Zhan Xiaotian hugged him tightly, wanting to wrap his legs around him too, mimicking the posture of eagle claws gripping the wall, not intending to let go.
The plot of the book wasn’t over yet, but Yu Sheng was already feeling embarrassed, a faint blush rising on his cheeks that he wasn’t even aware of.
Then he sneezed.
His nose, which had just begun to adapt to the strong hint of jealousy, suddenly experienced a drastic shift in scent, becoming incredibly sweet. It reminded Yu Sheng of the overwhelming combination of a bakery, a popcorn shop, and a milk tea store all in one place, making his nose tickle with sweetness.
Even a perfume shop couldn’t be this fragrant; even the most fragrant beauties wouldn’t dare to be this fragrant; not even cilantro could smell this sweet.
After the sneeze, Yu Sheng wanted to end the hug. According to the book's arrangement, the next step after hugging was to pour out heartfelt confessions and say some deeply moving things, like “As your master, I will always support your choices,” “Even if the world is against you, I will protect you,” or “No matter when, I will trust you completely.” The emotional appeal could be as dramatic as possible, filled with passion, enough to bring tears and steadfastness.
Yu Sheng glanced at the text, thinking that the author’s writing had some issues; how could “steadfast” be used in this context? It should be about familial love instead.
…Hmm.
That didn’t seem quite right either.
Okay, he admitted the author’s writing was still better than his.
However, just as Yu Sheng was mentally rehearsing his lines and gently patting Zhan Xiaotian’s back, thinking it was time to let go, Zhan Xiaotian’s arms tightened again, showing no intention of releasing him.
Yu Sheng considered that Zhan Xiaotian was still caught up in his emotions and probably hadn’t calmed down yet, so he decided to give him some more time and didn’t struggle, gently comforting him like one would with a child, stroking Zhan Xiaotian’s back.
Three strokes, then a sneeze; five strokes, then another sneeze.
Mainly, they were still up in the air, and the wind was strong.
So when Yin Wangzhi sensed something was off and came up with Wen Jiu to find them, this is what they saw:
Yu Yangzi, dressed in a loose, light beige robe, with his hair flowing in the wind, was tightly held in Zhan Xiaotian’s embrace, the narrow waist clutched firmly. He was pressed against Zhan Xiaotian, whose golden-red battle robe was stained with blood and dust on the edges and in his hair.
The two were locked in a tight embrace, unwilling to part. What was even more striking was that Zhan Xiaotian had slightly raised his head, his eyes bright like a wolf’s, displaying an extremely smug and infuriating smile, while the person in his arms occasionally trembled as if sobbing—but it was just sneezing.
Each time Yu Yangzi trembled, Zhan Xiaotian would lower his head to rub his chin against the ear or hair of the person in his arms, his eyes filled with intense possessiveness.
This… it was clear that he had just been overly intimate with the person in his arms! He must have done something incredibly inappropriate.
“Damn it!”
Yin Wangzhi's eyes were about to burst with anger, and he immediately cursed aloud. His right hand tightened around the hilt of his sword, but since ‘Senior’ was still in that beast's embrace, he couldn't make a move. The killing intent around him surged, and the temperature suddenly dropped, as if winter had arrived in an instant.
Yu Sheng felt a chill run through him, realizing that the scent in the air had dissipated at some point. Although it was colder, he had stopped sneezing. Rubbing his nose, he found that Zhan Xiaotian had finally let him go, only to see that Yin Wangzhi had not only returned but had also brought Wen Jiu along.
At this point, he finally concluded in his mind that Zhan Xiaotian had probably already seen through his identity. Otherwise, how could he be so clingy and seeking affection with such ease? But right now, it wasn’t the time to think about that.
Turning around, he revealed a face slightly flushed from sneezing too much, with his nose and eye sockets a bit red. His lips were also chafed from being pressed against Zhan Xiaotian's shoulder, making it look very misleading.
Wen Jiu, for some reason, seemed lost in thought, forgetting to speak or express his intentions, completely immersed in his own world.
Yin Wangzhi was more straightforward, shouting angrily, “Zhan Dog, you beast! Let go of the Senior right now!”
Yu Sheng: ???
He had already been released. Why was Yin Wangzhi so agitated?
He felt that there might be a misunderstanding, but it was difficult to guess what it was.
The plot had drifted a bit, but Yu Sheng still remembered the storyline from the novel and suddenly recalled that, according to the book, at this point the disciple had just calmed the ‘soul beast,’ meaning Zhan Xiaotian’s sword spirit had just been appeased and was in a vulnerable state. It wasn’t the right time to consider the bigger picture; it was a time for favoritism, for being unreasonable, and for being a loving father.
Yu Sheng discreetly glanced at the Chixin Sword, confirming that it hadn’t completely settled down yet, and he quickly made a decision.
“Let’s just talk nicely, no need to curse,” he said earnestly. “We’re all brothers; there must be some misunderstanding. Xiaotian hasn’t bullied or coerced me. Let’s just have a proper conversation.”
Yin Wangzhi narrowed his eyes dangerously. “What did you call him?”
Yu Sheng: “…”
Why was the focus so off?
Yu Sheng looked innocent, thinking that addressing him by name without a surname made it sound closer, which was something the book had taught him…
Before he could come up with a response, he felt warmth at his waist as Zhan Xiaotian leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around him from behind and resting his head against him. “Ghost King, if you call me a beast, then what do you consider yourself?”
Yu Sheng was even more confused by their conversation, puzzled over the obvious misunderstanding. Why wasn’t Zhan Xiaotian refuting or clarifying anything? He then noticed that Yin Wangzhi’s expression suddenly changed. His gaze flickered away, avoiding looking at Yu Sheng, and he seemed a bit flustered, looking guilty…
Alright, Yu Sheng understood. This was probably due to that nightmare from a few days ago when he was cooked and eaten.
Who would have thought it was really him! It was indeed his second disciple, Yin Wangzhi!
Yu Sheng felt a pang of heartache and took a deep breath, holding it in.
After all, he had faked his death. He was in the wrong; he deserved it. It wasn’t as if he had actually suffered any loss. Yin Wangzhi was just venting his frustrations.
As long as he understood the need to vent, that was good. Whether it was anger or dissatisfaction, it could be adjusted. If it weren’t vented, it would bottle up like Zhan Xiaotian, who seemed fine but had his sword spirit go completely out of control.
Yu Sheng successfully self-regulated in his mind and quickly accepted the reality. For now, soothing his eldest disciple was the priority. He didn’t want to encounter that annoying noise or jealousy again. Healing Zhan Xiaotian would benefit the entire human realm, hold him accountable for the past, and redeem the broken storyline.
On the other side, Yin Wangzhi was momentarily speechless, his expression not looking good. Arguing wasn’t his strong suit, and Wen Jiu seemed to have zoned out again, showing no reaction to the outside world and only wanting to start a fight.
“Senior, please step aside for a moment.”
Yu Sheng couldn't move since he had someone hanging on to his waist. He frowned slightly. “You’ve misunderstood, he…”
Before he could finish, the sword spirit stirred again. Zhan Xiaotian seized the opportunity to interject, “There’s no need for the Senior to speak on my behalf. After all, I have held a grudge against him for a long time. It won’t help to clear up just this one misunderstanding.”
Yu Sheng sighed, feeling quite distressed.
Here it comes! The cliché of ‘there’s no way to resolve a misunderstanding right away; it has to lead to a series of conflicts and confrontations’!
He had previously criticized this trope, thinking that if he were in the situation, he wouldn’t let just a few words clear things up. He would drag it out for three, four, or five episodes before finally explaining things. Communication, one of the most important elements of human civilization, had to be utilized!
Now, he finally had this opportunity!
Yet, despite repeatedly trying to explain, he found that every time he opened his mouth, the sword spirit would become agitated, and when he fell silent, it would calm down.
The sword spirit represented Zhan Xiaotian's thoughts. Why wouldn’t the wronged party want to clarify things?
He glanced at the others and felt that things were not simple—Zhan Xiaotian clearly didn’t mind being suspected!
Could it be that Zhan Xiaotian would rather bear a false accusation than let Yin Wangzhi get mad? No, it seemed that as long as it could infuriate Yin Wangzhi, he didn’t care what baseless charges he faced!
What a terrifying level of hostility—this was akin to the grudge of being cuckolded!
This was problematic.
However, looking at it this way, the earlier noise and jealousy could also be understood. Perhaps what made the sword spirit lose control was this deep-seated hatred from Zhan Xiaotian? Because of this hatred, he would become very sensitive to everything related to his arch-nemesis, Yin Wangzhi?
Thinking this way seemed to connect all the dots logically.
So, why did they have such a terrible relationship?
The situation was at an impasse; they couldn’t clarify the misunderstanding, and a slight misstep would lead to a fight. Yu Sheng simply threw out a question that had puzzled him for a long time:
“What exactly is the grudge between you two?”
As soon as he said this, the wind seemed to still.
Yu Sheng frowned slightly, thinking he might have phrased his question poorly, and he repeated, “It’s okay if you don’t want to share, but are you planning to keep fighting like this? Is this trip to the Three Realms Cliff just to have a few more fights at the grave?”
After several attempts, Yu Sheng had already figured out that they were putting on an act. Each of them looked deeply aggrieved, but they all knew that their master was right in front of them. Since that was the case, they must not have returned to the Three Realms Cliff to pay their respects but for another purpose.
However, this purpose didn’t seem to be ‘exposing their master’s false identity.’ Even someone as hot-tempered as Yin Wangzhi was making an effort to hold back from revealing the truth. It felt more like he firmly believed there were unspeakable reasons behind this and didn’t intend to lay bare the truth directly.
Thus, Yu Sheng reasonably suspected that their return might be to resolve their grievances once and for all under the guise of visiting the grave!
In that case, he had to get involved!
Yin Wangzhi’s gaze darkened as he looked at him, and Zhan Xiaotian remained silent, as if there were some secret between the three of them that only Yu Sheng was unaware of, maintaining a delicate tacit understanding.
Finally, it was Wen Jiu who came back to his senses. He clasped his hands toward Yu Sheng and voluntarily answered the question.
“To be honest, the three of us brothers are here for two reasons: one is to pay respects and commemorate our master, and the second is to address your arrival, Senior Yu Yangzi.”
Yu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. “me?”
On the surface, they were complete strangers.
Wen Jiu spoke respectfully, his tone calm and measured as he smiled and explained, “It’s to ask the Senior to leave the bottom of the Three Realms Cliff and return to the world.”
Yu Sheng: …?!
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