Chapter 3: Pierced by a Sword

Chapter 3: Pierced by a Sword

As always, Ling Hezhou couldn't fathom Chi Yu.

He found Chi Yu utterly bizarre—how could he remain so leisurely and carefree at a time like this, without a shred of urgency? With Chi Yu’s meager cultivation, he was practically indistinguishable from a mortal, so why wasn't he afraid?

Of course, Chi Yu was afraid, but what good would fear do? Since it was useless, he refused to waste energy on it.

So, from his Spatial Ring, he retrieved his cooking tools—pots, pans, bowls, and utensils all bought from Jinxiu Pavilion. These were no ordinary items; powered by spirit stones, they were multi-functional and didn't even require a fire. Just place a spirit stone, and flames would automatically appear.

He also took out the spirit beast meat, spirit rice, fruits, and vegetables he had purchased from Jinxiu Pavilion.

Under Ling Hezhou’s astonished gaze, Chi Yu deftly prepared the spirit beast meat. After marinating it, he went to the stream to wash the vegetables.

A short while later, he chopped the ingredients, tossed them into the wok, and stir-fried them over high heat. In no time, three dishes and a soup were ready.

Ling Hezhou watched, dumbfounded, as Chi Yu set up a small table and began to eat.

Ling Hezhou: "..."

Ling Hezhou asked, "Aren’t you afraid?"

"Afraid? Of course. Might as well die a well-fed ghost, right?" Chi Yu said between mouthfuls of rice. "Ah, this rice is so fragrant. I’ve never tasted anything so delicious."

Ling Hezhou: "..."

"The meat is great too, not a hint of gaminess," Chi Yu commented. "The cooking wine is a bit lacking, but it still turned out so well—must be thanks to my amazing culinary skills."

As he spoke, a grain of rice fell to the ground. Chi Yu bent down, picked it up, and put it in his mouth.

Chi Yu’s family was wealthy, but his parents were abroad managing their business and had no time for him. He was raised by his grandparents, who disliked having outsiders in the house, so they never hired a maid and did everything themselves. Under their influence, Chi Yu developed simple and thrifty habits.

Not a single grain of rice or drop of water should be wasted.

Ling Hezhou fell silent, unsure what to say. He gazed at the sliver of moonlight spilling into the valley, feeling desolate. He never expected his first expedition down the mountain to end like this.

Although cultivators were supposed to defy fate and face life and death with equanimity, he was no saint—he had emotions and fears, and naturally, he was afraid to die.

He sighed deeply, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimmer of golden light in the dark, dense forest. But when he looked closer, it was gone. He thought it was just his imagination and continued to sigh gloomily.

Unbeknownst to him, where he thought he’d seen a trick of the light, a hand with distinct knuckles released a pine branch. The once lush pine tree withered instantly, crumbling to dust.

Xie Xiyi hovered mid-air, the Phantom Lightning in his hand humming. The jade-white blade seeped with a hint of bloodlust, revealing a faint, fluid golden light within.

Xie Xiyi remained still as dark sigils flowed from his wide sleeves, slithering like snakes onto the Phantom Lightning, suppressing its hum.

Xie Xiyi’s voice was still melodious as he murmured, "You’re restless."

The Phantom Lightning, of course, couldn’t answer. Forged from the spine of a Golden Core Stage cultivator, it was destined never to develop a spirit. Yet, it possessed a sliver of sentience, allowing it to sync perfectly with its master.

It was undoubtedly an excellent spiritual sword, and Xie Xiyi cherished it, often indulging its thirst for slaughter.

But tonight, the Phantom Lightning was unusually restless, and this restlessness had begun the moment the youth appeared.

Xie Xiyi’s Spiritual Sense enveloped the entire valley. He could clearly see the youth eating calmly, even devouring three bowls of rice with great appetite, showing no trace of fear or panic as he chatted idly with the cultivator in the Soul Pearl.

A faint, chilling laugh escaped Xie Xiyi’s throat. "Won’t die today? Who gave him that confidence?"

Chi Yu, who was washing the pot, suddenly paused and lifted his eyes, looking ahead to see Xie Xiyi emerge from the shadows.

Chi Yu wasn’t surprised; he had known all along that Xie Xiyi had been watching him from the shadows.

His earlier claim to Ling Hezhou that they wouldn’t die today was, of course, a lie.

He was gambling on a possibility.

Before Xie Xiyi could speak, Chi Yu spoke first, his voice slightly hurried. "Let’s play a game. If I win, you let us go. How about it? If I lose, not only will I hand Ling Hezhou over to you, but you can take my life too."

Xie Xiyi’s mask had no openings, revealing no expression or emotion. Yet his voice remained pleasant, making anyone who heard it think he was a noble, refined person rather than a bloodthirsty demon. "You’re making demands of me?"

Chi Yu said, "You are the bright moon, and I am but a flickering firefly. Of course, I have no right to make demands. But as you can see, I’m just a Qi Refining Stage first-layer, unremarkable cultivator. 'The morning mushroom knows not the passing of day and night; the cicada knows not the change of spring and autumn.' My knowledge and perspective are far inferior to yours. In any game, I’ll most likely lose. Since defeat is certain, what harm is there in playing a game with me?"

Xie Xiyi fell silent, as if considering.

In the deep, secluded valley, only the sound of flowing water remained. After Xie Xiyi’s appearance, not a single insect chirp or bird call could be heard, as if the entire valley held only the two of them.

In the dead silence, the faint, elusive scent of blood and the absolute pressure made Chi Yu’s legs go weak again. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, bringing on a wave of dizziness.

Despite these adverse reactions, Chi Yu continued washing the pot as if nothing was wrong—in the cultivation world, pots didn’t really need washing since they stayed clean automatically, but mental habits were hard to break, so he went through the motions anyway.

After cleaning it, he put it back into the Spatial Ring. Xie Xiyi spoke with interest, "What game do you want to play?"

A smile spread across Chi Yu’s face, his eyes sparkling like stars as he looked at Xie Xiyi. "This game is popular among mortal nobles. It’s called 'Fight the Landlord.' We’ll play ten rounds, and whoever wins the most rounds wins. It’s simple. But I’ll need some time to make the tools."

The Phantom Lightning in Xie Xiyi’s hand hummed, its tip flashing with golden light. Chains of forbidden curses wrapped around the jade-white blade but couldn’t suppress its trembling.

Xie Xiyi’s voice carried a faint smile. "Fine, I’ll give you time."

Chi Yu quickly made a deck of cards. Due to his low cultivation level, he hadn’t shed his mortal body yet, so he could still feel heat and cold. By the time the deck was finished, his fair forehead was covered in sweat.

Without wiping it off, he laid the cards before Xie Xiyi and explained the rules.

A small table and two cushions were placed on the grass. Chi Yu sat down first, and Xie Xiyi followed, his ink-black hair cascading down. Just as it was about to touch the grass, a wisp of black mist gently lifted it.

The mist also formed a pair of gloves, enveloping Xie Xiyi’s jade-like hands. Thus, he picked up the thin card.

Since Xie Xiyi’s appearance, Ling Hezhou hadn’t dared to speak, so only Chi Yu’s voice could be heard. "Actually, I think you look familiar. I feel like I know you."

At these words, Ling Hezhou broke out in a cold sweat, and Xie Xiyi slightly raised his head—though he quickly lowered it again, as the Phantom Lightning continued to hum.

Xie Xiyi ignored Chi Yu, but Chi Yu wasn’t embarrassed. He continued, "You remind me of an old friend."

Xie Xiyi asked softly, "Oh?"

Chi Yu said, "Yes, that old friend’s name is Xie Xiyi."

Xie Xiyi tilted his head slightly. His mask was actually quite ferocious—a blue face with fangs and sinister red eyes, enough to make anyone who saw it lose their sanity. But Chi Yu was curious about one thing: Why weren’t there any eye holes in the mask? How could Xie Xiyi see?

Then it dawned on him—cultivators often used their Spiritual Sense to perceive their surroundings, so their eyes weren’t as necessary.

Xie Xiyi’s tone was flat. "Your turn."

Chi Yu’s real goal wasn’t to play cards but to connect with Xie Xiyi. He had ten rounds to work with; winning or losing didn’t matter.

Chi Yu played a card and continued, "That old friend and I were very close. We once watched the sunset together on the grasslands. Later, he disappeared without a trace."

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Xie Xiyi. A black mist indeed wreathed around him, seeming almost alive. Xie Xiyi merely held the cards, and the black mist formed another hand to draw and place them on the table.

Chi Yu felt deeply uncomfortable with the mist’s presence. Just one look made him feel unwell, as Ling Hezhou had warned. Being so close, his limbs stiffened, barely under his control. Moreover, Xie Xiyi’s killing intent and bloodlust had materialized, sharp as blades, making it hard for Chi Yu to breathe. His throat and lungs felt as if they were being cut, and when he spoke, blood churned in his chest, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth.

Chi Yu swallowed the sweet taste and continued to speak.

All those words about being on good terms with Xie Xiyi were naturally false, but he was betting that Xie Xiyi would become curious about him. Human curiosity is the most primal impulse, something even cultivation couldn’t erase.

Yet Xie Xiyi remained unmoved. Using that still pleasant voice, he said, "Noisy."

Then, Chi Yu found himself unable to speak.

Chi Yu: "..."

He hadn’t expected to be muted so abruptly by Xie Xiyi.

As for the ten rounds of Dou Dizhu, needless to say, he lost every single one.

After all, Xie Xiyi’s luck was boundless. Anything related to fortune, even without using supernatural abilities, would inevitably lead to his victory.

A ruby earring flew straight into Xie Xiyi’s hand. At this moment, Ling Hezhou finally cried out, "Chi Yu! Run!"

Chi Yu didn’t move. Phantom Lightning flew into Xie Xiyi’s hand. His voice remained light and cheerful, as if he were doing something delightful. "I’ll take your life now. May you be reborn to a better fate."

With that, Chi Yu was run through the heart by Xie Xiyi’s sword.

Phantom Lightning continued to hum, its golden light flickering. The blood energy dissipated, and it seemed to lose its spiritual nature, becoming as ordinary as a mortal’s sword.

Xie Xiyi indifferently withdrew the sword, and Chi Yu’s body went limp and collapsed.

Ling Hezhou screamed, then quickly fell silent, drawn into the black mist surrounding Xie Xiyi like a trophy.

Thunder rumbled in the sky, and a downpour broke out in this rarely rainy land. Torrential rain poured down from the mountaintops, only to be blocked by a layer of churning mist before reaching Xie Xiyi, drizzling onto the grass around him instead.

Xie Xiyi left.

Only a pierced corpse remained.

Rainwater soaked Chi Yu’s body. Before long, he sneezed and pushed himself up from the ground.

Xie Xiyi had killed him so quickly that he hadn’t even felt any pain before his consciousness faded.

Chi Yu sighed, mourning Ling Hezhou.

But there was no time for sorrow.

He couldn’t figure out Xie Xiyi’s methods at all and had absolutely no ability to engage in a dialogue with the present Xie Xiyi. He was too weak—who would trust an ant?

Chi Yu wiped himself dry, changed clothes, and pulled up the System Panel, continuing to pound on the system. He wanted cultivation strength, at least enough to speak with Xie Xiyi as an equal.

The System Panel soon flickered with static, as if short-circuiting, and then produced a stack of crisp white papers.

Chi Yu picked them up and saw they were labeled "2024 College Entrance Exam Chemistry Practice Exam (National New Curriculum Edition)."

Chi Yu: "..."

Author's Note:

Chi Yu: I want to go home (crying emoji)