FFSC_22
Chapter 22: His Heart is With Me — He Chose Me
"Could it be... Junior Brother Chi, that you have fallen to demonic corruption?"
Chen Moqing let out a soft laugh.
This scene, how familiar it was, just like that time before.
"Master! Senior Brother... he has fallen to demonic corruption!"
——Back then, this junior brother of his had made the same announcement to the entire sect.
He said: "You truly have made no progress whatsoever."
Xiao Jibai laughed with a scoff: "That may not be so. I am long since a different person from who I once was. If anything, it is Junior Brother Chi whose cultivation hasn't budged an inch."
Cang Shun glanced at Chen Moqing, then cast an indifferent look at that incessantly noisy pest across from them, and raised his paw—
A hand came to rest on top of his head, gently rubbing in two slow circles.
Cang Shun was silent for a moment, then lowered his paw.
He understood what that gesture meant.
Whenever he had encountered a loathsome pest in the past and wanted to strike them dead on this human's behalf, he would always be met with those same two gentle rubs—he had asked about it afterward, and this human had smiled and said it meant "the esteemed and handsome Demon Emperor's Majesty, please hold off for now".
He still remembered this person saying that he would deal with that "old acquaintance" himself.
...Not letting him act—was it because this person felt that they were, after all, only together because of the contract?
If one day the contract were broken, would this person... walk away without so much as a backward glance?
Cang Shun's eyes darkened, and he said not a word.
Xiao Jibai suddenly flicked open his fan. A fierce wind swept up, the earth trembled, and a countless number of demon beast souls were drawn in, packed densely together, quickly filling the wasteland within a thousand meters all around.
"So what do you say, Junior Brother Chi? This place is full of demon creatures. Shall we compete to see who kills the most?"
Xiao Jibai said this with a laugh, clasping his hands behind his back as he crushed a piece of jade in his grip.
A Reverse Shadow-Transmission Stone!
Their standoff would be immediately projected outside the secret realm for everyone in the sect to see!
This was a tool he had exchanged from his system, and he was more than adept at using it. He was confident that the Qi Refinement before him would have no way of detecting it—
Chen Moqing glanced casually in one direction, raised his palm slightly, and a demon beast soul came flying out, drifting in a daze to hover before him.
His dark eyes lit up with silver-white runes, like a silver moon rising over an ink-black lake: "I ask you, how did you die?"
The demon beast soul convulsed ceaselessly, whispering in anguish: "Five hundred years ago... killed by humans..."
Cang Shun leaped onto Chen Moqing's shoulder and spoke in a low voice: 【Ask him. Why did you all come to be here】
Chen Moqing relayed the question, but the demon beast soul only repeated the same words in anguish, no longer capable of saying much more.
Soul path techniques!
Xiao Jibai sneered inwardly. A child of fortune indeed—he truly had methods unknown to others.
Outwardly, however, he put on a look of shock: "You can actually communicate with demon creatures!"
Chen Moqing gently opened his palm, letting the demon beast soul drift back down to the ground, and turned to face the empty air to one side, his tone indifferent: "The Demon Abyss has only been manifest for six years, and yet have you all already forgotten what demon creatures look like?"
Xiao Jibai's eyelid twitched. He kept smiling, but a few degrees of coldness crept into the depths of his eyes.
"...Heh, the Demon Abyss again. How many times have you people dragged out this Demon Abyss War, do you never tire of chewing on cold leftovers?"
It was simply because he had not been long in this world when the Demon Abyss War was fought, and had no chance to shine in it. Instead, that senior brother had stolen all the glory that should rightfully have been his...
But so what? The Demon Abyss was over! What need was there to slay demons anymore!
"I had a senior brother who was most skilled at slaying demon creatures, who slew the greatest number of them. Do you know what became of him?"
Xiao Jibai's face was full of mockery.
"His own body was eroded by demonic energy, and he fell and became a demonic cultivator, condemned by a thousand voices, spat upon by ten thousand... Heh, Junior Brother Chi, looking at you now, you truly are the very image of him."
Chen Moqing: "Is that so."
He smiled and looked at Xiao Jibai, saying with breezy ease: "Even if I were a demonic cultivator, what could you do about it?"
Xiao Jibai's lips curved: "Then you cannot be allowed to remain!"
He turned to one side, spread his arms wide, and called out: "Chi Fei has colluded with demon creatures and betrayed the sect! I call upon all the elders to bear witness—today, I shall suppress this demonic cultivator!"
What child of fortune—they were all nothing but stepping stones beneath his feet!
Xiao Jibai raised his hand again and laughed out loud: "Sword, come!"
A sword came from beyond the heavens! He seized it in his grasp, the blade humming, its sword energy shaking the sky!
Chen Moqing gave a light, unhurried clap: "A sword cultivator, how impressive."
Cang Shun: "……"
Xiao Jibai's presence surged violently, climbing straight from the peak of Foundation Building all the way to the great perfection of Golden Core, his eyes bright as blazing flames: "Come and fight! Let us have a proper, open battle!"
He had waited far too long for this day!
Finally, no more need to hold back. Finally, he could reveal his true strength, trample all of these people underfoot, and leave them unable to even catch a glimpse of his back!
He, Xiao Jibai, was the protagonist of this world, the number one genius of the sword path!
Xiao Jibai took a step forward!
His dark robes billowed in the wind. A sliver of golden light was reflected in Chen Moqing's ink-black, undisturbed eyes. The brilliant golden radiance blazed fiercely, and the formation arrays that spread outward rose layer upon layer from all around him, instantly forming a great formation that covered heaven and earth.
Dawn of the Path!
Xiao Jibai's laughter came to a halt. His sword tip froze as well.
Not from fear—but because he could no longer move!
Reflected in his rapidly contracting pupils was that magnificent golden array stretching between heaven and earth. Beneath the all-obscuring, blinding golden brilliance, the black-robed cultivator's hair streamed in the wind as he lowered his indifferent gaze.
The blazing radiance of a great sun. A gulf as vast as a heavenly chasm.
"Impossible... how can this be! You are nowhere near Qi Refinement cultivation! You are... mid-Golden Core?!"
Xiao Jibai was roaring in fury. In the midst of his extreme rage, he saw that person smile faintly and say with breezy ease: "With a system, and you've only reached Golden Core?"
In that instant, Xiao Jibai's expression froze, as though he had plunged into a deep abyss.
What had he just said...?
How could he possibly know... about the system?!
The entire world seemed to lose all warmth and color in an instant. He could not make out anything clearly—he could only watch that person's lips part and close, his voice calm and unhurried: "System, I wish to exchange for a magic treasure."
As the words fell, that person raised his hand slightly, as though something in the air resonated with a special awareness, and from his palm, a small sword forged of thunder and lightning truly condensed into being.
He swung it casually, striking down with ease.
——The last thing Xiao Jibai saw was the golden array pressing down from above, a howling torrent of blazing gold sweeping along thunderbolts that filled the sky, the blinding brilliance of gold and silver-white at their most incandescent, tearing his vision apart.
...Like hell itself.
Jiugai Prefecture. Tianshu Sect. Luohe Peak.
In an extravagantly appointed room, a young man who had been lying down suddenly snapped his eyes open, his face deathly pale. He rolled over and vomited a great pool of blood.
His clon had died, and his cultivation plummeted a full major realm from the great perfection of Golden Core, crashing straight down to Foundation Building!
Yet even more shattering to Xiao Jibai than the collapse of his cultivation were the last words Chi Fei had spoken.
"How can there be a second system! System, say something! Tell me it was fake!!"
"Host, please calm down. Perhaps this world has experienced some disruption... currently investigating."
"What do you mean a disruption?! Are you saying there is a second system, or even more?!"
"...Unable to confirm."
Xiao Jibai's long hair was in disarray, his eyes wide open, like a crazed beast trapped in a snare.
"You lied to me! This is nothing like what you told me at the beginning!!"
Was he not the protagonist of this world?! Was he not supposed to be the sole holder of a golden finger?!!
Why was that Chi Fei stronger than him, more composed than him... just like... Chen Moqing back in those days...
Xiao Jibai trembled uncontrollably, biting down hard on his fingers. No matter how the system tried to console him, he could not take in a single word. Instead, each time the system's voice sounded, it struck his ears as terrifying as a death knell.
Twice—two consecutive times he had lost to Chi Fei. The last time he had even died at his hands, and all those people from the lower prefectures had witnessed his wretched end...
Once, he had used the system to trample down the senior brother who stood in his way. Now was it his turn? Would this Chi Fei also use the system to trample him down?
...Had he become the next Chen Moqing?
Xiao Jibai clutched his head, sobbing and shaking, and broke down into screaming cries.
"I want to go home! I want to go home!!"
...
"Xiao Mo's" body was annihilated on the spot beneath the array, leaving no trace behind.
【No divine soul】
Cang Shun remarked lightly.
"Mm," Chen Moqing drifted down lightly from the sky, the tail of his bound dark hair falling to rest at his waist: "Only a clon."
The body could not be killed, but the spirit could be broken.
He would become this junior brother's nightmare, making him live in fear of his existence day after day, until he descended before him once more like a nightmare made real.
Across the wasteland, a countless number of demon beast souls continued to wander, their cries and wails filling the air.
Chen Moqing lowered his eyes, gazing down at the earth, and slowly raised his palm.
"What is he doing!"
Outside the secret realm, Wanhua Sect had erupted into an uproar.
Through the shadow transmission stone, the scenes from moments ago had played out before them all. They had watched with their own eyes as Chi Fei first communicated with demon creatures, then openly admitted to being a demonic cultivator, and finally, with a single strike—slew Xiao Mo!
After that, he had used a array to trap the demon creatures, yet made no move to kill them. Instead, he had begun moving through the secret realm, stopping other inner disciples from attacking!
"How is this any different from the conduct of a demonic cultivator!"
Duan Ya shot to his feet, shattering the chair beneath him.
"A demonic cultivator has actually infiltrated our sect! If the upper sect finds out, we will surely face severe punishment!"
"Pass my order! All those at peak Golden Core and above are to enter the secret realm—and execute the demonic cultivator!"
The piercing wind stirred the stench of blood, whipping at robes and making them snap and billow.
Chen Moqing flew onward toward the depths of the secret realm, saying to Cang Shun: "If we encounter a great demon of higher cultivation, we may be able to get some answers."
Cang Shun looked at him, his voice low: 【You will be branded a traitor to the sect】
Chen Moqing: "Oh?"
【And they will slander you as a demonic cultivator】
"Heh."
【You are human. This is a matter of the demon beast clan, it has nothing to do with you】
"Does a matter concerning the demon beast clan not concern the Demon Emperor?" Chen Moqing's eyes were light and calm, his voice drifting away on the wind: "Then it has everything to do with me."
The breeze passed over snow-white fur. Cang Shun did not move.
It concerned... him?
Those crimson demon eyes, which had been cold and sharp, softened ever so slightly and grew a touch rounder. The small white beast's ears also tilted up just a little.
Two seconds passed, and then he lowered his head again, resting it gently against this person's fingertips, and said in a quiet voice: 【This secret realm has existed for many years. There must be high-level forces concealing the truth. If you insist on investigating, not only Wanhua Sect, but the entire Qingluan Prefecture will become your enemy】
Chen Moqing: "Then let them come."
After a few seconds of silence, Cang Shun's voice dropped even lower: 【This also has nothing to do with your path of cultivation】
This human had come to this place entirely to study the array path, while awaiting the array path secret realm that was soon to appear. Even if something were wrong here, he could have simply acted as though he knew nothing, slain the demon beast souls, and remained in the sect without incident.
"What is cultivation?" Cang Shun heard that human let out a soft laugh: "To bear witness to oneself and one's heart—that, too, is cultivation."
...So then, was his heart here with him?
He... he stood on my side.
He chose me.
Cang Shun quietly clenched his paws, then slowly raised them again, seeming at a loss, unsure of where to let them fall.
A tiny seed dropped into that fluffy warmth, and quietly bloomed into a small, small flower.
Cang Shun raised his head once more, gazing at Chen Moqing without blinking.
After a while, the small white beast silently drifted up to the top of his head, and silently settled down there.
Chen Moqing looked up: "Is the Demon Emperor's Majesty no longer upset?"
【...I was not upset in the first place!】
The small white beast muttered and grumbled, nuzzling his hair with its soft belly.
A quiet, still little fluffy ball, not making a sound, simply clinging to that human and rubbing against him.
Chen Moqing raised his arm slightly and gathered this soft, limp little ball into his arms, his palm resting against the warm, pliant back, stroking that fluffy, fine fur over and over.
Three days without touching it—he would make up for it now.
Cang Shun thought quietly to himself: he hasn't touched me in three days.
...Alright, I was not without fault either. I should not have ignored him for three days.
The Demon Emperor's Majesty engaged in a moment of self-reflection, and instinctively nuzzled into that warm palm carrying its faint, gentle scent, then raised his eyes and stole a glance at him.
The gazes of one human and one demon met at exactly the same moment.
"……"
Both looked away at the same moment, as though nothing had happened at all.
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