The Sect Leader Raised a Fox to His Own Detriment - Chapter 17

“Master…”

After flying on the Falling Flower Sword with Yue Xichen for quite some time, A-Yin stood on his tiptoes, trying to lean close to Yue Xichen’s ear, but he couldn’t quite reach.

“Master, Master…” He sounded a bit urgent.

“What is it?”

“Squat down!”

Yue Xichen: “…”

After a moment’s hesitation, Yue Xichen did as A-Yin wished and squatted down.

With his height suddenly lowered, the usual aura of being high above and unreachable vanished in an instant. A-Yin suddenly felt that his Master had become much more approachable.

Pressing his entire body against Yue Xichen’s back, he whispered into the man’s ear with an air of mystery. “Master, I think we’re being followed.”

“I know,” Yue Xichen nodded.

Seeing that Yue Xichen’s exquisite face remained as calm and frost-cold as ever, A-Yin couldn’t help but wonder: Master is being followed, yet he doesn’t care at all?

In truth, Yue Xichen had known for a long time. He just hadn’t expected A-Yin to ask him to squat down just to tell him that.

He didn’t mind being followed; at this moment, if he minded anything, it was that A-Yin was too close. The hot breath puffing against his ear and neck as the boy spoke made him feel a slight itch.

Yet A-Yin was completely oblivious. Despite there being no one around, he insisted on whispering right against his ear.

“Master, I bet it’s the people from the three major sects.”

“Yes.”

“See? The divine weapon hasn’t emerged yet. As long as they follow you, they’ll definitely be able to find its location immediately.”

“Mm…”

“Those guys are so sneaky! All they know is how to take shortcuts.”

“A-Yin…”

“What is it, Master?”

His brow furrowed slightly. Yue Xichen, unable to endure it any longer, decided to tell A-Yin the truth: “Keep your distance from me when you speak.”

“Why?” A-Yin was bewildered, his watery eyes blinking repeatedly.

“Because…” The words were on the tip of his tongue, but Yue Xichen paused. For some reason, he felt a bit shy, and his cheeks began to heat up slightly. “It’s… a bit itchy…”

“Eh?” A-Yin tilted his head and puffed another breath into Yue Xichen’s ear. “Is this where it’s itchy?”

“A-Yin!” Yue Xichen let out a low roar, startling the boy so much his whole body jerked.

“S-sorry, Master! This disciple didn’t do it on purpose…”

You clearly did that on purpose! Yue Xichen snapped inwardly and stood up.

A-Yin looked up with a pitiful expression, his gaze fixed on Yue Xichen’s ear. At that moment, the faint flush on the ear had already faded.

So… Master’s ears are this sensitive!

In A-Yin’s memory, Yue Xichen had always been flawless and without weakness. He hadn’t expected…

Since Master was ticklish… then there must be more sensitive spots on his body besides his ears.

A-Yin couldn’t help but smile, looking Yue Xichen up and down, curious about where else his Master might be ticklish.

Yue Xichen stopped when they flew over a mountain range flowing with churning magma.

“This is the place.” Yue Xichen landed with A-Yin.

As their altitude dropped, the surrounding air grew hotter. Raindrops evaporated into white mist before they could even hit the ground.

The Thousand Spirit Umbrella was put away, and A-Yin switched to clutching Yue Xichen’s waist firmly with both hands, pressing himself tightly against his Master’s back.

This was a completely subconscious, instinctive behavior.

Yue Xichen cast a glance at A-Yin behind him; his thin lips moved, but he said nothing.

On a cold and rainy day, being near a heat source should have been warm and comfortable. However, once the temperature became too high, it only felt like being caught between ice and fire moving from one purgatory to another.

“Master, you think the divine weapon will appear in a hellhole like this?” A-Yin poked his round little head out from behind Yue Xichen.

He had learned in class that divine weapons were born in places with the most powerful spiritual energy in a secret realm, and such places were often as dangerous as a mountain of blades or a sea of fire. Cultivators with lower power levels found it difficult even to approach.

Soon, members of the Xuanqing Sect, Crescent Moon Island, and Heavenly Abyss Valley also arrived.

“As expected of the Lingyun Mountain Sect Leader, your movements are certainly fast!”

“Tsk, it’s just that his sword-flying speed is a bit quicker! Otherwise, we would have been here first.”

The disciples of the three major sects were all arrogant and indignant. Suddenly, A-Yin let out a derisive snicker.

“Heh!”

“Who’s laughing?!” Luo Feiyu stiffened his neck and glared at Yue Xichen.

The laughter had come from Yue Xichen’s direction, but it clearly wasn’t his voice.

“You guys obviously followed my Master in secret to find this place so quickly, yet you have the nerve to act all high and mighty.”

“Who exactly are you?!”

As soon as Luo Feiyu finished speaking, A-Yin stepped out from behind Yue Xichen.

Upon seeing A-Yin, Luo Feiyu immediately laughed with pure disdain.

“And here I was wondering who it was! It’s just the waste who’s still at the first level of Qi Refining after ten years of cultivation.”

Even in Yue Xichen’s presence, Luo Feiyu dared to be disrespectful because he had heard that Yue Xichen didn’t actually like this disciple.

“If I am a waste, then you are less than waste. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been following a waste’s heels like a lapdog.”

“You!”

Luo Feiyu’s face turned red with rage from A-Yin’s retort.

At that moment, the magma in the mountains suddenly began to boil. Fiery dragons surged out of the lava and soared into the sky. A spiritual energy more powerful than anyone had imagined expanded, causing the entire mountain range to vibrate violently.

“It’s the divine weapon! The divine weapon is about to manifest!”

The entire secret realm shook. Even cultivators who weren’t in the mountains felt it; they knew this was the omen of a divine weapon’s birth.

“Master!”

Lin Fengfei rushed over. Seeing A-Yin beside Yue Xichen, he frowned.

“This is not a place for someone like you,” Lin Fengfei said overbearingly.

“Second Senior Brother, don’t you already have Cold Frost?”

“What if I do?” Lin Fengfei retorted. Suddenly, he realized something and his eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you want the divine weapon here?”

“Why not?” Crossing his arms, A-Yin asked back quite casually.

“Hahaha!” Beside them, Luo Feiyu laughed out loud. “No way? You actually want a divine weapon? I thought you just came in to see the world!”

Luo Feiyu’s thoughts matched Lin Fengfei’s; they both believed that with A-Yin’s level of cultivation, seeing the world was all he was good for.

“Listen, A-Yin, even if you are the disciple of the Lingyun Mountain Sect Leader, at least have some self-awareness. I think that stone sword on your belt is pretty good; it suits you perfectly.”

Before Luo Feiyu could finish, A-Yin suddenly snatched the stone sword from his waist and gripped it in his hand.

“Today, I’m definitely taking this divine weapon. As for this stone sword…” With a wide sweep of his arm, A-Yin held the stone sword out over the churning magma.

Lin Fengfei, Luo Feiyu, and the others saw A-Yin’s stance and knew he intended to throw the stone sword into the lava.

At the very moment A-Yin was about to let go, Yue Xichen suddenly reached out and grabbed A-Yin’s wrist.