The Price of Revival and a Maiden’s Devotion

Suddenly.

The sky seemed to be stained crimson with blood. Drops of vital essence, refined from Zhuang Xun’s blood pearls, converged into threads, flowing into the bodies of the poisoned individuals.

However, the poisoned individuals’ skin had been corroded by venom for so long that the vital essence could not be properly infused.

‘It seems I must first extract all the poison from their bodies,’ Zhuang Xun mused.

‘Otherwise, even if their souls return and their bodies recover…’

‘…the residual venom within them would still prove fatal.’

Zhuang Xun’s fingers moved through the air, as if plucking a ‘string’ that resonated with heaven and earth. In his heart, he silently chanted an ancient immortal text.

‘Emerge,’ he commanded, lifting his finger slightly in a beckoning gesture.

From the skin of the poisoned individuals, dark green venom began to seep out, drawn by a mysterious force.

It gradually condensed in the air, forming a thumb-sized venom pearl.

Half an hour later.

The venom pearl was fully refined, its dark green transparency radiating a fatally sinister aura, as if a mere touch would send one to the Yellow Springs.

[Zhaoyu, take this. You should find it very useful.]

Zhuang Xun’s voice echoed in Qin Zhaoyu’s mind.

The venom pearl suddenly flew towards her, enveloped in a gentle spiritual energy, slowly coming to rest in her palm.

She was no fool; she understood exactly what Zhuang Xun’s action signified.

‘Master…’

‘You truly have been helping me from the shadows all this time.’

Zhuang Xun paid little heed to her words, instead focusing on infusing vital essence into the emaciated bodies of the common folk.

Concurrently, he performed the Soul-Summoning Secret Art, dedicating his focus to two tasks at once.

****

Until the first hint of dawn, a faint belly-white glow, appeared on the horizon.

Zhuang Xun remained seated in mid-air, his eyes gently closed, guiding the souls recalled by the Soul-Summoning Seal.

The veins at his temples visibly pulsed, beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and sharp, tearing pains radiated from his chest.

Yet, Zhuang Xun remained silent, his expression unwavering as he continued to channel the secret art.

Only a thousand remained; it would be over soon.

The end was swiftly approaching.

Gradually…

He entered the final stage of completion.

‘Hoo~’ Zhuang Xun exhaled a long, turbid breath, slowly opening his eyes.

The Yin-Yang duality in his eyes had dissipated, and his pallid complexion gradually regained its color.

However…

At that moment, a dull roar emanated from the depths of his soul, like a great door slamming shut.

The tearing pain in his chest abruptly intensified.

‘Ugh…’ Zhuang Xun let out a bitter laugh, pressing one hand firmly against his heart.

‘It seems for the next few days…’

‘…I won’t be able to sleep at night.’

He had long been mentally prepared for the consequences of the forbidden spell’s unsealing.

Yet, the brief resurgence of vitality during recovery always caught him off guard.

Fortunately, apart from the two ‘poison mothers’ whose souls had been utterly annihilated from the world, ninety-nine percent of the scattered souls had returned.

As for the souls that had already embarked on the path to the Underworld, he could not retrieve them.

To do so would disrupt the natural cycle of reincarnation and life and death between heaven and earth.

Unless, one day, he could establish a new system of life and death reincarnation in the world with his own power, then he would not fear disturbing the original order of the Great Dao.

‘Haha…’

‘This is finally over, for now.’

As he spoke, Zhuang Xun’s form drifted slowly downwards, like a falling leaf.

He gradually closed his eyes, longing for a brief nap on the ground.

****

In his hazy consciousness, a familiar maiden’s fragrance drifted into Zhuang Xun’s nostrils.

His head felt as though it rested upon something as soft as cotton.

It was warm and incredibly comfortable.

‘…’

‘…’

‘Where am I…’

‘…have I landed, in some maiden’s boudoir?’

‘Never mind…’

‘I’ll rest first, then think about it.’

****

…

Qin Zhaoyu knelt on a patch of lush green grass.

Upon her knees lay none other than Zhuang Xun, who had drifted down from the sky.

The moment she saw her master close his eyes, she joyfully leaped into the air, embracing him tightly.

She then sought a secluded spot, offering her weary master a lap pillow.

It was, in a way, the fulfillment of a long-held wish.

Yet, the more she gazed at her master’s sleeping face, the stronger her urge to caress him became.

The profound affection she harbored could no longer be suppressed in that moment.

‘Master…’

‘Yu’er truly misses you so much.’

****

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Shangwen and Shangwu were carrying out the tasks Zhuang Xun had assigned.

Beyond protecting Jiang Ningwan and her daughter, they also needed to provide a plausible explanation to the surviving townspeople. This was to prevent any potential chaos.

‘In essence, this is what happened,’ Shangwu earnestly explained to the three individuals of varying heights before him in the Jiang residence’s grand courtyard. ‘When you leave, do not spread word. Simply say you were rescued by a mysterious reclusive master, that the demonic cultivator has been slain, and you may now live without worry.’

However, no sooner had Shangwu finished speaking than the white-bearded middle-aged man before him trembled with emotion and fell to his knees.

‘Immortal Masters! Words cannot express our gratitude! I, Jiang, thank both of you here!’

‘No! Please don’t!’ Shangwu hastily supported the man’s knees with spiritual energy.

Strictly speaking, they weren’t the ones who had performed the deed, and thus could not accept such a gesture of gratitude in vain.

‘If you wish to offer thanks, direct them to the one who displayed the Daoist art overhead not long ago,’ Shangwu clarified. ‘Not to us two brothers.’

‘Indeed,’ Shangwen chimed in. ‘To be honest, we didn’t do much.’

‘Then, where is that Immortal Master now?’ the man asked.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, then shrugged in perfect synchronicity.

Neither wished to disturb Zhuang Xun’s ‘good deed’.

****

Time gradually approached noon.

Zhuang Xun could feel the sunlight directly warming his body.

Yet, immediately after, a refreshing coolness enveloped him.

Moreover, a delicate fragrance seemed to draw closer, accompanied by the gentle tickle of strands of hair against his face.

This made Zhuang Xun wonder.

‘Is someone looking after me?’

He slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze met a maiden’s face drawing ever closer, along with a pair of slightly pouted, cherry-red lips.

‘Mmm…’

‘…’

‘Zhaoyu, what are you trying to do to me?’

Upon hearing his words, Qin Zhaoyu’s approaching lips halted mere millimeters from Zhuang Xun’s.

Her eyelashes fluttered, trembling as if in internal conflict.

‘Forget it!’ she thought. ‘I’ll kiss him first, then deal with the consequences!’

Realizing her intentions were exposed, Qin Zhaoyu wanted to act swiftly, catching Zhuang Xun off guard.

She wished to first experience the forbidden thrill of kissing her master, then plan her next move.

‘Mmph!’

However, things did not go as planned; her lips were instantly covered by a hand.

‘So, your wings have grown strong, and you’re plotting mischief against me, are you?’ Zhuang Xun’s expression remained placid as he gently lifted Qin Zhaoyu’s head.

He then immediately rose, stretching languidly.

‘Master…’ Qin Zhaoyu pouted somewhat resentfully afterward, a hint of grievance coloring her face.

‘You’ve already been expelled from the sect, so don’t call me Master anymore.’

‘I don’t care!’ she defied. ‘A master for a day is a father for life! To me, Master will always be Master!’

‘That much will never, ever change!’

She had always believed that her expulsion from the sect was merely a method her master used to temper her.

He wished for her to enter the mortal world without reliance, to learn how to navigate society independently.

It wasn’t that he truly intended to sever their ties completely.

The so-called reason—that he could no longer teach her due to her low cultivation level—was actually that he couldn’t teach her.

For some things, one must experience them personally to truly comprehend their meaning.