Chapter 10: Find Me, and I’ll Lift the Curse

Chapter 10: Find Me, and I Will Lift the Curse

Chi Yu broke the ice before getting down to business with Phantom Lightning. "Did you hear what your master said? He’s giving you another chance. I know your heart isn’t truly with him, but you should at least put on a show—don’t make him angry. What if he snaps you in two out of rage?"

Phantom Lightning nodded. Though highly spiritual, it could never develop an artifact spirit, nor could it ever be inhabited by another spirit due to its material composition. Thus, it couldn’t express its thoughts in words, nor did it possess complex emotions. Its preferences were simple and pure, devoid of fear or dread.

It wasn’t afraid of Xie Xiyi breaking it, nor could it fully grasp complex statements—Chi Yu’s words went somewhat over its head. But it didn’t matter; it just kept nodding enthusiastically.

Chi Yu went on to explain many more things to it. Seeing it nod so eagerly, he found it utterly adorable and couldn’t resist giving it a peck. Phantom Lightning froze instantly, its tip trembling uncontrollably.

Chi Yu didn’t notice. He smacked his lips and remarked, "Seems like you’ve been marinated too—you smell rank, quite pungent."

Phantom Lightning: "…"

It immediately wilted.

Chi Yu cheerfully added, "No worries, I’ll give you a soak in some ginger water to get rid of the smell."

With that, he took out a pot from his Spatial Ring, filled it with spirit spring water, chopped up a few pieces of ginger grown in spirit fields and tossed them in, then dropped Phantom Lightning into the mix.

Ling Hezhou: "…Can ginger be used like that?"

"Oh, right." Chi Yu also took out some green onions and garlic, chopped them up, and threw them in as well, saying with satisfaction, "Almost forgot the green onions and garlic."

Ling Hezhou: "…"

He desperately wanted to shake Chi Yu by the shoulders and ask how he dared do such a thing to the great demon’s sword!

But he held back, because the sword itself seemed quite willing.

*

The next day, Xie Xiyi quietly came to retrieve Phantom Lightning. The moment he took it, he caught the strong scent of ginger, green onions, and garlic emanating from the sword.

Before he could react, Chi Yu cut in, saying to Xie Xiyi, "Boss, don’t worry, I’ve straightened Phantom Lightning out! It definitely won’t mess up again!"

Xie Xiyi didn’t speak, just stared at the sword.

Chi Yu asked, "What’s wrong, Boss? Is there something you’re not satisfied with?"

Ling Hezhou was breaking out in a cold sweat internally—wasn’t that stating the obvious?

He was worried for Chi Yu, afraid Xie Xiyi would lose his temper and kill him.

During this time, he’d gained a deep understanding of Xie Xiyi’s ferocity. It felt like anything he did was predictable, yet Chi Yu, who had faced him directly, didn’t seem afraid at all. Ling Hezhou felt he truly didn’t understand Chi Yu—and Chi Yu was only at the Qi Refining stage! How did he dare?!

Xie Xiyi smiled faintly, a light chuckle in his voice, seeming almost careless. "You did something unnecessary."

Chi Yu laughed awkwardly. "You mean giving Phantom Lightning a bath? I felt it really needed one, so I went ahead and washed it. If you don’t like it, Boss, I won’t do it again."

His apology was quick and sincere, making it hard for anyone to say more.

Xie Xiyi took out Taowu skin and carefully wiped Phantom Lightning clean, removing the odor, before saying to Chi Yu, "If you do anything unnecessary again, I’ll pull your finger bones to craft a soul lantern."

His tone was gentle, almost harmless, but Chi Yu knew he meant it.

Chi Yu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Can finger bones really be used for soul lanterns? What do they do?"

Xie Xiyi tilted his grotesque ghost mask slightly, his blood-red ghost eyes reflecting Chi Yu’s face faintly. He chuckled lowly, "Aren’t you afraid?"

Chi Yu said naturally, "I am afraid, but what’s the use of fear? No matter how scared or how much I beg, you’ll still do what you want, so there’s no need to be afraid."

He paused, then added confidently, "Haven’t you noticed? I’m trying to make conversation with you."

His frankness left Xie Xiyi somewhat taken aback—an emotion he rarely experienced, causing him to pause before slowly smiling again. "You’re quite interesting."

Chi Yu said politely, "Thank you for the compliment."

Xie Xiyi said, "Take out the soul lamp from your Spatial Ring."

Chi Yu knew what he meant and took out the lamp he’d left behind from his Spatial Ring, handing it to Xie Xiyi.

Black mist drifted over, snaking around the lamp and carrying it away.

Seeing Xie Xiyi about to leave, Chi Yu hurriedly said, "You’re leaving? What are you going to do?"

Xie Xiyi: "Are you interrogating me?"

A chilling laugh escaped his throat. "Strange. I thought I’d acquired a Sword Servant, not a mother."

He seemed obedient on the surface, but beneath that compliant exterior lay a rebellious streak similar to Xie Xiyi’s own.

Xie Xiyi saw it clearly and had no intention of indulging him. So he stopped, held Phantom Lightning, and lightly swung it toward Chi Yu. The sword hummed, still resisting, but unable to overcome Xie Xiyi’s will. An arc of sword light emanated from its tip, slicing through Chi Yu’s robe and revealing his slender, slight upper body.

At fourteen, Chi Yu had been well cared for by his grandparents. He had a fine bone structure but was well-padded, his cheeks still round with baby fat. Though taller than his peers, he was unmistakably still a half-grown youth.

The chains from Xie Xiyi’s sleeves slid out again, winding around Chi Yu’s slender frame and implanting a dark, eerie Spell Seal on his chest. It appeared like a tattoo before quickly fading beneath his skin.

This time, Chi Yu saw the entire process and finally understood the purpose of the chain formed by the runes. Belatedly, he asked, "Last time, when it was in my mouth, was it placing a curse??"

Xie Xiyi laughed, his voice filled with bright, light amusement. "This Spell Seal is called ‘Heart-Inquiring.’ The heart is the monarch of the organs, housing the spirit. Human memories reside in the heart. With this seal, it will take all your memories within seven days."

Chi Yu: "!!!"

Xie Xiyi: "Do you know what happens to someone with no memories?"

Watching Chi Yu’s face, usually so calm, now showing traces of panic, the corners of his lips behind the mask lifted slightly. "A person without memories becomes like a newborn baby—malleable, able to be shaped into anything."

His figure began to blur within the enveloping black mist. "You have seven days. Find me, and I will lift the curse. If you’re late… I happen to need a speechless puppet."

Xie Xiyi vanished, but his final words echoed in the small cultivation chamber, carrying an unmistakably cold malice.

Ling Hezhou shrieked, "Look what you did! You provoked him!"

Chi Yu said dryly, "Don’t panic. He gave me seven days—he’s pretty decent, actually."

Ling Hezhou: "???"

Ling Hezhou said, "You’re being way too optimistic!"

Chi Yu asked, "But, does the heart really store memories? Shouldn’t it be the brain?"

"…" Ling Hezhou was screaming inside, *you’re missing the point entirely!* Outwardly, he answered patiently and helplessly, "Yes, that’s one difference between cultivators and mortals. Cultivators can live without a heart, but mortals can’t. However, if a cultivator loses their heart, they become like a sieve, unable to retain memories. But they can still cultivate. If they lose their head, though, they will truly die, because the Spirit resides there, along with Spiritual Sense, spiritual roots, and the five senses. Once the head is gone, survival is impossible."

Chi Yu: "Understood."

Seeing Chi Yu’s unhurried attitude, Ling Hezhou felt like the anxious eunuch while the emperor remained calm. "Aren’t you going to get going? You only have seven days!"

Chi Yu said, "It’s fine, that’s more than enough time."

Chi Yu cheered inwardly—little did Xie Xiyi know, he had a map!

Originally, the system updated Xie Xiyi's coordinates once a month, but after enduring his daily pummeling over time, Xie Xiyi's coordinates are now updated in real time!

While checking the map, he also took a look at how much Xie Xiyi liked him. Great, still at 0—very, very stable. Chi Yu had never seen this value fluctuate.

It was clear that Xie Xiyi was extremely cold and ruthless, completely unfazed by outside influences.

Ignoring Ling Hezhou's urging, Chi Yu stuck to his original plan: he ate a meal, got some good sleep, and only then set out to find Xie Xiyi.

*

"I have the Nine-Star Stardust from the Guiyuan Pavilion—this is a unique artifact-crafting material, incredibly rare and priceless. I'll give it all to you, just let me go!" A Golden Core cultivator in blue robes took the storage pouch from his waist and tossed it in Xie Xiyi's direction.

The black mist caught the storage pouch. Xie Xiyi seemed to soften his stance, his tone cheerful as he said, "Since you're so sincere, I'll let you go. But remember, you are not to appear before me again."

The Golden Core cultivator, as if he'd been granted amnesty, quickly transformed into a beam of light and flew far into the distance.

Xie Xiyi stepped forward, counting in a pleasant voice, "One, two, three... ten."

...

The blue-robed cultivator, covered in blood, collapsed before a stream. Kneeling on the ground, he was about to sit cross-legged to recover some spiritual energy when a dark figure appeared before him. Black mist drifted around, and a crushing pressure filled the air.

The young man's pleasant voice rang out, "What a coincidence, we meet again. But didn't I say you weren't to appear before me again?"

The blue-robed cultivator was horrified, stammering incoherently, "Y-you... you broke your word!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his vision spun wildly. In the last second, he saw his own body spurting a fountain of blood before his consciousness plunged into complete darkness.

The Nine-Star Stardust, which the blue-robed cultivator had treasured so dearly, was dumped on his corpse like garbage. Xie Xiyi's voice carried a hint of confusion as he said, "Do I look like I need this stuff?"

The Phantom Lightning in his hand buzzed. Xie Xiyi paused, raising the sword. His crimson ghostly eyes fixed on the Phantom Lightning. "You're really restless. Do you have some issue with me?"

The Phantom Lightning continued to buzz. Xie Xiyi chuckled softly, "Grossed out by the gore? How interesting. This is how it's always been—now you're suddenly disgusted by killing?"

Just then, Chi Yu's voice carried from afar, "Boss!!! Finally found you!"

The Phantom Lightning shuddered violently, immediately breaking free from Xie Xiyi's grip and shooting toward Chi Yu like lightning.

Xie Xiyi turned slightly, watching as the Phantom Lightning lunged toward Chi Yu like a wild animal. It halted just before its sharp tip could harm Chi Yu, tracing a graceful half-circle in the air before gently nudging Chi Yu's cheek with its cold, hard hilt. Chi Yu then embraced it, pulling up a corner of his robe to wipe away the bloodstains on the sword's blade.

After doing this, he walked over like a proper Sword Servant, holding the Phantom Lightning. His eyes shone like morning stars, carrying a hint of unconscious smugness as he said to Xie Xiyi in a cheerful tone, "Boss, it hasn't been seven days yet. Please lift the curse for me."

The smile behind Xie Xiyi's mask slowly faded.

Something seemed to be slipping, gradually, beyond his control.

Author's Note:

Chi Yu: Score one for me (thumbs up.jpg)