ILDV Chapter 60

“I never imagined that in Li Capital, there would still be someone who dared to tell such a story.”

A subtle breeze blew in from the carved wooden window, causing the beaded curtain to sway gently with tinkling sounds. When the wind ceased, a human figure appeared silently outside the curtain.

He asked warmly, “May I come in, Muxuan?”

“Get lost.”

After a brief silence, the person behind the curtain responded with a single word, calm yet extremely impolite.

With a light laugh, the other party lifted the curtain and entered.

Dressed in green robes with arrow sleeves, his black hair bound high—the moment this person stepped into the private room and raised his eyes, Xu Rong let out a cry and quickly lowered his head, reaching up to cover his eyes.

Such intense sword intent!

Yin Lang’s gaze instantly turned cold. With a sweep of his great sleeve, he blocked Xu Rong’s front, and after three consecutive finger strikes, he intercepted the invisible sword qi with a later strike arriving first. “Bullying my disciple—do you take me for a decoration?”

Feng Jiangcheng’s smile froze for an instant. His gaze toward Xu Rong grew increasingly cold as he lowered his voice in disbelief, “You’re throwing a tantrum at me over a mere little disciple?”

After staring for a long while without Yin Lang showing any intention of withdrawing his hand, Feng Jiangcheng’s expression darkened. He slammed his jade wine cup on the table, formed his five fingers into a claw, and reached toward Xu Rong—clearly prepared to attack without further discussion!

Yin Lang blocked with his other hand, pushing Xu Rong toward the window, and began exchanging moves with Feng Jiangcheng.

Neither had any intention of causing widespread destruction. Neither drew their swords from their sheaths, instead using the grappling techniques of mortal martial artists, moving and dodging within the small space of the private room. Yin Lang took several blows without showing signs of defeat. Sensing the changes and flow of spiritual qi in the air, Feng Jiangcheng’s expression changed repeatedly before he finally sneered coldly, “So that’s why your temper is even worse this time—turns out your wings have hardened and you want to fly away.”

Yin Lang retorted sarcastically, “Nothing compared to Elder Feng’s supreme arrogance across heaven and earth.”

Feng Jiangcheng snorted coldly, his strikes becoming increasingly vicious, each movement of hand and foot aimed at Xu Rong’s vital points. A single solid hit would certainly result in death on the spot.

The more Yin Lang protected Xu Rong, the more Feng Jiangcheng regarded him as a thorn in his eye and flesh.

Two Tribulation stage cultivators’ exchange was already restrained enough, yet Xu Rong was still being pressed to the point of nearly falling out the window by the aura they unconsciously emitted.

Feng Jiangcheng said, “Your acceptance means nothing. As long as this lord doesn’t acknowledge it, this boy can forget about being listed in my Sword-Wielding Sect’s registry for even a single day.”

Yin Lang countered, “Who wants to enter your family’s long and tedious genealogy? Since I’ve established my own peak, my disciples are only my disciples—what relationship do they have with you surnamed Feng?”

After ‘Shen Muxuan’ advanced to the Tribulation stage, he had no plans to continue tolerating Feng Jiangcheng, but unexpectedly the other party showed no sign of being provoked. After hearing these words, he instead curved his lips slightly. Extremely light and faint, yet the smug satisfaction within was unmistakable.

He said, “But Muxuan, as long as Shizun doesn’t relent, your name will forever be written next to mine.”

Crack.

Xu Rong crushed the wooden frame of the window.

Below, thunderous applause erupted, momentarily drowning out the already subtle sounds of their exchange.

The storyteller finished narrating the lingering, deeply moving peerless romance between Shen and Hua, collected a wave of reward money with a smile, mentally reviewing the several story scripts his employer had requested, cleared his throat, and spoke again.

“…That war dragged on for hundreds of days. Immortal Lord Shen carried his sword all the way into the Supreme Palace, covered in blood as he pushed open the doors of the prison hall. Venerable Yin, barely clinging to life, leaned against that palace wall and slowly extended his hand toward him, ‘You’ve finally come…'”

Crack.

Xu Rong snapped half of the carved window.

Feng Jiangcheng’s breathing became erratic.

Yin Lang’s slightly cold gaze gradually warmed as he curved his lips, “Heh, at worst I’ll take the Tianji Sword and go join Venerable Yin. I’d like to see who jumps up in anxiety first.”

With the crime of betraying the sect, even Feng Jiangcheng would have no reason to prevent Shen Muxuan’s name from being struck from Taihua Immortal Sect’s disciple registry.

“You—”

Feng Jiangcheng had long suspected the identity of the Seventh Venerable of the Demonic Path, Yin Lang. His appearance was too coincidental, occurring just over ten years after Yin Jiuxuan’s death, and precisely when Shen Muxuan was carrying out his first external mission.

Most importantly, he claimed the surname Yin.

However…

Ninety percent of the injuries on that child who returned gravely wounded were from the Feng clan’s unique techniques. He definitely wouldn’t have been mistaken.

Feng Jiangcheng suddenly withdrew his hand and retreated swiftly beyond the curtain. As the curtain swayed, his tone became gentle again, “Muxuan, you and I, master and disciple, haven’t seen each other for decades. To be so antagonistic is too hurtful to our relationship.”

“Heh, we actually still have a relationship to speak of?”

The beaded curtain obscured each other’s faces. Yin Lang couldn’t see Feng Jiangcheng’s expression, nor was he willing to show weakness first by using spiritual qi. He only heard Feng Jiangcheng still maintaining that slow, measured tone, “I was too impulsive just now. Taking disciples is your affair—there’s no reason for me to dictate it unilaterally. It’s just that having this child remain nameless and without status would ultimately reflect poorly. Once matters in Li Capital are settled, bring your little disciple to me and have him registered in our branch’s disciple records.”

Shen Muxuan stared directly at the blurred figure showing through the slightly swaying beaded curtain without speaking. From Xu Rong’s perspective, however, he noticed that his furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

Feng Jiangcheng continued, “Shizun heard everything from Fuxuan. This child’s fate is bitter—losing both parents in one night and being bullied by others. His destiny is truly tragic. Your nature is kind, so you’re more soft-hearted about this. Shizun can understand that.”

Xu Rong crushed the other half of the carved window with an expressionless face.

He ground his teeth and said in a low voice, “Shizun, you don’t need to… for my sake… I don’t care about this.”

“That won’t be necessary. This child isn’t suitable material for sword cultivation. Taking him to show you would be a waste. Let’s leave it at that. You return to your cave dwelling, and I’ll stay at my Tianji Peak with my disciple. Just don’t come provoke me—that would already be fortunate.” Shen Muxuan’s tone remained icy, his refusal clean and decisive, yet it lacked some of the initial hostility.

Feng Jiangcheng keenly detected this change in attitude and slightly curved his lips. “Fine. Your requests—there’s nothing Shizun can’t agree to. But you also need to promise me—”

Shen Muxuan interrupted him, “Feng Jiangcheng, the nature of our relationship is something we both understand clearly. If you say a few more words, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to resist drawing my sword.”

Feng Jiangcheng’s unfinished words were blocked.

This was a busy marketplace, restricting both Shen Muxuan and himself. To draw swords and battle here in Li Capital—when they returned, Li Baisu would fight him to the death.

Not worth it.

“It’s just that it’s been too long since I’ve seen you. Shizun really misses you.” He swallowed all the things he wanted to say and ask, treading at the limit of Shen Muxuan’s patience, speaking gently and softly, “They’re just some insignificant demonic cultivators. I’m sure Muxuan will resolve this quickly. Shizun and Lan’er will wait together at the sect for your return.”

The green figure disappeared outside the beaded curtain. At the same moment, the jade cup on the table vanished along with all traces of their fight, so clean it was as if this person had never appeared at all.

“Shizun…” Xu Rong cautiously stepped forward, wanting to ask something, when suddenly there was a loud crash from the roof. Fine wood fragments fell down, bright daylight poured in, and below, people immediately scattered in chaos.

Looking up, he saw a long, narrow crack had opened in the tavern’s roof. The sword qi was intense, and the edges of the opening were smooth and neat—completely unlike something that had been split open by a distant sword strike.

Yin Lang quickly walked to the railing and looked down. Sure enough, the platform where the storyteller sat had been destroyed along with both person and table, and quite a few audience members sitting closer to the front had also been affected and injured.

He turned his head to look at the drifting white clouds in the distant sky outside the window, and his gaze suddenly turned cold.

This sword strike appeared to clear away the storyteller for him first, but in reality, it was a warning from Feng Jiangcheng.

——Even after advancing to the Tribulation stage, don’t think you can easily escape from Shizun’s control.

He glanced once more at the chaotic main hall, then turned to leave.

“Shizun…” After jogging to catch up for several hundred meters, Xu Rong gently tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Muxuan turned his head to look at him, let out a soft breath, and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Xu Rong was burning with curiosity, yet didn’t want to touch upon Shen Muxuan’s painful matters, so he asked in a roundabout way, “Shizun, for Elder Feng to descend upon Li Capital at this time, isn’t he afraid you’ll misunderstand that the Feng clan’s affairs have something to do with him?”

“I won’t overthink it.”

He tugged at the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that was annoyed yet somehow absurd, and said in an extremely flat tone, “To be fair, he has indeed treated me extremely well. The Feng clan only dared to move their claws when his back was turned, because they themselves know full well that between the Feng clan and me, Feng Jiangcheng will always choose me.”

Xu Rong’s heart filled with bitter jealousy. Even knowing that the relationship between Shen Muxuan and Feng Jiangcheng could never be repaired and they would be enemies rather than friends for the rest of their lives, he still felt panicked with envy over this kind of trust.

“Then why did he later retreat beyond the curtain to speak with you?” Xu Rong was especially puzzled by this point.

To a cultivation practitioner, what difference was there between a beaded curtain and nothing at all? Was it to prevent Shen Muxuan from getting too angry looking at that face and drawing his sword to charge forward?

Shen Muxuan’s footsteps suddenly stopped. Xu Rong looked up at him in confusion.

“Because I hate most when people stare at my face.”

When he said this, his tone and emotions were the same as usual, even carrying some joking, playful banter. Yet Xu Rong’s entire spine instantly soaked with sweat, and he quickly lowered his head.

Then someone patted his head. “Don’t be so timid, disciple. If others see this, they’ll think I’m about to do something to you.”

He didn’t bring up the topic again, and Xu Rong acted as if he had never asked, obediently following behind, not even daring to ask where they were going.

In his heart, he turned over and over, chewing on Shen Muxuan’s various expressions and states after Feng Jiangcheng appeared.

Shen Muxuan extremely detested Feng Jiangcheng—this was beyond doubt.

This loathing was so severe that he couldn’t even maintain calm emotions while speaking with the other party for more than half a moment.

So loathsome that it could make Shen Muxuan, a righteous disciple taught by a prestigious orthodox sect, completely disregard the ethics of ‘heaven, earth, monarch, parent, and teacher’ and speak harshly and draw swords against the master who had raised and taught him.

He didn’t doubt Shen Muxuan’s character at all, so what had Feng Jiangcheng done to drive a person like Shen Muxuan, who could be called a good person at heart, to exhibit a completely different temperament toward anything related to this man?

Xu Rong carefully and seriously pondered the information revealed in Feng Jiangcheng’s brief words and actions. He didn’t know if there was some attribute bonus where only one’s own kind could detect their own kind, but inspiration struck, and he actually deduced a very likely possibility.

——Feng Jiangcheng harbored the same thoughts toward Shen Muxuan as he himself did!

He had tried to kill him only after Shen Muxuan clearly showed his intention to protect.

His subsequent words revealed full malice toward both him and his parents.

As soon as Shen Muxuan showed signs of violent fury, he quickly stopped and retreated beyond the curtain, maintaining the other’s anger at a level that was on the verge of erupting yet wouldn’t actually lead to drawing a sword against him.

Feng Jiangcheng had personally raised Shen Muxuan, so no one could understand Shen Muxuan’s nature better than him.

Even a Shen Muxuan who had already turned against him.

He liked this person, so he wouldn’t permit anyone other than himself to approach this person.

The instant he reached these two conclusions, Xu Rong felt his brain explode with a boom.

An indescribably intense possessiveness erupted, a thousand times stronger than hearing about that so-called Immortal Lord and Immortal Lady who went through countless hardships to come together!

How could it be! How could it be!

This person is my treasure—how can I permit others to covet him!

Kill them! Whether it’s Hua Qilan or Feng Lan or Feng Jiangcheng—kill these rivals who dare to seize his treasure!

He didn’t realize he had raised his head to stare fixedly at Shen Muxuan, much less how obvious the burning possessiveness in his eyes was at this moment.

“That’s right.”

At some unknown point, having stopped beneath a tree, the snow-robed figure turned around and tilted his head, revealing a smile filled with undisguised malice. In this instant, he seemed to shed this noble and refined body, exposing his true demonic form brimming with wickedness.

“Be enraged. Let me see what extent this so-called ‘Child of Destiny’ can go to for your ‘love.'”