Ch80 - Communicating How They Felt

Editor: Sahloknir

Jiang Yinghe set down his book.

A light snow fell on this early winter day, draping Qing Jing Peak in a layer of white. As there were few disciples to clean it away, the snow would be left to melt on its own.

Jiang Yinghe had just put the book back down when he heard a crisp knock at the door amidst the chirping of the spirit cranes. A Peng Lai disciple could be heard passing on a message.

He answered casually and willed the entranceway to open, revealing a large portion of the interior. A long screen obscured the remaining space from visitors. They could only smell the incense wafting from within.

The screen was very eye-catching due to its lifelike illustrations. Sunlight flooded into the immortal manor, shining down on the sleeve of a snow-white cultivator robe, visible on one side.

The messenger disciple subconsciously held his breath and stared at the screen. He was momentarily distracted when a figure stepped out from behind it. Only after half a second did he hastily say, “This disciple greets Xuan Wei Xianjun. This letter is an invitation for Xianjun to attend the succession ceremony of He Huan Sect’s new Sect Master.”

Jiang Yinghe received the invitation and the several books accompanying it. He glanced over the seal with his spiritual sense, before flipping it open and remarking lightly, “Their new sect master?”

Even Tong Guiyu was only the Deputy Sect Master. The true leader of He Huan Sect was still in seclusion. Thus, even if his friend had arranged a successor, they would only be inheriting the title of ‘Deputy Sect Master’.

The disciple hesitated for a moment to organise his thoughts. “The He Huan Sect Master has been in seclusion for almost 600 years. Only recently has news of his death been made public. He is said to have passed away almost 300 years ago.”

Jiang Yinghe’s finger stilled on the invitation. He recalled the look on Tong Guiyu’s face during their last conversation and asked another question, “Why was the matter hidden for so long?”

“The explanation He Huan Sect gave was that their Sect Master passed away due to helping Tong Xianjun. Tong Xianjun learning of this might have caused his heart to waver…”

“Nonsense.”

Jiang Yinghe coldly looked down at the handwritten invitation. His starry eyes glittered as hints of emotion leaked into his normally tranquil voice.

“He cultivates the harmony path, not the life and death path. If his heart is so easily shaken, then he need not live on in this world.”

Jiang Yinghe was halfway through his sentence when he remembered that Tong Guiyu’s Dao Heart had indeed shaken for another. His eye twitched.

“Suppressing this news was just someone’s attempt to catch others off guard.”

Jiang Yinghe said no more. He turned to look at the junior behind him. “You’ve done well coming here. You may leave.”

The spirit cranes seemed to understand his intentions, for the entranceway closed a moment later.The disciple could only see the White Crane Jade Manor’s stone plaque and the surrounding White Crane pine forest now.

He stood in front of the door in a daze, the words ‘You’ve done well coming here’ echoing in his mind. From those words, this disciple seemed to sense a touch of tenderness from the cold and distant aura surrounding Jiang Xianjun.

—-

The succession of a sect master was definitely an important event. Thus, this invitation would undoubtedly be addressed to Peng Lai Sect to show respect. However, Jiang Yinghe was the only one who could attend in Peng Lai’s current state.

Yan-shijie was in charge of the Sect and could not easily leave. Additionally, Jiang Yinghe’s status as a Xianjun of the Hollowed Cave realm would be sufficient for any occasion.

This was the second time that Jiang Yinghe had headed to He Huan Sect as a representative of his Sect, the first being five hundred years ago during the last Sword Conference. There wouldn’t be any competitions this time, but that didn’t make this any less grand an occasion. A group of disciples, each the leader of their own generation, would be going along with Xuan Wei Xianjun.

The furnishings inside the carriage artifact were the same as before. It was still followed by Peng Lai’s white cloud vessels, which carried the Sect’s disciples along with the prepared gifts. Such a show was a rare sight indeed.

Inside the flying carriage, Jiang Yinghe once again read through the books that were sent with the invitation. He reconfirmed that they were…definitely novels from the Lan Ling Publishing House.

《My Overbearing Disciple Fell in Love With Me》,《The Days I Spent In a Secret Room With Shizun》…Hiss.

There were even serialized book numbers that separated the books into genres.

Jiang Yinghe flipped through a few pages, not knowing why these were sent to him until he reached the ‘Acknowledgements’ section at the back.

‘This junior Wang Mengzhou pays his respects to Xianjun. Because Shifu informed this junior how Xianjun enjoyed this kind of literature, I have enclosed some with the invitation. This junior is one of the authors at Lan Ling Publishing House. If Xianjun has any corrections or pointers that he would like to impart, this junior awaits at the Sect.’

Wang Mengzhou…Isn’t he the person Tong Guiyu chose as his successor?

Why is this junior writing this kind of degenerate pornography that somehow slipped through censorship instead of studying properly? Just what did Tong Guiyu teach people…?

Jiang Yinghe’s thoughts trailed off here. He reassured himself that the people of the cultivation world matured early. That someone one or two centuries old couldn’t be considered young anymore, before he barely managed to stop condemning his friend.

As he pondered over this page, the little cat that had been sharpening its claws slowly padded over. Its fluffy tail came over and covered the book.

Jiang Yinghe was stunned. He pushed the puffy, interfering tail aside. A single word was all he managed to get through before a pair of soft and white kitty paws firmly pressed down on the book.

…Is he competing for favour?

Jiang Yinghe was silent for a moment before he pushed the little cat’s paws away too.

But then Chang Ye plopped his entire cat body down on the book. Round inky orbs peered innocently over at him.

“You…” Jiang Yinghe raised his eyebrows slightly, “Were you unable to sharpen your claws or was the small dried fish not tasty?”

Of course Chang Ye wasn’t the kind of superficial kitty that would be distracted by small dried fish. To him, nothing beat taking a nap in Shizun’s lap. So he tentatively stretched out a paw to grasp a corner of Jiang Yinghe’s outer robe.

Jiang Yinghe caught how that paw seemed to tense and shrink back as he looked down. Then the cat dove into his arms in one fluid and light motion.

The kitty rubbed and rolled all around his lap before catching his wrist with his fluffy tail. He blinked very seductively at Jiang Yinghe, while radiating the fresh fragrance of a green tea cat.

But despite that…

He was still very cute.

Jiang Yinghe’s willpower shook. He put down the novel and softly brushed the kitty in his arms. Then the little sharp teeth that couldn’t be cute nibbled at his fingertips.

…How could reading porn be more enjoyable than stroking a cat?

Jiang Yinghe immediately identified his main target: that big, bushy tail. He started massaging up and down its length, completely unaware of how the pointed ears of the white cat in his arms twitched. He stuck out his tongue to lick his shizun.

Then the world seemed to upend itself. The docile cat that used to be lying in his lap turned back into a red-robed youth that pinned him to his seat with a tight embrace.

Before Jiang Yinghe could say anything, a pair of watery, ink-coloured eyes stared him down. The other person was a magnificent and unparalleled beauty, with the pitiful innocence of someone who was naive about the world.

Jiang Yinghe was instantly bewitched by this face again. He even forgot what he wanted to say. Chang Ye’s voice was quiet and aggrieved, “Shizun only likes cats and not Ye-er.”

Where exactly did his aggravation stem from? Jiang Yinghe didn’t quite understand his vinegar-logged logic. He softly said, “What makes you think I don’t like you?”

Chang Ye moved closer and said seriously, “Shizun is always shy or angry from embarrassment around me. You always kick me off the bed too, but…”

Jiang Yinghe gave him a look. “I was angry from embarrassment? Kindly recall what you were doing at the time. Have you no shame? Get off of me.”

Chang Ye seemed to realize his case was stronger when he didn’t say anything. He leaned over and kissed the corner of Jiang Yinghe’s lips, continuing quietly, “But Shizun just touched Ye-er.”

Jiang Yinghe was temporarily incapacitated by those soft lips brushing against his and the pleasant voice in his ears. He considered rejecting his little disciple, but couldn’t get the words out for now.

“Won’t Shizun take responsibility for me?” Chang Ye managed to go on with a straight face, “Ye-er is all worked up now.”

“It’s not like I know where you can and can’t be touched. You’re clearly using this as an excuse.”

Jiang Yinghe was about to go on when this little bastard tightened his grip on his waist and sealed his lips with a kiss.

The fragrance of Chang Ye’s body was so very intoxicating as it permeated  Jiang Yinghe’s surroundings. It felt like hibiscus and begonia blossoms were in full bloom, dripping with soft beads of moisture from overexerted stems.

This scent sent Jiang Yinghe astray. The slight pressure on his chest made him feel somewhat breathless, but the other person was gentle. He never upset the agreed upon balance between them. All that was left was their breaths that eventually synced into one and Cheng Ye’s drooping dark eyelashes.

He whispered after their lips parted, “Does Shizun like me a little more now…?”

It was really hard for Jiang Yinghe not to nod.

The tighter he was held, the more he could feel Chang Ye’s almost childlike sense of possessiveness. But as the kiss deepened, it became clear how much the other cherished him and feared his rejection underneath his veneer of innocence.

He tried hard to leave a better impression in his shizun’s heart so that Jiang Yinghe might like him even a hint more.

Just as Chang Ye’s large tail came over and circled around his waist, the door of the flying carriage suddenly rattled, shaking the bead curtain there.

“Pei. As expected of Little Shidi.”

Qin Jun paused. The corners of his lips twitched upwards to show a very fake smile as he spoke.

He walked inside, and grabbed the book Jiang Yinghe was working through for a look. Then he righted the pens, ink, paper and inkstones Chang Ye had thrown into disarray. Finally, he deigned to glance at this cat’s ears and tail,  as if he thought this means of competing for favour was very despicable.

But the wraith didn’t seem to realize his thoughts weren’t exactly pure either.

“So can I say ‘sharing is caring’ this time?”

Jiang Yinghe was a little disoriented before, but all of the soft feelings inside him were swept clean by that question. The only thought left was a prayer, “Oh Omnipotent Heavenly Father, this one’s waist really can’t take any more.”

He pushed away Chang Ye and straightened his clothes before taking a seat. “There will be no sharing… Why did you come in anyway?”

Qin Jun glanced at his little shidi before replying, “Li Huanhan said that devil beasts in heat will try to do it anywhere. It would damage Shizun’s clean reputation if the accompanying disciples heard anything, so he sent me in to…interf-supervise.”

Although Jiang Yinghe didn’t really care about how clean his reputation was, this place did seem to be inappropriate after further consideration. He nodded.

Qin Jun noted his agreement and smoothly grabbed Chang Ye by the back of his collar with a slight smile. “Come little Shidi, let’s go be honest with our feelings”

Chang Ye didn’t even have to think about whether Qin Jun was doing this on purpose or not. From the moment this guy said ‘sharing is caring’, every one of his words were part of a scheme to drag him away from Shizun’s side.

He didn’t shake off Qin Jun’s grip on his collar until they had left the carriage. Looking up, Chang ye saw Li Huanhan standing in front of the white crane flying carriage. He asked calmly and casually, “Did you stop it?”

The question was directed at Qin Jun, but Li Huanhan wasn’t waiting for a reply.

He turned his head and continued, “There are still things that must be done at He Huan Sect. Instead of bullying Shizun, why don’t we be honest with our feelings?”

…Since they became disciples, there was only one way to ‘communicate how they felt’ on Qing Jing Peak. While it could be called exchanging pointers on the surface, in reality it was fighting each other to the death.

Author’s Corner

Chang Ye: Why is it so hard to monopolize Shizun. Hugging myself and crying qaq.

Sahl: On the last five chapters. Hugging myself and crying qaq.