After Escaping From Death, He Went Even Crazier By Criticizing Black Lotus Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Past Events, The Best Friend of Yesteryear

The three-tailed fox demon, barely the height of a calf, held a Water Spirit Pearl in its mouth, its wild, vertical pupils staring at him with apprehension.

Perhaps sensing no pressure from a powerful cultivator emanating from him, the wariness in its eyes vanished. Its snow-white three tails flicked, and a sudden burst of scorching flames erupted around it, the tongues of fire shooting straight toward Su Huan.

Su Huan stood motionless. A flash of cold light unsheathed in his hand, and the three-tailed fox demon, comparable to a Foundation Establishment cultivator, was instantly struck through the throat, collapsing stiffly. The greed in its eyes had not even fully faded before death.

The spirit pearl, which the fox had held in its mouth, rolled out and stopped at his feet.

The blood soaking the pearl stained the tender green grass sprouts. Though cracked, the pearl dutifully emitted a cool, crisp water spirit energy.

Su Huan’s gaze swept over the bloodstain, and the expression in his eyes involuntarily froze. He sheathed his sword, pulled out a handkerchief, and wrapped the pearl inside.

“Fellow Daoist Su, have you found traces of the demon race?” Nangong Yi asked.

Su Huan shook his head, completely omitting the conflict between himself and the pearl’s owner. He only said, “No, I just happened to come across… something left behind by an old acquaintance.”

Although they were no longer friends, he had not forgotten the kindness the other person had once shown him. Perhaps it had been a casual gesture for them, but for him, it was a life-saving grace he could never forget, not to mention that the person had told him the method to resurrect Su Chao.

So, he would tentatively call them an old acquaintance.

It was just that this old acquaintance might be in danger right now.

Su Huan tightened his grip on his sword, finding himself in a difficult dilemma.

Yue Jiusi flew leisurely overhead, his hands clasped behind his head, saying, “If you ask me, we should just set off a flare spell and tell everyone. All this tracking is such a hassle.”

Nangong Yi was clearly used to his personality and said helplessly, “We cannot. If we alert the enemy, the loss will outweigh the gain.”

They did not know how the infiltrator had slipped in. To be safe, this matter absolutely could not be spread to anyone outside of the three of them.

Hearing this, Su Huan couldn’t help but look up at the clouds above.

Above the clouds, a massive golden spiritual scroll floated, unfurled far in the distance. Written upon it in bold, powerful strokes were the names of all the trial disciples, followed by their constantly changing points. The rankings fluctuated accordingly. This was the ranking provided for the elders watching outside.

While wanton killing of competitors was forbidden, life and death were not.

This was the Immortal Sect.

Cultivators both followed the Dao of Heaven and defied it. Fighting against Heaven brought endless joy; fighting against Earth brought endless joy; and fighting against people also brought endless joy.

A place like the Immortal Sect was both a sanctuary and a gladiatorial arena.

As his thoughts turned, the ranking on the spiritual scroll suddenly changed.

A name abruptly shot up into the sky, firmly occupying the first-place position.

The moment he saw it clearly, Su Huan’s pupils unconsciously constricted, and he clutched the spirit pearl tightly.

Perhaps his change in expression was too obvious, drawing the curiosity of Yue Jiusi beside him, who looked up and read the name aloud—

“Xiao… Jianming.”

“Isn’t that the Heavenly Spiritual Root genius from your sect? I heard he was ordered by the Sword Venerable to preside over this year’s Immortal Sect Assembly. Why is he participating in the trial?”

Before Su Huan could speak, Yue Jiusi suddenly realized, exclaiming in disbelief, “Aha! Your Xuanji Sect is shameless! As one of the Four Great Immortal Sects, you are openly cheating!”

Nangong Yi was also slightly surprised, but hearing this, he chuckled, “Although Fellow Daoist Xiao is already at the Nascent Soul stage, he is still within the ten-year Golden Core disciple limit.”

Yue Jiusi was incredulous: “Huh? Does that mean he only took ten years to form his Golden Core and then advanced to Nascent Soul?! Is—is he even human?!”

That was why he was called a genius even among a crowd of geniuses.

However, other sects also had such geniuses among geniuses. Su Huan knew of at least two.

One belonged to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and the other was right beside him.

Sure enough, Nangong Yi smiled lightly, “Why the surprise? Your Young Sect Master is not bad either.”

Yue Jiusi scratched his head with a simple-minded grin, agreeing, “You’re right. Even if he is Nascent Soul, so what? In my heart, the Young Sect Master is the most amazing!”

Nangong Yi shook his head and laughed, calling him a flatterer.

Yue Jiusi quickly retorted, “What flattery? These are my sincere thoughts, just speaking the truth.”

As he spoke, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. “Hey, isn’t this perfect? We don’t know if the others are infiltrating demons or spies, but this person is Su Huan’s fellow disciple and so powerful. He’s someone we can trust! If we ask him to join us in killing the demon, we won’t alert the enemy, and we’ll gain a powerful ally…”

Su Huan instinctively blurted out, “No.”

The matter of slaying the demon might affect the trial ranking points, and he absolutely could not let Xiao Jianming get involved.

Perhaps his refusal was too quick, causing the two Jianqing Sect members to turn and look at him simultaneously. Yue Jiusi asked, puzzled, “Why not? Did you two have some deep, unknown grudge in the past?”

Seeing Su Huan’s good looks, he raised an eyebrow and teased with a rogue smile, “Or were you two old lovers who broke up and now see red whenever you meet?”

With every word he spoke, Su Huan’s body stiffened a little more. Fortunately, Yue Jiusi was a careless person and didn’t notice his distress.

Su Huan lowered his eyes and said, “The secret realm has restrictions. The three of us are enough.” Not wanting to say too much, he offered a perfunctory excuse, “Eldest Senior Brother… he already has enough points.”

Yue Jiusi didn’t believe him at all and wanted to probe further, but Nangong Yi seemed to notice Su Huan’s discomfort and quickly stopped him: “Jiusi, this is Fellow Daoist Su’s private matter.”

“Since Fellow Daoist Su is unwilling, then so be it.” Nangong Yi looked at Su Huan and smiled slightly, “Let’s go. Finding the demon’s trace is the priority.”

He did not distance himself because of the narrow-mindedness Su Huan had displayed.

Su Huan couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

He didn’t know how to explain the complicated relationship between himself and Xiao Jianming to the two of them.

Should he say that Fellow Daoist Yue was right, and then tell them that he had broken off with this genius because he couldn’t bear the humiliation?

But who would believe that this bright and upright Eldest Senior Brother would secretly want to make him a captive?

Everyone would just think he was crazy.

*

However, the person Su Huan didn’t want to find was precisely the one the three of them ran into.

Nangong Yi’s compass was a product refined by the Nangong family—the leading family of the artifact refining holy land, Liujin Continent—three hundred years ago to counter demon infiltration. It was extremely sensitive to demonic energy. If the captured demonic energy had been emitted within the last three days, it could definitely track the demon’s whereabouts.

However, the compass seemed less effective this time, as the final direction it pointed to was… Xiao Jianming’s location.

Xiao Jianming had just killed a wolf demon the size of half a mountain and was slowly wiping the blood from his sword. After hearing the trio’s explanation, he lifted his eyelids and sneered, “So, you think I might be a demon, or a spy?”

Su Huan, who was being stared at directly, couldn’t help but shiver.

Yue Jiusi was also dumbfounded, firmly believing, “It must be a problem with the compass!”

The chief disciple of every sect held the same status as the Young Sect Master, being the designated successor chosen by the sect master. The chief disciple of the Xuanji Sect was not only the most powerful disciple in the entire sect but also had to walk the Path of Seeking Immortality on the main peak of Yuxiao—

The Path of Seeking Immortality was an ancient relic left behind from antiquity, rumored to have been built in grief by an Immortal Lord who was misled by the demon race into killing his friend. It was composed of nine hundred and ninety-nine blue stone steps. If one’s karma was tainted even slightly by the demon race, they could not complete the entire Path of Questioning the Heart.

If even the chief disciple of the Xuanji Sect, the designated future Sect Master, had become a demon spy, wouldn’t the entire immortal world be doomed?

Su Huan also didn’t believe he was a spy, simply because Xiao Jianming had once said that his family had died because of the demon race.

Xiao Jianming was extremely devoted to his affections, even to an extreme degree, and would absolutely not associate with the executioners who killed his family.

Nangong Yi frowned slightly, looked at Xiao Jianming, hesitated for a moment, and then put away the compass. He bowed warmly and said, “It must be that the compass is old and malfunctioning. I apologize for disturbing Fellow Daoist Xiao’s hunt.”

He was about to turn and leave when Xiao Jianming called out to the three of them, “Wait.”

He smiled brightly, “Since I am now aware of this matter, I should join you in capturing the demon. How could I stand by and do nothing?”

Casually performing a sword flourish, Xiao Jianming’s gaze swept over a certain person whose body had stiffened. He then glanced at the well-known Nangong Yi, delighted to show off his special treatment of Su Huan in front of outsiders, hoping to reduce any obstacles that might hinder his plan.

Su Huan froze upon hearing this. At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind him: “Even for the sake of Junior Brother Su, I cannot sit idly by.”

“Junior Brother, don’t you agree?”

An arm slowly draped over his shoulder, and a spiritual message sounded in his mind—

“With me here, you won’t be able to get first place. It’s still not too late to change your mind.”

“If you agree to my condition, I will leave the Glazed Immortal Herb for you. How about it?”

Su Huan: “…” He knew it.

This lunatic was getting crazier and crazier.

One moment he was aloof and indifferent, and the next he was acting as if nothing had happened, approaching him with a smile and repeating the same threatening words he hadn’t changed in years, his moods shifting between laughter and anger.

Yet, five years ago, he hadn’t been this crazy.

*

Five years ago.

Su Huan dragged his heavy steps and buried Su Chao next to that ancient, dilapidated wooden house.

Xiao Jianming had returned and seemed to still be angry with him, watching him coldly as he pulled weeds and dug the earth, waiting for him to place the child’s body into the pit.

However, Su Huan was in no mood to cater to him, his eyes involuntarily turning red.

His younger brother couldn’t even have a tombstone or a coffin after death. No one would sell a coffin for a child who died young, saying it would offend ancestral spirits and was unlucky.

But Su Huan couldn’t bear to let Su Chao sleep in the cold ground, so he carved a “door” leading to the surface, and worried that insects might eat away at Su Chao’s body, he used his sword to carve out a “home.”

Xiao Jianming stood by, holding his sword. He seemed to have thought of something, and his expression looked less angry. He even offered comfort, “Don’t cry. When the Immortal Sect Assembly arrives, you can resurrect him.”

Su Huan was stunned and couldn’t help but ask him, “Can that Glazed Immortal Herb truly bring people back to life?”

Xiao Jianming smiled and replied, “Of course. You are my best friend in the sect. Would I lie to you?”

He even took Su Huan into the highest level of the Scripture Repository, into the secret inner chamber that only the Sect Master and the Sect Master’s successor could enter, personally retrieving the secret technique carved on a jade slip and handing it to Su Huan.

His face was full of helpless smiles: “I told you, you are my best friend.”

His best friend.

Su Huan’s eyes welled up. He quickly turned his back, trying desperately to keep the sound of crying out of his voice, and whispered, “Yes, you are too.”

His heart felt warm.

He thought that from now on, besides Su Chao, Eldest Senior Brother was the closest relative he had in this world.

Little did he know that upon hearing his words, the person behind him revealed a smile that could only be described as malicious.