After a long while, a small azure dragon suddenly soared into the air, but before it reached mid-air, it was blocked by the overwhelming white sword light and crashed to the ground with a thud.
As Shen Gurong, his face ashen, rushed over with his sword, Chao Jiuxiao was wrapped tightly around Jing Zhuchen, tears welling in his eyes as he angrily cried out, "Why can't I beat him?!"
Jing Zhuchen sighed. Seeing Shen Gurong approach, he put away his pipe, stroked Chao Jiuxiao's dragon head, and sighed, "I only said you could fight him, but I didn't say you would win. Think about it carefully, didn't you last longer this time?"
Chao Jiuxiao: "..."
Chao Jiuxiao roared, "I don't want to last longer, I want to beat him for as long as possible!"
"Eleven has been at the Great Ascension stage for many years after all," Jing Zhuchen patted his dragon head, saying, "You've only just transformed into a dragon; you just have more spiritual power."
Chao Jiuxiao became even angrier.
Shen Gurong coldly approached, raised his sword, and said, "Come out, let's continue fighting."
Chao Jiuxiao roared, "Fine, let's continue fighting!"
Although he said this, he still clung to Jing Zhuchen, refusing to get off.
His body betrayed his desire to avoid the beating.
Shen Gurong, still fuming, said coldly, "Senior brother, throw him over here."
As he spoke, he coughed, probably disliking the tobacco scent on Jing Zhuchen.
Jing Zhuchen expertly made a hand seal to remove the tobacco smell, then grabbed Chao Jiuxiao's tail, pretending to pull him away: "Okay."
Chao Jiuxiao roared, clinging tightly to him: "Senior brother! Jing Zhuchen! How dare you! I am a dragon! I am the only dragon in the Three Realms! Awooo!"
Jing Zhuchen was about to be deafened by his roar.
He sighed, "If you could cling to me like this in bed..."
Chao Jiuxiao: "..."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Did his fourth senior brother always utter such blush-inducing lewd remarks?
Chao Jiuxiao's azure scales were practically tinged with pink. He let out a howl, leaped off Jing Zhuchen's back, and quickly donned his clothes, looking like a girl being bullied by thugs.
Shen Gurong had never seen Chao Jiuxiao dress so quickly before.
Jing Zhuchen chuckled, then said calmly, "Alright, stop fooling around. Guxing just told me he wants me to take you back to Liren Peak."
Shen Gurong, about to continue beating Chao Jiuxiao with the Jiu Xi Sword, frowned upon hearing this: "You're coming back too?"
Jing Zhuchen nodded: "Guxing said it seems to be important business; it's probably Master coming out of seclusion."
Upon hearing this, Chao Jiuxiao's teary eyes instantly brightened like the sun. He rushed to Jing Zhuchen, excitedly exclaiming, "Really? Master really wants to..."
"He's out of seclusion? Really? Really? Really?"
Jing Zhuchen: "..."
Jing Zhuchen was nearly sprayed with dragon breath, took a half step back, and said, "We'll find out when we get back. Come on, let's get on the spirit boat."
Chao Jiuxiao let out a "Ha!", too lazy to ride the slow, tortoise-like spirit boat of human cultivators, and directly transformed into a huge dragon: "You guys can crawl slowly behind, the dragon will go first!"
After saying that, he almost tied himself up in excitement, and happily rode away on the clouds.
Shen Gurong, having beaten up the dragon, had calmed down enough. He went back and called Mu Zhe, and together they boarded Jing Zhuchen's spirit boat and flew towards Liren Peak.
Mu Zhe always wore a wide hood in front of outsiders. When he arrived at his room on the spirit boat, he deliberately threw away his worn-out clothes, changed into a blue robe with silver trim on the sleeves and collar, and fiddled with it for a while before going to find Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong was pondering Nan Yangjun's matter when he heard the knock on the door. He casually replied, "Come in."
Mu Zhe said, "Yes."
Upon hearing Mu Zhe's voice, Shen Gurong immediately snapped back to reality and hurriedly said, "Don't...don't come in yet!"
He hadn't prepared how to deal with Mu Zhe's declaration of love.
But Mu Zhe had already pushed open the door and entered.
Shen Gurong was utterly embarrassed, averting his gaze to avoid Mu Zhe's stare.
He had been like this ever since he woke up, never daring to look Mu Zhe in the eye, and naturally hadn't noticed the fox ears that hadn't yet faded from Mu Zhe's head.
Mu Zhe coughed lightly, deliberately bending slightly to get closer to Shen Gurong, as if he wanted to shove his fox ears right into Shen Gurong's eyes.
But when Shen Gurong looked at him, his heart pounded wildly, images flashing through his mind, finally settling on the kiss between the two amidst the rolling thunder.
Shen Gurong: "..."
'Ahhh! Am I really gay? No! My brother will really kill me!'
For Shen Gurong, their master-disciple relationship wasn't the most important reason preventing him from accepting Mu Zhe. After all, his ten-year seclusion was too long; it felt like he'd only taken a nap, and the short man who only reached his thigh had become a completely different person. He didn't feel much of the rebelliousness of a master being with his disciple.
His biggest worry was that Mu Zhe wouldn't accept that he was gay.
After all, when he returned to Tang City, he thought about delicate beauties all day long, never imagining that one day he would spend his life with a man.
And there was another reason...
'I'll go home sooner or later.'
Mu Zhe, who was subtly twitching his ear, suddenly paused.
"Shen Feng Xue has already given me the key to home. I just need to crush that light to go back. If I accept Mu Zhe now, without thinking..." Shen Gurong's brows furrowed tightly. "No, I can't ruin Mu Zhe's life."
Since he couldn't be with him for life, he shouldn't give him a hopeless promise.
Shen Feng Xue's question, "Can you abandon Mu Zhe?"
...In that instant, Shen Gurong suddenly understood the meaning of those words.
Perhaps he himself did have some feelings for Mu Zhe, but he had never thought of it that way. If he could abandon Mu Zhe, abandon this world, then he could easily go home.
Shen Gurong suddenly fell into deep thought.
He actually... fell for someone in the book?
Thinking about it carefully, Mu Zhe was handsome, incredibly hardworking, and respectful to his master. Most importantly, he seemed to pour all his warmth into his master alone. This unique tenderness was the most irresistible.
Shen Gurong tilted his head and thought for a moment:
'Mu Zhe seems really quite nice.' Mu Zhe's heart pounded like it was flying on a sword for the first time, rising and falling with Shen Gurong's thoughts, his entire heart racing, his palms sweating.
His master… seemed to have already sensed his true feelings!
Although Mu Zhe knew Shen Gurong wasn't the type to be coy, even the most carefree person would struggle and agonize over such a situation. He thought his master would make a scene, shouting things like, "I'm not gay," "I don't like Mu Zhe," "Nonsense, I don't want to hear it!" He hadn't expected his master to accept it so directly.
He accepted it quite quickly.
After realizing this, Shen Gurong became even more deflated: 'What's the use of liking someone? I still have to go home in the end.'
Mu Zhe paused, realizing that Shen Gurong's love for him was only a little, not to the point of being indispensable; otherwise, he wouldn't have considered the conflict between going home and loving him.
Mu Zhe took a deep breath, feeling that the current situation was much better than he had imagined; at least he was no longer indulging in wishful thinking.
Shen Gurong, however, was incredibly sad. He felt he was far too easily moved to love, even in a world that wasn't his own, wearing someone else's body, he could so easily fall for someone, and even win their heart, only to have to walk away.
'How awful of me,' Shen Gurong thought.
Mu Zhe: "..." His little master's personality must have been spoiled by his family since childhood; otherwise, he couldn't possibly be so naive.
For a moment, Mu Zhe suddenly felt a sense of guilt, like leaving footprints in the snow.
For the first time, he felt unworthy of Shen Gurong, but he quickly suppressed it.
The two were lost in thought, remaining silent for a long time before Shen Gurong slowly came to his senses. He glanced at Mu Zhe unintentionally, and his eyes immediately froze.
He noticed the fox ears.
Shen Gurong: 'Fox ears!!!'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe had almost forgotten about this. Sure enough, he could never keep up with his master's thoughts.
Mu Zhe continued to shake his ears, pretending not to care as he glanced at Shen Gurong, and said, "Master, is there something wrong with me?"
Shen Gurong feigned composure and said calmly, "Nothing."
'Fox—ears—'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe almost burst out laughing.
The fox ears that Shen Gurong had unintentionally grown were pure white, blending seamlessly with his white hair. Shen Gurong hadn't even noticed them, only touching them twice before stopping.
He couldn't touch his own fox ears, but he was thoroughly enjoying looking at others'.
Mu Zhe's pair of black fox ears perched in his hair, creating an unexpected contrast with his cold face.
Shen Gurong's eyes widened.
'Fox ears are so nice.' Shen Gurong thought blankly, 'I'm not going home.'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Is that all he cares about?
Shen Gurong coughed heavily, beckoning with a loving expression, "Come here."
Mu Zhe walked over respectfully, bowing slightly, "Master."
Shen Gurong pretended to stroke his disciple's head as before, saying calmly, "If you have any questions about cultivation, feel free to ask Master."
Mu Zhe nodded, "Yes."
Shen Gurong maintained his aloof master's expression, quickly stroking Mu Zhe's fox ears twice.
'I touched them!'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe, harboring his own secret thoughts, slowly leaned closer to Shen Gurong, trying to reach out and hug Shen Gurong's waist.
Shen Gurong's white hair nearly stood on end. He immediately released his grip, stammering, "You you you..."
"What are you doing!?" His voice cracked at the end.
Mu Zhe nestled against his neck, deliberately letting his fox ears brush against Shen Gurong's ear. Shen Gurong's tense body immediately relaxed. He awkwardly asked, "Are you being affectionate?"
Mu Zhe whispered, "Does Master like Mu Zhe?"
Shen Gurong coughed heavily, tilting his head slightly; his ear was ticklish from the rubbing.
'You can't say you like him, you can't say it, you must maintain the dignity of a master.'
Shen Gurong muttered for a while before coldly saying, "I like him."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Shen Gurong: 'Ah! I'm going to die!'
Mu Zhe could no longer hide his smile. His brows relaxed, and his eyes shone slightly as he looked at Shen Gurong, stammering, "Master, you... you should know what I mean by 'like,' right? Does this mean... you've agreed to my request?"
Shen Gurong was about to cry; he just didn't want to say something he didn't mean.
He always felt that lying about feelings was utterly shameful; countless stories had ended in tragedy because of hypocrisy.
Ever since he started writing stories, Shen Gurong had vowed never to write plots where unforeseen circumstances or unnecessary lies tore people apart, and he felt even more adamant when faced with such a situation himself.
This time, Mu Zhe couldn't help but urge him, "Master, is it right? Is it alright?"
Shen Gurong shook his head desperately. No, it wasn't right, it couldn't be.
Mu Zhe's eyes suddenly dimmed; he looked somewhat sad.
Shen Gurong felt a pang of pain in his heart. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and said, "I... I will go home one day."
Mu Zhe stared at him, stunned.
Shen Gurong lowered his eyes and murmured, "I can't give you anything, and I don't want to lie to you."
Mu Zhe raised his hand and grasped Shen Gurong's wrist, asking softly, "Where is Master's home? I can go find you."
Shen Gurong replied, "I don't know, but it's not here."
Mu Zhe was taken aback: "Not here?"
"Yes, not in this world."
Shen Gurong told Mu Zhe everything he had painstakingly hidden. He slightly pulled away from Mu Zhe's hand, feeling like a clam being forcibly opened, revealing everything he couldn't show to others.
“I have my own home.” Shen Gurong stared at his slender, tangled fingers and said in a muffled voice, “I haven’t been home for too long; my brother must be searching everywhere for me.”
Mu Zhe’s pale lips moved slightly. He wanted to ask, “What about me?”
But the words caught in his throat. He felt he had no right to ask that question. From beginning to end, his deep affection for Shen Gurong had been entirely one-sided. He had no right to demand the same feelings from him.
He couldn’t selfishly and cruelly deprive Shen Gurong of his freedom to go home.
A hint of despair slowly crept into Mu Zhe’s eyes. He remained silent for a long time before murmuring, “Then, Master, are you leaving now?”
Shen Gurong was startled, looking at him in astonishment.
Mu Zhe met his gaze.
Since you’ve decided to abandon me, why aren’t you going home?
Didn’t Shen Feng Xue give you the key?
Shen Gurong hesitated for a long time before gently touching his chest and whispering, "It's not the right time yet."
His instincts told him that the key shouldn't be used recklessly unless absolutely necessary.
Mu Zhe asked, "Then when can it be used?"
Shen Gurong frowned: "I don't know."
Mu Zhe, as if grasping at a last straw, stepped forward again and grabbed Shen Gurong's shoulders, looking at him almost pleadingly: "Then, Master... can you stay with me before you leave?"
Shen Gurong's face paled.
Mu Zhe almost blurted out incoherently, "Even... just lying to me would be fine."
After saying this, Mu Zhe suddenly felt incredibly pathetic, resorting to self-deception in this way.
Shen Gurong, however, seemed to be seeing Mu Zhe for the first time, looking at him with unfamiliar eyes for a long time, until Mu Zhe felt a chill run down his spine, before he finally spoke coldly.
"Mu Zhe, what do you take me for? A scoundrel who plays with people's feelings?"
Mu Zhe's hand trembled, and his face instantly turned ashen.
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