The Second Senior Brother Was a Transmigrated Novel Reader (1)

After the trial ended, Wen Jian did not stop to rest. Remembering True Person Yu Qing's instructions, he returned to the Profound Heaven Sect, registered with the trial elder, and immediately hurried toward Misty Spirit Peak.

The moment he saw True Person Yu Qing, before he could speak, True Person Yu Qing asked first, a faint urgency in his voice. "During this trial, were there two malicious ghosts?"

Wen Jian froze slightly, then hurriedly replied, "Yes."

True Person Yu Qing immediately asked again, "Were they a loving couple?"

Wen Jian was even more surprised, but he still answered honestly, "Yes."

True Person Yu Qing's gaze burned as he pressed on. "Did human-caused calamity turn them into evil ghosts?"

"Yes." The more Wen Jian answered, the more astonished he became, and doubts stirred within him. Although the sect master possessed profound cultivation and knew the sect's affairs inside and out, there was no need for him to expend such effort over a tiny Sunset Glow Village.

He recalled his second senior brother's prediction before their departure, absurd as it had seemed yet proven true. Judging by this, the sect master uncle knew this trial's circumstances so well that it was likely inseparable from his second senior brother.

Thus, he recounted the trial in full detail, including the evil ghosts' origins: how the ill-fated couple had been torn apart by the gap in their status, how they had died with grievances and become evil ghosts, the battle against them, every perilous moment, and finally how they had resolved the matter and laid a trap to bring the truth into the light. He concealed nothing.

After hearing this, True Person Yu Qing slowly closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. The vague suspicions in his heart had finally been confirmed, yet he was not surprised in the slightest.

Whatever the reason, his beloved disciple Shen Yuxi truly possessed a certain ability to foresee the future. The importance of this matter went without saying.

As he sighed, he also could not help feeling relieved. If Shen Yuxi's ability truly came from the influence of the Heaven-Peeking Treasure, perhaps they could indeed find a way to save the Profound Heaven Sect from danger? At that thought, a faint, nearly imperceptible glimmer of hope flashed through True Person Yu Qing's eyes.

Wen Jian stepped forward and respectfully said, "Reporting to Sect Master, this disciple still has something he does not understand."

True Person Yu Qing's expression remained calm as he nodded slightly. "Speak freely."

Wen Jian frowned faintly, carefully recalling everything that had happened in Sunset Glow Village. The doubts his junior brother had raised at the inn surfaced in his mind once more. Although his senior sister had said that the two ghosts had become extraordinarily powerful because their devotion to one another was sincere, Wen Jian had always felt something was amiss.

One had to know that Golden Core stage cultivators were not weeds by the roadside, growing everywhere. Even among sect disciples, one needed to be at least an inner disciple—or even a personal disciple—to reach the Golden Core stage.

Yet these two ghosts had not even been cultivators in life. They had merely been ordinary mortals.

Sunset Glow Village's resentment was indeed thick, but upon closer consideration, rather than emanating from the two ghosts, it seemed more like it came from the girls who had died unjustly in that dry well.

Thus, it was truly difficult to explain how those two ghosts had possessed Golden Core strength the moment they took form.

Moreover, cultivators gathered in the Lingshu Heaven Domain. Even if only to maintain superficial stability, the various factions would never allow Ghost Cultivators the chance to commit evil unchecked.

Compared with the other eight domains, the Lingshu Heaven Domain suppressed Ghost Cultivators far more harshly. Ghost Cultivators had always found it difficult to gain a foothold here, so how could two evil ghosts with Golden Core strength suddenly appear?

Wen Jian's face was full of confusion, utterly unable to make sense of it.

Yet True Person Yu Qing had a vague guess. Both he and Xuanji Zi had divined that the Nine Domains would soon face a great catastrophe. Such a disaster could not possibly descend without cause; there had to be omens beforehand. What had happened in Sunset Glow Village might well have been one of many such signs.

At this thought, True Person Yu Qing's expression steadied as he slowly said, "I understand this matter already." With that, he signaled for Wen Jian to withdraw.

Immediately afterward, he summoned one of his disciples, someone of modest talent but exceptionally sensitive to intelligence. After explaining the situation in broad terms, he instructed him sternly, "Keep a close watch on Sunset Glow Village. Investigate in secret. Report immediately at the slightest rustle of wind or movement of grass."

The disciple accepted the order and departed.

Through this incident, True Person Yu Qing realized that the Heaven-Peeking Treasure merging into his disciple's body had affected him in ways far beyond merely leaking his inner voice.

To fully clarify the situation, keep a firm grasp on the circumstances, and prevent the sect from falling into an unknown crisis, he decided to quietly carry out a series of tests.

True Person Yu Qing first began by observing the range of people involved. He discovered that not everyone had the chance to hear Shen Yuxi's inner voice.

This "special treatment" seemed to have a specific threshold. Only inner disciples, personal disciples, and the elders could hear it. Outer disciples, servants, and people from other sects noticed nothing at all. In their eyes, Shen Yuxi remained the same aloof and taciturn second senior brother as always.

Furthermore, the transmission of that inner voice seemed to have a clear range limit. The sound was crisp and real, as though he were speaking aloud with his mouth. Once one moved farther away, it gradually became blurred and hard to hear, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Most peculiar of all, the more agitated Shen Yuxi became, the louder his inner voice grew, carrying ever more clearly into the ears of those around him.

What shocked True Person Yu Qing even more was that among the occasional fragments spilling from Shen Yuxi's inner voice, he had caught words that concerned not only the Profound Heaven Sect's future, but even the future course of the entire Nine Domains. Those vague, unclear words faintly hinted at a future vision capable of changing the whole board.

As sect master, True Person Yu Qing knew full well how grave this matter was. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff; one misstep could trigger an immeasurable disaster and drag the entire Profound Heaven Sect, even the Nine Domains, into a realm of eternal damnation.

He understood that this could not be concealed forever. Paper could not wrap fire forever. Thus, he swiftly weighed the pros and cons and made his decision: conceal the matter of the Heaven-Peeking Treasure, and only announce internally that Shen Yuxi had encountered a fortuitous opportunity during this outing and gained a mysterious ability that allowed him to observe the future to a certain extent.

So as not to affect Shen Yuxi's cultivation, he secretly used his authority as sect master to strictly order everyone who knew of the matter to behave as usual before Shen Yuxi and reveal not the slightest abnormality. When interacting with Shen Yuxi, they had to remain as natural as before and absolutely could not let him notice any clue.

As for Shen Yuxi's inner voice, they were to keep their mouths sealed and not spread a single word. Otherwise, they would face the sect's harshest punishment.

During this period, he revised the Silencing Spell several times according to the current situation. Yet as more and more people heard the inner voice, the weakening of its effect was almost inevitable.

True Person Yu Qing had no choice but to inscribe the Silencing Spell directly onto the sect-protecting grand formation. Once outside the sect, or when facing outsiders, the spell's power would strengthen and strictly restrain the disciples. As for fellow sect members... he could only rely on the disciples' self-discipline.

They still did not know what side effects it might produce, so True Person Yu Qing did not dare act rashly. He could only continue observing Shen Yuxi closely without revealing anything.

Every day, he seemingly spoke with him casually, but in truth, his gaze remained fixed on every movement, every word, and every action of Shen Yuxi's daily life, attempting to uncover more clues about the future from these subtle details.

When everyone learned of this, they initially found it immensely novel. In the past, their second senior brother had been as aloof and cold as an iceberg, always giving people the impression that he was difficult to approach. Yet now they could "hear" all manner of amusing complaints in his heart. It truly felt fresh beyond measure.

Everyone could not help sighing, "So this is what kind of second senior brother you are."

The few personal disciples who knew about it were even more restless with curiosity. Their curiosity grew wildly like weeds breaking through the soil, and all of them longed to hear Shen Yuxi's inner voice with their own ears and experience this unprecedented wonder. Yet True Person Yu Qing stopped them every time.

After all, few people ordinarily dared approach Shen Yuxi casually. His aloof temperament was like an invisible barrier that made people instinctively keep their distance.

If everyone swarmed forward now like starving wolves pouncing on food to listen to their second senior brother's inner voice, Shen Yuxi would certainly grow suspicious, shattering this surface-level calm.

Left with no choice, everyone could only suppress the cat-scratching curiosity in their hearts and secretly discuss who had once again "casually" heard what their second senior brother had been pondering.

Although Shen Yuxi noticed that his fellow disciples seemed unusually concerned about him after his injury, checking on him and caring for him in every possible way, warmth filled his heart. He only assumed it was because the bonds between fellow disciples ran deep.

Once his injuries healed, he returned to Spirit Pool Peak, where he lived alone. This action left all his fellow disciples dumbfounded.

At Misty Spirit Peak, where the sect master resided, they could still use visiting the sect master as an excuse and "casually" listen to their second senior brother's inner voice along the way. They had to be careful not to let their second senior brother discover them, but at least they still had a chance.

But only their second senior brother lived on Spirit Pool Peak. Unless they genuinely had important business with him, there was no chance to "run into him." But where could they find so many matters that absolutely had to be handled by their second senior brother?

Thus, everyone could only gaze toward Spirit Pool Peak from afar, secretly hoping that they might have another chance to hear their second senior brother's wonderfully amusing inner voice.

Some racked their brains to see Shen Yuxi solely so they could hear his inner voice. Naturally, others avoided him as if he were a plague, wishing to stay a hundred thousand miles away from him. Wen Jian was one of them.

Heaven knew what strange and bizarre thoughts filled his second senior brother's mind all day!

When they returned from the Sunset Glow Village trial, out of fellowship, Wen Jian naturally went to visit Shen Yuxi as well.

When he entered Shen Yuxi's residence, this second senior brother's expression remained as indifferent as ever. He merely said flatly, "You're back."

Yet inside, it was like floodwaters bursting through a dam, pouring forth without end. Looks like the trial went quite smoothly. Then the relationship with Third Junior Brother must have progressed quite well too, right? Ah, in the depths of despair, descending like a divine weapon from heaven, a hero saving a beauty, pulling her into his arms by the waist—and the beauty was even dressed in bridal robes. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Too much to watch, too much to watch!

The moment Wen Jian entered and heard those words, his eyes flew wide open.

"?? Second Senior Brother??"

What kind of nonsense was that? It had all happened so suddenly. Before the trial, he had felt awkward and harbored some small emotions, but when true danger struck, he had not had the mind to care about women's clothes or bridal robes. There had only been serious business in his heart.

Wen Jian had not originally felt that anything was improper about this trial, but after his second senior brother described it like that, the more he thought about it, the more every part of it seemed unbearably awkward. Right! There was nothing wrong with the matter itself. The problem was his second senior brother's wildly imaginative brain!

Before Wen Jian could recover from his shock, Shen Yuxi's inner voice burst out again like a string of firecrackers. Not to mention that scene in the wedding chamber with the veil over her head. That line—"I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I will never let that evil ghost have the slightest chance to harm you"—was so affectionate and resolute. It was ridiculously swoon-worthy.

And with the Substitute Spell on top of that, wasn't it plainly a life for a life? I refuse to believe Ninth Junior Brother wasn't moved. I! Absolutely! Refuse! To! Believe!

Not only did he repeat the words Feng Yue had said to Wen Jian, he even deliberately imitated the tone perfectly. His rises and falls in intonation seemed determined to magnify the nonexistent tenderness in Feng Yue's words without limit.

"Second Senior Brother!!"

Wen Jian practically wanted to cry without tears. His second senior brother's imagination was far too rich! Things were not what he thought at all!

Don't explain. Explaining is covering up, and covering up is making up stories. I understand everything.

"You understand an unborn preserved egg!"

Wen Jian was about to go mad, yet Shen Yuxi's inner voice continued. As expected of Third Junior Brother. An action man's ability to take action is first-rate even when it comes to flirting with his wife. No wonder you brat have a wife.

Wen Jian's face immediately darkened with black lines. After a long silence, he roared inwardly, ...

Wen Jian had never imagined before that he would one day have such a fierce impulse to slap his second senior brother's exquisitely beautiful face—so otherworldly it seemed untouched by mortal dust, like that of an immortal—twice, hard.

This person! What bizarre, outrageous, utterly absurd things was he thinking about all day long?! Could he not be serious for once?!

As for Shen Yuxi, he had no idea that his inner voice had been exposed. He tilted his head in confusion. "Ninth Junior Brother?"

Why are you only staring at me without speaking? Oh my, what a fiery gaze. I don't play that sort of thing. Keep looking, and I'll get shy.

Wen Jian... Wen Jian finally could not endure it any longer and flicked his sleeve as he left.

Shen Yuxi watched Wen Jian's furious departing back, puzzled. What's wrong? There shouldn't have been anything wrong with what I said. Why did Ninth Junior Brother suddenly leave with such a dark face? Wasn't he here to examine me again? He didn't even take my pulse or ask how my injuries were recovering, and just hurried away like that?

Second Senior Brother felt wronged, but Second Senior Brother said nothing. Second Senior Brother even thought his junior brother's face had alternated between red and green because he had recalled what happened during the trial and was feeling shy.

Well, adolescents newly awakening to love are like that. Their emotions are unstable. Understandable, understandable. Second Senior Brother was magnanimous. Second Senior Brother did not hold it against him.

As for the other protagonist of this story, Feng Yue, he was the absolute king of overachievers.

Compared with the eldest senior brother, whose exceptional talent and overwhelming strength made people feel inferior and unable to even summon the desire to compete, Feng Yue had always regarded his second senior brother as the target he strove desperately to catch up to. He cultivated with all his might.

Sure enough, the moment the trial ended, he immediately threw himself into closed-door cultivation. With both ears deaf to matters beyond the window and his whole heart focused only on cultivation, he naturally had no way of learning of this toe-curlingly awkward affair.

Meanwhile, Shen Yuxi's thoughts had always been like an unbridled wild horse, galloping freely and drifting wherever they pleased. Back and forth, only Wen Jian alone knew of Shen Yuxi's mortifying fantasy and silently endured this inexplicable torment by himself.

After this incident, Wen Jian stayed as far away from his second senior brother as possible and treated every piece of gossip from his mouth with half-belief and half-doubt. Do not ask. If you asked, the answer was: "I don't believe Second Senior Brother."

Nine Domains Encyclopedia:

○ Rules of Inner Voices

Only disciples of the [Profound Heaven Sect] [inner disciples and above] [utterly loyal to the sect, with no second thoughts] could hear them.

Side Story:

True Person Yu Qing: Treasure, treasure, I want people who can carry on the sect.

Heaven-Peeking Treasure: Understood. Anyone among the inner disciples who cannot hear the inner voices can be driven away.

True Person Yu Qing: Are the ones who remain all good people?

Heaven-Peeking Treasure: I don't know whether they're good or not, but they truly are willing to risk their lives for your sect. Even if there are some extremists among them, they are willing to die for the sect. Why not put up with their skewed values?