Arc 5: Chapter 17
Chu Yao was very speechless. Towards this kind of stubborn straight man, ignoring them was the easiest.
But he had to admit that Lin Yuan was quite good-looking. He was tall and handsome in the clean, boyish type of way. If Lin Yuan was one of his potential targets, then Chu Yao would definitely try to win him over. Sigh, with Lin Yuan’s handsome appearance and skill, he might grow up to become the next Daoist Ziyuan, it would be so satisfying to try the nurturing route…what a pity.
Lin Yuan felt a chill on his back for some reason. He felt that the way Chu Yao was looking at him was wrong, but he couldn’t quite figure out why.
Chu Yao admired Lin Yuan’s long legs and slim waist and secretly licked his lips. He glanced up, still looking pitiful, and said softly: “Brother Lin, I don’t wish to fight with you. I’ve always admired you.”
Inexplicably, hearing Chu Yao’s words made Lin Yuan’s skin crawl. He frowned and said: “Sparring between peers is commonplace. Countless senior brothers and sisters bettered themselves through duels with others, even if they were blessed with outstanding talent. Otherwise, why would immortal sects hold competitions at all? In a real fight, no opponent will wait for you to feel better before attacking.”
Chu Yao was at a loss of words for a second, and was about to retort when the taller man beside him said disapprovingly: “Junior Brother, what you said does sound reasonable, but there are no competitors or opponents right now. You shouldn’t force A’Yao to spar with you.”
Mu Chengfeng, with his good looks and steady demeanor, exuded a powerful aura. His presence was sharp as a drawn sword. He said imposingly: “You are too obsessed with proving yourself—your behavior strays far from the standards of our Pure Jade Sect. Junior Brother, I advise you to cultivate inner peace and clarity instead of charging ahead like a stubborn bull.”
Lin Yuan almost rolled his eyes. He had long known that Chu Yao’s husbands were all just love-struck fools. Once they fell in love, they degenerated to people who lacked any bottom line, becoming even generous enough to share their lover with a dozen other people.
“Second Senior Brother is really good to Brother Chu. I am also your junior brother—does Senior Brother remember that?” Lin Yuan asked sarcastically.
Mu Chengfeng was silent, glaring frostily at Lin Yuan.
Chu Yao’s sixth sense told him that Lin Yuan’s words carried a deeper meaning. Knowing about his relationship with Mu Chengfeng, Chu Yao grew somewhat guilty and hurriedly tried to find excuses: “Brother Lin, how can you say such things? Second Senior Brother treats all of us very well.”
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow at the pair in front of him half-hugging each other in front of him. From their appearances, Mu Chengfeng and Chu Yao, an elegant young man and a delicate beauty, indeed made a good match. Lin Yuan smiled lightly at them, saying warmly like a spring breeze: “Really? I suppose I’ve never experienced such kindness. Especially not right now.”
He ignored Chu Yao’s panicked expression and continued: “By the way, Second Senior Brother, what you said earlier puzzled me. Forgive my boldness in saying, but you and First Senior Brother both entered Pure Jade Sect at the same time. After all these years, have you never sought to spar with him?”
Lin Yuan pretended to be ignorant: “If not, then I am indeed inferior to Second Senior Brother, who can be so peaceable. Else, on what grounds do you lecture me? I humbly ask Second Senior Brother for advice.”
Mu Chengfeng, as one of the eldest generation of disciples, was used to being revered and admired by his juniors. This was the first time someone had dared confront him so boldly.
His expression grew colder and sharper: “Junior Brother Lin, your silver tongue could turn black into white. My senior brother and I have been disciples of Pure Jade Palace for over a century, how could we not have sparred? But this matter cannot justify your sophistry.”
Lin Yuan realized that with the love-struck Mu Chengfeng around, he had no way of fighting with Chu Yao, much less ambushing Chu Yao in secret.
He thought for a moment before asking Chu Yao: “Brother Chu doesn’t feel like sparring with me today, then will you be in the mood tomorrow? If not tomorrow, then what about the day after, or the day after that? Please give me a date.”
Chu Yao did not want to spar with Lin Yuan ever. He looked over at Mu Chengfeng for help, with red tinged eyes from crying before, and the two red moles at the corner of his eyes made him almost an otherworldly beauty.
Sensing Chu Yao’s thoughts, Mu Chengfeng gently patted his beloved’s back in reassurance. Mu Chengfeng looked at Lin Yuan with a dark expression and said coldly: “Junior Brother Lin, A’Yao has already said that he doesn’t want to spar with you, stop being so combative. If you wish to spar, find someone else.”
Lin Yuan grew even more annoyed and angry. His handsome appearance now carried a hint of defiance, like a blade starting to show its edge: “Is Brother Chu declining my request because you’re upset about being reassigned to Master Danyang’s tutelage?”
Actually Chu Yao wasn’t just upset with Xie Hanzhou, he harbored some resentment. Of course, he didn’t dare show his resentment in public, and said pitifully: “Brother Lin, you wrong me, how could I resent my master? It’s just that I’ve grown so accustomed to life on Ancient Grove Peak that I fear I won’t adapt well to the Peak of Crimson Radiance for many days.”
Lin Yuan scoffed: “Cultivating the Dao requires inner peace and clarity. If moving to another peak bothers you so much, how will you traverse the millennia-long path of cultivation?”
Oh my god, Chu Yao didn’t understand why Lin Yuan was so fixated on sparring with him. He was not even deterred by Mu Chengfeng.
Mu Chengfeng had already seen through Lin Yuan’s intention, it seemed that Lin Yuan held some grudge against Chu Yao which was why he pressured Chu Yao on purpose. Mu Chengfeng was about to take action when a familiar white-robed attendant entered the room.
It was Molian, Xie Hanzhou’s attendant.
Seeing that the situation so tense, Mo Lian asked curiously: “Second Senior Brother, Junior Brother Lin, and Junior Brother Chu—what happened?”
Lin Yuan looked at Molian with confusion and asked: “Senior Molian, why are you here?”
Molian didn’t intend to state publicly that their master had sent him here. He simply smiled and said vaguely: “I had nothing to do and was wandering around. I heard some commotion here and wanted to check it out. Say, Junior Brother Lin, what happened between you, Second Senior Brother, and Junior Brother Chu?”
Lin Yuan didn’t question it, and gave a brief rundown of what had happened in the past few minutes.
Naturally, Molian was on Lin Yuan’s side. Totally not because their master had sent him to support Lin Yuan… Anyways, he nodded in agreement: “Sparring between disciples is very common. Junior Brother Chu and Junior Brother Lin are both young talents of Pure Jade Palace, why not exchange a few moves to stretch your muscles? If Junior Brother Chu doesn’t feel up to it today, then how about tomorrow? Let Second Senior Brother and I be witnesses.”
Mu Chengfeng immediately understood that Molian had sided with Lin Yuan.
Since Mo Lian served Master directly, Mu Chengfeng did not dare to openly oppose him, it was just that his beloved would have to endure some grievances.
The next day, Lin Yuan eagerly sharpened his blade and waited to face off against Chu Yao. Unfortunately… victory was achieved too fast.
After disarming Chu Yao with a flick of his sword, Lin Yuan only got to land one punch before the source of all evil fainted. At least it was quite a powerful punch, Chu Yao would have a black eye for a week.
Lin Yuan expressed his satisfaction with a big, contented smile.
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Back atop Ancient Grove Peak, Molian returned to the study and presented the packaged Lin Yuan had asked him to deliver: “Master, Junior Brother Lin has won against Chu Yao. This is what he asked me to bring to you.”
In the middle of reading, Xie Hanzhou was holding a bamboo scroll between his long fingers. Without looking up, he nodded and said indifferently: “Leave it here.”
Molian placed the package on the table and withdrew, secretly marveling at how much his master seemed to favor Lin Yuan. He had never seen Xie Hanzhou accept any offerings from his disciples before.
After some time, Xie Hanzhou turned over another page of his book but found it hard to focus. Conceding to his curiosity, he looked up at the oiled paper package on his desk.
Guessing what could be inside, Xie Hanzhou opened the package. As expected, there were sweet pastries: three sticky rice balls and three osmanthus cakes.
A faint smile hung on his lips and he shook his head lightly, muttering softly: “Still such a child.”
He rewrapped the pastries and placed them in a new white jade box. This treasure could preserve items for millennia, and would ensure the treats would remain in the same state as they were in now.
⋅ ˚ ₊ ‧ ୨୧ ‧ ₊ ˚ ⋅
The twelfth month passed quickly, and although immortals lived outside the bounds of days and months, New Year celebrations still brought a lively atmosphere.
Stumbling back to his room, Lin Yuan had drunk a little too much and promptly passed out on his desk.
Ever since the day Xie Hanzhou told Lin Yuan to climb the sycamore tree, Xie Hanzhou frequently sent a sliver of his divine soul to silently watch over his little disciple.
The sight of Lin Yuan studying, swinging his sword, or just eating often left Xie Hanzhou with a peculiar feeling. In the endless path of cultivation, the youth seemed to be the most vivid color, making everything else pale in comparison.
This evening, Xie Hanzhou sent out another thread of his divine soul. When he saw Lin Yuan, slumped over the desk, he moved closer, intending to carry him to the bed to prevent Lin Yuan from catching a chill.
But the moment he touched the young man’s robe, a sharp pain jolted through Xie Hanzhou’s divine soul, causing him to falter for a moment. At the same time, a faint glow flashed from underneath the pillow on the bed.
Xie Hanzhou curiously lifted the pillow, which uncovered the letter left there by Yu Sui’an, the agreement that had been sealed with a forbidden seal.
Xie Hanzhou’s long eyes narrowed slightly. The existence of the forbidden seal suggested that Yu Sui’an had known of Lin Yuan’s romantic interest for Xie Hanzhou, and Yu Sui'an likely used this method to control and bind Lin Yuan to him.
Xie Hanzhou had never intended to act on his little disciple’s feelings, it was only because Yu Sui’an’s presumption irritated him, and this letter was just sore on the eyes.
Under the night sky, Ancient Grove Peak’s New Year festivities were dying down, and Xie Hanzhou entered Lin Yuan’s room. He decisively broke the seal on the letter, and returned it to its place before turning to the unconscious youth.
He carefully lifted Lin Yuan upright. Perhaps feeling someone around him, the young man stirred and his round, glistening eyes blinked slowly. The first thing Lin Yuan saw was Xie Hanzhou’s refined, handsome face, illuminated by the warm candlelight.
“Master…” Lin Yuan murmured. He gave a silly smile as he wrapped his pale arms around Xie Hanzhou’s neck, snuggling deeper into his master’s embrace.
Xie Hanzhou’s body stiffened as the warm body stuck closer to him. Reflexively, his arm tightened around the youth’s waist, gripping it harder than expected.
Lin Yuan winced, and his eyes reddened wetly, making his clear pupils glisten even brighter.
He whimpered softly: “Master, it hurts…”