After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 11

Shen Mu’s gaze remained fixed on the novel, and he fell into a heavy silence.

His ice-blue eyes shifted as he prepared to speak to Zhong Ming, only to see his young disciple frantically hide the book behind his back. However, the movement was not quick enough to prevent Shen Mu from seeing the title on the cover: My Little Junior Brother Has a Miraculous Constitution.

Shen Mu: “…” Zhong Ming: “…”

Aaaah! Senior Brother, your novels are going to be the death of me!!

Zhong Ming’s face turned bright red. Flustered, he opened his mouth to explain, but his Master spoke first.

“The Great Dao demands the casting away of emotions.”

Zhong Ming: “?”

“If you indulge in romantic love and wallow in idle pleasure, it will hinder your cultivation.”

Zhong Ming: “…I, this isn’t…”

He wanted to say the book wasn’t his, but he realized it would be equally inappropriate to reveal it came from his Senior Brother. He could only lower his head dejectedly and mutter, “I understand, Master.”

Shen Mu nodded slightly, moving past the incident. “Have you sensed any unusual auras?”

Hearing this question, Zhong Ming’s expression turned serious. “I have not. What does Master refer to?”

“Demonic qi.”

Zhong Ming’s pupils contracted.

Demonic qi? Could it be me? But I have never practiced demonic arts!

No! Don’t overthink it. Just like Senior Brother said, as long as I maintain a righteous heart and practice orthodox techniques, I won’t be associated with demonic cultivators.

“This disciple has not detected any demonic qi,” Zhong Ming replied earnestly.

“Mm. Is there anything else strange about this place?”

Shen Mu’s expression remained calm, appearing as though he hadn’t suspected his disciple at all. Zhong Ming’s heart lightened again, and he said clearly, “There is nothing unusual. However, this book seems a bit peculiar; merely touching the pages can cut one’s hand.”

Normally, cultivators who have undergone body tempering are rarely injured by ordinary sharp objects, let alone a sheet of paper.

Shen Mu beckoned through the air, drawing the Chronicles of the Great Void Wilderness toward him. The book, which had been razor-sharp moments ago, was now perfectly ordinary as he flipped through its pages.

A slight frown appeared between his brows, but he said nothing, simply returning the item to its place. With a wave of his hand, the messy room returned to its original state, and those face-reddening novels were neatly arranged back on the desk.

“Let us go.”

Shen Mu turned to leave. Zhong Ming instinctively followed.

“The wood-element technique Cong Xing prepared for you is too gentle; you are better suited for sharper moves.”

As he spoke, a manual glowing with brilliant golden light flew toward Zhong Ming.

It was the highest-tier wood-element offensive secret technique. The Celestial Records of Yi Wood!

Central Continent Border, Qingsang Manor.

Upon landing, the group surveyed the sprawling village. While not completely dilapidated, the passing villagers looked haggard with dark circles under their eyes. Several houses stood empty, their wooden doors creaking open and shut in the wind, painting a picture of desolation.

When they saw the cultivators from the Qingxuan Sword Sect arrive, the villagers were both shocked and overjoyed. Within moments, the village chief was summoned, and the people gathered around the disciples with reverent expressions.

“Thank you, Heavens! The immortals of the Qingxuan Sword Sect are still willing to come and save us!”

The elderly village chief prepared to kneel, but Lan Jue quickly supported him.

“There is no need for such ceremony, elder. We heard a Dream Baku is causing trouble here. Please tell us everything in detail.”

“Of course! Immortals, please follow me!”

The chief led the way, and within fifteen minutes, they arrived at the courtyard in the center of Qingsang Manor—the village chief’s residence.

After they were seated, Lan Jue politely declined the tea offered by the servants and got straight to the point. “Chief, when did the Dream Baku first appear?”

“Roughly six months ago,” the chief recalled, stroking his beard. “At that time, everyone started having nightmares. We didn’t think much of it at first. After all, everyone has nightmares, right?”

“But then things grew increasingly wrong…”

“Initially, more people began having nightmares, and they became more frequent. Then, the content of the dreams shifted from monsters and ghosts to our own personal experiences.”

“In the dreams, the things we fear most and our saddest memories always appear. Who could endure that? We realized something was wrong and sought help from the nearest sect. But when that cultivator arrived, he claimed within a day that he couldn’t defeat the Dream Baku and ran away!”

At this point, the village chief sighed heavily.

“Only then did we know it was a Dream Baku. But who knew that our attempt to seek help would enrage it? From then on, as soon as we fall asleep, we are trapped in a cycle of our most terrifying memories. Some have even been driven mad! Many villagers are too scared to sleep and wander around in a daze… sigh, many have already fled to other lands.”

Gu Cong Xing had been listening quietly, but now he suddenly spoke: “If they flee to other lands, do the nightmares stop?”

The village chief, who had been looking drowsy with half-closed eyelids, was startled by the question. His eyes snapped wide.

“That’s right! Why do they stop having nightmares when they leave? Could it be… Qingsang Manor is cursed?!”

He trembled as he spoke. He tried to take a sip of water to calm his nerves but fumbled, spilling tea all over himself.

“Do not panic, Chief. It is likely the Dream Baku simply chose this location to stay and feed on soul power. Since we are here, we will not allow it to commit further evil.”

Lan Jue’s voice was gentle, yet it carried an inexplicable strength that commanded belief.

The village chief steadied himself against the table, bowed in thanks, and shared a few more details about the village. Seeing that the disciples had a plan, he shuffled away.

Observing that the disciples were silent and pensive, Lan Jue asked, “Junior brothers and sisters, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

A clean-cut youth with a round face was the first to speak. “Senior Brother Lan, I have a question.”

Lan Jue recognized him as Ruan Wei, a young but highly skilled disciple under Elder He of Questing Peak.

“Junior Brother Ruan, speak freely.”

“To my knowledge, while a Dream Baku is a demon, it prefers to eat nightmares. In other words, those targeted by it shouldn’t have nightmares; instead, they should have a night of dreamless sleep. Why is the Baku here acting against its nature?”

“I have a theory regarding that.”

Tao Xueting, a disciple under the Master of Danqing Peak, took up the conversation. She was well-read in ancient texts regarding demons and strange beasts. “I have heard that if the demon race is subjected to powerful external stimulation, they may change their nature and turn to malice.”

Lan Jue nodded in approval. “Correct. I suspect the same. Though we don’t know what stimulated this Baku, our only option now is to eliminate it.”

Stimulation… Gu Cong Xing thought to himself, suddenly reminded of his system mission prompt.

—Protect your fellow disciples and avoid the “death ending.”

Thinking of this, he spoke abruptly: “The ‘stimulation’ could be something it suffered previously, or something it encountered after arriving at Qingsang Manor. If there is something wrong with this place, we might fall into a trap if we are unprepared.”

At these words, the faces of several younger disciples turned pale.

“No… that can’t be, right? Isn’t this an Earth-rank mission?” a frail disciple asked cautiously. “Right, Senior Brother Lan?”

But Lan Jue did not immediately agree as the disciple hoped.

“What Second Junior Brother says makes sense.”

In fact, he had been thinking the same thing before Gu Cong Xing spoke up.

“To prevent accidents, no one is to act alone while searching for the Baku. We will split our twelve people into two teams. Cong Xing and I will each lead five disciples.”

“Everyone, take some time to rest. At midnight tonight, we will split up to track the Dream Baku.”

As he spoke, Lan Jue sent several strands of spiritual energy into the disciples’ communication jade slips.

“If there is a crisis, simply touch the jade slip with your spiritual energy, and I will rush to your side.”

This meant that even if they weren’t in his team, the First Senior Brother would do his utmost to protect them.

Gu Cong Xing thought to himself that his Senior Brother was going to great lengths to ensure the disciples wouldn’t feel resentful about being assigned to his own team.

After a final decision, the teams were chosen by drawing lots. Those on Gu Cong Xing’s team happened to be Ruan Wei, Tao Xueting, a pair of brothers from Lingxu Peak, and a healer from Muze Peak named Mei Ci.

Mei Ci was young, but he clearly held a deep prejudice against Gu Cong Xing. The moment he drew his lot, his face darkened, and he let out a cold snort. His features were bright and striking, but because of a lingering gloom between his brows, he looked difficult to get along with.

Gu Cong Xing expected nothing less. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t heard of his own foul reputation within the sect words like “ferocious,” “arrogant,” “willful,” and “cold-hearted” were things he had long grown used to.

After all, the words and attitudes of others were truly irrelevant to him. He only cared about those worth caring about.

Surprisingly, the other four disciples accepted being on his team quite easily. Ruan Wei even took the initiative to greet him, and the tall, elegant Tao Xueting gave a slight nod.

Though a bit surprised, Gu Cong Xing didn’t overthink it. After responding, he immersed himself in the upcoming mission.

Gu Cong Xing and Lan Jue did not rest during the evening. Instead, they coincidentally met while exploring the interior of Qingsang Manor.

“Looking at your expression, Senior Brother, it seems the village chief isn’t the problem?”

“Oh? What makes you say that, Junior Brother?”

“When you helped him up, you seemed to probe his internal state. I don’t think I misjudged that.”

Hearing this, Lan Jue winked at him and gave an appreciative smile. “You have a sharp eye, Junior Brother. I thought no one noticed.”

Seeing that Gu Cong Xing didn’t take the bait to chat further, Lan Jue continued: “There are no spiritual energy fluctuations in the chief’s body; he is indeed a mortal. However, he seems to be hiding something.”

“Agreed.”

The two wandered and talked, and before they knew it, they had returned to the center of the village. Although Qingsang Manor covered a large area, it was sparsely populated. With people fleeing their homes, much of the land had been abandoned.

This exploration served as a way to familiarize themselves with the terrain, though no useful leads were found.

After parting ways with Gu Cong Xing, Lan Jue intended to return to his quarters. However, he inadvertently looked up and saw a mass of iron swords spanning the horizon.

He stopped in horror. When he focused his vision again, he saw there were no copper or iron blades at all it was actually a withered, massive mulberry tree.

The mulberry tree was at least a hundred years old with an incredibly thick trunk that would take four or five adults to encircle. It stood silently in the courtyard, a silent witness to the panicked lives of the villagers.

“That is the ancient relic of our manor.”

The village chief slowly paced out of the main house and said to Lan Jue, “When I was a child, it was lush and green! Who knew that decades later, I would be withered with age, and it would become nothing but dry branches and dead leaves.”

Lan Jue turned to speak with him, his voice light: “If one does their best to uncover the whole truth, it is not impossible to make a ‘dry tree bloom’ again.”

The chief’s clouded eyes flickered as he looked at the mulberry tree, falling into a temporary silence.

“Heh, I am but a mortal. How can I defy the seasons of nature?”

His voice was old and slow. “Immortal, I have no great abilities. In these old bones of mine, I only hope to protect the villagers and preserve Qingsang Manor.”

“That would be enough.”

Lan Jue did not reply. His amber eyes observed the chief’s expression, letting the silence flow between them. After a long time, the chief stroked his beard and trembled his way back inside.

At midnight, all was silent.

The Qingxuan Sword Sect disciples gathered. After Lan Jue gave his final instructions, he led five disciples toward the eastern side. Gu Cong Xing’s team headed west.

They decided to start searching for the Baku from the outskirts of the manor, gradually narrowing the circle until they caught its demonic scent and captured it on the spot.

And then, they would kill it.

Before setting out, Gu Cong Xing flicked his hand, and five silver glints flew into the disciples’ hands.

Ruan Wei caught one and cried out in surprise, “A High-grade Spirit-Gathering Pill!”

These pills could not only rapidly replenish spiritual energy but also maintain physical stamina. they were expensive treasures.

“This… thank you, Senior Brother Gu,” Tao Xueting said, startled.

The pair from Lingxu Peak also hurried to give their thanks, but they noticed Mei Ci standing nearby with a furrowed brow, saying nothing.

“Hmph. You think a single Spirit-Gathering Pill can buy me?” Mei Ci spat out.

“Shut up. If you don’t want it, give it back.”

Gu Cong Xing didn’t coddle him at all, his tone cold and indifferent.

If it weren’t for the lack of time and rare materials, I would have given one to all ten of them—not because I cherish these disciples, but simply to complete the mission, Gu Cong Xing thought.

But this Mei Ci was taking the benefit and still throwing a tantrum? Who did he think he was?

Mei Ci’s face turned bright red at Gu Cong Xing’s stinging words. He had been spoiled within the sect since childhood and had never been treated this way. Just as he was about to explode, Ruan Wei leaned over to cover his mouth, whispering, “Junior Brother, Peak Master Mei has been traveling for a long time. Do you really want to pick a fight to the death with Senior Brother Gu?”

Peak Master Mei was the Muzhe Venerable Mei Ci’s father.

Mei Ci glanced at Ruan Wei in surprise, then deflated like a punctured ball, falling silent.

Gu Cong Xing glanced at him sideways and told the group, “Don’t waste any more time. We start the hunt now…”

“Senior Brother Gu, look over there!”

Tao Xueting cried out in alarm. Everyone looked where she pointed and saw a gray shadow flash by.

“Follow it!!”

Gu Cong Xing made an immediate decision. The group followed quickly, launching several magical artifacts at the gray shadow.

As they got closer, they could see the shadow’s true form—trunk of an elephant, body of a lion, tail of a kirin. Who else could it be but the Dream Baku?!

Gu Cong Xing swung his sword. A golden sword light struck the Baku as it sped away like a flying shadow. It let out a cry like a wailing infant and tried even harder to flee.

Seeing this, the two from Lingxu Peak quickly chanted a mantra, their hands forming seals as spiritual light surged. They invoked the Law:

“Slow-Walking Curse!”

The Baku, hit by the spell, visibly slowed down. Seeing the opening, Tao Xueting reacted instantly, throwing out a Binding Talisman! At the same time, Ruan Wei unleashed an Earthen Sword technique, blocking its path!

“Awoooo!”

The Baku let out a painful howl and collapsed powerless to the ground. Wrapped in spiritual energy ropes, it was already heavily wounded.

“Excellent!”

Ruan Wei clapped his hands in joy. “We caught the Dream Baku so quickly. That was effortless!”

Tao Xueting also revealed a faint smile.

“Whew, it wasn’t that hard to deal with. I was nervous for nothing.”

“It was only an Earth-rank mission after all. Besides, our cooperation was so seamless that a tiny Dream Baku was naturally easy to catch.”

The two disciples from Lingxu Peak chatted, clearly relieved.

Gu Cong Xing was also moved by their words, an unconscious smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. But in the next instant, he felt an intense gaze. He turned back, only to see Mei Ci quickly turning away.

Mei Ci seemed a bit uncomfortable—perhaps because he hadn’t been able to strike like the others.

Thinking this, Gu Cong Xing watched as Mei Ci stepped toward the Dream Baku, snorting, “Then I shall be the one to finish it off.”

No one objected. After all, Mei Ci was the only one who hadn’t made a move. If they didn’t let him take some credit now, it would be difficult to distribute the mission rewards later.

Gu Cong Xing watched his back in silence when a sudden flash of green entered his vision.

…Tree leaves?

He looked up and realized that in their pursuit of the Baku, they had unknowingly returned to the center of the village. Not far away was that massive mulberry tree.

Wait… was this tree always this lush and green?

Gu Cong Xing’s heart suddenly hammered against his ribs.

Seeing Mei Ci about to reach the Baku, Gu Cong Xing took a step forward. Right then, his disciple jade slip grew searingly hot.

He pulled out the jade slip, and Lan Jue’s piercing scream exploded in everyone’s ears:

“Cong Xing! Don’t go near the mulberry tree!!!”

“RUN!!”