Chapter 26: Midnight Talk

The night stretched endlessly, the sky a deep, vast expanse dotted with stars. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and leaves. In the small clearing, the fire had burned low, leaving only dim embers glowing beneath charred wood.

Jimao was already asleep, curled up in his feathers with steady, quiet breaths. His small form barely stirred, lost in the peace of slumber.

Lie Zhanfeng, on the other hand, remained awake.

Lying on his back, arms folded behind his head, he stared up at the sky. His gaze was distant, as if lost in thoughts that refused to settle. His usual carefree expression had been replaced by something unreadable, something heavier.

A few feet away, Xie Dongyi turned onto his side, propping his head up with one arm. His dark eyes observed Lie Zhanfeng, noticing the uncharacteristic stillness.

After a moment, he spoke. "Something on your mind?"

Lie Zhanfeng didn't answer right away. His brows furrowed slightly, but he made no move to acknowledge the question.

Xie Dongyi didn't press, letting the silence stretch between them. He could tell that whatever was occupying Lie Zhanfeng's thoughts wasn't something simple.

After a while, he spoke again, this time more direct. "Is it about what we talked about this morning?"

Lie Zhanfeng let out a quiet sigh, the sound almost lost in the rustling of leaves. He tilted his head slightly, side-eyeing Xie Dongyi before letting out a low chuckle. "You're too sharp."

Xie Dongyi hummed in response. "You seemed like you were holding back something earlier. And tonight, you're lying there like a man with a mountain on his chest." He paused, then asked, "If it's something you can share, I'll listen."

Lie Zhanfeng turned his head toward him fully this time, meeting his gaze. His expression was unreadable, but there was something thoughtful in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment, as if debating whether to speak, before finally exhaling.

"It's not really that serious," he said, his tone lighter than his expression. "It's just… I understand the struggles of mortals, because—" He paused, then added, "I was one. Until a little over a month ago."

Xie Dongyi's breath caught for a fraction of a second.

His mind quickly turned over the implications of those words.

More than a month ago?

His eyes sharpened as he stared at Lie Zhanfeng, a realization settling over him.

A mortal that can reach the seventh level of Qi Refining in just over a month—it wasn't just astonishing. It was outright impossible.

Unless…

Xie Dongyi's thoughts spun. For something like that to happen, there were only a few explanations. Either Lie Zhanfeng was born with a heaven-defying physique, or he had stumbled upon an opportunity so miraculous it defied common sense.

Either way, it wasn't something ordinary.

If word of this got out, the cultivation world would go mad.

Yet here Lie Zhanfeng was, sharing this information so casually.

Xie Dongyi remained silent for a long moment, his emotions conflicted. He felt touched by the trust, but at the same time, a deep unease gnawed at him.

Lie Zhanfeng didn't seem to notice his reaction.

Instead, he continued speaking, telling Xie Dongyi about the original owner's past, including the life he had before stepping into cultivation.

His voice was calm and steady, but there was something in the way he spoke, a weight in his tone, that made it clear it hadn't been an easy life.

Xie Dongyi listened closely, yet something felt… off.

Not in the sense that Lie Zhanfeng was lying—no, his words rang true. But there was a vagueness to them, as if he were skimming over parts, keeping something just out of reach.

Xie Dongyi didn't interrupt. He simply absorbed the words, filing away the gaps in his mind.

Then—

"I'm only fourteen, after all."

Xie Dongyi's head snapped toward him.

The story, the tone, the weight of it all—it had made Lie Zhanfeng seem older, far older than someone who had lived only fourteen years.

For a moment, Xie Dongyi simply stared.

Then, realization struck.

His gaze sharpened.

Lie Zhanfeng, still immersed in his own thoughts, didn't immediately notice. But after a few seconds, he felt a distinct change in the atmosphere.

A prickling sensation ran down his spine.

Turning his head, he was met with Xie Dongyi's glare.

Lie Zhanfeng blinked.

He had no idea what he had done wrong.

"What's wrong?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Xie Dongyi's expression remained unreadable as he asked, "How old are you?"

Lie Zhanfeng tilted his head slightly. "Fourteen," he answered, his voice slow, unsure why this was an issue.

A beat of silence.

Then—

Xie Dongyi's glare deepened.

"Then why do you keep calling me kid?"

Lie Zhanfeng blinked again.

Then it hit him.

Xie Dongyi had never once objected to being called 'kid'—because he had simply assumed Lie Zhanfeng was a bit older than him. He thought it's Lie Zhanfeng's strange hobby to act like an elder, so he just let him be. After all, a few years of age gap is still an age gap.

Besides, with Lie Zhanfeng's height, demeanor, and presence, it had never crossed his mind that they were the same age.

Xie Dongyi looked at him as if he had just been personally betrayed.

Lie Zhanfeng cleared his throat. "Ah, well—" He scratched the back of his head. "That's—"

He struggled for an excuse.

Xie Dongyi continued to stare at him, waiting.

In the end, Lie Zhanfeng forced a casual cough and gave the weakest reason he could come up with. "You see, it's just that… you have this, uh, younger brother vibe?"

Xie Dongyi: "..."

Lie Zhanfeng immediately felt that wasn't convincing.

Deep down, he knew the real reason.

Even though he was now in a fourteen-year-old body, his soul—his mind—was still that of a twenty-six-year-old man. And naturally, he subconsciously treated Xie Dongyi like a junior.

He couldn't say that, of course.

Xie Dongyi continued staring at him, unblinking.

For a second, Lie Zhanfeng thought he was going to press the issue.

Then, without another word, Xie Dongyi turned onto his side, back facing him.

"Forget it," he muttered.

Lie Zhanfeng exhaled, relieved.

Still, a small smile tugged at his lips.

The night stretched on, the sounds of insects and rustling leaves filling the silence.

The weight that had been lingering on Lie Zhanfeng's mind earlier felt lighter now.

Somehow, despite the unexpected turn their conversation had taken, he felt more at ease.

Then—

Lie Zhanfeng paused for a moment. The days they had spent together felt peaceful, yet the shadow of his impending death still loomed over him.

Now that the Void Bracelet was in his possession, many things had changed—but he wasn't sure how much it had altered the original course of events.

According to the book, Zhao Tianyun was supposed to kill him in about six months. That sense of urgency pressed heavily on him. The only way to survive was to strike first.

Although he hadn't finished reading the novel in his past life, he still remembered the early plot clearly.

According to the book, after killing the original owner, Zhao Tianyun didn't return to the Xie estate immediately. The estate was too far from this town, making an immediate return impractical.

Instead, he had gone to Sunlit Hill to temper himself, where he eventually obtained a rare treasure—a five-hundred-year-old Flame Essence, guarded by an Iron-Winged Roc.

With his fire-element Heavenly Spirit Root, Zhao Tianyun had been able to absorb the flame, allowing him to advance from the early to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.

Lie Zhanfeng considered the situation carefully.

The Iron-Winged Roc was a formidable opponent, a monster at the early Foundation Establishment stage. Facing it with their current strength would be far too risky. But still, he's willing to take the risk.

Though the book hadn't described Xie Dongyi's abilities in detail, Based on their recent training, Lie Zhanfeng had a vague sense that he possessed an Ice attribute spirit root, which is incompatible with the flame.

Initially, he had planned to claim the Flame Essence for himself. While this body lacked a spirit root, he still carried the Primordial Tyrant Body—one that naturally dominated primordial chaos, enabling him to absorb any type of energy.

However, things had changed. Now, there was Jimao.

Even though Xie Dongyi had given Jimao the Stonehide Boar's beast core, the mismatched attribute and unstable qi had prevented him from advancing.

Still, Lie Zhanfeng could sense a slight increase in Jimao's strength, even if it was barely noticeable.

He figured that if Jimao absorbed the Flame Essence instead, it might be enough to help him break through.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Lie Zhanfeng shifted his gaze to Xie Dongyi's back and thought:

"Xie Dongyi, the world has always turned against you. But now that I'm here… can you defy fate? Can we?"

Finally, after a long night, he closed his eyes.

Sleep came easily.