"I'm not going."
Back at Xuan Yang and Shen Yan’s cave dwelling, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong sat across from them, recounting the conversation with the Phoenix Emperor. As expected, upon hearing the details, Xuan Yang’s handsome face—a mirror image of the Phoenix Emperor’s—immediately twisted into an extremely ungraceful expression.
"Well, I’ve passed on the message regardless," Nie Shiyun said, shrugging with an 'I told you so' look.
"The risk involved is not small," Zhai Bairong sighed.
He had been inside the jade pendant space the entire time, so he had naturally overheard the conversation from beginning to end. However, he hadn't said anything after they left the Phoenix Clan’s territory, only speaking up now.
Shen Yan and Xuan Yang watched the two before them in silence. Shen Yan, in particular, had rarely seen Zhai Bairong with such an expressionless face. It was a stark contrast to the gentle and polite image he usually presented to outsiders, making Shen Yan feel a bit stifled, as if he didn't dare to speak.
"I know. It’s just that opportunities like this are rare..." Nie Shiyun looked helplessly at Zhai Bairong beside him, resting his hand on the other man’s arm where it leaned against the chair. "I’m going to have to trouble you to go through another ordeal with me."
Zhai Bairong looked at Nie Shiyun. After a long moment, his expression finally softened, and he gave a faint smile. "I expected as much. It would be my pleasure."
Nie Shiyun couldn't help but smile back, his fingers intimately stroking the back of Zhai Bairong’s hand.
The warm atmosphere between the two was interrupted by Xuan Yang’s voice: "Stop, stop, stop. Whatever you’re planning to do next, please don't do it in my house, alright?"
"Xuan Yang..." Shen Yan nudged Xuan Yang with his elbow, looking exasperated.
Nie Shiyun let out a laugh. Instead of retorting, he took Zhai Bairong’s hand and admitted candidly, "Fair point. We’ll head somewhere else then."
"Ahem." Zhai Bairong cleared his throat, signaling Nie Shiyun to stop while he was ahead. However, he stood up along with him, indeed preparing to take their leave.
"Just get going already," Xuan Yang said dismissively.
Since they were all currently living in this area of the Upper Realm, they could meet up whenever they wished. The group didn't say much more before parting ways for the time being.
During his earlier recount, Nie Shiyun had mentioned that since Zhai Bairong had already shown his face to Ao Fan, and given that the Upper Realm was teeming with masters, Disguise Pills would be of little use. This time, he likely wouldn't be able to have Zhai Bairong carry him around as they fled everywhere. When the time came, they might even have to rely on Xuan Yang and Shen Yan for help. After the two left, Xuan Yang and Shen Yan said nothing, but both silently began to focus on their cultivation.
If they were to help, the higher their cultivation level, the better.
After leaving, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong didn't actually go find a place to be intimate immediately as Nie Shiyun had joked; instead, they went to search for a suitable place to stay.
"I was still thinking about reviving the name of Yunqing Pavilion, but now look at this. My name will certainly become famous, but I doubt many cultivators will dare to join our sect after that," Nie Shiyun sighed. Plans really couldn't keep up with changes.
Zhai Bairong analyzed the situation. "Establishing a sect was never something that could be achieved overnight. There’s no need to rush. You and I will likely have to stay in hiding for a long time, but I see that the Phoenix Emperor holds Xuan Yang in high regard. Most people wouldn't dare to touch him lightly. When we can't show our faces, we can leave the arrangements to him and Shen Yan."
"That really is putting them in a difficult spot," Nie Shiyun laughed. Though he said that, he looked very much ready to dump the heavy responsibilities onto them.
Having lived peacefully in the outskirts of the Lower Realm for decades, the two were not at all used to staying in bustling city inns every day. With people in the next room or downstairs, they always felt a sense of restlessness.
The two spent a few days searching and eventually found a vacant mountain with beautiful scenery, deciding to settle there temporarily. The spiritual vein here was decent enough. Nie Shiyun wasn't overly demanding; after all, if the spiritual vein were truly flourishing, how could the two of them have claimed it so easily?
They efficiently prepared a cave dwelling and settled in. Cultivators always referred to their homes as "cave dwellings" or "grottos," though many who lived in the deep mountains actually resided in proper houses. However, since the two were unsure where they would be in two years and wanted to seize every moment to cultivate, they didn't bother hiring craftsmen to build a house.
"The light is a bit poor, but at least it’s quite secluded after a bit of tidying. In a few days, we’ll tell Xuan Yang and Shen Yan our new address. Since cultivating in the jade pendant yields twice the result with half the effort, we’ll let them come over whenever they like."
After being busy for several days, Nie Shiyun finally had time to sit down and rest for a while.
Zhai Bairong thought of the clearly changed atmosphere between those two when they met earlier and said, "Their relationship is heating up. Even if you invite them, they probably won't come over frequently."
Nie Shiyun was amused by this. He leaned closer to Zhai Bairong and asked, like he was discussing gossip, "You also think that kid and Shen Yan seem all lovey-dovey, don't you?"
"They just got together, so it’s bound to be like that, right?" Zhai Bairong said uncertainly.
Nie Shiyun countered, "Not necessarily. Look at us; we’ve been together for so long, yet aren't we still lovey-dovey, sticking together all day long?"
As he spoke, he leaned even closer. Before Zhai Bairong could finish his smiling reply of "We aren't nearly as bad as you say...", the rest of the sentence was pressed back into his mouth.
"Mmph... Nnh..."
In the quiet new abode, the heart-stirring sounds of a deep kiss echoed softly.
***
