Jiang Youbai’s well-laid plans were clicking along seamlessly. The moment he stepped into the classroom door, all the gazes inside snapped over to him simultaneously.
His footsteps paused slightly, the smile on his lips slowly fading as he walked over to the corner seat as if ignoring them entirely.
If the enemy does not move, I will not move. But if these people try to pull anything on me, Shen Changchuan, you have only yourself to blame.
While pretending to be nonchalant, he remained secretly on guard.
Finally, a disciple stood up and walked toward him. Jiang Youbai raised his eyes, his gaze actually carrying a hint of anticipation and excitement.
The person walked right up to him. Looking at Jiang Youbai from such close proximity, his face flushed a bright red in an instant. “Junior martial brother, you really look so good. We didn’t get a chance to properly meet last time. What is your name?”
In everyone’s eyes, Jiang Youbai was sitting in the corner against the window at this moment. The pure daylight spilled across his face, making his fair skin look like a porcelain doll carved from powder and jade. The contrast of jet-black hair and white robes created the living image of a landscape painting, resembling an immortal descending past mist-shrouded mountain peaks.
Jiang Youbai blinked slightly. This turn of events caught him completely off guard, leaving him momentarily dazed. “Jiang Youbai.”
The disciple repeated the name twice with a smile. “This name really suits you, Junior Martial Brother. I didn’t expect you to be the Sect Master’s newly accepted disciple, which explains why we didn’t know you before. Will you be coming to lectures from now on?”
Jiang Youbai shook his head, still somewhat unable to process the situation. Perhaps because the expressions of goodwill he had experienced in his past life had all ultimately transformed into swords piercing through him, he found it difficult now to distinguish genuine praise from ulterior motives.
Yet the only thing he could be certain of was that he had never seen any of these disciples in his previous life.
Seeing this, the disciple looked quite regretful. “Does that mean we won’t get to see you every day?”
Jiang Youbai glanced around, noticing that the other disciples also wore expressions of genuine disappointment. If one person were putting on an act, there was no reason for so many people to fake it to this extent. He lowered his gaze in silence.
Jiang Youbai, humans are the best at lying. You cannot let yourself be fooled again. Don’t forget your fate from your past life!
Just as he was issuing this internal warning to himself, a commotion suddenly broke out at the doorway. Yang Hua stormed into the classroom with a cold expression, marching straight toward Jiang Youbai in the corner. His entire body seemed to radiate a layer of biting frost, his gaze fixing on Jiang Youbai as if trying to carve him alive. “Was it you who complained to the Sect Master, which is why Tianyi was sent to the demon realm as an undercover spy?”
Jiang Youbai paused, then quickly pieced it together. Zhao Tianyi had been killed by him, but the Shangqing Sect could not just have a disciple vanish without some explanation. Shen Changchuan had used his authority as Sect Master to assign him to the demon realm, ensuring that no one could ever contact the supposed undercover operative, including Yang Hua.
As for when that spy would be exposed or when he might meet his end, who could possibly know?
Jiang Youbai let out a soft chuckle. If Shen Changchuan were standing right here right now, he would not be able to resist standing up and applauding him.
However, the fact that Shen Changchuan was covering for him instead of turning on him meant what else had actually happened?
Seeing that Jiang Youbai could actually laugh, Yang Hua’s expression turned even colder, his brow furrowed deeply. “Just because he offended you, you went to the Sect Master to twist the truth and fabricate stories? We are all disciples of the Shangqing Sect, so how can you be so vicious and merciless?”
Figuring out the situation, Jiang Youbai leaned back, lazily resting against the wall. He lifted his gaze with languid indifference, refusing to take the self-righteous Yang Hua seriously at all. “What does that have to do with me?”
Yang Hua froze. “What did you say?”
Impatiently, Jiang Youbai repeated himself. “Zhao Tianyi going to the demon realm, what does that have to do with me? Speaking so loudly, are you trying to broadcast his undercover status straight to the Demon Lord and get him exposed?”
Yang Hua was instantly rendered speechless. “But if it wasn’t you, why would he suddenly…”
Lin Shuang, standing beside Jiang Youbai, turned around and said, “This senior martial brother storms into our classroom acting all aggressive. I thought it was some major crisis involving the demon clan attacking the Immortal Alliance. For Senior Brother Zhao to go serve as an undercover spy in the demon realm shows that the Sect Master trusts and values him. For you to interrogate Xiao Bai here without distinguishing right from wrong is truly going too far. You owe Xiao Bai an apology!”
Jiang Youbai watched the back of Lin Shuang standing protectively in front of him, the playful amusement in his eyes fading away.
This feeling was different. It was entirely unlike the peer relationships from his past life that he had needed to meticulously grovel for and maintain.
Yang Hua’s gaze lashed out at Lin Shuang like a pair of daggers. “Defending him like this, could it be because he is the Sect Master’s disciple and you want to suck up to him? Or have you also taken a fancy to that face of his?”
Lin Shuang let out a laugh. “Senior brother isn’t talking about himself, is he?”
Yang Hua’s lips pressed into a tight, straight line. The anger burning in his chest right now felt like a raging fire, but after all, he did not share Zhao Tianyi’s rash temperament. Instead, he simply looked past Lin Shuang straight at Jiang Youbai. “I just hope you can always hide behind him.”
Jiang Youbai let out a low laugh, though his gaze slid past Yang Hua to look outside. “Disrupting classroom order, provoking fellow disciples without cause, and maliciously slandering a disciple, how should these be dealt with according to sect rules, Elder Man?”
Man Shuosheng, who happened to be passing by outside the door, came to an abrupt halt. Why does this somehow involve me too?
With so many pairs of eyes watching him, Man Shuosheng could hardly just slip away unnoticed, so he had no choice but to step inside. “If what has been said is true, then according to sect rules, sweeping the mountain steps for one hundred days will serve to calm one’s mind. If there is no repentance, the sweeping continues until the wrongdoing is acknowledged.”
Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow, shooting a provocative look at Yang Hua.
Yang Hua’s brow furrowed even tighter. Sweeping the mountain steps was a chore reserved for gate-keeping outer disciples. If he were actually forced to do it, not only would he become the laughingstock of countless disciples, but a hundred days of cultivation would also be completely wasted. Furthermore, when taking on missions in the future, he would probably find no one willing to form a team with him.
Previously, he had always teamed up with Zhao Tianyi, or dragged a few others along if needed. Since both of them were at the Mahayana stage, other disciples practically begged to form teams with them. But now, because of Jiang Youbai, all of that was ruined!
Thinking of this, Yang Hua gritted his teeth and said to Jiang Youbai, “It was just a misunderstanding. I did not slander a fellow disciple. Junior martial brother, it was a misunderstanding.”
Jiang Youbai had no intention of letting it go that easily. “A misunderstanding? Just now, Senior Brother Yang had such an aggressive aura, as if he wanted to eat me alive. I was quite scared.”
Seeing the two of them holding completely opposing stories, Man Shuosheng waved his hand and said, “Since everyone is here, tell me, is the truth what Yang Hua claims, or what Jiang Youbai claims?”
As soon as those words fell, Yang Hua’s gaze swept coldly across every single disciple in the classroom. That frigid look resembled an unsheathed sword, pointing at every single person present.
Jiang Youbai glanced at Lin Shuang’s back, quietly withdrawing his gaze as the curve of his lips slowly flattened.
He knew what the outcome would be. Letting out another laugh, though this time laced with mockery, he said, “Never mind.”
“The truth is naturally what Junior Martial Brother said! Senior Brother Yang disrupting classroom order is something everyone witnessed. Elder Man can see that much as well, right? Slandering and framing a fellow disciple is something we can all bear witness to. Please punish him according to sect rules, Elder!”
Lin Shuang’s voice rang out like a stone thrown into a clear spring, instantly followed by more stones being tossed in, churning the water and sending ripple after ripple spreading outward.
Voices rang out one after another across the classroom, all refuting Yang Hua and firmly standing on Jiang Youbai’s side.
Jiang Youbai lifted his gaze once more, his eyes seeming to shimmer with scattered starlight.
After Man Shuosheng and Yang Hua left, Lin Shuang turned around and patted Jiang Youbai on the shoulder. “Junior martial brother, don’t be afraid. We’ll protect you.”
“That’s right! Those two senior brothers always act like arrogant pricks over on Baiyuan Peak just because they’re Mahayana-stage seniors, never giving us a pleasant look. Whenever our disciple robes get damaged and need repairs, they’re always extremely unpleasant about it.”
“Exactly, exactly! And according to other senior brothers, going on missions teamed up with those two is the absolute worst. You have to obey their every command, they never let anyone else speak a word, and anyone who teams up with them once refuses to ever do it a second time!”
“Junior martial brother, don’t worry! If he tries to bully you again, just tell us. We’ll definitely back you up!”
Jiang Youbai looked at them, the casual indifference in his eyes completely dissipating, replaced only by bewilderment. “Why are you helping me?”
Lin Shuang pondered for a moment without finding any grand reason. “Because you’re our junior martial brother!”
“Yeah! You entered the Shangqing Sect last, and even though you’re the Sect Master’s personal disciple, you look younger than all of us. Calling you junior martial brother is fine, right?”
“Calling you second senior brother feels weird anyway.”
“I think so too! Calling you junior martial brother just makes people want to protect you, hahaha!”
Hearing them chatter back and forth, Jiang Youbai slowly curved the corners of his lips. Yet the moment he realized what he was feeling happy about, the smile instantly fell away.
Protecting a beast?
If they ever found out that he was a beast, and a humanoid beast at that, the smiles on their faces probably wouldn’t look so bright anymore.
“Jiang Youbai, you actually lied to us!”
“You’re actually a beast! What was your purpose in sneaking into the Shangqing Sect?”
“We were actually tricked by you all this time. As expected, those not of our kind have different hearts!”
Even if these weren’t the exact people he had known in his past life, the moment his identity was exposed, these exact words would still be hurled at him without omission from their mouths.
Jiang Youbai lowered his gaze slightly. “Elder Shu has arrived. Let’s listen to the lecture first.”
Everyone returned to their seats, but Jiang Youbai remained lost in thought the entire class, staring blankly at the spot on his shoulder where Lin Shuang had patted him.
By the time he snapped back to reality, he had already returned to Yuling Peak. Shen Changchuan was looking at him, having seemingly watched him for a long time.
Jiang Youbai tossed those inexplicable emotions to the back of his mind, stepping forward with a soft smile and acting as obediently as a disciple devoted to his master. “Master, let us begin.”
Shen Changchuan glanced at him, taking in Jiang Youbai’s smile without betraying any emotion. “How was the basic lecture?”
Jiang Youbai had not actually absorbed a single word, but since he had never intended to seriously learn from Shen Changchuan anyway and planned to ruin the other’s reputation, he gave a vague reply. “I mostly understood.”
Shen Changchuan did not call out his bluff, simply extending a hand. “Give me your hand.”
Jiang Youbai let out a soft sound of acknowledgment and handed his hand over, asking at the same time, “What are you doing?”
Shen Changchuan did not answer, but Jiang Youbai already knew. That icy-cold spiritual power flowed along his meridians and into his body. After a brief moment, Shen Changchuan released his grip.
Jiang Youbai smiled. “You won’t unlock my demonic power, but you’ll lend me spiritual power?”
Shen Changchuan replied, “If I remove the seal, you’ll likely pull something else. As I said, let this be the last time.”
Circulating that tiny thread of spiritual power within his body, Jiang Youbai expressed extreme disdain. “You’re giving me way too little. How is this tiny bit supposed to help me learn the Spirit-Sealing Grand Formation?”
Just as Shen Changchuan was about to speak, Jiang Youbai moved first. His bright eyes flashed with mischief, his gaze carrying a uniquely tinted smile, as he kissed Shen Changchuan while bathed in thousands of starlight, allowing his spiritual power to flow slowly through their meeting lips and teeth.