I’m Definitely Taking This Power-Fantasy Protagonist Role! Chapter 55

On the left is Lin Zhao Ren, with a swollen red mark on his forehead, his clothes slightly disheveled, a sour expression on his face, and his eyes filled with resentment and frustration. On the right is Jiang Bai Yu, who also has a swollen red mark on his forehead, his clothes a bit messy with a few holes, looking obedient, quiet, and with an innocent expression all over his face.

The day after they formed their bond as partners, they ended up fighting, which really made their master worry.

"You two, I discussed your situation last night with your uncles and aunts. There's no rush to hold the bonding ceremony. Bai Yu has just joined my sect, and it would be too ostentatious to hastily arrange a ceremony for you two, which could easily attract gossip. Let's wait for a while and choose a good day later. Besides, rushing into it is too hasty, and many things are not prepared yet," the master slowly stated the outcome of their discussion.

Lin Zhao Ren panicked, "Master!"

Just as Jiang Bai Yu said, they could ask their master to dissolve the bond later, but if they held the bonding ceremony and announced it to the entire sect, it would be difficult to separate later on. He had no mental preparation at all and had never thought about suddenly having a partner.

Jiang Bai Yu respectfully bowed, "It's my fault for worrying Master and my senior brother." He paused, cautiously asking, "Could it really be that serious, to have Master and the uncles and aunts discuss it overnight?"

Even if a true disciple suddenly had a fateful romance, would it really warrant a late-night meeting of the sect's big shots? It was hard to imagine the scene of the big shots gossiping over a video call about a true disciple's love life. How boring would that be, to get excited over a topic and hold a meeting?

But the master remained silent, his expression complex.

Lin Zhao Ren felt both frustrated and confused, "I thought about it all night and still can't recall any interaction with my junior brother, although…" His voice lowered, looking dejected, "There is indeed something between me and my junior brother, and it should have happened not long ago…"

He couldn't figure out what was going on, no matter how hard he tried. It couldn't possibly be that he had an out-of-body experience and secretly met someone in a dream.

The master finally let out a long sigh, filled with complex and unfathomable emotions. "Just remember, Bai Yu is your junior brother and also your partner. You two should get along well in the future. As for other matters, you don't need to worry about them for now; the elders of the sect and I will handle it." His eyes showed a hint of affection as he said, "You are my only disciple, and I would never harm you. Last night was quite complicated, and this is the result we came to together. Some things are not yet for you to know."

Lin Zhao Ren fell silent for a moment and complied, "Yes, Master."

The master looked at Jiang Bai Yu, his tone gentle, "It’s also a bit unfair to you, Bai Yu. I only have you two disciples under my guidance. In the past, I only had Lin Zhao Ren, so it was inevitable that he was a bit spoiled and not very good at interacting with peers. Now that you are both brothers and partners, you should support each other. If you have any thoughts, just tell Zhao Ren; he is your senior brother and should take care of you."

Jiang Bai Yu nodded without hesitation, "Yes, Master."

The master continued, "The residence of true disciples was originally meant for all true disciples under my guidance, but now it’s just you two, and it’s unlikely that any other disciples will move in. Although you have formed a bond, you can't just move into Zhao Ren's room without any clarity. You should have your own space. Bai Yu, feel free to choose a place you like; that will be your residence from now on. If you want to stay in Zhao Ren's room, that’s up to you."

Jiang Bai Yu replied, "Thank you, Master!"

The master nodded and casually took out a small sword, "This is a gift for you as a token of your apprenticeship. It hasn't been named yet; you can think of a name for it yourself."

The sword was made of a rare material, not metal, and looked more like jade, warm and translucent. Jiang Bai Yu raised both hands to respectfully receive it, the small sword floating in the air, exuding spiritual energy and pressure, clearly not an ordinary object.

The master was indeed generous.

Jiang Bai Yu examined the small sword carefully, struggling to think of a name, feeling quite troubled.

The master reminded them a couple more times, looking weary, and waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

Lin Zhao Ren bowed, "Master…" He wanted to say something but ultimately swallowed it down and obediently left.

Once outside the master's cave, he wore a serious expression, walking while deep in thought. Suddenly, he stopped, gazing intently at Jiang Bai Yu, scrutinizing him as if he wanted to dissect him.

Jiang Bai Yu was still playing with the jade sword and almost bumped into him, looking up to meet Lin Zhao Ren's scrutinizing gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that, senior brother?"

Lin Zhao Ren's serious demeanor carried a certain authority, his stern face making it hard for any elite disciple to ignore his gaze, causing a slight thud in Jiang Bai Yu's heart.

Having seen Lin Zhao Ren's more dangerous and crazy side, Jiang Bai Yu completely disregarded the scrutiny at that moment, "Do you have something to say, senior brother?"

Lin Zhao Ren frowned, "Master seems quite tired."

Jiang Bai Yu replied, "Perhaps it's because he was discussing things with the uncles and aunts all night?"

Lin Zhao Ren said, "Master is one of the revered ones of this generation; how could he feel tired just from a night of discussions? The uncles and aunts are the pillars of the sect, with profound cultivation and high status. Although I am a true disciple of Master and have some face in Yu Heng Sect, it’s not enough to make them hold a late-night meeting over this matter."

His expression was serious, his tone solemn, "There must be some important hidden truth."

As he spoke, he scrutinized Jiang Bai Yu again, puzzled, "But what exactly is going on?"

What he said made a lot of sense; even if a true disciple secretly developed a romance and was discovered, it wouldn't warrant a late-night meeting of the elders.

Moreover, the whole situation felt strange. If Lin Zhao Ren had a problem, then Jiang Bai Yu must have one too. If neither of them had a problem, then the issue was even bigger.

Jiang Bai Yu suggested, "Why don't you ask Master?"

Lin Zhao Ren shook his head, looking gloomy, "Since Master said it's not the right time to know, he wouldn't tell me even if I asked."

He continued walking, "Junior brother, choose a garden for your residence. Move everything in today."

Jiang Bai Yu picked a garden closest to Lin Zhao Ren, called Cui Luo Xuan, while Lin Zhao Ren's place was named Qiong Hua Guan.

With the lifestyle and routines of third-tier disciples to first-tier disciples, personal belongings were minimal. They barely had time to practice swordsmanship, let alone shop. Jiang Bai Yu essentially moved in with just a few items, all packed in his storage bag.

What started as a small episode left both Jiang Bai Yu and Lin Zhao Ren puzzled, but they could only keep it to themselves.

Little did they know that their master had fallen ill.

This was truly shocking news!

Lin Zhao Ren's face turned pale immediately, as if he felt that Master was on the brink of death.

He hurriedly leaned by the bed, grasping Master's hand with a panicked expression, trying to steady himself, trembling as he spoke, "Master, what happened? Why did you suddenly fall ill? With your revered strength, what could possibly make you unable to get out of bed?"

He had never seen Master in such a weak state, and it filled Lin Zhao Ren with fear.

Cultivators rarely fall ill, especially someone at the level of Zang Feng Zun Zhe, who wouldn't easily collapse. For him to be so weak, lying in bed, was definitely not simple.

But there had been no warning before he suddenly fell ill.

It was more than just ominous; it was catastrophic news.

"Cough, cough, cough…" Master weakly coughed, his voice frail, "It's nothing. I was discussing the heavenly secrets with your Eastern Spirit Uncle and accidentally suffered a backlash. The study of divination is inherently mysterious and contains countless secrets. Your Eastern Spirit Uncle had a whim to try something new and dragged me into it… I just need to rest for a while; there's no need to panic."

"Look at you, you're not as steady as your junior brother. What kind of example is that?"

Lin Zhao Ren's heart finally calmed down, and he slowly held back his tears.

A hand rested on his head, filled with helplessness and melancholy, "You child, how can I rest easy with you like this…"

Jiang Bai Yu felt something was off but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The two of them left the room, allowing Master to rest properly.

Lin Zhao Ren's eyes were red, and he noticed Jiang Bai Yu staring at him, quickly wiping his eyes and snapping, "What are you looking at?"

Jiang Bai Yu honestly replied, "Looking at my senior brother."

Lin Zhao Ren choked, turning away angrily, "What's so good to look at!"

Jiang Bai Yu teased, "So senior brother can cry when he's anxious too."

Lin Zhao Ren's face darkened, gritting his teeth, "Since Master suddenly fell ill, we can't slack off. We must practice diligently to put Master at ease. Junior brother, why don't you practice swordsmanship with me? It will also let me see your level."

Jiang Bai Yu had just received the small sword gifted by Master and was eager to try it out.

Previously, he had only used the practice swords distributed by Yu Heng Sect, which had no real power and were just for practice.

As they sparred, it was a dazzling display. Lin Zhao Ren, being a true disciple carefully nurtured by Zang Feng Zun Zhe, had outstanding talent and exceptional swordsmanship. This sparring session was entirely a one-sided guidance, with Lin Zhao Ren feeding Jiang Bai Yu moves while checking his swordsmanship level.

For Jiang Bai Yu, this sparring experience was fantastic, flowing like a stream.

With beauty and skill, it was an irresistible visual feast.

At that moment, Lin Zhao Ren was full of vigor, his demeanor exuding confidence, like a sharp sword unsheathed, radiating brilliance. His swordsmanship was as sharp and fierce as he was, making him seem almost luminous, every move so carefree and unrestrained, shining brightly in the sunlight.

As the pride of Yu Heng Sect, he had the right and the capital to be proud.

He was also the only seedling nurtured by Zang Feng Zun Zhe, a precious gem deserving of his master's cultivation.

After a round of sparring, Jiang Bai Yu felt invigorated and truly witnessed Lin Zhao Ren's exquisite swordsmanship.

He smiled, "Senior brother, your swordsmanship is outstanding; I admire you!"

Lin Zhao Ren fell silent for a moment.

Some people shine brightly in the eyes of others.

He dryly replied, "Your swordsmanship is also good, just a bit lacking. With diligent practice, you will surely catch up."

Jiang Bai Yu gently caressed the jade sword, absolutely loving it—beautiful, useful, and perfectly matching his aesthetic.

"I suddenly thought of a name for this sword."

He felt this name was great.

"How about calling it Xi Guang?"

Lin Zhao Ren's face quickly turned red, as if he had been scalded, taking a step back.