The peace and tranquility of the elegant bamboo house was shattered as bursts of clamorous dog barking rose and fell, shaking the bamboo leaves in front of the house until they trembled.
Shock filled Gu Qingyun’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed his inner agitation. He looked at Ye Qianjue, who was currently frolicking with the dog before his eyes; it had been a very long time since he had seen his disciple this happy.
But… no! Absolutely not!
Gu Qingyun cast a gaze as cold as frost toward Ye Yuan. “You may not. Feixian Peak is a place of pure cultivation; how can we rear such a wild and unruly creature here?”
Wild and unruly?
You old man, Gu Qingyun! This Venerable’s transformation this time is so mighty and cute—didn’t you see how much your precious disciple likes it?
Being rejected by his Master, Ye Qianjue opened his moist eyes and continuously held the dog while pleading with Gu Qingyun.
“Master~ Let me keep him~ Let me keep him~”
Looking at Ye Qianjue at this moment, the Demon Venerable inexplicably felt a surge of intimacy. He could not help but steal a lick of the youth’s small face.
The eyes of the Immortal Venerable, who was always pure, aloof, and detached from the mortal world, instantly turned blood-red.
“Master, look at how affectionate this doggy is! He even licked me”
Completely failing to notice Gu Qingyun’s rage-filled expression, Ye Qianjue was still holding Ye Yuan and amusing himself.
Above Ye Yuan’s round, bead-like eyes were two white markings, making it look as though he had an extra pair of lively eyes. These highly comical white dots currently resembled a pair of teasing eyebrows.
Watching Gu Qingyun grow furious yet remain unable to kill him, a sudden wave of immense satisfaction washed through Ye Yuan’s heart.
Gu Qingyun, you imprisoned this Venerable’s physical body for decades, and today you are finally being given a taste of bitterness as well! This Venerable might as well stay right by your disciple’s side. When the day comes that I retrieve my inner core, I will settle my debts with you~
Ye Yuan curled up inside Ye Qianjue’s embrace. Rather than looking like a massive black dog with a long mane, he seemed delicate and dependent, much like a cat.
Seeing that fellow repeatedly nuzzle within Ye Qianjue’s arms, the veins on Gu Qingyun’s forehead throbbed violently. He clenched his fists like iron, and killing intent erupted from his eyes.
Gu Qingyun forced himself to calm his breathing. He silently recited the Heart-Clearing Incantation in his mind, and then looked once more at the eyesore of a scene before him.
Gu Qingyun cleared his throat and walked over to Ye Qianjue in an orderly, measured manner.
“This dog is not bad, but this Feixian Peak is not a place that ordinary living creatures can enter. This much, you should also know.”
Looking at this familiar dog, Gu Qingyun immediately thought of the Demon Venerable from ten years ago. It was highly possible that the large dog before his eyes was the Demon Venerable pulling his old tricks again!
Gu Qingyun’s gaze grew resolutely firm. This dog must absolutely not be kept!
Ye Qianjue put Ye Yuan down, then pressed his palms together and pressed close to Gu Qingyun.
“Master, this is Qianjue’s only wish. I beg Master to agree, okay?”
Ye Qianjue’s beautiful eyes were sparkling, and his slightly furrowed brow carried a hint of acting spoiled it was timed perfectly!
Looking at such an obedient Ye Qianjue, Gu Qingyun would normally have granted the request without a second thought.
But that dog posed a threat to his status.
On the very first day alone, his disciple was already protecting that fellow so fiercely. In the future, wouldn’t he abandon his Master entirely to wander the ends of the earth with a dog?
The more Gu Qingyun thought about it, the more frightened he became. If this dog truly was the Demon Venerable in disguise…
If there came a day when Ye Yuan found out that the inner core he thought about day and night was actually inside Ye Qianjue’s body, then things would go terribly wrong!
“No!”
Gu Qingyun slapped the table and stood up, flatly refusing. “As your teacher, I will not allow you to keep a strange dog by your side!”
This was the first time Gu Qingyun had ever lost his temper, and it was also the first time Ye Qianjue had ever seen his Master act this way.
Ye Qianjue was startled by Gu Qingyun’s sudden movement. This… this was the very first time Master had ever gotten angry…
Ye Qianjue lowered his eyes to look at the black-and-white dog frolicking on the ground.
No! I absolutely must keep him!
Ye Qianjue refused to back down this time. He plucked up his courage, took a step forward, and faced Gu Qingyun directly.
“Master, this time, your disciple absolutely must keep him!” Ye Qianjue looked at his frost-faced Master, his heart pounding nonstop. “Does Master still remember the doggy Qianjue had when he was little?”
The moment those words were spoken, Gu Qingyun’s rage vanished completely in an instant, replaced immediately by an immense, sudden shock!
His pupils contracted slightly, and he looked at Ye Qianjue with a face full of astonishment. “You…”
This trick works! Master is moved!
The heavy stone in Ye Qianjue’s heart finally dropped. He took another step forward and caught Gu Qingyun’s hands in his own. At the moment of contact, Ye Qianjue was somewhat surprised—his Master’s hands were so cold.
“Master, Qianjue only asks for this one time, and I won’t pester Master ever again afterward.”
Ye Qianjue held Gu Qingyun’s hands tightly, his face full of bewilderment: Why are Master’s hands so icy?
It was far more than just icy fingers; Gu Qingyun felt as though his very heart had gone cold. He looked at the Ye Qianjue before him, his mind a chaotic whirl of mixed emotions.
In the end… he still resents me.
“Master?”
Ye Qianjue looked at Gu Qingyun with a face full of worry.
Meanwhile, Ye Yuan, who was watching the drama from the side, was already laughing so hard he could barely breathe. This was, in all his history, the most satisfying piece of revenge he had ever taken against Gu Qingyun!
In the very next second, a scene occurred that left Ye Yuan completely flabbergasted.
Right in front of Ye Yuan’s eyes, Ye Qianjue sat directly onto Gu Qingyun’s lap and looped both arms around Gu Qingyun’s neck, their posture incredibly intimate.
This scene instantly brought Ye Yuan’s laughter to a grinding halt.
Staring at the sight before him, Ye Yuan’s head was filled with utter confusion: Has the relationship between masters and disciples in the immortal sects reached this point nowadays? This Gu Qingyun dotes on his disciple way too excessively…
Outside the house, a bleak, cold wind blew. Feixian Peak was exceptionally freezing today; a thin layer of snow had fallen upon the peak, and a hazy mist shrouded the mountain like a light veil.
Tonight was a ridiculous night, a heartbreaking night filled with a biting chill, yet also a joyous night, a night filled with happy voices and laughter.
Ye Qianjue had succeeded!
He called Ye Yuan into the room and patted the bed.
“Come here! Jump up!” Ye Qianjue pointed at the soft bedding, beckoning Ye Yuan over.
Running along the floor, Ye Yuan let out an “ao-wu” sound and made a flying leap, landing right on Ye Qianjue’s bed. The moment his four paws made contact, the gaze of his entire canine self became completely clear.
So… what a comfortable and soft mattress! This Venerable spent the last dozen or so years accompanied entirely by cold, hard stones! The only thing with a bit of warmth was the bubbling lava…
Once he touched the bed, it was impossible to wake him up.
No matter how Ye Qianjue nudged and pushed him, Ye Yuan remained completely still, as if he were dead.
“Alright then… then you can sleep with me tonight, but it won’t do starting tomorrow! If Master sees you, you’ll be in big trouble!” Ye Qianjue wiped the sweat from his brow.
Ye Yuan closed his eyes and began his beautiful dream…
During his decades in the Demon-Subduing Tower, the demon known as Gu Qingyun had always been Ye Yuan’s nightmare. Whenever he closed his eyes, Gu Qingyun’s face—the one that claimed to be pure and noble would appear right before him.
“Gu Qingyun!” Ye Yuan woke up with a start, jolted by fear.
He looked around beside him; there was no one there. “Where did Gu Qingyun’s good disciple go?”
Right at that moment, the sound of dripping water echoed from nearby. Ye Yuan perked up his dog ears and listened intently. With a single leap, he got off the bed and walked unsteadily toward the folding screen.
A faint, translucent yellow folding screen separated the person and the dog. Under the flickering, dim lamplight, Ye Yuan could faintly discern a fair, pale torso behind the screen.
Even though only half of the body was revealed, it was enough to make it impossible for Ye Yuan to look away.
As if possessed, he walked closer until he reached the edge of the bath barrel. Water splashed up from above, landing on the tip of his nose. Ye Yuan gave it a lick and barked aloud in excitement.
This single sound echoed loudly through the entire room.
In an instant, Ye Yuan felt so embarrassed that he wished he could vanish on the spot. He lowered his head and tucked his tail, wanting to slip away quietly, but he was called out to by the bathing Ye Qianjue.
“Doggy? You’re finally awake. I thought you were just going to sleep the day away.” Ye Qianjue leaned against the edge of the bath barrel with his naked body, his eyes entirely misted over, shrouded in a damp, warm vapor.
His waterfall-like black hair clung tightly to his slender body.
Ye Yuan’s face flushed bright red from watching. He took a few steps back and barked at Ye Qianjue: “You shameless thing! What is it that this Venerable hasn’t seen before? To think you actually want to seduce this Venerable! Your methods are far too inferior!”
“Ao-ao! Ao-ao-ao! Ao!!”
“What are you saying?” Ye Qianjue furrowed his brows, the corners of his phoenix-like eyes turning up slightly. He splashed the surface of the water, then looked at Ye Yuan. “Since you’re already here, why don’t you take a bath too? Otherwise, don’t even think about getting onto my bed tonight.”
It’s coming! He’s coming!
Ye Yuan opened his eyes wide to look at Ye Qianjue, only to see the youth stand up right in front of him. Ye Yuan was so startled that he buried his head directly toward the floor, not daring to catch even a single glimpse.
Before he could even process it for a moment, he was scooped up into a pair of arms by Ye Qianjue.
Instantly, a rich fragrance of pear blossoms wafted through the air. It smelled wonderful… Ye Yuan could not help but take a few extra sniffs.
Upon being placed into the warm water, Ye Yuan let out a comfortable sigh of satisfaction. The sound caused Ye Qianjue to cover his mouth and snicker: “To think a dog can make a sound like that. If only you were a human, how great that would be. That way, I would have one more playmate… and Master wouldn’t nag only me every single day.”
Ye Yuan raised his head to look at Ye Qianjue. So even the disciple who was so heavily doted on by Gu Qingyun had his own grievances.
He looked at Ye Qianjue’s face, which was already beginning to display a stunning, breathtaking beauty, and temporarily lost himself in it.
“Are you looking at me? Can you understand what I’m saying?”
Ye Qianjue looked at Ye Yuan with excitement.
“No! Who how could this Venerable look at a wet-behind-the-ears child…” Ye Yuan turned his dog head aside, but unable to help himself, he turned right back around. “Fine! You do possess a tiny bit of good looks. What’s wrong with this Venerable taking a few extra looks? Back in the day, there were plenty of people in the Demon Palace who looked far better than you!”
Ye Qianjue could not understand what Ye Yuan was rambling about; he only felt that this dog was incredibly, unbelievably cute!
“All washed up! Dry off and get to bed!”
Ye Qianjue held the soaking wet Ye Yuan high up in the air. The dog shook himself dry while still suspended, splashing water stains all over Ye Qianjue’s body.
Only now, while being served and having his fur wiped dry, did Ye Yuan truly get a chance to carefully observe Ye Qianjue. He saw that beneath that gorgeously radiant face lay a slender body; the thin garment hanging over his flesh somehow carried a taste of immense, multifaceted allure.
Ye Yuan lay across Ye Qianjue’s lap, staring at him foolishly.
Looking at the skin that Ye Qianjue was revealing inadvertently, Ye Yuan suddenly stood up. Had Gu Qingyun already seen this kind of Ye Qianjue long ago?!
This speculation continuously wrapped around his heart, making Ye Yuan scratch his head in anxiety and feel extremely uncomfortable.
Looking at the dazing large dog, Ye Qianjue had no idea what he was thinking about either. He reached out his hand to stroke Ye Yuan’s head. “I’m going to sleep first. Do as you please.”
“Too sleepy… played no, I mean, studied for a whole day today…”
Ye Qianjue slowly closed his eyes. His slightly trembling eyelashes were incredibly lovely. At this moment, it actually caused Ye Yuan to experience an illusion of quiet, peaceful years!
Ye Yuan’s eyes carried a dark, piercing sense of voyeurism.
Under the moonlight and candlelight, the canine shadow was seen transforming into a human shape. Ye Yuan’s golden eyes emitted a cold light in the darkness.
“Doggy… Master…”
The deeply sleeping Ye Qianjue let out a few soft whimpers.
Ye Yuan reached out his hand, his sharp fingernails drawing close to Ye Qianjue’s cheek. His gaze was gloomy, fierce, and predatory. With just a gentle slice, Gu Qingyun’s most beloved disciple would be dead…
Ye Yuan’s gaze sharpened, then relaxed.
In the tranquil night scenery, Ye Yuan bent his waist, kissed Ye Qianjue’s soft lips, and then backed away a few steps while covering his own mouth. His earlobes were flushed a deep crimson as he whispered softly: “You sure know how to seduce this Venerable.”