While he internally felt something was surely off, meeting this kid this many times, Qiu Yunru outwardly put on a gentle smile and helped Li Chenyuan steady himself.
"It makes sense to be nervous at such a luxurious sect. Though, isn't Li-gongzhi used to high-quality accommodations?"
Li Chenyuan was as stiff as a board. He stared at Qiu Yunru as though trying to drill holes through his head with his eyes alone. Qiu Yunru couldn't help but shiver internally. Had he done something wrong without realizing it again?
"Even though this shidi is used to wealth...the Jade Clouds Sect has a level of renown I can only dream of," Li Chenyuan managed stiffly.
Qiu Yunru helped him out of the water. The whole time, Li Chenyuan was glaring at him like he had killed his mother.
A snow-white chest that was slim, and yet had well-toned muscles; long, dark hair cascading softly and dripping with spring water; cheeks rosy from the heat of the spring; and all of it shiny with wetness. All of this could be used to describe Qiu Yunru's current appearance.
Li Chenyuan felt as though he might explode.
Fang Hai helped pull Li Chenyuan fully out of the spring. This poor kid's new sect robes were dripping and wet, clinging to his skin like a heavy film.
"Let's get you some extra robes," Fang Hai sighed. "You were so steady at the recruitment tournament. What's gotten into you, Li-shidi?"
As soon as he was out of the water, Li Chenyuan spun away from both Fang Hai and Li Chenyuan, facing the plum blossom trees.
"These trees--are they Gongfen plum blossoms?" He asked. His voice was somewhat strangled. It sounded like he was choking on his own words.
"Shidi...what is it?" Fang Hai frowned, moving to reach out for Li Chenyuan's arm. "Are you feeling unwell...?"
SMACK!
Li Chenyuan slapped Fang Hai's arm away!
Qiu Yunru gaped.
Fang Hai gaped.
Li Chenyuan's face, turned away from them, had gone beet-red.
"This shidi apologizes!" He said loudly. "It was out of habit. I have had to defend myself many times before."
It was really a shit apology--"It was out of habit, my bad, you can't be angry"--but knowing Li Chenyuan's past of childhood abuse, Qiu Yunru was sympathetic.
Of course he would slap away any hand that reached for him on instinct. Anyone who had been beaten to a pulp over and over in their life would do the same! You couldn't blame him!
However, Fang Hai didn't know about all of this.
Standing there with a red hand, he looked like he was about to spit out blood.
This was a difficult situation. See, he was far senior here--being the Head Disciple of the Jade Clouds Sect, Li Chenyuan was as far below him as possible! However, he was also a well-known child of nobility and the head of a noble household. What's more, it had seemed that their Shizun really took a liking to him at the recruitment process. If he exploded on this kid, even for something so disrespectful, wouldn't he just end up looking bad in the end?
Seeing Fang Hai's incredulous expression of grave offense, Qiu Yunru hurriedly got dressed.
"Here, I'll take you to get new robes," He offered. He gave Fang Hai an apologetic look, as though to say: Don't be too mad; I'll tell you a little later.
Then, he quickly went and herded Li Chenyuan off and away from that boiling time bomb that was Fang Hai.
"How do you like the sect so far?" Qiu Yunru asked amicably as they trudged towards the laundering quarters.
Li Chenyuan's voice was as rigid as his walk: "It's more expansive than I expected. I've heard many legends about the Jade Cloud Sect...They were all correct."
"Really? What have you heard?"
Li Chenyuan considered for a moment. He shivered a little as a spring breeze blew through the air, seeping through his soaked robes and into his bones.
Having fully dry robes, Qiu Yunru began to undo his own outer robe. A good shixigion should set an example and give a suffering shidi an outer robe. Besides, it wasn't as if they were a guy and a girl walking down the street in winter. There wouldn't be that kind of connotation by any means--just a gesture of goodwill.
Seeing Qiu Yunru pulling at his sash, Li Chenyuan yelped.
"What are you doing?"
Qiu Yunru paused, suddenly self-conscious. "Li-shidi seems cold. I have two dry robes, so I was about to offer you my outer one."
He thought he had thought this through enough. Was it disrespectful to offer an outer robe to a fellow male disciple in xianxia fiction? It was true that this was never something he would be able to do in the base game, but he'd read books of sworn brothers doing this kind of thing...
Ah!
That must be it. There weren't anywhere near close enough to be considered sworn brothers. He was overstepping by offering someone he didn't know too well his own clothing!
Embarrassed, Qiu Yunru re-tightened his sash.
"Apologies. This shixiong overstepped. Let's hurry to the laundering quarters so that Li-shidi can warm up. After that, how about I complete your tour?"
Though he wasn't usually a fan of holding small talk and giving tours, Qiu Yunru felt very self-satisfied at his offer.
After all, hadn't there been one of those damn REQUIRED LEVELs that had popped up over Li Chenyuan's head?
As they walked, he checked the game menu quickly.
It was true--a blue REQUIRED LEVEL had been added to his quest list. It was just as he'd thought:
REQUIRED LEVEL: Oversee Li Chenyuan's training to Golden Core Stage! Reward: Golden Core Stage Achievement. Good luck!
So, in exchange for achieving a Golden Core, he would have to help Li Chenyuan get a Golden Core as well!
This made Qiu Yunru feel a little depressed.
Then, the more he considered it, the more depressed he became. A pit of frustration even began to brew in his stomach.
This was truly an unfair situation! Really, what had the game AI been running on ever since he'd gotten here? An energy drink and a bottle of alcohol?
Realistically, it took the average person five to ten years to form a Golden Core and reach immortality status. With the rate he was going, he had hoped to have one formed by the end of this year. However, if he was only going to earn one at the same time Li Chenyuan, a new disciple, did...
Wouldn't that take forever?!
It was true that he didn't know Li Chenyuan's aptitude. However, considering that most disciples joined without even Qi Condensation achieved, and Li Chenyuan's high age to begin cultivating...
Things were really not looking good! Qiu Yunru wept to himself in his heart.
What's more, what kind of thoughtless mechanic was this?
In the base game of Spring Blossoms, Autumn Fruits, one's cultivation level never depended on an external quest, but rather the accretion of point values and personal training discipline.
This damn 'REQUIRED LEVEL' making a return was already bad enough, after it had made him suffer so much through his year of training. So, why had the mechanic become even worse and decided to slow him down so much when he was doing so well?! What a sadistic AI!
"...Is Qiu-ge--Is Qiu-shixiong all right...?" Li Chenyuan muttered.
Qiu Yunru's face had outwardly become as sour as the juice of a thousand lemons!
Realizing this, he startled and smiled at Li Chenyuan. The expression came out a little bitter. Even he couldn't fake a perfect smile when he was being fucked with so blatantly!
"This shixiong is just thinking about some work I have to do. Anyways, there's no need for you to worry about it. Since Shizun sometimes allows older disciples to mentor new disciples, how about I be your mentor for now in training?"