Chapter 14

One month later, at the Immortal Alliance Conference.

Unlike the serene Qingya Peak adorned with emerald bamboo, Yuling Peak was covered in maple trees.

Now in autumn, the peak looked like a sea of flames from afar, dyeing the horizon crimson.

A massive stone platform rose from the ground, flanked by a stone tablet engraved with three characters: “Execution Platform.”

This was where the Immortal Alliance Conference was held.

“Master, the sun is scorching outside. Allow this disciple to hold an umbrella for you.”

“Very well.”

Luo Chu wanted to say she wasn’t that delicate, but seeing the eager look in his eyes, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Liu Chengzhi escorted Luo Chu to the seating area reserved for peak masters, then took out an exquisitely packaged box of melon seeds and pastries from his robes, arranging them neatly in front of her before heading to the disciples’ section to await the competition.

Yun Xinyi, seated in the center, nodded at Luo Chu with a faint smile.

An orange cat leaped onto Luo Chu’s lap, panting heavily.

“You guys flew on swords and didn’t even take me along! This cat is exhausted.”

“Tch, that’s one uniquely stylish cat you’ve got there,” Zhu Qianyin remarked, always eager to pick a fight with Luo Chu.

Spotting the poorly shaved feline, she couldn’t resist mocking it.

“Indeed. It has… its own aesthetic,” Luo Chu replied calmly, stroking the cat without sparing her a glance.

“Must be nice being a master like you. Some might think you took in a disciple, but others would swear you’ve got yourself a personal servant.”

The sarcastic tone grated on Luo Chu’s nerves, but she couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Sipping her tea, she scanned the disciples’ section for her own apprentice.

To Zhu Qianyin, however, this indifference was a blatant insult.

Stamping her foot in frustration, she snapped, “Luo Chu, don’t you look down on people! The competition hasn’t even started yet—who wins and who loses is still up in the air!”

With that, she stormed back to her seat.

Liu Chengzhi stood tall and striking among the crowd of disciples, his handsome features making him stand out.

When he noticed Luo Chu looking his way, his usual aloof demeanor melted away, replaced by a radiant smile.

Luo Chu suppressed a laugh and gave him a slight nod.

With a face like that, this disciple of mine is going to break countless girls’ hearts in the future.

Meanwhile, in the female disciples’ section, one girl bit her lip hard, staring in disbelief at the interaction between master and disciple.

In her past life, she had fallen head over heels for the dashing Xiao Chen at the Immortal Alliance Conference and pursued him relentlessly, enduring hardships alongside him until they ascended and finally married.

Who could’ve guessed that Xiao Chen had always carried a torch for his white moonlight—Luo Chu, the revered master later killed by Liu Chengzhi? She had assumed her unwavering devotion would make him forget about Luo Chu and cherish her instead.

But far from restraining himself, Xiao Chen developed a soft spot for any woman who embodied Luo Chu’s “frosty elegance and ethereal grace,” bedding them one after another despite her protests.

Too proud to tolerate sharing her husband, she drowned in jealousy day after day until she could bear it no longer and threw herself into the Fallen Immortal Platform to reincarnate.

Yet somehow, she woke up back at the very beginning—the day she first met Xiao Chen.

During her rebirth, she witnessed the full tragedy of her past life.

The demon lord Liu Chengzhi, whom the entire cultivation world reviled, had silently protected her all along—even clutching the tiny bell she’d casually given him on the day he died.

Given a second chance, she resolved to abandon Xiao Chen, prevent Liu Chengzhi’s descent into darkness, and cherish the devoted man she’d once ignored.

But she distinctly remembered the master-disciple pair being at each other’s throats in her past life.

So why were they acting so affectionate now? Had her rebirth altered the course of events?

Yuan Mo Li cast a minor mirror spell, studying her reflection—cloud-like hair, slightly parted cherry lips, and round, almond-shaped eyes that carried a hint of allure beneath their innocence.

Nine parts purity, one part temptation, a look tailor-made to deceive and ensnare.

No matter.

According to her memories, Xiao Chen would defeat Liu Chengzhi in the final match and be taken in as Luo Chu’s disciple.

If she comforted Liu Chengzhi then, offering him warmth and encouragement, he’d surely fall for her all over again, just like last time.

Elsewhere in the disciples’ section…

“Hey, Senior brother! Fancy meeting you here at the Immortal Alliance Conference—what a coincidence!”

A young man in a golden-trimmed, goose-yellow robe waved at a black-clad youth nearby.

His eyes sparkled with mischief, his dashing eyebrows slanting upward, and a tiny emerald dangled from his left ear.

“You’re from Changchun Peak. I’m from Nanyue Peak. We’re not Senior brother and Junior Brother,” the black-clad youth retorted coldly, his entire demeanor screaming ‘I don’t know you’.

“Aw, come on! Your name’s Shi Wujian, and we’re best buds—so me calling you senior brother is totally legit. See? No flaws here.”

The yellow-robed boy slung an arm over Shi Wujian’s shoulder, leaning half his weight on him.

“Who’s your best bud? Let go!”

Shi Wujian tried to shove him off, but the other boy only clung tighter.

“No way! After all we’ve been through, you’re gonna act all cold now?”

The yellow-robed youth pretended to wipe nonexistent tears.

“Besides, it’s not like I wrote The Chronicles of Young Heroes. Bet it was those shameless girls fawning over us during training who made it up. It’s not like I’ve seen you bathe—how would I know your ‘measurements’—”

“Xue Yu!”

Shi Wujian flushed with anger.

He’d never met someone so brazen as to openly discuss his… his… ‘that’ in public!

Utterly shameless!

Meanwhile, seated among the peak masters, Luo Chu—a seasoned fujoshi—watched the suggestive exchange with keen interest. Outwardly composed, the little gremlin in her mind was screeching.

(T/N: A “fujoshi” is a Japanese term for female fans of Boys’ Love (BL) or yaoi)

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SHI WUJIAN AND XUE YU! THE ONLY OFFICIAL “SOCIALIST BROTHERHOOD” PAIRING IN THE WHOLE NOVEL!

OH MY GOD! THEY’RE WHISPERING TO EACH OTHER! I KNEW IT! THERE’S TOTALLY SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN THEM! THEY’RE 100% COUPLE!

I’M DEATH!!!!!!!!

Over on the other side, Zhu Qianyin, seeing her prized disciple being harassed, barked at Su Buyan, who was leisurely shelling melon seeds while enjoying the show.

“Su, you old coot! Control your damn disciple! What kind of trash are you raising to embarrass us all like this?”

Ever the good-natured one, Su Buyan remained unruffled.

“Ah, youngsters horsing around—perfectly normal. No need to get worked up.”

CRASH!

The teacup Zhu Qianyin had been clutching and releasing all this time finally met its end on the ground.