SQLJBFDTW Chapter 60

“How is it? Did you find him?”

Inside the hot spring resort, Li Zhenzhen and the others returned to the signing hall. They had just searched separately in various directions within the resort, but they hadn’t found any trace of Chao Jianxue.

“Don’t worry, maybe Senior Brother just went out to relax,” Nan Shan couldn’t help but comfort them, seeing that their faces didn’t look good.

Xie Bingyuan said, “But we can’t contact Senior Brother Chao’s jade pendant either. Could he be in danger…”

He shut his mouth because Yu Wei’s gaze was frightening. It was the first time Xie Bingyuan had seen such a fierce look on Yu Wei, and he was startled.

Yu Wei’s palm was clenched tightly, as if suppressing a fire in his heart, and he asked in a cold voice, “Did none of you really see where Senior Brother went? He was clearly sitting among you just now…”

Nan Shan frowned, “We really didn’t see him. He left silently. There were so many people at the time, we thought he was just going to do something… What do you mean? Are you blaming us?”

Qiu Shui pulled him, “Hey, Little Junior Brother is just anxious.”

“Who isn’t anxious? I’m anxious too…”

Ever since they realized Chao Jianxue was missing, Yu Wei had questioned them multiple times about why they didn’t see where Chao Jianxue went.

Nan Shan and the others were also aggrieved. Chao Jianxue wasn’t a three-year-old child, nor was he the idiot he used to be. Who knew he would suddenly disappear? How could they watch him every moment as if he were a child?

Yu Wei knew his emotions were inappropriate. He forced himself to recite a few verses of the Clear Heart Sutra and lowered his head, saying, “Second Senior Brother, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m the one at fault.” He shouldn’t have been angry at Senior Brother and deliberately ignored him. He should have been watching Senior Brother at all times, like before.

Although Senior Brother is a Yuanying cultivator, he doesn’t have much practical experience. If he encounters another Yuanying cultivator, he might not be able to win. Moreover, he has that illness where he becomes weak for a while after using his cultivation. What if something really happens?

Yu Wei’s fingertips almost dug into his palm. The thought of possibly losing Senior Brother was like a pain in his heart.

Who could it be?

There was no sign of any demon intrusion at the hot spring resort. Did Chao Jianxue go somewhere on his own, or did someone kidnap him?

Who was it?

The Tianyao Sect?

“Second Senior Brother, let’s report to the Lord Mu Yuan. We’ll search the mountain,” Yu Wei raised his eyes and said calmly, “I’ll go to the Tianyao Sect.”

Nan Shan agreed. But not long after he walked out, he heard Yu Wei say, “Wait, wait two more hours. Wait for my message before you go to find Lord Mu Yuan.”

He knew Chao Jianxue. Senior Brother didn’t like people gossiping about him behind his back. If this matter of his disappearance were to be spread, it would surely attract criticism again.

Yu Wei clenched the jade pendant in his hand and hurried towards the Tianyao Sect’s residence.

–

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?” A finger landed on Chao Jianxue’s lower abdomen, slowly moving up to his chest.

Chao Jianxue’s whole body tensed up. The ropes on his hands and feet had barbs, and any movement of his wrist would cause them to dig deeper into his flesh. He could only give up, calm down, and ask, “What do you want?”

This demon finally revealed his true form, his collar open in a wanton manner, with long silver-white hair and eerie green vertical pupils. He was almost half-lying on Chao Jianxue, sniffing his scent.

He said, “That’s strange. Last time I saw you, I remember you had a bit of a demonic aura. Why is it gone now?”

Of course, it was because he had deliberately concealed it before leaving seclusion!

Chao Jianxue knew he was at the mercy of this demon. Seeing that he didn’t seem to have any immediate plans to kill him, he lay flat and said, “How did I cause you trouble?”

The demon propped himself up, revealing his original appearance. When Chao Jianxue saw that his lower body was a green snake tail, he almost fainted, especially when the tail wrapped around one of his legs.

“Don’t play dumb!” The tail flicked his leg.

He said, “That day I took the Qianli Sword, I didn’t expect to fall into a trap set by a woman along the way. She snatched my sword, and I almost died at her hands.”

“But I didn’t expect her to give the sword to you… What a waste of a treasure.”

He angrily flicked Chao Jianxue with his tail again. Chao Jianxue felt that his leg was probably going to turn blue.

“When did it become your human race’s turn to use immortal artifacts left behind by my demon race!”

Chao Jianxue stared at the exposed fangs. The snake venom must be what was causing him to be completely unable to fight back.

He sighed, “Fuhang True Immortal personally passed down the cultivation method to me. Why don’t you go and reason with him?”

“Really?” He seemed not to believe it.

“But your scent is really strange. What is your identity? Are you really just an ordinary human cultivator?”

Cold sweat dripped from Chao Jianxue, “This…”

“Forget it, no matter what your identity is, you’re going to end up in my stomach today.”

Chao Jianxue grabbed the ropes binding him, “Do you demons even eat people!”

How was he supposed to face the half-demon bloodline within his body!

The snake demon sneered, “Do you think it’s like eating meat and blood? Ignorant thing. Of course it’s…”

He slid his fingers down Chao Jianxue’s collar, stopping in the middle of his fair chest.

“Cut it open here and take the spiritual core. Oh, you’re also a Yuanying cultivator now.”

Chao Jianxue’s hair stood on end, “If you want revenge, you should go find the Lord Ziwei!”

“Unfortunately, my disguise technique can’t fool that woman.”

Damn it!

Chao Jianxue struggled even more, desperately trying to activate the magic artifacts in his arm bracelet, but without spiritual power to activate them, he couldn’t move any of them.

He had never felt so powerless before. He closed his eyes tightly, and as the nails on his chest gradually exerted force, his lips began to tremble.

“Eh…” The snake demon suddenly stopped, lowered his head, and moved closer to him, “Looking closely, your original appearance is quite pretty. It would be a shame to just let you die like this.”

Chao Jianxue was flexible and adaptable. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said in a trembling voice, “Snake demon, sir, please have mercy.”

The snake demon was intrigued, “Why don’t I take you back to the demon realm?”

His tail receded, transforming back into a human shape and standing beside Chao Jianxue, slowly scrutinizing him from head to toe, as if gauging his satisfaction.

–

“It’s you,” Tan Zhou opened the door, “May I ask what’s the matter?”

Yu Wei asked anxiously, “Has Fellow Daoist Tan Zhou seen my Senior Brother, or does he have any clues about him?”

Tan Zhou’s expression changed slightly, “He’s missing?”

A faint movement came from the inner room. Yu Wei narrowed his eyes and stepped inside.

Tan Zhou didn’t stop him, but said, “My Tianyao Sect didn’t interfere. I know about his matter with Mo Zezhi, but his disappearance is indeed not the work of the Tianyao Sect.”

Yu Wei had already reached the inner room, and his footsteps stopped in place.

Because he saw someone lying on the half-covered bed. The bed curtains concealed the upper body, but the legs were covered in bruises and unsightly marks, finger marks, and congealed filth, as if even the air was filled with a licentious atmosphere.

Yu Wei recognized from those legs that it wasn’t his Senior Brother.

Despite witnessing such a lewd scene for the first time, Yu Wei remained calm on the surface. He had also heard Tan Zhou’s frank words. He turned to look at Tan Zhou and bowed, “If you have any clues, please inform me.”

“Do you want me to help?” Tan Zhou feigned kindness.

Yu Wei brushed past him and nodded, “Thank you.”

In that short moment, he had already released his spiritual power to explore the entire room, confirming that there was indeed no trace of Chao Jianxue.

The only thing that was somewhat unexpected was Tan Zhou’s private hobby.

Yu Wei had indeed heard of the secret pleasures among the young masters of large clans, but this was the first time he had seen it.

Putting this matter aside for now, he quickly leaped to the top of the snow mountain, with an unobstructed view of the vast snowscape.

Chao Jianxue was still saying nice things, “Actually, if you want the Qianli Sword, I can give it to you, but you have to let me go first so I can give it to you. Otherwise, even if you eat me, the sword won’t recognize you as its master!”

The snake demon was quite calm, his cold palm pressed against his face, pinching his chin.

“Is that so? But you human cultivators are always cunning. If I don’t get the Qianli Sword, then so be it. There’s no need to wait until we return to the demon realm. I want to have you right now.”

Chao Jianxue’s eyes widened: Did he have to be so direct and vulgar!

The snake demon leaned in, one hand groping over his chest. Chao Jianxue stared at the ceiling with determination.

He held his breath, waiting in his heart to count to three. Then, with a puff, a long sword pierced through the snake demon’s chest.

The snake demon stood up in horror, “You!”

Chao Jianxue spat out the demon blood that had splashed into his mouth, chanted a spell, and Ming Qianli flew out of the snake demon’s chest on its own, severing the demon locks on his wrists and ankles.

“Although I’m not as powerful as Lord Ziwei, I’m also a mid-Yuanying cultivator. Your demonic power is only at the early Yuanying stage. Besides, your demon venom doesn’t seem to work very well on me?”

Chao Jianxue commanded Ming Qianli, and it immediately pinned down his snake tail.

At the same time, he flicked his hand and released a sect-made signal flare.

“How could this be… You were clearly just at the Yuanying stage!” The snake demon couldn’t believe it, “You were clearly at the early Yuanying stage during the competition!”

Chao Jianxue untied the knots on his legs, “Human cultivators know how to hide their strength. You wouldn’t understand that, would you?”

The door was kicked open with a bang, and a sharp light shot straight at the snake demon on the ground. With a flash of white light, the snake demon disappeared without a trace, but Ming Qianli’s sword was stained with blood. Chao Jianxue could tell that it had forcefully cut itself open to escape.

With the crisis averted, Chao Jianxue slumped down. The aura of ease he had just displayed was immediately gone.

Fortunately, Ming Qianli was already his natal sword, and he had stalled for a little time until his spiritual power responded, so he could drive Ming Qianli in time.

In fact, he was also very unsure inside, but fortunately, the snake demon underestimated him.

He retracted Ming Qianli. The one that had just flown in through the broken door was none other than Yu Wei’s sword, Weiyi, which had arrived before its master.

After a few breaths, Yu Wei flew over in a hurry. He glanced at the bloodstains on the ground and looked up to see Chao Jianxue sitting on the bed, his collar open, his hair disheveled, reaching out his bound hands to him, pitifully saying, “Little Junior Brother, come and help me untie this.”

Yu Wei didn’t answer, silently walking forward, his slender fingers touching his tightly bound wrist.

Chao Jianxue continued, “Fortunately, I’m at the Yuanying stage now, otherwise, I would have been dead this time. Fortunately, I brought a signal flare with me, otherwise, I would have had to hop back with my hands raised, how embarrassing…”

A coolness suddenly came over his wrist, and he froze. Yu Wei had actually shed a tear.

He carefully caressed the deep marks on Chao Jianxue’s wrist, where the flesh had burst open. Chao Jianxue comforted him, “It’s okay, it’s nothing, just a little bit of pain.”

He didn’t say it didn’t hurt, because it really did hurt, especially now.

Yu Wei’s tears stung—falling on his wound.

Yu Wei raised his face, expressionlessly pulled his collar together, and then forcefully wiped away the bloodstains on his face. Chao Jianxue felt that his expression was a bit frightening and didn’t dare to speak for the time being.

Then, he was drawn into a deep embrace.

“Senior Brother, I was so, so worried about you. If something happens to you, I will hate myself to death.”