He Transmigrated Into The Body Of A Useless Little Disciple, Whose Innermost Thoughts Were Overheard By Demonic Master! - Chapter 10

Xuan Yue’s divine soul transmission was cold, slow, and tinged with a sense of nonchalance. It is nothing significant; he is merely forgetful and possesses a poor memory.

He had not paid much attention to Xie Rong in the past, only truly noticing him after he broke through to the Great Ascension stage. By the time Xie Rong appeared before him, he was already in this foolish state. He had investigated Xie Rong thoroughly; though the former Xie Rong’s aptitude was mediocre, he had at least been capable of basic techniques. Suddenly, after a period of seclusion, Xie Rong seemed like a different person. He had forgotten how to cultivate and had even lost his grasp of the cultivation world’s written language. Out of curiosity, he had once probed Xie Rong’s divine soul and suspected he had been possessed, but the facts were clear: Xie Rong had not been possessed; the memory loss was likely the result of a cultivation mishap.

Lei Ze, seeing that Xuan Yue did not deny it, grew even more curious. Who could have laid a hand on Xie Rong and managed to evade your detection? Regardless, Xie Rong is a true disciple of our Xuan Tian Sect. If he were harmed right under our noses and the news spread, it would make us the laughingstock of the other sects.

Xuan Yue spoke languidly. It was not a plot; it was a cultivation mishap. Senior Brother, you do not need to worry about Xie Rong. I am well aware of the situation.

Lei Ze cast a thoughtful look at Xuan Yue and sighed softly. Fine. Xie Rong is your disciple; if something happens, you are responsible for it. As long as you are aware of what is going on, that is enough.

Xuan Yue met Lei Ze’s gaze with a calm expression; he felt the Sect Master’s concluding remark was laden with subtext.

Xiao Xifeng’s incident did not disrupt the celebration. Several Great Ascension cultivators personally guided the juniors in the hall and even offered generous gifts. Xie Rong and his fellow disciples were overwhelmed by the number of offerings. Xie Rong’s once-empty storage bag was now full, and his eyes curved into crescents of delight. He followed Lin Mingsi like a shadow, making sure that whenever Lin Mingsi received a gift, he was also given one. He bowed whenever Lin Mingsi bowed, his heart filled with gratitude toward him. He knew he had no business standing by Lin Mingsi’s side, but because Lin Mingsi pulled him along to pay respects to the seniors, he was included in these valuable rewards.

When Lin Mingsi brought Xie Rong to pay respects to Lei Ze, Lei Ze gifted Lin Mingsi a spiritual longsword and handed Xie Rong a storage ring. Xie Rong did not reach out; he looked blankly at Lin Mingsi. Even with his limited knowledge of the cultivation world, he knew a storage ring was no simple object.

Seeing Xie Rong hesitate, Lei Ze laughed. “I see you do not have a storage ring. I recalled some unused opportunities I obtained in my youth, so I bestow one upon you now. Do not look at your Senior Brother; one should not decline a gift from a senior. Just accept it, and do not be so bashful.”

Xie Rong’s ears reddened. He bowed respectfully and accepted the ring with both hands. A storage bag and a storage ring were as different as a bicycle and a sports car, though they both served the same purpose. Lei Ze watched Xie Rong with curiosity, trying to fathom what had attracted Xuan Yue to him. Xuan Yue, who always shunned physical contact, had actually made contact with a man. Remembering Xuan Yue’s words—”Of all the disciples, I find him the most pleasing to the eye”—Lei Ze realized that perhaps “pleasing to the eye” was an understatement for “deeply fond of.”

After accepting the storage ring, the gifts Xie Rong received became dozens of times more valuable, many of which were treasures suitable only for those in the Nascent Soul realm. High-level cultivators even approached him directly to deliver their gifts. Xie Rong began to panic, never losing his head to the greed of such treasures, always remembering Lin Mingsi’s warnings: some things could be accepted, but others could cost him his life.

What is going on? Why is everyone giving me gifts, and such precious ones at that? I am really just a mediocre failure! Senior Brother, help! I suspect these seniors want to harm me! I only have the strength of the late Foundation Establishment stage; holding these treasures is like a child clutching gold in a busy market. Will someone come to rob me tonight? Will someone save me?

Xuan Yue listened to Xie Rong’s transition from excitement to panic and then to terror. Faced with a fortune, Xie Rong thought only of traps and danger, never of using these items to reach the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realm. Xuan Yue mused that even he, back in his Foundation Establishment days, might not have been as composed and rational as Xie Rong.

Seeing Xie Rong’s aggrieved and conflicted face, Xuan Yue spoke flatly: “Since the seniors bestowed them upon you, accept them with peace of mind. I see that your sword path has entered the gate; from this day forward, move into my quarters. I have decided to teach you personally.”

He had never known how to suppress the Demonic Bone and was accustomed to the torture of demonic energy. But after tasting the relief of having it suppressed, he found he could no longer live without that lightness and freedom. Even knowing Lei Ze might misunderstand, he was determined to keep Xie Rong by his side to uncover why the boy could suppress his bone.

Xie Rong froze. It took Lin Mingsi tugging his sleeve to snap him out of it. “Little Junior Brother, thank the Master. What are you waiting for?”

Sensing the excitement in Lin Mingsi’s voice, Xie Rong followed suit, bowing respectfully. “Thank you, Master.”

Oh my god, Master is going to teach me himself! I am going to skyrocket! He is a Great Ascension cultivator; a single pill he leaks could be worth decades of my hard labor. I must write down everything Master teaches me and show it to Senior Brother. A Great Ascension cultivator’s guidance might just help Senior Brother break through!

Xie Rong happily accepted the gifts, his anxiety gone. He would be moving in with Master soon, and no one would dare rob him under his master’s nose. After the celebration, Xie Rong returned with Lin Mingsi to pack. He had little to pack; he merely wanted an excuse to be alone with his senior brother.

Back in the dwelling, Xie Rong placed the rings on the table and looked at Lin Mingsi with trust, urging him: “Senior Brother, quickly, pick something you need from these rings.”

Lin Mingsi looked at Xie Rong with complex emotions. “Little Junior Brother, these are gifts for you; keep them and use them as you need. Do not reveal your wealth—it is best if others do not know what treasures you possess. You must know that the cultivation world never lacks people who kill for treasures.”

Lin Mingsi had been jealous of Xie Rong, but looking into those clear, trusting eyes, the jealousy vanished. It was no wonder the Master held Xie Rong in high regard; he was genuinely sincere in a way that touched the heart.

Lin Mingsi insisted he could not take them. Seeing his resolve, Xie Rong picked out several rare forging materials. “I do not recognize much in these rings, but I know these are forging materials. A qualified sword cultivator needs their own sword. I know you have been searching for materials, so please take these.”

Lin Mingsi inhaled deeply as he looked at the Five-Element Origin Essence and the Space Stones, his voice low and solemn. “Do you know what these are? Five-Element Origin Essence exists only in top-grade mines, and a whole vein might only yield a tiny piece. Space Stones are treasures from outside the realm—a place far more chaotic and dangerous than the Demon Realm. You will need these yourself; you might never encounter them again.”

For some reason, Xie Rong felt no desire to forge a sword; in the depths of his soul, he felt a strange aversion to it. He shoved the materials into Lin Mingsi’s arms. “Senior Brother, do not decline. Take them. I am only at the Foundation Establishment stage; I cannot even see the hope of reaching Golden Core, so why worry about forging a sword? I never stand on ceremony with you, so please, do not be polite with me.”

Lin Mingsi sighed helplessly. “Little Junior Brother, that is not how accounting works. The fruits and pills I gave you are common items.” If he were to take these rare treasures while Xie Rong was memory-impaired, his conscience would never be clear, and his Dao heart might be affected.

Xie Rong insisted, “If you still consider me your junior brother, then take them. Regardless of why Master is teaching me, we both know my talent and aptitude. Even if Master is powerful, he cannot turn a failure into a genius. Otherwise, the descendants of all Great Ascension cultivators would be dragons. These are my token of heart; I sincerely hope you become stronger, so I can hide behind you. The stronger you are, the safer I am. In the future, I can just say I am Lin Mingsi’s junior brother and see who dares to mess with me.”

Lin Mingsi laughed, shaking his head. “I will keep them for you, then. Forging a sword is no small matter. If you ever need these materials, come find me at any time.”

To put Lin Mingsi at ease, Xie Rong agreed, though he had no intention of ever forging a sword. He decided to follow his instincts; since his heart did not want a sword, he would not forge one.

Xie Rong sewed a pouch to store the rings. Seeing this, Lin Mingsi laughed and began sewing a pouch for him using water-and-fire-resistant spirit cloth. “Using ordinary fabric to carry storage rings is risky; if the pouch is torn, the rings will be lost.”

Xie Rong watched him sew, sighing with a smile. “It is a pity space objects cannot hold space objects; otherwise, it would be much more convenient.”

Lin Mingsi, growing calm as he stitched, replied, “I read in an ancient jade slip that a Sacred Artifact contains its own world space and can store storage rings.”