Chapter 52
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This fox is quite daring.
Bai Lige sat up straight, pretending not to understand, and ignored the dangerous glances behind him.
Zhuyou had very sharp ears. If it weren’t for their familiarity with each other, he might have been hugging a dead little fox by now.
But even a small fox that could fit between the teeth of a flood dragon wasn’t enough. It was good to dream, but even if he played the small role, Bai Lige would be in front. This little fox didn’t have a place in it.
After they returned to Three Day Peak, Pei Yunshu hesitated for a moment before asking Bai Lige to spar with him.
Bai Lige readily agreed and summoned his silver-white long spear. “Ge will only go up to a certain point, Yunshu, don’t worry and approach.”
Using brute force to go against the heavens and earth like Zhuyou was something he couldn’t replicate. He sat on the side, watching their spirit treasures. He thought deeply.
Pei Yunshu was using a sword, and the swordsmanship of Wuzhi Peak was simple yet profound. Bai Lige only had to provoke him, guiding Pei Yunshu to execute his sword techniques, and supplemented with spiritual energy and spells. When to be fast and when to be slow, the Qingyue Sword was quite intelligent, sometimes surprising them with unexpected results when left to attack on its own.
Pei Yunshu was guided like this for the first time. He started off flustered and disorganized but gradually found his rhythm. Between each clash of the Qingyue Sword and the long spear, he gained insights. Bai Lige was pleased, and his attacks became fiercer and faster.
In the end, Pei Yunshu couldn’t keep up, and before he could fall to the ground, Bai Lige helped him up.
“Yunshu, your comprehension is very good,” Bai Lige let go of Pei Yunshu’s hand and pondered, “With such good comprehension, don’t waste it. From now on, let’s practice together for an hour every day.”
Pei Yunshu nodded, his wrist felt sore, as Bai Lige’s spear strikes were heavy. He needed to exert himself to parry them. After the practice, his hands were still trembling a bit, but he felt especially pleased. “Thank you, Bai Li.”
Sweat beads formed on his forehead, and he tightly held the Qingyue Sword, appearing disheveled. Bai Lige looked at him with a smile. “Yunshu, in this state, your fighting spirit seems much higher than before.”
Pei Yunshu accepted the handkerchief Bai Lige handed him and smiled back.
***
That night, he placed the sachet that Second Senior Brother had given him in an unused storage room.
When the moon was high in the sky that night, he headed to the arena. By then, the Young Palace Master of Yuan Ling Palace was already waiting there.
The Young Palace Master was dressed in moonlight-reflecting silk made of jade silkworm silk, adorned with several beautiful jade ornaments. Pei Yunshu felt that the Young Palace Master seemed to be glowing.
He was so dignified, and Pei Yunshu began to doubt if he was too casual.
“You came quite early,” the Young Palace Master noticed him and raised an eyebrow, his voice carrying a smile. “I mentioned earlier that I liked to see you in white during the day, and tonight, you’re wearing the same outfit to meet me?”
Pei Yunshu replied, “This is the robe of a Shanshui Sect disciple.”
Wu Jiu’s eyes widened, his body stiffened, and he found himself unable to speak.
It was awkward. Pei Yunshu held his sword and asked, “Shall we start now?”
The Young Palace Master wordlessly took out a sword, and as they exchanged a few moves, he suddenly said, “I’ll teach you a method to turn spiritual energy into a weapon. In return, you wear the outfit I like, how about that? It’s just that simple, worth it?”
Pei Yunshu stopped and frowned at him.
The Young Palace Master kept the sword behind him, still watching his expression. Seeing Pei Yunshu’s reaction, he insisted, “Don’t get any wrong ideas. I just have a strong liking for fine clothing, but there’s one set of clothes I can’t pull off well. It’s a pity. If you wear it, I’ll teach you how to harness spiritual energy, and I’ll give you the outfit as well.”
“I’ve met many beautiful people, and I’m just giving you a set of clothes. There’s absolutely no ulterior motive. Don’t even think about getting any benefits from me…”
Pei Yunshu interrupted him, his expression cold. “If the Young Palace Master has no intention of competing with me, I will leave.”
“You—” Wu Jiu watched as Pei Yunshu flew away on his sword. His expression changed several times. He threw his sword to the ground. “Fine, just go. I don’t care!”
After a while, he picked up the sword from the ground, holding it close to his chest. He sat alone on the platform, his shadow cast in solitude.
“This little master is not up to any tricks…”
***
Pei Yunshu sat cross-legged on Qingyue Sword, thinking more and more that this Young Palace Master just wanted to make fun of him. He probably had no intention of competing with him and looked down on his meager strength.
He was almost at Three Day Peak, but as soon as he entered the peak, the scenery before his eyes changed, and he found himself in a land of peach blossoms.
Everywhere were lush peach blossom trees, and the Qingyue Sword weaved through the trees. Peach blossoms covered the ground like a carpet. However, as he reached halfway up the mountain, there was no sign of Zhuyou and the others who were supposed to be here.
Pei Yunshu descended from Qingyue Sword, catching a falling petal of pink peach blossom. With a pinch of his fingertips, the peach blossom juice stained his fingers red.
The Qingyue Sword made a humming sound, and Pei Yunshu said, “It’s like an illusion again, or perhaps a peach blossom formation.”
A peach blossom formation required a Peach Blossom Demon as the eye of the formation, but as Pei Yunshu moved among the peach trees, he didn’t sense any demonic aura.
He remained vigilant and walked cautiously through the thicket. After some time, he suddenly came upon a shimmering lake surrounded by peach blossoms.
Pei Yunshu stopped a short distance away, gazing at the lake. Suddenly, ripples appeared in the water, and someone emerged from the lake.
With wet, black hair, a face glistening with water droplets turned towards Pei Yunshu, and he called out, “Senior Brother.”
This person had rosy lips and white teeth, and when he saw Pei Yunshu standing still, he smiled slightly and called out again, “Senior Brother Yunshu.”
Pei Yunshu tightly closed his eyes, turned around, and flew away on his sword.
This wasn’t a peach blossom formation; it was an illusion that seemed deceptively real.
It must be an illusion; otherwise, how could he have seen his little Grandmaster’s little junior brother appearance here?
And his Grandmaster had addressed him as “Senior Brother.”
The Qingyue Sword moved swiftly, but the surrounding peach forest remained the same. Suddenly, a pair of pale hands appeared around his waist, and someone clung to Pei Yunshu. Their wet hair hung on Pei Yunshu’s shoulder, and water droplets soaked his clothes.
“Senior Brother, why are you running?” The person behind him spoke with a soft and melodious voice. “Don’t you want to see me?”
“Well, my Senior Brother has a new junior brother now,” he muttered to himself, his face changing to the appearance of Yunjiao. “Senior Brother prefers this face over mine, right?”
Pei Yunshu didn’t turn around. He closed off his senses and rushed forward.
Water droplets, carrying the scent of peach blossoms, trickled down Yunwang’s face as he looked at Senior Brother Yunshu from the side. He saw his long eyelashes and then his neck.
“Junior Brother still hasn’t explained to Senior Brother,” Yunwang’s tone suddenly turned melancholic, “that day, Senior Brother said that Junior Brother should detest him, so why are you speaking and laughing with Senior Brother? Junior Brother thought about it for a long time while in slumber. What does it mean to detest?”
Pei Yunshu’s face turned cold, and the strong wind howled in his ears.
Yunwang’s wet hair was blown up, and the chill made his face lose all color. His skin became as pale as a ghost, and he looked inhuman.
He clung to his Senior Brother like a demon, but his Senior Brother didn’t want to see him.
Yunwang raised his lips tinted with a shade of blue. “Disgust is when my Senior Brother closes off his five senses, refusing to say a word to Yunwang. It’s when, on the day of our initiation in the great hall, my Senior Brother walked right past Yunwang waiting at the door without a glance.”
“My Senior Brother is truly cunning. Clearly, he despises Yunwang, but he claimed that day at the cliff that Yunwang doesn’t like him.”
Yunwang played with strands of Pei Yunshu’s hair. The hair by his ear, no longer restrained, fluttered wildly in the strong wind.
Pei Yunshu’s long, fair neck was exposed, but he gazed ahead, sealing off his senses, choosing not to see, hear, or speak.
Yunwang kissed the side of Pei Yunshu’s neck as he clung to him.
A tear trickled from the corner of his eye, and the icy cold tear fell into Pei Yunshu’s clothes.
In the mortal world, he had learned to be good at begging and pleasing others, enduring various hardships and torments at a young age.
He would fawn, wear a smiling face, speak appropriately in front of others, and say whatever was necessary to get by.
That day in the hall, the senior brothers and sisters were all extraordinary beings, and when they saw him, they handed over various items. Yunwang accepted them with a clear conscience, knowing that they were mutually aware. What could be given to a stranger Junior Brother was surely of little importance to these heavenly beings.
When Senior Brother entered, dressed in white with a celestial appearance, he had never seen such a handsome person before. He stretched out his hand like a fool and watched Senior Brother’s hair slip through his fingers.
Black hair, soft and cold as snow, from head to toe, immaculate and unlike anyone else.
The fragrance was fleeting, but he remembered it clearly.
The tears in his eyes were all buried on Pei Yunshu’s neck. Yunwang lifted his head and planted another gentle kiss on Pei Yunshu’s chin.
He tightened his arms around him from behind.
When Wuwang developed a heart demon, he thought it was his doing and decided to separate him.
But even after the separation, he couldn’t sever his emotions. Wuwang was rather foolish, thinking that he was influencing him.
They were originally one, and the concept of the ruthless dao, it was not as simple as splitting them apart. The Dao Heart had already cracked, but Wuwang refused to believe it. He deceived himself into thinking that he could crush everything belonging to him, making him suffer more, and becoming ruthless.
It was unclear whether he was truly foolish or pretending to be a fool.
When he finally woke up, wanting to find his senior brother, Wuwang wanted to kill him completely.
Leaning against Senior Brother’s back, Yunwang’s voice was so soft that it seemed to be dispersed by the wind. “Senior Brother.”
On that day, with peach blossoms in full bloom, he was sitting under a tree, holding a book and reading. Senior Brother came out of the Master’s room, bathed in the setting sun’s warm glow.
The myriad of rays were dazzling and splendid.
“Yunwang fell in love with Senior Brother at first sight.”
In the next instant, he was thrown into the peach blossom forest. Yunwang looked up as the peach blossoms faded, and Senior Brother, with a sharp sword, dashed out of the peach blossom forest.
But Senior Brother had still not heard him say those words.
***
Pei Yunshu rushed out of the peach blossom forest and realized that he had reached the summit of Three Day Peakf.
The pink petals had faded, and the remaining scenery was as usual. Pei Yunshu looked at the door of his Grandmaster, which was still unlit. He didn’t know how he had left the peach blossom forest.
He didn’t want to think about it and turned his sword tip around, heading back towards the middle of the mountain.
His junior brother had turned into his Grandmaster, and his Grandmaster was in seclusion. So, who was that just now?
Was it a person or a demon?
He opened his five senses, and the cold mountain wind blew. Only then did Pei Yunshu feel the coldness on his neck.
He reached out to touch his neck and felt wetness.
It must have been the water from that thing rubbing against him. Pei Yunshu took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped his neck, and then ignited the handkerchief. The handkerchief with the water stains disappeared in an instant, leaving only smoke and dust scattered by the wind.
***
That night, even his dreams were filled with nightmares. Pei Yunshu woke up in the middle of the night, drank a cup of cold tea, and couldn’t fall back asleep. He decided to sit up and practice meditation.
As he meditated, his mind was suddenly filled with images he had never seen before.
One moment, it was a small blue sky, the next moment, an unchanging roof. Spiders spun webs, and flower snakes slithered.
Half-dead and lifeless.
“Senior Brother, you’re always sticking to Master, disturbing his peace.”
“Senior Brother, several senior brothers want to refine a lifebound magical weapon with me. Do you still have some of the heavenly and earthly treasures you received earlier, Senior Brother?”
“Junior Brother…”
“Yunshu, you…”
“You’re ungrateful.”
“How did I raise such an ungrateful disciple!”
Cold sweat poured from Pei Yunshu’s forehead. When there was movement outside, he opened his eyes and found that it was already bright outside.
The door was knocked, and a panicked voice of a young child came, “Senior Brother, the peach blossoms are bleeding.”
Pei Yunshu frowned, got out of bed, put on his clothes, and went out to take a look.
The entire courtyard was still in full bloom with peach blossoms, as if it were still the third month in the mortal world, and the fragrance was so intense that it felt like being in the clouds.
The trunks of every peach tree were covered with countless small and large wounds. From these wounds, red blood was flowing. Pei Yunshu walked up, dipped his fingertips in the red blood-like peach juice, and smelled it. It wasn’t blood but peach blossom juice with a fragrance.
Zhuyou and the others also came out of their rooms. Since there was a young child here, Zhuyou transformed into Yunjiao’s appearance.
Seeing Pei Yunshu standing amidst the falling petals, Zhuyou stepped on the petals and walked up to Pei Yunshu. He lifted Pei Yunshu’s hand and wiped away the red juice on his fingertips with his sleeve.
Once the fingertips were clean, Zhuyou raised his eyes and glanced lightly at the bleeding branches.
Pei Yunshu looked down at the peach juice flowing onto the ground. The crimson water soaked the petals on the ground, and the tree trunks seemed lifeless. Yet, the peach blossoms on the trees were in full bloom, appearing as if they were using their lives to open their final flowers.
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Thanks for the translation. So far, the side character that I find interesting is Yunwang/Wuwang, more so than the apparent ML, Zhuyou. Unless Zhuyou’s character develops, I’d rather MC to end up with someone else or no one at all.