You’ve Learned to Be Naughty, Little Dragon
The remaining days passed with lessons continuing as usual.
Aside from Immortal Yaoguang refusing to give up and seeking Ji Chaoyun out several more times in hopes of persuading him to join the Inspection Hall, nothing unusual happened around Ji Chaoyun. It was almost as though life had returned to the peaceful days before the seasonal examination.
That afternoon, during lessons at the Sword Practice Grounds, Immortal Kaiyang took out a bronze mirror before the gathered disciples.
“This mirror is called the Illusory Clarity Mirror. Once it is activated, you will enter an illusion formed from spiritual power. Within that illusion, the weakness buried deepest within your heart will be reflected before you. Only by overcoming yourself can you break the illusion and emerge.”
Immortal Lord Kaiyang’s gaze swept slowly over the disciples, saying unhurriedly, “Yesterday, I discussed this with Immortal Tianshu. The Illusory Clarity Mirror will be part of your next examination.”
Aside from the secret-realm trial used for a disciple’s first seasonal examination after enrollment, the martial portion of later seasonal examinations was designed in rotation by the various Immortal Venerables.
This time, it seemed to be Immortal Kaiyang’s turn.
Immortal Kaiyang was the strictest of them all, and examinations devised by him were always the hardest to deal with. The disciples sat cross-legged on the grass, whispering among themselves and groaning miserably.
“I heard from the senior disciples that Immortal Venerable Kaiyang’s tests make people shed a layer of skin every time. Surely this time won’t be as simple as just an illusion, right?”
“Don’t worry, it definitely won’t be that simple. That’s Immortal Venerable Kaiyang we’re talking about.”
“Brothers, fellow disciples, please show mercy when the time comes. Just don’t let me place dead last. That would be too embarrassing.”
...
Ji Chaoyun quietly listened to the discussion behind him, his brows faintly drawn together as unease rose in his heart.
“What are you all making such a racket about?!” Kaiyang snapped. “I know that when you underwent your tribulations and ascended, you already broke through similar illusion realms. The Immortal Realm’s magical artifacts are every bit as formidable as those of the mortal realm, if not more so. All of you, take this seriously!”
The disciples immediately fell silent.
Kaiyang briefly went over a few key points for breaking through the illusion, then ordered Jiang Cheng, who was attending at his side, to cast a spell and activate the bronze mirror.
A beam of white light fell across the gathered disciples.
Everyone closed their eyes and allowed their consciousness to be swallowed by the light.
When Ji Chaoyun opened his eyes again, he found himself in a dense forest where no daylight could reach.
The surroundings were so dark that he could barely see anything. Suddenly, a faint rustling came from the bushes ahead.
Ji Chaoyun moved to give chase, only then realizing that his legs felt as though they had been filled with lead. All the strength had drained from his body, leaving him barely able to walk.
He looked exceptionally wretched. The coarse plain clothes on his body had been torn by branches, as though he had already been wandering through this forest for a very long time.
Ji Chaoyun leaned against a tree trunk. His pounding heartbeat echoed through his chest, and for a moment, the only sound in the silent forest was his hurried breathing.
He remembered this place.
In his previous life, the black-robed man and his subordinates had forced him into this forest.
He had fled and hidden for who knew how long, struggling desperately until the black-robed man finally killed him with a single thrust of his sword.
So it was here again.
Ji Chaoyun gave a bitter smile. His instincts had always been useless when it came to good things and terribly accurate when it came to bad ones.
If the examination’s illusion truly was this place, escaping it would be harder than ascending to the heavens.
Before he could think further, a burst of force suddenly swept toward him.
Ji Chaoyun instinctively dodged to the side, but his exhausted body reacted too slowly. The blast struck the tree behind him, and the resulting shockwave hurled him across the ground.
“Run! Why aren’t you running anymore?”
The eerie voice seemed to come from every direction within the forest. Several vague figures slowly approached through the darkness.
Ji Chaoyun gritted his teeth and forced himself upright, trying to summon his cultivation.
Nothing unfortunately happened.
The spiritual power within his body dispersed the instant he tried to gather it.
His eyes flickered.
Another blast exploded beside him.
“Ngh—”
Ji Chaoyun’s back slammed hard against the tree trunk, and he slid helplessly to the ground. A fine layer of cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead from the pain. He curled in on himself and struggled to raise his head.
In the depths of his trembling pupils, filled with fear, was reflected a sword blade flashing with cold light—.
☁
At the Sword Practice Grounds, one shichen time limit had expired.
Every disciple remained seated cross-legged on the grass with their eyes closed. Not a single person had successfully escaped the illusion.
Kaiyang turned to Jiang Cheng. “Let them out.”
“Yes.”
Jiang Cheng brushed a hand over the Illusory Clarity Mirror. Another flash of white light appeared, slowly withdrawing back into the bronze mirror.
Only then did the disciples sitting on the grass begin to wake one after another.
“I dreamed that more than ten half-human, half-yao spider creatures surrounded me and beat me up! I nearly died of fright!”
“I dreamed I kept falling through endless darkness. I couldn’t stand up, couldn’t fly, and spent an entire shichen falling. How am I supposed to escape something like that?!”
“I... I dreamed I entered the Ghost Realm. Those ghost cultivators chased me around trying to drain my blood essence. Thank goodness it wasn’t real.”
Everyone discussed what they had experienced as though no one else were around. Kaiyang’s expression darkened with displeasure, but he made no move to stop them.
He set his teacup back on the small table beside him and rose from his seat. Just as he turned his head, about to say something to Jiang Cheng beside him, another voice suddenly rang out.
“Chaoyun?! Wake up, Chaoyun!”
The two of them turned at once.
Ji Chaoyun was still sitting cross-legged in his original position, seemingly trapped within the illusion.
There was nothing unusual about Ji Chaoyun’s expression, yet a fine layer of sweat had already formed across his forehead, making his face appear even paler. Several disciples had gathered around him, but none dared touch him carelessly.
Kaiyang’s brows drew tightly together as he strode over. “What happened?”
“Reporting to the Immortal Venerable, Chaoyun seems to still be trapped in the illusion. No matter how we call to him, he doesn’t respond, and we can’t wake him.”
“Useless.”
Kaiyang coldly muttered the word, then turned to Jiang Cheng and said, “Give me the Illusory Clarity Mirror.”
Jiang Cheng hurried to present the bronze mirror, his gaze never once leaving Ji Chaoyun. Kaiyang glanced thoughtfully at him before looking away.
He tapped a finger lightly against the bronze mirror and murmured an incantation. White light immediately gathered around Ji Chaoyun.
Pain surfaced across Ji Chaoyun’s face.
Kaiyang’s expression changed slightly. Ji Chaoyun’s body gave a faint shudder, and to his surprise, a thin line of blood seeped from between his tightly clenched teeth.
“Immortal Venerable!”
Jiang Cheng cried out, but Kaiyang moved even faster. He touched two fingers to Ji Chaoyun’s forehead, forcibly drawing all the light back into the mirror.
Kaiyang drew in a breath and shouted, “Ji Chaoyun, come back!”
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes flew open. The world spun violently around him.
By the time his senses returned, he realized he was crouched over the grass, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
He lifted his head and met Kaiyang’s cold, grim gaze.
The pain and terror he had experienced within the illusion remained vivid in his mind. Ji Chaoyun wiped the blood from his lips, struggled to his feet, and bowed to Kaiyang..
“This disciple... thanks Immortal Venerable for saving my life.”
Under normal circumstances, causing such a commotion during a routine illusion exercise would have earned him a thorough scolding from Kaiyang. Yet Kaiyang miraculously said nothing. He merely gave a cold snort before turning and leaving.
The tension finally drained from Ji Chaoyun’s body. His legs nearly gave out beneath him, and he staggered half a step backward.
Someone caught him from behind.
However, Ji Chaoyun had already reached the limits of his strength.
He did not even have enough energy to turn around and see who it was before his consciousness quickly sank into darkness.
☁
By the time Feng Qi received the news and rushed to the Alchemy Hall, nearly the time it took to burn a stick of incense had passed.
The Alchemy Hall was where several of the academy’s medical immortals resided. It was also where disciples sought treatment, collected medicines, and refined immortal pills.
The entire hall was peaceful and quiet.
Feng Qi casually grabbed a disciple and asked for directions, then was led to a side room behind the main hall.
The moment he stepped through the door, he saw Jiang Cheng sitting beside the bed and Ji Chaoyun still lying unconscious upon it.
Feng Qi frowned and strode forward. “What happened to him?”
Jiang Cheng stood and lowered his voice.
“The immortal physician just left. He said Chaoyun suffered a shock that disrupted the circulation through his meridians. The immortal physician has already treated him with acupuncture. He should wake up soon.”
Feng Qi said in a displeased tone, “He was perfectly fine this morning. How did one afternoon lesson turn him into this? What did you do to him?”
“The Illusory Clarity Mirror,” Jiang Cheng replied irritably. “None of the other disciples had a problem. How was I supposed to know he would react so strongly?”
Jiang Cheng recounted what had happened at the Sword Practice Grounds, and Feng Qi fell silent.
Naturally, he knew what the Illusory Clarity Mirror was. The artifact could reflect what a person feared most deeply within their heart and was extremely difficult to contend with. However, as long as the spell upon the Illusory Clarity Mirror was undone, anyone trapped deep within the illusion could be called back.
So how could Ji Chaoyun...
Feng Qi lowered his gaze in thought for a moment, then nodded.
“I understand. You can leave now. I’ll stay with him.”
Jiang Cheng did not move.
“Why should I leave just because you’re here? I was the one who brought him over.”
“...”
Wonderful.
There was always someone eager to provoke Feng Qi when he was already in a bad mood.
Feng Qi broke into a grin and said slowly, “Young Island Master Jiang, has anyone ever told you not to casually set your sights on someone whose heart already belongs to another?”
Jiang Cheng froze, then awkwardly looked away.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, you don’t understand, do you?”
Feng Qi walked around Jiang Cheng to the bed.
He lifted Ji Chaoyun and let him rest against his chest, then looked up at Jiang Cheng with a deliberately provocative expression.
“Do you understand now?”
“You... you two...” Jiang Cheng said in astonishment. “You mean he... he likes you?”
Ji Chaoyun had yet to fully awaken. Sensing a familiar presence draw near, he leaned toward it without the slightest guard, his head nearly burying itself in Feng Qi’s chest.
Jiang Cheng looked as though he had been struck by lightning, his expression immediately became even more indescribable.
“To be precise, our feelings are mutual.”
Feng Qi’s eyes shone with the triumph of a victor as he smiled. “So, can you get lost now?”
Jiang Cheng stumbled out of the room in a daze. Only then did Feng Qi breathe a sigh of relief. He lightly pinched Ji Chaoyun’s cheek.
“You little charmer. Are you a dragon or a fox?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ji Chaoyun suddenly stirred and opened his eyes in confusion.
“...”
Ji Chaoyun was still half-asleep.
He rubbed his eyes and asked, “What did you just say to me?”
Feng Qi immediately denied everything without hesitation.
“Nothing. You heard wrong.”
As Ji Chaoyun gradually came to his senses, he finally noticed their current position.
“...Why are you holding me?”
Feng Qi rreaction could not have been quicker. With perfect righteousness, he declared, “The immortal physician said you’d wake up faster like this. See? Didn’t you wake up?”
“?”
Ji Chaoyun blinked in confusion, apparently trying to remember which medical text contained such an unconventional remedy.
Before Ji Chaoyun could think too carefully, Feng Qi took advantage of his lingering drowsiness and slipped away to find an immortal physician.
Most of the immortal physicians at the Alchemy Hall were women, and the majority had even cultivated at the academy in the past. By seniority, even Feng Qi had to address them as Senior Sister. Feng Qi found an immortal physician to examine Ji Chaoyun’s pulse.
After confirming that he was fine, she gave him a few instructions to get plenty of rest after returning and not overexert himself, then allowed him to leave.
The two returned to their disciple residence on Wenqu Peak.
The white fox was nowhere to be seen. Feng Qi escorted Ji Chaoyun to his door and, seeing that his lips were still pale, comforted him in a low voice. “The Illusory Clarity Mirror really isn’t easy to deal with. It was your first time entering it, so it’s perfectly normal that you didn’t know how to handle what happened.”
Ji Chaoyun did not answer.
Feng Qi continued, “It’s all right. The first time is unfamiliar; the second time is familiar. It won’t be like this next time.”
Ji Chaoyun’s eyes trembled slightly.
“Next time...”
“Mm. If you’re really worried, I’ll supervise tomorrow afternoon’s lesson—” As Feng Qi spoke, he was just about to place a hand on Ji Chaoyun’s shoulder when Ji Chaoyun suddenly hurried into the room. The door slammed shut in Feng Qi’s face.
“...”
Feng Qi’s hand froze in midair.
Before he could react, a sympathetic sigh came from above.
Bai Qiuyue was sprawled across the roof, shaking his head at him with pity.
“How pitiful...”
Before he could finish speaking, a sudden gust swept several parasol-tree leaves into the air.
They sharpened into blades and shot straight toward the fluffy white lump on the roof.
“Aowoo!”
Amid the white fox’s miserable howl, Feng Qi turned around expressionlessly and returned to his own room.
☁
The next day, Feng Qi really did arrive at the Sword Practice Grounds on time. Yet even as the afternoon lesson approached, Ji Chaoyun was nowhere to be seen.
After asking around, Feng Qi learned that Ji Chaoyun had requested sick leave early that morning and had not even attended morning reading or the early lesson.
Feng Qi tended to wake late, while the Yellow-rank disciples’ morning study began early. Every time he woke, Ji Chaoyun had already left Wenqu Peak. When Feng Qi left that morning, he truly had not noticed whether Ji Chaoyun was still in his room.
This time, Feng Qi no longer cared about supervising the afternoon lesson.
He hastily found someone else to watch over the class and hurried back to Wenqu Peak.
Bai Qiuyue’s cultivation had gradually recovered over the past few days, and he spent most of his time cultivating within the bamboo grove.
The courtyard was utterly silent.
Feng Qi lightened his footsteps and approached Ji Chaoyun’s room. Just as he raised a hand to knock, he heard faint rustling from inside.
Feng Qi’s brow creased faintly. “Chaoyun, are you in there?”
The room instantly fell silent and no one answered.
Feng Qi asked again and only then did Ji Chaoyun’s voice slowly come from inside.
“I... I’m fine. Don’t worry about me...”
His voice was lowered considerably, and he really did sound somewhat off.
A trace of suspicion passed through Feng Qi’s eyes as he pushed open the door and went inside.
In the inner room, Ji Chaoyun lay on the bed completely wrapped in blankets from head to toe. Only a few strands of hair were visible against the pillow.
Feng Qi said, “They told me you called in sick today. Where does it hurt? I’ll take you to the Alchemy Hall.”
Ji Chaoyun’s muffled voice came from under the blankets, sounding unnaturally hesitant.
“N-no need. I... I have a headache. I can’t get up. I’ll... I’ll be fine after sleeping a little longer.”
Feng Qi was about to say something more when his peripheral vision swept over the desk in the inner room, and he paused.
On the desk, the ink on an open scroll had yet to dry. The brush Ji Chaoyun usually used had rolled to the corner of the desk, as though he had been too flustered to put it away properly. Before the bed, a pair of snow-white brocade boots lay scattered across the floor. Where the edge of the bed met the quilt, a corner of his disciple robes remained visible, something he had failed to hide in time.
Before Feng Qi could get a proper look, the person on the bed gave a hard tug and, as swiftly as a thunderclap before one could cover one’s ears, yanked that corner of his robes beneath the quilt.
“...”
Feng Qi vaguely understood what was going on. He shook his head with an amused smile and looked down at the figure on the bed, bundled up like a caterpillar. “You really can’t get up?”
“...Mm.”
Feng Qi thought for a moment. “All right, then. Sleep a little longer. I’ll head back to the main peak first.”
Ji Chaoyun gave a muffled acknowledgment and curled beneath the blankets, not daring to move.
A moment later, he sensed the familiar presence receding. The sound of the door opening and closing followed, and then everything outside the room fell completely silent.
Ji Chaoyun cautiously pulled the quilt away from his head.
Sure enough, there was no one else in the room. Ji Chaoyun breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to throw back the quilt and get out of bed when his gaze suddenly landed on a figure.
Feng Qi was sitting behind the desk, idly playing with the shaft of the brush between his fingers as he gave Ji Chaoyun a teasing smile.
“You’ve learned to be naughty, little dragon.”
Feng Qi drawled leisurely, “You’re even pretending to be sick to skip class now, hm?”
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