Xie Shuci couldn't swim. He swallowed several mouthfuls of water and his body gradually sank.
Xie An steadied himself by holding onto the gunwale, looked back at Xie Shuci struggling in the water, and was about to jump in when Sikong Xin flew down from mid-air, grabbed Xie Shuci by the collar, and pulled him back onto the boat.
The cargo ship was split in two, its piled-up cargo scattered across the water. The ship tilted dramatically, and the crew rushed out of the hold. Looking at the floating cargo, their temples throbbed with heartache. Indeed, when gods fight, mortals suffer; they dared not utter a sound.
"Cough..." Xie Shuci lay on the cabin wall and coughed up a few mouthfuls of water.
Xie An walked to his side, frowned, and asked, "Are you alright?"
Xie Shuci shook his head. His nose was stinging from the water. "It's nothing."
Drowning is such an unpleasant experience; for a moment, he even felt as if he had seen the King of Hell.
Xie Shuci waved his hand and said, "Little blind man, you're still young. Let's put aside our romantic feelings for now, otherwise I don't think I'll live to see next year."
Xie An: "..."
He bent down and helped Xie Shuci up. "Stop talking nonsense."
Xie Shuci stood up, supporting himself on his knees. "Don't take it personally, but honest advice is hard to swallow, you know? There are some things you should believe, even if they're superstitious."
Xie An pursed his lips. Sometimes he really wanted to pry open Xie Shuci's brain to see what other strange and wonderful ideas were inside.
"Brother Xie, Brother Xie, are you alright?" Liu Dazhuang stood on a green bamboo, which almost couldn't support his weight and was hanging precariously on the water's surface.
Xie Shuci couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Can't you at least watch your aim? You almost drowned."
Liu Dazhuang chuckled, "I was just thinking of avenging Brother Xie An."
Sikong Xin curled his lip, thinking to himself, "You want to avenge him? Just don't end up being treated as an enemy by him."
Seeing that Xie Shuci was alright, Xie An helped him sit down to the side and let him dry his clothes with his spiritual power. Then he walked to the side of the boat and looked at Deng Linyin and the others on the bamboo tips.
With his back to Xie Shuci, his face was completely devoid of emotion, his eyes were as cold as ice picks, and the temperature around him dropped to freezing point. His tone also became somber: "I have no connection with the Xiaoyao Sect, and I don't plan to oppose you for the time being. You'd better watch yourselves."
Xie Shuci looked at the little blind boy's upright figure, his tone was flat, but there was an indescribable charisma in him. He was clearly a good-for-nothing, but he had a pretty good attitude about him.
No wonder Xie Shuci always felt safe by his side, because the little blind man always looked confident and composed, as if nothing could stump him, which made him feel especially safe.
Upon hearing his words, Deng Linyin and the others felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy. They couldn't help but ponder in their hearts that Xiao Xun's words clearly had a hidden meaning. It seemed that he would not do anything detrimental to the Xiaoyao Sect for the time being. If they continued to pester him, they might not only fail to kill him, but it would also backfire.
Xiao Xun is hiding a secret that concerns the lifeline of the Xiaoyao Sect. He dares not act rashly, but he also cannot let Xiao Xun run rampant.
But now, he seems to have no choice but to return to the Floating Pagoda Realm to discuss with the sect leader before making a decision.
Xie Shuci never expected that those people from the Xiaoyao Sect would actually be intimidated by the little blind man, a paper tiger, and were already considering retreating.
"Then you'd better not go back on your word," Deng Lin said in a gloomy voice.
Sikong Xin crossed his arms, dusted off his sleeves, and said casually, "You don't just want to leave like this, do you?"
Upon hearing this, Deng Linyin frowned, glared at Sikong Xin, and gestured for him not to cause trouble. But Sikong Xin, being a cunning fox, never let himself be taken advantage of. He glanced at the cargo ship broken in two and said, "Damaged goods must be compensated. You damaged our ship; are you expecting us to swim south all the way? Besides, they worked so hard to transport the goods, and you robbed them just outside the city. Shouldn't you at least offer some compensation?"
Xie Shuci nodded vigorously twice in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Liu Dazhuang, who had initially felt guilty for causing Xie Shuci to fall into the water, immediately felt righteous after Sikong Xin shifted all the blame onto Deng Linyin in just a few words: "That's right, the boat and cargo must be returned, otherwise you think you can leave? No way! I agree."
Even my axe wouldn't agree! If my brother Xie agrees... then maybe I'll agree, since brother Xie and I are closer than brothers. Brother Xie, don't you think so?
This guy is quite adept at flattery and currying favor. Xie Shuci felt that if Liu Dazhuang were placed in modern times, he would definitely achieve great things. After all, there aren't many young people like him who can change their tune faster than turning the pages of a book and are willing to do anything for anyone.
"He clearly did it, what does it have to do with me?"
Sikong Xin asked in surprise, "Brother, you don't think that if you don't come looking for trouble, he'll just sit around playing with an axe and chop up our ship that's heading south, do you?"
Xie Shuci chimed in, "Do you even believe it yourself?"
Deng Linyin gritted his teeth and said, "Then what do you want?"
“No problem. Go find us a boat in the city; as for the cargo, we’ll compensate you.”
"Cough, cough..." Xie Shuci, who was sitting on the ground, suddenly started coughing violently.
"Oh dear, Brother Xie, are you alright? Don't scare me like that. If anything happens to you, I'll have to inherit your elixir with tears in my eyes... No, I mean, if you die..."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Do you want to listen to what you're saying?
"Shut up!" Xie Shuci glared at him.
Sikong Xin was a shrewd man and immediately understood Xie Shuci's meaning. He said to Deng Lin, "Brother Xie has suffered an unexpected disaster and has been frightened. It's not too much for you to compensate him with something, is it?"
Xie Shuci gave Sikong Xin a thumbs up in his heart, scrambled to his feet, walked over to Xie An, and exclaimed, "Xie An, are you alright? Xie An, why do you look so pale? Tsk, no wonder, you almost lost your life, who can look pale then? Sigh!"
After saying that, Xie Shuci let out a long sigh, as if afraid that no one would hear him.
Xie An: "..."
Sikong Xin: "..."
As soon as Xie Shuci finished speaking, the king threw himself to the ground and screamed in agony.
And the baby too! The baby deserves compensation as well!
Deng Linyin: "..."
Sikong Xin glanced at Deng Linyin, who was gnashing his teeth in anger not far away, and shrugged without saying a word.
Deng Linyin took a deep breath and almost squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth: "Fine! I'll pay for everything!"
An hour later, the boatman, who had originally planned to go south to deliver goods, happily thanked the group and returned home with his purse full. Xie Shuci stood on the spacious and beautiful boat, which was said to be transformed from a magical artifact, and warmly bid farewell to the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect.
Watching them dart into the bamboo forest as if they were being chased by ghosts and disappear instantly, Xie Shuci reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
Looking at the strange and wonderful treasures on the deck, Xie Shuci exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "I never knew that staging an accident could feel so exhilarating."
Of course, such behavior as staged accidents is very wrong and despicable, but in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken to deal with it.
Sikong said, "These are nothing; the most valuable thing is this ship."
Xie Shuci only knew that the boat was a magical artifact, and apart from its exquisite craftsmanship, he felt that there was something special about it.
What's wrong with this ship?
Sikong said, "This kind of magical artifact is not rare in the Floating Pagoda Realm. It can condense qi into water and travel anywhere."
Xie Shuci asked in surprise, "So, it can travel in the sky?"
"Can."
Xie Shuci exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't this the cultivation version of Noah's Ark?"
Sikong Xin: "..."
He gradually got used to the incomprehensible things Xie Shuci sometimes said.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's just walk through the sky!" Xie Shuci said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Sikong Xin shook his head and said, "This is a magic weapon of the Floating Pagoda Realm. Using it in the cultivation world would be too ostentatious."
Xie Shuci immediately recalled the time he was robbed in Luofang City and nodded in agreement, saying, "You're right. A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. It's better if we keep a low profile."
"Okay, you should put your things away first."
To everyone's surprise, Xie Shuci said with a serious expression:
"No, this merit. This medal belongs to me half and to you half..."
Sikong Xin was probably tired of listening, and Xie An was no longer present. He ignored him, took out the purple snake from his sleeve, and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Xie Shuci shrugged. "Fine, I know you're a young master and don't care about this little thing."
So Xie Shuci filled his small pouch to the brim with the things, which weighed heavily on his body, but he didn't mind at all; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied.
What do you call this? This is called reaping both love and wealth!
Wait, no... what love? The little blind boy is just a minor who hasn't even grown a single hair yet, what love or affection can he have?
Xie Shuci had been blinded by love before, but now that he had come to his senses, he suddenly felt a pang of conscience.
The little blind man was resting in the cabin. He stood at the door, and after a long while, he finally mustered up the courage to push the door open and enter.
Inside the cabin, Xie An leaned against the headboard, his complexion having recovered somewhat, and he was rubbing the peach blossom that Xie Shuci had given him in Tianzhu City in his hand.
The king lay on the floor under the bed, lazily licking his paws.
Hearing the noise by the door, Xie An looked up and asked, "Xie Shuci?"
Xie Shuci looked into his empty eyes and couldn't help but sigh. Xie An's throat and ears had recovered, so why were his eyes taking so long to recover?
"Ah, it's me," Xie Shuci replied, then sat down at the table, a good distance away.
The cabin was very spacious, like a room of moderate size, with a piece of jade placed in the corner for lighting.
Xie Shuci asked, "Are you feeling better?"
Hearing the sound coming from the table, Xie An frowned slightly and said, "Why are you sitting so far away?"
Xie Shuci touched the tip of his nose, thinking to himself, "I'm just afraid that I might lose control and do something I shouldn't do to you."
Imagine, a hot-blooded young man who recently confessed his feelings to his crush, only to find out now that she's a minor—he's essentially an old cow trying to seduce a young girl. And he can't even guarantee that, with his limited self-control, he can refrain from doing anything to her.
"It's cooler here, I can breathe better," Xie Shuci mumbled incoherently.
Xie An pursed his lips, patted the seat next to him, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Sit here."
Xie Shuci's eyes darted around, and his tone weakened, "No."
"Then I'll go over there."
After saying that, Xie An sat up, leaning on the edge of the bed, though the movement looked a bit laborious.
"No, no, no..." Xie Shuci couldn't bear to see him looking so weak and listless, so she quickly stopped him. "I'm coming, I'm coming."
After saying that, he strode over to the bedside, sat down somewhat awkwardly at the foot of the bed, and rubbed his neck. "Hey, are you feeling better? Want some water? Why did you look so pale before?"
Xie An leaned against the headboard, remaining silent.
Seeing that he didn't speak, I felt a little uneasy, wondering if it would leave him with any lasting effects.
He leaned forward a few feet and asked, "Are you alright?"
Xie An pursed his lips, his face still somewhat pale. "What do you mean?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Xie Shuci asked, puzzled.
Xie An took a deep breath, and his expression clearly showed that he was somewhat unhappy.
Human emotions are very strange; the slightest disturbance can trigger a sense of crisis in one's heart.
Xie An couldn't quite explain his feelings, but Xie Shuci's evasive behavior made him feel like he had lost his grip on him, a feeling he disliked intensely.
"You regret it?"
As Xie An said this, his voice suddenly turned cold, as if he had thought of something.
If Xie Shuci dares to change his mind and pretend he never said it, then he will... he will devour him whole and imprison him by his side. After all, Xiao Xun is unreasonable to begin with.
Xie Shuci paused for a moment after hearing this, then lowered his head and sighed, "I do regret it a little."
Upon hearing this, Xie An's expression suddenly turned cold.
His left hand, hanging limply on the couch, clenched into a fist, fingertips digging into his palm. A surge of anger welled up within him, and a hint of rage flickered in his eyes.
He showed a somewhat gloomy expression.
Did Xie Shuci regret it? He regretted it?
What good is regret? I have a thousand ways to keep him by my side!
"You regret it, and then what?" Xie An said coldly, his voice filled with a desolate chill.
Xie Shuci rested his chin on his hand, unaware of the change in the little blind man's voice, "Nothing more, just a sigh."
Upon hearing this, Xie An subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
Immediately, he leaned back against the headboard, lowered his long eyelashes, and said indifferently, "If you regret it, I can pretend that what just happened never happened."
"Really?" Xie Shuci asked doubtfully.
Xie An clenched his teeth and turned his head away, "Hmm."
After saying that, he lay down in bed, his back to Xie Shuci, looking like he refused to communicate.
Xie Shuci belatedly realized what was happening, raised his chin and glanced inside, then asked, "Are you angry?"
"No, I'm a little tired and want to rest," Xie An said in a muffled voice.
Suddenly, silence fell behind him. Xie An closed his eyes. If he dared to leave, if he dared to leave…
Xie Shuci suddenly chuckled, pressed down on his arm, and made him turn around. Looking at the little blind man's slightly aggrieved expression, Xie Shuci said, "What are you angry about? Wasn't it you who kissed me and told me to forget?"
You were drunk at the time.
"I may be drunk, but I'm not stupid. Don't I know what I'm doing?"
Xie An pursed his lips and remained silent.
"I didn't tell you to forget, but you can't pretend you don't know anymore," Xie Shuci warned.
Xie An paused for a moment, then asked, "So what do you regret?"
Speaking of this, Xie Shuci couldn't help but sigh and said, "You're only sixteen years old, still a child. I shouldn't have led you astray."
Xie An: "..."
"Xie Shuci, who do you think is more like a child compared to you?" Xie An laughed angrily.
To everyone's surprise, Xie Shuci's eyes widened upon hearing this. "No personal attacks allowed! I'm warning you. This is called feigning ignorance with great wisdom. What do you know?"
Xie An gave a cold laugh. "So what? You regret it, and you're planning to do this?"
Xie Shuci said in a serious tone, "I plan to keep my distance from you for now. You are my child bride for now. We can only get married and... you know... when you come of age."
Xie An stared at him intently. "How old are you when you come of age?"
"eighteen……"
Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, the little blind man suddenly stood up, blocked his lips and teeth, and lightly brushed his tongue between his teeth.
Xie Shuci opened his eyes wide in shock, but before he could react, the little blind man had already retreated.
"What are you doing?!" Xie Shuci covered her mouth, looking at Xie An with a mixture of surprise and embarrassment.
The latter seemed completely unaffected, looking quite relaxed. When Xie Shuci looked over, he opened and closed his lips, his voice inexplicably hoarse and hazy, adding a touch of ambiguity: "Then why did you kiss me?"
Xie Shuci's neck flushed red. This fleeting kiss felt different from anything he'd done before. He muttered in protest, "I was drunk! Drunk!"
Xie An dismissed it, saying, "You're just drunk, not stupid."
Xie Shuci: "..."
Well, I've successfully tricked myself.
Finally, Xie Shuci, in a fit of despair, said, "What's past is past. From now on, we should keep our distance, lest I..."
Xie An feigned confusion, "To prevent you from what?"
Xie Shuci gave him a disapproving look. The little blind man was nothing like his innocent appearance; his true nature was actually quite wicked. Xie Shuci snorted and said, "To prevent me from having any evil thoughts! Are you satisfied now?"
Xie An nodded noncommittally.
Xie Shuci was furious, but couldn't bear to vent his anger on the little blind boy, so he lowered his head and gave the king a random rub.
"Ouch!" the king cried out in dissatisfaction.
What does your whispering have to do with the baby?
Xie An threw back the covers and sat up. He took Xie Shuci's hand and gently...
He lightly pressed his lips to his own, giving them a light, almost imperceptible kiss, and said, "Those wicked thoughts, whatever you think of, you do, I can forgive you."
The surrounding air instantly became scorching hot. Xie Shuci felt as if he were floating, his whole body in a daze. An invisible flame burned his cheeks red. Like a startled rabbit, he suddenly pulled his hand away, stood up abruptly, his face as red as the sunset, his eyes slightly moist, staring wide-eyed at Xie An, speechless.
Xie An remained as serious as ever, as if those words had not come from his mouth.
Xie Shuci stood there for a long time, his heart pounding like a drum, making his eardrums ache. After holding it in for a while, he said in a tearful voice, "Little blind man! You're actually this kind of little blind man! I misjudged you!"
Xie An: "?"
Xie Shuci was so uncomfortable by his words that she couldn't sit still. "You, how could you... You're still young... Your thoughts are so impure!"
Xie An: "..."
"I...you...we...ah! You're not allowed to keep wondering about these things anymore, are you? Get some rest, I'm going out to get some fresh air!"
After saying this, Xie Shuci fanned his steaming face with his hand and hurriedly ran out of the cabin. When closing the door, he did not dare to face Xie An directly, but instead pulled the bolt behind him to close the door.
With a "bang," the cabin fell silent again.
"Huh?" The king tilted his head in confusion.
What happened? Why is your face so red and swollen?
Xie An seemed to be in a good mood, and unusually responded, "Father is shy."
"Ouch."
Is that so?
Xie An leaned back against the headboard, a smile involuntarily appearing on his lips.
The sharp pain in my chest was replaced by a feeling of pleasure.
Xie Shuci ran all the way to the bow of the boat, spread his arms wide to face the wind, and let the cool breeze cool him down.
Liu Dazhuang sat on the ground, looking at him suspiciously, and asked, "Brother Xie, what's going on...?"
"To cultivate my character and let the pure wind cleanse my sinful and filthy mind."
Liu Dazhuang curled his lip, "Then blow for a while longer, and it would be best if the pure wind could bring me another beautiful girl."
Xie Shuci said earnestly, "Dazhuang, the pure wind may not understand the beauty you speak of. Wise wind, please have pity on this physically strong but mentally challenged man, and grant him a mind of equal wisdom!"
Liu Dazhuang rolled his eyes at him. "You're sick."
Xie Shuci sighed after hearing this, "Yes, lovesickness."
"Ugh!" Liu Dazhuang looked at him with disgust and touched the goosebumps on his body.
Xie Shuci glanced at him and said, "Wisdom Wind, I take back what I just said. He doesn't deserve to have a wise brain."
Liu Dazhuang laughed in anger. The friendship he had built with Xie Shuci because of the pills instantly crumbled. "Xie Shuci, your little body isn't even enough for one of my punches. You'd better not make me angry."
"Oh, wise wind, my plastic brotherhood with him has come to an end."
"What plastic? What is that?"
"You're so pathetic, you don't understand."
After a long day of wind blowing at the bow of the boat, and exchanging a few sarcastic remarks with Liu Dazhuang, Xie Shuci gradually calmed down.
Coming to his senses, and recalling Xie An's actions, he felt as sweet as if he had been filled with honey.
Now I finally understand why people in love seem so silly—because love makes people act like idiots! So this is what love feels like. Xie Xiaoci, you've missed out on so much!
No, no, no, it can't be called missing out. How can those teenage girls compare to a little blind man? So mature, so composed, so...
Tsk, Xie Xiaoci, didn't you say you were straight? How come you accepted reality so easily? Can't you put up a fight? Like some kind of literature, with some kind of "he escapes, he chases, he can't escape" kind of story?
Thinking of this, Xie Shuci immediately shook his head, thinking no, please no. Being a spectator and being there are different. He didn't want any melodramatic or heart-wrenching plots. He just wanted to wait until the little blind girl turned eighteen and happily establish their relationship.
But he'll probably be more than a year away from turning eighteen. What if the little blind boy falls for someone else along the way?
Damn it! That won't do! Xie Shuci will be so angry he'll bite him to death!
This was the first time Liu Dazhuang had ever seen such a wide range of expressions on a person's face. He watched as Xie Shuci's emotions shifted between joy, melancholy, anger, and sorrow, and a chill ran down his spine. "Xie Shuci, are you possessed?"
"I'm poisoned," Xie Shuci sighed dramatically. "The poison of love."
Liu Dazhuang: "..."
He nodded quite seriously and said, "Yes, Xie Shuci, you're sick."
Xie Shuci ignored him, but he didn't dwell on it either. He took two steps forward, leaned against the gunwale, and looked at the rippling water, calming down.
Forget about all that. The most important thing right now is to find the Water God and open the Dragon Fang Secret Realm. As for all this romance, we can put it aside for now.
Suddenly, ripples appeared on the emerald green lake surface, and a pale finger slid across the surface, forming a wave-like pattern.
Xie Shuci's expression froze. Had he seen wrong? The surrounding area was far from the shore; how could there be someone in the water?
Yes, he must have misread it.
Xie Shuci closed his eyes tightly, then suddenly opened them again. The lake was calm and still, with nothing on it.
He breathed a sigh of relief; he had indeed misread it.
Just as I was thinking this, two bubbles suddenly appeared on the surface of the lake, as if someone had blown a breath underwater.
Xie Shuci: "..."
Xie Shuci stared blankly at the lake, his face calm but his heart raging.
Because he saw a pale face gradually emerge from the lush green water.
Xie Shuci's breath hitched, and he felt as if he had been nailed to the spot.
The face gradually floated on the water's surface. It was as white as Sadako's face, with silver pupils staring intently at Xie Shuci on the ship's side.
Xie Shuci felt his scalp tingle and his heart suddenly stopped beating as he was stared at.
...Mom, this world is too surreal, I want to go home!
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