Chapter 7

Fang Yaowen brought him more news.

Ji Yan had advanced.

"Junior brother, you're falling behind. Ji Yan has already reached the fourth level of Qi Refining. If you don't put in more effort, don't blame yourself for being outshone by him."

Gu Changqing was stunned. A bad premonition rose in his heart.

Back then, Ji Yan’s cultivation had been crippled, leaving him with nothing. Now, to reach the fourth level of Qi Refining in a mere two years—could it be that he was another protagonist template?

Seeing Gu Changqing’s brow furrowed tightly, Fang Yaowen consoled him with calm confidence: "Don't worry, the Sect Master has sealed his Dantian. He won't be able to catch up to you."

"Why?" Gu Changqing’s eyes flickered. Was there some hidden story?

Fang Yaowen explained: "When he advanced this time, his spiritual roots leaked, and the fire poison erupted. He nearly lost his life. The Sect Master has forbidden him from further cultivation, otherwise..." Fang Yaowen gave him a sympathetic look.

Gu Changqing understood instantly. If Ji Yan died, as his contracted dao companion, he would be implicated.

"Sigh!" Fang Yaowen sighed. "I never expected Ji Yan to end up in such a state." In the past, that man was an insurmountable mountain, one he had once deeply envied. Now... recalling that man’s former glory, he could only feel that the ways of the world were fickle.

Glancing at Gu Changqing, Fang Yaowen warned, "Ji Yan is stubborn and has a fiery, volatile temper. He may not be willing to give up cultivation. You should keep an eye on him. If anything happens to him..." Fang Yaowen added with a hint of schadenfreude, "You’re done for." Not only would he suffer the backlash of the broken contract, but the Ji family would also come looking for trouble.

Gu Changqing was taken aback. Stubborn? Fiery and volatile? Was the person Fang Yaowen spoke of really the one in his own memory? His impression of Ji Yan had absolutely nothing to do with being "fiery." That man... how should he put it? He was hot and cold—sometimes warm, sometimes indifferent. Whether he was stubborn was hard to tell, but it was true that his temper was bad. Perhaps he had just grown hardened by the coldness of human nature, he thought.

...

Fang Yaowen came and went in a hurry. After he left, Gu Changqing felt conflicted. "Should I go visit him?" They were, after all, betrothed. Regardless of the reasons for their union, it seemed inappropriate not to visit Ji Yan after he had been injured.

But... Gu Changqing really did not want to go to Fire-Control Peak. Ji Yan had a generous dowry, which made his peers jealous and the Ji family deeply dissatisfied; he had already become a scapegoat in their eyes. Ji Li hated Ji Yan and, by extension, hated him too.

Gu Changqing hesitated for a while and decided to pretend he didn't know. The people in the know understood the nature of his marriage to Ji Yan anyway. Since his master hadn't announced any postponement of the wedding, things couldn't be too dire. Besides, even if there were issues, the Sect Master would handle them. After all, the marriage contract between the two peaks had been a source of contention for two years; now that it was finally settled, it would be a laughingstock if Ji Yan had any more problems.

Gu Changqing relaxed and waited for the wedding day. He even had a dark thought: if Ji Yan died before the wedding, he could return to his peaceful life and continue hiding in the sect as a salted fish.

...

Two days later, Gu Changqing’s hopes were dashed. The wedding proceeded as scheduled.

Early in the morning, he was being fussed over by others. A red Dharma robe with gold-threaded embroidery—he had to admit, it looked quite good on him. Gu Changqing muttered to himself. The sect was indeed very generous; the wedding attire was third-grade Dharma clothing. However, thinking of Fire-Control Peak’s specialty, he felt relieved. Fire-Control Peak specialized in artifact refining; for an Adept like Ji Yan’s family to produce two Dharma robes was a trivial matter.

"Clang!"

As time passed, the main peak's bell tolled. Gu Changqing resigned himself to being a mere tool and followed the arrangements obediently.

"The auspicious hour has arrived."

The master of ceremonies chanted. Prompted by him, Gu Changqing stepped onto the platform, where a massive altar stood at the center.

"They're here, they're here," the spectators whispered. The sect’s higher-ups watched for the nuances. The Sect Master had said it would be a grand affair, but in reality, it was just an internal celebration; everyone present was from the sect, with no outside guests. Still, to maintain an atmosphere of festivity, it looked quite impressive. Immortal cranes danced, flower petals fell like rain, and soft, ethereal music played. The crowd was massive, and even the Golden Core Adepts from other peaks had come to show their respect by sitting on the observation platform.

On the other side, Ji Yan stepped onto the red carpet covered in petals. He smiled, showing no signs of the severe injuries he had suffered. Gu Changqing thought that the Sect Master must have paid a heavy price to save him, or he wouldn't have recovered so quickly.

The two reached the altar, and the Sect Master presided over the ceremony himself. First, they bowed to Heaven and Earth, then to each other. A Dao Companion ceremony was not like a standard wedding; for two men, there was no "welcoming the bride," only the setting of blood oaths and vows.

Above the altar was a complex array. The Sect Master took a drop of blood from each of them and infused it into the altar. Then, it was time for the couple to speak.

"Today, Gu Changqing hereby swears to become a dao companion with Ji Yan, to share in both glory and shame from this day forth."

As he spoke, Gu Changqing felt a strange binding sensation tighten around his spiritual platform—this was the rule of the cultivation world's oaths. However, he had only said "share in glory and shame" without specifying penalties, so the oath wasn't particularly binding.

"Today, Ji Yan hereby swears to become a dao companion with Gu Changqing, to share in both glory and shame from this day forth."

The altar rippled, and the array patterns glowed with a dazzling light. It was as if it had heard their vows and tightly bound the two together—a mysterious, unfathomable sensation. He couldn't describe it, but Gu Changqing knew that he and Ji Yan were now linked in fate.

Suddenly, a flash of red light signaled the array to draw two drops of blood, which fell into their respective bodies. Gu Changqing’s chest burned for a moment. In a blur, he could sense Ji Yan’s physical state; it wasn't great, but not immediately fatal, just somewhat chaotic. It wasn't very clear, but—

Gu Changqing was so angry he could spit blood. Did that mean Ji Yan could also know his condition, including his whereabouts? If he ever wanted to run away—though that was unlikely—he would have no chance. His movements would be completely at the mercy of Ji Yan.

If only he had known! Gu Changqing regretted it deeply. If he had known, he wouldn't have traded his comfort and accepted this marriage. Being punished by his master would have been better than this!

Ji Yan’s eyes sparkled with strange light as he looked at Gu Changqing. He couldn't sense Gu Changqing’s cultivation level, but he could sense that Gu Changqing’s vitality was incredibly robust, even more so than a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Most importantly, now that the contract was formed, his own broken body felt a slight easing. Ji Yan was puzzled—did a dao companion contract have such functions?

Gu Changqing was equally confused, but there was no one to ask. Under normal circumstances, no one was willing to sign a dao companion contract; at least, no one in their sect did. Gu Changqing wanted to slap himself—he shouldn't have listened to the rumors. The rumors said the contract was strict, that if one party died, the other would suffer internal injuries and a loss of essence. He hadn't taken it to heart. Who knew... one false step, eternal regret.

Just endure it. Gu Changqing’s only consolation was that Ji Yan was in poor health and wouldn't live long. Once he was dead, he would regain his freedom.

With this thought, Gu Changqing quickly composed himself and angrily summoned the Taixu Treasure Mirror for an appraisal.

[Ji Yan, fourth level of Qi Refining, damaged spiritual roots. Status: Reborn, undergoing corruption. He has not awakened his past memories, but his personality is still affected. His temper is erratic, and he is experiencing a split personality. This may improve once his memory is fully restored. He possesses a special constitution that has not yet been activated. If assisted by Fusang wood, the success rate will be greatly increased. Furthermore, if he absorbs pure Yin energy, his spiritual roots will recover, though his constitution will never awaken. Currently, he is quite curious about you.]

Gu Changqing: "..."

He didn't want to speak anymore. His mind was filled with a string of curses. He knew Ji Yan was a protagonist. Damn it, there was actually a transmigrator/reborn person in this world! He looked at Ji Yan’s warm smile. Damn it! Gu Changqing cursed inwardly. He had felt this guy was "split" before, and he hadn't been wrong. Gu Changqing felt a headache coming on. The "broken marriage" trope, the "trash" trope—Ji Yan had them all, and now, a "rebirth" trope on top of it.

Hell. How was he supposed to live like this? A protagonist was always surrounded by endless trouble, and Ji Yan himself was the biggest trouble. Wait. Gu Changqing expanded his thoughts. If Ji Yan was the protagonist, then what was Bing Ning? And what about him? He was Ji Yan’s dao companion—was he just a big cannon fodder? And Ji Yan, the big villain? A villain’s life was also full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and constant coincidences.

Must keep a low profile. Gu Changqing became even more determined.

...

After the ceremony, Gu Changqing, distracted, went with Ji Yan to pay respects to the elders. Then, it was time to greet the guests. Even though they were all from the sect, they had to put on a show to make the wedding look proper. That was the Sect Master’s requirement.

Gu Changqing endured the congratulations with patience. Just as he was about to slip away, "Ninth Junior Brother, where are you going?" Li Chengfeng called him back.

Gu Changqing bowed: "Sixth Senior Brother." After he got engaged to Ji Yan, the senior brothers who had been away immediately returned to the sect; Li Chengfeng was one of them.

"Running off to where? Junior Brother Ji is right here; don't you dare forget about him."

Gu Changqing: "..." He was forgetting him on purpose, thank you very much.

Li Chengfeng glared at him, frustrated: "You’ve been a loner since you were a child, never liking to associate with people. Now that you're married, how can you still be so ignorant? You're leaving your new spouse aside? Do you even want to reach the bridal chamber?"

Gu Changqing thought: *I don't.* Ji Yan was a "split-personality" case right now; he just wanted to stay far away from him, let alone the fact that they had a "support contract."

"Junior Brother Ji." Li Chengfeng quickly called Ji Yan over, then gave a lewd smile and winked at Gu Changqing. "Haha, I'm off. I leave him to you."

Gu Changqing’s mouth twitched. *Thanks a lot!*

"You're avoiding me," Ji Yan said, looking at him calmly.

"No," Gu Changqing shook his head firmly. He wouldn't admit it. He was only avoiding trouble. Gu Changqing nodded, righteous and bold.

"Oh!" Ji Yan responded, not pressing further. He glanced at him: "Not leaving yet?"

Gu Changqing obediently led the way. He wondered why he was listening to him—was this the so-called "villain aura"?