Xi Zhen stood with his hands behind his back, looking deep in thought. It was unclear what he was thinking. When he saw the two of them return, his gaze naturally fell on Xi Xizhi.
With her silver-white hair and a striking red mark on her forehead, she possessed bright eyes and white teeth. She didn't look like a glamorous fairy, but rather gave off an ethereal and refreshing beauty.
"I thought you'd be a chubby little guy if you turned into a human." Xi Zhen circled around Xi Xizhi a few times, seemingly dissatisfied with Xi Xizhi's appearance, which was nothing like what he had imagined.
“You’re the fatso,” Xi Xizhi retorted.
Although they were master and disciple, they got along very intimately, unlike others who were always full of respect and would greet each other with "Hello, Master" as soon as they met.
Xi Xizhi was raised by Xi Zhen. They were not only master and disciple, but also each other's only family.
An Honghan placed his hand on Xi Xizhi's shoulder, asserting his ownership, and remained quiet throughout the bickering between the two, without interrupting.
Xi Zhen glanced at An Honghan's hand touching Xi Xizhi's waist, then turned her head away, too lazy to look anymore. She was indignant, thinking to herself, "You brat, you've been taken advantage of and you haven't even realized it. Sooner or later, this man will devour you..."
The thought that the child she raised would suddenly become someone else's filled Xi Zhen with a sense of melancholy.
But then he thought that if this person hadn't protected him in this world, his disciple might not have even had the chance to cultivate into a human. After all, no one knew better than him how demanding the conditions for animal cultivation were.
Many animals are killed by nature before they even grow up.
Compared to the path of cultivation for humans, the path of cultivation for animal spirits is extremely difficult.
"Master, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be unable to descend to the mortal realm after ascension?" Many years had passed, and Xi Xizhi had never had the chance to see her master. Back when she was eighteen, her master ascended to the upper realm, and she stayed alone in the valley until the heavenly tribulation descended.
It would have been better if they hadn't talked about it. Once it was brought up, Xi Zhen's eyebrows and eyes furrowed, and he yelled at Xi Xizhi, "It's all because of you! All the Shaoxing wine I've been saving for so many years has gone down the drain on those drunkards!"
Xi Xizhi opened her eyes wide in confusion, "What does this have to do with me?"
"Do you still remember the magic artifact I gave you before I ascended to immortality?" Xi Zhen walked over and poked Xi Xizhi's head, looking at her with a disappointed expression. "If it weren't for that magic artifact that helped you block the power of the last heavenly lightning, would you still be alive? Your soul would have been reduced to ashes! I sensed it the moment the magic artifact shattered, and later guessed that you must have failed your tribulation."
"I searched for your soul for more than three months. Later, I learned from a fellow Daoist that when you were undergoing your tribulation, a spacetime rift appeared in the sky. I immediately guessed that you had fallen into it, so I immediately changed direction and came here to search for you."
The more Xi Zhen spoke, the more heartbroken he became. He shook his head and sighed, "In order to bribe those drunkards to help me open the Gate of Realms, all my private stash of fine wine was gone. Several jars of it had been buried underground for over a hundred years. I myself couldn't bear to drink a drop of it, and now it's all gone."
Xi Zhen yelled at Xi Xizhi a few times, venting all the anger in her heart.
Whenever he thought of those few jars of fine wine, he would scratch his head in deep sorrow.
So that's how it is...
It seems that bribery is common both in the human world and in the heavenly realm!
"Master, please accept my condolences." Xi Xizhi blinked, feigning sympathy. Actually, she never supported her master's drinking. She remembered once when he came home drunk, she picked up a hammer and smashed his wine jar to pieces.
Since then, my master has become much more restrained in his drinking.
“Now tell me about you and him…” Xi Zhen pointed at An Honghan, raised his eyebrows and glared at Xi Xizhi, waiting for his disciple to explain.
Since she knew she had to say it sooner or later, Xi Xizhi said without hesitation, "Just like he said."
After all, she was An Honghan's mink, and now that she's become human, she's naturally considered his person too.
"What do you mean?" Xi Zhen pinched Xi Xizhi's ear and shouted into it, "You've grown wings, haven't you? Your master isn't even by your side, and you've given yourself away without any matchmaker's help?!"
"I..." Xi Xizhi looked at An Honghan with a wronged expression, seeking his help. She hadn't given herself away! And what was this "arranged marriage" nonsense? Had her master misunderstood something?
Just as Xi Xizhi was about to explain, An Honghan spoke first.
“When we return to the capital, I will marry her myself. You don’t need to worry about her being mistreated.” An Honghan put his arm around Xi Xizhi’s slender waist and met Xi Zhen’s eyes.
Xi Xizhi's eyes widened instantly.
Getting married?
Isn't she his pet?
How did this turn into a marriage proposal?
Xi Xizhi was so angry that she felt dizzy and lightheaded.
"You two are trying to drive me crazy!" Xi Zhen thought... An Honghan was more pleasing to the eye when he didn't speak, but once he started talking, he was sure to make him explode with anger.
Why is his apprentice getting more and more dull? He's only been in this world for a short time, and he's already been kidnapped and left with nothing.
His experience far surpassed that of Xi Xizhi, so he knew that every emperor was treacherous and cunning, changing their tune faster than turning the pages of a book. Just look at their harems; they love this one today and that one tomorrow. Who knows if they are sincere or not?
Xi Xizhi was also in a daze, her mind filled with the thought of An Honghan marrying her. After thinking for a while, she was just mustering up the courage to explain when Xi Zhen shut her down with a single sentence.
“I don’t have time to talk to you about this right now.” Xi Zhen turned to face An Honghan, his expression turning serious. “You are the ruler of a country, the most powerful person. The people of Fengzhou are suffering. You won’t just sit idly by, will you?”
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