When Master Jingyin heard the words “Taixuan Peak,” he felt an ominous premonition. And when Yan Chen said the name “Ye Huaiyao,” his sense of foreboding only deepened.
Why is it this brat again? What trouble has he gotten himself into this time?
He said, “Yes, there is indeed such a person. May I ask why the Law Sage is looking for him? He…”
Master Jingyin hesitated, still trying to figure out what to say next, when Zhan Yu, standing behind Yan Chen, suddenly let out a quiet cry. “Yuan Xian?”
Yan Chen followed his gaze. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw that, indeed, Yuan Xian was standing together with the people from the Chensu Sect and was now walking toward them.
While Yan Chen had been speaking with Master Jingyin, Zhan Yu and the other Xuantian Tower disciples behind him had been practically frantic with impatience.
Especially the hot-tempered He Zhanyang. He was nearly ready to turn the entire Chensu Sect upside down, drag Ye Huaiyao out, and find out once and for all whether he really was their Seventh-shixiong.
Now that they had seen Yuan Xian, their suspicions seemed to have solidified.
If Ye Huaiyao isn’t the Illustrious Sage, why would someone who has never had anything to do with the Chensu Sect have come here?
The Xuantian Tower members had clearly misunderstood the reason Yuan Xian was at the Chensu Sect, but with everyone so anxious, none of them had the presence of mind to think it through. He Zhanyang had already called out to Yuan Xian, “Yuan Xian, are you here to look for my Shixiong too?”
At almost the same moment, Yuan Xian skipped even the customary exchange of greetings and asked Yan Chen directly, “Brother Yan, may I ask why you and the others have come to the Chensu Sect looking for this disciple named Ye Huaiyao?”
The two voices overlapped before both sides abruptly fell silent. After a moment, Zhan Yu grabbed He Zhanyang by the arm and pulled him back. His eyes remained fixed on Yuan Xian as he slowly asked,
“You’ve already seen him in the Ghost Wind Forest. This disciple is my Shixiong, Lord Yunqi. Is that right or not?”
The surroundings fell completely silent. Every gaze focused on Yuan Xian.
Zhan Yu was so agitated that his fingers were nearly digging into He Zhanyang’s flesh, yet neither of them noticed.
Yuan Xian’s breathing quickened. His mind was a complete blank, and he couldn’t tell whether he should feel relieved or strangely hollow. He took a piece of tree bark from his qiankun pouch*, roughly half an arm’s length, upon which there was a distinct sword mark.
(*TN: a small magical storage bag that uses spatial magic for storing many items; looks small but stores a lot.)
“I…I did see him before. But there was no response from the Daoist-partner contract between us, and he treated me like a stranger, so I didn’t dare acknowledge him. This is a sword mark he left in the Ghost Wind Forest when he was in a desperate situation. Brother Yan, you should be able to identify it.”
Yan Chen snatched the piece of bark from him. He only needed one glance. A wave of sorrow rose in his heart, and his voice became choked with emotion. “…It’s him.” Zhan Yu’s hands trembled as he drew his sword and slashed a mark into the ground.
Many of his sword techniques had been personally taught by Ye Huaiyao. Though his agitation had caused him to perform somewhat below his usual standard, everyone could still see that the trajectory of the sword mark was almost identical to the one on the bark.
He Zhanyang let out a cry of surprise and immediately shouted, “Sect Leader Jing! Where is my Shixiong? You’d better give us an answer!”
The other Xuantian Tower members were equally frantic. They no longer cared about etiquette or appearances and began pressing Master Jingyin for an answer.
—It wasn’t that Master Jingyin didn’t want to speak; e felt as though he was about to lose the ability to speak altogether.
What are these people talking about? The Illustrious Sage? Ye Huaiyao is the Illustrious Sage?! Was he dreaming?
The legendary prodigy, famed throughout the cultivation world for his unparalleled chivalry, beauty, and elegance, had actually risen to the point where he could be called a Sage. How could someone like that possibly be as cunning and carefree as Ye Huaiyao?!
Oh, right. As far as he remembered, Ye Huaiyao was also extremely greedy.
The other members of the Chensu Sect were equally stunned. Even if they were killed on the spot and reincarnated ten times, they could never have imagined that Ye Huaiyao was actually Lord Yunqi of Xuantian Tower.
This is bad. They had offended him so thoroughly. What were they supposed to do now?!
Master Jingyin drew several deep breaths. He swept a stern gaze across the Chensu Sect disciples, suppressing their panic and commotion. Then he turned around and immediately put on a smile.
“Please don’t take offence, everyone. This matter truly came as a surprise to us. Ye Huaiyao…cough, cough, the Illustrious Sage was picked up as a child by the Peak Master of Taixuan Peak, who found him in the snow at the foot of the mountain. We watched him grow up and never imagined he would possess such an identity. Just now…”
His eyes shifted. “There was a small disturbance within the sect. He should still be at his…residence. I’ll personally lead everyone there.”
In truth, Master Jingyin had no idea where Ye Huaiyao had gone. He was merely trying to buy as much time as possible while thinking of a solution.
As soon as he finished speaking, a clever disciple quietly slipped away to relay orders to the others. They had to find Ye Huaiyao before the people from Xuantian Tower did.
No matter what it took, they had to keep him calm and under control!
Otherwise, judging by how much these people cared about the Illustrious Sage, if they learned what had actually happened…
Master Jingyin’s unnatural tone and the anxious expressions of everyone around him did not escape Yan Chen’s notice. After the initial shock and joy had passed, how could he possibly fail to notice that something was wrong?
But all he cared about right now was seeing his shidi. Everything else could be dealt with later. So Yan Chen simply pretended not to notice and secretly gave the people behind him a meaningful look.
The group was then led by Chensu Sect disciples. They turned toward the lower part of the mountain, mounted their swords, and flew directly toward Taixuan Peak.
No one noticed that two Xuantian Tower disciples deliberately fell behind. As they continued flying, their figures gradually faded until they vanished completely.
Even Master Jingyin failed to notice. He was too busy quietly edging closer to Zhu Hongwei, desperate to understand how things had somehow developed into this situation.
He lowered his voice and urgently asked, “What exactly is going on? Is he really the Illustrious Sage?”
Zhu Hongwei was in an excellent mood. He smiled and replied, “Since the Law Sage and the Commander have both said so, naturally it’s absolutely true. There’s no mistake.”
He patted Master Jingyin on the shoulder. “Brother, you’ve really struck gold this time. Everyone in Xuantian Tower has deep feelings for Lord Yunqi and cherishes him immensely. Your Chensu Sect has looked after him for eighteen years. With such a tremendous favour between you, why would you ever have to worry about not being repaid in the future?”
Master Jingyin’s vision went black, and he nearly fell straight off his sword.
This time, they had truly made a colossal mistake. Of all the people they could have offended, they had somehow managed to offend the Illustrious Sage.
Even without Zhu Hongwei explaining it, Master Jingyin had heard plenty about how much the entire Xuantian Tower cared about the Illustrious Sage.
While he was alive, they had cherished and protected him beyond measure. After what had happened eighteen years ago, his name had become a thorn lodged in everyone’s hearts. Now that he had finally been found again, their attachment to him would probably be ten times stronger than before.
At present, everyone else was excited, anxious, or delighted. Only Master Jingyin was scratching his head in terror.
This clearly couldn’t continue. Master Jingyin knew very well that even if they reached Taixuan Peak, the Xuantian Tower members wouldn’t actually be able to find Ye Huaiyao.
Not only was that brat currently nowhere to be found, but even before this, after losing to Cheng Yuan in the sect competition, he had already been unconscious when he was sent down the mountain to a thatched hut. He hadn’t returned for quite some time.
The time Master Jingyin had managed to buy was rapidly running out. The disciples he had sent away still hadn’t returned with news that they had found Ye Huaiyao. So what should he do now?
Before he could think of a solution, Rong Wang, who was also making his way up the mountain, had already spotted the people from Xuantian Tower.
Good and evil had always been natural enemies. Yan Chen and the others had fought the Beicang Demon Lord fiercely in the past. Now that Rong Wang had recovered his memories, he recognised these old enemies at a glance.
His thoughts moved quickly. After a moment’s consideration, he guessed that Ye Huaiyao’s true identity must have already been discovered.
In that case, Ye Huaiyao was certainly safe. There was no need for him to interfere anymore. That made sense.
Logically speaking, Yan Chen and the others were the people in this world closest to Ye Huaiyao. And what was he, compared to them?
If Ye Huaiyao found out that he was Rong Wang, perhaps he wouldn’t even want to exchange a single word with him.
Moreover, the demonic energy within Rong Wang had not yet been completely dispersed. If he went forward recklessly, Yan Chen and the others might notice something was wrong and create unnecessary trouble.
He looked up at the distant mountain peak. The hand hanging at his side unconsciously clenched into a fist. Faint traces of blood from the injuries he had sustained while running could still be seen along his palm.
He had struggled all this way up the mountain. He was almost beside Ye Huaiyao, and yet, in the end, he stopped.
The panic and worry that had seized him earlier gradually faded, and he remembered once more the unchanging truth: The Demon Lord and the Illustrious Sage had always walked different paths. They had never traveled the same road.
But there was nothing to be sad about. A thousand years had passed. He should have gotten used to it by now, shouldn’t he?
A bitter smile appeared on Rong Wang’s beautiful yet gloomy face. But it vanished almost immediately, as though even his expression of pain had a time limit.
He understood his own circumstances, but he didn’t leave immediately. After all, he was the Beicang Demon Lord, a man who never let a grudge go unanswered. Even if he couldn’t openly interfere right now, he could still give those arrogant bastards a little trouble.
Rong Wang wandered around the mountain for a while and soon encountered a young woman with red, swollen eyes. He had seen her deliver meals to Ye Huaiyao several times before and knew that she was also a disciple of Taixuan Peak. She was Ye Huaiyao’s shijie, Lin Xiu.
—This woman treats Ye Huaiyao quite well.
Of course. He was naturally lovable. Most people treated him well. Anyone who treated him badly simply wasn’t a good person.
Rong Wang saw absolutely nothing logically flawed with this line of reasoning. His expression changed in an instant. In the blink of an eye, he put on a timid, frightened look and followed behind Lin Xiu.
Ye Huaiyao wouldn’t like a naive, foolish girl like her. But right now, he needed precisely this kind of person.
Lin Xiu was already upset over Ye Huaiyao. She had long harboured feelings for this handsome and carefree shidi of hers. Unfortunately, she had feelings for him while his heart remained unmoved, so she could only give up.
This time, after learning that the Sect Leader seemed intent on executing Ye Huaiyao in order to appease Peak Master Cheng’s anger, Lin Xiu was terribly anxious but completely helpless. She wandered aimlessly around the mountain like a lost soul. Then she spotted this young boy who also seemed to enjoy hovering around Ye Huaiyao.
Her own troubled feelings were stirred once again. She listlessly asked, “Why are you following me?”
“Sister.” Rong Wang spoke timidly.
“Do you—do you know where Brother Ye is?”
Lin Xiu gave a bitter smile. She couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to the child, nor did she answer his question. Instead, she asked, “Why are you looking for him?”
Rong Wang said, “I heard that the Sect Leader is going to arrest Brother Ye and punish him. But a group of people just came up the mountain, and they’re asking about this matter. It seems they’re here to rescue him. If they can’t find him, they’ll leave. I have to tell him quickly.”
Lin Xiu was simple-minded by nature. There was no way she would suspect such a timid little child. The moment she heard this, she became anxious.
Whether the information was true or false, and regardless of who those people were or what their origins might be, this was the only chance Ye Huaiyao had left to survive.
But where could they find him at such short notice?
Lin Xiu grew increasingly anxious. She bit her lip and said, “How about this, little brother. Go check somewhere else and see if Ye-shidi is there. Where are the people you mentioned? I…I’ll go over there now and stop them first!”
A strange glimmer flashed through Rong Wang’s eyes, yet his face immediately broke into an innocent, delighted, and grateful smile. He nodded vigorously. “They’re heading toward Taixuan Peak.”
Lin Xiu steeled herself. Human life was at stake. Whatever happened, she had to take the chance. She nodded firmly. “I understand. Little brother, please go look for Ye-shidi again.”
She still couldn’t fly on a sword. After saying this, she gathered up the hem of her skirt and hurried away.
Rong Wang slowly turned around He pretended to walk a few steps. Then, once he reached the shelter of a large tree, he casually lifted the hem of his robe and sat down on the ground. Cross-legged, he began circulating his cultivation, slowly refining and absorbing the demonic energy within his body.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Master Jingyin was leading the Xuantian Tower group through the air. They had reached about halfway when the scouts Yan Xuan had secretly dispatched finally returned.
“Eldest Shixiong.”
The scout whispered into his ear, “I already made some inquiries. For some reason, whenever the people of the Chensu Sect mention that disciple named Ye Huaiyao, they all look flustered, as though they’re deliberately hiding something and avoiding the subject. Time was short, and it wasn’t convenient to press them, so I couldn’t find out the reason. I only learned that after the sect competition, he was sent to live in the outer sect and is not on Taixuan Peak at all. Zhang-shidi is still searching.”
Even without learning the exact reason, those few words were enough to tell Yan Chen that Ye Huaiyao had certainly not been treated well here.
His heart clenched, and his expression darkened. He sheathed his sword and landed on the ground. “Don’t go any farther.”
With Taixuan Peak already just ahead, Master Jingyin was filled with unease, wondering how he was going to explain this futile and ridiculous search. Seeing the strange look on Yan Chen’s face, his own expression tightened.
When the others saw that the Law Sage had stopped flying, they naturally did not dare continue ahead of him and likewise sheathed their swords and landed. Yan Chen was burning with impatience and had no mood for pleasantries. He looked coldly at Master Jingyin. “Master Jingyin, please tell us the truth. Where exactly is Ye Huaiyao?”
His words startled everyone around him. He Zhanyang exclaimed, “What do you mean? Shixiong isn’t at Taixuan Peak? Then… then why did they bring us there?”
Yan Chen also found the whole thing utterly baffling. Were the people of the Chensu Sect out of their minds?
Although he had noticed all of Master Jingyin’s panicked reactions whenever Ye Huaiyao was mentioned, Yan Chen had thought that since the other party had already agreed to take them to see his shidi, finding the person first was what mattered. Whatever the truth was, he could ask about it afterward.
Who could have imagined that Master Jingyin would inexplicably lead them toward Taixuan Peak with such solemnity, when it was actually nothing more than an empty, deserted mountain?
Wasn’t this simply leading them around in circles for no reason? Who had given him the courage to do such a thing? Had he gone mad? What exactly had happened?
Master Jingyin stammered, “This… he… he isn’t…”
Even Zhan Yu could no longer restrain himself. He rushed forward, grabbed Master Jingyin by the collar, and demanded, “Where did you take my shixiong? Tell me now! Otherwise, I’ll tear down your mountain and smash your Chensu Sect!”
Master Jingyin could barely breathe. As the sect leader of a major sect, he was a full generation senior to Zhan Yu, yet he found himself completely unable to break free. He could only stammer: “He… he originally lived at the foot of the mountain… cough, cough… I don’t know if he’s still there…”
Zhan Yu said furiously, “I’ll settle accounts with you after I find him!”
He shoved Master Jingyin aside. Yan Chen had already flicked his sleeve and summoned his sword.
He was desperate to find Ye Huaiyao and was just about to leave when a young woman’s urgent voice suddenly rang out behind him. “Young master, please wait!”
Yan Chen paused and turned around. A girl who looked about eighteen or nineteen was running toward him, panting heavily. It was Lin Xiu.
Rong Wang had deliberately misled her and concealed the crucial information. Lin Xiu had no idea that this seemingly noble young man was someone of extraordinary status. Seeing him truly about to leave, she immediately became frantic.
She rushed up to Yan Chen, her face full of anxiety. “This young master, please don’t go! Please save Ye-shidi! He… he’s really about to be driven to his death by Sect Leader and the others!”
The very Sect Leader she claimed was trying to “drive Ye-shidi to his death” was standing right there in front of her. It could be imagined how much courage it had taken for Lin Xiu to say those words. Master Jingyin had never imagined that she would suddenly reveal this. His entire face turned ashen.
The people of Xuantian Tower were already completely bewildered. Hearing her say something so alarming, every one of them changed expression.
Seeing that the situation was becoming dangerous, an elder of the Chensu Sect hurried forward and struck toward Lin Xiu’s back with his palm. He seemed willing to risk arousing suspicion if it meant silencing her permanently. “Nonsense!”
Before his palm could reach her, He Zhanyang flew forward and kicked him squarely in the chest. “I think you’re the one talking nonsense! Get lost!”
They had been courteous earlier out of propriety, as well as because they had believed that Ye Huaiyao had received care from the Chensu Sect. Now that the truth had come to light, that elder was utterly incapable of resisting He Zhanyang’s kick. He didn’t even have time to make a sound before tumbling down the mountain.
Yan Chen turned to Lin Xiu. “What exactly happened? Your Ye-shidi… how is he now?”
Lin Xiu hurriedly said, “The mountain was shaking just now, and I don’t know where he went. I’ve already sent people to look for him. He used to live at the foot of the mountain, but I don’t know whether he might have gone back there to collect his things.”
Only then did everyone finally breathe a sigh of relief. He Zhanyang couldn’t help muttering, “Amitabha. That scared me half to death.”
Zhan Yu stood silently beside him and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Yan Chen said, “Miss, please come with us. You can tell us everything while we go.”
Desperate to find Ye Huaiyao, he took Lin Xiu down the mountain on his sword and asked her to explain the situation in detail. Seeing the concern on everyone’s faces, and noticing that Yan Chen’s very first question had been about Ye Huaiyao’s safety, Lin Xiu realised that he truly cared about him. Her heart settled somewhat, and she continued:
“We’re all disciples of Taixuan Peak, but after our master passed away, no one looked after us anymore, and we were bullied everywhere. Ye-shidi was naturally gifted and worked hard to cultivate his skills, but Cheng-shixiong destroyed his spiritual meridians and drove him down to live in a thatched hut at the foot of the mountain.
And that still wasn’t enough. The Sect Leader wanted him dead, so he deliberately sent him to Ghost Wind Forest. Unexpectedly, he was humiliated there again…”
Only some of the things Lin Xiu knew had been witnessed by her personally. Most of them had merely been things she had heard from others.
Rumours tended to become exaggerated. And after suffering neglect herself for so many years, Lin Xiu had long come to see the person she loved, Ye Huaiyao, as a kind, helpless, and pitiful young man who was constantly bullied by others.
Once feelings became involved, everything became dangerous. The story she told, after being embellished by her emotions, was devastating.
Lin Xiu recounted how Yan Jin had arrogantly humiliated Ye Huaiyao, how Cheng Yuan had repeatedly pressured him, how he had been injured and rendered unconscious, and how he had gone without food or drink while recuperating at the foot of the mountain.
She herself harboured plenty of resentment. In order to move Yan Chen and the others, she racked her brains, bringing up every little thing she had heard, no matter how insignificant. By the time she finished, Yan Chen and the others were all livid, their hands trembling uncontrollably.
To make figures who had been famous for so many years become this enraged and lose their composure, the Chensu Sect had, in a sense, truly achieved its sect leader’s wish of becoming famous throughout the world.
By the time Lin Xiu finished telling them everything, they were already nearing the thatched hut where Ye Huaiyao had recuperated.
Yan Chen pushed open the door and looked around at the arrangement of the objects inside.
The brothers had grown up together from childhood and knew one another intimately. Even the smallest habits of the others were familiar to them. With one glance, Yan Chen could tell with absolute certainty that Ye Huaiyao had lived here. He was both relieved and furious.
The relief came from knowing that no matter what Ye Huaiyao had gone through or what he had become, at least he was still alive and well. The anger, naturally, was directed at the Chensu Sect and Yan Jin.
Yan Chen looked at the shabby, dilapidated hut. Outside were piles of firewood, buckets, and other household implements. He couldn’t help wondering whether Ye Huaiyao, injured and living in such a miserable place, had also been forced to do hard labor.
—Since childhood, when had he ever done anything like this?
Ye Huaiyao had entered Xuantian Tower at sixteen. Not only was he exceptionally handsome, he was also intelligent and quick-witted, skilled in both literary and martial pursuits. On top of that, he had been born with an easygoing temperament that made everyone adore him. Above him, his master and shixiongs doted on him. Below him, his shidis and shimeis fawned over him. Everyone was always afraid that he might be unhappy or uncomfortable. When had he ever suffered even the slightest grievance?
And now, after coming to this impoverished little Chensu Sect, he had somehow ended up suffering through so many miserable things.
Even Yan Chen, who was normally calm and broad-minded and rarely allowed his emotions to show on his face, was trembling slightly with anger. He gripped the doorframe of the thatched hut, almost unable to speak.
Zhan Yu stared at the hut. His sharp eyes suddenly noticed a plate of hard, dried cornbread sitting on the table.
Of course, he had no idea that Ye Huaiyao, who had long been well provided for by Huaijiang, would never touch something like this. He only remembered that his shixiong loved good food. A tremendous ache seized his heart.
He suddenly turned around. “Who is Yan Jin?”
Zhan Yu was seething with anger. His gaze was as sharp as lightning, and from the expressions of those around him, he had already identified Yan Jin. His hatred for him had reached its peak.
Yan Jin’s status was considerable. If Zhan Yu tried to kill him, someone would certainly intervene. But Zhan Yu felt such heartache for his shixiong that he had already hardened his resolve. Even if he had to suffer severe punishment afterward, he was determined to vent this anger.
He knew someone would stop him if he attacked, so he deliberately used a little trick. After asking the question, he took two steps forward. Then, without the slightest warning, he struck!
An incomparably fierce burst of energy shot directly toward Yan Jin. Even the people standing nearby felt the overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
Yan Jin was caught completely off guard. He was on the verge of being killed on the spot when, suddenly, someone appeared on the slope nearby.
The newcomer appeared at precisely the wrong (or perhaps right) moment, stepping directly between Yan Jin and Zhan Yu’s attack and becoming an unwilling human shield.
Being killed by a single attack like that would have been terribly unjust. But this was a strike delivered by the Commander of Xuantian Tower with genuine killing intent. How many people in this world could withstand it?
The newcomer merely paused for an instant. Then, in the blink of an eye, he raised his hand.
With a practiced motion, he guided and redirected the surging force through the air, turning its trajectory and sending it crashing into the empty ground beside him.
His movements were so smooth and familiar that it was as though he had practiced the technique thousands upon thousands of times.
Zhan Yu froze, then the words burst from his lips: “Shixiong!”
His voice was already choked with emotion. Seeing Ye Huaiyao stagger, he immediately rushed forward and caught him.
After searching everywhere and finding nothing, the brothers had finally appeared before one another again in such a hurried, unexpected manner. There had been no time at all for the nervous anticipation of finally returning home. Zhan Yu grabbed Ye Huaiyao’s arm and felt the warmth of his body for real.
He held on tightly. There were a thousand things he wanted to say, yet not a single word would come out. His nose stung, and he could only repeat, almost foolishly: “Shixiong…”
Author’s Note:
Xuantian Tower’s family-and-friends support group: My heart is racing just like those readers desperately waiting for the next update.
