ARLQLCC chapter 39

Su Ji’s words were undoubtedly reassuring for Chu Zhaoye. Although his expression remained the same, joy was clearly visible in his eyes and brows.

Just as he was about to say something more, footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard. Two sets of footsteps approached from afar, stopping right outside Su Ji’s door, followed by two knocks.

“Su Ji, I saw your room light is on, you should be awake, right?”

It was Yun Xicheng’s voice.

Su Ji glanced at Chu Zhaoye, then at the door, and replied loudly, “I’m awake. What’s up?”

Yun Xicheng’s voice was filled with excitement: “The Great Elder agreed to let you teach in our dining hall! I saw you were napping this afternoon so I didn’t disturb you. I’m just here to tell you. If you’re willing, you can start tomorrow.”

Su Ji replied through the door, “Got it, thank you.”

Normally, after knocking, Su Ji would open the door immediately. But today, there was no movement except for the conversation.

Yun Xicheng found it strange and exchanged a look with Yun Che outside the door. “What’s going on, Su Ji? Why aren’t you coming out? Still not dressed yet?”

“……”

Facing Chu Zhaoye on the bed, Su Ji lowered his voice. “Can you turn back?”

After a moment of hesitation, Chu Zhaoye answered honestly, “I can, but my spiritual energy just recovered. The kitten form isn’t stable. If I can’t control it, I might turn back at any time.”

This was true. His spiritual energy was still in a chaotic state. After the tribulation injury, he had turned into a cub form because it minimized damage spread. But that form also had the weakest control over spiritual energy.

Once his condition stabilized, switching freely between forms would be fine. But forcing the cub form now might lead to what happened in the afternoon—he might suddenly turn back into human form after falling asleep.

After hearing this, Su Ji fell silent.

He usually liked to tuck Ma Tuan into his chest. If Chu Zhaoye suddenly transformed back there, he would probably tear through his clothes instantly.

If that happened in public… it would be better not to transform at all.

So Su Ji could only say, “…Then I’ll open the door?”

Chu Zhaoye nodded somewhat reservedly.

After Su Ji turned to leave, Chu Zhaoye took out a cat-face mask from his storage space and put it on.

His movements were even a little cheerful—clearly eager to stand beside Su Ji in his human form. If he still had a tail, it would probably be wagging in circles by now.

The door opened with a creak.

Yun Xicheng and Yun Che had just been about to speak, but the moment they saw the person inside, their expressions froze. Their mouths opened so wide they could almost fit a fist.

Chu Zhaoye was a head taller than Su Ji, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Dressed in black, wearing a cold iron mask, he exuded an intimidating aura.

The moment the door opened, he immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Su Ji, slender and thin, had never thought he could block him. Seeing their reactions, he simply stepped aside and hesitantly introduced, “He… he is… uh…”

When Ma Tuan was still a kitten, calling him “Ma Tuan” came naturally—because he really did look like a round little rice dumpling.

But now he was a huge man wearing a cat mask with sharp teeth engraved on it, his deep eyes exposed beneath it, his entire presence overwhelmingly intimidating.

Su Ji got stuck halfway.

Yun Xicheng slowly closed his mouth, looking as if he had just stumbled upon a shocking secret. His gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them.

In the end, he reached a conclusion based on his understanding of Su Ji.

Su Ji was someone who cared a lot about cleanliness. But now his clothes were disheveled, the tassels hanging crooked at his hip bone, wrinkles everywhere. He had taken quite a long time to open the door.

And behind him stood a mysterious masked man.

This must be his Dao companion.

They had been secretly meeting in the afternoon. That’s why Su Ji was stammering—he didn’t know how to explain it.

Yun Xicheng panicked and started backing away. “S-sorry, I didn’t know your Dao companion was here. I shouldn’t have knocked. I just came to tell you about teaching arrangement. I’ll go now!”

He even tried to drag the stunned Yun Che away, but Su Ji grabbed his collar and pulled him back.

Yun Xicheng swallowed nervously. “This is your privacy, I won’t tell anyone. Don’t hit me.”

Su Ji was helpless. Today, everyone seemed to think he would just randomly hit people.

He turned and waved at Chu Zhaoye. The man obediently stepped forward. The mask glowed faintly in the candlelight as he blocked half the light, looking down at them with a “friendly” gaze.

Only he thought it was friendly.

Yun Xicheng almost went weak in the knees.

He clutched Yun Che’s leg in panic, then switched to grabbing his own hands.

As the young sect master of Yunxian Sect, he had seen the world. Even when facing the Sect Master of Kunlun Divine Palace, Xie Daoqi, he had never felt this kind of pressure.

But this man—just one glance—made it hard for him to breathe properly.

He couldn’t see through his cultivation. Everything about him felt unfathomable.

Su Ji’s Dao companion… was actually this dangerous?

Standing together, the contrast was stark. Su Ji looked slender and delicate—his waist probably no wider than the man’s hand.

Yun Xicheng suddenly worried that Su Ji might be bullied.

Before he could say anything, another group of footsteps came from the courtyard entrance.

Everyone turned.

It was Tu Yan at the front, with Yue He and Yan Shao behind him.

Yun Xicheng thought: speak of the devil.

And just as expected, things escalated further.

Tu Yan glanced at the tall masked man behind Su Ji—and immediately recognized him.

He was shocked.

So his boss had already shown up like this?

Meanwhile, Yue He and Yan Shao froze on the spot. The moment their eyes met Chu Zhaoye, they broke into a cold sweat.

The feeling was completely different from when they first met Tu Yan.

Tu Yan was intimidating, yes—but this man only inspired one thing:

Fear.

Absolute fear.

They could not move. The courtyard entrance was blocked. Tu Yan stood there too, and even he stopped.

Yue He trembled and hid behind him.

Compared to this unknown man, even the Demon Venerable seemed friendly.

Yan Shao also wanted to retreat, but his legs refused to move. When he met that gaze, it felt like being locked onto by a bloodthirsty beast.

He desperately looked toward Yun Xicheng and Su Ji for help.

Su Ji noticed it.

Yan Shao was clearly afraid.

He glanced at Yan Shao’s trembling legs, then at Chu Zhaoye’s “intense” stare—and suddenly remembered how the kitten used to dislike Yan Shao.

Got it. Still holding a grudge.

Without expression, Su Ji raised his hand and flicked Chu Zhaoye on the arm.

A crisp sound rang out, and that deathly gaze abruptly vanished.

Chu Zhaoye, afraid of making him angry, quietly tugged at Su Ji’s sleeve.

Tu Yan saw it.

Tu Yan was speechless.

He became even less impressive as a human.

Author’s note:

Body size difference + skin tone difference = my fetish

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