Junior Brother Pays Respect to You: Chapter 5 - First Encounter with Qin Su

June 09, 2025 Oyen 0 Comments

Happy Reading~

Chapter 5: First Encounter with Qin Su

 

Qin Zheng woke up to find himself lying on the stone bed inside a mountain cave.

 

After thinking carefully, he realized he had already spent a whole month in the past. 

 

He got ready to get out of bed, but his foot kicked something at the edge.

 

Looking down, he saw that he had knocked over a pile of fruit—picked for him by Xiao Bai before the time travel—still glistening with dewdrops.

 

Qin Zheng glanced toward the cave entrance. The sunlight outside looked just the same as before he traveled.

 

This indicated that even though he had spent a full month in the past, very little time had passed in the present—perhaps no more than the span of a dream.

 

From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of golden light and looked down.

 

There, the time scroll lay across his thigh, still partially open, with lines of glowing golden characters.

 

Qin Zheng picked up the scroll and held it in front of him.

 

By now, a new row of black characters had appeared—one he had written himself.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Qin Zheng let out a deep sigh, set the scroll aside, and lay back down with both hands under his head.

 

This recent time travel had fully convinced him of the scroll’s power. At the same time, he had discovered that while the golden characters warned him not to change the past, the past wasn’t something that could be changed just because he wanted to.

 

At least, over the past month, though he'd tried with all his heart, he hadn’t had a single chance to change anything.

 

With that thought, Qin Zheng sat up, now feeling a bit agitated.

 

The scroll stated that the interval between two time travels had to be at least six months. That meant if he still intended to go down the mountain to try changing the past again, the next opportunity would be half a year away.

 

Mount Yujing was a place of spiritual vitality. Having already stayed on the mountain for half a year, Qin Zheng wasn’t sure if his body had started to change.

 

Given the current situation, it was extremely difficult for a two-year-old to be expelled from the sect. And if he set the next travel time too far in the future, by the time he was expelled, his body might already have changed.

 

In that case, two chances would be wasted.

 

The scroll could only be used ten times. He had already used one, and honestly, that one had been wasted—

 

Nothing had changed.

 

Qin Zheng wasn’t someone who liked to take risks. After weighing the pros and cons, it seemed that getting along well with his junior brother might be the smartest choice. Compared to altering the past, this path had much lower risks.

 

And even if he failed, he’d just return to the present—might as well treat it like a dream.

 

Besides...

 

At that thought, Qin Zheng made up his mind. He quickly reached for a pen, lay on the bed, and prepared to write down the second time-travel date.

 

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, Qin Zheng spotted something at the cave entrance. He quickly turned his head.

 

It was Xiao Bai, peeking in with only its white, round head showing. With no facial features, Qin Zheng could only guess it was trying to look into the cave.

 

“Xiao Bai, what’s wrong?”

 

Hearing his voice, the little creature no longer hid and happily ran inside to Qin Zheng’s side.

 

Not sure what was going on, Qin Zheng got up and patted Xiao Bai’s head. “I’m going to nap for a bit. You clean up the cave, okay?”

 

Head pats were Xiao Bai’s favorite thing Qin Zheng did—but unfortunately, he rarely did it. Still, every time he did, Xiao Bai would become especially obedient.

 

After the pat, Xiao Bai bounced cheerfully and went back to the chores it had paused.

 

Meanwhile, Qin Zheng lowered his head and wrote the second travel date on the scroll.

 

***

In the blink of an eye, Qin Zheng realized the scenery had changed.

 

Looks like the second time travel had succeeded.

 

A sudden chill made him shiver. He hated the cold.

 

Looking around carefully, Qin Zheng found himself in an ice cave. The entire place was covered in ice—its glossy surfaces shiny enough to serve as mirrors.

 

Looking down at himself, he figured he was now thirteen. His face had started to show maturity, but still retained a youthful air. He clicked his tongue in mild distaste.

 

He recognized this place.

 

It was the confinement cave of the Tianque Sect—where disciples were sent for punishment.

 

It looked like he’d done something to anger his master again.

 

Qin Zheng still remembered how mischievous he used to be, frequently ending up in confinement, most often for bullying his younger junior brothers.

 

“Senior Brother! Senior Brother!”

 

Suddenly, an urgent shout came from outside the ice cave, getting closer and closer.

 

Soon, a disciple about his age ran into the cave.

 

Qin Zheng instantly recognized him.

 

It was Qin Shuang—his junior brother and the second disciple taken in by their master. He was the same boy brought back after Qin Zheng in the previous time travel.

 

“Senior Brother! I’m here to take you out!”

 

Qin Zheng looked at him in surprise.

 

He hadn't expected to arrive at the perfect time—right when his confinement ended.

 

Qin Shuang noticed Qin Zheng’s expression and asked curiously, “Senior Brother, did you forget? Today’s the day your punishment ends.”

 

Qin Zheng stood up and replied calmly, “Let’s go. I didn’t forget.”

 

With that, he walked straight to the cave entrance, not bothering to look back at Qin Shuang.

 

Seeing him leave, Qin Shuang hurried after him and said mysteriously, “Senior Brother, I have some great news to tell you!”

 

Qin Zheng gave him a sideways glance but wasn’t all that interested.

 

Right now, the only thing he cared about was Qin Su!

 

“Just say what you have to say.”

 

Qin Zheng thought that, being nearly fifty years old in mind, he wouldn’t be too annoyed by children. But facing this thirteen-year-old junior brother, he still couldn’t help but feel irritated.

 

Qin Shuang seemed completely used to his senior brother’s attitude. Though Qin Zheng wasn’t interested, Qin Shuang spoke with excitement: “Master has returned from his travels today!”

 

Qin Zheng nodded.

 

“I know. My release from confinement always coincides with Master’s return from his travels.”

 

Qin Shuang shook his head smugly. “That’s not the point!”

 

“The point is—Master brought back another junior brother for us!”

 

Qin Shuang’s words made Qin Zheng stop in his tracks.

 

Looks like he was in luck—randomly choosing a rough time to write down had not only landed him on the day his confinement ended but also on the very day Junior Brother Qin Su joined the Tianque Sect.

 

“See, I knew you'd like this news,” Qin Shuang teased with a grin. 

 

Qin Zheng turned and looked at Qin Shuang seriously. “That’s our junior brother. Don’t get any funny ideas.”

 

Then he quickly walked off.

 

At this time, Master would likely be at the Sanqing Hall with the new disciple. As the eldest disciple, it was only right for him to go and greet them.

 

Qin Zheng’s uncharacteristic seriousness caught Qin Shuang off guard, and he hurried after him, puzzled.

 

How had one month of confinement changed his senior brother so much?

 

Qin Zheng rushed to the entrance of the Sanqing Hall and peeked inside, but didn’t dare to step in immediately.

 

Though mischievous since childhood, he had always been both respectful and fearful of their master.

 

“If you’ve come, then come in.”

 

His master’s voice rang out from within the hall.

 

Qin Zheng and the following Qin Shuang quickly and obediently entered the main hall, bowing respectfully.

 

“Master.”

 

“How was your month of reflection?”

 

Qin Zheng bowed again and said, “This disciple knows his mistake.”

 

“Hmm...”

 

“Since both of you are here, I’ll introduce your new junior brother.”

 

With that, the master turned and walked over to a chair, lifting a small toddler who had been playing there.

 

Until now, Qin Zheng had been focused solely on his master and had completely forgotten about the new disciple. The reminder made him finally notice the child sitting in the chair.

 

The little boy looked about two years old.

 

Master carried the child over and presented him.

 

“This is your junior brother, Qin Su. You must all get along well from now on.” After speaking, Master narrowed his eyes slightly, as if reminiscing.

 

“Thinking about it... You two were about this age when I brought you back.”

 

Qin Zheng glanced at the child in his master’s arms—wearing simple linen clothes, but his face looked as if sculpted from jade, holding a plump, white bun in his hand.

 

If Qin Zheng hadn’t experienced the same thing himself, he would’ve really suspected that his master was some kind of child kidnapper who specialized in abducting two-year-olds.

 

“Oh no! I forgot about the meeting with the junior disciples!”

 

“Qin Su will live in the room next to yours. You take him there.”

 

With a cry of realization, Master quickly handed Qin Su to the nearest person—Qin Zheng—and then dashed out of the hall like the wind.

 

Qin Zheng instinctively reached out to take what his master handed him.

 

By the time he realized it, he was holding the soft little body of his junior brother.

 

The sensation made Qin Zheng’s skin crawl with goosebumps, and he immediately shoved the child into Qin Shuang’s arms.

 

Qin Su, still focused on the bun in his hands, was now handed from one person to another. Curious, he looked up.

 

When his eyes met Qin Zheng’s, they lit up.

 

Then Qin Su held out the untouched bun toward Qin Zheng. 

 

Slap!

 

By the time Qin Zheng reacted, the bun had fallen to the ground, and a red mark appeared on Qin Su’s fair little hand.

 

At that moment, Qin Su looked at Qin Zheng with teary eyes, struggling not to cry, yet still reached out both arms toward him.

 

“...Hug...”

 

Qin Zheng instinctively took a step back.

 

Qin Shuang, holding Qin Su, couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

“Senior Brother! You just said not to bully the little one, and now Master’s barely gone and you're already at it!”

 

He awkwardly crouched down with Qin Su still in his arms, picked up the bun, blew the dirt off, and handed it back to the little boy who was still looking longingly at Qin Zheng. “There, don’t cry. Second Senior Brother loves you.”

 

Qin Zheng frowned deeply at Qin Su, said nothing, and turned to leave the hall quickly.

 

Watching Qin Zheng’s retreating figure, little Qin Su could no longer hold back his tears—they finally fell.

----------