"What am I? How could my father not know..."

The past few days have been sunny and warm, with clear skies for days, until this afternoon when a cold wind carrying dust and dirt started to blow again.

As night fell, all was quiet.

Li Laosan carried the cooked pot from the kitchen into the main room, poked at the glowing embers in the stove with an iron spatula, and placed the pot on the small stove.

He hurriedly went to the kitchen, poured a pot of wine, and warmed it with hot water.

While he was busy with these things, his wife, Aunt Li, was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) fast asleep, snoring loudly.

Li Laosan had always been angry with his wife but dared not speak out, ever since he was young. He had to take care of everything for the family, from food and drink to daily expenses.

Yesterday, the wine was a little too hot, and the woman beat him up at the dinner table in front of their children.

He was beaten and hid under the table, not daring to say a word. He had to clean up the table after the whole family finished eating.

Once the wine in the pot was warm enough, Li Laosan respectfully poured himself a cup, sniffed it, and found it so fragrant it made his tongue tingle.

But he didn't dare drink it. He picked up the wine cup and went to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to call out, "Husband, it's time to get up. Lan'er is bringing people back today."

The woman on the kang (a heated brick bed) hummed a couple of times, and after a while, she sat up, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

After Li Laosan served the woman some wine and helped her get off the kang (a heated brick bed), a knock came at the door shortly after. Li Laosan quickly put on his coat and went to open the door.

Aunt Li followed the aroma to the outer room, lifted the lid of the pot, and took a look, but was somewhat dissatisfied.

Qian Guier, who followed Li Zhelan in, felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Aunt Li's expression.

On his first visit, Zhe Lan's mother was unhappy and didn't seem to welcome him. It's uncertain whether things will work out in the future.

He put down the pile of gifts he had brought and was invited to sit down at the table, feeling rather uneasy.

Li Laosan offered him a cup of wine, but he was nervous and had no interest in drinking. Holding the cup in his hand, he didn't know where to look, so his eyes fell on the steaming pot on the small stove next to him.

I don't know what they're cooking, but it's steaming hot and smells delicious.

In her ear, Zhe Lanniang was sipping her wine and scolding, "You didn't even prepare the meat for the New Year, Li Laosan, I think you're getting more and more deserving of a beating."

When guests arrive at the host's house and start arguing, Qian Guier, sitting on a small stool, can't help but feel a little embarrassed.

When he arrived, he was given a warm cup of wine to warm his hands, but no one seemed to greet him or anything else.

He glanced at Zhe Lan, but Zhe Lan got up and went out to call her brother.

The door was opened, and a cold wind suddenly blew in. Zhe Lan followed a tall young man into the room.

The young man glanced at him and said, "Is this the man you're looking for?"

Zhe Lan sat down next to Qian Guier with a smile and said, "Of course, he's handsome and a rich young master. Unlike you, who can't even find a woman."

Upon hearing this, Qian Guier felt somewhat smug and raised her chin, but she had to suppress her pounding heart and try to appear humble.

"Drink up, Brother Gui'er, this wine was brewed by my father himself, it's very delicious."

Qian Gui'er immediately took a sip. His mind wasn't on the wine; he knew it was strong, but he couldn't tell whether it was good or bad.

The stove in the room was burning hot, and I started to sweat after sitting for only a short while.

Aunt Li sat opposite Qian Gui'er, asking a question or two every now and then.

Qian Guier answered politely and frankly, telling her everything she knew without reservation, as if she wanted to tell her entire family history, including her ancestors for eighteen generations.

Any occasion can become lively with a little wine. We were having a good chat inside when suddenly there was a knock on the door outside.

Li Laosan got up on his own and went to the door to look. After a while, he came back, lifted the cotton curtain, poked his head in, and asked, "Master, a young man has come. He said he is traveling at night and can't find a place to stay. He wants to ask to stay the night."

Aunt Li clinked glasses with Qian Guier, whose face was flushed from drinking, and said, "Then let's invite him in to warm up the fire together."

Li Laosan carefully hid the piece of silver the young man had given him and said happily, "Okay, I'll go call him."

A moment later, the cotton curtain was lifted again.

A faint, deep, cool fragrance suddenly wafted in on the cold wind, as if the aroma of the food and wine in the room had been completely washed away in an instant, leaving the room filled with that indescribable, cool fragrance.

It's like the chilly smell of pine trees and snow-covered mountains during a heavy snowfall.

After two glasses of wine, Qian Guier, who was feeling a little dizzy, shivered as if Xue had rubbed her head hard, and sobered up.

Curious, he raised his head and looked towards the door, where he saw a tall, slender young man standing behind the hunchbacked Li Laosan.

The boy wore an indigo cloak, the hood of which was pulled down to his eyebrows and eyes, drawing attention to his clear eyes.

Qian Guier's breath hitched slightly. He had seen many handsome young men, but he had never seen one like this before.

Aunt Li was noticeably warmer than when Qian Guier entered the house. She personally got up and went to the door to greet him, saying, "Young man, where have you come from? Come in and sit down."

The young man entered the house, greeted everyone, and then nodded to Aunt Li, saying, "Thank you, Aunt. I came from the north and was on my way to Chang'an to check on the harvest. I apologize for disturbing you tonight."

Aunt Li felt pity for him because he was obedient.

She pulled him by the sleeve and led him to the table, asking warmly, "Young man, you don't look like an ordinary person, and you don't look well either. Have you been sick lately? Why is no one with you at home?"

Qian Guier pursed her lips and looked at Zhe Lan with concern, only to find that Zhe Lan was also staring longingly at the young man.

Qian Guier was even more dissatisfied. Zhe Lan was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He didn't mind that her family was remote and poor. He only wanted to get married as soon as possible and give her a good life.

To his surprise, when he arrived, everyone there looked down on him.

He felt aggrieved and wanted to get up and leave, but he felt it would be too petty and make him seem narrow-minded, so he endured it, thinking that it would be better to break off his relationship with Zhe Lan and never come here to suffer again.

Pei Xuanzhi coughed twice, silently withdrew his hand, pressed his sleeve to his lips, and coughed again.

Then he said slowly, "Auntie, I'm used to running back and forth by myself, and my family doesn't worry about me at all."

Li Zhelan personally poured him a cup of wine and said gently, "Young man, drink some hot wine to warm yourself up."

Pei Xuanzhi accepted the glass of wine, thanked him, and held the black porcelain wine glass with his slender, fair fingers, saying with a hint of guilt, "I have been in poor health since childhood and cannot drink alcohol."

Li Zhelan looked at the snow-white robes under his half-open cloak after he sat down, and the golden longevity lock on the lapel, and couldn't help but laugh: "How old are you this year? Why are you still wearing such a thing?"

Pei Xuanzhi replied, "It won't be until May next year that I reach the eighteenth."

Li Zhelan laughed and said, "I'm older than you, so it's not inappropriate for me to call you 'elder sister'."

Pei Xuanzhi smiled in response and didn't say anything more.

Qian Guier, standing to the side, stood up with a dark face and said, "It's getting late, so I'll take my leave now."

Aunt Li glanced at him and said, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Let's eat first."

Qian Guier sneered, "What do you mean by 'eat'? Haven't I ever eaten? You old woman and old man, look at how you treat your guests! I came with bags and bags of gifts, and you're not even as well off as a sickly old man who came empty-handed!"

Li Laosan gritted his teeth and slapped Qian Guier on the back of the head, cursing, "You short-lived brat, who are you yelling at? Your grandpa has already prepared the ingredients to marinate you, and you think you can just leave now?"

Qian Guier's face turned ashen instantly. She turned and ran, but Li Zhelan's brother grabbed her by the back of her neck and dragged her back.

Aunt Li said calmly, "I noticed there wasn't enough human meat in the pot. I could even smell the rabbit meat mixed in. Let's leave it here and slice it as we eat. It'll be fresh."

Li Laosan immediately replied, "Then I'll go heat up some water to wash up."

No respectable person would easily say such a thing. Qian Guier thought of the stories she had heard in her childhood. She wondered if she had encountered a monster that had invaded the human race. She was so frightened that her legs went weak and she kept begging for mercy.

At just the right moment, Pei Xuanzhi's wine glass fell to the ground, the slightly red wine splashing onto the hem of his white robe, creating scattered pink blushes.

Li Zhelan raised her hand and placed it on his shoulder, comforting him, "Don't worry, just be husband and wife with your sister for a while, be a good son to my mother, and no one in the family will dare to touch you."

The boy hesitated, "But I've been married before."

Li Zhelan said nonchalantly, "It's okay. My family likes to eat pretty people. Once I'm tired of you, you won't be able to come back."

The boy was clearly frightened by her. "Huh? Really? I know a place with lots of beautiful people. I'll take you there, and then you can let me go."

Aunt Li raised an eyebrow. "Where did you mean?"

Pei Xuanzhi smiled gently, his face completely innocent, and said, word by word, "The Sky Patrol Division."

The Li family's expressions changed instantly, and Li Zhelan's hand on his shoulder immediately turned into sharp claws and reached out to strangle his neck.

Pei Xuanzhi suddenly fell backward, and a yellow talisman swung out from his snow-white sleeve with gold trim, quickly landing on his back and dragging him to stand in the hall.

The Li family quickly gathered together and stood ready for battle.

Qian Guier, her legs half-broken, stumbled behind Pei Xuanzhi, clutching his cloak tightly, and cried, "Young master, please catch them! They're terrifying! Terrifying!"

Pei Xuanzhi reached down and took off his hood, saying casually, "The smell from the pot has drifted all the way to the deserted road. Do you want to cook it yourselves, or should I do it?"

Li Dalang and his father stood in front of the two women, angrily saying, "If you let this go, we won't hold it against you. But if you meddle, we'll make you our drinking companion tonight!"

Qian Gui'er let out a loud howl to relieve her fear, and then complained loudly, "Young master, listen to this, they're going to eat you!"

Pei Xuanzhi made a hand seal with his fingertips, and seeing that he was stubborn and unresponsive, the Li family suddenly transformed into four pure black wild foxes and pounced on him.

Pei Xuanzhi quickly took two steps back, and eight yellow talismans formed an array in front of him. A powerful pressure crashed down like a huge wave, causing the four wild foxes to smash through the earthen wall in an instant, clutching their tails and lying on the ground howling in pain.

Pei Xuanzhi stood with one hand forming a hand seal and said calmly, "The demon race and the human race are now in the same boat. Aren't you afraid of being hunted down by both races for breaking the rules?"

Aunt Li struggled to her feet and roared angrily, "I don't care about your rules, I'll eat whatever I want!"

"Then I will leave you with a complete corpse. If the people from the Sky Patrol Bureau, the Hall of Inquiry of the World of various sects, or the Pure and Righteous Academy of the Demon Clan come, I wonder how you will die."

Li Laosan spat out a mouthful of blood and asked, "Then who are you!"

"An unknown nobody."

Pei Xuanzhi's fingertips moved with magic, and the eight talismans rapidly changed. Seeing this, the four wild foxes struggled and fled into the wilderness.

However, he was instantly killed by the rapidly catching talisman array.

Qian Guier looked at the four motionless black shadows and instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

But then the boy who was blocking her way suddenly stumbled twice.

Qian Guier quickly helped him up and asked, "Young man, are you alright?"

Pei Xuanzhi waved his hand and stood up straight again.

His physical strength was insufficient, and his body could not withstand the depletion of spiritual energy, which was a common occurrence.

He lifted the cotton curtain and went into the kitchen in the courtyard. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a cold, rusty smell.

Several heads with long hair were thrown into a wooden cage on the table, with a layer of gnawed bones underneath.

Without changing his expression, he carried the wooden cage out and placed it in the courtyard, his ten fingers forming intricate mudras.

A few wisps of smoke drifted leisurely into a black jade bracelet on his wrist. After a long while, they turned into white smoke and swirled above his head for a moment before finally dissipating into the wind.

Qian Guier wanted to run away, but this was the middle of nowhere, and he was even more afraid of leaving Pei Xuanzhi. So he had no choice but to dig a hole with him and bury the bones in the wooden cage, along with the pot in the house.

Qian Gui'er only felt a little relieved after she was seated in the carriage, which was lit with candles and decorated with yellow talismans.

Pei Xuanzhi lowered the carriage curtain and looked at the desolate and bleak landscape of the wilderness. He couldn't help but ask, "You dare to come to a place like this?"

Qian Guier lowered her head, picking at the black dirt under her fingernails, wiping away her tears, and said, "She said her home was a bit far away. I thought about it, and it makes sense. People live on the mountain, so why can't people live here?"

Pei Xuanzhi remained silent, lowering his gaze and leaning against the carriage wall to calm his spiritual energy.

Qian Guier looked up at his thin face, hesitated for a long time, and finally asked, "Young man, do you sell talismans and medicine?"

.

Pei Xuanzhi personally escorted Qian Guier off the carriage and patiently explained to this generous guest where the yellow talismans for warding off evil spirits should be worn and where they should be placed in the home.

Although he is somewhat aloof and distant, he is not arrogant at heart.

He has wandered alone in the world for many years. He has survived to this day not because of any inexplicable arrogance or self-importance.

On the contrary, he knew that people like to be around gentle and polite people. Even those with high status and power need to learn to wield a long blade but use gentleness and courtesy to calm people's hearts.

No one really likes to be around arrogant and conceited people. Arrogant and conceited people easily make enemies and are unlikely to last long. This is an example he has personally witnessed many times.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, dancing and pausing in the air.

Pei Xuanzhi stood in the wind, his cloak pulled up. Qian Guier asked him many questions, which he answered one by one, and he declined the invitation to stay at the Qian family's house.

After Qian Guier left, he returned to the carriage and urged the spirit horse forward.

He carefully put away the silver note, estimating how much money he could bring back to the Tianyan Sect with the money he now had.

Before the steed had gone far, a loud laugh could be heard carried on the night wind:

"Pei Xuanzhi, the son of the dignified Tianyan Sect leader, I thought you were just a charlatan selling things at the temple fair. No matter how powerful your family background is, it can't penetrate your shallow eyelids. You're making money off this!"

Pei Xuanzhi sat quietly in the car, listening to the howling wind outside, and said calmly:

"There's nothing I can do about it. I've only just gotten married, and I need to save up some money for my wife's expenses. Unlike you, Brother Lin, who sacrificed your entire family and is now homeless, jobless, and unattached. You can just die and decompose to nourish the plants. You don't even need to waste a single piece of paper money. You are truly admirable."

After a long silence outside the car, a cold laugh finally broke out: "You think you're so great just because you're married? You should know you're not long for this world now that you dare to leave the Tianyan Sect. What are you doing hiding in the car?"

Pei Xuanzhi said casually, "It's cold outside, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea, Brother Lin?"

A woman's voice came from outside the car, "Pei Xuanzhi, you're so proud of yourself! You ripped out my disciple's internal organs, and now you've become the clean-cut son of the Tianyan Sect's leader. Pei Hanzhou, do you even know what kind of person you really are!"

Pei Xuanzhi found it somewhat amusing. "What are you saying? Do you think my father doesn't know who I am?"

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:41:34 on November 18, 2023 and 00:46:50 on November 19, 2023!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Cute Cheese 15 bottles; This Summer 13 bottles; Flower, Painter 10 bottles; Song Strawberry, Ren Bu Ru · Zi 5 bottles; Xia Wu Zong 3 bottles; Lin Xia Feng 2 bottles; Another Day of Searching for Books, Life Like This, Bookworm Kris with a Brainstorm, Zhou Man's Sword Bone, Sweet Vegetable, Liu Xiao, Yu Nian, Luo, Whose Autumn Water Again, Mao Zai 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!