Chapter 14: Lay Low and Run from Trouble—That’s Just Like You

The next hour passed in unusual quiet.

The entire Stone Long Platform echoed only with Rong Ye’s low voice as he lectured, devoid of any other noise. Gu Changhuai listened until his head swam, overwhelmed as a demon clansman by the Cultivation World’s scriptures—it felt like he was being exorcised.

He could only prop his chin and idly scan the disciples below, trying to spot the male lead’s trace. It was truly strange—how could Xinnan Immortal Sect lack Zhao Qianlin? He was the protagonist of Breaking Heaven.

The original novel had mentioned in passing that Zhao Qianlin fully restored his spirit veins during the Heaven Discussion Assembly, after which he would come to attend the lectures.

But the assembly had been going on for days, so what was with the male lead’s absence?

Gu Changhuai pondered for a moment. Perhaps the timing hadn’t arrived yet. There was no reason for all other characters from the book to be present while the male lead alone vanished.

The Heaven Discussion Assembly lasted two months anyway; he might appear later.

As he mulled this over, his gaze suddenly caught a vibrant splash of tail feathers. Gu Changhuai paused abruptly, his ink-black eyes narrowing slightly.

There sat a refined young lord in a cloak of cyan-red hues, his jade coronet tied high. The feathers that drew Gu Changhuai’s eye adorned his temple, shimmering with iridescent colors in the sunlight. As he lifted his brush to write, spiritual artifacts dangled from his wrist guard.

But upon closer inspection, the man was covered head to toe in magical treasures, jingling and sparkling like a pampered young noble raised in opulence, sitting there quietly.

Familiar.

Too familiar.

Gu Changhuai racked his brain and finally recalled the man’s role in the original story—villain number one, Xuan Yao. The young lord of Red Feather Manor, determined to trouble the male lead but too weak to win, backed by his family’s deep wealth.

The villain had arrived, so how far could finding Zhao Qianlin be?

Gu Changhuai couldn’t help but reveal a relieved smile. He felt at ease.

Perhaps his stare lingered too boldly without shifting, Xuan Yao noticed, frowned, and looked up toward Gu Changhuai.

They locked eyes in silence.

Gu Changhuai watched as Xuan Yao sized him up, lifted his chin with haughty arrogance in his brows, a trace of disdain in his eyes. He mouthed silently, mocking: What are you looking at, loser?

Gu Changhuai was baffled: “…?”

No, if you have the energy, go mock the male lead. Why mock him? So petty he wouldn’t even let him look.

No wonder he was the villain.

Fine, take it step by step. Casting aside the original plot for now, Gu Changhuai turned his thoughts to how he would report intelligence to the Demon Venerable next.

Treating Rong Ye’s steady lecturing voice as background noise, he gripped his brush and lowered his head, carefully composing word by word—

Dearest Demon Venerable, your subordinate has clashed formally with Qing Lian Immortal Lord as ordered. This battle was perilous, shaking heaven and earth. I exerted myself to the utmost and nearly perished, failing to take Qing Lian’s dog life but leaving a wound on him.

Considering my future devotion to you, Your Venerable, I dared not die lightly. After escaping, I lay in ambush within Xinnan Immortal Sect. Once my injuries heal, I will continue my efforts to assassinate Qing Lian.

After a thought, Gu Changhuai added—

I beseech Your Venerable not to worry; mere Qing Lian is no threat.

…

Mainly, don’t throw inexplicable obstacles my way.

By vaguely indicating his severe injuries in the letter, even if the Demon Venerable lacked conscience, he shouldn’t press for assassinations so urgently in the short term.

Once this letter went out, Gu Changhuai could likely buy some time.

With a peaceful mindset, adhering to the principle of delay if possible to steady the Demon Venerable first, he had no ability to face Rong Ye head-on and didn’t want an ugly death.

Survive, maintain the triangle—that was the steadiest form!

By the time he revised and polished the letter’s content, the hour had passed.

After folding the paper, Gu Changhuai heard rustling murmurs around him. He turned to see the disciples below the Stone Long Platform dispersing gradually, some whispering and glancing his way now and then.

“?

Gu Changhuai blinked in confusion, suddenly feeling a shadow envelop him.

After a silent moment… Rong Ye had gone quiet?

Realizing this, Gu Changhuai stiffened briefly before slowly raising his head. Rong Ye stood before his long desk, though he didn’t know when or how long he’d been there, simply gazing at him steadily. “What are you writing?”

“…Some lecture notes.” Gu Changhuai smoothly changed the subject as if nothing happened. “Is Immortal Lord waiting for me?”

He met Rong Ye’s eyes and smiled. “Immortal Lord, go ahead. That pit on the path back is still there; I’ll fill it.”

Seeming brushed off, Rong Ye hummed lowly, his expression unchanged. “Return soon.”

Gu Changhuai watched Rong Ye leave and quietly exhaled in relief. Luckily, Rong Ye wasn’t the prying type, or if he’d insisted on seeing it, he’d have had to oblige…

With that thought, he sent his divine sense to transmit a message to Hua Mei: “Friend, I have a score to settle with you. Come here.”

Hua Mei chuckled cheerfully: “Perfect, I have something to tell you. Guess what I found in Ten Directions Garden?”

A bad premonition stirred in Gu Changhuai’s heart. “What?”

Hua Mei drawled in a mocking falsetto: “Supreme Peak Night Talks: Immortal Venerable Be Gentle It Hurts and Triangular Entanglement: Who Does Gu Belong To. Who knew? Gu the official plays quite wildly.”

“…”

Gu Changhuai sneered coldly: “I’m going to skin Zhao Shuzhai alive.”

*

Before settling scores with Zhao Shuzhai, he needed to clean up the trap on the path first.

If the pit dug specifically for Rong Ye harmed someone else, that would be troublesome.

On that familiar mountain path, halfway along, Gu Changhuai’s eyes shifted as his sharp gaze swept toward the trap’s location.

Sensing an unfamiliar aura from the pit’s bottom, he raised a brow.

Yo, someone had fallen in during this short time.

Approaching leisurely, Gu Changhuai peered down and saw a familiar tail feather. Xuan Yao sat at the bottom, covered in dirt.

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Isn’t this the genius? How’d you end up in a pit?”

Detecting the sarcasm, Xuan Yao looked up angrily, suddenly meeting a pair of smiling ink-black eyes.

He blanked slightly.

Backlit as he leaned over, Gu Changhuai looked lazily relaxed, his posture slightly bent forward. A few strands of long hair fell from his refined, exceptionally handsome face, glowing faintly and making him seem to emit a scattered shimmer.

A sly, mocking smile curved his lips as he arched a brow. “What are you looking at, genius!”

His teasing tone carried a hint of playfulness, disarming any anger.

He soon realized Gu Changhuai was mocking him over the Stone Long Platform incident.

Xuan Yao snapped back, his ears heating as he cursed: “So what if I looked! You only got a good seat by being Qing Lian Immortal Lord’s attendant—a loser who’s not even an inner disciple!”

What a nasty temper; no injustice in being the villain.

Gu Changhuai smiled, his tone gentle: “Then stay at the bottom a bit longer.”

Xuan Yao fumed: “Is this how Xinnan Immortal Sect treats guests?!”

Gu Changhuai didn’t know Xinnan Immortal Sect’s hospitality, but his was to poke at sore spots.

He spread his hands and shrugged at Xuan Yao: “I’m just a mere attendant, not even an inner disciple—worthless. Forgive me for being powerless to help.”

As he spoke, Hua Mei arrived, seeing Gu Changhuai squatting by the trap. “I heard you arguing from afar. What’s this?”

Gu Changhuai summed it up: “Someone fell in the pit and insulted me.”

“Insulted you? And you’re this patient?” Hua Mei’s expression was odd.

Back in the Demon Realm, those who’d spoken ill of Gu Changhuai were mostly three feet under now. The Gu Changhuai who hated conflict and drew his blade at trouble was actually bickering.

Gu Changhuai sighed: “Different times call for different measures. Lay low.”

By then, Hua Mei had reached the pit’s edge and peered in with a grin, fanning himself as he covered his mouth in delight: “What flower peacock is this? I’ve lived these years and never seen anyone so extravagantly adorned.”

The spiritual artifacts covering Xuan Yao jingled pleasantly with his movements. Feathers adorned his high jade coronet, two hairpins pierced through, with silk tassels dangling nearly to his waist, less than two inches wide… Wait—Gu Changhuai’s eyes sharpened as he looked at the tassel’s end.

The spot meant for beads was empty.

“Pretty boy, who are you calling flower peacock? Do you know who I am to spout such nonsense!” Xuan Yao glared coldly.

Hua Mei snorted a laugh: “So arrogant after falling in a pit? Can a flower peacock get out?”

Xuan Yao, furious, pointed at them both: “You… you…!”

Seeming enraged, he flicked his sleeve, yanking a chain on his wrist. Suddenly, a flexible golden thread like a metal serpent shot from the pit bottom, swiftly climbing the nearby tree. A surge of vast spiritual energy erupted from the pit, whipping up a gale. The figure yanked by the golden line leaped from the hole and reached straight for Gu Changhuai.

Gu Changhuai: “?”

“Why grab me?” Gu Changhuai was baffled. “I didn’t call you flower peacock.”

He turned to find Hua Mei, but the spiritual energy burst had been too dense—instantly nauseating for a demon clansman.

Hua Mei had retreated far, scrambling to a treetop to gulp fresh air.

Gu Changhuai: “…!?”

Fine, fine. Run from trouble— that’s just like you.