Chapter 3

Seeing the two clasped hands, Qing Xuan Shangjun was very pleased: "That's how it should be; classmates ought to be friendlier."

He again admonished Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng not to fight on campus and to get along, but Wen Qingyin had no mind to listen to Qing Xuan Shangjun's nagging; merely the thought of himself and Pei Junheng holding hands already made Wen Qingyin unable to bear it.

Wen Qingyin only wanted to end it quickly, step out of the dean's office, and then violently shake off Pei Junheng's hand.

As if seeing Wen Qingyin's thoughts, Qing Xuan Shangjun lightly tapped their interlocked fingers with a finger, indicating that Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng could proceed to the Hall of Nothing, where they would immediately hold the entrance ceremony for the new students of Yingzhou Academy.

Having received pardon, Wen Qingyin darted out of the dean's office like an escapee, afraid that Pei Junheng would walk slowly, and he yanked hard on Pei Junheng's arm.

Watching the two swiftly head for the door, Qing Xuan Shangjun kindly reminded: "Remember, you can only let go once you reach the Hall of Nothing~"

After speaking, Qing Xuan Shangjun continued to smile narrowly as he watched the two flee even faster; seeing them disappear before his eyes, the curve of his upturned mouth never relaxed.

"Qing Xuan Shangjun, does your method really work?" Chang Fu Shangjun asked, wondering if such a childish approach could really be effective on these two "troublemakers."

Upon hearing that, Qing Xuan Shangjun's smile widened: "If classmates get along well, there will naturally be a surprise reward waiting for them~"

Chang Fu Shangjun wondered: "Just what sort of surprise is it?"

One should know that the feud between the Cloud Immortal Sect and the Myriad Day Sword Sect had long been spread throughout the inland ten continents and four immortal mountains, everyone knew; he had also heard of the dragon vein incident back then, which had occurred a few years prior, but each side held its own account, and as observers they did not know the true facts.

All that was clear was that the relationship between the two sects had become even more antagonistic, like fire and water.

Qing Xuan Shangjun answered Chang Fu Shangjun with a smile: "You'll find out when the time comes."

Seeing Qing Xuan Shangjun's fox-like smile, Chang Fu Shangjun inexplicably felt a sense of foreboding, after all Qing Xuan Shangjun was likewise famous as a smiling fox with a belly full of bad water.

One should know that before Qing Xuan Shangjun became a Shangjun, while studying at Yingzhou Academy he was the most mischievous troublemaker among the students; even now that he is a Shangjun, he does not seem inclined to restrain those nasty tastes.

Hopefully the surprise reward Qing Xuan Shangjun spoke of won't frighten these two students too much.

Chang Fu Shangjun prayed with good intentions.

As soon as he stepped out of the dean's office, Wen Qingyin impatiently tried to violently shake off Pei Junheng's hand, but when he gave it a hard jerk he found that Pei Junheng's hand remained firmly clasped with his.

What's going on?

Wen Qingyin furrowed his brow and tried again to break free, but still could not.

He thought of Qing Xuan Shangjun's earlier admonition; could it really be that they must wait until they reach the Hall of Nothing before they can let go?

There were many people along this route, and Wen Qingyin did not want others to see him involved with Pei Junheng.

If others saw it, he would lose face terribly.

Unwilling to give up, he struggled again, and this time Pei Junheng spoke: "I've cast a spell; you can't break free."

Wen Qingyin lifted his eyes and saw Pei Junheng looking at him as if he were an idiot.

"Do you have a way to undo it?"

Though it was a question, Wen Qingyin somehow managed to utter it with an arrogant tone.

It seemed less like he was seeking a solution from Pei Junheng and more like he was granting Pei Junheng a precious opportunity to earn merit by apologizing.

Holding Wen Qingyin's hand was warm and dry, unlike his soft hand; Pei Junheng's palm was full of calluses from sword practice, rubbing made Wen Qingyin's palm feel numb, itchy, and painful.

Truly a thick-skinned, thick-fleshed sword cultivator.

Wen Qingyin snorted coldly in his heart.

"Yes."

"You have it, so hurry up and undo it."

Upon hearing that, Wen Qingyin glared at Pei Junheng.

He can actually undo it, yet he watches him there trying to break free on his own—no wonder he's a sword cultivator, rotten inside and out.

Pei Junheng's deep eyes rested on Wen Qingyin's face for a second, then shifted away.

"Beg me." He said.

"Beg you?"

To have a person of the Cloud Immortal Sect beg a person of the Myriad Day Sword Sect is a tremendous disgrace!

Wen Qingyin turned his head away in anger: "Don't even think about it!"

Pei Junheng didn't mind Wen Qingyin's answer; he leisurely gazed at Wen Qingyin's face, flushed red with anger, the red like rouge staining a flawless jade, beautiful enough that one couldn't look away.

Wen Qingyin grew up in the sect, cherished like the stars held aloft by all; if he wanted the stars of heaven, the sect's members would fly to pluck them for him. At fifteen, thanks to his budding luxuriant beauty, he was privately judged the number one beauty, despite still being a young lad.

Within the inland ten continents and four immortal mountains there are four great beauties: the moon in the abyss, the Daiyu sword, the dragon ridge apricot, and the Penglai flower.

And the young sect master of the Cloud Immortal Sect is the most precious flower of Penglai Island, a blossom nurtured with meticulous care.

So delicate that he has never experienced any wind or rain; even his fingers are soft.

Making such an arrogant little beauty beg for mercy is quite another matter.

As if knowing Wen Qingyin couldn't bring himself to lose face, Pei Junheng didn't step closer, merely holding his hand without a change in expression, knowing Wen Qingyin couldn't hold out much longer.

Having Wen Qingyin seen holding hands with him would be even harder to accept than begging aloud.

Thus the two walked to the Hall of Nothing, still holding hands.

Fortunately, the new students of Yingzhou Academy had mostly gathered in the Hall of Nothing, so along the way they didn't encounter anyone.

Only a few older senior brothers of the academy, upon seeing the two holding hands with a strange atmosphere, gave them a few extra glances.

A noisy clamor came from ahead; Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng were quickly approaching the Hall of Nothing.

Before the Hall of Nothing stood a stone pillar reaching a hundred Chinese feet in height, towering and eye-catching at a glance, with the burning emblem of Yingzhou Academy's totem at its top.

And the doors of the Hall of Nothing stood wide open; without drawing near one could see a sea of dark heads crowded inside, all new students of the academy wearing the attire of their various sects.

Merely seeing so many people from a distance made Wen Qingyin feel that his and Pei Junheng's clasped hands were about to start sweating, and he unconsciously slowed his pace.

But Pei Junheng remained calm and breezy, his steps steady as he walked toward the Hall of Nothing.

Feeling Wen Qingyin's pace slow, Pei Junheng tilted his head and asked: "Young sect master, do you perhaps want to keep holding on a bit longer?"

Who would want to keep holding his hand a bit longer!

Wen Qingyin forcibly made out a hint of mockery and teasing in Pei Junheng's dark, deep eyes.

Sword cultivators aren't just thick-skinned and thick-fleshed; even their facial skin is equally thick!

Seeing Pei Junheng so shameless, Wen Qingyin felt his own courage should be a bit greater, and he puffed out his chest……

Then he quickly stepped behind Pei Junheng, using Pei Junheng's body to try to conceal his own figure.

They quickly arrived at the Hall of Nothing, but Wen Qingyin unexpectedly saw two familiar heads at the hall's entrance.

Zi Shu Zhi and Qiu Sanchi were clinging to the Hall of Nothing's big door, peeking in, seemingly searching for Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng's silhouettes.

"Why aren't you leaving?" Pei Junheng looked at Wen Qingyin hiding behind him, asking though he already knew the answer.

Wen Qingyin had no mind to heed Pei Junheng's words; as they drew nearer to the Hall of Nothing, seeing Zi Shu Zhi about to spot them, Wen Qingyin's face grew redder and his anxiety mounted.

If Zi Shu Zhi saw him actually holding hands with the young sect master of the Myriad Noon Sword Sect, it would be utterly embarrassing; from then on he would have no face to meet the elders of the Cloud Immortal Sect!

"Undo it." Wen Qingyin stopped, his snow‑white face flushed crimson with shame, yet his eyes shone bright as he glared at Pei Junheng.

Pei Junheng cooperatively stopped his steps.

"I've stated my demand."

He lowered his head slightly, putting his gaze level with Wen Qingyin, who was about half a head shorter than him.

Shameless sword cultivator! Heinously evil sword cultivator!

Wen Qingyin cursed bitterly.

But Pei Junheng's eyes fixed on Wen Qingyin, as if he were certain Wen Qingyin would yield, patiently awaiting his reaction.

Wen Qingyin bit his own lips; the soft flesh turned red and swollen from his bite, as if a pinch would burst out juice like a ripe cherry.

"If that's the case, then let's continue on our way."

His gaze lightly swept over Wen Qingyin's lips, then Pei Junheng turned and lifted his foot to walk away.

"Please."

The two words, barely louder than a mosquito's buzz, came from behind his shoulder; Pei Junheng turned his head back, but Wen Qingyin suddenly hid behind him, not wanting Pei Junheng to see his face.

Even without looking, Wen Qingyin knew how red his face was; the hot, tingling shame made his skin burn, and even the hand still clasped with Pei Junheng's ten fingers grew warm.

"Undo it quickly."

Seeing Pei Junheng still unresponsive, Wen Qingyin gritted his teeth and urged him on.

It's utterly humiliating!

Only after Wen Qingyin harshly poked him with his hand did Pei Junheng finally deign to extend his other hand, his cool fingertips touching the back of Wen Qingyin's hand.

It was like a snowflake melting instantly on his palm; before Wen Qingyin could react, Pei Junheng had already withdrawn his hand.

"Still want to keep holding hands?" he asked, lifting his eyes to Wen Qingyin.

"Only a fool would want to hold hands with you!"

Wen Qingyin quickly released his hand, and at the same time a sheet of brown smoke spread before Pei Junheng's eyes.

With a flick of his sleeve, Pei Junheng easily blocked the smoke; where the smoke had been, a few small black pills fell.

The culprit had already retreated several steps, widening the distance from Pei Junheng; seeing his sneak attack fail, he reached up to tug at his own lower eyelid and made a face he thought ferocious at the still‑standing Pei Junheng.

He did not realize that, paired with his flushed face, the expression came off as a different kind of cute.

"Sect chief!" "Young sect master!"

Over there, Zi Shu Zhi and Qiu Sanchi finally spotted Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng, and both ran over.

"Sect chief, have Upper Lord Changfu and Upper Lord Qingxuan given you any trouble?"

Who would have thought Wen Qingyin would stay so long in the Dean's office, his heart unsettled from not seeing the sect chief Zi Shu Zhi?

Wen Qingyin shook his head, indicating he was fine.

At the same time he flexed the hand that had been hanging at his side and clasped with Pei Junheng all along; having held it too long, he still felt the illusion of Pei Junheng's hand wrapped around his.

Seeing Wen Qingyin say he was fine, Zi Shu Zhi finally relaxed, then glared angrily at Pei Junheng and Qiu Sanchi in the distance, muttering loudly: "Clearly it's all the fault of the Myriad Noon Sword Sect; if they hadn't provoked us first, we wouldn't have lifted a hand. The Upper Lords should severely punish these stinking sword cultivators; the dragon‑vein affair years ago was also done by this bunch of vile, shameless sword cultivators……

At the same time, Qiu Sanchi complained to Pei Junheng about the conduct of the Cloud Immortal Sect's pill cultivators: "This incident started because the Cloud Immortal Sect's Myriad Treasure Ship blocked our sword‑flying path on the cloud road; those pill cultivators are lurking, deceitful, extravagant and licentious—even though we haven't lifted a hand, they'd already be hurling vicious poison at us……

Faintly hearing the other side's voices, Zi Shu Zhi and Qiu Sanchi abruptly stopped talking, turned their heads to glance at each other, realized the other was speaking ill of their own sect, and immediately began shouting back.

"You shameless sword/pill cultivator……!"

The two traded insults all the way to the Hall of Nothing, with Wen Qingyin and Pei Junheng occasionally chiming in.

All the way into the Hall of Attainment, they were still fiercely shouting at each other.

Moreover, the disciples of both sects who had been waiting in the hall saw them arrive and also joined the fray.

The shouting match expanded, drawing sidelong glances from passing freshmen, but once they were told it was the Cloud Immortal Sect and the Myriad Noon Sword Sect, they showed expressions of understanding.

After all, everyone knows the feud between the two houses.

Seeing the shouting match continue to escalate, the volume growing until it seemed it might lift the roof, aside from a pair watching the spectacle, there was also a youth smiling as he earnestly tried to mediate.

"Everyone, stop arguing—Upper Lord Qingxuan and Upper Lord Changfu are about to arrive at the Hall of Attainment; nobody wants to be punished, right?"

But the two sides, their eyes red from shouting, could not calm down; the youth's voice was like a drop of water falling into a lake, producing no effect.

The youth tried again, good‑naturedly, but still no one paid him any heed.

Seeing this, the youth's eyes crinkled further with a smile; with a flick of his hand, no one could see how he struck, and the noisy crowd ahead suddenly fell silent.

Even the mouths mid‑shout were tightly sealed with silence talismans, so not a sound could be uttered.

"That's just how it should be."

The youth looked at his handiwork before him with narrowed, smiling eyes, his eyes crinkling like a fox's.

Chi Feiqian, inheritor of the Talisman Cultivator tradition.

Wen Qingyin, who had escaped the silence talisman by not speaking, sized up this boy brimming with smiles.

Hearing the murmurs of the observing disciples nearby, Chi Feiqian is the younger brother of Upper Lord Qingxuan; no wonder the brothers share that same fox‑like smiling visage.

Even with their mouths sealed, Zi Shu Zhi and Qiu Sanchi still fought with their eyes, trying to kill each other with vicious glares.

Cloud Immortal Sect / Myriad Noon Sword Sect—never retreat!

At that moment, the sound in the Hall of Nothing suddenly fell silent.

Qing Xuan Shangjun and Chang Fu Shangjun entered the hall under everyone's gaze; the Yingzhou Academy's entrance ceremony for this year officially began.