Night had fallen, and Whatever Peak of Guiyi Sect lay silent.
Ye Chenyan sat cross-legged on the roof, looking up at the stars.
“Tsk, tsk.” Tianji Zi appeared beside him, shaking his head. “It’s rare to see you this quiet. Why aren’t you cultivating? Sitting up here to cultivate your state of mind?”
Ye did not look at him. “I’m already at full Golden Core. I’m only one opportunity away from Nascent Soul. Cultivating right now won’t do much.”
Tianji Zi gave a rather ill-intentioned chuckle. “Then why do you look so lonely? Like you’re—”
“Shut up.” Ye shot him a glance and looked away. “I’m just used to having people around. It feels strange all of a sudden.”
“Heh...” Tianji Zi leaned closer with a grin. “That’s all? Really?”
“What else would it be?” Ye refused to look at him. “But that demonic cultivator today... they said he was a Heavenly Demon. What makes that different from an ordinary demonic cultivator?”
“Anyone can become a demonic cultivator, but Heavenly Demons are a race.” Tianji Zi grew a little more serious. “Just as some people are born with Buddhist bone, others are born with demonic constitutions. Someone eventually found a stable way to pass that gift down, and it gradually became the Heavenly Demon clan.”
“With that bloodline, cultivating demonic arts comes much more easily, and their combat power is astounding.”
“Of course, there are drawbacks. Demonic cultivators tend to be temperamental and lawless, and heart tribulations are especially difficult for them. The higher their cultivation, the more easily they suffer cultivation deviation... But that’s all old news.”
Ye listened with lowered eyes before suddenly asking, “What about me?”
Tianji Zi pursed his lips and did not answer immediately.
Ye spoke evenly. “That demonic cultivator kept looking at me today. He wasn’t very smart, and he didn’t know how to hide it. I doubt I was the only one who noticed.”
“I’m connected to the demon race? And more specifically, to the Heavenly Demon clan?”
Though he phrased it as a question, his tone was certain. He had clearly already sensed it.
Tianji Zi shook his head helplessly. “I told you that old man never should have come out of seclusion. The moment he did, he gave the game away.”
Ye pressed his lips together. “So the elders who disliked me even before I did anything... they knew?”
“Ahem.” Tianji Zi rubbed his nose. “Well, you can’t blame all of that on the Heavenly Demon clan.”
Ye turned to look at him.
Tianji Zi guiltily looked up at the sky. “I think it’s more likely they hold a grudge against me.”
Ye fell silent.
“And your temper is rather like mine when I was young.” Tianji Zi laughed awkwardly. “They probably just... hate by association.”
Ye pressed a hand to his brow and sighed. “I don’t know whether that counts as making excuses for them.”
Tianji Zi burst out laughing. “The era when immortals and demons were irreconcilable enemies ended long ago. Look at Candle Nine Yin. He came out in the open, and that old man from the Esoteric Sect who claims to uphold the Heavenly Dao didn’t say a thing.”
“You only have half Heavenly Demon blood...”
Ye raised a brow. “Like that female cultivator from Pleasure Sect?”
“No. You’re far more unusual than she is.” Tianji Zi smiled. “You’re still too weak. Knowing now wouldn’t help you. I’ll tell you later.”
“So mysterious...” Ye turned away. “I’ll figure it out myself sooner or later.”
“Ambitious.” Tianji Zi chuckled. “Once you find that opportunity and reach Nascent Soul, you should make a trip to Nanzhou.”
“Not yet, though. That place is a real snake pit. Going before Nascent Soul would be too dangerous. Besides, there’s something there waiting for you to take it.”
Ye was about to ask more when Tianji Zi suddenly looked down the mountain. A flicker of amusement passed through his eyes.
“All right, this old man won’t stay here and get in your way. Look. Someone you like seeing is here.”
Ye followed the direction of his finger—
Yu Qingtang had slipped out of his room, apparently headed somewhere in secret.
Ye straightened a little, watching him with curiosity.
Yu had come out carrying the Treasure-Gathering Basin.
He was not planning to steal anything from Guiyi Sect. He had simply had a sudden flash of inspiration.
Maybe he had been too greedy before. Maybe he had poured in too much spiritual power at once, which was why the basin had caused trouble and stolen everything from someone else’s storage ring.
If he used only the tiniest bit, it should not be powerful enough to cause that much damage.
Yu quietly slipped down Whatever Peak and found an empty, secluded spot. He lined up several spirit stones, placing one every five meters. Then, at the farthest point, he set down his own storage ring.
Only after arranging everything did he pick up the Treasure-Gathering Basin again. He fed it a trace of spiritual power, shook it seriously three times, stared at the spirit stones nearby, and recited the incantation.
“Treasure, treasure, into my basin!”
The spirit stones on the ground turned into streams of light and flew into the basin. The storage ring farther away, however, did not move at all.
Yu looked down into the basin.
A spirit herb brimming with spiritual power had appeared inside, but nothing from his storage ring had been pulled over.
He let out a breath of relief. Just as he had thought—if he did not give it enough spiritual power, then even Treasure Gold could not casually steal things from another person’s storage ring.
Yu relaxed. Just as he was about to walk over and pick up his storage ring, a flash of white light streaked past his eyes.
His storage ring vanished from where it had been.
A thief!
Yu’s eyes widened in shock, and he immediately gave chase.
“Stop!”
He had only taken a few steps when the view before him abruptly opened up. Under the night sky, a vast lake shimmered in the moonlight. Ye Chenyan sat cross-legged at the shore, while Lightning clung to his shoulder and fussed over him.
And in its mouth was Yu’s storage ring.
Yu froze. “Why are you...?”
Ye took the storage ring from Lightning’s mouth and tossed it lightly in his hand. His eyes curved as he smiled at Yu.
“Well, would you look at that. A fellow thief?”
“What fellow thief?” Yu ran up to him and held out his hand. “Give it back.”
Ye looked up at him and laughed softly. “All right—”
He started to place the storage ring in Yu’s palm, only to toss it away at the last moment. With his other hand, he caught Yu’s wrist and pulled him down beside him.
“Hey—”
Yu lunged for the ring in a panic and promptly lost his balance, sprawling sideways across Ye’s crossed legs.
He looked up to find Ye gazing down at him. Lightning sprang nimbly into the air and caught the storage ring again as it landed on Ye’s shoulder.
“You...” Yu abruptly felt that the atmosphere had become rather strange. He hurriedly sat up, caught Lightning, stroked its sleek, glossy fur twice, and took his storage ring back from its mouth.
Then he muttered under his breath, “Why did you steal my storage ring?”
Lightning chirped twice.
Ye propped his chin on one hand. “It says it didn’t steal it. It found it.”
Yu looked up in shock. “You can understand what it says?”
Was that even a setting in the original novel?
“Mhm.” Ye smiled. He scratched beneath Lightning’s chin with one finger, then tilted his head as if listening intently. After nodding in all seriousness, he said, “It’s saying something else now...”
Yu watched him curiously.
Ye lifted his eyes. “It says, are you really leaving so soon?”
Yu blinked. “Huh?”
“It says,” Ye continued, staring directly into his eyes, “there are still several restaurants in Qingzhou worth trying that it hasn’t taken you to yet. And in a few days, the mortals at the foot of the mountain will hold their Flower Goddess Festival. There will be pastries made from all sorts of flowers. Ordinary cultivators may not care about that, but anyone who likes to snack probably will.”
“So it wants to ask you...”
He blinked lightly, his voice so soft it nearly scattered into the wind.
“Can you stay a few more days?”
Yu looked into his eyes.
The young man’s eyes were brighter than the moon overhead, as though there was no one else in the world he could see.
For no reason at all, Yu felt his ears grow hot. He abruptly turned his head, leaned backward to avoid Ye’s gaze, and muttered, “Liar. It only chirped twice just now. How could it have said all that?”
Ye laughed. He lifted Lightning in front of his face.
“Then it can make up the rest now. Squeak, squeak, squeak!”
“That was all you.” Yu could not help laughing too. “It didn’t make a sound.”
Ye tilted his head, peeking out from behind Lightning with one eye.
“Then are you in such a hurry to return to Jinzhou because something happened?”
“Not really...” Yu frowned in hesitation, absently scratching at the ground with his fingers. “It’s just...”
After wavering for a long while, he secretly glanced at Ye.
“Tomorrow, after we eat at Chi Yantian’s banquet, I have something to tell you.”
Ye stared at him.
Yu lowered his head to avoid his gaze. “A-After I’ve said it, then we’ll see.”
If he was lucky, they could still be friends.
If he was unlucky... he might have to flee back to Jinzhou with his tail between his legs.
For some reason, Yu felt a little lonely too. He stood and brushed off his clothes.
“I’m going back to my room first.”
“All right,” Ye said.
The moment he loosened his hand, Lightning darted over and landed on Yu’s shoulder.
Yu was not used to having such a warm, fluffy little creature perched there. He carefully steadied it and turned around in surprise.
Ye smiled at him. “It’ll stay with you tonight and make sure you cultivate properly for me.”
Yu’s eyes widened. He pointed at the moon. “What time is it? You’re still making me cultivate?”
“No helping it.” Ye rested his chin on his hand and smiled. “You’ll be breaking the precepts tomorrow, so you need to prepare properly.”
“Or are you planning to wait until tomorrow and cram at the last minute?”
Yu’s face fell. “I-I already cultivated today!”
“But you just used the Treasure-Gathering Basin.” Ye remained unmoved. “Cultivate properly. Otherwise, the moment you fall asleep, I’ll have it hop around on your stomach...”
Yu looked as though he wanted to cry. “How is that even a thing...?”
He turned away with Lightning in his arms, wearing the world-weary expression of someone who had seen too much. Then, without paying attention, he stumbled and nearly sent both himself and the ferret sprawling.
“Careful!” Ye hurriedly caught him.
“It’s nothing.” Yu waved him off, still unaware of the seriousness of the situation. “I’m probably just so upset about having to cultivate later that I’m too devastated to walk properly.”
He took another two steps and stumbled again, pitching forward.
Ye had clearly been prepared this time. He caught Yu in one swift motion.
Yu braced himself against Ye’s arm, his expression blank as he asked for confirmation.
“This isn’t normal, right? I shouldn’t be tripping while walking on flat ground.”
“Mhm.” Ye could not hold back a laugh. “You’re probably... wrapped up in bad luck.”
He sighed, then lifted Yu around the waist.
“That’s why I told you. You need to hurry back and cultivate.”
“H-Hey!”
Yu clutched Ye’s lapels in a panic, his body stiff as a plank that would rather snap than bend.
Ye only carried him to the door of his room. His movements remained perfectly proper; he did not touch anywhere he should not.
Once his feet touched the ground, Yu cautiously tested every step, making certain each foot landed solidly before walking into the room one careful pace at a time.
Ye laughed quietly.
“Cultivate properly. See you tomorrow.”
“Mhm.” Yu gave a bitter smile. “I know. See you tomorrow.”
Ye had barely turned around when a sharp crack sounded behind him.
Yu was already sitting on the floor, grimacing as he clutched his backside.
The chair he had just sat in had heroically perished to bad luck. It had split into four pieces, dying a truly miserable death.
Ye: “...”
He picked up Lightning, which had leaped onto Yu’s head in fright, then carried Yu onto the bed.
“H-Hey!” Yu immediately protested. “No, no, that’s not necessary!”
Ye crossed his arms and stood beside the bed.
“Cultivate. I’ll watch you for it.”
Yu muttered softly, “Y-You really don’t have to go to all this trouble...”
Ye was utterly impartial.
“Cultivate all night.”
Yu’s eyes flew open. “All night?”
Ye nodded mercilessly. “All night.”
Yu flopped backward. The bed gave a heavy thump beneath him, startling him so badly that he immediately sat back up and crossed his legs to cultivate.
“I’ll cultivate! Right now!”
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