Chapter 105
Bu Tianhan’s identity was exposed when he and Lu Cheng went out with Bu Mingfeng on a training trip.
The story was similar to what he had thought. Bu Mingfeng had no good intentions when he asked Lin Wuhen to take them out. After seeing Gu Xiyu the night before, Bu Tianhan came to Lin Wuhen’s house to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“……Tai Ling’s cultivation has progressed considerably over the years, but because of Bu Tianhan’s fuss, everyone on the continent knows that he is the one person who poses the most threat to him, and they are all pinning their hopes on him. We can’t touch him for now, so we’ll have to start with his disciple.” The gloomy voice was Bu Mingfeng’s.
Lin Wuhen sighed and agreed, “Lu Cheng is quite a good boy, I was the one who brought him in back then.”
“Don’t worry, he will be of great help to the future of the Tiansu Immortal Sect, so I wouldn’t want to touch this good seedling directly. It’s just that this boy has good luck. I’ve been studying that technique recently, and I’ve learned a little bit about taking away people’s luck, so I want to try it on him. If we can succeed, we’ll be able to get more opportunities and good resources before other sect masters.”
Although Bu Mingfeng and Lin Wuhen had reached great heights, they both had very similar journeys. They had only been able to watch other ‘gifted’ cultivators advance to the next level, while they were always being suppressed. They both resented the fact that there were people who were blessed and could get good things to help them improve their cultivation whenever they went out, while no matter how hard they tried, their luck was never in their favor, so jealousy gradually distorted their minds.
So the cultivation technique Bu Mingfeng accidentally obtained allowed them to ‘fight’.
Lin Wuhen breathed a sigh of relief and asked with little concern, “Why don’t you take Lu Cheng alone? I’ve met that boy called Xie Xing a few times, his attitude towards outsiders is as cold and arrogant as his master’s, but he’s quite rebellious and shrewd at heart. Aren’t you afraid of making things more difficult for yourself by bringing him along?”
Bu Mingfeng was unconcerned: “It’s alright, since I can handle Lu Cheng, why can’t I handle a junior who is even worse than him? This is to avoid making others suspicious, especially Tai Ling. Although he doesn’t remember what happened before, he thinks highly of his two disciples. If I suddenly propose to take Lu Cheng to a training session, it will be suspicious. By taking the two of them, Tai Ling will just think I’m being courteous.”
“Besides, more people means more “food.”
Lin Wuhen grinned and did not say anything more, but then asked, “How is your research on this luck-capturing technique?”
Bu Mingfeng immediately understood what he meant by this question and replied, “I haven’t tried it yet, after all, it’s not easy to find someone with very good luck. Unfortunately, I can’t teach you this technique directly, as it says that only those who inherit it can practice it.”
Lin Wuhen did not utter a word for a long time.
Bu Tianhan soon heard Bu Mingfeng’s comforting words, “Don’t worry, although I can’t teach you the technique directly, I can share the plundered luck with you.”
“Oh?” Lin Wuhen became a little more interested and asked, “How can you share it?”
Bu Mingfeng laughed lightly, his tone sounding a little ambiguous, “Naturally, it’s like the usual—”
Bu Tianhan originally thought that he would be able to hear more useful words, as it would be better to find out how Bu Mingfeng’s long-hidden techniques worked so that it would be easier to decipher them.
But he could not hear what Bu Mingfeng said after that. Perhaps because he was worried that walls have ears, he chose to tell Lin Wuhen differently.
As he was about to leave, he caught a strange sound coming from deep in the courtyard that had been silent for a long time.
It was a soft gasp. It was not the sound of exhaustion or distress, but a distinctly ambiguous sound.
Bu Tianan was slightly taken aback. Before he could think more deeply, the sound came again, and it was clearer this time. It started coming one wave after another, like the waves lapping against the rocks, making one’s scalp numb.
…… So that’s how it is.
He only knew that Bu Mingfeng was interested in Tai Ling, but he never thought that the other party had such a special relationship with Lin Wuhen. Lin Wuhen’s daughter was Lin Qianyue, and he had a wife once, but it was said that she died of illness not long after giving birth to Lin Qianyue. People on the outside had no doubts about this reason, but from what Bu Tianhan had learned about these two, the true cause of his wife’s death became a matter of great concern.
Bu Tianhan was not interested in what the two men were doing in secret, and he had no intention of staying any longer.
He could not help but think of Gu Xiyu and felt a little regretful.
Even if he forced Gu Xiyu in the future, given his restrained nature even in his sleep, he would probably never have the chance to hear him make such sounds while conscious.
It didn’t matter, as long as the person under him was Gu Xiyu.
So Bu Tianhan, who knew the secrets underneath, was very wary of Bu Mingfeng while traveling with him, but he didn’t show it. He had always avoided standing out in the Tiansu Immortal Sect, relying on the fact that Gu Xiyu would not kick him out, so he did not create a gifted persona like Lu Cheng.
In this way, Gu Xiyu would show more concern for him.
He often had to pretend that he didn’t understand his instructions, but he liked to see him explain things to him with an irritated but calm face.
At first, Bu Mingfeng accompanied them on this trip honestly, but when he saw that they were tired after expending much energy over the past few days, he began to show his true colors. He took advantage of Lu Cheng’s trust to put drugs in their tea and food. Bu Tianhan estimated the time and observed Lu Cheng’s reaction; when he saw him succumbing to the effects of the drugs, he followed his example and pretended to lose consciousness.
He didn’t expose Bu Mingfeng because he wanted to see how he would act against them and to also see if he would have any compassion. After all, Lu Cheng was an innocent person, and he had shown a lot of concern for Bu Mingfeng along the way and was very serious about his studies.
As a result, he was still a hypocrite and did not hesitate when it was time to strike.
Bu Tianhan sneered in his heart. He and Bu Mingfeng were together for so many years, but he didn’t care about what would happen to his family. How could such a person be merciful to the people he had been friends with for a short time?
Bu Tianhan has never been in the habit of saving people, but aside from Gu Xiyu, Lu Cheng was the only person who had treated him well over the years. Moreover, if Bu Mingfeng hurt him, Gu Xiyu would be unhappy, so he considered how to take action.
However, he didn’t expect Bu Mingfeng to be so greedy. He intended to kill him first and take away his spiritual power before dealing with Lu Cheng’s luck.
He grabbed Bu Mingfeng’s wrist before his hand touched him, and his strength was so strong that Bu Mingfeng was startled. He woke up and stared at him coldly, and Bu Mingfeng spoke in a very weak tone, “Xie… Xie Xing?”
“You two fainted while eating, I was worried and wanted to check on you.” Bu Mingfeng smiled affectionately.
But Bu Tianhan sneered, and before Bu Mingfeng could react, he broke the bone in his hand. The sound of the bone breaking was particularly loud, and Bu Mingfeng’s face turned pale, then he cried out belatedly.
After carelessly shaking the man off, Bu Tianhan lifted the illusion from his body and said to Bu Mingfeng, who was holding his injured hand and wailing, “Little Uncle, take a look at who I am.”
As soon as Bu Mingfeng heard his voice, his body froze before he even saw his face.
As someone Bu Tianhan hated and wanted to capture the most, how could Bu Mingfeng not recognize his voice?
He had been hiding in the Tiansu Immortal Sect for so long, and even when he went out, he was always careful not to appear in the area where the great demon, Bu Tianhan, operated. He looked up and met the bloodthirsty eyes of the man in black and was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost fell to the ground in embarrassment.
“How did you …… get here?” The man’s eyes quickly became clearer, and then they grew even wider. “Are you Xie Xing?
Bu Tianhan smiled without saying a word, not denying it.
Of course, Bu Tianhan would not let go of this great opportunity for revenge. Bu Mingfeng, who had gained his current level and status by stealing other people’s power, was not his opponent. Although he could still fight back, he would eventually be suppressed.
He was close to killing Bu Mingfeng, but the place they were staying was the territory of the orthodox cultivators, and his demonic qi soon attracted the attention of the nearby cultivators. Bu Tianhan was notorious, so anyone who saw the scene thought that the demon had come out to cause trouble after his long silence.
Bu Mingfeng instantly transformed into a pitiful man, coughing up blood as he shouted at the cultivators who came, “Help me! I am an elder of the Tiansu Immortal Sect. Bu Tianhan wants to murder me and my disciple!”
With so many people here, Bu Tianhan could have killed them on the spot, but when he thought of how much anger Lin Wuhen would vent on Gu Xiyu, he clenched his fist with anger, but finally held back his agitation and left.
So the injured Bu Mingfeng was carried back to the Tiansu Immortal Sect, along with the dismayed Lu Cheng, who looked as if he had lost his soul.
Bu Mingfeng was cunning. He relied on the fact that no one heard his conversation with Bu Tianhan to explain: “Bu Tianhan disguised himself as Xie Xing and sneaked into the sect. We were out on a training trip when I caught him trying to put poison in Lu Cheng’s food. Fortunately, I kept my eyes open so that he didn’t get away with it. I tried to stop him with good advice, but he almost killed me. ……”
This was how Bu Tianhan’s identity was exposed to everyone. Of course, the only information Gu Xiyu got from the Immortal Sect was that his disciple was Bu Tianhan in disguise. It was the intelligent system that explained how it happened.
After he returned, Lu Cheng locked himself up in his hut for a few days, and it was only when Gu Xiyu came back from his seclusion and received the news about his disciples that he came out with a haggard and gloomy face.
He took Xie Xing as his junior brother and took good care of him. Although he was shocked when Bu Mingfeng told him that Xie Xing was Bu Tianhan, what upset him was that Bu Tianhan wanted to kill him.
It was like his own brother holding a knife and saying to him indifferently, “I’m going to kill you.” It was just as uncomfortable.
Gu Xiyu had watched him grow up, so he immediately understood what was making him sad, but Lin Wuhen had sent someone to call him to the main peak, so he could not delay too long.
He quickly called Lu Cheng to his house and patted him on the shoulder, saying, “That is someone’s one-sided story, you need to think about the truth yourself.”
Lu Cheng was stunned by what he said and did not have time to ask questions as Gu Xiyu left without looking back. But Lu Cheng has a high level of comprehension, and Gu Xiyu could wake him up with a few words.
…… Master was right, since Xie Xing was Bu Tianhan, if you put aside his purpose in entering the Immortal Sect, he has been with him and Master for so long and has even slept in the same bed with Master. If he had wanted to hurt them, he would have done it already; why would he pick a time when Elder Bu Mingfeng was around?
On the other hand, Gu Xiyu was brought before Lin Wuhen, naturally, to face his scolding.
Lin Wuhen looked so angry that the ends of his beard rose around his mouth, “How dare you be a powerful cultivator and not even see that your disciple is the demon, Bu Tianhan?”
Gu Xiyu kneeled on the ground, looking straight ahead, not saying a word.
Lin Wuhen was even angrier at his attitude, and his face started turning red, as if he were facing a father facing an unworthy son.
Several elders who were familiar with Gu Xiyu were helping. “Forget it, sect master, Junior Elder Tai Ling is also a victim, Bu Tianhan has deceived him for many years. With the amount of effort he has put into him, his mood must be far worse than ours.”
Lin Wuhen did not want to let him go so easily, and his eyes were even colder than Gu Xiyu’s, who practiced the Emotionless dao: “As I said, if you do something wrong, you should be punished. If you hadn’t taken on such a disciple, Mingfeng wouldn’t have been so badly injured, and his life would be in danger now. Moreover, the Tiansu Immortal Sect is one of the great sects, how many secrets have been hidden within the sect, and how many have been stolen by Bu Tianhan over the years? They have all become hidden dangers!”
Gu Xiyu knew that, according to Lin Wuhen’s nature, he was determined to take out his anger on him this time, and no one would be able to change this decision. He was used to it anyway, and if he had any better punishment, he would be free to do so.
But just as Lin Wuhen ordered him to be taken to the punishment area, a man came rushing in from outside.
The other man gave Gu Xiyu a strange glance before he said to Lin Wuhen in a panicked manner, “Sect master, Bu Tianhan… said he wanted to see our junior elder, Tai Ling, and said he wanted to negotiate with him.” After a pause, he bowed his head again and said, “He said that if Tai Ling did not come out to negotiate with him right now, he would kill to pass the boring waiting time.”
At these words, a long silence fell on everyone in the hall.
At this time, Lin Wuhen could no longer insist on holding Gu Xiyu, and if anything went wrong outside, everyone would blame him as the sect master.
So, Lin Wuhen pushed Gu Xiyu out to see Bu Tianhan. No one cared about the situation Tai Ling had to face, they only cared about the outcome. If Tai Ling’s presence could prevent a tragedy and disaster from happening, then Tai Ling would be the “god” of their hearts.
Bu Tianhan had decided on a mountain not far from the Tiansu Immortal Sect. He had driven everyone except the spirit beasts away, and he had already made a boundary and territory with his magic domain, allowing only Gu Xiyu to enter.
When Gu Xiyu walked up to him, he was sitting on a stone bench with a small wine jug in his hand. The light hit the unwiped drops of wine around his lips, adding a bit of brightness to them.
Bu Tianhan narrowed his eyes and looked at him with a dangerous and unspecified meaning, and Gu Xiyu could not help but recall what had happened in the stone pagoda those days.
The look Bu Tianhan was giving him was the same back then, it was filled with a strong desire for plunder and possession. Just one look made him feel overwhelmed, as if his whole being would be rubbed to the bone.
Bu Tianhan stared at him for a while, then the corners of his mouth suddenly lifted upwards in a careless manner, seemingly a little drunk, yet seemingly sober.
“Gu Xiyu.” Bu Tianhan called out his real name, “I’m giving you a choice now.”
“Do you want to keep your ears shut and continue to practice your emotionless dao, while I continue to live on the outside, killing people at will to vent my anger when I get upset, or do you want to come back to the Demon Palace with me and trade yourself for the safety of other orthodox cultivators on the continent?”
Gu Xiyu looked at him calmly, grasping the meaning of his question, and confirmed, “If I go back with you, do you promise not to kill people?”
Bu Tianhan put down his wine jug and walked up to him. He looked at Gu Xiyu for a while, his long fingers gently brushing back the hair that had fallen on the latter’s chest. The two men’s breaths were inadvertently intertwined, and the atmosphere became ambiguous.
Bu Tianhan chuckled—a low, penetrating laugh that fell on his ears, causing them to tingle a little.
“Yes, I will not touch them for now, only if you come back with me and be at my mercy.”