He’s almost well enough, and it’s almost time to head to the Immortal Mountain for some systematic cultivation.
His current Yindan cultivation was achieved by killing on the battlefield in his previous life, life and death have always only given them one chance to learn. He has good roots, his main spiritual root is water, mixed with the other two spiritual roots of wood and gold. In his previous life, he could have achieved triple parallelism, but he struggled with the lack of time for cultivation and experienced masters to guide him, and he embarked on a wild path with Yun Cuo instead.
He still remembers that when he was Yun Cuo’s Left Protector, the Right Protector who fought in front of him every day was an orthodox sword cultivator from a professional background—this person happened to be a student from Murong Mountain Manor, so he should have a good relationship with him.
The Right Protector’s roots are on par with his. At that time, he had also dueled with the Right Protector several times off the field, he was quick, accurate, and ruthless in a wild way. He was able to stalemate with the opponent for a period of time but never truly defeated him. In Xianzhou, just like in the Mortal Realm, they regard the left as the top priority. Many people have also discussed it, saying that Xue Huai cannot defeat the Right Protector, so why should he sit in that position?
Xue Huai himself didn’t care about it. After talking to Yun Cuo, Yun Cuo remained resolute and said, “That’s it. You just can’t beat him, but you are better-looking than him. For what reason can’t you be my left protector?”
The words didn’t get out, and Xue Huai felt quite fortunate in retrospect afterwards. He never expected that one day he would truly become a person who relies on his face to make a living… If Yun Cuo’s words were to get out, he would probably have to sit on another charge of being incompetent again.
He had been a prodigal for half his life, and only after running away from school did he realize the value of cultivating from an orthodox master. In addition to his little thought of avoiding Yun Cuo, this is also one of the reasons why Xue Huai is not willing to waste the opportunity to practice.
Besides, he remembered that near the end of the year, when he was seventeen years old, his father went out to talk to people about business and was ambushed. Later on, Xue Zong’s body did not recover, and he accidentally fell while recuperating. In the final analysis, it has something to do with the initial accident.
But at that time, he had left home early and could no longer remember the exact time, knowing only by the impression that it was near the end of the year. As for who was behind it and under what circumstances it had gone wrong, none of the letters from Xue Zong have mentioned it. This father of his was afraid that he would worry, and during his illness, he even forbade others from telling him about it. When he learned about it, everyone comforted him by saying that everything was already all right.
To know the whole story and to protect his family in this life, he has to reach the Jindan stage before the end of the year.
Xue Huai quickly planned everything, on this day, he returned home after leaving the Shenhua Terrace and briefly packed his things. The old man saw him busy and asked, “Young Master, are you going out?”
Xue Huai said, “En, tell my father, last time I told my grandparents that I would go to their place to become a disciple when I recovered. Send a message to my father… No, there’s no need to send a message. I’m going straight over there and will be back during the winter and summer break.”
The old man looked at him in surprise.
Xue Huai warned, “As for Young Master Yun, I can’t explain it to him. Everyone in the Immortal Realm has a long lifespan, he is willing to stay here with me for five years. If you can’t persuade him, let him go. But where I go must be kept as a secret.”
The old man frowned and said, “The old master is not at home, and you also left. An outsider is looking after the Shenhua Terrace, will it…?”
Xue Huai thought for a moment and said, “You don’t have to worry about this. Although Young Master Yun…looked gloomy and perverse a little bit, he is a very good person. He won’t interfere with things that are not his own, and he doesn’t have any ulterior motives towards our family. If you are worried, you can go and guard, it’s no different.”
This is true.
The Xue family has a great fortune, but it was nothing in Yun Cuo’s eyes—his mother is a princess of the Demon Clan, and although his father has yet to openly recognize him, he was directly trained as an heir, allowing him to use all the privileges as the Crown Prince of Xianzhou. He valued power and desires but was not greedy for small gains and never used underhanded methods to get his hands on what he wanted.
Xue Huai reminded him again, “However, you must not tell him where I went ah!”
The old man smiled and promised, repeatedly reminding him to be careful on the way: “Young master, if you miss home, come back earlier and don’t tire yourself too much. Madam would be proud of you if she knew about it.”
The old man helped him carry things and delivered them all the way to the door. He also took a cage and prepared to bring Xue Huai’s gluttonous ghost along.
They were busy here when the door of a room not far away creaked and pulled open. The person inside stepped out timidly.
Xue Huai turned his head to look and saw Xue He.
A few days ago, he came out of the water prison half-dead, and he heard about the news that Yun Cuo had proposed marriage to Xue Huai immediately. Probably seeing them packing up, Xue He guessed that Xue Huai was planning to go out of town, but he didn’t dare to ask. He came out to take a look and was ready to return to his room.
Instead, Xue Huai called out to him, “Hey.”
Xue He stood still, like being punished, standing helplessly by the door, not daring to step out.
Xue Huai narrowed his eyes and looked at him. “Come over a bit, Xiao He, let me take a look at you.”
As soon as he narrowed his eyes, the mole under his eye became much more vivid.
Xue He bravely brushed past, two or three steps away from Xue Huai. Xue Huai still felt that it was not enough, so he reached out and pinched his chin, forcing him to look up at him.
Xue He’s eyes are still swollen, like a rabbit, red and watery, looking particularly pitiful.
Xue Huai suddenly remembered: Yun Cuo came to propose marriage these past few days, and Xue He must have heard about it. No wonder this kid hasn’t appeared these past few days. He must be hiding behind the door, crying.
Xue Huai looked at his pitiful appearance with tears streaming down his face, chuckled lightly, and approached him easily. Pressing down on Xue He’s chin, forcing him back until he was standing against the wall.
He asked in a low voice, “What’s good about him? Is it impossible to like Gege? You and I are not related by blood. If you, little brother, are willing to sacrifice yourself for someone else, why don’t you consider Gege?”
“What… what?” Xue He widened his eyes and looked at him incredulously.
Xue Huai’s beautiful and somewhat sharp face leaned closer and closer, but his eyes remained cold. “Do you like him that much? His proposed partner is not you, is it hard to bear?”
Xue He dared not move at all, he didn’t even dare to breathe—Xue Huai’s eyes shone brightly, as if falling stars, it was so bright and compelling that he could hardly breathe.
He was already choking a little bit when he spoke out, “En.”
“You like him that much?” Xue Huai continued to ask.
Xue He couldn’t hear whether it was sarcasm or something else. He was almost scared crazy by Xue Huai, and with a sobbing voice, he almost shouted, “Yes, I just like him!”
He couldn’t understand why it was always Xue Huai who could have everything. From childhood to adulthood, he had followed Mrs. Liu and lived a destitute and homeless life1流离失所 or Líu Lí Shī Sǔo definition is destitute and homeless, it is an idiom meaning forced from one’s home, nowhere to stay, or wandering about., he has to be careful in what he says and what he does. Even the surname “Xue” was forced on Xue Zong by Mrs. Liu in order to ensure that he would not be bullied.
Now that Mrs. Liu has left, he thought he finally had a chance to catch his breath, but in the end, even the person he likes didn’t even give him a glance.
Yun Cuo even proposed marriage to Xue Huai.
He couldn’t stand Xue Huai’s attitude, which seemed as if he was mocking and showing off—why does he have to ask him? If he likes Yun Cuo, he shouldn’t have rejected him!
The words just fell, and Xue Huai took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, he simply slapped it on his head, with the word “two” clearly written on it.
This is the countdown given to him by Xue Huai. The last time he pointed an arrow at him, he gave him a “three” card, saying that if it doesn’t exceed three times, he will save his life.
Xue He felt a cold sweat penetrate his shirt, if there’s next time, he would truly be dead. Xue Huai is going out of town, and he still has to live his life in retreat—because the next time will be his time to die.
Xue Huai looked at him with a smile and said, “Finally willing to admit it?”
The extreme fear gave rise to extreme anger. Xue He cried out, out of breath. He accused him, “You, who do you think you are? Who do you think you are?”
“I am Xue Huai.” Xue Huai tilted his head to look at him, holding the talisman paper between his fingers and patting Xue He’s head with an almost friendly attitude.
His voice lowered, making people shudder. “This piece of paper was not given to you because you liked someone, but because you were so cowardly. I am me, and you are you. What I hate most in my life is when people get their hands on my things. The network of the Xunxian Pavilion is one, and this engagement is two. If you want something, tell me directly, I may not agree, but if you want to use other means, you should weigh it carefully.”
Xue He dared not move, tears still hanging on his eyelashes.
He knew that Xue Huai was not joking. From childhood to adulthood, regardless of whether something was important to Xue Huai or not, Xue Huai never gave his own things to him, he chose to buy him a new one.
Xue Huai continued, “To be clear, I’ll tell you something that neither Young Lord Yun nor you will like to hear. Since you like him so much, you should have snatched Yun Cuo long ago before he proposed marriage. The Xue family doesn’t raise a coward who hides and cries after losing their love. You are a man—”
He reached out and pushed Xue He away, standing in front of the door and turning his head. “Just come and snatch people openly and honestly. When you first met him, both sides were unmarried and not engaged, so why didn’t you dare? Where have you been earlier? In my life, I’ve always hated those who play tricks behind my back and hide from the world the most. Even if Young Lord Yun no longer likes me in the future, he also wouldn’t like a lowly person crawling out of the sewer as well.”
“I don’t know what you learned from your mother or what you plan to do in the future. But it doesn’t matter if you’ve grown up crooked. I’m your brother. There’s plenty of time to straighten you out.” Xue Huai stretched his fingers and gently broke them, his bones making a crisp sound, and his eyes were as cold as a cold blade. “Isn’t it?”
He pressed against Xue He’s heart out of thin air, and his fingers moved—Xue He immediately let out a miserable scream that pierced through the clouds, and the mournfulness of this scream even startled the nearby birds.
The root bones and techniques were stripped away bit by bit, as if skinning and extracting the skin, breaking through the boundaries of blood and flesh from the heart and pulling them outward inch by inch.
No word can describe that kind of pain—thunder, bone scraping, and ashes stirring, all of which are not as painful as this. Xue He’s tears came out at once, and his whole body spasmed and convulsed, but he was too powerless to resist.
Xue Huai, bit by bit, bit by bit, peeled off his immortal spiritual roots.
His entire immortal journey was also shattered bit by bit by his movements.
Xue He cried, “Please, I’m begging you. Ge, I’m begging you…”
Xue Huai gave him a slight smile, withdrew his hand, and kicked him aside without mercy. There was a muffled clicking sound as his bones crashed and broke.
The door slammed shut, isolating Xue He’s screams and tears of fear from outside the wall.
Xue He didn’t understand why he suddenly got into trouble today, thinking it was just a warning before he left home. Even the old man, watching from the side, felt that Xue Huai had gone a little too far, but he still didn’t say anything and just followed his orders as usual.
Only Xue Huai knew that, besides this, it was to vent his anger.
The people who exchanged their marriage certificates in his previous life were Xue He and Mrs. Liu. Number eight and number nine are very close to number ten2八九不离十 lits. number eight and number nine are very close to number ten, meaning very close to the face, but not exactly the fact..It was impossible to say that he didn’t have murderous intent when he thought that this might be the cause of his misunderstanding of those around him.
He wasn’t kind enough to go through this life thinking about influencing his stepmother and stepbrother, he just knew to strike first.
But reason limited him, and there was no way he could use what hadn’t happened as a reason to harshly criticize him. There is no untenable reason, and even everyone else will turn against him—he knew very well that even Xue Zong, who loved him to the bone, would not tolerate him handily killing someone from his family for no reason as well.
Although the Immortal Realm has a theory of possession, it does not have the art of rebirth. The only thing that comes closest is the Phoenix Clan’s art of Nirvana, but that is only the saying that if one dies in this lifetime, they will come back to the next life, there’s no such thing as dying and being reborn into the past.
He needs to warn Xue He not to act recklessly during his absence from home.
As for the question of whether to break it or not, if it’s not the right thing to do, let’s just keep breaking it until—it is completely crushed by him with a click.
Xue Huai returned to his room without saying a word, pondering for a long time on the white paper in front of him, and finally wrote eight words.
“Listen to both sides, and you will be enlightened, heed only one side, and you will be benighted.”
He sighed lightly and took another piece of paper. After much consideration, he wrote three words: “I’m sorry.”
He plans to send this letter to Yun Cuo after leaving.
This is his apology for everything he has done in his past life, as well as this one. Yun Cuo doesn’t know anything, so that was all he could talk about. In fact, if you look at it, the previous life was so long. Even if there were villains who intervened, the biggest problem still appeared depending on themselves.
His pride and arrogance are his biggest mistakes.
He sighed lightly and said, “Maybe I’m suitable for being a bad person.”
The gluttonous ghost huddled in the corner, looking at him while trembling. After Xue Huai finished all of this, he packed his luggage for a while and then went over to pick it up and stroked its head as he wondered, “What are you trembling for?”
With a grunt, the gluttonous ghost silently climbed off his lap and obediently climbed into the cage, waiting obediently for Xue Huai to pack it along.
The author has something to say: the gluttony ghosts: weak, helpless, but able to eat.
