Chapter 62: Not Hating

The range of spiritual sense was vast. The bandits and the couple Vane mentioned were on a path at the foot of the mountain.

Ma Linggao and Lin Xiuhe were a married couple. They were headed to the nearest town, but unexpectedly encountered bandits on the small road. It wasn't that they hadn't considered such a scenario, but this area was supposed to be the location of a cultivation sect—though ordinary people generally didn't know the entrances or methods to enter such places, this couple knew thanks to years of experience traveling far and wide.

A short distance back, some dim-witted bandits had appeared. As a result, before a bandit could even finish his sentence, a string of cultivators would draw their swords and shout, popping out one after another like dumplings falling into a pot.

"Who dares cause trouble in Twelve—Floating Cloud Valley!"

"What, bandits? Let me fight without using spiritual power; perfect timing to practice with my newly maintained sword."

"Bandits!? Where? Where? I’ve never seen a mortal bandit before."

"Don't push! Don't push! Mid-air collisions are dangerous!"

Noisy and chaotic, most were Sword Gate disciples from the December Sect who had come for missions or to help Floating Cloud Valley clear out nearby monsters.

Ma Linggao stood agape. Lin Xiuhe murmured, "...Ar-Are those the legendary cultivators?"

Cultivators who lived in legends, never seen before, pure as the snow of the heavenly mountains? Those people flew through the sky like a swarm of locusts. The leaders had already beaten the bandits to a pulp, yet cultivators continued to arrive in an endless stream upon hearing the news, chatting incessantly.

"Where are the bandits—!"

"Ugh... hhh..." A bruised and swollen bandit was gripped by a cultivator, having fainted.

"Are you alright?" someone asked.

Lin Xiuhe reacted first: "We're fine, thank you all for the help..."

Then the group swarmed in and swarmed out just as fast, taking several bandits with them. One man who had drawn his blade was killed because a cultivator failed to control his strength. Technically, those who provoke others here deserve to die; the cultivator who killed him didn't care. They would guard the mortal realm, but it didn't mean they would be soft-hearted when ordinary people crossed the line.

Especially in front of Floating Cloud Valley. Long ago, the path of cultivation was not clear, and there wasn't much gap between cultivators and ordinary people. There were many instances of medicine cultivators being killed by commoners on the grounds that they couldn't cure an illness. Back then, medicine cultivators were still called physicians.

Having witnessed the power of immortals, Ma Linggao and Lin Xiuhe continued their journey. They were getting further from Floating Cloud Valley, so when they encountered bandits again the next day, Ma Linggao cursed his bad luck.

This time, there was no swarm of cultivators.

"Be sensible. Business hasn't been good lately. You know the drill: pay up to avoid disaster," a man wearing a headscarf said gruffly. Another thinner man whispered in his ear, and the headscarf man's eyes lit up, his smile widening as he looked at the couple. They were fair-skinned, clearly from a wealthy background. They would fetch a good price.

"St-Stop! We'll give you all our money!" Ma Linggao cried out.

"Yes... please don't hurt us." Lin Xiuhe immediately took out all her valuables.

The man in the headscarf sneered. "Think we can't count? We're taking it all, including you."

They tied the couple up. Just as they were about to drag them to camp, the headscarf man's wrist was suddenly struck. Sharp pain flared, and he let out a cry, dropping his grip.

"What was that!"

A thin line appeared on his wrist, and bright red blood flowed slowly.

"B-Boss," the thin man stammered, "It... it's a leaf."

A small leaf, stained with blood, was half-buried in the soil.

Ma Linggao fell to the ground, muffled cries coming through his gag as he tried to nudge his wife, worried she was hurt. Lin Xiuhe was much calmer; her feet were tied, so she kept them together and kicked him once.

Don't act rashly!

Ma Linggao immediately behaved.

A figure slowly stepped out from the woods. It was a youth with sharp, exceptional features—a look superior to anything found in the mortal world. His pupils were pitch black, and he wore black robes with silver patterns. His hair was tied back in a ponytail, adding a touch of youthful spirit. However, his gaze was too indifferent, as if he placed no one in his eyes.

Ma Linggao stared, slightly dazed.

Could this be some evil rogue cultivator or a demonic cultivator?

The four bandits immediately shouted with false bravado. He turned a deaf ear, glancing at them once before looking away.

...Wait, was he here to save them or just passing through?

The bandits were confused. Just as they were about to speak, they saw the celestial-looking youth suddenly turn back, lifting a hand to hold up a low-hanging branch. It was a protective gesture, clearing an obstacle. Then a girl stepped out. With dark hair and starry eyes, wearing blue robes and fair-skinned, she looked like a white cloud that had wandered into the world.

She scanned the hesitant bandits and frowned: "You missed. You didn't hit the fatal point on the wrist." She was referring to the artery, the kind where blood sprays three feet high.

Vane paused. "I can't kill them all at once." Otherwise, torturing a corpse would be boring.

"Oh, I see," Zora replied. She crossed her arms and stared at the bandits. She felt this was a hassle. Before they had even begun, she looked conflicted.

...

I really want to kill them with one strike. This feels unsafe; I feel at ease only when they are dead.

"Wh-Who are you!" The headscarf man didn't know about cultivators. Many people didn't even know the names of the places surrounding their own towns, let alone cultivation sects that were far removed from daily life. He raised his blade and said fiercely, "You better leave! Our men are nearby. Don't meddle in other people's business!"

Zora turned her head. "How do you control yourself so you don't hit the enemy's vitals?"

Headscarf man: "Get lost, now!"

Vane leaned close to her, lowering his head. "Because I'm certain of my strike."

Zora disagreed: "Even the weak can counter-kill. This is dangerous. My heart feels uneasy."

Vane followed her lead: "True enough."

"..." The youth's initial leaf-strike had a deterrent effect; the others didn't dare rush forward. Panicked, the headscarf man held his blade across Ma Linggao's throat. With a murderous glint, he said, "If you don't leave, I'll kill him!"

Ma Linggao: "!!!"

Zora said with dissatisfaction, "I thought I'd find this fun." Instead, she disapproved from the start.

Vane said softly, "It's normal. You're right. I only do this occasionally; there's not actually much pleasure in it."

Lying through his teeth—he found plenty of pleasure in it; he loved it.

Zora glanced at him. Vane met her gaze, his expression unchanging. This person was very good at lying.

So why doesn't lying trigger the Master-Servant Oath?

Zora could never figure it out.

Their dismissive attitude made the headscarf man's blood boil. "If you must hate someone, hate these two for not saving you!" The blade drew a bit of blood.

"Mmph! Mmph!" The gagged Ma Linggao struggled violently. Lin Xiuhe was frantic.

Then, a flash of silver light. Ma Linggao felt the blade at his throat lose its strength as the bandit suddenly slumped down. The other three fell as well. Within a heartbeat, all four were killed with a single move, their breathing gone.

Zora sheathed her sword, feeling much better. "I'll leave the rest to you."

Vane untied the couple's ropes. Ma Linggao wept bitterly, clearly terrified. He gripped his wife's hand—seemingly to comfort her, but actually because he needed something to lean on. Lin Xiuhe was used to her husband's cowardly side; she composed herself and offered a solemn thanks.

They were going to the nearest town. Zora also wanted to eat something delicious, so they went together.

"Thank you, thank you, many thanks." Ma Linggao wiped his tears clumsily and bowed respectfully.

On the way, Lin Xiuhe explained their background. They were residents of a certain county. After an earthquake destroyed their house, Lin Xiuhe was clearing the ruins when she suddenly said, "Why don't we go travel?"

She was a painter who often went to other places to paint landscapes. She had grown used to the scenery around her hometown and wanted to go further. She thought her husband would disagree or hesitate, but Ma Linggao, who was moving broken timber, looked up, wiped the dust from his face, and smiled honestly: "Alright, my lady."

So, having no parents or children, they abandoned everything—their comfortable life—to walk through mountains and rivers. Occasionally they stayed in one place; Ma Linggao would write to earn travel expenses, and Lin Xiuhe would sell her paintings. Dangerous as it was, they had agreed that if they ever faced an inescapable humiliation, they would die together.

A strange reason, a hasty departure, a concept that didn't fit the common view of society, looking utterly foolish—but they did it, and they did it easily.

Vane remained unmoved after listening. He simply observed them unobtrusively. Seeing no lies and no problems with their background, he offered a polite smile, appearing to listen seriously. Zora also felt nothing after listening. To her, it was a very normal thing: if you want to do something, just do it. Why need so many reasons?

On the contrary, Lin Xiuhe and Ma Linggao were moved by the two youths' lack of judgment. After all, they had been mocked and lectured by others from a height of superiority.

Entering an inn, the four sat around a table. When the dishes arrived, Ma Linggao was about to pick up food when he saw the extraordinary-looking youth naturally use his own chopsticks to serve the girl. He didn't dare speculate on their relationship, but he was still stunned. He felt he was losing to a younger boy... He served Lin Xiuhe as well.

Lin Xiuhe gave him a side-eye: "...Don't be a nuisance."

Ma Linggao hurriedly agreed: "Right, right."

After eating, they should have left for the sect, but Vane whispered to Zora, "I found news about Drunken Lu Bay in the demonic cultivator's storage bag."

"What?"

"The Bright Mirror Sea," Vane easily guessed the demon's goal. "I'm afraid the seal on the Bright Mirror Sea is loosening, and those outside demonic cultivators are getting ideas... but the specifics are unclear. They seem to have a plan and internal informants within the cultivation world."

Zora: "What plan?"

Vane: "I don't know. Some items in the bag have seals on them; it will take time to break them."

Zora said nonchalantly, "Then stay here. We'll talk once they're open."

Vane looked down at her. They could have chosen to return to the December Sect and report to the Sect Leader or other Immortals.

Zora said as a matter of course, "Aren't there internal informants? Then everyone is untrustworthy. Only you and I are safe. Yiling Ke and the others might be used, or there might be informants around them."

"..." Vane blinked. His heart couldn't help but beat faster. He pursed his lips to control himself and said, "Okay."

They got rooms. Vane went to his room to break the seals alone, while Zora sat in the inn eating osmanthus cake bite by bite. Lin Xiuhe finished packing in her room and came downstairs. After hesitating for a moment, she sat opposite Zora.

She smiled: "Miss Zora, you're here alone? Where is Mr. Vane?"

Zora: "Mhm, he's upstairs."

She was too bored, so she watched Lin Xiuhe with interest. "Are you two a married couple?"

"Yes."

Zora thought about it: "You haven't separated." Completely different from the couples in her original world. Zora had asked Vane about weddings when she first saw them here; now seeing a real couple, she couldn't help but realize the huge difference and asked curiously, "A married couple can't separate?"

Lin Xiuhe didn't know what she meant, only saying: "Because we are a couple in love... If you're in love, you probably don't want to separate. If you're only together for show, then separating is best."

"In love," Zora repeated. She didn't know what counted as being in love, but she took Lin Xiuhe's answer and reached her own conclusion.

Not wanting to separate means being in love.

The air fell silent. Lin Xiuhe bravely chatted for a bit, creating a one-sided atmosphere of a pleasant conversation. By nightfall, she couldn't practice her sword in the inn. Zora and Vane were in the same room, and she was very bored.

Vane stood by the table, focusing his mind to break the tedious spiritual locks. Spiritual power flowed through his fingertips. The youth's ponytail hung down, and the firelight danced on his lashes, hazy and soft. Zora was bored out of her mind after finishing her book, so she rested her face on the table to watch him.

Her forehead was very close to the demon's storage bag. The surface of the lock-box Vane was trying to open was constantly flowing with complex runes, chaotic and intricate. He examined them calmly, possessing a near-photographic memory.

Zora’s cheek was slightly puffed up from being pressed against the table, her eye color appearing light in the candlelight. "Are you done?"

Vane: "Not yet."

He quickly lifted his eyes to glance at Zora, paused for a moment as if involuntarily focusing his mind, then looked back down to dive into the dull runes.

Next door was the couple's room. They were whispering sweet nothings, joking and laughing occasionally. Zora boredly let her spiritual power drift and was forced to hear it. Vane had been using his spiritual power, his spiritual sense enveloping the room to guard against enemies, so he heard it too. Though they both quickly withdrew their spiritual power expressionlessly, they still heard a few sentences.

Zora stared at Vane. Vane looked at the runes.

His shell was truly pleasing to look at. After watching for a long time, Zora suddenly thought of the conclusion she reached during the day.

Not wanting to separate means being in love.

But Vane's lack of desire to separate from her involved the Master-Servant Oath. What if she just died out there?

She didn't want to separate from Vane, likely because he was her conquest target... They didn't want to separate, but it wasn't love, so it was wrong.

Zora thought about it carefully. But after the mission was finished, they would probably separate—that was her initial thought.

Who would want to be a servant for life? If Vane harbored resentment in his heart, it would be a huge hidden danger. She could endure it for the mission, but once the mission was over, casting him off would be best. She wasn't good at handling such things, nor was she used to investing energy into resolving someone else's hatred.

For now, she felt continuing as master and servant was fine. Vane was useful, had a good face, and could help her find fun things—provided he didn't have a change of heart. The road of cultivation was too long; she was used to him doing things as a servant.

If he had a change of heart and wanted to harm her, she would kill him. If he had a change of heart but didn't harm her, they would separate.

But this person didn't look like he held any resentment now. Why?

Zora blinked, getting a bit curious.

Vane let go of his hand. The runes vanished.

Zora: "Done?"

Vane shook his head: "No, I need to wait an hour before continuing. Its array has locked up."

"Mhm."

Zora watched him, resting her head on the table without moving. She wasn't good at thinking through such twists and turns herself, so she threw the question directly to him: "You don't look unhappy."

"..." Vane was stunned, not knowing what she was getting at. "Right. Why?"

Zora: "Are you resentful about being my servant?"

"..."

He was slightly startled, then his lips quirked. "Why ask this all of a sudden?"

"So, are you resentful?"

"........."

He should say he was resentful; saying he wasn't should be a disguise. This question stepped on his pride, making him lose face. Perhaps he wasn't resentful, but once it was brought into the light before her—yes, he had hated the Master-Servant Oath at the start, had violated the oath, and had hated being a servant and a slave. But now he had accepted it, and at certain times even felt a secret joy—once he stated this clearly, the youth would be like a bird without wings, forced to hide away shivering and utterly shamed.

His finger bones tightened. His lashes lowered, avoiding looking at the girl leaning on the table.

Why ask? Why ask so bluntly?

The candlelight flickered and danced. The youth's complex emotions were hidden in his eyes. The Snow-Mud Fish in the storage bag flicked its tail as if sensing something, but because he wasn't wearing the pendant, the ink-color did not spread.

Yet she pressed him: "So, do you hate it?"

In her eyes, this was just a normal answer to satisfy her curiosity. But for Vane, this was a Q&A that would affect their current relationship.

Emotions surged, thick and cloying. On the surface, he remained calm and asked back, "Do you want me to hate it, or not?"

...He had asked a redundant question, Vane thought. What master would want their servant to hate the Master-Servant Oath?

"I hope you don't hate it."

As expected, she said exactly that. But he had asked anyway, and receiving the expected answer actually brought a sliver of joy.

Vane lowered his eyes slightly. Zora didn't know his mind was in a total frenzy. She said, "Because if you hate it, we'll have to separate after a few hundred years. If you don't hate it, maybe we can continue."

However, if he fell into the demonic path midway or broke the oath, she would have to suppress him and defeat him. And after the Evil Aura was dealt with, there would be no mission requirements, and she wouldn't be interested in starting over as master and servant with another person.

As the words fell, the youth lifted his eyes to gaze at her fixedly. Zora didn't avoid him, locking eyes with him.

"..." He was silent for a long time, only saying, "...The Master-Servant Oath has only ever been triggered once."

Meaning, aside from that one time, he didn't feel excessive hatred.

Zora completely missed his hint and frowned. "What do you mean? Can't you just say directly if you hate it or not?"

"........."

The youth paused. His lashes lowered again, trembling fragilely. He pursed his lips repeatedly, and his pale knuckles tightened and curved slightly as his fingertips pressed hard against the wooden box.

At a glance, one would think Zora had stepped on his tail, and he was bristling and hiding yet forcibly restraining himself. Yet he didn't blame her; he even wanted to walk out slowly and lick her fingertips.

"...I don't hate it."

The youth seemed to use all his mental strength to say this one sentence. As he spoke it, he clearly realized that some part of his body had been cruelly shattered, ground into powder, with nothing left.

Zora let out a flat "ah."

He actually didn't hate it. It was completely different from Zora's previous guesses, thoughts, and even concepts. He was very good at lying, but if he lied about this kind of question, his heart would involuntarily think of hidden resentment, which should trigger the oath.

So it was true.

She looked at Vane as if she were looking at a rare animal. Vane lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze. His ears were beet red, though he maintained his calm on his face.

That's very different from what I imagined,

Zora thought.

But people change.

"Then remember to tell me if you hate it in the future."

Vane looked at her: "...You want to break it?"

What was this tone? Zora didn't understand the clinginess he unconsciously revealed, only saying sincerely: "No. Actually, whether you hate it or not isn't very useful; it's not up to you."

After all, she still had a mission. She had just asked on a whim.

Instead, Vane relaxed his brow.

"I understand."

Zora immediately looked at him like he was a rare species again.

"........."

Vane shifted his gaze, not meeting hers, and lightly changed the topic.

"After breaking the demon's runes, do we go report to the Sect Leader first?"

"Yes."

She continued to stare at him.

"..."