Chapter 14: You Smell So Good
Su Huan descended the mountain and secretly wiped away a tear with the back of his hand. He had originally believed his Eldest Senior Brother acted out of a cold nature and ignorance toward love, perhaps clumsily imitating the clichéd plots of romance novels when he spoke those insulting words. He never expected that Xiao Jianming truly harbored killing intent toward him and had actually seized him by the throat!
Had Xiao Jianming not thought of something and released his grip just in time, Su Huan might have truly died there. Thinking of this, a trace of lingering fear finally welled up in Su Huan’s heart, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. The tough facade he had just maintained completely vanished, replaced by an irrepressible sense of grievance.
He did not dare return to the small hut on the back mountain, so he went back to Lichen Mountain instead. It happened that his Senior Sister, Feng Jiangyue, had just returned from a training trip down the mountain. Upon hearing of the matter, she flew into a rage and unsheathed her sword, intending to fight Xiao Jianming for three hundred rounds to vent her Junior Brother’s frustration. Su Huan was moved to laughter by her reaction and hurried to persuade her to stay. He claimed he had already broken ties with Xiao Jianming to settle the score and had no desire for further involvement. Only then did he manage to steady the indignant Feng Jiangyue and coax her into departing peacefully for her upcoming training assessment.
Su Huan thought to himself that since his Eldest Senior Brother had eventually let go, he must not have truly wanted to kill him. Moreover, his Senior Brother had shown him kindness in the past. Let the debt of kindness and the offense cancel each other out, and let it end there.
But he was wrong.
When Su Huan next descended the mountain, he saw his Eldest Senior Brother standing outside the Great Mountain-Protecting Array waiting for him. Xiao Jianming gave a gentle smile and said, “Junior Brother, I have come to apologize to you”. Perhaps remembering that he had used this same line two days prior, Xiao Jianming paused and added, “This time, it is for real”.
Su Huan, however, instinctively took a step back. In those pitch-black eyes, there was no longer any of the former light, as if a gemstone had lost its luster through countless abrasions. They were dark and filled with countless scratches, like the fierce, cold wind howling from a bottomless abyss. Merely meeting that gaze made one’s hair stand on end.
Xiao Jianming could not be driven away, and he did not talk back when scolded. He followed leisurely behind Su Huan through the crowds as if the events of the past two days had never happened. He continued to cultivate and take on missions alongside Su Huan as before, becoming even more intimate. From time to time, the gaze he turned toward Su Huan was as deep as the sea, as if he truly loved him to the bone.
But Su Huan knew clearly that his Senior Brother had changed. Perhaps Xiao Jianming truly had a fraction of affection for him before, but now that had vanished completely, leaving only a few hints of superficial, flirtatious taunting. It was like the fireworks set off in the town at the foot of the mountain—one never knew when they would “bang” and explode into nothingness.
Sure enough, after several failed attempts at provocation, Xiao Jianming’s smile vanished. He cursed with palpable disgust, “Truly sickening”. Su Huan’s eyelashes fluttered as he let out a quiet sigh of relief, thinking that now his Eldest Senior Brother would finally give up.
Yet a few days later, Xiao Jianming acted as if nothing had happened and became even more intense, exhausting nearly every method of pursuit. Rumors began to fly within the sect, saying Su Huan was so arrogant that he didn’t even respect the Eldest Senior Brother. Wherever Su Huan went, strange looks followed him.
Meanwhile, the Eldest Senior Brother who “loved” him looked on with cold indifference, watching him try to explain himself everywhere and watching him drown in the rumors. Finally, Xiao Jianming would smile maliciously and reach out a hand, asking if he needed help. Su Huan avoided him in silence and returned to Lichen Mountain. He did not take another step off the mountain until the Immortal Alliance Conference.
“Ah, I forgot. You’ve entered this illusion and no longer remember who you are”.
Inside the dense forest, Su Huan pursed his lips. Ever since his Eldest Senior Brother’s temperament became erratic and unpredictable, he had occasionally said things Su Huan did not understand. Su Huan never knew his Senior Brother was the lone survivor of the legendary, extinct Lingxi Clan, yet from his Senior Brother’s words, it seemed Su Huan should have known.
A sense of confusion arose in Su Huan’s heart. Could there be a segment of lost memory he was unaware of? If what his Senior Brother said was true, then what was the deal with this “entering an illusion”? Could it be that all of this was fake?
But Su Huan clearly remembered all his memories. He was born as the eldest son of a merchant family so ordinary it could not be more ordinary. Before joining the Xuanji Sect, he and his younger brother had relied on each other for survival, and then, and then…
Su Huan realized with horror that he had no memory of actually joining the Xuanji Sect; it was as if he had joined Lichen Mountain out of thin air.
“What? Have you finally remembered who you really are?” Xiao Jianming noticed the change in his expression and looked at him with a beaming smile. Su Huan remained silent and slowly shook his head.
Su Huan said, “You are right”.
Xiao Jianming’s casual attitude faded slightly, truly believing Su Huan had remembered. He never expected to hear Su Huan continue, “It is I who want to save them; I should not force others to help. As for the lives of those trial disciples, I will save them myself”.
Both his tone and gaze were so stubborn that Xiao Jianming’s teeth itched with irritation. He could not help but mock him, “Heh, what bold talk. How can someone with a fragmented Golden Core save a fate that has already been decided?”
Su Huan had already turned to leave, but he froze upon hearing this and turned back in shock. “What did you say? What decided fate?”
The dark eyes watched him quietly for a moment before revealing an utterly malicious smile. “You guess”.
Su Huan returned to the campfire in silence. Nangong Yi was wiping his sword, and seeing Su Huan return alone, he said with a hint of concern, “Fellow Daoist Su, why do you look so troubled? What happened?”
Su Huan shook his head, not wishing to say much. Yue Jiusi snorted and said loudly, “Why else? Xiao Jianming didn’t come back with him, so they must have had a big fight and parted on bad terms!”
After speaking, he boldly put an arm around Su Huan’s shoulder to comfort him. “I was wondering earlier why you didn’t want that man named Xiao to slay demons with us. Turns out you already knew about his strange temper of leaving at the slightest disagreement!”
Nearby, Meng Qinghui had already woken up. She held a sweet potato roasted by Hua Wuyou, glanced at Su Huan upon hearing this, and then continued eating in a leisurely manner. Yue Jiusi went on with a long string of grand talk, but Su Huan didn’t hear a word of it; a sense of anxiety filled his heart instead.
If the “fate” his Eldest Senior Brother spoke of was that they were destined to die trapped in the Secret Realm, how could he break the situation? Su Huan could not help but grip his sword. He could not die—at least, not here.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of heat on the back of his hand. Su Huan was startled. Meng Qinghui withdrew her hand slightly and held a roasted sweet potato before his eyes with a kind smile. “Sorry, did I burn you? I accidentally lost the prepared spiritual food back with the demons, so this is all that’s left”. Su Huan was touched; he reached out to take it and thanked her, though he had little appetite.
To the side, Yue Jiusi happily took the sweet potato Hua Wuyou handed him and ate with great relish. Nangong Yi ate in a gentlemanly fashion that matched his appearance. Jiang Fei did not take one, staring blankly at the fire. Qi Zi refused to eat mortal food that lacked spiritual energy and turned to a nearby clearing to practice his spear. Su Huan watched them, the gloom in his heart growing even heavier.
Meng Qinghui sat beside him and tilted her head. “Sometimes what we perceive as a bad thing might turn out to be a good thing. Don’t be depressed; eat quickly, it won’t taste good once it’s cold. Perhaps before long, that Senior Brother of yours will return on his own”.
A spark crackled in the fire and fell into the ashes. Su Huan smiled and softly thanked her. Just as he was about to eat, a massive boom rang out.
Nangong Yi’s body jolted, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. The concealment barrier covering the entire valley slowly manifested, shaking violently with countless ripples, nearly shattering. Yue Jiusi hurriedly dropped his half-eaten sweet potato and rushed to his side to seal his main heart meridian, his heart burning with anxiety. “Young Sect Master, are you alright?!”
Meng Qinghui seemed to sense something, her expression changing. “…It’s the Demon Race”.
Hua Wuyou was aghast. “Didn’t we say this place was an excellent hiding spot? How did they move so fast?!”
Meng Qinghui pursed her lips in silence, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face. She tilted her head slightly toward Jiang Fei and, after a moment, lowered her head without speaking. Su Huan noticed her movement but did not understand the reason and said nothing. Just as he finished treating Nangong Yi’s internal injuries, another massive boom erupted outside the valley.
Nangong Yi spat out more blood and summoned his silver square sword to support his body. He shouted, “I can’t hold on for long, you all leave quickly!” No one moved. Everyone understood he wanted to sacrifice himself to save the rest, but how could they abandon a companion to flee for their lives?
With a thunderous crash, the snow-capped mountain collapsed in an avalanche. The falling snow struck the barrier directly. Nangong Yi’s face grew even paler, and he shouted urgently, “Hurry!”
Tears welled in Yue Jiusi’s eyes. He had always been the most obedient to the Young Sect Master. He summoned his natal sword, pointing it haphazardly at the others, crying as he yelled, “The Young Sect Master told you to leave, why aren’t you leaving yet, wuhu…”
Qi Zi’s expression was solemn. He walked straight toward the trembling sword tip and planted his long spear in the ground, remaining motionless. Yue Jiusi was so intimidated that he staggered back, nearly losing his grip on his sword. Just as he was about to grit his teeth and make a move, Su Huan placed a hand on his wrist.
Su Huan said, “Don’t be anxious. The ones coming are demons, but it may not be the Demon Sovereign in person”.
Meng Qinghui smiled brightly and said, “Fellow Daoist Su is right. Fellow Daoist Nangong, withdraw the barrier”.
“We cannot defeat the Demon Sovereign, but can we not kill a few demon vanguards? Rather than fleeing elsewhere to hide like cowards, it is better to fight our way out for a chance at survival”.
Nangong Yi remained silent for a moment, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and withdrew the barrier. With a slight nod, he was the first to fly on his sword toward the snowy mountain where the noise originated. Su Huan followed closely behind. Hua Wuyou unfurled a massive feather fan and followed with his Senior Sister, while Jiang Fei froze for a moment before following as well.
Qi Zi, with an arrogant expression, held his long spear and kicked the ground with force. He flew through the air without using a spiritual tool, quickly overtaking the others and vanishing from sight. Yue Jiusi, his tears not yet dry, was the last to react and move.
The demons who arrived were indeed not the Demon Sovereign, but a beautiful youth holding a flaming long whip. His features bore some resemblance to the Demon Sovereign. Behind him were hundreds of demon soldiers and generals, one of whom held a meteor hammer—it was he who had just attacked the barrier.
Sensing the group’s presence, the beautiful youth swung his whip through the air, tearing open a flaming rift. A ferocious white tiger emerged from the rift, treading on nether fire and letting out a roar that shook the forest!
“Finally found these little shrimp who slipped away”. The youth laughed sinisterly and vaulted onto the tiger’s back. He then gave the order, “All demons, follow this Prince and kill these loathsome Immortal disciples to settle our clan’s ten-thousand-year grudge!”
“Kill them all!” “Kill them all!” The demon soldiers and generals surged forward in a dark mass.
The moment Su Huan landed, he was suddenly met by the beautiful youth and nearly had his face slashed by a whip strike. The youth came before him, a strange look appearing in his eyes. He sniffed carefully and could not help but mutter, “You smell so good”.
Su Huan did not speak, but the moves of his sword became increasingly sharp, forcing the youth back repeatedly. The youth laughed suddenly, shook off the difficult sword moves, and swung his whip to entangle Su Huan’s sword. Sparks flew as the distance between them suddenly closed. The youth said with a beaming smile, “Though all Immortal disciples should be killed, the scent on your body is very clean and fragrant. It smells so good that I can’t bear to kill you. Surrender quickly, and I will make you my favorite concubine”.
This demon spoke with a peculiar accent and used words clumsily, like a child learning to speak. His gaze was like that of a child seeing a favorite toy—domineering yet sparkling with a simple, extreme purity.
Su Huan did not dare be careless. He immediately abandoned his spirit sword and retreated rapidly, his fingers flying as he cast several spiritual seals that exploded toward the demon youth! The demon youth, having already gauged Su Huan’s strength, raised his defenses with indifference, only to be unexpectedly buried in a sudden burst of fire!
Several explosions rippled out, and dust filled the air. Su Huan’s hands did not stop as he cast more spiritual seals into the dust cloud. He wanted to take this demon youth as a hostage. From their brief encounter, he knew the youth held a high status among the demons, and perhaps this method could allow them to withdraw safely.
As the dust settled, the youth was bound by heavy soul-locking chains. His clothes were tattered and blood-stained from the blasts, and the smile was gone from his face. He looked at Su Huan with eyes that nearly spat fire. He said sinisterly, “Mother was right, people who look good are the best at lying”.
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