Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 77 | Clash of the Shadows | Novela.app

The next morning, Jun Xuanheng waited in the courtyard of the main hall with Ye Tan. He sent a maid to announce their arrival, stating he had questions to ask. Before long, Ye Fengjun emerged, fully dressed, and pushed open the doors. "Something on your mind? You could have just come straight in," he asked lazily. "I want to speak with Jun Wuwang... perhaps in private," Jun Xuanheng said. Despite being the master of the Sword Pavilion, he remained exceedingly polite. "Could you two step away for a moment?" Ye Fengjun couldn't help but chuckle. When they first arrived, Jun Xuanheng had been dying to demand answers from Jun Wuwang, but Ye Tan had been so hostile toward the newcomers that he refused to let Jun Xuanheng out of his sight. That was why they had made no progress until today. Ye Fengjun teased, "Oh? Your shadow guard finally saw reason? He’s actually willing to let you stay alone with that big bad wolf inside? Isn't he afraid you'll be eaten alive?" Ye Tan stood respectfully by his master’s side, head bowed, completely unmoved by the provocation. Jun Xuanheng looked at him with concern and said, "I’m going in now. Ye Fengjun, Ah Tan is more stubborn than you, so please be patient with him. You... you mustn't bully him." Ye Fengjun narrowed his long, thin eyes and smiled. "That depends on whether he listens to me." Jun Xuanheng sighed. These two—one was a silent stone, the other was flippant and shallow, yet both were equally obstinate. It was like having two problem children at once. Despite his worries, Jun Xuanheng had to go inside. He hoped to clear things up quickly before any further friction arose between the guards. Ye Tan remained standing respectfully outside the pavilion, awaiting orders just like any other guard. Ye Fengjun, meanwhile, took a seat leisurely at the stone table by the pond. He called for several jars of aged wine and slapped off the mud seals to begin drinking. He hadn't used to drink. As a shadow guard, there was nothing more foolish or dangerous than touching alcohol; he had to remain sober and steady at all times to protect his charge. But after his death, once he learned the truth and accompanied Jun Wuwang through every cycle of reincarnation, he realized that his lifelong persistence had been laughably simple. The world held many pleasures; to not experience them one by one would be a disservice to the world Jun Wuwang had created. He looked at the upright, vigilant figure beside him. Thinking of his past self, he felt an urge to poke fun at the man. He chuckled. "Ye Tan, come. Have a drink with me." Ye Tan said displeasurably, "I do not drink." Ye Fengjun swirled his cup and smiled. "I can teach you." "No need," Ye Tan replied, his annoyance growing. "Sigh, you really are dull. How did the Master fall for someone so boring..." Ye Fengjun sighed. He had meant it as a private thought, but to Ye Tan’s ears, it sounded like blatant mockery and contempt. However, Ye Tan had excellent patience. He didn't want to cause trouble for his master, so he simply said, "How I conduct myself is no business of yours. You need not trouble yourself with teaching me anything." He was as hard and cold as a rock. Did he really have no other expressions? Ye Fengjun hatched a plan and gave a low laugh. "Do you know where your master is most sensitive? Or which positions he likes best? I could teach you that as well..." Ye Fengjun was prepared. He narrowly dodged the cold flash of a blade aimed at his ear, successfully capturing the explosive rage on Ye Tan’s face. The comment had crossed the line. Ye Tan was determined to teach him a lesson. Mindful of his master's warning that Ye Fengjun’s cultivation was superior to his own, Ye Tan launched a fierce, rapid assault. In the blink of an eye, their figures blurred as they exchanged over a dozen moves. Ye Fengjun knew Ye Tan’s techniques by heart, so he handled the exchange with effortless ease... In a corner of the main hall, Jun Xuanheng was in the middle of speaking to Jun Wuwang when the latter suddenly paused. "They’ve started fighting." Jun Xuanheng held his breath and listened, catching the sound of several faint, familiar muffled groans. "Oh no!" Jun Xuanheng rushed out the door. Sure enough, by the pavilion, one man had pinned the other to the ground. Their swords had been cast aside; it was a raw, hand-to-hand brawl, with heavy punches landing squarely on flesh. "Ah Tan!!" Jun Xuanheng lunged forward, pulling the beaten shadow guard into his arms to protect him. "Stop it! I apologize on his behalf, Ye Fengjun..." The shadow guard with his fist raised, his knuckles already dripping with blood, said calmly, "Master, you have it backward." Jun Xuanheng froze, his hands still cradling the person in his lap as he tried to wipe blood from the man's face. The one doing the punching said, "I am Ye Tan. The one in your arms is Ye Fengjun." Jun Xuanheng: "???" Ye Fengjun lay with his head on Jun Xuanheng’s knees. His brow was split open, and there were deep bruise marks on his neck. His expression wasn't so much one of pain as it was of utter bewilderment and confusion. Jun Wuwang stood to the side, watching. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for his guard. Jun Xuanheng stood up awkwardly. "Your man. Here, I'm giving him back." Jun Wuwang coughed and took the man into his arms. "Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Ye Fengjun’s eyes were out of focus; he didn't seem to hear him. Jun Xuanheng asked worriedly, "He’s not responding... did he get beaten stupid?" Jun Wuwang pressed his lips together. "It’s fine. I can heal anything anyway. I’ll take him back first. Excuse us." With that, he carried Ye Fengjun bridal-style back to their room. Ye Tan withdrew his hands and knelt respectfully on the ground to seek punishment. "Ye Fengjun insulted the Master. I took it upon myself to discipline him. Please punish me, Master." Jun Xuanheng didn't answer immediately. He crouched down, took Ye Tan’s blood-stained hands, and inspected them carefully. "Are you hurt?" Ye Tan nodded. "I am uninjured. The blood is all Ye Fengjun’s." Jun Xuanheng was stunned. "Doesn't that mean... you completely dominated him? How is that possible?" *** After Jun Wuwang had cleaned and bandaged the wounds, Ye Fengjun still hadn't snapped out of it. "What? Does it really hurt that much?" Though Jun Wuwang was never one to mince words, seeing his guard suffer like this made his heart ache. Ye Fengjun said in disbelief, "Ye Tan’s sword... why was it so much faster than mine? It makes no sense. We use the same techniques. Even if I couldn't hurt him, he shouldn't have been able to hurt me either..." Jun Wuwang repeated, "Your techniques? What level of skill did you manifest with for this incarnation?" Ye Fengjun said, "The data from just before the Second Young Master crippled me... my level during the Yecha period. It’s essentially my peak." "Oh." Jun Wuwang coughed. "...You know, back then, Ye Tan was trapped in the One Sword Tomb for secluded meditation. If the time wasn't up, he shouldn't have been able to break the sword formation with his level of cultivation." Ye Fengjun was startled. Jun Wuwang nodded. "That's right. To help him break the formation smoothly, I secretly modified his data. He doesn't know it himself." Ye Fengjun: "..." *You really screwed me over.* Jun Wuwang tried to soothe him. "It’s no big deal. Just modify your own data to be higher." Ye Fengjun frowned. "How could I cheat?" There it was again—that stubborn insistence on winning through one's own hard work and true skill. Jun Wuwang categorized this as "the mysterious dignity of mortals," something he himself never understood. But Ye Fengjun had risen from an ordinary person, step by solid step; he was extremely averse to such rogue-like behavior as "modifying data." Jun Wuwang had to try another way. "Then I'll lower Ye Tan’s data a bit." Ye Fengjun grew even more displeased. "Wuwang, do you actually think I can't beat him without cheating? Are you looking down on me?" Jun Wuwang was speechless. "...Fine. Have it your way." A moment later, Jun Xuanheng entered with a long face, dragging Ye Tan along. "We’ve come to apologize." Jun Wuwang suppressed a smile and gave a faint "Oh." Jun Xuanheng said despairingly, "I know it would be effortless for you two to crush us. Ah Tan was too reckless. I hope you won't hold it against him." Ye Tan was very reluctant. He whispered, "Master, there is no need to be so humble. I might not necessarily lose to him." Jun Xuanheng wanted to cry. "Shut up, my ancestor. If Ye Fengjun actually intended to, he could string up ten of you and beat you all at once." Ye Tan fell silent. Ye Fengjun pressed the gauze on his forehead and said, "Don't worry. I will defeat him with my own strength. I won't use any other tricks." Hearing this, Ye Tan’s competitive spirit flared. He responded loudly, "I look forward to your guidance!" Ye Tan and Ye Fengjun looked at each other and smiled. The contact between their gazes was practically electric with sparks. Jun Xuanheng sensed a hint of mutual respect growing between the two and was shocked. "Does this count as making up...?" Jun Wuwang said, "It seems so." Jun Xuanheng was amazed. "Humans are truly mysterious." Jun Wuwang was unimpressed. "Humans are truly childish." *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 一剑冢 | One Sword Tomb | A location used for secluded meditation and trials. 夜刹 | Yecha | Likely a specific rank or period in the shadow guards' history (lit. Night Rakshasa). 数据 | Data | Refers to the underlying attributes or "stats" of the characters in this world/simulation. 大尾巴狼 | Big bad wolf | Lit. "big-tailed wolf"; an idiom for a predator or someone feigning innocence.