Chapter 32 Yuanqing Holy Water (2 in 1)

“Do you know each other?” Li Yanhe immediately became alert, distancing himself from Chu Xuyun. “What’s your purpose in coming to Taiqing Sect?”

Chu Xuyun shook his head, maintaining his persona. “I don’t know the Immortal Sovereign; I only knew the one who just left.”

Yu Xiao smiled faintly. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Chu Xuyun nodded emphatically, as if afraid Yu Xiao wouldn’t believe him. He added, “Since he’s gone, I shouldn’t stay long…”

He was about to turn and leave when his wrist was caught.

“Still acting?” Yu Xiao pulled him into his arms, a deep smile on his face. “Where does Ah Xu want to go?”

“Of course, back…” Chu Xuyun suddenly realized, trying to push Yu Xiao away in denial. “I’m not Ah Xu; you are Ah Xu.”

Yu Xiao nodded knowingly and glanced intentionally at Li Yanhe. “I see, Ah Xu doesn’t want his disciple to recognize you?”

Li Yanhe looked at the two of them suspiciously. Chu Xuyun could only helplessly mutter under Li Yanhe’s gaze, “How did you recognize me?”

He had disguised himself very well.

“Ah Xu’s temperament is different from ordinary people; I recognized him at a glance.” Yu Xiao said calmly without a hint of hesitation.

Chu Xuyun secretly decided that next time, he must make sure Yu Xiao couldn’t recognize him.

“Master, it’s really you this time!” Li Yanhe was ecstatic. Yu Xiao wouldn’t embrace anyone other than his master. He subconsciously tried to approach Chu Xuyun, but Yu Xiao swiftly grabbed his neck and threw him aside with disdain.

“Get lost.”

After scolding Li Yanhe, Yu Xiao looked at Chu Xuyun and softened his voice slightly. “Stay, Ah Xu. Let’s teach him together and then return to the Demon Palace after obtaining the Yuanqing Holy Water.”

They hadn’t seen each other for a few days, and Yu Xiao really missed him.

As long as he could be with Ah Xu, he was willing to endure anything, even mountains of blades and seas of fire.

Li Yanhe also tearfully chimed in, “Master, please stay. We all miss you, especially me.”

“…”

Sometimes Yu Xiao really didn’t understand why every word from Li Yanhe made people want to strangle him.

Despite resisting, Chu Xuyun reluctantly agreed.

With Yu Xiao here, at least he wouldn’t have to eat Taiqing Sect’s food anymore. That thought alone made it bearable.

However, although Chu Xuyun returned to Taiqing Sect, the task of teaching Li Yanhe fell squarely on Yu Xiao’s shoulders.

Chu Xuyun’s daily routine mainly consisted of waking up early to eat a meal Yu Xiao prepared, going to the martial arts field to watch Yu Xiao teach his disciples, having another meal at noon prepared by Yu Xiao, witnessing Yu Xiao beat up Li Yanhe, and having dinner again prepared by Yu Xiao in the evening. He would then listen to Li Yanhe cry about not wanting to practice swordsmanship anymore, offer some comfort, and happily crawl into bed.

Yu Xiao’s teaching of Li Yanhe was extremely strict, surpassing even Chu Xuyun’s expectations. Chu Xuyun, at least, had a hint of kindness in his heart, whereas Yu Xiao would monitor Li Yanhe practicing swordsmanship late into the night and punish him at the slightest mistake with his sword sheath.

Li Yanhe often felt it might be better to just die, considering that he was not fit to be the top contender in the sect’s grand competition.

It wasn’t until the day before the sect’s grand competition that Li Yanhe successfully broke through to the mid-stage of the Yuan Infant realm.

The sky was clear, and purple lights shimmered.

Li Yanhe bathed excitedly in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, becoming the only one among his peers to reach the mid-stage of the Yuan Infant realm.

His breakthrough also attracted considerable attention in the cultivation world. The Sect Master even personally sent a box of precious elixirs to Li Yanhe.

Many others came to congratulate him, including the Immortal Lord of Lin’an who visited Fuguang Peak.

The Immortal Lord Shen Chenzhi had long resided in the deep mountains. Chu Xuyun had once cultivated with him, and they had a deep bond.

Upon meeting this time, Shen Chen wore a plain blue Taoist robe, his eyes covered with white gauze. Chu Xuyun couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

He distinctly remembered the last time he saw Shen Chen, Shen Chen’s eyes were still intact.

How did he end up blind like this?

“Long time no see. Xuyun, you still have the same aura as in the past, but in my humble opinion, your state of mind seems different from before.” Shen Chenzhi smiled faintly, gesturing for his junior disciple to present a gift.

The junior disciple looked puzzled and glanced at Chu Xuyun before speaking, “Master, this isn’t Chu Xianjun.”

Shen Chenzhi frowned slightly, unhooked the scabbard from his waist, and lightly tapped the junior disciple’s head with it. “Don’t speak nonsense. Quickly present the gift.”

Witnessing this scene, Chu Xuyun’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected Shen Chenzhi to recognize his disguise. “How did you know?”

Shen Chenzhi’s cultivation was below Chu Xuyun’s, so theoretically, he shouldn’t have been able to recognize his disguise.

However, Shen Chenzhi smiled and lightly touched the white gauze in front of his eyes with his fingertip, saying slowly, “I comprehended a Tao three years ago known as the Heart-Questioning Tao. It allows one to perceive the world not with one’s eyes, but by questioning the heart.”

Because of this, he didn’t need to see Chu Xuyun’s face to recognize him.

Chu Xuyun looked at him in astonishment, quickly showing a hint of admiration in his eyes. “How does one cultivate this Tao? Could you please elaborate, Chenzhi?”

Seeing his interest, Shen Chenzhi’s smile deepened. Just as he was about to explain, he suddenly sensed an evil aura approaching. His expression turned cold, and he raised his hand to draw his sword, heading towards the demonic aura. “How dare a demon cultivator flaunt their presence here in Taiqing Holy Land!”

Before his sword could reach, his wrist was effortlessly grabbed by a hand.

“Chenzhi, Yu Xiao isn’t a bad person.” Chu Xuyun looked back at Yu Xiao, knowing that he couldn’t hide the truth from Shen Chenzhi, and sighed, “Please spare Yu Xiao.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Chenzhi’s face changed slightly. He lowered his voice and said, “Xuyun, why are you protecting him?”

Shen Chenzhi had heard the rumors that Yu Xiao had abducted Chu Xuyun, but he didn’t believe that Chu Xuyun would lose to Yu Xiao in terms of strength; there must be some mystery to it.

“It’s a long story. Yu Xiao isn’t harmful.” Chu Xuyun pulled Yu Xiao behind him, protecting him firmly. “Could we discuss the Heart-Questioning Tao first?”

Shen Chenzhi hesitated for a moment, then coughed lightly. “…You have your reasons. I won’t interfere, but be careful not to let others discover.”

“Mm.” Chu Xuyun breathed a sigh of relief, then looked back at Yu Xiao’s puzzled gaze and gently patted his hand to reassure him. “Chenzhi is a good person. Don’t worry.”

Yu Xiao nodded slightly. He had never seen the Immortal Lord of Lin’an before and heard that this person often secluded himself from the world, so he wasn’t very familiar with Chu Xuyun.

“Since you’re interested, I’ll tell you everything,” Shen Chenzhi sheathed his sword and said quietly, “I hadn’t made progress in my cultivation for a long time. I accidentally injured my eyes during a demon extermination. By chance, I comprehended this Tao technique. Human senses are extremely complex. Sometimes, losing one’s eyesight allows one to see things with the heart that are usually unseen.”

Chu Xuyun was deeply moved. He thought that the Heart-Questioning Tao was surprisingly similar to the Silent Tao. He quickly said, “I had previously studied the Silent Tao, but I recently had to abandon it due to damage that I couldn’t repair.”

“The Silent Tao?” Shen Chenzhi raised his eyebrows, quite curious. “Isn’t that a kind of speechless Tao technique?”

“Yes.” Chu Xuyun nodded seriously. “But I’ve broken the technique recently, and it’s too difficult to repair.”

“Do you feel any difference after breaking the technique compared to before?” Shen Chenzhi asked softly. “In my opinion, your state of mind has indeed changed a lot.”

Chu Xuyun agreed deeply. “Yes, my heart beats very fast lately, especially when I see Yu Xiao.”

Yu Xiao listened quietly, but a smile couldn’t help but appear on his lips.

Xuyun was truly sincere. How could he easily tell such things to outsiders? Just because of a word from Shen Chenzhi, he had decided not to lie anymore. Was he so easy to deceive?

After a moment of silence, Shen Chenzhi cleared his throat. “…So that’s why.” He suddenly understood why Chu Xuyun didn’t kill Yu Xiao.

“Chenzhi, from your perspective, can I continue to cultivate this Tao technique?” Chu Xuyun still liked this Tao technique very much; after all, he had studied it for many years and didn’t want to give up halfway.

Shen Chenzhi pondered for a moment and slowly said, “The Silent Tao’s essence should be similar to the Silent Zen. Perhaps you can cultivate the Silent Tao in the way of cultivating the Silent Zen—don’t speak vulgar words, don’t lie, and certainly don’t flatter.”

With these words, Chu Xuyun took a gentle breath. “I see. From today on, I will continue to cultivate the Silent Tao.”

Yu Xiao suddenly came to his senses. “What?”

“I want to cultivate the Silent Tao of not lying, not speaking vulgar words, and not flattering.” Chu Xuyun believed he could do it because he had never spoken such words before.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiao smiled, finding it quite interesting. Suddenly, he leaned close to Chu Xuyun’s ear and whispered softly, “Xuyun, I happen to want to ask you, who do you think has better swordsmanship, me or Ji Lianzhou?”

Chu Xuyun: …

Yu Xiao: …

“I understand.”

Yu Xiao chuckled softly, finding Chu Xuyun extremely adorable.

Indeed, his swordsmanship was not as good as Ji Lianzhou’s, yet Xuyun had decided not to lie just because of a word from Shen Chenzhi. How could he be so easily fooled?

People with pure hearts are generally like this, right?

Chu Xuyun and Shen Chenzhi chatted for a while longer. They admired each other and were reluctant to part when it was time to say goodbye.

“This time we part, it may be decades before we meet again. I plan to go into seclusion to ascend. Xuyun, may we meet again in the Heavenly Realm if fate allows.”

If not for these words, Yu Xiao would have already thrown him out of the Taiqing Sect.

At dusk, in front of the mountain gate, the setting sun was like fire, with red clouds stretching for miles.

As he was about to leave, Shen Chen stood on the stone steps and suddenly turned to look at Chu Xuyun. “Xuyun, you are different from others. You were born to ascend to the Heavenly Realm. Do not be troubled by emotions. That is all I have to say.”

Chu Xuyun was slightly stunned. Before he could respond, Shen Chenzhi’s figure had already vanished.

Behind him, Yu Xiao began to regret not throwing Shen Chenzhi out earlier.

“Ah Xu,” Yu Xiao’s eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly. He lowered his eyes, pretending to be casual, and asked softly, “Do you want to ascend?”

Chu Xuyun looked at the setting sun on the horizon and shook his head. “Not now.”

Yu Xiao didn’t know how he felt.

He didn’t want to delay Ah Xu.

Shen Chenzhi was right. Perhaps Ah Xu was never meant to belong here. He had already defeated all the strongest in this world and should have ascended long ago. Could it be that his own influence was the reason Ah Xiu had yet to ascend?

“So when do you plan to ascend?” Yu Xiao’s voice was very faint as he deliberately looked away. “I heard it’s best to ascend early. When one is old, they cannot withstand the tribulation of lightning.”

Chu Xuyun pondered for a long while and, not noticing Yu Xiao’s expression, said softly, “I know. We’ll talk about it later. Once we get the Yuanqing Sacred Water tomorrow, we’ll go back.”

Yu Xiao’s lips moved, but he said nothing for a long time.

*

The sect’s grand competition is held every four years and this time it was hosted by the Haoqing Sect.

On that day, before Chu Xuyun had woken up, Yu Xiao had already taken his place on the carriage heading to Haoqing Sect.

Yu Xiao returned at noon on the seventh day.

They hadn’t yet reached the sect when news of their victory had already spread throughout the Taiqing Sect.

Some said that Li Yanhe was indeed Chu Xuyun’s disciple. His battle with Xiao Ming was thrilling and intense, with Li Yanhe ultimately winning by a narrow margin.

Others said that Li Yanhe would likely become the new celestial lord of the cultivation world in the future.

When Li Yanhe returned to the sect, a grand banquet was held to celebrate his victory.

But Yu Xiao’s face didn’t look good when he returned.

“You’re back.” Chu Xuyun was sitting on a small stool at the entrance of the dormitory, cultivating. Sensing Yu Xiao’s presence, he quickly got up from the stool. “Why didn’t you attend Yanhe’s celebration banquet?”

“I didn’t want to go.” Yu Xiao tightly pressed his lips, took out a colorful glass bottle from his bosom, and placed it in Chu Xuyun’s hand. “Yuanqing Sacred Water.”

Chu Xuyun’s eyes widened with joy, carefully holding the bottle. It was a treasure he had searched for years.

“That’s great.” Chu Xuyun repeatedly examined the Yuanqing Sacred Water before placing it on the table with utmost care.

The top prize of the competition: a peerless sword for the disciple and a bottle of Yuanqing Sacred Water for the master. Thanks to Lianzhou, who traveled thousands of miles to the demon realm to inform him of this, he would have regretted missing out on this sacred water for a lifetime.

Yu Xiao watched him quietly for a while and then asked in a soft voice, “Ah Xiu, what do you want to do with this Yuanqing Sacred Water?”

When he got the Yuanqing Sacred Water, he heard that it could purify demon energy, turning a person back into an ordinary mortal.

As expected, Chu Xuyun pushed the Yuanqing Sacred Water toward him, blinked, and said softly, “For you to drink. After drinking it, you won’t be a demon cultivator anymore.”

Yu Xiao’s heart turned cold.

On his way back, he kept wondering why Ah Xiu wanted the Yuanqing Sacred Water—was it to turn him back into a mortal?

But Yu Xiao couldn’t do it.

He was afraid that losing the demon energy would turn him back into the powerless person he once was.

Everything he had now was because of the demon energy. Without it, he wouldn’t even have been able to bring Chu Xuyun to the demon palace, avenge his mother, or have Chu Xuyun agree to marry him to protect Li Yanhe.

Although everyone said a celestial lord couldn’t end up with a demon cultivator, as long as he had this power, he could keep Chu Xuyun by his side for at least one more day.

In the past, he had despised the demon gu in his body, but later he realized that without it, if he were a mortal, he wouldn’t have been able to touch even the hem of Chu Xuyun’s clothes when Chu Xuyun forgot their promise.

“I can’t drink it.”

Yu Xiao stood up, his mind in turmoil. He turned to look at Chu Xuyun, who seemed slightly stunned. Yu Xiao then said softly, “I can’t drink it now. I’m sorry.”

Chu Xuyun was momentarily dazed but still took the Yuanqing Sacred Water back and softly explained, “I don’t mind that you’re a demon cultivator.”

He just thought that Yu Xiao always worried he would leave because of their different identities. If neither of them were demon cultivators, perhaps Yu Xiao wouldn’t always be concerned about this.

“Mm,” Yu Xiao forced a smile, “I know, Ah Xiu. Give me some time.”

Just give him some time.

As long as he had a little more time, he would figure it out, just like every time he thought Chu Xuyun might leave him, just like every time he saw Chu Xuyun getting close to someone else. He would digest it himself, as long as he had a little more time.

Hearing this, Chu Xuyun felt a pang of sympathy and moved closer to hug him, but Yu Xiao dodged.

“I brought you lotus leaf chicken on my way back.” Yu Xiao waved the lotus leaf bundle in his hand, trying to smile. “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Have some?”

Hearing this, Chu Xuyun swallowed and forced himself to look away from the roasted chicken.

The most urgent thing to do was to comfort Yu Xiao first. It wouldn’t be too late to eat once Yu Xiao was in a better mood.

How should he comfort Yu Xiao?

He thought about it. Whenever Yu Xiao was in a bad mood, his mood would always improve after they dual cultivated.

Chu Xuyun followed behind Yu Xiao, quietly closing the door to the bedchamber tightly.

It had been a long time since they had dual cultivated, at least ten days. Before they got married, Yu Xiao used to dual cultivate with him every night.

“Ah Xu, you go ahead and eat first. I want to go for a walk…” Yu Xiao had just said half of his sentence when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around his waist. He stiffened slightly, allowing those hands to untie his belt.

Chu Xuyun hugged him tightly from behind, too embarrassed to say what he wanted. His ears turned crimson as he clumsily touched Yu Xiao’s chest, only to have his wrist gently grasped.

“Ah Xu, you don’t need to comfort me.” Yu Xiao turned around and placed a light kiss on his lips. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine after a walk.”

Seeing that Yu Xiao didn’t understand his intention, Chu Xuyun paused and then took Yu Xiao’s hand, guiding it inside his own chest.

It felt no different from when he practiced the Wordless path, wanting to say something but unable to speak. However, Yu Xiao should understand now…

“Are you feeling unwell?” Yu Xiao frowned, slowly massaging Chu Xuyun’s chest. “Is it because you’re not fully recovered from your previous illness? I’ll get a doctor for you.”

That illness was from so long ago; he had fully recovered.

Seeing that Yu Xiao was still about to leave, Chu Xuyun panicked and hugged him tightly.

“Yu Xiao, don’t go.”

Yu Xiao indeed stopped moving.

Chu Xuyun looked up at him, his face burning, “Yu Xiao, I want to dual cultivate.”

He said it out loud. He actually said it out loud.

Would Yu Xiao reject him?

If he did, Chu Xuyun would never dare say such a thing again.

Yu Xiao looked down at him, his cool hands gently stroking Chu Xuyun’s dark hair, moving down to grip his waist, “If we dual cultivate now, it might hurt a bit. Can you endure it?”

Chu Xuyun was stunned, “Huh?”

Before he could figure out what Yu Xiao meant, Yu Xiao had already picked him up and thrown him onto the soft couch.

Their clothes were removed, Yu Xiao’s hot breath brushed against his ear. It was the first time Chu Xuyun realized how strong Yu Xiao was. He couldn’t escape without using magic.

“W-wait…”

Chu Xuyun wanted to be affectionate first, but Yu Xiao had already kissed him, sealing away his words.

As Yu Xiao kissed him into a daze, Chu Xuyun almost forgot where he was. Suddenly, he heard Yu Xiao’s voice, soft and light, like a sigh.

“Ah Xu, I’m a selfish person.”

The pressure increased, Chu Xuyun’s eyes widened. Trembling, he covered his mouth to stop any sounds from escaping.

“I’ve thought about locking you up, so you can only see me. Only then can I feel at ease.”

Each sentence was accompanied by increased force.

Chu Xuyun finally understood why Yu Xiao said it might hurt.

“But what should I do? Even if I lock you up, I still won’t feel at ease.”

Yu Xiao pressed his forehead against Chu Xuyun’s, his eyes deep and somber, “Because I know I’m lowly, unable to match you. Even if I wasn’t a demonic cultivator, I wouldn’t deserve to stand by your side.”

Since they got married, Yu Xiao cherished every moment with Chu Xuyun.

Like winter’s remnant snow glimpsing spring, knowing it would melt in the sunlight, yet greedily enjoying the moment of warmth.

He loved Chu Xuyun.

But he could never be sure if Chu Xuyun loved him.

A thief who stole a beloved cat would always worry it would leave, for the cat never truly belonged to him.

It was wrong from the start.

He shouldn’t have forcibly brought Chu Xuyun back to the demonic palace.

“No…” Chu Xuyun wanted to argue, but Yu Xiao’s actions changed his voice, making it impossible to speak clearly.

“I hate myself for being cowardly, narrow-minded, and overreaching, lacking even the courage to become a mortal to stay by your side.”

A hot tear fell on Chu Xuyun’s face, leaving him in stunned silence.

“Ah Xu, what should I do?”

Yu Xiao’s eyes were red, yet he still smiled at Chu Xuyun.

“Tell me, I’ll listen to you. I’ll listen to everything you say.”

Chu Xuyun silently looked at him. After a long time, he said softly, “Alright. From today on, you are not to listen to me anymore.”

Yu Xiao stared at him, confused, as Chu Xuyun continued seriously, “I now command you to get off me.”

“What?” Yu Xiao was bewildered, tears still on his lashes.

“Get off.” Chu Xuyun put on his most stern expression, “Hurry up.”

Yu Xiao felt a pang in his heart, about to obey, but Chu Xuyun pulled him back by the neck.

“I said, don’t listen to me!”

Chu Xuyun was truly angry this time.

Yu Xiao seemed to understand Chu Xuyun’s intention, cautiously whispering, “Okay, I won’t listen to you.”

It was the first time he saw Chu Xuyun genuinely angry. Honestly, it scared him a bit.

“Aren’t you still listening to me this way?” Chu Xuyun pouted, thinking for a moment before saying, “Since you like listening to me, then I want to go find Lianzhou now. You take me there.”

Yu Xiao: “…No way.”

“I want to go, you must take me.” Chu Xuyun began to understand, pretending to get up to dress, “If you won’t take me, I’ll go by myself.”

Just as Chu Xuyun had put on half of his clothes, Yu Xiao forcibly pressed him back onto the bed.

“This is the one thing I cannot do. I just can’t.” Yu Xiao grabbed his face and kissed him, almost pleading, “You can ask me to do anything else, but not this, alright?”

Chu Xuyun pushed him away and took a deep breath, “Alright, then I want to marry Lianzhou.”

Yu Xiao:?

“Do you know what you’re saying?” Yu Xiao grasped Chu Xuyun’s wrist, lifting it high above his head and pinning it to the pillow. He stared at Chu Xuyun intensely, almost gritting his teeth, “Impossible, Ah Xu. Take back those words.”

“I want to marry Lianzhou!”

“…”

That night, in Chu Xuyun’s memory, was an especially unforgettable sleepless night.