Chapter 24: The Innocent Wen Liubing: Vomit
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Shen Gurong’s initial reaction was, [Mu Zhe, you’ve been expelled from the sect.]
However, he quickly realized that if he expelled every disciple for every embarrassment he faced, then perhaps before long, the entire Liren Peak would be emptied of disciples.
Shen Gurong felt utterly hopeless.
Just when he was almost giving up and sinking into despair, his once-disdained senior disciple suddenly stood up, sternly addressing Mu Zhe, “Outrageous! Such young age and yet full of lies. Who taught you to speak like this?!”
Mu Zhe was not intimidated by him and calmly said, “He indeed said so, and I conveyed it exactly as such, without any deletion or alteration.”
Wen Liubing looked coldly at him, and Li Suo quickly pulled Mu Zhe behind him, whispering, “Senior Brother, don’t be angry for now. The Sage’s current state must be influenced by Xue Manzhuang, so his words may not be reliable.”
The entire Liren Peak knew that although Wen Liubing appeared cold and domineering, he was actually easy to talk to and protective of his disciples. The only thing he couldn’t tolerate was any criticism of Shen Fengxue in front of him, not even a single word.
When Shen Fengxue found Wen Liubing, Wen Liubing was still a teenager.
He lay shivering on a piece of flowing ice, barely clinging to life. Shen Fengxue seemed like a god descending from heaven, with a wave of his hand instantly melting the ice. With his distinct knuckles, he pulled him out of the water and gently held him in his arms.
At that time, Wen Liubing was almost frozen, his senses dulled, his breathing faint as if struggling for air. Yet, for some reason, he caught a faint scent of peaches from Shen Fengxue’s body.
Even on the brink of death, in Wen Liubing’s muddled mind, he still had nonsensical thoughts: “So even immortals eat peaches?”
The immortal led him to the Liren Peak, guiding him on the path of cultivation, imparting wisdom and clarity. Despite his aloof demeanor, Shen Fengxue never mistreated Wen Liubing in the slightest.
Shen Fengxue held such a high position in Wen Liubing’s heart that he couldn’t tolerate even half a word of criticism from others.
When Wen Liubing first entered the Zhuxie Sect, Xi Guxing had warned him not to casually provoke trouble.
Wen Liubing quietly acknowledged this.
A few days later, when someone in the Zhuxie Sect whispered behind Shen Fengxue’s back, calling him a “blind man’s favorite,” Wen Liubing erupted in anger. Ignoring everyone’s advice, he directly crippled the person’s cultivation.
Xi Guxing was exasperated and hurriedly brought Shen Fengxue to clean up the mess.
Shen Fengxue listened quietly to the explanation, his expression unchanged, as if the term “favorite” was nothing more than a passing breeze to him.
Wen Liubing, fearing his anger, knelt on the ground and looked up at him, with traces of blood still on his face.
“Master, Sanshui acknowledges his mistake.”
Shen Fengxue lowered his gaze to him and suddenly asked, “What is the mistake?”
Wen Liubing didn’t think he was wrong at all and was directly taken aback by the question.
Shen Fengxue stepped forward, looking down at him from a higher position, his eyes under the icy silk as if made of glass.
“They say you’re wrong, does that mean you’re wrong?”
Wen Liubing was stunned.
But Shen Fengxue said no more, leaving only this question before turning and walking away, leaving Wen Liubing with a cold and lonely figure.
Wen Liubing pondered for a long time before finally understanding Shen Fengxue’s words.
“If Master says I’m not wrong, then I’m not wrong.”
Just because of this seemingly casual remark, Wen Liubing’s temperament became more and more twisted, resulting in his current stubborn and self-willed attitude.
And now, this little dwarf in front of him, who was not even up to his waist, dared to “slander” Shen Fengxue in his presence. Wen Liubing almost exhausted all his restraint to refrain from throwing Mu Zhe out.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Liubing suppressed his inner rage and said coldly, “Master has a solitary temperament and wouldn’t say such things. It must be you adding fuel to the fire.”
Li Suo: “…”
Shen Gurong: “…”
After Wen Liubing finished speaking, he noticed the complex expressions on Li Suo and Mu Zhe’s faces, realizing that he had spoken out of turn. He immediately fell silent.
Mu Zhe’s face showed a hint of surprise at the opportune moment: “Is this spirit beast really the Master?”
Shen Gurong completely lost his temper, almost roaring, flapping his wings and angrily pointing at Wen Liubing, [More trouble than it’s worth!]
Wen Liubing looked ashamed.
Li Suo chuckled on the side, barely managing to hold it in, clearing his throat to help resolve the situation for Wen Liubing.
He succinctly explained the situation to Mu Zhe and cautioned, “Mu Zhe, this matter is of great importance. You must not disclose it to others, including Xinghe.”
Mu Zhe pretended to be shocked for a moment before obediently nodding.
Li Suo breathed a sigh of relief at seeing this and quickly took Mu Zhe’s arm, asking, “How did you understand what the Sage was saying?”
Mu Zhe didn’t know himself and truthfully replied, “I don’t know either.”
Li Suo, curious, asked again, “What did the Sage say just now?”
Mu Zhe hesitated, glancing at Wen Liubing, who was sulking with folded arms nearby.
Li Suo was extremely curious and urged him, “It’s okay, just say it boldly.”
Mu Zhe said, “Master said, ‘More trouble than it’s worth.'”
Wen Liubing: “…”
Wen Liubing said coldly, “Master couldn’t possibly say that. Are you perhaps displeased with me and venting your anger?”
Mu Zhe seemed to have a disagreement with him, “But Master did say so.”
“It’s impossible!”
“I have not uttered a single falsehood.”
“There’s absolutely no way!”
Li Suo: “…”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Are you children quarreling?
Wen Liubing, irritated, quickly walked up to Shen Gurong, kneeling on one knee and solemnly saying, “Master, if what he says is true, then please nod.”
Shen Gurong hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to nod, because he himself wasn’t certain if Mu Zhe truly understood his words or if it was just a lucky guess.
Wen Liubing didn’t believe it, and neither did Shen Gurong. After all, Mu Zhe was just an ordinary human. Even if he had taken some miraculous medicine, it was impossible for him to understand the words of a Yao cultivator.
After some thought, Shen Gurong attempted to say a sentence.
[You foolish bug, hitching a ride on a pig.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Mu Zhe greatly admired his master; his insults were never repeated, and their content and angle were extremely clever and strange. Mu Zhe wondered how his master came up with them.
Mu Zhe’s lips twitched as he truthfully relayed, “Master said, ‘You foolish bug hitching a ride…’ Um…”
Before he could finish, Shen Gurong became embarrassed and flushed, flapping onto Mu Zhe with force, angrily interrupting him.
“Chirp chirp chirp!”
[Don’t say it anymore! I believe you can understand me now! My disciple! Spare master’s dignity!]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Seeing Shen Gurong’s obvious acknowledgment, Wen Liubing’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“This… can’t be!”
Wen Liubing felt as if he had been dealt a heavy blow, swaying unsteadily, staring at Shen Gurong in disbelief.
Shen Gurong dared not look at him, burying himself deeper into Mu Zhe’s embrace.
He had already reached such a humiliating point that preserving his dignity was pointless. Might as well just go with it.
[After all, I am the Sage. No matter what I say or do, no one dares to interfere with me.]
Wen Liubing stepped back a few paces, his face full of gloom as he turned and walked to a corner of the room, his heart ashen as he muttered, “Master actually wants to expel me from the sect?”
Li Suo: “…”
Li Suo hurried over to comfort him, “Senior brother, senior brother, the Sage’s mind is influenced by the Phoenix, so what he says really doesn’t count! Don’t take it to heart. Wait until the Sage returns to his human form…”
Wen Liubing couldn’t hear what he was saying at all. Facing the wall, he mumbled, “Expel me from the sect, from the sect, sect, sect.”
Li Suo: “…”
It’s over. Senior Brother Sanshui couldn’t hear what others were saying at all anymore.
Mu Zhe’s few words struck Wen Liubing, who was previously arrogant and self-centered, making him reflect on his actions. There was no change in Mu Zhe’s expression as he held Shen Gurong, nodded slightly, and said, “Mu Zhe will take his leave.”
Li Suo was busy comforting Wen Liubing and casually muttered a response as Mu Zhe left.
Mu Zhe left with his “spoils of victory” — Shen Gurong’s return — and also took Xue Manzhuang, who was cowering in the corner.
In the room, Yu Xinghe was already sprawled out and fast asleep.
Mu Zhe tossed Xue Manzhuang onto Yu Xinghe’s bed, then carried Shen Gurong to the soft couch by the window.
Shen Gurong nestled in Mu Zhe’s palm, trying to speak, and with a last glimmer of hope, asked, [Do you really understand what I’m saying?]
Mu Zhe bowed his head, whispering softly, “Yes.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
Well, well.
Shen Gurong buried his face in the gap between Mu Zhe’s fingers, utterly embarrassed.
Mu Zhe no longer touched Shen Gurong as before, even holding him with a respectful posture.
Perhaps not wanting Shen Gurong to feel too embarrassed, Mu Zhe took the initiative to explain, “Senior brother Li Suo said that Master was assimilated into a phoenix by Xue Manzhuang’s demonic power. It seems that Xue Manzhuang’s unstable temperament has affected Master.”
A tuft of fur on Shen Gurong’s head suddenly twitched, as if an animal had perked up its ears.
Mu Zhe resisted the urge to pat his head and continued, “Disciple didn’t know it was Master earlier and offended you. I hope Master will punish me.”
Mu Zhe’s words saved Shen Gurong’s face. Shen Gurong’s feathers were practically standing up, and he pulled his head out from between Mu Zhe’s fingers, settling on his palm with dignity, softly chirping, “Chirp chirp.”
[Those who don’t know shouldn’t be blamed.]
Mu Zhe saw Shen Gurong, who looked so cute and innocent, but then tried so hard to maintain the demeanor of a dignified Sage after being exposed. A string in Mu Zhe’s heart was gently plucked.
“Not good,” Mu Zhe thought, “I still want to pat him.”
But this thought was just a passing fancy. If he knew that this spirit beast was Shen Gurong and still dared to touch him, Mu Zhe was certain that the first thing his master would do upon returning to human form would be to expel him from the sect.
Mu Zhe could only force himself to endure it.
The night grew late, and Shen Gurong, who had experienced two significant ups and downs today, felt exhausted both physically and mentally. He was just about to nestle on his pillow and get some rest when a nearly forgotten thought flashed through his mind.
Water demon!
Shen Gurong was startled, realizing that he had completely forgotten about the water demon incident amidst all the embarrassment.
He hastily turned to Mu Zhe, who was about to take off his outer robe, and said, [Wait a moment! The water demon might come later. First, take me to find your senior brother.]
Mu Zhe was taken aback. “Water demon?”
Shen Gurong nodded vigorously.
Mu Zhe: “The one who gouges out people’s eyes on the boat?”
Shen Gurong was stunned, only then suddenly realizing that on the water demon’s boat, there was not only him but also Mu Zhe and Xue Manzhuang.
Xue Manzhuang appeared on the boat because he had transformed into a phoenix due to demonic power.
But Mu Zhe… why was he also on the boat?
Shen Gurong looked at him, shivering involuntarily, finally realizing that there must be a reason why Shen Fengxue treated this child so differently.
Seeing his widened eyes, as if he had been frightened, Mu Zhe hesitated and asked, “Master?”
Shen Gurong immediately snapped back to reality, nodding. [Yes, that’s the one.]
Mu Zhe initially thought it was just a nightmare, but he didn’t expect it to be because of the water demon.
Knowing that Shen Gurong was afraid of demons, Mu Zhe had no choice but to dress himself and carry Shen Gurong to find Wen Liubing.
Wen Liubing was still facing the wall. Due to the nourishment of the spiritual array, the slight pain in Shen Gurong’s wings had disappeared. He flew out from Mu Zhe’s hands, flapping his wings to fly over and land on Wen Liubing’s shoulder.
[Disciple,]
Mu Zhe conveyed on his behalf.
Wen Liubing’s expression remained dark, but he glanced at Shen Gurong. “Master.”
Shen Gurong chirped nervously, while Mu Zhe continued to babble, quickly recounting how the water demon dragged them into the dream.
After listening, Wen Liubing seemed to regain some energy. He finally decided to leave the corner and said, “There are countless water demons in Dongting Lake, each committing various crimes. That particular water demon must have used some method to escape and headed straight to Fuxian City, most likely targeting you, Master.”
Shen Gurong continued to greedily absorb spiritual energy within the spiritual array. He instinctively wanted to sprawl out and enjoy, but due to the need to maintain his identity, he had to pretend to be the cold and composed Sage, forcing himself to keep a straight face.
Just as he spoke, that composed demeanor completely broke.
“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”
Mu Zhe: “‘Did the water demon drag the person he made eye contact with on the water’s surface into the dream?'”
Wen Liubing shook his head. “No, he didn’t drag you into a dream, but rather pulled your consciousness into his barrier.”
Shen Gurong suddenly understood and said, “Chirp.”
[I completely don’t understand.]
Mu Zhe: “…”
Mu Zhe was about to speak when Shen Gurong realized and hastily said, “Don’t tell him that!”
Mu Zhe stopped himself.
Wen Liubinglooked at Mu Zhe, who seemed to be having a pleasant conversation with Shen Gurong, with a somewhat chilly gaze. He then considered his own inability to understand what his master was saying, feeling a pang of jealousy so strong he almost wanted to throw Mu Zhe out.
Jealousy burning in his eyes, Wen Liubing continued, “In that barrier, the water demon is the master, and he can freely decide who stays and who goes.”
Shen Gurong recalled how the water demon only lightly tapped the boat with an oar, and he was able to escape from the barrier. It seemed to be exactly as he remembered.
The feeling of having one’s life and death controlled was unbearable, and Shen Gurong didn’t want to experience it again.
Seeing Shen Gurong silent, Wen Liubing said, “But don’t worry, Master. With me here, that water demon won’t dare to drag you into the barrier again.”
Shen Gurong looked at him skeptically, only managing to emit a partial “Chirp.” Then, Mu Zhe calmly spoke up.
“When Master was dragged into the water demon’s barrier just now, it seemed like Senior Brother was also nearby.”
Wen Liubing: “…”
With a cold tone, Wen Liubing said, “Master hasn’t spoken yet, so where do you get the right to speak?”
Mu Zhe replied, “I’m just speaking the truth.”
Seeing the two about to argue again, Shen Gurong quickly flapped his wings twice, saying, [Stop arguing!]
The two disciples, who were at odds with each other, finally fell silent, each turning their heads away and refusing to look at the other.
Wen Liubing, who always disliked others questioning his abilities, had his competitive spirit ignited by Mu Zhe.
He locked the door and set up a barrier, then tied a strand of spiritual energy around Shen Gurong’s little claw.
Shen Gurong raised his paw in confusion, asking, [What’s this for?]
Mu Zhe frowned and replied, “We’re going back to rest.”
Wen Liubing, with Shen Gurong in one hand and Mu Zhe in the other, tossed them onto the bed. He then sat cross-legged beside them and declared coldly, “Stay here. There are still four hours until dawn. If the water demon comes again, I’ll ensure it doesn’t leave alive.”
Mu Zhe and Shen Gurong exchanged glances.
Shen Gurong said, [Then let’s stay here for the night.]
Mu Zhe nodded in agreement this time.
As the night deepened, both Mu Zhe and Shen Gurong, exhausted from the day’s events, couldn’t resist drifting off into a deep sleep on the bed.
Wen Liubing sat nearby, his fingers connected to the spiritual energy on Shen Gurong’s claw, emitting a faint glow.
Shen Gurong felt like he had just drifted off into a doze, and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself once more aboard that flat boat.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Oh no! He’s been dragged back in again!
Wasn’t Wen Liubing supposed to ensure everything was fine with him around?!
Fuming with frustration, he turned his head to look.
Wen Liubing was sitting at the stern of the boat, with his eyes closed slightly as he focused on his meditation.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Shen Gurong almost choked, thinking to himself: “You useless waste! Hollow turnip!”
As if sensing Shen Gurong’s angry gaze, Wen Liubing slowly opened his eyes.
Seeing the human form of Shen Gurong, Wen Liubing’s pupils contracted, and he quickly got up to bow: “Greetings, Maste…”
The boat was too small, and even a slightly bigger movement could capsize it. He had only taken two steps when the entire boat started shaking violently, nearly tipping over and sending the unsteady Shen Gurong into the water.
The water looked like black ink, and faintly, something seemed to be squirming within it.
If they fell in, who knew what trouble they would be in.
Shen Gurong staggered and stumbled, almost falling onto Wen Liubing.
Wen Liubing immediately caught him.
Once Shen Gurong regained his balance, he suppressed a breath and adopted a cold expression. He coldly said, “Is this what you call ‘everything is fine’?”
Wen Liubing finally let go of his hand, glanced around, and nodded slightly. He said, “Yes, everything is fine. I know how to break the water demon’s barrier.”
Shen Gurong asked skeptically, “Really?”
Wen Liubing replied, “Yes.”
Shen Gurong then felt relieved.
It seemed that the person leading the Zhuxie Sect was not as unreliable as he initially appeared.
The boat beneath them swayed slightly, and Wen Liubing glanced around, hesitating before saying, “It would be better if the boat were more stable.”
Shen Gurong knew about his seasickness issue, so he tried to remain still and let the boat settle on its own.
The water demon had yet to arrive, and they weren’t sure if it was still lurking elsewhere, perhaps looking for another victim.
After a while, the boat finally stopped rocking so much.
Wen Liubing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But the relief was short-lived as a figure suddenly appeared on the boat out of nowhere. With the added weight, the small boat began to rock again.
Wen Liubing’s face turned pale.
Shen Gurong saw Mu Zhe, looking bewildered, being pulled into the situation, and warned him, “Don’t move.”
Mu Zhe obediently nodded and remained still.
The boat soon stabilized again, but Wen Liubing’s face clearly showed discomfort, as if he might vomit at any moment.
Just then, the voice of the water demon resurfaced, laden with intense hatred, its tone sharp as if wielding knives, piercing inch by inch into the heart.
“Shen Fengxue, you’ve come again.”
“I’ve waited for you for too long.”
“Under that icy veil, can you still see things if I take off your eyes?”
A chilling wind swept through the surroundings. Shen Gurong listened to the haunting voice, seemingly from the depths of hell, and took a deep breath, desperately reminding himself.
With Wen Liubing present, there was no need to fear.
In the next instant, Xue Manzhuang appeared on the boat, causing it to be suddenly flooded with filthy river water that seemed as dark as ink.
The boat, which could hardly support the four of them, emitted a creaking sound of decayed old wood, as if it was about to collapse under the strain.
Meanwhile, Wen Liubing, the strongest combatant on the boat, finally couldn’t bear the feeling of the boat teetering beneath him anymore. He covered his mouth and leaned over the side of the boat, vomiting.
Mu Zhe: “…”
Shen Gurong: “…”
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
