After Refusing Marriage to the Dao of Slaughter Patriarch (5)

The warm blood carried a metallic scent, so rich it was like some kind of overripe berry. Inexplicably, it reminded Yun Shu of the cold shudder that washed over his entire body the first time he committed a killing sin. His sword-wielding hand had always been exceptionally steady, yet for some unknown reason, at this moment, it was trembling slightly, almost uncontrollably.

Yun Shu furrowed his brows slightly and gripped his sword-holding hand, feeling inexplicably flustered and annoyed.

Clearly, the scene before him should have been exactly as he envisioned, fulfilling his desires; it was just that the person executing it had changed.

Yun Shu couldn't even control himself as he took a step forward, wanting to grab Ji Zhaixing's wrist.

Ji Zhaixing looked almost like some sort of startled young animal. He looked up at Yun Shu, and the incantation he was silently chanting paused for a moment.

"Patriarch Yun Shu," Ji Zhaixing chuckled softly, almost with a hint of mischief, "if I make a single misstep, this extracted Dao Bone will be ruined."

The bloodstains on Ji Zhaixing's body had almost completely ruined the wedding robes, but he seemed entirely oblivious to it. There was only an unnatural flush on his pale cheeks. He let out another barely suppressed gasp, truly looking as if he had exhausted himself to the point where his oil was spent and his lamp was dying.

Yun Shu stopped.

He knew that this technique was actually extremely dangerous. A single misstep in the middle would not only ruin the Dao Bone, but Ji Zhaixing would absolutely not survive either.

Yun Shu had not experienced such a vivid sense of anger—as if he had been openly defied—in many years. His face was exceptionally dark, accumulating a chilling intent as he enunciated the black-haired sword cultivator's name syllable by syllable: "Ji Zhaixing."

At this moment, Ji Zhaixing inexplicably began to let his thoughts wander.

'I wonder what kind of hobby Yun Shu has. Could it be he prefers to do it himself, just to make me suffer a pain worse than death?'

The fingers gripping the hilt of the blade were pressed so hard that their pads turned white from the excessive force. In contrast, the hot blood rolling down from the blade's edge suddenly seeped into his fingertips, looking like a handful of flowers caught in his palm.

Bit by bit, he completely extracted that Dao Bone.

Even though it was a fragment separated from human flesh and bone, the Transformation Dao Bone was exceptionally lustrous and radiant, glowing faintly like a piece of finely carved beautiful jade. After extracting it, Ji Zhaixing half-cupped it in his palm.

The murderous Demonic Saber was also pulled out as Ji Zhaixing lowered his eyes. With such severe physical trauma, coupled with the loss of the Dao Bone, Ji Zhaixing's originally perfect peak Golden Core cultivation instantly plummeted, flickering unsteadily before stabilizing at the early Golden Core stage.

His cheeks were deathly pale, and his dark red lips had also lost their color. With another string of secret incantations, he sent the Dao Bone floating right in front of Yun Shu.

The secret treasure that could drive the entire cultivation world into madness was thus easily delivered within Yun Shu's reach.

The Transformation Dao Bone that he had dreamed of, the one he had stooped to personally intervene for, despite his status as a Patriarch, just to obtain.

Yun Shu did not move.

The gaze Ji Zhaixing fixed on Yun Shu was no longer as devoted as it once was, a time when it seemed as though a whole galaxy of stars had fallen into his eyes.

"Patriarch Yun Shu," Ji Zhaixing said, "from now on, all love and hatred are cleared between us."

All love and hatred cleared.

Yun Shu pursed his lips tightly. A storm seemed to be gathering in his dark pupils, as if accumulating immense fury.

"You..."

The spiritual talisman hidden in his sleeve slipped down. Ji Zhaixing lightly rubbed it with two fingers, and purple flames ignited.

The black-haired sword cultivator also raised his eyes, looking as if he was relieved, making a resolute and decisive break.

As the purple flames burned out, the spiritual energy around Ji Zhaixing surged fiercely, almost enveloping his entire person tightly. That spiritual talisman was a high-grade Spatial Talisman drawn for him by his teacher, who had expended a hundred years of cultivation before he came to the Mingling Sword Sect. It was originally meant to be a life-saving trump card, yet Ji Zhaixing had used it here.

Yun Shu's pupils contracted slightly. He had roughly anticipated Ji Zhaixing's intention, but he did not obstruct him.

Just like that, Ji Zhaixing simply vanished right before his eyes.

Love and hatred cleared...

Yun Shu's expression looked even more as though it was veiled in frost.

Seeing the Dao Companion Ceremony develop to this point, the other cultivators couldn't help but sigh. They watched as Yun Shu finally placed that fragment of the Transformation Dao Bone into his sleeve. No one knew that he could barely maintain his icy expression, looking as if he would go mad in the very next second.

"Tang Huaimeng," Yun Shu called out. "Go and bring Ji Zhaixing back. No matter what, he is a person of my Mingling Sword Sect."

The cultivators off the stage were actually faintly tempted.

Such a resolute yet deeply affectionate beauty—possessing just one of these traits was enough to captivate anyone's soul, let alone both? Since he surprisingly failed to become Patriarch Yun Shu's Dao companion, then...

However, at this moment, they gasped at Patriarch Yun Shu's overbearing unreasonableness. These words clearly contained a hidden threat and warning, forbidding them from approaching Ji Zhaixing. Even if he wasn't his, he wouldn't allow others to lay a finger on him.

Yun Shu's gaze fell once again upon his most beloved young disciple.

"Yun Liu, come with me."

After the Dao Bone was extracted, every minute of delay reduced the chances of refining it.

Yun Liu's face was already deathly pale, struggling to maintain his composure.

He could hardly imagine how his fellow cultivators would view him... Moreover, even he himself couldn't accept it with a clear conscience.

Even Xie Chimeng frowned slightly, glancing at him several times.

Meanwhile, Tang Huaimeng, the other person called by name, suddenly felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cave, filled with both anger and panic.

He found it hard to imagine that his Master had actually held such intentions when seeking to become Dao companions with Ji Zhaixing.

Tang Huaimeng was also a successor born of a major sect. He knew that the Great Dao was ruthless and was accustomed to seeing sect infighting, stealing opportunities, and snatching secret treasures. Yet, at this moment, he couldn't find a suitable excuse for his Master's actions.

Just thinking about how Ji Zhaixing must have felt upon learning the truth, and the sarcastic words he had once directed at him—

Tang Huaimeng even felt a subtle trace of hatred.

For his Master to humiliate Ji Zhaixing like this, it would have been better to let Ji Zhaixing be with...

Tang Huaimeng lowered his head. He still stood up and replied almost inaudibly, "Yes."

His eyes were full of agony.

......

The blood soaking the hem of his clothes dripped into the rustling bushes. Because the spiritual energy in the blood was so rich, the leaves that absorbed the scent of blood swayed gently, as if they had sprouted a trace of chaotic sentience.

Ji Zhaixing felt thoroughly refreshed.

Breaking free from his originally fated entanglements would at least guarantee he could live for another hundred years.

The Transformation Dao Bone was indeed a treasure coveted by everyone in the cultivation world. Ji Zhaixing had lost it, yet he felt no regrets. Who told the news of him bearing the Dao Bone to be not much of a secret?

The Mingling disciples who had followed Yun Shu down to the lower realm for experiential learning back then all knew about this. A man's wealth is his own ruin by causing others' greed; to keep the Dao Bone, he would need to be constantly on guard. It was better to abandon it and give it to Yun Liu.

The Child of Destiny within the cycle of reincarnation naturally wouldn't fear such troubles.

Moreover, it brought an end to an ill-fated karma.

Ji Zhaixing lowered his eyes and cast another Dust-Cleansing Spell to conceal the bloody stench on his body. Even with his Golden Core cultivation, under such severe injuries, he also felt quite weak and powerless.

It was just that Ji Zhaixing had not expected to bump into Tang Huaimeng.

The Tang Huaimeng in his impression had always ignored him, occasionally displaying a naive arrogance. He had never appeared before him in such a miserable state.

'Is he here for revenge?'

Ji Zhaixing pondered as he cast two healing spells on his hastily medicated wound. The Sheathless Demon Blade in his hand hummed, the blade still carrying a faint red hue—a sign that it had just been sharpened and had not yet drunk its fill of blood.

Ji Zhaixing restrained the Demonic Saber.

What he had done had largely tainted Yun Shu's good reputation, so it was only natural for his disciple to come seeking revenge.

But it was absolutely impossible for Ji Zhaixing to just surrender without a fight.

He wanted to live a little longer.

Ji Zhaixing probably hadn't yet noticed that the Tang Huaimeng before him was actually in a state of utter despondency.

Tang Huaimeng saw with his own eyes that the current Ji Zhaixing was actually in such a wretched state. He could only hold his blade against the ground to barely support himself. That wound was terrifyingly deep, and scarlet blood soaked half his body, yet his expression remained calm.

The pale face and dark red lips—even when down and out, he was breathtakingly beautiful, making it almost impossible for Tang Huaimeng to tear his eyes away.

Tang Huaimeng continuously recalled a certain day when he walked through the corridor and saw Ji Zhaixing smiling. He remembered that when he grabbed Ji Zhaixing's wrist, it was actually quite slender, a frail weight.

Yet, it was this very same person, so thin he seemed somewhat frail, who had personally extracted his own Dao Bone with his own hands.

Between the two, there was an unbearable silence, like a standoff. Finally, Tang Huaimeng spoke with difficulty.

"I'll take you back to the Mingling Sword Sect."

When he said these words, Tang Huaimeng's face grew hot; even he found himself shameful.

He didn't mention the order given by his Master, only focusing his gaze intently on Ji Zhaixing. "...You are heavily injured. Walking alone in the cultivation world without anyone's protection, I fear you will be ambushed by vile characters."

'He's actually not here for revenge?'

Ji Zhaixing's hand gripping the blade's hilt relaxed slightly.

Tang Huaimeng's eyes were filled with an overflowing nervousness, like a self-destructive struggle before a final verdict: "I hope... you can go back with me."

Ji Zhaixing's pair of eyes were actually born extremely beautiful. At this moment, there was no love or hate in his eyes, only tranquility remained.

"Then I'm afraid I must disappoint Daoist Tang's good intentions."

"...I must do this."

Ji Zhaixing suddenly laughed again, truly as bright as a clear moon and sparse stars, full of spirit: "I originally thought you hated me because my name did not match the reality, occupying the position of Patriarch Yun Shu's Dao companion."

"I was wrong," Tang Huaimeng interrupted him, almost in a panic. "Master was wrong, and I was wrong too. Ji Zhaixing..."

"I have nothing now, but at least this broken body is still free." Ji Zhaixing's raven-wing-like eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow. This appearance of his made Tang Huaimeng's chest feel as if it was being shredded, hollowing out a piece, able to hear the viscous sound of flesh and blood colliding.

"I don't wish to go back."

"Daoist Tang, if you insist, we will only have to face each other with blades and swords," Ji Zhaixing said with a smile, but in his eyes was pure resolution.

Tang Huaimeng was at peak Nascent Soul, while Ji Zhaixing's Golden Core was unstable. If the two fought, it would be like striking a stone with an egg, as well as a desperate gamble.

The atmosphere was exceptionally chilling.

In the end, Tang Huaimeng looked bleak and took a step back—no matter what, he couldn't just watch Ji Zhaixing suffer injury upon injury.

Tang Huaimeng's voice was somewhat hoarse: "Daoist Ji, please take good care of yourself."

Ji Zhaixing also hadn't expected Tang Huaimeng to back down so easily.

'A very high moral standard for the cultivation world,' Ji Zhaixing evaluated.

"Many thanks, Daoist Tang."

It was three days later that Tang Huaimeng returned to the Mingling Sword Sect.

He first went to report and meet with Yun Shu. And when Yun Shu saw Tang Huaimeng, he naturally assumed he had brought Ji Zhaixing back, immediately saying, "Have Ji Zhaixing come see me."

However, right after saying that, Yun Shu stood up and retracted his previous words: "No... I'll go see him."

"Master," Tang Huaimeng said, full of bitterness, "I did not bring Ji Zhaixing back."

"Since he has already been reduced to such a state, please let him go."