“Young Master Yu,” Ji Lan could not help but advise, “Those who walk different paths cannot make plans together, and each follows his own aspirations. With your current cultivation level, there is no need for you to take me as your master.”
Yu Zhengyang looked at Ji Lan with tear-filled eyes. “Why are you willing to let Shangguan Ran be your disciple, but unwilling to let me do so?”
How did Yu Zhengyang know about this matter? Could it be that this person had been monitoring them the entire time?
Shangguan Ran had finally managed to wake up, only to hear his young master uttering these words. He immediately shut his eyes tightly and continued to fake unconsciousness.
It was better for him not to court disaster.
Shangguan Ran was completely baffled. Did this Qinglian True Man possess an extra brain? Why was his young master so obsessed with this person?
“Young Master Yu,” Ji Lan said with a headache, “Some things cannot be forced. If you are willing, we can be friends.”
“Master!” Mo Chenxiao could not help but speak out to remind him. “Why bother wasting so many words on him? Even if we do not let him die, this disciple has hundreds of ways to make him wish he were dead rather than alive!”
The protagonist’s mindset was truly terrifying.
Ji Lan felt a lingering fear. If he ever displeased Mo Chenxiao in the future, would he also suffer a miserable death?
“Chenxiao, there is no need for such heavy hostility,” Ji Lan forced his expression to soften. “This Young Master Yu has not done anything heinous; he simply has the mindset of a naive child.”
“Indeed, indeed!” Since others were the knife and he was the fish, Shangguan Ran no longer dared to pretend to be dead. “Qinglian True Man is right. My young master is not a bad person; he merely admires Elder Qinglian.”
Shangguan Ran never expected that his young master’s attempt to steal a chicken would result in losing the rice used as bait. The Rourong Sword had already recognized an owner, and a child at that. Logically speaking, it should not have possessed such immense power.
He had no idea what was actually going on, but these people’s luck was simply too good.
Listening to Shangguan Ran defend him, Yu Zhengyang remained silent and instead shifted uncomfortably in dissatisfaction.
The Immortality-Binding Rope was tied far too tightly; he felt as though his entire body was covered in striped scars.
“If you do not want to die, then let us out,” Mo Chenxiao said, utterly unwilling to drag things out with them any longer.
If this continued any further, he feared he might not be able to resist killing them.
“Young master?” Shangguan Ran did not dare to make the decision on his own. “Should we let them go?”
Yu Zhengyang: “Hmph!”
“My young master agrees,” Shangguan Ran said, letting out a sigh of relief. “However, you must let my young master go first.”
“You are not qualified to negotiate terms with us,” Mo Chenxiao said with an icy gaze. “An hour from now, he will naturally be fine.”
Shangguan Ran had no choice but to believe him. He gnashed his teeth and nodded. “Deal!”
Shangguan Ran formed hand seals with both hands, and an intricate, complex seal slowly appeared. Suddenly, a blazing sun rose, emitting a dazzling light. The three people and one sword instantly vanished before their eyes.
“Young master, are you alright?” Shangguan Ran looked anxiously at Yu Zhengyang. “Should we take advantage of the fact that they are not paying attention and capture Qinglian True Man again?”
Yu Zhengyang’s expression turned gloomy. “Did you not know that Ji Lan was unwilling?”
Shangguan Ran thought to himself: I knew it, of course, but I thought you did not know!
“Shangguan Ran, I want to return to the Summit of the Snowy Mountain,” Yu Zhengyang said calmly. “Help me make preparations.”
Shangguan Ran wore a look of astonishment, which was immediately replaced by joy. “Young master, have you really thought it through? You are going back?”
Although the cultivation world was lively and the demon realm was not bad either, Shangguan Ran still felt that the Summit of the Snowy Mountain was more favorable for his young master’s and his own cultivation.
Did he not see that his young master was already on the verge of going mad?
“Ji Lan certainly rejected me because I lack a proper identity,” Yu Zhengyang whispered. “I am going to change my identity and approach Ji Lan anew.”
Shangguan Ran thought to himself: He was wrong; he was truly wrong. His young master’s madness was not a one-day affair; how could he possibly recover so suddenly?
Yu Zhengyang paid no attention to Shangguan Ran beside him. His mind was entirely filled with the image of Ji Lan snuggled up in Mo Chenxiao’s arms, looking teary-eyed.
He had to become Ji Lan’s disciple.
That way, he would be able to commit offenses against his superior.
When Ji Lan opened his eyes, he found that they had already arrived at the foot of Qingya Mountain.
“Wah waah…” Before Ji Lan even had time to react to what had happened, a piercing cry rang out right beside his ear.
“Shut up! You are not allowed to cry!” Mo Chenxiao looked with a gloomy expression at Ah Yue, who was sitting on the ground. A mere child, yet he had managed to comprehend the unity of person and sword. This boy had a limitless future, and he absolutely could not let this child grow alongside the Rourong Sword!
Upon hearing Mo Chenxiao’s threat, Ah Yue’s crying stopped abruptly, leaving tears hanging precariously on his eyelashes.
“Ah Yue!” Ji Lan quickly snapped back to reality and picked him up. “Why are you crying again?”
Because Ji Lan had momentarily zoned out, he had not heard Mo Chenxiao’s words.
Wansong looked at Mo Chenxiao with admiration. As expected of his Elder Brother Mo; a single sentence was enough to make Ah Yue quiet down.
“Young Master Yu probably will not chase after us,” Ji Lan patted Ah Yue’s back with a worried expression, then added, unable to help himself after meeting his disciple’s gloomy gaze, “Chenxiao, we truly owe this all to you today. Without you and Ah Yue, we might have been buried here.”
Mo Chenxiao’s expression relaxed slightly, and he asked, “Master, Young Master Yu wanted you to be his cultivation partner and also wanted to make you his master. Why did you think he wanted to kill you?”
Ji Lan did not think he would die, and even if he did, it would only be at the hands of the protagonist.
That was the greatest respect one could show to a villain!
With the protagonist asking this question in such a serious tone, Ji Lan honestly did not dare to answer that he had simply exaggerated off the cuff.
After pondering for a moment, Ji Lan calmly replied, “This master believes that Young Master Yu is abnormal by nature and cannot be measured by ordinary standards. By the way, were you injured in your battle with him?”
Hearing that final sentence, Mo Chenxiao dazed for a moment. He initially wanted to shake his head, but ultimately nodded instead. “I was injured, Master. It hurts so much.”
The deadpan expression with which Mo Chenxiao declared that it hurts so much was genuinely cool.
Ah, his disciple.
Ji Lan felt a surge of pride. He felt that a disciple getting a little hurt was no big deal, but he still had to show concern.
“Where are you hurt? Let this master take a look.”
“I do not know either,” Mo Chenxiao lowered his gaze. “My entire body hurts.”
That meant he was heavily injured!
Ji Lan immediately tossed Ah Yue into Wansong’s arms. “Songsong, take care of your younger brother.”
Then, with a stern expression, he said, “Chenxiao, take off your clothes.”
Mo Chenxiao’s body stiffened for a moment. One of his hands slowly raised, only to lower again. “Master, it hurts too much; I cannot untie them.”
If Mo Chenxiao had not looked so upright, Ji Lan, who had just narrowly escaped being proposed to by another grown man, would never have undressed another man! If he were currently undressing Yu Zhengyang, that would be ambiguous.
But undressing Mo Chenxiao? That was fine.
What could possibly happen between two grown men?
“So many scars!” After pulling apart Mo Chenxiao’s inner robe, Ji Lan could not help but frown. “Did Young Master Yu cause all of these?”
Yet why did these not look like blows, but rather rope burns?
“Master, it hurts.” Mo Chenxiao paused suspiciously. “It really hurts.”
Ji Lan instantly cast that fleeting doubt out of his mind. “Do not be afraid, this master will apply medicine for you.”
After saying those words, Ji Lan froze for a second. It seemed he was not carrying any medicine on him?
“Wansong,” Ji Lan sighed. “Do you still have that medicine on you?”
Hearing this, Wansong wore an aggrieved expression. That medicine had clearly been given to him by the elder!
However, Elder Brother Mo seemed to be heavily injured. Wansong felt conflicted, but still handed the medicine over. Oh well, Elder Brother Mo was injured for our sake. Since he gave it, he might as well give it.
Seeing Wansong’s expression, Mo Chenxiao could not help but twitch the corner of his lips upward before quickly suppressing it. “Master, can you be a little lighter?”
“Yes.”
Ji Lan felt a bit dazed. Was his disciple acting like a spoiled child?
Regardless of whether he was or not, Ji Lan applied the medicine very gently, spreading the medicinal pill ointment bit by bit. Before long, all the medicine was used up, and most of Mo Chenxiao’s wounds had healed, though a small fraction remained.
Ji Lan felt a bit at a loss; he had no medicine left now, so how was he supposed to treat the rest?
“Ji Lan!” A crisp voice rang out from near to far, and Xiao Yuwei quickly appeared before them. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Ji Lan applying medicine. Even though Mo Chenxiao quickly pulled his inner robe back on, Xiao Yuwei had still caught sight of the wounds.
Xiao Yuwei asked suspiciously, “Your disciple merely has rope burn scars, why did you need to use the Beauty-Restoring Pill?”
Mo Chenxiao: “…”
“Uh, rope burns?” Ji Lan asked doubtfully. “But he was injured so severely…”
“Those wounds just look terrifying,” Xiao Yuwei said, feeling a pang of heartache as she watched the precious Beauty-Restoring Pill melted into ointment and used on such minor injuries. “Your disciple could have healed himself with a single session of energy circulation.”
Upon hearing these words, the one who suffered the ultimate breakdown was undoubtedly Wansong.
Since the injury was not serious, why had Elder Brother Mo been in so much pain?
“Xiao Yuwei,” Mo Chenxiao said weakly, “I know this is squandering heavenly treasures, but all of my spiritual power was depleted.”
Seeing Mo Chenxiao’s pale face, Xiao Yuwei had no reason to doubt him. “I see.”
Ji Lan had only focused on Ah Yue crying earlier and had not even noticed his disciple’s pale complexion.
That was his fault; he should not have doubted his disciple.
“Xiao Yuwei, why did you come down the mountain?” Mo Chenxiao smoothly began changing the subject. “Where is Uncle Tan?”
At the mention of this, Xiao Yuwei’s expression completely changed. “Ji Lan, the Pavilion Master told us to hurry back. The things on Qingya Mountain are not something we can handle, and the people from all the major sects have nearly all returned. Elder Tan and I have been waiting for you here for two days.”
Two days?
Ji Lan and his disciple exchanged glances. Had they not been gone for less than an hour?
They had indeed entered a barrier!
“Yuwei, thank you,” Ji Lan said, his eyes curving. “Thank you for waiting specifically for us.”
Xiao Yuwei awkwardly looked away. “You saved my life once, so waiting for you once is only right.”
Mo Chenxiao found this scene immensely grating to the eyes and could not help interjecting, “Master, I brought back an item for you.”
“Hmm?” Ji Lan had originally intended to seize the opportunity to chat more with Xiao Yuwei, but his attention was immediately hooked by Mo Chenxiao’s words. “What item?”
A flash of blue light swept past, and an article of clothing appeared in Mo Chenxiao’s hand. “It is this.”
Ji Lan looked closely at it, and his vision went black. Was his disciple mentally ill?
Why on earth did he swipe the bridal gown that Yu Zhengyang had prepared for him?