Chapter 59: Passing Through the Official Road (Part 10)
This was not the answer Bai Chunsheng had wanted to hear. “So does this mean… that weakness of his…”
Naturally, it never came to be.
After all, he had never heard of Yan Jingqiu having some great love that consumed him.
Bai Chunsheng couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. It would have been better if Yan Jingqiu had a weakness rather than none at all. He was not particularly imaginative, but he did recall seeing Yan Jingqiu as a mere mortal that day.
Oh, so that’s how it was.
Bai Chunsheng thought to himself, and a smug glint appeared in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Ji. He was certain that Jiang Ji had only heard about these events secondhand, whereas he had actually been there that day.
Perhaps it had been his unexpected presence that had foiled Yan Fengxing’s scheme.
Yet, Yan Jingqiu never came to thank him and instead spent his time teasing him. Hmph.
How infuriating! How unfair!
Jiang Ji let out a long sigh. “Who can say for sure?”
Yan Yi, on the other hand, was utterly confused. Ever since he had awakened from Yunhai Small World with no memories, he had entered the Lian Guang Secret Realm and had little opportunity to interact with others. By the time he emerged and gained fame, the Sword Sovereign had already fallen. He had no interest in the dead, and his only connection to Yan Jingqiu was Bai Chunsheng’s casual remark that they resembled each other.
Jiang Ji hadn’t noticed, but Yan Yi had. Bai Chunsheng usually lounged about lazily, as if he had no bones in his body. Even when sitting, he would find a soft cushion to lean against. But the moment Jiang Ji mentioned “the Sword Sovereign,” Bai Chunsheng unconsciously straightened his back. It was an instinctive reaction—whenever something related to Yan Jingqiu was brought up, Bai Chunsheng couldn’t help but want to present himself in the best possible way.
Yan Yi didn’t say anything, but he was beginning to feel annoyed with this dead man.
From Bai Chunsheng’s demeanor, it was clear that their relationship was more than just the casual acquaintance Bai Chunsheng had claimed. This made Yan Yi uneasy—an inexplicable, bothersome feeling.
Previously, when Bai Chunsheng had mentioned their resemblance, Yan Yi had not been aware that the two had been more than just fellow cultivators—they had been lovers. Back then, it hadn’t bothered him. But now that he knew the truth, seeing Bai Chunsheng’s reaction whenever Yan Jingqiu was mentioned…
That dead man should be celebrating in the underworld that he was already dead.
Yan Yi idly tapped his fingertips against the wooden bench, then asked, “The Sword Sovereign… Yan Jingqiu, was he really that powerful?”
Jiang Ji caught the hint of disrespect in Yan Yi’s tone toward the Sword Sovereign, and she frowned before quickly smoothing her expression. “Indeed.” She was being quite reserved with her words—if Yan Jingqiu did not count as powerful, then no one in the world did.
She smiled. “I originally thought that a sword cultivator like you would hold him in high regard.”
Yan Yi said, “I don’t know him.”
“Has he done something?” Yan Yi lifted his gaze.
Bai Chunsheng had no idea what sudden madness had taken hold of Yan Yi, to the point where he was even speaking ill of himself.
Although Bai Chunsheng was more than happy to see this development, it was still far too strange that a sword cultivator like Yan Yi not only showed no respect for Yan Jingqiu but also acted as if he had no idea who Yan Jingqiu even was.
Afraid that Jiang Ji would become suspicious, Bai Chunsheng quickly stepped in to smooth things over. “He lost a part of his memory.”
Bai Chunsheng continued, “At the time, he was cultivating in a small world. You know how isolated those places can be. Because of that, when he lost those memories, he never had the chance to recover them in the outside world.”
He even deliberately sighed at Yan Yi in a mysterious manner. “Sigh, if you hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have realized that you’ve even forgotten about the Sword Sovereign.”
Jiang Ji showed an expression of realization. She smiled, her face full of admiration, and said to Yan Yi, “Then you’ll know soon enough. He is the rising tide of this era. He stands at the peak that all cultivators aspire to reach—an unattainable height that no one else will ever touch.”
Bai Chunsheng was the only one among the three of them—one of whom was injured—who knew Yan Yi’s true identity. Listening to this, he felt extremely uneasy, even more uncomfortable than when his grandmother used to drag him out as a child to be praised one by one by her group of old friends. If he were in his original form, his fur would have been standing on end.
“I see—” Yan Yi drew out his words, giving a half-hearted compliment. “That’s impressive.”
Hearing this, Bai Chunsheng’s ears, exposed outside his mask, burned bright red. He even felt a bit guilty, wondering if Yan Yi had caught on to something. To fit in, he lowered his head and nodded along awkwardly, murmuring, “Yes.”
It was only after a while that Bai Chunsheng realized—he had just openly admitted it. He had actually said out loud that he wasn’t as good as Yan Jingqiu.
He was utterly mortified, unable to fathom how he would face Yan Jingqiu when he eventually recovered, after having stubbornly insisted otherwise for so long.
Right now, Bai Chunsheng felt even more embarrassed than when Yan Yi had pinned him down on the hillside last night and kissed him over and over. His toes curled inward, and he wished he could find a piece of cloth to cover his head and hide.
After enduring this shame for a while, Bai Chunsheng peeked at Yan Yi, wanting to see his reaction. But what kind of reaction could Yan Yi possibly have? To him, Bai Chunsheng just looked incredibly guilty.
And what, exactly, was Bai Chunsheng feeling guilty about?
It seemed like ever since last night, Bai Chunsheng had been acting a little off. Yan Yi thought about it slowly, then couldn’t resist beckoning Bai Chunsheng over with a gesture, signaling for him to sit closer.
Bai Chunsheng was already at the peak of his embarrassment. There was no way he would obediently move closer. He turned his head away, deliberately avoiding Yan Yi’s gaze.
He didn’t see the slow smirk that curled up on Yan Yi’s lips.
But Jiang Ji did. And something about that smile felt oddly familiar, making her shudder instinctively.
To be honest, Yan Yi had never been particularly determined to recover his lost memories. It simply didn’t seem necessary to him.
Except for the occasional impulse to retrieve the memories he had shared with Bai Chunsheng. And now, that impulse had become overwhelming.
But he said nothing. He just found it strange—
What had he even been doing in the past?
How had he failed to make his own dao companion admire him, instead leaving room for another man to be revered like this?
That was his mistake.
It wouldn’t happen again.
Jiang Ji had initially brought up Yan Jingqiu in conversation to make her own value clear to them. As a high-ranking member of Tianqing Sect, she was privy to nearly all the hidden histories of the major cultivation clans and sects. She even knew a little about the most enigmatic figure of all—the Sword Sovereign, Yan Jingqiu.
Yet she hadn’t expected the two men to show almost no interest. The masked man perhaps showed a little, but the sword cultivator with the white duck even carried an undercurrent of hostility toward Yan Jingqiu. However, she couldn’t directly prompt them to ask her about the secrets she knew in exchange for their gratitude for saving her life.
After all, they hadn’t even asked her who she was. If she brought it up herself, she would seem desperate, putting herself at a disadvantage in the bargaining to come. Jiang Ji had spent her entire cultivation life honing her skills in negotiation and knew exactly how to ensure the best outcome for herself.
…Speaking of which, the sword cultivator with the white duck—
Jiang Ji couldn’t help but ask Yan Yi, “Where’s your little white duck?” She vaguely remembered that the duck was quite spoiled, always needing to be carried after walking for just a short while. Even when sleeping, it had to snuggle up close, and its chirps had a particularly coquettish tone.
Yan Yi didn’t answer. Instead, he lifted his gaze and looked at Bai Chunsheng.
Bai Chunsheng sat up straight and stared back at him. “…”
—
Author’s Note:
Scolding himself? √
Getting jealous of himself? √
Bai Chunsheng: “See? This is why I said there’s something wrong with Yan Jingqiu!”
Huge shoutout to @_nyanmaru_ on Discord for commissioning this! The chapter will be posted regularly, show your support for Ciacia at Kofi.
