Beardless Grass

"Why didn't you just kill him outright?!"

Feng Xiao looked at the youth, then at the two "fighting" figures in the room, his face full of confusion.

The moment he and Nie Yun entered the room, they saw Nie Liu overcome by "beastly urges." All doubts in his heart vanished, and he completely believed the youth, who was far younger than himself.

Belief was one thing, but Feng Xiao had always been supremely confident in his own willpower. He had not thought taking the Thousand Desire Flower would make him lose his nature. Yet when he saw that Nie Liu could not even distinguish between male and female, cold sweat immediately broke out all over his body!

This medicine was far too potent! Looking at this, forget him—even an immortal probably would not be able to endure it! If the youth had not come earlier, and he had taken that medicine...

Imagining himself pouncing on anyone he saw, unable to distinguish men from women, Feng Xiao's face turned waxy yellow. It looked utterly dreadful. At the same time, he looked at Nie Yun before him with profound gratitude.

If Nie Yun had not exposed Nie Liu, his reputation would probably have been utterly ruined by now!

This youth looked so much younger than him. How had he discovered such a scheme, and seen through a disguise that no one else had noticed?

Thinking of this, Feng Xiao secretly admired Nie Yun even more. But admiration aside... what was he doing now?

After the two entered the room, Steward Nie Lin was dodging Nie Liu's embrace. Feng Xiao had been preparing to deal with Nie Liu himself, but Nie Yun acted first. Yet the one he attacked was not Nie Liu, but Nie Lin, sealing away his strength in a single move...

And so, Nie Lin met a tragic fate. Pinned beneath his "peerlessly resourceful" young master, he let out a string of miserable screams that made heaven and earth weep, ghosts and gods shed tears...

He had deliberately knocked down Nie Lin so that Nie Liu could "have his way"... What exactly was he trying to do?

Did he want to watch men with men... Ahem, he couldn't possibly have that sort of hobby, could he...

"Kill him? He dared scheme against my sister. Wouldn't letting him die so easily be letting him off too cheaply?"

Nie Yun had no idea Feng Xiao was thinking such things. His hands moved, forming one hand seal after another. Before him sat a small crystal stone, clear and translucent.

"Done!"

After a while, Nie Yun withdrew his hands and chuckled as he picked up the crystal stone in his palm.

"Letting him off too cheaply? Is there something strange about that crystal stone?"

Not understanding why the youth had said that, Feng Xiao looked at the crystal stone and scratched his head.

The youth had casually plucked this thing off the tavern. It was merely an ordinary decoration. Feng Xiao did not know what it was for, but Nie Yun had formed a succession of hand seals just now, not one of which he understood. From that alone, he knew the youth must have some purpose in mind.

"What is strange about it? Hehe, you'll know once you take a look!"

With a chuckle, Nie Yun suddenly poured the spiritual energy within his body into the crystal stone in his palm. In an instant, an image appeared on the crystal's surface—the very "Chrysanthemum Battle" before them!

"Recording images..."

Seeing this, how could Feng Xiao not understand? His eyes widened into perfect circles.

Recording images in an ordinary crystal stone—he had never even heard of such a method!

"Hehe!" Nie Yun laughed, then casually tucked the crystal stone into his robes.

He had learned this image-recording hand seal from members of the Demon Race in his previous life. It could record what one saw within an ordinary crystal stone, and once triggered, replay it again. He had treated it as nothing more than a game while learning it and paid it no mind. He had not expected it to come in handy now.

Hmph. You dared scheme against my family, so I'll let you taste what it feels like to be schemed against! With this recording, no matter how clever you, Nie Liu, may be, you will have to obediently listen to me—unless you want your reputation dragged through the mud!

Since he could be called the Blood Prison Demon Venerable, Nie Yun naturally was no good man. A centuries-old monster like him had methods for dealing with enemies that were hardly limited to killing!

Since not killing was better than killing, why not do it?

Hearing the youth's laughter and seeing his actions, Feng Xiao could not help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.

Even if this world was rather open, between men and men... that still seemed unacceptable, did it not?

Once this news spread, it was easy to foresee that the people of Nie Mansion would absolutely execute Nie Liu on the grounds that he had tarnished the family's honor! With such leverage, would Nie Liu not obey his every word?

How ruthless!

Killing without changing expression, scheming against someone amid laughter and conversation—such methods, such cunning, such a ruthless and vicious style...

In the future, he absolutely must not make an enemy of this kid!

For some reason, that thought suddenly arose in Feng Xiao's mind.

"You... what did you do to me..."

After a bout of "exhilaration," the medicine's effects on Nie Liu began to fade, and he gradually regained his reason. When he saw that everything he had done had been recorded, he was nearly in tears.

No matter what, he had never imagined that after painstakingly creating such a situation, it would end with this result!

"What did I do? I'll explain it to you properly!" Nie Yun laughed and walked over.

Feng Xiao knew Nie Yun must have his own purpose in doing this. As an outsider, it was inconvenient for him to listen in, so he went to the center of the tavern and found a stool to sit on for a while.

Earlier, afraid the matter would grow too large, Nie Liu had kept only three tavern attendants in the entire establishment. Two had been killed, and the remaining one was Nie Yun. Now the hall was completely empty, saving Feng Xiao the trouble of wasting his fists.

After about the time it took two incense sticks to burn, the youth emerged. Though Feng Xiao did not know what agreement the two had reached, seeing Nie Yun glowing with satisfaction and Nie Liu looking as though his parents had died, he knew the former had certainly gained an enormous advantage.

"For what happened today, Feng Xiao is deeply grateful. I will surely repay you in the future!"

Feng Xiao was a man of principles. This time, he owed Nie Yun a favor. He clasped his hands in salute and was about to leave.

"Young Master Feng Xiao, please wait. I have something to discuss with you!" Nie Yun said.

"Discuss with me?"

"I heard your Feng Family possesses a thousand-year-old Beardless Grass. I wonder if you would be willing to part with it? I am willing to pay double the price!" Nie Yun suddenly said.

Beardless Grass was a sacred healing herb, exceptionally precious. In all of Luoshui City, only Feng Xiao had obtained a single stalk by a stroke of fortune. It was the primary ingredient for refining the Heart-Returning Pill, a sacred healing medicine!

The Heart-Returning Pill, as its name implied, could restore even a lost heart. Though that claim was somewhat exaggerated, it still showed just how powerful this pill was!

His father's sea of qi had been damaged, leaving his dantian unable to cultivate. If he had a Heart-Returning Pill and paired it with the Spirit Rhinoceros Body Refining Technique, helping him recover completely might not be difficult!

"How did you know we have Beardless Grass?" Hearing the youth's words, Feng Xiao raised his brows, a dense killing intent flashing through his eyes. If the youth before him had not been his lifesaver, he likely would have struck already.

Beardless Grass was a precious medicinal herb, no less valuable than a royal-tier cultivation technique. Once word got out, it would surely stir up a bloody storm. Ever since the Feng Family had obtained it by chance, they had never mentioned it before anyone. How had this youth learned of it?

"Uh..."

Only after hearing his question did Nie Yun remember that the Feng Family's possession of Beardless Grass would not be revealed until eighteen months later. Afterward, the Four Great Families fought one another over this herb and suffered heavy losses, allowing the Demon Race to attack Luoshui City and reduce it to ruins!

With the knowledge of his previous life, he had actually forgotten this matter. However, having lived two lives, he was already incomparably composed. He gave a faint smile. "You needn't concern yourself with where I learned it. I only ask: are you willing to part with it?"

Though Feng Xiao was not the family head, he was the first heir. Moreover, he had personally obtained this spiritual herb, so it was hardly strange that he had the authority to dispose of the Beardless Grass.

"You helped me today, and I will repay you in the future. But if you intend to use this as leverage and make a lion's demand, our Feng Family fears no one!" Feng Xiao flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.

In his eyes, this youth had clearly lost his mind. Although he had spared Feng Xiao from humiliation today and had done him a favor, wanting to exchange that for the Beardless Grass was nothing but a dream!

The Beardless Grass was a precious item he had obtained from the Ancient Ruins. To cultivators of the sea of qi, it was equivalent to another life. He would never give it to anyone else, no matter how high the price offered!

"Brother Feng, don't be in such a hurry to leave. I have one more question. Have you still not awakened your Bloodline Factor?" Though Nie Yun had memories of his previous life, it was better to confirm it.

"Hmph!"

Hearing that the other party had not only made a lion's demand but asked such a question as well, Feng Xiao nearly died of rage. The faint goodwill he had just developed toward the youth instantly vanished without a trace.

Everyone in Luoshui City knew that he could not awaken his Bloodline Factor. Was he asking this deliberately to humiliate him?

"There are two possibilities for failing to awaken a Bloodline Factor: one is that you have no Bloodline Factor, and the other is that you have one but cannot awaken it. If I'm not mistaken, Brother Feng should belong to the latter, correct?" Ignoring the other's fury, Nie Yun continued.

"That is none of your business!" His fists clenched tight. Feng Xiao found the youth before him utterly detestable, so furious that his lungs felt ready to burst.

Everyone in Luoshui City knew that his Bloodline Factor had been sealed shut since birth. There was no need for this person to come mock him again!

Just because he had saved him earlier, did that give him the right to ridicule him so freely? How could there be such a hateful person in this world!

Ignoring the other's furious roar, Nie Yun smiled lightly. "Since you have a Bloodline Factor, there must be a way to awaken it. Heh... what if the bargaining chip I use to exchange for the Beardless Grass is that I can help you awaken your Bloodline Factor?"

His voice was not loud, yet it exploded like thunder. Feng Xiao's entire body stiffened, as though he had been struck by lightning.

P.S. There will be another update at midnight tonight. Don't forget to cast your recommendation votes, and member clicks are needed too! A new book needs these things to climb the rankings, so send them pouring in! Lao Ya offers his thanks here!!