Chapter 92: Side Story 2 IF Line – If Yun Xueqing Had Woken Up a Few Years Earlier

Fu Wuxuan finished his eight a.m. class and, as soon as he returned to his rented apartment, noticed something off about the place.

There was a faint sound of running water from the bathroom, but Fu Wuxuan clearly remembered tightening the faucets before he left.

Suspecting a burst pipe, he hurriedly set down his reference book and rushed into the bathroom.

The bathroom floor was covered in water, and part of the sneakers Fu Wuxuan wore got soaked, but he paid no mind to that minor detail. His gaze was fixed entirely on the white bathtub.

The large bathtub, big enough for two people, was already full, and the faucet was still running nonstop.

He quickly stepped over and turned off the bathtub faucet, then casually glanced inside—only to widen his eyes in shock and stagger back two steps, his face filled with alarm. “Holy shit!”

There was a person lying in his bathtub!

His mind went blank with panic, leaving Fu Wuxuan flustered for a moment. Soon, he calmed down and fished the person sunk at the bottom out.

With his arms around the man’s waist and legs, Fu Wuxuan felt his body heat and knew he wasn’t dead yet. He silently cursed under his breath. “What the hell! Who the fuck tried to off themselves in my house!”

He carried the man to the bed without caring if the water on him would soak the sheets. He grabbed a towel, tossed it over him, and wiped the water off his body.

His mind raced between calling the police or an ambulance, but his hands didn’t idle as he busied himself giving the man CPR.

After a few presses with no sign of the man waking, fearing he might actually die, Fu Wuxuan got on the bed, straddled the man’s waist, leaned down, and prepared to give mouth-to-mouth.

At that moment, the man of uncertain life or death opened his eyes.

With their faces pressed close and mouths less than two centimeters apart, Fu Wuxuan froze. “!”

He instinctively pulled back, lost his balance, and nearly tumbled off the bed backward. The newly awakened man subconsciously grabbed Fu Wuxuan’s hand, steadying him just in time.

The scare settled Fu Wuxuan’s nerves a bit. He let out a breath of relief, then realized he was still straddling the guy and awkwardly climbed off.

Before the man could speak, he beat him to it and changed the subject. “Hey, buddy, how the hell did you end up in my place?”

And right in the bathtub, no less.

If he hadn’t only had one morning class and come straight back, the guy might’ve been dead by now if he’d returned even a little later.

The man, perhaps still groggy from just waking, slowly propped himself up halfway on the bed. His clear black-and-white eyes stared quietly at Fu Wuxuan.

Fu Wuxuan grew anxious. “Don’t just sit there silent… It won’t help. I’m calling the cops right now.”

With that, he pulled out his phone to dial 110. He’d just punched in the three digits when the man said, “What year is it now?”

Fu Wuxuan lowered his phone and eyed the muttering weirdo with a cold laugh. “Bro, it’s 2024 AD. Your unlucky year.”

If the guy couldn’t give him a good explanation, he’d come in upright and leave feet first.

The man paid no heed to the threat and simply lowered his eyes, murmuring to himself, “So much time has passed already…”

Fu Wuxuan watched him, suddenly feeling a twinge of worry, when the man said, “Thank you for waking me.”

Fu Wuxuan’s sense of unease grew with those words.

In his panic to save him earlier, he hadn’t noticed that the man had long hair reaching his hips and wore a white Daoist robe.

Fu Wuxuan hesitated. “You from the 2D world or something?”

Was this cosplay?

The man tilted his head. “2D?”

Fu Wuxuan had no time for chit-chat. “What’s your name? I’ll take you home.”

The man complied readily, answering every question. “Sword Pavilion, Yun Xueqing.”

Fu Wuxuan blinked. “Sword Pavilion?”

Where was that? Some ancient town?

He pulled out his phone, opened the map, and searched for Sword Pavilion, but found no matching location.

He raised a brow. “You’re lying.”

Yun Xueqing shook his head and looked at his face. “I am not.”

Fu Wuxuan studied his expression—it didn’t seem like a lie—but he still couldn’t find any place called Sword Pavilion.

Playing amateur Sherlock Holmes, Fu Wuxuan pondered and came up with a reasonable theory: This guy was a total otaku into 2D stuff. For some reason, he’d been kicked out of his house, maybe had depression, and in a moment of weakness, put on his favorite cosplay outfit to off himself here.

That made sense… Bullshit it did!

Who the hell came to someone else’s house to commit suicide!

And this guy was clearly a natural airhead with severe chuunibyou vibes! He didn’t look depressed at all!

Fu Wuxuan’s head throbbed. He turned the question around. “You don’t wanna go home—what’s your plan?”

The man obviously hadn’t thought that far, lowering his head before looking up again. “I don’t know.”

So much time had passed, and with no trace of Sword Pavilion online, he couldn’t go back.

He’d never left the mountain his whole life. If he couldn’t return to Sword Pavilion, where could he go?

In the end, Fu Wuxuan decided to let the cops handle it.

He figured the reason Yun Xueqing had appeared in his home would come to light, and he’d be rid of this hot potato. But things didn’t go as hoped.

At the police station, they found no records on him at all—not even a scrap of info—as if he didn’t exist in the world.

In this age of internet and information, people’s privacy was mostly out in the open. It was impossible not to find even a trace.

The officer finally told Fu Wuxuan to take him back home for now and they’d figure something out later.

Because of this bizarre incident, Fu Wuxuan—still at that pure, foolish college age—thought of novels and movies he’d seen before and said gravely, “You’re not a ghost… or a monster, are you?”

Yun Xueqing had changed out of his Daoist robe into the casual home clothes Fu Wuxuan bought him.

The soft fabric and light color softened his aggressive edge, adding a touch of gentleness to Yun Xueqing’s otherwise aloof aura.

He looked at Fu Wuxuan and said mildly, “Monster?”

Fu Wuxuan nodded. “Like those fox spirits in TV dramas that seduce scholars, or ones that come to repay a debt… uh, fox spirits?”

It had been ages since he’d watched those shows, and he couldn’t think of other monsters off the top of his head.

This guy did have the looks to play a fox spirit, but he lacked that seductive charm—instead exuding an otherworldly, immortal vibe.

Fu Wuxuan was just joking around. Even with no records at the station, the whole thing was weird, but he wasn’t about to believe in ghosts and gods over that.

Yun Xueqing looked at him and said meaningfully, “Actually, I’m an immortal.”

Fu Wuxuan rolled his eyes. “…I think you’re nuts.”

Maybe he shouldn’t have called the cops or ambulance—he should’ve taken him straight to a psych ward!

Yun Xueqing didn’t get mad at the insult. He just smiled mildly, turning unusually serious as he explained, “There are no gods in this world—only Dao cultivators.”

Once a cultivator reached a certain level of cultivation and mental state, they could shatter the void and ascend to the upper realms. Perhaps those were the ‘immortals’ in mortal eyes.

Fu Wuxuan burst out laughing at the spiel, squinting with mirth in a cheeky tone. “So you really are chuunibyou… Big fan of cultivation novels, huh?”

Yun Xueqing shook his head, not bothering to refute the skepticism.

Fu Wuxuan decided to tease him. “So, great cultivator, mind taking your lil’ bro under your wing and teaching him some immortal arts?”

Yun Xueqing didn’t catch the sarcasm and nodded primly. “You aided me and have a heart for helping the weak against the strong. You qualify to join Sword Pavilion.”

Fu Wuxuan eyed the advanced chuunibyou patient, holding back laughter as he patted his own cheek and feigned seriousness. “So, what’s the first step in cultivation… Washing Meridians and Cleansing Marrow?”

That was standard in those novels.

He expected the guy to play along, but Yun Xueqing said, “It’s the End of Dharma Age here—spiritual energy is thin, and you lack a Spiritual Root. Washing Meridians and Cleansing Marrow would be useless for you. Right now, you should focus on Body Forging and walk the path of Body Cultivation.”

The words “Body Forging” hit Fu Wuxuan like a warning bell. He sensed he’d overplayed his hand and been countered. “You’re not gonna make me do push-ups or horse stance squats, are you?”

Yun Xueqing’s face showed an expression of “the child can be taught.”

Fu Wuxuan instantly lost interest and tried to end the game. “Alright, I’m gonna take a shower first, then…”

Before he finished, Yun Xueqing tapped his chest.

Fu Wuxuan froze in place—not by choice, but because his whole body suddenly stiffened and wouldn’t move.

The sensation was bizarre. He widened his eyes. “What did you do to me… Wait, dude, you actually know pressure points!”

He tried to turn his neck to look, but acupoint-locked, he stood rigid.

Yun Xueqing said mildly, “Since you’ve entered the gates of my Sword Pavilion, there’s no quitting halfway.”

Fu Wuxuan: “…”

He’d accidentally fallen into a wolf’s den.

Half-forced, half-tempted, he trained for several days until he finally couldn’t take it. “I’ve said it three times—everything before was a joke. I’m not interested in this training. Please, let’s call it quits.”

The chuunibyou could go nuts on his own—don’t drag him into it!

Outrageous!

He thought Yun Xueqing would ignore him and keep pushing, but this time, the man simply released the acupoint. “If you’re not interested, I was the one forcing it.”

He’d hoped to take a disciple and pass on Sword Pavilion’s legacy, but it was just his one-sided wishful thinking.

Fu Wuxuan saw no expression on Yun Xueqing’s face, couldn’t read his mood, and wondered if he’d gone too far. Then the man said, “Since you won’t inherit Sword Pavilion’s arts, we’ll stop here. You’ve helped me greatly—this debt must be repaid.”

After a few days together, they’d grown a bit familiar, even fond. Hearing words like a clean break of ties made Fu Wuxuan feel bad.

He was about to grin, thicken his skin, and say some sweet words to smooth things over when a flash of light appeared in Yun Xueqing’s hand—a long sword materialized in his grip.

Fu Wuxuan: “!”

The materialist’s worldview cracked wide open!

A pressure point could maybe be explained by science, but conjuring a sword out of thin air? Utterly unscientific!

No special effects, no tricks—pure metaphysics!

Fu Wuxuan’s brain short-circuited. He stood stunned as the man said, “This sword is named Auspicious Light Fragmented Feather, an upper-grade treasure. Keep it at home to ward off evil, slay demons, and dispel harm. I gift it to you today.”

Fu Wuxuan stammered blankly, “Please let me call you Master.”

Modern cultivation—who could say no?

No chance to refuse!

And so, Fu Wuxuan happily resumed training under Yun Xueqing.

As a senior-year student, Fu Wuxuan had few classes and plenty of time to learn.

Practicing with Yun Xueqing, he clearly felt his body growing stronger.

Feeling smug, he grinned at Yun Xueqing. “Master, I’m at least a tenth of your power now, right?”

Yun Xueqing shook his head objectively. “You have great aptitude, but without a Spiritual Root, you can’t circulate Spiritual Power. You know the sword forms but can’t unleash the sword’s true might.”

Fu Wuxuan wasn’t annoyed and kept grinning. “With the spirit sword Auspicious Light Fragmented Feather you gave me, even without personal Spiritual Power, I can borrow its might to unleash ten percent of a sword form’s strength.”

Society was peaceful now—nothing to fight with—but Fu Wuxuan always felt these skills might come in handy someday.

After meditating and practicing swordplay with Yun Xueqing, Fu Wuxuan led him to the bedroom for a short rest and to try some online games. The next second, a knock sounded at the door.

Before Fu Wuxuan could open it, the door swung open the following moment.

“Bro, Leng Yin and I are here.” A girl’s voice carried through from the living room.

The next second, a girl in a blue-and-white school uniform with long black hair walked into the bedroom, followed by a boy in the same uniform.

The girl didn’t see Fu Wuxuan at first; her gaze met Yun Xueqing’s. She hadn’t expected someone else to be in the bedroom and froze for a brief second.

Fu Wuxuan also hadn’t expected her to barge in like this. He scratched his head. “Wu Xue… I need some privacy too. Don’t just come in like this next time.”

He had previously given her a spare key to the apartment and was used to her letting herself in with it, but this time, for some reason, he felt a strange unease.

“I’m not interested in your doghouse.” Wu Xue’s expression remained calm, her gaze still fixed on Yun Xueqing.

“Don’t keep staring at people like that. It’s rude.”

Out of some subtle mood, Fu Wuxuan spoke up to interrupt Wu Xue’s stare.

Wu Xue shifted her gaze away and was about to speak when the boy behind her suddenly blurted out, “Fu Wuxuan, you’re hiding someone from us behind our backs!”

Fu Wuxuan hadn’t expected Leng Yin to be so blunt, especially with Yun Xueqing right there. He reacted on the spot. “Don’t talk nonsense!”

He had thought Wu Xue would say something fair, but instead, she muttered to herself, “No wonder you haven’t come out to see us for so many days. So you’re in love.”

Leng Yin sneered. “That’s good too. This way, he won’t take up time I could spend with Brother.”

Wu Xue was already used to this extreme brother-con’s words and replied flatly, “Brother, won’t you introduce us?”

Fu Wuxuan cleared his throat, feeling a bit guilty. He glossed over Yun Xueqing’s true identity and introduced them to each other.

Wu Xue stared at Yun Xueqing again. Fu Wuxuan couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly are you looking at?”

Wu Xue ignored Fu Wuxuan and looked earnestly at Yun Xueqing. “He’s good-looking.”

Like a jade tree in the orchid breeze, with the bearing of an immortal—objectively good-looking.

Fu Wuxuan: “…”

Even with the girl staring at him, Yun Xueqing showed no embarrassment. He just smiled faintly. “Thank you.”

Fu Wuxuan’s expression turned unfriendly. “What are you two doing here?”

Wu Xue had come for no other reason than that her independent brother hadn’t contacted her in a long time, and she was worried something had happened, so she came to check.

After staying for a suitable amount of time, Wu Xue glanced at Fu Wuxuan. “Brother, come out for a moment. I have something to say to you.”

Fu Wuxuan poured a glass of water in the living room, held the cup, and followed Wu Xue suspiciously to another room. There, she said calmly, “I won’t tell Mom and Dad about your gay thing.”

The sip of water Fu Wuxuan had taken nearly sprayed out. “What are you talking about? Don’t tarnish our pure relationship!”

They had a proper master-disciple bond!

Wu Xue’s expression remained cold, her glassy eyes seeming to see through everything. “You’re living together with him, right?”

“Uh…”

Well, calling it living together wasn’t entirely wrong.

Wu Xue continued seriously, “They say prolonged time together breeds affection. He’s so good-looking, and his personality is nice too. Anyone would probably fall for him after spending time together.”

Fu Wuxuan narrowed his eyes dangerously. “What are you scheming?”

Wu Xue met his gaze expressionlessly, then suddenly curved her lips into a smile. “If I chased him… would Brother help me?”

“Don’t even think about it!” Fu Wuxuan gritted his teeth. “Give me back the key. You’re not welcome in this house anymore!”

To poach his corner—what audacity!

Wu Xue reverted to her usual expressionless face. “Just kidding. I just wanted to make you feel some tension, Brother.”

“Thanks, I’m very tense right now.” Fu Wuxuan showed a dangerous smile. “The key.”

Wu Xue didn’t resist and obediently handed over the spare key. She couldn’t help adding, “This is as far as I can help you.”

Fu Wuxuan: “?”

He had never realized before how much Wu Xue talked.

After seeing Wu Xue and Leng Yin off, Fu Wuxuan returned to the room. Looking at Yun Xueqing’s face, he recalled what Wu Xue had said, and his face and ears heated up uncontrollably.

Yun Xueqing’s tone was faint, as if he knew nothing. His clear black-and-white eyes gazed at him. “Shall we continue practicing the sword?”

Fu Wuxuan stared at him fixedly without answering. He took the spare key he had confiscated from Wu Xue out of his bag and handed it to him. “Keep this here.”

Yun Xueqing looked at him, as if trying to see through the turbulent emotions hidden beneath his taut face.

He took the key, his tone flat. “Today, we’re learning to circulate True Qi.”

Fu Wuxuan, who felt he had taken a big step forward, tilted his head and looked at him, a bit depressed. “No reaction at all?”

Yun Xueqing seemed not to hear him, his tone calm. “First, concentrate mind and guard one.”

Before Fu Wuxuan could fully wallow in his depression, he noticed Yun Xueqing’s calm and indifferent face flushed red beneath the surface. That vivid red spread from his neck all the way to his ear roots.

Fu Wuxuan narrowed his eyes in delight, sat down beside Yun Xueqing, and leaned his body slightly against the other’s, feeling the warmth transmitted through their clothes.

“Alright, concentrate mind and guard one.”

(End)