Chapter 105 - Disciple Has Blackened
Translated by Eve
Edited by Serefina
6. Disciple Has Blackened
Xie He spent his leisurely days, happy and content. When Mo Cang came back, Xie He was in his herb garden, working on his precious vegetables. Before Xie He could talk to him, 444 gave him a warning.
【444：Host dada, Mo Cang’s Blackening Value is 100! Σ( °△°|||)︴】
【Xie He：Thank you for the warning, Baby.】
【444：What happened for him to suddenly blacken? How frightening! Σ( °△°|||)︴】
【Xie He：It’s normal for a child to throw a temper tantrum when he recalls an unhappy past event. It’s fine, I will properly straighten things out. Smile.JPG】
【444：Really…?】
【Xie He：Really. ? 】
Xie He turned out and gave Mo Cang an indifferent look. He then ignored him and continued to do his own thing, as if the other didn’t exist.
Mo Cang stood behind him. He watched as Xie He bent over and tended to his precious spiritual herbs, carefully removing the bugs atop of them…. His pale, slender fingertips swept over the spiritual herbs’ light green leaves, like a b.u.t.terfly dancing atop them.
His gaze slowly s.h.i.+fted upwards from that pair of hands, landing on his cold, fair profile. There was a faint, flickering red light in those pitch-black eyes….
It was the same as the blood-stained person in his memory….
The hand hanging by Mo Cang’s side clenched tightly. He used all his might to stop himself from acting impulsively, to not interrogate this person.
A long time later, he spoke with a raspy voice, “s.h.i.+fu.”
Xie He gently swiped off insipid beads of water on the spiritual herbs’ leaves. He slowly turned around and asked in an aloof tone, “What is the matter?”
He did not ask where Mo Cang had gone or express any concern. He was as aloof as always, as if he didn’t care about Mo Cang at all.
Mo Cang stared at Xie He’s appearance and could feel the last vestiges of hope gradually disappear from his heart…. However, he was really unwilling to give up like this.
He couldn’t measure how much he wished that his memories were fake. But that was only his imagination. Just by looking at the man in front of him, he knew that there was no way he could trick himself into believing that his master cared about him. He thought about the things from the past, how s.h.i.+fu had treated him, how those indifferent eyes looked at him…as if he was a lifeless thing, an object….
Right now, he could explain everything. It was because his master had originally been going to kill him.
Mo Cang’s gaze was fixed on Xie He and he slowly said, “s.h.i.+fu, why did you accept me as your disciple back then?”
When Xie He heard this, his motions paused. This caught his attention. This disciple had never asked him this question in all of these years.
He looked at Mo Cang. This tall, handsome, steady man had long since stopped being that timid boy from back then. He was even taller than Xie He now…. His face no longer had any of the youthfulness and inexperience from back then. During these last twenty years, he had always stood behind him respectfully, calling him s.h.i.+fu, growing up gradually. Slowly…Xie He had truly come to see him as his disciple.
However, nothing could make him forget the primary reason he had for keeping this child.
He needed a perfect subst.i.tute body to take over because his broken body could no longer cultivate. It was at its limitk2026;. He had taken him in so that one day he could kill him and take over his body.
But this answerk2026;Xie He could not say it when faced with Mo Cang’s eyes that held a faint expectation.
Xie He lowered his eyes and continued to work on his spiritual herbs. His lips moved lightly, “Why are you asking this?”
Mo Cang’s gaze was stuck on Xie He’s face. Seeing the other s.h.i.+ft his gaze away and avoid giving him a straight answer, his blood gradually froze over…. Why won’t you give me a straight answer? Why are you avoiding me? Is it because you can’t say it out loud? Is that it?
Mo Cang could hide his true strength to a great degree. Of course he wasn’t a naive person. He had perceived that his bloodline was special a long time ago. He also knew that people would covet his bloodline, especially with him being on the merciless demonic path…. He had always worked hard to become strong. He had to be strong so that he would have no fears, so that he could control everything.
He had always been cautious, working hard to survive.
However, he never expected that the person who had always wanted to kill him was actually the person he loved the most, his master, the person he was the closest to….
His master had taken him in because of his bloodline, that’s all.
Everything was so clear but he still tried to deceive himself…. He tried to tell himself that this person wouldn’t really hurt him, that he was just aloof by nature. He had purposely ignored the cruel reality.
【Ding, the target Mo Cang’s Favourability Value -10. The current Favourability Value is 80. The current Blackening Value is 100.】
A self-deprecating light flashed through Mo Cang’s eyes. He should kill the other. The one who acted first would gain the advantage! But he couldn’t bear to do it. Even though he knew fully well how ruthless this person was, he still stayed here…like a pitiful wretch begging for just a bit of hope.
Mo Cang’s voice grew lower and lower. He didn’t move and only asked, “s.h.i.+fu, do you care about me?”
Xie He’s movements paused. Did he?
Perhaps he does, ba…perhaps while he was unaware of it, he had instinctively taken care of Mo Cang as his real disciple. It was just that he had never been good at expressing his feelings. When he thought of how Mo Cang had nearly lost his life after pretending to listen to him before going against his orders in secret, he couldn’t help but feel unhappy being questioned like this now by the other, who was acting without a sense of propriety. He frowned and said with a chilly voice, “You are asking too much.”
If it had been in the past, Mo Cang would lower his head and admit his wrongs when faced with Xie He’s tone. However, this time he remained motionless, as if he would not give up until his goal was accomplished. He asked again, “s.h.i.+fu, do you care for me even a bit?”
Xie He finally put down the medicinal herb in his hand. He stood up and walked over. There was a merciless glint in his cold, black eyes. He opened his lips slightly, “Move.”
His mood wasn’t good to begin with. How could he be in the mood to deal with Mo Cang, who was completely out-of-character and pestering him endlessly. He immediately lost his patience.
Mo Cang did not move. The hand in his sleeve began to tremble slightly.
Xie He snorted. He waved his hands, wanting to push Mo Cang to the side. He left without looking back.
Mo Cang did not dodge. Xie He had struck him in the chest. Mo Cang fell onto the floor. There had not been much force in this strike but the spreading pain within his chest made it difficult to breathe.
Yes, he should realize the truth. He should give up all vain hopes.
He could not let down his entire sect that had been mercilessly slaughtered and be absorbed in a person who would never love him.
This was fine too. He did not need to hesitate.
Mo Cang reached out. In the palm of his hands was the Frost Flower that he had obtained after much difficulty and nearly paid with his life. The beautiful flower shattered in his hand.
【Ding, the target Mo Cang’s Favourability Value – 10. The current Favourability Value is 70. The current Blackening Value is 100.】
……………………………………
After leaving the herb garden, Xie He returned to his room. He slowly brewed himself a pot of tea. He had recently become more and more fond of the spiritual tea of this cultivation world. It made him feel full of vitality.
【444 finally couldn’t hold it back anymore：Wah, Host dada, didn’t you say that you were going to properly straighten things out? QAQ】Was this straightening things out? This was adding oil to the flame, ah!
【Xie He：Baby, I said that I would straighten things out with him, but did I say I’d do it now?】
【444：……】
【Xie He：It’s not the best time for it yet. ? 】
【444：The Favourability Value dropped by 20, ah! QAQ】This was the first time the Favourability Value had dropped, ne….
【Xie He：Is that so strange? Young people’s love comes and goes quickly. For him to be hot and cold is normal. A trifling matter can cause his emotions to fluctuate. When he’s happy, he’d be willing to die for you. When he’s not happy, he’ll throw you away like a pair of worn out shoes…. But it’s fine. I will let him see the truth. After all, only after experiencing trials and hards.h.i.+p can love become resolute. Smile.JPG】
【444：_(:зゝ∠)_】He felt that this wasn’t a trifling matter….
【Xie He：Moreover, I always get double the return on what’s been taken from me. ? 】
【444：……】
Xie He drank his tea, carefree. Words were weak, after all. Once someone believes something, any explanations given would be futile. It would only make him seem like he was quibbling. Today, even if he said his true feelings and earnestly gave Mo Cang an answer, he would not be able to dissolve the hate in his heart. He would only make things more complicated. Moreover, Mo Cang did not say things plainly. With Ji Xing’s personality, he would find it beneath himself to explain. He could not tell Mo Cang: I previously wanted to kill you but right now I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to kill you so forgive me?
Xie He would not collapse his settings like that.
There were some things that people had to realize on their own. Even if others told you tens of thousands of times, you would only believe yourself.
As for his Favourability Value…Xie He had long since realized that the Favourability Value Mo Cang had for Ji Xing reflected his possessiveness rather than love. Although possessiveness was also a kind of love, it was more superficial. Therefore, from the start, he had said that he wanted to teach him how to love another.
When you truly loved someone, you shouldn’t want to possess them and force them without regard for anything else.
Only, Xie He didn’t think that Mo Cang would be able to keep his composure to this degree. He didn’t appear for many days, let alone act.
Xie He therefore made the most out of this and made himself delicious meals in different ways. After all, when his darling disciple acted, he probably wouldn’t be able to pay attention to eating. Luckily, his body was that of a cultivator. He would not fatten no matter how much he ate. He really liked his body right now. A body that wouldn’t change no matter how he ate was really too awesome.
Nearly a month pa.s.sed like this.
Xie He led a very enriching life. He not only ate all edible ingredients in his herb garden once, he even invented several new dishes. Right…he had also made a full recovery from his past injury.
At the end of the month, he made his way to his stone room as per usual.
【Xie He：I feel like my blissful life is about to begin. Finally, I can increase the frequency of my s.e.x life. Once a month is really too little. Smile.JPG】
【444：O(∩_∩)O~】It would be good to just keep smiling….
【Xie He：Baby, if you’re bored, you can go out and play. I’ll cover all expenses. ? 】
【444：Thanks Boss! (≧▽≦)/】This was a smile from the bottom of his heart, ah!
……………………………………
Xie He slowly regained consciousness. He discovered that he was in the man’s arms and blindfolded as usual. This time, the other was especially violent. He had mercilessly played with his body. That big hand, full of force, pinched his waist, as if wanting to pinch him to dust.
He let out a pained moan, weakly trying to struggle.
Mo Cang’s actions paused. He gazed at the man in his arms. Have you awoken…? His fingertips swept over Xie He’s chin and slowly drifted to his exposed neck. That pale skin, trembling throat…it was ineffably s.e.xy…. Mo Cang squeezed the other’s neck.
He could kill him like this. However…he was reluctant, ne. If he kills him like this, it wouldn’t be enough to pacify the pain in his heart.
Xie He could feel the man’s hand on his throat. He could feel the cold killing intent emitting from the other…. His entire body grew rigid. Death was so close. He slowly said, “You want to kill me?”
His voice was calm, as if he had already expected this.
Actually, since he realized that he could not escape this nightmare, he was at the other’s mercy. His life was always in the hands of this unknown man. The other had known of his deadliest weak point. He gradually pressed in, toying with him…like a cat would with its prey.
Today was no exception.
Mo Cang heard Xie He’s calm tone and the fury and hatred in his chest began to spread, wrecking havoc…. This person…why did he never care about his own life? At that time, he could throw him away without any hesitation and choose to die, taking down another man with him. Right now, he was facing his death so calmly too….
No, I won’t kill you. I want you to suffer, to feel my despair.
Death wasn’t frightening at all. What was frightening was being tormented while alive.
Mo Cang’s lips rose into an icy curve. He chuckled.
It was the first time Xie He had heard the man’s voice. This voice…it made him fall into a daze for a moment.
An icicle suddenly formed in Mo Cang’s right hand. Without any mercy, he inserted it into Xie He’s body.
Xie He let out a bloodcurdling scream. His whole body jerked in pain. Shame and pain made his expression warp. It was no longer calm as it had been before. He shouted in a stern voice, “I’ll kill you!”
Mo Cang pressed the struggling Xie He down firmly. He pasted his lips to the other’s ears and let off a mocking chuckle.
”Is that so? Then you should have acted sooner. It’s too late now, s.h.i.+fu.”
The author has something to say:
Cough, cough. I discovered that many darlings did not seriously look over the synopsis outlined in the first chapter of this arc. XD
sere: beginning the true torture *cries*