"Why are we looking at each other here? Can we set off yet? They've been gone for so long, and we haven't even left the house." Xuan Chi reminded everyone at the right time that they needed to catch up. The fact that there were three people in their team meant that things were not simple, but before they were supposed to set off, they were still wasting time here.
Shangguan Xi nodded and readily agreed, "Of course! Let's go, I can't wait. But where to find them is still a problem."
"The back mountain." Shi Mu had been silent the whole time, watching their actions and waiting for the right moment to speak. Finally, he got a topic to join the conversation and eagerly gave his answer.
Xuan Chi and Shangguan Xi exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement with Shi Mu's answer. Shangguan Xi patted Shi Mu on the shoulder, his eyes filled with admiration, "Not bad, junior brother. You know how to analyze these things now. I never knew you were so talented before."
Shi Mu scratched his head a little embarrassed by the praise, a shy expression on his face. When Shangguan Xi praised him again, he said something very official, "It's all thanks to the good teaching of my senior brothers and sisters. Otherwise, I wouldn't be who I am today. I have to thank you."
Shangguan Xi was amused by his appearance and stood there laughing heartily. Even Xuan Chi, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but smile and looked at Shi Mu with a smile in his eyes.
Shi Mu was taken aback by their behavior and stood there at a loss, looking a little embarrassed. Just as Shangguan Xi was bending over with laughter, he wanted to step forward to help her support her back, otherwise he was worried that Shangguan Xi might hurt her back. "Senior sister, did I say something wrong? Tell me where I went wrong, and I will correct it. I will definitely not do it again next time."
Shangguan Xi laughed for a while, finally managing to suppress her urge to laugh. She walked to Shi Mu's side, put a hand on his shoulder, and said with a serious and amused look in her eyes, "Junior brother, next time you talk to your senior brothers and sisters, you don't have to be so polite. It's too formulaic. It's like you found a perfect answer somewhere and are now taking the opportunity to say it, but it's actually not what you expected."
Shangguan Xi's words were abstract; at least Shi Mu felt he didn't understand. Seeing his junior brother's dazed expression, Shangguan Xi couldn't help but ask him to explain, "What I mean is, in front of your senior brothers and sisters, you don't need to worry about saying anything wrong, and you don't need to be so polite. If you keep acting like this, it will give people the impression that..."
“A sense of alienation, and unease.” Shangguan Qi hesitated to think of a word, so Xuan Chi added from the side.
Shangguan Xi agreed, "Yes, that's exactly what he said, and it would be very strange. Don't you think it's strange?"
Shangguan Xi couldn't help but inquire.
Shi Mu blushed and shook her head. "These are all from books. The books say that you should talk like this, that you can make others happy by talking like this. I thought you would like it too."
The three chatted as they made their way to their destination.
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Xi's expression turned somewhat strange. "Junior Brother, how come I never realized you were such a cute person before? You're just too interesting."
Shi Mu finally managed a smile, and he scratched his head sheepishly, "Senior Sister, you flatter me."
"If you really do as your book says, there won't be any problem. But, we're friends, so we don't need your words. You should say those things to the sect leader and elders..."
...
The world of three is more lively than that of two, especially with the addition of the talkative Shangguan Qi, making it even more lively. Although Xuan Chi doesn't speak, his expression plays a crucial role in the scene, much like a decorative element. Without such an element, the space would feel somewhat empty.
Shi Mu and Shangguan Xi had a pleasant chat and didn't take the jokes they had just made to heart.
After some trial and error, and by asking the owner before leaving, I successfully found the entrance to the mountain behind the house.
But when the three of them looked at the entrance, they all fell silent. "This place... isn't it a bit eerie? Why is it so much darker than outside?"
Looking at the dark, dense forest, Shangguan Xi even doubted whether his eyes were playing tricks on him. The playful and joking atmosphere among the group came to an abrupt halt. Faced with this situation, it was already quite brave of them not to stick together for warmth; no one could laugh.
For a moment, Shi Mu hid behind Xuan Chi in fear, but his face showed that he was not afraid at all. In fact, Xuan Chi and Shangguan Xi had already seen through his situation. "What do we do now? Should we still go up? This place really gives us the feeling that once we go there, we will never come back."
Shangguan Qi said something that Xuan Chi neither agreed nor disagreed with, but said, "Let's go. We're already here. Besides, isn't our mission here? How are we supposed to complete the mission if we don't go up?"
After discussion, they decided to mark a point at the entrance for Xu Yuehuai and the others to prove that they were heading up the mountain. In case of any accidents, this would also let them know where they had gone.
As long as they ask the shopkeepers where they went, they'll know they asked for directions to the back mountain. Shangguan Xi believes that Xu Yuehuai and the others will definitely find them safely.
The path up the mountain was somewhat rugged and difficult to walk, but the group walked forward without saying a word.
This mountain is no different from any other mountain, except that the sky here is very dark, as if something is affecting this place. "Something must have happened here. Maybe if we can resolve things here, the problems outside will also be solved."
The atmosphere was heavy. Shangguan Xi couldn't stand this kind of situation the most, so she comforted herself while also comforting the others. No one refuted Shangguan Xi's words. Shi Mu even learned to chime in, "When we get out, I'll definitely ask Senior Sister to give me an award. That way, we can be worthy of all the efforts we've made."
“I didn’t expect you to be so savvy, Junior Brother! That’s exactly how it should be! Senior Sister definitely won’t be stingy with our things!” Shangguan Xi agreed, giving Shi Mu a high five, while Xuan Chi listened to their shady dealings from the side.
Looking left and right, he pondered whether he should join them in this shady business or be honest and upright. In the end, he chose to be honest and do dishonest things.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com