Qiao Xuan finished his flashback with a long, wistful sigh. To sum it up, Hualan himself wasn’t the problem; it was his vicious wife. Way too dangerous to deal with.

Compared to Jiang Weiqing in that past life, his life with Hualan was just one big, tragic mess! Born frail and unable to walk, stuck at home for years with only the love of his family. Then, the whole family got framed and murdered.

After losing everything, he didn’t get a single day of peace. As a male consort in the palace, he was constantly tormented by the emperor’s vicious main wife. Just when he thought he’d finally see the light at the end of the tunnel, ready for all the suffering to end… BAM! The main wife, fueled by jealousy, set fire to both herself and him.

Burned to death.

Burned to death.

Burned. To. Death.

Got it? He was literally burned alive!

Qiao Xuan still hated thinking about that past life. That death left a deep psychological scar. If he had to choose, he’d rather have Jiang Weiqing stab him with a sword than get burned alive by that crazy woman.

At least with Jiang Weiqing’s sword, it was quick. He didn’t even feel any pain before he died.

Back then, Qiao Xuan was the pampered favorite at Guiyuan Sword Sect, and when he died, he didn’t really suffer either. Honestly, looking back, Jiang Weiqing’s lifetime was probably the best of his seven tribulation lives… after all, it’s a tribulation, so dying early and painlessly was the ideal way to go.

Jiang Weiqing might be a bit of a psycho, not exactly dating material, but until that whole “kill his spouse for the Dao” thing, he was an amazing partner. They worked really well together… If only Jiang Weiqing wasn’t so obsessed with him even after all that, Qiao Xuan would’ve called it perfect.

Xiao Lu, on the other hand, was a normal guy, but being with him was exhausting. Really exhausting.

Even though it wasn’t Xiao Lu’s intention, the Rong family was destroyed because of him, and Qiao Xuan also died because of him… All the suffering traced back to Xiao Lu.

As emperor, Xiao Lu had to think of the bigger picture. He was already walking on thin ice, so how could he protect those he cared about? Although he eventually won in the end, by that time Qiao Xuan had already died. He never got to see Xiao Lu’s moment of triumph.

He had walked with Xiao Lu through the hardest parts of his journey, only to die on the eve of their victory.

Even if Xiao Lu truly cared for him, what good did it do? Aside from his affection, Qiao Xuan got nothing.

He clung to fleeting warmth but paid a heavy price for it.

In that tribulation, Qiao Xuan first lost his family, lived as a male consort in shame, suffered endless torment, and just before his liberation, was burned to death by a jealous rival. It was a tragedy in every sense.

No matter how you look at it, his love with Xiao Lu was a mistake.

If Xiao Lu hadn’t appeared in front of him that day, and if Qiao Xuan hadn’t asked Xiao Lu to stay, would things have turned out differently?

Qiao Xuan didn’t dare dwell on that thought.

Anyway, that life had been long, bitter, and unbearable to remember…

There was no need to force things when fate was so unkind.

As for why Xiao Lu had fallen for him in the first place, Qiao Xuan thought it was pretty simple. Xiao Lu was the emperor, but he had no freedom. He was forced into a political marriage with the daughter of his enemy, who was arrogant, cruel, and despicable. Naturally, compared to such a detestable wife, he’d prefer a gentle, understanding confidant.

Wait, didn’t that make him sound like some tragic third wheel in the emperor’s marriage?

Yeah, no wonder being a side piece never ends well!

Hold on. If you think about it, he wasn’t even really the third wheel, was he? If you counted all the concubines in the palace, his ranking would be way down the list…

Luckily, Qiao Xuan had no memories while undergoing the tribulation. Otherwise, he would’ve never gotten himself involved in such a mess. What kind of guy, as a man himself, would date an emperor with a harem? That’s like starting the game on nightmare difficulty—no wonder it ended so badly.

But then again, if Xiao Lu was really Hualan’s mortal identity during his tribulation…

That life of Hualan’s was pretty tragic too, though there was a big difference—Qiao Xuan died a miserable early death with a tragic ending, while Xiao Lu managed to wipe out his enemies, becoming a famous and successful emperor in history. In the end, he came out as the winner in life.

Jealous much? Totally.

Qiao Xuan remembered the gossip he’d heard from Wu Zimo: supposedly, Hualan had been in seclusion, comprehending the Dao for a thousand years. If, during his seclusion, he decided to sneak down to the mortal realm for a taste of life, then the timing would make sense.

So, Qiao Xuan came to a conclusion: Hualan was Xiao Lu. That’s why he made a puppet of him. Perhaps Qiao Xuan’s death had been an unresolved regret in Hualan’s otherwise brilliant life.

Understandable. Men tend to cling to their “white moonlight”—the ones they lost.

Lying on his bed, Qiao Xuan placed his hands behind his head. Jiang Weiqing had left a restriction on him before he left, asking him to reflect on his actions.

Jiang Weiqing’s restriction wasn’t particularly strong. Qiao Xuan had already studied it and figured out how to escape if he wanted to. But if he escaped now, he probably wouldn’t have the chance to return. Without the Mountains and Seas Diagram, he’d need to reach the status of an Upper God before he could enter the mortal realm…

Might as well tell himself to give up on that dream!

But if he stayed, in three days, Jiang Weiqing would take him back to Guiyuan Sword Sect, and that was a big problem!

Jiang Weiqing was the kind of guy who’d make an amazing lifelong partner—if you could guarantee eternal loyalty and never break up. Otherwise, he was the type of possessive psycho who’d kill you if you tried to leave. No one could handle that!

Before transmigrating, someone like Jiang Weiqing would’ve been on Qiao Xuan’s absolute do not date list.

Now, Qiao Xuan was torn. He didn’t know what to do and felt like he had no good options.

He had thought that after his tribulations ended, everything from his past would be left behind, with no lingering connections. Yet, here he was, not long after his return, and already two of his exes had popped up!

Jiang Weiqing was one thing; Qiao Xuan had mentally prepared for that. Given Jiang Weiqing’s talent and determination, his ascension to the Heavenly Realm was practically guaranteed. But who could’ve known that even dating a mortal emperor in the past was still part of someone’s tribulation experience?

Was fate messing with him?!

Qiao Xuan looked utterly defeated. To escape or not to escape—that was the question.

Just as he was wallowing in his misery, Qiao Xuan’s expression changed. His clone back at Xuanhe Valley had detected something!

He immediately closed his eyes and shifted his consciousness back to Xuanhe Valley.

…

In a small cabin in Xuanhe Valley.

Qiao Xuan opened his eyes.

Knock, knock, knock—there was a knock on the door, followed by Xing Tong’s lazy voice, “Young Master? Young Master?”

Qiao Xuan scrambled to his feet, quickly casting a spell to clean up the dust in the cabin. After carefully checking to make sure everything was in order, he opened the door with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, sorry, I got a little too caught up in my cultivation… It’s been less than three months since our last meeting. Why are you here for my assignments so early today?”

Yue Yao, with a stern face, said seriously, “The master reviewed your work and feels that you’ve made significant progress recently. He’s asked us to bring you to him so he can personally test you.”

Qiao Xuan: “…”

A random spot check?!

Crap. He’d been working on his studies for three years, intentionally dragging his progress to avoid getting too much attention. But here they were, springing a surprise test on him after just a few days…

Great, now his cover might get blown!

Qiao Xuan felt his nerves spike. He started overthinking, If the master had discovered my secret, why not just expose me outright? Maybe this really is just a coincidence?

Either way, he had to stay calm. He couldn’t lose his cool.

Qiao Xuan nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

Yue Yao turned around, “Young Master, please follow me.”

Qiao Xuan composed himself and quietly followed behind Xing Tong and Yue Yao. They walked through the winding valley, past a sea of swaying flowers, along a cobblestone path… and finally up the floating stone steps, leading to a mystical and beautiful space.

Underfoot were white stone steps, each just wide enough for one step. The steps floated in the air, with a starry river swirling below. As Qiao Xuan walked up the steps, it felt like he was walking through the clouds. At the end of the path, about a hundred meters wide, stood a lone figure in white, with his hands clasped behind his back.

Suddenly, memories of long ago rushed back to Qiao Xuan.

Seven lifetimes, nearly a thousand years… compared to his twenty-some years of mortal life, it seemed so long. So long, in fact, that unless he absolutely had to, he didn’t often think about his past.

Many things had faded in his memory… But he would never forget the first time he came here, trapped inside a white shell, struggling to break free. He had stumbled and fallen, unable to even stand, and was caught in the elegant, pale hand of a figure. Looking up in a daze, he saw his master for the very first time.

Qiao Xuan would never forget that moment.

It was the most beautiful person he had ever seen in his life.

He thought, So, I didn’t go to hell after all. Turns out I’m being saved by a celestial being…

That was his first thought when he saw his master.

Later, that celestial being became his master, teaching him cultivation, imparting techniques, and giving him hope for a new life. When the Heavenly Tribulation descended, it was his master who shielded him, allowing him to reincarnate.

A thousand years had passed. He had met many people and experienced many things. Now, he was someone who had seen the world.

But his master was still, without a doubt, the most beautiful person he had ever seen.

If being a “face-con” was a weakness, Qiao Xuan was definitely a victim of it. Back on Earth, he had always liked dating handsome guys. After going through seven lifetimes of love tribulations, even though he hadn’t retained his memories during those trials, he suspected the reason he had fallen so deeply each time was because all his love tribulations were ridiculously good-looking.

But his master’s beauty was on another level, completely unattainable, and it never inspired any inappropriate thoughts.

Besides, “once a teacher, always a father.” Qiao Xuan would never forget how his master had held him in his palm, raising him like a bird for a hundred years… His master was patient yet strict. Even though Qiao Xuan had been a dimwitted bird, his master never gave up on him. Luckily, his master didn’t know he had once been human—otherwise, Qiao Xuan would’ve died of embarrassment.

No matter what, after over a hundred years as master and disciple, no matter how good-looking his master was, Qiao Xuan couldn’t entertain even the slightest inappropriate thoughts!

All he felt was respect!

That’s right—respect. When he had lived on Earth, he hadn’t even respected his father this much!

Qiao Xuan could chase after any man in the three realms, but he would never think of his master that way!

Besides, he wasn’t interested in love anymore.

Feeling a mix of reverence, anxiety, and guilt, Qiao Xuan finally reached the end of the stone steps.

The man in white stood there, his silver hair cascading down. Qiao Xuan didn’t dare to look directly at him. It took all his willpower not to drop to his knees. Instead, he stood respectfully.

Right now, he was just a clone. If his master saw through him, not only would he be dragged back, but he’d also be in for some serious punishment.

Xing Tong and Yue Yao stood on either side of the platform. Even Xing Tong, who was usually half-asleep, was standing perfectly straight and alert.

Qiao Xuan stepped forward, lowered his head, and respectfully greeted, “Master.”

The man in white turned his head slightly, his silver hair flowing like liquid mercury. His eyes, pale in color, seemed to draw you into a deep, cold lake, or as if you were standing atop a snowy mountain peak.

Despite having spent over a hundred years with his master, every time Qiao Xuan saw him, he was reminded of how unattainable his master was. He quickly averted his gaze, letting his eyes fall on his master’s hand, which was holding a bamboo slip.

It was the assignment he had turned in.

Qiao Xuan’s heart skipped a beat.

Yun Ting Shu’s lips parted slightly, his voice clear and cold. “Harness the power of the heavens, create and transform all things, capable of infinite change… You seem to have gained some insights lately. Let me see what you’ve learned.”

“Yes.” Qiao Xuan lowered his head, his eyes darting nervously.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Invisible and colorless, it slowly condensed into droplets of rain. As the rain fell, Qiao Xuan smirked slightly. The rain swirled in the wind, transforming into tiny, transparent birds. They chirped a few times before quickly dissipating into the air.

He deliberately made it look like he was still struggling! In reality, his clone had already mastered this!

Qiao Xuan scratched his head, pretending to be embarrassed. “I’ve recently learned how to use spiritual energy to form birds, but I’m not very good at it yet. I wanted to wait until I got better before showing you.”

Yun Ting Shu’s lips curved faintly, his light-colored eyes watching him with an unreadable expression. “You’ve grasped the basics. You’ve improved quite a bit. It seems you’re not far from mastering the technique of creating a clone.”

Qiao Xuan froze.

He stared at his master, unsure if that was a genuine compliment or subtle sarcasm…

With no other choice, Qiao Xuan put on a surprised face and said excitedly, “The clone technique?! Such a high-level technique… Can I really learn it?”

Yun Ting Shu looked at him for a moment, a hint of helplessness in his eyes. He sighed softly. “Forget it. You’ve made progress, but you must not slack off. The path to understanding the Dao is one you must walk on your own.”

With that, he turned away.

Though he didn’t seem to move, his figure grew more distant as his words faded.

In an instant, the white figure disappeared from view.

Qiao Xuan blinked, feeling a moment of disorientation. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing alone on an empty field. Xing Tong and Yue Yao were nowhere to be seen.

…

Thousands of miles away, in the Cloud Sea Palace.

Qiao Xuan opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, which were slick with cold sweat.

Everything here felt so real that the scene just now seemed like a dream.

So, his master hadn’t figured it out…

Yeah, there was no way his master knew!

Otherwise, how could he have let him leave so easily?

Qiao Xuan told himself to stay calm, not to overthink things. It was all just a coincidence. The situation at hand was what really mattered.

Time was running out—it was almost the third day.

Qiao Xuan sat cross-legged in his room, sighing in frustration. He was out of options and would have to find a way to sneak off. He’d deal with whatever came next when the time came…

This was a last resort, but he had no other choice.

As he was deep in thought, Qiao Xuan suddenly sensed the restriction outside being lifted.

Jiang Weiqing had arrived.

Qiao Xuan lowered his eyes and respectfully greeted, “Sword Lord.”

Jiang Weiqing looked at him and asked indifferently, “Have you reflected properly over these past three days?”

Reflect, my ass.

Qiao Xuan put on a sincere expression and said, “I’ve thought hard about it. I shouldn’t have trespassed. I promise I won’t do it again!”

Really?

Jiang Weiqing didn’t seem entirely convinced but said nothing more. “Let’s go…”

Before he could finish, a clear, cheerful voice rang out from ahead. A refined man dressed in elegant robes approached, his tone warm and gentle. “Sword Lord, why rush to leave? I still have a few words to say to this little friend.”

Jiang Weiqing’s eyes narrowed as he turned to see Hualan striding over.

Qiao Xuan was startled. He wasn’t sure what Hualan was up to.

Could it be that Hualan had realized how full of holes his story was and had come to settle accounts? Qiao Xuan’s expression froze as his wary gaze locked onto Hualan.

He took a discreet step back…

Seeing Qiao Xuan’s guarded look, Hualan understood that he must have frightened the boy earlier. His expression softened, and his gaze grew gentle as he addressed Qiao Xuan, his voice warm and pleasant. “Little friend, there’s no need to be afraid. Although you trespassed into the restricted area, it wasn’t intentional. It’s a small matter, and I won’t hold it against you. Besides, my visit today isn’t about that.”

Hualan’s voice was calm, his attitude kind, and there was no hint of blame in his tone. He even referred to Qiao Xuan as “little friend”…

Slowly, Qiao Xuan relaxed. Right, Hualan wasn’t here to punish him.

He might not know Hualan well, but he knew Xiao Lu! Based on what he’d heard, Hualan was a noble, righteous god with great power and reputation in the Heavenly Realm. He wasn’t the kind of person to be two-faced… and considering his own mistake, if Hualan really wanted to punish him, there’d be no need for any trickery.

Jiang Weiqing might be powerful, but no way could he just stroll out of Hualan’s territory with Qiao Xuan if Hualan wanted to stop them.

If Hualan wasn’t here to accuse him, then what was he after?

Hualan turned to Jiang Weiqing with a smile. “When we met the other day, I found this little friend quite agreeable. I was hoping to invite him to stay for a while as my guest.”

Qiao Xuan instantly understood.

It was likely that his behavior the other day had reminded Hualan of the past, making it hard for him to take action. But Qiao Xuan’s sudden appearance in the restricted area was too suspicious for Hualan to ignore, so he wanted to keep Qiao Xuan around to investigate further.

At this point, Hualan seemed to be tolerating Qiao Xuan’s presence, so instead of using force, he was opting for a more subtle approach.

It wasn’t hard to understand. After all, Hualan had made a puppet of Qiao Xuan, so clearly, he hadn’t forgotten him. If it had been anyone else who had trespassed, they would’ve been dead already. But since Qiao Xuan bore such a striking resemblance to Hualan’s long-lost love, it made sense for Hualan to treat him differently! At the very least, he had to handle the situation carefully…

Once Qiao Xuan figured this out, his fear melted away.

Jiang Weiqing, slightly surprised by the offer, hesitated before politely declining. “We’ve been away for a while and should be returning. It would be inappropriate to impose any further.”

Hualan, however, remained unbothered by the refusal. He smiled and said, “If you have pressing matters, I won’t insist. But why not ask this little friend if he wishes to stay?”

Jiang Weiqing’s eyes darkened at the suggestion.

Hualan, appearing unbothered, turned to Qiao Xuan and asked kindly, “What do you think, little friend?”

On his left stood the sword-wielding Jiang Weiqing, and on his right, the elegant Hualan.

Both men were locked in a silent standoff, neither willing to back down…

Suddenly, all eyes were on Qiao Xuan.

His expression froze for a second. He had been lost in thought, and now the ball was back in his court?!

Jiang Weiqing clearly wanted to leave, while Hualan wanted him to stay. And from the way Hualan phrased it… it seemed like he genuinely wanted to hear Qiao Xuan’s own answer…

But…

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to consider staying?

Qiao Xuan carefully glanced at Jiang Weiqing, then cautiously at Hualan.

His mind raced.

If he chose to go with Jiang Weiqing, the story would probably go like this:

– Leave with Jiang Weiqing → Return to Guiyuan Sword Sect and get forced to cultivate → Identity gets exposed → Jiang Weiqing wants to rekindle their relationship → Qiao Xuan refuses → Jiang Weiqing stabs him through the heart.

Jiang Weiqing Danger Level: ★★★★★

If he chose to stay with Hualan, the story would likely go like this:

– Stay with Hualan → Pretend to get along → Continue searching for the Mountains and Seas Diagram → Successfully travel to the mortal realm.

Even if he had bad luck and Hualan figured out his identity, given Hualan’s personality, he wouldn’t kill him.

Hualan Danger Level: ★★★

Jiang Weiqing was a paranoid, obsessive man with an unpredictable personality… But Hualan was different. Qiao Xuan was confident he could at least keep his life if he stayed with Hualan.

Besides, if he left with Jiang Weiqing, he’d lose any chance of getting to the mortal realm. Staying with Hualan gave him a legitimate reason to continue searching for the Mountains and Seas Diagram.

All in all, Hualan’s offer seems way more appealing…

Although it looked like Qiao Xuan was deep in thought, it all happened in an instant.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled with delight and blinked excitedly. “I… I’ve always admired the Heavenly Palace. Is it really okay for me to stay?”

Heh, this is just Qiao Shao’s little trick. Once I make it to the mortal realm, I’ll say goodbye to all of you!

Author’s note:

Tribulation tool guy · Jiang Weiqing · Danger Level: ★★★★★

Tribulation tool guy · Hualan · Danger Level: ★★★

Jiang Weiqing & Hualan: ???