Chapter 47

Chapter 47

After staying in the inn for a while, Qin Zhou took out his pill furnace. According to Wen Jue, the barrier he'd erected sealed off all traces, so no one would notice even if Qin Zhou lit a fire and started refining pills in the room.

The furnace was a spirit artifact he had bonded with. In the past, he had found it too bulky to carry around, but now that he had come to the Upper Realm, where journeys were long, he had brought it along.

Sitting in meditation like regular Cultivators was out of the question for him. To put it plainly, the conventional method of cultivation—gradually cycling qi—was far too slow for someone like Qin Zhou, who could level up just by popping pills.

As long as he had enough pills, he could raise his cultivation to any level. So, rather than meditating, he preferred refining pills.

Once he started refining, he'd keep at it for hours on end.

Seeing his focus, Wen Jue said, "Well, keep at it. I’ll go scout around."

Qin Zhou simply replied, "Alright." He had no reason to refuse—after all, even in the Lower Realm, Wen Jue had always come and gone as he pleased. As an Upper Realm Cultivator, he naturally had his own affairs to attend to.

Feeling guilty, Wen Jue hurriedly left as soon as Qin Zhou agreed.

...

He didn’t return to the Prison of Immortal Sealing. Instead, in his spiritual form, he twisted through back alleys until he arrived at a private compound on the outskirts of Boundary City.

Two stone lions stood guard at the entrance, and the gate was rather imposing, with a plaque bearing the words "Jingdong Estate."

Several guards stood at the door, seeming no different from regular guards. But those with slightly higher cultivation would notice that these guards were anything but common.

Any one of them was at least a Nascent Soul-stage Cultivator.

Nascent Soul-stage Cultivators weren’t particularly rare in the Upper Realm—most practitioners plateaued between the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages. After all, the higher one’s cultivation, the harder it was to advance, and many would remain at the Nascent Soul stage for thousands of years without the slightest improvement.

That said, employing multiple Nascent Soul-stage Cultivators as mere gatekeepers was a clear indication of the estate master's formidable standing.

As soon as Wen Jue reached the gate, someone stopped him.

Wen Jue immediately removed his mask.

The guards’ expressions changed. "Elder Wen Jue! We failed to recognize—"

Before they could finish, Wen Jue had already walked past them and stepped into the courtyard.

From the outside, it looked like an ordinary manor, but stepping inside revealed an entirely different world.

The interior was a vast estate, complete with meandering streams, curved bridges, pavilions, rock gardens, and more. Beyond the buildings, distant peaks rose through the mist.

It was as if this were an immortal's mountain retreat.

No one knew that such a place existed within Boundary City—and that it, in fact, belonged to the Demon Sect. More precisely, it belonged to the Demon Sect’s Supreme Sect Leader, Lu Qi.

The moment Wen Jue stepped into the courtyard, someone called out to him—

"Uncle Wen."

Wen Jue turned to see Lu Xiao.

Surprisingly, his spy shadow wasn’t with him. Wen Jue raised a brow slightly. "Where’s your spy shadow?"

Lu Xiao answered truthfully, "In confinement." After all, these were delicate times.

Wen Jue eyed him sharply. "At least you still understand priorities."

"Yes." Lu Xiao lowered his head slightly.

"Are your injuries healed?" Wen Jue patted his shoulder.

Lu Xiao coughed twice. "Nothing serious."

Wen Jue was about to praise him when his gaze caught the love bites trailing down Lu Xiao’s neck. Though he had never experienced such things himself, one glance was enough to know what they were.

His face changed in an instant. "This wild behavior—who on earth did you learn it from?"

Lu Xiao: ?

Lu Xiao looked up and saw Uncle Wen’s gaze growing colder, as if questioning how he could possibly have such a nephew.

Wen Jue couldn’t figure it out. Lu Xiao’s two fathers—one was cold and reserved but disciplined and proper, with not a single scandal heard in the cultivation world all these years.

The other might play the rogue, yet never crossed the line, remaining true-hearted through and through.

How did they end up with such a rake of a son?

Seeing Uncle Wen’s increasingly suspicious stare fixed on his neck, Lu Xiao felt his blood run cold. He had to explain—he absolutely had to! A premonition told him that if he didn’t stop Uncle Wen’s train of thought now, he might soon be written off as a hopeless case.

"Uncle Wen, it’s not promiscuity," Lu Xiao covered his neck, plaintively. "I’m going to marry them and become cultivation mates in the future."

Marry and become cultivation mates? Wen Jue’s expression softened slightly. "That’s good then."

"Where’s your father?" Wen Jue asked.

"In the backyard, practicing sword forms. He said he’s going to find my other father in the secret realm and have it out with him."

"Ah. I’ll go see him."

In a flash, he disappeared.

As Lu Xiao watched him leave, he touched his neck and smiled faintly. So Uncle Wen also supported him doing the right thing. In that case, when the time came for his marriage alliance, his father probably wouldn’t oppose it too much.

Yes, Lu Xiao saw absolutely no issue with a marriage alliance between the Sword Sect and the Demon Sect.

...

When Wen Jue found Lu Qi, the latter was in the backyard, executing sword flourishes.

"I’m telling you, what’s the point of practicing? Even if you practice, it's pointless—do you really think you can beat Lu Er with a sword?"

Lu Qi swiftly executed a sword flourish in the air. "Even if I can’t, I’ll outmaneuver him."

Wen Jue: "Hmm."

If scheming were enough, that sword fanatic would’ve died long ago.

Lu Qi suddenly turned and thrust his sword at Wen Jue. "Why don’t you believe me?"

Wen Jue raised two fingers, casually pinching the blade between them. "I believe you, I believe you."

Lu Qi tried to pull his sword back but couldn’t, leaving him so frustrated he simply dropped it in frustration.

"Did you call me here just to watch you pitch a fit?" Wen Jue took a seat, picked up a grape from the table, and began peeling it slowly.

His laid-back attitude only irritated Lu Qi further. This man had had it pretty easy lately, while he, on the other hand—just the thought of meeting Lu Er without a fight to the death and being forced to pretend to be a devoted couple in front of the village chief for days made him furious.

"The major sects of the orthodox path have already formed an alliance. The Demon Sect is also prepared. I called you here to ask when the Hidden Realm can be opened," Lu Qi said, sheathing his sword irritably.

Wen Jue frowned. "It’ll open once Qin Zhou leaves Border City."

Lu Qi was startled. "You brought the Village Head up here? What are you planning?"

"He came on his own," Wen Jue replied, popping a grape into his mouth, the sweetness spreading. "He wants to find his forging hammer and look for Lu Yi. What could I do? Could I stop him?"

Hearing Wen Jue’s slightly smug tone, Lu Qi shuddered. "Whatever, have it your way. Just don’t mess things up."

Wen Jue snorted lightly. "I've got this under control."

"I don’t think you do," Lu Qi said, sitting down in a chair across the table. "After all this time he's back, and you don’t even dare reveal your real identity."

Wen Jue: "..."

"Forget it, I'll drop it," Lu Qi said, turning serious. "This time, the alliance of orthodox sects doesn’t seem to include the Sword Sect."

Wen Jue: ?

"Without the Sword Sect? How do they plan to fight the Demon Sect?"

"Maybe they have their own ideas. Who knows?" Lu Qi chuckled. "Probably infighting. Those old men from the orthodox path combined aren’t half as sharp as the Sword Sect’s Sovereign alone."

"Of course you'd praise your own," Wen Jue remarked.

"Shut up," Lu Qi pushed the grapes toward him, trying to silence Wen Jue. "You’re still guarding the Village Head? It’s already this late, and you’re not going back? Don’t tell me you plan to enter the Hidden Realm in your spiritual form?"

"I’ll go back to my cell after sending him away from Border City."

"Can you even escape the Immortal-Binding Prison?"

His eyes flashed with disdain. "If I could get in on my own, I can certainly walk out. The Immortal-Binding Prison is meant to trap immortals—how could it hold this Lord?"

He was, after all, a Demon Sovereign.

"Then I’ll wait for you in Border City."

"Mm."

With that, Wen Jue stood up, ready to leave.

Before going, he didn’t forget to cast a barrier spell, swiping the whole plate of grapes into it before tucking them into his sleeve.

He wondered if Qin Zhou would like these specialty grapes from the cultivation world. Might as well bring some back for him to try.

Lu Qi watched his thieving antics, at a loss for words.

"Wen Jue."

"Hm?"

"When the Village Head comes back… I mean, in the future…"

Lu Qi’s words were vague, but Wen Jue understood perfectly.

He paused mid-step, then turned back and mussed up Lu Qi’s hair. "Nothing left to worry about. If the sky falls, your big brother's got you covered!"

Lu Qi slapped his hand aside. "Beat it."

Wen Jue headed back cheerfully with a plate of grapes in hand.

...

Early the next morning, Wen Jue left the city with Qin Zhou.

The destination Wen Jue pointed out to Qin Zhou was the 'Celestial-Demon City' north of Boundary City. Located at the border between the demonic sects and the territories of the righteous factions, it was also the Upper Realm's largest city.

Like Yuanqing Mountain, the Celestial-Demon City belonged to a neutral third faction outside the conflicts of righteousness and demonic paths. With powerful cultivators keeping order, nobody dared make trouble. As a result, the city had grown into the most prosperous city in the Upper Realm.

It was quite a journey from Boundary City to the Celestial-Demon City. Even with Qin Zhou's Windswallow, it would still take days.

By the time Qin Zhou arrived, the secret realm would be about to open.

"And you?" Qin Zhou asked him.

"This spirit form of mine should return to my real body," Wen Jue replied. "Next time we meet, don’t let this lord's grandeur startle you."

Majestic presence or not, Qin Zhou was curious about one thing.

"Next time we meet, will I actually get to see your face?" Qin Zhou asked.

Wen Jue's face fell.

Of course he'd ask that.

Thinking of that curse, Wen Jue's mood turned sour. It wasn’t as if he was the one stopping Qin Zhou from seeing it... Well, actually, he was, but...

"Current favorability of 'Wen Jue' toward you: 89"

Wonderful, another point down.

Qin Zhou sighed. "I don’t want to see it."

"Current favorability of 'Wen Jue' toward you: 88"

Even saying he didn’t want to see it caused a drop?

"I do want to see it," Qin Zhou corrected.

Wen Jue shot him a glare. "Like I care what you want?!"

Qin Zhou: "..."

"This lord is leaving," Wen Jue snapped, turning away irritably.

Despite his words, he hadn’t vanished yet—still standing there, chin slightly raised, making his annoyance obvious.

The next moment, Qin Zhou’s hand came to rest on his face.

Wen Jue trembled but held still.

"You know whether I want to see it or not." Qin Zhou’s thumb brushed gently along his cheek, tracing down to his lips. The softness made him linger, stroking a few more times.

This face was all too familiar to him.

Even without looking, he knew exactly what it looked like.

What he truly wanted to see were every expression that might flicker across Wen Jue’s face—whether haughty, irritated, or scoffing in disdain—each one beautiful.

"Like I care what you want to see!" Wen Jue pulled his hand away and shoved a barrier stone into his palm. "If you're in danger, I'll know—even if I'm a thousand miles away, I'll come to save your life."

"I have Windswallow..." Though he said this, Qin Zhou didn't hesitate and pocketed the small triangular stone.

"Even the best fighter can't take on an army alone." Wen Jue snorted lightly, touching his slightly flushed face. "Once I finish my own matters, I'll come find you."

"Alright."

Wen Jue patted Windswallow's back, his tone turning cold. "Deliver him safely to Immortal-Demon City, understood?"

Windswallow snorted through its nostrils, not daring to object. Wen Jue wasn't like Lu Xiao—he wouldn't care how rare a spirit beast it was. One wrong move, and he'd really make good on that dead horse threat.

In the end, Qin Zhou mounted Windswallow and left.

Only after seeing him leave Boundary City did Wen Jue finally withdraw his gaze and headed toward the Prison of Immortals.

Next, it was time to prepare for the hidden realm.