Fan Yi glanced over at the man on the white horse.
Today, Wu Lingtian wasn’t wearing his mask. Instead, he was wearing a black veiled straw hat. He still wore a set of navy blue, arrow-sleeved robes, and his hair was still tied up into a topknot. Through the veil, Fan Yi noticed hints of fatigue, but, more than that, he saw a bit of awkwardness in his expression.
“I said it was fine already,” Fan Yi said.
“…I know.”
“I was the one who brought you back in.”
“I know.”
“I thought it was cute that you clung to me like that,” Fan Yi reassured him. “You don’t have to blame yourself, Xincheng.”
Wu Lingtian fell silent. “…Sect Leader.”
“Hm?”
“I can’t…act like there’s nothing today,” Wu Lingtian said stiffly.
“Alright. I won’t tease you then,” Fan Yi said with a suppressed smile.
His gaze remained on the other man as Wu Lingtian lowered his head and pressed it against the horse’s mane. Fan Yi looked at him sympathetically.
“It wasn’t that bad. Besides, it was quite warm. I slept really well last night,” Fan Yi said. He reached over and patted the back of Wu Lingtian’s neck. “It’s fine, really. If I was annoyed, I would have just pushed you off the bed.”
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi through the corner of his eyes. “Really?”
“Do I normally lie to you?” Fan Yi pinched the back of Wu Lingtian’s neck before drawing his hand back. “I really was fine with it, so don’t think about it too much.”
Wu Lingtian straightened again and lightly touched the back of his neck. “Thank you, Sect Leader.”
Fan Yi chuckled and turned back to face the front again.
Seeing that Fan Yi truly hadn’t been bothered, Wu Lingtian let out a sigh of relief. The two men road in silence until they came upon a lake. Fan Yi dismounted from his horse and led it and Wu Lingtian’s horse over to a corner to drink water before returning to Wu Lingtian’s side. He crouched down by the lake and refilled his pouch while Wu Lingtian stood to the side.
His fingers graze the sheath of the Rui Sword and his gaze drifted downwards once more.
“Will you speak today?” Wu Lingtian finally asked.
“Just drop it, alright? You’ve been asking me for a week straight. If I wanted to tell you, I would have told you already. Besides, I’ve already told you my conditions and I’m not backing out.”
Wu Lingtian showed a troubled expression. “How could I also take you as my sword if there’s a possibility of finding Yu Lan?”
“Those are my conditions! Either do it, or stop bothering me. This Young Lord is very busy.”
Wu Lingtian’s frown deepened. He left the Rui Sword by the tree and joined Fan Yi by the lake.
“No luck?” Fan Yi glanced over his shoulder.
In the week that they had been traveling together, Wu Lingtian would badger the Rui Sword once a day for information about what happened to the Yu Lan Sword or how you could find a sword, but the Rui Sword had kept its silence whenever Wu Lingtian asked the questions.
Wu Lingtian shook his head.
“Just accept it,” Fan Yi said. “It chose you to be its master—it must like you for a reason.”
Wu Lingtian shook his head again. “I’m not worthy of the Rui Sword.”
Fan Yi raised a brow. “How could you say that? Who in the world is worthier than Yu Lan Sword Immortal?”
“It’s not because I’m looking down on myself,” Wu Lingtian said. “But I have my heart set on Yu Lan. If I take on the Rui Sword as well, it won’t be able to reach its full potential. It’s not that there haven’t been sword cultivators who wield two swords, but they must work together and my way of cultivation doesn’t lend to that. If I really become its master, it will only be neglected.”
Fan Yi glanced back at the Rui Sword. “A-Tian, you might think that, but you want to know what I think?”
“What?” Wu Lingtian looked at Fan Yi.
“The Rui Sword is a harbinger of chaos. Whoever wielded it in the past only wanted the power and evil its legends promised,” Fan Yi said. He chuckled, “Even Tian Xiewen created it out of a whim. The only reason it fell into the mortal realm the way it did was because he had misplaced it.”
Wu Lingtian frowned.
“You’re probably the first person it met who respected weapons like this, so naturally, it would want to follow you,” Fan Yi said.
“But it can’t,” Wu Lingtian stressed.
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.
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“Mlcv la jcbatfg wjrafg,” Mjc Tl rjlv.
“…Vfma Ofjvfg, P kjr yflcu rfglber.”
“Cr kjr P,” Mjc Tl rtgeuufv. “Prc’a atja atf yfra kjs? Tbe wera xcbk j tjgvkbgxlcu peclbg ktb wluta cffv j rkbgv lc atf oeaegf. Po sbe ulnf atfw atf Eel Vkbgv, atfc atja’r atf yfra kjs ab ub jybea la.”
Wu Lingtian frowned and glanced back at the sword. “There’s no one I can think of.”
“Then, wait to get a disciple, and then hand the Rui Sword off to him,” Fan Yi sat back leisurely as he observed Wu Lingtian’s troubled expression. He smiled softly and tucked a stray strand of Wu Lingtian’s hair behind his ear. “That seems like it would be the easiest option.”
“I don’t want to get a disciple though. I don’t want to be someone’s shizun,” Wu Lingtian sulked.
“Then, what are you going to do?”
Wu Lingtian looked at Fan Yi. “Sect Leader, you’re teasing me again.”
Fan Yi chuckled. “I’ve sincerely offered you advice, but you don’t like any of them. If you don’t like them, then what can I do?”
Wu Lingtian pressed his lips together, but had no reason to refute Fan Yi.
Fan Yi raised a brow and leaned closer. “Must it be Yu Lan? There really is no other sword that can compare?”
Wu Lingtian looked down at his empty palm. “…Unless Yu Lan truly has shattered, it has to be Yu Lan. As much as I want to find it now, I’m sure it’s out there waiting for me patiently.”
Fan Yi’s expression softened. “Is this what you told Rui Sword?”
Wu Lingtian glanced at him.
“No wonder Rui Sword so desperately wants you as its master,” Fan Yi laughed. He let out a soft sigh. “I’m sure it wants someone who is also desperately searching for it as well—not because of its power or the legends, but because they’re so worried.”
Fan Yi shook his head. “A sword that hasn’t been full awakened yet and can’t transform has that, yet it—a powerful artifact—doesn’t have someone like that by its side…I think you can just be patient. The purified Rui Sword shouldn’t be cold-hearted. I’m sure you’ll get what you want eventually. If not, there may be other ways to find Yu Lan.”
Wu Lingtian nodded.
The sound of footsteps made both Wu Lingtian and Fan Yi look up. A youth with bronzed skin and golden eyes stood behind the two men. His hands were held behind his back as his gaze shifted between them.
“Rui—”
“Hmph,” the Rui Sword wedged himself between Wu Lingtian and Fan Yi.
“…If you’re irritated, why are you sticking so close?” Wu Lingtian asked with a furrowed brow.
“I just want to be here. What? I can’t?” the Rui Sword snapped. He turned around and glared at Fan Yi, his golden eyes flashing like a lion cub trying to protect his territory.
Fan Yi showed an interested expression and raised a brow.
The Rui Sword turned away and looked back to Wu Lingtian. “What do you want to know?”
Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. “You’re willing to answer me?”
“Within reason,” the Rui Sword turned his nose upwards. “Now ask, before I get bored.”
Wu Lingtian fell silent.
Both the sword and the sect leader waited for Wu Lingtian to sort his thoughts. When he finally looked up again, he turned to Rui Sword with a furrowed brow.
“When a sword decided to lock away its soul, there’s no chance of its master being able to call it back out, right?”
The Rui Sword’s eyes widened. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. “No. If a sword locked its soul, then it will still hear its master’s call. However, it can choose not to answer. But a spiritual weapon can only do that if its soul is full formed. When it’s only gained spiritual consciousness, it can still lock itself, but if its master calls, then it must answer no matter what.”
“Is it possible to force a sword to lock?”
The Rui Sword leaned a cheek against his palm. “It’s possible. However, to ensure that the master can’t call it, it requires the perpetrator to forcefully break the bond between master and sword. Not many spiritual weapons can survive this ordeal. It would have to have a fully formed soul, like me.”
“Then, is there a way to find it?”
“Master,” the Rui Sword interrupted Wu Lingtian. “You’re not thinking that the Yu Lan Sword is actually still out there if these are your assumptions, right? Your sword shouldn’t have had a fully formed soul nor would it be an artifact, unless, by some miracle, an event forced it to awaken its spiritual consciousness early.”
“But there’s a chance, isn’t there?”
“Even if you don’t remember anything, you should know that the chances of it being either of those are close to none. Unless you’re telling me you’ve been forced into a Heaven defying, near death situation before?” the Rui Sword asked.
Wu Lingtian shook his head.
“Then, at most the Yu Lan Sword has only awoken it spiritual consciousness!”
“There was that one time,” Fan Yi said, “When you and Yu Lan fell into the Lake of the Qing Serpent. Legends have it that that lake was a place blessed by celestials. Every few millennia, celestial weapons can be found at the bottom of the lake.”
The Rui Sword fell silent.
“A fall into that lake would allow it to bypass centuries of cultivation, wouldn’t it?” Fan Yi turned to the Rui Sword.
The youth glared at Fan Yi. “…Yes…it would.”
Fan Yi smiled and turned back to Wu Lingtian. “Then, there’s a greater chance that Yu Lan is still out there.”
Wu Lingtian looked to the Rui Sword hopefully.
“…There’s…if a villain truly did break Master’s bond with Yu Lan Sword, then it would be more difficult to find it,” the Rui Sword replied grudgingly. “However, if it simply locked its soul on its own accord, that would be easier.”
“How would I find Yu Lan?” Wu Lingtian asked. “I’ll do whatever you need me to.”
The Rui Sword’s expression darkened. “The easiest way would be to find the person who broke the bond.”
“If we knew that, we wouldn’t be asking you,” Fan Yi said.
The Rui Sword glared at Fan Yi. “The second way…the second way is to disperse your spiritual energy to call for Yu Lan Sword.”
“Disperse it?”
The Rui Sword nodded. “Although someone may have broken the bond, it’s only the bond of being your soul bound sword. In the end, they’re still your sword, so if it catches onto your spiritual energy, it will react, and you’ll sense its location.”
“But dispersing your spiritual energy is dangerous,” Fan Yi said. “And you shouldn’t do it for greater than a five mile radius.”
The Rui Sword nodded.
“…Then, a third way?”
“This is the last way,” the Rui Sword said. “Since you and Yu Lan Sword were already in a soul bound relationship when Yu Lan Sword gained consciousness, it’s possible to use your sword to find Yu Lan.”
“My soul?”
The Rui Sword nodded. “You can perform a technique that separates your soul from your body. When you’re in that state, you’ll be able to see a vague path to Yu Lan. This is because your souls were once linked. If Yu Lan Sword ever broke out of whatever confines it was it, it would also be able to find you, Master.”
“I see,” Wu Lingtian mumbled.
“But Soul Separation is dangerous,” the Rui Sword said quickly. “I would also advise against it.”
“…Between dispersing spiritual energy and separating the soul from the body, which one is riskier?”
The Rui Sword frowned. He turned and glanced at Fan Yi, but seeing that even Fan Yi said nothing, the Rui Sword begrudgingly answered, “…Dispersing spiritual energy. There’s a method separate the soul from the body that’s taught widely. It’s a similar concept to Soul Projection, where you can break off a part of your soul to represent yourself. It’s quite easy. The only risk is that your body will be vulnerable and you have to be careful not to get caught in any soul capturing devices.”
“I see,” Wu Lingtian murmured. He smiled. “Thank you, Rui Sword.”
The Rui Sword harrumphed and stood. “I don’t need your thanks. And stop sulking now—you’re ugly as hell when you do.”
Wu Lingtian watched the Rui Sword return to its sword form and latch itself back onto the side of his horse. He turned to look at Fan Yi, who was observing him silently. Upon meeting his gaze, Fan Yi smiled.
“What will you do?”
“…We’ll try Soul Separation,” Wu Lingtian said. “We can deal with Sect Leader’s business first before we—”
“Why not do both?” Fan Yi said. “Since we’re already out, it’ll be much easier to find Yu Lan Sword. Not to mention, we’ll be heading to Xianping soon anyway.”
Wu Lingtian appeared hesitant.
“Or is it that you don’t trust me to watch over your body?” Fan Yi asked.
Wu Lingtian averted his gaze and lightly coughed. “Not at all. I trust Sect Leader more than anyone else in the world.”
“Then, that’s settled,” Fan Yi smiled. “And there’s no need to look into how to do it. I’ll teach you.”
“You know how to do Soul Separation?” Wu Lingtian asked curiously.
Although Wu Lingtian knew the theory behind it, he had never personally done it before.
“Well, I’ve done it before,” Fan Yi said. “It’s actually a lot easier if you have a helping hand.”
Wu Lingtian nodded. “Alright. Then, I’ll leave it to you, Sect Leader.”
“We’re outside, yet you’re still calling me Sect Leader?”
Wu Lingtian realized he had made a mistake. He lightly cleared his throat, “My apologies, Yishan.”
Fan Yi let out a long sigh. “We already spent the night together, yet you’re still acting so polite.”
Wu Lingtian stiffened.
Fan Yi stood and brushed a hand down his leg to straighten his robes. He glanced back at Wu Lingtian, “And here I thought you were a romantic person.”
Wu Lingtian watched Fan Yi head towards the horses to retrieve them. He squatted by the lake for a moment before standing up and taking the rein of his horse from Fan Yi. The two men mounted the horses and continued their short trip into Xing City with their masks properly covering their faces and the veils of their hats obscuring anything that was visible.
As they approached the gates of Xing City, Fan Yi reached past his lapels and drew out a pass that had Hall of Impartiality carved onto it. He handed one to Wu Lingtian and approached the guards first.
Upon seeing the pass, the guards opened the doors without question and allowed both Wu Lingtian and Fan Yi to pass through.
“Keep that on you,” Fan Yi used his internal energy to condense his voice towards Wu Lingtian. “It’ll be a lifesaver if we run into any trouble in this region.”
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi.
In Xing City where the Hall of Impartiality lay, who would dare cause trouble?
“First, let’s find an inn with a stable to take care of our horses,” Fan Yi said. “Then, we can head up Zhuixing Mountain.”
Wu Lingtian nodded in agreement.
Fan Yi found an inn that was furthest from the center of the city. That way, it would not only be less populated, but also cheaper.
Although it was cheaper, the inn still had good housing facilities. The innkeeper, as well as the waiters and servants, were courteous as they checked Fan Yi and Wu Lingtian in. Despite their strange appearances, no one asked questions. After all, they have seen stranger things pass through the city.
Once settled, Fan Yi took the opportunity to summon a pavilion bird and send word to Sect Master Zhong that he would be paying them a visit. Afterwards, Fan Yi sat down with Wu Lingtian at the tea table and accepted the tea the other man gave him.
“We could head over now, but,” Fan Yi shook his head. “If we head over there too early, we’ll end up staying much longer.”
Wu Lingtian hummed distractedly.
Fan Yi narrowed his eyes. A smile slowly emerged onto his lips. “A-Tian, what are you thinking about?”
Wu Lingtian glanced at Fan Yi and shook his head. “Nothing, Yishan.”
“Really nothing?” Fan Yi’s smile grew.
“…There is something, but it’s not important,” Wu Lingtian said. “How should we do the Soul Separation?”
Seeing that Wu Lingtian changed the subject, Fan Yi obediently went along. “Well, we’re currently at the safest place on this continent. We can borrow one of their cultivation rooms while we’re here and try it out. Perhaps we’ll be able to pinpoint where Yu Lan is even before we set foot into Xianping.”
Wu Lingtian nodded. He promptly fell silent again and became dazed again.
Fan Yi leaned his chin against the palm of his hand and observed Wu Lingtian. The younger man’s lashes brushed against his cheek as he fell into silent contemplation. His expression was neither grave nor happy, but this type of neutrality could easily make one worry about what was on his mind. The longer Wu Lingtian was silent, the bigger the smile on Fan Yi’s face became.
“What are you thinking about?”
Wu Lingtian turned abruptly to look at Fan Yi.
“You can’t possibly still be hung up about how we slept together, right?” Fan Yi smirked.
Wu Lingtian stood. “I think we should go now.”
Fan Yi watched Wu Lingtian head to the door. “We can go now? I thought you didn’t want to see Feng Ling and Young Master Xiao.”
“No, I would like to see them now. I thought it through and decided there was actually no need to panic,” Wu Lingtian said calmly. He looked at Fan Yi. “If Sect Leader isn’t coming, then I’m heading up first.”
“I’ll come. Of course, I’ll be coming with you,” Fan Yi chuckled softly.
A/N: hnngggg I finished fully writing Yu Lan. I still have to edit everything, but I’m getting that end of project sadness already. Also! Next week may or may not have an update, depending on how burnt out I am from finals week. It should be fine, but just in case, this is your heads up haha
I would love to be a pavilion bird on the wall during the part of the night Wu Lingtian is brooding over!
wait slept together??? what’s going on? did i miss something? why is he embarrassed in the beginning? I’m so confused