Chapter 26 Is It Really No One But Him?

Even Que Zizhen has his shortcomings.

Like right now.

The fire, which started in the study, hadn't yet spread to other areas, but the two figures emerging from it were somewhat disheveled.

Que Zizhen, knowing he was in the wrong, bowed his head and accepted the scolding without a word of complaint.

When Pei Tianhe arrived, this was the scene that greeted him.

“What happened?”

He wasn't surprised by Yuan Qichen's presence. With a sweep of his hand, he extinguished the flames, his gaze naturally falling on Yuan Qichen.

Between his own mature and sensible disciple and the notorious troublemaker, it was far more likely the latter had caused the commotion.

Yuan Qichen crossed his arms, shot an annoyed glance at Que Zizhen, and offered no explanation.

While he bore some responsibility, he certainly wasn't the main culprit.

The incident stemmed from a few boxes tucked away in the corner of Que Zizhen’s study.

These items were initially unremarkable, but seeing Que Zizhen’s guilty and anxious demeanor, Yuan Qichen’s curiosity was piqued.

He was intensely curious.

So, while Que Zizhen was brewing tea, Yuan Qichen swiftly slipped into the study and opened one of the boxes.

But Que Zizhen’s reaction was far more extreme than anticipated. Before Yuan Qichen could even touch the contents, Que Zizhen dropped his teacup and, with a look of desperate resolve, set the manuscripts ablaze.

When had the Jade Mountain Immortal Lord ever been so distraught?

This only intensified Yuan Qichen’s determination to see what was inside.

The two began to scuffle, neither gaining the upper hand, and in their struggle, no one noticed the fire spreading.

By the time they remembered to put out the blaze, they stood staring at each other, realizing neither possessed the ability to extinguish it.

Thus, the current scene unfolded.

“Dad, Immortal Lord, you…” Yuan Xiao was dumbfounded.

He had only been away for a single day at school.

Back in the Demon Realm’s Ten Thousand Demons Abyss, he was always the one causing trouble, with his father frequently pulling his ear to lecture him. Yet now, it seemed his father was equally adept at stirring up mischief.

Yuan Qichen, uncharacteristically flustered, offered a vague excuse: “An accident.”

Pei Tianhe thought he had misheard. He sharply turned to look at Yuan Xiao, then back at Yuan Qichen, wondering if his old eyes were failing him.

“You… you called him what?”

Yuan Xiao, assessing the peculiar old man, and grateful for his help in extinguishing the fire, answered matter-of-factly, “Of course, I call him Dad.”

Hadn't this child been brought back because Que Zizhen recognized his talent?

Pei Tianhe gasped, as if struck by lightning.

Far from denying it, Yuan Qichen frowned in displeasure. “Yuan Xiao, come here.”

How could his son, Yuan Qichen’s son, stand alongside the Tianshu Palace Master?

With that, Yuan Xiao quickly scurried back to Yuan Qichen’s side, eager to share the day’s exciting news: “Wen Dao Academy is quite interesting. I even went with Shan Shan, Sister Chen, and the others to see Tang Lin…”

As Yuan Xiao chattered on, Yuan Qichen and the master-disciple pair remained unusually silent. The quiet grew so profound that even Yuan Xiao sensed the unusual atmosphere and slowly trailed off: “Wh-what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Yuan Qichen said with a faint smile. “It’s just that someone finds me an eyesore.”

Pei Tianhe readily admitted, “You know that much, at least.”

Though he spoke thus, he actually held a deep admiration for Yuan Qichen’s character. When Que Zizhen had once mentioned such a friend, Pei Tianhe’s assessment was: “He must be a remarkable person, a perfect complement to you.”

The existence of this intriguing, unnamed friend had once brought a youthful vitality to the otherwise reserved and taciturn Que Zizhen.

If it weren’t for that incident…

“Plenty of people can’t stand me—one more makes no difference,” Yuan Qichen said, almost provocatively.

Pei Tianhe scoffed, “Only Zizhen in the entire Tianshu Palace tolerates you. You’ve latched onto that, haven’t you? That’s why you refuse to leave?”

Yuan Qichen lifted his chin. “So what if I have?”

Pei Tianhe disliked him clinging to his cherished disciple, but Yuan Qichen was determined to stay.

It was a childish act, and if this was a form of retaliation, it was rather unsophisticated.

“Zizhen’s sincerity is not meant to be trampled upon,” Pei Tianhe fumed, like a protective mother hen. “Demons are demons—they never consider others. Haven’t you exploited Zizhen enough in the past?”

Que Zizhen’s face paled, and he cut him off. “Master, that’s enough.”

The events of the past were a sensitive topic for both of them.

Especially when Pei Tianhe and Yuan Qichen were at loggerheads, it easily invited comparisons.

Pei Tianhe had spoken out of turn.

“Yuan Xiao, take your father inside.”

Que Zizhen chose to separate the two.

Yuan Qichen, for once, showed some deference, looking as if he couldn’t be bothered, and turned to enter the bedroom, which remained untouched by the fire.

Once the door closed, he couldn’t resist pressing his ear against it, trying to eavesdrop.

But Que Zizhen had anticipated this, leading Pei Tianhe further away.

…

“Master, please don’t blame him. A Chen simply has that kind of temperament; he didn’t mean to provoke you,” Que Zizhen said, his first act upon being alone with Pei Tianhe was to defend Yuan Qichen.

Pei Tianhe let out a humorless laugh, then sighed deeply, asking, “Must it be him and no one else?”

Que Zizhen remained silent.

Pei Tianhe had already anticipated this outcome, but he couldn't help but ask, just in case.

If his obsession hadn't been so profound, it wouldn't have given rise to a heart demon.

Pei Tianhe’s expression grew strange as he asked again, “He already has a child, and you… you don’t mind at all?”

Que Zizhen was quiet for a long time, unsure how to convey the truth. Even he himself found it hard to believe, so he simply said, “Yuan Xiao is a good child.”

What more could Pei Tianhe say?

What else could he do when his foolish disciple was so stubborn, even willing to eagerly become a stepfather?

Not only that, but he had also gone to great lengths to secure an auditing spot for the child at Wen Dao Academy.

Thinking of this, Pei Tianhe suddenly realized something was amiss.

That child—where was the slightest trace of demonic energy on him?

“Is he really Yuan Qichen’s son?” Pei Tianhe suddenly doubted the truth of the matter. The child he had just seen bore no resemblance to Yuan Qichen.

Que Zizhen affirmed, “He is.”

Anyone who had witnessed Yuan Qichen’s desperate fight for Yuan Xiao would have no further doubts.

“Yuan Xiao… possesses Celestial-Demon Unity.”

Que Zizhen tried his best to hint, but Pei Tianhe, as expected, jumped to the wrong conclusion.

“He found a female cultivator? Which sect’s cultivator has such courage?”

Jokes aside, Celestial-Demon Unity was no trivial matter.

Pei Tianhe’s thoughts raced, and he shot his disciple another exasperated look. “And you still say he isn’t using you! Who else in this world but a fool like you would gamble with their life and cultivation to help him save his son?”

The so-called fool defended him, “He isn’t using me. I volunteered.”

“That’s exactly why you’re a fool.”

Despite his numerous objections, Pei Tianhe ultimately acquiesced to Yuan Qichen staying at Qingjing Peak, though he began to monitor the place more closely.

After seeing Pei Tianhe off, Que Zizhen returned to the courtyard to clean up the mess. Yuan Qichen was already waiting for him in the ruined study, arms crossed.

“Finished talking?”

“Yes.”

“When are you going to ask us to leave?” To maintain his usual demeanor, Yuan Qichen deliberately used the word “ask.”

Que Zizhen paused, surprised. “Leave?”

“Didn’t Pei Tianhe say anything about making Yuan Xiao and me leave Tianshu Palace?” Yuan Qichen’s suspicion wasn’t unfounded—Pei Tianhe did harbor such intentions, but if Que Zizhen was determined to keep them, there was little he could do.

“A Chen, you’ve misunderstood.” It was difficult for Que Zizhen, a man of few words, to explain and mediate between the two.

Misunderstood?

Yuan Qichen felt a surge of anger—perhaps directed at Pei Tianhe, perhaps at Que Zizhen standing before him, or perhaps at the words about sincerity and exploitation.

Given his nature, he shouldn’t have cared so much. He could have caused a scene and left with Yuan Xiao without a second thought.

But in reality, he was seething over Pei Tianhe’s accusation that he trampled on sincerity and only knew how to exploit others.

This realization only intensified his anger.

“If he doesn’t say it today, he’ll say it sooner or later. When that day comes, would you dare defy your master’s orders?” After asking the question, Yuan Qichen found it laughable himself. “Forget it. Why am I even asking? It’s not like I plan to stay at Tianshu Palace long-term.”

He might as well spend his time thinking about what to do tonight.

“Immortal Lord, the study is gone, and there’s only one bedroom. How do you plan to sleep tonight?” Yuan Qichen asked with a hint of schadenfreude.

Que Zizhen replied, “No need to worry. I have a place to go.”

“Who’s worried about you?” Yuan Qichen kicked a charred box, sending it crumbling to ashes, his tone filled with resentment. “For the sake of these boxes of useless papers, you’ve brought yourself to this state. What would it have hurt to let me take a look?”

“…They’re just useless papers. Why must you… insist on seeing them?”

The items he had kept for fourteen years were reduced to ashes in the fire, once again burying the unspoken sincerity Que Zizhen dared not reveal.

He hurried off, leaning against the door, eyes shut, lost in thought.

During their struggle, papers had scattered everywhere. Among the calming scriptures and texts, certain words kept appearing.

They were the words Que Zizhen had patiently taught him to write back when they first met—his own name.