The room was quiet and still. The surrounding environment and Xie An's body temperature made Xie Shuci feel extremely at ease.
There was even a moment when Xie Shuci had the leisure to think that if one day he really did become gay and really fell in love with the little blind man, it wouldn't be entirely without reason.
After all, who can resist a man who is both handsome and gives them a sense of security?
Forget it, why think about all this nonsense? The little blind boy is still young.
Before long, the waiter knocked on the door and led someone to set up the bathtub and fill it with hot water.
Xie Shuci asked them to boil another bucket of hot water, as he and Xie An both wanted to take a bath.
After everyone left, Xie Shuci took off his blood-stained clothes and was about to take off his inner garments when he noticed that Xie An was standing by the screen and had not left.
Xie Shuci paused, "Xie An?"
Xie An raised his head, his face showing confusion.
Xie Shuci reminded him, "I'm going to take a bath."
Xie An seemed not to understand his meaning, his expression growing increasingly puzzled. His lips moved slightly, "So?"
Xie Shuci: "..."
That's right!
Xie Shuci slapped his forehead. The little blind man can't see, so why is he being so dramatic? Even if the little blind man could see, what's wrong with two grown men looking at each other? Modern public bathhouses still have groups of people bathing together.
Perhaps Xie An's embrace offered Xie Shuci some comfort, as Xie Shuci's mood improved somewhat. He joked, "Well, how about we shower together? We can even scrub each other's backs or something?"
Xie An responded with a half-smile.
Xie Shuci chuckled awkwardly. He was just joking; if he were to meet the blind boy naked now, he'd probably feel incredibly guilty.
Since Xie An couldn't see it anyway, Xie Shuci didn't hesitate and took off his inner garment as well.
Xie Shuci originally came from a well-off family. His parents worked abroad year-round, and a nanny took care of his daily needs. Xie Shuci was truly a pampered young man who never lifted a finger. His skin was fair and delicate, like an egg. The blood that had accidentally splattered on him looked like a few red plum blossoms fallen in the snow.
Such a fragile and pure body always makes people want to do something destructive, to leave something of their own on it.
Xie An leaned against the screen, facing Xie Shuci's back. A slight itch spread through his teeth. He clenched his teeth, lowered his head slightly, and looked gloomy.
Xie Shuci had no idea what he was thinking. He strode into the bathtub, and the scalding water made him pause for a moment. The water droplets splashed onto Xie Shuci and wet the small cinnabar mole on his waist.
Fortunately, Xie Shuci adapted quickly and sat down inside.
The perfect water temperature relieved Xie Shuci's physical and mental fatigue. He couldn't help but let out a comfortable sigh, rested his head on the edge of the bathtub, put his arms on either side, and slowly closed his eyes.
Who exactly is Bixie?
Why make a deal with those idiots?
What's the condition? Is it their lives?
Why would a silly dog say that warding off evil spirits can help him?
Xie Shuci involuntarily frowned, and soon after, he heard footsteps approaching.
He opened his eyes in a daze and saw Xie An slowly walking behind him, seemingly trying to determine Xie Shuci's location, so he reached out and groped.
Xie An's fingertips lightly touched Xie Shuci's left shoulder. Xie Shuci looked up at him, neither stopping him nor offering any advice.
"Xie Shuci?"
Xie Shuci saw his lips moving as he called her name, but for some reason, she stared at him blankly without saying a word.
Xie An lowered his long eyelashes and, not hearing a response, tightened his lips and placed his palm on the skin of Xie An's left arm, slowly moving it upwards.
As he moved, his fingers stopped on the scar on Xie Shuci's left arm. Perhaps sensing that the skin in this area was different from the rest, he frowned, as if confirming, and touched it for a while longer.
A tingling sensation spread from the scar, and Xie Shuci's arm involuntarily twitched. Xie An pursed his lips, covered Xie Shuci's face with his large hand, and circled his fingers around Xie Shuci's eyes. A faint smell of blood mixed with a hazy fragrance of his sleeves unexpectedly filled his nostrils.
"What's wrong?" Xie Shuci's voice was not as lively as usual, sounding lazy and revealing an undeniable weariness.
Through the blind boy's fingers, Xie Shuci saw him move his lips and ask, "How was your arm injured?"
After confirming that Xie Shuci's eyes were open, Xie An tried to pull his hand back, but Xie Shuci unexpectedly opened her mouth and bit one of his fingers.
The force of the teeth wasn't strong, like a puppy grinding its teeth, but it made Xie An pause in his withdrawal.
Xie Shuci bit down and then released his teeth, staring at Xie An for a couple of seconds. The latter didn't say anything, calmly withdrawing his hand.
Xie Shuci chuckled silently, glanced at the scar on his left arm, and said, "If I told you that you'd be dead if you dared to laugh at me!"
Xie An lowered his eyes, smiled, and shook his head.
Xie Shuci looked into the distance and recalled, "When I was about seven or eight years old, I always thought that I was actually a peerless hero, and there were millions of people in the world waiting for me to save them, so I bought a very heavy sword to practice my skills..."
As he spoke, Xie Shuci couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"I didn't expect it to be so heavy. I couldn't hold it steady at all, and the knife fell and cut my arm right there..."
Xie Shuci squinted and saw the little blind boy's barely suppressed smile. She splashed a handful of bathwater on him and said, "I told you not to laugh at me!"
Xie An quickly suppressed his smile and shook his head to indicate that he was no longer laughing.
Xie Shuci then gave a satisfied hum, showed off the almost non-existent muscles on his arms, and said, "You know, a man's scars are like medals. Look how manly you are!"
Xie An nodded in agreement.
Seeing how compliant he was, Xie Shuci felt quite pleased.
Xie Shuci turned to look at him, and said rather arrogantly, "Little blind man, my shoulders are sore, can you massage them for me?"
Xie An raised an eyebrow.
Xie Shuci stretched out her water-drip-covered fingers and poked the bell hanging from his waist, as if to say, "I've already given you this little bell, so what's wrong with you massaging my shoulders?"
"Give me a squeeze, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at night," Xie Shuci said without hesitation.
Xie An seemed somewhat helpless, pressing his restless hand back into the water, then dragged over a stool and sat down behind him.
The blind man, who had been wielding a sword for many years, had rough, calloused fingers. When he pinched Xie Shuci's smooth neck, he felt a strange, indescribable tingling or itching sensation.
The pressure in his palm was just right, neither too light nor too heavy, showing much more skill than the first time.
Xie Shuci tilted his head back comfortably, closed his eyes, and smiled, "As expected of my little brother, so well-behaved."
The blind man's fingers slipped out of control, pinching Xie Shuci so hard that she cried out in pain.
"Wow! I just complimented you, can you be handsome for a few more seconds?"
Xie An kept his lips pressed together and didn't speak.
Xie Shuci was in a much better mood than when he returned. Since Xie An couldn't speak to him, he muttered to himself, "Sigh, little blind man, isn't it strange? I used to be so afraid of dead people, but today I'm not afraid at all when I see Helian Jue and the others' corpses. Is it because I've seen them so many times that I've gotten used to it?"
The light and shadows cast on Xie An's face made it impossible to discern his emotions.
"I just find it so strange. The laws of nature are strange, and people are strange too. They are both selfish and selfless."
He seemed lost in thought again, tilting his head back, opening his eyes to look at Xie An. After a while, he asked, "Little blind man, do you remember what I look like?"
Xie paused for a moment, then did not reply.
Xie Shuci said to himself, "What if you don't go blind one day? Will you not even recognize me? And then someone impersonates me, and I come to you and tell you that I have actually been by your side these days, but you don't believe me, and you even help that person bully me."
Xie An chuckled, "Am I that stupid?"
Xie Shuci also felt that what he said was a bit ridiculous, and shook his head with his neck shrank.
Xie Shuci realized he had been a bit sentimental today. He patted Xie An's hand and said, "No need to massage anymore. I'm so hungry. Can you ask the waiter to bring me some food?"
Xie An didn't say anything, just nodded and stepped out from behind the screen.
Xie An stopped in his tracks when he reached the door.
He raised his right hand, and although there were no marks left on his fingers where Xie Shuci had bitten him, he could still feel that subtle itch.
His eyes were downcast, and the light in them was gloomy and somber.
After pausing for a moment, he opened the door and went out.
When he returned, Xie Shuci had already wrapped himself in his clothes and was fast asleep on the bed.
Perhaps because he had exhausted too much energy, he slept soundly and for a long time, until he woke up around noon the next day, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
"Xie An?" Xie Shuci called out in a hoarse voice, then sat up and found himself alone in the room.
He had slept for too long, and his head was still foggy. When he got up, he was so disoriented that he almost fell off the bed.
"Where is he?" Xie Shuci murmured in confusion, slipping on his shoes and sitting down at the table to pour himself a glass of water.
The water in the pot was still warm; Xie An must have just left a short while ago.
After drinking a glass of water, Xie Shuci's empty stomach growled twice, and he felt quite hungry. He quickly tidied himself up and prepared to go find Xie An, and also go downstairs to find something to eat.
Manjiangtang was much quieter than usual. When I walked into the main hall and looked out the door, there were only a few pedestrians on the road. Compared with the previous bustling and crowded atmosphere, it had a somewhat desolate feel.
"Shuci, you're awake?"
Chu Guiyi and Xie Shuci were sitting idly in the main hall when they saw Xie Shuci and smiled at him.
Xie Shuci yawned and walked over. "Have you seen Xie An? Where did he go?"
Chu Guiyi said, "Young Master Xie has been taken away by the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect."
"What?!" Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci immediately stood up, his spirits lifted.
Chu Guiyi couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't worry, you are now a renowned alchemist. Young Master Xie is your friend to outsiders, and the Xiaoyao Sect wouldn't dare offend you, so naturally they won't make things difficult for him."
Chu Wenfeng retorted rather indignantly, "You just got lucky, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."
Chu Guiyi said helplessly, "Shuci, don't listen to his nonsense. The news that you used the bronze medicine cauldron to subdue the Fulong magic weapon has already spread throughout the city. I'm afraid there will be countless people trying to win you over in the future. You and Young Master Xie need to be careful to avoid being taken advantage of."
Having experienced yesterday's events, Xie Shuci is no longer an unknown alchemist, but a disciple of a powerful alchemist family within the Floating Pagoda Realm.
Xie Shuci, not having time to feel smug, asked, "Where are they taking Xie An?"
Chu Guiyi gestured for him not to rush, and then asked Chu Wenfeng to get Xie Shuci some food.
Chu Wenfeng was depressed, but dared not disobey, and reluctantly left the hall.
"What Helian Yong did has been reported to the Hundred Sects. This morning, an envoy arrived in Luofang City. After investigating the facts, it was decided to gather the disciples of the reputable immortal sects in Luofang City to discuss how to deal with the Helian Yi family. Since the Xiaoyao Sect is currently leaderless, we will bring Young Master Xie, who is close to you, to take charge of the situation." Chu Guiyi explained in detail.
Upon hearing that Xie An was unharmed, Xie Shuci breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but at the same time couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Let Xie An take charge of the overall situation? Aren't they still hunting down Xie An? Besides, there's Deng Fengming, why would they send Xie An to do that?"
When Deng Fengming was mentioned, Chu Guiyi's expression became more somber, and he sighed, "Deng Fengming is dead. Xie An is an inner disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect, and you have a good relationship with him. The Xiaoyao Sect's actions this time are also intended to win you over."
Xie Shuci was stunned and said in disbelief, "Deng Fengming is dead?"
How could this be? In the original book, Deng Fengming was supposed to be killed by Xiao Xun, but that would happen at least six months later. How could this be?
Chu Guiyi nodded and said, "I heard from Elder Ye of the Hehuan Sect that Deng Fengming was unlucky and was affected by the formation Helian Zhu used before his death. The formation unintentionally activated the weapons on the ground and beheaded him with a single sword strike."
Xie Shuci suddenly remembered that when he left the Helian family yesterday, he saw a large pool of sprayed blood on the ground. Could that pool of blood be Deng Fengming's?
"No." Xie Shuci subconsciously didn't believe that things could be so simple. "There were so many people around at the time, how could it be that only he was affected?"
Chu Guiyi clearly had the same doubts, but he had no evidence.
“However, apart from that, no one else could have killed Deng Fengming silently at that time,” Chu Guiyi said.
“There is one person,” Xie Shuci said seriously.
"Who?" Chu Guiyi frowned slightly.
"Xiao Xun".
Chu Guiyi shook his head and said, "It shouldn't be him."
Chu Wenfeng happened to walk back. "What were you talking about?"
Neither of them paid him any attention, so Xie Shuci continued, "Why not him?"
Chu Guiyi said, "Xiao Xun never cared about his reputation. To avoid trouble, everyone who died at his hands had their Golden Core severed with a single stroke. But Deng Fengming was beheaded, which doesn't fit Xiao Xun's killing methods. Moreover, Shu Ci, those twelve Hehuan Sect female disciples didn't die at Xiao Xun's hands either. He's probably not in Luofang City right now."
Xie Shuci was a little confused by what he said, "But aren't the disciples of the Hehuan Sect just having their Golden Core severed?"
Chu Wenfeng interjected, "I really don't understand why you always try to drag Xiao Xun into everything. Even if he cultivates the path of slaughter, he can't have killed everyone in the world, can he? According to Helian Yong, when his men arrived, the disciples of the Hehuan Sect were still alive. Who is Xiao Xun? If he wants to kill someone, does he leave any survivors?"
Xie Shuci: "..."
That makes sense!
Xie Shuci was probably too nervous and forgot about this. What kind of person is Xiao Xun? He firmly believes that if you don't eradicate the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the wind. With his personality, if he wants to kill someone, he won't leave them any chance to live!
Since Xiao Xun is not in the city, Deng Fengming's death is probably due to the butterfly effect.
Thinking about it this way, Xie Shuci immediately felt relieved, and even thought happily that maybe Xiao Xun had also died because of the butterfly effect.
The waiter brought over a bowl of boiled noodles. Xie Shuci ate a couple of mouthfuls and then heard the familiar sound of a bell outside the door. His eyes lit up. The little blind man was back!
The next moment, Xie An slowly walked in from outside the door.
Xie An wasn't alone; he was followed by a tagalong dressed in the robes of a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect.
"Senior Brother Xie, there are only four days left until the opening of the Dragon Fang Secret Realm. Why don't you bring your friends and go in with our Xiaoyao Sect? The secret realm is extremely dangerous. If you come with us, you can look out for each other."
Following behind Xie An was a disciple who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, a little younger than Xie An but a little older than Chu Wenfeng.
Xie An remained expressionless and made no response throughout, so it was unclear whether he had taken his disciple's words to heart.
Seeing him clinging to Xie An, bowing and scraping obsequiously, Xie Shuci felt inexplicably annoyed.
He slammed his chopsticks down on the table, the bells at his waist clinking together with his movement, producing a clear and melodious sound.
Xie An paused for a moment, then looked in Xie Shuci's direction, his lips moving slightly: "Xie Shuci?"
"Xie An, come here," Xie Shuci called out with a stern face.
Xie An, not understanding why, took a step closer to him.
The follower behind him also looked at Xie Shuci, who squinted and sized up the three people at the table. One of the three was a pill cultivator. Now that Senior Brother Deng was dead, he had to shoulder the responsibility of the Xiaoyao Sect and win over this pill cultivator from the Futu Realm.
He considered himself to have a sharp and experienced eye, and immediately dismissed the furious Xie Shuci. Looking to the side, on his right was Chu Wenfeng, a young man with an intimidating expression; on his left was Chu Guiyi, sitting dignifiedly at the table, gentle and refined, with a smile in her eyes.
And here comes the result!
The young man on the left, who looks kind and benevolent, must be a pill cultivator.
Thinking of this, he ignored Xie Shuci's fierce glare, walked straight to Chu Guiyi, cupped his hands and bowed, saying, "My name is Deng Changqing, greetings, young master."
Chu Guiyi raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had never had any connection with the Xiaoyao Sect, but he could roughly guess that this Xiaoyao Sect disciple had mistaken him for Xie Shuci.
Chu Guiyi did not speak directly, but instead asked, "What brings you here, fellow Daoist?"
Deng Changqing instinctively felt that this person was easy to talk to, so he smiled and said, "It's like this, Senior Brother Xie is a disciple of our Xiaoyao Sect. In the few days since the secret realm opened, why don't you all act together with our Xiaoyao Sect?"
But in reality, Deng Changqing had no idea who Xie An was. Their purpose in coming to Luofang City was to find out the truth about the deaths of the Hehuan Sect disciples. He knew nothing else. The only two people who knew the inside story, Deng Fengming and another senior brother, happened to have died at the Helian family's house.
Now that the truth is out, Xiao Xun's fate is still unknown. After learning the whole story, the Xiaoyao Sect allowed them to stay in Luofang City to enter the Dragon Fang Secret Realm and tried to win over this mysterious 'alchemist'.
As for who Xie An was, Deng Changqing didn't care, as long as he could use him to win over alchemists.
Before the alchemist could speak, the man who was otherwise quite ordinary except for his good looks spoke up: "Why should I go with you? Oh, you were all shouting to kill Xie An at the beginning, but now that the truth is out and you realize he's still useful, you want to take him back to your Xiaoyao Sect? You have no shame! Bah! Unless he wants to go with you himself, no way!"
Deng Changqing's face turned ashen from the scolding. "When did it become anyone else's business to interfere in the affairs of my Xiaoyao Sect? He is a disciple of my Xiaoyao Sect, so naturally he is under the jurisdiction of the Xiaoyao Sect."
"You wish!" Xie Shuci slammed his fist on the table indignantly, then turned to Xie An and asked, "Tell me, will you listen to them or me?"
Xie An seemed to enjoy Xie Shuci standing up for him, and nodded contentedly upon hearing Xie Shuci's words, "I'll listen to you."
Seeing this, Xie Shuci said smugly, "See? He said he'd listen to me. I despise people like you the most. You kick someone aside when you don't need them, and pick them up again when you do. Who do you think you are? Do you think it's so easy to get something for nothing?"
After saying that, he told Xie An, "Xie An, you are not allowed to associate with the Xiaoyao Sect from now on, understand?"
Xie An raised his head noncommittally, firmly stating his position.
Deng Changqing didn't take it to heart. His purpose in coming here was not for Xie An in the first place, so he scoffed, "Senior Brother Xie is truly blind. Otherwise, why would he give up his status as a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect for someone as uncouth as you?"
"Me? Vulgar?" Xie Shuci pointed to himself incredulously. "I'm a refined guy, I have such a sense of ritual when I eat a meal, and you're calling me vulgar?"
Chu Wenfeng asked, puzzled, "What's 'Bo'?"
Deng Changqing curled his lip, "I have nothing to say to someone like you..."
He was halfway through his sentence when Chu Guiyi, with a clear smile on her lips, pushed the teacup towards Xie Shuci, saying, "Shuci, don't rush, have some tea."
Deng Changqing's voice grew softer and softer, and his face gradually stiffened.
Books, books, words? What the heck?
Isn't Xie Shuci the alchemist?
Wait, no, that's not right...
Deng Changqing felt his tongue was a little numb, and eventually his mind became a little unclear.
The seemingly ordinary man picked up his teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then said to the refined-looking man in front of him, "Thank you, Guiyi."
Longing to return home...
Is Chu returning to his homeland?
Is he the eldest disciple of the Chu family of Yingzhou?
ah……
Deng Changqing looked serene. It turned out I had made a mistake.
So this uncouth and ordinary man was Xie Shuci.
"Oh dear, look at my eyes!"
Xie Shuci was enjoying his tea when the person opposite him suddenly slapped his thigh. The loud sound startled Xie Shuci.
Before he could react, Deng Changqing grabbed the teapot on the table, bypassed Chu Wenfeng, and stepped close to Xie Shuci.
"I must have been blind! How could I have called you vulgar? Look at your stunningly beautiful face, and these coarse clothes... oh no, I mean, even such ordinary fabric looks like it's trimmed with gold on you, you look absolutely gorgeous..."
"No, no, no... don't come any closer, I'm telling you!"
Seeing his menacing approach, Xie Shuci leaned his back against Xie An. The latter, used to this, stretched out a long arm without changing his expression and wrapped it around Xie Shuci's waist to make him more comfortable.
"Oh, look at you! I was just joking with you. Don't I know that Senior Brother Xie only listens to you?" Deng Changqing smiled so broadly that his eyes disappeared, insisting on pouring Xie Shuci a cup of tea.
Chu Wenfeng burst into laughter without restraint, while Deng Changqing, shameless as ever, eagerly moved closer to Xie Shuci without the slightest embarrassment.
"I don't want to drink it, put it down!"
"Young Master Xie, why are you being so formal with me? You treat Senior Brother Xie as a friend, and Senior Brother Xie is a disciple of our Xiaoyao Sect, so aren't you one of us? We Xiaoyao Sect have always held such an elegant, outstanding, and excellent cultivator as you in the highest esteem!"
His barrage of compliments left Xie Shuci completely bewildered.
Xie Shuci slowly came to his senses. He saw Chu Wenfeng's face turn red with laughter and Chu Guiyi's barely suppressed smile, and he finally understood.
So this kid from the Xiaoyao Sect was trying to curry favor with me?
"Ahem..." Xie Shuci cleared his throat, "Someone as uncouth as me..."
"Who?!" Deng Changqing said sternly. "Who dares to say you're vulgar? If you ask me, it's people like you who live a life of quiet seclusion in the city that are truly worthy of respect."
Xie Shuci could use even a chicken feather as an imperial edict, let alone such a huge opportunity falling into his lap. He immediately sighed and said, "You're right, Xie An must have been blind to give up his status as a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect for me..."
“Hey!” Deng Changqing quickly interrupted him, “You can’t say that. Everyone has their own ambitions. I was worried that Senior Brother Xie would be deceived. But if it were you, I wouldn’t have to worry at all.”
Xie Shuci frowned in annoyance. "Is it alright for you to talk to me so much? You and someone as uncouth as me should have nothing to say to each other."
Chu Wenfeng finally couldn't hold back anymore, "Xie Shuci, I admire you, I really admire you!"
Deng Changqing's smile was almost gone. "Young Master Xie, I was blind to your greatness. Can I apologize to you?"
Xie Shuci felt that his ability to bend and stretch was very similar to her own, so she wanted to tease him. She sat up from Xie An's arms, squinted and looked him up and down, "Apologize? Aren't you going to show some sincerity?"
Deng Changqing gritted his teeth and said, "Then tell me, how can I apologize in a way that shows sincerity?"
Xie Shuci had been waiting for this very sentence. He rested his chin on his hand, his gaze lingering suggestively over Deng Changqing's chest, and said in a low voice:
"Tsk, you're not bad looking, how about..."
Before he could finish speaking, the expressions of all four people present changed.
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