Chapter 129: The Choice (Part 1)

“So, you’ve turned the Demon Realm into a replica of the Wanfu (Ten Thousand Fu) Sect?”  
As nightfall descended, the ghostly cultivator no longer needed to avoid the light. Hua Qingyu resumed her human form and appeared beside Hua Liangyu. She twirled a skull in her hand, “It’s been many years since we last met; I do miss it.”

Hua Liangyu led the group into the hall and had them sit down. Using spiritual energy as a drink, she poured tea and wine, saying, “You’ve traveled a long way, through dust and weariness. The Demon Realm shall offer its hospitality.”

Hua Qingyu raised an eyebrow, “Oh? So soon, you’re taking on the role of the hostess? No need for that; I’m still waiting to return to Penglai to report in.”

Hua Liangyu smiled slightly, “It’s been so many years since I’ve seen Little Umbrella, there’s much I wish to talk about. Please stay a few days.”
Hua Qingyu snorted but still sat down.

In the past few days, Xu Qianyu and the others had been struggling to sleep out in the sand dunes, but now with a house and spiritual energy to rest, they were naturally delighted. Tu Zhuang chewed on a chicken leg, the grease covering her mouth, while the veil of the Tianshan female cultivator was tossed aside.
Xu Qianyu stared at her for a while: “Hey, you seem to have become one of us, a disciple of Penglai. Have you forgotten your fellow disciples?”

Su Mingyu quickly turned to Hua Liangyu: “By the way, earlier in the demon domain, there were also disciples from other sects stranded outside.”

“I’ve already drawn the teleportation talismans to send them back to their starting point.” Hearing that Hua Liangyu had taken care of everything, Su Mingyu finally felt at ease.

Fu Lingsha swayed her legs in the air, her face gloomy. Hua Liangyu first fed her, then slowly helped Little Long pick out fishbones. He said, “Don’t worry. The Phoenix has the power of Nirvana. Your eyes will regrow after ten years.”

“Really?” Fu Lingsha’s face softened when she heard this.
Hua Qingyu took a sip of wine: “You’re so old, and you still can’t feed yourself? It’s embarrassing that your mother has to do it for you.”

Fu Lingsha kicked the stool: “At home, my mother feeds me, not you!”
The noisy voices mixed with Hua Liangyu’s gentle coaxing, filling the quiet demon domain with some liveliness.
Xu Qianyu quickly grabbed some food and slipped away because the severely injured disciples were still in the pavilion, and her senior brother wasn’t around, so she was a little worried. Yu Chu followed closely behind her.

Xu Qianyu went to check on Lin Shuyue first. She had been unconscious the entire time before. Xu Qianyu placed her hand on Lin Shuyue’s forehead, and Lin Shuyue opened her eyes and sat up.

Xu Qianyu said, “You were crying while you were asleep. Are you feeling unwell?”
“No,” Lin Shuyue shook her head groggily. After the injury, her consciousness had stayed back before entering the Sword Tomb. She was blocked by Hua Liangyu’s seal and couldn’t get in.

In her nightmare, You Yin cursed her within the letter butterfly, and Tu Zhuang stood inside the sword tomb, mocking her because she was the one who had been looked down upon by everyone for her moral failings.

“Qianyu…” Lin Shuyue said with a troubled expression, “Our father has three wives and four concubines, changing partners like the weather. Has anyone said anything?”
Xu Qianyu didn’t understand what she meant: “I don’t have a father, so I haven’t seen the three wives and four concubines. But Yu Chu does.” She turned her black eyes to Yu Chu, who nodded confidently while fanning himself, “Yes, I do. Those concubines fight, argue, and bully others. Men with three wives and four concubines aren’t good people.”

Lin Shuyue wanted to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. She looked at them with uncertain eyes: “Do you look down on me for having multiple dao companions at once?”
“I do have some opinions about you,” Xu Qianyu said, her gaze serious under Lin Shuyue’s anxious eyes. “When I talk to you, you’re always sending letter butterflies. It makes me upset.”

Lin Shuyue couldn’t help but smile, then quickly wiped it away and looked at Xu Qianyu seriously: “I want to say that I am a selfish person. I will play with others, hurt them. As a cultivator, whether male or female, that’s poor character. The Dragon Lady doesn’t like me, and she has her reasons. If you want to cultivate the Great Dao, we can keep our distance in the future.”

Xu Qianyu didn’t understand why Lin Shuyue was saying such heavy words. Her expression was serious, as if she wanted Xu Qianyu to make a choice. Xu Qianyu thought carefully and replied, “It depends on the situation. If you hurt my friends, I will hate you. If you hurt people, I don’t know… I’ve known you for some time, and you don’t seem like a malicious person. I’m not some noble figure either.” Her clear eyes looked into Lin Shuyue’s, “You treat me well, and I will treat you well.”

Their gazes met, and Lin Shuyue’s expression was moved. She suddenly hugged Xu Qianyu’s shoulder.
After a moment, Yu Chu also joined in.
Lin Shuyue seemed to let go of a heavy burden: “Once I’m better, I’m going to find You Yin and clear something up.”

---

In another pavilion, Yun Chu opened his eyes and saw Shen Suwei standing at the door, backlit, covered in cold sweat.
He had entered the Mirage, not only withdrawing safely but also killing Fu Shao and retrieving two ice spoons, showing his profound cultivation, which was terrifying.

Yun Chu’s gaze fell on the communication wooden plate on the table. Shen Suwei said faintly, “Your master must be very worried about you. Let them know you’re safe.”
Yun Chu struggled to reach out, grabbing the plate from the air and drawing symbols on it.

In a moment, Elder Yi’s voice came from the plate, cautious: “What happened? Why was there no contact for so long? Are you injured?”
“I’m fine,” Yun Chu said cautiously under Shen Suwei’s gaze. “I triggered the giant beast left by the Demon Lord of the Demon Domain and had a fierce battle, then fainted.”

“Not injured, but your voice sounds weak—were you scared?” Elder Yi scoffed. “Useless. What’s going on in the Demon Domain?”
Yun Chu replied, “The five magic dragons of the Western Sea, the giant beasts of the Demon Domain, and the Demon Lord are all slain.”

Elder Yi clearly relaxed: “The Demon Lord was killed smoothly?”
“The Demon Lord has fallen into a nightmare, lost his mind, turned into a monster unable to speak, and was stabbed to death.”

Elder Yi still sounded doubtful: “Fu Shao had a half-step Divine Transformation realm. The Judgment Sect members weren’t around; could it really have been that easy? What about Shen Suwei?”

It seemed Elder Yi and the others didn’t know about Hua Liangyu’s presence in the Demon Domain, nor did they know that Hua Qingyu and Wuzhen had already arrived.

Yun Chu glanced at Shen Suwei, backlit by the door: “He was severely injured, and so was Chu Linfeng.”
This was the reason for being stranded in the Demon Domain.

“Alright, you keep watch.”
Shen Suwei seemed pleased with his response and took back the wooden plate. He turned and left, leaving Yun Chu with a bottle of Ice Toad Water on the table.

Yun Chu struggled to take the ice toad water. His waist and abdomen had been pierced by the giant beast, and blood seeped out every time he moved. He bit his clothes and applied medicine to himself. In moments, his face turned pale, sweating heavily, eyes closed.

He was here alone, unattended, making him appear quite miserable.
He lay on the bed, exhausted, recalling the scene of sand being removed from before him as Xu Qianyu had dug him out of the sand. The lamp wick had been placed in his mouth without hesitation, and the spiritual energy spread through his veins, warm as if placed in the mother’s womb.

He looked at the red thread on his hand, now stopped from spreading; it had become nothing more than a useless tattoo.
Xu Qianyu also bore the “Heartbound Curse” on her body. While he was no longer at risk, wasn’t she afraid the elder might activate the curse, putting her in danger?

Thinking it over, he realized he had never met anyone as foolish as Xu Qianyu—foolish enough to make him feel uneasy.

*
Shen Suwei took out the spirit butterfly, rubbing his fingers over the engraved words.
“Do you want to be with me forever?”
He didn’t know how many times he’d read that line. Having etched it into his heart, he erased the words and returned the now blank spirit butterfly to You Yin.

He knocked on Lin Shuyue’s door. Xu Qianyu opened it, and upon seeing her senior, she quietly closed the door and followed him.

Shen Suwei led her to his pavilion, shut the door, and then retrieved an intricately carved wooden box from his collection.

Unexpectedly, he placed a snow-skin mooncake into her hands.
“Didn’t you say you wanted one?” Shen Suwei looked at her and said, “Eat it.”
Xu Qianyu took a bite, feeling a slight pang in her heart for reasons unknown.

She quickly finished the mooncake, staring at him intently, feeling an odd itch in her heart. Tilting her head, she asked, “Do you remember what you called me on the spirit butterfly?”
“What?” Shen Suwei’s fingers had been idly spinning a bottle of icy toad balm on the table, but at her words, his fingers paused. He truly didn’t remember what he had written, so he kept his face calm, returning the question to her. Inside, though, his heart was faintly pounding, worried he might say something he shouldn’t.

“…?” Xu Qianyu glared at him with an annoyed expression.
After a pause, Shen Suwei replied calmly, “Are you hurt anywhere?”
She couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud; it must have been something utterly absurd.

“Are you hurt? Show me first.” Xu Qianyu grabbed his collar, pushing him onto the bed. Shen Suwei didn’t resist but instead let her push him down onto the bed.

The scent of blood grew stronger, and she stopped fooling around, softening her movements.
“Go bring the icy toad balm,” Shen Suwei instructed. While she turned to fetch the medicine, he neatly folded and set aside his outer robe.

When she returned, she said, “Turn around.”
He did as she asked.

It was an elegant figure with a slender yet firm waist, not overly delicate. His ink-black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, spreading out on the bed, adding a touch of allure.

Xu Qianyu looked around, then touched his hair lightly and leaned in to take a sniff. Shen Suwei promptly gathered his hair to the front, making it easier for her to apply the ointment.

The cool balm touched his skin, and Shen Suwei, who usually despised being touched, forced himself to keep his sword aura restrained for her. Xu Qianyu, who didn’t know how to care for herself, was even clumsier when tending to others. Instead of just tickling, her efforts often irritated his wounds, making him ache.

Yet, in that pain, Shen Suwei found a strange satisfaction.
It was pain left by his junior, like the nip of a small beast, a reminder of her presence.
More than that, restraint felt more natural to him than desire.

But Xu Qianyu gathered his robe, leaning in closer after finishing the treatment, and let her hand linger on his waist.

Shen Suwei’s back was marked by old sword scars that faded into faint red lines over time. She had noticed them in the sword tomb earlier, and now, seeing them again, she felt compelled to try applying some icy toad balm.

Just as she started, her hand was caught. “That won’t work on these scars.”

“Why?”

“They’re from before I built my foundation. The essence-cleansing techniques can’t erase them.”

Xu Qianyu understood. After foundation-building, cultivators gain immunity to ailments and injuries, but scars from before that point remain.

So her senior had lived through days of bloodshed before joining.

She traced the scars on his waist with her nail, as if to imagine what kind of damage would leave such marks.

That’s exactly what Xu Qianyu was thinking. His waist felt so different from hers—tense and solid, firm enough that pressing with her fingers left no marks. She wondered if he had the same sensitivity as she did.

With a calm tone, Shen Suwei reminded, “You’ll have to press harder than that.”

Xu Qianyu felt a strange impulse, almost enchanted, pressing her nails down slightly to leave a red mark.

Shen Suwei didn’t make a sound. Her ruthless curiosity awoke, and she scratched him again.

After a moment, Xu Qianyu saw the bright red marks rise on his skin and regretted it, wanting to apply the icy toad balm. But Shen Suwei gently held her hand back, saying, “It’s fine.”
He calmly put his robe back on.

She glanced at him, feeling strangely dazed. She’d left two marks on him.
There was guilt, but also a peculiar satisfaction.

Then Shen Suwei took the balm and gestured for her to turn around.
“I’m not really hurt,” she said hastily. It was the truth. Aside from some wind-made cuts on her arms and face, the giant serpent hadn’t harmed her directly.

Shen Suwei looked at her, poured some balm into his palm, dabbed a bit on his fingers, and gently applied it to the cut on her cheek. His movements were careful, the coolness refreshing. Xu Qianyu tilted her head back, closing her eyes.

After a while, she felt a slight movement, and Shen Suwei’s breath drew near, followed by a gentle, cool kiss on her lips.

After being apart for some time, his familiar presence felt a little foreign. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and as she moved, his hand covered her eyes, pressing her back against the wall so she couldn’t see anything.

In the darkness, every sensation intensified. His kiss was soft, like melting snowflakes, soothing her. Only when she responded, leaning toward him, did the kiss deepen.

Her senior’s kiss was gentle but carried a hint of entanglement. Xu Qianyu tried to push him away, but he pinned her wrist, making it hard to resist, as his kiss blazed down her neck.
Then Shen Suwei stopped himself.

He felt the demonic energy surging in his veins and immediately recited a calming incantation to suppress it. In front of Xu Qianyu, he found it increasingly difficult to control himself.

Xu Qianyu, feeling her pounding carotid artery, was extremely uncomfortable. She didn’t curse, but after enduring a bit, she relaxed. She had been struggling to breathe just moments ago and now focused only on catching her breath.

Shen Suwei felt a deep sense of guilt. He gently touched her face. “If you’re tired, then rest.”

“I don’t want to sleep here.” Xu Qianyu seemed to think of something, and pulling Shen Suwei along, their consciousnesses drifted into a different realm.

Shen Suwei looked around and saw a sparse room with a small rocking horse on the floor and several colorful balls. “Is this your tranquil realm?”

While he observed the surroundings, he repaired the corners Xu Qianyu had burned earlier when she had used the Flame Demonic Realm.

“It’s my childhood room.” Xu Qianyu pulled him to sit on the bed. At last, she wasn’t the only one here.

“What’s this?” Shen Suwei picked up a torn white rabbit plush, stuffing cotton back into it.
“I broke it,” Xu Qianyu said. She felt it sounded a bit willful, but she still explained, “I really liked it back then. But one day, I was in a bad mood and broke it.”

Xu Qianyu took the plush from him and tossed it aside, her gaze intense as she looked at him. “Senior Brother, will you stay here with me and sleep?”