Sulan walked outside the bathhouse and called through the door to remind Yunshu that it was late, he needed to head back to Jade Phoenix Peak.
Most cultivators replaced sleep with meditation anyway, so day and night made no real difference to them. They didn't need to follow the mortal routine of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, unless they were practicing some special technique.
Sulan just wanted an excuse to get rid of him. It was basically the cultivator equivalent of my phone's at 1% battery, gotta go.
He shouted through the door. "Yunshu, you done?"
Done meant get the hell back to Jade Phoenix Peak.
"I'm done, but..." Yunshu's voice was soft and carried a hint of embarrassment. "I forgot to bring my storage ring, so I don't have any clean clothes to change into."
Sulan's mouth twitched. Considering that Yunshu and his junior sister had similar builds, he pulled out one of her spare robes.
This definitely wasn't him using the opportunity to hand women's clothing to a big shot!
"I'll leave the clothes outside. Come get them in a minute."
He was about to set the robe on a flat stone and bolt. If he didn't get out of there fast, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to handle it.
That's when the door opened from inside. Yunshu appeared before him wrapped in a large white bath towel.
Unlike most guys who would wrap the towel around their waist, Yunshu had covered his chest completely.
His dark blue hair was damp, water droplets still falling from it. In the steamy atmosphere of the bathhouse, his features looked even more delicate and alluring. Having just soaked in the spiritual spring, his fair skin had taken on a faint rosy hue and gave off the elegant fragrance of purple bell flower bath oil.
Sulan noticed that this Junior had smooth narrow shoulders and a waist as slender as a girl's.
It was shameful to admit, but Sulan was getting aroused. He was actually getting turned on! By Yunshu, who was supposedly a boy!
Sulan felt like a pack of mountaintop groundhogs were screaming in his head!
"Thanks, Senior Brother. No need to be so formal, just hand it over." Yunshu's eyes were like silk as he reached for the plain robe, seemingly unbothered by Sulan's stare.
Unfortunately, the towel slipped a bit from the motion...
...
Meanwhile, on Jade Phoenix Peak.
Yu Lina hurried along in her striking red robes. She'd been looking for Yunshu about something but couldn't find him anywhere after searching the entire peak.
This kid had excellent talent and was obedient and adorable, so Yu Lina paid him special attention. He was usually well-behaved and wouldn't run off without reason.
A female disciple approached, and Lina flagged her down. "Do you know where Yunshu went? I can't find him anywhere."
The disciple answered honestly. "Master, Junior Brother left Jade Phoenix Peak earlier. He said he had some questions to ask Senior Brother Sulan."
Lina's beautiful eyes narrowed. "How long ago?"
"A-about an hour."
This was unacceptable!
Lina's strong reaction came from the fact that Yunshu's situation was... complicated.
...
This story began twenty years ago with the Chu Family Merchant Association.
Yunshu's father, Chu Yannan, had once joined a small sect in his youth. Limited by his talent, his cultivation barely reached Level 2 before stalling completely. He returned home to inherit the family business. He had a gift for commerce and used his ancestors' foundation to expand the Chu Family Merchant Association across Canglian Province in just ten years, making it a force to be reckoned with in the mortal world.
Twenty years ago, a Level 3 peak cultivator approached the Chu family. Under the guise of protection, he refused to leave and demanded substantial tribute each year to fund his breakthrough to Level 4.
Chu Yannan was furious but didn't dare speak out. The Chu Family Merchant Association was nothing compared to a Level 3 peak cultivator. As someone at early Level 2, resistance would only mean death.
He had no choice but to grit his teeth and pay the protection fee.
This wasn't uncommon in the mortal world. No matter how many mortals there were or how loud their protests, they were no match for immortal cultivators. Chu Yannan even had to be grateful that this Level 3 cultivator only wanted money and didn't harm anyone. Since he spent most of his time in closed-door cultivation trying to break through, and word got out that the Chu family had a powerful protector, no one else dared trouble them.
That changed fourteen years ago when Yunshu was born.
Looking at the fair, tender newborn in swaddling clothes, Chu Yannan felt conflicted. Along with joy came creeping worry.
The reason was simple, his wife had given birth to a beautiful, adorable baby girl.
Yannan feared that if the Level 3 cultivator took a liking to his daughter and tried to steal her away, what could he do as a father?
Paying for peace was within Chu Yannan's acceptable range, but sacrificing his daughter's lifetime happiness? He couldn't do it!
So out of fear and protective instinct, Chu Yannan's mind heated up and he thought of a rather twisted solution, he announced to everyone that Yunshu was his son, the second young master of the Chu Family Merchant Association.
Apart from the couple themselves, everyone who knew the truth, including the midwife, was temporarily detained. Chu Yannan made them take expensive memory-erasing drugs he'd bought at great cost, then released them and told them to leave Canglian Province and never return.
After all, he wasn't evil. Even for his daughter's sake, he'd rather not resort to murder if possible. Solving it with money was better for everyone.
To prevent the child from accidentally revealing the truth with careless words, even Yunshu herself didn't know, let alone her promotional gift from the merchant association older brother Chu Haotian.
The couple repeatedly reminded Yunshu that boys must always protect themselves.
Chu Haotian, who was nearby and didn't understand, muttered quietly. "Why didn't you tell me this stuff when I was little?"
That earned him an immediate "shut up."
Daughters were true love; sons were just accidents.
When Yunshu was seven, Lina happened to pass through Canglian Province and took a liking to her, proposing to take her as a disciple.
The Chu couple were thrilled that their daughter had caught the eye of a Level 6 powerhouse and would join Celestial Gate.
After the apprenticeship ceremony, on their final night together, the couple found Lina and explained everything, begging her to tell Yunshu the truth only after she'd reached Level 4 and had enough power to protect herself.
"We're useless and could only protect our daughter this way. We'll have to trouble you with everything else…."
Lina didn't understand why they'd made things so complicated. In her eyes, Level 3 were worthless trash she could obliterate with a wave of her hand. But seeing the couple's sincere devotion, even someone as powerful as her could only nod in agreement.