Ch27.1 - You Little Punk

Editor: Sahloknir

Jiang Yinghe finally had a restful night of sleep.

He wasn’t the kind of person that objected too much when his personal space was invaded. Even if Jun-er seemed to get tired and laid down beside him later that night, he didn’t wake up.

It’s difficult to remain vigilant around those you trust.

Jiang Yinghe drowsily woke up and went about his morning routine. According to Tong Guiyu, if that bracelet is worn at night then the side effects during the day would be negligible.

He took off the bracelet and stored it in his personal dimension. When he went to brush his hair, he discovered a sleek braid in it.

Jiang Yinghe was taken aback and examined the braid closer. It was very neatly braided, with a gray thread tightly fastening the end.

He touched it to discover it wasn’t a light gray thread but a strand of hair.

Jiang Yinghe was now completely awake. He called out exasperatedly, “Jun-er?”

Low laughter rang out from behind him. Qin Jun was standing by his side, his face contrite but his voice unrepentant. “Last night was too boring. This disciple has offended Shizun.”

Jiang Yinghe tried to untie the braid. “Your right hand is only bone now so how is it still so restless?”

His attention was focused once again on all the wrong points. He thought that Qin Jun’s handiwork was so skilled that even he couldn’t untie it.

Jiang Yinghe struggled some more and began to suspect that Jun-er tied a permanent knot.

Then another hand caught his fingers and encircled his wrist to deftly loosen the strands of hair.

Qin Jun was slightly smiling as he tidied Shizun’s hair. “This disciple will take care of it.”

Jiang Yinghe closed his eyes and made a noise of agreement. In some aspects Jun-er was even more willful than Chang Ye. Although Chang Ye liked to act spoiled, he didn’t go much further than that. Qin Jun always gave Jiang Yinghe the feeling that…he could do anything if motivated enough.

Strange, why would he think that?

He heard a voice beside his ear in the midst of his considerations.

“Shizun,” Qin Jun said, “those outside the sect all say that people like me are arrogant and easily led astray. If…”

His words slowed to a stop with a note of tentativeness.

“If this disciple did go down the wrong path, will Shizun still treat me like you do now?”

Qin Jun’s fingers ran through Jiang Yinghe’s long, silky black hair to gather it in his palm. He secured it with a silver jade crown.

The hairpin he used to affix the crown was engraved with many runes. From this perspective, he could just catch sight of the tip of a pearly white ear.

Jiang Yinghe had given thought to the problem of his disciples straying from the righteous path before. Although he had 20 km long disciple-loving glasses on, he wasn’t completely blind. Even though his disciples were dear to him, he wouldn’t deny their faults.

Jiang Yinghe paused for a moment before speaking from his heart. “For the sake of the common people I should take care of my own business. But if it involves you then I would guide you back onto the right path.”

The movements tidying his hair stopped momentarily.

Qin Jun approached closer from behind, half-hugging his waist. “The right path for me is wherever Shizun is.”

Jiang Yinghe thought that this was somewhat strange, but he glossed past it. “If all of you make an effort to remain righteous, you won’t be led astray….”

He paused as the Little Jiang Shizun System that had been silent for a long time suddenly popped up. Qin Jun’s progress bar became completely pink and tiny hearts even drifted out.

Jiang Yinghe: …I didn’t know this was a magical girl anime now. Is this system broken or something?

“Remain righteous.” Qin Jun repeated those words while staring at Jiang Yinghe’s long and shapely brows. There was a self-deprecating smile on his lips. “Who decides what is righteous or not? The merciless heavens do not discriminate between good and evil.”

Even if the heavens were merciless, Qin Jun still had misgivings about his past life—he was born a wraith and the de facto leader of all ghost cultivators, and this part of his identity was also what lead to his downfall at the hands of the Dao. Is a Half-step Golden Immortal the furthest ghost cultivators could reach?

Qin Jun lowered his eyes and leaned forward to breath that bewitching fragrance  deep into his lungs.

If it was a hundred years ago, Qin Jun would wickedly grab his Shizun’s waist and use the excuse of being subsumed by countless ghosts to take a few bites, and satisfy the urge to consume the person in front of him, but now—

He watched as Jiang Yinghe met his gaze and said with a serious tone, “The heavens might not be able to discriminate, but the hearts of people can. You just have to hold yourself accountable.”

Jiang Yinghe kept pouring more chicken soup as he touched the crown in his hair. There was another braid hidden beneath it, and it was even tied a different way.

Jiang Yinghe: “…Jun-er.”

Qin Jun seemed to be holding back his laughter, but he quickly recovered and pretended that he was just coughing. He began to massage Jiang Yinghe’s shoulders as his hot breath brushed past his neck.

“Forgive me Shizun,” He lowered his head. “but it looks good on you.”

Jiang Yinghe gave him a look. “I’m going to get angry.”

His only answer was his disciple’s delighted laughter as he embraced him. His ear was getting warm from the other person’s breath.

“It really looks good, don’t be picky, Shizun.”

…This isn’t a matter of preferences. His pride as a teacher was totally deflated because of this braid!

Jiang Yinghe felt like he had completely lost. How did Jun-er have enough energy to not only watch over him all night but even learn how to act unrepentant like Chang Ye?

He gathered up the tattered remains of his pride and sighed.

“Don’t do this again or I really will be angry.”

He was like a good-natured person issuing empty threats to a misbehaving child. Even his reprimands were suffused with loving warmth.

Little did he know, his three disciples all desired a different kind of love from him.

__

Naturally, Qin Jun wasn’t able to ‘struggle’ to stay up for an entire month. His ‘personable and obedient’ little shidi quickly joined in to ‘relieve’ him of this burden.

Jiang Yinghe trusted them both greatly and was fine with either one staying with him. It was just that when it was Chang Ye’s turn he would always wake up with an extra person in his arms that sleepily called out “Shizun”. With Qin Jun around, he would always find some new way to entertain himself during the night.

Leading to the manor being filled with surprises.

Jiang Yinghe looked around expressionlessly and took in how much the sword mantle had changed in a single night. He suspected that Qin Jun must do this as a hobby or something…did he like to redecorate in his spare time? Why is he so insistent on adding his touch to everything he owns?

He attributed it to one of Qin Jun’s quirks as he took the letter that was delivered to his manor from the mouth of a crane. The letter was sealed with the mark of Lan Ruo Temple.

For some reason, when Jiang Yinghe held this letter he felt a bitter sadness in his heart. It didn’t seem to be good news.

He placed a finger on the Buddhist seal and inserted a stream of spiritual energy to unlock it and take out the contents.

…It said that Hui Jing Canshi had ascended.

Hui Jing Canshi was always roaming the countryside and mingling with mortals. Unfortunately, a few days ago, he met his demise at the hands of the Devil Baron Jiuying. He wasn’t even left a whole corpse.

Jiang Yinghe had met him before. He recalled him being a steadfast and warm monk practitioner. This type of abrupt farewell was common in his experience. If people didn’t depart while alive, then they left when dead.

He stood and fed the letter to the flames. Glancing outside, he could see a figure in red sitting in one of Qing Jing Peak’s ancient trees. There was a nest of spirit bird eggs beside him.

Although Chang Ye was becoming a young adult, he very much resembled a child right now. His legs were dangling in midair as he polished his flute. The female bird was standing on the edge of her nest, approaching him bit by bit.

Chang Ye didn’t move. He had taken to wearing red lately, which only served to highlight his delicate and fair skin. His face was reminiscent of sakura blossoms. Even having one side hidden by a mask didn’t detract from his beauty.

The bird alighted herself on Chang Ye’s shoulder, not frightened at all.

He seemed to naturally be good with all spirit animals. Many little beasts that hadn’t yet awakened their consciousness or ability to shapeshift liked to be in his presence. Even the spiritual cranes by the entrance were the same.

Jiang Yinghe looked on for a long time and felt as if his heart had been touched…His little disciple was so cute and obedient with an easygoing nature, no wonder animals liked him.

Chang Ye’s gentleness was just too eye-catching. His entire person seemed to be filled with the vivacious energy of youth. These past few days Jiang Yinghe had been stunned by the beauty squirming in his arms as he woke up.

And then his mood was lifted even more by his childish antics. What a happy little pistachio.

A weight that Jiang Yinghe didn’t even know was there, was lifted from his shoulders. He considered taking little Chang Ye with him to pay his respects to Lan Ruo Temple on behalf of Peng Lai. He hoped that this child could grow up soon and learn to conceal his overly kind and pure nature.

“Shizun!”

On the other side, Chang Ye seemed to notice his Shizun’s gaze and immediately jumped off the old pine tree. He waved at him through the window.

Jiang Yinghe nodded. Before he could bring up what he had in mind, he felt little Chang Ye grasp his sleeve and suddenly say, “Qin-shixiong hugged you last night!”

Jiang Yinghe: “…Ah?”

Let’s put aside the fact that Qin Jun was reading a book by the candle when he woke up today. Why did Chang Ye sound so upset by this when he squirmed into his arms every other night?

Rain: A war rages on over Jiang Yinghe’s interior decorations…

Sahl: Jiang Yinghe—innocently seducing his disciples one bad boy at a time. :joy: