Song Qingshi finally connected the dots between the child with the red mole in his memories and the incomparable beauty on the golden bird perch.
An amused onlooker who overheard their conversation couldn't help but comment, "Xie Que's methods are truly unscrupulous. The day the little disciple discovers the truth will certainly be interesting."
Ever since Jin Feiran began his cultivation journey, he had collected numerous beauties. Yet recalling the day Yue Wuhuan arrived, he was still filled with excitement: "That year on my 800th birthday, I hosted a grand feast here on this Langgan Terrace, inviting friends to celebrate. Xie Que brought Yue Wuhuan along, telling him that he was being sent to my Golden Phoenix Mansion to learn swordsmanship. Yue Wuhuan was delighted, but the look of disbelief on his face when Xie Que presented the mind-control bead during the banquet was simply adorable..."
Jin Feiran absentmindedly toyed with the long hair of a young man in white robes, forcing him to look at the beauty playing the flute on the golden birdcage. He then elaborately narrated the events of that day to everyone present:
Back then, Yue Wuhuan had just come of age, donned in Moonlight Robes favored by disciples of the immortal sects. With a treasured sword at his waist and his hair neatly held by a simple white jade crown, he exuded an air of purity. His features were refined, his phoenix eyes bright, and his demeanor graceful. He didn't seem like someone from the mortal world, but rather like a young scion of an immortal family.
He respectfully greeted each immortal elder at the banquet and then, full of anticipation, informed Jin Feiran that he had reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. He vowed to diligently study swordsmanship at the Golden Phoenix Mansion to meet his master's expectations, aspiring to become a formidable sword cultivator like Moyuan. At that moment, everyone at the banquet burst into laughter, tinged with insinuations. Sensing something amiss, Yue Wuhuan attempted to retreat, but Jin Feiran had already descended from his seat, forcibly grabbing his hand to examine it closely. Smiling, he said, "Such beautiful hands are not meant for swordsmanship, but better suited to serving others."
Yue Wuhuan's face turned ashen, as he tried desperately to withdraw his hand.
Jin Feiran released his grip, saying, "Master Xie, since you've brought such fine merchandise, surely I must inspect it."
The crowd followed suit, clamoring for an on-the-spot inspection.
With his eyes wide open, Yue Wuhuan watched in disbelief as his master produced a red bead and activated it with his divine sense. Losing control of his body, he fought against trembling hands that reached for his waist and disdainfully discarded his most treasured longsword. His belt fell, his Moonlight Robes stripped layer by layer, exposing his dignity before everyone. His modest dreams were shattered to pieces.
All chatter at the banquet ceased; every gaze fixated on this breathtaking sight.
Even Jin Feiran couldn't help but sit up straighter.
Struggling within the confines of his controlled consciousness, Yue Wuhuan wished for immediate death. He cast a pained look at his master, moving his exquisite lips soundlessly, begging. Finally, Xie Que approached him, reaching out his hand just as he had done every day to pat his head in approval.
Gently, Xie Que removed Yue Wuhuan's white jade crown.
The crown fell to the ground, shattering. His wavy hair unfurled like a waterfall, covering the bewitching Joy Union Mark on his fair back. The despair and helplessness reflected in his dusky golden phoenix eyes could incite the most sadistic desires. His tear mole was entrancing, and this once-beautiful youth had been transformed into an irresistibly seductive being.
Yue Wuhuan struggled, lowering his head as if to hide his shame in the darkness.
Xie Que grabbed Yue Wuhuan's long hair, yanking his head back forcefully, compelling the young man—who was flushed with humiliation—to look up and display his captivating beauty to everyone.
Smiling, he declared, "My judgment has never been wrong."
...
The flute melody became increasingly lingering, the lingering turning increasingly sorrowful.
Song Qingshi felt his throat tighten, struggling to catch his breath as he understood the implications of Yue Wuhuan's words by the riverbank. He saw a reflection of his past self, imprisoned in a body and screaming daily for help, yet unheard by anyone.
He didn't want to think anymore; he already had his answers.
The one he sought to save was this wounded but beautiful bird.
Song Qingshi started to think frantically about how to naturally take Yue Wuhuan away.
As the tune ended and the flute's melody faded, a lingering resonance filled the air.
The guests were already deeply stirred, some even embarrassingly so.
Jin Feiran stood up, generously announcing, "This is the plaything Golden Phoenix Mansion offers to all immortal friends tonight. Please, enjoy yourselves."
Song Qingshi was startled and looked over with concern. Yue Wuhuan simply arched an eyebrow, seemingly accustomed to such spectacles. He flirtatiously cast his eyes at an immortal elder nearby, elegantly extending a leg from beneath his feathered skirt. The bells on his golden shackles jingled as he subtly shook his leg, as if inviting the guests to partake.
The young master of Moon Concealing Sect was captivated. He reached out to grasp that foot, intending to pull down the feathered skirt and take Yue Wuhuan away for some fun.
Suddenly, screams erupted from outside the hall. Servants and maids scattered in panic as a demon tiger burst in. Its eyes were crimson red, growling softly at Yue Wuhuan as if eyeing delectable prey. Yue Wuhuan's gaze began to blur, as if drugged, showing no signs of fear. He inexplicably started walking toward the demon tiger, seemingly unaware of the danger it posed.
Lingbao Immortal exclaimed, "Is this part of tonight's entertainment? Quite an extravagant setup!"
The guests, spirits already high, found the scene exhilarating and cheered in unison.
The young man in white finally couldn't contain himself. He stood up, pushed Jin Feiran away, and shouted, "Stop it! Enough of this! It's over!"
Jin Feiran was somewhat puzzled. He had arranged for the demon tiger to hunt ordinary slaves tonight, not someone as exquisite as Yue Wuhuan. With the guests so engaged and Yue Wuhuan seemingly accommodating, it didn't feel right to dampen the mood. Moreover, the accusations from the young man beside him felt like a loss of face. Thus, he sneered, "What's the matter? Keep your eyes open and watch. If you dare to defy me again, you'll get a taste of this yourself."
The young man in white turned pale. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn't utter another word.
Seeing him draw near, the demon tiger became even more ferocious, devoid of any reason. It pounced on Yue Wuhuan, biting down hard on his shoulder, tearing a gruesome wound. Finally snapping out of his daze, Yue Wuhuan retreated, but the demon tiger continued to chase and bite, eager to rip him to shreds.
Song Qingshi finally found an appropriate attack spell from his past self's memories. He transformed Netherworld Ghostfire into a fine needle-like projection and shot it toward the demon tiger. The tiger roared, raising its head so that the needle hit its leg instead of its neck.
Fortunately, the intense toxicity of the Netherworld Ghostfire quickly spread through the demon tiger's body. It stiffened and fell, dissolving into bubbling pus moments later.
Song Qingshi stood up and walked over to Yue Wuhuan, who lay in a pool of blood. He quickly sealed the wound and pressed a few emergency acupoints to stop the bleeding.
Yue Wuhuan was trembling all over from pain, gasping for air. His beautiful face was smeared with blood, making him look like a fierce ghost. Instead of showing relief for being saved, his eyes were filled with deep resentment and despair. Before losing consciousness, he whispered in a barely audible voice, "I must have been blind…"
Song Qingshi quickly placed a spirit pill in his mouth to preserve his vital energy.
Jin Feiran walked over, annoyed, and said, "Immortal Song, why did you kill my demon tiger?"
That demon tiger was his prized possession, possessing human-like intelligence and capable of protecting its master—far more valuable than a slave he had grown bored of.
Channeling the tone of his former self, Song Qingshi coldly stated, "I want him."
Jin Feiran grinned disingenuously, "Surely, Immortal, you haven't fallen for this debauched soul?"
Song Qingshi responded, "I need him for testing elixirs."
He intended to use Yue Wuhuan to test various spiritual elixirs, healing him until he was as he had been before!
Under Song Qingshi's calculated misdirection, Jin Feiran was led astray. He knew that wood-attribute spiritual roots had the innate ability for rapid physical recovery, making them ideal for alchemists. Given the inscrutability of the Medicine King Immortal, it made sense. With the demon tiger already dead, there was no point in pursuing the matter further. He decided to seize the opportunity to owe Song Qingshi a favor.
Song Qingshi pulled out a bottle of Immortal Elixir from his mustard seed pouch and handed it directly to Jin Feiran as compensation. The Immortal Elixir was extremely beneficial for cultivation, but exceedingly rare due to its precious ingredients. Being handcrafted by the Medicine King Immortal himself, it was priceless. Offering it as compensation for his demon tiger and asking for an almost lifeless, discarded slave in return was exceedingly sincere.
Fearing refusal, Song Qingshi thought for a moment before adding, "The tiger had been drugged, causing it to become wildly aggressive and mentally unstable. It could not have been allowed to live."
Grasping the lifeline offered, Jin Feiran quickly erased his divine consciousness from Yue Wuhuan's spiritual bead and transferred the ownership to Song Qingshi. He thanked Song for timely intervention and slaying the demon tiger, preventing harm to the guests. He also ordered a thorough investigation into how the demon tiger had been drugged.
With due courtesy, Song Qingshi bid farewell to the mansion's owner, politely declining his enthusiastic offer to send more beauties along.
He tenderly lifted the severely injured and unconscious Yue Wuhuan into his arms, step by step, walking out of this jade-carved, splendid hell.
In that hell, there remained many souls who could not escape...
Behind him, the frivolous laughter and merriment receded further and further away.
The blood on Yue Wuhuan's face had been wiped clean. His raven-black eyelashes were tightly closed, subtly quivering. He looked fragile yet beautiful.
As Song Qingshi looked at him, his resolve slowly solidified.
He was suddenly reminded of a story his mother had told him as a child:
Thousands upon thousands of fish had been washed up by the tides into a shallow puddle on the beach, dying.
He couldn't save all the fish; he could only return this one dying fish to the freedom of the open sea.
"Because this fish matters."