Chapter 44 Just Friends
Xiao Hanzhou and Hong Xuzi's attitudes were both off. Ren Yi was certain that something had happened that he didn't know about, and he guessed that the actions of the two must be connected in some way.
In this situation, Ren Yi was no longer in a position to act rashly.
He could only expend some effort to keep both accounts running simultaneously, keeping an eye on Hong Xuzi's performance on one side, and also vigilantly observing the surrounding environment as he followed Xiao Hanzhou away from Hancang Peak on the other.
The anomaly first appeared on Xiao Hanzhou's main account.
The moment Ren Yi noticed the commotion, he turned around abruptly. But under his intense gaze, a familiar face emerged—Yan Shuoyun, Yan Er's older brother whom she hadn't been able to find for several days.
Upon seeing the person who arrived, Ren Yi relaxed, realizing that he had been a bit too tense.
Fortunately, Yan Shuoyun didn't seem to care about that little thing. He greeted Ren Yi with a smile and a natural attitude. Ren Yi, on the other hand, was a little embarrassed when returning the greeting because of his earlier wariness of Yan Shuoyun. As if noticing Ren Yi's awkwardness, Yan Shuoyun wanted to comfort him and tell him not to worry about such a small matter. He even patted Ren Yi on the back as he walked over.
Ren Yi had no wariness towards people he was close to, and naturally didn't notice anything amiss with Yan Shuoyun's actions.
But just as he relaxed, he felt a surge of spiritual energy pierce his neck. Ren Yi only had time to show a slightly surprised expression before he lost consciousness.
Ren Yi?!
The main character was unconscious, but the sudden shock was transmitted to the Sword Master's alt account through his mental energy.
This is also a drawback of running two accounts simultaneously; when one account experiences intense emotional fluctuations, the other account will also be affected. Fortunately, the Sword Master's alt account this time is expressionless, so the same emotions were not noticeably expressed on the alt account.
However, Hong Xuzi, who was sitting opposite the Sword Master, knew the small account well enough to catch the change in Ren Yi's expression in an instant.
Hong Xuzi understood that it must be Yan Shuoyun's side that made the move.
However, it was also strange that Qingran found out about the situation there so quickly. Hongxuzi could only guess that Qingran had placed a wisp of her divine sense on her soul contract partner.
This speculation made Hong Xuzi's eyelids twitch again. He didn't know whether the other party knew about Qing Ran's actions.
But whether you know it or not, this is not something a normal person would do!
Hong Xuzi took a deep breath and comforted himself in his heart, "Qing Ran's soul contract partner suffered such a great calamity. It's inevitable that Qing Ran will care a little when she sees him now." It's just that the degree of "care" she is showing right now is a little too much.
Ren Yi had no idea that his alternate account had been inexplicably framed again. Although he didn't sense any malice from Yan Shuoyun and Xiao Hanzhou (which was why Ren Yi had let his guard down so easily earlier), this baffling situation still made him want to find out what was going on.
Just as Ren Yi made a move, Hong Xuzi, who had been hunched over and seemed listless, slowly sat up straight. Ren Yi was shocked to discover that the person in front of him was not an illusion created by the Nascent Soul, but the real person.
Ren Yi?!
Although Ren Yi didn't know why he had the subconscious belief that "Hong Xuzi's true form couldn't come to Han Cang Peak," nor did he know how the other party had arrived at this moment, the current situation was very clear: Hong Xuzi wanted to stop him.
Ren Yi couldn't help but frown. He suppressed his first instinctive reaction of "let's fight" and said in a deep voice, "Uncle-Master."
He wants an explanation.
Although he might not necessarily lose if the fight really broke out, the commotion from the two of them would definitely be significant. Moreover, given their cultivation levels, a fight between two people at this level could easily drag on for days and nights if the fight didn't end with someone killed off right away. Ren Yi couldn't possibly kill his martial uncle; by the time the fight was over, it would be too late. It was better to directly find out what had happened.
Seeing that Qing Ran didn't intend to make a move for the time being, Hong Xuzi relaxed a little.
After all, if they really started fighting, he wasn't sure he could stop Qingran for long.
Hong Xuzi stared intently at his junior disciple opposite him, "This is to seek a glimmer of hope for him."
Ren Yi remained silent, his expression unchanged but his heart filled with questions. Hong Xuzi continued, "Your choice was to have your soul scattered and never be reborn. But do you really want him to share this fate with you?"
Ren Yi?
What is that?!
Over there, Yan Shuoyun's sudden attack not only caught Ren Yi off guard, but even Xiao Hanzhou, who was standing to the side, was surprised. The latter almost attacked Yan Shuoyun.
Yan Shuoyun, holding the unconscious Ren Yi, took a few steps to the side to avoid Xiao Hanzhou's sword aura. He then turned his head to look at him, saying expressionlessly, "According to the senior, as long as Xiao Yi is present, it's fine. Do you really expect him to be awake and cooperate with you?"
Xiao Hanzhou "..."
He was speechless.
He naturally sensed Ren Yi's suspicion and wariness throughout the journey, and felt even more disheartened.
Yan Shuoyun ignored Xiao Hanzhou's complicated emotions, picked up Ren Yi, and walked away first.
Hong Xuzi's side is still uncertain how long he can hold out, and he doesn't have time to care about Xiao Hanzhou's feelings.
Xiao Hanzhou was momentarily stunned, but he understood that time was of the essence. Although his face was pale, he hurriedly followed.
Thanks to Hong Xuzi's help, the three of them encountered no obstacles along the way and arrived smoothly in front of the Mirror of Cause and Effect.
Even though they knew the situation was urgent, Yan Xiao and his companion couldn't help but pause for a moment in front of such a divine artifact.
The mirror's body is made of a material that resembles stone but isn't quite stone. Its surface is uneven, covered with raised patterns—the seemingly naturally formed Daoist runes could never have been created by any craftsman here. At this moment, the "mirror" reflects no image, but rather a hazy gray mist, as if another world is hidden within it…
The sheer awe it evoked was beyond description, leaving viewers to exclaim, "Truly a divine artifact!"
However, both of them were mentally strong and only lost their senses for a moment before coming to their senses.
This immortal artifact had already been activated by Hong Xuzi beforehand, so all they had to do now was complete the remaining rituals according to the steps he had previously instructed them to take.
As time passed, the mist on the mirror seemed to be dispelled by some invisible force, slowly revealing the figures of Xiao Hanzhou and Ren Yi, before quickly disappearing again. The image in the mirror became clear again after a brief distortion, but it did not reflect the things on the other side of the mirror; instead, it revealed a completely different scene.
Yan Shuoyun knew that there was no room for him to intervene at this point, so he simply took a step back and stood outside the range of the immortal artifact, looking at the unfamiliar scene in the mirror from afar.
After a moment, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
This is... their past?
The image in the mirror was somewhat shaky. A young boy was running away in a disheveled state, his clothes tattered and his face filthy. Dark stains were mottled on his young face, obscuring his original appearance. However, since the Mirror of Cause and Effect reflected the past of Xiao Hanzhou and Ren Yi, this boy could only be one of the two.
Yan Shuoyun noticed the boy's eyes, which were dark and gloomy, with a hint of numbness.
He was certain that it wasn't A-Yi. Given A-Yi's personality, even in his youth, he wouldn't have shown such an expression. Therefore, this child could only be Xiao Hanzhou.
The future head of the Xiao family is being chased in a sorry state by a wolf demon.
Calling it a "demon" is a bit of an exaggeration. With Yan Shuoyun's discerning eye, he could naturally see that the wolf had only developed a slight level of intelligence, barely managing to stay within the realm of mere instinct. Even so, for a boy of that age, it was enough to threaten his life.
Yan Shuoyun looked at the young boy in the picture. Because the latter was so different from the current Xiao Hanzhou, he surprisingly did not project his dislike for the real Xiao Hanzhou onto the boy.
The young man clearly possessed some cultivation, but in this situation, it was better than nothing. It might allow him to escape for a little longer and dodge more nimbly, but that was all. He had been running for an unknown amount of time in this pursuit, and his spiritual energy and physical strength were completely exhausted. He was even staggering. At this rate, Yan Shuoyun didn't think he could escape.
As Yan Shuoyun had predicted, the boy staggered forward on the uneven ground. The next moment, he accidentally stepped on a slightly protruding pebble. His sole was bumped, and his already depleted strength was no longer enough to adjust his center of gravity. He then rolled to the side and fell to the ground.
The wolf demons behind him, who had been eyeing him intently, immediately pounced on him, tearing at his flesh.
That scene happened very quickly, but the boy's next choice was decisive and swift.
He quickly rolled on the ground to adjust his posture, while raising his hand and holding his arm horizontally in front of him. At the cost of one of his arms, he blocked the wolf demon's sharp teeth that were originally tearing at his throat.
To be able to make such a judgment and choice in the instant he fell to the ground, even Yan Shuoyun had to admit that with the boy's temperament, if he were to grow up, he would surely become famous throughout the region.
However, the boy in the mirror probably couldn't imagine such a distant future. The gushing blood and the trembling sweat indicated that his condition was not optimistic. But he still gritted his teeth, grabbed something with his other hand, and stabbed it hard into the wolf's belly. The wolf demon cried out in pain and let go, and the boy took the opportunity to get away.
The young Xiao Hanzhou staggered to his feet, his injured left arm bent at an unnatural angle, blood dripping down his arm. Yan Shuoyun finally saw what he was holding in his hand.
Is it a "sword"?
Yan Shuoyun recognized Xiao Hanzhou now, which is why he made this judgment with difficulty. But in reality, it was just a broken iron bar with a handle wrapped with old strips of cloth a few times.
In that emergency, the young Xiao Hanzhou obviously didn't have time to adjust his grip, and his entire hand was cut and bleeding from the not-so-sharp edge of the iron bar. But now he seemed to feel no pain, adjusting his grip and finally achieving a normal sword-holding posture, but at the same time, the cloth strip at the "hilt" was already soaked with blood.
The young Xiao Hanzhou did not try to escape again; given his current miserable state, he no longer had the strength to continue running.
Fortunately, his attack had left a sizable wound on the wolf's belly, making the wolf demon realize that this human boy was not someone it could kill at will, and the two were locked in a standoff.
At this moment, they were more like wild beasts encountered in the wilderness than intelligent humans and demons.
Standing silently at a relatively safe distance, cautiously assessing the strength of the opponent.
Under the intense gaze of the young Xiao Hanzhou, the wolf demon seemed to retreat, but the pain in its abdominal wound made it irritable, and the bloody smell in the air—mixed with that of its prey—further fueled its bestial nature.
The wolf demon finally couldn't hold back any longer, baring its fangs to reveal bloody teeth, hissing menacingly, and displaying a posture of impending attack.
At that moment, the young Xiao Hanzhou closed his eyes. This was a gesture that should never be made in this situation, but the sudden surge of aura emanating from the young man made the wolf demon subconsciously take a step back.
Yan Shuoyun, who was watching from the sidelines, clicked his tongue and suddenly realized something. This kid really has a tough life.
The wolf demon's nascent intelligence was insufficient to comprehend the complex situation before it. The conflict between its instinctive warning of danger and the other party's evasive actions caused it to hesitate. After several probing movements that resembled both a prelude to an attack and a retreat, its bestial greed ultimately prevailed.
The pungent smell of blood in the air made it reluctant to give up the food that was about to be eaten.
At the same moment the wolf demon leaped up, the young Xiao Hanzhou also moved. Anyone who saw the iron bar in his hand at that moment would understand that it was a sword—though not sharp, it was indeed a sword.
The silver blade traced a bright arc in the air, piercing the wolf demon's throat squarely, and hot blood gushed out all over the boy.
But this is not the end.
Whether it was due to exhaustion leading to a lack of strength, or the wounds on his body causing the sword strike to be less accurate, or simply because the wolf demon's vitality was strong enough, it did not die immediately, but struggled to get closer, its blood-stained teeth almost touching the boy's neck.
Even a cornered beast will fight; in this life-or-death crisis, it would fight with everything it had to drag its enemy down with it.
To make matters worse, the young Xiao Hanzhou had already experienced the brink of life and death before unleashing this sword strike, squeezing out his last bit of strength. After the strike, he was already exhausted.
—Avoid, none, possible, avoid.
Just then, a clear "zheng" sound came from the image in the mirror.
Yan Shuoyun immediately understood who had arrived. He clicked his tongue in displeasure, not caring that Xiao Hanzhou would hear his dissatisfaction. It was obvious that Xiao Hanzhou wouldn't be happy.
The sound of the zither condensed into a single line, and the wolf demon, the target of the attack, froze completely after a moment of stunned silence.
The boy in the mirror knew he had been saved. He relaxed completely as the wolf demon's collapsing corpse knocked him to the ground, but he still tried to look in the direction of the sound, as if trying to see his savior.
Before the Mirror of Cause and Effect, Xiao Hanzhou stared blankly at the scene.
The past events reappeared before his eyes, and some memories he thought he had long forgotten suddenly surged up.
He remembers that at that time he could no longer see anything clearly. Sweat and blood mixed together, stinging his eyes. His brain was also experiencing waves of dizziness due to the sudden relaxation after the crisis. All his movements were subconscious and instinctive.
Even so, he still saw the figure coming against the light.
His blurred vision made it impossible to discern details like facial features, but some people possess a unique aura that sets them apart, captivating even with just a blurry silhouette. At that moment, a strange thought popped into his head: "This person must be very good-looking," and later events proved it to be true.
Within the Mirror of Cause and Effect, before completely falling into a coma, the young Xiao Hanzhou heard a clear voice—
"Your swordsmanship is quite good."
...
Yan Shuoyun felt that this scene was quite distressing.
Watching your beloved and your rival have their first encounter, especially in this clichéd "damsel in distress" scenario from a classic romance novel, makes you want to curse in your heart, "Why didn't that guy die in the wolf's mouth?"
But Yan Shuoyun glanced at Xiao Hanzhou, who was completely frozen over, and felt that his angry mood eased slightly.
At this moment, Xiao Hanzhou's thoughts were probably much more complicated than his.
The boy who was unconscious back then was not seen in the mirror, but now, as an observer, some things are crystal clear.
Beneath that clear, resonant compliment, the handsome young man's face did not reflect any appreciation for the person he was meeting for the first time.
It's not the joy of searching in the sea of people, but the satisfaction of finally finding "that person".
He admitted his mistake.
From the very beginning, I admitted my mistake.
Yan Shuoyun looked at the Xiao family head, who was clearly also aware of the "facts," and raised an eyebrow with an ambiguous expression.
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