“Oh, don’t cry anymore! Don’t cry! Look, we’ve finally reunited. Will you stay in my Tailing Pavilion?”
Kunwu felt that he should seize the momentum and use years of emotions to ensnare Lu Xiaochan, letting Shu Wuxi hear Lu Xiaochan’s true feelings.
Who the hell wanted to go to that “birds do not poop, chickens do not lay eggs, turtles do not dock” place Wuyi Jingtian with you!
“I…”
Lu Xiaochan was overjoyed in his heart and was about to agree with Kunwu when the Immortal-Locking Ribbon tightened, nearly breaking his bones.
He suddenly remembered that he had promised Shu Wuxi he would go with him.
“I promised Shu Wuxi that once my eyes were cured, I would go with him. I must keep my word.”
Kunwu wore an expression of anguish and pointed at Shu Wuxi. “You… how could you deceive a child!”
“What did I deceive him about?” Shu Wuxi asked in return.
Kunwu gritted his teeth, knowing full well that Lu Xiaochan’s eyes could no longer be cured.
“Fine, we’ll wait until your eyes are cured. If they can’t be cured, you’ll just stay here and I’ll take care of you!” Kunwu decided to adopt a roundabout strategy.
“I promised Brother Wuxi that whether my eyes could be cured or not, as long as he brought me to find you, I would go with him,” Lu Xiaochan replied.
“What? You even promised him that? Naive child! How naive!” Kunwu acted as if he couldn’t catch his breath.
“How am I naive?”
I’ll go with whoever treats me well!
You left me in Lushu Town for so many years while you lived comfortably here. Now that Shu Wuxi has finally taken care of me, what’s wrong with me going with him?
At this point, Shu Wuxi spoke. “We’ll stay at the Tailing Pavilion for now. Kunwu will prepare medicine for you.”
“We’re staying here? That’s great! This place seems very interesting!” Lu Xiaochan’s eyes brightened.
“Kunwu, I want to review all the medical classics and pharmacopeias in your Tailing Pavilion.”
“You can look if you want… but you can’t take them out of the Tailing Pavilion.” Kunwu knew that Shu Wuxi was a once-in-a-millennium genius. If he wanted to learn something, he would definitely be able to learn it.
It seemed he was going to personally study the method to cure Lu Xiaochan’s eyes.
“I’ll take you to rest first.” Shu Wuxi pulled on the Immortal-Locking Ribbon. Lu Xiaochan swayed, and Shu Wuxi turned around to support his elbow, leading him out of the quiet room.
When the door closed, even the water flow suspended in the air fell silent. Kunwu closed his eyes, sighed, and sat down.
“Is it truly… impossible to stop? But after all, everything that has happened stems from my mistake.”
Raising his head, Kunwu recalled events from over thirteen hundred years ago.
Back then, Kunwu received a message from a moon bird of the Wuyi Jingtian. The Sword Master Yang Cang was at a crucial point in his cultivation, approaching the seventh level of the Great Power Realm.
The Great Power Realm had nine levels, and the seventh was the final level reached by the previous sword master before his demise.
So this matter was of utmost importance. Moreover, attempting to enter the divine path with a mortal body was already defying the heavens, and there might be a catastrophic tribulation.
In ancient times, the founding ancestor of the Tailing Pavilion and the first sword master of the Wuyi Jingtian were close friends. They had an agreement that whenever a sword master of the Wuyi Jingtian attempted to break through the nine levels of the “Great Power,” the Tailing Pavilion would send disciples to watch over them.
If the breakthrough failed, the Tailing Pavilion’s medical techniques might preserve their cultivation, or at least prevent them from perishing completely.
However, at that time, the evil god Chaos was rampant. There were rumors that even the Dongxu Sword Master had fallen prey to it, being corrupted and controlled. As the pavilion master of the Tailing Pavilion, Kunwu had to confirm this. This matter was even more urgent than Yang Cang’s breakthrough.
After all, it might take Yang Cang over a hundred years to break through the seventh level of the Great Power Realm, so that crisis wouldn’t come so quickly. But if the Dongxu Sword Master was possessed by an evil god, a single sword strike could devastate countless lives.
Kunwu had no time to go to the Wuyi Jingtian, so he thought of his junior brother, Liche.
Kunwu’s master had once said that his junior brother Liche seemed to lack determination, indulging in all emotions and desires, with no interest in cultivation. Yet he was truly free-spirited by nature.
It was precisely because he had all desires, yet could discard any of them at will, that Liche formed his core at twelve and reached the “Entering Power” realm at fourteen, thus forever maintaining the appearance of a fourteen-year-old.
Ordinary cultivators couldn’t break through the “Borrowing Situation” realm even after a thousand years, yet Liche managed it in just six hundred years.
To avoid tribulations for defying the heavens, this boy simply stopped cultivating.
Kunwu persuaded and coerced Liche to go to the Wuyi Jingtian.
As soon as Liche saw the buildings made of exquisite cold jade in the Wuyi Jingtian, he cried bitterly, saying it was a barren hell on earth.
But Kunwu had no time to care about his junior brother’s feelings.
Kunwu went to the Dongxu but couldn’t find the Dongxu Sword Master. He realized that if this was a diversion, could the true target of the evil god Chaos be Yang Cang, who was in the midst of his breakthrough?
He hurried back to the Wuyi Jingtian nine days later. He had expected his little junior brother to come out punching and kicking, but Kunwu didn’t see him at all.
“Xiaochan is doing well here with me.”
This was the first time Kunwu heard Yang Cang express a desire to keep something.
Kunwu exhaled, relieved that at least his troublemaking junior brother hadn’t angered the sword master.
Of course, Yang Cang, who had grown up in a realm of no desires, didn’t understand joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, so how could he get angry?
However, Kunwu didn’t realize that few people could enter the Wuyi Jingtian, and every Yang Cang was neither cold nor warm. Wanting to keep someone by one’s side was itself the beginning of desire.
Since his junior brother was watching over him, Kunwu accompanied the disciples of Dongxu to search for their missing sword master, but to no avail.
A month later, Kunwu returned to the Wuyi Jingtian, bringing with him the fine wines, sweet cakes, and caged crickets he had collected along the way.
He knew his junior brother’s nature and feared that in such an austere place, his eyes might have swollen from crying and his frame might have become gaunt.
Kunwu didn’t find Yang Cang or his little junior brother, but on Yang Cang’s desk, he saw a row of bottles and jars containing seeds covered in spirit soil, which had sprouted and grown branches.
Kunwu was astonished. Besides the divine tree “Fengtian,” there were now other living things in the Wuyi Jingtian. As he stroked the tender green leaves, he found them precious, but didn’t consider that the realm of “no life, no death” had lost its meaning because of these living beings.
From afar, he heard his little junior brother’s joyous laughter. Kunwu was even more surprised, wondering what could make his little junior brother so happy in this place.
Following the sound, he saw Yang Cang standing at the edge of the Luohun Cliff, his robes fluttering. His little junior brother was standing on a glowing spirit sword, gliding freely over the Wuyi Sword Sea.
This scene terrified Kunwu. The Wuyi Sword Sea wasn’t a sea of clouds, but a gathering of sword intent from all previous sword masters after their passing. Falling into it would not only harm body and mind but also destroy one’s core with thousands of years of accumulated sword intent.
As he approached, he realized the sword under his junior brother’s feet was Yang Cang’s spirit sword. This sword, forged from the spine of an ancient spirit beast named Changyan, combined with Yang Cang’s cultivation, had extraordinary spirit energy. It was the most powerful of the world’s five supreme swords.
His little junior brother spread his arms, his clothes billowing in the wind. The spirit sword could cover ninety thousand miles in an instant, suddenly throwing his little junior brother off.
Kunwu’s eyes widened as he watched the sword spin, falling with his little junior brother. Just as they were about to hit the sword sea, it caught his junior brother, even bouncing him a bit, frightening him into shouting “No, no!”
Yang Cang stood at the cliff’s edge, watching. His expression was no longer as cold and stern as before, with a faint, barely noticeable smile at the corners of his lips.
Kunwu immediately bowed his head in greeting. “My junior brother is mischievous and has offended the Sword Master…”
Yang Cang didn’t even glance at Kunwu. He merely crooked his finger slightly, and the spirit sword slowed down, like a small boat carrying his little junior brother, swaying gently above the sword sea.
As his little junior brother was about to return to the cliff edge, Kunwu spoke. “I will take my junior brother down the mountain now. We have truly disturbed the Sword Master’s cultivation…”
Suddenly, the sword retreated, nearly causing his little junior brother to fall off.
But quickly, the sword rolled several times over the sword sea, moving back and forth, sometimes making him laugh heartily, sometimes frightening him into shouting “Slow down, slow down!”
“Why do you always speak of offense?” Yang Cang finally turned his face, giving Kunwu a proper look.
“Everyone knows ‘The universe is vast, without gaps.’ Your Wuxi Sword has allowed my junior brother…”
“It’s good if it can make Xiaochan happy,” Yang Cang replied coolly.
Kunwu opened his eyes wide. He felt certain his ears must have been broken.
What could make Xiaochan happy?
“What’s that in your hand?” Yang Cang lowered his gaze, looking at the oiled paper bag Kunwu was holding.
“This… these are sugar cakes. I left my junior brother in Wuyi Jingtan for so long, he’s surely going to be angry with me…”
“Hmm, he likes to eat sugar cakes and roasted flatbread with preserved vegetable filling.”
Kunwu froze there. He vaguely felt something was not right in his heart, but he didn’t know what exactly was wrong.
Yang Cang never cared about anyone who came to Wuyi Jingtan. Why would he know what his little junior brother liked to eat?
“Leave these here. You can go now.”
“I came to…”
“Weren’t you going to find the Dongxu Sword Master? Have you found them?”
“Not… not yet…”
“Then why aren’t you going to look for them? What are you doing staying here?”
“Ah, yes…”
Kunwu immediately retreated. It wasn’t his first time coming to Wuyi Jingtan, but it was the first time Yang Cang had dismissed him.
He had come to Wuyi Jingtan nine times in a row, and on the ninth time, he was certain that the Dongxu Sword Master had been possessed by evil spirits and he had to ask Yang Cang to come out of seclusion to exorcise them.
But what he saw was… the entire Wuyi Jingtan looked as if it had been submerged in great waters. This was the trace left after his junior brother had used the “Tailing Zhenyuan”.
If the situation wasn’t critical, why would his junior brother bring the world’s great waters into Wuyi Jingtan?
Kunwu searched everywhere. In Yang Cang’s room, everything was in disarray. Ancient scrolls were strewn all over the floor, the bottles and jars on the table were all smashed. Those immortal plants and spirit herbs that had grown several inches tall lay on the floor of exquisite cold jade, covered with a layer of frost.
His little junior brother’s clothes were torn by the cold jade couch, and his personal magical artifact “Tailing Zhenyuan” was thrown on the ground.
Kunwu quickly lifted the light gauze by the couch, but there was nothing.
He called out his little junior brother’s name, and the first thought in his mind was that Yang Cang had gone berserk, and his little junior brother couldn’t help him guide his qi back to its origin, so he could only flee.
He searched for a long time and finally found his little junior brother in the Wuyi Sword Pavilion, but Yang Cang had completely changed.
Because he had *****. (TL: censored)
Kunwu begged Yang Cang to return his junior brother to him, but Yang Cang just laughed.
[He is mine.]
[Whoever tries to take him away, even if I have to turn the three thousand worlds upside down, I will make them shatter into dust.]
It turned out that Yang Cang’s heavenly tribulation wasn’t a thunder tribulation.
It was a Lu Xiaochan.
Kunwu let out a sigh. He dared not think about what happened afterwards.
Moreover, he knew that Shu Wuxi was also certain he wouldn’t tell Xiaochan about the past.
Because if he recalled the past, then the extreme pain of karmic fire burning his body would naturally be remembered as well.
Shu Wuxi had a secluded dwelling in the Tailing Pavilion.
This secluded dwelling was truly “secluded” – apart from a bed couch and a desk, there was nothing else.
Lu Xiaochan was still as curious as before, touching this and that. Shu Wuxi brewed a pot of tea, and every time he raised his eyes, he always looked in Lu Xiaochan’s direction.
“Brother Wuxi… why is there nothing here? Can I go outside and look around?”
Lu Xiaochan really wanted to touch and see for himself what the Tailing Pavilion was like.
“Xiaochan, you promised you would go with me.”
“I remember,” Lu Xiaochan turned his head back.
“What if the place I want to take you to is a place where there’s nothing?”
Shu Wuxi’s voice was still flat, but it sounded lighter than usual, as if he was afraid of shattering something.
Lu Xiaochan burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, you might as well say you want to take me to Wuyi Jingtan! Five colors, no taste, no life, no death!”
With a crash, the teapot in front of Shu Wuxi toppled over. Scalding tea spilled all over the table, dripping onto Shu Wuxi’s body. Yet he remained motionless, looking in Lu Xiaochan’s direction.
Lu Xiaochan heard this and knew something was wrong. He stretched out his hand, coming to the edge of the table, about to touch everything.
“Are you alright? Did you get burned?” Lu Xiaochan knew Shu Wuxi’s teacup had fallen, and he was extremely worried.
Just as Lu Xiaochan was about to touch the steaming puddle of water, Shu Wuxi lifted the teapot. The hot water instantly turned into steam, swirling and gathering back into the teapot.
“I’m fine.”
“Ah, oh!” Lu Xiaochan sat down cross-legged.
“Do you care if I get burned?”
Shu Wuxi turned his face, leaning close to Lu Xiaochan, stopping just before their noses touched.
Lu Xiaochan’s eyelashes were long and thick. He had the innocent charm of a young boy, but whenever he blinked, it softened one’s heart.
“How could I not care? Burns are very painful!”
Lu Xiaochan thought to himself, how heartless did Shu Wuxi think he was!
“I’m the one who would be burned, not you. Why would you care?” Shu Wuxi asked, looking into Lu Xiaochan’s eyes.
“I would feel heartache!” Lu Xiaochan covered the area over his heart, “It would feel like it’s being pinched and torn apart!”
“So that’s what heartache is.”
Shu Wuxi said softly.
Lu Xiaochan particularly disliked when he spoke softly, because it made him feel choked up too. He wanted to comfort him, and had an uncontrollable urge to touch him.
But he couldn’t touch him.
“Let me take you out for a walk.” Shu Wuxi stood up, gently pulling on the Immortal-Locking Ribbon, leading Lu Xiaochan out the door.
Lu Xiaochan discovered that in the Tailing Pavilion, spaces overlapped.
For instance, at this moment, as they pushed open the door and stepped onto the ground, Lu Xiaochan’s feet were on an undulating rocky path, different from the mirror-smooth feeling he had when he first entered the Tailing Pavilion.
“Where is this?”
“This is where Kunwu plants immortal plants. Here, a branch of the immortal tree ‘Fengtian’ has been transplanted.”
“Really? I heard that the jade paste made from ‘Fengtian’ sap can make cultivators twice as efficient, and it can also cure all diseases and strengthen the body. If there’s any, can I eat a little bit?” Lu Xiaochan gestured with his fingers.
“You wouldn’t like it. To you, the jade paste would taste like chewing wax.”
“That’s impossible, right? Taste like chewing wax? I’ve never eaten it, how can you be sure I won’t like it?”
Lu Xiaochan thought to himself, even if it tastes like chewing wax, it’s still a good thing! We can’t waste such a treasure!
“It’s alright. Since you want to eat it now, have a little more.”
So that evening, Lu Xiaochan ate osmanthus sugar dipped in jade paste.
Just as he was sitting cross-legged at Shu Wuxi’s small table, putting the last bite of jade paste into his mouth, he heard the door being pushed open abruptly. Kunwu stormed in angrily.
“Shu Wuxi—you’ve gone too far! That ‘Fengtian’ plant, I watered it daily with my spiritual energy to keep it alive! Now that it has finally grown so tall, you actually uprooted it completely!”
Lu Xiaochan choked on that mouthful of jade paste.
So that immortal plant was so precious!
When Shu Wuxi had said he uprooted it, he just did it and directly gave it to other medical cultivators, saying it was sent for dinner. Lu Xiaochan had thought rare and exotic plants were as common as wildflowers in the Tailing Pavilion… but it turned out… it wasn’t like that at all!
“Xiaochan wanted to eat it,” Shu Wuxi replied.
Completely nonchalant and matter-of-fact.
“Xiaochan…Xiaochan…” Kunwu lowered his head to look at Lu Xiaochan, swallowing hard. Though clearly unwilling, he had to force a smile. “So… it was Xiaochan who wanted to eat it! You could have told me, I would have prepared it myself. At least the immortal plant wouldn’t have been completely uprooted, right?”
Lu Xiaochan scratched his chin, thinking how Kunwu changed his attitude faster than turning pages in a book.
“How is it, Xiaochan? Is the jade paste delicious?” Kunwu asked with a smile.
Although Lu Xiaochan couldn’t see Kunwu’s expression, he felt that he must be in great pain at this moment.
