SQLJBFDTW Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Pill Poison, Half-Demon Body

The five people scrambled out of the narrow passage, finding themselves in yet another nameless temple, this one dedicated to the Yingying True Immortal, adorned with red and green carvings, festive and unique.

Yingying True Immortal was the founder of the Joyous Union Sect, and this memorial temple had gradually become a place where people came to pray for marriage. But based on their recent experience, whether the Joyous Union Sect was truly suitable for seeking marriage was debatable.

Barely having recovered from the shock, Hua Ze appeared before them as if by magic, cupping his hands in a smiling bow: “Thank you, fellow cultivators, for your great kindness, which I cannot repay! My master requests that you return to the sect for a meal.”

“But wasn’t Hua Liushuang already—?”

Hua Ze explained, “When the narrow passage opened, my junior brother had already escaped. That was my sect’s Soul Separation Technique. Thanks to my junior brother’s foresight, he had created a mud figure and attached himself to it to meet with that pill cultivator.”

“If it was just a mud figure, then wasn’t our trip pointless?”

“Not at all! Within the narrow passage, the soul is also suppressed by its master. If you hadn’t found my junior brother’s mud figure and fought with that pill cultivator, disrupting his focus, my junior brother wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

His smiling face was infuriatingly punchable. Qiu Shui, after dusting off her skirt, huffed, “Since the matter is settled, weren’t we supposed to be treated to a meal at Dreamy Fragrance Pavilion?”

Hua Ze touched his nose and said, “My master said that would be neglecting our esteemed guests. Our sect’s kitchen is staffed by chefs from Dreamy Fragrance Pavilion, and the sect’s environment is better. My master has specially prepared a winding stream banquet to welcome and cleanse you. I hope you won’t find it too shabby.”

“In that case,” Qiu Shui’s eyes darted around, “very well.”

Chao Jianxue, however, was thinking about what had happened in the narrow passage and asked, “Was that your master who made the move?”

That powerful zither music, with just a single note, had dispersed the demonic energy, not to mention tearing open the narrow passage, allowing them to escape smoothly.

Hua Ze didn’t hide anything and said gratefully, “I couldn’t open the formation and had no choice but to ask my master for help. Otherwise, I would have truly made a grave mistake…”

His attitude of admitting fault was so sincere that it was hard to blame him for his lack of skill.

Regarding the matter of entering the Joyous Union Sect, some were enthusiastic, while others had reservations. While Hua Ze led the way, they spoke in hushed voices amongst themselves.

Xie Bingyuan, young and timid, said, “The sect doesn’t allow us to casually visit other sects. If our masters find out we went to the Joyous Union Sect, will they beat us?”

Li Zhenzhen poked his forehead: “If you don’t tell, and I don’t tell, who back on the mountain will know? As long as you don’t stutter!”

Qiu Shui was in high spirits, walking like the wind, marveling at everything along the way.

If there were exchange activities, Qiu Shui would likely be the first to forget about home.

Chao Jianxue suddenly realized that since they had come out of the narrow passage, Yu Wei hadn’t said a word.

He glanced at Yu Wei, whose expression was serious, his lips almost pressed into a straight line, looking very out of sorts.

Could it be that he still hadn’t remembered the cause and effect from before?

He tentatively asked, “Yu Wei?”

No response.

He leaned closer and said, “Little~Junior~Brother?”

Still no response.

He had no choice but to poke the back of Yu Wei’s hand hidden in his sleeve and said in a hushed voice, “Dao~companion?”

Yu Wei finally raised his eyes to look at him, still with that aloof immortal face.

It was clear that the pill had long lost its effect.

Chao Jianxue gave a hearty laugh: “Just kidding, Little Junior Brother, it was just a temporary measure! When did you wake up?”

As if unwilling to look at his face any longer, Yu Wei turned his head away: “When fighting Elder Lin.”

Ever since they came out of the narrow passage, Yu Wei’s hand had been covering his chest from time to time. Chao Jianxue, with keen eyes, asked awkwardly, “Little Junior Brother, are you injured?”

“It’s nothing,” Yu Wei said coldly.

Chao Jianxue remembered the moment he had pulled him, his mouth as sweet as honey: “Aiya, Little Junior Brother’s martial arts are superb and awe-inspiring, thank you Little Junior Brother for saving me, and thank you Little Junior Brother for stepping forward and taking the lead, your hard work is greatly appreciated!”

Such praise would make anyone feel like they were floating on air, but Yu Wei was no ordinary person and stepped out ahead of him.

Seeing this, Chao Jianxue muttered to himself, “What a show,” he was fine earlier, but now he was acting all aloof again. He crossed his arms and followed.

The Joyous Union Sect lived up to its reputation. Unlike their Wuwu Sect, with its towering mountain peaks, the Joyous Union Sect was like a large garden, surpassing even the imperial palaces of the mortal kingdoms.

A pavilion at every step, a gazebo by every stream, the disciples coming and going all looked like celestial beings, each with their own unique charm.

And then there were the purple cherry blossom trees, like those outside Youmeng City, dreamlike and illusory. If Chao Jianxue were to cultivate here, he would definitely be dozing off every day; the atmosphere was truly too dreamlike and fleeting.

Walking through a long corridor, they arrived at a place with a winding stream and cool water, where a banquet had already been set up.

Hua Ze said, “My master instructed that, fearing you fellow cultivators might not feel at ease, the Joyous Union Sect disciples will not come to disturb you. Tonight, please rest in the nearbyTanghua Pavilion.”

Li Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief and thanked him. They didn’t really want to face the rumored Ziwu Yuanjun. After all, this wasn’t an official meeting between the two sects; it was better to let them be at ease.

The water flowed gently, with various types of wine in various colored cups, floating on the water.

Chao Jianxue still remembered the embarrassment from last time, but he had only four words: “Incapable but enthusiastic.” Thinking that someone would catch him if he fell, what did it matter if he got dead drunk?

Ordinary wine had a strong bitter taste, but the wonderful wine of this Xuanzhen Realm was somehow different, some soft and sweet, some smooth with a fruity fragrance, and some even with bubbles, making one cup after another not feel like too much.

In the end, Qiu Shui returned to her room first, while Yu Wei and Xie Bingyuan each carried their senior brother to Tanghua Pavilion. The two were so drunk that they were incoherent, muttering nonsense that they couldn’t understand, but somehow responding to each other.

Xie Bingyuan wrinkled his nose and listened for a while. He could understand some of the words, but when combined, they were meaningless. After laughing for a while, he straightened up and asked Yu Wei, “Senior Brother Yu, can you understand?”

Yu Wei lifted the thin blanket on the bed and covered Chao Jianxue.

He said, “Just the ramblings of a drunkard.”

“Senior Brother Yu, are you in a bad mood?” Xie Bingyuan asked tentatively.

While everyone else was eating and drinking, Yu Wei had only taken a few sips, his smile faint, only staring blankly at the purple cherry blossoms.

Xie Bingyuan was a thoughtful person and comforted him, “Senior Brother Yu, are you feeling sentimental because of what happened to Senior Lin Yao? Our master often says that where one cultivates to is all fate. With one thought, there is one consequence. Once the thought arises, the result is predetermined in the dark. It’s best to let nature take its course.”

A few moments of silent and disturbed expressions flashed in Yu Wei’s lowered eyes. He nodded, “I understand.”

His spiritual power circled around in his Dantian again, but he still didn’t find anything. Yet, he had clearly seen something enter.

Lin Yao was a great Pill cultivator, so he naturally had many unexpected elixirs and poisonous pills. What kind of pill was it exactly? And that sentence he said to him—

One day, you will be like me…

Yu Wei glanced deeply at Chao Jianxue.

He was sound asleep, his chin tucked under the blanket, looking completely oblivious.

After Lin Yao mentioned it, he realized that he had been feeling different lately.

As dusk fell, after days of travel, everyone, whether drunk or not, was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep. Only Yu Wei walked out of Tanghua Pavilion, intending to find a waterfall for quiet cultivation. But an uninvited guest came to the stream.

In the moonlight and flower shadows, a woman with a face like a goddess smiled beautifully at him, her dress flowing like water.

Yu Wei looked at her and bowed, “Disciple greets Ziwu Yuanjun.”

Ziwu Yuanjun covered her sleeve and laughed, “Young Master Yu has a good eye. Where are you going so late?”

Yu Wei said, “To cultivate.”

“Cultivation should also have a balance. I guess,” her eyes swept over him, fixing on his face, “you are troubled by the elixir that was forced into your Dantian.”

Yu Wei trembled. Then he steadied himself and stepped forward to bow, “Please enlighten me, Yuanjun.”

Ziwu Yuanjun smiled, “It’s not difficult. This elixir is called Spring Passion Pill. In essence, it’s just a kind of aphrodisiac. It activates once a month, and you just need to find someone to relieve it. Heaven knows how such a great predecessor as Lin Yao could do such a tasteless thing, causing trouble for Young Master Yu.”

Yu Wei: “…”

Ziwu Yuanjun said, “You don’t want to? Or you can endure it each time, but if you do, your spiritual power will likely be disordered, and your cultivation will regress.”

Yu Wei: “…Thank you, Yuanjun. Is there any other way?”

She shook her head, “No, or you can break through it yourself when you reach the Transformation God stage.”

Yu Wei asked in a stern voice, “May I ask, Yuanjun, is there a waterfall in Youmeng Sanqiandu?”

Ziwu Yuanjun pointed in a direction, and he flew away. Looking at his back, he seemed somewhat lost.

She turned her head and chuckled softly, calling out, “Aren’t you coming out?”

The shadows of the trees not far away flickered, and Chao Jianxue poked his head out with an embarrassed expression.

An incense stick’s time ago, in his sleepy haze, Chao Jianxue had seen Yu Wei neatly dressed, leaving the door alone. He guessed that he was secretly trying to cultivate again and had to stop him.

As soon as he followed, he ran into Yu Wei talking to Ziwu Yuanjun. Chao Jianxue was afraid of being discovered, so he hid behind a tree, only vaguely hearing some “elixir,” “endure,” and “cultivation regression.”

Combining it with the situation during the day, he thought in shock: Could it be that Yu Wei had been poisoned?

Thinking this, he asked.

Ziwu Yuanjun pondered for a moment and nodded, “You could say that. So it’s best to advise him not to endure it. As his senior brother, you should also persuade him.”

Chao Jianxue pressed his palm against his face: He has to endure it!

It’s better for his cultivation to regress.

A little impatience, and the Xuanzhen Realm will be destroyed with a snap of the fingers.

“Let’s not talk about him,” Ziwu Yuanjun said seriously, “I’m here to find you today.”

Chao Jianxue pointed at himself: “Me?”

She stretched out her hand, revealing a long sword in her palm.

“I accidentally obtained this outside the secret realm of Fuheng True Immortal that day, and I think it’s suitable for you.”

Chao Jianxue froze in place and did not move, “That day, wasn’t the Thousand Mile Sword stolen by a demon…”

“I was the oriole behind the mantis, I stole the sword, is there a problem?”

Chao Jianxue shook his head repeatedly, “There is no problem. But, why give it to me…”

It was clearly more suitable for Yu Wei.

Ziwu Yuanjun said, “You have demon blood in you, and this Thousand Mile Sword is a demon immortal’s magic weapon, so it should naturally be given to you.”

“……?”

Chao Jianxue took a step back in confusion, the wine completely gone, and his whole body suddenly turned cold.

“I knew your mother, and I recognize what you look like. A half-demon, neither demon nor human, truly pitiful, but I didn’t expect you to be adopted by Lord Qishan. Okay, take the sword.”

Chao Jianxue took the sword blankly and watched Ziwu Yuanjun turn and leave, the jade belt around her waist swinging gently, the ink-colored jade pendant shimmering.

When he reacted, he took a step and chased after her, chasing for a long time, but he never saw Ziwu Yuanjun again.

His mind was in chaos, as if many people were talking, but in the end, only the black jade pendant was magnified again and again, inappropriately reminding him that it was Lin Yao’s jade pendant.

But was this the time to think about the jade pendant?

A half-demon?

Him?