Jiang Youbai stared at Shen Changchuan with an expression of sheer disbelief. He felt that Shen Changchuan had not been possessed, nor had he fallen into demonic cultivation, but rather, he had simply gone mad.
Shen Changchuan calmly remarked, “You think you can kill me just by breaking the jade plaque? Do you honestly believe that is possible?”
Jiang Youbai stared in silence.
Jiang Youbai reined in his shocked expression. “Has anyone ever told you that you are extremely arrogant?”
Shen Changchuan nodded. “Yes.”
Hearing this, Jiang Youbai’s eyes lit up. “Oh? Really? Who was it? Which senior possessed such discerning vision? I must definitely pay them a visit in the future.”
Shen Changchuan looked at him without speaking.
Jiang Youbai paused. “Was it me?”
Shen Changchuan gave a slight nod.
Jiang Youbai let out a dry laugh. “What a cold joke. I am going to attend my lecture.”
Before he had taken more than a few steps, Shen Changchuan’s voice came from behind him: “The master-disciple initiation ceremony is set for three days from now.”
Jiang Youbai turned back around. “It is just a formality. Did you actually pick a propitious day?”
Shen Changchuan did not answer whether he had or not, only saying, “Afterward, forget it.”
Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eye. “Are you trying to say that after today, I will no longer be able to casually address you by your given name, and will have to respectfully call you Master?”
Before Shen Changchuan could speak, Jiang Youbai beat him to it. “You humans have so many winding, complicated rules that I simply cannot learn them. We beasts consider joy to be joy and displeasure to be displeasure. What is wrong with addressing you by your given name? Besides, we were never truly master and disciple to begin with. Shen Changchuan, do not even think about trying to bind me.”
In his past life, he had forced all his emotions down into his stomach, facing his fellow disciples with a strained smile. He detested that feeling entirely. Living a second time, he refused to repeat the same old path.
Shen Changchuan looked at Jiang Youbai, who was pressing his lips together as if issuing a warning, and let out a sigh that felt as light as a feather. “Just do as you please.”
A flash of surprise crossed Jiang Youbai’s eyes before he withdrew his gaze and headed outside once more.
Lingyun Peak was exceptionally lively today. By the time Jiang Youbai arrived, the lecture had not yet begun, and the disciples were gathered in groups chatting animatedly.
“I heard a new disciple arrived at the neighboring Qian Hall. Isn’t our disciple recruitment period long over? Aside from Xiao Bai, whom the Sect Master made an exceptional exception to take in, how did another one show up?”
“I have no idea. Who knows whose background he has? Could he have been shoved in by some other sect?”
“I heard he is extremely pretty, practically like a little girl, and his voice is all soft and sweet. The senior brothers in Qian Hall actually thought he was a female disciple at first.”
“The Senior Brother brought him in, so he shouldn’t be a regular recruit. Could he be another personal disciple newly accepted by the Sect Master?”
“Ah? The Sect Master hasn’t taken on any disciples for all these years, and now he is taking two at once?”
“Xiao Bai hasn’t even held his initiation ceremony yet. Why couldn’t this be for Xiao Bai?”
“Well, it is possible they could do it together.”
Jiang Youbai paused at the doorway. With so much information flying around, it was hard not to guess who it was, but the timing was far too early compared to before.
Lin Shuang caught sight of Jiang Youbai at the door and hurriedly waved to him. “Xiao Bai, you’re here!”
Jiang Youbai reined in his thoughts and stepped inside. “What is the name of this new disciple you were talking about?”
Lin Shuang thought for a moment. “It seems to be Mu Jiyuan!”
Sure enough, it was him.
Seeing him arrive, a few disciples quickly asked, “Xiao Bai, you don’t know who the new disciple is either? Then is he not a new disciple personally accepted by the Sect Master?”
Jiang Youbai opened his mouth, momentarily speechless.
In his past life, Mu Jiyuan had undoubtedly been taken under Shen Changchuan’s wing, and had even been brought back personally by Shen Changchuan himself. But things had changed in this lifetime, and he could not jump to early conclusions.
“I do not know either,” Jiang Youbai answered truthfully.
Lin Shuang hurriedly smoothed things over. “Perhaps Xiao Bai hasn’t seen the Sect Master today and therefore doesn’t know about this yet. It’s also possible he isn’t a new disciple taken in by the Sect Master at all. Who knows, maybe Senior Brother took him in, hahaha.”
“That’s true, that’s true.”
Listening to the awkward pacification around him, Jiang Youbai could not help finding it somewhat amusing.
Perhaps the process differed slightly, but the ending remained the same. He had gone to such great lengths to avoid meeting Shen Changchuan again and to sever all ties with the Shangqing Sect, yet in the end, he had still remained in the sect to become Shen Changchuan’s disciple. And now, Mu Jiyuan had arrived at the Shangqing Sect even earlier than in his past life, meaning he was bound to become Shen Changchuan’s disciple as well.
Then what was the point of his coming back this time?
If the ending could not be changed…
“How lively it is here. Ah, Xiao Bai has arrived.”
Tang Ci’s voice rang out from the entrance. He stood at the doorway looking at the clustered group inside, his expression gentle.
“Senior Brother!”
Jiang Youbai looked up, his gaze colliding with Tang Ci’s eyes. The next second, he saw another head poke out from behind Tang Ci. Long hair cascaded down the person’s front with the movement, a braided strand lending a playful touch to his appearance. His brows and eyes were lively, carrying a hint of the timidity of someone meeting strangers for the first time, and a small crimson mole beneath his eye looked exceptionally familiar.
“Since you are all here, come over. This is the Sect Master’s newly accepted disciple, and from now on he is your junior martial brother as well. His name is Mu Jiyuan. You weren’t around when we went to pay our respects to Master earlier, so I figured since you were coming to Lingyun Peak anyway, you must have just missed him,” Tang Ci explained as he looked at Jiang Youbai.
With that, he gave the person behind him a gentle nudge. “Junior Martial Brother, this is Jiang Youbai. From now on, he is your senior martial brother as well.”
Sure enough, Shen Changchuan had taken Mu Jiyuan in after all. Even though this time it was Tang Ci who had led Mu Jiyuan through the gates, the outcome was still the same.
Jiang Youbai sat in his seat, propping his chin with both hands, and slowly curved his lips into a smile. That smile was innocent and harmless, appearing far more pure compared to the Mu Jiyuan standing before him. “Hello there, Junior Martial Brother.”
The innocence in the eyes of a beast was something humans could never fake. Mu Jiyuan looked at Jiang Youbai, his pupils trembling slightly before he also smiled and replied, “Hello, Senior Brother Jiang.”
He withdrew his gaze, turned to Tang Ci, and said, “The initiation ceremony is in three days. I am rather nervous, so Senior Brother must guide me more and help me pay attention to things.”
He spoke while standing close to Tang Ci, appearing exceptionally affectionate. He did not know anyone else in the Shangqing Sect, and Tang Ci was the only one he was familiar with and trusted.
Tang Ci nodded. “Naturally.”
Lin Shuang could not help frowning as he asked, “Is the junior martial brother participating in the initiation ceremony as well?”
The disciple beside him tugged on his sleeve. “Didn’t Senior Brother just say so? Mu Jiyuan is the Sect Master’s newly accepted disciple, so naturally the initiation ceremony on the third day is for him too.”
They trailed off before finishing their sentence. Jiang Youbai had been here for many days without any word of an initiation ceremony, yet the moment Mu Jiyuan arrived, the date for the ceremony was immediately finalized. Intentional or a coincidence, it made Jiang Youbai seem utterly insignificant while showing that the Sect Master placed far more importance on Mu Jiyuan.
Jiang Youbai switched to supporting his cheek with a single hand. The smile remained on his face, not losing a single fraction of its curve.
If the ending could not be changed, then his rebirth had been completely meaningless.
Yet who said the ending could not possibly change? This was not the end yet!
He swept his gaze across the surrounding faces, which held traces of awkwardness and sympathy toward him, and chuckled softly. “My initiation ceremony naturally welcomes Junior Martial Brother to come and observe. That way, you can gain a bit of experience for your own ceremony next time.”
Mu Jiyuan had kept his words ambiguous, leading people to believe the ceremony date had been chosen specifically for him. But Jiang Youbai had suffered deeply under Mu Jiyuan’s poison in his past life and knew how well this person excelled at turning black into white. Since Shen Changchuan had stated it was his initiation ceremony, then it undoubtedly was. As for whether Mu Jiyuan was being included as a tag-along or simply lying, he would naturally go and ask Shen Changchuan to clear it up.
As soon as these words left his mouth, it was practically a declaration of sovereignty.
Lin Shuang secretly shot Jiang Youbai a look of profound admiration.
Mu Jiyuan’s ambiguous implications had been so directly exposed, leaving a trace of awkwardness on his face. However, he quickly recovered his smile and said, “Senior Brother Jiang is right, that was precisely what I meant. Observing the ceremony will allow me to learn so I won’t make mistakes when my own initiation ceremony arrives.”
Jiang Youbai said pointedly, “Then Junior Martial Brother must study very carefully three days from now.”
Mu Jiyuan gave Jiang Youbai a deep look before turning to tug at Tang Ci’s sleeve. “Senior Brother, since Senior Brother Jiang is in Kun Hall, I would like to stay in Kun Hall as well.”
Tang Ci had no objections. “As long as you like it.”
He turned back to instruct Jiang Youbai, “Xiao Bai, even though you arrived only a few days before Junior Martial Brother, you are still his senior after all. You should look after him a little during your usual days here.”
Jiang Youbai stared at him for a long time without giving a reply, creating a rather stiff atmosphere. Seeing this, Mu Jiyuan quickly chimed in, “Senior Brother, don’t worry. I will take good care of myself, and perhaps I can even look after Senior Brother Jiang instead.”
Tang Ci nodded, cast one more glance at Jiang Youbai with a faint sense of oddness, and prepared to leave. Just as he took a step forward, Jiang Youbai finally spoke: “Senior Brother…”
Tang Ci paused his steps and offered a gentle, mild smile. “What is it, Xiao Bai?”
Jiang Youbai did not smile, stating flatly, “Calling him Junior Martial Brother seems much more affectionate than when you call me Xiao Bai.”
Tang Ci was slightly startled before realizing the other was mocking his previous remark that calling him Xiao Bai was more intimate than calling him Junior Martial Brother.
He smiled, shaking off the strange feeling in his heart. “Is Xiao Bai feeling jealous? Jealous of Junior Martial Brother?”
If this were his past life, Jiang Youbai would certainly have denied it, but now, he felt differently.
Jiang Youbai met Tang Ci’s gaze, lifted the corners of his lips, and nodded. “Yes, I am jealous. What does Senior Brother plan to do about it?”
Tang Ci’s smile deepened as he pretended to think about it with mild trouble. “What should we do then? How about this: the gift Senior Brother presents at the initiation ceremony will definitely satisfy Xiao Bai. How does that sound?”
Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow slightly. “Very well, I shall look forward to it.”
Tang Ci smiled, shook his head, and walked out of Kun Hall.
Jiang Youbai could feel Mu Jiyuan’s gaze fixed on him the entire time, shifting back and forth between him and Tang Ci. He glanced sideways, only to see Mu Jiyuan smiling right back at him, as if that palpable, probing stare had never existed at all.
Jiang Youbai let out a dry laugh. So this was what he looked like in Shen Changchuan’s eyes. The other clearly harbored a belly full of malice yet put on a completely harmless, innocent face on the outside. This kind of expression where someone wanted nothing more than to tear you apart yet was forced to cozy up to you was indeed quite entertaining.
He asked Mu Jiyuan, “Do you like Kun Hall that much?”
In his past life, both he and Mu Jiyuan had been in Qian Hall. He had never expected that in this lifetime, after he chose Kun Hall, Mu Jiyuan would follow suit. He wondered if this was the arrangement of fate, or if Mu Jiyuan had targeted him specifically.
Mu Jiyuan did not answer whether he liked it or not, only replying, “Senior Brother Jiang will take care of me, won’t you?”
Jiang Youbai smiled. “Not necessarily. After all, I do not stay here every single day.”
Mu Jiyuan asked, puzzled, “Why?”
Jiang Youbai’s gaze once more landed on the small mole beneath Mu Jiyuan’s eye, and he said playfully, “Because most of the time, I am at Yuling Peak, where Master personally instructs me.”
Mu Jiyuan fell silent.