After Crossdressing and Provoking Long AoTian

Jin Yangzi’s evil body threw back his head and laughed wildly. “That so-called Miss Yu is obviously a—”

Ye Chenyan’s expression sharpened. He cut him off with a punch.

The silver battle spear came down after it, smashing Jin Yangzi back into the bottom of the lotus-shaped crater.

Ye Chenyan landed with him. His spear plunged into the ground beside Jin Yangzi’s cheek, and he snorted coldly, killing intent rolling off him.

“Did Yu deceive you?”

“What business is it of yours to take offense on his behalf?”

Karmic fire scorched Jin Yangzi’s entire body, yet he seemed not to feel it at all.

His evil body coughed up blood. His injuries were terrible, but his smile was brighter than before, as if he had discovered something genuinely amusing.

“So you knew! Ha ha, you actually knew!”

He seemed strangely exhilarated.

“Ye Chenyan, you’re actually a hopeless romantic! Ha ha!”

At the edge of the crater, Scholar Xiao craned his neck to listen. “What? What did he say?”

Yu Qingtang startled and yanked him back, then immediately leaned over himself, straining to hear.

“W-What did he say?”

Ye Chenyan looked back at them and smiled. “Nothing. He misunderstood.”

“He thought Yu had deceived me, but I already knew—”

Yu Qingtang sucked in a breath, terror written all over his face as he quietly took a step back.

Ye Chenyan lowered his gaze, looking faintly forlorn.

“Miss Yu simply has no feelings for me.”

Yu Qingtang: “...Huh?”

The other three immediately turned to stare at him.

“Ah?” Scholar Xiao gasped. “Could it be... one-sided love?”

He looked from one to the other, then regretfully smacked his fan into his palm.

“What a pity! I thought you two were a match made in heaven. I was waiting to put you in the next installment of Taking Stock of the Nine Provinces’ Immortal Romances!”

“Calm down first,” Yu Qingtang said, pressing a hand against him.

Ye Chenyan flicked his spear, extinguishing the karmic fire around it, then walked over.

“But insisting that Yu come to the Golden Core Competition was my choice. Escorting him here was my choice as well. He never deceived me.”

“How interesting. Truly interesting.” Jin Yangzi’s evil body swayed as he rose to his feet. “One is willing to strike, and the other is willing to take the blow.”

His smile widened, malice flickering in his eyes.

“But I refuse to believe you had no ulterior motive.”

Dot Star Formation frowned slightly. “He has gone this far into cultivation deviation. Shouldn’t we remove him from the Golden Core Competition?”

“A cultivation deviation can be minor or serious. We should be cautious.”

“Why make it so troublesome?” Jin Yangzi smiled brightly. “I already know how to break the deadlock. I’ll be fine soon.”

He abruptly rose into the air and reached for Yu Qingtang.

“What are you doing? What are you doing?!” Yu Qingtang backed away in panic.

Ye Chenyan was already there, his spear held horizontally before Yu.

But Jin Yangzi seemed to have gone mad. Ignoring everything, he rammed himself straight into the spearpoint.

“You—”

He looked utterly reckless. Ye Chenyan was startled for only an instant, but Jin Yangzi seized that opening.

The bright-red character for good appeared on his brow.

He slipped past Ye Chenyan and pressed a palm against Yu Qingtang’s forehead.

“Let go!”

Ye Chenyan’s killing intent surged for real. He threw a punch into Jin Yangzi’s good body’s chest.

Jin Yangzi did not dodge at all. He rode the force of the strike back, spitting blood as he drifted away. Then he sat cross-legged with his palms together.

There was no lotus throne beneath him now, nor any karmic fire scorching him.

“This is enough.”

“If I do not wish to become a Buddha, then I shall simply be myself.”

Ye Chenyan had no time to care about his strange words. He tightly held Yu Qingtang, who was clutching his forehead, completely flustered.

“Yu Qingtang! What’s wrong? Open your eyes!”

Yu Qingtang curled into a ball. After shivering once, he slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was blank, and he looked oddly dazed.

“I...”

“How are you?” Several heads leaned closer at once.

“My head is buzzing.” Yu Qingtang shook it weakly. “It feels like eight hundred monks are chanting scriptures inside my skull.”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

Scholar Xiao comforted him. “You can still count all eight hundred monks at a glance. Your mind must be clear enough. It probably isn’t serious.”

“Eight hundred is a rough number.” Yu Qingtang scratched his head. “There are just... a lot of bald heads. What happened?”

His eyes met Jin Yangzi’s from afar.

A faint touch of red had returned between Jin Yangzi’s brows. His face was paper-white, and he looked heavily drained. But the karmic fire that had surrounded him was gone.

Yu Qingtang froze.

A terrible premonition rose within him. Trembling, he lifted a finger.

“Y-You didn’t...”

Jin Yangzi was clearly himself again, yet he smiled with a trace of the evil body’s wildness.

He looked down at Yu Qingtang.

“Didn’t you say that whoever wants to become a Buddha can become one?”

He snorted deliberately.

“Since Miss Yu has enlightened me, naturally I must thank you.”

“But the Lotus Realm is unusual. You had better observe its precepts properly. Otherwise, be careful not to let karmic fire burn you alive.”

Yu Qingtang’s vision went dark. He nearly fainted, only for Scholar Xiao to pinch the spot beneath his nose and shake him awake.

“Pull yourself together, Miss Yu! It is, at least... an opportunity!”

Ye Chenyan frowned deeply, staring at Jin Yangzi.

“The Golden Light Sect went to such lengths during this Golden Core Competition for the Lotus Realm. What does it mean for you to give it to him now?”

“Hmph.” Jin Yangzi arrogantly raised his chin. “I obtained it, found it nothing special, decided I did not want it, and tossed it away. What of it?”

“Even if the whole world begged me to become a Buddha, I would refuse. What of it?”

He turned his head.

Jin Yangzi’s evil body smiled with unrestrained abandon.

“I cultivate neither Buddhism nor the Dao. I cultivate myself!”

He turned again.

Jin Yangzi’s good body wore a compassionate expression.

“He delivered me. So I will deliver him.”

The good and evil bodies returned to one. Jin Yangzi sneered.

“Now that he has inherited my transmission, he is, in a sense, my disciple. Ye Chenyan, since your feelings run so deep, why not kneel and offer me a cup of wine? Ha!”

He forced himself to draw one final breath, then commanded the Golden Light Mirror and flew away, heading straight for the boundary of the Ancient Academy Realm.

“You!”

Ye Chenyan thrust out his spear, but it ultimately could not break through the defense of a first-rank spiritual artifact. The spear flew back into his hand.

Scholar Xiao tried to smooth things over. “Brother Ye, calm down. At least he did not harm Miss Yu...”

“Not necessarily.” Dot Star Formation rubbed her chin. “The Lotus Realm requires a clear mind and the utmost goodness and purity. Otherwise, one must endure karmic fire at all times.”

“His cultivation is not high enough. If karmic fire touches him, it will still be a serious problem.”

Ye Chenyan came back to himself. “I heard before that the Lotus Realm requires one to observe strict precepts. Then Yu...”

He looked at Yu Qingtang with difficulty.

Chi Yantian seemed only now to understand. He slapped his forehead.

“Oh!”

“So Jin Yangzi would rather give up this opportunity than make her enter the Buddhist path?”

He turned toward Ye Chenyan.

“Then he was targeting you! She has to observe the celibacy precept!”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

Ye Chenyan: “...”

“Oh—so that’s it!” Scholar Xiao suddenly understood. He awkwardly patted his fan against his palm. “Then... then what should be done?”

“Mm.” Dot Star Formation nodded slightly. “Jin Yangzi may be arrogant, but he is deeply calculating.”

“This move appears unexpected, but to him, the Lotus Realm is more of a restraint than an aid. And...”

Her eyes moved back and forth between Ye Chenyan and Yu Qingtang.

“It also creates no end of trouble for the two of you. It harms others while benefiting himself. A truly excellent move.”

“Senior Sister, stop praising him.” Scholar Xiao sighed. “Why don’t we go find Dharma Academy?”

Dot Star Formation nodded. “Dharma Academy does not accept female disciples. They likely would not enjoy seeing this situation either.”

“But...” She rubbed her chin. “White Cloud Nunnery may not see it that way.”

“White Cloud Nunnery cultivates Buddhism as well, but it accepts only female disciples. It may not be as powerful as Dharma Academy, but it has its own standing.”

“They have also been searching for the Lotus Realm. It is said that this was originally the defensive secret art of their nunnery’s ancient Lotus Immortal, though neither side has ever settled the matter clearly.”

“If they learn that this secret art has now fallen into the hands of a female cultivator, they may carry you back and enshrine you as their holy maiden.”

Yu Qingtang’s eyes widened in horror.

“I-I-I have a sect!”

What kind of joke was this? How could he possibly become some holy maiden?

Ye Chenyan ran an irritated hand through his hair. He crouched down to examine Yu Qingtang carefully.

“Apart from monks chanting in your head, do you feel unwell anywhere else?”

Yu Qingtang looked ready to cry. “Does being heartbroken count?”

He understood now.

There were no free lunches in the cultivation world.

He had thought that cultivating the Scripture of Awaiting Good Fortune would, at most, turn him from an idle fish into an idle koi.

But clearly, things were not that simple.

Once you became a koi, people forced you to leap the Dragon Gate.

“It... it isn’t necessarily that terrible.” Ye Chenyan felt that he had failed to protect Yu and given Jin Yangzi an opening, which had caused this whole extra mess. He crouched beside Yu, trying to coax him. “I’ll take you to find someone from Dharma Academy. Before the trouble comes looking for you, we’ll return the Lotus Realm to them.”

“Until then, this secret art can at least protect you.”

He paused.

“Besides, aren’t you cultivating the Dao of Emotionlessness?”

“Ah—” Scholar Xiao was even more shocked. “So, Brother Ye, the one you love is a female cultivator of the Dao of Emotionlessness! This really is... the heavens playing tricks, a love road full of hardship!”

“Ahem.” Ye Chenyan shot him a warning glare. “Do not write nonsense.”

“Do not worry.” Scholar Xiao waved a hand. “Our Taking Stock of the Nine Provinces’ Immortal Romances only publishes lovers who end up together. A relationship as difficult as yours will have to wait until, a hundred years from now, you both become great experts and can appear in Great Experts: The Youthful Years You Didn’t Know About.”

Yu Qingtang: “...”

That did not sound like a good thing either.

“Look.” Ye Chenyan crouched in front of him, trying to console him. “You do not kill living things to begin with. Since you cultivate the Dao of Emotionlessness, you would not break the celibacy precept anyway. As for stealing, drinking, and the rest...”

Yu Qingtang looked up at him with watery eyes.

“What about eating?”

Ye Chenyan choked.

Yu Qingtang’s lips trembled.

“Am I going to get karmic fire roasting my butt every time I eat a bowl of meat?”

Ye Chenyan fell silent.

Yu Qingtang buried his face in his hands and wailed.

“Jin Yangzi—repaying kindness with enmity! I even tried to talk him into seeing things clearly! He really is a bastard!”

Ye Chenyan could only scramble to comfort him.

But Dot Star Formation caught a subtle inconsistency.

“If that is so, why are you not being scorched by karmic fire right now?”

Yu Qingtang stared blankly at her.

“Because I haven’t eaten meat yet?”

“No.” Dot Star Formation analyzed it seriously. “Jin Yangzi endured so much before precisely to avoid breaking the precepts. That means breaking them before inheriting the Lotus Realm also invites karmic fire.”

Yu Qingtang nodded along. “That makes sense.”

“Yet you are perfectly fine.” Dot Star Formation looked thoughtful. “Could your merit be offsetting it?”

“Merit?” Yu Qingtang suddenly sat upright. “The Scripture of Awaiting Good Fortune!”

Scholar Xiao stared. “That scripture actually exists?”

Yu Qingtang fell into thought.

Could it be that, although that scripture had tricked him into this predicament, it had still left him a narrow path to preserve his beautiful life?

“Why talk so much? Try it and find out!” Chi Yantian pulled out a strip of dried meat. “Eat it, then circulate your cultivation method and see whether it works!”

For the first time, Yu Qingtang found a piece of meat this tempting.

He swallowed.

“W-What if it doesn’t work?”

Ye Chenyan broke off a piece no larger than his fingernail and held it to Yu Qingtang’s lips.

“Do not worry. If something happens, I will save you.”

“It is only karmic fire. Do not be afraid. I am here.”

Only then did Yu Qingtang tremble as he opened his mouth and bit down on the dried meat.

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