Gui Yin was awoken by the sound of people chattering outside his door. It had always been like this. His apartment walls were thin so he could always hear the screeching of the neighborhood children or the drunkards coming home just a little too late in the mornings. He was used to it by now and it had become common practice to just ignore them. He wasn’t hungry yet and he still wanted to laze around. If his stomach didn’t protest, then he would stay in bed.
But then the doors slid open.
Not creaked open. Not slammed open. Slid open.
Gui Yin immediately woke up. He sat up and looked at the two people who had just entered his apart—his room.
One was a familiar face, but the unfamiliar one was what drew Gui Yin in.
This person appeared to be a young man in his early twenties. He was dressed in pale yellow robes that had light seafoam green embroidery in the shape of auspicious clouds, the customary uniform of those in Yunjing Pavilion. His hair was pulled back into a youthful ponytail by a light seafoam green ribbon. His face was puppy-like. His large eyes were soft and drooped slightly at the ends. His lips were perpetually curved in an easygoing smile. At his side was a sword and on his fingers were several pairs of inconspicuous rings.
“Gui-shishu, you’re awake?”
A loud slap sounded in the room.
Gui Linghuo’s eyes widened. “Shizun, why are you suddenly slapping yourself!?”
It stung. His hand stung and his face stung.
He turned to Gui Linghuo and showed a calm smile. “No, no. I had an odd dream earlier, so I wanted to make sure I was actually awake.”
“A-An odd dream?” Gui Linghuo turned Gui Yin’s palm to face himself. It was completely red. For a cultivator to get this type of reaction, it meant that Gui Yin had also embedded a bit of spiritual energy into that slap.
“That’s right. No matter what I did, I couldn’t wake up. It was odd indeed,” Gui Yin calmly stood and readjusted his robes. He accepted the jacket Gui Linghuo handed to him before he turned to glance at the shocked young man. “Yenuo, could you and Linghuo please wait outside for a moment? I need to change my clothes.”
“Yes, of course,” Dèng Yènuò agreed quickly.
He and Gui Linghuo departed, leaving Gui Yin alone again.
Deng Yenuo and Gui Linghuo didn’t have to wait too long. After standing outside for a few minutes, Gui Yin emerged from his room.
The redness and swelling on his cheek and his palm had vanished. His skin was smooth and pristine as if nothing had happened. He dressed according to the vague memory that was to be embedded into his bones. His hair was pulled back in the same way Ye Liuxing and Lin Cangyuan’s were. For the day, he chose to wear soft ivory brocade robes that had faint seafoam green detailing, under a yellow coat. The layers people wore in cultivation novels were atrocious, but because he was a high-level cultivator, it wasn’t burdensome even in these warmer months.
“Gui-shishu, are you really okay?” Deng Yenuo asked cautiously.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I apologize for worrying the two of you,” Gui Yin chuckled. “Come now. Let’s not delay any longer.”
Deng Yenuo glanced at Gui Yin hesitantly but guided the master and disciple pair to the teleportation array nonetheless.
As they walked, Gui Linghuo continued sneaking glances at Gui Yin worriedly.
He knew that he had acted strangely, but what could he do? He managed to get a good night’s sleep only because he tricked himself into thinking this was all a dream. Yet when he woke up, he was still in this same place. The ache in his cheek was a painful reminder that this really, really was not a dream.
Thinking about this made Gui Yin’s head swell. If there really was no rhyme or reason for Gui Yin to have been pulled into this alternate universe, then perhaps it really had just been some freak accident. And if it was a freak accident, there was not necessarily a way back.
“Gui-shishu?”
Gui Yin’s head snapped up. He looked at the several pairs of worried eyes and smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“We need you to activate the teleportation array,” Deng Yenuo said hesitantly.
“Oh, right, right,” Gui Yin let out a short laugh. He stepped up to the platform and placed his hand over the orb. He looked at Deng Yenuo. “I only need to put my spiritual energy into it, correct?”
“Yes.”
Gui Yin closed his eyes and concentrated. Such things came as naturally to him as breathing. Spiritual energy spilled from the tips of his fingers. He felt the orb warm beneath his hand and when he opened his eyes, they were in a different place.
“I did it,” Gui Yin said in awe, his eyes staring at his hands.
Deng Yenuo bit back a smile. In his mind, Gui Yin was an unreachable immortal with a gentle disposition on the surface, and a sharp tongue when it counted. This Gui Qinle showed a bit of amazement because of his amnesia. The expression on his face was quite endearing.
“Well done, Gui-shishu,” Deng Yenuo complimented.
Gui Yin didn’t want to get a puffed-up chest because of such a small compliment, but he couldn’t help but feel just a little proud.
Growing up watching all those xianxia dramas and working as an editor for so many fantasy novels, it would be a lie if Gui Yin said he wasn’t fascinated by the idea of cultivation. Even though what Gui Yin did didn’t cause the earth to tremble and the skies to shake, it still allowed him to experience a bit of the magic.
After exiting the teleportation array, they were greeted by several servants. Deng Yenuo swiftly asked them to prepare lunch before guiding Gui Yin and Gui Linghuo to the dining room.
Gui Yin looked around curiously.
The place they landed in was akin to a small mansion. He glanced back at the teleportation device and finally reached over to Deng Yenuo.
The young man glanced back at Gui Yin, to see a pair of eyes filled with curiosity.
“Yenuo, I have a question,” Gui Yin whispered.
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.
Deng Yenuo smiled. “Please ask, Gui-shishu.”
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Things like teleportation arrays took a lot of spiritual stones to power, so to have a private one was rare. Not to mention, this teleportation array wasn’t linked to a public one either, but instead landed them in a place that seemed to also be owned by Yunjing Pavilion.
Deng Yenuo pursed his lips to prevent his smile from growing. This kind of Ninglan truly was a sight to see.
“That’s right. Yunjing Pavilion is one of richest sects on this continent,” Deng Yenuo said. “This place is an inn owned by Yunjing Pavilion. It also serves as Yunjing Pavilion’s base of operations in Jiumeng City.”
Yunjing Pavilion was not only well known for their musical cultivation methods and their way of cultivating spiritual plants but they were also known for their intelligent business ventures. It started from Lin Cangyuan’s master’s master. After the great war between ghost cultivators and spiritual cultivators, the world was in shambles. At this time, the sect master of Yunjing Pavilion stepped in and offered to help many people not only rebuild their sect but also their business. Through this, Yunjing Pavilion was also able to make a profit with the money that others paid back mainly out of gratitude.
With this excess amount of money, Yunjing Pavilion began opening inns, restaurants, pawn shops, stationery stores, and antique shops. These stores also became a base of operations for Yunjing Pavilion, spreading their connection further than any other sect at the time.
Even to this day, Yunjing Pavilion’s territory oversaw three provinces. Whenever anyone had any complications with demons, spirits, monsters, or ghouls, they would only have to find a store that was run by Yunjing Pavilion and report it to them. Depending on how urgent it was, cultivators would arrive within a few days to a week to take care of the issue.
This type of quick response time that the common people couldn’t fathom from other sects, allowed Yunjing Pavilion to earn the reputation they had today. But it was also this great reputation that earned hatred from other envious sects.
Gui Jin slowly nodded in understanding as his mind digested all this information. He let out a soft sigh. “We must be very rich if we can have so many private teleportation arrays.”
Deng Yenuo had to avert his gaze again to hide his amusement.
Gui Linghuo looked at Gui Yin worriedly. “Of course, we’d have them. Shizun, you were the one who invented them.”
Gui Yin froze. He looked at Gui Linghuo and then at Deng Yenuo. “I invented them?”
Gui Linghuo nodded. “You took the distance shortening array and transformed it into the teleportation array with the help of that machine and spiritual stones.”
“Gui-shishu was also kind enough to make this invention free to use,” Deng Yenuo said. “Of course, that is only with the prerequisite that they can power it.”
Gui Yin took a sip of his tea. He set the cup down and then turned to the two beside him again. “Did I?”
“If I recall the story correctly, Gui-shishu was only trying to play a small prank on Ye-shishu, but it ended up working better than you had thought,” Deng Yenuo explained.
That made sense. And it was really in line with his personality.
“Well,” Gui Yin said, “I suppose the best inventions are made from happy little accidents.”
The food arrived rather quickly and once they finished eating, they prepared to head to Feiyin City, where Fengyao Sect was located.
“Is there a reason who can’t just teleport there?” Gui Yin asked curiously as Deng Yenuo strapped the demonic beast to the carriage.
“It’s because Feiyin City doesn’t have a teleportation system, nor do any of the surrounding areas in Fengyao Sect’s territory,” Deng Yenuo explained. “Jiumeng City has the last teleportation port in this area.”
Deng Yenuo threw a smile over his shoulder at Gui Yin. “Gui-shishu’s invention put our sect in first place as the richest sect in this continent.”
Other than major cities, teleportation ports were few and far in between. As for private teleportation arrays, naturally, it was only Yunjing Pavilion that could afford to keep them running twenty-four seven.
But traveling wasn’t too bad thanks to the fact that you could simply rent a carriage with a demonic beast. With spiritual stones to stabilize the carriage and with the demonic beast’s strength and intelligence, you could usually reach your destination from half an hour to just a day or two.
As they were not in a rush, Deng Yenuo chose the humblest demonic beasts. The carriage, however, was still the most expensive option they could have chosen. Since they were using a demonic beast-drawn carriage, Deng Yenuo only had to give it instructions and could sit comfortably inside the carriage as well.
Gui Yin glanced at Gui Linghuo. “Huo’er, are you tired?”
Gui Linghuo shook his head. “I’m not tired. But Shizun should rest more. After all, you only just recovered.”
Gui Yin looked at Gui Linghuo doubtfully. How could a child not be tired around noon? Not to mention the fact that they had been moving around and traveling for several hours already.
Deng Yenuo glanced between the two and felt a bit envious. He wished his own master would treat him so gently.
Sensing Deng Yenuo’s stare, Gui Yin glanced over. “Are you tired, Yenuo?”
“Not at all. I am not a child, nor am I injured,” Deng Yenuo replied with a smile. This smile, however, made Gui Yin feel as if this young man was a bit poisonous. He let out a soft sigh. “I was just a bit envious.”
“Envious?”
“That’s right. Gui-shishu and Gui-shidi have such a touching relationship. Meanwhile, my Shizun ignores me until he has a mission to give to me,” Deng Yenuo said. “I wish our relationship was even half as good as yours. I bet if Shizun lost his memory, he wouldn’t even believe it if I told him I was his disciple.”
Gui Yin felt surprised. The Sect Master he met seemed extremely gentle. Not only that, he was beyond considerate and even a little silly. To hear that he treated his own disciple so coldly was hard to believe. But when he glanced at Gui Linghuo for confirmation, the child didn’t seem like he heard anything strange.
“It’s a difference in personality,” Gui Yin said in an attempt to comfort Deng Yenuo. “I’m just naturally more accepting of a lot of things. Sect Master-shixiong is probably just a bit stiffer when it comes to relationships.”
“Indeed, that might be what it is,” Deng Yenuo smiled mysteriously.
Gui Yin stared at the young man for a moment before finally drawing his gaze away. Why did he feel as if he were on the verge of discovering something he shouldn’t have?
The carriage stopped at an inn between the city as night descended.
Deng Yenuo took care of the lodging as well as the meals. Seeing Gui Yin reach for his own wallet, Deng Yenuo stopped him.
“Gui-shishu needn’t worry. Shizun already gave me more than enough money for this type of thing,” Deng Yenuo reassured him.
“I see,” Gui Yin’s hand fell to his side. He felt a bit sheepish. Although he wasn’t the original, he was still Deng Yenuo’s elder. Yet, at this moment, it seemed like he had been taken care of the entire day.
“It was through Shizun’s orders. I’m only following them,” Deng Yenuo said.
Gui Yin and Gui Linghuo slept in one room while Deng Yenuo took the one on the opposite end of the hall. Initially, it should have been the other way around, but when Gui Yin saw the reluctant expression on Gui Linghuo’s face, he conceded and volunteered to share the same room with the child.
Gui Yin blew out all the candles before getting into bed. He could feel the boy’s gaze on him from not too far away. He shifted and looked over at Gui Linghuo.
“What’s wrong? Having trouble sleeping in a new place?”
Gui Linghuo tensed up from being caught. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before sitting up. “Um…Shizun…”
“Hm?”
“May I…may I sleep with you tonight?” Gui Linghuo asked, his voice trailing off to a nearly inaudible amount.
Gui Yin propped himself up. He looked at Gui Linghuo’s cowering form for a moment before he pulled back the blanket and patted the spot next to him. “Come here.”
Gui Linghuo’s eyes brightened. He hurriedly abandoned his own bed and jumped into Gui Yin’s bed. Gui Yin let out a soft sigh and laid down too. He patted Gui Linghuo’s head with a small smile.
“If you have any requests like this in the future, don’t be afraid to ask. After all, I’ve already decided I will be responsible for you,” Gui Yin said softly.
Gui Linghuo glanced up at Gui Yin and offered a tight smile.
He didn’t drill himself into Gui Yin’s arms as the girls might have, but he leaned tentatively into Gui Yin’s embrace. The warmth that he hadn’t felt for a few years immediately gave him a sense of comfort. His eyelids began to grow heavier and he soon fell into a much-needed sleep.
Gui Yin watched him silently for a moment. Gui Linghuo was a potential protagonist of the original plotline. As the protagonist, his backstory was made to be tragic and the path ahead of him was doomed to be riddled with losses and heartache.
Although Gui Yin wasn’t sure who the “protagonist” was anymore, just knowing Gui Linghuo had lost his family in such a horrific way made him feel just a little more sympathetic towards the child.
He gently patted Gui Linghuo to lull him into a deeper sleep before turning on his back and closing his eyes as well.
The night passed by peacefully and it only took another day of travel for them to arrive at Feiyin City.
As they rolled up to the gates, Deng Yenuo glanced out the window and turned to Gui Yin.
“Gui-shishu, it would be better if you talked to the city gate’s guards.”
“Me?”
Deng Yenuo nodded. “Technically, I also could, but if I do they might force us to pay an entrance fee. If they see Shishu’s pendant, they will be more afraid of offending someone like you.”
Gui Yin glanced at the curtained window and then back to Deng Yenuo. “Isn’t it just paying the city’s entrance fees? It shouldn’t be that bad, right?”
Deng Yenuo shook his head. “It’s because Shishu has lost his memories that he doesn’t know this, but a city’s entrance fees are often inflated to keep out rogue cultivators and suspicious parties. Since we’re in the part of the continent that’s considered the upper realm, people here are much more skeptical and look more at status. Even as the head disciple of Yunjing Pavilion, my merits are few and far between. I would still have to pay an inflated amount for the entrance fee.”
“So, to put it simply, the city gate’s guards rob people of money on the basis of protecting the city,” Gui Yin concluded.
The corner of Deng Yenuo’s lips twitched before a smile took over his face. “Precisely.”
Just as Gui Yin was about to ask for more details, the demonic beasts pulling the carriage came to an abrupt stop.
“It shouldn’t be our turn yet,” Deng Yenuo murmured. He turned to Gui Yin. “Shishu, stay in the carriage with Gui-shidi. I will go see what’s wrong.”
Gui Yin nodded and watched as Deng Yenuo left the carriage.
Deng Yenuo closed the door behind him and looked towards the city gates.
They were the next party to enter the city gates, but the ones in front of them seemed to have gotten into an argument with the guards.
The group consisted of four people, all with cultivation around the same level as Deng Yenuo, except for one person, whom Deng Yenuo assumed to be the leader of the party. It was obvious from the posture and the heaving chest of the leader of the party that they were not in good health. They were slumped weakly against another man in the group.
“Why should I care that your master is sick? If you don’t have money then scram,” the city guard snapped.
The fiery girl who stood at the front clenched her fists tightly. “I already told you, the money we have left is so that we can see a doctor in the city.”
“Then, you should have prepared more money ahead of time,” the city guard scoffed.
“How are we to know that you would inflate the prices of the entrance fee?!” the fiery girl snapped.
The city guard immediately looked offended. “Look at this little girl! Inflate the prices? This is Feiyin City! The prices were normally this high! It’s to keep out lower class people like you lot. It’s obvious from your battered attire that you’re here to cause trouble. I bet your master isn’t even sick! This is probably all a ploy to garner sympathy so you don’t have to pay the fees to enter the city!”
“You—”
“A-Qī,” one of the men stepped forward and pulled the fiery girl back. He turned to the city guard. “Sir, please. We’ve traveled from the south by foot just to see Doctor Zheng. Our Master is suffering from a deadly poison. We promise to pay the city fees at a later date. Just—”
“If you don’t have money now, how do we know you’ll get money later? You’ll probably see Doctor Zheng and find a way to leave without us knowing! Besides, do you even have an appointment for Doctor Zheng? Doctor Zheng is a very busy man. He’s normally booked for months on end. You think your master is the only one suffering from a life-threatening illness? There are tons of people who come through here with life-threatening illnesses! You’re not special.”
Deng Yenuo scoffed quietly. He shook his head and turned to head back inside the carriage. However, before he could, he was met with Gui Yin’s hand on his chest, preventing him from getting back up.
Deng Yenuo glanced down and then back up. “Shishu?”
“How much money do we have on us right now?” Gui Yin asked.
With his superior hearing, it was obvious that Gui Yin had heard everything the guard had been shouting.
“Even if you just show someone Yunjing Pavilion’s pendant, you would be able to buy three hotels,” Deng Yenuo said.
“Perfect,” Gui Yin stepped down from the carriage. He adjusted his bearing and then looked to Gui Linghuo and Deng Yenuo. “Would you two like to follow me?”
Deng Yenuo and Gui Linghuo glanced at each other before nodding. Neither could contain their curiosity.
Gui Yin walked over to the group, where the guard was still shouting and arguing with the fiery girl. In their respective irritation and concentration, the group of people didn’t notice Gui Yin approaching. Only the hooded person shifted slightly, seemingly to get a better look at the newcomer.
Gui Yin lightly cleared his throat.
The guards stopped arguing and the fiery girl and her companions looked over.
“My apologies,” Gui Yin started, “I’m normally not one to get involved in other people’s arguments, but I’m in a bit of a time crunch, you see.”
The head city guard looked at Gui Yin. His eyes trailed from the man’s toes to his face. A look of interest flashed through his eyes.
Immediately, the city guard smiled. “Young Master, in order to enter the city gates, you need five spiritual stones.”
“Five?! And you’re still saying you’re not trying to inflate the prices!?” the fiery girl, named A-Qi, exploded on the spot.
“Shut up!” the city guard snapped. He turned back to Gui Yin. “This is because this young master not only has two companions, but also a carriage and two demonic beasts. Demonic beasts are difficult to control, so we need extra money as reassurance.”
A-Qi bounced from foot to foot out of anger. She turned to Gui Yin. “Hey, pretty boy, don’t listen to this old man! He’s a complete scammer! He sees that you’re dressed nicely and he wants to rob you of more money.”
Gui Yin turned to look at A-Qi with a poorly suppressed smile. “Pretty boy?”
A-Qi nodded confidently, not abashed in the slightest. “Yeah, pretty boy. If you’re not a pretty boy then what are you?”
Gui Yin let out a soft chuckle. He clasped his hands together and bowed slightly in her direction. “Thank you for the compliment, Young Miss.”
Gui Linghuo glanced at the girl and her companions with a frown. He disapproved of the girl’s attitude, but if his shizun accepted this playful behavior, he couldn’t say anything.
A-Qi met Gui Linghuo’s gaze and cockily raised a brow. When the boy said nothing, she turned her attention back to the young man.
This young man was one of the most beautiful people she has ever seen. He had a strong jawline that was matched with plump lips and amorous peach blossom eyes. He was also quite tall, standing at about 180 centimeters. He was just ten centimeters shorter than her master, which was rare in these parts. If he dressed a little more youthfully, he would definitely be A-Qi’s cup of tea.
The city guard looked between the girl and Gui Yin. He scoffed and glared at them impatiently. “Are you going to pay or not? If you’re not going to pay, go back to your spot in line!”
“I’ll pay,” Gui Yin said. He held out his hand towards Gui Linghuo.
The little disciple took one glance at his teacher and reached past his lapel. Instead of putting five spirit stones in his hand, Gui Linghuo drew out a white jade pendant. It originally belonged to Gui Yin, but Gui Yin had been afraid of misplacing it during their trip, so he had entrusted it to Gui Linghuo.
Gui Yin accepted the pendant and ran his fingers through the tangled seafoam tassel to straighten up the strings. “Call Sect Leader Qiang for me.”
The city guard glared at him. “What stupid thing are you spouting this time? How could we call Sect Leader Qiang for a nobody like you!?”
“I understand if you don’t recognize me, but you should at least recognize this, right?” Gui Yin held the jade pendant to meet the city guard’s eyes.
The guards behind the first man took one look at the pendant and became pale in the face. One nudged his captain with a trembling hand.
“S-sir—”
“What? What?! Isn’t it just a stupid pendant? What could it possibly—”
The captain’s words stopped short.
There were few requirements to becoming a guard at the city’s gates. However, in order to avoid offending people, there was one thing that his superiors had hammered into their brains—and that was the appearance of what each sects’ emblems looked like.
The captain knew that he would be fired from his job today.
And another one bites the dust!
We all love cannon fodder guards XD
thanks for reading!!
Gui Yin being cute and cool this chapter (๑˃ᴗ˂)
also it seems like little Gui Linghuo and his shizun had grown more distant in recent years… i wonder what happened…
Making an entrance: saving the miss (and sick Master), face slapping guard left then right, and possibly a sunbeam hi-lighting his beauty! I’m loving this SO MUCH! Thanks 🤣❤️🤣❤️🤣❤️
ACAB, even in fantasy worlds, huh lmao
Yeah! Look at the pendant and see that they can go
Thanks for the chapter :DD
Just fired? Nah bro, you’re fkd~~~~⚰️
I love that he’s apparently stunningly beautiful but also exactly the same as he was back home. Is he the kind of mc to not realize he’s hot?
He knows he’s hot but it’s so normal to him that he’s forgotten 💁
as you should be! rude ass b!tch
but these people seem nice?
also same ba i misplace things all the time
🙄 Time to retire guardsmen