I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 10

On Lingyun Peak of the Sword Sect, Shen Siyuan had just fallen into a heavy sleep after taking his medicine.

Over the past few days, Shen Du, Yun Suyi, and Yuan Muzhou had taken turns channeling spiritual energy into him. While this temporarily preserved his dantian, his condition had not truly improved. Without a Golden Core, the dantian lacked its primary source of energy; the channeled power from others was merely a temporary fix, like drinking poison to quench thirst. Over time, the incompatible types of spiritual energy would only serve to rupture Shen Siyuan’s fragile meridians.

Yuan Muzhou and the Shen couple had sent messages to summon various great experts they knew, but most powerful cultivators in the cultivation world were burdened with sect affairs. Even those who agreed to help could not arrive immediately. They could only wait and endure.

Yuan Muzhou sat by the brocade couch, gazing at Shen Siyuan’s quiet, pale face. Seeing the boy’s brow furrowed in pain due to the clashing energies within him, a wave of guilt washed over him. After a long time, he slowly raised a hand, his cold, bony fingers reaching out to smooth the lines of pain on Shen Siyuan’s forehead.

“Muzhou, come out for a moment. I have something to say to you,” Yun Suyi’s gentle voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Yuan Muzhou’s heart skipped a beat. His fingertips trembled as he discreetly withdrew his hand, stood up, and walked outside. He failed to notice that the moment he turned his back, the “sleeping” Shen Siyuan snapped his eyes open. His exhausted gaze flared with a bright, fanatical joy as he stared greedily at Yuan Muzhou’s tall, straight back until he vanished through the doorway.

In the pavilion outside the side hall, Yun Suyi was already waiting. Yuan Muzhou approached and bowed. “Aunt Yun, what is it?”

Yun Suyi’s expression was grave. “Muzhou, you know Siyuan’s condition is dire. I have an idea, but I need your cooperation.”

Yuan Muzhou felt a flicker of unease but replied, “Please, speak.”

Yun Suyi hesitated for a moment before looking at him. “I already know what happened when Siyuan was injured. You do not need to cover for Junyu anymore.”

Yuan Muzhou’s expression stiffened. Sensing his change in mood, Yun Suyi explained patiently, “Someone else told me; it was not Siyuan. You and Siyuan tried to hide it from your Uncle Shen and me to spare our feelings. I know you are both good children, and I do not blame you. Do not overthink it.”

Faced with this “reasonable” and understanding explanation, Yuan Muzhou remained uncharacteristically silent. His long Phoenix eyes betrayed no emotion.

Yun Suyi sighed. “Junyu has been solitary since he was a child and occasionally acts out. I imagine he had a quarrel with Siyuan that led to this. His refusal to return with you is likely due to his own guilt. But Siyuan’s injuries cannot wait. Every day Junyu stays in the secret realm is a day Siyuan loses the chance to repair his core. So, I want to ask you to return to the realm, talk to Junyu, and bring him back. Consider it a personal favor to me, alright?”

As she spoke, Yuan Muzhou maintained the posture of a respectful junior, but the gaze beneath his long lashes grew increasingly dark and heavy. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice cold. “For the sake of Siyuan’s health, I will go find Junyu. But Aunt Yun, forgive my bluntness. Junyu and Siyuan are both your flesh and blood. How can you be so biased?”

Yun Suyi was stunned. She reflexively explained, “Muzhou, you misunderstand. I am not biased against Junyu. Both are my children; I cannot bear to lose either of them.”

Yuan Muzhou’s expression turned even more peculiar. Ultimately, he offered no further explanation. He simply bowed. “No matter. I was out of line. Take care, Auntie. I shall take my leave.”

Yuan Muzhou left quickly. Watching his cold departing figure, Yun Suyi frowned, a sliver of doubt surfacing. Did he truly think she was biased toward Shen Siyuan? That was absurd. In this matter, Shen Siyuan was entirely without fault.

Inside the secret realm cave, faced with the demonic cultivator’s blunt questioning, Shen Junyu remained quiet for a long time before saying, “It is nothing. I was simply too eager in my cultivation and blocked my breath. I am fine now.”

“Is that so?” The demonic cultivator still looked skeptical.

Shen Junyu remained silent for a moment, then began discussing some confusing points from the manual to change the subject. Initially annoyed, the demon found himself listening as Shen Junyu’s explanations were clear and his voice gentle. They began a deep discussion on the technique.

Finally, the demon’s eyes behind the silver mask flashed with admiration. “Eldest Young Master Shen is indeed a genius to master our demonic arts so quickly.”

Shen Junyu smiled. “It is my honor to receive such praise from you.”

Though the demon knew it was a polite formality, the praise brought a smile to his lips. He reached into his storage ring, pulled out a small jade box, and tossed it over. Shen Junyu caught it, looking puzzled.

“I saw blood on your chest,” the demon said nonchalantly. “This ointment works well. Apply it.”

Shen Junyu’s heart eased slightly. The demon had likely only seen the red edges of the mark and mistaken it for blood. This was a convenient misunderstanding he did not have to explain. He felt a touch of gratitude. “Thank you,” he whispered, tucking the box away.

The demonic cultivator raised an eyebrow. “What? Is my gift not good enough? Or are you afraid I am trying to harm you?”

Shen Junyu was startled. “It is not that.” He looked up to see the demon leaning lazily against the cave wall, watching him with an expectant, mocking gaze. It was clear he would not accept any excuses. Shen Junyu felt a bit amused and changed his tone. “In that case, would you mind turning around?”

The demon’s lips curled. Shy? It was understandable for a refined heir of a great sect. He gave Shen Junyu a look and lazily turned his back.

Shen Junyu opened the jade box. A refreshing fragrance filled the air. The ointment was a pale almond color, cool and moisturizing to the touch. It was indeed a high-quality medicine. He looked at the demon’s tall, straight back. The man’s posture was relaxed and unconstrained, unlike the rigid stance of most cultivators. True to his word, he did not peek.

Shen Junyu smiled faintly. To play the part, he rustled his robes to mimic the sound of applying the medicine. Just then, a commotion erupted outside the cave. Shen Junyu’s eyes turned sharp. The demonic cultivator reacted even faster. Without looking back, he said, “Stay here and finish. I will go see what it is.”

He transformed into a billow of black mist and vanished. True to his word, he never looked back once. Shen Junyu, who was not actually injured, could not sit still. He put away the box and followed.

Outside, Shen Junyu saw the demonic cultivator confronting a figure in green standing before the hostage array. Seeing that familiar silhouette, Shen Junyu felt a wave of mockery.

It was his “best friend” from his past life: Lin Shuyi, the Young Sect Master of the Lingbao Sect. He once thought Lin Shuyi was the only one who truly understood him, only to learn later that the man’s friendship was a poisoned arrow. After Shen Junyu’s core was destroyed, most peers avoided him, yet Lin Shuyi was always there with comforts. Shen Junyu had frequently recommended him to Yuan Muzhou out of gratitude.

One day, Yuan Muzhou had arrived in a freezing rage, smashing a jar of wine and telling Shen Junyu that he did not need him to send others to his bed. Rumors then spread that Shen Junyu was trying to curry favor with Yuan Muzhou by offering up his best friend. Shen Junyu had no way to defend himself. Later, Lin Shuyi’s many transgressions were revealed: using the names of Shen Junyu and Yuan Muzhou to swindle others and trying to climb into Yuan Muzhou’s bed. Yet no one apologized to Shen Junyu. They only said that if he were not greedy or foolish, he would not have let a wolf into his home. Yuan Muzhou had merely told him to stay away from such people and read more books.

Now, the culprit stood before the demon, shouting, “Let Junyu come out! I want to face him. I do not believe he would join the demons with you!” He sounded righteous, making the surrounding disciples think he was a heroic fool.

But Shen Junyu saw clearly: Lin Shuyi’s left thumb was curled inward, glowing with a faint red light. He was hiding the Flame Dragon Pearl of the Lingbao Sect. He likely planned to wait for everyone to gather, trigger an explosion, and then rob everyone in the chaos.

“I am right here,” Shen Junyu said, stepping out. “What do you have to say?”

Lin Shuyi froze, his face changing as he met Shen Junyu’s cold, ice-like eyes. For some reason, he shivered. He wondered if the man before him was truly Shen Junyu or if he had indeed been possessed.

Far away, Yuan Muzhou was flying toward the secret realm. He had been a bit out of sorts in front of Yun Suyi, but his words were heartfelt. She was indeed biased. Memories of his past with Shen Junyu surfaced. Years ago, shortly after their engagement, Shen Junyu had remarked how wonderful it would be if they could always be together like that. Yuan Muzhou had replied that their wedding banquet would be even better.

Later, Shen Junyu had told him, “They prefer my brother.” Yuan Muzhou had dismissed it as a joke back then. But looking at Yun Suyi’s devotion to Shen Siyuan now, even begging on his behalf—he realized the bias had always been there. It was hard to imagine the same mother treating her children so differently.

Shen Junyu’s eventual change likely had a cause. A flicker of regret touched Yuan Muzhou’s heart. Yet, he still felt for Shen Siyuan. Regardless of the parents’ bias, Siyuan was innocent. He hoped Shen Junyu could set aside his prejudice and not leave his brother to die.