After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

With Tu Jiaojiao leading the way, the group soon found the cultivator who “looked messy in every possible way.”

Yu Qingtang regarded his explosively fluffy hairstyle with a complicated expression and thought, Senior Brother Du, you’re actually kind of fashionable.

“Oh my.” When Du Heng saw the lot of them, he sighed. “What a small world this is.”

Tu Jiaojiao was surprised. “You really do know each other?”

“A little, a little.” Du Heng laughed it off. “This young lady brought people over with such force that I thought the pills were too spicy and she had come to make trouble for me.”

“It’s a small business. Once sold, no returns or exchanges.”

“It was only a few hundred spirit stones. Do you think I need you to refund me?” Tu Jiaojiao scoffed. Then she turned her head, saw the envious gazes Yu Qingtang and Fifth Senior Brother were giving her, and jumped in fright. “Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. Just envy.” Yu Qingtang honestly withdrew his gaze, then pulled Ye Chenyan over and made him sit down in front of Du Heng, his face full of worry. “Doctor, take a look at him.”

Du Heng looked Ye Chenyan up and down. With a half-smile, he said, “It’s been a while, Brother Ye...”

Ye Chenyan stood up with a dark expression. “I think there’s nothing seriously wrong with me.”

Yu Qingtang pressed him back down by the shoulder. “Let him look!”

Ye Chenyan was not very willing. “Now that I’ve met Fifth Senior Brother, I understand that eight hundred spirit stones don’t come easily. I’m unwilling to give them to this quack...”

“Oh, stop fussing!” Tu Jiaojiao waved a hand. “Isn’t it just eight hundred spirit stones? I’ll pay for you!”

She leaned closer and asked, “So what’s wrong with him?”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

The corners of Du Heng’s mouth held a trace of teasing. He crooked a finger at Ye Chenyan, signaling for him to extend his hand, then leisurely reached out to check his pulse.

“Mm—” Du Heng frowned and closed his eyes thoughtfully. “Hmm—”

He opened his eyes and asked, “What did he eat today?”

Yu Qingtang instinctively raised the arm full of snacks in his own hand.

“Whoa.” Du Heng leaned back slightly, then said decisively, “It has nothing to do with any of that. What else did he eat?”

Yu Qingtang froze for a moment, then sucked in a cold breath. “It couldn’t be... demonic beast meat!”

“Mm—” Du Heng nodded slightly. “Closer.”

“That innkeeper said an ordinary Golden Core could only eat two bowls.” Yu Qingtang looked horrified. “I—I fed him four bowls.”

Ye Chenyan slowly turned his head, his expression shocked. “What?”

Yu Qingtang hunched his neck guiltily. “I was thinking... you aren’t an ordinary Golden Core.”

He ingratiatingly gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re an extraordinary Golden Core.”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

For a moment, he did not know whether he ought to feel proud.

“Ahem.” Du Heng smothered a laugh and waved a hand. “Miss, please step out for a moment.”

“Oh.” Tu Jiaojiao answered and turned to leave. After taking two steps, she realized Yu Qingtang had not followed and turned back to drag him along too. “Come on. Could you have a little self-awareness as a girl?”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

He truly had absolutely none of that self-awareness.

Du Heng looked at Ye Chenyan with a half-smile and was just about to speak when Ye Chenyan suddenly had an ominous premonition. He turned to Fifth Senior Brother. “Fifth Senior Brother, you should also step outside first.”

“Huh?” Fifth Senior Brother was very straightforward. “But I’m not a girl.”

Ye Chenyan: “...I’m afraid those two will start fighting.”

“Oh.” Fifth Senior Brother immediately stood up. “Then I need to go keep watch.”

Only after all of them had left did Du Heng slowly withdraw his hand, throw back his head, and burst into laughter. “Oh my, after just a few days apart, Brother Ye, how did you—haha!”

Ye Chenyan was expressionless. His silver battle spear flashed, already resting against Du Heng’s neck.

“Ahem.” Du Heng’s laughter stopped abruptly. He gently pushed at the spearhead. “I am at least a Nascent Soul. Threatening me like this, Brother Ye, is a little disrespectful.”

“But you’re a Nascent Soul who has to hide and disguise himself in a mess to conceal his identity.” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “The Golden Core Competition is happening. Fire Cauldron Sect sent people too, didn’t it?”

Du Heng’s smile faded. “Hey, why be so aggressive? Forget it. Your blood and qi are surging right now, so I imagine you can’t help yourself. I won’t argue with you.”

Ye Chenyan withdrew his spear too, but his mouth remained merciless. “Unfortunately, my temper is usually like this too.”

“It’s the beast meat.” Du Heng lazily leaned back. “It isn’t any serious problem. Just a young man’s vigorous blood.”

He knowingly asked, “Brother Ye, are you married? If you are, you can go find your wife...”

Ye Chenyan was expressionless. “What do you think?”

Du Heng grinned with schadenfreude. “If you don’t have a wife, a husband works too.”

Ye Chenyan struck out with one palm. Du Heng hurriedly protected the table. “Hey, hey, hey! Don’t break it. In Qingzhou, even a blade of grass is deathly expensive. This table cost spirit stones too.”

He clicked his tongue and shook his head. “If you have neither, then you can only take some medicine. Something to clear heat and reduce internal fire.”

He took a bottle of pills from his pocket and tossed it to him.

Ye Chenyan took the medicine and looked him over. “Why did you run here from Yunzhou? Don’t tell me you were following us.”

“Ha.” Du Heng smiled and shook his head. “If the two of you were Soul Transformation mighty figures, I would follow you no matter what. But right now, you’re only two Golden Cores. You can’t help me yet.”

“I naturally came here because heroes have gathered. Maybe I can find a helper. And while I’m at it, earn some spirit stones.”

“See? Didn’t I end up helping you?”

Ye Chenyan did not fully believe him, but he did not press further either. “My Master has already sent the letter. I imagine it will have some deterrent effect. As for the rest, you’re on your own.”

Du Heng lowered his eyes slightly. “...Thank you.”

Ye Chenyan turned to leave, but Du Heng suddenly spoke again. “Oh, right. And for the next few days, clear your mind and restrain desire. Don’t think about...”

A stone flew straight toward his face. Du Heng barely dodged it, then smiled and shook his head. “That temper really is something.”

He raised his voice. “Hey, you haven’t paid! Eight hundred for the consultation, and the medicine is one thousand!”

A pouch of spirit stones smashed toward his face next.

Outside the door, three heads craned in eager anticipation. When they saw Ye Chenyan come out, they hurriedly asked, “How is it?”

Ye Chenyan was silent for a moment. Then he smiled and spoke casually, utterly unruffled. “Small matter. Internal heat.”

Tu Jiaojiao was puzzled. “Internal heat?”

Ye Chenyan suddenly had an idea and decided to use the situation to his advantage. He pulled Yu Qingtang one step back. “It seems there have been too many fire-attribute cultivators in Qingzhou recently. That medical cultivator also told me to avoid contact with fire-spiritual-root cultivators for the next few days.”

He showed an apologetic expression. “Farewell, Miss Tu.”

“Huh?” Tu Jiaojiao froze, then became somewhat angry. “What do you mean! What does that have to do with us fire-attribute cultivators! Don’t spout nonsense!”

“Hey!” She stamped her foot in anger. “What do you mean by that? It’s not like I wanted to travel with you anyway!”

...

Although Du Heng dressed like a complete disaster, the pills he refined were fairly reliable. After one pill went down, Ye Chenyan did indeed feel his mind settle considerably.

—It was just that who could have imagined he could even make a Heart-Cleansing Pill chili-flavored?

Right now, Ye Chenyan’s mouth was burning, his heart was cold, and his emotions and flesh were extremely disconnected.

The door was quietly pushed open. Yu Qingtang stuck his head in, ingratiatingly carrying a bowl of lotus-leaf congee. “Want to eat something that reduces internal heat?”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

Yu Qingtang was probably feeling guilty. He had lowered himself, played obedient, and coaxed him the whole way back.

Although Ye Chenyan was annoyed, facing that pitiful little face of his, he could not say much else.

“No need.” He sighed softly. “I took the pill, so I’m already much better.”

Yu Qingtang quietly shifted into the room and leaned over the table to look at him. “Then... are you still angry?”

Ye Chenyan copied him and leaned over the table too, raising an eyebrow at him. “If I am angry, what will you do?”

“Mm—” Yu Qingtang frowned deeply, then spread his hands helplessly. “Then there’s no way around it. I can only think of a way to coax you.”

“But I’m not very good at coaxing people, so I might need to learn on the spot.”

He stood up. “Wait a bit. I’ll go out and crowdsource some ideas.”

“Stop.” Ye Chenyan grabbed him. Yu Qingtang followed the force of his hand and leaned back over the table, looking at him eagerly. “Well? Do you have any ideas yourself?”

Ye Chenyan lowered his eyes and looked at him.

The two of them were very close now, close enough that they seemed able to see their own reflections in each other’s eyes.

Yu Qingtang had a cool, detached face. If he had no expression, he seemed distant and indifferent, like green mountains fading far into the mist, untouched by human feeling. Yet he was always smiling, sly and lively, and then those green mountains came nearer, as though becoming intimate.

The two of them leaned closer and closer. Ye Chenyan abruptly turned his head away, and at the most inappropriate possible moment, Du Heng’s disastrously messy face flashed through his mind, along with that demonically echoing phrase: “clear your mind and restrain desire.”

He shot to his feet and shoved the window open. “Ahem. It’s nothing.”

“I was only joking. You don’t have to take it seriously.”

“It’s just that I don’t know how long this state will last. For the next few days, I’ll try to meditate and cultivate, and won’t go out...”

“Oh.” Yu Qingtang suspected nothing and nodded obediently. “I’ll tell the innkeeper to serve you dishes that clear heat and reduce internal fire for the next two days. We’ll eliminate every risk of internal heat! I’ll go watch the kitchen for you!”

He left the room. Only then did Ye Chenyan turn around and take a shocked step back, leaning against the window.

Just now, he had...

“Absolutely absurd!” He slapped his own forehead and took a deep breath, then sat cross-legged on the spot to meditate and cultivate, trying to suppress all those messy thoughts along with this damned fire.

But the more it happened at a time like this, the more counterproductive it became.

Suddenly, the sound of a qin drifted into the room. Like murmuring water flowing past, it smoothed away his mood, slowly relaxing his tense emotions. Much of his restlessness and irritation faded.

As if sensing something, Ye Chenyan did not open his eyes. He followed that rare, peaceful qin music into meditation.

When the piece ended, Yu Qingtang tiptoed down from the roof and poked his head through the window to look at him.

From the back, he seemed to have quieted down.

Yu Qingtang let out a breath of relief and was just about to quietly climb back to his own room when Ye Chenyan spoke as if he had eyes on the back of his head. “You’re only playing it once?”

Yu Qingtang’s foot slipped. He was so startled he nearly rolled off.

“Hey!” Ye Chenyan hurriedly reached out to pull him in, amused. “Why are you acting like a thief?”

Yu Qingtang answered inwardly, Wasn’t it because the guilty things he’d done numbered more than just one or two?

He crouched in front of Ye Chenyan’s window and pointed at the sky. “It’s late. If I play again, I’ll disturb the neighbors. Tomorrow. Tomorrow.”

Ye Chenyan reluctantly nodded. “All right, then.”

Yu Qingtang hugged the qin and turned to go back to his room. Ye Chenyan called him again. “Yu Qingtang.”

“Mm?” Yu Qingtang looked back.

Behind him hung half a curved moon. Moonlight draped over him, setting him off as ethereal as an immortal, making him seem even less like someone of this world.

Ye Chenyan lowered his eyes slightly. He smiled. “You don’t owe me either.”

Wearing a face like an exiled immortal, Yu Qingtang nevertheless had the bills from this journey flashing through his mind. He said sincerely, “No, I still do.”

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. Unexpectedly, he did not refuse. “All right. Then you do.”

“Mm?” Yu Qingtang was extremely shocked. “How could you...”

How could you not follow the routine, my guy!

Ye Chenyan leaned against the window ledge and laughed. “At the very least, you still owe me one piece tomorrow.”

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