Chapter 046 Senior Brother – “ “You’re harming Shattered Star Peak!” ” (11/19)
The silence hung heavy in the air.
Shi Jingge pinched the bridge of his nose. Great, so this guy was waiting for him all along.
Seeing that Shi Jingge hadn’t spoken, Ah Jiu called out again, his voice trembling, “S–Senior Brother, Help me, -p–please.”
There was a faint hint of sobbing in his voice.
The three-tailed cat’s feet slipped, and it nearly took a tumble. It looked at its owner, its expression dazed.
Sure enough, there was no limit to how terrifying things could get. Its owner was actually faking tears!
In the end, Shi Jingge still walked over. Every step was taken with great heaviness.
Ah Jiu heard his footsteps and knew Shi Jingge had arrived; he even shivered at just the right moment, nearly making Shi Jingge laugh in exasperation.
He turned his head, shrank back slightly, and said in a weak, timid voice, “S–Senior Brother.”
Shi Jingge turned his head back with a cold expression.
Ah Jiu’s eyes flickered. Senior Brother’s fingers… They were so soft.
“I—I’ve never worn clothes like this before.” Ah Jiu lowered his head, revealing his bright red ears. “I’m sorry for troubling you, Senior Brother.”
Ah Jiu lowered his head even further, his eyes brimming with delight where no one could see.
Shi Jingge’s lips curved into a faint, ambiguous smile as he murmured, “It’s fine.”
Ah Jiu felt a surge of excitement. Just look at his Dao companion—so gentle and adorable.
Ah Jiu’s hand began to twitch. He knew he was closer to Shi Jingge now; after all, Shi Jingge had just turned his head for him. Taking a deep breath, he could pinpoint Shi Jingge’s exact position.
Ah Jiu’s hand grasped the hem of his robe, fidgeting nervously as if trying to smooth out the fabric. Then his body stiffened, as if suddenly snapping out of a trance, and he let his hand drop—only to reach for his robe again almost immediately.
After repeating this several times, his hand inched backward bit by bit. The entire plan was flawless; absolutely no one could find fault with it.
Finally, he brushed against Shi Jingge’s fingers.
The sensation was cool, soft, and gentle, just like Shi Jingge himself. His outward coldness couldn’t conceal the warmth within, making him utterly captivating.
Ah Jiu was reluctant to pull away, but he had to feign shock. He hopped forward like a rabbit and stammered an apology to Shi Jingge.
Shi Jingge remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand. Ah Jiu’s robe began to shrink, gradually conforming to his frame, while the other accessories jumped onto him one by one, finding their proper places and fastening themselves automatically.
Ah Jiu was dumbfounded.
……If he’d known he could only touch him once, he would have lingered longer. Why did he even bother with the pretense?
Ah Jiu was filled with regret.
Shi Jingge’s lips curved slightly. “That’s acceptable.”
Ah Jiu tugged at the hem of his robe, on the verge of tears but unable to cry. “Thank you, Senior Brother.”
Shi Jingge merely nodded, offering no response, then turned and went to look for the three-tailed cat.
Ah Jiu: “……”
So all that effort hadn’t even managed to win back his partner’s attention!
Sensing its master’s mood, the three-tailed cat felt a bit uneasy. So, it swayed its tails, then yawned deeply, signaling that it was time for a nap.
Shi Jingge took a few blankets out of his storage space and made a makeshift bed for the three-tailed cat. The cat hopped in with a look of surprise, thanking him with a tail wiggle and a few meows.
Shi Jingge ruffled its head and whispered, “Sleep well.”
“Meow~”
Ah Jiu: “……QAQ!”
Ah Jiu stood trembling to the side, calling out in a tiny voice, “S–Senior Brother.”
Shi Jingge turned to look at him, his expression inscrutable, showing none of the gentleness he’d shown toward the three-tailed cat.
Ah Jiu fell silent for a moment, then sneezed right then and there. “Achoo!”
Shi Jingge sighed deeply inwardly, then pulled a bed out of his storage space, tossing a few blankets and a bottle of Nourishing Qi Pills onto it. “Go to sleep.”
Ah Jiu’s eyes lit up. After walking over to the bed, he asked in a small voice, “Senior Brother, aren’t you going to sleep?”
“No,” Shi Jingge replied indifferently.
“Oh,” Ah Jiu said, turning his head to hide his disappointment.
Ah Jiu climbed into bed, pulled the blankets over himself completely, then cautiously glanced over at Shi Jingge. Shi Jingge had taken out his alchemy furnace, preparing to steady his emotions through the process of refining elixirs.
Rain was still falling outside, though there was no thunder anymore.
Ah Jiu licked his lips; he wanted to sleep with his Dao companion. Working without a single day of rest wasn’t good for his Dao companion’s health. He was thinking of his well-being.
The atmosphere in the cave dwelling gradually turned warm and cozy, and the glow from the alchemy furnace added a touch of intimacy.
The three-tailed cat had already fallen asleep, breathing evenly, and Ah Jiu seemed to have fallen asleep as well, making no movements.
Shi Jingge glanced in his direction, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
The next second, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. With each massive bolt that struck, a deafening thunderclap shook the earth and mountains.
Ah Jiu was quickly “startled awake,” let out a series of shrill screams, and leaped straight off the bed, burying himself headfirst in Shi Jingge’s embrace, his whole body shaking like a sieve.
“Thunder… Thunder…” Ah Jiu cried out in a quavering voice, his eyes wide with terror. “It’ll strike us dead!” As he spoke, he burrowed deeper into Shi Jingge’s embrace, clutching his arms tightly.
Shi Jingge: “……”
The three-tailed cat, awakened by its owner’s commotion, looked at the scene before it with a dazed expression. After a moment’s hesitation, it hopped over and gently brushed its tails against its owner’s head, as if to comfort him.
Shi Jingge, his face stern, tried to push the boy away, only to find that the harder he pushed, the tighter the boy clung to him. Feeling both amused and exasperated, he pushed even harder.
“Get off.” Shi Jingge took a deep breath and forced the words out. Ah Jiu gave him a pitiful look and carefully backed out of his embrace. Just then, a bolt of lightning split the sky, startling Ah Jiu into a shriek, and he threw himself back into Shi Jingge’s arms.
“Ahhh, there’s lightning! It’s going to strike us! Ah Jiu burrowed into Shi Jingge’s arms, not forgetting to nuzzle him twice with his head.
The three-tailed cat: “?”
Why does that gesture feel so familiar?
“Get off me,” Shi Jingge said through gritted teeth, “or I’ll strike you down right now.”
Hearing the tone in Shi Jingge’s voice, Ah Jiu knew he couldn’t keep causing a scene. With tears welling in his eyes, he backed out of Shi Jingge’s embrace, looking at him pitifully, not daring to press his luck.
That expression was actually quite heartbreaking, especially since Ah Jiu was now wearing a lighter, beige-colored robe, which made his silver eyes, silver lips, and silver eyebrows seem less jarring.
Shi Jingge took a deep breath and cast a spell formation in front of the cave dwelling, blocking out all external sounds.
Ah Jiu watched Shi Jingge’s figure from behind and thought his Dao Partner looked absolutely stunning in that moment, as if his whole body were glowing.
Dao Partner… How was it possible to be this handsome!
Ah Jiu closed his eyes. His heart pounded violently and his whole body tingled with excitement.
He wanted to get closer. He wanted to embrace, to touch, to press against him.
…Especially his lips.
Ah Jiu licked his own, feeling a wave of heat wash over him.
Just then, Shi Jingge walked back in, shot him a warning glance, and said coldly, “Aren’t you going to sleep yet? If you make a fuss one more time, I’ll chop you in half.”
Ah Jiu nodded obediently and hopped back into bed. Deep down, he didn’t take Shi Jingge’s threat seriously. His partner was gentle and kind by nature; he was just all talk. After all, he hadn’t even laid a finger on him yet, had he?
Ah Jiu pulled up his blankets, peeked out from under it, and stared at Shi Jingge. He had always known his Dao companion was strikingly handsome, but now he realized that even every single strand of his hair was perfect—so captivating, so mesmerizing.
Compared to his Dao companion’s hair, his own instantly lost all appeal. Ah Jiu deflated a bit.
Just then, Shi Jingge suddenly turned his head, catching Ah Jiu’s gaze dead on. Ah Jiu immediately ducked back under the blanket, covering his head completely. Shi Jingge narrowed his eyes, said nothing, and turned his head back.
Under the blanket, Ah Jiu curved the corners of his lips. See? His partner was just that wonderful.
So, Ah Jiu poked his head out again, staring intently at Shi Jingge, only to be caught red-handed once more.
After this happened a few times, Shi Jingge strode over, yanked the blanket off Ah Jiu’s head, and said coldly, “What are you doing?”
Ah Jiu clutched the blanket tightly and whispered, “…I’m scared.”
Shi Jingge: “……”
Ah Jiu stole a glance at Shi Jingge and said timidly, “I’m not scared anymore when I see Senior Brother.”
Shi Jingge: “……”
Ah Jiu whispered, “Senior Brother… would you… want to… sleep together…?”
Shi Jingge took a deep breath, turned, and grabbed the three-tailed cat. The cat had been sleeping soundly when it was suddenly scooped up and was still a bit dazed.
The next second, the three-tailed cat was placed next to Ah Jiu.
“Go… to sleep.” Those three words were practically ground out from between Shi Jingge’s teeth.
“Oh,” Ah Jiu said dejectedly, pushing the three-tailed cat out from under his blanket with a look of disgust, and whispered, “Senior Brother, you should rest too.”
Shi Jingge said nothing. Ah Jiu pushed the three-tailed cat out a little further.
The three-tailed cat: “?”
Can’t these two idiots behave like normal people?
Shi Jingge didn’t know how much time had passed, but Ah Jiu still hadn’t fallen asleep. Occasionally, he’d peek out to glance at him, but he didn’t dare be as brazen as he’d been earlier.
Then, he heard very light footsteps.
Ah Jiu instinctively closed his eyes. His partner’s scent swirled around his nostrils, making the blood in his veins begin racing.
Shi Jingge looked down at Ah Jiu from above, his gaze lingering on those silver lips with a hint of disdain. Finally, he sighed softly, reached out to nudge the three-tailed cat toward Ah Jiu, and climbed into bed on its other side.
Ah Jiu held his breath, afraid of disturbing Shi Jingge.
Shi Jingge lay down on the bed but didn’t cover himself with the blanket; he simply laid flat on his back, hands resting on his abdomen, his posture exquisitely elegant.
Ah Jiu’s lips curled upward. At that moment, he found the three-tailed cat lying between them incredibly annoying. But now, it didn’t seem convenient to toss the cat out.
He’d wait a little longer—until his partner fell asleep.
Ah Jiu was exceptionally skilled at controlling his breathing. Although Shi Jingge knew he wasn’t asleep, the sound of the steady breaths beside him gradually lulled him into drowsiness.
In truth, Shi Jingge hadn’t slept in quite some time either. He had simply been relying on his Foundation Establishment cultivation level, which didn’t require as much sleep, to keep him going all this time.
Now that he’d relaxed, he fell asleep almost immediately.
After confirming Shi Jingge was asleep, Ah Jiu slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he did was fish the three-tailed cat out. It opened its eyes in confusion and opened its mouth to snap, but Ah Jiu blocked it.
Three-tailed cat: “……”
The furious three-tailed cat bit Ah Jiu on the back of his hand, then ran to the little bed Shi Jingge had made for it, and finally was able to sleep soundly.
Ah Jiu looked at the bite mark on his hand and calmly rubbed it. As the spiritual energy gradually dissipated, the mark began to look even more aggressive.
Ah Jiu raised his hand and gently covered Shi Jingge with the blanket, moving so lightly that he didn’t wake him.
Looking at his partner’s handsome face, Ah Jiu sighed softly. His partner was far too kind. If he were a bad person, wouldn’t his partner end up getting hurt?
That was all the more reason for him to stay by his partner’s side. He had to protect his precious partner.
Ah Jiu slowly inched toward Shi Jingge, moving so slowly it was practically a tortoise crawl.
But the bed was only so big; no matter how slowly he moved, bumping into the other person on the bed was only a matter of time.
At that moment, Ah Jiu suddenly realized the advantages of being short. As long as he curled up and shifted closer to Shi Jingge, he could naturally brush against his shoulder; if he slid down a little further, his hand could even touch the other’s.
Ah Jiu carefully placed his hand next to Shi Jingge’s, his fingertips barely brushing against Shi Jingge’s. The sensation made him unable to suppress the curve of his lips, and he kept licking his own lips.
……This was an accidental touch.
……It really was just an accident.
He was asleep; he didn’t know what he was doing.
Ah Jiu slid his fingers a little closer to Shi Jingge. Now, two fingers were touching!
The three-tailed cat sensed its owner’s giddy excitement and sat up with some effort to glance over. A few seconds later, it laid back down in silence.
Is that all it took to make him this happy? How come it never realized before just how easily his owner melted?
Ah Jiu gradually grew drowsy as well. He didn’t actually need sleep, but this time, he slipped into a deep, restful slumber.
In his sleep, he instinctively ran toward the source of his attraction, wrapping his arms around the person in a possessive embrace. Due to his size, he ended up draped over Shi Jingge like an octopus.
Shi Jingge nearly suffocated from the tight grip. When he woke up, he was both annoyed and amused, unable to resist reaching out to pinch the other person’s cheek.
His skin was smooth and soft, with an exquisite texture.
Then Shi Jingge’s attention was quickly drawn to the other person’s silver eyebrows. He reached out to touch them. Could there really be silver hair there?
But before he could touch them more than a few times, the other person shook his head, clutching him even tighter. He even rested his head on Shi Jingge’s shoulder.
Shi Jingge: “……”
…Oh no, he really was starting to suffocate!
By the time Shi Jingge managed to escape from that person’s clutches, dawn was breaking. He rubbed his shoulders vigorously and decided to head down the mountain. Given the current situation at Shuixing Peak, he really couldn’t just go into seclusion whenever he pleased.
Not long after Shi Jingge left, Ah Jiu opened his eyes. With his partner’s presence gone, how could he possibly sleep?
Ah Jiu woke up the three-tailed cat as well. “Come on, let’s go check things out.
The three-tailed cat had been tossed around all night by these two jerks and wasn’t in the mood to get up, so it bared its teeth at Ah Jiu in a clear refusal.
“Three spirit stones.”
Ah Jiu was flush with cash and completely unfazed.
The three-tailed cat: “……”
“Meow meow meow!!”
Is that your only trick?
Ah Jiu shrugged. A trick wasn’t worn out if it still worked.
The three-tailed cat glared at the spirit stones in Ah Jiu’s hand. Finally deciding that a free meal was a free meal, it swiped the stones away with a tail looking all fierce, but not forgetting to switch into mocking mode toward its owner.
He’s only been gone a few minutes, and you already can’t stand it? You’re rushing off to chase after him. You’ve got zero self-control! You’re such a loser!
Ah Jiu didn’t get angry at the three-tailed cat’s words. He just looked down at it from above. After a long moment, he finally let out a rather wistful smile.
There was nothing particularly menacing about that smile, but the three-tailed cat felt as though he was being mocked; the fur on his back stood on end.
“No wonder you still haven’t found a mate,” Ah Jiu said slowly. “With your mindset and attitude, do you really expect to find a companion? You’ll stay single.”
Ah Jiu patted the three-tailed cat on the head and turned to walk away. Even his retreating figure exuded an air of arrogance.
The three-tailed cat: “……”
A few seconds later, the three-tailed cat went berserk.
You, who just found your future partner and didn’t even get a friendly look in return, what right do you have to mock me!!!
Shi Jingge was still unaware of the “little spat” between Ah Jiu and the three-tailed cat. Upon returning to his quarters, he discovered a note from Jiang Lingqing.
【Junior Brother Shi, come find me at Canglie Peak after you return from seclusion.】
【If you don’t come find me, you’re dead meat!】
【Our brotherly bond will be severed!】
Shi Jingge found it somewhat amusing. Glancing at the bottom right corner, he noticed two additional lines of small text:
【It won’t actually be broken.】
【But I’ll be angry.】
【I’ll come to Shuixing Peak to confront you.】
This way of adding conditions bit by bit, all so stubbornly, was actually kind of cute.
Shi Jingge put the note away and decided to go to Canglie Peak to find Jiang Lingqing first. He didn’t want to actually have him come to Shuixing Peak to confront him.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lingqing was also thinking about Shi Jingge.
Jiang Lingqing leapt out of bed. “It’s all his fault!”
The other five disciples turned to look at him. Although Jiang Lingqing hadn’t mentioned anyone by name, everyone knew exactly who he was talking about.
Junior Brother Zhao stretched lazily and chuckled, “Oh no. I was counting on Senior Brother Jiang to introduce me to Senior Brother Shi, but now it looks like I won’t even get to see him.”
This remark made everyone laugh—except Jiang Lingqing.
Jiang Lingqing glared at Junior Brother Zhao. “It’s been days now, and Shi Jingge still hasn’t come to find me. He’s practically forcing me to go to Shuixing Peak and corner him! He’s the one who forced me into this. I’m going right now!”
“Wait, wait, wait?”
“Senior Brother Jiang, think carefully!”
“Senior Brother Shi wouldn’t deliberately avoid seeing you, would he?”
“You don’t know him.” Jiang Lingqing waved his hand, quickly tidying himself up. “Don’t let his stiff demeanor fool you. He seems like he can handle anything, but he’s actually quite shy. When he gets shy, he shrinks back, almost as if he wants to bury himself underground. If I don’t corner him, he’ll never come to me on his own—he’s terrified I’ll return his sword. Alright, I’m off. If I corner him, I’ll bring him back; if I don’t, I’ll just stay at Shuixing Peak!”
Jiang Lingqing stormed off, leaving only a few junior disciples behind. Before they could even try to stop him, he was already out of sight.
And so, Shi Jingge set off from Shuixing Peak toward Canglie Peak, while Jiang Lingqing headed from Canglie Peak toward Shuixing Peak. Since they were traveling the same path, they naturally couldn’t avoid each other halfway along the way except…
…there was a third person.
Shi Jingge heard the arguing from a distance. He’d intended to avoid it, but the voices sounded familiar, so he cautiously crept closer, hiding himself in the trees.
Then, he saw Jiang Lingqing along with Lingyue Peak’s Senior Brother One and Senior Brother Two.
Lingyue Peak had suffered a major defeat at Shi Jingge’s hands last time, so naturally they didn’t like him. They’d been waiting to see Shuixing Peak make a fool of themselves, but now Shuixing Peak had actually turned things around!
And it just so happened that Shuixing Peak’s fortunes improved right after that incident.
Can you imagine how miserable the disciples of Lingyue Peak must feel?
The Senior and Second Disciples of Lingyue Peak were, of course, the most miserable of them all.
Not only had they lost face, but they’d also been scolded by the Peak Master. Topping it all off, Shi Jingge had once again surpassed them. As the Senior and Second Disciples, how could they not feel miserable?
To make matters worse, today they’d even heard several Lingyue Peak disciples expressing envy toward Shuixing Peak. This was truly… infuriating!
So, the First and Second Senior Disciples of Lingyue Peak started talking about Shi Jingge, their words dripping with disparagement.
Just then, Jiang Lingqing happened to walk by and heard everything clearly. How could he possibly put up with that?
Especially since Lingyue Peak had left a very bad impression on Jiang Lingqing last time.
And so, an argument broke out.
Facing two opponents alone, Jiang Lingqing was already at a disadvantage. To make matters worse, Lingyue Peak’s Senior and Second Senior Disciples were brimming with resentment and frustration. Their words were fierce, filled with conspiracy theories, and they unleashed a barrage of criticism on Jiang Lingqing.
“Junior Brother Jiang, use your own brain. It’s one thing for the junior disciples below to be led around by the nose by these petty favors, but how could even you have fallen for it? Are you planning to stop using your brain altogether?”
“Speaking of contributions, let me ask you this: what exactly has Shi Jingge done for Shuixing Peak? Can you name a single thing?”
“You can’t, because he hasn’t contributed anything!”
“On the contrary, he can’t even get Shuixing Peak’s basic facilities in order—the disciples don’t even have basic benefits!”
“Is the Mission Hall still closed? Has he ever opened the Alchemy Hall? Is the Artifact Forging Hall still operational? Have the disciples of Shuixing Peak ever attended a single class on alchemy or artifact forging?”
“No! Nothing at all! He clearly could have reported this to the Sect. Setting aside other matters, he could at least have arranged for Shuixing Peak’s disciples to attend alchemy classes alongside disciples from other peaks—but look, did he do that?”
“He hasn’t!”
“Under his leadership, Shuixing Peak has fallen into such disrepair, and yet you’re still joining in with those junior disciples to stir up trouble. Do you think you’re helping Shi Jingge or Shuixing Peak? No! You’re harming him!”
“You’re harming Shuixing Peak!”
Author’s Note: Shi Jingge: Oh, okay, thanks, Senior Brother. I’ll get right on it.
Ah Jiu: Does my Dao companion need a teacher? I can do it! I can do it!!
Ah Jiu: Wow, I’ve found a way to stay by my Dao companion’s side forever!
Ah Jiu: I can refine elixirs! I can forge artifacts! I can do anything! And I can provide all kinds of spirit stones for free!!
#The Domineering Senior Brother and His Wealthy Little Husband#
Edit: Krone
Proofread: Choux_choux
