“Did you misunderstand something?”

Bai Fanlu had anticipated that he would eventually have to face the gossip surrounding the recent “princess carry” incident, but he hadn’t expected Wang Chongyu to be so direct, catching him completely off guard.

As he pondered how to phrase his response, Bai Fanlu pretended to walk over casually. Then he noticed that the piece of paper on the table, which had been blank before, was now covered with a drawing.

“Did you draw this?” Bai Fanlu asked instinctively.

However, the expression on Wang Chongyu’s face grew even more complicated. He fixed his gaze on Bai Fanlu and said in a deep voice, “Senior Brother, I am not a child. Please don’t joke with me.”

Bai Fanlu didn’t understand what he meant, so he took a closer look at the drawing. If Wang Chongyu didn’t draw it, then who did?

The drawing depicted a young man in white, practicing swordsmanship. He had a strikingly handsome and heroic face. The key detail was the blue flame lotus in his palm—Bilu, the magic weapon, now gilded and fully evolved, unique in all the world.

The person in the drawing was Yun Zhan.

Would Wang Chongyu sneak into Bai Fanlu’s room to draw Yun Zhan? Obviously not.

The brushwork was fluid, as if it had been completed in one breath, conveying deep emotion through every stroke, making the figure so lifelike that it seemed he might step out of the drawing at any moment.

There was no doubt that this was drawn by the original Bai Fanlu.

Though the novel didn’t mention this particular drawing, it did note that the original Bai Fanlu was skilled in painting. However, Bai Fanlu couldn’t understand how the paper had appeared blank to him before.

As he stared at the figure in the painting, deep in thought, Wang Chongyu’s interpretation of Bai Fanlu’s contemplative look took on a different meaning.

“Apologies, I unlocked the spiritual seal on the painting without your permission.”

Oh, that’s it! Bai Fanlu suddenly understood.

So, the original had sealed the painting to prevent anyone from seeing it? How infatuated he was! Too bad he fell for the wrong person. Otherwise, wouldn’t they have made a great couple, strong and compatible?

Bai Fanlu cleared his throat to stop the strange thoughts running through his mind and silently repeated to himself, “Yun Zhan is a scumbag, dating him is deadly.”

Then he calmly replied, “It’s fine.”

“Senior Brother, did you… really intend for this to be his?”

Wang Chongyu seemed fixated on the painting, his fingers tracing slowly over the paper.

Bai Fanlu was puzzled but saw Wang Chongyu’s finger pointing to the robe on the figure in the painting. “This white robe.”

Bai Fanlu then noticed that the painting was in color because Bilu had a distinct hue. However, Yun Zhan in the painting was not wearing his usual blue robe. Bai Fanlu had always seen Yun Zhan in blue since he arrived, which was why he hadn’t immediately recognized the figure in white in the painting as Yun Zhan.

If he was wearing white, it must have been before he became the acting sect master. But Bilu’s transformation into a divine artifact could only happen after Yun Zhan became sect master, which was contradictory.

Moreover, the original Bai Fanlu was too injured after Yun Zhan defeated him to be painting anything, so the drawing must have been completed before the duel.

Unless… the original Bai Fanlu had already anticipated Yun Zhan’s victory when he made this drawing.

What a roundabout way of expressing feelings! Bai Fanlu marveled at the thought, impressed by his own ability to piece it together.

“Yun Zhan was always better.”

Bai Fanlu commented, knowing from the novel that the original Bai Fanlu had deliberately let Yun Zhan win. But there was no point in discussing that now, especially since Bai Fanlu couldn’t defeat Yun Zhan anyway.

Thinking it over, he decided to roll up the painting. It wouldn’t do to let others see it and get the wrong idea.

Wang Chongyu noticed how carefully Bai Fanlu was handling the painting. His hand, hidden in his sleeve behind his back, clenched slightly.

“Even in your painting, is he better?”

“Hmm?” Bai Fanlu didn’t catch his meaning.

“In your painting, shouldn’t Master be the one who’s better?”

Bai Fanlu froze, his hand pausing as he rolled up the painting. What did that mean? Had the original Bai Fanlu also painted Ling Qingzi?

Wang Chongyu stared at Bai Fanlu’s downcast eyes. “I heard from Master that you’re going down the mountain with Yun Zhan?”

Bai Fanlu couldn’t figure out what the original Bai Fanlu might have painted—those details weren’t in the novel. But he was relieved that Wang Chongyu seemed willing to steer the conversation away from the painting.

After finishing rolling up the scroll, Bai Fanlu tossed it into a bamboo tube nearby. “There’s been some unrest in the mortal world, so we’re going to investigate.”

“Is that all?” Wang Chongyu asked.

Bai Fanlu was confused. Why did it seem like Wang Chongyu’s words had a hidden meaning?

Wang Chongyu gazed into Bai Fanlu’s slightly evasive eyes, misinterpreting his intent again. “The junior disciples are all talking, saying that you and Yun Zhan… After sharing a session in the Lingquan for healing, they think you’ll become Dao companions.”

The Lingquan again…

Bai Fanlu felt a headache coming on. He absolutely needed to stay far away from that pool. If there was a third incident, not even jumping into the Qinhuai River could clear his name.

“Junior Brother…” Bai Fanlu struggled to find a way to explain the current predicament.

But Wang Chongyu sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in his gentle expression. “Senior Brother, when did you become so distant from me?”

Bai Fanlu suddenly realized that the original Bai Fanlu always called Wang Chongyu by his given name. “Chongyu, I’m sorry, I… was confused.”

Wang Chongyu looked deeply into Bai Fanlu’s eyes, then finally relented, “I understand. Senior Brother, your health is more important; don’t worry about it.”

“Chongyu, could you do me a favor?”

The best way to resolve this situation was to focus on doing something rather than talking about it. Given the centuries of friendship between the original Bai Fanlu and Wang Chongyu, the latter was indeed moved by Bai Fanlu’s request.

“Just say the word, Senior Brother.”

“My sword broke while fighting Taotie. Could you help me forge a new one?”

“Of course.”

“That’s great. Let’s go now.”

Bai Fanlu took Wang Chongyu by the arm, pulling him outside. Wang Chongyu allowed himself to be led without resistance, and his expression gradually returned to its usual calmness.

Bai Fanlu didn’t pay much attention to Wang Chongyu. In the novel, this character didn’t have much presence. The author initially described him as a gentleman like an orchid or bamboo, reliable, modest, and often helping Ling Qingzi manage internal affairs, earning the respect of the disciples.

However, after Yun Zhan became sect master, Wang Chongyu’s role diminished, likely because of his close relationship with the original Bai Fanlu. The author barely wrote about him, eventually forgetting to give him a proper ending.

So from Bai Fanlu’s perspective, he regarded Wang Chongyu as just an NPC.

NPCs might not be important, but as Bai Fanlu stepped out of the room, he suddenly remembered something crucial—he had addressed Wang Chongyu incorrectly, and he probably hadn’t used the right form of address for Yun Zhan either.

This was bad. The original Bai Fanlu didn’t usually call Yun Zhan “Junior Brother” when they were alone…

And that sentence: “Senior Brother, you seem to have forgotten something.”

Something… something…

Yun Zhan’s devilishly seductive voice lingered in Bai Fanlu’s mind even as he entered Qionglin, trying to figure out how to handle Yun Zhan when they met tomorrow. Should he proactively explain? Or should he play dumb?

Neither option seemed ideal.

Yun Zhan wasn’t as easily fooled as Wang Chongyu.

“Senior Brother, come over here and take a look at this tree.”

Snapped out of his thoughts by Wang Chongyu’s voice, Bai Fanlu looked over and saw him standing under a tree, beckoning him.

The tree had a pale greenish trunk and long branches, but otherwise didn’t look any different from the others.

Not being an expert, Bai Fanlu said, “If you think it’s good, then it’s good.”

Wang Chongyu smiled. “You’re leaving tomorrow, so we can only choose a must tree for now. Later, I’ll find a better tree to forge a more suitable sword for you.”

Bai Fanlu was about to say that one sword for self-defense would be enough, but he stopped himself. Although he didn’t plan to achieve anything significant during his time outside, it wouldn’t be appropriate to reveal that to Wang Chongyu.

“Alright, then thank you, Chongyu.”

“There’s no need to be so formal, Senior Brother. Please wait here; I’ll be back shortly.”

Wang Chongyu raised his hand, and the towering tree before them began to rustle, its leaves shimmering with silvery light. Suddenly, the tree seemed to be uprooted, leaving only a round pit where it had stood. But soon, a small sapling sprouted from the pit.

In no time at all, the tree had grown to half a person

’s height.

Wang Chongyu returned quickly, holding two pieces of jade, one in each hand.

“The one on the left is tough and resilient; the one on the right is sharp. Which do you prefer, Senior Brother?”

“The one on the left.”

It sounded less likely to break, making it more suitable for self-defense. Bai Fanlu didn’t want to face another situation where his sword broke at a critical moment.

Wang Chongyu put away the jade in his right hand, keeping the piece in his left. “Let’s head to the forge.”

The forge was located at the edge of Qionglin, beside one of the Four Wonders of the Immortal Realm. The forge was famous for the seven-colored light that radiated from it when rare divine pills or artifacts were being forged, blending with the thousand trees of Qionglin to create a mystical spectacle.

However, since they were only forging an ordinary flying sword this time, there wouldn’t be any special sights. After Wang Chongyu placed the materials into the forge and Bai Fanlu infused his spiritual energy, the sword forging process began.

It wouldn’t take more than half a day, and by the time they left the next morning, the new flying sword would be ready.

“Senior Brother, do you remember when it was just the two of us as Master’s disciples? We used to come here often to watch the old man below.”

The forge was located on a cliff at the far end of Qionglin, on a protruding platform where an old immortal had taken up residence.

It was said that the old immortal had long achieved enlightenment and could ascend to godhood, but he disdained it. His only passion in life was continually fanning and pouring wine into the forge to keep the immortal flames burning.

He was also known to be a notorious drunkard. If you spoke to him, he would only respond with one word: “Wine!”

Some said that his wild and unruly behavior was what kept him from ascending.

No one knew for sure.

Bai Fanlu half-heartedly responded to Wang Chongyu’s reminiscences. Of course, he didn’t remember any of it—it belonged to the original Bai Fanlu’s memories. The novel only gave a brief mention of the forge’s old immortal.

But Wang Chongyu’s sincere nostalgia was real, and it moved Bai Fanlu slightly.

“Senior Brother, you were always braver than I was, always leaning over the edge of the cliff to look down. I never dared.”

“Do you still not dare?”

They exchanged a smile.

“Shall we try?”

Wang Chongyu was the first to walk to the edge of the cliff. Just a moment ago, when they had tossed something down, they hadn’t needed to go so close to the edge. Bai Fanlu followed him over.

Mist swirled at their feet, and the massive forge lay directly below, about three or five stories down. The molten lava-like light emitted from its mouth was constantly churning and rolling.

As Bai Fanlu stared down, a flash of red seemed to cross his vision. He instinctively stepped back, his breath suddenly quickening.

The forge didn’t have much significance in the novel, other than being the place where Bilu was refined into a divine artifact. There was nothing particularly special about it.

But this feeling of panic… what was going on?

“Senior Brother? Are you alright? You look pale,” Wang Chongyu asked, reaching out to touch Bai Fanlu’s shoulder.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept between them, lifting the hem of Bai Fanlu’s robes and breaking his train of thought.

But in that moment, his hair fell over his eyes. When he could see again, he noticed that Wang Chongyu was looking down at his own hand, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Bai Fanlu asked.

Wang Chongyu lifted his gaze and stared into the distance, deep in thought.

“…It’s nothing. Senior Brother, you’re still unwell. You shouldn’t stay here in the wind. Let me take you back, and I’ll come later to retrieve the sword.”

“Alright.” Bai Fanlu nodded in agreement; he felt uneasy as well.

They walked side by side into the depths of Qionglin. Not long after they left, the white-bearded old immortal by the forge chuckled, “They’re gone. You can come out now.”

From a cave behind the cliff emerged a figure in blue robes—it was Yun Zhan. He raised his hand, and a jar spun out of his grasp, flying into the air.

The old immortal, as light as a swallow, leaped up and caught the jar. He couldn’t even wait to sit back down before pulling out the stopper and taking a deep sniff.

“Fragrant! Truly fragrant! You’ve got skill. Where did you get this?”

In Tianxu Sect, and indeed throughout the entire Immortal Realm, wine was strictly forbidden.

Yun Zhan didn’t answer him and only asked, “The mirror?”

“No problem, no problem!”

With a snap of his fingers, a round mirror appeared in front of Yun Zhan. However, the mirror didn’t reflect any scene or figure—only a thick white mist.

The saying goes, “People in dust, not of dust.” The mirror had a strange name—”Not of Dust.”

The old immortal took a swig of wine, smacked his lips, and lay down, his feet twirling in circles in the air.

“Good wine, good wine, a fine wine!”

“Pity it’s only one jar. Haha! One jar is just one jar, two pairs are not two pairs, three realms are not three realms, all beings are all beings.”

“Haha! Interesting, truly interesting!”

Yun Zhan ignored his ramblings and stood silently before the mirror for a moment, finally closing his eyes.

As he did, the mist within the mirror began to part, slowly revealing the image of a young man.