Chapter 264- The Black-Bellied Demon Cultivator’s Senior Brother VS The Righteous Young Junior Brother (29)
Mu Jin was a little surprised when he heard what the other person said, and responded, “How do you know I’m his Dao companion?”
The man, who had been wearing a fierce expression, immediately turned his head when he heard Mu Jin’s question. With a smile, he said to Mu Jin, “It’s because you’re covered in his scent. There’s no way I couldn’t guess.”
He had expected that his words would embarrass the little guy in front of him, but to his surprise, Mu Jin simply nodded in understanding, as if it all made sense. He even seriously nodded his head to show that he got it. The man standing beside him, however, with a cold face, pulled Mu Jin directly into his arms.
Ning Yizhou didn’t mind his friend’s teasing but disliked his treasure having too much contact with other men. The usual smile on his face faded, and he looked expressionlessly at the person in front of him.
But those who truly knew him were well aware that this was Ning Yizhou’s real demeanor. The tenderness he showed when he was with Mu Jin was reserved only for him.
Seeing Ning Yizhou’s face turn cold, the man stopped teasing. Smiling helplessly at him, he said, “Alright, alright, I get it. You’re protective of your little Dao companion, not even giving a shred of face to your brother.”
“So, tell me, how did you get back? I remember you were sent to Qingliu Sect. If the Demon Lord finds out you suddenly returned, who knows what kind of reaction he’ll have.”
Hearing this, Ning Yizhou smirked but didn’t answer directly. Instead, he playfully said, “Lin Yuan, I don’t believe you haven’t heard anything about me.”
Lin Yuan nodded at Ning Yizhou’s words and adopted a more serious tone, saying, “I have heard a bit. After all, Qingliu Sect has had so many major events recently, and human cultivators have already taken notice of our actions.”
“Our faction has always opposed cooperation with demonic cultivators, and we’ve been suppressed a lot over the years. This isn’t news to you. But I don’t know all the details about your situation.”
“I originally thought something really had happened to you, especially since the people we sent out to investigate all came back saying you perished along with a demonic cultivator while saving a human cultivator.”
“I did go through some things, but fortunately, Xiao Jin saved me.” As Ning Yizhou said this, his gaze softened as he looked at Mu Jin.
Lin Yuan was Ning Yizhou’s closest friend among the demon cultivators, so he didn’t hide the truth from him. He gratefully squeezed Mu Jin’s hand, sincerely believing that if Mu Jin hadn’t brought Yingcao to find him, he might not have died immediately, but with the demonic energy invading his body, he would eventually have fallen into madness.
Lin Yuan could tell from Ning Yizhou’s expression that he had indeed been through something. When he first heard the news about Ning Yizhou perishing with a demonic cultivator, he had been worried for quite some time. Seeing him safe and sound now, and even with such an adorable Dao companion, was a relief.
However, Lin Yuan was now more concerned about the situation with the Demon Lord. Most of the cultivators under the Demon Lord were aggressive and had long been eager to use their alliance with the demonic cultivators to ruthlessly suppress human cultivators.
If the Demon Lord were to find out that Ning Yizhou had disobeyed his orders and returned from the Qingliu Sect, Lin Yuan feared his friend would face some trouble. So, he was not entirely supportive of Ning Yizhou’s bold return.
Ning Yizhou noticed the look on Lin Yuan’s face and easily guessed what was on his mind. Without hesitation, he released his spiritual pressure. The force from a Nascent Soul stage cultivator’s aura hit Lin Yuan, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. The worry on his face instantly turned into delight.
He had been concerned for Ning Yizhou’s safety, but now that Ning Yizhou had advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, with such formidable power, he was no longer someone who should be relegated to working as a mere spy for other sects. After all, in the demon world, power was always respected.
In fact, even when Ning Yizhou was at the same level as him, at the Nascent Soul stage, it was unusual for him to be sent as a spy among human cultivators. The main reason was that the Demon Lord had always viewed Ning Yizhou as someone loyal to the previous Demon Lord, making him a source of fear and suspicion. Since they hadn’t found a suitable reason to eliminate him, they sent him far away. But now, with Ning Yizhou’s newfound strength, he was no longer someone they could casually assign tasks to.
Not knowing what kind of fortuitous encounter his friend had experienced to increase his cultivation so quickly and reach the Nascent Soul stage, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but cast a jealous glance at Ning Yizhou. Still, he remained somewhat uneasy and asked, “Does anyone else know that you’ve already reached the Nascent Soul stage?”
Ning Yizhou nodded at his words and replied, “I haven’t restrained my spiritual pressure along the way.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan furrowed his brow. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be long before the Demon Lord finds out. Is it really okay to make such a big fuss?
Just as Lin Yuan was about to voice his concerns, Ning Yizhou flashed a smile and said meaningfully, “It’s better that he knows. My only fear is that he won’t find out.”
Lin Yuan was momentarily stunned by Ning Yizhou’s words, but soon clapped his hands excitedly, saying, “You’ve finally figured it out! Honestly, if you had stopped being so laid-back earlier and focused on your cultivation, you would have reached Nascent Soul long ago. Then that Demon Lord position would never have gone to him. I thought you wanted to be a carefree wanderer forever!”
“I did think that way before,” Ning Yizhou said without hesitation, “but rather than letting someone else take such a position, it’s better if I claim it myself.”
Mu Jin quietly watched Ning Yizhou and Lin Yuan exchange cryptic words, but he could more or less guess the decision his lover had made.
Ning Yizhou understood the current situation with the Demon Lord very well. Although releasing his spiritual pressure could reduce many troubles, he still worried about what might happen if the Demon Lord took an interest in him. However, hearing Ning Yizhou’s words, he could roughly guess what his lover was planning to do.
He knew that Ning Yizhou was not just a carefree demon cultivator; the previous Demon Lord had considered making him the new Demon Lord. Now, with his formidable strength on display, it was clear that he was a force to be reckoned with.
The man’s sudden return to the royal city and the rapid revelation of his cultivation level were clearly intended to make the current Demon Lord wary of him. It was obvious that everything he did aimed to provoke the other side into action against him.
Afterward, Ning Yizhou and Lin Yuan discussed recent events in detail. The higher-ups among the demon cultivators were now divided into two factions. Lin Yuan’s faction, along with Ning Yizhou, shared the same sentiments as the old Demon Lord. Although they had faced considerable oppression in recent years, their foundation remained intact.
Once they finished discussing these matters, Lin Yuan left in high spirits. Shortly after, a servant arrived to take them to the back courtyard of the shop, where they could temporarily settle in.
Mu Jin was surprised to find that the seemingly unremarkable back courtyard of the artifact shop was so lavishly decorated. The servants assigned to them were also very attentive to their needs.
However, Ning Yizhou did not allow them to approach the courtyard where he and Mu Jin were resting. He was unwilling to entrust the care of his beloved to anyone else. Even so, under the protection of his man, Mu Jin was living quite comfortably.
While Mu Jin and Ning Yizhou were sweet with each other, the situation with the Demon Lord grew increasingly unstable. Recently, many of the spies he had placed among the human cultivators had been eliminated.
Those who had opposed cooperation between demon and demonic cultivators had previously calmed down, but for some reason, they were showing signs of resurgence lately.
What infuriated him the most was that Ning Yizhou, whom he had sent to Qingliu Sect as a minor spy, had returned to the main city without a sound. Not only that, but according to the news brought back by his scouts, Ning Yizhou’s cultivation had once again improved, reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
It was rare for a demon cultivator with such a strong bloodline like Ning Yizhou to appear in a millennium. His bloodline advantage meant that his cultivation level would naturally suppress that of other demon cultivators at the same level.
So even though he was currently at the late stage of transformation, the Demon Lord had no confidence that he could claim to be Ning Yizhou’s opponent, which made him feel a sense of crisis and anger.
Initially, the scouts he sent out were able to gather some information about Ning Yizhou. However, in recent days, when they went to find him again, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. Nevertheless, the Demon Lord did not dare to let his guard down; he dispatched even more scouts to investigate Ning Yizhou’s whereabouts.
After enjoying a leisurely life in their residence for a while, Ning Yizhou felt that the Demon Lord should be getting restless. Recently, many people had been searching for him in an obvious manner, so he took Mu Jin out to explore the main city.
The two of them appeared boldly in front of everyone. The man and his little partner savored the scenery of the main city and indulged in many delicious snacks.
What delighted Ning Yizhou the most was that although he hadn’t explained anything to Mu Jin about what he was doing, his little partner completely trusted him. There was not the slightest doubt about his every move. This feeling of being trusted and relied upon made him feel incredibly happy.
However, he also knew that the joy of their outing would inevitably be disrupted.
When he and Mu Jin arrived at another food stall, wanting to buy some tasty crispy meat, several demon cultivators dressed in black suddenly sprang out beside them and said to Ning Yizhou, “Senior, the Demon Lord requests your presence.”
Upon hearing their words, Ning Yizhou did not show the slightest reaction. Instead, he leisurely continued to wait for his food. After receiving the crispy meat, he placed the bag in Mu Jin’s hands but did not allow him to eat it; instead, he selected a piece that had cooled down and fed it to his partner.
Such open display of affection, while ignoring the Demon Lord’s men, inevitably made the expressions of those people somewhat grim.
However, they did not dare to take action against Ning Yizhou because of his current cultivation level. They could only endure their frustration and firmly insist, “Senior, the Demon Lord has requested that you come to the Great Hall for a discussion.”
Just as their words fell, Ning Yizhou’s cultivation level, at the Nascent Soul stage, was unleashed without reservation, overwhelming them. The lower-tier cultivators, who were only at the Nascent Soul stage themselves, could not withstand it at all. Some of the newly advanced Nascent Soul cultivators even knelt directly on the ground.
Seeing the terror on Ning Yizhou’s face, they knew that they would never be able to persuade him to return. They could only lower their heads, drenched in cold sweat, and refrain from saying anything useless.
After Ning Yizhou and Mu Jin left, the leading demon cultivator finally stood up with a pale face and led the others away.
“This is simply outrageous!” The Demon Lord fumed upon hearing the news from below.