Jiang Youbai walked out of the classroom alongside Tang Ci. The other person did not seem to care in the slightest about the massive impact his words and actions had caused Elder Manshuo and the other disciples. Instead, Tang Ci spoke to him with high spirits, “Junior Brother, I heard from Master that you want to change your robes? But wouldn’t red be too conspicuous? If you run into any trouble later on, the elders will spot you instantly. Or later, when we descend the mountain for training, demons and fierce beasts will inevitably target you first.”
The corners of Jiang Youbai’s lips curved upward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance, “That is not necessarily a bad thing. I am not afraid of confronting others head-on. I only fear the betrayal of someone I deeply trust.”
As he spoke, he cast a light glance at Tang Ci and continued, “I only fear being betrayed by the person I trust.”
Tang Ci paused for a moment. There was always a sense of internal fragmentation about this junior brother of his. At times, the boy felt innocent, like a small beast, a sheet of pure white paper unstained by any color. Yet at other times, it felt as though Jiang Youbai had been through countless hardships, carrying wounds deep in his heart that could never quite heal.
A sudden, deep surge of tenderness washed over him for the person standing before him, “Junior Brother, I still do not know your name.”
Jiang Youbai withdrew his gaze and told him his name.
Tang Ci pondered for a moment before saying, “Then may I call you Xiaobai from now on?”
Jiang Youbai was somewhat surprised. In his past life, Tang Ci had always called him Junior Brother until the Son of Heaven’s Mandate, Mu Jiyuan, appeared. At that point, Tang Ci had transferred that moniker to Mu Jiyuan and switched to calling him Xiaobai instead.
He never expected that in this lifetime, Tang Ci would start calling him by that name so early on.
While he didn’t particularly care what Tang Ci called him, he disliked leaving questions lingering in his heart, so he simply asked for clarification, “Why stop calling me Junior Brother?”
Tang Ci smiled faintly, stopping in his footsteps as if speaking with a certain solemnity, “That way, it makes me feel closer to you, Xiaobai. Calling you Junior Brother always feels a bit distant.”
Jiang Youbai was taken aback.
Yet clearly, in their past life, when Tang Ci called Mu Jiyuan Junior Brother, the tone was infinitely more intimate and far more affectionate than when he called him Xiaobai.
Sure enough, humans were creatures fond of deception.
“Look, head up from here toward the Hundred Fates Peak, and someone will remake a set of disciple robes for you.” Tang Ci led him to a fork in the path and pointed out the direction.
Jiang Youbai glanced at him and began walking toward the right.
Before he had gone two steps, he looked back and saw Tang Ci walking off alone down another mountain trail.
That direction led to the Yuling Peak, where Shen Changchuan resided.
No doubt the events that had transpired at Lingyun Peak today would be faithfully transmitted to Shen Changchuan word for word through Tang Ci’s mouth.
The corners of his lips tugged upward, revealing an ambiguous smile as he continued on his way toward the Hundred Fates Peak.
Not many disciples were stationed at the Hundred Fates Peak. Most of the time, it was managed part-time by graduated disciples who chose to remain at the Qingshang Sect without leaving.
As soon as Jiang Youbai stepped foot into the area, he felt a sense of chilliness. Only one or two disciples were wandering about the courtyard, each carrying rolls of fabric while infusing them with spiritual energy.
He gazed into the distance, and once he clearly recognized the two figures, the frost in his eyes froze over.
In his past life, these two had been the first to provoke him, calling him Junior Brother with sickening intimacy and showing excessive eagerness in their flattery. But the moment Mu Jiyuan arrived, these two immediately became the devoted lapdogs of the Son of Heaven’s Mandate, turning around to treat Jiang Youbai with cold disdain. They took advantage of their sympathy for Mu Jiyuan to slander him behind his back, though whether they truly cared for Mu Jiyuan or were simply venting their frustration because he had rejected their intentional or unintentional advances back then remained unknown.
While Jiang Youbai was still lost in thought, one of the disciples was the first to notice him. He nudged the person next to him with his elbow, “Old Yang, look at the kid by the door. That is new disciple attire, right? Did he take a wrong turn?”
Yang Hua raised his gaze and looked over, spotting a snow-white figure standing in the sunlight. The skin visible beneath the robes seemed almost to blend with the white fabric, making him look like a drift of snow fallen into their courtyard, sparkling faintly in the sunlight, dazzling yet impossible to melt away easily.
The youth stood there so effortlessly that it was impossible for anyone to look away.
Zhao Tianyi nudged Yang Hua in reminder and took the initiative to walk toward Jiang Youbai, “Where did such a snow beauty come from? Did you get lost?”
Jiang Youbai watched Zhao Tianyi approach, the curve of his lips slowly shifting into a smile, though the warmth never reached his eyes, “Senior Brother, I would like to have a new set of disciple robes made. I wonder if that is convenient?”
Zhao Tianyi sized Jiang Youbai up. The ordinary disciple robes looked extraordinary worn on this person; the silver-white bordered belt perfectly outlined his slender waist, and the tailored long robes magnified all of his slender-waisted and long-legged features.
He asked, “I see your robes are quite new and undamaged. May I ask why you want to change them?”
Jiang Youbai lowered his gaze to look at his attire, his eyes cold, “I do not like this color. Please trouble Senior Brother to change it to red for me.”
Zhao Tianyi was stunned. Few people would be so direct as to say they wanted a change simply because they disliked the color of their uniform.
He said with some difficulty, “This is unusual, but our disciple robes are uniform.”
Knowing what the other was thinking, Jiang Youbai interrupted, “Shen Changchuan agreed.”
Zhao Tianyi stared in utter disbelief.
Wait, wasn’t this person a new disciple? Why was he addressing their Sect Master so familiarly by his given name?
Looking at the young disciple before him, Zhao Tianyi felt that although the boy was good-looking, he completely lacked respect for his teachers and hierarchy. He said, “Junior Brother, the Sect Master’s given name cannot be spoken so casually. You should call him Sect Master or the First Seat.”
Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at the other with amused interest. When this person mentioned Shen Changchuan, there seemed to be a light in his eyes. But then again, not just him, any disciple of the Immortal Alliance mentioned Shen Changchuan with profound reverence. Jiang Youbai asked nonchalantly, “Why should I?”
Why he should show respect.
This question left Zhao Tianyi completely baffled. No one had ever asked him that before; everyone simply took it for granted that addressing Shen Changchuan this way was only right and proper. He sputtered, “This is out of respect for the number one person in the Immortal Alliance, understand? Whether it is the First Seat of the Immortal Alliance or the Sect Master of the Qingshang Sect, neither is someone to be trifled with.”
A smile played on Jiang Youbai’s lips as he deliberately set out to tease the man, “Then if I do not respect him, does that mean I do not have to call him that?”
Zhao Tianyi was instantly cornered by the question, stammering, “You cannot simply say things like that.”
Yang Hua, standing nearby, could no longer stand it. With a cold face, he pushed Zhao Tianyi aside and glared at Jiang Youbai, “The Sect Master is the Sect Master. Since you are so lacking in respect for your superiors, why bother staying here? You might as well just leave the Qingshang Sect.”
This time, Jiang Youbai’s eyes and brows were tinged with amusement, “Alright then, I must trouble the two senior brothers to go make a complaint to Shen Changchuan and have him kick me out of the Qingshang Sect.”
Yang Hua stood speechless.
Zhao Tianyi remained completely dumbfounded.
What kind of person was this, to be so utterly arrogant?
Watching the two of them freeze in unison, Jiang Youbai could not help but chuckle, “However, before I get kicked out, the two senior brothers had better measure my dimensions first. If I am not expelled tomorrow, I will be expecting a brand-new red outfit.”
At this, Zhao Tianyi exchanged a glance with Yang Hua and stepped closer to Jiang Youbai, “Fine then, let us take your measurements first.”
The two of them simultaneously closed in on Jiang Youbai, boxing him in from front and back. A strange and unpleasant scent immediately enveloped him, causing him to frown in disgust.
Too close.
These two were far too close to him, trapping him in the middle. Zhao Tianyi grabbed Jiang Youbai’s wrist, and Jiang Youbai instantly flung him off, “Do senior brothers not use tools when taking measurements?”
Yet Zhao Tianyi retorted, “A senior brother’s hands are more accurate than tools.”
As he spoke, Yang Hua’s hand also groped toward Jiang Youbai’s waist.
Jiang Youbai’s gaze swept coldly across their hands. If his demonic powers had not been sealed, those two hands would already be severed on the ground.
No, the heads of these two people would already be on the ground.
Though Jiang Youbai lacked his demonic power, his footwork remained formidable. Even with all surrounding exits blocked by the two men, he moved like a phantom.
No one saw when he made his move. By the time Zhao Tianyi and Yang Hua reacted, Jiang Youbai’s figure was already at the doorway, about to leave.
The youth flashed them a light smile and turned to walk away.
Zhao Tianyi and Yang Hua exchanged a look.
This new disciple was incredible, for he had actually managed to escape from their grasp!
Yet the second after, they discovered something far more terrifying.
“Ah! My hand!”
The hands belonging to Zhao Tianyi and Yang Hua that had touched Jiang Youbai were now hanging limply at a horrifying, unnatural angle, as if their bones had been twisted back and forth and wrung out countless times.
Zhao Tianyi stared at the doorway with bloodshot eyes, a thick murderous intent surging from the bottom of his heart.
“To dare ruin my hand like this! When I get my hands on you, I will dismember all four of your limbs, throw you onto a bed, and thoroughly enjoy watching you try to run away while you cannot!”
On his way back to Yuling Peak, the corners of Jiang Youbai’s lips curved upward slightly. Such miserable and resentful screams actually brought him a sense of delight.
He was eagerly looking forward to these two seeking out Shen Changchuan to file a complaint. He wondered how magnificent the scene would be, and ideally, they would summon him as well for a grand trial before the three judges.
Having stirred up two storms in succession, Jiang Youbai returned to Yuling Peak. In the courtyard, pear blossoms drifted slowly down from the branches like falling snow, blanketing the ground and settling upon the shoulders of the divine statue.
Shen Changchuan sat there, flowing light shimmering before him. Words formed from spiritual energy floated in midair while he read through them meticulously, completely oblivious to the pear blossoms falling upon his person.
The courtyard grew increasingly quiet, yet Jiang Youbai felt the atmosphere was as frigid as a thousand miles of frozen ice. He came to an abrupt halt, his thoughts dragged back to his past life. Shen Changchuan never lost his temper with anyone and possessed exceptional self-restraint, but his overwhelming aura naturally made people feel guilty. Back then, the only thing Jiang Youbai felt guilty about when interacting with his peers was his own schoolwork. Shen Changchuan’s standards had always been exceptionally high, and Tang Ci’s prominent position in the Immortal Alliance was due not only to his own efforts, but largely to Shen Changchuan’s strict guidance.
In those days, he would often stand frozen in the courtyard, not daring to meet Shen Changchuan’s gaze, even though the man would ultimately just calmly utter a single sentence regarding extra practice for the following day. That alone was never enough to ease his tension.
As Jiang Youbai stood there dazed, Shen Changchuan did not speak either. After a long moment, he finally snapped back to reality. The man in the courtyard had already dispersed the spiritual energy before him and was now looking over at him, an unreadable depth in his eyes.
Though his conscience was clear now, he was still momentarily awed by Shen Changchuan’s presence. Gathering his composure, he stepped into the courtyard and approached, asking, “Is Master waiting specifically for me?”
Shen Changchuan did not answer his question, asking instead, “Are your measurements taken?”
Jiang Youbai raised an eyebrow. Shen Changchuan did not seem inclined to reprimand him, nor did he bring up the incident with Elder Manshuo. Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Youbai replied in the affirmative.
Seeing that Jiang Youbai offered no further elaboration, Shen Changchuan asked another question, “Has Tang Ci shown you around and familiarized you with the place?”
Jiang Youbai sneered inwardly, knowing full well the man was asking when he already knew the answer. Shen Changchuan, that old fox, was simply waiting for him to speak up on his own.
So he replied, “Unfortunately, by the time I went over, Senior Brother Tang Ci had already finished his lecture. I listened to Elder Manshuo’s lecture for a little while.”
He looked at Shen Changchuan, deliberately leaving his sentence hanging. Sure enough, Shen Changchuan spoke up once more, “How was it?”
Jiang Youbai locked eyes with the man. Those glazed pupils seemed capable of seeing through all creation. He could not understand why Shen Changchuan refused to get straight to the point, choosing instead to lead him on step by step with his words.
Losing his patience and throwing caution to the wind, he blurted out, “Not much of anything. That stubborn old fossil Manshuo only knows how to follow rigid rules without any flexibility. I did not like his class, so I argued with him a couple of times. He got so angry his beard was fluttering, and he even threatened to complain to you.”
With that, he waited for Shen Changchuan to respond. In truth, the man would not say much, for showing disrespect to an elder, Shen Changchuan would probably just advise him to mind it next time. But Jiang Youbai felt it would be even better if there were no next time at all.
Yet Shen Changchuan did not utter those expected words. Instead, he asked, “And what else happened?”
Jiang Youbai blinked. Even if Zhao Tianyi and Yang Hua wanted to lodge a complaint, they surely could not have moved that fast. Although Shen Changchuan had been reading spiritual letters or documents just moments ago, Zhao Tianyi and his cohort lacked the clearance to transmit spiritual messages directly to Shen Changchuan, did they?
He looked at Shen Changchuan, whose expression revealed absolutely nothing save for those master-carved, exceedingly handsome features. Slowly withdrawing his gaze, he decided to turn the tables, “Why do you ask?”
Shen Changchuan answered, “I imagine that given your temperament, more than just that one thing happened.”
Jiang Youbai stared at him in momentary silence.
His eyes narrowed slightly for a fraction of a second as he fixed his gaze on Shen Changchuan. The corners of his mouth twitched into a cunning smile while his eyes studied the man like an abyss, “It sounds like the First Seat knows me very well. But if I recall correctly, this is our first time meeting, is it not?”