The cultivation method of the He Huan Sect was very special. It wasn't easy to cultivate to the Golden Core stage, and there was only one cultivator who achieved the Nascent Soul stage, Zhi Shan Heavenly Venerable, who relied on 'enjoying the shade offered by a big tree'.

Most of the He Huan Sect disciples present were of Foundation Building stage, with only two at the Golden Core stage. There was absolutely no way for them to escape from the pursuit of Nascent Soul stage Heavenly Venerables.

When the He Huan Sect disciples saw that Chi Muyao had been captured, they were all uneasy. They couldn't understand what intentions the Young Qing Ze Sect Master had for Chi Muyao, or whether he would really leave him alone after capturing him.

However, this group of old foxes did pick up some things judging by the look in Xi Huai's eyes towards Chi Muyao.

Xi Huai had a cold expression during the meeting, as if he wasn't interested in anything.

But his eyes lit up after seeing Chi Muyao, curving into crescents. The corners of his mouth also rose uncontrollably, clearly showing the appearance of a youngster in love. Someone who couldn't control the love welling up in their eyes when looking at the one they liked.

While Chi Muyao was flustered, he still cared about his fellow sect members. He repeated in a stutter, "Can you let them go?"

Xi Huai refused. "The Thousand Sect Conference can't be said to be peaceful. A group of girls like them won't be safe. It would be best if we all stick together, so we can look after each other." 

"But...they run fast."

"Still got caught in the end, right?"

"By Nascent Soul stage seniors!"

"Exactly. There are many Nascent Soul stage seniors at the Thousand Sect Conference..."

Xu Ranzhu was the first to say, "It's okay, let's stay together."

Her words could be taken as comforting Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao felt very guilty as he looked up at his fellow sect members. He sighed, still feeling like he has caused them all trouble.

After accepting his fate, he turned slightly to the side and took out the steamed buns from his clothes. He couldn't bear to throw them away in the end and waste food, so he put them away in his Qiankun bag.

Watching him the whole time, Xi Huai couldn't help but laugh at his actions.

Chi Muyao lowered his head and looked at his clothes, thinking about how to open his lapels to match Xu Ranzhu's description.

He raised his head again and asked Xi Huai, "Is it okay if just the outer layer is open?"

He would be a little embarrassed if the inner layer had to be open too. 

However, Xi Huai's expression suddenly changed. He grasped Chi Muyao's hands, preventing him from loosening his belt as he looked around.

The Zun Yue Palace Master who was looking on, immediately raised his head like he hadn't seen anything.

Next, Xi Huai reached out and grabbed his slender wrist. "Come with me."

He was led by Xi Huai onto a flying artefact that could accommodate two people. Xi Huai escorted him all the way back to the street from before.

There was a Thousand Sect Night Festival on the first day of the Thousand Sect Conference.

The so-called Thousand Sect Night Festival entailed that several members of each Sect could ride on unified flying artefacts and line up in an orderly fashion to enter the night festival street.

There would be various lamps and other decorations on both sides of the street, as well as fluorescent artefacts placed around the stone and jade carvings. 

The route passed along many places, which were all decorated with colourful lights. A true feast for the eyes.

After getting off Xi Huai's flying artefact, Xi Huai kept pulling Chi Muyao's wrist, guiding him into the crowd. 

Of course, everyone was familiar with the uniform of the He Huan Sect.

So the sight of Xi Huai dragging a He Huan Sect disciple into the crowd attracted a lot of attention.

The smear of pink held by the man in dark red robes seemed to impart a degree of gentleness onto him.

The people around them chattered away. 

"What's the Young Sect Master doing with a He Huan Sect disciple? They seem to have a pretty good relationship. No wonder he was so protective of the He Huan Sect before."

"Why does that disciple look like a man to me?" 

"A man? Impossible. Does the He Huan Sect even have male disciples?"

"Honestly? Look at his height and stature. He really is a man.” 

Chi Muyao still felt exposed, even wearing the peach blossom face. He tried to take his hand back, but Xi Huai's grip was unyielding.

He quickly reminded Xi Huai, "Don't pull me along. Others will misunderstand."

"Misunderstand what?" Xi Huai suddenly pulled him in, causing Chi Muyao to bump into him. He looked up again and met Xi Huai's eyes.

Xi Huai's aggressive gaze made him shrink back subconsciously. But his heart skipped a beat.

He avoided Xi Huai's gaze and explained, "They might misunderstand the relationship between us."

"What is our relationship?"

"We, we are...old acquaintances."

"Oh, yes. Old acquaintances, huh? You're my saviour, and I'm yours too, right?"

"En, you could say that."

"So what's wrong with me pulling you along?"

"It's not proper. Can we just walk side by side?"

"Sure."

Chi Muyao thought that Xi Huai was actually being reasonable for once. However, as soon as he let go, many Mandarin Sleeves attached to his sleeve, sticking it to Xi Huai's sleeve. In the end, he had no choice but to walk arm in arm with Xi Huai, even closer than before.

Even the way he walked became somewhat awkward. He also had to look back frequently to see if his fellow sect members were safe.

Zong Sichen and Song Weiyue were late to catch up. When they did, they walked around Chi Muyao and Xi Huai and took a look.

Feeling like their eyes might be deceiving them, they took an even closer look.

Song Weiyue had big eyes to begin with. Now, they were open even wider. His mouth was also open a fraction, and the tip of his tongue was hanging out.

Zong Sichen was also stunned to the point he temporarily dropped his usual elegance. He shared a look with Song Weiyue. With just one glance, they could see the shock in the other's eyes.

A-Jiu was alive!

And right by Xi Huai's side!

They finally found him after more than two years! It almost felt kind of weird to them. 

Song Weiyue even wanted to talk to Chi Muyao, but Zong Sichen held him back. In the end, they just followed behind the pair.

Song Weiyue stared at the two people in front of him with a pout. He sent a divine sense transmission to the other two except Chi Muyao, "I'm not the smartest guy around, but I'm not a fool either. Did Chi Muyao really think we wouldn't find out? Just look at that chin, that little mouth, that little bit of his face peeking out under his mask, and that neck..."

Zong Sichen also took a look. "En...Is he still pretending?" 

Xi Huai suddenly replied, "Let him pretend!" 

Song Weiyue began to sigh. "It's really Chi Muyao, ah! How could it be him! My God! Is this what old men look like now? Should they look like this?? This is so different from the old man I imagined...He looks even younger than me!"

Zong Sichen kept repeating, "Not bad, not bad. These three years were worth it. These two years of searching were worth it! No, they were more than worth it. How is he an old man—he's an ageless beauty!"

Song Weiyue has already started to think about the future of the two, "I also think...Maybe even the Sect Master will be moved enough by Chi Muyao's beauty to agree to the Young Sect Master being with a He Huan Sect disciple." 

Zong Sichen also sighed, "If I looked like that, I wouldn't be able to bear wearing masks."

Currently, the people around them were either surprised that the Young Sect Master was with a He Huan Sect disciple or that said disciple was male.

"If the mask was taken off, that would be another story entirely. Admiring light? Pei! Being able to admire such a beauty was what made the trip worthwhile!”

Xi Huai didn't want to listen to the never-ending chatter of those two, so he reminded them, "The grandma who slept with you is behind us."

Zong Sichen perked up after hearing that. He turned around to look for Xu Ranzhu in the crowd and really spotted her among the eleven girls wearing masks in one glance. He walked over to her. "Long time no see. Have you been well?"

"I've been okay." Xu Ranzhu replied coldly.

"Did you miss me?"

"Hm. Who are you again?"

"Don't be like this. I'm going into retreat to form my core soon. I'll try my best to cultivate, alright?"

From a certain perspective, having a He Huan Sect disciple as your cultivation partner was very stimulating.

After all, if their cultivation level ever fell, it was extremely likely that their cultivation partner would run away to be with someone else.

Seeing that Xu Ranzhu didn't like Zong Sichen very much, Lou Qiongzhi made a big move and tugged at the corner of Xu Ranzhu's clothes. "Mother, who is he?"

Not only Song Weiyue and Zong Sichen, but Xu Ranzhu herself was stunned for a while. Then she recovered and replied, "Oh, an old acquaintance."

As if struck by lightning, Zong Sichen was utterly dumbfounded. He asked in a trembling voice, "You, you already have children?" 

Xu Ranzhu nodded and admitted, "Yes."

Generally speaking, this was an ultimate finishing move that could make any persistent suitor give up in an instant.

Sure enough, Zong Sichen was dumbfounded to hear that. He only asked after a long pause, "Then how many children do you have?"

"Not many."

"How old are they? If they're older than me, it'll be very stressful to be their father..."

After a long internal struggle, Zong Sichen actually said something like that. All the He Huan Sect disciples were shocked. Lou Qiongzhi bent over with laughter instead.

Xu Ranzhu was also surprised. In the end, she laughed helplessly and didn't answer, which made Zong Sichen very uneasy.

Lou Qiongzhi finally stopped laughing, and said to Zong Sichen, "Then Daddy needs to work hard on cultivating."

Xu Ranzhu quickly cursed, "Fuck off." 

By now, Zong Sichen knew he was being teased. He breathed a sigh of relief. 

Song Weiyue was curious instead. He asked them, "Why haven't any of you made this great beauty in your Sect your cultivation partner?"

Lou Qiongzhi: "Are you talking about Little Shige?"

Song Weiyue: "Yes!"

Lou Qiongzhi shook her head. "First of all, we don't like people of lower cultivation than us. Second, we don't really like being around Little Shige. It makes us look ugly by comparison."

Song Weiyue thought about it and nodded. "That makes sense.” 

His words were basically admitting that Chi Muyao was so beautiful they paled in comparison.

Even if they were angry, what could they say?

Lou Qiongzhi asked again, "What will happen to Little Shige now your Young
Sect Master has caught him?"

Zong Sichen thought for a while and then replied, "Probably just take him back to the Qing Ze Sect."

She quickly asked, "To do what?"

Zong Sichen smiled. "What else? Help your Little Shige to the Golden Core stage." 

Lou Qiongzhi suddenly pursed her lips and sneakily looked at the two people in front of her for a long time. She seemed to make peace with the idea, muttering afterwards, "This kid seems even more enthusiastic than a newlywed. Can Little Shige take it?"

Zong Sichen felt like it was nothing. "Nothing happened in those last three years, right?"

"But the Young Sect Master was chained up those three years, now he's free!"

Zong Sichen couldn't help but snicker. "In more ways than one."

However, Zong Sichen still looked at the backs of Xi Huai and Chi Muyao walking side by side and comforted her, "Don't worry. The Young Sect Master will cherish him."

Chi Muyao was taken by Xi Huai to the flying artefact, leading the others in the procession.

The artefact was like a sedan chair, but only the ceiling and floor were closed. From all four sides hung gauze curtains and there was white, translucent tulle around the beams. Any side could be opened to see the outside world. It was night now. The night winds blew arrogantly, raising the white gauze for them.

Everyone was a cultivator here, so the layer of tulle was only for decoration. It didn't fully obscure the people inside from sight.

No one else came to sit inside after Chi Muyao and Xi Huai entered the artefact.

He saw how the Zun Yue Palace Master and the others could only sit in the artefact behind them. Song Weiyue and his peers sat even further back.

This made him feel like he was overstepping, making him a little restless.

Once all one thousand sects were seated, the artefacts slowly moved forward. Their artefact was the one in the lead, letting Chi Muyao have an unparalleled view. The Demonic Faction cultivators who didn't get to sit on an artefact crowded on both sides of the street, watching the procession.

When their artefact reached those people, they would move like a wave, bowing in salute to them.

This was an honour only the young Qing Ze Sect Master enjoyed.

Chi Muyao sat ramrod straight beside Xi Huai. This was his being the centre of thousands of people's attention and adoration.

After transmigrating, he has always been a small character looked down on and bullied by others. He could only rely on himself to restore his dignity. This was his first time receiving such a show of respect.

He knew that this respect only came about due to the person beside him.

As he ruminated in unease, Xi Huai quietly took his hands in their sleeves.

Only when he looked at Xi Huai did he realise the other party had been watching him with soft eyes the entire time.

Xi Huai did it on purpose. He wanted everyone to know that this male disciple of the He Huan Sect was his.

He too, belonged to this person.

"Look in front of us." Xi Huai reminded him.

Chi Muyao looked forward. After Xi Huai cast a series of spells, fireworks bloomed in front of them.

The fireworks were accompanied by fire element spells, the bright red flames threatening to tear the sky apart. The flowers blooming under the moon left gorgeous trees bearing silver buds.

Chi Muyao's eyes widened, the bright fireworks reflected in his eyes. One by one, they exploded before him, dyeing his eyes different, vivid colours.

He looked up at the sky happily.

Xi Huai looked at him, admiring the grand fireworks display reflected in his eyes.

That day, all the Demonic Faction cultivators saw the young Qing Ze Sect Master bring a He Huan Sect disciple onto his artefact.

And a handsome male disciple at that.

That male disciple was dressed in pink and wore a peach blossom face. The bead curtain below the mask swayed, but they couldn't cover the lips ruby red without rouge.

His skin was extremely fair, but his long hair was the darkest of blue-black.

Even though his full face couldn't be seen, he still left a beautiful impression on people. Beauty was more than looks. It was temperament, posture, and the unstoppable light in the Young Sect Master's eyes when he looked at him.

Apparently many female cultivators who fell in love with Xi Huai were heartbroken that day, sobbing desperately.

Some people even chased after the artefact for a long time, shouting Xi Huai's name to no avail.

Because Xi Huai only had Chi Muyao in his eyes.

Xi Huai was once the most arrogant of all, a notoriously violent lunatic destined to lead a rotten life. Yet one day, he bypassed the sound and fury. Only wishing to hold hands with one person, he softened his gaze and attitude.

Only for him.

To accompany him.

Just him.

Editor's Corner

Sahloknir has something to add:

Xi Huai: Happy wife, happy life!

Wife’s Family: Help with a Golden Core, wealthy, protects the family, he’s not bad. We approve!

Wife’s Other Family: Help with spirit beast upkeep, wealthy enough to keep contributing. We approve!

Chi Muyao: …

Chapters

7 Comments

  1. LicoLico

    That was quite romantic~
    Thank You for the new chapter (。’▽’。)♡

  2. ddekkun

    This was so sweet to read. They’re so cute and precious (´;︵;`) It’s also cute how Zong Sichen’s reaction was basically like “oh i’m gonna be a father” ww thank you for your hardwork! TT

  3. Muggelschmuggel

    »Chi Muyao was taken by Xi Huai to the flying arte,fact leading..« artefact

    In my mind the streets are full of grieving women, lying around crying and “dead”, just like those scenes from manga/anime lolol

    Thx for the ch (ㅅ˘ㅂ˘)

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