice, “I am not buying clothes.”

Ning Xu stared intently at her, trying to find a different emotion, but her expression was placid—a picture of unruffled stillness.

Seeing this, a wave of disappointment washed over Ning Xu’s heart: Seeing her being intimate with someone else, did she have no reaction at all?

“If there is nothing else, I will leave first.” Leaving behind these words, Zhu Shengxi turned and left directly.

Shi Su’s gaze darted between the two of them, and then she followed Zhu Shengxi with some hesitation. To her surprise, as soon as they left the tailor shop, Zhu Shengxi’s pace became faster and faster.

Shi Su felt the low pressure surrounding them. She didn’t dare say much and followed silently for a few steps, when she suddenly heard a cold sentence:

“In the future, there is no need to tell me about matters concerning her.”

Although she didn’t know the reason, Shi Su clearly felt that the person in front of her was somewhat unhappy, so she hurriedly uttered an “Mm.”

Back at the inn, Ji Yanshu saw Zhu Shengxi return and was just about to go up and say hello, but this person didn’t even give her a single glance, heading upstairs with a cold face.

Ji Yanshu was stunned and used her eyes to silently question Shi Su behind her. Shi Su shook her head helplessly, indicating that she didn’t know either.

Unexpectedly, in less than fifteen minutes, Ning Xu also returned in a hurry. Ji Yanshu smiled and said, “Miss Ning, is your injury healed?”

Ning Xu’s pace didn’t stop for even a second; she bypassed her directly.

Ji Yanshu: ?

Ning Xu stopped at the door of the room, hesitating. Zhu Shengxi’s reaction was completely outside her expectations, making her unable to help but doubt:

Could it be that everything over the past few days was just her own delusion, and Zhu Shengxi didn’t care about her at all?

Thinking of this possibility, Ning Xu suddenly lost the courage to knock and walked slowly back to her own room.

“Chongying.”

the young girl’s figure appeared. Seeing her dejected look, she asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Thinking of her clumsy actions at the tailor shop, Ning Xu said irritably, “What kind of rotten ideas are you giving me? I did as you suggested today, and she didn’t care at all.”

Chongying pursed her lips: “I didn’t know either; I saw that in a storybook.”

“Besides, whether you used the method or not was ultimately up to you.”

Chongying mumbled, then suddenly met Ning Xu’s cold gaze. She immediately shut her mouth and vanished into the darkness once more.

Ning Xu lowered her eyes to look at the jade flute at her waist, gently stroking the joint, lost in thought.

That night.

Zhu Shengxi knit her brows tightly, circulating her spiritual power to force the black mist out of her spiritual consciousness. She repeated this several times, but with very little effect.

“She is just as intimate with others; she doesn’t take you seriously at all.” That voice spoke at this moment with a hint of a mocking laugh. Zhu Shengxi closed her eyes somewhat weakly, letting the inner demon sound out.

“She flirted just a little and you fell for it. No wonder you were utilized so thoroughly. Guess how much longer it will be before she leaves this time?”

These words poked at Zhu Shengxi’s sore spot. Her face darkened slightly, and she said coldly, “Shut up!”

The figure that was currently climbing through the window was startled. Her foot accidentally slipped, and she fell directly into the room.

“You refuse to take the door and insist on climbing through the window.” Zhu Shengxi looked toward the window, a trace of coldness remaining in her voice.

Ning Xu got up quickly and brushed off her sleeves. Knowing she had already been recognized, she walked slowly over to Zhu Shengxi and asked worriedly, “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Zhu Shengxi closed her eyes again, seemingly unwilling to pay her any more attention.

Ning Xu looked at her and asked tentatively, “When we were at the tailor shop today, were you angry?”

“Why would I be angry?”

Ning Xu saw her indifferent expression, and all sorts of emotions surged in her heart. From beginning to end, it seemed she was the only one overthinking and constantly suspecting.

An unprecedented feeling of being unreconciled erupted at this moment. Ning Xu took a step forward, tightly gripped her wrist, and said through gritted teeth:

“Open your eyes and look at me.”

Her wrist was gripped so hard it was painful. Zhu Shengxi ignored that sting and looked at her as requested.

As she wished, the person before her was looking at her fixedly, but Ning Xu felt it shouldn’t be like this. Zhu Shengxi’s gaze was too indifferent, without a ripple.

How could it be like this…

She continued to question: “I was being close with another woman. Do you… not care?”

The person in front of her was gnashing her teeth, unexpectedly obsessed with this question. Zhu Shengxi suddenly found it amusing and shook her head.

An unhesitating denial. Ning Xu’s eyes wavered slightly, and the strength in her hand immediately diminished by several degrees.

She had thought this was already the worst answer, but in the next moment, she heard the person before her say:

“I have taken the Heart-Severing Pill. I will never feel emotion for anyone again.”

Ning Xu’s pupils contracted. She looked at her in disbelief and asked in a trembling voice, “What did you say?”

Zhu Shengxi did not repeat herself. “You heard clearly.”

The Heart-Severing Pill… the Heart-Severing Pill that severs all affection and makes a person devoid of emotion and desire?

Ning Xu let go of her wrist, her thin lips trembling. “You are lying to me, aren’t you? You once said that you do not practice the Path of Emotionlessness, and that it was impossible for you to take the Heart-Severing Pill.”

Zhu Shengxi looked at her lips, which were pressed white, and her slightly reddened eyes, but she remained silent.

Ning Xu stared at her deathly hard, questioning with a trembling voice, “Why? Why did you take the Heart-Severing Pill? Is it to increase your cultivation? To think that severing affection allows one to attain the Great Dao—how could it be such an easy thing?”

“None of this has anything to do with you.”

The cold tone was like a knife to Ning Xu’s heart. Ning Xu retreated a few steps in a daze. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she looked at the person before her again and asked, “If you truly have severed all emotion, why did you kiss me that night?”

Zhu Shengxi knit her brows slightly. “At that time, my mind was in chaos. What can a kiss in the midst of chaos prove?”

Hearing her answer, Ning Xu’s heart went cold.

Zhu Shengxi had taken the Heart-Severing Pill and would not feel emotion for anyone, and that included herself.

Then what was the point of her running to Chaosheng City? Those tricks she had played over the last few days must have looked very ridiculous in Zhu Shengxi’s eyes.

The sharp pain in her heart and the surging despair made Ning Xu suddenly realize one thing:

Giving up her status as the Left Protector of the Demonic Cult, searching for news of this person countless times over five years, running to Chaosheng City, staying in the same inn—all of these actions were for the sake of being able to see Zhu Shengxi again.

To be precise, it was to make Zhu Shengxi fall in love with her again.

But now, she was telling her that she would never feel emotion for anyone again.

Ning Xu leaned weakly against the edge of the table, the coldness in her heart rushing toward her four limbs and bones like a tide.

After a long while, she gave Zhu Shengxi a deep look, turned her head, and departed.