Yu Qingtang sat beside Ye Chenyan on Tianji Zi’s little white cloud, half a bun still hanging from his mouth.
Tianji Zi was clearly not taking any ordinary route. Empty void surrounded them on all sides, with none of the scenery one would normally see along the way.
Tianji Zi glanced back and warned, “Swallow that quickly. We’ll be in the sea in the blink of an eye. A bun dipped in seawater... I have no idea whether that would taste good.”
Yu Qingtang hurriedly stuffed the rest of the bun into his mouth and shoved the remaining buns into his storage ring. His eyes widened in surprise. “Isn’t Yuezhou really far away? We’re already there?”
“Far.” Tianji Zi’s eyes curved with amusement. “Far enough that some mortals could spend their entire lives traveling and never reach it. But at my cultivation level, it’s also a distance I can cross in an instant.”
“In this realm, the gulf between mortals and cultivators, and between cultivators and immortals, is just that vast.”
Yu Qingtang nodded with only partial understanding.
Tianji Zi chuckled and reminded them, “Hold on to the water-repelling pearl. Hold your breath.”
Yu Qingtang obediently did as told and even closed his eyes for good measure.
A hand settled on his shoulder from behind and pulled him into an embrace.
Only then did Yu Qingtang turn around and open his eyes again, meeting Ye Chenyan’s gaze.
Deep blue seawater flooded his vision in an instant. Their hair drifted with the current, and even their refracted gazes seemed softer, more intimate beneath the rippling water.
Ye Chenyan appeared to smile faintly before pointing behind him.
Yu Qingtang clutched his lapel tightly and cautiously turned his head.
A vast school of fish scattered in every direction at the sudden arrival of these uninvited guests, like fireworks bursting beneath the sea.
One fish panicked so badly that it slammed straight into them, thrashed around wildly, then darted away again.
Yu Qingtang’s eyes curved with laughter, and a string of bubbles escaped his mouth.
He instinctively covered his lips, only then realizing how miraculous the water-repelling pearl really was. He had just opened his mouth, yet not a drop of seawater had gotten inside.
He moved his arms and legs experimentally. He could feel the resistance of the surrounding water, but not the sensation of actually being soaked in it.
Yu Qingtang tried speaking. “Can you hear me?”
Ye Chenyan nodded. “With the water-repelling pearl, we should be able to speak normally even underwater.”
Tianji Zi turned around with a grin. “Amazing, isn’t it?”
With a wave of his hand, he produced a conch shell and blew into it.
A dragon’s roar resounded through the depths.
He smiled at the two of them and pointed beneath their feet.
They looked down.
A black dragon came surging toward them. Its enormous body coiled around them in an instant—
And Yu Qingtang even saw it casually swallow two fish along the way.
“You’re here?” A booming voice rang out. “Took you long enough.”
“These are the two who want to ride me?”
Its lantern-sized eyes rolled toward them, inspecting the two from head to toe as though deciding whether they were even worthy of using a dragon as a mount.
Yu Qingtang grew a little nervous.
Ye Chenyan frowned faintly and glanced at Tianji Zi.
“Hurry up,” Tianji Zi said. He was obviously very familiar with the dragon. “Your clan head is waiting. This is important, so don’t throw a tantrum.”
“I never said I wouldn’t take them.”
The black dragon snorted, blasting two columns of water from its nostrils.
“This young, with cultivation like that... acceptable enough.”
“Get on.”
It lowered its head and curled its body around.
Only then did the two realize there was actually a small sedan fixed to its back.
Except there was only one slightly wider-than-normal chair inside.
Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan looked at each other.
“Why are you so stingy?” Tianji Zi clicked his tongue. “Your Dragon Palace can’t scrape together a second chair?”
“How was I supposed to know your saviors would come as a pair?” the black dragon retorted shamelessly. “Neither of them is fat. They can squeeze in. If that doesn’t work, they can sit on top of each other.”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
“Ahem.” Ye Chenyan cleared his throat. “I’ll sit underneath.”
Yu Qingtang slowly turned his head to stare at him.
“That’s the spirit.” The black dragon seemed quite pleased with him. “Those destined for great things can’t fuss over trifles.”
“Once you’re inside, remember to pull down the water curtain. Then you won’t choke on seawater. You human cultivators are ridiculously fragile under the sea, so be careful.”
“Oh, but if you want to talk to me, you’ll have to open the curtain again. Otherwise, I can’t hear you.”
It continued grumbling, “Seems like the clan head deliberately made the barrier that way too. That chair was only meant for one person to begin with. What, did he think someone would sit inside talking to themselves just so I couldn’t hear? Completely unnecessary!”
“People outside can’t hear what’s said inside, and people inside can’t hear what’s said outside.” Tianji Zi gave it an amused look. “Have you considered the possibility that your clan head made the barrier specifically because of you? Maybe he was afraid a chatterbox dragon like you would annoy the guests.”
The black dragon: “...Pah!”
It blasted a jet of water at Tianji Zi in irritation.
“Are we going or not?!”
“We’re coming, we’re coming!”
Yu Qingtang hurried aboard.
This dragon reminded him of an overly chatty but enthusiastic cab driver. Without the water curtain, it probably really could talk to them the whole way.
He glanced back at Tianji Zi. “Senior, you’re not coming?”
Tianji Zi laughed. “I need to help cover for you two so no one realizes you’ve disappeared.”
He looked gently at Yu Qingtang.
“Little fellow, I promised your master I’d bring you back safe and sound. Be careful about everything.”
Ye Chenyan glanced at him.
Tianji Zi laughed again. “You, I’m not worried about.”
“Before, you charged ahead like you had no regard for your life. Now that you have a sweetheart, you’ve finally learned to value it.”
“Nosy,” Ye Chenyan muttered.
He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, turned around, ducked into the seat’s barrier, and tugged Yu Qingtang inside while Yu was still waving goodbye.
“Sit tight!” the black dragon called.
It split the water apart and swept its tail toward the deeper sea, vanishing into the darkness like a streak of black ink.
Tianji Zi stared silently in the direction they had gone.
Then he, too, disappeared beneath the water.
...
Yu Qingtang and Ye Chenyan squeezed together on the chair atop the black dragon’s back.
Ye Chenyan turned to look at him.
Yu Qingtang immediately put on a solemn expression and refused in no uncertain terms, “I’m not sitting on your lap!”
Ye Chenyan: “...I wasn’t going to say that.”
“Hm?” Yu Qingtang tilted his head. “Then what were you going to say?”
Ye Chenyan suddenly stood and gave him the seat.
“With this barrier, the dragon’s back is steady enough. I don’t need the chair.”
He sat cross-legged opposite Yu Qingtang.
“You sit.”
“Huh?” Yu Qingtang scratched his head. “But then it makes me look so much taller than you...”
He shifted positions and lay down on his side so their eyes were level.
“How about I lie down?”
Ye Chenyan chuckled and reached out to pinch his cheek. “Anything you want. As long as you’re comfortable.”
He paused.
His gaze flickered slightly.
“When you were breaking through earlier... did my master say something to you?”
“Oh.” Yu Qingtang sighed and stared mournfully at the top of the barrier. “You mean when I got tricked?”
Ye Chenyan lowered his head, bracing himself against his spear as he muttered, “Don’t you normally hate cultivating? Why did you listen to him and rush your breakthrough like that?”
He looked up at Yu Qingtang.
“And your expression was wrong back then too.”
Yu Qingtang said nothing.
“Didn’t we already agree on this?” Ye Chenyan leaned closer until his face was right in front of Yu Qingtang’s. “If Heaven falls, I’ll hold it up. What are you panicking for? You don’t believe I can hold up Heaven?”
Yu Qingtang blinked rapidly and stole a guilty glance at him.
He dragged out his denial. “Nooo—”
Ye Chenyan pinched his cheek. “Then why were you trying so hard to act tough?”
Yu Qingtang’s eyes rolled around as he desperately searched for a reasonable explanation.
Nothing came to him.
So he answered honestly.
“I’m stupid.”
“Senior Tianji Zi gave me a little push, and suddenly I thought, Oh no, maybe the Heavenly Dao really is coming after you...”
He nodded gravely.
“Love makes fools of us all.”
Ye Chenyan let out a quiet laugh.
Yu Qingtang stole another glance at him.
“And besides...”
He muttered under his breath, “There’s nothing bad about me getting a little stronger. The Esoteric Sect has had its eyes on me for ages anyway.”
He shifted slightly and looked up at him.
Something stirred in Ye Chenyan’s heart.
He sighed softly and reached out to stroke Yu Qingtang’s hair.
“I’m the one who brought you down the mountain. I insisted on dragging you into all this. That’s why you’ve ended up dealing with so much trouble.”
His hand moved gently over Yu Qingtang’s cheek.
He looked at him intently.
“None of this was supposed to be your responsibility.”
“So...”
Yu Qingtang nudged his head into Ye Chenyan’s [N O V E L I G H T] palm. “Don’t worry.”
“Since when am I the type to play the hero? If you ran into some catastrophic trouble, I’d definitely run faster than anyone.”
Ye Chenyan twisted his hand around and pinched Yu Qingtang’s cheek.
He raised an eyebrow.
“You’d better keep your word.”
Yu Qingtang laughed quietly and peeked at him.
“Well, maybe...”
“I can’t be that ungrateful.”
Ye Chenyan stared at him.
Yu Qingtang blinked innocently. “I have to do something.”
“Sure, compared with the rest of you, my strength isn’t much to look at. I’m basically just a little bonus attached to the Born Supreme...”
He sighed mournfully.
“But I still have to be there.”
“It’d be pretty embarrassing if I was one less person whenever there was a fight, but one extra mouth whenever there was food.”
“What’s embarrassing about that?” Ye Chenyan leaned closer. “I already told you. You’re the Great General of Finding Time to Slack Off and Enjoy Life.”
Yu Qingtang peeked at him.
“But I want to stay with you.”
Ye Chenyan: “...”
That one sentence left him completely speechless.
Yu Qingtang muttered quietly, “I can be unambitious. I can be stupid. But I can’t really stand there and watch all of you fight for your lives in front of me...”
“I do have some conscience.”
He gestured toward his chest.
“Just a little. Not much.”
Ye Chenyan slowly let out a long breath.
Then he suddenly leaned forward until their foreheads touched and carefully wrapped his arms around him.
Yu Qingtang had absolutely no idea what had gotten into him, but obediently hugged him back and gently patted his back.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, slightly bewildered.
“We agreed, all right?” Ye Chenyan laughed softly. “You’re only coming along to keep me company.”
“I’ll be the Born Supreme, and you’ll be my Great General of Finding Time to Slack Off and Enjoy Life. You’re not allowed to steal my spotlight, and you’re definitely not allowed to get ahead of me and turn yourself into some great hero.”
He cupped Yu Qingtang’s face.
His smile was rakish, but his gaze was utterly sincere, hiding the weight of his worry behind a joke.
“I’ll hold up Heaven. I’ll be the hero.”
“You’re not allowed.”
Yu Qingtang’s eyes widened slightly. “Wow, you think that highly of me? I’m actually capable of stealing your job?”
Ye Chenyan shook him gently. “Do you promise or not?”
“Fine, fine, fine.”
Yu Qingtang hurriedly nodded and raised a finger.
“Do you want me to swear an oath? If I don’t keep it—”
Ye Chenyan covered his mouth.
“No.”
“You’re not allowed not to keep it.”
His voice dropped.
“I couldn’t bear to punish you anyway. Whatever punishment I set would be the same as no punishment at all.”
“So... you’re not allowed to break your promise.”
“Oh...”
Yu Qingtang obediently agreed, then tilted his head at him.
“Then you have to promise me one thing too.”
Ye Chenyan looked at him. “What?”
“When everything is over, and you become the master of this realm...”
For once, Yu Qingtang’s expression turned serious.
He slowly sat upright, and for an instant, there was something almost distant about him.
His gaze wavered faintly.
“Could you help me...”
Ye Chenyan tensed at once.
Several terrible possibilities flashed through his mind.
“What?” he asked uneasily.
Yu Qingtang abruptly leaned right into his face.
“Help me catch that wild boar on the back mountain and roast it.”
Ye Chenyan: “...”
“I’ve realized that bastard is seriously crafty.” Yu Qingtang’s expression remained grave. “The last time I took you to Shanyuan Peak, I wanted to bring you over to see it, but there wasn’t even a trace of the pig!”
“I thought it had moved away, but my master said it’s still there. It’s just clever enough to know when trouble is coming.”
Yu Qingtang raised a finger.
“It’s rammed me at least three times. You have to ram it back for me.”
Ye Chenyan fell silent for a moment.
Then repeated, “Ram it back?”
Yu Qingtang held his finger in front of his nose and bumped it into Ye Chenyan.
“Like this.”
“A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, and a ram for a ram!”
Ye Chenyan: “...”
He raised a hand and pressed it to his forehead.
“What?” Yu Qingtang narrowed his eyes. “You won’t agree? Wow. You’re not even Supreme yet and you’re already worried about maintaining your dignity?”
“I...”
Ye Chenyan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Yu Qingtang leaned toward him with a grin.
“I believe you can become Supreme, and I believe you can hold up Heaven.”
“I don’t understand all this realm-this and realm-that stuff anyway. I’ll just follow you around and throw my weight around under your protection.”
He raised his chin and imitated Ye Chenyan’s habitual eyebrow lift.
“First we challenge the Esoteric Sect. Then we beat up the boar!”
Ye Chenyan: “...The Esoteric Sect comes before the boar?”
He chuckled.
“That seems about right.”
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