Chapter 69: Confession

Chapter 69: Confession

Just a few words, yet they carried a strange kind of magic.

The sun had fully set, and Yan Zizhan had no idea how long he'd been standing there. When he finally snapped out of it, the bright moon was already hanging high in the sky.

Something filled his heart, swelling up from his chest and rising, until a fierce urge surged in him—to appear before Chu Jingxi right then and pour out the feelings he'd kept buried for so long.

But when he actually stood outside the massive warship, Yan Zizhan stopped.

Aboard the warship, Gold Immortal Fulu had just wrapped up his sealing work when he noticed someone looking lost in melancholy.

He appeared in front of the man in a single step.

"Senior." Yan Zizhan cupped his hands in a courteous salute.

Gold Immortal Fulu nodded casually, noticing that from this angle, you could see the illegally built little shack on the warship. "Going to find Chu Jingxi?"

Yan Zizhan didn't deny it, saying there were a few things he wanted to discuss with him.

Gold Immortal Fulu saw him frozen in place, not looking like he was about to head up.

Under the curious gaze, Yan Zizhan spoke honestly: "Afraid I'll scare him off."

Hearing this, Gold Immortal Fulu had the same thought as the Taiqing Sect Master—what in the world could possibly scare Chu Jingxi?

But he didn't say that out loud. Whatever had this young man hesitating couldn't be trivial. If it involved the ghost clan, he'd have reported it long ago instead of lingering here, stuck in indecision.

Gold Immortal Fulu made his call in an instant: a big deal, but a private one.

He looked at Yan Zizhan and asked, "Do you think Chu Jingxi is clever?"

Yan Zizhan nodded without a second thought.

Gold Immortal Fulu gave a wry smile. "So whatever you're hiding, he's probably already caught on—at least he can see the tip of the iceberg."

Yan Zizhan was taken aback.

Those words hit him like a wake-up call. The player in the game never sees the whole picture. He realized, a beat too late, that when it came to reading people and seeing through them, Chu Jingxi was way ahead of him.

After all the time they'd spent together, there was no way the other man had stayed completely in the dark.

But Chu Jingxi hadn't deliberately kept his distance—that already said a lot.

Once he figured that out, Yan Zizhan didn't hesitate. He teleported onto the warship in an instant. A gust of wind swept past where he'd been standing, and Gold Immortal Fulu shook his head with a sigh, remarking that the Taiqing Sect had actually produced an impatient one.

**

Inside the private courtyard, Chu Jingxi heard the noise and opened his eyes. When he opened the door, he was met with a stern face.

Noticing Yan Zizhan seemed a bit tense, Chu Jingxi invited him in. Just as he turned to pour a cup of calming tea, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

This time, Chu Jingxi knew the drill. The other man had probably sensed some hidden danger again and come specifically to warn him.

He sat down calmly, using his other hand to pour the tea at a leisurely pace. "Don't panic."

He handed over the cup and asked what was going on, but Yan Zizhan didn't take the tea. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times, like he wanted to say something.

They stayed frozen like that for about half a minute, until Yan Zizhan met those slightly confused eyes... the latter tilted his head, looking totally puzzled.

His gaze unconsciously drifted down, landing on the jade ornament hanging at the young man's waist. "People in this world all like to use raw jade to praise a person's true character."

That opening line! Chu Jingxi's heart jolted, and the cup nearly shattered in his grip.

No—it had already crumbled to powder. But out of habit of keeping up appearances, Chu Jingxi used spiritual power to hold it together, not letting a single drop spill.

"But..."

Chu Jingxi instinctively cut in: "But those who use the argument of craftsmanship to belittle finely carved jade are just showing worldly prejudice."

A flicker of surprise nearly outweighed his nervousness. Yan Zizhan had never imagined Chu Jingxi could so easily hit on his truest thoughts.

Recalling Gold Immortal Fulu's advice, his voice grew even tighter: "You've already noticed, haven't you?"

Not just noticed. Chu Jingxi said: "I saw it."

On the first day of his qi deviation, someone had come to his bedside and confessed over and over in sign language—impossible not to notice even if he'd wanted to.

And besides... Chu Jingxi lowered his head.

He wasn't sure if it was a habit, but whenever Yan Zizhan was affected by certain things, he'd naturally take his hand. From the moment the man walked in until his little speech about jade, he'd never once let go of his hand.

Chu Jingxi gently pulled his wrist back, but at the last second, he reversed his grip and clasped those slender hands.

"You've already made it pretty obvious," he said.

Yan Zizhan's heart skipped a beat.

The air went quiet for a moment. Chu Jingxi could feel the fingertips growing hotter, and a sense of peace washed over him.

After everything the two of them had been through, no one would ever get this close to him again.

A smooth operator would never be drawn to another sharp one.

Chu Jingxi said softly, "I told you I trust you."

Yan Zizhan's presence gave him an unprecedented sense of security, like the palm lines that grew clearer as the temperature rose.

It was something he could grasp—steady, solid, something he could always truly hold onto.

No need for many words. A single look was enough—their hearts understood each other before words could catch up.

Yan Zizhan already knew the answer.

Chu Jingxi was still talking, but Yan Zizhan barely dared to breathe, completely unable to focus on the words. His attention was locked on those lips, opening and closing.

Chu Jingxi savored this moment of completely controlling the other's emotions. A flash of something dark passed through his eyes.

He suddenly remarked that the sun had been pretty nice tonight, and asked, "Don't you think?"

Yan Zizhan nodded.

Chu Jingxi broke into a smile. His fingertip swept across the wind-blown sleeve, gently hooking it—as if it carried the weight of a thousand pounds. Yan Zizhan instinctively bent down and ducked his head.

Their breaths began to intertwine, soft and tangled, the world spinning around them. Time seemed to freeze in that instant.

Yan Zizhan's arm unconsciously wrapped around the slender waist from behind, pulling tighter.

Just as the distance between their bodies was about to shrink further, a thunderous crack suddenly exploded in the night sky.

One after another, echoing without end.

The flickering light cut through the half-open window, and the cup in Chu Jingxi's hand finally slipped: "Did you have someone set off fireworks?"

Yan Zizhan shook his head—quite the opposite—he wanted to blow up whoever set them off.

Forced to let go of the person in his arms for now, Yan Zizhan turned and warily glanced out the window. His Spiritual Sense swept the area—nothing out of the ordinary.

Along with the loud blast came some weird-colored granular powder. He rubbed it between his fingers: "It's the ashes of Ghost Emperor Wuliang."

That aura was unmistakable.

"..."

The Ghost Emperor wouldn't blow himself up just to entertain them. Chu Jingxi walked over to the window himself—the commotion was definitely coming from the old battlefield.

He figured those Great Cultivators had found a way to handle the mutated corpses and decided to start with the Ghost Emperor's remains.

Patting the Rustless Copper Bell at his waist—which was grabbing every chance to doze off—he said, "Go check it out and see if they need your help."

Without the Ghost Emperor's bones, maybe the exorcism would be easier.

The Warship was still docked outside the city gate, and the Rustless Copper Bell was back before long.

It hadn't done much, but compared to when it left, the bell's mouth was clearly agitated: 'At most, I can exorcise one.'

'They're planning to seal the mutated corpses further, making sure they don't zombify for at least ten years, and then expect me to get stronger later to exorcise them.'

The work order was booked ten years out—it was only its good temper that kept it from smacking them with a bell right there, for Chu Jingxi's sake.

Chu Jingxi didn't call it out, knowing the real reason was that the Rustless Copper Bell couldn't take on that many Great Cultivators.

"You'll get used to it. You got that from me."

From the Snow Frog Patriarch to the corrupted beasts and cultivators, the denominator was fixed but the numerator kept climbing—the ones waiting for him to save them would eventually line up from here to the edge of the realm.

Yan Zizhan caught the helplessness and pressure under the light tone and smoothly changed the subject.

"When they were handling the remains, did the various factions ask anything else?"

The Rustless Copper Bell wondered how he knew and scoffed: 'The Immortal Alliance still hasn't given up on their treasure dream. They asked if we found any weapons or anything around the corpse.'

Yan Zizhan traded a look with Chu Jingxi at that—this time, the Immortal Alliance might not actually be after treasure.

After all, soaked in ghost clan aura for so long, using those artifacts directly without treatment would cause endless problems.

It was also lucky that back in the blood mist space, there was nothing else around the remains. Otherwise, a mutated corpse with weapons would have been insanely lethal, and they might not have gotten out unscathed.

"Lucky like that?"

Chu Jingxi, who nearly stepped on every trap every time, had somehow dodged this one, and it left him feeling off.

Thinking it over, it seemed he'd dodged more than one. When Yan Zizhan first left the space, he'd said something felt off—like the Array Stone being taken but the mutated corpse not being unsealed right away.

Seeing Chu Jingxi's brow furrow slightly, Yan Zizhan told him not to overthink it, repeating that line: "In heaven and earth, trust only yourself."

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Whatever karma this was, as long as Chu Jingxi held steady, he'd find every way to keep him from getting dragged into it.

The Rustless Copper Bell didn't know the details but totally agreed.

'Trust is the hypocrisy that destroys everything; only solitude leads to becoming an emperor.'

As they talked, no one noticed the laws of heaven and earth tremble slightly, as if making way for something.

Not having fully balanced the books, the System came back leaning on its staff, battered and bruised. The moment it ripped open the space, it heard someone dissing it.

"."

A period popped into its head—dirtier than an ellipsis. Chu Jingxi jumped at the System's sudden appearance. This time he waited three seconds, saw the System still going after the other two, and confirmed it was back.

"You okay?" Chu Jingxi noticed his head felt a little heavier.

It got roasted daily, but deep down he still worried about the missing System.

"Alive."

"..." That sounded like something straight out of tragic literature.

He couldn't afford to space out in place for too long. Chu Jingxi looked up and gave a light cough: "Gold Immortal Fulu should be escorting us back tomorrow. Before we set off, I want to sleep for a bit."

Cultivators didn't need much sleep, but regulating their breathing was important.

Hard training, mental battles, dealing with mutated corpses—Chu Jingxi's recent days hadn't been easy, with dark circles forming under his eyes.

Yan Zizhan's gaze on Chu Jingxi was always intent, and he'd noticed this a while ago: "I'll be at the bow. Get some rest."

Chu Jingxi nodded.

He hadn't had a sip of water this whole time, and now he unconsciously licked his lips.

Yan Zizhan couldn't help thinking about that brief, feather-light touch from earlier, his throat going tight.

The next second, their eyes met midair, and even Yan Zizhan's turn to leave was a little awkward.

The door shut behind him, and Chu Jingxi couldn't help the corner of his mouth curling up.

...

Same moonlight, familiar surroundings—it was a blessing that he'd accidentally brought the small courtyard along with him this time.

Familiar space made you unconsciously let your guard down, and Chu Jingxi's nerves, taut for days, finally relaxed.

After Yan Zizhan left, Chu Jingxi lay quietly in bed, closing his eyes to reach out to the System and ask why it had been out of contact these past few days.

But the System still hadn't gotten over it: "He actually came all the way over here just to badmouth me to you."

"Yan Zizhan came to confess his feelings to me."

The System wasn't surprised at all, and actually confirmed it.

"Then that's definitely it. Last time he confessed to you, he was badmouthing me the whole time too."

"..." Chu Jingxi thought back and realized it was true, unable to come up with a comeback.

After the System whipped up an eight-hundred-character essay on "Heaven Gives Birth to All Things, the Great Dao Is Impartial," it finally set aside its personal grudge for a moment and started explaining what happened while it was gone.

"You already know that Ghost Emperor Wuliang's essence blood breaks down into blood mist."

Chu Jingxi hummed in agreement.

"Why would the essence blood just decompose out of nowhere? Of course, because I beat it into pieces."

Chu Jingxi was startled.

"When I came, I sensed a trace of the Ghost Emperor Wuliang's aura, and that bastard sensed me too. I had no choice but to go AFK and draw it away first."

"There was simply no time to notify you back then. One more second of delay, and that clash would have unfolded inside your body—you'd have been dead for sure."

"After that, I've been suppressing the Ghost Emperor's remains the whole time. You think the immortal who came could have destroyed the Emperor's bones so easily?"

What truly shocked Chu Jingxi was that such a tiny remnant of the Ghost Emperor's consciousness could sense the system's existence across different spaces.

"The Ghost Emperor Wuliang once tried to merge his soul into the Heavenly Dao to replace the existing one. After failing, he paid the price of his soul's destruction to cast the Blood Curse Art."

"As a result, a portion of ghost clan aura within my Dao core has never been fully expelled."

"Just like Yan Zizhan." Back then, after Yan Zizhan was hit by the bloodline secret art, he was nearly assimilated.

"..."

He'd spoken too soon. Chu Jingxi asked the key question: "So does the Ghost Emperor Wuliang still have any residual consciousness remaining in the world?"

He'd never seen a villain this formidable even after death—practically a ticking time bomb.

"No more."

Seeing the system so certain, Chu Jingxi set aside his worries, and the confusion in his mind mostly cleared up.

No wonder the blood mist was so easily led around by them. The weapons near the mutated corpses were probably also quietly taken care of by the system.

In theory, the system couldn't personally intervene in anything at all. Chu Jingxi frowned: "What consequences will that have?"

"Staying alive."

"..."

There are ways to live, and then there are ways to live. That's a result, not a consequence. But if the system didn't want to say something, no one could pry it out of it—Chu Jingxi was no exception.

He could only focus on leveling up. He needed to become strong enough that if the system ever got into real trouble, he could step in to help.

Another name was added to the list of people to save. Chu Jingxi requested a new minor settlement task.

In truth, the system had already started processing the settlement after ending its idle mode, but its speed now rivaled a desktop with a dying hard drive—it hadn't finished running yet.

After a while longer, the notification sound came back.

Chu Jingxi finally saw the content when the task ended: "Foiled the Ghost Emperor Wuliang's scheme."

Previously, due to the Blood Curse Art, the system could only display question marks when it came to matters involving the Ghost Emperor. Now everything was normal, indirectly confirming that the Ghost Emperor had truly been obliterated, soul included.

At the same time, the panel received its second epic update:

"Divine-grade skill: 'Fellow Daoist, Please Remain Silent' Level 8 (2,000 XP to next level)

Any enemy who attacks you will be forced to leak personal info for 30 seconds.

Cooldown: 90 minutes"

On the surface, it had jumped two levels, though last time it was only 0.1 XP short of Level 7.

Additionally, Space-Time Law went up by 0.3 levels. The biggest change was in the innate abilities—besides Definition and Deception, a new status bar appeared.

"Ultimate Talent · Words Become Law · Extreme: Loading Language Pack (Not Activated)."

Forcibly loading a language was nothing new for the system—the most infamous example being the sign language incident.

"It has nothing to do with sign language. After this upgrade, a specific language pack, 'Dictionary,' will be loaded onto the target."

"Nine is the pinnacle. Once the Fellow Daoist skill reaches Level 9, this talent will activate automatically."

The system didn't elaborate on what this ability did, only stressing one thing.

"This ability will be extremely powerful—even surpassing divine-grade skills."

It sounded like he was finally about to max out this skill!

Before letting himself get excited, Chu Jingxi calmly asked: "What's the cost of using it?"

So far, every innate ability either had strict restrictions or drained both money and life.

"No cost at all."

One second... two seconds...

Certain he hadn't misheard, Chu Jingxi bolted upright from the bed like a startled bird.

No cost—how scary was that?!

Author's Note:

Chu Jingxi: Is life finally coming for me, the fierce tiger?

System: ...Classic paranoia. Clearly corrupted by Yan Zizhan.

Feeling more pumped now?