Chapter 24: Awkward

Chapter 24 Awkwardness

"Coo—coo—coocoo—"

"Chirp chirp—"

"Wake up."

Shang Yunduo was jolted awake, his mind a tangled mess.

Through the thick mist, he could vaguely make out Pei Jie, the one who had woken him—hazy and indistinct, making it hard for him to tell if this was reality or a dream.

"Don't just stand there dazed. Get up."

Shang Yunduo snapped awake. The ground trembled, and something massive surged out from the dense fog, its dense spiritual energy churning the air around them.

As soon as Shang Yunduo got up, Pei Jie put away the flying carriage. "Put on that coat made from Chameleon Lizard skin. Did you remember everything I told you?"

Shang Yunduo nodded, shoving aside the chaos in his head, but still felt disoriented about the time and place.

The fog was milky, with visibility under a meter. He couldn't see the sky or ground clearly—everything was shadowy. All he remembered was Pei Jie bringing him to a swampy area, parked the flying carriage in a patch of lush grass and told him to sleep.

Before falling asleep, his mind was full of how to use the magical tools, how to operate the compass, how to meet up in the secret realm, and that kiss—chaotic, unforgettable, the feeling still lingering.

He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, but when he opened his eyes, the secret realm had already appeared.

However, he found it strange. Without any special secret realm compass or extensive searching, how had Pei Jie known this was the entrance to the Ancient Plains Secret Realm?

But that didn't matter now. Shang Yunduo put on his coat and handed the other one to Pei Jie.

Pei Jie hesitated briefly but didn't refuse. He instructed, "The central mountain is very obvious. After you go in, head for the central mountain range. I'll find you."

"Oh," Shang Yunduo nodded, but he felt uneasy.

The Ancient Plains Secret Realm...

He wondered if this world would course-correct the plot, and if he would die inside it.

If... if that happened...

Shang Yunduo looked at Pei Jie, whose figure was growing fainter in the thick fog. This might be their final farewell. His heart was full of melancholy, with no one to share it.

"Senior!"

"Hmm?"

"I... do I have to go?"

"..."

"Just kidding," Shang Yunduo laughed awkwardly. "Otherwise, well, can I give you a hug?"

"What?" Pei Jie looked at him in astonishment.

"Just a hug!" Whether Pei Jie wanted it or not, Shang Yunduo stepped close and hugged him tightly before letting go.

Though it had started under duress, yesterday was the first and only kiss he'd ever had in his life. Even though it was through a veil, and the whole thing was strange—there was no real feeling between them, and Pei Jie didn't like him—they had still kissed! And the contract had been signed.

If he died inside the secret realm, this would be the one and only love story of his entire life across both worlds.

Shang Yunduo eased his stiff expression, pressed his lips together, and said solemnly, "Senior, be careful yourself. If I die... maybe we should change that contract. If I die, you won't suffer any backlash."

"..." Pei Jie was already bewildered by the sudden hug, and now even more so. "I didn't give you all those things just for show."

Shang Yunduo froze for a moment, then instinctively touched the gear Pei Jie had given him before bed. A wave of emotion surged up, stinging his eyes. He lowered his head without speaking, pushed down his emotions, and quickly glanced at Pei Jie. "I know."

Pei Jie: "..."

It was just a secret realm that even a Qi Refining stage cultivator could enter and leave...

"If you're scared, just hide well. I'll find you soon."

Shang Yunduo mumbled, "Oh."

"Try not to use spiritual power. If anyone acts out of line, you can only use half at most... got it?"

Shang Yunduo: "Mm, I'll try to run faster."

Pei Jie: "..."

What he meant was to not drag things out and kill them quickly.

Pei Jie took a deep breath, tempted to ask how Shang Yunduo had even reached Qi Refining Peak, but couldn't be bothered. He took a ring off his finger and handed it to Shang Yunduo. "Put it on. Let's go."

"Huh?" Shang Yunduo paused. "No need, I..."

He already had a hair crown, a necklace, a shoulder guard, an arm guard, a bracelet, a belt, a jade pendant, and boots. Except for the boots, which boosted speed, almost everything else was a defensive artifact. He was wearing even more than Pei Jie himself.

He didn't know how many treasures Pei Jie still had, but it probably wasn't many, otherwise he wouldn't be taking things off his own hand.

Even though he was scared of dying, he wouldn't take all of Pei Jie's defensive artifacts.

But Pei Jie ignored him. Without looking back, he quickly disappeared into the thick fog.

"Senior!" Shang Yunduo ran after him, but Pei Jie vanished in an instant.

"Senior? Senior? Senior! Pei Jie!"

"If you don't say anything, I'll leave on my own! I'm not going in!"

Shang Yunduo shouted a few times from where he was, but there was no response.

"I'm really leaving!"

Still no response.

He stood there, dejected, hesitating for a long moment before sighing. "Ah..."

He didn't even get to go with Xiao Chi.

Pei Jie was different from how he was in the novel.

Besides, he wasn't the actual "Shang Yunduo" anyway.

I'll probably be fine going in... right...?

"Ah..."

Forget it, whatever. With all these magical artifacts on me, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator can't touch me.

If I'm meant to die, I can't escape. If I run now, Pei Jie won't spare me when he gets out.

Shang Yunduo put on the ring, checked all his equipment again, took a deep breath, and walked deeper into the thick fog.

The fog grew denser, like being submerged in milk. Shang Yunduo couldn't see anything, only felt that the atmosphere around him had changed.

He wasn't sure where he was, or whether he had actually entered the secret realm. As he walked, he felt the ground beneath his feet change from soil to stone. He crouched down to feel it—it had indeed changed.

He took a sword from his storage pouch to use as a walking stick, but after a few steps, he put it away.

No, too loud.

If there were any beast or cultivator nearby, the sound would give him away.

Shang Yunduo switched to Daoist Yuqiu's vine staff, which was much quieter.

He could barely see half a meter ahead, so he had to rely on his ears and listen in every direction.

He changed from a normal pace to small, cautious steps, walking nervously for a long time until the wind slightly dispersed some of the fog and the sky darkened. Finally, before nightfall, he found a small cave barely big enough to spend the night in.

Shang Yunduo tapped the vine staff on the cave floor, which could only fit one person. No wild beasts, no demonic beasts, and no human.

He tossed a Glow Pearl inside. It was empty. Nothing strange.

He crawled in. The interior was relatively dry, and from the dust, it seemed no one, human or beast, had visited in a long time.

Shang Yunduo retrieved the Glow Pearl and didn't dare light a fire. He used the unused Mirage Lizard Gauze as a curtain to cover the cave entrance, huddled inside, and chewed on a non-toxic but bitter herb to restore his energy. Then he took out some dried fruit and a steamed bun from his storage pouch.

When Pei Jie was around, he didn't dare eat them because he was afraid of getting scolded.

He took a few bites, but worried the smell might attract beasts with sharp senses. He quickly stuffed the bun into his mouth, chewing and thinking, 'How stupid.' He should have eaten it when Pei Jie was there. At worst, he'd get yelled at, but it would definitely be safe. Eating now was the real danger.

He downed the bun in two or three bites, not even tasting the filling, and hastily put away the remaining dried fruit.

Then...

What now?

Not hungry, but even more lost about what to do. He just leaned against the stone wall and stared into space.

He wondered if Pei Jie had started looking for him yet.

They came in together—could they be close by?

He wondered if he'd run into Pei Jie tomorrow.

Twirling the ring on his finger, Shang Yunduo wanted to sleep but couldn't drift off.

His nerves were on edge, and he couldn't stop listening for sounds outside—sometimes he thought he heard something, but when he listened carefully, there was nothing. He was paranoid.

This feeling reminded him of when he first arrived in this world.

Alone in a cave with no food or water, unable to leave, no one coming for him.

But back then it was daytime, and at night there were stars and the moon. The cave dwelling had lights, a bed, and was spacious. Even though he couldn't sleep well those first few days, at least it was safe.

Unlike now—pitch black, so dark it felt like ghosts were hiding everywhere, staring at him.

And there was nothing he could do.

Whenever the dorm had a blackout, they could still play the violin and sing in the dark.

Or at least get together and chat.

Come to think of it, he had never really been alone like this in his entire life.

Shang Yunduo sort of missed Pei Jie.

He wanted to meditate, at least to calm down once he entered a trance, but Pei Jie had told him not to use his spiritual energy.

"Ah..."

Helplessly, he could only run through the Body Tempering technique in his mind. He put up with it for who knows how long until it started drizzling outside. Listening to the rain, he finally fell asleep. But overnight, he woke up four or five times—he knew when the rain got heavier and when it let up. Later, he could hear frogs croaking in the distance. When dawn barely broke, he woke again.

Finally, it was daytime!

Shang Yunduo, sore all over, shifted a bit and quietly pulled aside the Mirage Lizard Gauze to peek outside.

The fog had lifted. The air was still heavy with moisture, but at least he could see the distant mountains and nearby trees.

So that's why he felt so exhausted—there were more and more rocks. He'd climbed up a trail to the mountain!

And just a couple of meters away was a cliff. The beautiful sight made him shiver with fear.

Thanks to his quick thinking in using the vine staff to probe the path—what if he had veered off and fallen?

But at least the climb wasn't for nothing. Now he had a clear view of the tall solitary mountain in the distance.

Shang Yunduo pulled out his compass.

That solitary mountain should be the central mountain range Pei Jie talked about.

As he recalled, this secret realm had mountains all around it, with a basin in the middle, and a mountain rising in the center of the basin—shaped like a gold ingot.

The mountain was to the east, so his position was in the western mountain range of the secret realm.

Shang Yunduo thought for a while, but couldn't remember anything valuable in the west.

The Floating Cloud Flower was near the central mountain range, and spirit herbs were gathered in the north.

Shang Yunduo put away the Mirage Lizard Gauze, ate another medicinal herb, and set off toward the central mountain range.

He wondered if Pei Jie was also in the west, and if he could find him today.

He also wondered what kind of mark Pei Jie had placed on him—Pei Jie could track him, but he had no idea where Pei Jie was. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became. What kind of Dao partner was this? He was just a cultivation tool. If you tied a rope to a dog, the dog could follow the rope back to its owner.

As he grumbled to himself, someone suddenly flew overhead on a sword. Just from the speed, he could tell that person's cultivation was at least at the Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

Shang Yunduo was startled and stood still. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling his body, which helped conceal the color mismatches and stitching flaws in his clothes. He suppressed his aura, and the other person didn't notice him.

After the figure flew away, Shang Yunduo put on his hat and descended the mountain more carefully. On the way, he discovered a spirit fruit.

He didn't recognize it, but it smelled sweet.

He stored it away.

He also didn't recognize this one.

Collected them.

...

Walking and picking along the way, taking anything with spiritual energy, and also anything without spiritual energy but edible, after a day of narrow escapes, quietly slipping through the territories of two low-level demon beasts and gathering many spirit herbs, Shang Yunduo could finally empathize with the joy of beachcombing.

Sure enough, a secret realm is a secret realm—so many good things!

But Pei Jie still hadn’t appeared. Shang Yunduo walked on, and by evening he arrived at a shallow shoal. This place was really unsuitable for spending the night.

With no choice, he turned back a short distance and found a pile of rocks, curling up beneath two boulders, planning to spend the night there.

Just as he finished setting up his little nest and took a bite of the fruit he had picked today, he suddenly heard someone outside say, “Senior Brother, there seem to be Rehmannia Fruits here.”

Shang Yunduo, with the bitten fruit still in his mouth, nearly choked.

Desperately suppressing the urge to cough, he quickly hid the half-eaten spirit fruit into his storage pouch. The footsteps drew closer, and he dared not move a muscle.

A moment later, two sets of footsteps stopped a few steps away from him.

“Indeed, there are.”

A female voice spoke, followed by the rustling of clothes. The two crouched down and began digging something.

Shang Yunduo was a bit curious about what Rehmannia Fruits were.

“These are indeed Rehmannia Fruits, about ten or twenty years old. Junior Sister, put them away quickly. I’ll look around some more.”

“Mm.” The female voice responded with joy. The two searched around the rock pile but found no more spirit herbs or fruits.

Yet they didn’t leave. Instead, they sat down not far from Shang Yunduo.

Shang Yunduo: “...”

“Ahead is a marsh. Let’s spend the night here.”

“Mm, Senior Brother, should we make a fire?”

“No, it’s not safe at night. Let’s wait until we reunite with the others. For now, Junior Sister, I’ll have to ask you to bear with it for one night.”

“It’s fine.”

“I brought some spirit wine and a few snacks. If you’re hungry, have something first.”

“Alright.”

Shang Yunduo smelled the aroma of their food and cursed his keen sense of smell.

After a long while, he was numb from sitting still, and thought that the two probably wouldn’t notice him anymore. He wondered whether he should eat something too, and then he heard some suspicious rustling.

The female voice, shy and flustered, whispered, “Senior Brother.”

The male voice responded in a coaxing, passionate whisper.

Probably too much wine.

Shang Yunduo was utterly shocked and full of question marks. Is this the place for intimacy?!

He dared not move at all.

Though his body was still, he couldn’t help pricking up his ears. Fortunately, the couple had some restraint; they just kissed for a while before taking turns keeping watch and resting.

The heat that had rushed to Shang Yunduo’s face gradually cooled. He secretly thanked that they hadn’t gone further—how awkward!

After a short while, they started talking again.

“Senior Brother, the ground is so damp. I can’t sleep.”

Shang Yunduo grumbled inwardly, why don’t you go find a dry place?

The male said, “Rest your head on my lap.”

Soon, the faint sound of kissing came again.

Shang Yunduo: “...”

He never knew kissing could be so loud.

When Pei Jie kissed him... there was no sound.

Or maybe there was, but he didn’t notice—he only heard his own heartbeat.

Thump thump thump, thump thump thump, like crashing against a wall.

Sigh...

He wondered if he would meet up with Pei Jie tomorrow.

With these two keeping watch, Shang Yunduo didn’t have to worry about demon beasts or others sneaking up on him unnoticed.

But he still couldn’t help worrying that he might turn over, talk in his sleep, have a nightmare, or move restlessly in the middle of the night and be discovered.

Thinking this, he missed Pei Jie even more.

Sigh...

Shang Yunduo closed his eyes to rest, listening to the occasional sounds of their kissing, full of unspoken complaints.

Please, find a dry place to kiss, I beg you!

Another sleepless night.

After daybreak, the couple finally left.

Shang Yunduo waited a little longer to make sure they were far away before starting to pack his things and get ready to leave.

Just as he lifted the Mirage Lizard Gauze that had covered his body, he suddenly heard a sigh from above.

He froze, clutching the gauze, and looked up into the tree. He locked eyes with an old man sitting on a branch hidden among the leaves, who was rubbing his waist.

Both were equally surprised, and neither managed to hide their shock at the discovery.

“...”

“...”

Author's note:

Yunduo (trying to part with deep emotion): Senior...

Pei Jie, speed away

————

Hiding and blushing while eavesdropping on gossip, I suddenly realize there are two exclusive VIP seats.

Yunduo: Is this a couple?!

That young couple: Is this a couple?!