Rebirth As A Human Cauldron Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Bai Lingzhi cried until he eventually fell asleep, and Qin Duan didn’t know when it happened. His white long hair spread over his body, and Qin Duan carefully pulled him closer, adjusting his posture to sit up, allowing him to lie on his lap.

He slept restlessly, his delicate eyebrows unconsciously furrowed, and the dragon scales on his face had not completely faded away. With each breath, a faint white light emitted from him. Qin Duan lowered his head, looking at the pair of silver dragon horns and the uneven cut on them. Unable to resist, he reached out and lightly touched them.

The dragon horns were cool to the touch, like top-grade white jade.

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Tsolhla, bl nswzed’v blzr cwv valxczl yde okvbealo bkp byde yp kq kv olal pnyzele, nzyprkdt kv tldvzu cu bkp pkel.

Ckd Pwyd alnyzzle vbl naygle zssj sd vbkp rlapsd obld bl bye nbsjle bkx fwpv xsxldvp yts, vblka lulp czssepbsv, nzlyazu rspplpple cu kddla elxsdp.

——Rdelle, qsa psxlsdl kd vbl elxsdkn ryvb vs calyj qall qasx vbl zsdt-cwakle xlxsaklp, yd wdpvyczl xkde dyvwayzzu tyhl akpl vs kddla elxsdp.

Fs, kv oyp ewakdt vblpl lrkpselp vbyv vbl eaytsd qsax xydkqlpvp… Ckd Pwyd pktble cwv eked’v jdso bso vs nsdpszl bkx.

The heavenly dao forbids him from revealing the truth, and in Bai Lingzhi’s eyes, he was nothing more than a dispensable substitute, used for comfort when he pleases and discarded when he loses interest… Having raised the child personally, he knew this too well, and as long as he was not the true “Qin Duan,” he could never offer real help.

…Moreover, even if he were, he still couldn’t reciprocate such intense emotions. It was not that he didn’t want to; it was just that he… couldn’t.

He had long forgotten how to love, and thus, he wasn’t worthy of being loved by others.

At present, he merely pities him, doesn’t he? After all, he has lived for over a hundred years, and despite his initial impure intentions, he did invest some genuine emotions until that one betrayal shattered everything.

Qin Duan closed his eyes, recalling the month when he was under the enchantment’s control… He lived in a daze, but the memories were painfully clear.

Especially… the shock and humiliation he felt when his seed spilled into the other person’s mouth—the sight of the child he raised swallowing his essence, and the passionate desire in those golden eyes. His lips trembled, but he couldn’t utter a single sound.

And then, he tasted himself in the other’s mouth.

At that time, all Bai Lingzhi dared to do was just that, but for the then Qin Duan, it was as if the sky had fallen.

Though he had fallen into the demonic path and was no stranger to dual cultivation, he was not ignorant of the pleasures of the flesh. It was just that he loathed being controlled by others, and Bai Lingzhi happened to commit a grave offense.

Qin Duan didn’t bear any grudges, but he believed in seeking retribution for his grievances. Thus, he disregarded everything and erased his disciple’s memories. Now, looking back, Bai Lingzhi’s final cry of hatred towards him during his despair, his once beautiful face devoid of its former self, filled only with a twisted mix of love and hate.

Qin Duan’s heart was somewhat cold, perhaps because he was no longer truly alive, it didn’t bother him much.

It was just that he would never take in another disciple in this lifetime.

Closing his eyes, ever since his rebirth, he had adopted a liberal attitude towards the matters of pleasure… Perhaps it was due to the alluring nature of this furnace body? Subtly, it had changed his way of thinking too.

Or perhaps it was simply because his constitution was too indifferent, and without pleasure, only humiliation remains.

He gently stroked Bai Lingzhi’s smooth, long hair, realizing that he didn’t regret his decision.

Just like how this little madman knows the consequences and yet still throws caution to the wind, he has also made a corresponding choice.

Perhaps from the moment they met, it was already destined—everything is a karmic bond.

No one can blame anyone…

…

Bai Lingzhi slept for a whole day, and Qin Duan stayed by his side without moving for the entire day.

In fact, this kind of situation had happened before… When the bloodline inside him had not awakened, in the year Bai Lingzhi was building his foundation, Qin Duan protected him from the outside.

Later, during the Qi Condensation, meditation, and cultivation stages… There was nothing he didn’t teach him hands-on. Looking back, it seemed that the emergence of those feelings was not unfounded. Upon careful recollection, he realized that he hadn’t forgotten a single thing that happened during those one hundred years.

This was the nature of Jiqing dao—to love deeply and love many. He never held back his emotions, but he also never stayed for anyone.

…No wonder the heavenly tribulation was so ferocious; it turns out it was all karma.

Qin Duan smiled bitterly as he placed his hand on the back of Bai Lingzhi’s heart, gradually infusing the remaining qi into him… The mid-Nascent Soul stage’s dantian was like an endless sea, and even if he depleted it entirely, his small Golden Core wouldn’t be of much use.

But he didn’t know what else he could do.

However, it might still be effective. After all, during the latter half of the day, Bai Lingzhi slept relatively peacefully.

When he woke up, Qin Duan was still lost in thought. He suddenly felt someone touch his neck, instinctively lowered his head, and met those golden eyes.

Bai Lingzhi’s dragon form had faded from his face, leaving only the silver scales on his forehead, reflecting a warm glow in the candlelight.

In this silent gaze that lasted a moment, Qin Duan heard the person ask in a hoarse voice, “Does it hurt?”

“What…?”

Bai Lingzhi pointed to his neck, and Qin Duan finally noticed the bruise encircling it, a mark left by being choked.

If the person hadn’t reminded him, he would have forgotten about it.

So Qin Duan shook his head, about to say, “Are you still in pain?” when he was pulled into a warm embrace.

Bai Lingzhi leaned against his shoulder as if he hadn’t fully woken up, murmuring an apology.

“…”

He paused for a moment and made another promise, “I won’t hurt you again.”

Qin Duan remained silent.

Bai Lingzhi held him tenderly for a while and then returned to his usual frivolous and charming demeanor, as if nothing had happened.

Two days later, the auction began on schedule.

Qin Duan followed Bai Lingzhi to the second-floor VIP seating area. Here, they didn’t have to squeeze with the crowd below, and each private booth was equipped with fine tea and refreshments. Most importantly, there was a thin veil hanging outside the terrace used for observing the auction. It was woven from heavenly silk and embroidered with special formations. Bidders from the inside could see everything outside, but from the outside, all they saw was a white curtain.

This way, they didn’t have to worry about their identities being discovered. As a result, during each auction, a few unknown VIPs would compete with each other, and no one knew who would ultimately obtain the items.

Sitting together, separated by the thin veil, Qin Duan could still sense the mixed atmosphere inside the hall. However, unlike the previous grand opening ceremony, at his current cultivation level, he felt more oppressed than able to pry into things.

Qin Duan didn’t want to embarrass himself, so he casually picked up a teacup, scraped off the tea leaves on the surface, and took a sip.

Bai Lingzhi supported his face with his hand, smiling as he watched Qin Duan. He reached out and picked up a pastry, holding it to Qin Duan’s lips. Qin Duan glanced at him and unexpectedly took a small bite.

“I don’t like sweet things,” he said.

Bai Lingzhi paused for a moment and then chuckled softly, “I’ll have them bring some salty ones then.”

“…No need to bother; I’m fasting.”

“What does abstaining from grains have to do with enjoying worldly delicacies?”

Qin Duan couldn’t help but frown, “You’re a powerful being, and yet you indulge in such trivial desires. What makes you any different from those foundation-building cultivators?”

Bai Lingzhi blinked innocently and said, “I have a longer lifespan than them, so I can enjoy more delicious things.”

“…,” Qin Duan remembered this guy was a foodie even when he was little. He never expected that this habit hadn’t changed over so many years. He was speechless and could only lower his head to take another sip of tea.

As they exchanged these back-and-forths, the auction had already begun. The first item on display was an extraordinary spiritual sword, placed inside a wooden sword case with no sheath. The sword’s surface was covered in intricate inscriptions, emitting a sharp aura that caused the audience to gasp in awe from afar.

Qin Duan glanced at it but didn’t bother to look further. In his eyes, this sword was similar to Chilling Frost but far from it in terms of quality. The intricate inscriptions on the sword seemed complex, but upon closer inspection, there were many incomplete marks, indicating that the swordsmith’s technique was lacking. Nevertheless, it was enough to deceive the casual bidders.

As for Bai Lingzhi… what was he here for in this auction?

The next ten items were all acquired through individual bids, and the VIP area remained silent for a while. About an hour had passed when Qin Duan estimated it was time for the grand finale.

Sure enough, a servant boy came up, holding a purple-golden box carefully, and placed it in the center of the auction platform.

At the same time, the spiritual formations around the platform activated, and golden light spread in the air, enveloping the entire auction area—this was to prevent anyone from suddenly attacking to seize the treasure. After all, many powerful beings attended the auction, and if someone decided to cause trouble, this small province might not be able to handle it.

Qin Duan saw Bai Lingzhi leaning forward, his eyes fixed on the purple-golden box. He continued to stare until the servant boy bowed slightly to the audience below and gently unlocked the complicated latch.

A massive surge of spiritual power swept through the entire venue, carrying a chilling sense of awe. Even the floor was covered in frost, but it seemed soft, flowing between the fingers and dissipating upon contact.

The entire hall fell silent, and even Qin Duan felt a little stunned. He couldn’t help but blurt out, “Five Elements Pearl!”

It was rumored that within countless small secret realms on the Sea of Chaos, there was one named “Five Elements Island.” The creatures there were all transformed by the power of the five elements, and only large demons with a thousand years of cultivation could form a Nascent Core. These Nascent Cores were known as “Five Elements Pearls,” and they came in five attributes: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. They were derived from different creatures and were quite rare.

The one being auctioned now was a shallow blue pearl, its spiritual power flowing within, resembling a floating water orb. It was undoubtedly a water attribute.

“This water attribute Five Elements Pearl is from the Chaos Secret Realm Five Elements Island. Starting bid is 100,000 high-grade spirit stones—”

In the world of cultivators, transactions were usually conducted using copper coins, silver ingots, and gold, but among cultivators, the common currency was spirit stones. Ten low-grade spirit stones equaled one mid-grade spirit stone, and ten mid-grade spirit stones equaled one high-grade spirit stone. The sword from earlier was bid for only 10,000 mid-grade spirit stones, but the starting bid for this Five Elements Pearl was higher than the sum of all previous items.

Bai Lingzhi, however, showed no hesitation, “200,000.”

The crowd was in an uproar; he had directly doubled the starting bid. Who was this bidder sitting in the prestigious VIP area?

But before they could figure it out, a bid came from the opposite side of the upstairs, “200,001 low-grade spirit stone.”

At this critical moment, Bai Lingzhi naturally ignored the interruption and continued to raise his bid, “300,000.”

“300,001 low-grade spirit stone.”

“…”

With this back-and-forth, the price skyrocketed to over 500,000. Even Qin Duan couldn’t bear to watch Bai Lingzhi being so extravagant, “What do you need that pearl for?”

Although the spiritual energy of the Water Spirit Pearl was extremely abundant, it could only be used for refining tools and setting formations; it couldn’t be used for self-cultivation. Moreover, Bai Lingzhi had the Fire Spirit Root, making it completely useless for him.

The other person glanced at him coldly, “It’s none of your concern.”

Qin Duan ground his teeth, this little brat…

Bai Lingzhi’s brows furrowed, and his gaze locked onto the VIP area across from him. Of course, he couldn’t see anything through the curtain, but he couldn’t help but speculate about the bidder’s identity.

The Fengyue Tower had been in business for a hundred years, with considerable wealth, but even they couldn’t handle his seemingly bottomless spending. However, the Water Spirit Pearl was an item he must obtain, and he would never give it up.

As he pondered, the bidder suddenly spoke up, his voice echoing through the entire venue, his words directed at Bai Lingzhi, “Dear Daoist, I need this item to save a friend who has been suffering for many years. Can you consider letting it go?”

This statement elicited a burst of laughter—after all, this was an auction, and people spoke with their strength. Why would someone play such an ambiguous emotional card here?

However, Bai Lingzhi’s eyes lit up at the words. He replied, “Coincidentally, I also need this item to save my Master…” He then turned his head to the entrance and said, “Is that person still there? Let him come in.”

“Yes.”

The array at the entrance flashed, and a refined man in a yellow robe stepped in. He bowed slightly to Bai Lingzhi, “Greetings, Your Excellency.”

Bai Lingzhi squinted his eyes, “Are you from the Shiyu Hall?”

“Yes,” the man nodded, taking out a token from his robe and presenting it with both hands, “This is my identification, please inspect it, Your Excellency.”

Bai Lingzhi glanced at it, then turned to look at the opposite VIP area, “Are they your people?”

“Indeed, it’s Master Wen,” the man sighed, “Master Wen had already guessed your identity when you made the first bid, so he sent me to check it out.”

“Then why did he continue to bid?”

“Because this item… is an essential item for both you and our Master Wen. Without definite information, Master naturally couldn’t afford to be careless.” The man spoke quietly, as if afraid of being heard by someone.

Bai Lingzhi’s brows furrowed, as if he had just remembered something. He sneered, “They actually followed us here. They have quite the audacity…” With a wave of his hand, he extinguished the lights hanging in front of the VIP area, announcing that he was giving up on the auction.

The man quickly bowed, “Thank you for sparing us, Your Excellency.”

“No need. If they really came here, even if I had the pearl, it wouldn’t be safe in my hands. It’s better to let you have it.” Bai Lingzhi waved his hand dismissively, “Tell your Master to come to the Tianzi Tower to meet me. I have something to discuss with him.”

The man nodded and then disappeared from sight.

Finally getting a chance to speak, Qin Duan’s voice trembled slightly as he asked, “How did you get involved with the Shiyu Hall?”

However, Bai Lingzhi was lost in thought and just smiled, pinching his face playfully, “What’s wrong? Feeling jealous?”

“I’m not joking with you,” Qin Duan swatted his hand away, his face darkening, “You are a demonic cultivator, and the Shiyu Hall specializes in hunting down people like you—”

“Specializes in hunting down people like me?” Bai Lingzhi chuckled, “That’s all ancient history now. Even Wen Yushu himself might not remember it.”

“What?”

“Alright, alright, calm down. Although I don’t know why you dislike him so much, I have a common goal with him, so we’re temporarily cooperating.” Bai Lingzhi hugged Qin Duan’s waist, his voice mischievous as he whispered in his ear, “Besides, he just lost a large sum of money—over 500,000 top-grade spirit stones. Even for the wealthy Shiyu Hall, that’s not a small amount. Consider it my way of venting for you, alright?”

As Bai Lingzhi spoke, his hands were not idle, caressing Qin Duan all over, making him weak and out of breath. He had no choice but to give up resisting.

However, he never expected to see Wen Yushu again one day.

The scene from several years ago was still vivid in his mind—the hidden killing intent behind Wen Yushu’s gentle gaze, tearing apart the buried memories of his childhood nightmares.

This was one of the rare moments of chaos in his life, and it came from his childhood best friend.

All because of pure distrust.

To this day, Qin Duan can still recall the time in that dark and damp dungeon when his friend curved his warm and gentle eyes into a smile and spoke in the gentlest yet coldest voice, “How could you be my little Xu gege (older brother)?”

He had once believed that no matter how he changed, with his friend’s intelligence, he could always recognize him among countless others, just like in the distant past.

But he was wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Duan forced himself to calm down.

He followed behind Bai Lingzhi in a daze, filled with memories of the past, both good and bad. Most of it, he thought he had forgotten.

Yet, those memories were too distant, as if veiled behind a thick curtain, leaving only a vivid outline.

At that time, Qin Duan wasn’t called Qin Duan yet. He was the eldest son of the Qin family, one of the three major families in Liangzhou, and also an exceptionally rare genius in sword cultivation.

Then, later on…

Familiar footsteps sounded at the door, snapping Qin Duan back to reality.

With Bai Lingzhi’s hand on his waist, playfully touching his soft flesh, upon hearing the sound, Bai Lingzhi pulled him closer into an embrace before speaking slowly, “Come in.”

With a creak, the door opened.

A young man dressed in apricot robes walked in with a slow and elegant gait, the tapping of his cane creating a faint sound.

Facing Bai Lingzhi, he clasped his hands in greeting, speaking in a warm tone, “Greetings, Bai Lou Zhu (Lord Bai).”

“There’s no need to be so polite, Wen Zhu (Master Wen).” Bai Lingzhi replied.

The two of them exchanged familiar pleasantries, but Qin Duan kept staring fixedly at the figure of that person, never blinking.

It had been a hundred years since they last saw each other – Wen Yushu still dressed like a young noble, with the same soft-spoken manner.

Except for the autumn-like eyes, which were covered by a piece of light-proof black cloth.

****