Chapter 1

During the day, Chun Chou had just seen off his four younger siblings—each with unique spiritual roots or special constitutions—as they left to cultivate immortality. By nightfall, spring sorrow weighed on him, and sleep would not come easily.

Although he was a transmigrator, his arrival into this world had been anything but smooth. He had been kidnapped shortly after crossing over, and when he opened his eyes again, he had been taken in by foster parents. Later, those foster parents had their own children—siblings who shared no blood relation with him.

Yet his foster parents treated him exceptionally well, and his younger siblings regarded him as their true eldest brother, never once suspecting that he was adopted. Over time, Chun Chou—who had been an orphan in his previous life—grew deeply attached to this family.

This time, when cultivators from the immortal realm came to the mortal world to recruit disciples, Chun Chou had wanted to go as well. However, he possessed only the most ordinary mixed spiritual roots, while his four siblings all had supreme single roots or special physiques. In the cultivation world, they would surely be valued and nurtured, whereas he would likely remain mediocre at best—and worse, become a burden to them.

And yet—

In the cultivation world, mixed spiritual roots were nothing special, destined for a hard and unremarkable life. But in the mortal realm, such roots could still amount to something.

Having been reborn once already, he did not seek eternal life. Freedom and ease would be enough.

Once he had thought it through, Chun Chou admired the moon for a while before returning to bed and finally falling asleep.

Then he had a nightmare.

When he awoke, cold sweat drenched his body, and terror clutched his heart.

He sat blankly on the bed for a long while before finally getting up. Wearing only a white sleeping robe, hair loose, barefoot, he jumped out the window and ran into the courtyard.

After standing there dazed for a moment, the little donkey in the corner of the yard brayed loudly at him.

Chun Chou snapped back to his senses. After some thought, he ran over, scooped up the donkey, leapt onto the wall, and headed straight into the neighboring courtyard.

He didn’t stand on ceremony. After lingering briefly in the yard, he went straight to a tightly shut window. With a bit of force, he pushed it open, tossed the donkey inside first, and then jumped in himself.

The person inside had already awakened. He didn’t sit up immediately but first reached beneath his pillow and took out two luminous pearls. In an instant, the room was flooded with light—ensuring the “night intruder” wouldn’t misstep in the dark.

The intruder was clearly used to this. After jumping in, he even closed the window behind him—though it was already damaged and could no longer shut properly.

The boy on the bed put on his robe and sat up, looking helpless.

“No need to worry about it. Someone will fix it tomorrow. You…” He paused. “Why did you come again without shoes? And why did you bring a donkey? What are you doing with a donkey?”

Chun Chou had apparently been waiting for that “no need to worry.” He immediately stopped caring, cast a cleansing spell on himself, and without hesitation jumped onto the other side of the boy’s bed.

The bed was large—yet for some reason, the boy always slept on only one side. The other side was empty, unused, but still had a pillow laid there.

Chun Chou landed on the bed. The boy didn’t frown, but recalling how Chun Chou had been barefoot and drenched in sweat before casting the spell, he knit his brows slightly, about to speak—only to have Chun Chou tightly grab one of his hands.

“Ling Wújì, I just had a dream,” Chun Chou said.

“In the dream, we got married. But on our wedding day, a huge group of cultivators suddenly appeared and tried to kill me. They said Fusheng and Yao Yao had become great demons—a demon lord and demoness. The demon lord killed his master and wife, the demoness killed her master and crippled the spiritual roots of her master’s only daughter. They said they stole some righteous sect treasure and went into hiding, and the entire cultivation world was hunting them down.

“They also said the demon lord and demoness’s elder brother couldn’t be a good person either—and should be killed. They drained a lot of my blood. I was dizzy, barely conscious, and I think I saw you suddenly stand up and fight them, snatching me back… but by then, they had already dug out my heart. You—”

Before Chun Chou could finish, Ling Wújì pulled him into a tight embrace. Their bodies pressed close, each able to feel the other’s frantic heartbeat.

“It was just a dream,” Ling Wújì said, his voice trembling.

“Dreams are the opposite of reality. You’ll be fine.”

He only realized his voice was shaking after the words left his mouth.

Chun Chou noticed too and whispered, “Then… the wedding part should be real, right?”

Ling Wújì’s voice steadied. Still holding him tightly, refusing to let go, he asked softly, “What is a wedding?”

Chun Chou blinked his bright, deer-like eyes innocently.

“Uh… it means getting married. I think we’ll definitely get married someday.”

His voice grew softer, but his certainty only strengthened.

Ling Wújì’s heart pounded fiercely, his cheeks warming. He replied with equal certainty, “Of course. We grew up together—heaven-made for each other. Naturally, we’ll get married.”

They stayed like that for a long time until the little donkey brayed again, pulling them out of their emotional haze. They finally loosened their hold on one another.

Still, even knowing it was only a dream, Chun Chou frowned.

“It felt too real. I’m still worried.”

He then looked seriously at Ling Wújì, a trace of distress on his face.

“In the dream, it was good that you stood up, but… even though I was dizzy from blood loss, it didn’t look like you stood up using your legs. If not your legs, then what was it?”

Ling Wújì: “……”

This time, he remained silent for quite a while before asking Chun Chou to recall more details of the dream.

Chun Chou said, “I felt like I was half-conscious, like being bled dry. Everything was blurry. I only remember that just after we bowed in the wedding ceremony, a group of people rushed in. Some of them were wearing the same clothes as the ones who took Fusheng away today. Others wore different styles.

“I was thinking—we should go to the cultivation world. If we can find people wearing the same clothes as in my dream, then it might not just be a dream, but some kind of premonition. We should warn Fusheng and the others, and see how they’re doing.

“If we can’t find them, then we’ll treat it as just a dream and return to the mortal world… and then change the location of where we live.”

There were cultivators in the mortal realm as well, though the spiritual energy was thin. At best, one could reach Foundation Establishment before stagnating—there simply wasn’t enough energy to support Golden Core cultivation.

Still, because cultivators existed, there were cultivation manuals and travel records. These recorded that a cultivator’s blood was extremely important—especially to high-level cultivators. Through blood, one could track a person’s location or determine life and death; through a blood relative’s blood, one could track their kin.

Ordinarily, cultivators wouldn’t go so far as to chase enemies into the mortal realm. But if Fusheng and Yao Yao truly became demon lord and demoness as in the dream, then anything was possible.

Chun Chou was actually the adopted son of the Xie family and shared no blood relation with Xie Fusheng, Xie Yao Yao, Xie Changnian, or Xie Youyou. Very few people knew this—not even the four siblings themselves.

Thus, anyone trying to use Chun Chou’s blood to locate the demon lord and demoness wouldn’t know the truth and would naturally come for him.

Whether the dream was real or not, Chun Chou knew one thing for certain—he could not stay in Red Leaf Town any longer.

And not only did he plan to leave himself—he planned to take the little donkey and… Ling Wújì with him.

Under the glow of the luminous pearls, Ling Wújì looked at the boy before him, wide eyes moist and unblinking.

Every time Chun Chou looked at him like this, Ling Wújì found himself unable to refuse anything—spoken or unspoken.

This time was no exception.

A faint smile curved Ling Wújì’s lips as he said softly but solemnly, “Then we’ll do as you say. Wherever you go, I’ll go.”

Warmth filled Chun Chou’s heart.

The two boys whispered for a while longer. Eventually, sleepiness set in. Chun Chou finally remembered to toss the donkey back into Ling Wújì’s courtyard, then climbed back toward the window himself.

Ling Wújì, seated on the bed, coughed lightly.

“Now that Fusheng and the others have left, what’s the point of going back? Why not… stay?”

Chun Chou looked up at the moon outside the window, thought for a moment, then stammered, “Th-that wouldn’t be impossible.”

And so he lay down on the other side of the bed.

Both were still at the Qi Refining stage and unmarried, so they simply slept under the covers—purely sleeping. Before long, both drifted off.

Outside in the Ling family courtyard, two guards stood watch, staring blankly at each other.

They had guarded against everything… and still couldn’t stop it.

Mainly because even if they wanted to, their young master wouldn’t allow it—leaving them utterly helpless.

The little donkey in the courtyard knew nothing of any of this. It wandered about happily for quite a while before finally standing by the corner wall and falling asleep with soft snorts.

The next day, when the sun was already high in the sky, Chun Chou finally woke from his sleep.

By then, Ling Wuji was already up. He was sitting in his specially made wheelchair, reading a book.

Seeing Chun Chou awake, he seemed slightly uncomfortable and said, “You’re up? Would you like to bathe first, or eat? Someone has been knocking at your family’s gate. I had the steward tell them that you were heartbroken over your family’s departure last night and drank heavily with me, and that you stayed the night here. They left for now and said they would return at noon.”

Chun Chou didn’t feel anything improper about this and said, “Then I’ll go back and bathe first…”

Ling Wuji replied, “No need. The water is prepared here, and your clothes as well. You can bathe here.”

Chun Chou had originally needed to care for his four younger siblings, often dividing his attention, so the time he spent with Ling Wuji had not been particularly abundant. Now that those four had left, and after making a vow to grow old together the previous night, Ling Wuji was somewhat eager to claim more of Chun Chou’s time.

Having spoken, he felt he had been too forceful and pressed his lips together before adding, “Those clothes were chosen by me long ago. I always thought that if you ever stayed the night, you might use them. See if they fit. What do you think?”

Chun Chou hadn’t sensed anything odd in Ling Wuji’s tone. After thinking about it, he found it convenient. He was alone at home now anyway, and Ling Wuji certainly wouldn’t mind him bathing here, so he agreed.

Barefoot, he got out of bed and headed toward the window.

Ling Wuji: “…” He said helplessly, “Shoes have been prepared too. Put them on when you walk. Don’t go barefoot. And don’t climb out the window.”

Chun Chou rolled his eyes, put on the shoes—then still jumped out the window into the courtyard. With his hands behind his back, he swaggered toward the Ling family bathhouse, tossing back, “It’s fine, I’m used to it! Your servants are used to it too.”

The Ling household servants in the courtyard: “…” Well, that was true. They were indeed accustomed to this young master’s unique behavior.

Inside the room, Ling Wuji smiled faintly, then fell silent.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he clapped his hands, and the steward entered.

Ling Wuji turned his wheelchair and faced the steward who had long accompanied and cared for him. At last, he removed the jade pendant that had always hung around his neck and said, “Chun Chou and I have decided to go to the cultivation world. As for the position of family head—I did not want it before, and I will not want it in the future. Take this jade to her. She will understand what I intend.”

The steward, who appeared to be just over forty, looked at him with a complicated expression. “Young Master, have you truly thought this through? Before the Old Master passed away, he repeatedly instructed that you inherit the family. The Eldest Miss was only to act as temporary head until you came of age.

“Moreover, when you were young and weak and we were all suppressed, the Eldest Miss sent you to this spiritually barren mortal realm and placed you next door to that person. It was clearly done knowing that he might capture your heart. Such despicable scheming—and you do not even consider revenge?”

After a long while, Ling Wuji spoke calmly, “I said long ago I do not want that position. She has always been calculating against me—I know that well. You have also been calculating against me for your own ambitions—I know that too. Ten years ago, I told you all to leave. You refused. Today, my words remain the same as they were ten years ago. Whether or not I had met Chun Chou, I would never inherit the family. Take the jade and leave. If you remain by my side, how will your ambitions ever be realized?”

The final sentence carried unmistakable mockery.

Cold sweat broke out on the steward’s forehead. He dropped to one knee. “Young Master, we are not here for ambition, only because the Old Master once showed us great kindness—”

Ling Wuji’s ear twitched, as if he had heard Chun Chou’s light footsteps in the courtyard. His patience vanished. “If that is so, then should you not obey me? I tell you to leave. Why do you stay?”

The steward raised his head in alarm, looking at the master he had devoted himself to.

Ling Wuji only gazed back coldly, as if seeing through all his thoughts and calculations.

At last, the steward lowered his head.

Such was always the fate of the main bloodline—loving beauty over power.

He could only accept it.

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