Chapter 404 - 399: An 18-Year Dream, a Thorough Awakening
Ruyi Square.
The finest den of pleasure in Ruihan City.
Slightly garish decor, prodigal patrons who spent fortunes, Kun Cultivators with flower-like faces and moon-like beauty, and Demon Race slaves with exotic charms... It was said that with enough Spiritual Jade, you could even spend a spring night with a Core Formation Kun Cultivator.
The master of Ruyi Square was not one of the Four Great Clans, but rather an "Overseas Dragon" that even the Four Great Clans couldn’t afford to offend—the Qingxu Commerce Association.
Under irresistible pressure, the Four Great Clans had agreed to let them operate here. Of course, the Qingxu Commerce Association wasn’t completely unreasonable; the Four Great Clans all held shares in the establishment.
Du Youqian, having changed his appearance, disguised himself as an ordinary pleasure-seeker and stepped inside.
A beautiful Qi Cultivation Kun Cultivator with a pure, innocent face soon came to greet him. After seeing the Spiritual Jade Du Youqian presented, her face lit up with a smile, and she enthusiastically and expertly clung to his arm.
Du Youqian laughed heartily and responded with practiced ease, like a seasoned veteran, all while subtly observing his surroundings.
In truth, from this location, the Core Formation Ancestors of the Bian and Rong Families could already detect him with their Divine Sense.
However, Du Youqian had once been at that Realm himself, so he knew that Core Formation Ancestors wouldn’t be so idle as to spread their Divine Sense out that far all day and night, observing every minute detail. ’Isn’t that exhausting?’
Therefore, as long as he was fast enough, he could still get what he came for.
This place was his carefully chosen location to finish off both Rong Panxi and Bian Youque in one fell swoop.
Tonight, Bian Youque, as the direct heir of the Bian Family and the face of Ruihan City’s younger generation, was to entertain a group of young guests from another Immortal City.
Meanwhile, Rong Panxi was just a wall away, checking the accounts in the Qinxiang Building next to Ruyi Square. The Qinxiang Building was a Rong Family property.
Du Youqian was using the same face he’d worn when he entered the city. As a pleasure-seeker, he naturally found a gambling table with the beautiful Kun Cultivator by his side and began to act debauched.
On the surface, he was engrossed in betting and shouting with abandon, ecstatic when he won and furious when he lost.
But in reality, he was perfectly calm. As time ticked by and Bian Youque was about to appear, anyone else might have lost their composure, but Du Youqian’s heart remained as still as undisturbed water.
’Then again, it wasn’t completely without ripples.’
Deep inside him, the part that was "Sui Xiao" from before he awakened his Past Life Memory was indignant, yearning to kill his enemies with his own hands.
Du Youqian could clearly perceive this. And if he wanted to suppress these Emotions and dissolve this hatred, it would be effortless.
Compared to his thousand years of life, Sui Xiao’s eighteen years of love, hate, and passion were like a single drop of water falling into the ocean, incapable of making any waves.
But since Du Youqian accepted that "every reincarnation is myself," he naturally accepted that the clear-eyed, foolish boy, Sui Xiao, was also him.
Du Youqian was not entirely Sui Xiao—but Sui Xiao was Du Youqian.
Sui Xiao was an experience in Du Youqian’s long life that was both ordinary and unforgettable.
Du Youqian didn’t actually care much about Rong Panxi or Bian Youque, nor did he mind the humiliating experiences he’d had before awakening his Past Life Memory.
But the part of him that was Sui Xiao was still laughing and crying, jumping and screaming...
Accepting Sui Xiao’s feelings, his love and hate, and shouldering his karma—to ultimately internalize the part that was Sui Xiao and make it completely his own—was an important component of his Cultivation in this life.
If just by slaughtering two unpleasant people he could bring peace to the "Sui Xiao" part of his mind, why wouldn’t Du Youqian do it?
Besides, his plan had always been to cause a major scene. It was all part of his grander scheme.
Since he was reincarnated in an Immortal City, and as the heir to a Golden Core Clan no less, wouldn’t it be foolish not to make use of this identity?
’A cunning rabbit has three burrows.’ He might as well make Ruihan City one of his. That wasn’t a bad idea.
Just as Du Youqian was getting slightly distracted, Bian Youque walked in.
Unlike the somber and reserved Bian Youque from Du Youqian’s memory, today’s Bian Youque seemed proud and high-spirited. He was followed by a group of young Cultivators who were clearly also from wealthy backgrounds, their Cultivation all at the Qi Cultivation Early and Middle Stage.
But upon closer inspection, one could still see the occasional gloom in Bian Youque’s eyes.
Du Youqian cautiously swept his Divine Sense over, immediately discovering a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator not far from Bian Youque. The man was disguised as an ordinary guest, but his attention was entirely focused on Bian Youque.
’So that’s Bian Youque’s Guardian, is it?’
’The Bian Family really values this kid.’
But Bian Youque did have the capital to be valued. After not seeing him for a year, his Cultivation had impressively reached the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer!
Among this group of young Cultivators, he was considered top-tier.
’If he hadn’t provoked Du Youqian, he might have actually had a chance at Core Formation, becoming a pillar of the Bian Family...’
’What a shame!’
Bian Youque was introducing Ruyi Square to the Young Men with him when he suddenly felt a gaze land upon him.
If it were just a look, it wouldn’t have mattered. As the direct heir of the Bian Family, one of the Four Great Clans, he was long accustomed to being the center of attention, admired by all.
But this gaze was different. The moment it touched him, it was like a sharp Sword, pricking his skin and causing him pain.
𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Bian Youque frowned and looked toward the source of the gaze, only to see an ordinary-looking, unfamiliar gambler with a beautiful Kun Cultivator from the establishment on his arm, staring right at him.
Seeing him look back, the man even smiled and nodded.
In the instant the man lowered his head and raised it again, Bian Youque discovered in horror that the stranger’s face had transformed into the face of Sui Xiao—the one who gave him sleepless nights!
The next instant, Sui Xiao’s gaze was no longer like a sharp Sword—it became a real Sword.
Bian Youque screamed and staggered backward, hastily raising his hands to cover his eyes as blood seeped from between his fingers.
The group of Young Men behind him, at a loss, each took out their Magical Artifacts or even Spiritual Artifacts, assuming defensive stances.
Bian Youque’s Guardian, absolutely furious, launched a ruler made of refined steel flying toward Du Youqian. "You dare, villain!"
"Get lost!" As Du Youqian spoke, the Guardian was sent flying backward along with his Spiritual Artifact Ruler, which had been sliced in two. A Sword wound so deep the bone was visible was etched across his chest.
"Bian Youque, we’ll meet again!" Du Youqian laughed. With a CRASH, he smashed through the wall of Ruyi Square, a wall that had been reinforced by an Array, and charged toward the Qinxiang Building.
He had just changed his mind; he no longer wanted to kill Bian Youque.
Wouldn’t it be more wonderful to leave this enemy—blind in both eyes, his sea of consciousness a complete mess, with no hope of ever reaching Foundation Establishment, unable to even break through to the Qi Cultivation Late Stage—to watch as he, Du Youqian, walked step by step toward Core Formation, and even Nascent Soul Formation, forcing him to live every day in hatred and fear?
To Du Youqian, killing him or not was all the same. How could he possibly care about such an ant?
But it was beneficial for digesting and merging with the experience of being "Sui Xiao," along with all the Emotions and thoughts that this experience had generated.
It was just like his previous life, when he had to take revenge for the Baili Family.
From the perspective of Baili Jianxin, he could be completely indifferent to Baili Jianxin’s joys, angers, sorrows, and happiness.
But Baili Jianxin was him, an inseparable part of him.
He could detach from Baili Jianxin’s perspective for a moment, but how could he possibly detach forever?
Only then did panicked screams erupt in Ruyi Square, but Du Youqian was already standing before Rong Panxi.
~~~~~~~~
Looking at Rong Panxi, her beautiful face pale with fright, countless memories flooded his mind. There was boundless anger from being betrayed, the thrill of imminent revenge, and even a trace of reluctance and lingering affection...
"Brother Xiao’Er..." Rong Panxi waved her hand at the Maids behind her, stopping them from acting.
Rong Panxi had sharp eyes and could already see that Du Youqian now had a Foundation Establishment Cultivation. Even if her Maids were to throw their lives away, they wouldn’t be able to stop him for a second.
Her eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of mist. She bit her red lips gently and said pitifully, "Brother Xiao’Er... I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!"
’To save myself, I have to stall for time,’ she thought. ’Stall until the Ancestor turns his gaze here, or until the clan’s experts arrive.’
’To stall until then, I’ll do anything!’
Du Youqian experienced the feelings of the part of him that was Sui Xiao.
At the same time, he also experienced the indifference and calm of the thousand-year-old monster, Du Youqian.
The two were quietly merging...
"An eighteen-year dream. It’s time to wake up completely!" Du Youqian said to the part of himself that was Sui Xiao.
"Wake up!"
The part that was Sui Xiao completely merged with Du Youqian.
Without any hesitation, Du Youqian turned and left.
’I’m saved!’ A flicker of joy rose in Rong Panxi’s heart.
’How did that guy suddenly reach Foundation Establishment? No, I must suppress him... I’ll go beg the Ancestor. I absolutely cannot let him gain power!’
’Oh no, Youque is over at Ruyi Square. I wonder how he is?’
Rong Panxi suddenly remembered and was about to run to Ruyi Square, but she found she couldn’t lift her legs.
’What’s wrong with me?’
She looked down and saw that blood had soaked through the long skirt covering her proud, jade-like legs.
Only then did she feel an excruciating pain.
’Sui Xiao... Sui Xiao severed all the meridians in my legs!’
And her Dantian... it had also been shattered. She would never be able to practice Cultivation again in this life!
~~~~~~~~
Du Youqian had just left the Qinxiang Building when a vast pressure suddenly washed over him. A furious voice boomed as if to shatter his eardrums: "You little bastard, give me your life!"
Du Youqian was completely unafraid. His Flying Sword hovered before him, ready to heavily wound the attacker with a single strike.
Just then, Ancestor Sui Zhi’s laughter rang out. "Brother Zijian, why such a temper!"
Du Youqian smiled and retracted his Flying Sword, knowing he wouldn’t have to act today.