Chunxi Danzong (Part 3)
“Pah.”
The white jade chess pieces were placed on the chessboard. Two figures, one white and one blue, sat opposite each other, and no one spoke.
After a few more rounds, the man in white covered his lips and coughed softly, smiling gently: "It's been a few years since we last met, but A'tiao's chess skills haven't fallen behind."
There is also a touch of sharpness.
Xie Zhitiao raised his eyebrows, and the white chess piece fell, blocking the black chess piece's path.
"You're the only one who would ask me to play chess. If I lose my chess skills, wouldn't I be inferior to you?"
The black chess piece was slow to approach the lone black chess piece in the corner, but was quickly intercepted by the white chess piece.
After being blocked several times, Chen Zhou smiled. He looked up at the boy opposite him and reminded him: "A Tiao, why don't you take the initiative?"
Xie Zhitiao also looked up at him, still blocking the black chess piece's path: "The time has not come yet."
Chen Zhou shook his head and chuckled. He picked up the lone black chess piece, replaced it with a white one, and pushed the black chess piece towards Xie Zhitiao.
"But I think if you don't take action, you will lose sooner or later." The chess piece stopped, and Chen Zhou continued to smile. "Or do you think it will take the initiative to walk towards you?"
Xie Zhitiao looked at him, licked his upper teeth, and threw the chess piece back into the box: "No more. What do you want to say?"
Chen Zhou didn't answer, playing chess with himself. After a while, he spoke, his usual calmness: "If you like her, then go for it. If you don't tell her, how can she possibly notice?"
Xie Zhitiao's smile faded, and his voice became cold: "Chenzhou, what do you mean?"
The other party likes Lin Zhuo, which is a secret they both know but never tell others.
The game of Chenzhou is still going on, with the white chess pieces strangling the black chess pieces step by step.
"A Tiao, I won't argue with you." He smiled, but not as gently as usual. "She and I are not suitable."
Chen Zhou was a very rational man, almost cold-blooded. He knew that Lin Zhuo only depended on him as a friend, and he also knew that her sect wouldn't approve of her marrying into the family. Furthermore, a simple crush wasn't enough to convince him to abandon his position as Young Sect Master and marry into the Xuanxiao Sect.
The white chess pieces' offensive became increasingly fierce, as if they were determined to completely destroy the black chess pieces. Xie Zhitiao held his hand with great force. Chen Zhou looked up in confusion, only to see a hint of anger on his face.
"Chenzhou." He gritted his teeth. "Do you really have to trap yourself like this?"
Chen Zhou was stunned, paused for a moment, then smiled again, "Okay, I admit, I feel that this frail body is not worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with her." He looked at her gently with a smile, "I will not give up everything in the Dan Sect. A Tiao, I want to maintain friendship with her more than love."
"That's why you should take the initiative to tell her your feelings, so that others won't snatch her away." Chen Zhou picked up the black piece and stuffed it into his hand.
Xie Zhitiao was silent, realizing that he really wasn't being forced, let alone sad. Chen Zhou was speaking the truth; he was a man who could let go easily.
Xie Zhitiao didn't know what to say. He hadn't seen Shenzhou for several years. Distance was secondary. More importantly, he knew Shenzhou's feelings. He didn't want to fight with Shenzhou, but he didn't want to give up Lin Zhao.
"Azhou." His voice was much lower. "We will always be friends, right?"
Chen Zhou smiled: "Of course."
Even if it wasn't Lin Numa, he would choose to give up. He knew how to choose between an illusory lover and two friends who firmly accompanied him.
When Lin Zhuo came over, the two were still playing chess.
Seeing Lin Zhuo coming, Chen Zhou smiled apologetically: "Sorry for the long wait, my uncle will probably be back soon." The full sun was setting, but Chen Ruji had not returned yet, so he could only say sorry twice dryly.
Lin Zhuo shook his head: "Nothing, probably just tripped over something."
Chen Zhou gave up his seat: "You guys chat first, I'll take a look at the documents." He glanced at Xie Zhitiao and went into the inner room.
"What were you talking about just now?" Lin Zhuo asked him. She felt that the atmosphere between them was a little different.
Xie Zhitiao smiled nonchalantly and placed a piece: "He didn't say anything, he just offered some suggestions."
Opinions? Lin Zhuo raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "You really need to learn to listen to other people's opinions, so as to avoid arguing with them all the time."
Unexpectedly, Xie Zhitiao smiled and ate one of her pieces: "And then? By the way, write down who has a problem with me?"
Lin Bo:?
She glared at him angrily: "What nonsense are you talking about."
The young man still smiled: "But don't worry, Senior Sister. I like you so much..."
He paused deliberately, and Chen Zhou, who was about to come out from behind the curtain, also stopped in his tracks when he heard this. Only Lin Zhuo was confused: "What?"
Xie Zhitiao laughed out loud this time, and calmly let her know: "I like you so much, I will definitely listen to your advice."
Seeing no unusual reaction from Lin Zhuo, Chen Zhou shook his head, suddenly feeling a surge of sympathy for Xie Zhitiao. He stepped out from behind the curtain, and the two of them looked over. He opened his mouth and said, "Uncle will be at the sect later."
As the voice fell, a flying boat landed outside the main hall. Shen Ruji had returned.
The other party was an elder and the clan leader, so Lin Zhuo and Xie Zhitiao quickly stood up to greet him. Shen Ruji waved his hand and sat on the main seat, frowning a little tiredly. Shen Zhou handed him a cup of tea, but he waved his hand, put it aside, and looked at Lin Zhuo.
"Chu Xiao asked you to borrow the Wen Tian Ding?" Shen Ruji tried his best to speak to her gently, but he had been in a high position for many years and had become accustomed to a cold face.
Lin Zhuo nodded hesitantly. Uncle Chu said that if Sect Master Shen didn't want to lend it, she should ask him to persuade her. She secretly glanced at the young man beside her and felt that he would be more suitable for this matter. Fortunately, he came with her yesterday.
Shen Ruji was silent for a moment, then spoke again: "Is it because of your junior uncle?"
"Yes. We accidentally got a recipe for a pill that is said to be able to cure Junior Master's poison. Master Chu said we should give it a try."
"Fighting fire with fire?"
"yes."
"Do you know what kind of poison is needed?" Lin Zhuo was silent. Uncle Chu hadn't told Sect Master Shen that he would ask so many questions.
Perhaps because he saw that she was in trouble, Shen Ruji rubbed the tip of his nose and said, “I’ll make a jade slip for your Uncle Chu and I’ll ask.”
"……OK."
"Don't be restrained, sit down." Seeing that she was a little uncomfortable, Shen Ruji spoke again. No, he should be more kind to Lin Zhuo. If Chu Xiao knew about it, he would probably scold him.
The jade slip was received quickly: "Zhao Zhao, how is the progress?"
Lin Zhuo raised his eyes to look at Shen Ruji, and seeing him nod, he quickly replied: "Sect Master Shen agrees to lend it, but--" Before he finished speaking, Chu Xiao on the other end breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay, okay, I knew it. Even though he's a bit annoying at times, he's still reliable when it matters. I won't scold him anymore..."
"Uncle Master!" Lin Zhuo interrupted her hastily, fearing that she would say something nonsense that would upset Shen Ruji. "Well, Uncle Master, Sect Master Shen wants to tell you something."
Chu Xiao fell silent instantly. Chen Zhou glanced at Shen Ruji, not knowing what expression to make for a moment, and finally sighed.
It would probably be difficult for him to have an aunt. Look at Elder Chu, he avoids him like the plague.
Shen Ruji pretended not to notice Shen Zhou's expression and took the jade slip. "Chu Xiao."
The other end paused for a few breaths, and then said in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "...I'm here."
Xie Zhitiao was playing chess with Chenzhou again, and at this moment he couldn't help but look up and exchange a glance with Lin Zhuo. Uncle Chu's tone sounded a little guilty.
Shen Ruji didn't waste any words with her. He asked her calmly, "The spirit of the Wentian Ding is very arrogant. If you don't get its approval, it won't allow you to use it. Do you still want to try?"
Chu Xiao didn't hesitate: "Try it."
"Okay." Shen Ruji nodded, "Just tell me if you need help."
"I know." Chu Xiao muttered. The atmosphere between the two of them today was particularly peaceful.
Shen Ruji's brows finally relaxed, and he said softly, "I still have some poisonous weeds here, not many. Can I ask Lin Zhuo to bring them back to you?"
Chu Xiao hesitated this time: "...Don't you need me for something?"
The next moment, Lin Zhuo saw Sect Master Shen, who had always been the most serious and cold-blooded person in her memory, curl his lips into a smile. He said, "It's true."
"What?"
"Add my jade slip back."
“…”
The three juniors looked at each other, and Xie Zhitiao hesitated and mouthed: Shouldn't we be here?
Lin Zhuo glanced at the person sitting in the main seat, blinked, and said nothing.
Chenzhou just smiled and ate one of Xie Zhitiao's pieces.
Finally, Chu Xiao added him back in. Shen Ruji looked at the sky and took a sip of tea: "It's getting late, let's rest here for today. Tomorrow/I'll take you back."
After Lin Zhuo and Xie Zhitiao left, Shen Ruji leaned back in his chair, the smile still on his face.
Chen Zhou put away the chessboard and glanced at him: "When did your relationship with Elder Chu become so peaceful?"
There was no one else in the hall, so Shen Ruji no longer needed to act like a clan leader. His smile became even more pronounced when he heard this: "Leave it alone. Your uncle will bring your aunt back to you soon."
Chen Zhou looked at his worthless appearance and was too lazy to break his fantasy: "Yesterday I ordered someone to empty a pharmacy to store poisonous weeds. Is it no longer needed?"
Shen Ruji waved his hand: "No need. I'll go sort out those poisonous weeds and send them to her tomorrow."
Chenzhou: ... Very good, at least he didn't send Danzong away, Chenzhou comforted himself in this way.
——Xuanxiao Gate, Wensheng Cliff——
Chu Xiao just put down the jade slip and turned to look at Hua Fangyi with a teasing smile.
"Senior Sister, are you done talking?"
"..." Chu Xiao's ears suddenly turned red. She remembered the time she ran into Chen Ruji at Jinyu Tower a year ago, that ridiculous night.
"...Go to sleep! What do you, a ruthless cultivator, know?"
Hua Fangyi suppressed her smile: "Yes, yes, I don't understand, but you and Shen Ruji do."
With a "bang", the door was closed by Chu Xiao and she walked out.
The next day, the sky was clear and the air was bright. Shen Ruji took Lin Zhuo and Xie Zhitiao back to Xuanxiaomen on a flying boat. Perhaps knowing that her cold face made the younger generation uncomfortable, Shen Ruji stayed in the room and did not come out.
After all, it was the leader of a sect who came to visit. Cang He and Wan Wu Ji greeted him at the top of the mountain. After a few words of greeting, Shen Ru Ji went straight to Wen Sheng Cliff.
Chu Xiao was counting the medicinal herbs he had found when Hua Fangyi was pushed out by a young disciple to get some fresh air. She was the only one in the pharmacy.
Noticing someone at the door, Chu Xiao didn't turn around, thinking it was a disciple looking for her, and casually ordered, "Put these on the second shelf of the second cabinet from the left."
The visitor said nothing, but just did as he was told. Chu Xiao suddenly felt something was wrong, and when he turned around, he met a pair of deep eyes.
The two of them were silent for a moment. After staring at each other blankly for a few moments, Chu Xiao lowered his eyes first: "Why are you here? Just ask Zhao Zhao to give me the alchemy furnace."
Shen Ruji didn't go over, fearing that she would feel uncomfortable, and leaned lazily against the medicine cabinet: "Let's see how long you plan to hide from me."
Chu Xiao looked up at him. The man across from him was no longer the spirited young man he had first met. After his eldest sister died in childbirth, he had taken over her duties and raised his nephew single-handedly, his whole demeanor radiating calmness and composure.
She pursed her lips and said, "Chen Ruji, I told you at the time that it was an accident, don't take it to heart." After all, who would have thought that the medicinal herbs she bought that day conflicted with Shen Ruji's medicinal herbs and had an aphrodisiac effect.
"Tell me not to take it to heart, then why are you hiding from me?" Shen Ruji approached her, and Chu Xiao couldn't help but step back, knocking the pestle and mortar off the table.
The man didn't stop until he had her trapped in front of him: "Does this mean that you take it to heart?"
Chu Xiao looked at him, his fair ears stained with a faint red: "So what do you want? Argument or fight?"
Shen Ruji chuckled softly. He bent down and rubbed her burning ears. His voice was very soft, like the whispers of lovers: "Do you have to point your thorns at me?"
"It was you who wanted to be irreconcilable with me first." Chu Xiao leaned aside, avoiding his hot breath. She was talking about the time when she accidentally burned all his hair when they first met.
Shen Ruji was almost laughing with anger. He pinched Chu Xiao's face and turned her back, staring at her: "You only hold grudges. Why don't you remember that I said I loved you forty-eight years ago?"
Chu Xiao was slightly stunned and remembered this incident.
At that time, she and Shen Ruji were constantly arguing with each other, neither willing to give in. That day, Shen Ruji said she liked a girl, and Chu Xiao, without a second thought, retorted, "Who is so unlucky that you've fallen for them?"
Shen Ruji was not annoyed: "You."
"..." Chu Xiao fell silent, then sprinkled a handful of poison powder at him, "You're sick. If you want to quarrel, just say so. Stop disgusting me."
Seeing her expression change, Shen Ruji moved closer to her: “Do you remember?”
Chu Xiao choked. Who would have thought he wasn't joking? Unable to lose, she glared back, "How can you possibly like someone? You're always so aggressive."
"Is there?" Shen Ruji responded readily, "I apologize, can you forgive me?"
They were so close that their breaths sprayed on each other's faces. Seeing no resistance from her, Shen Ruji pressed down again. Just as their lips were about to touch, You Jingjia's voice came from outside the house: "Master!"
Chu Xiao quickly pushed him away and squatted on the ground to pick up the pestle and mortar to hide his red face. Shen Ruji pinched his eyebrows and couldn't help but smiled.
You Jingjia came to deliver some medicinal herbs. When she entered the room, she saw Chu Xiao and Shen Ruji getting along strangely peacefully. She subconsciously glanced at the top of Shen Ruji's head. Hmm, she had thick hair.
She put down the herbs, said hello to Chu Xiao, and then hurried to Qingyun Peak to find Jing Qi.
After she left, Chu Xiao didn't even look at Shen Ruji. He lowered his head and pretended to be busy until the man's body pressed against him from behind, followed by a soft whisper in his ear: "Ah Xiao."
Chu Xiao froze, his ears turned red again, and he ignored him and continued to busy himself with his own things.
Shen Ruji nuzzled her neck: "Shall we get married?"
"Who wants to marry you?" Chu Xiao retorted in a muffled voice.
"You don't intend to be responsible for me?" Shen Ruji narrowed his eyes.
"...I won't marry you anyway."
"That's fine." He was surprisingly easy to talk to. Chu Xiao couldn't help but turn her head to look at him. He took the opportunity to steal a kiss on her face. "If we don't get married, I'll marry into your family."
"Chen Ruji!"
"Azhou is 115 years old this year. I feel relieved to leave the Danzong to him. How is it this year?"
“Not so good!”
"What about next year?"
"Get out!"
"The latest time to get to Azhou is 118. I can't stand it any later."
“…Get out!”
Seeing that she was really about to annoy people, Shen Ruji hurriedly smiled and coaxed her: "Okay, okay, I won't say anything."
He took out the alchemy furnace, dripped a drop of his own blood on it, and awakened the spirit of the instrument.
Chu Xiao saw that he was busy with business and didn't bother to argue with him, so he held his breath.
The spirit of the Wentian furnace was a baby the size of a carrot head. When he heard that he was required to make elixirs, Wentian was unwilling to do so. His childish voice almost blew the roof of the pharmacy off.
Chu Xiao frowned, feeling the situation was getting tricky, when he saw Shen Ruji pick up a pestle and hit the alchemy furnace. Wentian fell silent instantly.
"Do you want to refine it or not?" Shen Ruji said with a cold face.
Wentian trembled and said, "...Refine...I will refine."
Chu Xiao patted him and said, "Why are you so fierce? Go away." Shen Ruji paused and moved aside as he was told.
That day, Wentianlu stayed at Xuanxiaomen, and Shen Ruji returned to Chunxi Danzong alone, leaving behind two rooms of medicinal materials.
The next day, Jing Qi made a bucket for Hua Fangyi's medicinal bath, and Chu Xiao started to detoxify her.
After a brief pause, Cang He rested for a moment when news arrived from the Immortal Alliance: Something unusual had occurred in the ancient secret realm.
He frowned, left a message, and flew to the Immortal Alliance on his sword.
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