The next morning, Wei Yu sat across from Yu Chen, recounting everything that had transpired the previous night. The words spilled out, raw and urgent, as he explained the ghost's attack, her cryptic words, excluding the unsettling revelation about his mixed blood.
Yu Chen listened in silence, his face growing more serious with each passing moment. As Wei Yu finished, there was a tense pause before Yu Chen's expression hardened. He stood up abruptly, his eyes flashing with fury.
"You all are at least at the mid-stage of Core Formation, is that right?" Yu Chen's voice was calm but filled with a simmering anger as he turned his gaze on Ling Xiao and the other disciples. They stiffened at the reprimand, unease settling over the room.
The group nodded, glancing nervously at each other. Their pride in their cultivation levels suddenly seemed insignificant in the face of Yu Chen's fury.
"And yet, you let Wei Yu—your junior—take a night patrol alone?" Yu Chen's voice raised, thick with disapproval.
Ling Xiao's head dropped, his usual confidence replaced by guilt. "We're sorry, Shixiong," he muttered, unable to meet Yu Chen's eyes.
The others echoed the same apologies, but it was clear their remorse did little to soften Yu Chen's anger. He took a step forward, his eyes burning with frustration.
"You better be," Yu Chen snapped, his voice sharp as a whip. "Do you realize the danger you put him in? What if something had happened? What if he'd been killed? The ghost might not have been the only threat out there last night. Your responsibility is to protect him, not send him out like some reckless fool!"
The disciples shifted uncomfortably, guilt weighing heavy on their shoulders. Wei Yu, standing quietly to the side, felt the sting of their failure. He knew they hadn't meant to put him in harm's way, but hearing Yu Chen's words made the weight of the situation sink in.
Hua Rong now regretted breaking her engagement with Yu Chen. Damn , he's fierce like an overprotective dad.
Yu Chen exhaled deeply, his anger not fully dissipating but momentarily contained. He turned back to Wei Yu, his expression softening, though his tone remained serious.
"And as for you," Yu Chen began, his eyes locking with Wei Yu's, "you should have known better than to go out alone at night without informing me. You're not invincible, no matter how powerful your spiritual root may be. If you're going to walk this path, remember your place among us."
Wei Yu nodded, silently acknowledging his shizun's words. He had been reckless, thinking only of confronting the ghost and whatever dark force lurked in his past. But now, more than ever, he realized that his journey was far more complicated than he had anticipated.
The tension in the room slowly ebbed away as the group reflected on Yu Chen's reprimand. Ling Xiao and the others exchanged glances, their expressions now sober with the understanding that their failure to protect Wei Yu had nearly cost him dearly.
"You better be sorry," Yu Chen finally spat, his words heavy with a lingering threat. He turned away, his figure imposing as his Nascent Soul aura seemed to pulse with every step he took. The room returned to an eerie silence as he left without another word.
As the door slammed shut behind Yu Chen, the tension in the room lingered for a moment before it snapped like a taut string. The disciples stood in a heavy silence, still reeling from the storm of Yu Chen's fury. Wei Yu, however, was the first to break the stillness, his lips curling into a mischievous grin as he leaned against the wall, clearly unbothered by the scolding.
Everyone's legs turned weak and Ling Xiao sat down.
"Man," Ling Xiao said, shaking his head, "he's scary when he gets worked up like that. I thought we were all going to be fried alive."
Wei Yu stretched and raised an eyebrow, the smug look never leaving his face. "You guys are way too naive. If Shizun wanted to fry you, he would've done it already. Trust me, your still breathing because he doesn't think your totally useless."
Li Ming shot him a glare, his usual cool demeanor cracking slightly. "Not helpful, Wei Yu."
Hua Rong, trying to salvage some semblance of dignity, crossed her arms and glared at Wei Yu. "You're one to talk. You've got that reckless aura about you. Did you think we enjoyed knowing you almost get blasted to oblivion?"
Wei Yu smiled, unfazed. "The shield protected me, didn't it? Besides, I'm still alive and kicking."
Before anyone could respond, Ling Xiao, who was now looking way too amused, couldn't hold it in any longer. "You know," he began with a wicked grin, "it's actually pretty funny watching you take Yu Chen's scolding like that."
"Is it?" Wei Yu smirked. "You'd better not be implying I deserved it."
"Oh, I'm not," Ling Xiao said, stepping closer with a teasing glint in his eye. "But you do make for great entertainment."
Wei Yu raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting. "Is that so? You wanna see some real entertainment, Ling Xiao?"
Before Ling Xiao could react, Wei Yu lunged forward with surprising speed, grabbing the nearest cushion and hurling it at him. It was a harmless throw, but it caught Ling Xiao off guard. He dodged with a laugh, but the moment he did, Wei Yu was already in motion, tossing another one.
Ling Xiao face was smacked with the pillow and seemed at a loss. Wei Yu and Hua Rong burst out laughing. It had been a while since they acted like this.
Li Ming, who had been quietly observing, groaned. "You two are impossible."
Hua Rong, feeling both exasperated and slightly amused, let out a long sigh. "We just got chewed out by Yu Chen, and you're turning this into a pillow fight?"
Wei Yu gave her a mock salute. "Just trying to keep the mood light. You all looked so miserable, I thought I'd offer some entertainment."
Ling Xiao, now on the defensive, swatted a pillow at Wei Yu's head. "You're one to talk! You're the one who almost got himself killed last night!"
Hua Rong rolled her eyes and, with a grin of her own, grabbed a cushion from the nearby pile. "Alright, that's it. If we're going to be scolded, we might as well make it worth it."
Without warning, she launched herself at Wei Yu, who was still dodging Ling Xiao's attacks, and slammed the cushion straight into his back. Wei Yu yelped in surprise, but before he could retaliate, Li Ming—who had been trying to stay out of the chaos—grabbed another pillow and joined the fray.
"What's this? You're all ganging up on me?" Wei Yu objected, but was completely unbothered, clearly enjoying the chaos. He ducked, grabbing a cushion to defend himself, and swung it toward Ling Xiao, knocking him off balance.
Hua Rong, feeling her own competitive streak rise, squared off with Wei Yu, who was now grinning widely as he dodged and weaved around the group.
"You think you can beat me in a fight?" Wei Yu teased, stepping back to get some distance. "I'm undefeated."
Ling Xiao gave him a look that could kill, picking up another pillow. "Undefeated, huh? We'll see about that."
And with that, the chaos erupted. Pillows flew through the air, some hitting their intended targets with satisfying thwacks, while others missed wildly. Li Ming's normally composed nature was nowhere to be found as he threw cushions with abandon, his usually neat robes now looking like they'd been caught in a whirlwind.
At one point, Wei Yu was cornered by Ling Xiao and Hua Rong, each holding a cushion like weapons. "You think you can take both of us at once?" Hua Rong challenged, eyes flashing with competitive fire.
"You want a challenge?" Wei Yu grinned, and with a swift motion, he kicked the pile of cushions between them, sending them flying in all directions. He darted out, narrowly avoiding being hit, but at the same time, he knocked over a stack of training equipment, sending a loud crash echoing through the hall.
"Wei Yu!" Li Ming shouted, exasperated.
"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Li Ming," Wei Yu said with a wink, dodging another incoming pillow from Ling Xiao.
It was total chaos. The group laughed, their previous tension fading as the ridiculousness of the situation took over. Wei Yu and Ling Xiao were rolling on the floor, trying to pin each other with their pillows, while Hua Rong and Li Ming teamed up, throwing pillows like they were in a battle of strategy. There were no clear winners—just a lot of laughter, chaos, and an increasing pile of disheveled cushions.
After an hour, everyone was out of breath and grinning, though Wei Yu had definitely taken the most hits. He lay on the floor, trying to catch his breath, while Hua Rong, who had been the most vicious of the lot, stood over him with an eyebrow raised. "So, you think you're undefeated now?"
Wei Yu shot her a mischievous grin, clearly unbothered by the sudden shift in the mood. "I may have lost the battle, but I won the war. And I'd say I'm still undefeated in spirit. Besides you all ganged up on me!"
Ling Xiao, still catching his breath, clapped Wei Yu on the back. "I'll give you that. You're insane, but you've got spirit."
Li Ming, who had been relatively quiet through most of the chaos, finally let out a chuckle. "Alright, alright, we've had our fun. But next time, let's not cause a racket that could shake the entire mountain."
Hua Rong shook her head but couldn't suppress her smile. "Well, I guess it's a good thing Yu Chen isn't here to see this."
Wei Yu winked at her. "It would have been more fun with shizun here. I would have won~"
As the group laughed, Yu Chen quietly observed from the window, shooking his head and quietly sipping a cup of tea.
"Someone help! MY DAUGHTER HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY THE GHOST BRIDE!"