Chapter 58
Upon hearing the voice, Jie Shang trembled all over, involuntarily closing his eyes, his face displaying a mixture of sorrow and joy.
When he opened his eyes again, his expression had returned to cold indifference.
The crowd looked up in excitement, shouting, “Immortal Lord Cang Yi!”
“It’s the Immortal Lord, he’s here to save us!” Some of the younger disciples nearly burst into tears.
Cheng Ming was overjoyed, throwing aside his sword and shouting, “Immortal Lord, look at me, it’s me, Xiao Ming!” He rushed forward, paying no attention to where he was going. If Liu Sixian hadn’t quickly grabbed him, he would have tumbled off the platform.
Xia Yi, still holding onto Gu Wenzhu’s arm, breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the figure descending from the sky. “Good thing Cang Yi showed up in time. At least he didn’t abandon his disciples.”
Cang Yi landed gracefully in front of Jie Shang, his posture elegant and tall, as refined as bamboo.
Everyone held their breath, anticipating a fierce battle.
But to everyone’s surprise, the two men didn’t immediately fight. They just stood there, staring at each other.
Cang Yi’s gaze locked onto Jie Shang’s face. His expression remained calm, but there was a storm brewing in his eyes.
He then took two steps forward, his hand by his side clenched into a tight fist.
In that moment, Xia Yi almost thought that Cang Yi was about to reach out and touch Jie Shang’s face.
But Cang Yi quickly regained his composure, returning to his calm and indifferent demeanor, making it seem as though his brief lapse was just an illusion to everyone else.
At the same time, Xia Yi, with his sharp eyes, noticed that Jie Shang, standing opposite, also hesitated to speak, his expression complex and hard to read.
Thanks to his… what was it called again? Giant Infant Stage? The powerful vision of this stage was as good as a telescope, allowing Xia Yi to catch this melodramatic twist.
“179, did you see that? I’m telling you, there’s no way these two are just simple enemies,” Xia Yi excitedly called to the system.
“I saw it. Their jade pendants are identical. I don’t fully understand the mindset of masters like these, but does this mean that to defeat someone, you first have to understand them?”
Huh? That’s all you noticed? What happened to your usually sharp gossip senses? After being influenced by Auntie Li for so long, you’ve only picked up her tone, not her skills?
But hey, the jade pendants are actually identical.
That’s some blatant evidence of an affair.
Have Cang Yi’s disciples never noticed this before? Maybe in their minds, their immortal master has long transcended mortal desires, no longer indulging in worldly affairs.
Romantic feelings—no, not even romantic feelings between men—would be considered blasphemy if associated with their immortal master.
“You came to seek revenge on me, didn’t you? Well, I’m here now. Let my disciple go,” Cang Yi said, staring unwaveringly at Jie Shang, his voice calm.
Jie Shang smiled faintly, a touch of crimson appearing at the corner of his eyes.
With a gentle push, Qingshou was sent flying toward the disciples of Qishan Sect. After a startled scream, Qinghui leaped up to catch him in midair.
“Fine, today, you will repay me with your life for my son’s,” Jie Shang’s smile disappeared as his expression grew cold. A flash of silver light appeared in his hand, swiftly pointing at Cang Yi’s chest.
It was a gleaming short sword.
Cang Yi was already tall, but Jie Shang, despite seeming smaller, was actually half a head taller when they stood together.
“I’m going to carve out your heart and see what color it is. But maybe you don’t even have a heart,” Jie Shang said through gritted teeth, his face filled with both pain and fury.
“Master!” The disciples of Qishan Sect were shocked by this scene and, one by one, brandished their weapons, ready to rush forward.
“Do not attack,” Cang Yi’s voice was soft, his tone not commanding, but no one dared disobey.
“This is a debt I owe him. Today, I will repay it.”
With that, Cang Yi slowly closed his eyes, his face calm.
Seeing him like this, Jie Shang hesitated.
He grabbed Cang Yi’s collar with one hand, his eyes filled with rage, as he hissed, “Are you just counting on me not being able to do it?”
Cang Yi opened his eyes at that, saying, “It was my fault. Do it.”
His light-colored eyes, in the sunlight, looked like amber filled with radiance.
Jieshang seemed momentarily blinded, standing there, clutching Cang Yi’s collar with one hand and holding the sword to his chest with the other, filled with anger and hatred, unsure of what to do.
“Master!” Cheng Ming suddenly shouted in both fury and panic, sending a blast of sword energy toward Jie Shang.
Jie Shang, seemingly lost in thought, stood there staring at Cang Yi, not even attempting to block the oncoming sword energy. In a surprising turn of events, he was hit by Cheng Ming’s strike.
Jie Shang flew backward, and the short sword clattered to the ground.
Everyone present was stunned by this unexpected outcome.
Cheng Ming, too, was astonished that he had struck Jie Shang, staring at his hands in disbelief, his mouth wide open.
As Jie Shang was knocked back, Cang Yi’s eyes flew open. He reached out as if to catch him, but Jie Shang twisted in midair and dodged his grasp.
Jie Shang landed steadily, though his breathing was slightly labored, but he quickly recovered.
“Not bad,” he said, glancing at Cheng Ming, a smile on his face.
But the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
At that moment, a thunderous roar rolled through the sky, echoing in everyone’s ears.
The force of the roar sent waves of energy crashing into everyone, making their chests ache.
The disciples with weaker cultivation clutched their heads, their faces pale, struggling to suppress the surging blood energy within them.
Xia Yi, too, felt a wave of nausea rising in his chest. Just as he pressed a hand to his chest, a warm current flowed through his palm, calming the discomfort immediately.
Along with the roar, a black figure descended from the backs of the black birds circling overhead.
Its head resembled a lion’s, adorned with a single horn, and its body was shaped like a deer but covered in scales. Its four hooves shimmered like they were engulfed in silver flames.
Xia Yi glanced at Qilin beside him, then looked at the one in the distance, his mouth wide open in surprise.
It was also a Qilin, just like his son, but much larger and more fearsome in appearance.
The large Qilin in the sky quickly leaped to Jie Shang’s side, lowering its front body, its back legs tense, its eyes flashing with menace as it bared two rows of sharp, fang-like teeth at the Qishan Sect disciples.
Xia Yi noticed that Qilin beside him suddenly became restless, furiously pawing at the ground, sending shards of rock flying everywhere.
Just as Xia Yi sensed something was wrong, Qilin darted out like an arrow, charging straight toward the center of the battlefield.
“Qilin!” Xia Yi cried out in alarm as he watched his Qilin run, panic rising in his chest as he rushed to follow.
Seeing Xia Yi dash out, Gu Wenzhu cursed under his breath and quickly leaped forward to chase after them.
The Qilin raced toward the large Qilin, letting out a roar as it ran.
Though the roar was thunderous, it was much softer compared to the earlier one, and it even sounded somewhat immature, like it still had a trace of babyishness.
The large Qilin was ready to attack, a red flame rising from its mouth. Its ferocious face and coiled hind legs indicated that it was preparing to pounce forward and unleash its fiery breath on the crowd.
From the distance, the sound of Qilin came, both as a response and a call.
The large Qilin froze in place, its raised right claw suspended in the air.
Suddenly, a shadow flashed by. Qilin, like a gust of wind, dashed past everyone and leaped onto the large Qilin’s body.
Xia Yi, who had been chasing, saw this scene and was shocked, nearly losing his mind. He was about to rush forward recklessly when Gu Wenzhu grabbed him by the arm. “Wait, look.”
Xia Yi calmed himself and witnessed an unbelievable sight.
The young Qilin, instead of attacking, circled around the fierce-looking large Qilin, rubbing and jumping affectionately, whining in a soft, babyish voice, its tail wagging furiously.
The large Qilin slowly lowered its sharp claws and sniffed around the young Qilin before lowering its head to nuzzle it. Then, it gently licked the young one’s head.
Its eyes, once filled with menace, softened, now full of tenderness and affection.
Jie Shang also saw the Qilin, a look of disbelief crossing his face. “Dahei, is this your Xiaohei? Is it really Xiaohei?”
Dahei gazed tenderly at the young Qilin, its large amber eyes seemingly glistening with tears.
Upon hearing Jie Shang’s question, it raised its head and let out a low hum, seemingly affirming his words.
Jie Shang’s expression flickered between sorrow and joy, his entire demeanor becoming dazed. “It’s Xiaohei… It’s really Xiaohei.”
He slowly turned toward Cang Yi, his almond-shaped, upward-slanted eyes filled with confusion. “Cang Yi… Cang Yi, is it… is it really…?”
His voice was soft, as if fearing that speaking louder might shatter a fragile dream.
Cang Yi looked at him, appearing calm and indifferent, devoid of any sorrow or joy. Yet, in truth, his hands inside his sleeves were tightly clenched, his knuckles pale from the force.
Seeing that Jie Shang wasn’t paying attention to him, Xia Yi cautiously stepped forward, softly calling out, “Son… son.”
The young Qilin heard him, turned its head, and showed a joyful expression. It was about to run over but hesitated, glancing back at the large Qilin behind it, uncertain.
Jie Shang had already heard Xia Yi calling the Qilin softly. He abruptly turned his head toward him, seeing the scene between Xia Yi and the Qilin. In that moment, he realized that this “Xiaohei” was the one Xia Yi had raised.
His face instantly darkened, and with a flash of red light, he had Xia Yi in his grasp, his slender fingers gripping Xia Yi’s fragile neck. In a harsh tone, he demanded, “Tell me, where did you get Xiaohei?”
Xia Yi felt his throat tighten, his breath becoming labored. He tried to pry Jie Shang’s iron-like fingers off, but despite using all his strength, he couldn’t budge them.
“You bastard! Let go of him! Host, hang in there!” 179 screamed in panic inside his head.
The young Qilin also let out a roar, its body tensed, about to pounce on Jie Shang. However, Dahei swiftly grabbed it by the neck, lifting it off the ground as it kicked and struggled in mid-air.
“Let him go!” came a voice, filled with anger and fury. Gu Wenzhu charged forward, spear in hand, descending from above like a mighty force of nature, aiming directly at Jie Shang.
The spear strike, infused with overwhelming spiritual power, created a distortion in the air as it bore down on Jie Shang.
Jie Shang, lost in thought and focused entirely on Xia Yi, didn’t even glance at Gu Wenzhu. He continued to press Xia Yi, his eyes red with rage. “Speak! How did you get Xiaohei?”
He paid no attention to the spear that was hurtling toward his back.
The spear, nearly upon Jie Shang, seemed destined to pierce through him.
In a flash, a silver light slashed out, deflecting the lethal strike with a loud clang.
Two forces collided, creating a surge of energy that sent Gu Wenzhu staggering backward. He thrust his spear into the ground, dropping to one knee to steady himself.
He looked up at Cang Yi, his gaze filled with dark, murderous intent.
Cang Yi lowered his sword, quietly watching him, his expression unreadable. He opened his mouth as if to speak but ultimately closed it again.
It was Cang Yi who had blocked Gu Wenzhu’s attack just now, protecting Jie Shang.
Gu Wenzhu’s eyes were filled with fury as he saw Jie Shang still choking Xia Yi, whose face was now purple and tears welled in his eyes, silently pleading for help. Gu Wenzhu’s heart burned with rage.
Desperate, he shouted angrily at Cang Yi, “If you interfere again, I’ll kill you too!” He then raised his spear toward the sky, ready to summon the power of the heavens.
Cheng Ming, frantic with worry, called out to Cang Yi, “Master! Master! Xia Yi is one of us!” He waved his sword, ready to charge forward, but Liu Sixian held him back.
“Don’t panic. With Master here, Xia Yi will be fine.”
“Jie Shang, let him go,” Cang Yi’s cold voice rang out. “He knows nothing. Don’t spill innocent blood. He’s the one you haven’t met yet—Wang Lan.”
Jie Shang’s body jolted upon hearing these words. He looked Xia Yi up and down, suspicion in his eyes. Slowly, his grip on Xia Yi’s neck loosened.
Xia Yi immediately broke free, gasping for air, clutching his throat as he staggered toward Gu Wenzhu.
Gu Wenzhu quickly retrieved his spear and rushed over to Xia Yi, pulling him into his arms.
He held him tightly for a moment before letting go and gently brushing aside Xia Yi’s hair to inspect his neck. The sight of the dark bruises left by Jie Shang’s grip filled him with both anguish and anger. He gripped his spear tightly, his chest heaving.
Xia Yi, about to cry out in complaint, saw Gu Wenzhu’s dark expression and, fearing he would go after Jie Shang again, quickly clung to his arm, his eyes wide with fear and pleading. In a hoarse voice, he repeated, “I’m fine, really, I’m fine.”
Xia Yi clung to him like an octopus, and Gu Wenzhu, after trying and failing to shake him off, feared hurting him if he used too much force. He stood still, glaring fiercely at Jie Shang.
At this moment, Jie Shang had come back to his senses. He turned to look at them, his gaze meeting Gu Wenzhu’s, filled with rage and menace.
In an instant, Jie Shang stood frozen in place, staring blankly at Gu Wenzhu with a pale face and a strange expression.
Suddenly, he turned towards Cang Yi and pointed in Gu Wenzhu’s direction. “He, he…”
Cang Yi looked at Jie Shang, nodded slowly, and then closed his eyes. Though he appeared calm, his chest rose and fell, clearly indicating his emotional turmoil.
Xia Yi, seeing Jie Shang’s shifting expressions, became increasingly wary and clung tightly to Gu Wenzhu’s arm.
“179, I feel like the way he’s looking at Brother Zhu is terrifying,” Xia Yi called to his system. “I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Host, don’t overthink it! Based on the typical logic of a cultivation world, it’s probably that Gu Wenzhu’s blood can cure some sort of incurable disease. Drinking his blood might do the trick. Or maybe he’s a perfect furnace, and Jie Shang wants to claim him for himself.”
Shut up.
At that moment, Da Hei gently placed the still-struggling Qilin back on the ground. Qilin whimpered, then trotted over to Xia Yi, rubbing its big head against his leg for comfort.
Da Hei quietly walked over to Jie Shang’s side and lay down, gazing softly in the direction of Qilin.
Liu Siqian, Cheng Ming, and the others exchanged confused glances, unable to understand what was happening. Behind them, the disciples stood clueless, gripping their weapons as they stared blankly.
“Ze Yuan.” Jie Shang suddenly called out Gu Wenzhu’s name, his voice soft and trembling.
One of Gu Wenzhu’s hands was tightly held by Xia Yi, while the other clutched a spear. His gaze remained cold and fierce as he looked at Jie Shang.
But seeing Jie Shang in this state, Gu Wenzhu hesitated, a faint doubt rising within him.
Jie Shang slowly stepped toward Gu Wenzhu, never taking his eyes off him. Though Gu Wenzhu should have been on guard as Jie Shang approached, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged up, and he couldn’t muster any resistance.
Jie Shang stopped in front of Gu Wenzhu, raising a hand to his face. “Come here. Let me see if the soul-protecting mark behind your ear is still there.”
Gu Wenzhu stared into Jie Shang’s familiar eyes, his expression growing more and more bewildered, as his legs involuntarily took a step forward, bringing Xia Yi along.
Holding his breath, Jie Shang gently brushed aside the hair near Gu Wenzhu’s ear, revealing the pale blue, teardrop-shaped mark.
“It’s true. The soul-protecting mark. I gave one to you and him.” Jie Shang’s eyes lit up as he gazed at the blue mark.
“Your soul was unstable back then. This mark protects your three souls and six spirits. Every time your soul tries to leave your body, the mark forcibly draws it back.”
Xia Yi stood to the side, completely stunned.
With all the years spent watching Korean dramas with his mom, Xia Yi had a sudden hunch. Could this be the moment of a family reunion?
No way, right? That’d be too coincidental. Brother Zhu isn’t even from this cultivation world; he’s from a farming world.
“You’re my son. Your name is Ze Yuan.” Sure enough, Jie Shang took a deep breath, gazing at Gu Wenzhu as he firmly declared.
Not only a reunion but a father-son reunion!
“Host, is this your mother-in-law? Or maybe your father-in-law? I can’t tell without the red birthmark,” 179’s shocked voice rang out.
“Stop talking nonsense! This isn’t a world where men can give birth,” Xia Yi replied.
Jie Shang’s words weren’t loud, but everyone at the front of the platform heard him clearly.
Gu Wenzhu stood frozen as if struck by lightning, rooted to the spot.
Not far away, Liu Siqian, Cheng Ming, and the others stood with their mouths agape, utterly incredulous.
“I always thought I had lost you, but here you are, alive and well.” Jie Shang’s peach blossom eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he gazed at Gu Wenzhu. “You’re alive. That’s wonderful. Truly wonderful.”
“You must have the wrong person. I have a father and mother. It’s just that my mother passed away early, and my father also left a few years ago,” Gu Wenzhu replied, sounding uncertain and confused.
“You’re my son. I am your father,” Jie Shang insisted with unwavering certainty.
