Ch26.1 - A Censored Dream

Editor: Sahloknir

Peng Lai sect.

The incense burner let out a white smoke that gradually dispersed in the palace. Zhou Zhengping took away his hand from Jiang Yinghe and shifted his whisk. He sighed, “Your injuries are due to forcefully circulating energy through your meridians. Although you received spiritual energy from others, your foundation is still damaged.”

Yan Caiwei added on from beside him, “That agrees with what I found when I checked. Jiang-shidi is of a higher realm than me, so healing this injury will mostly be up to himself.”

Jiang Yinghe nodded and retracted his wrist back under his sleeve. “It appears worse than it actually is.”

Yun Buxiu who was there the entire time snorted. “No it looks exactly as bad as it is. What else do you call blocked meridian circulation and damage to your foundation? If an injury like yours persists, how will you endure your next tribulation?”

Jiang Yinghe slowly took a sip of tea. “It will be fine. Besides, who knows when my next tribulation will take place?”

“It’s because we don’t know that we have to be more careful.” said Yun Buxiu, “I heard Yan-shijie’s disciples talking about how you and those bastard…”

He was planning to say those ‘bastard disciples’, but a terrifying and inexplicable fear arose in his mind like he had been harmed by them before. It was hair-raising enough to make him take a pause. He could only look disappointedly at Jiang Yinghe, before continuing, “…those disciples. You—you four did that?”

Jiang Yinghe: “…It’s not what you’re thinking.”

“Even one is one too many.” Xiao Yun-shidi took a deep breath as he spoke from his heart. “Abbot Chan Qing has already said you will have a test of mentality related to romance. In the worst case you could lose your soul. Jiang-shixiong…”

Yan Caiwei stopped him with a tug on his sleeve. She cleared her throat. “The situation really was different from what Xiao Yun-shidi is thinking. The three of them were merely replenishing your Jiang-shixiong’s energy reserves so he could suppress the underhanded method used by a demonic cultivator. Their intentions were pure.”

Yun Buxiu snatched back his sleeve and began to pace in front of the others. He said impatiently, “In the end, I still think that Jiang-shixiong should stay in Peng Lai to recuperate.”

Jiang Yinghe drank some more tea to ease his throat before putting the cup down. “There’s no need. I will be able to take good care of myself. There’s still no solution for Jun-er’s hand, so I have asked someone to inquire about it at Yao Wang valley. Chang Ye also needs a saber to be commissioned …After cultivating for so long, my injury will heal in the blink of an eye.”

He continued with a raised brow. “Isn’t a Hollowed Cave demonic cultivator being eliminated by Huanhan and I a good thing for the world?”

It’s like catching a serial killer on Earth. Not only is it a good deed, there would also be awards and praise aplomb. Jiang Yinghe had been secretly happy in his heart for a long time, but he received only concern about his injuries from these sect siblings of his.

“It is a good thing,” Zhou Zhengping said steadily, “but it’s not worth you becoming injured over. Since you say that your disciple was helping you recover from the underhanded methods of that demonic cultivator, what exactly did he do?”

Jiang Yinghe was too embarrassed to explain the effects of the Seven Days of Joy or whatever it was. He tried to calm down and said, “It’s a type of illusion to confuse the mind.”

Zhou Zhengping nodded and didn’t think more of it. Then he saw Yan Caiwei who was listening in from beside him choke on her tea. She glanced up at Jiang Yinghe before putting down her cup.

She wiped her mouth and helped to explain. “Yes…it’s a type of illusion. You all know that the He Huan Sect specialises in illusions. Why don’t we immediately let Jiang-shidi return to his residence to recuperate?”

Neither Zhou Zhengping nor Xiao Yun-shidi voiced any disagreement. Jiang Yinghe slightly relaxed and nodded to Yan-shijie as he departed Peng Lai’s main palace.

Only when that figure in white had left their sights did Zhou Zhengping follow up. “What kind of illusion was it?”

Yan Caiwei replied helplessly, “An illusion of affection.”

Yun Buxiu who had calmed down angrily lifted his eyes at those words. “And his disciples still surrounded him?!”

Xiao Yun-shidi looked up to Jiang Yinghe as a role model and was very partial towards him. He spat out his grievances and rose to leave, muttering, “I have to ask those juniors if they have impure intentions towards their Shizun. No one is going to touch him on my watch while that test of mentality is still—”

He paused as that bone-deep sense of danger rose up again. At the same time, Yan Caiwei called out to him.

“Come back.” Yan-shijie knocked on the table. “Your shixiong is missing his passion root so there’s no need to worry.”

Xiao Yun-shidi was able to gradually calm down at the reminder. He later said, “Even if he doesn’t have a passion root, he cares so much for his disciples. Wouldn’t it break his heart to learn that some, if not all of them, are secretly interested in him?”

“That’s a problem that they will have to solve themselves.” Yan Caiwei said. “Everyone’s journey to immortality is different. Maybe Jiang-shidi must experience something like this so that he can grow stronger from it.”

Yun Buxiu was just about to argue with her when Zhangmen-shixiong spoke.

“That’s enough.” Zhou Zhengping said. “People’s fortunes are their own. Jiang-shidi was never one to believe in fate, so he wouldn’t believe in a relationship being his end. He trusts in the ability of men to conquer the heavens, so let us put our trust in him.”

Qing Jing Peak, White Crane Jade Manor.

The crane spirits had been waiting for their master to return for a long time, so it took a while before they were satisfied with how much Jiang Yinghe petted them and let him through.

Everything was still the same inside. The cold jade walls continued to give off a refreshingly cool aura. Jiang Yinghe immediately spotted Chang Ye who was reaching for a book on the shelves.

The bookshelf didn’t contain anything related to cultivation, just old records of Peng Lai and some stories from the cultivation world.

Chang Ye was wearing a red outfit with darker flowers embroidered on the edges. There was a string of jade beads at his waist that lightly swayed as he moved.

Jiang Yinghe stared for a moment before realizing how tall he had grown. He was no longer the youth that used to squirm into his arms. Although Chang Ye still had a youthful appearance and childish personality, his body resembled that of a young adult. Only half of his hair was tied up and the other half was free to scatter on his shoulder.

Jiang Yinghe stood there a while longer as he thought back to many years ago when he found him encased in ice. What hurt the most about people that used to be young and helpless wasn’t their vulnerability, but their gradual road to independence.

Chang Ye seemed to notice someone behind him as he took out a book. He turned to reveal half of his exquisite features.

The originally calm eyes lit up once they saw that Jiang Yinghe had returned, revealing an unbridled joy.

“Shizun!” He bounded over and dove into his arms like he always did. Just when he was about to continue acting spoiled, the other person tapped on his shoulder.

“Chang Ye,” Jiang Yinghe said softly, “you can’t continue acting like this or you won’t grow up properly.”

Chang Ye disagreed and said in a small, wronged voice, “Does Shizun not want to dote on Ye-er anymore?”

Jiang Yinghe knew he would react like this and sighed. He reached over and flicked his forehead. “Why are you thinking all day about how to stick to me instead of cultivating?”

Chang Ye reached up to cover where his forehead had been hit, then quickly showed the book he had just taken out to Jiang Yinghe. He asked curiously, “Shizun, what is this?”

Jiang Yinghe casually glanced down only to freeze.

A column of simplified Chinese was on the cover, written by him. It read—

‘How to Care for Sows After Birth’

Jiang Yinghe: “…”

If he remembered correctly, this was from when he just started cultivating and was not about pigs. Tong Guiyu had shoved this little yellow book into his personal dimension. He thought the cover was too vulgar so he wrapped it in a new one …He probably didn’t throw it away then because the Jiang Yinghe in the past was still a virgin and was still interested in stuff like that.

In fact, he was still a virgin now.

The bookshelf of his residence was filled with so many old books that he had long lost track of them all. He looked at the innocent expression on his youngest disciple’s face and felt a deep sense of shame blossom in his heart. He thought about what to say before speaking in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone, “It’s a guide to caring for devil beasts and of no use to you. Leave it here.”

Chang Ye considered the words ‘caring for devil beasts’ in his head before sweeping his gaze down to the overly simplified characters on the cover. He hesitantly said, “Shizun likes to…raise devil beasts?”

Jiang Yinghe did have several cranes in his front yard, although they were spirit beasts, they were technically also a type of devil beast. After some thought, he replied, “I like to raise obedient and cute ones.”

Chang Ye blinked and scuttled over. “I’m good at being obedient and cute, so will Shizun raise me?”

Jiang Yinghe gave him a look. He took that little yellow book from his hands and said, “Haven’t I been raising you already? You weren’t this brave when I first took you in that year.”

He remembered the incident where he was poisoned by the Seven Days of Joy as he spoke. “When that demonic cultivator… Were you scared then?”

If he had asked this question to Li Huanhan or Qin Jun, they would’ve denied it with their next breath. Only Chang Ye would hesitate slightly before admitting, “A little bit.”

He wasn’t scared of that demonic cultivator but of Shizun getting hurt inside and him being unable to arrive until it was too late.

Jiang Yinghe warmly replied, “It’s okay to be scared. You won’t need to be anymore when you get stronger because you can protect the ones you love. Before then, you will be safe under Shizun and your Shixiongs’ wings.”

He rubbed his little disciple’s hair to comfort him while placing the book further away. He didn’t expect that momentary distraction was enough for his little disciple to pounce on him and send them both down.

The two of them were standing near the bed, so it didn’t hurt even if they fell. But Jiang Yinghe still felt Chang Ye’s hand cushioning his head. That hand was slender and soft, with only a thin layer of calluses from holding a sword.

The other person’s untied hair drifted down to mingle with Jiang Yinghe’s own inky locks.

Chang Ye’s eyes were bright. His protective seal glowed intermittently. The half of his face that was shown was a devastating beauty, while the other ruined half was covered by a black mask depicting a vicious beast.

“I want to protect Shizun as well.” Chang Ye hugged him from above. His head was buried in the nook of his Shizun’s shoulder, and he spoke in a gloomy voice. “Please don’t treat me like I’m still a child, Shizun. I’m actually…”

He suddenly paused and looked up to take in Jiang Yinghe’s visage.

Actually what? Hasn’t he always protected him from the shadows? Right, he’s not like the other two. He just wants, just wants to face him…

The voice in Chang Ye’s heart grew quieter. All his emotions were like a tightly wound string struggling to contain the magnitude of his lies.

His erratic heartbeat, the warmly flushed tips of his ears and the uncontrollable feelings in his heart… All of it seemed to betray his gradually twisted intentions.

His emotions reached a breaking point as they snapped one by one.

Chang Ye came even closer as he heard Jiang Yinghe’s warm laugh.

“You act so childishly but also want me to not treat you like one?” Jiang Yinghe didn’t notice anything was wrong since his little disciple has always been this shamelessly spoiled. Embracing each other on the bed wasn’t anything too taboo. “Then I’ll be waiting for you to grow up.”

Before he could finish, he found his wrist caught by Chang Ye, who said seriously, “When I grow up, will Shizun be willing to stay under Ye-er’s wings?”

Jiang Yinghe was touched by this display of piety, but he had to refuse. “The path to the Dao is difficult. I am already at the peak and treading in unknown territory. There is no need for someone of the younger generation to pave the road for me.”

Chang Ye looked at Jiang Yinghe with a sincere look in his eyes. There seemed to be no trace of romantic interest in that innocent gaze.

Only he knew he was caught in an inferno.

He lifted a hand to play around with the hair beside Jiang Yinghe’s ear. “Shizun, I’ve remembered some things from my past.”

Jiang Yinghe listened attentively.

“When I completed my golden core a few days ago, some indistinct memories came into focus.” Chang Ye said quietly. “All I could remember was darkness, blood, and an endless slaughter, like the only way to survive was to kill… The kind of things best forgotten.”

He rested his head on Jiang Yinghe’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

“I’ve never met someone like Shizun, who treats the whole world with kindness.”

Jiang Yinghe never knew his youngest disciple thought so highly of him. His words were just too pitiful to bear!

He was just an ordinary guy trying to slowly find his way home. He didn’t bring them along purely out of the goodness of his heart.

“There are many people like that where I grew up.” Jiang Yinghe looked at him with a soft look in his eyes. “They were willing to be righteous and helpful and to make the world a better place.”

Jiang Yinghe poured out another bowl of chicken soup according to the education curriculum in his heart. He really felt like his style of teaching could easily raise upstanding pillars of society. He added another phrase.

“Chang Ye is too harsh a name.” He said, “But it doesn’t matter because the moon will accompany you through the night.”

Chang Ye didn’t speak but tightened his arms around Jiang Yinghe’s waist. “…I want Shizun to accompany me.”

He fully realized it only now—Jiang Yinghe was the brightly shining moon beside him, while he was just a star lost in the vast night sky. He didn’t just want to protect him, and it wasn’t just a desire to repay him. He wanted to accompany him and be by his side for thousands of years to come.

For the rest of their lives.

I wish that I was a star, and you were the moon.

__

Jiang Yinghe tested the progression of his cultivation until nightfall. Only then did he let his youngest disciple go rest.

It was only later that night that Jiang Yinghe realized that Chang Ye’s progress bar shot forward by a huge margin. But his cultivation level didn’t change? He couldn’t figure out what was going on.

He sat on his bed contemplating the factors that might affect the progress bar like ‘mental health’ or ‘master-disciple relationship’. After thinking it over, it’s likely that the two aforementioned things could be affecting it.

Especially that second one… Huh? The already good relationship between him and his disciples can improve even further? To what end? Are they going to make a blood oath and become a family?

Jiang Yinghe’s thoughts veered further off track in a humorous direction. He suddenly remembered that little yellow book on the nightstand.

He picked it up and absentmindedly flipped open the present he once got from Tong Guiyu.

He sucked in a quick breath and immediately slapped it shut.

…He had flipped to a page with pictures.

It was too much excitement for this thousand-year bachelor.

Jiang Yinghe took a deep breath and began reading from the first page. He slowly relaxed after a few more pages.

He didn’t seem to react to it at all, so why did he chase Tong Guiyu around with Wangchen and cut off half his hair back then? It seems that even a thousand years of no action still counted as a kind of experience. A book like this wasn’t enough to affect him!

Strangely satisfied, Jiang Yinghe put aside the book and prepared to go to bed.

The night was well underway when the crane spirits resting at the entrance were startled awake by a series of footsteps. They looked up to see a dark shadow enter the manor.

Only Jiang Yinghe and his three disciples could freely enter the White Crane Jade Manor, so the cranes decided not to wake their master and drifted back off into dreamland.

That person’s body gave off a slightly cool air. He waited until it dispersed before approaching the bed. He stood there for a very long time.

Long enough that he thought he might turn into a statue.

Before he came, his heart felt like it was on fire. It was only able to calm down when he saw Shizun’s face.

The other person was just too beautiful even when sleeping. His loose black hair was spread across the bedding and his skin was as white as frost. Even his breathing was slow and steady.

He only sat by his side for a while when he noticed that Jiang Yinghe was slightly frowning in his sleep as if he was somewhat uncomfortable.

Rain: Haha Jiang Yinghe you’re going to regret this so much later.

Sahl: Yun Buxiu: ‘Even one is one too many.’ I laughed so hard at this!

Please give a warm welcome to the new editor for this novel, Sahloknir!