Training Together

Chu Zeming felt that his eyes had suffered severe pollution; he could not stay in the back mountain for another moment.

With a gloomy aura around him, he rose to leave, only to realize after taking two steps that Yue Lian had not followed.

Chu Zeming turned back and saw someone solemnly flicking his snow-white hem, then sitting properly amid the grass, watching with great interest through the blades. All Chu Zeming could see was the back of his smooth, jet-black head.

Chu Zeming: "..."

With a dark expression, Chu Zeming silently approached Yue Lian and asked gloomily, "Is it good?"

Yue Lian nodded. "It is good, but I can't make out some of the details very clearly."

Turning to see that Chu Zeming seemed about to leave, surprise appeared on Yue Lian's pure, beautiful face. "It is not over yet. Is Senior Brother leaving already? It would not be too late to leave after we finish watching together."

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

You dead gay, you even want to see the ending?

Chu Zeming gave a cold snort, and the Luminous Glaze Sword flew out of his body.

Gripping the still-sheathed sword, Chu Zeming directly hooked Yue Lian by the back of his collar and hung him from its tip.

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

Chu Zeming had flown back.

Yue Lian hung from his senior brother's sword sheath like that, looking at the disciples below who were marveling in amazement, his face full of innocent bewilderment.

Chu Zeming did not care about the disciples' stares.

He even thoughtfully sent Yue Lian back to his residence. Only after tossing him down 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 returning to his own residence.

Perhaps because his mind had suffered a heavy blow during the day, he began dreaming that night.

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

Jet-black hair was soaked through, clinging wetly to that fair, slender body. The pure and beautiful face from usual had become incomparably alluring; droplets hung from his long, curled lashes. He was pressed beneath Chu Zeming, his crimson, tender lips slightly parted.

Soft, husky, enticing sounds spilled from his mouth.

"Now you can see the details, right?" a low, clear voice said. Chu Zeming heard himself speaking, and when he looked down...

He was straddling Yue Lian, his white robes soaked through and revealing everything underneath with perfect clarity.

Chu Zeming was utterly horrified.

Fuck!!!!

Chu Zeming jolted awake from the nightmare, one hand covering his eyes, drenched in sweat and still shaken with fear. Day had already broken, and because he had dreamed for so long, he had missed his usual morning sword practice for the first time.

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

He scrubbed and scrubbed, yet still felt dirty, unclean—

Chu Zeming took out the white robes he usually wore and was about to put them on when he suddenly recalled the soaked, seductive scene from the dream. A chill ran through him, and he withdrew the hand he had just extended.

Thus, the disciples of the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect were astonished to discover 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 broad sleeves and a long hem, embroidered with intricate gold thread along the edges.

On the road, he encountered Ning Weiyu, who was on his way to visit Yue Lian. Ning Weiyu stared curiously at his senior brother. "Senior Brother, why are you dressed... like this today?"

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

With 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 small talk with Ning Weiyu.

That glance made Ning Weiyu shudder. Watching his senior brother flick his sleeve and leave, he muttered to himself, "When Senior Brother dresses like this, he really looks like a demonic cultivator when he has that dark expression."

Chu Zeming practiced his sword with exceptional force that day.

As if venting his anger, spiritual energy circulated around him. Streaks of sword light erupted through the forest and shattered in an instant, while the Luminous Glaze Sword exuded an overwhelming presence.

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

Putting away his sword, Chu Zeming looked at the surrounding scene of utter devastation. He felt thoroughly refreshed, and the knot in his chest eased considerably.

—He could not lay a hand on Yue Lian, but there was no problem with slaughtering some bamboo.

He put away the Luminous Glaze Sword.

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

The young man's striking, gorgeous brows framed his lightly hanging black hair. A breeze passed by, and his hair gently brushed across his cheeks.

Suddenly, his spiritual platform became clear and tranquil, and something stirred within his heart. Chu Zeming entered a state both profound and mysterious.

It was as though he stood in a void, surrounded by three thousand streams of weak water. An ancient, distant feeling flooded his entire being.

Half an incense stick later, the Luminous Glaze Sword, which had already been drawn back into his body, obeyed its master's will and shot from its sheath, hovering in the air.

An aura of weathered antiquity, of aged twilight lingering on, emanated from the Luminous Glaze Sword. The spiritual energy around it rippled outward like water.

Yet in the next instant, the Luminous Glaze Sword's aura abruptly changed. Within softness lay hidden needles, revealing a terrifying, razor-sharp killing intent.

The sword moved with the heart.

The Luminous Glaze Sword danced in the air. Amid flashing blades and sword shadows, fierce sword intent swept across heaven and earth.

Bamboo leaves danced wildly with the fluctuations of spiritual energy, then were severed by sword light and scattered across the ground.

Chu Zeming opened his eyes. The pale red ripples around the Luminous Glaze Sword vanished abruptly, 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 appearing on his face. His deep black eyes shone brilliantly, making him seem even more dazzling and beautiful—being Heaven's favored child, blessed by immense fortune, was not just empty talk.

With such an opportunity and talent, why become a gay who fell into demonic madness for love?

Was it not better to pursue the Great Dao?

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

He, Chu Zeming, would rather break than bend.

After leaving the bamboo forest, Chu Zeming prepared to head to the Scripture Pavilion again. By sheer coincidence, he encountered Xuan Mo skulking about on the way.

Xuan Mo still carried his little book box on his back. Standing beneath a large tree not far from the entrance to the pavilion, he hid half his body behind the trunk and occasionally poked his head out to look toward the Scripture Pavilion, seeming to want to enter but not daring to.

Without giving himself away, Chu Zeming walked over to the tree.

Just then, Xuan Mo poked his head out and saw a figure in black robes blocking his view.

Xuan Mo said quietly, "Please move aside. You are blocking my view."

"Xuan Mo."

An extremely 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 exceedingly subtle.

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

Chu Zeming looked at Xuan Mo and asked deeply, "Did you not 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 scheme. With a sneer, he lightly lifted his eyelids, his tone far from kind. "You want to go in and read? You read to Senior Brother for so many days. Today, Senior Brother will accompany you in reading. We have not met for many days, and Senior Brother has missed you greatly."

His tone was long and winding, full of hidden meaning.

Xuan Mo began to tremble.

"Um, Senior Brother... n-no need..." Before he could finish, Xuan Mo was hauled into the Scripture Pavilion together with his book box, like a chick being picked up by the neck.

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

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

Chu Zeming's gaze swept over like a blade.

Xuan Mo swallowed the rest of his refusal and said in a tiny voice, "Then... please trouble Senior Brother to get me a copy of the 'Heart-Calming and Qi-Quieting Art'..."

Chu Zeming fetched two copies.

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

Chu Zeming said concisely, "Read."

Xuan Mo wanted to cry but had no tears. This was exactly why he had been avoiding his senior brother!

Hugging the book, he sniffed, then opened his little book box and took out a large kettle of water, setting it on the table before them—fortunately, he had come prepared.

After they had finished an entire kettle of water, they finally finished reading the book.

Xuan Mo cautiously looked at his senior brother, whose expression was profound and who still seemed unsatisfied, and asked, "Senior Brother, I have finished reading the book I wanted to read." The unspoken meaning was that he wanted to leave.

Chu Zeming closed the book and raised his eyes to look at Xuan Mo. At a glance, he saw the resistance in Xuan Mo's eyes.

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

His number one underling had developed a psychological aversion to his illiterate big brother and did not want to stay with him. How could that do?

Thus, beneath Xuan Mo's pleading gaze that begged to be spared, Chu Zeming smiled.

"If you do not 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 you junior brothers, which is why you are still stuck at the Heart-Movement Stage and have been unable to break through to Golden Core for so long. Your body is weak too; aside from reading, you do not want 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 full of terror.

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

There were many disciples at the Nine-Clear Haoran Sect's training grounds, but most were body cultivators, standing bare-chested in their stances, every one of them packed with bulging muscles and broad chests.

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

He turned back and looked pleadingly at Chu Zeming. "Senior Brother, why do we not return to the Scripture Pavilion and read?"

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

Xuan Mo: "..."

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

The sun was high in the sky, blazing fiercely.

Xuan Mo concentrated and circulated spiritual power throughout his body, wrapping it around the tips of his toes. Then he moved swiftly across the wooden posts, so fast that afterimages were nearly visible to the naked eye. After all, he was not a body cultivator. Before long, fine beads of sweat appeared on his fair forehead.

Under the shade of a distant tree, Chu Zeming lounged against the trunk, squinting as he watched Xuan Mo practice. From time to time, he called out reminders.

"Lift your feet a little higher."

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

"Bend down, dodge—"

That lazy, drawn-out voice drifted over.

Xuan Mo felt puzzled.

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

Xuan Mo sharply inhaled. His toes raced across the plum blossom posts, and just as that Sword Qi was about to touch his back, it suddenly vanished, as though it had never existed.

Cold sweat streamed down his forehead as Xuan Mo looked toward Chu Zeming in lingering fear.

The young man in black held the Luminous Glaze Sword and said with a smiling face, "Xuan Mo, if danger arose outside, no one would remind you."

Yet the expression on his face was not nearly so kind.

Every disciple in the training grounds was dumbfounded.

It was the first time they had seen such heartfelt, earnest drilling. Was this not a little overboard?

Perhaps everyone's stares were simply too intense. Slowly raising his head, Chu Zeming, who held the Luminous Glaze Sword, looked at them all. "What? Do you want to cultivate together?"

Author's note:

Everyone: No!

Yue Lian, raising his hand: I do! Senior Brother, come drill me.

Chu Zeming, dark-faced: Train if you want to train—why are you taking off your clothes?!