The red panda had sprinted wildly all night, and had just grabbed onto a tree branch to sleep when a silver net suddenly came flying at it—Lin Wei's ambush.
Lin Wei held it in his arms, not hiding his surprise. "Oh? You actually managed to escape from under the Grandmaster's nose."
The Tracking Curse on it was still active, marking its identity as an escaped prisoner.
The red panda opened its mouth and cursed: "You scum, put me down now! Your Grandmaster let me go himself—how would he dare actually make me into a plaything for his woman? Pah!"
What a temper.
Lin Wei smiled. "I thought as much. No one could truly escape from the Grandmaster. But he wouldn't release you without reason. Give me a reason."
A cold-faced female cultivator stood beside him, staring intently at the red panda. "Say one more disrespectful word, and I'll skin you alive."
Yet this fierce beast only grew more arrogant, continuing its stream of insults until they became increasingly unbearable to hear. Lin Wei had no choice but to undo the Tracking Curse and release it once more.
"The Grandmaster has his own reasoning," Lin Wei explained to his junior sister. "He suddenly burst into the dungeon, took this Nine-Jointed Wolf out without a word, and then let it go. There must be some profound purpose behind it. We needn't interfere."
That made sense.
Chu Yi gazed at the Nine-Jointed Wolf's retreating figure. "Where exactly is the Grandmaster?"
Immortal Lord Ziying had been in Secluded Meditation for Tribulation Transcendence for ten years now, but unlike ordinary people, though his physical body was confined, his divine soul had been wandering freely outside all along. Only Lin Wei could activate the Mystic Bell to send him messages.
Everyone was quietly whispering that Immortal Lord Ziying had actually failed his ascension and been struck dead by heavenly thunder. Rumors and unrest spread like wildfire, throwing the world into some chaos. Even Succubi were reborn between heaven and earth, and the entire demonic path's momentum surged because of it.
"I don't know either." Lin Wei sighed. "The world is unstable, and the Succubus has been reborn. The Grandmaster must be thinking of a way to deal with her."
That was just how Immortal Lord Ziying was—he was the leader of the righteous path, the sovereign of the world that demons and monsters feared. As long as he existed, this world would not fall into chaos.
Chu Yi's tone carried a hint of reverence. "Senior Brother speaks truly. Immortal Lord Ziying holds the world in his heart, with great benevolence and righteousness. He would never be bewitched by a Succubus."
Lin Wei: "…"
He slowly turned his head, staring at Chu Yi. "You've learned to be sly, trying to pry information out of me."
"No." Chu Yi lowered her head in shame. "It was all Hua Fan's nonsense. But Senior Brother, this Demonic Beast kept insisting that the Grandmaster took it to win a woman's favor. That is indeed suspicious. The Grandmaster hasn't had a dao companion in centuries—why would the moment a Succubus appears…"
"You also know that our Grandmaster hasn't had a dao companion in centuries?" Lin Wei said with no good humor. "He's even colder than those cultivators of the Emotionless Path. The seven emotions and six desires have nothing to do with him. How could he possibly be bewitched by a Succubus?"
A Succubus was an utterly evil thing. If one's foundation was impure, they would be extremely susceptible to erosion, becoming nourishment for the Succubus.
But Immortal Lord Ziying—he himself was light. Great benevolence and righteousness taken to their extreme meant being without emotion and without desire.
Yet this junior sister was completely single-minded, and even after hearing this, her face was still full of worry. Lin Wei sighed. "Make a Secret Word Covenant, and I'll tell you. This Succubus and the world's Karmic Debt of Lust wax and wane against each other. The Grandmaster did capture her, but she can't be killed now, because she's still weak at this point. If we kill her too early, there's no guarantee she won't be reborn someday, nourished by lust. We'd fall into a passive position instead."
But after a long enough time, once the Succubus has absorbed and consumed enough of the world's karmic debt of lust, then killing her would be timely.
By then, the world's karmic debt would be diminished, and even if she wanted to be reborn, it would probably be a thousand years later.
Upon hearing this, Chu Yi was even more ashamed. "I understand now, Senior Brother. So the Grandmaster is truly far-sighted and cunning. I was the one with petty suspicions."
Lin Wei said, "You… forget it."
Just as they were speaking, the flower bell at Lin Wei's waist began to chime. Together, they felt Immortal Lord Ziying's purest and most profound spiritual power, surging forth vast and overwhelming, covering the sky and the earth. Their souls seemed to be pulled into the depths of the universe, reverence tinged with a hint of fear.
"Chu Yi?" Immortal Lord Ziying's voice was calm and unruffled. "Stop running around after Lin Wei."
Both of their minds were somewhat skewed—Lin Wei was too clever, and Chu Yi was recklessly headstrong. They didn't complement each other but instead strangely resonated, drifting further and further down an abnormal path.
"Grandmaster." Chu Yi had already knelt down, speaking in a clear voice: "Senior Brother and I did not intend to discuss your private affairs. The fault is entirely mine. Whatever happened between you and that Succubus, Senior Brother and I will never spread it. We swear to defend your reputation with our lives!!"
Lin Wei's knees went weak, and he had no choice but to kneel as well. "Grandmaster."
The Grandmaster was silent.
Having been a grandmaster for so long, being openly gossiped about by his young disciples was somewhat uncomfortable.
But it was only a fleeting emotion—and after that instant passed, he instead found his own discomfort strange.
This faint irritation that filled him was not accompanied by any desire to punish anyone.
It was somewhat unfamiliar.
"Enough," Shi Yeshan spoke. "Since you're here, go to Qiling Peak now and find a house to stay in. Do nothing at all—just live there and cultivate for a while. Conceal your identity. Don't let anyone know."
"Me?" Chu Yi's heart tightened. "Please rest assured, Grandmaster. I will slaughter every demon there to the last—I won't even spare a flower spirit or tree sprite."
But Shi Yeshan said nothing more.
The flower bell at Lin Wei's waist suddenly shot out a Spirit Curse, striking Chu Yi squarely in the chest. The move came without warning, and both of them were shocked, yet neither dared to move.
After the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, Lin Wei finally dared to rise and immediately checked her junior sister's pulse. She said gravely, "The Grandmaster has placed a Cease-Killing Order on you."
Forget slaying demons and exorcising evil—she couldn't even swat a mosquito dead now.
The weather today was fairly decent.
After being scolded so harshly by Shi Yeshan yesterday, the Fang couple had nevertheless hitched up an ox cart and pulled it to Su Zhai's doorstep at dawn the next day, intending to follow Shi Yeshan to Ziqian Hall.
That was some real persistence.
Sister-in-law Fang didn't dare enter the house, but the moment she saw Su Zhai, she broke into a smile and greeted her with overflowing enthusiasm. "Su Su, did you sleep well last night? I picked out the biggest eggs for you—make sure you eat plenty."
That basket of eggs was still sitting by the courtyard wall, untouched.
Actually, the mirror they'd brought last time had been the same situation—they'd forced the things on Su Zhai, saying that refusing would be looking down on them, and Su Zhai hadn't been able to fend them off.
Shi Yeshan glanced at Su Zhai's inscrutable expression, paused his steps, then continued on to exchange pleasantries with Sister-in-law Fang as if nothing were amiss. "She likes them very much, she's just too shy to say so. Are these from your own chickens? Then I'll trouble you to bring her a basket every day from now on."
Sister-in-law Fang's expression stiffened.
Su Zhai shook her head in alarm. "No, no—he's joking. Sister-in-law, please take these eggs back. I shouldn't be accepting things from you anymore. After all, one shouldn't receive rewards without merit."
She continued in one breath, "Sister Fang. My husband only said he'd take your husband to have his Root Bone assessed—nothing else was promised. Shushan is a prestigious sect; they can't just accept disciples casually because of my husband's connections. If he can't help, please do forgive us."
Shi Yeshan had never heard her speak so much in one go before, and found it novel for a moment.
His gaze swept over the two Fangs, with a hint of pickiness.
What a pity.
Su Zhai had already picked up the basket of eggs and firmly tried to return them to Sister-in-law Fang, who naturally refused, reaching out to shove them back at Su Zhai twice—but then suddenly felt a chill run through her. Looking up, she saw Shi Yeshan watching her silently, and hastily withdrew her hands with an awkward laugh, taking the eggs back.
"Sister Su, why not come along?" Fang Chengye was still sitting on the ox cart, his tone warm. "You can keep my wife company. While we men handle business, you two can stroll around town and have some fun."
Sister-in-law Fang was also inviting her, smiling and urging her on. "None of Immortal Lord Shi's fellow cultivators have met you yet, have they? Why not come along and let them see what a beautiful wife our great Immortal Lord has married."
Shi Yeshan said nothing, also waiting for her answer.
"I'm not going."
Su Zhai took two steps back, standing behind Shi Yeshan. "I'll stay home. You all go ahead—travel safely."
But Shi Yeshan asked her in a low voice, "You're really not coming?"
Su Zhai shook her head, still annoyed at Shi Yeshan for having pinned the egg business on her. Her attitude was visibly colder as she lowered her gaze and went back inside the house.
Her anger hadn't subsided yet.
But Shi Yeshan was no longer angry. He didn't mind having been salted by Su Zhai, and left the two on the ox cart behind as he followed her inside.
"…What is it?"
Su Zhai inexplicably took two steps back. "Did you forget something?"
She made as if to help Shi Yeshan look for something, but he raised a hand to stop her with a faint gesture.
"I'm not entirely useless, you know," he said slowly. "I won't get hurt carelessly anymore, making you worry."
"…Oh."
Su Zhai's tone clearly showed she hadn't understood. And since she hadn't understood, she dared to respond with a vague acknowledgment anyway.
Shi Yeshan suddenly pulled out a faint smile. "When you're in a better mood later, come with me to Ziqian Hall."
Su Zhai still hesitated. "What would I do there?"
Even as she asked, two words had already surfaced in her mind:
Catching him cheating.
Shi Yeshan made no reply, and finally left.
The two people on the ox cart exchanged knowing looks, teasing Shi Yeshan with remarks about young couples being all lovey-dovey, but when they saw his expression remain impassive, they both fell silent.
Shi Yeshan wasn't offended by them, but he'd suddenly figured out why Su Zhai had seemed so awkward earlier.
Mm…
So that was what she was concerned about.
As the realization dawned, a slight smile tugged at the corner of Shi Yeshan's mouth. Just then, a passerby hurrying along the roadside caught sight of it. Perhaps in a bad mood, he muttered a complaint in passing: "Smiling like a blooming flower—what bad luck. What's there to smile about in this godforsaken place?"
The smile faded.
Shi Yeshan decided that in the future, he would find an opportunity to dig up some of Chu Yi's old accounts.
Fang Chengye had actually tested positive for an Immortal Bone, and with Shi Yeshan's recommendation, he entered Ziqian Hall that very day, starting as a low-ranking outer disciple.
This was enough to cause quite a stir in the village. Ziqian Hall was a branch hall of the Shushan Sect—the number one Immortal Cultivation sect in the world—and it was presided over by the renowned Immortal Lord Ziying, ruler of all under heaven.
On the way back, Sister-in-law Fang wore a dazed, elated expression, spreading the good news to everyone she met. After sending Shi Yeshan home, she gleefully recounted the matter to Su Zhai in vivid detail, her words brimming with pride as if these two men had already conquered the world of Immortal Cultivation and claimed dominion over all.
Su Zhai mumbled a couple of vague responses and sent her off, then chased after Shi Yeshan to ask, "How is that possible? Brother Fang has had blocked Spirit Veins since he was a child. How could he suddenly have an awakening at over thirty?"
Shi Yeshan was just carrying a bucket of water from the mountain stream for Su Zhai.
Seeing her urgent tone and how she clung close to him, he asked in return, "Do you want to enter an Immortal Gate too?"
"No. But I find it very strange. And didn't Brother Fang join some Qingyang Sect a while back? He came back on his own after just a few days. Something really isn't right."
Shi Yeshan fell silent again. He made three or four trips back and forth, filling the large water vat at home, then silently lay down on the rocking chair in the courtyard.
He gestured to Su Zhai. "Bring me that book with the white cover and red thread on the shelf."
Su Zhai had no idea what he was up to, but she did as told, picking it up and looking at it.
It was… a primer for children?
"Read it." Shi Yeshan lounged without a care, one hand propping up his chin as he said, "Page seven, the latter half. The section on addressing relatives."
Su Zhai stared at him speechlessly, seeing that he was being unserious. She didn't open the book and turned to leave instead.
But the man's hand hooked out and pulled her back.
Su Zhai stumbled a few steps, her hands flailing before gripping the armrest of the rocking chair, nearly falling against him.
Shi Yeshan kept his eyes on Su Zhai, his tone cold. "What are you shouting about? 'Brother' is what you call your eldest brother. What is he to you?"
Su Zhai's gaze gradually turned exasperated.
…Psycho.
She had been chasing after him, talking his ear off, and all he was doing was fixating on a form of address.
Shi Yeshan pressed his hand over hers where it rested on the armrest, not letting her leave, and said with amusement, "You're cursing me."
Su Zhai's hand was pinned, her lower body trapped between his legs. She couldn't move forward or backward, and the chair kept rocking with no stable footing, threatening to send her tumbling onto him at any moment.
He was toying with her.
And he was in a good mood, his eyes reflecting only her image with full focus. "What did you say? Say it out loud for me to hear."
Su Zhai suddenly stiffened her face. "Huzi! Stop messing around."