Not far from the camp, two figures darted swiftly through the forest.

“Yin… Senior Brother Yin…” Jing Yan’s face was ashen as he reached out to grab Yin Shaoyang’s sleeve. “Are we really going to abandon them like this?”

“So, what if we are?” Yin Shaoyang snapped impatiently. “I’ve already told you—they’re not truly dead. Stop being so spineless! How will you ever achieve greatness acting like this?”

Jing Yan flinched, his voice trembling. “B-but…”

“No buts! If you don’t want to leave, stay behind and be beast fodder. Your choice.”

Before his words had fully settled, a figure emerged from the trees ahead of them.

Yun Ye’s attire and hair ornaments were immaculate, his movements calm and measured. In his hand, his long sword gleamed as it tilted downward with a trail of blood dripping from the blade.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

He raised his gaze slightly and the eerie light in his eyes yet to fade, sending a chill down their spines.

Both men froze in shock. Yin Shaoyang instinctively stepped back half a pace, positioning Jing Yan behind him. “Why are you here?”

Yun Ye countered with a question of his own. “What do you think?”

Yin Shaoyang’s brow furrowed as his right hand discreetly moved toward his chest, only to freeze in surprise.

His chest was empty.

“Are you looking for this?” Yun Ye asked casually, his tone almost playful.

He raised his hand, holding between his fingers a short jade flute.

“You—” Yin Shaoyang’s eyes widened in shock, his voice laced with disbelief. “You actually stole my jade flute?!”

This flute had always been kept close to him. When had Yun Ye managed to steal it?

Yun Ye offered no explanation. Instead, his fingers traced the flute’s surface with an almost deliberate slowness. His voice was light but carried an edge of menace. “If I’m not mistaken, this seems to be an artifact of the Demon Clan.”

He paused, his tone dropping to a cold sharpness. “Now, tell me—who gave this to you?”

“No comment.” Yin Shaoyang replied curtly.

Yun Ye let out an “Oh,” as if unsurprised by the response. He raised the jade flute to his lips and quickly played a short melody.

Yin Shaoyang immediately realized what Yun Ye intended to do and shouted. “No, stop!”

“Senior Brother Yin…” Jing Yan clutched his arm from behind, his voice trembling with unmistakable fear. “Look, Senior Brother…”

In the dark forest, countless eerie green lights flickered to life, like the eyes of predators lying in wait, their gaze fixed hungrily on their prey.

Yun Ye lowered the flute and, without haste, turned back toward the direction of the camp. Behind him, several white tigers with mottled coats emerged, advancing toward the two men and encircling them.

“No, stop! I don’t want to go! Come back—come back!”

The desperate, hoarse screams were soon swallowed by the silent night. Yun Ye stepped out of the forest and immediately spotted a delicate young man waiting for him not far away.

As Yun Ye approached, Bai Tu frowned and said. “How could you subject them to such extrajudicial punishment?”

Yun Ye tucked the flute into his robe, unconcerned. “They used this very method to harm countless others. I merely let them taste their own medicine.”

Bai Tu shook his head. “That’s against the rules.”

“Rules?” Yun Ye raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly closer to Bai Tu. “Did I ever tell you that sometimes the way you speak really reminds me of my master?”

Bai Tu’s gaze flickered evasively. “…How could that be? I’m nowhere near the Immortal Lord’s level.”

“Of course not.” Yun Ye straightened up, adopting a serious tone. “My master is highly skilled, refined, and undeniably handsome. Unlike you—a little fool who’s sickly all the time and needs others to take care of him.”

Bai Tu: “…”

Just you wait.

After a moment of thought, Bai Tu changed the subject. “By the way, what do you plan to do with that demonic flute?”

Yun Ye’s eyes gleamed mischievously. “Why should I tell you?”

Bai Tu felt momentarily stifled and couldn’t help but think wistfully of the obedient little apprentice who had once followed him around outside the mystic realm.

Inwardly repeating the mantra ‘don’t get mad, you raised this one yourself’, Bai Tu took a deep breath and asked. “Do you even know where it came from?”

Yun Ye’s expression shifted subtly, but he didn’t answer.

Bai Tu explained patiently. “Ever since Immortal Lord Zhaohua eradicated the Abyss of Demons over a decade ago, artifacts capable of manipulating minds have rarely appeared in this world. This flute is undoubtedly a demonic artifact.”

“I know.” Yun Ye replied casually.

Bai Tu suppressed his frustration and continued. “The appearance of a demonic artifact is no small matter. You must hand it over immediately. And as for the two disciples who were wielding it—”

“You’re so naggy.” Yun Ye interrupted, shooting Bai Tu a skeptical glance. “By the way, you’re just a newly admitted disciple of Tianyan Sect. How do you know so much about this?”

Caught off guard, Bai Tu stammered for a moment, unable to come up with a satisfactory answer.

Fortunately, Yun Ye didn’t press further. The two continued walking toward the camp. As they stepped into the clearing, they saw a group of disciples gathered in the center, their expressions a mix of confusion and lingering fear, as though still reeling from their brush with death.

Yun Ye glanced at the disciples before turning to Bai Tu with a smirk. “Say what you will, but your peculiar little artifacts are impressive.”

“Creating such a large illusion to distract the beasts while quietly rescuing everyone… Even a high-level cultivator would find such a feat challenging.” He squinted at Bai Tu, curiosity flickering in his gaze. “Where exactly did you get all these unusual artifacts?”

Bai Tu: “…”

Why couldn’t this brat ask questions he could actually answer?!

Bai Tu struggled to come up with a coherent explanation, leaving Yun Ye to frown slightly with a hint of suspicion flashing in his eyes.

He chose not to press further and instead strode over to the gathered disciples. Raising his voice, he announced. “You’re all aware of what happened. The two individuals who were secretly controlling the demonic beasts to commit murder have been dealt with. The danger is now eliminated, and you are free to leave.”

The disciples exchanged uncertain glances, murmuring among themselves, but no one moved.

Yun Ye’s brows knitted. “What’s the meaning of this?”

From within the crowd, someone hesitantly spoke up. “How do we know there aren’t others like Yin Shaoyang out there? And… and besides—”

“Besides, the forest is still full of traps and beasts. We can’t risk it again.” Another chimed in, cutting them off.

“Exactly! It’s only been two days, and so many people have already died. It’s just too dangerous out there.”

“That’s right…”

The more Yun Ye listened to their murmuring, the more irritated he became. Finally, he cut them off. “Then what do you propose?”

The group exchanged uneasy glances until the person who had first spoken stepped forward. He hesitated, clearly struggling to find the right words, before finally saying. “Senior Brother, we’d like to stay.”

“…You’re a disciple of Immortal Lord Zhaohua. If we stay by your side, our chances of safely leaving the mystic realm would be much higher.”

Yun Ye stared at him for a long moment, then a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Well, you’ve certainly thought this through.”

Turning his head slightly, he glanced at Bai Tu. “What do you think?”

Bai Tu nodded. “There are five days left. If we can look out for one another, it would be for the best.”

“Alright, then it’s decided.” Yun Ye declared as he casually slung an arm around Bai Tu’s shoulders and raised his voice to address the group. “You can stay, but for the remaining days, you’ll follow his orders. No objections allowed.”

Bai Tu: …???

Had it not been for Yun Ye and Bai Tu tonight, everyone would have already fallen prey to the tigers. Thus, no one objected to Yun Ye’s decision.

As the group dispersed, Bai Tu caught up to Yun Ye. “Why did you do that?”

Yun Ye replied carelessly. “Don’t you enjoy lecturing people? Now I’ve handed all these people over to you to train. Aren’t you satisfied?”

“You—”

“Alright, alright. I just don’t feel like dealing with all this. Can’t you help me out?” Yun Ye said as he lifted the flap of the tent and stepped inside. On the way, he reached out and pinched Bai Tu’s cheek—a soft, delicate touch, like fine, smooth cream.

Yun Ye felt an inexplicable flutter in his chest, a faint itch he couldn’t quite place.

Avoiding Bai Tu’s gaze, he turned away, climbed onto the bed, and waved him over. “Hurry up and come to bed, little fool.”

Bai Tu didn’t move but his brows furrowed slightly as if he’d realized something.

The night deepened, and soon the camp fell silent as one by one, its occupants drifted off to sleep.

Sometime later, a shadow slipped out of the tent. In the forest, a flash of sword light broke through the darkness, its gleaming arc slicing through the sky.

When the light faded, Bai Tu stepped out from the trees. He gazed at the horizon, his expression complicated and unreadable.

This little wolf pup…

Yun Ye guided his celestial sword to land atop a snowy mountain. In his previous life, this was where he had encountered the Primordial Beast guarding the Taichu Relic.

Finding a sheltered cave to escape the biting wind and snow, Yun Ye used his spiritual energy to ignite a pile of firewood.

Sitting by the fire, he absentmindedly reached into his robe and touched a small, hard object. It was a perfectly round green stone, smooth as jade—the same one that delicate young man had insisted on giving him earlier. The boy had claimed it was a spirit stone capable of predicting fortune and misfortune.

Yun Ye couldn’t help but wonder where the boy had acquired such artifacts. There was no denying it—he seemed to be hiding a fair number of secrets.

Still, Yun Ye could tell that the young man bore him no malice.

At that thought, Yun Ye’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Since arriving at Tianyan Sect, he had never met someone quite like that boy—so much like a small, helpless creature. Fragile and soft, yet brimming with a tenacious spirit that refused to yield, no matter how hard life struck. It made Yun Ye itch to tease him.

If my master were stripped of his immortal dignity, wouldn’t he be just like this?

The resemblance to his master was uncanny.

Not the aloof and untouchable Immortal Lord Zhaohua of the present, but the version of him Yun Ye had seen in the dream—a master manipulated by desire, soft and vulnerable.

At that moment, the spirit stone in Yun Ye’s hand trembled violently, emitting a faint glow. Yun Ye’s brows knitted as he instinctively leapt to his feet and darted out of the cave.

The instant he exited, the cave mouth collapsed with a deafening crash.

From the crumbling debris above, a beast emerged—a massive creature, as if sculpted from ice, towering as high as two or three grown men.

The Primordial Beast.

On the other side of the snowy mountain, Bai Tu clutched a spirit stone identical to the one Yun Ye had. He trudged through the snow, his steps slow and laborious.

Pulling his cloak tighter around him, Bai Tu glanced up at the endless expanse of white peaks and muttered. “That idiot. Of all places to wander off alone, he had to choose these treacherous mountains.”

Bai Tu’s goal in entering the mystic realm was to help Yun Ye acquire the Taichu Relic. According to his original plan, Yun Ye only needed to stay put and wait out the seven days in the mystic realm. Before their departure, the Primordial Beast would inevitably come to them.

This was the fortuitous encounter the author had written for Yun Ye in the original story.

No matter when Yun Ye entered the Primordial Secret Realm or what he encountered there, this pivotal moment would always occur before he left.

Who could have known that the little wolf pup would be so difficult to deal with? He had barely just formed a team when he slipped away without a second thought.

The more Bai Tu thought about it, the angrier he became. With a soft sigh, he infused some spiritual energy into the spirit stone in his hand.

Before he could even use the stone to determine the direction, a strong surge of spiritual energy suddenly rippled through the air not far ahead. The snow-capped mountains in the distance began to collapse, and a torrent of snow surged toward him.

Bai Tu raised an eyebrow. As expected, the protagonist—wherever he went, he was bound to encounter some sort of fortune.

At the epicenter of the energy fluctuation, a man and a beast were locked in a fierce battle.

The Primordial Beast resembled a demonic ape, standing on two legs with muscular arms. Despite its massive size, it moved with incredible agility. Yun Ye had been battling the creature for a long time, but still hadn’t found an opportunity to get close.

Suddenly, the Primordial Beast let out a furious roar and swiped at Yun Ye, sending him flying.

Behind them was the vast abyss created by the collapse of the snow mountain.

Just as Yun Ye was about to summon his sword to rise into the air, a figure flashed before his eyes. Someone had appeared out of nowhere, grabbing his waist and pulling him down. The two of them tumbled together, rolling across the snow.

They didn’t stop until they had rolled quite a distance. Dizzy and disoriented, Yun Ye looked up and saw a delicate face staring down at him.

Yun Ye, both anxious and angry, snapped. “What are you doing here?”

Bai Tu, still on top of Yun Ye, looked down at him with a serious expression. “I came to find you.”

Yun Ye’s anger eased slightly, and he pushed Bai Tu off, getting to his feet. “You should leave, it’s dangerous here.”

Bai Tu, undeterred, retorted. “If it’s dangerous, why did you come alone?”

As they spoke, the Primordial Beast let out a furious roar and lunged at them. Without sparing a glance at the ferocious creature, Bai Tu calmly drew a long sword from the pouch at his side.

It was just an ordinary long sword, the kind found everywhere in the market, with no spiritual energy infused into it whatsoever.

Yun Ye quickly understood Bai Tu’s intent and stepped forward to grab his arm. “No, you can’t defeat it. You need to leave—”

Bai Tu pushed Yun Ye’s hand away and gave him a command. “I’ll go up first to draw its attention. You need to stab its heart with your sword. Remember, it must be the heart.”

Yun Ye froze for a moment.

But Bai Tu didn’t have time to worry about Yun Ye’s reaction. He pushed Yun Ye’s hand aside and moved forward, gripping the sword tightly. A surge of pure spiritual energy rapidly climbed the blade, and Bai Tu leapt into the air, bringing the sword down with tremendous force.

With one strike, he severed the Primordial Beast’s arm.

“Stab its heart, now!”

But Yun Ye didn’t move. Bai Tu turned around in confusion, raising his voice. “Hurry up, what are you still hesitating for?”

As his words echoed, Yun Ye finally sprang into action, stabbing the sword into the heart of the Primordial Beast.

With a deafening crash, the beast collapsed to the ground. Bai Tu let out a long breath of relief. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Ye suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Bai Tu turned his head, and Yun Ye’s brows were furrowed, his expression carrying a hint of complexity.

Bai Tu instinctively flinched, wanting to step back.

He… couldn’t have revealed anything, could he?

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Yun Ye: What have I been doing these past few days??? [questioning life.jpg]

Bai Tu: Oh, not much. Just yelled at me, scolded me, complained about me and even gave me a nickname ^_^