I Reborn on the Night I Divorced the Sword Deity, My Childhood Friend - Chapter 35

Although the Nine Nether Demon Lord had deliberately tried to conceal it, Shen Junyu still detected his joy regarding the matter.

Beyond the surprise, Shen Junyu’s perception of the Nine Nether Demon Lord shifted. He felt that the person before him was no longer the high and mighty, temperamental Demon Lord of old, but a normal demonic cultivator with loves, hates, and a distinct personality.

Unconsciously, the psychological defenses Shen Junyu once held against him began to dissolve.

Thinking this, Shen Junyu glanced at the Nine Nether Demon Lord, who was leaning his head on his hand in deep thought. As he tucked away the white jade slips from the table, he spoke a few comforting words.

“I have observed the hexagrams. The other party is not indifferent toward you, Demon Lord. You do not need to be too proactive; simply go with the flow.”

“Is that so?”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord looked over again. This time, his gaze was thick and profound. The intensity of his scrutiny made Shen Junyu feel slightly uncomfortable.

However, Shen Junyu never lied when reading hexagrams. Composing himself, he nodded composedly. “It is indeed so. I would not dare deceive the Demon Lord.”

Gazing at Shen Junyu’s indifferent and calm profile, the Nine Nether Demon Lord suddenly raised an eyebrow. “However, I feel that he does not seem to like me that much. Are you sure you did not misread it?”

Shen Junyu was puzzled.

Even if he felt the Nine Nether Demon Lord had become more human, it did not mean he wanted to discuss the Demon Lord’s future romantic prospects with him.

After a moment of deliberation, Shen Junyu finished putting away the jade slips and said subtly, “Please forgive my ignorance. I have never truly been in love or made a lifelong promise to anyone. If my previous judgment was incorrect, I ask for your forgiveness.”

This time, it was the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s turn to be surprised.

After a silence, he asked with feigned casualness, “What about the Young Sect Leader of the Sword Sect?”

Shen Junyu had not expected that a grand Demon Lord could be so fond of gossip.

However, sensing no malice from the Nine Nether Demon Lord, and knowing that his feelings for Yuan Muzhou were truly a thing of the past, he thought for a moment. He lowered his eyes and said calmly, “He and I were childhood friends, and we had reached the age for marriage. Among everyone around us, I was the most suitable match for him, so the engagement was set.”

“If we are talking about feelings, it was more like being close friends or family.”

As for the entanglements of his previous life, they were mostly due to that mistaken cultivation partnership contract. Toward the end, Shen Junyu’s feelings for Yuan Muzhou were supported only by thin, youthful illusions.

Yuan Muzhou, on the other hand, had directly moved his affections elsewhere.

They had never even truly known one another’s hearts; how could they speak of being in love or making lifelong promises?

At this moment, the Nine Nether Demon Lord quietly watched Shen Junyu’s calm, almost cold, yet gentle face as he lowered his eyelashes. Suddenly, he stopped speaking.

The atmosphere in the cabin fell silent once again.

Shen Junyu did not find it strange; he had long since grown accustomed to the Demon Lord’s fluctuating moods.

After a while, he remembered something and naturally turned to lift the cabin curtain and look out the window.

The bright moon was high again, the river flowed slowly, and in the distance, the edge of the land was vaguely visible.

Shen Junyu watched for a moment then withdrew his gaze. “Demon Lord, we are about to reach the Central Plains. It would be best if we altered our appearances, otherwise,” Shen Junyu paused, choosing more tactful wording, “the Demon Lord’s appearance is far too striking. It would be extremely easy for people to recognize you.”

This light compliment from Shen Junyu happened to strike a chord with the Nine Nether Demon Lord.

Coming back to himself, the Demon Lord gave a faint smile. “Rest assured, I know what I am doing. However, your disguise is a bit too crude; any ordinary expert could see through it.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Junyu felt a slight chill. But then he thought better of it. Since the Nine Nether Demon Lord already knew his identity and had his own beloved, there was no need to hide his true face so strictly from him.

After a moment’s thought, Shen Junyu simply raised his hand to dissolve the disguise. “Since the Demon Lord has a superior method for disguises, could you teach me?”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord had not expected Shen Junyu to suddenly remove his disguise. For a moment, his gaze fell upon Shen Junyu’s face, which was as bright as the moon and as pure as mountain snow. He unconsciously became dazed for a second.

After a long while, under Shen Junyu’s somewhat subtle gaze, he inconspicuously regained his composure. “It is a mere disguise. Come here, and I will redo it for you.”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord returned to his initial indifference. Shen Junyu did not think much of it and stood up to sit properly in front of him.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord’s gaze lingered on Shen Junyu’s jade-like profile for a moment, feeling somewhat reluctant to let go. However, to avoid raising suspicion, he quickly withdrew his eyes.

He raised his palm and slowly summoned a drop of Mirage Dragon blood from his storage ring.

Seeing this drop of Mirage Dragon blood, Shen Junyu’s memory was suddenly triggered. A wave of suspicion rose in his heart. In fact, over the last two days when the Nine Nether Demon Lord was guiding his cultivation, he had felt something was fishy, but at the time, he just thought the Demon Lord was well-read and knowledgeable.

Thinking about it now, could it be another kind of coincidence?

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was indifferent to Shen Junyu’s expression; he had done this intentionally.

Since it was not convenient to speak directly, he had to use these minor methods to remind Shen Junyu.

Furthermore, the way the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s fingers formed the seals made Shen Junyu feel even more familiar. As he watched those beautiful, bony hands from a close distance, his suspicion grew.

Yet, he could not very well interrupt the Demon Lord, so he could only endure it in silence.

Finally, the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s slightly calloused fingertips gently brushed against the side of Shen Junyu’s face.

However, so much time had passed that Shen Junyu could no longer clearly remember the texture of Wen Su’s skin. He could only lower his eyelashes quietly with an unexplainable confusion.

He did not know that a pair of cyan-gold eyes was currently wandering across his face almost wantonly.

It was as if he wanted to permanently etch Shen Junyu’s undisguised face into his heart.

After fifteen minutes, the disguise was finally complete.

Shen Junyu slowly looked up at the Nine Nether Demon Lord. Under the Demon Lord’s smiling gaze, which held a hint of expectation, he hesitated for a long time before asking, “Demon Lord, have you known my sworn brother, Wen Su, for a long time?”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was silent.

After a long pause, he said indifferently, “Why do you ask that?”

The way the Nine Nether Demon Lord answered the question immediately allowed Shen Junyu to catch a subtle hint.

Almost instantly, Shen Junyu reached a conclusion.

He did not ask further, as he finally had the answer to the special treatment he had received previously.

He was truly foolish. The names of the two were so similar, yet he had not even suspected a thing.

It was only natural for a sworn elder brother to worry about his younger brother’s choice of friends.

Moreover, his previous actions had indeed been too suspicious; it was inevitable that the Nine Nether Demon Lord would be skeptical.

Thinking of this, Shen Junyu’s heart surged with a complex yet warm emotion.

Wen Su must have fought hard on his behalf in front of the Nine Nether Demon Lord. The Demon Lord likely rejected him many times, leading to the misunderstandings and friction in between.

And Wen Su himself was a man of few words, someone who did not even like to trouble others with his own affairs.

To do all this for him was truly thoughtful.

Coming back to his senses, Shen Junyu raised his hands and performed a deep bow toward the Nine Nether Demon Lord. However, halfway through, he was caught in mid-air by the Demon Lord’s power.

“Did I not say that I do not like these empty formalities? What exactly were you just thinking about?”

Shen Junyu went quiet for a moment before standing up. “If the Demon Lord does not wish for others to know of your relationship with Brother Wen, Wen Yu can swear to keep his lips sealed.”

“What?” the Nine Nether Demon Lord asked.

Shen Junyu, however, misunderstood. “It was a slip of the tongue. I shall not mention it again.”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was speechless.

It looked as though the Demon Lord was about to lose his temper.

But after a moment, he seemed to think of something. A subtle light flashed in his beautiful cyan-gold eyes, and he suddenly said calmly, “I am not angry about that.”

Shen Junyu was confused.

“We have reached human territory. There is no need for you to refer to yourself as ‘this subordinate’ with every word.”

Shen Junyu’s heart stirred.

“Since you consider Wen Su your sworn brother, I suppose having one more brother would not hurt.”

“In the future, you may call me whatever you call him.”

Hearing the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s statement, Shen Junyu was extremely surprised. But upon reflecting, he felt that since the secret was out, the Demon Lord no longer bothered to hide it.

A sworn brother who could follow him to the human realm for the sake of his younger brother’s friend must be a good-hearted demon despite his cold exterior.

So, after a slight pause, Shen Junyu said, “Very well, Brother.”

“Mhm,” the Nine Nether Demon Lord replied.

When Shen Junyu looked at the Nine Nether Demon Lord again, his expression was noticeably more candid and softer than before.

Seeing this, although the Nine Nether Demon Lord felt helpless, he knew this was the only way for the time being.

Yuhang Sect

The arrival of Yuan Muzhou and Yun Suyi at the Yuhang Sect surprised many disciples.

Originally, many thought the Yuhang Sect would collapse after Shen Junyu’s betrayal, but now it seemed Yun Suyi and Shen Siyuan were capable indeed.

A single trip to the Sword Sect had managed to appease Yuan Muzhou.

For a time, many disciples who had been thinking of leaving set those thoughts aside and hurried to take the opportunity to curry favor with Yuan Muzhou.

Yun Suyi naturally saw through the intentions of these disciples. Her gaze darkened. After dismissing them all, she looked at Yuan Muzhou and said, “Muzhou, come with me. Siyuan’s quarters are this way.”

Yuan Muzhou suddenly asked, “I recall your sect’s Disciple Hall is to the west?”

The Disciple Hall was generally the place where the soul lamps and nameplates of elite disciples were kept, and where monthly stipends were managed.

Yun Suyi was unaware that Shen Du had secretly used the soul lamp to threaten Yuan Muzhou. Shen Du always hid his more insidious actions from Yun Suyi; after all, in his eyes, she was sometimes too merciful and he feared she might ruin his plans.

So, when Yuan Muzhou asked, Yun Suyi did not understand his intent. Thinking he was simply interested in seeing it, she smiled accommodatingly. “Yes, it is in the west. Why? Does Muzhou wish to see it?”

Yuan Muzhou’s expression did not change. He only said, “Let us go take a look.”

Suspecting nothing, Yun Suyi led Yuan Muzhou there.

Upon arriving at the Disciple Hall, Yuan Muzhou further requested to see the inner hall.

Yun Suyi hesitated for a moment but agreed.

Now, the two stood inside the inner hall of the Disciple Hall, which was filled with countless soul lamps.

Yuan Muzhou’s gaze immediately fell upon the few soul lamps in the very center.

There were those of Shen Du, Yun Suyi, and the two Shen brothers.

The soul lamps of Shen Du, Yun Suyi, and Shen Siyuan were full of oil, and the lamps were polished until they gleamed.

Only Shen Junyu’s lamp was nearly dry of oil, and the lamp itself was covered in dust. However, the flame within remained exceptionally bright and full of life.

Seeing Yuan Muzhou’s current gaze, Yun Suyi assumed he was looking at Shen Siyuan’s soul lamp, and her habit of seeking favor immediately surfaced.

“Muzhou, you have no idea. During the time Siyuan was ill, we immediately changed his soul lamp oil to the best quality. It is refined from the blood of the East Sea Flood Dragon and can nourish his soul constantly so he does not suffer too much.”

“If it were not for the fact that my husband and I have limited strength, we would not have been willing to send him to the Sword Sect to seek your help.”

Hearing this, Yuan Muzhou finally turned his gaze back. “Soul lamp oil can nourish the soul?”

Yun Suyi took the opportunity to boast with a smile. “Yes, it is a secret technique of our Yuhang Sect. It can even assist in cultivation.”

Hearing this, Yuan Muzhou slowly withdrew his cold gaze. In his previous life, he had not known a single thing about this.

In his past life, while he was busy traveling to find a cure for Shen Junyu, Shen Junyu’s soul lamp had been brought to the Sword Sect by an elder. Not a single person had mentioned this to him.

He suddenly felt a chill run through his body.

For a split second, he felt as if his rebirth might be a hallucination, and that those hundred years might have just been a dream.

How many more things were there that he did not know?

But Yuan Muzhou could not ask now. He knew that once he asked, these people would become suspicious and begin to lie to him.

Otherwise, how could they have successfully deceived him for an entire century in his past life?

Therefore, he only said, “I will be taking the soul lamps of both Junyu and Siyuan today.”

Yun Suyi was startled. “This is unexpected.”

Yuan Muzhou looked at her indifferently. “Junyu is my fiancé, and Siyuan will be staying at the Sword Sect in the future. Since Aunt Yun wishes for me to take good care of them, it is not unreasonable for me to take the soul lamps.”

Yun Suyi hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth. “I shall go inform my husband.”

“If you are unwilling, then go to the Sword Sect and bring Siyuan back.”

Yun Suyi was deeply shaken. She looked at Yuan Muzhou with an expression of disbelief.

Yuan Muzhou said nothing more, simply staring at her quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, Yun Suyi finally yielded.

She had never imagined that Yuan Muzhou’s goal in coming here was Shen Junyu’s soul lamp. She thought only Shen Siyuan was important and that Shen Junyu was just an afterthought.

Just like that, with a flick of his sleeve in front of Yun Suyi, Yuan Muzhou took the two soul lamps.

Then, having no intention of making small talk with her, he took the lamps and bid her farewell.

Belatedly, Yun Suyi realized that Yuan Muzhou had come specifically for the soul lamps this time, and everything he said before was merely an excuse.

She felt she had been deceived, yet she did not know Yuan Muzhou’s true purpose, nor did she dare to stop him. Even though Yuan Muzhou was a junior, he was the Young Sect Leader of the Sword Sect. If a single hair on his head were harmed, the Sword Sect elders would never let the Yuhang Sect off.

Gritting her teeth, Yun Suyi waited until Yuan Muzhou had departed before taking out a communication jade slip to inform Shen Du. She hoped Shen Du would make a judgment on the matter; if he felt it was nothing, she would not bother with it further.

At that moment, Yuan Muzhou stood upon the deck of the flying ship returning to the Sword Sect.

He had thrown Shen Siyuan’s soul lamp into his storage ring, but he had kept Shen Junyu’s soul lamp out.

He gazed for a long while at the soul lamp, which was covered in dust and grime. Despite his usual obsession with cleanliness, he did not show a hint of distaste. He raised his sleeve and began to carefully wipe away the dirt from the lamp’s surface, bit by bit.

Once the soul lamp was polished anew, Yuan Muzhou silently retrieved a bottle of Beast King Essence Blood from his storage ring and poured it all into the lamp.

As the Beast King Essence Blood entered the lamp, the flame within suddenly surged upward, becoming incredibly bright.

Gazing at the growing flame, the frost-like expression that had been locked on Yuan Muzhou’s face finally thawed slightly.

He now vaguely understood that he had missed and misunderstood too many things in his previous life.

But he could not see Shen Junyu now, nor could he contact him. He could only do his best to make some small amends.

However, if Shen Du and Yun Suyi were such two-faced hypocrites, what about Shen Siyuan?

Had Shen Siyuan ever lied to him?

How much of that so-called sincerity was genuine?

Yuan Muzhou did not dare to look too deeply into it.

In his past life, he had always felt that Shen Junyu was fragile and lacked strength. But after seeing Shen Siyuan’s behavior the other day, he realized how narrow-minded and selfish he had been.

Thinking of this, Yuan Muzhou slowly closed his eyes.

The white jade boat reached the shore.

Two figures stepped out from the vessel, one dressed in black and the other in white. Both had unremarkable, plain appearances.

They were, of course, the disguised Shen Junyu and the Nine Nether Demon Lord.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord glanced at the surrounding scenery and said, “Will you lead the way?”

Shen Junyu gave a silent smile and was about to speak when a strange energy suddenly surged from within his body.

His aura instantly rose by a level.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was surprised. “Did you just have an epiphany?”

Shen Junyu frowned slightly, trying to find the source of this strange energy within himself, but it remained untraceable.

Thinking it over, he attributed it to the mark and said, “Yes.”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord replied subtly, “To have an epiphany while simply walking, you truly possess quite a bit of talent.”

Now that Shen Junyu was familiar with the Nine Nether Demon Lord, he had grown accustomed to his occasional sarcasm and did not take the bait. He looked around and said, “From here to the Yuhang Sect, flying by sword is the fastest way. Both the water and land routes are too slow. Brother, shall we fly by sword?”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord paused for a moment. “I do not have a sword.”

Shen Junyu was puzzled.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord looked at Shen Junyu candidly. “Why do you look at me like that? I am a Demon Lord; what I possess are demonic soul weapons. I could take one out, but are you sure you want to be hunted down by everyone who sees it?”

In truth, he could have simply traveled by riding the wind, though it would require a bit of effort.

But he intentionally did not mention it.

Shen Junyu assumed that the Nine Nether Demon Lord was used to traveling in grand style. Since he had finally come out with him, it would be too pathetic to make him fly by wind on his own. Shen Junyu felt he could not allow that.

After a thought, Shen Junyu said, “If you do not mind, Brother, I will carry you on my sword.”

The Nine Nether Demon Lord’s eyes flickered slightly.

“Very well.”

Since the Phoenix Feather Sword was too recognizable, Shen Junyu took an ordinary spiritual sword from his storage ring. He let the Nine Nether Demon Lord step onto it first before he took off.

The wind whistled past, and Shen Junyu’s robes occasionally brushed against the Nine Nether Demon Lord.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord went quiet for a moment and subtly moved a step forward.

Sensing this, Shen Junyu paused and said, “Brother, if you are afraid of losing your balance, you may hold onto my shoulder.”

The words had barely left his mouth before the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s hand came to rest on Shen Junyu’s shoulder.

Shen Junyu felt a strange sensation, but thinking of the Demon Lords in the Demonic Realm who stepped on their subordinates’ shoulders and backs just to disembark from a carriage, he let it go.

The long sword streaked across the sky, riding the wind.

As they flew, Shen Junyu suddenly felt a very subtle premonition.

He immediately looked up in a certain direction.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord said opportunely, “There is a flying ship. There is only one Nascent Soul cultivator on board, so it is of no concern.”

Shen Junyu regained his composure, realizing that the Nine Nether Demon Lord had already detected the potential danger. He stopped worrying about it and continued flying forward.

The clouds ahead thinned, and finally, Shen Junyu saw the shadow of the flying ship.

Initially, after hearing the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s words, he had paid it no mind. Now, he merely cast a casual glance toward it.

However, with just one look, Shen Junyu’s clear, glazed eyes constricted slightly.

Yuan Muzhou?

How could it be him?

But the shock was only on the surface; Shen Junyu quickly regained his calm. Yet, at that exact moment, Yuan Muzhou on the ship seemed to sense something and looked over.

Shen Junyu frowned. Although he was disguised, he still wanted to avoid him.

It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

In the next instant, a long, powerful arm naturally wrapped around his waist from behind. The figure turned slightly to block the space between him and Yuan Muzhou, completely shielding him from Yuan Muzhou’s sight.

With the rustle of fabric, the two were almost completely pressed together. Shen Junyu was now leaning entirely into the Nine Nether Demon Lord’s embrace, and he could faintly smell that familiar scent of a hundred flowers.

Shen Junyu was shaken. Why would the Nine Nether Demon Lord do this?

Just then, the Nine Nether Demon Lord leaned in close, pressing his lips to Shen Junyu’s ear, and whispered in an unreadable tone, “What a coincidence. You have run into that heartless former fiancé of yours. Shall I kill him for you?”

As the Nine Nether Demon Lord spoke, his warm breath fell upon Shen Junyu’s white ear, causing a slight itch.

But the content of his words made Shen Junyu’s brow twitch.

He soon realized the Nine Nether Demon Lord was helping him stay hidden. After a moment of silence, he said softly, “There is no need. Yuan Muzhou’s soul lamp is in the Sword Sect’s Elder Hall. If he dies, it will cause too much commotion and might affect the balance between the two races.”

“Oh,” the Nine Nether Demon Lord replied. “A pity.”

Immediately after, he looked up indifferently and intentionally glanced toward Yuan Muzhou.

Yuan Muzhou happened to be looking over as well.

He had been thinking of Shen Junyu when he suddenly saw two cultivators flying by sword. One of them, a white-clad cultivator, had an ordinary appearance, yet somehow possessed an aura that felt strangely familiar to him.

Just as he could not help but take a second look, the other cultivator in black deliberately moved closer in an intimate gesture, blocking his view, and gave him a cold, provocative glare.

It was as if he were mocking Yuan Muzhou for coveting another person’s partner, an open show of dominance.

Yuan Muzhou was speechless.

As the Young Sect Leader of the Sword Sect, he was always pursued and admired. When had he ever been treated this way? Especially by two seemingly ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators?

If it had been before, he would never have bothered with such things.

But today, the frustration he had accumulated over these past few days reached a peak.

Finally, he could not restrain himself and said in a deep voice, “Friends, please stay your path.”

Shen Junyu had thought the matter was over and never expected Yuan Muzhou to call them back. His eyes darkened, and he had no intention of entertaining him. Instead, he increased his speed, streaking past the flying ship.

This move further ignited the nameless fire in Yuan Muzhou’s heart, and it certainly made them seem more suspicious.

Yuan Muzhou’s gaze turned icy. Without a word, he released a flash of sword light, striking directly in front of Shen Junyu’s spiritual sword to block their path.

In the next instant, a strange cyan-gold light erupted, violently shattering Yuan Muzhou’s sword qi.

Yuan Muzhou was stunned.

The spiritual sword stopped.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord stood behind Shen Junyu, one hand resting on Shen Junyu’s shoulder and the other still wrapped boldly around his waist. His robes fell in a way that practically encircled Shen Junyu in his embrace.

Now, he turned his narrow, beautiful eyes toward Yuan Muzhou and mocked, “What is this? Does someone with so little skill want to try their hand at robbery?”

Yuan Muzhou’s expression changed once again.

Immediately, he said coldly, “It is clearly the two of you who are acting suspiciously and were the first to provoke me. Are you now trying to play the victim?”

Shen Junyu had not seen the provocative look the Nine Nether Demon Lord had given Yuan Muzhou earlier. Hearing Yuan Muzhou’s words, he felt that Yuan Muzhou was becoming increasingly unreasonable. He frowned at Yuan Muzhou and said, “Does the Young Master of the Sword Sect also lie through his teeth? We were simply traveling; when did we ever provoke you?”

“You should ask your partner that,” Yuan Muzhou replied.

Shen Junyu was confused.

He went silent for a moment, then looked at the Nine Nether Demon Lord.

The Nine Nether Demon Lord was quite ready to take responsibility. With a faint smile playing on his lips, he said calmly, “Just now, a certain Young Sect Leader’s eyes were practically glued to my partner. Is it not normal for me to feel some dissatisfaction?”

Shen Junyu was speechless.