Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“Ah-choo!” Qi Wuyu, leaning against the Wuxiang Stone, sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered, “Who’s cursing me?”

Chu Yunliu laughed upon hearing this. “Got too many enemies? Hmph—bet someone’s had it in for you and is finally scheming to take you down.”

Qi Wuyu replied, “Is that so? Only you would be that bored.”

Chu Yunliu shot him a glare. He was teaching Mo Chen how to play chess. Mo Chen didn’t know the game at all—and since Qi Wuyu couldn’t talk him out of it, Chu Yunliu had no choice but to teach him, just to pass the time.

“Just come sit over here already. Waiting over there isn’t any different. He’ll still be a while.”

Chu Yunliu set up a board for Mo Chen. Mo Chen bent over it, fingers idly shuffling the pieces as he pondered. Chu Yunliu propped his head on one hand, watching him. Then, suddenly remembering something, he turned to Qi Wuyu. “Oh—right! I almost forgot. Come here—I’ve got something for you.”

Qi Wuyu lifted his head slightly. “What is it?”

Chu Yunliu stood up. “You’ll find out if you come with me.”

Qi Wuyu turned away. “Not going.”

“Tsk.” Chu Yunliu strode over and tugged at him. “Do you have to be so stubborn?”

Qi Wuyu reluctantly rose. “What is it? If you’ve got something to give me, just bring it over. What if Xiao Zhou comes out while I’m gone?”

Chu Yunliu shoved him lightly in the back. “Relax—don’t worry. He won’t emerge that quickly. We’ll be back before he even appears.”

“Stop pushing me. At least tell me where we’re going…”

The Heart Demon whispered in Liu Nanzhou’s ear: “Liu Nanzhou, it’s not like I *have* to wear his face. It’s the obsession and desire you feel for him deep in your heart. How could I possibly assume any other form? If you harbored no guilt, how could I exist at all? Is it truly all my fault?”

Liu Nanzhou clenched his fists, frowning at him. His eyes were already rimmed with red; his breathing grew ragged. He couldn’t deny it—not in his heart. What the Heart Demon said was true.

But…

“I’ve never been obsessed with him—or desired him,” Liu Nanzhou said.

He had never dared entertain such presumptuous thoughts.

Hearing this, the Heart Demon burst into loud, eerie laughter, its echo reverberating hollowly through the room. “Stop lying to yourself.” The back of his hand brushed Liu Nanzhou’s cheek. “Right now, you’re his only disciple. What if he takes another?”

Liu Nanzhou blurted, “Impossible!”—his voice thick with panic.

“See? I only said one thing—why are you already so anxious?” He pressed on, “What if, in the future, he meets someone he likes, marries, has children? What if he’s lovey-dovey with them every single day—right in front of you? Do you think you could bear it? Do you still dare claim you feel no obsession toward him?”

Had he ever considered it? He dared not.

Liu Nanzhou lowered his head. Just imagining Qi Wuyu someday loving someone else tightened a suffocating knot of fury deep in his chest—immovable, choking his breath. His eyes turned fully crimson.

“No…” He shook his head, voice trembling faintly. “That won’t do…”

The Heart Demon leaned in again, eyes narrowing dangerously. Placing a hand on Liu Nanzhou’s shoulder, he whispered, “Why not stay here with me? It’s just you and me—no one else. I am the person from your heart. You can do whatever you wish…”

Liu Nanzhou seemed swayed—his gaze growing hazy, unfocused. “Stay… here…”

“Yes. Stay here. None of the things you fear will ever happen.”

Liu Nanzhou’s vision blurred—as if sinking into an endless vortex.

Suddenly, the jade pendant at his neck flashed, emitting a faint glow through his robes. Its temperature spiked sharply, lightly scalding his chest. A stream of spiritual energy—crystal-clear as spring water—surged into the space between his brows. His agitated Spiritual Platform felt instantly rinsed by cool water, and he snapped back to full awareness. His fingers touched the pendant—it had already cooled.

“Shizun…”

When Liu Nanzhou looked up again, his eyes were clear. The Heart Demon glanced at the pendant’s location, mildly surprised. “Oh—he treats you quite well.”

Shaking his head, the Heart Demon sighed. “Forget it. I’ve had enough fun for today.” Tilting his head, he smiled. “See you next time.”

The moment the words left his lips, his entire figure dissolved into thin air. The mist and fragrance lingering in the air vanished as well. Liu Nanzhou turned his head—and found himself still standing in the bamboo grove. The bamboo swayed gently, rustling softly.

“Xiao Zhou—what are you standing there for? Let’s go.”

Liu Nanzhou’s pupils contracted. He saw Qi Wuyu walking toward him. For the first time, he instinctively took two steps back as Qi Wuyu approached—a fleeting flicker of evasion crossing his eyes.

Qi Wuyu seemed not to notice. Seeing his pallor, he asked, concerned, “What’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

Liu Nanzhou steadied his mind. It was gone. The Heart Demon was gone.

He shook his head. “No.”

Qi Wuyu ruffled his hair. “Be careful—the aura here is strange. It’s definitely not ordinary.”

Liu Nanzhou hummed in acknowledgment, gazing at him—yet unable to recall, for the life of him, why he’d come here at all.

Before he could puzzle it out, a sudden, violent gale roared up. The green bamboo thrashed wildly in the wind, creaking ominously. Countless leaves tore free, scattering and swirling through the air.

A single leaf spiraled downward, fluttering toward Qi Wuyu’s face—its edges glinting coldly. Liu Nanzhou’s expression hardened. “Watch out!”

He yanked Qi Wuyu aside. Qi Wuyu staggered with the force—and the leaf sliced past his hair, shearing off a lock.

The wind intensified, sharpening into a piercing, ominous whistle.

Liu Nanzhou pulled Qi Wuyu behind him and raised a hand to erect a barrier. Bamboo leaves rained down like projectiles, striking the barrier with sharp, metallic clangs. Liu Nanzhou turned his head to ask, “Shizun—are you alright?”

No reply.

“Shizun?”

Still silence.

Liu Nanzhou whirled around—and found no one behind him. Qi Wuyu had vanished.

His heart lurched. The hand sustaining the barrier twisted into a fist and withdrew. Then, gathering all his strength, he threw a punch. A torrent of spiritual energy erupted outward—shattering the falling leaves into fine dust that drifted down, blanketing the ground.

He immediately began searching for Qi Wuyu. In such a ferocious gale, even Liu Nanzhou struggled to keep his footing—Qi Wuyu’s situation was unimaginable. The more he thought, the more frantic he grew—and his pace quickened. Yet he found no trace of Qi Wuyu anywhere.

And this forest teemed with lethal threats—every leaf, every flower, could draw blood.

Suddenly, his ears twitched—catching the faint, distant sound of combat carried on the wind. He followed it instantly—and saw Qi Wuyu locked in battle with something. The distance wasn’t great, yet his vision couldn’t resolve it clearly—only a vague, shadowy mass. The figure was spectral, elusive, impossible to pin down. Though he couldn’t identify it, he could see plainly: Qi Wuyu was losing.

Liu Nanzhou sprinted toward him—but was blocked roughly a dozen zhang away. He couldn’t break through.

He reached out, touching the air—and met an invisible wall. He tried repeatedly, but failed utterly. Instead, the barrier’s force rebounded, stabbing him in the chest with searing pain. He spat a mouthful of blood. But Qi Wuyu couldn’t wait—he was already drenched in blood.

Liu Nanzhou’s eyes darkened, stained crimson by Qi Wuyu’s blood. Spiritual energy surged violently around him. Staggering upright, his pupils burned red—flames seeming to blaze within them. An unprecedented ferocity consumed his entire being.

He watched as Qi Wuyu was swallowed by that indistinct black energy. His breath came fast and shallow. He channeled every ounce of spiritual energy in his body to its absolute limit, forcing it into frenzied circulation. The scattered bamboo leaves on the ground lifted, swirling into a violent whirlwind. The wind shrieked, carrying a chaotic, deafening cacophony.

At that instant, a sword answered his call. It shot forth—its blade dark red, its hilt black. Dark red patterns coiled across the hilt, both hilt and blade pulsing with a faint, ominous red light. It landed solidly in Liu Nanzhou’s palm.

With a sizzling hiss, the hilt instantly seared his hand to raw, bloody pulp—yet he seemed utterly unaware. Drawing the blade, he unleashed a cataclysmic surge of spiritual energy and swung. A vast arc of sword energy cleaved horizontally through the air. The invisible wall shattered with a thunderous boom—and the surrounding bamboo grove was severed clean by the sheer force of the strike.

Liu Nanzhou sprang after the black mist. In an instant, a cluster of it rushed toward him. Liu Nanzhou sliced through it without slowing, his momentum undiminished. He twisted his wrist, flipped his grip on the sword, and thrust it forward, only to have it entangled by that mass of black energy. Liu Nanzhou flipped over, his moves shifting—it was the first stance of Yangguan Yue: Wind Rises Over Pingyang.

This stance was not a broad, sweeping sword technique but rather like a spring breeze and gentle rain, with all its killing intent hidden beneath the surface. Yet Liu Nanzhou had no intention of concealing his murderous aura now, so the gentle rain turned into fine needles. He thrust his longsword out cleanly, his gaze fierce and ruthless, and said in a low voice, "Give him to me."

It was impossible to tell if that mass of black energy understood, but it gradually took on a human form, still indistinct in appearance. Yet Liu Nanzhou inexplicably felt as though he saw a sinister smile on that face. Before he could react, Qi Wuyu appeared before him without warning—and his sword could no longer be withdrawn.

A 'boom' exploded inside Liu Nanzhou's head. He saw a crimson haze before his eyes and felt as if something had struck him, causing him to take a step back as if plunging into an abyss. His body swayed unsteadily, his right hand dripping blood uncontrollably, trembling without cease. When he looked up again, he saw himself kneeling slumped on the ground not far away, cradling a blood-soaked Qi Wuyu in his arms.

Liu Nanzhou's chest felt tight, unsure of what was happening. With no time to tend to the wound on his hand, he instinctively wanted to check on Qi Wuyu's condition and immediately ran over.

"Shizun!"

Qi Wuyu had just returned with Chu Yunliu and was examining the little trinket Chu Yunliu had given him when he faintly heard Liu Nanzhou call out to him.

Turning around, he saw Liu Nanzhou covered in blood, rushing out of the Wuxiang Stone. The moment Liu Nanzhou saw the spotless Qi Wuyu, his strength failed him, and he immediately fell to his knees.

With a "clang," the sword dropped to the ground. Qi Wuyu quickly caught Liu Nanzhou. "Xiao Zhou!"

Liu Nanzhou caught the scent on Qi Wuyu—not the cloying sweetness from within the Wuxiang Stone, but the familiar fragrance of sandalwood that belonged to his shizun.

"Shizun..." he murmured, then completely lost consciousness.

Seeing Liu Nanzhou's mangled, bloody right hand, Qi Wuyu's heart clenched in pain. He patted Liu Nanzhou's back gently, over and over. "It's alright now, it's alright."

Chu Yunliu and Mo Chen hurried over. Mo Chen crouched down, anxiously looking at Liu Nanzhou, while Chu Yunliu picked up the sword from the ground in surprise. "My god, it's *this* sword?"

Qi Wuyu urged urgently, "Never mind the sword for now, quickly find me a room!"

"Oh, right, right. Follow me."

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Author's Note: Just finished writing, sorry for the delay (kneeling). Feels a bit messy; will revise when I have time [shrugs].

A little ramble: After posting today, I'll probably drop in the word count rankings again tomorrow, but that's okay. I've seen all your comments, including paragraph comments—super, super happy. This is the first time I've had so many comments while serializing [throws flowers]. But now JJ has notifications for comment replies, and those little red dots are annoyingly distracting, so I won't reply to each one individually (but I still hope everyone comments more) [kisses]. Thank you all so much for your support [sparkling eyes].