《I Also Want To Spiritually Cultivate With Shizun Today》 CH 1 Reflecting Mist Mountain, the freezing deep pools of the ravine. Flashes of breathtaking sword lights burst in the depths of the dark mountain ravine, breaking the silence of the night. Blood trickled down the sword. ¡°Still gonna keep on going?¡± Qi Shu turned his head and spat a mouthful of blood. He looked up, a smile dancing in his eyes. In the depths of the pool in the mountain ravine lies a Jiaolong with green scales. The Jialong was bathed in blood, and the gurgling water passing under it almost dyed red. Half a month ago, there was a Jiaolong on Reflecting Mist Mountain who had cultivated and attained enlightenment. He went down the mountain and flooded several villages in succession, making the villagers suffer miserably. Every sect received the news and came to banish evil and eliminate yao, but they all returned with severe injuries. Until today. Qi Shu had him injured, dancing in the palm of his hands. The Jiaolong had been cultivating for nearly 500 years, and his cultivation had already reached beyond human realm. For three days and nights, one human and one yao battled in the mountain ravine; the spiritual pressure accumulated in its depths had been too powerful to bear. Qi Shu wiped the blood from the corners of his lips and used his sword as a support to stand. He wore an ink-colored clothing commonly used when traveling the Jianghu, the hair behind him was neatly tied with a black hair band. This generic apparel had a handsome and peerless bearing when he donned it. He somewhat had the air of a Wandering Xia. ¡°Your golden core has been destroyed, and your mortal flesh will perish. Your life would be no longer than a burning incense stick.¡± He added in a casual tone, ¡°Any last words?¡± ¡°This zuo©`©`¡± A deep, hoarse voice responded to him, ¡°This zuo sincerely admits to having lost to you because of inferior ability. But you¡­ may not necessarily win in the end.¡± Qi Shu¡¯s eyebrows slightly rose. The Jiaolong raised his dragon head, his bright red vertical pupils trained on Qi Shu, bursting with intense hatred. ¡°This zuo could see©`©` ¡°The grievance and resentment in your heart, and what you wanted but couldn¡¯t have, this zuo could see it! ¡°Qi Shu, you¡¯re too pitiful.¡± The Jiaolong¡¯s voice echoed in the empty canyon, but Qi Shu just tilted his head indifferently. ¡°Is that all?¡± The breeze in the mountain ravine blew, spreading the churning stench of blood all over. Qi Shu lifted his wrist; the long sword in his hand trembled accompanied with a tiny cry. He clutched out a feigned move with his left hand. ¡°Then¡­ farewell.¡± Qi Shu¡¯s tiptoes were light as he waded up the water. The Jiaolong also raised his head and rushed to meet his sword light. Rays of light danced in the mountain ravine, and the impact of the spiritual force raised countless crushed stones. The mayhem dispersed, and the Jiaolong collapsed into the pool. It¡¯s over. The base he¡¯d cultivated for hundreds of years had disappeared, the Jiaolong¡¯s shining green scales gradually dimmed, until even his breath was lost. Qi Shu ignored it. He took his sword, turned around and walked away. But only after two steps, he paused. Ycis ktfc tf gfijzfv vlv tf offi j qglmxilcu qjlc lc tlr mtffx. Hl Vte gjlrfv tlr tjcv jcv abemtfv la. Ktfgf kjr j kbecv mea ys atf pjuufv gbmxr bc atf rlvf bo tlr fzdelrlaf, jcv tjcvrbwf ojmf. Pa kjr ibcu jcv vffq, jcv kjr ralii bbhlcu yibbv. Qi Shu¡¯s eyes sank a bit. He drew his sword backhanded and released a sword qi. Aljibcu¡¯r mbgqrf revvfcis rqila. ¡°¡­Beast.¡± . Kunlun Jian Sect¡¯s eldest senior disciple Qi Shu, who was the disciple of the head cultivator Gu Hanjiang, was only in his early 20s, but he¡¯s already the most outstanding among the younger generation in the cultivation world. When Qi Shu walked out of the freezing pools, he saw dozens of disciples waiting nearby. ©`©`All of them were in white clothing and were equipped with swords. Their uniform robes were embroidered with a light blue cloud pattern, which was the uniform of Kunlun Jian Sect¡¯s disciples. ¡°It¡¯s Qi-shixiong!¡± ¡°Shixiong is out!¡± Dozens of disciples surrounded him in an instant. Before Qi Shu could clearly see who the announcer was, a tall figure pounced on him and cried, ¡°Shixiong, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re alright!¡± Qi Shu lifted the man out of his arms and frowned when he recognized him. ¡°Xiao Wu?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me ya, shixiong.¡± The youth appeared a little aggrieved. ¡°You didn¡¯t recognize me?¡± The young man was named Wei Jing, a disciple of Kunlun Jian Sect and was in the fifth rank. Qi Shu had not returned to his sect for a long time. He traveled down the mountain three years ago, and would not have turned up readily if he had not received a message from his sect that there was a yao in this place. It had been three years since he last saw him, and the little fatty who would only follow his shixiong around had grown lean and tall, almost taller than he was. He didn¡¯t easily recognize him at first glance. ¡°Xiao Wu, don¡¯t keep pestering shixiong.¡± someone beside him pulled Wei Jing away and politely cupped his hands towards Qi Shu. ¡°Qi-shixiong, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± This man didn¡¯t change much. Qi Shu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s Old Third ah. How can you still be so serious after not seeing each other for such a long time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only proper.¡± He Xing talked very methodically and strictly. ¡°On behalf of the sect master, the disciples led the shidis down the mountain to eliminate yao. Thanks to shixiong¡¯s help, we successfully subdued and killed the Jiao yao. I heard that the Jiao yao¡¯s technique is vicious and is very good at illusions, which is difficult to deal with. Shixiong©`¡± ¡°All right.¡± Qi Shu waved his hand and interrupted him. ¡°Bringing them up in front of me one by one. What sort of spectacle are you trying to deliver to me?¡± Qi Shu wasn¡¯t far from the Reflecting Mist Mountain when he received the letter, so on the contrary, he arrived faster than his fellow disciples. ¡°Now the yao creature has been removed and already dispersed.¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find a place to take a bath and change my clothes.¡± He and the Jiao yao had fought fiercely in the pool for three days and three nights. All his clothes were stained with blood, and the smell made him want to vomit. Being mysophobic was really unbearable. Wei Jing pulled him. ¡°Shixiong, don¡¯t you want to go back to Kunlun Mountain with us?¡± ¡°Why should I go back?¡± Qi Shu said boldly, ¡°Xiao Wu ah, you¡¯ve never been down the mountain before. You don¡¯t know how fun it is at the foot of the mountain. It¡¯s much more comfortable than cleaning and repairing on the mountain year after year. ¡°Only a fool would go back.¡± ¡°But©`¡± Qi Shu tugged out his sleeves and prepared to leave. He Xing suddenly said, ¡°But the Heavenly Venerable Immortal is about to come out of seclusion. Qi-shixiong won¡¯t go back to see the venerable immortal?¡± Qi Shu paused. Wei Jing hurriedly said, ¡°Yes ah, the acting sect master told us that the Heavenly Venerable Immortal would probably leave seclusion in the next few days so we should make preparations early. Shixiong, you¡¯re the only disciple of the venerable immortal. How could you not be there?¡± Heavenly Venerable Immortal Gu Hanjiang. He¡¯s the head cultivator of the Kunlun Jian Sect, and Qi Shu¡¯s master. Qi Shu reached into his chest and grabbed an exquisitely carved white jade pendant. The jade pendant appeared like a smiling little fox with squinting eyes. The carving was very lifelike, showing the ingenious knife work of the carver. Qi Shu rubbed it gently with his fingers. He could still recall the carefully sculpted image of his master under the lamp. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Qi Shu smiled and said unhurriedly, ¡°Shizun¡¯s returning from seclusion, so of course I, this disciple, have to welcome him personally.¡± Qi Shu squeezed the jade pendant resting in his palm and looked at the distant Reflecting Mist Mountain shrouded in fog and clouds, as if he could see Kunlun Mountain thousands of miles away through the toppling mountains and clouds. Shizun, it¡¯s been five years. There¡¯s no reason to avoid me this time, is there? . Qi Shu had a dream. In his dream, a figure with black hair and white robes stood with his back to him on the top of a cliff, his noble and upright stature seemed somewhat frail under the wind and snow. He watched from a distance and tried to call him, but no sound came out from his mouth. An ethereal immortal voice came from the horizon. ¡°¡­.A human cauldron, ascending to immortality while trying to reverse the destiny of heaven is but a wishful thinking.¡± Qi Shu¡¯s pupils shrank slightly as he watched the man in the distance stumble and fall on one knee. The lean shoulders quivered faintly, as if they were in some kind of great pain. ¡°¡­.Will certainly qi deviate, beyond redemption¡­.¡± The voice dissipated in the wind. Qi Shu raised his hand as hard as he could. The only sound he could hear was his own hoarse, trembling voice in the gathering snowstorm. ¡°¡ª¡ªShizun.¡± Qi Shu rose up abruptly. The sky had yet to fully bright, and the rays of the early dawn were blocked out by the windows. The room was furnished in a minimalist way, and the air suffused a faint cold fragrance, revealing a sense of solitude. This was Qi Shu¡¯s room in the Kunlun Jian Sect. On the small table beside the bed rested the already cold tea. Qi Shu drank a full cup of it and barely regained sobriety. It had been three days since he returned to his own sect, and during those three days he hadn¡¯t not dreamed a single day. At the beginning it had only been a faint silhouette of someone¡¯s back, some inaudible voice, until now, it grew more clearer, and more realistic. Qi Shu closed his eyes and the words he had heard in his dream echoed in his mind. ¡­¡­Human cauldron¡­. Qi deviation¡­. Are you kidding me? That¡¯s the Heavenly Venerable Immortal! When he was young, he moved the world with a sword, spreading his name. He killed countless evil yao all his life, and his cultivation was unfathomable. How could he be¡­ Qi Shu couldn¡¯t say those two words! No one in the world knew that the Kunlun Jian Sect¡¯s elder senior martial disciple held feelings beyond apprenticeship for his master. He¡¯d been hiding it for years, and he was ready to bring this secret to his grave. Who was the Heavenly Venerable Immortal? The resting flower on the mountain peak, the head cultivator in Kunlun Mountains. It was lucky enough for Qi Shu to become his only disciple. He could not bear to break this relationship for some selfish desire. During this long period of unrequited love, Qi Shu did not forget to dream about his master. He even dreamed about everything he should and shouldn¡¯t do. Qi Shu sulked in bed for a while. The sky was getting bright when someone knocked at the door. ¡°Qi-shixiong, are you up yet? It¡¯s time for the Heavenly Venerable Immortal to go out from seclusion today. ¡± ¡°I see. Go and get ready.¡± Qi Shu gave a faint reply and got dressed. He changed to a brand-new disciple¡¯s robe, carefully smoothed every crease on the robe, bound his long hair with a crown, and tied the little fox jade pendant to the matching sword around his waist. He dressed neatly then checked himself out through the makeup mirror. Qi Shu was born extremely good-looking. He had handsome facial features but not at all feminine. Unfortunately, he had a pair of natural peach blossom eyes that would resemble a little fox when he smiled, coming off a little less dignified. That little flaw in his masculinity did not affect his popularity. In the three years since Qi Shu had left his sect, he still ranked first in the dream lover list of thousands of male and female cultivators in the cultivation world. And now, there was a shallow scar on that handsome side profile. He obtained it that day on Reflecting Mist Mountain. Qi Shu worked very hard not to let it fade completely. If Heavenly Venerable Immortal didn¡¯t leave seclusion, this wound would be healed. Qi Shu checked carefully from head to foot three times before he went out the door perfectly satisfied. His steps were brisk as if he were going to meet his beloved. Wrong, it¡¯s exactly because he¡¯d be seeing his beloved. Translator¡¯s Feed: So many notes ah!!! But this is a really cute novel that I wanna share to everyone. Saw this being plugged by the author of Èý¼ÞÏÌÓã which is also a novel being translated on CG! Only 23 chapters and it¡¯s very funny and fluffy ehdekkde with a bit of action here and there. Also, this made me realize how hard it is to translate cultivation novels so I really salute all those translators who translate these kinds of genre. But yeah, I¡¯m leaving this as a teaser for now. If someone wants to pick this up, you can dm me!!!!!!! CH 2 Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s1 retreat place is called the Spiritual Void Cave2. The cave was on the other side of a cliff and was connected to the main peak by a floating vine bridge. Formations had been placed outside to stop people from entering. However, Qi Shu was allowed to enter. Shizun¡¯s spell formation never stopped him. In the last few months that the Heavenly Venerable Immortal had been in closed-door cultivation, Qi Shu often crossed the bridge to talk to his Shizun. Most of the time it was just a one-sided chat while he sat at the entrance of the cave, then left a bouquet of fresh flowers he had picked from the foot of the mountain, but today was a big day. The Immortal Venerable was leaving the cave so Qi Shu had to follow the crowd3 and obediently wait on the other side of the bridge. The cliff was cold all year round, with the snow covering the branches of the trees being blown down by the freezing wind. Qi Shu stood by the bridge while snow fell on his head and body. ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡± Behind him, a young disciple rubbed his hands and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know when the Immortal Venerable will come out.¡± ¡°Why are you so impatient?¡± Wei Jing glanced back at him. ¡°I told you to practice the art of dispelling cold. Were you too lazy to do it? Be careful or I¡¯ll report you to the Elder Instructors4.¡± The young disciple hurriedly said, ¡°No, no, Wei Shixiong,5 please forgive me. I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m curious about what kind of person the Immortal Venerable is and I want to see him soon.¡± The young disciple had entered the sect after Gu Hanjiang entered closed-door cultivation, so he has never seen the Heavenly Venerable Immortal, the head cultivator, with his own eyes. ¡°The Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡­¡± In front of his shidi, Wei Jing maintained a steady and reliable demeanor. He patted his sleeves and said solemnly, ¡°The Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s cultivation is unfathomable. Famous known as the Lingxiao Sword6, he¡¯s exterminated countless evil spirits.¡± The young disciple said, ¡°That sort of thing. Who doesn¡¯t know about it?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t finished talking yet.¡± Wei Jing continued, ¡°The Immortal Venerable is unsmiling and very strict. We were always afraid of him taking an interest in our lessons. To be trained by him was to lose a layer of skin.7 Be careful. If he finds out that you can¡¯t even use the art of dispelling cold after such a long time, you will definitely be punished.¡± The young disciple shrank back and didn¡¯t dare to complain about the cold anymore. ¡°Little Five, you¡¯re looking for a spanking8, right?¡± Qi Shu said coldly, without turning his head. In the early year, when the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was acting as the first head, the Kunlun sect hadn¡¯t yet recruited many disciples. Apart from Qi Shu, who was a direct disciple of the Immortal Venerable, there were only four other disciples who had been accepted by the current sect master. Later on, when there were more disciples in the sect, their relationship was not as close as that of the first five disciples. Wei Jing, the youngest of the five martial brothers, was especially close and clingy to Qi Shu and was used to being spoiled and acting cheeky in front of him. Thus, when Qi Shu lectured him, Wei Jing wasn¡¯t cowed and even stepped forward, saying, ¡°Shixiong, did I say anything wrong? Has there ever been a time when the Heavenly Venerable Immortal taught us without punishing us severely?¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°Shizun has never punished me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wei Jing was silent for a moment, then turned his head and said to the young disciple solemnly, ¡°There¡¯s something else you should remember. Heavenly Venerable Immortal is the best shield, but for our Da Shixiong9.¡± ¡°Lu Shixiong, our second senior martial brother, the eldest disciple of the sect leader, knows. When he was a child, he refused to obey Qi Shixiong. They made an appointment to fight in the back mountain. Guess what?¡± Wei Jing said, ¡°Lu Shixiong lost his sword, but he broke the jade pendant that Qi Shixiong was wearing since childhood. Lu Shixiong was confined at the back of the mountain for half a year.¡± The young disciple, ¡°¡­¡± Qi Shu, ¡°¡­¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°Shut up.¡± Wei Jing shrugged and stopped talking. Not long after, there was the sound of hurried footsteps coming from behind him. ¡°Greetings to the Acting Sect Leader!10¡± Everyone bowed and saluted him. The newcomer¡¯s quick steps slowed, and he cleared his throat, saying, ¡°Raise your heads.¡± Immortal Venerable Qing Lan¡¯s face still looked young, but his hair was already white. He¡¯d obviously rushed over so that even his crown was a little crooked. He was followed by two people, He Xingzhi and Mo Qi, the fourth eldest disciple in the sect. The two disciples saluted Qi Shu. Qi Shu returned the salute and said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Acting Sect Master. He¡¯s not out yet. It¡¯s not too late.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Immortal Venerable Qing Lan straightened his crown, obviously relieved. Why does Immortal Venerable Qing Lan, who has known his Shizun for decades and is a fellow disciple under the same master, act as though he is looking at someone extremely dangerous11 when he sees Shizun? The sect master even started preparing half a month earlier before the Heavenly Venerable Immortal leaving seclusion, gathering all the disciples in the sect who have outstanding talent to welcome him back. Was all that really necessary? Qi Shu played with the small fox pendant hanging on his sword and thought silently in his heart. Only Qi Shu knew how patient, gentle, and meticulous his Shizun was. Only he had ever seen it. After about another incense stick¡¯s worth of time, there was a movement at the cave entrance on the other side of the vine bridge. A pale white light shot up from the cave entrance, a sign that Immortal Venerable¡¯s seclusion had ended. Amid the light, someone slowly walked out. Dressed in white, remote as ice, a person appeared. There was a faint flow of spiritual power all over his body that was colder than the wind and snow falling at the summit of the cliff. The disciples kneeled down and said, ¡°Congratulations on exiting seclusion Heavenly Venerable Immortal.¡± Immortal Qing Lan also bowed and said respectfully, ¡°Congratulations on completing seclusion, Shixiong.¡± Among the crowd, only Qi Shu still stood in place. Because of his cold and harsh temperament, most people who saw him were in awe, so they neglected to notice the Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s appearance. are in awe when they get along with him, but ignore his appearance. In fact, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was very beautiful. Qi Shu prefers to use the word ¡°beauty¡± to describe that face, rather than any other word. He has delicate features, a high-bridged nose, and thin lips. On any other person, this would probably make them look less heroic and more feminine. But not him. His awe-inspiring and solemn temperament neutralized the softness of his features. Every inch of his body seems to have been carefully crafted by the heavenly Dao; just a smidgeon more or less and it wouldn¡¯t be as perfect as his current appearance. Qi Shu was a little distracted, but when he had come back to his senses, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal had already stepped onto the vine bridge and was walking towards him step by step. Qi Shu regained his composure and knelt down to say his greetings, ¡°Disciple Qi Shu welcomes Shizun from out of his seclusion.¡± Gu Hanjiang stood in front of him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± His voice was very calm and cold. I haven¡¯t seen him for so many years, and this was the first thing he said. His Shizun was really the insensitive type12. While Qi Shu was still busy complaining silently in his heart13 when Immortal Venerable Qing Lan, who was next to him, spoke up. ¡°Shixiong¡­ Shixiong has been in seclusion for many years. Meanwhile, the Kunlun Sword Sect has been thriving, so I came to¡­ meet Shixiong. Qi Shu could tell that the Acting Sect Master was trying hard to compose himself, but his trembling voice betrayed his nervousness. Sure enough, Gu Hanjiang said indifferently, ¡°A large crowd14.¡± This tone is a little unhappy. For a moment, even the surrounding air was much colder. Among the disciples present, only Qi Shu dared to quietly raise his head and look at the man, but he didn¡¯t expect that Gu Hanjiang was also looking at him. The two men¡¯s eyes met, and Gu Hanjiang was the first to look away. ¡°Go back.¡± Gu Hanjiang¡¯s tone was cold and calm. Qi Shu didn¡¯t move and looked at him without saying a word. ¡°¡­ I have something to discuss with the Acting Sect Master.¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°Oh.¡± He paused, then saluted obediently. ¡°Yes, Shizun.¡± It was already dusk when Gu Hanjiang returned to his residence. The place where the Heavenly Venerable Immortal lived was a specially carved out solitary peak called Bai Zhang Peak15. On this mountain, a formation reverses the natural order, so, unlike the main peak which was snowy all year round, Qi Shu could plant a peach forest on Bai Zhang Peak. Deep in the peach forest, there are quiet and elegant pavilions and water pergolas. Gu Hanjiang stepped on the stone bridge in front of the waterside pavilion and suddenly stopped. He said, ¡°Come out.¡± Qi Shu came out from behind the pavilion. He wasn¡¯t embarrassed about being caught and walked over with a smile. ¡°Shizun, why have you been gone so long? I have waited for you for a long time.¡± Gu Hanjiang said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the house and wait?¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°I wanted to see Shizun earlier.¡± Gu Hanjiang¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He just turned his head and walked straight towards the house. ¡°Shizun, wait for me.¡± Qi Shu quickly stepped forward and pushed the door open for him when he reached the door, welcoming him inside. When the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was away, Qi Shu was the only person looking after Bai Zhang Peak. When he learned his Shizun was coming back, he had thoroughly cleaned up Bai Zhang peak inside and out, so he might know the layout of the house better than Gu Hanjiang himself. Qi Shu respectfully helped Gu Hanjiang to the table, poured him a cup of hot tea, and then served him quietly. He was clever and quick-witted, like the best disciple in the world. No one knows what this good disciple has in mind. Gu Hanjiang took the tea but made no move to drink it. He said, ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Qi Shu blinked, obediently sat down opposite him and extended a hand. Gu Hanjiang placed two fingers on his wrist to examine his pulse. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal was born with an icy appearance. Even his slender hand and fingers were cold and pale. Qi Shu stared at the other man¡¯s rounded fingertips and was so lost in thought that he almost didn¡¯t hear his Shizun¡¯s question. ¡°Who hurt you?¡± Qi Shu replied, ¡°A scaly dragon16 demon.¡± ¡°Even a small scaly dragon demon can hurt you like this?¡± Gu Hanjiang frowned and asked, ¡°Is it dead?¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s dead.¡± Heavenly Venerable Immortal was quite satisfied with this answer, and after a moment, he withdrew his hand. ¡°Your internal injuries have not yet healed, and your spiritual power has been damaged. Later I will write a prescription, and you can go to the Medicine Hall17 to get some pills.¡± Qi Shu didn¡¯t answer. Gu Hanjiang seldom talks and in the past, it was Qi Shu who was always chattering. Today¡¯s silence was really abnormal. Gu Hanjiang raised his eyes. The latter obediently lowered his eyes and whispered, ¡°Shizun, there¡¯s still an injury¡­¡± Naturally, Gu Hanjiang hadn¡¯t failed to see that. Qi Shu had fair that would turn red with just a gentle bump. Right now, his face had a few thin eye-catching wounds that had scabbed over. Gu Hanjiang asked, ¡°Did you run out of medicine for your injuries?¡± Qi Shu was very concerned about his appearance, but he was a cultivator who roams the world subduing monsters and eliminating demons, so it was impossible for him to always remain unscathed. That¡¯s why Gu Hanjiang made him a spiritual medicine. Whether it was a bump or a wound, all Qi Shu had to do was to apply it, and he would recover in two days. Qi Shu still didn¡¯t answer. His bright eyes were hidden behind the eyelashes. Anyone could see that he was deliberately acting like a spoiled child18. He was waiting for his Shizun to coax him. Gu Hanjiang gazed at him solemnly for a long time before withdrawing his gaze with a sigh. ¡°Fetch the wound medicine.¡± The Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s special ointment has a faint mint fragrance and is cold and refreshing to apply. Qi Shu sat in quietly while Gu Hanjiang stood in front of him and lowered his head to apply the medicine. Gu Hanjiang was taller than Qi Shu, and when he bent over him like this, his body could almost completely cover Qi Shu. His pretty fingers were stained with the white ointment as he applied it in circles on Qi Shu¡¯s cheeks. It felt a little cold and tickled him a bit. Qi Shu suddenly regretted it a little. He was no longer the teenage boy of a few years ago. Teenagers are impulsive, but their emotions could be controlled, which was different from the vigorous youth he was now. He really couldn¡¯t control it. Qi Shu looked away and tried his best to keep his breathing steady. He hadn¡¯t seen Shizun for too long, and the longing hadn¡¯t lessened at all. Instead, it had grown stronger with each passing day, so that it was far more difficult to overcome than he had thought. With his Shizun¡¯s face so close to his, feeling his icy breath, and even the familiar smell of incense on his body made Qi Shu feel¡­ that he couldn¡¯t bear it. The lower lip that he was biting was gently poked, and Qi Shu suddenly returned to his senses. Gu Hanjiang frowned at him. ¡°Why are you biting? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Qi Shu felt so hot that he was a little confused. Half in a trance, he tried to get up, but Gu Hanjiang pressed down on his shoulder. Qi Shu: ¡°?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have other injuries on your body?¡± Gu Hanjiang said calmly, ¡°Take off your clothes.¡± Qi Shu froze, and his ears turned red. CH 3 The Heavenly Venerable Immortal brought Qi Shu to the Kunlun Sword Sect when he was twelve or thirteen years old. His hometown was raided and everyone in the village was slaughtered while he hid inside a dry well for three days and three nights until a white light came down from the sky and lifted him up like a warm hug. When the white light dissipated, he saw his Shizun. In those first bleak days at Kunlun, Qi Shu was still in shock at the destruction of his family, so Gu Hanjiang took care of him by taking his meals and living together with Qi Shu. This is not the first time that his Shizun applied medicine or that Qi Shu took his clothes off in front of him. But today, Qi Shu felt that something was strange. When Shizun said those words, he was calm and serious, as if he didn¡¯t think there was anything out of the ordinary. Only Qi Shu felt that something was wrong1. Qi Shu was eager to flee2, but Gu Hanjiang¡¯s hand was still on his shoulder. Although the pressure of his hand was very light and the palm was cold, but it was impossible to resist, so all he could do was use his trembling hands to undo the belt3 while his Shizun watched. The immortal¡¯s robe was as soft as silk. When Qi Shu loosened its collar, the robe slid down his shoulder, revealing a small patch of white skin. Qi Shu was so nervous that he didn¡¯t dare to lift his head. That was why he didn¡¯t notice when his Shizun suddenly looked away, nor Gu Hanjiang¡¯s slightly disordered breathing. ¡°Turn around.¡± Gu Hanjiang¡¯s voice was low. Qi Shu made a soft ¡°Oh¡± sound, then obediently turned around. There was a deep scar on the back of his shoulder that had scabbed and was still bright red around the wound. When he had been hunting demons in the Reflecting Mist Mountain, the scaled dragon demon had struck Qi Shu with its claws. The demon¡¯s claws must have been poisoned because it didn¡¯t heal for several days. In addition, the wound¡¯s location at the back of his shoulder was hard to tend to, so Qi Shu had neglected to treat it. ¡°This might hurt,¡± Gu Hanjiang whispered. ¡°Bear with it.¡± Qi Shu had fought fiercely with the demon for three days and three nights without so much as wincing at his internal and external injuries. Therefore, enduring a bit of pain while his wound was being treated was nothing. He was just about to nod his head when his body suddenly became stiff. Gu Hanjiang¡¯s fingers that had been dipped in the ointment gently touched on his shoulder. Perhaps for fear of hurting him, Gu Hanjiang¡¯s movements were gentle and meticulous, which made the already minor pain almost negligible. The skin of the wounded area was already sensitive, so when it was gently stroked, the cold sensation Qi Shu felt from the minty ointment was quickly replaced by a tingling that seemed to seep into the very marrow of his bones. Qi Shu leaned sideways on the back of the chair, fingers clenched in his collar, and subconsciously bit his lips. This first aid treatment had turned into torture. Feeling the trembling of the muscle under the hand, Gu Hanjiang asked, ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡± ¡°¡­Mm,¡± Qi Shu answered in a soft voice. How was he supposed to explain it? Because I haven¡¯t seen Shizun for such a long time, I can¡¯t bear being teased like this. Can even good medicine cause an unwanted reaction? Qi Shu quietly curled up his legs, and his eyes turned a little red. To any outsider, he must look like he was in pain. Even his voice sounded weak when he said, ¡°Is, is it done?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Gu Hanjiang straightened up and frowned unhappily. ¡°I let you travel down the mountain, but how can you be more fragile than before?¡± I¡¯m not being fragile! I¡¯m restraining myself because I don¡¯t want to scare Shizun away! That¡¯s what Qi Shu thought angrily. He got up and tidied up his clothes before he realized what Gu Hanjiang had said. ¡°Shizun means that it really was your order when I was told to travel down the mountain?¡± The Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s seclusion and Qi Shu¡¯s travel down the mountain had both been unexpected4. Qi Shu remembered the day of Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s departure. He had woken up early, as usual, to greet Shizun, only to find the house empty. He hadn¡¯t found out what had happened until the morning class when Elder Qing Lan announced he would act as the head of the sect. Cultivators5 can remain in seclusion for months or even up to three to five years. Naturally, Qi Shu was unhappy that his Shizun had left without saying goodbye, but he was only a disciple, so he couldn¡¯t complain about his Shizun¡¯s decision. During that time, except when he was training, he would run to the entrance of the Spiritual Void Cave and wait there all day. He waited for more than a year until the acting Sect Leader ordered him to travel down the mountain. The Kunlun Sword Sect never forced its disciples to travel down the mountain. The Acting Sect Leader merely said cryptically that Qi Shu was no longer a child and that he should go down the mountain to see the world now that he had completed his training, but Qi Shu understood the meaning hidden behind those words. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal was in a critical period of his cultivation. The way that Qi Shu was keeping vigil at the Spiritual Void Cave might affect his6 cultivation. When Qi Shu saw the expression of embarrassment on the face of the Acting Sect Leader and the magical tools that had been packed in advance for him, Qi Shu felt as though he was being driven out7. Therefore, Qi Shu was a little resentful when he went down the mountain. When he heard this question, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal who rarely hesitated slowly put down the ointment and sat back down before answering. He whispered, ¡°Yes.¡± It¡¯s just as he expected. Qi Shu breathed a sigh of relief. After such a long time, the resentment in his heart had already disappeared. In fact, Qi Shu went a bit too far back then. What kind of disciple did nothing except run to his master¡¯s cave retreat and guard the entrance for more than a year? The fact that his Shizun didn¡¯t beat him up during that time could already be considered as giving him face. Qi Shu said sincerely, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have disturbed Shizun¡¯s retreat. I know I was wrong.¡± ¡°I never¡ª¡± Gu Hanjiang said. Qi Shu blinked. This is a rare thing. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal is highly respected by thousands of people. He is a person with a cold and solemn temperament. Since when was he the type who would hesitate to speak like this? Gu Hanjiang: ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°But Shizun wanted to say something just now,¡± said Qi Shu. ¡°No.¡± Gu Hanjiang clearly didn¡¯t want to talk to him anymore. With an expressionless face, he drove away his guest. ¡°Since you¡¯re injured, go and rest.¡± *** Qi Shu was dreaming again. In the dream, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was sitting on a boulder at the top of the cliff, meditating with his eyes closed. The snow was flying on the top of the cliff, but it could not come near him at all. His cultivation was unstable and a faint dark aura was rising from between his tightly furrowed brows. Shizun¡ª Qi Shu wanted to wake him up, but just like the previous times, he couldn¡¯t make a sound or even get close to him. So he could only watch as the dark aura grew stronger, gradually swallowing up the spiritual light around Gu Hanjiang until his form was completely engulfed. Gu Hanjiang had a look of pain on his face. Suddenly, his body shook, and he spat out a large mouthful of blood. The snow in front of him was stained with blood. Qi Shu raised his head and met Shizun¡¯s eyes, which had turned bright red and cold. *** Qi Shu washed his face with water, drops of water slowly sliding down his chin. His dream was becoming more and more absurd, but also more real. Qi Shu crouched over the pond in front of his house and looked at the gathering darkness and the moon hanging high in the sky, feeling helpless. He dreamt an outrageous dream and, just like the other times, now he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep again tonight. It¡¯s been a hell of a day. Qi Shu sighed and wiped the water off his face. He was going to go back to the house to meditate when he heard a sound in the night. The sound of something being broken. The silent emptiness of Bai Zhang Peak at night made the sound even more startling. He and the Heavenly Venerable Immortal were the only two people at Bai Zhang Peak, so it was obvious where this noise was coming from. Qi Shu went to the door of Gu Hanjiang¡¯s house and knocked. ¡°Shizun, are you awake?¡± No one responded. Qi Shu frowned. The house was quiet, and the candles had gone out, which meant that no one was awake inside. But that sound he had heard was real. Qi Shu waited for a moment and when he still didn¡¯t get a response, he whispered, ¡°Shizun, pardon my intrusion.¡± He pushed the door open and went in. The room was dark. Fortunately, cultivators have excellent eyesight, which was unaffected by darkness. Qi Shu went to the inner room, but he didn¡¯t see anyone. The only thing he saw was a broken teacup on the floor. And the tea that had been spilled. The bedding was in disarray. Qi Shu touched the beddings and found that it was cold. Qi Shu suddenly panicked. The same thing happened last time. He had woken up to find that his Shizun had disappeared. He wouldn¡¯t¡­ Qi Shu was about to straighten up when he suddenly felt a dangerous presence approaching. He hadn¡¯t thought to bring his sword with him when he left his room, so Qi Shu formed a blade with his hand and struck hard behind him. But a pair of ice-cold hands caught his wrists. The hands were powerful. With a slight twist of his wrists, Qi Shu was pressed onto the bed. A cold body covered from behind. Qi Shu recognized who it was. The hazy moonlight spilled into the house through the window. Qi Shu turned his head and saw Gu Hanjiang¡¯s beautiful face, devoid of sadness and joy. There was a trace of a black aura in the middle of his eyebrows. That was the sign of a Qi Deviation8. *****To be specific, ²»¶Ô¾¢ means ¡°not in harmony; feeling not at par; listless¡± CH 4 You know there¡¯s this virus that¡¯s been going around? Yeah, it got me! Actually, it wasn¡¯t just me. It was my whole family. We don¡¯t know if it was actually COVID 19 since we didn¡¯t get tested, but it was quite unlike any illness we¡¯ve had before. There are five people in our family and whenever one person gets sick, the others can normally avoid getting infected by simply avoiding the sick person, but this time was strange. Since we suspected it was COVID-19, we wore masks and washed our hands frequently. None of that worked, and we all got sick. The reason why we think it¡¯s the Coronavirus is it spread to all of us. That¡¯s never happened to us in the past with infectious diseases like flu, colds, and even pneumonia. *sigh* I guess this virus is just extremely contagious. One by one, we started feeling tired. Then there was a fever that lasted for a few hours along with a general feeling of malaise. The next day, we got nasal congestion followed by a cough. By the way, all of us are vaccinated. I was hoping that the vaccine would stop us from getting sick, but either it wasn¡¯t COVID-19, or we all had a breakthrough infection. Who knows? The important thing is that we all survived. How about you, dear reader? Have you been well? Keep strong, everyone! Stay safe. CH 5 Qi Shu knew little about the furnace physique. In the cultivation world, there was no shortage of cultivators who, in search of a shortcut, turned a good person into a furnace in order to take their cultivation. However, a natural furnace physique was extremely rare, so much so that Qi Shu has only read a few words about it in an ancient book. ¡°¡ªOuch!¡± In the early morning in the library pavilion, there was a sudden cry of alarm. Dozens of books fell from the tall shelves, raising a cloud of dust. Mo Qi walked quickly through the rows of bookshelves and saw a mountain of books piled up on the floor, with someone buried under it. All he could see was the hem of that person¡¯s plain-looking clothes. ¡°Who are you?¡± Mo Qi, still holding a book in his hand, frowned and crossed his arms. ¡°Which Sect Elder¡¯s disciple are you? Don¡¯t you know ordinary disciples aren¡¯t allowed to borrow these books? Why weren¡¯t you at the morning class, and how did you sneak in here without me seeing you?¡± A hand emerged from under the mountain of books. Mo Qi said, ¡°Qi Shixiong?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Qi Shu, whose whole body had been buried by the books, rubbed his temple where the spine of a book had hit him. ¡°I didn¡¯t sneak in this morning because I never left last night.¡± ¡°Oh, Da Shixiong, what are you doing again¡­? Can¡¯t you just tell me what book you¡¯re looking for? How did this happen¡­?¡± Mo Qi rushed forward to pull Qi Shu up from under the pile of books before giving the mess a heartbroken look. ¡°These are all out-of-print ancient books. How long will I have to spend getting them back in order¡­?¡± ¡°I only wanted to find a book. How would I know that there were so many?¡± Qi Shu patted his clothes, shaking off the dust of the books he¡¯d been buried under, and said, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Mo Qi squatted on the floor and picked up the books one by one. He was silent for a moment after listening to Qi Shu¡¯s question. Then he said, ¡°Shixiong, you weren¡¯t in Kunlun these past three years, so you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m in charge of the library pavilion, right?¡± Qi Shu blinked. He really didn¡¯t know. Mo Qi was the fourth disciple of the sect and was under the tutelage of the Acting Sect Leader Immortal Venerable Qing Lan. This kid had been a bookish person since childhood who spent more time in the library than training, which was something that had caused him to be punished a lot when they were young. Now it seems he has been given charge of the library, which was a good use of his talent. When Mo Qi picked up a pile of books and headed out, Qi Shu thought about this matter for a few moments, then chased after him saying, ¡°I¡¯ll help you!¡± The two went back and forth several times and moved all the books that Qi Shu had knocked down to the front hall, where they could be reclassified before they could be returned. Qi Shu put the last stack of books on the table and leaned on the edge of the table. He said, ¡°I say, Fourth Shidi1, don¡¯t rush around.I¡¯ll help you sort it out later. Can do me a favor first?¡± ¡°Forget it. Who doesn¡¯t know that Shixiong feels sleepy whenever he sees a book? How could I dare ask you to help?¡± said Mo Qi. ¡°Just tell me what you want.¡± Qi Shu smiled happily since the other person had given him exactly the answer that he was looking for.¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not as good as Mo Shidi who has an exceptional ability to remember 2 the things he¡¯s read. You¡¯ve been looking after these books for many years, so you¡¯ve read all of them, right?¡± Mo Qi gave him a look as though there was something he wanted to say, but stopped himself before he spoke. ¡°Shixiong, do you know how many books are in the library pavilion?¡± asked Mo Qi. ¡°How many are there?¡± asked Qi Shu. ¡°Thirty-seven thousand, five hundred and sixty-three books.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°How precise!¡± Mo Qi put down the books he was holding. ¡°What I mean is, even if I never sleep, I wouldn¡¯t be able to read all the books here.¡± ¡°Then how much have you read?¡± asked Qi Shu. Mo Qi thought about it carefully. ¡°Only a little over twenty-three thousand books.¡± Qi Shu: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t think there was much difference between that number and reading them all. Qi Shu cleared his throat. ¡°I want you to help me find a book.¡± ¡°Which book?¡± ¡°I remember that there was a book in the library that talked about a Cultivation Furnace Body. I read it when I was a child, but now I can¡¯t find it.¡± Mo Qi, who was tidying up the books, abruptly ceased his movements. He got up, checked to see if anyone was inside the library, then slammed the door shut with a bang. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Qi Shu. ¡°I¡¯m the one who should be asking you that!¡± Mo Qi said anxiously. ¡°Shixiong, keeping a cultivation furnace is forbidden. If you were to be found out, you¡¯d be expelled from the sect! You have such a high level of cultivation, and you¡¯re the Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s personal succeeding disciple, why don¡¯t you drop this idea?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± said Qi Shi. ¡°Then why were you looking for that book?¡± asked Mo Qi Qi Shu was silent. Of course, he was looking for the book to find out how to help his Shizun, but this couldn¡¯t be revealed to outsiders. Qi Shu thought for a moment, then said solemnly, ¡°If I tell you, you have to keep it a secret for me.¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± said Mo Qi. Qi Shu sighed and said in a disappointed and frustrated tone of voice, ¡°In fact, I¡¯m trying to save someone.¡± ¡°When I went down the mountain to gain worldly experience, I met someone and fell in love at first sight, but recently II learned that this person3 has a natural furnace physique. Some time ago, this person encountered a cultivation bottleneck and nearly had a Qi Deviation. If a way out of this can¡¯t be found, I¡¯m afraid that this person¡¯s life is in danger. Fourth Shidi, you said I rarely like someone. How did this happen to me¡­?¡± As he spoke, Qi Shu¡¯s voice shook, and he looked so sad that anyone who heard it would have been moved. Mo Qi¡¯s expression softened, and he patted Qi Shu on the shoulder, saying, ¡°Shixiong, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a sentimental person.¡± *** Qi Shu was taken to a more comfortable4 inner room in the library pavilion, where he waited until Mo Qi came back with a stack of books that he put down on the table in front of him, raising a cloud of dust. ¡°These are all the books about cultivation furnaces in the pavilion.¡± Qi Shu looked at the mountain of books that were taller than he was, and his jaw dropped. ¡°All of these?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all for now. There might be more that I haven¡¯t found yet. I¡¯ll have to look again,¡± said Mo Qi. Giving Qi Shu a meaningful look, Mo Qi patted him on the shoulder and said solemnly, with a meaningful look, ¡°Good luck5, Qi Shixiong.¡± Then Mo Qi closed the door of the inner room and left. Qi Shu has never been fond of reading. Before he became a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, he lived in a poor village where he hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to learn how to read. It was his Shizun who taught him how to read and write, but he much preferred to train with the sword and spear or cultivate. Mo Qi had just given him more books than he had ever read in his entire life. But for his Shizun, he would endure it. Qi Shu took a deep breath, picked up the book closest to him, and opened it. A moment later, he closed the book. What the hell did it say? Most ancient books used obscure words. Sometimes, even when he could identify every character individually, he couldn¡¯t understand the way that they were combined. This was the reason Qi Shu didn¡¯t like to read. But this won¡¯t do. Based on Shizun¡¯s reaction yesterday, Qi Shu knew it was impossible to tell him the truth6. If he didn¡¯t do something, he could only watch while things continued as they were. In the long run, the best-case scenario might be a Qi Deviation, but the worst-case scenario was that his life might be in danger. So he had to find a way. Qi Shu put the book back and took out another one from the stack. This book looked much newer, and the cover was illustrated with two simple stick figures, but no title was written on it. Qi Shu opened the first page, and in the bottom right corner was a small line in beautiful calligraphy: ¡ª¡°Secret Method of Spiritual Cultivation: How to dual cultivate with a furnace.¡± Qi Shu: ¡°¡­¡­¡± *** It was getting dark, but Mo Qi was still sorting the ancient books that Qi Shu had messed up. The flame of the candle on his table flickered as someone walked in. Mo Qi didn¡¯t even look up: ¡°It¡¯s almost curfew time. Disciples may not enter the Library Pavillion now. Please come earlier tomorrow.¡± The visitor kept walking towards Mo Qi. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? I said-¡± Mo Qi looked up and froze. The man in front of him was dressed in plain white robes and his expression was as cold as ice. ¡°I-I-Immortal- Immortal Venerable!¡± Mo Qi almost fell off his chair in his haste to kneel. ¡°Disciple Greets Immortal Master.¡± Gu Hanjiang¡¯s eyes lighted on him for only a moment before moving away indifferently. He said in an icy voice, ¡°Is your Qi Shixiong here?¡± ¡°Qi, Qi Shixiong, he¡­¡± Mo Qi¡¯s tongue seemed to tie itself in knots, so he simply pointed a trembling finger toward the inner room. Gu Hanjiang ignored him and walked straight in that direction. His steps were steady, not too fast or too slow, but from head to toe he gave off an intimidating aura7 of a person who shouldn¡¯t be carelessly approached. It wasn¡¯t until the Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s figure disappeared among the bookshelves that Mo Qi¡¯s breath slowed down and he fell to the floor, traumatized. Every day, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal became more and more frightening. Mo Qi really didn¡¯t know how Qi Shixiong could get along with him. Wait a minute¡­ The Immortal Venerable rarely leaves Bai Zhang Peak, much less comes to a place like the Library Pavillion. He was so angry today and had been searching for several nights in a row. He couldn¡¯t have found out about Qi Shixiong¡¯s sweetheart that he had met in the secular world, could he? Mo Qi was shocked. No, it couldn¡¯t be. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal didn¡¯t care what other people were thinking. He arrived at the inner room and was about to knock on the door when he saw the scene inside the room through the gap in the door. Qi Shu lay on the small desk with his back to the door, motionless, as if he had fallen asleep. Gu Hanjiang thought for a moment, condensed Qi at his fingertips, and gently pushed the door open. He walked in silently. Each inner room was for the sect¡¯s disciples to use when they studied. They only had enough room for a table and not much else. Qi Shu had long arms and legs, so he could only curl up on top of the table. It looked really uncomfortable. His hair hadn¡¯t been gathered up in a crown but tied with a simple headband instead. A few strands of his hair hung down in front of his forehead, and he had been running around the library all day long, so his face was still covered with dust from somewhere. He looked dirty, like a cat8. ¡°Shizun¡­¡± Qi Shu seemed troubled. His brows were furrowed, and he moved restlessly in his sleep. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang¡¯s eyes widened9. He stood beside Qi Shu and said in a very soft voice. ¡°All night long he didn¡¯t return, and now he obviously intends to spend another night here. Clearly, you¡¯re the one who ignored me.¡± Cultivators are sensitive to their surroundings, and Qi Shu¡¯s sleep was uneasy, so he felt that someone was approaching and opened his eyes in a daze. ¡°Shizun?¡± He rubbed his eyes and said, ¡°How did you-¡± As he was getting up, his numb leg was caught on a table leg and he fell back down. ¡°Argh, this stupid table. Ahem, Shizun, ah¡­ What brings you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost curfew time. I was looking for you,¡± said Gu Hanjiang. ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Shu froze for a moment before noticing that it was already dark outside. ¡°So it¡¯s so late, sorry Shizun, I-¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you return last night?¡± Gu Hanjiang interrupted him. ¡°I¡­¡± Qi Shu scratched his head, a little embarrassed. He hadn¡¯t meant to not return, but there was really no cure for his condition. He always felt sleepy after reading, and yesterday no one found him when he fell asleep in the Library Pavillion when he slept from before curfew until early this morning. Gu Hanjiang suddenly asked, ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Shu froze. Gu Hanjiang stood in front of Qi Shu, looking down at him. Though his expression was cold and emotionless, Qi Shu understood what he meant. That night Gu Hanjiang nearly had a Qi Deviation and did something¡­ he wouldn¡¯t normally do to Qi Shu. Although Qi Shu didn¡¯t care about that, the fact that he had stayed out all night and the next day was enough to make the other person misunderstand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t hiding from Shizun!¡± Qi Shu didn¡¯t care whether or not it was embarrassing. He quickly explained, ¡°I came to the library yesterday just to read more books. As a result, I accidentally fell asleep. It was daybreak when I woke up, so I didn¡¯t return. The disciple really didn¡¯t mean to hide from Shizun. Shizun, please believe me.¡± Gu Hanjiang listened to him quietly, then stared at his face for a moment before turning away. ¡°?¡± Qi Shu wondered if he had really seen it right. ¡°Shizun, did you just smile?¡± Gu Hanjiang: ¡°¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang: ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hmm. You just laughed, right?¡± said Qi Shu. ¡°Was it funny?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Hanjiang actually nodded seriously and whispered, ¡°You¡¯ve been like this since you were a child.¡± Qi Shu got the best grades in swordplay class, but flunked his class on the Analects of Confucius and the ancient classics. He fell asleep whenever he read a book, and Gu Hanjiang had to carry his sleeping disciple back several times. Qi Shu didn¡¯t like to hear Gu Hanjiang talk about his childhood, which always made him feel like his Shizun was still treating him like a child. He didn¡¯t want to be a child; he wanted to be Shizun¡¯s¡­ Ahem, and his cultivation was not low. It was more than enough to protect his Shizun. Qi Shu frowned unhappily. Without waiting for him to say anything, Gu Hanjiang asked, ¡°What book are you reading? You even forget to eat and sleep.¡± His mood was obviously better. He bent down condescendingly and reached for the books piled in front of Qi Shu. Randomly picking one up, he just happened to take the ¡°Secret Method of Spiritual Cultivation¡± book. CH 6 There was more than one volume of ¡°Secret Method of Spiritual Cultivation,¡± and the contents include more than just information about cultivation furnaces. Besides the part about ¡°How to Dual Cultivate with a Furnace,¡± there is also ¡°The Secrets of Dual Cultivation¡± section, and ¡°How to Find a Suitable Dual Cultivation Partner.¡± Mo Qi probably saw a keyword and gave the entire set of books to Qi Shu. The one that Gu Hanjiang had picked up was the book titled ¡°108 Dual Cultivation Positions.¡± ¡°Shi, Shi, Shi¡ªShizun!¡± said Qi Shu. Qi Shu tried to grab the book from the Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s hand, but his Shizun was too skillful. Qi Shu couldn¡¯t even touch his Shizun¡¯s sleeve and nearly fell at his feet even as Gu Hanjiang got hold of the book. Gu Hanjiang casually turned a page. It was as though time stood still. Qi Shu, who was crouched on the floor, not even daring to look up at his Shizun, said in a whisper, ¡°Shizun, please listen to my explanation¡­¡± The expression on the Heavenly Venerable Immortal¡¯s face was solemn1. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°This book¡­¡± said Qi Shu. In fact, he hadn¡¯t read it much. The ¡°Secret Method of Spiritual Cultivation¡± book was the same as other ancient books, discussing romantic affairs in clear detail with every action and technique described as though it was a martial arts technique. The elaborate descriptions used obscure words which made Qi Shu lose interest and become sleepy. He should have hidden this book. Who knew Shizun would come looking for him?! Qi Shu was wondering how to make up an excuse, or, ahem, how to explain, when the door of the room was suddenly pushed open. ¡°Venerable Immortal, I was the one who put that book in there!¡± Mo Qi stood outside the door, his face red. Gu Hanjiang: ¡°¡­¡± Qi Shu: ¡°?¡± Mo Qi quickly walked in and knelt in front of Gu Hanjiang, saying, ¡°I know my mistake. Today, when Shixiong came to the library to study, I helped him find some secret books. This one was accidentally¡­. added to the pile. Shixiong definitely wasn¡¯t trying to learn about the furnace physique, much less how to raise a furnace. I hope that the Venerable Immortal will judge it fairly!¡± Qi Shu: ¡°¡­¡± What was this person talking about??? How could he dare to mention this delicate matter in front of Shizun? Wasn¡¯t he afraid of touching Shizun¡¯s sore spot? Qi Shu was worried, but, unexpectedly, there was no abnormal reaction when Gu Hanjiang heard Mo Qi¡¯s words. Gu Hanjiang said calmly, ¡°I see.¡± Mo Qi, who was so frightened that his knees were weak, relaxed when he heard Gu Hanjiang¡¯s reply. He took half a step forward and said, ¡°Then about this book¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang looked down at the book¡¯s cover and seemed to meditate for a moment before closing it. ¡°This book is confiscated, and you are not allowed to read it again. Go to the Discipline Pavilion to receive punishment, and meditate on your misdeeds behind closed doors2 for three days.¡± Gu Hanjiang nodded his head at Qi Shu and said, ¡°¡­Let¡¯s return to Bai Zhang Peak.¡± *** Qi Shu thought that the Heavenly Venerable Immortal would definitely say something to him on the way back. After all, Qi Shu had just witnessed Shizun almost have a Qi Deviation because of his special physique not long ago, and now he immediately went to read ancient texts regarding the same matter. His Shizun must have noticed it, but Qi Shu waited in vain all throughout the trip back. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal didn¡¯t say a word about it. With a heavy heart, Qi Shu followed his Shizun back to the Water Pavilion and said, ¡°This disciple bids Shizun farewell.¡± He moved to return to his room, but Gu Hanjiang stopped him, saying, ¡°Come with me first.¡± Qi Shu stopped dead in his tracks. Was it finally the time to talk about it? He had thought about it a lot along the way. If Shizun really brought it up, then Qi Shu would tell him what Qi Shu had decided to do. If the ancient texts he had read today were correct, it was indeed difficult for someone with a furnace physique to cultivate on their own. The higher the cultivation level, the greater the danger. For Shizun to have reached such a high level of cultivation and reach a bottleneck only now could already be considered a blessing. As he progressed further, with every step he took to a higher realm had the possibility of destroying his cultivation. On the other hand, if someone were to help him overcome the bottleneck using double cultivation, the improvement in his cultivation could prove to be immeasurable. That¡¯s why Mo Qi looked for a lot of books on dual cultivation techniques. Because this is the only solution. Qi Shu guessed that the Heavenly Venerable Immortal had hidden his secret because he couldn¡¯t bear to subordinate himself to others. But now, there was no way out. Qi Shu followed Gu Hanjiang into the bedroom, and the latter went straight to the table. Heavenly Venerable Immortal likes to wear white, with his long hair like a waterfall reaching down to his narrow waist. He looked thinner than he used to be. Qi Shu couldn¡¯t imagine how difficult it must have been for his Shizun to hide his special physique all these years, cultivating under such unfavorable circumstances to achieve what he had today. How could he let his years of hard work go up in flames? Qi Shu felt more and more heartbroken the more he watched. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Shizun, this disciple is willing to help you-¡± Gu Hanjiang picked up a medicine cup and turned around. The expression on his face seemed a bit suspicious. ¡°What do you want to help with?¡± Qi Shu: ¡°?¡± Hadn¡¯t Shizun called him to talk about his furnace physique? ¡°Shizun called disciple to come¡­ just for this?¡± Qi Shu pointed at the medicine cup in Gu Hanjiang¡¯s hand and blinked. That medicine cup was full of a decoction that was steaming with white smoke. So, Shizun had made medicine for him today, but saw that he hadn¡¯t returned for a long time, which is why he went to the library to look for him? Gu Hanjiang nodded his head. Qi Shu: ¡°¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang walked up to him. ¡°What did you want to say you were going to help me with?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Qi Shu hesitated. The courage that he had mustered had faltered because of the interruption. Qi Shu stammered, ¡°It¡¯s that Shizun¡¯s cultivation has not been going well recently, disciple, disciple wants to help Shizun¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang understood. ¡°You went to the library to look for a method of cultivation?¡± Qi Shu: ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Hanjiang lowered his eyes to look at him. This time, Qi Shu did not avoid his eyes again. He looked firmly back into those beautiful eyes as if to express his determination to sacrifice anything, even his life, to help. ¡ª¡ªOf course, how much selfishness there was in this devotion, Qi Shu himself did not dare to think about it. In the end, it was Gu Hanjiang who sighed softly and averted his gaze. ¡°Qi Shu, you can¡¯t.¡± He sighed. Qi Shu: ¡°???¡± He trained every day, and his cultivation level was not low now, so how come he couldn¡¯t do it? Qi Shu, of course, didn¡¯t dare to ask such a question, but he said in a more serious tone, ¡°This disciple is definitely not saying this on a whim, and I¡­¡± Gu Hanjiang didn¡¯t let him continue. He handed over the medicine cup and calmly said, ¡°Take care of yourself first. Drink the medicine, then go back and sleep well. Don¡¯t think nonsense.¡± *** Qi Shu was in a trance when he left Gu Hanjiang¡¯s room after drinking the medicine. He thought Shizun wouldn¡¯t say yes to him too soon, but he didn¡¯t expect the man to refuse so quickly, leaving no room for consideration. What was wrong with him? Qi Shu walked quickly back to his room, snapped the door shut, and fell back into bed to sulk. On the other side of the wall, Gu Hanjiang stood in front of the window, looking at the door that had been slammed shut by the other person, and sighed. How absurd. The dignified Heavenly Venerable Immortal having an affair with the disciple that he had personally raised? If someone were to say this out loud, most people in the world wouldn¡¯t be able to accept it. Gu Hanjiang himself couldn¡¯t accept it. Therefore, when he discovered his thoughts were not pure, all he could do was to go into closed-door cultivation. Don¡¯t listen to him. Don¡¯t look at him. Don¡¯t go out to see him. The days are long, and the thoughts that he shouldn¡¯t have will dissipate. But this little disciple of his was really clingy. Every day, he would go to the cave entrance to look for him, noisily rambling about this and that, so that even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t help but listen. Qi Shu thought that during the days of Gu Hanjiang¡¯s closed-door cultivation, he never came out to see him. But that was not the case. Gu Hanjiang made an exception once. That was the day before Qi Shu was sent down from the mountain by the Acting Sect Master. It was also Qi Shu¡¯s eighteenth birthday. *** He bought a bottle of wine from the bottom of the mountain, sat down in front of the Spiritual Void Cave, and started rambling again. ¡°Shizun, I practiced the Ling Yun Sword Technique you taught me twenty more times today, and I no longer make mistakes.¡± ¡°Two days ago, I ranked at the bottom of the scriptures class, but since you¡¯re in closed-door cultivation, the elders who teach the scriptures couldn¡¯t complain to anyone. Today, they went to see the Acting Sect Master, but he¡¯s too weak to bother me.¡± ¡°But I would rather he complained to you and you came out to give me a lecture.¡± Eighteen-year-old Qi Shu sat in front of the Spiritual Void Cave, tilted his head, and took a sip of wine until both his cheeks were tinged with thin red. ¡°Shizun, you promised to spend your birthday with me every year, but you missed your appointment last year. You still won¡¯t meet with me this year?¡± ¡°When exactly will you leave seclusion?¡± Qi Shu¡¯s voice weakened and faded out, but his spiritual aura3 was still there. Gu Hanjiang couldn¡¯t help but use a mirror light technique to see the scene outside the Spiritual Void Cave. Outside the cave, the wind and snow were getting stronger, and Qi Shu was leaning against the limestone, holding his arms, not moving, his body covered in snow. The wine jug had fallen to one side, and the unfinished wine in the jug had turned into ice. Gu Hanjiang was so angry that he almost forgot his hundreds of years of self-restraint. Despite knowing that he was not a good drinker, he still drank so much and fell asleep in such a chilly place. Gu Hanjiang wanted to shout at someone and give them a scolding. But when he came out of the cave and saw his young disciple curled up in a tiny ball in the snow, his cheeks red because he was drunk or cold, he couldn¡¯t stay angry anymore. So the Heavenly Venerable Immortal just picked him up and used a technique4 to move quickly. In a moment, they were back at Bai Zhang Peak, where it was always spring all year round. He put his young disciple back on the bed and got up to leave, but someone grabbed him by the sleeve. The young disciple, who was drunk, didn¡¯t restrain his actions and pinned Gu Hanjiang¡¯s wide sleeve under him, tugging at it and muttering something under his breath. Gu Hanjiang bent down and tried to break his young disciple¡¯s grip, but he was grabbed by the wrist. Normally, Qi Shu wouldn¡¯t dare to risk offending his master, but now he was drunk and so out of it that his eyes could hardly focus. He squinted his eyes for a while before he recognized whose hand he was holding. When he saw it clearly, he laughed again. ¡°Shizun, you¡¯re finally willing to see me. I knew you wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡± Gu Hanjiang: ¡°¡­ Let go.¡± But the drunkard wouldn¡¯t listen. Audacious in the extreme, he pulled Gu Hanjiang. Heavenly Venerable Immortal was unsettled since he was rarely taken advantage of. There was a warm touch on his cheek, then Qi Shu fell back to the bed, licking his lips, as if he had succeeded in his plot, smiling like a small fox. It was only then that Gu Hanjiang heard what Qi Shu had been muttering just now. What he said was, ¡°Shizun, I love you.¡± He was so drunk that he couldn¡¯t speak clearly, but he mumbled it over and over again. ¡°Shizun, I love you.¡± CH 7 Drunk people tend to blather on, but Gu Hanjiang couldn¡¯t remember what else Qi Shu said. By the time he came back to his senses, he had already pressed his young disciple onto the bed. He could faintly taste the wine in the other person¡¯s mouth. Qi Shu¡¯s lips were very soft, and because of the wine, they looked redder and wetter than usual. Gu Hanjiang had accidentally used too much strength, which had made his young disciple¡¯s eyes teary. After a long time, Gu Hanjiang let go of him. He didn¡¯t know whether his young disciple was conscious. His face flushed, Qi Shu looked at Gu Hanjiang in a daze, his lips trembling but unable to say a word. He looked as though he had been stunned by the kiss. Gu Hanjiang had stopped kissing Qi Shu, but the two of them remained very close. His arms were on the pillow while he caressed his disciple¡¯s face but then withdrew as though he had been burned. This was wrong. As this person¡¯s master, how could he do such a thing? But how could he control himself? Gu Hanjiang wasn¡¯t made of stone.1 Like countless other beings in the mortal world, he had a heart whose emotions had only grown more intense the more it was denied. In front of this person, the centuries-long cultivation he had was nothing more than a joke. ¡°Shizun, you too-¡± You like me too, don¡¯t you? Qi Shu wanted to ask about it, but before he could say anything, his mouth was covered again. Gu Hanjiang lowered his head and kissed him again. This time he kissed Qi Shu very lightly, covering his disciple¡¯s mouth and tasting with his cold lips without delving deeper. At the same time, he stretched out his fingers and gently placed them on Qi Shu¡¯s brow. Qi Shu realized what he was going to do and suddenly struggled as hard as he could. ¡°No¡­ Shizun!¡± But he couldn¡¯t stop it at all. There was no comparison between the two of them in terms of shape or size. Gu Hanjiang only needed one hand to gently pin both of Qi Shu¡¯s wrists over his head while Qi Shu¡¯s protests were muffled by Gu Hanjiang¡¯s mouth on his until he gradually lost his strength because of the spiritual energy gradually entering the middle of his eyebrows. ¡°You won¡¯t remember anything when you wake up,¡± said Gu Hanjiang in a low voice. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± Qi Shu felt a little wronged. His bright eyes full of tears, he tugged at his Shizun¡¯s sleeve, but Gu Hanjiang slowly pulled it out of his hand little by little. He didn¡¯t get the answer he wanted, and soon he fell asleep because of the compulsion. Qi Shu¡¯s eyelids closed softly as tears slid down his cheeks2. ¡°You¡¯re still young, Ah-Shu3.¡± Sitting on the bed, Gu Hanjiang spoke softly in reply, but also as though he was talking to himself. Qi Shu was at a very impulsive and reckless age, a time when a young person can¡¯t distinguish between heartfelt love and admiration4. He can go astray, but Qi Shu cannot. So, the day after the incident, Gu Hanjiang asked Immortal Venerable Qing Lan to send Qi Shu down the mountain. Qi Shu has been with him all these years and has seen too few people and things. If he travels down the mountain, maybe he¡¯ll come to his senses. That¡¯s what Gu Hanjiang thought. But that¡¯s not what happened. Three years passed and the young disciple grew into a handsome young man whose appearance was mature and steady. It seemed as though many things had changed, but also as though nothing had changed. Gu Hanjiang closed his eyes and remembered the way Qi Shu looked at him the day he left his seclusion. It was the same way Qi Shu looked at him three years ago, sincere and warm. A gaze that seemed to burn him with its scorching heat. As he remembered this, Gu Hanjiang¡¯s lungs spasmed, and he lowered his head slightly as he began to cough violently. His coughing increased in intensity and he barely had time to raise a sound barrier outside his window before he collapsed against a wall5, his emaciated, trembling hand clinging to the window frame. As he covered his mouth with a sleeve, he saw how blue veins on the back of his hand stood out in stark contrast against the pale skin. Qi Shu has forgotten all about that kiss three years ago, but Gu Hanjiang still remembers it. Not only does he remember it, but he was haunted by it in his dreams every night until it eventually became a heart demon6. In the end, he was suffering the consequences of his own actions7. His trembling gradually died down until he was able to straighten up. A trace of blood remained on his lips, giving his pale face some color, and his plain white sleeves were stained with a little blood. He lifted his hand and raised the sound barrier that shrouded the outside of the house. In the nighttime, Bai Zhang peak was silent, and the candle lamp in the bedroom in the distance had gone out. ¡°You want to help me,¡± said Gu Hanjiang softly. He smiled wryly. ¡°You¡¯re the reason for this heart demon, so how could you help?¡± *** After being rejected by his Shizun, Qi Shu was really sad and introspective for many days. After reflecting on it, he realized that his Shizun¡¯s baggage was too heavy, and since Gu Hanjiang hadn¡¯t seen Qi Shu for so many years, it was understandable that Gu Hanjiang wouldn¡¯t trust him that quickly. But there was no need to worry too much. When he was gaining experience with the common folk, he often saw young gentlemen wooing their sweethearts, and the correct method was to progress step by step. If one was too aggressive, it would just scare the other person away. Once Qi Shu figured this out, Qi Shu decided not to force the issue. The way to pursue someone should be the same, although the difficulty was higher because the person involved was the Heavenly Venerable Immortal. Qi Shu would give this method a try. In five days, a ceremony where the Heavenly Venerable Immortal officially handed over the position of Sect Leader to Immortal Venerable Qing Lan was going to be held. The whole sect was buzzing about the news, so those martial brothers who had a good relationship with Qi Shu came to pester him for information. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. Ask me again and I¡¯ll throw you out,¡± said Qi Shu. He was busy working in the back kitchen, so their questions annoyed him. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, why don¡¯t you ask your own Shizun?¡± ¡°How would my Shizun, the Sect Master, know about it?¡± Wei Jing annoyed Qi Shu by following him around and talking endlessly. ¡°We¡¯re here because you said you needed our help, so can¡¯t you tell us?¡¯ ¡°Yes,¡± said Mo Qi, adding, ¡°I carried the pot on my back8 for you last time, so you should satisfy your shidi¡¯s9 curiosity this time.¡± Wei Jing was curious about this matter. ¡°What pot did you carry?¡± ¡°Never mind,¡± said Mo Qi. ¡°The important thing is, will the Immortal Master really ascend10?¡± Based on the sect disciples¡¯ speculation, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal had been in seclusion for so many years that he must have achieved substantial progress in his cultivation. The fact that he passed on the position of Sect Master as soon as he came out of seclusion, the disciples reckoned he was probably concentrating on preparing for his ascension tribulation. Thus, he could no longer be bothered to attend to matters pertaining to the mundane world. After hearing this, Qi Shu felt a little sad. If Shizun¡¯s cultivation hadn¡¯t been affected by his furnace physique, that would have been the most likely outcome. Though Qi Shu¡¯s heart was bitter when he thought about that, he changed the subject and said, ¡°Try this newly cooked medicinal porridge. This time it wasn¡¯t boiled into a paste or dried out, so it must be delicious.¡± The two of them who had been walking close to each other suddenly took a step back at the same time. Wei Jing looked up at the sky and said, ¡°Ah, I haven¡¯t finished all of my assigned tasks. I should return now.¡± Mo Qi touched his nose. ¡°I suddenly remembered that I haven¡¯t finished organizing the books in the library pavilion. Goodbye.¡± The two of them tried to run, but Qi Shu grabbed them by the backs of their collars. Smiling, he said, ¡°Come now, why don¡¯t you both have a bowl of porridge before you leave and help me taste it, okay?¡± *** This story was brought to you by the letter B for BC Novels. It was already dusk by the time Qi Shu returned to Bai Zhang peak with the finished porridge he had redone countless times. Based on what he had learned from mortal folk, the way to a man¡¯s heart was through his stomach. Although the Heavenly Venerable Immortal had been abstaining from food many years ago, he had been looking sickly lately, so it was time for him to eat some nourishing food. Qi Shu came to his Shizun¡¯s house with the medicinal porridge. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a voice inside. It sounded like the Immortal Venerable Qing Lan¡¯s voice. The position of Sect Leader was just recently been handed over, so many things needed to be discussed. These days, Immortal Venerable Qing Lan often came to see Gu Hanjiang. Qi Shu was about to retreat into the yard and wait, but a voice came from the door saying, ¡°Come in.¡± It was Gu Hanjiang. Qi Shu said ¡°Yes¡± softly, pushed open the door, and walked in. The two immortals were sitting in the room, both looking rather solemn. Qi Shu put the medicinal porridge down on the table before bowing to them. He said, ¡°Greetings to the Sect Master and Shizun.¡± ¡°Rise.¡± Immortal Venerable Qing Lan cheerfully said, ¡°Little Ah-Shu can cook? I remember you always used to pester Gu shixiong to have a special kitchen11 prepared for you. Gu shixiong was quite worried for a while about it.¡± Gu Hanjiang: ¡°Qing Lan.¡± ¡°Ah, shixiong, what more is there to talk about it?¡± said Immortal Venerable Qing Lan. ¡°You blew up the back kitchen several times before, and I was the one who took care of it.¡± Qi Shu: ¡°Pfft.¡± Gu Hanjiang looked up at Qi Shu who hurriedly curbed his laughter. Gu Hanjiang¡¯s cooking really wasn¡¯t good. Qi Shu knew that, but thinking about how Gu Hanjiang blew up the back kitchen while he was trying to cook for Qi Shu¡­ how cute! Qi Shu didn¡¯t realize that the mess he left in the kitchen was just as bad as it being blown up. Gu Hanjiang, who was exposed in front of his disciple, bowed his head to sip his tea and tried to gloss over the matter by saying, ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business.¡± Qi Shu asked, ¡°What business?¡± Usually, Gu Hanjiang and Immortal Venerable Qing Lan talked about the affairs of the sect, and never let Qi Shu sit in on their discussions. This time, since he was called in, it was probably related to him. Immortal Venerable Qing Lan put away his teasing manner and said, ¡°Ah-Shu, there is something I wanted to tell you. Do you still remember the scaled dragon12 demon you killed in Misty Shadow Mountain13 half a month ago?¡± Qi Shu did not expect him to mention this. He nodded: ¡°I remember.¡± Qing Lan said, ¡°Are you sure you killed it?¡± Qi Shu was stunned. What did this mean¡­.? Qi Shu: ¡°It¡¯s not dead?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Immortal Venerable Qing Lan sighed. ¡°It¡¯s just that in the past half a month, there have been a series of incidents of women going missing in several counties nearby. The government has no clue, and the people are in a panic.¡± Qi Shu asked, ¡°The master thinks the scaled dragon demon is responsible for these incidents?¡± Qing Lan said, ¡°There has been speculation about it.¡± Qi Shu frowned slightly and didn¡¯t answer. If it was really the demon that was preying on the people around the Misty Shadow Mountain, then it was his responsibility. Qing Lan reassured him. ¡°In the beginning, many sects sent their disciples to eliminate the demon without success. They said that the scaled dragon demon was very good at magic and could control people¡¯s hearts. If it really took the opportunity to run away, it was not your responsibility. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°You¡¯re joking, Master,¡± Qi Shu said. ¡°I will leave for Misty Shadow Mountain tomorrow. Whether it¡¯s true or not, we will find out. If that beast really escaped me before, I will kill him again.¡± Qing Lan gave Qi Shu an appreciative look. ¡°Gu shixiong, I told you that Ah-Shu would agree, but you didn¡¯t want me to tell him about it.¡± Gu Hanjiang: ¡°¡­¡± Qi Shu could see that the expression on his Shizun¡¯s face was getting colder and colder, so he tried to soothe him by saying, ¡°Shizun, don¡¯t worry. Your disciple will just take a look and he will be back soon.¡± Of course, he was reluctant to part with his Shizun, but there was a demon on a rampage and human lives were at stake. Even if it had nothing to do with him directly, it wasn¡¯t something he could ignore. ¡°Indeed.¡± The new sect master seemed not only to be oblivious to the situation but even added more fuel to the fire by saying, ¡°Little Ah-Shu has grown up to be a responsible man. You were willing to leave your disciple behind for three years, but now you can¡¯t let someone eliminate a demon? What kind of reasoning is that?¡± BANG! Gu Hanjiang put the teacup in his hand down on the table with a loud banging sound. Immortal Venerable Qing Lan started trembling when he realized he had said the wrong thing. ¡°Why, why are you so careless? Be careful. The tea is hot¡­¡± said Qing Lan with a hollow laugh as he gave Qi Shu a meaningful look. Qi Shu had no choice but to help Qing Lan out by offering his food to Gu Hanjiang. He said, ¡°Shizun, don¡¯t talk about that. I cooked you this medicinal porridge myself, so eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡± When a bowl of medicinal porridge was put in front of Gu Hanjiang, the expression on his face lightened. Qing Lan was about to find an excuse to run away when he heard his shixiong suddenly say, ¡°Qing Lan, let¡¯s eat some together.¡± Qing Lan: ¡°What?¡± Gu Hanjiang pushed the bowl full of medicine porridge to Qing Lan and calmly said, ¡°Ah-Shu is an excellent cook.¡± Qing Lan: ¡°???¡± I¡¯ve never heard that Qi Shu can cook? Immortal Venerable Qing Lan didn¡¯t actually have much contact with Qi Shu before. Later, Qi Shu went down the mountain for training and they had had no contact. But Gu Hanjiang¡¯s words aroused his curiosity. Did Qi Shu learn a craft after coming down the mountain? Qing Lan tentatively scooped up a spoonful and tasted it. Poof¡ª¡ª ******** Dear readers, if you would like to leave a tip, you can donate to my Ko-Fi. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it. Reika¡¯s Notes: CH 8 The next day, Qi Shu descended Kunlun mountain. The Misty Shadow Mountain and Kunlun Mountain were thousands of miles apart. Qi Shu traveled with his sword without resting, but by the time he reached Misty Shadow Mountain, the sky was already dark. The Misty Shadow Mountain was named after the clouds that did not disperse all year round. They were especially thick at night when the light of the setting sun was shrouded by the fog so that only half of it could get through the mist. This time, Qi Shu was already familiar with the environment, so he went straight to the mountain stream where he killed the demon. Half a month later, there was no blood left in the pool fed by a mountain stream. All that could be seen were a few broken stones next to the pool and the sword marks left on the stone wall, which showed how fierce the battle had been. At that time, he had personally ground the demon¡¯s bones to ashes and scattered them1. Even if there had been any remnants left of its corpse, they would have been washed away by the water. Of course, even the so-called ¡°scattering of the ashes¡± might have been just a diversionary tactic. Qi Shu squatted down at the edge of the water pool, twisted a stone at his feet, and gently flicked it. A cloud of green smoke lifted the rock to the surface of the water, then slowly fell into the pool. The surface of the water rippled, then revealed a familiar scene. It was a full view of the mountain stream. The light-return technique can briefly reflect the ¡°memory¡± of certain things. Qi Shu squatted by the pool and quickly watched the alternation of day and night in the mountain stream for half a month. ¡°Tsk.¡± Good, there was nothing to see. Frankly speaking, Qi Shu didn¡¯t believe that the demon could slip from Qi Shu¡¯s hands when it was seriously injured. But it¡¯s true that the initial demon elimination was not without suspicion. That day, he received a letter from Immortal Venerable Qing Lan and immediately went to Misty Shadow Mountain. There, he coincidentally came across a battle between the demon and a person from another immortal sect. Qi Shu saved that person and then fought the demon for three days until he finally forced it into the mountain stream where he killed it. Now that he thought about it, since that demon had been cultivating here, its cultivation cave dwelling should also be at the Misty Shadow Mountain. The demon shouldn¡¯t have been so easily cornered by Qi Shu. Besides, neither the other immortal sects nor the Kunlun Sword Sect had found the demon¡¯s cave. As for why this suspicion was not raised at that time, it was because Qi Shu rushed back home to pick up his Shizun from his seclusion. As the saying goes, he must have been ¡°thinking with your lower half2.¡± Truly, the people from ancient times were wise and their words did not deceive. Qi Shu stood up and was about to check elsewhere, but as soon as he left the vicinity of the mountain stream, he heard the strange sound of a woman weeping somewhere nearby. How could anyone be here? The Misty Shadow Mountain was surrounded by clouds and fog all year round, so it was very easy to get lost in this place. Even the people who lived around here rarely ventured to the mountain. Not to mention that it was late at night. Qi Shu followed the sound of weeping, his eyebrows slightly raised. He didn¡¯t need to walk a great distance before he saw a woman. The woman¡¯s figure was exquisite. She was plainly dressed, but her clothes were covered in dust and her hair was loose. She looked rather wretched. Hearing the sound of footsteps, she turned around, showing eyes that were red from crying. ¡°Ah -¡± the woman screamed and tried to run away, but she tripped over something. ¡°Calm down,¡± said Qi Shu, for lack of a better option. ¡°Do I look that scary?¡± The woman cried even harder, curling up into a ball and trembling with fear. Qi Shu didn¡¯t come closer. From a distance, he said, ¡°Are you one of the mortal folk who live nearby?¡± Seeing that he meant no harm, the woman finally summoned up the courage to look up and saw how Qi Shu was dressed. She said, ¡°You, you¡¯re wearing the clothes of an immortal. Are you here to save me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Shu said. ¡°But first you have to tell me why you¡¯re here.¡± The woman said that her family lives in Lingshang City, close to Misty Shadow Mountain. They had a medicine shop at home. Yesterday evening when she went out to deliver medicine, she was suddenly enveloped by a cloud of mist and lost consciousness. When she woke up, she was here. She was lost in the mountain all day and, exhausted and hungry, she collapsed here and started crying. ¡°¡­ You didn¡¯t see the person who brought you here?¡±Qi Shu asked. ¡°No, I was alone here when I woke up¡­¡± The woman started crying again. Her tear-stained face3 was so beautiful that if another person had been present, Qi Shu feared they wouldn¡¯t have been able to resist feeling pity for her. But not Qi Shu. Except for his Shizun, all people look the same in his eyes. Therefore, he just coldly interrupted her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Take me to the place where you woke up.¡± Woman: ¡°¡­Fine.¡± The woman nodded, then accidentally stumbled when she tried to get up. She glanced at Qi Shu as though asking him for help. But Qi Shu, who was standing a short distance away, simply stood there holding onto his sword, unmoved4. From the start, she had never been in his eyes5. The woman silently wiped away her tears and got up from the ground. They walked into the dark forest, one following the other. The forest was quieter than before and not a sound could be heard except for Qi Shu¡¯s footsteps on the fallen leaves. They walked for an interminable time until Qi Shu finally spoke up, ¡°Hey you, how many times do you intend to make me walk in circles in this rotten forest?¡± The woman also stopped, a look of confusion on her face. ¡°But I remember that it¡¯s in this direction.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Qi Shu¡¯s lips were smiling, but his eyes were high school. The woman¡¯s eyes darted around for a moment, then she raised her hand to point in the direction in front of them. ¡°It¡¯s just ahead, really.¡± The moment she finished speaking, the fog ahead of them suddenly dispersed, revealing the ridge of a roof underneath the dense shadow of the trees. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I see it,¡± Qi Shu said, ¡°Thanks a lot, you can go now.¡± ¡°Go?¡± The woman looked back at Qi Shu, as if she didn¡¯t understand why he said that. ¡°Where should I go?¡± Qi Shu did not answer. Instead, he walked up to the woman, put two fingers together and pressed them on the woman¡¯s brow. A small amount of spiritual power poured in between her eyebrows. The woman opened her eyes wide and said in a daze, ¡°I¡­ I have¡­¡± ¡°You are dead,¡± whispered Qi Shu. ¡°Don¡¯t be used by ¡®it.¡¯ Go.¡± Two lines of clear tears fell from the woman¡¯s eyes. Her body shriveled rapidly until it turned into a shriveled and charred corpse that fell to the ground and was covered with black smoke. ¡°Take me home.¡± The woman¡¯s choked voice came from the black smoke. ¡°Please¡­¡± After saying these words, the corpse disappeared, along with the black smoke. Qi Shu closed his eyes and breathed a soft sigh of relief. ¡°I will.¡± *** When he passed through the dense trees, a long-abandoned courtyard appeared in front of Qi Shu. The brook in front of the courtyard had dried up, and the walls were stained and peeling. It was totally silent, both inside and out. The place looked quite eerie and decrepit, lacking even the slightest trace of charm6. The gate was ajar, and Qi Shu only had to push it to enter the courtyard. The moment he opened the gate, the scene in front of him suddenly changed. The broken bricks and tiles looked new, the withered grass grew green, and the faint scent of peach blossoms could even be smelled in the air. This was what Bai Zhang Peak looked like. ¡°A minor illusion¡­¡± Qi Shu paid no attention to this transformation as he stepped onto the stone bridge. Now that the place had transformed into Bai Zhang Peak, Qi Shu was familiar with the layout. He quickly searched the water pavilion before finally stepping in front of his room. There were no lights inside the house, but he could hear some strange noises coming from it. In this vast mansion, there was only one sound coming from the inside. Qi Shu walked forward, then the hand that he had raised to push the door open stopped abruptly. ¡°Shizun, you¡¯re finally willing to meet me. I knew you wouldn¡¯t leave me alone.¡± That was his voice. But he couldn¡¯t remember when he had said such a thing. Qi Shu¡¯s brow furrowed slightly, and he silently circled around the window, pushing open a gap with the hilt of his sword. The room was dimly lit, but cultivators had very good eyesight. Qi Shu looked inside and saw his illusionary self boldly propping up his upper body and giving Shizun a kiss on the cheek. Qi Shu: ¡°¡­¡± The one in the illusion was really brave and dared to passionately kiss. But who would¡¯ve thought that the Qi Shu in the illusion world not only took liberties with Shizun but also fell back to the bed, tugging Shizun¡¯s sleeve and mumbling who knows what. Qi Shu was a little embarrassed. Ordinarily, he would never be so clingy. Just as he was thinking that, he moved closer to what ¡°he¡± was saying so shamelessly, only to see his Shizun suddenly lower his head and kiss those noisy lips hard. Qi Shu: ¡°¡­ F***.¡± The Heavenly Venerable Immortal in the illusionary world was not the reserved and self-possessed Shizun of old. Instead, he pressed the person beneath him into the bed fiercely and kissed him deeply again. The only sound that could be heard in the room was the rubbing of clothes and the slightly hesitant7murmur of ¡°Qi Shu.¡± What kind of subpar illusion was this? The characters were too out of character! Qi Shu blushed at the sounds he heard until, finally, he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and pulled out his sword. ¡ªOnly to be stopped by hand. Qi Shu turned his head and his eyes met the familiar, always calm eyes. It¡¯s over, Qi Shu thought to himself.