“Bro… Brother…”
A voice rang in his ear. Jiang Xuning, who had been lost in thought, was startled awake by this slightly hurried tone. He subconsciously looked up and finally saw clearly who it was.
Speaking of which, Jiang Xuning had not seen Yu Heng for a long time. Ever since that day at the foot of the mountain, besides intentionally avoiding Huo Ling, he had not seen Yu Heng come to find him. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about looking for him, but he was, after all, a mere mortal; how could he find where a cultivator might go? Moreover, this was the Tianyan Sect, not his Jiang Estate.
Regardless, seeing Yu Heng again made Jiang Xuning happy. However, this happiness did not last long. He pinched his hanging sleeve and, after a good while, finally asked, “What’s wrong?”
He hid his feelings extremely well, not letting anyone see anything amiss. Yet Yu Heng was stunned for a moment though it was fleeting and in the next instant, he leaned in affectionately again, saying somewhat aggrievedly, “Brother, I called you. I don’t know how many times just now, but you ignored me. Have you grown tired of me?”
“How could I?”
Jiang Xuning knew the person before him was teasing him on purpose, yet he still couldn’t help but explain, “I was just a bit lost in thought.”
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Yu Heng became somewhat relentless.
“Lost in thought?” Yu Heng’s face darkened slightly, and his voice lost the tenderness from a moment ago, carrying a hint of interrogation as he said, “Who was Brother thinking about? With me standing right in front of you, Brother actually has the spare time to think about someone else.”
This shift was so sudden that even Jiang Xuning failed to react in time. For a moment, he couldn’t afford to overthink and hurriedly explained, “No, I wasn’t… who could I possibly be thinking of?”
He had not been to the Tianyan Sect long and was unfamiliar with the place and its people. Aside from Yu Heng, he only knew Immortal Venerable Zhongyi and Huo Ling. Who else could he think about?
Seeing that Yu Heng was about to press further, he quickly changed the subject.
“Why did you call me just now? Is there something?”
Yu Heng originally wanted to get to the bottom of the matter, but the moment he met the gaze of the person before him, he no longer wanted to pursue anything. The coldness gradually receded, leaving only a trace of resentment.
But he recovered extremely fast. By the time Jiang Xuning looked at him again, his face had already been replaced by a smile. Only his tone carried some heartache as he said, “It’s nothing. I just thought that Brother’s health is poor and you’ve walked such a long way to enter the secret realm today. I was worried you might be overexerted. Would you like to rest for a bit first?”
Reminded by Yu Heng, Jiang Xuning finally realized that their group had been inside the secret realm for quite some time. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel very tired. It was strange; due to being chronically ill, Jiang Xuning’s health was poor, one could even say frail. A little exertion would usually make his face turn pale and cause him to pant incessantly; in severe cases, he would even faint on the spot. It was for this reason that his parents didn’t allow him to go out when he was still at home, fearing an accident.
So, when he learned that Immortal Venerable Zhongyi was sending him to the Medicine Infirmary, he couldn’t help but be worried. After all, he was not a cultivator and knew no spells. Even if he knew the infirmary wasn’t that far from where he lived, relying solely on his legs seemed impossible given his constitution.
But to his surprise, besides being a bit disheveled the first few times, he gradually began to adapt. From needing to stop and rest after walking a short distance at the beginning, to now being able to walk directly back to his quarters, his face was only slightly pale and his breath a bit short, but nothing else. It wasn’t painful; in fact, his dantian area felt warm and cozy, a sensation he had never experienced before.
He didn’t know if it was because he was practicing under Immortal Venerable Zhongyi. Even though he had long failed to grasp the method to enter the Dao, this small change still filled him with joy. After all, an improving body meant he still had a chance to live.
Moreover, they hadn’t been walking for very long, and with Yu Heng occasionally sending him wisps of spiritual energy, there was no obvious discomfort. Not wanting the youth to worry about him, he consoled, “I’m fine, and not very tired. You don’t need to worry about me.”
“Really?”
Hearing this, Yu Heng was still a bit skeptical. He wasn’t unaware of the other’s physical condition, but seeing no abnormalities on his face, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright, but if Brother is tired, you must tell me immediately. Don’t force yourself.”
However, his mind drifted elsewhere.
Not far away, Huo Ling took in this scene but said not a word. He only gave a cold snort and continued walking forward.
The group continued for an unknown amount of time. When the sky gradually darkened and the horizon turned a hazy yellow, Huo Ling finally told everyone to stop and rest.
Jiang Xuning was already exhausted. Although his stamina had increased, this level of consumption was still beyond his endurance. If not for Yu Heng’s occasional spiritual energy support, he likely wouldn’t have lasted until now. Now his face was pale and his steps were floating, a clear sign of exhaustion. Yu Heng, looking on with heartache, quickly supported him to sit down to the side. His own face was also grim as he subconsciously looked toward Huo Ling, as if he had guessed something.
The weather in the secret realm was extremely strange. It was perfectly fine during the day, but at night it became exceptionally cold. The group finally managed to find a wind-shielding cave before it turned completely dark. Only after setting up a protective formation did they dare to rest peacefully.
“So you are Senior Brother Yu’s legendary elder brother.”
The person speaking had sparkling eyes and a face full of curiosity. It was the youth who had confronted Baili Tu during the day. Ever since the first meeting today, he had been curious about who the Jiang Xuning following the Eldest Senior Brother was. When Senior Brother Yu appeared later, he finally understood the identity, yet he remained curious. However, having just entered the realm during the day, he was inevitably nervous, and with Senior Brother Yu watching closely, he hadn’t found an opportunity. Now that they were finally resting, he immediately crowded around.
Being young and habitually unable to keep things to himself, he asked immediately upon sitting down. Jiang Xuning was caught off guard by him and couldn’t help but daze.
It was the purple-clad woman beside them who couldn’t stand it anymore. She raised her hand and gave the youth’s head a sharp knock before saying, “How can you be so ill-mannered? Have you returned all of the Elders’ daily teachings back to them?”
“Senior Sister, what are you doing!”
The youth was hit squarely. The expression on his face became distorted from the pain, and his eyes carried a bit of resentment as he looked at the woman. Liu Tang didn’t indulge him; seeing this, she raised her hand as if to hit him again.
“Aiy, aiy aiy! Senior Sister, don’t, don’t! I won’t do it again, I’ll never do it again…”
Seeing things weren’t going his way, the youth didn’t dare misbehave anymore and quickly checked his expression, though his features still held some grievance.
“Don’t mind him; he’s just like this.”
Seeing him behave, Liu Tang stopped her hand and looked at the person before her with a bit more gentleness.
Jiang Xuning shook his head, not taking it to heart. He only looked at the woman before him and whispered, “Thank you, Miss.”
Liu Tang’s heart softened upon hearing this. For some reason, she felt a strange, inexplicable fondness for this youth. Thus, she said with a smile, “There’s no need to be so polite. Just call me Liu Tang. You don’t look very old; if you don’t mind, you can call me ‘Senior Sister’ like the others. Do you remember? We met once before.”
“Senior Sister Liu.”
Jiang Xuning nodded. He naturally remembered. Perhaps sensing the kindness of the person before him, the tension he felt earlier eased considerably. “Jiang Xuning.”
“Me, me, me, and me too…”
The youth, who had been hiding to the side for fear of being hit, jumped out immediately upon seeing the two exchange names and said hurriedly, “My name is Xu Huaian.”
In fact, many in the Tianyan Sect were curious about Yu Heng’s elder brother because of him. It was just that they never saw him and therefore couldn’t know him. Now that they finally saw him, they were afraid of being too offensive, so no one had taken the initiative to strike up a conversation. Now that someone had started, they all crowded up to announce their names.
“My name is Lin Bai.”
“My name is Liang Ying.”
“My name is Song Lin.”
……
For a moment, the unusually quiet cave suddenly became lively, filled with the sounds of people exchanging names. Seeing this, Jiang Xuning couldn’t help but be surprised. He originally thought these people would dislike him; after all, he was just a mortal, and entering a secret realm with them was undoubtedly a burden. This turn of events was unexpected.
Liu Tang shooed them off to rest, then said again, “Don’t be afraid. These junior brothers and sisters of mine have no ill intentions. They are just young and, since it’s their first time in a secret realm, they were a bit nervous during the day, which is why they are talking so much now. Did they disturb you?”
Jiang Xuning was still a bit dazed from what just happened. Hearing Liu Tang talk to him, he recovered slightly. He shook his head and looked at the still-warm medicine bottle in his hand, lost in thought. It was given to him by a young girl among that group of disciples just now, who said it was a pill for restoring stamina.
Liu Tang took all of this in and gave a light laugh. As if thinking of something, she continued, “By the way, I saw that your complexion wasn’t good today. Is your body holding up?”
Jiang Xuning knew she was talking about the events during the day. For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel guilty and whispered, “I’m sorry.”
“Not at all.”
Liu Tang waved her hand, knowing he had misunderstood. She quickly explained, “I didn’t mean it as a reproach. During the day, everyone was struggling to adapt. Moreover, it was indeed too rushed. Quite a few junior brothers and sisters were similar to you; if not for the pills, they probably wouldn’t have been able to hold on either.”
Her expression then shifted, as if she were puzzled, saying, “Speaking of which, it’s strange. Senior Brother Huo wasn’t like this before. Why was he especially strict today, as if he were intentionally targeting something?”
Hearing this, Jiang Xuning’s expression couldn’t help but change. He seemed to know who Liu Tang’s “Huo Ling” was targeting…
“But I’m just speaking offhandedly.” Liu Tang smiled and didn’t dwell on it anymore. “Perhaps I’m overthinking.”
After all, the Eldest Senior Brother usually took great care of them and wasn’t such a harsh person. Perhaps seeing them being slack, he intended to warn them; after all, secret realms are dangerous, and a single slip could mean losing one’s life.
Jiang Xuning nodded and didn’t say much more, but his mind grew heavy. After a moment of internal conflict, he stopped thinking about it and gripped the medicine bottle in his hand; his mood ultimately improved slightly.
Just then, Yu Heng came in from outside after finishing his watch shift. Originally displeased, seeing the smile on the person not far away made his mood turn pleasant as well. He smiled and walked over.
“Senior Sister Liu, what were you talking about? Why is Brother so happy? I want to hear it too.”
“Ah, Junior Brother Yu.”
Liu Tang quickly invited him to sit down, saying with a smile, “It’s nothing, we were just talking about some of your past experiences going down the mountain to exorcise evil.”
“What’s there to talk about?” Yu Heng laughed softly, looking at the person beside him with eyes full of tenderness. “Those are all bloody affairs. It’s better if Brother doesn’t hear about them.”
Jiang Xuning had become inexplicably nervous since the newcomer entered, especially after he sat down beside him. Looking at him like this now, his heart felt flustered.
“Wow, Senior Brother Yu, the relationship between you and your brother is really good.”
Xu Huaian, watching from the side, couldn’t help but comment with emotion.
Jiang Xuning didn’t reply to this, only lowering his head a bit. On the contrary, Yu Heng was very satisfied hearing these words and said with a smile, “That is natural. The bond between me and Brother is destined by Heaven.”
There was an inexplicably subtle trace of pride in his tone, but no one looked deeply into it.
“Wow…”
Xu Huaian looked on with some envy. He was an only child with no elder brother above him and no younger brother below so he had never seen such a scene of brotherly harmony and was somewhat longing for it.
But soon, he said somewhat confusedly, “Senior Brother Yu, since the relationship between you and your brother is so good, why have I never heard you mention him before?”