Side story

Long before Mu Hanyuan was brought back to Tianshan Peak by Yun Yao—during the period when the two remained behind closed doors and strange celestial phenomena frequently occurred over the peak—a rumor had already begun to spread within the sect.

It was said that when the Little Senior Grandmaster returned from her journey, she had brought back a “fox spirit” from outside and hidden him within her grotto.

Supposedly, she was so infatuated that she was lost in a daze, indulging in his beauty all day long and never even stepping out of her cave.

Later, the rumor was largely debunked thanks to the unintentional “assistance” of Zhu Tianchen.

However, it left behind endless trouble.

Starting from the day Mu Hanyuan showed his face outside the Tianshan Peak grotto, the number of Qianmen disciples coming to the peak under the guise of “sweeping” or other sect duties increased exponentially.

Clearly, the disciples who had been behind Zhu Tianchen that day and caught a glimpse of the “fox spirit’s” true face were not particularly good at keeping secrets.

By the next day, the sect was abuzz. This “guest” of Tianshan Peak was described as a peerless beauty who could only exist in heaven, sparking the curiosity of countless disciples who all wanted to witness this legendary visage for themselves.

The elders still cared for their dignity and felt embarrassed to intrude directly.

The younger disciples, however, didn’t care much for such things.

Thus, on a fresh new day, within the Tianshan Peak grotto, Yun Yao—who was sleeping in late due to “excessive exhaustion” the night before—was awakened early in the morning by the noisy commotion of the five senses and six consciousnesses being forced upon her.

“…I’m going to find Zhu Tianchen and fight him to the death.”

After several failed attempts to fall back asleep, Yun Yao spoke through gritted teeth.

She rose from the bed with a expressionless face, her movements as she threw on her outer robe radiating a murderous intent.

On the bed behind her, Mu Hanyuan stood up with a smile and pulled her back into his embrace by her waist. “Don’t be angry; fury is bad for the health.”

He raised his hand and lightly smoothed her furrowed brow, then lowered his head with a smile and kissed her lips.

His snow-white hair slid from his forehead into her loose collar, tickling her neck.

The anger that had filled her chest just moments ago vanished like bubbles on water under that light, lingering kiss. All that remained was a sense of lightness, leaving her heart soft and feeling as if it were a damp, muddy field after rain.

Yun Yao never thought she could be so easily coaxed.

Perhaps it was simply because no one had ever dared to coax her before.

Unfortunately, before things could go further, a knock sounded at the grotto door.

The person outside knocked intentionally, using a voice transmission to let those inside know; even the sound-isolating barrier couldn’t block it out.

This time, even Mu Hanyuan raised an eyebrow, his fingertips lingering as they brushed against the soft skin behind her neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he suppressed a helpless sigh. “…I’ll go.”

“Hmm?” Yun Yao, dazed from the kiss, snapped back to her senses and quickly grabbed his robe. “No. If you show your face and let them see you again, I fear every disciple in the sect will come to Tianshan Peak to set up camp.”

Despite the exaggerated joke, Yun Yao truly didn’t intend for Mu Hanyuan to show his face recklessly.

She tidied her dress and walked toward the entrance.

As the stone door opened, Yun Yao saw a crowd of miscellaneous disciples gathered on the peak.

Good. Today there were thirty percent more than yesterday.

Yun Yao pretended not to notice the fervent gazes or the disappointment that followed when they saw her.

Amidst a flurry of greetings calling her “Little Senior Grandmaster,” Yun Yao’s gaze locked onto a figure in green standing among the disciples.

She remembered him; he was the new disciple Mu Jiutian had taken after returning to the sect.

Sending him here specifically…

Nothing good could come of it.

Thinking this, Yun Yao immediately placed her hand on her forehead and turned to walk back. “I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy lately. Your noisy crowd is truly disturbing my cultivation. I only came out to tell you all to go back. For the next month, no disciple is allowed to set foot on Tianshan Peak.”

“Senior Martial Aunt!”

Unfortunately, Wu Xiao—Mu Jiutian’s new disciple—was even more decisive than she was.

With a sharp call, he bowed deeply. “The annual Qianmen ceremony is in three days. Master says that since you’ve been away from the sect for so long, many new elders and disciples have yet to receive your guidance. He asks that you please make time to attend.”

Yun Yao turned back skeptically. “Is it that simple?”

Mu Jiutian had already sent a sword transmission to tell her this; why send Wu Xiao on another trip?

Seeing her turn back, Wu Xiao tilted his head, his serious face disappearing to reveal a grin. “Master also said… please bring the one in your grotto along to participate.”

“Why? He isn’t a member of Qianmen.” Yun Yao would never admit she felt a bit guilty saying that.

But Wu Xiao was far more open, straightening his back. “Master said the elders all want to see him; please just satisfy them. If they worry too much out of curiosity and suffer a deviation in their cultivation, your sin would be great indeed, wouldn’t it?”

Yun Yao: “…”

She knew it.

The Qianmen annual ceremony was an old custom. However, in the years when the Seven Heroes of Qianmen and that entire generation of disciples were lost, this tradition—passed down from Yun Yao’s Master, Master Taiyi—was gradually forgotten.

It wasn’t until Mu Jiutian returned to the sect three years ago and took on the role of Grand Elder that the custom was reinstated.

According to tradition, every elder and disciple in the sect had to participate.

It was meant to strengthen the bonds within the sect and to commemorate those who died in the Great Immortal-Demon War or the day Fuyu Palace breached the sect.

Reasonably and emotionally, Yun Yao had no way to refuse.

As for Mu Hanyuan.

Before returning to the grotto, Yun Yao was still thinking that if all else failed, she would claim he was unwell and couldn’t show his face—which was technically true, as he hadn’t fully recovered.

But she hadn’t expected…

“…Eh??”

Yun Yao looked back in shock. “You truly want to go?”

“Yes. You don’t want me to go?” Mu Hanyuan was walking toward her from the bed.

Only a few moments had passed since Yun Yao stepped out and back into the grotto, yet he was already dressed in light robes and a sash, looking elegant and refined. Even his white jade crown was perfectly secured with a jade pin, returning him to the image of an untainted transcendent immortal.

Looking at him now, it was impossible to imagine the wanton scene from last night…

“Cough.”

Yun Yao timely stopped her own inappropriate, wandering thoughts. “I just thought you didn’t like these kinds of occasions.”

Mu Hanyuan walked to her side. “I wouldn’t say I like them.”

“Then why go?”

“But I’m used to them.”

“Hmm?”

Yun Yao looked back in confusion, only to have Mu Hanyuan embrace her from behind and lean down to bury his face by her neck, nuzzling her neck with intimate closeness. “During the years you were in seclusion, I was the head disciple of Qianmen. Whether inside or outside the sect, I had to lead in everything and act as an example for the disciples.”

“Hmm… sounds like hard work?”

Yun Yao intentionally dodged him, looking back with a smile.

“Aside from not being able to see Master, anything else, no matter how hard, could be endured.”

Yun Yao blinked and turned around in Mu Hanyuan’s arms to face him. “But this time is a bit different. They don’t remember you, and… among the high-ranking members of the sect, there will surely be many who are very curious about you. They might even try various ways to probe your identity and origin.”

Mu Hanyuan feigned deep thought. “My identity?”

“Yes. I think that will be the hardest to explain.” Yun Yao’s brow furrowed slightly. “Saying you’re my disciple is clearly inappropriate, but if you don’t have the status of a Qianmen disciple, I don’t seem to have a reason to keep you on Tianshan Peak forever…”

Before Yun Yao could finish, she heard the man before her let out a low laugh. “Isn’t my identity simple enough?”

“Hmm? How so?” Yun Yao looked up blankly.

She was met with the shadow of the candlelight falling over her. The smile in the man’s eyes was as bright as the stars, surpassing the glow of the candles, as he pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips.

His remaining words were whispered against her lips.

“According to the rumors in the sect, haven’t I always been the fox spirit kept in the grotto by the Little Senior Grandmaster to bewitch her soul?”

Yun Yao: “???”

Three days later, the Qianmen annual ceremony arrived as scheduled.

According to Yun Yao’s experience from many years ago, the time before the official banquet was always the most chaotic and noisy. She didn’t want to be blocked in her seat from all directions, so she chose to arrive with Mu Hanyuan just one incense stick before the start, appearing in the Qihua Hall on Fengtian Peak where the ceremony was being held.

On the way, she was still praising her brilliant decision as they walked through the sparsely populated main island of Fengtian Peak.

As a result, the moment she stepped into the hall, Yun Yao regretted it.

Following the announcement “The Little Senior Grandmaster has arrived,” the noisy and bustling hall was silenced in an instant, as if a giant invisible hand had pressed down from the sky.

Immediately following that, the elders and disciples from all directions turned their heads in unison—

To put it nicely, their gazes were like torches.

To put it bluntly, it was like being surrounded by a pack of wolves.

Yun Yao froze under the scrutiny, nearly unable to stop herself from grabbing Mu Hanyuan and turning tail to flee this “den of wolves.”

Fortunately, as her fingers caught Mu Hanyuan’s sleeve, before she could pull, his long, jade-like fingers lightly covered hers.

Mu Hanyuan reassuringly took Yun Yao’s hand, hiding it beneath his sleeve. As he led her into the hall, he tilted his head with a smile. “Endure a bit longer. If you don’t like it, we can leave early later.”

Yun Yao knew that in those three hundred years, Mu Hanyuan had cultivated a nature that was upright and orderly—the complete opposite of her own. Or perhaps, this was simply his innate nature, deep in his roots.

She frowned and restlessly scratched his palm. “At most, we stay for one incense stick after the sacrifice to heaven, then we go back to Tianshan Peak.”

“Alright, as you wish.”

As the two of them walked into the hall, the disciples along both sides finally snapped back to their senses, their voices filled with irrepressible shock.

“I thought the junior brothers were exaggerating, but I never expected this.”

“What a heavenly visage; today I’ve finally witnessed it. No wonder the Little Senior Grandmaster, who has seen so many, would actually be captivated by beauty and refuse to leave her grotto for even a step…”

“A pity he’s just a mortal with no spiritual power or cultivation.”

“How is that? I heard that the moment Elder Zhu saw him that day, he felt the urge to take him as a disciple.”

“Oh? Elder Zhu isn’t like Elder Lu who loves teaching; he doesn’t have a single personal disciple to this day. To make him feel such an urgent desire, the man’s aptitude must be terrifying, right?”

“Could it be that the Grand Elder will take him as a disciple personally?”

With these discussions, many disciples turned their gazes toward the innermost part of Qihua Hall.

Besides the Sect Leader’s seat, there were two lotus platforms in high positions.

One was empty, clearly reserved for Yun Yao. On the opposite platform sat Mu Jiutian—the only Grand Elder currently in Qianmen—who was narrowing his eyes as he studied the two people walking toward him from the entrance.

Beside him, two others were accompanying him—

The Valley Master of Jiusi Valley, Xiao Jiusi.

The new Clan Leader of the Phoenix Immortal Mountain in the East Sea, Feng Qinglian.

A faint light barrier could be seen surrounding the three of them along with their tables and mats. Outside the barrier, one could only see them clinking glasses and talking, but no sound came out. Clearly, the barrier was a sound-isolating one.

Inside the barrier.

Beneath his multicolored feather robe, Feng Qinglian’s long fingers slowly tightened. He stared at the silhouette walking through the seats in the hall, wordlessly crushing the golden cup in his hand into a lump of metal.

“Such a mortal ‘little white face’ who can only live off a woman,” Feng Qinglian gritted his teeth, glaring fiercely at Mu Jiutian. “Which corner did she pick him up from?”

Mu Jiutian was half-leaning against a couch with his sleeves tucked. Hearing this, he cast a look back with a half-smile. “Today is the first time I’ve seen him as well. Yun Yao treasures him dearly, hiding him in her grotto without letting anyone catch even a glimpse. You ask me, but who should I ask?”

Xiao Jiusi withdrew his gaze from their joined sleeves, slowly closing his folding fan. “I haven’t seen such a figure before either.”

Mu Jiutian turned back, looking at the two who were nearing the steps.

—From the moment she entered the hall until now, Yun Yao’s gaze had been almost entirely fixed on that man, talking about who-knows-what, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling, and sometimes with a sparkle in her eyes.

It was as if there were no one else in her eyes, including him, her Fifth Senior Brother.

As for the man beside her, who indeed had the appearance of a transcendent immortal descended to the mortal world—with sharp features and an elegant silhouette—he was someone anyone would like at first sight.

But…

Mu Jiutian slowly sat up straight, narrowing his eyes. “Even though it’s the first time I’ve seen him, why do I find him so… unpleasant to look at?”

Feng Qinglian gave a cold laugh as he poured himself some cold tea. “You just realized?”

Xiao Jiusi’s expression was composed and refined, except for the hand emerging from his sleeve, which was gripping the closed fan tightly. “What a coincidence. So do I.”

The three exchanged looks, their gazes filled with intense communication.

Five breaths later, Yun Yao and Mu Hanyuan had walked up the steps. Just as they were about to turn toward the lotus platform, Yun Yao glanced over and noticed the three of them in surprise.

“Eh? Why did you all come?”

Under the varying degrees of subtle, narrowed, or irritated looks from the three, Mu Hanyuan turned around with Yun Yao.

Unlike the oblivious Yun Yao, Mu Hanyuan had already felt the sharp, unfriendly gazes of the three among the hall’s stunned looks shortly after entering.

He just hadn’t reminded her.

Yes, he did it on purpose.

“Well, now that the Little Senior Grandmaster has a beauty to accompany her, she doesn’t even want to participate in the ceremony?”

Among the three, it was ultimately Feng Qinglian who couldn’t hold back his temper; he stood up with a cold laugh.

His feather robe billowed, and a natural ripple of spiritual power erupted from him as he stood, dispersing in all directions.

“Cough.”

Mu Hanyuan’s face suddenly turned pale and he gave a low cough, taking half a step back.

“Hanyuan?”

Yun Yao’s expression changed drastically. She quickly supported the slightly stooping Mu Hanyuan. Seeing him clutching his chest with pale fingers and blood staining his thin lips from the cough, she instantly grew furious.

With one arm raised, Yun Yao shielded Mu Hanyuan behind her. “You multicolored bird! What’s wrong with you now? He’s just a mortal!”

In an instant, a confrontation was formed.

And the only one shielded by Yun Yao—the young man with white hair and white clothes—lowered his wrist and stood behind her.

He remained serene and silent, raising his eyes and looking at the three with a faint smile.