“S-since you put it that way...” Yu Qingtang slowly raised his eyes, too embarrassed to look directly at him. He stubbornly tipped his chin up. “I suppose I can reluctantly have a little.”
Ye Chenyan’s eyes curved with laughter, but he still put on a pitiful expression. “Reluctantly?”
“Maybe not that reluctantly.” Yu Qingtang glanced guiltily toward the shore and pressed down on his head. “We’re in the middle of an oasis, with an unobstructed view from every direction. No reckless moves!”
Ye Chenyan arched a brow and pointed at the table before them. Lowering his voice, he said, “Then should I take you under the table?”
Yu Qingtang fell silent. “That wasn’t exactly what I meant.”
“Hey—” Yu Qingtang bumped him with his shoulder. “Are you going to tell me what your master talked to you about or not?”
“Don’t tell me you’re planning to muddle through and—”
“I’m not.” Ye Chenyan immediately sat upright. “If I didn’t want to tell you, I’d say straight out that I couldn’t tell you yet. I’d never try to fool you.”
He glanced at Yu Qingtang. “It wasn’t much. I only just learned that he had ties to the Esoteric Sect too, so I asked what happened. He... told me a few stories from long ago.”
Yu Qingtang looked over curiously. “He told you everything?”
All Yu knew was that Tianji Zi was called an “abandoned disciple of the Esoteric Sect” and had once been among the sect’s most astonishingly gifted disciples. Though the Esoteric Sect claimed to be able to “peer into heaven’s secrets and divine the workings of fate,” only a scant few people throughout history had truly possessed that ability.
Tianji Zi was one of those few.
As for the rest...
Ye Chenyan propped up his chin and gazed toward the horizon. “He was originally a disciple of Guiyi Sect. Later... just like you, he caught the Esoteric Sect’s attention while traveling outside. So he left Guiyi Sect and joined them instead.”
“Huh?” This part of the story was new to Yu Qingtang too. Burning with curiosity, he asked, “Does Senior Tianji Zi have a special constitution as well?”
“He said the Esoteric Sect calls people like him ‘Heaven-Questioners.’ They’re born prodigies at divination.” Ye Chenyan laughed and met his gaze. “Ordinary divination comes with all kinds of taboos. You can’t divine your own fate, you can’t perform divination on dates ending in five or ten, and you can’t divine anything that would offend the harmony of Heaven... Basically, one careless reading can shorten your life or bring calamity upon you.”
“But people with his constitution have no such restrictions. At worst, they simply fail to get an answer. It rarely harms them.”
Ye Chenyan muttered, “No wonder that man performs divinations at the drop of a hat. I was wondering why he wasn’t afraid of divining himself to death one day.”
Yu Qingtang gave a foolish little laugh. “That’s good, then. At least you won’t have to worry about him in the future.”
“Who’s worried?” Ye Chenyan denied it at once. “Why would I waste my time worrying about him?”
“Now I feel like all the times I defended him were completely wasted. I used to wonder why everyone in Guiyi Sect found him so irritating. Turns out he abandoned Guiyi Sect for the Esoteric Sect back then. I’d want to beat him too.”
“Maybe he had a reason.” Yu Qingtang tilted his head. “Didn’t you ask why?”
“I did.” Ye Chenyan clicked his tongue and turned his head away.
“Judging by your expression, his answer must’ve been infuriating.” Yu Qingtang sighed. “Knowing Senior Tianji Zi... did he tell you that children shouldn’t ask so many questions?”
Ye Chenyan’s eyes widened. “How did you know? Were you eavesdropping just now?”
“Do you think I could eavesdrop without either of you noticing?” Yu Qingtang blinked innocently. “I’m simply very clever.”
“Fine, fine. I’m the stupid one.” Ye Chenyan gave in and leaned back in his chair. “Anyway, he left Guiyi Sect for the Esoteric Sect for some inexplicable reason. Then, not long afterward, he left the Esoteric Sect just as mysteriously and returned to Guiyi Sect.”
“Apparently, the Esoteric Sect sent people after him when he first came back, and a fight nearly broke out. Some of Guiyi Sect’s leaders still cared about their old bond as fellow disciples. Others thought that since he had become an Esoteric Sect disciple, the Esoteric Sect had the right to deal with him. In the end, the sect master chose to keep him.”
Ye Chenyan frowned. “Considering his current relationship with the Esoteric Sect, I have no idea why he left them in the first place...”
“For you,” Yu Qingtang replied casually.
Then he turned and met Ye Chenyan’s gaze.
Ye Chenyan’s expression became strange. “Is this something else you’re guessing because you know him so well?”
“No.” Yu Qingtang straightened and stole a cautious glance at the sky.
The plot had already reached this point. Revealing a little shouldn’t count as spoilers, right? Otherwise, who knew how long it would take Tianji Zi to say it himself?
The moment Ye Chenyan saw him cautiously glancing up at the sky, he knew Yu had probably read it in that book. He nodded with absolute certainty. “You guessed it.”
Yu Qingtang turned to him in confusion. “Huh?”
Ye Chenyan looked as if the answer were self-evident. “If it’s only a guess, there’s no reason you can’t say it.”
“Oh—” Enlightenment dawned on Yu Qingtang, and he nodded along. “That works too. Right, yes, I guessed it!”
“My guess is that with Senior Tianji Zi’s talent, the Esoteric Sect—which considers observing the Heavenly Dao its sacred duty—must have valued him greatly.”
Ye Chenyan nodded slightly. “That old man said he was the ancestor’s personal disciple. The Esoteric Sect’s ancestor must be Bu Yetian, the legendary sole true immortal in the world.”
“Right.” Yu Qingtang continued, “Then one day, Tianji Zi accepted an extremely important mission—to find a child born with fused immortal-demonic energy, the one destined to become supreme.”
“Ta-da—”
He made a flourish and pointed at Ye Chenyan.
“That’s you!”
Ye Chenyan froze, his gaze flickering. “Tianji Zi and Uncle Snake were the ones who first found me...”
“Weren’t the two of them fighting over you at first?” Yu Qingtang tilted his head. “But once they realized that you’d fallen from the sky malnourished, they became too busy saving you to keep fighting.”
“Tianji Zi also asked the Esoteric Sect for a way to save you. But the Esoteric Sect... thought your aura was too weak. They decided that you probably weren’t fated to become supreme beneath heaven after all, and that their expectations had only been so high because you were the son of Tianxuan Nü and the Nine Nether Demonic Sovereign.”
Ye Chenyan arched a brow, looking somewhat displeased.
“I told you they were too blind to see!” Yu Qingtang slapped his thigh in shared indignation. “After all these years, even with you standing right in front of them like this, they still haven’t seen the light. They actually continue to mistake me for the Born Supreme. They simply refuse to listen to reason!”
A muffled laugh escaped Ye Chenyan.
“Anyway, Tianji Zi must have made up his mind to save you. So he defied the Esoteric Sect’s arrangements, made peace with Uncle Snake, and found several other great experts to put their heads together. That’s how they raised you to become so...” Yu Qingtang considered his wording. “Healthy, energetic, and exceptionally good at causing trouble.”
“That was a compliment, right?” Ye Chenyan narrowed his eyes. “Why didn’t it sound like one?”
“Of course it was.” Yu Qingtang guiltily averted his gaze, leaned against him, and looked up at the sky alongside him. “Anyway, when Tianji Zi had to choose between the Esoteric Sect and you, he chose you.”
Yu Qingtang thumped his chest with an air of great loyalty. “Same here!”
Ye Chenyan let out a quiet laugh, then gestured toward the sky. “Hey, the sun’s setting. Look.”
“Wow—” Yu Qingtang’s eyes widened. “Is it my imagination, or does the sun look especially red around the Heavenly Fire Cult?”
Ye Chenyan glanced sideways at him, amusement entering his eyes. He leaned his head against Yu Qingtang and said, “Let’s go to Central Province next. Four Books Academy is there. We can notify Scholar Xiao and have him meet us in Central Province.”
“Sure.” Yu Qingtang agreed first, then turned to him. “Why are we going to Central Province?”
“To find Wen Tianxia.” Ye Chenyan took out a whisk. “The old man gave me this as a token. I’m supposed to show it to Wen Tianxia and have him open the Sea of Books Formation for me.”
“If I can break the formation, Wen Tianxia will give me a key.”
Ye Chenyan muttered, “As for what the key opens, he said that if I can’t pass the formation, I’m naturally not qualified to know.”
Yu Qingtang curiously stroked the whisk. It was not particularly smooth. “He gave you his weapon just like that? Couldn’t he have given you something easier to carry?”
“He wanted to cut off a tuft of his fake beard for me. I refused.” Ye Chenyan scoffed, rose, and stretched lazily. “There’s no telling how much longer the Esoteric Sect’s ancestor can hold on. I have to become stronger as quickly as possible.”
“I also asked him how strong someone would have to be to hold up the heavens if they truly collapsed.”
Yu Qingtang looked at him eagerly. “What did he say?”
“Above true immortals stands the king of all immortals—the one known as a God-King.” Ye Chenyan turned back to him. “My father and mother were both one step short back then. Now... I want to try.”
He fixed Yu Qingtang with a blazing gaze. “Master said the path they chose was the right one. Among countless roads to certain death, it was the only gate of life—only by killing their way out could they survive.”
“I have to become stronger. Faster. Before the heavens collapse.”
Yu Qingtang extended his hand and gently touched his fist. “I’ve always believed in you.”
“Because—” Ye Chenyan bent down to look at him. “In the story you read, I eventually became a God-King?”
“That’s definitely part of it.” Yu Qingtang nodded honestly. Then he cupped Ye Chenyan’s face and grinned foolishly. “As for the other part...”
“It’s because, throughout our journey, I’ve already seen you overcome every obstacle and accomplish the impossible.”
“So if you’re going to shoulder the weight of the entire world, I’ve already promised to go with you. I can’t go back on my word.” He counted on his fingers. “I’ll follow behind you and stay close to Brother Chi, Brother Xiao, Girl in the Bamboo, Miss Tu, and all the others. I’ll coast along in the crowd and help you carry a few scraps around the edges.”
He pinched two fingers together to indicate a tiny amount.
Ye Chenyan chuckled and pulled him closer, about to lean down, when Chi Yantian emerged from the main hall carrying an entire table laden with barbecue over his shoulder.
“Hey! Aren’t you two eating?”
Yu Qingtang whipped his head around. “Of course we are!”
Ye Chenyan straightened regretfully as Chi Yantian carried the table over. “I knew that little food couldn’t possibly have filled you up, so I brought your share too. Hurry and eat!”
After setting down the table, he showed no intention of leaving. Instead, he sat cross-legged in front of them and asked, “Are you two heading to Four Books Academy next?”
“Hm?” Yu Qingtang looked astonished. “How do you know that too?”
Chi Yantian pointed toward the hall behind him. “Senior Tianji Zi told us. He and my master have started drinking. Generally speaking, once my master gets going, he won’t stop for three days and three nights. You don’t need to wait for him.”
He turned to Ye Chenyan. “Where’s your Pleasure Sect token?”
Ye Chenyan did not understand, but he took it out anyway. “Why?”
Chi Yantian produced a red token of his own, shaped like a cluster of flames. A spark flew from it into the Pleasure Sect token.
Ye Chenyan froze, then gave him a strange look.
“Alliance.” Chi Yantian folded his arms. “We’ve already been through life and death together, so nothing would change even without one. But my master said it would be useful later.”
“Don’t rush to leave over the next few days. I’ll take you around to every sect in Rongzhou, large and small.”
Ye Chenyan’s expression turned complicated. “What for? Don’t tell me...”
“To form alliances,” Chi Yantian replied as if it were obvious.
Yu Qingtang opened his mouth. “Forgive me for asking, but what if they refuse?”
Chi Yantian nodded. “Then we’ll seize their sect master’s seal and form the alliance anyway. Don’t worry. They won’t suffer any real loss—just a little humiliation.”
Yu Qingtang fell silent.
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