Qin Xi had never imagined that such a thing would happen one day.
Ever since that day over eighty years ago when Ye Hai entrusted him with the care of his orphan, Tian Ge's safety had been his responsibility.
After returning injured from Tianmo Mountain, he had sent Ye Jingwen to the mortal world to fetch that little girl. Unfortunately, her uncle Ye Jiang had chosen to flee with her.
At that time, he thought, this was the Ye family's own choice. Since that was the case, he wouldn't be breaking his oath, so there was no need to interfere further. Thus, for over a decade, he had never sought out the whereabouts of that uncle and niece.
Later, when he encountered her at the Cloud Mist Sect and discovered she was that same little girl from years past, he thought to himself that he couldn't escape this responsibility after all. Since they had met, for Ye Hai's sake, he would have to protect her a little in the future. Then he brought her back to the Xuanqing Sect, had his master accept her as a disciple, watched her grow step by step, and felt his own heart stir bit by bit...
The Tian Ge of now was no longer that little girl from back then. She was already a Core Formation cultivator, having grown to possess considerable strength to protect herself. He too had thought that his role could finally change—from her protector to her lover.
But he never could have imagined reality would be so cruel. Just as he was about to change his role, the one he had protected for so many years suffered such harm.
Why did this happen? He didn't need to think hard to guess the reason. Venerable Songfeng bore a deep grudge against him and his master. Having encountered Tian Ge alone, he took his revenge out on her. If not for them, Venerable Songfeng would never have spared a second glance for a mere Core Formation cultivator, let alone conceive such a vile scheme!
All these years, all these years... He had always considered himself her protector, yet he never expected the pure Yin constitution he had always worried about hadn't brought her disaster. In the end, it was because of him that she encountered such a thing...
"Kid, you don't need to blame yourself so much."
Hearing his master's voice, he gave a bleak smile and said softly, "Master, don't worry. I know what needs to be done."
"Shoujing, you really don't need to blame yourself," Daojun Hua Yan said, his voice carrying a faint hint of amusement. "Qingwei's Origin Yin is still intact, meaning the thing you feared didn't happen."
Qin Xi abruptly looked up, staring at Daojun Hua Yan, then at his own master. Both Nascent Soul Dao Lords wore smiles on their faces that didn't seem false.
"Master?" He cast a pleading gaze toward Daojun Jinghe. "Uncle-Master Hua Yan... is telling the truth?!"
Daojun Jinghe smiled. "Naturally it's true. Otherwise, I would have already killed this kid. Why would I still be asking you?"
"..." Right. Given his master's fiery temper, if something like this had truly happened to his disciple, even if Jing Xingzhi had also been tricked, he would have surely killed him to vent his hatred. How could he be so calm? It was Qin Xi himself who, upon seeing the scene before him, had become agitated and simply assumed... Tian Ge was now at the same cultivation stage as him; he couldn't tell if her Origin Yin was still intact, but his master and Uncle-Master Hua Yan could.
Realizing this, Qin Xi was momentarily overwhelmed with wild joy, then with anger. He cried out, "Master, you did that on purpose?"
Daojun Jinghe laughed heartily, pleased with himself. "Kid, no matter how clever you are, when it comes to this sort of thing, you're still an amateur. Your master could tell at a glance."
Qin Xi wanted to get angry, but after the misunderstanding just now, learning the truth now filled him with nothing but boundless joy. Even being mocked by Daojun Jinghe, he couldn't muster an angry expression, so his face just contorted.
Daojun Hua Yan stood to the side, stroking his beard with a smile, also finding it quite amusing. However, he had more of an elder's demeanor than Daojun Jinghe. After laughing for a moment, he said, "Jinghe Senior Brother, since Qingwei has been found and is unharmed, we should go to Yushen Palace to meet up with the others."
"Ah, right." Daojun Jinghe stopped laughing and said seriously to Qin Xi, "Xi'er, Yushen Palace is too dangerous. It's not convenient for me to take you there. Since Tian Ge is fine, what comes next is up to you."
"Mm." Qin Xi knew the trip to Yushen Palace was very important to his master. His master had been stuck at the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage for many years, lacking the opportunity to advance. Coming to Tianmo Mountain this time was precisely because there were rare treasures within Yushen Palace in the Ruins of All Immortals. "Master, you go ahead with peace of mind. Once Tian Ge wakes up, we'll go find her father's remains and then return. We won't linger here."
"It's good you understand. The restrictions within Tianmo Mountain are unstable this time; it's truly not a good place to stay long." Daojun Jinghe paused, then took several items from his robes and handed them over. "Time is short, and Tian Ge hasn't woken yet. I won't take you out. I've marked the path we just took. Follow the compass; you shouldn't get lost again."
"Yes, Master." Qin Xi took the items without further ado and stored them all away. Besides the compass, there were several types of magical treasures and talismans, all his master's prized possessions. Having just used his essence blood, these would be perfect for defense. After a moment's thought, he asked, "Master, is Venerable Songfeng also heading to Yushen Palace?"
Daojun Jinghe's expression darkened. "Most likely. Besides Yushen Palace, what else could possibly catch his eye?" He then sneered. "Hmph! Even though Tian Ge is unharmed, this was absolutely his scheme! If I run into him again, I'll definitely settle this score with him!"
"Jinghe Senior Brother..." Daojun Hua Yan frowned with some concern. "Venerable Songfeng's strength is truly formidable. The two of us probably aren't his match, are we?"
"What's there to fear?" Daojun Jinghe said calmly. "We won't be the only ones who want to deal with him. There will be an opportunity when the time comes."
Daojun Hua Yan had nothing to say. After thinking for a moment, he sighed and nodded. They were already enemies with Venerable Songfeng. Even without this incident, they would have clashed. So what was there to fear?
"Master, Tianmo Mountain is dangerous enough as it is. You and Uncle-Master Hua Yan should prioritize your own safety. As for that Venerable Songfeng... hmph!" A murderous intent rose on Qin Xi's face. "After returning from this trip, I will form my Nascent Soul. Sooner or later, I'll deal with him!"
"Good!" Daojun Jinghe reached out and patted his shoulder, laughing heartily. "That's the spirit! Worthy of being my, Qin Jinghe's, disciple! Hmph! My strength may not match his, but my disciples each surpass his!"
Qin Xi smiled slightly. "Master, you and Uncle-Master Hua Yan should go quickly. If you don't leave soon, it'll be too late."
"Mm." Daojun Jinghe rolled his eyes, glancing at Jing Xingzhi, whom he had severely injured. "What about this kid? What do you plan to do?"
Qin Xi swept his gaze over Jing Xingzhi, who was vomiting blood from Daojun Jinghe's attack, and said coolly, "There are still some things I need to ask him."
"Alright then." Daojun Jinghe knew he had his own ideas and didn't interfere further. He gave one last instruction: "Leave as soon as possible. Don't linger."
Qin Xi nodded in agreement, watching as he and Daojun Hua Yan summoned their flying treasures and departed together.
Once the figures of the two Nascent Soul Dao Lords disappeared, Qin Xi looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but feel a surge of inexplicable anger. Even though the thing hadn't actually happened, the scene before him made it clear that Jing Xingzhi had definitely taken advantage of Tian Ge! Thinking of this, he couldn't restrain the urge to attack Jing Xingzhi!
But after all, he had some history with Jing Xingzhi, and he still needed an explanation for these events. He could only hold back for now.
He looked down at Tian Ge. She was still unconscious. Feeling her pulse to check her condition, it was indeed as his master said—she wasn't injured. It was likely just the effects of the drug that kept her unconscious.
After a moment's thought, he first picked up Tian Ge's clothes and dressed her. Only now did he understand what Daojun Jinghe meant. Although Tian Ge's outer robe was missing, her undergarments were still properly fastened, clearly indicating she hadn't been violated. Indeed, his master's eyes were sharp, spotting the key point at a glance, while he, upon seeing the scene, had lost his composure.
But this was still very strange. If Venerable Songfeng was determined to make Tian Ge lose her purity, why would he throw her and Jing Xingzhi here? The entire mountainside was covered with Heavenly Fragrance Grass. If the two of them had truly fallen for the trap, how did they end up unconscious here? Was there some accident, or were they stopped by someone else?
Of course, it was also possible their entire assumption was wrong. After all, Venerable Songfeng's involvement was just their speculation.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he heard a groan. Looking up, he saw Jing Xingzhi move his hands and feet, waking up.
Jing Xingzhi felt a terrible headache, and his chest hurt even more. He knew he was injured but didn't know what exactly had happened. He lay with his eyes closed, panting for a while until his breathing smoothed somewhat, then struggled to open his eyes.
The moment he opened them, he was startled.
Qin Xi sat not far away, holding Mo Tiange and gazing coldly at him, his eyes indifferent. Although Qin Xi had never been friendly toward him, this gaze carried an unmistakable sense of anger.
Then, he realized something seemed off about his own body. Looking down, he startled himself again. He was half-naked!
"This..." Opening his mouth, he found his voice was hoarse beyond recognition. Jing Xingzhi swallowed and then asked, "What happened?"
Qin Xi let out a cold laugh. "You don't remember?"
The tone made Jing Xingzhi frown. Looking at his own half-naked state, then at Qin Xi's protective posture over Mo Tiange, fragments of memory suddenly flashed through his mind. He was horrified. "I..."
Seeing that he seemed to remember something, the feeling of annoyance in Qin Xi's heart intensified. He stared at Jing Xingzhi with a cold, dark gaze, not saying a word.
Under such a gaze, Jing Xingzhi wanted to explain himself but felt he had nothing to say. Say he had no choice? The deed was already done, and he had long known what this junior sister meant to Qin Shoujing. What was the point of saying such things?
After a long silence, he said, "If you want to kill me, I have nothing to say."
"So you also think you deserve to die?"
"Of course not." Jing Xingzhi looked up. "I don't think I did anything wrong. This wasn't something I wanted. I may appreciate beauty, but I have no interest in other men's women. However, since it has happened, I don't want to shirk responsibility. If you want to kill me to vent your hatred, I have nothing to say. Of course, I won't just stand there and take it either."
"..." After a moment of silence, Qin Xi said, "It wasn't something you wanted?"
"That's right. We ran into Venerable Songfeng. He bears a grudge against you and your master, so he took it out on your junior sister. He brought us here, fed us Heavenly Fragrance Beans, so that's why..."
What Jing Xingzhi said matched their speculations. However, from the sound of it, he seemed unaware that the deed hadn't actually happened in the end. What was going on? Qin Xi was puzzled.