A/N: We reached another goal, so here is an extra chapter! As there are only three chapters left, I will be updating every day this week until the series is over. If you want to donate on ko-fi, please check out the links below! (donations will not being going towards an extra chapter)
Two days passed after that.
On the third morning, when Gui Yin opened his eyes he was staring up at a familiar ceiling. Soft silk sheets brushed against his fingers and a muscular arm cushioned his head. He frowned and looked over at the man sleeping beside him. His eyes narrowed as he carded his fingers through his long hair.
“Wake up.”
Langxia’s lashes trembled. His eyes slowly opened, revealing a set of honey-colored eyes.
The sight startled Gui Yin, making him abruptly sit up. Langxia squirmed and stretched beside him for a moment before he rolled over and wrapped his arms around Gui Yin’s waist.
“What’s wrong?”
“Your—why are your eyes like that?” Gui Yin asked.
Langxia stared blankly ahead for a moment before he shifted and sat up as well. His head sleepily lulled onto Gui Yin’s shoulder. “Ah, the southern dragon’s bloodline was awoken.”
“…Just like that?”
“Mn.”
“How? When?” Gui Yin interrogated.
“Mm…” Langxia rubbed his forehead against Gui Yin. “When I was comatose…?”
“You—Wake up,” Gui Yin demanded. “Give me the proper story.”
Langxia hugged Gui Yin tighter and refused to lift his head. “The prophecy I saw foretold the destruction of the world, but it was also nothing like I’ve ever received. I should have died, since I had seen the secrets the gods held, but I stayed alive, so that ended up awakening my true bloodline.”
Gui Yin stared at the slumbering man against him. “That’s…that’s something so important, but you’re just going to summarize it in two sentences?”
Langxia finally sat up. “Or else? I’m not a storyteller. It’s as simple as it sounds. It’s probably even more boring, since I was asleep for most of the action.”
“You’re really…” Gui Yin was absolutely speechless.
“Oh, right. Here,” Langxia reached across Gui Yin and took the folding fan that was resting on the bedside table. He handed it to Gui Yin before he stretched out his waist. “Linghuo picked it up.”
Gui Yin snapped his fan open and glared at Langxia. “What else has happened?”
“Mm…Yin Hua Palace has a new leader,” Langxia said as he rubbed his face. “Half Moon Cult was eradicated and the remaining subordinates were either imprisoned or put under Xiao Kui’s command. Mm…Kunlun was nearly destroyed. And…”
“And?”
“Siyi is the new madam of Zhengyang Shang Sect,” Langxia concluded. His arms fell back to his lap and he looked at Gui Yin drowsily. “What else do you want to know?”
Langxia held Gui Yin’s incredulous expression for a while before he finally flopped back onto Gui Yin.
“Qinle, even if you stare at me like that, what else do you want me to say?”
“Give me more details!” Gui Yin said as he smacked at Langxia’s bare back. He sighed and pushed Langxia off of him. He flipped his hair over his shoulder. “Forget it. If you won’t answer me, I’ll go find Su Wen or something.”
“Where are you going?” Langxia whined. He stood and grabbed his night shirt from the rack. He slipped into it and followed Gui Yin to the door. “There’s no one here right now.”
Gui Yin’s steps stilled and he looked at Langxia. “Why not?”
“This isn’t even Kunlun,” Langxia said. “It’s Devil’s Desert. I told everyone that you needed to be in seclusion to recover and that I was going to help you.”
Gui Yin frowned as he fiddled with his fan. “So, you…you were by yourself all this time?”
Langxia laughed. “To be honest, I needed the peace and quiet anyway. It’s painful waking up a bloodline.”
“Are you okay now?” Gui Yin quickly asked.
Langxia spread out his arms. “Fit as a fiddle.”
Gui Yin looked him up and down. He even did a full circle around him to make sure he really was fine. The poisonous black scar still remained on his shoulder, but otherwise, Langxia looked completely normal. He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Learn to complain a bit more,” Gui Yin scolded.
Langxia grinned. Soon, his handsome face took on a pout. “Qinle, I’ve been having such a hard time without you. I couldn’t eat properly and I couldn’t sleep properly. I really, really missed you. When I was sick, I wanted you to comfort me but you weren’t even there. I—”
Langxia’s complaints were cut off by a kiss. He grinned again as he watched Gui Yin’s displeased expression.
“You told me to complain.”
“I’m making it up to you,” Gui Yin said. “Where did it hurt?”
Langxia held his head, “Here.” He placed his hand on his chest. “And here. Basically, everywhere that blood flows.”
“…Pervert.”
“I’m being honest!” Langxia laughed. He happily followed Gui Yin out. “Do you want to go to the bathrooms? I’ll take you there. I have a few sets of your clothes as well. I’ll go grab them.”
Gui Yin hummed.
Once Langxia had guided Gui Yin to the bathrooms, he quickly left to grab their clothes. Gui Yin glanced at the vanity as he began to strip and his reflection caught his eye.
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.
He stared silently for a long while before he rushed over and grabbed the mirror. He turned his way this way and that as disbelief and panic took hold of him. He heard the door to the bathrooms open and he immediately whipped his head over to glare at Langxia.
“Glv P ajxf abb ibcu?” Ojcuzlj jrxfv.
“Zs tjlg!”
“…Pa relar sbe.”
“Qts lr la ilxf atlr!?” Xel Tlc jrxfv.
Ojcuzlj rfa vbkc atflg mibatfr jcv kjixfv bnfg ab Xel Tlc, ktb kjr mbwlmjiis mieamtlcu tlr ktlaf tjlg. Lf ufcais rfqjgjafv Xel Tlc’r vfjat uglq ogbw tlr tjlg. “Pa kjrc’a ilxf atlr ktfc P ygbeuta sbe yjmx.”
“Then, why—”
“If I had to guess, it has something to do with the Heavenly energy in your body.”
“…Huh?”
“You’re already a half-ascended god. Didn’t you notice?”
“…What?”
“If you hadn’t been, you would have long died too. There’s no way you would have survived jumping into another plane of existence after all that torment,” Langxia said. “Your white hair is probably a result of all that stress your body had to go through.”
“…Wait a moment,” Gui Yin said as he swayed slightly.
Langxia took the mirror from Gui Yin’s hand and quickly helped him sit down.
“Am I still dreaming?” Gui Yin asked seriously.
“…No, you’re awake.”
“Then why does everything feel like I’m in some poorly written comedy sketch!?” Gui Yin exclaimed.
Langxia chuckled as he massaged Gui Yin’s arms. “What can we do about how much of a genius you are? You know, normal people can’t just create a little gadget that makes them reincarnate into realities of their own making. I’m sure there have always been signs. You’re the one who missed all of them.”
Gui Yin felt faint. When he saw wisps of his own hair again, he thought he might actually pass out. He finally looked at Langxia again.
“Did you always know?”
“Of course. I told you before, didn’t I? You’re my fated one,” Langxia said. “I never understood why, but I think I do more so now. It isn’t just because you saved me. It’s because we’re just compatible.”
“…You’re so full of bullshit.”
Gui Yin sat in silence. He felt as if he had been reading a novel and had missed a hundred chapters. Except this wasn’t a novel and it was his life. He had really been missing all the signs? Not even on another person, but on himself?
Though, if he truly decided to do some self-reflection, then it was a little weird he had been able to accomplish what he had. He had also lived through his cultivation being nearly destroyed and his forcible transportation to another plane. If it was another person, maybe they would have already become shredded noodles.
And if he really reached further back, Kui Wanming had also mentioned that he was special. But that was probably just something perfunctory that every teacher said to their student, wasn’t it?
Seeing Gui Yin so troubled, Langxia’s smile softened. As Gui Yin ruminated the many possibilities, Langxia began to help him undress. Gui Yin moved compliantly and didn’t even bother making a quip as Langxia carried him into the bath.
Once they were settled into the warm water, Gui Yin sank into the tub until only his eyes were visible. Langxia chuckled.
“What are you doing?”
“I feel stupid,” Gui Yin said.
“You? That’s never something I’d thought I’d hear from you,” Langxia said.
“If I ascended to half-godhood, doesn’t that mean there was a Heavenly Trial at some point?” Gui Yin said. He sat up abruptly and looked at Langxia. “Is that what this is?”
Langxia glanced to where Gui Yin was pointing. It was the large scar the Heavenly Lightning had left on him. “See? You’re still smart.”
Gui Yin’s expression pinched pitifully. Langxia couldn’t help but laugh. He waded the water over to Gui Yin and sighed. “My sweet lord immortal, you’ve been going through a Heavenly Trial for quite some time. It’s not like it suddenly happened and they even gave you a notice.”
Gui Yin fell silent for a moment as he finally began to understand. “Qiao Ceng was my calamity?”
“I would say it was mutual,” Langxia guessed. He shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe he had a part in the Heavens taking notice of you as well.”
“Then, the reason I didn’t fully ascend was because I didn’t get over the emotional aspect,” Gui Yin realized.
Langxia smiled. He ran his hand through Gui Yin’s hair. “See? You’re so smart! I didn’t tell you anything, but you guessed everything.”
Gui Yin pursed his lips. “Did you know everything?”
“I can foresee the future,” Langxia said. “And when we first met, I did indeed see something that had to do with the celestials. As for the specifics…I don’t know anything about that.”
Gui Yin lowered his gaze slightly.
Langxia raised a brow and bent down so that he could catch Gui Yin’s line of sight again. When the man looked back at him with pout, Langxia’s smile only widened.
“You can ask Lord Xun when we’re back in Kunlun,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin’s eyes brightened again. “You’re right.”
“Mn, I am, aren’t I? So, for now, my lord immortal, just enjoy the warm bath and don’t worry about anything else,” Langxia said soothingly.
“At least my hair can’t turn any whiter even if I continue to worry,” Gui Yin grumbled as Langxia began to help him wash his back.
Langxia rolled his eyes and sighed. “I think you look very handsome like this.”
“My black hair,” Gui Yin groaned.
“Just make it turn black if you’re so bothered,” Langxia reasoned.
Gui Yin glanced back at Langxia. “You would look nice with white hair.”
“Mm, but alas. The blessing landed on you,” Langxia hummed.
Gui Yin harrumphed and twisted his hair between his fingers. It was easy to use transformation magic to give it the illusion that it was black, but it was a waste of energy. It was something so small, that Gui Yin almost felt that he should just leave it. He should thank the Heavens that he no longer aged as a cultivator.
Once the two of them had rested for long enough, Langxia declared that he would first be going back to Kunlun, since he had a few things left to deal with. Gui Yin would be going back to Yunjing Pavilion first to report that he was safe and sound and perhaps even tell everyone the truth.
When it came for the two of them to split their paths, Langxia hovered beside Gui Yin reluctantly.
“Actually, I might just go with you,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin smiled. “We’re only going to be apart for two days.”
“But how great would it be if we weren’t apart?”
“I thought you said the matter was urgent,” Gui Yin said.
“It really isn’t. They can just deal with it themselves. I never know why they rope me into these things,” Langxia muttered. “I’m not even a real dragon.”
Gui Yin let out a long sigh. “Just return. I’ll be back by your side before you know it.”
“But…”
Gui Yin kissed Langxia’s cheek. “Be good. I’m heading off first.”
Langxia sighed and hummed. “See you soon.”
Gui Yin chuckled. “I’ll see you soon, A-Xia.”
Without any hint of longing, Gui Yin flew from Devil’s Desert first, leaving Langxia to loiter around the entrance of his own home. The moment Gui Yin disappeared, the sand beneath his feet shifted until a small girl emerged.
“Master, he’s already gone,” the albino girl said. “What are you still staring at the air for?”
“What would a brat like you understand?” Langxia sighed. He flicked his sleeve. “Let’s head back. Let’s go see what those Kunlun rats are complaining about this time.”
The sound of the flute drifted from Yunjing Pavilion, complimenting the early spring morning. Red maple leaves flowed gently to the top of the lake and seemed to sway to the music. Two young men sat at the pavilion by the lake. One read silently while the other was immersed in his own playing.
The young man who was reading was the first to look up. His brows furrowed as he sat up, the black pendant at his side swaying. His companion stopped playing when he noticed his movements. A questioning look crossed his face.
“Someone’s coming,” Yankui said.
Gui Linghuo looked at him in confusion. “It’s probably Meng-shijie again.”
“It’s not her. The footsteps are different,” Yankui said. He stood, his eyes widening in excitement. He hurriedly turned to Gui Linghuo. “Linghuo, I think it’s him.”
Gui Linghuo was still trying to understand what Yankui was implying, but the younger man had already sprinted off. Gui Linghuo tucked his flute into his belt and followed after him quickly.
The two men stepped at the top of the stairs and watched as someone slowly made their way up the stairs. Their steps were evenly paced, as if he had walked these steps many times before. He was dressed familiarly, even going as far as to carry a folding fan. But the two young men glanced at each other in confusion as the newcomer finally stopped in front of them.
Gui Yin looked between Gui Linghuo and Yankui. He snapped his fan shut and raised a brow. “What’s wrong? Has it been so many years that you no longer recognize your shizun?”
Gui Linghuo hesitated. “…Shizun?”
“Hm?”
Yankui glanced at Gui Linghuo and hurriedly nudged him. He turned to Gui Yin excitedly. “Gui-laoshi, you’re finally back! Let’s go in first. Linghuo and I have kept Yunjing Pavilion perfectly clean!”
Gui Yin chuckled. He followed Yankui, but his steps slowed when he passed Gui Linghuo. He smiled sadly and patted Gui Linghuo’s shoulder. “Let’s talk later.”
Gui Linghuo pursed his lips. He cupped his hands together. “This disciple will inform Qin-shimei and Shan-shimei of your return.”
Gui Yin opened his mouth to protest, but when he saw Gui Linghuo’s appearance, he simply nodded and turned to follow Yankui.
“I feel a bit bad for Gui-laoshi,” Yankui muttered as their steps slowed.
Gui Yin glanced at Yankui with a smile. “What do you mean?”
“…You just returned, but you have to comfort other people,” Yankui said, his gaze darting to the entrance of the peak.
Gui Yin laughed. “I need to reassure them that I’m alright.”
“But are you alright?” Yankui asked worriedly. “Why is your hair…? And you were gone for so long. Linghuo told me that you…weren’t actually with Yífú. But he wouldn’t say much else. And now you’re suddenly—no, what am I doing? Laoshi, do you want tea or something? I’ll go make it really quick.”
Gui Yin smiled softly and ruffled Yankui’s hair. “I’m also not quite sure what happened. It just…feels like these past few years have been a long dream. I thought I woke up several times, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“What about now?” Yankui asked.
“Now?” Gui Yin chuckled. “I don’t seem to care whether I’m awake or not anymore.”
Yankui frowned. Was that a good or a bad thing? “Are you still injured anywhere?”
Gui Yin shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten a checkup yet.”
Yankui’s eyes widened. “Do you need me to call Lord Ye?”
“I’ll visit them later. I wanted to see Yunjing Pavilion first since it’s been so long. I was expecting you both to be at Kunlun,” Gui Yin explained.
“We haven’t been to Kunlun in a while,” Yankui said. “Linghuo’s…supposed to be all better. Lord Xun said that he has to be extra careful when cultivating though. His constitution has been purified, however his Heart Demons stem from his own thoughts, so he will still be affected by them.”
“I see,” Gui Yin murmured. “And how about you? Er’lang told me that you have your own subordinates.”
Yankui smiled sheepishly. “It’s nothing, really. Just treat them as a small department under Huigu Palace. There aren’t even that many people. And we don’t really do anything.”
“Looks like you’re all grown up now,” Gui Yin said with a fond sigh.
Yankui’s face flushed. He was silent for a moment before he lightly cleared his throat. “Laoshi, may I ask for something?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Could I…get a hug?” Yankui sheepishly asked.
Gui Yin stared at him in surprised. He laughed and readily drew Yankui into a hug.
In the years they hadn’t seen each other, Yankui had grown a little. Gui Yin’s gaze softened as he squished Yankui until the younger man protested. Gui Yin stepped back and smiled in amusement.
“Goodness, you’re not my disciple, but you’re a baby just like them,” Gui Yin said fondly.
Yankui averted his gaze. “I’m not your disciple, but in a way you’re like a parent to me…”
Gui Yin was surprised, but his heart felt like it had been softened into a pile of cotton. He sighed and pinched Yankui’s cheeks. “How can you still be so cute?”
“Ah—” Yankui helplessly stood still as Gui Yin kneaded him this way and that.
Perhaps in front of the others, Yankui was their peer, but in front of Gui Yin, he couldn’t help but ask for a little bit of the affection he had missed out on when he was younger.
Gui Linghuo returned soon after. By the time he found Gui Yin, Yankui had already gone to brew tea, leaving the teacher and disciple by themselves.
Gui Yin looked up at Gui Linghuo clasped his hands together and bowed.
“They’ll be home by tonight,” Gui Linghuo said.
Gui Yin closed his fan and gestured to the seat beside him. “Sit.”
Gui Linghuo sat obediently.
“You,” Gui Yin sighed. “Alright. It’s just the two of us. Tell your Shizun what’s been on your mind.”
Gui Linghuo’s expression pinched. He stood and suddenly fell to his knees. Gui Yin’s eyes widened. He quickly sat up, but when he reached out to help Gui Linghuo up, the man knocked his forehead into the stone pavement below.
“Gui Linghuo!”
“This disciple was unfilial. I was so close to saving Shizun, but this disciple still let that monster spirit you away, leading you to be away from our world for nearly a decade,” Gui Linghuo said. “This disciple has never done anything for Shizun. It seems like I’ve only ever caused you to worry. This disciple is useless.”
Gui Yin grabbed Gui Linghuo before he could bang his head against the pavement again. He sank to the ground in front of the younger man as a long sigh left his lips.
“You are my head disciple,” Gui Yin said as he gently brushed away Gui Linghuo’s tears. “And you are also the son I decided to adopt. You are so kind, so talented, and so giving. But there is one flaw to you that I’ve never been able to unteach you.”
Gui Linghuo pursed his lips as he leaned into Gui Yin’s touch.
“You can’t save everyone,” Gui Yin said softly.
“But I should at least be able to protect the people I care about, shouldn’t I?” Gui Linghuo asked, his eyes reddening dramatically. He looked up to the sky as he tried to keep his tears from falling. “I couldn’t protect anyone.”
“You’re so silly,” Gui Yin said. “Every opponent you’ve lost to were people who you could never fathom going against to protect your own life. You tried. And at least Yankui and I are here, right? And your shimei. You always protected them. And you’ve always done so well.”
Gui Linghuo was silent.
“I never blamed you,” Gui Yin whispered as he brought Gui Linghuo into his arms. “I’m just glad you’re safe. If you had sacrificed yourself in order to save me, then I don’t know what I would ever do with myself.”
Gui Linghuo’s jaw clenched, but he forced himself to hug Gui Yin back.
“You’re fine. You’ve done well,” Gui Yin reassured him. “And you’ll only continue to do better. Don’t let this drag you down. Use this as motivation to propel yourself forward.”
Gui Linghuo lowered his gaze. He took a deep breath and nodded.
Gui Yin smiled. He patted the back of Gui Linghuo’s head and pulled back. “You’re such a silly child.”
Gui Linghuo felt comforted by Gui Yin’s familiar smile. “Shizun.”
“Hm?”
“You really didn’t blame me?”
Gui Yin chuckled. “Of course not.”
Gui Linghuo nodded. The pressure in his chest was slightly alleviated.
Without even asking, Gui Yin knew why Gui Linghuo acted like this.
Heart Demons was something every cultivator faced. It stemmed from their obsessions and it would get in the way of their cultivation. Gui Linghuo has been doing better these years. With the absence of the ghostly qi that hindered his cultivation from a young age, he should be doing much better now. But the truth of the matter is that the ghostly qi had poisoned his mind ages ago, making him much more susceptible to Heart Demons.
His obsession of protecting the ones he cared about and each of his failures would end up dragging down his cultivation if he wasn’t careful.
But things like this took time and it was a knot in his heart that only he could untie by himself.
me: “okay, i cried last chapter, so surely there’s nothing in this chapter that will-”
Gui Linghuo: “Bet.”
😭😭😭
[several deep breaths later]
Yankui, you’re so lovely, mwah!
(im going through my comments backwards of appearance huh akxhsjdh)
Gui Yin got the tragedy white hair now!!!!! yeehaw!!!!!!! and half-god woaw, like we knew but i think its rather cute he didnt realize akxhsk (also extra cute with Langxia picking him up and carrying him to the tub)
the way he glossed over so much akdhsjd- GASP. OH NO! we missed the girls’ wedding :0
i love the kids ;v; thanks for reading!
Do I feel bad for Cheng cheng?? Idk … Every villian has their own tragic backstory that makes us feel pity and sympathy for them like why?? Why make them a sad pitiable and hot characters authoorrrr!! But well there are still other things I wanna know like kun waning?? Is he never gonna be with his beloved now?? You said lord xun will have a side story kinda? Then fingyan baby still doesn’t have anyone by his side??? Whattttt.. hope these will be answered further in other chapter
Xun Yunding is going to have a spin-off story in the far future. It hasn’t been planned yet though but I promise it will happen LOL
Ahhh, one of my favs characters is Gui Linghuo idkkk I just like him a lot, I kinda pity him but I’m glad that he is fine (relatively) and with yankui at his side (I also like yankui a looot)