Everyone Says I’m Cold and Aloof, But I Just Have Social Anxiety! - Chapter 27

Yan Luochen hesitated no longer. With a sweep of his Wind Spirit Fan, a violent gale howled forth, lunging directly at Gu Qingzhi.

Gu Qingzhi’s figure remained unmoved. He held his longsword horizontally in front of him to parry, and a wall of ice instantly rose, blocking the onslaught of the wind.

Boom!

The gale collided with the ice wall, emitting a massive explosion. The wall shattered instantly, and the gale dissipated along with it. Immediately following this, Gu Qingzhi’s figure flashed, his longsword carrying a bone-chilling aura as it lunged toward Yan Luochen.

Yan Luochen dodged to the side, his fan moving rapidly as he sent blade after blade of wind toward Gu Qingzhi. Gu Qingzhi swung his sword to defend. The powers of ice and wind clashed repeatedly in mid-air, emitting sharp shrieks that sent both men reeling backward.

Gu Qingzhi exerted his strength once more. Cold energy surged atop his longsword, and a massive illusory ice-blade slashed toward Yan Luochen. Yan Luochen’s expression grew solemn; he gripped the Wind Spirit Fan with both hands, his lips moving as he muttered an incantation. A powerful whirlwind surged from the fan to contend with the ice-blade.

Rumble!

The massive energy impact caused the entire pocket-world to tremble, and the shimmering light on the ground flickered even more violently.

“Senior Brother is as formidable as ever!” Yan Luochen said while panting.

Gu Qingzhi responded calmly: “You are not bad yourself.”

Yan Luochen launched another attack. With a wave of his fan, countless wind-blades transformed into a giant dragon, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as it rushed toward Gu Qingzhi. Unhurried, Gu Qingzhi danced with his sword, his cold energy condensing into a massive ice-phoenix to meet the wind-dragon.

The phoenix and dragon entangled in the sky, neither willing to yield. Both men displayed their full range of skills; their spiritual energy was constantly consumed, yet continuously replenished by the pocket-world’s aura. Neither was willing to retreat even half a step.

As Yan Luochen watched the scene of the phoenix and dragon, his thoughts drifted, and he drew a parallel to himself and his Senior Brother.

Gu Qingzhi’s attitude toward a future Dao companion was unique—he never cared about the other’s gender or family background. The only thing he valued was whether the other’s cultivation was a match for his own and whether they could always accompany each other.

Currently, Yan Luochen had already achieved this point.

He gazed at Gu Qingzhi’s handsome, slightly cold face, and secret thoughts began to churn in his heart. His Senior Brother’s personality was indeed a bit cold, and he wasn’t good at communicating with others. But what did that matter? As long as he, Yan Luochen, was there, none of that would be a problem. Since most people in the world harbored secret desires for his Senior Brother, he might as well take advantage of his proximity to be the first to “gain the moon”!

As he thought, the corners of Yan Luochen’s mouth curled up slightly, and his eyes revealed a glimmer of determination and a “will-to-win” light.

As time passed, the attacks from the ice-phoenix and wind-dragon above gradually weakened, until both sides finally stopped out of exhaustion. Yan Luochen looked at Gu Qingzhi, his eyes overflowing with an irrepressible joy. “Senior Brother, it seems that this time, it is difficult to distinguish the winner.”

Gu Qingzhi sheathed his sword, the blade vanishing into his palm, and nodded slightly. “Ending in a draw is also quite good.”

“Senior Brother, the others won’t conclude their matches so quickly. Why don’t we play a more interesting game for now?” Yan Luochen arched an eyebrow, the smile in his eyes appearing exceptionally ambiguous.

Gu Qingzhi looked puzzled. “What game?”

Yan Luochen did not speak. He simply lowered his eyes slightly and walked toward him with slow but steady steps. Every step carried a certain resolve, and the surrounding air seemed to grow heavier with his approach. Once he was close, his movements suddenly became swift and bold as he lunged toward the other’s face.

Before Gu Qingzhi had any time to react, Yan Luochen had already quietly touched his warm lips.

Gu Qingzhi’s eyes instantly widened to their limit, filled with shock and disbelief. He stood there as if frozen by a spell standing dazed, his body stiff. He didn’t push Yan Luochen away, nor did he make any other move.

This brief impasse led Yan Luochen to mistake it for silent permission, and thus he grew even more bold, deepening the kiss. The moisture and warmth transferred between their pressed lips felt like a burning fire intense and frantic.

However, this further touch was exactly what allowed Gu Qingzhi to recover from his shock. His face instantly flushed with anger and shame, and he used both hands to forcefully push the other away, shouting: “Yan Luochen! What do you think you are doing!”

[WTF! Yan Luochen, you bastard, my first kiss is just gone like that! GONE!!]

He was completely unaware that Yan Luochen had developed feelings of affection for him; he only felt that he had been willfully toyed with.

Yan Luochen’s expression froze for a moment, but he recovered instantly. A gentle smile traced his lips—a smile like a spring breeze, carrying a hint of intoxicating warmth.

He said, “In the past, when I heard people call me by my full name, they either wanted to punch me or kill me. But hearing it from Senior Brother’s mouth… this is the first time. I actually feel my name can sound so beautiful. Why don’t you call me again, Senior Brother?”

His gaze was full of expectation and earnestness, like a child longing for candy.

Gu Qingzhi was currently both shamed and annoyed. His fair face was dyed with a layer of crimson, and his chest heaved violently with anger. He gave Yan Luochen a fierce glare, decided to simply ignore this reckless fellow, and turned to sit cross-legged on the ground. He closed his eyes to rest his spirit, attempting to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Reflecting the situation in another pocket-world, Youchuan at the mid-stage Golden Core—looked at the elegant female inner disciple opposite him, his face full of helplessness and surprise.

“No way?! Junior Sister Chuwan, you were actually arranged to fight me? Why don’t you just admit defeat? I don’t want to hurt you, otherwise that ‘good sister’ of yours will definitely skin me alive,” Youchuan said with a bitter face.

Chuwan gripped her sword tightly, her gaze firm. Though she harbored wariness toward Youchuan’s status as a music cultivator, her fighting spirit was already ignited. She pressed her lips together and replied: “Senior Brother You, a chance to spar is rare. Please, do not hesitate to teach me!”

Youchuan’s brow furrowed slightly as he grew serious. “Are you truly set on this? Then don’t blame me if you get hurt later!”

Chuwan lifted her chin and said stubbornly: “That’s easy just don’t hurt me.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Chuwan moved like lightning, launching the first attack. With a swing of her sword, a sharp blade of energy shot toward Youchuan. Unhurried, Youchuan brought his long flute to his lips and began to play.

A melodious tune instantly rose, transforming into waves of invisible sound that collided with the sword energy. Under the impact of the soundwaves, the sword energy gradually dissipated into nothingness.

Seeing this, Chuwan shifted her footwork. Her swordplay became even more piercing—shadows of the blade fell like a fierce storm upon Youchuan. While playing his flute, Youchuan’s figure flickered, skillfully evading her attacks. His music was sometimes graceful and meandering, sometimes high-pitched and passionate, creating visible ripples in the air.

Chuwan only felt that the flute music possessed a magical power, constantly interfering with her state of mind and causing her rhythm to gradually fall into chaos. But she gritted her teeth, forced back the discomfort, and continued her assault.

Youchuan saw his opening; the music suddenly shifted, becoming sharp and piercing. A powerful soundwave swept toward Chuwan. She felt a roar in her head and grew dizzy; the momentum of her sword stalled. Taking the opportunity to close in, Youchuan swept his flute forward, and a powerful wave of sound knocked the sword from Chuwan’s hand.

Her footing grew unsteady, and she staggered back several steps. Youchuan immediately stopped playing and hurried forward to support her. “Junior Sister Chuwan, are you alright?”

Chuwan steadied herself, her face a bit pale. She shook her head and said: “Senior Brother You is indeed formidable. I lose.”

This battle finally concluded with Youchuan’s victory. Though Chuwan was defeated, fortunately, she was not injured she was merely left dazed and dizzy by the marvelous melody. Youchuan no longer had to worry about being “skinned alive” by Chuyi.