CH 73

Chu Sheng?

Chu Yu was pleasantly surprised by the news. He looked up and saw Chu Sheng crossing the threshold into the room.

He had not seen Chu Sheng for more than a year. Xie Xi had not changed much, but Chu Sheng seemed to have changed completely. It was obvious that he had not sorted out his expression the very moment he stepped through the door. His gentle and calm bearing in the past had now been taken over by an air of graveness and indifference. He had also severely thinned down, and his face was ghastly pale. His entire demeanor was cold and aloof.

The moment his eyes met Chu Yu, he instantly brightened up like an iceberg melting. The corners of his lips unfroze, and he called out to Chu Yu with a cheerful smile, “Little brother.”

Chu Yu’s heart squeezed with guilt.

After all, he had not given Chu Sheng a choice at that time and had just gone ahead and knocked him out.

Although if he had to do it again, he would still choose to knock Chu Sheng out and send him away.

Xie Xi did not know what had happened in the forbidden area of the Chu clan, but Chu Sheng was very much aware. If Chu Sheng had been present at that time, the process to seal off Demon Lord Yan Heng would have been fraught with difficulties. If it came to that then all the terrible plotlines in the original book would have ended up being reproduced, who knew if the system would have eventually made Xie Xi’s fate coincide with his original fate in the original novel, killing Chu Yu off before letting Xie Xi seal himself into the coffin…

Of course, it was also possible that Xie Xi would have a case of Qi deviation, that would end up in him turning into the second Demon Lord Yan Heng.

Chu Yu sighed as he stopped himself from thinking about it and revealed a smile, “Big brother.”

Chu Sheng walked over to the bed and reached out a hand to stroke Chu Yu’s hair. His eyes were filled with a mix of anguish and tenderness. His eyes reddened as he opened his mouth, “… Little brother. I’m to blame. It’s all my fault.”

Chu Yu had only just pacified Xie Xi a few days ago, and now he would have to coax his eldest brother. Chu Yu felt helpless and hugged Chu Sheng tighter. He said in a low voice: “Big brother, I won’t blame you, as long as you don’t blame me.”

It was only with this hug he realized just how skinny and bony Chu Sheng was now. After a moment of silence, Chu Yu carefully scrutinized Chu Sheng’s face, only to find that his face was so pale it was almost morbid.

He could not help but lift up his eyes to glance at Fu Chongyi. Fu Chongyi had been staring at Chu Sheng the whole time. When he felt Chu Yu’s eyes on him, he raised his eyes to meet Chu Yu’s. First, he nodded, then he shook his head.

Chu Yu got the hint. Patting Chu Sheng on the back, he smiled and said, “It’s all right, big brother, I’m fine. Look, haven’t I returned in one piece?” When he saw Chu Sheng wordlessly picking up a strand of his white hair, Chu Yu added, “It’s just that my hair has turned white. I’ll find something to dye it back some other day.”

Chu Sheng released his hold on Chu Yu, turned his head to look at Xie Xi and sighed, “Little brother… Don’t be so reckless in the future. You, you almost scared me to death.”

When Chu Sheng had woken up from his coma, he felt icy cold all over his entire body. His heart had frozen after finding out that three days had already passed. When he heard that Chu Yu had sacrificed himself to seal off Demon Lod Yan Heng, everything had turned black before his eyes. He had practically crawled to the place where the Chu clan had placed the soul jade tablets of their direct line of descendants, heaving a sigh of relief only when he saw that the soul fire representing Chu Yu’s life was still brightly shining.

Having already lost his second younger brother and father, he did not want to lose his youngest brother too.

Chu Yu comforted him in a low voice. When the topic of conversation changed to how he had managed to escape, he held back Fu Lanxue’s name and simply said that he had met a supreme master in the abyss who told him how to find the Resurrection Array. As he slowly revealed the incident in Xuan Jing, Chu Sheng’s previously dim and dead eyes lit up. He was so excited that his words were incoherent, and it took him a long time to calm himself down. He said in a low voice, “I’ll send someone to search for it right away. Little brother, don’t worry. Just cooperate with Fu Chongyi to recover as quickly as possible.”

Chu Yu nodded repeatedly and watched as Chu Sheng departed. He turned his head to Xie Xi and burst out laughing. Poking him in the cheek with his finger, he said, “My little shidi, what’s wrong? Look at that face of jealousy. That’s my eldest brother. Do you have to go to that extent?”

Xie Xi felt a little aggrieved. “… Shixiong hardly ever smiles. But when Chu Sheng came, you smiled twice.”

Chu Yu, “……”

Chu Yu was speechless. He was turning around and just about to call out to Fu Chongyi when Xie Xi held his face with both hands and turned it back. Lowering his head, he kissed Chu Yu first on the forehead, then at the corner of his lips. Contented, he finally released his hands and stepped aside.

Fu Chongyi was pretending not to see anything and had lowered his head to tease the fox in his arms. When he saw Xie Xi getting out of the way, he put the fox down and smiled. “Can we proceed?”

Chu Yu glared at Xie Xi and nodded his head.

While there was actually a very simple way to break the seal in Chu Yu’s body, it was also very easy for things to go wrong. Giving Chu Yu several pills to protect both his heart meridian and spiritual pulse, Fu Chongyi closed his eyes and calmly transferred spiritual energy into his body. When Chu Yu’s previously barren spiritual pulse had been filled with spiritual energy, Fu Chongyi suddenly gathered his energy and struck out at Chu Yu’s dantian.

Chu Yu did not manage to withstand the first strike and spat out a mouthful of blood. He coughed as the world before his eyes started to turn black. He had the urge to ask if Fu Chongyi wanted to kill him.

Xie Xi’s face sank and he was about to draw Duan Xue out of its sheath when Chu Yu stretched out his hand without hesitation to push the sword back into its sheath. He glared at Xie Xi before closing his eyes to cooperate with Fu Chongyi. he focused on stilling his mind and calming his energy.

Xie Xi bit his lips. His heart ached so much when he saw Chu Yu coughing up blood. He pulled out a square piece of cloth and carefully wiped away the blood from the corners of Chu Yu’s lips in silence.

Chu Yu wanted to cough blood every time a blast of spiritual energy struck him. However, he was afraid that Xie Xi would worry, so he gritted his teeth and endured it. Fortunately, the pills he had just swallowed now took effect and protected his spiritual pulse. This went on for a long time, and Chu Yu was starting to feel groggy when he suddenly felt his Lingtai[1] clear. A tremendous amount of energy surged forth from his dantian and instantly spread all over his body1.

At long last, his spiritual energy was back.

Chu Yu felt all the wounds he had obtained when his body was still that of a mortal heal instantaneously. His body felt incomparably relaxed and comfortable, and he could not help but give a low hum. When he opened his eyes, the world in front of him seemed to have taken on a brand new look.

Fu Chongyi was nearly sent flying by Chu Yu’s sudden burst of spiritual energy. He patted Chu Yu’s chest one more time and smiled. “Looks like we’ve succeeded. Congratulations to Third Young Master Chu.”

Reinvigorated, Chu Yu got out of bed to bow to Fu Chongyi to offer him his heartfelt thanks. He inclined his head to look at Xie Xi beside him and smiled as he stretched out his hand to hold hands with him. His aura flowed into Xie Xi’s spiritual energy as their spiritual energy connected and intermingled with each other in harmony. Xie Xi’s mind was only set at ease after he had carefully examined Chu Yu’s inner condition. But because Chu Yu had coughed out blood earlier, Xie Xi’s expression was still sullen as he gave his thanks.

Fu Chongyi was not bothered and said, “Third Young Master Chu, do you want to hear the worst news?”

Chu Yu’s face turned solemn. “Is it about my eldest brother? What’s wrong… with my eldest brother’s body?”

Fu Chongyi forced out a smile. “Third Young Master Chu is really sharp.” After a long silence, he said, “I’m afraid we cannot save your eldest brother’s right hand.”

Chu Yu froze for a moment as his mind quickly searched through his memory. He immediately recalled the accident in Qing Tu where a demonic cultivator had succeeded in mounting a sneak attack on Chu Sheng, wounding him. His face turned even graver. “What happened?”

Chu Sheng’s shoulder had been injured. Even if he had been poisoned from the attack, shouldn’t the poison have been quickly neutralized with Fu Chongyi there?

Fu Chongyi guessed what Chu Yu was thinking and shook his head, his face gray. “I’ve failed to live up to my reputation… On the day your eldest brother was injured, I noticed that he was poisoned, but I didn’t pay much attention to it when I discovered that it was just a common poison. I just found some time to draw out the poison for him. Someday later, about half a month after you had left, he suddenly fainted… It was only then I found out that there was another poison hidden under that layer of poison. I had never seen this poison before and could only use medicine to inhibit it. The poison by then had spread to his heart meridian, and your eldest brother may not have long to live… He is afraid you would worry, thus he did not allow me to say a word of it to anyone.”

But even if Fu Chongyi had helped Chu Sheng to suppress the poison, the poison had still gradually spread throughout his body. Chu Sheng had been busy the entire year with the Chu clan’s matter, fighting off demonic cultivators and on top of everything else he was worrying about Chu Yu day and night. He had coughed blood almost every day as his body grew weaker, but still, he refused to step down from the front line.

Chu Yu’s heart sank.

At the end of the day… a big part of the reason for Chu Sheng’s low spirits was him. The good thing was that there was now hope to revive Chu Shuangtian, and Chu Yu himself had returned… He could only hope Chu Sheng would be able to get back on his feet. Earlier on, Chu Yu had thought there was something wrong with his own eyes the instant Chu Sheng had stepped into the room.

Fu Chongyi stared into Chu Yu’s eyes. “Your eldest brother was far away in Jin He; he didn’t know that you were back… But two days ago, he suddenly fainted. A guest vassal2 of the Chu clan immediately sent him to Linlan. I examined him and found that the poison had moved to his heart. He still wanted to leave, so I told him that you had returned and earned myself a scolding.”

He sighed, looking as if he wanted to laugh but couldn’t. “You probably can’t imagine your eldest brother getting angry. He wanted to see you at once, but he was too frail, and he was concerned that you would worry, so he held back until today to when he could finally move normally. On top of that, he forced me not to tell you everything.”

Chu Yu was silent for a moment before he asked, “Must we amputate it?”

Fu Chongyi replied, “We must otherwise he will surely die.”

Chu Yu wordlessly turned his head away, and Xie Xi took him into his arms and stroked his back to comfort him.

The Chu clan were all trained in the way of the sword, and Chu Sheng was highly skilled in swordplay. His swordplay was so natural, smooth, and clean that it often received praise from around. If his right hand was removed, then this swordsmanship would be rendered useless. It would obviously be a challenge for him to learn to use his left hand, especially when he had hardly ever used it before, not to mention that his movements would be jerky too. He would not be able to bring out the best of his cultivation. Chu Sheng was already depressed, so even if he knew where to find the Resurrection Array, and even if he knew of Chu Yu’s return, he would likely still sink deeper into despair.

Chu Yu was a little scared. The way Chu Sheng was right now, he seemed to have a death wish. If he didn’t, he would not keep on declining Fu Chongyi’s help to purge the poison in his body. Chu Yu was afraid that Chu Sheng would pass away as soon as he fulfilled his wish; in fact, he might not even hold out for that long…

Seeing how Chu Yu’s expression grew graver, Fu Chongyi suddenly laughed as if he had made a decision. “Why are you making such a face? Your father now has a chance to be resurrected, and you’re back as well. The Chu clan should cast away the gloominess and spring back to life. I said we need to remove the right arm, but I didn’t say whose. I’ve been looking around for a long time these days, and I found a suitable person among the captive demonic cultivators. We can remove his arm and reattach it to your eldest brother’s body. It’s time for the Chu clan to be reunited.”

To use a captive demonic cultivator’s arm… It was cruel but compared to Chu Sheng’s safety…

Humans are selfish.

Chu Yu thought for a moment. His mouth twitched as he considered Fu Chongyi’s solemn expression earlier. “Young Master Fu?”

It wouldn’t be that simple, would it?

Fu Chongyi sighed. “Third Young Master Chu, I just said it in passing, and you actually believe it. Do you really trust me that much, or do you doubt my skills?”

Chu Yu raised his eyebrows and gazed solemnly at Fu Chongyi for a moment before he eventually nodded his head. “Then I’ll have to trouble Young Master Fu… Chu Yu will always remember Young Master Fu’s kindness to the Chu clan”.

Fu Chongyi nodded. “Just wait here for these next few days with a peace of mind. When I’ve successfully purged the poison from your eldest brother’s body, I’ll send all of you back.”

After watching Fu Chongyi leave the room, Chu Yu mulled over the matter for a moment, then turned to Xie Xi. “Do you think he is lying?”

Xie Xi held him closer in his arms and tightening his grip around his waist as he said, “He won’t do anything to harm Chu Sheng. Shixiong, you can put your mind at ease.”

“Shidi is so certain of it?” Chu Yu was a little astounded. To tell the truth… This child, Xie Xi, normally could hardly be bothered to take even a glance at others other than Chu Yu himself, let alone take the trouble to think about this and that. This was the first time he had used such a positive tone to comment on the actions of an outsider.

Xie Xi did not reply immediately. He pinched Chu Yu’s lower jaw and tilted his face up to look. He was glad to see that Chu Yu’s initially pale face had regained its color, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. “Shixiong had never seen how Fu Chongyi is always running after Chu Sheng. Once Chu Sheng settled down at a place, Fu Chongyi would bring a bowl of medicine to him within the hour. Chu Sheng couldn’t even try to dodge him.”

Chu Yu wanted to laugh when he thought of what Chu Sheng’s panicked look would be as he tried to flee. Instead, he gave a slight cough and said with a stern face. “Shidi, where are you putting your hands?”

Just as he spoke solemnly, Xie Xi suddenly unfastened his belt and reached in.

Xie Xi blinked, looking clueless. “What is shixiong talking about? Shidi does not understand. “

Having said that, he continued to pull apart the lapels of Chu Yu’s clothes. Chu Yu’s face darkened as he gathered his lapels together. He turned around to face Xie Xi as they rubbed against each other. Because Xie Xi was hugging him tightly and their bodies were pressed up close to each other, he could instantly feel the change in Xie Xi’s body.

Chu Yu’s expression remained stoic as he pretended not to have noticed anything. Pinching Xie Xi’s handsome face, he teased, “How does shidi know Young Master Fu has been following around my big brother for the whole year? Could it be that you were also following my brother around?”

Xie Xi paused, then tore Chu Yu’s lapels apart again and lowering his head to drop a kiss on his beautiful collarbone. His voice was hoarse as if he was suppressing his emotions, “Yeah. I was afraid shixiong will be sad upon your return if he dies.”

Chu Yu was stunned. Then he smiled as his heart filled up with an inexplicable warmth. He raised his head to kiss Xie Xi’s smooth and graceful jaws. “You deserve a commendation.”

“Hmmm, shixiong…” feeling Chu Yu’s kiss made Xie Xi’s breathing a little short, and he abruptly pressed Chu Yu down on the bed with a strange smile on his lips. “Shixiong’s body should have recovered… Shidi will now examine how well the wounds on shixiong’s body are healing so far.”

With that, he tore apart Chu Yu’s inner garment. His heart ached when he lowered his eyes and saw traces of scars still on Chu Yu’s white skin. He lowered his head to kiss the scars with a serious expression, moving slowly past each one down from his chest to his abdomen. He paused to strip his pants and continued to kiss the scars on his way down.

The places where his lips touched all seemed to be on fire. It was burning hot. Chu Yu did not want to turn him down. His hands gripped the bedsheet below his body as he bit his lips to stop the moans that nearly escaped from his throat.

Xie Xi kissed all of his wounds patiently then climbed up again to pin Chu Yu down. They were both clearly seeking pleasure, but Xie Xi’s eyes were moist and he choked before he smiled. “The examination is completed. Shixiong still needs to continue applying ointment in order to return a perfect shixiong to me. Oh, but you can just leave the troublesome stuff like applying the ointment to shidi.”

Chu Yu knew that Xie Xi was still feeling bad. He stretched out his hands to undress Xie Xi as he raised his head to kiss his eyelids gently. It was rare for him to take the initiative. Xie Xi took a deep breath, got up in a semi-kneeling position to shed his clothes, then lowered himself back down of Chu Yu and took his lips into his own. His voice was vague as his lips tenderly caress Chu Yu’s.

“Shixiong… it’s time to give shidi a big reward.”