IS Chapter 21
by VolareInside the Misty Green Peak’s chamber, it was empty and cold.
White stones paved the floor, and a bed of cold jade was placed within.
Before the spacious windows hung thin, white flowing gauze, swaying gently in the breeze.
There were few traces of human habitation. On the desk were several sheets of Xuan paper, filled with sharp, forceful lines, undoubtedly deductions of sword techniques, as Li Yuan immediately recognized.
Behind the desk stood a screen, the only decoration in the entire chamber.
However, even this single decoration did not seem to have been placed there by Ye Zhuo himself.
The screen was entirely white, with an ink wash painting of a continuous, steep, and precipitous mountain, a masterpiece of nature. In the large blank spaces, a few strokes outlined the surging winds and clouds, and the torrential rain.
The brushwork was powerful and imposing, with a grandeur that seemed to suppress the mountains and rivers. On the side of the painting was an inscription, its strokes vigorous and forceful: “I’d rather take it straight, than seek it crooked.”
Below the inscription was a signature.
“Suddenly recalling the Spirit Mountain, a gift to thank Ah Zhou.”
“Xuan.”
Was such a text suitable to hang behind this person’s desk?
I’d rather take it straight, than seek it crooked. Years ago, when Li Yuan saw this sentence in an ancient human book, he also thought it was very good, that a sword cultivator should be like this.
This sentence even made him think of Ye Zhuo at that time, because that person’s first time drawing a sword against him was to directly take his reverse scale, without explanation.
But now, he would absolutely not associate Ye Zhuo with this sentence in the slightest.
Why was it that he was not present when the Deer Clan’s little deer was born, and only visited after its full moon?
Wasn’t it because he was poisoned by Ye Zhuo at that time?
Li Yuan was a person who spoke his mind directly.
“When you plotted to take my heart’s blood, your planning was meticulous and interlocked, I see you were very good at ‘seeking it crooked’.”
“What do you mean by this?” Ye Zhuo looked at the book without even raising his head: “I only used one sword strike for this method, with a ten percent certainty of success, clearly taking it straight. If, as you say, I asked you for it, with success or failure dependent on your willingness, that would be seeking it crooked.”
Li Yuan: “?”
This person’s way of arguing was the same as his swordplay, completely unreasonable!
At this moment, they sat facing each other across the desk, Ye Zhuo pushing two dual cultivation manuals in his direction: “These two.”
Since they were both going to seek even greater heights, there was nothing more to say. Pick a cultivation method, and then verify it.
Misty Green Peak had Ye Zhuo’s own collection of books, with many cultivation methods and classics. Among the things Li Yuan brought, there were also books from various Dragon Realm clans, not many in number, but they were considered complete in variety.
Although he didn’t have much understanding of dual cultivation methods, anyone who had cultivated to this point had read thousands of methods, and could tell at a glance whether they were good or bad, and what their effects would be.
Li Yuan took the two manuals and pushed one towards Ye Zhuo: “You look at this one.”
The two books Ye Zhuo had chosen, judging by their names, one was an orthodox Daoist cultivation method, neither good nor bad, and wouldn’t cause any problems. The other was slightly more aggressive, seemingly having requirements for the physique.
Flipping through a few pages, they were both well-written.
“But I think the one I just gave you is more suitable,” Li Yuan said.
It was a water attribute cultivation method, with clouds and rain, and the power to nourish. It seemed it could help this person recover his cultivation.
As for why the meridians and bones had improved, and how to improve them further, that could only be known later.
Because the previous two times, didn’t even count as dual cultivation.
What did they count as?
Li Yuan’s gaze passed through the words of the cultivation method, recalling the previous experiences, and looking at the current situation, he only felt that everything was very unreal.
How did it become like this?
But, was there any other choice?
Li Yuan certainly knew how much natural talent he had.
Among the dragon clan, the cultivation methods of the Azure Dragon and the Ink Dragon were somewhat similar. On the first day he cultivated, the ancestor of the Azure Dragon lineage taught him how to guide Qi into his body, and the Dragon Realm Ancestor personally protected him.
Midway through, the Azure Dragon Clan Ancestor reached out and probed his meridians, and then was stunned into silence.
Then, the Dragon Realm Ancestor, who controlled the vast seas, transformed into the prototype of a snow-scaled golden dragon, lowered his dragon head, and touched his forehead with the spiritual scale between his brows.
Then the Ancestor said, this was Heaven-sent, completely flawless.
A few years ago, when he went to the old Sacred Ruler of the Primordial Great World to ask for guidance on sword techniques, the old Sacred Ruler also solemnly felt his bones.
Afterwards, he looked at his grandson with an indescribable expression.
I can’t teach you, the old Sacred Ruler said.
He asked, then who can teach me?
The old Sacred Ruler was silent for a long time, and pointed to the sky.
I think, it is the will of Heaven.
After returning to the Dragon Realm, he inexplicably heard the news that the old Sacred Ruler had beaten up his beloved grandson, he didn’t know why.
He was like this, so what about Ye Zhuo’s cultivation talents?
There was no need for the ancestors or Sacred Ruler to make judgments, because Ye Zhuo was able to pull his scale when he was fifteen years old.
Li Yuan thought coldly.
In that case, what level of opportunity could improve their meridians and bones? One could imagine.
If such an opportunity was allowed to slip away, their own feelings were secondary, the most important thing was that they would probably be struck by heavenly lightning.
Li Yuan closed the cultivation method and looked at Ye Zhuo opposite him.
Ye Zhuo was flipping through the pages, the candles on the desk shining brightly, reflecting on this person’s jade-like fingers. Clearly, they were hands that wielded swords to kill, but they were born so exquisitely and purely, Li Yuan didn’t understand.
Ye Zhuo as a whole made him not understand.
Then he only heard the person who made him not understand say faintly: “Then we’ll use this one, I’ve memorized it.”
After saying that, he closed the book and threw it back into his arms, probably wanting him to memorize it as well.
Li Yuan: “No need, I know it too.”
He had already read the cultivation method once, and naturally understood and remembered everything, there was no need to read it again.
Ye Zhuo gave an “Mm” sound, calmly got up and pushed the high window wide open, the wind blew in, the white gauze surging like mist.
“It’s going to be dawn,” he said.
Li Yuan walked behind him and also looked at the sky.
A few scattered stars were gradually disappearing, and the east was turning white.
“Then we need to use the second half of the cultivation method,” Li Yuan said.
The operation of the cultivation method must follow the timing of the heavens.
Ye Zhuo responded faintly, turned around, and brushed past Li Yuan behind him.
What, he wasn’t even going to close the window? Li Yuan thought for a moment, and still used spiritual power to close the several high windows separately, and also looked at the front and back doors.
“Do you have guests to see during the day?”
“No guests.”
Everyone in the Micro-Snow Palace knew that he didn’t like having anyone by his side, and wouldn’t come to Misty Green Peak if there was nothing to do.
But Li Yuan still put down a barrier.
Ye Zhuo looked at the barrier, and it was even more changed than last time: this time, even Wei Sheng Xian couldn’t get in using the Five Elements Escape Technique.
But how did this dragon know that the Five Elements Escape Technique could bypass the barrier?
Ye Zhuo suddenly asked: “That time you left a word on the boat, and then where did you go?”
“The first day I helped you detoxify?” Li Yuan said, “I naturally returned to the cold pool.”
Otherwise, where else could he be?
“…”
Ye Zhuo’s hand holding the sword tightened.
If he remembered correctly, the cold pool wasn’t this dragon’s home, right?
Where did this “naturally” come from?
How could he say the word “returned” so naturally?
If his cultivation wasn’t unrecovered, he would really want to kill this dragon!
At that time, the cold pool would be this dragon’s burial place.
Li Yuan turned around and saw Ye Zhuo sitting by the cold jade bed, with an unkind look in his eyes, not like he wanted to dual cultivate, but like he was about to flare up.
Ye Zhuo: “Come here.”
So Li Yuan went over.
Since Ye Zhuo kept holding his sword and looking at him, then he would also look at Ye Zhuo.
Today, the Second Palace Master Ye was in his own sect, not seeing visitors, and without any important matters, he was wearing a simple and neat everyday outfit with tight sleeves and a stand-up collar, his hair only half-tied with a silver clasp.
The color was naturally still that intense and bright red unique to the Micro-Snow Palace.
There was no decoration anywhere on his body, which would make people unconsciously cast their gaze towards that face.
Even more, it would make people think of the outrageous things this person had done with such a face.
Li Yuan only felt that his gaze was also becoming unkind.
After looking at each other for a long time, Ye Zhuo asked: “Where’s your faith fragrance?”
Dual cultivating with a dragon wasn’t difficult. It wasn’t like they hadn’t slept together, a sniff of the faith fragrance, and naturally their minds would be unclear.
Li Yuan: “?”
“Faith fragrance isn’t something I can release whenever I want,” Li Yuan said, “Didn’t you speak plausibly last time?”
Saying something about young dragons not being able to freely release faith fragrance and so on, Li Yuan felt annoyed just thinking about this person’s expression when he said those words.
It seemed that was indeed the case, Ye Zhuo remembered.
“Deer cubs can’t use divine powers when they’re just one month old, and you can’t release faith fragrance either. I see.” Ye Zhuo understood this matter.
“?”
Why did a perfectly good person have to talk?
Li Yuan was furious: “Are these the same thing? Dragons only have faith fragrance when they reach adulthood.”
Ye Zhuo: “The same.”
How were they the same?
“However, it shouldn’t be difficult,” Ye Zhuo said, “It’s nothing more than inner feelings in the heart and outer feelings in the body. If neither of those works, you can always ask Ah Jiang for more Jiaolong Faith Fragrance Guide.”
Li Yuan certainly understood what he was talking about.
Outer feelings in the body were desire, inner feelings in the heart were nothing more than affection.
If neither of those could be moved, he could still use poison.
Of course, Li Yuan could be moved.
As long as he faced this bastard, it was easy for him to feel murderous intent.
Especially now that the light of dawn was gradually seeping through the window, looking just like the morning when Ye Zhuo took his heart’s blood.
Also on Misty Green Peak, also on this cold jade bed, and even still the same person.
At that time, this person had his eyes closed, even his eyelashes were wet, as if they were still steaming with warm mist. His soft and pliant waist, without any strength, was still in his arms, and even those marks were still glowing with the unfaded, passionate red.
But when those eyes opened again, there was only endless clarity filled with killing intent.
He really should kill this person.
It was rare to see Li Yuan looking so thoughtful and moody. Ye Zhuo couldn’t help but ask: “What are you thinking about?”
“I’m thinking,” Li Yuan said, “what are my chances of winning if I draw my sword against you now.”
Meeting his gaze, Ye Zhuo slowly smiled.
He was smiling. But his eyes were still as frosty and cold as that day, without anything in them.
“Not even one percent,” he said.
Li Yuan: “Then if you draw your sword against me again now, what are your chances of winning?”
“Li Yuan,” Ye Zhuo said, “I’ve always been wary of others.”
“And you, have none at all.”
Li Yuan looked at him.
Then he raised his hand, like he had done in those chaotic memories, and caressed the face he had never forgotten day and night for ten years.
Warm fingertips touched Ye Zhuo’s cheek.
“What about now? What are the chances now?” Li Yuan said.
Ye Zhuo wanted to answer, but suddenly realized that the scent of faith fragrance had already permeated everywhere around them.
It was vaguely familiar, like sinking incense, clear, cold, and mysterious.
He felt it.
Subconsciously, perhaps he wanted to resist the changes that would follow, but there was no way.
“Remember the cultivation method,” he said finally.
Li Yuan slowly drew the long sword from Ye Zhuo’s arms and threw it to the ground.
Then he untied the silver clasp from this person’s hair, and the flowing black hair slipped through his fingers.
Ye Zhuo just quietly looked at him, letting him do as he pleased.
Sometimes Li Yuan felt that Ye Zhuo was like a sword. The various things of the world would not leave a trace on this person.
A sword was still that sword, no matter what it encountered. Even if it was broken in two, its sharpness could not be destroyed.
And it was only right that he failed to retreat unscathed when he caught the blade with his bare hands.
Let it be.
Li Yuan said: “You remember the cultivation method too.”
Ye Zhuo closed his eyes: “Okay.”