How to Handle a Sickly Yandere Demon God - Chapter 14

Luo Zisheng made the resolute decision to disband the mountain stronghold. He purchased a plot of land in Xuan City and distributed his accumulated savings among the members of the stronghold.

Those who had somewhere to go were free to leave, while those without a destination could settle on the land he had chosen.

Among the stronghold members, some were reluctant to part, others cursed in anger, and there were those who had long grown weary of such a life and happily packed their belongings to leave upon receiving the money.

After seeing off the last person, Luo Zisheng knelt once again before Xu Xingxing, first to express his gratitude, and second, to request an introduction to become a disciple under Yue Baiyin.

The physician, who had only taken a few steps away, immediately turned back upon hearing Yue Baiyin’s name and knelt as well. “Count me in.”

Xu Xingxing: “…”

After sending Qi Danxuan away, she set off on the journey home with the others.

But then, the issue of transportation arose.

It was known that one sword could only carry three people, and they now had four individuals along with a deer.

Xiao Hei could fly. If he were willing to transform into a dog and carry her, the problem would be easily solved.

However, the noble Xiao Hei not only refused to transform into a dog but also insisted on riding the sword. After repeated attempts at persuasion failed, she had no choice but to use a communication talisman to summon Fang Zhiming.

Although the matter of the Ten Thousand Demons Cave had been resolved, some demons had still managed to escape. Fang Zhiming had been extremely busy dealing with the aftermath and had only recently found a moment of respite.

When he arrived and saw the two new faces, the corner of his mouth twitched. “Senior Sister, I sent you to investigate a case. How did you end up recruiting two people along the way?”

“Just a coincidence.” Xu Xingxing chuckled.

He glanced at Xiao Hei, then at the bell around his neck, pursed his lips, and suppressed the questions in his heart.

After some discussion, it was decided that her sword would carry Xiao Hei and the female physician, Mo Yin. Fang Zhiming’s sword would carry Luo Zisheng and Chu Xue.

Once the ice sword expanded, Xiao Hei was the first to step onto it, moving to the very back. Xu Xingxing gestured for Mo Yin to board next, but suddenly, her body lifted into the air, and in the next moment, she found herself standing on the sword.

Surprised, Xu Xingxing turned to look at Xiao Hei, only to find him gazing around with an indifferent expression, as if he had nothing to do with what had just happened.

Remembering his inherent dislike for humans, she understood and automatically took the middle position.

The two swords flew side by side, speeding toward Kunlun.

Fang Zhiming glanced at the white deer in front of him and muttered, “It’s so easy to join Kunlun these days. All it takes is your approval, Senior Sister, no exams required.”

“Exams? You had to take exams to enter the mountain before?”

“Of course!”

Fang Zhiming puffed up with pride. “The scene back then was like tens of thousands of people trying to cross a single log bridge. There were written exams, martial exams, all sorts of challenges and obstacles. Even someone as talented as me had to take the exams for several years!”

“When was that?” Luo Zisheng asked curiously.

“Before the Great War, of course,” Fang Zhiming rolled his eyes. “Kunlun doesn’t have the energy for such things now.”

“Kunlun must have been incredibly lively before the Great War,” Xu Xingxing remarked.

“Absolutely. The annual enrollment exams alone lasted over half a month. There were also competitions between various sects, as well as unique festivals hosted by each sect. Especially during Kunlun’s New Year celebrations, even mortals could come to Kunlun to enjoy the festivities. The entire place was filled with music and excitement for over a month.”

“According to my grandfather, the Demon Extermination War lasted nearly seventy years. Now, over thirty years have passed since then. By that calculation, you must be at least a hundred years old?” Mo Yin said.

“I’m one hundred and twenty-six,” Fang Zhiming pretended to stroke his smooth chin. “You might as well call me Grandpa.”

“Then why do you call her Senior Sister?” Xiao Hei, who rarely spoke, asked from behind. Xu Xingxing turned to look at him and saw the slightly curved lips and deliberately teasing eyes.

Sure enough, Fang Zhiming looked embarrassed. “In Kunlun today, ability comes first. Senior Sister reached the Nascent Soul stage at just twenty years old. Shouldn’t I lower my seniority to show respect?”

“Then you’d better work hard, or you might become the lowest in seniority in all of Kunlun,” Xiao Hei teased.

Seeing Fang Zhiming’s mood instantly drop, Xu Xingxing quickly tried to lighten the mood. “Besides, you look so young, like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boy. Calling me Senior Sister isn’t too much…”

Fang Zhiming glanced at her equally stunning sixteen- or seventeen-year-old face and sighed. “At first, I may not have been considered a prodigy, but I was still exceptionally talented. Yet…”

“Yet what?” Luo Zisheng asked.

Fang Zhiming seemed not to hear and simply increased his flying speed.

For the rest of the journey, Fang Zhiming was visibly downcast. Xu Xingxing tried several times to start a conversation but failed to cheer him up.

She shot a reproachful glare at Xiao Hei, who responded with an insolent raise of his eyebrow.

Upon arriving at Spirit Beast Mountain, Fang Zhiming went straight to his room. After introducing Mo Yin and Luo Zisheng to Yue Baiyin, Xu Xingxing fetched some fruits from the kitchen and knocked on Fang Zhiming’s door.

Seeing Xu Xingxing enter the room, Xiao Hei leaped onto the roof.

The setting sun cast a golden glow across the room. Fang Zhiming was sitting at a table by the window, flipping through a book.

Xu Xingxing leaned in to look. It was a beginner’s cultivation manual, filled with annotations and markings, showing how meticulously its owner had studied it.

She placed the fruits on the table, poured a cup of water, and pushed it toward Fang Zhiming. Softly, she asked, “Is this your book?”

Fang Zhiming nodded but remained silent. Xu Xingxing apologized, “Xiao Hei really has a sharp tongue. Don’t take it to heart.”

He shook his head gently. “Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I’m not a petty person.”

“Of course you’re not, and you’re not lazy either. As long as you work hard-”

“Senior Sister, there’s no need to comfort me. I know where my problem lies,” Fang Zhiming interrupted abruptly, clutching the corner of a page. “I’m just too afraid.”

“Afraid?” Xu Xingxing was slightly surprised. In her eyes, if Fang Zhiming wasn’t the most optimistic person in Kunlun, no one else could claim the title.

He wasn’t diligent in cultivation, excelled at slacking off, loved gossiping, and dreamed of becoming a chef.

Though he seemed unreliable, he was decisive and never hesitated when it mattered. So, rather than sending Fang Zhiming to monitor her, Xu Yi had given her a capable assistant.

“In the first two years of the Demon Extermination War, all cultivators above the Integration stage perished. I had just formed my Golden Core then, and my master was only at the Nascent Soul stage. But he protected us disciples well. Still, people died every day. I lived in constant fear and had no heart for cultivation.”

Fear of death is human nature. Xu Xingxing comforted him, “It’s alright, it’s all in the past…”

“No, it’s not over!” Fang Zhiming suddenly grew agitated. “Senior Sister, I know you dislike Master’s strictness, but in the eyes of those of us who barely survived, this war may never truly end!”

“You might think I’m a coward clinging to life, but when the great war first began, I trained as relentlessly as our master, hoping one day I could fight for all living beings, even if it meant dying without regret.”

Fang Zhiming’s expression was bleak. “Senior sister, you know our master was never one to chase fame or fortune. He always told us to let things take their natural course. But later, he cultivated day and night without rest, breaking through to the Divine Transformation realm in just five years. When his heavenly tribulation descended, the demon clan came to slaughter him. It was only because the sect leader dispatched five mighty experts to protect him that our master survived the tribulation safely.”

“But…” Fang Zhiming’s voice cracked with tears, which streamed down his face. “Three of those five experts were severely wounded, and two died, both at the Divine Transformation realm themselves…”

“After master overcame his tribulation, he knelt silently beside the bodies of the two fallen experts for three full days, until the sect leader personally came to persuade him to rise. Senior sister, how could I not be afraid? If I advance, wouldn’t that mean people even stronger than me might die because of me? How could I continue cultivating with a carefree heart when even our master couldn’t overcome such a burden for so long?”

By this point, Fang Zhiming was weeping uncontrollably. “I’m just a lowly Golden Core cultivator, my life is worthless. How could I let others get injured or killed for my advancement? How could I possibly deserve that?”

Xu Xingxing listened, her body stiff, unable to utter a single word. Tears flowed unbidden down her cheeks as well.

She felt she was beginning to understand Xu Yi’s desperation and tension.

Xu Xing’er had been born after the war, but in her memories, people around her constantly used the war to pressure her. Feeling stifled, she had never examined those memories closely. Now, seeing Fang Zhiming like this, she truly glimpsed a fragment of that seventy-year-long war against the demons.

After a long silence, she finally found her voice again. “Although the demons were strong, in the eyes of the former sect leader, the continuation of the younger generation’s strength was also crucial. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have shielded you all behind him.”

“I understand, but the demons sought to exterminate all Kunlun cultivators. Whenever anyone advanced, they would come to cause chaos…”

“Then did no one advance during the entire war?”

“Some did, but almost every attempt ended in tragedy.”

“Then why didn’t they develop such inner demons? Why did they still strive to break through?”

Xu Xingxing mused aloud, “Perhaps it was to show the Demon God that although a cultivator’s power can be shattered, human conviction remains unbreakable.”

Fang Zhiming stared at her, startled.

He had a baby face and usually smiled amiably, making her see him as a younger brother. Seeing his tear-streaked face now struck her as somewhat amusing, so she directly grabbed a cloth from the table and wiped his face.

A muffled voice emerged from under the cloth. “Senior sister, that’s a rag.”

Xu Xingxing pretended not to hear and tossed the rag back onto the table. “I know the war affected you deeply, but in the end, didn’t we still win?”

“That was only because the Heavenly Dao finally punished the Demon God, giving us a chance to crush the demon clan.”

Xu Xingxing: “…”

So this Demon God was basically an overpowered cheat against your cultivation world, huh.

“Just tell me, do you still want to cultivate or not?”

Fang Zhiming nodded fiercely. “Of course! Since childhood, I vowed to join the Kunlun Sect and become a Great Vehicle sword cultivator, but…”

“Then what are you waiting for? The world is at peace now, the seas are calm, if not now, when will you cultivate?”

“A Great Cultivator couldn’t even last the time it takes to finish a cup of tea before that Demon God, what use is my cultivation then? Moreover, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion once divined that you are the prophesied savior, which means there will be greater battles ahead. I-”

“Why do you keep boosting others’ morale while dampening your own?”

Xu Xingxing slammed the table and stood up abruptly. “Your former sect leader never gave up preserving the embers of cultivation even in those hopeless days! Your master held on at Kunlun until the Heavenly Dao manifested, despite the dire circumstances! Even if they were insignificant in the eyes of the Demon God, didn’t they still crumble that mighty dam like ants gnawing away at a thousand-mile levee?”

“And as for the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, even if their divination is accurate and another great war truly comes, haven’t they already foretold that I am the one destined to save the world? What are you afraid of? If the heavens fall, I’ll hold them up! I’m not worried, so why are you here fretting over imaginary troubles? Besides, if you don’t cultivate diligently now, when I need help saving the world later, will you just hide behind your master again?”

“Don’t hesitate in everything you do. Only with conviction can you achieve great deeds.”

After saying all this in one breath, Xu Xingxing downed the cup of water on the table and turned to Fang Zhiming, who was staring at her in a daze. “Do what you want to do. Don’t look back, just charge forward. If anything happens, your senior sister will bear it for you.”