Chapter 118: Blood Ties
He waited patiently for a moment, but no one appeared. With a soft laugh, he remarked, “Xiao Niang is a notable figure in the demonic path, yet now she doesn’t dare show herself. Could it be that she’s afraid?”
Xiao Niang was filled with suspicion. She couldn’t understand how such a young cultivator could sense her presence. After confirming multiple times that the man in black was not nearby, she finally revealed herself under the willow tree.
“So it was you who harmed my poor little brother?” Xiao Niang gazed at the youth’s peach-blossom-like face, and the accusation in her tone softened into a playful scold.
“You don’t really need such a low-level and mediocre ‘little brother,’ do you?” Yu Le responded.
Xiao Niang practiced the art of energy extraction, and her “little brothers” were scattered everywhere. In truth, they were merely cultivation furnaces she raised, meant to be drained of their essence for her own advancement.
“I may not need him, but raising that brother cost me quite a lot of resources. I’ve suffered a loss, and someone needs to compensate me. Why don’t you become my new brother? Xiao Niang would cherish you a hundred times more.”
The moment Xiao Niang laid eyes on him, she could tell that his constitution was pure, a promising talent if properly nurtured.
She even considered that since he dared come here alone, she might as well abduct him and take him back to the demonic path.
With an increasingly enchanting smile, her beautiful face radiated temptation as she approached the youth.
Suddenly, she heard the youth laugh again. “Become your brother? If it could help my cultivation, I’d certainly be willing to be your brother, dear sister.”
The two were now very close. Xiao Niang could only see the smile on his face, and his eyes were fixed on her with a gentle yet mischievous glint. If she had been younger, she might have blushed and felt her heart race under his gaze.
Just as she was about to make her move, her hand was suddenly restrained. Xiao Niang was startled to realize that she couldn’t move, and the demonic energy within her began to stir as if someone was trying to absorb it.
She snapped back to her senses, her face filled with shock. “Who are you? How do you know my energy extraction technique? You’re no cultivator of the immortal path!”
Cultivators of the immortal path cultivated spiritual energy, so how could he have stirred the demonic energy inside her? This youth was clearly a demonic cultivator!
Yet, she couldn’t detect any trace of demonic energy on him. No matter how hard she looked, all she could see was that he was at the early stage of the Spirit Refining stage, typical of an immortal path cultivator.
All of this made the youth before her even more mysterious and unfathomable, especially the power that immobilized her. Sensing the threat and warning in his actions, Xiao Niang didn’t dare to act rashly.
Seeing the shock and fear on Xiao Niang’s face, Yu Le released her. “Relax, Xiao Niang. I don’t want to hurt you. If I had any ill intentions, I would’ve directly absorbed your demonic energy.”
Of course, this was a lie. If he could, he definitely would have absorbed it. Earlier, he had only used the Dingyang Ring and his demon core to intimidate her. Given his current cultivation level, that was all he could do—bluff.
“I only want to talk to you about the current state of the demonic path. You’ve lived here for decades, yet you’re preparing to leave soon. Could it be that something has changed within the demonic path?”
Xiao Niang was even more astonished when she heard him ask this.
Why was he so concerned about the affairs of the demonic path? Could it be that beneath this youthful appearance, an ancient demon had tried and possessed him?
Being a person who understood the times, she quickly calculated in her mind. Telling him wouldn’t cost her anything, and it might be beneficial to befriend him.
“Sigh, to tell you the truth, I was forced to leave the demonic path back then because the Lord of the Demonic Path, Chang Que, disappeared, and the factions within began warring. I feared getting caught up in the chaos.”
“For decades, the demonic path has been embroiled in infighting, while the elders of the Demon Palace have been searching for traces of Lord Chang Que. They sensed that he was trapped somewhere and couldn’t escape. But recently, there have been rumors that Lord Chang Que’s soul flame has dimmed, as if he’s been severely injured and lost his source of power.”
“Now the demonic path needs to choose a new leader. Naturally, we demonic cultivators who’ve been wandering outside can’t miss such a grand event…”
It turned out this matter was related to him.
Yu Le listened with a smile and continued to ask Xiao Niang about the various factions within the demonic path.
Xiao Niang answered honestly, though her words were laced with probing questions of her own.
“Why are you just a mere disciple within the Immortal Sect? With the upheaval in the demonic path, wouldn’t you be interested in returning with me?” Xiao Niang asked.
Yu Le simply replied, “When the time is right, I will go.”
After getting the information he needed, he continued, “You’ve been at Linzhou Immortal Market for quite some time. You must know about some underground black markets, right?”
“Of course I do. Whatever you’re looking for, I can accompany you,” Xiao Niang offered softly.
Yu Le smiled. “Oh, that’s not necessary. I believe my senior brother will be looking for me soon.”
…
After obtaining the addresses and entry methods for several underground black markets and hidden trading venues in Linzhou from Xiao Niang, Yu Le left the lakeside and headed toward the street.
Mo Cunzhi had been searching for him everywhere. When he finally tracked him down, he found Yu Le browsing herbs at a small stall.
“Why did you go out alone?” Mo Cunzhi asked, clearly displeased.
Yu Le glanced back and calmly said, “I wasn’t feeling well. I suddenly didn’t want to see Senior Brother, so I went out alone. Is that so hard to understand?”
Mo Cunzhi: “…”
He was left speechless, unable to continue his lecture. After all, it was his own mistake that had caused this situation.
Mo Cunzhi had never encountered such a difficult person before. Yu Le’s thoughts were unpredictable and ever-changing. At times, it seemed like he didn’t care about the matter at all, but then out of nowhere, he’d say something soft and piercing, cutting right to the heart. It left Mo Cunzhi confused, unsure of what Yu Le was really thinking or planning.
After a long pause, Mo Cunzhi asked, “Do you still want to check out the spirit beasts?”
Yu Le replied, “I’ve already seen them. None were suitable. I’ll catch one myself next time.”
…
They returned to the inn and rested for the night. The next day, when Mo Cunzhi prepared to head back to the mountain gate, Yu Le no longer hesitated and accompanied him without further excuses.
The two left Linzhou Immortal Market together, but Xiao Niang, who had been secretly following Yu Le to see what he was up to, clenched her teeth in frustration. She muttered to herself that this man was far too cautious and cunning.
However, Xiao Niang could do nothing but leave, unsure when he might return. After the incident at the inn, she could no longer stay in the area.
…
Yu Le and Mo Cunzhi returned to the Wuyue Immortal Sect. Mo Cunzhi turned to say something more to him, but Yu Le waved his hand dismissively and casually said, “I’ll be going now, Senior Brother. Do as you please.”
With that, Yu Le floated away.
His return didn’t go unnoticed by his senior brother Meng Qing and his concerned senior sister, Bai Feishuang.
Bai Feishuang found it strange. Typically, when Senior Brother Mo went down the mountain to rid the world of demons, he would be gone for one or two months. Why had he returned so quickly this time?
She wondered if perhaps there had been a conflict between him and her junior brother, which caused them to return early.
With Senior Brother Mo’s high level of cultivation and rich experience, there was no way he would have come out on the losing end.
But she feared that her junior brother, Yu Le, being a bit delicate and inexperienced, might have been harshly reprimanded by Mo Cunzhi.
Setting aside her array studies, Bai Feishuang decided to check in on her junior brother.
Seeing that Yu Le looked healthy and showed no signs of distress, she asked, “Yu Rui, how was your time down the mountain with Senior Brother?”
Yu Le, smiling cheerfully, replied, “After some in-depth conversations with Senior Brother, we’ve completely resolved our differences. Our relationship is much better now, and Senior Brother even gave me extra spirit stones to spend.”
He spoke so convincingly that Bai Feishuang found it hard to believe.
At that moment, Senior Brother Mo, radiating a cold aura, arrived unexpectedly.
It was Mo Cunzhi’s first time visiting Yu Le’s courtyard. When he saw his junior sister already there, chatting intimately with Yu Le and laughing, he paused for a moment.
Noticing his presence, both Yu Le and Bai Feishuang turned to greet him.
“Senior Brother,” they said in unison.
Mo Cunzhi’s gaze landed on Yu Le’s face. He observed that whenever this junior brother was in front of his senior sister, he always put on a façade of sincerity and respect.
Bai Feishuang noticed that her senior brother had made a breakthrough in his cultivation and happily congratulated him, even presenting him with a small gift.
Mo Cunzhi thanked his junior sister and pulled out a storage pouch, placing it in front of Yu Le. He spoke stiffly, “Here are some things… that you might find useful.”
That was all he said in his usual cold and blunt manner, and after that, he had nothing more to add. Just like when he arrived, he quickly left in a hurry.
Bai Feishuang was stunned. Now she truly believed that the relationship between her senior brother and Yu Le had improved dramatically. Her senior brother, actively giving someone gifts? That was unheard of!
She didn’t see what her senior brother had given Yu Le, but feeling relieved, she simply reminded him to get along well with their senior brother before returning to her Songxi Residence to continue her array studies.
When Yu Le opened the storage pouch, he found an overwhelming number of spirit stones, various spiritual tools, elixirs, thousand-year-old herbs, protective array disks, and more. It seemed like Mo Cunzhi had given him half of his personal belongings.
All because they had spent one night together?
If it was this easy to take advantage, Yu Le had no qualms about pushing his luck further.
He accepted everything without the slightest hesitation. In the days that followed, Yu Le frequently visited the library.
The original owner, Yu Rui, hadn’t enjoyed reading and had rarely been there, but ever since Yu Le took over, he had flipped through nearly every type of book, skimming them all.
During these days, whenever he went out, he constantly overheard his fellow disciples talking about Mo Cunzhi.
They spoke of how, at such a young age, Mo Cunzhi had already reached the Void Returning stage, surpassing all previous disciples. Even the current sect leader hadn’t progressed so quickly when he was younger.
Of course, there were also some bitter remarks.
“Senior Brother Mo may have high cultivation, but he’s cold and unfeeling, never showing any closeness to us junior disciples. His Hanya Peak is off-limits to idlers, and even those who want to seek his guidance can’t find a way in.”
Being too outstanding brought envy. He was seen as distant and untouchable, and because he wasn’t close to his fellow disciples, few stood up for him when he was framed later.
This outcome wasn’t solely due to Mo Cunzhi’s aloof nature; his strict master had also deliberately contributed to this situation.
Because of Mo Cunzhi’s identity as the child of both immortal and demonic bloodlines, his master assumed from the beginning that he was inherently bad and therefore prevented him from interacting too much with his fellow disciples.
This sect leader was rather absurd.
Yu Le spent another month in the library before going down the mountain again one day, returning to Linzhou Immortal Market. This time, he was determined to put his plan into action by visiting the black market to purchase some special items.
Though he didn’t use the channels provided by Xiao Niang, black markets shared common characteristics, and after a bit of probing, Yu Le found several similar places.
He changed into a black robe, covering his figure and face, and wandered around these black markets for a few days, eventually buying what he needed.
After making the necessary preparations, Yu Le returned to Wuyue Immortal Sect.
This time, he headed straight for Mo Cunzhi’s Hanya Peak.
The original owner had never set foot here, only wandering around the base of the mountain.
The peak itself resembled a longsword—towering and dangerous. Black stones were scattered at its base, while snow covered the summit, devoid of any signs of life.
A sword-intent barrier surrounded the peak, preventing entry without permission.
Yu Le ascended the mountain and knocked on the barrier.
Sensing the identity of his visitor, the barrier silently parted.
Braving the strong winds, Yu Le reached the summit, where he found Mo Cunzhi cultivating in the icy wilderness.
His senior brother seemed to have regained his previous composure. When he looked at Yu Le, there was no emotion as he calmly asked, “What is it?”
Yu Le walked up to him and said, “Senior brother, I came to tell you something.”
Mo Cunzhi waited for his response.
For the past month, he had sat there day and night, the cracks and doubts in his mind seemingly frozen over by the cold.
Then, he heard the little junior brother in front of him say, “I’m pregnant.”
Mo Cunzhi didn’t react, so Yu Le kindly repeated, “I’m pregnant.”
“Ridiculous,” Mo Cunzhi’s expression didn’t change. “If you have something to ask of me, just say it. There’s no need for these little tricks.”
“Or are you just here to toy with me?”
Yu Le tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Senior Brother knows that my family once had a trace of ancient phoenix blood. The phoenix represents yang, and the female phoenix represents yin. In ancient clans, life was conceived not based on gender, but on the balance of yin and yang.”
“Before my family was wiped out, there were recorded cases of men becoming pregnant, though it wasn’t widely known.”
“I couldn’t believe it myself, but there’s undeniably a new life growing inside me.” As he spoke, a trace of weariness and resignation appeared on his face. “If Senior Brother doesn’t believe me and thinks I’m just talking nonsense, you can check for yourself.”
His pale wrist extended toward Mo Cunzhi. Mo Cunzhi remained still for a moment before finally reaching out.
Spiritual energy entered Yu Le’s body, traveling to his abdomen, where it encountered a round object that pulsed with the rhythm of life.
Yu Le observed his senior brother’s expression, laughing inwardly but not letting any of it show on his face. With a pale expression, he asked, “Has Senior Brother confirmed it?”
“What… is this?” Mo Cunzhi’s aura fluctuated slightly.
Yu Le grabbed his hand and placed it on his abdomen, his tone less than pleasant. “Can you feel it, the bond it shares with your bloodline?”
Of course he could. After all, the demon core hidden inside the “fetus” had been taken from Mo Cunzhi’s own uncle, directly linked to his bloodline.
