Bai Tu did not sleep well.

The sensation of heat clung to him like a shadow. He felt alternating chills and warmth coursing through his body, an unbearable torment.

It was as if he had fallen into an abyss of darkness, with nothing to hold on to, his body endlessly descending and swaying in the void. Suddenly, he felt a gentle touch on his hand.

The touch was like a spring of cool water, soothing his fevered body. Unconsciously, he leaned toward it, yearning to get closer to that comforting presence.

The darkness around him faded as a beam of light approached, illuminating the space they shared.

They seemed to be suspended in the clouds, shrouded in a haze of mist as far as the eye could see.

But the heat returned to Bai Tu with a vengeance. This time, it surged so fiercely that no mere touch could calm it. The unbearable intensity made him feel as though he was on the brink of madness.

He wanted…

Through the haze, someone unfastened his clothing and drew him into a warm embrace, pressing kisses against his skin, inch by inch. Their bodies fit together perfectly, the overwhelming satisfaction making Bai Tu moan softly.

In that moment of union, his eyes fluttered open. The other person lowered their gaze to meet his.

In those deep, intense eyes was a desire so raw and consuming that Bai Tu had never seen anything like it before.

Bai Tu jolted upright, his chest heaving as he struggled to pull himself out of the lingering haze of that vivid dream.

His body still seemed to carry the heat of those phantom touches. Unlike the harshness in Lingxu Cave, the figure in his dream had been incomparably gentle, as if treating him like something delicate and fragile.

The thought made his skin prickle with warmth again. Shaking his head to clear it, Bai Tu was about to get up when he suddenly noticed something off.

A moment later, he collapsed back onto the bed and covered his face with both hands.

It was bad enough to dream of doing such things with his own disciple, but to actually…

Heaven help him—he couldn’t even remember the last time this had happened to him. A few hundred years ago, perhaps?

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

Yun Ye’s voice came from outside the door. “Master, are you awake?”

Bai Tu instinctively pulled the blanket tighter around himself before replying, “Come in.”

Yun Ye pushed the door open and entered. “The Sect Leader just sent someone to request your presence at the Council Hall on the front mountain. He said there’s an important matter to discuss.”

“I understand. I’ll go shortly,” Bai Tu responded.

Yun Ye carried a tea tray in his hands. He replenished the incense in the burner with a fresh stick, replaced the stale tea from the previous night, and began tidying the desk. With no disciples assigned to serve on Luoxia Peak, these tasks typically fell to Yun Ye.

Bai Tu remained lying in bed, watching Yun Ye’s movements quietly, his entire body wrapped snugly beneath the blanket.

Seeing that Bai Tu showed no signs of getting up, Yun Ye spoke again, “Master, the Sect Leader seems to be in a hurry. It might be about the Demon Abyss.”

“Alright,” Bai Tu replied, but still made no move to rise.

After tidying the desk, Yun Ye fetched an outer robe from the clothing rack and walked to the bedside. “Would you like me to assist you with dressing, Master?”

Bai Tu clutched the blanket like his life depended on it, eyes alert. “No need.”

Yun Ye sat down at the edge of the bed, leaned forward slightly, and coaxed in a soft tone, “Master, it’s usually fine to laze about in bed, but today there’s important business. Come now, get up.”

He was so close that his unique scent enveloped Bai Tu, making him feel warm all over again. His mind started to drift, hazy and unsettled.

Unable to take it any longer, Bai Tu turned his head away and said awkwardly, “I’m not lazing about. Just go out first—I’ll get up right away.”

Yun Ye didn’t look convinced. “Really?”

Bai Tu nodded quickly. “Of course! Now, go on.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you this once.” Yun Ye chuckled, shaking his head as he placed the robe by the bed and turned to leave the room.

As the bedroom door closed, Bai Tu let out a long sigh and slowly sat up.

Life like this was becoming unbearable.

Meanwhile, Yun Ye left Bai Tu’s room but didn’t head to his training immediately. Instead, he descended from Luoxia Peak. Walking along the mountain path, he casually plucked a leaf from a tree. With a gentle pinch of his fingers, he imbued the leaf with a trace of spiritual energy, sending it floating into the distance.

Yun Ye followed the leaf.

It was the time of day when morning lessons had just ended, and the pine-lined path near the study hall was bustling with people.

On a tree branch, a black spirit butterfly rested, concealed by the leaves and nearly impossible to notice.

Just as Yun Ye was about to approach, the butterfly seemed to sense something. It abruptly took flight, heading toward the sword training grounds.

At the training grounds in front of the study hall, dozens of disciples were taking a short break.

Yun Ye quickened his pace, drawing the Taichu Fan from his belt and hurling it toward the butterfly.

At the same moment, the spirit butterfly transformed into a wisp of black smoke, darting into the back of one of the disciples.

The disciple felt the sudden disturbance behind him and turned just in time to see the Taichu Fan hurtling toward him.

Yun Ye quickly withdrew his hand.

But before he could fully retract the Taichu Fan, another hand shot out from the side, intercepting it.

Mu Xi grasped the fan’s frame tightly, glaring at Yun Ye. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Yun Ye couldn’t be bothered to explain. Silently reciting an incantation, he activated the Taichu Fan, causing it to tremble violently. With a sharp jolt, it freed itself from Mu Xi’s grip and returned to Yun Ye’s side.

Ignoring Mu Xi, Yun Ye strode toward the disciple who had been targeted earlier. However, Mu Xi stepped in to block his path. “Attacking someone from behind—this is the kind of disciple taught by the great Xianjun Zhaohua?”

“Move,” Yun Ye said coldly.

“Move?” Mu Xi sneered. “I’ll admit I was at fault back in Lingxu Cave. Fine. Let’s settle this here and now, openly and fairly. I’d like to see what makes you think you can order me to step aside.”

As he spoke, the black smoke that had slipped into the other disciple silently emerged, drifting swiftly into Mu Xi’s body.

Yun Ye’s gaze locked onto the smoke as it disappeared into Mu Xi. After a moment of deliberation, he dismissed the Taichu Fan and replied with indifference, “Forget it. I’m not in the mood to spar with you today. Maybe next time.”

“You—”

Yun Ye didn’t let him finish. Without sparing him another glance, he turned and walked away from the training grounds.

That spirit butterfly was, without a doubt, Wuju.

Wuju now roamed the world in a spiritual form. Once he entered someone’s body, it was nearly impossible to expel him unless he chose to leave voluntarily.

Yun Ye lightly ran his fingers along the Taichu Fan’s frame, his brows furrowed.

This was going to be troublesome.

Meanwhile, Bai Tu arrived at the door of the Council Hall on the front mountain. Inside, several shimmering water mirrors floated midair, each reflecting the faces of a few individuals. Bai Tu cast a glance at them—these were all prominent cultivators from various sects in the cultivation world.

The hall was abuzz with heated debate.

“He was the one who claimed the Demon Abyss was destroyed. Now that it has reappeared in the mortal realm, shouldn’t he take full responsibility?”

Hearing this, Bai Tu paused mid-step and stopped the disciple who was about to announce his arrival.

Inside the Council Hall, the argument continued unabated.

“Your words are out of line. Back then, didn’t Xianjun Zhaohua venture into the Demon Abyss alone for the sake of all living beings? How can we turn against him now?”

“Turn against him? That’s hardly the case. If not for the acclaim he earned from supposedly destroying the Demon Abyss, would the cultivation world have held him in such high regard all these years?”

“But Xianjun never claimed the Demon Abyss was completely eradicated. That was a rumor spread and exaggerated within the cultivation world!”

“Sigh, enough arguing. I agree with Sect Master Mo—placing all the blame for the reappearance of the Demon Abyss on Xianjun Zhaohua is indeed unfair. However, at this point, there’s no one else capable of standing against it.”

Bai Tu sneered inwardly.

He recognized everyone speaking. While he hadn’t interacted with them much in this life, in his previous one, he had dealt with them plenty.

In that past life, Yun Ye betrayed Tianyan Sect and entered the Demon Abyss, eventually becoming the Demon Lord. These very people had gathered similarly to discuss the situation. In the end, they had also placed the responsibility squarely on Bai Tu’s shoulders, forcing him to lead an elite force into the Demon Abyss.

Shirking responsibility—this lot excelled at it.

Clearing his throat, Bai Tu stepped into the Council Hall.

The heated debate immediately ceased as the arguing cultivators noticed his arrival.

Bai Tu took his seat, lifting the tea cup at his side and taking a leisurely sip. Then, in an unhurried tone, he said, “Please, continue.”

An awkward silence hung over the hall.

Ling Weijun rubbed his nose, attempting to smooth things over. “Let’s leave it here for today. We’ll reconvene in a month at Tianyan Sect to discuss further.”

Everyone hastily chimed in with agreeable pleasantries before disappearing one by one from the water mirrors.

Ling Weijun turned to Bai Tu and said awkwardly, “Xianjun, please don’t misunderstand. They… they didn’t mean it.”

“It’s fine. They’re not wrong,” Bai Tu replied, setting down his tea cup. “The Demon Abyss reappearing is a failure on my part. I will locate it as soon as possible and seal it away again.”

“This…” Ling Weijun hesitated, looking like he wanted to say more.

“Speak freely, Sect Leader,” Bai Tu prompted.

Ling Weijun hesitated briefly before continuing, “The major sects have discussed it. If we can locate the Demon Abyss, perhaps we should take the initiative and strike first—invade the abyss and eliminate it in one decisive move.”

Bai Tu’s gaze darkened.

Ling Weijun continued, “For centuries, the cultivation world has adhered to the principle of ‘if others do not provoke us, we will not provoke them.’ However, this approach has left us on the defensive and at a disadvantage. Perhaps it is time to turn defense into offense. If we can eradicate this looming threat, it would be a great boon for all living beings.”

“If Xianjun, who has ventured deep into the Demon Abyss before, were to assist us—”

“No.” Bai Tu interrupted him before he could finish. “I will not.”

“Xianjun, why…”

Setting down his tea cup, Bai Tu replied evenly, “Not everyone within the Demon Abyss is a ruthless monster. To recklessly instigate war—how would that make us any different from the so-called demons we condemn? Moreover…”

His hand, hidden within his sleeve, brushed over his lower abdomen in a subtle, protective gesture.

Taking this child into such a place? Absolutely not.

Bai Tu’s refusal was unwavering, and Ling Weijun couldn’t persuade him further. Left with no choice, Ling Weijun dropped the matter.

With no more interruptions from Ling Weijun, Bai Tu enjoyed a few days of peace and rest at Luoxia Peak.

However, over these days, something began to feel increasingly off with his body.

That day, Bai Tu woke up with a throbbing headache and a restless body, feeling overheated and uneasy. By nightfall, he found it impossible to sleep.

He sat for a while in the pavilion, but the discomfort wouldn’t subside. Just as he was about to return to his room to rest, he happened to pass by Yun Ye’s bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, and the room appeared empty.

Lately, Yun Ye had been practicing diligently, often returning late at night.

Bai Tu stood outside the door for a moment, then, almost as if guided by some unseen force, pushed open the door and walked inside.

The room was furnished similarly to Bai Tu’s own, but the level of tidiness was nowhere near the same. Several open cultivation manuals were scattered across the desk, and in the inner chamber, discarded clothing lay carelessly on the bed, with even two pieces having fallen onto the floor, creating a disordered scene.

Bai Tu sighed softly. His little disciple was so diligent when it came to cleaning his own room, but when it came to his own, it was a mess. With a small frown, Bai Tu bent down and picked up the clothes from the floor, folding them neatly.

It was a disciple’s outer robe, faintly scented with the cold incense that permeated the room, but beneath it, Yun Ye’s distinct scent still lingered.

Animals were highly sensitive to smells, and Yun Ye’s scent, particularly, had a strong, almost aggressive edge. Getting too close to it would even evoke a sense of pressure. This was a wolf demon’s natural instinct; they used scent to mark territory and intimidate rivals.

But at that moment, Bai Tu found that the scent, instead of being unsettling, was oddly comforting.

He inhaled deeply, and his restless thoughts suddenly eased. In their place arose a kind of indescribable longing.

Desire for more…

The restless heat and frustration of the past few days finally found an outlet. By the time Bai Tu snapped back to his senses, he was already sitting at Yun Ye’s bedside, his face buried deeply in the outer robe.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the door.

Bai Tu’s body stiffened, and in an instant, he snapped back to reality. He quickly formed a hand seal, vanishing from the spot.

In the blink of an eye, Bai Tu reappeared in his own room, his hands still tightly clutching the outer robe.

He stared at the garment in his hands, unable to help but feel both exasperated and amused.

He must have lost his mind—he’d actually stolen his disciple’s clothes.

…Forget it. He’d return it some other time.

Bai Tu carefully placed the robe in the wardrobe, extinguished the oil lamp, and lay back down on his bed. The room was plunged into darkness, but Bai Tu tossed and turned restlessly, his mind hazy and his sleep far from peaceful.

After an unknown amount of time passed, Bai Tu raised his hand and gave a faint wave.

The outer robe that had been placed in the wardrobe flew over to him and landed at Bai Tu’s side, which he immediately pulled into his embrace.

He nuzzled his face gently against it, and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Yun Ye: You secretly take my clothes and sleep with them?

Bai Tu: I swear I didn’t—It was the clothes that started it!