Chapter 9: Enthusiast as Fire
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Lou Bugui muttered quietly for a long time before slowly responding to Xi Guxing’s question, “Shiyi’s cultivation should not have fallen out of the Mahayana stage yet, but his sea of consciousness has been damaged too much. It’s inevitable that he will have Internal Demons. It’s difficult to cure with medicine.”
Xi Guxing was still glaring at Shen Gurong, one glance after another, his dissatisfaction almost breaking through the roof. Upon hearing Lou Bugui’s words, his brows furrowed tightly, and he coldly said, “He was already in the Mahayana stage and was on the verge of ascending to the Saint realm soon. Now…”
Now he had inexplicably suffered a body full of injuries and even developed the Internal Demons that cultivators should least have.
He was both angry and worried for Shen Gurong. While venting his anger, he glanced sideways and saw Shen Gurong reaching out to pinch the date-paste pastry on the table.
Xi Guxing: “…”
This carefree fool.
He raised his hand and slapped Shen Gurong’s hand, making a “smack” sound, scolding him, “You dare to eat Bugui’s things. Can your mind be filled with water just because you’ve fallen into Qi Deviation?”
Shen Gurong withdrew his hand, lowered his eyes, and didn’t argue.
Xi Guxing, who was usually retorted by Shen Fengxue, found it unusual for him to be so well-behaved at the moment. He was momentarily unaccustomed to it.
Reflecting on Shen Gurong’s strangeness over the past few days, Xi Guxing glanced at him and found that the current obedient and docile junior was much more pleasing to the eye than before.
—Although equally troublesome.
Seeing Shen Gurong’s gaze constantly drifting towards the date-paste pastry, Xi Guxing simply took out a small packet of spiritual medicine from his mustard seed and threw it to Shen Gurong, telling him to use it as a snack.
Having resolved the issue of “being burned because of possession,” Shen Gurong relaxed considerably. There was no longer the previous feigned indifference in his expression. He slowly pinched the spiritual medicine like candy, nibbling on it with lowered eyes.
Xi Guxing originally thought that dealing with a useless medical cultivator like Lou Bugui was troublesome enough, but now, with Shen Fengxue having fallen into Qi Deviation, he suddenly had a premonition that the decline of Liren Peak was imminent.
Xi Guxing impatiently asked, “So, what’s the deal with Mu Zhe?”
Shen Gurong finally gave a reasonable response, “I don’t remember.”
Xi Guxing chuckled in exasperation, “Are you trying to brush me off with that statement? Shen Shiyi, Mu Zhe is definitely connected to the Epidemic Demon, and you should be aware of it. By being evasive like this, are you really willing to disregard the safety of the entire Liren Peak?”
Shen Gurong fell silent for a moment and said, “Mu Zhe is not the Epidemic Demon. He poses no threat to Liren Peak.”
Xi Guxing said, “But he must be related to the ghost cultivators.”
Shen Gurong furrowed his brows, raised his hand to his forehead, and employed the same tactic, saying, “But I really don’t remember.”
Xi Guxing: “…”
Lou Bugui saw Shen Gurong massaging his temples and hurriedly went to the medicine box to fetch a silk cushion, intending to check Shen Gurong’s pulse again.
Xi Guxing stopped him and said coldly, “Don’t pretend. I’m not falling for this.”
Shen Gurong simply lay flat on the stone table, closing his eyes and pretending to be unconscious.
Xi Guxing: “…”
Lou Bugui was in a panic, spinning in place, “Shiyi, Shiyi, Shiyi!”
He took out the red jade token from his bosom, ready to speak after a touch.
Xi Guxing, quick with his hands and eyes, snatched the red jade token from Lou Bugui and angrily said, “Lou Bugui!”
Lou Bugui looked at him in confusion.
Shen Gurong sneakily opened one eye and noticed that Xi Guxing, who usually confronted anyone without hesitation, now appeared as if facing a formidable enemy, tightly holding onto Lou Bugui’s red jade token and refusing to let go.
Xi Guxing, with a cold expression, said, “Master has been in seclusion for many years. Don’t disturb him with such trivial matters.”
Lou Bugui argued, “But Shiyi is currently fallen into Qi Deviation, severely injured. If Master knows…”
He didn’t dare to continue.
The former Sect Leader of Liren Peak had showered Shen Fengxue with such favor that it became a sore sight for many. There were even suspicions that Shen Fengxue might be his illegitimate child.
Xi Guxing’s eyes darkened slightly as he thought about his master’s boundless indulgence towards Shen Shiyi. He looked at the feigned-dead Shen Gurong with mixed feelings.
Shen Gurong continued to play dead, probably having guessed that the former Sect Leader of Liren Peak had a special affection for Shen Fengxue. Xi Guxing, who regarded everything with disdain, was afraid of his master, hence stopping Lou Bugui from calling their master out of seclusion.
Xi Guxing glared harshly at Shen Gurong. Even if he knew that Shen Gurong was using the tactic of pretending to be injured to avoid his questions, he couldn’t continue pressing him. If their master were to really come out of seclusion, a casual remark from Shen Fengxue could strip him of his dignity. However, given Shen Fengxue’s personality, he probably wouldn’t bother to complain.
Xi Guxing spoke in a harsh tone, “Stop pretending. I won’t ask anymore. Just ensure that Mu Zhe won’t cause any trouble.”
Shen Gurong glanced at him through his fingers and realized that he indeed wouldn’t pursue the matter further. Only then did he leisurely sit up.
“I promise,” Shen Gurong said.
Seeing that he was really just pretending, Xi Guxing was so infuriated that he almost drew his sword to strike him.
Before leaving, Xi Guxing plucked a few healing herbs from Lou Bugui’s courtyard and, like feeding a pig, stuffed them directly into Shen Gurong’s mouth.
Shen Gurong: “Mmm…”
He was about to spit them out due to the bitterness, but Xi Guxing said, “They’re for healing. Swallow them.”
Shen Gurong could only frown and reluctantly swallowed, sticking out his tongue and muttering, “So bitter.”
The frustration in Xi Guxing’s eyes finally dissipated a bit, and he smiled insincerely, “Good medicine tastes bitter. Continue to swallow.”
After eating another herb, Shen Gurong felt that the spiritual energy in his meridians flowed much smoother. He reluctantly ate another one with a frown.
Xi Guxing crossed his arms, looking at him with a smile that was not quite a smile. Shen Gurong touched his lips, caught the teasing look in Xi Guxing’s eyes, and frowned, “You’re not trying to retaliate against me, are you?”
Xi Guxing said, “Tsk, you actually figured it out. I thought your brain went empty as you’ve fallen into Qi Deviation.”
Shen Gurong: “…”
As the two were talking, Lou Bugui, who had finished tidying up the tea set, glanced around the courtyard and suddenly said, “I’m missing two herbs.”
Xi Guxing, sensing trouble, immediately grabbed Shen Gurong’s wrist and said to Lou Bugui, who hadn’t reacted yet, “We’re leaving.”
With that, the two of them dashed out.
Shen Gurong was still puzzled when he heard Lou Bugui’s voice behind them saying, “Stop.” It was accompanied by the sound of a sword being unsheathed.
Despite Lou Bugui’s typically mild and laid-back temperament, he cherished the herbs in his courtyard greatly. If anyone dared to casually take his herbs, even if they were fellow disciples, he wouldn’t hesitate to draw his sword and pursue them for miles.
But as long as they ran fast enough to escape his pursuit, he would completely forget about the matter after a while.
The two swiftly flew from Bai Shang Mountain to Changying Mountain. Xi Guxing, seemingly still harboring some resentment towards Shen Gurong, brought him back and, without saying a word, directly left, showing that he was quite upset.
Shen Gurong didn’t call him either, avoiding getting scolded. He skillfully flicked a spiritual medicine into his mouth, strolled leisurely through Changying Mountain for a while, and eventually succeeded in getting lost in the mountains.
The city Shen Gurong grew up in, Huitang City, wasn’t large. There were roughly a few hundred households, nestled by the mountains and water, with very recognizable paths. However, even so, he found himself lost in unfamiliar streets once or twice a month. If he could get lost in his own hometown, it was even more likely to happen in the unfamiliar territory of Liren Peak.
Normally, when he got lost, Shen Gurong would stay in one place and wait for his elder brother to come find him. Now, he instinctively found a spot to sit down. After a brief moment of realization, he understood that his elder brother wasn’t here. No one was coming to find him.
Sitting on a giant rock, Shen Gurong looked up at the sky where solitary geese flew by, sighed softly, and mused to himself, “What a troubled fate.”
Leaning against the giant rock, Shen Gurong half-lay down, and the gentle breeze that blew made him drowsy. Unable to resist, he took a brief nap.
This nap turned into an entire afternoon.
When he woke up again and lifted his head, he saw a small figure approaching not far away. It was Mu Zhe.
Mu Zhe’s face was somewhat pale. He seemed to have come from Li Suo’s place, with lips turned white and a distracted look as if his soul had left his body.
Shen Gurong finally saw a living person. He raised his hand, pulling down the frosty veil covering his eyes, and bunched it into a ball tucked into his sleeve. With a vacant gaze, he supported himself on the rock as he stood up.
Before long, the sound of footsteps approached, and Mu Zhe’s bewildered voice sounded, “Master?”
Even if it’s right in front of him, Shen Gurong treated people and animals indiscriminately: “Feeling better?”
Mu Zhe pressed his lips together and nodded.
Mu Zhe had just visited Li Suo and was quite frightened when he saw Li Suo’s injuries. Luckily, Li Suo was not seriously harmed and didn’t blame him. Mu Zhe finally let go of the hanging anxiety and came out absentmindedly.
Shen Gurong didn’t treat himself as an outsider and reached out his hand toward Mu Zhe without reservation. He didn’t want others to know that he couldn’t even recognize the way and could only compromise by revealing his visual impairment.
Mu Zhe, traumatized by him, instinctively recoiled when he saw Shen Gurong’s clearly articulated hand, displaying a familiar disgust and fear in his eyes.
But as he withdrew his hand, Mu Zhe belatedly realized that Shen Gurong seemed… not intending to continue tormenting him for the time being. Last night, him using a bamboo flute to torture his ears and mind didn’t count.
Mu Zhe took a gentle breath, and his tense mind slowly relaxed.
Mu Zhe took a couple of steps forward, meeting Shen Gurong’s absent gaze. For the first time, he initiated conversation, speaking softly, “Master, what happened to your eyes?”
“Help me back,” Shen Gurong said, “I’ve lost my sight.”
Mu Zhe: “…”
Recalling the scene where Shen Gurong had groped around the bed like a blind person, Mu Zhe realized that the white veil covering his master’s eyes might not be just for show.
Trying to hold Shen Gurong’s hand, Mu Zhe couldn’t help but tremble.
Mu Zhe still instinctively feared him. The lingering resentment in his heart made it difficult for him to easily let go of the grievances from their previous interactions.
While Mu Zhe was lost in his thoughts, Shen Gurong suddenly unhooked the crane cloak from his shoulders and draped it over Mu Zhe’s. Mu Zhe was puzzled, looking at him with confusion.
Shen Gurong lowered his gaze to look at Mu Zhe, his eyes unfocused. “Are you cold?”
Changying Mountain was hot throughout the year, and even in December, one could wear light clothing. Shen Gurong draped a thick cloak over Mu Zhe. The sudden warmth made him break a slight sweat.
Mu Zhe, who had been pondering the strange words he had heard last night, was abruptly interrupted in his thoughts. Instinctively, he wondered, “What new torment is this?”
As this thought crossed his mind, he tried to extinguish it bit by bit. For some reason, Mu Zhe felt that his current master was different from before.
Glancing at Shen Gurong’s pale face, Mu Zhe quickly lowered his head again and obediently held Shen Gurong’s hand, walking towards the direction of Fanjiang Residence.
Changying Mountain was excessively hot, and not long after walking, beads of sweat started to form on Mu Zhe’s forehead. Fearing Shen Gurong, he didn’t dare to take off the crane cloak without permission. Instead, he tried to activate the faint spiritual power within him to dispel the heat from his body.
Since entering Shen Fengxue’s body, Shen Gurong hadn’t enjoyed the cultivation level of the Mahayana stage. Instead, he had experienced the backlash from an unknown source, making him weak and feeble. Even in Changying Mountain, he felt a bit chilly.
Feeling cold himself, Shen Gurong instinctively assumed that others were also cold. When he noticed Mu Zhe’s hands trembling, without much thought, he generously tossed the crane cloak to him, following the warm-hearted protagonist mentality. Shen Gurong thought to himself, “Experience the warmth of your master, little one.”
Mu Zhe, who happened to hear it, “…”
Mu Zhe was on the verge of being overwhelmed by the “warmth” of his master.
With a frail physique, Mu Zhe found it difficult to walk under the weight of the thick crane cloak. His robe dragged on the ground, making him feel cumbersome. If Shen Gurong could see at that moment, he would surely notice the increasingly unpleasant expression on Mu Zhe’s face.
Unfortunately, Shen Gurong was blind. In his imagination, he was sure that the little protagonist felt touched by his considerate actions.
Mu Zhe, drenched in cold sweat, finally managed to bring Shen Gurong to Fanjiang Residence. Struggling, he took off the oversized crane cloak from his shoulders and handed it to Shen Gurong. “Thank you, Master…” Mu Zhe’s words almost floated out from between his lips, “for your concern.”
Covered in sweat on his face and with a shaky body, Mu Zhe seemed on the verge of heatstroke.
Shen Gurong walked into the inner room, still talking, “Do you want some tea?”
Mu Zhe glanced at the steaming hot tea on the small table and, with a blackened vision, collapsed straight to the ground.
Shen Gurong, putting frosty silk over his eyes, absentmindedly poured two cups of tea. When he turned around to call Mu Zhe, he saw him lying face down on the floor.
Shen Gurong: “…”
Is this… the assassination of the ghost cultivator?
Sect Leader Senior Brother, help!
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