Elder Huiming’s lengthy and tedious lecture finally came to a close, and the various disciples began packing up their belongings with a collective sense of relief, preparing to disperse.
Shen Yanchu had long since lost control of his inner craving for food, mentally calculating how to dash toward the dining hall at top speed to snatch that mouth-watering, crispy giant chicken leg.
Just as Shen Yanchu anxiously prepared to move his feet, however, a chilly voice pierced straight into his heart like an icicle from the dead of winter: “Shen Yanchu, stay behind!” The voice belonged to none other than Elder Huiming.
Shen Yanchu froze, the excited expression on his face vanishing instantly without a trace. Reluctantly turning around like a frost-bitten eggplant, he dragged his heavy feet in a slow walk toward Elder Huiming.
Coming to a halt, he lifted his head and asked cautiously, “Elder, what business do you have keeping this student behind?”
Elder Huiming stared at him expressionlessly and said coldly, “Copy all the books within the scope of this exam from cover to cover, and on top of that, copy the sect rules one thousand times. Hand them over to me before next month’s grand examination.”
Hearing this, Shen Yanchu instantly deflated like a punctured ball, his posture drooping completely. He could not help muttering under his breath, “Why am I the only one being punished? Clearly Su Rongyu was not listening either and kept whispering with Jihe…”
Before he could finish his complaint, Elder Huiming coldly retorted, “Su Rongyu and Jihe place in the top three of the grand examination every single year, while you finish dead last every single time. If I do not punish you, who should I punish?”
The moment those words dropped, the most panicked person of all was Jihe. She cursed inwardly in despair: Oh dear lord, this is going to be the death of me! I only just arrived here, spending every day gossiping with Su Rongyu about Shen Yanchu without figuring anything out, so how on earth am I supposed to place in the top three?
Thus, the disciples of the Taiyi Sect were treated to quite a spectacle: Shen Yanchu and Jihe walking in front with identical long faces of misery, followed closely by three tall, straight, and strikingly handsome young men, while Su Rongyu brought up the rear with the graceful, ethereal poise of an immortal.
“Isn’t this just a bit too friendly for my eyes?” A female cultivator dressed in a pink silk dress gazed into the distance in pleasant surprise, letting out an involuntary exclamation of admiration.
Standing right beside her, another female cultivator nodded repeatedly in agreement. “You said it! I wish I could live on Lingxiao Peak too. How wonderful that would be!”
At that moment, a third female cultivator chimed in, “Oh, who wouldn’t want to? Just looking at those handsome faces every day would probably let you skip meals altogether!” Hearing this, all of them covered their mouths and chuckled lightly.
Not far away, a young man and woman stood facing each other. The young man possessed sharp sword-like brows and starry eyes, looking exceptionally dashing—none other than Shen Yanchu—while the young woman had a cute, delicate face set off by a pristine white dress that accentuated her ethereal aura, making her none other than Jihe.
Shen Yanchu grinned as he teased, “I say, Junior Sister Jihe, I am the one being punished to copy books, so how come you look even more depressed than me? Could it be… hehe, that you actually have a secret crush on this senior brother? Though let me make it clear first, you are not really my type, and I have always just thought of you as a little sister…”
Before he could finish speaking, Jihe’s brows arched in anger. With a wide swing of her arm, a fist came flying toward Shen Yanchu’s lower back like a gust of wind.
With a startled yelp of pain, Shen Yanchu quickly clutched his waist and cried out in agony, “Ouch, your strength is getting way too out of hand!”
Instead of apologizing, Jihe placed her hands on her hips, lifted her chin, and retorted smugly, “Hmph, how do you like that? Let me tell you, we girls have plenty of strength! If you do not believe me, do you want to try again?” As she spoke, she threw a few more punches through the air by way of warning.
Frightened pale, Shen Yanchu waved his hands frantically as he retreated backward, stammering in a rush, “No, no, absolutely not! I believe you, I believe you, okay?” Without finishing his sentence, he bolted like a puff of smoke to hide right behind Xie Huaizhou, poking half his head out to cautiously monitor Jihe’s movements.
Shen Yanchu’s slender, jade-like fingers brushed lightly against Xie Huaizhou’s skin, sending a wave of indescribable tingling sensations rippling through him. Xie Huaizhou felt as though a gentle breeze had swept across a tranquil lake surface, stirring up layers of ripples that felt both unfamiliar and delicate.
“Xiao Chu.” Ji Yanche’s voice carried a hint of amusement. His movements were gentle yet firm, resembling someone pacifying a stray kitten as he casually scooped Shen Yanchu up.
“Next time, you can just hide behind me.” His trailing tone rose slightly, conveying an air of casual laziness and unhurried ease, while his deep voice wrapped around the air like a ribbon of night.
Though completely clueless about the context, Jiang Siwang operated on the principle that doing something was better than doing nothing, and quickly piped up, “Me too! Yanchu darling, my back is always open for you too.”
Moving with sudden and decisive speed, Xie Huaizhou wrapped his arms tightly around Shen Yanchu and unhesitatingly shoved Ji Yanche’s grip away. His voice was cold, resolute, and laden with unquestionable majesty: “You are hurting him. Remember, whatever Shen Yanchu wants to do is entirely his own freedom, and you have zero qualification to point fingers.” Xie Huaizhou’s gaze locked onto Ji Yanche with the chilling sharpness of ice.
Jihe loved a good spectacle and pulled Su Rongyu around to face them, leaning in close while Su Rongyu cooperated by naturally bending down.
“Here they go again, Senior Brother Su. I am rooting for Shen Yanchu and Xie Huaizhou. Who are you rooting for?”
“I am rooting for Ji Yanche and Shen Yanchu. Ji Yanche has lived so long after all, so his methods must outmatch Xie Huaizhou’s. Besides, Ji Yanche’s cultivation is so high that if worse comes to worst, he can just snatch him away,” Su Rongyu replied with a trace of amusement in his tone. “Anyway, as long as it does not involve me, I am fine.”
The two of them carried on a heated debate regarding the current situation, completely unaware of a massive, looming peril creeping up on them.
“For some reason, my back suddenly feels ice-cold and eerie enough to give me the creeps. Senior Brother Su, do you feel it too?” Jihe frowned slightly.
Su Senior Brother nodded in agreement, adding, “I feel the same way. A bad premonition is quietly brewing in my heart.”
Right at that moment, a low and slightly mocking voice rang out: “Why don’t the two cowards turn around and look behind you?”
Turning their heads, they saw Jiang Siwang standing with his arms crossed over his chest, a half-smile hanging on his lips while his words seemed squeezed out from between his teeth with a frosty edge.
“Hmph! Why have you been discussing this for so long without a single one of you mentioning this young master? Am I really that lacking in competitive appeal?” Jiang Siwang let out a dissatisfied cold snort, a flash of annoyance crossing his eyes.
Hearing this, Su Rongyu and Jihe exchanged a glance before bursting into simultaneous laughter. Jihe parted her lips to say, “You arrived far too late. Everything in life follows the rule of first-come, first-served.” Her tone remained lighthearted, as though refusing to take Jiang Siwang’s words to heart.
Jiang Siwang glared fiercely at the pair, though he quickly recovered his composure. Lifting his chin, he proudly declared, “This young master does not deign to bicker with ordinary mortals like you! Setting aside everything else, just look at my standing in the Demon Realm—millions upon millions of subjects are utterly loyal and dedicated to supporting me!” With that, he deliberately puffed out his chest to showcase his mighty presence.