When Deng Changqing met his gaze, he couldn't help but shiver.
Xie Shuci had his back to the other three and didn't notice the different expressions on their faces.
Chu Guiyi raised her eyebrows in slight surprise;
Chu Wenfeng seemed unusually innocent about this kind of thing; his face turned red to the roots of his neck, and he silently cursed Xie Shuci for being shameless.
Xie An's face darkened instantly.
Xie Shuci was completely unaware of this. Looking at Deng Changqing's unpredictable expression, which turned from green to white, he felt extremely relieved.
Before he could burst out laughing, Xie Shuci covered his mouth and coughed lightly, asking, "What do you think?"
Deng Changqing chuckled awkwardly, swallowed hard, and said, "Thank you, young master, I..."
Although he felt that sacrificing himself for the Xiaoyao Sect was not impossible, seeing Xie An behind Xie Shuci, looking at them with a half-smile, he felt inexplicably afraid. He had a feeling that if he said something that did not meet Xie An's expectations, he would definitely make him suffer.
"I am deeply grateful for Young Master Xie's kindness, but I am truly..." Cold sweat broke out on Deng Changqing's forehead, and he hesitated again. If he could win over Xie Shuci through this, his status in the Xiaoyao Sect would definitely rise to a higher level, and he might even be promoted to the main branch of the Xiaoyao Sect. Perhaps... he should make a sacrifice?
Anyway, Xie Shuci is good-looking. As for Xie An behind him who exudes a chilling aura... he's blind, why should I be afraid of him?
Thinking of this, Deng Changqing paused, lowered his head in a pretentious manner, smiled shyly, and glanced at Xie Shuci with seductive eyes, giving Xie Shuci goosebumps.
He watched Deng Changqing warily, leaned back, and moved closer to the little blind man.
Xie An tightened his lips and withdrew the hand that was blocking his way.
“Young Master Xie, if you truly like me… I am willing…” Deng Changqing’s eyelids twitched as he frantically blinked at Xie Shuci.
Xie Shuci felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and goosebumps rose all over his body.
His face turned ashen; he had intended to disgust the other person, but ended up disgusting himself instead.
Looking at his shy and embarrassed appearance, Xie Shuci felt a wave of nausea wash over her. "Ugh..."
Xie Shuci covered his mouth, almost spitting it out.
Everyone: "..."
Xie Shuci turned his head to one side, as if swatting a fly, and said, "Go away, go away quickly, don't let me see you again."
Deng Changqing's face stiffened, and his lips twitched uncontrollably. It was clearly him who wanted to... He hadn't even complained about him yet, so why was he complaining about him instead?
Chu Wenfeng burst into laughter upon seeing this, "Xie Shuci, you've really made a fool of yourself!"
Xie Shuci said with a bitter face, "I just wanted to annoy him, but who knew he would actually agree? After this experience, I finally understand that I still prefer pretty older women."
Deng Changqing was furious, but dared not retaliate. He could only clasp his hands in a fist salute and grit his teeth, saying, "Farewell!"
After everyone left, Xie Shuci let out a long sigh of relief, turned around and patted Xie An on the shoulder with a sigh, feeling much more relaxed.
After spending so much time with the little blind man, he thought he had become gay, but now it seems he hadn't; it was just his imagination. If he had to face Deng Changqing's face all day, he felt he would lose at least ten years of his lifespan!
The latter coolly lifted his eyelids without giving any reaction.
While waiting for the Dragon Fang Secret Realm to open, the Hundred Sects Envoys investigated the truth and permanently stripped the Helian Yi Clan of their immortal sect status, meaning they would never be able to participate in the Immortal Sect Election.
On that day, the seal outside Luofang City was broken, and the affairs inside the city were temporarily handled by the elders of the Hehuan Sect. Except for the Cloud-Piercing Spear that no one could shake in the slightest, everything seemed to be the same as before.
When Luofang City became free to enter and leave, many disciples from various immortal sects, who were poised for action, flocked into the city. Many of them were no longer just there for the Dragon Fang Secret Realm; a significant portion of them were there for the mysterious alchemist.
This led to an unprecedented bustling scene in Luofang City, with inns and taverns of all sizes filled with cultivators. A considerable number of later cultivators even had to set up camp outside the city.
Xie Shuci had never been so adored before; he never dared to dream of such a thing. So every day in front of Chu Wenfeng, he was practically strutting around like a madman, which made Chu Wenfeng so angry that he gritted his teeth. The two of them argued and bickered a lot every day.
Chu Guiyi initially tried to stop them, but later, like Xie An, he became used to it and let them argue.
It seems the Chu family tried to find Chu Guiyi and take her back to Yingzhou, but the result was predictable.
As for Deng Changqing, after leaving that day, he shamelessly tried to get close to Xie Shuci. Xie Shuci didn't dislike him that much, but he felt nauseous whenever he saw him. Whenever Deng Changqing came, he would hide behind Xie An. Over time, Deng Changqing stopped coming.
Xie Shuci ate and drank well at Manjiang Hall. No less than ten cultivators came to talk to him every day. Xie Shuci was initially very interested, but later he got tired of it. Every time one came, he asked Chu Guiyi to help him persuade the person to go back.
The next day, rumors spread that he was attracted to men, and strangely dressed male cultivators began to fawn over him, making Xie Shuci's eyes ache. To make matters worse, Chu Wenfeng enjoyed making fun of him about it, leaving Xie Shuci utterly humiliated. Eventually, he stopped leaving his house altogether.
Xie An could endure loneliness better than him; he could sit in his room all day doing nothing. Xie Shuci, on the other hand, couldn't stand it after only half a day, just as Chu Wenfeng came to tease him again.
"Xie Shuci, are you going downstairs to listen to the storytelling?" Chu Wenfeng kicked the door twice.
"Listen to a story? Let's go!" Xie Shuci, seeing something new and interesting, hurriedly pulled Xie An downstairs.
The lobby was already quite full of people. Chu Wenfeng, like Xie Shuci, was a playful and mischievous person, and had already taken up four seats in the front row. Chu Guiyi was initially uninterested, but Xie Shuci and the other person coaxed and persuaded him to come down as well.
The storyteller was a refined-looking man in his fifties. Seeing that the hall was packed, he stroked his goatee, nodded with satisfaction, and struck the gavel heavily. "Quiet, quiet. The story I'm about to tell you is one that none of you have ever heard before."
"Quite the boast!"
“This time, cultivators from all over the world have gathered in Luofang City. Sir, please don’t embarrass me in public.”
The storyteller waved his hand and said, "Absolutely not. Even if you call everyone in the entire cultivation world over to listen to my story, no more than five people will know about it."
Xie Shuci sat upright below, while Xie An, who was spotless, held a pastry in one hand and a golden-brown fried peanut in the other at Xie Shuci's insistence, looking every bit like a little follower.
It's no wonder Xie Shuci is so greedy. Not long ago, he was protecting the little blind man like a treasure, but now he's ordering him around and treating him like a little tail, serving him food and drink.
Xie Shuci loves listening to stories, which feels like watching a movie. And when watching a movie, popcorn and cola are essential, but unfortunately there's no cola or popcorn here, so he has to find something else to substitute.
Xie Shuci picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth. He couldn't help but glance at Xie An, who worked hard and served him without complaint. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, "The little blind man is not only good-looking, but also has a good temper. Whoever becomes his Daoist partner in the future will be so lucky."
"Sigh." Xie Shuci couldn't help but sigh.
Thank you. You have a good temper. An frowned in confusion, silently asking, "What?"
Xie Shuci didn't speak, but picked up a peanut and brought it to his lips, "Ah—"
Xie An was stunned for a moment, then obediently lowered his eyes, parted his lips slightly, and took the thing into his mouth, gently pressing his lips against Xie Shuci's fingertips.
Seeing the commotion on their side, Chu Wenfeng stretched out his arm, past Xie Shuci, and reached out to Xie An, saying, "Give me one."
Xie Shuci slapped his hand and glared at him, saying, "Go get it yourself if you want to eat."
Chu Wenfeng curled his lip, "Look at you, acting like I'm all that special."
"Then don't take it."
"I want it..."
As Chu Wenfeng spoke, he took advantage of Xie Shuci's unpreparedness and grabbed at the peanuts. Fortunately, Xie An was prepared and slightly turned to the side, causing Chu Wenfeng to miss.
"Tch, I don't care." Chu Wenfeng snorted coldly and sat back down.
Xie Shuci raised an eyebrow smugly, then picked up another one and brought it to Xie An's lips, "Good boy, this is for you."
Xie An chuckled.
This time, he parted his lips slightly, but first extended his tongue, gently brushing it across Xie Shuci's fingertips before rolling the peanut into his mouth.
Unfortunately, Xie Shuci was now convinced that he liked pretty older women, and although he felt a slight unease, he didn't think much of it and clapped his hands: "Alright, alright, let's begin!"
The storyteller sat on the stage, waving a folding fan in front of his chest. He looked to be over fifty, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, and he did indeed have the air of a hermit master.
He gestured to the waiter to close all the windows and doors and light a row of candles on both sides to create a tense and terrifying atmosphere.
The hall immediately fell silent. Xie Shuci unconsciously slowed down his chewing and moved a little closer to Xie An.
"Legend has it that seven thousand years ago, heaven and earth combined yin and yang, giving birth to a monster called 'Bixie'. It was the embodiment of all evil in the world, and people at that time often said that as long as Bixie was killed, there would be no more disasters in the world."
The storyteller's deep, weathered voice, combined with the surrounding darkness, easily drew the audience's emotions into the story.
Only Xie Shuci, upon hearing the words "ward off evil," shuddered slightly and looked up in surprise. Whether it was his imagination or not, when he looked at the stage, the storyteller's gaze was fixed squarely on him.
Xie Shuci was momentarily stunned by that meaningful gaze.
"I'm sure you've all heard of Luo Jingyu, the young master of the first immortal family seven thousand years ago. Like Xiao Xun today, on the day he was born, twelve Jingyu birds circled the sky twelve times. Since ancient times, the Jingyu bird has been a symbol of good fortune in the world. It symbolizes power and the favor of the heavens. Yet, this young master of the immortal family, who was highly anticipated from birth, was killed by Bixie at the conference to compete for the leadership of the hundred sects."
Luo Jingyu?
Xie Shuci frowned. This person's name was indeed mentioned in the original book.
Although he and Xiao Xun had similar backgrounds and circumstances, their personalities were completely opposite.
In the brief introduction in the book, he is a dashing and carefree young master of a noble family, a typical figure among the younger generation of cultivators since childhood, the kind of "other people's child" that parents always talk about, and a person with great love in his heart.
This cultivator, who possessed great love and was favored by Heaven, was banished by the laws of Heaven and Earth after his death, never to be reincarnated.
Moreover, it is said that during the Ascension Tournament that day, Bixie not only killed Luo Jingyu, but almost all the cultivators present also lost their lives at his hands, except for Luo Jingyu, who was completely annihilated.
Since then, the Luo family's power has plummeted, gradually disappearing among the many immortal sects in the cultivation world, and Bixie has also vanished.
"But is that really the case?" The storyteller's tone shifted, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "In fact, the Ascension Tournament back then was a conspiracy orchestrated by numerous immortal sects and families to capture and kill Bixie. They used Luo Jingyu to lure Bixie into a formation specifically designed to counter him. And Luo Jingyu didn't die at Bixie's hands. He hated evil and loathed the underhanded methods of the immortal sects, so he single-handedly helped Bixie break the seal, only to be strangled on the spot by the Heavenly Dao!"
As the storyteller's voice grew increasingly excited, Xie Shuci became completely immersed in the scene.
Just then, someone in the audience spilled a bowl of tea on the stage and started cursing:
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"How dare you insult my idol!"
"I became a cultivator because I wanted to become someone like Luo Jingyu, and you're saying he's colluding with Bixie?"
"Fuck you!"
This sparked a huge uproar. The cultivators listening to the storytelling in the hall were furious and threw whatever they could find onto the stage.
"Shut your beak!"
"How dare you insult Luo Jingyu?"
"Don't you have a brain?"
In a moment of desperation, some people even snatched the two plates from Xie An's hands and smashed them onto the stage without saying a word.
"Hey, hey, hey..." The storyteller was caught off guard. "What are you all doing?!"
"Get out!"
"Don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you every time I see you!"
"Ouch!" The storyteller clutched his head, groaning as he ran out of the hall.
Xie Shuci, who was listening intently, said: "..."
"Such a strong reaction..." Xie Shuci murmured.
He had barely finished speaking when a cultivator who had always treated him with great respect glared at him. Xie Shuci shrank back and said spinelessly, "Luo Jingyu is an eternal god!"
The man then nodded in satisfaction.
After the people in the lobby dispersed, Xie Shuci patted his chest, "That was scary."
Chu Wenfeng scoffed, "He actually dares to speak ill of Luo Jingyu in front of young cultivators in the cultivation world. I think he's courting death."
Chu Guiyi, seeing that Xie Shuci was still in shock, explained, "Luo Jingyu was an unprecedented cultivator in the cultivation world. In terms of cultivation, temperament, and cultivation, he was extraordinary. For seven thousand years, he has been talked about in the cultivation world, and cultivators have tried to emulate him."
"Oh, I see." Xie Shuci nodded as if he understood, perhaps because to the cultivation world, Luo Jingyu was like a famous person who would be remembered for thousands of years in the modern world.
The storyteller said that Luo Jingyu helped Bixie break the seal, causing the deaths of many disciples from immortal sects and families. This was tantamount to saying that a loyal general who sacrificed his life for his country had betrayed his country, which naturally aroused the anger of the people.
Xie Shuci suddenly had a thought: "What if what he said is true?"
Chu Wenfeng glared at him, "Say that again?"
"Okay, okay!" Xie Shuci quickly surrendered. "I know, he's your idol too."
Chu Guiyi said, "Seven thousand years have passed, and the truth is impossible to verify. Moreover, people only believe what they want to believe, so the truth is no longer important."
Xie Shuci nodded, "That's true. I don't care if it's true or not, I just want to hear the story."
After saying that, Xie Shuci pondered it to himself.
Since both Sha Gou and Helian Zhu mentioned Bixie before their deaths, his existence must be real. But what was Bixie's purpose in making a deal with them? And why did Sha Gou say he could help him?
Xie Shuci dared not tell the other three about this. He had encountered two “people related to the accident” in succession, and based on his understanding of the nature of BL novels, they were probably not good people. It was better not to involve unrelated people.
He thought for a moment, then asked, feigning curiosity, "Who exactly is Bixie? Is he still alive?"
Chu Guiyi said, "Sir, you are not wrong. Bixie is indeed the embodiment of evil in heaven and earth. After Luo Jingyu's Ascension Conference seven thousand years ago, he appeared a few times without making any big moves, and no one knows his whereabouts."
"By the way," Chu Wenfeng suddenly said, "what did you mean by what you asked Helian Zhu yesterday? What kind of deal?"
Xie Shuci shook his head and asked again, "Did you see the formation yesterday? What was it for?"
Chu Guiyi said, "I have never seen it before, including the formation that appeared under Helian Yong's feet. No one has ever truly seen it either. Perhaps it is some kind of evil magic."
Seeing that the two of them were completely ignoring him, Chu Wenfeng slumped down and looked at Xie An, who was also being ignored by the two of them. He suddenly felt a sense of sympathy for Xie An, so he got up and sat down next to him.
Just as Chu Wenfeng was about to speak, Xie Shuci suddenly looked over warily and warned, "What are you doing? Don't try to corrupt our Xie An, I'm telling you!"
Chu Wenfeng: "..."
"I haven't said anything yet!"
Xie Shuci waved his hand and said, "Get out of the way."
Having spent a lot of time with Xie Shuci, Chu Wenfeng had learned a thing or two. Upon hearing this, he gave Xie Shuci the middle finger and then sat back down in his seat.
Having ended the previous conversation, Xie Shuci rested his chin on his hands and said, "I've made up my mind. From now on, I'm going to cultivate diligently."
Xie Shuci considered himself a person who listened to advice. Before he died, Gouzi told him to cultivate diligently and survive. Although he didn't understand the deeper meaning behind it, he believed that a dog's dying words were kind, and Gouzi must have had his reasons for saying that.
After saying that, he looked at the little blind man with a sentimental expression, "I will definitely find a way to help you repair your golden core and spiritual veins."
Xie An is now just like any other person; when he reaches a certain age, he will pass away. Xie Shuci, on the other hand, can at least live a few more years. Perhaps in the future, he will achieve great things in his cultivation and live for hundreds or even thousands of years.
By then, the little blind man will be long dead...
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci suddenly laughed: "Xie An, it's okay if you die. I'll go everywhere to find your reincarnation. There's always a way to find it."
Xie An stiffened for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat complicated. "Even if I die, you will still come looking for me?"
Xie Shuci nodded matter-of-factly, "Yeah, I'm bored anyway. But you might forget me by then and not want to come with me."
Xie An's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and he pursed his lips and shook his head, saying, "As long as you can find me, I will go with you."
Xie Shuci was overjoyed and rubbed her head against his shoulder, saying, "I knew my Xie An was the best."
After a pause, Xie An continued, "If you die and are able to be reincarnated..."
"Pah! Pah! That's bad luck! I won't die, and none of us will die." Xie Shuci quickly interrupted him.
Xie An: "..."
Xie Xiaoci, can you please be reasonable?
After hearing Xie Shuci's words, Chu Guiyi and the other person fell into an eerie silence.
Even Chu Wenfeng, who always loved to joke around with Xie Shuci, frowned, hesitating whether he should speak.
After a long silence, Chu Guiyi spoke first: "Shuci, did you two also come to Luofang City for the Qiankun Mirror?"
Xie Shuci asked, puzzled, "What is the Qiankun Mirror?"
Chu Guiyi explained, "The Dragon Fang Secret Realm once appeared, and it is said that there is a magical artifact inside—the Qiankun Mirror, also known as the Yin-Yang Mirror. When facing a single target, it can rewind time to within ten years; when facing multiple targets, it can only rewind time to within half an incense stick's time."
Xie Shuci looked at him, then at Chu Wenfeng, still somewhat confused.
"To be honest, the purpose of Wen Feng and I coming here is for the Qiankun Mirror," Chu Guiyi sighed softly.
Xie Shuci came to her senses and cautiously asked, "The Qiankun Mirror... can it help you and Xie An restore your cultivation?"
"That's right."
Xie Shuci smacked his lips, then looked troubled. "The Qiankun Mirror wouldn't only restore one of you, would it?"
Chu Guiyi glanced at him and nodded.
Xie Shuci's eyes darted between the two men, and he couldn't help but shift his position closer to Xie An. He swallowed hard, glancing at the whip hanging from Chu Wenfeng's waist, as if he could already feel the pain of it striking his skin.
He said timidly, "You...you don't intend to turn against us, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Guiyi chuckled helplessly, while Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes at him.
"Idiot," Chu Wenfeng cursed.
Xie Shuci glared at him, kicked him under the table, and muttered, "Then what do we do?"
Chu Wenfeng said, "Are you stupid? Which immortal sect in the city doesn't want to curry favor with you? Why don't you take Xie An directly to them to cooperate? Give them some pills and they'll help you get the Qiankun Mirror. They'd be willing to give it to you for free, let alone help you."
Xie Shuci raised an eyebrow and said to the two of them, "How about we discuss this? We should keep the good stuff in the family, right? I'll give you the pills, and you help me get the Qiankun Mirror, okay?"
Chu Wenfeng frowned, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he held back.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Xie Shuci turned his gaze to Chu Guiyi.
Chu Guiyi's smile was somewhat bitter as he shook his head and said, "Shuci, I'm sorry, the Qiankun Mirror is very important to me."
Chu Wenfeng glanced at him, then silently lowered his head.
"Well then, let's each rely on our own abilities. Let's make it clear first, no one is allowed to use any underhanded tricks!" Xie Shuci said, widening his eyes.
Upon hearing this, Chu Wenfeng scoffed, "Each relying on their own abilities? If I wanted to stop you, could I? If I were to fight you, would I need to resort to any tricks?"
Chu Guiyi then clasped his hands in a solemn gesture and said to him, "Shuci, don't worry. If you get the Qiankun Mirror before us, Wen Feng and I will never compete with you for it."
A gentleman like Chu Guiyi would probably disdain resorting to any underhanded tactics.
Xie Shuci waved his hand and said, "Alright, there are only four of us old, weak, sick and disabled people. We might get there before someone else does."
Chu Wenfeng glared at him, "Are you saying you're old, or that I'm weak?"
"Fine, fine, you're not weak, I'm old! I'm old, okay?"
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Xie Shuci slumped onto the table in frustration. "It's so annoying. These days, I'm followed by a bunch of people whenever I go out. I can't have any fun at all. I finally met a storyteller, and I thought I was going to hear some kind of poignant love story, but he kicked me off the stage halfway through."
"Love stories? What's so interesting about those? How about telling a story about a young talent saving the cultivation world..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Shuci chuckled, "Kid, your idea is a bit dangerous."
His thoughts were exactly the same as when he was a silly kid in junior high school.
Chu Wenfeng glared at him.
"Youth is a time when we don't appreciate its beauty. Now I just hope to experience a love that will captivate us all in my lifetime, preferably with a gentle and virtuous woman... no, a strong-willed one would be fine too..."
After realizing he wasn't gay, Xie Shuci felt that things would get dangerous sooner or later, so he figured it was better to experience the pain of love sooner rather than later.
Xie An listened quietly to their conversation. When he heard this, he gently tapped Xie Shuci with his hand.
Xie Shuci looked over in confusion.
The latter parted her lips slightly and silently said, "Can't men?"
"Of course not men. If someone like Deng Changqing were to hang around in front of me every day, he would kill me sooner or later."
Xie An's lips curled into a half-hearted smile, and he said nothing more.
Just then, a butterfly silently flew to Xie An's sleeve.
"He was the third sacrifice?"
Xie An's eyes darkened, and with a gentle flick of his sleeve, he scattered the spirit butterflies into the air.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
