Whatever schemes the brother and sister had in mind, after Gu Baiqing’s words, they had no choice but to excuse themselves.
Once they left, Gu Baiqing nudged his shoulder—the man hanging on him felt like a block of iron, heavy and stiff enough to bend his waist.
Mo Xuanli finally straightened and said softly, “Master…”
Gu Baiqing looked down. Mo Xuanli’s head was lowered, as if he had something to say. Gu Baiqing quickly realized and said, “I apologize for making up that story without your consent. But the Beast-Taming Manor’s people aren’t exactly kindhearted. Getting entangled with them might not end well. Still, if you truly are interested in any of the young ladies here, I won’t stop you. Matters of the heart are yours alone to judge.”
If he didn’t know the original plot, his behavior really would seem like that of an overbearing elder. But since this version of Mo Xuanli hadn’t become romantically entangled with his master, he could well find a suitable partner someday. Still, considering the people of this manor…
Gu Baiqing frowned slightly, wondering if he was unfairly judging them all.
“Master!” Mo Xuanli suddenly grabbed his arm, eyes bright under the moonlight. His gaze was so full of emotion, so deep and dark, it could pull someone in.
Gu Baiqing froze under that stare—suddenly remembering that night by the lake in Linxun Town, when little Xuanli had cried and confessed, asking him to marry him.
A strange tightness pressed against Gu Baiqing’s chest. For a moment, he even felt dazed.
“Huh?”
“Master, how could I possibly be interested in the girls here?” Mo Xuanli said urgently, like a trapped beast desperate to speak. “What you said just now—that’s exactly how I feel.”
He faltered, frustrated, unable to voice what lay beneath: My heart is the same.
“Master, don’t overthink,” he said finally, sounding defeated. “I… I just want to keep cultivating by your side. We still have to find the shards of the God-Slaying Sword. Once we do… everything will be fine.”
Gu Baiqing came back to himself, his chest loosening as though the earlier pressure had been an illusion. He raised a brow slightly—Mo Xuanli still lacked confidence; before he awakened his demonic bloodline, he probably wouldn’t dare speak of love at all.
That only made Gu Baiqing feel more protective.
Seeing Mo Xuanli’s restless expression, Gu Baiqing reached out and patted his head. “Don’t worry. Your master will help you.”
Mo Xuanli froze, something stirring deep in his chest. Then he lowered his head and leaned onto Gu Baiqing’s shoulder—almost like he was embracing him.
Gu Baiqing was startled. “What’s wrong?”
“Sorry, Master,” Mo Xuanli murmured. “Your disciple really is drunk. My head’s spinning.”
He took a deep breath against Gu Baiqing’s neck, inhaling that faint plum-blossom scent until it filled his lungs and quieted the turmoil inside him. Only then did he manage to stand upright again.
Gu Baiqing looked at him helplessly. Because he couldn’t drink, Mo Xuanli always did the drinking for both of them—but after all this time, his tolerance hadn’t improved at all. In the original story, wasn’t he supposed to be the one who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk, just to get his master drunk? How had he become this useless now? Maybe it was because his demonic bloodline hadn’t awakened yet.
Honestly, Gu Baiqing thought, if not for Heaven’s laws—or my mission—I actually think having a demonic bloodline is pretty cool.
With no other choice, he supported Mo Xuanli and led him back to their room.
The next morning, when Gu Baiqing woke up, Mo Xuanli was already sitting cross-legged in meditation.
Gu Baiqing took Little Three Bean out into the courtyard, the small creature happily darting around and climbing to the highest spot to survey its new territory.
“Why are you so full of energy today?” Gu Baiqing asked curiously.
Little Three Bean turned back with an eager grin. “Where are we going to play today?”
Since the story hadn’t progressed to the next major plot point, they naturally had some free time. Just as Gu Baiqing was about to answer, a familiar voice came from outside the courtyard—Yu Chun’s.
“How about going to the Grand Market? They have all kinds of things related to spirit beasts. Brother Mo is a beast tamer, and Brother Xuanli doesn’t have a contracted beast yet, so it’s the perfect place to go. And besides, the Grand Market is the liveliest spot in Longan Port—best visited during the day.”
Gu Baiqing looked up and sure enough, there was Yu Chun again, as enthusiastic as ever. He couldn’t tell whether the man was truly being hospitable and trying to curry favor with the Zixiao Sect—or if he was still scheming something.
He was about to speak when he noticed Yu Qing hovering hesitantly at the gate. Gu Baiqing sighed inwardly. So the girl had ignored his hints yesterday—after a night to think things over, was she planning to steal someone’s “corner” now?
His gaze swept over her, and Yu Qing clearly felt uneasy. She didn’t dare meet his eyes, merely gave him a quiet greeting before asking after Mo Xuanli.
“He’s still in meditation—it’ll take a bit longer,” Gu Baiqing replied.
“Perfect timing. I’ve had breakfast sent over—let’s all eat together.”
Before Gu Baiqing could refuse, Yu Chun had already seated himself at the stone table in the courtyard.
Since this was their hosts’ domain, it wasn’t polite to drive them away. Gu Baiqing could only deal with it.
Just then, Mo Xuanli’s meditation came to an end. The moment he heard his master talking with someone outside, his expression darkened immediately.
His displeasure was plain as he rose and walked out—only to see three people sharing breakfast together, and Yu Chun even trying to pick food into his master’s bowl. It felt like taking a blow straight to the back.
“Brother Mo…” Yu Qing greeted with a smile.
Mo Xuanli merely nodded coldly and went straight to sit beside his master. “Brother, why didn’t you call me?”
“We just started,” Yu Chun said cheerfully. “Everything’s still hot. Brother Xuanli doesn’t look too well—are you still hungover from last night?”
Gu Baiqing turned to him. “Feeling unwell?”
Mo Xuanli’s irritation eased slightly. He shook his head. “I’m fine.”
When his master handed him a cup of hot soy milk, his lips curved faintly as he took a sip.
Yu Qing didn’t react much, but Yu Chun froze for a second before saying, “We were just talking about going to the Grand Market.”
He briefly described the place, then asked Mo Xuanli if there was anything he wanted to buy.
After a moment’s thought, Mo Xuanli realized he did need to restock on some spell-casting materials—the market would have them. So it was decided.
“You’re coming too?” Mo Xuanli said bluntly. “Actually, my brother and I can manage by ourselves. You don’t need to trouble yourselves. The ceremony is soon, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you both be busy with preparations or cultivation? No need to stand on formality.”
Yu Qing shook her head first. “I’m not participating, so it’s fine.”
“I am,” Yu Chun said with a smile, “but it’s not something you can cram for at the last minute. It’s good to relax a bit.”
In the end, Gu Baiqing had no choice but to agree—they set out as a group of four.
As they neared the mountain gate, they ran into some familiar faces—the same people who had gone with Yu Qing into the Ten Thousand Beasts Forest yesterday. They hadn’t captured any beasts, but their strength had been recognized by the Beast-Taming Manor nonetheless.
Even Junhua, who’d quarreled with Yu Qing before, was among them.
As they passed by, they saw Junhua crack her whip, sending a man flying to the ground in front of everyone.
Yu Qing hurried over to help him up. “Cousin!”
The beaten man, his face swollen like a pig’s head, snarled, “You b*tch! Just you wait—I’ll make you pay!”
Junhua laughed coldly. “Oh? I’ll be right here waiting for you, you little gourd. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—take one more step toward me and I’ll whip you to death.” She stroked her whip and smirked provocatively.
“You… you shrew! I’ll see you never leave the Beast-Taming Manor alive!” the man roared.
Junhua burst out laughing. “What a joke! Since when do you decide who leaves this manor? Still glaring at me? Sure, I’m beautiful as a fairy, but you filthy toad have no right to covet me—don’t even look! How could these divine eyes of mine ever sink to your dog eyes? Keep staring, and one day I’ll dig them out!”
Gu Baiqing glanced at the courtyard—every man there was standing at least ten meters away from Junhua, most with whip marks still visible on their faces.
“Junhua, you’ve just joined the manor. How can you act so unruly?” Yu Qing said anxiously.
“Oh? That short stump thought he could flirt with me,” Junhua sneered. “Teaching him a lesson was already giving him face. Besides, when I joined, no one said I had to bow and scrape to your family disciples, did they? Isn’t this place supposed to judge by ability?”
Her words made Yu Qing’s face burn red.
“A newcomer should at least show basic manners,” Yu Qing said. “Even if my cousin was at fault, you could have scolded him or reported it—you didn’t need to resort to violence. He’s your senior brother in terms of rank; behaving like this is rebellion against hierarchy and—”
“Don’t talk to me about your so-called rules,” Junhua interrupted, her voice sharp. “Those are what you lot use when you can’t beat someone, just to guilt them into submission. I don’t get it—and I don’t care. In our path of cultivation, strength speaks louder than words. If you do wrong, you get hit. If he hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have bothered with trash like him. Or do you want to fight on his behalf?”
Yu Qing was so furious she could hardly breathe, her eyes misting with grievance as she turned to Yu Chun for help.
Yu Chun’s expression chilled. For a new disciple to behave so wildly—utterly lacking decorum—was intolerable. But since they were in public among outer disciples, he couldn’t show favoritism either.
“Since my cousin was in the wrong, he should accept his punishment,” Yu Chun said calmly. “Blame his laziness and lack of skill for losing.”
“Well said,” Junhua laughed.
Yu Chun continued, “But since you’ve just joined and already defeated my cousin with such ease, why don’t we test your skill properly? Take three moves from me. If you do well, you’ll be promoted upward instead of wasting time here.”
That line seemed to be exactly what Junhua wanted to hear—her face lit up immediately, like someone about to be taken under a powerful master’s wing.
The outer disciples around them looked on with open envy.
After all, they were already near the main gates—the very outer circle of the sect. To truly learn anything worthwhile, they would have to climb upward.
Gu Baiqing let out a low, cold chuckle. “It seems this won’t end peacefully. Who would have thought the young master’s heart would be so narrow.”
The so-called “trial” of the Beast-Taming Villa was a deadly affair. They had seen Third Elder’s version of a “trial” earlier—Junhua had just kicked an iron plate. Although Yu Chun might look like an ornamental vase, his cultivation was far from weak; among the younger generation, he was second only to Yu Yingwan.
Mo Xuanli leaned closer and whispered, “Brother…”
“Protect her life later,” Gu Baiqing said. In the original story, Mo Xuanli had indeed saved Junhua once, which led her to develop a good impression of him—setting off future events. Gu Baiqing only wanted to remind him, to make sure the plot stayed on track.
Mo Xuanli froze for a moment, pressed his lips together, and said reluctantly, “Oh.”
“What? You don’t want to? What’s wrong with playing the hero and saving the beauty?” Gu Baiqing raised a brow.
There wasn’t even a flicker of excitement about being a hero on Mo Xuanli’s face—only the word trouble. “It’s not that… I just think she’s not that smart. Can’t she tell Yu Chun’s about to strike with full force? Why walk right into it?”
Gu Baiqing’s eyes glimmered slightly. “Maybe… she wants to test her own strength.”
As they spoke, the three moves had already begun.
Yu Chun currently had no contracted beast, so he didn’t use one to attack. Instead, he drew his sword—and to everyone’s surprise, it was a rare lightning-type sword art.
Lightning danced along the blade, and Mo Xuanli’s expression darkened for an instant. Why does this kind of person get to copy my master?
The first strike—Thunderclap! Junhua raised her whip to block.
An ordinary whip would have shattered, but hers remained intact—it was clearly no common weapon. The problem was the one wielding it: she staggered back three steps, muffling a groan, clearly forcing back a mouthful of blood.
“Eighty percent of your strength, senior brother—how flattering,” Junhua said with a wild grin, straightening and raising her whip again.
Yu Chun’s face stiffened; he hadn’t expected her to still be standing after his first blow.
Though arrogant, Yu Chun wasn’t a fool. To be sure, he needed to strike with full force.
So, without holding back, he unleashed his complete power.
Electricity crackled through the air. Everyone else scrambled back to avoid the blast. Junhua’s lips curled in defiance—she leapt up, her whip dancing, forming a barrier that shielded her body.
But when the strike ended, she crashed heavily to the ground, nearly falling to one knee, and this time couldn’t hold back the blood that spurted from her lips. When she lifted her head again, her eyes were cold as ice.
Yu Chun’s expression, however, showed surprise. This girl is incredible. A natural-born talent. With proper training, she could become one of his strongest subordinates—and with a face like that, bleeding and beautiful like a flower blooming in blood… breathtaking. Even if he wasn’t interested romantically, having a woman both strong and beautiful as a wife—bearing him a gifted child—wouldn’t that be…
Still, that untamed attitude of hers was irritating. He’d have to break her like a wild beast before she’d learn obedience.
“Not bad. Very good. If you can withstand the third strike, I’ll let you into the inner sect.”
The inner sect was basically full of Yu family members. Any outsider who entered was either a genius or someone with extraordinary potential—and such people often ended up marrying into the clan.
To have such a chance on her very first day—no one knew whether to envy or pity her. Everyone could see she’d already reached her limit after two moves. If she took the third, she’d either die or be severely injured. Even if she survived, she’d be bedridden for weeks—it hardly seemed worth it.
Junhua hesitated for a brief moment. She wasn’t stupid—if she got badly hurt now, it would only hold her back.
Just as she was about to yield, Yu Chun’s expression hardened. He didn’t give her a chance to speak. Lightning surged toward her once again.
Junhua raised her whip to block, but her spiritual power was nearly drained. In desperation, if she wanted to survive…
Her eyes flashed—and suddenly, a tall figure in white appeared in front of her. A parasol unfolded with a snap.
The lightning dispersed harmlessly to either side.
That move—that parasol—she had seen it before.
Junhua looked up to find the man standing just an arm’s length ahead of her. The lingering arcs of electricity still crackled around them, one strand even hitting her hair. Her entire face darkened, and she quietly stepped forward to close the distance beside Mo Xuanli.
What kind of person stands that far away when saving someone? she fumed internally. Would it kill him to stand closer and actually shield me properly?
You’ve already saved me—what’s another step? Even if you hugged me right now, I wouldn’t complain!
