Chapter 4 – I Also Want To Spiritually Cultivate With Shizun Today

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The Heavenly Venerable Immortal’s body has always exuded a cool and pleasant scent, but now that that fragrance was enveloping Qi Shu’s body, it somehow seemed rather dangerous.

Forced to kneel on the cold floor tiles in front of the window with his upper body pressed against the bed, Qi Shu’s mind went blank.

The path of cultivation was perilous, and the more you advanced to a higher realm, the more dangerous it became, such that even the smallest mistake can lead to a Qi Deviation.

Qi Shu himself had fallen into several Qi Deviations while cultivating.

However, the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was extremely talented. How could he…”

“Shi… Shizun…”

Qi Shu was being pressed down so hard that he had difficulty breathing, which made him move instinctively, but that only resulted in an even more forceful grip. An icy hand gripped his wrists while the other arm was wound around his waist until Qi Shu’s body was pushed down on the bed.

The pressure was so strong that it even hurt a little.

Qi Shu has never seen his Shizun in this kind of state since he joined the sect. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal has always been calm and collected, with a temperament that was unfazed by disasters. When has he ever looked deranged or lost control of himself in such a manner?

What should Qi Shu do?

“Shizun, it’s me. Please let go of me…”

Qi Shu could tell that his Shizun’s had had a Qi Deviation, but he still had a bit of consciousness left, which meant he wasn’t yet in a state of complete madness. However, if this continues, the consequences are unthinkable.

With this in mind, he forced himself to calm down.

Qi Shu tried to remember what his Shizun had done when Qi Shu had a Qi Deviation. He relaxed his body and said in a gentle tone of voice, “Shizun, don’t be afraid. It’s okay. Please let go of me, okay? I can help you…”

“You want to go?” Gu Hanjiang’s voice was low.

“…Ah?”

“Where do you want to go?” Gu Hanjiang’s voice was a little louder than normal and the angry tone was similar to the one he used to scold disciples who were lazy.

Qi Shu didn’t understand why he was angry. He was going to continue coaxing his Shizun when he felt a cool and slightly wet touch behind his ears.

Gu Hanjiang had kissed¹ Qi Shu behind his ears.

!!!

When has his sensitive ear ever been touched like this? The rationality that Qi Shu had painstakingly cultivated immediately fled²], and even his knees went weak³.

“Shi, Shizun!”

But the person whose consciousness was in chaos paid no attention to him. Gu Hanjiang lowered his head and kissed Qi Shu again. A tingling sensation rose from the base of his spine. The moist touch behind his ear was difficult for Qi Shu to bear, but he didn’t dare move, so all he could do was to tremble all over and clutch the thin blanket underneath him.

The moonlight cast the shadow of their overlapping figures on the floor and the only thing that could be heard in that dark room was a suppressed panting.

Qi Shu didn’t know how much time passed until the force pushing him down finally loosened a bit.

After all, Qi Shu was the Kunlun Sword Sect’s Da Shixiong, so he was able to break free during that momentary weakening and grab his Shizun’s wrist to reverse their positions, with Qi Shu straddling Gu Hanjiang’s body. Qi Shu touched Gu Hanjiang’s forehead with two fingers.

Qi Shu’s hands trembled a little, and he tried to keep his voice from shaking as he said, “Shizun, hold your breath and concentrate.”

He transferred spiritual power through his fingertips until Gu Hanjiang finally calmed down.

Finally, it was under control.

Qi Shu breathed a sigh of relief.

How come no one told him that people’s temperaments would change when they had a Qi Deviation?

Qi Shu touched his ear with his free hand. It was as though he could still feel that touch, and the skin between his earlobe and neck was still red and felt hot.

That was quite terrible.

Yet…He didn’t feel like he suffered a loss.

Gu Hanjiang’s breathing gradually stabilized, as if he had finally fallen asleep. Qi Shu lay on his Shizun’s body, staring at him in the moonlight through the glow of his spiritual power.

He rarely had the opportunity to look at his Shizun like this. They were so close that even the tiny fluff on his Shizun’s face and the slender eyelashes could be seen clearly.

Gu Hanjiang’s face was still pale, even his lips were white and tightly pursed. Before today, Qi Shu could never have imagined that those unsmiling⁴ would be so soft.

Qi Shu licked his lips, and some devilish urge⁵ made him reach out to touch those lips again.

But he stopped before he touched it.

No.

Shizun nearly had a serious Qi Deviation, and he got off lightly today. He shouldn’t bully people.

That’s what Qi Shu told himself as sternly as he could.

You should content yourself with just looking.

Thus, Qi Shu convinced himself and lowered his head to enjoy the sight of his Shizun’s beautiful sleeping face. He was so absorbed in this activity that he didn’t notice that the sky was getting brighter.

Gu Hanjiang’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he opened his eyes.

He looked a little dazed, and it took a while for his eyes to focus. Finally, his gaze fell on Qi Shu’s face.

“Shizun, you’re finally awake.”

Gu Hanjiang didn’t say anything as his eyes slowly moved down.

Qi Shu followed suit and looked down.

Qi Shu: “……”

Only then did he realize how indecent their current posture was.

He was straddling his Shizun, with his legs around Gu Hanjiang’s waist and one hand holding his Shizun’s side. If other people saw this perverted position, they would immediately label him a flower thief⁶.

Qi Shu’s face instantly turned red. He said, “So-sorry Shizun, I’ll get off now…”

But the more flustered he became, the more mistakes he made. His arms and legs were weak, and he fell down on Gu Hanjiang’s chest.

“I… this disciple’s legs are numb…” Qi Shu was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole and bury himself in it.

Gu Hanjiang just shook his head and wrapped his arms around Qi Shu’s waist, holding him gently. “You’ve used too much spiritual power. Close your eyes and rest. Don’t move around again.”

His voice was low and his chest vibrated slightly as he spoke.

In fact, it wasn’t impossible for him to get off his Shizun. Gu Hanjiang’s bed was big enough for two people to sleep on, so all his Shizun needed to do was to gently push Qi Shu off him.

But he didn’t do that, and Qi Shu didn’t move again.

He pressed his face sideways against Gu Hanjiang’s chest and closed his eyes obediently.

He could hear his Shizun’s steady and powerful heartbeat. The hands that held him were cold, but not as cold and rough as last night. Instead, Gu Hanjiang’s arms were wrapped around him in a gentle embrace.

This kind of intimacy, even if it is false, even if it’s just for a moment, is precious to him.

After a while, Qi Shu felt that his strength gradually recovered. He was determined not to continue to take advantage of Shizun, so he reluctantly slid out of Gu Hanjiang’s arms.

Qi Shu straightened his messy clothes and knelt beside the bed with a thud.

“Last night, Shizun was met with danger while he was cultivating. This disciple should not have offended Shizun. Please punish this disciple.”

Gu Hanjiang did not answer.

Out of the corner of his eye, Qi Shu saw Gu Hanjiang sitting up and staring at him. For some reason, it seemed as though his Shizun was angrier now than he had been last night.

After a while, Gu Hanjiang only broke the silence. “Why were you here last night?”

Qi Shu said, “This disciple… this disciple couldn’t sleep, went outside for some air, and heard a noise in Shizun’s house.”

He woke up last night because of a nightmare and went out to get some air. Then he heard a sound in Gu Hanjiang’s house and came to investigate.

After tossing and turning all night, Qi Shu had almost forgotten about the cause. It was only when Gu Hanjiang asked about it that he recalled the dream.

In his dream, Gu Hanjiang had nearly gone into a Qi Deviation.

Was it just a coincidence?

Qi Shu knew that some cultivators, after reaching a certain level of cultivation, would gain the ability to unlock heaven’s secrets⁷ However, unlocking heaven’s secrets was an act against the heavens, and using that skill might require one to pay a great price.

Therefore, Shizun had never taught it to Qi Shu.

He couldn’t have suddenly learned this skill on his own, right?

Qi Shu quietly looked up at his Shizun.

Gu Hanjiang was sitting on the bed in front of him, wearing only a plain white inner robe. Although Gu Hanjiang was taller than Qi Shu, his body was thin and, under his robe, his waist was too narrow to hold. In addition, his face was pale and wan.

It did seem to fit with the furnace physique described in the books.

Qi Shu thought for a while and asked tentatively, “Shizun last night… What happened?”

“My cultivation is blocked. It’s difficult to break through, so my internal Qi was disordered, and my consciousness was confused.” Gu Hanjiang didn’t conceal anything.

“How could this happen?” asked Qi Shu. When he helped Gu Hanjiang by transferring his spiritual power, Qi Shu found that his Shizun’s cultivation hadn’t improved the way that a person who had been in seclusion for five years should be. On the contrary, the flow of his spiritual energy was sluggish, and his power seemed to be lacking.

Gu Hanjiang did not answer at first. He looked at Qi Shu for a moment and then looked away. “I don’t know.”

Qi Shu didn’t believe him.

His Shizun wasn’t the type of person who lied. When Qi Shu had just joined the sect, he was still a mortal who needed to eat, so Gu Hanjiang learned how to cook for him. The Heavenly Venerable Immortal was peerless when he wielded his sword, but he was clumsy with a kitchen knife. It took him several days to make a meal that was barely edible, and he lied to Qi Shu and told him that he had brought it from a restaurant down the mountain.

Which restaurant’s food would be that bad?

At that time, the expression on his Shizun’s face was exactly the same as it was now.

Seeing that his Shizun didn’t want to talk about it, Qi Shu did not press further and changed the subject. “Then does Shizun know how to solve the problem”

Gu Hanjiang didn’t answer.

Since he refused to say anything, Qi Shu can’t guess if Gu Hanjiang doesn’t know or if he knows but doesn’t want to tell Qi Shu.

A moment later, Gu Hanjiang said, “I talked it over with Qing Lan yesterday, and I will officially pass the position of Sect Master to him in a few days. I can rest assured since he has done well over the years… As for the rest, there will always be a way.”

His tone of voice was casual, but Qi Shu was shocked.

The Kunlun Sword Sect was founded by Gu Hanjiang, and he had been the head of Kunlun before Qi Shu was even born. How bad was his situation that he couldn’t act as the Sect Master anymore?

What’s more, cultivators grew to a great age and rarely stepped down from their position in the sect unless they are reaching the end of their lifespan.

Qi Shu’s throat was dry: “Shizun, you…”

“Don’t think nonsense.” Gu Hanjiang interrupted him, “I’m fine. It’s late. Go cultivate.”

Qi Shu opened his mouth to say something, but Gu Hanjiang had already closed his eyes and started meditating, so Qi Shu just said softly, “This disciple will take his leave then.’

Then he got up, but just as he reached the door, Gu Hanjiang stopped him.

“Wait.” Gu Hanjiang’s eyes were still closed and his tone was calm. “If something happens again, don’t get close to me.

“But…”

“When the spiritual energy is in disarray, one’s consciousness is difficult to control. I’m afraid you might get hurt.” Gu Hanjiang said, “Be obedient and go.”

After he finished talking, Gu Hanjiang went back to meditating.

Qi Shu was in no hurry to leave. He stood in front of the door for a few more moments and looked through the thin screen at the person inside the room. Gu Hanjiang sat upright on the bed, with a slight frown on his handsome and gaunt face. It seemed that the flow of spiritual power was still not smooth enough.

Shizun did not tell the truth, but based on the information he had revealed, Qi Shu had already guessed a lot.

There was a bottleneck in his cultivation and he had nearly suffered a Qi Deviation. He clearly knew the cause of the problem and how to solve it, but he refused to reveal that information. Knowing that his future was bound to be troubled, Gu Hanjiang had even handed over the position of Sect Leader in advance.

When one strung together the causes and consequences, the answer was clear.

Qi Shu silently sighed in his heart, feeling a little distressed.

Ah, his Shizun dared not tell others about his special physique or ask others for help, and still wanted to carry the burden on his own.

What a fool.

Qi Shu has to find a way to help him.

********

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Reika’s Notes:

• This chapter is by Reika (me).
• Oh, so apparently Gu Hanjiang was only about to go into Qi Deviation. He hadn’t fallen into it completely. Phew!
• Could it be that our MC is a bold one who likes to be on top? What do you think?
• I finally recovered from COVID 19! I was six for thirty-two days, and I still have a bit of a cough, but I’m 95% okay which is great since I’m almost fully functional now.
• Please let me know if there are any errors.
• Thanks for reading!

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1. A light kiss. The exact term used was 蜻蜓点水 – “the dragonfly touches the water lightly” meaning a superficial contact.
2. More like ascended to heaven, but I thought that sounded weird in English. 升天 – “to ascend to heaven” or “to die.”
3. In Chinese, what they say is legs are soft – 就连腿都软了.
4. Literally “sharp-edged” lips
5. 鬼使神差 – Literally “demons and gods at work” meaning an “unexplained event crying out for a supernatural explanation” or simply “a curious coincidence.”
6. 采花贼 – Literally “flower thief,” but it means “rapist.”
7. 窥探天机 – I translated it as best I could. The first two characters mean “to pry into, spy, or get a glimpse of,” while the last two characters mean “mystery known only to heaven” or “inscrutable twist of fate.”