Mu Zhe was stunned by Shen Gurong's words, his face flushing red after a long pause.
Shen Gurong immediately regretted his words; the more he listened, the more it seemed to imply something to Mu Zhe.
Besides, if he tricked Mu Zhe into dual cultivation while he was injured, wouldn't that be taking advantage of his vulnerability?!
As a principled master, Shen Gurong couldn't deceive his disciple like that.
Dual cultivation should be done gradually, not with the purpose of healing injuries.
Shen Gurong coughed and mumbled, "N-nothing, let's try healing with spiritual energy first..."
Lin Shuhe said it was nothing serious, and after calming down, Shen Gurong thought about it. He felt that given Lin Shuhe's medical skills, he wouldn't lie to him about something so important, but looking at the cracked yuandan, he couldn't help but worry.
He added, "If it's still not working in two days, we'll go find your fourth senior uncle."
What if Lin Shuhe didn't mean it that way, and Jing Zhuchen really did have a way to heal the shattered yuandan?
In two days, Jing Zhuchen should have returned to Suihan City from Liren Peak.
Shen Gurong held onto a sliver of hope.
Mu Zhe remained silent.
He knew that Xi Guxing was searching the world for Shen Gurong, and precisely because of this, he couldn't let Shen Gurong leave the Great Swamp—at least not now.
After making his decision, Shen Gurong frowned and examined Mu Zhe's yuandan again. He noticed that the rate at which the cracks appeared seemed to have slowed down, and he used his spiritual power to heal the cracks before feeling relieved.
"Does it hurt?"
Mu Zhe shook his head; even if it hurt, he wouldn't say so.
Shen Gurong knew his temper and sighed silently. He could only keep a close eye on Mu Zhe's yuandan, lest the crack widen and the yuandan couldn't be repaired.
Liren Peak.
Xi Guxing angrily yelled at Li Suo, "What do you mean 'can't find'? Go look again! Isn't Fenglu City supposed to have information on everyone? If you need spirit stones, go to Suihan City! You must find Shen Eleven for me!"
Li Suo, thoroughly berated, awkwardly replied, "But Feng Yun is dead, and Fenglu City is in chaos..."
Xi Guxing paused, then realized that Feng Yun had been killed by Wen Liubing in Xianzhou City. He frowned deeply, "Isn't there anyone who can take over?"
Li Suo said, "Feng Yun's disciple, Su Fangyi, collected her body and escorted her coffin back. Senior Brother Sanshui has already gone there."
Xi Guxing frowned, "What's he doing in Fenglu City?"
Zhu Xie was a sect established by Feng Yun to exterminate demons and evil spirits. Decades have passed, and Wen Liubing has completely taken control of Zhu Xie, separating it from Fenglu City. Now, Wen Liubing has taken advantage of the chaos to return to Fenglu City... who knows what he's up to.
Li Su stammered, "Most likely..."
Wen Liubing was probably interested in the position of City Lord of Fenglu City.
However, he couldn't say it directly.
"What's wrong with saying that? Every member of Liren Peak is exceptional; producing a few city lords isn't shameful," Xi Guxing chuckled, as if reading his mind. "Besides, Fenglu City has a special status. If Sanshui becomes the city lord, Liren Peak will never lack spirit stones again... cough cough, intelligence."
Li Su: "..." You were just saying never lacking spirit stones again, weren't you?
Xi Guxing not only showed no displeasure at Wen Liubing's excessive pursuit of fame and fortune, but actually quite approved.
After his initial joy, he immediately changed his expression and roared, "Go find Shen Eleven right now!"
Li Suo: "..."
Li Suo muttered aggrievedly, "What did I do to deserve this?"
Xi Guxing: "What did you say?!"
Li Suo immediately said, "I'll go and send others to find the Holy Lord!"
Xi Guxing's expression softened slightly. He coldly instructed, "Send more men to the Great Swamp of Taozhou. I remember that bastard Mu Zhe has some connection with the demon cultivator Qingyu; he's probably hiding in Taozhou."
"Yes."
Li Suo finished speaking and was about to leave when Xi Guxing suddenly said, "Wait."
Li Suo turned back in confusion.
Xi Guxing expressionlessly picked up his short sword and said coldly, "I'll go to Taozhou myself."
Li Suo: "..."
Xi Guxing was a decisive person. After making his decision, he directly rode the wind to the Great Swamp of Taozhou, storming Qingyu's cave with just his sword.
The entire Tao Prefecture had already fallen seamlessly under Qingyu's control. When Xi Guxing arrived, Qingyu was having tea with Xue Manzhuang, the atmosphere seemingly harmonious, without a trace of tension.
Xi Guxing: "???"
Xi Guxing was filled with doubt, but too lazy to concern himself with other people's private affairs. He swept aside the demon cultivators who were blocking his way, aggressively placing his sword against Qingyu's neck, coldly demanding, "Where is Mu Zhe now?"
Even with a sword at his neck, Qingyu still smiled broadly, saying, "Greetings, Sect Leader Xi. Long time no see."
Xi Guxing was too lazy for pleasantries. He pressed the sword down, saying, "Speak."
Xue Manzhuang tilted his head, looking at Xi Guxing, and said irritably, "Don't ask anymore. I've been dealing with him for half a day, and he still won't reveal the Holy Lord's whereabouts. It seems he received quite a bit of benefits from Mu Zhe; he won't confess."
Xi Guxing frowned.
Qingyu, still smiling, said, "That's really unfair of me. Mu Zhe and I are best friends; there's no deal between us."
Xi Guxing said coldly, "So, that brat is in the Great Swamp?"
Qingyu: "I can't say."
Xi Guxing sheathed his sword and said indifferently, "I understand."
Shen Eleven is definitely in the Great Swamp.
He seemed to have already made up his mind, turning back expressionlessly without the slightest hesitation.
Xue Manzhuang glared at Qingyu: "I already told you I wouldn't compete for the Demon Lord's position, couldn't you have told me? I'm in a hurry to confess my love."
Qingyu had a headache, saying, "Phoenix Lord, the Holy Lord has already become a Daoist couple with Mu Zhe, you have no chance. Besides, Mu Zhe is now at the Great Ascension stage, in the Three Realms, besides the Holy Lord Shen, who can stop him from doing anything? Even if you are a phoenix, you are not enough for him to kill."
Xue Manzhuang, fearless of death for love, said solemnly, "I will move the Holy Lord one day!"
Qingyu was completely speechless, casually pointing him in a direction, saying, "That Hundred-Mile Great Swamp has been filled with countless ferocious beasts and barriers by Mu Zhe, if you want to go there, it will be quite difficult."
Xue Manzhuang laughed excitedly, "I may not have much else, but I'm incredibly resilient."
After saying that, he spread his wings and flew away.
After continuously healing Mu Zhe's yuandan for three days, the crack finally disappeared, and Shen Gurong finally breathed a sigh of relief.
For the past few days, Mu Zhe had been copying the Heart Calming Sutra. Even with his tranquil mind, the dense characters were giving him a headache.
Shen Gurong sat cross-legged on a futon, elbows propped on the table, finger pointing to his chin, lazily watching Mu Zhe furrow his brow as he wrote furiously.
Mu Zhe's injuries had almost healed, and Shen Gurong was in a good mood. He said casually, "How does it feel to copy the book?"
Mu Zhe looked up at him and said softly, "Very good."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong gave him a knowing look and said, "You really are strange."
He actually finds copying the book enjoyable?
No, this disciple is no longer suitable.
Mu Zhe lowered his eyes, continuing to copy the book stroke by stroke, and said softly, "Does Master's teacher always punish Master by making him copy books?"
Upon hearing this, the despairing feeling from the illusion—the feeling that copying would never end—immediately washed over Shen Gurong. He said, "Yes, when I was sixteen, the most despairing thing was being punished by my teacher to copy books. If there was a day when my teacher didn't punish me, I would happily eat two extra bowls of rice."
Mu Zhe: "..." That's all he's got.
Mu Zhe copied two more lines, as if pressing his voice between his lips, slowly letting it escape, and murmured, "So, Master is punishing me now... to get revenge for copying books back then?"
Shen Gurong was idly blowing a stray lock of white hair from his forehead when he heard this. He gave a vague reply, and it took him a while to realize the meaning of the sentence.
He asked in astonishment, "What?"
Mu Zhe didn't repeat himself, as if avoiding the question, and continued copying the book.
Shen Gurong stared at him for a long time before realizing, in a daze, that he hadn't reached a definitive answer with Mu Zhe in Xianzhou City.
Mu Zhe had always been sensitive; had he been agonizing over this matter for so long again?
Thinking this, Shen Gurong gasped, grabbed Mu Zhe's chin, and forced him to look up, his eyes filled with cold light.
"Look at me."
Mu Zhe looked away evasively, finally meeting Shen Gurong's gaze after a long while.
Shen Gurong said coldly, "I told you before to think it over carefully. Have you thought it through? Is my feeling for you just a game?"
Mu Zhe murmured, "No."
Shen Gurong frowned, "Then you..."
"But your feelings for me are based on my past life being with Master," Mu Zhe interrupted. "If I hadn't been Master in my past life, you probably wouldn't have even glanced at me from the beginning."
Shen Gurong stared at him blankly for a long time, his heart, which had remained emotionless until now, suddenly trembled violently.
Mu Zhe heard Shen Gurong curse him in his heart: "So sensitive and pretentious, are you a young girl, Miss Mu?!"
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe almost cried.
Shen Gurong's heart softened again. He quickly raised his hand and patted the back of his hand, coaxing him, "When I brought you back to Liren Peak and forced you to enter the Dao, perhaps it was for Master's sake..."
Mu Zhe... Mu Zhe tried hard to hold back his stinging eyes, looking at him sadly.
“But…” Shen Gurong’s tone shifted, “After I gave you the yuandan, I lost all my memories, even my mind reverted to that of a sixteen-year-old. At that time, I didn’t know you were the reincarnation of Master.”
Mu Zhe looked at him blankly.
Shen Gurong closed his eyes and silently repeated several times, 'I am Master, I am Master. He’s just a twenty-something-year-old brat. I have to be accommodating to him.'
Having successfully hypnotized himself, Shen Gurong felt he needed to act like an adult and not argue with a sensitive child. He patiently said, “And when I discovered my feelings for you, I still didn’t know you were the reincarnation of Master.”
“Mu Zhe,” Shen Gurong stroked Mu Zhe’s cheek, raising an eyebrow, “In other words, the reason I love you isn’t because you are the reincarnation of Master, but because of you as a person, understand?”
Mu Zhe nodded blankly.
Shen Gurong patted his head, relieved, and said, "Are you still conflicted?"
Mu Zhe hesitated for a moment, then nodded, seemingly a little aggrieved, and said, "In the illusion... you kept calling out 'Master'."
He called it ten times, he remembered it clearly.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong asked strangely, "So are you conflicted that I love you because of 'Master,' or are you just simply jealous?"
Mu Zhe coughed dryly, guiltily shifting his gaze away.
Shen Gurong immediately felt like he'd been tricked. This little brat probably just wanted to hear him say "I love you" again, right? What "Master reincarnation"? It's all an excuse!
His controlling nature is so strong, he even gets jealous when he calls him "Master"!
Shen Gurong glared at him, and Mu Zhe, feeling a little guilty, reached out and hugged Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong shoved him away, coldly saying, "Don't try to escape the punishment of copying books! Keep copying! Don't expect me to speak to you today if you don't finish!"
With that, he left the study, his face ashen, gathering his robes.
Mu Zhe quickly finished copying and hurried after his Daoist partner to the bedroom.
Just as he lifted the bed curtains, before Mu Zhe could react, a hand pulled him down onto the bed.
Mu Zhe's pupils contracted.
Shen Gurong, disheveled, lay on top of him, a strand of white hair falling slightly, brushing against Mu Zhe's cheek.
It tickled.
But more than anything, he felt a strange flutter in his heart.
Shen Gurong pressed him down, biting his lip and chuckling softly, saying, "The mark on your neck seems to be gone."
Mu Zhe was stunned, before he could react, Shen Gurong had already leaned down and gently bit his neck.
Mu Zhe tightened his grip, immediately seizing Shen Gurong's slender waist and flipping him over, pinning him to the bed.
Shen Gurong, restrained, raised an eyebrow slightly: "Oh, you want to..."
Mu Zhe didn't wait for him to finish, biting back sharply.
When they separated, Shen Gurong's neck was a gruesome sight, covered in ambiguous red marks, the red mole on the back of his neck particularly pitiful.
Shen Gurong whimpered, curling up, his legs weak as he kicked Mu Zhe away, feeling utterly humiliated as a master, being so easily dominated and manipulated by his disciple.
No.
Shen Gurong thought.
If this continues, how will he gain the upper hand?
Mu Zhe rose contentedly and said, "Master, I need to go to Suihan City."
Shen Gurong, still huddled under the covers, mumbled, "What for?"
Mu Zhe replied, "Fourth Uncle has important business with me."
Shen Gurong hurriedly got up and threw back the covers, but his back and legs were weak, and he slumped back down as soon as he sat up, his brows furrowing.
Shen Gurong said, "I'll go with you."
"Master, don't move," Mu Zhe said. "I can go by myself and will be back soon."
Shen Gurong frowned.
Mu Zhe didn't say anything more, touched his face, and then turned and left.
Shen Gurong had a strange feeling, vaguely feeling as if he was being suppressed, but seeing Mu Zhe's gentle and respectful demeanor, he thought it impossible.
How could a master be suppressed by his disciple? It was impossible.
It must be his imagination.
Shen Gurong convinced himself of this, lay down for a while, and, feeling utterly bored, wandered around the house, hoping to find something else interesting.
Finally, he found something strange.
A moment later, Shen Gurong sat cross-legged on the couch, idly twirling his white hair with his fingers, his gaze falling on the storybooks scattered on the bed, lost in thought.
He used his slender white fingers to examine each storybook, finding the titles extremely bizarre, and the pages filled with the word "Substitute."
"The Immortal Lord's Substitute Cauldron"
"My Years as a Substitute"
"Suona, Substitute, Cicada Song"
"Substitute, Don't Panic, I'm Here to Save You"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong: "???"
Shen Gurong's head was about to explode. What on earth was this? Had his disciple suffered some kind of trauma?
Could it be that his previous obsession with falling in love with his master because of his reincarnation was all because of these strange "Substitute" storybooks?
While puzzled, Shen Gurong couldn't resist picking up the book with the strangest title, "Suona, Substitute, Cicada's Song," and casually flipped through a few pages. He discovered it was actually a collection of extremely lewd erotic illustrations, completely unrelated to the title.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong: "Tsk tsk." The erotic illustrations depicted all sorts of positions, all homosexual, some of which even made Shen Gurong blush and feel weak in the knees.
He finished reading, suppressing his embarrassment, closed the book, lowered his head, and slowly covered his face, falling silent.
His disciple was so eager for thrills, but he seemed to only know conventional positions; he probably couldn't provide his disciple with the thrill he sought.
Perhaps he should hurry up and learn some techniques.
Just as Shen Gurong was struggling to process the shock of the scene, a loud crashing sound came from the carved wooden window beside him. Thinking it was Mu Zhe returning, he immediately put the storybook he had just picked up back down, wrapped himself in the red robe beside him, and sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Mu Zhe to enter.
However, this time it wasn't Mu Zhe who entered, but Xi Guxing, who appeared out of nowhere.
Shen Gurong was stunned, staring in disbelief at Xi Guxing bursting through the broken window: "Senior Brother?"
Xi Guxing's face was extremely ugly. His gaze swept over the marks on Shen Gurong's neck, and his face contorted with rage. He roared, "That bastard Mu Zhe dared to treat you like this?! I told him back then..."
Shen Gurong's ears hurt from the noise, and he quickly shushed him: "Senior Brother! Senior Brother, keep your voice down!"
Shen Gurong meant to keep Xi Guxing quiet, but in Xi Guxing's eyes, his junior brother was clearly terrified by that treacherous bastard, so much so that he had to lower his voice.
Xi Guxing's eyes almost reddened. In all his years on Liren Peak, Shen Eleven had never suffered such humiliation from anyone except himself!
"Bastard, bastard..." All of Xi Guxing's usual sharp tongue was rendered useless.
Enraged, he could only curse repeatedly, but because of Shen Gurong's worried and fearful appearance, he suppressed his fury, his voice sounding extremely low and incredibly aggrieved.
Shen Gurong coughed lightly and whispered, "Why is Senior Brother here?" Hadn't Mu Zhe boasted to him before that this vast swamp was full of ferocious beasts and protected by barriers, making it impossible for anyone to trespass?
Xi Guxing's face was ashen: "That ingrate was lured away by Zhuchen, and Jiuxiao and I barged in directly—stop talking nonsense, get up and come with me."
Shen Gurong was stunned: "Huh? Go? Where to?"
"Back to Liren Peak!" Xi Guxing's hand gripping his sword trembled with rage. "We're going back! We'll never let him find you again!"
Shen Gurong blinked, seeing Xi Guxing pulling him away, and quickly tried to stop him: "Wait, wait!"
"Wait for what?" Xi Guxing roared, "If we wait any longer, that bastard will be back!"
Xi Guxing had been in charge of Liren Peak for so many years; he had never experienced anything like this, constantly dodging and weaving. But Mu Zhe was one of only two Mahayana cultivators in the Three Realms, and aside from the controlled Shen Gurong, almost no one could defeat him.
Shen Gurong grabbed Xi Guxing's hand, innocently saying, "But I didn't plan to leave here."
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing stared at him in disbelief, as if looking at the biggest idiot in the Three Realms: "You're not planning to leave?!"
Shen Gurong nodded.
Xi Guxing almost punched him: "Has he driven you mad?! He's humiliated you like this, and you still don't want to escape?! What, do you want to wait to have his child?!"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Xi Guxing: "..."
After saying that, Xi Guxing realized he had misspoke, and a deathly silence fell around them.
The two looked at each other.
After an unknown amount of time, Shen Gurong said softly, "Senior brother, even if Mu Zhe and I become Daoist partners, I'll still be on top. You...have you misunderstood something?"
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing looked at him in shock, carefully observing his expression, and was horrified to find that he wasn't joking anymore.
Xi Guxing gasped, stunned. "You two... you've already practiced dual cultivation?"
Shen Gurong shook his head. "No, his injuries have just healed. I was afraid of hurting him."
Xi Guxing inhaled again, staring at Shen Gurong as if he'd seen a ghost for a long time, until his chest ached. Only then did he slowly exhale, finally feeling weak.
He rubbed his aching temples and muttered, "Shen Eleven, you don't even know how you'll die?"
What kind of talk is that?
Shen Gurong frowned.
Xi Guxing tried to remind him, "He's trapped you in this desolate place, and you haven't even realized what he meant?"
Shen Gurong asked in confusion, "What do you mean 'trapped'? This is our home! How can you call it desolate? Aren't I human?"
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing seemed to see Shen Gurong personally delivering himself to Mu Zhe's bed, even actively teaching Mu Zhe how to play with him.
Xi Guxing: "..."
Ah, I want to die.
He shouldn't have risked his life to save this idiot who sold himself out and was still enjoying it!
Shen Gurong probably guessed what he was thinking, and waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Don't worry, I'm his master, much older and more experienced than Mu Zhe. How could I be outmaneuvered by a mere brat? Senior brother, don't worry, just wait for the grand wedding and enjoy the celebration."
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing stared strangely at the confident Shen Gurong for a long time before silently turning and stepping out the window.
Shen Gurong walked to the window, still trying to reassure him, "Mu Zhe is just a little childish, he means me no harm. Senior brothers, don't worry. Even if something happens, I'll definitely be able to appease him."
Xi Guxing, his back to him, head slightly lowered, his voice trembling, said, "Okay."
Shen Gurong tilted his head, "What's wrong with your voice, Senior Brother?"
Xi Guxing gently raised a hand to cover half his face, saying with difficulty, "We...we're waiting for you to appease him."
Use your confident foolishness to appease that beast that's been eyeing you like a predator.
Xi Guxing left, and Shen Gurong slowly returned to his bed.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Before Shen Gurong could react, the door was kicked open with a bang. Mu Zhe, radiating coldness, his surrounding spirit butterflies seemingly dripping blood, stormed in, his eyes bloodshot as if he wanted to kill.
Shen Gurong was leaning against a small table on the couch, chin in hand, pretending to flip through a storybook Mu Zhe had found for him to pass the time. Hearing the noise, he slightly turned his head, his eyes filled with a lazy, lewd air.
"You're back."
The murderous intent on Mu Zhe's face froze for a moment upon seeing Shen Gurong, then receded like a tide, quickly returning to his usual demeanor.
He strode forward, grabbing Shen Gurong's hand and pulling him into his arms.
Shen Gurong bumped his head against his chest, about to struggle, when he heard Mu Zhe's wildly pounding heart, like a drumbeat.
Shen Gurong froze, gently pressing his hand against Mu Zhe's chest, casually asking, "What's wrong? Who did you fight with?"
Mu Zhe hugged him, gently stroking Shen Gurong's silky white hair, murmuring with lingering fear, "I thought... you left."
Shen Gurong asked in confusion, "Left? Left where?"
Mu Zhe paused for a moment before gently releasing him, his eyes slightly red, and whispered, "Back to Liren Peak."
Shen Gurong chuckled, "I've already betrayed Liren Peak, what would I do back there? Go to be disliked?"
Mu Zhe was still somewhat frightened, resting his forehead against Shen Gurong's neck, remaining silent, looking utterly aggrieved.
Shen Gurong could only pat his back to comfort him, saying, "What did Fourth Senior Brother want with you? You came back quite quickly."
Mu Zhe paused for a moment before releasing Shen Gurong, taking out a storage ring to show him.
Shen Gurong glanced at the storage ring and noticed the mark of Suihan City on it, indicating it was a gift from Jing Zhuchen.
Curious, he channeled his divine sense into it, examining its contents.
A moment later, Shen Gurong looked up in astonishment at Mu Zhe.
Mu Zhe lowered his head, stammering for a long time before finally whispering, "Fourth Martial Uncle said these things... are very suitable for dual cultivation."
Shen Gurong remained silent for a moment, recalling the extremely provocative positions in the erotic painting and the pile of strange, utterly lewd "tools" in the storage ring, his expression complex as he looked at Mu Zhe.
'I didn't expect Mu Zhe, who seems so gentle, to enjoy playing around in bed.'
Shen Gurong thought solemnly, "As your master, I must strive to satisfy my disciple."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe: "???"
Has his master misunderstood something again?
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