Chapter 39

◎Don’t leave me, don’t abandon me.◎

Where did he get the strength?

Chi Lu widened her eyes.

Even at this moment, Jing Shuxing was still tormented by the backlash of his powers, his body trembling like a withered branch in the cold wind. Yet, he managed to push Chi Lu behind him and spoke first.

Could the backlash be so severe that it affected his mind, causing him to do something so self-destructive?

It turns out that Jing Shuxing wasn’t the only one with a troubled mind.

Jing Luoyun, being suppressed by his elder brother, was seething with anger. He had always looked down on Jing Shuxing and couldn’t tolerate his insolence.

“Hey, do you know that the girl behind you confessed her feelings to me in front of many people?” he said arrogantly, lifting his chin.

Jing Shuxing’s body instantly stiffened.

Chi Lu’s vision went dark at the same time.

She hadn’t! It was entirely the system’s fault, forcing her to act as the vicious supporting character and take over to confess to him. Although she had promptly clarified to Jing Luoyun that she had given up on him, it seemed… it had no effect at all.

Jing Luoyun continued to fan the flames, “Young lady, isn’t that true?”

Chi Lu pulled out the Red Soul Whip, gripped the handle in reverse, and struck it hard on the flying boat, “Shut up!”

She quickly jumped off the flying boat, displayed the Red Soul Whip that symbolized her identity in front of Jing Luoyun, and lowered her voice through gritted teeth, “Let me tell you the truth, I am the Young sect leader of Linghua Sect, and that other face was my illusion.”

“I have long lost interest in you. If you dare to speak again, I will spread the word about your fickleness—being intimate with Yun Pianpian while groveling to me for love—and let the world laugh at you.”

A flash of panic appeared on Jing Luoyun’s face. He stepped back and his gaze towards Chi Lu changed instantly.

“Shh.” He raised a finger, and said with a pleading tone, “Please don’t let my father and mother know about Pianpian. If they find out about my feelings for a maid, they will not spare her first.”

Chi Lu twirled the Red Soul Whip and re-boarded the jade boat, looking around, “I thought there would be many evil spirits coming down from the main city, but the number is surprisingly small.”

She dispelled the scattered evil spirits and asked the peddler, “Besides the few entangled with the young city lord, are there any other evil spirits?”

The peddler shook his head, “Just these few here. Originally, they flew from the mountain top on the wind and wandered around the city. After this cultivator arrived, they focused on attacking him and ignored everyone else.”

Glancing sideways, the peddler noticed Jing Shuxing lying on the jade boat. His pupils dilated with surprise, and he stammered, “The person on the young lady’s flying boat is…?”

Chi Lu replied, “The First Young Master of Fengyue City.”

The peddler showed an expression of reverence, “So it’s the First Young Master. The First Young Master has descended from the mountain several times to save people and is renowned even among us commoners. It’s truly a joy to see him today.”

“You hear that? The peddler is praising you.” Chi Lu leaned in and whispered in Jing Shuxing’s ear.

Jing Shuxing remained motionless, his eyes downcast, and his expression frozen as if frosted, giving no response to Chi Lu’s words.

His demeanor reminded Chi Lu of the scene she saw within the formation when she was enveloped by the evil energy, resembling the man in the heavy cloak who moved like a walking corpse.

Such a person might indeed, as the book foretold, massacre an entire city.

According to the storyline of that book, in three days’ time, at dawn, the residents of Fengyue City, along with the cultivators, would be ground into dust in their sleep.

In the cultivation world, it was not uncommon for individuals to betray their Daos principles, taking a path contrary to their original intent and committing heinous acts against the natural order. Whenever Chi Lu heard her elders discuss such matters, besides her disdain for the demonic, she would also think about the innocent people caught in the catastrophe.

She moved closer to Jing Shuxing, “They really like you.”

Jing Shuxing remained like a jade statue. After a long while, his eyes finally shifted to look in Chi Lu’s direction.

His eyes were growing brighter, and it wouldn’t be long before his vision returned. Fortunately, he was still blind, or else the moment her mask was torn off, all of Chi Lu’s plans would be exposed.

Seeing that Jing Shuxing didn’t answer, Chi Lu asked again, “Are you still in pain?”

“It’s nothing,” Jing Shuxing replied through gritted teeth, his heart skipping a beat.

He had heard everything.

Heard Jing Luoyun proudly proclaim that Chi Lu had confessed her love to him in public. Heard Chi Lu, both embarrassed and angry, tell Jing Luoyun to shut up.

Wasn’t she supposed to be innocent and unaware of romantic feelings, not understanding the boundaries between men and women? How could she confess to Jing Luoyun, and in front of everyone no less?

Or was she just pretending to be clueless in front of him, while actually viewing him as a joke, a toy to be summoned and dismissed at will?

What was she trying to do?

What was he to her?

Jing Shuxing’s mind and body were engulfed in a cold, whether from the chill or the pain, he couldn’t tell. Despite his best efforts to endure, Chi Lu noticed his trembling.

She retrieved a cloak from her space bag and draped it over Jing Shuxing, then turned to the peddler on the flying boat, “Brother, could you do me a favor? Are there any inns nearby that are still open? Can you take the First Young Master there to rest?”

“And you, Young lady? Aren’t you staying?” 

Chi Lu’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked up at the imposing snowy mountain against the night sky, “I plan to go up the mountain again. If any innocent people have been caught up in the karma of Fengyue City, I want to save them.”

The evil energy targeted only those in Fengyue City. Even a fool could see there was some deeper connection. 

She despised the cultivators of Fengyue City, but the thought of innocent people being dragged into this troubled her.

Behind her, a loud thud sounded followed by Jing Luoyun’s startled cry.

Jing Shuxing had fallen off the flying boat, his cloak now covered in dust, lying on the gray ground. His brows furrowed, his lips drained of color, and his body curled slightly as if his limbs and bones were being invaded by a chill.

“Wasn’t he fine just a moment ago?” Chi Lu exclaimed, rushing forward to examine Jing Shuxing’s body with her spiritual power.

As before, she found nothing.

She then aligned her bracelet with Jing Shuxing’s wrist imprint, feeling both pain and cold, still unable to understand what was causing his condition.

Chi Lu frowned, her worry evident. She stood there, at a loss for what to do.

After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Jing Luoyun, “Why don’t you stay at the foot of the mountain and take care of your brother?”

“What?” Jing Luoyun’s voice rose sharply. He hastily drew his sword and placed it under his foot, “I am the noble Young City Lord. The main city is in trouble; how can I not go to assist?”

“As for him…” Jing Luoyun glared at Jing Shuxing, “It is said that our father captured him. No matter how he escaped, once the matter is resolved, I will return him to our father.”

With that, he soared on his sword towards the main city.

The peddler, holding a lantern, watched Jing Luoyun’s departing figure, “As expected of a Fengyue City cultivator, coming like lightning and leaving like the wind, but accomplishing nothing.”

With a mournful expression, he turned to Chi Lu, “Young lady, that so-called Young City Lord has left. You should stay and take care of the First Young Master.”

“We are just ordinary mortals. Our doctors take half a day to treat a cold, let alone the First Young Master’s condition, which is beyond our capabilities.”

Chi Lu squatted beside Jing Shuxing, carefully examining him for a long time. Unable to find the source of his ailment, she said, “Let’s settle him down first, and I’ll figure something out.”

Led by the peddler, she found an inn. Though it wasn’t large and it was late at night, only one suite was left.

Since Jing Shuxing was unconscious and unable to voice any objections, Chi Lu didn’t mind and agreed immediately. If Jing Shuxing took issue with it later, she would apologize when he woke up.

She helped him onto the bed, persistently channeling her spiritual energy into him to find out what was wrong, but it was like throwing a clay ox into the sea—nothing went in, and she couldn’t find anything.

Finally giving up, Chi Lu sighed deeply and planned to get up and stretch.

Before she could step out, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

The young man’s white clothes were soaked with cold sweat. He gripped Chi Lu tightly with one hand and struggled to prop himself up with the other, asking through the pain, “Are you still going to leave?”

Worried about his condition, Chi Lu bent down and tried to pry his fingers off, “You need to lie down. Don’t move.”

His palm was burning hot, like an ordinary person with a severe fever.

Jing Shuxing suddenly exerted force, catching Chi Lu off guard. She lost control and fell forward, landing on the soft bedding.

As she lay there, the contents of the picture book Ying Lianyi had given her flooded her mind, various scenes rushing in. Perhaps it was the fluctuation of spiritual energy when the love parasite died, but at this moment, Chi Lu felt something entirely different from before.

Before she could lift her head, she heard Jing Shuxing’s gentle, questioning voice, “Are you going back to him?”

That voice was as sweet as honey, incredibly soft, like a feather gently tickling her heart.

“Who?” Chi Lu asked, bewildered.

Jing Shuxing’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. His eyes, tinged with a rosy hue, looked down at Chi Lu, filled with loneliness.

Like a stray dog, abandoned and unloved.

“I heard it.”

“I heard that young city lord of Fengyue City say you love him deeply, that you’re infatuated with him. You lied to me. From the very first time we met, you were lying to me. Why?”

He choked up, unable to continue.

Suddenly lowering his head, he seemed to lose all his words, and fell silent.

Chi Lu blinked, flustered, about to explain, but was stopped by his finger on her lips.

“It’s okay, no need to answer,” Jing Shuxing said. “I don’t need an answer.”

When he spoke again, it was with a pleading explanation, “There can’t be anyone else in the main city. Jing Yi wants to open the Soul Transformation Abyss; he won’t let anyone disturb him now. Even if you go, it won’t make a difference.”

Chi Lu nodded instinctively, then suddenly realized the implication.

She locked eyes with Jing Shuxing, “You pretended to faint earlier?”

Her brows furrowed with a hint of anger, “Why did you lie to me? I’m not a saint who must return to Fengyue City to save people. Couldn’t you have just told me directly?”

Jing Shuxing’s lips quivered, “I’m really in pain.”

His body swayed unsteadily, looking utterly delirious.

Chi Lu extended her spiritual energy to probe his forehead. It was so hot that she was relieved she hadn’t left him.

He was nearly delirious with fever.

Seeing Jing Shuxing like this, Chi Lu’s anger dissipated. Though still somewhat annoyed, she let go of his hand and sat on the edge of the bed, sulking silently.

Jing Shuxing leaned forward, his burning hand inching toward hers, gently covering the back of her hand.

Chi Lu stiffened.

She heard the young man’s voice whispering in her ear, his tone as clear and unfettered as a mountain spring, “Have you suddenly grown tired of me, or are you afraid of me, afraid that I might show my fangs?”

“Please don’t worry, I will never hurt you… So, please don’t leave me, don’t abandon me.”

His body wavered, and the final words lingered in Chi Lu’s ears like a thunderclap.

“…Young Sect Leader.”

He knew?

When?

“You—”

Chi Lu was at a loss for words. She pulled her hand from Jing Shuxing’s grasp, looking at him warily.

“How did you just now figure out my position?”

Jing Shuxing struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his lips trembling. He seemed to want to say something, but his face changed, and he suddenly covered his mouth and began coughing violently.

Suddenly, spiritual energy fluctuated.

Chi Lu, ever sensitive, immediately raised her hand and lightly tapped Jing Shuxing’s forehead, unraveling the spiritual lock that had somehow formed.

Black marks spread across his face.

The curse mark formation appeared with a menacing aura. Chi Lu couldn’t tell if it was the heartfelt words that came out first or the formation that activated first.

Even though Jiang Yumu was dead, as long as her spiritual energy blocking the formation’s eye dissipated, the unfinished curse mark formation would reemerge.

Which meant…

Chi Lu’s expression turned peculiar as she turned her head, locking eyes with Jing Shuxing.

What she saw now was the “childlike” who couldn’t hide his emotions.

That “childlike” was now questioning her with reddened eyes, “Do you treat me this way because you’re afraid of me? Are you afraid I will kill you?”

“I won’t kill you, nor will I harm you. Don’t…”

“Stop.”

Chi Lu, unable to bear it any longer, pressed her finger against Jing Shuxing’s lips, “Why would I be afraid?”

Her smile was as calm as water, “I disrespected you first. If you want to kill me, you only need a thought. I wouldn’t be able to escape or defend myself.”

“Anyway, I’ll be doing worse things.” She muttered quietly. If Jing Shuxing killed her before the system did, she would accept her fate of a short life, just like her parents.

Her gaze shifted upward and settled.

The core of the formation was at his forehead.

Jing Shuxing seemed to realize her intention and grabbed her hand, “Please don’t let him out.”

“I want an answer. If he comes out, he will cowardly avoid it, even afraid to look at you.”

Did he even know what he was saying?

Chi Lu freed her other hand, but Jing Shuxing grabbed it too.

He seemed to be both confessing and pleading, “Young Sect Leader, have you ever cared about me?”

The girl calmly looked at him, “Sorry, I don’t understand.”

Chi Lu pressed her head against Jing Shuxing’s forehead, skillfully tearing open the entrance to the inner world.

As familiar as ever, she condensed her spiritual energy into a tangible form, sending her consciousness inside while her body remained outside.

In the brief moment her consciousness left, Chi Lu vaguely felt a warm presence brush past her side. She assumed it was just the manifestation of the curse mark formation, with Jing Shuxing, now in a childish mood, moving restlessly. She intended to return quickly and didn’t pay it much mind.

She didn’t see the half-extended arms.

The young man spread his arms, as if lightly embracing a white jade wall.

If Jing Shuxing still had his wits, he would question his current emotions, control his restless body, and adhere to propriety.

But he had already lost his mind, not thinking at all. He held her slender, fragrant body greedily, burying himself into her embrace.

Chi Lu navigated through the formation’s inner side.

She thought the sight would be the same as last time, but as she walked further, she couldn’t see the decrees and scriptures. The thunderous roars she had previously heard vanished without a trace.

Chi Lu wasn’t afraid of Jing Shuxing.

Perhaps because she was coerced by the system, and due to the things she had done, she felt she no longer deserved to be afraid. Or maybe it was naturally, in her interactions with Jing Shuxing, that she overlooked that emotion.

Instead, she was filled with worry for him.

At the end, she saw the familiar figure. Within the formation, the beautiful cultivator shed the blurry traits of a soul and appeared as a vibrant, ordinary person.

Chi Lu was amazed at Jiang Yumu’s power. What method did she use to still hide in the formation, even though her spiritual energy was insufficient to support a soul in the living world?

Hiding in the curse mark formation she had drawn herself, she had undone the spiritual energy Chi Lu used to block the core.

Jiang Yumu was facing off against Jing Shuxing, standing where the black sphere had once been, and seemingly conversing. Chi Lu hurried towards them, hearing Jiang Yumu speak from afar.

She softly asked Jing Shuxing, “Don’t you want to be free?”

“I know what I’ve done to you. Your body is filled with countless small formations I implanted. Even without considering all of them, this curse mark formation will accompany you for life. Even if I regret it, I cannot undo it with my remaining soul.”

Jiang Yumu extended an invitation to Jing Shuxing, “Rather than living a life worse than death, let me free you. If there’s a chance, I’ll make amends in the next life.”

Her answer was a sword thrust forward.

The sweeping sword repelled Jiang Yumu, striking like a silver serpent out of its hole, slashing towards the remnant soul.

Before the sword could touch the surface of the soul, a buzzing sound echoed in the inner space. With the owner’s death, the commands in the curse mark formation were easier to break. When Chi Lu activated her spiritual energy, she simultaneously shattered the inscriptions and absorbed them into her own energy.

Using her spiritual power to deflect the sword’s edge, she floated gracefully between the two, smiling brightly.

“You can’t kill her. If you do, it would be matricide.”

Jing Shuxing sheathed his sword, looking at her with a strange expression, “Why not? As she said, I’ve already killed her once; what’s the harm in killing her a second time?”

“How many times do I need to say this—” Chi Lu elongated her tone, “You didn’t kill her. I don’t know how Senior Jiang died, but matricide is a grave crime. There’s no need to burden yourself with it.”

She chuckled, unsure if this emotionally detached man in the formation could understand her words.

Jiang Yumu advised Chi Lu, “Fellow Daoist, there’s no need to keep stopping me. I admit I wasn’t killed by him, but my death is still tied to Jing Shuxing.”

She spoke gravely, “That day, if he hadn’t knocked me out and taken me out of the city, I wouldn’t have been thrown into the Soul Transformation Abyss as the first sacrificial…”

“…living sacrifice.”

The familiar term made Chi Lu’s brow twitch.

Even within her own formation, Jiang Yumu’s spiritual energy continued to drain. As she spoke, her form grew thin and translucent.

A compassionate smile spread across Jiang Yumu’s face as she whispered, “This is the only chance. Destroy his primary soul within the formation, and with you handling things outside, he can be freed without any pain.”

“Otherwise, he will follow in my footsteps, becoming the next living sacrifice.” Her words carried an undertone of sadness.

She knew the girl in front of her cared for Jing Shuxing and wanted him to live, but for Jing Shuxing, living meant endless suffering. Only death could bring relief.

Before she finished speaking, Jing Shuxing raised his sword again. Jiang Yumu didn’t have time to retreat before Chi Lu stepped in front of her, pinching the sword tip between her fingers.

“Young Sect Leader, do you also want to free me?” Jing Shuxing’s eyes were cold and emotionless as he asked.

Chi Lu was almost certain that if she nodded, Jing Shuxing would turn against her without hesitation.

The childlike outside who had nearly begged, saying, “I won’t hurt you,” couldn’t penetrate this conversation.

“The power to free…” Chi Lu played with the sword tip, twirling it between her fingers, binding it with spiritual energy to prevent Jing Shuxing from retracting it, “I have it.”

“This place is made of pure spiritual energy. My cultivation method can dominate here, and it certainly has the power to free you.”

“But you don’t want it. What right do I have?” She shrugged.

Chi Lu’s smile hadn’t faded as she turned and extended her arm, her two fingers shifting direction to point at Jiang Yumu.

“Senior Jiang, I’ve never killed anyone, but the elders in my sect have taught me to deal with resentful spirits many times.”

Simultaneously, her other hand sent out the Red Soul Whip, striking the spiritual realm’s wall hard. She connected to Jiang Yumu’s soul while linking with the curse mark formation, easily bypassing its rejection of the living to enter the core.

“In this way, breaking the formation is simple. Isn’t this a perfect solution?” She squinted her eyes, smiling warmly at Jiang Yumu.

Jiang Yumu’s expression showed conflict. Before she could speak, Chi Lu continued, “Besides, no matter how much hatred there is in your heart, you shouldn’t stain innocent hands with blood, right?”

The soul’s face showed one last expression, one of stark surprise.

Of course, she harbored hatred. Since discovering Jing Yi’s betrayal, Jiang Yumu had been contemplating revenge. But she realized it too late. By then, she had already been thrown into the Soul Transformation Abyss, moments away from being torn apart by evil spirits.

She could only carve the formation, preserving her soul, waiting for a chance to briefly return to life.

Her soul was too weak to avenge herself on Jing Yi or his lover, so she turned her vengeful gaze toward the only reachable target.

It was still a complete failure. Even the one cultivator willing to talk to her mercilessly exposed her pretense.

Chi Lu focused intently on channeling her spiritual energy to dismantle the curse mark formation.

She smiled brightly at Jing Shuxing, “Just wait a bit longer. Once I break the curse mark formation, you can return to your body.”

Her serene, captivating smile could light up her eyes, but to the young man, it had little effect.

He bowed respectfully, then stepped forward to place a hand on Chi Lu’s shoulder, channeling his spiritual energy into her. As the other main entity in the curse mark formation, his energy made the process significantly smoother and quicker for Chi Lu.

She concentrated on dismantling the formation, her ears catching Jing Shuxing’s voice.

“Young Sect Leader, you have my gratitude.”

Chi Lu chuckled softly, not responding.

Jing Shuxing seemed to ponder something, nodding to himself.

His face was stern, expressionless. Chi Lu, accustomed to seeing his face in various states of emotion, found his current rigidity amusing.

Unable to hold back, she let out a soft laugh, “Pfft.”

Jing Shuxing didn’t care why Chi Lu was laughing. His tone remained calm and steady, “I don’t understand what the Young Sect Leader wants to do or intends to do to me, but I won’t forget your kindness.”

“I have nothing of value, no way to repay you, except for my ability to kill.”

As Chi Lu broke the formation, his voice seemed to waver, like a pebble thrown into water, sending ripples of emotion through it.

Chi Lu heard him say, “I hope the Young Sect Leader will not despise me. Whatever you need me to do, I will do my utmost.”

Chi Lu didn’t have a chance to respond. Her consciousness withdrew from the Soul Transformation Abyss, and the gradually dissolving formation behind her turned into the warmth and softness of a quilt.

She found herself pinned down, but the weight wasn’t heavy. A broad hand cradled the back of her head.

Jing Shuxing was holding her.

The graceful young man’s head hung low, resting against the side of her neck. The gesture made Chi Lu inappropriately think of the scenes from the picture book, wondering which stage of intimacy this represented.

Jing Shuxing’s breathing was heavy, as if he was processing everything he had seen in the formation.

Whether it was him raising his sword against his mother again, Jiang Yumu’s hidden murderous intent beneath her facade of mercy, or his repeated thanks to Chi Lu, the emotions surged within him.

Chi Lu lay on her back, unable to see Jing Shuxing’s expression. She wanted to stroke his head to comfort him but stopped herself, recalling that he had seen through her true identity.

She heard Jing Shuxing say, “Young Sect Leader, as I said before, I used to be able to do many things, but now I know nothing except how to kill.”

Jing Shuxing lifted his head slightly. Chi Lu’s dark hair brushed against his ear, and the strands mingled with his sideburns.

“Will you take me in?” His voice carried an emotion she had never heard before.

Chi Lu turned her gaze and saw the redness at the corners of Jing Shuxing’s eyes, his pupils wet, looking both pitiable and endearing.

She extended her hand and gently pushed him away.

The Author has something to say:

This is Jing Shuxing,  

Radiant as the moon, with a heart for the world, loving the people, advancing in his cultivation with unparalleled speed, never having done anything wrong.

Until he met the wicked author wielding a large knife.