A soft knock distracted Yankui from his pitiful meal of bland congee. He lifted his head. His gaze clashed with Gui Yin’s and he nearly choked.
Gui Yin watched him awkwardly for a moment before slipping in. “Did I scare you?”
“I—no, no—Lord Immortal—”
“Sit down, sit down,” Gui Yin quickly said. He pulled up a chair beside Yankui’s bed and sighed. He frowned slightly and placed a hand to Yankui’s forehead. “You’re still quite feverish.”
“It’s not that bad,” Yankui whispered as he awkwardly shrank back.
Gui Yin frowned. His voice softened as he spoke again, “I heard you went through quite the ordeal. Are you feeling any better now?”
Yankui quickly nodded, despite the way the edges of his vision blurred. “I’m fine. Lord Xun’s method of taking care of the venom and toxins was very effective. It’s just a bit difficult for my body to recover so quickly, so it might take a while.”
Gui Yin’s gaze darkened. “Venom and toxins?”
Yankui realized that he had said too much. He hesitated for a moment before softly humming. “Apparently there was a lot, but it was just accumulated over the years. A lot of them had already stopped…being…used…”
Yankui’s voice grew softer as Gui Yin’s expression grew scarier. After another moment, he sheepishly added, “I’m much better now. Thank you for asking.”
Gui Yin pursed his lips. He looked at the silly boy in front of him and sighed. “Are you really feeling better now or are you just saying that?”
“I…I really am.”
“Really?” Gui Yin asked. He thought about it for a moment. “How old are you?”
“I-I’m twenty,” Yankui said.
“Twenty? In the Upper Realm, you’re still a little baby,” Gui Yin said. He rubbed at Yankui’s already messy hair. “It’s more than okay if you complain a little to your elders.”
Yankui’s gaze fell as the warm hand encompassed his head. His grip on the bowl of congee tightened before he softly spoke, “The congee is a bit too bland.”
A flash of surprise passed through Gui Yin’s eyes. He laughed. “Is that so? Should I add a bit more salt to it?”
“No! No need,” Yankui quickly said.
Gui Yin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “You can tell me whatever you need. While Linghuo is still recovering, I’ll take care of you.”
At the mention of Gui Linghuo, Yankui’s expression changed. He sat up straighter and the bowl that had been hovering awkwardly was set onto his lap.
“Lord Immortal—”
“Ah? Call me something else.”
“S-something else?”
“Mn! You and my disciple are lovers, aren’t you? Try something more familiar. Lord Immortal feels too distant.”
Yankui slowly flushed. “Then…what should I…?”
“What do you want to call me?” Gui Yin asked.
Yankui’s eyes darted from one way to the other. “Um…Mister…or…Sir…uh…”
Gui Yin laughed. He didn’t have the heart to tease the young man any longer. “You can follow him and call me Shizun, or you can just call Shifu or even Laoshi.”
Yankui pursed his lips hesitantly. “How can that be appropriate…?”
“Why isn’t it appropriate?”
“Because I’m…” Yankui’s words trailed off. He lowered his head and found that he was unable to finish his sentence.
Gui Yin watched him silently for a moment. “Because you’re a ghost cultivator? Because you’re of the devil path?”
“Yes,” Yankui mumbled.
Gui Yin thought about it for a moment. He glanced at Yankui, who looked about ready to bury his head in shame. “Xiao Kui, may I ask you a few questions?”
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.
“Yo mbegrf!” Tjcxel delmxis cbvvfv.
“Ktfc, vlv sbe fnfg jrx ab yf ybgc?”
Tjcxel ibbxfv ja Xel Tlc lc mbcoerlbc. “Rjaegjiis…cba.”
“Glv sbe fnfg jrx ab yf j mtliv bo atf Nblv Vjlca?”
Tjcxel rtbbx tlr tfjv.
“Ktfc, vlv sbe fnfg klrt ab yf qjga bo atf vfnli qjat?”
Yankui’s brows furrowed tightly and he shook his head again. In fact, he had always longed to be a spiritual cultivator. After he had heard rumors of how that man had changed the constitution of his body, his regret and hatred for the man only grew further. A while later, he realized that with his twisted heart, it would be impossible to cultivate the way of the Dao. Not only had he been born into the wrong family, he had never been a person with a pure and stable heart to begin with.
“You’ve hurt a lot of people, right? Have you ever felt regret?”
“…In the beginning I did,” Yankui mumbled.
“And then you slowly got used to it, right?”
Yankui guiltily nodded.
“Then, here’s my final question,” Gui Yin said. “If given the chance, would you want to change?”
Yankui glanced at Gui Yin.
“Things in the past can never be undone, but there’s always the future,” Gui Yin said. “Do you want to determine your own path in life?”
Yankui nodded.
“Then, that’s enough,” Gui Yin said. “As the old proverb goes, ‘To err is human; what matters is if you are willing to change’. You have the heart to change and you’ve already acknowledged your past mistakes. What else are you worried about?”
Yankui still showed a hesitant expression. “…Can I really change? They all said it’s in my nature to be cruel and heartless. I don’t have a clear heart. I’m always scheming. I’m afraid that, one day, my possessiveness will take me over and I won’t be able to control whatever I do next.”
“But you’re aware of this side of yourself,” Gui Yin gently said. “So, you can try your best to change, right?”
Yankui glanced at Gui Yin.
Gui Yin chuckled. “Have a bit more faith in yourself. The fact that you’re reflecting on yourself like this right now shows that your base nature isn’t bad. If I can believe in you, why can’t you try and trust yourself a little?”
Yankui looked into Gui Yin’s sincere eyes and silently nodded.
“Good,” Gui Yin said. He tousled Yankui’s hair again. “Now, try calling me something?”
Yankui glanced at Gui Yin again and shrank his neck slightly. “Shi…Laoshi.”
“Good boy,” Gui Yin chuckled. He stood and glanced at Yankui’s food. “You take your time to eat. I’m going to check on your Yìfù.”
Yankui stared at Gui Yin for a moment before he reached out and snatched Gui Yin’s sleeve. “About that! Is he…did he actually mean it?”
Gui Yin hummed. “Of course. He’s not the type of person who says things on impulse. He should have been serious about it.”
“But we’ve only just met!” Yankui protested.
Gui Yin laughed. “Perhaps he saw something in you that caught his eye. Sometimes you can’t question things like fate. Especially with that man.”
Yankui hesitated a moment, but eventually accepted it with an awkward nod. He released Gui Yin. “Then, is Yìfù okay? He didn’t get too hurt, did he?”
Gui Yin nodded. “He’s perfectly fine. That Yìfù of yours is as tough as a rock. Don’t worry about him and just focus on healing.”
Yankui nodded again and finally let Gui Yin go.
Outside, Su Wen shifted the moment Gui Yin reappeared. He bowed in greeting. “Lord Immortal, Master is awake.”
“What perfect timing,” Gui Yin muttered. He tilted his chin ahead. “Take me to see him.”
Su Wen took Gui Yin to Langxia’s room. The large, double doors loomed overhead intimidatingly. When Su Wen knocked on the door, a voice that didn’t belong to Langxia indicated that they could enter.
Langxia was sitting upright in his bed with an irritated man, standing off silently to the side. When Gui Yin entered, the man’s gaze flickered over curiously. A smile quickly took over his irritated expression and he met Gui Yi halfway.
“Hello, Lord Immortal Ninglan.”
Gui Yin looked at him in surprise. He bowed politely. “You are…?”
“Ah, my apologies. I got a little overexcited,” the man laughed. “This one is named Xun Yunding. I am Palace Lord Sun’s longtime acquaintance.”
Gui Yin recognized the name. He bowed again. “You must be the Lord Xun who is currently taking care of my disciple.”
“Oh, Lord Ninglan, there is no need to bow so low,” Xun Yunding quickly said. He helped Gui Yin stand straighter and smiled. “Helping those in need and healing the weak is my job. Besides, you’re someone very special to Palace Lord Sun. Naturally, I would be—”
“Are you done?”
Langxia’s voice shocked Gui Yin.
Although he normally spoke softly, his voice now carried a scratchy quality to it, as if his throat had been damaged. But that was odd. Gui Yin hadn’t felt any pain in his throat. If something had happened to his throat, wouldn’t Gui Yin have felt it firsthand? He had felt the pain of Langxia tearing off his synthetic arm first hand, after all.
“What’s wrong with your voice?” Gui Yin asked.
Langxia shook his head silently. He turned to Xun Yunding. “You—”
Xun Yunding placed a hand near his mouth and feigned a whisper, “His voice is part of his powers. Once he’s injured, his voice will naturally revert to this state since it had been damaged once before. You know about that, do you not?”
“His voice—”
“Lord Xun,” Langxia interrupted. He slowly dragged his gaze to Su Wen. “Su Wen, please see our guest out.”
“Yes, Master,” Su Wen cupped his hands together. He turned to Xun Yunding and gestured towards the door. “Lord Xun, please.”
“I see how it is,” Xun Yunding said with a long sigh. “Kicking out your mentor when your lover arrives. What a disobedient child.”
Langxia expression darkened. “For the last time, I never acknowledged you to be my mentor. And do not be so disrespectful to Lord Ninglan.”
Xun Yunding clicked his tongue. He pouted and wiggled his fingers Langxia’s way. “So touchy. A patient shouldn’t get so excited.”
Langxia and Xun Yunding stared at each other until Xun Yunding sighed and flicked his sleeve. “Alright. I’ll go. Ninglan, have fun. Su Wen, let’s go. Leave the lovebirds alone.”
The large doors creaked shut. Gui Yin slowly turned to Langxia, who was still staring irritably at the door. When the other man met his gaze, Gui Yin slowly lifted his arms to his chest.
“…Er’lang, we’ve been through life and death together a few times, but I don’t see you like—”
“Just ignore him,” Langxia said. He sighed and lowered his head and he pinched the bridge of his nose. “He gives me a headache.”
Gui Yin lowered his arms and swiftly walked over. “Are you feeling okay?”
Langxia softly hummed. He pointed towards the curtain. “Qinle, could you close those a little?”
Gui Yin went to the thick curtains and pulled them shut. The lanterns slowly lit up one by one, creating warm and much gentler light to illuminate the room. He walked back over to Langxia’s side and sat down on the edge of his bed. He glanced at Langxia’s arm.
“Are you going to get a new arm?” Gui Yin asked.
“Mn, I got fitted for one this morning,” Langxia said.
“You can’t use that voice transmission technique you use?” Gui Yin asked.
Langxia met his gaze.
“Your throat is uncomfortable right?” Gui Yin pointed out. “You can use the voice transmission if you want.”
Langxia smiled slightly. His voice rang in Gui Yin’s ears. “Alright, I’ll do that then. I didn’t use it because that Xun Yunding dislikes it. Says its off putting.”
“I think it’s fine,” Gui Yin said. He secretly thought it was nice. Langxia had a very lovely voice, after all. “By the way, what did Lord Xun mean about your voice being damaged? Didn’t you say that you’d fixed it?”
Langxia nodded. “Yes and no. The reason my vocal cords could function normally is a combination of my cultivation, as well as my gift. The Eyes of Heaven and the Voice of an Oracle. You already know about Eyes of Heaven. It’s what I most often use.”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “Then, your foresight and prophecy are the Eyes of Heaven, right?”
Langxia nodded.
“But what’s Voice of an Oracle?” Gui Yin curiously asked.
It sounded straightforward, but Gui Yin had his thoughts. If things Langxia spoke out would definitely come true, this man would probably choose to be a mute for the rest of his life. Instead, he loved talking and did it far too much. Gui Yin didn’t believe this ability of his was that simple.
“It’s what I’m doing right now.”
Gui Yin’s eyes widened. He lowered his voice unconsciously and leaned closer, “This whispering thing? I thought you’d just come up with a technique based on voice transmissions!”
Langxia chuckled. He shook his head. “This is part of the powers that come with the Voice of an Oracle. I’ve never actually used it, but I believe that, if I did, it would be similar to bestowing a prophecy and sealing the person’s fate.”
“…Like a curse?”
“In base terms, yes,” Langxia said. He thought about it for a moment. “An individual has a million paths that they can take while they’re alive. This power can only voice a certain path, but that path will become reality.”
“Sounds kind of overpowered,” Gui Yin said. He came to an epiphany. “You don’t use it because the price is too heavy, right?”
Langxia shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never tried it. But according to my mother, I had an ancestor who had a similar ability. They were only able to use it five times before they saw their own future where they died.”
Gui Yin sat in shock. “So, that is to say…you can curse other people, but in the end, your millions of paths will also be reduced to one?”
“I suppose,” Langxia said.
“Huh,” Gui Yin stared blankly ahead. “How finicky…you best not use something so eerie.”
“I won’t. It’s a secondary ability anyway. I don’t know how stable it is,” Langxia said.
“Are secondary abilities unstable?”
“Secondary abilities have never been heard of,” Langxia said. He shook his head. “I just pretend it doesn’t exist. I’m not a masochist. I don’t want to pay a second price.”
Gui Yin hesitated. He looked at Langxia closely and smiled. “Can I ask one more question?”
Langxia raised a brow.
“Would it be too personal to ask what the price you paid was?” Gui Yin softly asked.
Langxia chuckled. He lightly touched Gui Yin’s head. “Mn. It’s too personal.”
Gui Yin sat back with an understanding nod. He sighed and waved the question he had just asked away. “Then, forget about it. I don’t actually want to know. I was just a bit curious.”
Langxia was never the type of person who denied Gui Yin an answer if he ever asked a question. If he outright denied Gui Yin, then it was definitely something Gui Yin shouldn’t ask about. This thought was packaged and carefully remembered. He had to be sure to not step on Langxia’s sore spot.
“Did you visit Yankui before you came over?” Langxia asked.
“I did! He’s doing very well. Apparently, he’s recovering fine too,” Gui Yin said.
“That’s a relief,” Langxia said.
Gui Yin observed Langxia for a moment before sighing. He stood and helped Langxia lay back down.
“Just look at the state that you’re in. Can you worry about yourself before you ask about others? You look like you’re about to fall asleep,” Gui Yin said.
“I’m fine,” Langxia said with a small frown as Gui Yin tugged the blankets up to his chin.
“I’ll believe you when your voice sounds normal again,” Gui Yin scoffed. He sat back down and patted Langxia’s chest. “You did good. You got rid of the Void Saint and got a new godson. You should treat yourself by resting.”
Langxia watched Gui Yin quizzically. The other man smiled at him expectantly until Langxia slowly closed his eyes.
“Good boy,” Gui Yin cooed as he patted Langxia’s chest in a rhythmical fashion.
Langxia wanted to move away, but Gui Yin’s grip was stronger than it looked on the outside. He was forced to lay down properly and accept sleep. When he thought about it some more later, he couldn’t help but sympathize with Gui Yin’s disciples.
This forceful way of putting people to sleep was probably learned through years of coaxing his own disciples, right?
The way I ran… when I saw the update 🏃♀️
Thanks for reading!!!
YAYYY PATS FOR LANGXIA!!! i am reminded of the “gentle persuasion” meme…
my heart got all warm with the Gui Yin and Yankui coversation (๑˃ᴗ˂)
Thanks for reading!!!
Oh!! Such a sweet chapter 💝 almost got diabetes 😆😋
thanks for reading!! (and thank you for all the comments hehe)
^^✨
Gui Yin in denial 😂