WJ Chapter 66.1

Mid-Autumn Festival Special Extra (part 1)

At the peak of Mount Shenlie, Wolong Platform.

Passing through the pine path where all four seasons remained evergreen, ascending the solemn stone steps. Below the platform lay snow that never melted year-round, while above fluttered white curtains that swayed perpetually. Stone pillars reached toward the heavens, and yin ghosts lurked in shadows—Wolong Platform was the foremost forbidden ground within the Zhuyin Sect, the Sect Leader’s place of secluded cultivation.

And at this very moment, the Four Directions Protector Guan Wujue was climbing the final stone steps of Wolong Platform. He bowed toward the high platform with cupped hands, his voice clear and crisp. “Four Directions Protector Guan Wujue requests the Sect Leader to emerge from seclusion!”

Behind the white curtains, Zhuyin Sect Leader Yun Changliu sat cross-legged in meditation.

Hearing the Protector’s voice, without turning his head or opening his eyes, he coldly spat out a single word, “Scram.”

“……”

Guan Wujue slowly straightened his body.

He sighed helplessly with a headache, drawing out his voice in utter resignation. “Sect Leader… it’s been almost two months now. I beg you to let your anger subside. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for reunion. What does it mean for you to stay alone on Wolong Platform?”

What did it mean? Actually, Guan Wujue understood most clearly.

In early spring, he had undergone the heart’s blood extraction for the second time, barely surviving and clawing back a single thread of life. Of course, everything he’d concealed since childhood had also been thoroughly discovered by the Sect Leader who had recovered his memories. If this didn’t provoke anger, even Guan Wujue himself wouldn’t believe it.

However, Yun Changliu had not erupted immediately.

After all, the Protector had just been rescued with barely a breath of life remaining, and he wished he could watch over him day and night without sleep or rest, never removing his robes. Fearing that stimulating the man’s emotions might affect his heart meridian injuries again, the Sect Leader didn’t dare to reproach or scold—he didn’t even dare use a slightly heavy tone.

Day after day, holding, embracing, kissing, and coaxing him—he continued nurturing him like this until over a month ago, when summer was drawing to a close, and Guan Wujue finally barely recovered.

Then something miraculous happened.

After confirming with Guan Muyan five times that the Protector was truly fine and finally breathing a sigh of relief—Yun Changliu suddenly turned his face cold, turned around, and ascended Wolong Platform.

He decisively entered seclusion, refusing to see anyone.

Leaving everyone dumbstruck and staring at each other in bewilderment.

This truly was settling accounts after autumn…

And the account-settling seemed endless. Autumn had already arrived mid-way, yet Yun Changliu showed not the slightest intention of emerging from seclusion. Whether it was Protector Guan, Attendant Wen, or even the old Sect Leader Yun Guyan—he drove away whoever came.

Such as now. On Wolong Platform, Yun Changliu snorted coldly, “What, now that Fengchun Sheng has been eliminated, you still care whether this lord is angry? Wolong Platform is a forbidden ground within the sect. The Protector trespasses daily—you’re becoming increasingly disrespectful of the sect’s rules.”

“Yes, yes, this subordinate is treasonous, this subordinate deserves ten thousand deaths…”

Guan Wujue was helpless, thinking that if the Sect Leader truly had the heart to be ruthlessly angry, that would be one thing—at worst he could beg forgiveness and accept punishment to let the Sect Leader vent. But now, this person was sulking by locking himself away and refusing to see anyone, leaving him truly at a loss for how to persuade him. “How about Wujue kneels down below for a while?”

Yun Changliu’s voice grew even colder. “You dare?”

“……Then shall Wujue come in?”

“Get out!”

“All right then, Sect Leader can continue your seclusion. Today is the festival, so this subordinate will go out of the city to enjoy himself.”

“You…” Yun Changliu was shocked at these words and couldn’t help turning his head, only to see the Protector truly turning to leave. He suddenly rose to his feet, the words escaping his lips, “Stop right there!”

Before the words had finished, the white curtains on all four sides were blown and billowed by the stirred internal energy, flapping loudly.

In the blink of an eye, Yun Changliu’s form had already moved outside Wolong Platform. His toes landed steadily on the steps, and two fingers had already grasped Guan Wujue’s wrist. His snow-white robes and black hair gave him the bearing of an immortal, yet his expression was anxious.

—No matter what Guan Muyan said about the Protector having fully recovered, he ultimately didn’t dare truly let the man go out of the city alone.

What if Wujue encountered something outside and had an accident—wouldn’t that be taking his life!

The corners of Guan Wujue’s lips slowly curved upward. He looked at his captured wrist with laughter in his eyes, tilted his head and spoke, “What’s this, Sect Leader… do you want to go out with Wujue as well?”

But inwardly he thought: …Oh my, look at that momentum, that movement technique—the Sect Leader’s martial power has recovered so quickly.

“……”

Yun Changliu’s expression changed several times, and finally he sighed heavily with frustration.

“……Just this once. It won’t happen again.”

……

The full moon hung high.

Below Mount Shenlie, the Nine-Bend Red River surged endlessly.

One red and one white, two fine horses galloped forward beneath the moonlight.

Liuhuo galloped ahead, carrying Guan Wujue as they rushed through the Red River. Ahead, a giant boulder emerged from the river surface. The Four Directions Protector tightened the reins, squeezed the horse’s flanks and called out, “Hya!”

Liuhuo neighed loudly, rearing up beneath the moon and leaping with its master, soaring through the low air and vaulting over the boulder. In the blink of an eye, they traced half an arc and landed back on the river surface.

Splash…

Instantly, the horse’s hooves kicked up large sheets of water sparkling with fragmented light.

Black hair and red robes flew in the wind, moonlight rolling and flowing over that striking plum-blossom red robe.

Guan Wujue tilted back his snow-white neck and laughed aloud with abandon, fully bathing in the splashing water droplets and sprinkling moonbeams, the curve of his lips carefree and unrestrained.

Yun Changliu rode Feixue behind him, his heart practically leaping with fright. “Wujue, slow down!”

No one watching this red-robed Protector soaring through the air on horseback with such carefree elegance would imagine… that this person was actually a patient who had survived piercing heart blood extraction twice, with heart meridians fragile to the extreme!

Not to mention those five years of hellish hammering inside the Ghost Gate, the severe injuries received in those first years after becoming Protector, the bone-crushing whip punishment, twice drinking medicine to nourish his blood, plus countless exhausting labors and mental strains… All these accumulated damages piled on one body—if anything went wrong, it would be no joke.

Hearing the Sect Leader call out to stop him, Guan Wujue pulled the reins and turned back to laugh and joke with Yun Changliu. “Ha, can’t keep up, Sect Leader?”

Unexpectedly, Yun Changliu actually looked at him seriously, his expression suddenly dimming. He lowered his eyes and said softly, “I can’t keep up. You always just go forward on your own, leaving me behind without a word, even concealing where you’re going… How could I possibly keep up with you?”

Guan Wujue froze, shocked speechless by these words for a long time. After a while, he pressed his lips together and said solemnly:

“I won’t go anymore in the future. If the Sect Leader won’t let Wujue go, then Wujue won’t go anywhere.”

But there was no sound from the other side. Guan Wujue stole a glance and got a fright. He saw Yun Changliu’s face cold and impassive, yet the corners of his eyes somewhat reddened, turned aside to avoid looking at him.

The Protector felt as if his heart had been stabbed hard. He immediately panicked and was at a loss. “Sect Leader! Wujue won’t dare again, truly won’t dare again! From now on Wujue will definitely obey. Please forgive this subordinate just this once—”

Yet Yun Changliu’s anger only intensified upon hearing this. Guan Wujue hurriedly changed his words with an awkward smile. “Ah no, these two times…”

Yun Changliu glared at him coldly and fiercely, raised his whip, and drove Feixue ahead of Guan Wujue.

The Protector felt guilty and didn’t dare say another word, only dejectedly lowering his head and following the Sect Leader.

The two thus proceeded, one ahead and one behind, not speaking another word for a long time.

……

About two quarters of an hour passed.

Before them was a stretch of deep, dark, unfamiliar woods.

Moonlight stretched the shadows of tree branches long on both sides of the desolate path. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled eerily, practically making one’s hair stand on end.

Several crows emitted “caw, caw—” calls and fluttered away from the branches with a rustle of wings.

Yun Changliu: “……”

The Sect Leader held Feixue’s reins, facing this gloomy forest ahead, and fell into prolonged silence.

……Where was this……

……How did he end up in this place……

Guan Wujue followed behind, struggling to suppress his laughter. Yun Changliu turned back to glare at him resentfully.

—This person must have noticed long ago that he had taken the wrong path, yet dared to watch him make a fool of himself without saying a word!

That’s right—Sect Leader Yun, who had barely left Mount Shenlie’s Xifeng City since birth, in his twenty-odd years had only left the city and descended the mountain a handful of times. He either followed the little medicine person Ah Ku from back then, or later the Four Directions Protector Guan Wujue, or at the very least had Attendant Wen Feng accompanying him.

Given this, combined with his innate otherworldly temperament, it would be strange if he could recognize the way.

Guan Wujue urged Liuhuo forward, shaking his head and sighing. “Good Sect Leader, you’d better follow behind Wujue.”

With that, he rode his horse into the woods. Yun Changliu rode Feixue following the Protector. Seeing him go deeper and deeper, his gaze flickered and he couldn’t help asking, “Don’t we need to… cough, don’t we need to turn back?”

“We can circle around and get out.” Not having seen the Sect Leader in such an obviously flustered yet forcedly calm awkward state in a long time, Guan Wujue suppressed his laughter and turned back. “Follow closely. Don’t get lost.”

The two passed through the path overgrown with wild grass and walked through the woods for about another half quarter hour.

Fortunately, the moon was bright tonight. The woods that should have been gloomy, once you actually entered, weren’t so frightening—instead they had a certain tranquil feeling.

Before long, through the gaps in the branches ahead, points of light gradually appeared.

They had indeed walked out of the woods. On the other side was a small town, with human voices faintly reaching their ears.

The two drew closer and tethered their horses at the town entrance. Guan Wujue raised his finger and pointed. “Look, isn’t it very lively?”

Yun Changliu frowned. “So many people.”

Indeed, at this time the not-very-large town was already a sea of people, with commoners all coming out to celebrate the festival.

The bright moon hung overhead, colorful lanterns glowing brilliantly. People’s faces were full of joy—couples holding hands, elderly and young accompanying each other—making this ordinary small town incredibly bustling and lively.

Guan Wujue and Yun Changliu walked in side by side. Overhead hung various flower lanterns swaying in the wind, illuminating the surroundings as bright as daylight.

As for both sides, there were mostly shops and hawking vendors. Besides those with stalls, there were quite a few pushing carts about, selling wares along the street, all taking advantage of the festival to seek business.