THNWO 129

Chapter 129 

Fang Chaozhou struggled to squeeze through the crowd, which only parted for him because many of the outer sect disciples recognized him. As he made his way in, he saw Xue Danrong sitting behind a table.

Xue Danrong, in the Tian Shui Sect disciple’s attire, looked ethereal and graceful, like a gentle breeze in bright moonlight or a plant of fragrant orchids and beautiful trees. Although surrounded by people, everyone kept a distance from him; no one dared to come too close. Seeing Fang Chaozhou suddenly arriving, Xue Danrong’s previously indifferent eyes instantly brightened. He stood up and walked towards Fang Chaozhou.

“Senior brother.”

Fang Chaozhou did not take Xue Danrong’s extended hand, after all, there were so many people here. He took the lead and walked towards the back of the table. “You really went out of your way to select disciples for me. I was just joking with you yesterday. This task is inherently exhausting. With you doing this, all these junior brothers and sisters will want your guidance. I’m afraid we won’t finish even by sunrise on the second day.”

Xue Danrong said, “But Senior brother, you were very tired yesterday.”

“It’s okay, I’ve had enough sleep. You go back; I can handle it here.” Fang Chaozhou sat down on a chair, looked at the crowded people in front of him, then looked at the names on the register, and called the next one by their name.

After he evaluated one junior sister’s qualifications, he realized Xue Danrong was still by his side. He thought for a moment, then secretly transmitted a message to him, “I want to eat something good today to celebrate your return. Could you go buy something for me?”

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Rv oyp Dwl Pydasdt.

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Seeing Xue Danrong, Fang Chaozhou leaned on him without any reservations, “So tired. How can there be something more exhausting than cultivation?”

Xue Danrong reached out to support Fang Chaozhou, clearly seeing the fatigue on his face, “I’ll carry the Senior brother back.”

Fang Chaozhou instinctively shook his head, “No, that’s not good. I’m so heavy, and what if someone sees us?”

“I’ll use a concealment spell. No one will see us. Besides, do you think I don’t know if Senior brother is heavy or not?” Xue Danrong crouched in front of Fang Chaozhou, “Senior brother, come on.”

Fang Chaozhou stared at Xue Danrong’s back for a while, then climbed up.

The night wind was cool and comfortable on his skin. Fang Chaozhou rested his face on Xue Danrong’s shoulder, the faint cold fragrance of the other’s body filling his nostrils. Gradually, he felt sleepy and eventually fell asleep, completely unaware of his surroundings.

Upon waking up again, he felt warm and comfortable. His eyes caught a white figure, and he couldn’t help but call out “Danrong.”

Xue Danrong looked up, seeing Fang Chaozhou awake, and touched his face, asking, “Have you slept well?”

Fang Chaozhou closed his eyes and then opened them again. Only then did he realize he was stripped and soaking in a bath, his drowsiness swept away instantly. Seeing Xue Danrong still helping him bathe, his tone was a bit stiff, “Junior brother, I… I can wash myself.”

Xue Danrong didn’t stop his movements, “Senior brother, you’re tired today. Let me help.”

This wasn’t the first time Xue Danrong had helped Fang Chaozhou bathe. It had happened years ago, but his mindset was different now than it was then. Back then, he only hoped Xue Danrong wouldn’t notice Song Lianyi, but now their relationship had breached a certain barrier, becoming more ambiguous.

Fang Chaozhou bit his teeth and decided to endure the embarrassment, but the feeling of shame kept rising, to the point where he almost couldn’t lift his head, yet looking down didn’t feel right either.

He crossed his legs, stammering, “Junior… brother, you go out first… Hmm!”

When Fang Chaozhou emerged from the bathhouse, he was almost floating as he walked. If not for Xue Danrong holding him, he might have bumped into the red pillars of the corridor.

“Do you want me to carry you Senior brother back to the room?”

Fang Chaozhou immediately rejected Xue Danrong’s suggestion, “No, I can walk back on my own.”

He couldn’t even face Xue Danrong now, especially unable to look at his hands and lips. The last time he was taken care of this way was when he was drunk in Zhichun Island, but this time he was completely sober, and the sensations from earlier seemed to linger.

Moreover, he felt somewhat humiliated compared to the time spent with Xue Danrong.

Thinking about this, Fang Chaozhou felt like crying. It was bad enough being overpowered, but to also fall short in duration.

Wait, even in size?

Was the original script of being the receiver a lie?

Fang Chaozhou felt he couldn’t keep thinking about it, the more he thought, the sadder he became. But this gloominess quickly faded away at the sight of a table full of dishes.

He turned to look at Xue Danrong, “Did you make all this?”

“Uh-huh, but it’s already cold. Senior brother, you should go to bed first. I’ll clean this up.” Xue Danrong walked towards the table, but before he could pick up the utensils, someone had already rushed to sit down at the table.

“With this weather being so hot, eating something cool is quite refreshing, isn’t it?” Fang Chaozhou said, as he picked up a bunch of vegetables and stuffed them into his mouth. Before doing so, he had braced himself, remembering the taste of the longevity noodles Xue Danrong had made before. However, upon tasting this, he was taken aback.

Although it wasn’t exceptionally delicious, it was definitely edible.

Has Xue Danrong’s culinary skills improved this quickly?

As Fang Chaozhou was about to grab a second serving to give it another try, his wrist was caught.

With a slight frown, Xue Danrong said, “Don’t eat anymore, it’s not good for your health. Senior Brother, go back to bed and sleep.” He took the chopsticks from Fang Chaozhou’s hand and, at the end, raised his hand to touch Fang Chaozhou’s head, “If Senior Brother likes it, I’ll make it again later.”

Seeing Xue Danrong’s firm attitude, Fang Chaozhou had no choice but to give up, feeling very sorry nonetheless. If he hadn’t fallen asleep, he wouldn’t have wasted Xue Danrong’s effort in preparing such a large meal, which surely took a lot of time and thought. Fang Chaozhou didn’t go back to bed to sleep; instead, he helped clean up the bowls and chopsticks. After everything was put away, he suddenly remembered something and pulled Xue Danrong to the room next to their sleeping quarters.

“Come, take a look at this.”

Xue Danrong’s gaze changed slightly as he looked at the red tablet placed on a high pedestal, especially when he saw the writing on the tablet. In the center of the tablet was the name “Zhongli Yueshui” followed by the words “Longevity Tablet,” and on either side were written:

“May the ancestral master ascend to immortality soon”

“Wishing the ancestral master success in all endeavors”

Each character was written in gold.

“How do you like this Longevity Tablet? I had it custom-made. The characters are written with gold powder, and the wood is the finest available for tablets,” Fang Chaozhou said, hoping for praise.

Xue Danrong’s brows were knitted, and he didn’t speak. Seeing this, Fang Chaozhou gently pulled Xue Danrong to stand directly in front of the tablet, “If you don’t speak, I’ll take it as you think I did well. Alright, we haven’t offered incense to the ancestral master today; let’s do it together.”

He picked up the incense from the altar table, lit it, and forcibly handed three sticks to Xue Danrong. He worshiped first, then placed the incense in the incense burner. Longevity Tablets are very popular in this world; many people set up a Longevity Tablet in their homes for benefactors. For cultivators, a Longevity Tablet is also very important.

The more people worship them, the more blessings and fortune they receive, making it easier to transcend tribulations. Thus, some cultivators enjoy helping others, hoping to have a Longevity Tablet erected for them. Normally, the person’s birth details should be written behind the tablet to avoid confusion with the heavens, but Fang Chaozhou couldn’t get Zhongli Yueshui’s birth details, and their master, Cheng Hongyi, didn’t know them either.

After Fang Chaozhou finished his worship, he saw that Xue Danrong was still stiff in place and nudged him with his elbow, “Don’t daze, hurry up.”

Xue Danrong pursed his lips, staring intently at the Longevity Tablet above.

Fang Chaozhou understood Xue Danrong’s hesitation. Although the demonic energy had been cleared, the events that had transpired left a psychological impact. He hoped not only for Zhongli Yueshui to overcome this psychological barrier but for Xue Danrong to do the same.

After a moment, he said, “I’ll wait for you outside,” and left, giving Xue Danrong some time and space.

Fang Chaozhou, who had gone outside, walked to the lake. The lake housed a koi fish, but it was rarely seen, even when Fang Chaozhou fed it. He sat on the recline, took out new fish food from his storage ring, and tentatively sprinkled some.

The lake’s surface was utterly still, not a ripple to indicate the presence of fish coming to feed.

Fang Chaozhou couldn’t help but shake his head, lifting his gaze to the night sky. The stars were densely scattered across the dark expanse, and the air was cool and quiet, a hallmark of late spring. Unknowingly, he had spent so much time in this world that he seemed to have completely blended into it.

He forgot about air conditioning, mobile phones, and all the interesting, complicated things of the modern world, getting used to this world devoid of the internet and smart technology. When Fang Chaozhou first arrived in this world through a book, he thought it was all a dream. It took him half a year of despondency to realize he wasn’t dreaming, but by then, he felt no attachment to this world.

He regarded it as just a book, as if he was playing a holographic online game where the people he met were merely NPCs. However, gradually, he came to understand that these individuals were not NPCs. They wouldn’t follow the book’s plot to the letter; they had their own emotions and weren’t confined within a set storyline.

Fang Chaozhou had never thought about finding a partner here, much less did he imagine that person would be Xue Danrong. But since his heart was moved and the feeling was mutual, he no longer wanted to hide.

Sometimes, honesty could indeed bring more comfort.

Footsteps sounded from behind, and Fang Chaozhou turned around, extending his hand.

His hand was quickly grasped.

“Are you done paying respects?” Fang Chaozhou asked.

Xue Danrong hummed in affirmation.

Fang Chaozhou’s lips curled up, and he couldn’t help but think that if this were a book, with the plot progressing to this point, it would be nearing its conclusion. Fairy tales of princes and princesses often only cover up to the wedding, never beyond.

“Junior brother, let’s become Dao companions,” he said, looking up at the beautiful figure in white standing before him.

This statement from Fang Chaozhou wasn’t a question because he didn’t think for a moment that the other would refuse him. However, upon hearing Xue Danrong’s response, Fang Chaozhou’s face darkened.

“Senior brother, I think it’s too early to talk about becoming Dao companions.”