I am sorry.
Yi Xiannian offered a silent apology to the original owner of this body deep in his heart.
Your adoration that was so hard to express… and even those treasonous, outrageous desires must come to an end through me.
Yi Xiannian lowered his eyes.
He simply did not want to die yet, he had not lived enough.
“Why is Master unwilling to teach this disciple?”
Yi Xiannian tilted his head slightly upward, Lan Yibai’s cascading strands of hair brushing against the tip of his brow.
Lan Yibai let out a light laugh: “You don’t like it? Then I shall switch to a more interesting book tomorrow.”
“This disciple wishes to enter the secret realm.”
Never before had he felt such a desperate, urgent need for independence.
Lan Yibai narrowed his eyes slightly: “There is nothing particularly special about the items inside the secret realm. If you want something, I can give it all to you.”
It was like the song of a Siren, dragging him down and luring him into the dead, silent depths of the sea.
Lan Yibai’s gentle peach-blossom eyes swallowed the emotions of the youth before him inch by inch.
“You always put too much pressure on yourself. Master does not ask you to achieve great things, I only hope you can stay by my side often.”
A spine-chilling coldness spread across his entire body.
“This disciple wishes to go to the secret realm.”
Yi Xiannian repeated every word with deliberate emphasis.
Lan Yibai paused for a moment, then lifted the tasseled hair ornament on Yi Xiannian’s head, letting out a soft sigh: “I know. You have grown up and no longer need Master.”
“Wait for me in the courtyard tomorrow at the hour of the Rabbit.”
…
Under Lan Yibai’s painstaking guidance, Yi Xiannian quickly reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
“Master was finally willing to let you out?”
The secret realm was situated at the border of East Zhou, opening twice a year. Even travelling by airship, it took the three of them a day and a night to cover the distance.
Chen Erluo held his hands behind his back, sauntering over with a sway in his step. He was already somewhat taller than Yi Xiannian, and the tassels on his hair ribbon swung right along with his movements.
Yi Xiannian was standing by the railing of the airship, staring blankly at the churning clouds and mist, watching things high above that he previously couldn’t reach get rapidly left behind by them.
Hearing Chen Erluo’s voice approaching from far to near, Yi Xiannian instinctively teased him as a probe: “What, are you jealous?”
“Am not!”
So he definitely is.
Lan Yibai would indulge him in everything, but Yi Xiannian did not dare stay in that gentle trap for too long, terrified that he would sink into it without realizing.
He was human, after all.
Yi Xiannian’s original plan was to be an honest, dutiful Eldest Senior Brother in the sect and live out the rest of his life in peace, after all, living was living no matter where he was, and he had been all alone in his original world anyway.
Yet Lan Yibai’s preferential treatment forced him right back into the center of the vortex.
Jealousy could drive people to commit absurd and atrocious acts, it was the nutrient that bred evil.
The original owner of his body had been like that, and others were no exception to the rule.
Thinking about Lan Yibai’s numerous fanatical suitors, Yi Xiannian instantly felt a throbbing headache.
He would rather go waste a lifetime in the mortal realm and experience aging, sickness, and death.
“Do you know if there is any precedent for leaving the Renqing Sect?”
Yi Xiannian’s expression was grave.
The upturned corners of Chen Erluo’s lips froze. Seeing that Yi Xiannian didn’t seem to be joking, he instantly turned flustered and anxious, as if he were catching fire.
“Senior Brother, although the entire sect knows you lack talent and looks down on you openly and secretly… there are still some disciples who admire your persistence! You mustn’t do anything reckless!”
Pfft,
It felt just like a sharp sword thrusting straight into his heart.
Chen Erluo continued to twist the knife, completely oblivious: “Even though they all say Master must be blind, we all know Master still trusts you very much. Out of the four disciples in our sect, Master dotes on you the most.”
“You really are a good person.”
Yi Xiannian now understood why, in the original book, after the original owner successfully forced himself onto Master through sheer coercion, he specifically flexed in front of Chen Erluo.
That mouth of his was truly vicious.
“Second Senior Brother, did you make Eldest Senior Brother angry again?”
The faint, barely audible sound of a bell drew near from a distance. Jiang Shanli approached with a bright, beaming smile, his expression turning cold for a split second when his eyes flicked toward Chen Erluo. Unusually, he had swapped out his wide-sleeved, long-hemmed robes for a outfit with narrow sleeves in a delicate, tender yellow, which highlighted his elegant and graceful posture.
Before Yi Xiannian could react, his line of sight was occupied by a string of bells.
“This is a Sound-Transmission Bell, which I begged from Uncle-Master Qian. Senior Brother only needs to channel spiritual power into it, and I will immediately be able to perceive your location.”
Jiang Shanli picked up the bell and shook it gently, then leaned down to tie it around Yi Xiannian’s waist without any rush. His long, slender fingers looped around the red cord, tying off the final knot. When the bell dropped down, it tapped lightly against the adjacent jade pendant, making a crisp, melodious ding-dong sound.
…
By the time the airship reached the border of East Zhou, there was still one day left before the secret realm opened. The three of them found the nearest inn to settle down.
The inn was bustling with noise and activity. Cultivators of all kinds gathered in twos and threes, either chatting in low whispers or drinking heartily in loud conversation.
“Innkeeper, three rooms.”
Yi Xiannian walked at the very front, naturally pulling out his coin pouch and laying pieces of silver on the table.
The innkeeper rubbed his hands together with a face full of difficulty: “Honorable Immortal, I am truly sorry. Our small shop has many guests today, and there is only one superior room left. Do you see…”
“That works too, thank you for the trouble.”
Yi Xiannian agreed instantly, terrified that he wouldn’t even be able to snag this last room.
“Hold it right there!”
“I want that room!”
Before the person could be seen, her voice rang out first.
A high-pitched, clear voice slammed into the noisy inn. The crowd that had been boiling with noise instantly fell dead silent, with everyone becoming cautious even with their breathing.
Yi Xiannian turned his body to look back. The newcomer moved with light, airy steps and looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. Her skin was as pale as snow, her features as exquisite as a painting, and her pitch-black long hair was held high in a ponytail with an ice-blue silk ribbon, adorned with a crystal-clear cold jade hairpin.
Those almond eyes slanted upward slightly, carrying an inborn arrogance, while her red lips were lightly pursed, displaying an unapproachable and cold elegance.
One look was enough to tell she was a young lady raised in an aristocratic, wealthy household, seemingly possessing a major background.
Unfortunately for her, Yi Xiannian had only read the synopsis of the original book and hadn’t read the full text at all. He had no idea who she was, and besides, after staring at his master’s impossibly beautiful face every day, he was already completely immune to beauties.
Yi Xiannian gave a slight nod: “My apologies, young lady, but we arrived first.”
Hearing this, slight anger instantly flared up in the newcomer’s brow and eyes. She yanked off the green jade token from her waist and thrust it almost directly into Yi Xiannian’s face.
A prominent character for “Lu” was carved upon it.
Jiang Shanli spoke up calmly, a subtle trace of displeasure settling on his face: “The only daughter of the Lu Family in Yingzhou, Lu Shi.”
Lu Shi proudly raised her chin, showing her approval: “Not bad, your companion is far more discerning than you.”
Chen Erluo immediately picked up the conversation, letting out an exaggerated sigh: “What a absolute pity. With such great genetics from the Lu Patriarch and his wife…” Chen Erluo pointed at his own forehead, “Sigh, maybe your parents should hurry up and have another child while they’re still young.”
Some people caught the mocking insinuation and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Lu Shi immediately swept her star-cold eyes across the corner of the inn. The person felt a wave of chill washing over them and instantly fell silent.
This was a pressure unique to Core Formation cultivators. Although Lu Shi had only just entered the Core Formation stage, this pressure was already enough to make cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage struggle to breathe.
The innkeeper had long since hidden in the backyard, leaving the room key token on the counter. None of these people were someone a mere mortal like him could afford to mess with, he would rather forego the money and let whoever managed to snatch it stay in it.
Lu Shi withdrew her pressure with satisfaction, then widened her almond eyes in a glare: “What do you mean?! How dare you insult me? Which family are you from? State your name!”
Chen Erluo grinned broadly, showing a mouthful of pearly white teeth as he gave a flashy, overly embellished bow: “This humble one’s name remains unchanged whether walking or sitting: the second disciple of Immortal Lord Lan of the Renqing Sect, Chen Erluo.”
Lu Shi fell unusually quiet. Once calmed down, she actually exuded the reliable aura of a sect’s young master. Her gaze hovered back and forth among the three people before her, finally landing on the refined, white-clothed youth standing in the middle.
Lu Shi raised her arm, pointing her finger across the empty space toward Yi Xiannian’s direction, her eyes filled with an unprovoked resentment and hostility.
“Are you that good-for-nothing Eldest Disciple of Immortal Lord Lan?”
The friendly smile Yi Xiannian had been maintaining instantly froze on his face.
My good Master, you truly swing both ways and leave an endless trail of romantic debts behind you.