Young man, is it really okay to be so lacking in principles?

 

The chicken boy hadn't even spoken yet when Bai Zixu interjected from the side, "Everyone says not to lead the way is a sect rule, if you break it, you'll probably get a beating. You commit to it, don't make things difficult you fool."

Fool?

Fool!!

The chicken boy was dumbfounded: "..." What talent! What courage! They say the weak fear the strong, the strong fear the bold, and the bold fear those who don't fear death. He was probably at the bottom of the weak, while Bai Zixu was definitely at the top of those who don't fear death. Daring to provoke even Huo Junxiao.

This audacious way of addressing him seemed to surprise Bai Ke as well. He was stunned for a moment, then there was a fleeting moment of confusion in his eyes.

It seemed... like he had heard similar words somewhere before?

Like he had dreamed of a similar scene...

Bai Ke furrowed his brows, then lowered his gaze, silently pondering.

However, this feeling wasn't the first time it had surfaced, nor was he the only one to experience it, so he just muttered a few words to himself and didn't dwell on it, instead looking up at Jun Xiao and silently admiring Bai Zixu's increasingly exquisite talent for courting death.

Junxiao also seemed to be taken aback for a moment.

Just when the chicken boy and Bai Ke thought he was about to snap back to reality the next second, they saw Junxiao subtly tug at the corner of his mouth.

Did I see that right?!

The chicken boy was almost blown away by the wind - was this guy really smiling? And what was with that nostalgic and lingering expression? Was such a fluctuation in emotions really okay? Did it mean that when people reach a certain height, they unconsciously become masochists?

Bai Ke also secretly twitched his mouth, thinking to himself: The chicken boy said something seemingly innocuous, and almost got his little life taken away, while Bai Zixu directly dared to call him a dimwit, and he actually smiled happily?!

The thought process of a lunatic is truly incomprehensible...

Poor Junxiao had no idea that his extremely subtle smile only reinforced his image as a lunatic in Bai Ke's mind. Instead, he turned his gaze to Bai Ke, almost writing on his face: Are you going to call me a fool too?

Fortunately, Bai Ke had some obstacles in interpreting people's expressions and gazes, and he temporarily couldn't understand such complex and obscure meanings. Plus, Junxiao only glanced at him like that, then withdrew his gaze and refocused on the chicken boy.

However, this time, his expression wasn't as gloomy.

The chicken boy, who had watched Junxiao's entire emotional journey without missing a beat, almost wanted to hug Bai Zixu and call him dad. This seemingly unreliable guy actually made the seemingly unapproachable Junxiao appear much more approachable with just a few words.

If not now, when should he speak up?

So the chicken boy looked at Junxiao, who seemed a little brighter, and cautiously lifted his head a bit, finding that the pressure on his chest had indeed eased a bit. Seizing the opportunity, he took a breath and expressed his determination to Junxiao, "Senior, about taking you to Hengtian Gate, let's discuss it, no, there's absolutely no problem!"

Bai Ke: "..." Young man, is it really okay to be so lacking in principles?

Bai Zixu raised his thumb, "Forsaking darkness for light, it shows enlightenment."

His attitude changed too quickly, and he agreed too easily, even Jun Xiao couldn't help but furrow his brows. Although most cultivators have a bland temperament, it doesn't mean they're all wolves in sheep's clothing, especially towards their respective sects, their loyalty is usually high. After all, they almost all joined their sects at a young age, and for decades or even centuries, their lives have been closely related to their sects. It's impossible to say there are no feelings involved.

The actions of the chicken boy made Jun Xiao and Bai Ke think of two possibilities—

Either it was a deception, or there was something hidden.

Jun Xiao and Bai Ke exchanged a glance, then Jun Xiao flicked his sleeve, removing the force that suppressed the chicken boy.

The chicken boy sat up, gasping for breath, then straightened his body. The mischievous and unserious expression on his face disappeared, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness. He was slightly shorter than Bai Ke, and a bit skinny, making him look much younger than Junxiao.

He looked up and asked Junxiao seriously, "Senior, is what you said about Hengtian Gate true? Are they really adept at underhanded methods, and are their means despicable?"

Seeing him ask like this, Junxiao felt that there was probably something hidden, so he nodded, his handsome face cold, and replied with equal seriousness, "I suppose you're not aware of the origins of Hengtian Gate, and I presume it's never been mentioned within your sect either. In the beginning, Hengtian Gate was established by a cultivator who had gone mad, during the craziest period of his madness. The first few elders who joined the sect either feared his cultivation and dared not resist, coveted the remnants of his techniques in his hands, or relied on his power. In any case, Hengtian Gate was in chaos at its inception, with a mix of good and bad, including many cunning individuals. These people were not stupid, they used the madness of that cultivator to expand the sect, day after day, for thousands of years, until they occupied the top position."

Bai Ke listened on the side with a frown: With such a traditional sect, especially those senior elders who were directly involved in the sect's affairs, how many of them could be good people?

The chicken boy was obviously shocked to learn that his own sect had such a dark history, and his expression became even darker. After some thought, he spoke again, "Then, senior, has Hengtian Gate caused loss of life?"

"Heh!" Jun Xiao seemed to find the question extremely amusing, sneering, "If we talk about causing loss of life, I'm afraid no sect can escape culpability. But there are usually reasons behind it, and most sects will not indulge their disciples in wanton killing. However, Hengtian Gate is the biggest exception, and the number of people who have died at the hands of their disciples is probably enough to build a mountain."

Although the chicken boy had never seen the Mountain of Wishing, he had read about it in some scriptures. It was said to be the first peak of Hengtian Gate, where a demon was sealed. Even though the Mountain of Wishing no longer existed, he could still imagine how majestic and steep the first peak must have been. Hearing Jun Xiao's words, his heart grew even colder.

With each question, it was as if he was exposing his heart and laying it on the chopping block. Each answer from Junxiao was like a slash, but even so, he still managed to ask a third question, the one he had been wanting to ask: "Among those killed by Hengtian Gate, are there also their own disciples?"

This time, Junxiao didn't answer immediately. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I haven't personally witnessed many instances involving disciples, so I can't make reckless comments. But from what I've seen, Hengtian Gate acts ruthlessly and disregards the lives of its disciples. And..."

"And what?" the chicken boy pressed for an answer.

"I've heard some rumors before, whether they're believable or not, you can judge for yourself." Jun Xiao glanced at him and said, "Legend has it that Hengtian Gate once recruited disciples on a large scale, not to expand the sect, but to use them as furnaces. But I dare not agree with this view. As far as I know, during that time, Hengtian Gate recruited disciples very frequently, often hundreds at a time. Such a large number of recruits doesn't seem to be for use as furnaces, but more like for consumption..."

Consumption?

Using people for consumption? What kind of thing could be considered consumption?

The chicken boy accidentally opened up a train of thought, feeling a chill down his spine, his hair standing on end.

Junxiao, Bai Ke, and Bai Zixu watched the chicken boy dumbfoundedly, not knowing what he was thinking. His eyes widened, then suddenly turned red, covered with a misty layer of tears.

"Wow, why are you crying?" Bai Zixu felt that, as a man, it was a bit scary to cry like this.

Before they could react, they saw the chicken boy suddenly kneel heavily in front of Junxiao, choking up, with a heavy nasal voice, "Senior, when I was recruited by Hengtian Gate, I was 7 years old, exactly ten years ago. But I'm not the only one in my family who joined Hengtian Gate. Before me, my sister was also recruited by Hengtian Gate. She's one year older than me, but after I joined the sect, I've never seen her again. For the past ten years, I've been trying every means to find out about her situation, but I found that those who joined the sect with her seem to have vanished into thin air after the initiation ceremony. No one has seen them since. Unfortunately, my talent is average, and after ten years, I'm still just a bottom-tier disciple, unable to access any valuable information. If possible, I hope senior can lend me a hand and help me find my sister. I can become a cow and a horse (NT: idiom, meaning he will do anything), follow any orders!"

Bai Ke looked at the chicken boy with some concern, then glanced at Junxiao, thinking that with Junxiao's character, it would be fine to help a little, but if it came to helping him find his sister, it might be a bit difficult to say.

Unexpectedly, these words seemed to touch something in Junxiao, as he looked at the kneeling chicken boy with a somewhat complex expression. After a moment of silence, he nodded and simply said, "Okay."

This made Bai Ke increasingly unable to figure out Junxiao.

When they first met, Bai Ke thought he was domineering yet revealed a kind of stubborn foolishness. Powerful, yet a man of integrity. But a series of subsequent actions made him seem unpredictable, as if he could crush someone as easily as an ant with a wave of his hand. Life didn't seem to hold much value in his eyes except for his master. Everyone else seemed to be the same to him, no better than air. But now, the simple words of the chicken boy actually moved him.

Whether this person was cold-hearted or warm-hearted, soft-hearted or hard-hearted... Bai Ke couldn't understand anymore.

According to Junxiao himself, he joined the sect more than five thousand years ago, which meant he had lived for more than five thousand years.

Perhaps it was this long passage of time that turned him into such a peculiar person...

Since he had become part of a faction, Junxiao began to order the chicken boy without hesitation, "Since you were sent out to find your senior brother, you must have a way to contact Hengtian Gate, right?"

The chicken boy nodded, "I can contact the eldest senior brother, he assigned me this task."

"Good, tell them that you followed the traces left by your two senior brothers and found this place, found Bai Ke, but didn't see the shadow of your two senior brothers."

Although he didn't understand the specific purpose of saying this, the chicken boy still nodded.

Jun Xiao seemed to want to contact someone himself, so he flicked his right sleeve, rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers, and a bright blue flame suddenly ignited at his fingertips. He addressed the flame, "The person has been found, so come over when you have the time." After speaking, the bright blue flame flickered twice, then floated away from his fingertips, hovering in the air before gradually dimming and disappearing.

Bai Ke and Bai Zixu found his actions somewhat unusual, so they turned their faces towards the chicken boy again, curious to see what kind of contact method he would use.

As a result, they saw the chicken boy reach into his pocket, rummage around for a moment, and then pull out a black... cellphone.

"It's actually a cellphone?!" Bai Zixu couldn't help but exclaim.

A cellphone?!

Even Bai Ke couldn't help but feel a bit speechless...

The difference in style between the two sides, wasn't it a bit too big?

 

Translator : DarNan