Mu Zhe meditated on the roof of the Spirit Boat all night, while Qingyu transformed into a small fox, its fur drying all night.
At the break of dawn, Mu Zhe suddenly opened his eyes. Before Qingyu could react, he had vanished from the roof of the Spirit Boat.
In the only room on the Spirit Boat, Mu Zhe instantly appeared beside the bed. With a swift movement, he caught Shen Gurong, who had rolled off the bed, in his arms, narrowly preventing him from falling to the ground.
Even after falling off the bed, Shen Gurong remained oblivious, still catching a familiar scent in his surroundings, and mumbled in his sleep, "Mu Zhe..."
Mu Zhe's arms around Shen Gurong's waist paused. A sharp prick seemed to pierce his heart, sending a shiver down his spine.
After gently placing Shen Gurong back on the couch, Mu Zhe clutched his chest, standing there blankly for a long time before absentmindedly leaving.
On the roof of the spirit boat, Qingyu had already woken up and was lying there, its nine silken tails swaying slightly in the wind.
Seeing Mu Zhe's distracted look, it tilted its head and asked, "What's wrong with you now?"
Mu Zhe frowned impatiently, "Go to sleep, mind your own business."
Qingyu pouted and could only continue drying its fur.
However, Mu Zhe was rather strange; he had just told Qingyu to leave him alone not long ago... For some reason, he abruptly broke free from his meditation, frowning and thinking for a long time before reluctantly speaking, "Fox."
The fox wagged its tail and lazily replied, "Hmm?"
Mu Zhe hesitated for a long time before awkwardly saying, "Why did you react so strongly last night?"
Upon hearing this, Qingyu's mind was filled with the sudden, shocking kiss that had shattered his young heart during the lightning tribulation. He groaned, immediately covering his head, and said listlessly, "I had finally forgotten, and you've brought it all back."
Mu Zhe frowned, unable to understand, "It was just a kiss on the back of my hand, it can't be that serious, can it?"
But Qingyu was even more confused than him. He jumped up, covering his flushed face with his paws, and whispered, "But they're both men, and master and disciple at that! This is a heinous crime, a betrayal of one's master and ancestors, a violation of ethics, a sexual act!"
Mu Zhe began to doubt whether he had a distorted view of such matters, actually finding it completely acceptable.
Qingyu asked, "Why don't you put yourself in their shoes? If you were really the disciple in that story, would you have those kinds of feelings for your master?"
Qingyu encouraged him to put himself in their shoes, and Mu Zhe actually closed his eyes and thought about it.
In the misty flower sea of the Fanjiang Residence, Shen Gurong, dressed in white, his black hair trailing on the ground, smiled and gently extended his slender hand towards him.
Mu Zhe gently grasped his hand as if holding a fragile treasure.
Looking at him, Shen Gurong's pale eyes were slightly lowered, his eyelashes fluttering like withered butterflies.
His master softly called to him, "A'Zhe."
Mu Zhe suddenly stood up, as if bewitched, and took a half-step forward, opening his arms to embrace Shen Gurong…
Qingyu: "Mu Zhe, Mu Zhe?"
Mu Zhe abruptly opened his eyes, momentarily stunned, his gaze unfocused: "Wh-what?"
Qing Yu looked at him curiously: "Why is your face red?"
Mu Zhe: "…"
Mu Zhe hastily wiped his face, trying to keep a straight face: "It's nothing, we'll be in Xianyun City soon."
Only after saying this did he realize his voice was trembling slightly, so he got up and fled back to the painted boat.
Qingyu, bewildered, could only remain slumped.
Mu Zhe rushed into the painted boat, absentmindedly, and as he walked towards Shen Gurong's room, he accidentally stepped on Yu Xinghe's hand, who was sleeping on the floor, causing Yu Xinghe to yelp in pain. Ignoring him, Mu Zhe strode in, opened the door, and rushed inside.
The pleasure boat was small, the roof occupied by Qingyu, and the outside by Yu Xinghe. Mu Zhe had originally planned to reflect on his actions in a corner of Shen Gurong's room while he was still asleep, but he was caught off guard when he caught Shen Gurong changing clothes.
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe nearly died.
He stumbled back several steps, stunned, and exclaimed, "Master?"
Shen Gurong had just woken up. He had just taken off his clothes and was fumbling for the clothes Mu Zhe had left on the small table the night before, trying to put them on. But being blind and confused, he couldn't get them right, and he somehow managed to wake himself up.
Hearing Mu Zhe's voice, he put down the tangled sash, frowned, and said, "Next time, choose clothes that are easy to put on and take off."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his strange impulse, trying his best to remain calm, and nodded, "Yes."
Shen Gurong, looking disheveled, sat there waiting for Mu Zhe to dress him. Mu Zhe sighed silently, stepped forward, said "Excuse me," and dressed Shen Gurong.
Shen Gurong tilted his head, assuming Mu Zhe hadn't noticed, and silently yawned. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his fingertips before turning back to ask, "What were you doing on the pleasure boat? Were you talking to someone?"
Mu Zhe paused, tying his sash, and hesitated before truthfully replying, "It was a guard from the demon race."
Shen Gurong yawned again, mumbling, "I thought so too. The pleasure boat is the only place where people can hide."
Mu Zhe hummed in agreement, tightening his sash. Just as he was about to reach for his outer robe, he heard Shen Gurong say, "We should be arriving at Xianyun City soon."
"Yes."
Shen Gurong said, "Then wear black today."
Mu Zhe was startled; he had never seen Shen Gurong wear such a deep color before.
Shen Gurong rubbed his temples and said, "When stained with blood, it's not easy to tell."
Mu Zhe: "..."
What kind of demon or monster do you... take Sixth Uncle for?
An hour later, the spirit boat entered the Spirit Boat Pavilion from the moat of Xianyun City.
Xianyun City was experiencing its rainy season; the sky was overcast, and a cool rain was pattering down.
After returning the spirit boat, Mu Zhe led Shen Gurong and the others onto the streets of Xianyun City.
Xianyun City experiences continuous rain for most of the year. Unlike Fuxian City, which is densely packed, Xianyun City is characterized by deep eaves, white walls, and black tiles due to the constant rain. Countless small rivers meander through the city, and cobblestone paths and arched bridges intertwine, creating a scene resembling a traditional Chinese ink painting.
When the rain falls, the misty rain creates a hazy, ethereal atmosphere, as if one were in a fairyland.
Shen Gurong, draped in a thick cloak, had Mu Zhe holding an umbrella for him. Yu Xinghe, visiting Xianyun City for the first time, looked around curiously.
Mu Zhe called out to him, "Yu Xinghe, don't run around, you'll get lost."
Yu Xinghe squatted down by a gently flowing river to wash his hands, then ran across with Xue Manzhuang. He didn't use an umbrella; his hair and clothes were covered in misty water droplets.
“Junior Brother,” Yu Xinghe asked, “what exactly are we doing in Xianyun City?”
Mu Zhe looked at him speechlessly: “You didn’t know and just followed me?”
“We can come out and play with Master,” Yu Xinghe said, “and we can also go home for a visit.”
Mu Zhe glanced at him, avoiding the main point, and said, “Master’s ice silk was destroyed by heavenly lightning, so we’re going to find Sixth Uncle to make a new one.”
Yu Xinghe said “Oh,” seemingly noticing something, but he knew what he should and shouldn’t ask. Even with his doubts, he smiled and said, “Okay.”
Xianyun City was still a bit cold. Shen Gurong wrapped his cloak tighter and asked, “Aren’t we there yet?”
Mu Zhe said, “We’ll be there in two more streets.”
Shen Gurong remained expressionless, thinking: Oh, I’m still two streets away from death.
Mu Zhe didn't know what he was thinking, but after spending so much time together, he could roughly discern some of his true emotions from Shen Gurong's seemingly cold and inscrutable face.
He observed him closely and came to a conclusion:
—His master was afraid.
Afraid of Lin Shuhe.
Mu Zhe paused for a moment before softly saying, "Master, Sixth Uncle is frail and sickly; sometimes he can't even lift a sword. You don't need to worry too much."
He originally wanted to say "Don't be afraid," but considering Shen Gurong's sensitive and fragile pride, he changed his words.
Shen Gurong wasn't worried; he was just fearful and guilty.
He tried to remain calm and said lightly, "Do you know how many spirit stones a Jiu Xi Sword costs?"
Mu Zhe didn't know. He was adept at budgeting and lived a very frugal life, so he tentatively quoted what he considered an exorbitant price: "One thousand spirit stones?"
Shen Gurong shook his head and held up three.
Mu Zhe exclaimed in surprise, "Three thousand?!"
Shen Gurong: "Add one more."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Thirty thousand.
Mu Zhe finally understood why his master was so afraid; it was because he was afraid the creditor would come knocking and he felt guilty.
He comforted him, "Master and Sixth Uncle are close disciples; they certainly wouldn't fall out over thirty thousand spirit stones."
Shen Gurong asked expressionlessly, "Do you remember how many senior brothers you have?"
Mu Zhe: "Seven."
Shen Gurong didn't speak.
Mu Zhe also fell silent after speaking. The rain pattered against the bamboo umbrella, like the slight brush of a death knives, ready to fall in an instant.
Eight...
Thirty thousand spirit stones.
In Mu Zhe's memory, Lin Shuhe was frail, his face deathly pale, barely able to speak. Of the five times Mu Zhe saw him, three times he was bedridden, unable to rise; the remaining two times he was pushed around in a wooden wheelchair.
Lin Shuhe was a healer, who could not heal himself. Each time Mu Zhe saw him, he feared Lin Shuhe would die the next day, yet, by some unknown stroke of luck, he had lived so long.
Such a sickly beauty, surely he wouldn't… kill someone with a knife, would he?
Mu Zhe shuddered, recalling Lin Shuhe's heroic deeds in the Three Realms.
He might kill someone… it wasn't impossible.
The more severely ill one is, the more steadily one wields a knife.
Yu Xinghe ran around a bit and then came back to catch up with them, asking curiously, "What spirit stones?"
Mu Zhe ignored him. Shen Gurong looked at Yu Xinghe with some regret. Mu Zhe glanced at him and, surprisingly, could tell from his unwavering expression that he was thinking 'Little disciple, your sword is probably doomed.'
Mu Zhe: "..."
After passing through two streets shrouded in mist and rain, a lane seemingly hidden in the darkness soon came into view.
A gust of cold wind blew, stirring up a piece of yellow paper in a corner that hadn't been wet by the rain.
Looking up, a worn wooden board hung on the wall, with a line of words written in vermilion: "Thirteenth Street."
Yu Xinghe looked at the deep street, feeling inexplicably afraid: "Why is the name of this street so strange?"
Mu Zhe said, "The streets and alleys of Xianyun City are divided according to numbers and hours. Thirteen and midnight are considered extremely unlucky."
He didn't explain further and led the clueless Shen Gurong forward. Yu Xinghe followed fearfully, trying to grab his master's hand, but Mu Zhe glared at him. He could only cling to the little phoenix for warmth and a sliver of security.
The further they went, the darker the sky became. Yu Xinghe mustered his courage and looked left and right, only to discover that all the shops lining the road were coffin shops.
Yu Xinghe: "..."
Paper lanterns hung on both sides of the road, and the ground was covered in damp yellow paper. A chilling wind blew, giving Yu Xinghe goosebumps. He dared not scream and could only stick close to Mu Zhe.
After walking a few more steps, Yu Xinghe couldn't take it anymore. His voice trembled as he whispered, "Junior Brother, aren't we... supposed to be taking Master to help his eyes?"
Mu Zhe: "Yes."
Yu Xinghe: "Then why... are we in Coffin Street?"
Before Mu Zhe could answer, Yu Xinghe, for reasons unknown, suddenly cried out, "No! I think Master can still be saved! Junior Brother, don't rush to buy a coffin!"
Mu Zhe: "..."
Shen Gurong: "..."
This idiot!
Just then, a clear, light scolding voice came from the only shop with a lantern lit not far away: "Idiot."
The three of them looked over together.
At the end of the gloomy alley, warm light slowly spilled down, illuminating half of the dilapidated signboard in front of the shop, where the words "Lin Guan Medical Clinic" could vaguely be seen.
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