Mu Zhe left the stands and returned to the inner room of the pavilion.
He had just lifted the bamboo curtain when he heard Shen Gurong speaking inside.
“I asked you to teach him swordsmanship, not anything else.”
Xi Guxing: “I only taught him swordsmanship…tsk, what exactly do you mean? His lonely old age has nothing to do with me, don’t always push the problem onto me.”
Mu Zhe walked over: “Master, Sect Leader.”
Shen Gurong, who was by the window, immediately shut his mouth, looking up at him with an indescribable expression.
Mu Zhe felt a chill run down his spine from that look. He thought blankly: I won, won’t Master praise me?
Master didn’t want to praise him; Master was only worried that he wouldn’t be able to find a wife in the future.
Xi Guxing, on the other hand, was generous with his praise, saying, “That sword strike was truly excellent, keep it up.”
Mu Zhe nodded.
Shen Gurong glared at him: 'Keep it up, keep it up! If you keep this up, where will any female cultivators like him?'
Mu Zhe: "..."
Seeing Shen Gurong practically tearing a hole in the cushion of his seat, Xi Guxing said irritably, "The most important thing for a sword cultivator is cultivation. When did you start thinking about those romantic entanglements?"
Shen Gurong looked at him, still glaring at him.
Xi Guxing clicked his tongue, too lazy to argue with him, and got up and left.
Mu Zhe walked over and knelt down next to Shen Gurong, looking up at him slightly: "Master."
Shen Gurong: "Hmm?"
Mu Zhe didn't speak, just looked at him.
Shen Gurong waited and waited, but Mu Zhe didn't speak, and he was a little puzzled: What was he doing? Waiting for praise?
Mu Zhe pursed his lips, his ears turning slightly red, but he still stubbornly stayed put, still looking at Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong glanced at him, feeling he'd guessed right: "Little brat, you've done such a disastrous match. Whether any female cultivators will even want to talk to you anymore isn't even a question. You still expect me to praise you? Just you wait."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe was utterly bewildered.
A few days ago, he'd been sparring on the stage, deliberately dragging it out to keep his master's attention. But he later discovered his master didn't appreciate his procrastination and mistakenly thought he was showing off.
This time, Mu Zhe had learned his lesson. He unleashed his full power the moment he stepped onto the stage, sweeping his opponent off, proving he hadn't been showing off and that his cultivation was beyond the reach of Yu Xinghe and the others.
But this time, it seemed his master didn't like it either.
Mu Zhe instinctively lowered his head, a somewhat dejected expression on his face as he thought: What exactly does Master like?
Seeing Mu Zhe's dejected appearance, Shen Gurong's previously cold heart immediately softened. He couldn't bear to see Mu Zhe so anxious and insecure.
He sighed, gently ruffling Mu Zhe's soft hair, and said, "Didn't I tell you not to always keep your head down?"
Mu Zhe obediently looked up at him, his head touching Shen Gurong's warm palm. He nuzzled against him gently, showing a hint of dependence.
Shen Gurong immediately softened at his little spirit beast's dependent gesture.
He's so obedient.
Mu Zhe stiffened for a moment before slowly relaxing.
His master really liked people who could be obedient and docile.
If he continued to be so docile in front of Shen Gurong, could he stay by his side forever?
Just as he was lost in thought, Shen Gurong suddenly asked, "Who is that?"
Mu Zhe snapped out of his reverie and followed Shen Gurong's gaze. He saw a young man dressed in black standing on the dueling platform, wielding a curved bone sword. He had a pair of fluffy fox ears amidst his black hair, and a smile revealed two small, sharp teeth.
The disciple who fought him didn't even last a single move before being knocked off the platform. The young man in black had probably used too much force, and he was eventually helped up by his fellow disciples.
Mu Zhe frowned. "He is a nine-tailed fox from the demon race, named Qingyu."
Shen Gurong's gaze remained fixed on Qingyu's fox ears. He said absentmindedly, "Oh? How does his cultivation compare to yours?"
The usually arrogant Mu Zhe hesitated for a moment before answering, "Equally matched."
Shen Gurong then came to his senses, looking at him in surprise. "Are you sure?"
Mu Zhe nodded.
"You two have fought?"
Mu Zhe replied, "Yes, I met him once last year in Fuxian City. He kept insisting on fighting me."
Shen Gurong quickly asked, "Did you win?"
Mu Zhe said reservedly, "Of course I won."
However, Mu Zhe didn't gain any advantage at the time. In the chaos, his spiritual veins absorbed Qingyu's demonic spiritual power, and two fox ears grew on the top of his head, which took three days to disappear.
Since then, Mu Zhe and Qingyu have had an irreconcilable feud—one-sided, so Mu Zhe feels inexplicably irritated whenever he sees him.
Just then, the young Qingyu, carrying a curved bone sword, said casually, "Where's Mu Zhe? Let Mu Zhe come out and fight me."
Mu Zhe frowned and turned his head away, refusing to look at him.
Wen Liubing coldly announced, "Eighteen matches, Qingyu of the demon race wins. Next match..."
Qingyu interrupted Wen Liubing, "Forget about the next match. In the end, the champion will be either me or Mu Zhe. What's the point of you fighting so hard? You might as well just forfeit and let me fight Mu Zhe. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can go home."
Everyone in the stands was speechless.
This sentence immediately ignited the crowd's anger. Even when Mu Zhe had inconsiderately swept the female cultivator's sword down earlier, it hadn't angered them this much. Hearing this, they immediately attacked him en masse.
"Get off the stage, you little brat!"
"You haven't even finished cultivating your ears, don't embarrass yourself here!"
"Are you the Heavenly Dao? Does everyone have to listen to you?! Get lost!"
Qingyu was utterly astonished: "I'm telling the truth, why are you... Ah! Who hit me?"
Someone in the stands took out some random objects and threw them at the dueling platform. Qingyu was hit and ran all over the place, still shouting, "If you've got the guts, come and fight on the stage! What kind of hero uses hidden weapons!"
The people in the stands threw even more enthusiastically.
Finally, Wen Liubing went up on stage, grabbed Qingyu by the back of his collar, and said in a sinister tone, "I said, next round, didn't you hear me?"
Qingyu: "..."
Qingyu shuddered and stammered, "I... I heard you."
Wen Liubing threw him off the stage. Qingyu let out a "squeak" and ran away hastily.
Up in the pavilion, the Demon Lord closed his eyes in a pitiful state, refusing to acknowledge that this person was a demon.
Xi Guxing gave a forced smile: "The demon race also has many...rising stars."
Hearing his earlier sarcastic remark being turned on him, the Demon Lord remained silent, tugging at the rope tied to his finger. Xue Manzhuang, who had been sneaking into the inner room, immediately fell to the ground and was dragged back by his father.
The first day of the Chanwei Conference ended in chaos.
Shen Gurong returned to Fanjiang Residence. Xiwu and Yu Xinghe were sitting on the stone steps at the entrance, seemingly having waited for a long time.
Shen Gurong raised an eyebrow: "What are you doing sitting here?"
Xiwu's eyes lit up when she saw him. She quickly got up and ran over, throwing herself into Shen Gurong's arms and gently hugging his waist.
"Brother."
Mu Zhe watched coldly from the side, wishing he could tear Xiwu from Shen Gurong's embrace.
Shen Gurong gently patted Xiwu's head, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "Did you have fun today?"
Xiwu nodded, her cheeks flushed.
Today, Xiwu had been sitting with Yu Xinghe on the viewing platform of the Liren Peak disciples. Since the disciples of Fenglu City were right next door, anyone they recognized who saw Xiwu looked at her with extremely strange eyes.
The Liren Peak disciples had never seen such an adorable girl before. Even though she was of a higher seniority than them, they were still happy. While waiting for the Chanwei Tournament to begin, they all tried their best to make their junior aunt laugh.
Xiwu had a delicate and pretty face, and her misty phoenix eyes could almost melt anyone's heart.
She sat obediently on the platform, but when she inadvertently caught the gazes of the Fenglu City people not far away, she was so frightened that she immediately threw herself into Yu Xinghe's arms, her voice choked with sobs.
The disciples of Liren Peak, upholding their tradition of protecting their own, immediately flew into a rage, roaring at the evil dragon from Fenglu City, which was separated by a barrier.
"What are you looking at?! Our Liren Peak Junior Aunt is not someone you can look at! Turn away right now!"
"Gouge your eyes out! If you look again! I'll have my junior brother kill you all!"
The people of Fenglu City: "..."
Even Xiwu, who was burying her face in Yu Xinghe's arms pretending to cry: "..."
Today, even though she encountered people from Fenglu City, it was still the best day Xiwu had ever had.
Shen Gurong nodded: "That's good then."
Xiwu then stepped out of his arms.
Seeing Xiwu pounce on him, Yu Xinghe, like a giant spirit beast, wagged his tail and rushed into Shen Gurong's arms: "Master! Your disciple was beaten so badly today!"
His master took a half-step back, startled by the pounce, and said coolly, "You still have the nerve to call me that?"
Yu Xinghe was instantly hurt. He clutched his chest, unable to believe that his always doting master would say such a thing to him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Shen Gurong: "Master, it's me, Xinghe!"
He then burrowed into Shen Gurong's neck and rubbed against him. Xiwu and Mu Zhe, standing nearby, both changed their expressions.
Shen Gurong remained unmoved by his whining: "Look at Mu Zhe, then look at you."
Yu Xinghe said pitifully, "But Xinghe can't learn it, Xinghe tried his best."
Before Shen Gurong could say anything, Mu Zhe couldn't hold back any longer. He grabbed Yu Xinghe by the back of his collar and ripped him off Shen Gurong, saying with a forced smile, "Can't learn? I'll teach you."
Yu Xinghe's eyes widened. He had probably been "taught" by Mu Zhe before, and upon hearing "I'll teach you," he immediately tried to run away, crying, "I don't want to! I don't want you to teach me!"
Before he could refuse, Mu Zhe gave Shen Gurong a slight nod: "Master, this disciple takes his leave."
Shen Gurong nodded.
Mu Zhe dragged the wailing Yu Xinghe away.
In a side courtyard of Fanjiang Residence, Mu Zhe had placed a restriction on Yu Xinghe, forcing him to practice the entire sword routine ten times in the backyard before he could be free.
He had just emerged from the backyard, heading to Fanjiang Residence to find Shen Gurong, when he heard a laugh from the nearby paulownia tree.
"Mu Zhe, long time no see."
Mu Zhe didn't even glance at him, quickly walking away without looking to the side.
Qingyu clicked his tongue, leaped down from the paulownia tree, and landed lightly in front of Mu Zhe, smiling broadly. "Don't leave so soon," he said, "let's catch up."
Mu Zhe's face was cold. "I'm not in the mood for catching up. See you on the competition stage tomorrow."
Qingyu shook the wine jar in his hand. "Shall we drink?"
Mu Zhe impatiently said, "Get out of my way."
Qingyu's fox ears twitched, and he shrugged. "Fine, then I'll go find your master."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe's expression changed. "Are you looking for death?"
Qingyu said nonchalantly, "What's wrong with me? Just now, when I came from the entrance of Fan-something Residence, I saw your master watering the flowers in the courtyard, so I went in to say hello."
Mu Zhe looked at him in surprise. He hadn't been knocked away by his master with a single palm strike?
Qingyu was always audacious and arrogant, completely oblivious to death; even the Demon Lord couldn't control his unrestrained and flamboyant nature.
If he were to encounter the Holy Lord, whom everyone avoided like the plague, he might very well brazenly approach and greet him.
Mu Zhe reluctantly believed it; Qingyu was truly capable of such a thing.
His lips twitched. "What did my master say to you?"
Qingyu's eyes crinkled, his fox ears twitched again, and he said with a smile, "Your master complimented my fox ears."
Mu Zhe: "..."
As Qingyu spoke, the tips of his fox ears turned slightly red. He coughed, as if to hide his embarrassment, and said loudly, "This is the first time since I was born that someone has complimented my fox ears. Your master is so kind."
Qingyu was a half-human cultivator and half-demon. Even though his cultivation was higher than his peers, his fox ears could never revert back after he cultivated into human form, making him look out of place and an anomaly among both demons and humans.
Just as Qingyu was feeling happy, Mu Zhe suddenly turned around and grabbed his ears, pressing them into his hair.
Qingyu quickly dodged to the side. "What are you doing?!"
Mu Zhe said coldly, "Helping you put your ears back in."
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