Chapter 134: A Colossal White Lotus

The disappointment on Xiao Jihan’s face vanished instantly. He nodded and said, “Very well, I will go prepare dinner.”

Watching him leave, Yan Shu returned to her room to restore her spiritual energy. After finishing the meal and meditating for a while, night had already fallen.

When Yan Shu opened her eyes, she noticed something unusual in the room. The double bed with its red silk canopy was gone, replaced by her original small daybed.

Seeing her look of surprise, Xiao Jihan explained calmly, “We are traveling away from home, and I am worried you won't be used to sleeping elsewhere. Besides, I am not accustomed to sleeping in a separate bed.”

Yan Shu caught the point immediately. He was telling her that even while they were traveling, she would still have to share a room and a bed with him!

Yan Shu’s expression turned troubled. She looked at Xiao Jihan and said hesitantly, “Is this really appropriate? Of course, I don’t mean to say I am unwilling to share a bed with you, but we are known as master and disciple. Traveling out in the world, we are bound to encounter other cultivators.”

It went without saying that after the commotion at the Fantian Secret Realm, she and Xiao Jihan were now celebrities throughout the cultivation world. Even if people dared not speak ill to their faces, there was no telling what they were saying behind their backs. If others were to discover them sharing a room and a bed, she would never be able to clear her name, even if she jumped into the Yellow River.

Personally, she didn't mind; the male lead was like her ancestor, and until he ascended, she had no hope of freedom anyway. Reputation was not something she cared much about—if the male lead didn't care, why should she, a supporting female character?

However, the crux of the problem was that she represented not just herself, but the Xuantian Sect. Having traveled a bit, she knew she was essentially the face of the sect. She might not care about her own reputation, but she absolutely could not disregard the Xuantian Sect’s.

Seeing her face filled with distress as she cautiously tried to explain, Xiao Jihan could not bear to make things difficult for her.

*Fine, fine,* he thought. *Before I announce it to the world, I shall grant her wishes.*

Xiao Jihan looked at Yan Shu and said, “Do not worry. While we are traveling, I will book two rooms. I will come to find you when no one is around, and I will leave quietly in the morning so that no one will see us.”

*So, we are still sharing a bed?*

Seeing the reluctance on her face, Xiao Jihan’s eyes turned cold as he whispered, “You just said that I am the most important person in your heart. Has it not even been half a day, and you are already going back on your word, casting me aside for the sake of others?”

“I am not going back on my word,” Yan Shu hurriedly explained. “I just…”

“Hmph!”

Xiao Jihan scoffed, cutting her off. He turned his back to her, his voice low and raspy: “So, that is all I am to you.”

Yan Shu: “...”

Looking at his back, she felt as if she were watching a giant white lotus slowly blooming. *Male lead, this is completely unnecessary!*

She couldn't win against him; Yan Shu knew she was no match for the male lead. In the end, she agreed to his plan of sneaking in and out. The two of them took advantage of the moonlight to slip down Wushang Peak and head out of the sect.

Everything went smoothly, save for a small interlude just as they were about to leave the sect grounds. The sect had gatekeepers and night patrols, but with their cultivation levels, it was easy enough to avoid being spotted.

Just as they were about to step out, they overheard a conversation between the gatekeepers.

“Qiu Shuoran refused to accept his punishment and fled the sect privately. Has the Discipline Hall made a decision on his sentencing yet?”

“What is there to sentence? The person has already run off. Other than declaring him a traitor to the sect, what else can they do?”

“Declare him a traitor? Wouldn't that cut off his path of cultivation? Why did he even run?”

“What else could he do? Stay and be sneered at? Sun Changfeng has become a cripple, and given the attitude he showed toward him, who else in the Xuantian Sect would dare take him as a disciple? Staying would only be a waste of time.”

“You can’t say that. The sect at least provides a monthly allowance, and places like the library are open. If he wanted to study on his own, it wouldn't be impossible.”

“Monthly allowance? The Crown Princess of the Yun Prefecture is his own older sister; would he care about a mere monthly allowance? He already has the Xuantian Sect’s cultivation techniques. With the power of the Qiu family, what could he possibly lack?!”

“That’s true. If I were him, I would have gone back too. He is already at the Golden Core stage, possesses the Xuantian Sect’s techniques, and has a single spiritual root. With his family’s support, reaching the Nascent Soul or even the Spirit Severing stage wouldn't be a problem.”

“Indeed. Once he reaches the Nascent Soul stage, he will be someone revered and sought after in the mortal world. Why stay in the sect to be ostracized?”

“Sigh, in the end, it’s all about being born into the right family. Someone as ungrateful and vicious as him is still doing better than us outer-sect disciples.”

“Who can say otherwise!”

Having finished listening to the gatekeepers’ sighs, Yan Shu and Xiao Jihan exchanged a look, hid their figures, and quietly left the sect.

Once outside, they entered the mortal realm. It was late at night and the city gates were closed, so they didn't rush to enter. Instead, they found a spot in a mountain forest outside the city, started a campfire, and rested while waiting for dawn.

With nothing to do, Yan Shu chatted with Xiao Jihan about Qiu Shuoran.

Yan Shu curled her lip and said, “No wonder Qiu Shuoran was so arrogant; it turns out he is the younger brother of the Crown Princess.”

Xiao Jihan added a piece of wood to the fire and said calmly, “A person who is arrogant naturally has something to rely on. Plus, his single spiritual root was considered top-tier among the new disciples at the Xuantian Sect back then, which is exactly why Sun Changfeng treated him like a treasure.”

Hearing this, Yan Shu scoffed, “They were two of a kind, a perfect match! Regardless, I have no sympathy for Sun Changfeng. He and Qiu Shuoran were cut from the same cloth; he brought it upon himself. By the way, do you know what happened to Sun Changfeng?”

Xiao Jihan actually did know. He said calmly, “Without his cultivation, he is just an ordinary, aging man. Considering he had spent hundreds of years in the Xuantian Sect, your Third Senior Brother gave him some spiritual energy and a few spirit stones before sending him away.”

“Sent away? Sent where?” Yan Shu asked curiously. “His family ties in the mortal world have long since been severed, after all, it’s been hundreds of years.”

Hearing this, Xiao Jihan looked at her calmly. “Are you very concerned about him?”

“Why would I care about him?” Yan Shu felt it was inexplicable. “I’m just bored and looking for something to talk about. If you don’t like mentioning him, we can talk about someone else.”

Xiao Jihan lowered his eyes, watching the flickering flames, and asked in a low voice, “Who do you want to talk about?”

Yan Shu thought for a moment about people they both knew and had interacted with. “How about the First Senior Brother? Second? Third? Fourth? Or perhaps, should we talk about Yuwen Che?”

Xiao Jihan’s face darkened instantly. Fortunately, it was night, so it wasn't very noticeable. He said coldly, “Let’s stick to talking about Sun Changfeng.”