WPCID 43: “I Confess.”

Shen Zhou had never known the meaning of submission, especially when the person asking was Chu Xuan. If he were to admit it now, it would be like eagerly presenting his deeds, wagging his tail and begging for pity.

So, he remained silent, glaring coldly at the other man, looking every bit like a demonic cultivator not to be trifled with.

That is, until Chu Xuan said, “Stop shaking your ears.”

Shen Zhou: “……?”

Then, the other man glanced behind him: “Where is your tail?”

If his injuries weren’t so severe, Shen Zhou would have already pounced and wrestled the man to the ground.

It was precisely because he was born without a tail that not even the half-demons would take him in, forcing him to wander alone from a very young age.

Yet this person just had to poke at his sore spot.

As expected, no one from the Kunlun Ruins was a good person.

“I don’t have one,” he gritted his teeth and propped himself up. His messy long hair hung before his eyes as he spat at the other man, saying coldly, “If you want to kill me, just kill me. Who needs your pity?”

Chu Xuan stood up and stepped aside, asking no further questions. He twirled the sword in his hand.

The pattern on the hilt was abrupt and conspicuous; in the crevices where the characters had been ground away, traces of blood seemed to seep through. Then, the hilt was gripped, and gently pulled.

Clang. The long sword was unsheathed.

The blade reflected the flickering oil lamp, as if all the light in the room had concentrated on that single point.

Black hair and red robes stained with blood were curled into a ball, huddled in the corner of the dungeon like unnoticed, age-old filth. Anyone looking would only have eyes for that clear, righteous sword.

Then the sword fell, bright and dazzling, landing upon that mass of filth with a light, understated stroke.

Shen Zhou did not close his eyes, staring fixedly at the descending blade.

In his past life, this sword had struck down just like this. His own sword had pierced the other man at the same time. The sound of rain had drowned out everything, yet he could still hear the cries of “Sect Leader” rushing in from all directions.

In that instant, he seemed to have envied Chu Xuan for a split second. It wasn’t profound, just a slight tug at the bottom of his heart, fleeting and gone.

It wasn’t until this life that he clearly saw what was meant by the difference between clouds and mud.

He thought, if he could turn back time once more, back to the moment he fell off the bed and Lu Buzhuo asked, “What are you rolling for?”, he would definitely turn his head and leave without looking back.

…

The glint of the sword finally fell from his eyes, accompanied by a sharp crack.

The shackles, broken open by the sword, rolled to the side. Chu Xuan sheathed his sword, looked him over, and asked, “Can you walk?”

Then he answered for him: “No.”

Shen Zhou didn’t seem to understand what had happened. He blinked very slowly, then blinked again.

He realized it wasn’t an illusion.

After that, there was no movement. He sat motionless like a stone statue; even his wolf ears were still.

Until he was picked up by Chu Xuan.

He was light and thin, easily lifted into the man’s arms. only then did he abruptly wake from his near-solidified shock.

“What are you doing??” he raged, though his voice trembled slightly, unable to struggle too much. 

“You surnamed Chu, if you don’t kill me now, I will definitely make you regret it later… ugh…”

He accidentally pulled at a wound, and his wolf ears instantly drooped.

“Don’t move,” Chu Xuan didn’t take his words to heart at all, holding him tighter in his arms as he walked. 

“The Elder Hall has detained Senior Brother. They want me to hand over the demonic cultivator who trespassed into the Kunlun Ruins.”

Now everything made sense.

Why Sect Leader Chu would condescend to personally visit a demonic cultivator in the dungeon, ask a few innocuous questions, and hold him with such attentive care.

“You’re going to hand me over,” Shen Zhou said, sounding as if he were saying it to himself. He was quiet for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at Chu Xuan’s handsome, smooth jawline, trying to retain a shred of dignity. 

“Let me go. I can walk by myself.”

The handsome chin remained unmoved, continuing to move forward coldly. 

“But Senior Brother has never wanted anything to happen to you. Since he wants you to live, then I will make sure you live.”

Shen Zhou’s breathing grew heavy.

Before his eyes, the dark, narrow brick path of the dungeon swept by continuously. He could see nothing else, unaware of how long the path was. The words in his ears were inescapable, like endless torment.

Finally, unable to bear it, he retorted hoarsely.

“But Lu Buzhuo wanted to kill me today.” He tried his best to make his voice sound calm, but he still choked slightly, inaudibly and quite pathetically. 

“He… likes that Lu Ye.”

“To kill a demonic cultivator, one usually uses the Demon-Subduing Talisman, the Heart-Punishing Talisman, and the Soul-Killing Talisman all at once. You only have wounds left by the Demon-Subduing Talisman. Senior Brother didn’t want to kill you.”

Chu Xuan paused, then added, “Senior Brother’s last words before falling unconscious were to ask Xie Xianqing to check if there was something wrong with Lu Ye.”

Shen Zhou turned his head away, folding his wolf ears flat.

He felt he couldn’t communicate with anyone surnamed Chu. How could someone like Chu Xuan understand? Someone born to be liked by so many people… having a little more or a little less didn’t matter to him.

But he had obtained that tiny bit with such difficulty; not a single thread of it could be spared.

Lu Buzhuo clearly liked Lu Ye so much. He had sat on the mountaintop watching for a day and a night. He saw it with his own eyes; it couldn’t be fake.

So, the dungeon was left with only the sound of the scabbard swaying and footsteps.

After a moment of silence, a faint light appeared at the end of the path.

Chu Xuan stopped and set him down.

“While we were in Bian City, although Senior Brother changed a lot, he still taught me one thing. I’ve already sent the guards away. Xie Xianqing should be at the entrance. Let him take you back to Shuyu Peak, and pass a message to the Elder Hall for me.”

Shen Zhou staggered before steadying himself against the wall. Sweat from the pain seeped from his forehead. He really couldn’t figure out what game Chu Xuan was playing. He turned back: “What exactly are you trying to do…”

Suddenly, a metallic clang rang out.

Sword light flared abruptly, illuminating both their faces, followed immediately by the soft sound of flesh being pierced.

“…Pass a message to the Elder Hall. I was careless and underestimated the enemy. The demonic cultivator has escaped the Small Hidden Peak dungeon and his whereabouts are unknown.”

Chu Xuan pulled the sword from his lower abdomen, threw it casually onto the ground without changing his expression, and slowly sat down while covering the wound. He raised his eyes to glance at Shen Zhou, his voice finally revealing a trace of weakness. 

“By the way, tell Xie Xianqing to leave some wound medicine for me. No need for him to come in.”

Xie Xianqing was drawn in by the commotion in the dungeon.

Although he had left in a flustered hurry, he was still a bit worried and had been lingering nearby, planning to sneak a peek when the two came out.

Suddenly hearing the half-demon’s voice from the dungeon—sounding quite miserable—and seeing no guards at the entrance, he hesitated briefly before charging in.

He had just rushed down a few stone steps when a black shadow darted out and slammed heavily into him. His forehead knocked against the stone wall, and something very soft slapped him wildly across the face.

…It was the half-demon.

Ignoring his own bruised forehead, Xie Xianqing reacted quickly, catching Shen Zhou before he could roll down the stairs. He patted his back to soothe him, discovering the person in his arms was trembling violently, clutching him tightly. The wounds that had just been bandaged had all split open and were seeping blood.

He was instantly bewildered. 

“What’s wrong? What happened now??”

looking up, he saw blood trailing halfway down the brick path. Chu Xuan was covering a wound, looking at him with a weak gaze.

That sword, sealed away for months, was stained with blood again and lying to the side.

Xie Xianqing took a sharp intake of cold breath, then another, telling himself to be calm, peaceful, and indifferent. Endure… finally, unable to endure it any longer, he swore and squeezed out words one by one through his teeth: “Sect Leader Chu, you sent me away just to do this?”

Chu Xuan: “…Leave me some wound medicine. And check on the half-demon, he suddenly started screaming.”

“Of course he screamed! Can anyone in your Small Hidden Peak be even slightly normal?” Xie Xianqing tried to set Shen Zhou aside, but failed after several attempts. The boy was clinging to him tightly, as if grasping a life-saving straw.

Forced to hold the person with one arm, he took out a bottle of medicine with the other and threw it to Chu Xuan. 

“He suffered such a huge shock today, and his injuries are severe; he needed rest. Yet you just had to stab yourself with that sword. Lu Buzhuo nearly died under that same sword, he has trauma associated with it—”

Chu Xuan caught the medicine, gave a soft “oh,” pulled the stopper, and poured it onto his wound. 

“He was pretty fierce just a moment ago; I didn’t expect to scare him like this. It seems Senior Brother didn’t lie to me.”

“…Didn’t lie to you about what?”

“That day, it was Senior Brother who dealt the heavy hand to himself,” Chu Xuan said without looking up. 

“Don’t worry about me. Take him away, then go to the Elder Hall for me. Let them come see for themselves. You know what to say.”

veins throbbed on Xie Xianqing’s forehead. He was about to speak when Chu Xuan slightly lifted his eyelids and said, “I sent you away earlier simply because I didn’t want you to worry.”

Xie Xianqing instantly went silent. Something roared to life in his heart, burning all the way to the tips of his ears, revealing a distinct flush of red.

Without a word, he scooped up Shen Zhou, turned, and left, nearly tripping over the steps.

Back at Shuyu Peak.

At first, Xie Xianqing thought Shen Zhou was like last time, his mind eroded by demonic energy due to successive intense shocks. Considering his own combat prowess, he started rummaging through chests the moment they returned, looking for the chains used to bind patients.

Before he could find the lock, he noticed the demonic energy in Shen Zhou’s pupils was gradually receding. Before long, he returned to normal, as if he possessed a certain ability to suppress out-of-control demonic energy.

After the demonic energy subsided, he collapsed into the bedding and fell asleep.

Xie Xianqing: “?”

He had never seen a demonic cultivator like this.

Confused for a moment, he first went to the Elder Hall to deliver the message, then returned to re-bandage Shen Zhou’s wounds. He tucked him in, leaned against the headboard, and let out an exhausted breath, wondering what kind of mess this all was.

His hand rested on the pillow and was brushed by a wolf ear. It was furry.

“…” Xie Xianqing lifted his eyelids, took a peek, and after a moment, reached out and gave it a rub.

The wolf ear didn’t react; it was asleep along with its owner, allowing him to touch it.

Xie Xianqing petted it for a while, feeling much calmer. He got up to take a nap on the nearby couch. It was going to be chaotic later; he needed to conserve his energy.

…

Shen Zhou slowly opened his eyes.

Beneath him was soft bedding. The room was filled with the bitter scent of medicine. There were no cold stone bricks of the dungeon, no vision filled with scarlet blood, and certainly not that sword that made one want to look away.

He turned over, somewhat bewildered, and saw Xie Xianqing sleeping on the couch.

Xie Xianqing’s long hair was usually tied over his left shoulder, hanging down neatly with his hair ribbon, looking crisp and sharp.

Right now, however, it was a mess. Half of the green hair ribbon was rolled into his sleeve, pressed under his arm, and a patch of white gauze was stuck to his forehead.

Shen Zhou watched for a moment, remembering that he seemed to have bumped into someone in the dungeon.

So it was Xie Xianqing.

deciding not to alert the enemy for now, he turned over again and mulled over what Chu Xuan had said. He realized that perhaps, maybe, possibly, he had been hidden away. Hidden in a place called Shuyu Peak.

This must be the place.

Healing pills weren’t elixirs of immortality, but he had enough strength to walk a little.

He got out of bed, slowly inspected the room, and then leaned in to examine Xie Xianqing.

He had just grabbed the edge of the low couch and hadn’t looked for more than a few seconds when Xie Xianqing woke up.

“Why are you out of bed?” He yawned, sitting up crookedly. Having gotten used to petting it before falling asleep—and since Shen Zhou was squatting in a convenient position—he subconsciously patted the pair of wolf ears. 

“Go back and lie down.”

Shen Zhou: “!”

He lost his balance and sat down hard on the floor.

“……?” Xie Xianqing thought he had violated some half-demon taboo. 

“Can’t touch?”

Shen Zhou certainly wouldn’t say “you can.”

But he didn’t say “you can’t” either.

The left wolf ear folded down and rested on the back of Xie Xianqing’s hand.

Xie Xianqing: “.”

Remembering the demonic energy that had been suppressed and faded away earlier, he suddenly realized that perhaps, maybe, possibly, this half-demon was indeed a bit special and quite worthy of observation and record.

…Definitely not because the ears were particularly soft.

“Don’t sit on the floor, and don’t run around. Go back and lie down properly. I don’t want to change your dressings again,” Xie Xianqing said.

“Did Chu Xuan tell you? You’ll be staying here with me for the time being.”

Shen Zhou remained silent. He glanced at him again, climbed up, and went back to lie down on the bed.

Xie Xianqing looked around the room, confirming nothing had been destroyed.

Suddenly, he heard Shen Zhou speak: “Staying here… to do what?”

“Heal, sleep, eat.” Xie Xianqing held up three fingers. 

“You are not allowed to break my medicine furnace, and you cannot steal medicinal ingredients. Also, don’t let anyone discover you, or I’ll be implicated too.”

The half-demon seemed to have no objections and burrowed under the covers.

“Also,” Xie Xianqing remembered something, “When Lu Buzhuo returns, you…”

“I won’t see him.” Shen Zhou poked his head out, his expression cold. 

“I won’t see Lu Buzhuo. Tell him to get lost.”

Xie Xianqing paused, then changed the subject. 

“I wanted to ask, do you still want that puppet? It won’t move anymore, it’s still lying at Small Hidden Peak. If you want it, I’ll make another trip.”

Making a puppet was extremely difficult. Shen Zhou hesitated for a moment before forcing out a dry word: “Yes.”

“Alright.” Xie Xianqing prepared to leave, but after a moment, he turned back. 

“Can I get a ‘thank you’? No other reason, just feel like today was pretty exhausting.”

Shen Zhou glanced at him, feeling awkward about being so close to someone from the Kunlun Ruins so suddenly. He didn’t speak.

However, his wolf ears folded down.

Xie Xianqing gave them two rubs and left, satisfied.

Chu Xuan was not at Small Hidden Peak.

A chaotic crowd from the Tianxuan Peak Elder Hall had come, and then chaotically took him back to Tianxuan Peak for treatment.

Firstly, it was convenient for verifying injuries. Secondly, for such ordinary injuries, there was no need to go to Shuyu Peak to request someone.

But now, the various elders of the Elder Hall didn’t care much about the Sect Leader’s injuries in the other room. They all surrounded Lu Buzhuo, expressions grave, whispering among themselves in low, chaotic voices.

“That demonic cultivator escaped, so the former Sect Leader’s words cannot be verified… What can be done about this?”

“Regardless, there must be an explanation for the events at Huangling Town. Let us invite the Punishment Sword.”

“But the Punishment Sword is cruel… Even if he survives it, his soul will likely be crippled. He would spend the rest of his life as insensible as grass or wood.”

“He is no longer the Sect Leader. Technically, he died nine years ago. Suddenly reappearing… who knows if there’s something wrong with him? That would be a good outcome.”

Lu Buzhuo seemed to hear nothing. Face pale, he sat leaning against the soft couch, eyes downcast, lost in thought.

After a moment, the whispering around him ceased.

The lead elder stepped forward and spoke sternly: “Lu Buzhuo, you say you indulged evil spirits to commit crimes, colluded with demonic cultivators in Bian City, stole the Filth Stone, and injured your fellow disciples. After being brought back to the Kunlun Ruins by the Sect Leader, you showed no repentance and summoned a demonic cultivator for a private meeting. You are truly the shame of Small Hidden Peak! According to sect rules, if the Sect Leader is unwilling to punish you out of brotherly affection, the Elder Hall may invite the Punishment Sword on its own accord to distinguish good from evil and rectify the sect’s ethos.”

“Lu Buzhuo, do you plead guilty?”

Lu Buzhuo lifted his eyes and looked around the circle. Seeming to finally confirm that Chu Xuan would not send Shen Zhou here, and that everything had settled into dust, he smiled.

“I plead guilty.”