Ningning huddled in Pei Ji's coat, followed him step by step onto the flying boat, and sat obediently in a secluded corner, as quiet as a chicken.
When she came here before, Zheng Weiqi was sitting next to her. Now the two of them were doing separate trials and couldn't see each other. Ningning blushed so much that she didn't want to see anyone. After sitting down, she gently pulled Pei Ji's sleeve and said, "Pei Ji, can you just sit next to me?"
He pursed his lips. Although his face was expressionless, there was no impatience or rejection in his eyes. After a very brief silence, he uttered a low "hmm".
In fact, Pei Ji was a little unhappy.
Ever since Ningning said she wanted to go find He Zhizhou alone, he felt like something was blocking his chest, pressing heavily on it, making him feel depressed and annoyed. He almost blurted out to tell her: Don't always stay alone with Senior Brother He.
As soon as this thought came into his mind, he laughed to himself.
Not to mention that he and Ningning were not close, and he had no status or reason to point fingers at her, just talking about himself -
Pei Ji thought, no matter how good the relationship between Ning Ning and He Zhizhou was, it had nothing to do with him. She can be close to whoever she wants, so why should he care?
…but I still feel a little unhappy for some unknown reason.
Even when he was helping Qiao Yan escort the dying demon out of the secret realm, his face was terribly cold, frightening a demon cultivator so much that he trembled all over and asked on the spot: "If you want to draw your sword, can you let me die more cleanly?"
The same thing happened later when I saw her and He Zhizhou competing in acting skills in Xuan Jing.
Although Ningning felt ashamed to face people, Pei Ji did not think it was such a shameful act. As he looked at the image in the mysterious mirror, a small, cowardly thought quietly sprouted in his heart.
Ningning is always so lively when she is with He Zhizhou. Senior Brother He can laugh and play with her, but he can't do it no matter what.
He was too depressed and had a bad temper, because he had lived in a world of beatings, scoldings, swords and sabers since he was a child. He had no idea how to make others happy, and it was a blessing that he did not develop a murderous and cruel character.
He was always as silent as a background. Only when blood was shed could he rely on his swordsmanship and ruthlessness to gain a sense of existence. The rest of the time—
Thinking of this, Pei Ji couldn't help feeling upset again.
Ningning didn't care whether he could make her happy or not, but he had been secretly struggling with this for so long. In her mind, this not-so-familiar junior fellow apprentice must be no different from anyone else.
"Hoo, hoo." Chengying sensed his thoughts and said slyly, "So, in your heart, she is very different from others?"
Pei Ji: ...
Pei Ji responded dryly: "You think too much."
"I think she treats you very well. Do you remember those three words Ningning said before?"
It chuckled and said in a pinched voice: "Pei Jiji~ When you heard this name, your heart beat much faster~ Try calling her 'Ningning' someday, instead of always calling her 'Junior Sister'~"
Pei Ji said nothing and pursed his lips calmly.
Even if he is unhappy, he will not deliberately show it to upset others, but is used to keeping all his emotions in his heart.
Ningning, who was beside him, was already feeling uneasy, so she naturally didn't notice what he was thinking. She stayed silent for a long time, hiding herself in her coat, and suddenly looked up at him.
Her eyes were beautiful, round and black like two grapes, reflecting a faint glow under the light. Especially at this moment, her long hair was messed up by her coat, scattered on her fair face, and the tip of her nose and the side of her face still had a peach-like pink tint. When she stared at him straight in the eyes——
Pei Ji's fingers tightened around the sword and he asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong?"
"You," she hesitated, her voice small, and quickly lowered her eyes: "Did you see...what happened to me, He Zhizhou and the others in the mirror?"
The answer to this question should be "yes" or "no".
But Pei Ji asked her back: "Does it matter whether I saw it or not?"
Even he didn't expect that he would say this subconsciously. For a moment, he and the girl beside him were both stunned.
This didn't seem like a question Pei Ji would ask. He always hated unnecessary things and never dragged his feet. Ning Ning was surprised and slightly stunned by these words.
——Is it important?
It seems, as if, that it is really a little important.
She was inexplicably concerned about this.
It was not until Pei Ji asked her about it that she finally realized that when she left the secret realm in front of so many people, what she thought was not "Oh no, social death", but "Oh no, I hope Pei Ji won't see it."
Ningning didn't say anything.
After a long while, he wrapped himself tightly in his coat again and retreated into the corner as before.
Pei Ji couldn't see her expression, he could only hear Ning Ning's voice, she said with some hesitation: "... Yeah."
Pei Ji never thought he would get such an answer.
He didn't care about any pain or humiliation, but at this moment, because of this short word, his heart dropped heavy.
"I'd be happier if you didn't see it."
Ningning looked like a round hamster, with her head completely wrapped in her coat, swaying from time to time. After a pause, he added hurriedly, "I don't really care...! It's just that, well, I kind of want to know."
Pei Ji suddenly felt like laughing.
Somehow, the annoyance in his heart disappeared at this moment. He lowered his eyes and leaned back in his chair, glancing sideways at her huddled form, and said in a tone that did not allow for argument: "No."
"real?!"
Ning Ning immediately poked her head out of her coat when she heard that. Her eyes and eyebrows were all smiling, and her mouth was grinning happily. She seemed to feel something was wrong and frowned again: "You are not lying to me, are you?"
Pei Ji's expression remained unchanged: "No."
She was relieved and continued with a smile: "Then don't ask others what happened in the secret realm today!"
Pei Ji: “Okay.”
Ning Ning was extremely satisfied. After thinking for a while, she told him seriously, "Actually, nothing happened between us. We just had a fight... the ultimate showdown between sword cultivators, do you understand? But you also know that I don't have enough spiritual power, so I was a little embarrassed."
Chengying made a few “tsk tsk” sounds.
Looking at this girl's expression, it doesn't look like what she said, "I don't really care."
=====
The trial meeting began and ended at midnight, and the fox spirits and demon cultivators were taken to the attic where the elders gathered, awaiting further discussion and decision-making.
The disciples who passed the trial were very tired and returned to the inn early to rest, waiting for the ranking results to be announced a day later.
Ningning slept until the next afternoon. To celebrate that all the disciples of Tianxianzi had passed the first round of trials, everyone decided to go to the famous Tianxiang Tower to celebrate.
Tianxianglou is famous for its diverse dishes and the combination of northern and southern cuisines, especially its unique wine-making technology. It is the leading restaurant in Luancheng.
The group was arranged in a private room on the third floor. Zheng Weiqi was refreshed after passing the test. She kept talking while going upstairs: "This is much more comfortable than the imperial examination! Fighting and killing is so much fun! Just carrying a sword means fighting. What's the point of reciting poems and couplets?"
These remarks were shocking. Ning Ning smiled softly upon hearing them, and then she remembered her promise to Pei Ji and said, "I'll treat you today."
"No, no! How can Ningning pay for this? It must come from me, her senior brother!"
When He Zhizhou thought about having delicious food, he grinned ungracefully, "I still have some money left from the private money I earned in the pagoda last time. I'll treat you to a meal as a thank you for Uncle Tianxian's long-term care."
Although Tian Xianzi is poor, he at least has the identity of a master. This is just the money for a meal. If I let my young disciple treat me, I would feel a little embarrassed.
So the poorest elder of the Xuanxu Sect waved his sleeves and smiled, shook his head and said loudly: "The trial has just ended, and it is only right for me, as the elder, to reward you. No need to say more, I will pay for this meal!"
"That won't work!"
As one of the poorest disciples in the Xuanxu Sect, He Zhizhou was also unaware of his own assets. He quickly took out his wallet from his pocket and said, "I'll do it! Let's get drunk tonight!"
Either don't mention the treat in the first place, or follow through and pay the bill. If you retreat halfway, you will always feel inferior to the other party, which makes you feel uncomfortable.
Tian Xianzi thought to himself that this was impossible, and quickly took out the small cloth bag from the storage bag and pressed He Zhizhou's hands down: "Uncle Master has taken you out with great difficulty, so don't be stubborn!"
The two poor guys simultaneously burst out with an extraordinary desire to win. As they walked upstairs to the restaurant, they took out their wallets and pushed them around, like a two-person dance. Their two bodies swayed left and right, and the purses in their hands flew up and down.
Ning Ning followed behind them. She was originally speculating with Zheng Weiqi about who would get tonight's order, but halfway through, her voice almost choked in her throat.
Their small pavilion was located on the third floor of Tianxiang Tower, so passing through the brightly lit corridor would inevitably lead to the stairs.
At this time, He Zhizhou and Tian Xianzi were still pushing each other with deep affection as master and disciple.
A familiar male voice sounded behind him. It seemed to be the voice of the Lord of Luan City, full of surprise and smile: "Ah! Isn't this Elder Tianxian of the Xuanxu Sword Sect and the young Taoist priests!"
This voice sounded unexpectedly. Tian Xianzi recognized its owner and was temporarily distracted. He quickly turned his head away.
However, He Zhizhou did not expect his sudden movement and distraction. He still concentrated on putting his right hand on the other's arm, smiling shyly, and pushed him suddenly.
It’s a pity that this time the two sides are no longer evenly matched.
So the Lord of Luan City and his wife witnessed the most horrifying scene of the day in Tianxiang Tower at night.
Elder Tianxian was walking with a disciple. After hearing the shouting, he hurriedly turned around and gave the two of them a hearty smile.
Then in the next moment his face changed suddenly, and at the same time his body leaned back and slid down. In panic, he reached out his hand relying on his last instinct.
Unfortunately, the trust and friendship between master and disciple were misplaced. The disciple did not make any move but just stood there in a daze.
When the fingers just brushed his sleeve, Elder Tianxian could no longer hold back his expression. His eyes, mouth and nostrils all expanded by more than 30% compared to their original sizes, to a state unimaginable for ordinary people. It was extremely horrifying.
From his look of fear and confusion, anyone could imagine the secret of a bloody battle between masters and disciples in the immortal sect.
——It turned out that the disciple who was traveling with him took advantage of his unpreparedness and pushed him down the stairs!
The city lord's wife, who looked like a fallen fairy, took a deep breath and tightly grasped her husband's arm. As a beauty, even her screams were particularly clear and melodious: "Help! Someone is killing me!"
He Zhizhou's rusty brain finally came to his senses and realized what was happening. He waved the money bag in his hand and shouted, "Master-Uncle-!"
The diners on the second and third floors of Tianxiang Tower heard the noise and opened the doors to find out what was going on. When they glanced towards the corridor, they all showed expressions of horror.
The young man in white was pushed violently and fell backwards with an extremely terrifying look, like a spinning windmill, tumbling down the long stairs.
The head and the soles of the feet took turns coming into close contact with the stairs under the action of inertia. When a pale, bloodless face was raised high in the air, it was filled with a feeling of despair.
And when he finally lay on his back like a pancake on the ground, he fell right at the feet of the city lord. The purse in his hand fell, and a few pitiful spirit stones fell out of it.
Someone who didn't know the truth passed by, looked down at the stones, and uttered "Ah" with a hint of disgust.
Tian Xianzi twitched.
The money in this bag, added together, is not as high as his current blood pressure.
He Zhizhou called out tentatively: "Master, Uncle Master?"
Tian Xianzi ignored him and moved forward without saying a word, came to the stair railing and tried to stand up with its help.
He was seen climbing up with both hands and pulling his feet upwards; his thin body leaned slightly to the left, showing his effort. When He Zhizhou saw his back, tears quickly flowed down his face.
I wonder if he would immediately pick up his pen and write an article "Back Figure" to praise the kindness of his uncle like a landslide, and if he would be able to make Tian Xianzi soften his heart a little before being beaten to pieces.
In the chaos, someone hesitated and said, "The one who fell down... seems to be Elder Tianxian from the Xuanxu Sword Sect."
"Xuanxu Sword Sect? Is that the Xuanxu Sword Sect that hung a head on a flying boat?!"
Someone responded in shock: "First they did something so heartless, and now they are killing each other in public - they are worthy of being called such a group!"
As soon as these words fell, discussions in the corridor began to rise:
"Wait, did you notice that the man who pushed him down...seems to be 70% similar to that flying head!"
"Could it be that the man's twin brother knew about this and came here to seek revenge?"
"In my opinion, it's probably that dead man who crawled out of the underworld and came here specifically to take Tian Xianzi's life! The disputes among the immortal sects are beyond the comprehension of us!"
The public's ability to associate ideas is amazing, and they have created in their minds a revenge, fairy tale, horror, and bloody drama.
Poor Tian Xianzi did nothing but was given the title of "the number one beheading maniac in the immortal sect."
After watching the excitement, the diners chattered and closed the door, and finally came to a conclusion: everyone is welcome not to sign up for the Xuanxu School;
Several disciples present, including Ningning, remained silent, not knowing what to do.
Among all the people, only the Lord of Luan City was horrified and looked terrified.
——Because he finally remembered that the young swordsman who pushed Tian Xianzi down the stairs was none other than He Zhizhou, who was twisting and crawling in the mysterious mirror and was accused by Young Master Xiao Taohong of having a vicious heart!
As expected, he had smallpox at the age of five and a stroke at the age of ten, and was bullied in the brothel to the point of insanity. He was indeed cruel and ruthless and not a normal person. He actually killed his master in public in Tianxiang Tower in front of everyone!
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