The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 16: Tai Gu Desert | Chapter 315: Confession

As the two of them were speaking freely, Xu Ziqing felt a great sense of reassurance. When selecting the spiritual fruits, he felt a bit shy but mostly happy.

Soon, they chose forty superior-grade spiritual fruits. Yun Lie acted decisively and quickly selected his as well. The two then together picked the dual-attributed spiritual fruits representing the paths they cultivated, which would have additional uses during the ceremony.

After they made their selections, the two brothers called the old man over to choose eighty-one types of spiritual beasts of the five elements and eighty-one types of spiritual grains and herbs.

The most important selection, however, was for three sticks of purple-gold incense.

These three sticks of incense would be used during the wedding oath to the heavens and needed to be refined together by the marrying couple, incorporating their own paths, to have binding effectiveness.

The materials for refining them had to be carefully selected—the more precious and rare, the deeper the proof of the couple’s deep affection.

As Xu Ziqing considered this item, he couldn’t help but glance at his Shixiong.

Yun Lie seemed to sense it and also looked down at him.

Although one still had a cold demeanor and the other was always warm in expression, there was a subtle closeness in their gaze.

Xu Ziqing smiled, “Let’s go with these.”

Yun Lie nodded slightly. “That works.”

The old man noticed their behavior and smiled even more broadly. When Yun Lie first emerged into the world, Liu Xingyuan was the one in charge here and often exchanged magic tools with him, so they were quite familiar with each other. As a Golden Core cultivator, Liu Xingyuan treated the young man kindly, having recognized Yun Lie’s talent and character. Years had passed, and he initially thought Yun Lie might not achieve the Golden Core stage or might even perish in his sword path. He never expected that one day Yun Lie would marry someone. However, upon reflection, it was not surprising. Someone destined to reach the Golden Core stage would certainly find a partner, and it was natural for Yun Lie, who had locked his feelings onto that partner, to develop other feelings over time.

Now, Liu Xingyuan found it quite amusing to see how Yun Lie interacted with his junior brother.

Seeing that the two seemed to have finished their discussion, Liu Xingyuan smiled and asked, “Do you two need anything else?”

Xu Ziqing realized he had neglected the old man, his face slightly flushed. He quickly replied, “That’s about all. Please, senior, tally it up for us.”

Liu Xingyuan’s mind stirred as he calculated, “Everything you’ve chosen is of superior quality. I’ll give you a good deal; making it an even number, it will be six hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones.”

Xu Ziqing scanned the spirit stones in his storage ring, but he didn’t have enough. After some thought, he decided to keep five hundred medium-grade spirit stones and placed the rest into a storage ring. He then took out the magic tools he had obtained from the bat demon and various treasures from the White Jade Palace to exchange them all for spirit stones. This brought the total to three hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones, which he handed entirely to Yun Lie.

Yun Lie didn’t stop him. Since they were getting married, it was only right for them to contribute equally, and he understood his junior brother’s intentions, so he naturally supported him.

Seeing that Yun Lie also took out a storage ring, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but smile, feeling a warm sensation in his heart.

His Shixiong understood him so well and respected him in everything, which had allowed his feelings to grow deeper over time.

Both storage rings were handed to Liu Xingyuan, who checked them and confirmed that the amounts were correct. He then said happily, “Please wait a moment; I’ll send someone to prepare everything.”

Xu Ziqing smiled and replied, “Thank you for your efforts, senior.”

The Longhang Firm was known for its efficiency. In less than half an hour, all items were ready, categorized and placed in different storage rings.

At Yun Lie’s gesture, Xu Ziqing gathered everything neatly. The two didn’t linger and opened the formation to leave.

After returning to their room, Xu Ziqing first went to check on the Jin brothers.

The two brothers were curious to see him back.

Earlier, although Xu Ziqing was open-minded, feelings still troubled him. No matter how much he tried to relax, it was inevitable that he would feel some frustration. Now, after just a couple of hours outside, that frustration had completely vanished, replaced by joy on his face… how could that not pique their curiosity?

Jin Cheng tentatively asked, “Senior, you seem to be in quite a good mood today?”

Xu Ziqing was momentarily taken aback and then realized that his emotions were showing, leaving the two boys surprised. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.

It was Jin Shi who noticed another person at the door and gently tugged at Jin Cheng, saying, “Don’t ask, brother.”

Xu Ziqing didn’t even need to turn around; he knew his Shixiong was waiting outside. He hadn’t realized it before, but his thoughts had changed. He avoided answering Jin Cheng’s question and, seeing that the two brothers had no further matters, suggested they rest and turned to leave with his Shixiong.

After Xu Ziqing left, Jin Cheng and Jin Shi exchanged glances.

Jin Cheng said, “If I’m not mistaken, those two seem to have figured things out?”

Jin Shi couldn’t help but chuckle. “I just caught a whiff of the calming incense leaf scent. That’s clearly one of the materials for refining the purple-gold incense. Could they have made a marriage agreement?”

Jin Cheng sighed, “It was clear this morning that they were like wooden blocks, and now they’ve changed so much—this is truly baffling.”

It was no wonder these brothers were confused; the behavior of the two was indeed unusual.

Just an hour ago, they were still disconnected in their feelings, and now they had already purchased items for their wedding. There weren’t any couples in the world who acted like this. How could the brothers possibly have anticipated such a turn of events?

So, they exchanged amused looks, finding it funny.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziqing followed Yun Lie back to their room, feeling a world of difference in his mindset compared to yesterday.

Yesterday, he had regarded his Shixiong merely as a senior; today, although Yun Lie was still his senior, there was an implicit feeling of inseparability.

With the formation outside closed and the door shut, Xu Ziqing suddenly felt a bit flustered.

How should a marrying couple interact?

Seeing that Yun Lie was already sitting on the bed, he contemplated for a moment and chose to sit on another bed.

His Shixiong was always diligent, and he should be in a phase of hard training now.

Thinking this, Xu Ziqing intended to meditate on his insights from yesterday.

Unexpectedly, before he could close his eyes, his Shixiong spoke again, “Ziqing.”

Xu Ziqing’s heart skipped a beat. “…Shixiong?”

Yun Lie said, “On the day of our wedding, we should invite all our friends to come. If you have any close friends, you can make a list to send out invitations.”

Xu Ziqing steadied himself and seriously considered it. After thinking it over, he realized he could only invite Su Xin, Nan Zhengya, and Luo Yao, totaling less than ten people. Once he had the list in mind, he shared it with his Shixiong, adding, “And there’s also our master and the eight junior sisters. I can’t think of anyone else.”

Yun Lie nodded slightly at his words. “Xuan Ze and Xi Lin have also experienced a lot with us, so we should definitely send them invitations. Beyond that, I have no one else in mind. As for our master, he has many acquaintances, so you can just ask him for a list.”

Xu Ziqing replied, “Yes, Shixiong.”

After discussing, the two fell silent again.

Although Xu Ziqing had been with Yun Lie for many years, Yun Lie was taciturn, and most of the time they simply meditated in silence, occasionally talking about important matters. Now that the serious topics were finished, Xu Ziqing didn’t know what to talk about. Moreover, feeling nervous around Yun Lie made him less natural than before.

However, Yun Lie did not immediately sit in meditation. Instead, he spoke directly, “Ziqing, why have you treated me so differently since I fell into demonic possession?”

Xu Ziqing was taken aback.

Yun Lie continued, “I have now become a body of both immortal and demon, my temperament has changed, and I can no longer be as I was when possessed.”

Xu Ziqing looked confused, becoming even more perplexed.

Seeing this, Yun Lie’s gaze grew slightly colder. After controlling his demonic thoughts, he remembered everything from when he was possessed and naturally noticed his junior brother’s feelings for him. Under the influence of demonic thoughts, his feelings for his junior brother were also evident, which made him realize the truth immediately.

Since both of them had feelings for each other, it was mutual affection. Yun Lie believed that since he had acted lightly toward his junior brother, they should marry soon. Even though his emotions were frozen, he would not miss the opportunity for a dual cultivation partner. Therefore, before entering seclusion, he had asked for a marriage proposal, and he had expected his junior brother to agree.

Afterward, Yun Lie thought that his junior brother had changed significantly, but he also sensed some reluctance in Xu Ziqing’s demeanor.

Yun Lie thought his junior brother’s feelings had changed, which led to their earlier exchange. Since his junior brother had agreed again, he felt reassured.

However, now that they were alone, Xu Ziqing seemed a bit stiff, which made Yun Lie feel somewhat displeased.

After contemplating, Yun Lie felt that during his possession, Xu Ziqing had clearly shown deep affection for him, yet after awakening, he seemed to avoid him. Could it be that Xu Ziqing only had feelings for his demonic body? Yet during his possession, he had acted very disrespectfully toward his junior brother. Why then did Xu Ziqing still admire him? Thinking of this, Yun Lie furrowed his brow. He believed that regardless of the nature of the demonic thoughts; he was still one person with dual aspects. However, since his immortal and demonic body had been established, the demonic thoughts had already merged into his true self and would not be released again. If Xu Ziqing only had feelings for the demonic body and none for him, he couldn’t bear it, and he could not keep Xu Ziqing tied to him through marriage. Therefore, Yun Lie spoke accordingly.

Yet, over the years, he had clearly interacted with his junior brother as his true self, but it hadn’t compared to the time spent in demonic thoughts. It was evident that he was one person with two sides, but Xu Ziqing only valued one side and disregarded his true self… Even if Yun Lie’s heart was as solid as a rock, it would be hard for him to let go easily. Naturally, his expression grew colder.

Xu Ziqing only knew that his Shixiong had feelings for him, but he had no idea how deep those feelings ran. How could he have guessed that his Shixiong would have such sentiments? After feeling confused, he recalled Yun Lie’s words and the events that transpired during his possession, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Shixiong, after you fell into possession, you lost all your memories. I did indeed act a bit disrespectfully; I hope you won’t hold it against me.” He didn’t quite understand the latter part but continued, “I’m genuinely happy for you, Shixiong, that you’ve achieved a body of both immortal and demon, which will greatly benefit your path to immortality. It’s even better that you can now control this body.”

Hearing this, Yun Lie’s brow relaxed slightly. Although his junior brother’s words pleased him, they did not answer his question. Yun Lie was not someone who hesitated; he directly asked, “Now that my demonic thoughts can no longer surface, do you still wish to marry me?”

Xu Ziqing was stunned, then couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. With the thoughts of his Shixiong in mind, he realized that his Shixiong seemed to believe he only admired the demonic thoughts. What a huge misunderstanding! Xu Ziqing squeezed his fingers, his heart racing even more.

Since his Shixiong had asked such a serious question, he felt that perhaps he could be a bit bolder. With that thought, Xu Ziqing stood up and took a few steps forward. He then gently placed both hands on Yun Lie’s shoulders.

Seeing him like this, Yun Lie did not stop him.

Xu Ziqing felt increasingly nervous. He closed his eyes, tilted his head, and captured his Shixiong’s lips. Then he spoke very softly but clearly, “Whether you are an immortal or a demon, you are the one I love in my heart, the one my soul is bound to.”

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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