"Y-You, you're a... Demonic cultivator?!" Genshu Hao said in shock.
After all, that was the only conclusion he could come up with in his current state, as his body was in shock due to suddenly losing his heart and the situation is such that he isn't able to think too correctly.
Zhun He chuckled at his words as he looked at the guy and shook his head.
"No. I am not. I had come here to get the secret of the Moon Pearl Pill, and the princess of the sect had given me what I needed. As for your heart, well I was thinking of trading it for something useful." Zhun He said with a smile on his face.
"Y-You are delusional, they will get you." Genshu Hao said as some more blood fell out of his mouth.
"I will be long gone by the time they realise what had happened. And besides, my name isn't Zhun He anyway." Zhun He said which caused his victim's eyes widened.
"Wh-Why... my heart?" Genshu Hao asked as he gasped a bit.
'Using qi to keep himself alive huh.' Zhun He thought to himself as he looked at him.
"The heart of a pure soul such as yours would be a valuable material for a demonic cultivator. Don't worry, you should be honoured that you will be of help to someone like me, at least your death will have some meaning." Zhun He said with a smile.
"Y-You bastard. What about Zhu Li, were you following her just to annoy me." Genshu Hao said as he felt more difficulty breathing.
"Her? Ah no, I was just spending some time with her, as I already have someone in my eyes that I want to make mine. Now then, while I would like to chat more, I would like to leave the sect quickly, I do have lots of things to do. Just be glad that your death came from my hands, not everyone has the fortune of dying from my actions." Zhun He said with arrogance which grated on Genshu Hao's ears.
Zhun He then pulled his arm back as Genshu Hao gasped, his clothes and hair red from his own blood as he stumbled a bit before he was pushed down the cliff by the former. The princess' disciple couldn't do anything as he was missing a heart as he plummeted down the cliff as Zhun He smiled and walked away with the heart.
Genshu Hao used the rest of his qi to keep his eyes open as he raised his right hand and tried to grab onto the side of the cliff, which failed as he wasn't able to get a good grip and was only able to slow him down minutely as his fingers carved the side as he rapidly approached the ground.
He used more strength to grab the side of the cliff and found some purchase, which only resulted in him hitting the cliff and falling down, slamming into the ground and rocks as he gasped and coughed out blood as he bounced a bit into the air and fell on the ground as he whimpered in pain.
His left arm, leg, ribs and hip had suffered damage from the hit and fall, his kneecap and elbows were shattered from the force and fractures were on his limbs, some of his ribs have cracks and the hip was much the same. His right palm had been cut by small rocks and his left side sported injuries from the hit as his entire body was in pain.
But the thing that was most painful for him, was the lack of his heart, where now only a hole remained as he wheezed as blood pooled around him.
He had used his qi to keep himself alive as he used his right hand and searched inside of his robes, before he pulled out a small wooden container in the shape of a box which had also been broken as the pills inside fell out and on him and the ground.
He grabbed what he could, which was three of them as his mind was close to blanking out from the damage, qi and adrenaline being the things that has allowed him to keep his consciousness as he put the pills in his mouth and crushed them before swallowing.
His eyes widened as he gasped as he arched his back as his body spasmed as the pills started to work, as it started to heal his body as he felt it. The pills were quite potent healing pills that he had asked for in exchange for completing a negotiation. It is a good pill to heal physical damage to oneself and he was quite glad that he always carried them with him.
He felt his heart being formed as he gasped as he spat out more blood as the blood clots that had formed inside of his bloodstream rushed out of his mouth as the pills worked as he gasped as he felt his heart taking form in his chest.
He felt a thing moving inside his body before he felt a heartbeat once more before he felt the healing start affecting the rest of his body as well as his whole body was being healed as he spit out more blood and some from his nose as it had entered it due to his situation.
But after few agonizing minutes, it was done as his body was healed, but it left him weak and surrounded in his own blood as he tried to keep his eyes open but failed as he lost the strength due to all the pain he suffered, and also from experiencing a new heart being formed inside of his body as his eyes closed and he went unconscious, lying in a pool of his own blood.
Timeskip
Guo Shen could say that he is someone who is very close to Genshu Hao, as despite having a rocky start, they had become good friends, especially due to the younger boys knowledge and skills, especially when he had helped him get together with the girl he liked.
He considers himself to be a close friend of the boy, which was why he felt worried when he didn't see him in the morning, as he would usually be in the palace. And so he went to find Zhu Li, as he thought that the girl might've seen his friend.
"Genshu Hao? I don't know where he is. He didn't annoy me with another proposal so I have been in a good mood." Zhu Li had said to him when he asked that.
Guo Shen of course felt angry at the girl for what she had said, but he didn't do anything as he knew her strength and prominence in the sect. Zhu Li should have felt lucky that an intelligent and skilled guy like Genshu Hao was pursuing her.
While he had believed that one's cultivation mattered most, his notion had been changed after he had spent time with Genshu Hao and learned of his intelligence. He realised that while cultivation does have a major part, having intelligence is also a very important thing and he had more respect for the younger boy and wasn't so narrow minded.
He pondered it as he asked around to know if anyone knew about his whereabouts, and after understanding that none knew where his friend is, Guo Shen went to the place where he knew that the kid would spend his morning drinking tea, as Genshu Hao has told him about it after they had become good friends.
And so he made his way to the cliff, curious to see if his friend had decided to spend more time there. That curiosity however changed into worry when he spotted something red at the edge of the cliffs as he immediately ran to it and inspected it as his eyes widened.
"Blood." Guo Shen said in shock.
He looked at the blood and saw that it went towards the edge of the cliffs as he went over and his eyes widened when he saw a body at the bottom and he spotted the white hair. He felt fear as he jumped down from the cliff as he neared the ground as he slowed his fall and landed on the ground.
"Genshu Hao!" Guo Shen shouted as he kneeled in front of his friend.
He was stunned at the state of the boy, surrounded in blood and there was damage to his clothes which indicated wounds and the pills also got his attention as he checked him and was relieved to see that he is alive.
He shook him with urgency as the boy groaned as Guo Shen felt relieved when he did that as the boy slowly opened his eyes and blinked weakly.
"Guo... Shen?" Genshu Hao asked confused.
"Yes! It's me! What happened? How did you become like this? Who did this!?" Guo Shen asked with worry and urgency.
Genshu Hao looked at him in confusion for a few moments before he remembered what had happened the night prior as his eyes widened as he got his bearings.
"Zhun He. It was Zhun He." Genshu Hao said as the teenager felt his blood boil when he heard that.
"That bastard! How dare he do that! You were right about him!" Guo Shen said in anger as his eyes glowed with qi.
"The sect. We must inform the sect. Lady Yanyue..." Genshu Hao said as he groaned.
"I understand. I'll take you." Guo Shen said as he picked his friend up in a princess carry.
Genshu Hao didn't care what position he was in, far too tired and weak at the moment to say anything as he looked at his bloodied chest.
"The pills, don't forget the pills." Genshu Hao said weakly as Guo Shen obliged.
After he had taken the pills and stored them in his friend's box and placed it in his hand, he ran with him in his arms. The fall was steep and they were at the foot of the mountain where their sect lives, as Guo Shen ran and went to the entrance.
The guards stationed there looked at him with wide eyes as he ran with Genshu Hao, as they were aware of their standing as Guo Shen simply ignored them and ran past them up the stairs.
The two guards took a moment to comprehend what had happened before they immediately followed after, calling for the young man.
Guo Shen ignored everything else and ran to get help as he passed more guards who were now following him. The older boy managed to reach the palace as he ran towards the upper parts of the palace.
At the upper parts of the palace, Zhu Li was wondering where Zhun He had gone, as she hasn't been able to find the boy since this morning. She was aware that other girls were also interested in him, but she wasn't about to let them get the guy that she has her eyes over.
Today had been quite pleasant if she does say so herself. She hadn't been pestered by Genshu Hao with another proposal and it was peaceful and happy, until of course some time later Guo Shen had come to her asking about him, and she of course told him that she didn't know about him.
The place was abuzz however by the people who were wondering where Genshu Hao could've gone due to the words and inquiry of the the Guo clan heir. She felt a bit irritated that they were all talking about Genshu Hao like he was quite important, when he was only a cultivator of the copper core stage.
"All of you move out of the way!" Guo Shen's voice carried over the area as she and many others looked in the direction of the voice.
And her eyes widened in shock when she saw Guo Shen with Genshu Hao in his arms. His form bloody as he laid motionless in his arms, something which was so different from his usual appearance that she had frozen at the sight. She wasn't the only one as many disciples of the sect gasped at the sight of the princess' disciple.
"Lady Yanyue! Lady Yanyue!" Guo Shen shouted with all his mind as he ran to get to the princess.
Zhu Li looked in the direction in which the larger boy had gone for a few seconds before she ran after him, a worry settling inside of her as she remembered the state in which she had just seen Genshu Hao.
'What happened?' Zhu Li thought to herself as she felt worry for the bloodied boy.