Chapter 46
The trouble above Little Mirror Lake is gone, but the trouble beside Sister is still there.
Xie Wen wanted to see how long Pei Xuan could keep up the act. He went specifically to find Pei Xuan, but he wasn't there.
After Xie Wen finished practicing his sword, he went to the foot of Half Moon Peak as usual. At that time, Xie Yichun was standing by the window cooking. The aroma spread out of the window. Xie Yichun was not surprised to see Xie Wen.
Xie Wen chewed on the green fruit he had picked up along the way, his cheeks bulging and making a crisp sound. He mumbled, "Sister, what are you doing?"
Xie Yichun looked up at Xie Wen and said gently, "I bought some meat when I went back to the mountain yesterday. Today I'm making braised pork ribs and stir-fried pork with chili peppers."
Xie Wen's focus was different: "Sister, did you just return to the mountain gate yesterday?"
Xie Wen remembered that Xie Yichun and Pei Xuan returned earlier than them, but arrived back at the Sword Sect later than Xie Wen. Indeed, Xie Wen recalled how Chu Xianyue had suddenly taken him into the sky, flying as fast as a rocket. Even long afterward, Xie Wen's entire face was still numb and devoid of feeling.
Xie Wen thought back and realized something was wrong. Shouldn't Chu Xianyue compensate her for some emotional distress?
Xie Yichun said, "Our carriage journey was slow to begin with, and we even had to stay overnight in Qinglian City along the way."
Xie Wen asked, "Qinglian City?"
She remembered that Qinglian City was very close to Kunlun Ruins and was under the jurisdiction of Kunlun Ruins.
Xie Yichun: "Yes, Qinglian City. However, we checked into the inn very late that night and started our journey as soon as it was light."
Xie Wen said, "Sister, we didn't notice anything unusual about Pei Xuan along the way?"
Xie Yichun shook her head, "I'm sorry, Wen, perhaps my abilities are insufficient, I really didn't notice."
Xie Wen adjusted to a comfortable position, propped his legs up, and munched on a green fruit, looking thoughtful. "Sister, there's no need to apologize. No one blames you. Just treat him normally from now on."
"And also, he didn't do anything to you while we were away, did he?" Xie Wen gripped the green fruit pit tightly in his palm, gritting his teeth as he said, "If he really tried to do anything to you, I'll kill him!" With that, he opened his hand again, and the pit shattered into several pieces.
Xie Yichun: "Don't worry, there isn't one."
Xie Wen glanced at Xie Yichun. Her gentle smile, framed by the setting sun, was as tender as a pool of spring water under the sunset. Xie Wen swallowed the words that were about to come out, deciding that she shouldn't let Xie Yichun know that Pei Xuan had disguised himself as a man in a black cloak and wanted to kill her.
Seeing Xie Wen lost in thought, Xie Yichun waved her hand in front of Xie Wen's face. "Awen, what's wrong?"
Xie Wen snapped out of her daze. "No, nothing." Then she hugged Xie Yichun's hand and acted cute and coquettish. "I'm so hungry."
Xie Yichun smiled, truly at a loss with Xie Wen, "The rice is ready, hurry up and serve it."
Xie Wen: "Okay, okay."
As Xie Wen was carrying two bowls to serve rice, he glanced outside and suddenly caught sight of a woman standing alone at the foot of a mountain overgrown with weeds, bathed in the glow of the setting sun. Behind her stretched a vast, yellow-green landscape of mountains. She was dressed only in simple servant's clothes, her posture upright, like a resilient reed rooted at the foot of the mountain.
How did Shen Lizhi know that Xie Wen was here?
Fifteen minutes ago.
As Yun Yanfang emerged from the Trial Forest, he ran into Shen Lizhi. The two disliked each other, snorted coldly, and turned their necks away.
Just as Yun Yan was about to leave, she heard Shen Lizhi speak to her first, which was unusual for her. Shen Lizhi said, "Yun Yan, do you know where Awen went?"
Yun Yan scoffed. He wasn't Xie Wen's shadow; how could he possibly know Xie Wen's every move? Besides, even if he did know, why would he tell Shen Lizhi?
Yun Yan coldly said he didn't know and turned to leave, but Shen Lizhi stepped in front of him and blocked his way, saying, "Tell me, what conditions do you want to negotiate?"
Yun Yan scrutinized Shen Lizhi. "What conditions do I want to discuss?"
It seems she really cares about Xie Wen.
Although Yun Yan couldn't know Xie Wen's whereabouts at all times, given Xie Wen's personality, she could guess pretty much anything. At this time, he was either on Half-Moon Peak or somewhere else. Everyone knew that Xie Wen would bother her dear sister every day, whether there was something to do or not, and never seemed to get tired of it.
She practically wanted to cling to her older sister.
Thinking of this, Yun Yan felt deep contempt for Xie Wen. However, having obtained such a good opportunity to deal with Shen Lizhi, Yun Yan was not willing to give it up easily.
Fifteen minutes later.
Shen Lizhi stood at the foot of Half Moon Peak, gazing at Xie Wen across the clouds and reeds.
Xie Wen put down his chopsticks and jogged over to ask, "Ah Li, what brings you here?"
Shen Lizhi blinked her watery eyes and smiled, saying, "Awen, I haven't seen you in a long time, so I came to find you."
Looking at Shen Lizhi's youthful yet beautiful face, Xie Wen couldn't help but feel affection for her. Xie Wen realized that he hadn't really contacted Shen Lizhi much these past few days.
Looking back now, Shen Lizhi was just a new disciple of the Sword Sect, unfamiliar with the place and its people. She only knew Xie Wen, Yun Yan, and Chu Xianyue. Chu Xianyue was obvious, and she didn't get along with Yun Yan. So, who else could she have come to after all this time if not Xie Wen?
Thinking of this, Xie Wen suddenly felt a little guilty. Her older sister was cooking, so they wouldn't need another pair of bowls and chopsticks. So she led the person into the small house and introduced them to Xie Yichun.
“Ah Li, this is my older sister,” Xie Wen said with a smile.
Then she introduced Shen Lizhi to Xie Yichun, "She is Shen Lizhi. We met her when we came down the mountain. She had nowhere to go, so she joined our Sword Sect as a menial disciple."
Xie Yichun had just brought out the braised pork ribs, which were stir-fried to a bright red color and exuded a wonderful aroma. Seeing Xie Wen return with his friend, he was filled with relief and gently invited Shen Lizhi to sit down and eat, telling her not to be shy.
Shen Lizhi was a little hesitant in front of Xie Yichun. She was very observant and could tell at a glance that Xie Wen and Xie Yichun had a very good relationship, a hundred times better than her own relationship with Xie Wen.
Well, now that Shen Lizhi is sitting here, she looks like an outsider, awkward and out of place.
For some reason, Shen Lizhi felt uneasy. She had come to find Xie Wen in high spirits, only to discover that A-Wen was with another woman. It seemed that A-Wen didn't need her at all.
When Xie Wen brought a friend home for dinner for the first time, Xie Yichun was inexplicably nervous, as if she was afraid that Wen's friend would be dissatisfied or that the experience would be unpleasant.
The atmosphere became tense.
Xie Wen sat between the two, eating heartily. Xie Wen asked, "Why aren't you eating?"
So he put some ribs on each of their plates, saying, "Sister, Ali, this is delicious."
Shen Lizhi said, "Thank you, Wen," but her eyes glanced at the identical spare rib in Xie Yichun's bowl. Xie Wen still put the rib in Xie Yichun's bowl first.
Shen Lizhi lowered her head and put a mouthful of rice into her mouth. The meal was tasteless and bland.
"By the way, elder sister, it's been a long time since we sparred. How's your training going? I'll test you after dinner," Xie Wen said. With the external situation turbulent, and having experienced the assassination attempt by the black-cloaked figure, Xie Wen was even more convinced that only by mastering excellent skills could he survive safely in this treacherous world of cultivation.
Moreover, with Pei Xuan, this potential threat, always by Xie Yichun's side, Xie Yichun needs to intensify her cultivation to protect herself.
After finishing their meal, Xie Wen casually broke off a plum blossom branch and sparred with Xie Yichun. Shen Lizhi sat beside them, watching the two of them, her eyes gradually growing cold.
The cattails at the foot of the mountain trembled violently from the sword energy, scattering everywhere. In the pale sunset, their shadows overlapped and intertwined, their swords clashing against a plum blossom. After an unknown amount of time, Xie Wen and Xie Yichun finished their duel.
Xie Wen felt that her older sister had improved a lot since their first competition, and her sword moves were smooth and sharp.
No wonder she's Xie Wen's older sister.
The two wiped their sweat and walked towards the courtyard.
"Ah Li, are you still there?"
Xie Wen assumed Shen Lizhi had already left, since he had told her that if she felt bored, she could go back first and didn't need to wait for her. Unexpectedly, Shen Lizhi was still sitting under the plum tree.
Seeing that Xie Wen had finally returned, Shen Li patted her bottom and smiled at Xie Wen, "Ah Wen, I'll wait for you to go back together."
Xie Wen felt a warmth in his heart. On the way back with Shen Lizhi, Xie Wen chatted with Shen Lizhi for a while, their conversation flowing freely. "Lizhi, isn't my older sister's cooking especially delicious? Hmm, I think so too."
"Isn't my older sister very gentle? Hmm. I think so too."
"Sigh, next month is my older sister's birthday. What do you think I should give her?"
This conversation was more like Xie Wen talking to himself. Shen Lizhi only occasionally answered with a word or two, looking down at the ground, then at Xie Wen, her eyes deep and unfathomable, as if she were thinking about something.
Shen Lizhi asked in a low voice, "Why do you keep talking about your older sister?"
A gust of wind whistled past, and Xie Wen turned around, "Huh?"
Shen Lizhi raised her head again, smiled and shook her head, "It's nothing, I'll go back now. Goodbye, Awen."
Once you get here, the paths diverge.
Xie Wen had no choice but to say goodbye to Shen Lizhi, "Bye-bye."
These past few days since I left the mountain, I've really missed Feiying Pavilion. After all, it's an excellent place to live, with cherry blossoms blooming all year round, flowing water, and a spiritual atmosphere. Most importantly, it's far from the hustle and bustle, offering a peaceful retreat.
Indeed, things haven't been as peaceful since Xie Wen came.
Xie Wen didn't take it seriously.
When Xie Wen returned home tonight, she couldn't find Chu Xianyue anywhere. She found it strange; it seemed that she felt restless if she didn't see him.
So he raised his hand and knocked on Chu Xianyue's door.
Xie Wen peeked out furtively, his gaze meeting the eyes of the person inside the room. The surroundings were quiet, with the faint sound of flowing water coming from below the attic.
Xie Wen smiled and said, "Good evening, Master. What are you doing?"
Chu Xianyue sat upright at the coffee table, seemingly flipping through an ancient book. He looked up at Xie Wen and then slowly turned the book upside down on the table before saying, "Come in to read."
Xie Wen: It seems Chu Xianyue is in a good mood today, he's even willing to talk to her about this kind of nonsense, instead of giving her a cold look.
Xie Wen opened the door and went in. "What is it, Master?"
Chu Xianyue simply said, "Close the door."
"Okay." Xie Wen did as instructed.
After closing the door, Xie Wen pulled up a stool and sat down next to Chu Xianyue, awkwardly pouring him a glass of water. "You've been repairing the barrier on the back mountain all day, haven't you? You've worked hard." Because Chu Xianyue hadn't been able to repair the barrier while he was down the mountain, he would definitely make up for the lost time after returning.
Xie Wen chuckled as he handed the water to Chu Xianyue, thinking to himself: Besides your eldest disciple, who else would care about you so much? You should be secretly happy to have such a filial and good disciple like me.
Chu Xianyue took a sip. "It's not hard work."
Xie Wen looked at Chu Xianyue with interest. Why did he seem a little strange today? He actually responded to every question and even had the patience to talk nonsense with Xie Wen.
This is suspicious.
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