Ch 139: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Xue Zhongyu’s face was gloomy, his beautiful features filled with sinister malice. Looking at him now, no one would ever connect him with Mu Xing.

After all, in name he was Xue Wuya’s son. Although he had gained the favor of many in the Demon Palace, the Demon Lord still harbored suspicion toward him. Youhuo had long warned him that there were always people secretly watching him.

He absolutely could not reveal that he was the incarnation of a “demon seed.”

The demon seed had nothing to do with the demon clan itself. He was the embodiment of all the world’s evil desires. If he wanted to grow stronger, he could only do so by controlling more hearts and desires.

As long as there were living beings, there would be desire. And none would willingly leave such a weakness unguarded.

By nature, he stood in opposition to all races.

If his identity were exposed before he had fully grown, the righteous path would not tolerate him, and even the demon clan would consider killing him first.

“We can’t let the situation in Taixu Sect keep developing this way,” Xue Zhongyu said in a low voice. “I need to find a way to spread word that I’m being held in the Demon Palace.”

He had to personally go to Crescent Moon Peak to see.

*

“Little junior brother, little junior brother, someone from Crescent Moon Peak has come looking for you.” Mu Xing was in the middle of trying to use his spiritual power to form spirit rain to water his medicine field when a disciple from Medicine Peak came looking for him.

“A senior from Crescent Moon Peak?” Mu Xing pursed his lips, not particularly eager to meet.

He had no desire whatsoever to get entangled with Crescent Moon Peak again.

Lingbao was sprawled beside Mu Xing’s medicine field, his fluffy tail swaying lazily from side to side. Whenever another Medicine Peak disciple’s spirit pet came too close, he would leap up, bare his teeth, and act like he was guarding the field.

The spirit pets on Medicine Peak were all intelligent. They knew Lingbao was the local tyrant and the Peak Lord’s treasured darling, so none dared provoke him.

The messenger disciple cast Lingbao a glance, then looked at Mu Xing with envy.

Mu shidi had some strange constitution—other spirit pets aside, even the ancestor Lingbao behaved obediently in his presence.

Before Mu Xing arrived, Lingbao had been the biggest headache for Medicine Peak disciples. Whenever he was hungry and wandered down from the back mountain, whatever caught his eye, he would simply grab with his claws. There wasn’t a single medicine field on the entire peak that had escaped his havoc.

Who would have thought he could be so docile?

Mu Xing still decided to go have a look. After all, last month, Uncle Master Xue Wuya had sent him a great gift. Now that he was officially a Medicine Peak disciple, he wasn’t afraid of them causing trouble again.

Thinking this, he followed the messenger disciple outside.

Not far away, under a big tree, he saw three figures.

Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu, along with an inner disciple from Medicine Peak.

The three were chatting.

Qi Xiubai asked, “How is Mu Xing shidi doing at Medicine Peak? Has he been adjusting well?”

Realizing his words were a bit off, he added awkwardly, “I mean, he’s just a child, and this is an unfamiliar place for him.”

The Medicine Peak disciple didn’t mind, smiling cheerfully. “Of course. Did you know, Mu shidi has already succeeded in drawing qi into his body? He’s officially begun cultivating, and his progress is astonishing. I’d say he was born to be one of our Medicine Peak disciples.”

“Every Medicine Peak disciple has their own medicine field. At first, we all struggled to grow quality spirit herbs. But Xingxing shidi is different—he can raise even the most ordinary low-level spirit herbs to the highest quality.”

Right now, all of Medicine Peak treasured Mu Xing.

What the disciple didn’t mention was that if Mu Xing could cultivate high-level spirit herbs to such quality, it would be extraordinary.

High-level pills were worth their weight in gold. And at the same grade, the higher the pill’s quality, the less pill poison it carried, and the higher its value.

Aside from testing the skill of the alchemist, the quality of the herbs was a crucial factor. But there was no need to explain further.

The disciple grinned. “Even the spirit beasts of our entire Medicine Peak love to cluster around Mu shidi. Even the most mischievous ones become obedient before him. It’s even become a trend—when spirit herbs are about to mature, people invite Mu shidi to sit by the fields.”

As he spoke, he pointed. “There’s Mu shidi now!”

Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu looked over, and saw Mu Xing’s small figure approaching. He was holding a large, furry bundle with a fluffy tail swaying as it nearly touched the ground.

Behind him, a beautiful white crane taller than Mu Xing followed at a wary distance, stepping carefully as if hesitant.

Closer now, Qi Xiubai recognized the beast.

The Medicine Spirit Beast!

Everyone knew Medicine Peak had a centuries-old Medicine Spirit Beast that was the treasure of the peak, pampered by both Peak Lord and disciples alike.

Yet the spirit beast was notoriously proud and aloof, never fond of close contact with humans.

And yet, here it was, allowing Mu shidi to hold it—clingy, even. Where was the icy cold temperament of the rumors?

Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu exchanged a look, both realizing anew how beloved Mu Xing was on Medicine Peak.

The Medicine Peak disciple chuckled. “I’ll leave you three to talk. I have other matters to attend to.”

In an instant, only the three former fellow disciples remained.

Mu Xing patted the heavy bundle in his arms and coaxed, “Lingbao, go down and play for a while, alright?”

Lingbao let out a reluctant whine, clearly unwilling.

Mu Xing whispered, “You’re too heavy, I can’t hold you anymore.”

If not for already entering the Qi Refining stage and strengthening his body in all aspects, he really wouldn’t have had the strength to carry this round ball so far.

Lingbao blinked its ruby-like eyes. This time it didn’t act spoiled, and obediently jumped out of Mu Xing’s arms.

Though its body was round like a ball, its movements were light and swift. In just a few leaps it was up in the tree above, crouching on a branch with its long fluffy tail hanging down.

Only then did Mu Xing look toward the two, his face showing no joy, politely yet distant as he asked, “Senior brothers from Crescent Moon Peak, what business do you have with me?”

Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu’s expressions were complicated, knowing that because of past events, Mu Xing bore resentment against them.

But these past days while recovering from their injuries, they thought back on their behavior and didn’t feel Mu Xing was being rude—rather, they felt as if they had been possessed back then.

If not possessed, how else could they have done such absurd things?

Their expressions turned solemn. They bowed with hands clasped and saluted Mu Xing.

“We two brothers have come to apologize to Junior Brother Mu.”

Qi Xiubai said apologetically, “Back then during that month on Crescent Moon Peak, we fell into delusion and acted disrespectfully toward you. I and my junior brother came specially to apologize.”

Mu Xing was a little surprised, warily watching them.

What’s going on—are these two cured now?

Qi Xiubai took out a gift box from his storage ring. “Inside is a token of apology from me and Junior Brother Shi.”

Mu Xing stepped back, shook his head. “I accept the apology—you indeed owed me one. But the gift is unnecessary. Uncle Xue saved my life, and Crescent Moon Peak took me in; I owe you a debt of gratitude as well.”

His words were courteous, but the meaning was clear: he was drawing a line, making things plain.

Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu looked at the child before them—polite in manner but firm in tone—and felt more than ever that they had truly been blind before.

Aside from appearance, Mu Xing was nothing like Xiao Yu.

Sensing Mu Xing’s attitude, they had no grounds to persist. Qi Xiubai insisted, “No matter what, I feel ashamed. If ever you need something, you may come find me.”

Shi Zhizhu echoed the same.

“Thank you, senior brothers,” Mu Xing said calmly. “I will remember it.”

*

After they left, the calm on his face faded, replaced by confusion.

Strange. Their words just now really did carry sincerity—he could sense it.

But he didn’t understand. What had happened?

Back when he was on Crescent Moon Peak, these two were utterly unreasonable.

How did they suddenly start talking sense?

He shook his head in puzzlement.

Suddenly, a voice came from his sea of consciousness: “I think I sensed a familiar aura.”

It was that ball of light.

Since two cycles ago, its presence in Mu Xing’s sea of consciousness had been minimal—each time they entered a world, it would knock, wait for him to let it in, then promptly curl up and sleep.

Seeing it behave so quietly, no longer secretly inciting trouble, Mu Xing hadn’t bothered with it.

Mu Xing was curious. “You’re awake? What familiar aura?”

The light orb realized it had misspoken, shrank back, and went silent.

Mu Xing asked again. No reply. Clearly, it didn’t want to say.

He didn’t press, but silently kept the words in mind.

Could it be that Qi Xiubai and Shi Zhizhu carried some secret?

*

In cultivation, time passes unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, Mu Xing had already been on Medicine Peak for three years.

He was now the great treasure of Medicine Peak, Master Yao’s beloved, and a famed disciple of Taixu Sect.

As Medicine Peak’s cherished child, he advanced quickly in cultivation. Any herb in his hands grew into top quality. The entire mountain’s spirit beasts followed him around; even Lingbao’s intimidation wasn’t enough to control them anymore.

A year ago, he began learning alchemy. After two failed furnaces, his first success produced twenty-eight superior Foundation Establishment pills.

It was then Mu Xing finally understood why Medicine Peak was so wealthy.

The ingredients for Foundation Establishment pills were not especially rare, especially on Medicine Peak where disciples could grow them themselves.

Yet even the lowest quality pill sold for several hundred lower-grade spirit stones—enough to buy a decent low-level magic artifact.

And superior ones? Their price multiplied tenfold or more.

It was practically a profiteering trade.

—Of course, true alchemists were exceedingly rare.

At least within Taixu Sect, Mu Xing’s fame as an eight-year-old who could refine Foundation Establishment pills far surpassed his reputation as a nine-year-old already at Qi Refining Great Perfection, on the verge of breaking through.

What gratified Mu Xing even more—these three years, people from Crescent Moon Peak seemed to have regained normalcy.

Not just Qi Xiubai; other direct disciples from Crescent Moon Peak came one after another to apologize. No one ever mentioned again how much he resembled Xue Zhongyu.

That day, sensing his dantian’s spiritual power had reached completion, Mu Xing went to a secret chamber on Medicine Peak, swallowed a Foundation Establishment pill, and prepared to break through.

Meanwhile, on Crescent Moon Peak, Xue Wuya, who never gave up hope that his beloved son had died, received a message.

Xue Zhongyu might not be dead. He had been taken by the demon clan and kept in the Demon Palace these years.

And now, he had appeared together with the Demon Princess in a human city.

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