Following Qu Zhanmeng's instructions, Duan Mingyu cultivated dutifully in his room for a time, yet the unease in his heart only grew thicker. On several occasions in the past, he had experienced this same sense of panic, as if a piece of him were missing, though in the end, he could never quite say what exactly he had lost. After being told repeatedly by Xu Yehua and Rong Lü that he was simply being oversensitive, Duan Mingyu had gradually come to believe it himself.
But this time, the feeling of dread was stronger than ever before. Finally unable to restrain himself, Duan Mingyu quietly sent out messages to both Rong Lü and Xu Yehua, asking if they could come to the Moon-Reflecting Sect to find him.
However, the timing of his messages was most unfortunate. Rong Lü had previously spent a great deal of time running here and there for Duan Mingyu in the Cold Heaven Secret Realm, even taking precautions to seek out Fire-Yang Pills for when his cold affliction flared up. Consequently, his cultivation had stagnated at the mid-stage Golden Core for a long while. Upon returning to his sect, Rong Lü recalled every detail of their time in the secret realm; though it had been arduous, it brought with it a sense of mission—the feeling that "only I am left to protect Mingyu." Thus, he had seized the time to enter secluded cultivation, hoping to become even stronger.
As for Xu Yehua, after facing a harsh scolding from Feimo Yin, he had become even more impatient and buried himself in cultivation as well. He did not know if another "Nie Shiyun" might pop up one day. Dominated by a sense of urgency, his heart was set on being the second person of their generation to advance to the Nascent Soul stage.
Duan Mingyu waited alone at the Moon-Reflecting Sect for many days, but to his surprise, not a single person responded. Half a month later, he could no longer endure the anxiety and decided to take the initiative to seek them out.
Yet, in all his years, he realized for the first time that he had almost never traveled far alone. From a young age, Zhai Bairong had looked after him; even when Zhai Bairong was busy, the Moon-Reflecting Sect would instruct other disciples to follow him, showing him great care. He was not at all skilled in the art of departing silently.
Not long after recklessly running down the mountain, Duan Mingyu was "kindly persuaded" to return by disciples dispatched by the sect.
Naturally, he was met with a harsh and stern scolding from Qu Zhanmeng.
"Your courage has certainly grown. I told you to cultivate well within the sect, and yet you dare to disobey?"
Duan Mingyu looked at Qu Zhanmeng, trembling with fear. Subconsciously, he had always been somewhat afraid of this master. Though they were master and disciple in name, Duan Mingyu always felt that Qu Zhanmeng did not actually like him.
He began to feel that the situation was becoming increasingly bizarre. Ultimately, he did not speak his true feelings, only saying with eyes shimmering with tears that he was simply sick with longing and wanted to find Rong Lü and the others.
Qu Zhanmeng assumed that Zhai Bairong loathed Duan Mingyu intensely and never suspected that he had given the boy any hints. He hadn't just met Duan Mingyu yesterday; he had long ago judged him as someone who "couldn't live without a man." At this moment, he felt only amusement and contempt.
"For violating the rules of the Moon-Reflecting Sect, you are recorded with one demerit. Go back. You are not permitted to leave without special circumstances," Qu Zhanmeng said coldly.
Duan Mingyu never expected to be grounded. His heart turned ice-cold in an instant.
But at this moment, he could only nod and admit his fault, obediently following the fellow disciples assigned to watch him back to his residence.
***
"Duan Mingyu was grounded?" Nie Shiyun raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Zhai Bairong nodded. He rarely spoke ill of others, but upon hearing the news from his contacts at the Moon-Reflecting Sect, he couldn't help but say helplessly, "He is truly foolish. I told him to have Rong Lü take him away, yet he tried to sneak out alone and was caught red-handed by the sect."
Nie Shiyun did not ask in detail how he had received the news so quickly. Although Zhai Bairong did not care much for the power factions within the sect, he still had trustworthy juniors who could pass along information. At the moment, Nie Shiyun was only concerned for Zhai Bairong's safety. "Will his actions expose you?"
"It seems not," Zhai Bairong sighed. "I have done all that benevolence and duty require. I shall not concern myself with his affairs hereafter. I only mentioned it to keep you informed. If hearing it annoys you, I won't speak of it next time."
"It won't. Actually, I still want to know about his movements. After all..." Nie Shiyun originally wanted to say "after all, he is the protagonist of the original work," but after the illusion, he felt it was no longer appropriate to refer to this world where he and Zhai Bairong lived as a "novel." He corrected himself, "He is the one the Heavenly Dao originally intended to favor."
As they spoke, they suddenly heard someone calling out from outside the cave dwelling.
"Senior Brother, excuse the interruption. Is it convenient for you to talk?"
It was Qi Xuan'er's voice. Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong ceased their discussion regarding Duan Mingyu and both stood up.
"Wait a moment," Nie Shiyun projected his voice from the cave dwelling. After a short while, he and Zhai Bairong donned their outer robes and came to the entrance. Seeing their composed expressions, Qi Xuan'er quietly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to herself that it was a good thing she hadn't interrupted an intimate moment.
Zhai Bairong had already been staying at Yunqing Pavilion for several months. During this time, cultivators from Pinyin Pavilion had arrived to offer their congratulations shortly after the group from the Moon-Reflecting Sect had departed. Because of Qi Miaohan's connection, Nie Shiyun had also received them well.
Lingfeng Mountain had made no gesture. However, they had always kept to themselves and were not fond of forging connections with other sects, so this was within expectations. After that, only scattered members of small sects came to visit. Nie Shiyun gradually stopped appearing in person, holed up in the back mountain.
In Qi Xuan'er's memory, she had heard that before she came to Yunqing Pavilion, the teenage Nie Shiyun had quite enjoyed going out and making a spectacle of himself. But the Nie Shiyun she had come to know in recent years was entirely different; if there was no urgent business, it seemed he could stay indoors for an entire year.
She had thought that with Zhai Bairong's arrival, her senior brother would go out more to accompany him, but it turned out they simply stayed in the cave dwelling together.
"Why have you come today? Has something happened at the front mountain?" Nie Shiyun asked when he saw Qi Xuan'er remain silent.
"Ah, it's nothing major. It's just that someone is here to see you," Qi Xuan'er answered quickly. Her mind had wandered for a moment, which was truly improper.
"Lately, there has been an endless stream of people seeking Shiyun. I heard that you have received most of them on his behalf. It has truly been a trouble for you all," Zhai Bairong said with a polite smile.
Qi Xuan'er waved her hands hurriedly. "Not at all, not at all. So many people visiting Yunqing Pavilion is all thanks to Senior Brother's prestige; we should be happy instead."
Looking at the graciously smiling Zhai Bairong, Qi Xuan'er felt it was quite remarkable. Just as everyone described, Zhai Bairong was truly a gentleman as refined as jade, treating even juniors like them with utmost gentleness. However, trying to become more familiar with him beyond this social etiquette was truly harder than scaling the heavens. There seemed to be a barrier around him that made one unsure of how to step inside. She truly wondered how her senior brother interacted with him in private.
Qi Xuan'er turned to Nie Shiyun. "It has been a while since Senior Brother's advancement, and the number of visitors has actually decreased lately. Today, a cultivator said he had something to tell you in person. He said his name is Shen Yan, a rogue cultivator."
For a moment, both Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong looked hesitant. Qi Xuan'er also wondered to herself, as her senior brother shouldn't know any rogue cultivators.
Nie Shiyun searched his memory desperately; there seemed to be a faint impression. But the impression was so shallow that he couldn't immediately match the name to a face.
After a while, Nie Shiyun gave up on trying to recall the name. It would only take the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to reach the front mountain; he would know once he saw the man.
The three of them headed toward the reception hall together, encountering many Yunqing Pavilion disciples along the way. Everyone had gradually grown accustomed to seeing Zhai Bairong alongside Senior Nie, and they all greeted the two, whom they hadn't seen in a while.
"Senior Zhai is starting to seem like a member of our sect," Qi Xuan'er joked in a low voice.
"It would be nice if I truly could stay here forever," Zhai Bairong laughed in spite of himself. He would still have to return after staying for a while; otherwise, Qu Zhanmeng would think he had forgotten his roots. Only when both he and Nie Shiyun reached at least the mid-stage Nascent Soul, or even the late stage, would they have the confidence to act entirely according to their own wills.
At the entrance of the reception hall, Qi Xuan'er stopped. "It seems he is still waiting. I won't go in."
"I'll wait for you out here as well," Zhai Bairong added.
Nie Shiyun nodded. "No need to just stand there; feel free to stroll around."
Having said that, he walked into the reception hall with long strides. When a guest was waiting, the sect would usually send a cultivator to keep them company; firstly as a matter of courtesy, and secondly to prevent the guest from wandering aimlessly into places they shouldn't be. When Nie Shiyun entered, he saw an awkward scene: the visitor sat in the furthest corner chair without saying a word, while the junior from his own sect sat nearby in silence.
"It's you." Nie Shiyun struck his palm, finally matching the name "Shen Yan" to the face.
It was the cultivator from the Valley of Soul Summoning who had once visited his shop in the secret realm.
"What grand airs you have," Shen Yan said in a low voice, looking up to see Nie Shiyun and finally stretching his slightly hunched frame.
"How can you—"
"It's fine." Nie Shiyun helplessly stopped his junior's indignant denunciation, stating that he did indeed know this person and dismissed the junior.
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 104 | A Failed Escape | Novela.app | Novela.app
