{"id":7363,"date":"2025-08-06T09:02:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T07:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7363"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:02:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T07:02:24","slug":"the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-15","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-15\/","title":{"rendered":"The Second Male Lead\u00a0Fled On The Spot &#8211; Chapter 15"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Since being interrogated by Xie Liufeng in the middle of the night, the black bird finally seemed to realize its life as a bird was utterly meaningless. It started lying in the cage in a depressive slump, refusing to leave even when the door was opened.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui received his spirit sword again but didn\u2019t ask much. He simply shook the cage every time he passed by.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Soon, the time came for the Songjian Secret Realm to open.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">That morning, just as Xie Liufeng stepped outside, he saw someone peeking around outside the courtyard.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">It was none other than Cheng Yu, Chu Xinghui\u2019s recent strategic partner.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">As a competent guardian, Xie Liufeng enthusiastically greeted the friend of his &#8220;child&#8221;: \u201cHere to see our little Xinghui? Come in and make yourself comfortable \u2014 Xinghui went out to practice his sword and should be back soon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu walked in awkwardly and found a seat to sit on, clearly tense.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Although Xie Liufeng looked very friendly, Cheng Yu inexplicably felt nervous, as if he were being grilled on homework by a sect elder.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He cleared his throat and cautiously asked: &#8220;You are\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng poured him a cup of water and casually lied: &#8220;I\u2019m Chu Xinghui\u2019s older brother.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu hadn\u2019t heard Chu Xinghui mention any \u201colder brother,\u201d but Xie Liufeng\u2019s manner was so natural that Cheng Yu believed him for the time being.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng chatted with him casually: &#8220;Oh right, where are you from, Cultivator Cheng?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu stammered: &#8220;Me? I\u2019m from Meishan.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng replied smoothly: &#8220;Meishan, eh? It\u2019s a nice place. I visited there once while traveling.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">With a familiar topic at hand, Cheng Yu gradually relaxed and started talking about the sights and culture of his hometown.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u2026<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">By the time Chu Xinghui returned from sword practice, Cheng Yu had already spilled everything about himself.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He had no idea and happily greeted him: &#8220;Xinghui, you\u2019re back. Your brother is quite a nice guy.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui paused, not quite following: \u201cBrother?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng sat on the side, lazily sipping water. Hearing this, he looked up and gave an innocent smile.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He had merely gathered some basic information about his disciple\u2019s friend\u2014nothing bad.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He didn\u2019t need to ask to know Xie Liufeng must have made up something again to fool others.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng tossed him a storage pouch: &#8220;You\u2019re going to Wanchun Mountain, right? I packed it for you yesterday. Take it with you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui took the pouch and, looking at Xie Liufeng, emphasized the title: \u201cBrother, we\u2019ll be leaving now, then?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng didn\u2019t flinch at all and smiled warmly: &#8220;Go on, come back early.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u2014<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">After Chu Xinghui left, Xie Liufeng couldn\u2019t help but touch his ear.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Sounded pretty nice.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He\u2019d have to coax him into saying it a few more times next time.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">His disciple had already left. Xie Liufeng was just considering what entertainment would suit a lonely old man when he received a message talisman.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling\u2019s respectful voice came through: \u201cSword Master, you still have time, right? Could you lend a hand?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng still remembered how he had been spreading rumors of his death and didn\u2019t bother listening to his nonsense. He asked directly: &#8220;What\u2019s the matter?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling quickly explained: \u201cIt\u2019s about Wanchun Mountain again. The secret realm is supposed to open today, but some unstable spiritual energy fields have appeared nearby. We need more people to investigate.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng confirmed: &#8220;The Songjian Secret Realm?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling nodded: \u201cYes, that\u2019s the one.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng thought for a second and agreed without hesitation: \u201cWait for me, I\u2019ll be there right away.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling had been preparing a whole persuasive speech to get this master to come down the mountain but was stunned silent: \u201c\u2026Why are you so cooperative this time?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng guessed: &#8220;Maybe because my disciple is there.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling: \u2026<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Enough already. Why did this old guy bring up his disciple every three sentences?<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u2014<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Wanchun Mountain was close to Wanling Valley. The two of them took less than half a day to arrive at the entrance of the secret realm.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">There was a small town near the Songjian area. Because of the secret realm\u2019s opening, many cultivators from far away had set up camp nearby, making the place quite lively.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">As soon as they landed, Cheng Yu couldn\u2019t help but exclaim: &#8220;So many familiar faces!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Each sect had its specialties and frequently interacted. Although Cheng Yu didn\u2019t like socializing much, he still recognized some of the well-known figures among his peers.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u201cSenior Brother Zhang Meng from Wanfa Sect, Junior Sister Xu Jing from the Artifact Sect\u2026\u201d He pointed them out one by one, then looked in another direction: &#8220;And over there\u2014Qin Yuwen from the Lingxiang Sect, with his two junior disciples.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Catching a familiar name, Chu Xinghui asked for confirmation: \u201cWhat did you say his name was?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu, confused, repeated: &#8220;Qin Yuwen.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui looked in that direction again.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">A gentle, delicate-looking youth was speaking with his juniors. The three of them looked happy and harmonious.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He indeed looked like a kind, gentle person as the rumors claimed.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">But Chu Xinghui still remembered the book\u2019s contents. Although he had no current conflict with the guy, he instinctively didn\u2019t want to get involved.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu kept chattering: \u201cOh right, I heard Ming Xiao from the Beiyue Sword Sect is coming too. I saw him once ages ago. He didn\u2019t seem like someone with a good temper.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">More accurately, he was proud and arrogant, always looking down on others. Not really evil\u2014just hard to get along with.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Just as he finished mumbling, a cough came from behind.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">A group of cultivators from Beiyue Sword Sect had somehow passed by them without notice, now awkwardly looking away.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Leading the group was a showily dressed, handsome young man. He glanced at them and deliberately stomped past with a cold snort.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">As soon as he left, Cheng Yu jumped up: &#8220;Oh no, did he hear what I said? He\u2019s not going to ambush us in the secret realm, is he?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui instantly guessed who it was: \u201cMing Xiao?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu looked miserable: \u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui watched the temperamental youth walk away and said seriously: &#8220;What\u2019s done is done\u2014\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu perked up, waiting for his wisdom.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui\u2019s eyes drifted to a nearby inn. He suggested: &#8220;Let\u2019s eat first. We\u2019ll apologize to Cultivator Ming if we run into him again later.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">After all, they\u2019d likely be roughing it in the wilderness soon with no hot meals.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu slumped: &#8220;Okay, you\u2019re right. Let\u2019s eat first.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u2014<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">They entered the inn, found a table by the window, and casually ordered some food.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Before the food arrived, the group from the Beiyue Sword Sect also came in.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao spotted them immediately. He whispered something to his companions, then swaggered over to their table and declared: &#8220;I like this spot. Would you two kindly move?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui glanced at him, said nothing, and calmly moved to another table with his things.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu, caught red-handed talking behind someone\u2019s back, felt guilty and flustered: &#8220;Oh, this spot? Sure, we\u2019ll move.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">The table cleared quickly.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao stood there, not looking the least bit pleased. In fact, he looked furious.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu politely asked: &#8220;Cultivator Ming, is there anything else?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao paused and said: &#8220;I\u2019m trying to pick a fight. Can you guys at least act unfriendly?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui nodded: \u201cIf you really need it, I can oblige.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu comforted him: &#8220;I was the one talking behind your back. It\u2019s normal for you to want to get even. Don\u2019t feel bad. Actually, I should apologize.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao nearly exploded again. Chu Xinghui suddenly pressed his arm and said: &#8220;Wait a second.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Both Ming Xiao and Cheng Yu instinctively went silent.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao quickly realized he had actually obeyed a stranger he didn\u2019t even like. He looked visibly conflicted.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui had spotted a \u201cfamiliar face.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen and his juniors were also in the inn, though a pillar had been blocking them. They only became visible when they came to the counter to pay and collect their packed meals.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen turned slightly, and his gaze accidentally met Chu Xinghui\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui felt a snake-like gaze on him and looked away first.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">But Qin Yuwen said something to his companions and walked over.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui frowned and met his gaze again.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen smiled gently and greeted: &#8220;How should I address you, fellow cultivator?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui lied smoothly: &#8220;My surname is Xie.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u201cAh, Cultivator Xie,\u201d he smiled and got straight to the point: &#8220;You seem quite strong. Are you interested in joining our Lingxiang Sect\u2019s team? We never shortchange our people.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Teams were usually formed ahead of time for such events. A large sect like Lingxiang definitely wouldn\u2019t be short on members.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui didn\u2019t know what he was up to and politely declined: &#8220;Sorry, I\u2019ve already teamed up with these two. I don\u2019t intend to join another group.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen scanned him, then lowered his gaze and said regretfully: &#8220;That\u2019s unfortunate\u2026 Still, I wish you all the best.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He returned to his juniors. The girl among them glanced over and deliberately said loudly: &#8220;I don\u2019t see what\u2019s so special about him. Just some rogue cultivator. Turning down our senior brother\u2014so ungrateful!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Her black-robed brother frowned: &#8220;Lingxuan, mind your words.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">She immediately looked hurt and turned away from him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen gently said: &#8220;Zeqing, Lingxuan\u2019s just young. I\u2019m sure she didn\u2019t mean any harm. Don\u2019t be too strict with her.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">They chatted as they packed up and left the inn.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui\u2019s gaze briefly passed over the siblings before falling on Qin Yuwen\u2019s back. He frowned slightly.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Something about that man felt\u2026off.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Like there was an invisible layer separating him from everything around him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Once they were gone, Ming Xiao couldn\u2019t hold it in anymore and jabbed Chu Xinghui with his elbow: &#8220;Hey, what\u2019s with you and that Qin guy? Got a grudge?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui shook his head: &#8220;Never met him before.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao thought for a bit, then snapped: &#8220;Also\u2014who said I was joining your team?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He glared at Chu Xinghui, put on a stern expression, and said: &#8220;I know I\u2019m very strong and everyone wants me. But at least\u2014at least you should personally and sincerely invite me. Then I might consider it. Only might. Very low chance.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui wasn\u2019t really listening. He casually responded: &#8220;Oh.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Seeing Ming Xiao glaring, he finally explained: &#8220;Relax. That was just an excuse to turn them down. We weren\u2019t actually inviting you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">That made Ming Xiao even angrier. His fingers trembled as he pointed, then huffed and stormed off.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui and Cheng Yu exchanged glances, both feeling helpless.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Couldn\u2019t team up. Couldn\u2019t not team up.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">This Ming Cultivator really was impossible to handle.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since being interrogated by Xie Liufeng in the middle of the night, the black bird finally seemed to realize its life as a bird was utterly meaningless. It started lying in the cage in a depressive slump, refusing to leave even when the door was opened. Chu Xinghui received his spirit sword again but didn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TheSecondMale.png?fit=300%2C419&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7363"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7364,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7363\/revisions\/7364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}