Huo Yan had come here to inform Xian Yuzhu regarding the matters of the Secret Realm trial. He did not expect that the moment he stepped onto the bamboo forest viewing platform, he would hear a certain beautiful little idiot, who not long ago was crying in his arms out of fear, speaking ill of him to a servant.
A dog? That was not a bad comparison.
Huo Yan expressionlessly swept his gaze over Xian Yuzhu’s falling long hair, considering the feasibility of making Xian Yuzhu grow brown puppy ears and a tail. If Yuzhu, who always prided himself on his nobility, woke up one morning to find he had grown the tail and ears of a common mutt, he would likely be too terrified to leave the house. He would only be able to tuck his tail, hide under the blankets, and sob.
But puppies, after all, were meant to be close to people. Huo Yan imagined a scene where he held Xian Yuzhu on his lap; before he could even offer a few strokes, the fluffy tail behind the person in his arms would wag cheerfully. Meanwhile, Puppy Yuzhu, betrayed by his own tail, could only look on in disbelief and shrink into his embrace, shedding tears of humiliation. At this thought, Huo Yan’s eyes darkened involuntarily.
On the outside, Yuzhu looked like a noble and cold red fox, lazily ignoring everyone while being the center of attention wherever he went. But in reality, once they returned to the room, once the hood was removed and the glamorous celestial robes were shed, one would discover he was merely a puppy shivering under his hand.
Tsk. Huo Yan began to contemplate the feasibility of this matter. At present, the odds were not very high. He lowered his eyes, his fingertips lightly rubbing together. If Xian Yuzhu knew he was being imagined as a dog, he would likely jump three feet high in rage, wishing he could kill Huo Yan immediately. It was quite interesting.
Yuan Shun felt that Huo Yan’s gaze was becoming increasingly strange, so he hurriedly coughed. “Young Sect Leader! Chief Huo has arrived!”
Xian Yuzhu stopped his cursing of Huo Yan and turned around, only to see that expressionless, deadpan face. For some reason, Xian Yuzhu shuddered. In the dark, there seemed to be a gloomy sensation that made his skin crawl.
“Hey, what are you doing here? You are not even speaking.”
Huo Yan snapped back to his senses upon hearing this, his heavy gaze falling on Xian Yuzhu’s soul snatching face.
“Business.”
He was as taciturn as ever. Xian Yuzhu hated talkative people but disliked silent blocks of wood even more, so he gave a massive roll of his eyes.
“What business do you have with me?”
Xian Yuzhu played idly with his scallion white fingertips. His peach blossom eyes swept around, and he pointed at Yuan Shun. “If you are here to give a gift, look, just give it to him.”
Huo Yan: “.”
Huo Yan frowned. “No gift.”
Why would he bring a gift? Logically, it should be Xian Yuzhu giving a gift to him, his teacher.
“?”
If he was not bringing a gift, what was he here for? Xian Yuzhu grew angry. He slammed down the picture album in his hand and stood up from the reclining chair. Yuan Shun reached out to support him. “Young Sect Leader.”
Xian Yuzhu pushed Yuan Shun away with his arm and stomped over to stand before Huo Yan. He circled the man a few times and indeed found that his hands were empty; he had brought nothing.
“Heavens!” Xian Yuzhu looked on in disbelief. “I have broken through to the Great Circle of the Golden Core stage. As the Eldest Senior Brother and my father’s direct disciple, do you really have no gesture of congratulations?”
Huo Yan lowered his gaze. The small person before him reached only to the upper part of his chest when looking up.
“What do you want?”
Huo Yan had never given a gift. For a truly strong person, worldly wisdom and social niceties were never necessary. Seeing that Huo Yan was not angry, Xian Yuzhu’s light colored pupils darted around, and he naturally took advantage of the situation. “Since you asked, does that mean you will give me whatever I want?”
Huo Yan was nearly laughed at by this idiot who lacked self-awareness. Did Xian Yuzhu really not know that Huo Yan had yet to settle the score for the time he conspired with Xie Shurong?
Huo Yan’s lips curled coldly. “Do not go too far. Do you think that is possible?”
Xian Yuzhu took an incredulous step back. “You!”
He let out a shout and jumped up to grab at Huo Yan’s hair. “I want a gift! You must be lying, right? What did you prepare for me? Hurry up and let me see it!”
The way he circled around him like this made him look even more like a puppy. Huo Yan’s tone was cold. “Stop messing around. There is serious business.”
Watching from the side, Yuan Shun’s face was full of hesitation. It was normal for his precious Young Sect Leader to act spoiled or hit people, but why was the usually cold Huo Yan so calm? He even saw a faint hint of indulgence on Huo Yan’s face.
Yuan Shun’s mouth twitched. He did not know if that description was correct; perhaps it was an illusion from a long day of moving things. After all, the Young Sect Leader hated Chief Huo so much, and Chief Huo did not look like the type to have a good temper.
Xian Yuzhu did not know what Yuan Shun was imagining. He had not gotten what he wanted, so he pushed Huo Yan away, visibly unhappy.
“Fine. What do you have to report?”
Huo Yan likely knew why Xian Yuzhu’s spirits were low. The Sect Leader had been in seclusion for several days. Xian Yuzhu had shared the joy of his breakthrough with everyone, but he was unable to receive the most important blessings and praise from his father. For a child accustomed to relying on family, such a result was always a bit cruel.
Huo Yan said no more. He told Xian Yuzhu that the sect intended to depart for the Mobei Secret Realm in three days, and then he left the bamboo forest.
Yuan Shun looked worried. “Young Sect Leader, are you really going to the Secret Realm trial?”
Every year, many cultivators never return from the large scale Secret Realm trials, and those who fall often include famous geniuses from various sects.
“I suppose I must.”
Trials symbolized danger, but danger often coexisted with opportunity. The Mobei Secret Realm had a harsh environment and was a famous place for making a name for oneself; it only opened once every five hundred years. Huo Yan was right; Xian Yuzhu could not miss it. He gripped the transmission jade pendant at his waist, which had been silent for days. For the first time, he spoke words that no one would expect, words that would make an elder weep with joy at a child growing up.
“Moreover, I do not want Father to worry about me anymore.”
Three Days Later
A group of disciples gathered at the Yuxian Sect square. They wore blue and white celestial robes with wide sleeves, and the cuffs and hems were embroidered with pearl patterns, the mark of inner disciples. Following tradition, the disciples listened to the instructions and warnings of the elders from various peaks before they began to board the celestial boat in an orderly fashion.
News that Xian Yuzhu would participate in this trial had leaked, so the cabins on the fourth floor, closest to the fifth floor, became the most sought after spots. As for why no one dared to snatch the fifth floor, it was naturally because they could not afford to provoke the people living there.
Xian Yuzhu’s room was the grandest one at the innermost part of the fifth floor. The outer room was occupied by his personal servants, like Yuan Shun, to facilitate taking care of their master at any time. The middle room had been temporarily converted into a bathroom for the Young Sect Leader.
Xian Yuzhu loved cleanliness. Even as a Golden Core cultivator who could refresh himself with a simple spell, he insisted on a bath at least every three days. The outermost room was undoubtedly occupied by the Chief and leader, Huo Yan.
Stepping onto the fifth floor of the celestial boat, Xian Yuzhu looked around the room where he would sleep for the next ten or so days, as if inspecting his territory. The quilt was his favorite set, a light incense burned in the room, and a few steps away was the observation balcony where he could enjoy the scenery. It was clean, dustless, and luxuriously decorated, barely enough to pass Yuzhu’s standards.
“Not bad.” After Xian Yuzhu offered his calm praise, Yuan Shun took the outer robe his master had removed. He did not seek credit and said, “As long as the Young Sect Leader is satisfied.”
As for Huo Yan’s side, things would be a bit more perfunctory.