Chapter 25 It turns out she likes this kind of person, the "fairy brother".
Hua Deng cursed Shen Zhou in her heart, and together with Su Yiqing, they slunk back to catch fish.
Shen Zhou stopped cultivating and just leaned against the tree with his arms crossed, watching them busy themselves.
Su Yiqing made a simple harpoon out of a tree branch, assumed a horse stance, and thrust downwards with a swift and ruthless attack.
Unfortunately, the fish was too agile and twisted its body, escaping from between her legs.
Su Yiqing silently put down the harpoon, turned to Hua Deng and said, "How about we use magic instead?"
Hua Deng rolled up his sleeves: "I'll do it!"
Five minutes later.
Hua Deng wiped his sweat and said calmly, "I think using magic is a good thing. Cultivators should make the most of their strengths."
As soon as he finished speaking, a clear laugh rang out from behind him.
Hua Deng paused slightly, his expression unchanged: "But some people are lazy and want to freeload, we can't let them get away with it. We must make them earn their own living."
Su Yiqing, who was originally very afraid of Shen Zhou, now hid behind her and mustered up her courage to say, "That's right, that's right."
Hua Deng was further encouraged, and gave Chen Zhou a defiant sidelong glance, his manner extremely arrogant.
Shen Zhou leaned casually against the tree trunk, then suddenly beckoned to her from behind.
Hua Deng was startled and quickly erected a spiritual energy shield to block the water curtain.
But nothing happened. A fish leaped out of the water and landed precisely at her feet, struggling and thrashing its tail.
"Aren't you catching fish?" Shen Zhou looked down at the harpoon in her hand and mocked mercilessly, "Are you trying to kill the fish with this kind of stupidity and then wait for them to walk into the net?"
Hua Deng picked up the fish, quite pleased: "Anyway, we caught one."
Shen Zhou: "You caught it?"
Hua Deng stuffed the fish into the basket, saying, "What I found is mine..."
Before he could finish speaking, the fish darted away again and splashed back into the water.
Hua Deng froze, then jumped up in anger: "Chen Zhou! Give me back my fish!"
Chen Zhou remained calm and said casually, "Go pick it up, whatever you find is yours."
Hua Deng picked up a harpoon and threw it at him, but as expected, he missed. Hua Deng gritted his teeth and his face darkened.
She didn't notice that Su Yiqing's expression changed drastically after she unintentionally called out that name.
But then she glanced at the man who was deliberately raising the harpoon to tease the lanterns and changed her mind.
She must have misheard.
It's impossible for this Golden Core cultivator to share the same name as the villain in her book.
...
In the end, Hua Deng caught two fish with his own hands.
Su Yiqing refused her help, patted her chest and promised not to disappoint them, then picked up the fish basket and ran to the side to busy herself with cleaning, starting a fire and frying, her skills were very proficient.
She wasn't bragging; crucian carp soup was indeed her specialty. Although the fish in the pot didn't quite look like crucian carp, who cares? She'd just make it.
As someone with dual wood and fire spiritual roots and an alchemist, Su Yiqing had extensive experience in controlling fire, and soon a pot of hot and fragrant fish soup was ready.
Hua Deng rushed over early in the morning and eagerly scooped up a bowl. She had just brought the spoon to her mouth when, without warning, she recalled that scene: a gentle woman in white holding the little boy's hand and softly saying to him, "Mother made your favorite crucian carp soup."
"He definitely won't like it now," Hua Deng thought, staring at the swaying soup. But in the end, she still stood up, took the bowl, went behind the tree, and handed the soup over.
"Want some?" she asked Chen Zhou, looking down at him.
The snow-white soup noodles looked incredibly tempting, with a few scallion petals floating on top. Just by smelling it, you could tell how delicious it was.
Shen Zhou glanced at it but didn't reach out: "I don't eat scallions."
Hua Deng: "...Didn't you say you couldn't taste anything?"
Shen Zhou: "It's annoying to look at."
Hua Deng gave in and served him another bowl, this time without sprinkling scallions on top.
He then took the bowl, drank a mouthful from the rim, and the steam rising before his eyes softened his overly sharp features.
"How is it?" Hua Deng asked him.
"It doesn't taste like much," Shen Zhou said, finishing the soup without any expression, leaving not a drop.
Hua Deng left with a smile, his hands behind his back, and went back to finish the bowl of scallions he had been drinking.
While she was drinking, Su Yiqing watched her from behind. When she finally finished drinking, she walked over hesitantly and took a deep breath.
She was still a little concerned about the name, and whispered, "Dengdeng, that..."
"Huh?" Hua Deng seemed to be in a daze, then suddenly came to her senses, looked up at her, and asked, "What is it, Yi Qing?"
Su Yiqing was taken aback: "You don't look well, what's wrong?"
Hua Deng rubbed his temples and sighed, "I've received a new mission."
Is it difficult?
"A little."
Hua Deng was looking at the panel in his mind.
Quest: [Obtain a Heavenly-grade Magic Treasure in the Secret Realm] Incomplete
Time limit: 30 days
She hadn't received any new missions before and had even considered not entering the Xiashan Secret Realm at all, but knowing the system's nature, she didn't dare to gamble on the possibility.
Sure enough, the mission has arrived.
"Never mind, it's not a big problem, go ahead and tell me," she said.
"No..." Su Yi paused, then changed the subject, "I wanted to ask you, where are we going to stay tonight?"
"That's easy."
Hua Deng pulled off the red agate hanging around her neck.
"This is the Immortal Spirit Pearl. Inside is a whole house, enough for the three of us to sleep in."
Su Yiqing: "???"
Is this the world of the rich? It shocked her for a whole year.
*
The house of the Immortal Spirit Pearl was a large house with three courtyards and three entrances, but in the end they only occupied two rooms: one for Su Yiqing and one for Hua Deng and Shen Zhou.
Shen Zhou probably didn't like staying in this kind of place, and didn't enter the Immortal Spirit Pearl until very late. Hua Deng sat alone under the lamplight, looking at the map of the Xiashan Secret Realm.
The purpose of the Xiashan Secret Realm is not exploration, but competition. In the cultivation world, the law of the jungle prevails, and this principle is applied to the lives of every disciple, including the Immortal Sect Grand Competition.
The Immortal Alliance encourages competition, so the location of each magical treasure is clearly marked on the map. Whoever obtains the treasure will be ambushed and robbed by the others, and will have to travel constantly.
Since entering the secret realm, Hua Deng has been closely monitoring her map. The fact that she is still safe and sound is enough to prove that the bracelet she wears is strong enough to perfectly conceal her physique and prevent her from becoming a "second Heaven-level magic weapon".
Hua Deng finally breathed a sigh of relief, put down the map, and examined the bracelet on her wrist.
This is just an ordinary light pink bracelet, the material of which is hard to identify. The delicate chain wraps around the wrist three times, with a few small and exquisite blooming peach blossoms scattered around.
It's the kind of style you can find everywhere at roadside stalls, and the price won't exceed thirty coins.
It's hard to imagine that such a bracelet would protect her for more than a decade.
When Shen Zhou walked in, she was still staring at the bracelet, looking as if she was in a daze.
He walked over and sat down, casually asking, "Do you like this bracelet? You always wear it."
Hua Deng nodded: "Well, that's a long story."
She lowered her sleeves and found that Shen Zhou was still staring at her without saying a word.
Could it be... that you want to hear her continue?
Hua Deng couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "It's really long, are you interested in listening?"
Shen Zhou hummed in agreement and said, "It's alright."
Hua Deng laughed: "Alright then, I'll start from the beginning."
She was a person with a strong desire to share, and as a business partner, she already had some basic trust in Shen Zhou, so she didn't mind sharing some secrets with him.
"It all started on the Lantern Festival when I was five years old." Hua Deng stroked her bracelet and began to recount the story. "That year, I felt that my parents were too strict, so I sneaked out of the house by myself, bypassing the maids, and went to play in the street."
"But then some clueless guy bumped into me and didn't even apologize. I thought he was good-looking, so I reluctantly forgave him and invited him over for tea..."
Shen Zhou suddenly interrupted her: "Want some tea?"
“…Yes, let’s have some tea.” Hua Deng felt a little guilty. Her original words were: “Then come back with me and become my son-in-law, and I’ll forgive you.”
But you can't blame her. A person's soul can only hold a limited number of memories. Before the age of five, she had no memories of her past life, so it's understandable that she was immature psychologically.
"But that person was really awful!" Even now, Hua Deng still feels indignant when she thinks about it. "He actually pushed me away, making me fall flat on my face!"
"...Did he push you?" Shen Zhou glanced at her inexplicably and said, "Maybe you fell on your own."
Hua Deng was displeased: "Impossible! Do you think I'm stupid? Can't you tell the difference between falling down on your own and being pushed by someone else?"
Shen Zhou's brow twitched slightly, but he said calmly, "Continue."
Hua Deng finally calmed down and continued, "I was really unlucky that day. Because he told my parents, I not only couldn't go to the lantern festival, but I was also locked up for a whole month."
“But,” she changed the subject, “you know what? Just a few days later, on the Flower Festival, I had a dream.”
As she spoke, she smiled, her gaze becoming distant, clearly lost in memories.
"In my dream, just like last time, I secretly slipped out of the house and then accidentally bumped into someone."
"But this time the person was different from the last one. This time it was a cultivator. He took me to a very far place and we went to the grandest Flower Festival. It was the first time I realized that the outside world was so vast, the flower festival was so lively, and that people could fly through the clouds and walk on walls."
That was undoubtedly the most memorable color of her monotonous childhood.
So even now, Hua Deng still remembers what that person looked like.
He was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, dressed in a white robe, with a jade crown on his head and brocade boots on his feet. He was extremely gentle and elegant, with a graceful demeanor.
“He was such a good person,” Hua Deng exclaimed. “Later, he gave me a bracelet and told me that it was a dream he had sent me, and that he would disappear when I woke up. Although he said he was just a passing monk, I knew that he must be a celestial brother who came down from heaven to save me.”
Shen Zhou repeated, "Fairy Brother?"
His tone was calm, but surprisingly he didn't mock such childish words. Instead, he nodded slightly, as if he was quite interested in the title.
"Yes, he's a really nice person, but he doesn't smile much," Hua Deng said. "Sometimes the way he looks at people is really scary, maybe that's how gods are."
As soon as she finished speaking, she met Shen Zhou's eyes and nodded vigorously, saying, "Yes, yes, that's exactly the look in his eyes."
Shen Zhou turned his eyes away indifferently.
Hua Deng added, "If I see him again, I will definitely recognize him."
Shen Zhou remained noncommittal: "You still remember what he looked like?"
"I remember," Hua Deng said, cupping her face in her hands with a smile. "The fairy brother is so handsome."
Shen Zhou suddenly looked over, the shadow cast by the window frame concealing his expression.
"Handsome?" he asked slowly. "You think he's handsome?"
"You'll feel the same way when you see him." Hua Deng was completely unaware that something was wrong. "Well, not necessarily. I forgot that your aesthetic sense is different from that of normal people."
Chen Zhou ignored the second half of her sentence and asked calmly, "Have you told everyone that you look good?"
Hua Deng laughed and said, "No, of course I'm saying that because he's really good-looking."
For some reason, after she finished speaking, Shen Zhou suddenly let out a cold laugh, a laugh that was very sarcastic and dismissive.
Hua Deng: "What are you doing? Don't be rude to my benefactor."
Shen Zhou: "Immortal brother, benefactor, how many more ways do you want to call me?"
He stood up and walked straight out the door.
Hua Deng asked, puzzled, "Where are you going so late?"
Shen Zhou's voice came through, unusually calm: "Murder."
She looked completely bewildered and instinctively asked, "Kill who?"
Shen Zhou: "I don't know."
After saying that, he left the Immortal Spirit Pearl. Hua Deng stared blankly at the spot where he disappeared for a while, thinking that the night was probably more suitable for murder, so she stopped thinking about it and went back to bed to count sheep under the covers.
...
After Shen Zhou left the Immortal Spirit Pearl, he intended to go directly to the Purple Sun Palace. However, when he passed by the stream, he inadvertently looked down and saw his own reflection.
His steps halted. Under the moonlight, on the water's surface, his face slowly changed, transforming into a completely different appearance.
With fair skin and handsome features, he showed no trace of the aura of a swordsman, appearing instead as a refined and gentle scholar.
Snap.
A green leaf suddenly fell, rippling the stream and startling the face.
This is Xue Zifei's face, the face he once borrowed.
So that's what she likes.
It seems I can choose a cultivator like that for her next time, so that I don't have to waste his true energy every time the moon is full.
Chen Zhou lifted his foot forward, shattering the moonlight that filled the stream.
A dark shadow suddenly swept past him, and with a flick of his wrist, the white rabbit, which was trying to escape with a blade of grass in its mouth, was frozen in place.
As soon as he removed the immobilization spell, the rabbit immediately hopped forward, but its movements were too stiff, and it landed face-first on the ground.
Chen Zhou watched coldly.
Even though no pressure was released, the rabbit in front of me still wanted to run away, but it was clumsy and awkward, making it pitiful.
Unlike the other guy, who could laugh heartlessly even with a sword pointed at him.
He had never been interested in such timid creatures, so he kicked a stone with his toe and said, "Run!"
A pebble hit the rabbit's tail fur. It shivered while clutching the blade of grass, but didn't dare to run away. Instead, it hopped over to Chen Zhou, trembling as it put the grass down, seemingly trying to please him.
Suddenly, Shen Zhou smiled, seemingly lost in thought.
He opened his mustard seed space, slowly took out a century-old alfalfa plant, and tossed it in front of the rabbit.
"Eat it," he said. "Eat it, and you won't go hungry for the next few years."
The rabbit stood stiffly, as if it hadn't understood. Chen Zhou ignored it, turned around and left, leaving the rabbit and the alfalfa on the spot.
He returned to the Immortal Spirit Pearl and stepped into the brightly lit room.
Hua Deng, unusually awake, sat up in bed upon hearing the sound and gently sniffed the air.
Hmm, there's no smell of blood, so it seems not many were killed.
"You're done killing? So fast?" she asked.
Shen Zhou didn't answer, but pointed to the moon outside the window: "It's already past midnight."
The implication is: You should go to sleep.
Hua Deng shook his head: "I can't sleep."
Chen Zhou sat down in the chair, crossed his long legs, and fiddled with the necklace on the table, which was taken down from the lantern.
"Thinking of your immortal Taoist priest?"
"What the hell!" Hua Deng rolled over and sighed softly, "I was thinking, is a month too long?"
“You can leave early,” Shen Zhou said. “You should have plenty of magical treasures here.”
"But I want to break through to the Golden Core stage as soon as possible. Didn't you say this place is a good fit for me?" Hua Deng casually made up a reason.
"Then what are you worried about?" Shen Zhou asked.
“I’m worried about myself, about my health, you know…” Hua Deng said in a low voice, “I always attract strange things.”
Shen Zhou put down Yingluo and said in a calm tone, "It's not like I can't beat them."
"Sigh, you don't understand," Hua Deng said softly. "Let me tell you a story."
Shen Zhou: "I won't listen."
Hua Deng: "I haven't said it yet!"
Shen Zhou: "You should save your stories about your divine brothers and benefactors for a three-year-old."
Hua Deng: "...Not this time!"
Shen Zhou glanced at her and said lazily, "Oh."
Hua Deng: "Are you going to listen or not? If not, then forget it!"
Shen Zhou then said slowly, "Listen, you can speak now."
Hua Deng patted the bed next to him: "Then sit over here, it'll be easier for me to talk."
Shen Zhou got up, but did not go over immediately.
"What's wrong?" Hua Deng tilted his head.
The light was dim, and she propped herself up, her long, black hair cascading down her shoulders, the thin blanket slipping down to her waist. Her thin nightgown clung to her body, cinching tightly around her waist along her curves.
It was barely a tight knot; the knot was loose, so the neckline was slightly open and the shoulders slid down a bit.
She patted the bed and said to him, puzzled, "Come here, this bed is very big."
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