When he was young, Sheng Jiao had spent all his savings just to buy a few cheap beads. The beads Yan Jianlan had carelessly tossed aside for skipping stones weren’t even this cheap, yet he still made those humble beads into earrings and wore them for six years.
Yan Jianlan casually turned the beads on his wrist, his eyes narrowed in a smile: “These beads must have cost a lot of spirit stones. How could the Heavenly Dao lord be so generous?”
Sheng Jiao wasn’t the type to say sweet words, so he just remained silent.
Yan Jianlan was about to tease him again when the rhino horn lamp beside him lit up.
“Hand it over.”
Sheng Jiao frowned and passed the rhino horn lamp to him.
Yan Jianlan tapped it with his finger, and Yu Tuishan’s voice came through.
“Ling’er! Brother’s prepared a whole pile of birthday gifts for you, all sure to suit your taste. You’ve always complained about that stingy Sheng always buying you cheap beads, right? Believe me, this time there’s not a single round object among the gifts. Come quickly, come quickly.”
Yan Jianlan: “……”
Yan Jianlan stopped halfway through and reached for the rhino horn lamp, but Sheng Jiao grabbed his hand and, keeping a straight face, listened to Yu Tuishan’s entire message.
Yan Jianlan’s face looked terrible. Guilty as a thief caught in the act, he buried his face in Sheng Jiao’s chest and said nothing.
Sheng Jiao casually tossed the now-extinguished rhino horn lamp aside and yanked Yan Jianlan’s small braid, pulling his head back to force his face out.
Yan Jianlan, seeing there was no escape, quickly flashed an ingratiating smile.
Sheng Jiao frowned: “You don’t like the beads?”
Yan Jianlan hurried to say: “No, that’s not it.”
Sheng Jiao said coldly: “You said you wouldn’t lie to me anymore.”
Yan Jianlan was at a loss for words. He took a deep breath and decided to tell him the truth: “Really, Sheng Wuzhuo, your brain must be stuck in a rut. Ever since I mentioned wanting you to give me a string of beads, from my thirteenth birthday to my seventeenth, you gave me spirit beads for five years straight. Now we’ve finally reunited, and for my twenty-fourth birthday you’ve given me another string of beads—though these are expensive and beautiful, but…”
Sheng Jiao said coldly: “You’re tired of them?”
“No, I’m not tired,” Yan Jianlan tried to placate him. “But next year you could… you could at least give something else with a fresh touch. Besides, with so many beads you’ve given me, I can’t possibly wear them all.”
Sheng Jiao’s gaze turned icy as he studied him for a long time, then suddenly said: “Do Yu Tuishan’s gifts have a fresh touch?”
Yan Jianlan blinked. Why was this suddenly about Yu Tuishan again?
Sheng Jiao regretted speaking immediately. He got up from the bed with a straight face, as if to leave.
Yan Jianlan hastily grabbed his hand: “Hiss… it hurts. Where are you going?”
Sheng Jiao replied indifferently: “To get you a different birthday gift.”
It was only the hour of the dog—there was still an entire night for him to buy a “fresh” gift and return.
Yan Jianlan suddenly realized Sheng Jiao was jealous again. He desperately suppressed his laughter and held onto Sheng Jiao’s sleeve: “Hey, no need, really no need. I really like this year’s gift—no need to bother yourself.”
The more Sheng Jiao looked at the beads, the more they bothered him. His mood was far from pleasant.
“Didn’t I say I wouldn’t lie to you anymore?” Yan Jianlan pulled him back, smiling sweetly. “From now on, I absolutely won’t let us end up like the Xi family affair—fighting to the death. Even if something like that does happen, I’ll have learned from past mistakes and definitely leave no evidence that could cause us a rift. See, aren’t I being good?”
This was far too shameless a thing to say. Sheng Jiao regarded him coldly for a moment.
Yan Jianlan smiled at him obediently.
Ever since the lady told Sheng Jiao about Yan Jianlan’s experiences from childhood onward, even someone as cold-hearted and unmoved as he had suddenly felt his long-stagnant emotions surge with waves he couldn’t settle.
Those anomalies he’d once overlooked were all just camouflage Yan Jianlan wore while suffering.
Sheng Jiao now resented Yan Jianlan for lying to him, and equally resented his past self for not probing deeper into the truth.
Seeing Yan Jianlan smile so obediently yet infuriatingly, Sheng Jiao, just thinking of the hardships these years had brought—knowing this state of mind was wrong yet still indulging it. The Xi family, everything the Central State had done these years—anyone else would have gone mad and lost control.
Yet Yan Jianlan could still laugh so carelessly. Sheng Jiao already felt fortunate, and couldn’t bear to see him continue scheming and calculating just to survive.
Sheng Jiao tapped the space between Yan Jianlan’s eyebrows, letting him lie back: “Before I go after Yu Tuishan, I’ll bring you with me.”
Yan Jianlan was startled, surprised: “Sect Master Sheng, have you been possessed?”
Knowing he’d go and cause trouble, yet willing to bring him anyway?
Unlike Yan Jianlan who spoke only lies, Sheng Jiao, once he promised, would certainly follow through. He lowered his eyes and took out a rhino horn lamp covered in dust from his storage ring, flicking his finger at it.
That rhino horn lamp sealed for ten years finally lit up.
Yan Jianlan was astonished: “Your rhino horn lamp was unsealed?”
Sheng Jiao didn’t respond. He picked up Yan Jianlan’s rhino horn lamp and, without expression, intertwined both their spiritual forces to form a new spiritual pathway belonging only to the two of them.
The rhino horn lamp of “Xi Jue” from when at Tianyan Academy was permanently sealed, with all the spiritual pathways of Zhuxing Zhai gone from within.
Sheng Jiao thought for a moment, then pulled the spiritual force of the rhino horn lamp marked with “聆” into the main spiritual pathway where everyone in Zhuxing Zhai gathered.
Night had fallen. Everyone in Zhuxing Zhai was busy with other matters. Only Feng Yucheng, who enjoyed listening to gossip all day, remained. Seeing this, he pestered them relentlessly with questions.
“Who is this ‘Ling’?!”
“Wow! Heavenly Dao lord, you’re finally let out? Tsk tsk, congratulations, congratulations!”
Feng Yucheng was too noisy. Sheng Jiao impassively placed a silence seal on the spiritual pathway, and his ears finally knew peace.
Seeing Yan Jianlan still watching eagerly, Sheng Jiao frowned and covered his eyes with his hand: “Sleep.”
Yan Jianlan had slept most of the day and was actually full of energy, but nestled in this cramped space with his eyes covered by hands carrying the scent of osmanthus, that peaceful atmosphere enveloping him—suddenly a wave of drowsiness washed over him completely.
“Don’t go,” Yan Jianlan said softly, hugging Sheng Jiao’s hand.
Sheng Jiao replied: “I won’t.”
Yan Jianlan smiled and finally let exhaustion take over his entire body, dragging him into the realm of dreams.
He dreamed of things from his youth at Tianyan Academy.
When everyone in Zhuxing Zhai received their rhino horn lamps, they’d been warned countless times not to spread false information—exceeding ten times would result in sealing.
Yan Ling naturally knew the rules. After all, rhino horn lamp transmission was incredibly convenient, allowing conversation across ten thousand li as easily as talking face-to-face. Even as troublesome as he was, he wouldn’t speak nonsense through the rhino horn lamp.
Zhuxing Zhai had some mysterious ability—eight people had over ten spiritual pathways, and the one where everyone gathered hadn’t had a peep in eight hundred years.
During lessons at Tianyan Academy, everyone could throw paper notes at each other in Jiu Si Yuan, but once on vacation, Yan Ling could only rely on the rhino horn lamp to banter with others and pass the time.
Rain pattered outside the window. Yan Ling sat cross-legged on his bed, the curtains fluttering in the cold wind. That slender silhouette seemed to hesitate, unmoving for a long while.
Xi Jue said lazily: “What are you hesitating about?”
Yan Ling gave a violent start, nearly sloshing the lamp oil from the rhino horn lamp. He spoke guiltily: “N-nothing!”
“Oh,” Xi Jue drawled, grinning, “so you were missing someone, huh?”
Yan Ling frowned, disliking how Xi Jue always loved to joke about him and Sheng Jiao: “I didn’t, don’t spout nonsense and stain someone’s innocence for no reason.”
Xi Jue laughed loudly: “You’re glued to that saw-mouthed gourd all day long—now that there’s suddenly a break, do you feel empty and lonely?”
Yan Ling reached out and smacked his own forehead, saying angrily: “Shut up, you’re so annoying.”
Perhaps Xi Jue’s playful banter gave Yan Ling a moment of courage. He forcefully suppressed Xi Jue’s source spiritual power, cleared his throat, tapped the rhino horn lamp, and cast a manifestation spell in the spiritual pathway shared only by him and Sheng Jiao.
Soon, Sheng Jiao’s spiritual power submerged into the manifestation spell, and fragments of light silently condensed into an illusory figure appearing beside the bed.
The young Sheng Jiao’s face was completely expressionless—a true block of ice, a coffin face. He looked down from above at Yan Ling, who sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, casting a glance that asked, “What is it?”
Yan Ling made conversation out of nothing: “What are you doing?”
Sheng Jiao couldn’t be bothered to move his lips, sending a voice transmission: “Cultivating.”
“Hahaha.” Yan Ling opened the floodgates with a beaming smile. “Even if you cultivate so diligently, you’ll never catch up to me. This young immortal lord is naturally gifted, unmatched by anyone.”
Sheng Jiao didn’t speak, watching him boast with cold eyes.
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1