Chapter 37 The Antidote

“Speak quickly.”

Yu Xiao’s hand restrained Chu Xuyun’s waist, not allowing him to escape, teasingly saying, “If you don’t speak soon, the food will get cold. Dragon liver is best eaten hot.”

Thinking about the taste of dragon liver, Chu Xuyun swallowed and pleaded softly, “Can we not talk about it?”

So embarrassing.

How did the painting end up discovered by Yu Xiao, even when hidden under the table?

“No, we can’t,” Yu Xiao straightforwardly refused.

Chu Xuyun bit his lip, and leaned in to gently kiss him, trying to evade the topic.

Yu Xiao chuckled and pinched his cheek, “I never knew His Excellency loved to act cute like this before.”

So adorable, he realized only today; he was indeed at a loss.

“Then, can we start dinner now?” Chu Xuyun cautiously asked.

Smiling, Yu Xiao replied, “Sorry, not yet.”

Chu Xuyun helplessly covered his face, resigned.

Just as he was about to speak, a demonic voice came from outside the hall.

“Reporting to Lord, dinner is ready.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Xuyun’s eyes lit up, looking expectantly at Yu Xiao.

He wanted to eat, couldn’t wait, and Yu Xiao surely wouldn’t starve him.

Meeting those bright eyes, Yu Xiao sighed and reluctantly let go of him. “Alright, but you must tell me after dinner.”

“Okay!”

Let’s talk after eating.

Chu Xuyun joyfully climbed out of the hot spring, about to dry himself off when he looked up and saw Yu Xiao staring at him intently.

His face suddenly flushed red, and he quickly grabbed his outer garment to cover himself.

Even though Yu Xiao had already seen everything, Chu Xuyun still felt incredibly shy.

Suddenly, Chu Xuyun remembered something—he had once wanted to watch Yu Xiao bathe.

At that time, Yu Xiao had angrily refused, but now he seemed to understand why Yu Xiao didn’t want him nearby.

It was indeed quite embarrassing.

*

That was a long, long time ago.

His memory was poor, but he could always remember everything that happened with Yu Xiao.

The day Chu Xuyun brought Yu Xiao back from the Demon Realm, hundreds of disciples from the Taiqing Sect crowded around the mountain gate, jostling and bustling, causing a commotion.

They had come to welcome the return of His Excellency after a great victory, only to unexpectedly witness His Excellency leading back a child covered in blood and filth.

That child seemed very unusual; those with some cultivation could sense a faint demonic aura around him.

Why did His Excellency bring back a young demonic cultivator? Did he intend to seal him in Taiqing Sect?

Countless guesses and discussions. Chu Xuyun blocked those murmurs from reaching Yu Xiao, who stood behind him.

He didn’t like such occasions; too many people reminded him of when he and his mother left the Demon Realm, chased out by mortals wielding swords, nearly killed.

Sensing his darkening mood, Chu Xuyun slightly turned aside, shielding him from those curious gazes.

He led Yu Xiao to the disciples’ dormitory on the Fuguang Peak. This Fuguang Peak was specially set aside for the Sect Master’s residence, besides himself, also inhabited by a few of Chu Xuyun’s disciples.

Chu Xuyun arranged Yu Xiao in the disciples’ dormitory, specifically asking someone to spread out the softest bedding, finding the most fragrant pillows, and placing several brand-new Taiqing Taoist robes neatly beside Yu Xiao’s small bed.

He thought that from today onwards, this child might become his twelfth disciple.

Satisfied, Chu Xuyun looked at the neatly arranged bedding on the bed, then glanced at Yu Xiao.

The child was covered in so much dirt, blood mixed with mud and leaves from who knows where, looking like he had just been dug out of a pile of corpses.

The disciples around also looked at Yu Xiao with disdain.

Li Yanhe quietly approached Chu Xuyun’s side and whispered, “Master, he’s covered in blood. Did he just kill someone?”

This was a demonic cultivator; Li Yanhe felt his speculation was well-founded.

But Chu Xuyun frowned, looking at Yu Xiao with considerable concern.

Chu Xuyun knew—it was his mother’s blood.

Hearing Li Yanhe’s words, Yu Xiao’s face suddenly darkened, his fists clenched tighter.

“Master, his eyes look so scary, like he wants to eat me…” Li Yanhe shrank back behind Chu Xuyun, as if afraid Yu Xiao would leap forward and bite him.

Chu Xuyun sighed almost imperceptibly, reluctantly instructing them to bring a bucket of hot water to wash Yu Xiao clean.

Once cleaned up and given a hearty meal, a person would regain their spirits and mood would improve.

That’s what his mother used to say.

However, when Li Yanhe entered the hall carrying the water bucket, Yu Xiao adamantly refused to take off his clothes.

Looking around, Chu Xuyun suddenly understood.

There were just too many people; he was shy.

So Chu Xuyun sent all the disciples out of the hall, leaving Yu Xiao in a quiet space.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

Yu Xiao’s lips twitched, staring at Chu Xuyun, who was sitting quietly on the barrel, staring straight back at himself.

Chu Xuyun shook his head; he wanted to see what was wrong with this child. If he didn’t have any cultivation, where did that inexplicable demonic aura come from?

Seeing him shake his head, Yu Xiao’s face grew even darker.

“If you’re staying, I’m not washing.”

Chu Xuyun looked at him blankly, puzzled by his words.

They were all men, and besides, he was older. What couldn’t he see?

When he was this child’s age, the Sect Master would scrub his back for him.

“You go out.” Yu Xiao realized the person in front of him seemed unable to understand his meaning and had to switch to another method. “Someone’s watching, and I’m uncomfortable.”

Chu Xuyun remained unmoved, even picking up a piece of soap from the table, as if ready to help him bathe.

He had intended to explain, but Yu Xiao couldn’t understand his gestures, so Chu Xuyun used the soap to prompt him to hurry up and undress for a bath.

Yu Xiao took a deep breath. “Are you…?”

Can’t understand human speech?

Yu Xiao wanted to say that, but realizing he was in someone else’s territory and would have to learn magic from them in the future, he couldn’t be so arrogant. Living under someone else’s control wouldn’t work in the magical realm.

“Are you… not understanding?” Yu Xiao repeated somewhat frustrated, “I don’t need you to wash me, I can do it myself.”

Chu Xuyun suddenly stood up and walked slowly towards Yu Xiao, reaching out to remove Yu Xiao’s coat, which was damp and sticky with fresh blood.

He just wanted to look, just a glance, not for bathing. Removing one piece of clothing could allow him to see if the evil spirit found the source, and if the child could live safely in the Taiqing sect.

Yu Xiao, as if stimulated, suddenly pushed his hand away and pushed him away harshly.

“Are you sick?” Yu Xiao’s breath quickened, glaring at Chu Xuyun with disgust.

Chu Xuyun was stunned, gesturing helplessly a few times before realizing the other couldn’t understand, feeling a bit dejected as he lowered his hand.

Being disliked.

But the good news was, he had just discovered the source of the evil spirit.

Right next to Yu Xiao’s collar, he saw a strange pattern resembling a spider.

If he guessed right, someone had planted a curse on the child, not an ordinary one that could devour the human body, turning the person into a puppet, losing humanity and only knowing slaughter.

The person who cursed was ruthless.

Chu Xuyun’s eyes darkened as he pondered how to remove the curse.

The voice of the person in front of him came coldly, “You’re not leaving yet, what exactly do you want?”

The tone mixed with a hint of restrained anger, Yu Xiao stared at Chu Xuyun fiercely, as if afraid Chu Xuyun would suddenly remove his clothes again, tightly gripping the hem of his inner garment.

Chu Xuyun snapped back to reality, meeting those fiery eyes, feeling somewhat lost.

Being disliked from the first day here, what should he do?

Maybe if he removed the curse from this child, he wouldn’t dislike him like this.

Thinking of this, Chu Xuyun didn’t explain anything and turned to leave.

Yu Xiao watched his departing figure, still feeling slightly agitated.

Indeed, there was nothing to see between men.

But he was a broken sleeve and didn’t want to be touched by any man.

Does this person really not understand human speech?

With a straight face and not saying a word. Didn’t they say a lot in the magical realm before? But now he’s being so arrogant in the sect.

Chu Xuyun didn’t know Yu Xiao’s inner thoughts.

He immersed himself in studying ways to remove the curse in the library.

For several days, Chu Xuyun stayed in the library.

As for Yu Xiao, he ordered his disciples to treat Yu Xiao better and not bully him, so he left him alone for a while.

Day and night without rest, he finally found a way to remove the curse—the Elemental Clear Holy Water.

Only the Elemental Clear Holy Water could remove all the evil energy from a person’s body, including the curse.

But there was one catch: Elemental Clear Holy Water was extremely difficult to find, rarely seen in a hundred years, often appearing in secret realms, and could only be obtained by chance.

Chu Xuyun asked around, questioning every elder of the Taiqing sect, even the Three Holy Sects next door, but no one knew where the Holy Water was.

Lianzhou even teased him, saying if the Elemental Clear Holy Water was so easy to get, there wouldn’t be any evil cultivators in the world.

Chu Xuyun returned empty-handed, back to his own residence, only to unexpectedly find a trace of evil energy inside.

As he swung his sword down, he didn’t find a demonic cultivator but found Yu Xiao hiding under the desk.

Luckily, Chu Xuyun’s sword was steady, or Yu Xiao’s life would have ended.

He was about to pull Yu Xiao out, but then he heard that the sect leader was coming to visit.

It turned out that while he was asking around about Elemental Clear Holy Water, the sect leader discovered the matter of the curse on Yu Xiao.

The sect leader was furious and scolded him harshly.

Yu Xiao was still messing around under the table, like a mischievous child touching his arm and almost making him make a sound.

Fortunately, after the leader finished scolding, he left.

Chu Xuyun breathed a sigh of relief, seeing Yu Xiao crawl out from under the table, still looking unhappy.

He thought, Yu Xiao must still dislike him because of the bathing incident.

He had done wrong that time.

But Yu Xiao had been in the Taiqing sect for a long time and it was time to cultivate.

Chu Xuyun quickly reached out and pressed Yu Xiao’s shoulder, pursing his lips. He had intended to ask whether Yu Xiao wanted to be his disciple.

But facing Yu Xiao’s vigilant eyes, he suddenly couldn’t say anything.

The other person had just come to learn magic, not said he wanted to be his disciple.

Better not to be presumptuous, what if he upset Yu Xiao again?

Chu Xuyun pondered for a moment, simply picked up the apprentice wooden sword, and handed it to Yu Xiao’s palm.

It didn’t matter if they didn’t become master and disciple.

He would still teach Yu Xiao carefully and suppress the curse in his body until they found Elemental Clear Holy Water.

Yu Xiao was stunned for a moment but still took the wooden sword from Chu Xuyun’s hand. The coldness in the young man’s eyes finally thawed.

From then on, Yu Xiao came to learn magic from him every day, and their relationship gradually eased.

Chu Xuyun had thought they would continue like this until one day, he went out to fight demons and accidentally was poisoned by a powerful poison.

Enduring the pain, he safely brought the disciples back to the sect.

In the mouth of medical disciples, it was learned that the antidote to this poison had two types: one rendered the person unable to cultivate for seven years, while the other turned them into a mute for life.

The disciples discussed fervently upon learning this, feeling fearful afterward.

Luckily, there was an antidote. Otherwise, if something happened to Chu Xuyun, what would they do?

“This time, truly a blessing from the heavens, the Xianjun is unharmed.”

“Yes, a lifetime of silence seems trivial for the Xianjun, who never speaks. But if he couldn’t cultivate, that would indeed be a disaster for the entire Taiqing Sect.”

Chu Xuyun himself didn’t worry much either. Becoming a mute meant little to him; his cultivation in the Silent Path meant speech was unnecessary and harmless.

After taking the antidote, he returned to the Fuguang Peak to continue teaching his disciples cultivation. Before he could step into the disciples’ dormitory, he unexpectedly overheard them discussing him.

“A lifetime as a mute would be too unbearable. In my opinion, it’s better to choose the antidote that prevents cultivation. The cultivation world could do without Chu Xuyun.”

It was Yu Xiao speaking.

Chu Xuyun paused. Although he taught Yu Xiao spells, they rarely communicated and usually parted ways after meeting — Yu Xiao didn’t particularly like him, he knew, so he avoided him as much as possible.

Upon hearing Yu Xiao’s words, the other disciples immediately objected, “How could that work? If the Immortal Lord stops cultivating, would he still be the Immortal Lord? Anyway, the Immortal Lord never speaks; the priority is clear.”

Yu Xiao absentmindedly cut talismans with scissors, saying lightly, “Weight does not matter. No one has the right to choose for him. Would you choose a lifetime as a mute?”

No one spoke up; everyone was speechless.

After a pause, Yu Xiao seemed to remember something and lowered his eyes.

“Besides, he can speak. I’ve heard it; his voice is quite pleasant.” Yu Xiao slowly raised his eyes, propped his chin, and looked out the window, lost in thought about something. “He should speak more; it’s a pity.”

With these words, the other disciples looked at him in astonishment.

Pleasant voice?

Such a statement could fit anyone, but it felt particularly odd when describing the aloof and indifferent Chu Xuyun.

“What’s there to pity? The Immortal Lord is strong!”

“Yes, not everyone can protect thirteen cities. The Immortal Monarch doesn’t care about your trivial matters like a pleasant voice; he only cares about cultivation!”

Chu Xuyun stood behind the door, staring blankly at Yu Xiao.

He saw Yu Xiao’s paper-cutting pause slightly, and then a trace of indifferent expression appeared in his eyes. Yu Xiao’s voice remained calm,

“Maybe. I just wish he’d speak more.”

For a long time, Chu Xuyun didn’t enter the disciples’ dormitory. He quietly turned and left, but his steps seemed slightly disordered.

He walked faster and faster, stumbling in the end, tripped up by his robe.

Suddenly, a voice from his childhood echoed in his mind, ice-cold and severe.

“Do you know how annoying you are when you talk too much? If there really were a Silent Path in the world, you should be the one to practice it.”

Actually, he knew how to hurt; he just knew better how to comfort himself.

It’s okay, just don’t say annoying things.

When he cultivated the Silent Path, then Pian Chu knew he didn’t mean to tease Pi Chu at that time, or maybe Rong Chu wouldn’t be angry anymore.

It’s okay, it’s just a lifetime of being mute. Anyway, he practiced the Silent Path and couldn’t speak. If he lost his cultivation, it would be terrible; without him to protect everyone, everyone would be very afraid.

So he told himself it was okay, not to worry.

But…

He cared.

He cared very much.

A lifetime without speaking, becoming a mute who only knew cultivation, unable to even laugh or cry aloud in the future — how terrifying.

He practiced the Silent Path because he was afraid of saying too much and annoying people, afraid of not being the person others imagined, afraid of the disappointment and disdain in their eyes.

Afraid others would see him as a fool who only knew cultivation, with a stupid mind, often making mistakes, even tripping over his robe on the road.

If Taiqing Immortal Lord Chu Xuyun were a fool, who could everyone rely on and believe in?

He didn’t want to become a mute for a lifetime; he could only choose to become a mute.

Chu Xuyun patted his robe, quickly wiped away the tears that had fallen unnoticed, and was about to get up from the ground when a puzzled voice suddenly sounded in front of him.

“Are you… crying?”

Yu Xiao half-crouched in front of him, tilting his head to observe the expression on Chu Xuyun’s face. Earlier, he had annoyed the other disciples, so he went out for a walk. By chance, he saw someone fall down, only to discover it was Chu Xuyun.

Chu Xuyun was momentarily stunned, quickly got up from the ground, and casually pretended as if nothing had happened, leaving.

He hadn’t cried; his eyes were just sweating.

“If you want to cry, just cry. What’s the point of hiding it?”

Yu Xiao’s voice sounded again from behind.

Chu Xuyun nearly stumbled over his robe again. He pursed his lips and silently swore in his heart that he would never wear such long clothes again; he’d throw them all away when he got back.

He walked a bit faster, but his hearing was excellent. He heard another soft voice.

“If you’re sad, you can cry. Even the Immortal Monarch can cry.”

With a barely perceptible sigh, Chu Xuyun stiffened all over in an instant. He didn’t know how to respond and could only escape in a panic.

It wasn’t until he returned to the dormitory that Chu Xuyun leaned against the door, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

For a while, there was no one in the dormitory.

He slowly squatted down, hugged himself tightly, and, before the antidote took effect before he permanently lost his voice, he cried loudly.