Xie Weiyuan stroked his graying beard and said with a straight face: “I am the Pure Xuan Lord of the Nine Heavens. Today, while traveling here, I suddenly sensed the aura of a disciple from my sect, so I came specifically to see which wayward disciple dared to violate the Jiuyou Sect’s commandments.”
Shen Yunjin: “Who is the Pure Xuan Lord of the Nine Heavens?”
“Bold and wayward disciple! You do not even recognize the sect’s Grandmaster, and you dare to address my title directly? Although I have been practicing in the back mountain for several years, I am not entirely detached from worldly affairs. How can you be so ignorant and ill-informed?”
Mu Ge hurriedly cried out in panic: “Immortal, save me! This young master is truly crude; you must punish him severely!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Yunjin’s face grew even darker: “It was clearly you who provoked me time and again; how dare you spout nonsense?”
Xie Weiyuan, seeing Mu Ge’s tearful appearance, felt a momentary surge of empathy: “You, release him first.”
Seeing this, Shen Yunjin could only loosen his grip. Mu Ge took advantage of the moment he relaxed his hold to scramble away, hiding behind Xie Weiyuan and cowering like a quail, watching Shen Yunjin warily.
Shen Yunjin glared coldly at him, looking quite unwilling to yield.
“Have you still not paid your respects? How did your Master teach you…”
Before he could finish the sentence, Xie Weiyuan remembered that he was the Master. He awkwardly stopped his words, turned his head, and said: “Forget it. Considering this is your first offense and you haven’t committed anything truly treacherous, I will let you go for now. But if you dare to do it again, hmph, I will not be so lenient.”
Shen Yunjin bowed slightly in respect: “Grandmaster, Disciple knows his mistake… but may I ask, why did Grandmaster descend the mountain today?”
He had never heard of the name “Xuan Lord” and could not help but be suspicious was this person here to fool him, or was he truly a reclusive Grandmaster of the Jiuyou Sect?
“I am merely traveling about. What business is it of yours?” Xie Weiyuan shot him a cold glance, feigning profundity.
“Yes. Is there any way Disciple can be of service, Grandmaster?” he asked.
“Cough, cough… that will not be necessary. As for you, since you are a disciple of the sect, do not leave the mountain without permission. Do not let today’s events repeat.”
Shen Yunjin nodded silently in response.
After pondering for a moment, he asked again, somewhat hesitantly: “Then how was your journey today, Grandmaster? Would you like Disciple to personally escort you back to the sect?”
“No need, I shall walk myself.”
Xie Weiyuan naturally wouldn’t let him escort him personally; wouldn’t that expose the ruse?
Mu Ge had lost all interest in teasing and was desperate to see these two “Great Buddhas” leave quickly. He hurried to say: “How did the two Immortals settle the matter? This place of smoke and mirrors is not suitable for you two. Shall I show you downstairs?”
Xie Weiyuan nodded slightly, just as he was about to turn away.
His gaze drifted idly, and he suddenly noticed a vibrant, gaudy, and vulgar book lying open on the ground.
His attention had been entirely focused on the courtesan and Shen Yunjin, so he hadn’t noticed what kind of place this was.
To his horror, the pictures in the book were of two men…
Xie Weiyuan’s face darkened, as if facing a formidable enemy. Despite all his precautions, he had ultimately failed to prevent the cabbage from being ravaged by the pig.
He sternly questioned Shen Yunjin: “Why did you come to this place?”
Shen Yunjin remained silent for a moment: “…To learn cultivation techniques.”
Xie Weiyuan was almost laughed to anger. While he knew Shen Yunjin was at an age of surging vitality and having some romantic thoughts was normal, he should not have come to such a place of pleasure. He naturally didn’t know that this rotten idea had been proposed by the Heavenly Compassion Sword behind Shen Yunjin’s back, and could only think that he had been too indulgent with Shen Yunjin in the past, allowing him to have such inexplicable thoughts.
“What can be learned here?”
Shen Yunjin dared not mention those two words again and simply remained silent.
Xie Weiyuan lectured him: “So young, and yet so wayward! Instead of learning these things, you would be better off practicing your skills more; do not bring shame upon the sect.”
“…”
Soon, Mu Ge escorted them to the entrance of Heaven and Earth, smirking obsequiously: “Safe travels, Immortals; let us hope we never meet again.” Then he fled without looking back, leaving the two standing on the bustling street.
Xie Weiyuan wanted to leave first, but Shen Yunjin grabbed his wrist: “Grandmaster, why not return to the sect with Disciple?”
Shen Yunjin truly did not trust him and insisted on seeing him enter the Jiuyou Sect territory to confirm his identity before he would let him go.
He could not win against Shen Yunjin, so he simply let him follow behind. Anyway, as soon as he entered the Jiuyou Sect, he would head to the back mountain, and Shen Yunjin wouldn’t be able to catch him.
“Fine. Follow behind me.”
The two walked in step, returning to the Jiuyou Sect in this manner.
Xie Weiyuan flicked his sleeve, easily breaking the barrier, and Shen Yunjin’s suspicions were finally laid to rest.
He paused, pondering when the sect had gained this Grandmaster, whom he had never heard of before.
The man quickly departed using light-body technique, truly heading in the direction of the back mountain.
Shen Yunjin watched his retreating back, rubbed the tip of his nose, and walked toward the Cloud-Hidden Hall.
Fortunately, it wasn’t too late today, and he would still have time to prepare.
As soon as he entered the hall, he found that Xie Weiyuan was not there perhaps Elder Qingya had called him away and he hadn’t returned yet.
He placed the scarecrow on the bed, wrapped it tightly in the quilt, partially covered the window, and finished his preparations.
Tonight, he would just have to wait for the man in black to arrive.
For once, he felt a sense of expectation, gazing at the setting sun.
In the blink of an eye, several hours passed in silence. The night grew deep, and the Cloud-Hidden Hall fell into desolation once again.
Shen Yunjin hid not far from the window, concealing his figure in the dead of night.
He held his breath, waiting for the man to arrive.
Heavenly Compassion stood behind him, looking forward: “You are truly quite devious.”
Shen Yunjin’s face was cold: “Stop talking, concentrate.”
He waited for a long time, and for some reason today, the man in black arrived very late—a full hour later than usual.
The man approached on tiptoe. Shen Yunjin noticed that even the man’s night-crawling clothes were not as neat as usual; the sleeves were wrinkled, looking as if he had been through a fierce battle.
The person first peeked at the situation inside the window, saw that the “Shen Yunjin” inside was asleep, and placed two hot meat buns from a lotus leaf onto the windowsill.
This was the moment—
Shen Yunjin, hiding behind the man in black, rushed forward while he was setting down the buns, throwing Heavenly Compassion to block the man’s path.
Heavenly Compassion let out a screech, bringing with it a fierce sword wind that tore through the night sky, standing before Xie Weiyuan.
His expression sank, his internal alarms ringing. He hurriedly turned sideways and used light-body technique to flee rapidly.
If Shen Yunjin were to find out that it was he who had been stealing buns every day to feed him, where would he hide his old face?
He fled at top speed, but Shen Yunjin pursued him relentlessly from behind.
Shen Yunjin was determined not to miss this chance to uncover the secret, so he pursued with all his might.
It had to be said that the younger generation was truly fearsome. Xie Weiyuan gradually grew weary; he had just had a “great battle” with Elder Qingya, and now, being chased by Shen Yunjin, he grew increasingly tired, and his speed slowed down.
Shen Yunjin pressed against his shoulder. Xie Weiyuan countered with a side strike. To avoid being recognized, he deliberately used techniques he wasn’t proficient in, nearly being restrained by Shen Yunjin several times.
The two began to fight in the night sky, trading blows, one trying to restrain, the other trying to break free. They were evenly matched, and soon over a hundred moves had passed.
In the night sky, one could only hear the muffled thuds of their fists colliding and the sound of robes tearing through the night.
The Divine Seal hack was truly cheating. Shen Yunjin was only about eighteen, yet he could fight a Spirit Transformation stage cultivator to this extent.
Xie Weiyuan’s breathing gradually grew rapid. Beads of sweat trickled down his temples, and his limbs grew weary and sore; several times, he was almost encircled by Shen Yunjin’s arms.
He had never exchanged blows with Shen Yunjin before and hadn’t realized the young man’s strength had grown so quickly.
During the chaotic struggle, he let his guard down for a moment, and Shen Yunjin almost tore off his mask. Fortunately, Xie Weiyuan threw his head back, indifferent to losing his balance. Shen Yunjin could only reach for his hand, but because both their palms were sweating, he failed to grip it, and it slid away. Xie Weiyuan used this to twist his body and immediately tried to escape.
Shen Yunjin still followed him from behind, quickly catching up. This time, he aimed directly for his face, determined to tear away his disguise.
He continued to block Shen Yunjin’s disruptive arms. After several rounds of trading blows, both were panting, looking as if they had been fished out of the water. Shen Yunjin’s eyes grew increasingly bright, his excitement like a chess player meeting an equal, and he moved to bypass Xie Weiyuan’s palm to tear off the mask.
Seeing the youth’s increasingly fierce strength, Xie Weiyuan could only exert his full energy to break free.
The pear tree to the side trembled under the fierce winds they stirred, sending a large swath of fragmented pear blossoms falling onto their shoulders and hair, as if they were in the midst of a heavy snow.
They were in such close contact that their breaths were constantly intertwining, and the air was filled with surging heat. Shen Yunjin’s heart beat more and more frantically, and several times he could directly touch the man’s scorching palms and hot body.
Carrying an inexplicable, intense heat, it almost provoked the pulsating desires within his heart.
Having found a secret outlet for release, he increased the force of his strikes.
He was finally about to tear away this person’s disguise, but the opponent was resisting with such ferocity.
Who is it? Who is trying so hard to hide?
Shen Yunjin was never one to be obedient and compliant; his heart had always been filled with malice and an unspoken desire for conquest.
After struggling a few more times, Xie Weiyuan finally failed to resist, panting as if suffocating, and Shen Yunjin dislocated one of his arms and tied it behind his back.
This posture was truly not a dignified one.
Xie Weiyuan couldn’t help but recall the posture he had seen Shen Yunjin using on the courtesan during the day. A sense of inexplicable humiliation surged, a layer of moist redness flushing the corners of his eyes as he leaned against Shen Yunjin’s chest, panting and trembling.
He glared resentfully at Shen Yunjin, yet the man’s body behind him was so scorching hot.
By nature, his constitution was aquatic, and unless he was performing rigorous techniques, his body was usually cool. But Shen Yunjin’s body was scorching, forcibly melting the ice within him.
With a rip, the black fabric was torn away, finally bringing this night’s farce to an end.
“…”
Xie Weiyuan stared blankly at Shen Yunjin.
Shen Yunjin looked back expressionlessly.
The two stared at each other in awkward silence for a long moment; neither of them had expected that, after tearing away the disguise, this would be the face revealed.