Junior Disciple

Chapter Four

Without waiting for Yu Qingwei to speak, the other person silently walked inside, as if he hadn't heard.

Yu Qingwei frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"

The disciple scratched his head and pointed to the scattered pastries nearby. "To tell the truth, Senior Brother, I actually have an appointment with someone. They'll be here soon. You might want to check on that other disciple instead. I sense their spiritual power is even weaker than mine."

The disciple spread his hands helplessly. Normally, he was the one with the weakest cultivation in the area, but today, he encountered someone even worse.

Still, that disciple's boldness in luring the demon serpent was commendable, far surpassing his own. A hint of embarrassment crept onto his face. He blamed himself for being too useless.

Yu Qingwei nodded and left him with these words: "Your cultivation has already reached a bottleneck. If you don't mind, come find me another day, and I'll help you realign your spiritual energy so you can break through. Staying here like this is dangerous."

The disciple's eyes instantly sparkled as he watched Yu Qingwei's departing figure, his heart swelling with gratitude. This was his revered Senior Brother—a gentle and reliable leader!

A voice suddenly came from behind him, "What are you staring at so intently, Yan Sui?"

Yan Sui turned his head and shoved away the nosy disciple leaning over. "I'm looking at my role model. Get lost! It's your fault I embarrassed myself because you came late."

The other disciple pondered for a moment. "Did someone come by earlier..." He glanced at the severed serpent carcass on the ground. Clearly, someone had fought off the demonic beast. Realizing what had happened, he raised an eyebrow. "Hah! I actually gave you an opportunity to get closer to someone, didn't I?"

The handsome young man immediately glared at him. "Shut up and go practice your sword! No pastries for you today!"

...

Yu Qingwei followed the boy's figure into the damp forest, his brows furrowing slightly.

However, after hesitating for a moment, the boy's figure was already out of sight.

Just as he was about to activate a speed talisman to catch up, the faint sound of dried leaves crunching underfoot came from above. He whipped his head around sharply.

A shadow pounced down in an instant, a sharp dagger grazing the side of his neck before his mouth was covered.

Yu Qingwei stopped his spiritual power just in time to avoid injuring the attacker. Xie Wuhán's eyes didn't even flicker toward him. With a swift flourish, the dagger spun and was sheathed as his sharp gaze focused on something nearby. "Don't make a sound. The Mushroom Spirit Beast is timid. Don't scare it away."

Following his gaze, Yu Qingwei saw a creature resembling a mushroom, cautiously inching forward. Every few steps, it would pause and pretend to be a mushroom. Its target was a short, squat fruit.

No wonder he hadn't noticed it earlier. This spiritual beast was incredibly timid and cautious.

Touching the shallow cut on his neck, Yu Qingwei said softly, "Just now, your movements were decisive, as though you really meant to take my life."

Xie Wuhán sneered lightly, his tone laced with sarcasm. "How could that be? Senior Brother overthinks. Why would I dare harm the personal disciple of the Celestial Master?"

Yu Qingwei pressed his lips together. Truthfully, he didn't believe him. Until he had released his spiritual power, ensuring he could safely repel both the dagger and its wielder, Xie Wuhán seemed unaware of his identity and only then withdrew his strength.

The dagger had grazed dangerously close to his neck.

Yu Qingwei's gaze darkened. The person before him seemed nothing like the helpless boy he'd initially imagined.

On the contrary, he exuded cunning ruthlessness at every turn.

Just as the Mushroom Spirit Beast reached the fruit, the boy suddenly flung his dagger. It struck the beast's shell perfectly, pinning it to the ground. With a soft cry, the timid creature instantly retreated into its shell, resembling a brown mushroom stuck in the earth.

Xie Wuhán quickly stepped out from behind a tree and rushed toward the beast.

At that moment, the Mushroom Spirit Beast let out a low growl. In the blink of an eye, its body rapidly expanded, swelling to the size of a young child in mere breaths. With rows of sharp teeth bared, it lunged at the boy's neck, ready to leave him riddled with holes.

It was too late for Xie Wuhán to retreat.

In a split second, he raised his arm to block, prepared to sacrifice the limb to save his life. But the expected pain never came.

He looked up sharply, only to see a young man standing before him. Yu Qingwei had pierced the Mushroom Spirit Beast's heart with a spirit-infused sword, his expression calm as he gazed back at him.

"The heart is two fingers left of center. You missed," Yu Qingwei remarked with a raised brow.

It was only then that Xie Wuhán noticed the shallow bite mark on the back of Yu Qingwei's dangling right hand. Blood dripped from the white, slender fingers, which the young man subtly turned to conceal.

Xie Wuhán abruptly lifted his head to stare at Yu Qingwei's face. The delicate features overlapped with the faces of his adoptive parents, who had sacrificed themselves for him in the past. His breathing grew rapid.

Just as Yu Qingwei was about to ask why he was silent, he suddenly met the boy's fierce, beast-like gaze. "Why did you get hurt for me? Why did you shield me from that attack?" Why would you die for me?

The boy's exquisitely defined features were filled with anger as his hands clenched tightly. The faint scent of blood wafted from his palms. He didn't even bother extracting the demon core from the Mushroom Spirit Beast's corpse, focusing solely on Yu Qingwei. He roared in a low voice, "Answer me, why?!"

He shoved Yu Qingwei roughly, his fingers brushing over the bloodstained cut on Yu Qingwei's neck. As he touched the blood he himself had drawn, he seemed to regain clarity, abruptly retreating several steps as though fleeing. A flash of crimson in his eyes vanished instantly.

Grabbing the Mushroom Spirit Beast, he bolted away.

Yu Qingwei stood frozen for a long time. Suddenly, the jade token at his waist lit up, and a clear, melodious voice like flowing water echoed: "Qingwei, have you found a way to break through your Golden Core death tribulation?"