ATAVID CH25: Is he truly his inner demon?

Jiang Qunyu’s footsteps halted.

He didn’t move, and that child’s line of sight didn’t shift away either.

A pair of round eyes, tear stains still undried, just stared straight at the direction where he stood.

—No, not “direction”.

He was looking at him.

Jiang Qunyu slowly shifted one step to the left.

The child’s eyeballs followed and turned to the left.

Jiang Qunyu shifted another step to the right.

The child’s eyeballs followed and turned to the right.

Jiang Qunyu: “…”

He fell silent for a moment and lowered his voice: “Wei Xun.”

“Mm.”

“Is that child looking at me?”

Wei Xun raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping past the maidservants and Chen Lin, landing on that tender, childish face.

As if sensing something, the child timidly buried his face into the hollow of the maidservant’s shoulder.

Yet he still couldn’t resist secretly revealing one eye, still stealing glances toward Jiang Qunyu’s direction.

Wei Xun retracted his gaze, his expression chilling a few degrees. Subconsciously, he took a half-step forward, blocking in front of Jiang Qunyu.

Perhaps it was because that sinister and ruthless aura on his body was truly not to a child’s liking.

Upon seeing him, that child’s mouth puckered, and it looked like he was about to cry out again.

Jiang Qunyu hurriedly pushed the Wei Xun in front of him aside, poked half his head out from behind his back, and snapped a crisp snap of his fingers at the child.

The child’s eye sockets were still misty. Blinking his eyes, he followed the sound and looked toward him.

Jiang Qunyu raised his hand again and placed his index finger vertically over his lips: “Shh—”

The child actually stopped crying.

Jiang Qunyu was certain that, although he didn’t know why, the child in front of him could indeed see him.

Wei Xun’s eyes became damp and gloomy, and he said coldly: “Capture him, and we’ll know once we ask.”

Jiang Qunyu: “…?”

He turned his head with a complex expression, shot a glance at Wei Xun, and tugged at the corners of his mouth: “Do you understand what it means to respect the elderly and cherish the young?”

“Jiang Qunyu,” Wei Xun let out a light sneer, “The first time I went down the mountain for experiential training, I passed by a village. The entire village had already been slaughtered completely by demonic creatures, leaving only an eight-year-old child. I carried him on my back and walked for two days and two nights. When he finally woke up, he stabbed me with a sword in the back.”

He paused, his tone indifferent: “In the cultivation world, if you are too kind, you will only die.”

Even so, the Soul-Devouring sword that was about to condense its form in his hand was still silently retracted back into his divine sense.

Jiang Qunyu remembered one time when he possessed Wei Xun’s body, he accidentally touched that scar on his back.

It had already healed long ago, yet it unavoidably still left a scar.

Just by looking at that scar, one would know that the sword strike had been extremely ruthless.

Jiang Qunyu wasn’t someone who didn’t know good from bad. He nodded and didn’t use words to choke Wei Xun again.

Not knowing out of what psychology, he still asked a question: “Your first time going down the mountain for experiential training, how old were you then?”

Wei Xun’s gaze still landed on that child, his tone as faint as frost that couldn’t melt: “Ten years old.”

Ten years old.

Jiang Qunyu subconsciously thought about how the ten-year-old Wei Xun looked.

A ten-year-old Wei Xun probably wasn’t much taller than this child before their eyes.

At that time, he was still cultivating the Heartless Dao [Dao of Ruthlessness].

He must have been a little stick-in-the-mud who kept a straight face at such a young age, cold and aloof, looking unapproachable and devoid of human emotion.

Yet he still couldn’t manage to be truly ruthless.

Just like that, he carried an eight-year-old child on his back, walked for two days and two nights without a drop of water entering his mouth, and in the end, what he got in exchange was a sword to the back.

The more he thought about it, the more miserable he felt it was.

For a moment, Jiang Qunyu uncharacteristically generated a few fractions of sympathy. He tilted his head to look at him: “And later?”

“Later, that child ran away on his own. I was injured and couldn’t walk, so I casually plucked some spirit grass, chewed it up, and applied it. After the bleeding stopped, I went to look for him. When I found him, he had already been bitten to death by wolves in the mountains.”

Wei Xun finished speaking expressionlessly.

Listening to this, Jiang Qunyu’s brows furrowed tightly: “Isn’t Wei Lan your master? Your first time going down the mountain, he didn’t go together with you?”

Not to mention Wei Lan was also Wei Xun’s biological father.

Wei Xun said casually: “That day was Wei Miao’s birthday.”

Fuck! Damn old geezer!

Jiang Qunyu felt a blockage in his heart just listening to it: “At that time, you should have gone back to the Lingxiao Sect and cried your eyes out right in front of Wei Lan’s face. If that didn’t work, beating Wei Miao up would have been good too.”

“That does fit your temperament,” Wei Xun chuckled lightly.

Jiang Qunyu, however, fell silent.

He suddenly realized that, actually, he and Wei Xun were very similar.

Even down to the fact that neither of them had a mother; they only had a half-brother with the same father, and a father who would never speak up for them.

And what he had just said to Wei Xun were merely things he himself had wanted to do but never did.

He thought about it, but felt that the words he just said were completely useless.

Because crying to a father who didn’t love you was useless.

Beating up that very annoying younger brother would only result in getting scolded, and having to stand to the side, watching as everyone fussed around that younger brother.

In order to maintain his laughable self-esteem, he could only deliberately keep a cold face and pretend not to care at all.

“Heh,” Wei Xun suddenly laughed again.

He turned sideways, his plain white clothes swaying slightly.

Those profound, dark eyes stared fixedly at Jiang Qunyu for quite a while.

After a moment, he broke into a grin, “Jiang Qunyu, you wouldn’t actually have believed that, right?”

Jiang Qunyu didn’t speak.

He met Wei Xun’s gaze.

Wei Xun suddenly felt somewhat displeased. He narrowed his eyes, parting his thin lips: “Those words just now were merely made up by me casually to deceive you, so easy to fool.”

Jiang Qunyu: “Okay, I know.”

An indescribable surge of annoyance rose in Wei Xun’s heart: “You’re pitying me.”

“I’m not,” Jiang Qunyu said.

He was pitying himself.

As for pitying Wei Xun, there was probably only a fingernail’s worth of it.

Wei Xun’s face could no longer be described merely as ugly.

He turned his back, lowering his eyelids.

His whole body radiated a chillingly terrifying aura.

Inexplicably, the two of them fell into a cold war.

Jiang Qunyu sighed in his heart.

He truly couldn’t understand how every time he and Wei Xun talked, they would end up arguing.

Clearly, they had been discussing why that child could see him at the very beginning.

It was just that he didn’t want to talk to Wei Xun right now either.

He could only shelve this question for the time being.

Not feeling reassured, Jiang Qunyu tentatively paced over in front of Chen Lin and those maidservants, squatted down, and waved his hand in front of their eyes.

He confirmed that aside from that child, the others indeed couldn’t see him.

Only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Could it be that this child, like him, had transmigrated into the book?

Jiang Qunyu hesitated for a moment, leaned in close to the child, stared at him for a while, and lowered his voice: “Odd changes, even doesn’t?” [A common math mnemonic in Chinese schools, often used as a secret code for transmigrators].

The child was amused by his expression and giggled while nestled in the maidservant’s arms.

Jiang Qunyu: “…”

Could it be that this child was too young and hadn’t studied math yet?

Jiang Qunyu pondered briefly: “6.” [Chinese internet slang for ‘awesome’ or ‘cool’].

The child still looked at him with an ignorant and innocent expression.

Could it be a foreign child?

Jiang Qunyu’s expression remained unchanged: “…how are you?”

In short, no matter what he said, that child was like a little fool, opening a pair of round, dark eyes and looking at him with a face full of innocence.

Jiang Qunyu talked until his mouth was dry and his tongue was parched.

Standing up and turning around, he once again met Wei Xun’s deep, dark eyes.

In those eyes, there was scrutiny, as well as some things Jiang Qunyu couldn’t discern clearly.

Jiang Qunyu was already feeling annoyed. Expressionless, he flipped his middle finger at Wei Xun: “Look at your dad.”

Wei Xun merely shot him a sinister glance.

Then he lowered his eyelashes, concealing that trace of almost irrepressible panic at the bottom of his eyes into the shadows.

He was thinking about the words Jiang Qunyu had just said.

Those bizarre words he had never heard before.

Actually, it wasn’t the first time.

In the past, Jiang Qunyu would occasionally also pop out a few baffling sentences. He heard them and let them pass, never delving deeply into them.

But never once had it been like this moment, making him realize so clearly—

Between Jiang Qunyu and him, it seemed there was something separating them.

That thing was invisible and intangible, yet it truly lay between the two of them.

As if in the next second, he would disappear from this side.

Jiang Qunyu, was he truly his inner demon?

Chen Lin was still harshly scolding those maidservants in a stern voice.

A series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Only to see a middle-aged man walking over with large strides from not far away.

His temples were mixed with white hair, and he wore a sapphire-blue robe washed until it was slightly faded white.

Although he looked to be around forty years of age, it wasn’t difficult to see from his brows and eyes the handsome and elegant bearing he possessed in his youth.

“City Lord.” Chen Lin immediately knelt down. The folding fan in his hand trembled slightly, his words carrying panic, “It was this lowly one’s carelessness, causing the Little Young Master to suffer a fright.”

Jiang Qunyu’s brows moved slightly, feeling that Chen Lin’s reaction was a bit over the top.

That child was clearly completely unharmed, yet not only did he scold the maidservants for a long time, he himself was actually scared to this extent.

Upon seeing the newcomer, little Cui Nian’s eyes instantly lit up. Breaking free from the maidservant’s embrace, he plunged headlong into the man’s arms.

Cui Mingjin steadily caught that heavy little body. A warm and gentle smile graced his lips as he lowered his head and said: “Niannian, are you alright?”

Jiang Qunyu narrowed his eyes slightly.

This man appeared to have gentle speech and an amiable attitude, yet from beginning to end, he never told Chen Lin and the crowd to rise.

He lowered his eyes to examine the few people kneeling on the ground, taking in all those micro-expressions of panic and alarm.

Without exception, it was all fear.

How interesting.

Little Cui Nian wrapped his arms around Cui Mingjin’s neck and shook his head, his voice soft and glutinous: “Daddy, I’m fine. Don’t blame Brother Chen Lin and the others, I just wanted to go find Mother.”

“Alright, Daddy won’t blame them.” Cui Mingjin gave a hearty laugh and kissed Niannian on the cheek before handing him over to the servant behind him. “Carry Niannian back to rest. Once he wakes up, take him to see his mother.”

The servant complied, carrying the child and retreating.

The air instantly quieted.

Jiang Qunyu noticed that the shoulders of the few people kneeling on the ground seemed to tremble even more violently.

The smile on Cui Mingjin’s face remained gentle as he raised his eyes to look at Wei Xun and Wen Xingyao: “The two of you have traveled from afar, presumably you are tired. I have already ordered people to tidy up the West Courtyard; the two of you may go and rest for a while first. Tomorrow evening, a banquet will be held in the mansion, I hope you will honor us with your presence.”

At the same time, an attendant by his side smiled, extending a hand to make a “please” gesture.

“Gentlemen, this way please.”

Wei Xun looked listless, sweeping a glance at Jiang Qunyu out of the corner of his eye.

Jiang Qunyu was expressionless, his feet not moving an inch.

Wei Xun didn’t say another word, turning around to leave with that servant.

Once the outsiders had dispersed, the smile on Cui Mingjin’s face abruptly withdrew.

With a thump, Chen Lin kowtowed his head to the ground, bloodstains already seeping from his forehead.

“City Lord, it is this lowly one’s fault, this lowly one does not dare to argue. I should not have collided with the Little Young Master.”

Cui Mingjin let out a soft sigh, his tone still considered peaceful: “Chen Lin, you should know, I have never been a harsh person. It’s just that Niannian…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Chen Lin’s back had completely collapsed, his face ashen like dead ashes.

Cui Mingjin added: “However, since Niannian pleaded for mercy for you, there’s no need for a heavy punishment. One leg is enough.”

Then, he shifted his gaze toward the few maidservants who were trembling continuously, his tone even carrying a trace of sorrowful compassion: “As for you all… just kill them.”

As his words fell to the ground, he stepped past the group of people, his pace unhurried, his expression devoid of ripples.

Chen Lin violently spat out a breath of foul air, gasping heavily, as if he had just been fished out of the water.

He raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, the rejoicing of surviving a disaster yet to fully dissipate.

Resentment and malice surged in his eyes, and he fiercely kicked the maidservant closest to him.

“Young Master Chen,” the steward who had stood quietly to the side the entire time spoke up to remind him, “You should go receive your punishment.”

Only then did Chen Lin retract his foot and flick his sleeves, walking away.

The steward lowered his eyes, looking at the maidservants prostrating on the ground, his tone as faint as if commenting on today’s weather: “It’s merely walking through it one more time, that’s all.”

Support me on Ko-fi