A side no one knew

After Xie Lingchuan brought Zhu Lianqing out of the cave, he first examined her injuries.

As his spiritual energy traveled through Zhu Lianqing's body, he did indeed sense that her spiritual meridians were sluggish and her cultivation was low.

But saving someone under the influence of Yesheng's fragrance was far beyond the cultivation Zhu Lianqing had shown him.

He was already at the late Golden Core stage, yet even he could not remain conscious under Yesheng's fragrance.

What was more... Zhu Lianqing could even enter his inner demon illusion through her divine sense.

Xie Lingchuan gathered his thoughts and transferred some spiritual energy to Zhu Lianqing. Once he was certain she was in no serious danger, he lifted her onto his back again.

The mountain paths were difficult to traverse, but fortunately, they had already eliminated the spirits and monsters here on their way up, and the bewildering mist in the mountains had dispersed.

After they descended the mountain, Song Wensheng took Shen Ji from Jiang Tingxue's back.

Still worried, Jiang Tingxue kept a supporting hand on him and warned, "Whatever you do, don't drop our eldest senior brother."

At that, Song Wensheng ran a couple of steps with the unconscious Shen Ji on his back. "Look, look, look! I'm a sixteen-year-old man, after all. Don't make me sound so useless!"

Jiang Tingxue nearly bristled at the sight and chased after him.

Yan Qing ran along behind them too.

With Zhu Lianqing on his back, Xie Lingchuan walked steadily the entire way.

When they reached the Liu residence, the servant who opened the door took one look at their battered, injured-looking state and immediately cried out.

"Oh, Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable! Master! Madam! Something's happened!"

The maid at the entrance also cried out at the sight and ran off to fetch the master and madam.

Jiang Tingxue scratched her head. "Is it really that serious...?"

Master Liu and his wife came rushing out. Seeing that both Zhu Lianqing and Shen Ji had been carried back, they immediately cried out.

"Oh, Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, what sin brought this upon us! Daoist! What happened to you, Daoist!"

"Quick, quick, quick! Fetch a physician!"

Xie Lingchuan stopped the servant who was about to run out just in time.

"There's no need. They've only suffered some injuries. A physician would be of no use to us."

Madam Liu slapped her forehead. "Look at me! I forgot all about that. Quick, quick, help the Daoists back to their rooms first. Ginseng! Thousand-year-old ginseng should be useful, shouldn't it? I'll fetch that root from the storeroom to nourish the two Daoists!"

Xie Lingchuan shook his head. "We appreciate your kindness, Madam, but just prepare some hot water. Nothing else is necessary."

"Yes, yes, hot water. Hurry and prepare hot water!"

The maids and servants dispersed in twos and threes, and only then did the commotion at the entrance subside.

"Daoist Xie, these two Daoists aren't in any serious danger, are they?"

Xie Lingchuan nodded. "They're in no serious danger. They'll wake by tomorrow at the latest."

Master Liu patted his chest in relief.

"That's good, that's good. You Daoists went up the mountain to slay demons for our Yunxi Town. If anything happened to you, I truly... wouldn't know what to do."

"These matters are our duty as cultivators. Whether we're injured or killed, it has nothing to do with you, sir. You needn't blame yourself."

But Master Liu shook his head. "Even if it's your duty, we should still remember your great kindness. You Daoists have rid Yunxi Town of the mountain demon and secured us several years of peace. We should still repay what we owe!"

Master Li glanced at Xie Lingchuan and the other three juniors and said, "How about having portraits painted of you Daoists and enshrining them in my residence as well?"

Jiang Tingxue, Song Wensheng, and Yan Qing immediately shook their heads like rattle drums.

"No, no, no! Absolutely not! Our ancestral master and our master are on that wall! How could we dare hang beside our master!"

"Then..."

"There really is no need to hang ours. Why not just hang Senior Brother Xie's? We barely contributed anything, so we wouldn't dare claim the credit."

Xie Lingchuan silently glanced at the three behind him, then turned back to Master Liu. "There's no need for mine either. My master is on that wall too."

Now Master Liu was at a loss. "In that case, how should we thank you Daoists for your kindness?"

Xie Lingchuan's gaze passed over Master Liu and settled on the hall filled with cultivators' portraits. Slowly, he said, "If you truly wish to, sir, perhaps you could hear a request of mine."

Master Liu immediately straightened. "Please speak, Daoist. As long as it's within my power, I'll certainly do it."

"Please clean the portrait of my master, Perfected Lord Nanhua, every few days, sir. Don't let her gather dust."

Master Liu readily agreed.

"Of course, of course. My daughter's wedding is approaching, and everyone in the household has been busy lately, so those portraits haven't been cleaned as often. I'm truly ashamed to have let your master's portrait gather dust."

Xie Lingchuan nodded. "That will do. We'll go tend to the two injured now."

Master Liu waved a hand. "Please, go ahead, Daoist."

Xie Lingchuan led the three juniors back toward the guest rooms.

When they reached a fork in the path, Xie Lingchuan said, "Go check on your eldest senior brother first. I'll join you later."

The three nodded and all headed for Shen Ji's room.

Xie Lingchuan stepped into Zhu Lianqing's room instead.

He felt Zhu Lianqing's forehead. Her temperature was a little low.

So Xie Lingchuan took a clean cloth, soaked it in the hot water that had been delivered, wrung it out, and laid it across Zhu Lianqing's forehead.

He stood before the bed, watching the unconscious Zhu Lianqing with an inscrutable look in his eyes.

She had been injured in his inner demon illusion.

Since she had been willing to suffer injury to save him, why deceive him like this?

Since the day they met in Wuxia Village, just how much of what she had said had been lies?

After a long while, Xie Lingchuan slowly raised his hand to his lips.

Underwater, when he opened his eyes, all he had seen was Zhu Lianqing's long hair floating behind her ears, a few strands brushing past his own.

But why had this spot felt numb?

Had he imagined it?

In the other room, the three youngsters kept vigil by their eldest senior brother's bedside, never leaving his side.

An hour later, the moment Shen Ji opened his eyes, three faces appeared in his field of vision.

Immediately afterward, a chorus of chattering voices rang out without pause.

"Eldest Senior Brother!"

"Eldest Senior Brother, you're finally awake!"

"Eldest Senior Brother, you scared us to death!"

"Eldest Senior Brother! Do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Shen Ji rubbed the space between his brows, then propped himself up on his elbows.

His memories flooded back, and he recalled falling victim to Yesheng's fragrance.

"I'm fine now." Shen Ji pulled his lips into a smile. Seeing his junior brothers and sister gathered safely around his bed, he finally relaxed.

"As long as you're all right. It was my fault for making you worry."

"How could it be! You were protecting us the whole time. Without you, that old Thousand-Vine Demon would have dragged us underwater and eaten us long ago."

"Eldest Senior Brother, Senior Brother Xie said Yesheng could summon people's inner demons. You seemed to be suffering when you first passed out. Did it bring up some bad memories?"

Shen Ji paused, but then gave a calm smile.

"It was nothing. I saw my mother and younger brother in the illusion. But I followed Master up the mountain very young, and I can no longer remember some things clearly. So those hardly qualify as inner demons."

Jiang Tingxue nodded at his words. "I see. As long as you're all right, Senior Brother!"

Shen Ji looked at Xie Lingchuan, who had been standing silently to one side, and asked, "Senior Brother Xie, may I ask what happened afterward? Were you the one who brought my junior brothers and sister out? Where did Senior go?"

Xie Lingchuan shook his head. "It wasn't me. It was her. Junior Sister Jiang said she cut down Yesheng and submerged it in the water, keeping its fragrance from spreading. I was underwater at the time, so I was pulled into an inner demon illusion too. She's injured now and recuperating in her room."

Slightly surprised, Shen Ji said, "She cut down Yesheng? Wasn't she affected by its fragrance?"

Xie Lingchuan nodded, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Yes. This person is no ordinary figure. We'll have to keep an even closer watch on her from now on. She must return to the Luoyu Sword Sect with us."

Shen Ji nodded. "I agree. She's concealing her cultivation, and I'm afraid even her identity and name may be false. With the Demon-Detecting Needle having identified her before, we must take her back to the Luoyu Sword Sect and hand her over to Senior Martial Uncle and Master."

After speaking, Shen Ji thought for a moment, then took the storage pouch from his sleeve and retrieved a porcelain bottle.

"Still, one matter is one matter, and another is another. We truly owe her thanks for today. This is the spiritual medicine Master prepared for us before we came down the mountain. It helps heal injuries. Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Xie, but please pass this on to her."

Xie Lingchuan's gaze flickered. He stepped forward and accepted the medicine bottle.

"Mm. I'll give it to her when she wakes."

The sky was gradually darkening.

Xie Lingchuan returned to the guest rooms in the east and stood in the courtyard.

He held out his hand, the little porcelain bottle resting in his palm.

Xie Lingchuan's gaze settled on it, gradually filling with jealousy.

His voice was low and hoarse, seemingly laced with endless resentment, yet mixed with grievance as well.

"From Master... heh, why!"

"Why would you bring something your own master gave you before me when you know perfectly well that I no longer have one! Calling 'Master, Master' all day long!"

"If you were showing off, then you've succeeded..."

Xie Lingchuan's voice trembled, and so did his hand.

The darkened sky concealed this side of him that no one knew, letting him speak unrestrained in the darkness, saying things at odds with his usual words and deeds.

After a long while, Xie Lingchuan's trembling breaths slowly steadied.

He gently closed his fingers. The porcelain bottle in his palm instantly crumbled to dust, and the spiritual medicine within vanished on the wind.