As Chu Xinghui was about to disappear from his sight, Qin Yuwen’s eyes darkened. He quickly chased after him, sticking to him like a piece of gum.

Chu Xinghui couldn’t hold it any longer, stopped, and asked seriously: “Cultivator Qin, are you sick?”

This person’s behavior really made it hard not to say he had a problem with his head.

Qin Yuwen forced a bitter smile, adopting a pitiful posture: “I’ve said it many times, I find Cultivator Xie very charming and have a strong desire to get closer. Over this long period of time, have I done anything that would harm you? Even now, I didn’t want Cultivator Xie to be deceived, so I shamelessly followed you. Why do you insist on thinking I have ulterior motives?”

Chu Xinghui patiently replied: “Cultivator Qin, since you’re living in Shuixun CIty, have you ever seen an insect called a cockroach?”

Qin Yuwen didn’t know what he was bringing this up for: “Of course, I’ve seen it.”

Chu Xinghui honestly shared his thoughts: “Cultivator, you’re quite similar to that insect. You might not be dangerous, but just standing there makes people want to avoid you for no reason.”

Though this analogy was a bit unfair to cockroaches (as regular insects don’t have any harmful powers), it was still true that Qin Yuwen’s actions in the dark were hard to predict.

Qin Yuwen: “…”

His face changed several times, struggling to maintain a twisted smile: “Cultivator Xie, you’re really humorous.”

Chu Xinghui politely asked: “Then, Cultivator Qin, could you stop following me now?”

Qin Yuwen had already readied himself to manage his expressions again, forcing a bitter smile: “Do you still not trust me, Cultivator Xie?”

Chu Xinghui truly doubted whether he could understand anything he was saying: “What do you have to make me trust you?”

Qin Yuwen fell silent for a moment, but stubbornly tried to steer the conversation back: “Cultivator Xie, do you know the origins of your friend?”

Upon hearing him mention Xie Liufeng, Chu Xinghui’s gaze already carried murderous intent.

Fearing that Qin Yuwen might still try to get away with it, he stopped holding back and quickly revealed his intentions: “Cultivator Xie should know my identity. As the first disciple of Lingxiang Sect, I still have some resources and connections. If you trust me, you can tell me your friend’s name and identity, and I can help you investigate his background.”

Chu Xinghui kept a calm expression on his face and invited: “This place is not convenient. Would Cultivator Qin be willing to meet me outside the city to discuss?”

Qin Yuwen thought that Chu Xinghui had finally listened to him so his face lit up: “Naturally.”

He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

Human nature was always like this. Although one would refuse to listen to provocations in words, when it came to something concerning their safety, they would always prioritize protecting themselves.

The two quickly arrived at a desolate forest outside the city.

It was a dark night with a strong wind, and the place was a remote wilderness, making it a perfect spot for discussing matters that shouldn’t be seen by others.

It was also a good place to kill and dispose of bodies.

Qin Yuwen and Chu Xinghui looked around and both seemed satisfied with the location.

Just as Qin Yuwen was about to speak, he saw Chu Xinghui draw his sword.

Chu Xinghui swiftly pinned Qin Yuwen to the ground and gave him a good beating. After feeling that his thoughts had cleared up a little, he tossed the half-dead Qin Yuwen aside by the roadside and flew back to the city on his sword.

Half an hour later, Qin Yuwen finally struggled to rise from the ground.

Before today, he had never noticed the person standing beside the Heavenly Dao Child.

A person with profound cultivation, but no luck whatsoever.

This time, everything Qin Yuwen said to Chu Xinghui was the truth—someone with no luck at all… was indeed supposed to be a dead person who no longer existed in the world.

If one didn’t exist in this world, they naturally wouldn’t be recorded in the Book of Life.

No wonder, despite using all sorts of methods to track the Heavenly Dao Child, he had been blocked every time. Later, when he tried to investigate, he couldn’t even find out who had stopped him.

He couldn’t be sure about Xie Liufeng’s methods, but letting such a high-level variable mix with the already uncontrollable Heavenly Dao Child was clearly bad news for him.

So, he chose to share this news with Chu Xinghui.

Though he had been beaten today, at least he had planted the seeds of discord between the two.

Discord was like a seed—though it seemed harmless today, with Chu Xinghui even beating him for Xie Liufeng, who could say what would happen after some time passed?

Qin Yuwen’s face curled into a cold smile, but the pain from his wounds made him grimace in pain.

His expression darkened even more.

He would make these two pay sooner or later.

…

Two days later, Xie Liufeng had just returned to the inn when he was caught by Chu Xinghui, who had been waiting in his room.

Xie Liufeng studied Chu Xinghui’s expression and asked curiously: “What’s wrong? Did someone offend you?”

He had been out for the past two days, so he hadn’t had time to upset him, right?

Chu Xinghui sternly pulled him to the table and sat down, immediately starting to complain. He told him everything about his encounter with Qin Yuwen over the past two days.

After hearing his words, Xie Liufeng fell into a brief silence.

Chu Xinghui noticed the change in his expression, paused for a moment, and guessed: “Is he telling the truth?”

He naturally didn’t believe that Xie Liufeng would harm him, but the idea of a dead person who no longer existed… he didn’t like that description being applied to Xie Liufeng.

He silently took Xie Liufeng’s hand.

The warmth from the touch made him feel much more at ease.

Two days ago, Xie Liufeng had just promised Chu Xinghui, so he naturally didn’t dare to lie now. He honestly confessed: “What he said does make some sense. In a way, I have indeed died—it’s related to my cultivation technique.”

Chu Xinghui tried to keep himself calm: “What about your fate?”

Xie Liufeng noticed his unease and took his hand in return, gently squeezing it a few times, and continued: “As for fate… I ascended once, but halfway through, something happened, and I was trapped by the Heavenly Dao. My current name shouldn’t exist in this world, so my fate is also sealed.”

His tone was light, deliberately avoiding the specifics of the situation at that time.

Chu Xinghui looked at him, still not looking very pleased.

Xie Liufeng sighed and waved his hand at Chu Xinghui: “Forget it, forget it. You can see for yourself.”

He leaned his forehead against Chu Xinghui’s and opened up his sea of consciousness.

No matter what level a cultivator was at, their soul was the most fragile thing. No one would willingly expose their weaknesses, even to their closest partner, let alone open up their sea of consciousness.

But Chu Xinghui didn’t understand this, and Xie Liufeng didn’t mind, allowing Chu Xinghui’s divine sense to enter his sea of consciousness.

Chu Xinghui opened his eyes within Xie Liufeng’s sea of consciousness and immediately became immersed in the dense mist made of powerful spiritual energy.

He hurriedly searched for Xie Liufeng’s soul.

The sea of consciousness was where a cultivator’s soul resided. Normally, the soul would be the most prominent thing in it.

But… he didn’t sense any presence of the soul.

Chu Xinghui became a bit panicked.

Since he was now in Xie Liufeng’s sea of consciousness, Xie Liufeng could naturally sense his emotions and spoke up: “I’m here.”

Chu Xinghui quickly turned around and saw Xie Liufeng’s soul manifest in his own appearance, standing behind him.

He finally saw what Xie Liufeng’s soul looked like.

Xie Liufeng’s soul was much denser than most, but at this moment, his translucent white soul was entwined with golden chains formed by mysterious symbols. The chains were deeply rooted in every part of the soul, like a parasitic flower growing on a tree.

Xie Liufeng explained in a gentle voice: “These things have sealed my soul. The fate I originally had is still with me and hasn’t disappeared, it just won’t leak out.”

Chu Xinghui stared at the scene in front of him in a daze and asked: “Does it hurt?”

Xie Liufeng shook his head: “These are just illusory bodies, they don’t hurt.”

Chu Xinghui couldn’t help but release a bit of his divine sense and touch the golden chains on Xie Liufeng’s soul, stubbornly confirMing again: “It really doesn’t affect anything?”

He instinctively felt that these weren’t good things.

The feeling of touching the soul was strange, and Xie Liufeng’s breath became a bit disordered. He barely steadied his voice and said: “…It has a slight effect, but it’s not severe and won’t affect normal life.”

Chu Xinghui relaxed a little, but couldn’t resist touching those golden chains again.

Xie Liufeng couldn’t help but emphasize: “And… don’t touch my soul randomly.”

Hearing this, Chu Xinghui finally shifted his attention away from the chains and looked at the soul right in front of him.

He suddenly remembered the soft and warm sensation when he had touched Xie Liufeng’s soul, as if he could understand their deepest thoughts.

Xie Liufeng’s soul was still exposed in front of him, looking completely without the intimidating presence it had in real life.

Although, even in reality, Xie Liufeng didn’t have much of an imposing presence in front of Chu Xinghui.

In fact, the more Chu Xinghui looked at it, the more… enticing it seemed.

It made him want to bite it.

Unable to resist his desires, Chu Xinghui leaned in and gently bit down.

In that instant, their souls merged, and both of them shivered slightly.

Xie Liufeng was both amused and exasperated as he stopped him: “Hey hey hey, I said you can’t touch it, but you can’t bite either! If you keep biting, I’ll just trap you in my sea of consciousness.”

Chu Xinghui glanced again at the spot he had bitten, where a trace of his own aura had already settled.

For some reason, he felt a bit pleased, but remembering Xie Liufeng’s words, he reluctantly stopped.

Chu Xinghui, fearing he would give in again if he stayed any longer, quickly left Xie Liufeng’s sea of consciousness.

Neither of them noticed that after Chu Xinghui left, the golden chain he had touched flickered slightly, and the light visibly dimmed.

After leaving Xie Liufeng’s sea of consciousness, both of them felt a bit awkward.

Xie Liufeng picked up the teapot beside him, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Chu Xinghui: “Are you reassured now?”

Chu Xinghui held the warm cup in his hands, his expression unreadable: “Next time I see Qin Yuwen, I’m going to hit him again.”

 

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