Chapter 20

◎Want to see fireworks?◎

“No father, no mother, a little beast.”

From the moment he entered the room, the cultivator didn’t pay any attention to them at all. He provoked them without any restraint, not even lifting his eyelids.

After finishing his words, the cultivator raised a finger, flicked it lightly, and a spark flew out.

The spark quickly expanded and turned into a speeding firebird, rushing towards the two of them.

“Forget it, I might as well tie him up and negotiate with the Young sect leader myself.”

The cultivator fully expected Chi Lu to run away in panic, crying for help. But facing the firebird, Chi Lu did not dodge, and there was no trace of fear on her face.

She pulled Jing Shuxing behind her in one go. When the firebird arrived, she opened her hand, tore the flame into two halves with a wave, and then with another move, the flames gathered into a wave, crashing towards the cultivator.

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

Chi Lu’s tone was rising, filled with barely concealed anger.

A moment later, several firebirds rose into the sky, ready to launch behind Chi Lu. Chi Lu gritted her teeth and glared at the cultivator, wishing she could skin him alive. 

Her hand was suddenly pulled back, and Chi Lu turned her head back in anger, meeting Jing Shuxing’s worried face.

Even after undoing the invisibility spell, their hands were still holding each other, never letting go.

“Why are you angry? His words were not directed at you.”

Chi Lu: “They were directed at me.”

“Lady Ning’s words should really be used on him.” Chi Lu took a deep breath, and gritted her back teeth.

That cultivator’s words directly pierced the reality she least wanted to touch. The four words “no father, no mother” directly tore through her inner defenses.

Chi Lu had never seen her parents. They had passed away before she could even speak.

The main line of Linghua Sect’s sect leader was almost withered, and Chi Lu only had one uncle still in the world.

No matter how good the people of Linghua Sect were to her, they couldn’t hide the fact that the sect leader and his wife had already passed away. She was pampered by everyone, but also kept in the dark about the cause of her parents’ death.

In these years, her uncle’s body has become increasingly weak. Soon, in the vast Linghua Sect, she will be the only one left of her relatives. 

Chi Lu has always been one to cry when she wants to cry, and laugh when she wants to laugh. In the past, she would accept this cruel reality with an open mind, but that doesn’t mean she would remain indifferent when someone blatantly tore open her wounds.

“Don’t worry, I’m just reflecting his spiritual power back at him.”

Even in anger, Chi Lu didn’t lose her rationality. Facing the incoming flames, whether Jing Shuxing blocked it or she blocked it, it was still blocking.

She could also take the opportunity to set up a spiritual formation around them to buy time for escape. Chi Lu was very clear-headed, and this was all she could do.

“Of course I’m not going to fight him to the death.” Chi Lu turned her hand and held Jing Shuxing’s hand even tighter, “Hold on to me, I’ll take you away.”

While attacking the cultivator, she quietly drew back a portion of her spiritual power and attached it to herself and Jing Shuxing, trying to leave while the cultivator was entangled by the flames.

Chi Lu’s plan fell through. As soon as her fingertips touched the wooden door, a heat wave rushed towards her face. Thanks to Jing Shuxing’s quick reaction, he pulled her back, preventing her from being affected by the flames.

The fire on the wooden door was raging, but the door panel didn’t ignite a single spark. A barrier rose from the bottom, blocking her contact with the outside world.

Chi Lu immediately condensed her spiritual power at her fingertips, trying to find a gap in the barrier to send her distress message to the Great Elder. If her true identity was exposed, not only would all her efforts over these days be wasted, but her future would also be a dead end.

“Young lady, I advise you not to struggle, so you can suffer less.”

Seeing her biting her lip, with a stubborn and unyielding look, the cultivator shook his head helplessly, “Just a small cultivator in the Golden Core Stage, even if you are from Linghua Sect, how does it matter how high your talent is? As long as you are not the Young sect leader of Linghua Sect, you have no value.” 

After saying that, he made another move.

He was obviously much more serious, from one finger, it became a left hand.

The firebird grew a crane’s head and a chicken’s tail, spread its wings and let out a cry, turning into a burning arrow, shooting straight at Chi Lu’s heart, like a surging wave.

With just one glance, Chi Lu knew in her heart that she couldn’t take this move. The door was blocked by flames, and the only way out was to continue using the jade basin as a shield…

Thinking this in her heart, Chi Lu prepared to use her spiritual power to hook the jade basin on the spot.

The firebird didn’t touch her body. In the next instant when it intersected with her, it seemed to be swallowed into the void, leaving only a wisp of cool breeze on her face, and the whole flame disappeared.

Chi Lu gasped, reaching out to cover her nose, as if the scorching flames were burning her.

“Jing Shuxing?”

She realized what had happened, quickly turned around, and her pair of pitch-black clear eyes looked to her side.

Jing Shuxing’s expression was calm and peaceful. He closed his eyes, his long eyelashes covering his eyes, and his whole body exuded a carefree temperament, like a graceful young man who remained calm in the face of adversity. 

Hearing Chi Lu’s voice, he slightly turned his head, the corner of his mouth drawing a beautiful curve: “I’m here.”

“One of the three elders of Fengyue City, Jing Xiangtian, you have reached the Out-of-Aperture Stage of cultivation, even the city lord of Fengyue City has to respect you, why do you still follow Lady Ning?” Jing Shuxing stated the cultivator’s name, with a calm and unruffled tone.

“What do you children who are still wet behind the ears understand?” Jing Xiangtian sneered, with a mocking smile on his face.

The sudden disappearance of the firebird made him suspicious, but Jing Xiangtian took it as his own carelessness and didn’t take it to heart.

“The city lord is all about pursuing fame and fortune, and wants to protect himself. When the unexpected happens, he will definitely abandon us without hesitation. Lady Ning may be stupid, but at least she can be used.”

“Fengyue City called the Young sect leader of Linghua Sect, could it be to deal with the ‘unexpected’ you mentioned?” Chi Lu seemed to realize something and asked probing questions.

Jing Xiangtian did not answer her.

Chi Lu bit her lip tightly. She seemed to be close to the inside story of Fengyue City, but without Jing Xiangtian speaking, even if she was close, it would be useless.

Suddenly, Jing Shuxing’s voice came from beside her: “Fengyue City used me as a living sacrifice, is it also for this matter?”

She was startled and turned to look at Jing Shuxing.

Living sacrifice? What is that?

“Oh? You actually know?” Jing Xiangtian’s voice trailed off. 

His expression changed from frivolous to serious, as if he was about to knock down the two of them with the next blow. When he made his move, the surrounding spiritual power quickly surged towards Jing Xiangtian.

“It seems that before I hand you over to the Young sect leader, I should first pull out your tongue to avoid future troubles.”

Jing Xiangtian raised his palm, and a surging wave of fire pressed towards Chi Lu and Jing Shuxing.

Chi Lu didn’t even have time to react. But, in an instant, the fire wave suddenly extinguished without a trace.

The oppressive feeling brought by the Out-of-Aperture Stage cultivator also disappeared in an instant.

“Th-thank you…”

Chi Lu stuttered as she turned her head, intending to thank Jing Shuxing, but was startled to find that he was tightly holding her hand.

No, to be more precise, he was using both hands, almost devoutly holding it.

“Young lady, do you want to see fireworks?”

The author has something to say:

The paranoid loyal dog shows its first signs.

From now on, Little Jing is on the road of deeply being infatuated by the female lead to the point of no turning back x.

TL’s Note: 

The “x” at the end is often used in online communication to denote a playful or teasing tone.