Early the next morning.
Xi Jue was again awakened by the aroma of food. Dazed and rubbing his eyes, he ran out, just like he hadn’t eaten a full meal in half his life: “Time to eat!”
But when he rushed out and looked closely, his face turned green again.
At the Yan family’s dining table, there was an additional Sheng Jiao. After just one night, Yan Ling sat next to Sheng Jiao, longingly calling “gege” non-stop—much more diligent and obedient than when treating Xi Jue.
Xi Jue first greeted Yan Hanque and Madam Zhao properly, then grabbed Yan Yue’s little braid and shoved him aside, monopolizing the position to Yan Ling’s left, smiling without warmth while grinding his teeth.
Yan Yue dared to be angry but not speak, holding back tears as he sat to the side drinking congee.
Yan Ling was chattering away early in the morning, eyes sparkling as he gazed at Sheng Jiao. He felt he was the kindest, gentlest person he’d ever met. While eating, he nearly stuck himself to Sheng Jiao.
“This pearl is pretty. Hey, there’s one with a character! What character is it? Fire… fire ladle?”
“It’s ‘zhuo’ (scorch).” Sheng Jiao said gently. “This appeared after awakening the xiangwen. I also don’t know why it’s this character.”
Yan Ling went “Wow” with stars in his eyes: “So amazing!”
Sheng Jiao couldn’t hold back a laugh.
“Hey!” Xi Jue sat there for ages without getting a single glance from Yan Ling. Dissatisfied, he reached out to tug Yan Ling’s little braid: “Shor… Ling’er.”
Yan Ling turned around: “What?”
Sheng Jiao also smiled faintly and looked over at him.
Xi Jue was about to make unreasonable trouble, but thinking carefully—with this deviously wicked little thunder as contrast, Yan Ling probably wouldn’t want to stick close to him even more. He could only pinch his nose and say: “I want to drink the congee from your bowl.”
Yan Ling wrinkled his nose: “This is medicinal cuisine my mother made for me to nourish my spirit veins. It doesn’t taste good.”
Yan Ling had been weak since childhood. His innate spirit veins weren’t complete either. He could only frolic and play wildly like normal people thanks to Madam Zhao’s various medicinal cuisines nourishing him. This was the first time he’d seen someone actively want to eat medicinal cuisine.
Xi Jue said: “I just want to drink it.”
“Okay.” The visitor was a guest. Yan Ling could only set aside his chat with Sheng Jiao, hopping off his chair and taking Xi Jue’s bowl to serve him medicinal congee.
Xi Jue immediately raised his eyebrow smugly at Sheng Jiao.
Sheng Jiao: “?”
Yan Ling brought half a bowl of medicinal congee and handed it to Xi Jue. Xi Jue triumphantly took a sip—his face immediately turned green.
Yan Ling was already used to drinking it, holding a small spoon and drinking mouthful by mouthful. Seeing Xi Jue’s movements freeze, he asked puzzled: “Doesn’t taste good, right?”
Xi Jue forcibly swallowed that mouthful of congee full of bitter medicinal flavor, his face greenish as he said: “Tastes good. Why wouldn’t it taste good?”
He downed half a bowl in one breath.
Yan Ling was completely stunned, feeling Xi Jue seemed to be the most amazing one—able to down even such awful-tasting congee in one gulp.
After breakfast, Yan Hanque activated the airship to send Xi Jue and Sheng Jiao back to Central State.
Clans and wandering cultivator sects were like being separated by a heavenly chasm. Xi Jue probably also realized that after leaving this time, perhaps he and this shorty would have no more connection. His heart inexplicably held some reluctance.
This was extremely rare for the young master who’d grown up in luxury since childhood. After all, the two were unrelated and had only just met less than three days ago. What emotion could make him reluctant?
But Xi Jue just inexplicably felt he didn’t want to leave, even wanting to stay with him a bit longer—as if somehow knowing their meeting and acquaintance wasn’t easy.
Autumn hadn’t yet arrived, but Yan Ling was wrapped up tightly. His head of jet-black ink hair was tied by Madam Zhao into a high ponytail, the hair ribbon tightly bound and hanging long down to his waist, with a tongueless little bell hanging at the end.
He held a small wooden sword standing beside the airship, looking up at Yan Hanque tidying the airship. The bell on the hair ribbon hung suspended, swaying back and forth in the wind.
Xi Jue hesitated for a long while before walking forward to tug Yan Ling’s hair ribbon.
Yan Ling turned around: “What now?”
Xi Jue hesitated to speak. After choking for a long time, he said: “If you come to Central State, you must come find me.”
Yan Ling didn’t understand why, but seeing Xi Jue’s dejected expression, he still obediently nodded: “Okay.”
“Don’t go find that little thunder.” Xi Jue added. “He’s deviously wicked—not a good person.”
Seeing Xi Jue start sowing discord again, Yan Ling nearly rolled his eyes, glaring: “Off with you.”
Xi Jue’s brow furrowed. Inexplicably feeling some resistance to those three words, he turned around sulkily to board the airship.
But after two steps, Xi Jue seemed to remember something. He suddenly turned and ran back with rapid steps, his bright yellow robes fluttering like pouring sunlight—bright and vivid, like a free bird spreading its arms.
He hugged Yan Ling tightly.
Yan Ling froze.
Xi Jue himself didn’t know why he did this, but still followed his heart, giving Yan Ling who was watching him leave a hug. He felt like he’d abandoned him before and instinctively wanted to make amends.
Yan Ling said confused: “Gege?”
Xi Jue wasn’t a sentimental temperament. He quickly released him, feigning composure: “I’m leaving.”
With that, he turned and rushed onto the airship in a flash.
Yan Ling didn’t understand, but still obediently tucked the small wooden sword at his waist and extended his hand toward Yan Hanque.
Yan Hanque finished tidying everything, then lifted short-legged Yan Ling onto the airship.
Xi Jue, still embarrassed from that hug, was completely dumbfounded seeing this. He said in surprise: “What are you coming up for?!”
“Look at what you’re saying.” Yan Ling was set down by Yan Hanque, skillfully walking to sit on a bench on the airship deck. “This is my family’s airship. Why can’t I come up?”
Xi Jue frowned: “But isn’t this airship going to Central State?”
Before Yan Ling could speak, Sheng Jiao who’d御风’d up answered understandingly: “Uncle Yan and Madam decided last night to bring Ling’er and Ayue to Central State together.”
After saying this, he gently asked Yan Ling: “You didn’t tell Young Master Xi?”
Young Master Xi: “…”
This dog thing, deviously wicked.
No matter how gentle Sheng Jiao’s temperament, he was ultimately only twelve years old. Ordinary children were all like Xi Jue and Yan Ling—annoying cats and dogs alike. That he was like this showed good family upbringing and cultivation.
From yesterday to today, constantly targeted by Xi Jue in different ways—where would Sheng Jiao completely suppress his grievance like an adult? Of course he’d seize the opportunity to put on that gentle mask and retort until he was dizzy and confused.
Yan Ling didn’t hear the confrontation between Sheng Jiao and Xi Jue, still foolishly happy there.
Yan Hanque carried Yan Yue onto the airship, completely sealed Yan Family Mountain’s barrier, and activated the airship to silently fly into the sky toward Central State.
Yan Yue clutched Madam Zhao’s hand, always feeling this time they seemed like they’d be away from home a long time before returning. Timidly uneasy, he asked: “Madam, where… where are we going?”
Madam Zhao hadn’t slept all night. Though her expression was weary, she smiled while stroking Yan Yue’s head, saying softly: “We’re going to live in Central State for a while.”
“Central State?” Yan Yue stammered. “Didn’t Master say Central State isn’t good for us?”
Madam Zhao’s gaze looked toward Yan Ling in the distance, wrestling with Xi Jue in a tangled mess. She didn’t speak.
Yan Yue keenly sensed something was off in the atmosphere. Hurriedly no longer pursuing this question, he said: “Then where will we live from now on?”
Yan Hanque, who’d been silent the whole time, looked at the kunyu map on the airship. He tapped his finger on one location and finally spoke coldly.
“…First, go to Medicine Sect.”
From dawn to nightfall, the airship finally stopped at Central State’s airship pavilion. Yan Hanque shrank the airship into a spirit artifact and stored it in his storage ring, taking Yan Yue’s hand to walk outside.
Yan Ling looked up, still instructing Sheng Jiao: “Remember, you really can’t go into that ghostly illusion realm again. It’ll collapse.”
He’d instructed Sheng Jiao countless times along the way, but Sheng Jiao was very patient, smiling gently and agreeing: “Okay, absolutely won’t go again.”
Only then was Yan Ling relieved.
Sheng Jiao thought about it and took out a spirit pearl full of spiritual power from his storage ring—this was the reward the Sheng family gave him after awakening his xiangwen. Though not worth much, it was already the most presentable thing on Sheng Jiao’s person.
“For you.” He handed it to Yan Ling.
Yan Ling didn’t understand the spirit pearl’s value, only feeling this pearl was very pretty. Happily accepting it: “Really giving it to me?”
“Mm.” Sheng Jiao said. “Thank you for saving my life.”
Before Yan Ling could say anything, Xi Jue unhappily squeezed over and snatched the pearl away: “Where did he save you? Wasn’t it because of me you could get out of that ghostly illusion realm? Why not thank me?”
Sheng Jiao wasn’t angry either—after all, this was fact.
Without Xi Jue, Yan Ling would probably have perished together with him in Shen Tianshe.
Good-tempered, Sheng Jiao took out another dull gray pearl from his storage ring and handed it to Xi Jue, gentle as jade: “Many thanks to Young Master Xi for saving my life.”
Xi Jue: “…”
Xi Jue rolled his eyes. The ones he played skip-stone with were better than that broken pearl—he couldn’t be bothered to accept it.
Yan Ling was still bouncing in place trying to reach the pearl Xi Jue held up high, anxious with sweat all over his head: “Give it back. That’s what gege gave me! Give it back.”
The more Xi Jue heard this, the more uncomfortable he felt. Pinching Yan Ling’s small face, he said coldly: “This pearl isn’t even valuable. I’ll give you prettier ones—priceless, the kind you couldn’t afford even if you sold yourself.”
Yan Ling stubbornly kept bouncing: “I don’t want them. I just want that one.”
Xi Jue was half-dead with anger, furiously throwing it to him. Thinking to himself—why was he here getting jealous over a little brat and an annoying poor ghost?
Xi Jue didn’t even say goodbye. His figure flashed—in an instant, he left the spot and disappeared without a trace.
Yan Hanque had originally wanted to send Xi Jue home, but thinking carefully—that young master grew up in Central State since childhood. Where would he not know the way home? Unable to find him, he could only give up.
Sheng Jiao knew Yan Hanque had urgent business at Medicine Sect. Not wanting to add trouble for them, he proactively said he could return alone.
Yan Ling longingly clutched the pearl and waved at him: “Gege, farewell.”
The long street’s bright lamps were like daylight. Sheng Jiao in white robes smiled gently at him: “Mm, farewell.”
Watching Sheng Jiao disappear into the crowd, Yan Ling, who’d been lively all day, suddenly felt empty. He listlessly held Yan Hanque’s hand, slowly walking forward.
Yan Hanque wrapped a jet-black dharma robe around him, also covering his face with the wide hood.
Yan Ling didn’t understand: “Father?”
Last night, only a trace of Tianyan spiritual power could be detected from the back of Yan Ling’s neck—it seemed the xiangwen was awakening in his meridians. A day and night passed, and Yan Ling’s body had already begun faintly emitting Tianyan spiritual power.
Yan Hanque quickened his pace with a grave face. Half a shichen later, they arrived safely at Medicine Sect.
Madam Wan was already waiting at the gate. Seeing figures approaching from afar, she hurriedly came forward carrying a lamp.
“Zhao’er?”
Madam Zhao hurriedly stepped forward: “Sister Wan?”
The two had already discussed this matter via rhinoceros horn lamp yesterday. Meeting in person, they still happily exchanged pleasantries.
Yan Yue was carried on Yan Hanque’s shoulder sleeping soundly, not waking even after entering Medicine Sect.
Yan Ling drowsily hugged Yan Hanque’s arm, slowly walking forward. He vaguely felt like he’d walked into a warm mountain—excited, he became slightly more alert.
As far as his vision reached, Madam Zhao was talking with a beautiful woman of gentle temperament. Beside her seemed to be a short shadow in black robes.
Yan Ling tilted his head.
At this moment, Madam Zhao pulled him over, smiling: “Ling’er, this is your Jiu gege.”
Lezheng Jiu wore a black hood, standing behind Madam Wan full of gloom, unwillingly looking up.
He didn’t want to communicate with outsiders. He had absolutely no good face for the rare guests coming to Medicine Sect. His gaze seemed to carry a fierce light—full of displeasure and rejection, as if wanting to stare until they left his home.
Yan Ling didn’t detect Lezheng Jiu’s hostility. Too tired to keep his eyes open, he obediently called: “Gege.”
Lezheng Jiu, who was still releasing fierce “get lost from my house” hostility, suddenly froze.
This was Lezheng Jiu’s first time communicating with peers, also his first time being called gege so softly and sweetly by such a small child. The ear roots hidden under his hood immediately heated up, turning terribly red.
Madam Wan, seeing Yan Ling about to collapse on the ground sleeping, said helplessly: “Jiu’er, first take Ling’er to the side chamber I’ve prepared for him to sleep.”
Lezheng Jiu felt he couldn’t be so superficial—easily bought off by an obedient face. Striving to maintain a small stern face, he said coldly: “I won’t…”
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Ling, drowsy enough to shiver, suddenly opened his eyes wide. His gaze was still scattered and unfocused. Only hearing Madam Wan say she wanted him to go “sleep,” he mumbled incoherently: “Sleep—sleep, thank you gege, gege thank you, thank you sleep…”
Lezheng Jiu: “…”
After a long while, Lezheng Jiu finally forced out a sentence.
“Let’s—let’s go.”
**
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152