Clinging to This Thigh for Dear Life

Chapter 25: Holding onto this Thigh

Whether cultivating immortality or living as a person, having a firm ambition is of utmost importance.

Ambition, conviction, and a code of conduct may seem ethereal and intangible, but they are fundamentally vital.

In his past life, Chen Ye read many stories where upright people died the moment they practiced favoritism, and heartless villains died the moment they felt a flicker of kindness... In the final analysis, these were the consequences of a wavering heart and an unsteady will.

Just like his master, Mo Ci, who wasn't evil enough to be a true villain, yet too greedy for petty gains to be a good man, ultimately meeting such a tragic end.

Chen Ye would not repeat those mistakes. Since he had decided to help these vengeful spirits, he could not covet the power of this demonic artifact.

Precisely because he adhered to the righteous path and kept his heart focused, he could now face Su Chunyi's questioning gaze with a clear conscience, fearing no interrogation.

Su Chunyi was not actually doubting Chen Ye.

Ever since that conversation, Su Chunyi had trusted Chen Ye's character. The sword heart she had cultivated through years of hardship would not be deceived by simple lies; what Chen Ye had said before came from the heart, which was why he had earned her trust.

Su Chunyi was merely curious about what exactly Chen Ye had done to subdue that demon.

The monk Ku'e was a cultivator in the Tongxuan Realm, and the demonic path's possession ritual must have had many contingencies prepared.

When she left, Chen Ye was only in the Qiling Realm—a gap of three major realms. How exactly did the monk Ku'e lose?

Neither Chen Ye nor Su Chunyi cared about the desolate wilderness or the corpses scattered everywhere; they sat down on the ground and began to chat.

"I originally wanted to warn Miss Su that this corpse pit might be suspicious, but you left in such a hurry..."

Chen Ye began to explain what had happened, though the very first sentence made Su Chunyi feel a bit awkward. Thinking back, Chen Ye had indeed wanted to say something, but she had been so focused on hunting the demon that she had taken flight on her sword without paying attention.

If she had been calmer at the time, she could have discovered the demon's trap early on, and Chen Ye wouldn't have been put in danger.

A lack of experience; it seemed that bitter cultivation in the mountains alone was truly not enough.

Chen Ye unfurled the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, releasing the battered soul of the monk Ku'e along with the other vengeful spirits.

In an instant, the surroundings were filled with ghostly energy and constant wailing.

However, these vengeful spirits were firmly locked within the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, unable to gain their freedom no matter how they struggled.

The monk Ku'e was now on his last breath, devoid of his former arrogance. Yet, upon seeing Chen Ye and Su Chunyi, he gritted his teeth and hissed, "Despicable and shameless! Your Qinghe Sword Sect actually colludes with evil paths—what kind of righteous sect is this!"

Su Chunyi glanced at the monk Ku'e and said, "Has your Kaikou Chan been broken?"

The monk Ku'e immediately shrieked, "Junior, how dare you mock me! If you have the guts, just give me a quick death!"

Chen Ye laughed heartily and said to the monk Ku'e, "Master, you are too attached. If someone in this world slanders you, bullies you, insults you, laughs at you, slights you, demeans you, hates you, or deceives you, you must not get angry. You should simply endure him, yield to him, let him be, avoid him, tolerate him, respect him, ignore him, and wait a few years to see what becomes of him."

Su Chunyi looked at Chen Ye with her clear, bright eyes, surprised, "These words carry a sense of tranquility and non-action. Sir is truly a man of great talent."

The monk Ku'e was also shaken by Chen Ye's words. Though he was unwilling to admit it, he knew his Kaikou Chan had not been broken unjustly; the brat before him was truly a master of silver-tongued eloquence. If he had mastered the Kaikou Chan himself, his golden body would have been invincible.

Unable to gain the upper hand verbally and with his soul extremely weak, the monk Ku'e could only remain silent.

Chen Ye invited the vengeful spirits from the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to bear witness, and soon explained everything clearly. From setting up the formation to breaking the Evil Buddha, and finally trapping the monk Ku'e into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner—the events were true, and with the spirits as witnesses, there were naturally no flaws.

As Su Chunyi listened to the vengeful spirits wailing about the demon's crimes, sharp sword qi gradually emanated from her body.

Disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect were the most intolerant of evil; she truly wished she could hack the monk Ku'e into pieces right now to scatter his soul.

The monk Ku'e knew he was doomed, but he sneered, "What a foolish junior. The Qinghe Sword Sect's sword techniques may be good, but you can't even distinguish truth from falsehood."

Chen Ye raised an eyebrow. Was this demon trying to sow discord?

But Chen Ye did not interrupt. If he didn't let him speak now, it would only make him look guilty and cause Su Chunyi to doubt him for no reason.

He had expected Su Chunyi to be piqued by the demon's curiosity and ask for a detailed explanation.

However, Su Chunyi ignored the demon entirely, turned to look at Chen Ye, and asked, "This demon was captured by you, Sir. His life and death shall be decided by you."

"Ah?"

Chen Ye had prepared several sets of arguments, confident he could prove his innocence regardless of what the demon said, but he hadn't expected Su Chunyi not to ask at all.

The monk Ku'e hadn't expected Su Chunyi to be so decisive either, and he cried out anxiously, "Ignorant junior! He can break my Cursed Spirit Child, he can refine my Ten Thousand Soul Banner—he is also a member of the demonic path! Think clearly, if you associate with this little demon, the reputation of the Qinghe Sword Sect will be ruined by your hands."

As expected, the demon's rhetoric did not exceed Chen Ye's predictions.

Just as he was about to explain, Su Chunyi smiled slightly at Chen Ye, "Sir, there is no need to pay him any mind. I trust you."

Chen Ye felt a mix of being moved and embarrassed. He had indeed hidden many things and truly hadn't expected Su Chunyi to trust him so implicitly.

Seeing that his sowing of discord had failed, the monk Ku'e continued to clamor, "You are incredibly stupid! The Qinghe Sword Sect will surely be destroyed because of you!"

Chen Ye shook his head and retracted the demon into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, leaving him to the torment of the vengeful spirits.

With things much quieter now, Chen Ye said to Su Chunyi, "Thank you for your trust, Miss Su. However, I do indeed know some demonic techniques. After all, as a rogue cultivator, I can't be picky; I learn whatever I encounter. But I can swear to the heavens that I have never done anything harmful or wicked."

Even if others believed him, Chen Ye still felt he had to explain; otherwise, he wouldn't be worthy of this trust.

Su Chunyi's smile remained, seemingly unbothered, as she shifted the topic elsewhere, "Sir has avenged many innocent people today, but how do you intend to deal with this Ten Thousand Soul Banner and the Cursed Spirit Child?"

Chen Ye didn't answer, instead asking in return, "I am but a rogue cultivator and don't understand these rules. Miss Su comes from a prestigious sect, so there must be corresponding procedures, right? Why not let me broaden my horizons."

Su Chunyi sighed, "The Ten Thousand Soul Banner is a demonic artifact specifically designed to harm people. The vengeful spirits within are extremely fierce, and most have already lost their consciousness. According to the rules, we can only destroy them. I can allow these vengeful spirits to pass on without pain; that is the only thing I can do."

Chen Ye felt a chill in his heart. This Ten Thousand Soul Banner was a high-quality item; it would be a real pity to destroy it just like that.

But Su Chunyi added, "However, this is an artifact you obtained, Sir, so it is not my place to overstep and dispose of it. But if you are willing to hand the Ten Thousand Soul Banner to me for destruction, I am willing to offer something in exchange."

Su Chunyi took an exquisite long case from her storage pouch and handed it to Chen Ye with both hands.

Chen Ye took it, feeling it was incredibly heavy in his hands; despite being made of wood, it felt even heavier than solid iron.

Su Chunyi explained, "This is the Sword Box I used when I was young. In terms of power, it is no less than the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, and it should be enough to compensate for your loss, sir."

"Used when you were young? But this Sword Box is so large..."

Chen Ye looked at the Sword Box, which was nearly taller than he was. How could Su Chunyi have used it when she was a child?

Su Chunyi's face flushed slightly as she whispered, "I was young and ignorant at the time. I just thought my master's Sword Box looked nice, so I pestered him for one, and he gave it to me. Back then... I just thought it looked pretty."

Imagining a young Su Chunyi hopping around that sword immortal, pointing at the Sword Box and saying, "Master, I want this," Chen Ye couldn't help but chuckle. This Miss Su appeared cold and aloof, but he hadn't expected her to have such a cute side.

However, Chen Ye still returned the Sword Box and said to Su Chunyi, "Miss Su, this gift is too precious; I cannot accept it. As for this Ten Thousand Soul Banner and the Cursed Spirit Child, I would like to ask for your help with something else instead."

Su Chunyi took back the Sword Box in confusion and asked, "Please, sir, tell me."

Chen Ye took out the amber sealing the Cursed Spirit Child, along with a copied manual, and offered them with both hands.

"Miss Su, although this child's soul is shattered, he is still alive. This is a soul-related secret technique I found in an ancient book. While it cannot directly repair the child's soul, I believe that if this technique were to be refined, it might just be able to save a life."

Su Chunyi took the amber and the manual, and after flipping through it, she realized it was an extremely profound art. She hadn't expected Chen Ye to not only refuse her gift but to offer her a great one in return.

"This item is equally precious. And sir, if you believe it can be done, why not do it yourself?"

Su Chunyi knew how rare secret techniques were in the cultivation world. For Chen Ye, a mere rogue cultivator, to hand it over so readily was truly strange.

Chen Ye explained, "I have the ideas, but I might not see results even after ten years of study. The Cursed Spirit Child requires human flesh and blood to be fed; I cannot keep killing people for ten years just to keep this child alive. But the Qinghe Sword Sect has many experts. With the help of this secret technique, I believe they could develop a method to save him in a short time. Saving a life is, after all, a great merit."

Warmth welled up in Su Chunyi's heart; he truly had not betrayed her trust.

To give away such a precious secret technique for the sake of a child he didn't even know—he was indeed the noble person her master had spoken of.

Su Chunyi immediately agreed, "Very well, I promise you. I will send this secret technique back to my sect and ask my master to intervene and save the child. If this technique truly contains a way to save him, I will also have a copy made for you, sir."

Chen Ye revealed a satisfied smile.

He had finally secured his connection to the Qinghe Sword Sect.

With Mo Ci only having three years left, Chen Ye truly wasn't confident in his ability to comprehend a method to repair a soul, but if the Qinghe Sword Sect took action, the chances of success would be much higher.

When that time came, perhaps his master's soul could be saved.