The Beautiful Pariah Thought He Could Be Loved - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: Do You Hate He Lüqing?

The words of the Lingxiao Hall disciple were vague and ambiguous, causing an inexplicable sense of dread to rise within Xin Qishu. A very dark place?

Xin Qishu’s heart wavered. His expression was no longer as bright as before, replaced by a touch of melancholy that added a different kind of charm to his features. “How much for these two bottles of pills?”

“Since we have an affinity, they are free.”

“Then why did that one cost money?” Xin Qishu pointed to the first porcelain bottle he had picked up, which sat quietly against the blue cloth.

The disciple smiled. “That one isn’t for your own use. Naturally, I have to charge a fee.”

Did he calculate the matter with Ye Qing? Xin Qishu stared at the person’s face for a few moments, but he still couldn’t see those eyes clearly. He offered his thanks, tucked the bottles away, and left.

The night was thick, staining the scenery with clusters of black mist. Xin Qishu and Yang Li strolled deep into the woods. A small river, shimmering with scales of white light under the moon, flowed slowly by.

They chatted idly. Following their previous exchange, the two had become much more familiar with one another. Xin Qishu’s mind was still heavy with the words of the Lingxiao Hall disciple, leaving him in a somber mood. However, he wanted to spend a little more time with Yang Li; if he missed this chance, there might not be another meeting.

His former obsession with friendship had long been buried under other emotions, leaving only a faint trace behind.

He asked, “Are you competing in tomorrow’s match as well?”

“No, I’m just here to watch.” Yang Li’s movements were stiff as he looked straight ahead. “There’s no need to compete with them.”

Yang Li kicked a pebble at his feet, his eyes flickering as if he wanted to speak but hesitated. In his peripheral vision, Xin Qishu’s face was like a jade plate, his eyes staring blankly at the path ahead, looking sorrowful and lost. Yang Li felt a sharp pang of heartache.

Xin Qishu suddenly moved. Before Yang Li could look away, their gazes collided. One was somewhat embarrassed, while the other looked on with doting obsession.

As they ventured deeper, the voices of others drifted further away, sounding as if they were muffled by a thin membrane. Yang Li’s long hair was tied high, revealing his handsome features. His bright eyes gazed intensely at Xin Qishu as he whispered, “You seem so like a stranger like this.”

Xin Qishu opened his mouth slightly. Through Yang Li’s eyes, he saw the other man’s heart. It felt as if a butterfly had flown from those eyes into his own soul, causing ripples of numbness.

He was deeply shaken—both by Yang Li’s feelings and his own. At the moment their eyes met, he remembered his former self; he had once looked at someone else with that exact same expression.

What did He Lüqing feel when he saw me like that back then? Distress surged again. Xin Qishu closed his eyes for a few moments, suppressing the emotions in his heart.

Stop being curious. It’s all in the past. It all has to pass.

Since Yang Li didn’t point it out, Xin Qishu turned his head away in a fluster, his hair falling messily by his ears as he reached out to tuck it back.

“Do you hate He Lüqing?” Yang Li finally voiced the question, rarely using He Lüqing’s full name.

Xin Qishu lowered his head, watching the dry branches creaking beneath his feet. Emotional wounds cannot be erased, but as for hate…

The word “hate” carried an emotion too intense. Xin Qishu felt he didn’t have such grand emotional swings at the moment. He felt more numb than anything. The true emotions between him and He Lüqing were like they had been frozen in ice; the passion had cooled, and the feelings were suppressed, spoiling in the silence. He didn’t know when they would thaw and surge once more.

Suddenly, a dark shadow leaped up in his peripheral vision. Startled, Xin Qishu lost his footing and swayed to the side.

Yang Li let out a low cry and caught him. Xin Qishu fell into Yang Li’s arms, surrounded by the boy’s youthful scent.

“Do you hate me?” Yang Li circled him from behind, his pinky finger gently hooking onto Xin Qishu’s hand.

“No.” Xin Qishu broke away, though not forcefully. “What does it have to do with you? You look terrible.”

Xin Qishu spoke softly, turning to gaze at him. His light brown eyes were full of tenderness. “Are you sick?”

Yang Li remained silent for a while before saying, “I felt a bit unwell a few days ago, but I’m much better now.”

The person he had once dreamed of was standing beside him again, looking at him with concern. Ripples formed in Yang Li’s heart… once a friend, now his Master’s wife. During the time he had nearly succumbed to internal demons, Yang Li had wondered if Xin Qishu and He Lüqing would separate because of it. He wondered if he still had a chance.

Now, it had all vanished like smoke. Regardless of the circumstances, they were still entangled.

Yang Li gave a bitter smile. The two walked back up the mountain, where many people were still playing. A snow-white rabbit hopped on the grass, surrounded by several people dressed in extravagant robes.

“Does Dan Yu like that rabbit so much that he needs so many people to look after it?” Xin Qishu asked casually.

“Like… it might not be such a simple emotion. That rabbit seems to hold extraordinary significance to Dan Yu.” Yang Li clearly knew more than Xin Qishu. “I’ve dealt with Dan Yu for a while. Apparently, since the moment he arrived at the mountain, he has kept that rabbit by his side. It has lived for hundreds of years without ever becoming a spirit… as for the secret behind that, I don’t know.”

…

When they returned to the small courtyard, He Lüqing had already left. The windows were wide open, and the air inside was cool and free of any strange scents.

Xin Qishu closed the window, suppressed his heavy mood, and took out the Spiritual Cultivation manual from his spatial ring. He had never tried to modify a cultivation technique before, but he wanted to try. During the walk just now, a general idea had formed in his mind.

He read through the manual carefully to understand the flow of spiritual energy and its core essence. Ye Qing hadn’t recognized him as a demon, so this was a human cultivation technique.

Step one: He needed to replace the spiritual energy pathways with ones viable for the demon race.

He took out the manual he had obtained from the Blood Vessel Palace. First, he circulated his energy according to the Blood Vessel Palace technique for several cycles, then clumsily began to fuse portions of the two techniques together.

Originally, Xin Qishu was worried that Ye Qing would make things difficult for him later, as Ye Qing would surely not give him the second half of the manual easily and would impose many restrictions. That would require more schemes. But after circulating the new technique for a few rounds, Xin Qishu discovered to his surprise that he didn’t actually need the second half; the first half alone was enough to achieve his goal.

The cultivation went smoothly.

After a night had passed, Xin Qishu opened his eyes, looking radiant. Despite not resting, his whole body felt light. He could feel that he had already gained a preliminary sense of “Spirit Attachment.”

In just one night, he could already possess animals. He hadn’t expected this; it could be described as rapid progress. In the past, when others talked about cultivation talent, Xin Qishu just listened casually without taking it to heart. Now, he felt quite pleased with himself—perhaps he was a genius after all?

But last night was just theory. He needed to find something to practice on.

With a plan in mind, he began thinking about the Villa. First, he had to figure out Ye Qing’s actual status within Han Shuang Villa to better carry out his future actions.

Today was the first day of the Immortal Contention. He decided to go to the scene to fish for information about Ye Qing.

He woke up at the perfect time. Everyone was heading toward the competition grounds, creating a spectacular scene of surging crowds. Xin Qishu carefully avoided contact with others, blending into the crowd. He felt a faint stir of emotion, but he knew now was not the time for such thoughts.

At the martial arena, the various sects were gathered in groups. Xin Qishu took a cursory glance and saw over a dozen different sect uniforms, colors clashing, with disciples of varying temperaments. Some looked at others with vigilance as if everyone were a rival; others flitted between sects like social butterflies.

In the Law Rain Pavilion group, Dan Yu and the other contestants stood at the very front. As Xin Qishu approached, he clearly felt a sinister gaze. He looked up; Dan Yu stood against the light, his expression unreadable. Xin Qishu looked around and, sure enough, not far behind him—among the Law Rain Pavilion crowd—was a person holding the rabbit. The rabbit’s three-lobed mouth was munching on a leaf.

Xin Qishu gave a cold laugh in his heart and walked to the end of the line. From this position, he could hardly see the matches, but since he wasn’t here for the competition, he didn’t push forward.

“Hi.”

Xin Qishu turned his head. Duan Shi was standing beside him, arms crossed leisurely. Noting that he had seen the Mo Sect uniforms earlier, Xin Qishu felt a subtle shift in mood. “What are you still doing here?”

The corners of Duan Shi’s mouth remained curled in a smile. “Madam, taking charge of sect affairs so soon?”

Xin Qishu’s lip twitched. Duan Shi was clearly handsome and a decent person, but his mouth…

Suddenly, a flower with pale yellow petals was thrust toward him, its layers of petals wrapping around the stamen.

“What are you doing?” Xin Qishu felt a bit annoyed. He pushed it back lightly and said in a low, calm voice, “Take it back.”

Duan Shi was also a very baffling person. Thinking back to that disciple he saw yesterday, did all people who could glimpse the unknown act like this?

A gaze that could not be ignored landed on him. Xin Qishu looked over; He Lüqing was sitting on a cloud in his ceremonial robes, staring back at him coldly. This was their first meeting since that night, separated by a sea of people.

The flower nudged him again. Duan Shi whispered, “Why not just accept it?”

“Has he ever given you flowers?”

“What does it have to do with you whether he has or hasn’t…” Xin Qishu said softly, chilled by He Lüqing’s terrifying gaze.

The sunlight made his skin look almost transparent. His black hair turned a light brown in the sun, matching his eyes. He appeared both composed and fragile. An undeniable beauty.

Xin Qishu sensed something and frowned slightly. Duan Shi suddenly reached out, his long, elegant fingers resting on Xin Qishu’s wrist. “Have you two signed the Divorce Papers?”

This was a very offensive question.

Xin Qishu didn’t move. He spoke softly again, his tone slightly different from before—carrying a hint of casual playfulness and indulgence. “What does it have to do with you?”

In his eyes, Duan Shi was a shroud of mist.

A few cultivators arrived late, descending upon the clouds. Their gender characteristics were faintly visible. Xin Qishu asked, “Do you know these people?”

“The one on the far left is the Mistress of Han Shuang Villa. The one to her right is her Daoist partner,” Duan Shi said, keeping his hand in place.

Xin Qishu looked over. The Mistress was a woman who looked somewhat gentle, while the man beside her was a stiff, burly fellow, nearly twice her size.

His gaze moved. “And the last one is…”

“Rumored to be their adopted son.”

A cold voice suddenly rang in Xin Qishu’s ear. He Lüqing’s tone was frigid; even from such a distance, his face remained a mask of ice. Today he wore a golden crown on his head; compared to the typical ethereal look of a cultivator, he had a bit more of a worldly air. He looked more like a prince than Dan Yu did.

Duan Shi acted as if he didn’t notice He Lüqing was listening to them. He asked casually, “Did you kill her son?”

Xin Qishu met the gaze of the person on the cloud. He reached back, took the flower, and tucked it behind Duan Shi’s ear.

“Take a guess.”