Great! This stream was teasing him.

 

Junxiao did not show surprise at Yu Xian's sudden appearance.

In fact, back at Bai Ke's home, he had already sent a letter to Yu Xian. To be precise, Master and disciple had been calculating the time since the year of Bai Lingchen's return to the mortal world, seeking his whereabouts.

Initially, they had no plans for Bai Lingchen, who had regained his rebirth, to get involved in Daoist matters. They aimed to retrieve his dispersed soul, allowing him to live like an ordinary person, and then let things take their course, ensuring his safety for a lifetime.

However, Bai Lingchen's situation was unique. The usual soul-searching methods had no effect on him. So, for over a decade, Yu Xian and Huo Junxiao had been tirelessly searching, but found no clear signs. They narrowed their scope to neighboring cities.

It wasn't until the previous night when Bai Ke was blocked at his door by two disciples of Hengtian Gate with three monsters that Junxiao, in the neighboring city, first sensed his presence. Though faint and almost imperceptible, the familiar feeling would not change over millennia. Thus, he managed to rush over to rescue Bai Ke, but unexpectedly fell into a trap set by Hengtian Gate.

However, no matter what, finding Bai Lingchen reborn as Bai Ke was a fortunate event for him.

If before Yu Xian received Junxiao's notice he had some doubts about Bai Ke's identity, the faint but familiar surge of spiritual power emanating from Bai Ke at the moment the peanut-shaped illusion approached him completely dispelled Yu Xian's doubts.

However, compared to Junxiao, Lin Jie and Bai Ke were quite shocked.

"Wait a minute!!" Lin Jie came to his senses with a shocked expression on his face, tremblingly pointing at Yu Xian. "Master, what did you just call him? Yu Shixuan?!"

Yu Xian wasn't surprised that Junxiao introduced him this way; when they were outside, they always used their secular names from before they entered Daoism. After all, names like "Yun Zheng" and "Yu Xian" were enough to scare a lot of people.

With his arms crossed, he smirked and glanced at the sky. "My name is Yu Shixuan, what about it?"

"Isn't the author of 'Nan Hua Ji' also called Yu Shixuan?!" Lin Jie continued in shock.

Yu Xian scratched his cheek. "Nan Hua Ji?"

"Don't you remember the story you made up?" Junxiao glanced at him expressionlessly.

Yu Xian cleared his throat. "Um... It's similar, I think there's such a book."

Bai Ke pointed at Junxiao. "He said everything in your book, except for the names and places, is nonsense."

"Hiss... you little brat!" Yu Xian glanced sideways at Junxiao, then glared at Bai Ke. He thought to himself: Thousands of years have passed, and these two unfilial kids still love to expose my tricks.

"Oh... the world is too complicated. Those are old accounts from many years ago. Why bother remembering them so clearly?" Yu Xian justified himself confidently. "As long as it's well-written, isn't that enough? It's just entertainment. Why do you care so much? Don't believe me? If you have the guts, find someone who knows and confront them!"

Bai Ke pointed at Junxiao again, unabashedly exposing him. "He said those who knew are either in seclusion or their bones are rotten."

Lin Jie silently glanced at Junxiao. "And Master."

Yu Xian retorted, "The brat is my grandson. Whatever I say goes. What can he do to me? If you dare, hit me!"

Junxiao remained silent. The old man was as unreliable and shameless as ever.

"Besides, I have supporters." Yu Xian beckoned to the giant beasts sitting like dogs, pretending to be peanut-shaped. "Didn't I write a masterpiece, filled with genuine words on every page?"

The giant beast wagged its tail and blinked its eyes, then let out a roar that shook mountains and split the earth in support of Yu Xian.

"Damn..." Lin Jie shivered in fear.

Bai Ke: "..." Just because of this, he couldn't believe the old man's words. How could he possibly keep such a dumb creature as a pet?

Junxiao glanced at the silly beast. "...I heard that Peanut is kept in my sanctuary. Now, I'm the master. But every time I come back, I see you, Ancestral Master, walking my pet like a dog."

Peanut quietly stood up, then slouched behind Junxiao, sitting back down and shaking dust all over Lin Jie and Bai Ke nearby. Perhaps feeling a bit embarrassed, before these two could react, it quickly used its fluffy tail to brush them off.

Lin Jie: "Hahaha... Achoo! Haha, it's so itchy!"

Bai Ke felt that this extremely absurd scene could be summed up in one sentence: a daily routine of lunatics.

Peanut seemed to find Lin Jie amusing and got hooked. Just as Lin Jie finished a shocking sneeze, it cheekily swept its tail a couple of times, causing him to sneeze continuously. As a result, Lin Jie seamlessly transitioned between "Hahaha" and "Achoo," almost breathless from being teased.

Finally, Bai Ke on the side spoke up to remind Peanut, "If you keep playing like this, he might dig a hole right here and bury himself."

Peanut seemed to listen to Bai Ke's words particularly, immediately tucking its tail away and sitting properly.

Lin Jie, tears streaming down his face, collapsed on the ground, holding onto Bai Ke's leg and calling out, "Save me, benefactor!"

Yu Xian rubbed his chin and observed for a while, then pointed to himself while grabbing Junxiao's arm, "How did you end up with this disciple? This place doesn't seem very good."

Lin Jie, nearly half dead, still couldn't help but joke, "My brain has been washed for cultivation, and my cerebellum has been shot for the sect."

Bai Ke: "..." Silently withdrew his foot, as if insanity could spread through physical contact.

"Very silly and energetic!" Yu Xian nodded in approval, then turned to Junxiao, "Not bad, quite like you were when you were young!"

Junxiao promptly shook off his hand.

Yu Xian looked at his disobedient disciple, then at Bai Ke, who had long forgotten about worldly matters, and with a flick of his sleeve, he said disdainfully, "What's wrong with both of them refusing to face their pasts!"

Junxiao completely ignored him, walking over to Bai Ke's side and gently patting his shoulder, "Let's go, don't just stand around at the entrance."

Hearing this, Bai Ke moved to pull Bai Zixu, who had been leaning against a tree since just now. Although his unreliable father had a spiritual world vastly different from that of ordinary people, the turmoil just now was definitely more than he could handle. Bai Ke had no idea what he was thinking now.

But who knew that as soon as his hand touched White Zixu, his tall and slim body shook and fell to the ground with a "thud."

Bai Ke couldn't react in time and ended up with empty hands.

Despite experiencing various special conditions with Bai Zixu since childhood, Bai Ke was still startled.

He hurriedly knelt down to see what was going on, but another hand beat him to it.

Huo Junxiao extended two slender fingers and explored Bai Zixu's forehead, under his nose, and wrist for a moment. Then, he patted Bai Ke on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "He's just asleep, nothing more."

"Asleep...?" Bai Ke found it somewhat absurd. Looking again at Bai Zixu—his brows furrowed, forehead covered in fine sweat dampening his hair—it seemed he had just experienced some form of pain. "Are you sure he's not unconscious? How could he just fall asleep like this?"

Junxiao shook his head. "Since waking up last night, he hasn't slept again. Just now, he was startled again, and it seems to have reminded him of some unpleasant experiences. He froze up briefly, and after struggling free, he quickly fell into deep sleep due to extreme exhaustion." Saying this, he raised his hand and covered Bai Zixu's forehead. A warm glow passed from his fingertips, causing Bai Zixu's tightly furrowed brow to gradually relax, returning to its usual calm expression.

Bai Ke was still somewhat worried, but thinking that with Junxiao and Yu Xian present, there shouldn't be any major problems, he managed to calm himself down.

Junxiao patted Peanut's buttocks, and the dumb giant beast stood up. Its broad back was like a soft bed. He placed Bai Zixu on Peanut's back, while Yu Xian, also threw Lin Jie, who was sitting weakly on the ground, up there.

The furry back seemed surprisingly spacious with two people lying side by side. So Peanut carried the two people while shaking its tail and beckoning Bai Ke forward. They hadn't taken two steps before Junxiao slapped its tail aside.

Although Bai Ke's eyes had no problem watching the path under his feet, in such an unusual place, he still felt somewhat uncertain. So when Junxiao's large hand covered his back, half-supporting him, he hesitated for a moment before continuing forward, showing no sign of rejection.

Yu Xian had more to say to Junxiao, so he walked on the other side of him, while Peanut, carrying Lin Jie and Bai Zixu, trotted along behind Bai Ke. Not content with simply walking, it occasionally leaned down to rub its head against Bai Ke's face like a huge pendant.

But Bai Ke paid no attention to this, as wave after wave of bizarre scenes had already captured his full attention.

Originally, he thought that a so-called sanctuary would just be a mountainous forest slightly more mysterious than ordinary places, embellished with their cultivation background. At most, it would be spiritually abundant, suitable for cultivation, with clear and refreshing scenery, somewhat akin to places like Hengtian Gate.

But upon delving deeper, he realized how wrong he was.

This was no simple forest with abundant spiritual energy—

No ordinary forest's trees would move on their own, nor would any deep mountain streams flow in reverse...

At first, Bai Ke thought Junxiao and Yu Xian were using techniques to clear the way, moving the flowers and trees to either side to create a path for the four of them.

But then he noticed even stranger phenomena—

Sometimes the flowers and trees moved aside to facilitate their passage, while other times they actively approached them, extending long and tender vines to gently poke their cheeks or arms.

Once, a branch laden with flower buds even boldly patted Bai Ke's buttocks, startling him into quickly turning around. He saw Junxiao brush it off, shake it, and then silently retract it, pretending nothing had happened, as if it were just an ordinary branch.

Bai Ke: "..."

Being teased one after another by branches along the way, if Bai Ke still thought it was Junxiao and Yu Xian doing it, he would be as naive as Lin Jie.

His doubts grew heavier until they came to a gurgling stream. Unlike the two "well-behaved" streams encountered earlier, this one twisted a bit as Bai Ke stepped forward to cross it, then twisted again, winding back in front of him.

Bai Ke's foot froze before it touched the ground. Standing there, he looked at the stream in front of him, then back expressionlessly at the one behind him, realizing the originally straight stream now curved into a "几" shape right where he intended to step.

He tried stepping with his left foot again, only to see the stream instantly twist again, so that his left foot, which should have already crossed over, was still on this side of the stream.

Bai Ke: "..."

Great! This stream was teasing him.

Considering the previous vines and other things, Bai Ke concluded in his heart—this sanctuary was alive!

 

Translator : DarNan