The brief four-person party began its journey.
Nie Shiyun didn’t know what had caused the shift in Duan Mingyu’s attitude, but the other man would now strike up a conversation whenever he was idle, seemingly curious about his artifact-refining techniques. Nie Shiyun attributed this to his breakthrough in cultivation; he had evolved from a cannon fodder who should have died long ago into a "tool man" who could be utilized at this stage. However, the stifling pressure of the Heavenly Dao against his chest never truly vanished, making it clear to him that this was by no means a good omen.
Furthermore, because he was no longer alone, Nie Shiyun could no longer enter the jade pendant to cultivate. Having grown accustomed to the safety of that environment, he found this new arrangement highly uncomfortable, and his rapidly climbing cultivation speed had temporarily stagnated.
Duan Mingyu, on the other hand, had no such worries. Just as he was doing now, Duan Mingyu took out some gathered Blazing Flame Grass and handed it to Zhai Bairong to refine into pills, which he then consumed to temporarily alleviate his recurring body-chill. He sat down to meditate with absolute peace of mind. To his left was Rong Lü, whose nerves were so frayed he seemed allergic to the wind as he stood guard; to his right was Zhai Bairong, also keeping watch but clearly lost in thought. Five meters away stood Nie Shiyun, who felt he belonged under the carriage rather than in it.
This awkward tableau of four men had become their daily routine.
As the awkwardness persisted, Nie Shiyun eventually became numb to it.
During this time, Nie Shiyun repaired Duan Mingyu’s defensive gear. He didn't exert his full effort, merely patching it up to a functional state. In the early stages of the original novel, the "Gong" who specialized in artifact refining had not yet appeared. In the secret realm, the group’s strategy was essentially to replace items as they broke. They had initially assumed Nie Shiyun was just a useless second-generation cultivator and let him try his hand with a "dead horse as a living horse" desperation. When he actually managed to fix the items, Duan Mingyu was thrilled.
*Duan Mingyu really has no shame,* Nie Shiyun thought. Not only did he pull out several more treasures for him to fix, but he even tossed over Rong Lü’s and Zhai Bairong’s belongings. Rong Lü, with his perpetual "dead man's face," refused to let Nie Shiyun touch his precious sword, his eyes filled with distrust.
If Nie Shiyun weren't currently living under their roof—so to speak—and lacked the ability to take on all three at once, he would have loved to give them a sound thrashing and leave.
Reluctantly accepting the items, Nie Shiyun felt like a junk collector.
Seeing him busy with repairs all day, Duan Mingyu eventually approached him to ask what his usual price was for refining artifacts for others.
"It feels quite wrong to just enjoy the fruits of your labor like this. Although I don't have much money on me right now, I will do my best to pay you," Duan Mingyu said, his eyes fluttering as he stared at Nie Shiyun, looking truly pitiful and endearing. Any man with even a slight interest in him would likely have blurted out, "It’s no big deal."
However, Nie Shiyun was not a character from the book and felt none of the heart-fluttering charm the other man radiated. Thus, he unceremoniously told Duan Mingyu, "My skills are mediocre. Two thousand spirit stones per item will suffice."
He wasn't actually swindling them. An artifact refiner at the Nascent Soul stage like Nie Li could earn at least a hundred thousand spirit stones for a single first-grade "Spirit Tool," regardless of quality. Lesser Golden Core cultivators, like the elders who refined the second-grade "Treasure Tools" for Duan Mingyu, charged thirty thousand per commission. Although Nie Shiyun could only refine third-grade "Magic Tools," he was capable of repairing Treasure Tools. He felt two thousand was a fair price.
Moreover, rarity increased value. There were likely no other artifact refiners of his level in the secret realm right now.
Perhaps not expecting Nie Shiyun to actually demand money—and without offering a discount at that—Duan Mingyu was momentarily stunned. The thirty-thousand-stone Treasure Tool had been funded by the elders of the Yingyue Sect; as a mere disciple, he could barely scrape together ten thousand even if he emptied his pockets.
"Mingyu trusts you enough to let you handle his artifacts, and you still want to charge him?" Rong Lü said, displeased.
Nie Shiyun rolled his eyes ten thousand times in his mind.
"Fellow Daoist Rong makes a point. However, Fellow Daoist Duan and I are neither kin nor friends, so I am simply conducting business. If I were to give these to him for free, he would owe me a favor. Favors are the hardest things to repay, are they not?"
Rong Lü was a man of few words and even fewer arguments. He usually solved problems with his fists. But since Nie Shiyun was currently helping Duan Mingyu, he couldn't easily strike him.
"Fellow Daoist Duan is a junior of the Yingyue Sect, so it's understandable if his pockets are a bit light. However, both of you are famous and highly valued disciples of great sects. Surely you would be willing to pay this sum for your... dear friend?" Nie Shiyun shifted the conversation, transferring the debt to the other two.
Rong Lü’s gaze pierced like a blade. Lingfeng Mountain, which only recruited sword cultivators, was one of the four great sects alongside the Yingyue Sect, Chiyan Cliff, and Pinyin Pavilion. However, it was the most impoverished among them. From top to bottom, they practiced total devotion to the sword, eschewing external possessions. The sect was famous for its "free-range" approach to disciples.
"This... this isn't right, is it? I can't use their money..." Duan Mingyu said hesitantly.
*It wasn't right before, but now that you've said that, it's perfectly fine,* Nie Shiyun thought.
Rong Lü continued to kill him with his eyes but made no move. Nie Shiyun suspected the sword cultivators of this world were even poorer than he imagined; otherwise, the man would have slapped him with money long ago.
"It’s no matter," Zhai Bairong, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "Here are twenty thousand spirit stones. Mingyu likely has a few more small items... I’ll have to trouble you with those as well when the time comes."
There it was—the person to slap him with money had arrived. Nie Shiyun accepted the payment graciously. It was double what he had asked for; as expected of a great sect's disciple, his net worth was substantial.
With Zhai Bairong stepping up, Duan Mingyu was naturally overflowing with gratitude, calling him "Senior Brother" repeatedly. Zhai Bairong, who had been neglected lately, seemed to enjoy this. Rong Lü, unwilling to lose face, insisted on at least paying Zhai Bairong back for his share. Nie Shiyun, having pocketed the money, watched the drama with great interest.
In the following days, Nie Shiyun continued his side hustle. Knowing that he might have to face these people in the future, he kept his refining work at a very average level. It was easy to ruin something completely, and not too difficult to do one's best, but maintaining a level that didn't look perfunctory yet remained mediocre was actually quite a challenge.
From their conversations, Nie Shiyun learned they had already visited the Five Elements Abode. They had indeed found some "suckers" with Gold and Fire spiritual roots to help, but upon opening the abode, they found it had already been looted. Listening to Duan Mingyu’s slightly disappointed tone, the culprit himself silently suppressed his sense of relief.
Aside from the Spirit Cleansing Pill, the best thing left in the secret realm was the Remnant Soul of an Exotic Fire. Nie Shiyun mulled it over. Given his luck, trying to stumble upon the random entrance like a blind cat finding a dead rat was a waste of time. But if he stayed with Duan Mingyu’s group, he would encounter it with a hundred percent certainty.
In the book, the protagonist's party had unknowingly walked into a forest that seemed no different from the rest, except that the further they went, the thinner the mist became. The clouds dispersed, and sunlight actually appeared in the sky. Sensing something was wrong, they tried to turn back but found themselves trapped in a loop. Forcing themselves to explore further, they discovered a thatched hut in this sun-drenched, hidden place.
There were no cultivation resources in the hut; it looked like an ordinary mortal home. While the group investigated in confusion, Zhai Bairong, who knew a bit about calligraphy and painting, approached a landscape scroll hanging on the wall. Just as he reached out to examine it, his fingertips touched the paper, and a powerful suction pulled him inside. Seeing his senior brother about to be swallowed by the wall, Duan Mingyu’s first instinct was to grab his sleeve. Consequently, both disappeared before the painting.
Rong Lü was a step too late. By the time he touched the scroll, the one-time teleportation array had already expired, and he touched nothing but ordinary paper.
Nie Shiyun couldn't remember the details perfectly. He mainly read for the progression plot, skipping the romance and sex scenes. He couldn't recall exactly why Zhai Bairong and Duan Mingyu ended up sleeping together after being teleported into that secret room; in short, it was some contrived reason unrelated to the main plot. Afterward, Duan Mingyu reaffirmed his feelings for Zhai Bairong, and Zhai Bairong realized that no matter how many men were around Duan Mingyu, he would always be the unique "Senior Brother." Thus, their "misunderstanding" was resolved.
If you asked Nie Shiyun, Zhai Bairong’s brain must have been kicked by a donkey from that point onward. The other suitors were even worse. From that point in the story, no one even questioned the logic of the harem anymore; it was treated as perfectly natural for the "Shou" to be shared by four men. Any subsequent jealousy was just an excuse for a bedroom scene.
That wasn't the point. The point was that the teleportation only triggered once, and he knew exactly where the entrance was. He could strike first.
Of course, facing Duan Mingyu’s overwhelming luck meant there was a chance of failure, and he might be targeted afterward. But after successfully seizing the Spirit Cleansing Pill, Nie Shiyun had grown bolder, understanding that destiny could be shaped by human effort. He tentatively placed this plan on his list of possibilities, deciding to act as the situation dictated.
"Mingyu is gone!?"
"Weren't you just with him?"
"..."
Nie Shiyun, immersed in thought, was startled. He looked up to see Zhai Bairong and Rong Lü both looking panicked.
*What kind of play is this!*
"What happened?" He stood up and approached them to inquire.
Rong Lü’s usually expressionless face was full of anxiety. "Mingyu is gone. It’s only been the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn."
Zhai Bairong said with some regret, "I shouldn't have agreed to let him go to the spiritual spring for water alone."
"Don't blame yourself. No one could have predicted this," Nie Shiyun said, feigning concern.
Zhai Bairong’s regretful expression softened slightly, though his brow remained furrowed.
"I’ll find him," Rong Lü left those four short words and charged out.
"Wait... ugh!" Zhai Bairong wanted to suggest they first deduce whether Mingyu had wandered off or been taken, and in which direction. But Rong Lü wouldn't listen. In his haste, Zhai Bairong could only chase after him.
Nie Shiyun wasn't particularly worried. If anyone was going to have an accident, it wouldn't be Duan Mingyu. Though this disappearance was sudden, the original plot—where Nie Shiyun himself was supposed to kidnap Duan Mingyu, triggering the "hero saves the beauty" scene for the third suitor—was gone. Perhaps the Heavenly Dao was using another method to bring the plot back on track.
In short, Nie Shiyun felt no internal turmoil.
If he wanted to leave the group, this was actually a perfect opportunity. However, he wouldn't be able to find the secret room with the treasure on his own. Thus, Nie Shiyun chose to follow them.
The group hadn't noticed the disappearance too late, and they happened to choose the right direction. After moving quickly through the woods for a distance, Nie Shiyun heard Duan Mingyu’s voice from afar.
"Let go of me first..."
"Mingyu!" Rong Lü was the first to charge forward, his spirit sword unsheathed. As blades clashed, he finally saw the face of the man gripping Duan Mingyu’s wrist through the mist. Duan Mingyu’s wrist was red from the grip, but he couldn't break free. He called out to Rong Lü first: "Don't worry, I'm fine!"
How could Rong Lü believe him in such a situation? His sharp sword techniques lunged toward the man’s vitals.
Zhai Bairong arrived next. Just as he summoned his weapon, he couldn't help but blurt out, "Xu Yehua! It’s you?"
"Indeed. You must be Zhai Bairong of the Yingyue Sect?"
Zhai Bairong hesitated for a moment but still stepped forward with his sword. Xu Yehua, attacked from two sides, quickly released Duan Mingyu’s wrist, his voice full of amusement. "You really don't know a good deed when you see one."
"The famous Xu Yehua of Chiyan Cliff surely wouldn't stoop so low as to bully a junior of my Yingyue Sect?"
"Heh, we’re all at the Foundation Establishment stage. There’s no need to talk about juniors and seniors. Besides, open your eyes and look clearly. Who was bullying him, and who saved him?"
"You did save me, but... but you..." Duan Mingyu’s face was as red as his wrist.
"I asked for a bit of compensation. What’s wrong with that?" The youth called Xu Yehua curled his lips into a playful smirk.
Nie Shiyun, arriving a step late, kept his distance. Hearing their conversation, he felt a shiver run down his spine. Speak of the devil—the third suitor had appeared right on schedule.
In the original work, although it was because of Duan Mingyu, the one who had actually pierced the original host’s heart with a sword was this very Xu Yehua.
Xu Yehua wore red robes embroidered with gold thread, looking quite dazzling. His demonic face was full of an arrogant smile. Though he was currently fighting two-on-one against Rong Lü and Zhai Bairong, he didn't seem to be at a disadvantage.
Nie Shiyun, who usually felt a shackle on his heart, now felt alarm bells ringing in his head. His chest felt tight—not from physical pain, but from a mental suppression that made it hard to breathe.
The Heavenly Dao was still there.
*I must do something, or sooner or later, I will die at this man's hands!* a voice inside him screamed. Nie Shiyun’s mind was in chaos, leaving him no room to worry about the messy situation before him.
Seeing Nie Shiyun standing motionless as if he couldn't be relied upon, Duan Mingyu could only shout helplessly from the side, "Stop fighting... Wait! Listen to me! He really did save me..."
Recently, Duan Mingyu’s group had displayed many treasures along the way, and they had long been marked by opportunistic cultivators. However, the four of them always moved together, protected by two Foundation Establishment peak cultivators, so outsiders didn't dare strike. When Duan Mingyu went to the spring alone, he finally became vulnerable and was immediately snatched by three rogue cultivators looking for loot.
They hadn't run very far when Xu Yehua, who happened to be passing by, spotted them. He was the most promising head disciple of Chiyan Cliff in the last twenty years. He had come to the secret realm to test his skills, but unfortunately, nothing exciting had happened since he entered. He was just starting to feel bored when he encountered this, and he immediately stepped in to save Duan Mingyu.
Duan Mingyu had turned calamity into a blessing. Overwhelmed with shock and joy, he shed a few tears like a startled small animal. Xu Yehua’s heart stirred. He was no gentleman to begin with, so he immediately grabbed Duan Mingyu’s wrist and began to flirt. Duan Mingyu was naturally startled and loudly told him to stop.
Now, seeing his two suitors fighting Xu Yehua with real blades, Duan Mingyu’s previous grievance vanished. Xu Yehua had saved him, after all. Even if he had been inappropriate, it didn't warrant this. If someone actually got hurt, things would get complicated.
In the original story, Nie Shiyun had grabbed Duan Mingyu’s arm and ended up with a hole through his heart. When the "true Gong" Xu Yehua acted inappropriately, Duan Mingyu shouted "no" but couldn't help blushing. The disparity was infuriating.
Hearing Duan Mingyu’s cries, the men finally lowered their weapons simultaneously.
*How obedient,* Nie Shiyun thought privately.
What followed was a series of explanations that Nie Shiyun had no heart to listen to. Ever since Xu Yehua appeared, the pressure on his heart hadn't lessened, keeping him on high alert. Nie Shiyun even began to doubt whether his insistence on competing with Duan Mingyu for opportunities was the right move.
A wise man knows when to retreat. Perhaps backing off now was the correct choice. He could wait until his cultivation was on par with these people before making further plans...
Just as Nie Shiyun was wondering how to bring up his departure, Zhai Bairong suddenly asked the group a question.
"Wait a moment. Do you feel the mist here becoming thinner? It seems even the dark clouds have dispersed quite a bit. Something is wrong."
"..."
Nie Shiyun’s breath hitched.
Well, that was it. His path of retreat was gone.
***
