Rebirth As A Human Cauldron Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Perhaps his intense gaze was too bare, causing Wen Yushu to tilt his head slightly and inquire, “This little brother is…”

Bai Lingzhi, with his arm around Qin Duan’s waist, cut in with a cheerful smile, interrupting him, “He is the one who ran away before. It was my negligence that allowed someone to intercept him halfway.” As he spoke, he snorted lightly and took out an object from his storage ring, throwing it over, “This thing is the one you gave to that sword cultivator, right?”

Wen Yushu didn’t move, and an invisible airflow held the object thrown by the other party—a black token faintly inscribed with the character “羽” (feather), exactly the one Feng Lie had given to Qin Duan.

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“Xd vbkp kvlx, vblal’p vbl yway sq xu yppyppkdyvksd taswr… Mbl Wlyvbla Msjld, aktbv? Mbyv’p kdelle vbl sdl R tyhl vs Wldt Nkl.” Eld Zwpbw nbwnjzle zktbvzu, “Xaktkdyzzu, R kdvldele qsa bkx vs nyaau vbkp kvlx qsa nsdhldkldnl, cwv dso kv byp ldele wr kd Nsae Jyk’p bydep. Rv pllxp… Tl oydvle vbyv rlapsd vs cakdt vbl Wlyvbla Msjld vs qkde xl, cwv oyp kdvlanlrvle cu Nsae Jyk?”

“Mbyv xktbv dsv cl vbl nypl. Uzlyazu, swa eyazkdt blal oyp kdqyvwyvle okvb xl yde okzzkdtzu oyzjle kdvs xu vayr.” Jyk Nkdtgbk pyke, “Jlpkelp, bl psze bkxplzq vs vbl Wldtuwl Msola zsdt yts, ps bl’p yzalyeu xkdl. Ebyv eslp kv byhl vs es okvb vbyv posae nwzvkhyvsa?”

Eld Zwpbw pxkzle yde eked’v alrzu ekalnvzu. Tl sdzu ypjle, “Fs, Nsae Jyk kdhkvle xl blal. Rp vblal psxlvbkdt usw dlle vs ekpnwpp?”

“Kwpv oydvle vs vlzz usw vbyv vbl vbkdt usw oydvle, R rlapsdyzzu caswtbv kv qsa usw. Illr kv rasrlazu, yde usw nyd rzyu okvb kv obld usw alvwad vs uswa ryhkzksd. Kwpv cl nywvkswp dsv vs eyxytl vbl qswdeyvksd yde yqqlnv swa ckt rzyd.” Jyk Nkdtgbk rwzzle Ckd Pwyd kd qasdv sq bkx, ekpaltyaekdt vbl zyvvla’p pvkqq lmralppksd, yde rzyuqwzzu pyke, “Rv’p y rkvu, vbswtb. Rq Yypvla Eld’p lulpktbv olald’v kxrykale, usw nswze byhl vyjld ydsvbla zssj yv xypvla.”

“After all, they look so alike, and it feels a bit strange to attack suddenly and give up so easily.” Qin Duan felt the scorching body temperature behind him but broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that this little lunatic was intending to sell him off. He wasn’t sure of the reason, but being in Wen Yushu’s hands was not a good sign.

However, escaping in this situation would be nothing but a fool’s dream. So Qin Duan gave up struggling, lazily leaning into Bai Lingzhi’s embrace, and coldly watching what these two troublemakers would come up with.

Even if it meant death, he had never been afraid.

He just… felt somewhat regretful because of Bai Lingzhi’s intense affection. It was destined to be disappointed.

Amidst the mess of thoughts, Qin Duan couldn’t tell whether he felt uncomfortable, relieved, or both. Nevertheless, he was accustomed to suppressing his emotions, so these feelings flickered and vanished in his heart, without a trace showing on his face.

Naturally, Bai Lingzhi didn’t notice anything. On the contrary, Wen Yushu smiled understandingly and said, “If Lord Bai truly can’t bear it, then keep it.”

The man disapproved, saying, “He is not really my master, so why would I feel reluctant? Moreover, there are some things I haven’t taken care of yet, and having a burden like him is inconvenient. Your Assassination Group has many members, and it’s easier for you to handle him.”

“…I truly appreciate this favor,” Wen Yushu replied, feeling pleasantly surprised.

Bai Lingzhi snorted, “Don’t pretend to be courteous with me. If it weren’t for the fact that you were an old friend of my master, I wouldn’t bother…” He paused for a moment, unable to find the right adjective, so he stopped talking altogether.

Wen Yushu gave a courteous nod and said, “In that case, I am grateful for your help.”

Only then did Bai Lingzhi look back at Qin Duan. His golden vertical pupils showed a rare hint of coldness, but the latter met his gaze without fear. Qin Duan’s lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing.

Stepping out of Bai Lingzhi’s embrace, Qin Duan walked confidently towards Wen Yushu. Bai Lingzhi watched his retreating figure from behind, suddenly feeling as if he were the one being abandoned.

…Impossible! He smirked mockingly, just a mere look-alike, why should he truly care?

The slight reluctance he felt was genuine, but it was just that—mere reluctance. It couldn’t affect anything.

Suppressing the uneasiness in his heart, Bai Lingzhi briefly gave some instructions and then turned and left.

As the aura completely disappeared, Qin Duan finally relaxed. He narrowed his eyes and openly assessed the person before him, asking coldly, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“With the cloth covering, naturally, I cannot see.” Wen Yushu replied in a pleasant and gentle tone, “Little brother, rest assured. Although I’m visually impaired, I am not incompetent. Since Lord Bai entrusted you to me, I won’t let you suffer any grievances.”

His voice was clear and his demeanor was gentlemanly, without any airs of arrogance. Talking to him, one couldn’t help but develop a good impression.

However, Qin Duan didn’t appreciate it and instead took a step forward, waving his hand in front of the man’s eyes. Seeing his audacity, one of Wen Yushu’s subordinates shouted, “Bold—”

“An Ran,” Wen Yushu stopped the man and shook his head, “He is Lord Bai’s esteemed guest. Do not offend him.”

“But he…” the subordinate began.

“How I treat him is none of your business,” Qin Duan coldly sneered, retracting his hand.

“How did you become blind?” he asked directly, surprising even Wen Yushu, who paused for a moment before helplessly saying, “My skills were not refined, and I lost control during seclusion cultivation, accidentally injuring my eyes. I had no choice but to redirect my inner qi to my eyes, resulting in their damage. That’s all.”

His tone was indifferent, as if he didn’t care much about his own blindness, and there was even a hint of relief.

Suddenly, Qin Duan lost interest in further questioning and remained silent.

Although he had some unpleasant experiences with this person in his past life, ultimately, Wen Yushu was one of his few remaining friends… Qin Duan had lived too long in this life, with very few memories that carried any sentimental value, but Wen Yushu happened to be one of them.

In the past, he could have mockingly taunted him or asked if he could cure his condition, but now, he was just a toy given as an afterthought. Wen Yushu gave him face, but that didn’t mean he would indulge him.

The truth was, due to his weak cultivation and being labeled as a fake, no one took him seriously. Neither Feng Lie nor Bai Lingzhi did, and Wen Yushu was even less likely to do so.

Qin Duan rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling cold. He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer like this. Wasn’t his ordeal in the Abyssal Demon Cavern enough? Why did they have to take away the power he gained after escaping from death? And why send him, a powerless person, to these people’s doorstep?

He felt unwilling.

With such thoughts, he clenched his fist tightly, and a surge of demonic energy rose from his feet. Red air currents lifted his robes, making the silver bells on his right wrist jingle.

Wen Yushu looked somewhat surprised and asked, “You’re actually a demonic cultivator?”

In the chaos of his mind, Qin Duan chuckled softly in response, “What, are you planning to kill me?”

Wen Yushu fell silent for a few seconds and sighed, “How could I…”

He reached out and lightly touched Qin Duan’s forehead. Suddenly, Qin Duan felt all his strength being instantly drawn away. His legs weakened, and he fell into Wen Yushu’s embrace.

“You—!”

“I promised to protect you, and I won’t harm you in the slightest.” Wen Yushu patted his back reassuringly, “But this place is not a territory for demonic cultivators. So, come back with me to Liangzhou.”

Liangzhou, again, Liangzhou.

Qin Duan closed his eyes. It was where everything began and ended for them.

Many, many years ago, Liangzhou was divided among the three families: Qin, Wen, and Li. Qin family pursued the path of sword cultivation, Wen family focused on the path of the heart, and the Li family practiced the path of alchemy.

The Li family was low-key and reserved, with their mansion hidden deep in the mountains. They rarely left their seclusion and had little contact with the outside world. On the other hand, the Qin family was renowned for its escort business, while the Wen family had its own trading caravan. The two families had cooperated for many years, forming a deep friendship.

During a family banquet, the young master of the Qin family encountered the young master of the Wen family for the first time. Mistaking him for a girl, the young master of the Qin family managed to climb a tree using the Three-Legged Cat Kung Fu he had practiced for a year and plucked a fully bloomed plum blossom.

Fortunately, Young Master Wen had a reputation for being easy-going and didn’t refuse his advances. However, he ended up getting a beating from his own father and had to apologize the next day.

Initially feeling indignant, when he looked into those clear and gentle eyes, all his anger seemed to dissipate.

After that, every few days, one could spot that sly figure on the walls of the Wen mansion or hear the laughter of children in the courtyard.

At that time, he was called Qin Xu, meaning “rising sun in the east,” the only son of the Qin family. He was doted on by his elders and had a carefree personality, becoming more and more unruly.

If there was anything that could restrain him, it was Wen Yushu… It was strange, considering that the young man was a few years younger, but he behaved like a little adult. In Qin Xu’s memory, Young master Wen was always speaking softly with a good temper, as if nothing in the world could shake his eyes.

Naturally, he had developed an affection for this brother who seemed like he would be bullied wherever he went. He would occasionally pinch the young man’s cheeks and force him to call him “big brother.” In this manner, they truly became like real brothers.

This person, who carried all his childhood memories, became Qin Duan after the Qin family’s destruction a hundred years later. When the two met again in Liangzhou, Qin Xu was still amazed by the tenderness in those eyes.

Especially that year when he left Bai Lingzhi, his Dao heart was unstable, and when he met an old friend, it was as if he fell under a spell. He wished to vent all his grievances.

He hid his identity as a demonic cultivator and became friends with Wen Yushu in the name of a sword cultivator. Even though he had forgotten the gestures of holding a sword.

But Wen Yushu didn’t mention it, even though he must have recognized him a long time ago—after all, he was so clever, how could he not see it?

He must have recognized him but kept silent due to their identities.

Sipping the wine in his cup, Qin Duan thought drowsily, if Yushu truly minded his identity… then he would stop cultivating and rely solely on the demonic energy in his dantian to sustain this body. It would be okay to live like a mortal until his life came to an end.

At least, at least, someone in this vast world… would remember him.

After killing, demonic cultivators were prone to falling crazy because of the inner demons. Qin Duan had managed to endure all these years using his cultivation method, but he almost fell crazy when that person broke the Dao. It was the closest he had come to falling into the demonic path during his thousand years of cultivation. If Wen Yushu continued to play his act for a few more days, Qin Duan might have truly become a helpless puppet.

Now, thinking about it, he should be grateful for that person’s mercy.

Qin Duan sarcastically smiled and looked up at the half-covered face of Wen Yushu, who was half-supporting him with one hand on the crutch. Wen Yushu was not walking fast, but each step was steady and never wrong, as if he had perfect vision.

If not for his ability to use divine sense to see things after forming his Nascent Soul, Qin Duan would have doubted if Wen Yushu was acting again… He had suffered the biggest setback after changing his name and identity, and it was all because of this little rascal. He had to be cautious around him.

“An Ran, bring the carriage over,” Wen Yushu ordered his subordinate before turning to Qin Duan and saying, “The journey is a bit long. If you’re afraid of motion sickness, you can tell me.”

Qin Duan turned his head away, refusing to talk.

However, when it was time to get on the carriage, he found that he couldn’t muster any strength in his body and was supported by Wen Yushu to climb aboard. When Wen Yushu’s palm brushed against his lower back, Qin Duan shuddered instantly and reflexively pushed him away, saying, “Get away!”

He took two deep breaths and realized that his body was trembling uncontrollably. It wasn’t until he bit his tongue and drew blood that he finally calmed down.

Wen Yushu didn’t expect it and stumbled back a step, supported by his subordinate from behind.

The subordinate was also at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm and was a bit impulsive. He scolded, “How can you be so ungrateful—”

Wen Yushu raised his hand to stop the subordinate from speaking. He wasn’t a saint, and after being offended again and again, he felt a bit displeased. However, he still maintained his composure on the surface.

“Although I don’t know why you hold such animosity towards me, Lord Bai has entrusted you to me, and there must be a reason for that,” he said, bowing his fist. “Please forgive me if I’ve offended you.”

Qin Duan leaned against the corner, feeling a numbness in the spot where he had been touched.

That was the place where someone had broken him in the past, making him unable to stand up again and forced to lie on the ground like a dog, struggling even to lift his head.

The Asura Body had the ability to regenerate, but his dantian and acupoints were sealed. The chains that crossed his sternum had destroyed his remaining body technique, leaving him trapped in that cold water dungeon, barely able to survive…

But all of that couldn’t compare to the pain caused by that person’s words.

Wen Yushu considerately found a more distant spot to sit down, placing the crutch on his lap.

Having been blind for many years, his other five senses and divine sense were extraordinarily acute. He quickly sensed that something was off with that person.

There was a feeling about him that Wen Yushu couldn’t quite put into words. From the first meeting, he sensed a trace of bloodiness emanating from the man, primarily concentrated in his right hand adorned with a bracelet. The rest of his body seemed clean, but the right hand appeared increasingly eerie.

Although the Shiyu Hall was no longer what it used to be, it once gained fame for slaughtering demons and upholding righteousness. Wen Yushu had encountered many demonic cultivators, but he couldn’t identify the cultivation method this person practiced.

At present, the man’s emotions seemed highly unstable, and the energy inside him was chaotic, resembling the prelude to falling into demonic cultivation.

Wen Yushu furrowed his brows slightly.

Why did this man despise him so, and why did he react this way to his touch?

Why was there a faint sense of familiarity about him, prompting Wen Yushu to tolerate his impoliteness and provocations, as if…

His thoughts abruptly halted, and he gazed into the endless darkness before him, clenching his hand hidden in his sleeve into a fist.

When Qin Duan finally returned from the distant nightmare, he had no idea how much time had passed.

Outside the window, the sky had turned dark, and only a thin crescent moon hung high, casting gentle moonlight into the dimly lit carriage, illuminating this small world within.

Wen Yushu appeared to be meditating, and apart from his soft breathing, he seemed almost like a statue made of clay.

Relieved by this, Qin Duan closed his eyes and continued silently reciting the Supreme Forgetfulness Heart Sutra.

His previous reaction had been abnormal, too intense and sensitive, unlike himself. After contemplating, Qin Duan could only attribute it to the resentment that still lingered within him from his time in the Tianzi Tower, which triggered his demonic thoughts. Among the myriad paths of cultivation, only the demonic way was despised by the world, precisely because it strayed from the orthodox path and often led to falling into demonic cultivation with just a single thought.

In his thousand years of cultivation, Qin Duan had experienced two instances of instability in his Dao heart, both due to encountering those two people.

Bai Lingzhi and Wen Yushu.

…It felt like they had come to collect a debt.

Though he didn’t believe he owed them anything.

As he reached the middle of the sutra, Qin Duan began to feel drowsy. He leaned his head against the bumpy carriage and dozed off.

He was usually a light sleeper, but this time, he couldn’t wake up no matter what. It seemed like something had touched his face. Qin Duan furrowed his brows, feeling uneasy, and slightly turned his head. His eyelashes trembled a bit, but he remained soundly asleep.

If he were to open his eyes, he would see that Wen Yushu, who had previously been meditating silently, had somehow moved closer. His pampering fingers lightly touched his face, tracing along the contours of his cheeks, gently attempting to soothe the furrowed brow as if trying to smooth it out.

His movements were slow, and his soft fingertips glided over his features, gently caressing the creased center of his brow, as if trying to ease it.

The man seemed to sense this and let out a sleepy murmur. The silver bells on his wrist lightly tinkled, and a faint trace of demonic energy attached itself to his trapped right hand, turning his fingernails blood red.

Of course, Wen Yushu couldn’t see any of this; he could only sense that a red power was slowly gathering in the man’s sea of consciousness. It was an instinctive response to the other’s presence – even with such a weak and mostly sealed power, he was not willing to sit idly by.

Wen Yushu chuckled softly.

His finger that had been pressing against the man’s brow paused for a moment before slowly moving down to rest on his lips.

The lips were unexpectedly soft, with a hint of coolness, like flower petals adorned with dewdrops.

He couldn’t help but become enamored with them, stroking and kneading them back and forth until the coolness dissipated, replaced by an unbearable warmth.

The man remained asleep, but his restlessness became more apparent. Unconsciously, he rubbed the back of his head against the carriage wall, as if attempting to retreat, but he was already cornered and had nowhere to go.

Wen Yushu let out a sigh, leaning forward and planting a kiss on those slightly trembling lips.

At first, it was a gentle exploration, their lips gently touching, intertwining, lightly tasting, and then withdrawing, only to linger again… His kisses were tender, and even his breaths were soft, as if cherishing something. His fingers brushed the side of the man’s face, tucking a long strand of hair behind his ear.

The man’s body was incredibly sensitive, and even such a simple touch made his breathing gradually heavier.

Wen Yushu pinched the man’s chin, easily prying open the relaxed lips, and his tongue slipped inside.

As if the previously tender-heartedness had vanished completely with the man’s licentious response, he aggressively invaded, his agile tongue teasing every corner of the other’s mouth, thoroughly exploring every inch of his gums, eliciting murmurs of approval.

He bit down on the soft lip with such force that it almost drew blood. The man let out a muffled groan and weakly raised his hand, placing it on Wen Yushu’s shoulder, as if trying to push him away.

However, his limbs felt weak, and the movement appeared more like an invitation instead. Wen Yushu sucked on the wounded lip, savoring the alluring sweetness, as if by doing so, the demon in his heart could be appeased.

Thus, the kiss became fiercer, more akin to an encounter between long-lost enemies, as if wanting to drink their blood and devour their flesh, leaving nothing behind, consuming every last bit of them.

The man winced in pain from his bites and instinctively struggled. His moans were intermittent, quickly drowned out by the overpowering kiss filled with the taste of rust. Saliva trickled down from the corners of his mouth that he couldn’t close, glistening like crystal.

Wen Yushu held the hand placed on his shoulder. The man’s wrist was delicate and limp, probably unable to even hold a sword properly. And his lecherous body, just a few random touches and he was already so aroused, truly…

This impostor was barely enough to be considered a consolation… just a casual pastime.

The body that Bai Lingzhi found for him was too inferior, simply incomparable… to that young man who would climb up the tree branches amidst a flurry of snow to pick flowers for him.

Perhaps nothing could compare to him in Wen Yushu’s heart. While thinking this, a sharp pain shot through his eyes, as if something was burning in his eye sockets. He could even hear the sparks crackling and smell the scent of burning.

He was eager to extinguish this flame with something, but he found that his tears had long dried up.

— Just when he learned that his little Xu Gege had died again.

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