"What?"
Chu Guiyi didn't understand why Xie Shuci's thinking was so jumpy.
Xie Shuci looked at the departing golden carriage with a puzzled expression. "Maybe I'm seeing things, but the person inside the carriage looks like Sikong Xin."
But Sikong Xin and Liu Dazhuang have already returned to the Floating Pagoda Realm. Could it be that the person in the carriage is his elder brother, the protagonist of this book, Gong Sikong Ye?
Xie Shuci rejected his own idea in his heart.
It couldn't be Sikong Ye. That idiot is obsessed with all sorts of unknown and challenging things. He's probably busy stirring up trouble in some secret realm again.
"Are you seeing things?" Chu Wenfeng scoffed.
"Yes, there's a problem. Do you have a cure?" Xie Shuci rolled his eyes.
The three of them failed to notice that Xie An, standing to the side, looked extremely grim.
"Xie Shuci, I'm going back to my room to get something," Xie An suddenly said.
Xie Shuci turned her head to look at him, "What are you taking? Do you want me to come with you?"
"No need, I remember the location."
Their room was in the attic, just a few steps away, so Xie Shuci simply nodded and let him go by himself.
Xie An got up from the table, his lips tightly pressed together, and quickly walked up the stairs. After returning to his room, he blocked the door, walked to the window, and jumped down.
A carriage with a cloud-shaped top painted with gold is not common in the cultivation world. The top of the carriage is painted with floating clouds in a special paint, as if they are slowly floating with the turning of the wheels. The gold paint is applied to the outer wall of the carriage, making it look like a small palace.
As the carriage traveled through the middle of the road, the common people and monks instinctively made way for it, casting admiring glances at it.
At this critical juncture, the owner of the carriage dared to be so ostentatious, as if he wanted everyone to know how noble his status was.
However, no one noticed that a white figure was standing on the rooftop beside the street.
His gaze was as cold as frost as he stared at the golden carriage atop the clouds. The next moment, he reached out and grabbed at the air, and a crimson sword hilt appeared in his palm. With a pulling motion, a sharp blade covered in crimson flames was drawn out of the air.
A strong aura of killing intent swirled around the sword, emanating a chilling ferocity. The experienced cultivators in the street seemed to sense something and looked up at the rooftop in fear, but there was no one on the eaves, only a wisp of killing intent that had not yet dissipated.
"boom--"
A loud crash suddenly came from the street. The golden carriage that was traveling on the road seemed to have been cleaved in two by a sword from above. The carriage was instantly smashed into pieces, and the debris flew in all directions.
"Who goes there?!"
The cultivator cleaved the flying carriage wall in two with a single sword strike, causing an uproar among the crowd.
But when the gray fog dissipated, everyone looked at the wrecked Yunding Golden Carriage and was surprised to find that there was no one inside.
"What happened?"
"What happened?"
Some ordinary people and young monks were unaware of what had happened.
In the corner, the boy returned the crimson sword to the void, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he looked at the empty wreckage of the carriage.
But he didn't seem to intend to continue the chase. He turned around, leaped onto the wall, and instantly disappeared into the alley.
On the street, passersby had no idea what had happened, and didn't even see who had touched the precious golden carriage.
Meanwhile, in the attic, an elderly man with gray hair stroked his beard, watching with great interest the direction the boy had left in.
"This is incredible! Two important figures have come to Jiyue City this year!" the old man exclaimed with a smile.
"Oh? What important person?" asked a cultivator in blue robes sitting opposite the old man.
The old man was taken aback, then respectfully bowed to the person opposite him, saying, "Teacher, you are unaware of this."
The monk he called "teacher" looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old. Judging from his appearance, he was at least one generation younger than the old man.
"The person who just made the move moved with fluid grace, and the sword light fell like thunder, yet its origin was unpredictable. If I hadn't noticed him earlier, I probably wouldn't have been able to sense the sword energy before it hit me. As far as I know, even Chu Guiyi of the Chu family of Yingzhou, the most outstanding disciple among the younger generation in the cultivation world today, might not be able to do this."
The cultivator in blue nodded. "To earn such praise from Elder Meng, this person must indeed be a great figure. And who is the other one?"
The old man sighed and said, "The other important person is the one I mentioned to my teacher a few days ago."
The cultivator in blue robes asked in surprise, "Is that the eldest disciple of the Sikong family who snatched the auction token from Elder Meng's hands?"
The old man looked even more worried. "Yes, I don't have many years left to live. Why do I have to let that scoundrel come out and torment me?"
The monk in blue smiled and said, "Elder Meng, you have suffered all these years."
The old man waved his hand, "Teacher, please don't flatter your disciple. If it weren't for you, how could the Meng family have its current status? Speaking of which, besides these two important figures, there is another person from Jiyue City who has come."
The monk in blue robes asked, "Who are you?"
The old man stroked his beard and squinted his eyes. "It's that mysterious alchemist from the Floating Pagoda Realm—Xie Shuci. He's practically a household name in Qizhou now. I'm quite curious about his experiences in the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, so I sent someone to deliver a token to him. Just a few days ago, he, along with two disciples from the Chu family and his sworn brother with whom he has a close relationship, entered Jiyue City."
Upon hearing the name "Xie Shuci," the blue-robed cultivator's face immediately darkened.
"Teacher, speaking of which, after you left Dadu, you changed your surname to Xie, which is quite a coincidence. Do you know him?"
The monk in blue robes said expressionlessly, "I don't know him, I don't know him, I've never seen him before."
Just then, three or four cultivators, all dressed in light blue disciple robes, pushed open the door and entered, their faces ashen.
"I give up. Downstairs they're talking about Xie Shuci and his sworn brother's dirty business again."
"I just don't understand, what's there to say about this? I couldn't even bear to look at those storybooks the first time I saw them!"
"Yes, wouldn't it be better to write more about his heroic deeds?"
"How embarrassing! So incredibly embarrassing!"
The old man looked at them with a smile, "The storybook is about Xie Shuci. Why do you gentlemen feel ashamed? Could it be that you know that young master Danxiu?"
Upon hearing this, the cultivators' expressions turned solemn, and they said in a serious tone:
"I don't know him."
Who is it?
"have no idea."
"Never seen it before."
"Not familiar with it."
Old man: "..."
——
Xie Shuci and Chu Guiyi discussed for a long time, but the little blind man still hadn't returned.
Xie Shuci gradually felt uneasy, worried that the little blind boy might have encountered some danger. After all, this place was a mixed bag, and he might encounter some people with ill intentions.
Just as Xie Shuci was filled with worry, the little blind man slowly walked down from the attic, and Xie Shuci immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
"What are you carrying? Why did it take you so long?"
Xie An sat down beside him. "It's nothing, I just remembered it wrong."
"You remembered it wrong?" Xie Shuci looked at him in confusion.
Xie An seemed unwilling to continue the topic and asked, "How did your discussions go?"
Xie Shuci's attention was immediately diverted. "I want to go to the Meng family to see if it really is them. I can give them a heads-up and thank them in person. Although they probably don't want to see me."
Chu Wenfeng put one foot on the stool and looked at Xie Shuci with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
I thought to myself, this person is so easy to fool, he has no guile or cunning at all, he just believes whatever the blind man says without a second thought.
Fortunately, the blind man had no intention of robbing or killing, otherwise Xie Shuci would have been dead hundreds of times over.
Xie Shuci lowered his head in frustration.
Xie An placed his large hand on his back and said softly, "Go if you want to."
Xie Shuci said, "But if I go, my identity will definitely be exposed. What if someone targets me? I don't have the ability to protect you."
Xie An gently stroked his back with his palm. "Don't worry, no one will be watching you."
Even if they've got their eyes on you, they can't do anything to you.
Chu Guiyi also said, "Shuci, you don't need to worry. With your current status in Qizhou, there will be even more immortal sects and families who want to befriend you. Moreover, with Wen Feng and me here, you have nothing to worry about."
Chu Guiyi never intended to hide her identity; she was only concerned about Xie Shuci.
However, although Xie Shuci sometimes boasted, he actually underestimated himself. Xie Shuci possessed abundant spiritual power and was adept at using it, so his cultivation level shouldn't be so low. It was just that he disliked fighting and killing and had never thought of using his spiritual power to harm others, which was why his cultivation level had stagnated.
Despite their low cultivation level, they definitely have the ability to protect themselves.
Moreover, Xie An was by his side.
Xie Shuci ultimately decided to go to the Meng family to find out what was going on.
After lunch, the four of them headed to the sacred mountain where the Meng family lived.
Along the way, they passed the venue where the Meng family had always held their auctions, a place called "Laiqulou". It is said that the inns prepared for the cultivators who come to participate in the auctions are located around "Laiqulou".
Xie Shuci peered curiously into the building. The two doormen guarding the entrance glanced at him unexpectedly, and Xie Shuci shrank back, immediately looking away.
"Why are you being so fierce? Is it illegal to even glance at someone?" Xie Shuci muttered.
Just then, several tall horses passed by the four of them, with a group of cultivators dressed in purple disciple robes riding on their backs.
Leading the way was a man in his thirties. As the horse passed Xie Shuci, he suddenly spurred it, and the white horse uneasily raised its hoof, nearly kicking Xie Shuci.
Xie An grabbed his wrist and pulled him back, then pursed his lips and looked at the man on horseback with his dark eyes.
"You..." Chu Wenfeng pointed at the man, about to say something, but Xie Shuci pulled him back. "What?"
Chu Wenfeng glared at him.
Xie Shuci shook his head at him, signaling him not to act impulsively.
These people's clothes clearly didn't look like ordinary people, and Xie Shuci didn't want to cause any trouble.
Chu Wenfeng curled his lip, "Coward."
Seeing that Xie Shuci dared not resist, the leading man's eyes became even more contemptuous. He glanced at Xie Shuci casually and said to the disciples behind him, "Be careful, don't hurt ordinary people."
When the man said the words "ordinary people," his tone was meaningful.
Upon hearing this, the disciples behind him stared at Xie Shuci and his companions and chuckled, displaying an arrogant and haughty demeanor.
A woman in purple said with a smile, "Young master, this is a place that ordinary people shouldn't come to. Don't get mistaken for a villain and arrested."
Xie Shuci and his group ignored them, but their silence only emboldened them. One by one, they raised their chins and showed off their noses, deliberately slowing down and leisurely passing by them.
Before long, the group finally left. Watching their departing figures, Xie Shuci said thoughtfully, "Isn't this just a minor cannon fodder character from a novel coming to life?"
In the story, any supporting character who is arrogant, conceited, and sarcastic from the very first meeting is, without exception, a minor villain destined to be humiliated.
"What?" Xie An looked at him.
Xie Shuci said seriously, "Little blind man, believe it or not, based on the usual pattern, these people will definitely regret their actions today in a few days."
Chu Wenfeng scoffed, "Regret? What are they regretting?"
"Believe me, this is usually the routine, especially after they know our background."
Do you know who they are?
Xie Shuci shook his head and said, "I don't know."
What's your background?
Xie Shuci rested his chin on his hand and shook his head, saying, "It seems like he has no background."
Chu Wenfeng gave him a half-smile.
Chu Guiyi smiled and explained, "Judging from that outfit, it's probably the Yin family, which ranks first among the Hundred Families."
Xie Shuci: "Ranked... ranked number one..."
Okay, I guess I was narrow-minded.
Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms and said, "It is common knowledge in the cultivation world that the Yin family disciples are arrogant. The reason is simple: although the Yin family ranks first among the Hundred Sects, their patriarch is the current leader of the Hundred Sects."
Xie Shuci pouted, "So you wanted to fight them head-on just now?"
"I..." Chu Wenfeng choked up for a moment, "I just can't stand them."
Xie Shuci patted his shoulder with feigned seriousness and said, "Young man, you need to know your place, you know? Learn from me. What's wrong with letting them ridicule you? It's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh. It's better to avoid trouble..."
However, before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out among the Yin family members who had not gone far.
Suddenly, their horses seemed startled and began to neigh anxiously, struggling to throw them off their backs.
Several unsuspecting cultivators were thrown from their horses, creating a rather comical scene.
Chu Guiyi looked at Xie An with a complicated expression.
The path of slaughter that this person cultivates is the path that all living beings in the world fear most.
When had the disciples of the Yin family ever encountered such an embarrassing situation? Afraid of being laughed at by others, they immediately glared at Xie Shuci and his companions.
Xie Shuci knew exactly what they were thinking. These disciples were used to being flattered and certainly didn't want to be laughed at. To avoid trouble for himself, Xie Shuci took the arm of the people beside him, turned around, and pointed to the sun in the sky, "Look at that, what is that?"
Xie An: "?"
Chu Wenfeng laughed angrily, "Xie Shuci, are you out of your mind?"
Chu Guiyi shook his head helplessly.
The Yin family disciples glared at them, calmed the horses, and continued on their way.
As the sound of horses' hooves faded into the distance, Xie Shuci breathed a sigh of relief and tossed Chu Wenfeng aside. "Little Wenfeng, when you're out in the world, it's best to avoid getting hurt if possible. How will those people feel if they find out that we 'ordinary people' have made a fool of ourselves?"
Chu Wenfeng patted his sleeves. "Coward."
"I call this being a wise person who knows when to yield."
Watching the group's departing figures, Chu Guiyi sighed deeply, seemingly lost in thought, and said, "Actually, not all the disciples of the Yin family are as arrogant as they are."
"Really?" Xie Shuci looked over curiously. "You know someone from the Yin family?"
Chu Guiyi said, "Let's talk as we walk."
None of the four took the minor incident of encountering the Yin family disciples to heart and continued walking towards the Meng family.
During the journey, Chu Guiyi recalled her childhood.
“When I was about the same age as Wen Feng, I once went out to gain experience on my own.” Chu Guiyi’s expression was weathered.
Xie Shuci nodded and said, "You met Senior Brother Helian and Miss Lu during that time, right?"
Seemingly surprised that Xie Shuci still remembered them, Chu Guiyi smiled gently and said, "That's right."
"I met Helian Jue and Lu Jin at a martial arts tournament. There was a young hero who defended the arena and defeated thirty-seven cultivators in a row. Helian Jue, Lu Jin, and I were all defeated by him. At that time, Helian Jue was already quite famous in the Nine Provinces for his Cloud-Piercing Spear, but he was still no match for him."
After hearing this, Chu Wenfeng said, "Senior brother, I remember back then, your Flying Bird Nine-Section Whip was already quite famous, wasn't it?"
Chu Guiyi lowered her eyes and chuckled, "Lu Jin is no ordinary person either, but we were all utterly defeated by that young hero."
Xie Shuci was confused. "That young hero, could he be a disciple of the Yin family?"
"That's right, that young hero is Yin Mingyuan, the youngest disciple under the head of the Yin family."
"Yin Mingyuan? It's him?" Chu Wenfeng asked in surprise.
"You know him?" Xie Shuci asked.
"Nonsense, Xie Shuci, can't you have some common sense? Yin Mingyuan's name was quite famous back then. If it weren't for him, the head of the Yin family might not have been able to take charge of the Hundred Sects."
"Is it that amazing?"
"nonsense."
Where is he now?
"He was executed."
"Execute?!" Xie Shuci said in disbelief.
Chu Guiyi narrowed his eyes, looking into the distance with a complicated expression, and said, "Destroy his Golden Core and execute him by slow slicing."
Xie Shuci was shocked. "How could this be? Who did this?"
"The Yin family patriarch's order shall be carried out by the Yin family disciples."
"This..." Xie Shuci was momentarily stunned.
Chu Guiyi said, "I only met Yin Mingyuan once. He was truly a young man full of vigor and ambition. I never regretted losing to him. He was different from the current disciples of the Yin family. Although he had profound cultivation, he never looked down on anyone. Even I thought back then that the position of the future head of the Yin family would definitely belong to him. But I never expected that just a few years later, the news would come that he had his Golden Core abolished and was executed by slow slicing. It is truly regrettable."
Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms, his expression filled with sorrow, and said, "It is said that Yin Mingyuan was executed because he made a grave mistake. All the sects demanded that the Yin family give an explanation to the cultivation world, and the patriarch had no choice but to order Yin Mingyuan's execution."
Xie Shuci leaned closer to the blind boy and asked, "What terrible mistake did he make? Even if he did something wrong, killing him would have been enough. Why destroy his golden core and have him executed by slow slicing?"
Xie An supported his waist with his palm and said calmly, "He didn't do anything wrong."
Xie Shuci was taken aback and turned to look at him. "How do you know everything?"
Xie An paused for a moment, then said, "Encyclopedia."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Chu Guiyi chuckled and said, "Young Master Xie is right. Yin Mingyuan did not do anything wrong. The reason the Hundred Sects demanded his execution was that he failed to steal pills from a family of alchemists and instead wiped out the entire clan. Although Yin Mingyuan never admitted it, the Hundred Sects still believed he was the murderer. However, just three months after Yin Mingyuan's execution, someone suddenly appeared to exonerate him. It turned out that the alchemist family they thought had been wiped out had not died at all; they had simply changed their names and identities and moved to a new place to live."
Xie Shuci was stunned after hearing this. "How could this be... Did those alchemists do it on purpose? Did they want to kill Yin Mingyuan?"
Chu Guiyi shook his head after hearing this and said, "That's not the case. It was the disciples of the alchemy family who exonerated Yin Mingyuan after his death. They only learned three months later that Yin Mingyuan had died because of them. I don't know exactly what happened at that time, nor do I know how that alchemy disciple persuaded the Hundred Sects Elder. In any case, the elder restored Yin Mingyuan's innocence in the end, and that alchemy family disappeared from the cultivation world. No one knows where they are now."
After hearing this, Xie Shuci felt a mix of emotions. "It's such a pity."
Chu Guiyi couldn't help but sigh and said, "Yes, he was a cultivator I sincerely admired, but I never expected him to end up like this. The Hundred Sects cleared Yin Mingyuan's name, and in order to make up for the loss of this disciple of the Yin family, the elders of the Hundred Sects were willing to compensate him, which is why the head of the Yin family is now in his current position."
"Hiss..." Xie Shuci chuckled dryly, "I don't even know what to say for a moment."
What do you call this, turning misfortune into blessing?
Xie Shuci couldn't help but feel a little ironic, but he didn't understand who this unfounded irony was directed at.
He simply felt that this matter was utterly absurd; what could justice delayed change?
The person is already dead, and in such a tragic way, so all the compensation has nothing to do with him.
Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms and said, "As the Yin family's position rises higher and higher, their disciples become increasingly arrogant. They act as they please, relying on the guilt that the elders of the Hundred Sects feel towards them. If I were Yin Mingyuan, knowing that I died unjustly and that these bastards benefited from it, I would be so angry that I would come back to life."
Xie Shuci patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. People like them are obviously cannon fodder supporting characters. They'll get taken care of by the main character sooner or later."
Chu Wenfeng glanced at him and shoved his hand away. "Are you sick in the head?"
As the group talked, they arrived at the foot of the Meng family's sacred mountain.
Beneath a long ladder stood two cultivators, who, judging from their attire, appeared to be disciples of the Meng family.
Chu Guiyi stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting to the two men, and said, "I am Chu Guiyi, and I greet you."
The two Meng family disciples were stunned for a moment, then returned Chu Guiyi's greeting, "May I ask what brings you here?"
Chu Guiyi said, "We dare to ask to meet the head of the Meng family."
The two disciples clasped their hands and said, "We are truly sorry, but several distinguished guests have arrived at our sect in recent days, and the patriarch is probably unable to attend. Moreover..."
The disciple hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Moreover, the patriarch is not someone you can see whenever you want. If you are here to attend the auction, please show your tokens, and I can escort you to your residence. If you have nothing else to do, please leave."
Xie Shuci took out a token from his small pouch, placed it in front of someone, and said, "I am Xie Shuci. I heard from fellow Daoists Meng Yin and Meng Yang that the family head is very interested in me and wants to meet me, so I have come all the way to Jiyue City."
Xie Shuci deliberately exaggerated a bit, thinking to himself, "If your patriarch wants to see me, I'll travel a long way to see him. He can't possibly turn me away, can he?"
Upon hearing this, the two disciples looked at Xie Shuci in surprise, "You are... Xie Shuci?"
Xie Shuci nodded. "That's right, it is I."
"Are you really Xie Shuci?" A disciple looked at Xie Shuci, his eyes suddenly shining. "Are you really Xie Shuci?"
Seeing his strong reaction, Xie Shuci remembered his current status in their hearts, covered his mouth and coughed lightly, "I am Xie Shuci, and I will not change my name or surname."
The disciple stared at Xie Shuci for a long time, his eyes initially filled with surprise but instantly turning into excitement. "Xie Shuci, Chu Guiyi... your relationship is indeed just as described in the book!"
"Xie Shuci, Lord Xie, you are exactly as I imagined!"
Xie Shuci took this as a compliment, at least he hadn't died in the light of day. "I wonder where the head of the Meng family is. To be honest, I have something to ask him."
But the two disciples didn't bother to answer Xie Shuci; instead, their gazes passed over him and went to Xie An and Chu Wenfeng behind them.
Chu Wenfeng's face still looked childish, but they immediately fixed their gazes on Xie An.
Upon seeing Xie An's face clearly, the two were so excited that their breathing became erratic. "Then this must be...this must be your sworn brother, Lord Xie or Young Master Xie? He is indeed a handsome man, a perfect match for you!"
Xie Shuci: "..."
Goodness, it's obvious these two have read quite a few storybooks.
Who is making such a racket here?
Just then, an old man's voice suddenly rang out from behind.
The two disciples looked into the distance and immediately bowed respectfully in that direction, saying, "Patriarch."
The head of the family?!
Xie Shuci and the other three turned around in surprise, only to see an old man with a dignified and otherworldly air standing not far behind them.
Beside the old man stood several cultivators dressed in light blue disciple robes.
The moment Xie Shuci looked over, the several cultivators in blue robes all turned their faces away.
One was looking at the sky, one was looking at the ground, one was looking down and counting on their fingers, one was covering their forehead with their hand, and the other was even more outrageous, staring at the tip of their nose, almost turning cross-eyed.
Xie Shuci: "..."
You guys have really gone through a lot of trouble.
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