After the burly elder left, the cheerful atmosphere in the wedding hall had been completely ruined.
At first the guests were silent. Then, as they looked at the Xuanwu Invitation, they understood the Wu’ao Sect’s vicious intentions.
Yet they could find no fault with the gift itself.
In the Hengwu Small World, martial power was supreme. There were no cultivators, and the highest level of martial artist was Xiantian.
Several countries existed within this world. Their national strength was measured by martial power, and naturally, the countries with more Xiantian experts could command greater advantages.
The Xuanwu Invitation existed to select talented people. It was an invitation to the Xuanwu Assembly.
Everyone invited was an outstanding individual of enormous potential. The most exceptional few could receive personal guidance from experts of the fifth or sixth Xiantian level or higher, perhaps even becoming their disciples. That alone showed how fierce the competition was. Worse, some contestants attacked their rivals ruthlessly to eliminate them, so there were many deaths each year.
An excellent disciple capable of fighting several opponents alone might well benefit from such an invitation. But although Yun Tiangang possessed exquisite techniques, he had no internal force. How could he endure consecutive bouts at the assembly? His eventual fate would inevitably be…
The Wu’ao Sect had somehow obtained a Xuanwu Invitation. It had certainly made an extravagant move.
Thus, to a gifted disciple capable of producing internal force, this invitation was a magnificent gift. To Yun Tiangang, it was practically a death warrant.
After this disturbance, the guests had little wish to remain. They ate only a few mouthfuls of the wedding banquet before taking their leave, leaving the family to themselves.
Yun Zhenhai forced a smile as he and Yun Tianyou saw them off one by one, his heart heavy.
Poor Yun Tianyou’s joyous marriage had been spoiled as well. He could hardly abandon his clan to enter the bridal chamber, so he had the bride’s veil removed and took his new wife along to the clan council.
The Xuanwu Invitation stated that the assembly would take place in Xuantian City two months later.
The journey would take more than a month. There was little time left for Yun Tiangang. He would have to pack promptly and set out without delay.
After the clan council, the Yun clansmen could only sigh.
Yun Tianyu had always been spirited and forthright, but now even she could not hold back her tears. “It’s my fault. If it weren’t for me, how would we have drawn those wolves here?”
Though his heart ached for his son, Yun Zhenhai comforted her. “This is the fault of that lecherous scoundrel. How could you be blamed? Don’t say such things.”
The other clansmen comforted her as well. Yun Tiangang said nothing, nor did he show the least displeasure.
Xu Ziqing observed the Yun family’s harmony, and warmth stirred in his heart.
He had seen many great cultivation clans fight openly and secretly over status and resources. At Yun Family Manor, however, he had never witnessed such sordid conduct. The people of the manor were simple and sincere. It comforted him that his senior brother had gained relatives like these in this lifetime.
Night had fallen. After the clansmen dispersed, Yun Zhenhai invited Xu Ziqing to accompany him.
Xu Ziqing naturally agreed. He stood beside Yun Tiangang, and the two walked together toward the inner courtyard.
Seeing them so close, Yun Zhenhai and his wife exchanged strange looks. Yun Zhenhai sighed inwardly but revealed nothing on his face.
Many trees had been removed from the inner courtyard, making it considerably brighter than ten years ago.
Only outside one side room did dense plants still flourish. Wood qi seemed to gather there, and the vitality was even more abundant than before.
Xu Ziqing immediately understood that Yun Tianheng must be cultivating in seclusion inside.
He was somewhat surprised. Tianheng’s aptitude was truly good. Judging by the aura seeping from the room, he had almost reached the fourth level of Qi Refining in this small world, without relying on medicinal pills. Even a Xiantian expert who had just broken through was only comparable to the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining. Although wood-attribute arts were somewhat weaker than other attributes in their early stages, fourth-level Qi Refining was comparable to approximately the seventh Houtian level.
Xu Ziqing gave the room one more glance, then withdrew his gaze without asking questions.
Yun Zhenhai saw his expression and knew he had understood. He said nothing either.
Soon Meng Qingxiao returned to her room. Yun Zhenhai tentatively asked, “Shall I arrange a guest room for Pharmacist Xu?”
Xu Ziqing paused. In the past, he and his senior brother had shared a room. Now the circumstances were different. Since Tiangang no longer needed constant personal treatment, it was indeed reasonable for Xu Ziqing to move elsewhere.
But… he had only just been reunited with his senior brother, and he still did not know what opportunity would awaken his primordial spirit. He truly did not wish to be parted from him for even a moment.
Before Xu Ziqing could find an excuse, Yun Tiangang spoke. “He will stay with me.”
Yun Zhenhai sighed even more deeply. He did not rebuke his son, but turned straight to Xu Ziqing. “What does Pharmacist Xu think?”
Xu Ziqing was delighted and nodded. “After so many years apart, it will be good to talk with Tiangang late into the night.”
Yun Tiangang and Xu Ziqing entered the room together. Yun Zhenhai watched their retreating figures and shook his head.
When Pharmacist Xu had left years ago, Yun Zhenhai had naturally been worried about his son’s health. Later he had happened to see his son displaying such magnificent swordsmanship, while his body gradually improved, and his gratitude toward the pharmacist had grown. Yet as his son grew older, he remained extremely cold. Apart from showing a little consideration toward his parents, he paid no attention to anyone else. In time, this created another worry for the couple. Now that their son was an adult, how could someone of that temperament ever marry and have children to continue the family line?
Then one day Yun Zhenhai discovered that his son had actually developed romantic feelings for Pharmacist Xu.
He had been furious. Love between men was unusual enough, but worse, Pharmacist Xu was the family’s benefactor. His son should never harbor what Yun Zhenhai regarded as such irreverent thoughts!
After calming down, however, he could not bear to condemn his son and went to ask him directly.
To his astonishment, Yun Tiangang admitted everything openly, without the slightest attempt at concealment.
He said he did not know how his feelings had arisen. From their very first meeting, it had simply seemed that this was how things ought to be.
In the end, Yun Zhenhai could only feel helpless.
His beloved son had spent so many years bedridden, and Pharmacist Xu truly was a remarkable man. Yun Zhenhai could see the strange sights above the mountain and guessed that the pharmacist was in seclusion there. But he had no idea when that seclusion might end. If the pharmacist never emerged, would his son wait forever?
Yun Tiangang was stubborn, and Yun Zhenhai finally had to yield.
Then ten years passed. Today, at Yun Tianyou’s wedding, Pharmacist Xu had unexpectedly returned from seclusion. Yun Zhenhai had not known whether to rejoice or worry.
Only when Yun Tiangang insisted on sharing his room with the pharmacist and Xu Ziqing immediately agreed did Yun Zhenhai begin to realize something.
Perhaps his son was no ordinary person in Pharmacist Xu’s heart either.
Leaving aside Yun Zhenhai’s complicated feelings and his recollections of his son’s past, Xu Ziqing followed Yun Tiangang into the room. Seeing it looked exactly as it had ten years earlier, he smiled.
Yun Tiangang nodded briefly to him and went into the bathing room. When he emerged, his hair was wet and his expression remained cool.
Seeing him like this, Xu Ziqing remembered that his senior brother was different from before. He possessed neither true essence nor meridians capable of channeling internal force, so he could not dry his hair himself. After a moment’s thought, Xu Ziqing stood, took down a cloth towel, and said, “Tiangang, come here.”
Yun Tiangang looked up, walked over, and sat beside the bed.
Xu Ziqing draped the towel over his long hair, warmth filling his heart.
He and his senior brother had shared many intimate gestures before, but never this particular one.
It reminded him that when he had been mortal, there were many ordinary things he could not avoid doing. After becoming a cultivator, he had forgotten such small details.
Experiencing one of them again made him appreciate all the more how precious their present reunion was.
Soon the long hair was half dry. If he kept rubbing it, he might damage it instead.
A glimmer of green appeared at Xu Ziqing’s fingertips. An exceptionally gentle current brushed past every strand of hair, instantly removing the remaining moisture.
Only then did he release it, letting the long black hair spill through his fingers like a waterfall.
Xu Ziqing said gently, “There.”
Yun Tiangang replied, “Let’s sleep.”
They had spent over a year together before, so he knew that not a speck of dust ever clung to Xu Ziqing’s body. He never asked why, nor did he require an explanation.
Xu Ziqing smiled and answered quietly, “All right.”
He removed his cultivator robe, leaving only his inner garments, and sat beside the bed.
Then he swept out the candlelight with a movement of his sleeve. The two lay side by side and closed their eyes.
The night was quiet. Only their soft breathing flowed through the darkness.
Xu Ziqing had no need of sleep, but he wanted to share this closeness with his senior brother.
Yun Tiangang lay silent with his eyes closed. Suddenly he called, “Ziqing.”
Xu Ziqing’s eyes snapped open. “…Senior Brother?”
He received no answer and realized that he had reacted too hastily.
Yun Tiangang said, “You may call me Tiangang.”
Xu Ziqing sighed. “Tiangang.”
Neither spoke again.
Yun Tiangang frowned slightly, then relaxed his brow.
He had heard perfectly. This person had plainly been addressing him, yet in twenty years of life Yun Tiangang had never acknowledged a master, much less had a junior fellow disciple.
Why, then, did the words “Senior Brother” sound familiar to him? Why did he feel no objection to them?
If someone lying beside him called him by another person’s identity, he ought to be unhappy.
Instead, he was not displeased at all. He felt a trace of guilt.
He had spent so little time with this man, yet he loved him. The closeness and joy he had felt upon their first meeting surely could not have been without reason.
Yun Tiangang recalled his earlier guesses. He was perplexed, yet also seemed to be beginning to understand.
Looking back over more than ten years, if this person had come for him… perhaps it was possible.
If he truly had forgotten, he ought to remember as soon as he could, so as not to disappoint him.
From then on, Yun Tiangang and Xu Ziqing went everywhere together and slept in the same bed. Early in the day, Xu Ziqing would treat his body again; afterward, he would watch Yun Tiangang practice the sword.
Before they knew it, ten days had passed.
Whenever Yun Zhenhai saw the two, he sighed inwardly.
Then the time came for Yun Tiangang to depart.
Xu Ziqing said that he was willing to accompany him, so they could take care of each other.
Yun Zhenhai had witnessed Xu Ziqing effortlessly intercepting the full-power attack of the Wu’ao Sect elder, and that reassured him somewhat. Seeing the growing closeness between them, however, he still did not know what to feel.
So be it, so be it. At last he said, “Then I entrust Tiangang to Pharmacist Xu.”
The solemn weight of those words needed no explanation.
Xu Ziqing replied seriously, “Please rest assured, Manor Lord.”
The two said farewell to everyone at Yun Family Manor, each mounted a fine horse, and set out for Xuantian City.
They traveled by day and night. With Xu Ziqing constantly looking after him, Yun Tiangang managed the journey despite his weaker-than-normal meridians, without suffering excessive hardship.
Even so, it was nearly a month before they finally reached Xuantian City.