Yun Ye chased the white rabbit’s silhouette into the bamboo forest, but the little creature was incredibly quick and disappeared almost instantly. He searched the area for a moment before spotting a hint of white under a tree not far away.

A sly smile tugged at Yun Ye’s lips as he approached silently, but he froze mid-step.

“Master?”

Bai Tu was seated on the ground, his back resting against the tree trunk. From Yun Ye’s angle, only his cool and composed silhouette was visible. Yet, for some reason, Yun Ye felt an unusual tension in that figure.

“Why… why are you back?”

The voice remained as calm and elegant as always, but now it carried a faint tremor and seemed a little strained.

Yun Ye’s brow furrowed imperceptibly as he circled around to face Bai Tu. He crouched down, his voice filled with concern. “Master, are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s nothing,” Bai Tu replied, his eyes darting away in guilt.

It didn’t seem like “nothing” to him at all.

For reasons unknown, Bai Tu found his strength particularly lacking today. Even after running just a short distance, his breathing had become uneven, and there was a faint, dull ache in his lower abdomen.

He pressed a hand against his stomach, wondering if he might have eaten something bad earlier.

Bai Tu steadied himself against the tree trunk as he stood up. “The Primordial Secret Realm opens in a few days. Instead of practicing your swordsmanship, what are you doing here?”

Only then did Yun Ye recall his original purpose. “I saw a wild rabbit run this way earlier, but when I followed it here, it disappeared. Master, did you see it?”

At that, Bai Tu’s temper flared. He frowned and asked. “Why on earth were you chasing it in the first place?”

“To catch it and roast it, of course.” Yun Ye replied matter-of-factly.

Bai Tu bristled. “Roast a rabbit? What did the rabbit ever do to you?”

Yun Ye blinked innocently. “Master, I’m a wolf demon. Isn’t it only natural for wolves to eat rabbits?”

He leaned closer, feigning a pitiful expression. “Besides, Master, I love eating rabbit. Ever since I joined the Tianyan Sect, I haven’t had a single chance to eat one.”

Bai Tu: “…”

Poor you, truly.

Bai Tu: “In any case, no more eating rabbits from now on.”

Master was as kind as ever, unwilling to harm even a rabbit. Yun Ye thought this to himself, his lips curving into a gentle smile as he replied. “Alright, I’ll listen to Master.”

As he spoke, Yun Ye lowered his gaze to look at him.

Beneath the moonlight, the usually aloof immortal seemed less distant. The soft glow outlined his features, and his delicate, long lashes trembled faintly, casting subtle shadows on his face.

For reasons he couldn’t explain, Yun Ye suddenly felt that his Master resembled the little white rabbit from earlier—soft, obedient, and irresistibly tempting to hold in his hands, to touch and tease at will.

Yun Ye’s hand, hanging by his side, clenched tightly as he forced himself to suppress such errant thoughts.

Bai Tu, noticing the overly direct gaze fixed on him, shifted uncomfortably. He cleared his throat and said. “Have you mastered your swordsmanship yet? Show me a demonstration.”

Yun Ye nodded. “Alright.”

In a clearing within the bamboo grove, Yun Ye drew his sword, and a clear blade aura shimmered as the weapon left its sheath. His movements were fluid and precise, the sword technique executed flawlessly, leaving little to critique.

Bai Tu’s eyes gradually lit up with admiration.

Yun Ye’s swordsmanship had always been something he never needed to worry about.

Although his cultivation progress was slower than others, his agility and footwork had always been among the best.

Bai Tu watched for a while and felt his strength returning. He casually picked up a branch from the ground and stepped forward in a blur of motion.

A sharp sword aura surged skyward, sweeping up countless bamboo leaves that spiraled upward in its wake.

Yun Ye hadn’t expected Bai Tu to strike so suddenly and stumbled back a few steps, barely managing to block the attack.

“Too slow. Strike faster.” Bai Tu instructed, his tone calm. With a flick of his wrist, he launched another thrust at Yun Ye.

Despite Yun Ye’s exceptional agility, he still fell short compared to Bai Tu. What’s more, his current body had yet to reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

However, Bai Tu was deliberately holding back, intending to guide Yun Ye rather than overwhelm him.

The two exchanged hundreds of moves, their blades dancing in the moonlit grove. Gradually, a faint smile tugged at Yun Ye’s lips.

He couldn’t help but adore Bai Tu in moments like this.

No matter how praised the appearance of the illustrious Immortal Lord Zhaohua might be, what captivated Yun Ye most was his unrivaled swordsmanship—the poise and grace of a single strike that could command the world.

He would never forget the day they first met—when Immortal Lord Zhaohua descended from the skies and, with a single strike, drove away the low-level demons that had nearly torn him apart.

At that moment, the man stood above him, his pale eyes as cold as frost piercing to the bone.

It became the most breathtaking sight Yun Ye had ever witnessed in his life.

As Yun Ye’s thoughts wandered, Bai Tu suddenly launched a surprise attack. The slender branch, imbued with sword intent, struck Yun Ye’s blade with such force that his arm went numb, causing his sword to slip from his grasp.

“Master?”

Yun Ye looked at Bai Tu in confusion, only to see him lowering the branch, showing no intention of continuing the fight.

“I’m feeling a bit tired. Let’s stop here for today.” Bai Tu said calmly.

Yun Ye’s brows knitted once more.

Immortal Lord Zhaohua was the greatest cultivator of his time, his skills and strength far beyond what ordinary people could fathom. How could he feel fatigued after just a few moves?

Yet, looking closely at Bai Tu’s face, something indeed seemed off.

Yun Ye sheathed his sword and moved closer to Bai Tu. “Master, are you feeling unwell? Should I summon an elder from the Condensed Pill Pavilion to take a look at you?”

“No need,” Bai Tu replied calmly. “I likely overexerted myself earlier after visiting Wuyagu. A night’s rest will suffice.”

“Wuyagu…” Yun Ye’s expression darkened. “Master, did you go to see Immortal Lord Qinghui again?”

Immortal Lord Zhaohua had always been aloof, rarely forming close relationships. Yet, among his few trusted friends, Immortal Lord Qinghui was the closest—so close, in fact, that every time Yun Ye mentioned him, a subtle tinge of jealousy colored his words.

Bai Tu naturally caught the displeasure in Yun Ye’s tone and shot him a glare. “What’s with that face? I sought out my senior brother for your sake.”

“For me?” Yun Ye blinked in surprise.

“Follow me.”

Bai Tu led Yun Ye back to his quarters and retrieved an embroidered pouch given to him by Xu Yi.

The pouch, imbued with enchantments, appeared no larger than a palm from the outside. Bai Tu loosened the drawstring, and a dozen small bottles and jars spilled out, covering the table in an instant.

“These are for you,” Bai Tu said. “The Primordial Secret Realm is no ordinary place. If you enter it without any cultivation, it will be nearly impossible to emerge unscathed. These pills will help you enhance your cultivation and suppress your demonic aura.”

“Thank you, Master, but…” Yun Ye hesitated for a moment before continuing. “Do I have to take all of these?”

“They were crafted from rare medicinal ingredients,” Bai Tu replied matter-of-factly. “Of course you need to take them.”

Suppressing a chuckle, Yun Ye casually picked up a few small jade bottles from the pile and held them up to Bai Tu. “Then, Master, may I ask… do I also need these? The ones for promoting plant growth, prolonging life, and, uh… stabilizing pregnancies?”

Bai Tu: “…”

He shouldn’t have put so much faith in that drunkard.

Snatching the rogue pills from Yun Ye’s hand, Bai Tu carefully sifted through the bottles, separating the ones Yun Ye actually needed and shoving the rest back into the embroidered pouch without much ceremony.

After explaining how to use the remaining pills, Bai Tu waved him off. “Go back and rest early. You’ll need to continue training tomorrow.”

But Yun Ye didn’t leave. Instead, he reached out and lightly grabbed Bai Tu’s wrist, his lips parting as if to speak. “Master…”

One look at his expression, and Bai Tu knew exactly what he wanted. He shook off Yun Ye’s hand decisively. “No.”

Yun Ye grinned mischievously. “But Master, you’ve always slept with me before.”

Bai Tu sighed, his tone earnest. “You’re getting older. It’s not proper to still cling to Master like this. Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you?”

“I’m not afraid. And I just turned eighteen last month, I’m not that old.” Yun Ye, having lived two lives, said it without a hint of embarrassment.

“…Still, it’s not appropriate.”

Bai Tu seriously considered throwing him out, but Yun Ye only grew more persistent. He slid his arms around Bai Tu from behind and nuzzled into his shoulder with a soft, pleading motion. “I promise I won’t disturb Master’s rest. Please don’t make me leave.”

If this had happened at another time, Bai Tu might have argued a little longer, but today he was truly exhausted. He didn’t want to deal with this, he just wanted to sleep.

With a heavy sigh, Bai Tu relented. “…Fine, stay.”

The bed in Bai Tu’s room was large enough that even two grown men could lie side by side without feeling cramped.

But Bai Tu still felt a bit uneasy about sharing a bed with Yun Ye. After a moment of thought, he used a spell to create a white light barrier down the center of the bed, then sternly said. “Don’t cross this line.”

Yun Ye, clearly taking the opportunity to tease, responded lazily. “…Okay.”

Bai Tu lay contentedly on the inner side of the bed, his exhaustion catching up to him, and soon he drifted into a drowsy state.

In his half-conscious haze, he heard Yun Ye’s soft voice beside him. “Master, is it because you used too much of your cultivation to help me earlier that you’re feeling this way?”

Bai Tu, too tired to keep his eyes open, still tried to reassure him. “No, don’t overthink it.”

“Master is lying to me,” Yun Ye murmured. “You’ve never been like this before.”

Bai Tu didn’t respond. He knew Yun Ye would feel guilty, but in that situation, he couldn’t just stand by and let Yun Ye fall victim to his inner demons.

Of course, things would have been much better if nothing had happened afterward.

As Bai Tu thought about this, his breathing slowly steadied.

Yun Ye stared at the face just inches away, his hand reaching out, only to meet the cold light barrier. He traced his finger along the barrier, as though, through it, he were gently touching Bai Tu’s cheek.

After a moment, Yun Ye sighed softly. “I’m sorry, but don’t worry, it won’t happen again.”

“I’ll protect you.”

Bai Tu didn’t respond, as if he had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Yun Ye’s lips curved into a small smile as he whispered. “Good night, my Master.”

Yun Ye yawned and closed his eyes. His body wasn’t very strong to begin with, and after several days of sword practice, he was feeling worn out. But just as he was about to fall asleep, he felt a sudden movement beside him.

Bai Tu was sleeping restlessly, though his eyes were shut tight, his limbs moved restlessly.

It was a rare sight to see his usually composed Master acting so childishly, and Yun Ye watched him with growing interest.

As Bai Tu turned over, his hand accidentally brushed against the light barrier in the center of the bed. It seemed like he was bothered by something obstructing his movements. In his sleep, Bai Tu furrowed his brow and gave the light barrier a soft slap. There was a faint cracking sound, and the barrier shattered with ease.

Yun Ye: “…”

With the barrier gone, Bai Tu continued tossing and turning without restraint.

Finally, Yun Ye could no longer stand it. He reached out and pressed his hand down on Bai Tu. “Master, stop fooling around.”

Bai Tu’s movements came to a sudden halt.

Perhaps sensing the warmth beside him, Bai Tu didn’t push Yun Ye away. Instead, he shifted closer, gradually curling up in his embrace. After a moment, Bai Tu settled into Yun Ye’s arms and fell still.

At that point, Yun Ye found himself wide awake, unable to sleep.

=^_^=

Author has something to say: Yun Ye: So, what exactly was the point of the light barrier?

Bai Tu: “…”