Wu Yunzi felt something was off.
He cast a puzzled glance at Chu Mingwei, who sat in the courtyard with a gentle smile, talking to his youngest disciple. The strange feeling only grew stronger.
Maybe it was because they had gone down the mountain together and shared hardships, but ever since his youngest disciple returned, Wu Yunzi felt that the relationship between him and Chu Mingwei had become closer than before. Not that they hadn’t been close in the past—but if before they were merely close, now it was almost too close.
Wu Yunzi glanced at Chu Mingwei again. It was obvious the man was in an excellent mood. Not only was he smiling warmly at his junior disciple, but every word he spoke was full of concern. Don’t eat too many mortal-world pastries—they lack spiritual energy; if you want some, I’ll have people make spirit-infused ones for you. Go to bed earlier—don’t rely on meditation to recover your energy instead of sleeping. Wear more clothes—even cultivators can be affected by baleful winds. Don’t rush your cultivation—proceed step by step…
Listening to him, Wu Yunzi realized Chu Mingwei had covered every aspect of life—food, clothing, rest, travel, and cultivation—over and over again.
If Chu Mingwei had only come occasionally and said these things once, it could still be explained as an elder martial brother’s concern. Wu Yunzi wouldn’t have found it strange. But in just three days since his disciple returned, Chu Mingwei had already come to Yilan Peak six times—and every time, he repeated the same meticulous care.
At this point, Wu Yunzi wasn’t just puzzled—he was starting to feel dissatisfied.
What was this supposed to mean? Lingyu was his most beloved disciple. Did Chu Mingwei think he couldn’t take care of him properly? And then his irritation shifted toward Ling Xiaozi. What was the sect leader thinking? Sending his top disciple over again and again—was he trying to lure his disciple over to Haotian Peak?
Outrageous!
Meanwhile, Chu Mingwei had no idea what Wu Yunzi was thinking. If he did, he would feel terribly wronged. Yilan Peak wasn’t large—Wu Yunzi could sweep it entirely with his divine sense, especially when it came to Xiao Lingyu. Chu Mingwei would have liked to say or do something else, but with Wu Yunzi watching, even he—hailed as the leading figure of the younger generation—could only restrain himself and behave properly.
Xiao Lingyu sat obediently, listening, his eyes sparkling with mischief. For the past three days, he had stayed on the peak without leaving Wu Yunzi’s side, forcing Chu Mingwei to come again and again. Thinking of all the excuses Chu Mingwei had come up with, and hearing the same instructions repeated countless times, Xiao Lingyu was inwardly dying of laughter—while outwardly maintaining the image of a well-behaved junior.
Chu Mingwei looked at him, at the playful glint hidden beneath that obedient expression. Compared to his former docile self, Chu Mingwei found this version of his junior far more lovable—so much so that he almost wanted to grab him and kiss him hard. But with Wu Yunzi glaring nearby, he could only suppress everything and continue lecturing like a proper senior brother.
That day, Chu Mingwei stayed until the sun dipped low before preparing to leave. As Xiao Lingyu escorted him to the courtyard gate, Wu Yunzi’s kindly voice called out:
“Mingwei, come to Yilan Hall. Lingyu, you come as well.”
The two exchanged a glance and headed over.
The old ghost, who had been quietly hiding inside the Nether Bracelet, immediately perked up. Something interesting was about to happen—was Wu Yunzi going to break up a pair of lovers? His curiosity flared as he popped out excitedly.
“I say, little Yu—”
Before he could finish, Xiao Lingyu silently formed a hand seal. The old ghost’s words turned into muffled “mmph mmph” sounds.
Nearby, Zhu Yuruan, who had been curled up in the shade munching pastries, cast a sympathetic glance at the bracelet and quietly continued pretending to be part of the background.
Inside the hall, after Chu Mingwei and Xiao Lingyu paid their respects, Wu Yunzi immediately had Xiao Lingyu sit beside him. As for Chu Mingwei—he was seated far away, on the other side of Xiao Lingyu.
Once both were seated, Wu Yunzi smiled kindly at Chu Mingwei.
“Mingwei, Lingyu must have caused you quite a bit of trouble on his first trip down the mountain, hm?”
Chu Mingwei glanced at Xiao Lingyu with a smile. “Not at all. My junior is well-behaved and caused no trouble.”
Wu Yunzi smiled at Xiao Lingyu, then turned back. “No matter what, Lingyu must thank you for your care. Thanks to you, he returned safely. But now that you’re both back in the sect, you must be busy with sect affairs. Lingyu shouldn’t keep troubling you—that would only add to your burdens, wouldn’t it?”
Chu Mingwei was momentarily stunned.
Before he could respond, Wu Yunzi turned to Xiao Lingyu with a stern look. “And you—Mingwei has just returned and is busy. How can you keep dragging him around? What if it affects his duties and the sect leader blames him?”
Xiao Lingyu suppressed his laughter and answered solemnly, “Master is right. This is my fault.”
He then turned to Chu Mingwei, expression sincere. “Senior Brother, I was wrong. I forgot how busy you are. In the future, I will not disturb you casually again. Please forgive my thoughtlessness.”
Chu Mingwei looked deeply at him—the mischief in his eyes completely at odds with his apologetic face. In the end, he could only helplessly explain that it was he who had come repeatedly, not the other way around, and promised to focus on sect duties. Soon after, he took his leave.
Wu Yunzi, pleased with his tact, waved generously for Xiao Lingyu to see him out.
Watching them leave, Wu Yunzi began planning. He had intended to let his disciple rest a few days before checking his magical artifacts, teaching him new techniques, and sharing insights on forming a core—but now, it seemed he had to hurry. Otherwise, if Chu Mingwei kept coming, what would be left of his position as master?
Outside, Chu Mingwei looked helplessly at Xiao Lingyu, who stubbornly kept a step’s distance.
Just as he was about to speak—
“Lingyu,” Wu Yunzi’s voice rang out again, “your senior brother is busy. The sect leader is surely waiting. How can you keep pestering him?”
Xiao Lingyu’s smile deepened. “Senior Brother, take care!”
Chu Mingwei sighed, summoned his Qinglin Sword, and left.
Back at Haotian Peak, he was visibly dejected. Meng Fan and Bai Qian exchanged a glance and immediately retreated to a safe distance. Shortly after, Chu Mingwei went to find Ling Xiaozi. No one knew what was said, but when he came out, his gloom had vanished.
Late that night, a streak of light cut through the sky.
At the edge of the back mountain, Chu Mingwei stood on his sword, gazing toward Yilan Peak under the moonlight. He wondered whether Xiao Lingyu had received his message talisman. With Wu Yunzi likely summoned away by his master, Xiao Lingyu should be able to come.
Not far away, Xiao Lingyu lounged leisurely on the Water Moon Wheel, holding Zhu Yuruan, making his way to the meeting spot.
Zhu Yuruan looked utterly resentful. Anyone dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, forced into cold winds, and made to accompany someone else’s rendezvous would be in a bad mood.
Xiao Lingyu stroked his sleek fur lazily. “I heard Uncle Bai’s frost grass has matured again.”
Zhu Yuruan instantly perked up. “Really?!”
Xiao Lingyu raised a brow.
Zhu Yuruan immediately fawned, “You’d never lie to me! I like you the most!”
Just as Xiao Lingyu was about to tease him further, a sudden killing intent flashed.
His expression sharpened. The Lixi Umbrella appeared instantly.
A buzzing sound rang out as hundreds of fine white streaks were blocked. With a swift hand seal, the Invisible Sword shot toward the right.
Clang!
It was deflected. Under the moonlight, a stranger appeared.
Xiao Lingyu landed, studying him carefully—no memory of him in either lifetime.
The man looked about thirty, thin and pale, his eyes gleaming with violent light.
Seeing his ambush fail, the man sneered and flung open a spirit beast pouch. Countless black insects swarmed toward Xiao Lingyu.
Xiao Lingyu frowned—this was a rare beast-taming cultivator. When had the sect taken in such a person?
Even as he thought, his hands moved swiftly. The Hun Tian Ribbon unfurled before him. With another seal, the Water Moon Wheel swept forward, releasing a freezing mist. Any insect that touched it froze and dropped instantly.
Soon, the ground was covered in frozen corpses.
The man’s expression twisted. With a roar, his arm transformed into a claw and lunged forward.
Xiao Lingyu retreated swiftly, directing the Invisible Sword to strike. The man dodged—but the Water Moon Wheel circled behind and struck, forcing him to stumble. When he looked up again, his eyes glowed red.
“Careful—it’s a demonic puppet!” the old ghost warned.
Xiao Lingyu’s heart tightened. Leng Han Yuan.
He summoned his defenses again.
Just as he prepared another attack—
“Thunder Net!”
A brilliant flash erupted. Lightning bound the man, dispelling the black aura.
In agony, the man glared at Xiao Lingyu.
Without hesitation, Xiao Lingyu struck—his sword flashing.
The man collapsed, lifeless.
Chu Mingwei ignored the corpse, rushing to Xiao Lingyu’s side, scanning him repeatedly with his spiritual sense. Only after confirming he was unharmed did he relax.
“Lingyu, what happened?”
“I was ambushed. The old ghost says he’s a demonic puppet.”
“Leng Han Yuan?”
Xiao Lingyu nodded.
Chu Mingwei’s expression darkened. “It must be because you saw his secret in the illusion.”
The more he thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed. Even a spontaneous meeting had been exploited for an ambush—this meant the enemy had been watching all along.
Unacceptable.
He needed to bring Xiao Lingyu to Haotian Peak as soon as possible.
With that thought, he pulled Xiao Lingyu into his arms—
A sudden cough echoed from ahead.
Both froze and turned stiffly toward the sound.