Xu Ziqing was even more cautious now than when his senior brother had been under demonic influence. Back then he had even dared to brush his tongue against Yun Lie’s lips to test his response. Now he barely managed to keep their lips together, too shy to do more.
Their breaths mingled in the intimate stillness.
Xu Ziqing’s cheeks reddened all the way to his ears.
He felt far more embarrassed than he had before.
Seeing his actions and remembering his words, Yun Lie’s cold aura softened.
He too recalled what had happened during his period of demonic influence. After a slight pause, he drew on those memories, touched his tongue to Xu Ziqing’s lips, and deepened the kiss.
Xu Ziqing trembled. He held his breath, his face burning, his heartbeat racing.
This was… his senior brother.
His senior brother, completely clearheaded.
The thought sent warmth coursing through him.
Yun Lie did not know how overwhelmed he felt. He found Xu Ziqing’s tongue, and their kiss deepened further.
However intimate they had been before, this was different. They were no longer acting under confusion or misunderstanding.
To Yun Lie, the sensation was utterly unfamiliar.
And yet…
Xu Ziqing closed his eyes. He scarcely noticed that he had gone from standing to sitting beside Yun Lie, or that his hands had curled into fists.
All he could sense was his senior brother’s cool presence and the closeness between them, which left him both entranced and nervous.
Senior Brother, Senior Brother.
The words repeated through his thoughts until everything else fell away.
After a long while, they finally drew apart.
Xu Ziqing breathed unevenly, unable to speak.
So absorbed had he been that he had not noticed how tense his body had become. Now his limbs felt strangely numb.
Yun Lie reached over and took his arm.
Before Xu Ziqing quite understood what was happening, he was resting against his senior brother, his head upon Yun Lie’s left shoulder.
His body felt weak and pliant. He could do little but lean into that support.
Yun Lie’s arm held him firmly around the waist and shoulders.
They really were so close now…
Xu Ziqing thought hazily that he had never expected such a day to come.
Yet now that he could be close to Yun Lie like this, he was somehow shyer than during the forty-nine days they had spent together while Yun Lie was under demonic influence.
Perhaps it was because Yun Lie had not fully understood his own actions then.
Now he was himself again, and Xu Ziqing respected and admired him so deeply that such closeness left him almost helpless.
They remained in one another’s arms without speaking.
The atmosphere was peaceful. Gradually their heartbeats seemed to fall into rhythm. Nothing could have felt closer, calmer, or more reassuring than that quiet embrace.
When Xu Ziqing awoke, daylight was only just beginning to brighten.
He started to turn over, then realized he was lying against something warm. His head rested on an arm, and there was a comforting weight around his waist.
It was… his senior brother.
He had awakened in Yun Lie’s embrace.
Xu Ziqing raised his head and found Yun Lie lying on his side. Long black hair fell around him, his face composed, his eyes almost closed.
Somehow, he had fallen asleep in his senior brother’s arms the previous night. Cultivators generally had no need for sleep, for meditation was enough to restore their energy. Such an occurrence was unusual.
Perhaps the fulfillment of his long-held hope had finally allowed him to relax completely.
Xu Ziqing had once studied Yun Lie’s features while he was under demonic influence. After his recovery, he had scarcely dared look so closely.
Now his feelings gave the sight an entirely different meaning.
Of all the faces he had seen in either of his lives, none had ever inspired such attachment.
The longer Xu Ziqing looked, the softer his gaze grew. His lips curved into a smile.
Just then Yun Lie opened his eyes, and their gazes met.
“Senior Brother,” Xu Ziqing greeted him gently.
“Mm. You’re awake.”
“Yes, I’m awake.” Xu Ziqing raised his hand, paused, and smoothed Yun Lie’s hair away from his face. “How long did I sleep?”
“It’s the following day.”
They exchanged these words without getting up.
Surrounded by his senior brother’s familiar presence, Xu Ziqing felt unusually comfortable and reluctant to move.
For reasons of his own, Yun Lie did not move either.
They stayed that way a while longer. Only when the room had grown bright did Xu Ziqing reluctantly sit up.
With a beckoning gesture, he retrieved his robe from the couch and dressed.
Since he had fallen asleep without preparing for bed, his senior brother must have attended to him. The realization embarrassed and warmed him at once.
Yun Lie was also wearing only his inner clothing. With a small shimmer of spiritual light, he dressed again.
Xu Ziqing tied up his hair, and Yun Lie bound his own.
Xu Ziqing noticed that he was still using the bamboo flute Yun Lie had given him to fasten his hair. His senior brother, meanwhile, was still wearing the hair ribbon Xu Ziqing had woven from grass stems.
It was the very ribbon Xu Ziqing had given Yun Lie as a meeting gift when they first met.
Remembering that day, Xu Ziqing smiled more deeply.
He had only just entered the great world then. He had not known that the “Brother Yun” within his storage ring was not merely a spirit, but had a physical body cultivating in seclusion within a major sect. Seeing him in person for the first time had startled and embarrassed Xu Ziqing terribly.
Looking back now, Yun Lie’s decision to come personally to welcome him showed that he had truly regarded Xu Ziqing as a close friend. Xu Ziqing’s affection had never been entirely one-sided.
Whether he remembered his respectful feelings toward “Brother Yun” or their awkward first meeting, it all felt tender now.
But he had grown stronger since then. The ribbon woven from ordinary grass stems deserved to be replaced.
With that thought, Xu Ziqing approached Yun Lie and gently removed the old ribbon.
Yun Lie watched him without interfering.
Xu Ziqing smiled. Fine green grass stems extended from his fingertips.
The seeds he had incorporated into his dantian had all been carefully tempered. Their toughness was far greater than before; with slight refinement, they could already become magical implements.
But a mere magical implement was not enough.
He pondered briefly. A blood-red vine emerged from his other palm.
Rong Jin was his natal Wood, the foundation of his Dao and the bearer of its source. It was fundamental to everything he cultivated.
If any material could express his feelings, this would be the best choice.
Xu Ziqing sent his intention to Rong Jin. A tiny offshoot separated from the vine, free of leaf buds and as fine and crimson as a thread of blood.
He placed it among the green stems and began weaving.
After about the time it took an incense stick to burn, he had made a ribbon approximately one cun wide and two chi long.
The ribbon was vivid green, with a single red line running through its center. Though simple, the red thread gave it a quiet elegance.
Xu Ziqing examined it, then forced a drop of blood essence from his fingertip and merged it with the ribbon.
A flash of crimson radiance ran through it, making the material lustrous and beautiful.
At last he was satisfied.
Holding the ribbon, he stepped behind Yun Lie and gathered his senior brother’s long hair, tying it about the middle.
Yun Lie remained still and let him work.
Soon it was finished. Xu Ziqing’s smile became especially gentle. “There.”
Yun Lie nodded. Then he lifted two fingers and touched the bamboo flute in Xu Ziqing’s hair.
A strand of black-gold light flashed. Yun Lie had placed a trace of sword intent inside the flute.
“If you face mortal danger,” he said, “you can release the sword intent through the flute’s music to protect yourself.”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “This ribbon is linked to my own blood and essence. If Senior Brother encounters danger, it will be able to tell me.”
They exchanged no extravagant declarations. Their feelings needed no explanation to anyone else.
While they were enjoying this gentle moment, the formation around their room suddenly stirred.
Xu Ziqing blinked. “Someone is looking for us?”
A moment’s thought told him it must be the twins next door. He had been so absorbed after confirming his feelings with Yun Lie that he had fallen asleep without checking on them again. He felt somewhat guilty.
With a wave of his sleeve, he opened the formation.
As expected, the Jin brothers stood outside.
Xu Ziqing smiled. “I was just about to visit you. Instead, you’ve come first.”
The twins bowed respectfully. “After the kindness the two seniors showed us, we should come every day to pay our respects.”
Seeing their sincerity, Xu Ziqing shook his head. “There’s no need for such ceremony.” He added, “We can’t remain here much longer. My senior brother and I have been away from our sect for some time and must return. Have you two decided what you’ll do?”
The Jin brothers exchanged uncertain looks. “Well…”
Xu Ziqing already knew they had nowhere to return to. He had intended to bring them back to his sect, but asked again in case they had thought of another plan. Seeing them still bewildered and apparently anxious, he concluded nothing had changed.
“If you don’t wish to return to your former home, would you consider coming to my sect?”
The twins were startled. “Senior is…?”
Xu Ziqing smiled. “We are disciples of Wuling Immortal Sect. If you come with us, I can’t decide your admission myself. You’ll need to undergo the sect’s assessment, and then the elders will decide. You must understand that before agreeing.”
The Jin brothers exchanged another look, their feelings suddenly complicated.
Wuling Immortal Sect was a giant of the Eastern Region. How could they not have heard of it? They had recognized the brothers’ talents but had not realized they belonged to Wuling. As practitioners of demonic techniques, they would not be able to hide their true identities within that sect for long.
But they could think of no convincing excuse to leave immediately.
Well, they could accompany the martial brothers for now and slip away when an opportunity arose.
If only they had met someone like these two all those years ago…
Jin Cheng quickly arranged his expression. “Of course we’re willing to go with Senior. Whatever the result, we’re grateful for the great kindness you’ve shown us!”
Xu Ziqing smiled faintly.
With their decision made, the party wasted no more time.
After settling their account, Xu Ziqing summoned Chonghua in the courtyard. The eagle had been kept within the beast-control token and was rather dissatisfied, so he immediately gave a loud cry upon emerging.
All four mounted his back, and a moment later he spread his wings and rose into the sky.
Because the twins were apparently only Foundation Establishment cultivators, Chonghua did not fly as swiftly as on the journey here. Even so, wind roared around them.
Soon they had passed beyond the city and entered the wilderness.
Mountain ranges stretched across the land, home to unknown numbers of wild beasts and demonic creatures. The travelers attracted little notice as they passed overhead.
Before long, as they approached a great mountain, an enormous palm suddenly appeared in the sky and struck toward them.
Its oppressive power was several times greater than any they had encountered before.
Xu Ziqing’s pupils contracted. Blood-red vines instantly enveloped him.
A Nascent Soul ancestor!
Yun Lie reacted even faster. Before the palm could reach them, his embryonic Minor Cosmos erupted from his body and slammed straight toward it!