What’s so great about igniting a flame stick?

Gu Feidi’s breathing paused abruptly. 

Standing still and fuming with rage, he suddenly snorted to express his annoyance and said from between gritted teeth, “Originally, I thought you weren’t worth it. But seeing you in a new light, and contrary to what others have rumoured, I thought you wouldn’t mind that I threw in a question.”

Through the dim night light, Su Yang gave an undignified roll of his eyes.

Di Ling returned quickly with a lantern.

Now with lighting, Su Yang and Gu Feidi could travel using less effort. They tacitly agreed that neither of them would mention the earlier conversation, so they continued wordlessly. 

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the three passed through a looming gate draped with flowers, all of which was hidden in the bamboo forest. They came to a courtyard filled with flower blossoms and leafy trees. In the courtyard, the trees were lush green and full of life, multiflora roses and lilacs bloomed beautifully due to the early summer season as the cool evening wind gently carried the warm and harmonious fragrance.

This courtyard’s size was not small but was occupied by a garden and a winding corridor. There were two rooms available in the courtyard, separated by the north and east walls.

“This is the Lively Spring Garden.” Di Ling hung the lantern on the light holder at the courtyard gate and added, “The room should have been prepared as instructed by Shizun. You two will stay in the east wing tonight. Tomorrow morning, I will take you to the Pavilion of Infinite Knowledge to choose an advanced mental skill manual. After that, we will live in this courtyard, explore and learn new martial arts together.”

Without waiting to receive a reply from the two, she exited the courtyard, leaving them an impression of a cold and quiet shadow.

The two finally faced each other once Di Ling was a distance away. An air of awkwardness filled their surroundings. 

After pondering his next action as the Evil Sect’s Young Master, Su Yang decided to take the lead.

He coughed. “…since that’s the case, this Young Master will suffer a bit and sleep in the east wing room with you.” He raised his chin in a rather haughty tone, “If you dare disturb this one in the middle of the night by snoring or grinding your teeth, I will definitely not forgive you!”

Feeling angry at Su Yang's arrogance but also finding it laughable, Gu Feidi was too lazy to argue with him. He turned his back on the other man and marched straight to the east side of the courtyard.

Su Yang scratched a handful of hair, then followed Gu Feidi into their room.

Although the east wing room was not large, after entering from the main hall, it was divided into a bedroom to the left and another to the right. Folding screens屏風 a temporary room divider, commonly used by people to change outfits behind. Below are examples of painted lacquer and woven room dividers. blocked the doorways at each bedroom, which could be regarded as a private space for both of them.

Seeing such a layout relieved Su Yang, he picked one room randomly and entered without saying a word to Gu Feidi.

In the dark, he put his belongings on the desk beside the bed and threw himself onto the quilt. He stared blankly at the ancient building’s high ceiling and beams.

Even now, everything felt so surreal. 

—How did he end up strangely being pushed step by step, to being selected into the House of Jade?

The plot clearly didn’t end like this, even if what he transmigrated into was the original work and not the script...playing as Su Yang, he and Gu Feidi should not have such an experience as comrades in the House of Jade.

So what should he do next?

If he rifled through the House of Jade without saying a word, where was the next part they would meet in the story?

Two years later, in autumn.

At the wasteland where the Sacred Sword Tomb of Deception疑塚 roughly described as fake tombs created to prevent robbery and destruction of the real ones. But in this case, I don’t think this tomb is a fake one. was located.

He remembered now.

In the script, he forced his way through the stone forest array, injuring his meridians. He had no choice but to return to the Evil Sect and recuperate for two years. When he reappeared, there were rumours in the Jianghu that someone had found a trace of the tomb in the wasteland. 

As a result, he led the Evil Sect’s members to the wasteland in an attempt to find the Sacred Sword Tomb of Deception and gain the Sacred Sword Inheritance.

In that scene, he reunited with Gu Feidi, who finished his apprenticeship in a short two years. In that battle, he joined forces with the Evil Sect’s petal retainer and members of the Qinglian Sect to force Gu Feidi and Pu Lingyun down a cliff. Then, the protagonist and heroine discovered the sacred tomb under the cliff. Not only did he obtain the Inheritance, but also progressed his romantic relationship.

Feeling irritated, he bit his fingernails and calculated, ‘Two years…that’s good. At least I only have two more years to go.’

As long as he could also finish his apprenticeship in two years, same as Gu Feidi, he would not delay his journey to the wasteland, and there should be a chance to pull the plot back to the right path!

Thinking through this, he felt that he had to work harder and study longer. If he wanted to finish his training in two years, he couldn't act like a useless couch potato鹹魚 lit translation: salted fish. Slang for people who don't want to do anything. I used couch potatoes for translation. An example from the movie Shaolin Soccer: If you don’t have a dream, what is the difference between you and a salted fish?!

He flipped over and got up from the bed, using the faint moonlight reflected out of the window, he groped for the flame stick火折子 it’s the olden days equivalent of the cigarette lighter or flashlight, a convenient, portable, easy to use source of quick light and a means to start other fires (such as lighting a lamp). Rather than carrying big unwieldy torches around (though you do see that from time to time too), characters will often just pull out a flame stick. It’s one of those items they always seem to have on them. beside the candlestick on the desk.

He had seen this tool during his time filming, and he had seen it used by his petal retainers too. As long as he opens the cover and blows it gently, a fire will ignite. Quite a convenient tool.

In the dark, he puffed up his cheeks and blew a breath at the dark red light.

The flame stick…did not ignite.

Su Yang: “...”

He did not believe in this black magic as he blew on it again—but the flame stick still did not light. 

“Tsk, why aren’t you doing what you were meant for?”

He murmured more curses, holding the bamboo tube hard, wheezing, and blowing for a long time.

However, it seemed as if the flame stick was playing with him. The bright red light was clearly shining in the bamboo tube, and the light was flickering with his effort. However, no matter how he blew, the fire would not appear!

After many attempts and lost time, impatience finally won over as he slammed the bamboo cover back to the tube and threw the tool on the table with a loud bang. 

Fine! He won’t light the candle!

Pissed off!

Read what book!

Forget reading!

Su Yang turned angrily and was about to go back to the bed to lie down. He was suddenly startled by a figure standing by the folding screen.

He was so focused on blowing the flame stick earlier; he didn’t notice the sound of footsteps approaching.

Gu Feidi stood by the folding screen and looked at the desk with a complicated expression. His line of sight fell on the flame stick that Su Yang had tossed.

“What are you doing?”

Su Yang was aware of his embarrassing action so he took the initiative in the conversation. “Although we will live together from now on, please pay attention to your actions and don’t casually trespass into my room. It’s dark and windy, two single...men living…” He coughed to stop. “Anywhere, it’s not good for you to invade others' privacy like this.”

Gu Feidi glanced at Su Yang quietly, then he turned to exit the room without replying.

Su Yang looked at his departing shadow and suddenly felt annoyed. 

What did he just blurt out? It was completely out of the Young Master’s character! How could the cool and tyrannical Young Master recite such a line?!

Sure enough, his acting foundation was still shaky. Improvising on the spot was really testing his acting ability!

Scoffing at what he just said...and he couldn’t take it back either! He could only turn around in frustration and take out his Divide Lotus Technique manual. He intended to go out to the courtyard and try to read it using the moonlight.

Unbeknownst to him, as he was ready to leave his room, Gu Feidi came back with a lamp.

He placed the lamp on Su Yang’s desk, exchanging it for the small-unlit lamp as he said, “You are indeed spoiled and accustomed to your pampered lifestyle, you don’t even know how to operate a flame stick. It’s dark tonight, inconvenient for you to read. You can use my lamp first and learn diligently tomorrow on how to ignite a flame stick, so as not to make the House of Jade look bad.”

He carried Su Yang’s lamp and turned to walk out of the room.

Su Yang twisted the manual in his hand, attempting to say something, but couldn’t think of any suitable comeback to Gu Feidi’s statement.

It was not until the folding screen covered Gu Feidi on the other side of the bedroom, and light slowly shone behind it, that Su Yang took a deep breath and went toward his desk.

…Whatever.

He thought to himself, ‘It doesn’t matter if Gu Feidi occasionally gained back some lost ground. He will die under Gu Feidi’s sword eventually anyway, and he could finally return to the modern times.’

In the modern age, there were matches, lighter, and even gas stoves. Making fire with a flame stick was just as inconvenient as creating fire with branches—like a caveman!

Humph! What was so great about knowing how to operate a flame stick!

Now with light, he flipped open his manual, and gradually immersed into the text, no longer lingering on his negative thoughts.

As he contrasted the internal energy’s pathway in the sword technique manual, he stood up and began to mimic the movement. Finally, he was gaining a little more understanding of the art of swordplay.

Feeling excited, Su Yang’s original night owl schedule was even more disordered. It was not until a faint smudge of white appeared in the eastern sky did he finally decide to rest, as he could not avoid his tiredness. 

Gu Feidi straightened out his outfit for morning exercises. When he came out from behind the folding screen, he saw the light in Su Yang’s room go out.

He frowned but did not make any comments. He went through his daily training out in the courtyard alone.

It was not until the morning sun rose high did he complete his last set of routine training, as Di Ling arrived at the courtyard at a precise time. 

Walking along the cobblestone path toward the east chamber, she carried a pile of books in her arm with a green bird resting on her shoulder.

Gu Feidi came forward and greeted her with her name respectfully. 

Nodding in response, she handed the books to Gu Feidi. “Shizun sent a letter this morning instructing me to send these manuals over. The letter also stated that Su Yang practiced the entire night again. Help me pass these manuals to him and try not to disturb him. Afterward, I will take you to the dining hall for breakfast, then the Pavilion of Infinite Knowledge to locate the advanced mental skills you need.”

Gu Feidi took the stack of manuals from her and bowed toward her before he left toward Su Yang’s room.

He entered Su Yang’s bedroom, but before he could place the manuals down on the desk, the figure on the bed attracted his full attention. 

The young man slept on his stomach with his shining raven hair spreading around him like a silky cloud.

Su Yang hugged half of the quilt while the other half covered his lower body. A slender leg peeked out from under it. His movement shifted the bottom hem of the pants upward slightly, revealing the delicate ankle and small part of his leg. A bare foot hovered close to the edge of the bed, the toes dusted with healthy pink; they looked incomparably clean.

His light and thin middle robe was made from an extremely smooth silk, and his sleeping posture lifted the hem, unveiling a section of his smooth waist. The bottom edge of the pure white robe draped on the skin, and a bright red faintly showed through the transparent material—it was a flame-like red flower tattoo.

As if the crimson had scalded him, Gu Feidi turned away his gaze, pressed his lips together tightly, and quickly went to the desk to put down the manuals. Then he ran away using his light movement skill and left the room without looking back.

The sudden loud noise woke Su Yang. He mumbled something, rolled to his side, and fell back to sleep.

With his motion, his clothes were overturned again, revealing a cluster of fiery epiphyllumTeo: 曇花 The word is so much easier to say in Chinese.
Sahl: Epiphyllums are epiphytic cacti, meaning that they grow on other plants, known for their beautiful showy flowers. There are many varieties, below is a red one similar to what is on Su Yang's back. There is also 'Queen of the Night', which is a white epiphyllum cacti that only flowers at night and the blooms last less than a day. on his back, burning as bright as fire, unlike any that exists in the world.