Xie Shuci's emotions came and went quickly.
However, after being distracted, they forgot about the hidden danger and started jumping around the city with Chu Wenfeng, looking at all the new things.
After they got tired of playing, he took Xie An and the other two to Manjiang Hall.
The waiter at Manjiangtang saw Xie Shuci from afar, his eyes gleaming with seductive light. He waved a white handkerchief in his hand like a madam and called out from a distance, "Little Taoist priest, little Taoist priest."
Xie Shuci strode forward, chin held high, eyebrows raised, and asked, "Your manager said I could come to dine with my companions, is that still true?"
The waiter bowed deeply, "It's on your dime! Of course it's on your dime! Our manager has been looking forward to your and your friend's arrival for ages."
Xie Shuci waved his hand with feigned composure and said, "Alright, bring me one of all your restaurant's famous dishes."
The waiter smiled obsequiously, "Master, a private room has been prepared for you. Please follow me."
"lead the way."
The waiter led the way, while Xie Shuci and his three companions followed behind.
As they passed the main hall, many cultivators glanced at them, most of their gazes probing and scrutinizing.
Being the center of attention, like a star being fawned over, greatly satisfied Xie Shuci's vanity.
He held his head high and puffed out his chest, looking down on everyone else. Surely no one would dare to snatch his bronze medicine cauldron under the watchful eyes of everyone?
Seeing him acting as proudly as a rooster, Chu Wenfeng sneered and lowered his voice, saying, "Xie Shuci, what's the difference between you and someone who's just trying to freeload? A pill cultivator? You have no shame."
Xie Shuci was a little unhappy. He turned around and glared at Chu Wenfeng, "I'm going to be a pill cultivator from now on, so it's not a lie. If you think it's a lie, then don't come in. Just wait at the door."
"On what grounds?"
"Then shut up."
Chu Wenfeng was furious. He glared at Xie Shuci, who made a face at him.
"you……"
"I've heard the news." Chu Guiyi frowned and glanced at him.
Chu Wenfeng angrily said, "Senior brother, why do you always side with him! He's a liar..."
Before he finished speaking, Xie An, who was walking beside Xie Shuci, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
All three of them turned their attention to him at the same time.
Xie An pursed his thin lips and turned to look in Chu Wenfeng's direction.
Chu Wenfeng inexplicably swallowed the word "liar" that was about to slip out of his mouth.
Since Chu Wenfeng probably didn't continue speaking, Xie An turned his head back and continued walking forward.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment before he realized what Xie An meant. He chuckled and turned around to hook his arm around Chu Wenfeng's neck, laughing and saying, "Speaking ill of me in front of Xie An, don't you think you're asking for a beating?"
Chu Wenfeng felt a little embarrassed. He had actually been frightened by a blind man for a moment? But Xie An was blind, and he couldn't argue with a blind man. So he pushed Xie Shuci with a bit of annoyance and said sullenly, "Why is everyone on your side? It's so annoying."
"Hey, don't be angry." Xie Shuci boldly pinched his cheek, but the latter slapped her hand away.
"Are you looking for death?"
Xie Shuci laughed instead of getting angry, and whispered in his ear, "I heard that the roast chicken at Manjiangtang is especially delicious. Don't be angry, I'll give you both chicken legs later."
Chu Wenfeng, being a child at heart, immediately forgot his displeasure and asked, "Really?"
"real."
The waiter led them into a room, which was simply decorated and filled with a faint fragrance.
Xie Shuci was actually a little guilty for using the guise of alchemy to eat, drink, and have fun at Manjiangtang.
Before the waiter left, he took out a bottle of pills from his pocket. He didn't know what the effects were, but the pills looked very clear and transparent, so he figured they must be something good. He poured one out and gave it to the waiter.
"Here, this is your tip," Xie Shuci said.
Elixirs are very precious to ordinary people; even if they don't need them, they can still fetch a good price.
The waiter looked down, then looked up blankly.
Xie Shuci thought he thought it wasn't enough, so she poured out another one. "Two?"
The waiter was completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape in astonishment.
Xie Shuci frowned, and just as he was about to pour the third pill, Chu Wenfeng snatched the bottle away, saying incredulously, "Xie Shuci, are you crazy?"
"Huh?" Xie Shuci looked over in confusion. "What are you doing?"
At the table, Xie An smiled knowingly.
After a moment of stunned silence, Chu Guiyi chuckled softly twice.
The waiter snapped out of his daze, as if afraid Xie Shuci would change his mind. He quickly hid the two pills in his sleeve, his face flushed and his eyes filled with tears. He bowed deeply to Xie Shuci several times, almost kneeling before him.
"Thank you, Taoist Master! Thank you, Taoist Master!"
Seeing his strong reaction, Xie Shuci was completely baffled and responded with a couple of "uh-huh" sounds.
After they left, Xie Shuci looked at the three of them with a puzzled expression and asked, "It's just two pills, is he really that serious?"
Chu Wenfeng glared at him with exasperation, handed the medicine bottle back to him, and scolded, "Are you out of your mind? The pills you gave him are obviously top-grade healing pills. If you took any one of them out and sold it, you could buy half of Manjiangtang! When he gets home, he'll definitely have your name engraved on a tombstone and worship you like an ancestor."
"..." Xie Shuci opened his mouth, but remained silent.
After a long pause, he rubbed his numb face and asked, "Really?"
Chu Wenfeng said, "Did you get your head squeezed by a door?"
Xie Shuci took a deep breath, then looked at the three men with a serious expression and said, "Brothers, I might be rich now."
Chu Wenfeng: "?"
Xie Shuci's gaze swept across the three faces. The little blind man's expression was indifferent, Chu Guiyi's eyes were smiling, and only Chu Wenfeng looked at him as if he were mentally challenged.
Xie Shuci walked to the table, took off his small pouch, and shook it twice. A bronze medicine cauldron and seven or eight bottles and jars rolled onto the table.
Chu Wenfeng casually picked up a bottle, poured out the pills, and stared at it intently. He was immediately stunned to find that it was full of top-grade pills!
Chu Guiyi's gaze was momentarily stunned.
Xie Shuci didn't say anything. He continued to take out several bottles of pills from his sleeves, a few pills wrapped in cloth from his bosom, and lifted his robe to take off three or four bottles of pills tied to it. He piled them all on the table, totaling more than a dozen bottles.
"There are about thirty bottles left in the inn, but I didn't bring them with me," Xie Shuci said to the three of them in a low voice.
Even the composed Chu Guiyi couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Chu Wenfeng couldn't help but swallow hard, and carefully poured the pill back into the bottle.
Only Xie An remained unresponsive throughout.
“Top-grade… Soul-Returning Pill…” Chu Wenfeng picked up another bottle and poured out a brown pill. The round pill was surrounded by a layer of light blue spiritual energy, full of vitality.
Chu Wenfeng tried his best to move gently, staring intently at the pill in his hand, afraid that he might accidentally crush it. "One top-grade pill... is worth ten high-grade pills. Xie Shuci, you've not just become rich, you can walk sideways in the cultivation world with these things, and all the major immortal sects will have to give you some respect."
Xie Shuci asked, dumbfounded, "Really? These things are worth that much?"
Chu Guiyi said with a complicated expression, "It's not just because they're valuable. Shuci, even the lowest quality of your pills is top-grade. You may not know, but in the cultivation world, a single top-grade pill is worth a fortune. It's not just because they're precious, but more importantly, there are very few pill cultivators who can refine top-grade pills, let alone top-grade pills."
"Holy crap..." Xie Shuci stared at him dumbfounded, plopped down next to Xie An, numbly bumped his shoulder, and said, "Xie An, did you hear what they were saying?"
Xie An nodded slightly.
Xie Shuci was shocked. "I didn't know I was this rich..."
Chu Guiyi asked, "Shuci, where did you get your elixirs?"
Xie Shuci said, "It was given to me by my fellow disciples."
Chu Guiyi asked solemnly, "May I ask which school of martial arts you belong to?"
At this point, Xie Shuci looked puzzled. "My family is just a small sect, and besides, I've already been expelled from the sect."
Chu Wenfeng said, "A small sect? Which small sect can produce top-grade pills right away? There aren't even five alchemy families in the entire cultivation world that can produce such high-grade pills."
"Really?" Xie Shuci looked at the two of them in confusion, and he carefully recalled the original owner's memories.
In the original owner's memories, the Xie family was indeed just a minor immortal sect, with nothing particularly outstanding. In fact, a few years earlier, when a disciple was seriously injured, the entire sect couldn't produce a single pill, and they could only watch helplessly as the disciple died. If they could truly refine so many top-grade pills, how could they have failed to save an injured disciple?
There was no mention of this minor immortal sect in the original book. Could it be that because Xie Shuci transmigrated into the story, the plot had to change and a complete new setting for the minor immortal sect was created?
"Xie Shuci, as long as we kill you, all these things will be ours." Chu Wenfeng looked at Xie Shuci, a sinister smile appearing on his lips.
Xie Shuci shivered and subconsciously leaned back against Xie An, saying intimidatingly, "You brat, you better not try anything with me. My Xie An is a master swordsman, capable of killing a man in ten steps, you know? If you dare to lay a hand on me, you'll die by his sword right away!"
Xie An paused, then obediently raised his head, facing Chu Wenfeng with a half-smile.
Recalling how intimidated he had been by this blind man, Chu Wenfeng awkwardly touched the tip of his nose and muttered under his breath, "You only know how to hide behind others, are you even a man?"
"Alright," Chu Guiyi said helplessly, "Wen Feng, stop teasing him."
Chu Wenfeng snorted coldly, put the pill back, and sat down with his arms crossed.
Then, Chu Guiyi said to Xie Shuci, "Shuci, you are simple-minded, and Young Master Xie is blind. It may not be a good thing for you to possess these things. A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. Remember not to show it off to outsiders in the future."
Chu Wenfeng scoffed, "Him? He'd be helping someone count the money even if they were sold out. In my opinion, these things might change hands one day."
Xie Shuci thought about it and realized he made sense. He was already being eyed covetously by others just for having the bronze medicine cauldron; if they found out he had so many top-grade pills, Xie Shuci felt he wouldn't last more than a few days before he and the blind boy were gone.
Xie Shuci silently opened his small pouch, preparing to stuff everything back in.
Halfway through stuffing the food into his hands, he suddenly looked up at the two people opposite him and said, "Do you need anything? I'll give it to you, but each of you can only take one. No more than that. I still need to save money for Xie An and me to get married."
Chu Guiyi and Xie Shuci were both stunned and looked at Xie Shuci in surprise.
"You want to give it to us?"
"Are you out of your mind? You know how valuable it is, and you still want to give it to us?"
Xie Shuci smiled and said, "Consider this a small gift to you, to thank you for helping me out that day."
After saying that, he said to Chu Wenfeng, "Kid, did you see that? This is the style of a chivalrous hero. A chivalrous hero is so generous to his friends. If you don't go against me and follow me, and call me brother, I can give you even better."
Xie An frowned, his fingers gripping the bell pendant at his waist, his expression displeased.
Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes, but couldn't resist the temptation of the top-grade pills. He pouted and didn't reply.
Chu Guiyi laughed heartily and accepted the favor first: "Shuci, I accept this 'friend' from you. I won't stand on ceremony with you; we do indeed need the elixir. Thank you."
Chu Guiyi and Xie Shuci each chose one pill, while Xie Shuci packed up the rest.
Just then, Xie An, who had been silent all along, tapped the table twice.
The three looked up and saw Xie An turning his head to look out the window. At the same time, several light footsteps stopped outside the door, seemingly deliberately keeping their footsteps quiet.
Everyone held their breath, and Xie Shuci looked terrified, leaning closer to Xie An.
Shh—did you hear that?
"I heard that. Not only does he have a bronze medicine cauldron, but he also carries top-grade pills."
"A pill cultivator, a blind man, a cripple, and a novice cultivator who hasn't even grown his hair yet—I could handle them all with a single finger. This is like a pie falling from the sky!"
Xie Shuci swallowed hard and looked at the three people beside him, their faces growing darker with each passing moment.
Putting aside the other two, Xie Shuci was terrified just by the cold smile on Xie An's lips.
Let's look at Chu Guiyi and the other person. Although Chu Guiyi is gentle and polite, his temper cooled down after being looked down upon and called a cripple.
Needless to say, Chu Wenfeng stared wide-eyed, pointing at himself in disbelief, and laughed in exasperation, "One finger?"
Xie Shuci chuckled dryly. He thought the people outside the door weren't wrong. The four of them practically had the words "old, weak, sick, and disabled" written all over their faces. Not counting Xie Shuci, the only one who could fight was Chu Wenfeng, but that little brat looked just like Xie Shuci—all bark and no bite. He was just a pushover.
"Calm down, calm down, everything can be discussed..."
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, the wooden door was kicked open with a "bang," startling him. He clutched the small pouch in his arms, jumped up from his chair, and before anyone could react, he casually threw the pouch on the ground. Anyway, he had plenty of pills in the inn, so he wouldn't have to worry about food and drink in the future.
"The things were handed over... handed over..."
The newcomer didn't say a word, but threw his bulging pouch at his feet, leaving him dumbfounded.
Xie An and the other two: "..."
I have never seen such a self-aware victim.
"Brother, this guy's an idiot!"
"What kind of luck do I have? I can even run into an idiot while robbing someone."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Chu Wenfeng was amused by his smooth and effortless movements, "Xie Shuci, you're really something."
Xie Shuci's handsome face flushed red, "I..."
Just then, someone bent down to pick up a pouch. Xie An flicked his wrist, and the teacup slipped from his hand, flying towards the door.
"Ah—" A scream was heard as the man's wrist bone was shattered, and he rolled on the ground in pain, clutching his wrist.
Holy crap!
Xie Shuci was startled and turned to look at Xie An, who sat calmly in his seat as if nothing had happened.
Wow, that's amazing! So cool! I want to learn from that!
"Are you looking for death?!"
Upon seeing his companion injured, the leading cultivator was immediately enraged and drew his sword, lunging at the group.
"It's all over! Run!"
Xie Shuci let out a cowardly shout, turned around and pulled Xie An up, while reaching out to push Chu Guiyi's wheelchair.
"Chu Wenfeng, you should run too!"
Xie Shuci ignored the one that could move on its own. He grabbed one in each hand, keeping an eye on both sides. He had only run a couple of steps when he felt a gust of sword wind coming from behind him.
"Idiot! Aren't you a cultivator? Use your spiritual power to protect yourself!" Chu Wenfeng shouted at him from afar.
Xie Shuci was taken aback. "Huh? Oh, right, I'm a cultivator too." He had forgotten about that.
Xie Shuci channeled his spiritual energy, covering his body. After the dog demon repaired his golden core and meridians, his spiritual energy was abundant. At this moment, it was like a transparent protective film enveloping his entire body. The man's longsword pierced the white spiritual energy, as if approaching an invisible barrier and unable to get any closer.
"Shu Ci, release your spiritual power," Chu Guiyi reminded him.
"Oh." Xie Shuci nodded blankly, and like a fart, released his spiritual energy. The released spiritual energy formed a small shockwave, directly blasting away two or three cultivators around him.
"Wow, am I that powerful?" Xie Shuci stared in disbelief at the group of people who had been blasted away.
Their commotion quickly attracted the attention of other guests, and in the blink of an eye, a crowd of onlookers had gathered outside the door.
"Who is it? How dare they cause trouble at Manjiang Hall without knowing their own limitations?"
"It seems to be a few rogue cultivators who came to cause trouble for that alchemist Daoist and his friend?"
"Don't you understand? They're probably eyeing their bronze medicine cauldron and elixirs."
"Want some help? Maybe I can get something out of it..."
The discussion outside was in full swing. Xie Shuci felt triumphant when he saw so many eyes watching his heroic figure. He released Xie An and Chu Guiyi, crossed his arms and walked forward, trying to make amends for his foolish behavior just now.
He cleared his throat twice and said to Chu Wenfeng, "Chu Wenfeng, learn from this. This is called a delaying tactic, just to divert their attention. I could take on ten of them single-handedly!"
Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes at him, then simply found a table and sat down. "Fine, then I won't lift a finger. Let's see how you take on ten at once."
Upon hearing this, the faces of those people burned with embarrassment. In the cultivation world, nothing was more humiliating than having one's martial arts level looked down upon by a pill cultivator!
"You mere alchemist dare to spout nonsense in front of me? I think you're courting death!"
Several cultivators, enraged, disregarded everything else and drew their swords, rushing towards Xie Shuci.
When Xie Shuci saw that they were serious, she turned pale with fright and instinctively ran away, shouting, "Great hero, swords have no eyes!" while admitting defeat, "Chu Wenfeng, can't I just be joking?"
As he ran past Xie An, he suddenly reached out and grabbed Xie Shuci. Xie Shuci turned around and saw that the two men had caught up with them. "No—Xie An, run!"
However, the next moment, the little blind man kicked the longsword in the cultivator's hand away with a spinning kick, and pulled Xie Shuci back two steps, raised his long arm and steadily caught the longsword falling from the air.
As the hilt of the sword landed in Xie An's palm, a strange silver light flashed across the blade, producing a soft sword hum, and the sword trembled slightly, as if frantically trying to escape from his grasp.
Before anyone could notice, Xie An gripped the hilt of his sword and twisted it downwards, completely suppressing the blade's restless movement.
A weapon that has become overly bloodthirsty can keenly sense its master's murderous intent and react accordingly.
The menacing aura seeped into Xie An's palm through the hilt of the sword. It was likely that hundreds of lives had been lost on this sword, which was why it possessed such a strong aura of menace.
His robes fluttered without wind, and he sensed a familiar scent—the smell of blood and death—which almost awakened the bloodthirsty instincts within Xie An.
"Xie An, what are you doing? Stop showing off your fancy skills, let's run." Seeing that the others were intimidated by Xie An, Xie Shuci quietly leaned close to Xie An's ear and whispered.
Xie An's lips tightened. He never bothered to suppress his true nature, but at this moment, he clenched his teeth to prevent Xie Shuci from noticing anything amiss.
Suddenly hearing Xie Shuci speaking in his ear, Xie An couldn't help but chuckle.
Behind the two, Chu Guiyi glanced thoughtfully at Xie An.
Xie An possessed an extraordinary bearing. Holding a long sword, he protected Xie Shuci behind him, displaying an aura of unparalleled strength and invincibility.
Who are you?
Seeing his sword fall into someone else's hands, the cultivator's face turned extremely ugly, his eyes filled with shock and anger, as well as a hint of unease.
"Stop talking nonsense, are you afraid of a blind man?"
"Listen carefully, everyone. This alchemist, whose origins are unknown, not only carries a bronze medicine cauldron but also a considerable number of top-grade pills. Even in the renowned alchemist world of cultivation, there is no way they could produce so many priceless pills. If you fellow cultivators do not believe me, you can pick up the pouch on the ground and take a look."
When the robbery failed, the man planned to invite others to share the spoils.
Upon hearing this, the cultivators who were watching the commotion immediately became serious, and their gazes toward the little pouch lying on the ground became extremely intense.
The cultivator continued, "I don't mean to offend you, but I simply don't believe that you rogue cultivators could possess so many top-grade pills. Could it be that you stole them from other alchemy families?"
After this person finished speaking, he directed all the blame at Xie Shuci and his three companions, while giving others a seemingly legitimate reason to attack them.
"Yes, how could a rogue cultivator carry a bronze medicine cauldron with him?"
"I suspected that this person was dishonest that day, and that the medicine cauldron might have been stolen from other alchemists."
"Top-grade pills? Even a seasoned alchemist might not be able to refine just one in their entire life. How could a mere youth like him possibly do it? If that's true, these pills must have been stolen from other alchemists!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Xie Shuci was furious when he heard their chatter. "I, Xie Shuci, am upright and honest. I would never do such a petty thing!"
Chu Wenfeng jumped down, bracing himself on the table with both hands. He looked around disdainfully, seemingly oblivious to the hostility of the crowd, and walked directly to the small pouch as if no one else was there. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he bent down, picked up the pouch, and then threw it at Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci reached out to take it, but Xie An beat him to it.
Xie An caught the pouch and shoved it into his arms, his lips barely moving as he said, "Step back."
Xie Shuci sensed something different about the little blind man at this moment. He was holding the pouch with a bewildered look on his face when Xie An blocked him with his long arm and he retreated back to Chu Guiyi's side.
"The desire to return, this..."
Xie Shuci looked at Chu Wenfeng and Xie An with a blank expression. Seeing their posture, it seemed that they would not stop until they had a fight.
But there were about ten people on the other side, not to mention that other cultivators were also eyeing them covetously. Weren't they just asking for a beating?
Chu Guiyi calmly shook her head at him, signaling him to calm down.
"Xie Shuci, watch this! This is what it means to take on ten men single-handedly!" Chu Wenfeng said arrogantly, then turned to Xie An and said, "Xie An, you should go back too. Don't meddle."
Xie An acted as if he hadn't heard him and showed no intention of paying him any attention.
Those cultivators, having been repeatedly looked down upon, were furious, their faces turning a deep purplish-red. "Today we will act on behalf of Heaven..."
Chu Wenfeng sneered, "Idiot!"
After saying that, he drew a long, fiery red whip from his waist. The whip was covered with barbs, and Chu Wenfeng swung his arm, immediately creating a gust of wind that stung people's skin.
"You think you can take me down with just one finger? What a joke." Chu Wenfeng was young and impetuous. Before the others could react, he brandished his whip and charged into the crowd.
Xie Shuci stared at him in disbelief. His fluid movements and the sound of the whip tearing flesh from the other man's body filled Xie Shuci with lingering fear.
Seeing Chu Wenfeng's small figure maneuvering among seven or eight cultivators without being at a disadvantage, Xie Shuci felt a chill run down his spine.
He and this kid didn't get along from the moment they met. They bickered and teased each other a lot. He thought this kid was like him, a person with no real skills but who knew he was actually capable!
Xie Shuci suddenly bowed solemnly to Chu Guiyi and said earnestly, "Thank you for sparing my life, Junior Brother."
Chu Guiyi: "..."
"This is... a nine-section whip made by a flying bird?"
Someone nearby recognized the weapon in Chu Wenfeng's hand.
"How...how is this possible? I remember that the Nine-Section Flying Bird Whip is the weapon of the chief disciple of the Chu family of Yingzhou. How could it be in the hands of a mere brat?"
The cultivators in the midst of the fight also heard the conversation. Seeing that they couldn't gain any advantage from Chu Wenfeng, they turned their attention to Xie An, who hadn't made a move and was still blind.
"Xie An, be careful!" Xie Shuci shouted anxiously.
Xie An's lips curled slightly as his longsword spun in his hand, like a flowing silver river, streaking across the air before heading straight for his opponent's neck.
Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened in disbelief, his breathing became erratic for a second. The little blind man... wasn't just a pretty face?
In the rush, Xie Shuci's hurried breathing could be clearly heard.
Xie An frowned, and with a slight slant of his sword, it grazed the other man's shoulder.
"This swordsmanship? Am I seeing things?"
"This is the Free and Unfettered Sword Technique?!"
The man, whose shoulder was slashed by Xie An, turned around and thrust his sword at Xie An.
Xie Shuci disregarded everything else and unconsciously started walking.
Yu Guangzhong, Chu Guiyi raised his arm, and a flying sword flew out from his sleeve, piercing the wrist of the man holding the sword. After a scream, the sword fell to the ground.
Xie An remained calm, completely unaware of the danger, and sheathed his longsword at his side.
Xie Shuci seemed to have swallowed a fly, his steps faltering on the spot, his gaze shifting between the three of them.
The three men appeared remarkably calm, yet their attacks were all incredibly ruthless.
Xie Shuci: I sat up in shock while dying, and realized that I was the clown myself?
After all that, the onlookers were stunned:
"..."
"One is the Xiaoyao Sect, and the other is the Chu Family of Yingzhou."
"Who the hell said they were rogue cultivators?"
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