Meiqiu vanished into the thickets. Ever since Rong Lü had heard Zhai Bairong hint at certain truths, he had become like someone hitting a dead end but refusing to turn back, stubbornly intent on forcing out whatever secret the Yingyue Sect was hiding. Zhai Bairong, unable to disclose the truth, could only hold his ground, dealing with the two of them at once.
Though it was technically two against one, it was effectively a duel. Duan Mingyu was inherently hesitant when facing Zhai Bairong, and his combat skills were somewhat lacking. Recalling Zhai Bairong’s previous warning—which had indeed come to pass—he forgot about attacking entirely and stood to the side, pleading with Zhai Bairong to tell him the truth.
Xu Yehua was already incensed by Nie Shiyun’s constant suppression. When he caught sight of Rong Lü and Duan Mingyu losing their will to fight, preoccupied with questioning the affairs of the Yingyue Sect, his fury reached a breaking point.
The moment his focus wavered, Nie Shiyun showed no mercy. With a flick of his sleeve, Xu Yehua was forced back several paces. He hurriedly raised his weapon to parry, but with a sharp crack, his Red Yin Twin-Bladed Saber was snapped clean in two.
Nie Shiyun was somewhat surprised himself by how easily he had destroyed Xu Yehua’s treasure.
The weapon was of high quality, but Xu Yehua had used it for a long time, and it had sustained considerable wear and tear. He had gradually begun to look down on it, thinking that the Sect Master of Akaiwa Cliff had promised to find him a high-grade spiritual tool once he successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. Believing his advancement was a foregone conclusion, he had neglected the maintenance of his old treasure.
Xu Yehua’s face turned a terrifying shade of black as he summoned a spare longblade, though he clearly knew the tide had turned. He was already at a disadvantage; now that his weapon had dropped a grade, how could he possibly defeat Nie Shiyun?
Through their spirit beast contract, Nie Shiyun could sense Meiqiu’s status and approximate location. He wasn't worried about Meiqiu falling into danger; after all, in the original novel, the Vermilion Bird Exotic Fire was difficult to handle, and Duan Mingyu had only managed to form a contract with it by utilizing Meiqiu’s abilities. However, while the fire couldn't harm Meiqiu, Meiqiu likely couldn't subdue it either. They were probably at a stalemate, with Meiqiu merely ensuring the fire didn't escape. Nie Shiyun wanted to wrap things up here quickly and get to Meiqiu’s side.
"Your Senior Brother truly cannot disclose this matter. However, I happen to know a thing or two as well. How about this? I’ll tell you the secret regarding Duan Mingyu, and in exchange, you simply give up on this Exotic Fire and flee for your lives," Nie Shiyun suggested with a smile.
Zhai Bairong gave Nie Shiyun an uncertain look. Indeed, if Nie Shiyun spoke, it was a loophole; it wouldn't count as Zhai Bairong breaking his oath.
"A secret regarding me...?" Duan Mingyu looked at Nie Shiyun in confusion.
Rong Lü looked over warily. He wasn't particularly good at reading people, and Nie Shiyun was the typical type whose expressions revealed nothing of his inner thoughts. He hesitated, caught in indecision.
Xu Yehua’s brow furrowed. He naturally didn't need Nie Shiyun to tell him the secret, as Akaiwa Cliff had already made it very clear. His expression wavered for a split second before he quickly adopted a look of urgent concern, warning the others, "Do not let these two hoodwink you! That Exotic Fire is what can truly help Mingyu!"
The Exotic Fire was important, but the so-called truth was equally relevant to Mingyu’s well-being, making it a difficult choice. Rong Lü was torn, but then a thought occurred to him: just a moment ago, Xu Yehua clearly wanted that fire for himself. Why the sudden change of heart, claiming it was for Mingyu?
Just as both sides had lowered their offensive momentum, it seemed infighting was breaking out once more on Duan Mingyu’s side. Nie Shiyun hadn't expected his casual suggestion to yield such a result. Though he didn't know the exact reason, he was now certain that Xu Yehua’s concern for Duan Mingyu was nothing like it had been in the original story.
Watching Xu Yehua and Rong Lü locked in a dispute, he found it somewhat tedious. When he first arrived in the cultivation world, he had closely monitored every move of the protagonist’s group, living with extreme caution. He never expected that a day would come when these people wouldn't even be worth his notice. Truly, the world was fickle.
At that moment, Nie Shiyun suddenly felt a surge of aggression from Meiqiu’s end of the contract. He had intended for Meiqiu to follow the fire silently and wait for him to arrive. Sensing the sudden transmission of Meiqiu’s nervous emotions, Nie Shiyun—despite his earlier claims of not being worried—could no longer remain at ease.
Nie Shiyun didn't care to waste more time on these people, who now looked like mere buffoons in his eyes. He exchanged a look with Zhai Bairong, and before the other three could react, the two of them vanished.
"Ah, they’re gone!" Duan Mingyu cried out.
Xu Yehua actually let out a sigh of relief, sneering, "What did I tell you? They were definitely trying to distract us. To think you’d be fooled by such a simple lie."
"..."
Rong Lü had no rebuttal. Nie Shiyun and his partner had surely headed straight for the Exotic Fire. Now that they had missed the chance to ask about the truth, regardless of whether the other side had been lying, it could be said they had lost both the sesame seed and the watermelon.
Duan Mingyu’s thoughts were much simpler: "But... it’s not like we could have beaten them anyway! Brother Rong Lü can't beat Senior Brother, and you can't beat Nie Shiyun... We might as well just ask them about the Yingyue Sect! What if they really do know?"
If there had been a fleeting moment where the Exotic Fire seemed within reach and Xu Yehua felt he was back on the "right track" of the original plot—thinking he could take the prize and flee with Duan Mingyu—that unrealistic fantasy had now been shattered into pieces. *And the one dragging us down the most is you, Duan Mingyu!* He suppressed the sudden surge of resentment and hatred in his chest, turning his back to the two of them for a long while before he could fix his expression.
Though Rong Lü was unwilling, he had to admit his skills were inferior. He saw that Zhai Bairong hadn't intended to kill him or Duan Mingyu, and Nie Shiyun didn't seem bothered by that either, which caused some of the resentment in his heart to dissipate.
Recalling Nie Shiyun’s aura from earlier, he had to conclude that they likely couldn't win a confrontation. Thus, he decided to follow Duan Mingyu’s lead and abandon the idea of fighting for the fire. "Whether it’s true or not, Nie Shiyun said he knows the secret about you. I can't just ignore that. I’m sorry, I can't seize the Exotic Fire for you, but for your sake, I am willing to lower my head and ask them one more time."
It wasn't the first time he had lowered his head. Back in the secret realm, Rong Lü had already begged Zhai Bairong once for the sake of medicine.
"Thank you, Brother Rong Lü," Duan Mingyu nodded. Since it concerned his own physical condition, he was naturally the most curious. He then looked at Xu Yehua, who had been silent for a long time, and said, "Then it’s settled! Yehua, are you coming too? I know you loathe Nie Shiyun, but there’s no other way now..."
Rong Lü interrupted sharply, "Didn't you see his attitude just now? He definitely doesn't want to. The two of us will go."
Xu Yehua’s face was cold. Rong Lü actually wanted to ditch him here. He had traveled thousands of miles from Akaiwa Cliff, only to be suppressed by his nemesis Nie Shiyun without any power to strike back, and the Exotic Fire he’d almost grasped was gone. Now they expected him to return empty-handed? Impossible!
"I’m going. Why wouldn't I?" Xu Yehua forced a stiff, mirthless smile. *In the worst-case scenario...*
Duan Mingyu didn't notice anything amiss. "It’s all for me, I’ve put you in a difficult position... Let’s go together then!"
Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were long gone, but Duan Mingyu felt that as long as the Exotic Fire was here, the two wouldn't have left the island. After the earlier struggle, all three of them had sustained various degrees of injury. They could take this moment to recover slightly and then seek out Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong to sue for peace and ask about his situation.
***
Inside the cave.
After Shen Yan took the medicinal pills gifted by Zhai Bairong, his recovery speed was more than twice as fast as before.
He couldn't help but marvel at the quality of work from a prominent sect. In recent years, Zhai Bairong had become quite famous among the younger generation of alchemists. Although the remnant soul of the Azure Lotus Exotic Fire couldn't compare to a true Exotic Fire, it was an invaluable aid for alchemy. The Yingyue Sect had once boasted about their eldest disciple obtaining it. Unfortunately, the man didn't seem interested in making money through alchemy; aside from joining in the fun when Nie Shiyun opened his shop, he rarely practiced for others.
However, in the cultivation world, most high-level alchemists put on more airs than the heavens themselves. Zhai Bairong’s indifferent attitude was a bit cold, but not strange. If anything was strange, it was Nie Shiyun—who was clearly filthy rich yet never turned down a request for artifact forging, seemingly unafraid of devaluing his status.
Shen Yan put away his Soul-Summoning Banner and took a change of clothes from his storage bracelet, replacing his blood-stained, scorched, and tattered robes. He clenched his fist, feeling a deep regret that he had found the Exotic Fire but lacked the strength to subdue it. Since childhood, he had been used to a life where he owed no one and bore all consequences alone. But now, he owed Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong another favor. Shen Yan let out a long sigh, feeling somewhat lost.
"Don't run—! Ha! Aren't you just a clump of reddish fire! What are you acting so arrogant for!"
Suddenly, a voice drifted in from outside the cave, approaching and then receding so quickly that Shen Yan didn't have time to react before it was far away.
Shen Yan froze. Years of living in a state of high alert made his body instinctively tense up, ready for battle. But he quickly realized the voice sounded familiar. Though childish, it was somewhat raspy—a very distinctive voice. Wasn't that the brat Nie Shiyun always carried around!
Although that child named Xuan Yang was cute and likable, his attitude was truly subpar. Shen Yan didn't find him particularly annoying, though; after all, the kid looked only four or five years old but was already at the Qi Condensation stage! It was only natural for him to be arrogant.
"Hey!"
Shen Yan hurriedly ran to the cave entrance, looking around, but saw no one. When Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong had arrived earlier, he hadn't seen the child. Now the child was running past all alone—what was going on?
Nie Shiyun had never explicitly stated Xuan Yang’s identity, and Shen Yan had guessed he was likely a junior being secretly groomed by Yunqing Pavilion. Forget small sects; even in the context of the entire cultivation world, he would be considered a child prodigy. It made sense for Yunqing Pavilion to keep him hidden. Who would have thought that a grand Nascent Soul cultivator like Nie Shiyun would be so unreliable as to bring a Qi Condensation child to such a dangerous place?
"Why am I meddling in Yunqing Pavilion’s family business..." Shen Yan had instinctively chased after him for a few paces before suddenly stopping. He had suffered earlier and had already added Duan Mingyu and the others to his list of enemies. Right now, he should be focusing on recovering his strength so he could take his revenge when the opportunity arose.
That was how he had always lived.
Shen Yan stood there for a moment, glancing at the empty medicine bottle in his hand. He thought back to how Nie Shiyun had allowed him to stay in the back mountains to hide from his pursuers. After a long silence, he let out a self-deprecating sigh and chased after the voice.
Enjoying the story? Rate this novel:
Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 115 | A Fragile Alliance Crumbles | Novela.app | Novela.app
