Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know Chapter 61-70

Chapter 61 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 61 – Turning the tables

Zhongli Qian had used Baili Qingmiao as an excuse to send Shu Yanyan to search for a healer, but with who the Right Protector was, she figured it out immediately.

Baili Qingmiao had been suicidal at Xuanyuan Sect for over a year, with no one speaking of finding a healer. Instead, they had called Altar Master Shi over for a night and made her even more ill, leaving her unconscious for a year.

Now Yin Hanjiang had been back for less than ten days, and Zhongli Qian was begging her to find a healer. It was obvious who for.

Shu Yanyan didn’t question him, since she also thought Yin Hanjiang’s

current state wasn’t right. Even when Wenren È was still around, she had seen signs of Yin Hanjiang deviating.

She hadn’t expected, however, to send people out to search and immediately run into the number one healer of the cultivation world, Yao Jiaping. This made her a bit wary.

In her six hundred years of cultivation, Shu Yanyan had successively served three Xuanyuan Sect Masters, and her experiences were innumerable. As a woman who often plotted against others, she believed anything that was too easy to come by must be a trap. If something appeared on your doorstep, it was either bait or poison.

Thus she immediately reported to Yin Hanjiang that Altar Master Zhongli had found a doctor for Baili Qingmiao. Foremost so Yin Hanjiang could also keep an eye out, and the problem became Zhongli Qian and Yin Hanjiang’s business. Even if Yao Jiaping was questionable, it wouldn’t be her fault. Secondly, if Yao Jiaping really was here to treat people, then he could come into contact with Yin Hanjiang and secretly observe his

condition.

After making her report, Shu Yanyan personally served Yao Jiaping a cup of top quality spiritual tea and ordered her subordinates to bring him unlimited spiritual fruits. Gracefully sitting next to him, she said, “Word is you never make house calls. I’m deeply grateful that you were willing to

come to Xuanyuan Sect today.”

“It was a coincidence,” Yao Jiaping said. “I was out searching for spiritual herbs when I met your people. Since I was in a good mood, I decided I’d come look. However, as a doctor, I have a few stipulations. If I was only

sought after others have already failed to treat the condition, I won’t treat them. If the condition isn’t interesting enough, I won’t treat them. If you can’t pay, I won’t treat them.”

His looks were above average, about matched to Zhongli Kuang’s, but his words were even wilder.

It made sense, since Yao Jiaping was a wandering immortal whose power ranked quite high in the cultivation world. He was also a skilled doctor who always had people begging for his services, so he could naturally get away with being arrogant. Zhongli Kuang hadn’t had the strength to back his

words, but the power of the Zhongli clan itself was formidable, so his arrogance had also been justified.

“The first two requirements are definitely fulfilled,” Shu Yanyan said. “What price are you asking for?”

Yao Jiaping looked at Shu Yanyan’s fingers. “I must first check the patient before I can say,” he said haughtily.

“I’ve already sent people to bring her over.” Shu Yanyan acted like she hadn’t noticed Yao Jiaping’s glance. She clapped her hands lightly, having two of her subordinates carry Baili Qingmiao in. At the same time, Yin Hanjiang had also arrived at the guest quarters. He stood outside the door without entering, seeing Zhongli Qian rush over.

Zhongli Qian had had contact with Yao Jiaping in the past. In their thirty years of travel, Su Huai had gotten injured on one occasion, and Baili

Qingmiao, while seeking care for him, coincidentally ran into Yao Jiaping. The eccentric doctor wanted her to pay using her Nascent Soul or body, so Baili Qingmiao chose to give up her Nascent Soul to save Su Huai.

Fortunately, Qiu Congxue arrived in time and managed to “convince” Yao Jiaping. From then on, there had been enmity between the groups.

After hearing who Shu Yanyan had invited to the sect, Zhongli Qian had first thought to settle him in and check whether he actually had the ability to help Yin Hanjiang. If he didn’t, all they would need to do was shoo him

away. If he did, on the other hand… they could always negotiate.

Coincidentally, Wenren È had thought the same. Wenren È didn’t care about Yao Jiaping’s behavior. After all, he wouldn’t dare act high and mighty in

Xuanyuan Sect. Thus, Wenren È had hidden himself, following Zhongli Qian to the guest quarters, but hadn’t expected to run into Yin Hanjiang.

Zhongli Qian froze for a moment. He extended his spiritual cognition to Shu Yanyan, purposefully letting her detect his probing. He was expressing his doubts as to why the Sect Leader needed to be informed about Baili

Qingmiao’s treatment.

Shu Yanyan acted like she had noticed nothing. After all, feigning ignorance wouldn’t get her in trouble with Yin Hanjiang.

“It’s you?” Yao Jiaping’s eyebrows rose upon seeing Zhongli Qian. Then he looked at the unconscious Baili Qingmiao and exclaimed, “You want me to treat her?”

A pleasantly surprised expression crossed his face upon seeing Baili Qingmiao, though it was quickly hidden. He ignored Zhongli Qian, immediately going over to inspect Baili Qingmiao’s condition, acting serious and dutiful as if he had forgotten any bad blood between them. Yao Jiaping took Baili Qingmiao’s pulse with uncommon courtesy, and, furrowing his brows, said, “Her bonded weapon’s been destroyed, her dantian’s sustained damage, there’s lingering demonic energy within her body, her mind is disordered, and on top of that she has tuberculosis and a high fever. A cultivator coming down with a mortal illness certainly is odd! Plus, she seems to have a gu parasite and a curse cast on her, though I can’t determine which right now.”

Zhongli Qian showed no expression. He had also contributed to Baili Qingmiao’s ailments.

“These are the conditions I can find right now. Whether or not she has any other ailments will require a deeper examination,” Yao Jiaping said,

withdrawing his hand. “I’ll need a quiet room where I’m not disturbed.”

Zhongli Qian and Shu Yanyan were both dumbfounded. Yao Jiaping’s attitude was completely different from what they had expected.

Yao Jiaping was a petty person who wouldn’t tolerate the slightest insult. He had a grudge toward Baili Qingmiao, so even if he was willing to help her, he would at least make an extravagant demand. How could he start treating Baili Qingmiao so quickly and attentively?

“Sir Yao has not yet mentioned his fee,” Shu Yanyan said.

“That’s not urgent,” Yao Jiaping said. “Human lives are what’s important. As for my fee, I haven’t even started diagnosing yet.”

“Sir Yao certainly is a benevolent doctor, capable of looking past previous conflicts. I apologize for the disagreements we’ve had in the past,” said Zhongli Qian.

“No need for that. It was just a little squabble, and who can remember

something that long ago?” Yao Jiaping waved his hands. “I’ll need peace and quiet for my treatment, so hurry up and prepare a quiet room.”

“I’ll have someone do so right now,” Shu Yanyan said. “No need.” Yin Hanjiang, who had been hiding his presence and standing outside the door all this time, pushed it open and walked in. Glancing at Yao Jiaping, a slight smile appeared on his face. “Here I was worrying I wouldn’t have a chance to lure out Hè Wenzhao, when you turned up of your own free will.”

Zhongli Qian’s eyes widened as he heard Yin Hanjiang’s words. He quickly said, “Sect Leader Yin, he—”

“I know what you want to say,” Yin Hanjiang interrupted. “You think that despite his conduct, his medical skills are at least among the best, which is why he’s been able to run wild across the cultivation world for all these years without anyone killing him. You know he must have some ulterior motive for ‘coincidentally’ running into Xuanyuan Sect’s followers, but you think that, as long as he has the skill, you can always negotiate, is that right?”

Without waiting for an answer from Zhongli Qian, he looked at Shu Yanyan. “And you, Right Protector. Are you scared of me?”

Shu Yanyan went pale, her previously languid and unconcerned expression instantly becoming serious. She had been wearing a thin light purple outfit which traced her perfect curves, but the moment Yin Hanjiang’s gaze fell on her, a white cloak appeared over her body, covering her from neck to toe so that not an inch of skin showed.

“Is it not natural for a subordinate to respect the Sect Leader?” Shu Yanyan said with a reserved smile.

She didn’t dare use her seduction against Yin Hanjiang. Every time she looked into those emotionless eyes, she felt her teeth ache. When Wenren È was here, Yin Hanjiang had been quiet and reserved, so Shu Yanyan could cut loose a little, but now Yin Hanjiang was like an unchained beast. She didn’t know what he was capable of.

“You’re not respectful, you’re afraid,” Yin Hanjiang said with a cold smile. “When you saw my expression before, you thought I was on the verge of deviation. Now, are you using Baili Qingmiao as an excuse to find someone to treat me? Altar Master Zhongli thinks the same, doesn’t he?”

The two were shaken at having their plans seen through by Yin Hanjiang, and didn’t dare say anything.

This was the first time Wenren È had seen Yin Hanjiang handling sect business. At this point, Yin Hanjiang was no longer following Wenren È in his actions, and his unfettered, willful manner was dazzling to behold.

“Since you think this Lord has inner demons, then I’ll admit it.” Yin

Hanjiang swept his gaze across their faces. “But it won’t affect this Lord’s ability to command the Xuanyuan Sect, or eliminate the righteous experts. There’s no need for you two to concern yourself with this matter further.

This Lord doesn’t need treatment.”

Wenren È was stunned. What did Yin Hanjiang mean? If he was ill, then he needed treatment. Did he want to let the inner demons go on, until someday he died from qi deviation?

“As for you…” After crushing the two brainiacs’ plan, Yin Hanjiang looked at Yao Jiaping, a joyful yet vicious smile across his face. “Did you really think this Lord was unaware that you’re Hè Wenzhao’s close confidant?”

Seeing Yin Hanjiang approach, Yao Jiaping, shaken by his imposing manner, backed away a few steps until he hit the opposite wall. He grabbed a medicine pouch on his waist and a streak of silver light flew out, protecting him.

“The Immortal Shielding Jade?” Yin Hanjiang said. “You’ve picked up

some nice toys after being a doctor for all these years. Too bad it won’t do you any good.”

With a wave of his hand, the Army Crushing Spike unsheathed itself, cutting across the space between them. A single swing shattered the

Shielding Jade. The spike’s vicious point stopped in front of Yao Jiaping’s face. “Impossible!” Yao Jiaping cried. “This Immortal Jade is capable of blocking the full power of an immortal from the upper realms!”

“It’s not quite as good as the Shangqing Sect’s protective array,” Yin Hanjiang said. He blasted a current of qi into Yao Jiaping’s body. Yao

Jiaping felt like there were knives in his meridians. When he tried to use the least bit of qi, it was as if his meridians were being shredded.

“You knew that this Lord must’ve been injured after facing heavenly lightning and the Shangqing Sect Moon Pool Bell, so you loitered around

Xuanyuan Sect, hoping to be called in to treat me, right? Hè Wenzhao asked you to save Baili Qingmiao, didn’t he? While treating me, you’d ask for her as payment, so you can take her back to Hè Wenzhao. You could even leave something in my body while treating me, so as to deal with me later, isn’t that right?”

He was right about everything. “H—how did you know?” Yao Jiaping cried.

How did he know? This whole sequence had shown up in God of Annihilation: Volume 2 too many times. After ascending to the immortal realm, Yao Jiaping had pretended he didn’t know Hè Wenzhao, and

whenever Hè Wenzhao had a problem with someone, he would pretend to be a doctor and offer his services to them, coordinating with Hè Wenzhao to defeat them.

It was the exact same here. Yao Jiaping appreciated Hè Wenzhao’s

“devotion” toward Baili Qingmiao, so when he heard that Hè Wenzhao’s little shimei had been kidnapped by demonic cultivators and might be in trouble, he was reminded of the death of his own lover. Unable to stand such a pair of soulmates being torn apart, he agreed to rescue her. In his

arrogance, he thought that even if Xuanyuan Sect’s people saw through his plan, they wouldn’t do anything to a legendary doctor like him.

He hadn’t imagined that the new Sect Leader would show no restraint and not bother with any courtesy. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Yao Jiaping yelled, “Yin Hanjiang! Don’t think I can’t tell how you’re beset by inner demons! Even if you have power enough to rival an immortal, in less than ten years, your meridians will rupture and you’ll die! The more you use power beyond the cultivation world, the quicker your death will come. I’m willing to declare that I’m the only person in this world who can treat you! The day’ll come when you’re begging on your knees for my help!”

“I won’t need you.”

The triangular spike impaled Yao Jiaping’s throat, pinning him against the wall as his blood poured down.

A wandering immortal wouldn’t die so easily. Yao Jiaping struggled a few times, but found that the Army Crushing Spike had also impaled his soul, and the more he struggled, the more it shredded his soul.

Seeing Yao Jiaping finally quiet down, Yin Hanjiang tore a piece off Baili Qingmiao’s clothes to wipe his hands, then tossed it at Yao Jiaping’s face.

“Altar Master Shi,” he said. “I seem to remember you have a technique to wear someone’s skin and take their appearance.”

Shi Congxin, who had been hiding in the doorway and trembling all this time, tiptoed in quickly. “Yes,” he said. “Since the skin holds the target’s aura, it’s very difficult to distinguish.”

“I want his skin.” Yin Hanjiang ran a tongue over his lips. “Unsightly though it may be, his build is similar to mine. Now that Baili Qingmiao has been staying at Xuanyuan Sect for over a year, someone ought to escort her back to Shangqing Sect, isn’t that so?”

“I—I can go back on my own.” Baili Qingmiao, who had woken up at some point, was hugging her knees on the floor, watching Yin Hanjiang fearfully.

“That would be so rude.” Yin Hanjiang shot her a cold look, and Baili Qingmiao shut her mouth immediately.

“Sect Leader Yin, Yao Jiaping’s intentions may be questionable, but his

words were true. You need his treatment.” Zhongli Qian, having received a frantic transmission from Wenren È, forced himself to speak up. “Even if Sect Leader Yin doesn’t value his own life, if Sect Master Wenren were to somehow return, he would not be happy to see you suffering.”

Zhongli Qian’s words managed to get through to Yin Hanjiang, whose malice faded a bit. He asked, “Altar Master Shi, will skinning him kill him?”

“No way, how could a wandering immortal die from being skinned?” Altar Master Shi said. “This subordinate will take every care possible to keep him alive.”

“Yin… if you dare to do anything… just… wait to die. I’ll… never… treat you…” Yao Jiaping spoke with difficulty, his throat having been pierced.

Yin Hanjiang paid him no mind. There were too many ways to convince Yao Jiaping.

“This Lord wants an intact skin within three days. Also, Altar Master Zhongli, I’ve already given you a list of the Message Carriers and the names of the cultivators who’ve pushed their evil deeds onto the Xuanyuan Sect. Within a month, I want to see those people, alive. Since they’ve borrowed Xuanyuan Sect’s name, they ought to pay interest.”

After giving his orders, he paid the matters no more mind and walked out of the guest room. His Venerable had said before that everyone had their own specialties. As a Sect Leader, he just needed to delegate the difficult tasks to his subordinates, and await results.

Wenren È didn’t pay any attention to the beleaguered Zhongli Qian.

Following closely behind as Yin Hanjiang returned to his room, he

appeared and asked, “Why won’t you let Yao Jiaping treat you? You can receive treatment, then have him skinned, can you not?”

Yin Hanjiang actually answered him this time. He reached out with a hand, stopping just before it touched Wenren È’s face. In a low voice, he said, “If I’m cured, I won’t be able to see the Venerable.”

 Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 62 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 62 – Ill-fated love

Even when he knew he was looking at an illusion, Yin Hanjiang couldn’t strike Wenren È. Even though he knew he would die soon, Yin Hanjiang still didn’t wish to be unable to see Wenren È, even if he knew it was all false.

Inner demons were a trial because those who were trapped by them didn’t want to escape.

When reading Abusive Romance, Wenren È’s attention had been on Baili Qingmiao, unable to understand why she was willing to offer up her heart for Hè Wenzhao to stomp on.

Yet at this moment, when Yin Hanjiang offered him his own beating heart, the one Wenren È didn’t understand was Hè Wenzhao. Faced with this bared heart, how could Hè Wenzhao betray her, hurt her, and make

countless demands of her in the name of love? The only reason that he could hurt Baili Qingmiao was Baili Qingmiao’s love for him.

Now, such a heart was placed before Wenren È.

Wenren È brought out the divine blood, gripping it tightly in his hand.

Disregarding how he wasn’t dressed, he grabbed Yin Hanjiang’s hand and pressed it to his face.

The invisible barrier that Yin Hanjiang had never been able to cross had been broken by Wenren È.

The last step was up to him. Wenren È had seen what Yin Hanjiang was like when he wasn’t there. He had been dazzling, impossible to look away from, so much more eye-

catching than he had been at Wenren È’s side. Wenren È had also seen Yin Hanjiang’s heart. He knew these feelings weren’t a momentary impulse, but a longing held for a hundred years, which had grown too deep to let go of.

As for Wenren È’s feelings, whether Wenren È could accept Yin Hanjiang like this, whether he could answer such deep emotions, the answer was

already obvious.

When Yin Hanjiang kissed him and he didn’t refuse; when Wenren È was happy to watch in secret and allow Yin Hanjiang to command Xuanyuan Sect; when he had been determined to enter the Blood Hell, yet worried

about Yin Hanjiang’s mind; when he wanted to give everything good he

came across to Yin Hanjiang; when he had first read Abusive Romance, and been unable to accept Yin Hanjiang’s madness, the seeds of those feelings had already been planted in his heart, and blossomed.

Yin Hanjiang was special, and had been from the start. Even back when Wenren È walked past a mass grave and a tiny hand grabbed the hem of his robes, Yin Hanjiang had entered his heart.

Wenren È gripped Yin Hanjiang’s hand, placing a gentle kiss on the palm where it had touched his face. “Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable permits you to love him. Sect Leader Yin, will you permit me to love you?”

Yet he didn’t know that in Yin Hanjiang’s eyes, there were countless Wenren È’s explaining themselves to him, and among them, the real Wenren È looked especially false.

Wenren È assumed that Yin Hanjiang’s inner demons arose from his death and Yin Hanjiang’s longing, and if he revealed his identity, they would be powerless. He didn’t know what the scene in Yin Hanjiang’s eyes looked like and how hollow his actions seemed—compared to Wenren È having

survived, it seemed more likely that Yin Hanjiang had fallen further into the inner demons’ clutches, so that, on top of his sight and hearing, even his

sense of touch could not be trusted. “No, no, no! It’s not possible!” Yin Hanjiang wanted to pull his hand away. He shook his head. “You can’t be the Venerable. You’re just an inner demon.”

The words of the Burning Sky Immortal in the second volume of God of Annihilation were far more convincing than the man before him. Yin

Hanjiang cocked his head, his eyes dull, appearing completely abnormal as he spoke. “It was what my future self said, in the second volume of the books that the Venerable said recorded fate itself. He said the Venerable is dead, and there’s no way he could love me either, because the one he loves is…”

He couldn’t say the words “Baili Qingmiao”. He didn’t want to think about her.

“I do!” Seeing that Yin Hanjiang believed the books more than him,

Wenren È brought out Abusive Romance and the first and third volumes of God of Annihilation. “You saw me obtain these books with your own eyes. An inner demon couldn’t bring out a book you’ve never read before. Open them and see for yourself. The plot has already changed. Fate can be

changed!”

Wenren È also brought out an ordinary dark blue robe and put it on. He

clutched the divine blood tight in one hand, hooking Yin Hanjiang’s waist with the other so that he couldn’t escape.

If Wenren È wanted something, he wouldn’t give the other party the chance to refuse.

He was more certain than ever that the Wenren È in Abusive Romance never loved Baili Qingmiao at all. Could he possibly admire her from a distance, content just to watch her live happily with Hè Wenzhao? That was absurd!

Wenren È’s love would always be selfish. If he couldn’t have the object of his desires, then he would rather burn everything to the ground than back off quietly.

“Yin Hanjiang, it was me who drank wine with you that day at the spiritual spring. I’ve heard your feelings.” Wenren È pressed his forehead against Yin Hanjiang’s. “If you like this Venerable, then you’re not allowed to look at any more illusions, you understand?”

“What?!” Yin Hanjiang couldn’t believe it. Since that day, when he had responded to that inner demon, it was no longer an illusion he was seeing, but his Venerable?

He didn’t answer Wenren È, his mind awhirl, feeling as though his skull was splitting open.

He shoved Wenren È aside, clutching his head in both hands. It was as if he was being torn into pieces.

One of them was telling him, just believe, just believe in what’s before your eyes and be happy, even if it might be a lie, believe that your Venerable loves you. Another was saying, how could Wenren È love you, he’s always loved Baili Qingmiao, you saw how he gave his life to protect her at the

Blood Hell. Yet another said, they’re all illusions, not a single one can be believed.

Seeing Yin Hanjiang’s soul break into pieces, each about to burst from his body, Wenren È didn’t dare push him any further. He sent a stream of chaos energy into Yin Hanjiang’s body in order to stabilize his soul.

He didn’t understand. Yin Hanjiang liked him and he had returned it. An

ailment of the heart should be treated from the heart, so if he expressed his feelings, Yin Hanjiang’s turmoil should be resolved and everything should work out, so why did it end up this way?

“Which is real? Which is fake?” Yin Hanjiang’s hair was in disarray, his eyes red, on the verge of madness.

Clutching the divine blood, Wenren È cried, “Yin Hanjiang, look at me! Look at this Venerable!”

Yin Hanjiang calmed down a bit, his gaze falling on Wenren È’s face. He turned his head slightly, seeing the red stone in Wenren È’s hand. “What’s this?” He put a hand atop the stone. “The divine blood,” Wenren È answered.

“I’ve seen this stone before.” Yin Hanjiang placed both hands over it, his eyes hazy. “Is it real?” he said in a trembling voice.

“I obtained it in the Blood Hell—”

Before Wenren È had a chance to explain the whole complicated story of the divine blood’s origins, Yin Hanjiang had already confused it with the stone Wenren È had thrown Baili Qingmiao in his memories. “The

Venerable will give it to Baili Qingmiao, right?” he said. “The Venerable went to the Blood Hell for it, didn’t he?”

“Not entirely, I—”

“Hahahahahaha…” Before Wenren È could finish speaking, a despairing laugh came from Yin Hanjiang’s mouth, along with a mouthful of blood.

His soul which had nearly shattered slowly merged back together, but not in the form that Wenren È had wanted.

Yin Hanjiang seemed to hear his Venerable say words like “love”,

“primordial god”, and “fate” near his ears, but he couldn’t hear clearly. His eyes blurred, a roar filling his ears. What was real?

Oh yeah. His Venerable had said that the words of the books were real.

Yin Hanjiang grabbed the volume of Abusive Romance that Wenren È had left on the ground, flipping it to a random page in the back. He saw the

words: “Yin Hanjiang grabbed Baili Qingmiao by the neck, his face twisted with hate. He spat, “If the Venerable died for you, shouldn’t you accompany him?”

In that moment, Yin Hanjiang couldn’t hear anything, and he couldn’t see anything beside those words. He quickly read on, seeing how he failed to

kill Baili Qingmiao, how she leapt into the Blood Hell with the divine blood in her hands, regaining her divinity. At the moment she merged with the divine nature, Baili Qingmiao thought that it was thanks to Wenren È giving her this stone at the moment before his death, that she was able to survive.

“Enough!” Seeing that Yin Hanjiang was reading the pages that hadn’t been revised yet, and hadn’t heard a word he said, Wenren È snatched back the book. With a light tap on Yin Hanjiang’s forehead, he sent chaos energy into his body, forcibly suppressing his rampant spiritual energy.

Yin Hanjiang lost consciousness, his brows still knit. Wenren È picked him up and, in a flash, appeared in Zhongli Qian’s room.

“How could this happen?!” Wenren È laid Yin Hanjiang down on Zhongli Qian’s bed.

Zhongli Qian set down the jade slip in his hand. Without asking what had happened, he felt Yin Hanjiang’s pulse, and after a long moment, asked, “Sect Master, how come Sect Leader Yin’s emotional state was suddenly

thrown into disarray and he lost the ability to control his power which now reaches the immortal realm, his spiritual energy running wild and his soul nearly being destroyed?”

“This Venerable also wants to know.” Wenren È still held onto Yin

Hanjiang. He didn’t understand why things had turned out like this. Wasn’t Yin Hanjiang just suffering from inner demons? If his inner turmoil was resolved, shouldn’t the inner demons vanish? Was this not the source of Yin Hanjiang’s turmoil, after all?

Zhongli Qian was silent for a moment, then took off his blindfold, looking at Wenren È’s face. Ignoring how Baili Qingmiao popped up in his vision, he observed Wenren È’s expression and was dumbfounded. Wenren È was probably unaware of what he looked like right now. He gazed at Yin

Hanjiang, his eyes filled with concern, tenderness… and fear.

The Lord of Demons had never feared anything in his life, but at this moment, he feared losing Yin Hanjiang.

“Did you say something to Sect Leader Yin?” Zhongli Qian asked, replacing his blindfold. “This Venerable… wishes to become cultivation partners with Yin Hanjiang for the rest of our lives.” Wenren È spoke not to Zhongli Qian, but to Yin

Hanjiang, but unfortunately the man couldn’t hear him.

Zhongli Qian understood everything. With his usual calm manner, he said,

“Sect Master, the first time I met Sect Leader Yin, I saw signs that he was in danger of deviating. I advised him not to desire too strongly, but he

answered that he wouldn’t desire.

“I have little knowledge of love, but after reading books and poems for all these years, and after seeing how Miss Baili was ensnared by it, I’ve come to some understanding. The world is filled with those who seek love, and how many of them can refrain from desire?

“Those who can either don’t love strongly enough, or don’t dare to pursue. Which does the Sect Master think Yin Hanjiang is?”

He probably didn’t dare. In these few days of observing Yin Hanjiang, Wenren È had discovered that he seemed to be certain of something—that

Wenren È could not possibly love him. If he said he did, it must be an inner demon, the product of his own fantasies, a lie.

“Sect Master, either great joy or great sorrow can both disrupt someone’s composure. Sect Leader Yin has already sustained the pain of losing his

beloved, and has never dared to imagine that his Venerable could return his feelings, and is also beset by inner demons. If he were to meet with great joy, it would be like a piece of porcelain going from flames to cold water.

Even though the heat would be extinguished, the porcelain would shatter from the shock.”

Yin Hanjiang’s feelings weren’t like Wenren È’s, powerful and unwavering, impossible to shake. He’d only had the courage to say the words hidden in his heart for so many years to an illusion. If it weren’t for the inner demons, and Wenren È had gently guided Yin Hanjiang around, warmed him up gradually, it was possible he could believe it. But he had acted too suddenly.

Heat and cold could counteract each other, but how could anything also withstand such a forceful will? “Has the Sect Master heard the saying, a desire too deep is not fated to last long? Protector Shu has amused herself in the mortal realm for many years and tasted all it has to offer, so why has she never given her heart to

anyone? Because love’s power to harm is too great. Yin Hanjiang has risen in power due to his obsession, but the backlash has become more powerful in turn. The cosmos is heartless and the Dao is dispassionate; the path that will lead one to heaven is the Path of Indifference, not the path of obsession.”

“This Venerable understands. This Venerable was wrong.” He hadn’t

considered Yin Hanjiang’s personality and the fragile state of his mind, and hadn’t thought about whether he would be able to accept such information.

Wenren È pressed his lips against Yin Hanjiang’s burning forehead. “But this Venerable will not accept his mistakes.”

He sent a message talisman to Altar Master Shi. “Bring Yao Jiaping to this Venerable!”

Since his heart had been moved, he could no longer let go. Yin Hanjiang must accompany Wenren È, in this world and the next. He wouldn’t allow him to escape in death so easily.

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 63 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 63 – Soul communion

Yao Jiaping hadn’t been skinned yet. Yin Hanjiang had asked for an intact skin, but Yao Jiaping’s throat had been pierced by him. In order to

accomplish the task the new Sect Leader had assigned him, Shi Congxin first carefully treated Yao Jiaping’s injury with elixirs, then soaked him in medicinal water. Only after he soaked for forty-eight hours could the procedure to steal his skin be used, otherwise it might tear.

Shi Congxin had always been a follower in Xuanyuan Sect and never been entrusted with something this important. Today, Protector Shu and Altar Master Zhongli had been reprimanded by Sect Leader Yin while he had been given a task, so he actually felt rather cheerful.

Ever since he succeeded Qiu Congxue and took over the Hellfire Pavilion, Shi Congxin had been panicking. Altar Master Yuan, who had recommended him, had been killed by Sect Leader Yin for colluding with the righteous sects, and Protector Qiu had brought back a ghost cultivator with a flesh body named Su Huai, saying that when Su Huai’s cultivation improved, she’d help him remove Shi Congxin and take over the Hellfire Pavilion.

Plus, the new Altar Master Sect Leader Yin appointed, Zhongli Qian, saw Su Huai as his disciple. Shi Congxin had been shedding tears in his heart, afraid he’d be replaced any day. There was nothing good about being in a high position.

The tables seemed to be turning, though. Sect Leader Yin was starting to value him after taking over the sect. He was determined to impress Sect Leader Yin with his capabilities, cough cough! Yet it hadn’t been six hours, and he’d just gotten Yao Jiaping soaked properly, when he received a message from Sect Master Wenren.

The Sect Master was back? Then who was he supposed to listen to now?

Shi Congxin was too scared to offend either of them. He had no choice but to pick up the half-dead Yao Jiaping and bring him to Wenren È.

For some reason, immediately after his return, Wenren È was in Altar

Master Zhongli’s room. Were the two plotting together in order to take back the sect from Sect Leader Yin? It was time for him to make his stand, Shi

Congxin decided. He had to convey this information to Sect Leader Yin, so he would be prepared. Then, when the time came, Qiu Congxue, Shu

Yanyan, Zhongli Qian, and Su Huai would all… cough, cough!

While fantasizing, Shi Congxin walked into the room and saw Sect Leader Yin was heavily injured, lying in Wenren È’s lap. He started coughing harder.

“Shut up.” The Lord of Demons wore a blue robe, his imposing presence stronger than ever. He didn’t even glance at Shi Congxin, his eyes locked on Yin Hanjiang’s face, brushing his fingertips over the corner of Yin

Hanjiang’s mouth.

The ever-vigilant Zhongli Qian pulled Shi Congxin aside and transmitted to him, “Don’t disturb the Sect Master right now. Yao Jiaping is still alive, right?”

He doesn’t want me to receive favor from the lord! Shi Congxin thought.

But he still acted fearful as he transmitted back, “Thank you for your advice. He hasn’t died, cough cough.”

Zhongli Qian turned toward Shi Congxin. His eyes were blindfolded, yet Shi Congxin had a feeling like all his thoughts were exposed in front of him. It must be his imagination—it was just the moonlight shining through a window and illuminating Zhongli Qian’s face, that was giving him such a strange feeling. Shi Congxin transmitted, “Why is Altar Master Zhongli looking at me like that? Is something wrong? Cough cough.“

“Nothing, I just didn’t expect your mental transmissions would also have coughing,” Zhongli Qian said.

Shi Congxin: …

I—it was just a habit! Since he cultivated the seven human sufferings, he naturally had to experience suffering at every moment. Even if his sickness qi had been sucked away by Baili Qingmiao, he at least had to act sick!

Cough cough cough!

Shi Congxin avoided looking at Zhongli Qian, scared his intentions would be seen through. Staring at the Sect Master, he saw Wenren È dip his head, drawing closer and closer to Yin Hanjiang’s face, until Shi Congxin’s face and ears flushed red. He stared unblinking, trying to figure out what the Sect Master was actually doing, but Wenren È’s long hair slid down and blocked the two’s faces from view.

It took a while for Wenren È to raise his head again, and say in a deeply pained voice, “This Venerable was too hasty.”

Shi Congxin backed up into a corner. Terrified, he bit down on his fingers, not letting himself make any noise.

He had glimpsed a little through the Venerable’s hair. What was the Venerable doing? Sucking away Yin Hanjiang’s power? Altar Master

Zhongli stood at one side and acted like he was blind—well, he was blind.

Wenren È didn’t give Shi Congxin a glance. He extended a hand at Yao Jiaping, who flew across the room to him. He planted his hand on Yao

Jiaping’s skull and, with a casual yank, removed his soul from his body. “This is…” Zhongli Qian couldn’t hold back his doubts.

“This Venerable learned this technique in the Blood Hell,” Wenren È said, distracted. “It can extract all of a person’s memories and abilities, and make them one’s own. It’s just an unorthodox technique, not worth mentioning.”

There were 180 thousand demonic gods sealed in the Blood Hell, so Wenren È hadn’t had an easy time of it for the past year and a half. The

Blood Demon had destroyed the marks on his soul, which was equivalent to destroying a blood cultivator’s foundation, and he had also been impaled by the weapons of nine experts before falling into the Blood Hell. He had lost a lot of strength.

He’d been betting on that stone that had protected Baili Qingmiao in the book and helped her awaken her divine nature. As long as he obtained the divine blood, Wenren È could cultivate within the Blood Hell and absorb the chaos energy.

Indeed, after he obtained the divine blood, it shielded his soul, but

simultaneously, the divine nature hidden at the bottom of the Blood Hell called to it, constantly dragging Wenren È toward the depths of the sea.

In that year and a half, Wenren È awakened to a path of divinity from the divine blood, absorbing chaos energy while resisting the divine nature.

Thousands of demonic gods drifted at the bottom of the Blood Hell, all desiring to kill Wenren È and return to the cultivation world in his place. Wenren È continued to advance in combat, killing many demonic gods and obtaining their techniques.

He’d wanted to return way earlier, but the divine nature tugged at the divine blood, preventing his escape.

It was only a few days ago that the power of the divine nature had suddenly weakened, and Wenren È had found his chance. Gathering all his power, he broke out of the Blood Hell.

Later, he learned from the book how Baili Qingmiao’s heart had been

crushed at the Blood Hell. Having come into proximity of the divine nature, she fell under its control, becoming obsessed with ending her life. It was only when Yin Hanjiang’s killing intent woke Baili Qingmiao and her will strengthened, had the power of the divine nature and blood weakened. Yin Hanjiang truly had done well. He didn’t turn Baili Qingmiao into lamp oil because of his resentment, and had even inadvertently awakened her will and given Wenren È a chance to escape the Blood Hell.

Yao Jiaping thought of himself highly, believing his medical skills were

without competition. He never could’ve imagined that Wenren È would pay no mind to whether or not he was willing to treat Yin Hanjiang, only requiring his capability to do so.

It was also because Wenren È knew there was a cure for Yin Hanjiang’s inner demons that he suggested he could receive treatment first, then steal Yao Jiaping’s skin. But when he heard Yin Hanjiang’s reason, he hadn’t been able to control himself.

He had been too self-centered.

Wenren È calmly took in Yao Jiaping’s memories, skipping over his time with his lover, and how every time he saw a woman who resembled his lover, he would feel unbearable pain, and could only use a warm body to relive the time he spent with her. If you asked Wenren È, this was nothing but a defilement of their love.

No one could replace Yin Hanjiang. The very idea was an insult to him. Quickly, he found a method to heal Yin Hanjiang.

Yin Hanjiang’s problem wasn’t with his body, but his heart. There was nothing wrong with his cultivation, his mental state just couldn’t control his level of power.

Immense power required immense mental fortitude. Once one’s mental

control couldn’t keep up with their realm, they would suffer qi deviation. It usually came in two forms—going berserk, indiscriminately attacking

anyone around them in order to relieve their rampaging spiritual essence; or suppressing their spiritual essence inside their bodies, so that it didn’t harm anyone else even as they suffered. Yin Hanjiang was obviously the latter. Repression had just become a habit for him.

Such an injury needed to be attacked from two sides. He needed to sort out his spiritual essence, while at the same time use a soul communion technique to seek out the source of his suffering, and resolve his inner demons.

Fixing his spiritual essence would be easy. Wenren È’s chaos energy could transform into all other forms of energy, being their primordial form.

However chaotic Yin Hanjiang’s spiritual essence was, it would behave in the face of Wenren È’s power.

Wenren È stuffed Yao Jiaping’s soul back into his body and tossed him to Shi Congxin again, so he could hurry up and use the skin stealing technique while the man was still breathing.

He gave Zhongli Qian a look, and Zhongli Qian quickly left the room, putting up an array behind him and leaving the space to the two of them.

Wenren È carefully laid Yin Hanjiang on the bed, and bent over him, until his forehead was pressed against Yin Hanjiang’s.

As he had no physical body right now, his body and soul were one and the same. In a flash of light, Wenren È vanished, leaving only his blue robe draped over Yin Hanjiang.

Yao Jiaping’s experience told Wenren È that he couldn’t heal Yin

Hanjiang’s heart on his first try. He would have to use the soul communion technique multiple times, so this time, what he had to do was find what was making Yin Hanjiang lose control within his memories, and help him return to normal for now. Afterwards, he could continue on, filling Yin Hanjiang’s memories with “Wenren È isn’t dead”, “Wenren È loves you”, until when Yin Hanjiang finally accepted it, Wenren È could appear before him, and

say those words in person.

He followed Yin Hanjiang’s memories to a few hours earlier, seeing his confrontation with himself. This time, through Yin Hanjiang’s memory, Wenren È finally saw how many illusions were plaguing Yin Hanjiang at that time.

They each had different expressions, some loving, some cold, some calm, some overbearing. They all resembled the real person, but were missing

something.

Seeing such a scene, Wenren È had to laugh, at Yin Hanjiang’s foolishness and his own arrogance.

Yin Hanjiang was seeing at least a dozen of him. In such a condition, how was he meant to distinguish which was real and which were fake? It was too difficult.

He saw how after the him in the memory confessed to Yin Hanjiang, Yin

Hanjiang broke down. He could easily change the words he had said, but he didn’t.

He didn’t want to casually change Yin Hanjiang’s memories, and didn’t want to wipe away his own words. He wouldn’t touch anything that had already happened.

In the memory, Yin Hanjiang flipped through Abusive Romance, his mouth filling with blood, unable to see or hear. Only now, inside Yin Hanjiang’s

soul, did Wenren È understand just how much agony he had been in at that point.

He hadn’t not wanted to believe, but it was impossible for him to. When he couldn’t trust his sight, hearing, and touch, how could he believe anything that happened to him?

Watching as he kneeled on the ground, reading, Wenren È walked up and put his arms around this Yin Hanjiang who finally neglected to hide his own weakness in front of him. He said quietly, “You can take me as an inner demon. I won’t force you to believe anymore. Right now, just allow me to

say a few words, and just listen to me for a bit. Don’t push me away.” The soul communion only affected the soul’s memories. Since everything had already happened, Yin Hanjiang wouldn’t fall apart further because of it. Yin Hanjiang paused, feeling the warmth of the person behind him.

Without anyone pushing him to believe anything, Yin Hanjiang leaned back against him and closed his eyes.

Wenren È tenderly kissed Yin Hanjiang’s forehead, holding his ice-cold fingers. “You don’t need to believe. But at least have some hope. Hope that I’m still alive, okay? Think about it, almost nothing in the world can harm this Venerable.”

Even hearing the words, “his Venerable was alive”, brought Yin Hanjiang unparalleled joy. With his eyes closed, he nodded obediently. “Mm.”

Seeing he was willing to believe this fact, Wenren È relaxed. Right now, Yin Hanjiang’s soul was wounded, so staying within it for too long would cause further damage. Realizing his time was almost up, but there were many things he hadn’t yet explained, he had an idea. “Yin Hanjiang,” he said quietly, “you opened the wrong page. When you wake up, open Abusive Romance and read the parts that this Venerable has changed.”

After saying those words, Wenren È left Yin Hanjiang’s body, returning to reality. After bringing Yin Hanjiang back to his room and gently laying him down on his bed, he left behind his three books and departed.

Baili Qingmiao had lost count of how many times she’d been scared awake. During the day, she’d been so terrified by Yin Hanjiang that her fever had worsened and she’d been having nightmares all this time. Right now, she finally felt a bit better and blearily got up, wanting to get a drink of water, but saw a shadowed figure standing at the head of her bed.

“S—Senior Wenren!” The sweat that had broken out across Baili Qingmiao’s body eased her fever a lot.

“This Venerable came in order to tell you something. You don’t need to understand, just hear it,” Wenren È said. “I’m listening,” said Baili Qingmiao. “Senior Wenren, are you actually alive?”

“This Venerable is alive,” Wenren È said. “What this Venerable needs you to hear is, Wenren È loves Yin Hanjiang.”

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 64 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 64 – The moon behind the clouds

Yin Hanjiang awoke in Wenren È’s bedroom. He still felt lingering pain in his body from his spiritual energy running wild, but it had mostly healed.

His emotions were strangely calm. It was as if he’d had a long dream, in

which his Venerable had returned. His joy and pain warring with each other, he’d had a qi deviation and nearly died, but at least, upon waking, he could remember two things. His Venerable was alive, and very few things on this earth could overcome him.

Yin Hanjiang was at peace just knowing that Wenren È was alive. As for everything else, he didn’t want to remember right now.

There were three books placed by the bed, the first being Abusive Romance.

Yin Hanjiang didn’t touch any of them. He grabbed for each of the inner demons before him, and only after finding they each were formless illusions did his heart settle. He didn’t feel like he could face these inner demons right now. When he thought that his real Venerable could be hiding among them, he felt uncomfortable all over.

In his years of following Wenren È, enduring had long become a habit. He had cut loose excessively over the past few days and didn’t know how much his Venerable had seen. Thinking about it, Yin Hanjiang tasted blood in the back of his throat.

No, there were times in the dream when his Venerable could not be touched. He couldn’t tell the real one apart from the inner demons by touching them. Panicked, Yin Hanjiang looked at the illusions, who all looked back with focused and tender gazes. Under all their eyes, Yin Hanjiang felt like he had nowhere to hide, wishing he could vanish on the spot.

He grabbed his arms, clawing lines of blood across his skin, managing to calm himself. He thought back to the events of last night.

Actually, his thoughts were muddled, and he only remembered that he had lost control, and though his Venerable had said a lot to him, he didn’t remember any of it. Aside from one sentence—”You read the wrong page, you have to look at the revision”, which it seemed his Venerable had repeated by his ear many times. After he calmed down from last night, he had gradually grown to believe that Wenren È was alive. At the beginning, his emotions were too strong, aggravating his inner demons, but now that he had calmed down, he could face everything rationally. His grief had faded away, replaced by joy.

Yin Hanjiang did his best to force a calm and reserved expression and picked up Abusive Romance. A note fell out from within it: “I’m at Altar Master Zhongli’s place, not among the inner demons.”

It was signed, “From Wenren È”

Yin Hanjiang instantly relaxed, his posture becoming more casual. He leaned back on the bed with the book in his lap, and, thinking about how his Venerable was alive and had already returned, joy flooded his heart and he couldn’t keep from smiling.

“Does this Venerable’s return make you that happy?” said an inner demon, leaning against the bed.

Yin Hanjiang didn’t look at it. He opened the book, beginning to read from the first page.

The story had already been revised as to be unrecognizable, and the original plot could only be gleaned from old comments, but Yin Hanjiang still managed to find out from years-old comments and the unrevised portion

what the him in the book had done after his Venerable’s death. He had really outdone his current self. When he thought that his Venerable had read this book over forty years ago, Yin Hanjiang felt like lighting himself on fire.

His qi roiled inside his body, and after only a bit he couldn’t go on. He shut the book, reciting the Clear Mind Spell.

Fortunately, Wenren È wasn’t here and Yin Hanjiang was able to maintain his composure. If it was like last night, he would probably lose his mind

again.

He was just reading a book, so if he couldn’t continue, he could pause for a moment and take it slowly. After a while of controlling his breathing, he

was about to read on when he heard a knock at his door. Altar Master Shi’s voice came from beyond it. “Sect Leader Yin, your subordinate has a report to make, about Wenren È!”

Yin Hanjiang was going to ignore him, until he heard his Venerable’s name. He ended up hiding the books and letting him in.

Shi Congxin walked to the desk, facing the frosty Sect Leader Yin. “Sect Leader, this subordinate discovered last night that Sect Master Wenren wasn’t dead! Cough cough cough!”

“Mhm,” Yin Hanjiang said.

Shi Congxin saw that Yin Hanjiang had no reaction, but thought of how difficult it had been for him to work up the courage to come here. It was time to make a stand. Zhongli Qian had already thrown in his lot with

Wenren È, and if Shi Congxin continued to follow the Lord of Demons, he would have no future. He could only choose Yin Hanjiang.

Remembering Zhongli Qian, Qiu Congxue, Shu Yanyan, and Su Huai, who had eyes on his position, Shi Congxin thought that he had been afraid for his whole life, and ought to work up his courage for something. He said boldly, “The Sect Leader may be unaware that Wenren È and Altar Master Zhongli have acted against you last night, cough cough!” “What’d you say?” A vicious light entered Yin Hanjiang’s eyes. If Shi Congxin dared to slander his Venerable before him, his life was over.

Oblivious to Yin Hanjiang’s murderous intent, Shi Congxin continued,

“Last night, when the Lord ordered me to bring Yao Jiaping to Altar Master Zhongli’s room, I saw him doing something to Sect Leader while you were unconscious. Does the Sect Leader remember this?”

“No,” Yin Hanjiang said. Watching Shi Congxin’s sickly face, he reached for his neck and placed his fingers against his arteries. “What did you see?”

“Cough cough cough! At the time, Wenren È’s hair blocked my sight, but I could see that he must’ve been stealing your spiritual essence!”

He roughly described what he had seen through Wenren È’s hair. Gesturing to his lips, he said, “He was stealing your spiritual essence through your mouth. Sect Leader, you must check the Violet Palace of your dantian. He may have done something underhanded, cough cough cough.”

“Cough cough cough!” It wasn’t Shi Congxin coughing this time, but Yin Hanjiang.

After hearing Shi Congxin’s words, his face went bright red and he started

coughing furiously. He withdrew his hand from Shi Congxin’s neck in order to cover his mouth.

Shi Congxin: …

Had he given his sickness qi to Sect Leader Yin? No, it couldn’t be, his sickness qi had been stolen by Miss Baili, so that he had lost most of his power and was barely even sick now, having to pretend to cough.

“This Lord understands,” Yin Hanjiang said after recovering. “You can go now.”

Shi Congxin wanted to say more, but Yin Hanjiang had turned away and was no longer looking at him. He could only leave dejectedly, but when he was at the door, he heard Yin Hanjiang say, “Do you have any wood or other material that can be made into a mask?”

“I do.” Shi Congxin took out a top-grade piece of underworld iron from his storage item, something he was saving for crafting a bonded weapon when he reached Mahayana.

“It doesn’t need to be so… whatever, you can go.” Yin Hanjiang took the piece of iron and shooed Shi Congxin away.

Shaping it with his hands and the Burning Sky Drum’s fire, he very quickly turned it into a ghost mask.

He put it on and, with his face covered, he felt his heart gradually calm.

This time, with sufficient mental preparation, he opened the book and picked out scenes involving Wenren È to read. Baili Qingmiao’s time with Hè Wenzhao at their sect and her thirty years of wandering had nothing to do with him, so he skimmed over all of them.

In less than two hours, Yin Hanjiang had reached the last page of the revision. He saw Wenren È standing by Baili Qingmiao’s bed as he said to her, “What this Venerable needs you to hear is, Wenren È loves Yin

Hanjiang.”

He had heard these words last night, but with his thoughts in disarray, he didn’t know whether he should believe it. More importantly, Yin Hanjiang had been almost certain that Wenren È liked Baili Qingmiao at the time, and in his confusion he had suffered qi deviation.

Now he had read the original story and comments and knew this was from before the revision, and had never happened. He had also received Shi

Congxin’s report, and with the comforting presence of the mask on his face, as he saw Wenren È say these words to Baili Qingmiao, his emotions were different.

He held the mask, afraid of it falling, and read on with his heart pounding wildly. Baili Qingmiao said, trembling, “If Senior Wenren has romantic intentions toward Sect Leader Yin, why not say it to him directly?”

With a bitter smile, Wenren È said, “He probably won’t believe me.”

Baili Qingmiao, thinking that Wenren È wanted to ask her about romantic matters, spoke considerately after some thought. “It may be hard to convey your true intentions through words. Often, actions will reassure someone more. Like me… nevermind, I’m a bad example. None of my shixiong’s

actions could reassure me.”

“Your example could serve as a warning,” Wenren È said.

Baili Qingmiao instantly felt heartbroken. However, she was someone who liked helping people, so recounted her experiences with her shixiong, getting closer and closer to tears as she went on.

“This Venerable knows.” Wenren È nodded. “I’ll keep your experiences in mind. That’s why I wanted to say it to you clearly, because I want him to understand. Whether it’s the reserved Yin Hanjiang, or the reckless and

carefree Yin Hanjiang, this Venerable will love them both. Yin Hanjiang is Yin Hanjiang. He need not hide himself.”

Reading these words, Yin Hanjiang felt like he was burning up inside. His body had always been cold, which hadn’t been resolved even by the Snow Flame. He knew it was the fault of his deep obsession and the inner demons tormenting him. Yet reading this passage, his body felt hot, like his blood

was boiling underneath his skin. He flipped on to the comments—

[Weird, in the original story, I was always scared of Yin Hanjiang, but why do I think he’s kind of cute now? Using the protagonist’s dress to wipe his sword and hands—does he think the little flower is a rag?]

[Better a rag than lamp oil. I also think he’s become a bit cute. Man, what have I experienced over these years?] [I’ve changed from an innocent little girl into a crazy woman, when I see a psychotic freak I’m not just not scared, I want to say, eeeeeeek, be more psycho!]

[Hello? Are you all still discussing the previous chapter? Go read the new one immediately, this is major! In this Mary Sue romance story, the second male lead confessed to the fourth to the female lead’s face!]

[What kind of crazy words are you saying. I’m reading immediately.]

[Just read the newest chapter, I went back to look at the work’s tags, and the author hasn’t just revised, she changed the romance category from

“traditional” to “uncertain”.] [What does uncertain mean?] [It means anything is possible.]

[Hold on, how come you all are unshaken by Wenren È’s declaration of love? Where’s the screaming? Where’s the rejection? Where’s the shock that this story has become a danmei?]

[You haven’t seen the next thread over, huh? The one discussing the hidden romantic threads in Abusive Romance‘s original and revised texts. They’ve already analyzed everything thoroughly.]

[Back from reading it and I feel enlightened. So Yin Hanjiang liked Wenren È ever since the original, and that’s why he went so crazy. I used to be

scared of him, but now all of a sudden I want to hug the poor thing.]

[It’s no longer considered the original and revised editions, it’s a different life. Go check out the next thread, there’s even fanfiction of the two. If you’re too slow, it’ll be deleted.]

[Back with a nosebleed. Yin Hanjiang being vicious to other people and obedient in front of his master is so adorable, I’m here for more.]

[I can’t say what I want from the Demon Lord and his vicious little wolf, if I say any more I’ll get reported.] Yin Hanjiang: …

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 65 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 65 – A blow to the head

Within Wenren È’s room, Yin Hanjiang’s emotions were hidden behind his mask.

His finger ran under the four words, “This Venerable is alive,” many times, and gradually, a wild joy rose within him.

His memories were still chaotic, difficult to distinguish from fantasy, but

what he had seen last night told Yin Hanjiang that Wenren È was still alive, and Shi Congxin said he’d seen him, and even this book which he took as truth told him his Venerable still walked the earth.

This was more important than anything else, a thousand times more important than whether or not his Venerable returned his love.

He wanted to see his Venerable immediately. Even though such fierce emotions made the blood roil in his veins and strengthened his inner demons, he didn’t care.

Yin Hanjiang picked up the note. Right, his Venerable said he was at Zhongli Qian’s place. Clutching it in his hand, he flew to the meeting room in the Main Hall, finding Zhongli Qian working on his own. Surrounding him were four or five Wenren È’s, each holding the divine blood.

Seeing such a scene, Yin Hanjiang stopped in his tracks. Why were things like this? He knew his Venerable was alive, but the inner demons would hardly vanish so easily. He was now unable to tell which was the real

Wenren È. Sensing Yin Hanjiang’s arrival, Zhongli Qian calmly left the meeting room, giving the two their space.

His departure made Yin Hanjiang more anxious, though. Without anyone around to help, he couldn’t distinguish the illusions.

At this point, one Wenren È spoke up. “This Venerable will be solid when holding the divine blood.”

Yin Hanjiang rushed forward, gently clasping that man’s hand, and found it could be touched.

“Venerable!” He got to one knee, his voice choked. “You’re still alive. I…”

For a moment, Yin Hanjiang was unable to speak. Blood welled up in the back of his throat, but, not wanting his Venerable to notice, he swallowed it back down.

He had neglected propriety last night. He absolutely could not let his Venerable see him in such a state today.

Wenren È pulled him to his feet, saying solemnly, “Yin Hanjiang, I don’t like to see you kneel.”

He slowly took off Yin Hanjiang’s mask. With a soft smile, he said, “Did you see my words?”

“Yes—” Yin Hanjiang only got out one word before blood poured from his mouth. He pressed a hand over it, but it dripped between his fingers.

“Yin Hanjiang!” Wenren È hadn’t expected their next meeting to go like this. He assumed they could at least have contact normally, but Yin

Hanjiang was too good at repressing, and he nearly hadn’t noticed his pain.

He put a hand to Yin Hanjiang’s chest, pouring chaos energy into his body, finding that his spiritual essence was a mess. He had treated him last night, but their meeting today had hurt Yin Hanjiang further. “Venerable, your subordinate is fine,” Yin Hanjiang said. “Your subordinate is just happy, I…”

Seeing how he pushed himself, Wenren È quickly placed the mask back on his face. With that barrier, Yin Hanjiang relaxed a bit.

He berated himself inside. It should be a joyful reunion, yet he…

“Don’t force yourself.” Wenren È placed a hand over Yin Hanjiang’s eyes, so he no longer needed to look at him.

In the darkness, Yin Hanjiang heard Wenren È speak. “I was hasty yesterday and damaged your foundation. If your mind is disrupted, it will aggravate your inner demons. In this realm, you don’t have immortal

essence to sustain yourself, so if your inner demons are not resolved, your recovery will be difficult.”

“This subordinate is useless,” Yin Hanjiang said, clenching his fists. “Who says you’re useless?!” Wenren È said. “During this Venerable’s

departure, you’ve done very well. You subjugated the two Protectors and four Altar Masters, gained their confidence, and kept Xuanyuan Sect from falling into chaos. You also reformed the Message Carriers, uncovering those with ill intentions toward Xuanyuan Sect. No one could’ve done better than you.”

With his eyes covered, Yin Hanjiang didn’t need to distinguish Wenren È from a crowd of illusions, and with the mask covering his face, his

expressions were hidden from Wenren È. These two shields helped him settle his emotions. He spoke the question he was most concerned about. “Venerable, why do you need the divine blood to solidify your body?”

Wenren È went roughly over his time in the Blood Hell. Yin Hanjiang immediately understood. It was equivalent to those righteous cultivators having destroyed Wenren È’s flesh body, so that without it, Wenren È could only cultivate his soul. Even though absorbing the chaos energy had increased his powers immensely, he was still inconvenienced. Learning of Wenren È’s experiences over the past year and a half, Yin Hanjiang’s hate for Hè Wenzhao deepened. Underneath the mask, his expression grew twisted.

“The power of the divine blood must be saved for helping Baili Qingmiao merge with the divine nature, so I cannot use it as I please. For a time, you still need to manage Xuanyuan Sect. As for the matter of the Blood Demon, you can do whatever you feel like,” Wenren È said.

From the soul communion last night, Wenren È knew Yin Hanjiang had a lot of built-up frustration, having always lived in Wenren È’s shadow. If he didn’t stand alone before others and gain confidence, he couldn’t overcome his inner demons. He could only let Yin Hanjiang vent his feelings, for

which Hè Wenzhao and the Blood Demon were the best targets.

Hearing that Wenren È was relying on his protection, Yin Hanjiang

straightened up. Yes, he could not let the members of Xuanyuan Sect discover his Venerable’s weakness. He must protect his Venerable!

Seeing Yin Hanjiang regain his spirit, Wenren È said, “Last night was an urgent situation, so I had to use the soul communion technique to temporarily calm your soul. This technique can only be used once in fifteen days, and must be repeated several more times for you to fully recover. Are you… willing for me to enter your soul again?”

“It is this subordinate’s privilege to have the Venerable expend his power to save him, so how could I refuse?” Yin Hanjiang said.

Wenren È sighed lightly. “Yin Hanjiang,” he said helplessly, “I don’t want you to call yourself a subordinate, or me Venerable.”

Yin Hanjiang froze. He was supposed to call Wenren È’s name directly? How could he?

Wenren È didn’t want to pressure Yin Hanjiang. “It’s fine for now,” he said. “If after your inner demons are cured, you continue to refer to me this way, I won’t be happy.” Wenren È knew Yin Hanjiang was tormented by not being able to tell him apart from illusions, and also didn’t want him to see his more vicious side. “I need to cultivate to stabilize my soul, so I’ll be at the spiritual spring for the next few days. You can act on your own. When the time comes for the next soul communion… or when you want to see me, come to the spiritual spring.”

Of course, Yin Hanjiang wanted to see Wenren È at every possible moment, but he knew he was in an unstable condition, and if he pushed himself, he would cause his Venerable more trouble. He nodded, then felt a warmth in one of his palms as it came into contact with something soft.

After gently kissing Yin Hanjiang’s palm, Wenren È took Abusive Romance

from his lapel and vanished.

After a long while, Yin Hanjiang slowly removed his mask. He stood alone in the hall, his expression chilling, sometimes smiling and sometimes dark.

He thought about a lot of things, but also seemed to have thought nothing at all. He walked up to a desk, which still held the information about the

Message Carriers that Zhongli Qian hadn’t had time to handle.

Yin Hanjiang had previously ordered the Message Carriers to investigate the whereabouts of the scum who had slandered Xuanyuan Sect. Having just gotten their ranks cleaned up by Yin Hanjiang, the Message Carriers

showed impressive work ethic and had sent reports about more than a dozen people in just one day’s time. Yin Hanjiang picked up the list and left, brushing past Zhongli Qian, who was standing in the doorway.

Zhongli Qian: …

Three days later, Yin Hanjiang returned, overflowing with murderous intent, dragging a few righteous disciples behind him. He tossed them to Zhongli Qian. “I’ve brought the people. Soon I’ll get Hè Wenzhao here too. You come up with a way to lure out those experts. I’m going to unmask the Blood Demon before the masses!” ” …Previously, Sect Leader gave me a month. Right now, only three days have passed,” said Zhongli Qian. “Even if you’ve captured these disciples,

I’ll need time to control them, have them infiltrate their own sects, and sabotage them from the inside.”

And he also needed to be Wenren È’s relationship coach, and act oblivious even though he had already seen through everything—it was truly

exhausting. Yesterday, Shu Yanyan had dropped in and picked up a white hair from the floor, distastefully saying that Crane-Haired Wanderer had such a nice ring to it, but he better not become the No-Hair Wanderer.

After getting implanted with the heart-linking parasite along with Baili Qingmiao, he’d sold himself to Xuanyuan Sect and gone too deep to pull back.

He was respected in the Zhongli clan, with no one even daring to raise their voice to his face and the scholarly guests also holding him in utmost

esteem. Yet in Xuanyuan Sect, he had been ordered left and right by the two successive leaders and forced to bury his conscience in order to help clean up the righteous sects, occasionally dealing with the Right Protector’s flirting, getting a migraine looking after the Left Protector and her two disciples, as well as being Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang’s relationship

counselor.

The strange thing was that he had no desire to escape, just dealing with the headaches and accepting all these complicated tasks.

Perhaps in comparison to the hypocritical cultivation clans who acted noble to your face and did lowly acts behind your back, he preferred these kinds of straightforward and open attitudes.

“I’ve given the people to you,” Yin Hanjiang said. “If the Altar Masters and Protectors don’t listen to your orders, come find this Lord. This task must be completed soon. Don’t keep my Venerable waiting.”

Running a hand through his hair, Zhongli Qian agreed helplessly. Yin Hanjiang went looking for Shi Congxin immediately after. Barging into the Hellfire Pavilion, his vicious aura scared a flock of ghost cultivators into hiding.

“Has Yao Jiaping been skinned?” he asked impatiently.

“Cough cough, yes, it’s done!” Shi Congxin offered up a neatly folded skin with both hands, teaching the incantation to Yin Hanjiang.

Yin Hanjiang accepted the skin with distaste. Picking up Shi Congxin, he returned to the main hall and dumped him in Baili Qingmiao’s bedroom.

“Take back her sickness qi. This Lord needs to bring her back to Shangqing Sect, and she’ll be a hassle if she’s sick.”

Baili Qingmiao knew Yin Hanjiang wanted to use her as bait to lure out Hè Wenzhao and said in a small voice, “I heard Brother Zhongli’s explanation. It wasn’t shixiong trying to kill me that day, it was the Blood Demon possessing his body. Can you possibly…”

Yin Hanjiang didn’t have the same patience toward Baili Qingmiao as Wenren È. He grabbed her neck to prevent her from speaking, and said threateningly, “It’s indisputable that Hè Wenzhao is colluding with the

Blood Demon. Even if he’s being used, heaven will place the karma on him. If you don’t want to cooperate, this Lord can always break Shangqing Sect’s wards and slaughter the whole sect. It’s your choice, the Shangqing Sect or Hè Wenzhao.”

He tossed Baili Qingmiao aside, then, remembering how in the ending of Abusive Romance, Baili Qingmiao dared to reject Wenren È, he suddenly sneered. “You were willing to give up everything because Hè Wenzhao taught you to value mortal lives. Now that those lives and Hè Wenzhao are placed side by side, which will you choose, Baili Qingmiao?”

He was too blunt, directly giving her this question.

“I…” Baili Qingmiao opened and closed her mouth, but was unable to answer. “Does this warrant hesitation?” Yin Hanjiang said, looking at her intensely. “If it were me, there could be no other answer besides my Venerable. Baili Qingmiao, you claim to love Hè Wenzhao with all your heart, willing to betray my Venerable’s kindness for him. Now it’s just the Shangqing Sect against Hè Wenzhao, but you’re unable to decide? Do you actually love Hè Wenzhao, or are you just intoxicated by the feeling of infatuation? Figure it out!”

His words were like a blow to the head, reaching straight to Baili Qingmiao’s heart.

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 66 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 66 – So-called fate

What awakened Baili Qingmiao wasn’t the choice between Hè Wenzhao and mortal lives. She wasn’t like Yin Hanjiang. Yin Hanjiang could disregard all other lives, but she had never been that kind of person.

The words that awakened her were “willing to give up everything”. She had always used this to justify her feelings. Subconsciously, she thought that she had given up so much for Hè Wenzhao, she’d been so good to him, she loved him so much, so how could he treat her like this? It wasn’t fair.

But right now, she suddenly realized that it felt like she hadn’t done much for Hè Wenzhao at all.

“Sect Leader Yin, why do you think that I’ve given up everything for my shixiong?” she asked.

Yin Hanjiang answered, “You retrieved the Snow Flame—”

No, that wasn’t right. His Venerable had told him before that Baili

Qingmiao once retrieved the Snow Flame for Hè Wenzhao, but now it had been given to Yin Hanjiang. The Shattered Mountain Meteorite had also originally been obtained for Hè Wenzhao, but now it likewise belonged to Yin Hanjiang.

The one who had gained so many things from Baili Qingmiao and his Venerable was him.

Yin Hanjiang fell silent, watching Baili Qingmiao, the situation becoming a bit awkward. Yin Hanjiang didn’t care about other people’s lives and deaths, but for all these years, he’d had no connections to anyone and, aside from his debt to Wenren È for saving and raising him, he owed nothing to anyone else. But now that he thought about it, he owed a debt to Baili Qingmiao through

Wenren È. At the very least, the Snow Flame had been obtained through her nearly freezing to death.

Fortunately, Baili Qingmiao didn’t notice Yin Hanjiang’s change in attitude. She held her head, shaking it a few times. “You also think I haven’t done much for my shixiong? But how come I keep feeling like I love him so much that I’ve given up so many things for him?”

“When shixiong’s foundation was destroyed, I did retrieve the Seven-

Colored Jade Lotus Heart, but in the end, I gave it to Liu-shijie. I clearly know that his Nascent Soul was stolen by Protector Shu, but now I’m at Xuanyuan Sect being looked after by Sister Shu, and if we’re not close,

we’re at least friendly with each other. After shixiong married Liu-shijie, I left the sect and traveled the world with Brother Zhongli, Master Qingxue, and Su Huai. At True Yin Mountain, I didn’t obtain the Lockheart Herb for shixiong, but for the Sect Master.

“Even when I finally returned to Shangqing Sect, when shixiong asked me to plot against Protector Qiu, I refused.”

Her eyes became more wild as she continued to talk, unable to comprehend. Clawing her hair into a mess, she asked, “We’ve walked separate paths ever since shixiong got married, and have hardly interacted even to today, so

why do I always feel like he betrayed me, and I can’t give up my feelings toward him? If he betrayed anyone, it’s Liu-shijie.”

Yin Hanjiang was familiar with this feeling. Right up to the present, he had felt an inexplicable urge to kill every time he saw Baili Qingmiao, feeling like she had betrayed Wenren È’s love.

Seeing her in such a mess, Yin Hanjiang slowly pulled her sleeve over, ripped off a piece, and used it to wipe nonexistent dust off the Army

Crushing Spike’s scabbard. Every time he wanted to kill Baili Qingmiao, he used this to keep himself in check.

Having gotten half her sleeve ripped off, Baili Qingmiao’s thoughts were interrupted. She stared wordlessly at her tattered dress, not understanding what enjoyment Yin Hanjiang got out of using her as a rag.

She coughed a few times and turned to Altar Master Shi, who was currently looking at her greedily. She said a bit awkwardly, “Altar Master Shi, I don’t know how to transfer sickness qi, so I must trouble you to do it yourself.

Don’t worry, I no longer wish to die. Thank you for your care.”

“Cough cough cough, I didn’t do anything for you, you took it yourself.” With a few guilty coughs, Altar Master Shi walked up and placed a hand against Baili Qingmiao’s back, retrieving the sickness qi he had spent so many years cultivating.

After completing the transfer, he discovered that his power had increased. Sickness qi was like spiritual essence and would diminish a lot every time it was transferred. Altar Master Shi had been prepared to become weaker, but his qi had actually strengthened.

After resting for so long, Baili Qingmiao’s injury had basically recovered, so she only needed to find materials to create a new bonded weapon. She had been constantly weak and passing out because of the sickness qi, so now that it was given back, she perked up significantly, her thoughts also becoming clearer.

“I’m willing to follow you to Shangqing Sect and lure out my shixiong,” she said to Yin Hanjiang. “Not only that, but since Qing— Protector Qiu has given me the tablet holding Liu-shijie’s spirit vow, I can order her to help. But I have a condition.”

“Don’t bother,” Yin Hanjiang said, instantly letting her know there was no way he would agree.

Baili Qingmiao was stubborn, however. She hadn’t been willing to set a trap for Qiu Congxue for Shangqing Sect, and now that Yin Hanjiang wanted to harm Shangqing Sect, she wasn’t willing either.

Even if Yin Hanjiang wouldn’t agree, she said it anyway. “Your ultimate goal is the Blood Demon. I’ve already heard from Brother Zhongli that the Blood Demon was the one who killed seventeen experts of the righteous

sects, and after he regains his power, he’ll be a threat to the whole

cultivation world. Us righteous cultivators cannot possibly allow such a madman to threaten the cultivation world, let alone the mortal world.

Setting aside my personal feelings, Hè Wenzhao is probably ignorant and being used by the Blood Demon. He is partly at fault, so can’t be considered innocent in the whole matter.”

Her words were logical and actually made Yin Hanjiang see her in a new light, so he held back his impatience and listened.

“That’s why I’m willing to go to Shangqing Sect and lure out Hè Wenzhao, as well as the Blood Demon, but afterward, Hè Wenzhao must be given to Shangqing Sect and the four other great sects to be judged publicly. We

can’t condemn him on our own.”

Yin Hanjiang even wanted to burn Baili Qingmiao, so how could he let off Hè Wenzhao? But Baili Qingmiao’s thoughts happened to agree with his. Yin Hanjiang wanted to clear his Venerable’s name and clearly show the righteous cultivators just how blind they were, siding with evil and harming the most just man in the world!

But after it was all exposed, Yin Hanjiang didn’t plan to let Hè Wenzhao and the other cultivators who had participated in the attack go. He smiled coldly at Baili Qingmiao, not telling her his thoughts. “Sure, he can be judged by the public.”

“Sect Leader is generous,” Baili Qingmiao said, cupping a fist. “I’ll gladly accompany you.”

Having gotten her cooperation, Yin Hanjiang planned to set out immediately. Since Baili Qingmiao’s clothes were full of holes, she asked Yin Hanjiang to wait while she changed into something other than a rag for the Army Crushing Spike. She had just put on the yellow uniform of the disciples of Shangqing Sect when someone appeared before her. It was Wenren È.

“Senior Wenren.” She cupped a fist.

Wenren È had been caught by surprise by Baili Qingmiao’s decision as he saw it through the Abusive Romance book. He was already prepared to possess her if she refused so he could personally go to Shangqing Sect and bait out Hè Wenzhao, but it was possible he would be seen through by the Blood Demon, so it wasn’t an ideal plan. Now that Baili Qingmiao was

cooperating, Wenren È was relieved but also confused.

“This Venerable didn’t expect you to willingly help Xuanyuan Sect deal with Hè Wenzhao,” he said. “I thought you would never be able to free yourself from Hè Wenzhao for your entire life.”

Baili Qingmiao blushed slightly. In front of her senior who was a bit cold, but had always taken care of her, she confided her thoughts. “I’m also baffled. When I was eighteen, I felt like I could give my life for my

shixiong. After the Great Sect War, my heart ached every time I looked at shixiong, and all I wanted to do was give my Nascent Soul to him. After shixiong got married, I was in such agony, and if it weren’t for Brother

Zhongli’s help, I would’ve snuck back to Shangqing Sect to see him. If he wasn’t happy with Liu-shijie, I might’ve even betrayed my principles and offered myself to him, becoming a person I would despise.”

Wenren È found her analysis logical. The book’s Baili Qingmiao probably would’ve, if it weren’t for the interference of the Violet Spirit Master,

already become part of Hè Wenzhao’s harem.

Her relationship with Hè Wenzhao was so hopelessly muddled, and she was being influenced by the divine nature, so it was impossible for her to escape this cursed relationship.

But everything was different now. In their thirty years of traveling together, Zhongli Qian had taught Baili Qingmiao much, and Qiu Congxue… might’ve helped slightly too. After thinking for a moment, Baili Qingmiao said, “I’ve thought carefully

about what I felt when shixiong was wedded. Probably since I had my heart set on him from the start, and also dedicated twenty years of my youth and feelings to him, I was unwilling to give it up. But now, I’m almost seventy. Even mortals would understand the ways of the world at that age. I’m not as impulsive as I was in my youth and have gained some insight. With some things and some people, the more you invest and commit to them, the more you want to be repaid, and if you aren’t, you become unable to let go. But if you let go early, then you’ll see that those things were only obsessions.

“Sect Leader Yin’s words weren’t completely correct, but one thing he said was. After thinking carefully about my relationship with shixiong, I

suddenly feel like I don’t really love him very much. I was just attached to sacrificing for someone, moved by the depths of my own love.

“Senior Wenren, please don’t laugh at me, but… I can’t even remember why I wanted to die a year ago.”

Baili Qingmiao’s expression was calm. She had truly been awakened by Yin Hanjiang’s words.

Wenren È smiled slightly, and thinking about the words he had just read in Abusive Romance, said with some pride, “This Venerable has gone around asking everyone he could find about your attachment to Hè Wenzhao, from the members of Xuanyuan Sect to Zhongli Qian and Zhongli Kuang, even digging through Yao Jiaping’s memories to no avail. Who would’ve thought, that the one who most understood love was right by this

Venerable’s side?”

He had exhausted his efforts, even using the tracking curse and heart- linking parasites, but never managed to wake up Baili Qingmiao. Yet Yin Hanjiang had seen through everything.

Yin Hanjiang asked for nothing in return for his love. He didn’t need

Wenren È’s answer, just his survival. Even when the book’s Wenren È loved Baili Qingmiao, he could endure his heartbreak and protect her. And it was because of his experiences that he could see the source of Baili Qingmiao’s problem at a glance. She was just attached.

“Baili Qingmiao.” Wenren È brought out the divine blood, holding it out to Baili Qingmiao. “The debt this Venerable once owed you is now fully repaid. Holding this, your mind won’t be affected by the divine nature, as long as you don’t get too close to it. Keep it safe. From now on, you and I have no more connection to each other.”

Baili Qingmiao received it, instantly feeling her body fill with power. The

stone transformed into a red silk ribbon, becoming her new bonded weapon. She immediately sat down to meditate, circulating her spiritual essence to refine her new magic item. Wenren È could clearly see that she was practicing the Path of Indifference.

Wenren È once entered the Dao due to the war the primordial goddess had started, gaining power to avenge his family. Because of his lingering

attachments, he had saved Yin Hanjiang, who had grown to love him. Baili Qingmiao, in the clutches of her love, had been enlightened by a few words from Yin Hanjiang, and had truly abandoned her infatuation and entered the Dao.

So-called fate had long been decided in mysterious ways.

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 67 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 67 – New techniques

Baili Qingmiao said she was going to change, but Yin Hanjiang ended up waiting outside her door for three days!

After waiting for an hour, Yin Hanjiang started to lose patience, pacing back and forth outside. He wanted to throw the door open, but was

concerned Baili Qingmiao wouldn’t be dressed and he would see something.

Yin Hanjiang originally didn’t care about accidentally seeing a female body. It was just a skin to him. Forget about bodies without clothes, he had seen plenty of bodies without flesh in his life. Of the two Xuanyuan Sect Protectors, one dressed skimpily and one found having flesh distasteful.

After knowing these two for so long, it was hard for Yin Hanjiang to have any sense of modesty toward the opposite sex.

Just when he was about to kick the door open, Shu Yanyan, who had been lazing around wherever for the past few days, rushed up and blocked Yin Hanjiang’s kick with a smile, standing in front of the door.

“Don’t be so impatient, Sect Leader,” she said. “How can you barge in as you like on a girl changing?” She looked unruffled on the surface, but on the inside, she was cursing.

Wenren È had just sent her a message, saying that Baili Qingmiao had entered meditation, and since Zhongli Qian was too busy and he really didn’t want to bother him anymore, he needed her to come stop Yin

Hanjiang from barging in. If Baili Qingmiao was disturbed, the Path of Indifference that she had finally enlightened to would be broken. Wenren È wanted to go outside and explain himself, but Yin Hanjiang would suffer internal injuries if he saw him. Plus, even the perpetually

oblivious Wenren È had learned to be a bit more considerate after causing his lover to cough up blood and nearly die upon confessing to him, and realized that if he emerged from Baili Qingmiao’s room, Yin Hanjiang might be affected by the original plot’s events and his thoughts might go to wild places.

So he had asked Shu Yanyan, who was closest to Qiu Congxue’s rooms, to come help him. As for why it wasn’t Qiu Congxue, who was even closer… did that warrant explanation?

When Shu Yanyan visited Zhongli Qian a few days earlier and picked up a strand of his hair from the floor, she had known Wenren È was back and had left Yin Hanjiang still in charge of the sect. Wenren È’s presence itself had the ability to keep Xuanyuan Sect in line, so she instantly realized she now had two bosses instead of one, feeling a hint of dismay in her heart.

Most importantly, this time Wenren È specified that Shu Yanyan couldn’t mention this was on his orders, so Shu Yanyan was in an even more difficult position. She was starting to understand how Zhongli Qian, as a Mahayana cultivator, could be losing hair.

Brushing a hand over her head of luxuriant black hair, Shu Yanyan smiled at him, saying softly, “Ah, Sect Leader Yin, you may be strong, but your understanding of what men like and what they think about is rather lacking.”

She walked near, leaning toward his ear and whispering, “If you barge in

and see Baili Qingmiao improperly dressed, do you think the Venerable will be happy?”

Shu Yanyan thought Yin Hanjiang would realize, but he gave the door a disdainful glance and, raising his head, said haughtily, “The Venerable doesn’t like Baili Qingmiao.”

Shu Yanyan: … She was realizing that she had overestimated Yin Hanjiang. Seeing him glance at her smugly and turn to kick the door again, she hurried to stop him. Though gritted teeth, she transmitted, “Of course I know who the

Venerable likes, but the problem isn’t you seeing Baili Qingmiao changing, it’s you seeing anyone besides Wenren È changing, whether male or female!”

Yin Hanjiang’s foot was already against the door, prepared to bring down the whole room, but when he heard Shu Yanyan’s words, his face immediately turned red. Very slowly, he drew back his foot. Stiffening his face and raising his chin, he looked down on her as he transmitted.

“Protector Shu, as one of this sect’s pillars, what… do you say I should do in this situation?”

Shu Yanyan rolled her eyes inwardly, but she was outwardly respectful as she spoke. “Why don’t I go in and take a look, and ask Baili Qingmiao to hurry up? That’s what a subordinate should be for, right?”

“Yeah.” Yin Hanjiang put his hands behind his back, turning calmly so Shu Yanyan could act.

Shu Yanyan entered, turned in a circle, and came back out. “Baili Qingmiao has entered a trance.”

” …She can enter a trance by changing clothes?” Yin Hanjiang said.

“How would I know? If you just barge in, she might have a qi deviation. If Sect Leader is impatient…”

She thought back to her meeting with Wenren È in his room. Wenren È

wanted her to talk Yin Hanjiang around and ask him not to be impatient, but she mustn’t provoke him, in case he had another qi deviation.

Shu Yanyan finally understood why someone like Zhongli Qian, who was usually as unfettered as a breeze, had been looking more haggard recently. She originally thought there wasn’t anything that could stump someone so smart as Zhongli Qian. But facing this dilemma, she realized there truly

was. They were pressured by two tyrants. Wenren È wanted her to talk around Yin Hanjiang, but also wanted her to be careful, use a delicate touch, not aggravate him. He was only considerate toward Yin Hanjiang. He didn’t think about whether, when Sect Leader Yin disciplined her, he used a delicate touch!

Good thing she was Shu Yanyan, having once served the old Sect Master, then Wenren È, and now Yin Hanjiang. Seeing Yin Hanjiang’s expression was growing darker, she smiled even more sweetly and transmitted, “If Sect Leader Yin is impatient, why don’t you use this time to learn some new techniques?”

“This Lord has already passed his tribulation, so what technique of the cultivation world could be of use to me?” Yin Hanjiang said coldly.

“Don’t be so sure. How about…” Shu Yanyan leaned closer to Yin Hanjiang and made a very recognizable shape with her mouth.

Yin Hanjiang’s skin was pale and his emotions showed easily on his face. His blush which had just faded reappeared instantly. He turned with a flap of his sleeve, hiding his face, and when Shu Yanyan could next see it

clearly, he was wearing a mask.

“This Lord may already be powerful, but there’s nothing wrong with learning a few more techniques,” he said. Underneath the mask, his voice

was steady. “Baili Qingmiao needs to meditate alone for a while anyway, so this Lord might as well see if he can pass the time with your techniques.”

Shu Yanyan: …

Keep pretending! This Protector has so many techniques you won’t be able to learn them in a year! I won’t just teach them to you, I’ll teach them to

Wenren È, and after you seclude yourselves together for thirty or fifty years, Xuanyuan Sect will belong to me!

After cussing him out mentally, Shu Yanyan, her expression still perfectly deferent, invited Yin Hanjiang to her cultivation grounds where she instructed him in her techniques for three full days. Baili Qingmiao had already laid down the foundations of the Path of Indifference. She was just taken advantage of by the divine nature every time she underwent a tribulation, having the principles she’d just

enlightened to suppressed. With the help of the divine blood, as well as Wenren È, Yin Hanjiang, Qiu Congxue, and Zhongli Qian, she

comprehended everything in a flash. She enlightened to great principles

after three days, and signs of her enlightenment remained in her eyes after she left her trance. She had advanced directly to Void Boundary stage, just one step away from Mahayana.

“Looking at you, it seems the tribulation to advance from Body Unity to Void Boundary had no effect on you,” Wenren È said, pleased.

“Thanks to Senior Wenren’s guidance, my heart is now as still water,” Baili Qingmiao said calmly.

“Then this Venerable has another favor to ask,” Wenren È said. “While you go to Shangqing Sect, this Venerable wishes to borrow your body to enter along with you.”

Yin Hanjiang was afflicted by inner demons. He might be powerful, but the Shangqing Sect had their Moon Pool Bell and the Blood Demon, so Wenren È was afraid complications might arise somewhere along the way. He

wasn’t at ease with Yin Hanjiang going alone, yet if they were face to face, Yin Hanjiang would be tormented by being unable to tell him apart from the illusions. With all that in mind, the best way was possessing Baili

Qingmiao’s body to follow Yin Hanjiang. If anything went wrong, he could help out secretly.

In the past, Baili Qingmiao would’ve never agreed. It was hard enough for her to act against Hè Wenzhao, let alone allow Wenren È to use her body.

Her thoughts were different now, however. Hè Wenzhao was an obstacle in the way of her Path of Indifference. After so much trouble, she’d finally

enlightened to this path, so it would be bad if she saw him again and slipped into old mistakes. With this plan, Senior Wenren could be reassured and she could keep her heart from being shaken, so it was the perfect method. “There’s naturally no issue. In fact, I should thank my senior.”

Wenren È’s possession technique no longer worked the same way as a blood cultivator’s. He had already taken advantage of the Blood Demon’s attack to escape the body of a blood cultivator, and now his soul was

composed of chaos energy. The primordial chaos was the only force in the universe before the separation of heaven and earth, so all material things originated from it. He could meld with anything without a trace, undetectable to a degree the Blood Demon wasn’t capable of.

Thus the one who walked out of the room wasn’t Baili Qingmiao, but Wenren È wearing her body. He knew Yin Hanjiang still bore a grudge

about the events of the original plot, so decided not to tell him that he was possessing Baili Qingmiao. They would just take a trip to Shangqing Sect and come back, so he didn’t need to reveal himself.

Yin Hanjiang had already returned after completing Shu Yanyan’s tutelage.

With great effort, he suppressed the blush on his face with his spiritual

energy and took off his mask, saying coldly to Baili Qingmiao, “You sure have wasted this Lord’s time and made him wait for you. Hurry up and get going. The faster we get there, the faster we’re back.”

He put on Yao Jiaping’s skin and flew off without another word to Baili Qingmiao.

Wenren È wasn’t good at impersonating other people in the first place, so seeing that Yin Hanjiang didn’t need an answer, followed in silence.

Yin Hanjiang could bring Baili Qingmiao along as he flew, but after learning Shu Yanyan’s techniques, he had some aversion to touching others’ skin. For example, when Yin Hanjiang used to kill people, he had no problem with grabbing their necks or ripping out their hearts with his bare hands, but after knowing about some of these techniques, when Yin

Hanjiang attacked people in the future, he might wrap ropes around their necks or stab them in the heart with a weapon, preferring to have a barrier.

If you wanted to take someone along in a light flash, you would wrap them in your body, or in sword flight, Baili Qingmiao would have to sit on the Army Crushing Spike, and Yin Hanjiang didn’t want either. He could only go on ahead and wait for Baili Qingmiao to slowly catch up.

Wenren È’s light flash was quick, but if he was pretending to be Baili

Qingmiao, he couldn’t go at those kinds of speeds. At Void Boundary, it would take her half a day to get from Xuanyuan Sect to Shangqing Sect, and he couldn’t bring out the Iridescent Blood Flame Silk that she had

refined from the divine blood either, because the divine blood would cause Wenren È to gain a material form and be unable to possess her.

He could only fly slowly, curbing his speed. Seeing Yin Hanjiang disappear into the distance, he thought this wasn’t the way he had wanted to

accompany him.

After flying for about two hours, he saw Yin Hanjiang, in the shape of Yao Jiaping, come flying back. Furiously, he said, “You’re too slow! This Lord has waited at the teahouse for an hour!”

Wenren È was trying to think of an explanation, when he saw Yin Hanjiang remove from his silver storage belt a heavenly silk rope. It could change length at will and was used for capturing people in Xuanyuan Sect. Yin

Hanjiang had previously dragged back the dozen or so scum of the righteous sects, all wrapped up in this rope.

“Hold—” Baili Qingmiao had just opened her mouth when Yin Hanjiang wrapped her into a bundle so that no skin showed. He lifted her over his shoulders, heading back to Shangqing Sect.

After they arrived, Yin Hanjiang retrieved the rope with a cold huff and dropped Baili Qingmiao.

Wenren È turned cleanly in midair and managed not to faceplant. After landing solidly on both feet, he said to Yin Hanjiang, “You could’ve just taken me on your sword. What was the need for that?”

“This Lord shouldn’t have close contact with you.” Yin Hanjiang gave Baili Qingmiao a cold look. “Don’t expect this Lord to embrace you the whole

way.” “You—” Wenren È wanted to speak, but remembered how in the original story, he was always described as carrying Baili Qingmiao in his embrace the whole way as he flew—that was a direct quote.

Yin Hanjiang seemed to still have problems with the original story.

Wenren È thought Yin Hanjiang didn’t like how he loved Baili Qingmiao in the original book, so treated her poorly, but he didn’t know that Yin

Hanjiang was furious about something different. His Venerable had treated Baili Qingmiao so well, yet all she’d thought about was Hè Wenzhao. She was worthless!

The person his heart was devoted to had been discarded like an old shoe, so how could he not be furious?

So now, even though those events had never happened, and could never possibly happen, Yin Hanjiang still felt… an indescribable distaste toward Baili Qingmiao.

With a cold huff, he used a cleaning spell on his hands, then grabbed Baili Qingmiao’s sleeve to wipe them.

Wenren È: …

After they reached Shangqing Sect, Yin Hanjiang restrained himself a bit. After all, he was supposed to be Yao Jiaping.

Before Yao Jiaping departed, Hè Wenzhao had given him a messaging talisman. After he rescued Baili Qingmiao and returned to Shangqing Sect, all Yao Jiaping needed to do was snap it, and Hè Wenzhao would open the wards and welcome them in.

Yin Hanjiang snapped the talisman. Hè Wenzhao, upon seeing it really was Yao Jiaping and Baili Qingmiao outside the wards, opened it

enthusiastically and invited them in. After thanking Yao Jiaping, he threw his arms around Baili Qingmiao, saying, “Shimei, I didn’t want to hurt you…” Before he could finish, Yao Jiaping kicked him off.

After kicking him, Yin Hanjiang shot a look at Baili Qingmiao, thinking, after you rejected my Venerable, you let this thing hug you?

Wenren È: …

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 68 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 68 – Treasure trove

Yin Hanjiang had kicked him hard. He restrained his power a bit, as Yao Jiaping was a wandering immortal, so he had to act the part. He didn’t really put his heart into the act, though.

Hè Wenzhao was only at Void Boundary, though, and with his guard

completely down, there was no way he could withstand an attack with the full force of a wandering immortal. If the Blood Demon hadn’t used

spiritual energy to protect him, Yin Hanjiang’s kick might’ve destroyed his organs. The Blood Demon did treasure Hè Wenzhao as a host with the potential to ascend, so that he could absorb more powerful people in the immortal realm.

“What are you doing?!” Hè Wenzhao said, climbing back to his feet.

He was close friends with Yao Jiaping. Yao Jiaping had previously saved the Sect Master, and later, touched by Hè Wenzhao’s feelings toward Baili Qingmiao, agreed to infiltrate Xuanyuan Sect to rescue her. Yao Jiaping’s eccentricities were well-known across the cultivation world, but he had

always been loyal to Hè Wenzhao. Hè Wenzhao had never been treated like this before and was furious.

It was too much to ask for Yin Hanjiang to act like Yao Jiaping. Impersonation just wasn’t in his nature. Fortunately, after reading God of Annihilation: Volume 2, he had learned Yao Jiaping’s catchphrases and manner of speaking, so he recited a line from the book. “Oh, I just can’t stand seeing you two act so lovey-dovey with each other.”

Yao Jiaping was this kind of twisted person in the book. Every time a pair of lovers begged for his help, he would give them a particularly bad time. He would give them two choices, either for the woman to give her body to him, or for them to give up what was most important. Back when Baili

Qingmiao brought Su Huai to him, he wanted her to give over her Nascent Soul or her body. When Hè Wenzhao was traveling, he had also brought the Gongxi mistress to him.

He told him clearly that he and the Gongxi mistress were only

acquaintances, and also couldn’t let him take a maiden’s innocence, so agreed to become a test subject for Yao Jiaping.

After saving the Gongxi mistress, Yao Jiaping tormented Hè Wenzhao for a good month. Hè Wenzhao grit his teeth and bore it the whole time, even getting lucky and achieving a breakthrough, increasing his cultivation because of the medicines Yao Jiaping tested on him. Yao Jiaping’s interest in Hè Wenzhao was piqued, and he was also touched by his chivalry, so they became good friends.

Hè Wenzhao got to know Yao Jiaping during Baili Qingmiao’s thirty year absence, and they’d been friends for twenty years by now. He never

would’ve imagined that Yao Jiaping would one day say the same words to him as he did to cultivators he didn’t like.

Remembering Yao Jiaping’s habits, he immediately turned to Baili Qingmiao and said, “Shimei, he didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

Thinking about the fees that Yao Jiaping took for his treatment, he saw how healthy Baili Qingmiao looked. She’d been injured so badly at the Blood

Hell, yet now she’s recovered perfectly…

A very unpleasant notion came to Hè Wenzhao’s mind. His face turning pale, he stumbled a few steps back, shaking his head. “No, this can’t be.”

Yin Hanjiang didn’t care about where Hè Wenzhao’s thoughts went. He

came here for one purpose—capturing Hè Wenzhao. Right now, they were right next to the sect array and Hè Wenzhao was alone, so as long as they

subdued the Blood Demon, they could carry him right off. Sect arrays were difficult to enter but easy to leave, so no one would be able to stop him and “Baili Qingmiao”. Yin Hanjiang had no interest in entangling himself within Baili Qingmiao and Hè Wenzhao’s relationship. He wanted to grab Hè Wenzhao and leave as soon as possible, so he could be back sooner for his next Soul

Communion.

The Army Crushing Spike’s power might not be enough to instantly subdue the Blood Demon, so he would need to bring out the Burning Sky Drum.

The illusions Yin Hanjiang was seeing were caused not only by his inner demons, but also the Burning Sky Drum. The inner demons were only

capable of disrupting Yin Hanjiang’s rationality. It was the Burning Sky Drum which made them manifest as phantoms.

Using a top-grade immortal artifact without sufficient power, it was natural that one would suffer backlash. Yin Hanjiang assessed the backlash the

Burning Sky Drum would cause and decided he could handle it, so opened his hands secretly, forming the seals to control the drum inside his sleeves.

At that moment, the Shangqing Sect Master arrived and, upon seeing Yao Jiaping, greeted him enthusiastically. “When I saw Wenzhao open the sect array, I guessed it was for Sir Yao’s return. Sir Yao’s timing is flawless.

Please, come this way.”

Upon seeing the Sect Master, the skin over Yin Hanjiang’s face twitched. His two enemies were both before him. He was wildly delighted, nearly unable to keep the skin he wore in place.

Wenren È quickly grabbed Yin Hanjiang’s hand, afraid he would act

without thinking. Back when he infiltrated Shangqing Sect last time, using Liu Xinye’s body, he could endure it and hold back his disgust to meet Hè Wenzhao. If Hè Wenzhao was alone here, he and Yin Hanjiang could just work together to capture him and leave quickly.

But now the Sect Master had arrived, and they were in enemy territory and didn’t know how many cards the Shangqing Sect had up their sleeves, so they couldn’t act recklessly at this time.

Seeing “Baili Qingmiao” voluntarily reach for “Yao Jiaping’s” hand, Hè Wenzhao was so mad he nearly bled from the eyes. Yet Yao Jiaping threw her hand off, glancing at her haughtily and reciting another line from God of Annihilation 2. “You think you could possibly be equal to my Xiao Yi?”

At the same time, he transmitted, “I know what you meant. This Lord has other uses for the Shangqing Sect Master, so this isn’t a suitable time to wipe both out at once.”

He took a deep breath and, managing to calm down, stiffened his expression and looked at the Sect Master. “Seeing as you’re so anxious, I assume you have a patient for me?”

“Yes, precisely.” The Sect Master paid no mind to the strained atmosphere between Baili Qingmiao, Yao Jiaping, and Hè Wenzhao. He felt ashamed for his actions toward Baili Qingmiao and didn’t want to involve himself in his juniors’ relationships, so he could only play blind. He said to Yao

Jiaping, “Shangqing Sect already owes an immeasurable debt to Sir Yao for rescuing one of its disciples from Xuanyuan Sect, so we’re really not in a position to ask more favors, but Qingyue’s life is in danger right now! No one but Sir Yao could save him! No matter whether or not you succeed, as long as you’re willing to help him, Shangqing Sect will go through heaven and hell to carry out any request of Sir Yao’s in the future, as long as it doesn’t betray our principles.”

Yin Hanjiang raised an eyebrow slightly. Forget the future, he would have a request for Shangqing Sect very soon, and they would neither have to betray their principles nor go through heaven and hell—it was a very minor request.

In that case, there was no reason he couldn’t fool around for a while. Yin Hanjiang nodded. “Sure. Take me there.”

He sat obediently on a flying boat with the Sect Master, Baili Qingmiao following close behind. Seeing his shimei follow Yao Jiaping everywhere without even sparing him a glance, Hè Wenzhao was so mad he nearly gave himself internal injuries.

The Sect Master gave Hè Wenzhao a look of warning. “Hurry up.” His disciple was good in every way, just he was too free with women. He

was perfectly aware of how, though Hè Wenzhao was married to Liu Xinye, he acted heartfelt with the Gongxi mistress, was close with several of his

shimei, and still had his heart set on Baili Qingmiao.

If he hadn’t kept all those women happy and prevented any trouble from

starting, as well as being strong enough to be Shangqing Sect’s future pillar, the Sect Master would’ve long since reprimanded him.

Right now, he could only look the other way.

The Shangqing Sect owed a debt to Yao Jiaping, who had once treated the Sect Master and now was being asked to treat Elder Qingyue, so how could Hè Wenzhao antagonise him over a woman?

With his master’s admonishment, Hè Wenzhao held back his dissatisfaction, clenching his fists and swearing he wouldn’t forget how Yao Jiaping stole his girl. After this treatment was done, he was going to confront him.

Promising to rescue his beloved, and then ending up with her—how was that good brotherly behavior? He and his shimei were childhood

sweethearts, having grown up together, so how could Yao Jiaping get between them?

Yin Hanjiang obviously didn’t know medicine. He planned to just play

along, though he did know what kind of injury this Qingyue had sustained.

Coming to a side room, he glanced at Elder Qingyue, with white hair and his face covered with wrinkles and age spots, and pretended to take his pulse as the Sect Master explained everything to him. “A year and a half

ago, during the battle at the Blood Hell, the new Sect Leader of Xuanyuan Sect threw away his life and faced a heavenly tribulation to use an immortal artifact, chasing Wenzhao and I back to the sect. We made it behind the

wards in time, but that man tried to use the Burning Sky Drum to break the array. In order to protect Shangqing Sect, Qingyue-shidi used our defensive immortal artifact, the Moon Pool Bell, having his spiritual essence drained and suffering backlash. Now he’s suffering the five declines, and though

we’ve used elixirs and medicines to prolong his life, it’s no longer enough and his life is about to burn out.” So it was him who had gotten in Yin Hanjiang’s way that day… Yin Hanjiang looked down at Qingyue’s face, thinking karma worked in

mysterious ways. About to burn out? Don’t worry, he would make him burn very brightly indeed, once he turned him into lamp oil.

This trip to Shangqing Sect felt like entering a treasure trove. Everyone he ran into was someone he bore a grudge against—it was simply too lucky.

The skin on “Yao Jiaping’s” face twisted again. It looked as if the muscles underneath were smiling while the skin didn’t move, creating a chilling

effect.

Seeing his expression, the Sect Master became anxious. “It can’t be that not even Sir Yao can treat this? Oh, shidi, your shixiong has harmed you!”

In order to display the dignity of a Sect Master, he purposefully appeared like a middle-aged man, with black hair and a long beard like a poor official, a popular look in the mortal world. Tears fell from his eyes as he kneeled at Qingyue’s side, silently sobbing.

Baili Qingmiao took a glance at Qingyue and transmitted to Yin Hanjiang, “There’s a way.”

Since Wenren È was using Baili Qingmiao’s body to send the transmission, the voice was still Baili Qingmiao’s. He had previously taken in Yao

Jiaping’s memories, so he knew there was a cure. “A Mahayana cultivator must be willing to transfer over all of their spiritual essence, after which

elixirs are administered, capable of returning the patient to Body Unity.

However, they will always remain at Body Unity, and never be able to

advance. There’s also a second method, finding the Five Aggregates Herb. The five declines affect all beings, from ascended gods to the smallest insects, and all things are destined to undergo this trial aside from the primordial gods, born with the cosmos. Cultivation is only able to delay this fate. Only the Five Aggregates Herb, nurtured by the heavens and earth, can treat the five declines, but that’s a treasure of the divine realm and many

ascended gods want to get their hands on it.” Yin Hanjiang gave Baili Qingmiao a look. What use was there in mentioning something they couldn’t get?

“I have it,” Baili Qingmiao transmitted.

In the original plot, Baili Qingmiao stumbled into a small primordial realm and obtained it, naturally giving it to Hè Wenzhao. The Five Aggregates

Herb was drawn to her primordial divinity, so this time, even though Hè Wenzhao didn’t need it, she still found it in her thirty years of travel. She,

Zhongli Qian, Qiu Congxue, and Su Huai were all unable to identify it, only knowing it was something belonging to the divine realm, so they had kept it hidden all this time.

“Don’t ruin my plans,” Yin Hanjiang transmitted.

He turned to look at Shangqing Sect’s only Mahayana cultivator, the Sect Master, and smiled pleasantly. “There’s a way.”

He never mentioned the Five Aggregates Herb, only saying the first method. He then said, “I can teach you the transfer method and refine the

supplemental elixirs for you. Whether or not you want to trade a Mahayana cultivator for a Body Unity one who will never advance and still experience the five declines after five hundred years, that’s up to you.”

“This…” The Shangqing Sect Master was shaken. “Isn’t there any other way?”

“Even ascended gods can’t avoid the five declines, so what can I as a

wandering immortal do?” Yin Hanjiang sat casually in a chair and gave the Sect Master an uncaring look. “It’s your decision whether or not you want to save him.

“As for my fee, no need to wait for the future.” Yin Hanjiang glanced at Hè Wenzhao and smiled gleefully. After putting on a glove, he grabbed the back of Baili Qingmiao’s neck and addressed Hè Wenzhao, “How about giving her to me?”

 Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

Chapter 69 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 69 – Beset by rumors

A lofty position as an elite healer, contempt for others, so-called dedication to his Xiao Yi, and disdain for other women made up the character of Yao Jiaping. Yin Hanjiang wasn’t a particularly good actor, but along with

Wenren È transmitting treatments to him, he could play the part well enough.

Seeing how Baili Qingmiao still acted so docile even though Yao Jiaping was grabbing her, Hè Wenzhao was trembling in rage. Pointing a finger at Yao Jiaping, he said, “I can’t believe, that after I treated you as a good

friend and sworn brother, you would do this to me! Plus, your heart is stuck on your Xiao Yi, so what do you want my shimei for?”

“Oh,” Yin Hanjiang said slowly, enjoying Hè Wenzhao’s expression. He grabbed Baili Qingmiao’s dress and used it to wipe the hand he had just touched Elder Qingyue with. “This woman might be suited for being a rag.”

“Shimei! Are you happy being treated like this?” Hè Wenzhao shouted at Baili Qingmiao.

If it was Shu Yanyan playing the part, at this point she would probably be crying, unable to speak, putting on a no-holds-barred performance of a purehearted girl forced to dishonor herself for the sake of her sect. Too bad it was Wenren È here, though. Watching Yin Hanjiang play the part of Yao Jiaping, he was seeing another side of the man.

He was no longer grieving, but still as unrestrained.

So this was Yin Hanjiang’s true nature. He… truly wasn’t suited to be a

sword cultivator. A sword cultivator needed to be bold in the beginning and reserved later on, until they reached the point of being a sword in of themselves, so that a blade was hidden in their every move and glance. Yin Hanjiang was only bold, so he had advanced quickly through the earlier

stages, but became stuck at Void Boundary. Yet when he gave up the sword, he instantly broke through to the peak of Mahayana.

Wenren È simultaneously thought that he had gotten in the way of Yin Hanjiang’s growth, and felt this was quite a refreshing sight. Seeing how

Yin Hanjiang put on a glove to grab Baili Qingmiao’s neck, he seemed so polite and cute, so how could Wenren È put up an act of being coerced?

Wenren È could only raise a sleeve to block the smile that he couldn’t hold back, turning his head aside and acting too ashamed to let Hè Wenzhao see his face, even though he was grinning inside.

He barely managed to stay in character. Hè Wenzhao believed that Baili

Qingmiao had been broken after being abused, thinking she was unworthy of him and unable to look directly at him.

“Yao Jiaping, this marks the end of our—”

Before Hè Wenzhao could finish, the Sect Master moved before him with a flap of his sleeves and bowed to Yao Jiaping. “My shidi sustained this injury while saving Wenzhao and me, so I must repay him. Even if I can only give him five hundred years of life, he might yet find opportunities to advance. As the only Mahayana cultivator of Shangqing Sect, naturally it falls to me to save my shidi.”

The Sect Master looked at Baili Qingmiao, and after a moment of thought, said, “As for Sir Yao’s fee, in my humble opinion, Baili Qingmiao is unacceptable. She is a disciple of Shangqing Sect, and even if she has gone down the wrong path before, Shangqing Sect cannot give her away like an

object. I’ve watched Baili Qingmiao grow up. She’s a kind and pure-hearted girl, and even if she’s a bit gullible, she would never do anything immoral.

If Sir Yao needs a test subject or a rag, this lowly Daoist will do his best, but Baili Qingmiao cannot be given to you.” Hearing his words, Yin Hanjiang and Wenren È sobered up again. Yin

Hanjiang was naturally dark and a bit vicious, but he had been influenced by Wenren È since his youth, and approved of people who could give their own lives to protect others. Of course, if he didn’t know Wenren È was still alive, he wouldn’t have shown any mercy no matter how much he approved of someone. Knowing of Wenren È’s survival had mellowed out Yin

Hanjiang a lot.

He stood up. “What use is a Foundation Establishment test subject? And why would I need Baili Qingmiao—it’s not like I don’t have rags. It was just a joke. As for my fee… we can talk after the treatment.”

Yin Hanjiang wrote down the transfer method and the medicinal prescription. The medicinal ingredients were common, so Shangqing Sect’s stocks had plenty of them. They could start refining the elixirs anytime, but it would take three to five days to finish, during which “Yao Jiaping” needed to look after it. Yin Hanjiang naturally knew nothing about refining elixirs. “Baili Qingmiao” had written the prescription, so he made Baili

Qingmiao his assistant, helping him fan fires.

The Sect Master, after receiving the technique and prescription, treated them like treasures. He sat at Qingyue’s bedside, saying with joyful tears, “Shidi, there’s hope for you!”

“Shixiong…” Elder Qingyue reached out a hand, powerlessly grabbing the prescription and trying to tear it. “You can’t do this. You have hope for

ascending. You mustn’t waste your gifts on me. Plus, the sect still needs you.”

The Sect Master said resolutely, “Shidi, some exchanges can’t be weighed in terms of value. It’s my wish to save you. Even if I’ll fall to the Foundation Establishment stage and my future cultivation will be arduous, it won’t be impossible. As for the sect, Wenzhao has already grown up, and I can rest easy leaving it to him.”

“Yao Jiaping” watched uncaringly at one side. The flesh underneath his skin twitched once, his expression dark. Qingyue needed to take some medicines before he could withstand the transfer technique, so Yao Jiaping would be spending the next few days making elixirs. He forbade other people from entering and set up an array outside the room, shutting himself in with Baili Qingmiao.

Many rumors about Baili Qingmiao had already spread through the sect.

After returning to his room, Hè Wenzhao had cussed out Yao Jiaping, which was overheard by Liu Xinye. She proceeded to spread the news around

about Baili Qingmiao and Yao Jiaping within the sect, saying she had not only taken the Xuanyuan Sect Protector Qiu Congxue as master, but had

also learned the art of plucking and replenishing from Right Protector Shu Yanyan and dual cultivated with Yao Jiaping to gain power. Afterwards, Yao Jiaping had treated her as a rag and thrown her away.

There were other rumors that Baili Qingmiao had raised her cultivation so fast because, in her thirty years of travel, she had dual cultivated with Zhongli Qian many times, and she didn’t even pass up her young disciple Su Huai. Other people said that Baili Qingmiao was perfectly healthy despite her bonded weapon having been broken because she had received favor from the two successive Xuanyuan Sect leaders during her stay.

In just two days, Baili Qingmiao was regarded within the sect as a woman who would sleep with anyone. The targets of the rumors, besides Yao

Jiaping, just happened to be Wenren È, Zhongli Qian, Yin Hanjiang, and Su Huai, the four love interests of Abusive Romance.

In the original story, Liu Xinye also started these kinds of rumors in order to destroy Hè Wenzhao and Baili Qingmiao’s relationship. Hè Wenzhao misunderstood her for a long time and ignored her every time she tried to

explain, treating her awfully for a while.

As the rumors spread, Yin Hanjiang and Baili Qingmiao were focused on refining elixirs.

It was mainly Baili Qingmiao doing all the work. Yin Hanjiang sat on a chair in the medicinal hall, holding God of Annihilation: Volume 2 and thinking. He was trying to think of a method to make the victim of the transfer Hè Wenzhao.

The transfer required a Mahayana cultivator, so Hè Wenzhao wasn’t strong enough. But Yin Hanjiang saw he showed signs of a breakthrough. When he was confronting Yao Jiaping, he was so furious he nearly advanced on the spot.

In God of Annihilation 2, every time Baili Qingmiao was kidnapped, Hè Wenzhao would have a breakthrough before or during combat. Filled with righteous anger about his woman, he would score an underdog victory.

Right now, if he tried to take on the wandering immortal Yao Jiaping at Void Boundary, the difference was too much even for an underdog. If he rose to Mahayana, he would have some hope.

And at Mahayana, he could participate in the transfer.

If Hè Wenzhao fell to Foundation Establishment, the Shangqing Sect

Master had to watch helplessly as his sect’s future pillar was ruined, and Elder Qingyue lived the rest of his life in regret, then that sounded more fun than killing the lot.

The Shangqing Sect Master and Elder Qingyue were both stuffy righteous cultivators, so even if they were killed by demonic cultivators, they would die happily having given their lives for the righteous path, so there was no entertainment in killing them. It would be better to see them suffer.

Yin Hanjiang rearranged the skin over his face, so that Yao Jiaping’s skin smiled together with him.

Wenren È, watching him from one side: …

The hardest parts of refining elixirs were lighting the fires and retrieving the elixirs, while the process itself was simple, only needing the fire to be maintained. Wenren È had only been busy initially lighting the fire, while

spending the rest of the two days idle. Yin Hanjiang had nothing to say to Baili Qingmiao while they were together. One stayed inside and one outside, having nothing to do with each other. When Yin Hanjiang wasn’t paying attention, Wenren È would use the elixir furnace to block Yin Hanjiang’s sight as he read his two books.

When he read, he blocked Baili Qingmiao’s consciousness so that she

wouldn’t be able to see the book’s contents, in order to prevent the readers from knowing that one of the characters they were reading was aware they were in a book.

The comments of God of Annihilation were united in flaming the author. No one could’ve imagined that Baili Qingmiao, who’d always been considered part of Hè Wenzhao’s harem, would’ve been stolen by his sworn brother. A lot of readers quit, disgusted by this NTR storyline, while many stayed,

saying since they didn’t have to pay for the revision, they might as well read until the end and see what else this story could abuse the main

character with.

The Abusive Romance readers were seeing through Baili Qingmiao’s point of view and knew that Yao Jiaping was Yin Hanjiang in disguise, and

Wenren È was controlling Baili Qingmiao’s body. The protagonist herself knew everything that happened, but couldn’t interfere. Everything happening at Shangqing Sect was shown to the readers, and the comment section was on fire.

[Aaaaah! Now that Baili Qingmiao’s switched to the Path of Indifference, the author has changed the story’s category to no romance. After following this romance story for so long, it’s become a story about a female protagonist defying the heavens. I should complain, but how come it feels so refreshing?]

[It really is refreshing, the protagonist hasn’t been mistreated once in the revision. Every time the female villains or the male lead want to bully her, she’s been rescued by her violent sisters or handsome brothers.]

[“Violent sister”, what a good term. It fits a certain person perfectly.] [You can say her name aloud. Elder Qingxue, my favorite Protector Qiu

Congxue! An independent, unique woman who views physical beauty like dirt and wants nothing other than to become a skeleton. From the moment the protagonist saved Qiu Congxue in the war instead of the Demon Lord, the story’s been completely different.]

[Right, when Hè Wenzhao was injured, Qiu Congxue stopped the protagonist from sacrificing herself for him. When Hè Wenzhao slept with Liu Xinye, Elder Qingxue planned their wedding. When Hè Wenzhao got married, Qiu Congxue brought the protagonist to Xuanyuan Sect and tied her to Zhongli Qian, then the four of them rampaged across the world for thirty years. How is this an abusive romance? It’s been a comedy throughout!]

[Qiu Congxue did the most work, but coming in second has to be my

Demon Lord. What kind of a brain does he have that can think of using a tracking curse and some heart-linking gu for matchmaking? The Demon Lord doesn’t understand love.]

[Third place is our Qian-Qian! I’m begging you, author, show him some mercy! In Xuanyuan Sect, Shu Yanyan’s indulging in men all day, Qiu

Congxue’s always bullying people and getting bullied, Altar Master Miao is apparently developing a new bug, Altar Master Ruan must be hibernating like a tortoise with how little he appears, and Altar Master Shi spends all day being a boot-licker. Our Qian is the only one who does any work

around here! With so many people in Xuanyuan Sect, don’t you feel guilty assigning everything to the newest Altar Master? Qian is about to lose his hair, think of his hair!]

[Fourth place is Yin Hanjiang, he really managed to change my opinion. Not only has he not turned the protagonist into a lamp, but he shook her awake and helped her enter the Path of Indifference.]

[In the original version, Yin Hanjiang made you feel like you were reading a horror story, but now he seems a bit moe, doesn’t he?]

[It was awesome when he kicked Hè Wenzhao.] [And when he grabbed BLQM’s nape and said ‘I want her’, that was so cool! I think I’ve fallen for the overbearing yandere type.]

[I’ve always thought the best way to deal with a scumbag male was to have all the things he did to the female lead repaid to him, but that would be too pitiful for our little girl. But now, Yin Hanjiang’s given me the satisfaction.

Hè Xisi, do you know how it feels now to watch the person you love be

with someone else? Keep talking about forgiveness and generosity, it’s all a fantasy! There’s no room for a third in a relationship!]

[Well said! Though one question, who’s Hè Xisi?]

[From “If you learn the Dao in the morning, you can die happily in the evening[1]“. Scumbag Hè.]

[If the protagonist wasn’t cultivating the no romance path, I’d almost support her and Yin Hanjiang together, facepalm]

[Stop your dangerous thoughts, remember it’s Wenren È in Baili Qingmiao’s body now—Yin Hanjiang belongs to Wenren È!]

Wenren È ran a finger over those words, “Yin Hanjiang belongs to Wenren È”, and smiled slightly.

Abusive Romance was written from the protagonist’s point of view, but occasionally, when female villains tried to harm her, it would give a bit of an omniscient perspective, letting the readers see what awful things the villains were doing so they could worry.

Upon discovering what Liu Xinye had done, Wenren È was considering how he should strike back, when he heard Yin Hanjiang in the room. “Hey, rag— Baili Qingmiao. Come here.”

Wenren È quickly put away the books and went over, finding him smiling gleefully. He reached out a hand. “Hand me Liu Xinye’s spirit vow. This Lord has a plan.”

 I barely remember how to do footnotes

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.

1. This is the proverb that Wenzhao comes from. It goes, “zhao wen dao, xi si ke yi”. So Wenzhao is “learn morning”, and the reader changed it to “die evening”. The author mentioned this in an author’s note very early on, as well as clarifying the pronunciation was zhao, not chao. I may not translate the author’s notes, but I read all of them. This isn’t really relevant, I’m just puzzled by a certain translator’s choices. ↩

Chapter 70 – Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 70 – Preparations completed

Via the spirit vow, Yin Hanjiang ordered Liu Xinye to see him at midnight, without being discovered by anyone. If she didn’t obey, he would snap the jade talisman the vow was recorded on and damage her soul.

Helpless, Liu Xinye could only sneak out while Hè Wenzhao was drinking to drown his troubles. She entered the elixir-making chamber and stared at Yao Jiaping in shock. “H—how do you have my spirit vow?”

“When I went to Xuanyuan Sect, it was obviously to treat people. Since the Left Protector Qiu Congxue was injured, I treated her and she handed this over as payment,” Yin Hanjiang said carelessly, tossing the jade in his hands. “I typically give two prices for my treatment. First, something important to the patient, and second… well, you’ve probably heard.”

Tearfully, Liu Xinye made to take off her clothes. “Once should be enough, right?”

Yin Hanjiang: ???

Frantically, he lifted a finger and used spiritual energy to stop Liu Xinye’s movements, so she couldn’t keep undressing.

Fortunately, Yao Jiaping’s skin was reliable and didn’t flush or show panic. It felt as if he was wearing a mask, giving Yin Hanjiang a feeling of reassurance. He said steadily, “You think too highly of yourself. I have no interest in you. What I want is the thing most important to you.”

“I won’t let you take my Nascent Soul, soul, or bonded weapon!” Liu Xinye cried. ” …I’m not interested in those either,” Yin Hanjiang said. “I just need you to complete a task.”

As he spoke, Baili Qingmiao wordlessly walked up, holding a transparent talisman in one hand. Wenren È had crafted it using chaos energy. He burned it and dropped the ashes into a cup of water, which he then poured into a jade vase and handed to Liu Xinye.

“Find some way to make Hè Wenzhao drink it,” said Yin Hanjiang.

Liu Xinye was afraid to take it. “W—what are you going to do to Wenzhao?”

“At worse, make him fall back to Foundation Establishment. It’s not like I’m going to kill him. After all, he’s my good ‘brother’.” “Yao Jiaping” said, smiling. “If you don’t agree, I could make you fall to Foundation Establishment instead.”

“I’ll do it!” Liu Xinye grabbed the vase.

“Liu-shijie, weren’t you willing to give up everything for shixiong? You were once willing to destroy your foundation for him, so why are you

choosing this now?” It was Baili Qingmiao herself speaking. She had

already entered the Path of Indifference and when she saw Hè Wenzhao, her heart was unmoved. She had no objection to Yin Hanjiang’s plot to make

Hè Wenzhao take the Sect Master’s place, either. After all, Elder Qingyue had given his life to save Hè Wenzhao and the Sect Master, and Hè

Wenzhao owed the Sect Master a debt for raising and teaching him. As long as Hè Wenzhao was at the right level, then by all reasoning, he ought to be the one to save Qingyue. If Baili Qingmiao was in his place, she would’ve offered too.

She just didn’t understand why Liu-shijie was making the complete opposite of the choice she had once made.

“Heheh, ahahahahaha!” Liu Xinye burst into laughter. Tears flowing from her eyes, she said, “Yes, I love him, I’ve loved him since I was young. I worked hard cultivating to be with him. I wished so much to marry him!” Wrapping her hands around the jade vase, her expression slowly became vicious and her voice harsh. “But him? The night after we married, as he embraced me, do you know whose name he shouted? It was yours, Baili Qingmiao!

“He thinks I’m unaware of what he did with Gongxi Jin while he was traveling. He thinks I didn’t hear how he said to other people that he liked Gongxi Jin’s eyes, because her eyes are a lot like yours.

“We’ve been married for thirty-three years, but has he ever truly looked at me once? Back… back when we cultivated side by side, he would smile at me, and fight with you to defend me, but now? Has he cared once about

what I feel?

“I’ve seen clearly now. The only thing that matters is being strong on your own.”

Her gaze toward Baili Qingmiao was brimming with barely-concealed envy, but Baili Qingmiao didn’t mind anymore.

If she had married her shixiong, she probably would’ve become like this too, blinded by jealousy, unable to think straight, until she became a person she would despise.

She shook her head and sighed softly. “I understand.” With that, she retreated, once again being a puppet for Wenren È and Yin Hanjiang.

Yin Hanjiang used a technique, making the jade talisman transform into a streak of light and enter Liu Xinye’s body. If she completed this task, the spirit vow would dissolve. If she couldn’t, it would destruct her soul and

she would instantly die. Looking at her now, it seemed she had no more will to sacrifice herself for Hè Wenzhao.

After Liu Xinye left, Yin Hanjiang looked at Baili Qingmiao and said, “Who taught you the exchange spell and the treatment for Qingyue?”

Wenren È was back in charge now, and he said steadily, “Zhongli Qian did.” Zhongli Qian was like a brick for the Xuanyuan Sect, which could be moved wherever it was necessary, very convenient. Since he knew a little of everything, he had a lot of medicinal knowledge, though not as much as

Yao Jiaping. He was the one who had treated Qiu Congxue, and come up with the idea to let Altar Master Shi use his sickness qi on Baili Qingmiao. After knowing him for so many years, it wouldn’t be strange if Baili

Qingmiao had learned some things from him.

Yin Hanjiang stared at Baili Qingmiao. Putting on a glove, he grabbed her chin and examined her from all angles. He shook his head. “If it weren’t for how you acted with Liu Xinye just now, I would’ve thought…”

He didn’t continue, just shooed Baili Qingmiao back to her elixirs. After returning to his room, he thought, It’s been just three days and I can’t think straight. I miss my Venerable so much I thought Baili Qingmiao was him. How ridiculous.

Yin Hanjiang turned his head to look at an illusion sitting in a chair next to him. He stared for a while, thinking about how his Venerable would use the soul communion technique to treat him when he returned. He looked forward to it, but he was also afraid, worried he would spit blood again upon seeing him, and cause him further worry.

After he let his thoughts wander for a bit, his emotions became unsteady. He quickly recited the Clear Mind Spell again, so he wouldn’t reveal any weakness at Shangqing Sect.

As the time for the second soul communion hadn’t come yet, Wenren È couldn’t meet Yin Hanjiang face-to-face, so he could only borrow Baili Qingmiao’s eyes to watch and worry from afar.

After two more days, the elixirs were ready. Wenren È retrieved them, placed them on a tray, and followed Yin Hanjiang out of the room.

Having heard that the medicines were ready, the Sect Master was waiting outside with a crowd of disciples. After exiting the door, Yin Hanjiang glanced at Liu Xinye, who stood in a corner. She nodded slightly. Last night, she had talked to Hè Wenzhao softly, accompanying him in drinking and acting especially warm and considerate. Hè Wenzhao didn’t particularly like Liu Xinye, but couldn’t resist such tender care and shared a few cups of wine with her, spending a warm night together. He readily gulped down the water that Liu Xinye poured him.

The water had been suffused with chaos energy. It was invisible and traceless, but overnight, it caused Hè Wenzhao to break through to Mahayana.

Yin Hanjiang already knew this from the spirit vow. Everything was prepared. They only needed the last step.

After only walking a few steps with Baili Qingmiao, he heard several of the disciples transmitting gossip about her, saying who knew what Baili

Qingmiao and Yao Jiaping could’ve been doing together in these days they’d spent alone, as well as how she could’ve won the favor of Wenren È, Zhongli Qian, and Yin Hanjiang, in order to rise in cultivation so fast.

Yin Hanjiang was at a much higher realm, so he could hear the transmissions of anyone Body Unity or under. He wanted to ignore it, but when he heard his Venerable getting dragged in, he was instantly furious. He appeared before a few of the gossiping disciples. A cold light flashed with a wave of his hand, and several tongues fell to the ground.

“Aaaaaaaaah!” Whether or not they were hurt, all the Shangqing Sect disciples began screaming.

“Shut up,” Yin Hanjiang snapped.

Everyone instantly covered their mouths, not letting out a peep. With a troubled look on his face, the Sect Master said, “Sir Yao, what are you…”

“If they can’t talk properly, they shouldn’t speak.” Yin Hanjiang gave

several of the disciples a frosty look. “Do I need to repeat what you were saying?”

Several of the disciples, with blood pouring out of their mouths, shook their heads frantically. Looking at them, the Sect Master understood that they had spoken carelessly and offended “Sir Yao”. Unfortunately, their cultivations were low and the man overheard them.

Yao Jiaping’s actions were cruel, but it was still Shangqing Sect in the wrong. The Sect Master called out quietly, “Those who have spoken

nonsense should be slapped a hundred times, and have their mouths sealed for ten years.”

Several of the disciples nodded and were about to pick up their tongues so the medicinal hall disciples could reattach them, when Yao Jiaping said,

“Hold on.”

Yin Hanjiang glanced at Baili Qingmiao, looking cheerful. “Pick them up,” he said. “They’re yours.”

Wenren È: …

He managed to say, “Thank you, Sir Yao, but… Baili doesn’t need them.”

“How could you not need them?” Yin Hanjiang said, smiling beneath his skin. “They were gossiping about you. You should take these tongues and dry them, then hang them around your neck, so you can always see it and remind yourself to not tolerate rumors in the future, isn’t that right?

“Now hurry up!”

His last command made everyone shudder. Wenren È sighed lightly and, taking out a handkerchief, confidently picked up the tongues. “Thanks to Sir Yao for his guidance,” he said.

“Do you always treat my shimei like this?” Hè Wenzhao shouted, his eyes burning.

“What if I do?” Yin Hanjiang glanced at Hè Wenzhao out of the corners of his eyes. “Isn’t that better than you, clearly knowing she’s being insulted yet doing nothing about it?”

Without giving Hè Wenzhao a chance to explain, he turned to the Sect

Master. “The elixirs are yours. Eight hours after he takes them, the transfer can start. I’ll take that time to put up the array. Besides the transferer, there should also be a high-level cultivator standing guard outside, preferably one with a lightning spiritual root.”

He was nominating Hè Wenzhao for the position. Hè Wenzhao was also someone who had been saved by Qingyue, so it was proper that he guard the array.

As they set up the array, the Blood Demon suddenly spoke up in Hè

Wenzhao’s mind. “Strange, Yao Jiaping never mentioned anyone standing guard in the beginning, so how come he wants one now?”

“He’ll be standing outside the door with my shimei at the same time,” Hè Wenzhao said, fuming. “He wants to humiliate me by making me watch while she suffers!”

“Hmm. Since he’s at Shangqing Sect, he can’t start anything big. But, was this Yao Jiaping always so… extreme?”

Hè Wenzhao thought back to when he was a test subject. He hadn’t minded much back then, but looking back on it now, he shuddered. “He’s normally like this. Master, do you remember how he treated me as a test subject?”

“True,” the Blood Demon sighed. “I just thought he was an idiot back then, but now that I look at him, he has the makings of a good demonic

cultivator.”

“What did you say, master?”

“Nothing. The array is complete, so why don’t you go over?” The Blood Demon sank back into his mind.

For some reason, the Blood Demon felt especially tired today, wanting nothing more than to seclude himself and rest.

Hè Wenzhao stood at the spot Yin Hanjiang appointed. Seeing Baili

Qingmiao walk by, he reached out and grabbed for her wrist. “Shimei…” Baili Qingmiao avoided his hand with a flap of her sleeve. “Shixiong, men and women should not be close.”

He’d picked that up from Yin Hanjiang. He even needed a glove to touch Baili Qingmiao—who knew what he had learned from Shu Yanyan?

Thank you for reading. If there are any mistakes, I hope my fellow cultivators will offer guidance.

Please support the original author over on jjwxc.