After Accidentally Entering the Forbidden Land and Forming a Bond with the Grandmaster - Chapter 10

Pursuing a Wife, Strategy Two: Self-Persuasion.

On this day, after Chu Lanci finished feeding the rabbits, he looked up and asked Xie Zhuo, “Master, you said we could leave the Forbidden Land when spring arrived, right?”

Xie Zhuo was currently building a cabinet. He had brought over a great deal of spiritual wood and was fully focused on the task. Yet, at that very moment, Chu Lanci reminded him of their departure.

He set down the spiritual wood. “Yes, we leave today.” As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Lanci and saw an irrepressible smile gracing the youth’s face. Though the smile was faint, it was obvious that he desperately wanted to leave.

Beside him, Chu Lanci continued, “It is a pity about this furniture and these little rabbits.” He crouched down, gathering the bunnies into his arms, and then looked up at Xie Zhuo with a gentle smile.

“If you want more, we can just make them again,” Xie Zhuo replied. Even as he said it, he suddenly lost all motivation and tossed the half-finished piece aside.

One look at Xie Zhuo’s attitude told Chu Lanci that the man was feeling bored again. Having spent some time with him, Chu Lanci knew that Xie Zhuo, perhaps because he was too brilliant, was someone who grew bored easily and required constant soothing and praise. As the disciple, he naturally bore the responsibility of keeping his Master happy.

Throughout this winter, though the spells Xie Zhuo taught him were few, there were at least two small ones. It was not the Master’s fault; it was primarily because Chu Lanci was too clumsy. He could not even master a simple talisman-attachment spell for woodcutting, despite Xie Zhuo teaching him more than twenty times. Regardless, he remained deeply grateful to his Master.

Chu Lanci quickly smiled and said, “Master, even if we leave, we can still keep these things. We can take them with us.”

Xie Zhuo turned back. “Take them?”

Chu Lanci nodded with a smile. “Yes, it is also a memento. A memento of the time you and I spent together.”

Xie Zhuo froze. He wondered what Chu Lanci was saying. Were they considered “together”? Was he referring to him and his home?

“Master, what are you thinking about?”

Xie Zhuo snapped back to reality and let out a cold, aloof grunt. “That makes sense. If you want to keep them, then keep them.” He decided he might as well finish the cabinet, as he had nothing better to do.

While working, he stole a glance at Chu Lanci. His young disciple was not particularly tall and had a slender build. His exact features remained a mystery, though he seemed pleasant enough. When it came to matters of the bed, the two of them were actually quite compatible. Although the boy lacked a spiritual root entirely, Xie Zhuo still derived a great deal of pleasure from him. In fact, he derived a lot of pleasure.

Beyond that, his personality was decent. He had a good temper and provided considerable emotional value. However, Xie Zhuo told himself not to overthink it and to just leave first. A hundred years had passed, and there was no telling what had happened in the outside world.

Back then, it was agreed that the day the seal was broken would be the day his sentence was served. Though he did not truly care about the sentence, and whether he left or stayed mattered little to him, it would be a lie to say he had no attachments. He was born, raised, and achieved his greatness in the Qianshan Mountains. No matter what, he had to return to Qianshan to see it for himself.

With so many variables outside, there was no guarantee he could continue to stay with Chu Lanci. However, once the decision was made, Xie Zhuo directly swept all the finished furniture, including the rabbits they had raised and even their handmade porcelain bowls, into his spiritual ring. With everything packed, he prepared to open the Forbidden Land.

The Frost Chill Decree seal was at its strongest in winter and weakest in spring. Furthermore, the cold poison within his body had completely vanished. This feat was owed entirely to Chu Lanci. Xie Zhuo found it strange that a mere mortal could serve as his antidote, but because of it, breaking the seal had become exceptionally easy.

Xie Zhuo’s eyes darkened. Spiritual power suddenly surged around him, and his robes billowed violently despite the lack of wind. He reached out, his slender fingers rapidly weaving signs and forming seals. Ethereal blue spiritual light flowed between his fingertips. As the incantation took shape, he raised both arms above his head. As he brought them down, a brilliant pillar of light erupted from his fingertips and pierced straight into the clouds.

Instantly, the world transformed. Everything within the illusion underwent a violent change. The lava and the jungles began to slough away. Chu Lanci watched in awe as the world seemed to have a transparent layer peeled off it. The illusion began to collapse, cracks appeared in the sky, and then it was reborn. Everything was different. The sky in the Forbidden Land had always been gloomy, and even the snow felt tainted with impurities, but the real sky was not like that at all. Everything was new.

The one who had accomplished this was Xie Zhuo. Faint golden karmic flames burned at his fingertips as soul-threads shrieked and twisted within the fire. Xie Zhuo’s Qingshuang Sword hovered above, vibrating with a dragon-like roar. Eventually, the runes drawn by the blue blade transformed into ten thousand rays of light, dissolving every last trace of the surrounding illusions. They were out.

Chu Lanci was just about to cheer in joy when he realized they had not emerged outside the Forbidden Land where he used to deliver food. Instead, they were in an unfamiliar place. It was still a dense forest that looked almost identical to the one in the Forbidden Land, save for the absence of the lava river. He could not tell if they had actually escaped or not.

Xie Zhuo was sheathing his sword and withdrawing his protective aura. Chu Lanci asked, “Master, where are we?”

“We are out,” Xie Zhuo replied. “This is the outer perimeter of the Forbidden Land. I did not shatter the seal entirely. If I had, it would have caused a global phenomenon and exposed my location.”

“Oh,” Chu Lanci murmured. “So, we have to stay here for a while?”

“More or less,” Xie Zhuo answered, watching for Chu Lanci’s reaction.

Chu Lanci smiled. “As long as we are out, it is fine. This works out well because I can learn a bit more from you, Master.” These were merely polite words. In Chu Lanci’s mind, since Xie Zhuo had taken care of him in the Forbidden Land, he could not just turn his back on the man the moment they left.

But Xie Zhuo did not see it that way. He interpreted the statement as Chu Lanci wanting to stay by his side. Since that was the case, they would stay together a while longer. He planned to lay low for a bit to survey the current state of the cultivation world. Consequently, for them, moving from inside the Forbidden Land to just outside it did not feel like a significant change.

This time, they did not choose a cave. Xie Zhuo suggested, “How about we build a house?”

“That sounds good,” Chu Lanci agreed. “A house is much more comfortable to live in.”

Xie Zhuo shot him a glance. “Comfortable in what way?”

Chu Lanci smiled innocently. “It is comfortable for sleeping.”

Xie Zhuo was stunned. For some reason, he let out a slow, lingering grunt of agreement. It had been ten days since his last bout of cold affliction. To say Xie Zhuo had no desires would be a lie. But he was the type of person who, no matter how much he wanted something, would never utter a single word about it. Moreover, counting the days, he expected it would happen tonight.

The two went off to build the house, each with their own thoughts. This time, Xie Zhuo did not listen to Chu Lanci and did not work slowly. He used magic for everything to save time and effort. Most importantly, it had to be finished tonight. Chu Lanci let him be and went to feed the rabbits. Seeing there was no fresh water in the house, he decided to go to the river to fetch some. He figured there would not be as many demonic beasts out here as there were in the Forbidden Land.

But as luck would have it, a small beast happened to pass by while he was drawing water. A long tentacle suddenly wrapped around his waist and dragged him straight into the water. Though Chu Lanci could swim, the beast possessed terrifying strength and pulled him down into the depths. Fortunately, Xie Zhuo heard the commotion and arrived in an instant. The beast vanished the moment it saw him.

Xie Zhuo grabbed Chu Lanci by the waist, yanked him out of the water, and brought him back to the shore. He pressed his palm against the youth’s abdomen and surged his spiritual power. Chu Lanci arched his back and spat out a mouthful of water, but he remained unconscious.

Xie Zhuo found it strange. Weak as Chu Lanci was, his constitution was peculiar. Demonic beasts could not seem to truly harm him. Xie Zhuo knew this well; Chu Lanci could even withstand his own primordial essence, making him a truly perfect match. Now that the youth was out of danger, his clothes were still soaking wet. After removing the outer robe, only the inner garment remained. Xie Zhuo recalled the time Chu Lanci had surreptitiously changed his own clothes. In truth, even without removing them, everything was clearly visible. His skin was radiantly white, like fresh snow on jade or the finest glazed porcelain, emitting a faint, subtle glow. From his chest downward, the gaze lingered briefly on the flat, firm abdomen before disappearing into the waistline.

In particular, that area was like a jade carving. Its lines were as perfect as if drawn by a master’s brush. Then there was the face. Without the restrictions of the forbidden spells, Xie Zhuo had regained his spiritual sense. He had originally thought the boy was merely pleasant looking, but the reality far exceeded his expectations.

The man’s features were gentle, with the natural downward curve of his eyes conveying an innate softness. His skin was pale, looking even more delicate now that it was drenched. He wore a simple, faded green hemp garment with weathered cloud patterns embroidered on the sleeves and hem. It was hard to imagine a mere village producing such a person. Xie Zhuo’s standards were incredibly high, yet Chu Lanci’s beauty was undoubtedly of the highest caliber.

As he looked at the man in his arms, Xie Zhuo felt an awkward physiological change. In truth, this had happened several times during the ten days they had not been intimate, but today it felt particularly overwhelming. Sharing a bed every night made it difficult not to have such thoughts. He used a spell to dry the clothes and was about to dress Chu Lanci when he saw the youth’s eyes flutter open. “Master,” he murmured.

Xie Zhuo shoved the inner garment at him. “Do it yourself.”

Chu Lanci slowly took the clothes and sat up. He looked down at his open collar but did not think much of it. Once dressed, he followed Xie Zhuo back to the wooden house. Upon arriving, he saw a perfect little cabin standing before them. Xie Zhuo had done this all by himself. Chu Lanci wondered how someone could be so incredible. He set down his bucket and offered sincere praise. “It is truly beautiful, Master.”

“Go inside and look,” Xie Zhuo said.

They entered the cabin to find all their handmade furniture arranged neatly. One could say this house was a collaborative creation between the two of them. Chu Lanci laughed. “One could practically get married in here, right, Master?”

Xie Zhuo remained silent. He knew it. “I will give this house to you, then.”

Chu Lanci, who had been looking around, quickly turned back. “No, that is not necessary, Master. You built the whole thing.”

“I said I am giving it to you. Do you want it or not? Consider it a wedding gift.”

Chu Lanci replied, “But I do not have anyone to marry.” He thought for a moment and joked, “Don’t tell me Master wants to marry me?” He finished with a squint-eyed laugh. He only made the joke because Xie Zhuo had once asked him what he would do if he slept with a man. Truthfully, he did not care. Because he was not invested, it did not matter. As for marrying a man, that was simply impossible. Besides, he liked women. He wondered why he would ever be with a man. It was just a joke, so he assumed no one would take it seriously.

However, it was clear that Xie Zhuo was taking it very seriously.

Support After Accidentally Entering the Forbidden Land and Forming a Bond with the Grandmaster