He Transmigrated Into The Body Of A Useless Little Disciple, Whose Innermost Thoughts Were Overheard By Demonic Master! - Chapter 7

Xie Rong had wanted to leave two hours ago, but Gu Xingchen kept finding excuses to keep him there. Upon hearing Lin Mingsi’s voice, he immediately brightened, turned around, and thanked Gu Xingchen earnestly. “Second Senior Brother, thank you for feeding me moves today. If you ever need my help in the future, please do not hesitate to ask.”

As he descended the mountain, Xie Rong was in a good mood. The pill Senior Brother gave me is quite powerful; I was shivering in pain and could barely walk earlier, but now I do not feel any pain at all. Second Senior Brother was so serious when teaching me that he could not control his strength, I suppose. If he really could not control it, with his Nascent Soul cultivation, one strike would have killed me. I should avoid troubling him for guidance next time; that scabbard grazed my head several times, and if I had not dodged, Senior Brother would be burying me right now.

Xuan Yue found Xie Rong’s mind incredibly simple; his awareness was perhaps no greater than that of a three-year-old child. To Gu Xingchen, however, Xie Rong’s thanks sounded like a veiled threat: I have recorded today’s humiliation, and I will surely pay it back tenfold in the future.

Gu Xingchen watched Xie Rong leave with a silent, cold sneer. Xie Rong was nothing but a failure; even if given a thousand years, Xie Rong would never be able to settle this score. Moreover, with his long-stagnant cultivation, Xie Rong might not even live for another thousand years.

Lin Mingsi understood Xie Rong better. He knew Xie Rong was incapable of being passive-aggressive or hiding his true feelings. Xie Rong was genuinely grateful to Gu Xingchen.

“Did the Junior Brother offend you?” Lin Mingsi asked.

Gu Xingchen tilted his head with a faint smile, his tone relaxed. “No, I just do not like him.” He was jealous of the way Xie Rong relied on Lin Mingsi; just thinking about Lin Mingsi’s kindness toward Xie Rong made him want to go mad. He had resisted the urge to strike Xie Rong’s head off with his scabbard several times today, but he did not know how much longer he could tolerate it. If Xie Rong continued to stand by Lin Mingsi, he might not be able to hold back again.

Lin Mingsi frowned, looking at Gu Xingchen with an indescribable expression. “I still cannot understand when I ever provoked you. Over the years, all my friends have left me because of you. You even stirred up trouble between them and me. Are you that happy seeing me betrayed by those I once trusted?”

Lin Mingsi sighed heavily. “Xie Rong is different from those people. He is simple-minded and kind. He is not just anyone; he is our Junior Brother. If you truly dare to plot against him, Master will surely punish you if he finds out.”

Lin Mingsi felt Gu Xingchen was mentally unstable. When they were younger, things were fine, but once he realized Gu Xingchen had a hand in his friends’ betrayals, he knew they could never return to the past. He had spent years avoiding Gu Xingchen, and for a long time, he had made no new friends. He had hoped their past grievances had faded with time, but the incident with Xie Rong proved Gu Xingchen was as unreasonable as ever.

Gu Xingchen stepped closer to Lin Mingsi. Seeing Lin Mingsi instinctively retreat, his eyes flashed with rage, his voice turning low and chilling. “Master has always been indifferent to Xie Rong; he might not even acknowledge that failure as his disciple. Senior Brother, what are you hoping for? Xie Rong is the same as those friends who betrayed you; he will betray you too. He is your Junior Brother, and you trust him so much that you live and practice together. If he betrays you, you might lose your life because of it. My judgment of people is never wrong; Xie Rong is a vulgar person, and vulgar people only ever love themselves.”

Lin Mingsi had tried to reason with Gu Xingchen before, but it was futile. Gu Xingchen firmly believed that no one in the world was trustworthy, that friends were merely tools to be used or sold. Lin Mingsi suspected that Gu Xingchen had been betrayed in his youth, which led to this extreme worldview. He sighed. “Second Senior Brother, we are all mortals; there is no harm in loving oneself.”

Seeing the look in Gu Xingchen’s eyes, Lin Mingsi knew he could not change his mind. He decided he would have to warn Xie Rong instead.

As Lin Mingsi turned to leave, Gu Xingchen sneered. “You really are different toward Xie Rong. You treat him so well that the pain you suffer when he eventually betrays you will be thousands of times worse than before. Do not blame me for not warning you; do not let Xie Rong be the death of you.”

Lin Mingsi stopped and looked back, his gaze firm. “It will not happen. I believe the Junior Brother is not that kind of person. He is worth my trust. Even if he betrays me one day, I will not mind, because people naturally strive for higher goals.” He sighed bitterly. “I cannot even guarantee that if the Junior Brother and I discovered an ancient inheritance, I would not be the one to strike first.”

If he could not unconditionally trust Xie Rong, why demand the same from him? Human relationships never have a fixed answer. Should he stay away from Xie Rong or kill him simply because of something that might happen in the future? If everyone lived like Gu Xingchen, the world would have collapsed long ago.

Gu Xingchen stood silently for a long time, then let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with madness. “I will make you realize that in this world, I am the only person worthy of your trust. And the only person who can stand by your side is me.”

Xuan Yue, who had been listening from afar, felt a strange sensation. There were many cultivators in the world who took same-sex Daoist partners, but when did Gu Xingchen develop such feelings for Lin Mingsi? Did Gu Xingchen even know it himself? Xuan Yue suspected Gu Xingchen did not know, and perhaps it was this lack of understanding regarding his own possessiveness that led Gu Xingchen to choose the clumsiest of methods. Though Xuan Yue saw through it, he had no intention of intervening; he would eventually be driven mad if he had to manage such trivial matters.

Lin Mingsi returned to his dwelling and contemplated for a long time. Fearing Gu Xingchen would strike at Xie Rong, he packed his belongings and decided to move to a cave dwelling right next to Xie Rong’s. There were plenty of empty dwellings on Snow Cloud Peak. Since Xie Rong only had Foundation Establishment cultivation, he would be defenseless against Gu Xingchen. As he packed, Lin Mingsi suddenly frowned; could it be that Gu Xingchen was responsible for Xie Rong’s chaotic sea of consciousness? He dismissed the idea; the issue was something even his Master could not solve, so how could Gu Xingchen possess such profound means? Still, he knew the Master would not sit idly by if he discovered fratricide within the sect.

The next morning, Xie Rong was so sore he struggled to rise, not waking until noon. Upon stepping out, he found his Senior Brother had become his new neighbor. Seeing Xie Rong’s pale face, Lin Mingsi fed him a pill. “I thought it best to move here. This way, if you have any cultivation questions, you will not need to waste transmission paper cranes.”

Xie Rong knew that he was being targeted by Gu Xingchen because of his relationship with Lin Mingsi, and he felt the guilt weigh on him. “Senior Brother, is that pill expensive? Should I transfer some contribution points to you?”

Lin Mingsi laughed. “Why would I take your spirit stones? If you really want to compensate me, practice diligently. If you ever find an opportunity suitable for me in the outside world, just share a little with me.” It was a casual remark, as their cultivation paths were similar, but Xie Rong took it to heart.

Time flew, and the day of the celebration arrived. Since Lin Mingsi moved in, Xie Rong’s time to slack off had dwindled. The days of forced diligence were hard but fulfilling, and his progress was unprecedented. When sparring, he had moved from panicked dodging to actually trading blows with Lin Mingsi. Lin Mingsi praised his talent for the sword path, and Xie Rong, discovering he could produce sword energy without spiritual power, finally believed he truly had a gift.

On the day of the grand celebration, Xie Rong wore new robes and stood beside Lin Mingsi, watching the Sect Master, Lei Ze, present congratulatory gifts to Xuan Yue. Only the most gifted prodigies of the major sects were allowed in the hall.

The gifts presented by Lei Ze were so magnificent that Xie Rong could not help but sigh in wonder. Blood Cloud God Gold seems to be a legendary treasure for forging divine artifacts. The Bright Illusion Spirit Herb is even more incredible; it can help break through cultivation bottlenecks and extend life. Even the Frostless Heavenly Dew is a treasure that makes everyone around here gasp.

Master has received so many gifts, yet I only recognize two. It seems I must borrow more of Senior Brother’s jades, otherwise, I will not even recognize treasures when they are placed right in front of me. Now that Master has reached the Great Ascension stage, will these treasures help him ascend to the Upper Realm?

In the magnificent, quiet hall, Xie Rong’s cheerful and curious inner voice was particularly prominent. Every time a gift was presented, he exclaimed in his heart like someone who had never seen the world. Xuan Yue, finally unable to take it, spared a glance at Xie Rong. Even he would have been tempted by such treasures, but Xie Rong showed no greed; only pure wonder and curiosity. Xuan Yue once again wondered what on earth was packed inside that boy’s head.