"Who did you kill?"
Xie Shuci asked, stunned.
"Xiao Xun".
Xie Shuci shook his head decisively, "No, no."
Xie An smiled meaningfully, "If you hate him so much, why don't you want to kill him?"
Murder? No way, Xie Shuci felt his scalp tingle just thinking about it. Besides, him? Kill Xiao Xun? Forget it, Xiao Xun could wipe him out with a single finger.
“Although I hate him, I don’t hate him to the point that I want him dead. Besides, there are many things I hate, and I can’t possibly erase them all from this world, can I?” Xie Shuci said.
Xie An, upon hearing this, countered with, "Why not?"
Xie Shuci couldn't help but purse his lips. He found that the little blind man's thinking was sometimes quite terrifying, so he explained, "Just because I hate something doesn't mean that thing can't exist. I hate Xiao Xun, but I just hope I never meet him in this life. This world doesn't revolve around me alone."
Sikong Xin felt completely numb. He wasn't sure if Xiao Xun would blurt out, "You're teaching me how to do things," and if he was in a bad mood, he might wipe them all out.
"Well said!" Liu Dazhuang slammed his hand on the table, causing two visible cracks to appear. "Young man, although you may not be handsome, you have a very kind heart. I admire you!"
Xie Shuci gave him a forced smile and said, "You're not good-looking at all! Your whole family is not good-looking!"
"Thank you so much."
"What a pity. Xiao Xun is the complete opposite of you. If he doesn't like something, he'll definitely wipe it out completely. Tsk, he's a real killing machine. But he does have a lot of guts," Liu Dazhuang said while cracking sunflower seeds.
Sikong Xin glanced at Xie An, whose expression wasn't good, and thought to himself, "You idiot, he's already really disliking you."
Sikong Xin quickly changed the subject, asking Xie Shuci, "Judging from your tone, it seems you know my brother and Xiao Xun very well. Have you ever met them?"
"No, I've only heard about it."
Xie Shuci rested her chin on her hand, looked him over, and asked, "You and Sikong Ye are twins, so do you look alike?"
Sikong said, "To be honest, my appearance is no different from my brother's."
"Really?" Xie Shuci propped himself up and stared at Sikong Xin for a few moments. He was quite good-looking, with dragon eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and well-defined features. However, he always had a frivolous air about him, and seemed carefree and unreliable. But in terms of looks alone, he was indeed very outstanding.
Xie Shuci stared at him thoughtfully. If he couldn't escape the plot's arrangement and would inevitably run into Xiao Xun sooner or later, why didn't he... just become familiar with the protagonist? Maybe Xiao Xun would spare his life for Sikong Ye's sake?
Sikong Xin was puzzled by Xie An's gaze and was about to ask when he noticed that Xie An's expression was growing increasingly grim, and Xie An's dark pupils were also looking at him with murderous intent.
Sikong Xin's face fell. No... what does this have to do with me?
"Where is your brother?" Xie Shuci asked, snapping out of his daze.
Although he thought the protagonist was also an idiot, at least he didn't shout for violence all the time. He was just a little mentally challenged and a bit unruly. Compared to that, he was barely safe around him.
Sikong Xin was a star-studded figure in the Floating Pagoda Realm, so he had never encountered such an embarrassing situation before.
After recognizing Xiao Xun that day, he originally intended to leave this place, but that idiot Liu Dazhuang insisted that he had not yet found a fleeting romance and insisted on staying at Wanhua Tower to continue his search. This time, the two of them had a mission to carry out when leaving Futu Realm, and he could not simply abandon Liu Dazhuang. If he had known this would happen, he would not have dared to be tempted by this excitement and come to Tianzhu City!
This trip was totally not worth it!
Upon hearing Xie Shuci's words, Sikong Xin glanced at the person beside him and saw that the person had a tight-lipped mouth and a gloomy expression. He couldn't help but grit his teeth. Why do you care about that bastard Sikong Ye? Can't you pay more attention to the big Buddha next to you!
Sikong Xin said with a forced smile, "My brother is probably exploring some secret realm."
Liu Dazhuang exclaimed in surprise, "My goodness, you didn't know? Your older brother..."
I'm home...
Sikong Xin gritted his teeth. "Liu Yunhan! Next time I go out with you, I won't call myself Sikong Xin! Don't you have any sense at all?"
"Really? It's fate that we've met. How about you introduce me to someone sometime in the future?"
Since the little blind man was usually quiet and had little presence most of the time, Xie Shuci didn't pay much attention to him.
"Are you very interested in him?" Xie An suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat somber.
Xie Shuci nodded and said, "A little. Aren't he and Xiao Xun the most likely disciples among the younger generation to become the leaders of the Hundred Sects?"
Xie An pursed his thin lips and said nothing more.
Sikong Xin forced a smile and said, "Brother Xie, you don't know this, but my brother is not someone worth getting to know well. Apart from his decent cultivation, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever..."
"Do you have a grudge against your brother? Why are you talking about him like that?" Xie Shuci chuckled.
"My goodness, Brother Sikong, didn't you always say 'my brother, my brother'? How come you've changed your mind now?"
Under double pressure, Sikong Xin noticed that Xiao Xun's attitude towards this cultivator surnamed Xie was clearly different. He didn't want to bring disaster upon his brother by being careless, since his brother might not be Xiao Xun's match in terms of cultivation.
"Let's not talk about him anymore, Brother Xie. It's fate that we met. Come, let's have a drink!"
Xie Shuci said "Oh" and then said, "I don't drink alcohol, so I'll drink tea instead."
"What?!"
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Dazhuang roared, "You, a male prostitute, can't drink?! Then why don't you serve me? You..."
"Liu, Yun, Han!"
Sikong Xin almost ground his teeth to powder.
He was convinced, absolutely convinced!
Use your brain, will you? Can't you see I'm all smiles and begging him?
This bastard is Xiao Xun! He's Xiao Xun! He wants to kill you, what does it matter if you're a top disciple of some immortal sect?! Can't you use your brain for once?!
"Purple Breath!" Sikong Xin shouted.
The girl in purple accepted the order, got up and led Liu Dazhuang aside, where they began to whisper among themselves.
Sikong Xin then said to Xie Shuci, "Brother Xie, please don't take offense. My brother here is used to speaking without thinking. Just treat it as him farting and don't take it to heart."
Xie Shuci gave him a strange look, feeling quite puzzled. He was the younger brother of the protagonist, Gong Sikongye, and the immortal sect behind him was on par with Xiao Xun's family. He hadn't been treating Xie Shuci and Xie An this way just a couple of days ago. How could he have changed so quickly? Could it be that he was truly enlightened by Xie Shuci's words? Or had he heard about Xie Shuci's identity from the woman beside him?
No... the key point is... that was just something Xie Shuci said to scare her.
Before long, after listening to what the girl in purple had to say, Liu Dazhuang strode over, grabbed Xie Shuci's hand, and completely changed his attitude.
"My goodness, so you're that mysterious alchemist! May I ask which school you belong to, young Taoist priest?" Liu Dazhuang smiled obsequiously, like a lackey.
"I... let go! You let go of my hand first!"
Why is this person always so easily startled? Xie Shuci was quite frightened. "So, everyone in your Floating Pagoda Realm has learned face-changing, right?"
"Oh! You're mistaken. If I had known you were a pill cultivator, I would have welcomed you in with an eight-bearer sedan chair."
"You're kidding me!"
Xie Shuci struggled mightily to finally pull his hand out of the man's palm. This guy was naturally hot-tempered, his palms were like furnaces, covered in sweat. Xie Shuci wiped his hand on his clothes in disgust. "How can someone as ugly as me be worthy of drinking with you?"
Seeing his actions, Liu Dazhuang wiped himself on his clothes embarrassedly, "Oh, no, little Taoist priest, you're just not obviously handsome, you're definitely not ugly!"
Xie Shuci rolled his eyes. He knew why Sikong Xin's attitude towards him had changed so quickly. It really was because of his identity. Xie Shuci finally understood. Whether in the cultivation world or the Floating Pagoda Realm, alchemists indeed had a high status.
Xie Shuci no longer wanted to use his fellow disciples' things to show off, so he spoke the truth: "I..."
My background isn't mysterious at all; most of what you've heard is exaggerated. Although I carry a bronze cauldron, I can only actually refine low-grade pills.
Liu Dazhuang's face fell. "As expected, your appearance reflects your heart. Ugly freak, you can't do anything right!"
Xie Shuci, having reached his limit, gritted his teeth and said, "I'll fight you to the death today!"
He rolled up his sleeves and was about to stand up when Sikong Xin kicked Liu Dazhuang first, his face ashen. "I told you to shut your mouth!"
Xie An grabbed Xie Shuci's arm and pulled him back.
Xie Shuci glared angrily at Liu Dazhuang, who had been kicked and looked both angry and aggrieved.
Xie An didn't speak, but straightened his clothes and pulled up the fabric that had been ripped open on the outside of his thigh to cover Xie Shuci's exposed skin.
"What kind of taste do you have? You think someone like me is ugly?" Xie Shuci said indignantly.
Liu Dazhuang scoffed, "Look at you, skinny arms and legs, your waist isn't even as thick as my thigh, and you have such delicate skin, isn't that just ugly?"
"You're talking nonsense! I'm not ugly!"
"ugly!"
Liu Dazhuang glanced down at the lobby and beckoned Xie Shuci over, "Kid, don't be so unconvinced. Come here, and I'll tell you what kind of person is considered not ugly."
"You? Bah!"
Even so, Xie Shuci walked to the window and looked down in the direction the man was pointing. In the lobby sat a burly old man with broad shoulders and a thick waist, who looked like he could crush two Xie Shuci with one hand.
“See? This kind of person is a real catch,” Liu Dazhuang said.
He glanced at the two slender girls sitting next to the old men, clicked his tongue, and said, "They just don't have very good eyesight."
Upon seeing this, Xie Shuci said quietly, "You're the one with bad eyesight."
"You're talking nonsense! You can't say I have bad eyesight just because you say I'm not smart!"
Xie Shuci sneered: "Do you think you're smart?"
"Hey!" Liu Dazhuang raised his arm and turned to ask Sikong Xin, "Can I beat him up?"
Sikong Xin gave a cold laugh: "What do you think?"
Xie Shuci put his hands on his hips and said, "I am a pill cultivator. If you dare to hit me, you can expect to be retaliated against by all pill cultivators!"
Liu Dazhuang was so angry that he glared at Xie Shuci and said, "Come here, let's drink and decide the winner by our drinking capacity."
"I don't drink alcohol."
"You're a grown man who can't drink? Ha."
His final, disdainful look and laughter precisely struck a nerve with Xie Xiaoci's young heart.
"Who isn't a man?"
"Will you drink it?"
"Come on! I'll drink with you today!"
"Full?"
"Full!"
Sikong Xin stared at the two of them speechlessly.
Xie An remained calm, even appearing somewhat accustomed to it.
They poured themselves a bowl of wine. Xie Shuci was initially hesitant, but when he found that the wine was sweet and fragrant, almost like a beverage, he immediately felt relieved.
After three cups of wine, Xie Shuci propped himself up on one knee, let out two burps, slammed the wine bowl on the table, and cursed, "Being able to drink is nothing! If you've got the guts, let's compete in something else!"
"You say I'm spineless? Come on, tell me what we're going to compete in, and I'll take you on to the bitter end today!"
"Singing? You can sing, right?" Xie Shuci suddenly stood up from the ground, his feet on the low table, his face as red as an apple, his eyes glazed over. "Listen, let me show you how."
“Cough… Summer, summer quietly passed by… hiccup…” Xie Shuci hiccuped, his body swayed, his feet slipped, and he fell backward into Xie An’s arms.
"Little blind man...hehe..."
Xie Shuci stared at that expressionless handsome face, slowly raised her hand and touched it, saying in a depressed tone, "Smile."
Seeing this, Sikong Xin covered his face and sighed, "He really can't hold his liquor."
Xie An pressed his wandering hand back down, "Are you drunk?"
"Bullshit! This liquor is like a soft drink; you think you can outdrink me, Xie?"
"Xiao Ci?" Xie Shuci grabbed his clothes, trying to stand up. "No, that bastard hasn't admitted defeat yet, I have to set an example for him... hiccup!"
Xie Shuci grabbed his arm, swayed as he stood up, pointed at the burly grandson and said, "You surnamed Liu... today I'll make you admit defeat wholeheartedly..."
Liu Dazhuang waved his hand, seemingly a little drunk, "No, no way, you fucking change it to a song I've heard before..."
"You haven't heard of this?! How ignorant! Let me show you another one, cough!"
Xie Shuci cleared his throat, "Later... I finally learned... hiccup... how, how to love..."
"No way, I've never heard of it."
"You haven't heard of this yet?! Fine, I'll let the three of you enjoy a free concert today..."
Sikong Xin listened to his wailing for a long time, then turned away with a blank face and sat down to the side, next to the girl in purple, both of them covering their ears with their hands.
Well... that's all... a deafeningly loud voice, nothing special!
"The two of us...we're both strangers and familiar..."
"Love seems to come very cautiously..."
Xie An sat at the table, looked up at Xie Shuci who was trying to climb onto it, sighed helplessly, and pulled him back. "Alright."
"Oh no! It's not ready!"
Xie Shuci, once he gets drunk, is like a monkey that has been suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain for five hundred years, with boundless energy. "Did I sing well? Did I sing well?"
Xie Shuci glanced at Xie An, then at Liu Dazhuang.
Unlike Xie Shuci, Liu Dazhuang was unusually quiet after getting drunk. Hearing Xie Shuci's words, he frowned and said, "What kind of lousy song are you singing? I've never heard of any of them before."
"Just tell me if it sounds good or not! Does it sound good or not!"
Xie Shuci was pulled off the table by the little blind man. He leaned on Xie An's shoulder, his bright eyes wide open, determined to get an answer.
"Barely acceptable..." Liu Dazhuang mumbled.
Hearing the answer, Xie Shuci laughed happily, resting her chin on Xie An's shoulder, "And you? Did I sing well?"
Xie Shuci leaned against Xie An, her body as soft as water, her bright eyes fixed on him. Seeing that he remained silent, she unconsciously frowned, her lips pursed, giving him an expression that said if you dared to say anything unpleasant, she would immediately burst into tears.
Xie An supported his waist, feeling both helpless and somewhat amused. He placed one hand on his cheek, gently rubbing the corner of his eye, and said with a smile, "It sounds nice."
Sikong Xin: "..."
Neither of them has ears, right?
Even the barking dog at the village entrance has a better rhythm than him.
"...It sounds good?" Xie Shuci tilted his head, looked at Sikong Xin and the other person who were sitting on the ground with their backs to him, covering their ears with their hands, and asked Xie An, "If it sounds good, why don't they listen to it?"
Xie An's hand slowly slid down to rest on the back of his neck, his tone calm and even: "They are not worthy."
"Not worthy?" Xie Shuci said doubtfully, "I won't take money, I won't take money, I'll call them over..."
As she spoke, Xie Shuci tried to climb out of his arms to find Sikong Xin and the other man.
Xie An hadn't expected Xie Shuci to be even more boisterous than usual after drinking. Helpless, he carried him back and said to Sikong Xin and the other man, "Turn around."
Sikong Xin: "..."
His jaw clenched. He, the second disciple of the prestigious Sikong family, was to be bossed around by a former young master of the Xiao family, who had been expelled from the clan? And to listen to the wailing and howling of some nameless alchemist? Wasn't that a bit too insulting?
Seeing that the two people didn't move, Xie Shuci pouted in grievance, "Was it because I sang badly? Then I'll never sing again..."
After saying that, Xie Shuci sniffed and buried his face in the little blind boy's chest.
"Turn around!"
Xie An's face hardened, and he emphasized his tone.
Sikong Xin clenched his teeth even tighter. He must have been incredibly unlucky to have met this guy surnamed Xiao! The problem was that he couldn't beat him in a fight, and he couldn't run away either. He had no choice but to listen.
Sikong Xin may seem cynical, but he's actually quite shrewd, knowing when to yield and when to advance. After silently cursing in his heart, he led...
He turned around with a smile on his face.
Halfway around, he realized that Zixi beside him hadn't moved, so he nudged her with his elbow. Of course, he couldn't suffer this kind of pain alone.
Zi Xi pouted and turned around reluctantly.
"They're here," Xie An whispered in his ear.
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci lifted his head from his embrace and looked at Sikong Xin and the other man. One of them had a forced smile, while the other looked completely numb. He suddenly snorted, "You're right, they don't deserve it!"
Sikong Xin: "..."
Go to hell!
"Mm." Xie An gently patted his back and nodded.
"You smell so good..." Xie Shuci said with a simple smile.
Xie An brushed aside a strand of his dark hair that hung down his back and chuckled softly, "Back to your room?"
“No…” Xie Shuci shook her head, nestled in his arms, “I…it’s my first day at work…I haven’t even served them yet…”
Upon hearing this, Xie An raised his eyes to look at Sikong Xin, the warmth in his eyes completely fading away. "You drink with them, and they'll be satisfied."
Sikong Xin just wanted to get rid of these two big shots as soon as possible, then grab Liu Dazhuang and run away. "Satisfied, very satisfied!"
"No, no! That grandson... that grandson..."
Xie Shuci straightened up and saw that Liu Dazhuang was sleeping on the table, so he kicked him.
"Who? Who the hell kicked me?" Liu Dazhuang suddenly sat up, grabbed the axe at his waist, and glared around angrily.
Xie Shuci was startled and shrank into Xie An's arms. He didn't know why, but he just felt that the only safe place in the world was by the little blind boy's side.
"Grandson, you dare call me ugly? We're not done yet! If I win, you'll have to admit you're the ugly one!"
"What a joke! I, Liu Dazhuang of the Liu family, would lose to you? I'm ready to play today! Tell me, what do you want to compete in?"
"Flowers...there are so many flowers here...let's go pick some!"
"Flowers? No, no..."
"You're not going because you're scared!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Dazhuang was furious. "You think I'm afraid? Tell me, how do you calculate the win?!"
Xie Shuci hiccuped and stood up from Xie An's arms.
"Within half an incense stick's time, you can only pick one flower of each variety... Let's see who picks the most varieties!"
Liu Dazhuang slapped his thigh. "Interesting! Let's go!"
Xie Shuci stood up and patted the little blind boy on the shoulder, "Wait, wait for your brother to come back... Don't run around."
Xie An: "..."
After saying that, Xie Shuci tried to leave through the door, but Liu Dazhuang grabbed his arm and flew him out of the window.
"Holy crap!"
"It's so much fun!"
In an instant, only Xie An and Sikong Xin remained in the room.
Sikong Xin glanced at him and asked, "Young Master Xiao, aren't you going to chase after them?"
Xie An glanced at him indifferently, avoiding the question, "Where is Sikong Ye?"
Upon hearing this, Sikong Xin's eyes widened in shock. "Young Master Xiao, my brother and Brother Xie are complete strangers. Please don't take your anger out on him."
Upon hearing this, Xie An lowered his eyelashes. "Don't worry, he's not worthy of my attention."
Sikong Xin: "..."
What are your questions?
After a moment of silence, Sikong Xin glanced at him thoughtfully, then said to the woman beside him, "Zixi, go out and keep an eye on them."
The woman in purple lowered her eyes and said, "Yes."
He then leaped out of the window.
After everyone left, Sikong Xin asked, "Does Young Master Xiao have something to say?"
"Who let you out?"
Sikong Xin was taken aback, then narrowed his eyes, feigning ignorance: "What?"
Xie An remained calm. "You know."
Upon hearing this, Sikong Xin frowned. "Is this related to you?"
"Speak," Xie An said, avoiding the question.
His attitude left Sikong Xin somewhat uncertain. If this matter was related to Xiao Xun, it seemed plausible.
Xiao Xun's last known whereabouts were that he was killed by the Xiaoyao Sect after suffering a qi deviation.
The killing occurred outside a small immortal sect in Yingzhou, and both times the incident took place in Yingzhou. It seems that Xiao Xun is indeed involved.
Sikong Xin pondered for a moment and said, "About two months ago, the elders of the Siming Pavilion calculated that there was a reversal of destiny. Tracing back to the source, they found that the 'reversal of destiny' had appeared three times in the cultivation world. The elders sent Liu Yunhan and me to investigate."
Sikong Xin had no particular feelings of liking or disliking Xiao Xun. As for the matter of "the Mandate of Heaven being defied," apart from those old fogies in the Siming Pavilion, no one would take it to heart.
After all, those who defy fate will eventually be struck by lightning.
However, if this "defying fate" is Xiao Xun, it seems to be reasonable. After all, this person is so arrogant. He is a disciple of a noble family of immortals and has the destiny of being accompanied by the Frightened Feather Bird, yet he insists on cultivating the path of killing. This in itself is already defying fate.
Upon hearing this, Xie An lowered his head thoughtfully and remained silent.
Sikong Xin hesitated for a long time before asking tentatively, "Is this really related to you?"
Xie An did not respond, but instead asked, "Besides you and Liu Yunhan, who else has descended to the lower realm?"
Although Sikong Xin claimed he wasn't exactly a saint, he felt an invisible pressure in front of Xie An, which made him afraid to resort to underhanded tactics. Besides, he wasn't satisfied with this mission. The old fogies of the Siming Pavilion originally wanted his brother and Liu Yunhan to go down to the border together, but his brother refused, so he ended up going instead.
So he said very frankly, "As far as I know, the elder only sent me and Liu Yunhan."
Upon hearing this, Xie An nodded. Having probably asked all the questions he wanted to know, he got up and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Sikong Xin quickly stopped him and asked, "Young Master Xiao, as I said, I have no intention of opposing you. I just want to ask, can I tell others about the matter of the reversal of destiny being related to you?"
Since Xiao Xun didn't hide anything from him and ultimately didn't intend to kill him to silence him, it means he had no intention of concealing this matter, and perhaps... he originally intended to deliberately reveal it to Sikong Xin.
Xie An tilted his head slightly and said calmly, "As you wish."
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