Originally, He Mulan had planned to fly straight to Tiandu Peak.
But Li Xun had acted completely out of character, nothing like the calm and elegant figure he'd been back in the city. He'd gone absolutely crazy, struggling with all his might to turn back, even threatening to jump off the flying sword if they didn't stop. Only then did He Mulan and the others reluctantly change course, landing on a hilly stretch about a hundred li east of the city.
Because of the intense struggle in midair, Li Xun was gasping hard for breath. It took him several deep gulps of air before he could calm down.
Other than He Mulan, everyone was looking at him like he'd lost his mind. That female cultivator, Li Xun had just learned her name was Gu Pin'er, even took two steps back to put some distance between them.
But Li Xun had gotten exactly the reaction he wanted.
When He Mulan finally spoke again, the sternness in his voice was gone. "Junior Brother Xun, what happened?"
Li Xun stared blankly at him, the vacant gaze outlining all his shock, confusion, and even fear, without the slightest attempt to hide them.
But that expression only lasted a moment. After taking a long, steadying breath, he returned to his elegant and composed demeanor.
That dramatic shift in emotion made the earlier panic all the more real and convincing.
Looking at He Mulan, he gave a bitter smile. "I'm sorry. Actually, I…"
He trailed off halfway, and the look on his face left the five disciples from Heavenly Vigorous Sect utterly baffled.
Gu Pin'er, ever the blunt one, asked straight out, "Why didn't you want to go to Tiandu Peak? It's not like there are demons. Wait!"
She suddenly clapped her hands, eyes widening as if she'd just remembered something. "Tiandu Peak? Lin Ge… the demon phoenix…"
She hadn't even finished speaking when Li Xun half-drew his sword in one swift motion, its blade flashing with cold light. The others immediately tensed, startled by the sudden move. Gu Pin'er's hand even flew to her own sword hilt.
At this moment, Li Xun looked completely abnormal no matter how you looked at him.
Fear, madness, despair…. his expression was a chaotic blend of them all, warped and twisted beyond recognition.
The look on his face stunned everyone. Especially Gu Pin'er. This simple-minded female cultivator actually shrieked and jumped behind He Mulan in fright.
Even He Mulan couldn't help feeling a chill in his chest. His voice dropped instinctively as he asked, cautiously, "Junior Brother Xun?"
Li Xun's eyes slowly lost their stiffness. When he looked at He Mulan again, his lips twitched, and he spoke in a hoarse, almost desperate voice: "Where's the demon phoenix?"
"There's no demon phoenix!" Gu Pin'er poked her head out, then stepped out from behind He Mulan. "No way, I was just saying that casually…"
Under He Mulan's rare scowl, her voice got smaller and smaller until she finally ducked back behind him again.
He Mulan turned back to Li Xun, his expression softening with concern. "Junior Brother Xun, are you alright?"
Li Xun's face flushed a deep red from embarrassment. He sheathed his sword and looked down, eyes misty, almost like he was about to cry. Only at this moment did he reveal a hint of childishness that matched his true age. And maybe that's why it felt so genuine.
Seeing his reaction, the group started to understand. He Mulan exchanged glances with his fellow disciples, then gently asked, "Two months ago, when Senior Uncle Lin of the Mingxin Sword Sect died on Tiandu Peak… what was he to Junior Brother Xun?"
Li Xun finally looked up. His eyes were red, tears falling freely as he said, "He was my master. My honored teacher."
A collective look of realization spread across everyone's faces.
Gu Pin'er even stepped out again, curiosity flaring. "So it's just like the Mingxin Sword Sect said! Aside from Senior Sister Qi Bi, who survived, the only missing third-generation disciple was you, huh? But… how'd you end up here? Why didn't you go back to the sect? And why were you… doing that kind of thing in the imperial palace?"
She rattled off a string of questions, ending with a suspicious look. She wasn't the only one; all the others looked similarly doubtful.
Li Xun gave a bitter smile. "I'm a native of Songjing. The eldest son of Prince Fu."
That single, half-cryptic answer managed to cover all four of her questions. And earned a chorus of gasps from the group.
Even though the kings and ministers of the mortal world held no real meaning for them, conceptually, it was still quite an extraordinary status, and it carried a lot of impact.
But Gu Pin'er suddenly thought of something else. "Wait… If you're the little prince, then who was that kid who tried to flirt with me yesterday afternoon?"
Li Xun's smile turned even more bitter. "That was my younger brother, Li Cong. The heir to the prince's household."
That subtle distinction in titles said a lot, even if Gu Pin'er hadn't caught on. But He Mulan did; his eyes flashed with a moment of realization. It was quick, but Li Xun saw it clearly.
Turning toward Gu Pin'er, he asked, gaze sharp, "After the Tiandu Peak incident, it's true I didn't return to the sect. And yes, I did end up working in the imperial palace. But all this talk about 'defiling the harem,' what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
His voice wasn't aggressive, but the disbelief and challenge in his expression were unmistakable.
Gu Pin'er wasn't some unreasonable girl. After seeing Li Xun's near-breakdown earlier and his sincere look now, she was already starting to feel sympathy for him. Hearing his question, her certainty began to waver.
And she wasn't the only one.
From the moment Li Xun had revealed his true identity, and through every subtle shift in his behavior since, something in their hearts had quietly changed… without them even realizing it.
At that moment, Li Xun deftly redirected the conversation, throwing the hot potato that was the "defiling the imperial harem" right into the lap of Gu Pin'er, the most thin-skinned among them. Faced with that kind of pressure from inside and out, she was completely lost for words.
Seeing his junior sister floundering, He Mulan quickly stepped in. His mind was far more seasoned than Gu Pin'er's, though even he was rattled by Li Xun's emotional storm, he still managed to stay focused on the key issue.
His expression turned solemn, and his tone cut straight to the point: "Junior Brother Xun, where there's smoke, there's fire. You say you're innocent, but where's the proof? Let me ask you this; since you made it out alive, why didn't you return to the sect? Instead, you stayed in the mortal realm, taking up the role of 'National Preceptor,' leaning on your cultivation to work for the court. How do you explain that?"
Li Xun looked at his stern, angular face, and suddenly, he smiled. "Senior Brother He, have you ever seen a demon phoenix?"
That came out of nowhere, catching everyone off guard. But after a beat, He Mulan shook his head. "Never."
Li Xun took a deep breath and said each word like it was carved from stone: "I have."
Well, no kidding. Of course everyone knew that. Still, they were puzzled by the way he said it.
Li Xun's mouth twitched, his expression starting to look unhinged again. Gu Pin'er instinctively edged back, though her curiosity still got the better of her. She peeked out from behind He Mulan to keep watching.
Li Xun's gaze swept over them all, then he began speaking slowly, each word weighted with memory:
"Hundred Tribulations and Thousand Layers of Hellfire, stretching for miles. Fire raining like woven threads. More than a dozen senior brothers and sisters turned to ash in an instant. Have any of you ever seen that?
"And Immortal Master Minglan, Immortal Master Yue Mingfeng… torn apart by the demonic fire, not even their bones left. Have you seen that?
"And my master… my poor master, a man among men… a man among men…"
At first, his voice trembled. But as he spoke, the tremor grew, until he was shaking so badly he couldn't even get the words out. He just kept repeating "a man among men," over and over, like he was stuck in a loop.
Li Xun had lost himself in the act! Or maybe, by now, he no longer knew whether he was merely performing. Or truly unleashing the gloom and agony that had been crushing his heart since that horrific day!
A man among men; was he talking about Lin Ge? Or about himself?
He didn't need to force the emotion anymore. His sobs became raw, uncontrolled; he broke down completely.
His crying left everyone frozen, not knowing what to do; how to comfort him. He cried so hard he could barely stand, and eventually He Mulan had no choice but force himself to step forward and awkwardly offer a few dry, useless words: "Junior Brother… please, try to… grieve in moderation…"
How could Li Xun possibly stop so easily? It would've been better if He Mulan hadn't tried to comfort him. Now he wailed even harder. In between gasping sobs, he choked out, "Senior Brother He, I don't want to cultivate anymore!"
The five of them stood there, stunned.
He Mulan thought he misheard. He lowered his voice and asked again, "Junior Brother Xun… what did you say?"
Tears still streamed down Li Xun's face, but he forced a twisted smile.
"Senior Brother He… look at me. Do I still look like someone who can cultivate? Since that day… every night, I dream of skies on fire and ashes covering the mountains. In my ears, I still hear my master's screams…" He paused, then continued bitterly, "You asked me why I didn't go back to the sect, didn't you?"
He let out a strange chuckle. Then, shing! his jade sword came out of its sheath, flashing with a sharp, eerie light. But the way the blade shook in his hands made the sword experts present to deeply furrow their brows.
He looked at He Mulan, his face twitching again.
"Senior Brother, I can't even wield a sword properly anymore… I can't ride my sword." Looking at the five people's wide-open eyes, he gave a self-mocking smile. "Like earlier, in the city. Senior Brother was right, I don't have a single scratch on me. But…"
He placed his left hand on the hilt too. His face had gone completely pale.
"But I can't lift it anymore… Just like that day on the mountain path, I couldn't even draw my sword. I could only watch them all… turn to ash, just like that…"
His face twisted as he stared at He Mulan, gaze so intense it made the other man instinctively lean back.
Finally, he whispered, as if sighing:
"I'm afraid…"
His eyes drifted toward the sky, like there was someone up there listening. But of course, there was only empty space. His gaze wandered, then began to scatter and blur.
"Yes, I'm afraid. So what? Shouldn't I be? She's not human… she's a demon. She turned everything into ash!"
Now it was pure madness. Like the ramblings of someone lost to a fever dream. And the way his sword waved, unsteady and cold as frost, didn't help.
All five cultivators, including He Mulan, felt their necks stiff, and unconsciously backed away from him.
Clang! The jade sword hit the ground, then bounced back up, startling everyone.
Then, suddenly, Li Xun roared: "You want me to fight her?! She's a monster… a demon! How can a human fight a demon? How can I fight her?! She's a monster! A devil! What more do you want from me?!
"I don't want anything anymore! I'm done! I just want to live, live in peace! I don't care if I'm a waste or not. I'm not a waste, not here! Not here!"
He burst into a wild, bitter and broken laughter. And while he laughed, he yanked out his sword sheath and started swinging it at He Mulan.
He Mulan dodged, but Gu Pin'er didn't think. She reacted. Wham! A solid kick to Li Xun's gut sent him flying backward. He hit the ground hard and immediately coughed up blood.
But he didn't even try to wipe it away. He just sat there, dazed… then hugged his head and started sobbing again. He curled up on the ground, crying so hard it seemed like he might stop breathing altogether.
Gu Pin'er stood frozen after that kick, then quickly pulled her leg back, looking at He Mulan, a little panicked.
He Mulan gave her a small, reassuring shake of the head, then rushed over to check on Li Xun. Once he confirmed there was no serious injury, he finally let out a breath and called softly:
"Junior Brother… Junior Brother Xun… Xun…"
Li Xun didn't replied.
So finally, He Mulan drew on his inner breath, infused it into his voice, and shouted:
"LI XUN!!"
The powerful shock snapped Li Xun out of it. He blinked, stunned; only then did he regain control of the situation.
Li Xun stared blankly at him, then forced a bitter, soul-crushing smile. After a while, he spoke in a soft, trembling voice: "Senior Brother He… I really don't want to cultivate anymore…"
By the time he got to those last two words, his throat caught, and he broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
All he heard in return was a long sigh from He Mulan. As if echoing that sigh, a gentle breeze swept over the uneven hills around them, stirring up a few specks of dust. The wind swirled lazily around the group, then drifted off into the distance.
No one noticed that one tiny grain of dust, utterly indistinguishable from the rest, quietly clung to the delicate boot of Gu Pin'er.
At that moment, Li Xun could barely hold back his laughter.
His performance had been flawless.