ATAVID CH31

In the end, Wen Xingyao couldn’t hold back. He quietly leaned closer to Jiang Qunyu’s ear.

In an extremely low voice, he whispered, “This young master just feels uneasy inside. No matter how I look at them, they don’t seem like good people.”

The two of them had already followed the Profound Sword Sect disciples into the inner hall.

The room was spacious and elegant. Long pearwood tables were neatly arranged on both sides.

Celadon wine pots and mutton-fat jade cups were laid out in order, while silver platters held delicacies and fine dishes.

Steam curled upward, and fragrance filled the air.

Jiang Qunyu took a seat at the very end and smiled. “So you’re not cultivating immortality anymore?”

“Not anymore, not anymore.” Wen Xingyao shook his head like a rattle drum, his eyes nearly reddening.

“This young master suddenly feels that home is better. My father and mother must be worried sick about me. Besides, if even you can’t figure out what exactly those things in this city are, then if I really run into one, I’ll definitely die!”

Jiang Qunyu looked a little surprised. “I thought, with your temperament, you’d have already thrown every matter other than cultivation out of your head.”

“I’m not stupid.”

Wen Xingyao huffed. “Look at how those two reacted when they saw the corpse this morning. There was only disgust in their eyes, no surprise at all. And they didn’t even give a single explanation. No matter how you look at it, something’s off.”

Jiang Qunyu thought about it and found that Wen Xingyao was right.

Chen Lin and that steward had reacted far too strangely.

So strangely that it was as if they had long known someone would die.

At that moment, an extremely faint rustle of clothing suddenly came from behind the screen.

Everyone’s gaze instinctively sharpened.

The next moment, a figure slowly stepped out from behind the carved screen.

The man was still wearing that slightly faded sapphire-blue robe. The material was ordinary, yet on him it didn’t look shabby in the least.

His steps were steady and unhurried, carrying the oppressive air of someone long accustomed to being in power.

The newcomer was none other than City Lord Cui Mingjin.

In the crook of his arm, he was still holding a little boy, who lay quietly against Cui Mingjin’s chest.

Those dark, round eyes stared fixedly in Jiang Qunyu’s direction without blinking.

Jiang Qunyu didn’t avoid the gaze.

He simply found it strange. The last time, when he had still been in soul form, this child had been able to see him.

Now that he was attached to Wei Xun’s body, the child’s gaze was still stuck on him alone.

Then what about Wei Xun?

Could this child see Wei Xun?

Jiang Qunyu subconsciously glanced to his side.

Wei Xun had originally been standing there with his arms folded, leaning against the wall, his brows and eyes tinged with careless laziness.

The moment he met Jiang Qunyu’s gaze, before Jiang Qunyu could even speak, he listlessly stepped forward.

He walked straight up to Cui Mingjin and the child and stopped in front of them.

Neither Cui Mingjin nor Cui Nian showed the slightest reaction, as if no one was standing there at all.

Only then did Wei Xun turn back indifferently and say expressionlessly, “He can’t see me. He can only see you.”

Jiang Qunyu gave an “oh” and smiled at Cui Nian.

Cui Mingjin seemed to notice the oddness in the child in his arms.

He gently set him down and lowered his head to murmur a few words to him.

Then he also lifted his gaze and looked over, his eyes landing on Jiang Qunyu as he gave a slight nod.

Wen Xingyao’s expression changed. Lowering his voice, he said, “Did that City Lord just glance at you?”

Jiang Qunyu, however, was not flustered in the slightest.

He even had the leisure to pick up a piece of pastry and taste it slowly.

The pastry melted in his mouth. Sweet but not cloying. The craftsmanship was actually quite good.

Last time, Cui Nian hadn’t exposed his existence in front of Chen Lin and the others.

But Jiang Qunyu didn’t think this child would hide it from Cui Mingjin.

Which meant that Cui Mingjin most likely knew of his existence.

Wen Xingyao still wanted to ask more.

Afraid the walls might have ears, Jiang Qunyu quickly stuffed a piece of pastry into his mouth and said solemnly, “Eat more.”

Wen Xingyao puffed out his cheeks, momentarily too choked to speak, and could only cast Jiang Qunyu a resentful glance.

Cui Mingjin had already slowly taken his seat at the place of honor, his bearing steady, his presence restrained.

Chen Lin and that steward stood to either side of him.

“You have all traveled here from afar and must have had a tiring journey.”

His gaze slowly swept across the banquet. His tone was courteous. “This small city is simple and crude, with no true delicacies to offer. I could only prepare some light wine and plain dishes to show a little sincerity. Please, do not stand on ceremony.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the maidservants on both sides stepped forward and began pouring wine for everyone in turn.

Cui Mingjin was the first to raise his cup.

The disciples of the Profound Sword Sect exchanged looks.

Shen Peiqiu rose to his feet, drained the wine in his cup in one go, and then said, “City Lord Cui, there is one matter I do not understand. Might the City Lord be willing to resolve my confusion?”

Chen Lin’s brows knit together, and he was just about to step forward to stop him.

But Cui Mingjin stopped him with a faint glance.

While lowering his head and patiently feeding Cui Nian the egg custard in his bowl, Cui Mingjin smiled lightly and said, “If the young master has something to say, speak plainly.”

“Does the City Lord know that someone in the residence died this morning?” Shen Peiqiu asked bluntly.

The instant those words fell, a trace of gloom flashed through Chen Lin’s eyes.

Cui Mingjin’s hand paused for an almost imperceptible moment, but his expression remained calm and unruffled.

He raised his eyes, and a faint smile curved his lips.

There was a trace of indistinct pity between his brows and eyes, like a god or Buddha looking down upon all living things.

“The young master jests.”

His tone was calm, as if correcting a child who didn’t know better. “How can that be called dying? An immortal merely chose him, that is all.”

“An immortal?” One of the Profound Sword Sect disciples could no longer hold back and shot to his feet, his voice full of disbelief.

He barked sharply, “I have cultivated for many years and read countless ancient texts. Since when has there ever been an immortal who—”

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Lin’s expression turned cold, and his gaze sliced toward that disciple like a blade, his voice carrying a warning.

“The immortal choosing him was the glory of lifetimes of cultivation. You mortal fools must not profane them!”

“If you dare utter more nonsense, and the immortal grows enraged and sends down heavenly punishment, then even taking all your lives will not be enough to calm their wrath!”

Cui Mingjin sat at the head of the table, gently stroking Cui Nian’s soft hair in the crook of his arm the entire time without saying a word.

He neither refuted Chen Lin nor soothed the restless crowd at the banquet, as if the dispute before him had nothing to do with him at all.

Only after a while did he sigh softly, his tone taking on a bit of perhaps-genuine, perhaps-false helplessness.

“East Mirror Lake City truly is like this. This is also why we have been able to transcend mortal flesh and step onto the path of cultivation.”

“The immortal we worship has guided our cultivation here and protected East Mirror Lake City for over twenty years. They are absolutely not some evil being.”

The banquet fell into dead silence again.

Cui Mingjin seemed wholly unaware of it. He raised his wine cup again, his smile gentle.

“You need not be so frightened. The immortal has already chosen that young master, so the rest of you may now enter the immortal path in peace.”

“So just put your minds at ease, let go of your worries, and enjoy the wine and revelry. Do not waste the feast before you, and do not miss the opportunity bestowed upon you by the immortal.”

Shen Peiqiu knew that no more could be drawn from further questioning, so he could only set the matter aside for the time being.

He raised his cup and drank it dry.

Throughout the latter half of the banquet, everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Once the tension in Wen Xingyao’s mind loosened, he wanted to go to the latrine.

He originally wanted Jiang Qunyu to accompany him, but he was truly afraid of Wei Xun.

So he could only steel himself and ask the maidservant beside him to show him the way.

After he left, Jiang Qunyu’s surroundings became much quieter all at once.

He was seated at the very end, not attracting much attention.

So he held his wine cup and sipped slowly, one cup after another.

Beside him, Wei Xun lowered his eyes and suddenly said, “Jiang Qunyu, drink less.”

Jiang Qunyu really had drunk a bit too much.

And on top of that, Wei Xun had been acting inexplicably strange these past few days, so Jiang Qunyu suddenly felt angry.

He turned sideways and looked at the person beside him.

Dressed in green robes, with features as pure and striking as a painting.

Jiang Qunyu wasn’t polite in the least. His tone carried the blunt force of wine. “What? Now you’re going to control how much I drink too?”

Wei Xun looked at his misty eyes and lifted his lips. “You can’t drink that much. You’ll get drunk.”

“Wei Xun, what the fuck are you pretending for?” Jiang Qunyu let out a cold laugh and turned back around, pouring himself another cup and downing it in one swallow.

He shouldn’t have ripped it open so directly, but drinking was like that—his brain lagged behind while the words rushed out ahead.

They were no longer under his control.

Jiang Qunyu still wanted to pour another cup.

But Wei Xun reached out, and a cool touch like frost settled over the back of Jiang Qunyu’s hand.

Jiang Qunyu stared at their overlapping hands for a long while. “Wei Xun, why did you want me to get on your body?”

“I already said it. I don’t like talking to these people.” Wei Xun’s tone didn’t change.

Jiang Qunyu tilted his head and suddenly shouted, “Bullshit, you’re still lying to me!”

He spoke very quickly, his words tinged with mockery. “You just wanted to pry information out of me. I don’t know exactly what it is you want to know, or maybe you’ve already thought of some good method and want to kill me? But since you’ve already done this much, then do it all the way. Don’t put on some fake concern now and tell me not to drink.”

The moment Jiang Qunyu said it, he regretted it a little.

His temples throbbed with pain.

Actually, there were some things he understood perfectly well in his heart.

Just like not long ago, when he guessed that Wei Xun had fed him blood, all he felt was complicated emotions.

There was even a bit of fear and dread.

After Wei Xun gave his explanation, Jiang Qunyu relaxed and continued maintaining a cooperative relationship with him.

But Jiang Qunyu wasn’t stupid.

If Wei Xun truly didn’t want to interact with the disciples of the Profound Sword Sect and didn’t want to deal with Wen Xingyao, then why hadn’t he fed him blood earlier and let him get on his body before?

Why wait until the banquet?

He didn’t want to think too much about it, but the truth was, the instant he stepped through the door, he understood.

Wei Xun only wanted to pry information out of him.

The air suddenly went still.

Wei Xun remained silent for a very long time.

Jiang Qunyu sighed.

Since Wei Xun wasn’t letting go, he could only give up.

He took another empty cup, filled it, and drank it down in one gulp again.

After a long while, Wei Xun finally said in a hard-to-read tone, “…I don’t want to kill you.”

“Oh.” Jiang Qunyu nodded carelessly.

His mind was already growing dizzy. It was the sign that he was about to get drunk.

His eyelids were growing heavier and heavier. His thoughts slowed more and more, like a pot of paste all stirred together.

He spoke lazily, his voice slowing as well. “But you didn’t deny that you want to pry information out of me.”

Jiang Qunyu actually wasn’t afraid. Other than the matter of the heart-demon sacrifice, there was nothing he couldn’t say.

And besides, if he ever said the matter of the heart-demon sacrifice aloud, he wouldn’t need Wei Xun to kill him. He himself would vanish into smoke.

But Jiang Qunyu was still certain that, given the relationship between him and Wei Xun, the only thing Wei Xun would be interested in was that.

Otherwise, beyond that, Jiang Qunyu didn’t know what he could possibly have that was worth Wei Xun going to such lengths to find out.

But he didn’t want to stop halfway.

He had worked so hard, and now only four times remained.

So Jiang Qunyu began warning himself in his heart that even if he got drunk, he absolutely must not reveal the matter of the heart-demon sacrifice.

Wei Xun looked at him.

That face was buried in the crook of his arm, revealing only half of his profile.

His eyelashes were very long, casting a small patch of shadow beneath his eyes. The corners of his lips drooped slightly, as if he were sulking, or perhaps feeling wronged.

For some reason, a wave of irritation rose in Wei Xun’s heart.

He seldom regretted anything, but at this moment, he truly did not want to see Jiang Qunyu like this.

He pressed his lips together, his face stiff.

His long lashes lowered, hiding the emotion in his eyes. “Jiang Qunyu, I only wanted to know whether you would…”

He paused for a moment.

Around them, cups clinked and voices rose and fell.

Only after a very, very long silence did he softly ask the latter half of the question: “Would you leave me?”

He turned his head to look.

Jiang Qunyu was already sprawled on the table, completely drunk.

Jiang Qunyu didn’t say anything.

Just when Wei Xun thought he wouldn’t answer—

A low, muffled, indistinct voice came from within the crook of his arm: “No.”

At least not before he was reborn.

As soon as the words fell, Jiang Qunyu was too drunk to maintain human form any longer.

His aura scattered, and he transformed once more into a round little black mist dumpling, limp and drooping over the edge of the table, swaying as if about to fall.

At the very instant he was about to tumble down, Wei Xun returned to his own body.

At the same time, the black mist dumpling slipped from the edge of the table.

Wei Xun instinctively reached out and caught the little black mist dumpling steadily in his hand. A trace of a smile flashed through his eyes, one so faint that even he himself did not notice it.

Very light, very faint, like melting snow in spring.

He said softly, “That’s enough.”

Whether it was a heart demon or some other thing, as long as it would not leave him, that was enough.