"Shut up." The bone-chilling weather of a forever winter wasn't as bad as Wei Ziyang's voice. His glare froze those who tried to argue back. "Qingyang."
"Shizun." The two exchanged greetings while ignoring the masses. "It's been a while, Shidi. Congratulations on your ascension." Even though he had been thrown across the ground, Yu Qingyang remained elegant.
"How do we handle those involved with demonic arts?"
"Death." Yu Qingyang grinned as he glanced at the elders. "Perhaps, these fools are related to such a disgrace?"
"Li Weisheng," his voice startled the protagonist. Wei Ziyang cast a side glance. "Join your Shixiong and eliminate the corrupted. I will return shortly."
"Ah, Shizun—!" Before Li Weisheng could finish, Wei Ziyang grabbed hold of Tora and disappeared. He gritted his teeth, dissatisfied at the unforeseeable event. "Fucking hell..."
"My-my, Shidi. If Shizun were to hear that, you would be punished." Yu Qingyang whistled humorously. "Shall we deal with this first?"
Li Weisheng merely glanced at Yu Qingyang. He wasn't sure how he should deal with this person. His grip on the sword tightened as he spoke. "After this, please take me to Shizun."
"Alright."
+
The pink petals that bloomed atop the branches swayed as they arrived. The flowery aroma greatly contrasted the blood-covered blade that was in Tora's hand.
"Shidi!" The approaching figure was a familiar face. His light purple garb swayed with the wind.
I saw him at the ceremony. He's one of the three Xianjuns.
"Greetings, Shishu!" The two disciples stepped forward, greeting Wei Ziyang.
"Shibo. Shixiong." Tora wanted to greet them with a bow, but the cold grip on her arm never loosened.
"Don't bother." Seeing Tora struggle to free her arm, the Xianjun in front of her chuckled and waved his hand. "The new Nascent Soul Cultivator should be arrogant. Shidi, aren't you worried your other disciples would feel jealous?" His eyes glinted with humor as he took in Tora's appearance.
"
"You have a way of making people feel bad." Although he said that, his voice was filled with laughter.
"The Jinlong Sect, Yushe Sect, and Jinli Sect have dealings with the unorthodox." The golden core of Elder Wang was handed over.
"Hm, that's quite unexpected..." The humor in his eyes faded in an instant. His sharp gaze examined the core, taking note of the slight crack. "That matter aside, why did you leave your closed-door cultivation?"
Tora could feel the shift in his attitude. His eyes had become a dangerous pit as they stared at her. The Immortal Master wasn't questioning her, but Tora felt suffocated.
"Lower your gaze."
"Harsh as always. This is why you don't have any friends, Shidi." Tora wasn't the only one who felt suffocated, the clash of their auras affected the disciples around them. "I could have handled this issue without you needing to be here."
"My peak, my responsibility."
"True. However, stopping your ascension halfway will have its side effects. Your cultivation is all jumbled up. Deal with it while I clean up the dogs."
"Ensure the ungrateful dogs are thrown in the
Tora's vision blurred. The familiar bedroom appeared, scaring Tora slightly. She wasn't sure why Wei Ziyang brought her back to his house.
"A-Yi." His cold gaze watched her shift uncomfortably. Jing Yi was slightly taller than Wei Ziyang, causing him to frown. "You shouldn't hold onto a dead man's weapon. It will bring bad luck."
"Ah? It will?" Tora had never taken Wei Ziyang as someone superstitious. Hearing his comment made her heart skip a beat. The sword in her hand disappeared.
"Do you want to wear the color red?"
"What?" The unexpected turn of conversation caused Tora to slip up. Her polite demeanor disappeared and was replaced with a judgmental look.
"The Jing Clan's color is red. I thought you'd like it better, just like your father." His squinted eyes studied her expression as he spoke.
"Father?" Right, Jing Yi's father was a famous cultivator. "Anything but red is preferred. I'd wear whatever you give me, Shizun."
"Do you enjoy faking politeness?"
Tora felt her stomach churned. Her eyes, which had been focused on everything except for Wei Ziyang, had finally met his.
Should I just kill him?
What if Yu Qingyang wasn't the incarnation...but Wei Ziyang?
Tsk. Fuck. This is Asier's fault.
Wei Ziyang was taken aback by the sudden shift of her gaze. It was poisonous, unkind, and haunting.
"My attitude will get people killed. Do you really want me to stop"
"No."
Tora felt like she was talking to a wall. Her head ached from the sudden surge of annoyance. She didn't understand what went through Wei Ziyang's mind, nor did she learn anything from the novel.
Wei Ziyang was an anomaly. A person who stood as the epitome of humanity, mysterious and callous, was Wei Ziyang in Li Weisheng's eyes.
What's even worse than this fucker is Jing Yi's off-screen deaths.
Wei Ziyang carefully studied her knitted eyebrows. He was greatly intrigued by the existence of Jing Yi and the mysterious power that occasionally hovered around her.
"Why would someone want me dead? Hypothetically, that is."
Wei Ziyang's eyes squinted at the sudden question. He looked the young man up and down before saying, "Have you heard of Dual Cultivation?"
Dual what—!?
'Sex basically.'
Ah...the shit Li Weisheng did with Jing Qinru and every other girl.
The note from Asier was like a sparkle of energy, shimmering for a moment before dissipating. Wei Ziyang watched the expressions on the young man's face as the energy came and went. A thought popped into his mind. Is it like a note? Perhaps, a form of communication?
"Dual Cultivation is a practice not many would admit to performing due to its sexual nature." With his qi, Wei Ziyang grabbed a book from the cabinet. "I'm sure you know this of yourself already. The Heavenly Constitution is capable of turning anything into qi and is capable of instantaneous replenishment of their inner qi."
"Yes, that I know."
"If one were to perform dual cultivation with someone of Heavenly Constitution, they can borrow the advantages unique to them and use them to greatly advance their cultivation. For some, it could shorten hundreds of years needed to ascend by performing Dual Cultivation a few times."
"Are you hoping to try Dual Cultivation with me, Shizun?"
"..." They stared at each other in silence, neither willing to break eye contact.
"Earlier, Shibo said that your cultivation is jumbled from stopping mid-ascension. Is that why you brought me here?"
"Although I don't mind your rudeness, you should still learn your place, Jing Yi." His frown was filled with pressure.
"Good. Don't call me so intimately from now on, Shizun."
"What?"
"Since we're dropping all pretenses, let me tell you this. I've thought about it every day for the past nine years, how should I kill the fucker that shoved me in here? Should I skin him alive? Maybe cripple his cultivation, cover him in sweets, and leave him out to be eaten alive by critters."
"You—!"
"I'm ignorant to the happenings of this world, so I tried to play it safe until I figured stuff out. But this shit is getting annoying. I'll respect you as my Shizun, so stay out of my business. I have a few bastards I need to deal with."
With her qi, Tora burned the outer purple of her hanfu.
"Shizun should take it easy and focus on his cultivation. I will deal with the issues at hand."
The gritting of teeth could be heard as she left. Tora had felt uncertain of Wei Ziyang's identity for a while but she finally got the answer.
Creation's incarnations are sly foxes but they have never done something I've never asked for. Wei Ziyang is not him.
"A-Yi, why are you coming from there? I thought you were at the foot of the peak?" A sweet voice interrupted her long strides.
I just left and now more shit to deal with.
"Shizun needs to regulate his qi, so I brought him here and was just leaving."
"What happened to the outer layer...?" Her hands gently brushed his hair out of the way. Her eyelashes were long and seductive, blinking slowly. "Why are you so disheveled? Did something—? Ah...You and Shizun...?"
Her eyes widened as she backed away. She blinked innocently with a blush on her face. Her hands covered her mouth at her insinuations.
"Shidi! You—!?" Li Weisheng appeared from nowhere. His hands pulled her inner garment, nearly ripping it from her chest. "Did you sleep with Shizun?"
"Are you insane?" Tora slapped away the angered maniac. "Why would I sleep with Shizun?"
"Because you are—."
The sudden whistling turned all of their gazes. Yu Qingyang leaned against the railings of bridges lazily.
"A body and face like Shidi are what they call a 'beauty who causes the downfall of nations.' If Shidi and Shizun feel for each other, why should we judge?" Her sharp gaze pierced Yu Qingyang.
"This is ridiculous. As a Daoist, I have vowed to shed my mortal needs."
"Oh? I thought you didn't follow the path of Daoism?"
"I've changed my mind." A soft chuckle escaped Yu Qingyang's lips at her response. "What of the situation?"
"Shibo is dealing with them. It seems there is a demonic cultivator amongst the othodoxes. We'll weed them out soon."
"Isn't the demonic cultivator Elder Wang of Jinlong Sect?"
"No, someone else corrupted his golden core. It seems a master demon is amongst us." The sudden statement caused Li Weisheng's heart to jump. He hadn't expected that they would find out so soon. "Of course, that doesn't absolve them of their audacity to strike our sect."
"So we don't have to worry anymore. That's great!" Jing Qinru chimed in, ending the topic of conversation instantly. Her hands wrapped around Tora's arm and her head leaned into her. "A-Yi, we need to go visit Grandpa! The birthday banquet is tonight. I was so worried that you would miss it because you were doing closed-door cultivation!"
"I'll accompany you." Li Weisheng took this opportunity to build a closer bond with Jing Yi. "It is the Jing's Patriarch's Birthday after all. As the only son of the Li Clan, I should pay my respects."
"I'm sure Grandpa would be glad!" Jing Qinru felt her heart clench with joy. Butterflies swarmed her stomach, causing her to blush at the thought of spending time with her Shixiong. I'll make sure they prepare a room next to mine.
"I'm afraid I can't go. Please, pass on my sentiments instead." Yu Qingyang took out a fan.
The handle was made from imperial jadeite carved in the shape of a dragon. The fan itself was decorated with an ink painting of Kunlun, a mythical mountain famous for being the paradise of Xians.
"The mythical Kunlun Fan!?" Li Weisheng couldn't hide his astonishment. In all his regressions, the mythical fan was considered to be the weapon of Gods, but never once had he seen the actual thing.
Holy crap. What the fuck? Tora also felt bewildered at the sudden reveal of the rumored weapon.
All it took was a single swipe of the fan. Strong winds equal that of the heavens descended into the mortal realm. Thousands of cultivators were swept away.
The wind knocked them away and pierced their golden core, crippling them in an instant. That was the Heavenly Weapon, Kunlun Fan.
The fan that was believed to have been lost was now in Li Weisheng's hand.
After the battle with Wei Ziyang, Li Weisheng fled with his broken limbs. In an attempt to recuperate, he hid deep within a cave, but that was still not enough to hide from the Immortal.
Wei Ziyang's persistence led him deeper. Like a miracle, he stumbled upon a hidden lair, The Tomb of the Great Sage.
"Such a thing!?" The fan was casually floating in the air, hovering above a mummified body.
He didn't have time to gloat at his fortune, for the misfortune had followed him in. In a desperate attempt, he took the fan and struck Wei Ziyang with it.
That was his first win after hundreds of regressions.
He had killed his enemy, but the power of a Heavenly Artifact was too much for his broken body to handle. Li Weisheng had died yet again.
Tora had ingrained that in her mind. This was the turning point in Li Weisheng's life. I was hoping to kill the bastard before he got his hand on that...
"I wish it was the actual artifact. Sadly, this is only a replica." Yu Qingyang chuckled and handed the fan to Jing Qinru. "I will let Shizun know of your departure." With that, Yu Qingyang disappeared.
"Ah, a replica..." Li Weisheng felt a sense of loss at the revelation.
"W—we should leave!" It was thanks to Jing Qinru that they continued their journey. The Jing Clan bustled with activity. The servants worked hard preparing for the feast, while the masters ordered the deeds.
"Greetings Young Lady!" A servant of the family had seen them arrive. He didn't waste any time, quickly arriving to greet them. "Greetings Young Cultivator. And...Young Master?" His eyes widened in shock when he met with Tora's. He looked her up and down with curiosity and astonishment. "Young Master...your outfit—?"
"Hm? There was an incident." His gaze was blocked by Li Weisheng. He took out a dark outer robe and draped it over her. "Prepare me some new clothes." She thanked Li Weisheng.
"Yes! Yes! Of course! I will have some servants guide you to your rooms!"
It wasn't until the three entered their rooms that the servants started to chatter. Their hearts were astonished by the appearance of all three.
Their Young Lady was an unprecedented beauty that could rival immortals. With every curve of her lips and every flutter of her lashes, their heartbeat became foolish.
The Young Cultivator was prim and proper. His cold gaze matched his demeanor. His white hair shimmered under the sun, blinding everyone with its brilliance. The young maidens blushed at the sight of him, but his aloofness kept them at bay. This was someone they could only admire from afar.
The two were expected beauties, but when they gazed upon the last one, their breath hitched. Their Young Master had never stood out. He always hunched his shoulders, keeping his chin near his chest. They had expected a gloomy person, but what appeared today made them dizzy.
He was no longer the boy they remembered, instead, he returned as a captivating man.
His hair was loose as it blew with the wind. His loosened hanfu exposed the chiseled chest. His lazy gaze was intoxicating, drowning the onlookers in their sultry glimmer. He was the opposite of the Young Cultivator. One was like an icy lake, while the other burned hotter than the sun.
Disappointment decorated their faces when the dark garment covered him up. His presence alone was enough to set them on fire. Even after he left, they continued to burn from the heat of his existence.
"I understand their obsession." Tora nearly died of a heart attack when someone appeared in front of her.
"Yu Qingyang, what are you doing here?" He took the liberty to lie on her bed.
"I miss my Shidi, so I came to accompany him when he's alone." His voice was filled with tease. Tora felt her eyes twitched.
"Young Master, I am here to prepare a bath and help you dress..." The voice of a young female startled Tora. Her tone was filled with coyness as she fidgeted in front of the room.
"Look at this, not even a few minutes and they are already attempting to seduce you." Tora ignored Yu Qingyang and opened the door slightly.
"No need. I'll deal with it alone."
"Ah! But Young Mast—!" She took the clothes from her hands and shut the door.
"Don't be so harsh on the ladies."
"You can go and coddle them."
"Why bother when there's someone more interesting right here."
Tora ignored the man and fiddled with the red hanfu in her hands. The fabric was exquisite. It was soft and had soft stitches of golden threads. The gold was only visible when reflecting light. She didn't fancy the idea of wearing red from head to toe.
"Should I prepare a bath for you?" The whisper next to her ear made her shiver. She nearly dropped the hanfu. "Is your ear sensitive?"
"Yes."
"I'll take that." His hands barely grazed her as they removed the dark robe from her shoulders. "You're not asking questions?"
"Should I?"
"No..." The dark robe turned to ashes. "Shizun was in a very bad mood when I left."
"Was he?" The sound of water caused Tora to follow after Yu Qingyang.
The room wasn't large but had a partition that separated the bath from the dressing area. The usual baths would be made from timber and were portable. This room, surprisingly, had a hot spring within it.
The floor was carved and inlaid with bricks. At the back was a large dragon that curved around the wall. It positioned its head right at the tub, pouring in warm water for the bath. As long as the mouth was pulled open, the water would continue to pour.
Tora stared at it with fascination. This world is obsessed with dragons. This is very... ridiculous.
"Are you going to apologize?"
"No."
"Good." He sat at the edge, calmly swirling the water around with his fingers. "He'll be busy for a few weeks. The water is ready."
"What are you doing?" Alarmed, Tora backed up a bit.
"Taking off my clothes?"
"I can see that. The question is why."
"Join you, of course. We should increase our brotherly love." Yu Qingyang grinned widely. He slipped the outer layer of his hanfu off. His hands teasingly pulled at the belt that kept the inner part together.
"I don't like the idea of this 'brotherly love.'" Her lips frowned slightly but her eyes continued to watch his every move.
The inner layer dropped, leaving only a white
'Even though you're a man now, you can still drool over other men.'
This bitch—!
'Don't be angry. He's worth drooling over.'
Don't talk to me.
She shoved the paper in her mouth and eyed Yu Qingyang with suspicion. Does he see these?
Yu Qingyang wasn't looking at her. He had his eyes cast on the floor while his hands busied themselves with untying his top. For a moment, Tora felt disappointed.
Maybe this isn't him...