After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Ye Chenyan truly was worthy of a Long Aotian constitution. Something as trivial as internal heat was already no different from usual by the next day.

Even so, Yu Qingtang kept his promise and played the Heart-Cleansing Melody for him, along with a bonus piece of Moonlight over the Lotus Pond.

Regarding this, Comrade Little Ye said, “Novel. Lively.”

He did not say it was good.

Heh. Dull cultivator.

Holding the bleak loneliness of lofty mountains and flowing water finding no kindred soul, Yu Qingtang carried the qin out of the room—only to be blocked by the attendant, who had a placating smile all over his face.

Yu Qingtang’s heart jumped. Although it was broad daylight right now, the sound penetration of his qin was also astonishing. It couldn’t be that he had still disturbed the neighbors, could it?

He hurriedly lowered his head first and apologized. “Sorry, sorry for disturbing everyone...”

The attendant lowered his head almost in perfect sync. “Sorry, sorry for disturbing you, Miss...”

“Huh?” The two of them lifted their heads in confusion at the same time.

Ye Chenyan stepped between them and asked the attendant, “What is it?”

“It’s like this.” The attendant piled on a smile. “Fairy’s qin music is truly extraordinary. It traveled all the way outside the inn and drew quite a few people to stop and listen. Take a look downstairs. Our little inn has also benefited from your light. So many customers came today.”

Yu Qingtang quietly poked his head out. Today, the inn was actually livelier than Ascension Tower. It was filled with cultivators, and each one was craning his neck upward like a fish packed in a can.

Yu Qingtang had only sneakily revealed one pair of eyes when someone below stood up and cupped his fists toward the second floor, as enthusiastic as if this were a celebrity meet-and-greet.

Ye Chenyan grabbed him by the collar and dragged him back, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t show yourself casually. It isn’t safe.”

Yu Qingtang was very receptive to advice and cautiously hid a bit farther behind Ye Chenyan.

“Quite a few people said Fairy’s qin music has miraculous effects. It can calm the heart and quiet the spirit, almost as though cultivation becomes much smoother.” The attendant watched his expression and filled his mouth with flattering words. “The Golden Core Competition is right around the corner, and many people are restless and impetuous. They all wish to ask Fairy to play another piece.”

After the attendant finished speaking, his own heart pounded too.

Recently, Qingzhou was full of prodigies from all the major sects. Every one of them was proud and arrogant. Forget being begged to play a song—even if someone came formally to pay a visit, they might not agree to see him. If he ran into someone with a worse temper, that person could overturn their entire inn.

But there were so many cultivators downstairs, and he did not dare offend them either. He could only force himself to come up, looking ingratiatingly at Yu Qingtang. “I did tell them that Fairy is an honored guest of our humble inn, and also a Golden Core prodigy from a great sect. How could someone like me possibly invite you? But still... their sincerity is difficult to refuse.”

He had already quietly prepared himself to turn and run. Then he added, “This lowly one has absolutely no intention of offending you.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

He could hear it. In this short speech, every sentence was full of survival instinct.

A hint of sympathy appeared in Yu Qingtang’s eyes. He turned to Ye Chenyan to ask his opinion. “Play or not?”

“No.” Ye Chenyan crossed his arms, his expression displeased. But when he saw Yu Qingtang’s face, he sighed again. “Forget it. It’s up to you.”

Yu Qingtang spoke as if discussing it with him. “I think, since playing the Heart-Cleansing Melody once isn’t any trouble anyway, forming a little goodwill wouldn’t be bad.”

“Mainly because there are so many of them... Of course, I’m not saying you couldn’t handle them. I just think one less problem is better than one more.”

Carrying survival instincts no less abundant than the attendant’s, Yu Qingtang moved close to Ye Chenyan and gestured for him to lend an ear.

Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow at him, then obediently tilted his head over. The corners of his mouth unconsciously revealed a faint smile. “What?”

Yu Qingtang lowered his voice. “But I don’t want to show my face in public. After all, the effect of my Heart-Cleansing Melody is especially good partly because the qin is good.”

“I’m afraid someone might realize it’s a treasure and target me.”

Besides, if everyone knew “qin cultivator Yu Qingtang” was a girl... it would affect his ability to wander around outside in the future too.

Ye Chenyan tapped him between the brows with meaningful emphasis. “That isn’t the only thing you should be worried about.”

“Since you’ve decided, we’ll do it your way.”

He beckoned to the attendant, who was watching them eagerly. “Please inform them that he is playing the qin to treat my injury. Since we have disturbed everyone, he will offer one Heart-Cleansing Melody as an apology.”

“But afterward...”

Before he could finish, the attendant understood what he meant and picked it up very smoothly. “Understood, understood. How could there be any reason to trouble Fairy every day?”

“Many thanks to you both, many thanks.”

“Ah, wait.” Ye Chenyan called him back and pointed at the corridor before them. “Bring a piece of gauze over. He doesn’t want to show his face.”

The attendant nodded busily. “Of course, of course.”

He answered and ran downstairs. Only then did Ye Chenyan lean against the door. Without turning his head, he spoke sourly. “I had to get anxious and burn with internal heat just to hear one piece from you. As for them...”

“That’s different.” Yu Qingtang tried to reason with him. “This piece of mine is divided among so many of them. Yours was played specifically for you.”

He held up two fingers. “And you got two pieces.”

Ye Chenyan held back a smile. “Mm—if you put it that way, then I suppose I can reluctantly accept it.”

The innkeeper brought the attendant upstairs to arrange the performance site, thanking them over and over. He even wanted to waive their lodging fees for the next two days.

Ye Chenyan took out his Guiyi Sect name tally from his storage ring, weighed it in his hand, then casually hung it at his waist before walking out from behind the graceful veil.

He usually disliked traveling outside under Guiyi Sect’s name, but sometimes...

He gave a subtle glance back and thought that if it were Yu Qingtang, at a time like this, he would probably say—no reason not to use what’s free.

He let out a muffled laugh, then reined in his smile and looked down from the second floor, as if greeting everyone. “Everyone here is fortunate. Since you are listening to this Heart-Cleansing Melody, please... clear your minds, focus your spirits, and entertain no improper thoughts.”

The qin music gradually rose.

He stood before the white gauze curtain. The crowd downstairs could only see the white veil swaying behind him, faintly revealing a figure playing the qin. Ye Chenyan’s expression was disdainful and his presence extraordinary. Those with sharp eyes could also see the Guiyi Sect name tally hanging at his waist. Many probing gazes immediately lowered their flags and stilled their drums, quietly withdrawing.

When the piece ended, Yu Qingtang quietly exited without causing any disturbance.

“Brother Ye.” Yu Qingtang held the qin, his gaze distant.

“Mm?” Ye Chenyan turned to look at him.

“I think I’ve found a way to get rich.” Yu Qingtang’s eyes burned, his excitement hard to hide. “I originally thought the Heart-Cleansing Melody could only charm fish until they got dizzy. Turns out it works on cultivators too!”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

He shook his head in amusement. “So you plan to earn spirit stones by playing the qin?”

“Mm!” Yu Qingtang seemed to already see a bright future glowing with the radiance of spirit stones. “From now on, wherever I go, I’ll earn wherever I am...”

“What if you run into bad people?” Ye Chenyan deliberately asked, reaching out to point at his qin. “They take a liking to that qin of yours.”

Yu Qingtang paused.

Ye Chenyan tapped him between the brows again. “Or they take a liking to you—the qin cultivator who can play. What if they capture you and make you play for them every day?”

Yu Qingtang sucked in a cold breath. He woke from the temptation of glowing spirit stones and re-recognized the evils of this world.

Ye Chenyan smiled and pointed at himself. “So if you truly want to earn spirit stones by playing the qin, why not bring me along? I can hold the scene for you.”

“There’s another way.” Yu Qingtang said sincerely, “I just won’t earn this money.”

“Sometimes, one cannot force fate with spirit stones. Being a little poor is still better than earning money with your life and not living to spend it.”

With great life-preserving caution, Yu Qingtang patted the qin, tearfully bid farewell to the spirit stones of his dreams, and returned to his little room.

Ye Chenyan: “...”

After a silent moment, he shook his head with a laugh.

This person seemed a little greedy for money, but only a little. Greedy in perfect moderation, stopping as soon as it was enough, leaving others unsure what to say.

Who knew how Biehe Sect had raised this “Little Junior Sister” of theirs?

...

Three days later, the void over Qingzhou trembled, and an ancient academy appeared out of thin air like a mirage.

The Golden Core Competition, held once every sixty years, officially began.

Yu Qingtang’s entire Biehe Sect had only one contestant, him, so they were not in a hurry to charge through the entrance—just now, someone impatient had already flown up and been flung eight hundred li away.

The best positions directly facing the Ancient Academy were naturally reserved for the major sects of the Nine Provinces. As the host of Qingzhou, Guiyi Sect’s position was naturally not bad.

But the one standing in the center spot was not from Guiyi Sect. It was a white-haired, youthful-faced old man and a graceful young woman wearing a light gauze veiled hat. She clearly did not reveal even a patch of skin, yet simply standing there made it seem as if she had harmonized with heaven and earth, possessing a charm all her own.

Yu Qingtang could not help looking a few more times.

Ye Chenyan was not standing with Guiyi Sect. He said he wanted to make their Biehe Sect’s numbers even, so he insisted on squeezing in here with them. Now, noticing Yu Qingtang’s gaze, he assumed Yu Qingtang was curious about who those two were and explained quietly, “Those are people from the Esoteric Sect.”

Yu Qingtang thought, Like I wouldn’t know that? Not only do I know they’re from the Esoteric Sect, I also know that’s your official main wife, the legendary holy maiden of the Esoteric Sect, Ji Ruxue.

The Esoteric Sect held a transcendent status for two reasons. First, in this age where immortals had long vanished, the Esoteric Sect still had a true immortal who had survived from immemorial times. Second, they never fought for dominance. They focused solely on deducing the workings of heaven, and every disciple would leave the mountain when chaos erupted under heaven. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves to uphold the Dao, they would still support the world.

—Incidentally, Ye Chenyan’s extremely unreliable Master had once been an abandoned disciple of the Esoteric Sect.

Fifth Senior Brother showed reverence. “The inheritor of the Esoteric Sect in this generation is a young lady.”

He turned back to look at the two behind him, then took two inconspicuous red cords from his storage ring and handed them over. His gaze held some worry. “No one from our sect has ever been to the Ancient Academy Realm. Legend says it is the ruins of the Sage-Hearing Academy from immemorial times. Who knows how many mysteries are inside?”

“I asked around for quite a bit of information along the way. Some say it changes every year. Others say the space inside is chaotic, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll be separated from your companions...”

Then he looked at Ye Chenyan. “Young Master Ye, my Little Junior... Sister is not skilled in cultivation. I can only rely on you.”

Ye Chenyan immediately agreed. “Fifth Senior Brother, rest assured. I will definitely bring him out safe and sound.”

Fifth Senior Brother’s gaze was heavy as he placed the two red cords in his palm. “I found these in a cave residence. They’re not valuable magical artifacts or anything. It’s just that once you wear them, you can sense each other’s position.”

Yu Qingtang suddenly understood—wasn’t this just a kids’ GPS smartwatch?

Fifth Senior Brother said, “Of these two cords, one is the parent and one is the child...”

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Yu Qingtang took the first one. “I’m the dad.”

Ye Chenyan froze for a moment. Then he took a deep breath, his smile gradually turning dangerous. “Junior. Sister. Yu?”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

He endured the pain and handed over the one in his hand. “Then you can be.”

He knew it. Even a Long Aotian could not resist the temptation of being someone else’s father.

Yu Qingtang gloomily put on the child red cord. He could not beat him, so what else could he do but endure?

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