CH 19

“I’m just one step away from dying on the spot.”

Shen Liuxiang leaned against the peach tree, slender fingers gripping the wine jug, tears swirling in his eyes, lips tightly pressed, and he felt heartbroken to the extreme.

He was just a cry away from bursting into tears.

“Um…” Ling Hua didn’t understand why he was so sad and pondered for a moment. “After observing Zhou Xuanlan during the competition, he seemed calm and not like someone whose confidence was shattered. You can rest assured.”

“Don’t mention him to me.” Shen Liuxiang took a sip of wine, his cheeks flushed either from drinking or anger.

He lowered his head slightly, almost choking on his words. “I’m about to lose even my undergarments.”

What happened to the explosive cosmos he was supposed to have?

He had just spent ten thousand spirit stones the day before on extravagant robes and boots, and now he was reduced to a penniless state.

Shen Liuxiang wanted to cry but had no tears. He just wanted to get drunk and forget about it all. Little did he know that when he looked down, he saw a young man standing under the tree, looking at him with a worried expression.

“Master.”

Shen Liuxiang’s blood boiled, and although he knew Zhou Xuanlan was innocent, he couldn’t help but feel the urge to beat him up for the loss of countless spirit stones.

After enduring for a while, Shen Liuxiang fled in a hurry.

Leaving Zhou Xuanlan under the tree, his eyes fixed on the spot where Shen Liuxiang had disappeared, his face carrying a hint of confusion and innocence.

The moon climbed up the branches.

Shen Liuxiang carried half a jug of wine and slowly came down from Huatian Peak. As he passed through the peach forest on the mountainside, he was startled by a figure.

He had used his spiritual energy to dissipate some of the drunkenness, leaving him slightly tipsy, but this shock woke him up completely.

The young man who stepped out of the shadows, Shen Liuxiang didn’t know how long he had been waiting there, but his black hair was adorned with fallen peach blossoms, and his face was somewhat pale from the injuries sustained during the competition.

When he saw Shen Liuxiang, his black eyes brightened, and his slightly bloodless lips moved, “Master.”

Shen Liuxiang was taken aback by the scene, cursing himself inwardly for not being able to shift his anger at all, as his disciple was just too obedient.

Zhou Xuanlan supported him and said gently, “Master is upset because I lost to Ling Mushan, disappointing you.”

After venting his anger all day, Shen Liuxiang’s frustration had almost disappeared. Hearing this, he narrowed his phoenix eyes and said with relief, “I don’t blame you, no need to blame yourself.”

Seeing Zhou Xuanlan looking disheartened, Shen Liuxiang reached out and comfortingly patted his disciple’s head, noticing that he had grown quite a bit taller, almost reaching his own height.

Suddenly, a sense of joy as a mentor overwhelmed him.

Feeling more content, Shen Liuxiang spoke encouragingly, “It’s normal to have victories and defeats in a competition. You don’t have to take it too seriously. After all, Ling Mushan is indeed an outstanding figure among the younger generation.”

Zhou Xuanlan remained silent, and as they walked through the peach blossom forest, just before leaving Huatian Peak, he tightened his grip on Shen Liuxiang’s hand and said softly, “Actually, I could have defeated Ling Mushan, so… Master, I’m not inferior to him.”

Huh?

Shen Liuxiang stopped in his tracks, widening his eyes slightly.

“Say that again!!!”

Qingling Sect stood against the vast mountains, covering a wide area, with several mortal towns scattered around its periphery.

Wanshui Town was one of them, protected by the Immortal Sect for a hundred years. In a place that has become famous far and wide, its prosperity rivals that of some major cities.

At noon, the restaurant was packed with no empty seats. In the middle of the room, a storyteller clapped the wooden board and vividly recounted the recent Qingling Sect disciple competition.

“After the gentle call of Lord Su, the two most outstanding disciples from the sect stood on the stage. One was inspired by the master and gained boundless power, while the other was burning with anger and seemed unstoppable… If before they were competing for the top spot, then now they were fighting for Lord Su himself! In an instant, the two of them appeared to have an irreconcilable hatred towards each other, fiercely battling on the stage.”

The storyteller paused for a moment, picked up a teacup to quench his thirst, and at that moment, dozens of spirit stones were thrown from a private room on the second floor, all landing at his feet.

The storyteller was overjoyed, quickly putting down the teacup, “Thank you for the immortal’s reward!”

He continued with his tale.

“Master, here are the collected portraits.” Liu Shenyun bowed down and presented several scrolls.

The man addressed as “Master” wore a dark purple robe with a stern expression. His right eye had a prominent scar that appeared deep red like blood, as if it had been burned by fierce flames, giving his whole face a fierce aura.

His well-defined fingers grabbed one of the scrolls.

Unfolding it.

In the painting stood a snow-robed cultivator by the edge of a pond, with a slight smile on his lips, exuding a flawless and beautiful demeanor.

The man’s slightly calloused hand gently touched the face of the person in the painting, caressing it carefully. The ferocity in his eyes, usually full of hostility, now contained boundless tenderness, as if gazing at a rare treasure.

“Exactly the same as my younger brother.”

Liu Shenyun speculated, “Should I go to Qingling Sect to invite him?”

The wind whistled through the hall, and his robe fluttered. A deep voice sounded inside the private room, “I will personally go to get him.”

The sound of swords clashing echoed by the Juechun River throughout the night without rest.

Ling Jinye hid in the shadows, glaring fiercely at Ling Mushan. “You haven’t slept for three days. It must be because you were too ruthless and made him suffer an unprecedented blow, which drove him to practice crazily!”

Ling Mushan shook his head helplessly, “If I had held back, I wouldn’t have stood a chance of winning. But it seems like he held back too.”

Ling Jingye exclaimed, “He deliberately lost to you. Why?”

“I don’t know,” Ling Mushan shrugged, “Maybe it has something to do with Senior Martial Uncle. Yesterday, Master asked Senior Martial Uncle to prepare for the award ceremony, but he refused.”

Every year after the disciple competition, the top three would be personally awarded prizes by the master in the Lingxiao Hall. In the past, Immortal Shen had always ignored his disciples, so Ling Ye or Ling Hua would usually receive the award on behalf of Zhou Xuanlan, and everyone thought it was natural.

However, recently, the bond between them had become visible. Not to mention accompanying him all night during the competition, just the way Shen Liuxiang supported his disciple with heartbreaking shouts on the stage had deeply moved everyone present.

Their relationship was so deep!

Zhou Xuanlan had waited for so many years, and he could finally receive the reward from Immortal Shen.

Everyone was looking forward to it.

However…

“I won’t go,” Shen Liuxiang lay on a soft brocade cushion, his chin resting on a pillow, leisurely peeling a purple grape. “As usual, you can go in my place.”

Ling Hua massaged his forehead, “You’re still within the sect. Going to Lingxiao Hall is just a blink of an eye. Why should I go on your behalf?”

Shen Liuxiang’s lips curled slightly as he coldly snorted.

Don’t ask, don’t ask.

It’s as if Zhou, proclaimed winner of the best actor award, played him to the point of losing everything.

Seeing that reasoning wasn’t getting through, Ling Hua’s eyes flickered as he said, “I heard that your disciple has been practicing by the Juechun River for several days. It’s cold there, and the young man’s figure is thin and pitiful.”

Shen Liuxiang’s face remained unaffected as he continued eating grapes. “I didn’t stop him from returning to Chaoyun Peak.”

He thought about it but couldn’t figure out why his disciple played him. The only explanation was that Zhou Xuanlan knew he had a lot of spirit stones on him and was seeking revenge, venting the resentment from the past.

Shen Liuxiang felt a bitter taste in his heart.

If he had a problem with him, he could just come and argue. Why bully the spirit stones?

“Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll go to Lingxiao Hall,” Ling Hua brushed his sleeve and stood up. Before leaving, he spoke like a chatterbox, “First, give me the magic artifact for my good disciple, then I’ll see the Sect Master award Ling Mushan. If I have time, I’ll throw your prize to Zhou Xuanlan.”

“Oh, by the way, the year he first entered the sect, I remember he won the first place. Since you didn’t want to come, I had to ask another elder to present the award. I directly threw it on the ground for him. The disciples in the hall burst into laughter, speculating whether Zhou Xuanlan would pick it up or not.”

Ling Hua walked to the door and turned around, giving a sly smile. “What do you think would happen if my hand trembled? Would Zhou Xuanlan pick it up or not?”

“Pick it up, damn it—”

A purple grape smashed against the door.

In Lingxiao Hall, Ling Hua picked up a brocade box and walked up to Ling Jinye. Seeing his disciple’s playful and smiling hand extended towards him, Ling Hua immediately slapped his palm and said indignantly, “Third disciple, can you be a little more serious?”

Ling Jinye stuck out his tongue and grinned, “Master, you couldn’t beat the Sect Master and Immortal Shen back then, and I’m just following in your footsteps.”

Who dared to openly call Immortal Shen like that? Everyone in the hall broke out in a cold sweat for Ling Jinye.

Unexpectedly, Ling Hua lightly patted his disciple’s head and then rubbed it. “You’ve become so audacious.”

The onlookers among the disciples felt a sour taste in their hearts.

Although they knew that Ling Hua, as an immortal, had a good temperament, they never expected him to be so doting on his disciple.

Qingling owes me a Master Ling Hua!

According to the order, the next person to receive the award should be Zhou Xuanlan. However, Immortal Shen’s figure was nowhere to be seen in the hall. Everyone was puzzled, and the Sect Master walked up to Ling Mushan while holding a sword, “This sword is called Zixiao. I have left a soul mark on the blade. If you encounter any danger, it will protect you.”

The whole place was in an uproar.

Not just the disciples, even some elders’ eyes turned red.

The soul mark of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator was nothing less than a lifesaving talisman. Ling Mushan had essentially gained an extra life.

Ling Mushan was excited, his hands trembling slightly as he accepted the sword. “Thank you, Master.”

The disciples watched as Ling Mushan put away the Zixiao Sword, feeling a surge of sourness in their hearts.

Alright, Qingling owes me a Master Sect Master!

Fortunately, they could take some consolation from Zhou Xuanlan every year. They had thought Immortal Shen would come today, but it turned out that he left his disciple on the side again.

Ling Jinye looked worried. Before coming to the main hall, he had asked Zhou Xuanlan if Immortal Shen would come.

Zhou Xuanlan said he didn’t know.

He lowered his eyes, a bitter smile forming on his lips. “Master doesn’t pay attention to me anymore. I don’t know why… he’s mad at me.”

Ling Jinye tugged at Ling Hua’s sleeve. “Master, go and present the award quickly, don’t let people stand here.”

Concealing his emotions behind a mask, Zhou Xuanlan let out a sigh deep within his heart.

“I didn’t expect him not to come.”

He turned to retrieve a cobalt blue box containing rare spiritual pills. As he reached out to take it, a jade-white hand appeared out of nowhere and snatched it away.

“What belongs to the disciple is also the master’s,” Shen Liuxiang said as he pulled out a small black bag from his waist and casually tossed the box inside. “I want this.”

A commotion filled the hall.

Firstly, no one had expected Shen Liuxiang to actually come. Secondly, while other masters usually gave gifts to their disciples, Shen Liuxiang acted like a tyrant, seizing his disciple’s possessions!

Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Xuanlan raised his head suddenly and his gaze fell upon the person in plain white clothes.

His thin lips trembled, and his voice sounded somewhat strained, “Master…”

That day at Huatian Peak, he had just finished speaking when his Master’s expression changed. Shen Liuxiang pointed at him, “You, you, you, you…” for a long time, then angrily left. No matter how he tried to catch up, his Master ignored him. After returning to Chaoyun Peak, Shen Liuxiang set up a barrier outside his room to prevent him from bothering him.

Could it be that his Master was not angry anymore and had come to see him?

Shen Liuxiang stood in front of Zhou Xuanlan, closely examining him. He noticed the bloodshot veins in his black eyes and raised an eyebrow slightly.

After making an unclear sound of disdain, Shen Liuxiang raised his hand, and his fair, jade-like fingers touched Zhou Xuanlan’s forehead.

In that moment of surprise…

With a hint of coolness, his fingertips lightly tapped.

“You little prodigal (1).”

T/N: Immortal Shen can simply not bear to see his disciple wronged!!!

(1) The phrase “小败家的” (xiǎo bài jiā de) means “little prodigal” or “little spendthrift,” suggesting that Shen Liuxiang is teasing Zhou Xuanlan for being extravagant or wasteful with his possessions.