Thunderclouds rolled over.
Jiang Zheliu could not see, so he could only rely on feeling and smell, he could feel that Wen Renye was standing before him.
And the moment he appeared, all the noise around seemed to have stopped. He heard the subtle, distinct sound of water droplets flowing and falling drop by drop.
Jiang Zheliu instinctively felt that something was wrong.
The smell of sweet fresh blood spread out in all directions.
Wen Renye was standing directly in front of Jiang Zheliu. His devil’s body looked even more ferocious than it did previously. The body was covered with hard and hideous blood-colored armour made from bone, the barbs growing out of his bone joints had not yet retracted and his entire body was covered by a devil’s seal markings. Devil energy was continually rotating around his entire body, his bone armour was emitting hot blood, which was dripping off the sharp edges of the armour.
From where Chang Qian and the others were standing, they could only see the rear view of this hideous and somewhat horrible sight.
However, Lie Zhen was facing Wen Renye head on, he was faced with a pair of dark purple eyes, as well as the other’s half covered face that had been covered by blood-coloured bone armour.
The pair of purple horns on his head were covered with patterns, the top of the horns seemed to have been wounded before as if they had suffered through an indescribable battle. The surface of his two horns had cracked, which revealed a reddish colour that was like lava between the cracks.
It was utterly quiet, even the sound of breathing seemed anxious.
Wen Renye was holding a long black knife, the blade was stained with dry blood that seemed to be a rust-like dark red. The murderous aura on his body has not faded, and there is a sense of violence and cruelty that is thick to the extreme.
Merely standing before him in this way, Lie Zhen already felt his hair stand up on end. The feeling was not much different from when he had crossed swords with Jiang Zheliu back then, perhaps the feeling was even more serious.
Jiang Zheeliu’s nature had always been ice-cold and introverted, but even if he was strong back then, he never exhibited this kind of killing intent that seemed to directly crush Lie Zhen’s chest. Whilst Wen Renye was exhibiting frightful devilish energy, when he was looking at Lie Zhen, it was like he was looking at the animal to be slaughtered.
It wasn’t just Lie Zhen, even the four kids who were pressed against the doorframe also felt this crushing feeling. Ah-Chu reached out to cover over Chang Qian’s eyes, tensely swallowing, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Jiang Zheliu felt that something wasn’t quite right this time, he was fiddling with his handwarmer when he said：“Wen Renye……”
Instead he was met with the sound of a few footsteps which abruptly stopped and started.
Wen Renye didn’t speak.
In the next moment, a strong and very impactful devilish energy surged from all around and poured violently into the water. Lie Zhen was sucked into the bottom of the lake by this devilish energy, the entire lake began to vibrate.
If possible, the flames of the vermilion bird could evaporate this lake. But he was tightly bound by the devilish energy sent by Wen Renye, and in a brief moment of deadlock unfolded his crimson wings and wrapped himself abruptly with them.
The more Jiang Zheliu listened to this the more he thought that the situation was getting serious，but it wasn’t because of his good friend who thought too much, but because of Wen Renye’s reaction just now.
The phoenix feathers fell and withered, the Vermilion Bird floated up from the lake, opening up his crimson wings. In the next instant, the billowing devilish energy wrapped up the vermilion bird, and then Wen Renye grabbed the bird by the neck.
The palm of his hand was scalding hot.
But the devil in front of him did not even blink, the pitch-black knife travelled across the air, inch by inch, and then stabbed into the shoulder blade of the vermilion bird, shattering his hollow bones.
Jiang Zheliu could smell burning.
He was feeling a little worried, he groped around with his hand behind Wen Renye，until he finally felt Wen Renye’s black cloak. He gripped the outer cloak and gave it a tug，he frowned and said：“Little monster？What are you doing?”
Wen Renye relaxed his hand, his purple eyes deepened in colour, he remembered that Jiang Zheliu did not permit him to kill this bird, the black blade in his hand also paused.
And it was in this moment that Lie Zhen was able to break free from the clutches of the devilish energy, after having a large chunk of his wing sliced off by the black blade, he escaped from Wen Renye’s clutches in a blink of an eye.
A splendid fiery red re-painted the clouds once more.
The palm of Wen Renye’s hand had been scalded by the heat from the Vermilion Bird，there was a smell of burnt flesh and the hot blood was dripping drop by drop onto the ground.
He turned around and looked at Jiang Zheliu who had still lost his sight, the blood-red armour made from bone 一一 was retracted, his devil horns disappeared and he changed back into his usual human form.
However, the smell of his fresh blood was too intense, there was no way to cover it up. Wen Renye didn’t want to dirty him, the hand that was previously holding the blade went to hold the other’s hand. He said quietly: “I got rid of him.”
He almost killed him.
Jiang Zheliu could smell the blood on the other’s body, he hadn’t had a chance to ask about it when he was already scooped up by the other.
Wen Renye held him with much care, even the smell of blood on his body was slowly vanishing. Jiang Zheliu grabbed his collar, whilst Wen Renye carried him back into his room，and put him on the edge of the bed.
“……You haven’t finished up in the Devil Realm.” Jiang Zheliu said, “Your energy doesn’t seem regulated. Were you guys……fighting in the Xuan Tongju Gate?”
He had indeed been fighting but he had been fighting alone.
Although the giant python creature was not particularly intelligent, it was terribly strong, which was one of the reasons why his father had given up the resurrection stone back then. In fact, the spiritual beasts who guarded all the treasures were all extremely powerful, so even the devils had to unite to encircle and annihilate in full strength.
Just three quarters of an hour ago, in the second Xuan Tongju Gate where ten miles of flowers had flourished, split to form a gorge, creating a ditch straight into the ground of more than 700 zhang deep1.
The beastly skull of the python was beheaded by Wen Renye under his sword, and its corrosive blood splattered all over the bone armour covering his body.
Wen Renye did not reply, instead, he took out a pendant from inside of his robes near his heart. The string used to thread the stone was a simple braided string，the quality of the material was unknown，and the resurrection stone that was set in the centre was a milky colour with wisps of blue floating outwards，stirring with vitality，becoming clearer with the air.
He leaned down and put the resurrection stone on the neck of Jiang Zheliu.
The loop at the back of the knot was somewhat difficult to fasten, and the scent of Wen Renye as he leant past Jiang Zheliu’s ears kept spreading, settling, and surging in …… just like warm spring water.
Jiang Zheliu almost immediately felt a breath of rich vitality fused with his physique, he raised his hand and touched the resurrection stone dangling below his collarbone, and already guessed what had happened. He raised his hand and suddenly took hold of Wen Renye’s wrist.
Jiang Zheliu could not see, so in this moment he frowned, whilst half groping upwards, touching the wound on the other’s arm where the blood had already clotted.
His heart felt a bit uncomfortable, coupled with hidden bursts of pain, but this was not visible on his face at all, so he just continued to grope upward.
On the other’s arm, there were countless wounds and injuries. There were some wounds which had just stopped bleeding, some that had almost healed. Even with the healing qualities of a devil’s body, it was impossible that the injuries did not hurt.
Wen Renye momentarily failed to understand what he was doing, and had let Jiang Zheliu feel his way all the way up to his neck. Those not-so-decent thoughts were stirred up by his beloved, Wen Renye felt that he could not allow the other to continue, he held on to the other’s hand and leaned closer to him, “What’s wrong?”
“Are you hurt?”
It was a question that didn’t require an answer. Jiang Zheliu had almost explored the wounds on his body, his expression was getting more and more severe, and finally he retracted his hand, in his heart it was like a furnace that was constantly boiling over.
He suppressed the boiling heat in his heart and said faintly, “Devil Lord, why do you have to risk your life just for me.”
Wen Renye just from hearing how the other had addressed him began to feel that something was not quite right, he slowly said: “The Devil Realm was already opening the Xuan Tongju Gate, I just did this in passing……”
“You’re lying.”
His words stopped abruptly.
Jiang Zheliu took a deep breath and wondered why he was getting so angry, even the hand warmer in his palm felt in the way, he put the hand warmer to the side and said in a light tone, “If a half-step Golden Immortal Devil can be injured during an official attack on the Xuan Tongju Gate, the Devil race really cannot afford to say that they are brave and unmatched.”
He raised his hand, untied the pendant from his neck and put it in Wen Renye’s hand, “I don’t want it.”
Wen Renye was stunned for a moment, looking at the other’s pale, colorless lips, he would never have thought that this would have happened. He subconsciously squeezed the other’s hand, but forgot that his own hand had been burned by the flames of the vermilion bird just before.
Jiang Zheliu didn’t move, and instead squeezed back the other’s hand, he was extremely familiar with this kind of vermilion bird burn. He resisted for a long time, before slowly letting out a deep breath, and said: “I do not want you to get injured for me, not even a little bit.”
“Zheliu.” Wen Renye said，“It’s not a big deal, my recovery ability is very strong. By the time your eyes have recovered, I’ll definitely be healed, I will not let you see……”
“Wen Renye.”
Jiang Zheliu interrupted him, his tone becoming even colder.
“Just because I don’t see it, does that mean it didn’t happen? You hid this kind of thing from me to go and grab this thing, and you even lied to me that you didn’t get injured, Devil Lord, I really hate you suffering2 in the name of your own wishful thinking.”
Wen Renye stood up, his hand was still clutching the ice cold pendant, he looked at Jiang Zheliu for a moment, the burns on his palm and the temperature of the resurrection stone mixed together.
“Suffering in the name of my own wishful thinking?” He repeated in a low voice, he was also starting to feel his rage bubbling up inside.
“How many times do you want me to say that whatever I do for you, I do it because I want to do it. I don’t think it’s suffering, I think that you –”
He couldn’t finish his sentence for a moment, he paced back and forth beside the other before he said with full agitation and anger: “You simply don’t dare to accept other people’s kindness, you don’t even want to accept me!”
His words were really a bit childish, but it was the most serious sentence he had said to Jiang Zheliu. Wen Renye was infuriated by this rejection and spun around again in front of him before he slapped the pendant down on the table.
“Jiang Zheliu, Why don’t you want this? I have already said, I will soon recover from my injuries. I’ve already retrieved it now, can’t you just listen to me!”
He was angry, Jiang Zheliu was even angrier than him, but the latter exhibited little expression, so on the surface it was also not visible. Jiang Zheliu was still blindfolded with the long silk, he untied the cloak on his shoulders, wearing only thin robes he sat on top of the soft bed, he took in a slow breath, before calmly saying: “You treat me well, I can accept that. But I don’t agree with you treating me well without measure. I’m not used to being cared for in this way, and I don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
“Are you out of your f*cking mind?” The little devil lord was so angry that he wanted to smash the table. He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Jiang Zheliu, closed his eyes and neutralized his tone before continuing, “Only if I act this way, will you have the chance to get used to it. It’s not up to you to decide whether you deserve it or not, it’s up to me.”
Jiang Zheliu looked up towards the direction of the sound of the other’s voice. He stayed silent for a long time, and then said: “I am afraid you …… you ……”
He wanted to say, I’m afraid you will sink too far, go off the deep end, afraid that you will be subject to challenge and criticism from the Devil Realm, afraid that today you will have a body full of wounds, but tomorrow you will turn into the enemy of the entire world. In spite of myself, when it comes to it, I’m afraid that you cannot let go of me.
But in the end he didn’t say a word.
He knew that he was in the centre of the vortex coveted by all, he just wanted to find an earlier way to absolve himself. He did not have to worry about it now he did as he hoped that the days and months could be prolonged so that he could accompany him longer.
Wen Renye did not have any propriety, but he did, the other party was just not aware, but he knew.
Jiang Zheliu had seen from the subtle roots that he was showing signs of harming the other’s life.
Jiang Zheliu sighed and whispered, “You should not do this kind of thing again, it’s not worth it.”
His hand was clutched, the other’s eyes were stirring and crazed to the point of obsession.
“Who are you to say such things to me again.” Wen Renye was about to get angry with him, he didn’t even dare to raise his voice to Jiang Zheliu, “Worthy or not, it is upto me to decide. You just need to accept it. I said that I’d treat you well, so I will treat you well for the rest of my life……”
Before the words had left his mouth, that ice-cold hand between his palms had been gently retracted.
Jiang Zheliu did not listen to him further, he backed up a bit inside the bed, lying with his back to him, as if he was not going to say anything else.
Wen Renye really did not understand why Jiang Zheliu was so angry that he had been injured but this person could not be forced, he could only sit on the chair next to the bed his entire body emanating with coldness, with a gloomy look on his face as he stared at the table where the resurrection stone lay.
After another small moment, just when Wen Renye thought Jiang Zheliu was asleep, he suddenly heard the other’s voice very softly say.
“…… Burns from the flames of the Vermilion bird need to be treated with an ice compress of glazed glass powder, don’t forget that.”
The little devil didn’t answer, and only after a moment did he answer with a huff and then turned around and left.
The beaded curtain had been crashed into, making a crunching and crashing sound of the beads, just like the strumming of the heartstrings.
————
The atmosphere in Dan Xin Monastery has been a bit off lately.
It wasn’t only Yu Jinnian that thought so, even the two ginseng children could also feel it. Usually the Devil Lord was fearful of even holding Xianzun’s hand for fear of breaking it, afraid of putting him in his mouth for fear of him melting3, but the last two days, these two people had not exchanged so much as a word.
Even Ah-Chu and Chang Qian also felt like this, their living environment had become even more precarious, and the atmosphere in the whole room was stagnant and frightening.
But Jiang Zheliu’s attitude was not very obvious, he was still quietly drinking tea and medicine, occasionally carrying his beloved small chair out to sit in the sun.
…… Although the fish in that lake were now avoiding him.
Even though Chang Qian had his eyes covered Ah-Chu that day, he was actually the one who knew the most about Wen Renye in the entire Dan Xin Monastery. That day when he saw his little uncle in full bone armour, with devil horns out, Chang Qian had been stunned, he instantly knew that his little uncle had gone to battle in Xuan Tongju Gate.
It was only after a powerful battle at the Xuan Tongju Gate that could cause a half-step Golden Immortal to be injured to this extent. And the usual devils who went to battle at the gates were usually assisted by formations and even had more help from other clans, so even if there was a powerful creature inside the Gates, it could still be killed without the devils being harmed.
No creature could fight his little uncle to this extent if there was the assistance of the rest of the Devil race, there could only —- one possibility, which was that his little uncle had gone alone without assistance.
This suspicion was confirmed the moment Chang Qian saw the resurrection stone.
Lying on the table was the milky white pendant with glittering blue wisps that was emitting a strong energy of vitality. Chang Qian suspected that if it was left for two more days there, this wooden table was going to start sprouting. Such a vibrant supreme treasure was just casually discarded on the table, as if no one needed it.
Chang Qian did not dare to say anything, nor did he dare to ask, he could only go to the edge of the bed as usual and ask gege to get up and drink the medicine.
Jiang Zheliu’s body emitted a faint bitter smell from all the medicine he had been drinking. He slept longer and longer, but still felt very sleepy. He sat up slowly, before taking the medicine bowl.
The little devil just sat by the window and stared at him, not saying a word.
Jiang Zheliu’s eyes still could not see, he was about to get used to this darkness, thinking that it was no big deal, except that the bowl of medicine was too bitter, he drank it starting and stopping, whilst frowning the whole time.
…… He had been spoiled before, previously he did not even feel the bitterness, he’d just drink the medicine down as if it was water.
Jiang Zheliu slowly sighed and drank the remaining half of the bowl. His brain buzzed from the pain, and before the bitter taste completely dissipated, he was suddenly stuffed with a mouthful of candied fruit.
It was a fruit cured with honey. It seemed to be a speciality from the Devil Realm, it was sour and sweet, sour at first, then slowly getting sweeter.
Jiang Zheliu sucked on the candied fruit to dispel the bitterness, he thought that the aftertaste of this stuff was too sweet, he had just swallowed to speak, but he felt a slight gust of wind as if the other had already left.
Chang Qian turned his head to peek at his little uncle who was sitting back at the window, and then he heard the voice of Jiang Zheliu.
“……Xiao Chang, pass me my tea.” Jiang Zheliu’s tongue tingled slightly, “It’s so sweet, it’s salty.”
Wen Renye：“……”
Why does this person have so many issues! I’ll bring him a different kind of candy next time!
Chang Qian nodded in accordance with his words, from the table he poured a cup out from the teapot, but the temperature in the porcelain cup was a little low, and cold tea would be even more bitter.
Jiang Zheliu could even drink the bitter medicine, so naturally he would not care about this problem. He took the porcelain cup and held it in his hand before taking a sip, and then it was taken away again.
After a few breaths, the tea cup that became warm again was stuffed back into his hand, and the temperature of the tea was even the perfect temperature.
Jiang Zheliu had just thanked him when he heard the anxious and tense voice of Wen Renye.
“Demonic energy.”
Jiang Zheliu：“……”
……Demonic energy? Is he talking about me?
He took a sip, and then took another sip, but he couldn’t resist any longer and finally asked Chang Qian very quietly: “What does he mean by that?”
Chang Qian looked at his little uncle who was trying to suppress his anger, and then over to the fragile and exquisite grand beauty in front of him, he didn’t not know what to say to this life-saving question, so after thinking about it for a long time he finally said: “The meaning is……he likes you.”
Thunderclouds rolled over.
Jiang Zheliu could not see, so he could only rely on feeling and smell, he could feel that Wen Renye was standing before him.
And the moment he appeared, all the noise around seemed to have stopped. He heard the subtle, distinct sound of water droplets flowing and falling drop by drop.
Jiang Zheliu instinctively felt that something was wrong.
The smell of sweet fresh blood spread out in all directions.
Wen Renye was standing directly in front of Jiang Zheliu. His devil’s body looked even more ferocious than it did previously. The body was covered with hard and hideous blood-colored armour made from bone, the barbs growing out of his bone joints had not yet retracted and his entire body was covered by a devil’s seal markings. Devil energy was continually rotating around his entire body, his bone armour was emitting hot blood, which was dripping off the sharp edges of the armour.
From where Chang Qian and the others were standing, they could only see the rear view of this hideous and somewhat horrible sight.
However, Lie Zhen was facing Wen Renye head on, he was faced with a pair of dark purple eyes, as well as the other’s half covered face that had been covered by blood-coloured bone armour.
The pair of purple horns on his head were covered with patterns, the top of the horns seemed to have been wounded before as if they had suffered through an indescribable battle. The surface of his two horns had cracked, which revealed a reddish colour that was like lava between the cracks.
It was utterly quiet, even the sound of breathing seemed anxious.
Wen Renye was holding a long black knife, the blade was stained with dry blood that seemed to be a rust-like dark red. The murderous aura on his body has not faded, and there is a sense of violence and cruelty that is thick to the extreme.
Merely standing before him in this way, Lie Zhen already felt his hair stand up on end. The feeling was not much different from when he had crossed swords with Jiang Zheliu back then, perhaps the feeling was even more serious.
Jiang Zheeliu’s nature had always been ice-cold and introverted, but even if he was strong back then, he never exhibited this kind of killing intent that seemed to directly crush Lie Zhen’s chest. Whilst Wen Renye was exhibiting frightful devilish energy, when he was looking at Lie Zhen, it was like he was looking at the animal to be slaughtered.
It wasn’t just Lie Zhen, even the four kids who were pressed against the doorframe also felt this crushing feeling. Ah-Chu reached out to cover over Chang Qian’s eyes, tensely swallowing, afraid to even breathe too loudly.
Jiang Zheliu felt that something wasn’t quite right this time, he was fiddling with his handwarmer when he said：“Wen Renye……”
Instead he was met with the sound of a few footsteps which abruptly stopped and started.
Wen Renye didn’t speak.
In the next moment, a strong and very impactful devilish energy surged from all around and poured violently into the water. Lie Zhen was sucked into the bottom of the lake by this devilish energy, the entire lake began to vibrate.
If possible, the flames of the vermilion bird could evaporate this lake. But he was tightly bound by the devilish energy sent by Wen Renye, and in a brief moment of deadlock unfolded his crimson wings and wrapped himself abruptly with them.
The more Jiang Zheliu listened to this the more he thought that the situation was getting serious，but it wasn’t because of his good friend who thought too much, but because of Wen Renye’s reaction just now.
The phoenix feathers fell and withered, the Vermilion Bird floated up from the lake, opening up his crimson wings. In the next instant, the billowing devilish energy wrapped up the vermilion bird, and then Wen Renye grabbed the bird by the neck.
The palm of his hand was scalding hot.
But the devil in front of him did not even blink, the pitch-black knife travelled across the air, inch by inch, and then stabbed into the shoulder blade of the vermilion bird, shattering his hollow bones.
Jiang Zheliu could smell burning.
He was feeling a little worried, he groped around with his hand behind Wen Renye，until he finally felt Wen Renye’s black cloak. He gripped the outer cloak and gave it a tug，he frowned and said：“Little monster？What are you doing?”
Wen Renye relaxed his hand, his purple eyes deepened in colour, he remembered that Jiang Zheliu did not permit him to kill this bird, the black blade in his hand also paused.
And it was in this moment that Lie Zhen was able to break free from the clutches of the devilish energy, after having a large chunk of his wing sliced off by the black blade, he escaped from Wen Renye’s clutches in a blink of an eye.
A splendid fiery red re-painted the clouds once more.
The palm of Wen Renye’s hand had been scalded by the heat from the Vermilion Bird，there was a smell of burnt flesh and the hot blood was dripping drop by drop onto the ground.
He turned around and looked at Jiang Zheliu who had still lost his sight, the blood-red armour made from bone 一一 was retracted, his devil horns disappeared and he changed back into his usual human form.
However, the smell of his fresh blood was too intense, there was no way to cover it up. Wen Renye didn’t want to dirty him, the hand that was previously holding the blade went to hold the other’s hand. He said quietly: “I got rid of him.”
He almost killed him.
Jiang Zheliu could smell the blood on the other’s body, he hadn’t had a chance to ask about it when he was already scooped up by the other.
Wen Renye held him with much care, even the smell of blood on his body was slowly vanishing. Jiang Zheliu grabbed his collar, whilst Wen Renye carried him back into his room，and put him on the edge of the bed.
“……You haven’t finished up in the Devil Realm.” Jiang Zheliu said, “Your energy doesn’t seem regulated. Were you guys……fighting in the Xuan Tongju Gate?”
He had indeed been fighting but he had been fighting alone.
Although the giant python creature was not particularly intelligent, it was terribly strong, which was one of the reasons why his father had given up the resurrection stone back then. In fact, the spiritual beasts who guarded all the treasures were all extremely powerful, so even the devils had to unite to encircle and annihilate in full strength.
Just three quarters of an hour ago, in the second Xuan Tongju Gate where ten miles of flowers had flourished, split to form a gorge, creating a ditch straight into the ground of more than 700 zhang deep1.
The beastly skull of the python was beheaded by Wen Renye under his sword, and its corrosive blood splattered all over the bone armour covering his body.
Wen Renye did not reply, instead, he took out a pendant from inside of his robes near his heart. The string used to thread the stone was a simple braided string，the quality of the material was unknown，and the resurrection stone that was set in the centre was a milky colour with wisps of blue floating outwards，stirring with vitality，becoming clearer with the air.
He leaned down and put the resurrection stone on the neck of Jiang Zheliu.
The loop at the back of the knot was somewhat difficult to fasten, and the scent of Wen Renye as he leant past Jiang Zheliu’s ears kept spreading, settling, and surging in …… just like warm spring water.
Jiang Zheliu almost immediately felt a breath of rich vitality fused with his physique, he raised his hand and touched the resurrection stone dangling below his collarbone, and already guessed what had happened. He raised his hand and suddenly took hold of Wen Renye’s wrist.
Jiang Zheliu could not see, so in this moment he frowned, whilst half groping upwards, touching the wound on the other’s arm where the blood had already clotted.
His heart felt a bit uncomfortable, coupled with hidden bursts of pain, but this was not visible on his face at all, so he just continued to grope upward.
On the other’s arm, there were countless wounds and injuries. There were some wounds which had just stopped bleeding, some that had almost healed. Even with the healing qualities of a devil’s body, it was impossible that the injuries did not hurt.
Wen Renye momentarily failed to understand what he was doing, and had let Jiang Zheliu feel his way all the way up to his neck. Those not-so-decent thoughts were stirred up by his beloved, Wen Renye felt that he could not allow the other to continue, he held on to the other’s hand and leaned closer to him, “What’s wrong?”
“Are you hurt?”
It was a question that didn’t require an answer. Jiang Zheliu had almost explored the wounds on his body, his expression was getting more and more severe, and finally he retracted his hand, in his heart it was like a furnace that was constantly boiling over.
He suppressed the boiling heat in his heart and said faintly, “Devil Lord, why do you have to risk your life just for me.”
Wen Renye just from hearing how the other had addressed him began to feel that something was not quite right, he slowly said: “The Devil Realm was already opening the Xuan Tongju Gate, I just did this in passing……”
“You’re lying.”
His words stopped abruptly.
Jiang Zheliu took a deep breath and wondered why he was getting so angry, even the hand warmer in his palm felt in the way, he put the hand warmer to the side and said in a light tone, “If a half-step Golden Immortal Devil can be injured during an official attack on the Xuan Tongju Gate, the Devil race really cannot afford to say that they are brave and unmatched.”
He raised his hand, untied the pendant from his neck and put it in Wen Renye’s hand, “I don’t want it.”
Wen Renye was stunned for a moment, looking at the other’s pale, colorless lips, he would never have thought that this would have happened. He subconsciously squeezed the other’s hand, but forgot that his own hand had been burned by the flames of the vermilion bird just before.
Jiang Zheliu didn’t move, and instead squeezed back the other’s hand, he was extremely familiar with this kind of vermilion bird burn. He resisted for a long time, before slowly letting out a deep breath, and said: “I do not want you to get injured for me, not even a little bit.”
“Zheliu.” Wen Renye said，“It’s not a big deal, my recovery ability is very strong. By the time your eyes have recovered, I’ll definitely be healed, I will not let you see……”
“Wen Renye.”
Jiang Zheliu interrupted him, his tone becoming even colder.
“Just because I don’t see it, does that mean it didn’t happen? You hid this kind of thing from me to go and grab this thing, and you even lied to me that you didn’t get injured, Devil Lord, I really hate you suffering2 in the name of your own wishful thinking.”
Wen Renye stood up, his hand was still clutching the ice cold pendant, he looked at Jiang Zheliu for a moment, the burns on his palm and the temperature of the resurrection stone mixed together.
“Suffering in the name of my own wishful thinking?” He repeated in a low voice, he was also starting to feel his rage bubbling up inside.
“How many times do you want me to say that whatever I do for you, I do it because I want to do it. I don’t think it’s suffering, I think that you –”
He couldn’t finish his sentence for a moment, he paced back and forth beside the other before he said with full agitation and anger: “You simply don’t dare to accept other people’s kindness, you don’t even want to accept me!”
His words were really a bit childish, but it was the most serious sentence he had said to Jiang Zheliu. Wen Renye was infuriated by this rejection and spun around again in front of him before he slapped the pendant down on the table.
“Jiang Zheliu, Why don’t you want this? I have already said, I will soon recover from my injuries. I’ve already retrieved it now, can’t you just listen to me!”
He was angry, Jiang Zheliu was even angrier than him, but the latter exhibited little expression, so on the surface it was also not visible. Jiang Zheliu was still blindfolded with the long silk, he untied the cloak on his shoulders, wearing only thin robes he sat on top of the soft bed, he took in a slow breath, before calmly saying: “You treat me well, I can accept that. But I don’t agree with you treating me well without measure. I’m not used to being cared for in this way, and I don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
“Are you out of your f*cking mind?” The little devil lord was so angry that he wanted to smash the table. He pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Jiang Zheliu, closed his eyes and neutralized his tone before continuing, “Only if I act this way, will you have the chance to get used to it. It’s not up to you to decide whether you deserve it or not, it’s up to me.”
Jiang Zheliu looked up towards the direction of the sound of the other’s voice. He stayed silent for a long time, and then said: “I am afraid you …… you ……”
He wanted to say, I’m afraid you will sink too far, go off the deep end, afraid that you will be subject to challenge and criticism from the Devil Realm, afraid that today you will have a body full of wounds, but tomorrow you will turn into the enemy of the entire world. In spite of myself, when it comes to it, I’m afraid that you cannot let go of me.
But in the end he didn’t say a word.
He knew that he was in the centre of the vortex coveted by all, he just wanted to find an earlier way to absolve himself. He did not have to worry about it now he did as he hoped that the days and months could be prolonged so that he could accompany him longer.
Wen Renye did not have any propriety, but he did, the other party was just not aware, but he knew.
Jiang Zheliu had seen from the subtle roots that he was showing signs of harming the other’s life.
Jiang Zheliu sighed and whispered, “You should not do this kind of thing again, it’s not worth it.”
His hand was clutched, the other’s eyes were stirring and crazed to the point of obsession.
“Who are you to say such things to me again.” Wen Renye was about to get angry with him, he didn’t even dare to raise his voice to Jiang Zheliu, “Worthy or not, it is upto me to decide. You just need to accept it. I said that I’d treat you well, so I will treat you well for the rest of my life……”
Before the words had left his mouth, that ice-cold hand between his palms had been gently retracted.
Jiang Zheliu did not listen to him further, he backed up a bit inside the bed, lying with his back to him, as if he was not going to say anything else.
Wen Renye really did not understand why Jiang Zheliu was so angry that he had been injured but this person could not be forced, he could only sit on the chair next to the bed his entire body emanating with coldness, with a gloomy look on his face as he stared at the table where the resurrection stone lay.
After another small moment, just when Wen Renye thought Jiang Zheliu was asleep, he suddenly heard the other’s voice very softly say.
“…… Burns from the flames of the Vermilion bird need to be treated with an ice compress of glazed glass powder, don’t forget that.”
The little devil didn’t answer, and only after a moment did he answer with a huff and then turned around and left.
The beaded curtain had been crashed into, making a crunching and crashing sound of the beads, just like the strumming of the heartstrings.
————
The atmosphere in Dan Xin Monastery has been a bit off lately.
It wasn’t only Yu Jinnian that thought so, even the two ginseng children could also feel it. Usually the Devil Lord was fearful of even holding Xianzun’s hand for fear of breaking it, afraid of putting him in his mouth for fear of him melting3, but the last two days, these two people had not exchanged so much as a word.
Even Ah-Chu and Chang Qian also felt like this, their living environment had become even more precarious, and the atmosphere in the whole room was stagnant and frightening.
But Jiang Zheliu’s attitude was not very obvious, he was still quietly drinking tea and medicine, occasionally carrying his beloved small chair out to sit in the sun.
…… Although the fish in that lake were now avoiding him.
Even though Chang Qian had his eyes covered Ah-Chu that day, he was actually the one who knew the most about Wen Renye in the entire Dan Xin Monastery. That day when he saw his little uncle in full bone armour, with devil horns out, Chang Qian had been stunned, he instantly knew that his little uncle had gone to battle in Xuan Tongju Gate.
It was only after a powerful battle at the Xuan Tongju Gate that could cause a half-step Golden Immortal to be injured to this extent. And the usual devils who went to battle at the gates were usually assisted by formations and even had more help from other clans, so even if there was a powerful creature inside the Gates, it could still be killed without the devils being harmed.
No creature could fight his little uncle to this extent if there was the assistance of the rest of the Devil race, there could only —- one possibility, which was that his little uncle had gone alone without assistance.
This suspicion was confirmed the moment Chang Qian saw the resurrection stone.
Lying on the table was the milky white pendant with glittering blue wisps that was emitting a strong energy of vitality. Chang Qian suspected that if it was left for two more days there, this wooden table was going to start sprouting. Such a vibrant supreme treasure was just casually discarded on the table, as if no one needed it.
Chang Qian did not dare to say anything, nor did he dare to ask, he could only go to the edge of the bed as usual and ask gege to get up and drink the medicine.
Jiang Zheliu’s body emitted a faint bitter smell from all the medicine he had been drinking. He slept longer and longer, but still felt very sleepy. He sat up slowly, before taking the medicine bowl.
The little devil just sat by the window and stared at him, not saying a word.
Jiang Zheliu’s eyes still could not see, he was about to get used to this darkness, thinking that it was no big deal, except that the bowl of medicine was too bitter, he drank it starting and stopping, whilst frowning the whole time.
…… He had been spoiled before, previously he did not even feel the bitterness, he’d just drink the medicine down as if it was water.
Jiang Zheliu slowly sighed and drank the remaining half of the bowl. His brain buzzed from the pain, and before the bitter taste completely dissipated, he was suddenly stuffed with a mouthful of candied fruit.
It was a fruit cured with honey. It seemed to be a speciality from the Devil Realm, it was sour and sweet, sour at first, then slowly getting sweeter.
Jiang Zheliu sucked on the candied fruit to dispel the bitterness, he thought that the aftertaste of this stuff was too sweet, he had just swallowed to speak, but he felt a slight gust of wind as if the other had already left.
Chang Qian turned his head to peek at his little uncle who was sitting back at the window, and then he heard the voice of Jiang Zheliu.
“……Xiao Chang, pass me my tea.” Jiang Zheliu’s tongue tingled slightly, “It’s so sweet, it’s salty.”
Wen Renye：“……”
Why does this person have so many issues! I’ll bring him a different kind of candy next time!
Chang Qian nodded in accordance with his words, from the table he poured a cup out from the teapot, but the temperature in the porcelain cup was a little low, and cold tea would be even more bitter.
Jiang Zheliu could even drink the bitter medicine, so naturally he would not care about this problem. He took the porcelain cup and held it in his hand before taking a sip, and then it was taken away again.
After a few breaths, the tea cup that became warm again was stuffed back into his hand, and the temperature of the tea was even the perfect temperature.
Jiang Zheliu had just thanked him when he heard the anxious and tense voice of Wen Renye.
“Demonic energy.”
Jiang Zheliu：“……”
……Demonic energy? Is he talking about me?
He took a sip, and then took another sip, but he couldn’t resist any longer and finally asked Chang Qian very quietly: “What does he mean by that?”
Chang Qian looked at his little uncle who was trying to suppress his anger, and then over to the fragile and exquisite grand beauty in front of him, he didn’t not know what to say to this life-saving question, so after thinking about it for a long time he finally said: “The meaning is……he likes you.”
