Matters resolved themselves quickly once the Moqi brothers were finally able to bring themselves to leave the bed.
With the clues they'd secretly been gathering since their return from the beast tide trip, there was little left to be done except for publicizing the culprits' crimes and their punishments.
Of course, the hard evidence they held in the form of Wenren ShiShi's refined corpse sped the process along—it was specifically for this purpose that when Chen Yu had been stirring around in the puppet's stomach, he had made sure to wrap his spiritual energy around the tiny core which linked the controller to the body. This bead, which would have otherwise disintegrated the moment Duangan Pang withdrew his qi, definitively marked the corpse as a puppet.
Such proof ensured that Duangan Pang couldn't avoid being stripped of his position and all the associated resources he needed for his research. But what was even worse for the puppet master was that a mere child had defeated his creation, marking him a failure and casting doubt on his capabilities in his field for the first time.
Faced with this double blow, there was no way Duangan Pang would accept going down alone. In any case, there wasn't much he had left to lose.
Having been blinded by his hatred, he didn't hesitate any longer to expose every detail of his dealings with Ning Taio.
Considering that the men had decided between themselves to retreat for some intensive cultivation with their shizhi the moment these messy things were resolved, it wouldn't have been difficult to keep Ning He ignorant of what his father had done. Still, the awareness that the child would eventually learn the truth and could be hurt irreparably by hearing it from a stranger convinced them to explain the situation right away.
Moreover, lurking in their deepest hearts was the desire to isolate the boy, to cage him up and leave him with no one else to rely on. Destroying his bond with his closest relative was precisely what they'd been yearning to do; as for whatever pain he suffered due to this small manifestation of their craving, they would exert all their power to soothe it away.
Thus, curled up in the blankets, Chen Yu listened to the twins describe Duangan Pang and Ning Taio's failed operation and the ensuing entanglements.
It looked like his lovers were quite capable. They had even managed to dig up the relationship between the demonic cultivator and Zhuo Biming, but most of the information wasn't new to Chen Yu.
The one thing that did surprise him was the discovery of how Ning Taio had obtained the new dantian for his son.
From what Ning He had always been told, his parents had fallen in love while his father had been traveling to train, and he had been the only one brought back to the sect because his mother had died when he'd been born.
It was indeed true that Ning Taio and a talented female disciple from another sect had met during his tours outside, but they had merely cultivated together for a bit. There was absolutely no romantic feeling on either part. When the woman had realized that she'd gotten pregnant from this interlude, she had therefore obligingly agreed to send the baby to Ning Taio, who had always hoped to raise a genius son. They had then separated on not unfriendly terms.
Once Ning He failed to meet his father's expectations, however, the little sentiment Ning Taio had held for the boy's mother was buried under the conviction that she had sullied his genes.
Nevertheless, the two never met each other again, so this seed of resentment remained dormant until Duangan Pang suggested that using the dantian of someone related to Ning He would have better effects. Between a near-stranger and his son, Ning Taio naturally chose to sacrifice the former. Anyway, it was her duty to fix the defect she'd breeded.
All it took to lure the woman over was a message that her son had heard about her and wished to meet her. Prompted by a moment of maternal instinct, she acceded, but because Ning He's existence really wasn't something to be proud of, she covered up her tracks, leaving no clues for her sect to pursue after her disappearance.
Perhaps these people seemed pitiful to others. Chen Yu simply thought they were ridiculous.
If the woman had committed herself, whether it was to relinquishing Ning He or to acting as a mother, she wouldn't have fallen into the trap. And Ning Taio? He was no more than a walking superiority complex case, albeit well-disguised.
No wonder the original owner had been so silly, he'd been doomed from the start.
Following their disclosure, the twins anxiously stared at the silent youth, their hearts aching in distress. Although this disillusionment had been precisely what they'd been aiming for, actually seeing the child's numb expression filled them with guilt, particularly when they discerned the faint self-mocking light in those innocent eyes.
Desperate to alleviate his sorrow, the brothers decisively gave up their plan to thoroughly torture Ning Taio.
No matter how tough their shizhi tried to act, they knew best how soft-hearted he was. Even if he now understood how much Ning Taio had wronged him, there was no way the filial boy would be comfortable with his father suffering, so Moqi Baihui rushed to at least relieve him of that concern. "Shizhi, if you don't want us to, we won't do anything to Ning Taio. We can even leave him as the leader of that peak."
Beneath his noticeably invigorated façade, Chen Yu contentedly praised his lovers for being the only ones who properly appreciated his kind nature. Truly, there was no way he would have been happy if Ning Taio had just been killed off like that.
No, he had to provide the best medicine for that sick brain: as the man had so craved, his son would climb to the top, and in payment, he would lose his power, status, authority, all as he failed to receive any acknowledgement as a father.
Having confirmed through the boy's slightly brighter eyes that this was the right method to comfort the poor child, Moqi Lirong excitedly offered another salvaged object. "That Zhuo Biming you spoke up for has some problems, but we can let him stay on Jade Sword Mountain for the time being. Is that good? Are you pleased?"
Despite the odd feeling that he was being coaxed with a one plus one sale, Chen Yu gratefully smiled and nodded.
This arrangement really would be the most convenient for managing Zhuo Biming.
While he initially hadn't intended to deal with the protagonist in this world, that didn't mean that he had suddenly developed unlimited patience. Since the brat insisted on challenging him over and over again, Chen Yu wouldn't be so rude as to neglect him.
At any rate, if the problem his lovers had identified was the same issue that he'd deduced, he wouldn't have to do much at all.
Soon, the notice went out that the Puppet Warrior Peak master had been removed from his post and expelled from the sect because he had conspired with You Daolin in return for acquiring Wenren ShiShi's corpse. As for what the sect heads would do to Duangan Pang once he became a defenceless, independent cultivator, that was an open secret.
Ning Taio's charge of feeding Ning He Golden Honey Extract couldn't be kept secret due to Zhuo Biming's blatant accusation, which the twins had induced when they'd been preparing to ultimately execute the scum.
The best they could do, therefore, was to pretend that someone else had tampered with the medicine whereas Ning He had never divulged the problem because he'd misunderstood that it had been his father's fault, leaving Ning Taio unaware of this problem.
For such 'negligent management,' Ning Taio was simply punished with a drastic reduction in Jade Sword Mountain's resource allotments.
Whether the other sect members believed this haphazard front or not wasn't important to the Moqi brothers, nor did they care how many youths would agree to stay on a peak that had no capital and may be run by a jealous leader who could suppress even his own son's talent.
After all, the twins had sworn to Chen Yu that Ning Taio would be safe in his position, not that there would be anyone who studied under him.
But the public's speculation on the fate of these people was instantly eclipsed by the final announcement: for his safety, Ning He had been adopted by the new sect masters and would begin closed-door cultivation with them.
Strolling in Sun and Moon Hall, Chen Yu overheard this news from the lower disciples who'd been cleaning up and barely had a moment to digest before his lovers swept him away to their private cultivation area, coaxing, "Come, let's hear you call us shifu, hm?"
---
In the sealed cave, a thick ambiguous smell filled the air, along with weak whimpers and gasps.
The slim figure glistening in sweat struggled to escape from the overbearing pressure inside of him, but he didn't manage to move an inch. Instead, he was more firmly trapped between two larger bodies, then firmly forced to take every drop of the scorching tide that surged into his stomach.
Finally, when they recovered their breath, the brothers pulled out with a squelch for the first time since they'd entered closed-door cultivation, their fiery eyes fixed on the way the boy's rear overflowed and the passage they'd painstakingly molded into their shape hungrily gaped open.
Although the men had resolved to let the child rest after this round, a beat later, the sight of both his upper and lower mouths pitifully trembling, unable to close, proved too much of a temptation.
The guidance resumed, with a whispered "Oh, baby, look at how much you're leaking. Make sure you don't waste any this time, okay?"
It was thus a long time afterwards that Chen Yu escaped the perverts' insatiable claws and stumbled out to breathe in fresh air.
The several decades he'd been 'cultivating' seemed to have passed in relative peace for the outside world. In this comprehension world, such a period was hardly enough for juvenile disciples to mature into young adults, so there were few changes.
Using the excuse of celebrating his breakthrough into the Nascent Soul stage, a development that was very advanced for his age, Chen Yu invited every peak's leader and personal disciples to a celebration banquet.
From his seat on the sides, Ning Taio's eyes eagerly stuck to the Ning He who sat high up front along with the Moqi masters, yet he wilted when he saw that his son, surrounded by flattering toasts and envious gazes, didn't even pause when he saw him. This blatant disregard was enough for Ning Taio's spirit, which had already been worn down over the years, to collapse thoroughly.
Though he'd expected it, the confirmation that time hadn't lessened his son's disdain for him was overwhelming. As the feast continued, the man's faint hope of gaining forgiveness was extinguished, and it wasn't long before a haggard shadow silently slipped away.
On his way back to his peak, he spotted Zhuo Biming.
The formerly handsome youth had developed into a well-built man, but his attractive features were unnoticeable due to his tattered outer disciple robes and gloomy temperament.
At the sight, the sorrow bearing down on Ning Taio automatically transformed into malice.
Others might not know, but as someone who had cooperated with Duangan Pang for so long, he was sure that that fastidious madman wouldn't have involved an irrelevant person in his schemes. This disciple had definitely aspired to kill his son!
Holding the belief that his misdeeds wouldn't have been exposed to everyone if only the boy hadn't pulled that stunt, Ning Taio had vented his anger on this white-eyed wolf for years. Of course, the boy also hadn't been given any of Jade Sword Mountain's scarce resources.
Anyway, the demonic cultivator had no handle on his weakness anymore. In fact, that person was apparently aware of this, as there hadn't been any other contact.
Moving his eyes up and down the boy in front of him, Ning Taio sneered, "Hey, who's this beggar? What are you sneaking around for, trying to murder someone again? It's too bad, He'er has already become a Nascent Soul cultivator, there's no way you'll stand a chance against him!"
His uncomfortable feelings somewhat eased by the ugly expression on Zhuo Biming's face, Ning Taio snorted, flung his sleeves and left.
Zhuo Biming, who'd been out searching for anything that could aid his cultivation, stared at the man's back with murky eyes. Had Ning He really improved so much?
His chest felt blocked by the thought that his enemy had been luxuriously carried up by the Moqi brothers, whereas without wealth or support, he'd had to crawl up and fight for his very existence.
It wasn't that Zhuo Biming hadn't attempted to transfer from Jade Sword Mountain. He had applied multiple times to every peak. But none of the leaders would welcome a beast into their territory by accepting an apprentice with such a record, especially someone who'd unmistakably offended the sect heads. This was also true for the other disciples, many of whom outright avoided him.
Nonetheless, the protagonist did have his halo. Despite his meagre support, he came across rare herbs and beasts far more often than the average person, which had enabled him to cultivate into the Core Formation level.
It was just that because of Chen Yu's appearance, he'd lost the cannon fodder who should have propelled him into the plot's life-changing events, through which he would have gained a renowned master, ancient treasures, infatuated beauties, and so on.
Still, without comparison, there had been little harm. Zhuo Biming had endured by gritting his teeth and envisioning how he would one day crush anyone who scorned him now.
Yet once Ning He's achievements were unveiled, his hard work over the years instantly became a joke. He had lost to a person he'd considered a waste, so what was he?
The shaken youth became very withdrawn for the next few days, barely carrying out his chores and ignoring his surroundings.
Chen Yu's sole response when he heard of these developments from apprentices eager to curry favour was to hook his lips.
For rational types like this protagonist, grinding him down steadily was more efficient than relying just on goading him into exploding. Thanks to all the preparation he'd done before his retreat based on this strategy, the task completion had risen to 62% even without his presence.
This wasn't bad, but realizing how he couldn't compare to Ning He wouldn't be enough to push Zhuo Biming into acting right away. According to Chen Yu's calculations, it would probably take one more push.
And indeed, when Ning He emerged from his second retreat a century later and announced that he had reached the Soul Formation stage, Zhuo Biming could no longer stand the gap between his enemy and himself.
The reason the demonic cultivator had demanded that Ning Taio allow Zhuo Biming's apprenticeship was that the youth had been conceived through the dual cultivation of a Righteous Path mother and a Demonic Path father. Due to the estrangement between the two Paths, such a combination was unheard of.
But more importantly for demonic practitioners, when Zhuo Biming had still been a fetus, he had utterly drained his mother of her qi until she had died. His father nearby had also been affected, but the talismans the man had been habitually carrying to ward off any attempts his fellow demonic cultivators made to suck his energy had saved him. It was this horrified man who'd notified the doctors to come.
The idea that had emerged when the demonic leaders heard that the doctors had cut open the withered sack of flesh to reveal a healthy baby was obvious: if they could train this child, it might become the greatest weapon against the Righteous Path cultivators.
And so began a long assault.
While he had originally been told to wait until he could reasonably defeat the guardians of Heavenly Saber Sect, Zhuo Biming was becoming more and more skeptical that such a day would ever arrive. If he absorbed a Soul Formation level cultivator, he would assuredly advance by leaps and bounds and perhaps have a chance. After all, the stronger his prey, the stronger his growth.
Emboldened by this prospect, he moved his hands and feet to attend Ning He's less exclusive celebration feast and snuck into the corner. He didn't have to wait long. In the time it took to burn an incense stick, the Moqi brothers walked in holding a still youthful-looking man and carefully tended to his comfort.
His gaze cold, Zhuo Biming didn't hesitate to concentrate his energy on that hateful figure.
Although there was some danger because he was weaker in terms of Righteous Path cultivation, he was confident that the fool wouldn't have experience defending against Demonic Path attacks, since the two sides hadn't openly engaged in a public battle for thousands of years. As he'd expected, there was no indication that Ning He had sensed anything even when he was about to consume his qi, and Zhuo Biming clenched his fists in alert anticipation.
But suddenly, the necklace around his target's neck shone brightly, repelling the strike and burning a brand into Zhuo Biming's cheek.
As soon as this evidence was secured, the twins immediately stood in front of their baby, then Moqi Baihui comforted him while Lirong aggressively seized the bastard. Even if they'd been waiting for him to make a move and were sure that they had put sufficient protection in place, their hearts had uncontrollably shaken, further aggravated by how pale Ning He had turned.
There was no way they would let Zhuo Biming go anymore.
Zhuo Biming was too clever to miss the fact that his identity had long been discovered. It was clear now that he had always been just a jumping clown for them. Surrounded by the disdainful faces of the crowd, he was unreconciled yet unable to resist, helpless to do anything but listen as he was sentenced to death and sent away in short order.
If anyone could have saved him, it would have been Chen Yu, but he absolutely didn't care to, since he was now at 89%. Taking into account how long his life here would last, he wouldn't have any difficulty completing his task through stimulating mob characters.
Besides, some coaxing in bed revealed that there would be some interesting events coming up.
Apparently, Duangan Pang had long been captured back and his ability to think independently broken, so he would safely be used to refine Zhuo Biming into a puppet that could target both Demonic and Righteous Path cultivators.
Releasing such a tool would conveniently send a strong warning to everyone and avenge the fright Ning He had suffered from Zhuo Biming's attack—no doubt the demonic cultivator who had colluded with Ning Taio and Duangan Pang would be among the first to be killed.
Except for these small incidents, Chen Yu's life continued on smoothly. The stronger he became, the longer he spent in closed-door cultivation, so much so that he gained a reputation for his diligence and frequently received questions on how he maintained his enthusiasm. To this, he merely patted his back and replied that he had gotten used to it.
Eventually, however, Chen Yu decided to leave despite the twins' tireless petting, having been told by the system that he would be stuck in this plane if he became an immortal. While he didn't have much of an obsession about returning to his original life, he wasn't certain what would happen to his lovers' incarnations if he stayed in this world.
Thus, when the time came for his heavenly tribulation, he kissed the men on their chins, assured them that his soul wouldn't be shattered no matter what, and walked away.
After the last bolt of lightning struck, the brothers who'd been suppressing the foreboding in their hearts hurried to search for their baby, digging into the ground and roaming all around. But he was nowhere to be found.