After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 19

“That old man dared to deceive us so; has he already fled?” Mei Ci asked.

“He hasn’t. I previously instructed Gao Mu and the others to return to the sect for reinforcements and to set up a barrier around Qingsang Manor before they left. They are but mortals; they cannot break through the barrier and escape.”

As Lan Jue spoke, he led the group to the center of the village. The hundred-year-old mulberry tree, which had been lush and green within the illusion, was now dilapidated and withered, permeated with a heavy aura of death.

Tao Xueting said, “That being the case, why haven’t we seen anyone from the sect?”

Lan Jue looked up at the mulberry tree, his gaze then sweeping around the area. “Because at this moment, we are no longer within the borders of the Central Continent.”

“What?!”

As the others asked in shock, Xiao Wangyou frowned. “What Central Continent? Wasn’t this village previously on the border of the Eastern Continent?”

The Qingxuan Sword Sect disciples: “…?”

Seeing everyone’s confusion, Lan Jue spoke slowly: “If my guess is correct, the Dream Demon must have set a formation around Qingsang Manor that allowed it to shift its location every time it consumed external cultivators. Otherwise, with cultivators missing, their sects certainly wouldn’t have left it alone and allowed the Dream Demon to indulge for so long.”

The group realized the truth. Looking around, they indeed discovered winding mountains in the distance, rather than the vast plains from before.

“Then where are we?” Ruan Wei asked Lan Jue.

Lan Jue lowered his brows in thought, appearing uncertain. However, Gu Cong Xing spoke up at that moment: “This should be the border of the Luoxi Continent.”

The soil here was reddish-brown, and towering black mountains could be seen in the distance likely the Muyin Mountains on the Luoxi border. Beyond those mountains lay the Western Wilderness of the demon race. In his past life, Gu Cong Xing had come here while hunting a fugitive to obtain heart’s blood.

“What this immortal says is absolutely correct.”

An elderly voice came from behind. Gu Cong Xing and the others turned immediately to see the village chief standing behind them, leaning on a cane. Gu Cong Xing frowned; he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the chief seemed to have aged even more since they last saw him.

“You old thing! You still dare to show your face!” Mei Ci barked angrily.

“Heh, since the immortals were looking for me, could I have possibly escaped?” The chief’s clouded eyes swept over the cultivators, widening in surprise when he saw Xiao Wangyou. “This immortal also made it out?”

“What, are you disappointed I’m not dead?” Xiao Wangyou let out a cold laugh through gritted teeth.

“No, no… I am very happy. Truly.” The chief took a step forward with his cane. “Since you have all returned safely, it means that demon is dead. I am truly, truly happy!”

The group had expected him to be terrified and beg for mercy; seeing him like this made them somewhat confused.

Lan Jue’s expression remained unchanged as he studied the chief. “The village chief used us to protect the village; naturally, you are happy. You calculated quite well. If we successfully eliminated the Dream Demon, Qingsang Manor could escape its shadow; if we were killed like the previous cultivators and became nourishment for the illusion, it would also buy you some time… At least if the mulberry tree ate cultivators, it wouldn’t suck the life from the villagers for a while, right?”

Hearing Lan Jue’s words, the chief coughed and remained silent, stroking his beard. This was a tacit admission.

“Hell! You old man are too wickedly devious!” Deng Zhao cursed.

Huo Chen also raised his blade and said to Lan Jue, “First Senior Brother, let me kill him! He tricked us first; killing him wouldn’t be a violation of sect rules!”

But Lan Jue slowly shook his head. “This fellow has only one breath left. He will be dead in moments.”

At Lan Jue’s words, everyone looked at the chief in surprise. Indeed, he hadn’t been using a cane before, but now he was trembling so much that even standing seemed to take all his strength.

“…Why didn’t you flee?” asked Tao Xueting, who had been silent. “Since you knew there was something wrong with the mulberry tree, why didn’t you just flee to another land?”

The previously calm village chief suddenly became emotional. He was about to speak but broke into a fit of violent coughing. “Cough, cough… if we could have fled, we would have long ago! Generation after generation of Qingsang Manor relied on that hundred-year-old mulberry tree; it was once a great manor where everyone lived in peace! A hundred years ago, when people stopped having nightmares, our ancestors thought we were blessed by the gods; how could they have known it was a demon at work! The moment someone discovered something was wrong and tried to flee, they would be swallowed by the mulberry tree the next day! The cultivators we first invited were also swallowed by that tree! If there were another way, how could we have tricked others!”

Having finished, he coughed violently again and leaned against the mulberry tree with his cane. Seeing his dying state, the group stopped speaking.

To their surprise, the old man suddenly turned around—as if experiencing a final burst of vitality and raised his cane, thrusting it into his own body as if it were a spear! The sharp end of the cane pinned him to the mulberry tree; from a distance, it looked as though he were of the same root as the tree, dying at the same time.

Before his breath left him, he let out a burst of laughter a laugh of unprecedented ease and freedom.

“Hahahahaha! From now on, the people of Qingsang Manor shall never dream again!!”

Everyone was shaken and awed by his final act, standing dazed where they were. The cries of villagers came from behind, followed by continuous wailing and mourning. Yet, amidst the sounds of crying, the gloom that had shrouded Qingsang Manor dispersed. Sunlight poured down, bringing a bright spring light not seen for a long time.

The withered wood dies; all things are born.

After leaving Qingsang Manor, the group stayed overnight in a town in the Luoxi Continent and prepared to return to the sect the next morning. Xiao Wangyou bid them farewell; before leaving, his gaze swept over Lan Jue and Gu Cong Xing with an incredibly complex expression. But ultimately, he let out a heavy sigh and thanked them.

After he left, Lan Jue summoned a spirit boat and said to the others with a smile, “The journey back to the sect is long; junior brothers and sisters may ride in this.”

“Wow! Fantastic!” Ruan Wei was the first to cry out and enter. “Thank you, Senior Brother Lan!”

The others also looked delighted, thanking Lan Jue before entering the spirit boat one after another. Gu Cong Xing was about to step forward when he felt a furry tail brush against the back of his hand. He looked down to see the fully recovered Chi standing beside him, glowing with silver light. Its head rubbed against the hem of his robes.

…How cute. Gu Cong Xing thought, kneeling down to rub Chi’s head. “What is it?”

Chi squinted and let out a few howls. Though it wasn’t human speech, Gu Cong Xing understood its meaning.

“I see… you’re leaving.”

“Awoooo”

It moved closer to Gu Cong Xing again, its pointed ears brushing against his hand and its tail wrapping around his arm. Gu Cong Xing let out a light laugh and hugged it tightly, burying his face in its furry neck. “Go and protect him well. We will meet again if fate allows.”

The person and beast shared a long moment of affection until Lan Jue softly reminded him, and Gu Cong Xing finally let go. “Goodbye, Tiaotiao.”

After separating from Gu Cong Xing, Chi returned to its massive original form. It let out a long howl to the sky and galloped away across the rooftops.

“We should go, Cong Xing.”

“…Mm.”

Gu Cong Xing withdrew his gaze and stepped into the spirit boat with Lan Jue. The spirit boat rose into the air, creating a light mist before slowly sailing into the sky. Gu Cong Xing stood on the deck, watching the clouds surge like islands in the sky, his thoughts drifting.

“Why isn’t Cong Xing resting?”

The faint scent of winter plum blossoms accompanied the question. Gu Cong Xing turned back to see that tall silhouette. “Aren’t you doing the same, First Senior Brother?”

“Mm, then it seems we are of one mind.” As Lan Jue spoke, he moved closer to Gu Cong Xing’s side. They stood side-by-side, their hair tangling in the wind.

For some reason, Gu Cong Xing suddenly recalled every detail of the illusion. What should have been pure friendship between fellow disciples had been twisted; Zhiluo had even arranged for them to be childhood friends. Thinking about it was quite comical. It should have been something to laugh about and move on from, but Gu Cong Xing suddenly remembered Lan Jue whispering in his ear at dawn and touching him in the cold dew. And by the lake…

He felt a warm, moist sensation on his lips again. His mind went blank, and heat surged through his body.

“What is Cong Xing thinking about? Why is your face so red?” As he spoke, his slender hand reached out.

“…No! Nothing!” Gu Cong Xing took a sharp step back, not letting him touch his cheek. Lan Jue looked at his movement with some surprise before withdrawing his hand.

“Cong Xing shows signs of a breakthrough in cultivation; if needed, you can ask me to protect you.”

“Mm. I know.” Gu Cong Xing responded somewhat stiffly. Come to think of it, didn’t Lan Jue used to call me ‘Second Junior Brother’?

After saying this, Lan Jue didn’t speak further. Just as Gu Cong Xing thought he was going to return inside, Lan Jue unstrapped his long sword and held it before him. The ice-blue scabbard shimmered in the sunlight against the backdrop of the endless sea of clouds.

“Come to think of it, when Master gave me this sword years ago, he said I was filled with the aura of the mortal world unlike a cultivator who has cast away desires.” He looked somewhat troubled; Gu Cong Xing found it a novel expression and followed up, asking: “So he gave you this sword? Everyone calls it the ‘Gentleman’s Sword’; it’s quite famous.”

“That is merely something others have imposed. My Way of the Sword has nothing to do with the Way of the Gentleman.”

Gu Cong Xing raised an eyebrow. “I thought its name was the ‘Gentleman’s Sword’.”

“How could it be? That would be far too boring,” Lan Jue laughed.

“Then what is its name?”

“Wangqing (Unfeeling).” Lan Jue’s lashes lowered as he smiled. They weren’t curled but were very thick, casting a shadow over his eyes. Those amber eyes were like deep pools of water, holding an inexplicably tender meaning. “It is taken from the concept of Taishang Wangqing the Supreme State of Unfeeling.”

Gu Cong Xing met his gaze, and his heart skipped a beat. “…I see.” He quickly withdrew his gaze and looked at the clouds before him.

Taishang Wangqing… Come to think of it, his elder brother had once taught him about casting away desires and not being moved by emotion. Gu Mingting had indeed taught him many such lessons. Gu Cong Xing recalled how the Dream Demon had used his childhood memories of Gu Mingting and grafted them onto Lan Jue in the illusion. The Dream Demon’s move wasn’t entirely without basis; Lan Jue and Gu Mingting were similar in age and were both elegant gentlemen with prestigious reputations.

As Gu Cong Xing thought, his gaze unconsciously settled on Lan Jue. In fact, before Gu Mingting was designated as the next head of the family, he had been just like Lan Jue—gentle and especially kind to him. Unfortunately…

Gu Cong Xing was completely lost in his own thoughts. Though his gaze was on Lan Jue’s face, he was clearly thinking of someone else. He didn’t notice Lan Jue’s smile fade or the dark light surging in his amber eyes.

Lan Jue suddenly grabbed Gu Cong Xing’s hand and pulled him close. Gu Cong Xing snapped back to his senses, looking up only to meet Lan Jue’s face, which held a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Junior Brother, who are you looking at through me?”