Chapter 19: Paying Attention

December 23rd, 2022

After a round of scolding, the middle-aged cultivator still felt like he hadn’t let off enough steam and was just about to continue upbraiding this clueless junior when he suddenly met Xie Huai’s cool and clear black eyes. He subconsciously shivered, as if a chill had spread through him from the soles of his feet, and his voice suddenly became weaker as he turned around, cursing, “Really, speaking nonsense when you don’t understand anything……”

Xie Huai blandly retrieved his gaze. He took a look at Fang Li, then the corner of his lips hooked up, and he laughed breezily.

Forget it, what was he bickering with these people about?

Instead, it was Fang Li who faced these rumors like they were as ordinary as three meals a day, evidently long accustomed to it. The malicious rumors that Xie Huai had suffered were no more than a thousandth of his.

The masses ignorantly repeated whatever was said, but Xie Huai had always considered himself someone with understanding…… But before arriving at Hollow Ridge, he still hadn’t been able to completely rise above convention, and he had almost made the mistake of falling to prejudice.

Thankfully, it wasn’t too late to start over in understanding this person.

It was impossible to erase the blood on his hands, but exactly what kind of person he was shouldn’t be left to others to decide.

After this interruption, everyone’s discussion also came to an end, and more than a few people had already come to a decision.

The voices in the great hall, some loud and resonant, some lively and clear, some soft and tender, began to ring out.

“Eliminating harm for the people is the right thing to do. Our Verdant Forest Grotto will go on this trip.”

“Our Flying Blossoms Valley will naturally also go take a look.”

“This old Ding has always followed Night Sky Palace wherever they go.”

“We will leave everything to Sect Master Shan to arrange.”

Shan Qingyang watched everyone’s attitudes take a turn one by one and stroked his beard, smiling. “With everyone working in concert, we are sure to capture that ferocious beast and eliminate this danger for the people.”

After Shang Qingyang struck the ending chord, some Night Sky Palace disciples soon entered, guiding everyone to where they would be staying until the appointed time tomorrow morning to set out for Mt. Wanxun.

Fang Li’s group of three followed the crowd to Night Sky Palace’s guest courtyard.

The Night Sky Palace disciples arranged everyone’s lodgings according to their roster. Heavy Snow Sect was a little sect of the lowest tier, and they had to wait until all the other sects had been settled before it was their turn.

“Qiu Tian, Qiu Fu, Qiu Shou?” The Night Sky Palace disciple looked at the roster.

Wu Yimei nodded with a smile. “That’s correct.”

The Night Sky Palace disciple looked at the three of them and said with a bit of embarrassment, “There are only two guest rooms left.”

Wu Yimei said, “No harm, it’s only one night. We can just squeeze together a bit.”

The Night Sky Palace disciple said, “Alright,” then simply left.

As a cultivator, sharing a room wasn’t a big deal. Some people didn’t sleep and just passed the whole night meditating.

After that Night Sky Palace disciple left, Wu Yimei’s expression changed, and he said to Fang Li deferentially, “Your Excellency, why don’t you sleep in one room, and this subordinate will stay in a room with Yuyi-jun?”

Xie Huai looked at Wu Yimei coolly.

Fang Li almost let his agreement slip out of his mouth, but then his gaze circled between Xie Huai and Wu Yimei, and he couldn’t help but hesitate.

As a qualified subordinate, it was beyond normal for Wu Yimei to volunteer to guard the prisoner in order to let his master sleep more comfortably……

If any other subordinate had said this, Fang Li would immediately allow it, but the problem was that this subordinate was Wu Yimei, the Wu Yimei who was constantly at odds with Xie Huai and wanted to kill him every day in the book.

Letting Wu Yimei and Xie Huai stay in the same room…… Fang Li was very afraid that after getting up the next morning, one of the two would be dead.

Besides, as the tyrannical demon lord, how could he let his person sleep in the same room as someone else? He could only step up to the plate himself after all.

Fang Li sighed mournfully, “No need, this lord will stay with him.”

Xie Huai’s lips quirked imperceptibly, then turned as if the matter had nothing to do with him, leaving only his back to Wu Yimei.

Wu Yimei retrieved his cold, gloomy gaze from Xie Huai’s back and pressed down the unwillingness in his expression, saying to Fang Li respectfully, “This subordinate will be next door. If anything comes up, Your Excellency only needs to say the word.”

Fang Li nodded. He was also a little sleepy, so he turned and entered the room.

Night Sky Palace’s guest rooms weren’t bad, but they weren’t great, either. The room only had one bed, one desk, and two chairs.

Fang Li retrieved his gaze from the bed and smiled faintly, inviting Xie Huai, “It’s already late, how about Yuyi-jun and this lord go straight to bed together?”

He couldn’t possibly go sit on the chair; he definitely wouldn’t get a good night’s rest. But as Xie Huai’s admirer, it wasn’t too suitable to chase Xie Huai away to the chair, was it? Thus, Fang Li magnanimously invited Xie Huai to sleep with him—anyways, Xie Huai wouldn’t agree.

Xie Huai wasn’t willing to approach him from the start, and after going through the matter with the love parasite, forget sitting on a chair for a night; Xie Huai, a cultivator forged through bitter hardship, would sit on icy blades for a night before sleeping with a devil like him.

Fang Li yawned languidly, the corners of his eyes a bit damp, and headed directly for the bed, preparing to occupy the entire bed without a shred of guilt…… when he suddenly heard a voice. Suspecting that he’d hallucinated it, he turned his head in bewilderment.

Xie Huai quirked his lips. His tone bland and his expression tranquil, seeing Fang Li hadn’t heard him clearly, he repeated, “Alright.”

Fang Li, “……”

Fang Li suddenly regretted not agreeing to Wu Yimei’s suggestion. Maybe they could get along in harmony, and he was the one overthinking things? Compared to his residential palace, this guest room was much more simple and crude, and even the bed was incredibly narrow. Having two full grown men lie there would truly be a little cramped……

Being cramped wasn’t a huge issue, he could just treat it as sleeping with a good friend, but the problem was…… Why had Xie Huai agreed so straightforwardly? When abnormalities arose, there had to be something afoot. It couldn’t be that he wanted to take the opportunity to kill him……?

To finish the job that he hadn’t been able to last time?

The candlelight inside the room flickered, and the lights and shadows danced alongside the candlelight, dimming and brightening. Xie Huai’s gaze fell on Fang Li’s face, and seeing his appearance of being caught off-guard, his expression darkened slightly. Even under those “special circumstances,” this person would still flee in a panic…… Exactly who was the one who would be scared?

He clearly couldn’t be more inexperienced, and he was painfully shy when it came to that matter and didn’t dare touch Xie Huai at all, yet he insisted on feigning a voracious appearance…… Not even Xie Huai himself realized that there was a trace of laughter in his eyes. He asked casually, “Wasn’t Your Excellency going to rest?”

Fang Li ground his teeth.

Xie Huai had already gotten in bed without any courtesy. He was the one who had invited him first, so there was no room for retreat now.

After half a day, Fang Li gave a dry laugh and said, “That’s right……”

Saying that, he went straight to Xie Huai’s side and lay down.

Who was afraid of who?

Oh, what a hard and cramped bed. Fang Li frowned and closed his eyes.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t slept with Xie Huai when they were at the demonic palace, but the bed in the palace was large enough to sleep four or five people, so they could easily each keep to themselves. But here……

Even though Fang Li was basically hugging the edge, the other side of his body was still pressed snugly against Xie Huai’s. Even through several layers of clothing, the other’s scorching hot body temperature dimly seeped through……

This person’s body was always blazing hot, like a roiling flood of endless vitality. Only when approaching or coming into contact with him…… would you realize that under this person’s cool and clear outer skin, was an aura of intense invasiveness akin to magma.

Fang Li was a little scared of the cold. This body of his was like the dying flame of a candle and didn’t have much warmth…… but he didn’t dare to get too close to Xie Huai. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, but that it felt dangerous. Like a person about to freeze to death, he longed for warmth, but if you put him on top of a fire to roast or inside boiling water to stew, he might die even faster.

That wasn’t something he should touch.

At some point, the candlelight went out.

In the darkness, Xie Huai opened his eyes.

The person beside him was completely still, and his breathing was slow and even. He seemed to be deep asleep, but Xie Huai could clearly feel the slight tension in his body. He was still awake…… The corner of Xie Huai’s lips couldn’t help but lift, but immediately, his expression sank. This wasn’t his first time getting close to this person, but every time, this person was always freezing cold, cold like a corpse.

But looking at their exchanges on the battlefield, Yan Sui’s moves didn’t have any aura of ice or chill, so it shouldn’t be caused by his demonic cultivation. Then why was he this cold?

………………………………………

The sky had just a hint of light when a clamor arose from outside. Fang Li pushed the door open listlessly and saw Wu Yimei waiting just outside.

Wu Yimei’s gaze swept past Fang Li’s face, and his brow furrowed with concern. “Your Excellency didn’t rest well last night?”

Fang Li had faint dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t remember when he’d fallen asleep either, but in short, it had been quite late; it felt like he’d just closed his eyes when the sky began to brighten. Anyway, he didn’t really want to answer this question, so he said, “Is it time to prepare to leave?”

Wu Yimei saw that Fang Li didn’t want to say any more and nodded. “It is.”

Fang Li said, “Then let’s go.”

Mt. Wanxun was a ways away from here, and the skill levels of the cultivators here were all over the place. Other than a few Nascent Soul cultivators from the Night Sky Palace, it seemed like the most of the other sects had were Golden Core, and the majority of the cultivators were Qi Refining or Foundation Building…… Plenty of them didn’t know how to ride swords, so they periodically stopped and rested as they walked.

In the original book, Yan Sui had taken Xie Huai on a trip away from the ridge toward Helan province’s Cinnabar Gate sect. They had taken a tour of the scenery for over a month, but if they had flown there directly with a flying spiritual device, it wouldn’t have taken more than a day’s worth of time, so it was clear that they’d taken their time on this trip.

The book hadn’t actually described in detail exactly what they’d done on this trip, so Fang Li thought that admiring the landscape while stopping and resting like this wasn’t too bad.

The three of them fell to the rear of the procession.

Fang Li unobtrusively snuck a glance at Xie Huai. Xie Huai sure seemed relaxed and full of energy. Fang Li found this a little hard to swallow; clearly, he was the one doing the seizing and plundering, so how come the one who couldn’t sleep was himself?

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Fang Li cleared his throat. Raising an eyebrow, he suddenly said, “Don’t you want to know what this lord plans to do by following them?”

As a renowned righteous cultivator, even if you don’t care about yourself, surely you should care about these hundreds of cultivators’ lives?

Xie Huai turned his eyes to look at him and said blandly, “What does Your Excellency want to do?”

Fang Li revealed a cold sneer, saying the lines he’d thought up way in advance. “They’re all saying that the demonic beast’s rampage was caused by this lord. If this lord really doesn’t do anything, wouldn’t that be carrying this infamy for nothing?”

After he was done talking, he looked at Xie Huai with a little bit of anticipation, wanting to see how Xie Huai would decide to deal with him. Look, I’m about to start burning and killing, aren’t you scared that Mt. Wanxun is going to flow with rivers of blood? But if you’re willing to plead for their lives, this lord is willing to stay the execution blade……

Xie Huai said, “Oh.”

Fang Li, “?”

Xie Huai looked at Fang Li’s slightly blank eyes, and as if fearing that he hadn’t understood, considerately added a sentence, “Your Excellency’s words have merit.”

Fang Li, “……”

Forget it, forget it, he was the one indulging in wild fantasies. Xie Huai was just the kind of person who listened to neither force nor persuasion. It wasn’t like Yan Sui hadn’t done similar things in the book, like threatening Xie Huai with other people’s lives, but Xie Huai had never given in. On the contrary, it was Yan Sui who had admitted defeat time after time……

Even Yan Sui didn’t have any way of handling Xie Huai. Fang Li didn’t think he could do any better, so his heart immediately became tranquil……

Fang Li turned his head resentfully, then suddenly heard an indifferent voice from behind say, “But these people’s crimes aren’t severe enough for death. I hope that Your Excellency can show some mercy.”

Fang Li turned his head in astonishment.

Xie Huai had actually given in?!

This, this was pleading for their lives, right……?

After half a day, Fang Li snapped out of his daze. He raised a fist to his lips, his eyes swaying, and coughed lightly. “Since Yuyi-jun has even pleaded for their lives, it’s not like this lord can’t reconsider……”

Saying that, he took a few hurried steps forward, leaving Xie Huai behind him.

He had to calm down a bit.

Xie Huai watched Fang Li’s back as he left in a rush, and an almost indiscernible hint of a smile appeared in his eyes. He clearly wasn’t planning to do anything, but he liked nothing more than to flaunt his sharp tongue…… Do you know what a real threat sounds like?

Fang Li looked calm and unhurried, but in truth, he was anything but. He didn’t look back for the entire journey.

He couldn’t quite fathom Xie Huai’s attitude anymore. Although it seemed like Fang Li had won this round, he felt an inexplicable unease in his heart. Xie Huai seemed to be a little different from before, but exactly what was different, Fang Li couldn’t say.

Because of the load on his mind, Fang Li’s attention wandered a bit.

Although Wu Yimei was in front, he’d heard everything that had happened, and even Fang Li’s absent-mindedness didn’t escape his notice…… His eyes darkened, jealousy and unease in his heart.

That Xie Huai had only given him one soft sentence, and His Excellency had been dazed to this extent. If he showed him a bit more color, could His Excellency keep ahold of himself?

Wu Yimei clenched his fist.

Things couldn’t go on like this……

They walked for about three days’ worth of time and finally arrived at the foot of Mt. Wanxun.

Other than the Night Sky Palace elders and disciples, the other sects included a few Golden Core cultivators. Their cultivation level could be considered pretty decent, and they were fairly well-known in this group of people.

One was the Crimson Sunrise School’s Ding Qian, who was that silver-tongued expert in social settings. There was no one and nothing around here that he didn’t know about, and he could strike up a conversation with anyone.

One was Flying Blossom Valley’s Ji Fangfang, the one who had raised a question back at Night Sky Palace. Although she was a young woman in the prime of her youth, she was already a Golden Core cultivator. Her talent was indeed pretty good, so everyone treated her a few degrees more courteously.

That skinny and frail Xiong Wei from Verdant Forest Grotto was actually a Golden Core cultivator proficient in divination. Aside from that, the two sect brothers from the Great Whale Chamber were also experts of some renown in this area.

As everyone was discussing how to proceed next, the head disciple of Night Sky Palace, Xue Qingyuan, stood forward, expressing that it was already getting late today, and asked everyone to rest a night at the foot of the mountain and to go up the mountain together tomorrow to search for and capture the ferocious beast.

Everyone took a seat on the ground, and thinking about how they were just about to climb up the mountain tomorrow, they started chatting here and there.

Ding Qian picked up his wine flask and seemed a little uneasy as he said, “If it really is the Cloud Swallowing Beast, why is it being aggressive and harming so many people? I’m afraid this matter isn’t simple. Who knows, maybe it really does have something to do with Hollow Ridge. Everyone must be sure not to drop their guard.”

Although Ding Qian brought up Hollow Ridge again, and everyone voiced their discontent toward Hollow Ridge, Xining County was a good ways away from Hollow Ridge. In their hearts, nobody really thought that that devil would come to such an unassuming little place. Even if he was going to start fighting or slaughtering, it should be with those famous folks in the five great sects. Although that was the case…… it didn’t prevent them from criticizing that devil together.

“Brother Ding, you’re right, I also think this matter isn’t simple. Our group will move carefully,” someone said in agreement.

“Even if it really is one of Hollow Ridge’s schemes, we can’t cower, or what will the common people do?” Someone said passionately.

“That’s right, if it really does have to do with that devil, then all the more reason that we can’t leave it alone!”

Hearing them, Fang Li couldn’t help but feel a bit touched. Truly, what a crowd of righteous heroes! Thus, he spoke up. “It’s said that every part of the Cloud Swallowing Beast is a treasure hard to come by in a thousand years. Especially its core, which can help pass through tribulations. I wonder if it really is so miraculous?”

Everyone, “……”

The scene became awkward for a while, but Fang Li suddenly seemed completely unaware and looked around curiously at everyone.

No one responded for half a day, so in the end, Ding Qian stepped up to mediate.

Ding Qian coughed lightly, “Those are just legends, they should be taken with a grain of salt. Besides, it’s impossible to confirm right now whether it really is a Cloud Swallowing Beast.”

Very quickly, someone echoed, “Right, right, we still don’t know if it is a Cloud Swallowing Beast. As I see it, only a demonic beast released by that devil would be this cruel and bloodthirsty.”

“If we weren’t worried that that demonic beast would slaughter the common folk, we wouldn’t have gone through such pains to rush here.”

“As righteous cultivators, eliminating danger for the people is what we’re supposed to do.”

Fang Li blinked and nodded. “I understand, but what if it really is a Cloud Swallowing Beast……? The Cloud Swallowing Beast only has one core, so what should we do?”

Fang “Conversation Killer” Li finished speaking and looked at everyone innocently, waiting for an answer.

Everyone, “……”

Why was this kid so brash that he couldn’t read the room!

The scene fell into dead silence again for a long time.

Everyone’s expression was extremely unsightly, but this question……

Ding Qian seemed unable to look on any longer and sighed helplessly. He patted Fang Li on the shoulder and advised in the voice of a concerned older brother, “What need is there for us to worry about this kind of thing? Night Sky Palace’s Sect Master Shan is here. No matter what the outcome is, things will naturally be divided fairly.”

But Fang Li seemed to not have too much faith in the Night Sky Palace and said hesitantly, “Brother Ding is correct, but those are all the Night Sky Palace’s one-sided claims. I’m only afraid that after coming so far, if we don’t get anything out of it in the end, wouldn’t we have worked so hard to make someone else a free lunch?”

That wasn’t something a righteous cultivator should say! Even if you’re thinking it in your heart, how could you say it out loud with such a dignified attitude?!

Ding Qian lectured with a stiff face, “As a righteous cultivator, protecting the people is one’s duty. How can we bicker over gains and losses in such a petty manner?”

Fang Li revealed an ashamed expression and finally stopped talking.

Ding Qian let out a breath of relief. His expression fluctuated for a moment, and as if recalling something, he hurriedly got up and left.

After going through such a tangent, no one was able to keep chatting, and they scattered one by one. The ones who were meditating closed their eyes and meditated, and the ones who were sleeping lay down and slept, all of them unconsciously keeping their distance from Fang Li in fear that he would speak up again.

Fang Li lowered his eyes and restrained his smile, the corners of his lips hooking up as he reclined lazily against a tree.

Xie Huai suddenly said impassively, “The first to bring up Hollow Ridge was Ding Qian.”

Fang Li narrowed his eyes and said leisurely, “It was.”

………………………

The next day, when the sky was just barely brightened, everyone got up. As the organizers, Night Sky Palace arranged all of the cultivators into ten or so teams, each guided by two Night Sky Palace disciples, and went up the mountain separately.

In Fang Li’s team, other than the two Night Sky Palace disciples guiding them, it was Flying Blossom Valley’s Ji Fangfang who had the highest cultivation, so she took the lead.

The reason why Mt. Wanxun was suitable for hiding was because it had a multitude of caves, and the path was rugged and steep; normally, not even hunters liked to come here. Every time they passed an area, they would leave a hidden mark so that if others saw it, they would know that this place had already been searched. If the Cloud Swallowing Beast came by, they would activate a signal as soon as they encountered it so that everyone could come to capture it.

But several days passed, and there were still no signs at all. Just as everyone was gradually becoming impatient, a Night Sky Palace disciple said excitedly, “Traces of blood!”

The ferocious beast had been trapped on Mt. Wanxun with no way to leave to hunt for food. Who knows, maybe it would strike out at the other animals on the mountain. These traces of blood were a rare discovery!

Hearing that, everyone immediately became energized and softened their footsteps as they proceeded. The Cloud Swallowing Beast was comparable to a Soul Formation cultivator, and they weren’t its match. As soon as they discovered any traces, they were to send out the signal to ask Sect Leader Shan Qingyang to come over to help defeat it.

The traces of blood weren’t obvious, sometimes present and sometimes not, gradually becoming more and more sparse……  They followed the direction of the traces of blood and arrived at a sunken mountain ravine.

Ji Fangfang walked at the very front, and she bent down to break off a branch in front of her. A piece of cloth hung off the branch, and the cloth was soaked with blood…… Everything felt that something was off. It couldn’t be that this was a cultivator’s blood? Someone had already met with danger?

The crowd increased their pace, looking into the ravine, and their expressions suddenly changed dramatically.

A warped and twisted corpse was crammed inside the crevices of the rock. Only half of the corpse remained, but one could still vaguely make out that it was Crimson Sunrise School’s Ding Qian!

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