Chapter 93 Extra: The Adventures of Shooting Down a Plane 4

Shang Qinghua was terrified.

Shang Qinghua continued, “Your Majesty, please let me explain. That day, as soon as I went out, I ran into a senior brother I knew well. I was afraid that if he asked too many questions and revealed my secret, he would cause trouble for you. In addition, your injuries have not been serious. After much thought, I decided to endure the humiliation and return with them for now, and then act according to the circumstances later…”

Mobei Jun seemed to have grown tired of the hand that was supporting his sun, and switched to the other.

"He told you to come back, so you came back with him."

Shang Qinghua said with a wronged expression, "What else can I do? Resist to the death? Fight them? How can that be? Not to mention that I can't beat them, more importantly, I still have to be an undercover agent for Your Majesty. How can I break ties with the Cangqiong Mountain Sect so soon?"

Riding the wave of enthusiasm, he pressed his advantage, saying, "Your Majesty, I am now an inner disciple. Aren't I full of energy? Isn't there great potential for advancement?..."

A lackey. A lackey beyond measure.

However, no matter how obsequious he may appear on the surface, Chico's inner self remains calm.

He has always firmly believed that:

1. A man's lower knees have gold (the order is correct);

A man doesn't easily shed tears; if not now, when?

These two life principles taught him that when necessary, it's okay to be a little obsequious.

To put it another way, Mobei Jun is a character he created. To an author, he's like his own son. It's understandable for a father to be indulgent and loving towards his son. The saying goes, "Children are debts from their parents' past lives..."

Bang bang bang, Shang Qinghua, who had still received a good beating, sat on the chair with his knees drawn up to his chest, skillfully using the spirit of Ah Q to heal his trauma.

Having stretched his muscles, Mo Beijun lay back on the bed, stretched, turned over, and turned his back to Shang Qinghua. His voice, neither too loud nor too soft, carried a hint of drowsiness: "To be continued tomorrow."

...

Continue?!

Shang Qinghua had an urge to shout and summon the entire Cangqiong Mountain Sect to perish with him.

Of course, the reason why an impulse is an impulse is because it can often be suppressed and cannot be carried out.

Mo Beijun didn't even take off his boots, just lay down on the new bed that Shang Qinghua had never slept on before, making Shang Qinghua feel extremely distressed.

"Your Majesty, this is Mount Cangqiong."

A powerful pillow flew over and hit Shang Qinghua, making him wince.

Shang Qinghua picked up the pillow and said tactfully, "Your Majesty, this is my bed."

Mobei Jun raised a finger and shook it.

He uttered two words with a cold and aloof air: "Mine."

I understand.

Since he belongs entirely to Mobei Jun, his belongings naturally belong to Mobei Jun as well. Naturally, the bed also belongs to Mobei Jun.

As for whether the reverse reasoning holds true, that's where the "Fat Tiger Theory" comes in: what's mine is yours, and what's yours is still yours.

Shang Qinghua sullenly rolled off the chair, silently picked up the broken teacup pieces at his feet, and began tidying up the new room while humming a little tune: "I lie on the floor while you sleep on the bed. I eat chaff while you drink meat soup."

At least I got a pillow; I didn't even have one before. Contentment is happiness; I'll just hug it and sleep.

Today, Shang Qinghua is as hardworking as a cheerful little bee.

After sleeping at the Leisure Residence for three days, Mobei Jun disappeared without a trace.

No warning! No suspicion! Nothing at all!

Like a serf who has been liberated, Shang Qinghua was very excited and celebrated for a while, until he received a mission from the old peak master of Anding Peak.

Although the tasks at Anding Peak are nothing more than daily chores, the only difference being whether they fight in the rear or on the front lines, being closer to dangerous creatures inevitably makes one uneasy.

For example, rushing up to deliver a health-restoring pill while you're fiercely fighting the vengeful spirits at Hundred Battles Peak seems like a brutally dangerous mission!

Fortunately, Mobei Jun is still very good at protecting people.

Shang Qinghua thought he had forgotten about him, but unexpectedly, several times when he was in trouble, he was helped out by creatures that looked like demons, and his life was saved.

...Does this mean they've tacitly accepted his defection?

Looking back, Shang Qinghua couldn't help but feel that clinging to powerful figures was quite useful.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be alive today!

Incidentally, the concise system gave Shang Qinghua a new instruction: become the chief disciple of Anding Peak within three years.

Besides needing to perform well under Mobei Jun's "care" when carrying out missions outside, one also needs to put in a lot of effort within the Cangqiong Mountain Sect if they want to become the chief disciple.

Given that everyone knows the cannon fodder and supporting characters in "The Arrogant Immortal Demon Path" only have an IQ of 40, the so-called palace intrigue is probably only this level:

Suppose that the old peak master of Anding Peak already has a chief disciple A, who is extremely outstanding (outstanding = proficient in serving tea and water, doing laundry and folding blankets, and is the head of a housekeeping service center). One day, the old peak master asked A to bake twelve delicious cakes, and send one to each peak to deliver them.

What Shang Qinghua needed to do was to secretly sprinkle a lot of salt or sugar on the carefully baked cakes each time, making them extremely unpalatable.

The above process was repeated three times. Okay, the old peak master finally lost all hope in his former eldest disciple.

Think about it: if you can't even bake a pancake properly, what else can you do?

At this point, if Shang Qinghua can demonstrate his superb culinary skills a few more times, he can successfully rise to the top!

As the saying goes: If you don't have enough intelligence, make up for it with flaws. If you can't be the best, then be the worst.

A plot so absurd that it provokes readers to endless吐槽 (tu cao, a Chinese internet slang term for sarcastic or scathing criticism) is also a kind of success!

Such plots are countless in "The Arrogant Immortal Path," and the constant barrage of criticism from readers is a unique spectacle in the book review section. The most vehement criticism comes from the character "Peerless Cucumber."

Thinking of this, Shang Qinghua couldn't help but miss his friends in the book review section and this fellow.

I really miss his heroic figure when he tirelessly roared, "Shooting planes into the sky, it's because you have this kind of thinking that you're just a third-rate harem writer!!!"

However, becoming the chief disciple of Anding Peak only increased his troubles.

For example, when I was an outer disciple, I never had the chance to go down the mountain on missions with Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge.

This is the kind of prize you have to win in your entire life!

The Cangqiong Mountain Sect places great emphasis on relationships among its peers, and it's common for the top disciples to regularly team up for dungeons. This time, the three had very clear roles. Liu Qingge was the forward attacker; Shen Qingqiu was the center, responsible for feigning cooperation [crossed out], as well as ambushing, finishing off enemies, and showing off with his fan [crossed out].

What about Shang Qinghua?

Of course, my responsibilities included driving the carriage, booking inns, carrying our belongings, and handling all income and expenses for the trip. Logistics, you know.

I wish it were really that cheap.

"They say that at night, if you peek into that well, you'll see your reflection smiling and waving upwards, and then suddenly it will pull you in and drown you. Sometimes you'll even see your dead relatives... cough cough, Senior Brother Shen, Junior Brother Liu, you... please let me finish, okay..."

Shang Qinghua put down the case file.

Shen Qingqiu could easily pull out a book from his sleeve, and he could start showing off anytime, anywhere, whether sitting or standing. At this moment, he was leaning against the shady old banyan tree, displaying his refined and scholarly air. Meanwhile, Liu Qingge was already standing by the well, peering inside.

Liu Qingge wanted to finish quickly to avoid continuing to spend time with Shen Qingqiu, while Shen Qingqiu wanted Liu Qingge to finish his chores and get out of there as soon as possible. Neither of them wanted to get close to the other and disgust themselves, and each had their own considerations. No one was listening to his earnest explanation of the task.

Liu Qingge raised her head and said, "No."

Shang Qinghua understands. It means "My reflection isn't waving and smiling at me."

He spread his hands and said, "Well... how about we let Senior Brother Shen try?"

Shen Qingqiu put away his book, put on his folding fan, and strolled to the well: "Excuse me, please move aside."

Liu Qingge had already retreated more than ten steps away. Shen Qingqiu glanced casually into the well, but seemed to have gained nothing.

Shang Qinghua flipped through the case file with a rustling sound: "This is really strange. It clearly says this..."

Unfortunately, no matter how loudly they turned the pages, they couldn't drown out Shen Qingqiu's malicious voice: "We've all tried, isn't it your turn now?"

Sure enough, even monsters in this world bully the weak and fear the strong. When the other two looked, they couldn't see a single thing, but when it was Shang Qinghua's turn, he was the only one who could see his own reflection posing and preening in the well.

Without saying a word, Liu Qingge slapped the hilt of her sword, unsheathed it like a phoenix, and plunged it into the well water with the force of a rainbow.

After a moment of silence, bubbles began to rise and churn on the calm surface of the well water.

Shang Qinghua wisely retreated further and further, creating a safe distance. Suddenly, a series of ghostly wails and howls erupted, and a massive amount of fluffy, ethereal spirits shot into the sky!

Liu Qingge smashed the clump of women's heads that were chasing and biting him, and said, "Get back!"

As is customary, once the fighting begins, the disciples of Anding Peak should scramble to somewhere far away and cool off if they don't replenish their supplies. Unfortunately, Shang Qinghua miscalculated this time; he didn't scramble far enough, and his path was blocked by vengeful spirits that had dispersed into white smoke. With things having come to this point, he had no choice but to use his special skill: he rolled his eyes and lay down on the spot.

Playing dead is a trick that never fails!

In the chaos of the fight, Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu accidentally bumped into each other. Both of them simultaneously showed expressions of disgust. Shen Qingqiu had already launched a powerful backhand attack, which grazed Liu Qingge's shoulder. Enraged, Liu Qingge immediately retaliated with her own attack.

Now, the main fighting force completely ignored the enemy and started fighting amongst themselves.

Shen Qingqiu cursed, "Are you blind? Where are you shooting?!"

Liu Qingge was no less refined than him: "Who hit first? Who went blind first?!"

Shang Qinghua lay on the ground, his eyes rolling back. He had clearly seen a pale white shadow appear in front of Liu Qingge's side, which Shen Qingqiu had swept over Liu Qingge's shoulder and dispersed. Seeing the two escalating their fight, almost to the point of bloodlust, he couldn't care less about feigning death. He sat up and weakly called out, "Don't fight! Junior Brother Liu, you've misunderstood. Actually, Senior Brother Shen was just..."

With a flick of his wrist, Shen Qingqiu blasted several deep cracks into the wall next to Shang Qinghua's head, sending dust and debris flying down.

Shen Qingqiu said coldly, "If you're going to die, die completely. Don't get up halfway through."

Shang Qinghua didn't say another word, and lay down to continue lying there peacefully.

Without missing a single one, the well demon and the vengeful spirits it had collected were sealed in the recycling container. Shang Qinghua led the carriage over, while Liu Qingge, without looking to the side, walked down another road.

Shang Qinghua hurriedly asked, "Junior brother, where are you going?"

Liu Qingge snorted, "I don't travel with people who ambush their fellow disciples."

Shen Qingqiu clapped his hands and laughed, "That's excellent. I don't want to travel with someone who's all brawn and no brains. Junior Brother Shang, let's go."

He squeezed Shang Qinghua's shoulder, and Shang Qinghua grimaced and agreed. After finally breaking free from the clutches, he caught up with Liu Qingge and said, "Junior Brother Liu, I have a piece of advice for you. Don't practice your skills alone unless necessary, or you might suffer a qi deviation."

Before Liu Qingge could speak, Shen Qingqiu tapped the carriage pole with the handle of her fan. Shang Qinghua hurried back.

Throughout the journey, he kept an eye on Shen Qingqiu while driving the carriage.

Shen Qingqiu, who was leaning against the carriage reading a book, grew increasingly gloomy under his gaze and narrowed his eyes: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Shang Qinghua said shyly, "...Senior Brother Shen, I didn't really want to remind you. But since you asked so sincerely, then I'll...you're holding your book upside down."

"..."

Shen Qingqiu blushed for a moment, then suddenly drew his sword.

"No, no, no, no, don't be impulsive!!!"

Shen Qingqiu is incredibly thin-skinned; if you expose him to his face, he'll hold a grudge for life. For someone with his masterful flaunting skills to actually hold the book upside down shows he was genuinely furious just now.

That's right. He finally did something good, but things didn't go as planned. If things didn't go as planned, he should have just told Liu Qingge directly, but he wouldn't. He even interrupted him when he tried to explain on Liu Qingge's behalf. This person really shouldn't be so convoluted; he just makes things difficult for himself.

Shen Qingqiu's eyes were like those of a viper, and Shang Qinghua broke out in a cold sweat. After a long while, he sat back down, sheathed his sword, and tried to calm himself down. He said with a forced smile, "Shang Qinghua, can you shut up?"

Unable to contain his curiosity, Shang Qinghua raised his hand and said, "Can I say one more thing?"

Shen Qingqiu raised his chin, indicating permission. Shang Qinghua looked at him earnestly and uttered the most heartfelt words he had spoken since being electrocuted and transported to the world of the Arrogant Immortal Demon:

"If you ever see someone go berserk in the future, don't panic, and don't rush to help save them. Stay calm, go out and call for help, and don't try to do it yourself. Otherwise, you'll definitely make things worse, cause a huge mess, and be ruined for the rest of your life, unable to clear your name even if you jump into the Yellow River!"

Shen Qingqiu was baffled: "What does it have to do with me if others go astray in their cultivation? Why should I panic? Why should I help?"

Shang Qinghua, with a look that said, "I knew this would be the reaction," said, "...Just remember that."

Once Shang Qinghua became the peak master, he finally no longer had to blatantly act subservient.

She was destined to be busy, but at least she had risen from a lowly maid to the Grand Eunuch, which was quite an improvement.

I heard that the person on Qingjing Peak whom we can't afford to offend fell ill. After recovering, a secret meeting was held discreetly on Qiongding Peak.

Side hall at the dome peak.

Eleven of the twelve peak masters have arrived.

Yue Qingyuan said with a serious expression, "Don't you guys think that Junior Brother Qingqiu... has been acting very strangely these days?"

Several peak masters echoed this sentiment.

Liu Qingge solemnly replied, "It's more than just strange."

Qi Qingqi muttered, "He's practically a completely different person."

It was at this moment that Shang Qinghua, travel-worn, stepped into the side hall. In recent years, the Dragon Bone Fragrant Melon Seeds of Qiancao Peak had sold quite well outside, and he had been working on sales channels for several months. Having just returned, he was inexplicably pulled into a meeting, still somewhat confused about the situation. He rubbed his hands and said, "Well, I haven't seen Senior Brother Shen for a while. Could you all tell me exactly what's wrong with him?"

Yue Qingyuan said, "He can talk to me calmly for an hour."

"..." Shang Qinghua exclaimed in horror, "How strange! It's really strange!"

Logically speaking, there's a deep-seated problem between these two. Unless this problem is resolved, there's no possibility of them getting along.

Liu Qingge said, "He helped me out at Lingxi Cave."

Shang Qinghua then realized, "Right, in this timeline, Liu Qingge should have been killed by Shen Qingqiu, so how is she still alive and kicking, sitting here in a meeting?!"

Could it be that the reminder I gave Shen Qingqiu back then about the well demon incident had an effect?

The others continued to summarize Shen Qingqiu's various unusual behaviors recently, such as getting injured himself to fight off the ungrateful demon witch, and protecting his disciples out of concern... Shang Qinghua's face was almost contorted as he listened. After thinking it over, he realized that this selfless character was seriously out of character!

He couldn't help but ask, "Stop. Could he... be possessed? Senior Brother Wei, how's the Sword Testing Platform? Has he been there?"

On the Sword Testing Platform of Wanjian Peak, there is a strange sword called "Red Mirror" that no one has ever been able to draw. Whenever evil spirits or demons approach, the sword will automatically unsheathe. If Shen Qingqiu is truly possessed by something unclean, the Red Mirror will surely sound an alarm as soon as he gets close to the testing platform.

Wei Qingwei said, "He went over three times and tried to pull it out three times, but there was no response."

“Moreover, he doesn’t have any ghostly aura.” Yue Qingyuan said slowly, “I can’t detect any signs of being possessed.”

Qi Qingqi spread her hands and said, "If it were possession, that doesn't make sense. Possession always involves some ulterior motive. He's been doing nothing these days."

After a round of discussion, no consensus was reached. Finally, Mu Qingfang said, "It may not be a case of possession. In my opinion, it might just be that Senior Brother Shen's old problem has relapsed."

The peak masters looked at each other in bewilderment.

What is this "old problem"? No need to spell it out, everyone knows.

Shen Qingqiu has been impatient for quick results in his cultivation for a long time, and he may have gone astray again.

Mu Qingfang continued her analysis: "When a person is hit on the head by a boulder, they will lose some of their past memories. So it's not impossible that they might go into a state of demonic possession and undergo a drastic change in personality."

Yue Qingyuan asked, "Is there any possibility of recovery?"

Qi Qingqi wrinkled her nose: "Sect Leader, do you perhaps hope that he will remember and return to his old self, uh?"

Yue Qingyuan paused for a moment, then lowered his head and said, "I don't know either." He said earnestly, "Although it's good that he's like this now... it's still better if he can remember."

One of the peak masters asked in bewilderment, "In the past, he never greeted the sect leader or fellow disciples properly, nor did he ever pay them a visit. He even spoke in a sarcastic tone. What was so good about that? It's much better this way now."

Yue Qingyuan smiled slightly but remained silent. Mu Qingfang said with difficulty, "When I wrote down the prescription for the incurable last time, I also took a look at it for him. He has no clue and finds it difficult to proceed. I'm afraid we can only let nature take its course."

After concluding that "the master of Qingjing Peak has lost his memory, a cause for great celebration," the meeting adjourned.

After the meeting, Shang Qinghua felt it was necessary for him to inspect the situation (while delivering funds to Qingjing Peak).

Before the inspection, Shang Qinghua first went to Baizhan Peak.

Logically speaking, in terms of seniority among the peaks of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect, Qingjing Peak ranks second, Baizhan Peak ranks seventh, and after sending off the first-ranked Qiongding Peak, Qingjing Peak should be sent off next in order. However, firstly, Shen Qingqiu is too difficult to please, and Shang Qinghua always has to rack his brains to think of how to speak without offending him; secondly, Baizhan Peak is good at fighting, so sending them the funds first makes Shang Qinghua feel more at ease.

What kind of peace of mind? Well, it's the kind of peace of mind that small business owners who have paid protection money to a local bully...

He was greeted by Liu Qingge's junior brother, Ji Jue, who was as enthusiastic as ever. After exchanging a few pleasantries and completing the handover, Ji Jue said, "Then, Senior Brother Shang, please take care. I'm going back to the training ground."

Seeing his expression, Shang Qinghua realized he seemed reluctant to leave so quickly, and asked, "Junior Brother Liu has been lingering on Hundred Battles Peak quite often lately. Which junior brother has seen a significant improvement in his cultivation level?"

Liu Qingge is often away fighting, and no one on Hundred Battles Peak can rival him. He only returns home once a month at most. When groups of Hundred Battles Peak members go to Thousand Grass Peak to solicit medical treatment, that's when he's just returned. However, recently, the threshold of Thousand Grass Peak's gate has been worn down by the Hundred Battles Peak members, and their funds are tight. Mu Qingfang has been asking Shang Qinghua for favors every few days, which he finds strange, hence his question.

Ji Jue said dejectedly, "It's not from our peak. It's Shen Qingqiu."

Shang Qinghua had no expectation of hearing any earth-shattering answer, and nodded with a smile: "Oh, Shen Qingqiu... Shen Qingqiu?!"

After digesting the enormous amount of information conveyed by those three words, Shang Qinghua was almost so shocked that he ascended to heaven.

Ji Jue: "...Senior Brother Shang, what kind of look is that! Don't look at me like that! We didn't kill anyone! Shen Qingqiu is still alive, and no one did anything to him! You should be asking what he did to us!"

So, Shang Qinghua followed him and jogged all the way to the training ground.

On the high platform of basalt, Liu Qingge and Shen Qingqiu were actually having a proper sword fight.

Liu Qingge's movements were much slower than usual; it was more like she was practicing sparring than actually sparring. Her expression remained calm, lacking her usual murderous aura.

Just then, Shen Qingqiu's sword struck empty air. He frowned, and his left hand moved slightly.

Shang Qinghua's heart tightened suddenly, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Ji Jue beside her also looked tense, as if he had the urge to shout.

The two exchanged a glance, their minds in perfect harmony.

Ji Jue, still shaken, whispered, "I have a feeling that Shen Qingqiu is about to unleash some poisoned hidden weapon or something."

Shang Qinghua wholeheartedly agreed: "Great minds think alike!" It seems Junior Brother Ji has a very thorough understanding of this character! No wonder he's the old enemy who once fought Shen Qingqiu in a brothel, causing both peaks to lose face...

Shen Qingqiu withdrew his composure and stood still to think. He neither sneered nor looked at people with disdain. Looking at him like this, with his gentle eyebrows and eyes, he did have the air of a humble and refined gentleman.

After a moment, Shen Qingqiu said, "I don't understand."

Liu Qingge casually twirled her sword in a sharp flourish and asked, "What don't you understand?"

Suddenly, one of Ji Jue's disciples exclaimed, "Good heavens, he doesn't understand again."

Another disciple whispered, "I...I can't go on...My stomach hurts, I'll go down first..."

Ji Jue hurriedly said, "Junior brother, wait for me, I'm also..."

His junior brother pushed him back: "Stay put! Didn't you just get back?"

On the field, Shen Qingqiu said, "If I had used my right hand to strike you with my sword and my left hand to deliver a burst of spiritual energy, and then looked for an opportunity to hit your lower abdomen, I would still have had a chance to win."

Liu Qingge scoffed, "Impossible."

Shen Qingqiu insisted: "It's possible."

Liu Qingge: "If you can win, why don't you try?"

Shen Qingqiu said reservedly, "This is just a friendly spar; it wouldn't be good to get serious."

Liu Qingge didn't say anything more to him, and called out to the crowd, "Someone come here!"

Those he casually pointed at, like warriors of the Yi River, stepped onto the field with expressions of fearlessness, and fought a few moves with Liu Qingge, mimicking Shen Qingqiu's style, before being blasted away by the sword energy of Cheng Luan.

Liu Qingge then sheathed her sword and said to Shen Qingqiu, "See? It won't work."

Shen Qingqiu unfolded his folding fan, waved it in front of his chest, and said with a smile, "I see. Junior Brother Liu reacted too quickly. It really didn't work."

Ji Jue complained to Shang Qinghua in a low voice, "Every time he says 'I don't understand,' Senior Brother Liu has to find someone to demonstrate until he understands..."

No wonder the number of wounded and disabled people at Hundred Battles Peak has been increasing recently, while Thousand Grass Peak is bustling with activity.

Shang Qinghua had only one thought.

Shen Qingqiu is definitely doing this on purpose!!!

After the training session, Liu Qingge continued to instruct (and discipline) the disciples of Hundred Battles Peak. Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua greeted each other and headed down the mountain together. Just before they left the mountain gate, Ji Jue came over carrying two burlap sacks upside down, intending to give them to Shen Qingqiu and Shang Qinghua.

Shang Qinghua was puzzled. He untied the ribbon and looked inside, only to see two bloody, furry things nestled there: "This is..."

Ji Jue said blankly, "I heard that the short-haired monster that Senior Brother Liu hunted back tastes very good. You two senior brothers can take it back to the peak and cook it yourselves."

A short-haired monster? A short-haired monster? Did he even design such a monster?! Edible?! Are you serious?!

Shen Qingqiu also seemed quite skeptical about the food's edibility: "Thank you for your trouble..."

Ji Jue read aloud, "Senior brother said this is a return gift for the tea that Qingjing Peak sent last time."

Shang Qinghua thought to himself, "Holy crap!" but grinned, "So, I'm benefiting from Senior Brother Shen's favor. I wonder what kind of good tea it is?"

Shen Qingqiu said kindly, "It's from the tea plantation of my eldest disciple Mingfan's family. As for whether it's good or not, Junior Brother Shang, why don't you come to Qingjing Peak and have a taste?"

Shang Qinghua said shamelessly, "Then I'll also benefit from Senior Brother Liu's influence."

So each person dragged a burlap sack, pulling and tugging at things, and headed towards Qingjing Peak.

Upon entering the mountain gate, a gentle breeze caressed their faces, and birds sang softly, a stark contrast to the outside world. The two walked on the soft, green bamboo leaves, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

For some reason, Shen Qingqiu was in a very good mood, and didn't look like he had just lost to Liu Qingge at all. Instead, he casually praised, "Junior Brother Liu's swordsmanship is truly excellent."

Shang Qinghua couldn't help but remind him, "Senior Brother Shen, how many times have you lost?"

Shen Qingqiu thought for a moment: "Hmm? Hmm, you asked about this morning? About seven or eight times."

How can you be so calm?!

Shouldn't she be gritting her teeth, weeping like a cuckoo in the rain, tearfully turning back to seclusion for three months, vowing to fight again?

Do you realize you're out of character?! Can't you be a little more professional?!

Shen Qingqiu tapped the back of his neck with the handle of his fan: "Losing to the Hundred Battles Peak Master is nothing to be done. It would be abnormal to win."

"..." Shang Qinghua felt that she could no longer communicate with him.

The terrifying image had barely flashed through his mind when a white shadow darted over. Suddenly, something sticky landed in Shen Qingqiu's arms.

The limp mass cried out, "Master!"

Shen Qingqiu was nearly knocked flat on his back by his tackle. He swayed and managed to steady himself by grabbing a thick bamboo pole. He then saw Shang Qinghua watching him with a cold, expressionless gaze.

Looking at the handsome young man whose arms were wrapped around Shen Qingqiu's waist like a golden hoop, Shang Qinghua almost blurted out "Brother Bing"!

Shen Qingqiu awkwardly waved his fan with one hand, saying, "Shout if you want, but don't drag it out. Always throwing yourself at people, even your martial uncle is here! What kind of behavior is this!"

Luo Binghe slowly withdrew his hand, stood up straight, and obediently greeted Uncle Shang before saying, "After finishing my morning prayers, I've been waiting here for Master to return. I was so happy that I forgot myself..."

Shang Qinghua was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Luo Binghe then took Shen Qingqiu's arm and asked, "Master, why did you take so long today?"

"There are a lot of people today, aren't there?"

Luo Binghe naturally took the sack from Shen Qingqiu's hand: "Can I go next time too?"

"That depends on how much your swordsmanship has improved," Shen Qingqiu said casually. "I don't know what kind of monster is in the bag. Your Uncle Liu said it's edible. See if you can clean off the fur and how to eat it."

"Oh." Luo Binghe happily agreed, shook the bag, and the contents inside suddenly began to struggle.

"Master, he's still alive!"

Upon arriving at the reception hall of the bamboo hut, Shen Qingqiu's disciples were still taking turns poking the unidentified creature in the sack. Each time they poked the short-haired monster, it would let out a pitiful cry. They were quite excited and marveled, exclaiming, "Master, it's really alive!"

"What should we do with them if they're alive? Or should we kill them and eat them?"

"No, that's too pitiful..."

Shang Qinghua tried to ignore the group of young disciples who were sitting haphazardly on the ground, and drank his tea with his head down, his heart clenching.

I remember the last time I came, all the disciples looked utterly miserable, standing and sitting like statues, each with an ancient book in hand, chanting mantras wherever they went, their speech full of quotations and dramatic intonation. And look at them now… Is this still the Qingjing Peak, famous for its pretentious, artsy youths?

The whole place is a daycare center for children with ADHD.

Shen Qingqiu said, "If it's alive, then let's keep it."

Mingfan quickly objected: "Let's eat it, let's eat it. We've never raised one before, we don't know how much it needs to eat, and changing its water and taking it for walks are such a hassle..."

Ning Yingying pouted and said, "Come on, even if you raise them, it's definitely not up to you. Of course, Master will let A Luo raise them."

She looked up and asked, "Master, where did you catch this strange thing?"

"A gift from the Peak Master of Hundred Battles Peak. Tea as a return gift."

Upon hearing this, Ning Yingying grumbled, "Master, I don't like Hundred Battles Peak. They're so annoying... Last time, they bullied A'Luo because of their superior swordsmanship, and they even chased after him to beat him up..."

Shang Qinghua thought to himself: This is quite normal. The Hundred Battles Peak lineage's animosity towards Luo Binghe is innate. Perhaps it's a kind of intuition of a single-celled organism towards potential evil.

After scolding them, Ning Yingying pleaded, "Master, you must help us teach them a lesson!"

Shang Qinghua repeatedly agreed, responded with the same dry laugh, and drank his tea frantically.

"Little Yingying, you don't even need your master to lift a finger; Liu Qingge has already given them a severe lesson. The truth is, Shen Qingqiu is in charge of 'harmony and friendship,' while Liu Qingge is in charge of 'severe punishment'... Truly a hypocrite!" Shang Qinghua felt deeply gratified. Shen Qingqiu, as expected, is still the same insidious Shen Qingqiu!

Just then, Luo Binghe brought in tea and presented it to Shang Qinghua. Shen Qingqiu said, "Junior Brother, I am deeply grateful for the care and support that Anding Peak has always provided..."

But there was still one person squatting on the ground, refusing to let it go. Ning Yingying said excitedly, "Master, you must avenge A Luo!"

"..." Shen Qingqiu could no longer bear it: "Yingying, go out and play!"

Luo Binghe hurriedly said, "Please don't vent your anger. It's just that I'm not skilled enough and have brought shame to Master and Qingjing Peak."

Shen Qingqiu comforted him, saying, "Your foundation is just not very strong right now. As long as you work hard, you will definitely be able to surpass them in time."

Ming Fan scoffed, "Surpassing Hundred Battles Peak? Him? He'll be waiting a hundred years." Ning Yingying flew into a rage, "If you look down on Qingjing Peak so much, and you look down on A Luo, then you go to Hundred Battles Peak and see if they'll accept you!" Shen Qingqiu sighed, "Didn't I tell you to go out and play? Why are you still here?! Binghe, get them out of here, don't embarrass yourselves."

...

Shang Qinghua felt like he was about to have a heart attack.

What are these Shen Qingqiu-branded Red Candle Gardener and Luo Binghe-branded Sweet Little Cotton-padded Jacket?!

Please, please don't tell me that Shen Qingqiu went to Baizhan Peak to play pranks on people just to get revenge for Luo Binghe!

This scene of a loving father and filial son... ugh, ugh, a picture of mutual respect and courtesy is more fantastical than Shen Qingqiu and Liu Qingge's peaceful sparring. If things continue like this, who knows, they might actually start flirting one day. Ugh, if that ever happens, I'll swallow three pounds of hot shit.

Speaking of which, Feiji Juju (a nickname for a person) has always been bad at using idioms; the few he knows are all used to describe Liu Mingyan's beauty. The most frequently used are "soft breasts trembling" and "delicate as if broken by a breath." "Respectful as guests" should be a good fit here, right...?