{"id":7393,"date":"2025-08-15T09:11:06","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T07:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7393"},"modified":"2025-08-15T09:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T07:11:06","slug":"the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-22","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/08\/15\/the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-22\/","title":{"rendered":"The Second Male Lead\u00a0Fled On The Spot – Chapter 22"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

The two of them walked to a sparsely populated area. Chu Xinghui took out his spirit sword, ready to ride it, but when he turned back, he saw Xie Liufeng standing still in place.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui looked at him in confusion: \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng cleared his throat lightly, hinting at him: \u201cYou seem to have forgotten, I\u2019m just an ordinary person without spiritual power.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He really didn\u2019t understand why Xie Liufeng could still remember this long-broken premise.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng didn\u2019t think he was wrong at all and righteously reached out his hand to him.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui looked at him expressionlessly for a moment.<\/p>\r\n

In the end, he had no choice but to grab Xie Liufeng\u2019s hand and pull him onto his spirit sword.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng couldn\u2019t hold back and laughed out loud.<\/p>\r\n

He wasn\u2019t done yet, continuing to point and gesture: \u201cSlow down, slow down, for ordinary people of our age, riding a spirit sword too fast will make us dizzy.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui didn\u2019t say anything and silently increased the speed.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng stumbled slightly without noticing and lightly placed his hand on Chu Xinghui\u2019s waist, smiling to reassure him: \u201cAlright, alright, I\u2019m not teasing you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He got too close, and Chu Xinghui suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.<\/p>\r\n

But he couldn\u2019t understand the origin of this strange feeling yet, so he just shifted his attention back to Xie Liufeng\u2019s words.<\/p>\r\n

He was reluctantly satisfied with Xie Liufeng\u2019s apologetic attitude and returned to the normal spirit sword speed.<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

*<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

As soon as the two returned home, Chu Xinghui immediately made Xie Liufeng get off his spirit sword.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng ignored his cold face, persistently grabbed his head and rubbed it, only then was he satisfied and entered the courtyard.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He didn\u2019t want to care about Xie Liufeng anymore, and also followed inside.<\/p>\r\n

Passing by the birdcage, Chu Xinghui subconsciously wanted to shake it, but saw the door wide open, the cage empty except for a few black feathers.<\/p>\r\n

He looked back at Xie Liufeng with confusion.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng, from somewhere, brought a delicate vase and was placing the branch of osmanthus flower that he had given him inside.<\/p>\r\n

He looked up at Chu Xinghui, reading his confusion: \u201cYou should know, it was depressed before you left, always pondering the meaning of bird life.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He arranged the flowers in the vase and continued: \u201cSo not long after you left, it left the cage on its own to search for the meaning of bird life.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment and summarized: \u201cOr to put it simply, it ran away from home.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui couldn\u2019t understand and felt worried about the mental state of their bird neighbor.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng had already tidied up the vase and called him: \u201cCome take a look, isn\u2019t it pretty?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui immediately threw the runaway bird out of his mind and came over to look at the flowers in the vase.<\/p>\r\n

This branch of flowers had been specially treated by Xie Liufeng to maintain the appearance as if freshly picked, and even the fragrance hadn\u2019t faded.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui looked at it for a while, then injected a little spiritual power into it.<\/p>\r\n

The flower visibly grew a bit.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui inexplicably got some enjoyment from this and wanted to continue injecting spiritual power.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng had to reach out and stop him, half laughing and half crying: \u201cAlright, alright, if you keep injecting spiritual power, it might just take root and grow directly in the vase.\u201d<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

*<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

After the secret realm expedition, Xie Liufeng gradually got busy.<\/p>\r\n

Although he neither showed off how busy he was nor told Chu Xinghui about the messy things, Chu Xinghui could clearly tell from how long Xie Liufeng stayed at home that he recently indeed had some real matters to attend to.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui didn\u2019t ask and silently increased his daily training volume.<\/p>\r\n

One evening, after finishing his usual sword practice and heading back, Chu Xinghui suddenly saw a strange shadow in the nearby bushes.<\/p>\r\n

He calmly looked away, tightening his grip on his sword hilt.<\/p>\r\n

He walked forward a bit more, and the shadow didn\u2019t disappear, it stayed at a not too far, not too near distance behind him.<\/p>\r\n

Clearly, the visitor was hostile.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui deliberately walked to a secluded spot. Before the other could act, he took the initiative and threw his spirit sword.<\/p>\r\n

The spirit sword flew obliquely, directly stabbing towards the attacker\u2019s hiding place.<\/p>\r\n

The person hiding in the dark couldn\u2019t stay hidden any longer and jumped out from the bushes, dodging the attack.<\/p>\r\n

The spirit sword circled in midair and returned to Chu Xinghui\u2019s hand.<\/p>\r\n

He gripped the spirit sword tightly and looked up at the newcomer.<\/p>\r\n

The newcomer was a strong-built adult man, dressed in all black with a black veil covering his face. His cultivation was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. He wielded a pair of uniquely shaped curved knives and immediately attacked him.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui quickly raised his spirit sword to block the strike.<\/p>\r\n

The clash of sword and blade made a clear \u201cclang\u201d sound.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui probed: \u201cWho sent you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The other naturally didn\u2019t answer. Seeing his attack failed, he changed his technique and launched another attack.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui only defended without attacking, guiding him to make a few more moves.<\/p>\r\n

This person\u2019s cultivation method was messy, and he didn\u2019t seem to have been systemically trained.<\/p>\r\n

Unable to judge his origin from cultivation alone, Chu Xinghui stopped holding back and advanced with his sword.<\/p>\r\n

After several exchanges, the man quickly felt pressured.<\/p>\r\n

He seemed to realize his target today was not easy to deal with and decisively threw a smoke bomb, intending to escape.<\/p>\r\n

But he didn\u2019t get the chance\u2026 the next moment, Chu Xinghui had already placed his spirit sword on the man\u2019s neck.<\/p>\r\n

The man glanced at the sword\u2019s edge close by, sweat beading on his forehead.<\/p>\r\n

The spirit sword was sharp, a slight cut downwards could sever his throat.<\/p>\r\n

He had reached Foundation Establishment peak and never lost a mission, never imagined he\u2019d fall to a mere Foundation Establishment beginner like this.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cOnce more, I ask you,\u201d Chu Xinghui stared at him, pressing the sword down a bit more: “who sent you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The man opened his mouth, about to say something, but suddenly showed an extremely painful expression and collapsed straight to the ground.<\/p>\r\n

After a few breaths, the man lost all signs of life and became a corpse.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui squatted down and carefully examined the corpse.<\/p>\r\n

There was no identification on the body, and the storage pouch only contained some murder tools and common pills, clearly a desperate fugitive.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui finished dealing with the corpse and fell into deep thought.<\/p>\r\n

He was mostly kind to others, occasionally ruthless to extremely evil people, and found it hard to imagine who could hate him enough to hire assassins to kill him.<\/p>\r\n

He ran through recent events in his mind and suddenly thought of Qin Yuwen.<\/p>\r\n

This person was very strange since the first time he appeared. Although he always acted friendly, Chu Xinghui always felt that there was some inexplicable malice towards him.<\/p>\r\n

So this incident\u2026 could it be related to him?<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

*<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

Inside the Wanbao Merchant Company.<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling handed a stack of papers to Xie Liufeng: \u201cHere, this is the information you wanted on that young guy called Qin Yuwen.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He took a sip of water and commented: \u201cPretty ordinary, just luckier than others. But he has a good reputation among the younger generation. Almost everyone who interacted with him thinks he\u2019s a decent and promising person, few have complaints. Being this good is already impressive.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng carefully went through the materials, speaking without much emotion: \u201cThe resume does look impressive.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He put the materials away and told Shang Ling: \u201cKeep an eye on him for me.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling was curious: \u201cWhy are you checking him out? Because last time he spread rumors about inheriting your past legacy?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng shook his head: \u201cThat\u2019s not the main point.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling puzzled: \u201cHuh?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng explained: \u201cHe also harassed our little Xinghui in the secret realm. Xinghui feels something\u2019s off about him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He was already resigned to this guy who only cared about his disciple.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng pondered for a moment, then became serious: \u201cOh, and one more thing.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Seeing him get serious, Shang Ling asked: \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng said: \u201cIn a few days, I\u2019m going on a long trip. I\u2019m worried about leaving my disciple alone. If he runs into any trouble, I\u2019ll trouble you to watch out for him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling happened to plan to stay here for a while longer so he just nodded: \u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

But he couldn\u2019t help but wonder: \u201cBut if you treasure your Xinghui so much, why don\u2019t you take him along when you go out?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng was self-aware: \u201cWhat you said makes sense, but it\u2019s too dangerous around me.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Shang Ling: \u2026<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

*<\/p>\r\n



<\/p>\r\n

When Chu Xinghui finished dealing with the corpse and returned home, he happened to see Xie Liufeng packing.<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng saw him and greeted with a smile: \u201cYou\u2019re back.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui was momentarily stunned and asked: \u201cYou\u2019re going out?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng nodded: \u201cGoing to retrieve some things.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui asked: \u201cHow long till you be back?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment and said: \u201cAt least a few months to a year, maybe two or three years if it takes longer. I left some things for you. If I don\u2019t make it back, remember to go to the Beiyue Sword Sect to apprentice.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

For cultivators, the higher the level, the less attached they are to time. Sometimes just one retreat can last for decades.<\/p>\r\n

But two or three years\u2026 actually wasn\u2019t very long.<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui nodded and quietly stood aside watching him pack.<\/p>\r\n

When Xie Liufeng was almost done, Chu Xinghui suddenly spoke: \u201cYou left something behind.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng thought for a moment, but couldn\u2019t think what it was: \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI now have the ability to protect myself and won\u2019t be a burden to you.\u201d Chu Xinghui looked up at him and asked: “So, will you take me with you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xie Liufeng was stunned for a moment.<\/p>\r\n

He stroked Chu Xinghui\u2019s hair and explained: \u201cYou will never be burden, but\u2026 the place I\u2019m going this time might be very dangerous.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Chu Xinghui thought for a moment and told him about today\u2019s encounter: \u201cI was almost killed today. It\u2019s not safe here for me either.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBut that\u2019s not the most important reason.\u201d Before Xie Liufeng could change his expression, Chu Xinghui continued: “The most important reason is, I want to be with you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

No matter if it\u2019s two or three years\u2026 or even longer, he just wanted to be with him.<\/p>\r\n

\u00a0<\/p>\r\n

Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"This<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The two of them walked to a sparsely populated area. Chu Xinghui took out his spirit sword, ready to ride it, but when he turned back, he saw Xie Liufeng standing still in place. Chu Xinghui looked at him in confusion: \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Xie Liufeng cleared his throat lightly, hinting at him: \u201cYou seem to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TheSecondMale.png?fit=300%2C419&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7393"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7394,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7393\/revisions\/7394"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}