Appreciating New Tea with an Inkstone - Chapter 51 Part 2

Gu Xiyan froze and immediately leapt down from the tree. “Shizun?”

Yuxi examined her carefully. His eyes, filled with concern, softened just a little when he saw her. But when he noticed the bloodstains covering her clothes, his heart ached. “What happened to you?”

His breathing was a little heavy. Gu Xiyan sensed something was wrong and sniffed the air. Her brows furrowed. “Shizun, you’re injured?”

Yuxi’s face stiffened. He instinctively covered his chest, denying it. “No. It’s you who’s covered in blood.”

Still frowning, Gu Xiyan said in a low voice, “Shizun, I can smell blood on you. Your aura is off.”

Yuxi sighed helplessly. “That nose of yours is getting too sharp.”

Gu Xiyan’s heart sank, her lips pressing into a thin line. “Shizun, did you run into Jiuxuan?” The only one who could wound Yuxi was likely him.

Yuxi hummed in acknowledgment, his expression grim. “That demon’s cultivation is strange—his techniques are dangerous. If he continues unchecked, the Mortal Realm will be in grave danger.”

“Shizun… Did you come to take me back?”

Yuxi looked at his pale-faced disciple. Thinking about the rumors spreading like wildfire, his heart ached for her.

He understood his disciple better than anyone. She had the heart of a child, kind and compassionate to her very core. He believed she had spared demons before. But to say she had conspired with them to bring ruin to the Mortal Realm? He didn’t believe that for a second.

“It’s not safe out here. Those rumors are suspicious. You’re surrounded by enemies on all sides. I’m taking you back—I’ll speak for you. I won’t let Elder Yuheng and the others convict you based on mere rumors. Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, no one will lay a finger on you.”

Yuxi’s words were firm, carrying an undeniable sense of protection.

Over the years, Gu Xiyan had never forgotten his kindness.

Now, with her sect turning against her, he still believed in her.

“Shizun, this disaster is my doing, and everything that’s happening now is my due punishment. The fact that you believe me—just that alone already makes me happy. If I return to Dongzhou, I fear I will only implicate you as well.”

Gu Xiyan laid bare the entire entanglement between Jiuxuan’s remnant soul and herself. After hearing it all, Yuxi was utterly shocked.

“There’s still a remnant soul inside him?”

A mere remnant soul was enough to control Jiuxuan and wield such immense power—just what kind of entity was it, and why did it hold such a deep grudge against his disciple?

Yuxi had no way of verifying matters from a past life, but he said solemnly, “If that’s the case, then all the more reason I can’t leave you out here alone. If he’s gone to such lengths to frame you, he must truly despise you. Since you became my disciple, you are under my protection. A master is like a father for life—how could I stand idly by?”

Back then, he had chosen Gu Xiyan not because of her talent, but because, among the crowd, she was the one who stood out. A blind child, yet exuding a natural elegance, her aura impossibly pure. She had inexplicably caught his eye.

Over time, her performance only deepened his appreciation, leading him to take her in as his disciple.

She was the one student in his lifetime who had truly made him proud—her talent, her character, everything about her was impeccable. She was detached from worldly desires, yet not cold-hearted. She had boundless compassion for all beings, yet she also understood right from wrong with a rare clarity.

He even believed she was the most promising cultivator he had ever seen, one who could truly achieve enlightenment.

There was no way he could stand by and watch as she was destroyed by a group of blind fools.

Nor did he want to see someone so pure forced into darkness.

“Shizun, I…” Gu Xiyan’s throat tightened, but just as she was about to speak, a burst of laughter echoed above them.

“What a touching bond between master and disciple—truly moving.”

Gu Xiyan’s expression changed instantly, her guard shooting up. The wind howled around them, her sleeves billowing fiercely.

Jiuxuan had arrived, and he wasn’t alone—two followers stood at his side, both powerful cultivators in their own right.

A sense of unease settled in Gu Xiyan’s heart. She had the feeling that Jiuxuan was scheming something.

“I originally thought this old man would clean up his own mess,” Jiuxuan said with amusement. “What a disappointment. But you know… I think this is much more entertaining, ha ha ha.”

Yuxi remained calm, though his vigilance sharpened. Taking a step forward, he positioned himself protectively in front of Gu Xiyan. “Enough with the tricks—show yourself!”

Jiuxuan’s laughter rang through the forest, as if enveloping the entire space. Then, in the very next moment, it abruptly stopped.

Four powerful energy blasts shot toward them from all directions.

Gu Xiyan and Yuxi swiftly dodged, letting the attacks slam into the ground. Suddenly, four beams of white light shot into the sky, and beneath their feet, an array of glowing starlight patterns appeared.

“This is bad—it’s a formation he set up!” Yuxi’s brows furrowed deeply. They had walked straight into a trap.

Focusing his gaze on the intricate spell array beneath them, he found it similar to an Extermination Formation—but even more complex. He wasn’t entirely sure of its nature.

“Xiyan, be careful. This seems like an Extermination Formation. There are three crucial nodes—one at the Qian position, one at the Kan position, and one at the Xun position.”

Gu Xiyan nodded.

When it came to formations, her blindness put her at a disadvantage.

She could only rely on her spiritual perception to gauge where the attacks would come from—but formations were, by nature, unpredictable and ever-changing. Relying solely on intuition was extremely dangerous.

Moreover, this was not a formation she was familiar with.

If Yuxi weren’t here guiding her, she likely would have already lost.

Jiuxuan had clearly noticed this. Standing high above the array, he looked down at the two of them, a sinister smile curling his lips. Raising his right hand, dark demonic energy swirled in his palm. Then, in a seemingly casual motion, he hurled it downward.

The formation trembled violently.

A sharp pain shot through Gu Xiyan’s leg as a spiritual force slashed her, causing her to stumble and roll to the side—barely avoiding a direct hit.

“Xiyan!”

Yuxi immediately rushed to her, grabbing hold of her wrist. In the same motion, he countered Jiuxuan’s attack with his other hand, but the force still sent both of them staggering backward several steps.

Sweat beaded on Gu Xiyan’s forehead. “Shizun, are you okay?” she asked urgently.

Yuxi’s sword moved swiftly, slashing through the surrounding space, sending waves of sword energy crashing down around them. Dust and debris flew into the air. His sharp eyes remained steady.

“I’m fine. Xiyan, focus—calm yourself.”

Gu Xiyan took a deep breath, carefully following Yuxi’s movements through the formation, her mind rapidly analyzing its structure.

Outside the formation, Jiuxuan toyed with them like a cat playing with a mouse, his attacks growing increasingly vicious yet always leaving a sliver of life.

Gu Xiyan had lost count of how many steps she had taken, but in her mind, she had already mapped out the structure of this Extermination Formation. It wasn’t the same as the ones she knew, yet that didn’t strike her as strange. Without hesitation, she abandoned her previous footing and swiftly maneuvered through the ever-shifting formation, dodging attacks with ease.

Jiuxuan’s smile stiffened slightly, his eyes darkening. This woman was infuriatingly skilled.

Before he could make another move, Gu Xiyan struck without hesitation. She unleashed a rapid flurry of sword strikes, sending tremors through the entire formation until, with a sudden explosion, it shattered completely.

Yuxi immediately followed up. The two of them launched a direct assault on Jiuxuan, and in the blink of an eye, the entire forest was reduced to ruins under the violent clash of their spiritual energy.

With the restrictive formation gone and Gu Xiyan fighting alongside him, Yuxi was now evenly matched against Jiuxuan. Gu Xiyan, unable to see, remained cautious in her attacks, primarily focusing on disrupting Jiuxuan’s movements in coordination with Yuxi.

After hundreds of exchanges, Yuxi finally landed a direct hit on Jiuxuan’s chest. Hearing his muffled groan, Gu Xiyan immediately gathered her spiritual energy and swung her sword in a follow-up strike, slicing Jiuxuan’s weapon in two.

Jiuxuan staggered back several meters, blood spilling from his lips.

“Gathering demonic forces to bring disaster upon the world—you deserve nothing less than death. Today, I will rid the world of your lingering evil spirit.”

Yuxi recalled Gu Xiyan’s words, his spiritual energy surging in his palm as he prepared to end Jiuxuan once and for all.

Leaning against a tree, Jiuxuan coughed, his demonic energy unstable. But his gaze flickered past Yuxi’s shoulder, and a subtle, unreadable smile played on his lips.

To Yuxi, it looked like nothing more than a provocation.

Just as he was about to strike, the sound of hurried, panicked footsteps interrupted him.

“Yuxi-shishu! Yuxi-shishu, save me… save me!”

Gu Xiyan immediately turned, her brows knitting together. Was that… Han Wenshan?

Staggering and covered in blood, Han Wenshan stumbled forward, his face full of terror.

Yuxi hesitated for a moment before reaching out to steady him. “What happened?”

“Shishu, my shizun… My shizun and I came out to search for you and Shijie, but we were ambushed by a group of powerful demons. My shizun’s fate is unknown… Shishu, please save him!”

Yuxi’s expression changed drastically. He immediately turned to look at Jiuxuan—

And in that instant, he felt a cold sensation in his chest.

“Shizun, watch out!” Gu Xiyan’s urgent voice rang out.

Yuxi instinctively struck out with his palm.

But it was too late.

The sword in Han Wenshan’s hand had already pierced straight through his chest.

With a single blow, Yuxi sent Han Wenshan flying several meters away. But the strike had already scattered his spiritual energy.

At that very moment, Jiuxuan appeared before him. He pressed his palm against the hilt of the sword—

And drove it completely into Yuxi’s body.

Gu Xiyan’s blood ran cold. She swung her sword viciously at Jiuxuan, but she was unable to stop his killing move in time.

Yuxi’s body was flung backward, the long sword embedded in his chest.

Jiuxuan ripped it out, causing blood to gush forth.

“Shizun!” 

Gu Xiyan couldn’t see, but the sickening sound of the blade piercing flesh and Yuxi’s muffled groan rang painfully clear in her ears. The thick, metallic scent of blood filled her nose—

Just like that day, when Jiuxuan had ripped Ah Qi’s heart out right in front of her.

A suffocating pressure built in her chest, making her nauseous. She followed the sounds and hurried to Yuxi’s side. Her hands trembled as she reached out. Her fingertips met something warm, wet, and sticky.

His blood.

“Sh-Shizun…”

Panic filled her voice as she pressed down on his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. With her other hand, she fumbled desperately through her robes, searching for medicine to feed him.

She poured every bit of her spiritual energy into him.

But Han Wenshan’s strike had pierced his vital point. His face was already turning ashen.

Looking at his disciple kneeling beside him, frantically channeling energy into him, Yuxi shifted his gaze toward Han Wenshan lying nearby. With great effort, he gripped Gu Xiyan’s sleeve and weakly murmured, “Go… run…”

Tears streamed down Gu Xiyan’s face.

She was not someone who cried easily. But all these years in Dongzhou, Yuxi had been like a second father to her, always protecting her. And now, because of her, he had walked right into this trap.

She shook her head, her throat tightening painfully.

Then, she heard Han Wenshan’s groan of pain. 

The veins on her forehead bulged. Her entire body trembled with suppressed fury.

“Why…? Why?!”

Han Wenshan didn’t answer. He only shrank back, covering his face as he sobbed.

Jiuxuan, on the other hand, laughed in delight. Stretching out his hand, he said with amusement, “Are you talking about him? I merely played a little trick—just a bit of coercion and intimidation. He didn’t want to die, so naturally, he did as I told him to. Isn’t that right, boy?”

“I was forced! I had no choice!” Han Wenshan cried, his voice shaking. “It’s all your fault, Gu Xiyan! If not for you, Yuxi-shishu wouldn’t have come out, we wouldn’t have had to look for you, and I wouldn’t have been captured by him! This is all your fault—it has nothing to do with me! I didn’t kill anyone, I didn’t!”

His terrified gaze fell upon Yuxi, who lay on the ground, barely clinging to life. Fear gripped him completely.

Gu Xiyan clenched her teeth so tightly that they ground against each other. She bowed her head, struggling to restrain herself. But in the end—

She could endure no longer.

With a swift motion, her sword pierced through the air like a storm. The blade stabbed into the gap of Han Wenshan’s right shoulder bone and pinned him to the ground.

Han Wenshan let out a miserable scream, his body convulsing in pain.

The sound of his screams brought Yuxi back to his senses. He reached out, grasping Gu Xiyan’s hand, his face full of concern. That man—he was clearly trying to torment Gu Xiyan, trying to destroy her Dao heart.

Yuxi took a deep breath, forcing out his words with difficulty. “Xiyan… When I first met you, it was because I saw the purity of your spirit… and your nature—your nature was the best I had ever seen. I know you have your own path… Don’t… don’t let him lead you astray. Don’t give in to hatred. The world is ignorant, but you—guard your heart, live well…”

He suddenly burst into laughter. Blood-tinged foam spilled from his lips, staining his beard, yet his face was filled with genuine joy.

“In this lifetime… taking you as my disciple… was worth it.”

His cultivation had already reached a bottleneck, but Gu Xiyan’s potential was boundless. Today was the first time he had seen her truly fight someone. And now he was even more certain—His disciple was a dragon among men, someone who would never be confined to this small world, nor shackled by its prejudices and limitations.

Gu Xiyan listened in a daze, still kneeling on the ground.

The next moment, Yuxi seemed to stop breathing entirely.

Lowering her head, she grasped the fabric of Yuxi’s sleeve.

A chaotic energy surged through her chest. Her once lifeless eyes turned bloodshot. Like a trapped beast, she let out a suppressed, agonized cry. Her once gentle aura shifted into something sharp and ferocious. Her white robes and black hair whipped through the air as a powerful force erupted from her body—

A surge of demonic energy, entwined with pure spiritual power, burst forth uncontrollably.

Jiuxuan watched her, eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement.

From afar, a large group of cultivators was rushing toward them.

Jiuxuan chuckled to himself. It was time to end the show.