PID Chapter 102

(4/5)

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The mountain wind outside was cool and gentle, but inside the dungeon, the air was heavy with coldness and decay—mercilessly biting to the bone.

 

Under the dim moonlight filtering in, Fenxiu finally managed to identify Xiao Mo. “Not Chu Jinglan… not a demon… Who are you?”

 

Xiao Mo kept his lips sealed and silently scrutinized Fenxiu. The chains binding him were numerous and exceptionally secure. Fenxiu’s cultivation had been crippled—he couldn’t stir up any trouble now.

 

Though Xiao Mo didn’t know when Fenxiu’s cultivation was destroyed, he understood that ordinary people who lost their cultivation would be reduced to mortal lifespans. Demons were different—they could live for hundreds or even thousands of years due to their bloodline power, even without cultivation.

 

Fenxiu’s clothes were tattered and worn, revealing old wounds beneath—some of which had scabbed over while others festered. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be sword injuries.

 

Fenxiu didn’t wait for Xiao Mo’s reply; instead, his gaze fell on the flute at Xiao Mo’s waist. His hazy mind jolted slightly as the chains rattled loudly. A strange glint flashed in his eyes as he rasped: “That flute… Are you Chu Jinglan’s new lover?”

 

“Heh… hahahaha!” Fenxiu’s hoarse laughter suddenly echoed through the dungeon. Despite his decrepit and deathlike state, he still had enough strength to laugh out loud. Though his laughter was unpleasant to hear, it reverberated heavily within the dungeon walls—like the deranged cry of a ghost clawing its way out of hell. “I thought he’d truly keep faith with his Dao companion for life! Hah—turns out he’s no different!”

 

Xiao Mo remained silent as he coldly watched Fenxiu’s madness unfold. They were enemies—not friends—and Xiao Mo felt no need to engage further.

 

Fenxiu’s laughter caused the chains piercing his body to tug painfully; mixed with his laughter were faint gasps of agony. After a while, he slumped weakly back down, his head drooping as he lazily asked: “Kid… how long has it been outside?”

 

His voice remained hoarse—likely from not speaking for an extended period.

 

A hundred years ago, when Chu Jinglan broke through to Return to Void stage, he captured Fenxiu alive. Xiao Mo finally spoke briefly in response: “A hundred years.”

 

“A hundred years…” Fenxiu muttered with a bitter chuckle as he raised his eyelids slightly. “Once upon a time, that would’ve felt like an instant. Now…” His gaze shifted back to Xiao Mo’s waist before continuing: “Little beauty… do you know that flute belonged to Chu Jinglan’s former Dao companion?”

 

Xiao Mo replied coldly: “I know.”

 

Fenxiu assumed that the flute was something Chu Jinglan would never give to anyone other than a lover and naturally concluded that Xiao Mo was his new flame. He sneered and said, “Do you know what kind of person his former Dao companion was? I see a bit of their aura in you. Could it be that Chu Jinglan is just looking for their shadow in you and hasn’t truly seen you for who you are?”

 

Even after being chained here for a hundred years, Fenxiu still had the audacity to try sowing discord. Clearly, his mind hadn’t completely deteriorated. Was this his attempt to drive a wedge between Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan before trying to manipulate Xiao Mo into freeing him?

 

Unfortunately for Fenxiu, he didn’t realize that the person standing before him was the very person he spoke of. The idea of Xiao Mo being his own substitute? Impossible.

 

Xiao Mo chuckled lightly. “That’s not possible.”

 

Fenxiu, seeing how calm and confident Xiao Mo was, rasped hoarsely, “And how can you be so sure?”

 

The reasons were far too many to count, but Xiao Mo didn’t mind using this opportunity to glean some information from Fenxiu. So he chose a simple one: “Chu Jinglan’s former Dao companion was just a shield—there was no romantic feeling involved.”

 

Hearing this, Fenxiu let out a laugh. “Is that what he told you? Hahaha! Chu Jinglan really will make up any lie to appease a new lover!”

 

Xiao Mo’s heart skipped a beat. Back then, since he hadn’t revealed his true feelings, Chu Jinglan had only regarded him as a friend. But Fenxiu’s confident laughter clearly hinted at more. Xiao Mo couldn’t help but ask cautiously: “What do you mean?”

 

“What do I mean? I mean that he’s been fooling you completely!” Fenxiu swallowed hard to moisten his dry throat before continuing. “Chu Jinglan agreed to keep me imprisoned under his watch—not for the grand reasons he claims on the surface, but for his own selfish curiosity. He wanted to find an answer from me.”

 

“And that answer is—”

 

[Why are you here?]

 

A voice carried by the wind interrupted Fenxiu’s words. He let out a muffled grunt as if struck by an invisible force, cutting off his sentence mid-flow. Xiao Mo spun around in alarm, only to see Chu Jinglan—who should have been cultivating—standing silently behind him.

 

…When someone with such high cultivation appeared behind you without a sound—even if they were a familiar face—it was genuinely unsettling.

 

There had been no footsteps, no detectable aura through spiritual sense—just his sudden presence. Xiao Mo’s heart leapt into his throat before gradually settling back down as he recognized Chu Jinglan’s figure.

 

Letting out a breath of relief, Xiao Mo asked, “…Weren’t you cultivating?”

 

“I finished,” Chu Jinglan replied calmly. “When I noticed you weren’t in your room, I came here.”

 

His gaze swept coldly into the dungeon where Fenxiu sat chained. Fenxiu glared at him with venomous eyes and opened his mouth as if to speak—but instead coughed up blood. Stunned for a moment, Fenxiu then broke into laughter again.

 

He had been injured by the residual force of Chu Jinglan’s aura earlier and couldn’t speak for the moment. Instead, he silently mouthed the words: People are not as they once were.

 

Without another word, Chu Jinglan pulled Xiao Mo gently toward the exit and raised his hand coldly. The dungeon door slammed shut with an audible clang, narrowing Fenxiu’s hateful gaze into a thin slit before sealing him completely behind the heavy door.

 

Fenxiu could only see the cold, detached gaze of Chu Jinglan, unable to discern even the slightest change in his expression.

 

Of course, he couldn’t see it—because Chu Jinglan would never let those four words, “People are not as they once were,” affect him. Whether it was an old acquaintance or a new companion, they were both Xiao Mo.

 

If anything had changed, it was him.

 

—

 

Chu Jinglan gently took Xiao Mo’s hand again and strolled leisurely through the mountains. The clear breeze and bright moon accompanied them as he spoke calmly, his mood serene after cultivating his spiritual consciousness earlier: “Out for some sightseeing?”

 

“Mm, just wandering around,” Xiao Mo replied, though his mind was still lingering on Fenxiu’s interrupted words. “Why is Fenxiu here in Du-E Sect?”

 

“After Fenxiu was captured alive, the major human factions convened and decided to keep him alive for now. As a demon with celestial bloodline, his lineage inherently holds sway over the demon race. Keeping him here allows them to negotiate with the demons while ensuring he’s under my watch, where they feel most secure.”

 

Although the dungeon lacked any visible restrictions, Du-E Sect’s protective formations were formidable enough that ordinary people couldn’t hope to break in easily.

 

Chu Jinglan’s reasoning was perfectly logical, but Xiao Mo couldn’t help recalling Fenxiu’s earlier claim—that Chu Jinglan had personal motives for keeping him imprisoned.

 

What question does Chu Jinglan want to ask Fenxiu? Was Fenxiu trying to stir trouble—or is there truth to his words?

 

The abrupt interruption of their conversation only made Xiao Mo more curious.

 

Still, tonight wasn’t the time to uncover answers. By closing the dungeon door, Chu Jinglan had clearly signaled that he didn’t want Xiao Mo pursuing the matter further.

 

And yet… he hadn’t added any new restrictions to the dungeon. This meant Xiao Mo could still return later and open the door again to ask.

 

Xiao Mo couldn’t figure out what Chu Jinglan was thinking. When exactly did he arrive? How much did he overhear? If he didn’t care about what Fenxiu said, why interrupt before I could hear everything? If he did care, why not lock the dungeon completely so I couldn’t go back?

 

Xiao Mo felt puzzled.

 

By the time he snapped out of his thoughts, Chu Jinglan had already led him to another mountain peak.

 

—

 

As they stepped onto this peak, tiny points of spiritual light suddenly rose from the surrounding trees—like stars from the heavens descending into the mortal world. Xiao Mo’s attention was immediately drawn to them.

 

The glowing lights resembled fireflies but were far more radiant and beautiful. They shimmered and danced continuously, flowing like rivers of stars from all directions before gathering and swirling in graceful movements.

 

One of these luminous points floated past Xiao Mo’s eyes. He reached out with his fingertip and gently touched it. The light burst apart with a soft “pop” before quickly reforming itself into a playful swirl before darting away.

 

“Rumor has it that Du-E Sect’s eighty-one peaks are home to many extraordinary sights,” Xiao Mo said as his gaze sparkled with delight at the glowing landscape around him. “Is this one of them?”

 

“It is,” Chu Jinglan confirmed as he guided Xiao Mo up the steps. “If you wish, I can show you all the others.”

 

Xiao Mo tightened his grip on Chu Jinglan’s hand and smiled brightly: “Alright—it’s a promise!”

 

—

 

As they ascended through the glow of firefly-like lights, Chu Jinglan not only showed him the scenery but also introduced him to something unexpected. In a cluster of flowers higher up on the peak, a butterfly suddenly darted out in a flurry—its antennae buzzing as it emitted human speech: “Greetings, Xianzun.”

 

“This is the Fortune Spirit Butterfly from before,” Chu Jinglan explained. “You’ve contracted it now.”

 

The butterfly froze momentarily before lifting its gaze toward Xiao Mo. Then it obediently flew over and bowed its head before him.

 

Though now an eighth-rank beast, it maintained a palm-sized form here—docile and elegant without a trace of ferocity typical of beasts.

 

Who would have thought, after three hundred years, that Chu Jinglan had truly kept his promise not to contract the Fortune Spirit Butterfly—leaving it for Xiao Mo as he had said? Xiao Mo’s heart warmed at the thought. He flicked a blood droplet from his fingertip and, as a human, officially formed a true contract with the Fortune Spirit Butterfly.

 

The butterfly affectionately brushed its wings against Xiao Mo’s fingertip and said, “Please grant me a name, Master.”

 

Xiao Mo had been about to ask if it already had a name. After all, Chu Jinglan hadn’t named it in all these years—had he been waiting for Xiao Mo to return? Seeing that Chu Jinglan remained silent, Xiao Mo looked at the patterns on the butterfly’s wings and its current size before deciding: “You’ll be called Xiao Cai.”

 

Xiao Cai replied obediently: “Understood.”

 

Since Xiao Cai was already accustomed to living on this mountain peak, Xiao Mo didn’t insist on bringing it back to the courtyard at Du-E Peak. Contracted beasts could be summoned at any time, so he let it stay in its comfortable nest.

 

The two of them leisurely explored the sights of the mountain peak. By dawn, they returned to Du-E Peak’s courtyard, where Yan Chun, Chu Xia, and Mo Zhi had already arrived at sunrise to discuss the details of the Dao companion ceremony with Chu Jinglan.

 

The first task was drafting the guest list. Since Xiao Mo’s acquaintances from his time as a inner demon were few, the list naturally fell to Chu Jinglan to decide. While they discussed matters in the courtyard hall, Xiao Mo returned to his room to focus on his own tasks.

 

He planned to carve a sword tassel for Chu Jinglan using the Xuan Ice Stone. The design had already been finalized—a lotus flower—since it was clear that Chu Jinglan preferred lotuses.

 

Preparing a gift was important, but cultivation couldn’t be neglected either. Chu Jinglan was already at Return to Void stage, with a lifespan far exceeding that of someone at Nascent Soul stage. If Xiao Mo wanted to stay by his side for the long haul, he needed to improve his cultivation significantly. Only then could he stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Chu Jinglan.

 

Xiao Mo wanted to become someone cherished by Chu Jinglan—not a weakness or burden.

 

With so much to do, Xiao Mo found himself quite busy. As he carved the lotus flower design into the sword tassel, he focused his spiritual energy and honed his spiritual consciousness. Using protective charm techniques as part of his carving process also helped refine his control over spiritual energy precision.

 

Bit by bit, he carved away at the stone. Before he realized it, two hours had passed. The sound of wings flapping outside his window finally broke his concentration—it was Qiuqiu carrying a food box in its beak.

 

Xiao Mo stretched lazily after snapping out of his focused state. Because he was using spiritual energy for carving, progress was slow. Qiuqiu landed and chirped proudly: “Master asked me to deliver this!”

 

Opening the food box, Xiao Mo found it filled with fragrant spiritual food—the aroma alone was incredibly tempting. He patted Qiuqiu’s head and asked with amusement: “Isn’t Chu Jinglan coming over to eat with me?”

 

“They’re still discussing things,” Qiuqiu replied while flapping its wings excitedly. “But I’ll eat with you instead!”

 

Xiao Mo couldn’t help but laugh: “Why do you still think I’m your other master?”

 

Qiuqiu puffed out its fluffy chest confidently: “You two are getting married! That makes you my other master—it’s absolutely correct!”

 

Amused by Qiuqiu’s antics, Xiao Mo didn’t mind sharing the meal with it. As they ate together and chatted casually, most of their conversation revolved around questions about Chu Jinglan—and Qiuqiu happily answered them all. Today, through Qiuqiu’s stories, Xiao Mo learned about what happened when Chu Jinglan returned to the Chu family for revenge.

 

At Divided Spirit stage, Chu Jinglan had descended to the lower realm and fought against the elders of the Chu family. Among their direct lineage, only one person—Chu Shi—was spared because they had never harmed him in any way. The rest were completely wiped out.

 

Chu Shi was allowed to escape to the Middle Realm and spread the news to the Upper Realm, letting rumors and gossip run rampant.

 

“He destroyed his own family, and the outside world was in chaos over it. Even though Yingyue Sect clarified that he did it to avenge his mother, some people didn’t believe it. Hah, blind fools!” Qiuqiu exclaimed indignantly.

 

Xiao Mo fed Qiuqiu another bite of food. Thinking about how those malicious rumors must have reached Chu Jinglan’s ears, he felt a pang of sorrow. While he knew that Chu Jinglan likely didn’t care and wouldn’t be hurt by mere gossip, Xiao Mo still couldn’t help feeling protective. “And then?”

 

“He took the opportunity to go into seclusion for three years to cultivate. He wasn’t affected by the slander—he came out even stronger! The faces of those who tried to ruin his reputation were priceless!” Qiuqiu chirped excitedly. Well, it didn’t have eyebrows, but its tone carried all the enthusiasm of raised brows. Having nearly finished its meal, Qiuqiu added eagerly: “Next time, I’ll tell you about his heroic feats during the human-demon war!”

 

Speaking of that, Xiao Mo asked: “Do you know what Chu Jinglan asked Fenxiu after capturing him?”

 

“That I don’t know,” Qiuqiu admitted. “Master interrogated him alone a few times but hasn’t gone back since. It’s like Fenxiu doesn’t exist anymore.”

 

So if Xiao Mo wanted answers, he’d have to ask either Chu Jinglan or Fenxiu directly.

 

—

 

Later in the afternoon, Chu Jinglan returned to the courtyard. Xiao Mo had been preparing to meditate but stepped out as soon as he saw him return. Rather than asking Fenxiu, he decided to ask Chu Jinglan directly.

 

“I asked him many things—mostly on behalf of human factions,” Chu Jinglan replied calmly. “As for my personal questions… yes, there were some. But…” His gaze softened as it fell on Xiao Mo. “I’ll tell you later—not now.”

 

What kind of answer depends on timing? Xiao Mo wondered curiously. “How long do I have to wait?”

 

After a moment of contemplation, Chu Jinglan gave an uncertain answer: “At least after the wedding.”

 

And how long after that? There was no clear timeline. Xiao Mo pondered for a moment before deciding to set aside this topic for now. “There’s one more thing—I need a specific material for something I’m making. After looking through some books, I found that this material has to be forged on-site using my own spiritual energy in the Tianyuan Secret Realm. I just sent a message to Yan Chun earlier—he told me that a Tianyuan Secret Realm is opening soon, so I want to go and look for it.”

 

This material was needed for weaving the tassel for Chu Jinglan’s sword.

 

Hearing this, Chu Jinglan’s previously calm aura suddenly vanished.

 

Though his expression remained unchanged and the sunlight was still gentle around them, there was an inexplicable depth in his eyes—a darkness that seemed bottomless. His voice sounded steady as before, but there was an underlying tension: “You must go personally?”

 

Xiao Mo nodded firmly: “Yes. It has to be forged by me personally; otherwise, it won’t work. The Tianyuan Secret Realm suppresses cultivation levels up to Great Perfection stage—we—”

 

He had intended to say “we can go together,” but before he could finish speaking, Chu Jinglan interrupted him abruptly: “No.”

 

Both Xiao Mo and Chu Jinglan froze at those two words.

 

Since their reunion in this life, this was the first time Chu Jinglan had cut off Xiao Mo so decisively without hearing him out—using such firm words as “No.”

 

Their gazes locked as Xiao Mo stared at him in surprise while Chu Jinglan’s hand clenched tightly beneath his sleeve.

 

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1 Kofi = 1 Extra Chapter