The sun spilled in through the paper-thin windows, creating elongated shadows on the floor. The sound of hurried footsteps neared the room. Soon, the door opened with a creak, followed by a set of smaller feet. The remnants of a tired huff reached the inside of the room along with the splash of water against the side of the basin. A disgruntled grunt punctuated the closing door and the water basin was placed down at the tea table.
Li Qing collapsed down on a chair. She rubbed the sweat away from her hairline and rolled up her sleeves. A slight pout emerged on her lips as she mourned her bad luck. Today was supposed to be Su Hanโs turn to watch over the messenger hall, but it turned out that he hadnโt been informed ahead of time. Because of this, he had been unable to tell a servant to come in and help wipe down the comatose person sleeping in their masterโs guest courtyard. Li Qing had been skipping back from breakfast when Su Han grabbed her and directed her in the direction of their masterโs home with a basin filled with water and a dry cloth.
Li Qing pulled herself together and prepared to go into the inner room. When she turned around, however, she was greeted by a figure, standing beside a screen that separated the inner room from the outer room.
Li Qing froze.
The man was an icy beauty. His brows were naturally pinched and lowered. His lips stayed in a straight line and, even though he was still dressed like a sick patient, he had an air of elegance about him that no one could even dare to think of imitating. His sickly pallor made Li Qing think that he may be a ghost guard that had come to take someoneโs soul away.
โWho are you?โ the chilly voice rang throughout the heated room. Li Qing couldnโt help but take a step back.
โIโฆI,โ Li Qingโs fingers dug into the side of the basin.
โWhere am I?โ the man asked, his eyes wandering around the room.
โYouโฆyouโฆโ Li Qingโs fear was slowly replaced by awe. โโฆYouโre Yu Lan Sword Immortal, arenโt you?โ
Wรบ Lรญngtiฤnโs (ๅด็ตๅคฉ)brows pinched tighter. He looked at Li Qing again and his phoenix eyes narrowed. โAnswer my questions.โ
โM-My name is Li Qing. This is Screeching Sparrow Sect,โ Li Qingโs voice trailed off. She held up the water basin. โMy da-shixiong told me to comeโฆhelp you clean a little.โ
Wu Lingtianโs eyes landed on the water basin and his brows seemed to smooth out. He took a few wide strides over and lifted the water basin from her hands. โNo need.โ
Li Qing watched as Wu Lingtian moved back behind the screen. She tottered back and forth for a moment before carefully moving towards to the other side of the screen. โUmโฆLord Immortal?โ
Wu Lingtianโs movements froze. He glanced up.
Li Qing shyly pointed at herself. โDo you remember me?โ
Wu Lingtian looked at her unsurely and slowly shook his head. โI am afraid not.โ
โOh, thatโs fine!โ Li Qing quickly said. โItโs justโum. A few years ago, at Golden Deer Mountain, there was a competition? I was there with my shijie. There was a mishap and some rogue cultivators managed to run amuck, allowing dangerous creatures into the area. You were the one that saved us! Iโฆnever got the chance to thank you, soโฆโ
Wu Lingtianโs gaze slowly left Li Qingโs blushing face. He bowed his head and carefully washed his face. Once he finished, he dried himself off and hummed. โI see.โ
Li Qing pursed her lips, somewhat disappointed. Well, it was Yu Lan Sword Immortal. What was she expecting really?
โIt was nothing,โ Wu Lingtian spoke up abruptly. He met Li Qingโs surprised gaze. โI do not quite remember it, but I am glad you are safe.โ
Li Qing gaped at him silently before slowly tearing her gaze away. Wu Lingtianโs sincere eyes scared the wits out of her.
Wu Lingtian peeked down his shirt and furrowed his brows. Any scars he could have had from the weekโs worth of torture had disappeared or faded a tremendous amount. He carefully pressed about his body, searching for any hidden internal injuries but came up with none, save for a slight dip in his cultivation base.
Li Qing observed Wu Lingtian silently and felt a sense of pride well up inside her. โMy shizun is really good at healing people, isnโt he?โ
Wu Lingtian looked up at Li Qing. โYour shizun?โ
โMn! Heโs the one that brought you back and nursed you back to health,โ Li Qing said, her eyes glimmered innocently.
โWho is your shizun?โ
โMy shizun isโโ
โAh!โ
Wu Lingtianโs head jerked up. Li Qing turned abruptly and looked out towards the door. Various shadows flashed by, followed by a deafening crash. The door eventually came tumbling down, knocking aside the decorative vases and the screen divider.
Li Qing shrieked in surprise, but before she could gather her bearings again, she was swept off her feet. She saw a flash of white from underneath her and caught a glimpse of the splintered door as she moved through the air. A piercing roar sounded close to her head and she raised her hands to cover her ears just as she was placed down.
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.
โWhat happened?โ Wu Lingtianโs languid voice gained a sense of urgency.
Ktf atgff vlrmlqifr rajgfv ja Qe Olcualjc lc yfklivfgwfca. Ktfs tjv cba yffc wfcajiis qgfqjgfv obg atf Mislcu Jgsraji Olbc ab revvfcis ub bc j gjwqjuf jcv yjguf lcab atf rfma ifjvfgโr tbwf. Ktfs tjv jirb cba fzqfmafv rbwfbcf ab mbwf bea ogbw atf uefra gbbw jcv fztlyla jwjhlcu wjgalji jylilas. Gef ab atlr, bcis bcf vlrmlqif mbeiv raeaafg bea j qbbg fzmerf obg jc fzqijcjalbc.
Wu Lingtianโs brows furrowed, showing his displeasure. The three disciples unconsciously straightened as cold sweat began to pour down their backs. They were even more frightened than if Fan Yi came to personally scold them.
However, Wu Lingtian said nothing. He simply turned and looked back at the towering white lion who almost reached the ceiling tiles. The lionโs wings were spread out ferociously and its roars penetrated the peaceful morning air.
โTake Li Qing away,โ Wu Lingtian threw this phrase back.
Li Qingโs eyes widened and her hand reached out, but her body only reacted faster than her brain. Before she could utter a word, she watched as Wu Lingtian climbed onto the tree and hopped onto the lionโs back. The lion, feeling a new weight on it, fell into another fit of rage and flew directly into the sky, carrying its new passenger along with it.
โWh-what do we do?โ one of the disciples stuttered out.
โGet Shizun!โ Li Qing smacked aside the trio as she began to run out of the estate and towards the main hall. The three disciples glanced at each other and quickly followed after her, their minds only filled with how much trouble they will be in once this fiasco was over.
Meanwhile, the Flying Crystal Lion had shot straight up into the sky and was quickly making its descent again. Wu Lingtian observed its erratic movements and felt that there was something severely wrong. Although the Flying Crystal Lion was a large animal, it was extremely docile to anyone that it didnโt claim to be its enemy. They were often the favored choice of pets to female cultivators due to their loyalty and gentleness. It was not the type of spiritual creature that would go on a rampage unprovoked.
Wu Lingtian braced himself as the lion slammed down onto the ground and began to thrash about again. Wu Lingtian unconsciously held out his hand, palm down, and called for his sword. His head snapped towards his empty hand as he grasped at the air.
They broke my sword.
Before Wu Lingtian could recover from the initial shock, the lion began rearing its head again. Wu Lingtian held tightly onto the lion, but soon fell to the ground. The leash that had been clipped onto it was still tightly wrapped around Wu Lingtianโs fist. Instead of becoming completely thrown off, Wu Lingtian ended up being dragged through the summer grass. He bemoaned the inconvenience but did not lose his temper. He carefully relaxed his body and allowed himself to be dragged as the lion sprinted. When the lion stood back on its hindlegs, Wu Lingtian caught a glimmer of something in the light of the sun.
Very quickly, Wu Lingtian stood as well. He gave the lion a harsh tug and immediately shoved it into a tree with his entire body. He worked swiftly so as not to alarm the lion any further and reached down to pull a thorn from its hind leg.
The Flying Crystal Lionโs body tensed beneath Wu Lingtian but soon melted into a large cloud beneath Wu Lingtianโs body.
Wu Lingtianโs grip on the leash loosened. He turned to the Flying Crystal Lion, who was curled into a ball and knelt down beside it. He reached out and carefully patted the top of its nose, his voice soft and gentle as he spoke.
โAre you okay? That must have hurt,โ Wu Lingtian murmured. โI didnโt injure you, did I?โ
The lion purred pitifully and moved one of its paws to take a look at Wu Lingtian. It moved a little closer and nudged its head against him, looking extremely embarrassed.
Wu Lingtian comforted the large lion: โIt must have been scary. You were hurt, but no one even noticed.โ
Wu Lingtian glanced back at the lionโs leg. โCan you walk?โ
The Flying Crystal Lion stood slowly and gently moved its leg a few times. It let out a soft roar in affirmation. Wu Lingtian stood and dusted himself off. He reached up and combed his fingers through his hair before turning around, ready to lead the lion back to wherever there were people. But when he turned, he found that he didnโt need to.
There was already a crowd watching him in a stunned silence.
โLord Immortal!โ a pitched voice sounded out from the middle of the crowd. A few seconds later, Li Qing emerged with a red face. She turned towards the lion and then looked back at Wu Lingtian. She let out a loud sigh of relief and patted her chest. โOh, thank goodness, youโre fine! I thought Liangliang was going to bite you to death for sure!โ
โGood thing Lord Immortal is so agile and dexterous!โ one of the disciples from earlier perked up.
โMn! If it was anyone else, they may already be dead!โ the other said.
At first, Wu Lingtianโs expression had been rather neutral. However, once he heard two of the three disciples speak, his expression cooled. He turned his gaze towards them.
โYou three are in charge of watching over the spiritual animals?โ
The three disciples felt a chill crawl up their backs. They straightened unconsciously and nodded.
โY-yes. We were for todayโฆโ
โIf you had handled this matter differently, then I would not have had to intervene,โ Wu Lingtian spoke coldly. Everyone was suddenly conscious of how loud they were breathing and the sweltering summer air chilled. โA Flying Crystal Lion is a very docile creature. If it goes on a rampage, that means it is feeling unwellโnormally because it got hurt. Were you not even aware of such a simple fact?โ
โWeโฆweโฆโ
Wu Lingtian frowned at the three disciples in disapproval. โWho put you three in charge?โ
โWe signed up for it.โ
โThen you should have properly educated yourselves on the creatures you were caring for first,โ Wu Lingtian said. โThey are not just here to play with you or help you fight. These spiritual creatures have feelings and thoughts too. They cannot communicate them other than doing what their instinct tells them to do. It is up to you, as their caretakers to be able to read those cues. If you cannot even do that, then why did you bother signing up?โ
โWeโฆweโฆโ the disciples lowered their head in shame.
Wu Lingtian opened his mouth to give out a punishment but lips soon shut.
He was not in Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect. In fact, he was not even a part of this sect. Not only was he scolding disciples out in the open in another peopleโs territory, the area he was staying in had also been crushed by the lion. His expression cooled even further as he felt a headache coming on.
He closed his eyes and pinched and bridge of his nose. He vaguely heard Li Qingโs excited greeting before he felt a warm breath brush against his cheek.
โYouโre awake?โ
Wu Lingtianโs heart slammed against his chest at the familiar voice. His eyes immediately snapped open and he took a few steps back from the man.
Fan Yiโs eyes trailed down to Wu Lingtianโs feet. โEven if you are going out for a walk, you should wear shoes.โ
โIโฆIโฆโ Wu Lingtian unconsciously wanted to hide his feet. He met Fan Yiโs gaze and quickly averted his eyes. โYouโฆโ
โThis is my sect,โ Fan Yi said with a bright smile on his face. He took a step closer and pulled Wu Lingtianโs hand from his side. His expression recovered a hint of seriousness as he carefully checked Wu Lingtianโs pulse. He looked back at Wu Lingtian and smiled. His voice was soft as he leaned in a little closer. โWhy is your heart beating so fast?โ
Wu Lingtian slowly turned his head back towards Fan Yi. He resisted the urge to smack Fan Yi away and slowly took a deep breath. โYou brought me here?โ
โI did,โ Fan Yi nodded. โDo you like it?โ
Wu Lingtian stared at Fan Yi blankly. โLike what?โ
โMy sect.โ
โโฆI have not looked.โ
โThen, after you bathe and change, I will take you around for a look,โ Fan Yi suggested.
Wu Lingtian nodded silently.
Fan Yi smiled in satisfaction and stepped back. He looked at the three disciples standing off to the side. โYou three were looking after the spiritual creatures today?โ
โY-yes, Sect Leader.โ
โHandstand for three hours. You also have kitchen cleaning duty for two weeks,โ Fan Yi said.
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi.
Fan Yi noticed his gaze and quirked an eyebrow. โNo?โ
Wu Lingtian looked away. โNot my position.โ
โNo, no, no, tell me,โ Fan Yi waved his hand. โWhat would you do?โ
โTell them to study the creatures and then give them a test.โ
Fan Yi furrowed his brows at Wu Lingtian. โโฆThatโs so light.โ
โThey would learn.โ
Fan Yi glanced at the disciples. โBut they almost killed you.โ
Wu Lingtian turned to look at Fan Yi. His face read โdo I look like I would die from that?โ
Fan Yi received the message loud and clear. He nodded and dismissively waved his hand. โGo to the library and study the creatures.โ
The disciples who were previously terrified of Wu Lingtian showed a grateful expression. They hurriedly thanked their sect leader and then more sincerely thanked this lord immortal before sprinting towards the library, happy that their sentence had been reduced by so much.
Fan Yi clicked his tongue. โThey are far too happy.โ
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi, but didnโt bother saying anything else. It was always a waste of breath talking to him anymore than he needed to.
Fan Yi gestured for Wu Lingtian to stand off to the side as he met up with Li Qing to get a full account of what had just happened. Fan Yi glanced back at Wu Lingtian as he spoke, but Wu Lingtian opted to ignore the other manโs gaze with his head turned away from them. Moments later, Fan Yi returned to Wu Lingtianโs side with a flattering smile.
โLetโs get you some clothes and a nice bath.โ
Wu Lingtian observed Fan Yiโs expression with a lazy glance, but he followed Fan Yi nonetheless.
โShall I carry you?โ
โNo.โ
โWhy not? Isnโt it uncomfortable to walk without shoes?โ Fan Yi questioned.
Wu Lingtian glanced down at his bare feet. The sense of embarrassment he felt from earlier had completely dissipated along with his recovery from unexpectedly seeing Fan Yi here. โNo.โ
โOh,โ Fan Yi didnโt seem disappointed at all by Wu Lingtianโs short responses. Instead, he walked with his head turned so that he could watch Wu Lingtian as they traveled back down to his home. Neither men spoke but neither found it necessary to speak either.
โYou arenโt going to ask me anything?โ Fan Yi finally questioned.
โIs there anything to ask?โ
โI mean, I would think there are lots to ask,โ Fan Yi said. โFor example, you could ask how I knew to save you. Or you could ask why I saved you at all. You could also ask what happened to you and how long youโve been unconscious. Or you could ask what happened to Drifting Clouds Mountain Sect.โ
โOh.โ
โNot going to ask?โ
โI am not interested.โ
Fan Yiโs steps slowed. He stared at the back of Wu Lingtianโs head before quickly catching up again. โWhy is that?โ
โI am aware of my actions and the consequences,โ Wu Lingtian said. โAs for why you saved me,โ Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi, โIf you want to use me, I will find out eventually. If it was merely because you are kind, then I do not need to worry about it.โ
Fan Yi was stunned for a moment before a chuckle left his throat. โYu Lan, you sure are strange. You arenโt even afraid if I wanted to use you?โ
โYou saved my life; therefore, my life is yours.โ
Fan Yi chuckled, though the amusement didnโt reach his eyes. โDonโt say that.โ
Wu Lingtian continued walking without a response.
โThen, do you want to stay?โ Fan Yi asked.
Wu Lingtian lazily glanced at Fan Yi.
โI will feed you and cloth you and raise you until youโre nice and plump,โ Fan Yi joked. โIโll give you a home.โ
Wu Lingtian slowly looked away. His expression was the same as it always was. โI do not need a home.โ
The soft hum of the cicadas overtook the silence. The sun beat down gently amidst the gathered clouds. A shadow was cast across Wu Lingtianโs face as the pair walked beneath a cloud on their way down the grassy slope. Fan Yi observed Wu Lingtian, taking in the dullness of his eyes.
โBut I will stay,โ Wu Lingtian said. โIn any case, in this world, there isnโt anywhere I need to be.โ
This makes me so sadddddddddd. I love the MC thus far, the discipline is funny
Give him a purpose, Fan Li!
Thank you for chapter
Wow so curious about their history. I didn’t expect Wu Lingtian to react that way to Fan Yi, and the Flying Crystal Lion is adorable.
aaaahhh thanks for reading!!
Iโm hooked in already ๐๐โค๏ธ
Same!!