I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 14

Upon hearing Yuan Muzhou’s questions and seeing the look in his eyes, Yun Suyi couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of foreboding.

However, she was a cultivator in the Void Refinement Realm, after all. Since Yuan Muzhou had no concrete evidence against her, her eyes only flickered for an instant before she regained her composure.

“I do not know what kind of instigation you have listened to that has made you so agitated, Muzhou,” she said. “But since you wish to ask, then ask.”

Yuan Muzhou’s gaze rested quietly on Yun Suyi’s face. After a long silence, he repeated the three questions Wen Su had asked, his voice cold and clear, omitting not a single word. Throughout the recitation, he watched her expression intently.

As expected, even though Yun Suyi had prepared herself, her eyelids twitched with guilt upon hearing those three incisive questions. This detail was keenly captured by Yuan Muzhou, and his heart sank heavily.

Before she could offer an “explanation,” he spoke coldly. “Aunt Yun, I know you want to say you didn’t foresee this and that you simply wanted to cure Siyuan. But when you came up with this method, did you consider Junyu for even a single moment?”

“To heal Siyuan, he would not only have to sacrifice his Golden Core but also exhaust his cultivation. What about his future? Have you thought—”

“But back then, it was Junyu who failed to step forward and save Siyuan in time! That is why Siyuan became like this! As the elder brother, shouldn’t he compensate Siyuan?” Yun Suyi finally lost her composure, her usual elegance slipping away.

Yuan Muzhou looked at the urgency and undisguised resentment in her expression. Hearing words so ridiculous they bordered on the absurd, he dazed for a moment. He could no longer control his emotions.

“He is only a brother, not a parent! Why should he compensate his younger brother for such a thing? To be partial to this extent… if I were Junyu, I wouldn’t want to come back to see you either!”

These words were provoked by Yun Suyi’s agitation, but the moment they left his mouth, Yuan Muzhou’s heart shook violently.

So… that was it?

He realized his previous thoughts had been just as laughably cruel as Yun Suyi’s. Furthermore, he was Shen Junyu’s Dao companion. How ironic.

Yuan Muzhou drifted into a daze as an uncontrollable wave of regret surged through his heart. Yun Suyi, who had never been so openly “humiliated” in her life as a Void Refinement master, turned pale with rage. Just as she was about to lash out, a weak, soft voice came from behind them.

“Mother, why are you arguing with Brother Yuan? Is it because of Brother?”

It was Shen Siyuan, slowly rolling out from the side hall in a wheelchair, his beautiful eyes filled with concern. Seeing this, Yun Suyi rushed to his side, her heart aching for him.

In the past, seeing Shen Siyuan’s frail and piteous state would have softened Yuan Muzhou’s heart. But now, looking at that face, his mind involuntarily recalled the moment Shen Junyu’s sword broke through all his techniques.

The sight of the “loving mother and filial son” before him only reminded him of the many times in his previous life when the two had “accidentally” mentioned Shen Junyu’s bad temper with troubled expressions. The seeds of doubt in his heart had begun to sprout.

Unfortunately, the current Shen Siyuan was not the Shen Siyuan of his previous life, otherwise, he would have demanded a clear explanation right then and there.

After playing the part of the filial son for a while, Shen Siyuan noticed Yuan Muzhou’s ice-cold gaze. He felt apprehensive and hesitated before speaking softly. “Brother Yuan, if you are unhappy, you can tell me. Mother doesn’t know many of the details from the secret realm, so her words might be biased. I don’t want you to have misunderstandings over this.”

Yuan Muzhou gave him a cold look. “There was never a misunderstanding.”

Without another word, he ignored the stunned and hurt expression on Shen Siyuan’s face, flicked his sleeves, and walked away.

The White Jade Boat floated upon the clear green river, moving swiftly with the rolling waters. The lush green mountains on both banks flew past, offering a magnificent and vast view. The scent of vegetation mixed with the mist, bringing a refreshing crispness to the air.

Wen Su stood at the bow, one hand behind his back and the other resting lightly against his belt. His pale fingertips rubbed a uniquely shaped black-gold ring on his index finger.

It had been half a day since they boarded the boat. Once inside the cabin, Shen Junyu had begun focused cultivation, not sparing a single word for him. Wen Su felt a sense of pity but couldn’t bring himself to rush him. If Shen Junyu couldn’t successfully practice demonic cultivation, he wouldn’t be able to survive in the Demon Realm; he would be too easily exposed.

He could only wait patiently. The river wind tossed his black hair behind his silver mask. After waiting a while longer, he began to feel bored.

After a moment of thought, his dark eyes flickered. He flipped his palm, and a dozen wisps of red-black demonic energy appeared. With a flick of his finger, the wisps shot out, landing on the shore and transforming into tiny figures identical to Wen Su. They nimbly moved off in different directions.

As Wen Su closed his eyes, the scenes witnessed by those dozen little figures appeared simultaneously in his mind.

Inside the cabin, Shen Junyu was oblivious to these subtle changes. He was working hard to convert the excess spiritual energy in his body into demonic energy. He thought: Since the Golden Core isn’t easy to convert, surely converting a few wisps of demonic energy won’t be a problem? At least the last time he used it, the mark hadn’t reacted.

The conversion process was indeed smooth. After nearly half a day of effort, several dozen wisps of demonic energy with a black-gold luster gathered within him. At this moment, he didn’t know what this color signified in the Demon Race.

Though he had lived over a hundred years longer than most, he had no real concept of demon affairs. He simply assumed that different demonic cultivators had different colors and it wasn’t a big deal. However, the act of condensing energy was exhausting. By the end, Shen Junyu felt a slight strain.

He paused his work and opened his eyes. He merged the dozens of refined wisps into a single strand and summoned it. The black-gold demonic energy tumbled and danced in his palm, quite beautiful.

Wanting to test the results of his labor, he lifted the cabin curtain and flicked the strand of energy toward the rolling river.

In the next instant, a thunderous roar erupted. Waves towered as a wall of water as high as a man surged toward the White Jade Boat!

Shen Junyu was startled! With no time to react, he could only hurriedly pull the curtain shut and use his spiritual energy to press it firmly against the cabin wall.

Because Shen Junyu was inside, even though the boat was nearly capsized by the giant wave, he was only slightly damp. Wen Su, however, was in much worse shape. He was soaked from head to toe, his black hair clinging to his back in wet curls.

It wasn’t that Wen Su couldn’t dodge; he simply didn’t know what had happened and feared for Shen Junyu’s safety. He had used his power to suppress the wave and prevent the boat from flipping, which resulted in him being drenched.

Now, Shen Junyu looked at Wen Su’s handsome, water-streaked face. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a low, somewhat helpless voice. “I apologize. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

He reached out, intending to help Wen Su clear the water from his clothes. However, Wen Su didn’t notice the gesture. He simply shook his head and flicked his fingers; the moisture on his body evaporated instantly, returning him to his cool and elegant appearance.

Shen Junyu silently withdrew his hand.

After cleaning himself, Wen Su looked at Shen Junyu with curiosity, about to ask what he had been doing. Then he saw Shen Junyu discreetly pulling his hand back.

Wen Su’s brow twitched. After a long pause, he adjusted his expression and asked as if nothing had happened, “Were you practicing swordplay in the cabin? That was quite a commotion.”

Since Wen Su asked, Shen Junyu didn’t hide it and told him the truth. Wen Su was extremely surprised. “What does your demonic energy look like? Summon it for me to see.”

Shen Junyu complied. When the strand of black-gold demonic energy appeared, Wen Su’s dark pupils suddenly contracted. He looked at Shen Junyu with a look of suspicion and uncertainty. “You—”

“What is it?” Shen Junyu asked.

Wen Su pondered for a long time with a nuanced expression. “Are you actually the biological child of your parents?”

Shen Junyu went quiet for a moment. “Speaking of which, I had my doubts in my earlier years and performed a bloodline test. Regrettably, I am indeed their biological child.”

Wen Su was speechless. “That’s not what I meant.”

Shen Junyu smiled. “I know. But is there a problem with my demonic energy?”

Wen Su stared at the energy in his palm for a long time before shaking his head. “Perhaps it’s just a coincidence. However, once we reach the Demon Realm, you should avoid showing this energy to prevent unnecessary trouble. Fortunately, you can already manipulate it. I will find you a couple of handy demonic soul weapons so you won’t have to expose yourself.”

Shen Junyu knew this energy must be extraordinary. “I recall that in the Demon Race, purple energy is the most respected, followed by red and crimson. All other colors are considered miscellaneous. Is there something special about gold?”

Seeing that he was persistent, Wen Su did not hide the truth. After a moment of reflection, he spoke. “You should know that the Human, Demon, and Spirit races are all ‘God-abandoned people’ of the upper realm. We simply come from three different divine courts, hence the different names.”

Shen Junyu listened quietly.

“Tens of thousands of years ago, before the three races had fully occupied their respective territories and were still living together, the Demon Race produced a Heavenly Saint Sovereign.”

“I seem to have heard that name,” Shen Junyu said.

Wen Su nodded. “The Heavenly Saint Sovereign ascended from the Central State—or more accurately, he returned to his original divine court. His demonic energy was golden.”

Wen Su glanced at him again. “But the Heavenly Saint Sovereign left no descendants. If he had, it would be impossible for there to be no trace of them for tens of thousands of years.”

Shen Junyu, being as sharp as a needle, had already guessed a clue. Leaving no descendants doesn’t mean leaving no inheritance. The master of the mark was from the upper realm; perhaps…

However, he showed no outward sign of his thoughts.

Wen Su continued, “But one can never be sure. Perhaps your energy has simply mutated and has nothing to do with the Sovereign. After all, pure-blooded demonic cultivators have been rare for years. Most are of mixed blood, and I’ve seen demonic energy in every color of the rainbow.”

Shen Junyu suddenly laughed.

Wen Su looked at him with a nuanced gaze. Shen Junyu’s sense of humor is truly unconventional.

Just as Wen Su was about to offer more comfort, one of the tiny figures identical to him came skipping across the river water and jumped onto the boat. Wen Su realized there was important news and held out his palm. The little figure jumped up and whispered two sentences into his ear.

Wen Su’s expression was calm while listening, but it shifted slightly afterward. Shen Junyu watched the interaction without speaking, knowing the Demon Race had many unusual secret techniques.

Looking at Wen Su’s face, Shen Junyu finally asked, “Did something happen?”

Wen Su set the little figure down and remained quiet for a long time before looking at Shen Junyu. Finally, he spoke with an unreadable expression.

“The rumors of you being possessed have reached the Yuheng Sect. Your father—Shen Du—has publicly announced that he is severing his father-son relationship with you and expelling you from the sect.”

Wen Su watched Shen Junyu’s reaction closely. Shen Junyu’s expression turned cold. He lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Wen Su frowned, slightly regretting that he had shared the news so bluntly. Suddenly, the aura around Shen Junyu exploded. Golden light swirled around him in brilliant, overlapping layers!

Next, Shen Junyu slowly opened his eyes. Within his beautiful glazed pupils, a thick black-gold demonic energy flickered.

After a moment, he gave a slight chuckle. “Severing a father-son relationship once can increase my demonic energy by seventy percent.”

“I suddenly regret not taking on a few more adoptive fathers in other sects back then.”

Wen Su’s brow twitched violently.