Chapter 45 – Every Day the Protagonist Wants to Capture Me

Previous Chapter      Table of Contents      Next Chapter

Chapter 45 – Searching for a Free Reed Pipe While Fearing Filth

There was indeed a secret realm with a true spiritual medicine that could help someone breakthrough. It was just that……even the Chu family, who had secretly spread the information, hadn’t managed to get a clear understanding of it. It was unknown what the actual situation would be like.

Chu Yu, on the other hand, was confident in his ability to find it: as the original novel had mentioned this place before.

Many thanks to the original novel, many thanks to the Great God of Plotlines, many thanks to the side plot for not disappearing despite the fact that he had changed the story.

Actually, there wasn’t any great need for him to take action today.

A person’s greed was an extremely frightening thing.

Xie Xi returned. When he then saw Chu Yu suddenly showing a faint smile, he unconsciously recalled the smile on Chu Yu’s face during the first time he flew on his sword and the later trouble he had stirred. After being silent for a moment, he softly asked: “Shixiong, what are you smiling about?”

Chu Yu lightly coughed and stopped smiling. He softly patted Xie Xi on the head: “I just thought of something interesting.”

Xie Xi refused to let him off as he asked: “What kind of interesting thing?”

Chu Yu saw that he looked like he wasn’t going to give up until he got to the bottom of this matter. After pondering for a moment, a mischievous urge suddenly arose in him. His eyes twinkled with mirth: “I don’t know whether or not Shidi still remembers, on a certain year, on a certain month, on a certain night, at a certain place, the matter of the five young ladies……”

This time it was Xie Xi’s turn to scowl.

The next moment Xie Xi’s complexion changed as he pressed his lips together and his eyes darkened. He turned his head around and refused to look at Chu Yu.

Chu Yu was overjoyed. He suppressed his glee as he tried hard to sound deeply hurt: “You’re angry? You’re ignoring Shixiong now?”

Despite feeling depressed, the moment Xie Xi heard those words he turned his head around. Seeing Chu Yu’s teasing smile, he felt somewhat helpless: “Shidi merely……couldn’t imagine that Shixiong would do that……I was a little excited and was unable to control myself.”

Chu Yu continued to be overjoyed. Remembering Xie Xi’s dark history, he leisurely flew on his sword at the very front.

He how long has it been since he had last felt this happy? But before long his sword suddenly sunk. Something then tightened around his waist and his body was pulled back and practically embedded into the embrace of another body. Chu Yu was stunned as he turned his head around: “What are you doing?”

Xie Xi had put Duan Xue away and was now standing behind Chu Yu with both arms wrapped around his waist. Seeing him turn his head around, Xie Xi rapidly gave him a kiss. His smile was genuine and clear. Not a trace of any impurity could be detected from it: “I’ve killed too many demonic cultivators and used up too much of my spiritual power. I feel tired so I’m not very stable when I am flying on my sword. It couldn’t be that Shixiong wishes to see Shidi fall down could it?”

Chu Yu shot a tilted glance at him and didn’t respond.

He was the great protagonist who was at the peak of the Core Formation stage and who could easily slaughter demonic cultivators. Just who was he trying to fool with this bulls***?

The people at the back were once again dumbfounded: Although the feelings between fellow disciples are deep, this was just too much right……?

The intelligent ones had already realized the truth.

In the world of cultivation, this type of thing wasn’t actually something that was looked down upon. It was just that when on one side was the Chu family’s Second Lord and the other side was a young genius sword cultivator whose reputation was spreading far and wide, not to mention they were also Shixiong and Shidi, it caused people’s imaginations to run a bit wild.

However, no one dared to court death by opening their mouth and commenting on them.

The region south of Qing Tu was bleak and desolate and seemed to have closely avoided becoming a battlefield for the Great Righteous and Demonic Cultivator War. Previously when the Chu family had investigated this place, they had quickly been able to find the secret realm.

Although a lot of people had come here today, most of them were only responsible for guarding the secret realm from outside and waiting. The only ones who were entering the secret realm were each of Tian Yuan Sect peak’s personal disciples plus Xie Xi.

Since Song Yuanzhuo’s injury made it inconvenient for him to move around much, the one who came up with the plan was an elder from another peak. It was likely that because he wasn’t very fond of Song Jingyi that he let Xie Xi lead the team. Xie Xi’s cultivation was the strongest and he had been quite taciturn these past few years. His grim and agile image had already been clearly ingrained in the minds of the disciples of each peak. Therefore, none of the peaks’ disciples had dared to voice a complaint about this.

With the exception of Song Jingyi who was sharpening his sword and grinding his teeth.

It was likely that in these past few years he had been relying too much upon Song Yuanzhuo to help him obtain a commanding position. After being suddenly dismissed from that position and becoming a commoner, he was now a bit unaccustomed to it. They had just reached the entrance to the secret realm when it seemed that Song Jingyi could no longer restrain himself from opening his mouth and giving an order: “Xie Shidi take the lead, Chu Shidi bring up the rear.”

Chu Yu raised an eyebrow and coldly said: “Song Shixiong seems to have made a mistake somewhere?”

He looked towards Xie Xi with the intent to remind him to intimidate Song Jingyi so that, he wouldn’t try anything for the time being. It wasn’t until he turned his head that he discovered that the slight smile that had originally been present on Xie Xi’s face had already completely disappeared. The look on his face was now extremely ugly and his eyes were ice-cold like he was about to kill someone.

Duan Xue had also responded to him and with a whoosh, it had moved three inches out of its sheath.

……This response wasn’t it a bit too much?

Chu Yu had yet to fully understand what was going on with the child when Song Jingyi suddenly looked as if he had realized something. He was clearly smiling with a gentle and refined appearance and yet signs of ridicule could be seen from the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I said the wrong thing by accident. I shouldn’t make Chu Shidi bring up the rear.” As he leisurely said these words Chu Yu immediately understood what was going on. His complexion sank as he heard Song Jingyi continue to say: “Have I caused Xie Shidi to recall the Mausoleum Ruins matter? Don’t grieve, hasn’t Chu Shidi already returned……”

He couldn’t continue his words.

Chu Yu had his hand pressed down on the hand Xie Xi was using to pull his sword out as he shot a comforting smile towards him.

The disciples beside them who had been watching hurriedly said: “Chu Shixiong, Chu Shixiong calm down! You absolutely cannot do this!”

Xun Sheng was steadily pressed up against Song Jingyi’s neck. The tip of the sword contained a frosty chill and cold light clearly shone from it.

Having a sword pressed up against his throat first by the elder brother and then by the younger brother of one family within the span of a few days, Song Jingyi’s complexion was also ugly. His fingers hidden under the long sleeves of his clothes curled up and formed into tight fists. He coldly opened his mouth to say: “Chu Yu, don’t push me too far! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re someone from the Chu family?!”

Chu Yu turned his head back around and looked at him with an expressionless face.

Obviously, Chu Yu clearly wasn’t showing any expression yet Song Jingyi could see the freezing-cold scorn in his eyes. All of the emotions and resentment that he had accumulated in the depths of his heart immediately surged forth.

Blue veins suddenly appeared on Song Jingyi’s forehead and his eyes seemed to carry traces of blood. He gave a low roar: “So what if you’re the son of the Chu family’s first wife? Do you really believe that you’re that much more noble and grand than the rest of us? If you’re so capable then why don’t you use your sword to kill me?!”

What was wrong with Song Jingyi? He suddenly exploded into a rage out of nowhere.

Chu Yu was somewhat baffled by this. After staring at him for a moment, he calmly withdrew his sword and indifferently said: “Xun Sheng’s unable to endure getting dirty.”

After he finished speaking he nodded his head at Song Jingyi with his hands behind his back. He then grabbed Xie Xi and walked until they were in front of the rest of the disciples. After telling Xie Xi something in a low tone of voice they both entered the secret realm first.

Song Jingyi’s facial features were a bit distorted.

The remaining disciples followed after them and advanced forward to enter the secret realm one after the other. There were a few who, after cowering for a while, moved closer to Song Jingyi and quietly said: “Song Shixiong, you shouldn’t argue with someone like Chu Yu.”

“He and his Shidi have mingled to the point that they’re a couple now. For the sake of protecting his Shidi, he’s considered to have become deranged.”

“Shixiong needs to be more careful. That Xie Xi kills people without so much as batting an eye and his vicious and merciless nature is almost on the same level as a demonic cultivator’s. Chu Yu is unlikely to be a good person either.”

These people were the ones who would usually gather together to flatter and praise Song Jingyi and Song Jingyi had always liked to listen to them. Today, however, his complexion only got worse and worse. When he heard the words of the last one he gave a cold humph and then strode through the entrance to the secret realm.

There are many secret realms in this world that are independent like the Mausoleum Ruins. It is said that they are all shattered spaces that were left behind by the great war between the ancient cultivators in the past. It was very dangerous in some of the secret realms. You could circle around the entire space and still fail to find anything worth obtaining. There were also some realms where you could find a rare treasure just by going inside and having a look around.

Due to the difference in the degree of damage each secret realm had received, there was also a difference in the cultivation level of the people entering that each of them could endure.

Chu Yu was repeatedly thinking over all of the plot details from the original novel that were related to this secret realm. Having confidence in his insider’s knowledge, he turned his head to look at Xie Xi who appeared to have been quietly accumulating his power and was waiting to act. He couldn’t help laughing in spite of himself: “Don’t be so tense. So long as we’re not too greedy and don’t go over there, nothing bad will happen to us. The scenery here is quite good actually. Let’s take a look around this place first.”

The scenery was indeed quite good. There were delicious-looking fruits, fragrant grasses, and rich and diverse falling blossoms as far as the eye could see. Apart from the luxuriant light-pink flowering trees, there was an eye-catching, lush green meadow.

Right now there were only dried up branches and withered leaves outside the realm. The many flowers had already withered away. It would become a world of only ice and snow before long.

Xie Xi paused and then nodded his head. Chu Yu wanted him to release the hand he had used to hold down his sword but instead, Xie Xi turned his hand over and used it to grasp Chu Yu ’s and he began to slowly amble along.

The disciples behind them who had managed to catch up to them all looked at each other in dismay. Gazing at the appearance of the two people in front of them as they mutually depended on each other and cuddled together, they actually felt a bit reluctant to disturb them. After inwardly struggling for a bit, they quietly followed them.

After following them for a period of time, someone finally sensed that something was off.

……Why did it feel like they weren’t looking for the spiritual medicine, but instead…… they were going on a scenic tour?

After restraining themselves for a while, a thin and tall youth moved closer to them and cautiously called: “Chu Shixiong, Xie Shixiong?”

Xie Xi’s mood was quite good so even though he had been disturbed, he only wrinkled his brows and then glanced back to stare at the youth with a cold gaze: “What?”

The youth swallowed his saliva as he panicked from being directly stared at with this kind of gaze. He then forcibly smiled: “The two of you are……looking for the spiritual medicine?”

Chu Yu also turned his head around and calmly said: “Taking a walk.”

“Chu Shixiong, we’re here to look for the spiritual medicine……”

As he said this, Song Jingyi’s group who had been roaming around the secret realm and yet come up empty-handed also walked over here and saw Chu Yu. In a rare moment, Song Jingyi wasn’t faking a smile and was giving Chu Yu a dark look: “You’ve been quite idle.”

His good mood was now completely broken, Xie Xi’s eyebrows wrinkled even more. He silently gazed at Song Jingyi for a moment before suddenly pulling out Duan Xue.

The light from the snow-white sword’s shine seemingly blinded one’s eyes and seemed to also bring out a cold, killing intent. The couple of disciples who had wanted to chime in immediately felt a numbing sensation on their scalps and obediently shut up.

Xie Xi had a tranquil look on his face: “I investigated the surroundings with Shixiong just now and we didn’t find the spiritual medicine. Therefore let’s go, we’ll now go to look in another place.

The intimidation level of Xie Xi’s words was far stronger than Chu Yu’s.

Chu Yu sighed and then walked away with Xie Xi, shoulder-to-shoulder. He began to ponder over how to re-establish his dignity as a Shixiong. Just as he was thinking this over, he felt his sleeve being pulled. He turned his head to the side and saw Xie Xi’s nervous face. Xie Xi quietly said: “Shixiong, how was my performance just now?”

Chu Yu: “……Very good”

The look of sweet bliss that immediately appeared on his face was as if he had just eaten some honey. He was brimming with smiles and looking at him, it was as if spring had come and all the flowers were blooming.

Chu Yu: “……”

Chu Yu suddenly found that regardless of whether or not he established his dignity, the outcome would likely still be the same.

***

Unwittingly under Chu Yu’s leadership, everyone gradually moved closer to the place where the original novel had described the spiritual grass was going to be growing.

There was a pool in the deepest part of the forest.

The dense foliage blocked the light so that the area ahead of them only had small glimmers of light breaking through. There was a piece of level ground at the center of the pool and on that piece of land grew the spiritual grass. It was emitting a green light like that of glow-worms as the grass soundlessly absorbed and released the spiritual energy of the world. The bright glow was reflected off of the pool’s serene water.

Chu Yu cocked his head and looked at the spiritual grass before nodding his head: “This should be it.”

Xie Xi echoed him and nodded his head: “Mn.”

All of the others, on the other hand, maintained a strange silence.

Chu Yu turned his head around in an indifferent manner and sure enough, he saw everyone behind him staring at that stalk of grass with heated and fervent looks in their eyes. Despite clearly looking like they wanted nothing more than to pounce forward, they were still cowering in fear. They were on guard against their fellow disciples and they were especially on guard against Chu Yu and Xie Xi.

This was because……there was only a single stalk of spiritual grass.

Before they had left, Song Yuanzhuo had hinted that those at the Nascent Soul stage who ate this kind of spiritual grass would only improve their spiritual power and not their cultivation. It was, therefore, of little value to them and the effectiveness also wasn’t too great. However, as far as those at the Core Formation stage were concerned, this thing was on par with all of the legendary spiritual medicines in the world. If they were to eat it, they would definitely greatly benefit from it. Song Yuanzhuo had instructed everyone to take as much as they possibly could. It would be best if it could be evenly divided between everyone.

But there was only one stalk. This meant that only one person could have it.

Although they were all disciples from the same sect, besides the ones who, for the sake of building a road for their futures, wanted to get closer to the future Sect Master, everyone else’s everyday lifestyles had initially involved staying in their caves and cultivating. Afterward, when the great war between the demonic and righteous cultivators had broken out and they had all only followed behind their Shizuns. They, therefore, had very little understanding of each other and they definitely weren’t all that trusting.

Chu Yu was full of spirits as he took many extra sneaky glances at Song Jingyi. When he saw that Song Jingyi was staring at the spiritual grass with an unwavering focus, he knew that it was completely unlikely he and Xie Xi would return empty-handed without any achievements today.

The trap was right here and Song Jingyi had already started digging his way into it.

Xie Xi gazed at that spiritual medicine for a while and looked pensive: “Shixiong, do you want it?”

Chu Yu shook his head. The corners of his mouth curled up as he took out a few talismans and casually threw them at the edge of the pool.

Everyone behind him was alarmed by this: “Chu Yu……Chu Yu Shixiong, what are you doing?”

“Chu Yu, are you trying to hog everything for yourself?!”

“……”

The golden talismans had been flying over to the pool when suddenly, they seemed to have been cut through by something sharp and pointy. They were all soundlessly cut into two neat pieces. They fluttered down into the pool and with a light “burst,” they turned into cyan-colored smoke.

Those talismans were the famous “Golden Light Talismans” which were made with the Golden Light Bowl, a rare treasure.

As if someone had wrapped a hand around their necks, the cultivators behind them who had been calling out one after the other were all struck dumb. They stared at the serene and beautiful pool and felt a chill in their hearts.

If they had been overly excited before and directly pounced over there, then would they have become just like those talismans?

Chu Yu looked over a few more times and then threw another talisman towards the pool again. This time no one said anything and they all anxiously watched that talisman.

It seemed that the previous talismans had only triggered a barrier and furthermore, the barrier was just a one-time thing. This time the talisman safely floated onto the empty land at the center of the pool.

Chu Yu leisurely dusted off his hands and then gracefully lifted the lower hem of his robe before gently sitting down on the ground. He calmly said: “The barrier ought to have already been broken. If anyone now wants to take the spiritual medicine then go right ahead. My Shidi and I don’t intend to take action.”

Several other people in the deep forest exchanged looks with one another and every one of them saw only one kind of expression in the other person’s eyes.

Madness.

But there still wasn’t anyone that dared to make a move.

 

*******

Translator’s Notes:

• I love how Chu Yu can tease Xie Xi about the five young ladies from last time. (✿◠‿◠)
• Looks like this is the time when Song Jingyi will get his comeuppance!
• I was in a bit of a rush so please let me know if there are any errors. Thank you for reading.

Previous Chapter      Table of Contents      Next Chapter