I Failed to Fake My Death After Scumming the Demon Lord [Transmigration] - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Ji Yun felt a chill run through his bones, and suppressing his unease, he asked back, “What?”

Qin Gu shook his head. His system was shouting something in his mind, but because he was drunk, he couldn’t hear it clearly. Ignoring it, he tried hard to focus on the delicate-looking youth before him and said, word by word, “Who told you to plead for me? At a time like that… how could you possibly plead for me?”

He was referring to the day of his execution, when Ji Yun had openly defied the Immortal Alliance’s decree.

Ji Yun’s pupils contracted sharply: “I…”

“You even dared to talk back to Lu Mi… Do you have any idea what the consequences would be if this matter hadn’t been brushed aside?” Qin Gu was truly drunk. He pressed both hands onto Ji Yun’s shoulders. “Ji Yun, you are…”

Possessing a shred of sanity left, he didn’t say the word “protagonist” directly, instead opting for a different framing: “You are the cultivator with the most talent in the cultivation world in a century. Have you ever considered your own future? You are not allowed to do such a thing again, do you hear me?”

Ji Yun swallowed hard. Qin Gu’s scalding breath, heavy with the scent of alcohol, washed over him. He replied with some reluctance: “I understand.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qin Gu leaned forward and collapsed onto his shoulder, falling fast asleep without the slightest bit of defense.

Ji Yun stood frozen for a long time before he finally let out the breath he had been holding. He struggled to help Qin Gu, who had slumped off the bed, back onto it, tripping over their tangled robes in the process.

Ji Yun raised his hand to support himself against the bed frame; the distance between the two was already very close.

He stared intently at the gold and red mark on the center of Qin Gu’s forehead. Even in his drunken sleep, the other man’s brow remained tightly furrowed, as if he were sleeping quite restlessly. He couldn’t help but whisper, “Senior brother.”

Qin Gu let out an interrogative sound, sounding like he was talking in his sleep: “Xiao Yun…”

Ji Yun’s heart warmed. For the first time ever, he didn’t feel uncomfortable with such an intimate form of address; on the contrary, a searing surge of heat roiled within his Dantian, instantly spreading through his entire body.

The question Qin Gu had asked echoed in his ears:

Why do you wield your sword?

For… what?

Qin Gu mumbled and turned over, his open robes sliding halfway off, revealing the sword wound and whip marks on his shoulder.

Among these scars, the former had been caused by his own hand, and the latter had been sustained by Qin Gu taking on the punishment that should have been his.

Ji Yun’s warm fingertips hovered a few centimeters away from the wounds.

Senior brother said that I… am the most outstanding cultivator in the cultivation world in a century.

So, this is how senior brother sees me?

Ji Yun took a deep look at Qin Gu’s profile and secretly made up his mind.

Those dark, gray pasts were impossible to speak of now that Qin Gu had lost his memory. Right now, his senior brother held high expectations for him and cared for him in every way possible—how could he let his senior brother down?

His head throbbing as if it were splitting open, Qin Gu groaned and sat up, holding his head.

The hangover headache left his entire body feeling weak and lethargic. He shook his head, his right eye twitching a few times, then his left eye started twitching incessantly.

Qin Gu: …

The left eye twitches for wealth, the right eye twitches for disaster—what does it mean when both twitch at the same time?

He looked down at his clothes; they were clean and neat, and he felt relieved—it seemed he hadn’t done anything outrageous last night.

Immediately after, the tea already poured on the table caught his attention. The tea was piping hot, showing it had only just been poured.

Seeing the tea, Qin Gu felt his mouth go dry. He reached out to pick up the teacup and bring it to his lips, but suddenly paused: Who poured this tea?

He still had memories of the caravan members swaying unsteadily yesterday, so he figured it wasn’t them.

Then who else could it be?

Qin Gu tried to recall last night, but he only had a few fragmented glimpses, telling him that the scene had been incredibly chaotic.

As his memories flashed back, a pair of black-purple eyes slammed into his mind.

Qin Gu rubbed his temples, his right eyelid starting to twitch frantically again, and he summoned the system: “System, what happened last night?”

He had passed out drunk, but the system surely hadn’t.

The system replied dutifully:

You cursed the protagonist up and down.

Qin Gu suddenly raised his head, staring at thin air in astonishment: “…What did you say??”

You cursed the protagonist up and down.

It was spoken clearly and distinctly; there was no way he could have misheard it.

Qin Gu felt dazed for a moment. With the system’s prompt, some unclear memories flickered through his mind, finally fixing on Ji Yun’s expression of disbelief and his slightly reddened eyes.

It’s over. Did I make the protagonist cry?

Qin Gu held his head in his hands, somewhat broken: “Why didn’t you stop me! You just watched me curse him?”

The system pulled up a recording, which contained only one phrase repeated over and over:

Host, please say less; that is the protagonist.

Unfortunately, Qin Gu had been too deep in his cups, and he hadn’t heard a single word. In the end, the system had been forced to give up struggling.

Qin Gu remained silent, staring hollowly at the ceiling: “Am I done for?”

The system had wanted to say: No, this is a case of a blessing in disguise.

But a sound of footsteps arrived faster than the system could. The moment the footsteps sounded, a shadow lunged toward the window.

The room door creaked open, and Ji Yun walked in carrying a large clay pot.

As their eyes met, Ji Yun said: “Senior brother, you’re awa—senior brother?”

Qin Gu slowly placed his leg, which had been draped over the window sill, back onto the floor and walked back to the table with perfect composure.

Heaven knows that if Ji Yun hadn’t entered the room so quickly, he would have jumped out the window to escape.

He controlled his facial expressions and said good morning to Ji Yun, only then noticing the large clay pot in his hands: “This is…?”

He instinctively turned his gaze, his eyes darting between the clay pot and the tea.

Ji Yun explained: “I borrowed the kitchen to stew some white porridge. Senior brother just woke up from a hangover, so drinking some porridge will warm your stomach.”

Qin Gu was startled. He had already prepared himself to accept that his relationship with Ji Yun would return to a state of freezing indifference, but the current situation was far from what he had imagined.

Looking at Ji Yun again, his eyes were glowing with spirit, and the corners of his lips were slightly raised. Even his face, which was usually calm, showed signs of emotion.

And his aura had changed slightly; in every breath and movement, there felt like something was different.

Qin Gu’s expression shifted, and his thoughts of running away were instantly tossed aside. He was overjoyed: “Ji Yun, you’ve broken through to the Out-of-Body stage?!”

Ji Yun lowered his eyes: “It is all thanks to senior brother.”

Qin Gu blinked blankly. Seeing his confused expression, Ji Yun said: “Thanks to senior brother’s teachings last night, Xunqing has benefited immensely.”

Xunqing was Ji Yun’s courtesy name, bestowed upon him by Qin Rulian when he entered the Yin-Feng Pavilion.

To refer to himself this way, how humble and respectful must he be, and to what a high position must he be holding Qin Gu?

Ji Yun’s demeanor was earnest and sincere, not looking like—and having no need to be—a pretense, which made Qin Gu feel even more baffled.

He didn’t remember exactly what he had said, but now, upon reflection, he realized he might have misunderstood.

He decided to go along with the conversation, probing vaguely: “Drinking caused a mess; I spoke too harshly last night. Junior brother, please do not take it to heart.”

Ji Yun, however, shook his head firmly: “Xunqing is dim-witted; I failed to perceive the sincerity in senior brother’s heart toward me, and instead… remained suspicious and repeatedly tested you. Yet senior brother bore no grudges and was magnanimous. Please accept a bow from Xunqing.”

As he spoke, he placed the clay pot on the table, took two steps back, folded his hands, and performed a deep bow.

The wind slipped in through the open window, lifting Ji Yun’s bangs and making the maple mark on the youth’s forehead appear bright and vivid.

The youth looked up, his eyes as bright as stars: “Senior brother, Ji Yun will never let down your expectations.”

Qin Gu watched him, stunned. The Ji Yun before him now was so radiant—not the hostile and confrontational youth he had first met, nor the ruthless and sinister figure from his dreams.

More importantly, he finally possessed the unrestrained, high-spirited nature a youth of his age should have.

No longer bullied, no longer slandered.

Qin Gu looked at him, his heart stirred:

Ji Yun, there is no need to thank me; this is what you deserve.

But the youth’s bright eyes and expectant gaze made him unable to refuse. Qin Gu raised his hand and pressed it gently onto the top of Ji Yun’s head, rubbing it softly.

The eyes looking back at him were filled with trust. Qin Gu pulled back his thoughts and smiled: “I believe in you.”

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