Although he had already instructed the owner of the pill shop to inform him immediately if there was any news of Shen Yan, Xuan Yang could not suppress his anxious heart. He continued to pace outside the shop every day, looking very much like a brooding bodyguard.
Fortunately, the Phoenix Clan held a certain level of prestige among humans. The passersby did not treat him as a suspicious character, though they frequently cast curious glances his way.
Perhaps even the heavens could no longer bear to watch him wait so miserably. In less than half a month, Xuan Yang finally got his wish and ran into Shen Yan.
That day, Shen Yan arrived as usual, carrying the medicinal herbs he had accumulated recently to sell at the pill shop. Normally, he did not sell everything in this one town; he would usually find the nearest trading house to dispose of them, as fresh materials were always more valuable. However, a mature cultivation system for medicinal herbs already existed in the Upper Realm, and the quality of those gathered from the wild was generally mediocre. Since he couldn't get a high price regardless, it was more worthwhile to visit the specific shop Zhai Bairong had entrusted, just to exchange them for a few more Immortal Crystals.
The cost of living in the city was too high, and he disliked living in crowds. Usually, he lived in a simple cave dwelling he had constructed in the wilderness, though he spent most of his time wandering the wilds rather than staying put.
If he had gone to the Middle or Lower Realms, which were more suitable for cultivators with lower cultivation bases, life would likely be much easier than it was now. Shen Yan didn't mind much; he was someone who could make do with very little, and he had grown used to it over time.
"..."
Thus, when he looked across the street and saw Xuan Yang squatting at the entrance of the pill shop, looking at him with teary eyes, he felt for a moment as if a lifetime had passed.
Before Shen Yan could react, Xuan Yang had already lunged forward, pulling him into a death grip of an embrace. The strength was so great that Shen Yan nearly lost his breath.
There were many people coming and going on the street in broad daylight, and the staff from the pill shop, having noticed the sudden movement from the man who had been loitering outside, poked their heads out to watch curiously. Xuan Yang wailed Shen Yan's name, weeping uncontrollably and using Shen Yan's shoulder to wipe his tears. Shen Yan, who had initially felt a surge of emotion, sighed and patted Xuan Yang’s back. "Let go of me first. This isn't the place to talk."
"We haven't seen each other for so long, and the first thing... you say to me... is this?" Xuan Yang spoke in staccato bursts between sobs. Combined with his tall stature, he looked somewhat hilariously childish.
Shen Yan smiled helplessly and patted him again. "Congratulations on finishing your seclusion."
"That’s not what I wanted to hear..." Xuan Yang murmured discontentedly.
Shen Yan looked around. If two grown men continued to hug in the middle of the street while one of them was shedding tears, every cultivator in town would know about it before long. He could sense that Xuan Yang had not yet reached the Integration Stage, and he didn't know how he had managed to get out or what had happened within the Phoenix Clan. To properly question him, Shen Yan brushed his hand against Xuan Yang’s under his sleeve and repeated, "This isn't the place to talk. I have things I want to ask you. Let’s move to the place where I usually stay."
Xuan Yang was easy to coax. The mere touch of their fingers sent him into a daze of bliss. Upon hearing that they were going to Shen Yan’s current residence, he immediately nodded.
The two quickly left the town and arrived at the suburban dwelling in less than an hour.
"If I had known you were so close, I should have come looking for you myself! The vegetation around here has such a dense scent; no wonder I couldn't catch your scent..." Xuan Yang sniffed the surroundings, speaking with a hint of dejection.
"Don't talk about yourself as if you're a canine."
"I'm not, but my nose is indeed much sharper than a human's."
Once they reached a place without people, Xuan Yang, who had previously let go, stubbornly grabbed Shen Yan's hand again, gripping it firmly as if afraid he would vanish. Shen Yan thought about it and didn't make him let go, leading the way forward.
"How old are you this year?" Shen Yan asked pointedly.
Xuan Yang paused. He felt that being led by the hand like this did indeed make him look like a child being guided by an adult, but the sensation of their fingers entwined was too wonderful to give up, so he continued to hold on relentlessly.
They arrived at Shen Yan’s temporary cave—calling it a "cave dwelling" was being generous. Shen Yan was quite averse to trouble and hadn't bothered to build a house; he had simply found a stone grotto, tidied it up, and moved in. Since he spent most of his time wandering the wilds and only returned to cultivate, there were only a few simple pieces of furniture. It lacked any sense of being lived-in.
Upon seeing this, Xuan Yang looked ready to cry again. He felt that Shen Yan’s life was too miserable and immediately began to curse the Phoenix Clan in a fit of indignation.
"I could have made it better, I just felt there was no need. It's just a place to stay for cultivation," Shen Yan said. Although he had many grievances against the Phoenix Clan, he didn't blame them for this particular choice.
Xuan Yang walked around the room, touching everything. Seeing his conflicted expression, Shen Yan took the opportunity to reinforce the defensive arrays of the cave. He hadn't been back for a while, and the arrays had weakened over time.
"There's no tea to drink here, so just make do with this." Shen Yan returned from outside and poured a cup of water for Xuan Yang.
Xuan Yang had spent a long time crying in the street and was currently parched. He immediately gulped the water down.
"Tell me, how did you get out of the Phoenix Clan? Did they give you permission?"
There wasn't even a guest chair in the cave, as no guests ever came here. Xuan Yang sat on the edge of the only large piece of furniture—a wooden bed. Shen Yan sat down beside him and asked about what had happened after he left the Phoenix Clan.
Xuan Yang told him everything truthfully. In reality, he had been in seclusion most of the time, so there wasn't much to say. It was mostly about how he had sought out his elder brothers after emerging and come to blows with them. He had intended to exaggerate the story to move Shen Yan, detailing how he had beaten them to a pulp, but as he spoke, he saw Shen Yan’s brow furrow deeper and deeper. Feeling guilty, Xuan Yang summarized the rest of the events briefly.
Shen Yan certainly wished those fellows were dead. However, he knew very well that Xuan Yang should not have been the one to do it, otherwise, it would invite a lot of trouble.
Xuan Yang added a few words about how he had sustained some injuries and how he hadn't faced much resistance from the Phoenix Clan when he ran away.
Shen Yan couldn't fathom what the Phoenix Clan’s current attitude toward Xuan Yang was. He frowned, contemplating whether they should leave the Upper Realm as soon as possible to hide somewhere else.
"Let's not mention those unlucky bastards! Do you know, when I came out and found you gone, I felt like I was dying of fright... They said you left of your own accord, but I didn't believe them. I kept questioning them until I found out the truth." Xuan Yang pulled Shen Yan’s hand, his fingers tightening one by one, enveloping it in his palm.
Shen Yan’s hand was ice-cold, his pale skin somewhat overly dry.
"Why didn't you believe it? It sounds like something I would do. I used your influence to ascend; it was the perfect opportunity to gain my freedom." Shen Yan chuckled. Most of the time he had spent with Xuan Yang had been a cycle of one chasing and the other fleeing.
Xuan Yang countered, "But didn't you stay in the Upper Realm? I asked the pill shop owner. You could have gone to the Middle Realm with Zhai Bairong, so why did you stay?"
"...You know my habits. I had already troubled Senior Zhai enough; I didn't want to be a burden to him anymore," Shen Yan said softly.
Xuan Yang leaned in relentlessly. "I also know you like to travel and live in different places, yet you've been guarding this area ever since, haven't you?"
"Because..."
Just as Shen Yan was about to say something, Xuan Yang interrupted him. "You're going to try and fool me again. Don't think you can get away with it today. I still remember you promised me before I went into seclusion that we would always be together. I've been holding onto that, so I believe you would never leave of your own accord."
"..."
Shen Yan opened his mouth, but thinking of that promise, he found himself at a loss for words.
Seeing that he didn't continue to argue, though his gaze was somewhat wandering, Xuan Yang made up his mind.
Shen Yan was always like this: if Xuan Yang took a step forward, he would take a step back. Before, he used the excuse that Xuan Yang was a child; later, there were other excuses. His attitude before the seclusion had made Xuan Yang realize that this was definitely not one-sided—Shen Yan had clearly relented! Yet, thirty years of living alone had caused him to shrink back into his shell.
"I missed you so much. If those clansmen had really caused your death, I would have set the Phoenix Clan ablaze and perished together with them." Xuan Yang looked into Shen Yan’s deep, dark eyes, his expression incredibly serious.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"It's true," Xuan Yang said, looking into Shen Yan’s eyes as he leaned in for a frontal embrace. "I'm just glad you're okay."
They had already hugged once on the street, so Shen Yan did not reject him at first. But he soon felt that this embrace was different from the previous one.
"Hey." Shen Yan had never been touched like this before. He instinctively shuddered and immediately tried to push Xuan Yang away.
Xuan Yang didn't budge an inch.
Shen Yan felt that not only did Xuan Yang not move away, but he pressed even closer.
Shen Yan turned his head, wanting to face Xuan Yang directly to tell him to stop messing around, but he met a pair of eyes that held no trace of playfulness.
Xuan Yang thought: if he took a step forward and Shen Yan took a step back, then he would just take two steps forward.
By the time Shen Yan realized Xuan Yang was far too close, it was already a bit too late. Shen Yan’s pupils dilated in an instant as a searing, soft sensation met his lips, sending a tremor through his entire body.
Xuan Yang touched him lightly, but felt it was not nearly enough.
"Mmph...!"
Shen Yan hadn't expected Xuan Yang to press the attack further. His lips and teeth were easily pried open. Although he had lived many more years than Xuan Yang, he clearly lacked experience in such matters. Before he could organize his thoughts on how to face Xuan Yang, his pace was completely disrupted.
Xuan Yang looked at Shen Yan with a bit of a guilty conscience. He felt that if he wasn't more forceful, he would be brushed off again, but he also didn't want Shen Yan to loathe him.
Fortunately, aside from his usually cold expression becoming somewhat flustered, Shen Yan showed no sign of disgust.
A weight lifted from Xuan Yang’s heart. He knew it—how could Shen Yan not like him?
"What are you doing all of a sudden..."
"Kissing you. Do you even need to ask?" Xuan Yang said indignantly. "If I don't kiss you, would you ever take the initiative to kiss me?"
Shen Yan couldn't even get a full "wait" out before he was kissed again. He never expected Xuan Yang to be this assertive today. If he really used force to throw Xuan Yang off, the other probably wouldn't continue to force him. But Shen Yan’s own heart was in a state of chaos, and for a moment, he did not choose to push him away.
Xuan Yang’s reckless approach had inadvertently hit the mark.
When Xuan Yang didn't get a response for a while, he felt a bit apprehensive. He was afraid that if he opened his eyes, he would see Shen Yan looking at him coldly, and the two of them staring at each other would be too awkward. So, he quietly opened his eyes a crack to peek at Shen Yan.
Despite his confusion, Shen Yan had instinctively closed his eyes moments ago. Seeing his slightly trembling eyelashes, Xuan Yang’s heart raced with excitement.
Trapped between Xuan Yang’s body and the wall behind him, Shen Yan had nowhere to go. He went with the flow, resting his hand on Xuan Yang’s chest. Although it was a little distance from the heart, the intense heartbeat still transmitted through his palm, beat by beat. Beneath his hand was the unmistakable physique of an adult man.
"Nn... ah..."
During a break for breath, Shen Yan hastily swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. The sound of swallowing mixed with air echoed in Xuan Yang’s ears. Despite the moisture, Xuan Yang felt his throat go dry.
"Shen Yan, I feel uncomfortable..." Xuan Yang whispered a complaint into his ear.
"Don't touch me like that... hey, wait, hold on..."
"Aren't we Dao companions? It's normal for Dao companions to do this."
Hearing Xuan Yang’s explanation, Shen Yan said helplessly, "When did we become Dao companions?"
"Haven't we been for a long time?" Xuan Yang blinked. Seeing Shen Yan’s look of disapproval, he changed his tune: "Then let's say it started just now."
Xuan Yang nuzzled Shen Yan’s cheek with his nose. "Do you hate me touching you? You didn't mind when I used to cling to you as a child."
Meeting Xuan Yang’s sincere, questioning gaze as he looked up, Shen Yan didn't even know why he hurriedly averted his eyes.
"It's not that I... anyway, go look in a mirror first. Look at how tall you are now."
Shen Yan began to tremble slightly. He had clearly watched Xuan Yang grow up, yet now he was being completely dominated by the man before him. He hadn't figured out if he really wanted to follow through with Xuan Yang’s lead, and his mind was a mess. But he was certain of one thing: if he had to choose a partner to share the rest of his life with, there was absolutely no second possibility in this world for him other than the man in front of him.
Xuan Yang had originally only intended to take the opportunity to steal some affection, but he hadn't expected things to go even more smoothly than he imagined! His heart hammered wildly.
"Shen Yan..."
Shen Yan lowered his head. Xuan Yang was using that adult male voice—which had long since broken—to make those spoiled, coaxing sounds again. Soon, for some reason, Xuan Yang kissed him again, murmuring things like "I like you so much" and "thank you." Shen Yan didn't know what there was to be thankful for at a time like this; he only felt that Xuan Yang was being cloyingly sweet, yet he still accepted his sticky, lingering kisses.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 仙晶 | Immortal Crystals | High-level currency used in the Upper Realm. |
| 合体期 | Integration Stage | A high level of cultivation (also known as Body Integration). |
| 道侣 | Dao companion | A partner in cultivation and life, similar to a spouse. |
| 凤族 | Phoenix Clan | One of the powerful ancient beast clans. |
