Chu Yan hadn’t said anything yet, and the young Fu Qingzhou in his childlike state had already put down his tiny wooden sword and pounced on Chu Yan’s thigh, rubbing his chubby face against Chu Yan’s ice-blue robe.
Although Fu Qingzhou wasn’t afraid of him when he was a child, he didn’t have the habit of clinging to his legs so easily. Chu Yan thought for a moment and asked, “What’s wrong?”
The little guy, with his chubby face and a babyish voice, his two short and thick eyebrows knitted together, looked up at Chu Yan and said with a very aggrieved tone, “Master, I don’t want to practice swordsmanship with Senior Martial Brother; he’s so mean…”
Chu Yan remembered that Fu Qingzhou was actually quite scared of his Senior Martial Brother, Lu Ran, when he was a child. He was always terrified when practicing swordsmanship with Lu Ran, and even as he grew up, he was still afraid. He would avoid any unnecessary interactions with him. In the beginning, he would even report to Chu Yan about Lu Ran’s actions, but later on, he stopped doing that. In any case, when it came to Lu Ran, he always appeared extremely…timid.
Chu Yan crouched down, met the little guy’s gaze, and smiled, “Why is he being mean?”
The little guy hesitated for a long time, fidgeted with his hands, and finally said reluctantly, “Senior Martial Brother keeps saying that I’m stupid and that having me as Master’s… disciple is embarrassing for Master…”
Chu Yan, not surprised by this revelation, thought about it. Compared to Lu Ran, Fu Qingzhou’s talent was indeed quite average. In the eyes of the divine genius Lu Ran, Fu Qingzhou’s abilities might have seemed similar to those of a person with intellectual disabilities.
But who was Lu Ran? He was the absolute protagonist with a golden finger. Compared to him, everyone else was just average.
So, Chu Yan kindly comforted the little guy, who was clearly feeling down. He talked about how young boys should be brave and strong, emphasizing that diligent practice is the most important thing. Natural talent was only a part of it, and hard work could make up for any shortcomings. However, young Fu Qingzhou seemed to be quite receptive to this advice, and soon his face brightened with a smile.
After comforting the young Fu Qingzhou, Chu Yan began to wonder where he was. Had the system encountered a bug?
[Host, you have inadvertently entered a fantasy created by the male lead… But there is plenty of spiritual energy in this dream, so you can rest assured that it’s safe here.]
Oh… does that mean his nearly lifeless soul can now leave his body…
“Master, I want to eat now,” the little guy said cheerfully. His round eyes lit up again, and his chubby arms hugged Chu Yan’s legs, as if ready to become a human pendant at any moment.
Chu Yan looked at him, nodded, and, even though he didn’t need to eat, he knew that young Fu Qingzhou and Lu Ran, who were in this fantasy, did. So he smiled and patted the little guy’s head. “Alright.”
As for Lu Ran, who had just finished practicing with his sword and watched Chu Yan and young Fu Qingzhou laughing happily in the distance, he pursed his lips, feeling a strange sensation he couldn’t quite describe.
In reality, if he understood one word, he would know that his current emotion was called “jealousy.” He was extremely jealous, and it was making him feel sour.
Lu Ran stood in place for a long time, and eventually he started walking towards Chu Yan.
“Master.”
The young Lu Ran wore the blue and white disciple’s robe of Cloud Crane Peak. He had an upright and slim figure like a young bamboo shoot, and a trace of baby fat was still left on his face. When he saw Chu Yan, he couldn’t help but smile. His eyes then swept over Fu Qingzhou, who still hadn’t let go of Chu Yan’s leg and seemed to be hanging onto him like a pendant. Lu Ran furrowed his brows slightly and said, “Junior Brother.”
Fu Qingzhou was startled by his gaze and immediately let go, putting both of his hands behind his back. He bowed and said, “Senior Brother.”
Lu Ran looked at him, then turned his gaze to Chu Yan. “Master, today I’ve learned the third move of the sword technique you taught me…”
Although he was trying to contain himself, his eyes were practically overflowing with the desire for praise.
Considering that this was within the other’s dream, Chu Yan generously praised him.
After receiving the praise from Chu Yan, the young version of Lu Ran seemed to want to maintain a calm and composed expression, but after a while, he couldn’t hold back his happiness. Almost anyone could tell that he was extremely delighted right now.
Beside them, Fu Qingzhou still had that timid expression and didn’t dare to look at Lu Ran. He huffed and puffed while walking on his two short legs, clutching his sword, and following Chu Yan. He even tried to reach out to tug on Chu Yan’s robe but was deterred by a stern glance from Lu Ran, so he gave up on that idea.
Chu Yan noticed all of this, and he had also been wondering why, in Lu Ran’s dream, the first thing he encountered was Fu Qingzhou. But now he understood.
This younger version of Lu Ran, who looked to be only around ten years old, was much more responsible and diligent than Fu Qingzhou. He never shirked his assigned tasks, worked extremely hard, and was dedicated to his training, often striving to improve day and night.
Fu Qingzhou, on the other hand, was quite different. He had been indulged since his childhood, showered with love, and never experienced hardship. This resulted in him carrying a certain innocence and delicacy that would naturally garner more attention. It was entirely normal for the occasionally overlooked and ever-responsible Lu Ran to feel a bit down sometimes.
The dream recreated Cloud Crane Peak quite realistically, almost feeling uncannily genuine. Yet the scenes were chaotic, transitioning rapidly. For instance, after instructing the young Lu Ran in swordsmanship and finishing with praise, the setting shifted once again.
This time, it was no longer Cloud Crane Peak but the border between the human realm and the demon realm—Red Cloud City. The scene was a massive battle, with corpses strewn about and the skies filled with the stench of blood.
The grand and imposing formation exuded an overwhelmingly strong feeling of despair, even for onlookers like Chu Yan. The intense sense of hopelessness within this dreamworld felt incredibly oppressive.
Chu Yan was forced to witness his own heroic yet gruesome death multiple times, an experience that deeply affected him.
He couldn’t fathom Lu Ran’s motivation. While the recollections of Cloud Crane Peak could be considered relatively peaceful, was there anything truly worth revisiting in the horrifying memories of the Battle of Red Cloud City?
The bloody scenes replayed in his mind repeatedly, and anyone subjected to such a relentless cycle of gruesome imagery would undoubtedly experience severe mental distress.
Unable to endure the recurring nightmare any longer, Chu Yan found himself once more engulfed in darkness, seemingly drawn into it by a powerful force.
Chu Yan, sensing that the fragment of his soul had once again merged with his body, was about to open his eyes when he heard a reminder from the system 2333: “Are you ready, Host?”
Wondering what he needed to prepare for, he simply opened his eyes.
At that moment, he found himself in the midst of a black night. In the demon palace, there was no concept of day and night, as it remained in a perpetual state of darkness. He was lying on a white jade bed, and the entire palace resembled a cold, icy chamber.
Suddenly, he heard an explosion nearby. Before he could react, he saw the debris falling around the demon palace, and in the midst of the rising dust and smoke, a massive stone was hurtling toward him.
Chu Yan was baffled by the situation. No wonder the system had reminded him to prepare. He wondered how the seemingly sturdy demon palace had collapsed so easily. Instinctively, he reached out to cast a surge of spiritual power toward the massive stone hurtling toward him. However, to his surprise, his internal spiritual energy was unresponsive, and he couldn’t generate any power.
Fortunately, the stone never reached him. Someone had shielded him from the impact.
The rolling boulders overhead smashed into Lu Ran, causing the entire palace to collapse. Nevertheless, Lu Ran remained silent and steadfast, gazing directly at Gu Yunkai. For a brief moment, his eyes seemed confused and uncertain. After a moment, he softly said, “Master?”
Lu Ran appeared battered and covered in bloodshot eyes. When he didn’t hear a response from Gu Yunkai, he asked once again, “Master?”
He stared at Gu Yunkai without moving, tears streaming down his face.
After a long while, Gu Yunkai looked at him and said, “Um…”
Lu Ran froze completely. Ever since he discovered the faint remnants of Gu Yunkai’s consciousness in his body, he has been attempting countless methods to try and bring him back to life for centuries. He didn’t know how long it would take, but he had failed numerous times and never once thought of giving up.
He had considered that when his Master woke up, he might not forgive him, but that was okay. All he wanted was for Gu Yunkai to come back to life.
He didn’t want to experience that kind of despair again.
“Master…”
Once Gu Yunkai realized the situation, he found their position on the bed to be quite inappropriate…
So he patted Lu Ran’s shoulder and said, “Get up first. I have something to ask you.”
Gu Yunkai, dressed in white robes, his dark hair flowing like a waterfall, was as familiar as ever to Lu Ran despite the time that had passed. Lu Ran’s eyes grew warm and slightly teary as he responded, “Alright…”
Lu Ran was covered in injuries, but miraculously, his expression remained calm. He didn’t even furrow his brow; his gaze remained fixed on Gu Yunkai, and he didn’t blink a single time.
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