Chapter 95: Into a Martial Arts Novel, Day 17

Chapter 95: The Seventeenth Day of Transmigrating into a Martial Arts Novel

Yan Yu watched Ling Fengyao fussing over An Yi, showering him with attention and sticking to his side like glue, and his grip on the reins tightened without him realizing it.

An inexplicable tightness in his chest grew more suffocating by the second, yet he had no clue where this feeling came from. In the end, he could only chalk it up to his own embarrassment at Ling Fengyao's "frivolous" behavior, his face darkening as he silently prodded his horse to the back of the line.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, only that watching Ling Fengyao hover around An Yi was especially grating.

A man as refined and otherworldly as Brother An deserved to be respected and admired from a distance—how could he let Ling Fengyao get this... this almost presumptuously close?

He wanted to wedge himself between them and say something, but ultimately, he was tongue-tied and awkward, unable to insert himself into their conversation.

His movements were stiff, tinged with a restlessness he himself barely noticed, drawing frequent sidelong glances from Ling Fengyao. A barely perceptible flicker of displeasure passed through Ling Fengyao's peach-blossom eyes, then quickly morphed into a more obvious amusement as he deliberately exaggerated his gestures.

An Yi took note of the undercurrents between the two.

An Yi: ...

No way, right?

Really?!

For real?!

Comments:

"Haha! So Yan Yu, the new addition, isn't part of the protagonist's group—he's the male lead's love rival!"

"The author's a clever little devil!"

"Our male-oriented web novels have produced a genius!"

"Party time, everyone!"

"There's... something really wrong here!!"

"How terrifying! Is this what men are like?"

"Come on, everyone say it with me: the author is a total dumbass!"

"Shh! Zip it!"

"I was planning to run away, but now I want to see what the author is going to write next. Is it a harem for An Yi?"

"That's normal, right? Male-oriented webnovels always have harems?"

"Hey, you guys clearly haven't read enough. There are plenty of male-oriented stories with bromance these days."

"Is that the same thing?"

"Bromance is bromance—it's not real! But this one is actually about dudes hooking up!"

"Will there be steamy scenes if An Yi gets a harem?"

"Probably not—you'd have to hit up the adult sites for that."

"????????"

"Seriously, you guys are messed up!"

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"..."

As they traveled south, the climate grew increasingly humid, and the scenery shifted from the rugged grandeur of the north to the gentle beauty of the Jiangnan water towns.

Waterways crisscrossed the landscape, boats and ferries shuttled back and forth, white walls and black-tiled roofs stood amid misty rain.

That day, the three arrived at a bustling town in the Jiangnan water region—Qishui Town.

The town was built along the river, with arched stone bridges and the creak of oars, exuding a gentle, warm atmosphere everywhere.

Just as they found an inn by the river to stay in, Yan Yu received a carrier pigeon message from his sect.

After reading the letter, his expression turned serious. He said to An Yi and Ling Fengyao, "Brother An, Brother Ling, my sect has an urgent matter requiring me to send a reply immediately. I need to go to the town's messenger station. It might take some time."

Ling Fengyao, who had been hoping to get rid of him for a while, immediately waved his hand and laughed, "No problem, Brother Yan—go and take care of your business. A Yi and I will wander around Qishui Town and try the drunken crab and water shield soup here."

Yan Yu hesitated and glanced at An Yi, but seeing no objection, he could only clasp his hands and say, "Then I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, he turned and hurried away.

Watching Yan Yu's figure disappear at the inn's entrance, Ling Fengyao immediately turned to An Yi, his peach-blossom eyes curving with undisguised delight, and his voice softening, "Finally, some peace and quiet! A Yi, wanna go for a walk?"

But An Yi shook his head and started toward the guest room. "Not yet. Fengyao, come with me for a moment."

A single "Fengyao"—spoken naturally and clearly, no longer the teasingly distant "Little Lingzi" from before.

Ling Fengyao's heart gave a sudden leap, an indescribable sweetness mixed with excitement surging through his body. Almost in a daze, he followed.

Entering the room, An Yi closed the door and windows. Outside, the murmuring river and the occasional soft Suzhou dialect drifted in, making the room all the more serene.

The tips of Ling Fengyao's ears turned red. *So... so soon?*

He fumbled with his belt, trembling. *This is too fast—but I'm so happy!!!*

An Yi: ...

An Yi looked at him with a complicated expression.

What the hell are you doing?!

Ling Fengyao caught his gaze and gave an awkward laugh. "Haha."

So it was his own dirty mind after all.

An Yi couldn't help but sigh. He raised a hand to his forehead, a headache coming on.

He took a deep breath. "I've got something serious to talk about."

Ling Fengyao immediately dropped his flippant attitude and put on a studious expression, like a student in class. "Please, speak."

An Yi: ...

Such a phony.

He ignored Ling Fengyao's clowning and, from his sleeve—or rather, from his spatial storage—he pulled out the thin booklet he had obtained from the secret compartment in Heroine Liu's grotto.

The booklet's paper was aged and worn at the edges, its cover blank, giving off an air of age.

"This is...?" Ling Fengyao's playful look faded as his gaze fell on the booklet. A suspicion formed in his mind, and his heartbeat quickened.

An Yi handed him the booklet. "Obtained from Heroine Liu. It should be a fragment of the *Youhuan Shu*." Ling Fengyao took a deep breath and accepted the booklet. He couldn't wait to flip it open, revealing densely packed, rubbing-printed characters interspersed with complex diagrams of human figures practicing martial arts. The techniques described were exquisitely profound, yet they also subtly hinted at a biased and extreme nature.

It was vastly different from the orthodox martial arts he knew. While its power was indeed tremendous, its dangers were also alarming.

The more he flipped through it, the less amused his expression became, replaced by seriousness and amazement.

"Indeed... worthy of being such a miraculous book that could produce martial arts like that..."

He murmured, looking up at An Yi, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Ayi, when exactly did you...?"

He clearly remembered that at the time, everyone's attention was on those few pages of insights and reflections. How had An Yi managed to obtain this true treasure without anyone noticing?

An Yi smiled. "It was a matter of convenience."

He paused, looked at the booklet in Ling Fengyao's hand, and his tone turned serious. "However, I don't recommend you practice this."

Ling Fengyao closed the booklet, a carefree smile on his face. "Of course. Though a fragment is good, it is ultimately a heretical path. I, Ling Fengyao, am not so shortsighted. If I'm going to practice, I'll naturally seek the complete orthodox version."

He looked at An Yi with an intense gaze. "Ayi, you share such a precious treasure with me, I..."

"It's nothing."

An Yi interrupted him, speaking calmly. "Since we are companions, information should naturally be shared. Besides, this item is of little use to me."

His power system was completely different from the internal energy martial arts of this world. As for the Youhuan Shu, although he intended to practice it, it was more to satisfy his interest in collection and research.

He spoke calmly, but to Ling Fengyao's ears, warmth flowed through his heart.

"Sharing... companions..." These two words made his heart swell with emotion.

Ayi saw him as a partner with whom he could share his deepest secrets!

This unreserved trust stirred him more than any sweet words.

He looked into An Yi's clear and calm eyes, feeling that this person before him, from the inside out, was perfect for him in every way, captivating and enchanting him completely.

His earlier decision to coax Ayi out of the Fuyi Sect was definitely the right one!