Chapter 10: Shizun, You’ve Become Different from Before

Above the Hengxue Sect, an east wind blew through. The floating clouds scattered, leaving only one strange, ominous vortex of dark clouds hanging over everyone’s hearts.

Zhongli Yun raised his head and observed it for a long while. Seeing that the vortex did not change or shift and remained stable, he figured that even if the Sect Master could not come out for a while, it would not matter.

“Disperse, disperse. Go to class.”

With one order from Zhongli Yun, the cultivators stretching their necks to look were driven back to class. He also sent orders to the peak masters, telling them to remain alert at all times and assist the Sect Master if necessary.

The medical cultivators examined every person who had drunk the tofu pudding. One busy afternoon passed like this. By evening, red clouds filled the sky, even gilding the entrance of the secret realm with a layer of gold.

Once the cultivators grew used to it, they turned a blind eye to the dark clouds lingering above their heads.

“The last time I went down the mountain for training, the one I broke was a battlefield obsession. Smoke and dust surged, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood. We dug there for three days before we finally dug out the obsession owner’s husband and allowed him to be freed.”

“That was only a beginner-level secret realm. We were incompetent and still spent three whole days on it. The one above our heads is a high-level secret realm. No one has ever seen one before. But with the Sect Master and Da-shixiong working together to break it, it shouldn’t take more than a few days.”

“Everyone doesn’t need to worry too much. I once saw a secret realm that was like a hidden paradise. The obsession was merely stability and peace.”

As the cultivators walked, they recalled the secret realms they had encountered.

Shen Luoyan looked at the sky with deep worry. In the end, he could not help stopping and walking over to Zhongli Yun, who was guarding the entrance. He bowed.

“Head, I am willing to request permission to enter.”

Zhongli Yun said, “Your concern for a fellow disciple is commendable. But if there is danger inside, Meng Baixu is relying on the Sect Master to rescue him. If you go in, you will only distract the Sect Master. If it is peaceful inside, then once they find the method to break the array, they will naturally come out.”

“At present, the most important thing for me and everyone else is to guard the Hengxue Sect. We must not allow the Fuguang Sect to use this as a smokescreen to strike east while making noise in the west.”

Shen Luoyan suddenly understood. “This disciple will definitely strengthen night patrol tonight.”

After Liu Xishi fled, Zhongli Yun ordered the dining hall sealed, with all ingredients, pots, and utensils replaced.

Who should pay for this?

Zhongli Yun gave a cold laugh. He pulled a dry biscuit from his qiankun pouch and ate it while thinking that if Liu Xishi dared appear again, he would definitely arrest him and lock him in the Spirit-Locking Cave to grind tofu pudding for five hundred years to repay his debt, while also sentencing him to five hundred years of Cultivation Morality education.

Eighteen years ago, Zhongli Yun had mentioned to the Sect Master that the Fuguang Sect had become strangely low-profile. They were probably lurking among the righteous path, and they had to think of a way to dig them out.

The Sect Master had said that when the water was too clear, there would be no fish, but they could introduce morality classes.

Thus, Zhongli Yun maximized Cultivation Morality, filtering out those who did not want to attend class.

The Sect Master truly saw things thoroughly and understood the Fuguang Sect very well. They might not necessarily be a group of extremely evil people, but they would definitely reject Cultivation Morality.

Liu Xishi had preferred grinding tofu pudding in the dining hall for twenty years instead.

The next day, everything in the Hengxue Sect continued as usual.

While worrying about Da-shixiong and the Sect Master, the cultivators studied diligently. Secret realms could appear at any time. The Fuguang Sect was too cunning. They had to work even harder.

During pharmacology class, Lin Yao was thinking about Meng Baixu and occasionally became distracted.

The alchemy peak master glanced at Lin Yao and called his name. “Lin Yao.”

Lin Yao did not notice. Only after the people around him pushed him did he snap back to attention. “Shifu, I’m sorry. I was distracted.”

The alchemy peak master said bitterly, hating that iron could not become steel, “You have always been heavy-handed, and your dosages are fierce. It is precisely because you get distracted in class.”

Lin Yao lowered his head and admitted his mistake. “I’m sorry, Shifu.”

The alchemy peak master said, “I am not the one you should be sorry to. Reflect on yourself properly.”

***

Meng Baixu had been terribly harmed by Lin Yao’s beast-use medicine.

So it turned out Lin Yao’s medicine was this fierce.

At first, Meng Baixu had deliberately not used spiritual power to suppress it. Later, even when he wanted to suppress it, he could no longer do so. He was probably muddleheaded, his five viscera and six bowels all burning. He had long forgotten where the yuan core was, much less how to activate it.

Aside from doing him, Shizun seemed to have no other method.

But in the end, Wen Tingshu was still calm and unhurried. Meng Baixu was so angry tears filled his eyes. He had given Shizun so many doses in advance. Shizun must have built up resistance to the medicine.

If he had known earlier, he would have taken it in advance too!

Then he could have been calm and composed!

Was Wen Tingshu insane?

Were they not going to be master and disciple anymore?

Sensing that Wen Tingshu wanted to draw out the yang essence left inside his body, Meng Baixu finally gathered back a little strength and clenched tightly.

“No!”

“Shizun, are you going to leave your… your yang essence inside the secret realm?”

Meng Baixu pleaded softly, “Let me help you keep it for a little longer.”

At this moment, Wen Tingshu seemed to finally understand what it meant for someone’s breath to be as fragrant as orchids. He was stunned for a good while before dressing Meng Baixu properly.

“We’re going out.”

He picked Meng Baixu up and stood. In an instant, the red clothes on both of them faded, turning back into complete snow-white robes.

Fengxing Sword returned to his hand. Wen Tingshu held Meng Baixu with one arm and flew into the air. Frost suddenly condensed along the sword edge, and with one slash, he severed the obscene scenery filling their vision.

Boom—

Meng Baixu’s body trembled.

The Renxu secret realm was, after all, a registered property of their Fuguang Sect. Wen Tingshu had blown it up right in front of this sect leader. Truly—

“Don’t be afraid.”

Wen Tingshu put away his sword, and his warm palm landed on his disciple’s back again.

Meng Baixu huffed. The obscene Renxu secret realm dying at Wen Tingshu’s hands was already letting it off easy.

The dark clouds above the Hengxue Sect abruptly scattered. Clear moonlight covered the earth without obstruction.

Only a few cultivators saw the Sect Master holding the seemingly heavily injured Da-shixiong as he rode the wind through the air. Their figures flashed once before disappearing in the direction of Hengxue Mountain.

Wen Tingshu carried the docile Meng Baixu straight into the west palace where Meng Baixu slept.

Meng Baixu loved soft quilts. There were three layers spread across the jade bed. Wen Tingshu tucked Meng Baixu into the covers.

The marks on his body were healed with spiritual power the moment they left the secret realm. Not the slightest trace could be seen.

But inside his body, Wen Tingshu had a bit of a headache.

He could distinguish between inside and outside the secret realm.

He should not have been bewitched and listened to Meng Baixu’s words, leaving a tail outside.

Meng Baixu pretended to sleep, waiting to see how this old thing would handle it.

After a while, Wen Tingshu actually picked up the bamboo flute he had made for him.

The moment Meng Baixu saw the stick, his heart tightened. He rolled halfway over, pressing his back against the wall, his dark eyes staring at Wen Tingshu.

Wen Tingshu placed the flute into his hand.

“All flowing things under heaven are water. You can try using water control to guide it yourself.”

Meng Baixu felt a little bad. “Do I have to insert it?”

Wen Tingshu’s hand resting on his knee clenched and loosened with restraint.

“Just blow it.”

Meng Baixu said, “You go out. I’ll do it myself.”

Wen Tingshu said, “All right.”

After Shizun went out, Meng Baixu climbed up and studied the flute.

Shizun had personally made it for him.

Flutes were played horizontally, while xiao were played vertically. He brought it to his lips and slowly blew. Within the melody was its own array.

The cold tea on the table rushed out from the spout all at once, like a water dragon, and went straight into Meng Baixu’s open mouth.

After quenching his thirst, Meng Baixu lay back down.

Outside the door, Wen Tingshu heard the sound rise and fall. His gaze wandered somewhere unknown.

Meng Baixu was just about to sleep when Shizun came in again, sat at his bedside, and his forehead grew warm as Wen Tingshu’s right palm covered it.

Did he think Meng Baixu would get a fever like a mortal? Please, he was the mighty—

No—

Wen Tingshu was clearing his memories!

Oh. So Wen Tingshu had not gone mad. He had long since decided to erase Meng Baixu’s memories from the secret realm.

Wen Tingshu, this righteous path leader who covered his ears while stealing the bell, this hypocrite in moral clothing, still wanted to be a pair of pure master and disciple with him.

Meng Baixu closed his eyes tightly.

So what if the scenes from the secret realm flashed by and blurred?

He was the master of secret realms. Everything that happened in all secret realms—he knew it all.

What he was curious about was Wen Tingshu’s own memories.

Meng Baixu fell asleep.

Wen Tingshu gently patted Meng Baixu’s left shoulder. In his sleep, Meng Baixu seemed to be having some good dream. His lashes, which had cried before, curved up, and his crimson lips pursed into a satisfied arc.

***

In the dream, Meng Baixu had just left Guiye City and was curious about everything. He also met a friend.

His name was Li Hengnian. His appearance was unremarkable, but for some reason, he gave people a sense of reassurance. He was also going to the Hengxue Sect to seek a master and learn.

Along the way, Meng Baixu tasted all kinds of wheat foods: fried dough twists, sesame balls, sweet naan. He also drank sour plum soup. His stomach was so full he could no longer eat.

By chance, he caught sight of an old blind man telling fortunes at a wheat-food stall, so he immediately sat down.

“Hey, how much for one fortune?”

The old blind man turned toward the sound. “One tael each.”

“So expensive? No wonder you’re so hungry you’re all skin and bones. One tael of silver is enough for me to eat every wheat snack on this whole street.”

But Meng Baixu was someone who did not lack money. He propped up his chin.

“Here. I’m going to the Hengxue Sect to find someone. Guess what relationship this person has with me. If you guess correctly, I’ll pay you to tell my fortune.”

This was Yongzhou City, within mortal territory. Mortals generally went to the Hengxue Sect to visit relatives, while cultivators went to seek a master.

Meng Baixu thought that if the old blind man calculated that he was going to seek Wen Tingshu as his master, he would give him one tael. If he could calculate that Wen Tingshu was his enemy, he would give him another five taels!

The old blind man calculated for a while and said, “The person little Daoist friend seeks is precisely your Dao companion.”

“Nonsense!”

Meng Baixu slapped the table. “The person I’m going to find is Wen Tingshu. He is five hundred years older than me.”

Wen Tingshu’s reputation was like thunder piercing the ears. Even a three-year-old child in the mortal world knew that there was an immortal on Hengxue Mountain named Wen Tingshu.

The old blind man said, “Believe it or don’t. If you don’t believe it, forget it.”

Meng Baixu gritted his teeth. No wonder this old man was poor and destitute. He still wanted to earn money? It was already good enough if he did not get punched.

“I don’t fancy old things!”

What he could not see was that Brother Li beside him had gone stiff.

The old blind man said, “You are blind too.”

Meng Baixu was so angry that he began punching and kicking, only to be firmly held back by Li Hengnian behind him, so he only hit empty air.

This blind man’s words were truly unreliable. Even Brother Li, who had always cherished words like gold, could not help saying, “Old sir, Sect Master Wen’s age is only suitable for being Brother Meng’s Shifu. Please do not stain people’s innocence.”

The old blind man looked fixedly toward Li Hengnian, as if he were not blind at all, and muttered to himself, “Oh. Is his Dao heart still firm?”

Li Hengnian said, “Absolutely unchanged.”

When Meng Baixu heard this, he became displeased again. Why was Brother Li guaranteeing things for Wen Tingshu? What he wanted was precisely for Wen Tingshu’s Dao heart to be weak and easily infiltrated.

So he sat in front of the old blind man again. “Then how can his Dao heart become unsteady?”

The old blind man said, “Without breaking, there can be no establishing.”

Meng Baixu asked, “Breaking what?”

Before he could finish asking, Brother Li pulled him away.

“Alarmist nonsense.”

Meng Baixu only had time to throw a small silver ingot to the old blind man.

…

So it turned out that what the old blind man meant by “without breaking, there can be no establishing” was breaking chastity!

He had said it too vaguely. Meng Baixu had almost failed to understand!

Meng Baixu sat up from the quilt. His gaze passed through the walls and pillars, landing on Shizun, who was making flower rolls in the kitchen.

If he had not misunderstood, the old blind man meant that after Wen Tingshu lost his virginity, his Dao heart would shatter?

Then he would become very easy to blacken?

Meng Baixu carefully observed Shizun to see what was different about him.

Wen Tingshu’s finger joints were like jade, long and strong. When he kneaded wheat foods, they looked especially beautiful. Even the steamed buns he made smelled more fragrant than those outside.

Shizun truly did like kneading dough.

Breakfast was unprecedentedly abundant. Wen Tingshu had made almost every wheat dish he knew how to make. He had even baked three flavors of naan: raisin, sesame, and fresh meat.

Meng Baixu excitedly got out of bed. Seeing the food, he truly acted as if he had lost his memory.

“Shizun!”

Wen Tingshu’s figure paused slightly. “Mn?”

Meng Baixu asked, “Can I eat now?”

Wen Tingshu said, “Anything is fine.”

Meng Baixu’s eyes shone. His left hand grabbed a cornmeal steamed bun, and his right hand grabbed a fresh meat naan. He took a bite, chewed, then tossed it aside and went to taste the brown sugar cake and egg cake instead.

Wen Tingshu had not slept last night, had he?

“Delicious.”

“Careful. Chew properly before swallowing.”

Wen Tingshu held a bowl of lotus seed soup and waited, seizing openings to feed his disciple a mouthful.

Meng Baixu said, “Shizun, have you noticed? You’ve become different from before.”

Wen Tingshu was silent for a moment. “Mn.”

Meng Baixu felt smug.

It seemed even Wen Tingshu knew his Dao heart was unstable now.

At this time, he absolutely had to speak badly about the righteous path!

“Xie Tongchen—”

Wen Tingshu interrupted, “He has already returned to dust.”

Meng Baixu angrily bit into a meat bun. So he was not allowed to talk about what his good brother had done?

“What filling is in this bun? It’s strangely delicious.”

Wen Tingshu said, “Bamboo worm.”

Meng Baixu: “…”

Ptooey.

His eyes turned, and he stared at Wen Tingshu.

“Why is Shizun nourishing my kidneys? Am I already kidney-deficient at only twenty?”

Wen Tingshu put down the soup bowl, turned around, and bent to add a handful of firewood, not daring to look at the bright young man flourishing like spring flowers.

“It’s nothing. Bamboo worms were overrun.”

Meng Baixu suddenly felt Shizun’s appearance was extremely interesting and pressed on.

“This morning, why does my butt hurt a little? Who secretly pinched my butt last night?”

Wen Tingshu suddenly turned back with a concerned gaze. “It still hurts?”

Meng Baixu said, “A little.”

Wen Tingshu said, “You accidentally ate dream-fruit in the secret realm. The moss was too slippery, so you fell. You were unconscious for two days.”

Meng Baixu exclaimed, “A whole two days?”

Wen Tingshu went to look at the firewood again. He removed the dry wood he had just added. The fire was burning too strongly and could easily affect the house.

“Mn.”