Chapter 49 He Admitted He Likes Him

Chapter 49: He Admits He Likes Him

Every immortal sect member possesses a life-lamp. Chu Ji had one too, lit by his uncle at the Linshui Sect.

When the lamp goes out, the person perishes.

So, Jun Xueyi’s lamp went out?

Does a extinguished lamp signify death?

Does it mean death when the lamp goes out?

Chu Ji stood there in a daze, watching the few individuals who had just visited Jun Xueyi’s courtyard return.

They carried a jumbled pile of clothes, including the quilt he had stepped on.

These people were attempting to find traces of Jun Xueyi’s aura on them.

However, there was no trace of Jun Xueyi’s aura, only Chu Ji’s.

Jun Xueyi’s room had already been meticulously cleaned by Jun Xueyi himself, leaving only Chu Ji’s scent on the bed.

Chu Ji gazed at the life-lamp that refused to relight and returned to Jun Xueyi’s courtyard.

He was still clutching the pillow.

After circling the room, he stepped into the courtyard and settled onto the rocking chair, observing the ancient tree within.

Impossible. Isn’t Jun Xueyi the protagonist?

Can protagonists truly die?

The first time he killed Jun Xueyi, didn’t Jun Xueyi revive?

He refused to believe this person was truly dead.

Yet, he could find no other way to prove Jun Xueyi was alive.

The first time Jun Xueyi was slain by his sword and cast down the cliff, the bell tattoo on his hand remained.

This time, even the Red Thread of Fate had vanished.

Was it because he had destroyed the Divine Essence, rendering Jun Xueyi no longer the protagonist?

If he wasn’t the protagonist, then perhaps even a minor action could lead to his demise.

Chu Ji touched his chest, his vision swaying with the rocking chair. His chest felt constricted, as if someone had poured vinegar into it—a bitter, astringent sensation he couldn’t quite describe, only knowing it felt unpleasant.

He had always wished for Jun Xueyi’s death.

But how could he actually be dead?

Dead, just as Chu Ji had realized he liked him.

Chu Ji raised his hand to shield his eyes from the light filtering through the leaves, looking at the fabric on his arm. Most of Jun Xueyi’s clothes were dark, and the one he wore now was entirely black.

He thought he should be happy.

Why wasn’t he happy?

The protagonist was dead.

Finally gone.

This was a greater relief than destroying the Divine Essence.

He told himself: I am very happy.

Hadn’t he come to the immortal sect precisely to kill Jun Xueyi?

He failed before, but now he had succeeded.

A good thing, wasn’t it?

So why was he so dispirited?

Chu Ji casually picked up a leaf and idly twirled it in his hand. After a long period of contemplation, he realized his unhappiness stemmed solely from his uncertainty about whether Jun Xueyi was truly dead.

The lamp extinguished, the Dao Companion Seal gone—these didn’t definitively prove Jun Xueyi’s death.

But what if?

What if that scoundrel had used some other method to revive?

They say you must see them alive or see the body. Jun Xueyi is dead, so where is the body?

He hadn't seen the body.

Without seeing the body, why would the Clear Wind Sect claim Jun Xueyi was dead?

Chu Ji sat on the rocking chair, unable to comprehend, unable to understand.

Just as he couldn't comprehend why Jun Xueyi would dress him, put shoes on him, and even tie his hair while he was still asleep.

He swayed in the chair all day, and as night fell, someone arrived.

Chu Ji concealed himself.

The newcomer was Lang Yue.

Lang Yue entered the courtyard and shouted, "Come out!"

Chu Ji crouched in the ancient tree, watching the courtyard, trying to discern whom Lang Yue was calling.

Perhaps this was Jun Xueyi’s trick, meant to deter him from further pursuit.

After crouching for a while, Lang Yue continued to call out, but no one emerged.

Chu Ji tilted his head, puzzled, observing the man. He had always disliked him, and now he thought the man had gone mad.

With his high cultivation, he couldn't detect anyone else's aura in the courtyard. Only he and Lang Yue were present. Who was Lang Yue calling?

Crouching in this position made it too easy to catch the scent of the clothes he wore.

Chu Ji lowered his head slightly and sniffed the cuff. It was unmistakably Jun Xueyi’s scent.

These were his clothes, so it was natural for them to carry his scent.

He watched Lang Yue rage in the courtyard all night, smashing the place to smithereens.

Chu Ji suddenly craved grilled fish.

He had only tasted delicious grilled fish once, he recalled, when he was searching for the Cloud Snow Flower.

Jun Xueyi had grilled it.

Hugging his knees, he saw that the rocking chair had also been smashed by Lang Yue. He revealed himself, "Hey."

The person in the courtyard froze abruptly. Chu Ji, hidden among the leaves, wanted to ask if this person had a death wish. Although he also disliked Jun Xueyi, the other had smashed the rocking chair he was about to lie on—where was he going to rest now?

He didn’t descend, but he saw Lang Yue’s face turn pale, staring in disbelief at his location, and shouting, "Xue Yi, you’re not dead?"

Chu Ji: "......"

Did he resemble Jun Xueyi that much?

Annoyance swelled within him—he looked nothing like Jun Xueyi, not at all.

But Lang Yue’s shout reminded him: he was wearing Jun Xueyi’s clothes. If anyone saw him, his reputation would be ruined.

"What do you want with Jun Xueyi?"

Lang Yue peered suspiciously at the shadow in the tree, "Xue Yi, what are you talking about?"

He hadn't expected Jun Xueyi to be alive; he thought he was dead.

Struggling to compose his expression to appear more amiable, "Xue Yi, if you’re not dead, why didn’t you show yourself? Master has been worried sick about you, losing sleep night after night. No wonder the soul summoning was so difficult—it turns out you’re not dead."

"Xue Yi, I’ve been worried sick about you too these past few days," Lang Yue smiled gently, "What’s going on? Why scare us like this? Your life lamp extinguished."

Chu Ji couldn't be bothered to listen; he thought the man below was being utterly unreasonable.

Even though he hadn't shown his face, his voice sounded nothing like Jun Xueyi’s.

Moreover, what cultivator identifies someone by face or voice? Both can be easily altered with a pill. Cultivators recognize each other by aura; how could he possibly be Jun Xueyi?

He vanished from the branches, tearing through space.

No wonder Jun Xueyi stopped drawing Teleportation Talismans later—at this level of cultivation, he no longer needed them.

But there should be other items in Jun Xueyi’s storage ring. He had taken many to deal with the Three-eyed Auspicious Beast back then; he wondered if any remained.

As he pondered this, he was about to check Jun Xueyi’s storage ring but found only his own storage ring on the finger where it should have been.

Was Jun Xueyi truly that petty? Did he reclaim his storage ring?

While contemplating, Chu Ji heard Lang Yue’s voice from that direction.

"Xue Yi, if you’re still alive, go to the back hall and use your blood to light your life lamp. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but don’t break Master’s heart."

Chu Ji could hear this not because Lang Yue possessed any special ability, but simply because his cultivation was now so profound that he could perceive every sound within the entire Clear Wind Sect if he wished, and breaking through barriers and restrictions was effortless.

The barrier around Jun Xueyi’s courtyard was gone, so the words naturally drifted over.

He changed direction and returned to that back hall.

Jun Xueyi’s life lamp stood in the center, and on the ground was an already activated soul-summoning array.

Chu Ji stared at the life lamp. Could blood truly light it?

He couldn't even find Jun Xueyi’s body—where would he obtain Jun Xueyi’s blood?

He gazed at the lamp oil within, then at his own finger. Almost without thinking, he pricked his finger and let a drop of blood fall into it.

Almost as soon as the blood touched the wick, a faint flame sprang to life—weak, but it was indeed a flame.

Once a life lamp is lit, it will not go out unless the person dies.

Chu Ji blew on the lamp.

The flame swayed but stubbornly continued to burn.

He raised his hand, conjured water, and held the lamp under the water.

Even underwater, the lamp continued to burn.

Chu Ji tossed the lamp aside and noticed other extinguished lamps on the platform. He randomly selected one, dripped a drop of blood onto it, and waited for a quarter of an hour, but the lamp did not relight.

He returned to the first lamp.

The back hall, due to the soul summoning for Jun Xueyi, was now empty, with everyone waiting outside for the results.

Crouching before the lamp, the flame flickered in his eyes. He suddenly stood up, staring at his hand—he had never learned the Water Spell because it conflicted with his cultivation technique, so he hadn't bothered. Yet just now, he had used the Water Spell naturally.

He stared at the lamp on the ground.

Then he looked at the soul-summoning array. The array summoned souls based on aura, and the items within contained only a faint trace of Jun Xueyi’s aura, rendering it largely ineffective.

Slowly, he extended his hand into the array. Instantly, yin flames erupted—a sign that a soul had been summoned.

However, there was no trace of Jun Xueyi’s soul anywhere—only his own.

"Master, it worked!"

A voice, soft but excited, sounded outside the door. Chu Ji’s first reaction was to hide.

He instantly vanished from the place.

Returning to Jun Xueyi’s courtyard, Lang Yue was still there.

Chu Ji appeared and threw him out.

Lang Yue, flung through the air, got a clear look at the person and instantly realized it was Chu Ji, not Jun Xueyi returned to life.

He landed outside the door, gritting his teeth as he pounded on it, "You finally showed up! Where is Jun Xueyi’s body?"

Chu Ji looked down at the mess on the ground, "I don’t know."

Lang Yue: "How could you not know? Half a month ago, he carried you to the ancient secret realm to save someone, and you say you don’t know? What did you bewitch him with to make him give up godhood?"

He grew more frantic as he spoke, "Why did he give up godhood? Why are you still alive when he’s dead?"

"Useless thing."

"Useless... mmm..."

Chu Ji stepped out of the courtyard and gripped Lang Yue’s throat, his golden eyes gleaming coldly, "What do you mean?"

Lang Yue’s face turned red, mouth agape but unable to speak, only clawing frantically at Chu Ji’s hand.

Chu Ji threw the person aside and asked coldly, "What do you mean by 'why am I not dead'?"

Lang Yue suddenly laughed, "Don’t you already know? You die, he lives—that’s how it should be."

He scrambled up from the ground, staring wildly at the person before him. "You really ought to die, messing up my plans again and again. I was this close this time, I could have become a god! And once again, it’s you."

He eyed Chu Ji maliciously. "You bewitched him. Did you kill him to take his place? To become the center of this world? Even if you wear his clothes, you can’t become him. The Heavenly Dao won’t recognize you..."

Chu Ji cut him off, "You seem to know a lot."

It seems he can’t be left alive.

Just as he was about to strike, he saw Lang Yue’s attitude shift abruptly.

The other’s eyes lit up as if a demon had spotted prey. Unafraid and undeterred, Lang Yue stared at him, ignoring the threat entirely. "I underestimated you. You actually made him willingly offer himself as a sacrifice."

Lang Yue gazed excitedly at Chu Ji, grabbing his hand. "Don’t attack. I’m here to help you, Chu Ji. That’s your name, right? I’ll help you reopen the ancient secret realm. I’ll help you become a god."

Chu Ji didn’t want to listen and kicked him away. His sword instantly moved toward Lang Yue but was blocked by a surge of demonic energy.

He stared in shock at this demonic energy.

It was his father’s.

His first thought was that this person had harmed his father, and he pressed the sword down harder. The next moment, a sword aura shot out.

—Blazing Radiance.

Lang Yue wasn’t surprised. He panted excitedly, "You can’t kill me. The one person in this world who could kill me is already dead. But it’s fine. I can cleanse your marrow. I can purge the demonic energy from you, and then you’ll be human. You can seize the Divine Essence and become a god!"

He exclaimed loudly, "Becoming a god—do you know how wonderful it is? You can control everything, even time. A god! A god!"

As Lang Yue grew increasingly frenzied, Chu Ji suddenly laughed. He blew lightly on his sword and said casually, "Too bad the Divine Essence was destroyed. Ruined with ancient demon blood. You—you can’t become a god."

Lang Yue froze, his mad expression instantly turning to stone. "Impossible, impossible! How could it be? You couldn’t enter the space where the Three-Eyed Auspicious Beast is. You couldn’t get in. You only woke up a few days ago, right? The secret realm is already closed. Only Jun Xueyi could enter. Only he."

Unless... Jun Xueyi had merged his own fortune, flesh, blood, and soul with Chu Ji before the secret realm opened.

He remembered the collapse of the three-story tower...

His blood ran cold, his mind reeling as if struck.

Standing in place, he gasped for air, staring at Chu Ji, who was now saturated with Jun Xueyi’s aura.

Lang Yue couldn’t accept it. He just couldn’t. He was so close, his plans were all set.

The Divine Essence was destroyed, and this world was ruined. Without becoming a god, he would only be consumed. Perhaps in a hundred million years, spiritual energy would deplete, and everyone would become ordinary mortals.

How could it all be destroyed by that fool Jun Xueyi?

"Damn Jun Xueyi and his ancestors! He’s a madman, an idiot. Has he... has he never seen a man before? How could the Heavenly Dao choose such a thing to bear fortune? He... screw him and his /##*? #." Lang Yue collapsed to the ground, then, regaining his senses, cursed without restraint.

Even though he was cursing Jun Xueyi, Chu Ji was displeased. He could curse Jun Xueyi himself, but what right did Lang Yue have to do so, and so vulgarly?

But he truly couldn’t bring himself to kill Lang Yue.

It wasn’t that his cultivation was insufficient—it felt as if he were killing his own parents.

What exactly was going on?

Chu Ji sheathed his sword. He needed to return to the demon palace and ask.

After taking two steps, he glanced back and saw Lang Yue stand up again, straightening his clothes. With anxious yet gentle politeness, he smiled and said, "Young friend, you are my junior brother’s dao companion. I wonder if you’ve seen my junior brother? Xue Yi has gone missing. We’re very worried."

Chu Ji was stunned.

He sensed the aura approaching from the rear hall—the elders and sect leader of the Clear Wind Sect.

He took two steps back, feeling that this Lang Yue was truly unhinged.

Turning, he tore through space and left.

This time, he left quickly, so he didn’t hear Lang Yue’s words.

"Chu Ji! You’re a demon! Where are you taking Xue Yi?"

"It’s terrible, Master! Xue Yi was deceived by a demon into sacrificing his life and cultivation. He just returned, and now he’s been captured by a demon again."

-

Chu Ji didn’t even go to the Linshui Sect.

From afar, he sensed that his uncle’s family was safe and sound, so he returned directly to the demon palace.

Though he had only been away for a year, it felt like an eternity.

Back at the demon palace, he headed toward the forbidden area where his parents were in seclusion. After a few steps, he was stopped by the Demon Guard. He glared at them. "How dare you!"

The Demon Guard felt the pressure of his bloodline and immediately knelt. "Young Master."

"We did not recognize Young Master. We beg for Young Master’s forgiveness."

Chu Ji paused. His current appearance was indeed rather unrecognizable.

He turned and went back to his own palace first.

Xiong Qun had already returned to the demon palace. Seeing Chu Ji, he rushed forward in delight but hesitated to approach.

"Young Master, how did you turn into Jun Xueyi?"

The person he saw with his eyes was Young Master, but if he relied on aura alone, he would have thought it was Jun Xueyi.

Young Master’s aura was completely overshadowed by Jun Xueyi’s.

Chu Ji froze again, a dull ache in his chest. He didn’t know why he felt so stifled, but the sensation was undeniable.

"I’m changing clothes."

He waved everyone away, not allowing anyone to enter. Back in his bedchamber, he kicked off his boots, then stared blankly at his fair feet.

Where was the bell on his ankle?

It was a mark of shame Jun Xueyi had given him.

How could even this bell have disappeared?

Defeated, he sat down on the carpeted floor.

Finally, he accepted the truth: Jun Xueyi was dead.

Truly dead.

For some inexplicable reason, Chu Ji felt wronged.

He didn't know why he felt so wronged, but he just did.

He stared at his ankle, then at his fingers, his gaze fixed on his still hand.

Until a tear fell onto his hand.

Only then did Chu Ji realize he was crying.

This time, no one kissed him until he was breathless, no one dragged him into the waves of passion, nor was it any intense moment that made him cry.

He was simply crying.

"Bad dog, the worst."

"Jun Xueyi, you really are terrible, utterly awful. You deserve to die, you really do."

Didn't you say you wouldn't die and would torment me for a lifetime?

He admitted he had feelings for him.

"Jun Xueyi, I hate you to death."

How could you break your promise!

Liar.

Lying dog.

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Author's note: The next chapter will be sweet [dog emoji holding a rose][dog emoji holding a rose][dog emoji holding a rose][dog emoji holding a rose]. This story is not much longer—it'll wrap up at around 250k words total. If it ends up longer or shorter, just pretend I'm still half-asleep right now [owl emoji][owl emoji][owl emoji][owl emoji].