Eastern Sun (1)
The eastern sun rises,
That beautiful child is in my room.
——
On Yun Changliu’s face, which seemed perpetually covered in snow and ice, his expression finally changed. He couldn’t quite believe it, and his voice repeated the question softly, “I can… go out?”
The servant nodded, turned and gestured “please,” leading the Young Sect Leader to the door. Another servant promptly fetched an outer robe and draped it over him, then opened the door.
Sunlight and fresh air immediately flooded his senses—birds sang and flowers bloomed outside. A glimmer of small joy blossomed in Yun Changliu’s eyes; it had been so long since he’d been allowed out.
However, the Young Sect Leader had only taken two steps through the doorway when three masked servants pressed close to his left, right, and rear, following tightly in step with his movements.
Yun Changliu’s brow furrowed, and he said coldly, “Don’t follow me.”
He already intensely disliked strangers getting close, especially these puppet-like servants. Being so tightly “protected” in this manner, like being under surveillance, made him completely unable to feel happy about going out.
The servants didn’t dare anger the Young Sect Leader, so they retreated a few steps, though their gazes remained fixed firmly on him.
That feeling of eyes boring into his back made Yun Changliu’s interest instantly vanish. But he also knew it was his own fault for being born with such a strange and potent poison—there were many things he could only endure.
…There was no other way, no other way.
The Young Sect Leader lowered his eyelids, looking at the moist earth beneath his feet and the spring grass just sprouting its tips, walking neither hurriedly nor slowly.
After all… even such an unpleasant outing was already quite rare for him.
But he couldn’t even walk as he pleased. At the masked servant’s request, following the Sect Leader’s orders, the Young Sect Leader could only walk slowly along remote, unpopulated paths—no running or quick movements, no climbing or jumping, and even wanting to bend down to look at flowers and grass required the servants to first check for any lurking insects or snakes.
…It was truly stifling.
The only consolation was that this time, Yun Guyan had indeed shown mercy and actually allowed him to leave the gates of Xifeng City.
However, that was all—just outside the city gates. When Yun Changliu wanted to walk further down the mountain, the masked servant who had been trailing him like a persistent ghost came forward, respectfully lowering his head. “Young Sect Leader, it’s time to return.”
“…”
Yun Changliu’s expression dimmed slightly.
He knew these servants were following his father’s orders, and there was no point in making things difficult for them. The Young Sect Leader said nothing, wearily turning to walk back a step. Finally, he followed along the steep cliff of the mountainside, his eyes carrying a hint of envy as he glanced down below.
However, Yun Changliu’s gaze couldn’t help but freeze when he saw several faint points of pale pink below.
That was…
Peach blossoms?
Yun Changliu’s heart stirred.
He remembered Chanjuan saying that the peach blossoms below Mount Shenlie had all bloomed, but he hadn’t expected that the peach blossoms on the mountainside had also reached their flowering season.
…Chanjuan had also said she’d asked Danjing to pick a branch of peach blossoms for her, hadn’t she?
“Young Sect Leader? Please return to the city…”
Someone was already urging him to go back, but the Young Sect Leader was still staring at that spot of vibrant color, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Yun Changliu parted his lips and spoke:
“Wait… wait a moment longer.”
Seeing the servants looking over in surprise, he didn’t quite know how to continue, and after a long while finally spoke with difficulty, “I’ll be back very soon… very soon, wait for me.”
In the next moment, the white-robed Young Sect Leader collected his thoughts, suddenly flipped his body and leaped down the cliff against the wind!
Amid the howling wind, Yun Changliu faintly heard the servants’ utterly terrified shouts.
The Young Sect Leader paid no attention. He easily borrowed momentum with his feet in succession, treading upon steep rocks, tree branches, and even soft vines extending from the cliffside, rapidly sweeping down the mountain.
—Losing track of the Young Sect Leader was such a grave matter that the servants probably wouldn’t dare report it to Father immediately… He would just go down to pick a branch of flowers for Juan’er, then return as quickly as possible—it should be fine.
—Even if Father truly found out later, he might scold him for recklessly using his internal energy… but as long as he only did this once, it should also be fine.
This was Yun Changliu’s utterly pure thought.
So he moved even faster downward.
Until tender pink petals rode the spring breeze and brushed past Yun Changliu’s beautiful brow, bringing a faint sweet fragrance.
The Young Sect Leader withdrew his qinggong and gracefully landed on the thick branch of a tall peach tree.
At this moment, spread out beneath his feet was a splendid sea of flowers. Clusters of peach-red colors, beautiful enough to intoxicate, all fell into the child’s pupils.
Yun Changliu focused his gaze, and in just an instant, his spirit was stolen away.
Crimson peach blossoms, stretching branches, emerald leaves swaying in the wind, tender grass hung with dewdrops, fluttering butterflies, chirping birds.
He had never known… that worldly scenery could be so stunning.
Beauty to feast the eyes upon, too beautiful to take in.
In this moment, Yun Changliu truly had such an impulsive thought—to simply stay here. He didn’t even dare hope for much; just to quietly stay under the tree for a little while to look at the peach blossoms would be enough.
But in the end, he was still mindful of those waiting above and didn’t dare delay. He only broke off a branch of peach blossoms, confirmed once more the direction from which he’d come, then used his qinggong to ascend the steep cliff again.
….
However… it must be said that in this mortal world, eight or nine out of ten outcomes are things that go against one’s wishes in regrettable ways.
A short while later.
In the peach grove where flowers flew and drifted, the Young Sect Leader Changliu looked around blankly.
The scenery around him was even more beautiful than before, already beautiful beyond the mortal realm, but clearly this was not the place he should be returning to.
So… where was this?
How had he ended up in this place?
Where exactly had he taken the wrong path?
How could he get back?
He didn’t know any of it!
…Needless to say, this was the first time that the current Young Sect Leader Changliu, future Sect Leader Yun, tasted the bitter fruit brought by his enormous deficiency in “finding directions,” but it would definitely not be the last time.
And at this moment, the little Young Sect Leader still hadn’t realized this problem of his at all, and could only wander aimlessly.
He had originally wanted to walk out, but instead walked deeper and deeper.
He could see the peach grove growing denser, the peach blossoms more abundant, and the direction… increasingly difficult to discern.
Now he truly couldn’t find his way out.
Yun Changliu had completely lost his sense of direction. Just as he was beginning to feel somewhat anxious, he noticed that the tree shadows ahead… seemed to thin out a bit.
Drawing closer, he actually saw a winding, thin little path leading toward who-knows-where.
Yun Changliu blinked slowly. He still held that newly-picked flower branch in his hand. After a slight hesitation, he walked down this small path.
The fragrance of peach blossoms on both sides made him feel dizzy. Yun Changliu didn’t know how long he’d been walking when suddenly, at a certain moment, the peach grove before his eyes came to an end, and his field of vision opened up all at once—
A very elegant little wooden house, bathed in the golden brightness of spring sun, stood prettily in the shade of peach blossoms.
The Young Sect Leader’s eyes widened slightly.
Someone actually lived here?
But even below Mount Shenlie, for fifty li in all directions, wherever the nine-curved Red River flowed through was territory under the Zhuyin Sect’s sphere of influence—it was impossible for any outsider to dare build a wooden house on Mount Shenlie outside Xifeng City.
This… could it be the dwelling of someone from the sect?
Or had his father Yun Guyan built it?
Yun Changliu grew even more confused. It was just that the beautiful scenery of this peach grove and wooden house was truly picturesque, and when he came back to his senses, he had already walked forward involuntarily.
…Faint, extremely light sounds came from inside.
In this wooden house standing in a peach blossom paradise, there actually seemed to be someone.
In another moment of distraction, the Young Sect Leader’s hand had already quietly pressed against that wooden door, applying gentle pressure.
With a creak, that door was actually pushed open by him.
Sunlight poured into the wooden house through the suddenly widened door gap, like flowing from an extremely thin strand of golden thread into a brilliant, flowing, dazzling river of gold. That golden river meandered across the wooden floor, flowing, flowing, until a wave crashed against black rock—
That wasn’t rock, but a pitch-black earthenware pot, half of it brightened by the sunlight, emanating a strong, bitter medicinal fragrance.
Beneath the earthenware pot danced small flames.
A palm-leaf fan was slowly fanning the fire.
In the depths of the wooden house, a small youth in pale blue robes had one thin, long leg propped up, sitting quite casually beside the earthenware pot. His right hand slowly wielded the fan to stoke the fire, while his left hand held a medical text.
He lowered his lashes, completely absorbed in reading, his soft black hair tied with a hair ribbon into a bundle at the back of his head, hanging down to cover his slender, white, soft nape.
It wasn’t until this wooden door was suddenly pushed open that the blue-robed youth abruptly turned his head, and in those eyes a severe and beautiful icy light rippled and passed.
—And so, the figure of the Young Sect Leader Changliu outside the door—white-robed like snow, brows and eyes like frost—was reflected and suspended in his eyes just like this.
The blue-robed medicine boy sat inside the house, the snow-robed Young Sect Leader stood outside.
Two youths of similar age and equally handsome and otherworldly appearance, their gazes traveled through the warm spring sun, both carrying a trace of astonishment, meeting at a point in the void.
The spring breeze blew the peach blossoms along, as if humming a song of destiny.
Yun Changliu stood with one hand still supporting the doorframe, just frozen there completely and thoroughly.
His heart suddenly felt warm, and he secretly thought: What a beautiful child.
How could such a beautiful child be living on our Mount Shenlie?
Yun Changliu’s thin lips opened and closed soundlessly. He wanted to ask clearly, but couldn’t produce any sound.
—Once again, when he urgently wanted to speak… he didn’t know how to begin.
That blue-robed child’s gaze was as sharp as a blade. He also didn’t speak first, just stared coldly at Yun Changliu with questioning eyes.
Young Sect Leader Changliu actually felt vaguely nervous. His fingers tensely gripped the doorframe, struggling greatly to squeeze out one word. “You…”
…No good.
What to do, he still couldn’t speak.
But if Yun Changliu didn’t speak, the other side also seemed unwilling to speak first.
The two children were locked in a stalemate for several breaths.
Suddenly, that little youth in the wooden house placed the palm-leaf fan from his right hand into the book in his left, then closed the book scroll, stood up and walked toward the door.
Yun Changliu was secretly startled. Although he didn’t know what exactly he was startled about, he instinctively let go of the door and retreated a step.
That blue-robed youth’s lips curved up slightly. He walked to the doorway, face to face with the Young Sect Leader.
Ah Ku crossed his arms over his chest, leaning casually against the wall, though his spine remained straight as a pine tree. Without any courtesy, he said, “This is my house. Who are you, to enter someone else’s home so casually?”
Yun Changliu said blankly, “I…”
Ah Ku’s gaze stopped on the Young Sect Leader’s peach blossom branch and forcefully interrupted his words, turning instead to ask, “Where did you pick this from?”
Yun Changliu: “This is…”
“—Don’t tell me you picked it from the trees outside?”
Ah Ku interrupted again. He raised his chin, arching an eyebrow. “Ha! Don’t you know that this entire peach grove is mine?!”
Yun Changliu: “Ah?”
…Wait, shouldn’t this Mount Shenlie and Xifeng City belong to his Zhuyin Sect?
The Young Sect Leader was at a loss. He saw that beautiful blue-robed child press two steps closer, lips holding a trace of a barely perceptible cold smile. With a snap, he grasped his wrist, eyes narrowed severely as he asserted definitively. “You stole and picked my flowers!?”
“…!”
Yun Changliu immediately lost all color. As if burned, his fingers trembled and he dropped that branch of peach blossoms to the ground.
—The Young Sect Leader Changliu, who had been strictly protected since childhood, had never in his life been interrogated so sternly and harshly? Much less had any stranger dared to touch his body so boldly and presumptuously?
The moment Ah Ku grasped his wrist, Yun Changliu’s mind instantly exploded into complete blankness.
“You… let go!”
In his shock, he finally managed to call out a complete sentence. The abundant internal energy in his dantian unconsciously surged violently, directly breaking through his body!
Ah Ku was shaken by this force, his footing unstable. He swayed and sat down on the ground, a trace of astonishment flowing through those clear, bright eyes that made one’s heart itch.
He just sat there on the ground without getting up, staring straight at Yun Changliu, his gaze lingering for a long time on that robe embroidered with red-gold Candle Dragon patterns, before slowly opening his mouth:
“You… you, the dignified Young Sect Leader of the Zhuyin Sect… not only steal other people’s flowers and trespass into other people’s homes, you actually even use force to hit people?”
In an instant, Yun Changliu seemed to be struck by lightning from a clear sky, retreating two steps in panic.