Chapter 40 Just Friends
Xiao Hanzhou's fixed gaze suddenly fell upon the Sword Master, his eyes unwavering.
He recalled the conversation he had overheard between Yan Shuoyun and Hongxuzi.
Do they look alike?
Xiao Hanzhou asked himself this question in his heart.
It wasn't a resemblance in appearance, but rather that as fellow sword cultivators, he had studied the other's sword intent day and night, and indeed they shared some similarities. However, those subtle similarities only made him seem like an extremely inferior counterfeit.
Now that the two are standing in the same scene, for him to want to compare himself with the other is like a firefly trying to compete with the bright moon—how ridiculous! The other doesn't even need to do anything special; just standing there is enough to make him feel ashamed.
Xiao Hanzhou felt he shouldn't be looking at him at this moment, but he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Ren Yi.
With everyone's eyes fixed on the Sword Master, Ren Yi naturally turned his head as well.
Xiao Hanzhou didn't know how to describe that look in his eyes. There was no particular tenderness or affection in them, and the two of them didn't do anything intimate. But as long as the two of them appeared in each other's sight, it was enough to make others feel that no one could get in, as if they were originally one.
He then thought of what the old man had said: this was the "Soul Contract"?
Whether it was the appearance of the Sword Master or A-Yi's reaction, all of this made his earlier idea of "reconciling" seem as ridiculous as a clown.
Xiao Hanzhou's complexion, which had just begun to improve, suddenly turned pale again.
Xiao Hanzhou's complex inner thoughts were beyond the comprehension of Ren Yi, who was currently suffering from amnesia. Even if Ren Yi had all his memories, he probably wouldn't be able to guess what Xiao Hanzhou was thinking.
In Ren Yi's eyes, even though the Sword Master's alt account had just arrived, Xiao Hanzhou's situation had already worsened.
He dared not delay any longer, and didn't even dare to let the system control the secondary account anymore. He directly switched his main mental power over, grabbed Xiao Hanzhou, tore open space, and threw him directly into the cold pool.
With a splash, the Chosen One, whose spiritual power was locked, fell into the water and floated to the surface after bubbling a few times.
Ren Yi looked at Xiao Hanzhou, whose face was pale, whose hair was sticky and disheveled, and whose body was soaking wet, and couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.
The situation was urgent, and influenced by his alternate account's personality, he acted somewhat hastily and crudely.
Fortunately, although the method was simple and crude, it worked.
After all, not just anyone can come to this icy pool. While the entire Cold Cang Peak was bathed in the vibrant spring-like energy of the small pool, this icy pool remained perpetually cold, highlighting its unique nature. Although it was somewhat uncomfortable to enter, its calming effect was unparalleled, and it was quite famous even within the Tai Chu Sect back in the day.
Xiao Hanzhou clearly sensed the effect of the pool water and did not come out immediately. Instead, he looked up at the Sword Master from the water.
Ren, the Sword Master's Alt Version, Yi?
Was it just his imagination? He always felt that the Chosen One's gaze wasn't very friendly.
This shouldn't be happening.
The alternate account is the golden finger of the chosen one, leaving behind a legacy, a kind of master-disciple relationship.
He didn't expect the other party to address him respectfully as "Master," but that look in his eyes... wasn't it a bit provocative?
Ren Yi was only confused for a moment before he quickly made up his own story.
—This is the chosen one!
No matter what kind of cheat codes, master, or senior they have.
In the end, won't they all be humiliated by the chosen one?
How can one be called the chosen one of destiny without a rebellious streak? It's just that this person in front of me revealed his thoughts far too early. Normally, he should wait until his cultivation level is about the same (for example, when he is one or two realms behind) before showing his ambition.
After Ren Yi figured it out, he wasn't offended. After all, he wasn't really looking forward to being someone's master; he was just a poor working man and a client.
But at this moment, Ren Yi looked at Xiao Hanzhou, whose face had turned pale and who was still motionless, and couldn't help but ask, "Are you awake?"
The water in this cold pool is icy cold; although it can help calm the mind and spirit, soaking in it for too long can easily cause the cold to seep into the body.
Ren Yi was initially worried that the chosen one might get sick from staying inside for too long, but as soon as the alternate account opened its mouth, it seemed to have a mocking aura, which made Ren Yi himself feel uncomfortable.
Ren, the Sword Master (Alt Version), interprets "..."
When he decided to adopt this persona, he decided to continue being the taciturn and aloof swordsman.
As expected, Ren Yi saw the Chosen One's pale lips tremble slightly, whether from the cold or from anger, he couldn't tell.
However, Xiao Hanzhou still staggered out of the cold pool.
Ren Yi had actually released the spiritual energy seal when he saw that Xiao Hanzhou was in better condition, but Xiao Hanzhou either forgot or for some other reason, and did not use spiritual energy to dry the moisture. His hair and clothes were still soaking wet, and he looked extremely disheveled.
Ren Yi was still considering whether he should offer his assistance when Xiao Hanzhou had already drawn his sword, clenched his fist, and bowed deeply. "Junior Xiao Hanzhou, I am fortunate to have received the inheritance from my senior, and I have been practicing day and night, never daring to disgrace the reputation of my predecessors. Now that I have the good fortune to meet the Sword Master, I hope that my senior will not hesitate to give me guidance."
To be honest, Ren Yi felt that Xiao Hanzhou was not in a suitable state to be guided, given his recent experience of going through a qi deviation. However, considering that Xiao Hanzhou was a chosen one, Ren Yi decided it didn't matter.
—Anyway, nothing bad will happen to anyone, so there's no need to worry too much.
...
...
Ren Yi soon realized that he had made a mistake.
He has lost count of how many times he has sent people flying.
The person who was thrown out hit the ground hard, their body convulsing and arching from the pain. The fingers on the side, which were pressed against the ground, twitched, whether from an unconscious tremor or an attempt to get up, it was unclear.
Ren Yicai is the latter.
Because a dozen or twenty times ago... Ren Yi hadn't deliberately calculated it, but back then, Ren Yi already thought that Xiao Hanzhou wouldn't be able to get up.
But strangely enough, the other person, despite moving slowly, stood in front of him time and time again.
This situation made Ren Yi sigh, "This guy is really an unkillable cockroach."
But the problem is that Xiaoqiang always has a way to completely solve the problem, and he can't really kill the chosen one.
Xiao Hanzhou's clothes were now dry, not because he used his spiritual power to evaporate the moisture or because they dried naturally, but because the blood mixed with the cold pool water that had previously soaked his clothes, seeping into every inch of the fabric. Once the blood congealed, the clothes dried into a hard, scarlet-black color. Because his wounds had reopened, fresh blood seeped out intermittently, adding another dark hue to his already deeply stained clothes.
This was not because Ren Yi intentionally went to such lengths.
Although Ren Yi has no memories of this world, he has traversed many small worlds and has experience as a mentor, so he is quite adept at guiding people. In the current situation, even if the world consciousness of this world comes looking for him, Ren Yi can confidently tell it that the problem lies with its chosen one, its own son.
Ren Yi initially thought it would be a brief, indirect instruction, but once Xiao Hanzhou made his move, he became somewhat reckless and mad. Ren Yi pointed his sword at the side of Xiao Hanzhou's neck, but the latter was determined to risk his life to inflict a wound on him.
Regardless of what might happen in the future, for now, the difference in cultivation between the Sword Master's alt account and Xiao Hanzhou is like an insurmountable chasm; Ren Yi cannot possibly be injured by him. However, Xiao Hanzhou's various unconventional actions have caused Ren Yi considerable trouble. Several times, if Ren Yi hadn't sheathed his sword in time, he would have truly pierced Xiao Hanzhou through. The fact that Xiao Hanzhou is currently covered in wounds, but none of them are fatal, is already a result of Ren Yi's strong self-control.
Ren Yi?
Could it be that the chosen one of this world has allocated skill points to Berserker? Or is it a side effect of the qi deviation he just suffered?
In fact, from the beginning, Ren Yi was already aiming to knock the person unconscious or temporarily disable their mobility (of course, not permanently crippled; he wasn't that ruthless).
But no matter how hard Ren Yi hit him each time, Xiao Hanzhou always managed to get up and stand in front of him again.
This tenacity is truly admirable; he is indeed a chosen one.
Although the Sword Master's alt account didn't show it with its expressionless face, Ren Yi was actually a little panicked. He felt that if he went any harder, it might really kill someone.
Before opting for physical persuasion, Ren Yi had also tried verbal persuasion.
However, this persona clearly lacked any talent for verbal sparring. Ren Yi even suspected that he had unintentionally maxed out the persona's taunting skill points. The evidence was that after he finished persuading the chosen one, the chosen one's emotions became even more agitated, and the subsequent attacks became even more reckless.
Xiao Hanzhou doesn't care about his own life, but if the other party dies by his hand...
Ren Yi didn't want to experience the self-destructive pursuit of the entire small world, especially since he was currently unable to contact the Transmigration Bureau and couldn't even get away with forced protection.
Ren Yi stood there for a while, and seeing that Xiao Hanzhou, who had been thrown out, hadn't moved for a long time and hadn't gotten up again, he couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief. It was finally over.
Just in case, Ren Yi took a few steps over there, wanting to observe the situation of the Chosen One up close. He mainly wanted to decide whether to cast a healing spell before abandoning the person here, even though the latter was quite scarce in this alt's skill tree.
Before anyone could get close, Xiao Hanzhou, who seemed to have been unconscious, suddenly moved.
Ren Yi: "..."
His steps froze instantly, and he silently lamented, "No way, they're coming again?!"
Fortunately, Xiao Hanzhou was indeed out of strength this time. He tried several times with his arms, but failed to lift himself up. However, his eyes, which were stained crimson with blood from the wound on his forehead, were still fixed on Ren Yi's direction. If one looked closely, one could see that his gaze was unfocused, and it was hard to say whether the owner of those eyes was even conscious.
Ren Yi: "..."
Xiao Hanzhou's persistence made Ren Yi reflect once again on his role as a "tool" in the game, right? Was it really not some kind of blood feud or a hatred for someone who killed his father or stole his wife?
Ren Yi hesitated to move, afraid that if he took another step forward, Xiao Hanzhou would really get up again.
Just as Ren Yi and Xiao Hanzhou were staring at each other, silently playing "Red Light, Green Light," a voice from not far away saved him, "Qing Ran."
Ren Yi!
—It is Hongxuzi.
Although Ren Yi had not yet recalled the memories of the Sword Master's alt account, he was certain that he had never found his martial uncle's voice so pleasant before.
Although the voice coming out was relatively calm, Hong Xuzi's face was extremely ugly at this moment.
This time, he finally remembered to create an illusion around his nascent soul, so that without deliberately trying to see through it, it would appear no different from his true form. However, Hong Xuzi had no intention of maintaining the illusion at this moment, and simply let the shadow sway between reality and illusion.
In fact, he had been observing for a while before he spoke.
He watched as Qingran's blows grew heavier and more ruthless with each strike, yet she somehow managed to avoid all of the man's vital points.
Hongxuzi had never seen Qingran like this before.
His junior disciple had not always remained in seclusion on the mountain; he had also ventured into the mortal world. The Frost-Condensing Sword had accompanied him in slaying demons, killing evil cultivators, and beheading wicked people, but it always resulted in a single, fatal blow.
Like frost condensing into a long sword, it is as sharp and clear as its master.
At this moment, however, blood trickled down the sword, gathering into drops at the tip before slowly falling, leaving a trail of dripping blood behind its master as he moved forward.
After the bloodstains dried, the sword was clean and smooth again.
—But is that really the case? Was there really no trace left at all?
Hong Xuzi looked at Qing Ran with an extremely solemn expression.
The person opposite her had one wound after another, but Qingran refused to give him any relief, as if she were taking pleasure in torturing him.
Hong Xuzi had seen such people before, for various reasons: punishment, interrogation, revenge, or simply amusement. But no matter what, he never imagined that Qing Ran would be the one to do such a thing.
Yet, as he did all this, the young man showed no pleasure whatsoever; his expression remained indifferent and calm from beginning to end.
—It was that kind of chilling clarity again.
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