Chapter 74: The Arrival of Talisman Cultivators from the Ice Quenching Pavilion

Hot.

That familiar heat again.

But this time, it was far more intense than ever before. If the previous times were like a trickling stream, then this was an entire river rushing into the sea.

Wave after wave of tsunamis crashed, dragging both the rocks on the shore and the bystanders watching from above into the abyss.

…When Ning Mingmei’s consciousness slightly recovered, he saw a certain spatial storage bag beside his hand. The bag was wide open but completely empty inside.

Lian Chengyue’s blood was gone!

At that moment, he was leaning against the stone wall deep in the cave, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he gasped for air with his eyes closed. Outside, Qi Miancheng was still pacing.

“Junior Brother?”

“Junior Brother?”

The cave was eerily silent, with only the sound of dripping water and the echoes of Qi Miancheng’s voice.

But that voice didn’t sound like it was calling out to someone.

It was light, eerie, and its echoes magnified in the cave, like countless tiny fingers climbing the steep stone walls, parting the willow vines that hung on either side of the cracks, slithering in from all directions, stretching out arms as soft as serpents.

Until they reached that high, slender, yet unbearably fragile, damp throat, and the prey was caught at last.

Ning Mingmei: [System.]

[…]

Ning Mingmei: [System.]

[Special scene detected. Privacy censor mode has been automatically activated,] a mechanical electronic voice responded.

Ning Mingmei: “…”

Bullsh*t. Since when was there a rating system?

Ning Mingmei kept his eyes shut. But something felt strange. Just now, both the footsteps and the voice calling him had vanished.

All he could hear was the faint, echoing sound of dripping water in the cave.

Until he cracked his eyes open slightly.

Above him, at the cave entrance, he saw a pale face staring down at him.

“So, Junior Brother was here all along,” the person said.

Ning Mingmei couldn’t move. Any movement would make a sound. He watched as the figure leaped down from the cave entrance, landing right beside him.

“What happened, Junior Brother? Why did you suddenly run back? Are you feeling unwell?”

The voice remained gentle and concerned.

“Junior Brother looks just like he did when he returned from Yaochuan City. Is it an old ailment acting up?”

Through the fogged-up lenses of his glasses, Ning Mingmei looked at him. No one could see his eyes through the glasses and could only infer his state from his slightly parted lips and the way his fingers curled inward, their joints flushed pink.

It was as if someone who had always stood above the rest had shown a moment of vulnerability for once.

It wasn’t until the newcomer placed his fingers on the other’s pulse that he finally got a reaction from Ning Mingmei. Ning Mingmei’s wrist clearly struggled, trying to pull away from him.

“Junior Brother, I can examine your condition and transfer my true Qi to you. Right now, your true Qi is in complete chaos. Since you are my junior brother, no matter the reason, whether your Qi is flowing in reverse or you have suffered from Qi deviation, I will not tell anyone. No matter what happens, I am your senior brother and I will always be on your side.”

After saying that, he reached out again.

His fingers were once again pushed away.

This time, it wasn’t Ning Mingmei’s wrist that struggled. It was his true Qi.

“Oh? You don’t like this?” the man murmured softly.

“…”

Ning Mingmei kept his expression hidden behind his glasses, saying nothing.

But his nails dug deeper into his palm, veins bulging on the back of his hand as he forced himself to endure. His legs curled slightly beneath his sweat-dampened inner robe, betraying his inner turmoil.

On the other side of those glasses, Qi Miancheng watched him.

If someone else had been present, they would have been shocked to see such an expression on the usually refined and virtuous Sect Master Qi.

His face still carried its usual gentle smile, warm and approachable as ever. But his eyes were darker than before.

There was a persistence in them he had never shown before, a displeasure at being rejected again, an intense curiosity, a hunger for understanding, and an unmistakable desire to conquer.

And behind all that displeasure and gloom, there was something else, something different. A gaze that was strangely fixated. The beauty before him was undeniably alluring but what he was truly focused on was not the scent of flesh or the body itself.

It was the reaction.

Not the scent, not the body, but something deeper, beyond flesh and bone, a glimpse of the soul itself through every minute response.

This time, he directly grasped Ning Mingmei’s wrist.

Months had passed and Ning Mingmei’s wrist was even thinner than before. Not in a delicate or fragile way but with sharp, well-defined bones. It gave the impression of something rigid and unyielding, something that would let out a crisp snap if crushed.

His fingers pressed against smooth skin, soft and pale like peach blossoms in spring. But what he truly wanted to grasp was the hardness beneath, the bones that would resist and would dig into his palm with their sharp edges.

“Qi Miancheng.”

At last, he heard Ning Mingmei’s hoarse voice.

“Junior Brother, relax your breathing. Like this, follow my rhythm. Inhale. Exhale.” Qi Miancheng guided the other’s hand to his abdomen. “Inhale. Exhale. Match my breathing. Focus on your muscles. Inhale. Exhale.”

“…”

Through the fabric, that hand indeed felt the contours of toned abdominal muscles.

Unlike Qi Miancheng’s refined and proper appearance, beneath the clothing lay a body that was strong and powerful. The contrast was striking.

There was something aggressive about it.

Yet Qi Miancheng said gently, “Junior Brother, I am engaging my core muscles. You should be able to feel how they move with my breath and the sensation of touch.”

“…”

Softly, he asked, “Do you feel like your breathing is easing up a little?”

“…Hmph.”

The owner of that hand no longer struggled. He merely lowered his head and let out a quiet “Hmph.”

“Junior Brother, don’t be afraid,” the man whispered. “Senior Brother is here. Soon, everything will be fine… Tell Senior Brother, what happened?”

It didn’t sound like concern.

It sounded like temptation.

Step by step, luring him into his gentle rhythm, drawing him into a web of care. First, a favor owed. Then, a debt repaid.

And finally, as he desired, a close, harmonious bond between senior and junior brothers formed.

And he never once mentioned that Ning Mingmei’s current episode was due to his innate cultivation furnace physique.

Nor did he ever mention that Ning Mingmei had been brought back to the Supreme Clarity Sect by Spirit Master Inaction solely because of his usefulness.

For hundreds of years, he had been Ning Mingmei’s senior brother, yet he never once spoke of it. Even Fang Wuyu, who shared the same heart and mind with Qi Miancheng, believed he was entirely unaware.

In the past, he sat high above, unmoving, never lifting a single finger against him, presenting the perfect image of an upright, principled senior brother. And so, everyone believed it to be true.

Those who thought he was ignorant of the truth believed he was completely unaware and righteous. Those who thought he knew the truth believed he was gentle yet even more righteous. It was a position of advantage, whether advancing or retreating. No matter how things unfolded, Qi Miancheng remained the ever-refined and virtuous sect master. No one ever imagined he had any other thoughts.

Until that moment.

The ever-distant and unapproachable Qi Miancheng, who had never shown even the slightest interest in past cultivation furnaces, now in that cave finally revealed his undisguised fascination before the current Ning Mingmei.

Like a spider that had never been interested in its previous prey, suddenly spotting a brilliantly colored butterfly.

And, as luck would have it, he realized that the butterfly had always rightfully belonged to him.

So, bit by bit, with patience, he began weaving his web, testing its depth, and adjusting his stance.

And it was preparing to sit at the center, watching as the butterfly entangled itself beautifully in his trap.

“…”

“Still don’t want to talk? That’s alright. Do you want me to transfer some true Qi to you? The Qi family’s cultivation technique is unique, so you’ll recover quickly,” he said.

Watching its weakened prey, the spider leaned in, ready to consume it whole.

As expected.

“Senior Brother…”

The spider moved closer, straining to hear the whispered words.

But in the very next second, he was abruptly pinned to the ground!

Qi Miancheng did not resist. Instead, he lay down compliantly.

He tilted his head up, looking at Ning Mingmei who was now straddling him.

With the same sharply defined bones and the same frame that seemed like it would snap with just a bit more pressure. His glasses still obscured his face, misted with condensation.

But his hand pressed firmly against the junction of Qi Miancheng’s throat and collarbone, locking his breath completely.

And with it, locking away any chance for him to speak.

Ning Mingmei held him down, sniffing around his body as if searching for a way to extract his true Qi.

Qi Miancheng merely tilted his head, watching him.

“Junior Brother?”

The moment he spoke, Ning Mingmei seemed to snap.

Lowering his head, he searched for a spot and then, without warning, he bit down hard on Qi Miancheng’s arm!

Right where an old wound, once inflicted by the Fiend Lord, had already scarred over.

But now, that wound was torn open once more.

Ning Mingmei buried his face against his arm, filling his mouth with his blood.

And through it all, his fingers never loosened their grip on Qi Miancheng’s throat, not for even a second.

Being choked like that would be unbearable for anyone.

But Qi Miancheng simply watched him, as if neither the pain in his throat nor the searing wound on his arm belonged to his own body.

At last, Ning Mingmei lifted his head.

Still wearing his glasses, the corner of his lips was stained with blood.

Then, as if disgusted, he wiped his mouth against Qi Miancheng’s robes.

“Junior Brother,” Qi Miancheng called.

But Ning Mingmei ignored him.

Instead, he tilted his head slightly, an expression of faint distaste crossing his face.

A final judgment on the taste of Qi Miancheng’s blood.

“Junior Brother, your shoulder is bleeding again,” Qi Miancheng remarked, still lying on the ground. “Did you cut yourself to stay conscious?”

No response.

After drinking his fill, Ning Mingmei simply slumped against the cave wall, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

With the aid of Qi Miancheng’s blood, his breathing gradually steadied. His clenched fingers relaxed, though his lips still retained that faint shade of red, satisfied.

Qi Miancheng remained where he was, lying on the ground in the same position as before.

His gaze drifted up to the cave’s ceiling, his face still carrying the same gentle, composed smile he had worn while speaking to Ning Mingmei.

Finally, he raised his hand and glanced at his reopened wound.

This time, he extended his tongue and licked the blood from it.

“It’s not that bad,” he murmured to himself.

***

The next day, Ning Mingmei awoke feeling completely refreshed.

He crossed his arms and stepped out of the cave, spotting Qi Miancheng once again digging up the Osmanthus Tree.

Seeing him emerge, Qi Miancheng looked up and smiled warmly. “Junior Brother, you’re awake?”

“Mhm,” Ning Mingmei responded.

Qi Miancheng’s smile remained gentle. “Good. We’ll be leaving soon.”

Ning Mingmei watched as Qi Miancheng continued uprooting the Osmanthus Tree, saying nothing.

Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning what had happened the day before.

Only one thing was tactless enough to bring it up; the system.

The system: [What exactly did you two do yesterday? Shouldn’t you report it to me?]

Ning Mingmei: [No idea.]

The system: ??

[I haven’t slept with him and my body doesn’t hurt, that’s good enough.] Ning Mingmei wiped his glasses. [No need for unnecessary overthinking. After all, it’s just me and Qi Miancheng here. That hypocrite cares about appearances even more than I do. He’d never talk about anything embarrassing that happened in that cave.]

The system: …

A sect master with suspicious behavior along with a ruthless and cold-hearted Ning Mingmei. What a fascinating journey it was turning out to be.

When Ning Mingmei looked up, he saw Qi Miancheng watching him.

“Senior Brother, what’s wrong?” Ning Mingmei raised an eyebrow at him.

Even though he didn’t remember exactly what happened yesterday, something definitely did. Since Qi Miancheng seemed determined to continue pretending to be a paragon of gentle elegance, he’d just go along with the act.

If that was the case, then they could play the role of a pair of harmonious senior and junior brothers in front of others. In any case, Qi Miancheng was the sect master of the Supreme Clarity Sect. There were always benefits to be gained from staying on good terms with him.

“Let’s set off, Junior Brother,” Qi Miancheng said.

With that, Sect Master Qi once again departed with both the tree and Ning Mingmei. This time, he wasn’t carrying the tree on his back. It simply floated behind them as they walked.

After a while, Ning Mingmei followed behind him and asked, “Where are we now?”

Qi Miancheng replied, “The southern region of Liuyue Lake.”

So, after all that fighting and flying, they’d ended up all the way in the south.

Speaking of the south, wasn’t the Compassionate Orphanage where Lian Chengyue was staying previously also located there?

Ning Mingmei asked, “Senior Brother, do you know the way?”

Qi Miancheng: “I don’t. Let’s head north first.”

Ning Mingmei: …………

So, they were just wandering aimlessly again, huh?

“Though, we can ask the two disciples from the Ice Quenching Pavilion up ahead for directions.” Perhaps sensing Ning Mingmei’s speechlessness, Qi Miancheng pointed forward.

Looking ahead, Ning Mingmei saw two cultivators standing on a hillside, each holding a talisman while walking and observing it carefully.

The Supreme Clarity Sect’s symbol was the crane, the Smoky Cloud Tower used flowing clouds, the Brilliant Blossom Valley had maple leaves, and the Ice Quenching Pavilion’s disciples wore robes embroidered with ocean waves.

The two male disciples in blue robes, adorned with wave patterns, were clearly from the Ice Quenching Pavilion.

Most of the Ice Quenching Pavilion cultivators specialized in talismanic arts and those two were no exception. The Ice Quenching Pavilion believed that talismans could give birth to all things, so those disciples were likely relying on their talismans for navigation.

As Ning Mingmei and Qi Miancheng approached, they realized that the two disciples were arguing.

“I thought we were heading to that Compassionate Orphanage. Why does it feel like we’re going deeper into the woods instead?”

“Senior Brother, do you think this talisman is messed up? Damn, it really is!”

“Let me see, where did I go wrong? Hmm… These few strokes seem unnecessary. I’ll erase them.”

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t—”

“…”

“You see?! The guidance talisman isn’t working anymore! I told you, as long as it functions, why mess with a few extra strokes?!”

“That shouldn’t have affected the talisman’s function. Maybe it’s the environment causing interference. Try standing back in your previous spot.”

“‘The environment, the environment.’ Every time a talisman fails, you blame the environment.”

“How about this, why don’t you try restarting the talisman?”

A voice suddenly appeared from behind them.

Uhh, guys. I might have mistranslated Lian Chengyue’s place. It’s not Ciyou Village. It’s an orphanage name, Compassionate Orphanage (慈幼庄 cíyòuzhuāng)! 😭 Of course there’s no compassion there…