Chapter 71 The initial arrogance followed by obsequiousness—that Golden Toad Fellow Daoist didn't change his attitude because of the way he addressed me…
The Golden Toad Daoist wasn't annoyed by the variety of ways of addressing them; on the contrary, he was quite interested in the young couple's ability to see through their true forms at a glance. He stared at Lawson closely, feeling a vague sense of familiarity. "What's your name?"
Lawson looked at him warily, thought for a moment, and then spoke, "My name is Lawson."
Jin Chan was taken aback at first, then his eyebrows shot up dramatically, looking utterly incredulous. Not only him, but even Huang Mao and the skinny guy were astonished.
The demons stared at him, their faces paling, and asked in unison, "Who is Luo Yuan to you?"
"My father."
The thin-faced man reached out and rested his hand on the blond-haired man's shoulder, looking as if he was about to faint. He stared at Lawson's increasingly familiar features and asked in a trembling voice, "Who is Qi Wu to you?"
Lawson could clearly sense their fear and, somewhat bewildered, raised his guard and shouted, "She is my mother."
The demons were momentarily dazed, barely able to maintain their human forms. Those demons who had just promised Xiu Yi they would keep a close eye on the Spirit Fruit without blinking, vanished without a word.
Wu Chen and the others stared in astonishment at the suddenly empty space before them, unsure of how to react.
Lawson, puzzled, looked at Wu Chen and asked, "What's wrong with them?"
Wu Chen thought to himself: How would I know what your mother did to them?
“When your mother arrives, you should just ask her directly,” Wu Chen said.
Lu Qing touched the still-shuddering hairs on her arm and shivered. "Where are we?"
Yu Jitang pointed as if presenting a treasure, "A tree with spiritual power."
Lu Qing raised her eyebrows and circled the Spirit Wood. Then she saw the wooden egg. She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and look at Wu Chen.
Wu Chen coughed lightly, lowered his head to straighten his sleeves, and then casually looked up at the tree.
Lu Qing grinned at him, silently giving him a four-word evaluation: "Playing tricks."
Yu Jitang pointed to the wooden egg and told Lu Qing in a very amazed tone, "Look, this is the Fruit of Spirit Communication, there really is a person inside."
Lu Qing chuckled dryly, "Really!" Then she leaned closer to examine it carefully, finding the wooden egg's shell quite similar to the "eggshells" around her when she first met Wu Chen. Perhaps, this shell really was real.
She turned around and glared at Wu Chen.
Wu Chen pretended not to understand her meaning and asked, "How are you now? Are you feeling unwell?"
Lu Qing moved slightly. "It feels quite comfortable, nothing special."
Wu Chen said, "Give me your hand."
Lu Qing obediently showed him her pulse.
Wu Chen touched it, his doubts growing. The spiritual energy flowing into Lu Qing was enormous, more than enough to create ten experts. But Lu Qing's dantian seemed like an inexhaustible well; the spiritual energy he probed into vanished without a trace.
This congenital deficiency is quite severe!
Wu Chen called Lawson over and examined him as well. However, Lawson's dantian was detectable. The spiritual energy within him was much denser than before, unlike Lu Qing's situation.
But this comparison made Wu Chen even more uncertain. Thinking of Zou Buming, who could appear at any moment, Lu Qing's current state was far too dangerous. "Alright, we'll split into two groups. Lu Qing, Luo Sen, Qi Ying, you all hide for now. Ji Tang and I will wait here for Zou Buming and the others."
Qi Ying was a little worried, "Sir, if they faint again, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of them by myself."
Wu Chen nodded. He had thought of that too; he had actually intended for the demons to take care of Lu Qing. But he hadn't expected that Lawson would scare them away just by introducing himself. Now that they had no demons to use, he was having a bit of a headache. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he saw Huang Mao and the others come running back.
The long-faced dragon demon chuckled dryly, "Well... since Young Master Luo is a descendant of an old friend, we can be considered elders in a way. It's our first time meeting, and we didn't have any decent gifts to offer, so we all rushed back to get them. It wasn't intentional neglect, and we didn't mean anything by it, so please don't misunderstand."
Seeing their terrified expressions, Lu Qing knew all too well what a show of bravado masked inner weakness. Her arrogance surged, and she smiled maliciously, "I have a feeling you're planning to abandon us."
This little girl keeps spouting such obvious truths.
They did indeed run halfway before realizing that the Western Abyss was quite dangerous due to the reckless actions of some cultivators. If Qi Wu knew they had abandoned her son, she would hold them accountable later... The demons scared themselves half to death and scrambled back.
Even the straightforward Huang Mao started to flatter, "Miss, you're joking. Right now, human cultivators are causing trouble in the Western Abyss, and things are not peaceful everywhere. How could we possibly abandon you? Don't worry, if they want to do anything to you, they'll have to step over our dead bodies first."
The dragon demon glared at him from the side. He could have just stepped over his corpse; why drag them into it? But he could only nod with a forced laugh.
The dragon demon, being more quick-witted, suddenly remembered that Yu Jitang had once mentioned that the young man and woman were aunt and nephew. But how could Qi Wu possibly have a sister? Even if he did, she'd be hanging in the tree now. "May I ask what your relationship is with Qi Wu, young lady? We've never heard of Qi Wu having a sister?"
Lu Qing smiled and said, "My name is Lu Qing. Actually, I only met Qi Wu last year. We hit it off, so she called me 'little sister,' and I called her 'older sister.'"
Oh, the demons suddenly realized, so they were sisters they had recognized. But since Qi Wu had acknowledged her as his sister, they had to treat her as such and treat her with respect.
"Is this Miss Lu Qing's first time visiting Xiyuan? Why don't we show you around and let you appreciate the scenery of Xiyuan?" The other demons also became enthusiastic.
Wu Chen was speechless, finally understanding why the demons in the Western Abyss, despite their considerable strength, still kept having their Spirit Fruits stolen. These demons acted on a whim, without any rhyme or reason.
"I have something I'd like to ask of you all," Wu Chen said, raising his voice slightly.
Huang Mao turned around and laughed, "Brother-in-law Qi Wu, it's no trouble at all."
Wu Chen, who was not named for the first time, was somewhat amused and exasperated. "She and Lawson have some minor health issues. If they start fighting later, things might get complicated. So, please take them and hide them to the side. It's better if we handle the human cultivator's problem."
The dragon demon thought for a moment, "As long as the Spirit Fruit isn't damaged, we can refrain from intervening. However, there are only two of you, while they have many people. If they need help, just call us anytime."
Wu Chen bowed and expressed his gratitude.
Huang Mao and his gang took Lu Qing, Luo Sen, and Qi Ying a few steps back and then suddenly disappeared.
Now, in front of the Spirit Tree, there are only Wu Chen, Yu Jitang, and the wooden egg that keeps flickering.
Yu Jitang asked Wu Chen in a low voice, "How can you be so at ease with these demons?"
Wu Chen straightened his clothes. "Don't worry, with Lawson around, they won't dare to act recklessly."
Yu Jitang sighed, "I don't understand Zou Buming's actions, and I don't understand yours either. Among the four of us divine servants, I actually know the least about the Fruit of Spiritual Communication."
At this point, Yu Jitang said with some melancholy, "It doesn't feel good to be the only one who's an idiot."
Wu Chen patted him on the shoulder, "There are many things I don't know either. I also hope Zou Buming can give me an answer."
Yu Jitang casually plucked a tender blade of grass and chewed it. "Zou Buming, Luo Heqing, they have quite a few people. This guy has changed his ways now. What are you going to do if he doesn't listen to reason when he arrives?"
Wu Chen smiled and said, "The bait is hanging there. It didn't stop him even though it's such a long way. You're worried he won't eat it? I'm afraid you can't stop him even if you try."
Yu Jitang looked back at the increasingly clear human figure inside the Spirit Fruit and frowned, "How could he eat it?" Just thinking about it made him want to vomit.
Wu Chen largely agreed. The fruit of spiritual communication broke open upon landing and grew rapidly upon exposure to the wind. It was the size of a real person. How did the first priest, Zou Yubo, manage to eat it? Let alone transforming into a living person, even such a large piece of cake would have taken a long time to consume.
How long exactly is "a long time"?
"How did the first priest, Zou Yubo, die?" Wu Chen suddenly asked.
Yu Jitang was taken aback. "Perhaps he simply passed away naturally due to the end of his lifespan. I haven't heard of any particularly fierce battles."
"How did all the previous priests die? Was there anything unusual about it?" Wu Chen pressed.
Yu Jitang scratched his head, racking his brains to remember, "Why would you suddenly ask this to convince me?"
Has anyone in your family ever been a priest?
Yu Jitang shook his head. "My ancestors were all destined to be second best for a thousand years. They just liked being in the middle. Before me, I felt that those seniors who served as gods were almost all just coasting along. I'm considered quite successful in my family."
Wu Chenzhen wanted to sigh for the Yu family elders.
Yu Jitang suddenly exclaimed, "If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have noticed. It seems that the priests who came from the Zou family throughout the generations all had poor health in the end. Apart from those who died in accidents, the other Zou priests rarely came out to see people in their final days. Just like the current high priest."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 00:24:16 on August 3, 2020 and 00:14:51 on August 4, 2020!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: You Suozhu (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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