Chapter 6 Just Friends 06
Evening, at the Bai family's residence.
Bai Jinliu's face was devoid of the gentleness he displayed during the day. His brows were furrowed, and his expression was grim on his otherwise plain face. He asked coldly, "Still haven't found it?"
Sitting opposite Bai Jinliu were two people, one tall and one short. The similarity between their brows made it clear at a glance that they were brothers. If you looked closely, you could also find some similarities between them and Bai Jinliu. Clearly, the two were members of the Bai clan—but not ordinary members, but the two legitimate sons of the Bai family patriarch.
The Bai family patriarch was attacked and seriously injured by a demonic beast years ago, and has been in seclusion to recuperate ever since. The affairs of the clan have long been handed over to his son, and the elder brother has been acting as the patriarch for many years, making him the de facto head of the family. When asked in such an impolite tone, his face immediately stiffened. The younger brother, Bai, reacted even more strongly, almost jumping up to curse, but was held down by his elder brother.
The elder brother of the Bai family pressed down on his younger brother with one hand, his expression turning gentle. "I'm sorry, Jinliu, I have sent quite a few people to search, but this matter cannot be made public, so there is still no news."
Bai Jinliu's expression turned cold, and he coldly rebuked, "Useless."
Bai's younger brother, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't sit still any longer. He jumped up and started cursing, "Bai Jinliu, you... Ugh! Ugh!!"
Before Bai's younger brother could finish speaking, his older brother used magic to silence him, leaving him only able to make muffled sounds. Bai Jinliu, however, treated him like a clown, not even sparing him a glance, only looking at Bai's elder brother.
The latter looked somewhat troubled and said, "This isn't something that can be found in a day or two."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "That day I sent a full six cultivators, all of whom were at the Foundation Establishment stage, one of whom was already at the half-step Golden Core stage. He was just a mortal who had lost his spiritual root and was still recovering from serious injuries. No matter what methods he had, there was absolutely no way he could have survived being surrounded by six people."
Upon hearing this, Bai Jinliu's expression softened slightly; he too genuinely felt that the person couldn't possibly be alive.
He could not rest easy until he saw the body.
Seeing that his complexion had improved, Bai's elder brother immediately seized the opportunity to bring up other matters, "Our clan has discovered a spirit mine in Beiqiu Mountain. Although most of the mine is within the Xiao clan's territory, the part that borders ours..."
Under Bai Jinliu's cold gaze, Bai's elder brother gradually fell silent. He stiffened for a moment, but still earnestly said to Bai Jinliu, "Jinliu, you also have the surname 'Bai'."
Bai Jinliu sneered, "If I weren't surnamed Bai, do you think you'd still be sitting here today?"
Bai's elder brother finally showed some annoyance at being cornered by him, but Bai Jinliu seemed too lazy to continue. He stood up and said, "If you really want me to do things for the family, you should find someone for me first."
The elder brother of the Bai family remained expressionless and did not answer.
Bai Jinliu, who had already reached the door, turned back as if he had suddenly thought of something. He smiled and said, "Brother, if Xiao Hanzhou finds out that you attacked his 'close friend'... wouldn't your fate be better than others?"
The elder brother of the Bai family, who was originally angry, turned pale. He looked at Bai Jinliu with shock and fear, but the latter just smiled, left with the words "Brother, take care of yourself", and turned to leave.
Inside the room, Bai Didi, finally freed from his silencing, slammed his fist on the table and roared, "He's just a concubine's son born out of wedlock!!"
The elder brother of the Bai family, standing beside him, had no intention of disciplining his younger brother anymore. Bai Jinliu's words echoed in his mind, and he felt a chill run down his spine. When he came to his senses, he realized that even his outer robe was soaked with cold sweat.
Ren Yi was still recuperating in Xizhou at the moment, so he naturally didn't know what had happened to the Bai family, nor did he know that someone was eagerly looking for him, a mere plot device who would have little role to play in the future. Under the care of the Yan siblings, his health had improved considerably; at least he wasn't like he was at the beginning, where even the slightest emotional fluctuation would cause him to vomit blood.
He is playing the zither right now.
This zither is certainly not his. When he was rescued, he had nothing of value, not even a storage ring—after all, he had lost all his cultivation and was preparing to leave the world, so he wouldn't carry anything extra with him—his only clothes were tattered and unwearable. At this moment, he relied entirely on others for his food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. The zither he was holding was also bought by Yan's younger sister and delivered by Yan Shuoyun.
It's the lowest grade yellow spirit weapon. It's not that the Yan siblings are stingy, but Ren Yi can't use a spirit weapon of any higher grade in his current state.
Given the status of the Yan siblings in the Xuanqing Sect, it must have taken considerable effort for them to find such a magical artifact.
Moreover, this zither is not just a zither; it has a mechanism on its body, making it a "sword within a zither".
When Ren Yi took it, he felt that the weight of the instrument was not right. After touching it for a while, he discovered the mechanism next to it and looked over with some doubt.
Upon seeing Ren Yi, Yan Shuoyun laughed, "I was wondering when you would find out. Yan Er said you are a musician, but I feel that you are not just a musician."
His laughter was relaxed and expansive, but his eyes were surprisingly sharp.
However, that slightly imposing aura was only revealed for a moment before the owner withdrew it. Yan Shuoyun said calmly, "I'm sorry, I offended you. If you don't like it, you can take it off."
Ren Yi shook his head.
"No need, thank you for your trouble, Brother Yan and Miss Yan." He paused and then thanked them again, "I like it very much, thank you."
Ren Yi's momentary daze was simply due to his surprise at Yan Shuoyun's keen insight.
His current identity is indeed just a zither player. However, since he is no longer in the storyline and doesn't have to play the role of a love-struck idiot, he has become much more relaxed. In addition, he did wear another identity in this world and was the Sword Master for many years. Perhaps he would have revealed some traces when he wasn't paying attention. It's just unknown how Yan Shuoyun discovered it.
Ren Yi ultimately accepted the gift.
He owes so much to the Yan siblings that he's basically in a state of "not feeling the effects of too many lice or too much debt."
...
However, what Yan Shuoyun brought this time still surprised Ren Yi.
Ren Yi only noticed Yan Shuoyun standing at the door after he finished playing the piece.
Ren Yi had no idea how long the other person had been standing at the door. Given that he had no cultivation at all, he really didn't know when the other person had arrived, so he quickly invited the person in.
Yan Shuoyun didn't stand on ceremony. As he walked inside, he casually handed the box in his hand to Ren Yi.
This had become a habit for the brother and sister. At first, Yan'er was worried that Ren Yi would be bored while recovering from his injury, so she would bring him some little gadgets to keep him entertained every time she came over. Later, Yan Shuoyun also joined in this activity, and the room where Ren Yi was temporarily staying was almost filled with all sorts of items, big and small, that the brother and sister had brought.
However, Ren Yi sensed something was wrong as soon as he took the item. It wasn't an ordinary wooden box; it was warm to the touch and it was "jade."
He couldn't help but look down and recognize the restriction patterns on the jade box. It contained pills, and they were of a high grade.
With a vague suspicion in his mind, Ren Yi also became serious. As soon as he sat down, he placed the jade box on the table and pushed it back, saying, "Brother Yan, I cannot accept it."
Yan Shuoyun smiled and said, "You haven't opened it yet."
This attitude only made Ren Yi more certain of his guess.
He was about to speak when Yan Shuoyun raised his hand to stop him. The latter said in a relaxed tone, "I think it's a worthwhile deal to exchange a Spirit Shaping Pill for a guest elder."
It really is the "Spirit Shaping Pill," a pill that reshapes one's spiritual root.
However, Ren Yi was surprised by Yan Shuoyun's next sentence. He was slightly taken aback, but still shook his head.
Ren Yi had no intention of staying in this world for long. The storyline had ended, and the longer he stayed, the more closed off the small world would become, making it more difficult for him to escape. If the system were still intact, Ren Yi wouldn't be worried about this, but now that it was incomplete and lacked energy, if things dragged on for too long, they might actually be trapped in this world.
Yan Shuoyun seemed unsurprised by Ren Yi's refusal. He continued in a calm and rational manner, "If you want to return to Dongzhou, you also need to have cultivation."
Ren Yi glanced at Yan Shuoyun, who probably thought he wanted to return to Dongzhou to seek revenge.
Upon hearing this, Ren Yi remained silent for a moment, but did not explain this point.
Although I didn't feel anything when I was playing the role of someone obsessed with love, it's really hard to admit to others that my current situation is something I did willingly once I'm out of character...
Ren Yi tried to persuade the other party from another angle, saying, "I have a body cultivation technique."
Unlike the mainstream cultivators on this continent, body cultivators channel their spiritual power into their flesh and blood. It's a cultivation method that doesn't require spiritual roots or Dao bones, and Ren Yi does indeed possess such a cultivation technique. Although it doesn't quite match his current aptitude, he has no other choice at this point.
Upon hearing this, Yan Shuoyun seemed to have thought of something and narrowed his eyes slightly.
The smile on his lips faded slightly. Although he still maintained his imposing aura, this subtle change in expression made his entire demeanor suddenly sharpen.
Ren Yi was not intimidated by this level of intimidation and still looked back at him with a sincere expression.
Yan Shuoyun looked at the person opposite him.
The sunlight streaming through the window cast a golden shadow on him, his long eyelashes trembling slightly with his movements, like a butterfly about to take flight. The young man had recovered somewhat in recent days, finally shed the fragility he had shown upon waking, and instead revealed a bright, intense, almost flamboyant beauty. Yet, most of the time, his beautiful master wore a detached expression, as if a celestial being had inadvertently glanced down from the clouds, taking in everything in the mortal world, but finding nothing reflected in his eyes.
But those very eyes are now filled with his image.
Under the cover of the table, Yan Shuoyun clenched his fists and silently recited the mantra for calming his mind several times. After a long while, he finally let out a long breath and looked away.
Seeing his expression, Ren Yi thought he had convinced the other party with his reasoning and breathed a sigh of relief, but then he heard Yan Shuoyun say slowly, "Body cultivation techniques are really rare. I rarely hear of them and I am very curious about this technique. I wonder if A-Yi could lend it to me for a look?"
Ren Yi: "..."
Neither spiritual roots nor Dao bones are required, making body cultivation incredibly easy to learn. However, even so, this method of cultivation hasn't become widespread in the cultivation world. The reason is simple: body cultivation is tiring, arduous, and slow. It may seem to have no barrier to entry, but anyone who tries it knows the hard way. Ren Yi was in a hurry to find his system, so he didn't have the time to slowly hone his body. If he were to follow proper body cultivation methods, it would be too late.
The cultivation manual in Ren Yi's hand is actually a crash course version of body cultivation, but any "crash course" always has some minor side effects.
Or rather, this kind of technique often has a well-known general description—"forbidden art".
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