Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The Green Tea-flavored White Moonlight is Exceptionally Lethal

The young disciple of Mount Cangxing clutched his throat in shock, staggering backward. Before he could utter another word, Gu Yunqi swiftly drove a second strike through his heart—straight through to the back—ensuring there was no hope of survival.

In his final moments, the disciple couldn’t fathom why his ally had suddenly turned on him. They had been cooperating so well…

…No, a sudden flash of clarity hit him as his life flickered before his eyes. Looking back, he realized he had been led by the nose the entire time.

“The way you looked at me was disgusting, and the way you looked at the Immortal Lord made me like you even less. I should have gouged your eyes out,” Gu Yunqi said calmly. “But that would leave too obvious a trail of revenge. People would suspect.”

The disciple’s eyes bulged as the truth dawned on him. He gasped for air, “You… you are—”

He had only seen Xie Lanting at the wedding. The only people his lecherous gaze had swept over were Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi!

Unfortunately, he never got the chance to say the name. His head lolled, his eyes closed, and he died. A secret guard dropped from the trees to move the body.

Gu Yunqi tossed the Cangxing Sword Manual to one of the guards. “Copy it. Once news of his death spreads, put the original in an auction house. Set the starting price high; the people of Mount Cangxing will definitely pay a fortune to get it back.”

The guard complied. Gu Yunqi wiped his hands and took a food container from the guard. “When you get the food tomorrow, tell the restaurant to include silver cod for lunch.”

Xie Lanting had eaten everything today and specifically praised the fish, which meant he liked it.

What was a murder scene just moments ago was now tinged with a bizarre, domestic warmth by Gu Yunqi’s tone.

Gu Yunqi carried the food container, changed his clothes, and returned the way he came. From the moment he left to kill until he returned to the ancestral hall, only fifteen minutes had passed. The guards at the front gate and the patrolling sentries hadn’t noticed a thing.

Gu Jingping had forced him to kneel in the ancestral hall—what a perfect alibi.

He flipped through the window, his cultivation aura suppressed back to the Foundation Establishment stage. Xie Lanting was no longer meditating; he was playing with spiritual butterflies. As a butterfly fluttered near Gu Yunqi, he carefully dodged to avoid breaking it.

Xie Lanting retracted the butterflies. “Let’s see what good food we have.”

Gu Yunqi pulled over a prayer mat and sat down. In the ancestral hall, facing the tablets of so many Gu ancestors, the two began to enjoy their dinner. They were equally bold and unbothered.

Xie Lanting had been thinking about how to unmask Gu Yunqi. He remembered a detail from the book: Gu Yunqi’s cultivation timeline was “Golden Core at ten, Nascent Soul at twenty, Great Ascension at twenty-two, and Transformation Stage at twenty-six.”

The breakthrough from Golden Core to Nascent Soul involves a Lightning Tribulation that can be seen for miles. No matter how much of a genius he was, Gu Yunqi couldn’t hide the heavens.

He had already passed his twentieth birthday. Although he used secret arts to mask his true cultivation, given the protagonist’s “cheat-like” progress, he was likely due for a breakthrough soon.

If it happened recently, that would be Xie Lanting’s chance to tear off the mask.

Even if he didn’t break through soon, staying close and preventing him from traveling alone was the right move.

Unaware of Xie Lanting’s thoughts, Gu Yunqi was dutifully setting the table.

There was a dish of cold shredded bamboo shoots that Xie Lanting found quite good. “Speaking of which, the purple bamboo of Nanlin is famous. They say you must see it if you come here.”

Gu Yunqi, as usual, only ate a few bites before stopping. “The Gu family’s Purple Bamboo Sea is the most elegant spot in Nanlin. If the Immortal Lord wants to see it, I’ll take you there tomorrow after I finish my disciple chores.”

Xie Lanting swallowed and paused. “Chores?”

“All low-level disciples have to do them.” Except Gu Yunqi often received “special treatment” in the form of extra work.

After dinner, Gu Yunqi packed the dishes away. At the hour of Hai (9–11 PM), the pressure formation in the hall deactivated. Gu Yunqi quickly grabbed the Gilded Hundred-Lotus Lamp. Almost as soon as he stowed it, the door lock clicked—the guard was opening the door.

Xie Lanting immediately leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Should I help you out?”

If we’re going to act, we have to go all the way.

Gu Yunqi remembered the image of Xie Lanting crying back at the rogue in Dongyang and curled his lips. Before the door fully opened, he leaned lightly against Xie Lanting. Xie Lanting cooperatively grabbed his arm and propped him up.

Xie Lanting also acted weak and exhausted, so the two were essentially leaning on each other, shoulder to shoulder.

For a moment, Gu Yunqi felt an impulse to truly let go and lean his entire weight on him… It was surprisingly comforting to have someone there to support him.

Of course, they were just putting on a show. Both were masters of the craft, looking ten-tenths exhausted while actually carrying their own weight.

This was why the two got along so well—whether it was running away from a wedding or acting, they shared a bizarre chemistry in the most ridiculous situations.

Gu Jingping, having nothing better to do, showed up at the hour of Hai to see Gu Yunqi looking pathetic. Seeing the two stumble out step by step made him feel refreshed, yet seeing them huddled together so intimately felt strangely irritating.

If he wasn’t happy, he wasn’t going to let others be happy. He turned to his attendant: “Tell the Affairs Office to double Gu Yunqi’s workload tomorrow.”

…

Xie Lanting expected chores would require an early start, but he still underestimated Gu Yunqi’s diligence. They had stayed in the hall until 9 PM and didn’t get to bed until near midnight. Yet, as the horizon barely began to pale, Gu Yunqi was already moving quietly behind the screen.

He had basically just laid down and was already getting up.

Xie Lanting struggled to pull himself out of the covers and pulled back the screen. “I’m coming with you.”

Gu Yunqi looked at the sleepy Xie Lanting, who clearly missed his bed. His throat moved. The sight of a beauty with a touch of morning laziness was lethal.

“The Immortal Lord should sleep a bit longer. Besides, after today, I won’t have to do low-level chores anymore.”

“Hmm?”

Xie Lanting wasn’t fully awake enough to catch the hidden meaning. He rose with half-closed eyes, slowly wrapped himself in his outer robe, and sat at the dressing table.

The dressing table was new. Xie Lanting didn’t have a full set of furniture in his storage, so this was a makeshift setup made of two small cabinets stacked together. The mirror was one of Gu Yunqi’s heirlooms.

Seeing he was determined to go, Gu Yunqi didn’t stop him. He walked behind Xie Lanting. “Let me tie the Immortal Lord’s hair.”

Xie Lanting nodded drowsily.

Gu Yunqi gathered the strands of hair. They were like a waterfall; even the finest silk couldn’t match the sensation of those locks sliding through his fingers. People said that tying a partner’s hair allowed one to feel a flowing tenderness; he used to find that hard to understand, but now it didn’t seem so far-fetched.

It’s a pity I haven’t seen the Immortal Lord wear his white jade hair-pin without the mask.

Once Xie Lanting fully woke up, he was startled to realize he had nodded. He felt a wave of regret: What was I thinking? Letting Gu Yunqi tie my hair is definitely inappropriate!

Unfortunately, by the time he opened his eyes, Gu Yunqi had already placed the pin, completing the final step. “Done.”

The hair looks good… Xie Lanting swallowed his protest. It was already finished; it was too late to refuse.

He noticed Gu Yunqi had changed into the indigo clothes he wore in Dongyang. The color was decent, though it lacked embroidery. Compared to Xie Lanting’s lavishly decorated robes, it was plain, but much better than the gray rags.

I should find time to take him to buy some ready-made clothes, Xie Lanting thought.

They arrived at the Disciple Affairs Office. The supervisor was waiting and handed Gu Yunqi his list for the day. Gu Yunqi scanned it and stated a simple fact: “It’s double the usual amount.”

Low-level disciples were assigned tasks for small rewards. Gu Yunqi’s workload had doubled, but the pay had not.

The supervisor said nonchalantly, “It’s already been assigned. This is how it is.”

Many disciples hadn’t been qualified to attend the wedding, so today was their first time seeing Xie Lanting. The Immortal Lord was truly beautiful. Gu Yunqi was handsome too, but he stayed low-profile; Xie Lanting, however, drew every eye in the room just by standing there.

Xie Lanting leaned over to look at the list: Cleaning the pharmacy, sorting medicinal herbs, carrying water to the herb fields, washing the training grounds and weapons, moving training puppets…

It was all exhausting, tedious physical labor.

Before he could speak, a voice interrupted: “Yunqi.”

A man with a gentle aura entered the office. Many disciples made way for him. He was Gu An. Gu Yunqi greeted him politely: “Senior Brother Gu An.”

Gu An said helplessly, “Didn’t I say you don’t need to be so formal with me? You really…”

His voice was a mix of helplessness and intimacy. His eyes were full of an affection that was obvious to anyone.

Xie Lanting narrowed his eyes. Gu An.

The original novel described him as follows:

“In the early stages, he was one of the few who showed apparent kindness to Gu Yunqi without knowing his true nature. But this kindness was more like a superior’s charity. His feelings for Gu Yunqi only bloomed because of Gu Yunqi’s pathetic state; he didn’t like people who were beyond his control.”

Consequently, he didn’t hesitate to betray Gu Yunqi later. In the book, Gu Yunqi wasn’t surprised by the betrayal and reacted coldly.

Xie Lanting decided that Gu Yunqi definitely wasn’t “happy” about it. Gu An was the son of the Gu family’s First Elder and played the role of a hypocrite. Dealing with this type of person required more than a sword; after all, he hadn’t actually done anything wrong yet.

Helping Gu Yunqi stay away from such people was its own kind of support.

Gu An asked the supervisor, “What’s going on with Yunqi’s tasks?”

The supervisor was much more respectful to him. “This… it was assigned from above.”

Gu An frowned. “Cross off the extra ones.”

The supervisor hesitated. “But…”

Gu An: “If anyone asks, say I ordered it.”

Since he wouldn’t be held responsible, the supervisor immediately agreed.

The surrounding disciples whispered: “Senior Brother Gu An is so kind, a true gentleman.”

“Gu Yunqi is so lucky to have Senior Brother helping him.”

Hearing the whispers, Gu An’s mood lifted. Xie Lanting noticed Gu An’s gaze drifting toward him and raised an eyebrow, making a mental note.

Gu Yunqi spoke calmly to the supervisor: “Thank you, Senior Brother, but there’s no rush. I’m here for something else today. I want to be promoted to a high-level disciple.”

Everyone except Xie Lanting was stunned.

There were two ways to promote a disciple’s rank in the Gu family: one was through combat victories after a cultivation breakthrough; the other was to donate enough resources—in short, paying your way up.

Gu Yunqi’s aura was still at the Foundation Establishment stage, so the first path was closed. People looked at his new clothes and suddenly looked at Xie Lanting.

Xie Lanting was wearing a robe embroidered with white lotuses in silver thread. Under the sunlight, the patterns shimmered. It looked immortal and very expensive.

The Immortal Lord is not only stunningly beautiful, but also incredibly rich.

Under the shocked gazes of the supervisor and disciples, Gu Yunqi began taking things out: a Seven-Treasure Heart-Protection Armor, Wood-Calming Pills, a thousand-year-old Purple Flame Fruit…

Every item was a treasure. Finally, he produced two crates of gold and silver gems, which slammed onto the floor with a “clang,” making the floor—and everyone’s jaws—drop.

Gu Yunqi asked pleasantly, “Is this enough?”

His tone was the same as usual, but something felt different. The supervisor, who had planned to be difficult, could only swallow hard. “Enough, more than enough…”

He told himself he didn’t need to make trouble for Gu Yunqi while Gu An was watching.

Gu An was also surprised. “Yunqi, you…”

Gu Yunqi leaned slightly closer to Xie Lanting. “The Immortal Lord gave them to me.”

Xie Lanting felt Gu An’s gaze again and found it amusing. He smiled at Gu An. “Yes, I gave them to him to play with.”

He didn’t miss the darkening of Gu An’s eyes.

Xie Lanting: Interesting.

Though there was nothing between him and Gu Yunqi, he was certain Gu An now viewed him as a rival in love.

A love rival… a path I hadn’t considered. But if it makes Gu An stay away from Gu Yunqi, I can play the part.

The supervisor recalled hearing that people in the city were gossiping about the “useless” Gu master hooking up with a wealthy companion. After today, all the Gu disciples would know too.

They said the Immortal Lord had fallen, but it seemed even a crippled master had enough wealth to make them turn green with envy!

He hurriedly called people to collect the items and issued Gu Yunqi a high-level disciple jade token.

Remembering Gu Jingping’s orders, the supervisor added, “Starting tomorrow, you don’t have to do low-level chores. But you still have to finish today’s.”

“He doesn’t have to do today’s either.”

Xie Lanting snatched the task list from Gu Yunqi’s hand and slammed a coin purse onto the desk. “I’m paying. Whoever finishes these tasks for him can keep the money.”

A low-level disciple could barely earn anything after a full day’s work. The crisp sound of Xie Lanting’s purse was like music. The disciples practically scrambled over each other. “Me! I’ll do it!”

Even some mid-level disciples joined the fray. One mid-level disciple managed to grab the list, proud of himself while everyone else looked at him with pure envy.

Xie Lanting was satisfied. “Done.”

Both had stepped in to help, but the results of Xie Lanting’s help were far superior. He mimicked Gu An’s earlier look, sweeping his gaze over Gu An. He waited until their eyes met before slowly looking away.

It was incredibly deliberate.

Gu An bit his lip, trying to regain ground. “Yunqi, later…”

“Later, he’s taking me to see the Purple Bamboo Sea,” Xie Lanting interrupted quickly. He turned to Gu Yunqi and said softly, “Right?”

Who doesn’t know how to act like “Green Tea”? Xie Lanting had spent years dealing with Shudao, the Royal Sword Sect’s master of manipulation. Dealing with Gu An required a “soft knife” approach.

The “Green Tea”-flavored White Moonlight was a unique flavor with lethal impact.

Gu Yunqi didn’t even look at Gu An. His eyes were only on Xie Lanting. “Mmh, right.”

Gu An was speechless. As a hypocrite, he was usually the one doing the acting, so he immediately recognized that Xie Lanting was doing this on purpose!

Xie Lanting certainly had a face everyone praised, but not everyone coveted his beauty; Gu An preferred Gu Yunqi’s looks.

As it happened, Xie Lanting also preferred Gu Yunqi’s face.

Gu An had thought Gu Yunqi’s life was too hard for him to find a companion anytime soon. Gu An’s status was too high to marry him, but he thought Gu Yunqi would make a fine secret lover.

Then Gu Bo had forced the marriage, and to someone of peerless beauty.

To Gu An, it was like a delicacy he had been waiting for, only for someone else to swallow it whole before he could even have a bite.

And now it seemed Xie Lanting wasn’t some pure “White Lotus”; he was a high-level player.

Would Gu Yunqi be completely controlled by him? Can I still steal him away?

“Senior Brother Gu An,” Gu Yunqi finally spoke to him, but only to say, “We shall take our leave.”

Gu An couldn’t find a reason to make them stay. Just then, a disciple rushed in and whispered in Gu An’s ear. Gu An’s expression changed instantly. He called out to Gu Yunqi.

“Yunqi, wait! You can’t go to the Purple Bamboo Sea for now!”

Gu Yunqi’s eyes moved. “Why?”

Gu An said gravely, “Something happened. Someone died in the Purple Bamboo Sea.”

He didn’t mention the victim was a Mount Cangxing disciple. Gu Yunqi acted surprised.

Gu An was satisfied: Even if I can’t be with you right now, you two won’t be going to the bamboo sea to be all lovey-dovey.

He cast a smug glance at Xie Lanting. Unexpectedly, Xie Lanting asked seriously, “Exactly where was the body found? Can’t we just walk around it?”

Gu An stared at him in disbelief. Xie Lanting looked back righteously. “What? Did a whole crowd of people die, covering the entire forest? That would indeed spoil the view.”

Gu An raised his voice: “A life is at stake, and all you care about is seeing the bamboo sea?!”

“A life is at stake, but what does that have to do with me?” Xie Lanting asked. “In the Gu family, no one matters to me except… except Yunqi. Or did someone from the Royal Sword Sect die? According to their schedule, they should have left already.”

To annoy Gu An, Xie Lanting had intentionally called him “Yunqi.” Gu An didn’t react much, but Gu Yunqi’s ears turned hot.

This was the first time Xie Lanting had dropped his surname and called him by his given name.

“The person who died was—” Gu An stopped abruptly. He realized something. “Are you trying to trick me into giving information?”

Xie Lanting smiled innocently. “You’re overthinking it. Why would I do that?”

Well, he actually did want to know who died.

Sigh, why couldn’t the book have more details about these three years? I want to experience the “cheat mode” feeling too.

Gu An looked suspicious and ignored him, turning only to Gu Yunqi. “Anyway, don’t go there for now. I have to go help. I’ll find you when I’m free.”

Gu An left with the messenger. Gu Yunqi was now completely free. He and Xie Lanting walked leisurely out of the Affairs Office. Xie Lanting asked, “So, can we still go?”

“The Purple Bamboo Sea is vast. As you said, it can’t be covered in bodies. We’ll walk there slowly; by the time we arrive, they’ll probably have cleared everything out. It won’t affect the scenery.”

The words seemed fine, but they carried a sense of certainty. Knowing Gu Yunqi’s true self, Xie Lanting suspected this had something to do with him.

If he’s the one who killed them, that’s actually more reassuring.

Xie Lanting’s tone lightened. “Let’s go then.”

On the way, he tested the waters: “That Gu An seems quite friendly to you?”

Gu Yunqi nodded. “Yes.”

He didn’t deny it, but having seen true kindness, he wasn’t moved by fake affection. Gu An’s “kindness” was merely to satisfy his own vanity, so Gu Yunqi had never fallen for it.

As for Xie Lanting… Xie Lanting was different.

Xie Lanting decided not to beat around the bush and gave him some warning: “I think the way he looks at you… he clearly has feelings for you.”

Gu Yunqi’s mind raced. Xie Lanting cares about Gu An’s attitude toward me, and he was indeed competing with Gu An earlier. Does the Immortal Lord—

“But I think he’s not good enough for you,” Xie Lanting added. “Even if you look for a Daoist companion in the future, don’t choose that type.”

Gu Yunqi’s complex thoughts were instantly flattened. “…Mmh.”

Fine, he was overthinking it.

“Seriously, you deserve better.”

Gu Yunqi chuckled. “I have no inappropriate thoughts toward Senior Brother Gu An.”

Xie Lanting guided him: “Then you should keep a proper distance to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings on his part.”

“I’ll remember that… Immortal Lord, the path is this way.”

…

In the Purple Bamboo Sea, Venerable Cangxing looked at his disciple’s body. His expression was grim, but he felt no grief.

He was only angry because killing his disciple was a slap in the face to him.

He had only brought his eldest and youngest disciples on this trip. Now the younger one was dead, and the older one was trying hard not to smile, twisting his face into a bizarre expression of “sadness.”

At the first sight of the body, the eldest disciple had almost worn his joy on his face.

The “brotherly love” of Mount Cangxing was evident.

Gu Bo and his group also looked grim. Someone had died at the Gu house; they couldn’t stay out of it. Gu An arrived and stood silently behind the First Elder.

“There are no signs of a struggle. Either the killer’s cultivation is far higher than his, or it was an acquaintance.”

It was confirmed the disciple had died during the night without alerting anyone.

“He died at night. What was he doing in the bamboo forest alone?” the eldest disciple asked. “Given my junior brother’s habits, he should have spent the whole night at the brothel.”

The First Elder said, “We’ve already asked. The gate guards saw him return at 7:15 PM. No one has seen him since.”

Gu Jingping, following Gu Bo, was confused. “The path from the gate to the bamboo sea is long. How could no one have seen him?”

Venerable Cangxing glanced coldly at the Gu family. “It means someone led him here, helping him bypass all the guards.”

Gu Jingping shut up immediately. To bypass guards, one had to be very familiar with the Gu estate. The Venerable was implying the killer was a Gu family member.

“Venerable, many people have come and gone these two days. Among the sects and families I’m close with, there are many who know the Gu estate well.” Gu Bo skillfully deflected suspicion without offending the Venerable. “But rest assured, since it happened here, we will assist in catching the killer and give Mount Cangxing an explanation.”

The word “assist” was used cleverly; whether they actually caught the killer was another story.

Gu An remembered the scene at the wedding. He said softly, “Did he have any enemies? I remember at the wedding he… used inappropriate words and offended someone.”

“You mean Bai Qianye?” The First Elder waved it off. “Bai Qianye loves a fight, but only with equal opponents. He wouldn’t stoop to a sneak attack on a junior at night.”

If truly angered, Bai Qianye would have killed him to his face.

The disciple had offended more than just Bai Qianye, but no one suspected Gu Yunqi or Xie Lanting.

The two had successfully cultivated their public personas. People automatically placed Xie Lanting in the same category as Bai Qianye—someone too proud to strike—plus he was currently a crippled Golden Core.

As for Gu Yunqi, he was a “useless” Foundation Establishment disciple. You could crush him with one finger.

Suspecting Gu Yunqi of killing the Mount Cangxing disciple was as ridiculous as suggesting Venerable Cangxing would dance naked in private!

Besides, the two of them had spent the whole night in the ancestral hall, locked in by Gu Jingping himself.

Venerable Cangxing said coldly, “Whoever it is, once caught, I will grind their bones to ash.”

The eldest disciple chimed in, “Yes! This is a provocation to Mount Cangxing!”

He righteously offered to go to the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion in the city to gather information. Once there, however, he ducked into an alley and blew a strangely shaped silver whistle. A person wearing a cloak and a mask appeared.

A red lotus was printed on the mask—the mark of the Xuanji Pavilion. He was an assassin.

The eldest disciple handed over the whistle and chuckled. “As expected of a Xuanji Pavilion assassin. My junior brother is indeed dead at the Gu house. It would be best if this ruins the relationship between my Master and Gu Bo, so my Master doesn’t try to take in any Gu disciples as my juniors.”

The masked assassin was a man of few words. He produced a portrait of the young disciple with a bright red ‘X’ over it and said coldly, “The job is done. My reward?”

Xuanji Pavilion’s main business was information; assassination was secondary. They only took contracts against evil people, and the price was set by the individual assassin.

The eldest disciple wanted his brother dead. The assassin wanted only one thing: a token.

The disciple handed over the Mount Cangxing Passage Token. “Here.”

The assassin took it and left immediately. The disciple wasn’t worried about what the assassin would do with the token; with Xuanji Pavilion’s skills, they could get one anyway if they really wanted. One token for his junior brother’s life was a bargain.

He then sauntered toward the Hundred Fragrance Pavilion, thinking, I’ll look for Xuanji Pavilion again if I have the chance. I hope my opponents all commit crimes, or the Pavilion won’t take the contract.

While the investigators each had their own schemes, the true killer was free. Gu Yunqi not only took Xie Lanting to enjoy the Purple Bamboo Sea, but also took him wandering through Nanlin City.

Gu Yunqi carried the food, and Xie Lanting ate.

Now the people of Nanlin knew that not only was Gu Yunqi’s companion rich, but he was also stunningly beautiful.

Someone clutching a romance novel that had just reached Nanlin murmured, “What’s written in the book is true…”

They hired workers to fix their house, and Xie Lanting picked out many clothes for Gu Yunqi, changing his look from head to toe. After eating and drinking their fill, they returned to the Gu house in the evening.

Xie Lanting was satisfied. Gu Yunqi, however, felt a bit dazed.

He was now draped in new silks, wearing gold pins and jade ornaments. From any angle, he looked like a young master raised in luxury.

But beneath the gold and jade was a monster that had crawled out of a mountain of corpses.

He had never truly blended into a crowd, but Xie Lanting had taken him to experience the mundane world once more.

Xie Lanting, walking ahead, noticed he had slowed down. He turned around. “Hmm?”

Gu Yunqi let out a soft breath and suppressed his thoughts. He smiled at Xie Lanting and sped up to catch him.

…

That night, after the lights were out, Gu Yunqi reached under his pillow and pulled out an item left by a secret guard—it was the Mount Cangxing Passage Token!

Yes, the one the eldest disciple had given the assassin. Beneath the assassin’s mask was actually Chu Er’s face.

Gu Yunqi hadn’t just killed the younger disciple; he had played the eldest disciple like a puppet.

Gu Yunqi touched the token and thought: This is the real me. This side… must never be known by the Immortal Lord.

He didn’t want to see a look of disappointment on the Immortal Lord’s face.

…

The Gu family leaders were distracted by the death. Gu Yunqi had become a high-level disciple and enjoyed a few rare peaceful days.

But his mind couldn’t rest.

A pressing matter was upon him: he was about to face a Tribulation—the breakthrough from Golden Core to Nascent Soul.

Just as Xie Lanting suspected, Gu Yunqi could feel the breakthrough was imminent. He could hide his cultivation, but he couldn’t hide a massive Lightning Tribulation.

If it happened at night, he could use incense to keep Xie Lanting asleep and fly far away. But the timing wasn’t under his control. Even if he tried to delay it, it might not happen at night.

To be safe, he had to be away from Xie Lanting for a day or two.

The question was: what excuse could he use?

Before he could find an answer, the mountains a hundred miles from Nanlin shook. A Secret Realm had appeared. Cultivators within a hundred miles felt the aura, and news spread quickly.

There are many secret realms across the continent. Large sects and families often controlled their own for disciple training. New realms were always a major draw.

This specific realm only allowed those below the Nascent Soul stage to enter. Every family began organizing teams.

In the past, Gu Yunqi was never allowed on such expeditions. But this time, he was invited.

He was surprised by the news. Xie Lanting mused, “Let’s go see what they’re up to. I’m only at the Golden Core stage now, so I can go with you.”

For a “Dragon Aotian” protagonist, how could he miss a secret realm for leveling up?

The team was led by Gu An and Gu Jingping. When Gu Yunqi arrived, Gu Jingping looked annoyed. “Hurry up. What are you waiting for?”

Because of the death, the Mount Cangxing people stayed a few more days and were now joining the Gu family to meet their own group at the entrance.

The death had to be investigated, but a secret realm meant opportunities no one would miss.

Gu An called out, “Yunqi, come over here.”

Gu Yunqi bowed and walked to the back of the line. Though he was a high-level disciple, his “cultivation” was low.

Gu An was unhappy but didn’t snap. He spoke to Xie Lanting, who was following Gu Yunqi: “Immortal Lord, our juniors are going out for training. Are you coming along to meet the Royal Sword Sect at the entrance?”

Xie Lanting: Here he comes.

Xie Lanting moved half a step closer to Gu Yunqi. “I’m only following him. Don’t worry, you all do your best. Juniors should suffer a bit during training; I definitely won’t step in to help unless it’s an emergency.”

Gu An: “…”

He had tried to act polite, and now he had blocked his own path.

Gu Jingping cast a glance their way but said nothing.

Xie Lanting saw through it: Gu Jingping had no good intentions in bringing Gu Yunqi along.

Indeed, after the death in the house, Gu Bo had increased security for his son. Bringing Gu Yunqi was Gu Jingping’s own idea; he thought if they met danger in the realm, he could push Gu Yunqi forward as a shield.

Gu Bo was always reluctant to kill Gu Yunqi, but if he died “accidentally” in a secret realm, there was nothing to be done.

Xie Lanting, meanwhile, was wondering if he could use the realm to get rid of Gu Jingping.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

But who was the real cicada here?

The group took a flying boat to the entrance, where many sects had already gathered. A secret realm meant danger and the possibility of betrayal; people smiled to your face and stabbed you in the back inside.

Xie Lanting knew that for a protagonist, a secret realm was just a warehouse for experience points and treasures. As long as he stuck to Gu Yunqi, he might witness how a “cheat” is forged.

After a while, white mist swirled around the gate, and the entrance opened. People rushed in. The disciples of large families waited, letting the others act as scouts.

The Gu family entered after a short wait. Xie Lanting stepped in. His foot didn’t hit solid ground. With a “plop,” he fell straight into water!

The gate led directly into a vast ocean—and they weren’t on the surface, but submerged. Everyone fell in like dumplings.

Xie Lanting grabbed Gu Yunqi’s wrist underwater and pulled out a Water-Repelling Bead. The bead glowed, but the water didn’t recede.

The bead had failed.

Xie Lanting frowned. Gu Yunqi pointed toward a distant curtain of light that looked like the surface. Xie Lanting nodded, and they swam together.

Just as Xie Lanting felt he was running out of oxygen, they reached the light and broke through the surface. He took a deep breath and prepared to climb onto the shore. Gu Yunqi had reached it first and reached back to pull him up. Xie Lanting grabbed his hand and leaped—

He couldn’t fully jump out of the water.

Xie Lanting: Something’s wrong.

Gu Yunqi was looking at him with a look of shock.

Xie Lanting followed Gu Yunqi’s gaze and looked back. His legs were gone. At some point, they had turned into a long fish tail!

Silver scales shimmered beautifully. Most of the tail was still submerged. Xie Lanting tried to move it; a transparent, gauzy fin rose high, splashing water everywhere.

If this tail weren’t on his own body, Xie Lanting would have called it dreamlike and stunning.

But he was a human who shouldn’t have a tail.

Xie Lanting touched it. It was cool and the scales felt real. Even if it was an illusion, it was a very high-level one.

Meanwhile, “splashing” sounds echoed around them as more people emerged. Everyone was shocked to find that some of them had tails. Some newly turned merfolk floated in the water, lost.

Seeing he wasn’t the only one, Xie Lanting calmed down.

Looking at the colorful tails around them, he thought calmly: I hope my pants are still there when I change back. Otherwise, having so many people standing around naked would be a sight I’d rather not imagine.