After Qi Jingyao left, Xuan Lang went to the doorway to clean up the mess.
The dust on the ground had already been swept away more or less by those attendants rolling around in it, leaving Xuan Lang with very little to tidy up aside from picking up the broom that had been sent flying and returning it to its proper place.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “The Immortal Elder didn’t need to offend him like that on my account. Qi Jingyao holds grudges; I’m afraid he might treat you the same way in the future.”
Xuan Lang was already used to it. Ever since he arrived in Xunyang at the age of six to depend on the Qi family, Qi Jingyao had constantly bullied him like this.
He had resisted once and nearly injured Qi Jingyao. When Patriarch Qi found out, he pointed right at his nose and cursed him as a star of ill omen, warning him never to bring disaster upon the Qi family.
Ever since then, Xuan Lang grew even more insecure, never daring to show his face in public again, let alone resist anyone.
A life of depending on others had stripped Xuan Lang of any thought of resistance, for he felt he simply wasn’t worthy to begin with. Just as Qi Jingyao said, he was a monster different from everyone else, and no one was willing to accept him.
Li Jian shrugged. “I’m not afraid. If he holds a grudge, let him; he can’t possibly do anything to me.”
Xuan Lang nodded. “That’s true. With the Immortal Elder’s profound cultivation, there really is nothing he can do.”
He had been worrying needlessly. No matter how capable Qi Jingyao was, it was entirely backed by the Qi family name. Out of indulgence for him being the precious child Patriarch Qi had fathered late in life, others simply chose not to bicker with him. But when facing an immortal elder, there was truly nothing to worry about.
Having finished chewing the food in his mouth, Li Jian set down his chopsticks, tilted his head to look at Xuan Lang, and asked, “Would you like to learn? I can teach you.”
“Me?” Xuan Lang pointed at himself, taken aback by the sudden offer.
Li Jian said, “Yes. I see you have great natural talent; if you practice the sword, you might even become a formidable sword cultivator.”
Just like Immortal Lord Shiyuan, renowned throughout the world though he himself was actually Immortal Lord Shiyuan in the flesh, encouragement was never out of place.
Xuan Lang’s gaze dimmed as he pressed his lips together and said, “I can’t do it.”
Li Jian replied, “How would you know you can’t if you don’t try?”
Besides, the system had explicitly stated that he was the most naturally gifted sword cultivator in the entire cultivation world. If even he couldn’t do it, who else could?
“I don’t usually teach people just like that, you know. Consider this the payment for staying at your place. Don’t you want to become a bit stronger? Opportunities like this come only once, and they won’t wait…”
Urged on by Li Jian, Xuan Lang somehow ended up agreeing. Since Li Jian was the one teaching him, he found no reason to refuse.
Qi Jingyao returned to the Qi estate with his tail tucked between his legs, flanked by his dejected attendants. As they reached the entrance, they happened to run into Song Zhiyuan coming the other way.
Qi Jingyao lazily raised a hand in a casual gesture of greeting.
They were all prominent, wealthy families in Xunyang City, living within the same urban center, and had known each other since childhood. However, Song Zhiyuan was different from Qi Jingyao. The Qi family came from a merchant background, establishing their foothold in Xunyang through a fortune that made them wealthier than entire regions. Qi Jingyao could only be considered a minor foot soldier who managed to squeeze his way into the ranks of Xunyang’s young masters, though his frequent overbearing arrogance always kept him on the verge of being cast out.
The Song family, on the other hand, hailed from generations of military generals, with ancestors who had practiced swordsmanship across the board. They stood as the foremost elites among Xunyang’s young masters.
In particular, since Xunyang City traditionally revered cultivators, Song Zhiyuan’s exceptional talent offered him a genuine hope of entering an immortal sect for cultivation, naturally earning him greater respect from all the families.
Had it not been for this, despite both belonging to prestigious households, other families wouldn’t have gone out of their way to seek Song Zhiyuan’s guidance and lower their own standing.
Although Qi Jingyao usually looked down his nose at everyone, he still maintained enough common courtesy to exchange a couple of greetings with Song Zhiyuan whenever they crossed paths.
Of course, that assumed he could preserve his own dignity while doing so.
At this moment, however, Qi Jingyao felt as though his face had been utterly disgraced; he had no dignity left to show Song Zhiyuan, so he waved his hand, hoping to slip away quickly.
Song Zhiyuan had no intention of letting him off so easily. Walking briskly over, he stared at the spot Qi Jingyao was clutching on his forehead and asked, “What happened to you?”
Qi Jingyao glanced at him irritably. “Nothing. Just bumped into something by accident.”
He certainly wasn’t going to tell Song Zhiyuan that he had been injured by that fellow Xuan Lang and the reinforcement he brought along. If he did, he would have even less face left to mingle among the young masters.
Studying Qi Jingyao’s expression, Song Zhiyuan figured it out immediately and decided to switch questions instead. What about that cultivator who helped Patriarch Qi find the divine statue? Is he still staying at your house?”
“He ran off,” Qi Jingyao muttered.
“Ran off?”
Song Zhiyuan looked perplexed.
“But I heard that Immortal Lord Shiyuan’s divine statue has already been found, and Patriarch Qi even broadcasted the news everywhere to express his gratitude to that immortal elder. Since the item was found, why would he run away?”
Annoyed by the questioning, Qi Jingyao pulled away the hand covering his face and pointed straight at it. “Look, see this face of mine? Do you see it? That’s what he hit me with! With that kind of record, do you think he’d dare stay here?!”
If that fellow had dared to remain at the Qi family estate, Qi Jingyao swore he would have found a chance for revenge!
Even if he wasn’t staying at the Qi family anymore, as long as he remained in Xunyang City for a single day, he would settle the score right alongside his grudge against Xuan Lang!
As the proud young master of the Qi family, who had always gotten whatever he wanted since childhood, this was the first time he had ever been beaten into such a sorry state. He simply had no face left to face anyone.
“This was… struck by that immortal elder?”
Song Zhiyuan clearly found it hard to believe. “That immortal elder looked thoroughly refined and reasonable. Why would he resort to unprovoked violence against you?”
Observing his expression, Song Zhiyuan quickly pieced things together: Qi Jingyao must have provoked Immortal Li in some way, driving the man past his breaking point.
Such an occurrence suited Qi Jingyao’s character to a tee.
If not for the fact that he was the Qi family’s only seedling and a child fathered late in life, countless young masters in Xunyang City would have long since jumped at the chance to beat him up.
Completely oblivious, Qi Jingyao looked back at Song Zhiyuan in bewilderment. “You say he’s reasonable? Bah, reasonable my foot! He didn’t even speak a word before resorting to violence. It’s all that bastard Xuan Lang’s fault for getting me beaten up like this—I’m not letting him off the hook!”
Song Zhiyuan shook his head. “To be fair, Xuan Lang is still your cousin; you really shouldn’t treat him that way.”
Suffering a beating now was merely cause and effect coming full circle, with each receiving their due retribution. Immortal Li’s intervention could be considered a display of righteous chivalry.
Qi Jingyao rolled his eyes at him. “What do you know? He’s a monster, a complete menace!”
“What do you mean?” Song Zhiyuan asked.
“Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
Frizzled like an agitated cat, the golden-robed young master gave an impatient wave, brushed past Song Zhiyuan, and sprinted back toward his family’s residence amidst the eager shouts of his attendants. He wanted nothing to do with the outside world, where his humiliation had been laid bare, for even another second.
The small courtyard outside the city was modest, consisting of just two simple rooms. One served as Xuan Lang’s usual sleeping quarters, while the other was entirely empty, functioning essentially as a small storage shed.
When bedtime arrived, Xuan Lang thoughtfully prepared things for Li Jian, ceding his quilt to him while preparing to sleep on a thin coverlet on the floor.
Having just washed up, Li Jian wore only a thin undergarment with his outer robe draped loosely over his shoulders. His dark hair fell in loose strands, occasionally revealing the fair skin along his relaxed collarline.
Seeing Xuan Lang cautiously hugging his bedding, Li Jian asked, “Where are you going?”
Lowering his gaze, Xuan Lang replied, “I… I’m going to sleep in the next room.”
“Isn’t there no bed in there?” Li Jian glanced sideways before asking.
Xuan Lang answered, “I can sleep on the floor.”
Whenever he stayed at the Qi family estate previously, he had always slept on the floor, and he was already used to it.
Sitting up straight on the couch, Li Jian shifted a bit further inward, crossed his legs in meditation, and patted the space beside him after glancing at Xuan Lang, who was clutching his bedding to leave. “Isn’t there still plenty of space here? Come over.”
Although he wasn’t about to make a move on the young immortal lord right now while hurrying through the mission, watching the proud immortal lord go sleep on the bare floor while he hogged someone else’s bed was something Li Jian simply couldn’t bring himself to do.
Moreover, Xuan Lang’s bed was actually quite spacious enough for two people to lie side by side with room to spare. While it would feel somewhat awkward, if anyone was going to sleep on the floor, it should be him, not the young immortal lord.
Xuan Lang stood frozen in place. He had never entertained the notion of sharing a bed with Li Jian; it felt far too presumptuous.
Li Jian insisted, “It’s fine. We’re both guys here, not young maidens where men and women shouldn’t touch. We’ll just share for the night, and I’ll go buy a proper setup tomorrow morning.”
Initially, Xuan Lang might have remained hesitant, undecided on whether to stay or go. But the moment Li Jian uttered those words, he reacted like a firecracker touched by a fuse, clutching his bedding and bolting straight out the door without once looking back.
Following a gust of wind, only the flimsy wooden door remained swaying back and forth on its hinges.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Li Jian propped his chin in his hand and meditated in silence, utterly baffled as to what on earth had gotten into Xuan Lang.