Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

As he spoke, Xie Qingwu's voice gradually took on an almost morbid enthusiasm and persistence:

"I've never felt this way before! Tracing your traces, trying to decipher you, understanding why you're so special... this itself has become one of the meanings of my existence! Understanding you, perhaps... I can understand a certain 'meaning' of my own existence? Or at least, it can fill the absolute gap in my cognition that was created because of you!"

Xie Qingwu's eyes were dim, as if he was being drawn by his own thoughts. He unconsciously moved a little closer to Lu Wensheng, trying to capture even the slightest fluctuation or clue from that "emptiness".

However, just as Xie Qingwu approached, a figure quietly appeared between the two of them like a watershed.

Liu Jiqian had stepped out from Lu Wensheng's side without him noticing, with his posture upright, just standing between Xie Qingwu and Lu Wensheng.

His posture was still dignified and elegant, and he even had his usual gentle smile on his face, but deep in those molten gold eyes, a piece of ice strong enough to freeze the soul had condensed. The invisible pressure around him was like the strongest barrier, completely isolating Xie Qingwu's approach with a desire to explore.

He didn't say anything, but his warm yet cold eyes, like invisible ice cones, pierced Xie Qingwu accurately, conveying an extremely clear and unquestionable warning.

Just talk, why are you so close to him? After listening to Xie Qingwu's words, Liu Jiqian looked at him as if he were a sasaeng fan.

Xie Qingwu had no doubt that if he dared to get even half a step closer, or said anything that would make Liu Jiqian feel "overstepping the line", the cold and icy Crimson Frost Sword at the other's waist would be thrust into him without hesitation in the next second.

Liu Jiqian's presence suddenly became extremely strong, like an insurmountable mountain, silently declaring sovereignty and boundaries.

Xie Qingwu: “…”

He tactfully stopped, even taking a half step back without leaving a trace. A hint of helplessness and understanding flashed across his red eyes, ultimately translating into an ambiguous syllable: "Tsk."

Lu Wensheng took in the entire scene. He looked at Xie Qingwu, whose exploration had failed and who was being "physically discouraged." Then he looked at Liu Jiqian, who was emitting an invisible cold aura beside him. He couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his brows, and let out a sigh filled with deep helplessness and a hint of amusement.

"I say, are there some problems with the brains of you Xuanyin Sect?"

Whether it's Qu Yanhui (peculiar aesthetic + control freak) who has set his sights on making him a perfect puppet, or the indestructible cockroach Zhou Yuan (tenacious vitality + vengeful), or even Xie Qingwu (pathologically thirsty for knowledge) who is inexplicably obsessed with "interpreting the blanks" in front of him, or the moody and cunning Min Xiao (shrewd and cunning + psychologically twisted) - this group of "elites" have strange thinking patterns, and few of them are on the normal track.

I used to complain that the world of cultivation would end sooner or later, but now it seems that the demon camp is also full of hidden talents, full of traitors and psychopaths - well, when I think about it this way, everyone really does have a "bright" future.

------

Thanks to its remote location and the chaos of the internal strife among the demon cultivators, this small village nestled in the valley was miraculously not affected much by the war.

Most of the low adobe houses were intact, but many of the fences were damaged by panicked livestock or fleeing monsters, and some of the free-range chickens and ducks were lost.

The villagers who survived the disaster had tired but relieved smiles on their faces and were busy working: the men were carrying wood to repair the damaged walls and roofs, the women were sweeping the dust in the yard and tidying up the scattered farm tools, and the children were kept by the adults, helping to pass small things, and occasionally letting out a few crisp laughs, adding a bit of vitality to this revived home.

When Lu Wensheng and Liu Jiqian appeared at the entrance of the village, Tang He, who was squatting outside a house's courtyard wall, helping to fix the fence stakes with a dusty face, suddenly jumped up like a happy rabbit, not even bothering to wipe the mud off his hands, and rushed over in two steps.

"Senior Brother! You are finally here!" Tang He had a sad face and his voice was drawn out, full of grievance. He almost hugged Lu Wensheng's legs and howled.

"I missed such a big scene! Wasn't there a bloody fight going on inside the Xuanyin Sect? I heard that you, Senior Brother, were so powerful and utterly subdued those demonic creatures with your combined power and kindness... Ahhh! I wasn't there!"

He beat his chest and stamped his feet, looking heartbroken as if he had missed out on an opportunity worth hundreds of millions, just like a child who hadn't gotten his favorite toy.

Lu Wensheng looked at his junior brother's playful and pitiful appearance without changing his expression. He chose to skip the topic and glanced at the village, which was a little messy but gradually regaining its vitality. "How is the village? Where is Lin Zhengxiu?"

"Senior brother, you are heartless!" Tang He muttered and sighed exaggeratedly, as if Lu Wensheng had let him down with his desire to talk. However, he still pointed in the direction of the lush bamboo forest behind the village, his tone a little resentful.

"Look, in that bamboo forest, they're digging a hole in a mysterious way..." Since his senior brother had asked so kindly, he would humbly tell him...

As he spoke, Tang He glanced at Liu Jiqian with a complaining look in his eyes, as if to say, "Look how much my senior brother has gone too far."

Of course Liu Jiqian chose not to see it.

Following Tang He's guidance, Lu Wensheng and the other two passed through several busy houses and walked along a trampled path to the back mountain. Soon they saw a lush green bamboo forest.

The rustling of bamboo leaves is quiet and peaceful, as if it is a different world from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and the lingering blood.

Lin Zhengxiu is indeed here.

He did not use any magic, but knelt silently and almost reverently in a small cleared space.

A shallow pit was dug out in the ground in front of him, and handfuls of moist soil with the fragrance of bamboo leaves were dug out and piled aside. Sweat slid down his tense jawline and dripped into the newly turned soil.

His movements were slow and focused, as if he was performing some solemn ritual. The lines of his profile were tense, revealing an indescribable melancholy and stubbornness.

Lu Wensheng watched silently for a while, then squatted down and started digging the soil with his bare hands at a distance. His movements were natural and smooth, as if he was just doing an ordinary thing: "Is it okay?" he asked softly.

Lin Zhengxiu didn't even turn his head, his voice low and hoarse, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue: "It's up to you." There was no rejection or welcome, as if Lu Wensheng's appearance or not was irrelevant.

Liu Jiqian didn't say a word, and squatted beside Lu Wensheng naturally. He also stretched out his slender jade-like hands, which were supposed to hold the sword and play the piano, and inserted them into the slightly cool soil without hesitation, accompanying him in digging.

Two young leaders with noble status and extraordinary strength in the world of cultivation are now digging a pit with their bare hands in this secluded bamboo forest, accompanying a phantom demon with a complicated identity.

The mud quickly stained their fingertips and sleeves, and even Lu Wensheng's clothes were stained with mud, but they didn't care, and their movements were steady and tacit.

Only the faint sounds of soil being turned over and gravel being pushed aside echoed in the bamboo forest.