Bai Shiyu dropped a Go stone with a flick of his wrist and said to Feng Qiubai, “What do you think, Brother Qiubai?”
“I’ll just let you witness my teleportation formation firsthand,” Feng Qiubai chuckled.
“You really do love this kid. Since that’s the case, let’s go.” With that, he stood up.
“My junior brother is still outside,” I remembered Duan Qianyue.
“Oh? Have him come in quickly.” Hearing this, a young boy nearby went off to summon him.
When Duan Qianyue approached, he offered a polite greeting to everyone.
Bai Shiyu maintained his usual gentle demeanor, but Feng Qiubai’s expression shifted slightly. “Why is it you?”
“You two know each other?” Bai Shiyu asked.
“Remember when I told you about someone trading a Blue Ginseng herb with me for the Seed Spirit Grass?” Feng Qiubai said.
“Such worldly curiosities, of course I remember. Could it actually be this young friend here?”
Feng Qiubai suddenly thought of something, frowning as he looked at me. “He didn’t make you eat that Blue Ginseng, did he?”
I thought to myself, well, of course he did, but now wasn’t the time to settle old scores. I simply said, “Senior, let’s handle the important matter first.”
“Hmph.” Feng Qiubai flicked his sleeve and channeled his spiritual energy. We felt as though we were wrapped inside a whirlwind, but the wind stopped in an instant, and the scenery around us completely changed. Right before us now stood a celestial maiden statue standing at least three stories tall, her slender waist adorned with a jade belt and carved so lifelike that we had somehow arrived directly inside the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
“Who are you people?” Several passing Heavenly Mystery Pavilion disciples were thoroughly startled by the sudden appearance of the four of us and cried out in alarm.
“Bai Shiyu of Linan Mountain.” Bai Shiyu stood tall and poised.
“Immortals.” Finished speaking, those disciples hurried off at top speed to find Chen Haishu.
“Let’s not just stand here.” Feng Qiubai, quite at home, led us straight into the inner hall.
“Finest purple sandalwood. Chen Haishu, this kid, has quite a comfortable life,” Feng Qiubai remarked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Just then, a middle-aged man hurried in, plump and potbellied with thinning hair.
“What wind blew the two immortals here?” he asked, accompanied by a hearty laugh.
Feng Qiubai looked him up and down. “As expected of the Dao-obsessed Pavilion Master Chen, you really don’t care about your personal image at all.”
“I am truly ashamed,” Chen Haishu said.
“We heard that Pavilion Master Chen cannot bear to punish disciples who have made mistakes,” Bai Shiyu said softly.
Chen Haishu’s expression flickered, and he quietly instructed a nearby disciple to go fetch Tang Ying.
Before long, Tang Ying swaggered in, looking full of vigor. “Why is Master looking for me?”
“Audacious! Kneel down!” Chen Haishu roared in anger.
Tang Ying also spotted the four of us, his expression changing slightly as he dropped to his knees.
“Ying’er, of all things you shouldn’t have done, killing that Starry Sky Sect disciple is the one unforgivable act. We are all fellow cultivators, how could you engage in such mutual slaughter? Considering your many years of devotion, Master originally wanted to turn a blind eye, but alas, this rebellious disciple is handed over to the two immortals to deal with,” Chen Haishu said.
“Then according to the rules, strip away his cultivation and expel him from the sect,” Feng Qiubai said.
Tang Ying’s nonchalant expression finally cracked, and he looked at Chen Haishu in shock. “Master?”
“Say no more. I only hope you can live a good life with your mother from now on,” Chen Haishu said with genuine heartache.
I looked over at Duan Qianyue. He was also looking at me, and he sent me a voice transmission: “Why do you think Senior Brother brings up his mother at a time like this?”
“A threat?”
Tang Ying was ultimately just a pawn, but it was unquestionably he who had killed Senior Sister.
“Does Brother Yu wish to avenge your senior sister personally?” Feng Qiubai asked me.
I shook my head. Understanding, he gathered spiritual energy in his palm and thrust it into Tang Ying. In a flash, Tang Ying’s Deity Transformation cultivation was completely crippled, a sight that truly made everyone draw in a sharp breath. Tang Ying arched his body, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he glared at me with pure venom.
“Drag him away! From now on, he has nothing more to do with our Heavenly Mystery Pavilion,” Chen Haishu ordered.
“I’ve done Brother Yu a huge favor,” Feng Qiubai looked at me and said.
“Thank you, Senior,” I said.
“Will Brother Yu come back to Luo City with me for a few days of fun?” he asked.
“No way,” Duan Qianyue blocked my path, stepping in front of me. “My senior brother and I still need to return to the sect.” All politeness had vanished from his tone.
“Hah, late Nascent Soul stage. Brother Yu, this junior brother of yours is hardly a good person. Did he use the poison of the Blue Ginseng to coerce you into dual cultivation with him?”
Where on earth was, he pulling this from? “Senior, nothing of the sort happened. I do indeed need to return to the sect first, but once I am back in Luo City, I will definitely treat Senior to drinks to express my gratitude.”
“We will meet again very soon.” With those words, they vanished right before our eyes.
Naturally, we didn’t linger there any longer either.
“When did Senior Brother get to know Feng Qiubai?” Duan Qianyue asked.
“We crossed paths once before,” I replied.
“Since Senior Brother kissed me, you must take responsibility for me. How can you still go around flirting casually with other men?”
Speechless, I simply quickened my pace.
Upon returning to the sect, we reported the news to Master and the rest of the disciples. Some argued that Tang Ying deserved an eye for an eye, while others noted that since Tang Ying had been in the Deity Transformation realm and now had his cultivation completely abolished, the blow was likely even worse than death.
“What does Senior Brother think?” Duan Qianyue asked.
A thought suddenly struck me: Chen Haishu had told him to live a good life with his mother. I sent a message talisman to A-Yun, instructing him to investigate where Tang Ying’s home was located and who lived with him.
It was already getting late, so I decided to head back to rest first, wondering whether I should visit the Prince Rong Manor tomorrow since I hadn’t been back in a long time.
“Why are you following me?” I asked.
“Senior Brother’s cultivation is rising too slowly. I’ll help you detoxify the Blue Ginseng poison tonight,” he said.
“No need.”
“That Feng Qiubai openly claimed I used the Blue Ginseng to force Senior Brother into dual cultivation with me. I cannot let myself be slandered for nothing.”
“Get lost.”
Duan Qianyue grabbed me and pressed me against a nearby tree, pressing in close.
“Duan Qianyue,” I warned, a hint of anger in my voice.
“I’m right here, Senior Brother.”
He leaned in to kiss me, and I quickly turned my head away.
“You are unwilling?” he asked, a trace of grievance in his tone.
“Unwilling.”
“Why?”
“I told you, I don’t like you.”
Even though I made that crystal clear, he still planted a solid kiss squarely on my lips, his tongue brazenly exploring my mouth, truly far too bold.
When he finally had his fill of kissing, he uttered a soft “See you tomorrow, Senior Brother” before walking off toward his own dwelling.
Could Duan Qianyue actually like me? This plot development was entirely wrong.
Lost in these thoughts, I eventually reached my Leisure Cloud Tower. The two pots of bellflowers in my room were actually blooming, releasing a faint, refreshing fragrance. It seemed Xiaowu really had carried them outside to catch the sun. Speaking of Xiaowu, he had gone to Luo City to get rid of a demon; I wondered if he would be back soon, as I could go look for him tomorrow.
In the middle of the night, I was jolted awake by a commotion outside my door. Stepping out to investigate, I found someone collapsed on my doorstep, none other than Duan Qianyue, covered entirely in blood.
I hurried over to lift him up. “What happened?”
He was already unconscious. I quickly set about treating his wounds first. Covered in a mix of fresh and old injuries without a single patch of unblemished skin, I couldn’t help but sigh. Being a protagonist was truly difficult; just earlier that day Feng Qiubai had mentioned he was in the late Nascent Soul stage, yet who could possibly injure him this severely, and right here within the sect grounds no less?
After dressing his wounds and channeling spiritual energy into him, he finally regained consciousness.
“Senior Brother,” he managed, using seemingly all his remaining strength just to utter those two words.
He raised a hand as if to touch my face, so I simply let him. “Who did this to you?” I asked.