TBR CH5

What was the relationship between Gu Shishu and Fu Tingxue?

If you asked the cultivators of the immortal realm, they could probably talk about it for three days and three nights.

Of course, once upon a time, Gu Shishu had been accepted as the sole disciple of that aloof and untouchable Sword Sovereign—his first and, to this day, only student.

And yet, Gu Shishu had long since surpassed Fu Tingxue in power and status.

Hundreds of years ago, he had succumbed to the resurgence of demonic energy and defected to the demonic path. From that moment on, Qingcheng Sect no longer acknowledged him as a disciple. His past there became a forbidden topic.

Only the Immortal Sovereign, like a lone crane in the frost, had since sworn never to take another student.

The world speculated that the time they had spent together on Xiao Zhu Peak—those days of teacher and student, of quiet companionship—had turned Gu Shishu’s betrayal into a thorn buried deep in Fu Tingxue’s heart.

Perhaps Gu Shishu had always been a defiant disciple, an unfilial student who rejected his master’s teachings, making his eventual descent into darkness inevitable.

To the demonic, rebellion against one’s master was practically second nature. It was only fitting, then, that Fu Tingxue had abandoned the thought of taking another disciple.

When people spoke of this past, they could only sigh and shake their heads. Once bitten, twice shy—what better way to describe it?

But wasn’t the Immortal Sovereign being too stubborn? Not everyone in the world was born with a demonic constitution like Gu Shishu, destined to fall. The righteous path was already struggling. If he were willing to pass on his teachings once more, it would surely be a boon to the cultivation world.

Gu Shishu had heard every word of these rumors.

He merely chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

What was his relationship with Fu Tingxue?

If you asked Gu Shishu himself, he would only find his thoughts tangled, his gaze darkening.

Back then.

He still remembered those days on Xiao Zhu Peak, reaching out to touch that celestial figure, pale as moonlight and frost.

That person had tilted his neck slightly, exposing skin as fair as snow, the curve of his throat elegant. And yet, he had not avoided the touch—had only allowed Gu Shishu’s long fingers to brush over the vital point where his meridians intersected, tracing it lightly.

Just a little further upward, and there—was a hint of crimson at the lips.

Gu Shishu pressed his fingertips against them.

And Fu Tingxue, instead of drawing away, parted his lips ever so slightly. A warm breath escaped—damp, ambiguous. His ice-blue gaze flickered, melting into something shimmering and unreadable.

For someone as cold as him, to be moved… there was nothing more devastating.

Back then.

In places unseen by the world.

Gu Shishu had crushed moonlight and frost between his fingers.

But that was the past.

The truth was that, after the war between the immortals and demons, their relationship had fractured—just like Fu Tingxue’s broken sword.

A deep rift had formed between them.

For centuries, they had severed all ties. Not a word, not a message.

Until now.

Gu Shishu steadied his thoughts and simply smiled as he said to Fu Tingxue,

“My apologies for disturbing you. I bear no ill will toward the Immortal Sovereign—just a bit of curiosity. If what Shen Nian said is true, what will Qingcheng Sect do about it?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

He had claimed he wasn’t here to hold anyone accountable, yet with his status, even words spoken with a smile carried a certain weight. To the wrong ears, it might sound like a veiled threat, a blade hidden in silk.

And more than that—

For the Demon Lord to take such an interest in an immortal sect’s internal affairs… it hardly seemed like a private conversation anymore.

It felt like a challenge.

In the end, this entire exchange had been nothing more than an impulsive whim.

Shen Nian refused to leave, Fu Tingxue didn’t oversee sect affairs directly, and Gu Shishu had no reason to storm into an immortal sect for answers.

So what exactly was he hoping for?

For the high and mighty Qingcheng Sword Sovereign to personally descend upon the demonic cult and offer him an explanation?

Even Gu Shishu found himself being unreasonable.

“…I will come myself.”

Lost in his own thoughts, he had already begun to dismiss the conversation, intending to sever the connection and restore the hundred-year silence between them.

But then—

From the other end of the line, clear and unhurried, came those four words.

Wait…

That wasn’t what he had meant.

Gu Shishu opened his mouth, intending to clarify—

But before he could speak, the connection was abruptly severed.

Silence filled the Demon Palace’s courtyard, broken only by the sound of the wind threading through the halls, its whisper hoarse and distant.

The talisman had been cut off from the other side.

He lowered his gaze. Between his fingers, the last traces of spiritual energy faded from the yellowed paper, leaving behind nothing but the remnants of his own impulsive call.

Gu Shishu let out a quiet laugh and rubbed his temple, knowing full well that something fragile had been disturbed—something that had remained untouched for centuries.

Even if this incident with the Child of Fate could be resolved,

Facing Fu Tingxue again—

He no longer knew what kind of expression he should wear.

“Hey.”

Reaching out, he grabbed the black book—the one that had eavesdropped on everything from start to finish—and tapped it against his palm. With as much patience as he could muster, he asked,

“You wouldn’t happen to know how to deal with an old lover, would you?”

__

The Demon Lord seeking relationship advice from the Heavenly Dao—

If Shen Nian ever found out, he might have to reconsider the difficulty level of this conquest.

But, fortunately, he didn’t know.

这一部分充满了幽默感与紧张氛围的交织，沈念的“翻车现场”与顾识殊的观察姿态形成了强烈的对比。我会在翻译中尽量保留这种戏剧性，使其既符合英文文学表达，又不失原文的趣味性。

Direct Translation

Not only did he not know—

At this very moment, Shen Nian was holding a broom, sweeping a remote corner of the vast Demon Palace.

For someone accustomed to a life of comfort, this reality was difficult to accept. But according to the system, due to Gu Shishu’s high difficulty level as a target—along with his overwhelming strength—it could only detect his presence and warn Shen Nian when the Demon Lord was within ten or so meters.

Therefore, if Shen Nian didn’t want to get caught, he had to at least look like he was doing his assigned task.

And so, he had spent half the day sweeping the same patch of dust in the same corner, his progress so pitifully slow that it could make an onlooker weep.

The subordinate Gu Shishu had dismissed earlier eventually found him again. Seeing that Shen Nian had been ordered to do such menial labor, the man was absolutely heartbroken. He approached with deep concern, his tone full of sympathy:

“Nian Nian, the Demon Lord rarely comes here. These chores—I can do them for you.”

At first, Shen Nian refused.

But after spending more time in the vast and empty halls, unable to rest, he found that the winds of the Demon Realm carried a cold bite that left him lightheaded and weary.

Slowly, the idea of slacking off started creeping into his mind.

After all, he had been here for hours and hadn’t seen a trace of the Demon Lord. And according to this subordinate, Gu Shishu was usually busy handling affairs in the main hall—surely, he wouldn’t come all the way here, right?

The system, however, was deeply disappointed in him.

“Host, you should be hoping for him to come! Aren’t you trying to win him over?!”

But Shen Nian only curved his lips into a familiar, practiced smile and turned toward the guard, who had brought him a plate of spirit fruits and a chilled drink.

In a soft, delicate voice, he called the man’s name:

“I’m so tired… But the Demon Lord wants me to do cleaning work. If I don’t do well, h-he might not let me stay…”

“I don’t want to go back to the Immortal Sect… There’s no one there who treats me as kindly as you do.”

Ah, what a fragile yet resilient little white flower.

His voice trembled ever so slightly, as if he were truly giving his best effort—only to fall short, leaving him distressed.

The guard’s heart nearly melted under his gaze. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then hesitated—remembering how Shen Nian had firmly refused his help earlier.

His beloved was so strong-willed… The contradiction left him both pained and utterly smitten.

Seeing his hesitation, Shen Nian regretted acting too aloof before. Wanting to tip the balance in his favor, he decided to up the stakes—he squeezed his eyes shut and let his body sway, as if about to collapse from exhaustion.

—Of course, as expected, strong arms immediately caught him.

“I’ll do it.”

The hands holding him also took the broom from his grasp.

Seeing Shen Nian’s startled, rabbit-like expression, the man’s heart ached even more. He gazed at him tenderly, reluctant to let him suffer even a little.

“Nian Nian, don’t worry. What’s yours is mine—I won’t let you struggle alone.”

Shen Nian lowered his head, looking both grateful and embarrassed.

Under the influence of the universal heartthrob aura, he appeared soft and obedient—an exquisite beauty who evoked both admiration and protectiveness.

But hidden in the shadow of his lashes, his eyes flickered with deep, mocking disdain.

See? Men are so easy to manipulate.

If it weren’t for the mission, I wouldn’t even bother playing along with someone this insignificant.

Especially after meeting Gu Shishu.

Shen Nian had thought that, after conquering the Demon Emperor and the Human King, his standards were already high. But now, he realized—only someone like Gu Shishu was truly worthy of being called a top-tier target.

If he could quickly become the Demon Lord’s most treasured lover—

Then everything he wanted would be within reach.

At that moment, Gu Shishu was supposed to be handling state affairs.

But an inexplicable irritation gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus.

He inwardly scolded himself for his earlier lapse in judgment—asking the Heavenly Dao, a lifeless entity, for advice on relationships.

Now, he had fully sobered up.

So much so that his mind kept replaying Fu Tingxue’s words:

“I will come myself.”

Fu Tingxue had said he would come.

But he hadn’t said when.

The Demon Palace was not unguarded. On the contrary, its defenses were heavily fortified.

Of course, none of those guards would be able to stop an immortal supreme.

But surely, Fu Tingxue wouldn’t actually break in, right?

…Then again, he couldn’t exactly inform his subordinates not to stop the number-one swordsman of the Immortal Realm from barging into the Demon Palace, either.

Tsk. Annoying.

He decided to stop thinking about it altogether.

I’ll just wait until he arrives. Once he’s here, everything will be sorted out.

Besides, this all started because of the Child of Fate, Shen Nian.

Gu Shishu tapped his fingers against the desk in a steady rhythm before finally stilling. His gaze flickered toward the black book resting at his side.

The poor Heavenly Dao, now bound in book form, was utterly powerless to resist. It had already been tucked into Gu Shishu’s sleeve.

Deciding to take a break, Gu Shishu figured he might as well check on the so-called Child of Fate—the one he had assigned to cleaning duty.

With a single step, he crossed the vast distance in mere moments, arriving just outside the side hall.

The Heavenly Dao helped conceal his aura, so Shen Nian remained completely unaware of his presence.

The only one who noticed was the subordinate, who had been diligently sweeping in Shen Nian’s place. He instinctively sensed the Demon Lord’s approach, lifted his head—

—And found his superior watching him with a faint, unreadable smile.

What did it feel like to have a heart attack?

At that moment, no one understood it better than he did.

His face instantly turned deathly pale. He barely managed to keep himself from collapsing under the overwhelming pressure, summoning every ounce of courage to turn back and silently signal to the young man behind him.

Shen Nian, meanwhile, sat comfortably in the guest seat of the side hall, one hand holding a chilled bottle of celestial nectar, the other picking up a ruby-red spirit fruit.

This—this was the life he was accustomed to.

He hadn’t spared a single glance at the man still kneeling before him, completely absorbed in his own leisurely enjoyment.

As a result—

He completely missed the warning signs.

As the subordinate trembled violently and finally sank to his knees in despair, Shen Nian’s system suddenly blared in his mind, panic-stricken:

“Host! Host! The Demon Lord is only ten meters away!!!”

Ten meters.

From the doorway, Gu Shishu had a clear, unobstructed view of everything inside.

Shen Nian’s face turned deathly pale.

Horrified, he looked toward Gu Shishu—

And immediately realized that the Demon Lord’s smile was anything but kind.

It was a smile of amusement—one filled with cold, unhidden malice.

He glanced at the kneeling guard.

This plan is ruined.

His mind spun frantically, his hand frozen mid-air with the spirit fruit just inches from his lips.

What now?

Getting caught red-handed like this would completely shatter the image he had so carefully crafted.

Even the universal heartthrob aura might not be able to save him—

Especially when the one standing before him was the most difficult conquest target of all.

But wait.

There was still one last option.

Shen Nian’s fingers clenched around his final lifeline—

The lovestruck subordinate kneeling before him.

A pawn must be sacrificed to protect the king.

A desperate move, but he had no choice.