Chapter Seventeen

"Ziyang." As soon as the unrelated people left, Lian Ci immediately asked about the serious matter: "What exactly happened in the secret realm?"

Xu Ziyang slowly withdrew his gaze, bowed, and answered Lian Ci one by one. His voice was low and gentle, betraying no unusual emotion.

-

Chu Rong was completely unaware of the gaze behind him.

The dense branches and leaves blocked the sunlight, casting scattered specks of light through the dappled shadows. He walked straight back to Wusong Residence, treading on the patchwork of light and shadow.

Everything in the residence was the same as three days ago. Chu Rong raised his hand, his jade-white, slender fingers pressing against the dark door panel. Just as he was about to push the door open, a flurry of chaotic footsteps suddenly sounded behind him.

A burly figure hurriedly came around from the corridor, dressed in coarse linen. On his upright face, a bloody scar was forming a scab on his forehead. His voice was filled with uncontrollable surprise: "Young Master?"

Chu Rong turned his head slightly, his black hair sliding off his shoulders and back like flowing water.

The newcomer was Yun Zhi.

Yun Zhi's eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at Chu Rong, his dark skin flushing with excitement. He rubbed his hands on his clothes, grinning widely: "This is wonderful. I thought... Thank heavens, Young Master is finally safe and sound."

The events during the test three days ago had long since spread throughout Qingyang Tianzong. For the past few days, the entire sect had been in a state of panic.

Ever since hearing that Chu Rong had been taken away by a demon spy, Yun Zhi's heart had been hanging in suspense, unable to settle, terrified that something might happen to Chu Rong.

The demons were brutal and cruel. How could the young master, a frail mortal with no cultivation, possibly withstand them? Fortunately, it was a blessing in disguise; Chu Rong had finally returned safely.

In the original text, Yun Zhi was Cen Yan's follower. Chu Rong felt that the slight acquaintance he had with Yun Zhi had already been settled a few days ago.

Yun Zhi's words left Chu Rong feeling somewhat perplexed. However, he was currently exhausted, both physically and mentally, and had no spare energy to deal with Yun Zhi. He lowered his jet-black eyelashes and responded indifferently before pushing the door open and entering the room.

Beneath his black hair, his lean waist was faintly visible.

Yun Zhi stood in the corridor, gazing at the closed door, rooted to the spot for a while before finally retreating back to the corridor to continue his work.

The incense in the room was still burning. Chu Rong walked to the couch and sat down, removing his hairband. His black hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Just as he was about to lie down and rest, his eyes inadvertently caught his attire, and his body paused slightly.

The cave had been dark, damp, and dirty. The hem and cuffs of his white inner robe were stained with clumps of black dirt from the cave floor.

Chu Rong's cleanliness obsession immediately kicked in. He stood up, took a set of blue-green gauze robes from the original owner's wardrobe, and headed to the back mountain.

In the back mountain, branches crisscrossed. Mist rose from the clear spring pool, covering the rippling water surface.

Seeing this, Chu Rong felt a subtle, unbearable itch. No one knew that during the three days in the secret realm, he had not been able to touch a single drop of water.

Chu Rong stood gracefully by the pool, raising his hand to remove his outer robe, only to find nothing there. He then remembered that his outer robe was still with Xu Ziyang.

When he had left the secret realm with Xu Ziyang, Xu Ziyang hadn't been wearing his outer robe. He assumed Xu Ziyang had left it in the cave.

Chu Rong didn't mind. He would never use something that had been used by someone else. Even if Xu Ziyang returned the outer robe, he would throw it away without keeping it.

Of course, the original owner didn't count as an outsider. His soul was inside the original owner's body; strictly speaking, he and the original owner were currently the same person. Moreover, the mountain-guarding formation would open in another six months. He couldn't leave Qingyang Tianzong for the time being, so he had to use what the original owner had left behind.

Thinking about what had happened in the secret realm, Chu Rong took out the Congzong Pearl hidden in his clothes.

In the cave, he hadn't been able to see clearly. Now, under the daylight, the round pearl was indeed as described in the original text, like a drop of condensed blood, a brilliant, stunning red.

Contrasted with his jade-colored fingertips, the red and white created an extremely intense contrast, dazzling and eye-catching.

After examining it for a moment, Chu Rong put the Congzong Pearl away carefully.

He still didn't understand how he, a cannon fodder love interest, had gotten entangled in a plot unrelated to him. And there was Cen Yan, who, for some reason, was supposed to find Xu Ziyang on the first day but had instead delayed until the third day.

This was a far cry from the original plot.

A faint worry creased Chu Rong's beautiful brows. The touch of sorrow on his jade-white face was like a dull knife cutting into flesh, causing an involuntary ache in the heart.

Fortunately, aside from this, the rest of the plot was roughly the same as the original text; otherwise, he didn't know when he would have been able to leave the secret realm.

Chu Rong's long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly. He pushed aside his thoughts and calmly removed his inner robe, then his undergarment, and stepped into the clear spring pool.

The water rippled. His jet-black hair bloomed behind him like ink-colored lotuses. Instantly, the warm spring water enveloped him from all directions, bringing immense comfort.

Chu Rong tilted his head back, resting his elbow on his forehead. He half-closed his eyes, his light-colored thin lips slightly parted as he exhaled a long, slow breath. The damp strands of hair, wet with mist, clung to his flawless, jade-like face, making his skin appear even more translucent.

The exhaustion of the past three days was greatly reduced, and his entire body relaxed.

...

This time, Chu Rong soaked in the hot spring longer than on previous days.

When he came out, his fair cheeks were tinged with a faint, enchanting pink, making him look even more like a water spirit luring hearts.

After simply wiping the water off his body, Chu Rong put on the green gauze robe he had brought, tied the matching sash around his waist, put on his mask, and left the back mountain.

Returning to Wusong Residence, Yun Zhi was still working in the corridor. Chu Rong casually glanced at him and walked slowly into his room.

After drying his hair, Chu Rong placed the Congzong Pearl under the soft pillow. He crossed his hands over his abdomen, lay in the middle of the couch, closed his eyes, and fell into a deep sleep.

-

Front Hall.

Xu Ziyang had finished explaining everything. It was an hour later. His refined, handsome face was slightly pale, and a thin layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Ziyang, go back and rest well too." Lian Ci promptly ended the conversation. His tone was completely opposite to when he had spoken to Chu Rong, filled with worry: "These three days have been hard on you."

Having been struck twice and only having taken one spirit pill in three days, Xu Ziyang indeed needed to meditate and heal. He didn't refuse. He respectfully bowed to Lian Ci and turned to leave the front hall.

Returning to the Xuanjian Pavilion, his servant greeted him with surprise. Before he could speak, his gaze fell on Xu Ziyang's blue gauze robe, which was caked with dried blood, and the mud stains on the hem and cuffs. His expression immediately changed.

"Senior Martial Brother, you're injured!" The servant anxiously approached, wanting to support Xu Ziyang.

Xu Ziyang sidestepped to avoid him and stopped the servant from coming closer: "Don't panic, it's just a minor injury. I need to go to the inner chamber to meditate for a few hours. Do not disturb me."

Meditation required complete concentration and a calm mind, allowing no distraction. The servant was well aware of this and dared not disobey, hurriedly bowing in agreement.

The inner chamber was Xu Ziyang's resting place, containing a large bed. Xu Ziyang approached the couch, and with a wave of his long sleeve, a purple outer robe appeared on the bed.

The robe was light and flowing, emitting a faint, elegant orchid fragrance. Its hem was also stained with a bit of mud.

Xu Ziyang looked down at the outer robe from his height, his eyes deep and dark, as if they would draw a person in.

-

The secret realm was fraught with danger. Large spirit beasts could charge out of the forest at any moment. For the three days in the cave, Chu Rong's nerves had been constantly taut, not daring to relax for a moment.

This sleep was the deepest Chu Rong had experienced since transmigrating into the book.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky outside Wusong Residence was completely dark. Only a few scattered stars twinkled dimly on the vast, dark canopy.

The room was pitch black. Chu Rong propped himself up with one hand on the edge of the couch and got down. He lit the candles on the candlestick.

Flickering candlelight spread through the room, quickly dispelling the darkness.

Having slept too long, his head ached slightly. Chu Rong's pale eyelids drooped halfway. His eyes seemed veiled in a light mist. His jet-black hair cascaded down his neck, his long eyelashes casting grey shadows on his mask.

His brow furrowed slightly. He walked slowly to the half-open window. One slender, lean hand, fingertips slightly curled, gripped the windowsill. The knuckles of his hand were slightly prominent.

Bang—

Two sudden knocks sounded from outside the door.

Chu Rong turned his head slightly towards the door. A hoarse voice asked from behind the mask: "Who is it?"

Shi Ming's voice came softly from outside: "It's me, Shi Ming. I've come to bring the young master his evening meal."

The demon who had infiltrated the sect had escaped into the secret realm, whereabouts unknown. All the disciples were closely monitoring the movements at the front hall. The news of Xu Ziyang emerging from the secret realm quickly spread throughout the sect.

Shi Ming, who was in the outer sect courtyard, had naturally also heard the news. He dared not neglect Chu Rong any longer and began delivering meals to Wusong Residence on time.

Chu Rong instinctively raised his hand to touch his face. His fingertips touched the uneven mask, and he lowered his hand. He turned back and said again: "Come in."

Shi Ming responded and pushed the door open. The next moment, a wave of orchid fragrance wafted in.

Shi Ming's Adam's apple bobbed as he involuntarily swallowed. His eyes couldn't help glancing towards the window. Chu Rong had his back to the door, revealing only a tall, slender figure.

Shi Ming carefully averted his gaze, put down the food, and bowed as he retreated. Just as he was about to close the door, he couldn't help but glance again towards the window.

The sound of footsteps outside gradually faded, and Wusong Residence returned to tranquility.

Chu Rong turned around, walked to the table, and sat down. He took off his mask and placed it on the table.

After the meal, Chu Rong's mind became more active.

He looked through the wall at the room next door. It was very quiet, not a sound. Cen Yan was still inside the secret realm, not yet out.

But it would be soon.

Chu Rong recalled the subsequent plot. The paths inside the secret realm were winding and intricate. Using the terrain, the demon spy managed to stall He Ming and his group for another day before being caught.

— After all, He Ming was familiar with the terrain of the secret realm and had a natural advantage. No matter how cunning the demon spy was, it was only a matter of time before he was captured.

He Ming would take the spy to the Disciplinary Hall for strict interrogation. But the spy's mouth was tough; he withstood all the torture instruments without uttering a single word.

While the sect was interrogating the spy, Xu Ziyang and Cen Yan grew closer over the three days in the secret realm, their affection deepening day by day. They were inseparable.

Just as their relationship was about to take the next step, Pei Zhan, one of the male leads, emerged from seclusion.

Pei Zhan was the second senior martial brother of Qingyang Tianzong, a proud disciple of Sect Leader Lian Ci. His cultivation talent was unparalleled, but he had a strange temperament, acted willfully, and was arrogant, looking down on everyone except Lian Ci.

Especially towards Xu Ziyang, his rival for the position of the next sect leader, he never gave him a second glance. Consequently, he also targeted Cen Yan, who was close to Xu Ziyang, at every turn.

This caused Cen Yan to have a very poor impression of him. Later, it nearly became a "wife-chasing crematorium" situation, making Pei Zhan the last main male lead to win Cen Yan's heart, despite having the advantage of being close by.

But Chu Rong, who had read the entire book thoroughly, knew that Pei Zhan simply didn't realize his own feelings. It wasn't so much that he was targeting Cen Yan as it was that he was upset about Cen Yan's closeness to Xu Ziyang and wanted to get Cen Yan's attention.

...

Calculating the time, Cen Yan would come out of the secret realm tomorrow.

-

The next day.

Front Hall.

The teleportation array leading to the secret realm emitted a dazzling white light. Three figures stepped out of the array one after another.

The old man in front had white hair and kind eyes. He wore a loose grey robe with long sleeves billowing, exuding an air of immortality. He pushed and shoved a tall, thin man whose hands were bound.

The man grinned wickedly, his smile full of bloodthirstiness, completely lacking any awareness of being captured.

Behind the two was a tall, slender young man with an elegant face and an extraordinary temperament. Despite not having rested for several days, there wasn't a trace of dishevelment about him.

The old man and the young man were He Ming and Cen Yan. The bound man was the demon spy, Wen Yuan.

Lian Ci, who had been waiting in the front hall, welcomed them with surprise: "You caught him?"

He Ming pushed Wen Yuan forcefully in front of Lian Ci, stroking his white beard with a smile: "Caught him. The spy was cunning. If I hadn't known the way and had Yan'er's help, he might have actually escaped."

And if the spy had escaped, it would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack; they might never have caught him.

Lian Ci nodded approvingly and asked, "What about the resources in the secret realm?"

He Ming took off the spatial pouch from his waist and handed it to Lian Ci: "Most of it wasn't lost; it's all in here. Only a small portion was destroyed by the spy. I'll report the specifics to you after I take the spy to the Disciplinary Hall."

Catching the spy with minimal resource loss was the best possible outcome.

Lian Ci's face was full of joy, repeatedly saying "good."

Author's Note:

The second half has been revised. Sorry for the wait~

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