BW Extra 4

Later (4)

Xie Chang’an delivered the clothes and left gracefully, leaving only the flickering candlelight behind.

Ning Xiu lowered his gaze to look at the neatly arranged clothes in the wooden box, lost in thought.

****

Several days later, at the Wandering Dragon Secret Realm.

Ge Yunyang and Xie Chang’an went ahead to scout the path, while Ning Xiu stayed behind with Ge Yunxi and Xie Changming to set up formations.

“Xiao Shan, you changed clothes?” Ge Yunxi noticed the dark gold patterns on his sleeves. “The nine-leaf lotus is so beautiful.”

“The previous one was torn, so I changed to a new one.” Ning Xiu drew talismans with swift movements.

He had learned the art of talisman formations from Ning Buwei’s true teachings, and the incantations were taught hand-by-hand by Chu Jun. After finishing, he even covered the Taiji Seal with thick concealment talismans, and with a wave of his hand, the surroundings instantly returned to their original appearance.

“Then… who gave it to you?” Ge Yunxi crouched beside Ning Xiu and asked quietly.

“Tsk tsk.” Xie Changming said sourly, “My brother waited in line at the Brocade Clothes Pavilion for three months. Of course it’s beautiful.”

“Ah, so it was from Brother Chang’an.” Ge Yunxi immediately felt relieved and smiled. “From childhood to adulthood, Brother Chang’an has always doted on Xiao Shan the most.”

“That’s right, more than his own biological brother.” Xie Changming said indignantly. “Clearly, Xiao Shan liked clinging to me the most when he was little, calling me ‘Good Brother Changming’ so obediently, but then my brother made him more and more mischievous.”

“Brother Changming.” Ning Xiu gestured for him to look behind.

When Xie Changming turned around, he saw his older brother holding a sword with an unfriendly expression, staring at him. He shivered and lunged forward, and the next moment Xie Chang’an’s foot kicked up.

While the brothers were in chaos over there, fortunately there was still someone doing proper work.

“Chang’an and I speculated that the Wanhua Pagoda should be three hundred li away.” Ge Yunyang handed the map to Ning Xiu. “However, there are many traps and formations along this route, full of dangers. Dean Hao and those Shen family disciples have only traveled one hundred li in a month, and quite a few stragglers are trapped in various places. It’s probably also a test from the Shen family.”

“Those disciples are all at least Golden Core cultivation. Can we reach the Wanhua Pagoda before them?” Ge Yunxi stared at the map. “Although Xiao Shan has high cultivation, Dean Hao knows him too well and could easily discover him.”

“That’s why we need to find a Shen family disciple!” Xie Changming slapped the map with his palm and said proudly, “Guess who I found?”

Xie Chang’an immediately had an ominous premonition.

A quarter of an hour later, the five became six. The newcomer wore form-fitting moon-white clothes, had a clean and handsome appearance, and spoke with the soft, gentle accent unique to southern aristocratic families. Upon seeing Ning Xiu, he excitedly embraced him. “Xiao Shan, it really is you!”

Ning Xiu was pushed back a step by his embrace and reached out to steady him. “Shen Jingxue?”

“How could you leave without saying goodbye!” Shen Jingxue was happy at first, then somewhat angry. “Only asking the innkeeper to relay a message to me—what if he didn’t convey it clearly?”

Ning Xiu said helplessly, “Didn’t he convey it clearly? You found your way here.”

Xie Changming said quietly under his brother’s dark gaze, “I happened to run into him outside the secret realm before. I don’t know how he found out, but he came up and asked where Xiao Shan was. I thought about it… and figured we might as well let him come in to guide us.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Xie Chang’an’s voice seemed to squeeze through his teeth.

“This young master was too difficult to deal with. He insisted I keep it secret to give Ning Xiu a surprise.” Xie Changming said with a bitter face. “He gave way too many spirit stones. I couldn’t refuse.”

Xie Chang’an: “…………”

“I said your stories were told so well—turns out you really are that cultivation genius Ning Xiu!” Shen Jingxue became more excited as he spoke. “I especially like your two fathers, especially the Demon Lord Ning. My family even has a replica of the Suzaku Knife and the Demon Lord’s image stone……”

Ning Xiu smiled slightly. “My father has always preferred tranquility, so—”

“I understand, I understand, that’s why I came directly to find you!” Shen Jingxue seemed to suddenly come to his senses, hurriedly releasing his grip on Ning Xiu’s arm, and said bashfully, “Sorry, I was being improper.”

“No matter.” Ning Xiu was about to smooth his wrinkled sleeves when Shen Jingxue leaned closer again, as if finally regaining his composure, murmuring, “The rumors don’t deceive—Little Master Ning truly has the bearing of a dragon and phoenix, solemn as wind beneath pines, bright as the moon over clear springs……”

“Xiao Shan, we should go.” Xie Chang’an ruthlessly interrupted Shen Jingxue’s poetic expressions, frowning. “This journey is fraught with dangers. Are you certain you want to travel with us, Young Master Shen?”

“I want to go together!” Shen Jingxue picked up the fan at his waist and said solemnly, “I heard from Changming that you have a grudge against my third brother. What a coincidence—I’m also irreconcilably opposed to him!”

Ge Yunxi asked curiously, “Isn’t he your cousin? What grudge do you have?”

“His father destroyed my legitimate brother’s Golden Core completely. This hatred is irreconcilable.” Shen Jingxue said angrily. “Unfortunately, my qualifications are mediocre and I’m powerless. Now that there’s an opportunity, I naturally want to personally avenge my brother. I’ll do everything I can to help you!”

“I’ve heard something about this. A few years ago, Shen San destroyed a clan member’s Golden Core. This incident caused quite a stir in the Shen family……” Ge Yunyang said. “So it was your brother.”

Shen Jingxue nodded with grief.

Xie Chang’an frowned, feeling something was off, but with time pressing and Ning Xiu saying nothing, he had no choice but to let it go.

Thus, the group of six began their trials in the secret realm.

The Wandering Dragon Secret Realm was privately owned by the Shen family. It was already difficult for non-clan disciples to train within it, but now with Shen Jingxue traveling with them, many checkpoints that required Shen family disciple identity verification became much easier.

“Why! Why would there be a Heaven-rank Phoenix-Jade Golden Eagle demon beast in this kind of secret realm!?” Ge Yunyang’s Beast-Binding Ring shattered into pieces with a sound.

The golden eagle had enormous wings spanning dozens of zhang, soaring through the sky and blocking out the sun. Its pair of pitch-black eagle eyes were sharp and cold, its gleaming beak razor-sharp, and its giant claws could take a life in an instant.

Heaven-rank demon beasts had cultivation comparable to peak Hinayana stage and were extremely difficult to deal with. One careless moment and they would be devoured.

“Both its beak and claws carry deadly poison. Don’t get entangled in battle. First use formations to hold it off, then retreat quickly!” Ning Xiu blocked the golden eagle’s giant claws with one sword, grabbed Ge Yunxi’s arm and flung her onto a tree. The petite girl stood on the treetop, her ice bow drawn almost to a full moon, and a dark arrow shot through the air, aimed directly at the eagle’s eye.

Who knew that despite its massive size, the golden eagle was extremely agile, barely dodging Ge Yunxi’s arrow. With strong vengeful intent, it charged toward her. Ge Yunxi flipped and jumped down from the treetop, was supported by Xie Changming’s flying star staff, and turned to shoot another arrow.

Xie Chang’an flew his sword behind the golden eagle, caught the heavy spear Ge Yunyang threw to him, and thrust it with tremendous force into the back of the eagle’s head. The golden eagle cried out in pain, suddenly flapped its giant wings, and the surrounding trees and rocks shattered. Ning Xiu aimed his Taiji Seal at the golden eagle and blasted it forth.

The golden eagle’s movements froze for a moment. Ge Yunyang’s Beast-Binding Ring took the opportunity to bind its sharp claws again, shouting loudly, “Ning Xiu! Now!”

Complex and powerful formations suddenly emerged from all directions, firmly trapping the massive golden eagle in place. Ning Xiu grabbed Xie Chang’an’s hand and pulled hard, bringing both man and spear out from the golden eagle. Xie Chang’an threw the heavy spear back to Ge Yunyang and turned to Ning Xiu. “Retreat!”

“This way!” Ge Yunxi called out to them, carrying her bow and arrows.

The five coordinated seamlessly as they ran forward, but then an anxious shout came from a corner. “Wait, there’s still me!”

“It’s Shen Jingxue! Didn’t we already tell him to run!” Ge Yunyang cursed.

A sharp eagle cry pierced the sky. The formation was about to collapse. Ning Xiu made a decisive decision to turn back. “I’ll go get him! You keep running!”

“Xiao Shan!” Xie Chang’an wanted to go with him, but was pushed by Ning Xiu and dragged away by Xie Changming, missing the opportunity.

“Go quickly! Xiao Shan’s concealment technique can handle at most two people. Brother, don’t go cause trouble!”

Xie Chang’an had no choice but to follow on his sword. Half an incense stick’s time later, the formation trapping the golden eagle shattered with a roar, and the enraged giant beast began to destroy everything frantically.

“Golden eagles have excellent vision. Let’s split up and run! We’ll find a chance to regroup in half an hour!” As Xie Chang’an spoke, he sent Ning Xiu a message talisman.

The other four scattered and disappeared without a trace in an instant.

Ning Xiu pulled Shen Jingxue out from under the golden eagle’s sharp claws and caught the message talisman Xie Chang’an had sent. The talisman paper burned in his palm and turned to dust. Just as he was about to cast a concealment technique with Shen Jingxue, the other person suddenly struggled violently.

“Shen Jingxue!?” Ning Xiu grasped his shoulder, but this action slowed him down by half a beat. Sharp claws struck from behind, and he felt pain in his back as he fell heavily to the ground with Shen Jingxue.

Ning Xiu landed on his back with Shen Jingxue pressed on top of him. Not caring about the person on him, he hurriedly sealed several major acupoints around his body, then his gaze suddenly sharpened. He struck Shen Jingxue with his palm, sending him flying, then quickly retreated two steps and leaned against a tree.

Shen Jingxue, who had appeared clean and harmless these past days, now showed an evil smile on his face.

“After taking a claw from the golden eagle, you’re still so alert?” He opened his palm, revealing several crimson gu insects trembling in his palm.

Ning Xiu’s expression darkened. “You’re not Shen Jingxue.”

“I am Shen Jingxue.” His smile slowly widened. “This is the first time someone has embraced me around the waist while I’m killing someone, causing me to waste gu insects I’ve raised for a hundred years. Boy, you’re really interesting.”

“…………” Ning Xiu recalled the scene when he had rescued Shen Jingxue earlier.

The person opposite him was covered in gu insects from head to toe, laughing wildly and proudly. Shen Jingxue stood with his back to him in front of that “gu cultivator,” his pale, clean face expressionless, as if frightened silly. All the gu insects rushed toward Shen Jingxue at once. His first reaction was naturally to save the person, so he embraced him around the waist and flew to the rooftop, also burning all those gu insects clean with true fire.

Afterward, Shen Jingxue had trembled in his arms, and he naturally took him for a victim.

“—I was angry.” Shen Jingxue laughed coldly. “Ah, but my useless brother’s reputation is quite useful. Although listening to your stories was painful, and I even spent a Fentian Stone, catching the Linglong Bone wasn’t too much of a loss.”

Ning Xiu’s brows and eyes were covered with frost. “What was wrong with my storytelling?”

Shen Jingxue’s expression twisted for a moment, firmly refusing to answer his question, instead saying, “So you admit you’re the Linglong Bone?”

“There are no more Linglong Bone in this world.” Ning Xiu snorted coldly, though his face grew paler due to the poison on the golden eagle’s claws.

“Tsk tsk, too bad I don’t favor men, so I don’t want to take you back as a furnace cauldron. But making you into a puppet would work the same.” Shen Jingxue’s gaze turned sharp, and the golden eagle behind him suddenly charged toward the slow-moving Ning Xiu.

At the same time, Xie Chang’an received a voice transmission talisman from Ge Yunyang.

“That’s not right, Brother Chang’an. I suddenly remembered something. The Shen family’s young master seems to be called Shen Jingshuang!”

“Then who is Shen Jingxue?” Ge Yunxi asked.

“The one whose Golden Core was shattered by Shen San’s father before—Shen Jingshuang’s legitimate brother! But it seems he was punished for practicing evil arts. He’s an evil cultivator of several hundred years! Not a good person!” 

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!” Xie Changming broke down.

“I didn’t think of it before!” Ge Yunyang was frantic. “This is terrible. Xiao Shan must have been targeted by him. We need to rescue him quickly. Brother Chang’an? Brother Chang’an?”

****

Ning Xiu stood expressionlessly in a pool of blood, holding his sword. Behind him, the golden eagle’s massive body crashed to the ground with a thunderous sound, its severed head slowly sliding to the ground.

“Worthy of being the number one genius on the Tianji Rankings… to actually be able to kill my contracted beast.” Shen Jingxue’s form-fitting clothes were already soaked with blood. A flash of madness crossed his face as his gaze stuck to Ning Xiu’s blood-stained face. “I suddenly think… taking you back as a furnace cauldron wouldn’t be bad either.”

Ning Xiu’s back, previously injured by the golden eagle’s claws, was in excruciating pain, but he still stood motionless, his long sword steadily aimed at Shen Jingxue. He coldly lifted the corner of his mouth. “That depends on whether you have the ability.”

Shen Jingxue’s smile suddenly widened. “Besides yourself, have you seen anyone else in the entire Seventeen States who has a contracted beast?”

Ning Xiu’s thinking, slowed by the toxins, paused for a moment. Then he saw a massive dharma manifestation appear behind Shen Jingxue. His fighting spirit was also aroused. Ignoring the worsening pain in his back, he flicked his wrist and charged forward with his sword.

The surging spiritual energy was devastating, leveling the mountain forest within dozens of li.

When Xie Chang’an and the others arrived, apart from the golden eagle’s miserable corpse, there wasn’t a single living thing around.

“Brother Chang’an.” Ge Yunxi picked up a torn piece of clothing from the ground, on which the dark gold pattern of nine-leaf lotus was still faintly visible.

Xie Chang’an’s heart immediately sank.

****

Ning Xiu rarely dreamed of childhood events, but this dream was exceptionally clear.

At that time, he should have been only three or four years old, sitting on his father’s lap, working hard to eat the sweet little fruit in his hand.

Chu Jun reached out to take the pit he spat out.

“Mother, eat~” He happily shared the pitted fruit in his hand with Chu Jun.

“You eat it yourself.” Chu Jun patiently and gently wiped his mouth.

“……Even if the life tribulation with the lowest survival rate has passed, he still has most of his life tribulations ahead. You can’t take them all on for him every time.” Hao Zheng said.

“If we have to take them on every time, then we’ll take them on.” His father’s casual voice came from above his head. Ning Xiu continued to chew the fruit diligently while looking up at his father.

In his eyes, his father Ning Buwei was a towering great hero!

Super incredibly amazing!

He would always protect him, mother, and his brothers and sisters!

He would become as impressive as father in the future!

“But you won’t always be there.” Hao Zheng said. “Besides, you’re not……”

He couldn’t quite understand Uncle Hao’s words, but looking up at Ning Buwei, he noticed his father seemed a bit unhappy.

So he reached out and patted Ning Buwei’s chin, offering him the fruit in his hand. “Father~ eat~”

Ning Buwei lowered his head and smiled at him, stuffed the fruit into his mouth, and said without lifting his head, “Then let him become strong enough that no one can defeat him. It’s just forty-nine life tribulations… In any case, Chu Jun and I will be there to support him. He can forge ahead on his own.”

Ning Xiu ate his little fruit, understanding only vaguely, looking at Ning Buwei then at Chu Jun, showing an obedient smile.

The little fruit was so delicious~

“……Ning Xiu, Ning Xiu, wake up!” A voice seemed to be calling him through a layer of cotton.

Severe pain came from his limbs and bones. Ning Xiu groaned and struggled to open his eyes, but faced only thick darkness. His lips still retained some of the fruit’s sweet taste. Then Shen Jingxue’s lowered voice sounded by his ear. “You’re awake——”

Even though he couldn’t see, Ning Xiu’s five fingers formed claws and accurately grasped his throat, saying coldly, “Don’t move!”

Shen Jingxue laughed angrily. “I went through so much trouble to save you, and you repay kindness with enmity the moment you wake up!”

“What do you mean?” Ning Xiu frowned, but his hand remained firmly pressed against Shen Jingxue’s warm neck.

“I mean——” Shen Jingxue drew out his voice. The wound on Ning Xiu’s back suddenly flared with pain, his arm went limp, and a cold blade pressed against his neck. Shen Jingxue’s vicious voice rang in his ear. “You’d better obediently listen to me and help me get out of here, or I’ll kill you right now!”

Ning Xiu caught a whiff of blood with a strange fragrance and had a guess, saying with certainty, “You’re injured.”

“Nonsense.” Shen Jingxue dragged his completely immobile legs, vigilantly watching the cold, damp cave around them. “Listen well, boy. This is the Nine-Turn Sky Scorpion Den that the Shen family set up in the Wandering Dragon Secret Realm. Anyone who falls in, no matter how high their cultivation, becomes powerless. Only by finding the sole life gate can one escape. You still have the golden eagle’s deadly poison in your body, so you’d better not think of any other tricks!”

“I can’t see.” Ning Xiu said coldly.

“Otherwise I——” Shen Jingxue suddenly stopped speaking. “What did you say?”

Ning Xiu tried to mobilize the spiritual power or life force in his body to heal, but there was no response. His whole body felt lifeless, and he couldn’t even sense his surroundings. He guessed that the earlier commotion had accidentally triggered the Shen family’s mechanism, which was why they had both fallen here.

But he had already learned from Shen Jingxue about their current location and the method to escape.

He said flatly, “My eyes are damaged. I can’t see.”

Shen Jingxue waved his hand in front of his eyes and indeed got no reaction. His wrist suddenly exerted force. “What use is a blind person!”

Who knew that although Ning Xiu couldn’t see, his movements were extremely fast. He instantly grasped the vital point on his wrist and twisted hard. The dagger immediately fell to the ground.

He even easily caught the hand that was trying to release gu insects.

“Here, spiritual power is useless. You can’t match me in pure strength.” Ning Xiu expressionlessly restrained him. “I can’t see, but your legs are also broken and you can’t get out on your own. If you guide the way, I can take you out. If you want to use the eagle poison to kill me, I’ll kill you before the poison takes effect… Mutual destruction or cooperation—you choose.”

This confident yet indifferent tone made Shen Jingxue slightly stunned, then he sneered. “You’re just a sixteen-year-old brat, and you dare negotiate with me?”

“This brat can still kill you.” Ning Xiu’s thumb pressed hard on his wrist, causing Shen Jingxue’s face to contort in pain as he groaned.

“Choose.” Ning Xiu said coldly.

“……Cooperation.” Shen Jingxue said through gritted teeth.

Ning Xiu released his hand, then felt a burning sensation from the wound on his back, making him stagger backward a step.

“If you dare run off alone, I’ll make you die instantly.” Shen Jingxue sneered. “How did you know my legs were broken?”

“I accidentally stepped on you earlier and you didn’t react.” Ning Xiu answered truthfully.

“…………” Shen Jingxue cursed under his breath.

When Ning Xiu lifted him horizontally, he protested. Shen Jingxue said sinisterly, “You embraced me once and that wasn’t enough—you want to embrace me a second time. How audacious! I’m warning you, what you saw before was just one of my transformation techniques. Put away your filthy ulterior motives!”

Ning Xiu was silent for a moment. “My back is injured.”

Actually, he didn’t want to touch this gu cultivator full of bad intentions at all, always feeling like his body was crawling with countless tiny insects.

Shen Jingxue choked and mocked, “Delicate little brat, can’t even handle this much pain.”

As soon as he finished speaking, severe pain shot through his arm, making him curl into a ball. The pale-faced gu cultivator stared venomously at Ning Xiu, and the next moment, Ning Xiu’s back sent piercing pain, making him stagger forward a step.

A quarter of an hour later, the two had moved less than ten zhang from their original spot.

Shen Jingxue clutched Ning Xiu’s front clothing, cold sweat beading as he said through gritted teeth, “This master won’t stoop to your level, little brat. If you don’t want to die, hurry up and leave this place.”

Ning Xiu said flatly, “You provoked me first.”

Shen Jingxue cursed silently and softened his tone. “I woke up earlier than you and could have killed you directly, but you kept calling for water, so I even fed you fruit. After you woke up, I didn’t let the poison take effect either……”

Ning Xiu paused, remembering eating fruit in his dream and the lingering sweetness on his lips when he woke. He pressed his lips together and said very politely, “Thank you.”

Seeing him being so polite, Shen Jingxue couldn’t help but gloat mockingly. “You also kept whimpering and calling for father and mother. Oh my, how pitiful that was.”

Ning Xiu’s whole body immediately stiffened, and he coldly rebuked, “Shut up.”

“Oh, your ears are turning red. You’re so good at fighting but you can still get shy, hahaha——ugh!” Shen Jingxue suddenly cried out in pain, his face instantly turning pale.

Although Ning Xiu couldn’t see, he habitually lowered his head. “Say another word and I’ll leave you here.”

“Then you’ll definitely die from the poison within ten steps.” Shen Jingxue refused to back down.

The two immediately entered another deadlock, neither giving way to the other.

Finally, Shen Jingxue cursed silently at the little brat, and said in a good-natured tone, “Fine, I’m three hundred years older than you, so I won’t stoop to your level. It’s normal for children to miss their parents——alright, alright, I’ll shut up, I won’t say anymore! Hurry up and move forward!”

“Turn right! Turn right some more! Are you blind!” Shen Jingxue angrily punched his shoulder.

“I can’t see, so I’m not used to it yet.” Ning Xiu frowned slightly, but his tone remained calm.

Shen Jingxue turned his head and saw that where he had just punched was exactly a wound. The torn clothing hung on his shoulder, and the raw, bloody wound looked quite horrifying compared to the intact pale skin beside it.

Looking up, he saw that handsome face was pale, and those extremely beautiful eyes were looking at him vacantly, somehow appearing both wronged and obedient, a bit pitiful.

Shen Jingxue was startled by his own thoughts. He reached out to push against his chin and roughly turned his head away. “Got it, I’ll be more detailed. Stop looking around when you’re blind—I don’t go for men! Stop trying to seduce me!”

Ning Xiu: “…………”

What a shameless gu cultivator.

The two had fought each other to mutual destruction—one with broken legs, one blind. Now they were forced to cooperate in the Nine-Turn Sky Scorpion Den to find the only path to survival. Their cooperation was bumpy and difficult, and they would fight at the slightest provocation.

Shen Jingxue’s sneak attack failed once again and was pinned against the cold cave wall by Ning Xiu. Small scorpions with poison-tipped stingers crawled rustling around Shen Jingxue’s face.

“I told you, I’m not a Linglong Bone. Give up your ridiculous fantasies.” Ning Xiu said coldly. “There’s no such thing as ascending on the spot in this world.”

“You bastard! Let me go! I just wanted to help treat the wound on your back!” Shen Jingxue said angrily.

Ning Xiu paused but didn’t relax his vigilance. “You want to cure my poison?”

Shen Jingxue scoffed. “If I cure your poison and you run away, what then?”

“If you cure my poison, I’ll also take you out.” Ning Xiu said. “If I can see, our travel speed will be several times faster.”

Ning Xiu released his hand.

“Heh, cure your poison? In your dreams!” Shen Jingxue sneered, reaching out to grab his collar and pull him over. “Don’t move around, or I’ll let little insects crawl in and gnaw your flesh!”

Ning Xiu immediately stiffened all over.

“Coward.” Shen Jingxue mercilessly mocked him.

Over the past few days, he had figured out that this little brat was extremely clean and fastidious, and particularly detested all sorts of ugly-looking insects, especially the little scorpions in this cave and the crimson gu insects he raised. The boy had already thrown away over a dozen handkerchiefs just from wiping his hands.

He roughly and carelessly bandaged the wound on Ning Xiu’s back, saying sinisterly, “Who knows how many spiders and little insects have crawled into your wounds these past few days, gnawing at your flesh bit by bit. Too bad you were slow to react from the poison and couldn’t notice. Maybe they’ve already crawled into your——mmph!”

Ning Xiu covered his mouth, feeling extremely uncomfortable all over, even feeling that Shen Jingxue was just a big insect. He hurriedly let go and said through gritted teeth, “Stop talking!”

Shen Jingxue’s moment of bravado resulted in Ning Xiu absolutely refusing to touch him again.

The gu cultivator was immediately dumbfounded and pleaded earnestly, “Ancestor, just pretend I never said that. We really need to leave. What if we’re caught by the scorpion king in the cave? With one of us crippled and one blind, how can we fight it?”

But Ning Xiu ignored him and instead asked an unrelated question. “How do you usually raise gu?”

Shen Jingxue choked, then said angrily, “What do you care how I raise gu!”

“Will you tell me or not?” Ning Xiu’s expression darkened.

“I’ll tell, I’ll tell.” Shen Jingxue, thinking he still needed him to carry him out, rolled his eyes and said briefly, “Catch insects and put them in a storage ring, feed them some herbs, mix in some of my own blood.”

“Where do you keep your storage ring?” Ning Xiu asked again.

“Naturally on my body!” Shen Jingxue seemed to suddenly realize something and smiled evilly. “Oh, so you think I’m dirty. You think I’m covered in little insects, densely crawling all over my body—disgusting, right?”

Ning Xiu’s face stiffened as he stepped back, but was grabbed by the collar and pulled over. A gloating voice whispered in his ear, “Don’t worry, little brat. You’ve been carrying me for so many days—you’re already covered in gu insect eggs too. Soon they’ll turn into countless little insects and gnaw you into a white skeleton.”

Ning Xiu knew he was making it up, but couldn’t help imagining that scene, and immediately felt awful all over.

Shen Jingxue saw his face turn frighteningly ugly and gradually stopped talking, reaching out to poke his cheek. “Hey, are you alright? I was just teasing you. Those insects all live in the storage ring, not on my body. Their nests all have formations outside—as long as I don’t want them to, they can’t come out.”

Ning Xiu turned around and faced away from him in sullen silence.

Though he was reluctant to admit it, Shen Jingxue could actually tell that this little brat was sulking.

This was truly beyond belief.

Still, he was always practical, and after coaxing for a long time with gentle words, he finally convinced him to continue on their way.

He would rather listen to half a month of mushy love stories than travel with such an unpredictable, difficult to coax, fussy little brat again!

After going through countless hardships, more than ten days later, they finally found the life gate of the Nine-Turn Sky Scorpion Den.

The moment they emerged from the life gate, their spiritual power returned. The two who had been close together immediately separated—the one with broken legs forced his meridians open to stand up, the one with poison forcibly suppressed the toxins to restore his sight. Formations and gu insects all took their positions, clearly in a fight-to-the-death stance.

Only after Ning Xiu barely recovered his sight did he see the other’s true appearance. No wonder he had felt the person was quite heavy in the cave——

Due to his injuries, Shen Jingxue had withdrawn his youthful disguise. His originally clean, somewhat childish features had become handsome and mature, and his height, which had only reached Ning Xiu’s shoulder, was now barely level with his own. His lean waist was completely different from his previously slender, delicate appearance.

Obviously, this fellow had disguised himself as a youth to make people lower their guard. If Ning Xiu had seen his original appearance from the start, he definitely wouldn’t have rashly intervened to save him.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Shen Jingxue’s face bore an ill-intentioned smile. “Though I don’t much like your two fathers, I quite like you. Little brat, I’ll come looking for you again.”

After speaking, countless crimson gu insects swarmed toward Ning Xiu like a dark cloud.

Ning Xiu quickly retreated, using true fire mixed with his Taiji Seal to burn all these gu insects to ash, but Shen Jingxue had already vanished without a trace.

The wound on his back sent another wave of heart-piercing, bone-gnawing pain. His vision darkened, and just as he was about to sit down and regulate his breathing, he was suddenly enveloped by an unfamiliar spiritual energy. Before he could resist, he was dragged into the deep pool behind him.