This idea startled Chu Binghuan.

Hua Che stared straight at him.

The "Flowing Wind and Listening Snow" he used three years earlier, the tacit understanding in their duel, no longer felt cold but followed him to the ends of the earth. Instead of focusing solely on the Dao, it urged him to fulfill their engagement.

Was Chu Binghuan also reborn?

This thought flashed through Hua Che's mind.

He dared not confirm it, nor could he completely ignore it.

If Chu Binghuan was also reborn, what should he do...?

Am I overthinking it?

—Both Hua Che and Chu Binghuan asked themselves in their hearts simultaneously.

Maybe he was overthinking it? After all, given Chu Binghuan's character, he wouldn't...

Moreover, even if Chu Binghuan didn't want to cultivate or ascend, he wouldn't entangle himself with Hua Che, right? Didn't he resent himself?

Strong words like "no shame," "irredeemable," "no room for both of us," "touch me again and I'll sever your meridians," and so on, weren't they just empty threats?

Hua Che felt a bit confused.

"Both of you..." Mu Rongsa was dumbfounded. He thought Hua Che was already powerful enough, after all, he had beaten him badly within the sect, but Hua Che's strength far exceeded his imagination!

Just now, he directly neutralized all of Chu Binghuan's moves, one by one, it was simply amazing!

Flowing Wind and Listening Snow, Clear Rain and Gentle Breeze.

These two moves wouldn't appear at the same time because once Chu Binghuan made a move, there was basically no chance for Hua Che to show his skills, and vice versa, if Hua Che made a move, there was no need for Chu Binghuan to intervene.

The only time they appeared simultaneously was when Hua Che became the Demon Lord and went to Yuntian Shuijing to find him.

They wielded their swords and fought fiercely.

Chu Binghuan questioned him, "People outside say you slaughtered twenty-six households, massacring them all, sparing neither man nor beast."

Without hesitation, Hua Che admitted, "Yes."

"Why?" Until that moment, Chu Binghuan didn't believe he would become so crazy, so cruel.

Hua Che smiled sinisterly, his lips curved with a bloodthirsty arc, "I kill if I want to kill. You just need to know, they were killed by my own hands, without any hidden motives or wrongful accusations. This is different from the five thousand disciples of the Shangqing Sect, who wronged me. This...is not wrongful."

"Demon Lord Hua Che, ruthless and venomous, slaughters people without mercy. Excellent! They once wanted to kill me, now they fear me. Just the mention of my name scares them to death. Wherever I go, immortals and demons within a thousand miles flee in fear, fearing to cross my path."

"I especially enjoy it."

Hua Che threw aside his sword, opened his arms and walked towards Chu Binghuan, pressing his heart against the tip of the Listening Spring Sword, his smile full of meaning, " Mr. Yunmiao, rid the world of demons, take revenge for them!"

At that time, Hua Che was sincere.

He wanted to die by Chu Binghuan's hands.

Anyway, since he didn't want to live anymore, of course, he had to give this credit to Chu Binghuan, making Chu Binghuan a great hero who slayed the Demon Lord and rid the people of harm.

However, later on, Hua Che suddenly couldn't bear to do it.

He had cherished Chu Binghuan all his life. It was too damn unfair to treat him like this, even in death, right?

So, when Chu Binghuan was caught off guard, he kidnapped him.

*

Mu Qinan fell back onto his chair, "These two kids... are just incredible!"

"No, are they really seventeen?" The head of the Wuji Sword Sect shouted loudly.

For the first time, the head of the Chiyao Sect didn't contradict the Wuji Sword Sect. He opened his mouth wide in amazement, "This swordsmanship is too outrageous!"

Wen Yuan covered his head and leaned against Lin Yan, "Ninth Junior Brother, I can't take it. I feel dizzy, I'm a bit uncomfortable..."

Mu Rongsa, half frozen by the blizzard and then startled by the sudden return of warmth, shivered, feeling hot and cold: "We're all from the same family, can't you two take it easy on each other?"

They were from the same sect, with those kinds of relationships, why were they fighting so seriously? After all, both the first and second place were assets of the Lingxiao Palace.

Oh, and there was him, in third place.

Mu Rongsa felt pleased just thinking about it. It was his first time participating in the Ten Thousand Gates Martial Arts Tournament   and achieving such good results. He couldn't help but feel proud.

Chu Changfeng saw through it all, "These two kids are evenly matched in strength. If they keep going like this, they might not be able to determine the winner even tomorrow."

Elder Qianyang sighed in frustration, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, "In that case, the victor shall be decided within three moves. Whoever touches the opponent's neck's death point first wins the championship!"

The crowd unanimously agreed, and the two fighters on the stage also expressed their approval.

Chu Binghuan drew his sword first, and Hua Che followed closely, meeting him head-on. The graceful sword flowers dazzled the eyes, while the sharp sword edges sent chills down the spine. The rampant cold aura enveloped the entire Shang Qing stage, making it nearly impossible for the onlookers to get close. They could only keep retreating to avoid the sharpness of the two, fearing that they might harm innocent bystanders.

Finally, Hua Che seized the opportunity, took a step forward, threw Gentle breeze to his left hand, and swiftly reached behind Chu Binghuan with his right hand.

Chu Binghuan reacted extremely quickly. He swept his foot across Hua Che's leg, forcing him to lose his balance. As he fell backward, he subconsciously grabbed onto something, which happened to be the headband flying over Chu Binghuan's head.

At the same time, Chu Binghuan also subconsciously extended his arms, firmly encircling Hua Che's waist as he fell.

The bright moon hung high in the sky, the wind ceased, and the clouds halted. Time seemed to freeze in this moment.

Hua Che's waist was much slimmer and far more flexible than Chu Binghuan had imagined. There was no feminine frivolity, only the sturdiness of a man. The youth's bones were quite slender, especially Hua Che, who felt even weaker in his arms, fearing that applying too much force might break his bones.

Hua Che felt the world spinning, and then his waist was suddenly tightened. He looked at the "upside-down" scene in front of him, taking a long time to react.

The night breeze was refreshing, and Chu Binghuan seemed to have forgotten where he was, just staring at the person in his arms with obsession. The jet-black silky hair danced lightly in the wind, softly cascading over Hua Che's chest.

The moonlight was clear and bright, casting a soft glow.

The one wore pure white clothes, his features serene, gazing deeply at the person in his arms, wanting to speak but hesitating.

The other who wore a red dress, enchanting and alluring, his phoenix eyes reflecting the light and shadow of the Milky Way, shimmering and colourful.

Everyone: "..."

Mei Cailian stood up abruptly, "Chu Binghuan!"

Mu Rongsa took a while to find his voice, "You're being too bold in public!"

Hua Che quickly withdrew from Chu Binghuan's embrace, returning the ice silkworm hairband to him. Compared to the composed Chu Binghuan, Hua Che felt his face flush and his heart race, feeling numb all over, "Sorry about that!"

Mei Cailian's face turned pale, "Binghuan! What are you doing?"

Chu Binghuan turned around and looked at the furious Mei Cailian, "Helping him up."

Mei Cailian's eyes turned red with anger, "Is that what you call helping?"

"What's wrong with that?" Chu Binghuan said confidently, "We already have a betrothal agreement. Even if there's some intimacy, it's not crossing the line."

Everyone: "!!!"

Mu Qinian: "Betrothal agreement? What betrothal agreement?"

Xie Wanting was startled, "Master Chu, did you already have a betrothal? How come I've never heard of it before?"

"Chu Tianyu and Hua Qingkong are engaged?"

"Was it arranged in childhood?"

"Did they have a childhood betrothal?"

"My Heavens, my Heavens, no wonder Master Chu has always been so aloof and uninterested in other female cultivators. It turns out he had someone in his heart all along."

"What a romantic story."

"These two gentlemen are truly a perfect match!"

Mu Rongsa couldn't believe his ears. How could Chu Binghuan, who usually kept silent and was as dull as a gourd, suddenly play such a big game? He openly declared it in front of all the elders of the sect. This was going to cause a stir!

Hua Che was also dumbfounded. "Chu Binghuan, what are you saying?"

Chu Binghuan looked at him calmly. "Truth be told."

Hua Che: "..."

He couldn't even argue back!

The crowd erupted into a buzz of discussion, falling into chaos.

Mei Cailian was almost about to spew blood!!!

What betrothal agreement, what engagement, it was utterly ridiculous! She had never mentioned it publicly because she didn't take this marriage seriously at all. Moreover, she was too embarrassed to bring it up! The elders decided on this engagement on a whim, which was utterly irresponsible. They basically ruined Chu Binghuan's life.

With Hua Che's background and family background, no parents, why should he be linked with Yuntian Shuijing!

"Cough cough!" Fortunately, Lu Mingfeng took control of the situation. Elder Qianyang reacted quickly and loudly announced, "In the final match of the Ten Thousand Sects Martial Arts Tournament, Lingxiao Palace’s Hua Che wins!"

There was a commotion in front of the Shangqing Temple!

Elder Qianyang personally struck the ancient bell of Shangqing, and the birds scattered. The loud sound of the bell echoed throughout the Kunlun Mountains.

*

"Master, are you awake?" Zhuang Xia'er was overjoyed and quickly brought tea and water.

Zhuang Tian felt as if he had just awakened from a long dream. Hearing the sound of the bell echoing, he gradually regained his senses, dumbfounded. "Is the Ten Thousand Sects Martial Arts Tournament over?"

Zhuang Xia'er: "Yes!"

"Oh." Zhuang Tian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Compared to the anxiety before passing out, he was exceptionally calm now.

Zhuang Tian calmly brushed off the tea leaves with the lid of the cup, blew gently to cool it down, and took a sip of tea.

It was a done deal, no need to worry anymore. As a master, he was already very satisfied. His disciples were among the top fifty out of a hundred thousand cultivators! The top fifty! That was enough for him to boast about for a hundred years!

"Master, master, master, master!" Wen Yuan rushed in panic, stumbling even before reaching the door, and kneeling beside Zhuang Tian's bed. "It's over, master. In the third class, it's Mu Zhaoyao."

"Pff—" Zhuang Tian spewed out all the tea in his mouth!

Wen Yuan's lips trembled for a long time, and he said with all his strength, "In the second class, it's Chu Tianyu."

Zhuang Tian's body stiffened, and he was dumbfounded.

Wen Yuan, trembling, continued, "The head of the first class, Hua Qingkong."

Zhuang Tian's vision darkened, and he collapsed, his legs stretched out, giving up.

 

Translator: DarNan