Lin Yijun’s expression tightened as he flew over the trees and to the mountain peak where his parents resided.

Their private seven-story building sat at the very top of the mountain peak, with its domineeringly sweeping roofs. The qi was so thick that it would feel oppressive to anyone below Nascent Soul. As a child, Lin Yijun had to live lower down on the mountain, away from his parents’ main abode.

Layers and layers of barriers surrounded the mountain peak. The hexagonal token in Lin Yijun’s possession also served as a key that unlocked his way. He landed a few steps down from the flat platform that the building stood on and walked the last distance on foot.

This place had once drawn his awe, and then later his deference. But now, its cold and imposing manner was off-putting.

His parents were waiting for him in one of the halls in the building. They sat by a table placed on a raised platform, their voices falling silent as Lin Yijun approached. Mother Lin wore shimmering gold robes, accentuating a cold femininity. Father Lin wore a darker yellow-gold, his shoulders exaggerated by the form of his robes.

They did not seem happy. Lin Yijun lowered his head and sat down on the thick mat on the floor below.

“Mother, Father, you called for me.”

“Do you know why we called for you?” his mother spoke in a dangerous tone.

Lin Yijun’s gaze remained on the ground. “I do not dare to guess incorrectly, Mother.”

His father spoke: “Neither Elder Wang nor I gave you any orders to infiltrate Elder Liu Ru’s faction. Yet, we have received reports of you spending time with those mortals. And that you’ve led Elder Wang’s grandson astray.”

“Do you really think so little of us, Junjun?” his mother said, voice taking on a falsely sweet and hurt tone. “Since you were born, we have given you the best cultivation resources. Your affiliation with mortals and beasts sullies your core! And Elder Liu’s faction have been around the scum of society. Don’t let their grey auras affect you.”

A token flew through the air and landed in front of Lin Yijun. It was an entry token for the Clear Heart Hot Springs.

“Take it and soak and reflect on your actions,” his mother said.

A fire started to burn in Lin Yijun’s chest, along with the conviction that his parents were wrong. He couldn’t help but say, “Are you sure they’re all mortals?”

Mother Lin and Father Lin glanced at each other, displeased with this rebellion.

“Mortals have no place in the sect,” Mother Lin said coldly. “They are outsiders, and you will not associate with them.”

Outsiders? Like Zhou Sheng?

Lin Yijun’s resentment for his parents grew. He had to squash it down immediately, but the emotions still simmered in his belly. His parents had interrupted his time with Zhou Sheng for this scolding, as if he were a wayward child.

But they were his parents. And they were stronger than him individually, let alone combined.

“You’ve been affected by them,” Father Lin said. “After soaking in the springs, I will arrange for you to train your sword and temper your heart. Don’t waste your time with them. There are more important matters to worry about.”

Lin Yijun kowtowed to his parents. “Understood,” he replied in the same cold tone they had used.

He took the hot springs token.

His parents eased slightly. They passed him some more news and tasks for him to do before they let him leave.

Lin Yijun didn’t go to the hot springs. Instead, his mind calculated what he needed to do next as he descended the mountain peak, a determination in his eyes.

 

---

 

A few days later, Lin Yijun was able to meet Zhou Sheng again. They met in a place in the forest around the sect, where flowers emitting a calming fragrance grew. It was just about sunset, with the sky glowing yellow-red.

The calming fragrance reminded Lin Yijun of Wen Zhihao and all the cloying sweetness that surrounded him and Sun Fuyu. His determination rose.

Lin Yijun gave a relieved smile when he saw the black-clothed figure standing emerging out of the surrounding forest. The two walked through the flowers and met in the middle.

“Zhou Sheng, I’m grateful that you could come again on short notice.”

Zhou Sheng found Lin Yijun’s smile hard to bear. “I’m not as busy as you.”

Zhou Sheng’s position had risen in the Blood Sect, but no one ever expected demonic cultivators to care about the majority of the administration they ‘should’ be doing.

Lin Yijun’s eyes went cold for a split second. All his recent tasks were no doubt to stop him from spending time with ‘the mortals’. “To apologise for my hurried departure last time, please accept this.”

Lin Yijun took out a weapon’s tassel made of black silk thread, accented with red beads, gold elements and a tiny carved cat decoration. “This can be attached to your polearm. It will increase the speed and enhance control of the wind.”

Zhou Sheng’s eyes sharpened. His eyes closed momentarily as he gave a short laugh. “What a coincidence.” He pulled out a sword tassel made of gold silk thread, accentuated with white beads and with a tiny carved cat decoration. “The little cat may be the only cat that you can get close to.”

“...”

With the two tassels held next to either other, their similarities were heightened.

In their hearts, both of them thought, they matched.

The two of them exchanged tassels. Lin Yijun showed his sincerity by immediately taking off his old sword tassel and replacing it with the new one.

Zhou Sheng’s lips pursed slightly. He materialised his polearm and did the same action.

One with a polearm, one with a sword. With the same style of tassel with the little cat faces, there was a comforting sense of unity.

As Lin Yijun imagined them fighting side by side, his heart rate began to pick up.

“Zhou Sheng…” Lin Yijun took a step closer.

“En?” Zhou Sheng’s eyes raised from their weapons.

Their gazes met. The world seemed to fade away around them.

Lin Yijun felt the responsibility to speak first. “Zhou Sheng...I am glad that you became my friend. I don’t regret spending time with you. I only regret my past actions that were wrong and that pushed you away.”

He took another step closer, close enough that if they leaned in, they could touch...

Zhou Sheng didn’t step back. His mouth grew dry under Lin Yijun’s direct gaze. “Yijun…”

“I hope I can convey my sincerity about my following words.” Lin Yijun’s eyelids lowered slightly. “Zhou Sheng, I—”

“RINGG!”

“WoOoo.”

Lin Yijun immediately pulled out his hexagonal token.

Zhou Sheng immediately pulled out a skull-shaped token.

They frowned simultaneously at the messages they read.

URGENT MEETING NOW!

Lin Yijun mouthed a curse word. He threw Zhou Sheng a pleading look. “I have to go.”

Zhou Sheng grimaced. “As do I. Administration matters.” He pulled a pained smirk. “I believe we both need to prepare apology gifts for next time.”

“Yes.” Lin Yijun smiled in relief for this planned ‘next time’. “Have a safe journey.”

“En, you too.”

Their gazes lingered on each other. But their tokens strongly alerted them again. With great reluctance, the two of them parted once more.

 

 

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Screw names for Lin Yijun’s parents! Too many names already!!

And thank you to everyone who filled out LinXueLian’s survey about OEL BL cultivation novels! The results are here.

*author preemptively hides*