The Handsome, Powerful, and Tragic Master Has Been Reborn [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

Yue Wuji falling ill was something Jun Lianyi had never anticipated.

Leaving aside the fact that this plot point never existed in the original novel, based on Yue Wuji’s profound cultivation level alone, he shouldn’t have been susceptible to illness.

After summoning the sect’s finest physician, Xiaoyaozi, to examine him, the healer could only shake his head. “Whether judging by his pulse or the fluctuations of his spiritual energy, there is absolutely nothing wrong with Junior Brother’s body,” Xiaoyaozi noted. “His prolonged unconsciousness is likely due to some mishap in his cultivation. Without his consent, I dare not rashly enter his sea of consciousness to investigate. We can only wait for him to wake up.”

Xiaoyaozi, whose given name was Li Moyao, was Yue Wuji’s senior brother and the Sect Leader of the Divine Sword Sect. He was also one of the preeminent alchemists in the cultivation world.

Although the Divine Sword Sect was named for the sword, it was not composed solely of the Sword Branch; it also housed the Alchemy, Artifact, Daoist, and Dharma branches. And Xiaoyaozi, despite being the leader of the Sword Branch, was actually far more skilled in refining pills.

Jun Lianyi naturally trusted his word. He also understood the gravity of opening one’s sea of consciousness to another. The original novel had made it very clear: unless the person consented, intruding into someone’s sea of consciousness would lead to severe consequences for both parties, ranging from a regression in cultivation to outright death.

Left with nothing more to say, Jun Lianyi looked at the pale face of the young man on the bed, feeling a sharp, twisting pain in his chest.

After seeing Xiaoyaozi out, Jun Lianyi returned to the bedside. He took Yue Wuji’s hand in his and rubbed it against his own cheek. “Shizun, please wake up quickly.”

The palm of the man on the bed was chillingly cold, feeling like the frozen remains of a corpse. Startled, Jun Lianyi immediately breathed warm air into his hands and tried to chafe them warm.

But it was to no avail.

Jun Lianyi didn’t know what was wrong, but seeing him like this sent him into a panic. For a moment, he completely forgot that cultivators were supposed to be indifferent to heat and cold. He ran to his own room, brought back his quilts, and piled them onto Yue Wuji in a desperate attempt to drive away the chill.

When that failed to help and Yue Wuji’s body remained bone-chillingly cold, Jun Lianyi grew so frightened that he fetched Xiaoyaozi once more.

Xiaoyaozi looked at him with utter helplessness. “Junior Brother practices ice and snow-based arts; it is only natural for his body to be cold. Do not worry so much.”

But Jun Lianyi remained anxious. “Does practicing ice arts mean his body doesn’t feel the cold anymore?”

For a moment, Xiaoyaozi couldn’t tell if this disciple of his junior brother was truly dim-witted or simply blinded by concern. He replied irritably, “Who knows? I don’t practice ice arts myself. Why don’t you wait until your Shizun wakes up and ask him yourself?”

Jun Lianyi was so focused on his master that he didn’t even notice the impatience in Xiaoyaozi’s tone. Stunned for a second, he then used his own spiritual energy to condense a Warm Spirit Stone, placing it in Yue Wuji’s hand to warm his palm.

This display left Xiaoyaozi speechless, feeling that this disciple was truly a lost cause.

******

After sending Xiaoyaozi away again, Jun Lianyi kept watch by Yue Wuji’s bed for three days. Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, Yue Wuji woke up.

Jun Lianyi was overjoyed, his eyes instantly reddening. “Shizun, you’re finally awake! You have no idea how worried I was.”

During those three days of watching, Jun Lianyi’s mind had replayed the scene of Yue Wuji’s death countless times. The image of Yue Wuji covered in blood, lying in the snow, his face as pale as paper and devoid of life.

Clutching Yue Wuji’s hand with a lingering fear, Jun Lianyi choked out, “Next time, please don’t scare me like this.”

Yue Wuji stared at him blankly, his eyes remaining largely devoid of emotion. He quietly withdrew his hand from Jun Lianyi’s grasp and gave a soft “Mm” before turning his head to look out the window.

Although Jun Lianyi hadn’t been with him long, he had read the sections of the book concerning Yue Wuji dozens of times and knew his temperament inside out. He didn’t mind the cold reception at all.

Using his sleeve to wipe away tears that hadn’t quite fallen, Jun Lianyi sniffled and forced a smile. “Shizun has been lying here for three days; you must be hungry. I’ll go make something delicious for you.”

He knew Yue Wuji wouldn’t actually feel hunger, but seeing him so weak made him want to do something; anything—for him.

Jun Lianyi couldn’t make anything complex, and Yue Wuji might not like it anyway, so he decided on a very simple congee. Century eggs didn’t exist in this era, but with his current magical skills, transforming a normal egg into one was easy enough.

He boiled the rice until it softened, added the chopped egg and lean pork, and finished it with a sprinkle of green onions. A bowl of Century Egg and Pork Congee was ready.

To prevent any mishaps, Jun Lianyi tasted it himself first. Finding it quite good, he brought it to Yue Wuji.

In high spirits, he blew on a spoonful of the porridge until it was warm and held it to Yue Wuji’s lips, smiling. “Would Shizun like to try?”

Yue Wuji looked at the spoon, his gaze flickering. His dry lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent and accepted the porridge.

The taste of the egg was a bit strange, but it wasn’t hard to swallow. Yue Wuji lowered his eyes, his voice still faint. “It’s good.”

Is there any joy greater than receiving a “good” review the first time you cook for the person you love? For Jun Lianyi, there was not.

He happily blew on another spoonful and held it out. “Then please, Shizun, have some more.”

Yue Wuji froze for a moment. He looked up into the gentle, innocent eyes of the person before him. Beneath the covers, his hand clenched tightly, his fingernails digging into his palms until they bled, yet he felt nothing. He numbly swallowed every spoonful of porridge Jun Lianyi fed him.

However, the food had no flavor to him at all.

When the bowl was empty, Jun Lianyi finally saw a hint of color return to Yue Wuji’s face. Delighted, he blinked and asked, “Would Shizun like more?”

Yue Wuji shook his head tiredly. “I wish to rest. You may leave.”

But Jun Lianyi was unwilling to go. “If Shizun wants to sleep, then sleep! I’ll stay here with you.”

Yue Wuji gave him a long, deep look but said nothing more. With Jun Lianyi’s assistance, he lay back down. Jun Lianyi stood guard by his side, never leaving for a single step.

*****

As dawn began to break, drowsiness finally crept up on Jun Lianyi. He sat by the bed, propping his head up with one hand while the other tightly held Yue Wuji’s. Just as he was about to drift off, he felt a sudden grip on his hand.

It was Yue Wuji, unconsciously grabbing him.

Jun Lianyi snapped awake and looked at him. He saw Yue Wuji’s brows locked in a tight furrow, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. The grip on Jun Lianyi’s hand tightened instinctively until it was almost enough to crush his bones.

He must be having a nightmare.

Jun Lianyi’s wrist was aching, but fearing he might startle Yue Wuji out of the dream too harshly, he didn’t pull away. Instead, he looked at him with heartache and reached out to gently nudge him.

“Shizun, wake up.”

The sleeping man didn’t hear him. Instead, his brow furrowed deeper, and his grip tightened further.

“Sss…” Jun Lianyi hissed as the pain made him gasp. He nudged him a bit harder. “Shizun, you’re having a nightmare. Wake up!”

In an instant, the man on the bed snapped his eyes open. The moment he saw Jun Lianyi, his gaze was bone-chillingly cold.

Jun Lianyi was startled, a sudden sense of dread washing over him. Before he could speak, the grip on his wrist vanished, only for that same hand to fly to his throat, squeezing with lethal force.

“Jun! Lian! Yi!” Yue Wuji’s expression was terrifying as he spat out each syllable, his strength increasing by the second.

A wave of suffocation crashed over Jun Lianyi. He struggled to pull the hand away but couldn’t budge it. He could only rasp out, “Shi… Shizun…”

Yue Wuji’s eyes remained frigid, leaving Jun Lianyi trembling with fear. For a heartbeat, he truly believed Yue Wuji intended to kill him.

However, at that very moment, the hand around his throat suddenly released its hold.

Air rushed back into his lungs greedily. “Cough, cough, cough!” Jun Lianyi couldn’t stop coughing, unable to catch his breath for a long time.

Suddenly, a hand stroked his back. The movement was incredibly gentle, as if touching the most fragile treasure in the world.

Startled, Jun Lianyi looked up at Yue Wuji, only to find the coldness had vanished. The man was now looking at him with immense tenderness.

“Lianyi, I’m sorry,” Yue Wuji said. “I just… had a very terrible nightmare.”

Jun Lianyi felt his heart skip a beat. He shook his head frantically. “It’s okay, Shizun! When you are with me, you never have to say you’re sorry.”

Yue Wuji’s gaze drifted for a moment before he let out a faint, bitter smile. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” Jun Lianyi answered immediately. He sat up straight again, wanting to take Yue Wuji’s hand but fearing he might startle him. Instead, he carefully raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from Yue Wuji’s brow. “What kind of nightmare did Shizun have?”

Jun Lianyi figured that any nightmare capable of trapping someone like Yue Wuji must have been truly horrifying. He wanted to be the person by Yue Wuji’s side, to share his burdens and know everything about him.

Yue Wuji, however, was unwilling to speak of it. He quietly withdrew his hand and rubbed his temples tiredly, shaking his head. “It was nothing. Just a dream.”

Jun Lianyi felt a small pang of disappointment, but since his Shizun didn’t want to talk, he couldn’t force the issue.

Putting on a smile again, Jun Lianyi said, “Well, the dream is over now. I am here; Shizun doesn’t need to be afraid.” He paused, then added with concern, “You don’t look well. Why don’t you sleep a bit longer?”

Yue Wuji shook his head. As he pulled back the covers to get out of bed, he realized he was covered in two layers of quilts.

He looked at Jun Lianyi in surprise, only to see the boy’s cheeks flush a soft pink. “When Shizun was unconscious, your body was so cold,” Jun Lianyi said shyly. “I was afraid you would be freezing, so I…” He suddenly looked up, meeting the man’s eyes with a pure, innocent expression. “Since Shizun practices ice arts and your body is so chilly… do you… do you ever feel the cold?”

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