“…Does it actually hurt?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Erlang said with a smile as he straightened his posture. “I’m just not quite used to walking with a big bump on my waist.”
“If it hurts, I can carry you,” Gui Yin offered.
Erlang turned to look at him, his eyes energetic. “Will you?”
“But in the case that we need to fight, I’ll be out of energy, so I won’t be able to help you,” Gui Yin said.
Erlang pouted and turned away. “You went back on your offer.”
“I’m being realistic.”
“You’ve been alive for so long and you’re obviously around Nascent Soul, yet you’re saying you’ll be tired after carrying me around,” Erlang grumbled.
“How do you know I’m around Nascent Soul?”
“If you’re not around Nascent Soul, then what am I?” Erlang accused.
“Are you going to be this way? Imagine how inconvenient it’ll be when we really get into a fight and I have to carry you on my back,” Gui Yin reasoned. “Besides, it’s not like your leg is hurt.”
“You just don’t want to carry me,” Erlang said.
“How old are you to whine like this? You—”
Erlang abruptly snuffed out Gui Yin’s talisman and pressed a hand to the man’s mouth. In the darkness, all they could hear was the gurgling of a water stream nearby. Gui Yin stilled obediently. Somewhere deeper into the cave, they heard sounds. The rhythm was like footsteps, but the length of which they walked and the weight that pressed down was unhuman.
Erlang and Gui Yin exchanged glances.
Erlang’s voice rang in Gui Yin’s mind: “Quietly.”
Erlang slowly pulled his hand away from Gui Yin’s mouth. Gui Yin felt a hand latch onto his before Erlang walked ahead slowly. The sounds of dragging and then stopping continued and grew louder as they moved further in the cave. As they walked, they stuck near the walls, refusing to walk towards the growing light.
They stopped just before the entrance of the hollowed out clearing. Inside, stream water gurgled down and a sliver of light fell in. Erlang peered from around the corner. If they could make it above the small waterfall and swim out, they would be able to leave. The problem was, they didn’t know what the monster waiting for them was and what was in the water.
Gui Yin and Erlang had few things they had to be scared of. After all, they were one of the handful of cultivators that made it to Nascent Soul. But when it came to unidentified enemies, there would always be a cautiousness and anxiety that latched itself onto them. What if the enemy was more powerful? If not more powerful, then what if it was something they had never encountered before?
And in the depths of a dark, underground cave, there were many horrific monsters that could be born.
Erlang shook his head when he returned. He didn’t see the creature. There was little he could see from this angle.
“I’ll go in first.”
Erlang squeezed Gui Yin’s hand, preventing him from leaving his side. He shook his head. “We have to go together.”
Gui Yin hesitated, but acquiesced after a tense few seconds. Since they had met, Gui Yin had never seen such a serious expression on Erlang’s face. If he didn’t agree, Erlang would have charged in anyway. He attempted to walk first, but Erlang pressed him back and stepped in front. Gui Yin looked at Erlang oddly, but still followed him in. Fenghua was clutched tightly in his hand as they moved.
The sound of dragging had stopped.
When Erlang and Gui Yin emerged into the lit cavern, there was nothing there waiting for them.
Gui Yin pulled his hand from Erlang’s grip and frowned tightly. He crouched to the ground and examined the traces left by the creature just moments ago. Erlang looked across towards the small lake.
“I think it went into the lake,” Erlang said.
Gui Yin hummed. He stood and looked at the opening above the lake. “We could leave through that hole, but…”
“But?”
“If we fell down here, don’t you think the person who stole the Stygian Claw would have also fallen? Their trail ended up there too. If he was powerful enough to teleport away, he wouldn’t have left such a mess behind either,” Gui Yin pointed out.
Erlang frowned. He looked around, his gaze landing on another hallway in the cavern that led to a different area. “We could take a gamble and continue. But there are monsters in this cave that we don’t know the origin of.”
“Are you scared?”
“Of course, I am. I promised you that I would bring you back in time for dinner with your disciples,” Erlang said. He turned to Gui Yin. “What if we travel down that path and this one closes up? And what if it takes us forever to find a way back out again?”
Gui Yin stared at Erlang blankly.
“Besides, you didn’t tell your disciples we’d be away for a few days. What if they become worried? I can’t carry that responsibility on my back.” Erlang decisively took a hold of Gui Yin’s arm. “Come on. Let’s leave first and then return later.”
“Wait,” Gui Yin grabbed Erlang’s hand. “What if we can’t find this cavern again?”
“Then, we can’t find it again. It’s no big deal. It would only mean the Stygian Claw is lost forever.”
“But what if the thief escaped?”
Erlang laughed. “Gui-xiong, do you think someone like that can escape from a place like this?”
Gui Yin hesitated. Erlang was right. From beginning to end, this place was eerie. If Erlang hadn’t been by his side, Gui Yin would have succumbed to the feeling of being watched already. If he dwelled on it too long, goosebumps would rise on his arms and the back of his neck. It wasn’t that he was afraid, but more that instinct told him that if he really stayed for longer, this cavern would swallow him whole.
“Be good,” Erlang shifted closer, his arm wrapping around Gui Yin’s waist. “Let’s go back and eat first. Then, we can decide what to do tomorrow. Look—the sky is already darkening.”
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.
Xel Tlc’r tfjv rcjqqfv eq. Ktf reciluta atja tjv yffc ragfjwlcu lc yfobgf tjv vfolclafis vlwwfv. “Lbk…”
“Vff? Pa’r abb vjcufgber tfgf. Ofa’r ja ifjra lcobgw atbrf ilaaif vlrmlqifr bo sbegr, tw? Po sbe kjca ab tfiq wf jujlc abwbggbk, sbe mjc mbwf olcv wf lc atf wbgclcu. P’ii ajxf sbe jii ab fja ygfjxojra olgra abb,” Sgijcu rjlv.
Gui Yin’s frown deepened. He was used to Erlang’s voice seemingly resting in his ear now because of his voice projection technique. He hardly noticed just how close Erlang had actually become. Erlang smiled slightly, his breath nearly negligible as he observed Gui Yin’s expression closely. His head lowered even more, until his lips nearly touched Gui Yin’s ear.
“Gui-xiong, let’s go before the monster comes back, alright?”
After a moment, Gui Yin reluctantly nodded. He turned to look at Erlang, but his mouth froze mid-noise. His reluctant expression immediately melted one into mild indignance. He pushed Erlang slightly. “What are you doing?”
Erlang’s grip on Gui Yin’s waist loosened until only his fingers remained against him. “I wanted to see how close I got before you noticed. Gui-xiong, do you normally allow people to get this close?”
He didn’t. That was the scary thing.
“You just have no sense of presence,” Gui Yin said, stepping away from Erlang and completely leaving his embrace. He looked Erlang up and down. “And yet, oddly, when I don’t see you beside me, I notice you everywhere. Elder Shan told me you do it on purpose.”
Erlang chuckled. “I do.”
“Why?”
“Why?” Erlang echoed. “Well, Gui-xiong, aren’t you more interested in me now?”
Gui Yin fell silent.
Erlang did not continue on the topic. He grabbed Gui Yin by the waist once more. “Let’s get out of here first.”
Although it still felt as if the cavern was still tugging Gui Yin down, with the help of Erlang, the two of them made it safely back to the surface. Miraculously, they returned to the place where they fell in. Gui Yin looked down and the hole was gone.
“Don’t worry. We’ll be able to get back in,” Erlang said. His gaze emptied as he looked at the ground. “Whatever is in there hasn’t let us go just yet.”
Gui Yin glanced at Erlang. He turned and began to head back into the city. Erlang quickly followed, his presence seemingly magnified tenfold as he walked silently behind Gui Yin. Irritation began to take over the more reasonable part of his brain. But Erlang was only a stranger—an acquaintance at best—so there was no way he could lose his temper.
The longer they walked and the closer they got to the inn, Gui Yin began to forget his loosely held conviction.
When they were just steps away, Gui Yin finally turned on Erlang. “You—”
Erlang reached out and pulled Gui Yin to his chest. A person rushed by hurriedly, barreling past without consideration of others. A sigh sounded just slightly about Gui Yin’s head. “Gui-xiong, you need to be more careful.”
“If it weren’t for you—”
“Shizun!”
Gui Yin’s eyes widened. For some reason, he frantically tore away from Erlang. He turned to the kids, who had just stopped right behind them. He hoped they didn’t see anything…not that there was anything to see.
Gui Linghuo’s eyes widened. Qin Siyi’s mouth open and closed wordlessly. Shan Yu and Li Yan’s eyes drifted away, landing anywhere but on the two men. It was clear that the children had seen.
“Returned?” Erlang was the first to break the silence.
“M-mn!” Gui Linghuo nodded. “Shizun and…Er-ye, did you two have a nice time?”
“What nice time?” Gui Yin snapped. “Are you hungry or not?”
“Hungry! Hungry. We’re hungry,” Qin Siyi stuttered.
Erlang chuckled softly.
Gui Yin glared at Erlang as his ears warmed. “What are you laughing at?”
“Myself. I’m laughing at myself,” Erlang said, his voice soft as if he were coaxing his lover. He turned to the children. “What do you want to eat?”
After a round of discussion, Gui Yin was dragged to a restaurant nearby and sat beside Erlang. As Erlang ordered, the children shifted uncomfortably until Shan Yu, who was the only one bold enough to look between Gui Yin and Erlang directly, spoke.
“Er-shushu!”
Erlang froze. He slowly looked at Shan Yu. After a moment of observation, he smiled in amusement. “Yes?”
“Why do you always speak so quietly?” Shan Yu asked, her voice lowering in volume as well.
Everyone had noticed, but no one dared ask. As children, everyone was naturally curious. Only Shan Yu, who was the youngest of the group, would be forgiven if she asked such a direct question. Erlang’s smile deepened when he noticed the way the other children snuck glances.
“It’s because Shushu’s vocal cords were damaged as a child,” Erlang said. “After cultivating for so long, I’ve fixed it a little, but I’m not used to speaking at full volume anymore. I prefer just amplifying my voice with a little bit of spiritual energy.”
Gui Yin froze. He glanced at Erlang. For a majority of their trip, he had spoken at near full volume. Now, Gui Yin felt a little guilty for even pointing it out.
“Damaged?” Li Yan whispered. She frowned in concern. “…How?”
“Bad people did it,” Erlang said as he flipped over the teacups and poured them for the children. “They said that I was an unlucky star. Every time I spoke, something bad would happen, so they tried to keep me from talking.”
Gui Linghuo’s eyes widened in horror. “They tried to poison you?”
“Mn. They tried all sorts of things. My mother stopped them at first, but eventually she couldn’t anymore,” Erlang chuckled as he set the last teacup down and poured himself a cup.
“She…couldn’t?” Li Yan lowered her gaze.
The implication was clear.
“Well, it’s nothing. Just a memory of the past,” Erlang said.
“What horrible people,” Shan Yu said. “I hope they get struck by lightning!”
“Shan Yu,” Gui Yin quietly scolded.
Shan Yu puffed out her cheeks. “They would deserve it!”
Erlang laughed. “Deserve—of course, they would. I’m sure they deserved what came to them.”
He glanced at Gui Yin, who had fallen silent. “Actually, this story has a happy ending.”
The children perked up, looking at Erlang curiously.
“In the end, I was chased out, but I met a nice person who helped me. It was that person who helped me become who I am today,” Erlang said, his smile softening.
Shan Yu fell silent. She glanced at her shizun and then back to Erlang. “Er-shushu, then do you like this person?”
“This person?” Erlang raised a brow. He thought about it for a moment. “Rather than like, I would say I’m curious. I wanted to know how a person could be like this. I’m sure if I had been able to spend more time with them, I would like them.”
“So, right now, you don’t have anyone you like?” Shan Yu asked.
“Shan Yu,” Gui Yin scolded again. “Don’t be rude.”
Shan Yu pouted. She was just trying to help!
But Erlang still answered: “I have no one I fancy, but there is someone who’s piqued my interest.
The children quietly sucked in a breath. Their eyes unconsciously drifted to Gui Yin.
Gui Yin could feel his neck and ears warming. He had never felt such palpable embarrassment in his life. He had once presented in front of a board meeting of old men, trying his best to convince them that opening up their market to A/B/O fiction would be a great decision on their part, because it would sell. The task of making such a genre seem presentable in a conference room of businessmen had markedly been one of the most ridiculous things Gui Yin had ever done.
But this? This was even worse.
What Gui Yin felt during that conference was neck shrinking embarrassment. What he felt at this dinner table made him want to dig himself a ten-foot hole and bury himself in it.
The gazes of the children sparkled. It gave Gui Yin the message “Shizun, you have a chance!” But what chance was there? At most, Gui Yin wouldn’t mind fighting a few rounds in bed. In fact, he quite welcomed it. But that was all he felt.
The food arrived soon after and the conversation was dominated mainly by Erlang and the children. Gui Yin sat to the side, watching as Erlang smoothly integrated himself into the group. Even the newcomer, Li Yan, was not left out.
As Erlang told stories, obviously made up by himself, food continued to find its way to Gui Yin’s bowl. At some point, he frowned and placed the fish Erlang had just given him into Erlang’s own bowl.
“You don’t like fish?” Erlang asked in a low whisper.
“Eat. Stop giving me food,” Gui Yin hissed.
Erlang smiled. “Alright. I’ll eat some more.”
The children all shared a glance. This man was totally smitten with their shizun!
The night ended amicably, but Gui Yin felt that something was wrong. The kids weren’t clinging to him anymore, but had run off to Erlang’s side!
“Alright, alright,” Gui Yin’s hand came to rest on top of Shan Yu’s head. “It’s getting late. We should all go to bed now.”
Erlang glanced at Gui Yin’s mildly displeased expression and hid his smile. “Your Shizun’s right. I can tell you more stories tomorrow.”
Shan Yu and Qin Siyi had long forgotten their original intentions of trying to figure out what kind of person Erlang was. Hearing that they had to stop now and had to go to sleep, they were extremely reluctant. Shan Yu turned and pouted at Gui Yin.
“Shizun, can’t we listen to one more?”
“No. It’s far past the time you’d normally sleep,” Gui Yin said. “Didn’t you three want to compete to see who will be the tallest? You’re all going to be short if you don’t sleep!”
Shan Yu’s eyes widened. She stood from the table abruptly and sprinted out of the room. Qin Siyi, shocked by her sudden departure, took Li Yan by the hand, and bolted after her. The only people left in Gui Yin’s room were Erlang and Gui Linghuo.
“Er-ye, please,” Gui Yin smiled, gesturing for the door.
Gui Linghuo stood as well, following Erlang.
“Linghuo? Where are you going?”
“This disciple feels a bit sticky, so I was thinking about bathing before bed,” Gui Linghuo said sheepishly.
Gui Yin opened his mouth to suggest using a talisman, but after a moment, he simply hummed. “Then, I’m going to sleep first.”
Gui Linghuo nodded.
The door opened and closed behind Gui Linghuo and Erlang.
Erlang glanced at the boy who had just become a teenager. He smiled, nodded once, and was about to leave, when a voice sounded behind him. Erlang paused and looked back.
“Can we talk for a moment?” Gui Linghuo asked.
Erlang glanced at the door and then back at the boy. He smiled. “Alright.”
Gui Linghuo smartly brought Erlang to one of the balconies, far away from his own room where Gui Yin resided. The summer air was warm against their skin, not at all jarring from the temperature inside the building. Erlang waited patiently as Gui Linghuo silently gathered his thoughts.
“…Er-ye, may I ask what your intentions with my father are?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“Your father?”
“Please don’t misunderstand,” Gui Linghuo quickly said. “I’m adopted. My family met an unfortunate accident and Shizun was kind enough to take me in. Although he adopted me, it never felt right to call him father…but I truly do think of him as such. I know I’m still a child and I shouldn’t be nosy with the adults’ affairs, but if you have any nefarious intentions, I hope you’ll reconsider.”
Erlang looked at Gui Linghuo with a spark of interest. “You’re not afraid of me?”
Gui Linghuo lowered his gaze. “Er-ye seems to be at least on par with our sect master, but what needs to be said should still be said.”
Erlang tilted his head and let out a low hum. “Why? Do you think your shizun doesn’t have a good eye for people?”
Gui Linghuo shook his head. “That’s not it. I know my shizun is a great judge of character. But no matter what, he has always kept them at arm’s length. It wasn’t until recently that he started opening up…again.”
“Oh?”
“That’s just what I heard whispered. But I did notice that he became more personal with me and my shimei as of late,” Gui Linghuo explained. He looked Erlang in the eyes. “Er-ye, I want to believe you’re what you portray yourself as. If you are, then that means my shizun finally has someone he can trust.”
“And if I’m not?” Erlang asked.
“If you’re not,” Gui Linghuo’s gaze darkened.
It wasn’t noticeable at first, but the air around them seemed to cool. Erlang’s brows furrowed and he turned back to Gui Linghuo. His eyes widened a fraction at the blackened veins on Gui Linghuo’s neck.
“You—”
“I can’t do anything to you,” Gui Linghuo said, his breathing somewhat labored as he reached to his Qiankun pouch and produced two pill bottles. “But I hope you’d reconsider.”
Erlang watched the boy casually shake out two pills and pop them into his mouth. After a moment, Erlang spoke again: “You’ve also lived a hard life.”
Gui Linghuo shook his head as his breathing calmed back down. “I’m fortunate to have my shizun.”
Erlang lowered his head and chuckled. “Alright, I understand. I can tell you that, towards your shizun, all I harbor is curiosity. I’m not the type of person to fool around with feelings. I can promise you that.”
Gui Linghuo’s shoulders relaxed. Erlang couldn’t tell if it was because of his reassurance, or if it was because the medicine had worked.
Gui Linghuo smiled. “Thank you, Er-ye.”
“You can call me shushu like your shimei do,” Erlang said. “I don’t know if I’ll stay for a long time, but there is no need to be so formal.”
Gui Linghuo hesitated. He straightened formally and lightly cleared his throat. “Then, Er-shushu.”
“Good,” Erlang chuckled.
Gui Linghuo glanced at the sky. “Er-shushu, since I’ve said my piece, I will be leaving now.”
Gui Linghuo turned and began to head back inside. But Erlang spoke again.
“Kid, do you believe in fortune tellers?”
Gui Linghuo paused and looked over his shoulder. “Fortune tellers?”
“Mn. Fortune tellers. People who can foresee your future.”
“There are probably a few out there. But most are merely street peddlers,” Gui Linghuo said.
“Then, what if I told you that I can read the stars?”
“…The stars?”
“Mn.”
Erlang looked up to the night sky, his left arm resting against the back of his waist while the other hung motionlessly at his side. “I can see that your future is going to be more difficult than your past.”
Gui Linghuo lowered his gaze, silently listening.
“Your relationships will be jumbled and it will become difficult to figure out who you can and cannot trust. However, if you can make it through this period of disaster, you will be able to become one of the greatest cultivators in the world.”
Gui Linghuo’s lips quirked slightly. “Greatest cultivator, huh? Er-shushu is overpraising me. It’s impossible for me to become the greatest cultivator.”
Erlang glanced at the boy. “You’re only thirteen. How can you say so with such certainty?”
“Because it’s difficult for me to even be alive,” Gui Linghuo said. He pulled back his sleeve slightly to show the blackened veins that had faded significantly. There was a faint, yet empty smile on his face. “How could I become one of the greatest?”
A/N: HAHA April Fools. You’ve been tricked into thinking it’s…an update day (maybe idk). Hope you feel fooled. Anyway, how we feelin’ about Erlang? What do you think his intentions are? 🤔
Thank you for the update ❤️💯
thanks for the read!!
(0) what day is it today?? well, unexpected treat, yippee!(1) Erlang is adorable and i love his energeticness and his pouts and his shamelessness, and he seems to mean what he says even if he doesnt say everything. i trust him!(2) Shan Yu, nice!!! 👍🏻👍🏻 you’re a blossoming strategist, and i continue to cheer for you in your endeavors to be the tallest!!!(3) rip Gui Yin, hang in there(4) AJCBSKXBSKD ERLANG HAS BEEN LATCHED ONTO BY THE CHILDREN(5) Gui Linghuo is best son boy (๑˃ᴗ˂)(6) SOBBING. CRYING. WHAT IS WRONG WITH GUI LINGHUO!?!?!? i know we got glimpses that smth bad happened to cause this life threatening issue that needs medicine, but i cant recall if we got more than that;;; breaking my parental heart, son boy, but i trust Erlang (back to point 1 lolol) so i believe you will be okay. ya gotta be ( ˃-˂)ﻭ
Mmmm GLH’s condition was mentioned in the second chapter (or maybe the third) when Ye Liuxing was giving Gui Yin the run down on how he came to accept his three disciples, but other than that, we don’t know much about how his condition affects him uvu….more on that in the future >:3
thanks for reading!!!!!
Oh so is it a done deal that gui yin is still going to disappear in the future? But if Erlang can read people’s fortune wouldn’t it be more concerning to know that the man’s going to disappear and maybe die? Or maybe he is curious about gui yin because he can’t read his future?
thanks for reading!
Interesting chapter! Thanks! 🤣❤️🤣❤️
thanks for reading!
So Erlang harbors a curiosity even if said that GY is his fated one and persistent on letting GY know. So maybe he’s just a teaser and the real love interest is yet to come.
the children know what’s up 😏
thanks for the chapter!!!
the story is great, but the idea of having to talk a Board of Old men into seeing that A/B/O fiction could be marketable…. OMG