Wu Bufan and Chao Chen quietly finished their breakfast without speaking. As they were leaving the inn, three armored cultivators brushed past them, their presence cold and imposing.
The leading cultivator, whose aura clearly revealed him to be at the Foundation Establishment stage, strode directly to the counter and asked in a deep voice, “Innkeeper, in the past few days, have any experts of Core Formation or higher cultivation come to stay here?”
The innkeeper, bowing respectfully, answered at once, “None, sir. If such a person had appeared, I would have reported it to you immediately.”
The cultivator frowned slightly. “What about people traveling in pairs?”
The innkeeper froze for a moment before lifting a trembling hand and pointing toward the two figures who had just walked out the door. “Those two. They always go in and out together and even rented a single room. I believe they are Dao companions.”
“Stop right there!” the cultivator barked.
Chao Chen’s face flushed a deep crimson in an instant.
Wu Bufan’s lips curved slightly. Calm and composed, he turned around while still holding Chao Chen’s hand, facing the three cultivators directly.
The leading cultivator scanned them both, disappointment flashing across his eyes as he sensed their low cultivation levels.
Then his gaze settled on Chao Chen’s flushed face. “Why is your face so red?” he asked with suspicion.
Chao Chen’s blush deepened, nearly turning black from embarrassment. Before he could say a word, Wu Bufan drew him into his arms, his voice steady and gentle as he smiled faintly. “My Dao companion is rather shy. He overheard your earlier conversation with the innkeeper and was embarrassed.”
The cultivator blinked, his expression caught between surprise and awkwardness. He had seen many same-sex Dao partners before, but this was the first time he had met a pair where the one with the lower cultivation seemed to take the lead in the relationship.
He waved a dismissive hand, chuckling lightly. “We didn’t say anything offensive. He’s really that shy? Go on then, both of you. A grown man shouldn’t have such thin skin.”
Wu Bufan smiled politely and nodded, still keeping an arm around Chao Chen as they walked away.
Once they turned into a narrow alleyway, he finally released his hold, though his touch lingered faintly.
Chao Chen still refused to lift his head.
Wu Bufan bent slightly toward him, his tone soft and teasing. “Are you angry?”
“No,” Chao Chen muttered, his voice muffled. “Why would I be angry?”
His heart had simply been pounding too hard when Wu Bufan suddenly pulled him close like that.
Yet, even as his pulse raced wildly, he couldn’t deny that he didn’t dislike the feeling.
Wu Bufan suddenly crouched down slightly, leaning forward until his forehead brushed lightly against Chao Chen’s.
Chao Chen’s eyes widened, startled, and he froze completely.
Wu Bufan’s gaze lowered, lingering on the younger man’s lips for a heartbeat before his Adam’s apple moved subtly. But instead of leaning closer, he merely reached up, tucking a stray strand of Chao Chen’s hair behind his ear.
“Let’s go,” he said quietly.
“O… oh.” Chao Chen’s mind was hazy, his steps unsteady as he followed Wu Bufan forward.
At the entrance of the teleportation array, two lines had formed one long and one short.
The long line was for ordinary cultivators, while the shorter queue was a special passage reserved for those of higher birth and greater wealth.
In that shorter line, every man and woman was dressed in exquisite robes, their sleeves embroidered with spiritual threads that shimmered faintly. Each of them was accompanied by attendants or guards, a visible display of power and status.
Wu Bufan led Chao Chen into the long line, holding his hand loosely but firmly. Halfway through the wait, a group arrived at the shorter queue nearby and among them was a familiar face.
When their eyes met, Mu Sisi’s expression shifted sharply.
She immediately turned to the man beside her, her tone quick and accusatory. “It’s them! They’re the ones! They’re the ones who uncovered the spirit stone!”
Wu Keyuan’s cold eyes swept over Wu Bufan and Chao Chen without expression. He said nothing.
There were too many people here, and this was not the place to act.
Mu Sisi bit her lip hard, clearly dissatisfied with his restraint.
Standing in front of her, Mu Chen frowned and asked, “What spirit stone?”
Not wanting Mu Chen to think that she’s greedy or bloodthirsty, Mu Sisi hesitated before replying vaguely, “That man snatched a spirit stone from me.”
Mu Chen immediately saw through her words. Glancing briefly at Wu Bufan’s calm expression and modest cultivation level, he deduced the truth and advised in a mild but pointed tone, “If you truly wish to become an inner disciple of the Dragonfish Sect, cousin, you shouldn’t keep your eyes fixed on just one little spirit stone.”
The spirit stone was indeed valuable but as the son of the City Lord of the Sky Demon Province, Mu Chen was far above the level of caring about such a trivial treasure. Only cultivators from small, backwater towns would obsess over a single stone.
Mu Sisi’s face flushed faintly with embarrassment. “I understand.”
She quickly changed the subject. “Cousin, did they catch the thief who stole the Floating Stone Essence?”
That theft had shaken the entire city when she arrived. The rumors said the two thieves had actually sneaked into the City Lord’s mansion to steal those treasures an act so daring it bordered on insanity.
Mu Chen’s expression darkened slightly, irritation flickering across his face. “They’ll be caught sooner or later,” he said curtly.
He was only worried that the ongoing search would delay the recruitment competition at the Dragonfish Sect.
Seeing his mood sour, Mu Sisi dared not ask further.
Meanwhile, Wu Bufan tightened his hold on Chao Chen’s hand.
He could feel the sweep of several powerful divine senses passing over the crowd nearby. The closer they drew to the teleportation array, the more frequent and intense those probing scans became.
Chao Chen’s palms grew slightly damp, tension creeping up his shoulders. Wu Bufan, however, remained calm and composed.
Glancing toward the short queue, he even found the leisure to look around and then cursed silently under his breath.
Among the group at the end of the short line stood Bo Yinran and several others he knew well.
The two lines were separated by barely five meters. Turning his back quickly, Wu Bufan pulled Chao Chen into his arms once more, shielding his face from view.
Chao Chen stiffened in surprise, but before he could react, a familiar voice came from behind them.
“Lingyue, what’s wrong?” asked Wu Xutian.
He had sensed Chao Lingyue’s coldness over the past few days, though he couldn’t understand why.
Chao Lingyue forced a faint smile. “Nothing.”
The Fortune Beast had vanished into thin air. She had hoped that after arriving here, she could find another object of fortune to compensate but when she followed Feng Tian’s suggestion and visited the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, she discovered that the fortune-laden item there had already disappeared as well.
After inquiring, she learned that a few days ago, two people in black robes had purchased a large batch of stones from the gambling area, and shortly after that, news spread that the Floating Stone Essence had been stolen.
Everyone said the Floating Stone Essence came from the City Lord’s mansion but if the City Lord truly possessed such a treasure, would he really have kept it hidden until now? No, he would have long used it to bribe a master artificer for a powerful artifact.
Having two fortune-bearing items snatched away in such a short time left her simmering with frustration.
She glared at Feng Tian in her mind. “If you had told me sooner that the Fortune Beast had disappeared, I wouldn’t have wasted so much time in the Sky Demon Mountains! Because of that delay, even the Floating Stone Essence has been taken before I could get it!”
Feng Tian ignored her complaints, only saying coldly, “Look to your left, at the two people ahead of you. Their luck is immense. They must be carrying valuable treasures.”
“If you can seize what they carry, your lost fortune may yet be restored.”
Chao Lingyue turned sharply toward the left and there, standing near the entrance of the teleportation array, she saw Wu Bufan and Chao Chen. They were paying their fare, moments away from stepping into the glowing circle of light.
Her pupils constricted violently.
“Bufan!” she called out, her voice soft but urgent, carrying a trace of affectionate familiarity that could not hide the anxious edge beneath.
No fighting was allowed within the teleportation array, and once someone entered, they would vanish instantly to the next region. In such a crowded place, she knew that once they stepped through, finding them again would be nearly impossible.
Everyone nearby turned their heads Wu Xutian and his companions among them, as well as Wu Keyuan and the others.
But Wu Bufan didn’t even pause. Without hesitation, he paid the fee and, holding Chao Chen’s hand firmly, stepped straight into the teleportation array without looking back.
Chao Lingyue’s face turned completely cold.
He had heard her. She was sure of it.
Then why had he ignored her?
In that instant, an image flashed in her mind Wu Bufan’s hand intertwined with Chao Chen’s.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
Could it be…?
No, impossible! Wu Bufan clearly liked women!
Feng Tian’s voice sounded in her mind. “So that’s the one who stole the earring? No wonder his luck is so strong.”
Chao Lingyue’s gaze grew sharp and venomous. “And the boy beside him he also carries great fortune?”
“He does,” Feng Tian replied gravely. “There’s another item of fortune on him as well. You must be careful of that one.”
Chao Lingyue frowned. “Why? What do you mean?”
Feng Tian fell silent for a long moment, its tone uncertain when it finally spoke again.
“Because… there are some things even I cannot yet see clearly.”
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
If you have ever thought “someone should buy this translator coffee”… congratulations. You are someone.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Dream to RealityChapter 2 · Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortuneChapter 3 · Retrieve the tokenChapter 4 · Top-tier alchemistChapter 5 · A cooperative treasure hunt?Chapter 6 · Thousand mile Thundercloud LeopardChapter 7 · Chaotic Strange EntityChapter 8 · Back to Xichuan TownChapter 9 · How could Wu Bufan be stronger than him!Chapter 10 · Wu Bufan possess so many top-grade pills?Chapter 11 · This time, she will not let anyone take what is hers away againChapter 12 · Seize the luckChapter 13 · Mutant Purple Thunder BeastChapter 14 · I’m afraid he’ll get angryChapter 15 · PumiceChapter 16 · Enemies meet on a narrow roadChapter 17 · Becoming Daoist CouplesChapter 18 · Top-grade Calamity-Breaking PillChapter 19 · The amazing effects of top-grade pillsChapter 20 · Basic Body ForgingChapter 21 · One world cannot contain two chosen ones.Chapter 22 · PuppetChapter 23 · AuctionChapter 24 · Space FoundationChapter 25 · Top-grade Foundation Building PillChapter 26 · Increased space areaChapter 27 · The competition BeginChapter 28 · RobbedChapter 29 · Turn Defeat into Victory!Chapter 30 · The Death of Wu KeyuanChapter 31 · BetChapter 32 · Even the way Chao Chen talks is so cuteChapter 33 · Avenge Wu KeyuanChapter 34 · Finding Bodhi Wood at a BargainChapter 35 · Little PuppetChapter 36 · Explosive PillsChapter 37 · I’ll concedeChapter 38 · You are a genius, so your Daoist partner must also be a genius.Chapter 39 · The Third Elder was refused a disciple.Chapter 40 · Has the floating marrow stone secret been exposed?Chapter 41 · How Could There Be Such a Sinister Human!Chapter 42 · The Mutated Mugwort FoxChapter 43 · Wandering the JianghuChapter 44 · Ancient ElixirChapter 45 · I feel like I’m about to be struck by lightning!Chapter 46 · Earth-level Secret RealmChapter 47 · The spot is practically yours.Chapter 48 · His Daoist partner is truly amazing!Chapter 49 · The legacy in the libraryChapter 50 · Dual cultivation techniquesChapter 51 · First genius Ji Pu RanChapter 52 · Shifting the blame eastwardChapter 53 · The little puppet went to run errandsChapter 54 · The Explosive Pill once again demonstrated its power.Chapter 55 · Chao Lingyue’s cultivation levelChapter 56 · Little Money-GrubberChapter 57 · What a venomous mouth!Chapter 58 · Enter the secret realmChapter 59 · A huge windfall fell from the sky.Chapter 60 · The birth of a rare treasureChapter 61 · This alchemy furnace is quite uniqueChapter 62 · The alchemy furnace that walked right into the trapChapter 63 · Xiao Zi’s Self-Rescue GuideChapter 64 · Spirit Field Micro RealmChapter 65 · Someone Planning to Reap the Benefits?Chapter 66 · Are You Lost?Chapter 67 · Chao Chen, Corrupted by the Big Handsome PotChapter 68 · Is Your phoenix Fish Sect Collecting Trash?Chapter 69 · The Death of Hui SipingChapter 70 · No, Junior Brother Chao, Where’s Your Backbone…Chapter 71 · Has His Identity Been Exposed?Chapter 72 · This Child Is Far Too ShrewdChapter 73 · Young people are wonderful. They fall asleep the moment they lie downChapter 74 · Sparrow Alchemist Chao Lingyue?Chapter 75 · The Silver Tongued Chao ChenChapter 76 · What’s the rush? I have moreChapter 77 · Leave the sectChapter 78 · Showing Off on a Grand ScaleChapter 79 · The Sparrow Alchemist Returns to the Martial WorldChapter 80 · Does Junior Brother Chao know about this?Chapter 81 · The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole BehindChapter 82 · So FierceChapter 83 · They’ve been targeted by the local bulliesChapter 84 · The Kid Is Missing?Chapter 85 · A Thing from the Void: SilkChapter 86 · Chao Chen became famousChapter 87 · The Devil MentorChapter 88 · The four little ones went out to gain experienceChapter 89 · The Students Who Were Truly ConvincedChapter 90 · What a Bountiful Harvest!Chapter 91 · No Random KissingChapter 92 · Detoxification PillChapter 93 · Master Wu, your Daoist partner has disappearedChapter 94 · The Demonic ThiefChapter 95 · Fellow Daoist, are you selling this sparrow?Chapter 96 · Unexpected disaster, nothing moreChapter 97 · My Daoist partner was born in the Year of the PigChapter 98 · The Undying Devil ChildChapter 99 · Exotic Treasure! Buddha Flame Glazed Light!Chapter 100 · We stole the Beast Taming Sect’s treasure vaultChapter 101 · Waaaaah… Why is this strange fire so gay?Chapter 102 · The Mysterious Pill – Flower in the MirrorChapter 103 Part 1 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 103 Part 2 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 104 Part 1 · Separation and ReunionChapter 104 Part 2 · Separation and ReunionChapter 105 Part 1 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 105 Part 2 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 106 · Chao Chen’s RevengeChapter 107 · The Death of Chao LingyueChapter 108 · A Narcissistic Man or a Great Beauty?Chapter 109 · This Person Has No MannersChapter 110 · The Ancient Spirit Botanical GardenChapter 111 · Thousand-Thread Poison WomanChapter 112 · I am not kindChapter 113 · Are you the most handsome man here?Chapter 114 Part 1 · ReunionChapter 114 Part 2 · ReunionChapter 115 Part 1 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 115 Part 2 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 116 · Central ContinentChapter 116 Part 1 · Central ContinentChapter 117 Part 1 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 117 Part 2 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 118 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 118 Part 1 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 119 · Xiao Chen will also be embarrassedChapter 120 · The moon is so bright tonightChapter 121 Part 1 · Treasure ArrayChapter 121 Part 2 · Treasure ArrayChapter 122 Part 1 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 122 Part 2 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 123 Part 1 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 123 Part 2 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 124 Part 1 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 124 Part 2 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 125 Part 1 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 125 Part 2 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 126 · Ice spirit tower has explodedChapter 127 Part 1 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 2 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 3 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 128 Part 1 · Being Followed?Chapter 128 Part 2 · Being Followed?Chapter 129 · Magical ArtifactChapter 131 · A Declaration of WarChapter 132 · A chaotic war of words: Friend or foe indistinguishable…Chapter 133 Part 1 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 133 Part 2 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 134 Part 1 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 134 Part 2 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 135 Part 1 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 135 Part 2 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 136 Part 1 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 2 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 3 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left Behind