Gu Baiqing lay weakly on the bed. He had just gone through nearly half an hour of conversational questioning. Although they had been talking about the Valley Master and Lou Xuan the entire time, it was unavoidable that everything was filled with memories of the intimate contact between the two of them as master and disciple.
What kind of interrogation was this? It was practically asking for his life.
If Mo Xuanli hadn’t lost his memory, he would have felt that the other party was deliberately toying with him.
Making him recall everything like this was like returning once again to that spot beside the bookshelf in the secret chamber, being bullied by Mo Xuanli all over again… and this time it was the present Mo Xuanli, who looked gentle, refined, and elegant, the little Mo dog.
Sometimes he would even ask repeatedly, which meant repeatedly recalling what the two of them were doing back then, repeatedly being… in his mind.
In his head were vividly colored images, yet his mouth had to spit out proper, serious dialogue. Several times he spaced out. Mo Xuanli didn’t remind him, just silently drank tea and waited for him to regain clarity, then repeated the question again, as if the one who had zoned out wasn’t Gu Baiqing but Mo Xuanli instead. Gu Baiqing couldn’t tell whether Mo Xuanli was doing it on purpose. Perhaps it really was his own distraction that made the other party worry about getting things wrong, so he kept asking again. All Gu Baiqing could do was continue speaking.
It was simply comparable to severe torture, he’d rather be given a knife.
Clearly, his previous work had already trained him to imagine things without changing expression, thick-skinned enough to continue recording, yet now it felt like he had encountered the greatest hurdle of his entire professional career.
Gu Baiqing covered his burning face and rolled around on the bed. When he came back to his senses, he realized he was actually doing something so childish, and his face burned even more. In the end, he somewhat innocently hugged his pillow. The intense mental strain combined with physical exhaustion finally made Gu Baiqing fall into a deep sleep.
On the other side, Mo Xuanli, glowing with vitality, went to find Ji Chuling and Li Xiuran.
The two were naturally extremely worried, but seeing Mo Xuanli looking as if he had gained quite a lot, they were immediately confused and pulled him over to sit down and ask how it went.
Only, Mo Xuanli spaced out several times, unconsciously smiling. At times he inadvertently revealed bashful, awkward, and shy expressions, making the two of them wonder whether Mo Xuanli had been hit by some kind of evil spell.
But this really couldn’t be blamed on Mo Xuanli. After all, it was the first time he had been in a clear-headed state, and with his Master not affected by any drugs, and he had truly held his Master and done all sorts of intimate things. It was really hard for him to quickly adjust back to his original state. He even felt like doing nothing at all, just wanting to go back… although his Master would probably disregard his disguise and strike him with lightning, so it was better not to be too smug.
Mo Xuanli didn’t hide the fact that he had run into Gu Baiqing in the secret chamber. The two were very surprised when they heard it, and Li Xiuran immediately worried that this person might have ulterior motives.
“Of course there’s a purpose, but it’s harmless to us. No need to worry,” Mo Xuanli said with a smile.
Seeing Mo Xuanli so relaxed, it probably really wasn’t a big deal. The two of them also felt reassured, after all, it was rare to make a friend.
Then he talked about breaking into the secret chamber and what he discovered. When he reached this part, Mo Xuanli paused slightly, and his expression finally settled down.
Actually… that was an especially heavy blow to him. He thought he would need a long time to recover, but unexpectedly, his mind was now filled only with those sweet, heart-fluttering scenes. His Master’s compliance and forbearance really made him unable to endure it. Even if he couldn’t be sure of his Master’s current feelings, he was full of confidence that one day he would make his Master completely open his arms to him.
So, happy memories covered everything, and he calmly spoke of what he had seen.
Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling’s expressions changed drastically. They didn’t know that Lou Zixiao was a hybrid, so they didn’t make the connection right away, only thinking that someone had secretly captured and raised a hybrid.
This made Mo Xuanli pause slightly. Right, actually she could be detained and secretly raised, it would be safer than letting her roam around and risk being discovered at any time. Or was it that Lou Xuan wanted to prove that she wouldn’t be discovered, or… was there another reason?
Mo Xuanli didn’t think too deeply about it and continued.
After that, he mentioned breaking through at a critical moment, then having to avoid the two who returned, and after that, the eavesdropped conversation.
Thinking of how his Master looked so embarrassed when recalling those words, he felt that he really had learned to be bad, daring to bully his Master like this. But… it was also his Master’s fault, forcing him to learn to be bad.
Mo Xuanli couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth upward, but the two people in front of him looked completely baffled.
Although they were happy for Mo Xuanli’s smooth breakthrough, Lou Xuan being threatened into marriage by Lou Zihan because of that secret should count as rather unlucky, and they ought to feel indignant on Lou Zixiao’s behalf. So why did Mo Xuanli’s expression look so strange?
Mo Xuanli noticed his own lapse and cleared his throat.
Li Xiuran looked at him suspiciously, feeling that what happened last night was definitely not simple. Several times, the corners of Mo Xuanli’s mouth had nearly curved up excessively, his eyes shimmering with moisture, clearly… the look of someone utterly satisfied.
“After that, it was Young Master Bai who saved you when you were unconscious?” Li Xiuran asked. “He brought you back to the room, and just now he was also the one who concealed it from us.”
“Mm. He did me a favor, so there’s no need to mind it,” Mo Xuanli said.
Could it be that he really did something with that Young Master Bai…? Li Xiuran was immediately alarmed and didn’t dare say anything more.
“Then let’s go tell Lou Zixiao. I went to see her earlier, she looked completely lost, like she’d lost her soul, and she looked especially pitiful. If she knows that her Master was forced into marriage, and that it was for her secret, then maybe…” Ji Chuling trailed off, not knowing how to continue. It seemed wrong to interfere, but also wrong not to. “But what kind of secret is it that could let Lou Xuan be pressured like this by a little girl, sacrificing his lifelong marriage?”
Mo Xuanli had actually guessed what it was, but for now could only shake his head.
Li Xiuran focused on another point. “They really hid a hybrid and are preparing to use it to cure Lou Zihan’s illness. This…”
Li Xiuran’s gaze swept inadvertently over Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t state his position outright.
Ji Chuling said awkwardly, “You’re not planning to interfere in this matter, are you? But hybrids are…”
Li Xiuran coughed lightly and said, “Hiding a hybrid privately is already wrong. And Chuling, do you think what they’re doing is right? Hybrids are also people.”
Mo Xuanli remained silent.
Ji Chuling immediately frowned. After all, the education she had received since childhood was like this. The reason Li Xiuran could adopt a different attitude so quickly was only because he originally came from the common folk and only later received information about hybrids midway through his life, so naturally his feelings weren’t as deeply ingrained.
But Ji Chuling harbored the deepest apprehension toward hybrids, even more profound than most people in the cultivation world.
“I… for the great Dao of the world, for this world not to be destroyed, hybrids must be eradicated,” Ji Chuling said stiffly.
Mo Xuanli’s hand froze.
Li Xiuran’s expression darkened. Born with a strong sense of justice, he disliked such statements the most. “Why must they be? I don’t believe they are destined to fall into demonic corruption. They only have half the bloodline. To judge them like this is unfair. Even if hybrids often have great talent and can achieve something, it doesn’t mean they are necessarily evil. On the contrary, I think they’re no different from cultivators, both righteous and wicked. Plenty of people in the cultivation world fall into demonic paths too.”
Ji Chuling said with difficulty, “Actually, what the cultivation world says about hybrids isn’t complete. Forget it, you’re the people I trust most, so I’ll just tell you directly. The danger of hybrids isn’t that simple.”
Li Xiuran frowned. “What do you mean?”
Mo Xuanli’s gaze flickered slightly.
Ji Chuling explained, “Didn’t we just mention origin bone? The origin bone is an extra small bone that only appears in a hybrid’s spine. Originally, hybrids were all extremely gifted; the vast majority of that was because of this origin bone and their two cultivation systems. Removing the origin bone limits their potential, making advancement difficult whether they pursue immortality or demonic paths. And this origin bone also contains a huge threat. As it grows, there is a certain chance that a hybrid can become an ancient… Primordial Demon.”
Li Xiuran’s expression changed abruptly.
Primordial Demon was a term from legend, during ancient times, in the war between gods and demons, it referred to the demon race that stood opposed to the god race.
Although demon races still exist now, the relationship between Primordial Demons and today’s pure-blood demon race is similar to the relationship between demon races and the demonic creatures casually created by releasing demonic energy, completely different concepts.
“You know how great the danger of Primordial Demons is. They are born to destroy the world and have no such thing as emotions. In ancient times, there was still the god race to keep them in check. If a Primordial Demon were to appear now, even if our Hidden Gods Clan and everyone in the cultivation world all sacrificed themselves, we still wouldn’t be able to destroy it. Without the power of the god race, Primordial Demons are immortal and indestructible. Although all the Primordial Demons in the past were wiped out by the god race, they can be born from hybrids. This is the ultimate reason why all hybrids must be exterminated. It’s also a reason known only to a small number of people in the cultivation world, because there is fear that someone might exploit this to create Primordial Demons and bring disaster to the world.”
At this point, Ji Chuling sighed. “You’re right, I’ve never had contact with hybrids. Maybe they really can live as ordinary people, but… who could leave behind a possible existence that could destroy the world?”
These words left Li Xiuran shaken for a long time, unable to recover. Even Mo Xuanli’s gaze trembled. Primordial Demons… such an illusory thing, yet it had become the legitimate reason to slaughter an entire group of people.
Li Xiuran suddenly spoke. “It doesn’t make sense. If Primordial Demons have ever emerged from hybrids, why hasn’t the world been destroyed?”
Ji Chuling was momentarily speechless.
“The fact that the world still exists just fine now, doesn’t that prove all this is baseless nonsense, merely lies fabricated by those with ulterior motives to eliminate hybrids, these inconvenient and disgraceful existences?”
Ji Chuling immediately refuted anxiously. “No. I understand what you mean, but this is absolutely not a lie. The outside world might use such excuses, but our Hidden Gods Clan would never do that. Everything we do is based on divine oracles passed down from ancient times.”
Li Xiuran continued, “Then after so many years, in a world so vast, there must be hybrids who have survived, like the one on this island. Then could it be that… becoming a Primordial Demon is actually extremely, extremely difficult? The probability you mentioned is actually very low, isn’t it?”
Ji Chuling nodded, but still said seriously, “Low doesn’t mean nonexistent. However… it’s said that if one is a Primordial Demon, the origin bone is different from the day of birth. There are external characteristics.”
“Then why kill all hybrids?”
“But no one has ever seen one, and no one can verify that they won’t change later. Naturally, it’s better to kill by mistake than to let one slip.”
“Then why must they be killed? Didn’t you say that removing the origin bone can impose limitations?” Li Xiuran pressed further.
Ji Chuling had a headache. “I… I don’t know either. The extermination of hybrids has always been done by the cultivation world. We only know this information. Maybe removing the origin bone would cause death? Besides, removing the origin bone doesn’t mean one won’t fall into demonic corruption. If they become part of the demon race, they still have to be eliminated to uphold the Dao. So not letting hybrids live on is… the simplest way.”
“That’s still not right. Since it’s said that Primordial Demons are immortal and indestructible, then anything that can be killed proves that it’s fundamentally impossible for it to become a Primordial Demon, doesn’t it?” Li Xiuran practically turned into a walking encyclopedia of ‘why’.
Ji Chuling was so questioned that her head was spinning. “You… you don’t usually have so many questions. There are many things I don’t know either. Maybe before a Primordial Demon transforms into a demon, it’s not yet an immortal body. Besides, no one has ever seen a Primordial Demon. Everything is information passed down from ancient times, who can explain it in such detail?”
Ji Chuling looked at the two of them with wide, innocent eyes.
Seeing that both of them looked unhappy, she also felt quite vexed. “I… I’m really not cruel. I just…”
Mo Xuanli glanced at Li Xiuran, then at Ji Chuling, and a trace of lingering fear flashed through his heart.
Master was different from Li Xiuran. He was like Ji Chuling, he had grown up in the cultivation world, been raised by the righteous path, and was a cultivator of such high attainment. His views should be the same as Ji Chuling’s, right?
Then did he still have to continue hiding this truth?
Thinking of last night’s sweetness, he was truly afraid it would vanish like smoke in an instant.
Yes, it should be hidden. He couldn’t let Master know, at least not until he changed his bloodline. The senior had said it was possible, it definitely was.
And judging from Li Xiuran’s reaction just now, Mo Xuanli could confirm one thing and finally answer a question that had long lingered in his mind: Li Xiuran had probably suspected him long ago, he just never said it.
He didn’t know what Li Xiuran would do now.
Mo Xuanli looked toward Li Xiuran, and saw Li Xiuran suddenly look back at him.
“I don’t believe that a hybrid living just fine could suddenly turn into a Primordial Demon. It must be that they were forced into demonic corruption under unavoidable circumstances, and then it spiraled out of control. If they truly changed, if they truly wanted to destroy the world…” Li Xiuran stared fixedly at Mo Xuanli and said, “I would personally wield the God-Slaying Sword to block his path to world destruction.”
Mo Xuanli’s heart jolted.
Ji Chuling’s eyes lit up as well. This was the Li Xiuran she liked the most. Her spirit, which had just been dampened by all the questioning, immediately brightened again. “That’s right, there’s also the God-Slaying Sword. If it’s the God-Slaying Sword, and combined with strength comparable to ascension, it might work. And there’s also me, the little divine goddess. Our Divine Hidden Gods Clan exists precisely to deal with situations like this.” At this point, Ji Chuling suddenly fell silent. “Ah, I’m just saying. How could a Primordial Demon appear so easily? It’s even rarer than Mo Xuanli taming a true dragon. Oh right, there’s also a true dragon…”
Ji Chuling became optimistic again.
Mo Xuanli, however, looked seriously at Li Xiuran and said, “Mm. If such a day truly comes, then use the God-Slaying Sword to destroy him.”
The two looked at each other, as if they had invisibly reached some kind of agreement.
Li Xiuran wasn’t sure whether Mo Xuanli was the kind of case Ji Chuling described, one that could become a Primordial Demon but he believed that Mo Xuanli was unwilling.
Mo Xuanli smiled, then added, “Perhaps the hybrids that exist now have all long since had their origin bones removed, and pose no threat at all.”
Li Xiuran’s expression changed slightly. He looked at Mo Xuanli in some astonishment, moved his lips, but didn’t know what to say.
“But I think that if there truly were such a person, there must be someone very important to him by his side, that’s how he could live to that point. Then how could he bear to become like that? And if he truly changed by accident, then he would surely rather die himself, or be killed by the person he cares about.” Mo Xuanli said calmly.
Li Xiuran said softly, “I think so too.”
Ji Chuling, on the other hand, said carelessly, “You two are being way too sentimental. In the end, what are you planning to do about the hybrid that exists here? I think…”
“Don’t ‘think’. We’re passive in this too. Don’t forget, there are still the fragments of the God-Slaying Sword and the Spirit-Gathering Array waiting for us to deal with,” Li Xiuran said directly. As for the matter of hybrids, he felt it was best left to Mo Xuanli.
Mo Xuanli thought the same. He needed to go make a certain someone wake up now.
After that, Li Xiuran and Ji Chuling also talked about their own experiences.
Although they had successfully infiltrated the courtyard, they hadn’t found anything there.
“Was it that you couldn’t sense it, or…?” Mo Xuanli asked.
“It’s that it definitely isn’t there,” Li Xiuran said.
“Yeah. We even took advantage of Lou Zihan not being around to turn her boudoir upside down. There really wasn’t anything,” Ji Chuling said.
“Could it be that my analysis was wrong, and that formation wasn’t for…” Mo Xuanli frowned as well.
“Maybe it was originally there and was being suppressed by the formation, but now it’s no longer there. The formation just wasn’t dismantled. I’m more suspicious of the divine tree. After all, if it were suppressed by the divine tree’s power, it would be hard for us to discover. What’s more, beneath it there’s also a Spirit-Gathering Array that could activate at any time,” Li Xiuran said. “Especially that so-called blessing just imagining it feels suspicious. I think our next focus can be placed on the divine tree.”
Mo Xuanli hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
“Um, speaking of which, what about Lou Zixiao? She’s treated us pretty well. If we know and don’t say anything, would that…” Ji Chuling couldn’t help but say.
Mo Xuanli replied, “Since I discovered it, I’ll go tell her.”
Li Xiuran was startled and seemed to guess something. His view of hybrids gained another layer of sympathy. Just like ordinary people. He couldn’t help but sigh softly. If it really was that kind of relationship, it truly was a tragedy. He hoped that if anything unexpected happened in the future, Mo Xuanli and Immortal Lord Luofeng wouldn’t end up like that.
Ji Chuling avoided the awkwardness and said, “Right. You’re more familiar with her, better for you to go.”
After that, they split up again. The two of them planned to go take another look around the divine tree.
But before leaving, Li Xiuran still sought out Mo Xuanli alone and asked, “What exactly are you looking for the fragments for?”
Mo Xuanli knew that Li Xiuran’s questioning carried no wariness, only confusion.
So he explained the matter of the half-step immortal.
Li Xiuran’s face filled with delight. “Really?”
Mo Xuanli nodded firmly. Right now, this was his entire hope.
Li Xiuran patted Mo Xuanli on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you.”
Mo Xuanli was moved and smiled. “Having you as a brother is my good fortune.”
Li Xiuran and Mo Xuanli felt a deep mutual appreciation, this was the bond of brotherhood.
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