Living Up to You

Chapter 18

Nan Zhi had always been quiet and silent when he was in her hair. Only when that old demon attacked her did she feel his aura float. If it wasn’t because Qing Kui had appeared in time, Nan Zhi might have showed himself.

After the old demon left, Ling Xi also deliberately appeased that Chinese rose. She was sure that he was still there at that time…

“Nan Zhi…,” Ling Xi called him in a low voice. Since he wasn’t taken by the old demon, then he must’ve left on his own. He shouldn’t have gone too far.

Ling Xi was afraid that her movement would alarm the others and didn’t return to the resting place. Instead, she followed the lake and called. But after getting no response for a long time, she got anxious.

She wasn’t anxious that something would happen to Nan Zhi, but…she was worried without reason that the current situation of Nan Zhi would be discovered. She had witnessed Nan Zhi’s growth at Xuwang Cliff. She was pleasantly surprised by his talents and attributed everything to him being an immortal spirit created by the heaven and earth. However, after listening to Qing Kui today, she felt a bit uneasy.

She knew clearly that Nan Zhi’s origin is upright, but she still felt uneasy. She didn’t dare to easily expose him to everyone. It was like…she knew that her origin was upright, but others say that she was not tolerated in the six realms.

“Nan Zhi!” Ling Xi called impatiently again and happened to smell a familiar scent.

Perhaps it was because his original form was a Chinese rose, Nan Zhi always carried a faint fragrance of Chinese roses. After being together for a long time, Ling Xi could smell him without seeing him in person.

“Where did you go? We have agreed on that you can’t leave my side casually let alone reveal your human form!”

Nan Zhi stood in front of her. The moment Ling Xi saw him, the uneasiness turned into a tiny anger and she vented it. When Nan Zhi saw Ling Xi, his eyes shone faintly, but after receiving her anger, he lowered his eyes and frowned.

“Where did you go?” When he didn’t answer, Ling Xi got more annoyed.

Nan Zhi’s frown became deeper, but he still answered with a short sentence, “Behead the demon.”

“Behead what demon?”

“Bone-eating demon.”

If it was in the past, Ling Xi would be jealous and envious of Nan Zhi’s cultivation. However now, she didn’t have that mood anymore. One has to know that even senior brother Qing Nian wasn’t able to easily catch the bone-eating demon…

“You killed her?”

“Of course.”

“Was it truly the bone-eating demon?”

“Is there a fake one?”

Ling Xi tidied up her thoughts. The one Nan Zhi was talking about must be the old demon that attacked them just now. She also heard senior sister Qing Lian’s analysis and realized that that was not the real bone-eating demon.

“The one that bullied you.” When Nan Zhi saw that she didn’t answer, he continued to say.

Ling Xi breathed from relief. If he had killed the bone-eating demon who is now famous in the demon and immortal realm, it would be impossible to hide his existence…

“Ate her,” Nan Zhi said suddenly.

When Ling Xi raised her head and saw the shining green element floating in his palm, she was so surprised that she had forgotten about Nan Zhi being in the human form. She reached a hand over, trying to open his palm, but her palm fell on emptiness.

“This is the real element of that old demon. It has a cultivation of six hundred years.” Nan Zhi held the element closer.

Ling Xi naturally knew that the cultivation of this real element was not shallow, but only demons and devils would want to devour it to make their cultivation higher. The decent disciples who wanted to cultivate into an immortal, how would they want a demon’s cultivation?

“Nan Zhi, have you swallow the true element of other demons?” Ling Xi asked carefully. When he went to kill the old demon, he may have encountered many small demons…

“No.”

Ling Xi felt relief, leaned against a big tree on the shore of the lake and sat down. “Nan Zhi, sit down.”

Nan Zhi sat down.

“Nan Zhi, only demons would use these ways that harms other for one’s personal benefit to let their cultivation get higher,” Ling Xi said in a serious tone.

Although, Nan Zhi’s comprehension skills are amazing and he could understand a spell just by doing it once, but after all he was an immortal spirit who didn’t experienced the world. Before they got out of Xuwang Cliff, the one who he had the most contact with, the ones who he seemed to come the most contact with were her and the pile of books. He still had many things that Ling Xi needed to teach him.

For example, in the beginning, Nan Zhi couldn’t even differentiate between left and right because books won’t tell him which side is left and which side is right…

“I know,” Nan Zhi said. “But it will be very beneficial for you when you eat it.”

Nan Zhi persevered held the real element in front of Ling Xi. Ling Xi said unhappily, “After I ate it, I will be a demon in the future and wouldn’t be able to turn a new leaf ever again!”

“What is wrong with being a demon?”

“One is right, one is evil. Of course, it is wrong!”

“What is right and what is evil?”

Ling Xi was stumped for words for a moment. She couldn’t explain such a profound question to Nan Zhi in just a few words. She could only say angrily, “Anyway, I don’t like it!”

Nan Zhi seemed to understand a bit. He retracted his hand and said, “Then, I will throw it away.”

As he talked, he moved his five fingers. The green element cracked instantly and broke apart.

“You can’t have such thoughts in the future. Nan Zhi, you are an immortal spirit, not a demon. Everything that demons will do, you can’t do, do you understand?” Ling Xi said word by word.

“You don’t like demons?”

“No.”

“Alright.”

Ling Xi finally revealed a smile. Perhaps her previous worries may had been for nothing. Nan Zhi was pure like this. In some respects, he was completely as blank as a piece of paper that only she could sketch on. Whether it takes a thousand years for an immortal spirit to cultivate a human form or whether it takes a demon a few hundred years to get a body, he is a spirit that was born at the highest peak of Cangjia Mountain where the spiritual energy was gathered. How could he be compared with those ordinary spirits?

“Nan Zhi, would you also be like this in the future and won’t do anything I don’t like?” Ling Xi hugged her legs and rested her head on her knees. She looked at Nan Zhi with a bright smile.

Nan Zhi’s black hair spread along his black clothes as if to blend into the night. Only those eyes reflected the lake and the mountains under the moonlight and was as clear as glass. The breeze went by. The Chinese rose fragrance on him and the lotus fragrance from the surface of the lake were refreshing and pleasant.

He stared at Ling Xi. Waves rippled through his eyes a few times. Finally, he said expressionlessly and with a serious voice, “I don’t want to be turned into a little turtle by you.”

Ling Xi was startled and immediately burst into laughter. She covered her mouth and fell on the ground from laughing and made the ground be covered in dew.

—

The next day, the five people set off again.

Ling Zhi no longer bothered to think about the unusualness of Nan Zhi. Anyway, she had personally witnessed how he become what he is today step by step. He was with her day and night. His mind was so simple that he didn’t know what a demon was. Whether she believed him or believed herself, she should abandon that inexplicable uneasiness.

After Qing Kui rested for one night, he was in a much better spirit than last night. He began to run smilingly behind Ling Xi again to get back his Xiangyin sword. Qing Lian followed unhurriedly behind Qing Kui while Xue Ran and Qing Nian were at the end.

The forest was green. The sky was blue and the clouds were white. Although, the scenery of the mortal realm wasn’t as splendid as the immortal realm, it was detailed, fine and brimming with life. The sun hasn’t risen yet. A variety of lively birds could be heard in the forest.

As usual, the five people were all on their respective swords. When getting out of the mountain today, one more person appeared. The six people were divided into three roads. Two people on one sword. When they came out of the forest, they went in different directions.

Ling Xi turned around and looked at the two other her. For a moment, she couldn’t describe the strange feeling.

Early this morning, they gathered again to discuss. They were not far anymore from Donghua Mountain. If that bone-eating demon had planned this for a long time, the next part of their journey may be full of crisis. The Four Immortals’ Association was imminent. They already had set off late. If something happened during the journey, they would inevitably miss the timing.

The exact objective of the bone-eating demon couldn’t be determined from her yesterday’s action, but it could be determined that the person she was targeting was Ling Xi.

Demons would use a human face to disguise themselves. They could also use spells as diversionary tactics. If Qing Kui, Qing Lian and Qing Nian each of them travel with a Ling Xi in different directions, even if the bone-eating demon had arranged in advance, she would be more or less disrupted. If not, the speed of a pair of two would not affect their speed of reaching Donghua Mountain.

Therefore, the real Ling Xi followed Qing Kui. The Ling Xi turned by Qing Lian’s hairpin followed Qing Lian and Xue Ran who had used diversionary tactic to turn into Ling Xi followed Qing Nian. The three group chose a different direction when flying out of the forest, confusing people.

“Senior brother Qing Kui, would they fall for the trap?” Ling Xi asked in a low voice as she held Qing Kui’s arm tightly.

“Who knows…,” Qing Kui said disdainfully. “Even if our diversionary tactic truly confused that group of demons, it wouldn’t be for too long. But with only the two of us, I can guarantee that you will be unscathed! Besides, we can reach Donghua Mountain today at my speed. Why should we be afraid of them?”

“Tsk, tsk, in fact, it is because you want to be alone with little Ling Xi…”

Pa!

Before Juisheng could finish, he received a slap from Qing Kui.

“Shut up!” Qing Kui vigorously blocked the wine gourd’s mouth on his waist. Juisheng shouted twice before he quieted down.

Ling Xi looked at Juisheng with sympathy. She didn’t know whether Qing Kui coughed twice truly or faked them and said, “He…he had once gone down the mountain with junior uncle Cang Qu and hung out with him in the mortal realm for three months. After he came back…he had these messy thoughts all day long!”

Ling Xi happily and curiously asked, “What kind of messy thoughts did he have?”

Qing Kui was stumped for words. Ling Xi also didn’t wait for his answer and continued, “But little Juisheng is very cute…”

Why did Nan Zhi appear as an adult man the moment he showed himself? Even the voice he spoke with in the beginning was not the cute and lovely child’s voice like Juisheng’s…

Juisheng who had been stuffed at Qing Kui’s waist was unable to speak and could only nod his gourd’s head.

Qing Kui glared once at him. After a long silence, he suddenly said, “Ah Chou, how about you discipline him for me for a few days?”

“Senior brother Qing Kui, you…”

“I’m going to catch the demon.” It was rare for Qing Kui to be deadly serious. “Ah Chou, in fact, I probably know what the objective of the bone-eating demon is, but I don’t really want to let others know. That was why I proposed to be one our way in three groups.”

Ling Xi was alarmed and about to ask when Qing Kui continued, “I will put you down at the next mountain. When you fly over with the sword, it would be one of Donghua Mountain’s peak. Presumably things would be different now with Juisheng and your black Chinese rose at you side. They will surely send you safely to Donghua Mountain.”

Ling Xi knew that although usually senior brother Qing Kui liked to taunt and tease her, he was truly good to her. Therefore, after thinking the matter of Nan Zhi through last night, she planned to find an opportunity to tell Qing Kui about Nan Zhi’s existence. Hearing Qing Kui say that now, she quickly said, “Second senior brother, you don’t have to leave Juisheng with me, black Chinese rose, he…”

“If you don’t take it, then you are looking down on me!” Qing Kui interrupted her and returned to his undisciplined look. He laughed, “Just a small bone-eating demon, isn’t that just a stretch of the hand and grab it?”

- A stretch of the hand and grab it: very easy

Qing Kui had mastered the art of the five doors. Among the disciples of Cangjia, aside from Feng Shu, he has the highest cultivation. Although, Ling Xi didn’t doubt his ability, but she was worried when he leaves in such a hurry.

“Second senior brother, that bone-eating demon…”

“I will tell you when I return. Ah Chou, take good care of yourself!”

Sure enough, Qing Kui put Ling Xi down at the next mountain and he went to the southeast without looking back. He didn’t bring Juisheng and also didn’t take Xiangyin sword. Ling Xi looked at his leaving back. Suddenly, she realized that perhaps a few days ago, his behavior of when he lay on the wine gourd and wanted to retrieve Xiangyin sword was just to make her happy.

Arriving at the first peak of Donghua Mountain on the sword, Ling Xi was in full alert state. Every nerve on her body was tightened for fear that she would suddenly be attacked by demons.

Unexpectedly, this journey went very smoothly. There were no big nor small demon that popped out halfway nor was there small or big devil that came out. It went so smoothly that Ling Xi felt that it was like an illusion that she was in another world when she saw the people come and go at Donghua Mountain.

Ever since being brought to Tianmai Peak by Feng Shu, aside from training, she had never seen so many people.

Donghua Mountain was even bigger and higher than Cangjia Mountain. Ling Xi couldn’t see how many peaks there were. When she stopped steadily at the foot of the first peak, she immediately attracted a crowd of people who watched and discussed.

“This humble one is supremo’s sixth disciple Ling Xi and was sent to participate in the Four Immortals’ Association. Colleague deities, please lead the way.” Ling Xi cupped her hands as she spoke politely.

Donghua’s disciples were not like Cangjia’s disciples. They were dressed in the same blue robes, but they looked more like swordsmen of the mortal realm. They dressed differently without failing to the customs.

It was just that no one bothered with Ling Xi after she had spoken. After a long while, a faintly discernible sneer could be heard.

“Cangjia’s supremo’s disciple is actually like this?”

Ling Xi’s face immediately reddened and couldn’t help but lower her head. Among those who cultivates, they are sensitive to the depth of each other’s cultivation. Often, it would only take half a stroke to estimate the other party’s cultivation.

“Actually, had the face to say colleagues. Little girl, you still haven’t cultivated an immortal body, right?” Another voice continued to ridicule.

Ling Xi lowered her head in shame and was unable to see the other party’s appearance. She only replied, “Ling Xi had practiced the arts of immortals for less than six years and is stupid by nature. That is…is why I still haven’t cultivated an immortal body…”

“Ling Xi? Why does this name sound so familiar?” Another voice interjected.

“You aren’t that Ling Xi who let the snow lotuses turn into ashes and who had caused the death of the pillar of Cangjia Mountain, right?”

Ling Xi’s head was already so low that it couldn’t be lowered any longer. She emphasized once again, “I was instructed by my master to attend the Four Immortals’ Association!”

“You are not even an immortal, how can you participate in the Four Immortals’ Association? This is truly a big joke of the six realms!” The first voice that had ridiculed her continued, “That old man Cang Yu actually still dared to take you in as disciple? He simply doesn’t put the immortal realm in his eyes!”

Ling Xi was not someone with a strong temperament. Forget it if she was ridiculed by others, but Donghua as the head of the immortal realm doesn’t even understand the most basic way of hospitability and was disrespectful to supremo. Wasn’t this a bit too much?

“This Donghua’s “immortal” doesn’t differentiate between social ranking. Does this mean that you don’t put Cangjia in your eyes?” Ling Xi suddenly raised her head and said angrily.

Her words just fell when she saw a sword flew at her. That person said angrily, “The one who let snow lotus turn into ashes is despised by everyone enough to be punished with death!”

The foot of Donghua Mountain fell into chaos for a moment. Ling Xi dodged that sword. Juisheng couldn’t hold back any longer and began to fight with the person who attacked Ling Xi. When the others saw this, they made trouble for Ling Xi. Ling Xi was not their opponent. The Chinese rose in her hair began to stir.

“High-tiered deity Donghua seeks miss Ling Xi’s attendance!”

Suddenly a female voice could be heard among the chaos. The disciples of Donghua stopped fighting and silently retreated to a side. There was no sound at all. Juisheng’s gourd body had long changed into two people and was still spinning angrily in the air. Ling Xi didn’t have the time to retract Xiangyin sword. Seeing the women coming on the clouds neat and tidy, she froze on spot.

“High-tiered deity has invited you. Miss Ling Xi, please forgive the previous negligence.” The woman in the front stepped forward. Her face looked like spring water, but her eyes were sharp like daggers and swept over all the Donghua disciples.

The Donghua disciples who had considered themselves unparalleled just now, knelt down, leaving only Ling Xi standing alone in the center.

“Miss Ling Xi, please come.”

The woman in the front turned her body slightly. The ten women in the same white clothes lined up in two rows and walked gently in front of Ling Xi. Their eyes were slightly lowered, their knees slightly bend and waited for her to step on the cloud.