Weisheng Zhen didn’t think much of it. After all, the two had known each other since childhood. Li Changshuang had traveled to places he hadn’t, and it was only natural that he’d bring back some gifts along the way.
It was just that the sheer volume of gifts was more than he’d expected.
For some reason, Weisheng Zhen felt a creeping sense of crisis. He calculated in his head adding in the Fengyu tea he’d already squandered that even with the fragments of the Bibo Cauldron, he probably couldn’t offer a gift of equal value in return.
As he changed his clothes, an inexplicable sense of indebtedness settled over him.
The closer one got to Cundi, the more streamlined the clothing became. Perhaps because battle could break out at any moment, the garments were fitted so snugly that the smooth lines of muscle were visible right through the fabric.
Weisheng Zhen was used to a more relaxed style. He always felt somewhat constrained in clothes like these too tight, too unfamiliar. After mulling it over, he decided it would be more suitable to drape an outer robe over the top.
All of these were included among the clothes Li Changshuang had given him, which suggested he’d taken Weisheng Zhen’s habits into consideration.
Without fastening the outer robe, he pushed open the door. Li Changshuang was standing right outside his room. Weisheng Zhen looked up, hooking the robe’s sash with his fingertip: “This robe seems a bit short like it doesn’t cover anything at all. I’m not used to it. Do you have a longer one…”
Before he could finish, he saw Li Changshuang’s eyes darken as he gazed at him. In a single stride, he stepped into the room and casually closed the door behind him.
Cultivators had sharp eyes, able to see in the dark. Weisheng Zhen had originally only planned to change clothes and head out for a meal, so he hadn’t even taken out the night pearl.
Now, with the room dimly lit and Li Changshuang standing even closer before him, Weisheng Zhen inexplicably felt a flicker of unease.
He told himself he was overthinking it. Li Changshuang had always been upright and honorable the tip of his sword was always pointed at demons and monsters. How could he possibly sense danger from him?
Then, the very next second, he felt the cold touch of the other man’s fingertips winding around the sash he was holding.
Li Changshuang’s fingers pried his hand away. As he slightly spread open the outer robe, his other hand caught hold of Weisheng Zhen’s belt. With a slight tug, and Weisheng Zhen completely off guard, the distance between them closed in an instant.
“Your belt… wasn’t fastened tight.” Li Changshuang’s voice seemed a little hoarse. Weisheng Zhen could even hear the sound of his Adam’s apple bobbing.
The outer robe was in the way, so Li Changshuang simply slipped it off and draped it over his arm. Weisheng Zhen stood there dumbly, like a doll being arranged at Li Changshuang’s whim.
The restraint at his waist came loose. Li Changshuang reached out to smooth the wrinkles on his undershirt, then ran his hand along Weisheng Zhen’s side and cinched the belt tight.
The fingers traced across his waist a place almost no one had ever touched sending a strange, tingling sensation through him. Weisheng Zhen didn’t know why, but he blinked nervously, feeling that the distance between them was a little too close. Just as he tried to step back, his hand brushed against skin that was slightly cool to the touch.
“First the belt, then the cuffs.”
Li Changshuang’s eyes were lowered. When he tilted his face slightly, Weisheng Zhen could easily see his long, dark lashes.
They were very long. Combined with his features, in the dim light he really did look like a girl. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the lines of his face were slightly more angular.
That face whether male or female was objectively and utterly beautiful.
Weisheng Zhen was in a daze, thinking no wonder the cultivation world’s beauty rankings from Liusen Pavilion hadn’t changed at the top since Li Changshuang turned twenty.
This face he’d looked at it for so many years, and yet it still made him feel a momentary trance.
His wrist was caught, and inexplicably, it felt like his vital gate had been seized. After Li Changshuang tugged at his sleeve, he began to tie it up in circles from the outside in.
Even though Weisheng Zhen’s own hands weren’t particularly warm, he kept feeling that where their skin touched was scorching hot.
He stood there dumbly as Li Changshuang finished tying his sash and sleeves, and when he saw the other’s hand rise again, seemingly to adjust his collar, Weisheng Zhen finally snapped out of it. His face suddenly flushed, and as he pushed Li Changshuang toward the door, his voice trembled unconsciously: “I… I can do it myself. You… you should go change into something similar too. Once you’re ready, we’ll go out to eat.”
Then he quickly shut the door on Li Changshuang.
Only after Li Changshuang’s figure disappeared from his sight did Weisheng Zhen finally let out the breath he’d been holding. He exhaled deeply, his right hand unconsciously pressing against his chest.
Strange, why was he so nervous?
**
After flipping his collar back down and cooling off in the room for a while, Weisheng Zhen pushed open the door and saw that Li Changshuang had already changed into an outfit similar to his.
His expression seemed a bit more taut, but it might have been Weisheng Zhen’s imagination, because upon seeing Weisheng Zhen, Li Changshuang nodded naturally: “A senior brother from the Sword Sect happened to come here from Cundi today. Want to meet him?”
The relationship between Lingchao Sect and the Sword Sect was quite good, and since Li Changshuang was extending the invitation, Weisheng Zhen naturally wouldn’t refuse. He quickly cast aside the earlier awkwardness: “I’d be honored. Then I’ll handle the eating, and you two can handle the talking.”
A faint smile flickered across Li Changshuang’s face.
The place they’d agreed on was right next to the hotel they were staying at. The sign was still the same as their current hotel’s, and it was fairly well-equipped not only offering food and lodging, but even entertainment options.
The others chatted nearby while Weisheng Zhen focused on eating.
He was completely absorbed in his meal when he suddenly heard his own name.
Before he could even register what the Sword Sect brothers were discussing, he heard Li Changshuang say: “Azhen is still young. Besides, doesn’t the little junior sister already have a betrothal?”
The way Huafan and Xian Yuyi called him “Azhen” sounded awful, but when Li Changshuang said it seemed he didn’t actually mind that form of address?
Weisheng Zhen pricked up his ears to hear what the two were actually talking about.
“Junior brother, you wouldn’t know this, but the little junior sister’s betrothal was dissolved about three years ago. That man pretended to be all innocent in front of her, not even daring to hold her hand, but on the side, he went off to… brothels, and more than once at that.”
“But don’t worry, the little junior sister never had him in her heart anyway. She was originally planning to dissolve the betrothal within these few years anyway. As you know, Junior Brother Li, she’s liked Junior Brother Weisheng since she was very young. It’s just that at the time, with the betrothal in the way, she could only keep those feelings in her heart and couldn’t voice them, but her eyes never lied. After the betrothal was dissolved, she wanted to reach out to Junior Brother Weisheng many times, but Junior Brother Weisheng rarely leaves the sect, so it was hard to find him.”
Huh? He’d just come to freeload a meal, how had this suddenly turned into a matchmaking session?
“Recently, she participated in the Rising Talent Competition and grew even fonder of Junior Brother Weisheng after seeing him, but she was too shy to say so directly. As it happened, she knew the two of you would be meeting this time, so she asked me to probe the matter subtly. However, I’m not good with words, and since both junior brothers are sharp-minded, I decided to just ask outright.”
Seeing Weisheng Zhen cast a puzzled look his way, the senior brother waved a hand: “Junior Brother Weisheng, don’t feel pressured. I’m only mentioning it in passing. If it can bring about a good match, that would be wonderful, but if not, I’d ask both junior brothers to keep this matter secret for the little junior sister.”
Weisheng Zhen thought back.
Unfortunately, he had no recollection of this girl at all.
Weisheng Zhen had little intention of pursuing romance, and moreover, he hadn’t yet found a way to survive his death node. If he agreed to the girl and then kicked the bucket a few years later, wouldn’t that be wasting her time?
Weisheng Zhen shook his head: “Sorry, Senior Brother, but I don’t have any such intentions right now. At this stage, I only want to stay by Changshuang’s side and focus on cultivation.”
Seeing this, the senior brother said no more and turned to chat with Li Changshuang about other matters.
After that, Weisheng Zhen finished the meal in relative quiet.
Back at the inn, Weisheng Zhen once again started mooching off Li Changshuang’s Fengyu Tea.
“Senior Brother said you knew about that little junior sister’s matter.” Weisheng Zhen took a sip of tea to cut through the greasiness: “Seems like you’ve never mentioned it to me before?”
Not only had he never brought it up, Weisheng Zhen hadn’t even known anyone had a crush on him.
He’d always assumed the second male lead just had no charm.
Li Changshuang seemed reluctant to discuss it, but since Weisheng Zhen had asked, he didn’t want to hide anything, so he said: “…Matters that aren’t beneficial to cultivation I knew of it, but felt there was no need to mention it.”
Weisheng Zhen pursed his lips, thinking to himself that Li Changshuang really was a cultivation machine.
But his casual gesture was misinterpreted by Li Changshuang as dissatisfaction. His thin lips moved slightly, and after a moment of thought, he still said: “If you’re interested… you could add the little junior sister on the immortal jade disc… and chat a bit.”
Yet the words seemed to come out with some difficulty.
Weisheng Zhen didn’t pay much attention and quickly waved his hands: “No, no, no, forget it. I’m really not interested in any of that. Please don’t go playing matchmaker.”
Only then did Li Changshuang relax slightly, letting out a quiet breath. “Good. Then just stay by my side, and the two of us can cultivate together.”
Though the words sounded a bit odd, Weisheng Zhen interpreted it as Li Changshuang opening up to him a little more, and nodded happily, following up: “Yeah, I really do enjoy staying by your side.”
**
After three days of wandering the city, eating and resting, early on the fourth morning, Li Changshuang and Weisheng Zhen mingled among the cultivators heading into Cundi, joining the crowd preparing to leave the city.
The departure time was set within a specific window. Besides checking identities and asking about their purposes, first-time entrants to Cundi also had to extract a wisp of spiritual power for tracking purposes.
Weisheng Zhen was entering Cundi for the first time, finding everything novel. Even waiting in the long line didn’t bore him. He poked Li Changshuang’s arm and sent a voice transmission: “This is the first time I’ve seen such a long line. It’ll take us at least an hour or two before it’s our turn, right?”
In Lingchao Sect, the number of people who signed up for the once-a-decade disciple recruitment was roughly the same as those queuing here, but Weisheng Zhen had been born directly into the sect. His biological parents had been close friends with his current master, so shortly after they both passed away following his birth, his master had taken over his upbringing and education.
Having been here for so long, Weisheng Zhen, who could well be considered a second-generation immortal, was genuinely experiencing his first time queuing.
“Perhaps,” Li Changshuang had barely finished speaking when chaos erupted at the front of the line.
Amid the furious shout of “Surrender now!”, the queue before them scattered rapidly.
“These are three wanted criminals at the Fusion stage, how did they manage to sneak into Zhelin City? Looks like there are rotten apples on the inside.”
“Those faces they’ve shifted back to look familiar they’re the ones who’ve been on wanted posters for seven years now. I never thought they’d actually broken through to Fusion. Seems in just these seven short years, they’ve killed plenty more people!”
Such incidents seemed fairly common in Zhelin City; the front was in its own chaos while the back calmly kept its place in line.
Seeing that everyone else was staying put, Weisheng Zhen didn’t pay it much mind.
But then, a sudden change occurred the Fusion-stage fugitive seemed to unleash a large-scale attack, and in an instant, a sea of fire spread across nearly a kilometer.
“Damn it! Stop discussing! We need to run for our lives! They’re really troublesome hell, they’re about to come right at us!”
At that moment, Weisheng Zhen was gripping Li Changshuang’s sleeve, studying how the wrist strap was tied so elegantly, when suddenly a powerful force seized his waist, yanking him swiftly to the side.
The next second, the very spot where the two had been standing was smashed by a blast of fire-attribute spiritual power, leaving a deep crater still spewing flames!