Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

You Guys are Not Right!

The Gu family’s medical cultivators were busy treating Gu Jingping’s injuries. A guard turned to ask the nearest person, Gu An: “Who did this?”

Who did it? Gu An curled his lip in a half-mocking sneer. “How should I know?”

Almost everyone had joined the fray; for all they knew, it could have been someone from the Gu family itself. Heaven only knew if his arm was ruined by a single strike or if it collapsed under the cumulative weight of too many injuries.

Gu An didn’t understand it, truly.

At the time, they thought the attacks from the puddles came from the Qiu family, who had supposedly snatched the treasure first. But when the ground shattered and they looked up, they found not just the Qiu family, but a chaotic crowd.

Everyone there claimed the Water Spirit was in Gu Jingping’s hands, demanding he hand it over. Gu Jingping’s own behavior only served to confirm their suspicions.

Naturally, Gu An’s side had to help him first. They fought for a long, long time, losing many men. Finally, they found a gap, and several disciples escorted Gu Jingping out. But then, Gu Jingping reached into his sleeve and said the Water Spirit was gone.

Never mind whether outsiders believed him; the Gu disciples following him exploded instantly. Even Gu An felt that Gu Jingping was trying to keep it for himself.

They had barely escaped only to fall into internal strife. The pursuers caught up, and the fighting broke out all over again.

Gu An simply didn’t want to recall how he had spent his time in the secret realm.

He glanced at Gu Jingping. If it weren’t for the rumor that the Water Spirit was hidden in his left sleeve, Gu Jingping might have lost more than just one arm.

Well, let it be ruined. It meant one less person competing with him for the clan’s resources.

He smoothed back his messy hair, tidied his clothes, and found Gu Yunqi in the crowd, rushing over to check on him. “Yunqi, where did you go afterward? How did you get injured? Are you alright?”

Gu Yunqi: “I’m fine. The Immortal Lord and I must have fallen somewhere else and encountered a bit of trouble.”

Indeed, not everyone had fallen into the same spot when the ground collapsed. A small portion of people ended up elsewhere due to spatial fluctuations. Gu An: “Is that so? It’s good that you’re okay.”

The various families gathered their disciples and took a headcount. After providing emergency treatment to the severely wounded, they prepared to leave. At that moment, an argument broke out. Adhering to the principle that it’s a waste not to watch drama, everyone looked over. Two Gu disciples were blocking the Qiu family’s path.

They only dared to do this because they were now under the protection of more guards outside the secret realm.

“Qiu Shuilian injured our young master. You think you can just leave?”

“Oh?” Qiu Shuilian showed no fear, patting her clothes. “Ask around—how many people here laid a hand on him? In a secret realm, everyone relies on their own ability to snatch treasures. Which of your eyes saw me ruin his arm?”

These two disciples were personal guards handpicked by Gu Bu. Their duty was to protect Gu Jingping with their lives. Both were heavily injured, and now that Gu Jingping was maimed, they knew they would face severe consequences back home.

They had to find a way to provide an explanation.

“You were the fiercest when you attacked. You’re saying it wasn’t you?”

Qiu Shuilian laughed as if she’d heard a joke, pointing her finger: “Look at Bai Zilan—he hasn’t even wiped the blood off his clothes yet. I was the fiercest?”

Bai Zilan, who was currently wiping his blade, didn’t find the trouble annoying; instead, he looked eager to join in: “Right, right! I was the fiercest. Want to fight? I’m ready anytime.”

The two guards choked. They had no desire to provoke the madman of the Bai family.

Qiu Shuilian blew a whistle. A snake crawled from her sleeve and coiled affectionately around her neck. She sneered, “Could it be that you’re seeing the Qiu family came with fewer people today and think we’re ‘soft persimmons’ to squeeze? That’s why you dare block my path?”

That was exactly what they thought. If they needed a scapegoat, they would pick the easiest target. However, there were no rogue cultivators present that were easy to bully… wait, rogue cultivators?

The two finally realized what they had overlooked. Their gazes slowly shifted toward two figures, one in red and one in black.

Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen.

The two had been submerged in the crowd earlier, and the guards had almost forgotten them. Weren’t they the rogue cultivators who were originally following Gu Yunqi and Xie Lanting?

After coming out of the secret realm, Chen Zhushu had hurriedly found pants to put on while Ge Wen shielded him. Now, he came bouncing over to Xie Lanting’s side. “Immortal Lord, the secret realm was so much fun this time! Let’s go together again next time!”

Xie Lanting chuckled. “A secret realm isn’t for ‘playing’.”

Sir, those words have zero persuasiveness coming from you.

“The Sword Discussion Assembly is about to be held at Cangxing Mountain. I’m definitely going to check it out. Is the Immortal Lord going?”

“The Sword Discussion Assembly…”

Mid-sentence, Xie Lanting’s brow furrowed. He signaled Chen Zhushu to step back. The two disciples blocking the Qiu family had turned their sword tips and were pointing them toward them from afar. “If it wasn’t the Qiu family, then it must be these two rogue cultivators!”

Squeezing the soft persimmons—rogue cultivators had no backing and no background. They were certainly easier to handle than the Qiu family.

Xie Lanting smiled upon hearing this. “So eager to find a scapegoat? What, is Gu Bu going to skin you alive when you get back? You’re so scared you’ve started biting people at random?”

“Exactly!” Chen Zhushu was indignant. “I only slapped him a few times in the chaos. What does his arm injury have to do with me?”

He had simply found Gu Jingping’s words unpleasant and took the opportunity to teach him a lesson during the melee. He didn’t want to risk his life for treasures and saw no reason to go for a killing blow.

The two guards didn’t care anymore and began lying through their teeth. “Stop making excuses, it was you!” The sword tip pointed directly at Chen Zhushu. “I saw it with my own eyes!”

Chen Zhushu was a bright-looking youth who loved wearing fiery red clothes. He was fair-skinned with pure eyes; he looked like someone easy to bully.

Ge Wen’s face was almost as dark as his black clothes. He lifted his eyelids, and the sharp blade in his hand unsheathed.

The Gu family guards stationed outside the secret realm also stepped forward. “Is it really him?”

This time, the two personal guards weren’t changing their story. They stuck to it: “Yes, exactly!”

Xie Lanting gave them a faint look. “You might want to think about it again.”

Seeing the two guards remained adamant, the Gu family guards raised their weapons. “If these two are the ones who maimed… injured the young master, we must take them back to be dealt with by the Clan Head.”

“Yunqi,” Gu An said, “come over here quickly. Don’t let yourself get caught in the crossfire.”

Others added: “Gu Yunqi, do you intend to protect the people who injured the young master!?”

Gu Yunqi’s gaze swept coldly over the speakers. He said nothing and didn’t move an inch.

Xie Lanting thought: A bunch of idiots.

Anyone who had spent even a little time with Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen would know it was impossible for them not to have protectors. Even if they were truly rogue cultivators, they shouldn’t be framed as scapegoats.

The law of the jungle—what is weak, and what is strong?

By their own logic, if Gu Jingping was maimed, wasn’t it simply because his skills were inferior? Didn’t he deserve it?

In the tense atmosphere, Chen Zhushu suddenly smiled and clapped his hands. His manner of clapping carried a hint of Xie Lanting’s style; this kid really learned everything.

Chen Zhushu: “My old man told me to go out and see more of the world, saying that ‘when the forest is big, there are all kinds of birds.’ He wanted my little head to be filled with knowledge of diverse species. He wasn’t lying.”

Although Xie Lanting had pulled all sorts of stunts in the secret realm, he hadn’t harmed Chen Zhushu from start to finish. He had even let them gain many benefits. Now that he was willing to stand by Chen Zhushu, Ge Wen—who wasn’t blind—could see it.

He didn’t intend to let Xie Lanting solve the problem, nor did he plan to face a crowd alone.

Ge Wen stepped forward with his sword. His pupils suddenly turned reddish-gold, and a pair of green wings flared open behind his back. He let out a clear, piercing avian cry toward the sky, causing birds for miles around to cry out and fly in chaos.

The two Gu disciples who were determined to frame them felt their hearts skip a beat: A demonic cultivator!

Several cries pierced the sky in the distance as a swarm of birds flew toward them. These were no ordinary birds; their cultivation levels were high—each was a demonic cultivator. Ge Wen looked at them coldly: “Whoever wishes to be an enemy of the Young Lord of the Demon Realm today, feel free to try.”

The Young Lord of the Demon Realm!?

The Demon King’s legendary precious son!?

Chen Zhushu let out a squawk. “Aah! Senior Brother! Calling people here to intimidate them is enough—why did you have to announce our identities!? How am I supposed to play around low-key and happily after this!”

Although Ge Wen had his back to them, Xie Lanting had a feeling he was rolling his eyes with his golden pupils.

The Gu guards had wanted to pick on a soft persimmon, but they had kicked a massive iron plate instead. The crowd was now so engrossed in the drama they didn’t want to leave. Even Bai Zilan was watching with great interest, finding it as entertaining as a fight.

Xie Lanting looked at Chen Zhushu. Back then, the leader of the Skinning Tribe had set his sights on the Demon King’s son and ended up having his entire tribe wiped out. So the protagonist was Chen Zhushu?

But calculating the time, how old was Chen Zhushu then? Was he even fully grown enough for the Skinning leader to lose his mind over him?

Xie Lanting couldn’t help but voice his question.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhushu gave a “hai” and said: “Back then I couldn’t even take human form. I only found out after that incident that the Skinning Tribe were extreme ‘face-con’ (obsessed with looks), but their individual tastes varied. Their leader was specifically obsessed with ‘fluffies.’ He saw me once at a Demon Realm banquet and became fixated on my feathers.”

Chen Zhushu said indignantly: “How old was I then? My feathers weren’t even fully grown, and he was already dreaming of skinning me. Despicable!”

Feathers. Xie Lanting caught the keyword. “You are like your father—a Vermillion Bird?”

“Yes,” Chen Zhushu blinked. “Immortal Lord, you don’t seem surprised to know my identity?”

The crowd of human cultivators across from them were all stunned.

Xie Lanting: “Actually, I am very surprised.”

Although he had guessed at Chen Zhushu’s identity, who could have known that having a cup of tea at a tea stall would lead to meeting the Young Lord of the Demon Realm?

Logically, this was the kind of luck only a protagonist should have.

Chen Zhushu: “Really? I couldn’t tell. And Fellow Daoist Gu is very calm too. You two are what they call…” Chen Zhushu thought for a moment and smacked his palm with his fist. “A matching husband and wife look!”

Xie Lanting: “…Little Highness, that’s not how you use that term.”

“Aiyayaya, don’t call me ‘Highness.’ It’s so formal. ‘Fellow Daoist Chen’ is fine, but it’s even better if you call me Zhushu.”

As he spoke, Chen Zhushu pulled out two Feather Tokens and gave them to Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi. “If you two have time, come have some fun at the Sword Discussion Assembly. Use our slots—participate if you want, watch the show if you want.” Chen Zhushu turned and made a face at the Gu family. “Lulululu, stay mad!”

The Gu guards’ faces were naturally unsightly, but what could they do? Charge in and fight dozens of demonic cultivators?

Even if they could win, they didn’t dare make the decision for Gu Bu to offend the Demon King.

Ge Wen retracted his wings, nodded to Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi, and dragged Chen Zhushu away. As he was being pulled, Chen Zhushu shouted: “Hey, hey, wait a minute! I’m not finished!”

“Immortal Lord! Immortal Lord! I’ll go back and convince my dad to let me take you as my master! You must save a spot for me! It’s okay if you don’t want to take disciples for now, but whenever you do, don’t forget me!”

Chen Zhushu’s voice drifted down from the sky. Fearing Xie Lanting wouldn’t hear him, he shouted loudly enough for everyone present to hear.

What!? Immortal Lord Lanyue was going to take the Demon Realm Prince as a disciple!?

Everyone was shocked. Given the Demon King’s status and cultivation, it was impossible for him to find a useless master for his son. Could it be… Xie Lanting had found a way to recover his cultivation!?

Everyone had their own speculations. Since the show was over, they hurried back with their gains and the news. Qiu Shuilian had been polite to Xie Lanting in the secret realm, and now she was even more so. Before leaving, she made a respectful bow to him.

Bai Zilan, on the other hand, thought about how his Clan Head had always regretted not being able to fight Xie Lanting at his peak. Now he could go back and tell the Clan Head—maybe there was still a chance!

With different thoughts and interpretations, combined with word of mouth, within a few days, at least the following versions of the news would spread everywhere:

• Xie Lanting is taking the Demon Realm Prince as his disciple!
• Pass it on: Xie Lanting found a way to recover his cultivation in the Demon Realm and has taken the Demon King’s son!
• Pass it on: Xie Lanting will return to the Spirit Severing stage tomorrow and is joining the Demon Realm!

But that was a story for later.

The rest of the crowd dispersed. Xie Lanting held the Feather Token and smiled at the Gu family. “The feeling of having a backer is quite nice, isn’t it?”

Gu Jingping’s two personal guards looked pale, as if they already foresaw their fate upon returning to the Gu family.

Gu Yunqi finally deigned to show some concern for his cousin. “Is his arm really untreatable?”

The physician reflexively said, “Most likely not…” He realized who was talking to him and stopped. “Why am I telling you?”

Gu Yunqi: “My cousin is injured; it’s only right for me to ask.”

Then he sincerely hoped the physicians were right and that his arm was truly ruined.

This was only one arm; there was much more waiting for Gu Jingping in the future.

The Gu family’s trip to the secret realm resulted in nearly half of their disciples being lost. Aside from those killed in fights, others had fallen into traps and never made it out.

Not everyone had Gu Yunqi’s luck—he would find an opportunity even in the wake of danger. For some, there was only bad luck.

While the other Gu disciples had poor harvests, Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi had gained a lot. Not only did they take all three treasures of the secret realm, but they also had the “guiding fees” collected from various cultivators at the beginning. They had truly made a fortune; the trip was not in vain.

…

By the time they returned to the Gu family, it was already late. Having been away for several days, the room needed some tidying. Gu Yunqi didn’t let the secret guards do it; he cleaned the room himself. It was roughly the time Xie Lanting usually rested.

Xie Lanting had changed into a fresh set of clothes. He had suggested throwing away the pants and shoes he had worn and buying new ones for Gu Yunqi, but Gu Yunqi said he liked that set and that they could still be worn after washing.

The clothes were eventually reclaimed by Gu Yunqi.

Xie Lanting sat at the table, showing no sign of wanting to lie down. Gu Yunqi: “Immortal Lord?”

“Ah, it’s already this hour.” Xie Lanting put down his empty teacup. “I don’t feel like sleeping yet today. I’ll go practice my sword; you go ahead and rest.”

Xie Lanting took his sword and went out. Gu Yunqi picked up the teapot on the table and found it was empty. In the short time Xie Lanting had been sitting, he had already drunk an entire pot of water.

But he was still very thirsty.

Xie Lanting stood in the courtyard. Drinking a pot of tea had no effect; his throat was still incredibly parched, accompanied by a burning sensation. The spiritual energy in his meridians didn’t feel right either.

Xie Lanting prepared to swing his sword to reorganize his meridians. He stayed within the small courtyard, not releasing his spiritual energy externally, but slowly controlling it within his body.

He practiced his sword in the courtyard, making no attempt to hide from others; naturally, anyone could observe. Gu Yunqi leaned against the doorframe, watching. Unconsciously, he became entranced. Even the secret guards poked their heads out, immersed in Xie Lanting’s sword moves.

Even with the spiritual energy restrained, the sword momentum was still piercingly sharp. Every move was exquisite; the sword and the person were as one. The soft moonlight transformed into a cold glint on his blade, piercing the silence of the night.

Gu Yunqi suddenly really wanted to see the scene when Xie Lanting first chose his immortal title.

That story was also widely discussed.

It was said that when Xie Lanting had just reached the Spirit Severing stage, he had an epiphany. After the lightning tribulation, he danced with his sword directly over a lake.

The thunderclouds in the sky dispersed, revealing a bright silver moon. He stepped through the moonlight reflecting on the lake; as his robes fluttered, he seemed to blend into the boundless moonlight.

Seeing such beauty, his master said: “Why not call you ‘Lanyue’ (Grasping the Moon)?”

If the story was true, Gu Yunqi thought, the scene must have been incomparably beautiful.

After Xie Lanting finished one round, his spiritual energy seemed a bit smoother. He pressed his hand to his throat; he was still thirsty. Seeing this, Gu Yunqi handed him some tea. Xie Lanting took it: “Thanks.”

Xie Lanting drank the tea in one gulp. “Strange, why am I so thirsty today?”

Gu Yunqi blinked. “Wait a moment, Immortal Lord. There is more tea; I’ll pour some for you.”

He went back into the room, thought for a moment at the table, and switched to brewing a pot of black tea. He sliced his fingertip, added blood into the cup, smoothed over the wound on his finger, and brought the blood-infused tea out to Xie Lanting.

Xie Lanting suspected nothing. After drinking it, he said, “Did you change the tea? The aftertaste is sweet, different from before. Not bad.”

Blood had been added to the tea, and not just a drop or two—at least half the bottom of the cup. The tea was small in volume; if his sense of taste was normal, it couldn’t possibly taste good.

Yet Xie Lanting’s picky palate hadn’t detected it; he even said it tasted good.

Gu Yunqi said calmly, “Yes, I switched to brewing with Red Lingzhi.”

Xie Lanting: “No wonder I feel a warmth in my stomach, flowing toward my limbs.”

…This was even stranger, because it was just ordinary black tea.

Even the thirst in his throat felt much better. Xie Lanting licked his lips. “Two more cups.”

For the next two cups, Gu Yunqi did not add blood. Xie Lanting suddenly felt the tea wasn’t as fragrant. How strange—brewed from the same pot, yet the taste was so different?

Gu Yunqi said, “Maybe my brewing method wasn’t right. I’ll look into it later.”

Xie Lanting nodded, not thinking much of it, and continued practicing in the courtyard. Gu Yunqi went back inside and tidied up the teapot and cups. Chu Qi, standing by his side, had naturally seen Gu Yunqi’s previous action of dripping blood.

He didn’t quite approve. “Young Master, why did you do that?”

The two were communicating via secret transmission, so the Xie Lanting outside couldn’t hear. Gu Yunqi rubbed his fingers. “The Immortal Lord seems to like my blood.”

Chu Qi was shocked. “Isn’t that very terrifying!?”

Gu Yunqi murmured absently, “Isn’t it very good?”

The two spoke almost simultaneously, then both paused and looked at each other in silence.

Chu Qi swallowed. “…Young Master, personally, I feel this is not quite right.”

Gu Yunqi: “Yes, I still need to look into the problems with the Immortal Lord’s body.”

Chu Qi: …No, that’s not the part I meant…

He suddenly felt that regarding the relationship between Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi, were they worrying in the wrong direction?

Gu Yunqi washed the teacup once. “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

In any other matter, Chu Qi would believe Gu Yunqi when he said that. But in matters concerning Xie Lanting, why did he find it so hard to believe?

…

Xie Lanting originally only intended to use the sword practice to smooth out his meridians. But the “feel” was too good, and both his body and consciousness became immersed in the sword moves. Just as meditation makes one lose track of time, he practiced until a whole night had passed.

When the first ray of light pierced the sky and the horizon grew dim, Xie Lanting finally pulled himself out of the selfless state. He executed the final move and slowly retracted his sword.

His meridians were no longer acting up, and his throat was no longer thirsty. He was about to let out a comfortable breath when he suddenly froze mid-way.

As everyone knew, after his cultivation plummeted, Xie Lanting fell directly from Spirit Severing to the middle stage of Golden Core. During his recovery, it had been difficult enough just to maintain his realm and prevent it from falling further.

However, at this very moment, Xie Lanting clearly felt his aura surge upward—he had actually reached the late stage of Golden Core!

He stood in place in disbelief. Why? He just practiced with his sword?

Gu Yunqi naturally sensed the change in Xie Lanting’s cultivation as well. His shock was no less than Xie Lanting’s. He immediately retreated into the room, drew a little more blood, mixed it with water, and let Chu Qi try it.

Chu Qi shook his head frantically. “Young Master, I’ve never heard of the Gu family bloodline having this effect. If it did, wouldn’t the cultivation world have gone crazy trying to snatch us!?”

“We have to be sure; everyone is different,” Gu Yunqi said. “Drink it and then go cultivate to see the effect.”

Chu Qi thought about it—what if the Young Master had an extraordinary talent they hadn’t discovered? So he endured the taste and drank the blood-flavored “tea.” One thing was for sure: he certainly didn’t find the water sweet.

After drinking it, Chu Qi concealed himself and went to find a place to cultivate.

Xie Lanting walked back into the room from the courtyard with questions. Gu Yunqi was sincerely happy for him: “Immortal Lord, congratulations. Your cultivation has advanced!”

Growth in cultivation was a good thing, but the weight of his questions kept Xie Lanting from feeling much joy.

He gave a wry smile. “Thanks. But I’d rather figure out the reason. You should know that since I was injured, I’ve tried countless methods and sought all sorts of ways, all with zero effect.”

He had thought there was no hope left, but now things had taken an unexpected turn. Yet, he had no idea which way the path was actually going.

He couldn’t figure it out, so he simply began meditating again, searching for clues within his sea of consciousness.

On this matter, Gu Yunqi had more of an inkling than he did. But there were still too many uncertain factors; it wouldn’t be too late to tell Xie Lanting after he had tested it.

Was it his blood that was unusual, or Xie Lanting’s body? Or… did it have to be the two of them together—would it not work with anyone else?