“What is this?”
Xiao Yuwei looked at Mo Chenxiao in surprise. It just looked at an ordinary piece of clothing, so why was Ji Lan’s expression so terrible?
“Mo Chenxiao,” Ji Lan said, so angry that he used both his first and last name, “Why is this thing appearing here?”
His master’s reaction was so excessive. Did he care about it that much?
Mo Chenxiao said calmly, “Master, it is just a piece of clothing, why bother getting upset over it? This disciple will certainly not tell Xiao Yuwei that Master was just proposed to by a man. Apologies, Master, a slip of the tongue.”
Wasn’t this completely intentional?
“Proposed to?” Xiao Yuwei said blankly. “Ji Lan was proposed to by a man?”
“Xiao Yuwei,” Mo Chenxiao said dryly, “Just pretend you know nothing, alright?”
Ji Lan thought to himself that he certainly did not think Mo Chenxiao had let it slip unintentionally. Just how badly would someone’s mouth have to slip to blurt out such words?
“Yuwei, I will discuss this matter with you in detail after I return,” Ji Lan sighed. “You should know that I have never had any tendencies toward men.”
“Mm,” Xiao Yuwei still was in a state of shock, nodding numbly as she continued, “Ji Lan, Elder Brother Tan is waiting for us ahead, let us head back first.”
“Let us go.”
Ignoring the cyan bridal gown, Ji Lan picked up Ah Yue, dragged Wansong along, and walked away expressionlessly.
Silently putting the bridal gown away, Mo Chenxiao watched the four people ahead and slowly followed behind them.
His master and Xiao Yuwei were already betrothed and would inevitably become cultivation partners in due time. When that day came, his master would have children.
And since his master loved children so much, by then, he would become redundant.
Mo Chenxiao’s gaze turned dark and gloomy. He was merely a residual soul that had usurped the magpie’s nest; why should he take everything belonging to Ji Lan for himself?
Wouldn’t it be fine to just properly be his Master?
“Chenxiao, hurry up and catch up.” Turning around and finding his disciple spacing out, Ji Lan urged, “Do not let your Uncle Tan wait too long.”
“Coming.” Mo Chenxiao reined in his expression. “Master, I was not doing it on purpose just now. This disciple only thought that the clothes suited Master very well, which is why I grabbed them on a whim.”
Ji Lan also felt that his reaction just now had been too extreme. His disciple was not yet that dark-hearted God of Destruction capable of destroying the world in minutes!
What kind of bad intentions could his current disciple possibly have?
Although Ji Lan was still somewhat terrified, admittedly.
“It is fine,” Ji Lan rubbed Ah Yue’s soft hair. “Yuwei will not misunderstand.”
Mo Chenxiao said, “Thank you, Master.”
He had already said it did not matter, so why was his disciple still so glum? Ji Lan was baffled; this person was truly difficult to deal with.
Ji Lan wanted Xiao Yuwei to offer a few words of comfort, but before he could speak, he caught sight of Tan Fenghyu.
“Qinglian!” Tan Fenghyu’s tone was somewhat urgent. “The Pavilion Master told us to hurry back.”
“The journey back will take at least two days and two nights,” Tan Fenghyu sighed. “Qinglian, the Pavilion Master’s tone was a bit strange. This matter probably concerns you, so you had better mentally prepare yourself.”
“Two days and two nights?” Ji Lan looked at Mo Chenxiao strangely. Hadn’t they been told earlier that there was a shortcut?
Mo Chenxiao stood beside him like a wooden post, refusing to even look at Ji Lan.
Fine, he understood. This must be because his protagonist disciple possessed too strong a halo, allowing them to accidentally stumble upon a shortcut like a blind cat running into a dead mouse. But now, there were no more dead mice.
“What are you standing around for?” Tan Fenghyu urged once more. “Hurry up!”
Ji Lan sincerely said, “Thank you, Junior Brother Tan.”
Tan Fenghyu awkwardly shifted his gaze away. Qinglian was Yuwei’s fiancé, so he should have been happy to kick a man while he was down. But ever since Qinglian came out of seclusion, for some unknown reason, he had started to find him pleasing to the eye.
“No need to thank me,” Tan Fenghyu said stiffly. “Take your two children and get a good rest for two days.”
Ji Lan could not help but retort, “What two children?”
He was a fine, blooming man; how could he suddenly have two children?
“Fine, fine,” Tan Fenghyu glanced at Mo Chenxiao. “Three children, then! Take your three children and go rest!”
Unawares, the male lead had also become his child.
In a daze, Ji Lan brought Ah Yue and Wansong onto the flying artifact. Following closely behind was his water-dark-faced disciple, who silently trailed after him and attempted to enter the same room.
“Junior Nephew Mo,” Tan Fenghyu pulled Mo Chenxiao back. “You do not need to squeeze into the same room as your master.”
“Thank you, Uncle Tan.” Mo Chenxiao lowered his gaze to look at Tan Fenghyu’s hand. Before he could figure out how to refuse, he heard a crisp click.
His master had locked the door.
Tan Fenghyu looked at Mo Chenxiao with benevolent affection. “Chenxiao, you have worked hard along this journey. Your master does not know how to take care of himself; that he can remain safe and sound is entirely thanks to you.”
Mo Chenxiao shook his head. “It is Master who has been taking care of me.”
“You child,” Tan Fenghyu patted Mo Chenxiao’s arm. “You are all grown up now and will eventually leave your master. With your cultivation level, in less than a century, you will probably be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with your master.”
Listening to Tan Fenghyu’s praise, Mo Chenxiao furrowed his brows slightly. “Does Uncle Tan have something to discuss with this disciple?”
Hearing this, Tan Fenghyu awkwardly touched his chin. “You are not young anymore either. Unlike your master, you can get married now. If you do not have someone you fancy in your heart, shall Uncle Tan introduce one to you?”
Clearing his throat, Tan Fenghyu continued, “I have a distant cousin whose appearance is top-notch. You…”
“Forgive me, Uncle Tan,” Mo Chenxiao rudely interrupted him. “I already have someone I fancy.”
Tan Fenghyu stared in silence.
Even if this child did not want to meet his cousin, he did not need to lie.
Over the years, apart from being ordered around and tossed about by Qinglian, when on earth had his junior nephew ever had the time to meet other maidens?
Could it be a junior sister or senior sister from within the sect?
“If she is a female disciple of our sect, Uncle Tan can also help arrange it.”
“No need.” Mo Chenxiao lowered his gaze. “The person this disciple fancies is someone I cannot presume to defile.”
Tan Fenghyu was stunned. What was the meaning of these words?
“What are you two doing in front of Ji Lan’s door?” Xiao Yuwei asked with puzzlement. “Junior Brother Tan, the flying artifact has not taken off yet.”
Looking at Xiao Yuwei, Tan Fenghyu then glanced back at Mo Chenxiao, deeply shaken.
Could the person he could not presume to defile possibly be Yuwei?
They were both miserable souls; at least Yuwei was his junior sister, but Yuwei was also Chenxiao’s master’s wife.
Alas.
Tan Fenghyu departed in a daze, his soul seemingly abandoning his body.
Xiao Yuwei blinked in confusion. What was wrong with Junior Brother Tan?
And why was Mo Chenxiao also acting so strange?
“Are you standing guard at your master’s door?”
Mo Chenxiao glanced at the tightly shut door. His master must have heard every word of what he had just said.
“Xiao Yuwei, you and Master are not yet married. What are you doing coming over here?”
Xiao Yuwei’s face darkened. There was hardly any space to speak of in this area, and a few steps were all it took to get here; yet he was even going to criticize her for this? This person really knew how to stir up trouble! Snorting coldly, Xiao Yuwei turned on her heel and returned to her room without looking back.
“Master, this disciple will go rest as well.” After dropping these words, Mo Chenxiao also left.
The mini-seminar at the doorway finally concluded. From the very beginning, Ji Lan had dumped the two children onto the bed and let them coax each other to sleep.
Then, he deliberately sat down in a chair and listened to their entire conversation word for word without missing a single syllable.
Ji Lan’s expression was complex.
How should he put it? The male lead of this era was truly stubborn to a fault.
Even if he did not know that his Uncle Tan coveted his master’s wife, shouldn’t he at least know that Xiao Yuwei was his master’s wife?
Good grief, this fellow had stood stupidly right outside his master’s door and declared that he fancied his master’s wife?
Ji Lan felt that it was not without reason that Mo Chenxiao had been resented by the original host for so long.
Could it be that because he could not have Xiao Yuwei from the start, the male lead had become a warped psychopath?
As for that Shangguan Ran, was he perhaps just a passing phase of the male lead’s momentary passion?
Thinking of his precious life, Ji Lan felt it might be better to just weave a green hat for himself. The disciple was terrifying, and preserving his life was too difficult.
Ji Lan remained conflicted all the way, carrying a face full of sorrow even after returning to the Sword Pavilion.
“Qinglian, no matter what happens, the Pavilion Master will not make things too difficult for you,” Tan Fenghyu patted Ji Lan’s shoulder. “The Pavilion Master told you to find him the moment you returned, so you should go quickly.”
He had spent the entire journey thinking about how to wear this green hat without looking awkward, and had completely forgotten about this matter.
Being reminded by Tan Fenghyu made him even more panicked.
Ji Lan wanted to bring his disciple along to sponge off some of the protagonist’s halo.
“Thank you for the reminder, Junior Brother Tan,” Ji Lan maintained a calm exterior. “Chenxiao, take these two children back to the Lotus Rain Pavilion for me.”
Pondering for a moment, Xiao Yuwei said with hesitation, “Ji Lan, you remember to rein in your temper later. Just listen to whatever the Pavilion Master says.”
This normally could have been something to make Ji Lan happy, but the thought of the male lead’s unrequited love for his master’s wife terrified Ji Lan. Biting the bullet, he said, “Thank you, Yuwei. Then I shall take my leave first.”
With that, he shoved Ah Yue into Mo Chenxiao’s arms and walked away directly, not even daring to look at him.
It looked rather like a panicked escape.
Narrowing his eyes as he watched Ji Lan’s retreating figure, Mo Chenxiao was in a rather pleasant mood. His master must have perceived his great rebellion.
The Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion was probably over a thousand years old, just a step away from ascending to immortality; such talent was already quite impressive.
The Pavilion Master’s name was Zhenxi, a moniker known to no outsiders besides a few elders.
“Qinglian, you have arrived.”
The white-haired, aged elder of Ji Lan’s imagination had been replaced by a gentle man with sword-like brows, starry eyes, and affectionate features. “There is an honored guest who specifically named you and has been waiting for a day and a night.”
An honored guest?
Looking at the gentle beauty before him, Ji Lan was panicked to the extreme. Ah Zhen had never told him anything about the original host’s interpersonal network!
If his cover was blown in a moment, they would all go down together!
“Qinglian pays his respects to the Pavilion Master,” Ji Lan hurriedly offered a formal greeting. “Since it is a distinguished visitor, I should return to change my clothes and freshen up first.”
After all, having journeyed through dust and wind looking disheveled, how could he meet an honored guest?
“No need,” Zhenxi shook his head, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “He said he hopes to see you soon.”
Just how close of an acquaintance was this person?
Ji Lan frantically poked Ah Zhen, but Ah Zhen refused to budge!
However, there was no time left; Zhenxi led Ji Lan to the front hall. As soon as he stepped inside, a slender shadow caught his eye.
A head of long, raven-black hair was loosely secured with only a single white jade hairpin, and a set of crimson robes looked flamboyant and dazzling. No matter how one looked at it, he was still very young.
Hearing the commotion, the person slowly turned around with a smile on his face. “Ji Lan, we meet again.”
Ji Lan’s pupils dilated violently.
Why had Yu Zhengyang followed him here?
Wait, wasn’t this red outfit precisely the bridal gown prepared for him?
And what happened to his white hair?