WBICDPH Chapter 14 Part 1

Chapter 14: A Familiar Face in a Foreign Land

Water from Diandian Spring trickled down the damp rock face, winding into a thin trail before gathering at the edge into a perfectly round droplet, which finally detached and fell.

The white mist sinking through the bamboo grove was suddenly forced apart by an external pressure, rippling outward in waves.

Xiao Lanqi charged straight at Zhe Yu, wrapped in raging wind and blazing fire. Zhe Yu’s hair and robes fluttered more violently by the second, yet he himself did not move an inch. Leisurely, he lifted the wine jug and calmly filled the two white jade cups on the table.

When the corner of his eye caught the cyan-blue flame rushing toward him, Zhe Yu flicked a finger lightly. A single drop of wine broke away from its intended path and shot straight toward the source of the fire.

That drop of wine looked utterly ordinary, without the slightest hint of spiritual fluctuation, yet it forced Xiao Lanqi’s Crashing Cloud Azure Flame back all the same.

The clear drop pierced through the cyan flames and inky demonic aura. Xiao Lanqi raised an eyebrow and turned his head slightly; the droplet skimmed past his ear, even leaving a faint scratch along the edge of the silver ornament there.

“Why is the Young Lord still so reckless and arrogant?” Zhe Yu said mildly. “If it were you from back then, I might have been wary. But now your injuries have yet to heal, your cultivation is ruined, and you’re standing in my Yan Yu Mountain. Forcing the Crashing Cloud Azure Flame to fight me like this—isn’t that a bit impulsive?”

At that moment, the dripping spring water finally splashed into the pool below, and Zhe Yu finished pouring the wine.

He chuckled softly.
“It’s been decades since we last met. Since you’re here, Young Lord, why not sit down and have a drink? We could catch up.”

“What old ties do I have to reminisce about with you?!” Xiao Lanqi snapped.

Despite his words, he knew full well that he was no match for Zhe Yu right now. He withdrew the flames around him, and the raging wind gradually died down as well.

Zhe Yu ignored the sarcasm, simply pushing one of the wine cups to the other side of the table as he spoke to himself.
“No past ties, then at least we have matters of the present to discuss. Isn’t that why you’re standing here now?”

“You still dare bring it up?!” The anger Xiao Lanqi had just suppressed flared again. He grabbed Zhe Yu by the throat.
“A master–servant contract! What a fine threat. I never imagined that one day I’d suffer such humiliation at your hands!”

Zhe Yu didn’t resist. He tilted his chin slightly, the smile at his lips deepening.
“But it didn’t actually go through, did it? Why be so furious? If I truly meant to harm you, you wouldn’t be in Yan Yu Mountain right now. Where would you be instead? On the run from Xiao Lancheng, most likely. And in your current state, how long do you think you’d last against him?”

Only after saying this did Zhe Yu raise a hand to push Xiao Lanqi’s grip away.

Then he forcibly pressed the wine cup into Xiao Lanqi’s hand and continued,
“That kid isn’t ordinary. If I’m not mistaken, he possesses the Huaiyu Sacred Body. I heard through the grapevine that the Piaomiao Pavilion sent a furnace cauldron to Xiao Lancheng to seek peace, but the person escaped midway. Judging by the timing, that should be him. Even the Painted-Heart Fiend that sneaked into the trial realm this time was probably targeting him as well.

“This kid is anything but simple. Besides the Huaiyu Sacred Body, there’s a restriction on him—something extraordinarily profound, even beyond my understanding. It’s definitely not something those old fools at Piaomiao Pavilion could have created. Which means someone powerful is backing him.

“With support behind him, quick wits, and decent character, recuperating at his side won’t do you any harm. Why are you so angry?”

Zhe Yu sized Xiao Lanqi up and, before he could speak, added,
“Oh—I know. The Young Lord is a peerless prodigy, proud inheritor of a ferocious beast’s bloodline. Of course, you wouldn’t willingly serve a mere human. Let me guess—your original plan was to use the furnace cauldron yourself, restore your cultivation, and then storm back to Bright Candle Heaven to take revenge on Xiao Lancheng, wasn’t it?”

Xiao Lanqi’s anger was choked back by Zhe Yu’s words, and even what he intended to say was stolen from his mouth. Frustrated, he downed the wine in one gulp. Only after swallowing did he realize it was Zhe Yu’s wine, leaving him with mixed feelings.

He tossed the cup back onto the table and sat down in the chair opposite.
“So what if it was? What’s wrong with that? He imprisoned me for nearly a hundred years—am I not allowed to take revenge?! That makes no sense!”

Seeing him like this, Zhe Yu couldn’t help laughing.

He sighed inwardly at Xiao Lanqi’s childish temperament before saying,
“Then it seems those nearly a hundred years at the bottom of Ghost-Crying Cliff truly taught you nothing. Let me ask you this—do you know where you actually lost to Xiao Lancheng?”

Xiao Lanqi froze.

Because he suddenly remembered that the Painted-Heart Fiend in the trial realm had asked him the very same question:

‘Young Lord, you’re still as arrogant and reckless as ever.’
‘It seems those ninety years at Ghost-Crying Cliff never made you realize where you lost.’

Where did he lose? Wasn’t it simply that he trusted the wrong people and misjudged them?

“In terms of bloodline or cultivation, Xiao Lancheng is far inferior to you. He couldn’t even kill you outright—only to imprison you at the bottom of Ghost-Crying Cliff. But you must understand that brute force isn’t the only measure of a person.

“In the century he’s ruled Bright Candle Heaven, the once-scattered demon cultivators, ghost cultivators, and devil cultivators have grown unexpectedly united—so much so that they threatened the Piaomiao Pavilion and forced it to send a furnace cauldron to sue for peace. That’s something even your mother never achieved.

“Xiao Lancheng may be a terrible brother—scheming and ruthless, but you have to admit, he’s a good ruler. At least, he’s far more suitable to rule Bright Candle Heaven than you are now.”

Zhe Yu steadied the wine cup Xiao Lanqi had knocked askew. For some reason, his hand paused slightly before he continued as usual.
“My senior brother once told me—”

“You still dare mention him?!” Xiao Lanqi interrupted sharply.

Zhe Yu wasn’t annoyed in the slightest. He simply curved his lips and asked calmly,
“Why wouldn’t I?”

A crack had formed along the rim of the jade cup. Without drawing attention, Zhe Yu restored it and continued,
“My senior brother once said that the Young Lord grew up in high places, accustomed to lofty views and endless praise. You never learned the twists and turns of the human heart, and so you developed an overly straightforward nature.

“Your brilliance is too dazzling, and you never learned to rein it in—so you inevitably offend others. Xiao Lancheng, on the other hand, is your complete opposite. He understands people and human nature all too well.

“To put it simply: everyone around you wants you dead, while everyone around him is willing to die for him. That is where you lost.”

“…”

Xiao Lanqi frowned slightly.

He hadn’t intended to listen to Zhe Yu’s nonsense, but by this point, the words were starting to make an uncomfortable amount of sense.

“Everyone around him wants to die for him.”

Indeed, the Painted-Heart Fiend—who shattered its own demonic core just to drag him into hell—was the best example.

“Then what does this have to do with forming a contract?” he asked.

“Everything,” Zhe Yu replied. “Xiao Lancheng and Bright Candle Heaven can be as arrogant as they like, but even if he can touch Piaomiao Pavilion, with me here, he can’t touch Yan Yu Mountain. If you don’t form a contract with that kid, how will you stay here legitimately? If you were to kill my disciple in my territory, should I punish you or not?

“And there’s more. Your demonic markings still linger in the trial realm. Yours aren’t like the Painted-Heart Fiend’s. With a word, I can seal the realm and bury the matter here—but if I don’t cover for you, do you think they won’t trace it back to you?

“I already said that kid isn’t simple. He’s clever, and his character isn’t bad. Staying by his side lets you recuperate—and also observe the things Xiao Lancheng has that you lack. As for the third point…”

Zhe Yu smiled faintly.
“I added something to your contract. Normally, an equal contract requires both parties’ consent to dissolve. But now, as soon as your cultivation surpasses his, you can destroy it unilaterally. Aren’t you interested in his Huaiyu Sacred Body? When the contract ends, if you still want to make a move on him, I won’t interfere.”

Xiao Lanqi raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Fine.”

Xiao Lanqi stood up and tipped his chin at Zhe Yu.
“I’ll trust you this once. If things don’t turn out as you said, I’ll break the contract even if it means facing heavenly retribution—and when I die, I’ll make sure I’m stepping on your corpse.”

Zhe Yu accepted the threat with a smile.
“Then you won’t need to trouble yourself. I’ll kill myself and serve as your stepping stone.”

“You’re always so slick with words,” Xiao Lanqi muttered, frowning.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Zhe Yu added.