Chapter 1681: Sister Zhen, I'm Leaving

Upon hearing Boundless Master's words, the Great Daoist Brush Master nodded and said nothing more. He knew the other man wouldn't change his mind, just as he himself wouldn't change his own.

Boundless Master looked at him and said, "I'm not here to persuade you. I know you won't change. I came just to drink with you. After this drink, we're still friends but when the time comes to fight, we'll fight."

The Great Daoist Brush Master nodded. "Alright."

The two sat inside the great hall and drank. The alcohol, of course, had been brought by Boundless Master, he brought lots and lots of it. Tonight, they simply wanted to get thoroughly drunk.

Neither of them used their cultivation to resist the effects of alcohol. So, before long, both were completely wasted.

Suddenly, Boundless Master exploded in a drunken rant, "You idiot! What's wrong with that Ye Guan?! So young, and he's already accomplished so much. That's already amazing! Why the hell do you keep targeting him? Ask yourself, can you beat his grandfather? His uncle? His aunt? Hell no, you can't! If you can't beat them, why not just surrender? The Yang family never even said they had to kill you..."

The Great Daoist Brush Master just smiled silently as Boundless Master cursed at him.

Boundless Master saw that smile and got even angrier. He roared, "What the hell are you smiling at?! Bro, you cannot beat Plain Skirt Destiny! If she makes a move, no matter what plan you have, you're dead!"

Still, the Great Daoist Brush Master said nothing. He just picked up another bottle and drank.

Then,

boom!

Boundless Master punched him right in the nose. The Great Daoist Brush Master fell to the ground, blood flowing.

"What the f—!" He yelled, "Are you nuts?!"

Boundless Master grabbed him by the collar and glared. "Tell me the truth,you're doing all this to secretly side with the Yang family, right? There's some twist, right? A huge reversal, yeah?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master shook his head.

Boundless Master smashed him in the face again.

BAM!

More blood.

"You son of a—!" The Great Daoist Brush Master finally snapped and punched back.

"You drunk bastard!"

And so the two of them started brawling. Punch after punch. Soon, both had black eyes and bruised faces.

After a long while, they collapsed on the floor, lying there in silence.

Eventually, Boundless Master sat up and said, "Let's go get our feet washed."

The Great Daoist Brush Master grumbled, "I'm broke."

Boundless Master replied, "Put it on credit. You can pay me back... someday."

Someday...

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at Boundless Master and said nothing.

Boundless Master said, "Let's go."

The two left the hall, faces swollen, covered in blood.

On the way, the Great Daoist Brush Master asked, "You think that little bastard will come looking for me?"

Boundless Master said, "You afraid he'll kill you?"

Great Daoist Brush Master instantly retorted, "Afraid?! Me? Afraid of anyone? You kidding?!"

He paused, then muttered, "But that kid's young, hot-headed. Bad temper. You should talk some sense into him. Violence solves nothing... Tell him not to come find me."

Boundless Master said, "He said he will come find you."

"Shit!" Great Daoist Brush Master panicked, "Why?! I'm already like this! What more does he want from me?!"

Boundless Master said, "Don't worry. He's a scholar. He usually doesn't use violence."

Great Daoist Brush Master was speechless.

....

The next morning.

Ye Guan woke up and opened his eyes. Cizhen was no longer in bed.

He sat up and stretched. Honestly, it had been so long since he'd slept like that.

For a cultivator, sleep was unnecessary. But he suddenly found this feeling... rather nice.

"Awake?" Cizhen's voice drifted in.

Ye Guan looked up as she walked over holding a bowl of instant noodles. She wasn't wearing any clothes, just wrapped in a bath towel.

That early in the morning, seeing this... who could resist?

Ye Guan's blood vessels instantly surged.

Cizhen placed the noodles in front of him and smiled. "Eat up."

Ye Guan took the bowl and glanced outside. "I really slept in... The sun's already up."

Cizhen sat across from him. "Last night, I tried so hard to remember things about us. But... I still can't recall anything."

Ye Guan stayed silent.

She continued, "But I know... you must've been someone very close to me."

Ye Guan held her hand and said softly, "If you can't remember, then don't try."

Cizhen looked at him and said nothing.

Ye Guan started eating. Like yesterday, he finished it quickly.

Afterward, Cizhen suddenly asked, "When are you leaving?"

Ye Guan replied, "Tomorrow."

Cizhen nodded silently.

Ye Guan said, "Let's go somewhere today."

Cizhen didn't ask where and just nodded again.

Ye Guan opened his palm, and a book on the desk flew into his hand. He was about to open it when Cizhen stopped him. "No peeking."

Ye Guan looked at her. She smiled. "It is not suitable for children."

Ye Guan grinned. "Then I definitely want to see."

He opened it...and whoa! Not only was the content explosive, it even had illustrations. The drawings were so realistic it was practically photography.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Ye Guan looked at her. Cizhen smiled calmly, without a trace of shyness.

Ye Guan said earnestly, "The art is incredible."

Cizhen just smiled without replying.

Ye Guan closed the book and flipped to the final page. "It's not finished."

Cizhen nodded. "It is missing the ending."

Ye Guan nodded, looked outside, and smiled. "I can't lie in bed anymore."

He looked at her. "Sister Zhen, I need to get dressed. Do you want to give me some privacy?"

Cizhen picked up his clothes and said, "I'll help you get dressed."

Ye Guan looked at her but said nothing.

She helped him up and began dressing him carefully, naturally, just like a wife dressing her husband.

Soon, he was fully dressed. He had long hair and a dark robe, handsome beyond words.

Cizhen looked at him and smiled. "So handsome."

Ye Guan unwrapped her towel, and her stunning, perfect body appeared before him.

Cizhen merely looked at him.

Ye Guan smiled. "Now I'll help you get dressed. It is only fair."

He dressed her slowly and carefully. Soon, he helped her into a white dress that resembled snow. He leaned down, gently kissed her lips, and whispered, "You're so pretty."

Cizhen smiled brightly.

Four hours later, they arrived at Qianhu Miao Village near the West Lake, a place they once visited together.

It was afternoon, and rain had fallen earlier, so the weather was cool and pleasant. The village was lively, filled with tourists and girls in traditional dresses.

Suddenly, a fashionable young woman approached. "Sorry to bother you. I'm a professional magazine photographer, can I take a photo of you two?"

Ye Guan and Cizhen exchanged a glance. Ye Guan smiled. "Sure."

The woman was thrilled. She took out her camera, stepped back, and began snapping photos, taking several in a row. She wanted to ask them to pose, but didn't dare.

After a few shots, she said, "Thank you, all done."

Ye Guan and Cizhen nodded and walked away.

Watching them leave, the woman sighed. "They look like immortals..."

She looked down at her camera to check the photos, but she froze.

Every photo was blank.

***

They strolled through the village. The architecture was beautiful, stilted wooden houses built on the mountainside, tier upon tier, with a river running through the center.

Cizhen turned to Ye Guan. "Why'd you want to come here?"

Ye Guan smiled. "I wanted to see it again."

They wandered like a newly-in-love couple, chatting nonstop but never about cultivation.

Mostly, Ye Guan just listened as Cizhen talked about life in the Milky Way. He shared some stories, too, but only the good ones.

Time flew by, and soon, it was evening.

They found a restaurant and sat by the window.

Ye Guan said, "Wait here."

He walked into the kitchen. A chubby chef stormed up. "What are you doing?"

Ye Guan smiled. "I want to cook a few dishes myself."

The chef blinked. "You want to do it yourself?!"

Ye Guan nodded.

The chef glared. "You trying to start a fight?"

Ye Guan suddenly pulled out a huge stack of cash and laid it down on the counter. "Do me a favor."

The chef stared at the stack of cash and saw that it was five years' worth of his salary. His attitude flipped instantly. "Sir... the kitchen is yours."

"Thanks." Ye Guan smiled and got to work. He didn't use the kitchen ingredients, instead, he took everything from the little pagoda.

He cooked fast, just one dish in under half an hour.

A bowl of instant noodles with a fried egg on top.

He carried it to Cizhen.

Cizhen looked at the bowl. "Longevity noodles... How did you know that it's my birthday?"

Ye Guan smiled. "You told me once."

Cizhen looked at him. "Did I?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Of course."

She picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. After a moment, she gave a thumbs-up. "Delicious. Why don't you just stay and cook for me forever... Okay?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Maybe someday?"

Cizhen looked at him and didn't speak. She just kept eating.

Soon, she picked up another pair of chopsticks and handed them to him. "Longevity noodles... let's eat together, so we'll both live long."

Ye Guan nodded. "Okay."

They shared the noodles, splitting the egg, too.

Afterward, Ye Guan took her outside the restaurant. He snapped his fingers and suddenly, fireworks filled the night sky above the village, bursting into a brilliant display.

Then, among the dazzling lights, four words appeared. "Happy Birthday."

As those faded, a stunning portrait of Cizhen's face emerged from the fireworks.

Ye Guan held her hand, looking up. "Sister Zhen, you're really beautiful."

Cizhen stared, stunned. Then turned to him and smiled. "I love it."

Ye Guan smiled, too.

Late at night.

Ye Guan carried Cizhen to bed, tucked her in, and placed a mysterious energy over her. She immediately fell into a deep sleep. He leaned down and kissed her lips. "Sister Zhen... I'm leaving."

Then, he turned and walked away.

The moment he left the room, Cizhen's eyes opened.

***

Outside, Ye Guan went to a small street-side eatery. He ordered two dishes, a bottle of wine, and two cups. Then he placed the Little Pagoda on the table.

He poured the drinks, placing one cup before the pagoda.

Little Pagoda said, "I don't drink..."

Ye Guan smiled.

Little Pagoda said, "You can help her recover her memory..."

Ye Guan shook his head. "I already owe her too much."

Little Pagoda fell silent.

Ye Guan said, "Master Pagoda, this is my toast to you."

Little Pagoda was about to speak when Ye Guan added, "You've followed me all these years and helped me so much. I don't think I've ever thanked you properly. And saying thanks doesn't feel like enough... so let me kneel."

He really knelt, bowing to the tiny pagoda.

"The hell?!" Little Pagoda jumped up. "What are you doing?! S-stop that!"

Ye Guan stood up and opened his palm. The tiny pagoda flew into his hand.

Little Pagoda panicked. "Wait...you're sealing me?! What are you doing?! HEY—"

Ye Guan smiled. "Master Pagoda... you've served three generations of my family. It's time you enjoyed life a bit. Stay with Sister Zhen. If I end up surviving this, I'll come back for you both."

Then, he let go, and the tiny pagoda floated away.