The Weight of Affection

Unlike the ‘senior students’ and ‘junior students’ of modern cultivation academies, the senior disciples within an ancient sect shared a far more intimate bond with their junior counterparts.

Take Dan Fusheng and his senior sister, for instance: she would meticulously look after her junior brother’s diet and living arrangements. Most foundational lessons were imparted by the senior disciples themselves, as the master rarely kept a constant watch over his charges, only offering guidance during breakthroughs or specific advancement periods.

This unique dynamic fostered exceptionally deep emotional connections.

For True Monarch You Qing, his eldest disciple, whom he had painstakingly raised, was truly special. Similarly, for Dan Fusheng’s senior sister, the second junior brother she had nurtured from infancy to adulthood held greater significance than anyone else.

Dan Fusheng’s early life mirrored this sentiment. Though Chen Gui joined their sect midway through his childhood, Dan Fusheng had personally raised him. He genuinely found a unique charm in his overly serious junior brother.

When his senior sister later passed away, Dan Fusheng embarked on his own path. He believed the affections of the past had long since faded. Yet, with everything still unresolved, Dan Fusheng lacked the courage to reveal the full truth to Chen Gui.

He knew Si Fenglang was much the same.

Si Fenglang’s parents had died, and his master was a somber, rigid man. Moreover, Si Fenglang was over a hundred years older than Si Chen, making him both a brother and a father figure to the younger boy.

In his previous life, he could not accept using Si Chen’s life to achieve enlightenment. Now, he found himself equally unable to accept Si Chen’s death.

“Can that child still be saved?” Si Fenglang pressed on.

“Do you imagine I’m here to trick you into sacrificing yourself as a medicinal catalyst?” Dan Fusheng sounded somewhat surprised. “To use you as a catalyst, save Si Chen, and then conceal it all? Do I look like I have that much time on my hands?”

Dan Fusheng himself struggled to explain things clearly to Chen Gui. However, when he stepped outside his role as a ‘senior brother’ to observe others, things appeared differently.

“If Si Chen ever learns the truth, he’ll hate me,” Dan Fusheng said, retreating two steps. He seemed disinclined to interfere in this matter.

His gaze happened to fall upon Chen Gui, who stood stiffly to the side. Chen Gui’s expression was complex, his thoughts a mystery.

At this moment, Si Fenglang couldn’t care less about such subtleties. “You haven’t denied that I can save Si Chen! There’s still a way, isn’t there?!”

“I told you, I won’t let Si Chen hate me. Sacrificing your affection to earn my old friend’s hatred? What would I gain? It would be a huge loss for me,” Dan Fusheng said, waving his hand.

Chen Gui yearned to ask, ‘What are you trying to do?’ but he remained silent. Why had Dan Fusheng suddenly chosen this moment to restore Si Fenglang’s memories? Was it because Si Chen was about to die, and he wished for the three of them to reunite in the afterlife?

This did not align with Dan Fusheng’s personality; he wasn’t that fanatical. Nor had Dan Fusheng fallen to inner demons, so he didn’t harbor such profound hatred for Si Fenglang. What was the point?

Si Fenglang had no time to ponder these things. He didn’t understand Dan Fusheng as well as Chen Gui did. With his memories of a past life just returning, the immense shock left his mind in turmoil. In his previous life, he had killed his imperial brother. In this life, he could save Si Chen, and he would not let go again.

Dan Fusheng reached out, his hand covering Si Fenglang’s cheek. “I understand you. After all, I also have a junior brother.”

Chen Gui’s body stiffened. From Dan Fusheng’s tone and actions, he sensed that something was amiss.

[He’s starting to lie,] the Inner Demon stated. [He’s using me to lie.]

‘Oh, so he’s been aware of it all along?’

“You want to save him, but have you considered if he even wants to be saved by you?” Dan Fusheng seemed moved by Si Fenglang’s plight. “What if this act causes him to fall to inner demons?”

“He won’t, not if you hide it well enough.” Si Fenglang reached out, intending to grasp Dan Fusheng’s trouser leg, but Dan Fusheng preemptively took his hand.

Dan Fusheng crouched down. “Why make yourself so pitiable?”

“Dan Fusheng!!”

“Alright, alright, I do have a way.” Dan Fusheng released Si Fenglang. “However, your body is somewhat special. If you die, I might be implicated.”

‘Was that why he had asked Si Fenglang if he still liked him earlier?’ Chen Gui lowered his gaze.

If Si Fenglang were to sacrifice himself recklessly, the low-grade replica of the Demon Suppressing Lock within him would still harm Dan Fusheng. Could such feelings influence Si Fenglang?

Chen Gui tried to understand Dan Fusheng’s actions. He quickly realized that this fabricated affection was indeed enough to sway Si Fenglang, for the greatest conflict between them no longer existed.

The return of his memories made Si Fenglang realize that he had indeed taken the wrong path in his past life. Now, this act of ‘restoring the Yu Kingdom’s imperial family’ meant treading once more on a path proven to be erroneous.

With his Dao Heart shattered, how could he possibly continue to try and kill Dan Fusheng?

Dan Fusheng wished to converse with a more mature, discerning Si Fenglang. The ‘reborn’ Si Fenglang had been impulsive, his unstable memories causing him to instinctively act based on this life’s perspective. Many things, one does not truly grasp without experiencing them firsthand.

The current Si Fenglang, with his memories restored, was suppressed by his own experiences. He had become controllable.

Si Fenglang frowned slightly. “Can’t you defend against them? They aren’t true Demon Suppressing Locks, and you aren’t prepared for them.”

“The last time you tested their strength, they only injured my flesh,” Dan Fusheng responded truthfully. “But I have so much Demon God bloodline. Before my exile, I was alone, but after my return… I have no confidence, and I don’t want to risk it.”

“Then let your junior brother block them for you!” Si Fenglang reacted swiftly. “Your junior brother’s cultivation method is antithetical to yours. These things in my body pose absolutely no threat to him!”

“But what if my junior brother gets hurt?” Dan Fusheng frowned. “I can’t bear to see my junior brother harmed. I raised him myself, you know…”

“I can suppress them too!” Si Fenglang interrupted him.

“Oh?” Dan Fusheng looked genuinely surprised.

Si Fenglang clenched his jaw. “The Yu Kingdom’s cultivation methods are also antithetical to the demonic race.”

Dan Fusheng’s face showed worry once more. “But that demon bone is already a part of your body. How could you…”

“We reborn individuals don’t need demon bones at all! They were merely a means to deal with you!” Si Fenglang cut Dan Fusheng off. “If you want to ask something, just ask directly. There’s no need to beat around the bush. The demon bones and our cultivation methods are antithetical; I can feel it!”

Dan Fusheng offered a small smile.

Si Fenglang pressed on. “How can I save Si Chen?”

“Simple. You just need to redeem Si Chen’s seven corporeal spirits from the Imperial Seal,” Dan Fusheng explained. “The Imperial Seal retains the seven corporeal spirits of direct descendants. If you become the nominal Emperor of the Yu Kingdom, won’t you then be able to personally release your junior brother’s seven corporeal spirits?”

“I can then remold his physical body, and the remaining three ethereal souls can also be restored.” Dan Fusheng placed his hands behind his back.

“How could you possibly…”

“If I hadn’t been unable to locate his seven corporeal spirits, Si Chen would have been reborn long ago.” Dan Fusheng’s gentle expression vanished. “Why would things have come to this?”

Si Fenglang was speechless. He opened his mouth again, as if a thousand words yearned to spill forth, but in the end, he only managed to blurt out, “Dan Fusheng, are you truly sentimental or heartless?”

Dan Fusheng did not reply.

Si Fenglang didn’t expect an answer and quickly changed the subject. “Then what about Master? The ‘three ethereal souls’ in my body now belong to Master. Am I truly the complete Si Fenglang? I can’t possibly harm Master, so how could I ever take his place?!”

“You’re right, you are not the complete Si Fenglang. You have Si Fenglang’s seven corporeal spirits, but your three ethereal souls are scattered, like rootless duckweed. You are not like Si Chen; Si Chen’s soul retained a portion, but you did not.” Dan Fusheng’s voice grew increasingly gentle.

This gentle tone sent shivers down Chen Gui’s spine.

“In truth, your Master also only has seven corporeal spirits remaining within him. I used to think your three ethereal souls were borrowed from Sikong Fang, but now that I think about it, I was wrong.” Dan Fusheng met Si Fenglang’s gaze. “Sikong Fang died long ago.”

Si Fenglang’s pupils dilated.

“He died the moment he became the Emperor of the Yu Kingdom. Your Master isn’t even Sikong Fang. He is merely a puppet with a fragment of memory, a ghost wearing human skin. You cannot kill him. He lives within you.”

Bai Yu had no idea what was happening inside Dan Fusheng’s barrier; he was still taking notes. He still needed to find out who had made the deal with Sikong Fang. He had initially assumed he wouldn’t uncover many clues, believing the person would conceal their identity through special cultivation methods.

However, Sikong Fang straightforwardly revealed the person’s name: You Zhi.

Jade Mastiff, who had merely come along to observe, was startled.

“You Zhi?” Bai Yu also looked at Jade Mastiff. “This individual also seems to be an old acquaintance of Mr. Dan’s?”

More than an acquaintance. This fellow, like Jade Mastiff, was one of the ‘children’ Dan Fusheng had raised by his side. Never assigned important tasks, he mostly just played with Dan Fusheng.

You Zhi was much older than Jade Mastiff and hadn’t been raised by Dan Fusheng since childhood, but his reverence for Dan Fusheng was far more intense than Jade Mastiff’s. The fox and the bird never got along.

In the early days, You Zhi mocked Jade Mastiff for being mistaken for a dog by Dan Fusheng. Jade Mastiff, in turn, began referring to You Zhi as ‘You Zhi’ (meaning ‘has a mole,’ a pun on his name and the tear mole at You Zhi’s eye). Jade Mastiff even thought Dan Fusheng had named You Zhi based on his facial features.

Later, when Jade Mastiff harbored thoughts of rebelling against Dan Fusheng, You Zhi looked down on him even more as a ‘disloyal dog.’

Then came Dan Fusheng’s exile, the escalating conflict between humans and the three demon races, and the eventual compromise and integration after a great upheaval. Jade Mastiff worked tirelessly for the demon race, while You Zhi wandered off to travel the world. He couldn’t accept the so-called new world, feeling that everything he had once valued had been destroyed.

Jade Mastiff suspected You Zhi had fallen to inner demons, but Jade Mastiff couldn’t be bothered; he and You Zhi were not on the same path. If You Zhi had contacted Si Fenglang, then could his beloved’s death also be related to him?!

A low growl escaped Jade Mastiff’s throat.

“Alright, alright.” A hand suddenly moved from the top of his head to his neck. Dan Fusheng appeared beside Jade Mastiff. “Don’t let inner demons consume your rationality.”

Sikong Fang, currently being interrogated, immediately spotted his eldest disciple. “Fenglang?! Fenglang, what’s wrong?! Your hair…”

“Master, I’ve remembered everything.” Si Fenglang tugged at the corner of his mouth. “What… what exactly am I?”

Sikong Fang was momentarily stunned by the question. He instinctively looked at Dan Fusheng, his intuition telling him that Dan Fusheng had done something to Si Fenglang.

However, Dan Fusheng wore an expression of utter innocence. Upon meeting Sikong Fang’s gaze, he promptly ducked behind Chen Gui.

Chen Gui’s face was impassive. Those familiar with him would discern the complexity of his emotions, but the only person present who knew him well was currently acting.

Si Fenglang gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. “Master, can you control your emotions?”

Sikong Fang’s hatred for the demonic race was baseless, for he did not harbor the deep-seated resentment that Si Fenglang did.

Si Fenglang finally understood what they were. He had seen the inner landscape of the Imperial Seal: those desiccated corpses hanging one by one. They were those corpses. They had died long ago. The Imperial Seal, or rather, this cultivation method, was a ghost parasitizing corpses, like the grass in Cordyceps sinensis.

It carried resentment and hatred, making Sikong Fang remember his relatively benign past memories, making him believe he wasn’t a tyrannical, bloodthirsty Emperor. Yet, he hated. This hatred was unrelated to his past experiences, unrelated to his true thoughts; it was brutal and potent.

This cultivation method was a form of parasitism. It consumed a part of the original self, then squeezed in to impersonate that part. It was a brainwashing parasitism. It made people believe they were still alive, but in reality, their souls were fragmented, sustained only by its presence. They thought themselves magnanimous, thought themselves righteous. But the thoughts in their minds were not their own. They were a group of brazen chang ghosts, inheriting hatred. They were a group of open and notorious murderers.

Si Fenglang raised his blade and slashed at Sikong Fang. His movement was too swift, giving no one time to prepare. Sikong Fang didn’t even react and was struck on the right shoulder by Si Fenglang’s blade.

“Are you mad?!” Sikong Fang was utterly shocked.

“I’ve merely awakened, Master. We shouldn’t exist anymore.” Si Fenglang’s voice was calm. “While I can still maintain temporary clarity, please release Xiao Chen.”

Chen Gui turned to glance at Dan Fusheng, who remained silent, as if he hadn’t instigated any of this. Dan Fusheng had been doing his utmost to play the role of an outsider, but Chen Gui suddenly sent him a telepathic message.

Chen Gui relentlessly questioned him, “What exactly do you want to do?”

Dan Fusheng looked up at Chen Gui.

Chen Gui’s eyes trembled slightly; he was afraid. “Do you really want to save Si Chen?”

To make Si Fenglang abandon his life, and then conceal it from Si Chen? This didn’t seem like Dan Fusheng’s style; it was more like those stories filled with misunderstandings and bloody violence that Dan Fusheng had been reading lately.

What exactly was Dan Fusheng doing?

“Did I scare you?” Dan Fusheng understood Chen Gui’s fear. The child had developed psychological trauma because of his past actions.

“What exactly do you want to do?!” Chen Gui pressed again.

“What? To end all of this, of course.” Dan Fusheng was simply tired of this game.

“Can Si Chen live?”

“Probably not.” Dan Fusheng indeed possessed heavenly treasures that could mend souls, but the problem was, Si Chen wasn’t foolish. If he inexplicably recovered, wouldn’t he realize what had happened behind the scenes? How could he not? Even Si Fenglang himself might have vaguely suspected this, but he was too weary. He wanted to stop, no matter the reason.

The one who contacted Sikong Fang was You Zhi…

Dan Fusheng waved at Bai Yu, who stood to the side. “Mr. Bai, come closer, lest you get caught in the fight.”

Bai Yu clutched his recorder and notebook to his chest, then ran towards Dan Fusheng with his head down. Si Fenglang and Sikong Fang fought increasingly ferociously. After Bai Yu reached him, Dan Fusheng first pulled out a wet wipe from his pocket and gently cleaned the dust from Bai Yu’s face.

“Let me ask you something, Mr. Bai. What kind of demon is that child, You Zhi, in your official records?”

“Mr. You? He… tends to be a lone wolf, I suppose.” Now, it seemed this ‘lone wolf’ tendency might simply mean he looked down on their official institutions.

“The fact that he dared to expose his name so openly means he wants you to protect him,” Jade Mastiff snorted. “If you don’t protect him, he’ll be captured by the authorities.”

Dan Fusheng raised an eyebrow slightly. “You dislike him very much?”

“My beloved might have died by his hand! I can’t wait to pluck out every single one of his hairs!”

“Is that so…” Dan Fusheng looked rather conflicted.

“You’d best pretend you know nothing about this; don’t even think about protecting him!” If Jade Mastiff ever saw You Zhi again, he swore he would kill the scoundrel.

“But he’s stronger than you. If you provoke him…” Dan Fusheng still seemed worried.

“Either I die or he dies! Don’t you think he’s childish?! All he thinks about all day is the great cause of the demonic race, even though he knows nothing, just like me. He never deeply participated in that chaos!”

“You Zhi is quite adorable.” Dan Fusheng’s reply was completely off-topic.

Jade Mastiff’s fur bristled. “Adorable my ass!”

Boom!

Cracks appeared in the wall, and everyone ceased their conversation. The battle between Si Fenglang and Sikong Fang had reached a conclusion: Si Fenglang had won. This was inevitable, as Sikong Fang couldn’t bring himself to kill his disciple, giving Si Fenglang every advantage.

Sikong Fang lay on the ground, his eyes tightly shut. His body began to shrivel, his skin turning bluish-black. Si Fenglang stood rooted to the spot, his eyes also closed as he performed an inner vision.

Within the Imperial Seal, another black, desiccated corpse appeared, and countless resentful spirits surged from these black, withered bodies, rushing towards Si Fenglang. Time was running out! He had to release Si Chen’s seven corporeal spirits as quickly as possible.

Si Fenglang searched through the forest of corpses. He found him! The still-undried Si Chen stood out remarkably in the corpse forest, though Si Chen’s face now bore several horrifying cracks.

‘Release him! I must release him!’

Si Fenglang tried to command the corpse forest, but the chains binding Si Chen remained motionless. Resentment eroded Si Fenglang’s rationality inch by inch. He longed to immediately draw his sword and slaughter every single demon, yet his reason told him this urge was merely a result of being manipulated.

His Master’s memories began to surface in Si Fenglang’s mind. Si Fenglang’s very essence was on the verge of being erased. Si Fenglang opened his eyes, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.

“What happened?” Dan Fusheng asked him.

Si Fenglang shook his head, avoiding Dan Fusheng’s gaze. His hatred for the demonic race was irrational now. However… Dan Fusheng had lied to him. Si Fenglang clenched his fists, his voice trembling as he asked, “Can Xiao Chen still be saved?”

“Perhaps,” Dan Fusheng replied. “Who knows? Perhaps even you can be saved.”

Si Fenglang couldn’t tell if Dan Fusheng was speaking the truth or lying; he had never been able to figure it out. Si Fenglang raised his blade and plunged it into his own neck. Countless chains surged from the wound, only to be suppressed back inside by Si Fenglang.

Sikong Fang’s corpse on the ground had vanished, and Si Fenglang’s sudden suicide startled both Bai Yu and Jade Mastiff. Chen Gui had been observing Dan Fusheng’s expression the entire time. Si Fenglang’s body also shriveled and turned black, then crumbled into dust and dissipated.

“How pitiful.” Dan Fusheng sighed and shook his head. “Let’s go back and see Si Chen, and tell him the bad news… Ah!”

Dan Fusheng was suddenly enveloped by Chen Gui’s barrier, then Chen Gui pressed Dan Fusheng to the ground.

“Junior brother?! What are you doing!” Dan Fusheng flailed symbolically for a moment, then lay still on the ground.

“Is this fun?!” Chen Gui demanded.

“What?”

“Is it fun to toy with people?! What exactly do you want?!” Chen Gui couldn’t take it anymore. “You tricked him, made him believe that doing so would save his junior brother… when in fact, you just wanted him to die.”

“How can you be so detestable!” Chen Gui questioned Dan Fusheng.

Dan Fusheng tried to defend himself. “Junior brother, listen to me—waaah!”

He was bound by Chen Gui.

“I shouldn’t have let you out to wreak havoc upon the world!” Chen Gui pulled a chair from his storage artifact and tied Dan Fusheng to it. “I should have perished with you long ago!”

“Junior brother?! Junior brother, calm down!” Dan Fusheng spat out the spiritual artifact Chen Gui had stuffed into his mouth. Chen Gui tried to pick it up to reinsert it, then wrapped the Immortal Binding Lock around him several times.

“He’s not really dead! None of them are dead!” Dan Fusheng urgently interrupted Chen Gui’s actions.

Chen Gui indeed paused. However, he only paused for a brief moment before quickly concluding that this was another one of Dan Fusheng’s fabrications, and he moved to reinsert the spiritual artifact gag.

Dan Fusheng spoke at the fastest pace of his life, explaining, “Think about it, junior brother! Si Chen said there’s a pile of desiccated corpses in the Imperial Seal, but that’s completely illogical! Those emperors’ bodies would have long since decayed; why create such a spectacle in the Imperial Seal?! Isn’t that just blatantly telling future generations that there’s a problem with the cultivation method’s inheritance?!”

This time, Chen Gui truly stopped.

Dan Fusheng continued, “These seven corporeal spirits are merely the Imperial Seal’s human skin clothing. Whichever piece it wears, that piece ‘comes alive,’ and the personality of that ‘clothing’ temporarily awakens.”

“You mean…”

“Sikong Fang isn’t dead, and neither is Si Fenglang,” Dan Fusheng said. “If Si Chen were to perish now, then the three of them—master and disciples—could be reborn again. Junior brother, please let me out first.”

Chen Gui remained conflicted. Dan Fusheng’s voice softened slightly. “My dear junior brother, just trust your senior brother this once, please.”

Chen Gui fell into deep thought. Dan Fusheng broke free from his restraints. He cupped Chen Gui’s cheeks and kissed him, then vigorously rubbed Chen Gui’s head. “Oh~ I’ve hurt our dear junior brother’s feelings, made our dear junior brother sad…” His tone was like that of coaxing a child.

Chen Gui hastily released Dan Fusheng from the barrier. Once out, Dan Fusheng paused his actions for a moment, then rubbed even harder. “Thank you, my dear junior brother!!”

Chen Gui stammered, “No! You wait! You’re not allowed to do that in front of others…”

Before he could finish, Dan Fusheng showered his cheek with dozens of lightning-fast kisses, ending with a particularly fierce one. Chen Gui’s face was typically stern and not very fleshy, but Dan Fusheng somehow managed to leave a clear mark.

Bai Yu was utterly shocked. Jade Mastiff’s eyes widened, and he pulled out his phone to snap a picture. Chen Gui was stunned by the kissing assault.

Dan Fusheng wiped his mouth and walked over to where Si Fenglang had died. Si Fenglang’s and Sikong Fang’s bodies were gone, but many bone fragments still lay on the ground. ‘Demon bones… did they self-destruct?’

Dan Fusheng carefully examined them for a moment, then retrieved rubber gloves and a sealed bag from his storage artifact. He handed these items to Bai Yu. “Collect these and take them for official inspection.”

“Huh? All of it?!” Bai Yu was utterly shocked. He had thought Dan Fusheng would take these things, and he was mentally formulating how to ask Dan Fusheng for a portion.

“It’s not appropriate for me to take this,” Dan Fusheng said, after all, he was currently just a square dance leader. “Do you need me to record it for you?”

“Ah?! Oh! Please do!” He indeed needed to take these for his superiors to inspect, and the entire process required documentation.

Dan Fusheng enthusiastically helped. He even offered to escort Bai Yu back to the official office building, but Bai Yu politely declined his kindness. So, Dan Fusheng, accompanied by Chen Gui and Jade Mastiff, went to visit Si Chen in the isolation ward.

The moment he stepped through the door, he heard a resounding, “Bastard.”

Dan Fusheng looked at Si Chen, whose face was covered in cracks. Si Chen smiled coldly. “Bastard, you’ve gotten rid of my master and senior brother again.”

“Don’t smile; your face is cracking! Hey, hey, hey! Bits are falling off!” Dan Fusheng covered his eyes. “Don’t scare me! That’s really mean!”

“What are you pretending for?! Haven’t you had enough of acting?!” Si Chen grabbed an apple from his bedside table and threw it at Dan Fusheng.

Dan Fusheng was hit by the apple and immediately stumbled to the ground. “Ouch!”

“Enough!! Damn it!” Si Chen couldn’t take it anymore. He threw off his covers, intending to personally beat this scoundrel, Dan Fusheng.

“Hey! No, no, no!” Dan Fusheng quickly got up and pressed Si Chen back down. “Don’t actually die, or I’ll have fooled your senior brother for nothing.”

Si Chen’s chest rose and fell violently.

“I have no other intentions; you’re my old friend, and I want to see you become a true Emperor!” Dan Fusheng solemnly picked up a fully peeled orange peel from the bedside table, then just as solemnly placed it on Si Chen’s head, as if it were a crown.

“I can’t. I still have my soul, and my body is incompatible with the so-called inheritance.” As Si Chen spoke, he suddenly understood what Dan Fusheng was trying to do. “You want a reliable, stable ‘Emperor of the Yu Kingdom’?”

Dan Fusheng smiled and nodded.

“Your Master and senior brother won’t do; only you can. It doesn’t matter if you don’t actually receive the inheritance, as long as they believe you have it.” Dan Fusheng took out a bottle of pills and handed them to Si Chen. “You are my old friend, and you’ve received the inheritance without being hostile to the demonic race. At that point, ‘they‘ will be the ones in a hurry.”

“Because of this, you tricked my Master and senior brother into dying?” Si Chen asked Dan Fusheng.

“Are they dead?” Dan Fusheng countered.

“Find a way to unearth the ritual artifacts,” Dan Fusheng said casually, propping his chin on his hand. “So that those ghosts hanging in the Imperial Seal can break their shackles and enter reincarnation… to be reborn as humans?”

Si Chen’s pupils trembled. “They’ve lost their three ethereal souls; how can they be reborn?”

“Isn’t your cultivation method precisely for mending the three ethereal souls? One of your ethereal souls was locked in the ritual artifact by me, so…” Dan Fusheng estimated that the moment all the ritual artifacts were destroyed, the three ethereal souls of those ‘ghosts’ would also return. Their ‘dissipated’ three ethereal souls were very likely locked within the ritual artifacts that symbolized identity and rules.

Dan Fusheng’s smile grew wider. Si Chen also swallowed the pill Dan Fusheng gave him. The cracks on his face began to heal. This healing was merely superficial, but it was enough.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll trick you?” Dan Fusheng asked him.

“You’d trick me in front of your junior brother?” Si Chen didn’t fully trust Dan Fusheng, that bastard, but he believed Dan Fusheng would try his best to maintain his image in front of his junior brother.

Dan Fusheng turned mournfully to look at Chen Gui. “Junior brother, look! Everyone knows senior brother loves you, only you don’t.”

Chen Gui was somewhat bewildered. Si Chen, however, wholeheartedly agreed with Dan Fusheng’s statement. “You only vaguely resemble a human when you’re in front of your junior brother.”

Chen Gui was a little flustered.

Dan Fusheng began to tease Si Chen again. “I discussed it with Bai Yu on the way here. We’ll let you out in a bit, and we’ll all return to the Qianyu Sect together.”

“To show our closeness, we’ll interlace our fingers, you’ll hold me, and I’ll lean against your chest.” Dan Fusheng reached out and poked Si Chen’s chest.

“Can you give up on your ridiculous romance drama script?” Si Chen’s veins throbbed in his temples.

Dan Fusheng laughed aloud. However, his laughter quickly died. Chen Gui announced, “I, I’ll carry you.”

Dan Fusheng blinked. ‘Hmm?’

“I apologize for misunderstanding you earlier; I’ll carry you.” Although such behavior was somewhat unseemly, Dan Fusheng cared for him so much, and he had deeply hurt Dan Fusheng’s feelings, so it was his fault. Dan Fusheng wanted to explain that he didn’t want to be carried; he was just joking.

But Chen Gui had already reached out and embraced him.

Dan Fusheng reminded Chen Gui, “We can’t go home yet; we have to wait a little longer.” Approval from their superiors would take time.

Chen Gui nodded, indicating he understood. “Alright, we’ll wait.”

He held Dan Fusheng and began to wait. Si Chen burst into laughter. “Hahahaha! Ah! Damn it! My face is cracking! My face!”

“Control your spiritual energy a little! Don’t waste my pills!” Dan Fusheng exclaimed.

Chen Gui suddenly supported Dan Fusheng with one arm, while his other hand offered Dan Fusheng a peeled apple. “When did you peel this?!” Dan Fusheng was deeply shocked.

“Just now. What else would you like to eat? There are also peaches here.” Chen Gui was earnestly making amends to his senior brother.

“There are no peaches in my fruit basket,” Si Chen said, as he disliked peaches.

“I didn’t take them from your fruit basket. These are fruits I stored in my own storage artifact,” Chen Gui replied, never touching others’ belongings. “These are from the peach tree we planted ourselves.”

Dan Fusheng, who had been about to refuse, was stunned by these words. “We planted it?”

“You guided me to plant it,” Chen Gui nodded. “You said you ‘borrowed’ it from Master.”

Chen Gui thought for a moment, then added, “The year before you left, I don’t think you ever ate its fruit.”

“It’s still alive?!” Dan Fusheng was greatly shocked.

“No, these are its first batch of fruits,” Chen Gui explained. That tree had long since been broken in the chaos.

“First batch?!”

“It hasn’t gone bad.”

Dan Fusheng, of course, knew it hadn’t gone bad. The peach looked as if it had just been picked. Chen Gui peeled it and handed the peach to Dan Fusheng. Dan Fusheng took a bite with a complex expression. “Mmm! So sweet! It’s a crisp peach!”

“I thought the first batch might be a bit sour,” Chen Gui said, somewhat surprised.

“Perhaps because you, junior brother, had bad luck and ate a sour one.”

“I haven’t eaten any yet.” Chen Gui had no idea what the peaches tasted like. Dan Fusheng was speechless.

Si Chen couldn’t help but gasp. “Your junior brother is a little terrifying.”

A peach planted over two thousand years ago, kept until now, just so his senior brother could have the first bite?! Si Chen reached out and placed a hand on his chest. “I sense intense affection!”

Dan Fusheng also felt it. “My junior brother is too pitiful!” Dan Fusheng hugged Chen Gui and kissed him several times again. Chen Gui remained expressionless.

[He likes it,] the Inner Demon whispered.

Chen Gui did not respond.

[I like it too,] the Inner Demon added.

Chen Gui’s ears slowly turned red. Dan Fusheng cut off the part he had bitten and stuffed the rest of the peach into Chen Gui’s mouth.

“Mr. Dan! The higher-ups have approved!” Bai Yu pushed open the door and entered. At this moment, Dan Fusheng was embracing Chen Gui’s neck, watching him gnaw on the peach with a loving expression. He was being held by Chen Gui, creating a scene that was both ambiguous and bizarre.

“Did I come at a bad time?” Bai Yu felt goosebumps rise on his arms.

Si Chen reacted, reaching out to Bai Yu. “No, you came at just the right time.”

At the Qianyu Sect, Meng Lei received news that his martial uncle was returning to the sect. With a complex heart, he led several inner disciples out to welcome his martial uncle. They were still debating whether the current Si Chen was truly the same person as the Si Chen of the past.

As they pondered, Dan Fusheng and his group arrived. Chen Gui and Dan Fusheng were the first to alight from the vehicle. The disciples’ bodies stiffened. They beheld Dan Fusheng being held in Chen Gui’s arms, in a perfect princess carry.

Perched on Dan Fusheng’s body was a rainbow fox, its eyes narrowed as it licked Dan Fusheng’s face. Dan Fusheng’s hand hung loosely. Wait! No, he seemed to be holding someone else’s hand, their fingers intertwined. Soon, the owner of that hand also exited the vehicle. It was their martial uncle, Si Chen?!

Si Chen was holding the stiff Bai Yu’s hand. The scene was incredibly dramatic; they said nothing, yet their emotions needed no words to be expressed. This entire group walked towards Meng Lei, oblivious to the stares of passersby.

“Didn’t the officials say Martial Uncle’s illness had just recovered?! This… this…” One disciple instinctively took a step back.

Meng Lei couldn’t answer. Another disciple asked, “Where did they even come from?! Why do I feel like something is so wrong?”

Meng Lei still couldn’t answer. Meng Lei had a nagging feeling that if he let this group in, something terrible would happen to the sect. But not letting them in was impossible; that was Senior Dan and their Martial Uncle!

Meng Lei and the others, as cultivators, had excellent hearing. They overheard passersby discussing. “What are these people doing?”

“I don’t know, they look good, but… how to put it…”

“They seem to have very complicated romantic lives.”

Meng Lei’s legs were trembling. Dan Fusheng and his group had already reached Meng Lei and his disciples. At this point, not bowing was impossible! The Qianyu Sect disciples clasped their hands and bowed. “We respectfully welcome Martial Uncle, Senior Dan, Senior Chen, and Senior Jade.”

The voices of the passersby sounded again. “Ah? Seniors?”

“Are their seniors’ romantic relationships really that complicated?”

“Is the Qianyu Sect truly a proper sect?!”

“I don’t think so.”