Wanted Gu Yi as His Male Concubine?

Lin Ning clutched her forehead and cried out in pain, "Ow, eldest senior brother! My brother is a genius. How can you compare me to him?"

Xiao Cheng shook his head helplessly.

"Speaking of that Demon Venerable Gu Yi, he seemed to appear out of nowhere around the time Xiao Yuan went missing. Before that, he was just an obscure disciple of the Illusory Demon Sect. Somehow, he became its sect leader, and then the Demon Venerable... Hey, hey, Xiao Yuan, where are you going?"

Before Lin Ning had finished, Lin Yuan already had one foot out the door. "To the Illusory Demon Sect!"

He did not know whether his Gu Yi was the Demon Venerable. Right now, he only wanted to find Gu Yi immediately.

His cultivation was so low, and his lifespan so short. Where else could he go without him?

Even if he really was the Demon Venerable everyone was hunting, so what? As long as he found him, he would be able to protect him.

Xiao Cheng and Lin Ning exchanged a startled glance and hurried after him.

They knew all too well that Lin Yuan had only just been found. They could not let anything happen to him again.

The three used Sword Flight at tremendous speed, reaching the Illusory Demon Sect in just two hours.

Along the way, Xiao Cheng and Lin Ning kept asking why Lin Yuan was coming to the Illusory Demon Sect and why he insisted on asking about that man named Gu Yi. But Lin Yuan said nothing, focusing only on flying as fast as he could.

Lin Ning could barely keep up with him, so Xiao Cheng had to carry her as they chased after Lin Yuan.

As soon as the three landed, Lin Yuan thought for a moment, then charged toward the Illusory Demon Sect.

If Gu Yi was the Demon Venerable, then as a former disciple of the Illusory Demon Sect, he might return here.

He had cultivated together with Gu Yi for an entire year, and they had only just parted. With that aura to guide him, he could find Gu Yi right away.

Xiao Cheng grabbed Lin Yuan. "Xiao Yuan, this is a Demonic Cult. If you charge straight in like this, I'm afraid..."

"Yes, Xiao Yuan, eldest senior brother is right. What exactly are you here for...?"

Her brother had been missing for four whole years, yet the moment he returned, he started asking about the Demon Venerable and rushed off to storm a Demonic Cult. Nothing about it seemed normal.

Something was definitely going on.

Lin Yuan pulled free of Xiao Cheng's hand. "I have to find him."

While the three remained at an impasse, disciples streamed out of the Illusory Demon Sect. "Who are you? What are you plotting, skulking around outside our Illusory Demon Sect?"

Seeing someone come out, Lin Yuan immediately said, "I'm here to find someone."

"Find someone? Who?" The disciple leading the group looked at the three of them and scoffed. "Judging by your clothes, you must be from the Qingling Sword Sect?"

"Gu Yi! I'm looking for Gu Yi!" Lin Yuan said grimly.

"Who did you say?" At Gu Yi's name, the Illusory Demon Sect disciples' expressions turned grave one after another.

Just then, a man dressed in white walked out of the Illusory Demon Sect. The disciples all bowed. "Protector Shen!"

Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Protector Shen waved a hand and burst out laughing. "Gu Yi died a year ago. The person you're looking for isn't here! Get lost if you know what's good for you!"

Lin Yuan frowned. "Hasn't he come back?"

Seeing her brother looking so distraught, Lin Ning was utterly bewildered too. "Xiao Yuan, Gu Yi was surrounded and killed a year ago... We all know that..."

"That's not right..."

Lin Yuan wanted to say more, but Protector Shen rudely interrupted him. "Dead is dead. Stop making trouble at our Illusory Demon Sect! Otherwise, don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

Lin Ning raised her eyebrows. Although the Illusory Demon Sect disciples threatened to show no mercy, they did not actually seem to intend to attack.

Was it because of the peace agreement?

"That's impossible! Gu Yi clearly..." Lin Yuan muttered.

"Xiao Yuan!" Xiao Cheng hurriedly caught hold of him and gave him a meaningful look.

The Illusory Demon Sect disciples filed back into the sect, and Protector Shen snorted. "Shut the gates!"

Bang-

The Illusory Demon Sect's gates shut tight.

"Protector Shen, should we tell the sect leader about this...?" a disciple asked.

"Do we need to bother the sect leader over something so trivial?"

Protector Shen ordered coldly, "If anyone else says Gu Yi is still alive, ignore them, without exception! Gu Yi is dead! Do you all understand?"

"Yes, Protector Shen!" the disciples replied.

"Wait. Send a reliable disciple to Heaven-Reaching Peak to ask around. Keep this confidential, and report directly to me once you have the information." With that, Protector Shen strode away.

Xiao Cheng frowned at Lin Yuan and asked solemnly, "Xiao Yuan, you said Gu Yi is still alive. Is that really true?"

Lin Yuan remained silent.

Seeing him like this, Xiao Cheng spoke again. "Xiao Yuan! It's not that Eldest Senior Brother doesn't believe you, but if the righteous sects learn that he's still alive, have you thought about what the consequences would be?"

Lin Yuan froze. He had been so intent on finding Gu Yi that he had never considered this.

He had been trapped beneath Heaven-Reaching Peak all these years and had no idea what had happened outside.

Lin Hai's few brief descriptions had given him no real sense of how serious the situation was.

Xiao Cheng gently patted Lin Yuan's shoulder and said earnestly:

"Demon Venerable Gu Yi is already dead. Even if he's still alive, practically everyone is out for his blood now. If you really want to find him, you can investigate privately, but you mustn't let anyone else know. Otherwise, you'll not only put him in danger, but bring trouble on our entire sect too."

Now that Lin Yuan had calmed down, he silently reproached himself.

If it really was as Gu Yi had said, and he had died because He Yan had schemed against him, then He Yan certainly would not let him off easily now that he was still alive.

With Gu Yi's current cultivation at only the Foundation Establishment Stage, if someone with ulterior motives discovered him, Lin Yuan feared he would not only fail to protect him but bring him even greater trouble instead.

Lin Yuan clenched his fists, remembering a casual exchange during one of his conversations with Gu Yi inside the barrier. That He Yan...

Lin Ning suddenly thought of how the Demon Venerable had died just like that and found it rather a pity. "That Demon Venerable you mentioned last time-why didn't he talk things through with that He Yan and give him the position of Demon Venerable? Then he wouldn't have ended up having to self-detonate."

"There's something you don't know, young immortal. That He Yan... is a pervert." Gu Yi's voice was flat. "He wanted to make the Demon Venerable his male concubine, to use for cultivation and pleasure. The Demon Venerable chose to take them both down rather than be humiliated to death."

At some point, Lin Yuan's large, well-defined hand had wrapped around Gu Yi's waist. "The Demon Venerable lived up to his title. He would rather die than submit."

Gu Yi trembled but did not resist. "Young immortal... are you saying I don't have as much backbone as the Demon Venerable?"

"No... you're much better at knowing when to yield."

Lin Yuan's lips moved beside his ear. "As long as you're alive, there's still hope... As long as you live, revenge is only a matter of time... Gu Yi... after the way I've treated you, if you want revenge once you get out, I'll be waiting..."

"...Mm... young immortal... you're joking. I don't want revenge..." Gu Yi's voice grew quieter and quieter. "Because..."

Lin Yuan never heard what came after "because." The rest was swallowed by his searing kiss.

His thoughts returned to the present. That He Yan actually wanted Gu Yi as his male concubine?

"Xiao Yuan? Xiao Yuan? What are you spacing out for?" Lin Ning nudged Lin Yuan. "Shall we go back? Otherwise, Grandpa will get worried!"

"Where is He Yan?" Lin Yuan suddenly asked.

Looking at the viciousness in Lin Yuan's eyes, Xiao Cheng felt for a moment as though he had become a different person, no longer the Xiao Yuan he once knew.

"Xiao Yuan, He Yan is the new leader of the Demonic Cult. He's currently at its headquarters, the Blood Demon Sect."

Lin Ning asked in confusion, "Why are you asking about him?"

Lin Yuan took off using Sword Flight. "Take me to the Blood Demon Sect!"

If Gu Yi had been captured by He Yan again... then...

Lin Yuan dared not think any further. He had to find Gu Yi, even if it cost him his life...

"Huh? Xiao Yuan!" Lin Ning looked at Xiao Cheng in utter bewilderment. "What's going on?"

Xiao Cheng shot Lin Ning a reproachful look. "Why did you have to say so much?"

Judging by Lin Yuan's appearance, he was most likely going there to fight. Although Xiao Cheng did not know why, he could not let anyone bully him.

"Let's catch up with him before anything else goes wrong." Then he hurriedly took out a voice transmission talisman and told Lin Hai that Lin Yuan was heading to the Blood Demon Sect.

Unlike the Illusory Demon Sect, the Blood Demon Sect did not have its gates tightly shut.

Disciples bustled back and forth at the entrance, busy with who knew what. They spotted the three before they even landed.

"Tell He Yan to come out!" Lin Yuan knew he had already wasted too much time. That faint connection with Gu Yi was about to vanish completely.

Without another word, he summoned his sword.

With one slash, he struck the three characters spelling "Blood Demon Sect."

Lin Ning: "!!!"

Why had Xiao Yuan suddenly become so furious? Standing beside him, Lin Ning unconsciously retreated a few steps and edged closer to Xiao Cheng.

Xiao Cheng reached back to grasp her wrist and called to Lin Yuan, "Junior brother, don't be rash!"

Hearing the commotion, He Yan emerged from the Blood Demon Sect. At the sight of the sword mark on the signboard, his expression instantly darkened. "Who did this?"

"You're He Yan?"

Lin Yuan looked at the newcomer, dressed in blue robes and holding a folding fan, just as Gu Yi had described. He really did look every bit the hypocrite.