After Saving the Immortal Sect, I Became a Heartthrob - Chapter 2

Gu Congxing raced along the mountain path of Danqing Peak. Two outer disciples approaching from the opposite direction paused momentarily before hurriedly bowing to him with nervous expressions.

“Senior Brother Gu.”

Gu Congxing did not stop. He merely gave a slight nod and passed them by with an expressionless face. Once he was out of sight, both disciples breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Senior Brother Gu is so young, yet he always carries such an air of ‘keep away.’ I really don’t like running into him.”

“Yeah. He looks like a little immortal lord, but his personality is ice-cold. Aside from practicing his sword, he never seems to do anything else.”

“Ah, you arrived late to the sect. You have no idea how fierce he was during the last sect competition…”

These two disciples had no clue that the sword-obsessed Gu Congxing they were discussing was currently preoccupied with thoughts of his junior brother, Zhong Ming.

He was such an obedient, introverted child, still so youthful—how did he become the Demon Venerable in my past life?

In his previous life, by the time Gu Congxing returned to the sect, the tragedy had already unfolded: his Master had fallen, his junior brother had succumbed to the demonic path, and his senior brother was in a comatose state. Later came the news that his junior brother had risen as the Demon Venerable.

According to his memory, his junior brother had been with the sect for a year now and was not yet fifteen. When Zhong Ming first joined, Gu Congxing had accompanied his Master and Senior Brother to welcome him. His first impression of the boy was his unique appearance curly dark hair, thick lashes, and striking, pale dark-gold eyes.

Back then, Zhong Ming had shrunk timidly behind their Master, clutching his robes like a stray little beast that had wandered into an immortal sect by mistake.

“Zhong Ming, this is your Second Senior Brother, Gu Congxing.”

Following their Master’s words, Zhong Ming looked up, and their eyes met. Gu Congxing remembered trying to force a smile, imitating his Senior Brother’s gentle manner. After all, his junior brother was so timid; it wouldn’t do to scare him.

Unfortunately, perhaps because the forced smile was too stiff and awkward, the boy didn’t nod shyly as he had for the eldest brother. Instead, his eyes widened in a daze. It wasn’t until the eldest brother cleared his throat that Zhong Ming seemed to snap out of it, respectfully calling out, “Second Senior Brother.”

Gu Congxing: “…No need for such formalities, Junior Brother.”

After that, Gu Congxing consciously avoided disturbing the newcomer, continuing his routine of sword practice and traveling. He wasn’t blind to the fact that Zhong Ming became increasingly silent over the years, but he had assumed the boy was simply shy. He never imagined that his brother was suffering atrocities within the sect!

【Host, we have arrived.】

Gu Congxing halted. He closed his eyes and focused his senses, searching for a trace of Zhong Ming within the sea of bamboo. Why is there no one here?

“Yo, idiot, why did you stop hitting back?”

“I thought you were a tough nut to crack, but it turns out you can’t take a punch at all.”

“Tsk, looking at you makes me sick!”

Hearing the insults nearby, Gu Congxing immediately dashed toward the source. However, all he could see was lush greenery; there was no sign of anyone.

“Could it be…” Gu Congxing’s eyes turned cold. He unsheathed his Whale-Slayer Sword and swung it with full force!

The golden sword intent exploded upon contact with the air, tearing through the peaceful illusion and revealing several figures mid-assault.

“Dammit! Which bastard broke my Stealth Talisman Array?!”

An inner disciple dressed in formal sect robes spun around. His fierce, contorted expression collapsed into pure panic the moment he saw who had arrived. He let out a piercing shriek:

“Gu… Senior Brother Gu!!? Why… why are you here??!”

His voice cracked, causing the two outer disciples to spin around as well. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they stepped back, revealing the disciple they had been kicking and punching.

The dark figure huddled on the ground trembled violently at the sound of his name. He lifted his head. Beneath his messy hair, his forehead was bloodied. He blinked his dark-gold eyes slowly.

“Second Senior Brother…?”

“Junior Brother!!”

With just that one look, Gu Congxing felt his hair stand on end with rage. How dare they—!!

A sudden burst of gold-element spiritual energy, carrying the weight of a thousand pounds, slammed into the three attackers!

“He-help!”

The three turned ashen-faced. They fumbled for their natal artifacts to block the blow, but they were still struck. Their internal organs suffered heavy trauma, and they vomited large amounts of blood.

Gu Congxing, his face grim as a stagnant lake, approached the inner disciple crawling on the ground with his longsword in hand. The foul insults from moments ago had come from this man.

Sensing the staggering killing intent, the inner disciple, Chen Wang, choked out through his blood: “Senior Brother Gu, I beg you… please don’t kill me—”

Gu Congxing raised the Whale-Slayer Sword, his eyes dark, and spoke each word slowly:

“According to sect law, private duels without cause are strictly forbidden, as is wounding or killing fellow disciples. For minor offenses, thirty strokes of the discipline whip and three months’ forfeiture of spirit stones and pills. For serious offenses, eighty strokes and a month at Reflection Cliff. Those who kill fellow disciples will have their spiritual meridians destroyed on the spot and be expelled from the sect.”

A smile curled on Gu Congxing’s lips, but it only made Chen Wang more terrified.

“Oh, right. Disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage can’t survive eighty strokes of the discipline whip. They die. Therefore, those people usually ‘voluntarily’ leave the sect.”

None of the three present had reached Foundation Establishment. Chen Wang, the strongest, was only at the peak of Qi Refinement.

“Since your fate is either to be whipped to death or expelled to become a nameless rogue cultivator, it shouldn’t be too much for me to take one of your hands or feet right now, should it?”

The air grew even colder. One outer disciple was shaking so hard he was on the verge of losing control of his bladder. The other two were trembling, their pleas for mercy dissolving into meaningless whimpers in their throats.

Zhong Ming had sat up by now. He stared blankly at the back of his Second Senior Brother, clutching a pill in his hand.

The same gold-element energy that had ruthlessly attacked the trio had just gently delivered a healing pill to him. His dark-gold eyes, reflecting Gu Congxing’s silhouette, began to flicker with light.

Gu Congxing, unaware of the change in his junior brother behind him, gave a cold snort and raised his sword. Chen Wang turned deathly pale and shrieked in terror.

“No—”

“Stop!!”

A majestic roar echoed, followed by a fireball talisman suddenly streaking toward Gu Congxing! Gu Congxing turned his head, the raging flames reflected in his pupils.

“Second Senior Brother—!!”

Zhong Ming watched the fireball ambush Gu Congxing. Just as he was about to rush forward, his brother moved like a phantom, flipping backward to dodge the massive orb of fire. In the next instant, Gu Congxing flicked his sword, catching the passing talisman and physically redirecting it straight into Chen Wang’s left arm!

“Aah—!”

Chen Wang screamed again, unable to stop the fireball. He took the full brunt of the flame, and his left arm instantly ignited.

“Wang’er!” Elder Chen, who had thrown the talisman, cried out in pain. He immediately used a water-ball talisman to extinguish the fire on Chen Wang.

Gu Congxing observed closely and noted that the fire had only charred some surface flesh; he couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. A moment later, his gaze locked onto Elder Chen, who stood blocking his path.

“Gu Congxing! How dare you be so arrogant and overbearing, attempting to take the life of a fellow disciple within the sect!”

Elder Chen was trembling with rage, his gaze murderous. “Do you really think your Zhuoguang Peak can bully my Danqing Peak just because our people are few!?”

Facing this inversion of the truth, Gu Congxing didn’t get angry. Instead, his lips twitched upward. Before he died in his previous life, he had been cursed to high heaven by nearly a hundred cultivators. He hadn’t even been reborn for a full day, and he was already receiving another lecture.

It really was like history repeating itself.

Seeing Gu Congxing’s eerie smile, Elder Chen felt a sudden chill and involuntarily fell silent.

“Elder Chen, I remember you. May I ask the Senior: what is the punishment for harming a fellow disciple without cause?” Gu Congxing asked leisurely.

“Naturally, it is the discipline whip and forfeiture of monthly stipends. Serious offenders go to Reflection Cliff or are even expelled,” Elder Chen replied, cold and calculating as he watched Gu Congxing. “What? Are you asking so you can turn yourself in?”

“Second Senior Brother is asking on behalf of those three.”

Zhong Ming, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up at the perfect moment. Though he was still bleeding, he straightened his back and walked to Gu Congxing’s side, even stepping slightly ahead in a protective stance.

“Chen Wang previously used the excuse of teaching me talismans to lure me to Danqing Peak. He then sent Wang Sheng and Zhang Li to ambush me, trapping me here.”

“Though I fought with all my might, I could not win a three-on-one fight. I was subjected to their malicious insults and wounded to this state.”

Zhong Ming said word for word, “If Senior Brother hadn’t arrived in time to save me, I fear my injuries would have been incurable. Perhaps after Master finishes his seclusion, he would have only heard news of my death.”

Gu Congxing’s body stiffened at the final sentence. He knew his junior brother was deliberately exaggerating to provoke the others, but the thought that he had actually heard of Zhong Ming’s death in the previous life made his heart ache with bitterness.

However, no one noticed Gu Congxing’s slip. Elder Chen’s face was already livid.

“Nonsense! You dare to make up lies and slander your senior brother!”

Gu Congxing snapped back to reality. When he looked at Elder Chen, his face was expressionless, the fake smile gone.

“These are the fragments of the Stealth Array talismans I broke while searching for my brother.” Gu Congxing held up several torn slips, his voice as cold as ice. “They still contain the residual spiritual energy of the caster. Let’s go to the Hall of Discipline and see what the truth is.”

Chen Wang, Wang Sheng, and Zhang Li immediately wilted like ducks being strangled by the neck. Elder Chen’s eyelid twitched violently.

Zhong Ming added the final blow: “I also have the communication paper Chen Wang used to lure me here.”

Elder Chen couldn’t squeeze out a single word; his face turned the color of pig liver. Chen Wang stared at Zhong Ming in shock, cursing in his heart: Dammit! This brat from the mortal countryside… no wonder he caught the Sword Venerable’s eye. He’s a deep, calculating bastard!

Sensing Chen Wang’s gaze, Gu Congxing gave him a cold glance. Chen Wang, consumed by soul-shaking fear, scrambled to hide behind Elder Chen.

“Well then, Elder Chen, since the truth is clear and the matter is settled for now, this disciple shall take his leave.”

Still expressionless, Gu Congxing supported Zhong Ming by the waist, placed the boy’s arm over his shoulder, and summoned a sect spirit crane. “After all, my brother’s injuries cannot wait.”

Sensing his junior brother’s body stiffen slightly, Gu Congxing swept a cold gaze over the group before leaping onto the crane’s back. As the crane took flight, his clear voice echoed in their ears like a curse.

“I will report today’s events to the Hall of Discipline without missing a single detail. Everyone, be grateful that the Qingxuan Sword Sect is strict and punishes evil. Otherwise…”

“What awaits you would be much more than just the discipline whip and Reflection Cliff.”

Gu Congxing sat upright on the spirit crane. Beside him, Zhong Ming also sat straight, though his eyes would occasionally steal a glance over. If Gu Congxing began to turn his head, the boy would immediately look away.

“…Junior Brother, how are your injuries?”

“Thanks to Senior Brother’s pill, I feel much better now!”

Zhong Ming’s face was slightly flushed. He kept his eyes fixed on the crane’s neck, lacking all the confidence he had shown when confronting Elder Chen. Gu Congxing studied his expression and, seeing the boy’s face growing redder, leaned in closer with a frown.

“Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?” As he spoke, he reached out to touch Zhong Ming’s cheek.

“No! Not at all!” Zhong Ming met Gu Congxing’s eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head repeatedly in denial. Yet his face turned as red as a ripe apple, and even his ears were stained crimson.

Gu Congxing swore he could see steam rising from the boy’s head. He became even more convinced that the injuries were serious and immediately used his spiritual energy to make the crane fly faster.

The clouds dispersed, and the scenery of Mount Tianyu under the dawn light unfolded like an endless scroll. Atop Mount Tianyu sat the number one sect in the cultivation world the Qingxuan Sword Sect. The main peak sat in the center, surrounded by five Great Peaks, shrouded in spiritual mist like a fairyland.

“Senior Brother, are we going back to Zhuoguang Peak?” Zhong Ming looked toward the northern peak.

“No, I’m taking you to Muzhe Peak first to treat your wounds.”

The spirit crane sped toward the southern peak where the medical cultivators resided. Silence flowed between them. Feeling the warmth of his junior brother beside him, Gu Congxing suddenly realized that in his past life, they had never been this close. Their relationship had always been lukewarm.

In truth, after their first meeting in the past life, Zhong Ming had sought him out a few times—sometimes for help with cultivation mantras, sometimes for tips on basic sword forms. However, that didn’t make them close. Within two months, the boy rarely came to see him anymore.

Gu Congxing thought that perhaps Zhong Ming had noticed how busy he was every day and felt he was an inadequate teacher, so the boy looked elsewhere. After all, back then, Gu Congxing was entirely focused on one thing: investigating the truth behind the massacre of the Kong Clan based on a Phoenix Feather he had found.

When Gu Congxing was fourteen, the Kong Clan one of the four great cultivation families—was wiped out. Over a hundred people were killed, leaving Biwu Island a purgatory of corpses. The massacre shocked the world; sects and families were on high alert, but multiple investigations yielded nothing. Ultimately, it was concluded that the case was related to a forbidden demonic art.

Gu Congxing had believed this too until he discovered several Kong Clan treasures, Phoenix Feathers, hidden deep within his own clan’s secret realm! He had overheard the elders talking; every word suggested that the Gu Clan was inextricably linked to the massacre.

He was horrified. The clansmen who had taught him to be upright and eliminate evil now seemed unrecognizable. Even the Gu Clan’s status as a righteous pillar in his heart began to crumble. He had investigated secretly and even questioned his elder brother. His brother, usually strict but fair, flew into a rage and accused Gu Congxing of talking nonsense. Afterward, he was locked in the Punishment Tower for a month.

It was during that time that the Sword Venerable, Shen Mu, led the Qingxuan disciples to the Gu Clan for a dao exchange. Gu Congxing had excelled in the duels, his Flowing Cloud Swordplay dazzling everyone. Before leaving, Shen Mu specifically asked if Gu Congxing was willing to become his disciple. Gu Congxing agreed without hesitation.

However, after that, he made the biggest mistake of his life: he refined a Phoenix Feather into a charm and gave it to his Master as a discipleship gift.

At the time, he arrogantly thought it looked like a high-level magic treasure. Unless someone had touched an original Phoenix Feather, they wouldn’t find anything wrong. If his Master showed a strange reaction or questioned its origin too deeply, then his Master might be involved in the massacre, and he would seek another path.

Fortunately, his Master had accepted it with a smile and showed no suspicion. He even liked it so much he used it as a sword tassel. Gu Congxing wanted to warn him not to show it, but that would make the gift look suspicious. Besides, unless one got very close to the Sword Venerable, they wouldn’t notice it. Even if they did, they wouldn’t see anything odd even someone who owned a Phoenix Feather would struggle to identify a refined treasure that had been soaked in the Sword Venerable’s protective spiritual aura.

Unless… it was a member of the Kong Clan, who shared the same source. But since the Kong Clan was gone, there was nothing to fear.

…Who knew that this one oversight would send his Master to his death?

“Senior Brother?”

A soft call at his ear snapped Gu Congxing back to reality. The sorrow and pain in his brow were like thick ink that wouldn’t melt, hidden beneath his lashes.

“What is it, Junior Brother?”

Zhong Ming propped himself up and stared at him for a long time, leaning in even closer. He bit his lip and said, “Senior Brother, did I cause a big problem for you this time?”

Gu Congxing raised an eyebrow in surprise. “No. Why do you say that?”

Because you look so sad.

Zhong Ming’s throat moved as he swallowed the words. He lowered his gaze and remained silent for a moment before speaking:

“Senior Brother, I am not a favored child of heaven like you and the Eldest Brother. I’m just an ordinary child from the mortal world. I never practiced the dao before joining, and my spiritual root is the wood-element—the weakest in terms of offense.”

“Since Master took me in, there are naturally those who feel it’s unfair and think I don’t deserve it. Chen Wang is one of them. He had been malicious to me before; I reached my limit and fought back once, which is why today happened…”

The wind blew Zhong Ming’s hair, revealing the bloody wound on his brow. “But I didn’t know he was the son of a Danqing Peak elder. Senior Brother… should I not have fought back?”

“Nonsense.” Gu Congxing interrupted immediately, cutting off Zhong Ming’s self-doubt. “When others bully you, you cannot swallow your pride, or they will only take a mile after you give an inch! Junior Brother, you did nothing wrong.”

Zhong Ming lifted his eyes and stared straight at Gu Congxing.

Gu Congxing continued: “And don’t worry about this. Chen Wang is just the son of a Golden Core stage elder. Above him is the Peak Master of Danqing Peak. If he tries to cause trouble, he can’t move against Master or Zhuoguang Peak.”

Zhong Ming’s eyes grew brighter. He let out a long breath, and his shoulders relaxed. “That’s good.”

Looking at him, Gu Congxing felt like he was watching a trembling little beast finally relaxing and showing its belly. Come to think of it, why hadn’t his junior brother asked for help? Master was in seclusion, so he couldn’t go to him. But what about Eldest Brother, Lan Jue? He was an upright gentleman with great prestige in the sect; if he had stepped in, he could have spared Zhong Ming this ordeal. Or he could have come to Gu Congxing himself.

“Junior Brother, why didn’t you ask the Eldest Brother or me for help?”

Zhong Ming blinked in confusion. “Don’t you remember, Senior Brother? Eldest Brother took a Corpse-Gu mission and hasn’t returned to the sect for months.”

Gu Congxing then remembered that his senior brother was away at this time. He followed up: “Then why not me?”

“You’re always so busy traveling. I didn’t want to bother you with these small things,” Zhong Ming said, turning his head away. “Once when I went to find you, I saw you sleeping on the floor. I could tell you were exhausted.”

Gu Congxing had no memory of this. While he was searching his mind, Zhong Ming continued: “I know I am slow, so I wanted to make up for it with hard work. I wanted to reach Foundation Establishment early… just so one day I could stand by your side without shaming the Zhuoguang lineage.”

The boy’s tone was light, filled with an unyielding spirit. Gu Congxing watched him in silence.

“Junior Brother, you can come to me from now on.”

“Really?!” Zhong Ming’s eyes lit up.

“Naturally.” Gu Congxing looked at his joyful expression and couldn’t help but smile. “When have I ever lied to you?”

“Senior Brother! Thank you!!”

Zhong Ming leaned in close to Gu Congxing, looking up at him with dark-gold eyes that seemed to be filled with molten sunlight. In the next instant, he threw himself into Gu Congxing’s arms. He buried his fluffy head in Gu Congxing’s chest and let out a muffled voice.

“Senior Brother… I will never forget this kindness for as long as I live.”

Feeling the warmth surrounding him, Gu Congxing blinked. A moment later, he let out a soft laugh and held Zhong Ming tightly.

Did I protect him? At least something is different now, right?

He didn’t see that for a split second when he embraced him, Zhong Ming’s eyes snapped wide open. Within those dark-gold depths, the pupils had momentarily turned into non-human slits.

“…?” Zhong Ming felt something odd in his vision and shook his head. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear and pure.

“Senior Brother,” he whispered. “Senior Brother.”