Song Qing Shi woke up early and took Yue Wu Huan to the ancestral hall to pay their respects.
While other sects place great importance on their ancestral halls, the one in Yao Wang Valley was tucked away in a remote and inconspicuous location. Shrouded by trees, dilapidated, and barely better than the servants' quarters, it stood adjacent to a herb garden. Yue Wu Huan had passed by it several times, assuming it was just an abandoned building.
Song Qing Shi pushed open the door, sealed with an array of talismans.
The hall was layered in thick dust. Other than basic tables and an altar, there was only an old scroll.
"Locking it is actually unnecessary; there's nothing valuable inside," Song Qing Shi said, somewhat sheepishly. "It's been years since I last visited. Please wait while I clean up." He then rolled up his sleeves, used a Wind Spell to blow away the dust, scattered Cleaning Charms around, and carefully arranged the incense burner, flowers, and fruits on the altar. Finally, he dusted off an old cushion and said, "There, that should do it."
Yue Wu Huan stood beside him, holding the incense and feeling rather dazed. He had never seen a sect so unconcerned with formalities.
Song Qing Shi then unfurled the scroll and hung it on the altar.
The scroll featured no figures or inscriptions—only an endless sea of clouds, with a brilliant streak of light in the distance illuminating the horizon.
"I accidentally received my Master's legacy in a hidden realm. My Master didn't leave a name, only the surname Song. I didn't have a surname at that time, so I took his to honor him…"
The world of immortals is filled with killings, and many children are left without parents. Song Qing Shi was one of them. Born with two types of spiritual fire and exceptional talent in medicine and poison, he stumbled upon the legacy of the Medicine King in a hidden realm. Thus, he founded Yao Wang Valley. Here, he devoted himself to medicine, alchemy, and poison-making, occasionally venturing into hidden realms for rare ingredients. This, unknowingly, built his reputation to what it is today.
"The inheritance in the Immortal Realm is directly implanted into one's Sea of Knowledge, so this painting is the only thing my Master left behind. I suspect it holds special sentimental value, so I've put it here as an offering. To be honest, I'm not sure what the painting represents—perhaps a landscape..." Song Qing Shi felt a bit self-conscious about his own conjecture and quickly moved on. "In any case, I've copied all the appropriate texts for our sect and placed them in the library. Feel free to peruse them."
Once Song Qing Shi had finished his introduction and felt that nothing was left out, he signaled for Yue Wu Huan to light the incense.
Yue Wu Huan respectfully lit the incense stick and was preparing to kneel when it went out.
Relighting the incense, he kneeled again, only for it to go out once more.
Yue Wu Huan looked worriedly at Song Qing Shi: "Could it be that the Ancestor is unwilling to accept me as a disciple?"
"Impossible. You're so clever that my Master would be more than pleased," Song Qing Shi waved off the idea, pondering a moment. "Come to think of it, I don't believe I've ever kneeled here myself. Each time I've visited, I've just cleaned up, lit some incense, and left—sometimes I even forget. Maybe my Master doesn't like being worshipped in that way. Try just placing the incense without kneeling."
Somewhat skeptical, Yue Wu Huan lit the incense stick and placed it in the censer before standing back up and bowing deeply.
Sure enough, the incense continued to burn steadily in the censer without going out.
Yue Wu Huan couldn't help but ask, "Is this not disrespectful to our Ancestor?"
"My Master didn't care for such things. What he valued was..." Song Qing Shi recalled the legacy he received—mostly filled with knowledge and almost void of personal traces, save for an intriguing term that seemed to be his Master's motto: "Questioning."
To question authority, to question knowledge, to question everything in the world.
Questioning is the driving force behind scientific research.
Song Qing Shi expended considerable effort to explain his philosophy to Yue Wu Huan: "My Master didn't want us to respect him personally. He wanted us to respect knowledge, to carry out his philosophy, to study diligently and conduct serious research. We shouldn't refrain from questioning what he left behind just because he is our Ancestor. Even the wisest can make mistakes. We should strive to find the right answers through constant exploration."
Yue Wu Huan hesitated, "The right answers?"
Song Qing Shi excitedly responded, "Yes, I have already researched and corrected several of my Master's mistakes."
Such a theory is considered radically unorthodox in the respectful world of immortals.
Yue Wu Huan was so shocked that he was left speechless.
"Perhaps this is the foundation upon which Yao Wang Valley was built," Song Qing Shi said wistfully. "If I were to die, I hope that, like my Master, I won't have disciples who worship me, nor portraits or names left for future generations to revere. All those things are a waste of time. Instead of spending time on them, it would be better to focus on research, to complete the studies I didn't finish, to correct the mistakes I made, to pioneer more interesting..."
Before he could finish his thoughts, he was abruptly pulled back by Yue Wu Huan.
Yue Wu Huan glared at him, his expression as dark as a stormy sky. He spoke through gritted teeth, "Don't speak of such unlucky things..."
Song Qing Shi finally caught on and chuckled, "Don't worry, I was talking about dying peacefully in my sleep."
"Medical students aren't afraid to discuss life and death; I don't find the topic particularly sensitive," Song Qing Shi commented.
"Don't say it!" Yue Wu Huan's voice broke sharply, indicating a rising panic within him.
Sensing the real anger, and recalling Yue Wu Huan's psychological issues, Song Qing Shi wisely chose to hold his tongue.
Yue Wu Huan also knew that he should probably be the one to step back, but he had no desire to apologize for this particular issue.
The two men remained silent for a long while, ultimately treating the topic as if it had never been raised.
The initiation ceremony was complete.
...
Song Qing Shi had a sweet tooth, with a particular love for popsicles. Yue Wu Huan, being extremely selective about flavors and hygiene, wasn't satisfied with what was available in stores. As Yao Wang Valley had no accomplished chefs, he took it upon himself to study various dessert recipes, crafting a new, delicious treat for Song Qing Shi every day.
When An Long discovered Song Qing Shi's personal culinary delight, he switched to 'food-snatching' mode and even tried to have Yue Wu Huan make something for him too.
Instantly angered, Song Qing Shi snapped, "Is my senior disciple some kind of servant?"
An Long, akin to an Alaskan Malamute in persistence and disregard for protocol, continued to make a fuss, insistent on eating the treats made by Yue Wu Huan.
"Fine, he's busy," Song Qing Shi said, his patience worn thin. Setting aside his book, he rolled up his sleeves. "I'll make it for you."
An Long's eyes sparkled with glee.
Though Song Qing Shi loved sweets, he wasn't particularly passionate about food in general. Whether he ate or not didn't matter much to him. In his previous life, he was a pampered heir, and in this world, his original persona would rather sustain himself through fasting than bother with cooking. Despite having the knowledge of tens of thousands of medicinal herbs, he had no room in his brain for basics like salt, oil, or vinegar.
Standing in the kitchen, he was bewildered for a moment. Finally figuring out the various utensils but failing to locate a recipe or understand how to make fire with common fuel, he resorted to using his pill-refining flame to craft the dessert.
After much trial and error, he finally presented a plate of perfectly uniform, charred, spherical glutinous rice balls that would satisfy anyone with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
"These are glutinous rice balls," Song Qing Shi announced, unafraid to face his failure. He'd brought them out simply to show that he had at least tried. "They're probably not very good; maybe we should throw them out. I can ask the kitchen to make something for you—as long as it doesn't inconvenience Wu Huan, we can work something out."
An Long looked at them for a moment, laughing. Then, suddenly, he picked up one of the charred balls and popped it into his mouth.
Before Song Qing Shi could stop An Long's reckless eating, he became a bit concerned that it might lead to an upset stomach.
An Long chewed thoughtfully for a while before remarking, "It doesn't look great, but it actually tastes fine."
Then, with a satisfied smile, An Long tossed a few more rice balls into his mouth, leaving just one last piece.
Song Qing Shi watched in disbelief. He hadn't dared to taste the creation himself. Could it actually be edible? Gathering his courage, he popped the last rice ball into his mouth. The explosion of flavors overwhelmed his palate—a cloying sweetness mixed with a medley of odd spices, and an even stranger fishy note. It was more nauseating than the most bitter pill he'd ever tasted.
Song Qing Shi felt so sickened he almost teared up. Quickly spitting out the rice ball, he pointed at An Long, at a loss for words.
An Long broke into uproarious laughter, doubling over in delight.
This was his style—always pushing boundaries, reveling in teasing Song Qing Shi while skillfully avoiding any lines that would genuinely infuriate him enough to kill. Seeing that Song Qing Shi was about to erupt, An Long quickly wiped away his tears of laughter and resumed a serious tone: "I won't bother Yue Wu Huan for food anymore."
Song Qing Shi's anger dissipated in an instant.
With a mischievous grin, An Long said, "Come on, it's your first attempt at cooking. I had to give it a try."
Thinking about his culinary skills, Song Qing Shi felt slightly embarrassed.
Seizing the moment, An Long asked, "Would you like to see the new Gu worm I've been developing? It's really cute."
Song Qing Shi immediately put the rice ball fiasco behind him, happily dragging An Long to his research lab.
On the way, An Long chuckled, "You seem quite protective of Yue Wu Huan. Is he sick or something?"
Casting a wary glance at him, Song Qing Shi chose not to disclose this personal matter and warned, "Don't mess around."
An Long mused, "Interesting..."
The more Song Qing Shi told him not to mess around, the more inclined An Long was to do exactly that.
After all, how much fun is it to create a little chaos?
...
Having finished his sword practice, Yue Wu Huan was heading back to his room to bathe and change clothes. As he walked through the corridor, a small paper ball hit the back of his head.
The paper ball rolled on the ground, and it seemed to contain something inside.
Knowing it was a time when Song Qing Shi was engaged in pharmaceutical experiments and should not be disturbed, he obediently crouched down, picking up the paper ball and unfolding it.
Inside was a terrifying centipede with two heads, countless legs wriggling and two grotesque mandibles oozing nauseating slime, as if ready to spring onto him.
Yue Wu Huan pondered for a moment, re-wrapped the creature in the paper ball, tossed it aside, and scoldingly said, "Lord An, don't engage in such childish antics."
"So, no need to pretend to be well-behaved when Qing Shi isn't around?" An Long laughed heartily as he emerged from behind the screen. With a flick of his wrist, the centipede crawled out of the paper ball and returned to his palm. "This little guy is harmless, mostly just for scaring people. It usually elicits screams and shivers. You didn't seem scared, though—quite disappointing."
Yue Wu Huan sighed, "If Your Excellency desires, I can scream for you."
"No need for a forced performance; I'm not a fan," An Long casually said, making the centipede vanish. He strolled over, scrutinizing Yue Wu Huan from head to toe before musing, "I never thought a man could be this beautiful. You outshine even the courtesans of Ming Yue Tower, and knowing that you're only interested in men doesn't deter me."
Ming Yue Tower was a renowned brothel in the celestial realm, and its leading courtesan had a widespread reputation for beauty.
The comparison was particularly malicious.
Unperturbed, Yue Wu Huan smiled and deflected, "I've long heard that Lord An is surrounded by admirers, from celestial maidens to demonic seductresses, all vying for your attention. It's an honor to receive your praise."
"You jest," An Long grinned, catching the veiled insult. "My list of confidantes is far shorter than those you've beguiled. I had a friend named Yu something, a righteous hero who was infatuated with you. When he found out you joined Yao Wang Valley and became inaccessible, he got drunk and complained bitterly."
After slandering Song Qing Shi while drunk, that person—Yu Qing—was killed by Yue Wu Huan and his body was sent to Yao Wang Valley for research.
"I don't remember the dead," Yue Wu Huan feigned ignorance.
An Long chuckled, "Such a heartless beauty."
"True, courtesans are heartless, and actors have no integrity," Yue Wu Huan bluntly acknowledged the implied criticism. He casually pushed back his sweat-dampened hair and leaned against the wall. Lifting his eyes, he provocatively asked, "Don't you find the living more interesting, Lord An?"
An Long stepped closer, leaning down to trap Yue Wu Huan against the wall with his arm—adorned with tattoos of venomous creatures. Smirking, he dropped his façade, revealing a predatory glint, "I find you very interesting, pretending to be something you're not. What's hidden beneath that beautiful exterior? May I take a look?"
Smiling, Yue Wu Huan asked, "Are you interested in seeing my true self?"
An Long coquettishly gripped his chin, forcing his face upwards for closer inspection. He leaned in and hissed, "Very much so."
Yue Wu Huan calmly met his gaze for a moment, then reminded him, "It seems the Master has finished his experiments early."
An Long quickly withdrew his hand, momentarily alarmed before remembering that he'd blocked Song Qing Shi's spiritual probe, and thus wouldn't be detected.
Yue Wu Huan lowered his eyes, suppressing a smile.
"You dare to deceive me?" Realizing he'd been played, An Long flared up in anger, about to unleash his claws on this ungrateful wretch.
Suddenly, a flash of flame—of elixir fire—rose at his feet.
Sensing danger, An Long leapt back immediately.
Immediately afterward, several elixir flames forced him to retreat by about ten yards.
Song Qing Shi appeared behind him, wishing he could incinerate this wretched An Long with elixir flames for even daring to look wrongly at his cherished little angel. Fortunately, Yue Wu Huan had warned him to discreetly monitor An Long's activities lately, or the rascal would have wreaked havoc in Yao Wang Valley! Even if a cultivator at An Long's level could shield against spiritual probes, Song Qing Shi had noticed the sudden absence of his aura in the lab and suspected foul play, rushing over once he'd pinpointed Yue Wu Huan's location.
An Long pointed at Yue Wu Huan, too infuriated to speak. "You, you, you!"
Yue Wu Huan softly protested, "I didn't lie."
Song Qing Shi swiftly stepped in front of Yue Wu Huan, examining him for injuries before anxiously asking, "Did he bully you?"
Although he hadn't witnessed the entire episode, there was no need to ponder who was right or wrong between the brutish An Long and his vulnerable little angel. The emotionally fragile patient and the thick-skinned celestial lord—whose power dynamic did he need to ponder? An Long could obliterate Yue Wu Huan a hundred times over with just a fingertip! He must protect his precious angel at all costs! Even at the expense of any potential investment!
Song Qing Shi's bias was outright and unapologetic.
An Long kept shooting menacing glances at Yue Wu Huan from behind Song Qing Shi.
Yue Wu Huan caught his eye and gently defended, "No, Lord An has been quite pleasant. We were merely joking."
Song Qing Shi turned to look at An Long suspiciously, elixir flames still smoldering on his body, showing signs of switching to poison flames.
An Long instantly switched to an innocent smile. "I wouldn't dare to bully him. We were just having a casual conversation, sharing jokes."
"Yes," Yue Wu Huan continued to mediate, "Master, I seldom go out, so I'm quite curious about the outside world. Lord An, being very congenial, humbled himself to share many interesting tales with me, and I enjoyed our conversation."
An Long threw an arm around Yue Wu Huan's shoulder, slapping his chest as he laughed, "We got along from the get-go; we just wanted to be friends."
Yue Wu Huan confirmed with a smile, "Lord An truly didn't bully me."
Song Qing Shi gradually extinguished his flames, asking cautiously, "Is that so?"
Both nodded in unison, "Yes."
Song Qing Shi seemed puzzled, scratching his head. He had seen An Long block Yue Wu Huan's path in an intimidating manner, which had set his temper aflame. He hadn't paid attention to what they were actually doing. Could it all be a misunderstanding?
"I'll leave you to your tasks, we'll play some other time," An Long said to Yue Wu Huan, a subtle threat in his voice. Then, grabbing Song Qing Shi, he headed off, "Let's go see if yesterday's culture dish yielded any results."
"Don't be angry; I wouldn't dare mess with your Crystal Man."
"Rule number seventy-two."
"Alright, alright, enough said. Let's have some wine, shall we?"
"No."
"..."
Yue Wu Huan respectfully bowed and watched as the two left.
Xi Lin, the Gu King, had long stood in a position of power, so he rarely needed to engage in subtle schemes; brute force was often sufficient to overpower any obstacles.
Thus, his attempts to probe and his thought processes were quite transparent, easy to discern.
All he did was to investigate Yue Wu Huan's traumatic past, look down upon and speculate about him, suspecting that someone was behind him, that he had ulterior motives for being in Yao Wang Valley, and even doubted his feelings for Song Qing Shi. But wary of acting without evidence and damaging his relationship with Song Qing Shi, he was hesitant to investigate openly and sought to approach Yue Wu Huan with trivial pretexts, planning to unveil his true nature and then crush him.
Solving this issue was straightforward.
If Xi Lin's Gu King wanted to see his true self, then he would simply show it.
Hopefully, he could handle it...