Chapter 3: Gentle, Kind, Thrifty, and Yielding  

In the Frosty Expanse Garden, the bare branches of the Lifebound Tree seemed to be tipped with poison. Countless magpies alighted gracefully on the treetops, their hollow, lifeless eyes fixed intently on the figure below.  

Chang Kong nodded slightly. “Young Master Qi, please.”  

Qi Jian Yi stepped forward.  

The man who had once captivated Su Han Sheng in his previous life indeed possessed striking features. Clad in the Cold Mountain Sect’s disciple robes, Qi Jian Yi’s green garment embroidered with vine patterns seemed to carry a frosty aura. His cold, handsome features and the formidable pressure of his Core Formation cultivation exuded an air of aloofness.  

Due to the injuries inflicted by Xu Nan Xian the previous day, two Cold Mountain Sect disciples followed closely behind him, their eyes filled with vigilance and resentment.  

Qi Jian Yi’s gaze swept over the towering, barren tree in the courtyard, and his brows furrowed slightly.  

A Soulbound Spirit reflects its master’s nature.  

Su Han Sheng, confined to the Frosty Expanse Garden due to the Marrow Poison, had rarely ventured outside. Naive and willful, he had been like the lush, verdant leaves of spring—full of vitality.  

Yet now, this Lifebound Tree was shrouded in gloom and malevolence, exuding an eerie, ghostly aura at first glance.  

Before Qi Jian Yi could ponder further, he had already stepped beneath the corridor.  

A clear, melodious voice drifted from within the chamber.  

“Senior Brother Qi, you’ve finally arrived.”  

Qi Jian Yi crossed the threshold and looked up, momentarily stunned.  

The room was bright and immaculate. Su Han Sheng sat cross-legged on a couch carved with magpies holding branches in their beaks, his elbow resting lazily on a small desk as he played a game of chess.  

In the past, whenever he met Qi Jian Yi, the young lord would always dress meticulously, his overly long ink-black hair tied up with a jade crown, his attire immaculate—exuding both nobility and docility.  

Today, however, his robes hung loosely, and he hadn’t even bothered to tie up his hair—perhaps due to his mixed heritage, the ends of his ankle-length black locks curled slightly, cascading like flowing water.  

On a nearby desk, the academy’s enrollment scroll lay carelessly unfurled.  

Qi Jian Yi froze for a moment, a surge of warmth spreading from his wrist to his entire body—an unusual flutter of emotion in his otherwise icy heart.  

But in an instant, he suppressed it with practiced disgust.  

“Greetings, Young Lord.”  

Su Han Sheng placed a chess piece, smiling warmly. “Senior Brother Qi, please sit.”  

Qi Jian Yi, born with a Cold Spiritual Root, was naturally aloof and reticent. Perhaps still bearing the injuries from Xu Nan Xian’s outburst the previous day, his pale face carried a sickly pallor, adding a touch of delicate refinement.  

He gathered his robes and sat. “Thank you, Young Lord.”  

As Qi Jian Yi drew closer, the Swan Desk Mark on Su Han Sheng’s wrist continuously emitted a chilling coldness.  

Back then, Su Xuan Lin had arranged this marriage—even disregarding the fact that the other party was a man—likely intending to use Qi Jian Yi’s Cold Spiritual Root to suppress the blazing Phoenix Bone within Su Han Sheng.  

“Senior Brother Qi, you’re too formal.” Su Han Sheng feigned concern. “How are your injuries?”  

Qi Jian Yi replied flatly, “They are no longer serious.”  

Chang Kong had already prepared hot tea. Su Han Sheng handed a cup to Qi Jian Yi, his fingers brushing lightly against the other’s icy ones.  

Before Su Han Sheng could react, Qi Jian Yi stiffened imperceptibly, his expression unreadable as he accepted the tea.  

Su Han Sheng raised an eyebrow.  

How interesting.  

In his past life, Su Han Sheng had assumed Qi Jian Yi was simply restrained by propriety, refusing to touch him before their formal union. But judging by this reaction, it seemed the man simply loathed same-sex intimacy.  

Tsk. For the sake of the Heavenly Dao Artifact, Qi Jian Yi could endure and scheme.  

Su Han Sheng took a sip of tea.  

“Senior Brother Qi, what brings you here today?”  

Qi Jian Yi’s tone remained indifferent. “Today is the deadline for the List Sealing at the Ten Great Academies. Young Lord, do not miss the timing.”

Su Han Sheng was unable to cultivate due to the Phoenix Bone, barely reaching the Qi Refining stage. Yet, his status as the “son of an Immortal Lord” had the top ten academies on the Tide Watching Board scrambling to send him invitations.

On the small table lay a golden-patterned scroll inscribed with the names of ten academies in gilded ink. Su Han Sheng ran his fingertip over the third-ranked “Cold Mountain Academy.”

A few lines of flamboyant calligraphy slowly appeared on the blank space:

“Restrain desires, reveal the heart.  

Uphold virtue, expose evil.  

This is the cultivation of virtue.  

The Heavenly Dao is clear.”  

“‘Uphold virtue, expose evil’?” Su Han Sheng asked curiously. “Is this Cold Mountain Academy’s precept?”  

Qi Jian Yi nodded. “Yes.”  

Su Han Sheng gave an indifferent “Oh,” long accustomed to Qi Jian Yi’s reticence. He retrieved his Natal Jade Tablet from his sleeve and channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into it.  

The magpie carved atop the jade seal seemed to come alive, chirping crisply and spreading its wings as if ready to take flight.  

Qi Jian Yi’s icy gaze fixed on the magpie.  

Once the Natal Jade Tablet imprinted its spiritual mark on the invitation, the chosen academy could no longer be changed.  

Chang Kong paled and rushed out to summon a magpie, intending to send word to Xu Nan Xian.  

…But it was already too late.  

Su Han Sheng idly held the Natal Jade Tablet, pressing the magpie-and-branch motif at its base lightly onto the blank scroll. A crisp “sizzle” sounded.  

The spiritual mark was imprinted.  

Qi Jian Yi’s perpetually expressionless eyes flickered with rare emotion—perhaps relief.  

Behind him, the Cold Mountain Sect disciples sneered inwardly, disdainful.  

What “son of an Immortal Lord”? Just a brainless, spineless fool obsessed with infatuation.  

Rumors claimed this young lord was noble and aloof, looking down on everyone—yet all his arrogance vanished the moment he laid eyes on Qi Jian Yi.  

The news of Su Han Sheng rejecting Enlightenment Academy’s invitation in favor of Cold Mountain Academy had already spread yesterday. Even though this benefited Cold Mountain Sect, they couldn’t help but mock him in secret.  

They’d never seen someone so eager to throw themselves at another, utterly indifferent to their own Dao path.  

Qi Jian Yi’s abdominal wound throbbed faintly, but he knew the pain was worth it. Without this calculated “self-sacrifice” to drive a wedge between Su Han Sheng and Xu Nan Xian, the young lord might not have made his decision so quickly.  

Qi Jian Yi finally relaxed.  

But before he could exhale, new lines of text slowly emerged on the golden scroll:  

“Cultivate virtue, comprehend the Dao.  

Gentle, kind, frugal, yielding.  

This is the path of enlightenment.  

The Heavenly Dao is clear.”  

Below were Su Han Sheng’s birth details, lineage, and cultivation level, followed by a small note:  

“Nineteenth day of the eighth month, at Enlightenment Academy in Magpie Mound. Do not be late.”  

Qi Jian Yi’s expression froze.  

“Gentle, kind, frugal, yielding”—this was Enlightenment Academy’s precept.  

The top-ranked academy’s precept on the Tide Watching Board couldn’t be viewed unless one imprinted their spiritual mark to choose it.  

Su Han Sheng had chosen…  

Not Cold Mountain Academy?  

Qi Jian Yi’s icy composure nearly shattered.  

“Young Lord… chose Enlightenment Academy?”  

Su Han Sheng was engrossed in reading the precepts of the other eight academies, noting how Enlightenment Academy’s stood out among the others’ austere and obscure mottos like “Unravel the marshes of hardship” or “Cross rivers in winter.”  

Surely Enlightenment Academy’s students were all gentle, kind, frugal, and yielding gentlemen.  

“Indeed.” Su Han Sheng rolled up the scroll after reading, lazily swinging the heavy Natal Jade Seal by its cord. “Didn’t Senior Brother Qi tell me yesterday to think carefully? Well, I have. My third and fourth senior brothers are both at Enlightenment Academy, and it’s close to Echoing Warmth Sect. If I cause trouble, I can just pin it on them.”  

Qi Jian Yi: “…”  

Cold Mountain Sect disciples: “…”  

Qi Jian Yi’s hand clenched tightly inside his sleeve.

“Let him choose carefully.” These words were merely perfunctory. Just yesterday, Su Han Sheng had been adamant about attending Cold Mountain Academy, even arguing fiercely with his senior brother over it.

He had been just one step away from imprinting his spiritual mark on Cold Mountain Academy’s admission scroll.

What could have changed in less than a day?

Su Han Sheng let out an “Ah,” as if he had only just remembered his promise to attend Cold Mountain Academy. Reaching out, he grabbed Qi Jian Yi’s forearm resting on the small desk and said carelessly, “Senior Brother, you’re not angry, are you?”

Qi Jian Yi stiffened slightly.

—Perhaps angered by Su Han Sheng’s sudden change of heart, for the first time, Su Han Sheng caught a fleeting glimpse of disgust in those usually lifeless eyes, as if thinking, “This deviant deserves to die.”

“No,” Qi Jian Yi replied coldly, instinctively pulling his arm away from Su Han Sheng’s grasp. “As the Young Master, it’s only fitting you attend the foremost academy.”

Seeing Qi Jian Yi drop even the pretense of politeness, Su Han Sheng’s smile widened. “Then I’m relieved—after all, Cold Mountain Academy isn’t far from Enlightenment Academy. The Enlightenment Rite is in September; I’ll come find you then, Senior Brother Qi.”

Through gritted teeth, Qi Jian Yi forced out a single word: “Fine.”

The fact that Su Han Sheng could rattle someone as cold and unshakable as Qi Jian Yi showed just how desperate Qi Jian Yi—and the Cold Mountain Sect behind him—were to have Su Han Sheng enroll at Cold Mountain Academy.

Now that he had slipped from their grasp, the academy’s headmaster was likely seething with frustration.

The Three Realms still believed the fourth sacred artifact of the Heavenly Dao lay within the Mount Sumeru Mustard left by Su Xuan Lin. Su Han Sheng, counting on the Cold Mountain Sect to act as his living shield, knew when to stop pushing his luck.

“The sun’s too harsh today. I should go back to sleep, so I won’t see you off, Senior Brother Qi.”

Qi Jian Yi’s eyes were icy as he suppressed his thoughts, rising to bow. “Farewell.”

Su Han Sheng lazily watched Qi Jian Yi depart, the warmth of attachment and dependence from the Swan Desk Mark swirling through him like a gentle current.

Basking in this so-called “affection,” Su Han Sheng casually swept the crystal lamp off the desk. The shattered fragments scattered across the floor, reflecting countless broken images.

The stalemate on the chessboard had been broken. As Su Han Sheng gathered the pieces into the box, a thought drifted lazily through his mind:

Amid the chaos of the Enlightenment Rite tragedy in September, would anyone really notice one more corpse?

Just as he finished putting away the chess pieces, Chang Kong rushed back in a panic after delivering his message. Seeing the spiritual imprint already on the academy’s scroll, he wailed as if mourning his own parents, “Young Master, how could you be so reckless?! Your Dao path is a grave matter—how could you imprint so carelessly?! Ahhh, Fourth Uncle will kill me for this!”

Su Han Sheng, utterly unperturbed, walked to the veranda and stretched his hand—the one that had touched Qi Jian Yi—into the sunlight.

“Sizzle—”

The light fell upon his slender, deathly pale fingers, instantly burning as if poisoned, wisps of smoke rising as grotesque blood marks appeared.

Chang Kong hurried forward, yanking Su Han Sheng’s hand back with a serpent-like hiss, heartbroken. “Fourth Uncle hasn’t even arrived yet! There’s no need for such drastic measures so soon, Young Master!”

Su Han Sheng: “…”

Su Han Sheng had simply found the contact repulsive. As his spiritual power healed the corroded wounds, the lingering sensation of that detestable touch finally faded.

Chang Kong frowned, scolding him, but when he looked up at Su Han Sheng’s face, he froze.

Something felt… different about the Young Master.

Though he still carried that same arrogant, unruly air, there was now an inexplicable…

sinister edge?

At that moment, the gates of Frosty Expanse Garden were kicked open.

The entire door flew inward, only to be caught midair by the outstretched branches of the Lifebound Tree—sparing anyone from being crushed.

Xu Nan Xian had likely received Chang Kong’s message and rushed back on the wind, his eyes fierce and his entire body shrouded in an almost gloomy black mist, advancing step by step with murderous intent.

“Su—Han—Sheng—”

Su Han Sheng: “…”

The previously “wicked” young master Su immediately turned into a mouse seeing a cat, recalling Xu Nan Xian’s threat of “beating him eight times.” He wished he could grow eight legs to sprint back into the house. Frantically, he grabbed the scroll imprinted with his spiritual mark and held it up high, desperate to prove his innocence.

“Senior Brother, I’m obedient! I’ve already imprinted the Enlighten—ugh!”

Xu Nan Xian moved lightning-fast, swooping down from the air and slamming Su Han Sheng’s head onto the couch. He twisted one of his arms behind his back and said coldly, “Su Xiao Xiao, are you treating my words as empty wind?”

“…Enlightenment Academy!” Su Han Sheng struggled. “I listened to you, Senior Brother! I imprinted Enlightenment Academy!”

Xu Nan Xian: “Keep lying!”

He knew this little brat was pretending to be obedient. He had promised not to choose an academy behind his back, yet the moment Qi Jian Yi arrived, he went ahead and imprinted his mark.

The Lifebound Tree hesitated on the antique shelf, unsure whether to intervene and rescue its master.

Su Han Sheng’s slightly curly black hair was splayed messily across the couch as he desperately reached for the scattered scroll nearby. Seeing this, the withered branch hastily hooked the scroll and thrust it toward Xu Nan Xian’s face.

Xu Nan Xian swatted it away coldly. “Why even celebrate your birthday? Let the eldest senior brother come and whip you to death instead.”

Su Han Sheng, pinned awkwardly against the couch with his tangled hair painfully trapped beneath him, knew when to yield and begged for mercy. “Senior Brother, calm your anger! Don’t you remember the precept of ‘gentleness, kindness, frugality, and humility’?!”

Xu Nan Xian: “Our academy’s disciples have never heard of those four words!”

Su Han Sheng: “???”

Wasn’t that your academy’s precept?!

Finally, Xu Nan Xian, still fuming, sensed something amiss.

Wait, wasn’t that our academy’s precept?

How does this brat know about it?