Chapter 42: Forbidden Affection-Eu Cortei as Emoções e Entrei no Demônio, Meu Mestre e Meus Irmãos Mais Velhos Se Ajoelham e Rogam o Perdão(pêssego branco jade)

Following the reports from his disciples, Huo Shiqing learned a great deal about Han Jie.

He was a rogue cultivator rescued by Uncle Master Ji while out gathering spiritual herbs. It was said he was the sole survivor of a small cultivation family, all of whom had been wiped out by enemies. Han Jie claimed to have grown weary of bloodshed and to lack the strength for revenge, contenting himself with learning the path of the medicinal cultivator under Uncle Master Ji, hoping to save lives and live a peaceful existence thereafter.

Han Jie was well-liked within the Ten Thousand Spirits Sect. Though he kept a low profile, his easygoing nature made him popular, and virtually no one spoke ill of him.

Huo Shiqing’s expression grew increasingly somber.

The Han family of Baichuan?

Cultivation families in this world were as numerous as the hairs on a cow, and not all were as illustrious, prosperous, or renowned as his own Huo clan. Many families hid in deep mountains and wild forests, focusing on cultivation and rarely interacting with the outside world. Furthermore, a small family wiped out who knows how many years ago was impossible to verify.

In other words, whether this family actually existed, whether Han Jie was truly one of them, or even if his name was really Han Jie—these were merely his own claims.

He dared not let An'an get truly close to someone with such a murky background and unclear motives; a simple act would suffice. An'an had the temperament of a child; once she received a pleasant look from Han Jie, she would lose her obsession.

Huo Shiqing was not a man of patience who would spend time cultivating feelings slowly. His flirtatious and romantic persona was merely a mask; he preferred straightforward exchanges of interest and calling a spade a spade. Moreover, he harbored a vague intuition that Han Jie was not as warm as he appeared, and that at his core, he was much like himself.

After consulting with Jiang Huaixu, Huo Shiqing brought an irresistible offer to the medicine hall to find Han Jie.

"Junior Brother Han, I was too harsh regarding the demon cultivator matter earlier. That was due to personal emotions, so please do not take it to heart."

Han Jie looked at the glittering top-grade spirit stones and precious herbs before him and smiled. "Are these supposed to be Brother Huo’s apology gifts? They are far too heavy; I dare not accept."

Huo Shiqing smiled. "Beyond an apology, I also hope Junior Brother Han can fulfill an unwelcome request of mine."

"What request?" Han Jie asked.

Huo Shiqing stared at Han Jie’s face, not intending to miss the slightest sign of abnormality in his expression. "Because of you, An'an has not been very happy these past few days. Did you hear some nasty rumors about her from someone?"

Han Jie denied it. "No one has spoken to me about Junior Sister Xu. Brother Huo is overthinking it."

Huo Shiqing did not believe him. "If that is the case, why do you seem to have a bias against her? I heard that when she came to the medicine hall to invite you to hunt spirit beasts, you rejected her with cold words."

Han Jie smiled. "It wasn't cold words, merely different standards. Brother Huo dotes on his junior sister, so naturally, you think she is perfect and deserves to be cherished by everyone."

"But to me, Junior Sister Xu is no different from any other junior sister. I am like this with everyone I am not close to. The person I am biased toward is not her."

Huo Shiqing’s train of thought was immediately diverted, his tone turning cold. "Then who are you biased toward? Jiang Heng?"

Han Jie admitted it frankly. "Yes. In my eyes, she is the best."

Fury flooded Huo Shiqing’s heart. He wanted to erupt, but the words caught in his throat. Reason told him that this anger was inexplicable and held no ground. What reason did he have to be angry? On what grounds could he be angry? Even if Jiang Heng was still their junior sister, Han Jie was merely an outsider. If an outsider wished to be biased toward someone, it was his own prerogative, and Jiang Heng would certainly be pleased by his favoritism.

For a moment, Huo Shiqing felt lost. In a haze, he felt as if something had been twisted or stolen away without him noticing. He slowly regulated his breathing and focused on the more important issue.

"Since Junior Brother Han does not dislike An'an, then that makes things easier. An'an is innocent by nature; whether the affection is real or fake does not matter, as long as she is humored."

"If you are willing to give me this face and join us in subduing the Crystal Soul Heavenly Spider, while sharing a few words with An'an along the way, all these spirit stones and herbs shall be yours. How about it?"

The offer was incredibly generous. Top-grade spirit stones and the capture of a rare Crystal Soul Heavenly Spider were high stakes, yet the cost was merely to amuse a junior sister.

Unexpectedly, Han Jie refused point-blank. "I understand your desire to dote on your junior sister, Brother Huo, but unfortunately, I cannot agree."

Huo Shiqing’s face darkened. "Why?"

Han Jie replied, "If I were to do that, Junior Sister Jiang might be unhappy. Her happiness is far more precious to me than anything you have offered."

Huo Shiqing gritted his teeth. "Do you intend to be Jiang Heng’s senior brother, or her dao companion?"

Han Jie laughed. "A senior brother, naturally. I have no interest in dao companions."

Huo Shiqing was not one to believe that. "No interest? You and I are different; you don't share the bond of having watched her grow up. For a man to suddenly be so good to a woman—it’s either lechery or theft!"

Han Jie countered, "Junior Sister Xu is not someone you watched grow up, yet you are excessively good to her. Does that mean you want to be her dao companion?"

Huo Shiqing instinctively retorted, "Do not use such filthy thoughts to judge my feelings for An'an. In my eyes, she is merely a little sister. How much of a beast would I have to be to harbor thoughts of being a dao companion toward my own sister?!"

Han Jie looked thoughtful. "Then, what about Junior Sister Jiang?"

This sudden question caught Huo Shiqing off guard. After a long pause, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Han Jie continued, "Nothing in particular, I just feel that your attitude toward Junior Sister Jiang is quite different from your attitude toward Junior Sister Xu."

"You would offer heavy rewards to ask me to humor Junior Sister Xu, which clearly shows you do not truly mind being jealous. Yet, when Junior Sister Jiang is merely a bit closer to me, you become restless and hostile, filled with resistance and enmity. That does not seem like the feelings one has for a sister."

For a moment, the air grew terrifyingly quiet.

After a long time, Huo Shiqing spoke coldly. "You think too much. The reason I am restless is that Jiang Heng’s relationship with the sect has been strained lately, and she is someone who tends to get stuck in corners. If she gets too close to outsiders, she might run off one day."

"No matter how much I may dislike her right now, we have been fellow disciples for hundreds of years; it is impossible to have no feelings at all. Conflict is one thing, but leaving the sect is another."

Han Jie looked into Huo Shiqing’s eyes, smiling without speaking.

Huo Shiqing frowned deeper. "Fellow disciples are not like master and apprentice; they are allowed to be dao companions without being judged. Furthermore, I am not like the other senior brothers who are stubborn. I change dao companions as often as I change clothes. I have always been unrestrained regarding matters of men and women; if I like someone, I act—never hesitating."

"If I truly harbored feelings for Jiang Heng beyond those of a senior brother, I would have acted long ago. Would I have waited until Master assigned her to Jiang Huaixu?"