Chapter 2368: The Aloof Sword Cultivator and His Bound Sword Spirit 12

Xie Qingmo took the talisman, walked up to Yun Che and the others, and handed it over, saying, "The trial is imminent; here are some defensive and calming talismans, just in case."

The four were stunned for a moment, then immediately took the talisman.

He looked at Xie Qingmo's calm profile, then turned his head to see Liu Qingcheng happily biting into a spirit fruit, still playing with the beautiful dagger that Xing Yan had just bought...

Yun Che felt as if a sword had once again parted some mist in his heart, and he gripped the talisman tightly.

Xing Yan held the talisman, his face slightly flushed, and silently put the dagger away.

Shi Yan carefully tucked the talisman into his bosom, gave a simple smile, and said, "Thank you, Second Senior Brother!"

Liu Qingcheng's complexion had already turned somewhat unsightly; his smile was forced, his eyes full of embarrassment and resentment from being ignored in front of everyone.

Liu Qingcheng took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and put on a tearful expression, "Second Senior Brother... why... why don't I have one? Are you... still not wanting to be with me?"

He tried again to stir up Yun Che and the others' sympathy and Xie Qingmo's indifference, pointing the finger at Xie Qingmo.

However, this time the effect was not as good as before.

Yun Che frowned, looking at Liu Qingcheng's familiar expression, never having felt so glaring and exhausting.

He fell silent for a moment, not offering immediate comfort, and took out from his storage bag a warm-toned jade spiritual instrument engraved with cloud patterns. It was obtained when he previously subdued demons, and he had been reluctant to use it.

He handed it to Xie Qingmo, "Qingmo, this spiritual instrument has the effect of calming the mind and focusing the spirit... your Chen Sword has already gained sentience; perhaps it could be of use."

Xing Yan, seeing this, also hurriedly felt around in his bosom, took out the nice treasure he had bought earlier, and stuffed it to Xie Qingmo.

"Second Senior Brother! This is for you! Hang it on your sword's hilt—mosquitoes definitely won't dare approach your sword!"

Although the thing isn't valuable, the intention is sincere.

Moreover, it's related to the Chen Sword; Second Senior Brother will definitely accept it!

Xie Qingmo: "......"

"Thank you." So why would mosquitoes want to get near the sword...

Shi Yan also foolishly handed over the sugar cake he had just gotten, still warm, saying, "Second Senior Brother, eat the sugar cake! It's sweet!"

Lan Yi said nothing, merely looking at Xie Qingmo, then at Liu Qingcheng whose face had completely stiffened, and gently shook their head.

The grievance on Liu Qingcheng's face completely solidified.

He couldn't believe it; after all his efforts to sow discord, how could it still end up like this?

【Detected Villain Blackening Value -2, total 52!】

——

The summer night was already stuffy, and with a great demon causing trouble, the whole Pearl Curtain Town felt as if trapped in a steamer; there was not a breath of wind in the air, and the sticky heat waves carried the faint demonic aura from the distant Shan Lin, weighing heavily on the shabby room of the Ke Zhan.

The windows were wide open, yet no coolness came in; only the annoying insect sounds and a faint demonic aura from farther away.

Xie Qingmo sat cross-legged on the hard plank bed, attempting to meditate and regulate his breath. However, beads of sweat kept seeping from his forehead, sliding down his stern cheekbone line and wetting the collar of his snow-white robe. The circulation of his spiritual power also carried a stagnant, aggravating heat, making it impossible to calm his mind.

Even the Sect Leader said the great demon couldn't be resolved; it was merely a suppression of demonic aura, and even a Golden Core cultivator's cultivation couldn't settle.

Light and shadow shifted slightly, and Jin Chen's figure condensed into form beside the bed.

He wore only a thin, plain-colored inner garment, the collar loosely open, revealing clear collarbones. The bangs on his forehead were damp with sweat, a few strands sticking to his smooth forehead and flushed cheeks.

"Hah... so hot..." Jin Chen fanned himself with his hand, complaining, his gaze falling on the meditating Xie Qingmo.

He curled the corner of his mouth into a smirk, his thoughts stirring.

Hum

Xie Qingmo's sea of consciousness trembled.

A strong wave of dry heat surged instantly—not just the room's stuffiness, but also Jin Chen's aura, carrying a sweaty stickiness, clearly transmitted to his skin, as if he were inside a steamer.

Xie Qingmo could even feel the cool touch of Jin Chen's thin inner garment, soaked with sweat and clinging to his skin.

How strange.

Too intimate, indescribable, a vague stickiness invading the marrow.

Xie Qingmo's breath caught, and as if scalded, he instantly opened his eyes, brows furrowed, almost instinctively wanting to forcibly sever the connection.

"Don't break it." Jin Chen, as if expecting this, leaned his body sideways, inevitably pressing himself against Xie Qingmo's stiff arm, his sweaty warm breath brushing over Xie Qingmo's sensitive neck, his voice deliberately drawn out in a languid, hoarse tone laced with grievance.

"Xie Qingmo, I'm dying of heat, you're a bit cooler on your body." He then rubbed himself against Xie Qingmo again.

Xie Qingmo: "......"

Xie Qingmo's body tensed like a stone.

Pushing him away seemed like making a fuss over nothing, after all Jin Chen was using the pretense of "cooling down".

Not pushing him away, the tight contact and shared sensation brought a dual sensory assault, practically torture.

He could clearly feel Jin Chen's bodily warmth, yet could only sit stiffly, enduring his anxiety and turmoil.

Jin Chen leaned against his stiff shoulder, sensing Xie Qingmo's rare embarrassment, pushing further, his nose intentionally or unintentionally brushing over Xie Qingmo's warm cheek.

Whoosh—Xie Qingmo abruptly stood up, fleeing as it were, pulling away from Jin Chen.

He turned his back to Jin Chen, calming his overly chaotic breath and heartbeat.

Jin Chen was nearly thrown off balance by his sudden movement.

"Xie Qingmo!"

Xie Qingmo didn't turn back, quickly pulled out a few cooling talismans from his bosom, turned around, and without even glancing at Jin Chen's accusing gaze, slapped one onto his forehead with a pa sound.

The icy talisman paper touched his scorching forehead, instantly bringing a refreshing coolness that dispelled some of the heat.

Jin Chen comfortably narrowed his eyes.

"Don't move." Xie Qingmo's voice carried a forced hoarseness, his gaze deliberately avoiding Jin Chen's face, which was mostly covered by the talisman paper and looked somewhat ridiculous and pitiful.

Jin Chen raised his hand to feel the icy talisman on his forehead, sensing the faint threads of Spiritual Power dispelling the heat, and then glanced at Xie Qingmo's feigned cold stare—actually his ears flushed red—raising the corners of his mouth in a victorious arc.

Jin Chen drew out his tone in reply, "Oh... I understand."

Then, indeed, he sat cross-legged properly, wearing that talisman, like a handsome bodhisattva sealed with a stamp.

But not long after, Jin Chen lifted his hand, tore off the now-useless cooling talisman from his forehead, tossed it casually, and the paper fluttered down to the ground.

He looked towards the window.

Xie Qingmo stood with his back to the window, his white robe fluttering slightly in the night wind, moonlight outlining his slender, tall silhouette.

Jin Chen's eyes flashed with cunning; he moved over lightly, step by step, and like a cat silently approached Xie Qingmo from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder.

"Xie Qingmo."

Xie Qingmo's posture slightly stalled under the pressure, he let out a soft hum, and did not dodge.

Moonlight from outside the window spilled onto both of them, casting overlapping shadows on the ground.

"Tomorrow we slay demons," Jin Chen's voice tinged with disdain, "don't get blood all over me."

He said it, and deliberately rubbed his shoulder against Xie Qingmo's.

Xie Qingmo: "......"

He turned his head, glared at Jin Chen annoyed, his eyes clearly saying: "What nonsense are you spouting again?"

Jin Chen met his gaze, blinked confidently, and said, "I'm serious—blood is bloody and sticky, it's unpleasant."

"You're so troublesome." Xie Qingmo finally couldn't help but speak, his voice tinged with helplessness.

"Who made my master be you?" Jin Chen replied.

Xie Qingmo's ears heated from his rubbing, and finally he couldn't take it anymore, raising his hand to push him away.

"Sleep."

Jin Chen wasn't annoyed by being pushed away; instead he laughed even more, stepped back two steps, got onto the bed and occupied the middle spot, deliberately pulling the thin blanket all over himself, leaving only his eyes visible as he looked at Xie Qingmo, saying, "Alright, come up, sleep."

Xie Qingmo stood at the bedside, looking at Jin Chen's rascal demeanor, the corner of his eye twitched.

In the moonlight, his side profile seemed to soften a bit; he merely let out a soft sigh, lay down fully clothed on the outer side of the bed, deliberately keeping a distance from Jin Chen.

... Although, according to past experience, the distance would disappear by morning.

Next day at dawn.

Jin Chen was awakened by a fluctuation of Spiritual Power, opened his eyes in doubt to look outside, and it was actually the stone Xie Qingmo had bought back yesterday.

【Oh! The stone is about to… hatch!】

Turns out it's an egg!