Chapter 251- The Black-Bellied Demon Cultivator’s Senior Brother VS The Righteous Young Junior Brother (16)
Noticing how well-prepared Mu Jin was, Ning Yizhou teased him with a smile, “It seems, Junior Brother Mu, that you were all set, planning to feast after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.”
Mu Jin scratched his head sheepishly but didn’t deny Ning Yizhou’s words, which only made Ning Yizhou find him even more endearing. Ning Yizhou couldn’t help but want to treat him even better.
Seeing that Mu Jin enjoyed good food, Ning Yizhou suggested, “There are quite a few tasty snacks down the mountain. Next time I go, I’ll bring some back for you. Or, when we get a chance, we can go together.”
Mu Jin’s eyes lit up, and he eagerly nodded, clearly excited at the thought of trying more delicious food. His mood instantly lifted.
As they continued to enjoy their meal and chat affectionately, the atmosphere was perfect—until Mu Jin suddenly sensed someone approaching. The presence was distant and well-hidden, something most people wouldn’t have noticed.
But Mu Jin was different. Although his cultivation wasn’t exceptionally high, his spiritual awareness far surpassed that of others, allowing him to detect even the slightest disturbances around him.
After checking with 003 in his sea of consciousness, Mu Jin quickly learned that a demon cultivator had approached while they were eating. The demon cultivator’s true form was that of a fox, and through 003’s surveillance, Mu Jin recognized him.
It turned out that this demon cultivator was from Qinglei Peak, the same peak where the male protagonist had apprenticed. Although the fox demon hadn’t been there as long as Ning Yizhou, he had already begun to make a name for himself.
Mu Jin knew that the demon clan wouldn’t have sent only his lover as a spy; there were likely infiltrators on every peak. In a large sect like Qingliu, it was quite normal to have a few spies embedded within. However, it wasn’t easy to blend in successfully. Not everyone could gain as much admiration on Chuanyun Peak as Ning Yizhou did, which was largely due to Ning Yizhou’s skillful socializing.
Using his spiritual awareness and the aid of 003, his cheat-like companion, Mu Jin quickly became aware of the fox demon’s presence. Meanwhile, Ning Yizhou, with his keen demon senses, had already picked up the scent of a fox, but he chose not to say anything. He knew the fox wouldn’t easily disturb them, even though he was annoyed that the fox chose this moment to approach, interrupting his peaceful time with Mu Jin. Still, he understood the necessity of maintaining his cover. Although he hadn’t provided any substantial information to the Demon Lord, he couldn’t completely avoid fulfilling his role.
After quickly finishing their meal, Mu Jin noticed something Ning Yizhou had mentioned was indeed true: his appetite had significantly increased after his cultivation level improved. Despite eating so much, he didn’t feel overly full or uncomfortable.
Surprisingly, Mu Jin had eaten two whole pig legs, but the biggest eater was still Ning Yizhou. After Mu Jin had his fill, Ning Yizhou swiftly polished off everything that was left. He did this knowing someone was approaching and because he didn’t want to share the delicious food that Mu Jin had prepared especially for him with anyone else. Seeing how happy Mu Jin was watching him enjoy the meal only made Ning Yizhou’s appetite grow even more.
After quickly finishing his meal, Ning Yizhou apologized to Mu Jin, explaining that he suddenly remembered some matters he needed to attend to and couldn’t continue their outing. He suggested that in a few days, when they had the chance, they could go down the mountain together again to hunt and enjoy some food. Of course, he mentioned that this would be their little secret.
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin’s eyes lit up. His moist, cat-like eyes fixed on Ning Yizhou, filling him with the urge to reach out and caress those beautiful eyes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time, so he could only sigh and let Mu Jin leave first.
Not long after Mu Jin left, a figure appeared beside Ning Yizhou. The man was not very tall and had a somewhat delicate appearance, with a touch of sinister charm in his features.
The man looked at Ning Yizhou with a hint of displeasure and said, “Senior Brother Ning, the aroma of that roast meat was so enticing, how could you not save any for me?”
There was even a hint of a coquettish tone in his voice, but Ning Yizhou was completely unmoved by it. Instead, a flash of disgust crossed his eyes as he coldly responded, “Hu Qi, what do you want?”
Hu Qi didn’t seem to mind Ning Yizhou’s cold demeanor. He smiled slightly and said, “Senior Brother Ning, we’ve worked hard to infiltrate Qingliu Sect, but you haven’t sent back any useful information in all this time. The Demon Lord is quite displeased with this.
You know, in such a large sect like Qingliu, there are bound to be some vulnerabilities. You shouldn’t be too lax.”
“So you came to tell me this,” Ning Yizhou said, his face devoid of the usual gentle expression, now appearing exceptionally cold and stern.
Hu Qi didn’t seem to mind and appeared accustomed to such treatment from Ning Yizhou. He smiled lightly and said, “Of course not, that’s just part of it. The Demon Lord has already started pushing for action. It won’t be long before the Demon Sovereign gives us orders to move. When that time comes, we’ll cooperate.”
Ning Yizhou nodded at this and, not wanting to continue the conversation, turned to leave. However, after taking just a couple of steps, he was called back by Hu Qi.
The man behind him gave Ning Yizhou a somewhat suggestive smile and said, “Senior Brother Ning, that human cultivator who was just with you must be the disciple with the wood-based single spirit root who joined Chuanyun Peak earlier. He smells quite good, but I wonder if he’s as interesting as he seems.”
Upon hearing Hu Qi’s words, Ning Yizhou could no longer maintain his previously emotionless expression. His gaze became icy cold as he turned to look at Hu Qi and said, “Keep your little thoughts to yourself. He’s not someone you can covet.”
Hu Qi’s expression darkened slightly at Ning Yizhou’s words, a rare flash of malice crossing his features. However, recognizing the difference in their strength, he forced down his dissatisfaction.
With a smile, Hu Qi replied, “Senior Brother Ning, he’s just a human cultivator. If something were to happen to him in the secret realm, what difference would it make? You should know that a single spirit root is quite rare. For us fox demons, harvesting such a person would be highly beneficial. When the time comes, I hope you won’t stand in my way.” With that, Hu Qi smiled again and turned to leave.
Hu Qi was an exceptionally rare seductive fox demon, naturally gifted in the art of charm. His innate allure was nearly irresistible to most.
Although Hu Qi’s cultivation wasn’t particularly high, even Nascent Soul-level demons had once been his close companions. As a result, few dared to offend him, which is why he felt emboldened to act so brazenly in front of Ning Yizhou.
Unfortunately, Hu Qi had grown accustomed to relying on the strength of others, forgetting that people are always different from one another. Ning Yizhou, often criticized by other demon cultivators for his apparent laziness, might seem like he’s only at the Nascent Soul stage, but he was already at the late-stage bottleneck. He could hold his own even against a demon cultivator at the Divine Transformation stage. After all, Ning Yizhou’s innate bloodline was strong, making him far more formidable than he appeared.
Ning Yizhou coldly watched Hu Qi’s retreating figure. He chose not to kill him right then and there, knowing that this was still the territory of Qingyun Mountain. Normally, he didn’t care about Hu Qi’s antics, but the man had crossed a line by daring to target someone close to him.
At that moment, Ning Yizhou’s gaze held the chill of someone looking at a dead man. Once he had composed himself, he returned to his usual gentle demeanor. However, in his mind, he had to admit that Hu Qi was right about one thing: when they entered the secret realm, anything could happen. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone met with a fatal accident.
Meanwhile, Mu Jin was unaware of the conversation between Ning Yizhou and another demon cultivator after he had left. It was just business between spies, something Mu Jin had no interest in delving into.
Now that his spiritual power had grown and he had gained more control over the blood vine on his wrist, Mu Jin recalled a promise he had made in the past—to help Ning Yizhou grow some fruit trees.
Thinking about how pleased Ning Yizhou was with the citrus fruit he had given him before, Mu Jin considered trying out different types of fruits this time. In the past, he often used his powers as the Flower God to cultivate various plants, so this was second nature to him.
He gathered some seeds and tried to grow them. Ordinary fruits were easy enough to produce, but Mu Jin wanted to cultivate spirit fruits.
After enjoying a pleasant picnic with Ning Yizhou today, Mu Jin felt that they had grown even closer. However, this closeness still wasn’t enough for him. Remembering his lover’s true form, Mu Jin thought he should also keep the white tiger down the mountain in mind. After all, the white tiger had given him a spirit fruit before, and it was only right to return the favor.
So, he took out some rare seeds and began planting them, infusing them with spiritual energy. This was much more exhausting than what he had done earlier.
By the end of the afternoon, the fruit trees had already grown to half his height. However, it would still take a few more days before they would bloom and bear fruit. Mu Jin didn’t mind the pace and patiently nurtured the plants in front of him.
Seeing Mu Jin lavish such attention on the fruit trees and give his spiritual energy to other plants instead of itself, the blood vine on his wrist twisted in displeasure. It wriggled a bit, rubbing its tendrils against Mu Jin’s wrist in a bid for attention.
Noticing this, Mu Jin chuckled softly. After giving the blood vine a small dose of spiritual energy, the little creature on his wrist finally stopped acting out.