“That eldest disciple of yours seems quite capable.”
Gui Yin glanced at the young man beside him. He sighed and flourished his fan. “Many have praised him as a prodigy, but I’m personally worried about him.”
“For what? Isn’t it good to have a disciple like him?” Young Master Chong asked, seemingly surprised.
“It sure is, but he is so serious for his age,” Gui Yin said. “He’s much more mature than other children his age because of everything he’s been through. I just wish he could enjoy his childhood more.”
Young Master Chong chuckled. “I believe that Mister Sun is only overthinking it. Your disciple may be sensible, but I do not believe it is to the point of over maturity.”
Gui Yin glanced at Young Master Chong.
“Besides, I think a child being a bit more mature in this world is a good survival skill. If what you say is true, he won’t die so easily,” Young Master Chong said. He looked at Gui Yin. “And isn’t that the most you can ask for as his shizun?”
Gui Yin nodded. He lowered his gaze in silent contemplation as he and Young Master Chong made their way to the Qian Clan’s residence. Perhaps what really worried Gui Yin was the fact that he saw too much of himself in Gui Linghuo.
“If you are still worried, I do have one suggestion.”
Gui Yin glanced at Young Master Chong.
“I have a little sister around the same age back home,” Young Master Chong said, “And our parents are…well, I shouldn’t say this to a stranger, but they are quite neglectful. It is quite obvious even to the outsider that their children aren’t their priority.”
“Oh…I’m sorr—”
“No, no,” Young Master Chong quickly interrupted. “I’m not telling you this to gain your sympathy.”
Gui Yin nodded hesitantly.
Young Master Chong relaxed once more. “I was sent away to study for a while, when I came back just a year or two ago, my sister was…well, she was like your eldest disciple, just a bit more closed off. She cared less about people and she acted much more mature than girls her age.”
Gui Yin frowned. “How unfortunate.”
“Indeed. I was quite free-spirited as a child. If my parents didn’t care for me, I also didn’t care for them. But my little sister has a gentle disposition. I realized that she must have been hurt by such isolation,” Young Master Chong’s smile fell. He lightly cleared his throat and met Gui Yin’s gaze again. “However, recently she knows to run to me when she’s feeling wronged and act spoiled when she wants sweets.”
Gui Yin chuckled. “I’m glad you and your sister are getting along.”
Young Master Chong smiled proudly. “Do you know how I got there?”
Gui Yin shook his head.
“Children who were deprived of love or who were forced to grow up early tend not to trust the people around them. If you say you love them, they don’t believe it, so you have to indulge them. If they were wrong about something, you must be patient and explain,” Young Master Chong said. “But, again, I don’t think your eldest disciple is really that bad. If you truly are worried, just give him a bit more freedom.”
“A bit more freedom?”
Young Master Chong nodded. “From what I see, your disciple seems to trust that you love him, but he turns to you for too much direction. While it doesn’t pose a problem now, it might in the future. So, give him a bit of freedom. Maybe even let him rebel a little.”
Gui Yin fell silent. He had experience raising children before, but at that time he was also a child. He never had to think about the technical things—he only needed to keep them alive. Hearing proper advice from someone who was an outsider to the situation brought a bit more clarity to the parts that Gui Yin felt that he lacked in.
“Thank you, Young Master Chong.”
“No need to be so polite, Mister Sun. It’s refreshing to see an adult who cares so deeply about those under his care,” Young Master Chong said.
Gui Yin fanned himself as he fell into his thoughts. “Young Master Chong, if you don’t mind me asking, how old are you this year?”
“I’ve just become an adult last year,” Young Master Chong said with a light smile.
Twenty-one—an age that wasn’t too young, but couldn’t be considered old either. In the cultivation world, this type of age was one of a greenhorn.
“I see,” Gui Yin said. “Your little sister is lucky to have you as her brother.”
Young Master Chong shook his head. “I am lucky to have her as my sister. If it weren’t for her…”
His voice trailed off and his words stopped. Seeing that he had no intention of continuing with his train of thought, Gui Yin also laid the subject to rest.
The pair soon arrived at the doors of the Qian Clan. When they arrived, a pair of guards immediately stepped up.
“Who are you two?”
Gui Yin glanced at the guards, one on the left and the other on the right. The one on the left obviously had a bit of muscle. He was stone-faced and held his post like any regular guard might. He also wore the uniform that the Qian Clan gave to their guards. The one to the right was the one who spoke and he obviously had more authority. However, he was on the weaker side. He had an upturned nose, cheekbones that protruded, and a skinny frame. After taking a glance at his overall cultivation as well, Gui Yin wasn’t sure how this one ended up as a guard.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Possibly nepotism?
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“Lfiib, kf jgf wfwyfgr bo atf Dflvbe Ciiljcmf, rfca ab lcnfralujaf rbwf mijlwr atja Tecplcu Ujnlilbc tjr yffc erlcu atflg qgfraluf ab yeiis atf mbwwbc qfbqif,” Tbecu Zjrafg Jtbcu rwbbatis qgbvemfv j kbbvfc qijdef ogbw tlr klvf riffnfr.
Gui Yin only caught a glimpse of it. It quickly disappeared again between the folds of his clothes.
“Since the Qian Clan is the overseer of these parts, my companion and I felt that it was only right to inform them of our presence. We also hope that they will cooperate in our investigation,” Young Master Chong said with a light smile.
The guards exchanged glances.
“A-and what’s your name?”
“My surname is Chong. My companion’s surname is ‘Sun’,” Young Master Chong said.
The skinny guard nodded. He smacked the other guard on the arm several times as he hissed, “Go inform the steward—go!”
The other man’s brows furrowed slightly, but he still did as he was told. The skinny guard turned back to Young Master Chong and Gui Yin with a flattering smile.
“They will be just a moment, my lords.”
“No rush,” Young Master Chong said. “We have all the time in the world.”
Gui Yin glanced at Young Master Chong before slowly pulling his gaze away.
“What was that wooden pass you had?” Gui Yin’s voice rang in Young Master Chong’s mind.
The young man glanced at Gui Yin and smiled. He replied with a voice transmission as well, “Just something from my grandmother. If you don’t look closely, it looks just like the pass you would get from the Beidou Alliance if you were employed under them.”
Gui Yin smiled. As expected, this little brat isn’t as simple as he makes himself out to be.
It only took ten minutes for the steward to arrive. Gui Yin took in the sweat, beading at the old man’s hairline, and politely looked away.
“Greetings, my lords,” the stewards greeted them with a shoe-licking smile. “My master is currently in a meeting. If you would follow me to the back gardens, she will join you shortly.”
Young Master Chong looked to Gui Yin. Gui Yin looked back at Young Master Chong. He smiled. “Young Lord Chong should be the one to make the decisions. I am only here to observe and give advice.”
Young Master Chong appeared surprised for a split second before he returned Gui Yin’s smile. “Very well, Sun-laoshi.”
Gui Yin followed behind Young Master Chong. As he walked, his gaze began to drift. He made eye contact with several curious maids and servants. When he smiled, they quickly looked away with flustered expressions.
By the time they arrived in the gardens, Gui Yin was sure of one thing—these servants would definitely be loose lipped.
The steward left Gui Yin and Young Master Chong to get tea and pastries. However, a few servants and maids remained by their sides, standing at a respectful distance.
“For a small clan, they’re quite pompous,” Gui Yin said, through voice transmission.
Young Master Chong bit back his smile. “I agree. It’s probably all the money they’ve received through heavy taxation.”
Gui Yin met Young Master Chong’s eyes, his smile only deepening.
Young Master Chong tilted his head, as if to ask Gui Yin what was wrong. However, before Gui Yin could confirm his thought, the clan leader of the Qian Clan finally arrived. She stopped in between Gui Yin and Young Master Chong with an unnaturally wide grin.
“Hello, Milords. I have heard from my steward of your arrival,” Sect Leader Qian said. “I am Lou Yiwen, the Qian Sect’s sect leader.”
Young Master Chong smiled. “Hello, Sect Leader Lou. My surname is Chong, this is my teacher—surnamed Sun.”
“Young Master Chong and Mister Sun,” Sect Leader Lou bowed a full ninety degrees. After finishing her greetings, she sat down beside Gui Yin.
Gui Yin’s nose wrinkled almost imperceptibly. The woman smelled heavily of perfume and rouge. He gave Lou Yiwen a once over and looked away in distaste. There was a faint red mark on her inner robes in the shape of lips and there were light bruise markings on her neck. The least she could have done was change her clothes if she had just been fooling around with women.
The scent of perfume and rouge suffocated him. He shifted away, moving a little closer to Young Master Chong.
“I see,” Sect Leader Lou murmured, after she listened to Young Master Chong’s investigation. “So, how would you like us to cooperate with your investigation?”
Young Master Chong smiled. “Easy. Please bring in any records you have of the comings and goings of cultivators outside of your Qian Sect.”
“P-pardon?”
“Any time a cultivator is sent to the territory you are supervising, they must state their purpose, don’t they?”
“Yes, but there are some times when the cultivators are simply passing through. At that time, they don’t have to come to us,” Lou Yiwen quickly explained.
“I understand that. However, seeing as rumors of Yunjing Pavilion’s disciples are still continuing as of today, they must be here for some special reason, shouldn’t they?” Young Master Chong asked.
“But—”
“Checking the records wouldn’t hurt either way,” Young Master Chong said. “Unless you haven’t been keeping proper records?”
Lou Yiwen’s eyes widened. She lightly cleared her throat and gave him a favor-currying smile. “Of course, I have. Steward Lin.”
The old steward stepped forward.
“Go bring the records Young Master Chong is looking for,” Lou Yiwen said.
The old steward nodded and quickly left to the studies.
Lou Yiwen glanced at Gui Yin as they waited. Her gaze traveled from his long lashes down to his lips. With how concentrated it was, Gui Yin couldn’t even ignore it. He finally looked over at Lou Yiwen.
“What is it, Sect Leader Lou?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just…admiring your looks,” Lou Yiwen said honestly.
Young Master Chong glanced at Gui Yin and then to the woman in front of him.
Gui Yin’s gaze darkened. He smirked wryly. “With how penetrating the way you looked at me, I figured you had something important to say.”
Lou Yiwen’s face flushed. She quickly looked away with nothing else to say.
Gui Yin wanted to scoff, but he held himself back. It was a kind of look that he had unfortunately become quite familiar with. Disgust roiled in Gui Yin’s stomach.
Young Master Chong glanced at Gui Yin. He sent a voice transmission, “Mister Sun, are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Young Master Chong needn’t worry.”
Still, Young Master Chong hesitated. “If you do not feel good, I can handle it by myself here.”
Gui Yin glanced at Lou Yiwen and promptly looked away again. “I, for one, do not feel safe leaving you here alone.”
Surprise showed on Young Master Chong’s face.
Lou Yiwen caught it. “What’s the matter, Young Master Chong?”
“Nothing,” the young man replied coldly. “I was just wondering why it’s taking so long to retrieve the records.”
“Oh, it’s because the steward had to gather every single file. I’m sure it’s because he doesn’t want to miss one,” Lou Yiwen said.
Young Master Chong stood. Lou Yiwen quickly stood after him.
“Young Master, where are you going?”
“Take me to where the records are kept.”
“But—”
“If it’s taking the steward so long, we should just go to him,” Young Master Chong said. He looked at Lou Yiwen, “Unless you have something to hide?”
The woman chewed at her lower lip. Anxiety was clear in her eyes, but she soon smiled again. “Very well then, I will lead you to it.”
Gui Yin walked silently beside Young Master Chong. The faint scent of parchment and sunshine made Gui Yin’s jittery nerves calm back down. His fanning sped up, as he was still trying to disperse the unpleasant smells from before. Young Master Chong glanced at Gui Yin, who had walked even closer to him. He smiled slightly and playfully nudged Gui Yin’s chest.
Gui Yin glanced down at the young man. A voice transmission entered his mind: “Why are you walking closer?”
“The woman smells bad,” Gui Yin complained. “Young Master Chong smells normal, at least.”
Young Master Chong bit back his laugh. What was “normal”? It wasn’t good, but it was just normal?
Not knowing his odd choice of words, Gui Yin cast another look at Lou Yiwen. “With this type of mother, she’s bound to birth that type of son.”
Before the group reached the room where the records were kept, Gui Yin heard the ruckus that was going on inside. His lip twitched and he glanced to Young Master Chong. Because the young man’s cultivation hadn’t reached Gui Yin’s realm yet, it took him until they had nearly reached the room to hear what was going on. But, by then, the steward and the second person in the room had quieted down.
Gui Yin’s expression had darkened significantly. He had heard the entire conversation from beginning to end.
The door was pushed open by Lou Yiwen.
A surprised expression flitted across her face. “Guang’er, what are you doing here?”
A young man, who was about Young Master Chong’s age, smiled upon seeing his mother enter. He quickly crossed the room and held his mother’s hands.
“I was reviewing some of the sect’s records today when Steward Lin came in, so I decided to help him,” Qian Guang explained. He looked over his mother’s shoulder. His gaze lingered on Young Master Chong just a little too long. “Mother has guests today?”
Lou Yiwen moved to speak, but Gui Yin interrupted her.
“Why is there a burning smell in the room?”
Qian Guang’s eyes widened. He let out a light scoff. “A burning smell?”
Young Master Chong hadn’t noticed it at first, but after Gui Yin had pointed it out, he truly did notice a light burning smell. The smell, however, was heavily masked by some type of perfume. He wrinkled his nose and looked at Qian Guang skeptically.
“Lord Sun must have smelled this incense,” the steward said, gesturing at the incense burner beside them. “The young lord enjoys the various scents of incense, so he often has an incense burner in places he frequents. Although the scent is lovely, it leaves behind a faint burning smell.”
Gui Yin smiled tightly. “Is that so?”
He moved from behind Lou Yiwen and headed for the incense burner. Just as his hand reached out, Qian Guang blocked him.
“Lord Sun, what are you planning on doing?”
“I want to know what type of incense it is,” Gui Yin said.
“It’s just regular incense you could buy at the market,” Qian Guang said. “It’s nothing special.”
“I want to take a closer look,” Gui Yin insisted.
Qian Guang wanted to refute, but a heavy pressure set down on his shoulders. He tried to move, but was unable to.
In fact, everyone in the room also felt this pressure. Cold sweat began to bead down the side of Lou Yiwen’s forehead. She couldn’t help but gulp. She had cultivated long and hard to just reach the last levels of the Golden Core Realm. The person in front of her was someone far stronger than her—someone who was close to surpassing Nascent Soul Realm.
The lid of the incense burner was removed. With a coldness in his eyes, Gui Yin pulled out the wad of paper that had already been half burned. He glanced at the tall pile of ashes within the basin as well.
“I thought you were burning incense,” Gui Yin turned to Steward Lin and Qian Guang. “Why is there also paper in here?”
“T-that—”
“If you’re going to lie, I can tell you the exact contents that were previously on these pages,” Gui Yin brushed a finger against the ashes and watched as they trickled back down into the basin. His gaze coldly scanned the room. “No words?”
It wasn’t that they had no words, but the pressure was so great that they couldn’t even speak. Their knees had long begun trembling. If this continued on, they were afraid that their orifices might begin to leak blood.
Young Master Chong, who should have been affected as well, remained perfectly fine. He glanced at Gui Yin. When he met the man, he already knew he was someone great. However, someone who was able to exert such great pressure, yet still form a protective barrier around a specific person was definitely not someone to be trifled with. He moved a little closer to Gui Yin.
“Mister Sun,” Young Master Chong tugged on Gui Yin’s sleeve. “I’m not sure what you heard, but if you kill them, the situation with Yunjin Pavilion will remain unresolved.”
Gui Yin forcibly suppressed his anger. The pressure lightened, but the parties involved were still unable to move.
“Since you wanted to lie, how about I recount what these pages said myself?” Gui Yin asked.
Qian Guang glanced at his mother, only to find the woman was pale in the face. After a few more seconds, she directly collapsed onto the ground, her two legs trembling.
“One was a record of a young woman reporting that she had been sexually harassed in an alleyway by Yunjing Pavilion disciples. Another was a report of harassment of a child. Another was a report of abuse towards prostitutes. And another was a report of a harassment case towards young men,” Gui Yin said. He let out a light scoff as he capped the incense burner again. “If you’re going to burn your crimes, at least be smart about it. What kind of idiot would read them out one at a time? Not to mention, burn them in such a tiny incense burner?”
Gui Yin folded his fan. “Now, tell me, how come these were all unsolved cases?”
The pressure lightened once more.
“B-because—because we’re powerless against Yunjing Pavilion. I-if the two lords happened to find evidence implicating them, they will surely come for us after—”
“My Yunjing Pavilion isn’t this kind of immoral place,” Gui Yin said coldly. “If you can point to the disciples who committed such atrocities, I assure you, as an elder of Yunjing Pavilion, I will personally cripple each one of them myself before casting them from the sect.”
The air seemed to freeze.
“E-elder?” Lou Yiwen’s voice came out as a squeak. In her memories, there was no elder surnamed ‘Sun’.
Gui Yin smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, my apologies. Let me properly introduce myself—this humble one’s surname is ‘Gui’, given name Qianle. Many also know me as Lord Immortal Ninglan, Peak Lord of Yunjing Pavilion’s Shuangye Peak.”
i am Concerned for the braincells of the Lou family
Why be concerned for something that doesn’t exist?
+1 no brain to be seen at all. The poor founder has been far disrespected
+1 no braincells 😔 (thanks for reading LOL)
+1 no braincells
mc is bad*ss
AAA thanks for reading!!!!!!!
This story makes me smile with every new chapter. Thanks!
aw i’m glad ;v; thanks for reading!!!
So cool, so powerful :0
gui yin, so cool…!!!
Lord inmortal Ninglan is super cool!!!
ooo, such a cool entrance squeee
Thanks for the chapter >v<
“Who am I?” Sur name (winding up)…given name (have a little more)…world-renown title (are you still breathing?)…and position at S-Tier sect (nope, you’re dead)! Boom! Mic drop! Lol. Loving Gui Yin so far!