The fact that Chu Mingwei not only wasn’t expelled from Yilan Peak but instead managed to stay there smoothly came as a huge surprise to Meng Fan and the others.
After waiting for several hours, until the moon was high in the sky and still no sign of their senior brother appeared, Meng Fan, wearing a bitter expression, hurried off to Haotian Hall.
Inside the hall, Bai Qian was reporting various sect affairs. Luo Shaohan stood quietly to one side with Cang Ye, while on the other side Zhao Feng listened attentively, his expression serious.
Just as Bai Qian finished his report, Meng Fan pushed the door open and entered. Instantly, everyone’s gaze in the hall fell on his face. When they saw his expression, each person reacted differently—only Ling Xiaozi wore a beaming smile, as if everything were already within his grasp.
Meng Fan inwardly complained about the irritating smile on his master’s face, then stepped forward respectfully to salute. Ling Xiaozi asked with a grin, “Well? Did you see Mingwei?”
The moment the question was asked, Bai Qian and the others all stared closely at Meng Fan. Meng Fan shook his head. “Senior Brother stayed on Yilan Peak.”
“Oh!” Ling Xiaozi deliberately dragged out the sound. “Then it seems this master has won the bet.”
Meng Fan’s face crumpled like a bitter melon. “Master is mighty!”
With Meng Fan taking the lead, Bai Qian and the others could only step forward helplessly. “Master (Sect Leader) is mighty.”
Ling Xiaozi cheerfully accepted his disciples’ admiration and extended his hand. “Hand it over.”
Meng Fan clutched his storage pouch like a man on the brink of death. “Master, please show mercy.”
Ling Xiaozi laughed and scolded, “I’ve already shown plenty of mercy. If you had won, all of my collection would have gone to you. If you lose, I only take half of yours. How much more mercy do you expect?”
Among them, Zhao Feng was the most straightforward. Hearing this, he immediately felt embarrassed and simply removed the storage pouch from his waist and handed it over. Meng Fan sighed and, seeing Zhao Feng’s action, reluctantly passed over his own pouch as well.
Ling Xiaozi happily accepted their storage pouches, then turned his gaze to Luo Shaohan, the only one who had not moved.
Luo Shaohan instinctively stepped back and argued, “I was only a witness to the bet between you and my senior brothers. I didn’t participate, so I shouldn’t be counted.”
Just as Ling Xiaozi was about to respond, Cang Ye suddenly stepped in front of Luo Shaohan. A sharp aura spread from his small body as he stiffened his little face and said seriously, “You’re not allowed to bully my dad.”
Everyone froze.
Luo Shaohan looked embarrassed, but thinking of the belongings he had painstakingly saved up, he silently accepted Cang Ye standing up for him and positioned himself behind the child.
Seeing Cang Ye’s small frame shielding Luo Shaohan, and Luo Shaohan standing behind him with a “fine, laugh if you want” expression, everyone in the hall struggled to maintain composure, trying desperately not to burst into laughter.
Ling Xiaozi looked at the scene with amusement, his gaze settling on Cang Ye.
A demon by origin, with a mysterious background—young in age but possessing profound cultivation and unfathomable abilities. Extremely attached to Luo Shaohan, and openly hostile toward anyone who approached him. That was all Ling Xiaozi knew of Cang Ye.
Back when Qing Ming had left Cang Ye with Luo Shaohan outside the secret realm, Ling Xiaozi hadn’t paid much attention, assuming he was just an ordinary child. Even noticing how clingy he was, he had thought it natural for a child meeting outsiders for the first time. But on the journey back to Yuntian Sect, Ling Xiaozi began to sense something was off. Though the child’s appearance was adorable and many disciples tried to play with him, Cang Ye remained cold to everyone, even showing hostility when others approached. Only Luo Shaohan was an exception—he stayed by his side constantly and rejected anyone else coming near him. In the end, Ling Xiaozi could only tacitly allow it.
Now, feeling the sharp aura radiating from Cang Ye, Ling Xiaozi could only say helplessly, “Since Shaohan was merely a witness, he naturally won’t be included in the bet.”
The moment Ling Xiaozi finished speaking, Luo Shaohan broke into a smile. Looking at the small figure in front of him, he realized for the first time that having Cang Ye around wasn’t so unbearable after all.
“Cang Ye, come back,” Luo Shaohan said with a bright smile.
Cang Ye obediently moved closer. Seeing Luo Shaohan’s relaxed smile, his own face lit up as well. He darted forward into Luo Shaohan’s arms and showered him with kisses. “Dad, Cang Ye likes you the most!”
Luo Shaohan’s smile faded under the assault of slobber. This time, Meng Fan and the others finally couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter.
—
While Ling Xiaozi and his disciples were making a bet over Chu Mingwei, up on Yilan Peak, Chu Mingwei was holding Xiao Lingyu tightly, utterly unwilling to let go.
Xiao Lingyu pushed him away with effort, his face stern. “Are you going to apply the medicine or not?”
Seeing signs that his junior brother was about to lose his temper, Chu Mingwei immediately sat properly and nodded. “Yes, I’ll apply it.”
Xiao Lingyu carefully removed Chu Mingwei’s clothes. Seeing the bruises covering his body, a look of heartache appeared on his face.
Watching that expression, Chu Mingwei’s heart softened completely. He pulled Xiao Lingyu into his arms and said gently, “It only looks serious on the outside. The internal injuries are already fine. Don’t worry, Lingyu.”
Xiao Lingyu hummed in acknowledgment and was about to pull away to continue applying medicine when Chu Mingwei tightened his hold, one arm around him while the other slipped inside his robe.
Xiao Lingyu’s face flushed red as he looked at Chu Mingwei. With a smile at the corner of his lips, Chu Mingwei lowered his head and kissed him.
“Master…” Xiao Lingyu tried to protest, his words muffled.
Chu Mingwei gently pressed against his lips. “Don’t worry. Senior Brother has already set up a barrier. Martial Uncle won’t be able to break through.”
Xiao Lingyu wanted to argue—it wasn’t about the barrier. It was that his master had just beaten him half to death, and he was still acting like this. Was he planning to get beaten again tomorrow?
Unfortunately, held firmly in Chu Mingwei’s arms and kissed senseless, he couldn’t express his thoughts clearly.
As Chu Mingwei kissed his junior brother, his hands began removing his clothes.
Though they were together, recent events and the presence of Zhu Yurong had left them with little time for intimacy. Now, caught in the moment, Chu Mingwei paid no mind to Wu Yunzi’s looming presence.
—
At the foot of Yilan Peak, Zhu Yurong waddled slowly up the mountain, belly bulging.
“Waaah… little monster, where are you? Little pig ate too much and can’t walk anymore.”
After inching forward for a long time, he looked up at the towering peak and finally sprawled on the ground, refusing to move another step.
A crack silently opened beside him. A hand suddenly reached out, grabbed Zhu Yurong by the neck, and lifted him up.
“A Spirit-Sensing Pig?” Jing Zhan’s voice came from within the crack.
Zhu Yurong, who had been half-asleep, instantly woke up. Sensing the dense demonic energy around him, he froze in fear and instinctively resorted to his most practiced skill—his whole body shook violently before going stiff, legs up in the air, playing dead.
Jing Zhan stared at the performance speechlessly, gave him a shake, and said coldly, “Keep pretending and you’ll really be dead.”
Zhu Yurong jolted, awkwardly twisting around to face Jing Zhan’s expressionless face. Feeling a chill all over, he forced a flattering smile and wagged his tail energetically.
Jing Zhan frowned deeply at the sight. “Stupid pig.”
Zhu Yurong looked at him aggrieved. “Little pig isn’t stupid.”
Jing Zhan snorted and said nothing, instead examining him with suspicion.
Ten years ago, he had seen this Spirit-Sensing Pig in the forbidden grounds. Back then, it had only just gained intelligence. Yet in just ten years, it could now speak human language and had even formed an internal space. Such rapid advancement was unusual.
When Jing Zhan’s divine sense swept across Zhu Yurong’s forehead and detected the core within, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. So it had been artificially accelerated.
His thoughts drifted back to ancient times, to those so-called geniuses among humans who had been forcefully cultivated by the Heavenly Mechanism Disk. Disgust flickered in his gaze.
Zhu Yurong sensed that disgust immediately and felt even more aggrieved. This person was awful—little pig didn’t like him at all.
Seeing the pig still wagging its tail vigorously, Jing Zhan asked coldly, “Why are you here?”
Zhu Yurong stopped wagging and glanced at him cautiously. “Little pig ate too much and can’t walk anymore.”
Jing Zhan’s expression darkened at the absurd answer. Zhu Yurong hurried to explain, “The frost grass in Martial Uncle Bai’s spirit garden smelled too good. Little pig couldn’t resist.”
Now understanding, Jing Zhan glanced at his expression, still sensing something off. Then he mocked himself inwardly. Had he gone mad from endless imprisonment, to the point of chatting with a pig?
Circulating his technique and feeling the dense spiritual energy of Yuntian Sect, Jing Zhan casually tossed Zhu Yurong aside and prepared to vanish into the void to continue healing.
But in the next instant, he froze.
Before him, the little white pig stretched its limbs—and transformed into a four- or five-year-old child.
“Ascension Fruit!” Jing Zhan’s expression turned serious.
Trapped in the back mountain of Yuntian Sect for tens of thousands of years, even with the Heavenly Mechanism Disk and Creation Pearl in hand, he had endured constant damage under the Nine Heavens Thunder Sword Formation. Ordinary spiritual plants were useless to him—but the Ascension Fruit was different. Even if it couldn’t restore him fully, it could bring him back to seventy percent of his former strength.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. With a wave of his hand, Zhu Yurong flew into his arms.
Holding such a small child for the first time, Jing Zhan felt the soft warmth against him. Looking down, he met Zhu Yurong’s jet-black eyes, which reflected nothing but his own image. For a brief moment, he was stunned.
Seeing Zhu Yurong shrink into himself as much as possible, Jing Zhan’s expression softened slightly.
Gently pressing a finger to Zhu Yurong’s forehead, Jing Zhan sent a thread of divine sense into his mind. At the same time, spiritual energy surged through Zhu Yurong’s body, helping him resist the pain of the soul search.
The moment the energy entered, the needle-like pain vanished, replaced by a warm, comfortable sensation. Zhu Yurong couldn’t help but hum contentedly.
After a while, Jing Zhan’s face suddenly turned livid as he withdrew his hand. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Three Ascension Fruits—and you ate them all!”
The comfortable feeling abruptly cut off, Zhu Yurong instinctively snuggled closer, complaining absentmindedly, “Little pig couldn’t help it… the little monster already scolded me for it. You’re all so annoying.”
The moment the words “so annoying” left his mouth, Zhu Yurong realized his situation. Trembling, he looked up—and, after a moment’s thought, decided to play dead again.
At last, Jing Zhan understood what was so off about Zhu Yurong.
Looking at the pig in his arms stubbornly pretending to be dead, and recalling what he had just seen, he realized that Zhu Yurong would remain this muddle-headed for the rest of his life.
His expression softened once more.