What sent chills down Xie Shuci’s spine was that the Floating Pagoda Realm had already appeared thousands of years ago, and that person had lived for thousands of years.
Why do this? What is the purpose?
"Brother Xiao Ci? Brother Xiao Ci?" Xiao Xianlan shook his arm, and Xie Shuci came back to his senses, his face pale.
Xiao Lian and the other woman looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong?"
Xie Shuci shook his head, his face pale. "It's nothing."
He felt that he might be being too paranoid, always thinking that the Floating Pagoda Realm might be related to warding off evil.
Xie Shuci is a believer in fate. He feels that every event and every person he encounters is inexplicably connected, as if it were all predetermined and bound together by a rope called "fate".
Luo Jingyu, Bixie; Xiao Xun, Bixie.
One is the Holy Son of Heaven, the other is the incarnation of evil spirits;
One remains the Holy Son of Heaven, while the other remains the incarnation of evil.
These two individuals were destined to be worlds apart, yet they became intricately connected, both seven thousand years ago and seven thousand years later.
Not to mention, Xiao Xun and Bixie, one cultivated the Path of Slaughter and the other cultivated the Path of Divine Transformation, their identities were completely reversed, as if... as if they were manipulating the Heavenly Dao in the palm of their hands.
However, because Heaven only considers the result and not the cause, it failed to realize this in time.
Xie Shuci increasingly felt that Xiao Xun and Bixie had reached some kind of agreement to manipulate the laws of heaven and the people of the world.
People despise the spirit of warding off evil, so the spirit of warding off evil cultivates into a divine being to protect people.
People placed their hopes on Xiao Xun, so Xiao Xun cultivated the Path of Slaughter to take revenge on the world.
This is absolutely unbelievable!
Xie Shuci really wanted to ask, what exactly are these two people trying to do?
If everything is related to destiny, then can we say that these things didn't happen because Xie Shuci came into this world, but rather that Xie Shuci was destined to come here, so his appearance is also a cycle in destiny?
If transmigration into a book is truly possible, why is Xie Shuci's body exactly the same as his own? Why did this body become "Xie Shuci" in this world? The original body... if the body was originally his own, could there still be an "original body"?
The more Xie Shuci thought about it, the more he felt a chill emanating from his very bones.
He had a vague feeling that he had fallen into a huge conspiracy, and that he was not alone; everyone in the world was involved in this conspiracy.
Is this conspiracy Xie Shuci's guess or is it real?
If so, who would be in charge?
Is it the Way of Heaven? Is it the Exorcist's Creed? Is it Luo Jingyu? Is it Xiao Xun?
Xie Shuci bit his tongue, the sharp pain pulling him back to reality.
He felt fear for the first time in a long time, and even his jaw trembled. As before, he subconsciously wanted to lean on Xie An, hoping to draw some comfort from him. But then he remembered that Xie An might also be the mastermind behind this conspiracy, and Xie Shuci's movements suddenly stopped.
"Xie Shuci?"
Seeing Xie Shuci's pale face, Xiao Xun grabbed his arm and called out in a deep voice.
His palm was warm, which made Xie Shuci breathe a little easier.
Xie Shuci subtly distanced himself, lowered his head, and the fleeting fear disappeared. He rubbed his stomach and said, "I think I ate too much. I feel a little uncomfortable."
Xiao Xun glared at him, then placed his palm on his stomach, a warm spiritual energy seeping into his skin and soothing his stomach.
Xie Shuci hung his head, his eyes a little dry. Perhaps his emotions had been off lately, and he was always thinking about all sorts of things, like conspiracies or not. Even if there were conspiracies, they had nothing to do with him.
Luo Xianyu glanced at Xie Shuci's face, then lowered her eyes and said, "Young Master Xie, rest assured, no one in the city knows your identities now. Let's stay here for the time being. Xianlan, take Young Master Xie and his companion to rest. We can talk about it another day."
Xie Shuci stood up and bowed to Luo Xianyu and the other two, "Thank you."
Xie Shuci realized that after hearing Xie An's words and witnessing the deaths of Fang Xunxue and the others, he became very depressed. Although he didn't want to be like this, he couldn't control it at all.
Indeed, he felt he was no longer afraid of death and could face it calmly. But that was because he thought that even if he died, he would not be separated from Xie An. Now he knew that when he died, he would be gone, it would be over, and he would be completely separated from Xie An.
He tried to calm himself down and try to let go, but it was no use at all!
The closer he got to Xiao Xun, the clearer he became about how much he liked him.
He didn't want to be separated from Xie An, not even for a moment. He didn't want to die either. But he had no choice. He couldn't just watch Xie An disappear. He could gamble with his own life; if he lost, he could always be reborn. But how could he dare risk Xie An's life? If Xie An died, he would truly be gone! He would truly cease to exist!
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci smiled self-deprecatingly again.
Perhaps because his death was near, he even became sentimental.
Xie Xiaoci, what's wrong with you?
Xie Shuci sighed inwardly, put his arm around Xiao Xun's shoulder, and said, "I think I might be on my period these past few days, so I'm a bit sensitive. Let's go back and get some sleep."
Xiao Xun looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if asking him what he meant.
Xie Shuci didn't explain, but turned to Xiao Xianlan and said, "Lead the way, lead the way. After I get a good night's sleep, I'll talk to you about serious matters tomorrow."
Xiao Xianlan stepped forward, "Let's go, Brother Xiao Ci."
Xie Shuci returned to his room, quickly washed up, and, with the thought that he must return to normal after a good night's sleep, buried himself in the covers and fell asleep immediately.
The king opened his eyes groggily, wanting to climb onto the bed to sleep with him, but halfway up he remembered his little mother and hesitated before turning back to look at him.
Xiao Xun sat at the table with a somber expression, looking at Xie Shuci, who was fast asleep on the couch with his head covered, without stopping the king's behavior.
Seeing this, the king happily crawled into bed, nestled under Xie Shuci's armpit, rested his head on his stomach, and fell fast asleep.
Xie Shuci was probably always preoccupied with his own thoughts, this...
I don't sleep well; I keep dreaming about strange things, like death and life.
In the end of his dream, he heard the same voice he had heard in his previous dreams.
“Book of words”.
Do you want to know about the future?
“Book of words”.
Do you want to go back to the past?
The voice echoed in his ears like a demonic chant.
What future? What past? It's all so baffling.
Overall, upon waking up and seeing the golden sunlight streaming in through the window, Xie Shuci covered his eyes with his hands, feeling that he had at least achieved half of his goal.
"Awooo!"
A little creature was wriggling around in his blanket, seemingly trying to find a way out.
Xie Shuci, with a mischievous grin, lowered his arm and deliberately pressed down on the blanket to prevent it from coming out.
The little thing tried to get out from one side, but when it found it couldn't, it tried another side, and then Xie Shuci blocked it from the other side.
"Awooooo!"
The little creature angrily tugged at his clothes, probably guessing that Xie Shuci was up to no good, but still couldn't bring itself to bite Xie Shuci.
"I won't let you out!"
"Awooo!"
Stinky daddy!
Xie Shuci's smugness didn't last long. Suddenly, he felt the mattress beneath him was wet, and a fishy smell filled his nostrils.
Holy crap!
Xie Shuci shuddered, threw off the covers and sat up abruptly, grabbing the little thing on the bed, its lower end still dripping yellow fluid.
Xie Shuci: "..."
"Ouch." The king tilted his head, sticking out his tongue with an innocent look on his face.
Don't blame me, it's my fault for not letting me go out. I couldn't stand it anymore.
Xie Shuci reached out and tugged at its little tongue, scolding, "How old are you? Still wetting the bed?"
"Huh?"
What are you talking about? I don't know~
Just then, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Xiao Xun walked in carrying a bowl of something. He looked up and saw the king's wet hair and the suspicious wet stain on the mattress. His face darkened instantly.
"Aww..." The king, lifted into the air, kicked his legs nervously.
It's not their fault...
Xiao Xun kept a straight face, held his breath, turned around and walked out of the room. He didn't even want to close the door with his hands, but instead slammed it shut with his spiritual power.
Xie Shuci: "..."
Xie Shuci tugged at the king's tongue twice more, "Now that you've wet the bed, even Brother Xiao Xun doesn't want to come in."
"Aww..."
They didn't do it on purpose.
No sooner had Xie Shuci finished speaking than Xiao Xun's angry voice rang out from outside the door: "Clean it up quickly!"
Sensing Xiao Xun's exasperation, Xie Shuci glared at the little guy, "It's all your fault, you made Brother Xiao Xun angry, didn't you?"
"Awooo!" the king protested, blaming no one but his father.
Seeing that the person and dog inside were not moving, Xiao Xun was furious. "Hurry up!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Xie Shuci hurriedly replied. He used his spiritual power to clean the stains on the bed, then tidied himself and the king up, and called out to the outside, "Alright, alright, come in."
Xie Shuci threw the king off the bed. The king wagged its tail and pointed its head towards the door, howling!
I'm going to find Little Gold and Little Silver to play!
When the king entered the Guanhua Tower yesterday, he made eye contact with the two spirit beasts at the entrance. Xie Shuci guessed that the beasts were going to play with their friends, so he nodded and said, "Don't cause trouble, I'm hungry... Never mind, go ahead."
This guy, Da Wang, is good at acting cute and charming. He has a natural sense of smell and knows who he should and shouldn't touch. When he's hungry, he'll find a way to freeload.
"Awooo!" the king cried out joyfully twice.
The king has been in a low mood these past few days, basically just nestled in Xie Shuci's arms and barely moving. Now that he's seen his old friend, he's finally perked up a bit.
It was hopping and skipping impatiently by the door when Xiao Xun pushed the door open and entered. The door knocked against its head, pushing it back a few steps.
The king rolled on the ground and looked up to find his little mother staring at him with a dark expression. Feeling guilty, he lowered his head and didn't dare to look at his little mother.
Xiao Xun ignored it and walked past it into the room. The king immediately darted out and skipped away.
Seeing him holding a bowl of white rice porridge, Xie Shuci jumped up from the bed, shuffled over in her shoes, and reached out to take it. "You made this..."
However, before he could get any closer, Xiao Xun became wary and took a half-step back, signaling with his eyes that Xie Shuci was not allowed to approach any further.
His serious little face made Xie Shuci want to laugh. He tugged at his clothes, lowered his head and sniffed, saying, "It doesn't smell bad, really, you can smell it if you don't believe me."
Xiao Xun turned his head away expressionlessly, placed the white rice porridge on the table, then turned and sat down opposite Xie Shuci, not wanting Xie Shuci to get close at all.
Xie Shuci snorted coldly, "Hypocrite."
Xiao Xun sat opposite him and stared at him for a few moments. He keenly noticed that Xie Shuci's mood seemed to have improved a lot, and he breathed a sigh of relief without making it obvious.
After finishing a bowl of white rice porridge, Xie Shuci changed his clothes, slung his small pouch over his shoulder, and went out.
He weighed his small pouch in his hand and felt that its weight was not quite right. Only then did he suddenly remember that the Dragon-Subduing Magic Weapon was still in Jiyue City and he hadn't had time to bring it out. He wondered who it would eventually end up in.
"Where are you going?" Xiao Xun lagged behind him by one seat, probably still remembering that there was some of the king's urine on him, and didn't want to get too close.
"Let's go find Miss Luo," Xie Shuci said.
Xiao Xun frowned and asked, "What do you want with her?"
"If I took someone else's things, I should return them."
What did you take from her?
Xie Shuci turned around and nudged him in the chest with his elbow. "Are you interrogating a prisoner?"
Xiao Xun pursed his lips and remained silent.
Xie Shuci stopped and knocked on the door.
"who?"
"I am Xie Xiaoci," Xie Shuci called out.
Shortly after, footsteps were heard from inside the door, and the door was opened from the inside.
Luo Xianyu, dressed in a blue jacket and with light makeup on her face, lowered her eyes and said, "Please."
Xie Shuci led Xiao Xun inside.
Luo Xianyu said, "Please sit down."
"No, no, I just came to return something to you. I have to go out for a bit."
Luo Xianyu looked at him in surprise, "Give me back something?"
Xie Shuci rummaged through his small pouch and took out seven or eight tokens. He took one out and placed it in front of Luo Xianyu, saying, "Miss Luo, I'm returning the courtesan token to you. My expenses have almost entirely depended on this token lately, but now that I have money, I'll return it to you."
Luo Xianyu was stunned for a moment, "This..."
Xie Shuci glanced at Xiao Xun, who had a cold face beside him, and worried that she wouldn't take it back, so he beckoned to her and called her aside, lowering his voice to say, "Well, you should have heard, Xie An and I, we... well, he's really petty. I'm carrying the most beautiful woman in the world on my back..."
He's really jealous of my son's token, and he makes a fuss about it every few days. You should take it back. If I ever need money in the future, you can help me out then.
Luo Xianyu widened her eyes slightly, seemingly wanting to laugh. She couldn't help but turn around and glance at the replica of Xie An. Finding that his expression was indeed not very good, she did not refuse. She took the token and said to Xie Shuci, "Young Master Xie, you can come to see me anytime."
Xie Shuci clapped his hands, "Alright, alright, if I run out of money in the future, I'll have to beg all the way here to get a few meals from you."
If Chu Wenfeng heard this, he would definitely fight with him, because Xie Shuci said the same thing when they parted ways last time.
Luo Xianyu held the token in her hand and couldn't help but ask, "Young Master Xie, who is this Young Master Xiao...?"
Xie Shuci exclaimed, "I've become young again!"
"Then what about him in the future..."
"It should be able to change back, right?"
"oh."
After leaving Luo Xianyu's room, Xiao Xun smiled faintly, gritting his teeth, "Me, petty?"
Xie Shuci had long anticipated his arrival, and he calmly responded, saying, "It's not that you're petty, it's that you, Xie An, are petty a few years from now. Don't compare yourself to him. You have such a broad mind, unlike him, a heartless ingrate."
Xiao Xun: "..."
He pursed his lips, feeling a mix of happiness and displeasure.
Before he could fully process what was happening, Xie Shuci pushed him down the stairs and left the Wanhua Tower.
Upon reaching the door, Xie Shuci saw the king tearfully gesturing to the two lion beasts at the entrance. He guessed they were talking about the ironwork, but it was better to say it than to keep it bottled up.
Little Jin listened with tears welling up in her eyes, while Little Silver sat gracefully on the stone stool, ignoring them completely.
Xie Shuci went up to greet the king, told him to continue playing, and then took Xiao Xun out the door.
He bought some writing implements in the city, and as before, he bought and tried any unusual things he saw on the way. If he couldn't finish them, he would throw them to Xiao Xun.
After wandering around the city for a couple of hours, I returned to Guanhualou.
When Xie Shuci reached the door, he encountered Xiao Lian and Xiao Xianlan. He blocked their way, found a room door, and pushed them inside.
"What's wrong with Brother Xiaoci?"
"I'm warning you, don't you dare lay a hand on me."
Xie Shuci put the things he bought on the table, put his hands on his hips, and asked the two of them, "I looked around the city, and hardly anyone knows about me. Where did you find out?"
Tianzhu City is, after all, the territory of mortals, and the news doesn't seem to have reached here yet. A few people have mentioned it, but they don't know much about it, so it hasn't attracted much attention.
Xiao Lian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and rolled her eyes, saying, "That's what Ye Changxuan said."
"Sister Ye?" Xie Shuci said in surprise, "She went back to Tianzhu City? Isn't she..."
Xiao Xianlan said, "A few days ago, Sister Changxuan passed by here. She said that their Hehuan Sect is determined to win this year's Immortal Sect Selection and may have to move to the Floating Pagoda Realm. There won't be many opportunities to see her in the future, so she came to see us."
Xiao Lian said, "What that woman Ye Changxuan said should all be true."
Xie Shuci nodded. "So it was Sister Ye who said it. If I had come a few days earlier, I might have been able to meet Sister Ye."
Xiao Lian rolled her eyes so hard they almost reached the sky, and scolded, "Are you stupid? If they catch one of you, the Hehuan Sect can directly enter the Floating Pagoda Realm. If they see you, wouldn't they tie you up and drag you to the Hundred Sects? Xie Shuci, don't disbelieve me, right now all the immortal sects and families in the cultivation world are tracking your whereabouts. Compared to participating in the Immortal Sect Selection and entering the top ten, it's obviously easier to catch you. You're a pill cultivator, and Xiao Xun is seriously injured from a qi deviation and hasn't recovered yet. Even a fool would know to choose you."
Xiao Xianlan said, "Sister Changxuan would never do such a thing. She said that even if she kidnapped Brother Xiaoci to use as a furnace, she would not send him to the Hundred Gates."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Thank you, but I have even less desire to be a furnace or cauldron.
Having asked the question he wanted to know, Xie Shuci took his writing implements and went back to his room.
Xie Shuci immersed himself in paper and ink, spending an entire day working tirelessly, forgetting to eat or sleep. It wasn't until late at night, after the king had returned to his room, that he put down his brush, his face and body smeared with ink. Satisfied, he picked up the more than ten pages of letters he had written and exclaimed, "I too have the potential to become a literary master!"
He turned his head and met Xiao Xun's eyes. Judging from his expression, it seemed to say, "There is absolutely no such possibility."
Xie Shuci looked at his own scribbles, which were still somewhat legible, and wrapped them up in a large envelope.
Xiao Xun asked, "Why are you writing this?"
While sealing the envelope with rice paste, Xie Shuci said, "I promised Fang Xunxue that I would record their story. I can't write it myself, so I'll send it to Du Pingsheng. He's writing the second part of the Strange Tales."
Xiao Xun glanced at him noncommittally.
Xie Shuci carefully put the envelope away, then buried himself in the bedding, his body covered in ink stains. "I'll have someone send it to Du Pingsheng tomorrow."
Du Pingsheng had previously told Xie Shuci the location of his seclusion.
He closed his eyes, thinking about what else he needed to do.
He seemed to have no other concerns besides the Great King. The Lesser Immortal Sect? He wanted to go back and take a look, but he didn't know where the Immortal Sect Assembly was held, and he was afraid he wouldn't have enough time, so he had to give up.
Then spend these next few days playing with the king and buying him some things he likes, so that this guy won't forget about him after he dies.
However, it's better to forget it, so as to avoid getting sad.
Xie Shuci dozed off for a while, then suddenly opened his eyes, looked at Xiao Xun sitting upright at the table, and asked, "Aren't you going to come up and rest for a while?"
Xiao Xun frowned, glancing at the bed beneath him, his disdain evident in his eyes.
Xie Shuci couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Didn't I use my spiritual power to clean it all up?"
Xiao Xun turned his head, glanced at the king who was pretending to be dead in the corner, snorted, and closed his eyes to rest.
"well."
Xie Shuci sighed. Tomorrow, let Xiao Xianlan change their room to a different one. Xiao Xun, that little guy, would probably rather die than sleep in this bed.
Xie Shuci slept soundly, and when he opened his eyes the next day, Xiao Xun brought back a bowl of plain porridge from outside. He guessed that Xiao Xun had made it himself; there was nothing else, just a bowl of porridge.
Xie Shuci was very obliging; he finished his drink in a few gulps and then led the two of them out the door.
With less than a month until the Immortal Sect Conference, the address is expected to be released in a few days. Xie Shuci will have to take Xiao Xun away then. Going ahead of time will allow him to observe and learn more about the situation. So, he hasn't thought about anything else these past two days, just wants to spend more time playing with the King.
The only thing that Xie Shuci found strange was that the voice in his dream no longer only appeared in his dreams; sometimes, when Xie Shuci was distracted, he would hear that voice ringing in his ears.
Xie Shuci felt increasingly strange, but even when he released his consciousness, he couldn't sense anyone's presence. He couldn't help but wonder if his emotions were too unstable, causing him to hallucinate. Could it be a ghost?
Could it be that Xie Shuci is nearing the end of his life and therefore has a lot of yin energy, and is being haunted by ghosts?
When Xie Shuci heard that voice again, he touched his forehead, pulled Xiao Xun over, and said in a serious tone, "Take a look at me, have I been having a dark look on my face lately?"
Xiao Xun: "..."
Xiao Lian passed by from behind and heard her sneer, "You're not just having a dark aura, you're having a mental breakdown."
"Go away, go away." Xie Shuci glared at her irritably.
"Awooooo!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Xie Shuci caught a glimpse of a small, jewel-encrusted creature running toward him, jingling and clanging.
These past two days, Xie Shuci has been exceptionally kind to the king, practically granting it every wish. Whatever it wants, even the moon in the sky, Xie Shuci can find a way to get it. As a result, this fellow has become obsessed with all kinds of jewelry and beads, so Xie Shuci buys them for it and hangs them all on its body. The king loves them so much that it doesn't want to take them off even when it sleeps, so Xie Shuci just lets it be.
"Awooooo!"
Xie Shuci squatted down, and a small, golden creature jumped into his arms, squeaking happily.
Xie Shuci wanted to touch it, but the little thing was covered in jewels and ornaments, and Xie Shuci didn't know where to start.
These past few days, Xie Shuci has been too good to the king. Xiao Xun squinted at them, pulled the king out of his arms, and said unhappily, "You're too good to it."
Xie Shuci shrugged and joked with himself, thinking that this was its last meal, so he had to treat it well. Otherwise, this little thing, who only cares about whoever feeds it, might really forget about him in a few years.
"Come on, come on, we've got money! Whatever you want, we'll buy it for you!"
"Awooo!" the king echoed twice.
Helpless, Xiao Xun followed Xie Shuci out.
After wandering around the city for half a day, I suddenly heard a commotion coming from the direction of the city wall.
Xie Shuci was feeding the king a golden chicken leg when he looked up and saw a person running from the other end of the street, holding a piece of paper in their hand and shouting as they ran:
"The positions for the Immortal Sect Selection have been announced!"
"The positions for the Immortal Sect Selection have been announced!"
Xie Shuci was taken aback.
The Immortal Sect Selection is a well-known event in the cultivation world. Not only immortal sects and families attend, but also some ordinary people, as such a grand event is not something that can be seen every year.
Where? Where?
"It's not far, so I'll bring my wife along to broaden her horizons!"
Someone in the crowd asked.
"Bianzhou, Sangqi City!"
Bianzhou, Sangqi City...
"Sang Qicheng? I remember, isn't that where the Xiaoyao Sect is located?"
Xie Shuci's fingers trembled, and the chicken leg fell from mid-air.
"Huh?"
Father?
“Sang Qicheng…”
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