TLNote: The six realms in this novel are: 神(shen) the gods, 仙(xian) the immortals/deities/fairies, 人(ren) the mortals, 妖(yao) the demons, 魔(muo) the devils/ heretics, and 冥(ming) the dead.
The gods are regarded as the highest level that the “good” immortals can achieve. The devils is the highest level that the “bad” immortals can achieve. When you turned into muo, you are considered hopeless.
This play an important role in this novel. Ling Xi’s mission as a “good” immortal is to get rid of demons and devils. This will be a conflict for her later in the story when she is faced with Nan Zhi’s true identity.
Chapter 18 part 1
Nan Zhi had always been quiet and silent when he was in her hair. Only when that old demon attacked her did she feel his aura float. If it wasn’t because Qing Kui had appeared in time, Nan Zhi might have showed himself.
After the old demon left, Ling Xi also deliberately appeased that Chinese rose. She was sure that he was still there at that time…
“Nan Zhi…,” Ling Xi called him in a low voice. Since he wasn’t taken by the old demon, then he must’ve left on his own. He shouldn’t have gone too far.
Ling Xi was afraid that her movement would alarm the others and didn’t return to the resting place. Instead, she followed the lake and called. But after getting no response for a long time, she got anxious.
She wasn’t anxious that something would happen to Nan Zhi, but…she was worried without reason that the current situation of Nan Zhi would be discovered. She had witnessed Nan Zhi’s growth at Xuwang Cliff. She was pleasantly surprised by his talents and attributed everything to him being an immortal spirit created by the heaven and earth. However, after listening to Qing Kui today, she felt a bit uneasy.
She knew clearly that Nan Zhi’s origin is upright, but she still felt uneasy. She didn’t dare to easily expose him to everyone. It was like…she knew that her origin was upright, but others say that she was not tolerated in the six realms.
“Nan Zhi!” Ling Xi called impatiently again and happened to smell a familiar scent.
Perhaps it was because his original form was a Chinese rose, Nan Zhi always carried a faint fragrance of Chinese roses. After being together for a long time, Ling Xi could smell him without seeing him in person.
“Where did you go? We have agreed on that you can’t leave my side casually let alone reveal your human form!”
Nan Zhi stood in front of her. The moment Ling Xi saw him, the uneasiness turned into a tiny anger and she vented it. When Nan Zhi saw Ling Xi, his eyes shone faintly, but after receiving her anger, he lowered his eyes and frowned.
“Where did you go?” When he didn’t answer, Ling Xi got more annoyed.
Nan Zhi’s frown became deeper, but he still answered with a short sentence, “Behead the demon.”
“Behead what demon?”
“Bone-eating demon.”
If it was in the past, Ling Xi would be jealous and envious of Nan Zhi’s cultivation. However now, she didn’t have that mood anymore. One has to know that even senior brother Qing Nian wasn’t able to easily catch the bone-eating demon…
“You killed her?”
“Of course.”
“Was it truly the bone-eating demon?”
“Is there a fake one?”
Ling Xi tidied up her thoughts. The one Nan Zhi was talking about must be the old demon that attacked them just now. She also heard senior sister Qing Lian’s analysis and realized that that was not the real bone-eating demon.
“The one that bullied you.” When Nan Zhi saw that she didn’t answer, he continued to say.
Ling Xi breathed from relief. If he had killed the bone-eating demon who is now famous in the demon and immortal realm, it would be impossible to hide his existence…
“Ate her,” Nan Zhi said suddenly.
When Ling Xi raised her head and saw the shining green element floating in his palm, she was so surprised that she had forgotten about Nan Zhi being in the human form. She reached a hand over, trying to open his palm, but her palm fell on emptiness.
“This is the real element of that old demon. It has a cultivation of six hundred years.” Nan Zhi held the element closer.
Ling Xi naturally knew that the cultivation of this real element was not shallow, but only demons and devils would want to devour it to make their cultivation higher. The decent disciples who wanted to cultivate into an immortal, how would they want a demon’s cultivation?
“Nan Zhi, have you swallow the true element of other demons?” Ling Xi asked carefully. When he went to kill the old demon, he may have encountered many small demons…
“No.”
Ling Xi felt relief, leaned against a big tree on the shore of the lake and sat down. “Nan Zhi, sit down.”
Nan Zhi sat down.
“Nan Zhi, only demons would use these ways that harms other for one’s personal benefit to let their cultivation get higher,” Ling Xi said in a serious tone.
Although, Nan Zhi’s comprehension skills are amazing and he could understand a spell just by doing it once, but after all he was an immortal spirit who didn’t experienced the world. Before they got out of Xuwang Cliff, the one who he had the most contact with, the ones who he seemed to come the most contact with were her and the pile of books. He still had many things that Ling Xi needed to teach him.
For example, in the beginning, Nan Zhi couldn’t even differentiate between left and right because books won’t tell him which side is left and which side is right…
“I know,” Nan Zhi said. “But it will be very beneficial for you when you eat it.”
Nan Zhi persevered held the real element in front of Ling Xi. Ling Xi said unhappily, “After I ate it, I will be a demon in the future and wouldn’t be able to turn a new leaf ever again!”
“What is wrong with being a demon?”
“One is right, one is evil. Of course, it is wrong!”
“What is right and what is evil?”
Ling Xi was stumped for words for a moment. She couldn’t explain such a profound question to Nan Zhi in just a few words. She could only say angrily, “Anyway, I don’t like it!”
Nan Zhi seemed to understand a bit. He retracted his hand and said, “Then, I will throw it away.”
As he talked, he moved his five fingers. The green element cracked instantly and broke apart.
“You can’t have such thoughts in the future. Nan Zhi, you are an immortal spirit, not a demon. Everything that demons will do, you can’t do, do you understand?” Ling Xi said word by word.
“You don’t like demons?”
“No.”
“Alright.”
Ling Xi finally revealed a smile. Perhaps her previous worries may had been for nothing. Nan Zhi was pure like this. In some respects, he was completely as blank as a piece of paper that only she could sketch on. Whether it takes a thousand years for an immortal spirit to cultivate a human form or whether it takes a demon a few hundred years to get a body, he is a spirit that was born at the highest peak of Cangjia Mountain where the spiritual energy was gathered. How could he be compared with those ordinary spirits?
“Nan Zhi, would you also be like this in the future and won’t do anything I don’t like?” Ling Xi hugged her legs and rested her head on her knees. She looked at Nan Zhi with a bright smile.
Nan Zhi’s black hair spread along his black clothes as if to blend into the night. Only those eyes reflected the lake and the mountains under the moonlight and was as clear as glass. The breeze went by. The Chinese rose fragrance on him and the lotus fragrance from the surface of the lake were refreshing and pleasant.
He stared at Ling Xi. Waves rippled through his eyes a few times. Finally, he said expressionlessly and with a serious voice, “I don’t want to be turned into a little turtle by you.”
Ling Xi was startled and immediately burst into laughter. She covered her mouth and fell on the ground from laughing and made the ground be covered in dew.
—
The next day, the five people set off again.
Ling Zhi no longer bothered to think about the unusualness of Nan Zhi. Anyway, she had personally witnessed how he become what he is today step by step. He was with her day and night. His mind was so simple that he didn’t know what a demon was. Whether she believed him or believed herself, she should abandon that inexplicable uneasiness.
After Qing Kui rested for one night, he was in a much better spirit than last night. He began to run smilingly behind Ling Xi again to get back his Xiangyin sword. Qing Lian followed unhurriedly behind Qing Kui while Xue Ran and Qing Nian were at the end.
The forest was green. The sky was blue and the clouds were white. Although, the scenery of the mortal realm wasn’t as splendid as the immortal realm, it was detailed, fine and brimming with life. The sun hasn’t risen yet. A variety of lively birds could be heard in the forest.
As usual, the five people were all on their respective swords. When getting out of the mountain today, one more person appeared. The six people were divided into three roads. Two people on one sword. When they came out of the forest, they went in different directions.
Ling Xi turned around and looked at the two other her. For a moment, she couldn’t describe the strange feeling.
Early this morning, they gathered again to discuss. They were not far anymore from Donghua Mountain. If that bone-eating demon had planned this for a long time, the next part of their journey may be full of crisis. The Four Immortals’ Association was imminent. They already had set off late. If something happened during the journey, they would inevitably miss the timing.
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