Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

Back in his room on Dazhu Peak, he closed the door, leaned against it, and let out a long sigh.

That feeling of exhaustion after surviving a disaster was so real.

He sat by the bed for a while before he recovered. He recalled Shuiyue's calm glance and Lu Xueqi's serious profile as she tied the sword tassel. His mind was in turmoil.

Forget it, I don't want to.

……

Tongtian Peak.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood outside the Yuqing Hall, looking at the two heavy doors.

The door was ajar, and the interior was dimly lit. A heavy sandalwood scent wafted out, mingling with the mountain breeze and pungent in the air.

He stood there for a while, raised his hand to straighten his clothes, took a deep breath, and stepped over the high threshold.

The hall was spacious and quiet enough to hear the soft, tap-tap sound of one's own boots on the smooth, mirror-like gold brick floor.

A few rays of sunlight slanted in through the high window, illuminating the dust floating in the air. Dao Xuan Zhenren sat on the innermost futon, his eyes closed, as if asleep, or perhaps lost in thought.

He wore a dark green Taoist robe, his hair was neatly combed, and his face was expressionless, like a jade statue.

Jiang Xiaochuan walked closer, stopping about seven or eight steps away.

He didn't speak immediately; he just stood there, waiting.

The feeling of unease in my heart was gradually suppressed by the calm, yet oppressive atmosphere in the hall, and slowly subsided, turning into a vast, empty tranquility.

After about an incense stick's time, or perhaps longer, Dao Xuan slowly opened his eyes. His gaze fell on him, very peaceful and without much weight, but Jiang Xiaochuan felt that the gaze could penetrate the flesh and see into the bones.

"Xiao Chuan," Dao Xuan spoke, his voice low and slightly hoarse from not speaking for a long time, "What is it?"

Jiang Xiaochuan bowed and said, "Sect Master, this disciple... has something to report."

"explain."

Jiang Xiaochuan straightened up and, without beating around the bush, said directly, "The first thing is about Zhang Xiaofan."

Dao Xuan grunted in acknowledgment, signaling him to continue.

"Xiao Fan..." Jiang Xiaochuan paused, his voice steady, each word clear, "He possesses the 'Great Brahma Prajna' technique of Tianyin Temple, which was passed on to him by the monk Puzhi before he fell into demonic possession on the night of the Grass Temple Village massacre five years ago."

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the mountain wind whistling through it.

Dao Xuan looked at him, his eyes remaining unchanged and calm.

How did you know that?

"Afterwards, Xiao Fan told me about this," Jiang Xiaochuan replied frankly. "Seeing that he was of pure heart and had done nothing wrong, I asked him to keep it a secret and only cultivate in secret. It was my presumption that led to this, please punish me, Master Uncle."

"Acting on your own initiative..." Dao Xuan repeated, his voice devoid of emotion.

"Privately learning other sects' cultivation techniques is a grave taboo in the cultivation world. At best, it results in the loss of one's cultivation and expulsion from the sect; at worst... it means death. Do you understand?"

"This disciple knows," Jiang Xiaochuan lowered his head, "but this matter arose because of this disciple. If it weren't for this disciple that day..."

"Enough." Dao Xuan interrupted him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment, as if trying to discern whether he was being sincere or feigning.

After looking at it for a long time, he finally let out a slow, deep sigh, a sigh filled with a heavy weariness.

"I will negotiate with Tianyin Temple about this matter. As for Brother Puzhi that day... Alas, Xiao Fan is a simple and honest child. This matter cannot be blamed on him. Since you have taken responsibility for him, you should take responsibility to the end."

Jiang Xiaochuan felt a sense of relief, but immediately tensed up again. He knew this was just the beginning.

"Is there anything else?" Dao Xuan asked.

Jiang Xiaochuan raised his head and looked into Dao Xuan's eyes. Those eyes were deep and calm, but they held too many things that Jiang Xiaochuan couldn't understand.

He took a breath and continued, "The second thing is about Senior Uncle Cangsong."

Dao Xuan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"Disciple knows that Senior Uncle Cangsong harbors resentment towards you because of what happened to Senior Uncle Wan Jianyi back then, and even... has some private connections with the Demonic Sect's Ten Thousand Poisons Sect." Jiang Xiaochuan spoke slowly, as if weighing each word carefully.

"I have spoken with Senior Uncle Cangsong and offered to let him meet Senior Uncle Wan Jianyi in person in ten years in exchange for him keeping to himself and not doing anything wrong for the next ten years."

This time, the silence in the hall was even heavier. So heavy it seemed like water could be wrung out of it. A crack finally appeared on Dao Xuan's calm face, and his eyes, sharp as knives, pierced Jiang Xiaochuan's face.

"Wan Jianyi..." Dao Xuan slowly uttered the name, his voice soft yet like a hammer blow striking the silence. "He has long since died and vanished, his body gone without a trace. What do you have to offer him for a meeting?"

Jiang Xiaochuan met his gaze without flinching: "This disciple does not know where Uncle Wan is, but this disciple believes that he is still alive, somewhere on Qingyun Mountain."

Dao Xuan stared at him, remaining silent for a long time.

Those usually calm and placid eyes were now churning with extremely complex emotions: shock, scrutiny, doubt, and a deep-seated tremor that even he himself was unaware of.

After a while, he closed his eyes, then slowly opened them again. His eyes had returned to a deep, calm state, but beneath the surface, the undercurrents were even stronger.

"I have my own plans for this matter." He only said this much and didn't say anything more, but Jiang Xiaochuan knew that he had taken it to heart.

"The third thing," Jiang Xiaochuan continued, his voice lowering, with a hint of barely perceptible bitterness, "is about myself, and... Biyao, the daughter of the Ghost King Sect Master."

Dao Xuan's gaze narrowed slightly.

"The disciple and her..." Jiang Xiaochuan paused, as if searching for the right words, but in the end he just shook his head and gave a bitter smile.

"We were trapped together in the Blood-Dripping Cave of the Demonic Sect for over a month, and later I was kidnapped by her. We spent several days together, and I do have unusual feelings for her. I cannot sever this sinful bond, at least not now."

He admitted it readily, without any explanation or excuse. The sandalwood scent in the hall seemed to grow even stronger, so strong that it was almost suffocating.

"And another thing," Jiang Xiaochuan raised his hand and pointed to his left chest, "this disciple has no heart here."

Dao Xuan's pupils contracted slightly.

"Back in Grass Temple Village, my heart was shattered by the monk Puzhi." Jiang Xiaochuan's voice was calm, as if he were talking about someone else's story.

"It was... a fairy sister who used the Demonic Sect's most precious treasure, the 'Blood-Devouring Bead,' to barely save my life. That's why my body temperature is always ice-cold, and... I can't feel anything like a normal person. This 'bead' only reacts slightly when I'm near a specific person or thing."

He paused, then looked at Dao Xuan: "In the Dripping Blood Cave, I saw the 'First Volume of the Heavenly Book' carved on the stone wall. Its opening lines read: 'The creation of heaven and earth refers to the time of chaos, when ignorance and separation were not yet established. The sun and moon contained their brilliance, and heaven and earth were mixed together. After a sudden transformation, the clear and the turbid were distinguished. The reason why heaven and earth can endure is that they do not exist for their own sake, therefore they can endure...'"

He began to recite, his voice not loud, but each word clear, echoing in the empty hall. Those profound and ancient words, carrying a power that pointed directly to the source, flowed out slowly.

"This Heavenly Book does not contain specific cultivation methods, but is more like a general outline, expounding the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. I am dull-witted and have only memorized these. However, I vaguely feel that the principles in it may be related to the 'Nameless Ancient Scroll' that my Qingyun Sect's founder comprehended, and even our sect's 'Taiji Xuanqing Dao'. The Ghost King Sect should also have a 'Second Volume of the Heavenly Book' in their possession."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence. Only the words he had just recited seemed to still hang in the air, carrying a heavy weight.

Dao Xuan sat motionless on the futon, his calm expression long gone, replaced by an extreme solemnity. His gaze towards Jiang Xiaochuan was incredibly complex, as if he were truly getting to know this child he had watched grow up for the first time.