Chapter 29: I’m Not Leaving. QAQ Part 1

After finishing his simple breakfast, Zhao Lixuan continued heading north out of the city.

Jiang Chen trailed behind him like a lost soul, silently keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far—like a shadow that refused to fade.

“…Jiang Immortal Lord.”

Zhao Lixuan sighed and had no choice but to stop and turn around.

The crimson figure behind him halted as well, his long lashes lowered, remaining utterly silent.

“Jiang Immortal Lord, are you following me like this because you’re idle with nothing better to do?”

Still no response. Jiang Chen simply stood there stubbornly, letting the fierce morning wind whip at his robes, refusing to leave.

Zhao Lixuan could only ignore him and press on northward alone. Soon, he arrived at the Three Realms Gate of the Unstained Immortal Realm—the Azure Cloud Demon-Suppressing Pass.

Unlike the Demon Bright, there was no smooth path beneath Azure Cloud Pass. Instead, only a moat wound through the thin mist. The river water glowed faintly, quietly flowing toward the towering, majestic gate that pierced the clouds amid the hazy fog.

Vapors swirled in the air, and runes flowed across the gate, radiating a chilling immortal might.

“Jiang Immortal Lord, I’m heading to the Kanyun Terrace outside the Demon-Suppressing Pass for inspection duty.”

Zhao Lixuan turned, the words “Demon-Suppressing” carved on the stone before the pass gleaming brilliantly in the morning light.

“This is a key military stronghold of the Unstained Immortal Realm, heavily guarded—it’s meant to keep out the Demon Clan, but demon immortals and mortals aren’t allowed to approach without permission either. If you go any further, the pass guards might mistake you for a spy and take you down.”

The warning couldn’t have been clearer.

Jiang Chen lowered his ink-black eyes and finally stopped in his tracks.

Zhao Lixuan formed a hand seal, and soon a delicate wooden raft drifted leisurely from the misty river and sea of clouds. He leaped aboard and was about to channel his spiritual power when a low, hoarse voice came from behind: “I’ll wait for you.”

The words were spoken so softly, yet they sent a chill down Zhao Lixuan’s spine.

His uneasy intuition grew heavier, like slimy vines coiling around his heart.

He truly didn’t understand what Jiang Chen wanted, and he desperately hoped he was overthinking it—

Right now, he would rather Jiang Immortal Lord treated him with the same cold barbs and indifference as when they’d first reunited. Even if it meant lingering resentment, it was better than this persistent entanglement today.

He didn’t want to dwell on it; the absurdity made him want to run.

“No need.”

“No need to wait, Jiang Immortal Lord.”

“Just as I said before—may your immortal path be smooth, your road ahead forever spring. Head back to the human realm soon… take care.”

With that, he’d said his piece.

There shouldn’t be any more entanglements between them anyway. He trusted Jiang Chen understood. He only hoped that when he returned from the Kanyun Terrace in a few days, he’d hear that the Sword-Wielding Immortal Lord had already returned to the human realm.

The wooden raft slowly sailed toward the realm gate, soon vanishing into the clouds and mist.

Zhao Lixuan glanced back one last time. Jiang Chen still stood in place, his brilliant crimson robes striking against the vast heavens and earth, yet he appeared utterly forlorn.

…

As the Three Realms Gate, Azure Cloud Pass bustled with human immortals coming and going during the day.

A strikingly handsome crimson-robed immortal lord standing lost and dejected alone before the pass naturally drew many sidelong glances.

Even a kind-hearted immortal lord pulled up his carriage: “Fellow Daoist, are you heading to the human realm? Need us to give you a ride?”

Jiang Chen pressed his thin lips together and slowly shook his head.

Before long, another immortal lord arrived in a rush—a triangular-eyed fellow with little tiger teeth, arms laden with packages. He carried steaming hot scallion sesame cakes, pepper-salt walnut crisps, sausage layered buns, and crispy fried cat’s ear pastries. Grinning broadly like he was greeting an old friend:

“Heh heh, yeah! My little Li Xuan baby is on inspection today, so I got up extra early and bought out the first batch of pastries from Jinli Town!”

He munched away with smacking sounds, his gaze casually sweeping the roadside, when suddenly: “Eh, aren’t you… Jiang… Jiang Chen Immortal Lord?”

“You’re the Sword-Wielding Jiang Immortal Lord from Liao Yuan Court, right? I thought after Moon Hunt ended, all you immortal lords had returned to the human realm. Didn’t expect you’d still be up here!

“Aiya, how come you came to our Azure Cloud Pass without letting us know ahead of time? Look at this mess…”

Azure Cloud Pass Deputy General Yin Canshang flustered about in a panic.

After all, this was a famous immortal lord from Liao Yuan Court visiting, and he’d failed to receive him properly. But with Li Xuan on inspection today, he had to accompany him the whole time—truly stretched thin.

Aiya, what to do.

“Jiang Immortal Lord, here—take this!”

Helplessly, he fumbled around in his robes and pulled out a golden token.

“Jinli Town by Azure Cloud Pass is under my jurisdiction too! Take this to the best inn in town, Wangxian Tower—they’ve got top-notch food and lodging. I’ll definitely come visit these next couple days, promise!”

…

In these twenty years, Zhao Lixuan had actually accomplished a great deal.

Now, he stood on the Kanyun Terrace outside Azure Cloud Gate, overlooking the massive spiritual hub sand waterfall below—the “Wall of Returning Dust,” constructed from billions of spiritual sands, slowly rotating in a profound trajectory.

This was the Demon-Devouring Heavenly Moat he had devoted himself to overseeing here for nearly twenty years.

Any demon daring to cross this place—whether sneaking spies or invading armies—would be swept up by the billions of spiritual sands, ground down relentlessly until every trace of demonic energy dispersed, reduced to mundane dust.

Raising his eyes further, a shadowy Taixu Mountain hovered above the Wall of Returning Dust. At its base was engraved a massive formation spanning the heavens and earth, like a blade suspended in the firmament.

This “Taixu Heavenly Smiting” could draw upon all the spiritual veins of the Unstained Immortal Realm to unleash Taixu Divine Thunder at the Rift Abyss entrance—thunder capable of shattering the heavens, utterly severing the Three Realms forever.

It was the ultimate deterrent born from the revelation of his brother Zhao Lanze’s death and the later severing of spiritual veins in the Demon Bright.

Though it came at the cost of eternally isolating the Three Realms, it remained a final safeguard for their protection.

Above the Taixu Heavenly Smiting sprawled the Nine Heavens Star Web, three hundred sixty patrolling star hubs weaving a brilliant stellar net to shield the grand formation from interference. This reality-reversing last resort could only be activated by him and Xia Yunjie. Zhao Lixuan prayed it would never see use.

Of course, the defensive system he’d built over twenty full years of construction went far beyond this.

There was also the “Flowing Cloud Lotus Terrace” that circulated daily to empower the Sealing Demon Great Seal, as well as the still-testing “Three Realms Heaven-Balancing Instrument” to maintain equilibrium among the Three Realms’ spiritual veins…

Zhao Lixuan was seriously inspecting the various fortifications when someone suddenly hugged him from behind.

“Heh heh heh, little Li Xuan, I’ve missed you so much!”

It was none other than Yin Canshang. This senior brother had always been bold and boisterous since childhood, but after the Demon Clan upheaval twenty years ago, he’d been stationed to guard Azure Cloud Pass. He was diligent and dutiful on the job, rarely returning to Fu Xi Palace.

“Is everyone doing okay? Still the same as always? Any juicy news?”

Yin Canshang asked rapid-fire, then lowered his voice: “What about Rumu? Is Rumu doing well too?”

Back in the day, Yin Canshang had always been closest with Yu Rumu.

Then A’Tu came along.

It was only two years ago that Zhao Lixuan learned the truth: Senior Brother Yin had also fallen for that girl A’Tu back then.

Unfortunately, with his quirky personality, he’d pined for her but twisted in hesitation, too shy to confess—and grown jealous that A’Tu only had eyes for Yu Rumu.

In the end, his hopeless love turned into daily nitpicking.

He was always stirring trouble, badmouthing A’Tu’s unclear origins, digging into her background everywhere, and constantly whining to Lu Ziyuan. He’d made A’Tu cry repeatedly, put Yu Rumu in a tough spot, and even caused their once-close friendship to devolve into constant fights—until they stopped speaking altogether.

Who could have guessed that Yin Canshang’s malicious suspicions would prove prophetically true!

Later, he discovered he’d actually been repeatedly sabotaged by A’Tu during that time.

Traps, clubs to the head, poison, arson—the works—and yet he’d miraculously survived them all. Truly a case of fate refusing to let him die.

…

Though Yin Canshang was clueless about social graces, he had a natural genius for construction from a young age.

With his straightforward, optimistic nature, he made friends easily. When Zhao Lixuan petitioned to build the Kanyun Terrace, he’d been transferred here too.

Day-to-day, he held the pass with his masterful immortal arts and oversaw repairs and maintenance of the fortifications. He’d done splendid work over the twenty years.

Now, the two sat on the Kanyun Terrace, gazing out at their twenty years of achievements while sipping tea and munching pastries with satisfying crunches.

It was thoroughly relaxed and carefree.

Until a moment later, when Yin Canshang brushed crumbs from his fingers and suddenly said: “Oh yeah, speaking of which, I spotted Liao Yuan Court’s Jiang Immortal Lord outside Azure Cloud Pass this morning.”

“You know, last time I saw him on business in the human realm was over a decade ago. Still as handsome as ever, but just as unapproachable and broodingly vengeful-looking. Wonder what brings him to this remote spot?”

“Oh, I heard you two were partners for this Moon Hunt. He didn’t come all the way here just for you, did he?”

Zhao Lixuan: “…”

“He really came for you? What’s the deal? Did you offend him? Owe him money?”

Zhao Lixuan: “…………”

A few days later, Yin Canshang frowned miserably: “How many days has it been now? Why hasn’t that Jiang Immortal Lord left yet?”

Zhao Lixuan’s heart sank.

At least four or five days, and he still hadn’t returned to the human realm?

Yin Canshang sighed: “It’s not like I can do much—it’s my turf, but still. I even went out specially last night to check. Sigh, he looked so haggard and worn out… But no matter how I tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t budge. I arranged an inn for him, but he refused to stay—just insisted on waiting under a tree.”