Ch27.2 - You Little Punk

Editor: Sahloknir

Jiang Yinghe was stunned. He saw his youngest disciple huff indignantly as he climbed in through the window and launched himself into his arms. “Shizun shouldn’t be sleeping around. Isn’t Ye-er alone enough?”

Jiang Yinghe—“Sleeping…around?”

Jiang Yinghe—‘sleeping…around?’

He felt like he was being coerced as the other person hugged his waist tightly. His mind was filled with the phrase, ‘what to do when my child uses words without knowing what they mean…either endure it or correct them with a beating’.

Chang Ye saw nothing wrong with his word choice. He nuzzled Jiang Yinghe’s collarbone hidden underneath a layer of clothes and said in a pitiful voice, “If Shizun doesn’t sleep with me then Ye-er is going to get insomnia wuwuwu…”

Jiang Yinghe spoke up. “…Little Scoundrel, do you think about what you say at all?”

Chang Ye wasn’t saddened by his reprimand. In fact, he planted a kiss on his cheek and looked up with sparkling eyes. “Shizun, please teach me a good lesson!”

Jiang Yinghe was cold outside but warm-hearted inside so he rarely spoke to others this way. Chang Ye grew excited when he listened and he could feel his heart pounding. He wanted very badly to crush this person beneath his original form and lick his Shizun’s collarbone a few times.

Jiang Yinghe was shocked. “…I’ve never heard anyone ask such a strange request.”

—-

Jiang Yinghe originally planned on only taking Chang Ye back to Lan Ruo Temple, but on the grounds that the Seven Days of Joy still hadn’t left in his system and at the advice of his second disciple, he decided to take Qin Jun as well.

In the past few months, he and his disciples had all experienced some form of trial. Jun-er underwent his tribulation to forcefully break through to the Primordial God stage, but he lost his hand in return. Huanhan was experiencing a test of mentality related to his emotions and had retreated into seclusion. And even he himself had gotten a taste of He Huan sect’s secret weapon…Unlucky was too light a word to describe it.

Maybe it was due to the recent events, but Zhou Zhengping insisted that he take the constantly on-edge Yun Buxiu along with his disciples to Lan Ruo Temple.

The white-clothed Yun Buxiu was flying on a crane spirit beast while sneaking glances at his Shixiong. He hurried to look away, pretending to drink his tea when Jiang Yinghe put down his cup to look over.

Jiang Yinghe raised an eyebrow. “Did you want to say something to me?”

Yun Buxiu urged his crane closer to the carriage Jiang Yinghe rode in and carefully looked him over before gathering his courage to say, “Shixiong, your clothes…”

Jiang Yinghe was wearing a black robe covered with embroidered cranes. The soft, dark fabric had several cranes in flight woven on it, and there was a silver border about two finger widths wide on the collar and sleeves.

Jiang Yinghe followed the direction of his gaze and saw his Xiao Yun-shidi reach out to lightly flip over his sleeve. There was a high level restriction placed on the silver lining where the words ‘Bing Zhi’ were written on it.

“I knew I saw something there!” Yun Buxiu huffed as he pointed out the handwriting, “Your disciple is up to no good. What is this, a marking?”

Jiang Yinghe’s clothing could all be considered artifacts. If others wanted to write something or alter them in other ways, they had to add a layer of high-level restrictions first. But this restriction was not malicious in nature and had no impact on the durability of the robe.

He stared at the smoke-coloured words. His first reaction was amusement, Jun-er must have been very bored to resort to writing on his clothes. Just thinking about the scene made him smile lightly.

Then Jiang Yinghe couldn’t help but laugh out loud before coughing twice. “I can’t rein him in anymore. Qin Jun might seem steadfast, but then he turns around and does things like this…I don’t even know what to say.”

Yun Buxiu’s eyes widened. “Don’t you think you’re too lenient with them? It’s important to maintain a level of respect for their Shizun and the Dao…”

Before he could finish, the carriage’s curtain was opened by Qin Jun. His steel-gray eyes looked over with an expression that was only half smiling.

“Yun-shishu,” It was the first time he had called Yun Buxiu that. Qin Jun’s smile sent chills down his spine as he asked, “Do you need more tea?”

Yun Buxiu felt a mysterious pressure on him. He swallowed reflexively. “…No. No need.”

He only let out a breath when Qin Jun went back out. Yun Buxiu didn’t know why he was this nervous. It was like he had been bitten by a snake and had a lingering fear of ropes.

“I did teach them properly.” Jiang Yinghe said. “En, they’re all grown up.”

Yun Buxiu felt like he was talking to an old, sentimental father. He hesitated for a while before deciding to risk his life to say, “Did you see the new novel that the Lan Ling publishing house put out?”

“En?”

“The newest one. It’s about a blackened disciple that transmigrated from another world. After he blackened, he overthrew his Shizun.” Yun Buxiu was wearing a serious expression. “Then he imprisoned, shackled and forced him to do all sorts of wicked things…”

Jiang Yinghe: “…Too many stories can be bad for you.”

Yun Buxiu knew he would react like this. He knocked back his tea like it was wine to try and drown his sorrows. He glumly said, “Jiang-shixiong, I really think you’re in danger.”

Unfortunately, Jiang Yinghe was a very stubborn man. His eldest disciple was willing to go to such lengths to protect the one he loved. His second was a straight man who knew what he wanted. There was no need to talk about his youngest, who was still so sticky even after he grew so much.

And…

Jiang Yinghe lightly sighed. “Chang Ye is my last disciple, I won’t take in another disciple, especially a female. Relax.”

Yun Buxiu: “…???…That’s not what I meant!”

He flopped onto the low tea table in defeat as he looked at Jiang-shixiong’s coldly beautiful features. He asked without much enthusiasm, “Have your injuries gotten any better?”

Jiang Yinghe nodded. “I’m fine, but I never thought that the next time I returned to Lan Ruo Temple would be to send off a monk cultivator I just met not long ago.”

“They don’t care about that.” Yun Buxiu took a sip of his lukewarm tea. “It’s more apt to call it ‘looking to the future’ rather than sending off the deceased…More importantly, it’s to discuss how to get back at that Devil Baron Jiuying for this grievance.”

Chan Qing was in the midst of a test of mentality. Although he had the strength, he was powerless to act. This was the real reason that the various sects were sending their representatives to Lan Ruo Temple.

The cries of the cranes cleared the clouds in the sky. The incense burner to the side was lit, and its fragrant smoke slowly spread.

—-

Not only members from Peng Lai were headed to Lan Ruo Temple. Other major powers like Ying Zhou Sect, Yao Wang Valley and Guang Han Palace were also gathering there.

Hui Jing Canshi’s remains were inside, guarded by the little monk he taught.

Jiang Yinghe looked on from outside for a long time. He came alone. The little monk that met him before at Yun City bowed politely to him but remained silent.

Maybe one day he, Jiang Yinghe would also meet his end like this. It was a common fate for practitioners of the Dao. Even that demonic cultivator from a thousand years ago with the heavenly demon physique who became a Half-step Golden Immortal was unable to escape his fate in the end.

Jiang Yinghe just wanted to go home, but the road there seemed to go on forever with no end in sight.

The first three centuries he became a cultivator, he spent every moment practicing the sword due to his strong desire to ascend and return. In the next three, he learned how to temper himself and his blade. His memories of his home grew hazier until they were indistinct. And now—

Jiang Yinghe finally became like a piece of jade, with a cold exterior and a warm interior. He had climbed to the summit of immortal cultivation where no one else has tread for millennia. But he still didn’t know how to go home. This long-held wish of his only saw some promise with the appearance of his disciples.

He was their saviour, the one who brought them into the light. But to Jiang Yinghe, they were the hope that he had been searching for.

Jiang Yinghe tidied his sleeves and was about to head to where the abbot was when he heard the crying of children.

“Chanshi…How did Chanshi fall into a deep meditation? …Devils, do all devils eat people?”

“Those beasts are all man-eating monsters…Wuwu, I’ll definitely kill them all in the future! There are no good devils in the world!”

Jiang Yinghe sighed after hearing those words. When he looked away, he noticed a beautiful youth standing nearby. It was Chang Ye.

“Did you come to find me?” Jiang Yinghe strode over and said in passing, “Let’s go, Shizun has taken too long.”

But Chang Ye took his hand and didn’t move. He suddenly asked, “Does Shizun feel the same way?”

“What?”

“About devils.” The seal on Chang Ye’s head was softly glowing, and there was a slight smile on his lips as if he was just curious. “Do you think they’re all bad?”

Jiang Yinghe rubbed Chang Ye’s head. “Of course not.”

With those words, the other person that was strung up like a tight string seemed to relax. He blinked at Jiang Yinghe and put his head in Jiang Yinghe’s hand. “Is Shizun unhappy?”

Jiang Yinghe was taken aback. “…Is it that obvious?”

“Yep.” Chang Ye nodded sincerely. “Devil beasts can be obedient too, aren’t some of them popular as pets? Shizun, do you like fluffy ones?”

Fluffy ones?

…Like…cats?

Jiang Yinghe recalled the white cat he had once raised. Then he snapped back to himself. This wasn’t the time to be reminiscing about the past. He knocked on Chang Ye’s forehead. “What kind of strange thoughts are running through that little head of yours all day? I’m going to talk about serious matters. Even if you don’t want to listen in, stay in Lan Ruo Temple to reflect on yourself. You can’t be this flighty forever.”

Chang Ye obediently nodded and watched as Jiang Yinghe’s black robe grew further away. The smile on his lips became cold.

Devil Baron Jiuying…

He flipped through the memories that had been sealed for many years before finding that name in an obscure corner…Based on the time they began to cultivate, Jiuying should be referring to him as an ancestor.

‘What do I care what the world thinks of me?’ Chang Ye took out Duanshe Li which was disguised as a flute from his waist. ‘They’re just ants in the dust beneath my feet.’

He only needs the approval of Shizun.

If that person likes him, accepts him, and was willing to be kind only to him…

Chang Ye closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

The long and arduous first half of his life was spent on a furious battlefield filled with carnage, settling the never-ending internal conflicts between devil tribes. Now that he has woken up, all he wanted was to live by Shizun’s side.

—-

Tian Muo School.

The faction that had remained divided for nearly a millennium experienced drastic changes recently. One by one the groups that had splintered off were dealt with; crushed beneath a shapeless yet unyielding hand that gathered the devils scattered like sand once again.

In just half a month, many infamous demonic cultivators were killed by one person with no more than a single strike.

But this new leader took great measures to conceal his identity. All who saw him were either dead or well on their way there.

Qiu Chou stepped over the severed limbs in front of the main palace of the Tian Muo School. There was too much flesh and viscera to avoid completely. He saw a blind lady in red standing before the curtain beaded with pearls at the entrance.

This blind lady in red had a red cloth covering her eyes and seemed to be fifteen or sixteen at most. It was said that she was a subordinate of the new leader that united the entire demonic faction.

The blind girl heard his footsteps and turned to greet him first. “Qiu-Mojun.”

Qiu Chou nodded. “The soul-cleansing artifacts that the leader requested have all arrived.”

The blind girl replied. “Very well. Qiu-Mojun, you’ve worked hard.”

Qiu Chou did not leave immediately, instead asking belatedly, “Why are so many medicines for quelling internal demons necessary? Could it be…”

A sudden rush of demonic energy exploded from behind the pearl curtain and screen partition. An overwhelming current of sadistic rage slammed into Qiu Chou’s bones.

Qiu Chou hurried to kneel on one knee. There was a slightly sweet and metallic taste in his mouth. He heard a deep voice from within.

“…Fuck off.”

He immediately swallowed back the blood in his throat and his newfound fear, quietly leaving the palace.

Author’s Corner:

Chang Ye: Why am I so excited when Shizun scolds me QAQ

HeHe: …Pervert.

Sahl: Editor’s small theatre—

Jiang Yinghe gets rep for sleeping around.

Chang Ye is secretly a trembling m?

Qin Jun putting his name on All. The. Things. (mostly Shizun).

I really miss Huanhan! Come back and join in the fun! And that last line… 😂

Rain: Confirming Chang Ye’s m tendencies (･ω<)☆