Everyone is Secretly in Love with Me

Chapter 60: The Stranger

"Aaah—"

Screams and prayers filled the air as villagers panicked and fled. Some rushed into their homes and grabbed weapons like axes and wooden swords, while others retreated to the back, paralyzed by fear, unable to react to the unfolding events before them.

Only Ya Xuan moved against the current, his body tense as he drew the blade from his waist. He was actually quite nervous; before this, the wildest creatures he had encountered were mundane animals, with the mightiest being the tiger king. However, according to Lin Zhizhi's words, the creature before him was a low-level spirit beast.

Anything related to the cultivation world was unimaginably powerful to ordinary people. And Ya Xuan had yet to experience the so-called spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the only thing he could rely on was his basic sword techniques.

Basic sword techniques were sufficient for dealing with ordinary wild animals, but using them against a spiritual beast with mortal strength was untested, even by Lin Zhizhi himself.

Ya Xuan's claim of not being afraid was false.

He didn't care about the people in the village, not even sparing a glance for those who might die before him. But now, the spiritual beast blocked the only exit, and behind him stood Lin Zhizhi, gravely injured.

This man had taught him swordsmanship and had grabbed his hand in his moment of near despair, pulling him from the muddy quagmire. He couldn't retreat; he had to face this battle!

Gratitude surged in Ya Xuan's heart! The youth tightened his grip on the sharp blade, reaching into his pocket to pull out a pouch. He smeared the dark green venom onto the blade and confronted the spirit beast alone.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhizhi stood still, avoiding the retreating villagers. He glanced around, plucked a piece of bamboo from nearby haystacks, and reluctantly fashioned it into a makeshift bamboo sword. He watched as Ya Xuan battled the spirit beast.

The nameless spirit beast was intelligent, already displaying rudimentary wisdom. It sensed that Ya Xuan was its only adversary and took two steps back. It tentatively roared, creating invisible shockwaves that shattered the ground.

Ya Xuan leaped agilely onto another rock, avoiding the soil propelled by the sound waves. His foot landed on a shattered stone. He flipped in mid-air, wielding the blade, and collided with the beast's claw!

The power of the spirit beast was astonishing. The blade not only failed to harm it but also triggered its ferocity. Its pupils locked onto the youth suspended in the air. It opened its large mouth, ready to bite.

The pungent smell hit Ya Xuan as he twisted his waist in mid-air, planting a foot on the beast's mouth. He somersaulted onto its back, attempting to thrust the blade in—yet, the spirit beast turned its head, its long neck allowing it to easily snap at Ya Xuan.

Ya Xuan tumbled backward, catching the beast's tail as he flipped onto its back. The blade, gleaming with its ink-green hue in the sunlight, cut through the beast's pure black fur.

The spirit beast howled in pain, rolling on the ground. Its tail swept, knocking the youth off its back. A bleeding gash oozed black blood from its back, a sign of poisoning. The beast acted swiftly, swiping its claw to sever the injured flesh, preventing the spread of the venom.

Ya Xuan fell to the ground. This time, he once again seized the beast's tail, approaching from behind. He concentrated all his strength into the blade as he swung—carving a smooth arc that produced a resounding boom, the pressure in the air palpable. The blade struck the beast's most vulnerable belly, precisely executing the fourth form of the basic sword technique.

The spirit beast let out a long cry, attacking Ya Xuan even more furiously. Its sharper-than-sword claws left numerous wounds on the youth's body. But the venom gradually took effect, erasing the madness in the beast's eyes. It abandoned its thirst for revenge and, with its claws retracted, attempted to escape.

As it bounded toward the village entrance, a streak of green light cut through the air. It was Lin Zhizhi, who had thrown the bamboo sword. Startled, the spirit beast retreated, collapsed in fear, and stopped breathing.

Lin Zhizhi clapped his hands in satisfaction and approached Ya Xuan. "Are you alright?"

The young man, disheveled, rose from the ground, his gaze hardened. He shook his head at Lin Zhizhi.

"If you're fine, then hide the corpse. I'm not entirely sure about the customs here, but if you can sell it, the price should be enough to buy you a sword," Lin Zhizhi said. He added, "Of course, if you really don't like swords, you can buy a knife instead. However, in that case, I won't be able to teach you."

In front of Ya Xuan, Lin Zhizhi was completely different from the aloof figure he portrayed at the Sword Sect. Most of the time, their roles were reversed—Lin Zhizhi was talkative, while Ya Xuan remained silent.

There's no way around it, without spiritual energy, as a responsible person, Lin Zhizhi couldn't employ the lofty methods of a master toward his disciple. He could only use words to depict the world of cultivation for Ya Xuan and teach him some common knowledge.

Although Ya Xuan didn't say it, he knew the other's desire.

Ya Xuan shook his head silently. "Swords will suffice."

Lin Zhizhi was about to say something, but seeing the crisis averted and villagers approaching, he closed his mouth.

The village chief, with a complex expression, first nodded at Lin Zhizhi and then turned to Ya Xuan. He hesitated before speaking, "Truly... we owe you both our lives. If it weren't for you, our village..."

He stopped short, perhaps realizing his own negligence on regular days.

The surrounding villagers weren't indiscriminate; led by the village chief, they bowed their heads and thanked Ya Xuan. However, their expressions were tinged with embarrassment.

Ya Xuan ignored them and left without a word. He walked to the spirit beast's corpse and dragged it to the front yard of a small wooden house.

Lin Zhizhi looked at his back and followed, entering the small house. By the time he entered, Ya Xuan had already started a fire. This time, the young man took out the treasured rice he had been saving and cooked a pot of porridge for Lin Zhizhi.

Lin Zhizhi wore a pained expression. "I want meat."

"...Eating meat every day isn't good. I've added some herbs I gathered from the mountains into the porridge. It'll be beneficial for your wounds," the youth insisted.

"I want meat."

"...Your wounds haven't healed yet. Have some porridge first." The youth's tone was firm.

After spending some time together, Lin Zhizhi had a general understanding of Ya Xuan's character. Knowing that Ya Xuan wouldn't compromise, he sighed and sat down, watching the youth fill a bowl of thin porridge and carry both bowls to the water's edge for washing.

Seeing his receding figure, Lin Zhizhi suddenly had a minor introspection:

Am I going too far? Does this pitiable mortal teenager really need so much care?

But he quickly dismissed the maternal thought.

If the other truly lacked spiritual roots and couldn't step onto the path of cultivation, they were destined to remain separate between the mortal and immortal realms. No one would accept a thorough mortal as an apprentice, no matter how hard Ya Xuan tried.

...

During that night.

After practicing sword techniques all evening and failing to comprehend spiritual energy upon his return, Ya Xuan finally drifted into a deep sleep.

Due to his injuries, Lin Zhizhi went to bed early each day, sharing the same resting place with Ya Xuan.

The moonlight cast a faint glow, dimly illuminating the room, everything appearing ordinary.

However, in the depths of the night, an exotic fragrance wafted from the black-haired youth lying in bed.

Initially faint, the scent gradually grew richer.

His captivating constitution had triggered.

Suppressed within Lin Zhizhi after losing all his cultivation, his captivating nature finally erupted. Yet, the sleeping individual remained unaware.

Ya Xuan, who lay beside him, grew restless, tossing and turning until the fragrance enveloped his senses.

But just as he was about to awaken, a mass of black mist surged from within him, suppressing his consciousness.

As the mist dissipated, a stranger appeared where Ya Xuan had been.

The moonlight softly filtered through the window, illuminating the man's features.

He was a man beyond description, purer than moonlight, more brilliant than the blazing sun. Exceptionally beautiful, his features exquisite, resembling the most splendid creation of heaven and earth, yet devoid of any feminine qualities. He wore red robes with intricate black and red embroidery, highlighting his aura of both virtue and evil. When you looked at him, you understood—he was flawless, he was supreme! His manifestation demonstrated an unsurpassed cultivation, capable of influencing an entire realm.

Another person who exuded a similar feeling was Daoist Xuanhua, though their auras were vastly different.

The man gazed silently at the black-haired youth lying on the bed and smiled.

When he smiled, his eyes didn't. In fact, they held a hint of chill.

The exotic fragrance had completely filled the room, even seeping through the gaps in the wooden walls...

While he remained in the room, the man appeared entirely unaffected. He slowly extended his slender fingers, brushing against the youth's temple.

"So fragrant," he remarked.

His voice seemed to embody the laws of the universe. If one were to materialize the exotic fragrance, they would witness the scent being instantly frozen, imprisoned within the confines of the wooden structure.

The man's fingers rested on the youth's abdomen, and through the bandages, he observed the flesh beneath.

It was his favorite.

He smiled again, withdrawing his hand and placing it over his chest.

An imperceptible force surrounded the fragrance, and as a gust of wind blew by, the scent solidified into a droplet of water, suspended in the man's palm before vanishing.

Layers of black mist enveloped the man's form from bottom to top. His nearly flawless brow furrowed momentarily but soon relaxed. He gazed at Lin Zhizhi and smiled, "It's coming."

As the dense mist ebbed and flowed, the man disappeared, leaving Ya Xuan peacefully lying on the bed.

The exotic fragrance dissipated, and all returned to normal.