Chapter 71

In the end, the thin piece of paper was auctioned off at a price of 32,000 spirit stones. After deducting Jiuxiao Yunque's 20% commission, a total of 25,600 high-quality spirit stones remained in Bufan's hands.

Holding the bag of spirit stones that was almost full to the point of bursting out, Bufan still looked like he was in a dream. A huge, absurd sense of unreality filled his mind, making him unable to believe that everything he saw was actually happening.

"Oh my God, am I dreaming? Or is this my last fantasy before my spiritual energy runs out..." He walked away with a sleepwalking expression, clutching the bag of spiritual stones in his hand, without hearing the advice of the shopkeeper behind him.

"My dear brother, this is your spirit stone. By the way, be careful when you go out later. It's best to find something to cover your face. I have some concealing cream for you that can blur your face... Eh? My dear brother? My dear brother, have you left?" The shopkeeper had just stood up from behind the counter with the concealing cream in his hand when Bufan, who was in front of him, had disappeared.

"Oh! This fool!" The shopkeeper said with pity: "This is going to be a disaster! He has a life to earn money but no life to spend it!"

As a well-known auction house, Jiuxiao Yunque often has cultivators coming to it with valuable items. Among them, a considerable number of them are people like Fanfan who suddenly got lucky. Such guys who have no power but have made a fortune naturally become lambs to be slaughtered in the eyes of some lawless people.

They naturally didn't dare to do anything in the city, but they would quietly follow those monks. As soon as those people left the city...

"Hehe, you are quite lucky, kid, you can actually earn so much!" A demon cultivator grabbed the bag of spirit stones from Bufan's body, which was still not warm, weighed it twice, and put it in his arms with a chuckle. Several demon cultivators around him also laughed arrogantly. Bufan, who was bruised and seriously injured, was surrounded in the middle, with a look of resentment but helplessness.

"Boss, what should we do with this guy?"

"Our faces have been seen. What else can we do? Get rid of him!"

Bufan watched the demon cultivator holding a knife getting closer and closer, and he was unwilling to die. The will to survive stimulated the strength in his body. Before the demon cultivator raised his knife, he suddenly jumped up and rushed to the cliff behind him and jumped down.

Monks are not ordinary people, and they generally won’t die from jumping off a cliff.

"Boss, what should we do now? Should we go down and look for him?"

"Then what are you looking for?" The leading demon cultivator slapped him on the forehead. "Under this cliff is the Fallen Immortal Swamp, even Jindan cultivators dare not venture into it. That person is dead. Let's go back and drink!"

So the group of people left laughing and the cliff soon became quiet again.

At the foot of the cliff, Bufan luckily fell onto a dead tree and barely managed to save his life. However, this place was full of quagmires emitting poisonous gases, and some unknown powerful monsters were fighting and biting each other not far away. A swarm of scavenging insects, attracted by the blood, quickly came to the tree and were eyeing him covetously. Everything indicated one thing: he was dead, and his body would be torn to pieces.

He endured the severe pain and rummaged through the things on his body. Except for the large amount of spirit stones, everything was still on him. Perhaps those demon cultivators would not look down on such rubbish.

"Oh, it turns out I can't be that lucky..." Bufan collapsed on the tree trunk with a wry smile. He felt dizzy when he was slightly exposed to the poisonous gas under the tree. Now he didn't dare to move at all.

After experiencing several ups and downs in one day, Bufan felt physically and mentally exhausted. Just when he gave up hope and prepared to wait for death, he suddenly felt something poking his flesh. When he turned it over, he found that it was the culprit, the Lingying Stone. He bought the smallest model, which was only the size of a palm.

"It's because of this broken thing!" He raised the Spirit Shadow Stone high up as if to vent his anger, but reluctantly relaxed his grip just before throwing it away.

Forget it, there are hundreds of spirit stones there, it would be a shame to throw them away.

"Alas, I've risked my life for such a thing. At least I'll open it and take a look before I die..." Bufan muttered to himself and sighed, then input a stream of spiritual power to activate the Spirit Shadow Stone. A female cultivator with scars on her face and a resolute expression appeared on the screen. Behind her was also a surging poisonous swamp. Green poisonous gas filled the air, and even the camera lens was dyed with a terrifying green color.

"Good evening, fellow Taoists. I am reporter Yin Shengshuang, and today I will continue to report the details of the Guixu Secret Realm.

Behind me is a highly poisonous swamp. If such green poisonous gas is inhaled into the body, it will block the spiritual veins. There are usually scavenging monsters in the poisonous swamp, so it is very dangerous to rush in rashly.

But we are not without any countermeasures. Today, I will lead everyone through this poisonous swamp without any detoxification tools or elixirs..."

The various open and secret struggles regarding tickets naturally have nothing to do with the organizers. The current news broadcast program has gradually been put on the right track. After all, the most eye-catching thing about Chaoyin City right now is naturally the upcoming fan meeting.

Those who were lucky enough to draw the admission tickets counted the days on them and waited to enter. The monks who did not have admission tickets also waited by the Spirit Shadow Stone and waited. Finally, as all the fans expected, this day finally arrived.

At this time, Qi Ling was still leaning on the counter writing a letter with a distressed look on her face.

These past few days, he had been wanting to write a letter to the leader and elders of Tianyan Sect to explain the current predicament the sect was facing, but it was really difficult to explain it clearly in a few words. He was also afraid that if he made a mistake, "Ning Caichen" would be angered and become even worse off, so he kept procrastinating and had not finished writing the letter until today.

From Master:

Recently, there have been many rumors in Chaoyin City that are unfavorable to the Wuqing Dao cultivators. The shop is harassed by the cultivators every day and can no longer operate normally. For the sake of the sect's reputation, please release the eldest brother to reunite with Nie Xiaoqian...

Isn't this a bit too obvious? And Master might not even realize the severity of the problem. Should I focus on describing the harmful effects of rumors?

Thinking of this, Qi Ling threw the half-written letter into the trash can, picked up the pen and started writing again from the beginning.

From Master:

Recently, rumors have been circulating throughout Chaoyin City that you murdered your wife to cultivate the ruthless path. The Tianyan Sect's reputation has become infamous within Chaoyin City. The root cause of this lies in a play that the Hehuan Sect screened a month ago, the contents of which were rumored...

Wait, this movie is labeled pure fiction at the beginning, and many of the plots are actually true. Can this still be considered a rumor?

The most important thing is that if I write this, Master will definitely order me to explain it clearly. How can I explain it? Master himself is in the movie!

No, no, I can’t get myself into trouble! So Qi Ling crumpled up the letter and threw it into the trash can, then picked up his pen and started writing again.

From Master:

The scene of you capturing Senior Brother was recorded by the Hehuan Sect using the Spirit Shadow Stone and widely circulated within Chaoyin City. Now, the Tianyan Sect has become the target of public criticism. Countless cultivators are criticizing us and strongly demanding that you release Senior Brother...

Alas, if I write this, my master will surely accuse me of exaggeration. After all, it's common knowledge that the Tianyan Sect practices the Way of Mercy, and it's not the first time a disciple has been taken away by the elders for romance and placed under strict supervision. Why did so many people intervene this time? And why did it get so bad that the shop couldn't even operate?

No matter what, the reason why Qi Ling was in such a dilemma was that he couldn't explain one thing - the new form of expression of film and how popular it was among the monks.

After all, if you only rely on words to describe a movie, it's just a more realistic drama. And it's hard to explain how crazy those fans are without experiencing it yourself through a letter.

No matter how I write it, it's not right. I can't drag my master over to watch a movie with me, can I? Qi Ling was instantly furious and crumpled up the letter and threw it out of the store.

The store can’t do business anyway, and what monk would be so slow-witted as to be hit by a ball of paper!

Unexpectedly, the paper ball flew straight out and actually hit a passing monk right on the spot. The monk looked a little dazed for some reason, so he didn't have time to dodge and was hit by the paper ball. The sword in his hand was unsheathed in an instant. His serious expression and attitude of doing it without saying a word all showed his identity as a swordsman.

Qi Ling: ...

How can a person be so unlucky?

Seeing the other person's seemingly unfriendly gaze, Qi Ling could only bite the bullet and smile: "Sorry, fellow Taoist, I didn't mean it."

Fortunately, the swordsman didn't seem to want to pursue the matter. He sheathed his sword and walked straight into the store. "Do you have any Spirit Shadow Stones in your store? Can I open them and take a look at the fan meeting?"

In order to attract customers, many businesses these days place a piece of spirit shadow stone in their stores for customers to see, especially some pubs and restaurants, which are packed with people during the evening news time.

"Yes, yes!" Qi Ling agreed repeatedly as he took out a Spirit Shadow Stone from his Qiankun bag and placed it on the counter to open it. Looking at the screen showing the studio already full of people, he realized that the fan meeting was today. He quickly put away the manuscript paper on the table, moved a stool for the sword cultivator, and sat down to watch himself, asking casually:

"I didn't expect you sword cultivators to like this movie too? Why don't you go to the tavern? It's so lively there!"

The sword cultivator's stern face showed a hint of disdain: "Too noisy."

"Then why don't you buy one and take it home to read?"

"The sales hall is too noisy. I don't like crowded places."

Qi Ling was really curious now: "Then why do you have to watch this meeting? You don't look like anyone's fan?"

"Alas!" A look of headache crossed the sword cultivator's resolute face. "The actor who plays Yan Chixia is our sect's headmaster's junior fellow apprentice. Logically, I should have written to the sect to report this matter long ago." He sat on the bench, supporting his head with one hand, his elbow resting on the counter, looking quite helpless.

"But I don't know how to explain this matter, nor do I know how to report the relationship between our junior brother and the female cultivator from the Hehuan Sect."

If he wrote a letter to report that the sect leader's junior brother and the female cultivator of the Hehuan Sect were in love with each other, everyone would say that it was fake and all acted out. He could not afford to offend the sect leader by tarnishing his junior brother's reputation.

Then you say that the master's junior brother has not been deceived by the Hehuan Sect. They are so ambiguous in the play, and the master's junior brother is still staying in the Hehuan Sect's cinema.

The worst thing is that once they go to look for someone, they will be mixed in with the huge crowd of fans, and their words will be mixed in with various shouts and slogans and will not attract anyone's attention. Now, except for fan meetings, they can't see the leader and his junior brothers at all.

So the disciples of Qingfeng Sword Sect didn’t know how to report it for a while, and they were jumping around every day trying to find out whether Xuan Mo and Ning Shu were real.

Upon hearing the sword cultivator's complaints, Qi Ling's first reaction was that Yan Chixia was actually a genuine sword cultivator. No wonder the fights in the movie were so exciting. His second reaction was, "Great! I'm not the only one struggling with how to report this to the sect!" He finally felt at ease.

"I understand, fellow Daoist, I understand this feeling..." Qi Ling empathetically poured him a cup of tea. "Don't worry too much. All the actors will be in attendance at today's fan meeting. Maybe someone will ask about their true relationship, and then you'll have the answer."

"I hope so!" The swordsman sighed helplessly.

After a brief debugging and sound test on the screen, the fan meeting finally officially began. At the beginning, Nie Xiaoqian, dressed in white, sat on the stage and sang the theme song of the movie. While perfectly replicating her first meeting with Ning Caichen, her singing was full of affection and sadness.

The audience, both in person and in front of the screen, were instantly transported back to the touching and stunning experience of their first viewing of the film. They listened with rapt attention. By the end of the song, the emotions of the audience and actors alike had been aroused. Only then did Nie Xiaoqian finally stand up and smile brightly at the audience: "Hello everyone, I'm Zi Qiu, who plays Nie Xiaoqian."

The audience below applauded loudly. In a warm atmosphere, Ning Shu took Xuan Mo, Zi Xiao and all the other leading actors onto the stage. After everyone had briefly introduced themselves, the audience was disappointed to find that Ning Caichen had not appeared yet.

"I'm very sorry, but Ning Caichen's actor, Ji Chuanbai, is still imprisoned in Tianyan Sect and can't meet you all." Ning Shu, who also served as the host, seemed to know what the audience was thinking. She explained with regret, then patted Zi Qiu's shoulder with sympathy.

"Zi Qiu, thank you for your hard work during this period. I also sincerely hope that Tian Yan Sect can set Ning Caichen free as soon as possible."

Off-screen, the swordsman couldn't help but ask, "How long will Ning Caichen be imprisoned?"

Qi Ling: ...

"According to convention, he will probably be locked up until he lets go of this relationship."

"What if he can't let it go..." the swordsman asked tentatively.

"I heard that a senior was imprisoned for over a thousand years." Qi Ling sighed helplessly and looked at the Spirit Shadow Stone: "After all, we are practicing the ruthless way. If we fall in love, we are doomed to be unable to continue practicing."

The screen had already entered the fan question session, and almost all the fans sitting in the chairs raised their hands enthusiastically. Finally, Ning Shu randomly pointed to a cultivator sitting in the front row and said, "Fellow Daoist, do you have any questions?"

The monk whose name was called flushed with excitement. He stood up and took the microphone, his words stumbling, perhaps out of nervousness or shyness. "I, I want to ask Nie Xiaoqian, what is your relationship with Ning Caichen outside of the play? If Ning Caichen never comes out, what are you going to do?"

"Thank you for your question. I'm sure you've all read about it in previous magazines. Ji Lang is my first and only lover, and we have a very good relationship." Zi Qiu took the microphone and gave the monk a friendly smile, once again openly admitting their relationship.

“So it’s okay, I’ll keep waiting.

Whether it takes a few years, decades, or even hundreds or thousands of years, I believe that one day we will be reunited!"

As she spoke, the light in her eyes was gentle yet firm, and even the smile on her lips carried the happiness and sweetness of love, like a young girl waiting for her lover's return, without a trace of boredom: "If love is long-lasting, why should we be together day and night?"

The female cultivators present at the scene couldn't help but tear up.

"The Tianyan Sect deserves to die!"

"Sure enough, they are both real!"

"Woo woo woo, Daozu, I am willing to sacrifice my lifelong love in exchange for Nie Xiaoqian and Ning Caichen finally getting married!"

Off-screen, Qi Ling was once again deeply moved by Nie Xiaoqian's infatuation: "Why are you still cultivating to become an immortal? I won't do that anymore! I'm going to handcuff them both together with the Heavenly Chain, and then throw the key into the Infinite Sea!"

That sword cultivator: ...

"Aren't you from the Tianyan Sect?"

"So what? I've already said that the ruthless way only means I can't talk about love! It doesn't stop me from watching others do it!"