I Want a Hug

At some point, a rumor spread through the sect that Eldest Senior Brother had someone in his heart and had already built a plank road in the open while secretly sneaking across at Chencang with a fairy maiden from another sect.

There were even busybodies who painted a portrait of that fairy maiden and made up all sorts of baseless, melodramatic tales of love and heartbreak to sell throughout the sect.

Chu Zeming had always assumed that the immortal maiden in the rumors they had made up was the girl with the handkerchief from that day. But every day, when the male disciples of the sect looked at him with expressions that said, "Eldest Senior Brother truly enjoys splendid romantic fortune," a few doubts could not help but rise in his heart.

Although that junior sister who had given him the embroidered handkerchief was indeed adorable, there was no need to look at him like that... unless they were not the same person.

Thus, after morning lessons ended one day, Chu Zeming instructed Xuan Mo to find the portrait for him.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I found it."

Xuan Mo entered the inner quarters, pulled a portrait from his sleeve, and handed it to Chu Zeming. In a low voice, he said, "I bought it for two low-grade spirit stones. I truly never expected Sister-in-law's portrait to be so valuable."

Taking the portrait from Xuan Mo, Chu Zeming slowly unfurled it. What greeted his eyes was a mass of cloud-like black hair adorned with exquisitely crafted hairpins, a floral adornment between the brows, and eyes rippling with charm—beauty unmatched beneath the heavens—

So beautiful.

Chu Zeming's breathing stalled slightly, and then his heart began to pound wildly.

A familiar feeling wrapped around his heart once more.

This time, love had come for him again.

It was exactly the same feeling as when he had first seen Yue Lian.

Wait, Yue Lian?

The veins on Chu Zeming's forehead bulged as he stared at the beauty in the portrait. His face grew darker and darker...

Xuan Mo leaned over to admire Sister-in-law's peerless beauty alongside Chu Zeming and exclaimed, "Sister-in-law is truly beautiful. Eldest Senior Brother and Sister-in-law are simply a match made by heaven and earth, especially well-suited to each other."

Before Xuan Mo could finish showering him with flattery, Chu Zeming's sinister, terrifying voice rang out—"Well-suited? Are you blind? Look carefully. Who is this?"

Chu Zeming shoved the portrait into Xuan Mo's face. The pressure around him was extremely low. "Look carefully. Who is it?"

Xuan Mo froze, then took the portrait and began studying the person in it with great effort—skin as flawless as white porcelain, clear and translucent eyes, rather... tall. Taller was good; it would benefit future descendants. The lines of the neck were beautiful too...

Except.

Holding up the portrait, Xuan Mo pointed at the figure's neck and asked Chu Zeming, "Senior Brother, take a look. Does Sister-in-law have a tumor on her neck? There seems to be a faint little bump..."

"I think you're the one with a tumor in your brain." Chu Zeming smacked him directly. "You cannot even recognize an Adam's apple? Did studying turn you stupid?"

Xuan Mo got beaten up.

After looking over the portrait several more times, Xuan Mo finally realized that the person in the painting seemed to look rather like the new junior brother who had recently entered the sect...

Xuan Mo had spent a long time with Chu Zeming and knew that Eldest Senior Brother hated others imagining him having a relationship with a man. Thus, he silently rolled up the portrait he had purchased at great expense and tucked it back into his robes.

—He could not tear it up. He had to find a way to resell it.

After putting away the portrait, Xuan Mo, with a head full of bumps, asked the displeased Eldest Senior Brother, "Senior Brother, they are still spreading stories about you and Junior Brother secretly doing that... in the little forest behind the mountain. Should I bring some people to catch those who made and spread the rumors and beat them up?"

Hearing this, Chu Zeming pondered for a moment before slowly nodding. "That works. Remember to cover your faces, or it would not be good if they reported it to the elders of the Enforcement Hall. You must keep the fellowship of fellow disciples in mind. Do not hit too hard."

Xuan Mo: "...Eldest Senior Brother is kind-hearted. I have learned much."

Xuan Mo's execution was extremely efficient. In merely five days, no one in the sect dared to gossip about Chu Zeming any longer.

Chu Zeming was very satisfied with this. From time to time, he praised Xuan Mo for his meticulous mind and clean methods, saying that he would surely become someone great in the future, and told the other junior brothers to learn from him properly.

Under Chu Zeming's words and example, along with Xuan Mo's exemplary guidance, after half a month, the junior brothers had gradually become Chu Zeming's diehard fans. In their minds, they believed only in the supreme maxim once spoken by some world-creating mighty expert whom Eldest Senior Brother had mentioned—"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun."

Although they did not know what a gun barrel was, they knew that Senior Brother was teaching them that a big fist was the hard truth. In order to learn the essence of Sixth Senior Brother's clean methods and his ability to leave no handle for others to grasp, they secretly followed Xuan Mo in doing quite a few petty, dishonest deeds.

For a time, a band of exceptionally rampant thieves appeared within the Nine Purities Vast Righteous Sect. The chickens, ducks, and spirit birds raised in the Aviary Court often vanished without a trace, yet no one could ever catch the culprits. The whole Aviary Court was thrown into a panic, and even the hens refused to eat their feed.

Time passed quickly.

Just as Chu Zeming finished his morning lesson duties, Ling Yunzi sent someone to notify him that they were to gather in the main hall tomorrow and depart for the Polar Sea.

The following morning.

Over twenty disciples were already waiting inside the main hall of the Nine Purities Vast Righteous Sect. Among them were several familiar faces to Chu Zeming—Ling Tian, Xuan Mo, Ning Weiyu, and Yue Lian.

Ning Weiyu and Yue Lian stood together.

Naturally, Xuan Mo had crowded over to Chu Zeming's side.

Ling Tian stood in a corner, beautiful all by himself. Every now and then, he glared at Chu Zeming with a resentful and complicated gaze before quickly withdrawing it.

Xuan Mo looked around and unexpectedly met Ling Tian's eyes. He froze on the spot, then quietly said to Chu Zeming, "Senior Brother, Ling Tian is still holding a grudge over you beating him up that day. He just glared at you."

Chu Zeming tilted his head slightly and looked at Ling Tian without giving anything away. Sure enough, he saw him secretly glaring at him.

Drawing back his gaze, Chu Zeming secretly decided that once they entered the Polar Sea, he would find an opportunity to beat Ling Tian up again.

Chu Zeming had a powerful presence, and he was exceedingly cold and stern.

Therefore, although he was leading the team for this Polar Sea secret realm expedition, none of the junior brothers or sisters around him dared approach him. Instead, they gradually gathered around Yue Lian, the junior brother over there who looked easier to get along with.

Yue Lian's popularity within the sect was exceptionally high, even faintly surpassing Eldest Senior Brother's. Xuan Mo could not help feeling dissatisfied. "Are these people blind? Do they not know who is leading the team?"

Chu Zeming did not feel much about it.

He understood these people quite well.

The protagonist bottom's everyone-loves-me halo was too overbearing. Even a straight man of steel like him could barely withstand it, much less anyone else.

Amid the disciples' quiet chatter, the stone doors at the head of the main hall turned. Several streams of mysterious light emerged from the inner chamber beyond them. Once the stone doors closed again, Ling Yunzi, dressed in white and pure as an exiled immortal, was suddenly seated at the head. The twelve sect elders stood in a row at his sides.

Casting a faint glance over the disciples, Ling Yunzi's low, noble voice rang through the main hall.

"You will be participating in this journey to the Polar Sea secret realm. Remember to cherish your fellow disciples, mind your conduct, and understand that when you are outside, you represent the face of the Nine Purities Vast Righteous Sect..."

After giving them a number of instructions, Ling Yunzi waved his sleeve and dismissed the disciples.

Once all the disciples had left the hall, Qin Elder, seated to Ling Yunzi's right, finally spoke in a low voice. "Sect Master, this old man believes... perhaps Lian'er is not quite suited for this secret realm expedition."

Yue Lian's cultivation had only just reached the Fusion stage. He could not even sustain sword flight for long periods, so he should not have been qualified to enter the Polar Sea secret realm.

A trace of emotion appeared on Ling Yunzi's clear, snow-pine-like face before he slowly said, "The Polar Sea secret realm opens only once every two hundred years. Such an opportunity can be encountered but not sought. I do not wish for Lian'er to miss it. Elder Qin need not worry about him coming to harm. I have already instructed Lian'er that throughout this journey, he need only remain at his Eldest Senior Brother's side without leaving so much as a single step."

Qin Elder frowned, his face showing slight dissatisfaction.

But in the end, he said nothing further.

After leaving the main hall, Chu Zeming took the lead and stood at the very front of the disciples. Just as he was about to set off, he suddenly sensed someone beside him, followed by a pretty hand tugging at the corner of his robe.

Chu Zeming: "?"

Turning back with a bewildered expression, he saw the gay guy.

Chu Zeming's face darkened. "What are you doing?"

Yue Lian twisted about shyly. "Senior Brother, I cannot fly for very long, so Master told me to follow you."

Chu Zeming slapped Yue Lian's paw away and said coldly, "...Xuan Mo."

"Senior Brother, I'm here!" Xuan Mo stepped forward. Chu Zeming gave him a look, and Xuan Mo turned to Yue Lian. "How about I take Junior Brother?"

Yue Lian said somewhat bashfully, "That would not do... Master told me to stay by Senior Brother's side without leaving even a single step. Eldest Senior Brother can simply carry me along."

Xuan Mo looked helplessly at Chu Zeming.

It was time to depart, and they could not delay any longer.

Chu Zeming drew a deep breath with a dark expression, then pulled out his Flowing Light Sword once more—

Carrying him was impossible.

Poking him along with the sword sheath was more like it.

Thus, beneath the complicated gazes of the gathered disciples, history repeated itself as Yue Lian was hung up and flown away once again.

Yue Lian wanted to ask Senior Brother to set up a barrier for him, but the moment he opened his mouth, wind poured into it. Feeling the fierce wind in the air slash across his cheeks like knives, Yue Lian felt a little miserable.