The Immortal Lord Always Pretends To Be Affectionate Towards Me - Chapter 1

Boom!

A loud thunderclap exploded from the heavens, drowning out the heavy, ragged breathing in the torrential rain. The water flowed violently, rushing down from the mountaintop. A flash of sword light sliced through the darkness, splitting the mountain in two.

Immediately, a white figure took advantage of the brief lull to step through the air and depart. The speed was so great that one could only catch a glimpse of gold-threaded embroidery on the sleeves when the lightning flashed.

The teahouse on the second floor was buzzing with noise as groups of people gathered to gossip about the happenings in the city. Yu Zaixi leaned against a corner, bored and weary, his eyelids heavy with sleep as he listened to them talk. The conversation inevitably circled back to the same topic.

Quzhou City had two wealthy merchant families that had kept each other in check for decades, never interfering in each other’s affairs. Recently, a marriage had been arranged between the two households. It should have been a joyous occasion, but a disaster struck on the wedding night. The Wang family’s groom died tragically on his wedding night. His death was gruesome; his upper body was missing, leaving no complete corpse behind. Judging by the wounds, it appeared he had been torn apart and devoured by a wild beast. Everyone else in the mansion was unharmed, and no one had seen any trace of a beast. It was truly strange that only the groom had been torn apart and eaten.

When asked about the bride, it was revealed that she had argued with the groom on their wedding night and had returned to her parents’ home that same evening. The next morning, when the Wang family discovered the groom’s tragic death, they learned the bride had already left. Consequently, rumors of her being involved in his death spread like wildfire throughout the city. Now, everyone claimed the groom’s death was tied to her.

The people in the teahouse became increasingly mystical, suggesting that the bride had transformed into a demonic creature, devoured the groom, and then returned to hide. A mocking curve appeared at the corner of Yu Zaixi’s mouth. He downed the now-cold tea in his cup, stood up, and left the second floor.

On the ground floor, a storyteller clapped his wooden block against the table, narrating with dramatic flair the story of the disciples from the Tianji Pavilion descending the mountain. The surrounding listeners watched with worshipful eyes, wishing they could immediately witness the heroic bearing of the disciples from the world’s number-one sect. Yu Zaixi left the teahouse with a dark expression. Both upstairs and downstairs were filled with talk he detested; finding a quiet place was proving to be difficult.

It was noon, the sun was scorching, and there was no one on the streets. He wandered toward the west side of the city, where the Wang residence was located. He had come here for three consecutive days and had seen nothing, though he had encountered trouble while leaving the city through the west gate last night. He did not want to recall last night’s events and chose to treat them as if they had never happened. He walked down the street with his usual expression, his white robes embroidered with gold thread standing out elegantly among the passersby.

The young man had a tall, slender build with his black hair neatly tied up. He should have looked dignified, but his habit of wandering aimlessly with his arms crossed ruined the vibe, making him look like a relaxed, idle young master from a wealthy family out for a stroll.

The conflict between the Zheng and Wang families was minor, but because of the rumors of a demonic creature at the Wang residence, one could simply hire a cultivator to banish the demon. Yu Zaixi originally did not want to get involved, but he was running low on money. After weighing his options, he chose the higher-paying Zheng family, the bride’s family. Initially, he chose them because nothing had happened at the Zheng residence. There were no demons or wild beasts; the family had hired someone to keep watch simply out of fear that their daughter might suffer the same fate as the ill-fated groom.

Yu Zaixi thought he had found an easy job: eat and drink well at the Zheng residence for a few days, put on a show, and once the demon at the Wang residence was dealt with, he would take his pay and leave. However, on the third night at the Zheng residence, a strange gust of wind blew in, nearly taking the lives of everyone in the household. Fortunately, Yu Zaixi sensed it in advance and slashed the formation within the wind with his sword before the demonic aura could wreak havoc, saving the Zheng mansion. The Zheng family knew nothing of this, and Mr. Zheng still wondered why Yu Zaixi spent his days idling about, suspecting he was a fraud.

He was a fraud at the beginning, but he was not anymore. On the sixth day of Yu Zaixi’s stay at the Zheng residence, three days after the demonic wind, the family had inexplicably returned to a state of normalcy. Since he had found no clues at the Zheng residence, he had gone to the Wang residence for three days to see what was happening with the demon there, hoping there might be a connection.

Usually, the Wang residence would be tightly shut with no movement, and the street in front of it would be empty as people avoided it. Today was different; he could hear people talking from afar, and there were people gathered at the street corner watching the spectacle. Yu Zaixi joined the crowd to take a look and saw a group of youths in the robes of the Tianji Pavilion standing at the gate of the Wang residence. It seemed they were there to exorcise the demon.

No wonder it was so lively. The Tianji Pavilion was the number one sect in the world today, and the sect leader’s disciple, Jiang Yan, was even the savior in the eyes of the world who had slain the Demon Lord with a single sword. Who would not want to see him? Yu Zaixi had squeezed into the crowd to watch, but after getting a clear look, he quietly retreated and walked away with a pale face.

Jiang Yan was the revered genius and hero who had slain the demon, while the original owner of the body Yu Zaixi possessed was the great villain who had been possessed by the Demon Lord, wreaking havoc on the world before being nearly killed by Jiang Yan’s sword. When he first transmigrated, he knew nothing. Upon opening his eyes, he saw the devastating sword intent of Jiang Yan’s Qingguang Sword bearing down on him. In an instant, his entire being felt as if his internal organs had been crushed, and his soul was about to be ripped from his body. The pain lasted only for a moment before his senses vanished. It probably should not have been much different from dying. That was a story for another time.

By the time he woke up, he was locked in the Buer Prison, with twelve chains wrapped around his limbs, waist, and neck, pinning him to a tiny space where even stretching his legs was a struggle. Buer Prison was a place for holding the most heinous criminals. He was locked directly beneath the skylight, the only place where he could see daylight, though he could only see the light, not the surroundings. People often spoke to him, talking about the misery of the original owner, his bad luck, and how ruthlessly Jiang Yan had acted, ignoring the ties of their sect. But Yu Zaixi could not see them. Those voices were like the whispers of ghosts, each word seductive and manipulative. Whenever the punishments in Buer Prison ceased, and he was left hanging in the air by the chains like a heap of rotting mud, those voices would begin their long, mocking temptations.

Yu Zaixi had been hung beneath that skylight, subjected to two hundred years of torture, serving as an exhibit, and listening to two hundred years of whispers. He could not understand why he had come to this world, nor could he fathom why Jiang Yan was so heartless. After two hundred years of long torment, the hatred had long since taken root in his heart like a parasitic vine, wrapping around his heart so tightly that no room remained for other emotions. Now, it had been nearly a hundred years since he escaped from that prison.

Since disciples from the Tianji Pavilion were here to exorcise the demon, Yu Zaixi would no longer interfere with the Wang family’s affairs. He would honestly return to his employer’s home, draw his talismans, set his formations, and ensure they remained undisturbed. However, he was intercepted before he had even walked half a street.

“Young friend.”

The person speaking wore a pale blue long gown, his hair tied with a jade hairpin. He stood tall and graceful with a refined demeanor. Yu Zaixi raised an eyebrow, keeping his composure while evaluating the other man’s strength. Seeing the brush tucked at his waist, he realized with a start that this must be a talisman cultivator who specialized in drawing talismans. Yu Zaixi lifted his chin slightly in response.

The other man did not care about Yu Zaixi’s attitude; he simply kept smiling and said politely, “You look familiar, young friend. Would you mind stepping aside for a chat?”

“Familiar?”

Yu Zaixi repeated the word slowly, a mocking curve forming on his lips. Looking familiar to someone was not a good sign. Either he was an old acquaintance from centuries ago, or he was one of the villains from the Buer Prison who had watched him every day. Before he could wonder for long, the man continued, “More than a decade ago, you saved a village at the foot of Mount Zhou. Do you remember?”

Yu Zaixi opened his mouth and let out an “ah.” More than a decade ago. If someone asked him what happened yesterday, his mind would be a mess; how could he remember things from over ten years ago? His expression was too obvious, and the man paused, surprised that he had no memory of it. Yu Zaixi waved his hand indifferently, “Let’s go. Let’s find a place to talk.”

This place was definitely out of the question. It was too close to the Wang residence. If some sharp-eyed disciple from the Tianji Pavilion spotted him, they might report him to their elders, who would then come out to capture him. Yu Zaixi was an escapee. Since he had gotten out, he had not heard any news of the various cultivation sects planning to recapture him; they likely did not know he had escaped.

The twelve states of Yunlu were a magical world. On the surface, the various cultivation sects each occupied a mountain to establish their own sects, and the people living at the foot of the mountains were mortals with poor spiritual roots. It seemed as though everyone shared the same world, but in reality, the disciples of the immortal sects rarely descended the mountains. They used cloud boats to travel and communicate among themselves, referring to the lands where ordinary people lived as the Lower Realm and the mountains as the Upper Realm. The immortal sects were built above layers of clouds. Aside from cultivation, the disciples only concerned themselves with sect rivalries, regardless of whether ordinary people lived or died. Dynasties rose and fell, and disasters struck in the Lower Realm, truly resembling the divide between two different worlds. Therefore, since escaping prison, Yu Zaixi had been traveling and cultivating in the Lower Realm. He avoided the disciples of the immortal sects whenever he saw them. It was normal that they did not know he had escaped.

Yu Zaixi followed the man through an alleyway. A gasp suddenly came from the alley, and both of them became instantly vigilant. However, after waiting for a while, the person hiding behind the debris dared not come out. Yu Zaixi released his spiritual energy to inspect the area and discovered it was merely a young beggar.

He shook his head at the man beside him, “It is just a child. Let’s go.”

Thus, the two continued forward. Yu Zaixi asked casually, “I still do not know how to address you.”

“Just call me Qin Nai.”

“Yu Zaixi. I have forgotten my formal name, so just call me Yu Zaixi.”

The two exchanged names. It seemed calm and peaceful on the surface, but in reality, they were both calculating. Needless to say, there was not a single immortal sect that did not recognize Yu Zaixi’s face. Who could forget the sinner who had colluded with the Demon Lord to wreak havoc on the world over two hundred years ago? Qin Nai’s claim that he looked familiar was merely an opening line. The name Qin Nai probably was not known to many, and only those who were well-informed had actually seen him; everyone else had only heard of him. He was the sole disciple of the leader of the Wufeng Tower, a major talisman sect. About a hundred years ago, for unknown reasons, he had severely injured his master and was cast out of the sect, his whereabouts becoming unknown. Those in the Upper Realm who knew of this incident said that the Wufeng Tower leader was too soft-hearted and that such a rebellious disciple should have been killed or thrown into the Buer Prison, never to be allowed to leave alive. Yu Zaixi had heard about this from a group of brats from the Wufeng Tower who had descended the mountain for training in the Lower Realm. Before that, he had never met Qin Nai. Thinking of this, he glanced at the man beside him again.

With a brush tucked at his waist, its tip stained crimson, and his hair neatly pinned, he carried himself with an air of effortless elegance. He was likely indeed Qin Nai of the Wufeng Tower. Yu Zaixi did not want to encounter anyone from the Upper Realm, but Qin Nai was an exception; Yu Zaixi was curious why he had been expelled from his sect. Finally, the two arrived at a roadside tea stall and sat at an edge table. Qin Nai ordered a pot of tea. Yu Zaixi had already had enough tea for the day, so he left the cup poured for him untouched.

Qin Nai did not seem bothered by this. He drank his own tea and chuckled as he stared at the increasingly restless crowd in the street, saying, “They are all in a rush to go to the Wang residence and take a look.”

For ordinary people without any cultivation, disciples from the Tianji Pavilion were akin to gods, so their reaction was natural. Qin Nai was in no rush to discuss serious business, and Yu Zaixi was even less so. He had nothing to do, and since he was just wandering the street, he might as well take a rest. Qin Nai sat composed for a moment. Only after the people at the nearest table had left did he say, “I noticed that among those who descended from the Tianji Pavilion this time, it is not just that group of disciples.”

Yu Zaixi, who had been leaning crookedly against the pillar behind him and was starting to get sleepy, lifted his head at these words, frowned, and asked, “Is there a great master accompanying them?”

Usually, when immortal sect disciples descended the mountain for training, they were protected by their fellow sect brothers and sisters. Only when there were no sect members with higher cultivation would an elder-level great master be sent down. Those who managed to become elders were basically at the Deity Transformation stage. Once one reached the Deity Transformation stage, their senses were fully awakened. Even without releasing spiritual energy, they could easily perceive everything around them, making it even easier to find someone. Yu Zaixi had to be careful. The Tianji Pavilion would not lack Nascent Soul late-stage disciples to descend the mountain for protection. If they allowed an elder to descend, there must be something else going on, not just training.

Qin Nai neither nodded nor explained to his question, simply pouring himself another cup of tea. His graceful and steady manner annoyed Yu Zaixi, so he asked directly, “Which elder?”

“Not an elder,” Qin Nai said slowly.

The anxiety in Yu Zaixi’s heart subsided slightly, but before he could fully relax, he sat up in shock, staring at the slightly trembling tea as he thought it over. A moment later, he raised his head in disbelief, “Jiang Yan?”

Qin Nai looked at him, the calmness in his eyes serving as confirmation. Yu Zaixi froze for a moment, then laughed at the absurdity of it. He considered himself a miserable wretch, acting like a rat crossing the street whenever he encountered others from the Upper Realm. Whenever a great master descended the mountain, he would rather stick eight or ten breath-concealing talismans on himself and hide as far away as possible, not daring to get close at all. But this time, it was Jiang Yan, one of the few great masters at the late Deity Transformation stage in the entire world.

He had nowhere to hide!

He had dared to travel and cultivate in this world for the past hundred years because he knew those few masters at the late Deity Transformation stage were in secluded cultivation. Yu Zaixi was so angry he did not even know how to laugh, “Why is he not in secluded cultivation breaking through to the Mahayana stage, and instead coming down the mountain?”

Qin Nai sat across from him, seeming a bit troubled as he spoke, “I heard that he has already broken through to the Mahayana stage.”

Yu Zaixi’s expression stiffened for a moment before he slumped back against the pillar, closing his eyes and laughing mockingly, “Then why are you looking for me? Don’t you look at me like you are looking at a corpse?”

Aside from the original owner, Yu Zaixi probably understood Jiang Yan’s hatred better than anyone. Jiang Yan must have gone to the Buer Prison after coming out of seclusion, discovered that Yu Zaixi had escaped, and then descended the mountain. Otherwise, as a master at the Mahayana stage, if he wanted to do something, he could have done it from thousands of miles away; why bother coming down the mountain himself? He had come for Yu Zaixi, intending to execute him on the spot. This way, the Upper Realm would have no reason to block him based on their status as fellow sect brothers, and by the time the immortal sects found out, Yu Zaixi would probably have already reincarnated.

If he reincarnated again, he would surely be able to return to Earth and continue being a carefree, wealthy second-generation heir, having no worries about food or drink, and his biggest daily annoyance being that chewing food was too exhausting. If only food could enter his stomach by itself.

Yu Zaixi bowed his head and let out a cackle, his laughter eerie and crazed. The two hundred years of torture in the Buer Prison, where he could neither live nor die, had long made him hate this place to his core. When he looked up again, there was no one left on the street. Qin Nai was nowhere to be found. Jiang Yan, wielding his supreme sword, stood in the middle of the street, staring in his direction with a dark expression.

Yu Zaixi met his gaze, smiled faintly, stood up, climbed over the railing, and approached him. He asked curiously, “Immortal Venerable, everyone says that I love you but cannot have you. Is that true?”