Perhaps their reputation for dual cultivation set them apart from the other righteous sects, but Qin Jun was presented with all sorts of toys at the slightest of hints. They were brought to him by professional attendants that didn’t even blink.
However, none of them would’ve ever thought in a million years that Qin-shixiong of Peng Lai was bullying and disrespecting his shizun. They could only quietly speculate that maybe he had a mistress he kept secret from Jiang Xianjun etc.
But while such a thing might be looked down upon in any other righteous sect, it wasn’t noteworthy to those at He Huan.
After going through another round of ‘sharing is caring’ and paying a huge price, Jiang Xianjun refused to see his disciples for several days again.
During that time, the progress bar that used to be stuck at 52% began to skyrocket. It would always jump up a little when Jiang Yinghe wasn’t looking, almost as if passing the halfway mark meant it was all downhill from here.
A few days later, the He Huan SectMaster succession ceremony proceeded according to plan. All the sects attended to observe. Dressed in flowing robes, Wang Mengzhou, the disciple of an old friend, stopped in front of Jiang Yinghe and offered him tea, respectfully thanking him as a junior.
Although he was the head of the sect, Wang Mengzhou was still young. Plus his shizun, Tong Guiyu, was good friends with Jiang Yinghe. So even if the other elders had some grievances, they did not dare to say anything in front of Jiang Xianjun.
In accordance with his current position, Jiang Yinghe didn’t say much. He only offered a word of advice. “Although you have much potential, the road ahead will be long and arduous.”
Wang Mengzhou nodded in response. He noticed that no one lingered by Jiang Xianjun’s side, not even that cat. After a moment’s consideration, he asked, “The people by senior’s side…”
Jiang Yinghe knew what he was trying to ask. He answered preemptively, “My disciples have been rather rebellious lately. A small matter between master and disciples.”
It was fine when Wang Mengzhou didn’t bring it up, but now all Jiang Yinghe could think about was how enthusiastic He Huan Sect was in giving those ‘presents’…
They quickly switched to a more mundane subject, finishing the rest of their conversation without upset. After the ceremony, the Peng Lai congregation remained half a day more to discuss the Dao. As there were inevitably differences between the ideologies of righteous and neutral sects, Jiang Yinghe departed at dusk before some hot headed juniors could get into a fight.
The sky was deeply shrouded in night as the flying carriage took to the air.
Due to his ice and snow foundation, Jiang Yinghe’s body temperature was always slightly cool. The winter night chill didn’t bother him.
Yet someone lit the incense burner. A warm scent drifted over, the wisp of smoke at the perfect temperature brushing past his knuckles. At the same time, an inky black snake crawled onto the desk and twisted itself into a pretzel.
Jiang Yinghe looked at the snake and said, “Why is it running around everywhere? The winter chill doesn’t bother me, but on a cold night like this, cold-blooded animals might die if they suddenly go into hibernation…”
He looked up halfway through. The sight of Li Huanhan’s eyes made his words come to an abrupt halt.
“…Your…eyes…”
Jiang Yinghe froze for a moment, staring at the other person’s extremely light-colored left eye in bewilderment. He murmured, “…Your iris lost its colour?”
Li Huanhan’s eyes were originally a pure, bright red, like a pair of bloody rubies. But now, the candlelight cast a faint halo on his left eye. The colour had faded to an almost intangible red haze.
“What’s an iris?” Li Huanhan didn’t understand. He closed the burner’s lid and sat down in front of his shizun. “Qin Jun’s looks the same.”
Jiang Yinghe needed a moment to understand what he meant. He contemplated this. “Your irises have mixed together…”
Under Li Huanhan’s gaze, he restrained his 21st century transmigrator knowledge and asked another question, “The fusion rate is now seventy-nine percent. Have you noticed any other changes?”
Li Huanhan pondered for a moment before holding out his hand. The black snake on the table obediently slithered onto his wrist and disappeared into his sleeve. “More frequently now, the Blood Shadow can’t distinguish between us.”
Jiang Yinghe nodded. He had anticipated this. “Anything else?”
The other person raised his hand and circulated demonic energy. A completely blood red longsword emerged from mid-air. It was Li Huanhan’s Jimie sword. Then, he tightly grasped it and turned to show its other side.
…Wow. Looks like the other side fell into a paint can.
The front side was dyed a pure red that was clearly evil, but the backside was a mixture of red, green and gray, like someone had randomly dumped a bunch of paint together. This truly unique aesthetic reminded Jiang Yinghe of the sword mantle he saw back in Sword Saint Taichu’s old residence.
Jiang Yinghe was speechless. He stared at it for a long time before saying, “The post-modern art style makes it almost surreal-looking.”
Feeling like something wasn’t right, he glanced at the system’s fusion progress again. It was another moment before he asked again, “Is this it? Isn’t Chang Ye’s fusion a bit…too slow?”
Li Huanhan rarely didn’t answer him like this.
There must be a story behind his eldest disciple’s silence. Jiang Yinghe looked up and met his eyes for several breaths. Finally, Li Huanhan said calmly, “It’s not slow at all.”
“…En?”
But the other person didn’t elaborate. Jiang Yinghe watched him approach, sensing how the aura about him was in constant fluctuation. From the righteous energy of Peng Lai Sect, to the demonic energy that was as sharp as a blade, to the auras of the other two. Then—
A fluffy wolf ear brushed by his cheek, coming to rest on his shoulder.
Jiang Yinghe sat there blankly. A bolt of lightning seemed to strike his mind, making him recall the disguise he had personally put on Li Huanhan back in Wanyao City. His words caught in his throat. He didn’t know what to say anymore.
…What in the world is my little disciple fusing with his shixiong??
Jiang Yinghe’s blood pressure was climbing as he remembered Tianhou’s original form and ruts. Not to mention the backward barbs that damned cat had in two places. There was a long silence before he asked quietly, “What is Jun-er…?”
“A fox.”
Jiang Yinghe sighed with utmost relief. He hugged the other party back. “Thank goodness it wasn’t some…strange and unacceptable species.”
Li Huanhan licked his Adam’s apple as soon as he finished speaking. Jiang Yinghe’s back tensed. Strangely, he felt like he was in danger right now.
“They’re both common devil races,” Li Huanhan said faintly, “but they’re also Shizun’s…”
He paused for a moment, not saying the words “natural enemy”. Instead, he stared intently at the only herbivore here.
Jiang Yinghe stiffened for some reason. He let the other person come closer and press their lips together for an intimate kiss. After calming down slightly, he heard Li Huanhan’s pensive voice.
“…You smell so good.” Li Huanhan buried his face in the crook of his shizun’s shoulder, fully embracing the other’s clear and cold spiritual breath. He quietly asked, “Can I eat you?”
Jiang Yinghe had many questions about what he meant by ‘eat’. He pinched those perked up wolf ears on his head and looked down. “What do you mean by ‘eat’? I’m going to neuter all of you.”
But his words didn’t contain any traces of anger. His eyes shone as bright as the stars from the reflected candlelight, and there was a faint trace of red around his lips where this evil wolf had bitten him. This person, so beautiful he looked like he stepped out of a painting, naturally had none of the intimidation or honour expected of a master.
His slightly reddened lips were sealed again by the other person. Li Huanhan’s hands tightened around his waist, letting him sink inch by inch, step by step, into his arms.
—-
After returning to Peng Lai, Xuan Wei Xianjun did not show himself again. He returned straight to Qing Jing Peak.
Inside the White Crane Jade Manor, the reforging of Wangchen was underway. The first smelting was already completed and the metal sealed in the furnace.
The little cat that liked to mess around was nuzzling Jiang Yinghe’s hand. It brushed against it this way and that while wrapping its tail around his wrist.
Jiang Yinghe was supported by Qin Jun who was also applying medicine for him. He spared half his divine sense to watch over the fire while petting this tease of a little cat at the same time.
Jiang Yinghe only came back to full awareness when the bite mark on his collarbone stung. He looked down and saw that Qin Jun had paused with a slightly dark expression. His second disciple commented ambiguously, “So he dares to bite here too.”
Jiang Yinghe could only remain silent. If Qin Jun showed his newly merged animal state right now, his fox tail would probably be completely puffed out.
The miraculous medicines of the cultivation world were extremely potent. The marks faded away for the most part after a few moments.
Qin Jun exhaled slowly and looked up at his shizun with gray and red eyes. Only the bottom portion of his irises remained a bit muddled.
“And you let him bite there.” Qin Jun leaned over and stared at him. “Shizun’s bottom line is really unfathomable when he’s involved.”
Jiang Yinghe coughed lightly a few times. “I was too distracted at that moment to…protest too much.”
“Shizun is always angry with me over matters in bed.” Qin Jun’s words were crisp and clear. “But is Li Huanhan any better? He forgets all restraint when he goes mad.”
For some reason, although he did not deliberately show it at all, Jiang Yinghe felt that Qin Jun was a bit aggrieved. He hesitated before speaking, “…I won’t get angry with you over things like that anymore…”
“But the worst part is,” Qin Jun continued, “Shizun only accedes to me in order to continue blatantly favouring him.”
Jiang Yinghe was so wrapped up in this fox’s logic that he failed to figure out a way to clear his name before Qin Jun embraced and lightly kissed him.
…Even the way they try to earn favour with me through kissing is becoming the same.
Jiang Yinghe was taken aback. In a split second, the kitten that used to be obediently staying by his side also shifted back to human form. His big, fluffy tail pressed against his shizun’s waist, clearly stating his desire to not be left out.
After that brief kiss, the cool ointment was applied to the hidden and minor wounds. This continued until the laces of Jiang Yinghe’s snow-white robes loosened, looking like they would come apart with the slightest of touches—
Outside the door, the spirit cranes chirped. The doors suddenly opened to reveal a purple-clad female cultivator at the entrance. Her voice carried into the room.
“Jiang-shidi, are you back? I heard from my disciples that you didn’t show yourself when you returned to Peng Lai, that Li Huanhan made the rest of the arrangements. Did He Huan Sect mistreat you in any way?”
“…This furnace…are you recasting the Wangchen sword? Forging cold elements in fire…Not bad—”
Yan Caiwei’s words came to an abrupt halt.
Her gaze bypassed the sword casting furnace and landed on the table and chairs behind the screen. Once again, her eyes were graced with indescribable images that sent her mind into a flurry of thoughts.
She was dumbstruck for a moment. Swallowing back her previous words, she warmly said, “…Why don’t you guys go ahead. I’m not in a hurry, really.”
Author’s Corner
Yan-shijie: There’s only three…ghosts here. I want to order more (starry eyes)
HeHe: …How come it’s always you. Are you the VIP on-scene experience scroll the author used a back door to arrange?