System: "You're blushing."

Lin Qi: "..."

He didn't need the System to tell him to know he was blushing; his cheeks were burning.

Lin Qi had never been in a relationship, nor had he ever entertained the thought of one, but that didn't mean he was an ignorant fool. Whether Du Chengying treated him as a brother or something else, he could still sense it from the bits and pieces of the past month.

He just didn't want to admit it or talk about it in front of the System.

After all, at the slightest disagreement, the System would throw those explicit educational materials in his face.

Lin Qi thought to himself, 'Even if I were to be in a relationship, wouldn't it have to be taken step by step?' Of course, he had absolutely no intention of being in a relationship with Du Chengying, absolutely none!

Seeing Lin Qi just blushing and not speaking, Du Chengying asked with a smile in his voice, "Were you scared just now?"

Lin Qi: "...No." Though it was true he had panicked a little.

His stubbornness was also quite cute. To Du Chengying, beauty was in the eye of the beholder; right now, even if Lin Qi were to spit in his face, he would probably praise it for smelling good.

Du Chengying didn't expose him, saying to him, "What kind of Spirit Beast does Junior Brother want?"

"My Spirit Beast?" Lin Qi blurted out.

Although Baoshu Zhenren had made finding a Spirit Beast in the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion sound as simple as breathing, the truth was that back then, among the four Great Daoists, only Master Yuan Yu had brought a Spirit Beast out of the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion. Moreover, its symbolic meaning was greater than its practical use; what he brought out was merely a Spirit Butterfly.

Only a protagonist like Du Chengying could ride a Water Qilin and rush out bathed in blood from the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion.

And Lin Qi could only act as an accessory.

Lin Qi hastily said, "I don't want any Spirit Beast, just getting out safely is good enough."

Du Chengying asked, "How about a Water Qilin?"

Lin Qi: "..." That is yours.

Amidst his fluster, Lin Qi finally snapped back to reality. He had almost forgotten he was a tool person. Even if they really found the Water Qilin, it wouldn't follow him anyway. He was already very skilled at 'delivering equipment to the male lead', so he replied, "A Water Qilin is very good."

Du Chengying nodded in satisfaction. Remembering that Lin Qi couldn't see, he lightly brushed the hair at Lin Qi's temples with his hand. Feeling the warm, gentle breeze waft past his ear, Lin Qi unnaturally dodged away, feeling a bit at a loss.

Being loved by someone from another world was a wonderful experience.

No, being loved by someone was a fresh and completely unprecedented experience for Lin Qi.

A little shy, a little terrified, and a little faintly happy.

After all, being liked was much better than being hated.

It would be even better if Du Chengying could walk onto the righteous path.

This wasn't the first time Lin Qi and Du Chengying had entered the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion. In their previous lives, they had jumped into the lake to escape the pursuit of ferocious beasts. Because Du Chengying didn't have the slightest bit of spiritual energy, he kept sinking in the lake, and Lin Qi had no choice but to follow and protect him all the way down, discovering the secret of the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion by pure chance.

"Junior Brother," Du Chengying grasped Lin Qi's hand hanging by his side, and said softly, "Do you trust me?"

Lin Qi already knew what Du Chengying was going to do. "I trust you."

Hearing the answer he wanted, Du Chengying tightened his grip slightly, wrapping Lin Qi's hand entirely in his palm, guiding Lin Qi slowly forward, and then—plunged headfirst into the lake.

The moment they jumped into the lake, Lin Qi held his breath, ready to accept the baptism of the freezing lake water. However, the water did not strike him in the face.

Spiritual power wove into an invisible net, isolating the icy lake water away from Lin Qi's breathing. In the murky underwater darkness, a faint, ghost-like silhouette lingered closely by Lin Qi's side like a shadow.

It was Du Chengying.

A warm touch applied slight pressure to his shoulder, as if saying that with him there, there was no need to worry.

Under the silent water, the two fell silently downward. Lin Qi could only hear the sound of the water parting; everything else was isolated outside the invisible protection.

Lin Qi was used to being a tool person, accustomed to using his own body to protect the male lead. He didn't feel any injustice because this was his job.

But when the roles were reversed, Lin Qi felt... a bit strange in his heart.

A sliver of light slowly seeped through the darkness.

The grip on his shoulder suddenly tightened, forcefully pulling Lin Qi toward the light.

Splash—

The calm, rippleless water surface was abruptly broken. Before touching the surface, Lin Qi subconsciously closed his eyes. The imagined icy chill of breaking through the water did not happen.

He opened his eyes, only to realize that cherry blossom petals were floating in mid-air above his head. Dripping water spread out high above him, acting like a transparent robe sheltering his head, shielding him from the freezing lake water.

Brilliant sunlight poured down, looking like dappled stars within the flowing water. Following the stream alongside the snow-white cherry blossoms, it looked like a rainbow cascading from the heavens. Lin Qi stared unblinkingly at this wondrous sight, unable to help but be stunned.

Du Chengying shook off his soaked robes and said in a low voice, "Let's go ashore."

Lin Qi snapped out of his daze, suddenly floating up weightlessly. His entire body was lifted out of the water, and he landed in an invisible embrace. Flustered, he said, "Senior Brother, I can do it myself..."

Du Chengying said, "Don't move, it's dangerous."

In the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion, water served as the core, and everything was mirrored. Everything anyone who fell into the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion touched was illusory. Only by passing through the array core could one truly touch the real grounds within the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion.

Every lake was an array core, and Yellow Springs Water was mixed into the lake water. Let alone forcibly passing through the lake, those with slightly lower cultivation bases might get lost and lose their lives in the bone-piercingly cold water just by falling in.

When Du Chengying walked out of the lake carrying Lin Qi, he was already somewhat exhausted.

He was someone who had died once. As the Yellow Springs Water flowed over him, the sufferings of his previous life replayed one by one. Those unbearable scenes flashed before his eyes like a revolving lantern. The final scene was of Lin Qi with blood on the corner of his lips and tears in his eyes. His state of mind was almost shaken, but thankfully... thankfully, this person was right by his side. Under his protection, he was safe, and no one could hurt him.

Lin Qi was set down under a tree to stand firmly. Not hearing Du Chengying speak again, he didn't know if Du Chengying was injured or intentionally teasing him. He touched the burning tip of his ear and remained silent for a moment before asking softly, "Senior Brother, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Du Chengying said briefly. "Keep walking forward."

Lin Qi was worried for a moment, but then he immediately remembered that Du Chengying was the male lead. The male lead had a halo and naturally would be fine.

After passing through the lake water, the scenery in front of them was exactly the same as the scene on the opposite side of the lake. If one observed carefully, they would discover that the direction of the drifting clouds and mountains were completely reversed. Lin Qi couldn't remember the exact location of the Water Qilin clearly anymore; in short, he would just rely on the male lead's halo to blunder into it.

He just walked wherever Du Chengying told him to walk. In the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion, flowers bloomed like brocade. There was only day and no night, and the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. Treating it like a spring outing, Lin Qi hadn't walked a few steps before Du Chengying pressed down on his shoulder again.

"There's movement," Du Chengying said softly.

Lin Qi thought to himself that not only was his nose failing him, but his ears were also useless; how come he hadn't heard any sound at all? However, since Du Chengying said so, there must be a problem. He obediently stayed perfectly still and whispered, "Should we find a place to hide?"

Du Chengying hooked the corners of his lips. The bone-deep chill seemed to vanish under the sunlight. He leaned over slightly, drawing close to Lin Qi's fair ear, and whispered, "Alright."

Warm breath sprayed against his ear, making the tip of Lin Qi's ear twitch. With his shoulder gently guided by Du Chengying, he directed his steps toward the sweeping plains of green grass.

The boundless plain had absolutely no cover. The rolling mountain mist seemed close at hand, yet also as far as the horizon. This side of the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion was unusually quiet.

In the distance, it faintly seemed like flowers were blooming amidst the green grass. The pale colors were scattered like stars, exceptionally conspicuous in the vast expanse of green.

Du Chengying stopped, and Lin Qi naturally stopped as well. Standing stiffly, he asked in confusion, "Are we not walking anymore?"

The wind blew across the plain, causing the scattered flowers bathed in sunlight to sway slightly. Du Chengying reached out and hooked Lin Qi's chin. Before Lin Qi could shrink back, he turned his face and said, "Look."

Following his gaze, the wind suddenly grew stronger. The flowers resting amongst the green grass trembled and drifted into the air, leisurely flying toward Lin Qi.

As those flowers drew closer and closer, Lin Qi couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Those weren't some unknown little flowers at all.

Crystal-clear wings flashed with a transparent glow under the sunlight. Slender tail wings spread out in the air like silken threads. Hundreds of Spirit Butterflies fluttered around Lin Qi as if they had found their master. Ice crystals formed from Yellow Springs Water rustled down from between their wings. For a moment, the space around Lin Qi looked like an inversion of the stars, leaving him dazzled.

His hand was gently lifted, and a warm power grasped his fingers. Following the gentle yet irresistible force, he lightly touched one of the Spirit Butterflies.

The Spirit Butterfly flapped its wings and docilely perched on Lin Qi's fingertip, carefully kissing his skin with its antennae.

Lin Qi blinked, suddenly feeling his eye sockets grow hot. A flash of sorrow swept through his body. He could barely stand, but an invisible force tightly embraced his falling figure, as a deep voice said, "Steady your mind."

Lin Qi's heart skipped a beat. He sniffled and said, "I'm fine."

Spirit Butterflies were born by the banks of the Yellow Springs. They could connect yin and yang, bridging life and death. They were immensely useful for cultivators like them in refining their state of mind.

Back then, Master Yuan Yu had brought a Spirit Butterfly out of the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion. Unfortunately, once that Spirit Butterfly left the nourishment of the Yellow Springs Water, it lived for only a single day. On the second day after leaving the Mountain Shadow Heaven Pavilion, it turned into dust. Still, this was already a remarkable achievement.

Seeing so many Spirit Butterflies all at once, Lin Qi couldn't help but sigh that the male lead was indeed the male lead. After his rebirth, his golden fingers were maxed out.

"Do you like it?" Du Chengying asked softly.

Lin Qi nodded. "It's beautiful."

Du Chengying lightly flicked his wrist. A long howl abruptly echoed from the distant mountains. The howl was vast and ethereal, seemingly capable of awakening a person's very soul. The moment Lin Qi heard it, he knew it was the cry of the Water Qilin.

Sure enough, a moment later, a snow-white Water Qilin dashed down from the mountains like a whirlwind of clouds and mist. In the blink of an eye, it landed in front of Lin Qi.

The Water Qilin had a crystal-clear single horn atop its head, the face of a dragon, the body of a tiger, and a long tail. With sparkling jade-green eyes, it looked like a tiny, extremely aloof snow mountain.

Its gaze first fell upon its invisible master. After receiving a cold glare from Du Chengying, it lowered its front legs in front of the dumbfounded Lin Qi, obediently tilted its head, and puffed out its fluff and whiskers. Opening its mouth to reveal sharp teeth flashing with a cold glint, it let out a soft, delicate sound: "Meow."

Lin Qi: "..." This was too absurd.

Du Chengying said impassively, "Junior Brother, your luck is truly good. The Water Qilin is acknowledging you as its master."

Lin Qi: "..." Was he trying to trick him?

Du Chengying said, "With the Water Qilin, you won't have to worry about the Spirit Butterflies vanishing once they leave the Yellow Springs Water."

Lin Qi had a bit of a headache.

His role was a tool person! Taking a Water Qilin and so many Spirit Butterflies outside would cause a huge commotion! He'd be stealing the male lead's spotlight!

What gave him an even bigger headache was that the male lead was forcefully shoving this spotlight into his hands personally.

"Uh..." Lin Qi said dryly. "I actually... don't really like the Water Qilin."

Water Qilin: "..." Good heavens, what was this human saying?! It had raised itself to be sleek and glossy, blown its fur until it was super fluffy, and washed itself to smell sweet and fragrant every day, yet he actually said he didn't like it! So angry!

Du Chengying furrowed his brows slightly and cast a harsh gaze at the Water Qilin. "Why? What don't you like about it? Is it the color of its fur? Or that single horn?"

Water Qilin: "..." Master, don't be like this...

"No, I mean that I'm not really suited for a... a majestic Spirit Beast like the Water Qilin," Lin Qi frantically explained. "My aptitude is mediocre; I'm truly unworthy of the Water Qilin."

"It's just a beast. There's nothing to be unworthy of," Du Chengying said gently.

The Water Qilin always knew that its master had a cold and ruthless temperament, never having spoken a single kind word to it. However, upon hearing Du Chengying's indifferent assessment, it still couldn't help but shed tears of profound grief.

Du Chengying: "Look, it also thinks you are worthy."

As the Water Qilin wept, it let out two whimpers, its whiskers twitching from sadness.

Lin Qi was at his limit.

He had to admit that in his previous life, he really, really, really liked fluffy Spirit Beasts like the Water Qilin. However, because the Water Qilin was Du Chengying's Spirit Beast and shared a telepathic link with him, it wasn't appropriate for him to go out of his way to pet it. But in his heart, he had long been salivating over the Water Qilin's fluffy coat.

"I-I..." Lin Qi gritted his teeth. His inner dedication to his job allowed him to resist the temptation, and he shouted loudly, "I'm allergic to fur!"

Du Chengying said softly, "It's fine. We can shave off all its fur."

Water Qilin: "..."

Lin Qi: "..."