Ch6 - Vivid Red Orbs

The entire Qing Jing Peak had been eviscerated by swords. What was originally a picturesque spiritual site was now a ruin filled with debris. This was especially true for the place where the actual duel took place.

His second disciple that he only received two years ago and who had barely built his foundation had several broken bones. His foundational core was almost entirely exhausted.

Jiang Yinghe helped Qin Jun up and directed a pointed look at Li Huanhan. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that the other’s sword-wielding arm began to twist as ghastly rips in the skin appeared. The unique characteristics of the heavenly demon physique became apparent. His blood dripped from his fingertips, and he resembled a malignant star given human form.

Jiang Yinghe felt his heart skip a beat. Although his cultivation did not diminish from his excursion into the depths of the secret realm, it seems that mistakes were made. Otherwise Qin Jun would not be able to injure Li Huanhan with his current level of strength.

He reconnected Qin Jun’s broken bones, and the repetitive action helped soothe his original fury. He asked, “Were the two of you fighting?”

Qin Jun answered quietly, “Shixiong was just demonstrating a few moves to me.”

Jiang Yinghe turned around and walked in front of Li Huanhan who was still like a statue. His thoughts were too deep to decipher.

“Pointers?” Jiang Yinghe watched as he recalled the blood sword. He then took the other’s hand and pushed spiritual energy in like he always did. As expected, he found a buildup of toxins due to his recent exertions.

His hand had long fingers and radiated a cold sheen. Li Huanhan stared at the back of his hand and remembered how Jiang Yinghe disdained the sight of blood.

Yet at this moment, Shizun’s palm was touching his blood. He had lost count of the number of times he made an exception for him.

He let out a deep sigh and relaxed his voice, “Yes. I was demonstrating.”

Jiang Yinghe used to be angry with them, but he did not have the heart to scold them after witnessing the aftermath. While cleansing his eldest disciple’s meridians, he put on a displeased expression, “Were you two having a friendly bout or trying to level this mountain? The next time this master finds you fighting like this, you will both be sent out to repent your transgressions.”

Li Huanhan’s demeanour softened the longer he looked at Jiang Yinghe, until he was once again the peaceful and warm youth he remembered.

“This disciple is at fault.” Li Huanhan said, “A senior should know his own strengths and limitations.”

Jiang Yinghe nodded and was about to turn to discipline the other one when Li Huanhan caught his hand. The flow of energy in his body was becoming disorganized once again.

Jiang Yinghe: “!”

He hurriedly passed on more spiritual energy, but he did not notice that the soft-spoken man in front of him had an indescribable look in his eyes.

Li Huanhan stared at his lowered eyelashes, then breathed in the cold fragrance surrounding his Shizun. Jiang Yinghe’s lips were slender and pale, like a freshly bloomed plum flower.

These lips were the ones that said, “Your fate is forever your own, not even heaven can take that from you,” and, “You are my only disciple”

……

In the sixty or so years since he had been reincarnated, these lips had said many similar words, words that Li Huanhan had never heard directed at him before. They slowly wormed their way into his heart and confirmed that there exists such a person in this world. He has spent the last few decades marking this person as his. Until……

Li Huanhan looked up to meet the lazily smirking face of Qin Jun behind Jiang Yinghe. His bloodlust and wrath continued to boil in his heart.

The quiet and stoic grey-haired youth from Jiang Yinghe’s memories was actually directing his burning gaze at the shapely ridges of his back. He did not back down when Li Huanhan glared at him, and even dared to sneer and lick his lips as if making fun of the demon’s charade.

—-

Qing Jing Peak was repaired by Jiang Yinghe using a single talisman. However, he was somehow under the impression that the tension between his disciples was just as easily mended when in fact a cold war was raging right under his eyes.

The nights were chilly. While the sword mantle was being rebuilt, Qin Jun was going through his qi exercises under Jiang Yinghe’s supervision.

The age of his body was somewhere between that of a teenager and a young adult. It appeared strong on the outside, with leanly muscled limbs and a dangerous pressure from between his brows.

But in the end this was a youth that had been tainted and consumed by countless ghosts.

While pondering that matter, he placed Wangchen on his knees to put on the sword pendant made from that piece of mirror stone. A finger glided over the many knots woven onto the string.

Just as he finished tying the accessory, he heard Qin Jun draw near.

“Shizun.” His voice seemed to be falling into an endless abyss and held none of the warmth that Li Huanhan had.

Jiang Yinghe raised his head and saw that Qin Jun had finished a round of exercises and was now staring intently at the sword in his hands.

“Li……My Shixiong,” he corrected himself smoothly, “what kind of person is he?”

Jiang Yinghe thought that he had been frightened by Huanhan when he heard these words. In order for them to have a harmonious relationship in the future, he explained with great patience to Qin Jun, “Your Shixiong is very gentle.”

Qin Jun was surprised, “Gentle?”

He thought back to the red eyed demonic cultivator during the day that possessed a killing intent so potent it was almost visible to the naked eye. The word ‘gentle’ couldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.

The word better suited Jiang Yinghe, who had a strict appearance but a soft manner of speech. It was as if he was raised in another society that was peaceful and orderly unlike the cultivation world. He made a reborn evil spirit crave him from the depths of his heart…..maybe this was what they call ‘gentleness’.

Qin Jun was mesmerized by his fingertips that were idly playing with the sword pendant.

“Your Shixiong cares about his martial siblings. The recent two year expedition to the Tai Xu secret realm was led by Huanhan.” Jiang Yinghe said, “As for today, he only wanted to guide you and showed restraint.”

Qin Jun thought back again…..if the two of them weren’t concealing their strength, he would’ve probably beat him to death right then and there.

Look at this devious demon go, faithfully playing his role as a good little disciple. Qin Jun licked his teeth and didn’t respond.

Demonic cultivators that approached righteous ones, especially someone like Jiang Yinghe, could only have one of two intentions. One is to steal their resources before murdering them. The other is to wait until they recover their full strength and then use this Xianjun as a cultivation furnace.

From Li Huanhan’s reaction, the second type seems more likely…..Qin Jun raised his head and coincidentally met Jiang Yinghe’s eyes.

They were calm and clear, reflecting the stars above.

Qin Jun’s eyes shook for a second, but he continued to stare wordlessly for a long time before saying, “…..What does Shizun think of Shixiong? Do you like him a lot?”

This was the delicacy he had his eyes on and he definitely wasn’t the sharing type.

Jiang Yinghe glanced over at the progress bar at the top right corner of his vision. He recalled how he thought this child was desperate for a sense of security when he rescued him. He replied warmly, “Jun-er and Huanhan are the same. Shizun likes all obedient children.”

The word ‘obedient’ was usually grating to Qin Jun’s ears, but they had never been preceded by the word ‘like’ before.

He swallowed and came closer to hold Jiang Yinghe’s hand, flipping it over and licking the cool white wrist revealed.

Jiang Yinghe knew about his body’s condition, and he was used to Qin Jun being a man of action rather than words. He did not feel disgusted, but instead began to stroke his hair with his other hand, saying, “Work hard to cultivate, so you can gradually use your own strength to escape the shackles fate has placed on you.”

Jiang Yinghe was not just comforting him with these words, but also himself.

After so many years of disappointment and false hopes, he could only put his all into cultivation, not knowing if his efforts would ever lead him home.

These disciples gave him hope. They reminded him of himself from so long ago.

“Humanity can triumph over the merciless heavens.”

Qin Jun shook slightly, and hoarsely repeated, “Humanity can triumph over the heavens?’

Vibrant red orbs congealed before his eyes.

Jiang Yinghe nodded, he did not think anything was amiss with his reasoning, “Did you want to say that people should strive towards immortality instead? Where I was born, another school of thought was more common.”

He continued, “Whether it was natural disasters or the pain brought by illnesses, why blame the heavens for toying with mortals?”

Jiang Yinghe glanced at the crisp moonlight reflected off the walls.

“Three thousand years ago, the Spirit Patriarch was defeated by heavenly lightning summoned by the righteous faction. The legends say they despised him solely due to the fact that he was born an evil spirit. But no one has control over where they start in life. The same goes for you, Jun-er, you cannot……”

Before he finished speaking, the Qin Jun who was originally contently licking blood froze. He looked up, “But he still fell in the end.”

Jiang Yinghe thought he had a grudge in his heart against ghost cultivators, “There are few who can ascend to begin with. If you are able to climb that far, there is no shame in falling.”

The candles were burning leisurely. The moonlight passed through the courtyard and illuminated the entrance.

Qin Jun did not speak. Jiang Yinghe was used to these long silences from him. He stood up and placed Wangchen back onto its sword mantle. Not far away, a pair of steel-gray eyes stared at the outline of his back.

Qing Jun suddenly felt that sword pendant was very unsightly.

The tea set, chess pieces, even the bedding and the meditation platform. They were all a testament to the deep sentiments between Li Huanhan and Jiang Yinghe, trophies that the demon set out over time.

Qin Jun could barely restrain his urge to destroy it all.

Author’s Corner

Jiang Yinghe: Add a spoonful of repeated admonishment, add a spoonful of chicken soup for the soul, then add a bucket of respect for the teacher and the Dao….the recipe for a righteous successor!

Righteous Faction:…..Please stop, I’m scared.

I was not expecting this part to suddenly become so melancholic. Jiang Yinghe over here dishing out his modern PoV.