Chapter 2: Step By Step, Lotus Blooms
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Shen Gurong has never been this nervous.
Although Shen Gurong comes from a scholarly family, he somehow went astray. Essentially, he is an extremely unconventional person who doesn’t enjoy reading the sophisticated poems and essays that others like. He also doesn’t appreciate the common and vulgar things that ordinary people favor.
In a positive light, you could say he has no desires or ambitions; in a negative light, he lacks great aspirations, and his only focus seems to be getting by in life.
Perhaps his sole pursuit in life is hoping that when he paints pictures of beautiful women, his mother won’t chase him through the streets wielding a ruler.
Now, the look in Mu Zhai’s eyes reminds Shen Gurong of something. It takes him back to the first time he sneaked into the bustling Linlang Street in Tang City, hiding in a corner with determination, painting a beautiful woman who was sitting by the window in a teahouse across the street, listening to a traditional opera.
When he had almost finished the painting, the beautiful woman leisurely turned her head, making eye contact with Shen Gurong.
It was his own mother.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong almost kneeled.
In the end, Shen Gurong was caught by his father, who gave him a severe beating at home. He wailed and howled, kneeling in the ancestral hall and copying books for two days.
Now, Mu Zhe’s gaze is eerily similar to the glance his mother gave him back then. It all makes Shen Gurong tremble with fear.
Maintaining an icy demeanor, Shen Gurong slowly loosens the lotus petal, sitting cross-legged in the center as if in a profound and mysterious state, with closed eyes.
Mu Zhe still stares at him, his eyes filled with coldness.
Being scrutinized makes Shen Gurong uncomfortable, and shamelessly he thinks, “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a beauty before?”
Just then, a furious roar comes from not far away.
A red fruit… A person in red clothing swept over like the wind, flicked his wrist, gripped the long sword, and formed a sword flower.
“Hurry up and hand over the Epidemic Demon!” The leader said coldly, “Delaying the extermination of evil, can your Liren Peak bear the consequences?!”
The disciples of the Liren Peak had already swarmed behind Li Suo, pretending to be fierce. However, due to their young age and smaller stature compared to the robust figures on the opposite side, some even tiptoed to bolster their Senior Brother’s imposing manner.
The pursuers were formidable cultivators, and the red garment they wore was embroidered with a majestic “Zhu,” symbolizing their mission to exterminate evil.
With demons and monsters rampant in the Three Realms, in the past few years, responding to the call of the City Lord of Fenglu City, major sects of the cultivation world dispatched disciples to collectively resist demons, expel ghosts, and protect the human realm. The red-clad clothed Zhu Xie was their symbol.
Senior Brother Li Suo had a frail figure. He covered half of his face with a fan and spoke in a friendly manner, “I have already explained to you all. Mu Zhe is the disciple of Sage Shen Fengxue. He is not the Epidemic Demon you are chasing. The notion of possession is baseless.”
The opposing side was relentless, “If he is not an Epidemic Demon, then how do you explain the plague marks on his face?”
Li Suo, gentle as a spring breeze, said, “Dear friends, harmony is precious. I have explained many times. If you still don’t believe it, you are welcome to come with us up the mountain…”
Although he had a very good temper, his disciples behind him couldn’t bear it. Pulling on his sleeve, they angrily said, “Senior Brother Li Suo, don’t be so polite with them. Let’s just fight!”
Li Suo said gently, “Harmony is precious, ah.”
The members of Zhu Xie, known for their quick temper, had no intention of “valuing harmony.” Seeing them continuously blocking the way, they directly unsheathed his sword, and a cold light flashed out, chilling the surroundings.
Little Mu Zhe, who was securely protected behind the Senior Brothers from Liren Peak, heard the sound of the sword and instinctively shivered, pursing his lips as he moved behind them, seemingly frightened.
Li Suo looked at his Junior Brother, and suddenly, the fan in his hand closed. The gentle expression he had just now vanished instantly. His yellow garment fluttered in the wind, and with a gentle movement, the sword of an opposing disciple suddenly snapped in half, the blade clattering onto the sandy ground.
Li Suo’s formerly gentle and jade-like countenance was nowhere to be seen. His face was now full of impatience, and he completely disregarded the principles of “valuing harmony” that he had just spoken about.
“Damn it, we’ve already told you our Junior Brother is not an Epidemic Demon! Where the hell did you come from? Haven’t you seen a birthmark before? Is your brain filled with shit from cultivating, unable to understand human speech?! And you dare to draw your swords! Are you capable of handling scaring our Junior Brother?! “
The members of Zhu Xie: “…”
The disciples from Liren Peak behind Li Suo were already used to it, shouting excitedly, “Senior Brother Li Suo is mighty!”
The members of Zhu Xie probably had never seen someone change their expression so quickly, immediately dumbfounded by the scolding. What happened to ‘harmony is precious’ at Liren Peak?!
Both sides were hotheaded, and no one was willing to take insults. They drew swords and took out talismans, gearing up for another clash.
However, the “eggs” had no intention of quarreling with the “red fruits.” After Li Suo scolded them, he immediately knelt in front of Yu Xinghe and respectfully said, “We pay respect to Sage Fengxue!”
The members of Zhu Xie, who were about to kill the Epidemic Demon, were surprised to see this strange scene. The disciples of Liren Peak knelt in reverence. Zhu Xie members exchanged glances, both filled with fear and concern about the minds of the disciples of Liren Peak.
Liren Peak remained outside the Three Realms and never interfered in disputes with other sects. The master’s teaching of “harmony is valuable” was well-known. However, this became a joke a hundred years ago when Liren Peak’s Sect Leader’s beloved disciple, Shen Fengxue, successfully formed his core. With one person and one sword, he offended all the powerful figures in the Three Realms thoroughly.
Due to Shen Fengxue’s remarkable achievements, even the powerful members of Zhu Xie dared not act recklessly against Liren Peak’s disciples.
After all, Shen Fengxue was the only person in the Three Realms who was just half a step away from becoming a Saint and ascending. Even their master and ancestors showed great respect when meeting him.
The members of Zhu Xie fell silent. The leader fixed his gaze on the lotus flower in Yu Xinghe’s hand and, as if sensing something, sneered, “How could Sage Fengxue, such a distinguished figure, personally come down the mountain for a trivial disciple? Have you lost your mind, thinking you can save your life?”
Shen Fengxue’s reputation was well-known, and his achievements were remarkable. However, he never descended from the mountain unless challenged by formidable opponents. It was inconceivable that he would come down the mountain for a seemingly insignificant disciple.
Li Suo remained kneeling, returning to his gentle and weak appearance, and softly said, “The divine puppet of Sage Fengxue is already here. Do you still doubt him?”
The members of Zhu Xie began to hesitate again.
Seeing this, Li Suo hurriedly complained to the lotus flower in Yu Xinghe’s hand, “The Sage is wies, disciple Mu Zhe was personally accepted by the Sage but these thieves wrongly identified him as an Epidemic Demon based on his birthmark, wantonly damaging the reputation of Junior Brother. Those from Zhu Xie are all discerning individuals. Upon careful consideration, it is evident that these people are just petty criminals pretending to be members of Zhu Xie, attempting to harm the disciples of our Liren Peak. This crime should be punished! I hope Sage Fengxue will make a fair judgment!”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong almost applauded him. This ability to distort right and wrong was even more impressive than those storytellers under the Tianqiao Bridge in Huitang City.
The members of Zhu Xie were also stunned, probably never having encountered such shameless individuals. In just a few words, their guilt was determined.
The crime of intentionally harming the disciples of Liren Peak could be significant or insignificant. However, if the Sage were to personally come, considering his ruthless nature, their fate would likely be grim.
A member of Zhu Xie whispered, “Senior Brother, there is indeed the aura of a Mahayana stage on the lotus. What if it is really the Sage…”
The leader of Zhu Xie took a deep breath, suddenly abandoned his sword, and knelt down on one knee, saying in a deep voice, “It was our failure in investigation. I hope the Sage can understand. Members of Zhu Xie carry the Zhu Xie Seal. If the Sage doubts us, you can investigate it yourself.”
He took out the Zhu Xie Seal and presented it.
Other members of Zhu Xie also knelt down together.
The two teams, who had just been fighting fiercely, unexpectedly knelt down in unison to a six-year-old child. The scene was momentarily spectacular. An old man riding a cow passed by leisurely.
Li Suo, seeing the people who had been so domineering just now fear their Sage, felt very pleased. He thought, “When the Sage appears, I will make sure to instigate the Sage to teach these Zhu Xie guys a lesson.”
A group of people continued to kneel, but the legendary Sage Fengxue still did not appear.
Shen Gurong, with his eyes closed, was still nervously contemplating how to correctly manifest his divine puppet.
As time passed, everyone looked at each other, and finally, they all turned their gaze to Yu Xinghe, who was holding the lotus.
Yu Xinghe’s little face blushed, holding the lotus with a puzzled expression.
Shen Gurong almost shouted, “Wait! Just wait a little longer! I’m about to figure it out!”
The originally blooming red lotus, due to Yu Xinghe’s running around, slowly dropped its petals and made a soft sound as it hit Shen Gurong’s head, causing him to collapse.
Shen Gurong: “…”
The lotus, along with Shen Gurong, wilted.
It now looked like an ordinary lotus.
Everyone: “…”
A dead silence surrounded them.
Li Suo was the first to react. He smiled, “The Zhu Xie seal is authentic, and the Sage believes in your identities as the Zhu Xie. I hope everyone continues their efforts to investigate the Epidemic Demon.”
As he spoke, he gestured with his finger. His disciples quickly got up and prepared to escape.
Li Suo shouted, “Farewell!”
After saying that, he led his Junior Brothers to continue running wildly.
The members of Zhu Xie angrily shouted, “You dare to mock us!”
Thinking they were being fooled, the Zhu Xie group was furious and drew their swords, this time without any room for compromise.
Due to his weak physique, Li Suo couldn’t even carry the two Junior Brothers on his back and could only run while pulling them, panting.
One Junior Brother followed behind, shouting, “Senior Brother! You were so bold just now; I thought you could defeat them!”
Li Suo coughed weakly and said, “Senior Brother is physically weak, and all of them are at the Golden Core stage. Didn’t you see that when I broke their swords just now, I specifically chose the weakest in cultivation to deal with?”
The Junior Brother was about to collapse, “Ah ah ah! Senior brother, when can you be more reliable? I will definitely tell the Sect Leader when we get back!”
In the chaos, the lotus in Yu Xinghe’s hand suddenly fell onto the dirty sand, and the miniature figure, Shen Gurong, directly tumbled to the ground. His body rolled several times on the muddy ground, and he ended up firmly pressed under the flower petals, unable to get up.
Shen Guorong: “…”
These little brats!
Just as Shen Guorong struggled to get up, he suddenly heard someone’s short and sharp laughter amid the chaos.
Shen Guorong looked up and saw the lingering mockery in the eyes of the little protagonist, Mu Zhe.
Shen Guorong: “??”
Do you have a grudge with the master?
Don’t think that I haven’t noticed you sneaking a laugh just because you have a straight face!
Li Suo was weak, and he was also pulling two children. He was chased up in no time.
Amidst the onslaught of sword and blade, with the cold wind howling, Li Suo’s heart resigned, thinking his life was at its end. In the moment the sword descended, he hastily erected a protective barrier, narrowly shielding the two Junior Disciples in his embrace.
Suddenly, a burst of blue light flashed, and spiritual power, like arrows offline, collided with the treasure sword of the members of Zhu Xie. With a crisp clang, the long sword shattered into hundreds of pieces, raining down like droplets onto the sandy ground.
The members of Zhu Xie hastily turned around, staring in astonishment. In the scorching blue light, a figure dressed in blue, standing on a lotus, slowly opened half-closed eyes. The pale irises revealed neither sorrow nor joy as they calmly observed them.
Clad in blue, white hair, eyes covered in icy silk, stepping on lotus with each stride— it was Sage Shen Fengxue.
The members of Zhu Xie were momentarily stunned, compelled by the imposing aura of the Mahayana stage. One by one, they dropped their swords and knelt to the ground, trembling, unable to utter a single word.
They had only heard of Shen Gurong’s name, knowing that he was half a step away from becoming a saint, aware of his stern nature and ethereal beauty. However, they never knew that with just one glance, the Sage could make these proud geniuses bow their heads and kneel.
Shen Gurong’s feet didn’t touch the ground, his illusory figure seeming to float in the air, with his long hair and robes swirling around him. He asked coldly, “Who did you say was the Epidemic Demon?”
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