What the hell did he mean by “playing hard to get”?

Bai Fanlu felt a surge of blood rushing to his head, and for once, he really wanted to curse. Although he had the right intentions, his body was treacherously betraying him—his ears, to be precise. His moral compass started wavering.

It was mostly due to that excessively deep and alluring voice, like wine laced with a seductive poison.

The way Yun Zhan’s lips moved, from his jawline to his neck, collarbone, and earlobe, the sound seemed to wrap around Bai Fanlu like a fishhook, reeling in his very soul.

No, no, no, no! This person is a scumbag, a devil! I can’t fall for this!

The rational part of Bai Fanlu clung to the edge of a cliff, teetering but still holding on, trying to pull back the last shred of sanity he had left.

Yun Zhan had to be doing this on purpose—acting capriciously, using manipulative tactics. When the original character pursued him, he treated him like dirt. Now that Bai Fanlu had taken over and was distancing himself, Yun Zhan was deliberately flirting, creating ambiguity to drive the original character insane!

Bai Fanlu cherished his life and vowed to stay far away from this scumbag. He wouldn’t succumb to the temptation of a seductive voice!

Absolutely not!

“Ahem, Junior Brother, stop spouting nonsense. I’ve had time to reflect. We both seek the Dao and should prioritize the welfare of the world over getting entangled in romantic affairs…”

Halfway through his speech, Bai Fanlu’s throat tightened. He coughed lightly and noticed Yun Zhan’s shoulder shift slightly as he leaned over him, which made Bai Fanlu inwardly rejoice.

However, Bai Fanlu kept up the act, feigning a troubled, helpless, and sorrowful expression. His tone was full of emotion as he continued, “I was weak-willed before, trapped by my inner demons, unable to find my way. But after our battle, I’ve completely figured things out.”

“A true man should have ambitions far and wide. Our duty as cultivators is to pursue the Dao and not let down our master’s teachings…”

Bai Fanlu became so engrossed in his speech that he almost couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t realize he was so eloquent, and by the end, he had practically moved himself to tears with his righteous passion.

Yun Zhan silently observed the tears glistening in Bai Fanlu’s eyes.

Bai Fanlu gazed back at him with genuine sincerity, thinking that Yun Zhan probably believed he was on the verge of tears from having to let go of their “relationship.” His heartfelt and emotionally charged performance should have seemed all the more authentic.

Bai Fanlu deliberately sighed, counting the seconds in his head, curious to see how Yun Zhan would react.

He didn’t have to wait long. Yun Zhan’s hands slowly released their grip on Bai Fanlu’s wrists, and the long leg that had been pinning him down also moved away as Yun Zhan sat back.

“Hmm.” A single, light syllable hummed out from Yun Zhan’s nose as he closed his eyes.

It was like a heavy punch cutting through the air, nearly making Bai Fanlu fall into the water.

So after all that effort, pouring out his heart and soul, all he got in response was a single “Hmm”?

Bai Fanlu felt unfulfilled, like he hadn’t fully gotten into the role, and was about to say more.

But Yun Zhan suddenly opened his eyes. “Who goes there?”

Bai Fanlu was confused. Someone was here? He was about to stand up and look around.

Yun Zhan shot him a glance, half-clenched his right hand, and a burst of blue light emanated from his palm, expanding outward with a metallic clang, causing ripples to spread across the water’s surface.

Bai Fanlu looked at Yun Zhan, perplexed.

“Senior Brother? It’s me, Yun Yi. I’m looking for Senior Brother Bai. Is he inside?”

The name “Yun Yi” was familiar to Bai Fanlu. He was a junior disciple from the same generation as Yun Zhan, the youngest of the Yun generation. Having recently joined the sect, Yun Yi was a little fanboy of the original Bai Fanlu. Since his family had been in the medicinal herb business before he started cultivating, he would often bring herbs to Bai Fanlu when he was injured. He was adorably naïve.

It seemed Yun Yi had bumped into something because he paused and said, “Huh, why is there a barrier here?”

So Yun Zhan had set up a barrier? But why? Why would he set up a barrier against a fellow disciple?

Bai Fanlu found it even stranger. He was about to step outside to respond, but Yun Zhan said, “Dry your clothes first before going out.”

Bai Fanlu glanced down at himself. After the earlier struggle, he was soaked through, with his white clothes clinging to his body. Immortal robes were thin, and the wet look was quite… revealing.

“…”

Silently chanting a spell, Bai Fanlu dried his clothes and calmly stepped out of the water, heading for the steps that led out of the Lingquan Cave.

Behind him, Yun Zhan appeared to glance at him nonchalantly, noticing Bai Fanlu’s slightly flushed ears and the forced lightness in his steps. Yun Zhan smirked.

As the barrier opened, Bai Fanlu saw the eager face of his junior, Yun Yi, waiting outside.

Indeed, just as the novel described, he was as soft and pink as a dumpling, looking no older than thirteen or fourteen. Behind him stood Wang Chongyu.

Wang Chongyu sized up Bai Fanlu, waiting until he finished talking to Yun Yi before asking, “Senior Brother, I detected demonic energy here earlier. Did another demon intrude?”

Bai Fanlu was startled at first when Wang Chongyu mentioned demonic energy, thinking there was something wrong with him, but he quickly realized, “It was Taotie.”

“Taotie?” Wang Chongyu was a bit surprised.

“Uh… It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later. Has Master come out of seclusion?”

Bai Fanlu had been gone for only a short time, and Ling Qingzi had said he would be in seclusion for a day, so he probably wasn’t out yet. Bai Fanlu mainly wanted to change the subject to avoid being bombarded with questions.

It turns out even immortals get tired. Using the excuse of needing to rest due to injuries, Bai Fanlu sent Wang Chongyu away and returned to his room, where he promptly collapsed onto the bed.

However, after a brief rest, his old insomnia kicked in. Without his phone and the comforting voice of his idol, Bai Fanlu was at a loss.

But his body was indeed exhausted, so he just lay there quietly until he felt it was enough rest and then got up.

He first sought out Wang Chongyu and learned that a night had passed in the mortal world and that Wang Chongyu was leading the disciples in their morning scripture reading.

Assuming Ling Qingzi had already come out of seclusion, Bai Fanlu decided not to disturb Wang Chongyu and went to see Ling Qingzi himself. When he arrived, he found someone else was already there.

It seemed Yun Zhan had just reported the incident with Taotie to Ling Qingzi.

As Bai Fanlu reached the doorway, he heard Ling Qingzi say, “…The unusual movements of the demonic creatures in various places are indeed concerning.”

“Mo’er? Come in.”

Bai Fanlu, who had been about to retreat, had no choice but to step inside.

“Master.” Bai Fanlu bowed respectfully and stood across from Yun Zhan, head slightly lowered.

“I’ve already heard from Yun Zhan about what happened yesterday,” Ling Qingzi said.

Bai Fanlu finally raised his head, glancing at Yun Zhan out of the corner of his eye, uncertain about what he had told their master.

Being swallowed by Taotie was something that seemed a bit too absurd for someone of the original Bai Fanlu’s abilities. Ling Qingzi, who knew his first disciple’s capabilities well, should be skeptical. So, to play it safe, Bai Fanlu didn’t respond immediately.

“Mo’er, why did you go down the mountain alone?”

To Bai Fanlu’s surprise, Ling Qingzi asked him that question. The tone made it seem like he was unaware of the reason Bai Fanlu had left.

If he had seen the letter, he shouldn’t have completely ignored the excuse written on it, right?

As Bai Fanlu puzzled over this, Ling Qingzi continued, “Yun Zhan mentioned that he feels inexperienced and unqualified to take on the role of sect master. Did you go down the mountain to consider his concerns?”

Bai Fanlu was still a bit confused, but it wouldn’t be right to remain silent now. After a moment’s thought, he replied in a somewhat hesitant tone, as if he were struggling with the issue, “It’s not just… for my junior brother.”

This ambiguous answer was intentionally vague, making it open to interpretation depending on how one wanted to perceive it.

“Oh?” Ling Qingzi lightly stroked his white hair at his waist, “Then what do you think of what he just said?”

From what Ling Qingzi had mentioned earlier, it seemed Yun Zhan was declining the position of sect master. But that didn’t align with the ambition Yun Zhan displayed in the novel, where he was eager to rise to the top.

Bai Fanlu certainly didn’t believe him. If Yun Zhan didn’t want to be sect master, then the responsibility would likely fall on Bai Fanlu. Ling Qing

zi’s words seemed to suggest just that, but Bai Fanlu thought better of it.

“I believe that Junior Brother Yun Zhan is both virtuous and capable, fully qualified for the position. I sincerely admire and respect him. As for myself, I need to cultivate more diligently to achieve any significant progress.”

After finishing, Bai Fanlu noticed that Ling Qingzi seemed to nod slightly, which put him at ease.

However, Ling Qingzi’s expression left Bai Fanlu even more confused. It seemed that the letter he had left had indeed gone unnoticed. He didn’t sense any trace of his spiritual energy in the room. So where had that letter disappeared to?

“Yun Zhan,” Ling Qingzi called.

Yun Zhan stepped forward, hands respectfully folded as he listened.

“Since your senior brother has said as much, I will grant your request. You may go down the mountain, but the matter of the sect master is of great importance. You will temporarily hold the position, and we shall discuss it further later.”

As Ling Qingzi spoke, he raised his hand, and two blue feathers materialized in his palm. In an instant, the feathers transformed into small birds, the size of sparrows, with red beaks and blue feathers, hopping around in his palm.

Bai Fanlu was amazed by the little creatures, which were quite cute. But what had Ling Qingzi just said? He was sending Yun Zhan down the mountain? That was simply too good to be true!

However, in the next moment, Bai Fanlu’s excitement fizzled out.

“Mo’er, since you also wish to gain experience, you will accompany Yun Zhan down the mountain. These blue birds are tokens. The demon clan has experts in disguise, so having them with you will prevent you from mistaking each other. Additionally, they can be used for communication in areas where spiritual energy is lacking.”

With a wave of his hand, the two blue birds spread their wings and flew—one landed in Yun Zhan’s hand, the other perched on Bai Fanlu’s shoulder, but they soon disappeared from sight.

After leaving Ling Qingzi’s presence, Bai Fanlu’s ability to maintain his composure was stretched to the limit.

Yun Zhan walked ahead of him and then turned back, asking, “Senior Brother, do you not want to go down the mountain?”

Bai Fanlu thought, I just don’t want to go down with you.

He was about to walk past Yun Zhan when Yun Zhan said, “I thought Senior Brother went down the mountain yesterday to cultivate, but it turns out it was just something you wrote on paper.”

Wrote on paper…

Bai Fanlu suddenly realized that the letter he had left had been mistakenly sent to Yun Zhan!

Hit by this unexpected blunder, Bai Fanlu felt a headache coming on. Worse, he couldn’t let it show. If he did, it would mean admitting that the fake Bai Fanlu wasn’t just lacking in skill but was also a complete idiot.

He absolutely, positively… couldn’t afford to slip up in front of Yun Zhan again. If he did, it would be like dropping his mask, and losing his mask meant losing his life.

“Junior Brother, forgive me, that was just…”

“I understand. Senior Brother is drawn to me, after all.”

“…”

Facing Yun Zhan’s blatant nonsense, Bai Fanlu held back, suppressing his anger.

But it seemed Yun Zhan was enjoying this game more and more. He suddenly stepped forward, placing a hand on the wall beside Bai Fanlu’s shoulder, a classic wall-slam pose.

Not far away, two young disciples were sneaking glances their way. Yun Zhan slightly leaned in closer, his face mere inches from Bai Fanlu’s ear, making it look like their faces were practically touching.

“Heartfelt admiration, that kind of heart,” Yun Zhan whispered.

“…Yun Zhan.”

Bai Fanlu flicked his finger, imbuing it with a touch of spiritual energy, and easily knocked Yun Zhan’s hand away.

Yun Zhan chuckled indifferently, “Senior Brother, it seems you’ve forgotten something.”

“What?” Bai Fanlu’s mind raced with alarms. Had he forgotten something crucial about the original character? Was Yun Zhan finally going to express his suspicions?

“Nothing,” Yun Zhan said, dropping the subject. “Senior Brother, you’d better prepare a suitable weapon. We depart at the second hour of mist tomorrow.”

The second hour of mist referred to a time in the celestial realm when the golden sun’s rotation created a misty sea of clouds, a sight where mist first appeared around six in the morning and deepened by eight.

Bai Fanlu thought, at least Yun Zhan had a bit of decency, not suggesting they leave at the crack of dawn when the disciples were just waking up.

But a weapon… Bai Fanlu knew he would need to get a new one.

The disciples of Tianxu Sect often obtained their weapons from Qionglin, where the sacred woods could be used for sword hilts and scabbards, while the blades required forging from the scattered stones in the forest. The results depended on both cultivation and fortune.

One person who excelled in this area was Wang Chongyu. According to the novel, Wang Chongyu wasn’t particularly gifted in cultivation but had a deep understanding of the internal qualities of various spiritual materials.

In the original story, he had joked that he might be best suited to managing the forge.

Another reason Bai Fanlu thought to ask him for help was that when he returned to his room, he found Wang Chongyu already there, standing by his desk, examining a piece of paper laid out flat.

Bai Fanlu found it strange, as he remembered it was just a blank sheet of paper.

However, Wang Chongyu’s presence reminded the troubled Bai Fanlu about the sword issue, making him feel as though he had found a lifeline.

But when Wang Chongyu looked up at him, his expression was unusually complex.

“Senior Brother, are you really planning to make Yun Zhan your Dao companion?”