Shan Yu had never seen Gui Linghuo like this. Sure, her da-shixiong was always gentle. Around the sect, by the older martial siblings, he was nicknamed “little gentleman”. He had a temper, but he was still kind and polite to everyone. He took care of herself and Qin Siyi. Sometimes, he would even mediate tension between their shizun and themselves. However, this type of look—the thing that could almost be described as yearning—in his eyes, was something Shan Yu had never seen.
Gui Linghuo never wanted things. But Shan Yu was well aware of what this look was like on another person. And as Gui Linghuo listened to Li Yan’s soft speech, Shan Yu realized something—Gui Linghuo “wanted” Li Yan in some capacity.
She glanced at Qin Siyi, who’s gaze had gone far off. Her eyes narrowed and she scratched Qin Siyi’s palm. The girl jolted back to reality and looked at Shan Yu.
“What’s wrong, A-Yu?”
“Shijie, are you still sleepy?”
“Why? Do you want me to carry you?” Qin Siyi asked.
Shan Yu shook her head. She squeezed a little closer to Qin Siyi with a pout. “I can’t wait till I grow up. Then, I can carry Shijie when she’s tired like she carries me.”
Qin Siyi’s eyes widened, her face warming. “What are you saying? Even when we’re older, I’ll still be the one to carry you.”
“How do you know?” Shan Yu stuck out her chin rebelliously. “Maybe I’ll grow taller and stronger than you!”
“I’m older, so I should be the one who’s taller and stronger.”
“My older cousin is older than my younger cousin, but my younger cousin still grew taller,” Shan Yu said. “If that’s possible, then it’s possible I’ll be taller!”
Qin Siyi looked as if she received the shock of her life.
Gui Linghuo chuckled softly as he listened to their bickering. He glanced at Li Yan, who was smiling to herself as well.
“Are they always like this?” Li Yan asked softly.
Gui Linghuo nodded. “When they’re bored, they pick on each other and argue. But they’re never really angry, so I just let them be.”
“You’re really like their older brother,” Li Yan said. She grinned. “You take care of them like my brother takes care of me.”
Gui Linghuo had never felt embarrassed whenever someone said such things to him but somehow, he could feel his face warming. He lightly pinched his ear. “O-Oh? I’m probably not as good as your big brother though.”
Li Yan shook her head. “No, I think you’re better!”
“Huh?”
“My brother ignored me for a while when I was younger, but you get along with your shimei so well already,” Li Yan said. She glanced back enviously, a small, unconscious pout on her lips. “I wish I had friends like this. Then, I won’t be so lonely…”
“We…we can be your friends,” Gui Linghuo blurted out.
Qin Siyi and Shan Yu stopped their conversation. Gui Linghuo’s voice had cracked halfway through his sentence, making the end louder than the beginning. Li Yan even met his gaze, surprised at his declaration.
“No! Um. No, I mean…what I mean is,” Gui Linghuo stuttered. He gesticulated wildly as he tried to search for the proper words. “I-it isn’t that I didn’t mean it, but I mean, if you’re not comfortable, then don’t worry about it.”
Li Yan giggled. “I would love to be friends with you all.”
Shan Yu raised a brow. Did she just get volunteered for something she didn’t ask for? Qin Siyi on the other hand felt her heart ram against her chest. Friends? With Li Yan?
The walk back to where Gui Yin and Li Fangyin was much longer than the walk there, since they had run half way. When they returned, there were snacks and tea waiting for them. Li Yan happily ran to her older brother. She glanced at Gui Yin curiously before burrowing herself against Li Fangyin’s side.
“Yanyan, this is Lord Immortal Ninglan,” Li Fangyin said, peeling his little sister from his side. “Say hello. Gui-qianbei, this is my little sister, Li Yan.”
“Hello, Lord Immortal,” Li Yan whispered shyly.
“Hello, Miss Li,” Gui Yin smiled. He pulled a piece of candy from his Qiankun pouch and handed it to her. “Here, a first time meeting present.”
Li Yan’s eyes lit up. She took the candy, but then stuffed the flowers into Gui Yin’s hands and ran back behind Li Fangyin.
Li Fangyin laughed. He glanced to the three children who had returned to Gui Yin’s side. “So, how was it? You three…”
“Shan Yu, why are your eyes red?” Gui Yin asked, immediately noticing something was wrong. He set the flowers aside and pulled her onto his lap. “Were you crying?”
“I…” Shan Yu glanced to Gui Linghuo for help.
“We made her upset, so—”
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.
“N-no!” Shan Yu interrupted. “Shixiong and shijie didn’t do anything. This disciple just…threw a tantrum.”
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Shan Yu flushed, absolutely embarrassed that Gui Yin was pinching at her in front of outsiders. “S-Shizun, there are people here!”
“So, what? Shizun can’t pinch your cheeks when there’s others here?” Gui Yin asked, yet he still released Shan Yu. He looked to Qin Siyi and Gui Linghuo. “Was the matter resolved?”
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Gui Yin glanced at Qin Siyi. “Siyi?”
“Shizun?”
“What about you?”
Qin Siyi glanced at Shan Yu. She pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. The inexplicable possibility was still bouncing about in her mind.
“Siyi?”
“Shizun, is it possible that she’ll grow taller than me?”
The group fell silent. Li Fangyin stared at Qin Siyi’s stoic expression and then looked to Gui Yin, who’s brows had lowered as if he were seriously considering it. The corners of Gui Yin’s lips twitched and he had to look away before Gui Yin made Li Fangyin laugh.
“Hm,” Gui Yin looked at Shan Yu seriously and then to Qin Siyi. “It’s possible.”
Qin Siyi paled significantly. She took a step back, as if she had been hit with the most horrendous news. Shan Yu gloated rather happily, even as Gui Yin reached over her to pat Qin Siyi’s head.
“However, there is also a possibility that you grow taller than your shixiong.”
Gui Linghuo looked at Gui Yin as if he were saying absolute nonsense.
“The world is full of possibilities,” Gui Yin said. “So, don’t let one probable outcome drag you down.”
“If I’m taller than Shijie and Shijie is taller than Shixiong, would that mean I’m the tallest?” Shan Yu murmured.
“That wouldn’t—” Gui Linghuo stopped himself. He met Gui Yin’s gaze and shoved down his reluctance. “Y…Yes…that would be correct…”
Li Yan looked up at her brother, whose shoulders were shaking in laughter. Gui Yin glanced at him, as if to signal that he should have a word in.
“T-that’s right. I grew taller than my father,” Li Fangyin said, forcing himself into composure. “Truly, anything is possible.”
Gui Linghuo frowned slightly.
“How do I grow taller?” Shan Yu asked, tugging on Gui Yin.
“Well, you eat all the vegetables you always push to your shixiong,” Gui Yin said. “And you cultivate properly. Then, you can probably grow the tallest.”
Shan Yu’s eyes widened. “So, right now Da-shixiong will be the tallest since he eats the most vegetables?!”
“Yes, that’s how it works,” Gui Yin nodded.
Shan Yu’s expression puckered.
“Or you could just remain short. Being short is cute too. There’s nothing wrong with that,” Gui Yin said.
“But I want to be cool,” Shan Yu muttered. She shook her head and slipped off of Gui Yin’s lap. She seized her martial siblings up and tilted her chin. “I’ve decided. I will be taller than you two.”
“You can’t just decide,” Qin Siyi said. “Then, I can decide to be taller than you.”
“Well, I’ll just decide to be even taller than you!” Shan Yu declared.
Gui Linghuo let out a soft sigh. He glanced over at Li Yan, who was watching them curiously, and offered a small smile when she caught him looking. Li Yan’s eyes widened. She shyly clung onto her brother’s arm. This action drew the attention of Li Fangyin. He glanced at Gui Yin’s supposedly shy disciple and raised a brow.
Was this punk making a move on his sister?
Before he could think too much, however, more of his guests began to arrive in droves. Soon, the banquet had kicked off.
When Li Fangyin became too busy to entertain Gui Yin, he quietly found his own spot in the corner, sat down, and began to pick food out for his disciples. As he was distributing their favorites from the large banquet table full of food, he paused when he realized there was an extra bowl and an extra set of chopsticks. He looked up and caught Li Yan’s flustered gaze.
“Young Miss—”
“Just Li Yan is okay, Lord Immortal,” Li Yan said softly, her ears bright red.
Gui Yin had gotten so used to taking care of his children that he hadn’t even noticed when an extra one had slipped in. However, just glancing at his disciples, he knew that they had known she had been with them the entire time. Gui Yin turned sheepish after realizing his mistake.
“Li Yan, what do you like to eat?” Gui Yin asked, quickly recovering his composure.
Li Yan’s eyes widened a fraction, her doll-like eyes gaining a teary quality that reminded Gui Yin briefly of a frightened baby animal. She shook her head, her little buns threatening to roll off her head.
“I-I wouldn’t want Lord Immortal to serve me. I can do it myself!” Li Yan said, unconsciously picking at her finger beds.
Gui Yin glanced at the poor habit. He reached over and gently placed his hand over hers with a warm smile. “It’s okay, I don’t mind. I’m used to taking care of my disciples in the same way. Since, in a way, you’re currently under my care, I should show you the same courtesy.”
“But—”
“Also, you needn’t call me Lord Immortal since you insist that I shouldn’t call you Young Miss. You can call me,” Gui Yin hesitated for a moment, “You can call me Uncle.”
“Uncle?” Li Yan nibbled on her lower lip. “I…I don’t think that’s proper…My older brother calls you qianbei. I couldn’t possibly call you Uncle…”
“Then, what would you like to call me?”
Li Yan hesitated.
“So long as you’re comfortable, anything is fine,” Gui Yin added.
She glanced at Gui Yin and then back down to the hands against hers. They were warm—much warmer than Li Fangyin’s and definitely warmer than her father’s. However, it wasn’t uncomfortable. The title “lord immortal” really was alienating. Even if it was just a little, Li Yan wanted to be closer to Gui Yin somehow.
“Then…is…Laoshi okay?” Li Yan asked softly.
Gui Yin was somewhat amused. He hadn’t taught her anything, so how could he be referred to as a teacher? Still, since Li Yan had asked, Gui Yin would naturally agree. Once he voiced his agreement, he watched a smile bloom onto Li Yan’s face. Her cheeks, which had yet to lose its baby fat, squished cutely, making her doe eyes almost disappear. Gui Yin chuckled and couldn’t resist rubbing her head familiarly.
From the side, Shan Yu pouted a bit. She knew this newcomer wasn’t acting—she was scared and she was shy. But she was taking up all her shizun’s attention and Shan Yu couldn’t quite stand it. But it wasn’t just her shizun who wasn’t paying attention to her!
Shan Yu whipped her head to look at Qin Siyi and Gui Linghuo. Those two traitors were also enamored by her…her…her cuteness!
Despite adopting a new child, Gui Yin didn’t neglect his own disciples. As they ate, he dutifully served each child, which attracted some odd looks here and there in the crowd. However, no one had the courage to approach Gui Yin. To the children, he was just a warm elder who knew a few more things than they did, but to the adults gathered here, they knew that Lord Immortal Ninglan was an untouchable being. Those who attempted to barge in and try to create friendly relations would most likely only receive embarrassment.
Gui Yin acted oblivious to the hungry gazes that seemed to pierce through him. After the children had eaten their fill, Gui Yin decided to have a few bites. But before he could even finish chewing, a shadow fell over him.
“Lord Immortal Ninglan.”
Gui Yin looked up into Li Huanwei’s piercing eyes. His gaze slowly trailed over to the woman beside him. This must be the Madam.
Gui Yin smiled, not even making a move to get up. He held up his hand to gesture for the couple to wait a moment as he finished chewing. Upon swallowing, he finally turned his attention back to the owner of Yin Hua Palace and his wife.
“Palace Lord, Madam Li,” Gui Yin stood slowly and dipped his head in greeting.
“Lord Immortal Ninglan needn’t stand,” Li Huanwei said, his voice just barely concealing the irritation he felt.
“Oh, but how could I remain sitting when the hosts of this event cannot be seated as well? That would be most ill-mannered of me,” Gui Yin said. He flourished his fan, a charming smile painting his face. “Although our Yunjing Pavilion has a reputation of being the most crass amongst the Big Three, I still have my own reputation to uphold.”
Madam Li laughed delicately. “Lord Immortal Ninglan sure knows how to jest.”
Gui Yin shook his head with a light chuckle. “Not at all, not at all. I’ve been told by many that I lack a sense of humor.”
Shan Yu glanced between the two parties and turned away with disinterest. Qin Siyi, on the other hand, furrowed her brows. Who told her shizun he wasn’t humorous? She thought he was the funniest peak lord in Yunjing Pavilion.
Li Huanwei’s eyes fell on Li Yan as his wife and Gui Yin were talking. He raised a brow. “I was just wondering where my daughter went. It turns out she was with you, Lord Immortal.”
“Ah,” Gui Yin glanced over his shoulder. “Yes. She gets along well with my disciples, so I asked her to accompany us. Is that a problem, Palace Lord?”
“Not at all,” Li Huanwei said, turning his gaze away. “I was only wondering why she wasn’t stuck to her brother’s side. So, other than being a genius inventor, Lord Immortal also has a talent with children.”
Gui Yin’s smile widened. “I wouldn’t say it’s a talent. In fact, it’s quite easy—you just have to be patient with them, and they will naturally give you their trust.”
Li Huanwei’s gaze sharpened. Madam Li glanced between her husband and Gui Yin before lightly clearing her throat. “Lord Immortal, I hear you recently resolved the mystery of Huigu Palace’s disappearance. We wanted to congratulate you on your feat.”
“Have I done such a thing?” Gui Yin asked, his head tilted in wonder. “Why, I was only helping your son solve an odd case of suicidal merchants. Who knew that I would be dragged into a much larger case by an unwelcomed guest?”
“An unwelcomed guest?” Madam Li’s eyes widened a fraction. “Are you talking about the people you met in Qi Du Tower?”
“No, it was a pesky stranger I happened to run into,” Gui Yin said with a melodramatic sigh. “Now, it’s almost as if I am being haunted by him. He just won’t leave me alone.”
“Could this stranger actually be…?” Madam Li’s voice trailed off, as if she dared not reference the man at all.
Gui Yin smiled mysteriously. “Well, if he refuses to make himself known to the world, I am not one to reveal other’s secrets.”
Madam Li inhaled sharply, her bout of curiosity seemingly satiated. “Of course, of course! I didn’t mean to push Lord Immortal.”
“Madam Li did no such thing,” Gui Yin said, quickly clearing her of any guilt.
“Right, I did overhear my son speak of you several times, Lord Immortal. He referred to you as qianbei. I hope he isn’t overstepping any boundaries,” Madam Li said worriedly.
“I requested that he call me as such. I’ve always valued young, talented youths. In fact, if he so desired, my Shuangye Peak is open to him to study,” Gui Yin said. He laughed sheepishly, “Though, I doubt our humble Yunjing Pavilion is anywhere near comparable to your Yin Hua Palace.”
“Lord Immortal is too modest. How could we dare compare to your Yunjing Pavilion, which is so adept in medicines, herbs, and inventions?” Li Huanwei asked. “Yunjing Pavilion has made many contributions to how this continent operates.”
Shan Yu’s brows furrowed. She murmured under her breath, “If he’s going to slight Shizun, he should do it in a smarter way.”
The words might have been missed by the other children around the table, but the cultivators nearby could hear what Shan Yu had said clearly. They glanced at each other, somewhat worriedly, but continued to watch the show with greedy pleasure.
On the other side, Li Huanwei frowned, his irritation falling on Shan Yu, who was picking at what was left on her plate. “What did you just say, little miss?”
Gui Linghuo and Qin Siyi glanced to Shan Yu. Shan Yu tilted her head innocently and looked at Li Huanwei.
“Palace Lord, are you speaking to me?” Shan Yu asked.
“Yes, you. You just said I slighted your Shizun. In what way?”
Gui Yin touched his nose in embarrassment. Not because Shan Yu had been called out for such a thing, but of Li Huanwei. It was just an offhanded comment by a child, yet Li Huanwei called direct attention to it. Most people would generously let it pass by, yet Li Huanwei was just begging to be embarrassed by a six year old.
Shan Yu stood from her chair and turned to Li Huanwei. “Well, Palace Lord only mentioned that our Yunjing Pavilion has medicines, herbs, and inventions, but you didn’t mention what our Shuangye Peak specializes in. It’s a known fact by even beggars that my shizun isn’t well known for his inventions, but for pioneering a new and more aggressive path for musical cultivation. In fact, for a long time, no one even knew the machines spread by Beidou Alliance were made by my shizun, so he was only known for his cultivation style. Until my shizun came along, music cultivation was only seen as a form of healing or a supplement to cultivation—there was previously no way to direct your spiritual energy through the sound waves. While Palace Lord is correct that Yunjing Pavilion specializes in medicine and herbs, for the Palace Lord to not even acknowledge my shizun’s most famous merit is a slight to him.”
The cultivators who had been standing around were surprised by the eloquence of this small child. They glanced at Li Huanwei, who was so angered that his face was twitching. They turned away, somewhat gloatingly. Who told you to provoke Lord Immortal Ninglan? Even his youngest disciple could outtalk Li Huanwei!
“This…little miss is quite good at talking,” Madam Li praised. “May I ask you what your name is?”
Shan Yu bowed politely. “My name is Shan Yu. I am Lord Immortal Ninglan’s last disciple, and the heiress to the Shan Clan.”
Madam Li glanced at her husband. No wonder this little girl was so sharp-tongued and daring. Not only was she Gui Qinle’s disciple, she was also Old Man Shan’s granddaughter.
Gui Yin lightly cleared his throat, his hand reaching out to pull Shan Yu towards himself. “I apologize for my disciple’s straightforwardness. I have not taught her about the ways of the world yet since she is so young. Yu’er, apologize to the Palace Lord.”
Shan Yu pouted slightly. She looked up at Gui Yin, her brows furrowed. Arrogance was imbedded in her blood as the heiress to the longest standing cultivation clan, but now her shizun wanted her to apologize? She felt quite reluctant.
But when her eyes met Gui Yin’s, she suddenly felt an epiphany. Although Gui Yin’s words were stern, his expression was still gentle and there was a hint of praise in his eyes. He was only saying this so that they no longer embarrassed the palace lord. Realizing this, Shan Yu couldn’t stop the smile from coming to her face.
With a bright grin, she willingly bowed low to Li Huanwei and bellowed her apology, “My apologies, Palace Lord Li.”
The loudness of her apology was like an extra stab to Li Huanwei’s ego. He glared at Gui Yin, his blood pressure nearly boiling over as he looked at Gui Yin’s serene expression. It had always been like this. This man, who came from nothing, was always arrogant and prideful to the bone. But there was never anything that could be said, because this arrogance was backed up by talent. That didn’t mean it didn’t annoy him—that it didn’t annoy others.
Even when he was young, he would always turn his nose and scoff at the so-called unspoken rules, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to act or perfect his mask. Gui Qinle was two-faced. Just like everyone else, Gui Qinle was a flawless immortal on the outside, while harboring an arrogant heart on the inside.
The difference? Perhaps it was that his hubris never got the best of him. Perhaps, because of his lack of effort to hide his pride, no one bothered to take care of him but, instead, rather respected him.
Unlike Li Huanwei who wanted to be perfect, Gui Qinle simply lived at his own pace.
“My disciple has already apologized,” Gui Yin said. “Does the Palace Lord have something else he is unsatisfied with?”
“Not at all,” Li Huanwei said. He glanced at Shan Yu’s cocky expression. “Though, I must say, Lord Immortal, your disciples really are like you.”
Gui Yin glanced at Gui Linghuo and Qin Siyi, with a small smile. “Some of them are, some of them aren’t. Either way, I think they’ll do just fine for themselves in the future.”
oh this chapter was EXTRA DELIGHTFUL!!
Shan Yu dear, listen to me: practically the only vegetable i ate growing up was peas. my height? pea-sized. i wish you all the Luck in your battle to be the tallest (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
also i’m absolutely enamored by Gui Yin accidentally acquiring another child alxhakxhks seeing him take care of kids is just!! ough my heart!
also also, Gui Yin and Shan Yu noble-like smack talk is [chef’s kiss] one should fight battles with appropriate weapons, and the best weapon for a social battle is polite etiquette >:3
a polite smile while you verbally slide the knife between their ribs.
There’s nothing like seeing an old root being humiliated by a 6 year old to brighten the day 😆😆😆
Face slapped by a six head old. Pfft! Thanks for the update 🤣❤️
*year old….even tho’ six heads might be scarier…maybe…
omg that would be terrifying LMAO thanks for reading!!
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
thanks for reading!!
ohoho this chapter is great!
Thanks for the chapter!!!
aren’t we all a little too lazy? 😆
Thanks for the chapter!!
Shan Yu reminds me so much of Sandraline Fa Toren from Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic series. Witty with a mouth that can be filled alternately with honey or knives, and who wields her status as a cudgel when it suits her and forgets about it entirely when it doesn’t. Shan Yu is just a bit brattier, but she’s also four years younger than when we meet Sandry in the series, so it’s understandable.