Yun Zhan’s sword flight was steady.

Among Ling Qingzi’s many disciples, aside from Bai Fanlu and Wang Chongyu, Yun Zhan was among the youngest of his generation, bearing the character “Yun” in his name, and ranked second to last in age.

However, with the protagonist’s halo, Yun Zhan was an extraordinary talent who, in just a few decades, had become one of the top disciples, surpassing Wang Chongyu and almost catching up to Bai Fanlu, the original.

In the sect’s grand selection for the acting sect master, Yun Zhan defeated the senior brother and successfully passed the Lingquan Formation, transforming his Bi Luo weapon into a divine artifact, significantly increasing his power and becoming the foremost disciple.

This was how the story unfolded in the original novel. But given the current situation, Yun Zhan had failed the formation trial, and Bai Fanlu’s power should have been on par with his.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Who would have thought that this Bai Fanlu was a newbie from the starter village, with his powers still unrefined? From the moment he arrived, he had been the unfortunate victim of a series of injuries. Now, he could only weakly lean against Yun Zhan’s chest, feeling utterly helpless.

All around them, there was nothing but a vast expanse of white, with only the wind swirling around. Bai Fanlu vaguely felt colder and colder, as if there were drafts leaking in from everywhere. He couldn’t help but shiver.

After this small movement, he felt the arms holding him tighten slightly, and a faint warmth seemed to spread from Yun Zhan’s palms against his body.

Bai Fanlu looked up in confusion.

Amidst the turbulence, like riding an airplane, the novice Bai Fanlu heard a voice from above, rich and soothing to the point of lethality.

“Hold on to me.”

“…”

Bai Fanlu stubbornly kept his hands to himself, but the next moment, as another strong jolt nearly sent him plummeting from the sky, he finally gave in and reluctantly clutched the blue fabric in front of him.

To maintain his balance, he even had to press his face against Yun Zhan’s shoulder, feeling his strong chest muscles and biceps, though his mind was a mess of %@＃×*.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a steady sword flight? What was with the turbulence?

They finally arrived back at the sect. From afar, Bai Fanlu, who was feeling airsick and almost ready to vomit, spotted the “Tian Shu” characters on the boundary marker. It was like seeing a lifeline, a helipad in sight, but he dared not move.

“We’re here,” Yun Zhan said, landing with surprising grace and stability. “Senior Brother, are you alright?”

“…I’m fine,” Bai Fanlu replied, though his voice trembled. He could already see two disciples guarding the boundary marker.

He desperately didn’t want to be seen in a princess carry, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He had to ask Yun Zhan.

“Junior Brother, why not just fly straight inside?” They were so close, why not just skip walking through the main entrance?

“Doesn’t Senior Brother dislike flying on swords?”

“…” It was too late. Bai Fanlu watched as they got closer and closer to the two disciples.

Suddenly, he felt a light breeze, and a white cloak was draped over his shoulders. It automatically fastened itself at the front, covering him from head to toe.

Bai Fanlu was momentarily stunned, but then he quickly understood Yun Zhan’s intention. It seemed Yun Zhan didn’t want to be seen either.

Wonderful! Even if people assumed he was Yun Zhan’s new secret lover, it was far better than showing his face to everyone!

Bai “Secret Lover” Fanlu was thrilled, thinking that the thin white fabric would soon cover his face. But as it settled and only covered the upper half of his head like a wedding veil, leaving his face exposed, he blinked in bewilderment.

??

Now that everything but his face was covered, Bai Fanlu thought that if the goal was to avoid suspicion, shouldn’t he have gotten a hat to cover his face as well?

Predictably, everyone did indeed see them.

At this time, the training grounds were filled with disciples, and there were patrolling immortal guards everywhere. Yun Zhan, without avoiding anyone’s gaze, boldly walked up the mountain along the main path.

He really did walk, taking every step deliberately.

Along the way, there must have been at least hundreds of disciples who saw them. If not hundreds, then definitely at least three figures.

“Junior Sect Master.”

“Senior Brother.”

Nearly everyone greeted them, and Bai Fanlu’s smile grew strained.

There were even some female disciples who, thinking themselves discreet, whispered behind them.

“The Junior Sect Master is so considerate of Senior Brother!”

“Yes, I told you they must have already formed a Dao partnership.”

“Then why did the Junior Sect Master injure Senior Brother?”

“You don’t understand; this is just how strong people flirt with each other…”

“…” Bai Fanlu cursed his overly sharp hearing.

In this world, Dao partnerships could be between same-sex couples, so not only was public acceptance high, but the imagination ran wild, and rumors spread like wildfire.

“…Junior Brother, we’ve passed my residence. My room is back there.”

Bai Fanlu had been gritting his teeth, enduring the situation, but now that they were close to the disciples’ quarters, Yun Zhan walked right past, ignoring it entirely.

“We’re going to the Lingquan,” Yun Zhan replied curtly.

Another bath?

Bai Fanlu was genuinely afraid, but he couldn’t move his feet, and if he fell, he would land face-first on the ground.

“I… I’m actually fine.”

Can’t we ask Master to come out of seclusion and heal me instead? He had developed a bit of a phobia of that spring.

“Once we remove the cloak, if you can still say that, I’ll take you back.”

What did that mean?

Bai Fanlu quickly understood.

As soon as they arrived at the Lingquan, Yun Zhan kept his word. Bai Fanlu felt a sudden chill as Yun Zhan unceremoniously removed the cloak. When Bai Fanlu looked down at himself, it took him a moment to process what he was seeing.

What he was wearing could hardly be called clothing anymore.

His outfit was barely hanging on, tattered and torn, as if it had been whipped repeatedly. His once fair skin was now covered in red marks…

And the corrosion was still ongoing. The fabric, already in tatters, was about to fall apart completely, exposing his body.

“Don’t look,” Bai Fanlu gritted out, raising his hands to cover his chest.

“I’m not looking,” Yun Zhan replied.

He really wasn’t. His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, and in their current position, as long as he didn’t look down, he wouldn’t see anything.

Fortunately, Yun Zhan had absolutely no romantic interest in Bai Fanlu. The two racy scenes in the novel were either accidental or part of a nightmare scenario, otherwise, Bai Fanlu would have seriously worried about his chastity.

“Put me in the water,” Bai Fanlu ordered, trying to maintain the authority of a senior brother over his junior.

Yun Zhan didn’t say anything but didn’t use any magic either. Instead, he walked calmly to the edge of the spring and gently set Bai Fanlu down on a large stone where he could lean.

Although Bai Fanlu couldn’t move his feet, he still had use of his hands. As soon as Yun Zhan bent over, Bai Fanlu jumped down, gripping the stone tightly and stubbornly scooting to the back of it.

In this position, he couldn’t see Yun Zhan anymore, and Bai Fanlu finally relaxed, leaning back against the stone.

The water level was acceptable. He continued to sink down until he was sitting completely submerged, with the water just covering his neck and collarbone.

Bai Fanlu recalled this stone and its position. Last time, Yun Zhan had also leaned here, but the water had only reached his shoulders. Was there really such a significant height difference between them?

Bai Fanlu pursed his lips, realizing his thoughts had wandered.

“Junior Brother, I’ll rest here for a while. You can go back.”

No response. Bai Fanlu looked around but didn’t see Yun Zhan.

That made sense. Yun Zhan was probably disgusted by the original character. He was just pretending to care for him as a senior brother to maintain appearances, but deep down, he was probably eager to be far away.

It’s a coincidence because that’s exactly what I want too!

Finally at ease, Bai Fanlu swirled his hands in the water, feeling the cool, soothing sensation on his burned skin. Even his previously numb toes started to tingle, feeling both comfortable and relaxing.

The clothes on his body were completely ruined. He’d have to wait for his spiritual energy to fully recover before conjuring a new set. Now that he was soaking in the water, the tattered fabric was useless, so Bai Fanlu decided to rip them off and toss them onto the edge of the spring.

It felt much more liberating this way. Bai Fanlu closed his eyes, letting his hands and legs float gently with the water’s waves. Soon, his overwhelming fatigue pulled him into a light sleep.

The Lingquan was in the process of purifying the demonic energy, creating a thin layer of mist that hovered over the water’s surface.

Bai Fanlu rested his head on his right arm, his eyes half-closed as if he was not sleeping well. His long eyelashes cast a trembling shadow on his pale

 cheeks, with a few droplets of mist glittering on them, ready to fall.

Behind him, his long hair was also soaked, spreading out and drifting deeper into the water.

At the edge of the spring, Yun Zhan slowly reappeared, his gaze settling on Bai Fanlu lying not far away. His eyes roamed, eventually landing on the smooth curve of Bai Fanlu’s back, near his heart, where there was a black birthmark that resembled an ink stain.

The birthmark wasn’t fully visible, partially hidden by Bai Fanlu’s hair, which swayed with the ripples like strands of black silk. Beneath these layers of silk and the hazy mist, the water barely concealed the seductive contours of Bai Fanlu’s body.

Yun Zhan involuntarily took a step closer, but the person in the water suddenly opened his eyes.

In an instant, a bright light flashed within the Lingquan Cave, and a white cloak fluttered down from above, aiming straight for Yun Zhan’s head. He quickly stepped back, flicked his wrist, and looked down to see that it was the same cloak from earlier.

“Junior Brother, why have you returned? Is there something else you need?” Bai Fanlu asked, his tone as calm and unruffled as his appearance, now dressed neatly in white and standing at the opposite side of the spring, his expression serene and composed.

But appearances are deceiving. Internally, Bai Fanlu was cursing up a storm. Only he knew how wild his emotions had run when he realized he was being spied on in his most vulnerable state!

Yun Zhan seemed unfazed by Bai Fanlu’s barely concealed anger. With a casual flick of his wrist, the white cloak disintegrated into a wisp of immortal energy. He then took a step forward.

Bai Fanlu immediately took a step back, instinctively adopting a defensive stance, but he managed to maintain a calm facade. After all, he was still carrying the name of the original Bai Fanlu, so he couldn’t let his personal feelings show too much.

If he were the original Bai Fanlu, he might have shown a bit more shyness in this situation. His reaction was too different, but the thought of acting bashful around Yun Zhan was something Bai Fanlu couldn’t bring himself to do.

Yun Zhan ignored Bai Fanlu’s question and continued moving forward until he reached the edge of the spring. He then bent down and sat in the very spot where Bai Fanlu had been sitting, closing his eyes to meditate.

The Lingquan water soaked through Yun Zhan’s clothes, revealing the two dark spots on his shoulders where the hidden weapons had struck. What had initially been small wounds now showed ominous black shadows the size of bowls.

So, Yun Zhan was just here to heal?

Bai Fanlu paused, realizing he had forgotten that Yun Zhan was injured.

And then, realizing that Yun Zhan had responded to his distress signal despite his severe injuries, rushing over to save him and even carrying him back all the way?

Bai Fanlu frowned. And what about him? He hadn’t considered Yun Zhan’s condition at all. As soon as they reached the Lingquan, he had been entirely focused on his own comfort. He had even mistaken Yun Zhan for a voyeuristic pervert when Yun Zhan had never shown any interest in the original Bai Fanlu in that way. Otherwise, given the intense situation earlier, Yun Zhan should have lost control long ago.

Bai Fanlu felt a pang of guilt.

“Junior Brother, you—”

“Senior Brother, come over here,” Yun Zhan said calmly, his eyes still closed.

Bai Fanlu looked down at his feet, still as black as pitch. Although he could move them now and his spiritual energy had mostly recovered, his feet still looked unsettling.

He obediently moved closer to Yun Zhan, sitting in the spring at a distance that wasn’t too close but wasn’t too far either.

“It would be beneficial to your recovery if you came closer,” Yun Zhan added.

Bai Fanlu wasn’t sure if there was some special technique involved. He recalled the description of the Lingquan in the novel, where Yun Zhan was gravely injured and the original Bai Fanlu assisted in his healing. It was said that being in the water together had some synergistic effects, but the specifics weren’t detailed because they got distracted by other things.

Thinking about that scene inevitably brought back memories of the infamous underwater kiss scene.

The author had written it so provocatively that it was impossible not to think about it. Bai Fanlu’s face heated up at the thought.

Clearing his throat, Bai Fanlu kept his expression neutral as he slowly moved along the edge of the spring, not daring to ask how the synergy worked, fearing that his ignorance might expose him.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he settled down beside Yun Zhan, still keeping a respectful distance between them.

Just as he was about to sit, Yun Zhan turned his head to look at him. Bai Fanlu froze mid-action. His wet clothes were clinging uncomfortably to his legs.

The icy blue in Yun Zhan’s eyes flickered for a moment before he turned away, closing his eyes again.

Bai Fanlu felt uneasy. Just as he managed to sit down, he heard a splash beside him—Yun Zhan had suddenly moved.

“Junior Brother…” Bai Fanlu began, but the next moment, he was forcefully pinned against the edge of the spring.

His hands were restrained, and his legs were immobilized.

Their faces were so close that their breaths intertwined. They were mere inches away from each other’s lips.

Alarms blared in Bai Fanlu’s mind as he stared wide-eyed into Yun Zhan’s icy blue gaze, unable to discern the fleeting glint in his eyes.

“Senior Brother… don’t you have feelings for me?”

“Then why are you avoiding me?”

“Could it be… you’re playing hard to get?”