Transmigrated into a Heartthrob Novel and Went OOC Chapter 36

 Chapter 36

When Fang Chaozhou regained full consciousness, he found himself alone in the room.

He stared at the canopy for a while and then reached out to touch his buttocks.

It doesn’t hurt anymore…

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However, he shouldn’t bring up the matter of leaving today. For now, he doesn’t want to see Zhongli Yueshui’s face.

It’s so embarrassing, too embarrassing.

The next day, Fang Chaozhou woke up early and repeated the words he had thought of the night before, practicing them over and over again as he walked towards Zhongli Yueshui’s courtyard.

But as soon as he arrived outside Zhongli Yueshui’s courtyard, he unexpectedly saw Zhongli Yueshui, who should have been in the room, standing in the courtyard.

When Zhongli Yueshui saw Fang Chaozhou, he spoke first, “You’ve come at the right time. I have to leave Huali Mountain for a while.”

Huh?

Fang Chaozhou was taken aback and then heard Zhongli Yueshui continue speaking.

“While I’m away, you will study through the jade slips.” He glanced at the stack of jade slips on the nearby jade table. “When I return, I will assess your progress and see if you have been practicing diligently.”

Following Zhongli Yueshui’s gaze, Fang Chaozhou saw the pile of jade slips, towering like a small mountain, and couldn’t find words to say. However, Zhongli Yueshui’s departure was a great thing. Studying a bit harder is better than seeing Zhongli Yueshui every day, so he quickly nodded, “Yes, Master.”

Zhongli Yueshui noticed Fang Chaozhou’s lips twitching with an almost uncontrollable smile. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked slowly towards him. When he saw Fang Chaozhou’s visibly stiffened body due to his proximity, he spoke coldly.

“Fang Chaozhou, are you happy that I’m leaving?”

Because they were too close, Fang Chaozhou once again struggled to control his dizziness. He instinctively wanted to step back, but as soon as he moved a step, he heard Zhongli Yueshui’s voice grow even colder.

“What are you stepping back for? Do you want to be punished?”

Those words made Fang Chaozhou freeze in his tracks. He discreetly pinched himself before replying, “No… Master.”

As Zhongli Yueshui looked at the young man who was too scared to move, his displeasure became even more apparent. “During the time I’m away, Tu Bai will oversee your studies. If you slack off, I will settle accounts with you when I return.”

“Yes.” Fang Chaozhou lowered his head even further.

Zhongli Yueshui left.

After Fang Chaozhou saw Zhongli Yueshui’s figure completely disappear, he heaved a sigh of relief. He walked to the jade table and flipped through the jade slips. Tu Bai followed and jumped onto the table, looking up at Fang Chaozhou. “Meow, you should start studying quickly, or Lord Zhongli will punish you again.”

Although Tu Bai said these words, there was a gleam of excitement in its pair of playful eyes.

Fang Chaozhou, while flipping through the jade slips, didn’t notice. He casually picked up one of them and asked, “Since Master has lifted your silence spell, do you know where he went? When will he be back?”

“Meow, Lord Zhongli went to the Northern Territory, but as for when he will return, I don’t know either,” Tu Bai replied.

The mention of the “Northern Territory” in Tu Bai’s words made Fang Chaozhou pause. He looked up at the white cat in front of him and asked, “The Northern Territory? Is it the frigid northern region?”

“Meow, yes.”

Having read the original story, Fang Chaozhou knew why Zhongli Yueshui had gone. He went to save Xue Danrong.

In the original story, Xue Danrong had ventured alone to the Northern Territory, but it turned out to be far more dangerous than he had anticipated. He became trapped there, but fortunately, he had a pair of Mandarin Duck Jade Pendants.

The Mandarin Duck Jade Pendants came in a pair, and when Xue Danrong crushed the one he had, the other pendant also shattered. The owner of that other piece was none other than Zhongli Yueshui.

The Mandarin Duck Jade Pendants was a gift from Zhongli Yueshui to Xue Danrong during his childhood. Now, Xue Danrong must have encountered danger and couldn’t leave the Northern Territory, which is why he crushed the jade pendant.

As soon as Zhongli Yueshui realized that the pendant on him had shattered, he hastily left Huali Mountain to rescue Xue Danrong. In the original story, his journey to the Northern Territory marked Zhongli Yueshui’s first appearance.

That heroic rescue made Zhongli Yueshui gain countless fans.

No wonder Zhongli Yueshui’s expression was so grim just now. When your loved one was in trouble, your mood was bound to be affected.

However, Fang Chaozhou couldn’t recall how long Zhongli Yueshui’s trip to the Northern Territory took. It would be great if he returned after the half-year period was over.

But that was unlikely, so Fang Chaozhou decided to start studying quickly.

Even without Zhongli Yueshui, there was still Tu Bai. Tu Bai took responsibility, staying by Fang Chaozhou’s side day and night. However, it didn’t urge Fang Chaozhou to practice diligently. Instead, during Fang Chaozhou’s study time, Tu Bai would voluntarily lie down in front of him, revealing its fluffy belly, curling its plush paws, and staring with its round, sparkling eyes.

Fang Chaozhou, who was meditating:…

He tightly clenched the hand that wanted to touch Tu Bai’s belly.

No, getting distracted by petting the cat won’t do.

Seeing Fang Chaozhou not moving, Tu Bai blinked its eyes, stood up, and walked to Fang Chaozhou’s legs. It “thumped” and fell down again, exposing its fluffy belly. It even pressed its paw pads against Fang Chaozhou’s knee.

Fang Chaozhou bit his lip, trying hard to divert his gaze from Tu Bai’s belly.

Tu Bai let out a purring sound. This time, it crawled onto Fang Chaozhou’s legs and then fell down again, revealing its exceptionally soft belly. It didn’t stop there; it playfully rolled back and forth on Fang Chaozhou’s crossed legs, occasionally meowing.

The corners of Fang Chaozhou’s mouth twitched. After a moment, he decisively placed his hand on Tu Bai’s belly. However, before he could even stroke it a few times, Tu Bai suddenly twisted its body, stood up, and pricked its ears, staring in one direction.

Following Tu Bai’s actions, Fang Chaozhou also looked in the same direction. They heard a bird’s chirping, and Zhongli Yueshui’s golden-winged bird hovered above them, and a person descended from the sky.

“Master!”

Having stayed in Huali Mountain for a long time without seeing anyone other than Zhongli Yueshui, Fang Chaozhou immediately shouted in surprise and joy upon seeing a familiar face.

He quickly moved Tu Bai off his legs and stood up when he saw his master.

His master frowned slightly upon seeing Fang Chaozhou, with evident disdain in his eyes.

Fang Chaozhou remembered the “hand warmer” that was confiscated from him. It seemed that his master hadn’t forgotten about that incident.

“Chaozhou, have you been comfortable staying in Huali Mountain these days?” his master spoke up.

Fang Chaozhou thought for a moment before cautiously replying, “Master, I feel like I’ve been disturbing the tranquility of the senior ancestor’s cultivation. Maybe I should return to Yizhi Peak?”

“There’s no hurry to return to Yizhi Peak. I came to deliver a letter to you,” his master said, taking out a letter from his sleeve and handing it to Fang Chaozhou. “This is from your father. The messenger said it’s an urgent letter, so you should open it and read it quickly.”

Fang Chaozhou was momentarily stunned before he opened the received letter. Being well-versed in reading, he quickly scanned through its contents. The letter began with pleasantries, his original self’s father inquiring about his health and happiness in the Tian Shui Sect, asking about his financial situation. In the middle, there was a lengthy discussion about important court affairs. Finally, the author of the letter mentioned his recent illness and asked if Fang Chaozhou could spare the time to return to the capital.

Fang Chaozhou reread the brief concluding words several times before realizing the underlying issue: his original self’s father seemed to be seriously ill, which was why he specifically asked his son to return.

In the original timeline, the story revolved around Xue Danrong. During this period, the original self learned about Xue Danrong’s journey to the Northern Territory and secretly followed along. However, when Xue Danrong noticed someone tailing him, he intentionally shook off the original self. In the end, when the original self found Xue Danrong, Xue Danrong had already been rescued by Zhongli Yueshui.

Upon returning to the Tian Shui Sect, the original self received news of his father’s passing, adding a tragic aspect to his story. His beloved had been saved by someone else, and he didn’t even get to see his father one last time.

So, the original self’s father had sent a letter.

In the original story, the master didn’t give the original self that letter, probably to spare him further guilt.

“Chaozhou?” His master called out when Fang Chaozhou remained silent.

After snapping back to reality, Fang Chaozhou immediately folded the letter and put it away. “Master, may I leave the Tian Shui Sect for a while? My father is seriously ill, and I wish to return to the capital to see him.”

As cultivators, they were supposed to sever all ties with the mortal world. However, there wasn’t a strict rule that forbade them from returning to see their dying biological fathers.

Numerous cultivators, originally from ordinary families, embarked on the path of cultivation, knowing that seeing their parents again would be their last chance to bid farewell.

Upon hearing Fang Chaozhou’s words, his master already understood the contents of the letter. He nodded and handed Fang Chaozhou a storage ring, saying, “This is the storage ring I confiscated from you earlier, but I threw away all the random stuff inside.”

Tu Bai, who had been listening to their conversation, suddenly interjected, “Fang Chaozhou, Lord Zhongli would be angry if he knew you were leaving Huali Mountain.”

Its voice made the master shift his gaze towards Tu Bai, furrowing his brow. “I will handle the explanation with the sect leader. Tu Bai, the divine beast, need not worry.”

Tu Bai’s eyes visibly turned fierce, and seeing this, Fang Chaozhou quickly bent down and gently patted Tu Bai’s little head a few times. “Tu Bai, I’m just going back to see my father. You can’t even stop me from leaving when my father is seriously ill, can you?”

Touched by Fang Chaozhou’s gestures, Tu Bai’s expression instantly softened, but it still hesitated. “Meow, but when will you come back? It won’t be long, right? Don’t leave, the life and death of mortals are predetermined, and your return won’t change anything.”

Those words made Fang Chaozhou’s gaze darken, and he withdrew his hand, speaking with an uncharacteristically firm tone. “Mortals indeed have their lives and deaths predetermined, which is why I have to go. I can still live for a long time and have plenty of time for cultivation, but mortals don’t.”

Having said that, he turned to his master. “Master, let’s go.”

On that day, Fang Chaozhou set foot on the road to the mortal realm’s capital. Although Tu Bai wanted to stop him, it couldn’t do anything with Fang Chaozhou’s master standing in the way. It could only watch as Fang Chaozhou left, though its gaze remained cold.

Fang Chaozhou needed to take a flying ship to the nearest cultivation town before flying on his sword to the capital.

About seven to eight days later, Fang Chaozhou arrived outside the city gates of the capital. The guards at the gate became visibly tense upon seeing a cultivator since cultivators rarely appeared in places where mortals gathered due to the scarcity of spiritual energy.

Fang Chaozhou glanced at the crowd queuing to enter the city and automatically went to the back of the line. However, as soon as he stood at the end, the commoners in front of him all walked away and stood behind him, but at a considerable distance.

Fang Chaozhou turned around in confusion, thought for a moment, and then walked to the very back of the line.

As a result, the group of commoners once again scattered like birds and animals, only to gather behind him, still maintaining a considerable distance. Although they were far away, Fang Chaozhou could hear their conversations clearly.

“Oh my goodness, it’s a cultivator!”

“Do you think cultivators eat people?”

“I heard they achieve immortality by devouring countless mortals.”

“Only demons and monsters eat mortals to achieve immortality. I heard cultivators drink the urine of young children every day to stay immortal.”

“Is that true?”

“It should be true. My distant relative, Mr. Huang, who lives next door, drinks the urine of young children every day, and now he looks like he’s thirty even though he’s fifty.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! How much do you think this cultivator must have drunk to look so young?”

“…”

Fang Chaozhou: …

He had no choice but to cut in line cunningly.

The guards at the city gate tightened their grip on their weapons when they saw Fang Chaozhou approaching. The leader’s voice trembled slightly as he asked, “Why are you here, sir?”

Fang Chaozhou unfastened the golden plaque from his waist and handed it to the leader, speaking in a gentle tone, “I am the Ninth Prince, Fang Chaozhou. I have come to the capital to pay my respects.”

The golden plaque was something the original body used to wear when he was in the Tian Shui Sect. It was inscribed with nine characters, symbolizing his status.

The guards and the leader were surprised to hear Fang Chaozhou claiming to be the current Ninth Prince. The leader examined the golden plaque several times before saying, “Please wait a moment, Ninth Prince. Allow me to report this.”

Fang Chaozhou nodded understandingly. He had been away since his childhood, and it had been decades since he last returned. He realized that not many people would remember him. “Go ahead.”

The leader took Fang Chaozhou’s golden plaque and turned to enter the city gate. As soon as he entered, the gate closed behind him. The commoners who were unable to enter the city queue now had nothing to do but continue discussing in hushed tones about how much young children’s urine Fang Chaozhou must have drunk to look so young. Some even started betting and speculating on Fang Chaozhou’s real age.

Hearing a snippet of the conversation about young children’s urine, Fang Chaozhou couldn’t help but turn around and restrain his tone as he said, “I swear I didn’t drink any young children’s urine.”

Upon hearing his words, the commoners immediately retreated more than ten steps backward, their movements so synchronized as if they had been trained in advance.

“Oh my goodness, he’s talking to us?”

“He heard us talking?”

“I heard cultivators have clairvoyance and clairaudience.”

“Oh, so powerful! Does that mean he can hear me sneeze even if I’m far away?”

“More than just sneezing, he can hear your fart loud and clear. Don’t believe me? Go ahead, fart now, he’ll definitely hear it.”

“I’ll give it a try!”

“Me too! Can he tell who did it?”

Fang Chaozhou: …

Forget it, forget it.

Amidst the continued strange speculation of the commoners, the city gate finally opened. However, it wasn’t just one person who came out but a group of people. The person at the front was dressed in a deep red court attire with a snow-white fox fur draped over it, which starkly contrasted with the person beside him wearing only a spring shirt.

The person walked up to Fang Chaozhou and knelt down, paying a grand gesture of respect.

“Nephew Hu Xiang pays respects to the Ninth Imperial Uncle.”

The people behind him all knelt to the ground as well.

Fang Chaozhou had never been knelt to before and was startled. He quickly turned slightly to the side and went to help the person up. “Don’t be polite, please get up quickly.”

As he held the person’s arm, Fang Chaozhou noticed a slight stiffness in the body. However, the person didn’t say anything and stood up with the assistance of Fang Chaozhou’s strength. Then, he lifted his face and gave Fang Chaozhou a shallow smile.

The newcomer appeared to be in his early twenties, with a handsome and refined appearance akin to the spring dawn. However, his lips had a bluish tint, and his obvious illness was apparent. The blood vessels beneath his exposed skin faintly showed a bluish hue.

When he saw Fang Chaozhou’s face clearly, his eyes flickered for a moment, and then the smile on his lips deepened.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle has finally returned. His Majesty has been eagerly awaiting your arrival for quite some time.”

After speaking, he turned his head slightly and placed a hand over his chest, his eyebrows slightly furrowed as if in great discomfort. Fang Chaozhou noticed this and immediately took out a handkerchief, offering it to him.

The young man, who introduced himself as Hu Xiang, shook his head slightly upon seeing the handkerchief. “Thank you, Ninth Imperial Uncle, but I’m fine. I just caught a slight chill when I got up early.”

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Chaozhou interjected.

“In that case, you should still keep the handkerchief. With so many people here, if you have caught a cold, and you don’t take precautions, it could spread to others.”

Hu Xiang: …

Fang Chaozhou saw that Hu Xiang didn’t respond and simply stuffed the handkerchief into his hand. “Nephew, please take it. This handkerchief is not worth much, consider it a meeting gift from the Imperial Uncle. Please don’t be polite.”

Hu Xiang: …

****