You had a reason to live again

His tone was gentle when he said this, as though his words held no threat, but Chi Yu knew he was serious.

Chi Yu fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Finger bones can be made into soul lamps? What do they do?"

Xie Xiyi tilted his hideous ghost mask slightly, his scarlet ghost eyes faintly reflecting Chi Yu's face, and chuckled. "Aren't you afraid?"

Chi Yu said quite naturally, "I am, but being afraid won't help, will it? No matter how scared I am or how much I beg, you'll still do whatever you want to do. So there's no point being afraid."

He paused, then said with complete confidence, "Haven't you noticed? I'm finding things to talk to you about."

His sheer honesty struck Xie Xiyi as rather bewildering. He rarely experienced such a feeling, so much so that he paused almost imperceptibly before slowly laughing again. "You're very interesting."

"Thank you for the compliment," Chi Yu said politely.

Xie Xiyi said, "Take the soul lamp out of the Sumeru Ring."

Chi Yu knew what he meant. He took the lamp Xie Xiyi had left behind out of the Sumeru Ring and handed it to him.

Black mist spread toward him and swept the lamp away.

Seeing that Xie Xiyi was about to leave, Chi Yu hurriedly said, "You're leaving? What are you going to do?"

Xie Xiyi said, "Are you questioning me?"

A cold, callous laugh escaped his throat. "Strange. I thought I'd found a sword slave, not a mother."

He looked very obedient, but beneath that obedient exterior lurked a rebellious streak much like his own.

Xie Xiyi saw it clearly and had no intention of indulging him. He therefore stopped, held Phantom Lightning, and gave a light slash toward Chi Yu. Phantom Lightning hummed, still resisting, but could not overpower Xie Xiyi. An arc of sword light radiated from its tip, slicing through Chi Yu's robes and exposing his slender, thin upper body.

Fourteen-year-old Chi Yu had been well fed by his grandparents. His frame was slight, but he had flesh all over, and his cheeks were rounded too, as though he had yet to lose his baby fat. Though somewhat taller than others his age, he unquestionably still had the build of a half-grown boy.

The chain slipped from Xie Xiyi's sleeve again and wrapped around Chi Yu's slight body, planting a sinister black Curse Seal on his chest. It appeared there like a tattoo, then quickly sank beneath his skin.

This time, Chi Yu watched the entire process and finally understood what the chain formed from runes was for. Belatedly, he asked, "Was it putting a curse on me when it was in my mouth last time??"

Xie Xiyi laughed, his voice carrying bright, gentle delight. "This Curse Seal is called Wenxin. The heart is the sovereign organ, and it houses the spirit. A person's memories reside in the heart. Once this Curse Seal is planted, it will take all your memories within seven days."

Chi Yu: "!!!"

Xie Xiyi said, "Do you know what happens to someone who has lost all their memories?"

He watched Chi Yu's face. Even that usually composed face could not help revealing some panic now. Behind his mask, the corners of his lips lifted slightly. "Someone without any memories becomes like a newborn infant, to be painted over at will and made into anything."

His figure began to blur beneath the shroud of black mist. "Seven days. Find me, and I'll lift the curse. If you're late... I happen to need a puppet that can't speak."

Xie Xiyi vanished, but his final words echoed through the cramped cultivation chamber, their lingering sound carrying all too obvious cold malice.

Ling Hezhou shrieked, "Look at you!! I told you not to provoke him!"

Chi Yu said dryly, "Don't panic. He gave me seven days, after all. He's actually pretty nice."

Ling Hezhou: "???"

Ling Hezhou said, "You're far too optimistic!"

Chi Yu asked, "But does the heart store memories? Shouldn't memories be stored in the brain?"

"..." Ling Hezhou screamed inwardly, You've gone way too far off topic!! Outwardly, however, he dutifully and helplessly explained to Chi Yu, "Yes. That's where cultivators differ from mortals. Cultivators can survive without a heart, but mortals can't. However, without a heart, a cultivator becomes like a funnel and can't retain memories. They can still cultivate, though. Losing their head really will kill them, because the Nascent Soul Spirit resides in the head, along with Divine Sense, spiritual roots, and all five senses. Once they lose their head, survival is absolutely impossible."

Chi Yu said, "Understood."

Seeing his unhurried manner, Ling Hezhou felt like an anxious attendant fretting over an unconcerned emperor. "Aren't you leaving yet? You only have seven days!"

Chi Yu said, "It's fine. That's plenty of time."

Chi Yu secretly rejoiced. Didn't expect this, did you, Xie Xiyi? I have a map!

Originally, the system updated Xie Xiyi's coordinates once a month, but after the beatings he had given it day after day, Xie Xiyi's coordinates now updated in real time!

While looking at the map, he also checked Xie Xiyi's favorability toward him. Excellent. Still 0, very, very steady. Chi Yu had never seen that number fluctuate.

Clearly, Xie Xiyi was extremely cold and heartless, entirely unmoved by outside things.

Ignoring Ling Hezhou's urging, Chi Yu ate and had a good night's sleep as planned before setting out to find Xie Xiyi.

"I have ninth-grade star sand from Guiyuan Pavilion. It's an utterly unique artifact-refining material, something money can't buy. I'll give you all of it. Please spare me!" A blue-robed Golden Core cultivator removed the Storage Bag from his waist and threw it toward Xie Xiyi.

The black mist caught the Storage Bag. As though his attitude had softened, Xie Xiyi said cheerfully, "Since you're so sincere, I'll let you off. But you must never appear before me again."

As though granted a pardon, the Golden Core cultivator hastily turned into a streak of light and flew into the distance.

Xie Xiyi stepped forward, counting in a pleasant voice, "One, two, three... ten."

Covered in blood, the blue-robed cultivator landed beside a stream. He dropped to his knees and was just about to sit cross-legged to recover some spiritual energy when a black figure appeared before him, black mist drifting around it and oppressive might bearing down on him.

The young man's lovely voice rang out. "What a coincidence. We meet again. But I told you, didn't I? Never appear before me again."

The blue-robed cultivator was horrified and stammered, "You-you've gone back on your word!"

The instant he finished speaking, his vision spun wildly. In his final second, he saw blood spurt from his own body like a waterfall. Then his consciousness sank completely into darkness.

The ninth-grade star sand that the blue-robed cultivator had treasured was dumped over him like rubbish. Xie Xiyi's voice rang out with a hint of puzzlement. "Do I look like I need this sort of thing?"

Phantom Lightning hummed in his hand. Xie Xiyi paused and raised the sword before him, his red ghost eyes fixed on Phantom Lightning. "You really are restless. Do you have some objection to me?"

Phantom Lightning hummed. Xie Xiyi chuckled. "You think it's dirty? How interesting. It's always been this way, and now you think killing is dirty?"

Just then, Chi Yu's voice came from far away. "Boss!!! I found you!"

Phantom Lightning shuddered violently, immediately slipped from Xie Xiyi's hand, and shot toward Chi Yu like lightning.

Xie Xiyi turned slightly and watched Phantom Lightning pounce toward Chi Yu as fiercely as a beast. Just before the cold gleam of its tip could hurt Chi Yu's face, it barely stopped, traced an exquisitely graceful semicircle in the air, and gently rubbed its hard, ridged hilt against Chi Yu's cheek. Chi Yu then gathered it into his arms and lifted a corner of his robe to wipe the bloody residue from its blade.

Once he finished, he walked over holding Phantom Lightning like a proper sword slave. His eyes shone like stars, carrying a trace of smugness he himself had not noticed, as he said to Xie Xiyi in a cheerful voice, "Boss, seven days aren't up yet. Please lift the curse."

Behind his mask, Xie Xiyi's smile slowly faded.

Something seemed to be slowly slipping beyond his control.

Author's note:

Chi Yu: Won a round back (thumbs-up.jpg)

Chapter 11: You had a reason to live again

Wangxian Continent, Tianyan Sect.

Ling Tian strode down Lingyun Peak, his expression cold and solemn. A young attendant chased after him, speaking urgently. "Senior brother, Elder Hua sent word that Yan Tongchen of the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect is looking for you. Apparently it's something very important, concerning that ghost-masked cultivator you mentioned."

Ling Tian halted and took the communication talisman from the young attendant. After confirming the message, he flew away on his sword.

Before long, he arrived at the grand hall where the Tianyan Sect received its guests.

Several elders presided in the grand hall. Seeing Ling Tian arrive, they introduced him. "Ling Tian, come here. This is Yan Tongchen, a personal disciple of the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect's sect master. He has come to discuss that ghost-masked cultivator with you."

Ling Tian had spent the past few days running around over this matter and was already thoroughly exhausted in mind and spirit. Sect Master Ling had entered secluded cultivation that could not lightly be disturbed, and the Yantian Sect was not a sect bound by deep affection and united purpose. Regarding Ling Hezhou's death and the end of his cultivation, only the disciples of the main peak, Lingyun Peak, were concerned, clamoring to avenge him. The other peaks looked on coldly, unconcerned.

Ling Tian could only take out his savings as a bounty, recruiting cultivators from across the world to hunt down that ghost-masked cultivator for him.

But something had gone wrong again this time. Every cultivator who encountered Ghost Mask had died, including Yu Liuxin of Jiyue Tower.

Yu Liuxin had been only one stage away from the peak of Golden Core. Having learned exquisite illusion arts from childhood, she had been groomed as a successor by Jiyue Tower's master and had a close relationship with him. The sect master had intended to arrange a marriage for them, making them Dao companions.

But Ling Tian privately felt that Yu Liuxin's water spiritual root would nourish Ling Hezhou's Dual Spiritual Roots of metal and wood well and was not a match for his own heavenly spiritual root, so he had kept refusing. He had also agreed with Yu Liuxin early on that once Ling Hezhou advanced a little further in cultivation, she would become Ling Hezhou's Dao companion.

After what happened to Ling Hezhou, Yu Liuxin had said that she too had a responsibility to avenge him. Thus, she had left the mountain and joined the punitive expedition to hunt down that ghost-masked cultivator.

Yet before long, her life lamp shattered, and she died, her cultivation ending with her.

When this news spread, Ling Tian became the target of universal condemnation, and relations between Jiyue Tower and the Tianyan Sect also showed signs of souring.

Unable to swallow this indignity, Ling Tian put all of Lingyun Peak's affairs in order and planned to select another group of disciples and personally descend the mountain to avenge Ling Hezhou.

Now that he heard someone from the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect had come, he naturally held nothing back. He took out an Image-Retaining Pearl and showed those from the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect and the others the recorded images of Ling Hezhou's death.