You usually never smile, so stop acting all cheerful.

 

Lin Jie looked at the two people in front of him with some confusion. After hearing the conversation between Yu Xian and the two, the bewilderment on his face gradually changed, eventually turning into a look of complete astonishment.

"Holy crap..." Lin Jie rubbed his eyes hard, and then, as if trying to widen his eyes as much as possible, he scrutinized the taller person from head to toe. He raised his hand and pointed at him, his finger trembling uncontrollably, shaking for a long time before he stammered, "Mas... that... uh..."

He wanted to call him "Master," but since Meng Xi was there and didn't know anything, it wasn't convenient to say it directly. After holding back for a long time, he couldn’t bring himself to say a complete title and ended up swallowing the word "Master" and just said, "You... how did you become like this?!"

Yu Xian twitched the corner of his mouth and raised his hand to pat Lin Jie's head: "Didn’t he just say it’s more convenient this way?"

"Oh, right, I forgot. I was just a bit dazed." Lin Jie’s eyes were spinning in circles, and he couldn’t help but look at the tall young man, who appeared to be about the same age as him. He hadn’t paid much attention to him before, but now that he knew who he was, looking at his features, he could clearly see that he resembled a younger version of Huo Junxiao.

However... Why couldn’t he recognize the face immediately despite the obvious resemblance?

Lin Jie thought for a moment, then suddenly understood. Normally, Huo Junxiao was always frowning, his cold and solemn aura too overpowering, coupled with the black robes he always wore, which gave off an aura of unapproachability. This made it so that when others saw him, their attention was more on his presence rather than his facial features.

Having known him for so long, Lin Jie had hardly dared to stare at his face, but now, with his outfit changed, wearing a white and gray-bordered disciple robe of the Hengtian Sect, Huo Junxiao’s entire demeanor had changed. If the old Junxiao gave off a serious, imposing feeling, now he seemed much lighter, with a hint of celestial look. His appearance had also changed a little, so it was understandable that he didn’t recognize him right away.

As for the slightly slimmer young man beside Junxiao...

Lin Jie twitched his mouth: This was practically torture for someone with face blindness...

This young man looked both like and unlike Bai Ke.

He resembled Bai Ke because, whether in terms of body shape or the indifferent demeanor, he looked just like Bai Ke. If one glanced at him quickly, they’d definitely think he was Bai Ke without a doubt.

But on closer inspection, this young man’s features were completely different from Bai Ke’s. Especially his eyes—the blood-red birthmark around his eyes was completely gone, and his irises had turned a light brown, like a clear autumn lake. However, they lacked the softness and instead carried a sense of detachment. Bai Ke’s original complexion had been so pale that it seemed almost lifeless, but now, this young man was also very pale, yet under the sunlight filtering through the branches, he appeared exceptionally gentle.

Lin Jie moved his lips, his expression a little bewildered: "Whose face is this...?"

Yu Xian: "Guess?"

Lin Jie: "..."

Of course, Lin Jie only asked out of reflex to confirm his guess. Even if they didn’t answer, he would have easily figured it out — Junxiao had reverted to his youthful appearance, and Bai Ke’s original face had been taken by Yu Xian. If Yu Xian had to change his appearance, it would most likely be back to his original one...

Junxiao remembered his appearance, and someone with Bai Ke's temperament was almost certainly his younger self. Who else could it be but Bai Lingchen?

"Now the problem arises," Lin Jie twitched the corner of his mouth and quietly leaned toward Yu Xian, whispering in his ear: "Ancestor, why would Master know what Xiao Bai... cough, what Master’s youthful appearance looked like?"

"Now, here's the problem," Lin Jie twitched the corner of his mouth and secretly leaned toward Yu Xian's ear, whispering, "Ancestor, why would Master know what Little Bai... cough, Master’s youthful appearance looked like?"

Yu Xian chuckled dryly twice. "Because this little brat’s favorite thing when he was a kid was rummaging through boxes and cabinets, secretly looking for his master's old things, especially portraits! I can barely remember it, but this brat remembers it all too clearly. I’m telling you, don’t be fooled by how serious and dignified he looks now, he was the first in line for 'deceiving his master and exterminating his ancestors' back then, taking advantage of how easy it was to trick his little doughy junior brothers. He always led those two in sneaky activities, digging up their elders' black history, and when that dull egg caught him, he’d run away faster than a rat, leaving no trace of his current shadow."

Junxiao: "Do you think you’re speaking softly…?"

"Hey! Who's speaking softly? I’m saying it just for you to hear..." Yu Xian wore an expression of shamelessness, and with Bai Ke’s face, it looked utterly out of place no matter how you looked at it.

Bai Ke silently patted Yu Xian’s shoulder and whispered, "Old man, don’t forget that you're wearing my identity now. Can you change your expression? I don’t usually smile like that."

Yu Xian: "..." You'd be better off changing into a monk's robe; you never smile like this on a regular basis! What a mess—look at what kind of disciples and grand-disciples I’ve raised!

Meng Xi, standing to the side, blinked, watching them. He could understand some of what they were saying, but other parts were unclear... In any case, he could understand every word, but when they were put together, he had no idea what they were talking about.

Lin Jie turned and glanced at him, then patted his shoulder and leaned close to his ear, speaking softly, "This is complicated, it’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later. For now, just remember to stick with us. I’ve been in Hengtian Sect for so many years, and I haven’t had much contact with others. The only real friend who cares about me is you. One thing’s certain: this trial isn’t as simple as it seems, things might go wrong. The people with me are all trustworthy and reliable, so stick close to us, and at least you’ll be safe."

Meng Xi blinked again, then looked at Junxiao, Bai Ke, and Yu Xian walking ahead. The three of them had probably heard Lin Jie’s words, and after he finished speaking, they nodded toward him.

"Okay," Meng Xi mumbled, still a little confused.

"The people ahead, which sect are they from? Why do their robes look different?" Junxiao asked.

Yu Xian, arms crossed, lazily walked ahead while answering in a half-hearted tone, "One is Xuanwei, the other is Changling. They're wearing robes that are different from when they were big sects. The disciples from these two sects are fine, not much of a competitive spirit. They're probably just here to test their skills, see where they stand, so they're more harmonious and united compared to the other sects."

Junxiao frowned, "Xuanwei? Changling?"

"Yeah," Yu Xian nodded, then noticed the odd expression on Junxiao’s face. "What’s wrong?"

Although Bai Ke had changed his appearance, and his eyes seemed normal now, in reality, he still saw the world the same way he always had—either in blurry or clear outlines. He squinted at the people walking ahead, patted Lin Jie, and said, "If I’m not mistaken, didn’t you say that Xuanwei and Changling are now almost nothing compared to some small sects?"

Their voices were low, and Yu Xian had put up a sound barrier, so there was no worry about the people ahead hearing. Still, Lin Jie instinctively glanced at those people before answering, "Well... that’s true. These two sects have lost many of their experts. In Xuanwei Sect, the only elder left is the sect master, who’s a late-stage Nanhua cultivator, but now he’s practically incapacitated, and it seems like he doesn’t have much time left. As for Changling... they’re even worse. Their experts are all nearly a hundred years old, to be honest, they can’t even compete with some minor sects. Now, at this trial, these two sects are basically just there for show. Their words don’t carry any weight. I’ve heard some seniors in the sect gossiping, saying that even if these two sects were kicked out of the 'Three Sects and Six Sects,' they’d probably just silently retreat to their own sects without any objections."

Bai Ke frowned, exchanged a look with Junxiao, and asked Lin Jie and Yu Xian, "Did you two plan the route through this dense forest?"

"Yes and no," Lin Jie replied. "The route is based on the results of the lottery. Whichever sect you draw, you enter through that sect’s entrance and follow the corresponding path. Though there are some side paths after entering, the general direction is the same. But to say it’s all arranged... if someone wanted to tamper with the lottery, it’s not impossible, even with so many sects present."

"Hmm..." Junxiao nodded. "Hengtian Sect could secretly manipulate the lottery results without being detected. It would be a bit troublesome, but not impossible. So, in that case..."

Bai Ke’s face turned dark. "It’s already bad enough to mess with other sects, but now they’re dragging their own disciples into this. Hengtian Sect is really..."

"What?" Lin Jie was puzzled.

Yu Xian furrowed his brow. "What did you discover?"

Junxiao spoke in a deep voice, "Aren’t you curious? Why would us two come to meet you in this dense forest when we were supposed to investigate the Sanqing Pool?"

"Could it be... the Sanqing Pool was tampered with by Hengtian Sect, the entrance was redirected to here?" Yu Xian quickly reacted.

Bai Ke nodded and said, "Not only that. After entering the forest, we were attacked by a wave of tree vines. These vines were very strange, sprouting densely from the ground and could suck the blood and flesh off a wild monkey in the blink of an eye, leaving not a trace. They were everywhere, and if it weren’t for Junxiao, we wouldn't have made it out alive to meet you."

"This is Wanchao Valley, where every trial takes place. How many newly initiated disciples could handle these vines?" Lin Jie’s eyes widened, finding it hard to believe.

"So, we suspect that Hengtian Sect deliberately wants to separate the routes of different sects and set up these traps on paths that some sects will inevitably pass, to hasten the growth of the blood beasts they raised in order to suppress the Ice Soul in the Sanqing Pool. As for the Three Sects and Six Factions, even if they are affected, it won’t cause much trouble for Hengtian Sect. Only the already decaying sects won’t be able to stir up much trouble."

Lin Jie understood. "Xuanwei and Changling!"

Bai Ke nodded. "But now, Hengtian Sect is using the same route as Xuanwei and Changling..."

Lin Jie gasped. "Are they really using their own disciples’ lives to silence Xuanwei and Changling?!"

Before he could finish, Yu Xian suddenly turned around, grabbed a few of them, and in the same instant, Junxiao disappeared. Almost in the blink of an eye, Bai Ke and the others heard terrified cries coming from a short distance ahead.

 

Translator : DarNan