Seeing the pitiful, aggrieved look on the king's face in his arms, Xie Shuci felt a pang of pity.

"It has a bad temper, be careful it doesn't scratch you." Xie Shuci tried to reach out and pull the king back.

Xiao Xun stared at him expressionlessly and said, "It can't hurt me."

Xie Shuci: "..."

It has to be you, always so arrogant since childhood.

The king was terrified of his mother from the bottom of his heart. Even though his mother had shrunk and her aura was no longer so terrifying, he still dared not move around on her, fearing that she might crush his skull in a fit of anger. So he looked at Xie Shuci with pleading eyes.

"Take me to see the person you mentioned."

However, before Xie Shuci could speak again, Xiao Xun took the initiative to change the subject.

Xie Shuci's attention was immediately diverted, and he said, "Right, I almost forgot, come with me."

"Mm," Xiao Xun nodded.

Xie Shuci led him out of the cabin, and as soon as they reached the deck, they heard deafening snoring coming from Du Pingsheng and his page.

He frowned and looked up. Chu Wenfeng was sitting on the gunwale, his ears stuffed with cotton, his face ashen. Du Pingsheng and Chu Wenfeng were still fast asleep beside him. Judging from Chu Wenfeng's appearance, he must have suffered quite a bit last night.

Chu Guiyi then sat cross-legged on the ground, closed his eyes, and rested.

As for Sikong Ye, Xie Shuci looked up and saw that he was indeed half-lying on a tree branch, with one long leg swinging comfortably in the air.

"Who are they?" Xiao Xun paused, frowning as he looked at Xie Shuci.

Xie Shuci said, "They are my friends."

Xiao Xun frowned more deeply without realizing it and said, "You have a lot of friends."

Xie Shuci: "..."

Why did he feel like this little brat was being sarcastic or sarcastic towards him?

Just then, Chu Guiyi opened her eyes and looked at Xie Shuci and the other person.

Xie Shuci pointed to Xiao Xun beside him and said, "He's awake."

Chu Guiyi nodded, then looked at Xiao Xun.

Although Young Master Xie's appearance has shrunk, his eyes are no different from when he was seventeen.

Not knowing his current situation, Chu Guiyi simply nodded to him.

Xiao Xun had not yet strayed to the extent he would later. Seeing Chu Guiyi nod at him, he hesitated for a moment and then nodded slightly as well.

Upon seeing the two, Chu Wenfeng removed the cotton from his ears, jumped off the ship's side, stared at Xiao Xun for a while, seemingly wanting to ask something, but then felt it was inconvenient. So he walked over to Xie Shuci, put his arm around Xie Shuci's shoulder, and led him to the side.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Xun grabbed Xie Shuci's wrist.

Although this guy looks mature, his memory is still only that of a nine-year-old. For him now, Xie Shuci, his savior, is the only person he can barely call a acquaintance.

Xie Shuci thought he was just a little kid and assumed he was afraid of being with strangers. Xie Shuci patted his hand reassuringly and said, "I'm going to talk to Brother Wenfeng for a bit and I'll be right back."

Brother Wenfeng?

Chu Wenfeng paused, turned around to look at Xiao Xun, who was expressionless. Xiao Xun was shorter than Chu Wenfeng and had somewhat youthful features.

elder brother……

Chu Wenfeng released Xie Shuci, crossed his arms, and slowly walked back to Xiao Xun. "Call me 'brother' and I'll buy you candy later."

Xiao Xun's expression turned cold, and his eyes instantly transformed into sharp blades, piercing towards Chu Wenfeng.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Xie Shuci stepped between the two of them. He glared at Chu Wenfeng, thinking to himself, "Could Xiao Xun have been like any other kid when he was young? He might even think Chu Wenfeng is provoking him. What are you doing? Don't scare him."

Chu Wenfeng curled his lip, "It's just asking him to call me 'brother,' is it really that big of a deal?"

"Don't even think about taking advantage of him."

Upon hearing this, Chu Wenfeng seemed to connect the dots and took two steps back in disgust, cursing, "Xie Shuci, can't you speak properly? Do you think everyone is like you?"

Xie Shuci's eyes widened. "It's your own impure thoughts that's the problem! He's only nine years old, what are you thinking? Besides, when did I ever take advantage of him?"

Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes. "Isn't it all because you and Xie An are always flirting with each other in front of me?"

"What business is it of yours if Xie An and I exchange glances?"

He had heard the name "Xie An" many times in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn after waking up, especially from Xie Shuci.

"Who is Xie An?" Xiao Xun asked.

Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms and said with a half-smile, "Who else could it be?"

Xiao Xun turned to look at Xie Shuci, his eyes deep and his tone resolute: "He is your Daoist partner."

Xie Shuci: "..."

He looked at the serious-looking young Xie An before him, then recalled the unconscious old Xie An in the secret room, and nodded, saying, "Barely... I guess so."

Xiao Xun's eyes darkened, and he asked again, "Don't you like my father?"

"I……"

How can I tell you that when I say "your father," I mean the father of this body, which is yourself?

Xie Shuci was a little tired. He regretted making things up. He forced himself to say, "Isn't it impossible for me and your father to be together? I can't just hang myself on one tree, can I? Besides, your father has passed away."

After Xie Shuci finished speaking, Xiao Xun lowered his head, pursed his lips, and remained silent.

Xie Shuci felt a pang of heartache looking at him. Even if his mindset was different from that of normal people, he was still a nine-year-old child. The loss of his loved ones must have been a huge blow to him. Xie Shuci regretted his slip of the tongue.

He stepped forward and patted Xiao Xie'an on the shoulder, saying softly, "Don't be sad. You can live a little longer and then find your father's reincarnation, and you will be able to see him again."

Xiao Xun raised his head and looked at Xie Shuci with a deep gaze.

He wanted to tell Xie Shuci that he wasn't sad, and he also wanted to tell Xie Shuci that when a person dies, they are dead. Even if he could find his father's reincarnation, that person wouldn't be his father. For him, death meant disappearance, and the person he was reincarnated as was someone else, not his father.

Therefore, he did not understand why people were afraid of being banished by the Heavenly Dao.

Once you're dead, you're dead. Whether you're reincarnated or not, you're already dead. Even if you are reincarnated, the blood flowing through your veins will change, the marks on your body will change, and your appearance will change.

Like a book, when you die, the words on the book are completely erased. After you are reincarnated, you write other words on the book, but the words that were erased are long gone.

Therefore, he never believed in the concept of reincarnation.

But faced with the stranger's concern, he couldn't say these words; he was somewhat greedy for the man's unwavering gaze.

The man placed his hand on his shoulder. He was never usually this close to anyone, yet he couldn't refuse or resist him.

It seems that his body and soul have long been accustomed to being so close to men.

"Hmm," he responded almost imperceptibly, then lowered his head.

Just then, Sikong Ye, who was lying on the tree pretending to be asleep, suddenly jumped down from above.

He strode up to Xiao Xun, bent down to face him, pointed to himself, and asked, "Xiao Xun, do you remember me?"

Xiao Xun took half a step back, frowned, and stared at Sikong Ye for a few moments. "Who are you?"

Sikong Ye blinked, his face almost touching Xiao Xun's, but Xie Shuci pushed him away a little.

"Don't scare him."

Sikong Ye didn't mind and said with a smile, "Do you know Sikong Ye?"

Xie Shuci was startled. If Xie An had met Sikong Ye before he was nine years old, wouldn't he have been exposed?

Xiao Xun nodded. "We met once before."

Xie Shuci's heart jumped into his throat.

Sikong Ye narrowed his eyes and pointed at himself, "I am his... father."

Xie Shuci: "..."

Xiao Xun's reaction was lukewarm; he wasn't interested in Xie Shuci's identity. He turned to Xie Shuci, pointed at Du Pingsheng who was still fast asleep, and asked, "Are they your friends too?"

Xie Shuci felt a little embarrassed listening to their loud snoring. "Yes, yes."

Xiao Xun didn't say anything more. He probably felt that he had completed his mission and turned around to return to the cabin. However, when he turned around, Sikong Ye put his hand on his shoulder and did something. Xiao Xun's body trembled and he fell forward.

Xie Shuci caught him quickly and sat him down on the deck, looking at Sikong Ye with a puzzled expression. "What are you doing? He finally woke up."

Sikong Ye shrugged and said, "Let him sleep for a while. It's inconvenient for him to talk when he's awake."

The king waddled out of his arms and took the opportunity to kick Xiao Xun's arm twice, but he didn't dare to kick too hard, for fear of being retaliated against when he woke up.

Xie Shuci picked up little Xie An and moved him aside. He habitually checked Xie An's breath with his finger, then turned to look at Sikong Ye.

Sikong Ye crossed his arms and asked thoughtfully, "He doesn't remember us?"

Xie Shuci pursed her lips. "Yes, he only has memories from before he was nine years old."

"I see. At this time, he had not yet cultivated the Path of Slaughter, and the killing aura on his body was not so strong, so he would not be affected by the demonic possession." Sikong Ye said.

Xie Shuci lowered her eyes to look at Xiao Xie An's sleeping face, "Mmm."

"However, this means he will only have the cultivation level of a nine-year-old, which is not a good thing for you."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci fell silent.

Sikong Ye was right. He killed Deng Xingsen, and Xie An killed so many disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect. Putting aside whether the main Xiaoyao Sect would take action against them, they would probably be hated by everyone like rats in the street in the cultivation world. If they were caught up, Xie Shuci knew he couldn't protect him.

Chu Guiyi stood up from the ground and said to Xie Shuci, "Shuci, Young Master Xie's body has not yet recovered, and we don't know when his soul will return to his body. For safety's sake, you should take him to a neighboring country to hide."

Although there are countless cultivators in the cultivation world today, the majority of people in the Nine Provinces are still mortals. Apart from the immortal sects and families located in the various immortal mountains of the cultivation world, there are also many countries of all sizes. Moreover, there is an unwritten rule in the cultivation world that cultivators must never get involved in the disputes between countries or affect the development of a country, otherwise they will be punished by the Heavenly Dao.

Therefore, most monks, in order to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, almost never set foot on the territory of a country, let alone provoke trouble on their territory.

Chu Wenfeng said, "My senior brother and I came here for the auction. Now that the auction is over, we need to return to Yingzhou to report back and prepare for the upcoming Immortal Sect Selection."

Xie Shuci was taken aback; he wasn't actually a very independent person.

In his childhood memories, there was never a trace of his parents. He didn't even know what his parents looked like until he was seven or eight years old. He didn't like playing with children his age because when it was time to part, they had their parents to pick them up, but Xie Shuci didn't.

Although the housekeeper he hired was very good to him, she also had her own family and couldn't possibly devote all her attention to him like a relative. He had almost no friends in real life; the only people he could talk to a few times a day were some online acquaintances. Although he had never met them in person, they were like ordinary friends separated by distance, brought together by some shared interests.

After he grew up and went to university, his aunt returned to her own family, and Xie Shuci was alone again.

After arriving in this world, he had the little blind man, Chu Guiyi, Chu Wenfeng, and so many other friends around him. He actually relied on them a lot. Just like when Xie An was still a useless little good-for-nothing, they could give Xie Shuci all the sense of security. Besides Xie Shuci's trust in him, Xie Shuci felt that he was not alone.

Even after experiencing so much, Xie Shuci was still somewhat at a loss when faced with these dangers and malices alone.

The blind boy remembered nothing and became a child. The king himself was a child. After Chu Guiyi and the others left, Xie Shuci had to make his own decision to protect their lives.

Xie Shuci is no longer the person he was when he first came into this world. He is aware of the dangers of this world, so he feels that he is not ready yet.

Chu Guiyi smiled and said, "Shuci, you can come back to Yingzhou with us. Although the Chu family is not as powerful as it was in Futu Realm, protecting you and Young Master Xie will definitely not be a problem."

Chu Wenfeng glanced at him and echoed, "My father is a reasonable man; he won't make things difficult for you."

Xie Shuci could sense that they were genuinely inviting him and didn't care at all whether Xie Shuci and Xie An would implicate them.

They didn't care, but Xie Shuci did. He had already troubled Gui Yi and the others too much and didn't want to drag them into dangerous situations again.

Whether he is prepared or not, he can never rely on others or cause them trouble.

Moreover, Chu Guiyi and the others are about to participate in the Immortal Sect Selection, and Xie Shuci doesn't want them to run into any trouble at this crucial juncture.

Xie Shuci smiled gratefully and joked, "Your Yingzhou is so far away, I'm not going there."

Chu Wenfeng paused, then glared at Xie Shuci, turned around angrily and said, "Go if you want, don't go if you don't want to."

Chu Guiyi was not surprised by his answer. In his opinion, Shu Ci had never lacked courage and boldness. He just felt a little helpless.

"Shuci, if you need any help, be sure to come to us, okay?"

Xie Shuci nodded and said, "Don't worry, if we ever can't afford to eat in the future, I'll beg all the way to make sure you give me and Xie An a couple of bites of food."

Chu Guiyi chuckled and shook his head.

Xie Shuci didn't want to continue this topic. He was afraid that he would waver, regret it, and couldn't help but go back to Yingzhou with them. He immediately looked at Sikong Ye and asked, "What about you? What are your plans? You helped me and Xie An. Will that Siming Pavilion cause you trouble?"

Sikong Ye shrugged and said, "I'm not helping you, I'm just helping myself. As for the Siming Pavilion, this isn't the first time I've done something like this. Xiao Xin will handle it for me."

Xie Shuci: "..."

You're such a good brother.

Xie Shuci then asked, "So where do you plan to go next?"

Sikong Ye said, "I plan to return to the Floating Pagoda Realm. I'm quite interested in the matters concerning the Free and Unfettered Sect and the Banxia Clan. I'll discuss it with Xiaoxin when I get back."

Hearing him mention the Banxia clan, Xie Shuci's mood grew heavier. He was just an ordinary person, unable to oppose a powerful immortal clan. Even knowing that the Xiaoyao Sect was the murderer of the Water God's clan, there was nothing he could do. The Water God had even saved his life several times. Without the Water God, both he and Xie An would have died here.

Chu Guiyi noticed his dejection and sighed, "Shuci, this matter is of great importance. We few alone cannot make any difference. If Brother Sikong can inform the people in Futu Kingdom about this matter, perhaps the truth can be revealed."

Sikong Ye replied, "Even if I tell the elders of the Siming Pavilion, it won't matter. They won't believe anything without evidence. Xiao Xin deliberately let us discover this; he must have his reasons. Perhaps he already has some plans. By the way—"

He suddenly looked at Xie Shuci and said, "After Xiao Xun recovers, you can ask him yourself. I suspect that the reason he was secretly hunted down by the Xiaoyao Sect and that the Xiaoyao Sect kept his whereabouts a secret may be related to the Banxia Clan. Perhaps he already has something on the Xiaoyao Sect, which is why the Xiaoyao Sect is willing to offend the Xiao family to get rid of him as soon as possible."

Xie Shuci was stunned. Did Xie An already know about this?

"Okay, I'll ask him."

Not long after, Du Pingsheng woke up alone.

Xie Shuci originally wanted them to leave directly to avoid being discovered and implicated by others, but Du Pingsheng, contrary to his usual behavior, insisted that Xie Shuci tell him everything he knew and saw in Chunsheng Mountain.

“Brother Xie, I am just a scholar, unlike you. All I can do is write books so that people all over the world can see the contents and know the truth about the destruction of the Banxia clan. If the death of the Banxia clan is really related to the Xiaoyao Sect, they will kill me sooner or later even if I don’t write the first book. Since I’m going to die sooner or later anyway, at least I want to write down the truth before I die. Even if I die, people will remember me and praise me. That’s enough. My death will not be in vain.”

His words suddenly reminded Xie Shuci of a historical story about a historian that his teacher had once told him.

With the integrity of scholars, one after another, with their vibrant lives, they bravely and fearlessly recorded all the absurd acts of a tyrant.

Although the literati and scholars of the past have long since disappeared into the torrent of time, their words and their poems have endured and are still praised by people even thousands of years later.

Xie Shuci stared into those determined eyes, unable to utter a word of refusal.

"By the way," Du Pingsheng chuckled, "in the first book, could I write more about your touching 'brotherly bond' with Xie An?"

Xie Shuci: "..."

Xie Shuci had initially begun to admire this guy.

Xie Shuci sat on the deck, leaning back with his hands on the ground, gazing at the azure sky. Perhaps because he could still do something, the suppressed emotions in his heart suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Thinking of the little blind man, a smile crept onto his lips. He beckoned Du Pingsheng closer with his finger.

Du Pingsheng leaned closer, puzzled, and heard Xie Shuci say, "What I have with him isn't brotherly affection, it's love. You know what love is? It's that kind of magical love."

Du Pingsheng's eyes widened in surprise, and he pointed to the unconscious Xie An beside him, "You and him?"

"Go to hell!" Xie Shuci slapped him. "It's not him, it's his master." "Oh."

For half a day, Xie Shuci told Du Pingsheng everything he knew.

When they heard the final scene of the Water God's sacrifice and separation from the Water God, Du Pingsheng and his pageboy wept uncontrollably, cursing the Xiaoyao Sect mercilessly. Xie Shuci even suspected that if they were given a sword now, they could return to Jiyue City, find Deng Xingsen's corpse, and give him a few more good stabs.

Little Xie An didn't wake up all day.

Chu Guiyi and Sikong Ye were mostly unharmed by their injuries, and at dusk they bid farewell to Xie Shuci, intending to set off on their journey.

After saying goodbye to the group, Sikong Ye disappeared into the woods.

When Chu Guiyi learned that Xie Shuci planned to take a long detour through several countries to reach Tianzhu City and return the courtesan's token to Luo Xianyu, he gave him some instructions, telling him to try not to use his spiritual power in these countries to avoid causing a disturbance.

Perhaps because of Chu Yezhao's matter, he gave very detailed instructions, and Xie Shuci agreed to them all.

Before leaving, the king rubbed against them repeatedly, clearly reluctant to part.

For the king, apart from his father and mother, Chu Guiyi was the closest person to him.

No matter how reluctant they were to part, all good things must come to an end, and they eventually had to separate.

This time, however, Xie Shuci didn't feel much emotion, because he knew he and Chu Guiyi would meet again.

"You really aren't coming with us?" Chu Wenfeng walked up to him and asked with a displeased look.

Xie Shuci smiled and ruffled his hair, but Chu Wenfeng slapped his hand away, saying, "Don't touch it like that, it's all messed up."

Xie Shuci smiled and said, "Let's go, don't miss me too much, see you at the Immortal Sect Grand Selection."

Chu Wenfeng choked, glared at him, and said, "Who would miss you? You're sick."

"Alright, enough talk, let's go, it'll be dark soon," Xie Shuci said.

Chu Wenfeng snorted coldly and jumped off the deck.

Xie Shuci and the King leaned against the ship's railing and waved to them, "Goodbye, and take care on your journey."

"Farewell." Chu Guiyi bowed and clasped his hands in farewell.

Chu Wenfeng turned his face to the side and remained silent.

Watching the figure walk further and further away, Xie Shuci couldn't help but sigh.

The king also let out a listless "ow".

Xie Shuci picked it up from the ship's side, rubbed its furry neck, and said, "From now on, it'll just be the three of us."

"Huh?" The king tilted his head. Didn't he have two mothers?

Xie Shuci slapped his forehead, "Wrong, it's a family of four."

"Awooo!"

Baby is happy whenever he is with Daddy!

—

After saying goodbye to Xie Shuci, Chu Wenfeng lowered his head thoughtfully, recalling what Xie Shuci had said to him when they parted on the boat. He felt as if he had missed something.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Chu Gui smiled and asked, "Are you reluctant to part with your letter?"

Chu Wenfeng paused, looking somewhat uneasy, and said, "No."

Chu Guiyi's smile faded considerably. He looked up and saw that the sky had completely darkened. The night breeze gently blew on his face. His eyes were filled with complex emotions as he sighed, "After this parting, I don't know when we will meet Shuci again."

Chu Wenfeng turned his head away and said, "We'll see each other in two months."

Upon hearing this, Chu Guiyi paused, her expression stiffening slightly. "Wen Feng, what did you say?"

Still lost in his inexplicable confusion, Chu Wenfeng said listlessly, "Won't we see him at the Immortal Sect Gathering? He just told me, 'See you at the Immortal Sect Gathering...'"

As he finished speaking, Chu Wenfeng's voice grew weaker and weaker, and his face turned quite pale.

He stared blankly at Chu Guiyi, whose expression was extremely solemn.

Chu Wenfeng remembered; he knew why he felt he had missed something.

Because of what Xie Shuci said to him, they would meet again in the Immortal Sect Grand Selection.

Senior Banxia once said that Xie Shuci's fate would be decided during the Immortal Sect Selection.

"Senior Brother..." Chu Wenfeng stopped in his tracks. "Xie Shuci is going to participate in the Immortal Sect Selection? How could he... No, let's go back and find him!"

He said to Chu Guiyi somewhat anxiously.

Chu Guiyi remained silent for a long time, then sighed, shook her head, and said, "Wen Feng, we can't stop him."

Chu Wenfeng gritted his teeth, "We can't just stand by and watch him go to his death, can we?"

Chu Guiyi smiled bitterly and said, "Doesn't Shuci know that he's going to his death?"

He knew he would die, but he still went.

What other reason do they have to stop him?

No.

They have no reason.