Ye Fengjun stepped out of the main hall and wound his way along the covered walkways for a time. He eventually found Jun Wuwang standing in a trance before a window set with a step-patterned lattice. Through the hollows of the woodwork lay a pond of living water, its western bank graced by a small grove of emerald bamboo.
Because of this bamboo grove, Hanshan Temple—shrouded in layers of mist beyond the walls—was hidden from view. The gardens of the Jiangnan region placed great importance on the art of "borrowed scenery," and as such, the vegetation on this patch of land had been changed many times. In one lifetime, it had been loquat trees; in another, peach blossoms. There had even been trials with boxwood, camellia, and sweet osmanthus.
During those long, agonizing stretches of time when he could not obtain Ye Tan’s gaze, the idle Jun Wuwang could only squander his endless days on these trivial matters.
After so many cycles of reincarnation, Jun Wuwang looked back and realized that the emerald bamboo was, after all, the most fitting match.
Seeing that gaze—one that looked as though it were drowning in a frigid pool—Ye Fengjun could not help but call out, "Master."
Jun Wuwang turned to look at his face. For a moment, he seemed dazed, and he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"
He replied, "I am your man."
Jun Wuwang came to a sudden realization. "Ah, Ye Fengjun."
Ye Fengjun stood by his side with his head bowed, gazing at him with rapt attention.
This was the Sword Pavilion, after all, and Jun Wuwang felt a restless agitation he could not suppress.
Jun Wuwang called out softly, "A-Tan."
Ye Fengjun answered steadily, "Present."
Past lives and former dust, waking only to drown again; the seas turn to flying sand, dispersing only to gather once more. It was a strange sensation—Ye Tan was not Ye Fengjun, yet Ye Fengjun was Ye Tan.
He stood upright beneath the eaves of the walkway, without a trace of his playful smirk. Instead, he was even more heart-stirring this way. Jun Wuwang could not resist pressing his head down to claim a long, lingering kiss.
Ye Fengjun had seen the records of every lifetime. He had watched with his own eyes how his past selves had rejected Jun Wuwang’s kindness time and again, how he had cruelly extinguished that burning, tender, sincere heart. He had watched himself blissfully enjoy Jun Wuwang’s protection while remaining utterly oblivious, all while driving the man into a bottomless abyss.
He had told himself countless times: *This time, it is my turn to take the initiative.*
Having experienced all of this, the hot blood and possessiveness in Ye Fengjun’s chest had surged to their peak. He wished he could make up for all those cold, lonely years in a single day, his urgency bordering on the frivolous. Yet, even with such intent, the respect and docility carved into his very bones had not yet been entirely discarded. He wavered between two extremes—the Ye Fengjun who was fervent to the point of being flippant, and the Ye Tan who was indifferent yet gentle. He felt as though he were bordering on a split personality.
Ever since returning to the Sword Pavilion, the old scenes and old feelings had become so vivid that it felt as though he were regressing.
*The days of yesterday cannot be stayed; the days of today bring much distress.* He could not help but think to himself: *What virtue or ability do I possess that you still refuse to give up on me?*
Whenever Ye Fengjun had such a thought, he resembled the Ye Tan who had shut Jun Wuwang out even more. And whenever he wore that expression, Jun Wuwang was long accustomed to taking the lead himself.
Jun Wuwang captured his lips and pressed him against the railing of the walkway, simultaneously sliding open the collar of Ye Fengjun’s robes.
Ye Fengjun came to his senses and asked in a low voice, "You want to do it here...?"
Jun Wuwang nibbled gently on the tip of his ear, asking hoarsely, "Who was it that said... every location and every position would be given to me as compensation?"
Those words had, of course, been spoken by Ye Fengjun.
Years ago, at the Ye Manor in Changluo, Jun Wuwang had secretly planted the Nirvana Gu within Ye Tan to prepare a way out for him. Once he confirmed everything was ready, he bid a silent farewell to the man in his heart and leaped onto the courtyard wall, prepared to leave forever. He only hoped that in this life, Ye Tan and Jun Xuanheng would grow old together in peace, and that there would never come a day when they needed to seek him out at the Heavenly Mountains for salvation.
He had chased that shadow for far too long; it was time to rest.
Before Jun Wuwang could even find his footing, a hauntingly familiar voice greeted him from outside the wall: "Aren't you going to the Heavenly Mountains? I'll give you a ride."
Jun Wuwang was startled.
He looked back and forth several times between the man sitting atop a Magnolia White Dragon Steed, holding the reins and tilting his head at him, and the Ye Tan who was already asleep in the inner room. His entire being was like a startled rabbit.
Jun Wuwang cried out in horror, "How can there be two Ye Tans?!"
The man on the white horse smiled. "You're mistaken. Including yourself, there are three."
Jun Wuwang was beyond embarrassed.
The man reached out a hand to him. As if possessed, Jun Wuwang took it and was pulled up onto the horse's back.
Jun Wuwang froze. He heard the man whisper in his ear, "Can you change back to your own face first? It’s truly a bit eerie to look at."
Seeing him dumbfounded and unresponsive, the man gave a helpless smile. "Never mind, Master. I shall help you."
He pressed a finger between Jun Wuwang's brows. Jun Wuwang felt a wave of coolness, and his appearance reverted to its original state.
Jun Wuwang was shocked. "How do you have permissions?! Who are you?!"
The man instead asked, "Do you remember the serial number of this world?"
Jun Wuwang recited mechanically, "S233B817..."
The man smiled. "Look again."
Jun Wuwang closed his eyes and accessed the system interface to check. He was shocked once more. "818?! How is this possible? How did an extra one appear... I clearly loaded the save for 817..."
"I was the one who loaded it," the man laughed. "In this cycle, the true Administrator is me, not you."
Jun Wuwang stammered, "You... you couldn't possibly be..."
"It is me. You transferred your quota for the modern world to me. After I died of old age there, I accessed the records and learned of all this past history..." He loosened his grip on the reins, letting the horse wander through the night scenery of the bamboo buildings, and gently pulled Jun Wuwang closer. "Now that I know everything, how could I have the heart to leave you alone?"
Jun Wuwang said softly, "You... since you obtained eternal life, why did you give up your status in the modern world...?"
"Don't worry. That Ye Tan next door is one level lower than me; we aren't considered the same persona, so I haven't violated any prohibitions... Master, even if this lifetime ends, I will find you in the next."
He added, "It’s also a bit strange for you to keep calling me Ye Tan. Master, please give your subordinate a name."
Jun Wuwang’s eyes reddened.
These were the words Ye Tan had said to him only in the very first lifetime. He had spent so much effort afterward... yet he had never again been able to get Ye Tan to communicate with him so calmly.
"I... I don't know how to give names... You should..." Jun Wuwang said hesitantly.
"Then I shall choose it myself." The man smiled, his eyes curving as he rubbed his cheek against Jun Wuwang’s. "Let it be Ye Fengjun."
Jun Wuwang felt the name was a bit too direct, and his face began to burn.
Ye Fengjun then said pensively, "I have carefully read through the records of every one of your lifetimes."
Jun Wuwang grew tense instantly. "And... and?"
He knew all too well how many times he had messed up, and how many things he had done that Ye Tan hated. Being reminded of it now, he felt incredibly apprehensive, like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"I think you’ve been heading in the wrong direction all along," Ye Fengjun said.
Jun Wuwang was stunned. "Huh?"
"An oblivious Jun Xuanheng and an oblivious Ye Tan are naturally attracted to each other. You knew this, so why did you insist on having a Jun Wuwang, who knows everything, seek out an oblivious Ye Tan? Isn't that bound to be counterproductive?"
Jun Wuwang was speechless.
He had long felt that every time he interacted with Ye Tan in each lifetime, they grew further apart.
But he had forgotten that the two of them were not on equal footing.
"A Jun Wuwang who knows everything should naturally be paired with a Ye Fengjun who knows everything," he stated matter-of-factly.
"Didn't you once say it?" Ye Fengjun lifted him up to face him, tilting his chin. "That only Jun Xuanheng is worthy of this happy ending."
Having endured hundreds of cycles, Jun Wuwang had thought he would never again have the chance to be treated tenderly by Ye Tan. Overwhelmed by this sudden joy, he was instead a bit dazed, simply staring at him blankly. Looking into those vacant eyes, a surge of heartache burned through Ye Fengjun’s chest. He kissed him gently and whispered:
"That sentence applies to you as well."
Jun Wuwang’s expression was frantic, filled with disbelief. He didn't even speak; he just lowered his head and gripped the other's sleeve tightly in silence. Ye Fengjun nuzzled against his ear. "What are you thinking?"
"I’ve had too many beautiful dreams of reaching a good end with you," Jun Wuwang smiled bitterly, his dry eyes aching. "I’m afraid this time is fake, too."
Ye Fengjun knew very well that in the first few cycles, the man had felt indignant and had wailed at the top of his lungs. The further it went, no matter how sad or heart-wrenching it became, he only showed this faint sorrow. He was no longer able to shed a single tear.
"Master, I know I have already missed too much." Ye Fengjun gently kissed his fingertips. "Rest assured, none of your efforts were in vain... I will compensate you for every single one."
As he held his master carefully, he couldn't help but remember a lifetime where Jun Wuwang had held Ye Tan like this while riding a horse. He couldn't help but want him—the opportunities Jun Wuwang had to be close to Ye Tan were few and far between, so it was no wonder he would be moved while on horseback.
That time, of course, had ended in failure because of Ye Tan’s resistance.
As Ye Fengjun thought of this, his body involuntarily reacted. Jun Wuwang sensed the change, and both his face and body stiffened.
"You were once moved by Ye Tan while on a horse, weren't you?" Ye Fengjun held him in his arms, one hand gently soothing him as he spoke warmly into his ear. "Don't refuse me, Master... Every time your heart was moved, every time, every place—I know them all. I want to... compensate you for all of them."
That day, Jun Wuwang had indeed been quite frightened.
But it was only for that day.
He firmly remembered the words Ye Fengjun had used to move him. Whenever he was in the mood but Ye Fengjun felt it was inappropriate, he would use those very words to persuade and rebut him, demanding payment for every tiny grievance.
He was no longer that kind and innocent Jun Xuanheng; he was overbearing, domineering, vengeful, wicked, and flippant.
None of that mattered, because it was him. And for him, Ye Fengjun would always be more than willing.
***
