ATAVID CH124

“A-Xun, you are only six years old. Isn’t going down the mountain for worldly experience this early a bit too hasty?”

Lin Qing knelt down, her fingers meticulously straightening Wei Xun’s slightly disheveled collar and sleeves.

Her brows and eyes were as soft and warm as spring water, her tone gentle, carrying an unhideable worry and reluctance to part. “How about I speak to your father and have you stay in the sect for a few more years? Once you’ve grown a bit older, wouldn’t it be better for our A-Xun to go down the mountain to train?”

Wei Xun pressed his lips together, his small face pulled tight. He reached out his arms to loop around Lin Qing’s neck, giving her a hug before refusing in all seriousness:

“That won’t do, A-Niang. Though I am only six years old, I am already at the Foundation Establishment realm. Wei Lan said that any sect disciple who steps into the Foundation Establishment realm must enter the mortal world for experience to temper their Dao heart. I do not wish to rely on my status for special privilege and break the sect’s rules.”

Listening to him finish in such a formal, proper manner, Lin Qing found it amusing. She rubbed his face: “But A-Niang will worry about you. Besides, why are you being disrespectful again? Wei Lan is your father; you should call him Daddy.”

Hearing this, Wei Xun curled his lip, not particularly willing.

Wei Lan was always competing with him for A-Niang’s attention; he certainly wasn’t going to speak to him pleasantly.

“A-Niang, I will protect myself well.” Wei Xun hugged Lin Qing again, even patting her back, before picking up his sword and turning toward the mountain’s teleportation array. His back was straight and stubborn.

Gazing at that fading, tender young silhouette, Lin Qing’s heart sank slightly, and she let out a quiet sigh.

In the next instant, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. Without needing to look back, she leaned back naturally and said softly: “A-Xun is still so small. Are we really going to let him go down the mountain alone?”

“A-Xun has always been of this temperament; even if we wanted to stop him, we couldn’t.” Wei Lan sighed, holding Lin Qing a bit tighter to comfort her: “I’ve placed a few strands of my divine sense on him. If anything truly happens, that divine sense can protect him for a while—long enough for me to rush over.”

Hearing this, Lin Qing’s high-hanging heart settled somewhat. Yet at a second thought, another worry surfaced between her brows.

She raised her eyes to look at the man beside her, speaking softly: “Husband, when you left the High Skies Sect back then to establish your own mountain gate, you already formed a rift with your former sect. The people of High Skies Sect have always been narrow-minded; there’s no guarantee they won’t harbor resentment and look for an opportunity to retaliate. Now that A-Xun is going down the mountain alone without a set path, if he were targeted by them…”

Before she could finish, Wei Lan lowered his head to kiss her eyes, saying warmly: “Don’t worry. Shortly, I will hand the remaining sect affairs over to the First Elder to handle, and I’ll go down the mountain myself to watch over A-Xun from afar. How does that sound?”

With the anxiety in her heart smoothed over, Lin Qing pursed her lips into a smile: “Alright.”

Wei Xun’s first trip down the mountain for training went rather smoothly.

He was the youngest in age, so the senior brothers and sisters traveling with him accommodated and took care of him everywhere.

Meanwhile, little Wei Xun had always been sensible and competitive, never willing to drag others down. He did everything within his power to perfection, and never pushed himself to brace through things beyond his ability, managing his boundaries exceptionally well.

Yet on their return journey, the group inadvertently wandered into a dark, dense forest protected by a concealment array.

The array confounded sight and hearing, and fog hung heavy. After a few turns and twists, Wei Xun became completely separated from the rest.

Fortunately, the magical beasts he encountered in the dense forest were all within his capability to handle. Wei Xun used his sword to dig out their mana crystals, intending to take them back to make jewelry for A-Niang.

Of course, if Wei Lan could be less clingy with A-Niang, he might give one to him as well.

Dusk deepened, and the sky darkened rapidly.

Knowing that high-stage magical beasts at or above the Nascent Soul realm lurked deep within the dense forest—carrying unpredictable dangers—Wei Xun did not dare to venture deeper recklessly and stopped in his tracks immediately.

He found an ancient tree and sprinkled a ring of pale yellow beast-repelling powder around its roots to isolate himself from surrounding demon beasts. Afterwards, he leaned against the thick trunk and closed his eyes to rest.

Before he could sink into sleep, a clump of something suddenly fell straight down from the crisscrossing branches above.

Splat— Right on target, landing square on Wei Xun’s face.

It didn’t hurt; in fact, it was squishy and soft.

Yet that did not stop this sudden disturbance from instantly darkening Wei Xun’s expression. He snapped his eyes open, reaching out to grab and hoist up the thing plastered over his face.

Opening his eyes to look, his gaze bumped into a pair of round, dark eyes.

What fell into his palm was a palm-sized, snow-white little clump—fluffy all over, looking obedient and cute.

In the next second, a soft, milky, tender voice rang out. The white mist clump seemed to have been startled, deliberately raising its voice to give itself courage. It sounded full of childishness, yet laced with a righteous sense of aggrievedness: “Who are you! You woke me up from my sleep!”

Wei Xun paused. Frowning, he asked strangely: “What kind of creature are you? Why are you here?”

The white mist clump suspended from his fingertips froze violently. Its round eyes dimmed, drooping listlessly: “I am Jiang Qunyu. I don’t know why I’m here either.”

Jiang Qunyu hadn’t spoken to anyone for too long. Speaking to Wei Xun now, a sense of grievance instantly swept over the entire clump.

He sobbed: “A fire broke out in the confinement room. I thought I was going to die, but I don’t seem to be dead, yet I ended up here. I don’t know where my body went either.”

Wei Xun didn’t quite understand, but before he had time to think carefully, he noticed an odd sensation on his fingertips.

The white mist clump that was round a moment ago was now melting like flowing clouds, trickling down through the gaps between his fingers strand by strand, trailing a long wispy tail of white mist—looking both pitiful and comical.

He subconsciously used his other hand to hold up the white mist clump, comforting it in a stiff, clumsy tone: “Don’t cry.”

“WAHH!”

The moment these words left his mouth, Jiang Qunyu’s crying suddenly surged higher, weeping with even greater grievance and loudness.

The entire clump of white mist could no longer hold its shape, collapsing and spreading out softly, flattening completely over Wei Xun’s palm into a thin, flat pancake of white mist, looking utterly withered.

Wei Xun: “…”

Pursing his lips, he ended up taking the mana crystals he originally planned to bring back to the sect for A-Niang and laid them out neatly on the clean ground. He carefully placed the limp clump of white mist on top of them: “Here, play with these. Don’t cry.”

Jiang Qunyu didn’t listen to him, crying for a good while longer before shifting his gaze back to the pile of glittering mana crystals beneath him.

Faint light reflected on his foggy soul body as he whispered: “Thank you.”

Seeing that he stopped crying, Wei Xun reached out to poke the white mist clump.

Jiang Qunyu lost his balance; with that single poke, he tumbled over onto the mana crystals again.

Looking at his disheveled state, the corners of Wei Xun’s lips curled into a smile.

Jiang Qunyu: “…”

He said angrily: “You’re so mean!”

Wei Xun asked him: “So you are actually a human?”

Hearing this, Jiang Qunyu gave him an angry glare before transforming into his original appearance.

Similar in age to Wei Xun, he possessed a pair of peach-blossom eyes that were clear and round, the outer corners slightly upturned. Right now, he was staring bright-eyed at Wei Xun, reiterating with full confidence: “I was human to begin with!”

Wei Xun blinked lightly and asked: “Then why did you turn into a round glutinous rice ball?”

Jiang Qunyu curled his lip aggrievedly: “Because the magical beasts in this forest are very fierce. When they see a soul body, they swoop over to swallow me up. When I turn into a white mist clump, they can’t distinguish my true body and don’t dare approach easily.”

Wei Xun understood, looking at him quietly: “Then do you want to find your body back?”

These words seemed to instantly ignite Jiang Qunyu’s lifeless heart.

He froze violently, stunned for a long while before suddenly leaning close. His face was almost pressed against Wei Xun’s cheek, his eyes glistening wetly: “Is that really possible?”

Wei Xun reached out with utter disdain to poke him away, his tone cool: “My trip down the mountain was meant for entering the mortal world to gain experience. If I can help you retrieve your body, it counts as tempering my Dao heart and fulfilling my training.”

“You are so good!” Jiang Qunyu was overjoyed, completely missing the detachment in his tone. He lunged into Wei Xun’s embrace, his little head constantly rubbing against the crook of his neck.

Wei Xun: “…”

He grabbed the back of Jiang Qunyu’s neck in annoyance, threatening wickedly: “I agreed to help you, but I didn’t agree to let you be so casually intimate with me!”

Jiang Qunyu’s mind was entirely set on finding his body. He was very obedient, immediately sitting up straight and nodding cooperately: “Okay, okay, no hugs then.”

He tilted his head and asked: “Then what is your name?”

“Wei Xun.”

“Oh, oh.”

“Then how old are you this year?”

“Six.”

“WAH! What a coincidence, I’m six too!”

“When is your birthday?”

“The third of the third lunar month.”

“Aww, mine is the fifth of the sixth lunar month. Can we exchange birthdays?”

“Why?”

“Because I want to be your older brother.”

“In your dreams.”

“Is it really a no?”

“No,” In the dark night, the forest evening breeze was slightly cool, and Wei Xun’s voice was icy. He reached out once more to poke away the face leaning close, “Shut up, you’re too noisy.”

Jiang Qunyu: “But it’s too quiet without talking.”

Wei Xun was too bothered to pay attention to him, letting him chatter away in his ear.

Having vented his complaints, Jiang Qunyu felt much better and fell asleep. On the contrary, Wei Xun stayed awake the whole time, moving away the leg that Jiang Qunyu subconsciously rested on him after falling asleep.

After moving it once, then twice, Jiang Qunyu still put his leg back on him. Having no other way, Wei Xun could only let him be.

In the days that followed, Jiang Qunyu would always transform into a white mist clump perched atop Wei Xun’s head, using pseudopods made of white mist to hug Wei Xun’s forehead while searching everywhere for his lost body.

Being similar in age, they occasionally bickered and argued. When tempers flared, they would even childishly scuffle with one another.

On this day, after another fruitless search, the two returned empty-handed once again.

Amidst their squabble, Jiang Qunyu got so angry that he opened his mouth and bit Wei Xun’s arm. Without waiting for Wei Xun to retaliate after the bite, he curled his lip and said with grievance:

“We’ve been searching for over a month and still haven’t found it. My body has probably been eaten by the ugly things in the forest. I’m already so sad, yet you still won’t let me sleep while holding you.”

Clearly a soul body without tears, Wei Xun somehow felt as though his tears were huge droplets about to smash onto his hand.

He pursed his lips, speaking only after a long pause: “But it’s weird for you to sleep holding me.”

Jiang Qunyu yelled: “What’s so weird about it! When I went to school, the other kids in kindergarten said they all slept with their older brothers. You refused to swap birthdays with me, so you are the older brother. Why can’t I hold you while sleeping?”

Wei Xun’s brows knitted, his small face serious as he reasoned with him earnestly: “Jiang Qunyu, it won’t do. After I turned three, I never slept with A-Niang again. In this world, sleeping in an embrace is something only Dao companions do.”

“But I don’t have an A-Niang,” Jiang Qunyu said. “And if you insist that only Dao companions can sleep holding each other, then I’ll just be your Dao companion.”

Wei Xun wanted to say that they were both male, but remembered that when he came down the mountain for training, there was a pair of senior and junior brothers who were also Dao companions.

Besides, seeing how pitiful Jiang Qunyu looked right now, he decided not to bring it up for now.

He comforted: “Let’s keep looking. If we can’t find it, there are ways in the cultivation world to forge a new body for you.”

Jiang Qunyu talked a lot, so Wei Xun already knew he wasn’t someone from the cultivation world.

He seemed to come from another world, which was why he was oblivious to this world—knowing neither how to cultivate nor where this place was.

So Wei Xun patiently taught him how to draw Qi into the body, how to ride a sword, and how to form arrays.

Jiang Qunyu was naturally intelligent and learned extremely fast. Within a short period, he could carry Wei Xun’s sword, wobbling as he flew through the mountain forests on the sword, having a blast.

“Jiang Qunyu,” Wei Xun asked, “if one day you find your body back, will you return to your original world?”

“Mm,” Jiang Qunyu thought for a bit, hesitating: “…P-probably.”

His world was cold and lonely, with no one ever missing or caring about him. And during these days since stumbling into this cultivation world, he remained all alone with no kin or friends.

To him, there wasn’t much difference between the two worlds. It was just that his original world was stable and ordinary without demon beasts slaughtering one another, making it a bit safer. If he could truly go back, he would likely leave.

He tilted his head, looking at Wei Xun’s suddenly unhappy face, reaching out to rub his brows: “But now that I’ve come to this world, can I still go back?”

Wei Xun couldn’t tell why he was unhappy either. Lowering his eyes, he said: “My Grand Martial Uncle resides in the Kunlun Immortal Mountain. His cultivation reaches the heavens with unpredictable divine abilities; perhaps he has a way to send you back to the other world.”

Jiang Qunyu became happy then. Wrapping his arms around Wei Xun’s neck, he nuzzled him, his hair becoming fluffy, his eyes curving as he spoke: “Wei Xun, you are so good.”

Wei Xun pushed him away slightly, turning his head away sullenly, thinking to himself that he wasn’t good at all.

He actually wanted Jiang Qunyu to stay so that they could grow up together in the future.

Although Jiang Qunyu was noisy, clingy, threw small tantrums, liked sparkling mana crystals, had terrible sleeping habits, and needed to cling to him every night for warmth, Wei Xun didn’t dislike it.

But Jiang Qunyu wanted to go back, and A-Niang said one shouldn’t force others to do things they don’t want to do.

Wei Xun could only suppress his selfish desire, helping Jiang Qunyu retrieve his body to send him back.

The two wandered and searched in the array forest for several more days.

Until this evening, when the forest night was gentle, with warm yellow fireflies floating around like stars, and dark blue spiritual butterflies flapped their wings, dancing gracefully.

It was precisely in this gentle night that they finally found what was lying quietly in the forest—the body belonging to Jiang Qunyu.

Jiang Qunyu was thrilled. He rushed forward, wanting to enter his body.

Yet no matter how many times he tried, his soul body couldn’t merge into the physical shell, as if separated by an invisible barrier.

After several futile attempts, his joy vanished completely. Drooping his brows and eyes, his mouth pouted aggrievedly, his eyes instantly brimming with tearful light as he turned his head to look at Wei Xun wetly, his voice carrying an uncontainable panic: “Wei Xun, I can’t get in.”

Wei Xun wasn’t as panicked as him. Pursing his lips, he walked forward, using spiritual energy to inspect Jiang Qunyu’s body before telling him: “It’s fine. Your body has merely fallen into a deep slumber. I don’t understand it well either, but we can wait here for Wei Lan to arrive; he will help us.”

Only after listening to him finish did Jiang Qunyu sigh in relief. He asked softly: “Who is Wei Lan?”

Wei Xun drooped his eyes, extinguishing the strand of divine sense Wei Lan had placed in his sea of consciousness as he said: “My father.”

Jiang Qunyu: “Oh, oh.”

The air fell quiet for a moment. Two small figures sat side by side cross-legged next to the body, quietly waiting for the visitor.

Jiang Qunyu felt it was too quiet again, tilting his head: “Will he come? How long will it take for him to come?”

Holding his sword, Wei Xun let Jiang Qunyu rest his shoulder against his own: “He will, very soon.”

“How fast is very soon? Will we really not be eaten by magical beasts here?” Whenever Jiang Qunyu felt scared, he would unconsciously talk more.

Wei Xun patted his head, pursing his lips: “Jiang Qunyu, don’t be scared. If you’re scared, just lean on me and sleep. Once you wake up, everything will be fine.”

Jiang Qunyu obediently leaned on his shoulder, closing his eyes to sleep.

The night was tranquil, the tree shadows swaying.

Wei Lan arrived far faster than imagined.

Before long, Jiang Qunyu heard Wei Lan’s voice.

His voice was colder and deeper, carrying surprise: “A-Xun, how did you pick up a child?”

Wei Xun said: “His body and soul are inexplicably separated and cannot return to their position. Can you help him?”

Wei Lan squatted down, gently pinching his son’s face with his fingertips, his eyes smiling as he teased him on purpose: “A-Xun, when begging someone for help, is this the attitude you use?”

“Oh,” Wei Xun called out ungracefully, “Father.”

Only then did Wei Lan smile, bending over to pick up Jiang Qunyu’s body into his arms.

Wei Xun gave Jiang Qunyu’s soul body a push: “Jiang Qunyu, wake up, we should leave.”

Jiang Qunyu opened his eyes drowsily, pleading: “Wei Xun, I’m so sleepy. Let me sleep a bit more.”

Wei Xun let him transform into the white mist clump shape, then carefully stuffed the white mist clump into his chest before standing up to follow closely behind Wei Lan step by step.

With Wei Lan around, there was no need to travel slowly on swords. In just two days, father and son smoothly arrived at the ethereal Kunlun Immortal Mountain carrying Jiang Qunyu’s body and soul.

After Taixu stabilized Jiang Qunyu’s soul, he said to Wei Lan: “This child’s soul is wandering; he is indeed not a person of this realm, having fallen here by accident from another world. Do you plan to send him back to his original world?”

Wei Lan asked: “Is there a feasible method?”

Taixu said: “Naturally there is, though it requires gathering the other elders to combine our strengths and open the Heavenly Stairway together to bridge the channel between the two realms.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Qunyu and Wei Xun listened silently from the side.

Only after Wei Lan and Immortal Taixu stepped outside to head to the discussion hall to confer over the details of opening the inter-realm array, temporarily vacating the room, did Jiang Qunyu start crying: “Wei Xun, I’m leaving. You must remember me; I’ll come back to play with you in the future.”

This time he had a physical body, so the tears gathered in his eyes actually fell—huge droplets smashing onto Wei Xun’s hand.

Wei Xun thought he was so foolish. Once he left, how could he possibly return?

Yet he really couldn’t stand seeing Jiang Qunyu cry; it was deeply annoying.

Raising his hand to wipe away Jiang Qunyu’s tears, the touch of his fingertips against Jiang Qunyu’s lower eyelid made Wei Xun’s movements freeze.

It turned out Jiang Qunyu’s face was even softer than the white mist clump.

“Don’t cry.” Wei Xun had already prepared his speech deep down in his heart. He wanted to tell Jiang Qunyu that he wouldn’t be sad—that after keeping each other company for mere months, when they grew up in the future, both would eventually go their separate ways and forget each other.

Yet meeting Jiang Qunyu’s eyes, he suddenly didn’t know what to say. In the end, he merely pursed his lips and said: “I will miss you, and I won’t forget you.”

Getting Wei Xun’s affirmative reply, Jiang Qunyu finally felt a bit happier.

Before long, Immortal Taixu pushed open the door and entered, reaching out to lead him toward the array.

He walked out a few steps, then turned his head back; walked a few more steps, and turned his head back again. His tiny shadow was stretched long by the setting sun, swaying on the green stone floor.

Behind him stood Wei Xun and Wei Lan.

The sun was about to set, and dusk was approaching.

At the very instant he was about to step out of the courtyard—

“Wei Xun! Wei Xun!”

Jiang Qunyu suddenly shouted aloud, breaking away from Taixu’s hand violently. Disregarding everything, he turned and sprinted back, slamming into Wei Xun’s embrace.

His face was filled with pride, only Wei Xun couldn’t see it.

Wei Xun held him tightly, his heart beating rapidly. In his ears was Jiang Qunyu’s voice, saying with a smile: “I originally wanted to leave,”

But looking back, I saw you standing in the twilight smoke; thus, from now on, I seek no road from whence I came, staying only in this world to spend the rest of my years.

They didn’t need to part, nor did they need to await a reunion.

In the years to come, morning and night, they would grow up together properly.

(End of Childhood Sweethearts Arc)