Chapter 73: Divine Temple Arc (Part 2)

Yun Xueqing got lost.

To be precise, the Mountains and Rivers Brush in his hand had gotten lost.

Yun Xueqing took the Mountains and Rivers Brush from Fu Mi not out of some sense of justice, but for personal reasons.

The reason was simple. The brush he clutched in his hand might not be the divine brush from the legends that could turn fakes into reality; it was just an ordinary brush stained with immortal energy.

It sounded absurd, but the owner of this brush was none other than Yun Xueqing’s master, Mei Qujun.

Ever since awakening from his slumber, this was the first clue Yun Xueqing had found related to his sect, filling him with a mix of surprise and complex emotions.

He had thought that after a thousand years, his sect had no successors and had perished entirely. He never imagined he would see something connected to it again.

Yun Xueqing had confirmed it with the Retrospection Technique—this was indeed his master’s brush.

So, he had an idea. If he applied the Immortal Seeking Technique to the brush, perhaps he could locate its owner, his master Mei Qujun.

Of course, the Immortal Seeking Technique had harsh requirements for successful casting, one of which was that the person being sought had to still be alive.

The thought crossed Yun Xueqing’s mind, but he didn’t hold out much hope. If his master was truly still alive and the immortal sect still existed, why were there no traces of it now?

Though reason told him success was impossible, he still cast the Immortal Seeking Technique with a sliver of hope—and it actually worked.

Yun Xueqing followed the brush into a small town, but afterward, it went still, as if its energy had been depleted, reverting to an ordinary brush.

Yun Xueqing guessed that his master must have been active in this town at some point, so he inquired around town. Unfortunately, the results were disappointing.

After wandering in circles like this, Yun Xueqing unexpectedly ran into someone he never thought he’d see. “Fu Wuxuan?”

Fu Wuxuan, wrapped up tightly from head to toe: “…You can even recognize me like this?”

His voice was muffled inside the trench coat, indistinct, but even so, the intense surprise and joy within it were palpable.

Fu Wuxuan truly hadn’t expected to run into Yun Xueqing so easily on his way to Strategy God Heavens.

It was so effortless that for a moment, he even suspected whether the Divine Temple had sent someone disguised as Yun Xueqing to lure him out.

But whether real or fake, the genuine delight surging from within his heart couldn’t be faked.

There were four great joys in life: sweet rain after a long drought, success on the imperial exams, meeting an old friend in a foreign land, and the wedding night.

Meeting Yun Xueqing in this foreign land made Fu Wuxuan feel as if he had encountered two of life’s great joys at once.

His current state felt a bit off.

Unaware of Fu Wuxuan’s inner thoughts, Yun Xueqing simply nodded and answered his earlier question. “Your aura is very different.”

Fu Wuxuan had already forgotten what he had asked, feeling somewhat out of it, his heart fluttering for an instant. But years of thick-skinned experience allowed him to feign his usual casual teasing tone. “You’re not even a little happy to see me?”

Yun Xueqing didn’t know how to express his happiness and could only answer honestly. “I’m happy to see you.”

Fu Wuxuan nodded, then suddenly grew solemn. “I’m happy too.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“Because you’re smiling like it’s worthless right now.”

“…”

Fu Wuxuan wiped the “worthless” smile from his face and turned serious. “Strategy God Heavens didn’t do anything to you, right? How did you escape?”

Yun Xueqing slowly recounted his experiences along the way to Fu Wuxuan. When he mentioned Fu Mi casting “Oracle: Binding,” the other man’s expression darkened noticeably.

Yun Xueqing paused. “Is there something wrong with this Oracle?”

Fu Wuxuan glanced at him and hesitated before explaining. “This Oracle can save people or harm them, depending on who’s using it. Strategy God Heavens typically casts it after ending a Weird Domain… No point telling you now; it’d just add to your worries.”

What Fu Wuxuan didn’t tell him was that some Weird Domains had special exits that allowed safe escape, but those were limited.

The Oracle: Binding that Fu Mi cast sealed off every exit in the entire Weird Domain. As long as there was enough Spirit Energy, the whole domain could be wrapped up and completely sealed.

Even if the Anomalous Domain Lord died and the domain shattered, the Weirds couldn’t escape the Binding. But neither could the Oracles trapped inside it.

Putting a bunch of ferocious Weirds and a group of Oracles in the same “ball” together—what would happen was obvious.

Though Fu Wuxuan hadn’t revealed everything, Yun Xueqing could guess some of it from that.

After this revelation, the joy of reuniting with an old friend faded. Yun Xueqing’s expression soured. “I should have stopped him back then.”

Fu Wuxuan shook his head. “Fu Mi’s not easy to deal with. Besides, casting an Oracle happens in an instant—hard to stop. The only way would have been to kill him inside the Weird Domain.”

But he couldn’t have known in advance that Fu Mi would do such a thing. Put another way, he hadn’t truly seen through Fu Mi before, nor had he seen through the Strategy God Heavens organization.

Though Strategy God Heavens had a notorious reputation as an evil group among the masses, this was the first time Yun Xueqing had personally felt just how ruthless its members were—treating human lives like weeds.

Seeing Yun Xueqing’s expressionless face, Fu Wuxuan changed the subject. “Since you escaped from Strategy God Heavens, why come here?”

Yun Xueqing snapped back to attention, puzzled. “Is there something about this place I can’t come to?”

Fu Wuxuan explained, “There’s a Strategy God Heavens branch nearby, though most people don’t know it. Otherwise, no one would dare show up in this town.”

Yun Xueqing gave a wry smile. “After all that wandering, I ended up back here.”

Fu Wuxuan said, “Those Strategy God Heavens troublemakers—we shouldn’t tangle with them too soon. Let’s plan carefully…”

Before he finished speaking, a shout rang out: “Gray Duck Squad! The wanted target is here!”

Fu Wuxuan’s expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure. “They’re like lingering ghosts… Enough chit-chat. Let’s find a place to hide first—the Divine Temple’s dogs are closing in.”

With that, he grabbed Yun Xueqing’s hand and dashed forward. They ran a full ten li out of the town before he let out a breath of relief and glanced back. “Those dogs didn’t catch up.”

Yun Xueqing eyed the other’s hand, signaling with his gaze. “Please let go.”

Fu Wuxuan then realized he still hadn’t released the hand. He let go as if scalded, his gaze flickering as he changed the subject. “Let’s find a place to settle down first. We’ve been running all day; it’s exhausting.”

Yun Xueqing thought of the now-useless Mountains and Rivers Brush and suppressed his inner doubts, nodding. “Alright. I’ll follow your lead.”

Fu Wuxuan was pleased by those words. He was familiar with the area from a previous visit and knew where to stay, so he led Yun Xueqing to a nearby inn.

Due to full occupancy—and the fact that separate rooms weren’t safe—they shared one. Having slept in the same bed before, both accepted it without issue.

Night was when fatigue showed most, even for someone like Fu Wuxuan, who stirred up trouble daily, got chased, and still bounced back to save people like a third-body alien.

He removed his hat and splashed water on his face casually. Turning, he saw Yun Xueqing untying his hair band, head slightly bowed as he washed his face.

His fair skin dotted with water droplets, bathed in warm candlelight, exuding a fragrant allure.

A strange feeling stirred in Fu Wuxuan’s heart.

He sighed casually, “If only it were peacetime. At my age, I’d probably already have a wife warming the kang bed.”

Yun Xueqing, unfamiliar with the saying, repeated it blankly. “A wife warming the kang bed?”

“Yeah, a wife warming the kang bed,” Fu Wuxuan nodded solemnly, “no kids.”

Yun Xueqing missed the hint entirely and turned back to his thoughts on the Mountains and Rivers Brush, oblivious to the romance.

After washing up, they lay on the same bed, each harboring their own concerns as they drifted off.

Moonlight filtered into the room, but neither of the two with divergent thoughts actually slept.

Fu Wuxuan heard Yun Xueqing’s breathing and knew he was awake too, so he spoke softly. “What are your plans next?”

Yun Xueqing hadn’t slept and heard him clearly, but he didn’t know how to respond.

His mind was a mess right now. Knowing his master might still be alive brought joy, but the clue had snapped, and he’d learned of Fu Mi’s mass murder scheme. The emotions tangled into deep complexity.

So he said, “I don’t know.”

“Don’t know? That’s just like you,” Fu Wuxuan chuckled lightly. “Always so muddled.”

If someone else said it, it might sound sarcastic, but coming from the enlightened Fu Wuxuan, his low, gentle voice felt exceptionally warm and intimate.

Yun Xueqing paused, then—whether out of courtesy or something else—asked suddenly, “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Not convenient to say?”

“It wasn’t before,” Fu Wuxuan teased, stringing him along. “Now it’s more convenient.”

Yun Xueqing didn’t indulge him. “Then you don’t have to say.”

Fu Wuxuan: “…”

Yun Xueqing even added sincerely, “I don’t really want to know anyway.”

“…Fine, no more riddle-man act.”

Fu Wuxuan surrendered quickly, but opening up about his own matters still required mental preparation, crossing that psychological barrier.

He gathered his thoughts, considering how to start. “You know I have a grudge with the Divine Temple. They’re chasing me because I killed the former Temple Grand High Priest Leng Xian—the brother of Leng Yin.”

Even discussing serious matters, Fu Wuxuan veered off-topic. “Leng Yin’s a real turtle grandson, sneaky personality, but he’s just a brother-obsessed guy, not some great villain.”

Even defending someone, he had to roast them first.

After the jabs, Fu Wuxuan felt the pressure lift, his storytelling tone lightening. “Back then, Leng Xian and I were close. Though superior and subordinate, he treated me like a brother. Leng Yin got jealous and always picked on me—those days were fun.”

Yun Xueqing listened quietly.

A genuine smile appeared on Fu Wuxuan’s face, but it quickly faded. “But later… Leng Xian died. Killed by me.”