Chapter 54: Come Out, This Venerable Will Properly Instruct You… Part 2

“So, what does Little Chuyun want to ask his uncle?” Fang Tianyuan chuckled.

Lin Chuyun looked at him expressionlessly, his tone calm and unruffled. “Does Shizun know Senior Bai Nanyi?”

Fang Tianyuan raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded quite crisply. “Of course I do.”

Lin Chuyun pressed his lips together and hesitated. “Was Senior Bai… once hunted and attacked?”

“Why is Little Chuyun asking about this?” Fang Tianyuan tossed his fishing rod aside. Without the spiritual pressure of a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator suppressing it, the previously empty pond slowly revealed a school of beautiful little red fish.

Lin Chuyun couldn’t quite articulate it. He just felt inexplicably concerned about this matter. “Because… this disciple once dreamed about it.”

Fang Tianyuan’s gaze rested on Lin Chuyun quietly for a long time. Then he nodded slightly. “That’s right. Bai Nanyi was once hunted in the Demon Realm. Someone accused him of betraying the previous Demon Lord and kidnapping the previous Demon Lord’s Young Master.”

“The pursuers eventually caught up with Bai Nanyi, but they couldn’t find the Young Master. Assuming Bai Nanyi had already killed the Young Master, they moved to execute him. Afterwards, Bai Nanyi was accidentally picked up by Feng Wu and brought back to Spirit Beast Peak.”

It was called an accident, but it was also inevitable. Because at that time, he had been searching for his junior sister in the Demon Realm. Feng Wu had accompanied him. Knowing Feng Wu’s nature, upon seeing a heavily injured demon beast, he would have definitely brought it back to heal.

“But…” Lin Chuyun recalled how protectively Bai Nanyi had treated him in the dream and couldn’t help but frown. “Uncle Bai would never hurt me.”

Fang Tianyuan instantly felt a pang of jealousy. He had to coax and trick just to get Little Chuyun to call him uncle. How could that stinky fox be called ‘Uncle’ by Little Chuyun so easily?

“Why call him Uncle? You’re a cat demon, he’s a fox demon. You’re not even the same race.” Fang Tianyuan complained.

Lin Chuyun, now accustomed to Fang Tianyuan’s occasionally erratic trains of thought, nodded along obligingly. Then he pressed on, “Who were the ones who injured Uncle Bai?”

“…From what I heard, they were people from the Fox Clan. But those people are all dead now anyway.” Fang Tianyuan tilted his head. “So, can you tell Uncle now why you’re suddenly asking about all this?”

Lin Chuyun bit his lip and explained everything: how he’d met Bai Nanyi, how he’d used the dream to recognize him, and how Bai Nanyi had left shortly afterwards.

Fang Tianyuan immediately seized on the crucial point and asked, full of resentment, “Why did Little Chuyun come to ask Uncle first, when it was the same night of dreams?”

“…This disciple merely felt that Shizun had just finished closed-door cultivation and must have many matters to attend to. I couldn’t bear to disturb you.” Lin Chuyun came up with a high-sounding excuse.

For a moment, Fang Tianyuan could find no retort. He could only grumble unhappily, “It’s obvious Little Chuyun doesn’t love his uncle anymore.”

“Does Shizun know what Uncle Bai went off to do?” Lin Chuyun steered the topic back once more.

Fang Tianyuan sighed. Looking at the persistently determined Lin Chuyun, he finally gave up on diverting the conversation. He spoke seriously, “Even if you, Little Chuyun, were to find out… what could you do about it?”

The question stunned Lin Chuyun. He hadn’t really known either. He just felt this matter was very important, that he had to understand it. But after knowing… Lin Chuyun thought blankly, he truly couldn’t think of anything.

“Your father was the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. His cultivation was no less than This Venerable’s. Your mother was a late Spirit Severing cultivator. Bai Nanyi was also originally a Grand Ascension Stage great demon. Yet in the end, two died and one was injured.” Fang Tianyuan looked at Lin Chuyun with a hint of helplessness. “Little Chuyun, right now you are merely a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. Even if you truly learned the truth… what could you do?”

Lin Chuyun’s hands, hanging at his sides, clenched into fists. He looked down at the spirit sword in his own hand. After a long while, he raised his head. He bowed towards Fang Tianyuan. “Disciple understands. Disciple… takes his leave now.”

Watching Lin Chuyun’s departing back, Fang Tianyuan closed his eyes and sighed softly.

“Shizun.” A figure stepped out from the side. Gu Jingshan looked at Fang Tianyuan, worry on his face. “Won’t you be punished by the Heavenly Dao for doing this?”

Fang Tianyuan pulled at the corner of his mouth and showed Gu Jingshan the wound on his palm. The wound was deep enough to see bone. Although it was slowly healing, the process was abnormally slow. Residual Heavenly Dao aura around the wound was hindering the healing.

Gu Jingshan frowned deeply. He took out a medicinal ointment and gently applied it around the wound. Yet this spirit medicine, which could supposedly bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh on white bones, only marginally quickened the healing speed.

Once the wound had finally closed completely, Gu Jingshan released Fang Tianyuan’s hand. “Shizun, why must you…”

Fang Tianyuan spoke, his voice laced with resignation. “What other choice is there?”

“To say nothing, and then watch Little Chuyun run off to the Demon Realm to be killed by someone?” Fang Tianyuan looked up at the sky and sighed again.

A few days prior, because he was worried about Bai Nanyi’s situation, he had performed a divination of the Heavenly Secrets. Yet what he calculated was that Lin Chuyun would die in the Demon Realm.

At first, Fang Tianyuan didn’t believe it. But he calculated several times, and always got the same result.

And today, Lin Chuyun had suddenly come to ask him about Bai Nanyi.

Fang Tianyuan didn’t know if Lin Chuyun was currently planning to go to the Demon Realm. But he would stop Lin Chuyun from going to the Demon Realm no matter what.

Even if… it meant that Lin Chuyun resented him for it.

…

Lin Chuyun returned to Spirit Cloud Peak and entered the bamboo hut without a word. Feng Xixing, who was practicing swordsmanship outside, saw his master’s unusual expression and quietly followed him. He then saw his Shizun sitting alone at the table, lost in thought.

“Shizun?” Feng Xixing called softly.

Lin Chuyun came back to his senses slightly, but didn’t turn his head. He responded with some dejection, “Disciple, you are also at the Nascent Soul Stage now.”

Feng Xixing didn’t understand why his Shizun would suddenly bring this up and answered hesitantly, “Mm.”

Lin Chuyun felt a bit depressed. When he first transmigrated, his little disciple had just been at the Early Golden Core Stage. Yet in the time since, the kid was already at the Early Nascent Soul Stage. Probably in a year at most, his little disciple’s realm would surpass his own.

Previously, because Lin Chuyun didn’t really care about his realm, his cultivation hadn’t been diligent. Especially after his demon core formed, thanks to the Illusory Form Pill allowing him five hours in human form per day, he’d even slowed his demon power cultivation.

But today, Fang Tianyuan’s words had jolted him awake.

Gritting his teeth, Lin Chuyun took out the Illusory Form Pills from his Storage Bag and handed them to Feng Xixing. Feng Xixing accepted them reflexively, then looked at Lin Chuyun with some confusion. “Shizun?”

“Keep these pills with you. Unless there’s an emergency, you are not permitted to give them to This Lord.” Lin Chuyun was truly going all out. “Before my demon power achieves Transformation, This Lord will not leave the house ever again!”

Feng Xixing was completely bewildered, not knowing what kind of stimulus his master had encountered outside to suddenly become so serious about cultivation.

Lin Chuyun wasn’t just speaking idly. From that day on, he indeed stopped taking Illusory Form Pills to go out, devoting himself entirely to cultivating demon power inside the bamboo hut.

Previously, the little black cat would sleep on the bed every night, and Feng Xixing would take the opportunity to hold the cat and sleep together with him. But now, the little black cat had been cultivating even at night for five consecutive days.

Without the little black cat to hold, Feng Xixing was finding it rather hard to get used to.

Finally, upon discovering the little black cat was trying to cultivate through the night once again, Feng Xixing took action. He scooped the cat from the bed into his arms, his tone carrying a touch of forcefulness. “Shizun must rest tonight.”

The little black cat struggled hard, his small paws scratching and clawing at Feng Xixing’s chest. “This Teacher must cultivate!”

“Shizun, cultivation cannot be achieved overnight.” Feng Xixing looked at the little black cat in his arms very seriously. “Shizun’s state of mind is currently unstable. If you continue cultivating like this, this disciple fears you may develop a Heart Devil.”

Upon hearing this, the little black cat’s struggles slowed significantly.

Seizing the opportunity, Feng Xixing quickly listed several examples – instances where overly anxious cultivation had led directly to Heart Devils. The little black cat was frightened by these tales and finally allowed himself to be obediently held in Feng Xixing’s arms.

But when the two lay down to rest, the little black cat stirred again. Feng Xixing thought he was trying to sneak out to cultivate and tightened his hold, coaxing, “Shizun, be good.”

The little black cat looked at Feng Xixing’s features, vividly close before his eyes. His ears twitched for a long time before finally staining with a few shades of red.

The warmth of his little disciple’s breath fell on his nose tip, slightly ticklish. The little black cat rubbed his nose, then twitched his whiskers. Finally, he carefully coiled himself into a tight ball and settled obediently against Feng Xixing’s chest.

Listening to the familiar heartbeat, the nerves that had been tense from days of cultivation slowly relaxed. Unknowingly, the little black cat drifted off to sleep.

Feng Xixing heard the soft, rhythmic breathing coming from his embrace and only then quietly opened his eyes. He looked at the little black cat and sighed deeply.

A few days ago, he had even specifically gone to ask Senior Brother Yang Yan advice on how to pursue someone he liked. Yet now his master was single-mindedly focused on cultivation, giving him no opportunity to make any moves at all.

He could only take advantage of his master’s obliviousness to secretly hug the little black cat a few more times.

Carefully moving the black cat to lie beside his cheek, feeling the cat’s warm body heat, Feng Xixing finally fell asleep, moderately content.

The little black cat vaguely sensed he had been moved, but the warmth on his fur was simply too comfortable. Too lazy to open his eyes, he burrowed left and right within the cozy spot, found a comfortable position, and slept on.

Man and cat fell asleep together like this.

However, not long after, a burst of icy spiritual pressure instantly jolted Feng Xixing awake. Reacting instantly, he shielded the little black cat with one arm, his other hand already gripping his spirit sword. “Who’s there?!”

In the darkness, Fang Tianyuan stood not far away, his spiritual pressure crashing down oppressively. A trace of blood seeped from the corner of Feng Xixing’s lips.

But just as Fang Tianyuan was about to increase the pressure, the little black cat sheltering under Feng Xixing’s hand let out a vague, sleepy cry: “Meow…”

The voice didn’t use the demon language; it just seemed like a disgruntled whine at being disturbed.

The spiritual pressure in the room dispersed in an instant. Fang Tianyuan carefully looked at the little black cat. Seeing the cat just flip over, hug his paws, and continue sleeping, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

Afraid of waking the little black cat, Fang Tianyuan could only unhappily sheathe his spirit sword, thinking to come back tomorrow to teach this kid a lesson. Then he watched, helplessly, as the little black cat’s tail stealthily coiled around Feng Xixing’s wrist – a motion so practiced it was clearly not the first or second time.

Fang Tianyuan gritted his teeth. In an instant, his spirit sword slid silently from its sheath again. His voice was ferocious but hushed. “Come out. This Venerable is going to properly instruct you!”