Chapter 240: Acting Crazy

Chapter 240: Acting Crazy

The conversation in front of the hall ended on an unpleasant note. However, Tan Yue was not genuinely trying to recruit Ying Wujiu, and Ying Wujiu had no intention of submitting to the Immortal Sect. They were merely probing each other, secretly playing a grand game that could affect the situation across the three realms.

"Keep an eye on them. Report any movement immediately."

Ying Wujiu’s gaze was icy and mocking. He watched Tan Yue's departing back, instructed Shuimei, then turned and headed to the rear hall, temporarily setting aside the rebellious corpse puppet—

He now wanted to deal with Lu Yan, who didn’t know his place.

Whether Lu Yan was a spy for the Wuwang Sect or truly intended to join the demon realm, Ying Wujiu, despite being someone who liked to settle old scores, never thought of pursuing Lu Yan. Instead, he even sent a corpse puppet to protect him from the impending calamity. But he never expected Lu Yan to trick the corpse puppet into accompanying him up Feiju Peak!

Every time Ying Wujiu thought about this, he felt a gnawing hatred, wondering if Lu Yan was reincarnated from a fox spirit, capable of charming anyone with just words, even the emotionless corpse puppet!

Fear what you dread most.

As soon as Ying Wujiu pushed open the hall door, a steaming cup of tea was presented before him, and Lu Yan’s familiar face appeared. Dressed like a scholar, Lu Yan looked refined and handsome, but with slightly raised eyes that made him look like a fox when he smiled: "Your Excellency must be tired from entertaining guests in the front hall. Have some tea to soothe your throat."

Ying Wujiu did not take the cup but instead glared at him: "Lu Yan, you have quite the nerve. I ordered you and the corpse puppet to guard Xuanchu Hall, yet you dared to disobey me?!"

Seeing that he wouldn’t take the tea, Lu Yan smoothly withdrew the cup, blew on the rising steam, and spoke with a hint of grievance: "Your Excellency, I don’t understand what you mean. When I woke up that morning, you were already gone, leaving only the taciturn General Corpse Puppet outside. I don’t recall when you ordered me to guard Xuanchu Hall."

Ying Wujiu had left after sleeping, without even seeing him. No matter how one looked at it, Lu Yan had a point.

Ying Wujiu was clearly taken aback: "Didn’t the corpse puppet tell you my order?"

Lu Yan looked innocent: "He did mention something, but I worried he might be falsely conveying Your Excellency’s orders. With our relationship, isn’t it better to give orders face-to-face? Why would we need him to relay messages?"

Ying Wujiu: "..."

Ying Wujiu finally realized Lu Yan was deliberately feigning ignorance. He pressed down on the lid of the teacup in Lu Yan’s hand, feeling the gradually cooling temperature through the porcelain. His voice deepened:

"Lu Yan, why did you come here?"

Everyone knew the Sword Competition would inevitably lead to bloodshed. Ying Wujiu couldn’t understand why Lu Yan, given the chance to escape, would still come here?

Ying Wujiu’s compassion had long been exhausted over the years. He hadn’t done good deeds for a long time, and the only exception was for Lu Yan.

Hearing this, Lu Yan looked at Ying Wujiu. Many answers flashed through his mind, such as "my heart is still with you," or "you’ve secretly saved me many times," or "I don’t want you to die."

But all these thoughts condensed into one sentence, and he smiled lightly:

"The view on Feiju Peak is beautiful, so I wanted to see it."

Ying Wujiu frowned: "What if I say this place will soon be razed to the ground, drenched in blood?"

Lu Yan tilted his head slightly: "Oh? Then I should hurry and take a closer look."

Ying Wujiu gritted his teeth: "You really aren’t afraid of death!"

Lu Yan nodded cheerfully: "Your Excellency is wise; I’m least afraid of dying."

He could resurrect anyway, so it was just a matter of starting over. Who was afraid?

Ying Wujiu wanted to say more, but Lu Yan had already placed the teacup on a nearby stand, pulled him into an embrace, and stumbled into the inner chambers, eventually losing balance and falling into a pile of soft, silky quilts.

Ying Wujiu’s breathing was disordered, and he was dizzy from the fall. He couldn’t help but mutter softly: "Rascal, thinking of doing this as soon as we meet?!"

Lu Yan supported himself above him, lifted the mask on Ying Wujiu’s face with his fingertips, and slowly undid his belt, tossing it aside. The collar of his scholar’s robe opened, revealing his sexy, pale collarbone, dazzling in the dim light: "What, Your Excellency wants to do something else? We can discuss it."

Ying Wujiu instinctively turned his head away, hiding his injured side under the quilt, using shadows to conceal it. His slender eyebrows furrowed: "If you’re going to do it, just do it. Why waste words?"

Lu Yan was always gentle in bed, so Ying Wujiu felt free to speak harshly. However, this time, he almost broke from the intensity.

"Mmm..."

Ying Wujiu wasn’t one to beg for mercy; otherwise, he wouldn’t have endured seven hundred years of burning in the Bone Sword Furnace. The groan barely escaped his lips before he swallowed it, but his trembling body betrayed his exhaustion.

Despite his harsh actions, Lu Yan’s tone was gentle and kind. As he held Ying Wujiu’s chin and kissed him, he caressed the uneven scars on his face and sighed: "It seems I wasn’t good enough last time, letting Your Excellency leave without a word."

If he had been rougher, making Ying Wujiu unable to get out of bed, there wouldn’t be so much trouble.

Ying Wujiu’s body spasmed uncontrollably. Sweating profusely, his eyelashes wet, he forced out a sentence through clenched teeth: "Don’t... go too far..."

Lu Yan smiled and gently brushed back his damp hair: "Alright, I’ll listen to Your Excellency."

But in his heart, he wondered, if not too far, how far?

Ying Wujiu truly experienced the meaning of insincerity. Lu Yan agreed verbally but intensified his actions, stirring his senses to the point of confusion, turning him into a plaything.

The sun set, casting shadows in the room.

Lu Yan saw that enough time had passed and finally stopped. He scooped up the limp Ying Wujiu and held him, slowly stroking his sharp, pale chin, and asked curiously: "Earlier, when Your Excellency met guests in the front hall, was that person the leader of the Wuwang Sect?"

Ying Wujiu, originally drowsy, opened his eyes again and asked faintly: "Why, do you want to return to your sect?"

He hadn’t forgotten that Lu Yan was a spy for the Wuwang Sect.

Lu Yan lowered his gaze, playing with Ying Wujiu’s hand, smiling slyly like a fox: "I only recognize Your Excellency, not any sect leader. But these righteous sects seem to have ill intentions. I heard rumors when I came up the mountain... Tan Yue also seems to have a heart fragment?"

Others wouldn’t dare spread such rumors, so Lu Yan used this pretext to remind Ying Wujiu, hoping he wouldn’t fall for their tricks.

Ying Wujiu’s lips curled in mockery: "He has never lost in front of others. How could he miss such a treasure? It’s not surprising if he has it."

Lu Yan casually asked: "Does Your Excellency have any connection with him?"

Ying Wujiu didn’t answer. He rested one hand behind his head and stroked Lu Yan’s face with the other, savoring the warmth and touch. His voice was low and distant: "No need to dwell on the past. It’s been too long; even I’m starting to forget."

Then he patted the pillow: "Sleep. No more mischief tonight."

He hadn't had a good sleep in a long time, and today's turmoil had exhausted him. Before long, he fell asleep. Lu Yan looked at Ying Wujiu sleeping defenselessly in his arms and wondered if this wasn’t the perfect opportunity to take his heart? However, as his right hand slowly lifted and hesitated in the air for a long while, he ultimately did nothing.

Forget it, I'll take Tanyue’s first.

After confirming that Ying Wujiu was asleep, Lu Yan took advantage of the deep night and stealthily approached where the righteous sects were staying. Tanyue, being their leader, resided in the central pavilion, which was easy to identify. Moreover, due to the antagonistic relationship between the demonic realm and the immortal sects, patrols deliberately avoided this area to prevent conflicts, inadvertently making things easier for Lu Yan.

The night was dark and quiet, with only the sound of wind and rain in the mountains.

Lu Yan knew Tanyue’s strength was unfathomable and didn’t dare underestimate him. He used his energy to become invisible and passed through the side door, entering the inner chamber in the dark. There, he saw a man in white robes sitting cross-legged on a mat before the meditation room. The man had gentle, compassionate features, looking like a white jade bodhisattva under the moonlight—indeed, it was Tanyue, the leader of the Wuwang Sect.

This person was renowned throughout the three realms, yet Lu Yan could see a black mist in his brows, a clear sign of demonic corruption.

Lu Yan pressed his two fingers together before his eyes, and a faint purple glow flashed in his pupils, preparing to gauge Tanyue’s true strength. However, what he saw shocked him: five blue light spots floated gently within Tanyue, representing five whole heart fragments!

Damn!

Even Lu Yan couldn’t help but be astonished, cursing inwardly. He had struggled to find only three heart fragments, one of which was still with Ying Wujiu. How did Tanyue manage to obtain five heart fragments?!

Lu Yan couldn’t bring himself to harm Ying Wujiu, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t act against Tanyue. A cold glint flickered in his eyes, thinking that even if he couldn’t defeat Tanyue, taking one or two heart fragments would be worth it. Otherwise, once Tanyue collected all the fragments and gained immense power, even Lu Yan might struggle to deal with him.

Lu Yan extended his palm, and blue light appeared. The five heart fragments within Tanyue were drawn out, showing signs of leaving his body. Suddenly, the man who had been meditating with closed eyes opened them, revealing an unexpectedly fierce expression:

"Who dares to play tricks before me?!"

In a flash, Tanyue’s fingers snapped together, releasing a sharp sword qi that multiplied into countless threads, raining down towards Lu Yan. Lu Yan didn’t dodge, allowing the sword qi to pass through his transparent body, focusing on extracting those five heart fragments.

"Ding! Energy -10%! Ding! Energy -10%! Warning! Warning! Encountered unknown attack! Severe energy depletion!!"

Lu Yan’s condition was dire, but Tanyue’s wasn’t much better. He felt his heart fragments stirring, trying to fly in a certain direction, almost beyond his control. The hall was empty, and even tracking spells couldn’t detect anything!

"Swish—!"

Suddenly, a blue light flew out from Tanyue’s body, landing precisely in Lu Yan’s hand. Although Lu Yan obtained one heart fragment, he also revealed his position. Tanyue summoned his life-bound sword with a fierce cry, charging towards Lu Yan with overwhelming force:

"I’ll make you pay for this!!"

Lu Yan still had some strength left. Seeing he had obtained the heart fragment, he prepared to teleport away from this dangerous place. However, just then, a buzzing sound came from above, and a blue transparent barrier appeared, blocking Tanyue’s full-force attack. White mist rose around them, and someone grabbed Lu Yan, whispering urgently, "Come with me!"

A strong wind swept around them, distorting the scenery as if they were traveling through time and space to another location.

When Lu Yan regained consciousness, he found himself beside a small pond on Feijue Peak, facing a man in white robes—the same loyal attendant who had been with Tanyue earlier—

Also the same temporal manager who had accompanied Lu Yan on this mission, Xi Nian.

Lu Yan wasn’t surprised at all: "I knew it was you."

Xi Nian smiled: "I never thought we’d meet again under such circumstances."

Lu Yan sat down on the ground, too lazy to get up. He tossed the newly acquired heart fragment in the air a couple of times before stuffing it into his robe. Then, he scrutinized his old partner, frowning: "Why were you with Tanyue?"

Xi Nian sat cross-legged beside him, sighing deeply, his expression complex: "It’s a long story. After we got separated, I’ve been searching for the heart fragments. I managed to find two, but Tanyue took them."

"Tanyue is the protagonist of this world, protected by the Heavenly Dao. When I traced the heart fragments to him, I tried to take them back but ended up getting caught. Tanyue saw that I knew about the heart fragments and wanted me to serve him. I had no choice but to pretend to comply."

Lu Yan was speechless. No wonder Tanyue had five heart fragments; two were given by his own teammate. His face twitched: "What do you plan to do now?"

"Wait and see."

Xi Nian glanced at Lu Yan: "You have three heart fragments now?"

Lu Yan implied: "If you hadn’t interfered, I might have taken another one."

Xi Nian laughed: "Don’t blame me for not warning you. He has the Heavenly Dao’s blessing. Fortunately, you only took the heart fragments and didn’t try to kill him. Otherwise, you would have faced backlash. That’s what happened to me."

Lu Yan’s face changed: "He has the Heavenly Dao’s blessing?!"

Every novel has a protagonist, the center of the world’s order. If they die, the world collapses, so the Heavenly Dao protects them with great fortune, even preventing temporal managers from interfering.

Lu Yan was incredulous. How could Tanyue, with his ruthless nature, be the protagonist?!

As they spoke, a commotion arose from the distant black palace, with torches lighting up one after another, indicating that the fight had alarmed everyone.

Xi Nian stood up hurriedly: "I need to go back, or Tanyue will suspect something. We can talk more privately later."

With that, he vanished instantly.

Lu Yan initially wanted to rest, but then he remembered something and quickly stood up: Bad, with all this noise, Ying Wujiu must have woken up!

Tanyue, as a half-step Golden Immortal, had unleashed a powerful sword qi, reducing the room where Lu Yan stayed to ruins. The demonic guards rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and even Ying Wujiu, startled, hurriedly dressed and arrived at the scene. The leaders of the neighboring immortal sects gathered before the ruins, whispering anxiously:

"What happened? Did the demonic realm try to ambush us?!"

Ying Wujiu arrived just in time to hear this and gave the speaker a cold, sharp look: "I could crush you with a single finger. Do you think I need to ambush you?!"

He was already furious at not finding Lu Yan, and now someone dared to challenge him!

The speaker lowered his head, red-faced, unable to retaliate against Ying Wujiu and had to endure silently.

Ying Wujiu then turned his gaze to the ruins, seeing a man in white robes standing there, holding a sword. The man’s usually compassionate face was now grim, and his eyes were filled with hostility, as if Ying Wujiu had killed his ancestors.

Ying Wujiu raised an eyebrow: "Huh?"

Has Tanyue lost his mind?