The dense scent slowly drifted over and intertwined with the cold and faint fragrance of Jiang Yinghe’s body.
“Jiang Xianjun should have more confidence in yourself.”
Chan Qing handed him a cup of tea. The leaves within had already settled to the bottom, and the froth was scattered across the surface. The turquoise and emerald tea within seemed to glow.
Jiang Yinghe accepted the cup. He slowly clasped its porcelain walls. As he was about to take a sip, there was a sudden thunderclap outside the window.
The sound made his ears ring. The sight of the lightning between the clouds penetrating the sky and shooting to the earth flashed across his gaze.
Jiang Yinghe felt an inexplicable sense of anxiety. This only confirmed his suspicions about how unnatural this weather was. He turned and paused for a moment before carefully asking, “Has any other cultivator recently undergone their tribulation?”
Chan Qing followed his gaze. “No.”
Jiang Yinghe still couldn’t settle down. How could an ordinary storm make his heart tremble like this? He hesitated for a moment, but he got up and walked to the window in the end. “Abbot…”
Chan Qing said, “With your current state of mind, how will you face the coming days?”
This question broke Jiang Yinghe out of his reverie. He knew that Chan Qing was referring to both the tangible heavenly tribulation and the intangible trial of love. Regardless, his wandering mind made the way forward rather difficult to perceive.
He was silent for a moment to try and collect himself, but then cracks of light blossomed across the jade dome in the distance as it shattered. A deep mauve colour spread across the horizon.
Jiang Yinghe’s mind went completely blank. He suddenly realized the source of all his uneasiness and quickly said, “Senior, excuse me for a moment, I have to…”
He paused.
The reason Chan Qing had visited him now became clear, as did what Chang Ye had gone to do after asking that question—he had thought that the three of them didn’t get along so their arguments would buy him some time…
“The Golden Immortals are fighting at the Endless Sky Watchtower.” Chan Qing looked at him, “Xianjun, please sit down.”
He knew it was useless to go there, but he couldn’t just sit around doing nothing. After being a Shizun for the past 200 years, his heart ached and his mind was as stubborn as that of an old father. He still felt like he should go to have a look.
“…They only recovered recently.” Jiang Yinghe lifted the teacup and silently stared at the surface for a few breaths. He suddenly said, “I’m afraid they’ll be injured.”
“Injuries are inevitable in swift battles.” Chan Qing’s words were soothing, “There’s no need for you to go.”
“…En.”
Jiang Yinghe tried to suppress his feelings with a sip of tea. It was still the same one from that day, and it was still as bitter as hell.
Lan Ruo Temple only had two types of tea. The almost tasteless Morushui and this type, whose name he hasn’t asked about. It was probably something to do with the bitterness of mortal affairs.
The two sat quietly for a moment. As the atmosphere grew more and more dreary, a bright child’s voice suddenly piped up outside the room from the window.
“Jiang Xianjun, do you have anything else to eat—” Kong Jing’s voice came closer and closer until a little head peeked up from under the window with dark and shining eyes. They immediately became shocked. Kong Jing stammered out, “A-Abbot…”
Instead of looking at him, Chan Qing simply asked, “What did you feed him?”
“…Some pastries.” Jiang Yinghe had the subtle feeling of being caught feeding someone else’s child, but he remained calm as he confessed, “Nothing from the mortal realm.”
The footsteps of the little monk quietly leaving could be heard from outside. The string of beads in Chan Qing’s hand suddenly stopped, and the footsteps also stopped. Kong Jing no longer dared to sneak away.
“This only teaches him to be greedy.” Chan Qing closed his eyes, “Please refrain from doing so in the future.”
“Of course.” Jiang Yinghe was slightly guilty, but his attention was successfully diverted. When he thought about the little monk’s thin robes being soaked through in this downpour, he spoke on his behalf, “His cultivation isn’t high enough at such a young age. He might catch a cold.”
Chan Qing suddenly lifted his eyes and looked at him steadily for a long time with a complex gaze before saying, “No wonder all three fragments of that soul are so devoted to you despite their differences. With a Shizun like you, the same thing would happen with any three people.”
Jiang Yinghe felt like he had received a second major blow to his pride as an educator.
“Educated and beautiful, a cold exterior hiding the warmth within.” Chan Qing said, “Too gentle to ever give admonishment. Besides evil cultivators, even those of the righteous faction would find it easy to give in to temptation and go astray.”
Jiang Yinghe wasn’t previously acquainted with Chan Qing. There was a significant difference in age so they hadn’t interacted much before. When the other party mentioned this, he subconsciously thought of Xiao Xuanyu.
“If Xianjun kept cats and dogs as pets, they would also develop a similar temperament,” Chan Qing mercilessly tore into him, “not to mention humans.”
If given three parts of generosity, it was only natural to crave for a fourth. Greed slowly grew like an insidious vine that refused to ever let go… The more intimate the interactions, the more they fanned the flames of delusion and madness.
Jiang Yinghe felt like he was being criticized and humbly asked for advice, “Then how should they be taught according to the Abbot?”
As the two exchanged information about raising and educating the next generation, there was suddenly the lazy roar of a beast, followed by Jiuying’s voice.
“Little monk, why are you standing here? This is where Jiang Yinghe’s meditating. Did he make you stand here as a…”
The voice continued to get closer. Jiuying’s distinctive facial markings gradually came into view. He had a nonchalant look on his face before he caught sight of who was inside. His words stalled. “…A-Abbot Chan Qing.”
Chan Qing nodded his head in acknowledgement, “Devil Baron Jiuying.”
“Abbot, I…”
“If the devil baron has no intentions of changing his evil ways, it would be best for you to leave and be free.”
Jiuying was immediately frantic. Half of his devil core was still with Jiang Yinghe! Even if he couldn’t get it back, the person he liked was still at Lan Ruo Temple! How could he leave just like that?!
“Abbot, I haven’t succeeded in redeeming myself yet! Did Kong Jing bother you? No problem, I’ll take him away right now and stop him from acting cute with Jiang Xianjun so much! No need to thank me. Sweeping the floors in the temple is especially…um, what’s the word…ah! Enlightening!”
He picked up the little monk and left. His demon tattoos were hideous, but there was a bright smile on his face.
The storm raged on. Jiang Yinghe closed the window, saying, “The Abbot had no intention of releasing him, so why did you deliberately say so? You also have no intention of punishing Kong Jing, yet you want to borrow Jiuying’s hand.”
Chan Qing plucked the string of beads and said, “A degree of order is necessary for growth.”
Jiang Yinghe nodded thoughtfully. The three he raised didn’t grow up surrounded by any shining moral examples, so he should’ve tried more methods to guide them so that…
He was completely sidetracked. The worry and anxiety in his heart had just dissipated considerably when he felt an earth-shaking boom of thunder which exploded in his ears.
In the next instant, the roof of the room was ripped open. A behemoth of unimaginable size fell faster than even the raindrops.
Chang Ye’s original form was larger than the entirety of Lan Ruo Temple. Even if he were to shrink in size right now, there would only be enough room for his paws in the room. There were wings on his back, and his tail could easily lift the roof off. There were injuries scattered across his body, with drops of red blood dripping from the tip of his tail, diluted by rainwater.
Jiang Yinghe had just closed the window when he saw the roof of this tranquil room get torn into shreds. He was embraced by a large ball of plush.
Tianhou rubbed his furry head and cheeks against him while making low purring noises from his throat. He hid his fangs, but there was still an extremely faint scent of blood on him.
Just before Jiang Yinghe looked at the huge ball of plush in front of him, another pair of hands wrapped around his waist and yanked him away from behind and pressed him right up against one of the corners.
Not a drop of rain was able to stain his lapels.
The smell of blood was now even heavier than before, and Jiang Yinghe didn’t have time to ask any questions before he was kissed by Li Huanhan who had a hand wrapped around his waist.
…This is a sacred Buddhist site.
This thought came to Jiang Yinghe’s mind, but as soon as he wanted to push him away, he felt something that had been missing slowly enter his body. His partially intangible passion root slowly transferred over with this kiss.
It wasn’t integrated when their lips touched, but it was seared into his mind during the deep kiss. His empty and dulled nerves were revitalized, and a formerly empty space was completely filled.
The other person’s lips were warm, eager, and tinged with a hint of imperceptible caution. He was restrained and careful at the beginning, but the desire he had hidden for so long burst out when he felt Jiang Yinghe’s resistance lessen.
Everything about Li Huanhan was just too familiar to him. Jiang Yinghe could feel how he was barely holding back. The hand around his waist continued to tighten as teeth lightly grazed against his lips.
The area was definitely red, and maybe even swollen. How was he supposed to face people now?
The wind blew past his ears.
He could finally, finally confirm his own intentions.
Jiang Yinghe lifted his hand and grabbed Huanhan’s collar. He waited until he was out of breath to pull the other’s collar apart. He turned away to gasp for air. His voice was slightly hoarse, “Don’t go crazy here. This is a monastery.”
He was about to faint from such a sudden and intense kiss, but he still remembered that Chan Qing was a monk. How could he be subjected to such a sight?
Li Huanhan raised his head and silently stared at him with blood-red eyes. Then he loosened his grip on his waist a little and said, “Shizun…”
Jiang Yinghe hummed, noting the cloying scent of blood on his body. He gingerly touched the small of his back. As expected, his hand was covered in fresh blood.
To go up against a Half-step Golden Immortal while also protecting the beings below by ending the battle quickly must have been difficult for them. They must have sustained many injuries in the process.
Jiang Yinghe had been with him for so many years, so he was naturally distressed. He wasn’t quite used to all these strange and complicated emotions, so all he could discern was a dull ache in his chest, like a piece of ice was stuffed there.
“Is it serious?” Jiang Yinghe looked down at the blood on his fingertips, “Are you hurt on your back?”
“It’s a minor wound.” Li Huanhan stretched out his fingers and held Jiang Yinghe’s hand like he always did, wiping the blood-stained fingers clean with a snow-white silk handkerchief, “No need to worry.”
Just as the silk handkerchief was wiping the blood clean, another person’s voice came from the side.
“Come on, don’t be like this Li Huanhan. Let me see him too…”
A hand drew near and exposed an opening in the barrier Li Huanhan had placed around them. The hand that was somewhat cool slowly clasped Jiang Yinghe’s fingertips.
Qin Jun knew that Li Huanhan would rather die than share what was his, but the three of them had just fought together and there was the slightest sliver of camaraderie remaining. That was the only reason this heavenly demon had very reluctantly moved over a bit.
Qin Jun’s gray eyes were just like before, they only changed when looking at his Shizun. Everyone else was just the trash of the cultivation world to him. There was some blood on his forehead, but it didn’t seem too serious. It’s just that he was a little too sticky when he came over.
The wraith’s hands were even colder than the heavenly demon’s.
But his movements were just as soft. There was a delicate and gentle flair to them.
Qin Jun’s fingers caressed his slightly red and swollen lips as he thought about something with an unreadable expression. His temperature grew somewhat colder, but the places where they touched seemed to burn even more.
“He’s so excessive, but you’re not even angry.” Qin Jun was talking about Li Huanhan, “Then can Shizun kiss me too?”
Unlike the temperature of his fingers, Qin Jun’s breath was scorchingly hot and inquisitive. There was a bit of a sombre ending to his words.
“…Not even a bit of sweetness for me? Or does Shizun not like the third I represent?” Qin Jun pressed against his ear, his hot breath spilling over the sensitive skin, “Shizun, kiss me.”
Although Jiang Yinghe logically knew that they were one person, he still found the current situation overwhelming. Qin Jun tightly interlocked their hands as he leaned in swiftly. His kiss was as light as a falling feather, but it was full of provocation for his rival.
“You have to give everything your all.” Qin Jun stopped after touching his lips very lightly. Then, like he was under a spell, he whispered, “You can’t give up halfway. That’s something Shizun taught us.”
How could Jiang Yinghe possibly argue against that?
Just as he was stunned speechless, Qin Jun’s body was blocked by Li Huanhan. His eldest disciple wiped his lips with an emotionless look and said, “Don’t mind him.”
One third, two thirds...
Jiang Yinghe lifted his eyes to look at the huge ball of plush that scooted over. He watched as the last third blocked the rain and wrapped his big, thick tail around his leg.
Jiang Yinghe sighed. “…Don’t make a scene. Where’s Abbot Chan Qing?”
He turned to the senior at the door, and then at the demolished roof of the room. Feeling quite guilty, he said, “…We’ll fix this later.”
Chan Qing looked at him for quite some time with a complicated expression. “This isn’t an issue, but this one asks that you two restrain yourselves while on Lan Ruo Temple grounds.”
Split souls always had to merge eventually, so he addressed them as one person.
Jiang Yinghe carefully mulled over the word “restraint” and felt more and more guilty as he said, “Don’t worry senior, I won’t affect the temple’s tranquility.”
Chan Qing stopped speaking, but he still had more to say. Finally, he just sighed, “Just don’t let what this one saw that day come to pass.”
Jiang Yinghe nodded. “…Although I don’t know what the Abbot saw, this junior will be careful.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Tianhou slowly shrunk and transformed into a large cat that attached itself to him. Its barbed tongued licked his fingers like a spoiled child.
Jiang Yinghe was licked a few times before he remembered what the Abbot had said about order being necessary for growth. He drew back his fingers and knocked on the big cat’s forehead.
“Get smaller.”
The big cat looked at him incredulously for a moment with wide eyes, then at Li Huanhan, who was expressionlessly re-wiping Jiang Yinghe’s hands, then at Qin Jun, who shamelessly leaned in to whisper to Shizun. It was simply overwhelmed by a great sense of aggravation.
He wept as he turned into a kitten, shuffling over to lie at Jiang Yinghe’s feet. His round cat eyes were incessantly leaking tears as he pitifully held his injured tail and silently licked the fur there.
Just as Jiang Yinghe’s heart softened a fraction and he went to bend down to pick up Chang Ye, his second disciple cupped his cheeks. Qin Jun’s voice was deep and slightly raspy.