Chapter 14 Reunion of "Old Friends"
The old ancestor was determined to die.
Zhao Fengchen's hand, which was resting on the Taoist boy's arm, was trembling. This time, he didn't plan to change his clothes. With an embarrassed and angry look on his face, he went to find Duan Jiuyou.
He said, "Are you even human? You've smashed me up like this and you still have the nerve to drink tea, and it's even his tea?!"
After Duan Jiuyou "rescued" Zhao Fengchen, she sat down next to Di Jiang. Di Jiang's untouched tea was being gulped down by her; she had run all the way up and was very thirsty.
The tea had long since gone cold, but when I poured it all down my throat, I didn't feel cold at all; instead, I felt refreshed.
Seeing her looking refreshed after drinking, Zhao Fengchen became even angrier. While straightening his disheveled Taoist robe, he scolded her, "I'm talking to you!"
"What did you say?" Duan Jiuyou swallowed the last mouthful of water and gestured at Zhao Fengchen, "Your nose is bleeding, wipe it off first."
Duan Jiuyou spoke to Zhao Fengchen in a familiar tone, with a kind of resigned, almost defiant air. Before coming up the mountain, she really didn't want to see Zhao Fengchen, but now that she had, it didn't seem like such a big deal.
Zhao Fengchen was the complete opposite of Duan Jiuyou. Before Duan Jiuyou arrived, he insisted that the man appear in front of him, but after he arrived, he became timid. He sounded like he had a loud voice, but his eyes were actually shifty. It was as if he had simply put Duan Jiuyou into the background, condensing him into a small shadow that he wanted to look at but dared not look at. At first glance, it looked like he was shouting at the door.
Di Jiang propped his head up with his hand, adopting a different posture to watch the spectacle.
He thought to himself, "There's definitely something going on between these two. At least Zhao Fengchen's feelings for Duan Jiuyou aren't exactly innocent."
Then the young Taoist priest, who was in his early twenties, glared at him, his resentment mixed with pent-up complaints.
"Whether I get a nosebleed or not is none of your business! If you hadn't thrown me, would I have done this? Let me tell you, if you want the Sky-Piercing White Blade, 200,000 spirit treasures are not enough. That price is from hundreds of years ago. It has gone up now, especially for you. You don't want to sell it, and you insist on taking it from me. I'll have to pay at least double!"
"Give it to him." Duan Jiuyou, wanting to save trouble, simply gestured with her chin toward Di Jiang. She had come prepared; the money bag contained 400,000 spirit treasures.
"Do I lack your little bit of money?" Zhao Fengchen was furious, his anger only he himself understood.
"Then what are you lacking? If you're really not short of money, then give me the White Blade for 200,000 spirit treasures. We have other things to do and don't have time to waste here."
Zhao Fengchen was arrogant, but Duan Jiuyou was even more so. Firstly, she genuinely didn't want to see him, and secondly, she couldn't understand why Zhao Fengchen was always finding fault with her.
Thirty million years ago, she came to him to buy weapons, not for herself, but to deliver a decree for the then Emperor Rong Sheng to buy six Heaven-Shaking Immortal Axes to repair the Immortal Palace. He berated her thoroughly, and it took him at least three hours to sell her the weapons.
"Do I owe you money or a favor, that makes you dislike me so much? We're disciples of the same master, so why do you act like a firecracker the moment you see me?"
Zhao Fengchen was eloquent, but Duan Jiuyou wasn't mute either. After a few questions, he left Zhao Fengchen speechless.
Zhao Fengchen's silence wasn't because he couldn't argue with Duan Jiuyou, but because he was so angry with her that he couldn't speak.
This feeling is similar to having a lot of reasoning to argue with someone, only to find that the other person is an illiterate butcher who only knows how to chop meat.
Zhao Fengchen felt so frustrated that he had to vent. He paced back and forth a couple of times before finding a chair to sit down. He had an exceptionally beautiful face and an air of elegance, but his Taoist robe was ill-fitting, and his expression was that of a defeated enemy prisoner who refused to admit defeat.
He held up a finger, pointing in the direction of the Imperial Territory, and asked Duan Jiuyou, "Who's this pretty boy? Your new lover? Can't you change your heartless ways? You brought him here to buy things? Have you forgotten about us, us..."
It was really difficult for Zhao Fengchen. Putting aside his lack of martial arts skills, he still held the position of an old venerable in terms of age and seniority. In his daily interactions with immortals, which one didn't treat him with courtesy and respect? He never had such nonsense with them. They were all shrewd people who had lived for so long, and they didn't understand until he explained things clearly.
"This fastidious old Taoist priest, is he your ex-lover?"
What Duan Jiuyou couldn't understand, Di Jiang grasped immediately. Zhao Fengchen looked conflicted, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how, which clearly indicated that their relationship was more than just friendship.
Duan Jiuyou said "Oh" and then said, "We were Daoist partners for a year, but we broke up because of personality clashes."
She spoke casually, clearly indicating that she didn't forget her relationship with Zhao Fengchen, but rather that she had never taken it to heart at all.
This time, Di Jiang finally understood why Zhao Fengchen was so furious.
He glanced at Duan Jiuyou and suspected that this thing didn't understand love between men and women at all. His so-called former partners and old flames seemed to be just like playing house, simply for fun. Once things didn't go his way, they would part ways and break up cleanly.
Di Jiang chuckled and straightened his cuffs, thinking to himself that Zhao Fengchen, such a thoughtful person, had fallen in love with such a heartless and ungrateful "thing," which was quite a misfortune.
"Are you going to sell it to me or not? I'm in a hurry to save people. Once the Yuan Dan appears in the world, it will lose its vitality after twelve hours."
Duan Jiuyou looked at Zhao Fengchen with a face full of impatience.
Actually, she wasn't in a rush; she simply didn't want to stay there anymore.
"Tell me first, what is your relationship with him?"
Zhao Fengchen didn't take Duan Jiuyou's line of reasoning seriously. Once the Yuan Dan (original core) appears in the world, one has at least three days of vitality in their body. To extend it further, one must exchange cultivation levels. Duan Jiuyou's explanation simply couldn't fool Zhao Fengchen.
"What kind of relationship could it be?" Duan Jiuyou said impatiently, annoyed. "I'm so much older and senior to him, of course I treat him like my son..."
Di Jiang tilted his head, playing with the original pill in his hand, a glint of light flashing from the corner of his eye like a cold wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
If Duan Jiuyou dares to say he is her son today, she will crush this primordial core on the spot.
"He was my childhood playmate and best friend."
Duan Jiuyou, being sensible, stiffened his neck and changed his approach.
Unfortunately, Zhao Fengchen didn't buy it. He grew up under the same master as her, so how could he not know her past?
"Who would play with you? You were so annoying when you were little. Only I wanted to play with you. I was the only one who played with you when you were a child!"
Because of this bond of growing up together, Zhao Fengchen always believed that Duan Jiuyou could never have anyone else but him.
"That's because we are the only two martial artists in the sect with similar seniority and extremely low comprehension of the law. Master asked you and me to cultivate in Wuji Mountain, so naturally I had the most contact with you."
As for a Daoist partner, Duan Jiuyou didn't know what Zhao Fengchen was thinking; she herself had just acted on a whim. At that time, she was young and inexperienced, and her fellow disciples in the mountains all had partners. Duan Jiuyou had a vague idea about a Daoist partner, and she was the one who first asked Zhao Fengchen if he was willing. Zhao Fengchen pondered for three whole months before nodding in agreement.
During those three months, Duan Jiuyou neither lost her appetite nor showed any delicate girlish feelings; in fact, she gained three pounds more than usual.
Her idea of wanting to be with him was very simple. First of all, she was attracted to Zhao Fengchen's face. He had a clean appearance, long eyes and thin eyebrows, and his otherworldly Taoist-like demeanor made her want to bring him into the mortal world and let him experience the flavors of life.
Secondly, and most importantly, Zhao Fengchen is a descendant of the Xuanwu clan. The Xuanwu clan and the Ao clan have the same lifespan, both possessing white hair and youthful appearances, and are immortal. She wants to find a companion with the same lifespan as herself, so she doesn't have to worry about someone dying first, nor fear loneliness.
Unfortunately, Zhao Fengchen had too many bad habits. This particularity didn't just begin after the Liuxian Temple was built. He was a clean freak and nostalgic, and everything in the room had its place, with each type of tea paired with a particular cup and each type of incense with a particular tripod. Duan Jiuyou couldn't live such a meticulous life. In addition, Zhao Fengchen liked to put on airs at that time and rarely spoke a word all day long. This silence was quite different from the taciturnity of the Emperor Jiang.
Zhao Fengchen was aloof and, having read some dubious book somewhere, claimed that men who were too easily obtained by women would not be cherished. Therefore, he was always cold and critical.
Di Jiang is different from him. He has things on his mind but is too lazy to say them. Even if he has many criticisms, he will not blame others.
Duan Jiuyou couldn't stand Zhao Fengchen's "girlish" personality. In addition, he was young and impetuous at the time, and quit before even holding hands. He hadn't even been with her for half a month.
Zhao Fengchen was heartbroken, yet she refused to bring the person back. After several years of this awkward situation, she went to Tianjing to become an official.
This official served nine dynasties, and during his tenure he had many romantic affairs, including with young generals, upright civil officials, and even treacherous ministers and villains.
Her taste in finding a partner is as unpredictable as her personality. After dating for a while, she gets bored first. You might say she's a bad person, and she's certainly not a good person. You might say she's heartless, but it seems she's also been attracted to many people.
Zhao Fengchen closed his eyes, his tightly furrowed brows leaving an unresolved knot on his exquisite face. He had long known that Duan Jiuyou was "empty-hearted," lacking a true soul; expecting her to understand love was clearly making things difficult for himself.
But when those slender, delicate eyes looked at Duan Jiuyou, a stubborn refusal to compromise arose within them, and they said with a stern face, "Even if you offer 900,000 spirit treasures today, I will not sell this white blade."
"Fine, don't sell then." Duan Jiuyou pulled Di Jiang away. What she hated most was Zhao Fengchen's awkwardness. It was just a matter of getting along, why make it seem like they owed each other a huge favor?
Zhao Fengchen knew Duan Jiuyou so well that he had even anticipated her turning to leave. He watched her resolutely take her steps, without stopping.
"Stop right there!"
As they approached the door, Zhao Fengchen finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to pry her hand off Di Jiang's sleeve.
Even the Daoist Elder has a great trouble. There are countless celestial maidens and venerables in the Heavenly Realm, but he has fallen in love with this one person.
"Two hundred thousand spirit treasures, I'll sell them to you."
Duan Jiuyou asked suspiciously, "Is there something wrong with Lingtian White Blade?"
"Can't you just think that I'm being soft-hearted and giving you a break?"
"What exactly is wrong?"
“No problem, I’m just making an exception for you.” Zhao Fengchen turned his face away.
"to be honest!"
"...The knife is dull, not as good for chopping wood...but it's still usable! Don't go, can you wait until I finish?!"
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