Chapter 102: Soft-Eared Mama’s Boy 17 Part 1

Luo Yunchun had never been one to indulge in stargazing or divination before. In his view, cultivation itself was already defying the heavens, disrupting one’s future and fate. So what was the point of trying to predict what lay ahead?

Tales of gods and spirits were nothing more than a means to offer people comfort.

But now, having tasted bitterness in matters of the heart, the Youngest Young Master had come to believe in them wholeheartedly.

After all, his pride prevented him from swallowing his dignity to pursue what he wanted, while his arrogance made him unwilling to accept certain humiliating truths.

Caught in this self-contradiction, the results from stargazing and divination provided Luo Yunchun with a satisfying outcome—one that let him shift his gaze without sorrow.

Why was Jiang Rang treating him with such cold disdain these days, refusing to spare him even a glance?

Who was this Demonic Prodigy?

Everything suddenly seemed obvious.

—Someone had interfered with their destined marriage, the one that should have followed their fated path.

Luo Yunchun and Jiang Rang had disliked each other for years. In a way, aside from their closest kin, they were the people who understood one another best in the world.

Luo Yunchun knew of the time when the radiant Senior Brother Jiang of the Primordial Sect had botched a sword flight, getting stuck in a thousand-year-old ancient tree and struggling there for half a day. And Jiang Rang knew how the haughty Little Young Master Luo, hailed as a pill-refining genius, had once messed up his alchemy, blowing up the furnace and ending up pitch-black from head to toe, with only his snow-white teeth gleaming sharply.

They tripped each other up constantly, yet they had an unspoken agreement never to go for the kill—stopping at most at mockery and sarcasm.

They claimed to hate one another, but over all these years, no one had paid more attention to the other.

Jiang Rang loved teasing the haughty Young Master Luo, who strutted around like a proud peacock with his head held high—like a mischievous boy back in the day who yanked on the pigtails of the one he liked.

And while Luo Yunchun appeared ashamed and furious on the surface, his bark was always worse than his bite. Most of the time, he loved complaining to others about the youthful pranks and petty annoyances the young man pulled, but what he failed to notice was how his eyes sparkled with delight and hidden smugness as he vented.

It was precisely because of this—one teasing without malice, the other indulging on purpose—that their long-standing habit had them instinctively seeking each other out first in any crowd.

Luo Yunchun had always known that Jiang Rang was a blockhead when it came to romance, an oblivious fool. The young man had an open and generous personality, blending seamlessly with his fellow disciples most of the time, acting as the tough, sharp-tongued frontliner or the heaven-blessed genius Sword Cultivator… but when it came to love, it was as if he had never awakened to it at all.

How could such a heartless idiot suddenly return from a single trip to a Secret Realm with a sweetheart in tow?

He must have been bewitched by some Demonic Prodigy, his mind and soul turned upside down.

Especially given the drastic change in the young man’s attitude before and after.

All those gazes Jiang Rang used to cast his way had now transformed into an infuriating affection, poured entirely onto that inexplicable male Fox Demon!

It wasn’t jealousy that made Luo Yunchun think this way. Really, what kind of man dressed so provocatively? He wore white robes, sure, but deliberately exposed his collarbone and the chain marks along his chest. And that wasn’t enough—he had to lean against the young man’s side with that feigned innocent and fragile look.

It was utterly shameless, disgustingly repulsive!

Leveraging his status and background, Luo Yunchun was a force to be reckoned with—not just in the Primordial Sect, but at least on Pill Peak.

He didn’t need to exert much effort; a casual inquiry revealed the true identity of that man surnamed Zhu.

Innate Disaster Body, discarded disciple of Immaculate Pavilion, and the Star Divination Pavilion Master’s verdict: Heavenly Slayer Lone Star.

A Demonic Prodigy through and through.

Luo Yunchun couldn’t help but think that the Chief Disciple of Star Divination Pavilion truly had some skill; his prophecy had hit the mark without error.

Only an idiot like Jiang Rang would invite a bringer of misfortune into his life without realizing it.

For the sake of the sect’s future—and considering they were both disciples of the Primordial Sect—he could set aside their past grudges and give the other a heads-up. If Jiang Rang was smart, he’d kick out that Fox Demon sooner rather than later. And if the fool had lost his mind to ghostly illusions, Luo Yunchun wouldn’t mind “helping” him snap out of it.

~~~

Sword Peak was precipitous, stretching straight into the clouds. The mountain paths were battered by biting winds, and on rainy days, faint mists of fine snow would drift down.

Luo Yunchun brushed the flocculent white snowflakes from his crimson sleeves. His refined face showed a hint of impatience and a faint flush from the cold.

This wasn’t Young Master Luo’s first visit to the Sword Practice Platform on Sword Peak. In the past, he had come at the invitation of some fellow disciples from Pill Peak to watch the Sword Peak disciples train.

Of course, most of them had really come to see Jiang Rang.

It had to be said that even in the Cultivation World, teeming with handsome men and beautiful women, Jiang Rang’s looks and bearing were top-tier.

The young man had an exceptionally refined bone structure, with a straight and prominent nose bridge and lips that naturally curved upward at the corners. When he smiled, his arched eyebrows and eyes resembled a hazy crescent moon in the night sky. As he wielded his sword, he moved with bold, uplifting grace and youthful vigor.

Not to mention, he was remarkably attentive and considerate, never neglecting any disciple who came to observe his swordsmanship. Those fortunate enough even received personal, hands-on guidance from him.

Who wouldn’t like a person like that?

Back then, Luo Yunchun had claimed he was there to watch Jiang Rang make a fool of himself, but in truth, throughout the entire session, his gaze never once strayed from the young man.

Of course, whenever he saw Jiang Rang offering meticulous instruction to others with a warm and amiable smile, a sour pang would inevitably twist in Luo Yunchun’s chest. He couldn’t help but spit out a sharp, biting remark like, “What a phony act.”

He said it deliberately loud enough for the young man to hear, and sure enough, Jiang Rang would turn his gaze toward him, brimming with that familiar acidic tone.

Naturally, the two of them would end up quarreling fiercely, and in the heat of anger, they might even come to blows.

But Luo Yunchun had to admit—he loved the way Jiang Rang focused entirely on him in those moments.

That furious young man, with sexy, striking veins bulging at his neck and a pair of bright black eyes reflecting nothing but Luo Yunchun himself… it was as if the entire world had narrowed down to just the two of them.

~~~

Luo Yunchun pressed his lips together and lifted the hem of his splendid vermilion robe. As he raised his eyes toward the Sword Practice Platform, disdain was etched unmistakably across his brow.

Compared to the eternally springlike abundance of Pill Peak, the Sword Practice Platform on Sword Peak was insultingly barren and desolate. Moreover, the young disciples practicing their sword forms paid no mind to their appearance at all.

Most of them wore simple thin white training robes, their backs damp with sweat stains and their foreheads glistening with perspiration.

Sword cultivators had to temper their bodies, a grueling process. Even as immortals, with their cultivation still modest, impurities lingered in their systems, inevitably producing a faint sweaty odor.

Luo Yunchun tilted his head back slightly and covered his nose, his brows furrowing in disgust.

The platform teemed with disciples, all clad in identical training attire, making it hard at first glance to pick out any one person.

Yet Luo Yunchun’s eyes unerringly drifted toward the spot where the crowd had gathered most thickly. Sure enough, with a quick scan, he spotted the young man who had just sheathed his Profound Sword—and who now looked at him as if he had seen a ghost.

Seeing the other turn to slip away down a side path off the mountain, Young Master Luo grew anxious at once. He quickened his pace, only to be repeatedly snagged and impeded by the elaborate ribbons and chains adorning his robes.

With no other choice, Luo Yunchun flung out a High-Grade Barrier-Breaking Talisman as if it cost nothing.

The moment the talisman activated, the path ahead cleared instantly. Several Sword Peak disciples, separated by the talisman’s force, shot over furious glares. But upon recognizing Young Master Luo as the culprit, they turned away as if nothing had happened.

No one dared provoke a pill cultivator—let alone one from a pill cultivator clan.

Jiang Rang realized escape was impossible. He pressed a hand to his forehead and watched as the red-robed youth hurried toward him, his ornaments clinking noisily with every step.

“Jiang Rang!” A flush like spring peach blossom spread across Luo Yunchun’s delicate, foxlike features. He lifted his sharp chin and ground out through clenched teeth, “Why do you run the moment you see me?”

Jiang Rang rubbed the hilt of his sword with one hand while subtly stepping back. He forced a dry laugh. “I didn’t run. But seriously, what do you want this time? I haven’t stirred up any trouble with you lately.”

Luo Yunchun pressed his lips together, his slightly narrowed black eyes locking onto the young man. After a long moment, he fluttered his thick lashes and averted his gaze unnaturally. “I have important business to discuss with you.”

Jiang Rang’s brows furrowed slightly. He pondered for a moment before murmuring his assent.

The surrounding disciples, sharp-eyed as ever, tactfully backed away a few paces.

Luo Yunchun fell silent for a beat, his breathing gradually steadying at his throat. Only after a while did he speak. “Jiang Rang, I’m not here for anything else. I just wanted to warn you—don’t let yourself get fooled.”

Jiang Rang had just looked up when Luo Yunchun continued, “Do you even know Zhu Miaojie? He’s got an Innate Disaster Body. He brought ruin to countless disciples in Immaculate Pavilion. And not only that—the Star Divination Pavilion Master once divined that he’s a Heavenly Slayer Lone Star. Jiang Rang, you shouldn’t have brought him back to Primordial Sect.”

Silence hung in the air for a long moment.

Luo Yunchun waited and waited, but no response came from the young man. His heart stirred uneasily. He couldn’t help thinking that Jiang Rang, raised in Primordial Sect and treating Kunyu Immortal Venerable like a father, must be heartbroken right now—his sincere feelings betrayed, and perhaps even endangering the sect itself…

But before he could fully gather his thoughts, a calm, resolute voice spoke up—one rare enough to carry a note of genuine seriousness.

“Luo Yunchun, this is none of your business. Ah Miao didn’t deceive me. I’ve known from the very start that he has an Innate Disaster Body.”

The red-clothed youth dazedly lifted his gaze. His eyelids felt too heavy to keep open, as if countless raindrops and snowflakes had inexplicably gathered in his eyes, blurring his vision. He wanted to rub them away but felt an inexplicable wave of embarrassment.

Yet Jiang Rang kept speaking, his voice earnest and restrained to the utmost. “I know you’re reminding me out of good intentions, but Ah Miao is a very good person. The Innate Disaster Body wasn’t something he chose—he’s suffered greatly because of it. Of course, I gave it a lot of thought before bringing Ah Miao back. Fortunately, Shizun has a method to suppress the Disaster Body. Now that Ah Miao is wearing the Life-Sealing Appearance Lock, he’s no different from any ordinary person.”

“I’m telling you all this today so you know—and so does everyone else,” the youth said, sweeping a knowing glance around him before continuing. “Ah Miao is the person I like, and he will be my Dao Companion in the future. I will protect him. Now that he’s just an ordinary person, I hope none of you will look at him with strange eyes.”

With that, the youth—fine beads of sweat gathering on his forehead—nodded slightly and turned to leave.

But just as in those storybooks, the moment the youth who had bravely bared his heart turned around, there stood his beloved right behind him, having heard every heartfelt word.