Huo Yan shifted his gaze away immediately, making the brief moment of eye contact seem like a mere coincidence.
Xian Yuzhu breathed a sigh of relief and began to reassure himself. What was there to fear? Not only was his mask capable of fooling anyone below the Spirit Severing stage, but even if Huo Yan knew it was him watching the commotion from the crowd, the man had no reason to act. After all, this mortal named Xie Shurong had come seeking Huo Yan on his own initiative; Yuzhu had not technically sent him.
Of course, the outer sect disciples had initially intended to drive away the impoverished looking mortal. However, following the principle of “anything that causes Huo Yan trouble is a good thing,” they had allowed the man inside.
Zhou Xu had certainly outdone himself; Xie Shurong’s appearance was a magnificent surprise for Xian Yuzhu. He wanted to see how Huo Yan, that rigid and pedantic gentleman, would handle an unmarried fiancé he clearly did not love.
Huo Yan’s moment of distraction lasted only a second before he regained his absolute clarity. The appearance of “Xie Shurong” was bizarre. Even with a complete grasp of the future timeline and plot in his mind, Huo Yan was certain that this so called childhood betrothal was a complete fabrication.
As for the motive, it remained unknown. Huo Yan had no intention of letting an unknown variable wander off. Xie Shurong possessed no spiritual fluctuations, yet he could produce the Huo family wooden plaque and a marriage contract out of thin air. Such a strange individual required vigilance.
More importantly, Huo Yan’s gaze swept inconspicuously toward a certain boy in the crowd wearing a fake skin and gloating. A specific, triumphant idiot thought he had finally caught Huo Yan’s weakness. Huo Yan did not doubt for a second that Xian Yuzhu would seek an opportunity to get close to Xie Shurong, only to be swindled and led around by the nose.
“Your identity still needs to be verified. Until then, stay within the sect and rest assured,” Huo Yan said. He tossed a guest token from his storage bag to the person on the ground. “Get up. Take this to the Elder of Daily Affairs; he will arrange a courtyard for you.”
To monitor him and prevent him from harming others, Huo Yan deliberately placed Xie Shurong in the most remote courtyard on his own peak. Within this range, any suspicious movement from Xie Shurong could not escape Huo Yan’s divine sense and could be neutralized instantly.
There was one more benefit to having Xie Shurong on his peak: perhaps, during the night, he might catch a sleek, foolish, and beautifully wicked fox. The thought of suddenly appearing and scaring his little Junior Brother until he cried and squeaked like a fox was quite amusing to Huo Yan.
Xie Shurong’s face contorted for a split second when he realized he had failed to infiltrate Huo Yan’s immediate living quarters to absorb his luck. Damn it!
[Host, what is the rush?] the mechanical voice of the Fate Changing System interjected. [Infiltrating the sect is already a good start. At the very least, you are on the same peak as the protagonist. Furthermore, the Dragon Awe protagonist of this world is like this. Huo Yan is upright, but that does not mean he is naive. How could a man who eventually blackens and destroys the world without a trace believe your words so easily?]
Xie Shurong barked back mentally, his eyes burning with frustration. [I know that. You do not need to remind me!]
The system fell silent. Xie Shurong began his performance, skillfully putting on a pathetic display of joy mixed with melancholy. He attempted to stand, only to collapse back down. Finally, with a pale face and a bitten lip, he slowly reached out his hand toward Huo Yan.
“Oh, Big Brother Huo, my legs seem to have gone numb.”
Gross, gross, gross! Xie Rong felt like vomiting. He liked delicate beauties, not a man like Huo Yan who was more masculine than his original self. If he did not know that a single touch could grant him 1% of the protagonist’s luck, he would never endure such a disgusting task.
To his surprise, Huo Yan acted as if he had heard nothing. He watched the performance with cold indifference, showing no intention of offering a hand. Whether Xie Shurong’s legs were truly numb did not matter to him. He had official business to attend to. This farce was over.
Meanwhile, the private cultivation chat group for Yuxian Sect disciples was buzzing with news of the scene at the Eldest Senior Brother’s gate. Anonymous recordings from every possible angle were being shared. The discussion was heated, with most expressions being of mockery rather than sympathy.
Xian Yuzhu was delighted. Without hiding his identity, he sent a message: “My, does this mean we are going to have a mortal Eldest Sister in law?”
The group exploded instantly. The “licking dogs” emerged in droves.
“Young Sect Master, ahhh!”
“Young Sect Master, I am 192cm tall and 176lbs. I am handsome, suave, and my family owns spirit mines. I volunteer to be your guest of honor!” (Violent or inappropriate speech; user has been kicked out of Yuxian Cultivation Group 1 by the administrator.)
“Junior Brother Yuzhu is as elegant as the moon. I wonder if you would be willing to visit Crescent Spring with me tonight to enjoy the scenery?”
“I am vomiting. Whose ancient style male partner is this? Take him away; do not disgust the Young Sect Master.”
“Exclusive Private Detective: Beautiful photos of Yuzhu hitting people in private have leaked! His angry expression has stunned his fellow disciples. A pack of ten is only 999 spirit stones. Buyout priority. Contact me at: 1xxxx999”
Xian Yuzhu posted a question mark. Wasn’t the point to mock Huo Yan? Why was the focus shifting to him?
“Enough! Shut up! Stay on topic!” he typed frantically. “I order you, right here and now, to discuss when that dead faced Huo Yan will marry his mortal male fiancé!”
The direction of the chat shifted immediately. There were fewer people acting like dogs for Yuzhu and more people mocking Huo Yan. Yuzhu sighed in relief.
Just as he was about to slip away with the crowd and re-watch the recordings at home for a good laugh, a message popped up in the group.
Group Admin Huo Yan: “During morning practice, you still have the mind for gossip? It seems your daily cultivation is not arduous enough. Starting today, evening practice will be extended by six hours. Those who fail the end of month assessment will undergo seven days of bitter cultivation at Reflection Cliff.”
“And you, @The Great and Famous Young Sect Master Yuzhu Himself, come to the Library to find me after classes today. If you do not show up, face the consequences.”
He added one final line: “Do not think about asking the elders for help. Xian Yuzhu, you are under my supervision now.”
The group went deathly silent. A moment later, a disciple typed: “Wait, why is the Eldest Senior Brother in this group? Who invited him!?”
Xian Yuzhu was stunned. His heart raced as he whipped his head around. Huo Yan stood outside his courtyard gates with his hands behind his back, his dark eyes staring silently at him.
His thin lips moved slightly. Judging by the shape of his mouth, he was saying: “You. Never. Learn. Just. Wait.”
This was impossible! Xian Yuzhu’s eyes widened. His perfect disguise had been seen through by this psychopath? Or had Huo Yan reached the Spirit Severing stage in secret?
There was no time to think. Xian Yuzhu struggled to squeeze through the crowd. His thoughts were a mess; fear gripped him, and he even felt a phantom pain in his palms and the small of his back.