Chapter 118.1: Demon Realm Soul Seizure (Part 11)

Xu Qianyu fastened her clothes and quickly returned the favor: “Senior Brother, where are you injured? If you can’t reach it, I can help you apply medicine.”

Shen Suwei said it wasn’t necessary, but under Xu Qianyu’s insistence, he still removed a bit of his outer robe to show her. On his right shoulder, there was a bloody wound; the bleeding had stopped. It was caused by the dragon tail’s sting, and it wasn’t a serious injury for him: “It’ll be fine in a day or two.”

Xu Qianyu remembered what was said before the judgment that there was still one magic dragon left to deal with, and she felt uneasy.

She carefully applied Ice Toad Water to the uncovered wound on Shen Suwei’s back while recounting everything that had happened in the Jinxui Pavilion, but she omitted the matter involving Hua Liangyu.

Shen Suwei pondered for a moment. He didn’t have a deep impression of Luo Shui, as she was very quiet and reserved, rarely stepping forward. His impression of Yin Xiangjun, however, was that this person had a stubborn temper, always smiled at others, and was even somewhat slick.
In the fragments of his past life memories, whether he was a disciple or a Daojun, Yin Xiangjun had always been humble. As the sect leader, she didn’t seem to harbor any resentment toward being suppressed by younger disciples. This kind of temperament was rare in the celestial sect.

But Shen Suwei had proven one thing: a person who could endure might be hiding deep schemes.

“If, as you say, Luo Shui is under control,” Shen Suwei said, “Yin Xiangjun and Luo Shui, being siblings, have a good relationship, always advancing and retreating together, which offers an explanation. Luo Shui is a medical cultivator, and there may be something wrong with Yin Xiangjun, needing her to stay by her side. If Luo Shui disagrees, she could have been forced into it.”

“However, there’s another possibility.” His eyelashes fluttered slightly, his voice calm. “Their sibling relationship is indeed very good, but they could have joined forces just to perform for you. You’ve only met them a few times, but they are siblings; moreover, you’ve only just established your foundation, so your help is unlikely to succeed.”

He lowered his eyes, holding Xu Qianyu’s hand, feeling a slight chill. “Don’t think I’m being overly suspicious.”
Xu Qianyu wasn’t dumb; she understood that her senior brother’s caution came from concern. She squeezed his hand back. “I understand.”

But she still couldn’t shake the pleading look Luo Shui had given her. If it were real, wouldn’t that mean she was out of options? “But what benefit would she get from deceiving me? Also, it seems Luo Shui Yuanjun knows me. She saw me before I was born.”

Shen Suwei had some understanding of the background, having helped Xu Bing handle this private matter. He paused for a moment when he heard her words.
“Something happened before you were born: the sect leader went with his wife and daughter to a banquet. The host was Yin Xiangjun, as they were discussing the ownership of the last fragments of the Heavenly Ladder. The leaders and elders of the four great immortal sects and several small sects from the mortal world gathered. However, the banquet was attacked by demonic creatures, resulting in heavy casualties. The sect leader’s wife was also lost that day.”

“At that time, rumors spread that it was a trap, but Yin Xiangjun was severely injured as well, her cultivation stalling at half a step to becoming a god. The rumors gradually disappeared.”
“At that banquet, Luo Shui was present. It’s possible she saw the sect leader’s wife and Xu Qianqian. But your mother had you, and that’s when the sect leader went to Nanling. At that time, all the sects were busy counting casualties, and Luo Shui should have been inside Lingyue Immortal Sect. Did she inadvertently reveal herself by saying this? She must have gone to Nanling that day. Could your birth be related to these two?”

Shen Suwei spoke as his fingers brushed over the cinnabar mark on Xu Qianyu’s forehead, his voice soft. “Another possibility is that when the Elder sent someone to kill your mother, Luo Shui was there.”

“The third possibility is that she doesn’t recognize you at all. She might have made up the story to deceive you, leading you to rescue her.”

Back to square one, they both fell silent for a moment, then exchanged helpless smiles.
Xu Qianyu sighed and asked, “Should we tell the sect master about this, regardless of whether it’s true?”
“Don’t worry.” Shen Suwei picked up a communication token, speaking softly. “Penglai provides these tokens for the convenience of information transmission. I will report this to Elder Lin.”

Shen Suwei looked at her. “I’ve told you all the doubts. Do you still want to save her?”
Xu Qianyu thought for a moment, then nodded. “After all, she helped me once. I should return the favor.”

Shen Suwei also nodded. He understood Xu Qianyu’s straightforward nature well. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Qianyu placed two fingers on his lips and smiled. “Senior brother, you don’t need to get involved.”

Her eyes were bright, clearly having made up her mind. “I’m helping Luo Shui to set my own mind at ease. Your suspicions are not unfounded. If there’s really a conspiracy, it shouldn’t involve you. Since she’s seeking my help, I’ll find my own way to help her.”

Shen Suwei didn’t interfere further. He adjusted his clothes with one hand. “Alright, be careful. Once you come up with a plan, send me a message. If there’s any issue, come find me.”

Xu Qianyu was about to leave, but she paused at the door and glanced back. Shen Suwei was standing by the desk, fiddling with the communication token. His waist was slim, and his posture was straight and graceful.

She suddenly thought of the scars beneath his clothes, hidden from view. She wondered, Must it hurt a lot? How could he not show any sign of pain? She couldn’t help but sense a hint of loneliness from him.

She slowly turned around and, without warning, hugged him from behind. Before Shen Suwei could react, she ran out of the room, laughing inwardly and feeling a surge of courage.

---

“First with.” Chu Linfeng stood at the door, saying that You Yin had a message for the two of them. He carefully observed his surroundings and leaned close to her ear. “He saw magic patterns on Yin Xiangjun’s face.”
His buzzing voice startled Xu Qianyu, causing her to step back. “I see, thank you.”

Immortal cultivators with magic patterns on their faces don’t necessarily fall into nightmares, but it definitely indicates major problems with their internal energy or state of mind.

This matched her senior brother’s guess: Yin Xiangjun might have encountered problems with her cultivation, which is why she kept her medical cultivator sister by her side.
Xu Qianyu looked through the crack in the door at her roommate Tu Zhuang.

Tu Zhuang probably thought Xu Qianyu was locked in the Silent Thinking Pavilion and wouldn’t return. Now she didn’t have to feel pressured. Both beds were hers now, and she could finally turn things around. Humming a tune, she carelessly swept Xu Qianyu’s magical tools onto the floor and dramatically laid on her bed.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she lay down, a furious voice came from beneath her. “Who are you? Get up! Are you trying to crush me to death?”
The voice rang in her ears, and Tu Zhuang jumped up in fright. Xu Qianyu immediately opened the door, and Tu Zhuang froze in shock, staring at her, stunned. “You’re back?”
Xu Qianyu replied, “Yeah, surprised?”

The puppet beneath her pillow cursed as it crawled into Xu Qianyu’s sleeves. Tu Zhuang stared at her, wary. This person was indeed strange and not to be trifled with. Following Xu Qianyu’s cold gaze, she looked at the magical tools on the floor. “I didn’t throw them. It was the wind just now—ah, what are you doing?”

Her puppet had already been snatched by Xu Qianyu, who held it tightly in her arms. Tu Zhuang yanked the string back to take the puppet, but Xu Qianyu quickly grabbed it again.

Xu Qianyu stared at the ugly doll, lost in thought. Then, suddenly, she drew her sword and slashed at the strings behind the puppet’s back.

Though Tu Zhuang’s face turned pale with fear, and she screamed loudly, the silk thread was not completely severed, and she was not harmed.
Xu Qianyu: “Why can’t you cut it off?”
Tu Zhuang sneered, “This is a kind of curse. Curses cannot be harmed by objects. Even if you cut it into eight hundred pieces, you can’t escape its control. Only breaking the curse will work.”

“Are you good at curses? Can you only control this ugly doll?”
Tu Zhuang’s tone carried a trace of arrogance: “Of course not. Among the inner disciples of Tianshan mountain, I am the only one who practices high-level puppet arts. I can even control you.”
“You can control me?” Xu Qianyu asked curiously. “Why don’t you try?”

Tu Zhuang flicked a shiny silver thread from her sleeve and threw it toward her face. Xu Qianyu felt her joints ache, as though bitten by a spider, but the pain was momentary, and the threads dissolved entirely.

“Your cultivation level is above mine. It’s too draining; it’s not possible,” Tu Zhuang said, pausing for a moment, then awkwardly added, “Let’s not deplete each other. We should save some strength for dealing with demons.”

Xu Qianyu motioned for Tu Zhuang to come closer. “Help me with something.”
Tu Zhuang approached, but after hearing Xu Qianyu’s request, she became alarmed and shouted, “What does this have to do with me? Why should I care about the judgment? What if I create enemies out of nowhere? I won’t do it! I won’t do it!”

Xu Qianyu was pained by her shouting and, with a flick of her fingers, produced a pastry and held it up in front of her. “Did you eat the pastries prepared on the ship?”
Tu Zhuang closed her mouth.
Right when they first met, Tu Zhuang had been holding a plate and had just returned from the small dining cabin, having eaten quite a bit.

Xu Qianyu moved her fingers, skillfully cutting the pastry in half, revealing a round insect egg inside.
Tu Zhuang’s face changed drastically. “Ugh,” she groaned, bending over and gagging, but it was in vain.

“I have an antidote,” Xu Qianyu gently patted her back. “And I didn’t eat any pastries. If you don’t cooperate, it’s fine. A deal should be mutually agreed upon. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of your corpse.”

Actually, Xu Qianyu had no idea what effect the insect egg would have, but she was determined to intimidate Tu Zhuang.

Concerned for her own safety, Tu Zhuang was forced to discuss the matter of breaking the curse with Xu Qianyu after a quarter hour.
But neither of them expected the opportunity to come so quickly.

---

The next morning, except for Shen Suwei and Lin Shuyue, all other disciples of Penglai were gathered in the pavilion, along with Tu Zhuang.
As soon as Yu Chu saw Tu Zhuang, she was so frightened that she grabbed Xu Qianyu’s arm. However, Tu Zhuang, pale and clutching a puppet, was lost in thought about the insect curse and did not notice Yu Chu.

Xu Qianyu briefly informed them about Yin Xiangjun’s abnormal behavior, and since Penglai had its own method of private transmission, it was not known by others.
Su Mingyu said, “I only know that Yin Xiangjun and Luo Shui Yuanjun are siblings, and they look very similar and are very close. However, Luo Shui Yuanjun’s cultivation is somewhat lacking. He only has a Yuan Ying level of cultivation.”

Yun Chu even knew more: “Not just a little. Luo Shui wasn’t originally from the immortal path. It’s said that Yin Xiangjun was born with both water and wood spiritual roots, but Luo Shui has no spiritual roots. You all know that those with spiritual roots can enter the path, their cultivation grows stronger, and their lifespan extends. Without spiritual roots, one is just a mortal, and even if they take pills to extend their life, there is a limit.”

Xu Qianyu understood this because Xu Qianqian was also relying on pills to keep her alive. Even though she consumed a large number of pills, her lifespan was still no longer than that of a foundation-building disciple.

“Yin Xiangjun and Luo Shui are full siblings, and they love each other deeply. Before entering the path, their mother asked them not to be separated by life and death, so he was willing to share one of his spiritual roots with Luo Shui, allowing them to enter the path and cultivate together.”

Everyone’s expression turned serious. “Can a spiritual root be shared?”
Yun Chu inwardly mocked the surprise of others, as he knew his master, Elder Yi, had long mastered this method. He spoke, “Yes, but at that time, many powerful beings opposed this precedent. If spiritual roots could truly be transferred, then in the future, the strong would seize from the weak, and the rich would plunder the poor. But Yin Xiangjun was determined and secretly studied this method with Luo Shui, successfully extracting the wood spiritual root and giving it to his sister.”

Yun Chu showed a hint of sarcasm: “But since Yin Xiangjun was born with dual spiritual roots, they should have been complementary. Originally, Yin Xiangjun could heal himself, but by giving away one of his roots, his remaining water root often harmed his own meridians, and he had to rely on Luo Shui to heal him. Luo Shui naturally felt deeply guilty, and for the past century, she has never left his side, serving him devotedly.”