“And then you ran off?” Wu Lingtian asked. He was a bit unable to grasp this turn of events.
“It’s not just that,” Xiao Xunrui sighed. “I said I couldn’t, but then he said that he would leave Black Scale Palace and live with me instead.”
Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. Situ Hong’s jaw dropped.
The demon lord—an existence that terrorized the righteous sects and set the civilians ill at ease—actually volunteered to leave behind his own sect, power, and legacy, just to be with Xiao Xunrui?
“I know,” Xiao Xunrui misread their expressions for concern. “I found it ridiculous too! He’s worked so hard and shed so much blood for Black Scale Palace, so how could he just leave it now? Besides, he never even thought of what would happen if he left. The entire territory would collapse without his presence, but he didn’t seem to care at all.”
Xiao Xunrui lowered his gaze. “I was touched that he remembered our promise, but if being together means he has to leave everything he’s worked so hard for, I’d rather never see him again. And now I have Xiao Guo, so I can’t just move to Fengya. It’s not a healthy environment for her to grow up there.”
“Are you just worried because he’d be wasting his hard work?” Situ Hong asked.
“And there’s still the matter with the Fengya territory. It’s not as if you two don’t know, but Black Scale Palace is likely the only thing holding Fengya together. They’ve always been riddled with strife and war. The people there finally get some time of peace. If Qiongling leaves, then chaos will just rule once more,” Xiao Xunrui said. “And, it might not seem like it, but he really does care for Fengya and its people…I know him deciding to stay with me was a hard choice. He may even come to regret it in the future.”
Wu Lingtian silently watched Xiao Xunrui. He lowered his gaze, “I think I understand how Lord Wuma feels.”
Situ Hong and Xiao Xunrui turned to him curiously.
“In Fengya, it’s easy to go insane,” Wu Lingtian said. “There’s no way to leave and the people around you are more monstrous than the demons and monsters in the wild. If you’re lucky, you live a mundane life, selling fruit by the road side. If you’re unlucky, you get embroiled into the conflicts, living a life that’s no worse than hell. Since a young age, you see people die all the time. You get used to it.
“It’s commonplace. That’s why everyone there seems to have a few screws loose—if you don’t, then you’re weak. If you’re weak, then you’ll be easy to kill. Some people truly are insane, while others pretend to be. And those who pretend have a difficult time holding onto their sanity. All you can do there is to tightly grasp onto something to keep you sane.”
He looked at Situ Hong and Xiao Xunrui. “Mine was the old woman who sold fruit and the prostitutes who snuck me candy. But, even then, I was just a child living in a border town. I can’t imagine what it was like for Lord Wuma, who grew up in the thick of it all.”
He glanced at Xiao Xunrui. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s tired. If…he finally wants to take hold of his one glimmer of sanity.”
“He,” Xiao Xunrui pursed his lips. “He never told me…”
“Is this something you can just tell someone?” Wu Lingtian asked. “On top of that, he’s the great Demon Lord. At most, he can play off looking for you as a whim, but if he confesses everything to you, then what does that make him?”
“Then, what should I do?” Xiao Xunrui looked at Wu Lingtian pitifully. “I know he doesn’t want to give up on Fengya, but…”
“That’s something for you two to work out,” Wu Lingtian said. “I’ve already done my part.”
“The great saintly Yu Lan Sword Immortal has done more than his part,” Situ Hong agreed. “Not only is he helping you two meet up again, he also helped clear up some misunderstandings. Truly saintly. Truly kind.”
“Be any more sarcastic and I’ll cut you,” Wu Lingtian lifted up his sword.
“I wouldn’t dare. I truly wouldn’t,” Situ Hong held up his hands in surrender.
The buildings of Frost Cliff Pavilion were slowly approaching and the steps eventually showed a thin layer of creeping frost. The closer they got, the cooler the air became and the icicles on the frozen trees became more and more apparent.
“How about we just abandon our troubles for the afternoon and have a nice, warm drink?” Situ Hong suggested as a servant came jogging over. “A-Lan, bring out two jars of Ru Xing Hai to pavilion.”
“Yes, Lord Feng Ling.”
“Is this the time to be drinking?” Xiao Xunrui frowned slightly.
“What do you mean? How long as it been since the three of us have drank together?” Situ Hong said as he steered the two of them towards the pavilion, not too far away. “Besides, since ancient times, the tried-and-true method of forgetting all your troubles is a nice warm cup of a wine. With a cup of wine in your hand and friends by your side, all your troubles will be washed away.”
“So, you just want to drink,” Wu Lingtian concluded.
“How could that be? I’m trying to comfort my two friends,” Situ Hong pushed them down onto the chairs and circled the table before sitting down as well. He smiled. “Being able to have a cup of wine is just a bonus.”
“Sect Master Zhong,” Mu Xing’s voice sounded from outside, “Sect Leader Fan has arrived.”
“Mn. Let him in,” Sect Master Zhong said absentmindedly.
The doors soon opened, allowing the yellow-robed man to step in. He clasped his hands together and bowed, “Uncle.”
Sect Master Zhong glanced up and was surprised by the other man’s attire. He set his cup down. “How come you’re wearing Qingyao Manor’s uniform?”
“Does it not look good?” Fan Yi asked as he sat down and poured himself a cup of warm tea.
“Of course, it looks good!” Sect Master Zhong said. He sat back a bit and sighed emotionally. “If you were to wear wide-sleeves, you would look just like your father. In fact…”
The sect master stood and walked over to his wardrobe with a small smile, “I still have robes from your father and mother when you all used to stay over.”
Fan Yi watched Sect Master Zhong amusedly. “Uncle, you know I don’t like wearing wide sleeves. They just get in the way.”
“I know, but you want to disguise yourself, right? What better way than to wear something you don’t usually wear,” Sect Master Zhong dug into the back of his closet. When he reemerged, he was holding several sets of robes that had a similar appearance. “Here, you can take these back.”
“Uncle,” Fan Yi sipped at his tea. “I don’t want my father’s robes.”
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.
“You two are nearly the same size, so it’ll fit perfectly,” Sect Master Zhong placed the robes onto Fan Yi’s lap before sitting down again. He smiled, “And then you’ll look exactly like the master of Qingyao Manor.”
Mjc Tl mtemxifv, tlr olcufgr ugjhlcu atf rboa ojyglm.
“Ljnf sbe obecv jcsatlcu?” Vfma Zjrafg Itbcu jrxfv.
“Qfii…cb,” Mjc Tl ijeutfv ylaafgis. “P fnfc kfca atgbeut atf gelcr Hlcusjb Zjcbg jcv Qeiljc Mbgfra, yea atf Nfgwliilbc Ajvf vlvc’a rajga uibklcu. P’nf vfmlvfv ab tfjv lcab Wljcqlcu ab ags ws iemx.”
Sect Master Zhong frowned. “The world is so big; how can you possibly find the person in possession of the last piece of jade?”
“I don’t need to find the person in possession of it—I just need to know that someone else does have it,” Fan Yi said. He smirked to himself. “Besides, I’m sure whoever it is, is linked to that puppet incident. Sooner or later, that person will reveal themselves.”
“…Person? You don’t think it’s a demon?” Sect Master Zhong asked.
Fan Yi gave Sect Master Zhong a wry smile. “All those years ago, hadn’t they also blamed a demon? In the end, instead of a demon, it was a manmade calamity all due to greed. Besides, does it make sense to you that a demon would go out of its way to create so many puppets? Rather than a demon, I believe they’re a devil.”
A devil was a human cultivator whose heart and mind had been totally corrupted by demonic cultivation and their own greed. A true devil would have also cultivated to a level close to or at Mahayana, making them an extremely dangerous existence. However, the emergence of a devil or a true devil was rare, especially in these times of balanced peace, brought about by the Hall of Impartiality. But the human heart is filled with darkness—it wouldn’t be surprising if someone had long harbored devilish intentions and were finally acting on them.
“But hadn’t that creature mentioned that its master knew Yu Lan? Presumably, that would be the demon, wouldn’t it?” Sect Master Zhong asked.
“It’s possible,” Fan Yi agreed.
Sect Master Zhong observed his nephew’s expression. “There’s something else, isn’t there?”
Fan Yi smiled. “At the moment, I cannot disclose anymore information. When this is all over, Uncle can expect a detailed report from me…or from A-Tian.”
“I don’t like when you speak as if something bad is going to happen to you,” Sect Master Zhong frowned.
“Well, I’ll try not to die,” Fan Yi set down the teacup. “But the Heavens have always had a different plan, haven’t they?”
“There’s a lot more riding on your death now,” Sect Master Zhong said crossly. “For example, if you die, then what about your disciples?”
“I have Three Pillars for a reason,” Fan Yi replied casually.
“Then, your Wu Lingtian?”
Fan Yi’s smile stiffened.
“If anything were to happen to you, have you ever thought about what that child would do?” Sect Master Zhong asked. “You, yourself, know what sort of person he is. If you died during your mission, do you think he would just sit around? Especially when you’re the last thing he has?”
“…I’m not going to die,” Fan Yi said, finally putting down his front. “I’m not planning to die, so Uncle can rest assured.”
Sect Master Zhong fell silent for a moment before he spoke again, “You seem like you have something on your mind.”
Fan Yi met Sect Master Zhong’s gaze.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“It’s trivial, really. Nothing to talk about,” Fan Yi smiled.
“Is it about that child?” Sect Master Zhong asked.
Fan Yi chuckled. “Why do you figure?”
“Aside from that child, what would make you so worried?” Sect Master Zhong said. He sat back and looked at Fan Yi up and down. “Or is it a secret between you two?”
“It’s not quite a secret. It’s just a bit embarrassing to talk about,” Fan Yi filled up his tea cup again. His finger rubbed against the lip of the cup as he looked at the ring on his finger.
“Did…he tell you he likes you?” Sect Master Zhong guessed.
Fan Yi glanced at his uncle and nodded his head.
Sect Master Zhong’s eyes lit up. “Then, isn’t this a good thing?”
“How is it a good thing?”
“Then, how is it a bad thing?” Sect Master Zhong asked back. “Before, you said you liked him—now he’s confessed to you, so you should be happy.”
“I already told you, I said I had romantic feelings for him because I was trying to be a distraction. I saved him because I was indebted,” Fan Yi said. He lowered his gaze. “I don’t want to accept his feelings, but if I reject him, he’ll be upset. I’m not sure what I should do.”
Sect Master Zhong observed Fan Yi for a moment. He let out a soft sigh and poured himself a cup of tea. The tea had cooled now, leaving the tea leaves to stew in lukewarm water. The sect master concentrated a bit of his internal energy to heat up the tea again before taking a sip and turning back to his nephew.
“Fan Yi, why are you still lying to yourself at this stage?”
Fan Yi stiffened. He glanced at Sect Master Zhong and pursed his lips into a frown. “Uncle, what do you mean?”
“You’ve always paid special attention to Yu Lan. I would find it hard to believe if you tell me you don’t like him.”
“I promised Wang Zhiqiu that I would look after him,” Fan Yi said.
“The way you look after him isn’t even the way a senior looks after their junior,” Sect Master Zhong said. “I’ve never seen you care so much about another person, except maybe your siblings. But even then, there’s an obvious difference. When have you ever had enough free time to worry about how others would get anxious over you? You care so much about his feelings. Not to mention, I’ve never seen you angry since Qingyao Manor was destroyed, but that night when you found out about Yu Lan, your eyes immediately turned red. You were absolutely livid! All of that, and you still want to tell me you don’t care about him in a special way?”
He shook his head. “Let’s not mention your outbursts—how about when you smile? You think I can’t tell when you really want to smile and when you’re just doing it to keep up a façade? Everyone knows what you’re like, Fan Yi. Out there, you’re called the Smiling Devil—the more you smile, the worse the aftermath gets. But during Zhuixing Conference, not only did you smile less, your laughter was also more genuine.”
Sect Master Zhong watched Fan Yi in the silence. Seeing that his nephew wasn’t planning on responding, he continued, “True, at first, you were just casually looking after him. You’d ask about him from time to time, but otherwise you’d rarely bring him up whenever we met. But what about the time after the secret realm? Or the other time when you happened to bump into him at the brothel? And there was that other time when you two fell into a den of spider demons.”
Fan Yi shifted uncomfortably.
“One time, you were praising his skills, the next you questioned why someone as clean as him should be assigned a mission to take care of spider demons at the brothel, the next you berated yourself for not being able to protect him well. On and on and on,” Sect Master Zhong said. He looked at Fan Yi seriously. “It’s been a hundred years, Fan Yi. I don’t believe you’re stupid enough to not know how you actually feel about him.”
“…I know.”
“You know? Then, what are you scared of?” Sect Master Zhong asked. “Scared that he’ll leave you? Scared that he isn’t sincere?”
Fan Yi scoffed softly. “Who am I to dictate whether he leaves or stays? As for whether or not he’s sincere, I know better than anyone else that he isn’t someone who would say these things without knowing for sure.”
“Then, what is it?”
“It’s because,” Fan Yi frowned, “if he associates with me in that way, people might target him. I might not be the same target of hatred as I was in the past, but I still have my enemies. He might get hurt.”
Sect Master Zhong’s gaze drifted down to the set of yellow, wide-sleeved robes sitting on Fan Yi’s lap. He lowered his gaze. “…Yishan, why are you still doing this?”
Fan Yi felt his stomach curdle upon hearing that name. He looked over to his uncle.
“Why do you still blame yourself?” Sect Master Zhong asked softly. “I’ve told you before it…you couldn’t have done anything.”
“I…”
“Back then, you were just a boy,” Sect Master Zhong looked at Fan Yi sadly. “It was a miracle that you even managed to survive. And you’re different now—you’re much stronger. Don’t be afraid to love someone just because of the past.”
Sect Master Zhong stood and pulled Fan Yi up as well. “Come on, let’s go see him.”
“Go—what?” Fan Yi stumbled after Sect Master Zhong. He realized what was happening and promptly drove his heels into the ground. He grabbed a hold of Sect Master Zhong’s arm. “No! What do you me—no.”
Sect Master Zhong looked back. He pulled the robes from Fan Yi’s loose grip and pushed them into his chest. “Wear your father’s robes and be as reckless and stupid as he was when he was courting your mother.”
“…Uncle, let’s talk about this for a second,” Fan Yi hugged the robes to his chest but still refused to budge.
“Remember—right now, you’re not Fan Yi,” Sect Master Zhong gripped Fan Yi’s shoulder as he spoke, “You’re Fu Yishan. You’re stupid and ignorant and you think that the only thing above you is Heaven.”
Fan Yi’s mouth open and closed several times. In the face of this sudden change, Fan Yi truly did feel like Fu Yishan, an ignorant youth who didn’t know better about the world.
“Just keep repeating it in your head—I’m number one; I’m the best,” Sect Master Zhong patted Fan Yi’s chest. “Let’s go.”
“Uncle,” Fan Yi pulled Sect Master Zhong back again. “Uncle, listen, listen—I’ll take care of this myself.”
“You think I’ll believe you? You’re just like your mother,” Sect Master Zhong said. “You know what your mother did back then? She said she would take care of it, and she ended up avoiding your father for three years! If your father wasn’t such a lovelorn idiot, I doubt you could have ever been born.”
“But Uncle—Uncle, listen,” Fan Yi managed to pull Sect Master Zhong back into the room and have him settle by the tea table. He took relieved breath, “We’re here on official business. We need papers to be able to bypass security checks at Xianping.”
“I already had Mu Xing make them for you,” Sect Master Zhong said. He stared at fan Yi as if he didn’t know what problem he had. “Why are you stalling? Now is the better than later—go tell him how you feel.”
“A-Tian is with his friends,” Fan Yi protested. He pulled his arm away again. “If I intrude on his meeting to tell him this, he would feel so embarrassed!”
“He wouldn’t.”
“He would!”
Sect Master Zhong glanced back at his nephew, whose face had flushed completely red, either from embarrassment or anxiety. His brows were furrowed as he stubbornly stood where he was, absolutely refusing to leave this confined space. After a short moment, Sect Master Zhong finally snorted.
Fan Yi’s determined expression melted from his face. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Scared me to death.”
“But you do like him,” Sect Master Zhong raised a brow. “If you deny it, I’ll tell him myself.”
Fan Yi sighed again as he put his father’s robes into his Qiankun pouch, “Uncle, how are you still so childish at your old age?’
“I’m only fifteen years older than you.”
Fan Yi clasped his hands together bowed. “Many thanks for Sect Master Zhong’s hospitality, but this humble one must leave now. The sky is quickly darkening and I am quite tired from a day of travel.”
Sect Master Zhong stared at Fan Yi woodenly. “Then, I will see Sect Leader Fan out.”
“Thank you, Sect Master Zhong,” Fan Yi smiled politely before allowing Sect Master Zhong to walk him out.
“Those three are most likely at Frost Cliff Pavilion,” Sect Master Zhong said. He glanced at Fan Yi. “Today’s as good a day as ever.”
“Sect Master Zhong, if you mention this matter one more time, as your only family member, I will use my right to start calling matchmakers for you.”
“…Alright. I’ll leave you be then.”
Fan Yi and Sect Master Zhong continued down the cobbled path until they neared Frost Cliff Pavilion.
The sun had slowly drifted past the horizon at some indiscernible time. The lanterns that lined the stairs and the pathway slowly lit up one by one as Sect Master Zhong and Fan Yi neared them. A soft, warm glow lit their path. The light sparkled against the thin layer of frost and the icicles took on a soft, yellow hue. The buildings of Frost Cliff Pavilion were starting to light their candles as well. Warm light spilled out from the windows, creating a quiet, homely atmosphere.
Not too far from the stairs was a pavilion that sat, tucked in the center of the buildings, on a small island in the middle of a sizeable lake. It was easy to spot the three men from where Sect Master Zhong and Fan Yi were. And it was even easier to see the jars of tilted alcohol by their sides.
Sect Master Zhong and Fan Yi exchanged glances but slowly neared the three men nonetheless.
Xiao Xunrui’s face was absolutely flushed. His neat hair was skewed to the side as he slumped over Situ Hong. His lips were puckered into a pout and he used his xiao to poke at Wu Lingtian’s bicep.
“I say, you fight me this instance!”
Wu Lingtian silently sipped at his warmed wine.
“I want to fight! Let’s fight!” Xiao Xunrui slapped Situ Hong’s back several times.
“Ah!” Situ Hong groaned under the sudden abuse. He pushed Xiao Xunrui off and rubbed his back with a scowl on his face. “Why do you get so violent whenever you get drunk?”
“It’s all the excess anger leaking out, since his small body can’t contain it,” Wu Lingtian said.
Xiao Xunrui stood. He jabbed his xiao into Wu Lingtian’s chest. The man allowed the instrument to lightly push him back. “You’re always like this! You’re such a two-faced gentleman. When no one’s around, you run your mouth, but when there are people you remain all silent and scholarly.”
“Aren’t you the same?” Wu Lingtian glanced at Xiao Xunrui’s flushed face. “In public, you’re gentle and softspoken, but in private, don’t you also scream and yell?”
“How is it the same?” Xiao Xunrui tripped over himself as he made his way over to Wu Lingtian’s side. He looked around groggily, but unable to find a chair, he ended up sitting on Wu Lingtian’s lap. He placed his xiao down on the table and clapped his hands onto Wu Lingtian’s cheeks. “You act all mean and tough, but you’re actually a biiiiiig softie.”
“Remove your pig hands,” Wu Lingtian pulled himself away and scrunched his nose.
“Wu Lingtian, you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met,” Xiao Xunrui groaned as he leaned back against Situ Hong. “When no one wanted to play with me, you’re the one who pulled me along. You’re really a good person.”
Wu Lingtian sighed. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”
“He’s right though,” Situ Hong placed his chin on top of Xiao Xunrui’s head. “If it weren’t for you, I might have really turned into a no-good second generation. I’d be just as bad as that…that one guy who threw persimmons at you.”
“Who threw persimmons at our sweetie?” Xiao Xunrui jolted up.
Wu Lingtian just narrowly avoided his kick, but Situ Hong had the misfortune of having his chin knocked into his skull.
“I’ll…I’ll mess them up,” Xiao Xunrui stood abruptly. His feet tangled with each other before he began to fell forward.
Wu Lingtian stood and held Xiao Xunrui up against himself. He let out a sigh. “How can a man like this already be a father?”
“A father…father,” Xiao Xunrui repeated absentmindedly.
Situ Hong swayed as he stood as well. He placed one hand on Wu Lingtian’s shoulder before picking up a bottle and turning it upside down. “You drank as much as us, but how are you still lucid?”
“Who drank as much as you two? No one can drink as much as you two drunkards,” Wu Lingtian took the bottle and placed it back down. He sighed and called over his shoulder as he caught Situ Hong in his arms as well. “Servants! Come help me bring Lord Feng Ling and Lord Xiao to their rooms.”
Fan Yi chuckled quietly as he watched the servants come to help lift Situ Hong and Xiao Xunrui from Wu Lingtian. “He’s drunk.”
Sect Master Zhong glanced at Fan Yi and then to Wu Lingtian. “Him? Yu Lan?”
“Mn.”
“…How could he be drunk? He seems perfectly sober to me. He’s not even swaying.”
“No,” Fan Yi shook his head. “He’s drunk. If he wasn’t drunk, how could he have not noticed we were here when we’re this close?”
Despite being separated by only the lake, after the two drunkards left his side, Wu Lingtian promptly sat back down. He held his head and stared at the remaining bottles of wine. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out and dragged a bottle towards himself. He pulled aside the red cloth that covered the bottle and began taking small sips again.
Fan Yi nodded at Sect Master Zhong, “Then, we’ll be off now. I’ll see you tomorrow to get the papers.”
Sect Master Zhong hummed.
He walked off a decent distance, but stopped and watched as Fan Yi appeared in front of Wu Lingtian’s line of vision.
Almost immediately, the younger man’s eyes lit up. He abandoned the wine and stood. He swayed slightly and stumbled forward, despite not having shown signs of drunkenness before. As Fan Yi wrapped his arms around Wu Lingtian’s waist to stabilize him, the younger man smiled brightly and placed his head on Fan Yi’s shoulder.
“Yishan, you came back for me,” Wu Lingtian’s words clearly reached Sect Master Zhong, where he stood not too far away.
The amused look on Sect Master Zhong’s face turned into one of surprise.
“Yishan…?” Sect Master Zhong laughed quietly. He sighed as he turned and headed back to his residence.
Fu Yishan—a name that represented a weaker Fan Yi; something that Fan Yi had thoroughly wanted to abandon. After so many years of hiding and resenting this identity, Fan Yi had finally told someone else his real name. Though, whether or not Wu Lingtian knew he was privy to such information was beyond Sect Master Zhong.
“And that stupid child still says he wants to reject Yu Lan.”
Aaa, been a while since I read the series, truly sweet! Best wishes, Author-san.
thank yoouuuuu for reading!
Even though he says he doesn’t remember them, Wu Lingtian’s really cute when he drinks with his old friends 😄. I don’t know how much longer Fan Yi can hold out!
Sect Master Zhong, i appreciate you and love you a whole lot! YOU SET FAN YI TOWARDS WU LINGTIAN!
also i thought it odd how Fan Yi reacted to the name “Fu Yishan” and figured its either someone he cared about or his original name…also Xiao Xunrui is super cute drunk (๑˃ᴗ˂)
I knew that Fan Yi felt sm for Lingtian bc, if you don’t feel anything for a person, you can’t keep flirting with them, like, the thing with yuizhou is that they are in a sexual relationship with the other guy that I don’t remember his name rn, But my point is, Fan Yi doesn’t seem like a person who would just joke with that, it was just that he was hesitant. Or I least I think so (I hope I’m not too off track 😭)