Elders… really shouldn’t be provoked.

Wu Nan wasn’t truly oblivious. It was just that, back in the day, he spent all his time buried in books, completely detached from the outside world and the changes in those around him. Naturally, he couldn’t pick up on his senior brother’s subtle feelings. Besides, the older his senior brother grew, the better he became at concealing his emotions. When it came to keeping things hidden, if his senior brother was second, no one would dare claim first place.

Later, Wu Nan went through thousands of years of madness, cutting off almost all contact with his sect. It wasn’t until the chaotic battle a month ago that they reunited. Naturally, he had no clue about the twists and turns that had taken place in the interim.

Thus, when he arrived at the hot spring and saw Bai Ke standing on the shore with his hair still slightly damp, and Junxiao in the pool about to step out, his mind didn’t wander in any other direction. Instead, he greeted them quite straightforwardly, “Master, Senior Brother, were you both caught in nightmares too?”

Bai Ke turned his head slightly, feigning a composed expression as he looked out at the faint outline of distant mountains. He gave a vague “Hmm” in reply, which barely counted as acknowledgment.

Bai Ke had always been a man of few words, whether in his past life or the present, so Wu Nan found nothing unusual in this. He simply nodded and let it be.

However, Yu Xian, scratching his jaw and twitching his mouth, let out a sharp hiss through clenched teeth, glancing at Bai Ke’s turned back and then at Junxiao, who stood there as if entirely unbothered by any awkwardness.

“Master, is your tooth aching again?” Wu Nan asked, glancing at Yu Xian’s peculiar expression.

Bai Ke, who had been staring at the mountains, turned his head to meet Yu Xian’s gaze for a moment before calmly turning away again. His face was the picture of aloofness, as if declaring, “Trust me, nothing has happened—I’m just here for a soak in the hot spring.”

But Yu Xian knew him far too well. After all, he had raised this icy, stoic disciple himself. Even if Bai Ke had grown into a seemingly impenetrable block of ice, Yu Xian could still read the subtle signs in his every move. The moment he saw Bai Ke acting even colder than usual, Yu Xian knew he was trying to cover something up.

And so, his toothache only worsened.

Unlike Wu Nan, Yu Xian was sharp. Among the three generations of their sect, no one could rival his perceptiveness. He just had a habit of acting laid-back and carefree, rarely bothering to meddle in anything unless absolutely necessary, giving others the impression that he was oblivious.

As for Junxiao’s hidden feelings, Yu Xian wasn’t sure when they first surfaced.

But after the sect dissolved and only he and Junxiao were left to rely on each other for more than five thousand years, he would have to be blind not to notice Junxiao’s true thoughts.

Especially during their time together in Yunlong’s Realm after they found Bai Ke’s reincarnation—Junxiao’s behavior had become increasingly obvious.

Still, Yu Xian had always chosen to turn a blind eye.

Having lived through so much rise and fall, prosperity and decay, and having witnessed countless lives come and go, Yu Xian had long since come to terms with most things in life, including cultivation itself.

When he and Junxiao found Bai Ke’s reincarnation, Yu Xian had thought to himself: ‘Being able to reunite is already a blessing. The rest… let them sort it out themselves.’

But he had always assumed that Junxiao would keep his feelings buried forever, even now that they had found Bai Ke. After all, they were essentially family. What difference would it make to say or not say anything?

Unfortunately, someone like Yu Xian—who had never once experienced the whirlwind of mortal romance—couldn’t quite grasp the mindset of his juniors.

A few days ago, these two had been acting all awkward and stiff with each other, with their eyes devoid of expression and noses out of joint (NT: chinese idiom meaning acting in an odd manner—so much so that their facial expressions don't look natural or normal). And now? Here they were in the middle of the night, soaking in the hot spring together?!

The span was so dramatic that Yu Xian could feel his blood pressure rising.

But then he thought back to the nightmares they had all endured that evening. While he didn’t know exactly what the others had seen, he could guess a good portion of it. Relating the dreams to this sudden development between the two, it started to make some sense.

He rubbed his jaw and then, adopting a rare air of authority as a senior, swept a scrutinizing gaze over Bai Ke and Junxiao several times. After what felt like an eternity, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked over to another hot spring pool.

Clearing his throat, he declared, “Hurry up and finish soaking! What’s the point of standing there naked, putting on a show for everyone?!”

The mist and steam in the hot spring were dense, but even so, Junxiao’s broad shoulders, muscular chest, and a faintly visible waistline could be seen as he stood in the pool.

Yu Xian’s words were mostly teasing, but both his tone and content indicated that he wasn’t standing in opposition to the two of them. Instead, he chose to continue turning a blind eye, as long as they didn’t let him witness another scene like today’s, which had left him metaphorically clutching his teeth in discomfort.

After all, elders… really shouldn’t be provoked.

With Yu Xian’s remark giving tacit permission, Junxiao naturally didn’t linger in the pool. In the blink of an eye, he was already on the shore. Before the water droplets he had splashed up had even returned to the surface, he was already fully dressed in his black robe, standing tall.

The moment Bai Ke saw Junxiao come ashore, he immediately turned and, with a flash of white, disappeared into the distance. Junxiao gave a brief nod to Yu Xian and Wu Nan as a farewell and then followed swiftly after Bai Ke.

This left the two by the hot spring staring at each other.

After a long, awkward silence, Wu Nan finally glanced in the direction where his master and senior brother had disappeared. Thinking back to the strange atmosphere earlier and Yu Xian’s twitching mouth, he finally pieced things together.

But as the realization hit, it unsettled him deeply.

Wu Nan pointed toward the horizon and said to Yu Xian, “Master and Senior Brother… they… this…”

Yu Xian waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t overthink it. Whatever will be, will be. Are you planning to deny them?”

Wu Nan quickly replied, “Of course not!”

“Well, there you go. Let them be.” After saying this, Yu Xian slid into one of the hot spring pools, focusing on restoring his own balance. As he closed his eyes, he reminded Wu Nan, “Hurry up and recover. It’s not just the demonic energy in your body you need to deal with. And before long, that little girl Shen Han will wake up. If no one’s there to comfort her, her cries will echo through the heavens!”

Shen Han had been brought to Yusheng Mountain at an unusually young age—barely a month old. With a group of grown men entirely unprepared to care for a baby, they’d had no choice but to seek help from the matronly Aunt Pang, who had joined their sect.

But the little girl seemed to have an innate fondness for Yu Xian and the others. Just yesterday afternoon, she had already developed a troublesome habit: if she didn’t see them for more than twenty minutes after waking, her lips would quiver, and she’d look ready to burst into tears.

As a result, the group had to take turns appearing in front of her to reassure her.

Though it was a bit of a hassle, none of them could resist the way their hearts softened whenever she looked at them.

Especially one among them, who was particularly soft-hearted—

The moment Wu Nan heard Yu Xian’s reminder, he said nothing more. He immediately settled into a nearby pool next to his master’s and began meditating, focusing on restoring his energy. His bamboo-green robes drifted lightly onto the smooth, protruding rocks nearby, swaying gently in the occasional mountain breeze.

Perhaps, after every grand battle and the settling of dust, life inevitably becomes a patchwork of mundane moments like these—quiet and peaceful, yet rich with subtle meaning to savor.

 

Translator : DarNan