Chapter 3: The Eldest Senior Brother Catches a Child with Bare Hands: Is He the Sect Leader’s Illegitimate Son?

Pei Chengyin’s piercing scream instantly brought the previously silent Lingxu Immortal Sect to life. Chaos erupted everywhere as lanterns rapidly lit up one after another, and footsteps rushed toward the kitchen in the side courtyard.

Among them, the fastest runner was the Sect Leader of Lingxu Immortal Sect, Yu Xuhuai.

His steps were unsteady, his clothes disheveled, yet he still strained to stay at the front.

Xu Zhian, running behind, saw his often troublesome master’s comical movements and immediately guessed that the nighttime commotion was undoubtedly related to him.

Yu Xuhuai! Xu Zhian directly shouted his master’s name in an angry tone.

Yu Xuhuai was so startled he nearly fell flat on the floor. After recovering, he ran even faster, attempting to escape Xu Zhian’s line of sight. Xu Zhian had initially been only seventy percent suspicious of Yu Xuhuai, but upon seeing his reaction, he was now certain it was his doing. He immediately used a spell, nimbly stepping through gaps in the crowd to rush behind Yu Xuhuai.

Catching sight of his movement from the corner of his eye, Yu Xuhuai ran as if his life depended on it. Despite the cold winter, he was drenched in sweat—all from fear.

The crowd arrived at the courtyard where the sound had originated. Before they could figure out what was happening, they saw a dark figure dart out from the kitchen. The small child, upon seeing the dense crowd of cultivators, became flustered but then resolved to desperately charge toward the main gate.

Pei Chengyin happened to walk out at that moment, supporting his left hand with his right, gazing at the teeth marks left on his palm with tearful eyes and a vulnerable expression.

Capture him! Upon seeing the stranger, the disciples of Lingxu Immortal Sect instinctively moved to apprehend him.

With someone giving orders, the disciples at the front immediately lunged at the youth together.

Logically, they were all taller than this child, so capturing him should have been effortless. However, the youth’s movements were ghost-like, actually slipping through their pincer attack and continuing to run forward, nearly breaking through the crowd’s encirclement.

You’re cultivators! Use spells! Jiang Yining, watching from behind, was both exasperated and amused by these foolish disciples.

Oh, oh, right! The group finally remembered.

Jiang Yining couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

Instantly, various spells surged toward the intruder. Wind Binding Spell, Fire Starting Spell, and Lightning Strike intertwined, filling the originally dark corridor with the glow of numerous spells. A sudden gale swept across the ground, tiles rolled about, tree trunks snapped, and all the chaos converged into a mass enveloping that small, frail figure.

Do you… want him dead? Changsun Zexi frowned helplessly. Though he said this, he had no intention of intervening. Although Lingxu Immortal Sect was a declining sect, it would not tolerate external provocation.

Various attacks swept toward the fleeing youth like a storm.

Just as others thought this unidentified person would become a corpse with unrecognizable features, all the spells approaching him were instantly swallowed, disappearing without a trace like drops in the ocean, leaving only the still pale bricks.

This was no ordinary person—he was also a cultivator.

Realizing this fact, everyone stood ready for battle.

After being exposed, he no longer held back his abilities. Activating the Flight Spell, he soared into the air, preparing to swiftly escape the area.

Yu Xuhuai, seeing the young man about to flee with no one able to stop him, immediately shouted the name of the person he trusted most: Xiao Yin! Stop him!

He Xiu scratched his head, baffled by his master’s sudden madness. At this critical moment, he was actually seeking help from the senior brother whose absurdity matched his own.

Upon hearing Yu Xuhuai’s voice, Pei Chengyin sprang into action.

He pulled several black spell papers from his sleeve, aimed them in the direction of the flying youth, pinched them between his fingers, and threw them out.

The black spell papers shimmered with golden incantations. As Pei Chengyin moved, the papers scattered in the air, then one pushed another as they chased after the boy. Their speed surpassed the wind—the moment Pei Chengyin acted, the last paper had already flown right before the young man’s eyes.

From Pei Chengyin’s position, the black papers formed a clear, connected line, encircling their target.

Sensing the threat of this power, the young man abruptly halted, hovering mid-air.

Pei Chengyin, standing on the ground, smiled faintly. Without giving him a chance to react, he flicked his index finger and commanded, Capture.

Ropes emerged from the surface of each spell paper, then disconnected and joined together at an imperceptible speed, forming one continuous long rope.

Realizing the imminent danger, the youth swiftly ascended higher.

Unfortunately, the rope was faster. Its end hooked in front of him, easily catching his foot. The rope then automatically extended, winding tightly around the boy’s body until he was thoroughly bound. The more he struggled, the tighter the restraints became. Once he was completely immobilized, an irresistible force from the other end of the rope yanked him harshly downward.

Ah! The young man had no chance to resist. Panic-stricken, he plummeted, letting out a hoarse cry—the first sound he had made since appearing.

Just as he thought he would crash onto the floor, head bloodied, Pei Chengyin, holding the other end of the rope, reached out. One hand caught his back, the other supported his thighs, lifting him into an embrace against his chest.

In his arms, the youth looked up in shock, his first sight being the harmless smile on the man’s face as he gently remarked, How dangerous.

After speaking, Pei Chengyin didn’t dare say another word, for the boy was staring at him with a dark, unblinking gaze. Guiltily, Pei Chengyin turned his head slightly. Well, if he hadn’t intervened, the boy might not have been in such a life-threatening situation.

Xiao Yin, you truly are the most reliable! Yu Xuhuai had already rushed to their side, exuberantly praising his senior disciple.

Hearing his master, Pei Chengyin elegantly turned while holding the boy and modestly replied, Master, you flatter me.

He Xiu stood amidst the crowd, dumbfounded.

What? Is this your first time seeing the senior brother in action? Xu Zhian passed by He Xiu on his way to question Yu Xuhuai.

Xiu Xiu hasn’t been here long; all he’s seen is the senior brother lazing around, Jiang Yining understood He Xiu’s inner thoughts perfectly. Just like when she first met Pei Chengyin, she too had assumed the senior brother of their sect was merely for display.

Changsun Zexi followed behind them, casually pulling He Xiu along.

It’s fine, it’s fine. Everyone go back to sleep. I’ll handle this matter, Yu Xuhuai was dispersing the crowd.

Seeing the Sect Leader’s behavior, the others guessed that the young man must have been brought back by him.

Is he an illegitimate child?

A child from a former lover?

Did you kidnap him to sell him off for money?

Sect Leader, a gentleman loves wealth but acquires it through proper means. Refrain from unrighteous deeds!

No matter how poor we are, we can’t resort to child trafficking!

How can a reputable orthodox sect engage in criminal acts?

The crowd buzzed with noise. Once someone took the lead, others quickly followed, condemning Yu Xuhuai. He tried several times to explain, but as soon as he made a sound, he was drowned out by even louder rebuttals. For a moment, waves of accusations surged one after another. Yu Xuhuai clutched his head, helplessly crouching on the floor, unable to get a word in.

Amid the chaos, Pei Chengyin lowered his head and looked at the person in his arms. He noticed that the young man’s hair mostly covered his face, making it hard to see his features clearly. Only his deep, dark eyes were visible.

Are you Master’s child? Pei Chengyin tentatively asked.

Impossible, the young man gritted his teeth and replied.

With just those four words, Pei Chengyin sensed the unruly and untamable nature of the person in his arms. His Master probably couldn’t have produced such a child.

Pei Chengyin understood and relayed to the others, He’s not Master’s child.

Upon hearing this, the others concluded, It’s trafficking, plain and simple. Many people were brought back by the Sect Leader this way.

Yu Xuhuai was nearly wronged to death. Clutching his head, he crouched even lower on the floor.

Were you forced to come back by Master? Pei Chengyin continued questioning him. The answer to this would determine how the others viewed Yu Xuhuai.

The young man pondered the question briefly before finally nodding.

Beast!

Human trafficker!

We expel you from the sect!

The disciples of the Lingxu Immortal Sect rushed forward, kicking and punching their own Sect Leader.

Stop! Stop! I can explain! I’ll handle this! Yu Xuhuai raised his hands to shield his head, crying out in agony, You have to believe me!

How can we believe you? Look at your disciples—which one of us wasn’t tricked into coming here? Even we were deceived by you! the crowd scornfully retorted.

Perhaps because everyone finally realized that Yu Xuhuai bringing back children from outside was nothing unusual and not worth making a fuss about, they gradually dispersed.

In the end, only the Sect Leader—beaten and lying on the floor—and his direct disciples remained.

As the crowd scattered and silence returned, Pei Chengyin and the young man in his arms continued to stare at each other.

Truth be told, Pei Chengyin wanted to look away several times, but the person in his arms kept staring intently at him, leaving him no opportunity to avert his gaze. Thus, he had no choice but to stare back. One of them had sharp, piercing eyes, while the other’s gaze was dull. The young man found it amusing and let out a genuine laugh before turning his head away.

Pei Chengyin felt tears welling up in his heart, thinking he had been looked down upon by a child.

Brat! Seeing that everyone had dispersed, Yu Xuhuai immediately regained his vigor. He stood up and ran to Pei Chengyin’s side, wanting to give the person in his arms a punch. It’s all because you ran off randomly that I got scolded so badly.

Seeing his movement, Pei Chengyin instinctively took a step back, avoiding Yu Xuhuai’s hand.

Hand that brat over to me! Yu Xuhuai was rolling up his sleeves, looking fierce and determined to teach the troublesome child a lesson.

Pei Chengyin watched the furious Yu Xuhuai, holding the person in his arms even tighter. He took two more steps back and weakly objected, Hitting a child… doesn’t seem very appropriate.

Yu Xuhuai gritted his teeth fiercely. If he didn’t beat that damn brat black and blue today, he wouldn’t be called Yu Xuhuai!

Just as he decided to snatch the child by force, a cold hand pressed down on his shoulder. A sinister aura emanated from behind him, causing the winter night’s temperature to drop several degrees further, making Yu Xuhuai shiver in the cold wind.

Master, what exactly is going on here? Xu Zhian stood behind Yu Xuhuai with a fake smile.

Yu Xuhuai scratched his head, then his nose—when people feel awkward, their movements tend to multiply.

Speak! Xu Zhian and Jiang Yining spoke in unison, using their diaphragms to project their voices with full force.

I’ll talk, I’ll talk. Yu Xuhuai trembled with fear and had no choice but to confess the origin of this youth. Didn’t I tell you before? I discovered a place filled with soaring demonic energy and a village that had been slaughtered. This brat was the only survivor, so I picked him up!

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze focused on the youth.

Pei Chengyin could feel his body noticeably stiffen. Then, the youth tilted his head and completely buried his face in Pei Chengyin’s embrace, hiding his face as his body trembled slightly.

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Mini Theater

Pei Chengyin: Are you the Sect Leader’s illegitimate child?

Shi Baoyue: How could that be possible?

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