Not wanting to be used as cannon fodder by Qing Lian Immortal Lord, nor wanting to become the Demon Venerable's worm's dinner, Gu Changhuai decided to accept the situation. Upholding the principle of "since I'm already here," he chose to enjoy the moment.
...
Kong Huai leaned close to Gu Changhuai's side, saying quietly: "Such a good opportunity to follow the Immortal Lord, how come you don't know how to seize it? It's been three whole days, all you know is eating. Did you come to improve yourself or to sightsee?"
His voice paused, then his tone softened again. "But looking at your hands—not even a callus—I suppose you can't endure hardship. Training is inherently arduous, just bear with it. When we return to the sect, I'll find a way to transfer you to serve in the inner sect."
Saying this, he sighed, looking at Gu Changhuai with quite some regret, then shook his head.
Such a good appearance, just poor aptitude, and too carefree. Three days of training spent roasting spirit rabbits instead of cultivating. With this appearance and no one to protect him, how could he survive in the cultivation world? Kong Huai was afraid he'd be captured to be used as a cauldron.
Kong Huai was the inner disciple who had pulled Gu Changhuai down from the tree two days ago. These past few days he'd roughly figured out these people's background, listening while casually responding with "mm-hm, yeah yeah."
Suddenly, a shadow flashed before his eyes! His gaze sharpened instantly, his lazy demeanor vanishing as he stared intently at the bushes ahead with a serious expression.
Seeing him like this, Kong Huai also became serious, nervously looking toward the bushes.
The surroundings quieted. Gu Changhuai concentrated for a moment, then the pebble pinched between his fingers suddenly shot out. The thing that was hit fell to the ground with a sound.
He rolled up his sleeves and enthusiastically pushed aside the bushes, pulling out a plump spirit rabbit half the size of a person with a whoosh, shouting—
"Build a fire! Build a fire!"
Instantly, twenty or thirty disciples surrounded them. Those swinging swords to chop wood chopped wood, those using spiritual energy to start fires started fires. Water spiritual root users summoned thin streams to gut and skin the spirit rabbit. Everyone divided the work in an orderly fashion. In the blink of an eye, they'd cleaned the half-person-sized spirit rabbit and set it on the fire.
Don't look at how large spirit rabbits are—usually they're very hard to catch. Spirit rabbit meat is fresh, and when roasted it drips with oil. One bite and even the skin is crispy and tender.
"Junior Brother Gu is capable!"
"Good, good, good! To enjoy delicacies during training, wonderful!"
Facing the chorus of praise, Gu Changhuai immodestly accepted it all. As the greatest contributor, he naturally got a rabbit leg.
Until he sensed an impossible-to-ignore presence beside him, Gu Changhuai's motion of dividing the leg paused. From the corner of his eye, he clearly glimpsed deep blue robes with dark patterns.
"..." He slowly raised his eyes, meeting a pair of unfathomable eyes. Rong Ye's voice betrayed no emotion: "Tasty?"
Gu Changhuai: "...Would the Immortal Lord like some?"
The deadly poison had already reached his sleeve. If he said yes, the poison would be applied immediately.
Hearing this, Rong Ye's expression didn't change. He only silently glanced at him again, then turned and walked away without a word.
"Wise up, how did you even get into the immortal sect? Which attendant doesn't follow their Immortal Lord? Only you've been roasting rabbits with us for three days. The Immortal Lord noticed you weren't keeping up and specially came back to call for you." Kong Huai pushed him and snatched away the rabbit leg. "Hurry up and go. I'll enjoy this leg for you."
Belatedly realizing, Gu Changhuai hastily got up to chase after Rong Ye.
...
This direction led toward the inner layer realm of Lengtai Slope.
These past few days, staying with the outer disciples, Gu Changhuai had learned from them that the inner layer realm was dangerous. If you weren't careful, you might fall into illusory formations set up by cultivators guarding treasures, or walk into some demon beast's territory. Demon beasts that could survive in the inner layer realm mostly had Spirit Transformation cultivation.
Still thinking about the uneaten roasted rabbit leg, Gu Changhuai did follow Rong Ye, but walked sluggishly.
However, speaking of which, it was strange. Since learning this was book transmigration, he'd been indirectly probing the outer disciples these past days, but hadn't heard that Qing Lian Immortal Lord had taken on any disciples.
Could it be the plot hadn't started yet?
Just as he was pondering, his head suddenly hurt. Gu Changhuai hissed and instinctively covered his forehead, only to discover that Rong Ye walking ahead had stopped at some point. What he'd bumped into was Rong Ye's back.
Gu Changhuai froze for a moment. Looking up again at Rong Ye's unclear expression, somewhat inscrutable, he tentatively reached out and embarrassedly patted where he'd bumped. "...Sorry, sorry."
Rong Ye glanced at him and spoke in a low, deep voice: "Too slow."
Before his words even fell, Gu Changhuai suddenly felt a lifting sensation. He felt his feet abruptly leave the ground, his vision swaying before suddenly finding a foothold again. He awkwardly steadied himself.
Rong Ye released his hand from gripping Gu Changhuai's collar and said coldly: "Stand steady."
"..." Gu Changhuai looked down and discovered he was standing on a long sword, the blade emanating cold light throughout. Thinking about it, this seemed to be Qing Lian Immortal Lord's sword—the one that "displays the universe's brilliance with a single sword"... the Qiankun Sword.
Also the sword that had severed thousands of demon heads in one stroke.
Oh boy!
Instantly Gu Changhuai stood in solemn respect, not panicking at all. He cleared his throat twice and couldn't help straightening his spine a bit.
How accomplished! Standing on the enemy's natal sword.
Who in the Demon Realm could compare to him!
He couldn't help but silently grin, squinting his eyes as he tucked his hands in his sleeves, delightfully enjoying the breeze.
Comfortable.
----
Rong Ye paused, his gaze darkly sweeping over Gu Changhuai.
The Demon Realm truly was getting worse with each generation. This time the shadow demon they sent neither knew how to hide his demonic presence nor deliberately caused trouble, but instead got along well with the outer disciples.
Rong Ye even suspected that if he didn't seek out this shadow demon, the shadow demon could just keep mixing with the outer disciples indefinitely... making his purpose impossible to discern.
Recalling the other day on Blood Night City's main street, the shadow demon's graceful manner stepping and slashing with his blade unsheathed—the strength displayed was not to be underestimated. Rong Ye imperceptibly furrowed his brows. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he thought it more reassuring to keep this person under his watch.
...
The Qiankun Sword flew toward the inner layer realm of Lengtai Slope. Sword riding for a while wouldn't get them there immediately. Gu Changhuai calmly enjoyed the scenery for a bit.
The closer to the inner layer, the more he could feel the lurking danger all around. Finally, when another man-eating bird swept past them, Gu Changhuai's thick nerves reacted. Compared to the outer disciples who were nervous and went to great lengths just to catch a spirit rabbit... his reaction was truly at odds with the atmosphere here.
"Ah!" He seemingly fearfully cried out loudly, suddenly stepping forward to hug Rong Ye's waist. "I'm so scared that bird won't eat me, will it? Immortal Lord, you must protect me."
Rong Ye: "..."
Fake.
He silently looked down at the pair of slender, pale hands at his waist, enduring as he closed his eyes: "Let go."
Look at that, what a cold person. Gu Changhuai really wanted to pull out his blade right then and there to enlighten Rong Ye, but he didn't dare. In a direct confrontation, he was no match for Rong Ye.
Gu Changhuai reluctantly stepped back and probed: "Does the Immortal Lord have important business in the inner layer?" A neither light nor heavy "Mm" responded from ahead, the deep voice impossible to discern for emotion.
Afraid of arousing suspicion, Gu Changhuai didn't speak again after that, doing his best to act like an ordinary outer disciple of Xinnan Immortal Sect.
The Qiankun Sword went straight to the inner layer realm and continued deeper inside, finally landing not far from a cold pool. This place seemed unusual—within three li around the cold pool, it was deathly silent.
Generally this situation had two possibilities. One was that the area had been swept clean, so there wasn't a single demon beast within three li. Two was that greater danger lurked here, making demon beasts afraid to approach.
Sensing the faintly surging undercurrent in the air, Gu Changhuai thought it was the second.
Suddenly killing intent rose sharply. He hadn't guessed wrong—the Qiankun Sword hadn't even landed when the cold pool immediately stirred up waves. Then he heard a roar that seemed dragon-like but wasn't, whipping up a hurricane with endless pressure, its cultivation comparable to Tribulation Crossing.
The instant he was blown by the wind, Gu Changhuai broke out in goosebumps, couldn't help but shiver. A bit cold. After jumping down from the Qiankun Sword, he very sensibly dodged to the side, leaving the battlefield to Rong Ye.
Logically speaking, if it were truly an outer disciple standing here, they would have coughed up blood the moment that roar sounded. After hiding, Gu Changhuai snuck glances at Rong Ye's reaction.
By now Rong Ye had already recalled the Qiankun Sword to attack the ice jiao flying out from the cold pool, seeming not to notice him. Gu Changhuai quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he got a bit angry. As an Immortal Lord, how could he disregard the safety of outer disciples? If it truly were an outer disciple standing here, wouldn't they have been severely injured already?
Gu Changhuai frowned, looking at Rong Ye fighting the ice jiao mid-air. His natal long saber vaguely appeared behind him. After thinking for a while, he sighed and the long saber hid back.
Forget it.
As an assassin, one must assassinate openly and honorably. How could he engage in tasteless third-party sneak attack ambush behavior? He wouldn't rush this moment.
The instant his long saber disappeared, overwhelming sword energy suddenly appeared. Gu Changhuai looked up in shock to see Rong Ye's expression indifferent, even with both hands clasped behind his back without moving, the condensed sword energy vast and boundless.
Then Gu Changhuai's vision blurred—it seemed like a flash of ice light passed through the ice jiao's body. The ice jiao roared, its body struggling and twisting for a while before falling straight down. Its massive body in mid-air had already shattered into countless pieces.
One sword.
Just one sword.
Gu Changhuai's pupils shook. He felt fortunate he hadn't made a move in the chaos just now... Suddenly his eyes paused.
The ice jiao's body shattered, but its massive head remained. As the ice jiao's head fell, the dragon horn on it suddenly burst open like a flower.
Two ice shards containing all the ice jiao's spiritual power shot out from within the dragon horn. The power they emanated seemed enough to destroy heaven and earth—a full-strength strike from Tribulation Crossing stage and at such close distance. Rong Ye's back was still turned... Gu Changhuai's expression sharpened slightly. Without hesitation, he quickly stepped forward and leaped.
Sensing the wind intent of the ice shards sweeping from behind, Rong Ye raised his hand about to form a seal when he noticed Gu Changhuai had already lunged over from the side.
Rong Ye's movement paused. The next moment, he was pulled by the leaping shadow demon, turning to a different position.
Gu Changhuai said with concern: "Immortal Lord, Immortal Lord, are you alright? Such a huge ice jiao, you eliminated it just like that! You're truly amazing!"
The two ice shards brushed past them. His eyes shifted, and a black long saber suddenly appeared in the void, instantly splitting the ice shards that had turned back toward them in two.
The ice shards shattered with a faint sound, turning into two wisps of water vapor dissipating in the air. Gu Changhuai nonchalantly withdrew his gaze to look at Rong Ye, saying with lingering fear: "That ice jiao was truly vicious. It scared me to death. Were you injured fighting it just now, Immortal Lord?"
Long silence.
Rong Ye's expression was unclear as he raised his eyes, his gaze staring at Gu Changhuai for quite a while.
"..."
Gu Changhuai's heart thumped twice. Now he truly felt some lingering fear. Had he revealed a flaw just now? That shouldn't be—his performance all along had been perfect! Just now, that casual pull and tug were all done to perfection in the manner of a weak attendant concerned for the Immortal Lord, a textbook performance! He couldn't panic.
After a moment, Rong Ye withdrew his gaze. He extended his hand and a jade box appeared. A crystalline, cold-emanating ice core fell from mid-air into the jade box and was put away.
"Let's go."
Hearing Rong Ye speak, Gu Changhuai quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Seems the Immortal Lord's vigilance isn't that high after all.
The assassination should be doable.