The air was permeated with the fragrance of flowers, and mixed within that assault of pear blossom scent was a peculiar note. The area surrounding Gu Qingyun was chillingly cold, a temperature capable of freezing a person solid.
Just as he lowered his eyes, another object plummeted from the sky above.
“Accursed Immortal Sect scum! This Venerable will absolutely slaughter your entire sect!”
With a howl from Ye Yuan, he crashed straight into the water, kicking up a fierce spray of waves.
Popping his head out of the water, he suddenly locked eyes with Gu Qingyun’s looks-ready-to-eat-someone eyes. His gaze shifted downward. “Gu Qingyun? My eyes, they burn…”
Ye Yuan wanted to mock him a bit more, but in the very next second, the Lindong sword flew over like a whirlwind, neatly slicing through the surrounding emerald bamboo. With a thunderous crash, they collapsed to the ground in unison.
Gu Qingyun stared at Ye Yuan with a deathly cold gaze.
“A good dog doesn’t fight a human! This Venerable will return to battle another day!”
With that, Ye Yuan hurriedly fled from the Soul-Washing Pool.
Inside the bamboo cottage, Ye Qianjue hurriedly shed his wet clothes. His subtle physique possessed graceful, alluring curves, and his fair, delicate skin was as smooth and supple as premium mutton-fat jade.
Ye Qianjue was wiping down his jet-black, beautiful long hair when a gust of cool wind suddenly swept into the room.
“Who’s there!”
Ye Qianjue swiftly threw his garments over himself and rushed to the door. Looking down, he saw Ye Yuan sitting obediently on the ground, staring up at him.
“Oh, it’s you… I thought someone had stealthily infiltrated the place…”
Ye Qianjue lay comfortably on the soft bed, staring up at the ceiling, unable to calm his heart for a long time.
“Awoo” Ye Yuan leaped onto the bed and lay down right beside Ye Qianjue.
Ye Qianjue let out a mournful sigh: “Do you think Master is angry? Just now I fell into his Soul-Washing Pool and disrupted his pure cultivation, and then I even slipped! How could I be so incredibly clumsy… Master really looked angry just now!”
“Should I go over and apologize?”
Ye Qianjue rubbed Ye Yuan’s ears, which felt exactly like furry dumpling wrappers.
Today’s weather was just as restless and burning as Ye Qianjue’s heart! Lying on the bed, he felt his body temperature rising higher and higher. He tossed and turned in the heat, accidentally shoving Ye Yuan right off the bed.
“No way! I have to go check on Master! You’re coming with me!”
Ye Yuan saw stars as his head bumped against the floor. The moment he stood up, he saw Ye Qianjue already fully dressed and raring to go.
Inside his own bamboo cottage, Gu Qingyun held a blue-bound manuscript, flipping through its pages. The ends of his hair were still damp, occasionally dripping a clear droplet of water.
By the frame of the outer door, a head peeked in. His hair was soaking wet, but his clothes were perfectly dry and fresh.
Will Master be angry if I go in right now?
Ye Qianjue placed his index finger on his lips, tapping gently, his brows locked in a tight frown.
Arching his eyebrows, he looked down at Ye Yuan and promptly delivered a swift kick to the dog’s backside, successfully launching him right into the room.
The resulting miserable yelp instantly caught Gu Qingyun’s attention. He cast a sideways glance, then went right back to reading his book as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring the howling Ye Yuan.
On the other hand, Ye Yuan felt deeply wronged and began to grumble furiously.
“You accursed master and disciple pair! You run into a conflict and actually take your frustration out on this Venerable, may you die a horrible death! Just wait until this Venerable reclaims his inner core, then I’ll come take your miserable lives!”
Ye Yuan angrily whipped his tail around and ran out of the bamboo cottage without once looking back.
“Hey! Come back…” Ye Qianjue called out softly, but he couldn’t call back that stubborn dog.
“Come in,” Gu Qingyun spoke up.
Ye Qianjue stepped into the bamboo cottage with an anxious, uneasy heart. Holding his hands behind his back, his face was a mask of grievance, his cheeks flushed pink as though he had suffered a heavy blow.
“Master…” Ye Qianjue’s voice was a soft murmur.
Hearing his voice, Gu Qingyun let out a soft sigh and raised his eyes to look over. He saw that Ye Qianjue’s hair was dripping wet, with the stray strands at his forehead clinging tightly to both sides of his face.
Gu Qingyun, who had still been holding a trace of displeasure, immediately stepped forward. He caught hold of Ye Qianjue’s hand and cast a spell, instantly drying his hair.
Ye Qianjue ran his fingers through his dry, silky hair, his eyes filling with deep gratitude as he stepped forward and threw his arms around Gu Qingyun.
“Master, Qianjue knew you were the absolute best. You aren’t angry at Qianjue, right? Qianjue didn’t disrupt you on purpose, it was all Master Su’s doing.”
“Su Hanshan? What were you doing at Baixian Peak?”
Gu Qingyun led Ye Qianjue over to sit down, considerately pouring a cup of tea for him.
Ye Qianjue took the teacup and chugged it down in one go, setting the cup down firmly with immense satisfaction.
“The Immortal Alliance Conference!” Ye Qianjue wiped his mouth and continued: “I went there to secretly pick up some moves. Master refuses to teach me simple yet powerful spells, so your disciple could only go and try to learn them secretly. In the end, I first ran into trouble at Wenxian Peak, then when I reached Baixian Peak, I was captured by the senior sisters, and finally Master Su used a spell to blast me back here…”
Ye Qianjue dejectedly picked at his fingers, “So I really didn’t intentionally disturb Master’s pure cultivation~”
A wave of worry surfaced between Gu Qingyun’s brows as he asked in perplexity, “Is the Immortal Alliance Conference truly so important to you?”
“Yes, it’s important! Qianjue wants to show Master that I have really grown up!” Speaking of growing up, Ye Qianjue suddenly became smooth-tongued, “Master~ Can you give me a sword ahead of time? Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters all have one, and they look incredibly grand. I want one too. Qianjue promises that if you give it to me now, when I turn twenty, I will absolutely never ask Master for another one!”
Ye Qianjue sat perfectly straight and proper, his two eyes staring resolutely at Gu Qingyun.
Gu Qingyun pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head: “No.”
“Why not? If Master doesn’t give me a weapon, how am I supposed to fight when the time comes for the Immortal Alliance Conference~”
Seeing that polite begging wasn’t working, Ye Qianjue simply threw a tantrum on the spot, reverting back to the tricks he used when he was a child. He continuously tugged and pulled at Gu Qingyun’s sleeves. Seeing that the man remained unmoved with an unbothered expression, Ye Qianjue knelt down beside him, beginning to pound Gu Qingyun’s legs and massage his hands.
After a complex and grueling routine, Ye Qianjue was left panting for breath from exhaustion.
Yet his cold-faced Master didn’t show even a shred of a reaction.
There was truly no justice in the world!
“Fine! Master refuses to agree to Qianjue’s request! Then… then I have no choice but to do this!” After declaring this with an angry huff, Ye Qianjue threw his arms tightly around Gu Qingyun, clinging onto his body like glue.
“Master is always like this, refusing to grant even a tiny request. Then Qianjue will just have to constantly pester Master until Master agrees.”
True to his word, defying all hardships and obstacles, Ye Qianjue maintained his posture rigidly without moving an inch, keeping Gu Qingyun firmly embraced.
Gu Qingyun’s entire body was restricted, making it inconvenient to move.
As the Immortal Venerable of Feixian Peak, Ye Qianjue’s petty tricks naturally couldn’t actually handle him, but at this moment, he chose to indulge Ye Qianjue’s wild antics.
He let out a low chuckle: “If you like it so much, you might as well hold on for a lifetime. Your master has plenty of time.”
Ye Qianjue let out a defiant huff and continued holding on tight.
He mumbled, “I don’t believe you won’t find it annoying… I’m going to hold you just like this when we eat, when we sleep, and even when you take a bath!”
As Ye Qianjue’s words drifted into Gu Qingyun’s ears, the back of the master’s neck flushed red.
Allowing Ye Qianjue to keep hugging him, Gu Qingyun slowly closed his eyes.
On the other side of the mountain, Ye Yuan, who had served as the punching bag for the master and disciple pair, was already consumed by an unquenchable rage!
Transforming into his human form, his golden pupils flickered with a blazing fire. “Having been a beast for several days and tortured until I barely look human, this Venerable will take advantage of the interval while Ye Qianjue is entangling Gu Qingyun today to go look for my inner core.”
Ye Yuan made his way all the way to Feixian Peak’s Treasure Pavilion. He saw three uniquely shaped mythical beasts stationed at the top of the pavilion, with a stone lion flanking each side of the firmly shut main doors.
“The entirety of Feixian Peak is utterly destitute except for this place, which stands out completely. This Venerable’s inner core must be hidden right here!”
Ye Yuan took a step forward onto the steps. The stone stairs beneath his feet instantly began to vibrate violently.
Holding his breath, he retreated a few paces, only to witness the two stone lions at the entrance actually coming to life.
“It’s a forbidden barrier technique! Gu Qingyun truly is crafty! It looks like I must break in and successfully secure my inner core before he arrives.”
The moment the barrier set upon the Treasure Pavilion came under attack, Gu Qingyun sensed it immediately. He attempted to stand up, but his body was pinned securely by Ye Qianjue’s iron grip.
Gu Qingyun stroked Ye Qianjue’s cheek, coaxing gently: “Your master has an urgent matter to attend to. Be good and let go, do not continue to stubbornly tangle with me.”
“An urgent matter? Has the Demon Race launched an assault, or is Master Wu coming to find trouble with me again?” Ye Qianjue gave a little huff, “If Master promises me the sword, I’ll let go~”
The sensory alerts from the Treasure Pavilion grew increasingly intense. Gu Qingyun stared at Ye Qianjue with a solemn expression, then scooped him up with a single arm, heading directly toward the Treasure Pavilion.
Ye Qianjue’s face was full of astonishment as he squirmed frantically in his grip.
“Master, what’s wrong? Is it really that urgent? Could Master Wu really be coming to settle scores with me?!”
Ye Qianjue chattered away the entire distance as he was carried to the Treasure Pavilion.
“There’s someone there! Someone is trying to steal our things! Master, look quick!” At this moment, Ye Qianjue spotted Ye Yuan, who was currently locked in combat with the stone lions at the entrance.
This time, Ye Qianjue took the initiative to leave Gu Qingyun’s embrace, murmuring: “This is the very first time I’ve ever seen an outsider break into Feixian Peak. Hey! Who are you? My Master is here! Don’t you dare move!”
Seeing a stranger made Ye Qianjue more excited than anyone else. He charged forward ahead of everyone to lead the vanguard.
Gu Qingyun’s expression turned incredibly unsightly. With a wave of his hand, he used a spell to yank Ye Qianjue right back. “Go stand to the side and stay quiet.”
“Oh~” Ye Qianjue retreated behind Gu Qingyun’s back, continuing to cheer him on, “Master is the greatest!”
Little idiot… Ye Yuan insulted him internally.
“Hey! Gu Qingyun, look how we meet again. You truly are an inescapable shadow! Why don’t you just step aside? Once this Venerable reclaims his inner core, perhaps” Ye Yuan sneered, “I might just spare the life of that little disciple beside you”
Glancing past Gu Qingyun, Ye Yuan arched an eyebrow and threw a flirtatious wink directly at Ye Qianjue. Ye Qianjue could only stare back, completely dazed.
“Courting death.”
The moment Gu Qingyun’s words fell, the Lindong sword had already flown straight toward Ye Yuan. Ye Yuan continuously shifted his stance, responding with effortless composure.
Ye Qianjue stared blankly at the person sparring with his Master in front of the Treasure Pavilion. He had heard that several decades ago, his Master had seized the inner core of the Demon Venerable, Ye Yuan, and imprisoned his true form beneath the Demon-Sinking Tower.
Years ago, Ye Qianjue had been fortunate enough to catch a single glimpse of Ye Yuan’s true form—a Qiongqi beast.
To think he was actually seeing Ye Yuan’s human form today. Looking at his form clad in sharp black garments, with the dark feathers at his shoulders fluttering wildly and a mane of wild, silky black hair cascading through the air.
Ye Qianjue suddenly felt that the Demon Venerable was entirely different from how everyone described him.
Phrases like “green-faced with protruding fangs” or “ferocious and perverse” didn’t seem to fit the person standing before his eyes at all.
Watching the two of them clash, Ye Qianjue actually felt that Ye Yuan possessed a wildly dashing and heroic appearance. Though he was a tiny bit inferior to his Master, that untamed, unbridled aura radiating from his entire body was something his Master completely lacked.
It was also an aura he had always secretly yearned for and admired!
Gu Qingyun glanced back, only to witness a devastating sight: Ye Qianjue was staring at Ye Yuan with a face full of sheer adoration!
He really should have pulled the grass out by its roots back then!
“Accept your death! Cold Wind, Scattering Petals!”
Gu Qingyun unleashed his technique, causing countless ice crystals to suspend themselves in midair.
Right at that critical, hair-trigger juncture, a smirk tugged at the corner of Ye Yuan’s mouth. He charged straight toward Ye Qianjue, throwing his arms out to trap the youth tightly within his embrace.
Ye Qianjue’s eyes went wide. The moment Ye Yuan rushed toward him and their gazes locked, for some unknown reason, Ye Qianjue felt his heart stop for a few seconds. He didn’t even put up a fight, completely surrendering himself into Ye Yuan’s hands.
“Ye Yuan! Get away from him!” Gu Qingyun roared furiously.
Ye Qianjue looked up at the tall Demon Venerable, murmuring softly: “Demon Venerable… Ye Yuan?”