Chapter - 18
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Qiao Han truly gained a deeper understanding of the "kindness" described in the books about Xiao Jiuci.
When it came to rides, Xiao Jiuci would casually say:
“I go out every morning anyway. If you want to come along, you must get up early. I also return every evening to rest, though the timing isn’t fixed. If you don’t mind waiting, we can return together.”
When it came to food, Xiao Jiuci would smile and say:
“What’s the big deal? Honestly, I’ve been wanting to treat myself too. It’s just inconvenient to cook for one person. If you’re interested, you can help me prepare the ingredients.”
Qiao Han wasn’t foolish. Even if these gestures seemed coincidental, Xiao Jiuci’s kindness toward him was intentional. Unable to refuse politely, Qiao Han could only accept the male lead’s “love” with tears in his eyes.
Later, when Xiao Jiuci saw Qiao Han attempting to train in combat techniques and spells with the medical cultivators at Puxian Peak, he offered to train him personally. The exchange? Qiao Han would have to take care of the spiritual plants at Wuding Peak. But wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for Qiao Han to practice controlling his wood-element spiritual power?
Seeing Qiao Han’s hesitation, Xiao Jiuci casually added:
“Training takes much less time than caring for spiritual plants. Isn’t it me who’s getting the better deal?”
What else could Qiao Han say? Long live the male lead!
And so, Qiao Han embarked on a dual-wood-element path. During the day, he honed his spiritual power and studied healing techniques at Puxian Peak. In the evenings, he attended the male lead’s private lessons, learning how to use wood-element techniques in combat. Despite the daily exhaustion, Qiao Han felt tired and fulfilled as he prepared meticulously for the Qinglian Realm assessment.
The days of cultivation flew by, and the selection tournament was just around the corner.
Qiao Han remained focused, ignoring everything happening outside, and immersed himself in his practice, undistracted. One day, Jiang Yin came to find him, saying he was taking him to see something lively. Qiao Han didn't pay much attention and refused; he didn't want to waste time.
After a short while, having finished practicing his spells, Qiao Han saw a familiar figure leaning against a tree, standing in the wind with a posture that suggested "today's wind is particularly busy." If not for the bruise over his eye, he might have looked like a brooding, handsome guy.
The person was Lu Zhui. Seeing that Qiao Han was free, he came over to greet him, though his eyes twitched with pain as he spoke.
"Big Brother Lu, what brings you here? What happened to your eye?"
"I heard from Jiuci that you know healing techniques. Help me out a bit—I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of others."
Qiao Han stepped forward and said, "But I'm not very skilled yet. Are you sure you want to be my practice subject?"
Lu Zhui hesitated for a moment. "It’s just a small injury. It should be fine. Never mind, give it a try. I’ll take you somewhere else afterward."
Since the willing guinea pig had said it was fine, Qiao Han relaxed and confidently made his move. He raised his hand and formed a seal, and green light spilled from his fingertips, flying toward Lu Zhui’s cheek. The soft light settled over the bruise, and the dark purple marks slowly turned red, indicating that the injury was healing.
While doing this, Qiao Han casually asked, "Why did you come to find me alone? What does Big Brother Xiao think? Are you taking me somewhere?"
"Yes, Jiuci asked me to take you to see the excitement," Lu Zhui said with a smile.
Qiao Han asked curiously, "What excitement?"
Lu Zhui seemed surprised. "It seems you're really focused on your cultivation, huh? You don't even know, the Flying Boat from Lingbao Sect has arrived."
Qiao Han suddenly jolted in his mind. How could he have almost forgotten this little detail?
The Flying Boat from Lingbao Sect always came around for major events, flying nearby to set up stalls and sell magical tools made by their artifact makers. It was like a market fair, giving cultivators a chance to purchase useful items before the event began.
Naturally, Lingbao Sect had their sights set on the Qinglian Realm's assessment this time, and it was likely that the boat was bustling with activity.
According to the original story, the Lingbao Sect would face a demon tribe's ambush. A faction of the demons planned to raid their magical tools, but the male lead just so happened to be on board, helping to repel the enemies and even rescuing a woman, earning the gratitude of the Lingbao Sect.
But none of that was the focus. The key part was during the chaotic battle when Xiao Jiuci was fighting the enemy leader. He intended to drive him off or injure him, but the enemy leader was secretly attacked and died on the spot. The demons, unaware of the real cause, blamed Xiao Jiuci for the death. From that point, this faction of demons became bitter enemies with Xiao Jiuci.
After Xiao Jiuci fell into trouble, the demons relentlessly pursued him for vengeance.
In Qiao Han's eyes, the male lead was truly a victim of unfair misfortune!
It was all his fault for being so immersed in preparations for the competition that he nearly forgot this little detail.
Qiao Han suddenly felt something was wrong. "Why did you come to pick me up?", He immediately asked, "Did Jiuci ask you to bring me? Does that mean he isn’t coming himself?"
Lu Zhui immediately chuckled. "What, you want Jiuci to personally pick you up? When I was coming, I heard you two have been getting along well lately. Day and night, back and forth, husband and wife, as they say."
Lu Zhui's teasing words made Qiao Han shiver, causing him to lose his focus on the healing technique.
Looking at Lu Zhui's left eye, the bruise that had been fading now reappeared on his right eye.
Qiao Han: ...
"Why do I feel like the pain is moving?" Lu Zhui asked in confusion.
Qiao Han continued to channel his healing energy. "It’s not fully healed yet." It was true—he wasn’t very skilled at healing yet. Fortunately, when the male lead volunteered to be his test subject yesterday, Qiao Han refused.
Unaware of this, Lu Zhui continued explaining why he was the one to pick Qiao Han up.
Actually, Lu Zhui was supposed to appear at the selection competition, but the Flying Boat from Lingbao Sect had arrived. Both Qingyun Sect and Yuxu Sect planned to use this opportunity to discuss matters with Lingbao Sect regarding the customization of magic tools for their disciples, so someone needed to go formally to negotiate.
Lu Zhui wasn’t usually involved in such matters, but something had come up at home, and he was just trying to escape trouble. Qiao Han recalled that the original plot didn’t mention Lu Zhui here, so he wondered what had changed, but he didn’t want to pry into it, given their current relationship.
After Lu Zhui arrived and found Xiao Jiuci, they had planned to go to the Flying Boat together. Naturally, Xiao Jiuci thought of Qiao Han, who was preparing for the competition.
He was about to ask Qiao Han to join them when he was unexpectedly detained halfway. He had no choice but to ask Lu Zhui to bring Qiao Han.
"Jiuci said, if you want to go, I should bring you, but we probably won’t have time to accompany you. But don’t worry, there should be a lot of Qingyun Sect disciples there, so you’ll be fine. Do you want to go?" Lu Zhui asked.
Qiao Han immediately responded without hesitation, "Yes! Of course I want to go!"
He couldn’t let any malice from this world, big or small, go unchecked. At the very least, the death of the demon leader shouldn’t be pinned on the male lead.
"Alright, we’ll head out soon. Don’t worry, my sword control technique is just as good as Jiuci’s. I’ll make sure you don’t get sick."
Qiao Han was stunned. "Did Jiuci tell you that?"
"Of course, he specifically reminded me to watch out for you."
Qiao Han: *Sniffles* The male lead is so kind!
"Eh? It seems like the pain’s gone. Is it healed?" Lu Zhui asked.
Qiao Han glanced at his right eye, noticing that there was still a large red mark that hadn’t completely faded. Just as he was about to focus on healing it, Lu Zhui changed the subject, "By the way, do you know who detained Xiao Jiuci?"
"Who?" Qiao Han asked.
"His little junior brother, Jiang Qiluo," Lu Zhui replied.
Qiao Han’s eyes flickered. Jiang Qiluo and Jiang Suwei were the sect leader’s children, so to Xiao Jiuci, they were like his younger brothers. Their relationship was naturally very close. In the original plot, when Jiang Qiluo finds out that his senior brother's Dao companion has become someone like Qiao Han, they don’t get along well and frequently clash. However, the original Qiao Han was no pushover. Compared to Jiang Qiluo, the original Qiao Han was more of a villain. With Xiao Jiuci’s interference, Jiang Qiluo eventually stopped causing trouble for him.
"You probably haven’t met him yet, right? He just got back from a mission," Lu Zhui said, a smirk slowly forming on his face. "You’d better watch out."
Qiao Han pretended to be unconcerned. "What’s there to watch out for? He’s the sect leader’s son. I’d definitely never provoke him."
Lu Zhui chuckled. "Oh, you know, the relationship between a wife and a sister-in-law is always tricky."
Qiao Han froze, then looked at Lu Zhui with speechless eyes. "Lu Zhui, can you stop teasing me about me and Xiao Jiuci?"
Lu Zhui blinked. "Oh, did I say something wrong? Was it an uncle and niece relationship instead?"
Qiao Han’s hand twitched, watching as the last red mark on Lu Zhui’s face shifted to his nose, making him look like he had a tiny, comical clown nose.
Qiao Han’s eyes gleamed as he slowly stopped his healing technique. "Does it still hurt?"
Lu Zhui touched his left eye. "Not at all. Feels fine now."
Qiao Han grinned. "That’s great."
At that moment, three medical cultivators passed by and couldn’t help but glance at Lu Zhui.
Used to being the center of attention, Lu Zhui casually tousled his hair, maintaining his suave and handsome appearance. "Look at me today, still so radiant. Being a handsome guy is a curse. I’m sure more people will stare at me when we get to the Flying Boat. Let’s go."
"Right, right, right, you’re totally right," Qiao Han said, suppressing a laugh.
Lu Zhui’s sword control technique couldn’t be described as perfect, but it was fast. With his wind affinity, by the time Qiao Han’s body had even begun to react, the massive Flying Boat was already visible, floating in the sky.
That was a white flying boat, with giant flying magic arrays at both the front and back, spinning like propellers and shimmering with spiritual light. The bottom also glowed with a magic array, as if invisible forces were pulling the massive vessel along.
The flying boat of the Lingbao Sect was docked near the entrance to the Qinglian Realm, which was located roughly between the Qingyun Sect and the Yuxu Sect.
Because the assessment time was approaching, many cultivators had already set up camp nearby, making this the best spot for a stall. From a distance, one could see the spiritual light from various magical items on the deck, and the bustling atmosphere could be felt even without hearing the sounds.
There were entrances on both sides of the flying boat, with platforms extending out where cultivators could land and walk up to the deck.
Lu Zhui and Qiao Han landed, immediately drawing the attention of many nearby people.
In the past, it would have been due to Lu Zhui’s cultivation level, his attire, and his aura. But this time, it was hard to say for sure. Qiao Han seemed to notice some people secretly laughing.
However, the red marks would disappear soon, and it would only embarrass Lu Zhui for a brief moment. Later, Lu Zhui would meet up with the male lead, and Qiao Han didn’t want to cause trouble that would get noticed by Xiao Jiuci.
While he was thinking about this, he suddenly heard Lu Zhui shout, “Hey? Jiuci, what are you doing here!”
Qiao Han was startled and immediately looked up, only to see a tall, azure figure standing at the entrance, smiling brightly at them.
The gaze first swept over Qiao Han, confirming he wasn’t vomiting from the sword ride, then glanced at Lu Zhui.
Xiao Jiuci:?
Qiao Han:!!!
“I just arrived and saw you guys. I thought you’d be here first,” Xiao Jiuci said, maintaining his calm demeanor as he walked toward them. “Your face…”
Lu Zhui immediately laughed. “Your little wife is impressive. He just learned healing arts and healed my injury. How’s that? You can’t even tell, right? Otherwise, with my black eye, I wouldn’t dare show my face here.”
Xiao Jiuci’s gaze lingered on Lu Zhui’s red nose for a moment before turning to Qiao Han. Qiao Han quickly avoided his gaze, his ears turning pink. His amber eyes flickered nervously, and his face was full of the awkwardness of being caught in the act, unmistakably guilty.
Xiao Jiuci chuckled lightly. “Not bad.”
Qiao Han thought he must have misheard and turned to look at Xiao Jiuci in surprise, then glanced at the still-present red nose in disbelief.
Lu Zhui patted Xiao Jiuci’s shoulder. “You’re a lucky guy.”
Xiao Jiuci raised an eyebrow and looked at Qiao Han. “Yes...”
Qiao Han: …Feeling uneasy, anxious, and somewhat confused.
He couldn’t tell what the male lead was thinking.
Carefully, Qiao Han met Xiao Jiuci’s eyes, and saw him raise an eyebrow, seemingly about to feign a scolding expression. However, his eyes couldn’t conceal the amusement, and the corner of his mouth curled up in a subtle smile. His jade-like, gentle demeanor made Qiao Han feel an unexpected sense of indulgence.
This gave Qiao Han some confidence. It seemed the male lead had likely been annoyed by Lu Zhui’s teasing, so he had silently accepted the prank.
As they were talking, it seemed the people from the Lingbao Sect had noticed their arrival and sent someone to greet Xiao Jiuci and Lu Zhui. However, the person who approached lingered a few seconds longer than usual on Lu Zhui.
The expression on Xiao Jiuci’s face remained completely nonchalant, and the onlookers assumed this was just a new technique Lu Zhui had mastered.
Lu Zhui, completely unaware, had his reputation unknowingly tarnished under the assistance of his brother.
Soon after, Qiao Han was going to separate from them.
“I’ll catch up with you later, you go ahead and explore,” Xiao Jiuci instructed, and Lu Zhui pulled him along with an arm around his shoulder.
Their group naturally headed towards the highest tower of the flying boat.
As they were walking, Xiao Jiuci suddenly stopped, turned, and looked toward a walkway on the side of the deck.
Cultivators were passing by, but one person, cloaked in a gray robe, was slowly making his way through the crowd and quickly disappeared around the corner.
“What’s wrong?” Lu Zhui asked.
“Seems like... I saw someone I know,” Xiao Jiuci replied.
“Who?”
“Not sure.”
Meanwhile, Qiao Han, who was walking alone, started to make his own plans. He knew that the male lead would soon be meeting with one of the female supporting characters, the senior sister of the Lingbao Sect. Although he knew that no sparks would fly between the two, Qiao Han was still a little excited because he liked that character quite a bit.
With some time before the demon tribe's attack, Qiao Han decided to take a look around. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to warn about the upcoming crisis, but the system wouldn’t allow him to give spoilers.
As Qiao Han was thinking this through, he walked up to the deck.
The deck was crowded, and one could easily bump into others.
“Ah, sorry,” Qiao Han muttered after his shoulder brushed against someone. He didn’t think much of it and was about to keep moving forward.
The person he had bumped into was a man dressed in a gray cloak, his entire figure concealed by the thick garment.
The man, with his face covered by the cloak, had sharp hawk-like eyes that were now fixed on Qiao Han’s retreating back. His pupils contracted.
“Qiao Han?!”
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Omg whooooo whooo recognized Qiao Han
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