Xie Shuci's mind went blank.
"How could this be?" Xie Shuci exclaimed in shock.
Sikong Xin's expression was unusually solemn as he said, "You are among the few who have come out of the secret realm. Can you tell us what exactly happened inside?"
Xie Shuci nodded and said, "We found the Immortal's Tomb and also obtained the Qiankun Mirror."
Liu Dazhuang's eyes widened suddenly. "My goodness! You guys got the Qiankun Mirror?"
Seeing his strong reaction, Xie Shuci asked hesitantly, "Could it be that the secret realm closed early because we obtained the Qiankun Mirror?"
Sikong Xin shook his head and said, "That's not the case. This isn't the first time the Dragon Fang Secret Realm has appeared, and you're not the only ones who have obtained the Qiankun Mirror. Has anything else happened besides the Qiankun Mirror?"
Xie Shuci frowned, thinking carefully.
Aside from entering the Immortal's Tomb and obtaining the Qiankun Mirror, they didn't encounter anything else. If you're asking what else happened… Your Majesty?!
Xie Shuci's heart skipped a beat. Holy crap! Could it be because he brought the King out?!
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci asked with a blank face, "Um... I mean, if, I mean if, I bring a living thing out of the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, will it cause the secret realm to close prematurely?"
“No.” Sikong Xin said without hesitation, “The Dragon Fang Secret Realm is the sea of consciousness of a certain cultivator after his death. No matter what is taken from it, it will not affect the secret realm itself.”
Hearing this, Xie Shuci suddenly had a clue. "So, the one who could close the secret realm ahead of schedule was that dead cultivator? But he's already dead, maybe he's already been reincarnated."
“Perhaps not,” Xie An suddenly said.
"No?" Xie Shuci frowned even more.
Sikong Xin glanced at Xie An, then said to Xie Shuci, "Brother Xie, think carefully, did anything major happen in the secret realm?"
“Something big…” Xie Shuci murmured suspiciously. A moment later, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he abruptly looked up. “The Immortal’s Tomb! The Immortal’s Tomb has collapsed!”
Sikong Xin's eyes widened in surprise, "The immortal's tomb has collapsed?"
"That's right! The owner of the Immortal's Tomb was Banxia Water God Yi. That tomb wasn't meant for him to rest in peace at all; someone wanted to trap his soul inside!"
Upon hearing this, Sikong Xin pondered for a moment and said, "Explain in detail."
Xie Shuci said, "Actually, we all died in the Immortal's Tomb. I found the Qiankun Mirror and went back in time inside the tomb. When we woke up, we were already lying outside the Immortal's Tomb, which had collapsed. Later, I heard from Chu Wenfeng that it was the Water God who saved us. The ancestors of the Chu family sacrificed themselves to return freedom to the Water God."
Xie Shuci didn't notice that when he mentioned the Water God Yi, Sikong Xin and the other two didn't seem surprised.
"A sacrifice?" Sikong Xin asked in confusion.
Xie Shuci was taken aback. He then recalled the array he had seen on the stone tablet in the tomb. The series of events they had encountered one after another were almost all related to that array, and it was also closely related to warding off evil spirits. His intuition told him that this was definitely not a good thing, and it would be better not to let more people get involved.
So Xie Shuci glossed over the question and changed the subject, saying, "Is it possible that the Dragon Fang Secret Realm is a manifestation of the consciousness of that Water God?"
Fortunately, Sikong Xin did not press the matter, but instead followed Xie Shuci's words and said, "The immortal's tomb has collapsed, and the water god has regained his freedom. Where is he going?"
"Revenge!" Xie Shuci slammed his fist on the table. "He's going to avenge his people! The Banxia clan didn't just disappear suddenly; they were burned to death by humans!"
“If that’s the case, to reopen the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, we must find the Water God; otherwise, the cultivators trapped inside will never be able to get out,” Sikong Xin said.
Xie Shuci pondered for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to find the Water God?"
Sikong Xin nodded and said, "We came out of the Floating Pagoda Realm to investigate something in Luofang City. Now that the Dragon Fang Secret Realm has closed early, it may be related to what we are investigating. Moreover, with thousands of cultivators trapped inside the Dragon Fang Secret Realm, the Floating Pagoda Realm will definitely not sit idly by."
if
The Dragon Tooth Secret Realm closed ahead of schedule because the Water God left and the Immortal's Tomb collapsed, and this matter is inextricably linked to Xie Shuci and his group.
"I'll go with you," Xie Shuci said seriously.
“This…” Sikong Xin hesitated.
"My goodness, with your skinny arms and legs like that? You want to come with us? That's like going to your death—ah!"
Before Liu Dazhuang could finish speaking, Sikong Xin kicked him hard.
Xie Shuci said, "Don't worry, that Water God isn't a bad person. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been able to get the Qiankun Mirror, let alone come back alive."
Sikong Xin pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "More people means more strength. It would be great if you were willing to help us."
Xie Shuci felt a little embarrassed when he said that, "Actually, I can't be of much help."
"Brother Xie is too modest."
"No, no."
"When shall we depart?"
"tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Liu Dazhuang said discontentedly, "No way. I haven't even found a casual fling yet!"
The girl in purple glanced at him and said calmly, "Even if you stay here your whole life, you'll never find it."
Liu Dazhuang: "..."
They agreed to depart the next day, and Xie Shuci and his companion returned to their room.
Xie Shuci seemed lost in thought the whole way, while Xie An quietly followed beside him.
The next day, after packing his belongings, Xie Shuci bid farewell to Xiao Xianlan and the others.
After taking the pill, Luo Xianyu developed a high fever. Her temperature was only brought down with the help of Xiao Lian's spiritual power. She is currently still in a deep sleep, but she will be fine in a few days.
Xiao Lian was resting in her room because she had exhausted too much spiritual energy. Xie Shuci didn't want to disturb her, so he said goodbye to Xiao Xianlan alone.
When Xiao Xianlan heard that the two were leaving, her eyes instantly reddened.
"Brother Xiaoci, are you in such a hurry? Sister hasn't woken up yet, and she hasn't thanked you in person..."
Xie Shuci rubbed her head and said, "You've already thanked me. Besides, the pills were bought by Sister Xianyu, so there's no need for you to thank me. Little Xianlan, you wait. When I can refine higher-quality pills in the future, I'll refine Spirit Gathering Pills for you to eat like candy."
Xiao Xianlan chuckled, stepped forward and hugged Xie Shuci, "Brother Xiaoci, we'll miss you."
"I will miss you all too."
Xiao Xianlan shyly lifted her head from his embrace, glanced timidly at Xie An, and murmured, "Brother Xie An... I will miss you too."
Xie An paused for a moment, then lowered his gaze. "Mm."
"Awooo!" The king jumped to Xiaoxianlan's feet and let out two dissatisfied cries.
What about the baby? Don't you miss the baby?
Upon seeing this, Little Fairy Orchid couldn't help but smile. She bent down, hugged the Great King, and stroked the fur on its neck, saying, "I will miss the Great King too."
"Awooo!"
Baby will miss you too!
After bidding farewell to Xiao Xianlan, Xie Shuci first asked Xie An to take the King to meet Sikong Xin and the others, while he himself led the crane to the stable.
This time, the crane glared at him but didn't spit at him again.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Wanhua Tower, Sikong Xin and his companions were already waiting there.
"Thank you, Brother Xie."
"Call me Shuci."
Upon approaching, Sikong said, "Historical records state that although the Banxia clan lived in seclusion for many years, they maintained close ties with the people of a nearby village. Perhaps it was because of that village that the Banxia clan perished."
Xie Shuci asked, "Where is that village located?"
"The exact location south of Huaizhou is unknown."
"Oh, let's go then."
"please."
The five of them set off in a grand procession. Because of Liu Dazhuang's large size, passersby would avoid them.
As Xie Shuci passed by an incense shop, he saw a familiar figure kneeling on the ground.
"Wait a minute," Xie Shuci called out to everyone.
He walked suspiciously behind the man, who was disheveled and dressed in rags; it was the man he had met with Xiao Xianlan.
The madman I encountered that day.
The madman knelt on the ground, holding a tattered sachet in his dirty hands. He bent down and carefully picked up the powdered spices from the ground, placing them gently into the sachet.
Xie Shuci stared blankly at this scene, and his heart suddenly ached.
How much must this person love Ye Changxuan to remember everything related to her after going berserk?
What exactly is emotion? Why can it bring joy, yet also pain?
If only Xie Shuci knew nothing.
What's wrong with him? Why would he suddenly empathize with a madman?
Xie Shuci sighed, lowered his head and took out the waist token given to him by Ye Changxuan from his pouch, and walked up to the madman.
He handed over the token, saying, "It belongs to Ye Changxuan."
The madman paused, his hand movements froze. He slowly raised his head, looking at Xie Shuci with a blank expression, and did not snatch it away without a second thought, as he had done before.
Xie Shuci was a little surprised, and pushed it forward a few more times, "You don't want Ye Changxuan's things anymore?"
The madman nodded, wiped his dirty hands on his clothes, and slowly reached out to take the token Xie Shuci offered. He said in a hoarse voice, "Thank...thank you..."
"You're welcome."
With Ye Changxuan's token, the other people in Tianzhu City should treat him better.
Xie Shuci turned around and walked back to the four of them.
The madman picked up the token with obvious delight, gently pressed it against his cheek, and looked at the backs of Xie Shuci and the other four.
"Changxuan..."
"Did you give Ye Changxuan's token to him?" Sikong Xin asked.
"Yeah, anyway, I already have the Immortal Jade Token, so there's no point in keeping it on me," Xie Shuci shrugged.
"By the way, aren't you from the Floating Pagoda Realm? How do you know Ye Changxuan?"
Sikong said, "The Hehuan Sect might have the opportunity to move into the Floating Pagoda Realm in this Immortal Sect Selection. I once sent someone to investigate her."
Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci couldn't help but glance at the expressionless girl in purple beside him. "Could it be her?"
Zixi glanced at him.
Xie Shuci had a bit of a phobia of her, so he subconsciously leaned back, resting his shoulder against Xie An's. "Why are you looking at me?"
Zi Xi gave a cold laugh and then looked away.
Upon seeing this, Sikong Xin couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Her name is Zixi, and her original form is..."
"Original form?" Xie Shuci looked over suspiciously. What original form could this person possibly have?
Noticing Xie Shuci's gaze, Zi Xi turned her head and looked at Xie Shuci with a half-smile. Her red lips parted slightly, and her tongue stuck out like a forked tongue. Suddenly, her eyes turned into purple vertical pupils. Xie Shuci opened her eyes wide in fear and screamed.
Holy crap!
He was startled and instinctively burrowed into Xie An's arms.
Xie An dropped the king he was holding, caught Xie Shuci's frightened body, and gently stroked it silently.
"Aww..."
What is that?
"Snake, snake..."
Xie Shuci had many fears in his life, such as the dead and ghosts. But those things were all very far away from him, so they seemed a bit unrealistic. However, snakes were the only creature that made Xie Shuci's scalp tingle just by thinking about them.
Zi Xi curled her lips and turned her head back.
Liu Dazhuang laughed twice, walked over to Xie Shuci, and slapped him hard twice. "Brother Xie, with your guts, you'd better not get involved with us."
Xie Shuci felt like his internal organs had shifted after being slapped twice, rolled his eyes and said, "Do you think I'm a rock?"
"Stone? You're just a block of tofu, I can crush you with one tap."
"You think everyone's like you? So strong? Your fists are bigger than my face."
"Are you jealous?"
"Pah! I'm jealous of you? I'm jealous that nobody likes you?"
Liu Dazhuang pouted, "You talk like someone likes you? Who would want a delicate-skinned man like you?"
Sikong Xin glanced at Xie An's face, then...
The man, with a detached expression, led the white horse, seemingly uninvolved.
"Nobody likes me? Give me a break. Who am I? I'm the Daniel Wu of Bilibili! The people who like me could line up all the way to France! I'm Xie Xiaoci..."
At this point, Xie Shuci suddenly paused, then continued, "I, Xie Shuci, have frequented brothels for many years, and I have always been one to pass through them without a single petal clinging to me!"
Liu Dazhuang didn't take it seriously, saying, "Only an ugly person would like another ugly person."
Sikong Xin: "..."
You fucking shut up.
On the way out of Tianzhu City, Xie Shuci petted the king while chatting with Sikong Xin, feeling very relaxed and at ease. Xie An was also not a talkative person and had been bored before.
According to Sikong Xin, Huaizhou is about half a month's journey from Tianzhu City, and the journey will pass through several other prefectures where one can rest.
After leaving Tianzhu City, we traveled for two days.
In the past two days, Xie Shuci had very few opportunities to talk with Xie An. Even when he was resting at night and sitting with Xie An, he would lean closer to Liu Dazhuang. But apart from that, he was no different from before.
That night, the five people rested under a big tree.
Cicadas chirped in the fields, and the night sky was dotted with stars.
Xie Shuci and the other three sat leaning against a big tree, looking at the night sky, while Zixi transformed into her original form and coiled on a branch.
Xie Shuci suddenly had a whimsical idea and asked, "Does your Floating Pagoda Realm also have a sky?"
"have."
"nonsense."
"Oh." Xie Shuci nodded blankly, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere.
"Tired?"
Hearing Xie Shuci's listless voice, Xie An asked.
Xie Shuci gazed at the vast sky, suddenly feeling a lack of belonging. He raised his hand to rub his eyes and murmured, "I miss home."
In his hometown, the night sky is illuminated by various neon lights, car horns sound, airplanes fly overhead, air conditioners hum, and cell phone notifications. Once you turn on your phone, you can see the vibrant colors of the world. Even if you are alone, you will not feel lonely.
He has parents who live far away and don't contact him often, his favorite books and anime, a lot of figurines, a few friends he met online, and many viewers who both laugh at him and keep him company.
Xie Shuci is actually a very optimistic person. He can be very independent and also cope well with loneliness.
But now, he has never felt this loneliness so deeply.
He was homesick.
Perhaps it wasn't that he missed home, but rather that he missed the carefree life he once had.
He had too much of a smooth life in his hometown and didn't know how to deal with negative emotions.
"Aww..."
Perhaps sensing Xie Shuci's current state of mind, the king quietly nestled in his arms and gently licked the back of his hand.
Xie An turned his head to the side. Although he couldn't see, his gaze was indeed fixed on Xie Shuci's face.
Moonlight streamed into Xie Shuci's eyes, illuminating the mottled tears in them and a trace of sorrow that should never have appeared on him.
Xie An pursed his lips. "Going home?"
Xie Shuci shook his head, "I'm not going home. What will happen to you and the King if I go home?"
"We... will go back with you."
Xie Shuci shook his head vigorously.
He can't go back; he's already dead.
He... didn't want to go back either.
If he went back, he would never see the scenery of this world, nor the people of this world again.
Sikong Xin asked, "Shuci, is this your first time leaving home?"
"Well, I guess so," Xie Shuci said.
"Home, ah, I'd like to go out and explore on my own," Sikong Xin sighed. "Unfortunately, I have a free-spirited older brother. If he hadn't come back this time, I probably wouldn't have been able to leave."
"Then you're quite pitiful."
As Xie Shuci and his companion were sighing over this, they suddenly heard sobbing sounds coming from beside them.
The two of them turned to look at Liu Dazhuang.
Liu Dazhuang sat under the tree, hugging his knees, looking at the sky.
The moon hangs in the sky, tears glistening on her face.
He would occasionally take a breath and wipe away his tears, saying, "I miss home too."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Sikong Xin: "..."
In this scene, a muscular man weighing several hundred pounds sits on the ground in an extremely girlish posture, wiping away tears and sobbing.
That earnest expression looked utterly ridiculous.
He was crying so earnestly over there that Xie Shuci and Sikong Xin's lips twitched. They turned their heads away, trying to suppress their laughter, their shoulders shaking so badly they were practically sieves.
What do you call this? Is this what you call a tough guy with a soft heart?
After laughing for a while, Xie Shuci looked at Xie An beside him and couldn't help but ask, "Xie An, do you miss home?"
Xie An hesitated for a moment, lowered his eyes, and shook his head. "No."
Sikong Xin chuckled dryly upon hearing this, thinking to himself that he had been kind enough to slaughter the Xiao family, yet he still longed for home?
Hearing his answer, Xie Shuci was not surprised at all.
After all, the little blind man usually seems to take nothing to heart. If they were to separate one day, he probably wouldn't even look back at Xie Shuci.
Ah! Xie Shuci, what's wrong with you? This isn't like you. You can't be so pessimistic.
What's the big deal? You're rich, you can refine pills, and you have the king by your side. No matter what, you can live a good life.
Xie Shuci yawned, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.
He leaned against a big tree, his head turned towards Sikong Xin, and with his mind blank, he fell asleep without realizing it.
The three of them remained silent. After Xie Shuci's breathing became even, Xie An pulled him up by one arm and drew him back from Sikong Xin. He wrapped his long arm around Xie Shuci's back, letting him lean against him so he could sleep more comfortably.
Perhaps influenced by Xie Shuci, the other two also became sleepy.
Xie An, however, was not sleepy at all. He wrapped his arms around Xie Shuci's waist, looking thoughtful.
As the night passed and dawn broke, Xie An released his grip, gently leaning Xie Shuci's body back against the tree trunk, and then closed his eyes as well.
After waking up, the five continued their journey.
Xie Shuci and Liu Dazhuang's relationship suddenly became good for some reason. Usually, the two of them would be bickering and joking in front, while Xie An, Sikong Xin, and Zixi followed not far behind.
Zixi didn't want to leave, so she transformed into a small snake and coiled around Sikong Xin's wrist.
Every time Xie Shuci saw her transform into her original form, he would stay far away.
Later, they passed an orchard. Xie Shuci looked at the fresh fruit on the trees and his mouth watered. Liu Dazhuang, on the other hand, simply climbed over the fence. There was a wolfhound tied up at the orchard gate. When it saw the group, it was about to bark when Dazhuang ran over, huffing and puffing.
It's unclear what the two dogs were communicating about, but the wolfhound, several times the size of the king, obediently lay down on the ground and rubbed its head against the king, looking quite fawning.
Xie Shuci had never done anything underhanded before, so he hesitated for a moment. Liu Dazhuang, on the other hand, quickly picked a few and popped them into his mouth as he picked them.
Seeing this, Xie Shuci walked to the king's side, took out a silver ingot from his purse, and placed it in front of the wolfhound.
“Your Majesty, tell it that after we leave, we should give this to its owner.”
"Aww!" Baby knows!
The king barked at the wolfhound a few times, and the wolfhound obediently pressed the silver under its paws.
After giving the silver to the wolfhound, Xie Shuci felt at ease with his conscience, so he went into the orchard and feasted with Liu Dazhuang.
"It's so sweet!"
Having eaten dry rations for the past few days on the road, Xie Shuci sighed with satisfaction upon suddenly tasting sweet and delicious fruit.
"Xie An!" Xie Shuci picked a large, round fruit from the tree and threw it towards Xie An outside the fence.
An apple swept through the air, creating a gust of wind, and Xie An raised his hand and caught the flying fruit steadily.
Sikong Xin leaned against the tree, looking at the group nonchalantly, when suddenly a fruit flew towards him.
"Sikong Xin, catch!" Xie Shuci said.
Sikong Xinjie
Zhu Guozi smiled helplessly.
I wiped myself a couple of times and was about to put it in my mouth when I felt a gaze fall on my hand.
Sikong Xin paused, looking over in surprise. Xie An was looking at him with pursed lips.
"You like it?" Sikong Xin waved the fruit.
Xie An didn't speak, not because he liked the fruit.
Sikong Xin nodded knowingly and tossed the fruit to Xie An.
The commotion they made was quite significant, especially Xie Shuci's two shouts.
Before long, an old man carrying a hoe walked towards the orchard.
He saw a white horse tied up at the edge of the orchard in the distance, and upon closer inspection, he saw several outsiders nearby. He immediately quickened his pace and ran over, shouting as he ran, "Which bastard dares to steal my things?"
Hearing the sound suddenly, Xie Shuci was startled and turned around to see an old man running towards them with a hoe in his hand.
Holy crap!
Xie Shuci quickly picked two fruits and said to Liu Dazhuang, who was still picking, "Stop picking! Run!"
"Huh?" Liu Dazhuang was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to ask something, Xie Shuci grabbed the fruit and ran off. Although he didn't understand why she was running, Xie Shuci had already run away, so he had no choice but to chase after her.
The two jumped over the fence one after the other. Xie Shuci stuffed the fruit into his pouch, grabbed Xie An's hand, and shouted behind them, "Your Majesty, let's go!"
"Aww!"
Xie Shuci grabbed Xie An and ran forward, with the King and the crane following closely behind. Liu Dazhuang also slipped away with Xie Shuci. When Sikong Xin saw that everyone had run away, although he was extremely unwilling, he still quickly followed.
The old man shouted and cursed behind them, furious.
Xie Shuci laughed heartily in front of him.
The old man couldn't catch up with the young men, so he cursed and dragged his hoe back to the orchard. He looked at how many fruits those damned bastards had stolen from him. Tsk, how much money he must have lost!
As they approached the orchard entrance, the wolfhound barked twice, scratched at the ground with its paws, and a silver ingot rolled to the old man's feet.
The old man was stunned when he saw the silver.
"this……"
"Awooo!"
It was given to me by the boss's boss!
Even if he sold fruit for ten years, he might not be able to earn back this silver ingot!
"That's too much..."
The old man's eyes welled up with tears. He picked up the silver and tried to chase after them, but the four men had already vanished without a trace.
Xie Shuci pulled Xie An along and ran in front of them, with Liu Dazhuang and the other man following behind.
Sikong Xin was utterly speechless: "Didn't you give me the money? Why are you running away?"
Xie Shuci laughed heartily, "Can't I spend money to buy some excitement?"
He turned and glanced at Xie An.
The little blind man always acted methodically no matter what he did, but now, after being dragged along by Xie Shuci for a while, he finally started to look a bit disheveled.
Seeing a hint of humanity in him, Xie Shuci couldn't help but smile even more broadly.
Perhaps it was because he heard Xie Shuci laugh that Xie An's lips involuntarily turned up.
For the first time, he realized that emotions can be contagious.
It turns out that one person's emotions can change depending on another person.
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