Chapter 142: Furious at His Lack of Backbone
Unable to stand the atmosphere that felt entirely like someone shoving dog food down his throat, Feng Shi interrupted, “We really are fine now. Don’t be afraid.”
“My magical artifact might not hold up for long. We need to leave this place quickly.”
Hearing Feng Shi confirm it, Ruan Ping finally believed him and tremblingly cracked open one eye.
Carefully peering at his surroundings and confirming that everything truly was fine, he let out a massive sigh of relief and bravely opened the other eye.
The ghosts and ghouls had vanished long ago.
Even the grotesquely distorted version of Quan Xinghe had returned to normal.
He reached out and poked him—his skin was still warm to the touch.
Ruan Ping stared at him for a moment. Only as his fear subsided did he belatedly realize just how suggestive his current posture was.
With a small yelp, he hurriedly hopped down from the youth, turning his back and lowering his head, his face flushing as he nervously twisted the hem of his shirt.
Feeling the sudden emptiness in his arms, Quan Xinghe couldn’t help rolling his eyes, feeling an inexplicable pang of irritation.
He tossed the long sword in his hand back to Ruan Ping, then casually picked up another one from beside a nearby corpse. Testing its weight, he deemed it passably adequate.
“Let’s go.”
Because of the lingering rhinoceros horn fragrance, the four of them didn’t dare stay any longer. They bypassed the horn and headed further in.
Along the way, Ruan Ping kept his eyes fixed on Quan Xinghe’s injured hand. Yet, for some reason, the other boy kept hiding it, refusing to let him get a clear look.
Sweat beaded on Ruan Ping’s forehead from anxiety. Finally unable to bear it, he grabbed Quan Xinghe’s arm, casting aside his shyness to ask directly, “How is your hand? Let me see.”
Quan Xinghe sneered. Though he felt a surge of satisfaction in his heart, his mouth fired back, “Trying to latch onto this young master again, are we?”
Ruan Ping furrowed his brow, ready to snap back, but remembering that this person had just saved his life, he swallowed his anger and said patiently, “I just want to look at your hand. Is it very serious?”
He remembered a fleeting glance from earlier; the entire hand had turned black.
“There’s no need.” Quan Xinghe yanked his arm, trying to pull it back.
Surprisingly, Ruan Ping grew incredibly stubborn this time, clinging on with a death grip. “Let me see!”
“If you’re hurt, why endure it in silence? Oh, right, I still have some medicinal pills here. Take them all.”
As he spoke, Ruan Ping untied the Qiankun bag from his waist and handed it over without a second of hesitation.
Quan Xinghe stared at the heavily fragrant bag, his eyes darkening. He narrowed his eyes, fixing his gaze on Ruan Ping’s pale, clean face. He stared so intensely that Ruan Ping began to squirm, only then finally saying, “I really don’t need them. Put them away.”
With that, he reached out and gave Ruan Ping’s cheek a hard pinch, using the distraction to reclaim his arm, then turned and continued walking.
Ruan Ping’s eyes teared up from the pinch, but he couldn’t bring himself to be angry. He hastily rubbed his cheek a couple of times and trotted to catch up.
However, this time, Quan Xinghe stopped hiding. He let his previously “injured” hand dangle freely by his side, completely visible for all to see.
Ruan Ping zeroed in on it.
Good heavens, it was perfectly pale and pristine. There wasn’t a single thing wrong with it!
There was absolutely no injury at all!
“You! You liar!” Ruan Ping’s fury flared. He delivered a solid punch to Quan Xinghe’s shoulder, thoroughly incensed. “Just you wait! I am definitely writing your vile deeds into a storybook!”
Quan Xinghe laughed so hard his shoulders shook. “Wait all you want! Who’s afraid of you?!”
Exiting the front hall, they were faced with yet another massive set of doors.
The architecture of this underground palace seemed to be a perfect replica of the Venerable Yuguang’s Immortal Mansion above. It wasn’t as simple as passing through a single door. Yet, it was much easier to navigate than the structure above; at the very least, it didn’t require some “fated connection” to proceed.
By the time they reached the fifth door, the layout of the palace abruptly shifted, resembling more of a private living quarters. Simultaneously, sounds drifted out from within.
It sounded like a fierce battle was taking place, and the commotion was considerable.
“You guys wait outside. I’ll go in and take a look first.”
Feng Shi said this and was about to step forward, but a hand tightly gripped his.
Shen Songhe clutched his hand firmly. “I am going in with Shixiong.”
“No…”
“I am going in with Shixiong.” Shen Songhe interrupted, his gaze resolute as he repeated himself.
Feng Shi couldn’t win against his stubbornness. He pursed his lips, but before he could speak, Quan Xinghe lost his patience. Frowning, he complained, “Enough, enough, aren’t you two being a little too overly affectionate? Just go in together and be done with it!”
Ruan Ping nodded in agreement. “Yes, let’s all go in together!”
Feng Shi swept his gaze over the three of them. After a long pause, he relented. “…Fine.”
The layout of this palace differed greatly from the previous ones, and its size was several times larger. The opulent and exquisite decor gave it the distinct feel of a lady’s boudoir.
As the four of them ventured deeper, they stumbled across several more corpses.
From a distance, they could hear people arguing.
“Quan Xinghai! You dare to blatantly violate the rules! Are you not afraid of karmic retribution?!” A frail, elderly voice rang out clearly.
Quan Xinghai?
Why did he come down here too? Feng Shi remembered that the man had been hovering in mid-air, content to watch the show. To think he had actually descended.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a cold reply echoed back.
“The cultivation world respects strength above all else. Rules are dead, but people are alive. What crime is there in pursuing my own interests?”
It was indeed Quan Xinghai’s voice.
Quan Xinghe’s eyes lit up upon hearing it. “Fantastic! It really is my brother!”
Saying this, he moved to step forward but halted after only two paces. He turned back to look at Ruan Ping.
Feng Shi watched him with arms crossed.
At the end of the day, he’s just a teenage kid, spoiled rotten, wearing all his thoughts plainly on his face.
Could his crush be any more obvious?
And that Ruan Ping, acting all shy—who would have thought he’d be into a brat like this.
Oblivious to Feng Shi’s scrutinizing gaze, Quan Xinghe’s entire focus was on Ruan Ping.
Ruan Ping kept his head down, his mood seemingly dampened. He mumbled softly, “Why are you looking at me? Go find your brother.”
Quan Xinghe clicked his tongue. He looked at Ruan Ping, then looked toward the commotion ahead, his face a portrait of conflict. Finally, he said, “Forget it. My brother is busy. I’ll go find him later.”
Ruan Ping slightly tilted his head up.
Quan Xinghe hastily offered a clumsy excuse. “Hey—don’t get the wrong idea. It’s not because of you! I mean, it’s because of you guys!”
Feng Shi: “…” Nice save, idiot.
This kid’s mouth was practically begging for a beating. Feng Shi was truly furious at his lack of backbone!
Translator’s Note:
- PUA / Gaslighting: Though the original Chinese text actually uses “PUA” (Pick-Up Artist), in modern Chinese slang, this has evolved to encompass any form of psychological manipulation, gaslighting, or toxic control within relationships (familial, romantic, or authoritative).
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