Chapter 72: Azure Cloud (50)

Xiangli Lingze went back to his room, fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, and woke up the next day as a lively and energetic hero once again.

Usually detested by people and dogs alike, he probably knew he wasn’t very popular and actually rarely came over to the Sword Pavilion. Now that he couldn’t return to the Heavenly Sound Pavilion, he simply lounged around in He Tingtong’s courtyard, recuperating from his injuries and sunbathing while teasing the others for fun.

Zhang Duixue looked like a delicate flower by the water, but he was actually incredibly strong and a very capable fighter. Xiangli Lingze didn’t dare to be too presumptuous in front of him, afraid that another beating would send him straight into the ground to rest in peace. Thus, he turned his attention to teasing Yue Qianxun instead.

Unfortunately, Yue Qianxun was normally addicted to his studies. When the sun was nice, he would move out into the sunlight to calculate and draw arrays, keeping his head down with his eyes almost glued to the paper. After being pulled up several times by Xiangli Lingze, he would just slump back down, fully immersed in his sea of questions and ignoring him completely.

“Aren’t you afraid of going blind?” Bored, Xiangli Lingze sat by the table and clicked his tongue at Yue Qianxun. “If you don’t want those spare eyes, you can give them to someone else.”

The youth’s thick, side-swept bangs covered half of his face, the front hair hanging down almost to his chin. Although the visible side of his face was clean and fair, his eye circles were pitch-black, and his gaze was blank and numb, giving him a gloomy and wretched aura.

“Who cut this hairstyle for you? It’s so tasteless.” Xiangli Lingze turned around and lifted Yue Qianxun’s bangs, revealing the other half of his face, which was covered in mottled scars.

Yue Qianxun pulled his hair back and shrunk into a ball. “I cut it myself. Mind your own business.”

Xiangli Lingze froze for a moment, then withdrew his hand. After hesitating for a long time, he said, “Speaking of which, when did you get a mole right between your eyebrows?”

Yue Qianxun touched his glabella, a bit dazed. He also couldn’t remember when this red mole had popped up. Scratching his head, he said, “Maybe it’s a pimple that suddenly popped up on my face?”

After all, at his teenage age, it was entirely possible for anything to pop up after waking up from a sleep.

On the other side of the courtyard, Fu Fengyan stuck behind He Tingtong just like a shadow. From tending the grapevines in the yard, to picking apricot blossoms in the corner, washing clothes in the washroom, and making lunch in the kitchen… he simply refused to be separated from him for even a single moment.

Xiangli Lingze sat in a chair with his legs crossed. Nudging Yue Qianxun with his elbow, he asked, “When do you guess Fu Fengyan will get his wish?”

Yue Qianxun looked up, observed for a long time, then held up one finger and whispered, “One year. He’s already made his way into the inner chambers, and Brother He hasn’t reacted much. It should be soon.”

“I’m guessing at least three years.” Xiangli Lingze hooked the corner of his mouth, looking smug and complacent. “Your little Brother He seems to indulge him, but his eyes are actually quite ruthless. Just having good looks probably isn’t enough. Fu Fengyan is too wooden and lacks romantic appeal; he still needs to learn.”

Zhang Duixue suddenly leaned over and reminded them, “Hey, don’t discuss our classmates’ private lives!”

“Let’s make a bet,” Xiangli Lingze suddenly proposed. “The loser treats the winner to drinks.”

Zhang Duixue stretched out five fingers. “I bet five years.”

Yue Qianxun was surprised. “That long?”

Zhang Duixue sat straight down at the table, stroking his chin as he explained, “Little He has a noble character and will definitely take relationships seriously; five years is considered a conservative estimate. After leaving Azure Cloud Academy, whether they join the Sword Sect or enter the Immortal Alliance, there will be great changes. When they go through life-and-death situations together, Little He might realize that his feelings for Brother Fu are unusual.”

The more Yue Qianxun thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong. He felt like he was definitely going to lose.

The weather was clear and fine. The warm sunlight shone on their bodies, making their clothes feel hot. Fu Fengyan moved the grapevines and watered them. The grape sapling had only grown in height for the entire past year and was now taller than a person; it might actually bear fruit this year.

As water sprayed onto the leaves, the mist revealed colorful rainbows in the sunlight. He Tingtong rolled up his sleeves to loosen the soil and apply fertilizer. His long hair hung down his back, already passing his waist. His hair ribbon stuck to his face, and the tip of his nose was sweating, making him look like a little blade of grass covered in morning dew. Fu Fengyan found him incredibly cute—so cute that he wanted to swallow him in one bite, keep him in his mouth, not give him to anyone, and not allow anyone else to look at him.

“What are those guys muttering about?” From the corner of his eye, He Tingtong glanced at the three people gathered in the corner. His sharp sixth sense detected that something was off.

“They’re making a bet.” Fu Fengyan propped up his head, looking listless. “They’re betting on when we will get together. Little Yue said one year, Xiangli Lingze said three years, and Zhang Duixue said five years.”

He Tingtong: “…Then it seems they are very bored.”

Fu Fengyan’s gaze fell upon He Tingtong. Under the halo of light, the youth’s eyes were round and turned up at the corners, his irises as clear as amber. Just by looking at him, Fu Fengyan felt his entire heart sink into a quiet lake, suddenly becoming completely still. Having read thousands of books and learned hundreds of ways to flirt, in this situation and setting, he ought to have asked, “When do you think we will get together?”

But as the words reached his lips, he felt they were inappropriate and abruptly swallowed them back.

“The weather is so nice,” Fu Fengyan murmured, looking at the sun in the sky. “So sleepy.”

“Probably spring fatigue.” He Tingtong clapped the dirt off his hands and turned his head to look at him. “What do you want to eat for lunch? Why don’t we go out to a restaurant?”

Fu Fengyan immediately got up and went to wash his hands in high spirits.

They called out to the few people on the other side. Zhang Duixue was hiding from people and wouldn’t go out. Yue Qianxun was reading books and wouldn’t go out. Xiangli Lingze was nursing his injuries and also wouldn’t go out. However, Xiangli Lingze enthusiastically drew up a menu, attempting to beg to be fed.

He Tingtong: “In your dreams. Just wait until I get back; I’ll give you rock-hard steamed buns to gnaw on.”

A chorus of wails echoed in the courtyard.

Xu Jingzhen’s daily affairs were quite busy. In order to protect this uncle of his, he had continuously stood guard at Azure Cloud Academy for five days. During these five days, he searched the academy inside and out, top to bottom. Finding nothing unusual, he was coaxed by the Headmaster into leaving behind many spirit stones to upgrade the academy’s protective arrays. Subsequently, with empty sleeves, Xu Jingzhen led his group of subordinates back to the Immortal Alliance to continue guarding the mountain.

Xiangli Lingze received the message and went with him.

Xu Jingzhen had a personality that disliked troubling others, so he chose a very early departure time. The morning dew had not yet dried, and the sky was just beginning to brighten when Xiangli Lingze got up to wash and dress. He originally intended to leave quietly, but when he pushed open the door, he saw He Tingtong and the others yawning and leaning against the doorway.

“Let’s go.” The youth pointed to the main gate with his finger. “The mountain road is very long; we’ll see you off for part of the journey.”

Yue Qianxun was still memorizing array formations, with a scroll of bamboo slips stuffed in his sleeve. He stayed up late reading books every day, but his eyesight was surprisingly good. “Wow, why does it look like you’re about to cry?”

Xiangli Lingze’s eye sockets were completely red. Hearing this, he quickly went to the water basin and splashed water all over his face to suppress his melancholy. “Stop talking nonsense and let’s go quickly. I don’t want to stay here for long.”

The group of five walked out the door in a grand procession.

The mist was hazy, and the morning dew dampened their clothes. The weeping willows on the bank swayed. From the Sword Pavilion to the academy’s main gate, even walking briskly, it would take half a shichen (an hour). Zhang Duixue said that although he was currently still studying, he would definitely join the Immortal Alliance in the future. Who knew, maybe they could be assigned to the same place, act as immortal officials together, and slay demons and eradicate monsters.

Now that the demon race was stirring again, they might very well be sent to the front lines.

Yue Qianxun originally had his eyes half-closed in a daze, but upon hearing the words “slay demons,” his spirits lifted considerably. “Can we really slay demons? Then I want to go too! Let’s be put in the same group when the time comes.”

“Brother Lingze, you must do well on this trip. If you become rich and noble, do not forget us!”

Xiangli Lingze: “That’s only natural!”

He Tingtong and Fu Fengyan walked side by side at the very back. He stretched his arm and pressed down on his somewhat sore shoulder to rub it. As the cool breeze brushed his face, rare feelings of worry arose in his heart.

Three years. The time wasn’t considered long, but it wasn’t short either. Yet, it wasn’t too far from the time when the demon race would make a move against the Hanshan Realm.

This time, Shen Xiyuan wouldn’t be on the inside coordinating with them, but they couldn’t guard against everyone else. The seal on the Demon Realm hadn’t changed in many years, and lately, there were often demonic creatures breaking through the seal to cross over. They still needed to thoroughly investigate those small sects around the Hanshan Realm.

Xiangli Lingze thought he was already early enough, but he didn’t expect someone to be even earlier than him.

Outside the stone stele at the main gate of Azure Cloud Academy, a dense crowd of people had gathered. Standing in the middle of the crowd was Xu Jingzhen, wearing a veiled hat and exuding a fairy-like aura. Opposite him was Qin Tan, wearing a cold and impatient expression.

A huge crowd from the academy had come to peek. Mainly because it was a meeting between Xu Jingzhen and Qin Tan—these were the first and second on the Azure Cloud Rankings, the Twin Jade of the Nine Provinces!

Quite a few people were actually anticipating them breaking into a fight, but unfortunately, their wishes were not fulfilled.

Xu Jingzhen’s tone was soft. “Since we’ve run into each other, why not go to the Immortal Alliance with me? As for teaching at Azure Cloud Academy, you can just have your Sect Leader Martial Uncle send someone else. Hiding here and slacking off won’t do.”

“No.” Qin Tan crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes and brows cold. “If you want me to go, you must first get rid of those pedantic old men at the top. Otherwise, if I go over there, there’s no telling who I might slash.”

Xu Jingzhen choked on his words, remained silent for a moment, and then sighed heavily. “The Immortal Alliance has been the alliance of the Nine Provinces for eight hundred years. Its internal structure is convoluted, filled with aristocratic families and immortal sects. It cannot be shaken by my power alone; a heavy blade is needed. It’s just that Jiaoqiu still has unusual movements now, so it’s not convenient for me to act.”

“But it will be resolved eventually,” Xu Jingzhen looked up and gestured a number at Qin Tan. “I’ve divined it. As long as we have this, the Immortal Alliance’s tribulation will surely be resolved.”

Through a layer of ethereal white gauze, Qin Tan frowned, looking at Xu Jingzhen, and said gravely, “Your Yintang (glabella) is dark; your life faces a great tribulation.”

“Correct. My father divined since I was young that I have a tribulation in my destiny. But so what if there is a tribulation?” Xu Jingzhen waved his hand and flicked his sleeves. “I shall overcome it with benevolence, and overcome it with virtue.”

Qin Tan: “…”

“Are you really unwilling to go with me?” Xu Jingzhen’s tone was somewhat melancholic. “Does my physiognomy really look this unlucky? Fine, when I return to the mountain, I’ll go find someone to take a look and see if there’s anything to neutralize the evil aura.”

The doorway was crowded. Xiangli Lingze placed a hand over his forehead to shade his eyes, looking at the scene below, and sighed, “There really are a lot of people. Just how many people did Lord Jingming select to enter the Immortal Alliance?”

“As far as I know, only you.” He Tingtong stood to the side with his arms crossed over his chest.

The five of them squeezed to the edge. The crowd was terrifyingly large. Xiangli Lingze rolled up his sleeves. “Alright, seeing me off to here is enough. Don’t squeeze inside, or you might get your shoes squeezed off.”

The four of them stopped outside. He Tingtong thought it over and instructed in a low voice, “Although you are following Lord Jingming, the inside of the Immortal Alliance is a complex mix. If possible, why don’t we communicate once every three months? If anything happens, we can talk more.”

Xiangli Lingze was startled. “You care about me this much?”

His gaze circled Fu Fengyan, and he gave a wicked smile. “Could it be that you like me?”

Fu Fengyan: “…”

Fu Fengyan: “??”

Fu Fengyan: “!”

He Tingtong made a gesture as if to kick him. “Get lost, you!”

Xiangli Lingze laughed and rolled away. Empty-handed, he squeezed in from the outside to report. He Tingtong and the others had arrived late. The morning mist had completely dispersed, and the daylight was bright and fine. Xiangli Lingze suddenly turned back and waved at them. “See you later! As long as the green hills remain, the clear waters will continue to flow.”

“When I strike it rich, I’ll treat you guys to a meal!”

Zhang Duixue responded, “It’s a deal!”

Yue Qianxun stood on a pile of rocks, waving vigorously. Beside him, He Tingtong waved slightly, only to hear Fu Fengyan beside him speak in a sour tone, “You’re very nice to everyone.”

He Tingtong cast him a glance, a half-smile on his face. “That’s because you haven’t seen the bad side of me.”

The group of them finally sent him off amidst the hustle and bustle. As Xu Jingzhen and the others set out, a bell rang. Then, floating clouds rose from the flat ground, and mist billowed upwards into the sky, transforming into an exquisite, two-story white jade spirit boat. Long silk ribbons fluttered on it, and jade chimes jingled. Xu Jingzhen waved his hand, bidding farewell to Headmaster Xu, then pulled Xiangli Lingze and flew onto the spirit boat.

The immortal officials of the Immortal Alliance behaved with decorum, lining up to fly onto the spirit boat—some riding swords, some stepping on clouds, and a few riding cranes, all with elegant postures.

Seeing that the spirit boat was about to fly away, a shout was heard from the mountain gate, “Lord Jingming, please wait a moment!”

Everyone turned to look and saw Fu Baiyu hurriedly rushing over while leading a young man. “Is Lord Jingming returning to the Immortal Alliance? Why not give my elder a ride!”

Fu Baiyu waved to signal. He took large strides forward to stop the vehicle, skipping and jumping, looking extremely lively. The young man behind him wore an expression of helpless indulgence. Just as he was about to tell the child to run slower, he passed by He Tingtong’s side. The young man’s footsteps paused, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks.

He Tingtong froze.

Beside him, Fu Fengyan suddenly grasped his wrist, his fingers tightening.

Fu Qingrang slowly turned his head. His gaze stared somewhat impolitely at Fu Fengyan, and for a moment, he was also stunned.

He Tingtong keenly sensed Fu Fengyan’s unease. His eyes flashed as he suddenly remembered. He thought of the wind and snow, when he had woken up on Fu Fengyan’s lap, and the pair of purple pupils he saw when he opened his eyes, as well as the jade pendant on the other’s waist.

Lotus pattern, white jade color—it was exactly the same as the one on Fu Qingrang’s body.

Fu Baiyu also came over, his face scrunched up. He was a bit impatient and stared vigilantly at He Tingtong. Tugging at his uncle’s sleeve, he asked in a low voice what was going on.

Stepping sideways to block Fu Qingrang’s line of sight, He Tingtong plastered a fake smile on his face and struck up a conversation in an extremely pleasantly surprised tone. “Senior, long time no see! Do you still remember me?”

Fu Qingrang instantly snapped back to his senses. Looking at He Tingtong, he smiled and said, “Of course I remember. Last time, I really had to thank you for leading the way, little friend. Otherwise, who knows how long it would have taken me to find a house. Here is a small gift; I hope you won’t decline it.”

Saying this, right in front of Fu Baiyu, Fu Qingrang pulled a storage bag from his robes and placed it directly into He Tingtong’s palm.

Fu Baiyu’s voice cracked. “Second Uncle, why did you give it all away?!”

He Tingtong weighed it in his hand. Logically speaking, this was a good opportunity for him to make friends with the Fu clan, so he absolutely shouldn’t accept this item. But he felt the tension of the person behind him, so he gave a casual smile. Right in front of Fu Baiyu, he tucked the bulging little bag into his robes. “Then I will respectfully accept it.”

Fu Qingrang’s expression was very gentle as he smiled. “I wonder who this person behind you is, little friend…”

He Tingtong suddenly covered his face, smiling with extreme shyness. He leaned into Fu Fengyan’s embrace and hugged him tightly. “My lover.”

Yue Qianxun: “…”

Zhang Duixue: “…”

Fu Baiyu: “…”

Fu Fengyan: “…!!!!”

Fu Qingrang looked bewildered. “Lover?”

With his hand hidden behind his back, He Tingtong saw Fu Fengyan remaining motionless. Feeling exasperated at his failure to meet expectations, he pinched the flesh on Fu Fengyan’s waist, signaling him to give some sort of reaction.

Only to see Fu Fengyan stomp his foot and give a coquettish huff. Raising his hand, he pinched He Tingtong’s chest and said in a pinched, bashful voice, “Oh my, you hateful thing!”

The entire scene fell dead silent.

He Tingtong: “…” Bro, did you remember the wrong reaction?

Fu Qingrang cupped his hands in a salute. “My apologies for the intrusion. I mistook him for someone else.”