Ch148 - Wendao Festival Competition 6. Fighting Fiercely

Su Hansheng missed the championship but barely made the top five. If he couldn’t get points, at least he’d have a small sword tassel.

There was still the championship match that afternoon. Su Hansheng sat with Yuan Qian and Wu Baili, cracking melon seeds while watching.

“Who do you think will win the championship?” Yuan Qian asked.

Su Hansheng crunched away. “Xu Cezhi. Anyone who can defeat this young lord surely has championship ability.”

Wu Baili said, “His opponent is from our Wendao Academy.”

Su Hansheng instantly switched sides. “Then clearly a student from our top academy will take the championship.”

As they spoke, Xu Cezhi sauntered onto the stage.

His eyes swept the crowd, landing squarely on Su Hansheng, and he broke into a radiant smile, waving enthusiastically.

Su Hansheng looked left and right, confirming Xu Cezhi really was greeting him, and hesitantly gave a little wave back.

Xu Cezhi’s eyes shone with excitement and determination as he gripped his sword, brimming with winning spirit as he stepped forward.

Su Hansheng was baffled.

Yuan Qian, snakelike as ever, slid over to sit to Su Hansheng’s left, with Wu Baili on the right, sandwiching Su Hansheng between them. Yuan Qian murmured, “Young Lord, what are you doing?”

Su Hansheng replied blankly, “Nothing.”

Yuan Qian, exasperated: “Xu Cezhi is publicly flirting with you, and you’re responding to him?!”

Su Hansheng was even more confused: “But I already told him I have a Dao Companion—any normal person would give up after that, right?”

Yuan Qian: “Does he look like he’s giving up?”

Wu Baili: “Does he look normal to you?”

Su Hansheng hesitated for a bit, then suddenly gasped. “Could it be…”

Yuan Qian nodded.

Finally, he’d gotten through.

Su Hansheng came to a realization: “…He wants to be my lover on the side?”

Yuan Qian: “…”

Wu Baili: “…”

Just then, a cool aura swept in from the side. Yuan Qian, about to speak, glanced over and noticed a man in white sitting next to him, gaze passing him to quietly fix on a confused Su Hansheng.

Yuan Qian blinked, taking a while to remember: “Senior Brother Wen?”

Su Hansheng was still distracted by peacock-like Xu Cezhi, but glancing over, caught sight of Chongjue’s half-amused face—and immediately shivered.

Wearing Wen Jingyu’s skin, Chongjue politely said to Yuan Qian, “Would you kindly shift over?”

Yuan Qian obediently slithered back between Su Hansheng and Wu Baili.

Chongjue asked blandly, “What are you discussing?”

Su Hansheng hurriedly scooted closer, snuggling up and smiling brightly. “Nothing—look, isn’t this little sword tassel I won nice? I’ll give it to you.”

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But Yuan Qian, across from him, drew a cold breath, exchanging a thunderstruck look with Wu Baili.

Heavens have no eyes.

Su Xiaoxiao had gone three years at the academy with no romance, and right before graduation, two admirers show up—while already having a Dao Companion.

Yuan Qian, summoning courage, coughed. He shot Su Hansheng a look: act like someone taken!

But Su Hansheng, snuggled with Chongjue, didn’t notice.

Yuan Qian grew anxious, stomping his foot; after a moment’s hesitation, he “accidentally” spilled half a cup of water on Su Hansheng’s sleeve. “Oops! Young Lord, did you get burned?”

Su Hansheng took it in stride, just confused.

It’s cold water—how would it burn?

Yuan Qian: “Oh my, your clothes are soaked. Young Lord, you’d better go to the World—Honored—One’s retreat to change. I’ll let you know who wins the championship.”

He emphasized “World-Honored One” as a heavy hint.

Su Hansheng, clueless, let himself be whisked away, Yuan Qian’s tail curling around his waist as he was swept off the viewing platform.

Su Hansheng: “?”

Chongjue watched Yuan Qian with a faint smile.

Yuan Qian glared back, trying to pressure him into backing off.

Chongjue’s eyes only crinkled in amusement. Glancing once at Xu Cezhi’s duel, he stood and strolled after Su Hansheng.

Yuan Qian, seeing this persistent “peach blossom” was still undeterred, bared his teeth and made to block him, but Wu Baili placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Leave it.”

“What?!” Yuan Qian grumbled. “Xiaoxiao is clueless—Xu Cezhi’s openly hitting on him, and this Wen Jingyu is even more dangerous with the way he’s been trying to seduce Xiaoxiao with his eyes. Total fox-spirit! If the World-Honored One realized…”

Wu Baili said calmly, “Remember earlier how you noticed the string of warm jade prayer beads on the World-Honored One’s wrist?”

Yuan Qian: “What? Did he?”

“Yes,” Wu Baili answered. “And did you notice Senior Brother Wen had the exact same beads?”

Yuan Qian froze, then suddenly gasped.

Wu Baili nodded.

Finally, he’d gotten through.

Yuan Qian came to a realization: “So Xiaoxiao’s been flirting with two guys at once and gave them the same gift?”

Wu Baili: “…”

Helpless. Nothing can save them.

Having “flirted” with two people at once, Su Hansheng went into Chongjue’s retreat, quickly stripping off his wet robe. When Chongjue, now back to his usual self, entered, Su Hansheng said, “I left my belt pouch in Yuan Qian’s retreat, don’t have a change of clothes.” Tossing his robe aside, he started rummaging through Chongjue’s closet. “Let me borrow a robe—has the match started yet outside? Xu Cezhi’s sword is so fast, it’ll probably be over quickly.”

If he was late, he’d probably miss all the excitement.

Su Hansheng didn’t understand Yuan Qian’s “good intentions.” He’d just thrown the oversized robe over his shoulders and was about to rush out.

But after only a few steps, Chongjue, who’d been silent, suddenly wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back.

Su Hansheng’s feet left the ground, his robe hem fluttering like flower petals. He looked back in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing worth watching,” Chongjue said calmly. “Though Xu from Jianliang Academy has decent swordsmanship, the Wendao student is superior.”

He didn’t even bother using the name.

Su Hansheng said helplessly, “If you tell me the result, what’s the point of watching?”

The thrill of these matches was the back-and-forth, not knowing who’d win—that suspense!

Chongjue sat on the daybed holding Su Hansheng, using one hand to grip his chin and force his head to turn awkwardly, gently kissing the corner of his eye.

Su Hansheng’s back pressed against Chongjue’s chest, sitting unsteadily on his lap. The position wasn’t comfortable, so he squirmed to adjust.

With that movement, the hand that had been on his cheek suddenly moved up, large palm covering Su Hansheng’s eyes and pressing him backward, forcing him to arch his neck.

“Mm… what… what are you doing?”

Chongjue pressed a kiss to his neck.

Su Hansheng’s vision plunged into darkness, unable to see Chongjue’s expression, only hearing his oddly-toned voice.

“Was it good to look at?”

Su Hansheng kicked his legs, muttering, “Good to look at? You’re covering my eyes—what am I supposed to see?”

Chongjue rarely showed this forceful side. After Su Hansheng kicked for a while, he belatedly realized…

This person—was he jealous?

Earlier, he’d only mentioned Xu Cezhi to tease Chongjue. At the time, Chongjue’s expression had been a bit strange, but he’d maintained his untouchable, aloof World-Honored One demeanor without saying much.

Who knew that after just glancing at Xu Cezhi a few times this afternoon, Chongjue would not only come disguised as Wen Jingyu to catch him, but now even question him?

Su Hansheng stopped struggling, smiling with narrowed eyes. “You’re really jealous? I thought the World-Honored One’s heart encompassed all under heaven with such compassion that you wouldn’t even know what jealousy tastes like.”

Chongjue’s hand moved from his eyes down to cover that chattering mouth.

Su Hansheng laughed so hard his body shook, muffled laughter escaping from Chongjue’s palm, hot breath spraying between his fingers. That slight warmth had earth-shattering power, seeming to dispel the coolness surrounding Chongjue.

Chongjue didn’t refute, only tightening the arm holding Su Hansheng.

Soon, Su Hansheng couldn’t laugh anymore.

The championship battle raged fiercely.

Over an hour later, the Wendao Academy student finally struck Xu Cezhi’s sword from his hand with a clang, securing the championship for the academy amid cheers.

Yuan Qian cheered and leapt up, scattering melon seeds like flower petals.

Seeing Wendao Academy’s banner on the competition stage, even Wu Baili showed a rare smile. Just then, Su Hansheng drifted over, taking a handful of shelled melon seeds from Yuan Qian and pouring them into his mouth.

“What did I miss?”

Wu Baili studied him.

Su Hansheng had changed—whether his robe got wet or stained by something else—into white robes embroidered with subtle phoenix patterns, faintly revealing dense Sanskrit characters. Clearly the World-Honored One’s robes.

His lips were crimson, amber eyes hazy as if veiled in mist, thick lashes dampened. His usually tightly-fastened waist tie was uncharacteristically loose, carelessly knotted and hanging down.

The white robes hung loose and empty, making him look thoroughly languid.

“You missed everything worth missing and not,” Wu Baili said, looking away casually. “Our academy’s student won the championship.”

Su Hansheng immediately cheered along with Yuan Qian.

But after one shout, he couldn’t help coughing, his voice even more hoarse than Yuan Qian’s enthusiastic yelling.

Xu Cezhi only took second place but was still overjoyed. As soon as he left the stage, he came looking for Su Hansheng with his sword.

Seeing this, Yuan Qian and Wu Baili—one blocking Su Hansheng, one covering that mouth that said anything—worked in perfect coordination.

“What do you want?” Wu Baili said coldly.

Xu Cezhi craned his neck trying to see Su Hansheng, but Wu Baili’s tall frame blocked him completely. He could only say, “I wanted to speak with the Young Lord briefly.”

Su Hansheng: “Mmph?”

“Whatever you need to say, tell me. I’ll pass it along,” Wu Baili said.

Xu Cezhi: “?”

Xu Cezhi sensed their wariness and hesitated. “When we graduate and train next year, I’d like to invite the Young Lord to travel together. Would that be acceptable?”

Wu Baili was succinct: “No.”

Xu Cezhi: “…”

Wu Baili: “Anything else?”

Xu Cezhi, stunned into silence, clutched his sword tightly and said quietly, “No… nothing else.”

Wu Baili and Yuan Qian quickly grabbed Su Hansheng by the arms and whisked him away.

Xu Cezhi: “?”

Wendao Academy people… their brains really are as problematic as rumored!

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