Chapter 32: Why Do You Keep Yawning Around Me?

Chapter 32: Why Do You Keep Yawning in My Face

Pei Zhi's gaze remained fixed on Yueli's hand as it checked Xue Youtan's pulse, unmoving, until Nightfang condensed into a stream of spiritual energy and merged into his spiritual sea. Only then was he jolted, quickly looking away. Just as he regained his focus, a hand clamped down on his shoulder—Feng Mingjue.

Feng Mingjue traced his spine, as if inspecting something, then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my~"

It was as if he'd struck gold. "This kid entered the sect barely a month ago, and he's already broken through Qi Refining to reach the Foundation Establishment stage! A true genius of a disciple."

He's the male lead—if his aptitude weren't top-notch, how could he dominate the world and sleep with ten women a night?

Xue Youtan mentally grumbled about when 2484's notification would chime, all while mocking the male lead's plot armor.

He learns everything on the first try, cultivates dual spiritual meridians, and on top of that, he's got to be protected at all costs—can't kill him early. With a build like that, once he fully develops his power, who could possibly beat him later?

"Alright, if we're going to appraise prodigies, let's do it after we return to the mountain. The miasma in the Deadwood Forest is thick," Yueli spoke up.

"Right, right, right. Youtan's still injured, so let's head back for now."

By the time they emerged from the Deadwood Forest and landed at the front mountain, Xiao Yiheng, Li Luoshu, Ling Yue, and the others had already rushed over, gathering around him worriedly. "Master, are you injured? Was it Nightfang that hurt you?"

Xiao Yiheng, at the front, showed visible battle damage on his robes and face—the hair at his temples was a mess, and even the sleeve of his disciple robe had been singed off by fire, making him look a bit rough. Yet despite all that, Xue Youtan could still see the bulge of his biceps through his burned sleeve.

With a build like that, one punch could probably kill an ox. Standing next to Pei Zhi, who was as skinny as a rail, Pei Zhi's thigh probably wasn't even as thick as Xiao Yiheng's arm.

These two—is Pei Zhi really the top in this pairing?

For the first time, Xue Youtan doubted his assumptions about top and bottom body types.

Before he could think more about it, Li Luoshu, standing beside Xiao Yiheng, suddenly drew his sword and assumed a combat stance. "Nightfang? Where's Nightfang? How dare it hurt my master—I'll chop it to pieces!"

"Funny how you're all eager to kill that beast now that the Third Master of Cangya Mountain is here. Where were you when the challenge was issued at the mountain gate earlier?" Ling Feng's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I was in the back courtyard at the time. I..." Li Luoshu hemmed and hawed a few words but never finished his sentence.

He had been bidding farewell to Xue Youtan, and when things went down, his first instinct was to change out of his peony-patterned robes. By the time he got there, Nightfang was already gone from the front mountain.

"A coward's a coward." These past few days, Xiao Yiheng had been piling rough chores on Pei Zhi, and Li Luoshu had certainly played a part in egging him on. Ling Feng wasn't about to let that slide.

"Ling Feng." The words were a bit harsh, and Ling Yue shot Ling Feng a glare, which shut him up.

Ling Yue was about to say more when her peripheral vision caught sight of Pei Zhi, who had been standing off to the side, ignored.

"Junior Brother Pei, what are you doing here?" Ling Yue hurried over. "Why are you covered in blood? Were you injured too?"

"I'm fine," Pei Zhi replied casually, covering the largest bloodstain on his robes with his hand.

It was the wound from Nightfang's tail piercing him during their fight, but after that surge of unfamiliar power erupted within him, all his injuries had miraculously healed. If Ling Yue kept pressing, he wouldn't be able to explain it.

"You don't look injured. Could all this blood be from Nightfang?" Ling Yue's voice suddenly rose. "Junior Brother Pei, you subdued Nightfang!!!"

You've got to hand it to her—Ling Yue was doing a fine job as an NPC.

In the novel, Ling Yue had fallen for Xiao Yiheng, who was a transmigrator in the original story. So when Xiao Yiheng swept in and took credit for Nightfang—which rightfully belonged to Pei Zhi—it was Ling Yue who shouted, "Senior Brother, you actually subdued Nightfang!" cementing Xiao Yiheng's position as the Top Disciple.

Now, with the main plotline changed, her target had shifted, but her lines remained the same.

Paper characters were paper characters—every step they take follows the book's script.

The moment Ling Yue spoke, the disciples at the mountain gate erupted into an uproar, even noisier than when Nightfang had attacked.

As Pei Zhi's archenemy on Cangya Mountain, Xiao Yiheng was the first to object. He immediately butted in to argue, "Junior Sister, don't talk nonsense. With his Qi Refining Stage cultivation, he'd struggle to subdue a pack leader wolf, let alone Nightfang. That's just wolf blood on him."

"Why is Senior Brother so certain it's wolf blood? Did you send Junior Brother Pei to the Deadwood Forest to feed the wolves?"

"Of course not." Xiao Yiheng's eyes darted away, afraid Ling Yue would expose his mistreatment of Pei Zhi in public. He quickly changed the subject. "So you claim he subdued Nightfang—prove it."

Ling Yue turned to Pei Zhi, tugging at his sleeve. "Junior Brother Pei, tell us quickly—how did you subdue Nightfang? Or better yet, summon it out, and Senior Brother will have nothing to say."

Xue Youtan stood off to the side, waiting for the story to play out, and yawned out of boredom. He reached back to adjust the underwear that had bunched up in his crack when they'd returned.

Normally, in situations like this, the camera would be on the protagonist group. Whatever this supporting male character did, no one would notice.

But...

"If you're tired, go sleep. Why do you keep yawning in my face?" Yueli suddenly turned his head.

???

Shouldn't everyone's attention be on the male lead right now? How did Yueli manage to notice his little movements?

And the moment Yueli said that, Pei Zhi chimed in as well, "I'm feeling a bit tired. Let's continue tomorrow."

With that, Pei Zhi took a few steps toward him and asked, "Master, I'm a little exhausted. May I be excused to rest?"

Of course, absolutely.

Xue Youtan hadn't slept at all in the first half of the night, and the second half had been drained by this main quest. The drowsiness was heavy on him now, yet the moment they returned, the front mountain turned into a rally that showed no signs of letting up. If not for the male lead getting tired, Xue Youtan suspected this scene would drag on until tomorrow morning.

Xue Youtan nodded, and Pei Zhi took his leave from the other two Altar Masters before heading toward the back courtyard on his own.

"Hey, Junior Brother Pei, wait for me! You're injured—let me walk you back." The moment Pei Zhi left, Ling Yue eagerly followed after him.

Daughters never stay—Pei Zhi had only been at Cangya Mountain for a month and already had a fangirl.

Even earlier than the time Ling Yue had submitted to him two lifetimes ago.

The student had surpassed the master.

Xue Youtan had expected to fall asleep the moment he hit the bed, but he lay awake all night instead.

The reason was simple: from the moment Nightfang vanished into Pei Zhi's body to now, with dawn already breaking, 2484 hadn't uttered a single word.

No mission complete, no mission failed—he was left tossing and turning, unable to stop thinking about it.

Just as he was finally starting to feel drowsy and closed his eyes, the door swung open.

Xue Youtan's morning irritation flared, and he was about to curse, but the newcomer knelt by his bedside and said softly, "Third Master, time to wash up. The Chief Disciple Assembly begins in the time it takes an incense stick to burn."

A strange woman's voice?

Xue Youtan cracked one eye open to glance at the visitor.

What met his gaze was a flash of red—a striking, eye-catching red.

All Cangya Mountain disciples wore pale blue robes, and the altar master robes were all white. Such a vibrant color was a rare sight, even more vivid than the pink Li Luoshu had worn yesterday.