184 - We Agreed On Experiencing Life, So Why Did You Immortals Become Real?

Chapter 184: Xiao Mo, Are You Really, Really Not Lying to Me? After lunch, taking the opportunity as Jiang Xin headed to the midway point of the Blood Cliff Peak to do laundry at a clear spring, Xiao Mo once again approached the courtyard of Xue Kui. At this moment, Xue Kui wasn’t napping in her room but was sitting on the rocking chair in the courtyard, reading a novel—something that genuinely surprised Xiao Mo. "Looks like you're ready?" Sensing Xiao Mo's entrance into the courtyard, Xue Kui continued to flip through the pages without lifting her head. "I should be ready," Xiao Mo nodded, his gaze landing on Xue Kui's book. "So you read books too?" "What do you mean 'I also read'? I've always loved reading; you just didn't know," Xue Kui replied, raising her head. "You should take a look too, this book might be beneficial for your cultivation." Xue Kui tossed the book she was holding towards Xiao Mo. Catching it, Xiao Mo casually flipped through a few pages, and couldn’t help but furrow his brows. The novel was all about romance, even featuring vivid illustrations of springtime passion scenes! Closing the book, Xiao Mo threw it back and looked at Xue Kui with a complex expression. Is this really a love for reading? Or perhaps a love for what’s forbidden? "Don't give me that look," Xue Kui said confidently. "As your master, I don't have a partner; can't I indulge in some books to satisfy a craving? Besides, desires are a part of the blood energy; when a person has desires, their blood energy becomes stronger." "If you don't have a partner, why not find one?" Xiao Mo said, a bit at a loss. "Hahaha," Xue Kui rose, walked to Xiao Mo, and lightly knocked on his head. "Having lived over three thousand years, I haven't yet seen a man who catches my eye." Xue Kui stroked her chin contemplatively, "Let’s say if you were a thousand years older, maybe I’d take a look at you." Xiao Mo: "..." "Alright, no more jokes," Xue Kui said as she exited the courtyard, her voice trailing off behind her, "Come on, kiddo, let’s spar." Xiao Mo followed, and the two arrived at a clearing at the peak, standing fifteen spans apart. Casually picking up a wooden sword, Xue Kui addressed Xiao Mo, "Three strikes, kiddo, ready?" "Bring it on," Xiao Mo nodded, tightening his grip on his Spirit binding Sword. "First strike." With Xue Kui’s words, the wooden sword swung down. Xiao Mo recognized this strike. It was the first form of the Blood Demon Sword Technique—Blood Haze! The first form of the Blood Demon Sword Technique wasn’t particularly hard to learn, and Xiao Mo thought he had mastered Blood Haze. Yet when Xue Kui executed it, it was as if the crimson haze from the sky came crashing down as blood, descending straight towards him! Xiao Mo gripped his sword and executed the same Blood Haze strike! The blood-red sword energies collided, the spiritual energy flitting around like scarlet butterflies. A breath later, the haze dissipated. Xiao Mo reversed his sword, plunging it into the ground, his mouth already bleeding. "Is that all for the first strike? Kiddo, can you handle it?" Xue Kui asked, slinging the wooden sword over her shoulder, seemingly unconcerned if her blow might have been lethal. Taking a deep breath, Xiao Mo stood up, "Second strike." "Oh." As Xue Kui responded, the wooden sword swept out again. The second strike was the second form of the Blood Demon Sword Technique—Dying Red. Auras of blood suffused around the wooden sword, extending it twenty spans. The enormous blood blade descended in a single strike toward Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo raised his sword to parry. "Boom!" The blood-red blade struck the Spirit binding Sword. The ground beneath Xiao Mo's feet sank a foot deep. His grip was forcefully broken, his chest tightened, his throat tasted sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. Behind him, the ground had already been cleaved open by a deep crack! "The third strike is the Blood Moon Slash. You can attempt it too; if you sever the bell on my waist, I'll call you master." Xue Kui swung again. A crescent-shaped blood energy blade slashed towards Xiao Mo. Xiao Mo executed a similar slash with his sword, his crescent-shaped blood energy blade colliding with hers. "Boom!" The blood aura dispersed atop the peak, stirring up a high cloud of dust. With a wave of Xue Kui's hand, the dust settled. Xiao Mo remained standing fifteen spans away. Drops of fresh blood fell from Xiao Mo's hand, dripping into the sand. Yet his stance was resolute, like a small pine tree rooted deeply, unyielding. "Can I take Jiang Xin and leave now?" Xiao Mo asked, looking up at Xue Kui. "I guess we can say you’ve passed," Xue Kui said, retrieving a bottle of elixir from her high collar and tossing it to Xiao Mo. He caught the elixir, feeling the residual warmth from Xue Kui's body on the jade vial. "One pill a day, in three days, you’ll be almost healed," Xue Kui said, yawning and casually discarding the wooden sword as she headed back to the courtyard. "Remember, return to the Sect of Ten Thousand Paths in three months. Don't die out there; I don't enjoy collecting corpses." Xiao Mo wiped the blood from his mouth, took a pill, cleaned the bloodstains in the courtyard, changed his clothes, and then headed down the mountain. "What a guy..." Watching Xiao Mo’s figure vanish at the path’s end, Xue Kui withdrew her gaze and looked down, noticing the string holding the silver bell at her waist had snapped and fallen to the ground. "Just barely avoided detection," she thought, picking up the bell and smiling into the sun. Descending halfway, Xiao Mo found Jiang Xin by the clear spring, sleeves rolled up as she diligently laundered clothes with a pounding stick. She occasionally swept back hair from her forehead, or wiped dew from her face. Glistening droplets slid down her cheeks unchecked. "Ah Xin," Xiao Mo called out. "Xiao Mo?" Jiang Xin looked up, quickly wiping her small hands on her clothes as she ran over. "Why are you here, Xiao Mo? Wait a bit; I’m almost done with the laundry." "No need to finish," Xiao Mo smiled. "Blood Lord has agreed to let us leave. We’ll head to Empty Serenity Temple straight away." "Really? The Blood Lord is letting us go?" Jiang Xin asked, incredulous. "Yes," Xiao Mo nodded. "She thinks I've completed my training, so she’s letting us leave." "Xiao Mo, you’re not lying to me, right?" Jiang Xin’s eyes blinked rapidly. "Why would I lie to you?" Xiao Mo playfully knocked on Jiang Xin's head and headed down the mountain. "Let's go." Jiang Xin glanced at the clothes by the river, then at Xiao Mo, before quickly chasing after him. Walking alongside Xiao Mo, Jiang Xin looked at his side profile, "Xiao Mo, you really, really aren’t lying to me?" "I'm really, really not lying to you," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "That's great." Hearing Xiao Mo’s firm answer, the young girl, not even ten, believed him instantly, her eyes lighting up with joy. "Then, Xiao Mo, when we get to Empty Serenity Temple, let’s find a place to live." Xiao Mo nodded, "Sure." "Then we can live in the mountains, where the bad guys can’t find us." "Okay." "We can farm together, catch fish together, and grow up together." Looking at her joyful side profile, and listening to her carefree dreams, Xiao Mo couldn’t help but clench his fist gently. "What’s wrong, Xiao Mo? Don't you like the idea?" Jiang Xin turned around, lightly tugging on Xiao Mo's sleeve. He reached out and tousled her hair gently: "It’s a good idea."