When Gu Baiqing returned to Mo Xuanli’s cabin, only Three Bean was there keeping watch while Mo Xuanli slept.
He had originally planned to wake Mo Xuanli and ask directly, but didn’t know how to bring it up. Seeing how soundly he slept, Gu Baiqing decided it would be safer to search himself.
He told Three Bean to step outside—couldn’t let that little spy see what he shouldn’t.
Since it was forbidden to bring storage pouches into Ten Thousand Swords Island, anything taken out would have to be carried on the body.
Gu Baiqing lifted the blanket. All he saw was the layered uniform purple-gray disciple robes—nothing obvious—so he had to use his hands to check.
Nothing in the chest. Nothing at the waist.
Withdrawing his hands, Gu Baiqing sat by the bed, gradually feeling irritated. He hadn’t expected the situation to deviate like this. If that stone couldn’t be found, Mo Xuanli’s life-bound magic weapon would be impossible, and his own mission would be ruined.
His current points weren’t many. Who knew how much would be deducted for failure?
Taking a deep breath, then letting it out heavily, he realized he would have to make up an excuse to get Mo Xuanli back to that crevice.
Deep in thought, he didn’t notice that the disciple beside him was already blushing uncontrollably, the flush spreading from his face to his neck and ears.
If that hand had gone just a bit deeper instead of only slipping past the outer robe and stopping at the inner garment, Gu Baiqing would have touched bare, burning skin.
Mo Xuanli was in turmoil, wanting to cry but unable to. His master—the one he respected—actually had this side to him? The incident at the jade healing pool had already shaken his image of Gu Baiqing once, though after that, even if Mo Xuanli could feel his master’s affection, it had never crossed the line—expressed instead in restrained, awkward ways.
But now, with no one else around and himself lying completely at his mercy, his master abandoned restraint, secretly touching him. And to think he often said he disliked being touched—most likely that rule applied only to others, because one touch from him and he might lose control.
Mo Xuanli felt he ought to be angry—how could his master take advantage of him like this? He even had the impulse to open his eyes and stop him before things went too far. They were master and disciple—this line couldn’t be crossed.
But before that thought could take shape, it vanished—because his master withdrew his hands and let out a heavy sigh, as if a weight had slammed into Mo Xuanli’s chest.
For some reason, Mo Xuanli’s own heart sank with it.
Master… must be struggling and in pain too. Faced with the one he cherished, lying unguarded before him, having just survived danger together, it was inevitable emotions would surge, making him unable to help but touch, caress… yet he dared not go further. All that feeling had to be pressed into a single sigh.
Mo Xuanli felt an indescribable inner struggle.
Forget it—wasn’t it just touching? His master treated him so well—if he wanted to touch, then let him. As long as he was happy, as long as they didn’t cross the line, as long as that thin paper window stayed intact…
But as his thoughts wandered further astray, he was suddenly grateful his master hadn’t gone beneath the inner robe. After three days on Ten Thousand Swords Island without bathing, his body was covered in sweat and dust. In the future, once he was clean…
Realizing what he was thinking, Mo Xuanli was so startled he choked and began coughing.
Gu Baiqing was startled too. Seeing Mo Xuanli’s clothes rumpled from his searching, he hurried to pull the blanket back over him while the coughing continued.
When Mo Xuanli finally calmed down, he could only open his eyes—his damp, tender gaze hazy as it landed on Gu Baiqing, who sat at the bedside trying to appear composed.
“Master?”
“Mm. How are you feeling?” Gu Baiqing had already returned to his usual, perfectly proper demeanor.
Facing such a master, Mo Xuanli, though embarrassed, still habitually rose respectfully and said, “This disciple is fine. Thank you for Master’s concern.”
Gu Baiqing nodded and said, “I came to tell you something. The current cultivation world is rather sensitive about the demon race, so earlier I deliberately concealed the truth. Regarding your injury from the shard, don’t mention it to anyone else—pretend it never happened—so as not to invite trouble. In any case, that demonic energy should have been destroyed by you, right?” Gu Baiqing asked tentatively.
Mo Xuanli nodded. “Yes, I destroyed it in my sea of consciousness.”
Gu Baiqing let out a breath of relief. In the original story, Mo Xuanli chose to accept it, whereas the disciple he was training now had chosen to reject it. Looked like his own teaching was better than the previous master’s.
See? As long as you’re not ruled by romance, there’s no trouble in the world.
He was just about to steer the topic toward the stone when he suddenly saw Mo Xuanli lift the blanket, get out of bed, and kneel before him.
“This disciple has troubled Master, even forcing Master to risk himself to save me, and burdening Master with lying for my sake.”
Not wanting to raise goodwill points, Gu Baiqing had already prepared the lines: “This matter has nothing to do with you—you were simply unlucky enough to encounter it. I went because I sensed the presence of the demon race, and at that time I had plenty of spiritual power. I was concerned about the demons causing trouble, not risking myself for you, so you need not feel guilty.”
Mo Xuanli’s heart sank. As expected, Master would still say this—never wanting him to know the depth of his kindness.
Was it because Master was too awkward to express it? Or afraid he might notice something inappropriate?
In any case, such a master left him both troubled and sympathetic. But thinking of his master secretly touching him earlier, Mo Xuanli’s feelings grew even more tangled.
Still, there was something else he needed to report, though it might disappoint Master.
“Master, I’m sorry.”
Gu Baiqing frowned. “Didn’t I just say it wasn’t your fault?”
Mo Xuanli turned, reached into the narrow space beside the bed, and took out a silvery-white stone—hidden there when he first woke up.
The moment Gu Baiqing saw the stone, his eyes lit up.
D*mn! So it wasn’t on his body—had him searching half the day for nothing.
His heart finally settled back into place, but on the surface he kept a calm facade. “What is this?”
“Master, I lied earlier. In truth, before encountering the Sword Demon, this disciple felt a spiritual power resonance in the crevice. When I followed it, I found… this stone.”
“A resonance?”
Even Mo Xuanli thought it sounded absurd. He knew he had shamed Gu Baiqing again, and lowered his head guiltily. He didn’t know why the resonance had led him to a stone. If he could, he truly wouldn’t have spoken of it.
“Failing to find a sword is already humiliating, and if I told them it was a stone… I feared being mocked, so… this disciple has let Master down and damaged Master’s reputation. I did not receive Ten Thousand Swords Island’s recognition, perhaps this disciple—”
Hearing this, Gu Baiqing suddenly realized something—keeping a humiliating matter hidden was actually the right choice. In that light, the original Mo Xuanli’s behavior—already partially demonized yet still honestly revealing it and enduring mockery—was rather unreasonable. Surely he hadn’t done it just to suffer now for the sake of slapping faces later?
Gu Baiqing dazedly thought it over, then his mouth twitched as understanding dawned.
In the original, the master stepped forward to shield his disciple, then comforted him afterward. Those words of protection probably gave Mo Xuanli the satisfaction he wanted, so he deliberately played the pitiful victim. He likely didn’t see getting a stone as humiliating—because to him, gaining his master’s attention and enjoying his care was the real prize. And by then he’d already begun down the demonic path—perhaps the swords of Ten Thousand Swords Island didn’t even interest him.
That original Mo Xuanli really was something…
Luckily, the one he was training now was still a naive little puppy, honest and unspoiled.
While Gu Baiqing was silent, Mo Xuanli’s heart grew heavier.
Thinking back on three fruitless days, ending with only this one stone, he couldn’t help but feel disheartened.
Perhaps his bloodline was so filthy that no spirit sword was willing to accept him—only a stone had come out to fob him off.
“Perhaps this disciple is unworthy of wielding a sword,” Mo Xuanli said in a low voice.
“Mo Xuanli.” Gu Baiqing suddenly called out coldly.
The icy tone made Mo Xuanli’s heart jolt—it was different from his master’s usual voice.
Uneasy, he looked at Gu Baiqing.
Gu Baiqing said slowly, “If you belittle yourself like this, then as your master, how should I judge myself?”
Mo Xuanli immediately realized and hurriedly said, “Master is, of course, the best and most outstanding—it’s this disciple who is lacking.”
Playing his role, Gu Baiqing moved the plot forward. Luckily, he remembered these lines clearly and simply used them directly.
“There is no sword for you on Ten Thousand Swords Island—could it not be that none of the swords there are worthy of you? Your talent has already been proven, so why doubt yourself? Are you questioning me?”
Mo Xuanli froze, staring in disbelief at Gu Baiqing.
It was the first time his master had recognized him so directly—he wasn’t quite used to it.
Gu Baiqing continued reciting, “If there is no sword here, then go outside and find one. If you can’t find one—forge it yourself!”
“Forge… it myself?”
Boy, you’ll soon find out that this stone isn’t just any stone—it’s a special ore that can help you create the greatest weapon in the world. Once you study it, you’ll understand.
Gu Baiqing’s lips curved into a smile. “Our Zixiao Sect’s Forging Peak can craft spirit swords. In fact, several of the swords on Ten Thousand Swords Island were made by our sect’s forging masters. Why not forge your own? Design it to your liking—make the one most suited to you. Wouldn’t that be even better?”
These words were no longer spoken in a cold, detached tone; instead, they carried a proud air of “I alone reign supreme” that seemed to ignite a fire within Mo Xuanli’s heart, kindling something—
Something called… an ambition that refuses to accept fate.
Gu Baiqing himself felt stirred after speaking. Yes, this is exactly the style a life mentor should have.
When he looked at Mo Xuanli again, he saw those puppy-like eyes, brimming with trust, gazing right at him.
A tender master, at this moment, should say: “If you wish to search, I will accompany you. If you wish to forge, I will find a weaponsmith for you. Even if in the end nothing comes of it, in my eyes, you will still be my most outstanding disciple.”
But as for a not-so-tender master—such as the current Gu Baiqing—he silently deleted the last line of the script.
“When you encounter a problem, if you don’t think of a way to make it right but instead wallow in self-pity, that is what truly disgraces your master. Some things, as long as you try every possible means to accomplish them, even if you fail, it is still a worthy defeat. I hope you won’t let me down.”
The moment Gu Baiqing’s voice fell, Mo Xuanli suddenly reached out and clasped both of Gu Baiqing’s hands, his voice charged with emotion: “Master!”
【Spiritual power 11…】
That… irritating reminder sound again.
Gu Baiqing didn’t react as over-the-top as before, but he still withdrew his hands in extreme discomfort, brows furrowed.
“Speak with your mouth. Don’t go pawing at people.”
Having just been thoroughly “pawed at” by his master earlier, Mo Xuanli didn’t argue—his emotions were still hard to conceal.
“Master, I understand what I need to do now. Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”
Looking into those hopeful eyes of Mo Xuanli’s, Gu Baiqing finally felt at ease.
It seemed the mission could proceed smoothly.
The matter of Ten Thousand Swords Island was ultimately handed over to several factions currently responsible for its guard, leaving them in charge of conducting a full island inspection.
By nightfall, each clan’s flying vessel would be departing.
That was when Fu Zhiyi finally came to find Gu Baiqing.
“What is it?” Seeing his second senior brother’s constipated expression, Gu Baiqing had a bad premonition.
“I say, Fourth Junior Brother, you’re still the same as ever—when you fight, you never take your surroundings into account. Of all the moves you could’ve used, you had to use Lightning Kill. Don’t you know how destructive Lightning Kill is?”
Gu Baiqing looked genuinely puzzled. High destructive power was the whole point—otherwise how could he be sure the Sword Demon would be turned completely to ash? And even then, he’d still missed some.
“Don’t tell me—with your skill—you couldn’t beat a crippled Sword Demon without resorting to that?”
If it were a slow fight, of course he could’ve won, but he couldn’t risk giving the Sword Demon a chance to provoke Mo Xuanli.
Still, Gu Baiqing had a reasonable excuse ready: “I was out of spiritual power—this was my only option.”
Fu Zhiyi’s face immediately morphed into a bitter gourd. “That’s exactly why we can’t say the real reason aloud.”
“What happened?” Gu Baiqing asked impatiently.
“You know Ten Thousand Swords Island was built through the joint effort of everyone, right? The swords on it were all collected by countless cultivators together.”
Gu Baiqing nodded—of course he knew. It was a joint investment, crowd-funded island building, with independent cultivators contributing their swordcraft expertise.
“So… with that one move, you destroyed a third of the island. The island itself being damaged is one thing, but all the swords on that third of the island were tempered by your thunder—they’re either broken or drained of spiritual power, basically reduced to scrap metal. Do you know how huge that loss is?” Fu Zhiyi clutched his chest as he spoke.
Gu Baiqing froze.
“Do… do I have to pay?”
“You have to pay.”
“But I destroyed the Sword Demon…”
“But this is a jointly-owned property, not some wild secret realm. What was lost belonged to everyone.”
Gu Baiqing’s eyes slowly widened, his brain taking a moment to catch up.
In the novel… cultivators always unleashed massive moves in battle—the bigger the destruction, the higher the skill.
He’d never heard of anyone having to compensate for damages.
Was this… was this for real?
Then would cultivators even dare to casually use big moves in the future?
Reality was indeed harsh. For the first time since crossing over, Gu Baiqing felt this world was no longer an illusion.
“…It’s fine. I have plenty of spirit stones,” Gu Baiqing reassured himself, calming down.
“I’m afraid… you’ll still owe some,” Fu Zhiyi said awkwardly.
“What? Even with all I have, it’s not enough?” Gu Baiqing’s aloof façade cracked completely. He had only just started his life of luxury—he’d just finished refurnishing his quarters in Luofeng Pavilion, some of his new outfits hadn’t even been delivered yet. Was he about to lose it all… and go into debt? Just for killing a Sword Demon?
“Thousands of spirit swords, Junior Brother…” Fu Zhiyi winced. “And this is after removing the small change and applying a 20% discount. They’ve already been lenient—everyone knows it was to deal with the demon clan. The forces in charge here will also pay part of the compensation, but you’re responsible for the biggest share. I’ve done the math for you—if you liquidate all your assets, you’ll still be 500,000 spirit stones short. But I’ve negotiated—no interest, paid in installments. Your monthly allowance from Zixiao Sect and the dividends from your investments I hold will all go straight toward repayment. Worst-case scenario… you’ll have to live ten years without a single spirit stone.”
Ten years of poverty!!!
Gu Baiqing’s complexion, pale to begin with, now looked downright ashen.
“Anyway… you only have one disciple, you don’t have that many expenses. If your spiritual power recovers midway, you could take on missions, raid secret realms for extra income—maybe you’ll clear the debt early.” Fu Zhiyi patted his shoulder in comfort. “That’s as much as your senior brother can do.”
He didn’t have the heart to keep talking, leaving Gu Baiqing—now practically drained of all color—to brood alone under the moon.
No tears left to cry—he never imagined such a thing could happen.
So now… he was in 500,000 spirit stones worth of debt?
Aaaah! Novels are liars! You do have to pay for collateral damage!
On the way back, Gu Baiqing shut himself in his cabin in sullen silence.
The people of Zixiao Sect probably never imagined that someone like Elder Luofeng—so lofty and untouched by worldly dust—would ever worry about money. And Fu Zhiyi couldn’t bear to spread the shame, so he kept the explanation vague to others. Only Mo Xuanli, somewhat worried, asked Gu Baiqing once about it—but was promptly shut down by his master’s cold tone.
Although very poor, he could not lose face—especially not to let the protagonist get the idea that his master was sacrificing for him yet again.
This kind of pain could only be borne alone.
Though in truth these external debts didn’t require Gu Baiqing to frantically earn money to repay, the feeling of having debt hanging over him still made him extremely uncomfortable.
So Gu Baiqing decided to find a way to deal with the debt as soon as possible—just as Fu Zhiyi had said, by taking on missions or venturing into secret realms.
And according to the plot, before long there would be a perfect opportunity.
