Listening to Xie Chi’s words, Taro Ball felt like he was going to throw up. Even though he knew that many in the daemon race were as cold and selfish as Xie Chi, hearing these words first hand was still sickening.
They were blood-related brothers, so how could they be so different?
Goldfish would never be like Xie Chi!
Taro Ball stuck his tongue out at Xie Chi behind his back, but the movement didn’t escape Jing Wei’s sharp eyes.
Jing Wei squinted slightly, his gaze warning as he stared at Taro Ball.
Noticing his look, Taro Ball glared back defiantly. He didn’t like this brother who betrayed their daddy to team up with Xie Chi for evil deeds!
Receiving the kid’s angry glare, Jing Wei pretended not to see it, his expression neutral as he softly asked Xie Chi, “Yu Ce and the others will soon realize this kid is missing. What’s your plan?”
Xie Chi’s grip on Taro Ball’s hand tightened for a moment before he carelessly pushed the little guy towards Jing Wei, saying indifferently, “Tie him up and hang him over the lake.”
The vast Xianding Lake had already been transformed by Xie Chi’s demonic energy into a boundless sea of fire. The fire, created by a Golden Immortal’s demonic energy, would burn anyone who fell in, leaving them either dead or severely burned.
Taro Ball’s heart raced, and he pretended to be scared, trying to run, but the surrounding demons blocked his way completely.
It seemed Xie Chi was done playing the loving uncle and was ready to get serious.
Jing Wei grabbed Taro Ball by the back of his collar, his face expressionless as he agreed, “Got it.”
Just as Taro Ball was calculating his chances of escaping by revealing his identity, Jing Wei’s hand gently squeezed the back of his neck.
He felt a bit ticklish and instinctively wanted to turn around, but then he heard a very low and soft voice in his ear, “Don’t move, stay still.”
With his immortal-level hearing, any slight sound would never escape Xie Chi’s ears.
Taro Ball’s body stiffened as he felt Jing Wei take his hand from behind, slowly and carefully writing the word ‘wait’ in his palm.
Wait?
Wait for what?
He frowned in confusion as Jing Wei tightly bound his wrists and then wrote another word in his palm.
‘Me.’
Wait for me.
Taro Ball’s eyes widened slightly. He didn’t know what Jing Wei was planning, but he sensed that Jing Wei meant no harm. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be secretly writing in his palm behind Xie Chi’s back.
Could it be that Jing Wei hadn’t betrayed his daddy and wasn’t actually following Xie Chi?
His unease lessened a bit. Judging by what he saw, Jing Wei’s strength was at least at the Nascent Soul stage, possibly higher. If they teamed up against Xie Chi, they might stand a chance.
Jing Wei grabbed Taro Ball and leaped to the treetops by the lake, tying him to a branch over the fiery lake below.
The heat waves licked at his face, making Taro Ball squint. He mumbled softly, “Tie it tighter, don’t let me fall.”
Jing Wei was silent for a moment, then, without any hesitation, kicked him off the branch.
“You!” Taro Ball yelled as he fell, swinging wildly before coming to a stop. He glared up at Jing Wei, his bottom still aching from the kick.
Above him, Jing Wei narrowed his eyes, standing on the treetop and looking down with what seemed like a scoff.
“Too talkative.”
Taro Ball was instantly at a loss for words, biting his lip in frustration, unsure of what to say. He couldn’t figure Jing Wei out—why did he seem both good and bad at the same time? All he wanted was to be tied up securely, so why kick him down like that?
He really hated demons the most.
By the lake, Xie Chi’s indifferent voice came through, “Jing Wei, keep an eye on him. I’m going to break the formation.” As long as the Rongyun Sect’s barrier stood, they couldn’t seize the opportunity to take over the sect. The five nearby cities were under Rongyun’s protection, and capturing Rongyun meant controlling all five cities.
Jing Wei acknowledged, and once Xie Chi was out of sight, he transformed into a falcon, flying to a branch above Taro Ball’s head.
The golden mark on his forehead glowed faintly.
The servant-master bond in his mind allowed him to hear Shen Tanqi’s anxious voice, “Finally got through to you, Jing Wei. How’s Taro Ball?”
Jing Wei glanced at Taro Ball, whose face was flushed red from the heat as he struggled. “He’s fine,” he replied coolly. Watching Taro Ball squirm and swing his feet, trying to escape, Jing Wei added, “He’s on a swing.”
Shen Tanqi: ?
Swinging?
But hearing Jing Wei’s words, Shen Tanqi felt relieved and sighed. “As long as he’s okay. Where are you now?” Jing Wei must have opened the communication while Xie Chi was away, indicating that Xie Chi wasn’t nearby.
Upon hearing this, Jing Wei responded calmly, “Xianding Lake, behind Rongyun Sect. Follow the direction of the fire.”
“Xianding Lake?” Yu Ce repeated, frowning inside the carriage.
Xianding Lake, named after the phrase ‘an immortal touched my head, bestowing long life upon me,’ was the most spiritually abundant area in the back mountain of Rongyun Sect and the seclusion place for the sect leader where he retreated to practice. That Xie Chi dared to hide Taro Ball there—he was really not afraid of death.
Could it be that Xie Chi’s strength had grown to the point where he no longer feared the sect leader?
A Golden Immortal can control the elements with a flick of his wrist, create hurricanes with a breath, and obliterate everything with an exhale. Though the sect leader was old and nearing the end of his life, he was still a Golden Immortal.
Xie Chi is quite audacious.
Jing Wei’s gaze lingered on Taro Ball for a moment before he added, “But I suggest you hurry if you don’t want him to become roast dragon meat.”
Shen Tanqi exclaimed, “What? Roast dragon meat?!”
Jing Wei heard the anxious inquiry and smirked mischievously, cutting off the communication. Just as he was about to turn and fly away, a cold, mocking voice sounded in his ear.
“Jing Wei, who are you talking to?”
Jing Wei’s pupils contracted sharply as he quickly reverted to human form, his throat immediately gripped by Xie Chi from behind.
Jing Wei was horrified. Xie Chi had returned—had he suspected him all along?
The fingers around his neck tightened inch by inch. Xie Chi squinted slightly, pulling Jing Wei closer with a smile. “Who were you chatting with? Why not share it with me?”
Jing Wei struggled for breath, clutching at Xie Chi’s wrist, and gasped out, “I… wasn’t.”
Hearing the commotion above, Taro Ball looked up abruptly, just in time to see Jing Wei being choked by Xie Chi, seemingly about to be killed.
Xie Chi smiled faintly without saying a word and ruthlessly slammed Jing Wei to the ground. Dust flew everywhere, and Jing Wei felt like his organs had almost shifted places. He scrambled to his feet and bowed deeply, saying, “I have no intention of betraying the Demon Lord!”
Raising an eyebrow, Xie Chi seemed very curious and said, “Really? Do you think I’ll believe you just because you say so?”
Jing Wei’s scalp tingled, and his heart raced. He knew that even a single wrong word would mean certain death. Choosing his words carefully, he said in a low voice, “If I have betrayed you, I am willing to face the most severe punishment of the demon clan.”
Xie Chi floated down from the treetop like a ghost, his eyes cold and sinister like an owl’s in the night. After a moment, he slowly curled his lips into a smile and said, “Alright, then let me search your soul to see if you’re telling the truth.”
Search his soul?
Most people subjected to soul searching would end up foolish, forgetting even their own names!
Jing Wei stared at him in shock, not expecting Xie Chi to be so ruthless.
A flash of resolve crossed his eyes as he swiftly drew his long sword from his waist and attacked Xie Chi without hesitation.
But Xie Chi moved faster. In an instant, he caught the sword’s tip with his hand, then with a cold smile, broke Jing Wei’s sword inch by inch, and once again grabbed Jing Wei by the throat, pressing his large hand onto Jing Wei’s head.
“Come on, let me see what treasures I can find in your soul,” he said, pressing his palm firmly onto Jing Wei’s head and sending a tendril of demonic energy inside. Jing Wei immediately began to struggle in pain.
Hearing Jing Wei’s cries, Taro Ball, suspended over the fiery lake, took a sharp breath. Gritting his teeth, he used his spiritual power to burn through the ropes binding his hands. He then launched himself at Xie Chi with a powerful strike. “Let him go!”
Xie Chi, caught off guard by Taro Ball, who was not the powerless Goldfish he had assumed, recoiled in surprise.
As his hand left Jing Wei’s head, Jing Wei collapsed to the ground, trembling. Taro Ball, who was shorter by a head, carried Jing Wei onto his shoulder.
His head throbbing, Jing Wei’s vision blurred, but he could make out Taro Ball’s pale face beside him. The boy’s voice was resolute as he helped him up. “Wake up! I won’t hold our past against you, but I can’t beat him alone!”
Xie Chi narrowed his eyes, sneering, “So, you two have been conspiring against me all along.”
Jing Wei suddenly shoved Taro Ball away, shouting, “Run! What are you still doing here?”
Taro Ball, caught off guard, was momentarily stunned. He watched as Jing Wei struggled to his feet, a ball of demonic energy forming in his palm. “I’ll hold him off. Run down the mountain. Your father is on his way!”
Taro Ball gripped his sword tightly, gritting his teeth. “What nonsense! How long do you think you can hold him off?”
He stood by Jing Wei’s side, pointing his sword at Xie Chi, cold dragon breath emanating from his body. “We’ll kill him together!”
Jing Wei took a deep breath, looking at Taro Ball with a mixture of frustration and resignation. “This is why I hate kids.”
Taro Ball snorted, “You think you’re that much older than me?”
Not far away, Xie Chi watched them with amusement, speaking lazily, “Two kids in the Nascent Soul stage, barely grown, think they can kill me? Even if your father shows up, he won’t be able to.”
Both Jing Wei and Taro Ball fell silent, their eyes darkening as they focused. One wielded demonic energy, and the other a sword, charging at Xie Chi together.
The three figures clashed violently in the back mountains of Rongyun Sect, their blurred silhouettes reflecting off the fiery lake. The sound of clashing swords echoed like thunder through the mountains.
In a matter of moments, Taro Ball realized that Xie Chi was still handling them effortlessly, as if he wasn’t even trying. The gap between the Nascent Soul stage and a Golden Immortal was enormous. Neither he nor Jing Wei had yet transcended their tribulations, making the idea of defeating Xie Chi seem like a far-fetched dream.
As the battle dragged on, Taro Ball’s stamina was nearly depleted. His arm felt numb, but he couldn’t afford to stop. Stopping meant losing his arm, or worse.
Jing Wei was even weaker than Taro Ball. He had just suffered from Xie Chi’s soul-searching technique. Though it wasn’t completed, the pain was excruciating, making his vision blur and darken. He could barely distinguish between Xie Chi and Taro Ball in front of him.
With his vision growing darker and his strength waning, Jing Wei felt himself fading. Xie Chi, noticing this weakness, suddenly unleashed a burst of demonic energy, striking the back of Jing Wei’s head.
A loud buzzing filled Jing Wei’s ears as his sight went completely black. His ears rang incessantly, and he fell to the ground like a leaf from a dying branch. In the darkness, he heard the wind, the buzzing, Taro Ball’s frantic shouts, and the sound of a sword piercing flesh.
Xie Chi’s sword plunged into Jing Wei’s chest, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Blood spattered his eyelashes, starting to crust. He couldn’t see or hear clearly anymore.
So tired.
He didn’t want to fight anymore.
Wouldn’t it be better to die like this?
He could go to the underworld and confront Huo Yening, ask why he abandoned him, why he forced him to take the Demon Lord’s position.
He never wanted anything; he just wanted to stay by Huo Yening’s side.
He remembered that year, the ancient battlefield scattered with corpses, when he first met Huo Yening.
His parents had been killed on the battlefield. He trembled helplessly, not knowing where to fly to, where he could survive. Everywhere was filled with endless slaughter and hatred, fear shrouding every corner of the battlefield like an unending night.
The man reached out, letting the bird rest on his finger, took a sip of wine, and smiled gently. “Where did this little bird come from? Lost?”
Huo Yening glanced at the blood-red sky, lowered his eyes, and said, “There won’t be any more wars. I’ll take you home, okay?”
At that time, he was like a retired Demon Lord, holding significant influence in the demon clan. As a demon elder, he called off the three-realm war and promised to seal himself under the Bloodthirst Cliff, never practicing demonic arts again.
Jing Wei knew only Huo Yening’s status could save his life on that deadly battlefield, so he agreed to Huo Yening’s offer.
In truth, if he had died on that ancient battlefield, if he had never met Huo Yening—
Maybe he wouldn’t be so tired now.
Now seemed like a good time to rest. Could a bird’s soul return to the forest after it dies?
Perhaps.
From the day he met Huo Yening, he never had freedom again.
Jing Wei slowly closed his eyes, plummeting rapidly from the sky, only to be caught gently in a warm embrace.
Just like that year when Huo Yening let him land on his fingertip, Shen Tanwu, who had just arrived, caught the bloodied Jing Wei. He looked at the injured bird in his arms and softly said, “Don’t die…”
Nearby, Shen Tanqi swooped in to save Taro Ball, placing the little boy into Shen Tanwu’s arms as well. “Brother, take the kids down the mountain first!”
He hadn’t expected his brother’s carriage to be faster than his and Yu Ce’s, but it was a good thing. They had arrived just in time. Any later, and they might not have been able to save the two children!
Shen Tanwu hefted Taro Ball and Jing Wei, one on each shoulder, casting a cold, angry glance at Xie Chi from a distance. An inexplicable surge of frustration and fury welled up inside him, an intuitive hatred that made him want to tear Xie Chi apart.
He couldn’t even understand where this emotion was coming from.
Seeing Yu Ce and Shen Tanqi confronting Xie Chi, Shen Tanwu didn’t delay any longer and began moving the two children toward the clinic at the foot of the mountain.
With only a faint breath left in him, Jing Wei, sensing something, weakly clung to Shen Tanwu. His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper, “Huo Yening…”
Had he died and was now hearing Huo Yening’s voice?
Shen Tanwu was momentarily stunned, feeling the young man on his shoulder sobbing. Jing Wei used his last bit of strength to cling tightly to him.
His greatest regret was that before Huo Yening died, he had wanted to hold him, but he hadn’t listened to Huo Yening’s request.
“Let me hold you for a moment, okay? Don’t go.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
