Chapter 77: Deceiving Lou Yunxiao Once Again
After all this time, Ning Ke had come to understand how uncomfortable it was to be a liar, constantly saying things he didn’t want to say.
Presumably, Lou Yunxiaoâwho always suppressed his own emotionsâfelt the same discomfort.
Therefore, by saying those words, Ning Ke wanted Lou Yunxiao to relax. To have a chance to breathe and stop being so tense.
“Ming Xin is a liar, but not a bad one.” Lou Yunxiao finally spoke, though he contradicted Ning Ke’s words.
Meeting Ning Ke’s startled expression, he said earnestly, “Ming Xin does it for my own good, all to save me. So, you aren’t a bad liar.”
He pursed his lips and continued, “However, I lied to you just now as well, so weâre even. I actually wanted you to come to the secret realm with me very much. I only said those things to stop you because I was afraid it would be dangerous. I want you to accompany me everywhere. I hope you stay by my side forever. Even if you must go home in the future, I want to go home with you.”
Ning Ke was stunned for a long while before letting out a laugh.
“Fine. When that time comes, you can come home with me.”
Another lie.
Yet, this was the first time Ning Ke truly hoped a lie could become reality. He wished that he and Lou Yunxiao would no longer be in opposing roles, but instead live together in the modern world as colleagues, friends, or even neighbors.
Lou Yunxiao smiled too, but then he asked curiously, “But… Ming Xin, why weren’t your hands burned by my demonic Qi?”
The hand Ning Ke used to apply medicine to Lou Yunxiao paused.
In the next moment, Lou Yunxiao grabbed his hand and lifted it up, scrutinizing it carefully.
A layer of pale blue flame could be seen covering his hand. It was the Fox Fire protective layer Ning Ke had created specifically so he wouldn’t be burned when touching Lou Yunxiao.
“It really is because of this flame!” Lou Yunxiao said. “Whenever you use this, the flame in my chest trembles violently. The little sand-rat following my Junior Sister said that my fire is the source fire of a demon. It also said that the older sister who saved me was a demon. Now, I canât find her, yet I can feel a similar sensation from your fire. So, can you tell me… where did you get this fire?”
After being blackened, Lou Yunxiao’s personality became extremely pureâhe said whatever came to his mind.
Hearing him ask this, Ning Ke was first stunned, and then his scalp went numb. His mind raced as a flash of inspiration struck.
“Ah, this?” he said. “I got it from the Fire Lion tribe in the Demon Realm. I accidentally entered the Demon Realm back then and saved a young fire lion; his parents gave this fire to me as a gift. Itâs quite powerful, comparable to a mutated flame. Itâs just that Iâm not proficient with it yet, so I donât use it often.”
There were indeed Fire Lions in the Demon Realm, but their fire was bright red, not his ghostly blue. Furthermore, a Fire Lion’s flame was nowhere near as powerful as his Fox Fire. However, he bet that Lou Yunxiao had never been to the Demon Realm and would likely believe him.
Sure enough, the doubt in Lou Yunxiao’s eyes vanished instantly. He murmured, “So that means… Big Sisterâs original form was a Fire Lion?”
Seeing that he had deceived him, Ning Ke internally flashed a peace sign!
He truly was brilliant! He had preserved both his Great Villain persona and his “Big Sister” persona! Killing two birds with one stoneâhe had mastered this game!
BOOMâ!
An explosion rocked the forest.
Trees collapsed and birds took flight in fright, causing Lou Yunxiao and Ning Ke to turn their heads.
“Someone’s fighting?” Ning Ke’s eyes lit up as he grabbed Lou Yunxiao. “Come on, let’s go see!”
By now, they were at least fifty miles away from Beiyou City. There were no cities or villages nearby, making it a perfect spot for murder and treasure-looting.
From a distance, Ning Ke heard a man shouting, “Wu Gou, youâd better hand over that staff obediently! I can still spare your life for the sake of our sect brotherhood! If you insist on refusing, I don’t mind burying you here, then undoing your Qiankun bag to take the staff myself!”
“?” Ning Ke hadn’t expected to find “melon-eating” drama involving the little monk.
“Just as he said beforeâpossessing a treasure invites disaster. He only took that staff out once and he’s already been targeted by his own sect member. We have to helpâ”
He was halfway through his sentence when he saw Lou Yunxiao rush out.
Whoosh! Like a bolt of lightning, Lou Yunxiao appeared next to Wu Gou. He unsheathed both swords and glared at Yong Jie like a vicious fighting cock.
“Robbing your own junior brother? Do you have no shame? As long as I am here today, don’t even dream of taking his staff!”
“???” Ning Ke watched with a face full of confusion, unable to imagine why Lou Yunxiao would be so hot-blooded. For a moment, he was actually quite moved.
That was, until he heard Lou Yunxiao turn to Wu Gou and say, “You see? Me helping you drive him away is saving your life. In return, can you give me the staff?”
Wu Gou, who always maintained a profound and inscrutable face, couldn’t help but twitch.
In the distance, Ning Ke nearly spat out his laughter. The “hero” arriving to save the day had turned into a bandit. What was the difference between his behavior and Yong Jieâs?
“I will not trouble Benefactor Lou to save me.” Wu Gou increased the distance between himself and Lou Yunxiao, treating him like a predatory beast.
He looked at Yong Jie. “Senior Brother Yong Jie, it is not your item. Forcing a claim on it will only plant karmic obstacles for yourself. As a member of the Buddhist Sect, you shouldn’t fail to understand this logic.”
“In this world, strength is respected!” Yong Jie sneered. “What I snatch is mine. Who cares about karmic obstacles!”
“It seems that with a helper, you no longer fear me.” He raised his staff and said, “But you are only one Nascent Soul and one Soul Transformation stage. Let’s see how you defeat me, a master of the middle Integration stage!”
The moment Wu Gou left Beiyou City, he had been targeted by Yong Jie. Yong Jie had chased him all the way here just to seize that staff. Now, how could he possibly give up easily?
Hearing this, Wu Gou let out a sigh.
Eventually, he brought out the staff, tapped the ground, and said, “Who told you I was only at the Nascent Soul stage?”
The Buddha Lotus Lamp shone brilliantly.
Wu Gou’s aura surged rapidly, as if breaking through some seal, reaching the middle stage of Soul Transformation in one go. This wasn’t achieved through forbidden arts; it was purely his own cultivation.
Yong Jie said in shock, “You’ve been suppressing your cultivation this entire time?!”
Not only was Yong Jie shocked, but Ning Ke was also stunned. He had always thought the little monk was only at the Nascent Soul stage. Even when fighting demons in Beiyou City, he hadn’t seen him reveal this level of power. To suddenly be at the Soul Transformation stage… this was a classic example of a “pig eating a tiger”!
He was even better at pretending than Ning Ke!
At this, Ning Ke stopped moving. In fact, he didn’t just stop; he brought out a stool and some melon seeds. Those two were both geniuses capable of fighting above their level; handling a middle-stage Integration master was more than enough. There was no need for him to step out and help.
His guess was correct. The three of them fought until the sky and earth turned dark. Trees tilted and birds fled. Ning Ke pulled a small bird to his side, encased himself in a barrier, and munched on melon seeds. While feeding the bird, he watched as Yong Jie was trapped within Wu Gouâs killing array, unable to move. Lou Yunxiaoâs Cangyin Sword was pressed against Yong Jieâs neck; just a bit deeper and it would take his head.
“Spare… spare my life!” Only now did Yong Jie feel true fear. He said fawningly to Wu Gou, “Junior Brother, we are from the same sect. This is all just a misunderstanding. Besides, you have always followed the sect’s precepts; you know that one of the rules forbids fellow disciples from killing one another…”
Wu Gou stared at his face and suddenly smiled.
He said to Lou Yunxiao, “Benefactor Lou, do me a favor, and I’ll lend you the staff to play with for two days.”
Hearing this, Lou Yunxiao’s eyes lit up.
“What favor?”
“Transfer your unrestrained demonic Qi into his sea of consciousness.”
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