"vulgar."
Chu Wenfeng looked down on him and scoffed.
"You call this vulgar? It's only human nature, you know. Otherwise, ask your senior brother if he's ever thought about it." Xie Shuci glanced at him.
Chu Wenfeng curled his lip, unconcerned, but unable to resist his curiosity, he looked at Chu Guiyi opposite him and asked with a smile, "Senior Brother, you certainly wouldn't think that way, right?"
Chu Guiyi lowered her eyes and smiled calmly, "I have thought about it before."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng were stunned.
Although Xie Shuci thought this was only human nature, he was just saying it for the sake of it. He felt that Chu Guiyi was not the kind of person who would be bound by love and romance.
The two looked at each other, both seeing intense curiosity in the other's eyes.
"Senior Brother, what kind of person do you want to become your Daoist partner?"
"Gentle or lively?"
Seeing the two of them looking so interested, Chu Guiyi smiled and said, "It's not about what kind of person I want to become a Daoist partner with, but rather what kind of person will become my Daoist partner."
Chu Wenfeng's mind went blank for a moment, and he couldn't understand what he meant even after pondering it for a long time.
Xie Shuci, being a modern person, had read a lot of inspirational quotes about love online, and instantly grasped the meaning of this sentence.
"I understand! You mean you have to fall in love with someone before you know what kind of person you like."
Chu Guiyi pursed her lips, smiling but saying nothing.
Xie Shuci couldn't help but exclaim, "Guiyi, you must be very popular!"
Before Chu Guiyi could speak, Chu Wenfeng raised his chin, as if Xie Shuci was praising him.
"Of course! Senior Brother is the most popular male cultivator in Yingzhou. The line of suitors could stretch from Yingzhou all the way to Bianzhou!"
Xie Shuci knew, of course, that Chu Guiyi was popular; he simply couldn't stand Chu Wenfeng's arrogant attitude. "That's not you."
Chu Guiyi smiled faintly and shook her head, "Wen Feng, don't talk nonsense. In this world, who would want to become a Daoist partner with a cripple?"
"Senior brother, you're not crippled!"
Xie Shuci pursed her lips and said softly, "Guiyi, you can't think like that. What if you meet someone you like in the future?"
Chu Guiyi looked up at him and smiled, "Like? I like birds, but only because I like the way they soar freely. I don't want to break their wings to keep them by my side, nor do I want them to give up the sky for me."
After hearing his words, Xie Shuci and the other person fell silent.
Chu Guiyi's ideas were too rational and insightful, making them somewhat difficult for Xie Shuci to understand.
"But, won't it be sad if you can't be with the person you like?" Xie Shuci asked.
Chu Guiyi lowered her eyes. "If there is no chance to meet again, I will say goodbye properly before we part. If I cannot say goodbye, I will regret it for the rest of my life."
At this moment, Chu Wenfeng kicked him from under the table, winked at him, and then asked, "What about your Xie An? Does he have any ideas?"
Xie An?
Xie Shuci's attention was immediately diverted, and his eyes shifted to Xie An.
Xie An slightly raised his head, his thin lips moved as if he wanted to say something.
At that moment, Xie Shuci suddenly lost her mind and, without knowing what she was thinking, suddenly lunged forward and covered his mouth. The latter raised an eyebrow and looked surprised.
Xie Shuci glared angrily at Chu Wenfeng and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? How old is Xie An? Don't corrupt him, he has no ideas!"
Chu Wenfeng: "..."
"Hey, are you being unreasonable?"
Xie Shuci ignored him, took her hand off Xie An's lips, and threatened, "Let me tell you, you're still young, you're not allowed to have any ideas."
Xie An couldn't hide the smile on his lips and nodded.
That evening, Xie An was taking a bath in his room when Xie Shuci made an excuse to go to the main hall and sit there, pulling Chu Wenfeng to play cards with him.
As night deepened, Xie Shuci yawned wearily when he suddenly saw a ray of silver light streaming down from the night sky.
He doubted he was seeing things, rubbed his eyes and looked up at the sky again. He found that the silvery light was shaped like a tornado standing in mid-air, like a stream of water flowing down from the Milky Way, churning in mid-air. At the same time, a strange wind blew up from the ground, as if it had power, making the window frame rattle.
"Play your card!" Chu Wenfeng urged.
"Look!" Xie Shuci pointed to the air.
"What are you doing? If you lose, I'll knock ten heads off. Are you trying to cheat me..." Chu Wenfeng lazily looked over, but when he saw the silvery light gathering like quicksand in the night sky, he was shocked and stood up with great joy, "The Dragon Fang Secret Realm is about to appear!"
"Holy crap? Dragon Fang Secret Realm? Is the way they're making their entrance so abrupt?!" Xie Shuci exclaimed in astonishment.
At this moment, other cultivators in the city gradually noticed the anomaly and appeared in the streets, overjoyed.
Chu Wenfeng realized he had been kicked and reminded him, "What are you standing there for? Quickly call Xie An down and come over together."
"Oh, oh." Xie Shuci nodded twice, and he and Chu Wenfeng went back to their respective rooms, bringing Xie An and Chu Guiyi down with them.
Meanwhile, all the cultivators in Manjiang Hall had finished their rest and were preparing to go to the lower part of the Dragon Fang Secret Realm to wait for it to open.
When the four of them gathered in the main hall, Elder Ye of the Hehuan Sect found them.
"Young Taoist priest." Ye Changxuan walked slowly towards the four people with her graceful figure.
Her appearance was so striking that wherever she went, people couldn't help but be drawn to her.
"Hello, fairy sister." Xie Shuci waved to her.
Ye Changxuan smiled, clearly quite pleased with how Xie Shuci addressed her.
Her smile stunned several young cultivators nearby, who nearly tripped over each other.
As she approached, Chu Guiyi nodded to her and said, "Greetings, Elder Ye."
Ye Changxuan nodded to him.
Then she said, "Young Taoist priest, I've come on behalf of the Hehuan Sect to ask you, are you really not coming with us?"
Ye Changxuan had asked twice before, but Xie Shuci felt disgusted by the thought of her disciple wanting to capture the little blind boy to use as a furnace, so she refused both times.
This time was no exception. As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Shuci shook her head like a rattle drum, "No, no, we mortals are not worthy to be associated with fairy sisters."
Ye Changxuan chuckled, "Are you afraid I'll refine you into a furnace?"
Ye Changxuan chuckled softly, her voice slightly indistinct, "This humble servant can reform herself for you and become your Daoist companion alone."
Chu Wenfeng immediately teased, "Oh, Xie Shuci, don't you like gentle women?"
Xie Shuci glared at him, signaling him to shut up and not cause trouble.
Ye Changxuan laughed instead of getting angry, "Alright, I'm not joking with you anymore. I still prefer your younger brother's type."
After saying that, she even gave Xie An a flirtatious wink, thankfully Xie An couldn't see it.
Xie Shuci's face hardened. "Goodbye, and don't bother seeing me off!"
After seeing off Ye Changxuan, Xie Shuci breathed a long sigh of relief and turned to Xie An, saying, "In the future, stay away from people from the Hehuan Sect, understand?"
Xie An raised his eyebrows noncommittally and did not answer.
Xie Shuci, not receiving a definite answer, nudged Xie An's stomach in annoyance, "Did you hear me?"
Xie An didn't answer, but instead asked, "And what about you? You called it so sweetly, didn't you like it?"
Xie Shuci said matter-of-factly, "Of course I like her, who doesn't like a pretty older sister?"
Xie An pursed his lips with a half-smile and said nothing more.
"But I didn't have the slightest impure thoughts about her."
Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes and said, "Aren't you being too nosy? Maybe your Xie An likes that type. Does that mean he'll need your permission to get married in the future?"
"Of course."
Chu Guiyi interrupted the two, saying, "Alright, we don't have much time left, let's go."
"good."
"What I'm saying is, with my luck, isn't that Qiankun Mirror going to end up in Fei Ge's arms?"
"Keep dreaming!"
Before long, the four of them, along with many disciples from the immortal sects, gathered below the Dragon Fang Secret Realm. The silvery light pouring down from the sky painted a flowing starry river, as if depicting countless stars within it, illuminating the night sky as bright as day.
Beneath the star map, countless cultivators in various attire looked up with barely concealed excitement and awe.
The scene was spectacular and awe-inspiring.
Xie Shuci hid in the crowd, staring dumbfounded at the sky above. The scene was natural and ethereal, completely different from what he had seen on the screen, perfectly formed. In that instant, he felt his own insignificance.
Looking at the eager gazes of everyone, Xie Shuci suddenly felt his blood boil. Scenes he had only ever seen in books and movies were now unfolding before his very eyes. He was one of these cultivators, a part of this romantic yet dangerous world!
Chu Wenfeng glanced around, and when he saw several disciples dressed in black approaching the four of them from a distance, his expression immediately darkened.
"The Sun family," Chu Wenfeng said coldly.
Chu Guiyi glanced over indifferently, then looked away nonchalantly after a moment.
Xie Shuci also noticed the group of people who seemed to have ill intentions. Confirming they weren't there for him and Xie An, he turned to Chu Wenfeng and asked, "Do you know each other?"
Chu Wenfeng's face was grim, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Chu Guiyi nodded calmly, “The Sun family of Yingzhou.”
"We're from the same hometown as you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Chu Wenfeng had already stepped forward and stood alone in front of the disciples.
Chu Guiyi immediately frowned and said, "Shuci, keep an eye on him for me, don't let him do anything reckless."
Xie Shuci pointed to himself, "Me, keep an eye on him? That kid wouldn't listen to me."
Please.
Judging from the aggressive manner of the other party, Xie Shuci guessed that they were there to cause trouble.
He pulled Xie An to Chu Guiyi's side and instructed him, "Wait for me to come back."
Xie An nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
"What's the matter?" Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms and looked at the people opposite him with an impatient expression.
Xie Shuci caught up with Chu Wenfeng, who turned around and glared at him, then whispered, "What are you doing here? Go back."
Xie Shuci pointed to Chu Guiyi behind him and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Your senior brother sent me to keep an eye on you."
Chu Wenfeng curled his lip and gave him a disdainful look.
"Brother Wenfeng, how have you been? I don't have anything else to do, I just came to say hello." The leading disciple was a smiling tiger, with a smiling face but little joy in his eyes.
"Finished your greetings? You can go now. Also, who's your sworn brother? Do I even know you? Don't flatter yourself." Chu Wenfeng's tone was incredibly impatient and showed no mercy.
Xie Shuci couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, realizing that this kid usually spoke to him much more gently than this.
Disciples from other families around them also looked over. The smiling tiger, having been publicly humiliated, could no longer maintain his smile and gritted his teeth, saying, "Brother, what kind of talk is this? I heard that the Chu family patriarch doesn't know that you and Guiyi are here. Our Sun family and the Chu family are old friends. Why don't you bring Guiyi with us?"
"No need. When did the Chu family and your Sun family become old friends? All these years, hasn't it been your Sun family clinging to the Chu family?" Chu Wenfeng sneered.
The onlookers began to whisper among themselves:
"The Chu family and the Sun family of Yingzhou?"
"Oh, Sun Xiaohu? I wonder who he is. Back when the eldest disciple of the Chu family was famous all over the world, he would do anything to befriend him."
"That's for sure. Everyone in Yingzhou knows that the Chu family produced Chu Guiyi, who became famous throughout the Nine Provinces seven or eight years ago. Since the Chu family was expelled from the Floating Pagoda Realm, he was the only disciple who had a chance to lead the Chu family back to the Floating Pagoda Realm! Not to mention Sun Xiaohu, which young cultivator in Yingzhou at that time didn't want to get on his good side?"
Listening to the murmurs of the crowd, Sun Xiaohu, instead of getting angry, laughed and asked insincerely, "What about Guiyi? This must be the first time he's left Yingzhou since he went into qi deviation, right? Alas, the once high and mighty chief disciple of the Chu family, so talented and proud, is now confined to a wheelchair, a useless person who needs to be taken care of in everything. Tsk, what a pity. Every time I think about it, I feel heartbroken and regretful for him!"
He deliberately raised his voice, and his insulting words clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Xie Shuci's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he subconsciously wanted to turn around and take a look, but at that moment, Chu Wenfeng grabbed his arm as if to remind him.
Xie Shuci stopped turning around and realized that Chu Guiyi was a proud person. To be humiliated like this in front of everyone, one can imagine how he felt.
Xie Shuci dared not turn around, not daring to look at Chu Guiyi's expression, nor wanting to embarrass Chu Guiyi further.
"Oh, what a pity."
"Back then, almost everyone believed that Chu Guiyi could lead the Chu family back to the Floating Pagoda Realm. After the Chu family was expelled, they declined for at least a hundred years. During this time, they suffered a lot of scorn from the world. Their only hope was also ruined by a qi deviation."
"Their purpose in coming to the Floating Pagoda Realm is probably to obtain the Qiankun Mirror and reverse time..."
"But if Chu Guiyi doesn't get rid of his inner demons, even if he recovers his cultivation, he will eventually suffer a qi deviation."
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Xie Shuci felt Chu Wenfeng's fingers gripping his shoulders tighter and tighter, as if he wanted to crush his bones.
Xie Shuci understood why Chu Guiyi said the Qiankun Mirror was very important to him; why he said that even if you know you can't carry a burden, you still have to carry it; and why he said that when a person's power is insufficient to support the entire immortal sect, he will become a burden to the immortal sect.
Sun Xiaohu seemed quite satisfied with the current situation and feigned a sigh, saying, "Guiyi, our purpose in coming here was also the Qiankun Mirror, but considering our past friendship, I can give you the Qiankun Mirror."
"Damn it... You..." Chu Wenfeng had probably reached his limit. He grabbed the Flying Bird Nine-Section Whip from his waist, his eyes red with rage, wishing he could pounce on Sun Xiaohu and bite him to death.
But Xie Shuci stopped him before he could act.
"Let go!" Chu Wenfeng said through gritted teeth, tears of humiliation and resentment streaming down his face.
Seeing the expression on the face of the usually noisy and argumentative kid, Xie Shuci felt a lump in his throat. He held onto Chu Wenfeng's hand tightly, not daring to let go for a moment. His intuition told him that Chu Guiyi would not want Chu Wenfeng to fight with the other party here.
Even if Chu Wenfeng could defeat his opponent, it wouldn't lessen the humiliation Chu Guiyi would suffer. A person like Chu Guiyi would never want to resolve things this way.
"Calm down, when else can't we teach him a lesson?" Xie Shuci said in a low voice. Luckily, he could use spiritual power, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hold this kid back at all. "There are too many people now, let's go inside and find an opportunity to beat him to death!"
Chu Guiyi, who was at the center of the controversy, remained calm and composed. He rested his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair, his handsome face undisturbed. Beside him stood a dashing young man. The two seemed oblivious to the discussions around them, maintaining a peaceful and quiet demeanor.
Sun Xiaohu had always hoped to see the expression he wanted on Chu Wenfeng's face, but over the years, no matter how much he insulted Chu Guiyi, that man remained the same as before, never taking him seriously, always looking down on him. Even though Chu Guiyi was no longer the famous young cultivator who once shook the Nine Provinces, he was still an ant in Chu Wenfeng's eyes.
This time, he still couldn't find what he wanted on Chu Guiyi's face.
Chu Guiyi calmly looked straight ahead, then rolled her wheelchair and walked with Xie An to Xie Shuci's side.
His calm demeanor seemed to possess a magical power, causing the other cultivators to quiet down as well.
“Fellow Daoist, you and I are merely nodding acquaintances, far from being friends. You keep saying you want to give me the Qiankun Mirror, but do you already think it's your Sun family’s possession? Is this disregard for others your confidence stemming from the Sun family head?”
Sitting in his wheelchair, Chu Guiyi, though much shorter than Sun Xiaohu, exuded an air of authority, as if he were sitting on a throne, commanding the world. With just a few casual words, he had already aroused Sun Xiaohu's hatred.
Upon hearing this, Sun Xiaohu and the Sun family disciples behind him all changed their expressions.
The cultivators watching the spectacle pondered Chu Guiyi's words and realized they made sense! Wasn't Sun Xiaohu's statement simply a matter of him thinking he could take the Qiankun Mirror as he pleased, or not? His Sun family was at best a minor sect among the Hundred Sects; who gave him the authority to speak like that? Which of the aristocratic disciples present wasn't among the Hundred Sects?
"Sun Xiaohu, you have quite the nerve!"
"When did the Sun family become so powerful that they could control everything in the cultivation world?"
"You think you can just hand over the Qiankun Mirror like that? If you're so capable, your Sun family will definitely have a place in the top ten immortal sects in the immortal sect election six months from now, right?"
"Who do we have here? Isn't it the Sun family of Yingzhou? When the Chu family was at the height of their power, I wonder who was it that eagerly went up to curry favor? And when the Chu family's eldest disciple suffered a qi deviation, wasn't it your Sun family who were the first to kick him while he was down?"
"He's nothing but a petty person who abandons morality for personal gain, what a disgrace!"
Suddenly, Sun Xiaohu and his disciples became the target of public criticism.
Sun Xiaohu's attempt to steal a chicken backfired, and his face immediately turned ashen.
Xie Shuci also joined the crowd of onlookers:
"Some people, well, it's one thing to look shifty-eyed, but at least be a little more open-minded, right? Can't you stop staring at others and take a good look at yourself instead of feeling sorry for others? Their starting point is much higher than your finish line. What are you talking about, the ups and downs of fortune? You're just mud on the bank at best. I step on you when I pass by, and I have to wipe it clean before I can move on."
Chu Wenfeng had learned a lot of sarcastic remarks from Xie Shuci during this time. "Come on, him? Seven or eight years ago, he always liked to hang around our house. My senior brother looked down on his pretentious ways, but he was shameless and followed us around all day long. You can't say he was jealous of my senior brother; you can't say he liked my senior brother. Tsk... I feel disgusted for my senior brother just thinking about it."
There were probably quite a few people present who recognized Xie Shuci, and upon seeing Xie Shuci, they all spoke up for Chu Guiyi, clearly indicating that the two had quite a relationship. The others became more and more enthusiastic in mocking Sun Xiaohu, all hoping to gain some favor from Xie Shuci.
Moreover, Sun Xiaohu was arrogant and disdainful of others, so they didn't feel much pressure when they tried to bully him.
Sun Xiaohu and his men came in all high spirits, but left with their tails between their legs.
After everyone had gone far away, Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng, like a two-person comedy duo, kept teasing and arguing endlessly, which was incredibly satisfying.
Seeing the retreating figures of the group, the two exchanged a smile and high-fived to celebrate their victory.
"Kid, did you feel the power of language? Feeling good? Physical attacks are effective, but mental attacks are the most powerful. Believe me, that guy will definitely avoid us from now on." Xie Shuci patted his chest and said.
Chu Wenfeng pursed his lips, still savoring the moment. "That was awesome! So awesome! Xie Shuci, you were right. Language is an art. It's much more satisfying to see him die of anger than to beat him to death."
Xie Shuci laughed loudly: "So, why resort to violence when a problem can be solved with language? Don't you think so?"
Xie Shuci, with a friendly expression, hooked his arm around Chu Wenfeng's shoulder and turned to look at Xie An and the other man.
The little blind man was still the same as always, seemingly uninterested in anything.
Chu Guiyi looked at the two helplessly, but her eyes were filled with an unshakable smile, as if the gloom in her heart had been dispelled.
"Alright, everyone's gone," Chu Guiyi said with a smile.
Seeing that he looked no different from usual, Xie Shuci and the other person breathed a sigh of relief.
"Little Wenzi, since we're on the same side today, I've decided to take you under my wing. From now on, besides being a disciple of the Chu family, you'll have another identity: my comrade-in-arms. You'll be responsible for protecting and defending me. Of course, I won't treat you unfairly. In the future, if I refine any peerless elixirs, I'll definitely remember to save a portion for you..."
Xie Shuci was holding Chu Wenfeng by the neck, sparing no effort to paint a rosy picture for him.
Just as they were getting into the conversation, Xie An grabbed his wrist, pulled him off Chu Wenfeng's shoulder, and dragged him to his side.
Chu Wenfeng sneered, "Why should I protect you?"
Seeing that he hadn't finished making his promise, Xie Shuci tried to push his luck again, but Xie An held his hand tightly and said to Chu Wenfeng from two body lengths away, "We're comrades who have shared revolutionary friendships. Let me tell you, don't be ungrateful. If you refuse me now, you'll have to wait in line if you want my pills in the future."
"Idiot, who would want your pills? Only a dog wouldn't mind."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci immediately complained to Chu Guiyi, "Senior Brother, look at him!"
A smile appeared on Chu Guiyi's face. "I once said that you two share the same interests."
Xie Shuci and the other person exchanged a glance, and both saw disdain in each other's eyes.
Who shares his interests?
"He's just a little kid? What a joke. How could a mature man like me possibly share the same interests as him?"
"You think you're mature? Xie Shuci, have you no shame?"
"Who are you calling shameless? Chu Wenfeng, let me tell you, I'm only letting you off the hook because of your senior brother!"
"What can you do to me if you argue with me?"
...
Having long been used to the two bickering and arguing, Chu Guiyi shook her head with a wry smile.
Xie An, on the other hand, looked thoughtfully into the air.
The shimmering light of the Milky Way reflected in his eyes, making his empty, lifeless pupils shine like stars.
As the silvery light spread across most of the sky, a fierce wind arose, sweeping up sand and stones that floated in the air like smog.
The wind was so strong that you couldn't open your eyes. A strange cloud of smoke spread across the ground, almost instantly covering everything. The surroundings were shrouded in mist, so thick that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.
"Thank you..." Xie Shuci wanted to call out to Xie An and the other two, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the wind blew his voice away.
He groped his way in the direction of the three people he remembered, but he couldn't catch any of them.
As he moved, the bell at his waist swayed, its ethereal sound particularly clear amidst the surging wind.
At the same time, Xie Shuci's hand, which had been groping around in front of him, was grabbed.
The man held his five fingers, pulled him forward with the gust of wind, and wrapped him in his arms.
As their limbs collided, the two strings of bells met in the air, intertwining intimately, one bell at a time.
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