novelraw Chapter 196 : “You Are Mu Bingjiu, I Am Not Huo Dingyi”
Chapter 196 : “You Are Mu Bingjiu, I Am Not Huo Dingyi”
Chapter 196: “You Are Mu Bingjiu, I Am Not Huo Dingyi”
Inside the grand hall, a terrifying oppressive aura radiated from Jiang Zhi’s body.
“You’re using the Origin Spirit Realm to threaten me?” He looked coldly at the young man standing before him.
Within Chu Huaixu’s Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Sword began to automatically resist this oppressive force, shielding its “frail” master—who was only at the First Realm—from harm.
This allowed the young man in black robes to still stand tall and calm, his expression unchanged as he met Jiang Zhi’s gaze head-on.
“Your disciple wouldn’t dare!” The words from his mouth and the look in his eyes, however, told two entirely different stories.
Dare? Like hell he didn’t!
Truthfully, Xiang Yan and the others, having interacted with Chu Huaixu for quite some time now, were already well aware of his temperament.
“This brat is actually pretty stubborn.”
“And don’t be fooled by his usual courteous, well-mannered demeanor.”
“He often speaks in polite tones while saying and doing the most outrageous things.”
In truth, Chu Huaixu dared to act this way precisely because after spending so much time with them, he had grown increasingly familiar with Xiang Yan and the others.
These high-ranking Dao Gate elders didn’t carry that suffocating, aloof aura typical of the ruling class.
Chu Huaixu understood all too well that if it were some other superior, his words just now would have been enough for them to disregard his emotions entirely. They wouldn’t tolerate any resistance—viewing disobedience as nothing more than defiance.
He dared to act spoiled precisely because he understood them.
As for Jiang Zhi…
They had never seen eye to eye anyway. Why should he care what this old fossil thought?
Even if this Little Martial Uncle Ancestor truly wanted to act, the matter would only end with Xiang Yan and the others persuading him: “Little Martial Uncle, think of the bigger picture. Think of the bigger picture!”
He was the Xuanhuang Champion, and capable of slaying Nascent Souls!
When a person possessed such singular uniqueness, everyone had no choice but to unite around him.
...
...
The Origin Spirit Realm and the Kunlun Grotto-Heaven were Jiang Zhi’s weak points.
Oftentimes, what a person valued most was their greatest vulnerability.
Seeing that the youth before him could withstand the oppressive force he released, Jiang Zhi was once again reminded of the Heart Sword’s terrifying nature.
This scene clearly emphasized one thing—Chu Huaixu’s uniqueness.
He drew a deep breath, then cast a glare at Li Chunsong, venting his anger on him.
—“Didn’t I just tell you to send him back? Didn’t you understand? Why are you still sitting here!”
The “personal steed” of Chu Huaixu immediately stood up.
“Chu Huaixu, come with me. This matter will be handled appropriately by the sect.” He shot the boy a meaningful look.
Sure enough, in front of Li Chunsong, Chu Huaixu became remarkably cooperative.
“This disciple shall obey the Sixth Elder.” The Dead Fox, that Male Green Tea persona of his, was back at it again with that line.
Sitting atop the dais in the grand hall, Jiang Zhi couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his eye.
Xiang Yan and the others could only smile wryly.
Li Chunsong, however, looked absolutely pleased.
See? Look at the respect he shows me!
This man—this was his hand-picked man!
The unremarkable-looking Sixth Elder gave a proud wave of his sleeve, motioning for the “Savior of the Sword” he had personally selected to follow closely.
Xiang Yan gave the young man at the center of the grand hall a gentle smile and a subtle look.
Only then did Chu Huaixu follow the Sixth Elder out of the hall.
After the two left, Xiang Yan turned to the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor with a helpless expression.
“Little Martial Uncle, it seems Chu Huaixu misunderstood your intentions.”
Jiang Zhi glared at him and said, “Do I need some junior’s understanding?”
Situations like this were something Xiang Yan and the others had grown quite used to.
The Little Martial Uncle had always been poor at dealing with people—utterly lacking in social finesse.
He had always been a careless man, and whenever the Origin Spirit Realm was involved, he became half-possessed.
Talking to him about such matters always felt exhausting to them—let alone to a hot-blooded young man.
As the Sect Master, Xiang Yan wore a fierce, menacing face as he pacified the young and soothed the old.
Everyone began to coax the Little Martial Uncle Ancestor in unison.
Only Chu Yinyin leisurely sat in the grand chair, her tiny legs swinging mid-air, thinking to herself that her future disciple, just like her, really knew how to make a bold impression!
Jiang Zhi finally cooled down a bit. But then, he turned to Xiang Yan and said, “Chu Huaixu’s descent from the mountain was arranged by you and me. Though no one could have predicted the Nascent Soul’s appearance, strictly speaking, Liu Tianfeng’s death was due to this incident. You and I both share responsibility.”
The ever-stingy Sect Master immediately felt a bad premonition!
Sure enough, the Little Martial Uncle’s next words were: “Give his son a Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill. If the contribution points aren’t enough, you and I will cover the rest personally.”
Xiang Yan: Little Martial Uncle! No, wait! You… I… sigh—!
Nangong Yue and the others simply watched with amusement.
In past years, this kind of expense would’ve been evenly split.
But they were more than happy to save a few points—and even happier to see the miserly Sect Master take a loss.
Xiang Yan let out a long sigh, then nodded and began arranging the rest.
He said to the Second Elder, the pill-refining grandmaster: “Second Senior Brother, you deliver the pill to Chu Huaixu later, and let him take it in private.”
This favor, then, would fall to Chu Huaixu—allowing him to be seen as the good guy.
Then, he continued, “Junior Sister Nangong, arrange for some people to escort that Sword Sect disciple, Zhao Qianfeng, back to the Sword Sect for judgment.”
“This matter—Sword Sect must give our Dao Gate an explanation!”
“Understood.” Nangong Yue nodded.
...
...
On the other side, Li Chunsong had already escorted Chu Huaixu back to the bamboo hut.
Looking at the young man before him, he grew increasingly satisfied.
But after a moment’s thought, he said, “About the Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill—it’s not that the Little Martial Uncle is unwilling. It’s just that whenever something involves the Origin Spirit Realm, he acts like that.”
“You don’t know him well, so it’s understandable you dislike him.”
“If you spent more time around him…”
“Sigh, forget it!” He figured it’d probably just make Huaixu dislike him even more.
Chu Huaixu chuckled at that.
Clearly, this was the Little Martial Uncle’s reputation.
But Li Chunsong still added, “Still, it’s not that he bears you any ill will. On the contrary, from this point on, he’ll likely prioritize you more than anyone else.”
Chu Huaixu didn’t care either way. Just because someone meant well didn’t mean they’d get along.
He simply replied, “Understood, Elder.”
After chatting a bit more, Li Chunsong took his leave.
The next day, the Second Elder of Dao Gate, Tai Tingbai, personally delivered a Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill.
“Take this in private—and don’t spread word of it,” Tai Tingbai instructed.
“Yes, Elder. Understood.”
The Dao Gate’s Second Elder gave Chu Huaixu a once-over before asking, “I heard you’ve been learning pill refining?”
“Yes. I didn’t expect Second Elder to know.”
Chu Huaixu tried fishing for more information.
“We know all the techniques you’ve exchanged for in the Scripture Pavilion,” Tai Tingbai saw through his intent and answered directly.
Chu Huaixu relaxed upon hearing that they only knew about his exchanged techniques.
This Second Elder, whose name sounded poetic but looked and spoke like a country bumpkin, took out a jade slip from his Storage Token.
“I returned late, having been out with the Little Martial Uncle for demon-slaying and searching for Sword Attendants at the mountain’s foot.”
“I heard from Little Junior Sister that you’ll soon be apprenticing under her and Seventh Junior Sister.”
“Even Fifth Junior Brother and the others have already given you their greeting gifts.”
“Then as your future Second Master-Uncle, I can’t afford to be stingy either.”
“These are my early insights into pill refining. Since you wish to pursue this path, perhaps they’ll be useful to you,” he said with a smile.
Upon hearing that this was a greeting gift prompted by Chu Yinyin, Chu Huaixu couldn’t help but feel delighted.
He immediately replied respectfully, “This disciple thanks Second Elder.”
Tai Tingbai smiled and nodded, but still added, “But in the near term, focus on preparing for the Origin Spirit Realm. The path of pill refining is extremely time-consuming and requires dedication. For now, don’t get too absorbed in it.”
“Yes, this disciple understands,” Chu Huaixu agreed.
Get too absorbed?
The Medicinal Cauldron [Dao Birth One] is my anti-addiction system.
Let it get immersed instead~
As for himself, he’d just spend Experience Points to level up his pill refining skill.
After Tai Tingbai left, Chu Huaixu began to “digest” the jade slip.
Soon after, he heard the system notification in his ears:
“【Ding! You have obtained the jade slip—Tai Tingbai’s early insights on pill refining.】”
“【This reduces the learning and upgrade Experience Points needed for any intermediate-level pill refining technique.】”
Chu Huaixu checked—turns out it could reduce costs by forty percent.
“Not bad, not bad!” He felt quite satisfied.
Once his cultivation level advanced, Chu Huaixu definitely intended to learn intermediate-level pill refining techniques.
With [Dao Birth One] being such a heaven-defying artifact, he couldn’t keep using it to refine low-grade spiritual pills forever—that would be a complete waste.
After safely storing away the Xuantian Embryo Breathing Pill, Chu Huaixu prepared to visit the Liu family later.
What caught him slightly off guard was the appearance of two familiar figures outside the bamboo hut.
Leading the way was a dignified-looking Dao Gate Steward, Mo Qingmei, with a small-town delicate charm.
Following her was someone Chu Huaixu knew even more intimately.
However, due to certain recent events, he hadn’t been particularly eager to see him—and he suspected the other party didn’t know how to face him either.
On the surface, Chu Huaixu remained calm and greeted them with courtesy: “This disciple greets Steward Mo and Steward Niu.”
The visitor was none other than Old Niu.
For some reason, Chu Huaixu thought he looked utterly worn out—like he had aged several years in an instant.
Mo Qingmei stepped forward with a warm smile and said, “Huaixu, when no one else is around, you don’t need to be so formal. You saved my life.”
On the altar that day, if not for Chu Huaixu’s intervention and decisive resolution of the chaos, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Frankly, it was a bit embarrassing. She was supposed to lead and protect the outer sect disciples, yet she was the first one knocked unconscious on that altar.
Mo Qingmei walked over to the table outside the bamboo hut and placed a few thank-you gifts she had brought.
Seeing Chu Huaixu about to speak, she immediately added, “Hey! These aren’t anything valuable—just some supplies that you and Shuangjiang can use during daily cultivation.”
Niu Yuanshan bashfully placed a basket of spiritual tangerines on the table too.
These kinds of spiritual fruits weren’t especially rare—they were just tokens of gratitude.
Mo Qingmei frowned as she looked at him.
“I called you here because you’re the most familiar with Huaixu. What’s with this act—why are you pretending to be a stranger?” she scolded.
Chu Huaixu and Niu Yuanshan were both startled, exchanging glances.
To Mu Bingjiu, Chu Huaixu—who had completely discarded his identity as Huo Dingyi—did indeed feel unfamiliar.
He didn’t know why, but after hearing those words from His Highness the Heir, learning of Chu Huaixu’s betrayal of the Organization, Old Niu’s first reaction had been shock and disbelief. Yet rather than anger, all he felt was endless confusion… and perhaps, a trace of sorrow?
Especially after that day when everything became clear and he fully realized the awkward situation he now found himself in.
Currently, everything was balanced on a delicate edge.
Chu Huaixu hadn’t sold out the Organization or Old Niu, and His Highness the Heir didn’t seem intent on dealing with Chu Huaixu for now either.
If either side were to break this fragile truce, the first person to get hit by both factions… would probably be Niu Yuanshan.
Now, he genuinely didn’t know how to interact with this kid. They were no longer walking the same path.
“But still… still, this time when descending the mountain, he saved Qingmei!”
He owed Qingmei a great deal.
Now he had no choice but to accept this favor from Chu Huaixu.
Niu Yuanshan wasn’t your average man—he liked Mo Qingmei very much, which was precisely why he hadn’t been with her.
The more he cared, the heavier the weight became—and the deeper he owed Chu Huaixu.
He had led expeditions down the mountain before, but never expected something like this to happen.
“How did things end up like this?” Niu Yuanshan couldn’t understand.
And yet today’s Chu Huaixu behaved almost no differently than before.
Hearing Mo Qingmei scold Old Niu, he boldly teased the pair.
“Steward Mo, you don’t need to lecture Steward Niu. You say this disciple saved your life, and then Steward Niu gets all flustered—I might start overthinking things.”
But his words made Mo Qingmei’s mind run wild. Immediately, she began overthinking too.
Though already middle-aged, she blushed like a young girl—half-shy, half-annoyed.
“Nonsense! Don’t spout such rubbish. Have you learned to tease your elders now?”
Despite her heart racing, she couldn’t help but glare at Old Niu.
In truth, these words from the Dead Fox made Old Niu think a lot as well.
After all, just imagine: Mo Qingmei, already at the Third Realm, had fallen to an Evil Cultivator, yet Chu Huaixu, only in the First Realm, had charged forward without hesitation.
Now, he was even openly “exposing” them, like someone who’d overheard their romantic rumors.
What did that imply?
Niu Yuanshan sighed inwardly:
Chu Huaixu, oh Chu Huaixu, what am I supposed to do with you?
As a seasoned Spy, Old Niu quickly composed himself and began chatting with the young man like usual.
After a while, Mo Qingmei showed no signs of lingering and prepared to leave with Old Niu.
Before leaving, Niu Yuanshan gave Chu Huaixu a deep, complicated look.
Chu Huaixu watched his back and thought, How did I never notice? Old Niu is actually pretty hunched.
He had once seen Old Niu’s future—his fate.
With that thought, he suddenly called out to the Dao Gate’s faithful ox.
“Steward Niu, this disciple has a few words to share with you. May I have a moment?”
Mo Qingmei, glancing between the two, immediately sensed something. She was old enough to read the room and said, “You two talk. I’ve got things to handle over at the Disciples’ Courtyard.”
Chu Huaixu stepped forward to face Old Niu.
He stood noticeably taller—at least half a head.
Old Niu really did look aged now.
Chu Huaixu said, “Steward Niu, since entering the sect, this disciple has received your care in every little matter.”
“What the future holds, no one knows.”
“But if anything should happen one day, this disciple hopes you’ll think twice before doing anything—and follow your own heart.”
“Steward Niu, I’m not asking you to spare me in all situations. From the bottom of my heart, I just hope that maybe, one day… you’ll also be able to forgive yourself.”
With that, without waiting for a reply, this outer sect disciple gave a disciple’s salute to the Dao Gate steward—and turned to leave.