Chapter 38

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Chapter 38: Little Bai

Wen Yun lay here watching an exciting dog fight.

She watched as the fight broke out before she could even join, and one enemy went down. The joy was beyond words.

So, demon cultivators like to fight among themselves?

No wonder they can’t defeat the righteous.

After enjoying the scene, she prepared her magic, almost ready to throw it and create a magnificent fireworks show –

Unexpectedly, Ye Shubai suddenly appeared.

Her feelings became quite complicated for a moment.

If a young girl is in danger and a handsome Sword Immortal suddenly appears to save her, she will feel very grateful and touched. This feeling is called the "suspension bridge effect".

Unfortunately, this effect has no impact on Wen Yun.

Firstly, she is not a young girl. Secondly, her opponent is obsessed with inflicting harm on themselves, so she doesn’t feel threatened at all.

When Ye Shubai suddenly flew towards her, Wen Yun stopped pretending and quickly got up.

She moved swiftly and confidently, unlike before when she had appeared weak and fainted.

Seeing the confusion in Yu Qinghong’s eyes, Wen Yun smiled apologetically and comforted him, "You’re actually quite strong, I’m just stronger."

She was telling the truth, it was a form of praise since there was no one stronger than her. However, Yu Qinghong perceived her acknowledgment as mockery.

While speaking, Wen Yun had already taken action. A sharp ice arrow formed at her fingertips and shot towards Yu Qinghong’s chest at a rapid speed.

Sorry, she is not a proper sword cultivator. She can’t avoid using sneak attacks in her lifetime.

Yu Qinghong was in a tight spot, but Wen Yun’s attack was extremely fast and close, he couldn’t avoid it at all.

"Ouch!"

The transparent icicle made of ice pierced through Yu Qinghong’s shoulder blade, red mist sprayed out, and the whole darkness was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Before Yu Qinghong could react, the wooden sword that had pierced his palm attacked again silently.

"How despicable!" Yu Qinghong exclaimed angrily.

Wen Yun, thinking this was not something a demon cultivator should say, unleashed several ice arrows towards Yu Qinghong at lightning speed.

Without a wand in hand, she relied on the magic elements in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm to cast this low-level magic spell quickly, while Ye Shubai struggled in combat relying solely on his sword skills, finding it extremely difficult to overpower the opponent without the support of spiritual power.

This was why Wen Yun didn’t dare to attack directly earlier and had to wait for the right moment.

Now, she could only use magic, and if her magic was dodged, it would be troublesome, so she had to resort to ambush tactics.

Ye Shubai agreed with her plan and knew he couldn’t fight the enemy head-on without using spiritual power, so he hid nearby early on. He and Wen Yun instinctively seized the same opportunity to attack together.

This strategy was very successful.

Even though the two of them had lost their spiritual power, Yu Qinghong, whose strength was unknown, was still pierced by several blood holes from their surprise attack. Wen Yun’s final enhanced ice spike went through his thigh and pinned him to the ground.

The sword and ice arrows were fast and frightening, but this was all happening under the cover of black mist. The enemy quickly realized what was happening, effortlessly pulling out the ice spike and retreating while dragging his crippled leg and waving his hand.

He seemed completely oblivious to human pain, his body in such a damaged state that a normal person would have been unable to move, yet he showed no signs of distress!

Yu Qinghong’s voice came through his clenched teeth, "Kill them!"

A massive python lurking in the darkness made a terrifyingly fast lunge towards Wen Yun. Anticipating this, she cast a spell of agility on herself and Ye Shubai, leaping back agilely to avoid the snake’s tail strike.

She calmly commanded, "You handle him, I’ll take care of the snake!"

Ye Shubai remained icy cold and composed, swiftly dodging the python’s attack and racing towards Yu Qinghong without hesitation.

"Darn it, darn it! Who is this man!"

Yu Qinghong was running desperately in the dark fog, feeling very angry as he tried to figure out who this sword cultivator was.

The swordsmanship and appearance resembled that of the Qingliu Sword Sect, but in the past hundred years, the only outstanding sword cultivator from the sect was Wen Yun. Who else could possess such terrifying sword skills? While fleeing and searching for information in his mind, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

Was it Xu Wanfeng, the fastest swordsman from the Qingliu Sword Sect?

Or was it Bai Yushan, the best at close combat?

Darn it, who could it be!

Ye Shubai’s sword seemed to form a tight net, trapping Yu Qinghong in the middle with no escape, and to make matters worse, there was the even more terrifying Wen Yun!

"This ungrateful wretch, wretch! I was foolish enough to spare her life!"

Her unknown techniques and tactics appeared mysteriously and unpredictably, each attack aimed ruthlessly at Yu Qinghong’s vulnerable spots. Whenever he tried to retaliate against Ye Shubai, Wen Yun’s next spell would timely intervene, leaving him defenseless.

If he fought them directly, he was very confident in killing the two people. However, as soon as they appeared, they attacked sneakily. Right from the start, he was being pushed back!

Underneath this mysterious black fog, the whole world became icy and eerie.

Without any emotions, Ye Shubai swiftly drew his wooden sword. The cold girl behind him leaped forward, and her slender fingertips displayed a more terrifying power than the wooden sword in the man’s hand.

Yu Qinghong shuddered all over as he thought of a terrifying possibility.

Only the person who massacred the demon race could possess such a terrifying sword style! An elder of the demon race survived the terrifying battle between good and evil. Although he didn’t partake in that battle as a junior, he heard the name countless times from those old folks.

Whenever they mentioned that name, there was hatred, fear, but most of all, reverence.

It was reverence towards a true powerful individual.

Ye Shubai, the top sword cultivator of the righteous path, the person closest to ascending to immortality in the cultivation world for thousands of years!

"Ye Shubai! You are Ye Shubai!"

Yu Qinghong shouted out these words loudly.

However, Ye Shubai didn’t respond, he swiftly attacked the fallen Yu Qinghong with his sword. Wen Yun understood the principle that villains die from talking too much, and without hesitation, she cast a spell towards Yu Qinghong.

The fallen young man was covered in blood, looking like a demon from hell.

As the sword pierced through his body, he showed a fierce smile. Despite being supposed to be dead, he didn’t fall, appearing like a walking corpse.

His strange red eyes stared directly at Ye Shubai—

"Ye Shubai, after you cut off the path to ascension, your jade nascent soul was stolen by those people again. You saved these people, yet they treated you unfairly! Why not join my dark sea domain? Those who go along will prosper, and those who resist will perish. Kill these ungrateful people in the world!"

Ye Shubai’s eyes were as calm as a cold pool, and he approached with his sword.

Another sword pierced through Yu Qinghong’s heart, causing his body to shatter and making him unable to move. His voice sounded strange, almost not coming from his throat, and his eyes glowed red.

"The world betrays you, why not abandon it?"

Ye Shubai remained calm as the sword fell again.

Yu Qinghong fell completely to the ground, but his eyes were still fixed on him.

A voice originating from the soul, faint and weak, yet with a hint of excitement –

"After revealing your inner demon, I will make you willingly offer up this perfect body to me…"

"Ye Shubai!"

Just as Wen Yun finished casting a spell, she instantly sensed that something was not right over there.

This Yu Qinghong had touched upon the laws of the soul, he might be using some means to influence Ye Shubai’s soul!

Without hesitation, she released all her mental power to entwine the small mark in her mind, instantly merging with Ye Shubai’s mental power.

Unexpectedly, Wen Yun showed no sign of being attacked, instead all of Ye Shubai’s thoughts and memories rushed towards her.

*

In Wen Yun’s mind, there was a brief moment of emptiness, as she saw countless images flash before her eyes. Finally, the scene in front of her changed from the black mist of the Dark Heaven Secret Realm to a lush forest below a towering mountain.

The sky was a clear blue, with a few wispy clouds drifting by. The sun shone brightly through the dense foliage, casting a golden glitter as if sprinkled with gold dust.

Ahead, a group of young people were gathered, talking amongst themselves. Wen Yun stood beside them, but no one noticed her presence.

Wen Yun paused, looked around, and quickly realized she was seeing a scene from Ye Shubai’s memory.

Wen Yun knew that forcibly leaving might harm Ye Shubai’s soul. Unable to do anything, she had to quietly wait as a bystander until his memory played out completely.

The only consolation was that time in the memory was frozen, so even if centuries passed here, once outside, they would likely return to the moment right before the memory began. She didn’t have to worry about her two not-so-bright senior brothers being taken advantage of.

Wen Yun sighed and focused her gaze on the group of young people.

Among them, the older ones were around seventeen or eighteen, while the younger ones looked to be about four or five years old.

The smallest one was very fair-skinned, and although his face was thin and delicate, he still looked pretty like a girl. He was wearing a patched shirt, which was neat and clean, but his pants were dirty from all the falls along the way.

The boy with eyes as black as obsidian gazed steadily at the towering mountain, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

The tallest boy sighed, "We won’t find any immortal here. We might as well go back and work for the wealthy merchant in the royal family. Maybe we can save some money in a few years and get married."

Hearing this, the other two boys, who were already hesitant, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "I don’t want to keep climbing either. I think the monk who said there’s an immortal at the mountain top was lying. We’ve been climbing all day and haven’t seen any immortal!"

"Yeah, if we wait until sunset, there might be wolves. Let’s go back now while we still can."

…

The boys chattered among themselves, and then returned back the way they came, in small groups.

Only the smallest boy clenched his teeth and kept moving forward.

Someone called out from behind, "Little Bai, come back home with me!"

When the boy didn’t listen, another boy tugged on his friend’s sleeve and said, "Let’s not bother with him. His parents have passed away, and his uncle wants to sell him. It’s better to let him dream of becoming immortal."

Wen Yun suddenly understood and looked at the little boy, realizing that he was Ye Shubai from her childhood.

As the sky darkened, the boys hesitated and ran back home, but the boy without a home continued climbing up the hill with determination.

Following behind him, Wen Yun noticed his hands covered in bloodstains and couldn’t help feeling sorry for him, saying, "Take a rest first, sleep for a while before continuing."

However, the boy didn’t seem to notice, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand, tightly biting his lips and moving forward.

Walking behind the young Ye Shubai, she tried to lift him when he fell, but her hand passed through his body.

She paused for a moment before sighing softly.

This was just one of his memories, and she could only be an unrelated bystander.

Ye Shubai walked for a long time, until he fell to the ground under the brightest moonlight, no longer able to get up. He curled up behind a large rock on the mountainside, shivering from the cold night wind.

Wen Yun sat beside him by the window, hugging her knees and watching him covered in injuries.

He suddenly shivered in his sleep, mumbled a few words, and woke up in the middle of the night feeling cold. His tiny head looked around the pitch-black surroundings and finally felt scared, silently crying while holding a large stone.

She quickly comforted him, "Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’m here with you, I won’t leave."

Ye Shubai couldn’t hear, he just secretly cried while holding the stone, then fell asleep exhausted.

Wen Yun watched him walk on and off for about half a month. When he was hungry, he drank spring water and picked wild fruits. His grass shoes were already worn out, and his once exquisite appearance had become dirty, looking like a little beggar, except for his eyes which were still bright.

Until a sword cultivator flew through the clouds and saw the young Ye Shubai’s exceptional talent. He immediately brought him back to Qingliu Sword Sect as if he had found a treasure.

Wen Yun’s memories drifted to Qingliu Sword Sect along with him.

It was still a familiar sight, with only Nine Peaks, without The Tenth Peak.

She watched Ye Shubai change into clean clothes with her own eyes, transforming from a young beggar into a handsome young sword cultivator.

The child was a bit scared in the new environment. After changing clothes, they stayed hidden behind the door for half a day, their clothes all wrinkled from being fidgety. Their bright black eyes showed fear and uncertainty.

Wen Yun looked at young Ye Shubai, who looked like a soft, white dumpling. Even though she knew he couldn’t hear, his eyes made her speak up.

"Don’t worry, you will be the best sword cultivator in the world… well, maybe I’ll surpass you soon, but overall you’re still great. So, don’t doubt yourself."

She thought for a moment and then said, "Your fellow disciples are useless, but your masters seem good. They sacrificed themselves for the people during the battle between light and darkness. Following them, you will surely become a great sword cultivator."

After speaking, she sighed and squatted beside Ye Shubai, placing her hand on his head to comfort him.

She was truly kind, making sure Ye Shubai’s mind wasn’t harmed. She had been stuck in his memories for so long that she was now bored enough to talk to the child to herself.

Although the child couldn’t hear, as the future top warrior, despite his legs trembling, he bravely took the first step in his training.

Wen Yun watched as the young child was sought after by a group of experienced sword cultivators to be their apprentice. In the end, none of them could convince each other, so they agreed to share him as their apprentice.

The consequence was that young Ye Shubai was left in the valley where the masters lived. He had to receive teachings from the four masters each day. Just as he finished practicing sword moves for two hours, he was called to chop wood for three more hours.

He didn’t cry or act spoiled. His small face was covered in sweat as he struggled to wield a large axe almost as tall as him to chop wood.

After years of practice, the once skinny little boy’s face, which used to resemble a monkey, gradually gained some flesh. His features became more prominent, making him look even more exquisite and cute.

Wen Yun felt bored. Unable to escape from Ye Shubai’s memories, she decided to join him in learning swordsmanship.

While Ye Shubai practiced chopping firewood, she imitated his actions, but instead of chopping wood, she playfully aimed at his temperamental master’s body.

When he practiced stabbing, she aimlessly stabbed at his second master’s feet one by one.

Ye Shubai made significant progress in swordsmanship. Wen Yun had nowhere to test her own progress, but she felt confident in herself.

As the seasons passed, the memories in his mind were surprisingly vivid. He remembered the creek in the valley so clearly that he could recall every fish in it.

He began learning Sword Control Art, using his sword to cut rocks by the creek. The small black fish swam freely around his feet.

Wen Yun watched anxiously from the side, unable to do anything but stare in amazement, "I wonder how tasty it would be to grill those fish!"

Ye Shubai, the unlucky child, has been fed Inedia Pills by his masters since he was little. He has never eaten a proper meal, and even Wen Yun hasn’t had a decent meal in years, let alone smelling the aroma of food he remembers.

It truly was an invisible torment.

After finally finishing cutting the stones, Ye Shubai did not go to fish, but instead took out an Inedia Pill from his space bag and threw it into the water.

Wen Yun, "…"

She watched helplessly as Ye Shubai fed the group of fish more and more fat.

But worse than not being able to smell the aroma of grilled fish, the old sword cultivators simply didn’t care for children. They only taught sword techniques. It seemed like Ye Shubai had been raised in the valley, becoming withdrawn. Occasionally, he would even start talking to the fish in his free time.

"Today, I learned a new sword technique, the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. The Grand Master instructed me to observe the clouds for a hundred days to hone my sword skills."

Wen Yun squatted on a creek stone opposite him and calmly continued, "But unfortunately, it’s midsummer, and there probably won’t be any clouds for the next two months, just clear skies all day."

The little boy ignored her and continued to speak to the fish, "A flock of starlings has moved in on the new willow tree to the east. I have offered them an Inedia Pill as a housewarming gift."

Wen Yun sighed, "Your master really should let you play more with children your age, look at how unhappy you are."

"Tomorrow we will sneak out."

"Hmm?"

Wen Yun was surprised and subconsciously shifted her gaze from the fish to the boy. Did he hear her speaking?

She asked tentatively, "Ye Shubai, did you see me?"

However, Ye Shubai ignored her, carefully took out a large bowl, put the little fish in it, and then said to it, "Yes, we will go out tomorrow."

Alright, Wen Yun resigned herself, feeling less important than the fish.