Nie Shiyun was casually tinkering with some small trinkets in the artifact-refining room when he heard movement at the door. He immediately realized that Zhai Bairong had emerged from seclusion, so he put down what he was doing and walked out.
"Congratulations."
"...Mm, thank you."
Zhai Bairong smiled, but Nie Shiyun could tell at a glance that there was a hint of hesitation in his tone.
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
"No, as for my cultivation... there are no issues," Zhai Bairong said quickly.
"Then it's...?"
Zhai Bairong frowned and invited Nie Shiyun into the room. Sensing the seriousness of the other man's attitude, Nie Shiyun followed him inside.
The two sat down in armchairs. Zhai Bairong seemed unsure of how to begin. After a long moment, he organized his thoughts and said, "Actually... I just received a message from Duan Mingyu."
Hearing Duan Mingyu's name from Zhai Bairong's mouth after so long made Nie Shiyun pause for a second.
Zhai Bairong explained sheepishly, "I had kept a communication crystal for emergency contact... but since he hadn't looked for me before, I had forgotten all about it."
Nie Shiyun shook his head, indicating that this wasn't what he was concerned about. "Go on."
Zhai Bairong actually felt quite awkward. His relationship with Nie Shiyun had just taken a step forward, and keeping secrets felt like a betrayal, so he felt it was necessary to inform him.
"It's nothing urgent. It's just that he hasn't asked about me for a long time, yet today, just as I reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment and was resting with my eyes closed, I received a message from him asking how I've been lately."
And whether he missed him, among other things. Duan Mingyu had cooed about how he suddenly dreamed of him yesterday and missed him terribly. He claimed he had been afraid of disturbing Zhai Bairong's cultivation before, but today he finally couldn't hold back and wanted to ask when he would return to the Yingyue Sect.
Zhai Bairong opened his mouth but found himself unable to repeat such words.
"I told him that I am about to advance to the Golden Core stage and that he needn't worry about me. I said that once I return... I have things to discuss with him," Zhai Bairong continued.
After a pause, Zhai Bairong said with some difficulty, "I'm sorry. This is something I should have handled on my own."
Nie Shiyun certainly wouldn't get angry over this. He smiled and said, "Since you were willing to tell me, why apologize?"
Nie Shiyun understood perfectly. Zhai Bairong had finally broken through his inner demons and stepped back onto the righteous path of cultivation, and now Duan Mingyu, who had been missing for nearly two years, had popped up again. Suddenly remembered he had a Senior Brother? Talk about perfect timing.
However, even Nie Shiyun, who was on the opposing side, felt that the Heavenly Dao was being a bit too impatient. If this caused Zhai Bairong to recall bad memories, wouldn't it be counterproductive? If he were the Heavenly Dao, he would have at least waited patiently until Zhai Bairong had truly advanced to the Golden Core stage before making contact.
"In any case, when I return in the future, I will make things clear to him and end it once and for all."
Nie Shiyun remarked, "I expect he won't let go of you so easily when the time comes."
Zhai Bairong chuckled. "How could that be? He has Rong Lü now, as well as Xu Yehua. Whether I am there or not makes no difference to him."
Nie Shiyun thought to himself, *That's where you're wrong. That person's motto is 'I want them all.'*
But while he spoke lightly, Nie Shiyun knew that if Zhai Bairong took the initiative to break off the relationship, Duan Mingyu's group—bolstered by the Heavenly Dao—would surely frame Zhai Bairong as the heartless, unfaithful one. His reputation might even be ruined, and he would make enemies everywhere.
The road ahead was truly long. They could only take it one step at a time.
Just as they finished talking and were about to stand up, Zhai Bairong was suddenly startled again.
"The communication crystal..."
Nie Shiyun felt a bit helpless. "Again?"
Zhai Bairong shook his head and said, "No, it's not Duan Mingyu's. It's from Master... How strange, everything is happening at once."
Nie Shiyun narrowed his eyes slightly. This was indeed too coincidental; there had to be a connection.
Zhai Bairong took out the glowing communication crystal and crushed it in his palm.
There were two types of crystals: one that broadcasted the message upon being crushed, and a more expensive type that transmitted the voice directly into the ear. The Yingyue Sect naturally used the latter for internal matters. Although Nie Shiyun was sitting right next to him, he couldn't hear a thing.
"Disciple, I have heard that you have overcome your inner demons and reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. The conflict between Lingfeng Mountain and the Soul-Summoning Sect has subsided, and the Cultivation Grand Meet is approaching. Return to the sect immediately; the sect will assist you in advancing to the Golden Core stage."
Zhai Bairong knew immediately that Duan Mingyu must have returned to the Yingyue Sect and reported the news of his intention to re-advance to the Golden Core as a joyous update.
This wasn't a major issue, and he understood his Master's intentions. What was bizarre, however, was that Qu Zhanmeng had added an ambiguous sentence at the end: "If you don't come back soon, that little Junior Brother of yours is going to be lured away to Red Rock Crag by someone else."
The sentence sounded like a joke, yet also like a provocation. But Zhai Bairong remembered that after Master Qu Zhanmeng learned about his situation with Duan Mingyu, he hadn't seemed particularly supportive. Although he hadn't actively tried to break them up, he had advised Zhai Bairong several times to focus on the Dao and not be overly preoccupied with romance.
Because of this, when Zhai Bairong developed inner demons previously, he hadn't dared to tell Qu Zhanmeng. He felt he had failed his Master's painstaking efforts and had ignored his advice.
Nie Shiyun asked tentatively, "What did he say?"
Zhai Bairong snapped back to reality and repeated what Qu Zhanmeng had said.
"It's true. Compared to the two of us searching for a place to advance here in the Beast Kin Territory, returning to the Yingyue Sect to have your Master oversee it is much safer." What Qu Zhanmeng said wasn't false, and Nie Shiyun had to agree.
However, in the original plot, when Qu Zhanmeng moved against Duan Mingyu, Zhai Bairong betrayed the sect to escape with him. Although Zhai Bairong was technically the one at fault first, Qu Zhanmeng had immediately turned on his eldest disciple without hesitation, striking to kill. It seemed he didn't truly care for this pupil.
Although Nie Shiyun had a thoroughly negative impression of Qu Zhanmeng, the man hadn't done anything yet and was maintaining the facade of a good master to Zhai Bairong. He couldn't say anything against him for now.
Zhai Bairong frowned slightly, feeling conflicted. They had previously agreed to find a place nearby for his advancement together, with Nie Shiyun guarding him. Zhai Bairong had actually been quite happy about that. Moreover, their feelings for each other had just begun to warm up, making it embarrassing for him to speak plainly, but Zhai Bairong truly wanted to spend as much time as possible with Nie Shiyun before returning to the sect for the Cultivation Grand Meet.
However, since childhood, Zhai Bairong had held Qu Zhanmeng in high esteem and rarely disobeyed him. He carefully considered his words and responded to Qu Zhanmeng with gratitude, frankly stating that his previous inner demons were related to Duan Mingyu. He explained that he had now moved past those feelings and was not worried about the timing of his advancement, promising that his cultivation would not fall behind before the Cultivation Grand Meet.
Seeing that Zhai Bairong's communications had paused for the moment, the two decided to sit together and share some tea after a month apart.
But their leisure time didn't last long. Zhai Bairong soon received another message from Qu Zhanmeng.
Watching the expensive communication crystals being crushed one by one, Nie Shiyun marveled at the wealth of a great sect. Back at Yunqing Pavilion, even his own father only used express courier stations to contact him.
This time, however, Zhai Bairong's expression changed.
He didn't understand why Qu Zhanmeng was repeatedly confirming whether he truly intended to break off his relationship with Duan Mingyu. He didn't think his Master would be so concerned about a disciple's romantic affairs.
Furthermore, after receiving an affirmative answer, Qu Zhanmeng sternly ordered Zhai Bairong to return to the Yingyue Sect immediately and told him not to mention this conversation to anyone else—especially not to Duan Mingyu.
Nie Shiyun knew that this hurdle wouldn't be cleared easily today. He sighed and asked, "What is it now?"
Zhai Bairong pursed his lips, looking troubled. "I believe I must return to the Yingyue Sect."
"Your Master ordered you back?"
"..."
Zhai Bairong thought of Qu Zhanmeng's command. Although he had already shared quite a bit, he found it difficult to speak further.
Their plans for the coming days had been so well-laid, yet their secluded life was suddenly shattered.
"Since it's an order from your sect, there's nothing for it. Do you have to leave immediately?"
"No, at least... tomorrow..." Zhai Bairong's brow was furrowed. On one hand, he was worried about what could be wrong given Qu Zhanmeng's serious tone; on the other, having just received Duan Mingyu's message, he was afraid Nie Shiyun might misunderstand something.
"That's fine. Rest up today, and we'll talk tomorrow."
Since it involved the Yingyue Sect, Nie Shiyun knew Zhai Bairong wouldn't be able to stay this time.
Zhai Bairong had come to the City of Myriad Flowers because of a cultivation bottleneck, and now he was suddenly leaving because of a cultivation matter.
In Nie Shiyun's view, this period of rare leisure was perhaps a brief moment where Zhai Bairong had been excluded from the main plot. Either his cultivation would never progress again and he would fade into obscurity, or he was destined to be pulled back into the main storyline.
"Perhaps... after I return to the sect and hear what Master has to say, and once I've advanced to the Golden Core, I'll be able to come back." Zhai Bairong couldn't be sure, but he said it anyway—or rather, he hoped for it.
Nie Shiyun didn't think things would go so smoothly, but he smiled and agreed anyway. "I hope so."
The atmosphere in the small courtyard, which should have been a bright spring day, turned somber due to Zhai Bairong's abrupt impending departure.
Zhai Bairong himself didn't know what was going on, but Nie Shiyun had a rough idea.
Qu Zhanmeng and that Deity Transformation Ancestor at the top of the Yingyue Sect were plotting to refine
