As the bleeding from Mu Xuanling's wounds gradually stopped, Nan Xuyue finally let out a slight sigh of relief before turning to face Gao Qiumin.
"Cultivator Gao, Sect Master Xie has ordered that Miss Mu be temporarily detained. Before the council reaches a decision, no one is allowed to carry out arbitrary punishment," Nan Xuyue said coldly. "You've defied the Sect Master's orders. Does Jinghua Valley intend to rebel against the Immortal Alliance?"
Gao Qiumin let out a cold snort. "Manor Lord Nan, Yunxiu Manor has already been expelled from the Immortal Alliance. You have no authority to give orders here."
"I've long heard that Cultivator Gao looks down on everyone, but your Mingyue Manor was also expelled from the Immortal Alliance and no longer exists. What gives you the right to act so pompously before me?" Nan Xuyue smiled faintly, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Though Yunxiu Manor is no longer part of the Immortal Alliance, it's not a target for a mere Golden Core cultivator to act recklessly against."
Gao Qiumin's face paled slightly. She knew he was speaking the truth. Although Yunxiu Manor's lord couldn't cultivate, Nan Xuyue had extensive connections and was skilled in formations and medicine. Many in the cultivation world owed him favors, and even the five sect leaders had to show him respect. She regretted her impulsive disrespect towards Nan Xuyue but was unwilling to show weakness in front of Mu Xuanling.
Gritting her teeth, Gao Qiumin said, "I'll overlook this demon girl for Yunxiu Manor's sake. But Manor Lord Nan, don't forget your position, consorting with demons and monsters!" With that, she turned and quickly left.
Listening to her footsteps, Mu Xuanling knew Gao Qiumin was flustered and weak. She couldn't help but quip, "Vicious yet cowardly."
Nan Xuyue turned his head to look at her pale face and sighed, "Better to be vicious to others than to oneself."
As he spoke, he took out several medicine bottles and white gauze from his storage bag. "You must have said something provocative. She already hated you, and being unable to tolerate it, she lashed out and injured you. Fortunately, neither of your wounds is life-threatening. I'll apply some medicine, and in a few days, there won't even be a scar. It will be painful, though."
"It can't be more painful than demonic energy entering the body or overflowing, right?" Mu Xuanling joked.
Nan Xuyue gently poured white powder onto the wound on her arm. Her expression instantly changed, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out.
Nan Xuyue held her arm with one hand, seemingly gentle but firmly keeping her from moving. With his other hand, he slowly applied the medicine while calmly explaining, "This is flesh-regenerating powder. It speeds up wound healing but causes pain and itching like insects biting."
Mu Xuanling's brows furrowed tightly as she weakly said, "Maybe we shouldn't treat it… Scars are medals for half-demons…"
Nan Xuyue chuckled, "Oh? Would you like to try flesh-corroding powder instead? It would make your medal even more impressive."
Mu Xuanling grimaced, "How can such a noble and pure person like you, Young Master Nan, have such evil poisons?"
Nan Xuyue lowered his head, looking at the slowly healing wound on Mu Xuanling's arm, and said softly, "That's because I'm not as pure and noble as you think."
Mu Xuanling didn't take Nan Xuyue's words seriously. Her attention was fully on her wound. The pain wasn't unbearable, but the itching was, reaching deep into her bones. She couldn't help but want to scratch, but Nan Xuyue quickly caught her wrist.
"Just twenty more breaths, and it'll be done," Nan Xuyue said gently.
Mu Xuanling whimpered, her breathing rapid and irregular. She heard Nan Xuyue's soft voice near her ear, "Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…"
His voice seemed to have a magical quality, calming her heart slightly. She barely endured until the last count, and suddenly, the numbness and itching in her wound completely dissipated. Her tense nerves relaxed. Nan Xuyue then took a small amount of light green ointment from a tiny medicine jar, warming it with his fingertips before applying it. A refreshing medicinal fragrance spread, and he gently applied the ointment to the wound. Waves of coolness soothed the burning pain, causing her to let out a long sigh of relief.
Finally, Nan Xuyue carefully bandaged the wound before looking up at the relieved Mu Xuanling, saying in a gentle tone, "Now for the wound on your neck."
Mu Xuanling: "…"
Nan Xuyue grabbed Mu Xuanling's shoulders, smiling helplessly, "Where do you think you can escape to?"
Mu Xuanling looked on the verge of tears, "Surely you have a drug that can make people unconscious and unaware?"
The flesh-regenerating powder was absolute torture. The pain was tolerable, but the itching was unbearable!
Nan Xuyue laughed, "The wound on your neck isn't deep. We don't need to use the flesh-regenerating powder."
Mu Xuanling finally relaxed, smiling, "You should have said so earlier."
Mu Xuanling sat on the straw pile, brushing her long hair to one side, revealing her long, slender neck. On the left side was a sword wound about an inch long. It had bled quite a bit earlier, staining the collar area bright red.
Nan Xuyue frowned slightly, carefully wiping away the blood around the wound. Mu Xuanling gazed at the dim firelight outside the cell, lost in thought, her eyes gradually filling with tenderness.
She often got injured, but always licked her wounds alone, like those small beasts living in the wilderness. But one day, she met a young man in white robes who carefully cleaned her wounds and gently applied medicine, just like this.
At that time, she had an absurd thought—if she got injured every day, he would tend to her wounds every day.
When he heard this, he smiled and ruffled her hair, saying, "Every day I'm by your side, I won't let you get hurt."
Nan Xuyue's fingertips lightly pressed on her neck where her pulse was beating, delicate and beautiful, fragile yet alluring.
"You're thinking of him again," Nan Xuyue said softly.
"Once again, my heartbeat has betrayed me," Mu Xuanling curved her brows and eyes, not denying it.
Nan Xuyue's deep gaze fell on her neck, his breath faintly brushing past her ear. The shell of her ear unconsciously turned a light pink, and the tip of her ear twitched involuntarily, like a sensitive little beast.
They say beasts are the most loyal to their masters, while human hearts are fickle.
The tickling sensation near her ear made Mu Xuanling want to scratch, but Nan Xuyue stopped her again, pressing her wrist to her side.
"I just bandaged it. Don't scratch for the next couple of days," Nan Xuyue instructed.
Mu Xuanling sheepishly lowered her hand, saying, "I understand."
"Next time, endure the immediate loss. Otherwise, you'll only hurt yourself. What if Gao Qiumin had accidentally killed you?" Nan Xuyue frowned as he admonished her.
Mu Xuanling smiled mischievously, "But you were there, weren't you?"
Nan Xuyue shook his head with a wry smile, "What if I couldn't stop her?"
"Then we'd both die under her sword," Mu Xuanling blurted out.
Nan Xuyue was slightly taken aback but said, "Alright."
"No, no, that's not good," Mu Xuanling hurriedly waved her hands, "I shouldn't drag you down with me."
"I don't mind," Nan Xuyue said seriously.
"I don't want to burden you," Mu Xuanling sighed, resting her chin on her hand, and said wistfully, "I also don't want to bow my head and submit to Gao Qiumin."
"I understand," Nan Xuyue's hand slightly raised, as if wanting to stroke her hair, but he lowered it again, "You've suffered a lot at her hands, haven't you?"
Her long lashes fluttered, and Mu Xuanling smiled faintly, unwilling to recall unhappy memories.
"Young Master Nan, have you seen Xie Xuezhen?" Mu Xuanling asked.
Nan Xuyue replied, "He's secluded himself, likely resting and recuperating. I didn't want to disturb him."
"He used his primordial spirit to withstand the force of a Fashen's self-destruction. His injuries must be severe," Mu Xuanling frowned, recalling how Xie Xuezhen had blocked Su Ningzhen's sword, "The Juntian Sword was almost shattered by the Brushing World Dust. He was at his limit then, just barely hanging on. If Su Ningzhen had been determined to kill me, he… wouldn't have been able to stop her."
Nan Xuyue's eyes flickered, "So, you don't blame him for locking you up here."
"He's just trying to buy time to protect me," Mu Xuanling's eyes held a faint smile, but also contained sadness, "Young Master Nan, I don't understand human love. You're the wisest person in the world. Can I ask you a question?"
Nan Xuyue said, "I don't dare claim such a title, but if you ask, I'll do my best to answer."
"If you love someone very, very much, what should you do?" Mu Xuanling's face was full of confusion, "I originally wanted to stay by his side, but I found that he doesn't need my company. I wanted to protect him with my life, but now… he doesn't need my protection, let alone my life. I once hoped he would think of me a little, like me a little, but now I'm hesitant… I don't want to see him troubled because he likes me."
Nan Xuyue asked, "Why do you think this way?"
Mu Xuanling rested her head lightly against the stone wall, her gaze distant, remembering the night when snowflakes were falling, and she stood on tiptoe to kiss his lips. She thought he would dodge, but he didn't. Although he was always cold as ice and rarely spoke, she knew his heart was the softest and warmest. He… liked her a little bit. That was once her greatest desire, but now she hesitated to accept it.
"I'm afraid of him being indifferent to me, abandoning me, but I'm also afraid that if he protects me, he'll be at odds with the world," Mu Xuanling's beautiful eyes clouded over, "Young Master Nan, if you were me, what would you do?"
Nan Xuyue quietly looked at her delicate and beautiful face, which even in the dim light had a lustrous glow that one couldn't take their eyes off.
"I could take you away. Would you be willing?" Nan Xuyue asked.
Her thick lashes covered her eyes.
Nan Xuyue smiled faintly, "You can't bear to leave him."
"Love in this world is something you can't pick up, can't put down, can't forget, and can't let go. It's 'though there be ten thousand, I will go forth.' It's knowing something can't be done but doing it anyway. The strong become weak because of it, and the wise become foolish," Nan Xuyue's voice echoed in the dim light, falling heavily on Mu Xuanling's heart like a deep sigh, "If you stay, you might die. Even if he's the Sect Master of the Immortal Alliance, he can't protect you against the will of the world."
Mu Xuanling was silent for a long time before saying, "Young Master Nan, for me, living doesn't mean much anyway. Before, I lived only to avenge him. Later, when I knew he wasn't dead, I wanted to be with him. If there's no way to have both, I don't mind dying. If so, I hope he doesn't like me at all, so he won't be sad if I die."
A helpless, bitter chuckle came from Nan Xuyue beside her. His warm palm fell on her head, gently stroking it, "Ling'er."
It was the first time Mu Xuanling had heard him call her name like this when they were alone. She raised her head slightly in surprise to look at him.
In Nan Xuyue's deep, dark eyes, there was a flickering light. His handsome, elegant face bore a sad smile.
"I won't make the same mistake twice."
He left her with this puzzling sentence, dragging his slow but determined steps away.
As Nan Xuyue's figure passed by the cell of the Infatuated Demon, this demonic creature was bound by countless formations, unable to move except for its mouth.
"Manor Lord Nan, hehehehehe…" the Infatuated Demon let out a strange laugh, "I've seen your heart demon."
Nan Xuyue's footsteps paused, and he turned his head to look at the demon in the darkness.
"Your heart is so bitter, why can you still smile?" the Infatuated Demon said, "Humans are truly hypocritical creatures."
"You've seen so many human hearts, yet you've learned nothing," Nan Xuyue said coldly, "Is it because demons are stupid, or because human hearts are too complex?"
"If you weren't a mortal, I'd like to possess your body and experience what it's like to have a brain," the Infatuated Demon sighed, "But your obsession is so strong, for a moment I even felt like you were possessing me."
Nan Xuyue had a dream. Memories long blurred suddenly became clear, and he could recall every detail of the intricate demonic markings on the little girl's face.
Nan Xuyue remembered the first time he met Mu Xuanling was when he was eleven years old. It was the darkest moment of his life; he thought he had lost everything. After Nan Wujiu tried every method and still couldn't restore his spirit apertures, he turned his attention to the Chaos Zhenzhu. Legend had it that the power of chaos could defy causality and reverse fate. So, he brought Nan Xuyue to Mingyue Manor to borrow the Chaos Zhenzhu.
Nan Xuyue held no expectations. He sat quietly in his wheelchair, enduring the gazes of unfamiliar faces. Those looks of pity, sympathy, or schadenfreude could no longer stir his heart, but he still disliked being surrounded by people. So he went off alone to a secluded spot.
It was the season of falling petals, with a hint of coolness in the wind. He sat alone under a tree, letting flowers fall on his shoulders and knees. A thin figure dropped from the treetop, letting out a cry of pain that disturbed his thoughts. He slowly turned his head and saw a child in tattered clothes and an iron mask fall to one side.
The child looked about six or seven years old, with messy hair, wearing ill-fitting rags that exposed thin wrists and pale skin marked with old and new scars. She frowned as she looked up, noticing someone nearby. Hurriedly, she picked up the iron mask and covered her face, revealing a pair of bright, beautiful black eyes.
"Who-who are you?" She moved quickly, hiding behind the tree trunk, only peeking out her little head.
Nan Xuyue immediately recognized her identity. Her face bore pale golden demonic markings, and her feet were bound with spirit-locking rings—the mark of a demon slave. Almost all sects had demon slaves, usually evil demons who had committed crimes or abandoned half-demons. Born with stronger bones than ordinary people, they were most suitable for hard labor. But fearing they might use their demonic powers for evil, their masters would put spirit-locking rings on them. If they tried to use demonic power, the rings would tighten, sending spiritual thorns into their bone marrow, causing unbearable pain. This little demon slave might have been unruly or unable to control her demonic power well. Her spirit-locking ring was tightly bound around her ankle, leaving it a bloody mess.
Seeing Nan Xuyue not answer, the little demon slave looked closely, blinked, and suddenly realized, "I heard that the master of Yunxiu Manor brought Young Master Nan here. You must be Young Master Nan."
Nan Xuyue ignored her, turning his head to look at the lake's surface rippling slightly.
Footsteps approached from afar. The little demon slave hurriedly hid, whispering, "Young Master Nan, please don't say you saw me!"
The newcomers were servants from Mingyue Manor. They bowed to Nan Xuyue and asked if he had seen a little demon slave. Nan Xuyue shook his head, and they hurried away.
Seeing them leave, the little demon slave sighed in relief and crawled out of the bushes, a fallen leaf still stuck in her hair.
"Thank you, Young Master Nan," the little demon slave grinned at him, revealing teeth like shattered jade. "If they had caught me, I would have been punished again."
It was clear she had been punished often. Her clothes were found who knows where—the top was too short, exposing thin wrists, while the pants were too long, easy to trip over. The little demon slave seemed quite lively. Though Nan Xuyue didn't respond, she wasn't embarrassed and continued talking to herself.
"I was caught and brought here half a year ago," the little demon slave sat down on a rock by the lake, sighing. "They said I hurt someone, that I'm an evil demon. But I didn't mean to, I just wanted to play with them. I couldn't control my strength well, and when that boy said I was ugly and tried to push me, I just blocked him, and he flew away on his own."
The little demon slave uncomfortably adjusted her iron mask as she spoke. "Just now I fell asleep in the tree and accidentally fell, dropping my mask. I didn't mean to scare you. I haven't slept for two days; they gave me too much work, and I just couldn't finish it all."
Nan Xuyue had excellent eyesight. With just a glance, he remembered the pattern on her face—pale golden demonic markings that shimmered faintly, like a living spiritual snake coiled into a flower shape, covering half her face.
"The steward makes me wear this mask, so I don't scare people," the little demon slave's voice was muffled, sounding unhappy. "They say my father might have been a snake demon, or maybe a vine demon. I don't know what I am; I was abandoned as a baby."
Many humanoid half-demons shared similar fates. Born to human mothers, they were fearfully abandoned by their clans due to their demonic features, ultimately becoming demon slaves for various families, enduring a lifetime of servitude.
The little demon slave rested her chin on her hands, pouting, "I heard people in the manor say that mothers are the greatest, that they would never dislike their children no matter how ugly—unless they're half-demons. My mother must have been scared by my face too, that's why she threw me away. If I were as handsome as Young Master Nan, maybe my mother would have kept me."
"How am I any different from you?" Nan Xuyue's voice was young yet tinged with world-weariness.
The little demon slave was surprised that Nan Xuyue would speak to her. She turned her head to look at him, both happy and nervous. She carefully moved a bit closer and said softly, "But you're Young Master Nan. How could you be the same as me?"
Even she knew that the Young Master of Yunxiu Manor was born with ten spirit apertures, extraordinary and exceptional.
"Three of my apertures are destroyed. I'm no better than a useless person now," Nan Xuyue said.
"It's just that you can't cultivate, what's the big deal?" The little demon slave didn't understand.
Nan Xuyue found it difficult and didn't want to explain to her that without the ability to cultivate, life had no meaning.
The little demon slave couldn't understand Nan Xuyue's thoughts, but she saw his unhappiness. She didn't know how to comfort this gentle and handsome brother. Among all the people she had met, only this brother was willing to talk to her so calmly, so she hoped he wouldn't be so sad.
She awkwardly began to speak, "Young Master Nan, you were born with everything. Now you've just lost a little bit, but you're still better off than many, many people. Don't be sad. Look at me, I have nothing, but I'm still living happily."
Nan Xuyue spoke softly, "It's precisely because you were born with nothing that you don't know what it means to lose. While I once…" He closed his eyes and curled his lips in self-mockery, "Only now do I understand that I never truly possessed anything. What I thought was family affection was just a hypocritical facade."
The little demon slave stared at him blankly and asked softly, "Your parents don't like you anymore?"
"I can't cultivate, and my legs are broken," Nan Xuyue lowered his head to look at his knees. His long robe covered his imperfections, but he knew the defects were always there.
"I thought my feet were about to break too," the little demon slave pulled up her oversized pants, revealing her bloody ankles. "Because I often can't control my demonic power well, the spirit-locking rings are very tight. It hurts so much when I walk. Other half-demons say you get used to it eventually. Our half-demon bones don't break easily, so we just need to walk a bit slower."
Nan Xuyue's gaze moved from her severely injured ankle to her face, seeing a pair of clear, black eyes.
"Just walk a bit slower?" he repeated her words softly.
"Mm-hmm." She leaned gently against his wheelchair, the distance between them unknowingly closing. "Now I walk slowly, and I've found the scenery around me is very beautiful. It's just that I often can't finish the tasks the steward assigns in time, so I get beaten."
"Don't you feel sad?" He was a bit curious. This little demon slave was covered in wounds, yet still had clean, bright eyes.
"Of course, I feel sad… but I'm used to being beaten and going hungry. I used to be naive and always wanted to play with them. Now I know that I'm a half-demon, and humans won't like half-demons." The little demon slave lowered her thick eyelashes, hiding her disappointment and sadness. A moment later, she looked up, her black eyes showing stubbornness and determination. She pouted and said, "If they don't like me, so be it. I don't like them either. I'll keep all my liking for myself. Um… or maybe I'll share some with you. I can like you a little, but will you dislike me for being a half-demon?"
Her voice gradually weakened, and she looked at the young master before her somewhat nervously. He was beautiful and noble, while she was ugly and lowly, a despised demon slave. Who would care about a demon slave's affection?
Nan Xuyue slightly lowered his head, gazing at her. His dark eyes seemed to have a glimmer of light. He chuckled softly, perhaps mocking her presumptuousness. Suddenly, he reached out to her, plucking the dry leaf stuck in her hair.
"Ah." The little demon slave let out a soft cry, blushing with embarrassment. "Th-thank you."
Nan Xuyue didn't answer. He held the half-withered leaf between two fingers, examining it thoughtfully.
The little demon slave looked at the leaf, then raised her head to look at Nan Xuyue's delicate and beautiful profile.
"Young Master Nan, even if you can't cultivate, you can still do many things," the little demon slave said seriously. "Even if no one likes you, you shouldn't dislike yourself."
Nan Xuyue suddenly turned to look at her: "What's your name?"
The little demon slave was stunned and said, "I don't have a name. There's only a number on my spirit-locking ring, it's zero-zero. The previous demon slave who wore this ring died."
"Will you come with me?" Nan Xuyue asked.
The little demon slave blinked, asking somewhat incredulously, "To be a demon slave at Yunxiu Manor?"
Nan Xuyue smiled gently, "You don't have to be a demon slave."
She didn't understand what else she could be if not a demon slave, but she thought following this gentle young master would be better than staying at Mingyue Manor. So she nodded vigorously, her eyes bright.
Nan Xuyue always remembered that smile, which suddenly brightened that desolate season and tore a patch of clarity in the gloom that had shrouded his heart for so long.
He asked his father hopefully if he could take that demon slave away.
If Nan Wujiu had borrowed the Chaos Zhenzhu at that time, if he was still the extraordinary Nan Xuyue born with ten spirit apertures, perhaps the answer would have been different.
But at that time, his father brusquely refused, saying a useless person who was nothing had no right to speak.
Nan Xuyue lowered his head dejectedly. He dared not look back, afraid to see those bright eyes full of hope gradually lose their light. He always remembered her words, that even if he was useless, he could still accomplish many things. There was only one thing he wanted to do, but it was already too late.
Mingyue Manor turned to ruins, and he could never find that little demon slave again. In his heart, there was always a faint regret and remorse.
When did this hint of remorse grow silently, becoming a towering tree that blocked out the sky?
Nan Xuyue's eyes slowly opened, black eyes staring into the black night. He woke from one nightmare only to fall into another nightmarish reality.
He thought he had regained what was lost, but it turned out he had only lost it again.
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