With An Shirong's appearance marking the culmination of the day, the entire atmosphere seemed to have sank entirely, resulting in a frozen and stale ambience where any bystanders accidentally caught up in the crossfire between the meeting of Shen Zilong and An Shirong would suffer the repercussions of the momentous clash.
An Shirong, pale and striking, stood on the other end of the arena while Shen Zilong, donning Ru Yijing's body, displayed a carelessly haphazard version of the usually neat and tidy 'senior brother.' The contrast between his usual self, and the unkempt version of the assumed 'Ru Yijing' was so starkly different that the reason behind such an odd appearance was due to the possession of a snake demon was completely believable. After all... Ru Yijing wouldn't be so daring to present himself in such an uncouth and sleazy sight.
'Damn it. I was the one who boldly claimed that I would protect senior brother, yet I couldn't recognize that the senior brother standing behind me isn't the actual one..' Xu Yongdi had derisions of his own, and nipped at his lower lip out of shame.
Shen Zilong wasn't affected by the unveiling of his real identity, shrugging off the revelation and placed a hand on his hip. "How gracious of the master himself to visit a lowly disciple like me! It appears that the rumours of your indifference towards your students is just a false claim. But, I feel especially privileged to see you heed me to this extent.."
Shen Zilong trailed off, lifting his brows towards his hairline, and tipping his head backward, presenting an especially mocking and scrupulous look that would leave any naive and innocent cultivator uncomfortable. It wasn't frequent of them to make run-ins with demonic cultivators since they were fairly wet-behind-the-ears and hadn't ventured too far beyond their given allocations.
The demonic cultivators, though rumoured to be excessively debauched, and were actually proven to be countlessly, knew better than to disturb the facade of 'peace' that was ongoing. So, even if it was extremely tempting of an offer to tease the righteous side, they refrained from playing too many pranks and sowing discord between the righteous and the unrighteous parties.
But, of course, it wasn't like the two sides were not bound to make any collisions. The unorthodox faction was not as compact and strictly regulated like the righteous faction, who through the reinforcement of discipline, could successfully rein its followers, the demonic faction was more similar to an ever expanding and convoluting blob. It was not only the righteous cultivators that were the enemies of the orthodox faction, but it was itself's own mortal foe.
The world of the unorthodox faction was ran through a dog-eat-dog reign, and not a carefully orchestrated order of inheritance and rule. Its current owner could change anytime, depending on the strength of its challenger. To put it short, it was a rule perpetuated through defeat of its previous rulers, and through continual violence.
If An Shirong right now could be considered one of the pillars of the righteous faction, then Shen Zilong was the deposed 'king' of the demonic cultivators.
That was right. Shen Zilong did not hold such a meagre identity, being one of the romantic interests of the protagonist shou, it was only natural that his position was equally as impressive as the other fishes in the harem. This big-shot may don the simple and remotely harmless—quite ironic—vision of a snake, but his role was much more broad.
[ It's definitely good to keep your guard up. ] Even the system which hadn't spared much words from the beginning stated this.
[ But, isn't it a big deal that Shen Zilong... well, more exactly, me, whom is thrusted into the spotlight? This doesn't follow the original plot's procession, so I'm worried if there's any big canon event I might've change. ]
Even reducing it to a changer of a big canon event would've been too recessive to what it actually was. Shen Zilong was never meant to be introduced so early into the plot. He would only be revealed in the later chapters of the novel as one of the protagonist's pursuers. According to the timeline, Shen Zilong, who was just recently ousted from his throne was bumbling about in the wastelands, trying to secretly cultivate his power back again. It was by sheer coincidence he ended up meeting Ru Yijing on the day he was expelled.
A coincidence that was too timely to simply be a coincidence.
... Whatever it was, what was more important that with every passing moment, it seemed like Shen Zilong was discarding... more and more pieces of clothes, one after another!?
He was truly deserving the name of a 'Snake Demon.' With every syllable he spoke, he coiled and wrapped his arms around Ru Yijing's body like an exotic dancer pandering to his audience, expelling one article of clothing after another. Previously, he was all covered up from head to toe, as was expected and befitting of a follower of light. The outer layer of the robe was rid of sometime back when he was thrashing the students around, but now, the dress that was supposed to be tied together by a string had lost its harness, quickly loosening up to reveal a v-shaped neckline that brought attention to the pair of deep and eye-catching clavicles.
Hold on.. why the hell was Shen Zilong doing a strip tease with his body!? Did he forget that the onlookers were not of age yet? Of course, towards a fictional character like Shen Zilong who was brought up in a world where age wouldn't be a sign of preferential treatment, Ru Yijing very much still upheld the views as a twenty-first century born.
'Shen Zilong, stop this brashness!' Ru Yijing angrily yelled, but the only response to this was a crude smile playing on Shen Zilong's—well—his own body's lips.
'Watch and learn, boy, what comes of the consequences to denying me.'
An Shirong couldn't stand this disparaging spectacle any longer, and that cold face seemed to grow even more callous. His usually indifferent facial features that revealed his detachment towards the world, now held a semblance of human emotion and it was of extreme dislike. Whether it was because of the look of the body itself, or the fact that Shen Zilong was occupying it, it was unstated.
"You are being too unruly, Snake Demon. To think you'd have the gall to show up in the center of the righteous faction... you think you ought to have nine lives." But, even when An Shirong was discontent, his speaking habits did not differ from the usual. There was that existing chill, and imposing disengagement, as if mortal affairs were beneath of him to deal with. Even the issue of Ru Yijing's image falling apart or the well-being of his student further was none of his concern.
But, Xu Yongdi couldn't stand this even more, and bursted out with a fiery proclamation. "Using the appearance of my senior brother... and sullying him... is completely unforgivable! Please, Great Sage Teacher, allow me the permission to deal with this uncouth vermin!"
"And what, let you kill your senior brother in the process?" An Shirong's biting voice intercepted, immediately leaving Xun Yongdi speechless. "Keep your cool. You are an immortal cultivator, not an irrational human child."
Xun Yongdi flushed, lowering his sword to the ground.
Shen Zilong watched all this transpire with a look of amusement. He even bursted out laughing at the clash between the master and student.
"Oh my, rebuking your cute disciple so heartlessly, how could an immortal hero sworn to protect humanity, not even contain any humanity inside of him? Do those puny mortals know that the thought that runs through your heart is not of compassion.. but just of cold and pain apathy? You say the demonic race is cruel and wicked, but aren't we more soulful than you, oh righteous master?" Shen Zilong chirped in an unusually upbeat tone. This cheerful voice, unbefitting of the situation, irked An Shirong.
An Shirong had yet to say anything, but his true feelings were discerned through the swirling power willing in his right hand.
Shen Zilong's derisive gaze landed on the tightly clenched hand, then he sighed dolefully. "Unfortunately, I didn't come to start any fights. This is just payback directed at this stubborn student of yours. Ru Yijing—" The last sentence was directly addressed to Ru Yijing. "May we meet again in the nearby future."
After sparing a grand speech, the spirit that was the Snake Demon absolved, disintegrating from the body. As Ru Yijing was yanked back in control, the body that just recently underwent a transmission of souls, was very weak, and could not stand upright. Just like that, Ru Yijing ended up fainting.
As soon as Ru Yijing collapsed onto the ground, Xun Yongdi lurched forward before the body could even make contact with the floor of the arena. The brown-haired junior meticulously encircled his arm around Ru Yijing's shoulders, and this excessively caring veneer of his was quite an eye-sore. This manner of taking care of someone was more like Xun Yongdi paying respects to his dying father than anything else.
"Hah.. Senior brother..." Xun Yongdi muttered to himself in relief seeing that Ru Yijing was unscathed.
An Shirong's gaze was limpid. At first, he disinterestedly peered at Xun Yongdi gently collecting Ru Yijing in his arms and stand up, obviously intending to retract from the scene, but before Xun Yongdi could dismissively draw away unnoticed, An Shirong spoke up.
"Wait."
Just one word, and Xun Yongdi froze up. There was undeniable authority in An Shirong's voice that couldn't be defied because of the absolute difference in their strengths. Although unwilling, Xun Yongdi had no choice but to stop in his tracks, wearing the politeness of a pupil. But, An Shirong wasn't concerned with being regarded respectfully, he turned his limp gaze to the unconscious body wrapped tightly in Xun Yongdi's embrace.
The lightness of his eyes didn't reflect the inner thoughts of the Great Sage, but the question that came out of his mouth was unexpected.
"What is the name of that student?"
The onlookers glanced at An Shirong, baffled, but taking one look at his frosty countenance, they simply shut their mouths and retracted their eyes.
"Great Sage Teacher, this senior brother's name is Ru Yijing," Xun Yongdi replied with a faint tremble in his voice. Facing the Great Sage, anyone could feel themselves subconsciously submitting to his dominion. Even the protagonist couldn't help but feel themself wilting under this thorough scrutiny.
"Ru Yijing..." An Shirong repeated, and as the name rolled off his tongue, his expression contorted vaguely, but without any answer as to why, more so that the reaction was uncontrollable by even will alone. He went silent for a prolonged period, but after an extensive bout of unresponsiveness, the Sage finally asserted. "Give him to me."
Don't mention the rest of the spectators, even Xun Yongdi was taken by surprise. The Great Sage was the one who personally expelled Ru Yijing, but now was willing to carry him? The Great Sage Teacher, who did not insert himself in any foreign or interpersonal affairs, was now offering to carry a student? If the Great Sage had been possessed, the others wouldn't be surprised. This was highly uncharacteristic of the indifferent teacher they knew.
But, An Shirong himself was neutral-faced, with no behaviour indicative of a possession. Well, there would be no competent spirit skilled enough to beat the Sage, so there was no way. Then... coming to terms with the fact that An Shirong was doing this from his own violation was more disturbing.
"Give him to me." The Great Sage Teacher repeated once more, this already a testament to his commitment to seeing through this.
Xun Yongdi did not originally want to hand over Ru Yijing's body to An Shirong. In a bout of youthful credulity, a petty thought sprung up in Xun Yongdi's young mind. He was the one who was most determined to jump into action to protect Ru Yijing, not anyone who stood by uselessly.. not even the Great Sage who didn't do anything but remain his cool when coming face to his student who had been wrongfully possessed. Wasn't it more justifiable that he alone was most suitable to tend to Ru Yijing?
This pettiness that should only be expected from a petulant, stubborn-headed child, sparked inside of him, causing Xun Yongdi great shame. Perhaps, the Sage was correct in referring to him as a reckless child. Before considering diplomacy, he was so quick to swing his sword, regardless of hurting the senior brother he swore avidly to protect.
Xun Yongdi bit his lower lip more harshly, then silently turned around and passed Ru Yijing over to An Shirong's embrace, taking a curt bow as he took his leave. Before he was escorted away by the old peak master, Xun Yongdi briefly and accidentally glanced over his shoulder to be greeted by an absurd sight.
The person that was deemed as 'unfeeling' all the majorities occupied a subtle expression. If there was any emotion prevalent in the Great Sage, there only resided indifference and coldness, but any sentiment besides that was rarely seen, but the expression that his pale face supported was unidentifiable. The Great Sage was not smiling, but his eyes did not express hatred. But, it was a deep and meaningful look of no prevailing depth.
Having learned under the Great Sage for quite some time now, Xun Yongdi had never seen this look on the master before. He tried to ponder what it could allude to, but the meaning was elusive, but what was for certain was that the Great Sage was oddly tolerable of Ru Yijing; a sign that did not sit right with Xun Yongdi.
Mismatched... it was mismatched.
The sight of those two incompatible people together. It was as if the Great Sage Teacher had been possessed himself.
But, that was just baseless justification that Xun Yongdi whimsically came up with, unable to be proven at all. Xun Yongdi, along with the other residing students, were rounded up and forced to evacuate the arena with no explanation accounting to what just happened. Little by little, the students were advised to turn away of this limited area, left to fill in the gaps of their missing knowledge, and when a seed of doubt was planted, it would soon grow into a full-fledged tree of endless uncertainty.
In the time that Ru Yijing fainted, his consciousness was left in an eternal state of darkness. It was an abyss; a plot of mundanity that the world must've forgotten to touch upon with its colour. In that space where time was meaningless was where Ru Yijing's subconscious body floated. Away from tumult, there existed a singular bubble that contained all of his insecurities, his weaknesses.. and also his most cherished memories.
The subconscious brain could be inferred and interpreted infinitely by a multitude of people, whether it was a land of rainbows and vibrancy, or a wasteland where land stretched into miles and miles of nothingness. The escapades of what couldn't be physically defined could be conformed in a variety of ways, but for Ru Yijing, his mind had always been a place of emptiness.
And here he was, forced back into the subspace he hated being in. What Ru Yijing loathed most was to be left alone with his thoughts, which was exactly the situation he was in. One's mind was usually where all your innermost sentiments laid bare under an open sky, the only haven where you could be the truest form of yourself, but Ru Yijing hated seeing his true reflection, which he assumed was the ugliest and most deformed.
Let me tell you a little secret: Ru Yijing wasn't a child who love had been invested in. A child born between two loveless husks would grow up to be another vision of that same shallow shell. That desolation from an unfulfilled childhood had seeped through the cracks, settling into a pond of stagnant water at the core.
But, unlike his parents, Ru Yijing believed he could foster love if he wanted to. To 'love' occurred so naturally to him, just like taking in a gasp of oxygen, when it came to Chang Nuanzhu, his first love, and a wicked curse that bound him to his greatest misery.
Chang Nuanzhu was a man, which would come as a surprise. Ru Yijing did not consider himself a homosexual, but a bearer of unconditional and impartial love. Ru Yijing first met Chang Nuanzhu in high school, where an unlikely and quite frankly, a somewhat cliche meeting marked their first encounter.
A slip of the ball from the fingertips slick with sweat, and the entanglement of two bodies, with an abandoned notebook at the end of their interlocked fingers. It was a romantic, but impetuous first meeting, but starting from then on, Ru Yijing knew his heart only followed the shadow of one person and that person alone, but how hurtful it was.. that that person was so used to striving forward alone that he barely checked over his shoulder to look at what hid within his own shadow; the heart of another who was bold, but paradoxically shy.
"...Yijing.."
Who was calling him?
"Ru... Jing..."
Ah, it was time to depart.
No. Ru Yijing did not want to leave that shadow. If possible, he wanted to stay in there for eternity—!
"Senior brother..!"
The panicked voice, full of concern, was what pulled Ru Yijing out of that forlorn dream. Ru Yijing woke up in a cold sweat, a gasp wheezing out of his raw throat, and smacked his chest a couple times while releasing dry coughs. When he recovered, he noticed that a fair and calloused hand politely stretched over to offer him a cup of sparkling water. Wiping the sweat away from his forehead, and now clearing his vision, he could fully see who was calling out to him so frantically.
Before his eyes sat a sheepish looking, but undeniably handsome visage of the protagonist shou. The youth did not resemble the day of that incident, and had cleaned himself up, now bearing more the look of a studious academic. The famous magical sword that he wielded throughout the entirety of the story, from start to end, was wrapped in a white cloth that was similar in colour to Xun Yongdi's outfit. Looking at the blinding waxen fabric, Ru Yijing was once again, reminded that immortal cultivators had an obsession with white to an almost maniacal degree.
But, of course, Xun Yongdi couldn't compare to the Marquis of White himself— An Shirong. At least the boy had some variations of separate colours, like strands of light blue threaded into the sleeves of his robes. This was the usual outfit of the junior students. Seniors like Ru Yijing rather had threads of indigo, signifying their higher status.
Ru Yijing gratefully accepted the drink from Xun Yongdi and after taking a prolonged sip, finally quenched the dryness tingling in his throat. He settled the cup on the center of his palm and looked directly at Xun Yongdi, and noticed another familiar figure. In a uniform similar in colour to the protagonist shou, was Ling Yue!
Could it be that the protagonist's charm was so widespread that it recruited a new member?
"Drink more to quench your thirst, senior brother," Xun Yongdi urged in an affectionate voice, basically roping Ru Yijing into taking another big gulp. Only when the cup was empty to the bottom did he fastidiously retrieved it from Ru Yijing's clasp and set it aside. These set of actions were very quick and deft, as if he had been practicing these over and over again.
Ling Yue watched this ongoing display of harmony in front of him, and unexpectedly felt very spiteful that he wished to dampen the moment of happiness by saying.
"Xun Yongdi takes very good care of you, senior brother. It's like he's your mother!"
"M.. Mother!? No way. It should be more like.." Ru Yijing sputtered out. How could a fifteen-year-old be his mother!? If anything, Ru Yijing should be considered the mother, but how could a perfectly big adult man like him unabashedly claim to be a mother? Ru Yijing had no choice but to change the wording of the sentence.
"...I'm the father."
After those three words were uttered, it was like the atmosphere had gradually stilled. The expressions of everyone present in that room were linked with each other, portraying flabbergast.
Even the protagonist froze, and in a surprisingly grim voice, said, "Father?"
The repertoire of that particular word stemming from Xun Yongdi was the last straw that pushed Ling Yue to burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. It wasn't his fault—he truly and dearly, and to most utmost effort, tried to repress the rowdy giggles, and sought to maintain a stern expression, but simply did not seize enough will to hold himself back, and threw himself forward onto the foot of the bed like he had been stricken by a laughing disease.
Rolling around on the ground, the youth had yet to satiate the gargle of laughter.
"Oh god! Xun Yongdi, you've got yourself a father!" Ling Yue shrieked out, kicking his feet outwards and gesticulating them.
Even the protagonist, after witnessing this unseemly appearance, recently broke his last strand of patience and habitually reached out to grab the hilt of his quilt-covered sword, but he was the one with more self-composure than the cackling lunatic on the ground. More so, under the scrutinizing eyes of another presence, Xun Yongdi felt uncomfortable with displaying an improper side of himself. But, it was evident from the veins bulging on the back of his fair hand, that the protagonist's temper was growing shorter.
"Hah..." Xun Yongdi inhaled a deep breath to calm his agitated nerves, turning to Ru Yijing with a forced gentle smile. "As much as I wish I can accompany you throughout your recovery, sadly.. this foolish junior is still bound to some duties.." As he was speaking, Xun Yongdi's face was darkened by an overcast of shadow.
Ru Yijing was more than understanding when it came to forgiving Xun Yongdi's tardiness, after all, the job of a protagonist wasn't smooth-sailing. As a protagonist, you were expected to throw yourself in mouths of beasts, survive wars, engage in a battle of wits with daunting enemies, to only emerging afterwards as a true martyr. And as the protagonist of a BL novel, Xun Yongdi's life was even more difficult when his chrysanthemum was always at a threat of being targeted by foul villains. So, in addition to fighting off beasts and foes, he also had to fend off those thirsty capture targets.
However, Ru Yijing believed in Xun Yongdi's capabilities, just as a father would cheer on for his son at a soccer game and proudly declare that his son was the number one soccer champion, Ru Yijing thought that Xun Yongdi was above many other BL bottoms when it came to strength and resilience! Of course, most of these feelings were following his extreme bias and rose-tinted glasses when it came to the protagonist that had shown his faithfulness to saving Ru Yijing, although most of the time, those attempts ended as a fluke. But, what mattered most was the intention behind them, and Xun Yongdi's were nothing but pure!
"So... the Great Sage Teacher has taken it upon himself to accompany you instead."
Ru Yijing's eyes almost bulged out of its sockets upon hearing the words. Even Ling Yue who was still hooting his humour had to momentarily cease the laughter to react in an exaggerated mannerism of shock.
[ Isn't it good, host? ] The system asked. Its voice was bereft of any defining emotion, but Ru Yijing could've sworn he detected a hint of joy. Perhaps, it felt pleased seeing Ru Yijing inch closer towards accomplishing the mission. But, contrary to what one would've expected of him to start jumping and cartwheeling out of sheer excitement, Ru Yijing's face was more like that of a prisoner who heard the due date of his death sentence.
Nevertheless, Ru Yijing was happy in his own way... although his chagrin-ridden face may express otherwise. It was just that knowing he'd have to spend his time in the company of someone who clearly despised his guts was something he was not looking forward to.
Undoubtedly, that time would only be uncomfortable for the two of them.
[ That can't be! I only want to prevent his heart break, but that doesn't mean I want to get to know him! I mean, this is absurd, isn't it, system? A matchmaker can't barge in on the date he set up between two clients and leisurely drink tea. If there's one thing I hate besides myself... it must be... meeting people I don't want to! ]
Ru Yijing flung out the prospect of finishing the mission and swayed forward, caught in time by Xun Yongdi's steady arm.
"No..." Ru Yijing murmured to himself.
"Senior?" Xun Yongdi hesitantly called out to him.
"No! I don't want to be near the Great Sage! Not at all! If possible, I want to live very far from him. The further, the best! Help me, junior brother, how can I stay near the Great Sage when he obviously loathes me!" Ru Yijing cried out, forgetting his position as the one who should be educating the younger students, and instead whined and bemoaned out loud sullenly like a sulky child that was unable to nab their favourite candied snack.
Above the wailing Ru Yijing, the protagonist's face moved. Morphing into an expression akin to a small smile.
"I can help you." Xun Yongdi said in a very sweet tone. "Together, we can try asking the peak master to change the Great Sage's mind. If your brother wishes for me to accompany you while doing so, then I will gladly oblige."
"Then... yes!" Ru Yijing didn't think much and replied enthusiastically without missing a beat.
Ling Yue had now sat upright on the floor and watched the interaction from afar, and saw how Xun Yongdi's eyes slyly slid over to him with a clear threat evident in them. It was a sign for him to keep his silence. Observing this, Ling Yue shook faintly, shaking his head that it was too late. The sight of the two reminded him of a childhood memory...
He was just a young master raised in a moderately respected family. Playing around in the barn, the young master saw a large splotch of stringed webs sitting in the corner. A fly became trapped in the entanglement of silk, struggling fiercely to escape from its restraints, but the more it fought, the deeper it became tangled. After putting out more resistance, the fly lost its will to survive and simply went motionless. And the beautiful spider, attractive with an eye-catching array of mixtures of different pigmentations, slowly approached the webbed insect.
It opened its mouth and ate the fly's head in one go. A truly horrific scene for the young master to have witnessed.
Xun Yongdi may be that predacious spider, and Ru Yijing was the unassuming fly.
"Tsk, this is not as romantic as I thought it'd be.." Ling Yue swore under his breath, but he didn't dare vocalize his true thoughts, and sighed regretfully to himself.