Chapter 27: Fuyu has Crow (5)
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Bai Chunsheng: “Do as you please.”
He had repeated the phrase “Yan Jingqiu is crazy” countless times.
“But I won’t allow you to wear that,” Bai Chunsheng said. “That’s something only from the Lian Guang Secret Realm. If you wear it, won’t others know it’s you?”
There’s no point in pretending. With such a noticeable mask, you might as well write “Yan Yi” on your forehead.
Yan Yi thought Bai Chunsheng had a point. He had two masks left, one of which was a simple gold mask he had stored in his bag before losing his memory. It wasn’t flashy, so Yan Yi didn’t like it much. He still wondered why he had such a mask.
So, that left the red Nuo opera mask he bought later in the Ancient Forest Spirit Realm. This mask was somewhat similar to those from the Lian Guang Secret Realm but was less fierce and more comically charming.
When Yan Yi took out a black storage bag that Bai Chunsheng hadn’t seen before, Bai Chunsheng thought it was something Yan Yi had snatched from some unlucky person in the Lian Guang Secret Realm. He was about to ask whose it was when he noticed a small red-stitched character at the bottom right corner of the bag, which read “Yan.”
Bai Chunsheng: “……”
How curious, he had thought Yan Jingqiu’s storage bag was lost due to some mishap during his cultivation or because he fell into the Chang Hen River after losing his memory.
But since Yan Yi had a storage bag, why did he keep using Shen Yuying’s?
Bai Chunsheng frowned and asked, “Since you have your storage bag, why didn’t you use it before?”
Yan Yi said, “I don’t want to keep taking things out of my storage bag and putting other people’s things in. It’s too troublesome.”
Moreover, Yan Yi didn’t really need these external belongings.
If it weren’t for considering that Bai Chunsheng might get injured, Bai Chunsheng needed treatment, and they would continue to cultivate, needing to exchange and spend money. These things could have been thrown away as trash long ago, and he didn’t need them.
Bai Chunsheng: “That makes sense to some extent.”
He reached out and touched the mask that Yan Yi had just taken out, feeling its coolness and admiring its exquisite workmanship. It was not bad.
It’s just a bit ugly.
When he put it on, it unexpectedly looked somewhat mysterious.
Because Yan Yi insisted on wearing the mask, after the maidservants had set up the meal, Bai Chunsheng reluctantly dismissed them.
After breakfast, the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had come earlier returned.
Zhang Zhiyuan seemed to have gained confidence from somewhere today and was quite proud, raising his head high and declaring, “Two envoys came this morning. They will interrogate you later.”
After saying this, Zhang Zhiyuan’s gaze was drawn to the mask that Yan Yi was currently wearing: “…”
He pointed at Yan Yi and asked Bai Chunsheng, “Why is he suddenly wearing a mask today?”
Bai Chunsheng shook his head and uttered two words, “He’s sick.” Just earlier, Yan Yi himself came up with the excuse of having measles.
Zhang Zhiyuan couldn’t continue his words, “I see.”
Yesterday, he looked clearly not very old.
But it’s hard to say. Maybe after practicing the technique for a while, he will periodically act strange.
Zhang Zhiyuan sighed, thinking about the tough life of a wandering cultivator. For survival, one had to continue practicing even such techniques.
Even his gaze towards Yan Yi became somewhat sympathetic. Zhang Zhiyuan asked again, “When will he get better?”
Bai Chunsheng thought to himself, when will Yan Jingqiu’s insanity be better? How would he know?
Bai Chunsheng replied, “It probably won’t be better anytime soon.”
Yan Yi nodded in agreement.
Zhang Zhiyuan sighed and left a remark, “At the hour of Chen (7-9am) tomorrow, come to yesterday’s hall. Someone will take you there.”
When the hour of Chen arrived the next instant, indeed, several Foundation Establishment cultivators came to escort them.
There were three men and two women, all of them with dignified appearances. Upon seeing Yan Yi, they all unconsciously exchanged glances. A female cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage couldn’t help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly.
It was likely they were laughing at how ugly the mask was.
If Yan Yi had been wielding a sword like in the Lian Guang Secret Realm, where no one could match him with even half a move, it would probably have had a completely different effect.
Another female disciple said, “Let’s take you over first.”
These were new faces Bai Chunsheng hadn’t seen before. He paid attention and noticed they all wore identical jade pendants around their waists, with different characters on the front but all inscribed with “Yusheng” on the back.
They must be disciples of the Yusheng Sect.
It was a bit of a walk from their rooms to the hall, requiring them to pass through two long corridors. Although these people looked a bit surprised at Yan Yi at first glance, they soon paid him no mind and began chatting about matters concerning the Yusheng Sect.
Bai Chunsheng listened intently.
“How long do you think Senior Sister Mu’s injury will take to heal?”
One person asked quietly.
Another replied, “Senior Brother Xu is really confused. He’s made such a fuss over the second son of the Su family and Senior Sister Mu. They’ve been childhood sweethearts with an engagement!”
“So, did Senior Brother Xu come early this morning to apologize?”
“Apologize? That Su Xiaojing came along too.” The female disciple who had laughed at Yan Yi earlier didn’t hold back her sarcasm. “Senior Brother Xu apologizing? He’s just adding to the mess. What right does he have to interfere in our Yusheng Sect disciples’ affairs?”
A male cultivator added, “I heard… Su Xiaojing seems to be a cut sleeve. He’s had unclear entanglements with Mu Changzhou from the Moku several times. It’s really disgusting.”
“I’m telling you, don’t talk nonsense. Xu Suifeng and Su Xiaojing are close. If word gets out that Su Xiaojing is a cut sleeve, it’ll ruin our reputation. Do you think the Sect Master will let you off?”
“Senior Brother Xu is the only Wood Spiritual Root in our Yusheng Sect. If he doesn’t win the inter-sect competition next year, he’s the most likely genius to ascend to a higher realm in the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm after a hundred years.”
“Ha, ha, ha, talking about losing before the inter-sect competition even starts? What pessimistic talk.”
…
Listening closely, Bai Chunsheng understood two things:
The Golden Core cultivator who spat blood yesterday, named Muhua Zhenren, was likely the person they referred to as Mu Tingting.
Earlier this morning, Yan Yi mentioned two new Yusheng Sect disciples: one named Xu Suifeng, the senior brother of the sect, with Wood Spiritual Root, considered a genius even in a small realm like the Shattered Stone Mortal Realm; the other named Su Xiaojing, whose cultivation was mediocre and only an outer disciple of the Yusheng Sect.
However, for some reason, these two had surprisingly good relations with many prominent figures.
A few days ago, Xu Suifeng had a heated argument with Mu Tingting over Su Xiaojing, and in his rage, Xu Suifeng even struck Mu Tingting, who had just recently advanced to the Golden Core stage and had unstable foundations. As a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, Xu Suifeng’s blow nearly shattered her core.
After this incident, Mu Tingting no longer wished to see Xu Suifeng and Su Xiaojing in the sect. She casually took on a mission and left. Unfortunately, her injuries worsened on the way back, and even the sect’s renowned Flowing Fire Brightening Dan couldn’t help her anymore.
This was also the reason she spat blood at Fuyu Mansion before.
In addition, yesterday evening, news spread among the Fuyu Mountain people that the likely perpetrator of killing thirteen people including Hong Chunfeng was a notorious rogue cultivator. Yusheng Sect quickly dispatched additional personnel, perhaps out of caution, and Xu Suifeng and Su Xiaojing arrived early this morning.
These five from Yusheng Sect thought that Xu Suifeng and Su Xiaojing were most likely here to apologize and make amends to Mu Tingting.
Bai Chunsheng found it somewhat amusing to listen to this; if they were really going to apologize and make amends, why didn’t they do it sooner?
Yesterday, even without Yan Yi’s reminder, Bai Chunsheng could see the cracks on Mu Tingting’s Golden Core. The injury must have been at least half a month old, sustained with only the help of the Flowing Fire Brightening Dan they mentioned.
They were probably worried about their reputations being tarnished.
Furthermore, if these thirteen people were truly killed by a demonic hand, everyone knew that demons were insatiable and targeted Foundation Establishment cultivators. Bai Chunsheng also understood some of the rules of the Mortal Realm; people from the Grand World suffered greatly at the hands of demons in the past and would not tolerate any chance for these demons to return.
If Xu Suifeng were to catch a demon, those cultivators from the Grand World, who were scared witless by demons, would immediately facilitate his ascension right on the spot.
Of course, Bai Chunsheng also knew the fate of cultivators who relied on such means to qualify for ascension.
First, they would be subjected to soul-searching and soul checks by the sect’s aristocratic families. Finally, to prevent any manipulation by demons, their souls would be immediately crushed and their soul fragments burned with purifying fire, ensuring they could never be reborn.
People in the Mortal Realm would vie desperately for this opportunity to ascend, never imagining that what awaited them after ascension was not paradise, but a more brutal and cruel cultivation world.
Bai Chunsheng grinned, suddenly reminded of something.
The entire Grand World… no, the entire cultivation world trembled in fear of the Demon Realm, sealed by Yan Jingqiu.
To put it more accurately, nearly half of the cultivation world, which terrified countless people, was nearly conquered by the Demon Realm. Ultimately, Yan Jingqiu, who was not yet five hundred years old at the peak of his power, emerged from seclusion over a hundred years ago and effortlessly split it in two with a single sword stroke, sealing it away in an uninhabited realm, bringing a century of peace to the cultivation world.
It was clear how powerful Yan Jingqiu was at his peak.
Bai Chunsheng couldn’t help but glance sideways at Yan Yi.
Yan Yi was lost in thought. When he noticed Bai Chunsheng looking at him, he turned to meet Bai Chunsheng’s gaze.
The mask didn’t obstruct their eye contact. Bai Chunsheng could see Yan Jingqiu’s eyes, eyebrows, and nose bridge through the gaps in the mask. Yan Jingqiu had a very reliable and handsome face. Bai Chunsheng was overwhelmed with emotion, realizing that Yan Jingqiu, admired and respected by countless people, was now standing beside him, working for him.
Bai Chunsheng didn’t feel inferior to Yan Jingqiu, but he acknowledged that being contemporaries with someone like Yan Jingqiu was an incomparable honor.
Yan Yi pondered for a moment, then decided to ask Bai Chunsheng something.
He transmitted his voice: “What does ‘cut sleeve’ mean?”
Bai Chunsheng: “………”
Yan Yi continued, “Does being together with another man qualify as ‘cut sleeve’?”
He asked again, “Bai Chunsheng, are we ‘cut sleeve’?”
After a moment, Bai Chunsheng said, “Yan Yi.”
“What’s wrong?” Yan Yi asked.
“Shut up.”
“Oh.”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
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