Chapter 18: A Troublesome Fellow

"Eh!"
The blinding white lightning blanketed the earth, and Ye Yan's gaze flickered with a complex emotion. Though most of the plot had faded from memory, he still recalled a few fragments.
For instance, those moments of fate that turned on a single thought.
Hmm...
Yet, in this world, with Ye Yan's presence, Xia He had never met Zhang Lingyu. Not only was there no past between them, they didn't even know each other.
The course of events had been altered completely.
Interesting, so very interesting.
The more he thought about it, the more Ye Yan found it amusing, unable to hold back and letting a laugh escape.
Feng Shayen, beside him, looked at him in confusion, unable to fathom why Ye Yan would laugh at such a time.
"Why are you laughing?" she asked.
"Nothing."
Ye Yan gave her a serious glance. "I just remembered something that makes me happy."
"What happy thing?"
"My flag demon at home is pregnant."
Feng Shayen: "???"
She shot him a look as if he were an idiot.
But she was used to it: this fellow always seemed somewhat eccentric, and she couldn't be bothered to respond.
Her gaze returned to the combatants, her tone tinged with reflection. "No wonder Father insisted on recruiting this guy."
After a moment's thought, she mused,
"Do you think we should use more forceful means to bring Zhang Chulan back with us..."
"Can you defeat Feng Baobao?"
Ye Yan turned to glance at her.
"Isn't there you? If you fight that woman, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Feng Shayen believed Ye Yan would have no trouble.
"While it's nice to be trusted, I'm sorry—I won't be working today."
Ye Yan shrugged, his expression one of helpless encouragement, as if to say, "Good luck, but I can't help you."
Feng Shayen: "..."
As they chatted idly, the lightning on the battlefield suddenly grew so intense it seemed poised to swallow the entire world, tearing even the night apart.
Moments later, the lightning faded.
Zhang Chulan collapsed to his knees.
But at the critical moment, Feng Baobao's blade cleaved through the thunder that threatened to consume him.
"Huff, huff, huff!"
Zhang Chulan, spared from disaster, gasped for breath. In that instant, he had brushed so close to death he could feel its presence. Fortunately, he was still alive.

"Master..."
Zhang Chulan started to speak, but Feng Baobao cut him off. "Didn't I tell you before? With me watching your back, you don't need to fear that so-called junior uncle. Even when beating a dog, you must respect its master..."
Her eyes were calm as she looked at Zhang Lingyu. "If you insist on continuing, then I am your opponent."
"Tch."
Zhang Lingyu looked at Feng Baobao blocking his way, then at Ye Yan a short distance off, cigarette in mouth and a mocking smile on his lips. In the end, he did not strike again.
He pondered a moment, his mood conflicted.
"Zhang Chulan, I take back what I said earlier."
"Now, on behalf of Longhu Mountain's Tianshi Hall, I officially invite you to participate in the upcoming Luotian Grand Ceremony a month from now. During this ritual, the next Tianshi successor will be publicly selected."
"Your eligibility is confirmed."
"You are a candidate for Tianshi."
Zhang Chulan's eyes flickered, stunned by the sudden news, unable to believe it.
Having delivered his message, Zhang Lingyu glanced at Feng Baobao, then at Ye Yan, and turned to leave with Ji Yun and Xingye.
Zhang Lingyu departed with his companions, leaving Ye Yan and the others behind.
Feng Baobao suddenly turned, a sharp knife in her hand, facing the three present.
Feng Shayen shook her head. "Since the show is over, let's head home. There's still time for a beauty mask..."
"Hey!"
Feng Yaya looked at her in confusion. "But didn't Dad tell us to bring Zhang Chulan..."
Before she could finish, Feng Baobao raised her knife and spoke first,
"Zhang Chulan cannot go with you."
Feng Yaya: "..."
Ye Yan observed Zhang Chulan's dejected, lost expression. But the sorrow and joy of humanity were not shared; Ye Yan simply found his current look ridiculous.
"Alright, Yaya, let's go home."
Feng Shayen stretched lazily, her figure accentuating graceful curves.
Feng Yaya obediently responded, then led the group away.
...
Jinmen, Branch of Everywhere Communications.
Xu San leaned against the railing, lost in thought.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Xu San pushed his glasses up his nose, pulled out his phone, and glanced at the screen.
Contact: Employee Ziyuan
A string of messages followed.
"Uncle Xu, something bad happened."
"Something big happened at our school."

"Something big?"
Xu San was startled and quickly sent a message back, "What happened at your school?"
"I ran into a really strange person at the school gate... probably an extraordinary... Not long after he left, there was a fight in the woods outside."
Li Ziyuan relayed what she knew.
"A stranger with abilities?"
"A fight."
Connecting these events, Xu San relaxed—if he guessed right, Li Ziyuan was referring to Zhang Chulan's situation.
He thought for a moment and replied, "What did the person you saw look like? Any distinguishing features?"
"I'm not sure, but he was really good-looking... an exceptionally handsome young man."
An exceptionally handsome young man.
Matching that with information from Xu Si, he figured the stranger must be a Taoist from Longhu Mountain.
And among the famous, handsome young Taoists from Longhu Mountain, Zhang Lingyu was the most notable.
Xu San thought for a moment, then opened his photo album and sent over a picture.
The photo was of Zhang Lingyu, with long white hair and a striking, ethereal appearance.
"No."
Li Ziyuan replied quickly, adding a conflicted emoji.
"Not him?"
Xu San tensed again, repeating, "The person you saw wasn't a Taoist?"
"No."
Ziyuan hesitated, "His name is Ye Yan."
Ye Yan... Xu San was stunned, but his anxious heart eased—the person was him.
"I understand."
"Sigh..."
Ziyuan was surprised, "Uncle Xu, you know him?"
"To say I know him is an exaggeration, but we've met a few times. He isn't an enemy."
"I see."
Ziyuan relaxed, and so did her mood. With Xu San, her superior, so unconcerned, there was nothing left to worry about. If the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up, and she was just a junior employee.
Their conversation ended there.
Putting down his phone, Xu San gazed up at the bright moon hanging in the night sky, his thoughts drifting.
Recalling the questions Xu Si had raised earlier that day, and the troubles that man had caused him lately—so many threads tangled together—Xu San realized some issues really did need to be addressed.
Lost in thought, he shook his head and laughed aloud. "Ye Yan, truly a troublesome fellow..."