Training Together

After his eyes suffered severe contamination, Chu Zeming felt he could not remain on this back mountain for another moment. With a gloomy aura around him, he rose to leave, but after taking two steps, he realized Yue Lian had not followed.

When Chu Zeming turned back, he saw someone very solemnly smooth down the hem of his snow-white robes, then sit properly amid the grass, watching with great relish through the blades. All he left Chu Zeming was the back of a head with smooth, raven-black hair.

Chu Zeming: "..."

With a dark expression, Chu Zeming silently came to Yue Lian's side and asked faintly, "Does it look good?"

Yue Lian nodded. "It does look good, but I can't quite make out some of the details." Turning his head and seeing that Chu Zeming seemed to be leaving, surprise appeared on Yue Lian's pure, beautiful face. "It isn't over yet. Is Senior Brother leaving already? It won't be too late to leave after we finish watching it together."

After saying that, he patted the spot beside him, thoughtfully leaving an empty space for Chu Zeming and signaling him—come, sit.

That dead gay bastard, did he want to watch until the grand finale?

Chu Zeming gave a cold snort. The Liuguang Sword flew from his body, and gripping the still-sheathed longsword, Chu Zeming directly hooked Yue Lian by the back of his collar and hung him from the sword's tip.

All the way back to the sect, every disciple clicked their tongues in amazement.

Chu Zeming flew.

Yue Lian simply dangled from his senior brother's scabbard, looking at the disciples on the ground who were clicking their tongues in amazement, his face utterly innocent.

Chu Zeming did not mind the disciples' gazes.

He even thoughtfully sent Yue Lian back to his residence. Only after tossing him at the entrance did Chu Zeming put away his sword and turn to leave.

He went to the Scripture Pavilion again and finished reading the rest of "Autumn Water Sword Intent" before Chu Zeming returned to his own residence.

Perhaps his spirit had suffered a devastating blow during the day, because that night, he began to dream.

It was still that hidden waterfall pool, except the protagonists in the water had become Yue Lian and himself.

Raven-black hair had been soaked by the water, clinging wetly to a fair, slender body. That usually pure and beautiful face had become incomparably seductive. Long, curled lashes held droplets of water, and he was currently pinned beneath Chu Zeming, his red, tender lips slightly parted.

Low, hoarse, enticing fragmented sounds came from his mouth.

"Now you can see the details, right?" A low, clear voice sounded. Chu Zeming heard himself speaking, and when he looked down... he was straddling Yue Lian's body, his white robes soaked through and revealing everything beneath with perfect clarity.

Chu Zeming was utterly horrified.

Fuck!!!!

Chu Zeming jolted awake from the nightmare, covering his eyes with one hand, drenched in sweat and still terrified. By now, the sky was already bright. Because he had dreamed for so long, he had missed his usual morning sword practice for the first time.

With a dark face, Chu Zeming got up and bathed several times.

He scrubbed and scrubbed, yet still felt that his body was dirty, unclean—

Chu Zeming took up the white robes he usually wore and was about to put them on when he suddenly recalled the dream's scene of wet-robed seduction. A chill immediately ran through him, and the hand he had just stretched out withdrew again.

Thus, that day, the disciples of the Jiuxing Haoran Sect all discovered in surprise that their senior brother, who usually wore flowing white robes and carried himself with graceful elegance, had changed clothes. He now wore a dark black robe with wide sleeves and a long hem, embroidered with intricate gold-thread trim.

On the road, he ran into Ning Weiyu, who was going to play with Yue Lian. Ning Weiyu stared curiously at his senior brother and asked, "Senior Brother, why are you dressed... like this today?"

Chu Zeming glanced at him. "I like it."

After saying that, he turned and headed toward the bamboo forest. He had gotten up late. He still needed to practice his sword and had no time for pleasantries with Ning Weiyu.

Ning Weiyu shuddered at that glance. Watching his senior brother's retreating figure as he flicked his sleeve and left, he muttered in admiration, "When Senior Brother dresses like this and wears a dark face, he really looks like a demonic cultivator."

Chu Zeming practiced his sword with exceptional force that day.

It seemed as if he were venting his anger. Spiritual energy circulated around him as streak after streak of sword light burst forth in the forest before quickly shattering. The Liuguang Sword was overwhelmingly imposing.

Chu Zeming was, after all, an early Golden Core cultivator. Even though he had already restrained his strength somewhat, quite a few bamboo stalks in the grove were still destroyed—

Putting away his sword, Chu Zeming looked at the scene around him, ravaged as though swept by wind and scattered clouds. He felt thoroughly refreshed, and the knot in his chest eased considerably.

—He could not lay hands on Yue Lian, but there was no problem with killing a few bamboo stalks.

He put away the Liuguang Sword.

Chu Zeming sat cross-legged on the large rock where he usually rested.

The young man's bold, dazzling features were framed by loosely hanging black hair. A soft breeze passed by, and his hair gently brushed across his cheeks.

Suddenly, his spirit platform became clear and tranquil. Something stirred in his heart, and Chu Zeming entered a state both mysterious and profound.

It was as though he stood within an endless void, enveloped by three thousand streams of weak water. An ancient, distant feeling filled his entire body.

After the time it took half an incense stick to burn, the Liuguang Sword, which had already been absorbed into his body, obeyed its master's will and instantly flew from its sheath to hover in the air.

An ancient, weathered, lingering twilight aura emanated from the Liuguang Sword. The spiritual energy around it rippled outward like waves of water, but the next moment, the Liuguang Sword's bearing abruptly changed. A needle hid within its cotton softness, revealing a terrifying and razor-sharp killing intent.

The Heart-Movement Stage.

The Liuguang Sword danced through the air. Amid flashing blades and sword shadows, icy sword intent swept across heaven and earth.

Bamboo leaves whirled wildly with the fluctuations of spiritual energy, then were sliced apart by the sword light and drifted down all over the ground.

Chu Zeming opened his eyes. The faint crimson ripples around the Liuguang Sword abruptly vanished, and everything around him returned to stillness.

An epiphany.

Autumn Water Sword Intent.

Chu Zeming slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. His deep, pitch-black eyes shone brilliantly, making him appear even more dazzling and captivating—being Heaven's favored child, blessed with great fortune, was not merely empty talk.

With such opportunities and talent, why become a gay bastard who fell to demons for love?

Was pursuing the Great Dao not better?

At that moment, Chu Zeming became even more determined to outwit the world's will.

He, Chu Zeming, would rather break than bend.

After leaving the bamboo forest, Chu Zeming prepared to go to the Scripture Pavilion again. By sheer coincidence, he encountered Xuan Mo sneaking around on the way.

Xuan Mo was still carrying his little book case. He stood beneath a large tree not far from the entrance to the Scripture Pavilion, hiding half his body behind the trunk and peeking toward the pavilion from time to time, looking as though he wanted to go in but did not dare.

Chu Zeming quietly walked over to the tree.

Just then, Xuan Mo poked his head out, only to see a black-robed figure blocking his view.

Xuan Mo said in a low voice, "Could you move aside? You're blocking my view."

"Xuan Mo."

An exceedingly familiar voice.

Xuan Mo stiffened and slowly raised his head—his senior brother, dressed in black, was looking down at him, the expression on his face extremely subtle.

Xuan Mo gave an awkward but polite smile. "Greetings, Senior Brother."

Chu Zeming gazed at Xuan Mo and asked deeply, "Didn't you say you were going out to gain experience and would not return to the sect anytime soon?"

Xuan Mo: ...

Could he say that he had lied?

Chu Zeming had long seen through Xuan Mo's little trick. He sneered, lifting his eyelids slightly as he spoke in a far from kindly tone. "Do you want to go inside and read? You accompanied Senior Brother in reading for so many days. Today, Senior Brother will accompany you as you read. We have not seen each other for many days; Senior Brother has missed you dearly."

His tone was drawn-out and melodious, full of hidden meaning.

Xuan Mo began to tremble.

"Um, Senior Brother... n-no need..." Before he could finish speaking, Xuan Mo was carried into the Scripture Pavilion like a chick, book case and all.

Chu Zeming said, "What book do you want to read? Senior Brother will get it for you."

Hugging his little book case, Xuan Mo stammered, "N-no need..."

Chu Zeming's gaze cut toward him like a blade.

Xuan Mo swallowed the rest of his refusal and said in a tiny voice, "Then... please get me a copy of 'Clear Heart, Calm Qi Art'..."

Chu Zeming fetched two copies.

He gave one to Xuan Mo and kept one for himself.

Chu Zeming said succinctly, "Read."

Xuan Mo was on the verge of tears. This was exactly why he had been avoiding his senior brother!

Clutching the book, he sniffled, then opened his little book case and took out a huge jug of water, placing it on the table before them—fortunately, he had come prepared.

After they finished a whole jug of water, the book was finally finished as well.

Xuan Mo carefully looked at his senior brother, whose expression was deep and who still seemed unsatisfied, and asked, "Senior Brother, I've finished the book I wanted to read." The implication was that he wanted to leave.

Chu Zeming closed his book and lifted his eyes to glance at Xuan Mo, seeing the resistance in his eyes at once.

—Xuan Mo did not want to improve together with him.

His number one little brother was developing resistance toward his illiterate big brother and did not want to stay with him. How could that do?

Thus, beneath Xuan Mo's hopeful gaze begging to be spared, Chu Zeming smiled.

"If you don't want to read, then Senior Brother will accompany you to the training grounds to cultivate. In the past, Senior Brother rarely concerned himself with the cultivation progress of his junior brothers, which led to you still being stuck at the Heart Stirring stage and unable to break through to Golden Core after so long. Your body is weak too. Aside from reading, you refuse to touch anything else. It was Senior Brother's fault. It will not happen again."

Chu Zeming was smiling, but Xuan Mo's eyes were filled with terror.

—Senior Brother in black looked like a demon when he smiled.

There were many disciples at the Jiuxing Haoran Sect's training grounds, but most were body cultivators. Bare-chested, they stood on wooden stakes, every one of them packed with bulging muscles and broad chests.

Xuan Mo stood in the middle of the stakes, wedged among a group of muscular men like a pitiful bean sprout.

He turned and looked pleadingly at Chu Zeming. "Senior Brother, how about we go back to the Scripture Pavilion and read?"

Chu Zeming sat at the edge of the training grounds, arms crossed as he leaned against Xuan Mo's little book case. His gaze was kindly and his tone brimming with "encouragement." "Xuan Mo, cultivate properly. Senior Brother is not going anywhere. I'll guard you right here."

Xuan Mo: "..."

Taking a deep breath, he rose onto the stakes on tiptoe.

The sun was high in the sky, blazing fiercely.

Xuan Mo focused his mind and circulated spiritual power throughout his body, wrapping it around his toes. Then he moved swiftly over the wooden stakes. He was so fast that afterimages were almost visible to the naked eye. But since he was not a body cultivator, fine beads of sweat soon formed on his fair forehead.

Beneath the shade of a distant tree, Chu Zeming lazily leaned against the trunk, narrowed eyes watching Xuan Mo practice. From time to time, he called out reminders:

"Raise your foot a little higher."

Xuan Mo drew in a slight breath, then obediently lifted his foot.

"Bend down, dodge—"

That lazy, drawn-out voice came drifting over.

Xuan Mo felt puzzled.

Yet the next moment, a terrifying Sword Qi came from behind him.

Xuan Mo sharply inhaled. His toes raced rapidly across the plum blossom stakes. Just as that Sword Qi was about to touch his back, it abruptly vanished, as though it had never existed.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead as Xuan Mo looked fearfully toward Chu Zeming.

The black-robed young man held the Liuguang Sword and said with a smiling face, "Xuan Mo, if danger struck while you were outside, no one would remind you."

Yet the expression on his face was anything but kind.

Every disciple in the training grounds stood dumbfounded.

It was their first time seeing training delivered with such genuine feeling. Was this not a little overboard?

Perhaps everyone's stares were a little too intense. Chu Zeming, holding the Liuguang Sword, slowly raised his head to look at them. "What? Do you want to cultivate together?"

Author's note:

Everyone: No!

Yue Lian (raising his hand): I do. Senior Brother, come train me.

Chu Zeming, dark-faced: Train, then train. Why are you taking off your clothes?!