Huo Yan unfastened the saber from his waist and placed it on the table. The interior decor was ordinary; the bed was covered with thin bedding, a screen stood nearby for hanging clothes, and a plate of pastries sat on the table next to a pot of tea. Huo Yan had few requirements for his living quarters; he did not even care if there was a bed. Given his current cultivation level, he did not need to sleep like a mortal. Most of the time, he relied on meditation to relieve fatigue. About an hour was enough to ensure he was high-spirited the next day.
The Yuxian Sect was located in the south-central region of the continent, far from the Northern Desert. The flying vessel was massive, and despite its fine craftsmanship, it did not travel quickly. However, compared to flying on a sword, the vessel was the most comfortable way for cultivators to travel long distances. The first level served as a meeting area, while the second, third, and fourth levels were divided into many cabins, with four cultivators sharing each room. A special sub-deck housed the servants and followers who ensured the daily needs of the cultivators were met; they slept crowded together in large communal bunks. The major sects of the cultivation world agreed that secret realms were harsh and conditions were difficult, so providing a good resting environment before disciples entered to fight for opportunities was essential.
Above the clouds, the Yuxian Sect vessel gradually distanced itself from the sect boundaries. Xian Yuzhu stood on the observation deck, reaching out his hand until his fingertips could touch the damp clouds. His black hair drifted behind him in the wind. For a moment, it was hard to tell which was whiter: the clouds or the beauty’s fingertips, which looked like carved scallion roots.
When his father was not in secluded meditation, Yuzhu rarely traveled far. Perhaps because he was the only precious family member left, Yuzhu’s father treated this only son, named after pearls and fine jade and left behind by his late wife, with extreme care. He treated him as if he were a truly fragile gemstone. In Xian Yuzhu’s memory, the few times he had gone out were as a young child accompanying sect elders to attend banquets at major sects or to discuss matters of the cultivation world. Of course, he had been confined then as well, never allowed to leave the sight of his elders.
Given his current situation, it would be a lie to say that Xian Yuzhu, now smelling the scent of freedom, was not excited. Otherwise, with his pampered nature, he would never have endured the wind messing up his hair just to stand there instead of lying down comfortably inside. By the time the vessel reached a spot where the clouds were thin, Xian Yuzhu’s courage had grown. He leaned half of his body over the observation deck railing, facing downward and curiously peeking at the world below.
Mountains, rivers, lakes, seas, fields, and houses were all within his line of sight. It was truly magnificent! Xian Yuzhu’s eyes shone with excitement. He could not help but lean further down, appearing as if he were about to tumble over. Huo Yan stepped out to see this terrifying scene. The veins on his forehead pulsed heavily. Without a moment of hesitation, he walked over and forcefully yanked the person back.
“Ooh!”
Xian Yuzhu was startled. He turned his head, ready to flare up, only to meet a dark, familiar, and somewhat annoying face. Their eyes met. Xian Yuzhu froze for a moment before realizing he was being held up by the back of his collar. Only his toes barely touched the ground. In short, it was very ungraceful.
The collar was tight enough that Xian Yuzhu found it a bit difficult to breathe. He did not notice Huo Yan’s frighteningly cold expression and twisted around in an attempt to break free. However, the large hand on the back of his neck remained motionless; he simply could not escape that strength.
“What are you doing?” Xian Yuzhu snapped his head up. He frowned and flailed his arms, trying to swat away the hand gripping his collar. “Let me go!”
Huo Yan said nothing as he carried him away from the railing. Xian Yuzhu could only watch as the beautiful scenery receded. His good mood from the trip was ruined. Yuzhu’s full lips pursed as he huffed in anger, muttering, “You are truly so inexplicable.”
“You think I am inexplicable?” Huo Yan repeated the words softly, his expression growing grimmer.
“Hmph! What else?”
After a moment, Yuzhu, who only knew how to wait for someone to coax him, heard a chilly sentence from above.
“You are never honest when no one is watching.”
“Xian Yuzhu, did you plan to fall headfirst and kill yourself like that?” Huo Yan saw that the boy did not appreciate his help and stopped wasting words. His thin, pale lips pursed as he coldly released his grip.
Xian Yuzhu was startled by his murderous tone. He failed to react in time as he hit the deck, his legs stumbling heavily until he nearly fell. Xian Yuzhu grabbed the nearest sleeve and looked up in disbelief. “You!”
Huo Yan stared at him coldly. Seeing his dazed look made him even more irritated, so he yanked his sleeve away, turned around, and walked off. He left Xian Yuzhu alone, bewildered and lost in the wind. What was that? How could his temper be even worse than Yuzhu’s? How annoying!
Inside the cabin, Huo Yan’s face remained grim. To be honest, he had always found his Master’s way of educating the child hard to stomach. Perhaps because Xian Yuzhu’s mother had lost her life to a malicious spirit while out on a mission, Xian Yuzhu’s father had become excessively paranoid. But where in the world was there a Young Sect Master who was still so naive at twenty years old?
He could not endure a bit of hardship or fatigue. He was more pampered than the high-born young ladies raised in inner chambers a hundred years ago. Among the cultivators of the cultivation world, regardless of gender, who had not grown through experiences of life and death? Only the Young Sect Master of the Yuxian Sect had never even been far from home. It was no wonder Xian Yuzhu had been raised with such a pure yet arrogant and self-centered personality. With a face like that but no brains, he would be schemed against until not even his bones remained after three days out in the world.
Huo Yan’s lips curled as he remembered the troubled expression on his Master’s face when he summoned him before the secluded meditation. Indeed, anyone would feel regret and remorse upon discovering a flaw in their cultivation, realizing their life might be short while their beloved only son still lacked the ability to protect himself. At the last moment, the Master could only entrust Yuzhu to him, his most upright and selfless Eldest Disciple. Little did the Master know that Huo Yan was a hypocrite whose appearance and reality differed.
If it were anyone else, Huo Yan would not care. But in Yuzhu’s case, things were always a bit special.
“Truly a rare sight,” a voice said. “I have slumbered in this jade pendant for a thousand years. Although I have not been awake long, I heard that your Master, Xian Zhengzheng, was famous for his ruthlessness in his youth.”
Black mist drifted out of the jade pendant, mocking in a raspy, unpleasant voice. “As the leader of the world’s number one sect, how could he be so foolish as to raise his only son into a brainless, empty shell? Hehe, the righteous path is surely doomed!”
Huo Yan took a few breaths to regulate his breathing. When he opened his eyes again, he had calmed down considerably.
“Senior also knows that Yuzhu is my Master’s only son.” Huo Yan recalled the way Xian Yuzhu would cling to people and act spoiled while asking for gifts. His cold face remained expressionless, yet he still added, “Pampering him a little is only human nature.”
The remnant soul remained silent. Huo Yan sneered inwardly but said nothing. He knew exactly what kind of scheme this immortal demon was plotting.