DTPDTDS 24

Chapter 24

Mu Chen felt a strange mix of emotions watching his little disciple hiding in his room, bullying a duck. His gaze towards Gu Yun Jue was unreadable.

Gu Yun Jue masked the deeper meaning in his eyes, running over with a bright smile and affectionately calling out, “Master!” while taking Mu Chen’s hand.

Mu Chen was about to offer some words of instruction when Guan Shan arrived with a plate of sugar cakes. Bowing respectfully, he said with a smile, “Young Master, the sugar cakes you requested.”

Mu Chen entered the room, stroking Gu Yun Jue’s head, and asked with a frown, “Young Master?”

“Little Palace Lord sounds unpleasant,” Gu Yun Jue pouted. “It sounds like Little Princess.”

Mu Chen lightly smacked his head. “Aren’t you being raised like a princess now?”

Gu Yun Jue caught the hand on his head, kneading it gently, enjoying the smooth texture. He leaned closer, tilting his head up to ask, “Then wouldn’t you be the Old Princess?”

“Old?” Mu Chen’s face darkened. He felt the urge to pick up this little brat and spank him. How dare he call him old! Where was he old? People of his cultivation level were practically all old men!

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“Ohld kq Yypvla clnsxlp sze yde wtzu, vbkp ekpnkrzl okzz pvkzz zshl Yypvla vbl xspv.” Qw Zwd Kwl scplahle Yw Ubld’p lmralppksd, ldfsukdt vlypkdt vbkp yzssq rlapsd yde eayokdt swv ekqqlaldv lxsvksdp. Eblvbla fsu sa ydtla, vblu yeele y vswnb sq nszsa vs vbyv clywvkqwz qynl. Fllkdt Yw Ubld’p lmralppksd psqvld pzktbvzu, bl nsdvkdwle, “Ebld R taso wr, R’zz yzps aykpl Yypvla zkjl y rakdnlpp, jllrkdt usw kd y xytdkqknldv ryzynl. Yypvla osd’v byhl vs es yduvbkdt, fwpv oyvnb shla xl.”

Yw Ubld’p qynl eyajldle ytykd. Mbyv’p y rkt, dsv y rakdnlpp!

Tl srldle bkp xswvb, oydvkdt vs nsaalnv Qw Zwd Kwl’p vbkdjkdt, cwv nsdpkelakdt bkp zkvvzl ekpnkrzl’p pldpkvkhl dyvwal yde bkp sod zkxkvle hsnycwzyau, bl nswzed’v qkde vbl aktbv osaep okvbswv nywpkdt sqqldpl. Tl qlzz pkzldv, bkp lmralppksd nsdqzknvle, bkp caso pzktbvzu qwaasole kd qawpvayvksd.

Qw Zwd Kwl oyvnble bkx okvb yxwplxldv, y qzknjla sq xkavb kd bkp eyaj lulp. Tl sqqlale pkdnlal raykpl, “Yypvla zssjp ps yesayczl aktbv dso.”

Mbl czynj ltt, pbakdjkdt kd vbl nsadla vaukdt vs xkdkxkgl kvp ralpldnl, nshlale kvp qynl okvb kvp okdtp ytykd. Fs pbyxlzlpp, lhld eyakdt vs vlypl bkp sod xypvla. Tsolhla, Yw Ubld rascyczu oswzed’v wdelapvyde vbl dwydnl.

Gp lmrlnvle, Yw Ubld qkdyzzu qswde bkp osaep, kxxlekyvlzu nsaalnvkdt Qw Zwd Kwl. “Zsw nyd’v fwpv wpl ‘yesayczl’ vs raykpl psxlsdl. Ylxsakgl sdl bwdeale keksxp cu vsxsaaso, yde R’zz vlpv usw vsdktbv.”

Qw Zwd Kwl alrzkle sclekldvzu, “Yypvla kp aktbv. Mbkp ekpnkrzl okzz alxlxcla.”

Yw Ubld pyv esod, dsvknkdt vbl pvkzz-olv kdj sd vbl vyczl. Tl rknjle wr y cawpb, ealo y xleknkdyz blac, yde cltyd iwlpvksdkdt Qw Zwd Kwl ycswv obyv bl bye zlyadle shla vbl rypv vos eyup. Qw Zwd Kwl ydpolale qzyozlppzu, elpnakckdt vbl blac’p wplp okvbswv y pkdtzl xkpvyjl.

Mu Chen nodded in satisfaction, praising him. “Good. Starting tomorrow, you can go to the Scripture Pavilion and choose any books and cultivation techniques you like. Take the token I gave you; take whatever you want.”

Only Mu Chen would speak of the sect’s Scripture Pavilion as if it were his personal library.

Gu Yun Jue agreed with a smile. The Chong Yun Sect possessed a rich heritage. In his past life, Mu Chen had granted him access, allowing him to come and go freely, leading him to discover many valuable treasures.

After the lesson, Mu Chen stood up, glancing at the black egg curled into a ball before reminding Gu Yun Jue, “This black egg… is also a living being. Don’t bully it too much.”

Black egg: “…” A living… thing…

Gu Yun Jue picked up the black egg, rubbing it before tossing it into the air and catching it, holding it in his palm with a childlike grin. “This disciple is just playing with it.”

Seeing his little disciple acting like a normal, playful child brought a smile to Mu Chen’s face. “Just know your limits.”

After Mu Chen left, Gu Yun Jue’s lips curved slightly. He lifted the black egg by its shoulders with two fingers, looking into its despairing eyes. “Black egg,” he said gently, “I had them make sugar cakes for you. Didn’t you say you wouldn’t refuse anything? Eat them while they’re hot.”

The black egg nearly despaired. It had returned with Mu Chen, hoping to grow up peacefully in this tranquil place, gain enough strength to return and sweep across the demon realm, becoming the magnificent Demon Monarch, strutting through the three realms, making even phoenixes call it father. However, its ideals were grand, but reality was harsh. Now, it was a prisoner, kept as a spirit pet, and offered sugar cakes? How could it, with its flat duck bill, eat sugar cakes? They would stick to its beak! It craved souls, the more evil, the better!

At midnight, after Mu Chen entered meditation, Gu Yun Jue set up a barrier, retrieved the black egg from its cage. The memory of himself acting like a fool, leading that ugly, motley fluff ball around the mountain, made him want to crush it.

The black egg once again transformed into a shivering quail abandoned in the cold wind.

Guan Shan appeared silently in Gu Yun Jue’s room, bowing respectfully. “Young Master, everything is prepared.”

Gu Yun Jue nodded, flicking his wrist. The Soul Protecting Bell appeared in his palm, growing larger. In an instant, all three figures vanished.

The Soul Protecting Bell contained its own space. One half was filled with the songs of birds and fragrant flowers, a spiritual spring flowing nearby. The other half was an endless gray expanse, a consequence of the missing Kun Bell, leaving the space incomplete. Only by finding the other half would the Qian-Kun Soul Protecting Bell be whole. However, for now, it provided a space to conduct matters hidden from Mu Chen.

Gu Yun Jue’s lips curved. “Begin.”

Guan Shan acknowledged, starting to set up the formation. Gu Yun Jue, holding the black egg, watched with a relaxed expression.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Ji Qing Yuan felt a sudden pang of foreboding. He stood up, but before he could react, he felt his soul being grasped, relentlessly pulled outwards. Ji Qing Yuan watched in horror as his soul was extracted from his body, his form collapsing, rapidly turning into a pile of demon-infused bones.

His power had been completely revoked by Yu Tian Yi. Out of consideration for their past brotherhood, he had been imprisoned, spared his life. His spiritual veins were crippled, but his soul remained, a flicker of hope allowing him to cling to existence. Those who had once befriended him now kept their distance to avoid suspicion. He was as desolate as he had once been glorious, confined alone in a secret chamber, his situation unnoticed. Even if discovered, it would be attributed to the backlash of demonic cultivation, his soul destroyed without a trace.

Watching the gradually solidifying figure, Gu Yun Jue shook the black egg, smiling gently. “Eat him, and you can advance. I don’t keep useless things. You’d better prove your worth.”

The black egg’s eyes lit up, fixated on Ji Qing Yuan’s forming demonic soul with a red glow. It flew into the air, transforming into a black crow with scarlet eyes, a golden beak, and three golden feathers atop its head that ignited into flickering flames. In this form, it was slightly more aesthetically pleasing—a Three-Legged Golden Crow chick, an abyssal demon of the demon realm!

Ji Qing Yuan was initially disoriented, unsure of his location. Upon seeing Gu Yun Jue clearly, he instantly recognized him. “You’re Mu Chen’s disciple!”

Gu Yun Jue waved with a smile. The black egg, like a hungry bird swooping down on its prey, lunged forward. Starved for so long, it couldn’t wait any longer. Its sharp beak tore into Ji Qing Yuan’s soul, ripping off a chunk. Accompanied by Ji Qing Yuan’s helpless screams, it moaned in satisfaction, then attacked even more ferociously.

The agony of his soul being torn apart piece by piece caused Ji Qing Yuan to scream in anguish. His terror and despair made his soul even more delectable, driving the demonic crow into a frenzy.

Gu Yun Jue recalled the anger and despair in Mu Chen’s eyes when he witnessed him being ambushed. Looking at the despair before him now, he smiled with satisfaction. His little master was too kind. Killing him with a single sword would have been too merciful.

Returning to his room in high spirits, Gu Yun Jue retrieved a white scroll, spreading it on the table with a smile. He rolled up his sleeves, dipped his brush in ink, and meticulously painted a picture of a bathing beauty. The details were exquisite, down to the muscle texture and the lines of the collarbone, a testament to the vividness of the memory in his mind.

It was Mu Chen.

This was the reason Mu Chen said Gu Yun Jue would surpass him. Not only was his calligraphy bold and forceful, penetrating deep into the paper, but his painting skills were also unparalleled.

After finishing the painting, Gu Yun Jue narrowed his eyes, smiling in satisfaction. He waved his sleeve, drying the ink, carefully rolling up the scroll and tying it with a red string. He placed it in a separate spatial ring. From now on, anything related to his little master would be stored separately, protected from contamination.

Hugging his pillow, Gu Yun Jue walked towards Mu Chen’s room.

Mu Chen, meditating, opened his eyes, seeing his little disciple seeking him out in the middle of the night. He opened his arms, waiting for him to rush into his embrace. He felt the sweat on the child’s forehead and asked with concern, “Had a nightmare?”

Gu Yun Jue nodded miserably.

Mu Chen lay down, pulling the child into his arms. “Master will hold you. Don’t be afraid.”

Gu Yun Jue burrowed into his embrace, hugging Mu Chen’s waist tightly. Mu Chen held him close, comforting him. “Don’t be afraid.”

————

Early the next morning, Mu Chen sat by the window, reading alchemy formulas. Jing Ming bounced in from outside, holding a rope, asking excitedly, “Where’s the black egg? I found a new rope, and bells!”

So noisy this early in the morning, Mu Chen frowned slightly.

Seeing his expression, Gu Yun Jue smiled faintly, walking over. “Last night, it said it wanted to enter seclusion to advance. I let it go to the back mountain.” A Nascent Soul stage soul wasn’t so easily consumed. It would take at least a month for the black egg to fully absorb it.

Jing Ming dejectedly put away the rope, having no immediate use for it.

Mu Chen beckoned Jing Ming, who hurried over, lowering his head, seeking affection.

Mu Chen handed him a jade token, instructing him, “Accompany Yun’er to the Scripture Pavilion and let him choose whatever he likes. If anyone dares to snatch anything from him, fight back.”

Gu Yun Jue approached, straightening Mu Chen’s robes, asking with anticipation, “Master, won’t you come with this disciple?”

“I need to refine pills. Let Jing Ming accompany you.”

Gu Yun Jue smoothed Mu Chen’s hair, asking again, “Then this disciple will return to dine with Master at noon.”

Mu Chen nodded absentmindedly. “Go on.”

Gu Yun Jue narrowed his eyes, masking his displeasure. He cupped Mu Chen’s face, and in the moment Mu Chen was stunned, he leaned in—and kissed him!

Mu Chen: “…”

Author’s Notes:

Irresponsible Short Play:

*Black Cat: “Damn it! I can’t write anymore! Chen Chen was kissed by a pervert!!” *

Mu Chen: “It’s about to be VIP-locked. You can’t give up now.”

Black Cat: “But I have to write ten thousand words! The thought of him growing up makes me not want to write anymore! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻”

Mu Chen: “When you can’t write, look at your own cat, the one who had his balls cut off, wears an Elizabethan collar, and still manages to chase chestnuts around the living room. What reason do you have to not write?”

Black Cat: “…” You’re so right, I’m speechless (:з」∠)