After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Battlefield beyond the realm.

Guiyi Sect had been gathering its strength for a long time. The instant its sword cultivators entered the battlefield, they were like blades drawn from their sheaths, their momentum soaring to the heavens as a deluge of sword qi crashed headlong into the otherworldly evil demons.

When there was a fight, sword cultivators charged first.

But the other cultivators weren't about to be left behind.

The cultivators of the Nine Provinces fought with one heart. Yu Qingtang swept his gaze across the battlefield and spotted plenty of familiar faces. There were even a few cultivators among them who had clashed with his group before.

He was already surprised enough to spot Jin Yangzi in the crowd, the familiar red dot between his brows. What surprised him even more was that there wasn't a single fellow disciple from Golden Light Sect anywhere around him.

Then their eyes met.

Yu Qingtang instantly went on full alert and backed up two quick steps. "What! You're not going to suddenly switch personalities again, are you?"

Jin Yangzi's expression remained cold and indifferent. He gave a derisive snort.

"Hmph."

Yu Qingtang replied, "Hah."

Jin Yangzi: "..."

The return of that awful old joke made his expression go strange for a split second.

"What?" Yu Qingtang eyed him warily. "At a time like this, you're not seriously planning to fight me before you fight the otherworldly evil demons, are you?"

Jin Yangzi gave him a half-smile. "What? You're still afraid of me?"

Yu Qingtang stared at him for a moment.

Then he froze.

"Oh, right."

He lowered the hands he'd raised defensively.

"My cultivation is higher than yours now!"

"So you'd better watch yourself and not provoke me, or I'll—hey, hey, hey! Back up. Back up. Maintain a safe distance!"

He glanced around. "Where's everyone from Golden Light Sect?"

Jin Yangzi snorted. "They consulted with the Esoteric Sect and concluded that the time had not yet come. By the time they realize otherwise, this will probably already be over."

"But no matter. I'm here. Now none of you can claim Golden Light Sect sent no one."

"What does that mean?" Yu Qingtang muttered. "Are you actually worried we'll go make trouble for Golden Light Sect afterward?"

"We're not that petty."

Before he'd even finished speaking, the demonic weapon whistled past Jin Yangzi's cheek and nailed an otherworldly evil demon behind him firmly in place.

For an instant, Jin Yangzi nearly dodged.

He forcibly stopped himself.

The red dot between his brows rapidly spread into a blood-red character for "evil."

Slowly, he turned his head toward the demonic weapon still trembling behind him and revealed a decidedly unfriendly smile.

Ye Chenyan landed beside Yu Qingtang, raised a hand to recall his weapon, then smiled at Jin Yangzi.

"Sorry. Hand slipped."

Yu Qingtang: "..."

"I take it back."

He pointed at Ye Chenyan.

"I'm not that petty. Him, I'm less sure about."

"You've certainly progressed quickly..." Jin Yangzi rolled his neck, narrowed his eyes at Ye Chenyan, and smiled arrogantly. "But this world has never lacked breathtaking prodigies. The real skill is surviving to the end."

Ye Chenyan raised his spear.

Yu Qingtang hurriedly grabbed him. "Don't fight, don't fight!"

"The great enemy is upon us! Personal grudges are hereby suspended! We stand united against our common foe!"

"Who said I was going to fight him?" Ye Chenyan raised a brow and draped an arm over Yu Qingtang's shoulders. "My hand slipped."

He narrowed his eyes threateningly at Jin Yangzi, then gave Yu Qingtang a gentle tug.

"Be careful. Stay away from dangerous things."

"Oh, okay."

Only then did Ye Chenyan return to the fighting, still looking thoroughly reluctant to leave him behind.

Jin Yangzi gave a disdainful sneer. "Heh. You two certainly—"

"Shhh—" Yu Qingtang gestured frantically for him to shut up. "Everyone's getting along so well right now. Don't say anything that could damage unity."

"I'll say whatever I want. Hmph."

Yu Qingtang sighed like a worried parent. "Just look at that mouth of yours. You're obviously here to help, but the second you open your mouth, you make yourself sound like the villain."

Jin Yangzi's smile deepened. "Oh? Would it be better if I were smooth and ingratiating like you?"

Yu Qingtang gave him a bashful smile, actually looking a little embarrassed.

"Oh, come on. I'm not that sweet-talking."

Jin Yangzi: "..."

He turned away, seized an otherworldly evil demon by the throat with one hand, and looked considerably more vicious than the demon did.

Yu Qingtang shook his head slightly.

"How is he supposed to make friends like that... Then again, he's already got three people all by himself. Maybe his inner life is rich enough."

Still muttering, he glanced toward the fissure, where more people continued pouring in.

Just then, a black dragon paddled frantically with his claws as he squeezed through the narrow opening.

The Stillwater Sect cultivators following behind him looked distinctly helpless.

Feiyan spotted Ye Chenyan at once and boomed, "Master of This Realm! Make this realm bigger! I can't even move properly in here!"

Ye Chenyan glanced back at him. His spear knocked aside another of the otherworldly evil demons being relentlessly dragged into the battlefield by the Realm Stone.

"Tch. Why do you take up so much space?"

He said it, but the Realm Stone in his hand glowed softly all the same, and the battlefield stretched outward once more.

Ye Chenyan held the Realm Stone and watched the otherworldly evil demons being driven steadily backward.

They seemed entirely unaware of their disadvantage. Still utterly fearless of death, they continued forcing their way onto the battlefield, as though the allure of the world before them was something they simply could not resist.

A white-jade hand descended from above.

This time, however, it wasn't coming for him.

It struck at the otherworldly evil demons.

Ye Chenyan turned around.

Bu Yetian stood among the many cultivators. Perhaps there were simply too many bizarre-looking things around by now, because somehow he didn't stand out all that much.

Guiyi Sect's sword formation surged with overwhelming force.

Across the chaotic battlefield, Ye Chenyan met Sword Sovereign Tianyi's gaze.

The two looked at each other from afar through the swarming otherworldly evil demons.

Sword Sovereign Tianyi gave him a slight nod.

Then the Mountain-and-River Sword left its sheath.

An invisible sword wind spread in every direction, carrying razor-sharp sword intent that swept everything around it clean.

No one dared approach Sword Sovereign Tianyi.

He and the others ignored the weaker demons below and charged directly toward those whose strength was obviously far greater.

Li Ling'er hugged her sword and sidled over to Yu Qingtang. She pointed proudly.

"Impressive, right? My dad."

"Very impressive," Yu Qingtang praised sincerely.

Then he pointed toward Daoist Idle Crane, who was currently fleeing for his life with an otherworldly evil demon hot on his heels.

"See that? Embarrassing, right? My master."

Li Ling'er stared blankly, her mouth falling open.

"You're just going to watch?! Aren't you going to help him?"

"No need." Yu Qingtang trusted him completely. He crossed his arms and watched the show. "He's probably hiding some trump card. Otherwise, what's a half-step Out-of-Body cultivator doing joining this mess? He has to have something up his sleeve."

Li Ling'er's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Definitely." Yu Qingtang sounded utterly certain. "Even that ceremonial robe of his with a hole in the butt was a first-rank spiritual artifact. The random pills he pulls out are all ancient pills. There's no way he doesn't have a few tricks of his own."

"Look at him. Doesn't he look exactly like one of those hidden masters?"

"Mm..."

Li Ling'er narrowed her eyes and studied him, unsure how she was supposed to evaluate that claim.

The Daoist Idle Crane she was staring at abruptly changed direction and came charging straight toward them.

"Disciple! Save me!"

Li Ling'er hesitantly looked at Yu Qingtang.

"He's calling for help."

Yu Qingtang was unwavering.

"He's acting."

He hugged the Dragon-Crane Zither and didn't move an inch, perfectly content to watch.

Now that the otherworldly evil demons had physical bodies, they looked like pitch-black humanoid monsters with four limbs.

Yu Qingtang strongly suspected dog Xiaosa had taken his visual inspiration from horror games.

These things were extremely unfriendly to cowards.

If there hadn't been so many cultivators around, with flashy attacks exploding in every direction and making the place nice and lively, Yu Qingtang would have been scared too.

"Help!" Daoist Idle Crane shrieked while fleeing from an otherworldly evil demon, utterly devoid of the dignity expected from a master. "I forgot I'm not wearing my ceremonial robe anymore!"

Yu Qingtang was just about to respond when a streak of red light suddenly plunged from the sky.

The otherworldly evil demon was smashed flat against the ground.

Riding Flamelet, Chi Yantian dropped from above like a falling mountain, and Flamelet solidly stomped on the demon twice for good measure.

Chi Yantian looked at Yu Qingtang in confusion.

"Why aren't you helping?"

Daoist Idle Crane finally breathed a sigh of relief.

His trembling finger pointed at Yu Qingtang.

"Unfilial disciple!"

Yu Qingtang looked completely innocent. "But you're obviously a great expert!"

He pointed toward Sword Sovereign Tianyi, who was slaughtering enemies left and right in the sky, then toward Ye Chenyan, who was likewise beating the otherworldly evil demons senseless.

He looked like a parent at New Year's urging his child to perform something for the guests.

"Come on! Everyone from Guiyi Sect is here! For the honor of Biehe Sect, show them what you've got!"

Daoist Idle Crane held up both hands.

"You're already at Soul Transformation. Can't you tell what cultivation level I'm at?"

Yu Qingtang stared at him.

Then his expression turned strange.

"Wait. Why does it look like your cultivation went backward instead of forward? When I left, you were full Nascent Soul. How are you only late Nascent Soul now?"

Daoist Idle Crane paused.

He straightened his clothes and smiled at him.

"I'm getting old."

Yu Qingtang stared suspiciously.

"Something's wrong. Nobody's cultivation is supposed to go backward. What else have you been hiding from me?"

"Brother Yu! Brother Chi! What are you two—"

Daoist Idle Crane was just about to laugh it off and change the subject when Scholar Xiao happened to arrive.

The moment he saw Daoist Idle Crane, Scholar Xiao froze.

Then he respectfully bowed.

"Senior."

Yu Qingtang looked at him curiously.

"Huh? You know my master?"

As far as he remembered, those two had never met.

"Of course." Scholar Xiao gently waved his folding fan. "I've read about him in ancient periodicals at Four Books Academy that specialize in recording strange tales and unusual events. Senior cultivates an exceptionally rare method. He is one of the very few cultivators in the world devoted specifically to the path of longevity."

"The path of longevity?" Yu Qingtang blinked. "You mean staying young forever and never dying? No wonder..."

Venerable Burning Gold had survived only because he'd been sealed away through a strange coincidence.

If there were anyone in the world who had genuinely lived from ancient times until now, it seemed Daoist Idle Crane and Bu Yetian might be the only two.

Yu Qingtang had assumed that, at the very least, his master had to be some sort of immortal on roughly Bu Yetian's level.

And now that he thought about it, this explained something else.

His master was always saying he had terrible talent, yet somehow he knew every one of the eighteen musical arts. Ordinary music cultivators usually specialized in a single one!

Whenever Yu Qingtang had asked him about it, he'd simply said that if you lived long enough, you'd pick up a little of everything.

Back then, Yu Qingtang had assumed the old man was subtly showing off his natural talent.

He hadn't expected him to be telling the literal truth...

"Of course it doesn't make you eternally young and immortal," Scholar Xiao said with a smile, his eyes curving pleasantly. "If it did, it wouldn't be a longevity art. It would be an undying art."

"At first, a longevity cultivation method is no different from an ordinary one. You continue cultivating until you've reached your peak and can no longer advance."

"Then you begin cultivating it in reverse."

"Once you reverse—"

"Ahem!"

Scholar Xiao was about to continue when Daoist Idle Crane cleared his throat.

"Yes, yes. Everyone knows Four Books Academy is tremendously well-read. Didn't I make an agreement with your academy head back then that you wouldn't spread my personal affairs around?"

"Hm?" Scholar Xiao looked puzzled.

An otherworldly evil demon lunged at him from behind.

He sidestepped it, the Literary Talent Fan spinning in his hand before snapping open with casual ease and slicing the creature cleanly in half.

He did not forget to keep talking.

"I don't recall our academy head ever giving me such instructions."

He pointed toward Wen Tianxia.

"Take a look. Was this the academy head you spoke to?"

Daoist Idle Crane paused.

"Not this one. The other one. The one who liked dressing head to toe in red and was a bit of a peacock."

"Hiss..."

He lowered his head and thought.

"Now that you mention it, I guess it really has been quite a few years. I think he's already dead... If I remember right, he had a curious little disciple back then."

"That old show-off. He kept his promise to me, but couldn't he have told his disciple too?"

He grumbled under his breath, a trace of nostalgia appearing on his face.

Yu Qingtang had already squatted down beside him.

He had not been distracted in the slightest.

He gently bumped his shoulder.

"So you reverse it. Then what?"

"Then..."

Daoist Idle Crane met his expectant gaze.

His heart softened. He couldn't bring himself to keep hiding it from him anymore.

He sighed helplessly and smiled.

"You trade cultivation for longevity."

"The higher the peak you've once reached, the more cultivation you have to slowly disperse in exchange for years of life."

He looked rather pleased with himself.

"I'm not bragging, but back in my day, I was a great expert too. My cultivation was even a little higher than your measly level right now."

"So that's why..." Yu Qingtang slapped his hands together in realization. "Eldest Senior Sister said that even though you're weak, you're a famous social butterfly throughout the Nine Provinces and have history with loads of great experts."

Daoist Idle Crane's beard practically bristled with fury.

"What kind of thing is that to say?!"

"Back then, I wasn't any weaker than they were!"

Slowly, he turned his head away, his expression becoming wistful.

"But one by one, all my old friends left. My cultivation kept falling too. Eventually, I couldn't be bothered meeting new people anymore."

"I decided I'd stay on Shanyuan Peak, mind my own business, and wait for that day to come."

"These days, I hardly know any of the younger generation."

"I'd already decided to withdraw from worldly affairs completely. But apparently even staying inside my own sect wasn't enough to stop people from dropping children at my door..."

He pointed at Tianji Zi.

"Him. I'm talking about him."

"Back then, he brought you to me in his arms and declared, with complete confidence, that I should raise you. Said I already had dozens running around and one more wouldn't make a difference."

Yu Qingtang stared blankly.

"Why did he give me to you?"

Daoist Idle Crane reminded him, "Biehe Sect has a formation."

"Oh, the mountain-protecting grand array." Yu Qingtang nodded in sudden understanding. "I was actually thinking that if Ye Chenyan hadn't come, you could use that against the rampaging demon monkey..."

Daoist Idle Crane burst out laughing.

"Unfortunately, I made that mountain-protecting grand array up."

"The longevity method exchanges cultivation for additional years of life, but ultimately, it's still an art that defies Heaven. You have to evade the Heavenly Dao and keep a low profile."

"So I built a formation. One that conceals us from Heaven."

He rested his arms on his knees and looked upward.

"If you hid inside it together with me, you could stay out of Bu Yetian's sight as well."

"Before you came, I still had Out-of-Body strength. I could just barely sustain the formation's consumption."

"But later, when my spiritual power wasn't enough anymore, I could only feed it spirit stones."

He sighed wistfully.

"Those things burned money like flowing water. If I'd known, I would have stockpiled more spirit stones back when I was still strong enough to make money easily."

Yu Qingtang gave two foolish little laughs.

Then the smile faded from his face.

He began counting on his fingers.

"So you're at Nascent Soul now. After that comes Golden Core. Then Foundation Establishment, Qi Refining. And after that..."

"After that, I become an ordinary mortal."

Daoist Idle Crane smiled at him.

"A completely ordinary little old man without a trace of spiritual power."

"And then I'll die, just like any mortal."

Yu Qingtang fell silent.

"What's wrong with that?" Daoist Idle Crane sat upright with his legs crossed.

Around them, cultivators and otherworldly evil demons were locked in furious battle.

Yet when he smiled, it was as though he were sitting atop Shanyuan Peak.

"To live like an ordinary person, and to die like one."

"Everyone admires grand and heroic deaths. But it's only when the world is at peace that people get to die ordinary deaths."

His gaze seemed to cross the long river of time.

For a moment, it was as if he could see all those old friends again, and nostalgia softened his features.

"Once, I worked up my courage and thought, So what if I die? I wanted to become a hero with them. Spill my blood for the sect. Die gloriously in battle."

"I suppose I've gotten old."

"I don't care much for dying tragically anymore."

"I'd rather go peacefully."

"Don't rush it." Yu Qingtang sat cross-legged beside him. "Before you think about dying peacefully, think about living peacefully."

"You've got ages left."

"There's no hurry."

"Naturally." Daoist Idle Crane's eyes curved with his smile as he pointed at Bu Yetian. "I'm extremely good at staying alive. Just watch me outlive the immortal first."

Scholar Xiao froze.

Curious, he asked, "Bu Yetian is...?"

Daoist Idle Crane raised his head, his expression complicated.

"He doesn't have much time left."

"He wasn't born with an innate Dao fetus. To hold the Heavenly Dao, he forcibly merged with it and used his immortal manifestation to physically bear the heavens."

"Now that the manifestation has shattered and he's separated from the Heavenly Dao, death isn't far away."

Daoist Idle Crane gently shook his head.

"He's only hanging on with that final breath."

"Probably because he wants to see it too."

"The moment the world finally knows peace."

Bu Yetian looked in their direction.

Daoist Idle Crane jolted.

"Oh no. He heard me talking behind his back. Disciple, save me!"

"I can't beat him either!" Yu Qingtang cried in horror, immediately shielding Daoist Idle Crane behind him. "Ye—"

His throat abruptly tightened.

No sound came out.

Against the methods of an immortal, his cultivation was still nowhere near enough.

Yet he felt no sense of impending danger whatsoever.

Apparently, Bu Yetian had no intention of killing him.

Bu Yetian regarded him indifferently.

"You are a music cultivator. Do you know the Soul-Returning Melody?"

Yu Qingtang obediently shook his head.

"It makes no difference if you don't." Bu Yetian did not seem surprised. "The Esoteric Sect records the secret arts of the world. Naturally, we have a record of it."

"I will pass the Soul-Returning Melody to you."

"When all this has finally settled, play this piece. Perhaps..."

His gaze drifted into the distance.

It seemed he still held some faint hope.

Daoist Idle Crane muttered, "Why not just give it to him when the time comes?"

Bu Yetian answered frankly.

"...My form is about to dissipate. I may not last that long."

Daoist Idle Crane froze.

Then he immediately raised his voice.

"Tianji Zi!"

"What?" Tianji Zi was in the middle of thoroughly enjoying himself.

He moved unhindered through the ranks of the otherworldly evil demons, no one able to stop him, before dropping back down in front of them with a carefree smile.

"Can't keep going at half-step Out-of-Body? Hurry back. Don't force yourself."

"Forget about me." Daoist Idle Crane worriedly pointed at Bu Yetian. "You were master and disciple once, at least. Go show him a little filial respect at the end."

"He's nearly gone."

Tianji Zi paused.

Some of the smile faded from his face.

But he was still smiling.

"Why panic? It's not as though I didn't calculate this beforehand."

"I told you long ago, I never wanted to save his life. I only wanted to set him free."

"That's filial enough, isn't it?"

"As for the rest..."

He clicked his tongue and looked at Bu Yetian.

"You've lived your whole life, and even now I can't tell whether you were holding the Heavenly Dao hostage or whether the Heavenly Dao was the one dragging you along."

"Good and evil are impossible to judge."

"What a complicated mess."

"Now..."

Bu Yetian interrupted him, his expression calm.

"I was the one who bore the Heavenly Dao."

"I was the one who strangled the immortals."

"The good was mine. The evil was mine."

Tianji Zi laughed.

"From the moment I first arrived at your Esoteric Sect, I knew there was something wrong with the place."

"If nothing else, you people have terrible taste in disciples."

"The most accurate fortune-telling charlatan under heaven believes in fate the least."

"And the supreme master of the Dao of Emotionlessness has the deepest feelings of all."

"You've stood guard over that fissure all this time. Were you still waiting for them to return?"

Bu Yetian lowered his eyes.

"...I did it for all under heaven."

"You still won't admit it." Tianji Zi laughed at him. "You're about to die. What harm would admitting it once do?"

Bu Yetian said nothing.

Tianji Zi looked even more pleased with himself.

"What did I tell you?"

"The ones who cultivate the Dao of Emotionlessness are the most likely to turn into hopeless romantics. Four Books Academy has tons of stories about it."

Wen Tianxia appeared out of nowhere and solemnly clarified, "I didn't write them. I only write nonfiction."

"Anyway, he's definitely a man of deep feeling." Tianji Zi pointed at Bu Yetian with absolute certainty. "You cared for the child of an old friend because you loved those connected to the people you loved. You didn't want that boy to have the Heavenly Dao's responsibility forced onto him."

"That's why you went looking for someone from beyond this realm."

Tianji Zi smiled at Yu Qingtang.

"But human hearts are the hardest thing to calculate."

"Things always end up going awry in unexpected ways."

Bu Yetian closed his eyes.

Unexpectedly, the faintest smile appeared on his face.

"Forget it."

"It no longer matters."

"Eight or nine times out of ten, life refuses to go as one wishes."

"Mortals cannot control it."

"Neither can immortals."

He remembered the look in those two people's eyes before they left, unafraid even though they might never return.

He remembered his master, moments before leaping into the Heaven-Mending Furnace, gripping his hand and ordering him to protect the Heavenly Dao at any cost.

His eyelashes trembled.

Softly, he said, "From now on..."

"The calamities of the future will be borne by the people of the future."

Tianji Zi stood, smiling.

"Today, we celebrate peace under heaven!"

With that, he tightened his grip on his sword and rushed back into battle.

He never looked back at Bu Yetian, whose form was slowly dispersing behind him.

The immortal who had guarded this place for tens of millions of years exhaled softly.

Perhaps, at last, he was free.

...

No one knew how long the battle lasted.

Eventually, there was no trace left of the otherworldly evil demons that had occupied this place.

Someone let out a cheer.

Then another.

Cheers rose layer upon layer until they thundered throughout the battlefield beyond the realm.

The Heavenly Fire Cult began leading everyone away to celebrate. Cultivators called out to friends and companions, and Yu Qingtang finally managed to shake the lot of them off so he could stay behind with Ye Chenyan for a little while longer.

Holding the Dragon-Crane Zither, he sat beside Ye Chenyan at the edge of the battlefield created by the Realm Stone.

Beyond it lay only pitch-black chaos, like the void of the universe.

Yu Qingtang looked out once.

He couldn't find even the faintest point of light.

Curiously, he asked, "When you look out there, is it just completely black for you too? You can't see anything?"

"Mm." Ye Chenyan answered, amused. "What, do you think I can see something you can't?"

"Maybe?" Yu Qingtang said with perfect confidence. "Maybe the Master of This Realm gets special privileges."

He shoved a sheet of paper into Ye Chenyan's hands.

"Hold this for me."

Ye Chenyan scooted closer, leaning against him as he obediently held up the sheet.

"What piece is this?"

"A celebration song?"

"Mm..." Yu Qingtang secretly glanced at him and didn't tell the truth. "S-sort of."

Ye Chenyan tilted his head and looked at him.

"You're terrible at lying."

"I'm not." Yu Qingtang denied it immediately. "I'm great at fooling people. Didn't I have you completely fooled back then?"

"I was playing along," Ye Chenyan muttered. "Otherwise, you would've exposed yourself the very first time we met."

"Oh, whatever. Let me keep a little suspense."

Yu Qingtang's eyes curved with his smile.

"Shh. Just listen."

His playing was somewhat unfamiliar at first, but he plucked the strings with solemn concentration, and gradually the melody became smooth.

The sound of the Dragon-Crane Zither drifted clear and melodious through the battlefield beyond the realm.

Here, in this vast emptiness, it sounded especially ethereal.

As though the notes could travel through the boundless darkness, farther and farther still.

Ye Chenyan inexplicably sat up straighter.

The smile disappeared from his face.

He watched Yu Qingtang intently, his eyes flickering as though he had guessed something.

Deep within the darkness, two tiny points of light slowly appeared.

Faint as candle flames.

Drawn by the music, they wobbled uncertainly toward them.

Yu Qingtang abruptly elbowed Ye Chenyan without missing a note and shot him a meaningful look.

"What are you staring for? Go get them! You're the Master of This Realm! You can go outside!"

"Huh? Oh."

It was rare to see Ye Chenyan so flustered.

He hurriedly released his demonic weapon and scrambled toward the two tiny lights.

Even after they appeared, Yu Qingtang did not stop playing.

The music continued until Ye Chenyan returned, guiding the two points of light all the way to him.

Only then did Yu Qingtang lift his hands from the zither.

He looked up and grinned.

"Pretty amazing, aren't I?"

Ye Chenyan opened his mouth.

Then he couldn't help laughing.

"You... Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Oh, I didn't know whether it would work." Yu Qingtang scratched his head. "Imagine if I'd confidently told you beforehand, I'm going to see if I can bring your parents' souls back, and then it failed..."

"Wouldn't the disappointment be worse after getting your hopes up?"

Ye Chenyan carefully cradled the two glowing souls in his hands as though they were the rarest treasures in the world.

He lowered his head.

The corners of his mouth curved upward.

Then, still holding the two points of light, he slowly and steadily extended his hands toward Yu Qingtang.

Yu Qingtang put away the Dragon-Crane Zither.

Nervously, he wiped his palms against his clothes.

Only then did he imitate Ye Chenyan and cup the two points of light together with him.

Souls probably had no temperature.

There was no warmth in his hands.

And yet, for some reason, a quiet warmth spread through his heart.

"Let's go."

Ye Chenyan gazed steadily at him, his eyes softened by a rare, lingering tenderness.

"Let's take them home together."

Side by side, the two walked toward the fissure that would bring them home.

At last, they stopped before it.

Ye Chenyan spoke softly.

"Qingtang."

"Do you ever... want to go home too?"

Yu Qingtang knew he didn't mean Biehe Sect.

He meant his home in another world.

Yu Qingtang blinked.

"I had an accident in that world. It's probably pretty hard for me to still be alive over there."

"I've basically already died once, so of course I've had to make peace with it."

"But..."

"Yeah. I still miss it a little."

Ye Chenyan lowered his eyes.

His lips parted.

Before he could say anything, Yu Qingtang gently bumped against him.

"But don't worry. I definitely won't sneak off all by myself."

"When the Great General of Finding Time to Slack Off and Enjoy Life goes traveling, there has to be some proper pomp."

"I'll need the Master of This Realm to pave my road and escort me the whole way."

Ye Chenyan smiled.

"Fine."

"You can even ride the Master of This Realm there if you want."

"Hehe."

Yu Qingtang tilted his head and deliberately leaned right into his face.

"Your heart skipped a beat just now, didn't it? Were you scared?"

"You knew I'd panic and you still deliberately left me hanging like that!" Ye Chenyan widened his eyes, then sighed, closed them, and shook his head repeatedly. "Who knows how badly you're going to bully me from now on..."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

Yu Qingtang raised the two glowing souls in his hands.

"Watch your conscience when you're talking in front of these two seniors! Don't make things up! When have I ever bullied you?"

Ye Chenyan's eyes curved with laughter.

He reached out and took Yu Qingtang's hand.

Together, they stepped through the fissure.

Across that divide.

And beyond the long conspiracy and all the suffering that had brought them there.

Ye Chenyan said, "Come on."

"Let's go home together."

...

At that very moment, in Dharma Academy, Tuzhou.

A disciple came running frantically into the courtyard, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Abbot! Something's wrong! The skies are changing! We don't know what's happening!"

Before the golden Buddha statue, the abbot pressed his palms together.

"Do not panic."

"The Esoteric Sect sent word that disaster was approaching. Some upheaval is only natural."

"They said it would not be today, so there was no need for us to go."

Another young disciple tripped over the step at the entrance and stumbled into the courtyard.

He didn't even have time to complain about the pain.

"Abbot! This is bad! They've already repaired the fissure in the Heavenly Dao, and now they're making a huge celebration out of the victory banquet!"

"All the cultivators of the Nine Provinces are there!"

"We're the only ones from Dharma Academy who aren't!"

"What?!"

The abbot shot to his feet so quickly that he suddenly seemed taller than the Buddha statue behind him.

His eyes blazed.

"Every cultivator in the Nine Provinces is there, and not a single cultivator from Dharma Academy went?"

"Doesn't that mean—"

"Actually, that's not quite true!" the young disciple hurriedly interrupted. "By some strange twist of fate, Senior Brother Baoshan was there! He's the one who had someone send us the news."

"Uh, but... but..."

The young disciple stammered, his face reddening.

He seemed too embarrassed to continue.

The abbot had a fiery temper.

"Speak!"

The young disciple cautiously studied his expression.

"Well... the Master of This Realm is magnanimous. He said we can count it as Dharma Academy staying behind to pray for the blessings of all the cultivators, so we're still welcome to join the victory banquet."

"It's just... he said it's troublesome that Dharma Academy doesn't eat meat, so we should remember to bring our own vegetarian meals."

The abbot: "..."

A vein throbbed on his forehead.

But he took a deep breath.

"Forget it. Dharma Academy failed to arrive in time. A little mockery is only natural."

"There's... one more thing..."

The young disciple glanced furtively at him and quietly took a step backward.

"Senior Brother Baoshan said that this time, he still fought as a disciple of Dharma Academy."

"But afterward..."

"Afterward, he won't."

"Once today is over, he's leaving the monastic life."

"He said... he said they've already set the wedding date over in Nanzhou."

Crack!

The abbot punched straight through the wooden fish.

"I KNEW HE WAS STILL CLINGING TO WORLDLY DESIRES!"

"Someone bring me my discipline staff!"

"Today, I'll beat every last worldly desire out of him!"

"Th-there's still more!"

The young disciple looked ready to cry from fear, but stubbornly forced himself to finish before he forgot.

"They also asked us to bring one extra vegetarian meal."

"Someone wants to try it."

The abbot roared, "WHO?! Who dares order Dharma Academy around like this?!"

The young disciple's expression became peculiar.

"He said it was..."

"A certain Great General of Finding Time to Slack Off and Enjoy Life who wishes to remain anonymous."

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