After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Yu Qingtang poked his head over curiously. “Can you tell what kind of pill they’re trying to make?”

Du Heng glanced at him. “Without the formula, how could it be that simple? But if I saw the finished pill, I should be able to recognize something.”

“Oh...” Yu Qingtang nodded in disappointment, then asked, “What did you feed him just now?”

Du Heng chuckled. “Nothing kind or merciful.”

“You’d better not ask too many questions. I’m afraid it might frighten a child.”

As he spoke, he began unceremoniously stuffing medicinal ingredients into his storage ring.

Yu Qingtang stared at him. “...”

Du Heng reminded him, “Anything we take is free. Even if we can’t use it, we can sell it. They can’t mark medicinal herbs to trace them.”

Only then did the others come to their senses and begin looting the storeroom as well.

Du Heng had a discerning eye. His hands never stopped moving, yet he still had time to advise them.

“Don’t take that. It’s ginger and isn’t worth anything. Take the one beside it. That lingzhi is good, and so is the snow lotus.”

“And this one.” Pretty Butterfly had studied pharmacology and recognized quite a few medicinal ingredients. “It’s ugly, but it’s valuable.”

Scholar Xiao was widely read and knew at least a little about almost everything, medicinal herbs included. He was no slower than the others when selecting what to take.

Looking at them now, Yu Qingtang realized that only he and Ye Chenyan had no idea what they were doing.

Yu Qingtang narrowed his eyes. “In that case, we can only rely on luck.”

Without caring what anything was, he picked up an entire tray and poured it into his storage ring. Ye Chenyan followed behind him with a smile and helped him sweep the place clean.

The group was still rummaging through chests and cabinets when three whistles suddenly sounded in the distance.

Yu Qingtang’s head snapped up. “Someone’s coming!”

That was the signal they had arranged with Senior Sister Tianxin. They were still in Nanzhou, after all. If someone appealed to Starwatch Pavilion for help, the pavilion could hardly ignore it.

The others had clearly noticed as well. Scholar Xiao warned, “Everyone, we should leave. It would be troublesome if we ended up fighting Starwatch Pavilion.”

“Stick to the plan.” Du Heng nodded to them and was the first to leap onto the wall. “We’ll meet outside the city.”

The five of them scattered in four different directions.

Unsurprisingly, Starwatch Pavilion caught no one. All they managed to do was help Pill Origin Hall tally its losses.

After splitting up, each of them found somewhere to change out of their night clothes.

Yu Qingtang pressed himself against the corner of a wall and peered out cautiously.

Ye Chenyan found the sight amusing and lightly patted his head. “What are you doing?”

“Shhh—” Yu Qingtang glared at him. “Keeping a low profile so we don’t attract attention.”

Ye Chenyan looked him up and down. “You’ve already taken off the night clothes. Acting this furtive is what’s drawing attention now.”

“Oh.” Yu Qingtang straightened his back, though he still looked slightly uneasy. “I got used to it. I almost forgot to stop.”

Perhaps this was what people meant by a guilty conscience. It did not only make you nervous while committing a crime. It stayed with you afterward too.

In conclusion, Yu Qingtang felt that he probably was not cut out to be a thief.

The next day, Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan sat beside a window in a Nanzhou restaurant. When a row of furious Fire Cauldron Sect disciples charged down the street, they exchanged a glance and smiled with open schadenfreude.

Fire Cauldron Sect seemed determined to turn Nanzhou upside down in search of Du Heng. Senior Sister Tianxin had even warned them that the sect had summoned an elder and told them not to confront him head-on.

Unfortunately for Fire Cauldron Sect, Du Heng had already left Nanzhou City. He was likely crouching in some remote mountain wilderness, waiting for them to join him.

Pill Origin Hall had lost a large quantity of medicinal herbs and could only purchase replacements. The Lunar Jade Rabbit clan did not care whether the previous batch had been stolen in Nanzhou and seized the opportunity to make another profit.

That small margin was also part of why Madam Xueyao had been willing to cooperate with them.

Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan continued eating, drinking, and amusing themselves in Nanzhou City as usual. They encountered the Fire Cauldron Sect elder several times in the streets.

He was a smiling, round-bellied middle-aged cultivator. He did not look much like a pill cultivator. His aura was deep and powerful, and dense earth-aspected spiritual power radiated openly from him.

He was probably one of Fire Cauldron Sect’s guardian elders.

They could refine pills, and as long as they were willing to pay enough, cultivators would naturally be willing to join the sect as guardians.

The elder seemed intent on remaining in Nanzhou and overseeing the search until they unearthed Du Heng, even if they had to dig three feet into the ground.

Most likely, it was all for that legendary immortal-pill formula.

Yet even with him staying behind, the group responsible for escorting the medicinal ingredients still had to depart.

Three days later, the Lunar Jade Rabbit clan received word that the Fire Cauldron Sect disciples were preparing to leave.

Scholar Xiao even came to bid them farewell with great ceremony, specifically to put on a show for everyone at Pleasure Sect.

He took Yu Qingtang’s hand and shook it gently, bidding him a heartfelt farewell.

“Brother Yu, if anything interesting happens afterward, you absolutely must remember to tell me!”

“Mhm, definitely, definitely.” Yu Qingtang nodded along, then could not resist turning toward Ye Chenyan and warning Scholar Xiao, “Brother Xiao, you should let go now. Look at Brother Ye’s face!”

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “What about my face? There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Hearing that, Scholar Xiao released Yu Qingtang’s hand and turned to clasp Ye Chenyan’s instead.

“Brother Ye, you can tell me too. It makes no difference.”

Ye Chenyan let out a low laugh and returned the handshake, gently pumping his hand. “Definitely. Definitely.”

Then he turned to Yu Qingtang. “He’s holding my hand, and you don’t have any reaction at all?”

Yu Qingtang looked conflicted. “...What reaction am I supposed to have?”

Ye Chenyan sighed. “Ah.”

“It’s all right, Brother Yu.” Scholar Xiao patted Yu Qingtang’s shoulder consolingly. “It isn’t your fault. The problem is probably me.”

Candle Nine Yin watched them for a moment, then suddenly asked, “You’re leaving already?”

“Yes.” Scholar Xiao smiled and saluted him. “Senior Candle Nine Yin, if you ever hear any interesting news you wish to share with me, or if there is anything you need Four Books Academy to help spread, you may come find me.”

“Oh.” Candle Nine Yin nodded, then looked at Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan. “He’s going with the demonfolk to join the excitement. Aren’t you two going?”

Yu Qingtang immediately grew nervous. “N-no, of course not! We aren’t from Four Books Academy. We’re not that nosy!”

Ye Chenyan muffled a laugh, cleared his throat, and asked, “Are we allowed to go?”

Candle Nine Yin rejected the idea without a second thought. “No.”

“There you have it.” Ye Chenyan turned away with his spear in his arms. “I can’t beat you. If I could, I’d go openly.”

The implication was obvious.

Since they could not beat him, they would simply sneak out.

Yu Qingtang stole a glance at Candle Nine Yin, uncertain whether he had caught the meaning.

That very night, the two of them crept toward the small gate Senior Sister Tianxin had left open for them—and were caught.

The person waiting for them, however, was completely unexpected.

Ying Wujue, the Esoteric Sect disciple they had not seen in quite some time, stood before the small gate with the White Feather Bow in hand.

Ye Chenyan could not suppress a click of his tongue. “Why are you here?”

“I cast a divination.” Ying Wujue raised his eyes toward Yu Qingtang. “As expected of someone with the fate of a supreme. No matter how I calculate, I cannot see through you.”

Yu Qingtang stared at him. “...”

That was truly a monumental misunderstanding.

“Fortunately, you two are always together.” Ying Wujue looked at Ye Chenyan. “Once I located you, I had located him as well.”

Yu Qingtang muttered under his breath, “We’re not attached that closely.”

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow and deliberately moved closer to him.

Yu Qingtang paused. “...Ahem. Why are you still so determined to find us?”

“I’m not going back with you.”

“I know.” Ying Wujue seemed slightly different from before. He fixed his gaze on Yu Qingtang. “I have made up my mind.”

“Even if you refuse, I will take you back to the Esoteric Sect.”

Ye Chenyan gave a cold laugh. “Can you?”

Ying Wujue looked at him. “You’ve already reached late Nascent Soul. That’s faster than I expected.”

“Then I no longer need to hold back.”

Ye Chenyan raised a hand and gripped his spear, signaling Yu Qingtang to find somewhere to hide.

Yu Qingtang ducked behind a shop sign and reminded him, “Finish quickly! Don’t draw anyone else over here.”

“All right.” Ye Chenyan pointed the tip of his spear at Ying Wujue. “It’s only been a few days. I thought you’d already slunk back to the Esoteric Sect with your tail between your legs.”

He smiled easily. “You suffered a loss last time, and I’ve gained quite a bit since then. Have you made any progress?”

Ying Wujue did not grow angry. He merely looked at him. “My resolve is set.”

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow.

“When the heart is steady, the arrow is steady.”

The arrow came howling toward Ye Chenyan.

He did not dodge.

Their cultivation levels were now close enough that he no longer needed to circle around and avoid the sharpest edge of Ying Wujue’s attacks.

Clang—

The spiritual-energy arrow struck his spear with the sound of metal colliding against metal.

Ye Chenyan narrowed his eyes and flicked the arrow aside.

“You’ve improved a little,” he said with a laugh. “But it still isn’t enough.”

He closed the distance in a single step.

Ying Wujue had prepared for that. He was not only guarding against what was before him, but also against Ye Chenyan suddenly emerging from beneath the ground as he had before.

“Don’t worry.” Ye Chenyan swept his spear across, forcing him to retreat and widen the distance.

Yet the spear pursued him relentlessly, pressing close like a shadow. Ying Wujue could not find even a moment’s opening to draw his bow properly.

Yu Qingtang clung to the shop sign and observed the battle, muttering, “A ranged fighter letting a melee fighter get close is very bad news.”

“Because you told him to finish quickly.”

A cool female voice sounded behind him.

Yu Qingtang nearly hurled himself out into the street in fright. He spun around sharply.

“Who’s there?”

An unfamiliar woman in green stood behind him.

Yu Qingtang froze, then realized who she must be. “You...”

“Girl in the Bamboo, from the Immortal-Bewildering Forest.” The green-robed woman introduced herself and placed one hand on his shoulder. “You cannot leave.”

Yu Qingtang stared at her. “...”

He had forgotten there was still a woman like this in Nanzhou.

He looked up at her, hesitated, then could not resist muttering, “Aren’t you appearing a little early?”

In the story, she was supposed to appear only after Ye Chenyan left Nanzhou City and try to take him back.

Du Heng had still been with Ye Chenyan then. He had thrown out some strange pill, allowing the two of them to escape.

But now...

Yu Qingtang carefully considered what he had in his storage ring that might be useful.

The instant his fingers twitched, however, Girl in the Bamboo drew the green bamboo stalk from her waist and laid it against his neck.

“Don’t move.”

Yu Qingtang immediately froze. “...I won’t move. I won’t move.”

He secretly glanced toward Ye Chenyan and whispered, “Shouldn’t you be capturing him? Why are you grabbing me?”

Girl in the Bamboo stared at him. “As long as you are here, he will not leave.”

Yu Qingtang fell silent. “...”

Girl in the Bamboo calmly watched the fight. “He is going to win. Nascent Soul cultivation, extraordinary combat power.”

“Mhm, mhm.” Yu Qingtang nodded agreeably. “So even if he goes outside—”

“No.” Girl in the Bamboo withdrew her gaze.

Yu Qingtang asked, “Why?”

“An agreement.” Her expression remained calm. “Pleasure Sect saved my life. I promised that whoever moved into the bamboo cottage in the Immortal-Bewildering Forest would become my master.”

“I also promised Candle Nine Yin that I would keep watch over him.”

Yu Qingtang nodded. “And then he moved in...”

Girl in the Bamboo suddenly turned toward him.

She froze, then seemed to realize something.

“I never specified the number of people.”

Yu Qingtang blinked. “Huh?”

Girl in the Bamboo slowly raised the green bamboo in her hand and stared at him.

“The two of you moved into that bamboo cottage.”

For the first time, she looked slightly at a loss.

“You... are also my master.”

Yu Qingtang stared at her. “...Huh?”

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