The youth stood in a daze, seemingly stunned by Big Brother Ghost’s deep confession, rendered speechless for a time.
This development was truly outside Young Master Chu’s expectations. In his mind, now that he had successfully infiltrated the Demonic Sect, the next step was to steal important intelligence and send it to his beloved.
But how to access that intelligence, and where it was kept, had become his greatest obstacles.
Now… he seemed to see a ray of hope. If he could use the man before him—a Hall Master of the Azure Dragon Hall and a key subordinate of the Sect Leader—he would surely hold many core secrets. Perhaps he could even steal information from the Sect Leader’s own desk through this man…
The man’s sudden display of affection provided a golden opportunity. It was moving, yet incredibly tempting.
However, for the noble and upright Young Master Chu, this was a difficult predicament. On one hand was the person he loved; on the other was the act of deceiving another’s feelings. A choice had to be made.
Fortunately, he was given time to consider. He didn’t even notice the man secretly crushing Tang Zhen’s whistle while he was lost in thought.
“Sigh—”
Chu Ling lay lazily on the stone table, sighing heavily.
Just as the system thought he was lost in his persona, the host’s regretful voice rang out: [My first kiss is gone…]
System: […]
Is “regret” the right tone for a lost first kiss?
As if sensing the system’s thoughts, Chu Ling changed his tone, acting pitiful: [System, my first kiss is gone! Q^Q]
System: [There, there. Pat on the head.]
“Why is the Young Master sighing?”
Zijin and Zipei entered the pavilion, one carrying tea and the other pastries.
By now, Ji Wuyuan had left, giving the youth—who looked embarrassed enough to want to sink into the ground—space to calm his heart and think quietly. But it was easy to imagine that regardless of the outcome, Ji Wuyuan would not give up so easily.
If the youth accepted, perfect. If not…
A trace of eerie, dangerous light swirled in the depths of Ji Wuyuan’s dark eyes.
Chu Ling raised his hand and waved it feebly.
Zijin and Zipei looked up slightly. They saw the youth’s wide sleeve slide down as he moved, revealing a portion of his snowy-white, slender arm that seemed to glow in the slanted sunlight.
The two paused, recalling the scene from earlier. After the stranger left, the Azure Dragon Hall Master had not only kissed the Young Master but also confessed his feelings… It seemed clear to them now; this was the reason for the youth’s special treatment.
They said nothing. They were merely servants sent by the Hall Master. Their status was low, and they knew how to keep their mouths shut.
However, after these few days, they had come to understand the Young Master’s personality. He was kind, pure, and beautiful—a ray of light they, who lived in darkness, never dared dream of touching.
In truth, Zijin and Zipei were not the low-talent servants Chu Ling assumed they were.
They were death soldiers.
Raised by the Demonic Sect from childhood, they had survived countless life-and-death crises. If the Hall Master hadn’t plucked them from the bloody darkness and given them the mission to guard a beautiful youth, they might never have stood openly in the sunlight.
The two shared a look. Zijin said slowly, “If the Young Master feels bored, why not go see the Hall Master?”
Zipei added, “You could see the environment the Hall Master lives in. Perhaps you’ll find your answer there?”
The youth pouted, his puffed-up cheeks looking especially adorable. “Why should I go see him? I just saw him. I’m not going.”
Zijin immediately pivoted: “It’s not necessarily to see the Hall Master. Just think of it as a walk to see the scenery. Surely the Young Master wants to go out?”
The youth paused. The stubbornness on his face visibly softened. Zipei pressed the advantage: “The Hall Master is busy with affairs. As long as you don’t specifically look for him, you likely won’t run into him.”
The “wilted eggplant” of a beautiful youth sat up from the stone table, his energy finally restored.
He beckoned them. “Fine. Let’s go for a walk.”
Before they left, Zijin knelt before the youth and tied a dark jade pendant with an intricate pattern to his waist.
Facing the youth’s curious gaze, Zijin explained with a smile, “This was given by the Hall Master. Other disciples will treat this pendant as they would the Hall Master himself. It will prevent any blind fools from disturbing your peace.”
Chu Ling felt the smooth, warm surface of the jade. He knew it wasn’t just for protection; it likely signaled “stay away” to everyone else.
He was the “naive canary” Ji Wuyuan wanted to keep in a cage. Many truths were still hidden from him. For all he knew, the entire sect was acting just to win his heart. Only the simple Young Master Chu was kept in the dark.
Chu Ling didn’t care. He reached under the stone table and retrieved a second whistle belonging to Tang Zhen—one he had dropped at some point—and let out a subtle smirk.
The “simple” Young Master Chu was indeed… very curious about “Big Brother Ghost’s secret.”
…
The Protagonist’s Side
Working overtime for over a month—it was only natural to drop dead at one’s desk, wasn’t it?
However, when Jun Qing opened his eyes, he didn’t see the white ceiling of a hospital. Instead, he saw a baffling, ancient-style room.
Whose prank is this?
That was the first reaction of a modern, materialistic youth.
But that thought changed when a group of people in long robes and ancient hairstyles, speaking with archaic grace, swarmed into the room.
“Brother Qing, you’re finally awake! How do you feel?”
“Doctor, quick! See how my master is doing!”
The scene was chaotic. Jun Qing clutched his throbbing forehead as a series of strange images were forced into his mind.
After a long time, drenched in cold sweat, he realized the truth: He had traveled through time.
He was in a fictional era where the martial arts world reigned supreme. Correspondingly, the state apparatus was less important, only ensuring the bottom layer of society didn’t starve.
More importantly, he had transmigrated into a person with a similar name: Jun Qing.
Jun Qing was the biological son of the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. He had average talent and little ambition. Born into prestige and protected by the Alliance, he was set for a smooth life.
The only “flaw” was his love for his foster brother, Jun Yichen. He didn’t hide it; he pursued him boldly, making it known to all.
Unfortunately, Jun Yichen didn’t feel the same. He treated Jun Qing only as a younger brother and found his advances to be a major headache.
Everything changed yesterday with the death of the Alliance Leader.
The pillar protecting Jun Qing had fallen. Furthermore, the dying leader had entrusted Jun Qing to Jun Yichen…
From a bystander’s perspective, the modern Jun Qing could see the Alliance Leader was simply trying to secure his son’s safety by binding the two together. Jun Yichen, out of gratitude for his upbringing, had no choice but to agree.
But the original Jun Qing had drowned in the pond. The one waking up now was the soul of a modern person.
The new Jun Qing rubbed his forehead and looked at the concerned faces. His gaze landed on the man in front.
Elegant like the moon, with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes—he possessed the dashing air of a wanderer. He matched the memory of Jun Yichen perfectly.
No wonder the original loved him so much.
But for the new Jun Qing, there was no spark. The person who loved him was dead.
However, since he occupied the body, he inherited the karma. He sighed inwardly. Since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it. From now on, I am Jun Qing—but a very different one.
…
Jun Yichen felt his younger brother seemed a bit strange after waking up. Something had changed, yet nothing had. He attributed it to the grief of losing a father.
Currently, he was overwhelmed. His father was dead, the Alliance was leaderless, and his men had failed to rescue Brother Chu Ling from the Demonic Sect—they couldn’t even find him.
Furthermore, Chu Xiangtian—the eldest son of the Chu family—had come out of seclusion. He was currently sharpening his blade, ready to tear the Demonic Sect limb from limb for kidnapping his brother!
But the Demonic Sect was an equal power to the Alliance; it wasn’t so easily attacked. They had lost the best window for rescue. From the moment Ghost Mask let Yan Shuangfei go, he clearly didn’t intend to wait for them to find him.
As expected, all search parties returned empty-handed. Not only did they fail to find Ghost Mask, they found no trace of them at all.
Such secrecy suggested a terrifying answer. A normal Young Master wouldn’t be hidden so thoroughly unless… Chu Ling’s special constitution had been exposed.
Jun Yichen took a deep breath, suppressing the tremor of fear in his heart. The thought of what cruel treatment Chu Ling might be suffering in the Demonic Sect made his heart ache with sharp pain.
It was his fault. He shouldn’t have mentioned his troubles to Chu Ling. If he hadn’t, the boy wouldn’t have acted so recklessly for him…
It was all his fault.