Despite his petrified state, Luo Xiao couldn't help but turn around to see the source of the voice.
Behind him stood… No, not standing, Luo Xiao instantly noted. The man was actually floating in the air a few centimeters off the ground instead of standing on it.
He had regal, black-colored long robes with embroideries of dragons made with golden thread. While these clothes would look way too extravagant on Luo Xiao, on this man, they fit perfectly.
It wasn't the clothing, nor was it his long black hair, which was tied up in a ponytail on top of his head, but the man's perfect face which stood out to Luo Xiao. He had stunning, youthful looks and a refined air radiated out from him.
His deep, dark phoenix eyes exuded a charm and allure that was unlike anything Luo Xiao had seen so far in his life, leaving him completely awe-struck.
The handsome man, with the likeness of an immortal, also found himself looking closely at Luo Xiao's features. The perfection and pure white skin of the other's face did not escape him, and neither did the deep black eyes that the boy in front of him had.
He could tell that Luo Xiao wasn't as simple as his naive appearance suggested.
His perfect smile slightly widened, and while it seemed warm, Luo Xiao could somewhat sense that there was something more profound behind it.
“I repeat, did you do that?” the man spoke once more, sending a tremor through Luo Xiao's body. The regality and the power contained in his voice was too overwhelming for him to handle easily.
His already weak body was suddenly overcome with waves of exhaustion. His arms, which were supporting him until this moment gave out as he fell into the dirt on his face causing him to breathe heavily.
The smile on the alluring man's face didn't fade from seeing Luo Xiao’s exhaustion; instead, it became even wider as his gaze was filled with interest.
One of his hands which was jade white and as perfect as the god of beauty's reached over. It touched the blood on Luo Xiao's body before grabbing the weak boy's arm and forcefully lifting him up.
“Indeed, it was you. How could you do such a thing? That corpse puppet was comparable to a Heaven cultivator! Fourth Brother has cultivated it for years. Such a shame,” he spoke while he shook Luo Xiao, whom he was holding by the arm, while seemingly lamenting the loss of the murderous puppet.
Through his eyes which were as deep as an abyss seemed to say the opposite, within traces of a mocking glimmer coupled with some sick joy could be perceived as he looked at Luo Xiao, studying the other carefully.
“Your body seems fragile... And your soul is quite weak too. Did you exhaust all your energy killing Fourth Brother's corpse puppet?”
Luo Xiao had no idea how to reply. He himself did not know what had happened, as his vision deserted him just as the corpse puppet disappeared.
He could feel that the man had an unusual interest in him, and despite his weak instinctive attempts to try and wriggle free, he knew he would not be able to get away.
“It seems you used all your soul power to destroy the puppet. That means you actually have some strength... Maybe you could be of use to me?” speaking like this, the expression on his perfect face gained an almost sadistic feel to it, though it was quickly hidden.
Luo Xiao's body froze as soon as he noticed this fleeting expression causing fear and terror to once more rise up. Now it was more profound than when he felt he had to escape this man that held him tight.
“Well, since the puppet was destroyed, I no longer have a reason to linger,” the man said as he surveyed the destroyed village. His smile was just as perfect as before, “But of course, since I've found you, you're coming with me!”
Effortlessly holding the fifteen-year-old boy in his arm, the seemingly immortal man chuckled as he lightly tapped the air he was standing on, and he suddenly flew off in a direction to Luo Xiao's shock.
Luo Xiao was too weak to protest. He was only able to watch as his home vanished far into the distance seconds later. Endless forests soon replaced the bloody scenery, and the cries of beasts occasionally passed the flying duo.
As the handsome man flew with Luo Xiao over the forests, the sun disappeared behind the horizon in the distance, leaving the youth with just the last memories of his father and his ruined home.
Just like that, it became night. While Luo Xiao weakly stared into the distance, his tired mind was still reliving the shock and horror of the corpse puppet. Meanwhile, the man holding him kept moving, flying through the air with ease as darkness enveloped them and the stars began to shine above them.
Luo Xiao slowly began to regain some strength because he was literally being carried by a gorgeous immortal without any effort whatsoever. He knew that he was powerless against this person, so he didn't resist but just watched the spot where his already disappeared Jinwei village had been.
Suddenly, lights sprung to life in the distance making the handsome man's smile widen slightly, “And we finally arrived at Xiyang City!”
The name grabbed Luo Xiao's attention, making him finally move his gaze away from the direction they came from towards the front. Seeing this massive city, even in his current mood, he couldn't help but feel slightly better.
He had never been outside of Jinwei village, at most he just went to the edge of the forest. Therefore he had never seen the outside world, and so the sight of Xiyang City made his eyes widen with surprise and curiosity.
In the darkness of the night, an enormous city, hundreds of times more massive than his small village, appeared which was situated in the middle of the forest that covered a large part of the kingdom. As the immortal descended towards the city gates, Luo Xiao could make out more and more of the buildings and the people living within the city.
Xiyang City had at least ten million inhabitants. It truly was a vast city considering the size of the Zhanshi Kingdom. Luo Xiao's eyes turned wide as he took in the sights and sounds of the city at night, almost letting him forget that his hometown had just been slaughtered down to every last man.
As that thought crossed his mind, his mood instantly dropped and he looked away. Any interest and excitement from seeing Xiyang City had evaporated.
Naturally, the handsome man that was carrying him around like a bag of potatoes noticed this but did not say anything. He knew it would be useless to say anything anyways.
A few seconds later, the immortal stepped on the ground, and suddenly, without any prior warning, Luo Xiao found himself falling to the ground. Waving his hands desperately he made a surprised sound and barely managed to keep his balance. His arms spread wide as he struggled to stand up straight.
“Follow me and don't try anything,” the dark-clothed man spoke as he began walking as a perfect smile adorned his face.
Luo Xiao was just about to turn around and try to flee into the darkness, but the words spoken by the older man forced him to realize that his actions would be pointless. Defeated, he followed the other, his gaze dark and lacking any joy.
The two of them landed around a bit away from the road, mostly unnoticed, but the moment this alluring immortal stepped on the stone road, leading into Xiyang City, everyone seemed to take note.
As the two made their way towards the gates silently, various people gazed at them from late-night arrivals to what seemed to be rogue cultivators. The taller man was too perfect - in fact, both of them were, however, the blood covering Luo Xiao's face and clothes hid his beauty, making him seem almost normal.
Naturally, blood also covered part of the immortal's clothing, but the darker colors made it harder to spot, especially at night. His confident, perfect smile made Luo Xiao even less noticeable, as everyone’s gaze was focused on this seemingly otherworldly cultivator and even the women appeared to be fawning over him.
After a few suspicious glances from the city guards and casually paying the fee for entering with a flick of the taller man's sleeve, the two were allowed inside the city. Immediately, Luo Xiao's senses were bombarded with even more noise and sights than before.
Vendors, even late into the evening, were still open, doing their best to sell their products and treasures to mortals and cultivators alike.
Naturally, Luo Xiao couldn't help but look around a few times as the tall man lead the way deeper into Xiyang City and twice he even attempted to escape amidst the crowds. However, every time he tried to take a step away, the man instantly looked at him. His gaze was both cold and slightly amused, making Luo Xiao’s blood freeze from fear before he gave up.
He would have to find a different way to escape from this man, yet even though he should have been thinking about this, he couldn't help but be distracted by the city’s sights. His mood once more improved after the man stopped watching him and his eyes hungrily took in everything saw.
His deep eyes didn't miss the many men and women shooting glances at the handsome man he was following. While many of their gazes were filled with adoration and fawning, some were brimming with jealousy. Luo Xiao naturally knew why, however, as he thought of the man's perfectly handsome face, he was suddenly reminded once more of his village, and his expression darkened.
As they walked deeper and deeper into the city, Luo Xiao’s thoughts were interrupted as he suddenly ran right into the immortal that had forced him here. His eyes instantly widened with fear as he backed off. Thankfully, the man didn't spare as much as a glance as he walked into what looked like a luxurious inn.
Luo Xiao's breath almost stopped from how much extravagance was displayed on the outside of this building. Precious gems that spanned the colors of the rainbow and the purest jade decorated the building's facade.
“A room on the top floor with one bed,” hearing the faint voice from inside the inn woke Luo Xiao from his dumbfounded gaze at the beautifully decorated exterior.
Momentarily, he thought about running away once more, however, remembering the cold gaze of the man every time he had attempted to do so, his body shivered then he walked into the inn.
The innkeeper's nodding and bowing at the handsome man stopped as he noticed the dried blood on this commoner who had just entered. His eyes moved between the man and Luo Xiao unsure whether the two were together. However, a simple smiling nod from the alluring immortal was enough to clear any doubts. Right after, the innkeeper gave them the key before going back to his other tasks.
After the man received the key, Luo Xiao noticed that he flipped it between his fingers for a bit before he turned around to face him. Once more, he felt in awe at how perfect the man's face was and once more was reminded of the fate of his village. His body instinctively moved backward as he tried to escape from the man in front of him.
Predicting his movements, the man's arm shot out, grabbing Luo Xiao's hand as his smile became dangerous for a moment. Seeing this was enough to erase any thoughts of trying to escape entirely for Luo Xiao. The fifteen-year-old boy let himself be half-dragged up beautifully decorated stairs, to the highest floor where only three doors revealed themselves.
Opening the leftmost door, the scene inside revealed itself to Luo Xiao. It was a gorgeous, luxurious room with perfect decorations, intricate murals on the walls, and a breathtaking sight of the city even though it was not a very tall building.
However, he had no time to marvel at this as the handsome man dismissively tossed him onto the bed after closing the door. A weak and surprised yelp escaped from Luo Xiao.
“Go to sleep,” the handsome man nearly sounded as if he were giving a command, expecting it to be immediately executed. Luo Xiao's eyes briefly moved to meet the other man's gaze, but a second later he flinched away as far into the bed as he could doing his best to stay away from the man.
He didn't even bother to cover himself with the sheets.
Flicking his sleeve, the man sat down on the floor cross-legged, and all the orb that provided light were instantly extinguished. The room was now only lit by the mild light from the window.
That night, the immortal could hear Luo Xiao's quiet sobs. The youth had been unable to fall asleep until the sun began rising for a new day, and he swore that his own chest felt heavy - despite no apparent cause for such a phenomenon.
It was quite late in the morning of the following day when Luo Xiao woke up. With slightly swollen cheeks and a stiff, cold body, it took him a moment to remember where he was.
His village had been devastated, and an unfamiliar man had taken him halfway across the country to a city he didn't know. On top of everything, his father was gone as well. The mere thought of that pile of corpses, all his dead friends, and the evil corpse puppet that was responsible for it all caused a quiet whimper to escape his lips as he hugged himself.
He looked down and saw that his simple linen clothes were stiff from all the coagulated blood which had turned completely black. He felt disgusting as this was all the corpse puppet’s blood.
Although Luo Xiao was not aware of what exactly happened, he had no doubt that the corpse puppet was dead and that its blood had sprayed everywhere drenching himself in the process. This was because there had been nothing left of the puppet when he came to.
A shiver ran through his body, and he was starting to feel sick again. He felt like thousands of insects were crawling on his body, digging into his skin, and eating away at his flesh.
The immortal looked at him with curiosity. He had listened to him cry all night, and now he saw Luo Xiao’s expression change from despair to disgust and fear.
He frowned and left the room then returned shortly afterwards with a servant that brought a large barrel. The barrel was placed in the middle of the room and was soon filled with steaming hot water.
Looking at the child, he saw that he was still stuck staring at himself. The immortal couldn’t help but sigh before heading over to him.
“You there,” he said, finally dragging the child from his deep thoughts. Luo Xiao jolted when he heard his voice, and his eyes darted from side to side like a small rabbit looking for a way to escape.
Seeing his reaction, the immortal chuckled. “Go take a bath,” he said with a sigh. “You’re dirty.”
After those few words, he left the room. He closed the door behind him, and Luo Xiao's eyes widened in surprise. Had he finally been left alone? This was his time to escape! Yet, when he looked at the warm water in the middle of the room, he hesitated.
He felt disgusting right now and was aware that if he left the room, he would easily be spotted or more likely smelled.
“I will wash, and then I can run away,” Luo Xiao whispered to himself, half convincing himself that he had a chance to leave even if he took a bath first.
He stripped off his clothes that were so stiff from the dried up blood that they could almost stand on their own and then he sank into the warm water. His frail body quickly slumped against the tub, and he felt the warm water wash away the blood and dirt on his body, but even after rubbing the rest of the blood off, he still felt disgusting and dirty inside.
He had no urge to soak in the water as it was no longer clean, and he quickly stepped out. Next to the barrel was a chair with a towel that he used to dry himself and not far away from the chair was a mirror.
Accidentally glancing at himself in the mirror, Luo Xiao was shocked. Although he looked as frail and weak as ever, his skin, which was previously almost wax-like, now had a much healthier color. In fact, it had a pink hue due to the warm water.
He also felt that he was no longer as weak as he had been before. Although still not strong, he didn't feel the constant exhaustion he used to feel back in his village.
“I guess it’s due to the all the things that have happened to me,” Luo Xiao shook his head and looked at the clothes in front of him. He was not willing to wear them again, but he had nothing else, so he didn't know what to do.
With a towel wrapped around his body, he looked at the clothes with narrowed eyes debating what to do. At that moment though, the door opened, and the immortal stepped in.
He sent one glance at Luo Xiao before he looked away. He then dropped a bundle onto the bed. “Change into this,” he said and left the room again.
Stunned, Luo Xiao turned around and looked at the bundle. It was a set of clothes, with inner robes and everything.
Luo Xiao was not used to wearing robes. Back in his village, he wore pants and shirts, but it was clear that this robe was of a much higher quality than his usual clothes. Even so, these clothes were not on the same level as the clothes the immortal was using.
Changing into the robe, Luo Xiao looked at it and found that it was a white robe with a silver lining. It had no embroideries and was very simple. It was clean and made Luo Xiao much more attractive than he had been before.
Although he was handsome, he didn’t know how to dress. Just the addition of these clothes alone, coupled with the fact that he gained a bit of color to his skin, meant that he no longer looked like a wax figurine; he was much more beautiful than before. Even women would be jealous of his appearance were they to see him now.
Just as he finished fastening the belt, the door opened once more. This made him wonder if the immortal had been waiting for this moment intentionally, but he quickly dismissed such thoughts. This immortal didn’t seem to be the considerate type, staying outside for the sake of his privacy didn't seem to be his style.
When he entered, he was followed in by a servant who brought plates of food that he placed on the table opposite the bed. He then summoned three other servants who carried away the barrel with the dirty water.
“Come eat,” the immortal ordered Luo Xiao, and although the young man had no appetite, he could feel that the voice wouldn’t accept no for an answer.
He slowly inched towards the table and sat down. His head was lowered, and he didn't dare look at the incredibly handsome man sitting opposite to him. He knew that this man had some sort of interest in him, but knew himself to be utterly useless. He was so useless that his body was too weak to even cultivate.
The immortal didn't touch the food. Instead, he rested his head on his hands with his elbows on the table. He was not interested in the food; he was interested in the mysterious boy in front of him.
“Tell me your age,” he asked, his voice soft like velvet and gentle like the spring breeze, but at the same time, filled with such a power that no one dared go against his wishes.
“Fifteen,” Luo Xiao answered almost instantly with fear in his voice. Perhaps he would be able to leave if the immortal realized how useless he really was.
“Fifteen? That’s quite young,” the immortal's smile widened. “So you are fifteen years old and already capable of killing a corpse puppet with the strength of a Heaven Rank cultivator.”
“How long have you been cultivating?” he asked again, but this time Luo Xiao lifted his head in confusion and looked at him with puzzlement.
“I have never cultivated,” he said while cocking his head to the side, “I’m weak and useless. I’ve spent my life stuck in bed because of how useless my physical body is, and for this reason, I haven’t been able to cultivate.”
Hearing this, the face of the immortal turned slightly stern as if he didn't believe the child and the atmosphere turned chilly.
“My Lord Immortal, I truly have never cultivated before,” Luo Xiao said somewhat panicked, and his eyes widened when he felt the threatening atmosphere.
The immortal was quiet for quite some time. His face was no longer filled with a gentle smile, but looked somewhat menacing as if things had gone out of hand, but then his smile returned. He leaned forward causing Luo Xiao to back up.
“What is the rank of your soul then?” He asked as if he had suddenly found something interesting.
“Rank of my soul?” Luo Xiao was puzzled, “I don't know? What about my soul?”
Was this man thinking of stealing his soul? Suddenly something appeared in his mind. When he was a child, he had heard about the demons. Demons lived on the same continent as the humans, but they generally occupied the center of the continent, not bothering to visit the outskirts.
Demons were the most beautiful creatures alive, but they were cruel and callous. They would take the soul of others and refine it into their own strength. Was this dazzling man perhaps a demon?
When this thought struck him, he couldn’t get it out of his head, and the expression on his face turned to one of utter fear. Was this man going to kill him and pull out his soul, refine it, and consume it?
Seeing Luo Xiao's reaction, the immortal could not help but chuckle, “Stay here and eat the food!” he ordered while laughing as he vanished again from the room.
Luo Xiao hesitated for a moment before he tiptoed towards the door. He pressed his ear against the door to hear if there was anyone outside, but he only heard the bustling sounds that came from the restaurant on the first floor.
He then opened the door and looked around with hesitation before he nimbly snuck down the stairs and into the restaurant.
The restaurant was packed. It was one of the most upscale restaurants in town, so it was always busy, and it was during this busy period that Luo Xiao snuck out.
When he was outside, he heaved a massive sigh of relief and started running away. Yet, not long after, he accidentally ran into a large burly man causing him to fall to the ground.
When he fell to the ground, a small yelp escaped his lips, and he felt a bit of pain on his rear from falling.
“You disgusting bottomfeeder, did you just try to rob me of my gold coins?!” the man yelled out loud when he saw that someone ran into him, and his loud words caused Luo Xiao to flinch back from fear.
“No, sir! Sorry, I was just inattentive and ran into you; I am very sorry,” he apologized while standing up.
His soft voice and his beautiful appearance caused the upset man to hesitate for a moment, but then greed appeared in his eyes. Such a lovely little boy could be sold for a lot of money to a noblewoman or even a demon as a boy toy.
“Little boy, you have injured me and tried to rob me! If you cannot compensate me, then don't blame me for making you pay by selling you as a slave!”
Luo Xiao was petrified. He had no money to pay with, and he was unaware of what he should do. He had only bumped into the man, but now it was causing such a big disturbance so much so that he even started to regret leaving the inn.
Luo Xiao lowered his head as he didn't know what to do or say. His family was gone, his friends were dead, the life he had known would never be the same again, and now, he was caught in one disaster after another.
Tears welled up in his eyes, and his nose felt stuffy, but he forced the tears back.
Just as the burly man took a step forward to grab him and claim his slave, a ray of light shone out. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream was heard.
The burly man who had reached out for Luo Xiao shot backward as fast as lightning, and then he saw his hand was missing; it had been cleanly sliced off.
“Who dares?!” he exclaimed with a roar, but then his eyes landed on a man who seemed like a god who had descended to the mundane world. This man was leisurely walking forward, and his eyes were dark and unfathomable.
“I told you to stay at the inn, didn't I?” he asked with a soft, gentle voice, yet every word caused Luo Xiao's hairs to stand on end. This man was obviously upset with him.
“My lord, do you know this kid?” the man who had lost his hand was unwilling to let it go just like this, but he also knew that if he were not careful, then he could lose more than his hand.
“He belongs to me, do you have a problem?” the immortal replied, raising an eyebrow while he looked at the handless man.
“No! No problem at all,” the one-handed man said as he retreated even further.
Without paying any attention to them, the immortal hoisted up the young boy and draped him over his shoulder before he returned to the inn. All along the way, he said nothing, making Luo Xiao feel even more uneasy than before.
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