Chapter 38: The Spirit Fish Enters the Dream (8)
Yan Yi rolled up his sleeves again, contemplating the situation. “Wait here, I’ll go catch these two and ask them.”
Bai Chunsheng widened his eyes in surprise. “Wait!”
He found it hard to understand Yan Yi’s thoughts every day. “Aren’t you worried about alarming them?”
Yan Yi glanced at Bai Chunsheng, thinking he was being overly cautious. “What waves could they possibly stir? What’s there to be afraid of?”
Though he said that, Yan Yi still stayed put. He crossed his arms and quietly watched Bai Chunsheng.
Bai Chunsheng explained to Yan Yi, “You said there were demons on Fuyu Mountain, and these two disappeared afterward—this is the most suspicious part. What if there are more demons on the mountain than the one you killed? What if these two are somehow involved with them?”
Bai Chunsheng continued, “Maybe these two were possessed by demons. If you approach them, they might realize they’ve been exposed. What if they have ties to the demon world, recognize you, and send word to bring reinforcements to kill you?”
Yan Yi snorted, “Then let them come.”
“No.” Bai Chunsheng’s voice became more urgent, as there was something crucial he could not bring himself to tell Yan Yi.
He wasn’t just any ordinary rogue cultivator; he was Yan Jingqiu!
This was a blood feud.
If these two were indeed connected to the demon world and learned that Yan Jingqiu had lost his memory, the demons would likely stop at nothing to kill Yan Yi on the spot.
How could he tell Yan Yi this? Bai Chunsheng turned his face away, unwilling to speak. “I said no, so it’s no.”
The little ancestor was indeed the little ancestor.
“Alright,” Yan Yi said, “But aren’t you curious about what’s going on? What should we do about it?”
Bai Chunsheng replied, “Wait until it’s over, then secretly follow them to see what they’re up to.”
At that moment, a young male voice was heard from outside the stone door. “Jiang Kui has arrived.”
Bi Xi opened the stone door, revealing a tall young man dressed in a brocade robe. His broad shoulders were striking, though his face was somewhat unattractive due to a black mole beneath his nose, making his appearance a bit off-putting.
Jiang Kui walked into the room, and the stone door slowly closed behind him. He raised the issue of the previous year’s Smoky Year, which Cheng Yue had mentioned earlier, and said, “The Smoky Year from last time just passed seventy years ago, and now it’s being brought up so early. I almost didn’t make it in time.”
Cheng Yue replied, “I thought you were stuck outside the city gates. I was just about to advise Bi Xi not to wait for you.”
The others burst into hearty laughter, and Jiang Kui shook his head helplessly.
Bi Xi waved her hand, and the chairs, which had been somewhat disorganized, began to jump around the room and automatically arranged themselves around the round table. Everyone found their seats. Bai Chunsheng and Yan Yi sat side by side, while Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou, now disguised, sat across from them.
There were only fourteen participants in the exchange, all of them at the Foundation Establishment stage.
The exchange began with Bi Xi. The female cultivator took out a jade bottle from her storage bag. The bottle was translucent and warm in color. “This is a spirit bottle from the Pinghu kiln,” she said. “It can preserve the medicinal properties of pills for five years without losing potency.”
Her spiritual eyes shifted, and it seemed like light and shadows flickered in her gaze. “I wish to exchange this for a hundred-year-old spirit herb.”
An elderly Daoist with all white hair chuckled softly. “Is your older sister going to refine an Ascension Pill for you? No wonder you took the initiative to organize this exchange; it seems you had plans all along.”
Bi Xi replied, “Exactly, the main ingredients are already prepared. I’m only missing a spirit herb with dense spiritual energy to serve as a supplementary medicine to guide the pills.”
No one at the table responded, and Bi Xi’s expression showed disappointment.
She pursed her lips and said, “If anyone has such a spirit herb, feel free to send me a sound transmission. You may propose other requests, and I’ll see if I can fulfill them.”
Seated to her right was a middle-aged man, who spoke, “I happen to have one, but the spirit bottle is of no use to me. I’d like to exchange it for an offensive magic weapon.”
“An offensive magic weapon… just a hundred-year-old spirit herb isn’t enough,” Bi Xi responded.
Her lips moved, as if speaking, but no sound came out. The cultivators at the table recognized she was using sound transmission, and sure enough, the middle-aged man, after receiving her transmission, said excitedly, “Is this true?”
Bi Xi smiled and nodded.
“Good, I’m willing to make the trade with you.” The middle-aged man seemed quite satisfied.
This first transaction set a good tone for the exchange.
The discussions of the others seemed rather trivial to Bai Chunsheng, and he wasn’t interested. It wasn’t until it was Su Xiaojing’s turn that Bai Chunsheng reluctantly straightened up to listen to what he had to offer.
Su Xiaojing took out a brocade box, which contained a fiery-red stone that resembled a blooming begonia flower from afar. The rich spiritual energy it emanated filled the entire stone chamber with a sulfur-like scent as soon as the box was opened.
Su Xiaojing spoke, “This is a top-grade Fire Spirit Stone.”
Everyone was shocked. Bai Chunsheng had already seen how excited Cheng Yue had been over two mid-tier spirit stones, thinking he had found a great bargain. But this was a top-grade Fire Spirit Stone! Some cultivators, even after reaching the late stage of Golden Core, might never even see one of such quality.
“Half a month ago, I was walking on Chiyan Mountain, and an abandoned mine collapsed unexpectedly,” Su Xiaojing continued. “I got lost in the mine, and to find my way out, I dug a new path. Perhaps I was lucky, but along the way, I uncovered this top-grade Fire Spirit Stone.”
The story was full of holes, and anyone with a discerning eye could tell that he had just recently broken through. Half a month ago? He was probably still at the Qi Refining stage, so how could he have dug a new path in an abandoned mine?
Moreover, abandoned mineral veins had to be inspected by Nascent Soul cultivators. A top-grade spirit stone would be considered too hot to handle even by Golden Core cultivators. With its dense spiritual energy, how could such a stone have been overlooked?
Anyone with a little thought could spot the numerous holes in Su Xiaojing’s story, and the cultivators present were momentarily stunned, though no one said anything.
Since he was willing to offer such a treasure for exchange, it was naturally a good thing for them.
Everyone fell into silence, each lost in thought, wondering what they had that could be exchanged for such a valuable item.
Bai Chunsheng, sitting in his chair, tapped his foot impatiently, thinking about the coincidence. Just when he was getting drowsy, someone had presented a perfect opportunity.
If Su Xiaojing was connected to the demon world, then these schemes were likely aimed at Yan Yi. But such a rare opportunity was like bait placed before a fish. He wanted to bite the bait but didn’t want to fall for the trap.
Yan Yi’s expression remained calm. “He didn’t lie; he really did find it.”
Su Xiaojing’s heart rate was steady. Even the calmest of people show signs when they lie, like a slight increase in heart rate or nervousness.
— Like Bai Chunsheng earlier, when he claimed that he and Yan Yi were close friends, his heartbeat had nearly jumped out of his throat, and his face had flushed. It was obvious he was lying and feeling embarrassed, even without needing to listen to his heartbeat.
Bai Chunsheng said, “I can tell. The problem is, he might not even know that it’s fake.”
Yan Yi asked, “Then, do you want it?”
Bai Chunsheng had already made up his mind. “I don’t need it.”
Even if he fixed it, the stone Su Xiaojing held wasn’t enough. It was better to see what this person was truly up to first.
The two exchanged thoughts via sound transmission, and the nearby cultivators quickly formed hand seals.
After a while, Su Xiaojing seemed to have completed his sound transmission with someone and gotten the result he desired.
He smiled with satisfaction and said, “The transaction has been made. Thank you, everyone.”
After speaking, Su Xiaojing sat down, seeming ready to privately finalize the trade with the buyer.
This made sense; although he was protected by a master’s protective spell, the authenticity and usefulness of the item were still uncertain. A private transaction would provide an additional layer of security. It was also possible that Su Xiaojing had received everyone’s sound transmissions and realized that the Foundation Establishment cultivators here were not as impressive as they appeared. If they backed out, he might consider taking the item to the Treasure Gathering Pavilion for an auction. After all, with the Fire Spirit Stone, he could fetch a sky-high price if he wanted to sell it.
The exchange continued, but after Su Xiaojing’s transaction, the rare items that had been highly valued among the Foundation Establishment cultivators now seemed rather ordinary. The mood in the room quickly soured, and everyone lost their interest.
Bai Chunsheng watched a few more rounds and spent 500 spirit stones to buy ten drops of Stone Milk Spirit Liquid from a loose cultivator. He planned to pour it into the spiritual pond in his cave to see if it could improve the water quality.
As they stepped out of the stone room, the sky had already darkened.
Bright flags fluttered in the evening dusk, glowing as though they had a life of their own.
Bai Chunsheng and Yan Yi stood in the alley. Bai Chunsheng took a small white puppet from his storage bag and formed a hand seal. The puppet’s chest glowed with a warm red light, and then it twisted its limbs and stood up crookedly. Bai Chunsheng whispered, “Go.”
The puppet leaped off his hand and stealthily followed Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou.
After a while, it seemed as if its tracks had been erased, disappearing into the twilight.
This was a small invention created by the Mingqi Peak of the Ten Thousand Demon Sect a few years ago. It wasn’t of high grade, only capable of tracking people’s movements, but its strength lay in its concealment.
Bai Chunsheng, mindful of the importance of the matter, said, “Let’s first check on the furniture that needs to be prepared for the cave. We’ll see what these two are up to later.”
There was a shop not far away. Fortunately, there wasn’t much to prepare, so they didn’t take too long.
Following the information given by the puppet, Bai Chunsheng led Yan Yi through the winding streets of Tian Nan City. Eventually, they turned back toward the Yusheng Sect. However, Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou were headed to a different mine under the Yusheng Sect’s jurisdiction. The mine had been abandoned for a long time, and perhaps because the foul-smelling ores had disappeared, a lot of greenery had grown in its place.
The weeds were even taller than a person, with one or two pale-colored flowers at their tops. A few still-lingering candles of the night glowed with a faint green light.
Bai Chunsheng soon found the two of them. He and Yan Yi cast a concealed aura technique, moving silently through the grass, as if they were a gust of wind drifting through the jungle.
Just as they were about to get closer, Bai Chunsheng’s ears suddenly picked up the faint sound of heavy breathing and the wet, lingering “chirp-chirp” of water.
Bai Chunsheng’s right eyelid twitched, a bad premonition rising in his heart. He cursed inwardly, disgusted by the shamelessness of these two humans, who were actually—actually…
He stopped in his tracks, but Yan Yi, completely unaware, continued to move forward.
Bai Chunsheng grabbed Yan Yi and whispered, “Don’t move, wait!”
“Why wait?” Yan Yi frowned, his hand reaching to brush aside the last layer of weeds.
The two, Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou, were not far off, entwined with each other. Their clothes were still mostly intact, but Mu Changzhou’s hand had already ventured inside Su Xiaojing’s attire. The night was beautiful, with birds singing in the distance and a bright moon hanging in the sky. It was as if the beauty of the night had sparked a sudden interest in the two, and they had ended up entangled like this.
“Oh,” Yan Yi said.
He withdrew his hand and neatly pushed the weeds back into place, pretending he hadn’t seen anything.
Bai Chunsheng stood frozen, his eyes locked with Yan Yi’s in silent embarrassment. They waited in awkward silence as Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou seemed to be lost in an unending moment, their sounds growing louder, making Bai Chunsheng’s ears burn red.
The pale moonlight shone on Yan Yi’s face, hiding any thoughts he might have had.
Bai Chunsheng muttered bitterly, “At least we have the puppet tracking these two humans, so we won’t lose them.”
“…I’m a bit tired. How about we wait somewhere farther away?” Bai Chunsheng purposedly suggested.
Yan Yi didn’t respond but turned to walk in the opposite direction, his sword in hand.
Bai Chunsheng felt like a wolf with its tail between its legs, head down, his expression growing gloomy.
He felt deeply awkward. He could endure jokes from his grandmother about finding a partner, but seeing two shameless humans—especially two men—entangled like this… it was just too much. It made his face flush with shame.
And it’s actually two men!
How could they…?
It was infuriating.
But as he thought more about it, a flicker of curiosity ignited within him.
Two men…
How did that work?
Suddenly, Bai Chunsheng shook his head quickly. Why was he even thinking about this? Why did he care?
He didn’t want to know, certainly not.
Bai Chunsheng and Yan Yi found a somewhat secluded area. There was a large rock elevated above the surrounding ground, so they sat down to rest on it.
Because of the awkwardness, Bai Chunsheng, who usually liked to chatter, fell silent. The atmosphere became tense.
After what felt like an eternity, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t stay still any longer and wanted to get up to check on the situation with the two.
Yan Yi, noticing his intent, said briefly, “Not yet.”
Bai Chunsheng awkwardly sat back down, muttering, “Right.”
The time moved on, a quarter hour by quarter hour, and after a long period of silence, Yan Yi suddenly spoke up, saying, “Earlier—”
Yan Yi asked, “Were those two kissing?”
Bai Chunsheng thought to himself how clueless Yan Yi was, not understanding the situation. He had just witnessed something like that, and yet Yan Yi was asking about it. If it had been him, Bai Chunsheng would have immediately sought out a quiet hole to hide in.
Though Bai Chunsheng thought this to himself, he refused to show any weakness. He deliberately put on an experienced, nonchalant expression, mocking, “You really have forgotten, haven’t you? Do you need to ask me about something as simple as kissing?”
He had no idea what Yan Yi was thinking.
As time slowly passed, it became so long that Bai Chunsheng almost forgot what he and Yan Yi had said to each other earlier. He painfully wondered what kind of sin he had committed. Had his earlier life been too smooth-sailing, and now he had to sit here with Yan Yi? It was so embarrassing, truly embarrassing.
In the silence, Yan Yi suddenly said, “Alright.”
He held Bai Chunsheng’s chin and turned his face toward him.
Bai Chunsheng was about to ask what Yan Yi was doing now, but Yan Yi placed his other hand on the back of Bai Chunsheng’s head and bent down to kiss him. Yan Yi wasn’t very good at kissing, so he just mimicked the way the two others had done it, gently licking Bai Chunsheng’s lips.
Their lips met and quickly parted. Bai Chunsheng stood frozen in place, almost unable to process what Yan Yi had just done.
The sky was full of clouds and stars, far away yet somehow close at the same time.
Yan Yi caressed Bai Chunsheng’s chin, the moonlight shining on Bai Chunsheng’s face.
In Bai Chunsheng’s lively eyes, a layer of alluring moisture appeared, and he stared at Yan Yi, utterly confused and at a loss.
Perhaps due to the shock, Bai Chunsheng forgot to maintain his spell at that moment.
It failed.
Author’s note: Yan Yi: “I want one too.” Bai Chunsheng: “Get lost.”
P.S.: Yan Yi’s cultivation level was higher than Bai Chunsheng’s, and he had known much earlier what Su Xiaojing and Mu Changzhou were up to.
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
