After Refusing Marriage to the Dao of Slaughter Patriarch (9)

The black outer robe provided excellent cover. The section of satin soaked in blood was merely slightly darker; only by opening the outer robe would one discover the bloodstain seeping through the inner garment, a striking dark red.

Tan Lang's footsteps had been a bit weak and soft earlier, but now his intoxication had long turned into cold sweat flowing down his back, though his mind remained sluggish and jumbled.

Was this the injury Ji Zhaixing had suffered previously?

He had always known about it.

However, knowing about it and seeing it with his own eyes were entirely different feelings.

No matter how spoiled these young, foppish masters were, as cultivators, they inevitably had some blood on their hands. Who among them hadn't killed a few demonic cultivators or monsters? Yet, in the face of this minor situation, they actually threw themselves into confusion, their faces turning pale with panic, completely at a loss for what to do.

The one Ji Zhaixing was half-leaning against was even stiffer than a rock, not daring to move a muscle.

Tan Lang took a deep breath and carefully supported Ji Zhaixing, leading him to the soft couch to rest first.

For some unknown reason, the moment Ji Zhaixing touched the soft couch, he sat up straight and proper, his back perfectly straight. His eyelashes, as dark as crow feathers, were slightly lowered, and the faint flush brought by his intoxication became even more apparent on his snow-white cheeks.

He was actually heavily intoxicated.

It was just that he appeared even more quiet and restrained after getting drunk, which made others mistake his dazed confusion for the weakness and pain of an old wound flaring up.

This place was Fengyue Street; how could they possibly find a proper healer here?

Tan Lang opened his eyes and said with utmost calmness, "Go and invite Rong Zhou over."

His friends looked at each other in dismay. Some were unsure if Tan Lang was giving this instruction on a whim.

The Rong Clan was a family of healers, and Rong Zhou was a healing genius with a Single Water Spiritual Root, already at the peak of Foundation Establishment. His application of medicine and healing skills were unmatched by many healers. However, half a year ago, Tan Lang had unilaterally severed ties with Rong Zhou and had stopped interacting with him.

Yet this time...

Those young masters, as if driven by some strange compulsion, cast their gazes back onto Ji Zhaixing.

And quickly made their decision.

......

Shark silk, brushing lightly like smoke, draped over Ji Zhaixing's wrist, cool as water. He opened his eyes. Before him was his familiar room; it turned out he had been brought back to the Yushui Sect at some unknown point in time.

The inner garment Ji Zhaixing wore was freshly changed, and even the wound left behind from when his Dao Bone was extracted had been re-bandaged.

It was extremely meticulous.

Ji Zhaixing was somewhat surprised.

His memory still remained on last night, after drinking those three cups of wine.

What followed was a complete loss of consciousness, which was beyond Ji Zhaixing's expectations.

However, judging from the current situation, Tan Lang had still been quite patient with his delirious self.

After briefly tidying up his appearance, Ji Zhaixing followed his usual routine of paying morning and evening respects, heading over to greet his two elders. However, perhaps because he woke up late today, he unexpectedly ran into an unforeseen acquaintance.

Tan Lang was also waiting outside the main hall.

"Daoist Tan Lang," Ji Zhaixing took the initiative to speak, "thank you for taking care of me yesterday."

Tan Lang hadn't yet figured out what attitude to use when facing Ji Zhaixing.

After all, he had misspoken after drinking yesterday, practically taking his anger out on Ji Zhaixing and targeting him unreservedly. He had also used underhanded methods to scheme and make Ji Zhaixing join their "game." Although triggering his injuries wasn't Tan Lang's original intention, the final outcome left Tan Lang feeling quite too ashamed to face him.

There were also those three arrows that completely missed at the end.

And the strong liquor he had drunk.

In fact, from a hundred meters away, Tan Lang's gaze couldn't help but land on the black-haired, white-clothed sword cultivator at first glance.

It was just that he truly hadn't figured out how to initiate a conversation, so he could only wear a frivolous and cold expression, shifting his gaze away from Ji Zhaixing as if he had never noticed this person.

Yet Ji Zhaixing had to speak to him.

And even sincerely thanked him.

Tan Lang was slightly annoyed, feeling his face grow somewhat hot. If it weren't for the fact that Ji Zhaixing's expression was truly gentle and innocent, he would have thought it was Ji Zhaixing mocking him.

"You..." Tan Lang gritted his teeth. Yet, in the other's black eyes, he saw his current appearance.

It was practically as if he had been flirted with—cheeks faintly red, brows and eyes flushing with an amorous spring glow.

Tan Lang instantly became so flustered and exasperated that he couldn't even force out another "you." He merely flicked his sleeves and stormed off, his movements so large that the loud snapping of the wind could be heard.

Seeing that his face had flushed with anger, Ji Zhaixing didn't chase after him to say anything more. He merely thought, slightly distracted, that yesterday's Tan Lang was truly and rarely kind-hearted to have brought him back to the Yushui Sect.

The two entered the door one after another, paying their respects to the Yushui Sect Master and Madam.

However, despite one side being father and son, and the other side being master and disciple, the treatment was completely opposite. Ji Zhaixing was here to be praised; Tan Lang was here to be scolded.

The Yushui Sect Master criticized everything from Tan Lang's words and actions to his moral cultivation, as well as his cultivation realm that hadn't changed in ten years. He was so angry that he felt heartbroken, his white beard trembling slightly. If it weren't for Ji Zhaixing being beside them, his rhetorical descriptions would have likely been even more colorful.

As for Ji Zhaixing, he acted like a doting father, only showing concern about his daily necessities and pill supplies, while also urging him not to exhaust himself so much during his daily cultivation.

In the past, Tan Lang would have already worn an ugly expression by now, unable to sit still and desperate to leave no matter what. But at this moment, listening to Ji Zhaixing answer those trivial details sentence by sentence without any annoyance, the thought that listening to this was actually quite interesting unexpectedly sprouted in his heart.

He even thought... if it were him "raising" Ji Zhaixing, he could surely raise him better.

As the Yushui Sect Master inquired, he suddenly brought up out of nowhere:

"Zhaixing, where did you go with Tan Lang last night? I heard from the patrolling elder that you two only returned at the hour of Yin today."

Not expecting his father to have already known about this, Tan Lang's eyelid twitched slightly. Yet he heard Ji Zhaixing say, "The night was boring, and it just so happened that Junior Brother Tan Lang invited me, so I took the opportunity to leave the sect for a breather."

The Yushui Sect Master clearly knew Tan Lang's usual preferences much better than his wife did. Not even having the time to consider when their relationship had become so familiar, he suddenly became subtly worried. "Did you go to..."

"Shoot arrows," Ji Zhaixing said.

His eyes seemed adorned with starlight, as if he were reminiscing and reliving the moment, gently and affectionately bringing up the scenery and interesting details that even Tan Lang hadn't noticed.

"We also drank some wine," Ji Zhaixing tilted his head slightly. "I drank a bit less than Junior Brother Tan Lang, only three cups. It was sweet going down the throat, but the aftereffect was quite strong."

Ji Zhaixing had never drunk wine before, so tasting it now while being highly restrained wasn't a bad thing. And his remark about the "aftereffect being quite strong" was merely brushed off by the Yushui Sect Master as Ji Zhaixing having a low alcohol tolerance. He sighed emotionally at Tan Lang, "You've finally become a bit more sensible. Harmony among fellow disciples and getting along like brothers—that is how it should be."

The Sect Master's Madam also had a face full of maternal love.

Tan Lang: "..."

By the time he was praised into a dizzy spell and seen off by his father with a pleasant expression for the first time, Tan Lang's impression of Ji Zhaixing had undergone some changes again.

He knew Ji Zhaixing had intentionally covered up yesterday's events for him. Indeed, he hadn't told a single lie, but with a different context, the situation was worlds apart.

So it turned out that an obedient disciple like Ji Zhaixing also had this kind of side to him.

Thinking of this, Tan Lang realized that he didn't actually hate Ji Zhaixing's... protection at all.

He could only barely maintain his cold face. "Don't think I'll be grateful to you just because you put in a few good words for me."

Ji Zhaixing walked beside him, his eyes slightly lowered, staring at the morning light swaying on the ground as it pierced through the branches and leaves.

His skin was snow-white, and his side profile was exquisitely beautiful, as if the endless, gentle moonlight had fallen solely on him. When Tan Lang occasionally gazed at him, he would zone out slightly. Hearing words that seemed to signify Tan Lang wanting to disassociate from him, Ji Zhaixing wasn't angry either. He tilted his head slightly and said, "Naturally."

Tan Lang lowered his head again and walked a few steps ahead at a brisk pace.

The side peaks they lived on were quite far apart; Ji Zhaixing walking alongside him for a stretch was merely out of politeness. Now that Tan Lang showed the intention of parting ways, Ji Zhaixing was already contemplating which path would be the fastest way back—

Yet suddenly, he heard a vague inquiring voice from the person in front.

"Do you have time tomorrow?"

......

Everyone said that Tan Lang had recently turned over a new leaf like a prodigal son. He hadn't stepped out of the Yushui Sect for a month, and the news that spread out was the happy tidings of his breakthrough in cultivation. He had practically transformed from a widely known wastrel in the cultivation world into a newly emerged luminary whole-heartedly seeking the Dao.

Even those friends of his couldn't help but complain that drinking gatherings without Young Sect Master Tan were much duller.

Then there were some who remained exceptionally silent.

They had subtly guessed the reason.

It was roughly because of... Ji Zhaixing, right.

Someone like him—even they would develop thoughts of plundering and hoarding such a treasure at first glance. It was only Tan Lang, harboring prejudice against him, who would act so unbridled and brazenly flaunt him.

But now, Tan Lang had tucked him away too.

Blocking out all prying eyes, and yet they had no standpoint to criticize him for it.

Actually, at first, Tan Lang hadn't thought that much about it.

He was interacting with Ji Zhaixing almost entirely with the mindset of making up for things, so naturally, it was impossible for him to take Ji Zhaixing to do anything that might aggravate his injuries.

Moreover, those places of pleasure and debauchery simply didn't suit Ji Zhaixing. By the process of elimination, the remaining choices were exceedingly scarce.

Thus, later on, Tan Lang couldn't help but ask for Ji Zhaixing's opinion.

"What do you want to do?" Ji Zhaixing pondered for a moment, and when he raised his head, a strand of pitch-black hair fell upon his collarbone.

"Let's go read," he smiled faintly. "I've only read half of the Monster Bestiary on the second floor of the Qiguang Pavilion."

The Yushui Sect didn't possess vast esoteric scriptures like the Mingling Sword Sect, nor did they have the robust true essence cultivation required to carve every volume into a jade slip. However, they had collected quite a number of ancient scrolls. Aside from the different medium, their essential purpose of passing down the Dao and imparting knowledge remained unchanged.

Ji Zhaixing was trying to integrate into this reincarnation world in his own way.

Of course, Ji Zhaixing also failed to realize that his level of awareness had actually deviated from the general public's level of awareness.

With Ji Zhaixing's tender and obedient expression, and even a tone that leaned closer to careful deliberation and discussion, the "Boring" that was on the tip of Tan Lang's tongue turned into a slightly stiff word under the other's gaze.

"Okay."

......

"Let's go to the Spirit Canal today. I want to see what the saplings of the Bolin Grass look like."

"I still haven't fully grasped the profundity of the Spirit Controlling Technique; I still need to cultivate."

"It's said that the Qiguang Pavilion's closing time today will be pushed back a bit."

—If they weren't cultivating together, they were reading; surprisingly, Tan Lang could sit through it all. Moreover, his innate aptitude wasn't exceedingly dull; after almost a month of cultivation like this, he actually loosened his long-stagnant realm and broke through to the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Tan Lang himself fell silent.

He was also used to wandering outside, and there were times when he couldn't suppress the urge to leave the sect. Ji Zhaixing never stopped him either, but every time Tan Lang hadn't even descended the mountain, he would recall Ji Zhaixing's coldly pale cheek and smiling eyes.

And how he seemed naturally dull to pain, careless about his injuries, and cultivated day and night without rest, completely lacking any self-restraint.

Tan Lang couldn't help but think more and more about it, his face turning darker the more he thought. Less than half an hour after leaving, he couldn't resist going back.

Those disciples in the Yushui Sect who knew he disliked Senior Brother Zhaixing and were constantly on guard and speculating about Tan Lang, couldn't help but sigh with emotion that they had wrongly blamed him this time.

The days when the two got along harmoniously seemed extraordinarily heartwarming before a certain moment arrived.

Until the young master of the Rong Clan, Rong Zhou, came to the Yushui Sect as a guest, and Tan Lang, who had been staying in the Yushui Sect recently, bumped right into him—

"Tan Lang," Rong Zhou looked at the hastily retreating back and the slightly stiffened figure, unable to stop himself from calling out to him.

Rong Zhou had a handsome and delicate appearance, though his physique was a bit thin. He smiled bitterly, "When you don't need anything from me, you loathe even taking a single glance at me. Is that it?"

Tan Lang stopped.

He turned back to look at Rong Zhou, and only after a long while did he say, "That's not the case."

Rong Zhou: "I know who it was that you asked me to treat that day. Ji Zhaixing... so it was him."

Rong Zhou continued, "I heard that your relationship has been very good lately."

Tan Lang remained noncommittal.

Rong Zhou let out a soft laugh, his shoulders even trembling slightly. "But have you forgotten how he snatched away everything from you? Your parents' doting love, the trust of your fellow disciples, including the girl you liked when you were younger."

Tan Lang's expression grew almost annoyed. He frowned, "It has nothing to do with you—"

"Tan Lang," Rong Zhou said softly, "but Sect Master Tan is preparing to pave the Grand Dao to immortal destiny for Ji Zhaixing, leaving the only opportunity to ascend to the Middle World to him."

"You are their one and only son."

"Even so, do you still not hate Ji Zhaixing?"