Chapter 38 Undercurrents (Update) Are you really just willing to be a good...
"Junior Brother?"
Feeling the increasingly tight hug and the coolness on the back of his neck, Gu Congxing couldn't help but ask.
"Brother, I seem to have consumed too much spiritual energy. It's a little difficult to stand up."
There was some embarrassment in Zhong Ming's voice, and Gu Congxing rubbed his head soothingly.
"I see. It's nothing, I'll support you..."
"Junior brother, your arm is injured. Can't you even walk?" A cold voice interrupted Gu Congxing's words and actions.
Lan Jue approached the two men, glanced at Zhong Ming, and said, "Besides, you didn't even use your full strength in the duel with Xie Qingnian, so how can you say you consumed even a tenth of your spiritual power?"
Zhong Ming looked up at Lan Jue and was about to speak when he heard Gu Congxing say to Lan Jue:
"Brother, Junior Brother did indeed consume a considerable amount of spiritual energy while treating me. Besides, we shouldn't pursue this matter now. We should heal him first."
Without waiting for Lan Jue's response, he squatted down, put one hand under Zhong Ming's armpit, and gently pulled up his arm with the other hand, so that their bodies were pressed tightly together.
Zhong Ming smiled and leaned on Gu Congxing, his black curly hair falling in his arms like a climbing vine.
The usual gentle smile on Lan Jue's face disappeared, and he watched their actions silently.
Gu Congxing helped Zhong Ming stand up, as if holding him tightly in his arms, letting the blood from the wound on his arm stain his white robe.
“…Big Brother.”
Gu Congxing and Lan Jue looked at each other, wanting to say something, but when they thought of their quarrel not long ago, they didn't know how to start.
At this moment, Zhong Ming showed an apologetic look to Lan Jue and whispered, "Sorry, Senior Brother, I lost the fight..."
Lan Jue narrowed his amber eyes and raised the corners of his mouth in a cold arc.
"Junior brother, you've worked so hard for your goal. How can I blame you?"
When Zhong Ming heard these unexpected words, he raised his eyebrows silently and leaned closer to Gu Congxing.
Gu Congxing listened to their conversation. Although it seemed fine at first glance, he always felt that there seemed to be an undercurrent. He simply took a step forward and summoned the Whale-Slaying Sword.
"Big Brother, we'll go ahead then."
The two men stepped on the Whale-Slaying Sword and flew away. Lan Jue stopped where he was, silently watching the golden sword light disappear into the eastern sky.
He stood there for a long time until the next fight was about to begin, and a disciple of the Ganyang Sect gently reminded him to leave first.
"Sorry, I'll leave now." Lan Jue said as if waking up from a dream.
"No, no, Brother Lan, you are too kind!"
The young-looking disciple quickly waved his hands, and looked at Lan Jue with a bitter look.
"Your demeanor in the last competition was unmatched. I've actually always admired you!"
"Is that so?" Lan Jue chuckled, his amber eyes looking at the other person, "Thank you very much, fellow Daoist. Could you tell me your name?"
"! My name is Cui Jinbao!" The young man's face flushed with excitement, and he was even a little incoherent. "I'm just an outer disciple. You don't have to remember me. Of course, it's my honor if you do..."
"Fellow Daoist Cui, there's no need to underestimate yourself. If there's an opportunity in the future, we can still exchange our two sects' techniques."
Lan Jue smiled and nodded at Cui Jinbao: "Well, I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave now."
Just as they were leaving the Jiuxiao Martial Arts Arena and about to step over the boundary stone, Lan Jue's figure stopped in place.
He looked at a crimson-purple figure not far away and sighed silently.
"Fellow Daoist Gu, what advice do you have?"
"Oh my, why doesn't our popular fellow Junzi Jianlan smile at me? It's so strange."
Gu Mingting walked out from behind the bushes, waving a folding fan, with a leisurely smile on his face.
"Why? Did you have some conflict with your 'treasure' junior brother?"
Lan Jue glanced at him and then looked away, making a gesture to walk out: "If there's nothing else, I'll leave first."
"Oh, come on. I have something serious to do."
Gu Mingting took a step forward and closed his folding fan with a click.
"Fellow Daoist Lan, has there been any unusual activity in the Qingxuan Sword Sect recently?"
Lan Jue saw that Gu Mingting no longer had that playful smile on his face, and he couldn't help but straighten his expression. He replied, "Fellow Daoist Gu, are you referring to the matter of the demonic dragon?"
"Exactly."
"Nothing unusual has happened. I recently communicated with Master through correspondence, and he didn't mention anything unusual about the barrier."
After hearing this, Gu Mingting pondered and said, "The Immortal Sect Competition is already halfway through. If the demons still don't take action to rescue the demon dragon, they will have missed a golden opportunity. No..."
Speaking of this, Gu Mingting suddenly raised his head and met Lan Jue's gaze. "If their target is not the Demonic Dragon, then it makes sense."
Lan Jue's eyes flickered, and he immediately understood what he meant. "If it's not in the Qingxuan Sword Sect, then it must be here. But the Immortal Sect Competition is heavily guarded, and many experts are gathered. Why would they take such a risk?"
"Friend Lan, those of us on the righteous path can use the Demon Lord's son, the Demon Dragon, as a hostage, so why can't the demons use the same trick?"
"You mean, their target is the young monks participating in the competition."
"It's easier to talk to smart people," Gu Mingting praised, patting his folding fan. "I just don't know what methods they'll use to attack."
Lan Jue Si said, "It's possible to sneak in. I heard that in addition to the Demon Lord, there are three great Demon Lords in the Demon Realm, and one of them has the ability to shift space."
Gu Mingting raised his eyebrows in surprise, and his eyes looking at Lan Jue became brighter.
"Exactly. The Guixu Demon Lord has this ability. However, he has been hiding in the Demon Palace for years, so he is relatively quiet."
"What if he comes here as ordered this time..." Lan Jue asked.
Gu Mingting lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "It's not impossible. But I still have a question in my mind."
"It's difficult for the demons to break through the barrier of the Fushen Forest. The only gap is the Blood Pool Cave, but there's an ancient barrier inside. The stronger you are, the more suppressed you will be. Powerful ones like the Demon Lord can even be suppressed to below the Golden Core level, making them easily devoured by the monsters in the cave."
Lan Jue nodded and said, "I've heard that too. No wonder ordinary demon cultivators can reach the outside world through the Blood Pond Cave, but the Demon Lord and Demon Venerable cannot."
Gu Mingting continued, "That's exactly what happened. So if the Guixu Demon Lord is here to cause trouble, as long as they can reach Donglai Island, they can launch a surprise attack or sneak in. The key is how they can escape from the demonic realm."
Having said this, both of them fell into deep thought.
The bamboo leaves rustled in the forest, the cold wind was blowing, and Lan Jue was the first to raise his head.
"This matter is of great importance. It would be best to gather the elders from other sects to discuss it together."
Gu Mingting replied, "Yes, that's right. I really just wanted to ask you a question, but I didn't expect you to end up talking so much."
He smiled, and Lan Jue looked at him, his brows also relaxed.
"I'm sorry for offending you before. I hope you can forgive me." Lan Jue chuckled.
"That's what I should say." A light flashed in Gu Mingting's peach blossom eyes, and the strange atmosphere that had originally existed between the two of them had dissipated unknowingly.
The two decided to return to the peak and discuss with the elders of the sect, so that the elders of all sects could discuss together. Just when Lan Jue was about to leave, Gu Mingting called him back.
"Gu Daoyou, what else is there?"
Gu Mingting quickly unfolded his folding fan and waved it, "There are still a few small matters... Let me tell you, Fellow Daoist Lan, are you really content to just be a good senior brother?"
Lan Jue showed some surprise on his face.
"What position do you want? What do you really want?" Gu Mingting turned around and waved at Lan Jue. "My brother is emotionally dull. You should think carefully about it. Don't end up with nothing."
Lan Jue watched the crimson-purple figure moving further and further away, his right hand inadvertently touching the Sword of Forgetfulness tied at his waist.
"Is it what I want? But I'm afraid I'm not qualified to be with him..."
The evening breeze blew, and the lightest whispers were blown away in the night, hidden among the grass, trees and streams.
***
The next day, Gu Congxing changed into a sky-blue long gown, and when he opened the door, he saw Zhong Ming leaning outside.
“Senior Brother!”
Zhong Ming's eyes lit up, and he pounced over like a large dog and embraced Gu Congxing in his arms.
"You guy, your wounds haven't healed yet, why don't you recuperate in the house?"
"You gave me the magic pill yesterday, and Mei Ci examined me for a long time. I was fine when I woke up this morning."
Zhong Ming nuzzled Gu Congxing's neck and said excitedly, "Brother, let's go watch the game. After today's match, we'll know who your next opponent will be."
"Well, let's go."
After walking a few steps side by side with Zhong Ming, Gu Congxing paused and looked around.
"Brother, are you looking for the eldest brother?" Zhong Ming asked.
"Yes, have you seen him?"
"I heard that the elders of the eight major sects have all gathered together, apparently to discuss how to prevent attacks from the demons?" Zhong Ming thought, supporting his head. "Big Brother has also been called."
Gu Congxing frowned: "Demon Clan..."
According to the plot of his previous life, he knew that his senior brother and Xiao Wangyou met in the secret realm, and Xiao Wangyou blocked a fatal blow for his senior brother. Could this incident be related to the demon clan?
Zhong Ming watched Gu Congxing fall silent, nervously assessing his expression, and hesitantly asked, "Brother, are you worried about the demons?"
Gu Congxing came back to his senses and saw Zhong Ming's cautious expression, and he knew that he was probably thinking of his own demonic bloodline.
"If any demons cause trouble, we can just drive them away together." Gu Congxing rubbed Zhong Ming's furry head, "Don't worry."
"Okay!" Zhong Ming grabbed the hand on his head and rubbed it against his cheek.
When the two arrived at the Jiuxiao Martial Arts Arena, there were already two figures fighting in the arena.
However, what was very different from the past was that there were a lot more monks on the outer viewing platform this time, and even many seats on the high seats were empty.
"Why are all these people running down to watch the fight?" Zhong Ming asked in confusion.
"Senior Brother Gu! Junior Brother Zhong!" Ruan Wei saw the two figures not far away, waved and came to their side.
"You don't understand this, do you? Those two on the fighting stage are two of the famous 'Four Immortals of Hexu'—Fairy Yuan Che and Fairy Jiang Li!"
Gu Congxing raised his eyebrows, understanding why the atmosphere of the game was so high.
In the fighting arena, a peach-pink figure stood gracefully, holding a green water ring in both hands, with a faint smile on her extremely beautiful face.
——It was Jiang Li, the first disciple of the Jiang family in Mingnan Prefecture.
The other woman was wearing a dark blue long dress with silver patterns. She stood in the middle of the fighting arena, like a newly blossomed black orchid, with fair skin and bright features. She was holding a long whip and looking at Jiang Li.
This person is none other than Yuan Che, the disciple of the Medical Saint, and one of the two best medical practitioners of the Yuan family.
Both of them are rare beauties, one is like the willows and peaches on the bank of the river, while the other is a flower from the high mountains of the snow-covered land. It is indeed a rare combination.
"Yuan Che is famous for his medical skills, and it turns out he uses a long whip as a weapon." Gu Congxing said.
"Well, but Jiang Li's cultivation level is higher. I think you, senior brother, are more likely to fight against her." Zhong Ming continued.
"Indeed, and her attack method with the Twin Water Rings is very unique..."
Ruan Wei listened to the conversation between the two brothers and his eyes twitched.
Two beauties fighting each other, don’t you appreciate it at all?
Commenting on combat power so emotionlessly, they are indeed two unromantic battle maniacs!
On the other side, the fighting arena experienced several fluctuations of spiritual power, and in the flickering light, the dark blue figure was the first to be defeated.
There were loud cheers and applause from the outside, mixed with many sighs and regrets.
Gu Congxing looked at Jiang Li who was surrounded by a group of Jiang family disciples wearing green disciple uniforms. She was talking and laughing, and it was obvious that she had long been accustomed to being surrounded by fellow disciples like this.
——Just like the senior brother Lan Jue.
Gu Congxing couldn't help but think so and looked over there a few more times.
One of the young men with a pale and handsome face was standing behind Jiang Li, staring at the back of the person in front of him without blinking.
Although he is a thin young man, his eyes are intense.
Zhong Ming looked at Gu Congxing and his eyes fell on the Jiang family's crowd. He followed his gaze and caught sight of the young man.
"That's Jiang Zhou. Brother, do you remember the Gu and Jiang clans' team battle? He performed well in it."
"I have the impression that he is an interesting person."
Zhong Ming moved closer to Gu Congxing and said with a smile, "It seems that tomorrow will be the day for Senior Brother to fight against this very popular fairy."
Ruan Wei smiled and moved closer, saying, "Hey, in terms of popularity, our Senior Brother Gu might even be better!"
Gu Congxing: ...?
***
Late at night, the disciples of Ganyang Sect held Lingxi Lanterns and took turns patrolling in teams.
The Ganyang Sect covers a large area and sends out thirty disciples for daily inspections, with each group consisting of two people.
During the Immortal Sect Competition, the inner disciples were also placed in the patrol team to patrol together with the outer disciples.
Although this is safer, some inner disciples are dissatisfied.
Just at this moment, at the border of Ganyang Sect's West Peak, a young man shouted impatiently, "Hey, country bumpkin, why are you walking so slowly?"
"Brother, wait, wait for me!"
Cui Jinbao, dressed in his disciple's uniform, ran with great effort, his cheeks flushed with exhaustion.
"Tsk, so weak and soft, and a stutterer, it makes me angry just looking at him."
The young man snorted coldly a few times, completely left the people behind him, and walked away.
Anyway, he can do the inspection work alone, so why should he go with this burden?
Cui Jinbao was panting, but was still left where he was. He could only stand in a cold and dark forest holding the Lingxi Lantern.
"Hey." Cui Jinbao squatted on the ground and muttered softly, "He has such a bad temper, and he's obviously not that powerful. Senior Lan Jue is still better..."
Thinking about his conversation with the famous gentleman Jianlan today, and that the other party even wrote down his name, Cui Jinbao couldn't help but smile.
"Senior is indeed worthy of being called the Gentleman Sword. I wish I could become an outstanding swordsman like him."
Thinking of this, Cui Jinbao felt some courage rising in his chest and stood up straight.
"Right! My seniors have told me not to underestimate myself. I, I must work hard too...!"
Encouraged by this, Cui Jinbao strode forward again and began to patrol alone, walking in the darkness with a lamp.
A white shadow flashed in front of him. Cui Jinbao exclaimed "Huh" and followed silently.
He parted the grass and saw a white rabbit hiding behind a tree, its blood-red eyes staring at him.
"It turned out to be a rabbit. It scared me." Cui Jinbao breathed a sigh of relief. He turned around and walked away, but after taking a few steps, his whole body suddenly stiffened.
Wait, I've been in the Ganyang Sect for so many years, how come I've never seen a rabbit before? Besides, West Peak is so high, how did a small rabbit get up there?
Also, generally speaking, are rabbits' eyes that red?
It's just like... blood!
Thinking of this, Cui Jinbao felt the blood in his body suddenly run cold, and even his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
Go, go quickly!
We must inform the elders immediately!
He tried his best to keep a straight face, and one hand had already quietly reached into his sleeve.
However, an extremely cold wind had quietly come and was right on the back of his neck.
——His hands couldn't move.
Cui Jinbao opened his eyes wide and looked back little by little with tears in his eyes.
——The rabbit with blood-red eyes turned to him and smiled.
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Author's note: I wrote too much without realizing it, so I'm really sorry for the late update!!
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