Chapter 1494 - 1491: Moonless Night

"Let's take a break here." Ye Qiu brought Fang Wushang to a clearing.

Fang Wushang opened his eyes and realized he was on a platform halfway up the peak, overlooking a sheer cliff.

Ye Qiu, having expended considerable Spiritual Power, sat down beside Fang Wushang to meditate.

Seeing this, Fang Wushang immediately conjured an ice shield to block out the biting cold wind from them both.

The black cat leaped out of Fang Wushang's arms, strolled over to Ye Qiu's side, and, without disturbing him, curled up beside Ye Qiu, purring contentedly before long.

Fang Wushang, amused, looked at the black cat, surprised at how attached it seemed to be to Ye Qiu.

....

After a while, Ye Qiu slowly opened his eyes and noticed the black cat lying beside him. He smiled, picked it up, and gently stroked its fur.

"Ever since you started meditating, it's been by your side," Fang Wushang remarked with a soft smile, looking at the black cat.

Ye Qiu was genuinely curious, as if the black cat truly trusted him.

It followed him out of the Immortal Realm to this towering height, showing no fear—its expression remained calm, except for bristling a bit at the sight of the shadow.

The setting sun bathed the Kunlun Mountain range in gold. Ye Qiu stood up, looked at the descending sun, and said, "It's getting late. Let's climb straight to the summit."

Fang Wushang also looked at the approaching dusk, nodded, and moved to Ye Qiu's side, once again taking his hand.

Bathed in the sunset, they, along with the cat, climbed rapidly towards the mountain's peak. Their bodies appeared small amid the towering mountains, like a dry twig in a vast cliff, or perhaps a fearless seabird amidst the waves.

After an indeterminate amount of time, night had fallen. Ye Qiu, with Fang Wushang and the black cat, finally reached the top of the mountain.

Unexpectedly, the summit was flat, like an exposed platform or as if a deity had sliced off the peak with a sword.

The sharp wind bit at Fang Wushang and Ye Qiu's faces; while they hadn't felt the cold below, up here it was piercing. Fang Wushang instinctively held the black cat in his arms more tightly.

Ye Qiu, with far higher cultivation than Fang Wushang, didn't feel as cold.

Seeing Fang Wushang's body shivering from the cold, Ye Qiu moved forward, took Fang Wushang's hand, and channeled warmth through his Spiritual Power into Fang Wushang's body.

With Ye Qiu's help, Fang Wushang felt less cold; it was fortunate he had cultivation, for an ordinary person would likely have frozen to death here.

Fang Wushang looked gratefully at Ye Qiu, "Thank you."

Ye Qiu, holding Fang Wushang's hand, shook his head and said, "I brought you here, so it's my responsibility to take care of you."

"It seems like there's nothing here?" Fang Wushang, looking at Ye Qiu up close, blushed slightly and diverted his gaze with a change of subject.

"This mountain is long; we should look elsewhere first. Stay close to me."

Fang Wushang nodded, tightened his grip on Ye Qiu's hand, and followed Ye Qiu's steps forward.

Snow and wind covered the rocks, the whole mountain buried in them. Following Ye Qiu, Fang Wushang didn't know how long they walked before reaching a wind-sheltered rock.

"Let's rest here." Ye Qiu said to Fang Wushang.

Fang Wushang, feeling the warmth Ye Qiu had instilled, didn't feel cold but knew to conserve energy and heeded Ye Qiu's words, hiding behind the rock.

Ye Qiu looked up at the empty sky, not a star in sight, let alone the moon.

The black cat jumped out of Fang Wushang's arms suddenly called out to the night sky before returning to Fang Wushang's now cozy lap, seemingly addicted to it.

"Why did it meow?" Fang Wushang curiously asked Ye Qiu, "It hadn't meowed this whole way."

Ye Qiu also looked at the black cat and shook his head, unable to apply conventional reasoning to what wasn't an ordinary cat.

"Well, holding it keeps you warm too."

"With no moon, how do we find what's under the moon?"

Ye Qiu, glancing at the dark night sky, lightly shook his head and said, "There's nothing we can do but wait."

Fang Wushang sighed, "Seems we came at the wrong time; no stars or moon—are we spending the night facing this large black canvas?"

Ye Qiu turned to look at Fang Wushang's beautiful profile and pondered, "Are you tired? If you are, lean on me and rest for a bit."

"Aren't you sleeping?" Fang Wushang asked Ye Qiu, confused.

Ye Qiu shook his head, "I'm not tired. I'll keep watch. This place isn't entirely safe. If you're tired, get some rest."

Seeing Ye Qiu's determined face, Fang Wushang found him reliable, someone to depend on.

Fang Wushang smiled sweetly, slowly leaned his head on Ye Qiu's shoulder, breathed in his masculine scent, and drifted into slumber.

As Ye Qiu stared at the pitch-black night sky, thoughts wandered to Bai Lan, wondering if she was thinking of him as much as he was of her.

Ye Qiu didn't notice the black cat, which opened its eyes and watched him intently, before closing them again and purring once more.

This night, Ye Qiu never saw the moon; as the sunrise painted the snow in gold, he gently woke Fang Wushang.

Fang Wushang slowly opened his eyes, looked down, and blushed deeply, embarrassed, quickly wiping his shoulder.

Ye Qiu watched the moisture on his shoulder, chuckled, and said, "It's okay, it'll dry soon."

Hearing this, Fang Wushang's cheeks reddened even more, unaware how he had drooled on Ye Qiu's shoulder during sleep.