Chapter 76 Traveling Together You will soon find out that we are the same...
"The evil spirits in Xicheng Town before could fool you with their illusions created by their low level of cultivation. The evil spirits here are much more powerful than those in Xicheng Town. It's normal that you fell for their tricks without realizing it. Don't overthink it."
Han Shannan felt a headache coming on as he listened to her. He rubbed his head and said with some difficulty, "What...what are you saying? I don't understand..."
Li Chen didn't explain further, but just smiled slightly, "If you don't understand, then get some sleep. You'll understand when you wake up."
As soon as he finished speaking, Han Shannan saw her walk up to him, raise her hand and touch a certain acupoint on his body. He felt everything go black and he immediately fainted.
Li Chen lifted the man onto the couch and placed him down. He clapped his hands and said, "I had expected him to stumble in the illusion, but I didn't expect that he would end up like this before a proper illusion even appeared in this place. Sigh... his mind is too weak. He must have had a smooth life since childhood and has never experienced any hardships."
Shen Zhengyuan stood beside her, looking at the person sleeping on the bed, and said indifferently: "You once told me, 'Without poverty, one cannot become a person; without setbacks, one remains innocent forever (1)'. It is easy to let him experience some setbacks. Seal his cultivation, take away his silver, throw him into a pile of beggars and roll around for a few months, and he will naturally understand everything."
Li Chen sighed softly and shook his head, saying, "Sect Leader Shen, your method of educating children is too frightening, isn't it? While setbacks can certainly temper one's mind and poverty can certainly make one sober, you can't just kick someone into the mud like that."
"Besides, there are so many dangers in this world, and he will have to face them alone one day. No one can help him. But until then, as long as I, as his elder, am still by his side, I should do my best to protect him and let him suffer less."
"Furthermore, in my opinion, these hardships should never be created by the people closest to us. If we can't even trust those around us, where will we find peace of mind when we encounter hardships and become disheartened?"
"So you plan to keep him with you?" Shen Zhengyuan suddenly asked.
Li Chen shook his head. "He stayed by my side just to see the Sword God he revered. But unfortunately, the omnipotent Sword God he wanted to see will never be seen in this lifetime. Since I can't let him see the Sword God in his heart, why not separate him sooner and leave him with some illusions?"
"I brought him along for two reasons: firstly, I was short-handed and wanted to find a home for Jiu Niang Yuanzi; secondly, he was a child I knew from the past, and I wanted to take extra care of him." She looked at the sleeping man and said in a calm tone, "But in the end, we are not on the same path. After this matter is settled, please have someone send him home, Sect Leader Shen."
"Remember to give him a few more words of advice, and don't let him sneak out again. He doesn't understand this world very well, and he'll suffer sooner or later if he goes out alone."
"And what about you and me?" Shen Zhengyuan suddenly asked.
Li Chen let out a surprised exclamation, looking at Shen Zhengyuan and saying, "I thought Sect Leader Shen had done so much just so he could travel with me. Could it be that I was just being presumptuous?"
Shen Zhengyuan: "..."
Shen Zhengyuan stared at her for a long time, until she began to doubt whether she was really just imagining things, before she heard him speak very softly: "I thought... you would blame me."
Hearing his words, Li Chen's hands, which were resting at his sides, suddenly tightened.
It would have been better not to mention it, because mentioning it makes one angry—angry at the ridiculous freedom he bestowed upon her like a handout, and angry at his practice of practically keeping and manipulating her like a caged canary.
But after saying so much without getting to the bottom of it, Shen Zhengyuan was unwilling to communicate with her. If things got heated, he told her to just kill him. If it were the old her, she might actually have killed him, but now she really couldn't bring herself to do it...
well……
This is really a headache. This guy isn't afraid of being beaten, scolded, or even dying. He looks innocent right now, but it's all an act. I still need to find a way to communicate with him again...
It's a pity that now is not the time to communicate. If it were just sweet fermented rice balls, it would be fine, but there's also Han Shannan. She's really worried that Han Shannan might hear some sounds outside while he's unconscious. If he guesses her identity, it would be really embarrassing. It would be better to talk to him later when Han Shannan isn't around.
She sighed and said, "Anyway, things have come to this. Even if I don't let you come with me, you'll find plenty of other ways to follow me, won't you? Like the dreams I had before, the illusions I encountered, weren't they all you?"
"So what does it matter whether you hate or not? It won't change anything anyway, so instead of worrying about those things, I might as well spend my time living a good life and being more comfortable. At least that way, I can sleep soundly without having nightmares or falling into illusions for no reason. Don't you think so, Sect Leader Shen?"
Shen Zhengyuan gazed at her quietly, a barely perceptible smile slowly curving his lips. "Alright, then let's travel together."
“Li Chenjin, you were right not to bring him along. Because you will soon realize that we are the people of the same world.”
It will always be...
forever……
And this eternity...
It will come very soon... very soon...
Soon... very soon... very soon...
………………
When Han Shannan woke up, it was already late.
However, thanks to the lamps made of spirit stones around the room, it was still as bright as day.
He propped himself up on the couch and turned his head to see Li Chen sitting upright at the table.
In fact, he had noticed it a long time ago. Li Chenjin seemed casual, but his posture was excellent. Whether walking or sitting, his back was always straight, but it did not seem deliberate. In his daily interactions with others, he also had a calm and composed demeanor. It must be because he had been disciplined from childhood, and these habits had long been ingrained in his bones.
Just like his elders, he was taught to stand upright and sit properly from a young age. If he slacked off even slightly, no matter how much his parents loved him, they would beat him with a stick without mercy.
Strangely enough, he hadn't thought about his family before, but now he suddenly remembered them. Could it be that he's started missing home so quickly?
Li Chenjin held a storybook in one hand and picked up a cup from the table with the other, taking a small sip. His gaze never left the storybook, and he looked as focused as if he were studying some peerless secret manual or some rare medical book.
She clearly wasn't looking in Han Shannan's direction, but it was as if she already knew he was awake. As she turned the page, she said, "Since you're awake, come and sit down. Don't just stand there like an idiot."
"Otherwise, when the guests arrive, it would be too impolite for you to stay on the couch."
In this respect, Han Shannan was quite obedient. He didn't say anything, quickly got off the bed, sat down next to her, and said, "I remember everything now. Do you know what I saw?"
While reading the storybook, Li Chenjin said, "I guess you followed someone to a shrine, overheard some conversations, and then fell into an illusion when you were about to leave."
Han Shannan's eyes widened in disbelief as he exclaimed, "How did you know?!"
"After settling you in, Jiu Niang Yuanzi took me to see the place where you had the accident," Li Chenjin said casually as he turned the page. "At the end of that corridor, there is a shrine, and there is still some fabric from your clothes on the ground. It must have been torn by Jiu Niang Yuanzi when she tried to drag you away."
Han Shannan listened to her words and still found it somewhat unbelievable. "You're too smart, aren't you? You can deduce all this just from this little bit of information?"
Li Chen smiled slightly and said, "That's not hard to guess. I can even guess that the person you were following was most likely Liu Yan, the head of the Weeping Dew Pavilion, right?"
"You could have guessed that?!" Han Shannan exclaimed in surprise.
Li Chen said, "I've tested all the puppets from the Weeping Dew Pavilion, and most of them can only say a few words. At that time, all the guests were downstairs, and the only one you could follow was Pavilion Master Liu. And she certainly wouldn't talk to the puppets, so she could only be talking to the statue in that shrine. I guess..."
"When she faced that statue, there were only two possibilities. Either she would devoutly worship it like Master Wu, or she would willingly become its believer and serve it in order to avenge her family. But looking at what happened to Pavilion Master Liu, I guess it was the latter."
"So she's probably doing this both to avenge herself and to work for that idol. But these are just my guesses. What did you hear? What is her true intention?"
Han Shannan: "..."
Han Shannan was speechless for a moment: "You've already guessed what I heard..."
"Ah... I see..."
Li Chen closed the storybook, looked at the somewhat dejected person, scratched his face sheepishly, and said, "Actually, I just guessed everything. Um... I still don't know how you met Pavilion Master Liu, or what she specifically said."
Before Han Shannan could reply, Shen Zhengyuan suddenly scoffed and said, "Useless."
Just as Han Shannan was about to get angry, he saw the other party throw over a jade pendant.
He instinctively caught the item, and then heard Shen Zhengyuan say in a cold tone, "This is a jade token from the Pure Realm. Keep it with you, and I can sense your location at any time. If you encounter danger, just call my name."
Han Shannan: "..."
He pursed his lips, awkwardly put the jade pendant away, and muttered under his breath, "Who wants this thing of yours..."
Li Chen glanced at Han Shannan, then at Shen Zhengyuan.
Although the two of them rarely exchanged pleasantries once they had a chance to talk, Shen Zhengyuan's act of giving him this jade token was tantamount to a promise to protect Han Shannan in this place. It was quite rare for him to have such good intentions.
It's no wonder that Shen Zhengyuan didn't give her a jade token back in the Pure Realm. Given the circumstances at the time, Shen Zhengyuan knew where she was going, and she really didn't need a jade token anymore.
Li Chen pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any extra jade tokens?"
Shen Zhengyuan looked at Li Chenjin but didn't ask any questions. He simply raised his hand, and another jade tablet appeared out of thin air in his hand.
After thanking him profusely and accepting the jade pendant, Li Chen waved to Jiu Niang Yuanzi, who was enthusiastically gnawing on a bone, and pondered how to put the jade pendant on Jiu Niang Yuanzi's body.
Just as she was pondering this matter, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.
Shen Zhengyuan remained seated, motionless, and silently picked up his cup, instructing Han Shannan without looking up, "Go open the door."
Han Shannan: "..."
The author's note: (1) From "Zeng Guang Xian Wen"
Xiao Han appeared awkward on the surface, but thought to herself: "I didn't expect this person to still have some conscience."
Xiao Li's inner monologue: Oh, you've changed your ways.
Xiao Shen's inner monologue: This piece of trash should finally get lost. Give him something, so he doesn't die in front of Li Chenjin; he should die somewhere else.
………………
The second communication will take place soon, after which Xiao Shen will return to normal (when no one else is around, Xiao Shen will equally dislike anyone who gets close to Xiao Li).
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