Considering Shen Gurong's favoritism towards Mu Zhe, and given Lin Shuhe's one-sided account, Xi Guxing decided to observe the situation first before deciding how much to draw his sword.
Soon, Shen Gurong and Mu Zhe appeared on the mountain steps.
Xi Guxing glanced at them, and a nameless anger surged within him. He immediately drew his short sword.
—Not far away, Mu Zhe was being carried up the mountain steps by his master, Shen Gurong.
Mu Zhe's face was pale, and he looked extremely weak.
Normally, Xi Guxing wouldn't have thought anything of it, but perhaps because Lin Shuhe had talked too much with him, this scene was incredibly jarring to him.
The junior brother, protected by the entire sect, actually…
Xi Guxing, already resentful of Mu Zhe for the half yuandan, was enraged by this scene. He charged forward, sword in hand, shouting, “Traitorous disciple!”
Shen Gurong, seeing Xi Guxing warmly greeting him, said calmly, “Senior brother, why do you always come to pick me up? Could it be… ugh!”
Before he could finish, Xi Guxing recklessly thrust his sword towards his back.
Shen Gurong was startled, not expecting him to attack without warning. He quickly took a half-step back, raising his hand to deflect Xi Guxing's sword.
Xi Guxing exclaimed incredulously, "You actually stopped me?!"
Shen Gurong, confused by his outburst, said helplessly, "You need to explain why you suddenly attacked. Is this your new way of welcoming me, Senior Brother?"
Xi Guxing: "..."
Mu Zhe, who had been pale and drowsy, was jolted awake. He opened his dazed eyes and mumbled, "Master..." He and Mu Xi had fought all the way, completely exhausting the spiritual energy in his Yuan Dan. Mu Xi, due to the dissipation of ghostly energy, had temporarily turned into a palm-sized puppet, which Shen Gurong held in his arms.
Shen Gurong, who had initially been watching the show with his hands in his pockets, ended up cleaning up the mess.
He carried one on his back and another in his pocket, stumbling and struggling all the way from Fuxian City to Liren Peak. Only when he was almost at the top of the thousand-layered mountain steps did he realize…
"Oh right, I can ride the wind."
Exhausted, Mu Zhe slumped on his back: “…”
Finally, he mustered some strength, climbed off Shen Gurong's back, and, barely managing to stand, bowed to Xi Guxing, his face pale: “Sect Leader.”
Seeing him about to fall, Shen Gurong stepped forward and caught him.
Mu Zhe's legs were weak, and even with Shen Gurong's support, he couldn't stop falling. Shen Gurong coughed, silently thinking, “He's just unsteady, I'm just helping him up. I'm not a lecher.”
Mu Zhe: “…”
After finishing his thought, Shen Gurong held Mu Zhe's elbow and pulled him into his arms, letting Mu Zhe lean half his body against him, using all his strength to barely keep his balance.
Xi Guxing exploded in anger: "Don't touch him!"
Shen Gurong, half-holding Mu Zhe, looked at Xi Guxing with complete disapproval: "He'll fall if I don't touch him."
Xi Guxing: "..."
Xi Guxing's head was buzzing with anger.
Shen Gurong looked at him strangely and said, "You've watched Mu Zhe grow up; you know his personality better than I do. You don't actually believe Sixth Senior Brother's words, do you?"
Xi Guxing was speechless.
Shen Gurong could tell at a glance that Lin Shuhe had exaggerated the situation. He shook his head helplessly: "What kind of filthy things are you all thinking about?"
Xi Guxing exploded: "Why don't you ask your disciple what filthy things he's thinking..."
Before he could finish, Mu Zhe silently collapsed into Shen Gurong's arms.
He fainted.
Xi Guxing: "..."
Shen Gurong quickly hugged him, saying, "Look at you, look at you! He was already weak, and you made him faint."
Xi Guxing: "I...I!"
Before he could finish his "I," Shen Gurong picked up Mu Zhe and quickly flew back to Fanjiang Residence.
Xi Guxing stood alone on the Boundary Spirit Tablet. A cold wind blew, slightly lifting the tassel on his sword.
A red thread floated from the jade pendant at his waist, and Lin Shuhe's voice came from it: "How is it?"
Xi Guxing gripped his sword tightly and said coldly, "You were right. Shen Eleven really shouldn't get too close to Mu Zhe, otherwise he'll fall into his disciple's hands sooner or later."
Lin Shuhe gave a lazy hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
Xi Guxing remained silent for a long time, his eyes deep and unfathomable, before suddenly saying, "There's one more thing."
Lin Shuhe: "Hmm?"
"Why didn't you tell me..." Xi Guxing's grip on his sword slowly loosened, and he said somewhat absentmindedly, "He has fox ears."
Lin Shuhe: "..."
Lin Shuhe said strangely, "Don't you hate those neither-human-nor-demon appearances the most?"
Xi Guxing didn't answer.
In the center of Fanjiang Residence.
Several days had passed since Shen Gurong left, yet his residence remained spotless, presumably cleaned daily.
He placed Mu Zhe on the couch in the side room, touched his forehead which was covered in cold sweat, and frowned slightly.
Mu Zhe, who had been feigning unconsciousness, slowly awoke, looking at Shen Gurong with a weak and helpless expression. His voice was hoarse as he said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master..."
Shen Gurong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him awake and said, "Rest well. Circulate your yuandan to regulate your spiritual meridians in an hour."
Mu Zhe replied, "Yes."
Shen Gurong gave him a few more instructions before turning and leaving.
As soon as he left, Mu Zhe's expression changed drastically. He rose nimbly from the bed, showing no trace of his previous weakness.
Mu Zhe casually wrapped himself in a sky-blue outer robe, opened the window, and seemed to be waiting for something.
Soon, Jiu Xi transformed into human form and flew over from a short distance, landing lightly on the windowsill. He said with a smile, "Your Liren Peak is really big! I almost got lost."
Mu Zhe asked, "How's the Burial Mound?"
Jiu Xi tilted his head. "The barrier is extremely strong; even I couldn't get in. It should hold for several more years."
Mu Zhe frowned. "Are you sure?"
Jiu Xi nodded, looking quite aggrieved. "You told me to go see it, and when I came back and told you, you didn't believe me."
Mu Zhe couldn't handle his resentful tone and could only say, "Thank you."
Jiu Xi was overjoyed and went out to play.
In the front courtyard of Fanjiang Residence, Shen Gurong had just returned when Xi Guxing followed closely behind.
"Eleven."
Shen Gurong said helplessly, "Senior brother, if it's about Mu Zhe, I advise you to..."
Xi Guxing interrupted him directly, stepping forward menacingly, and said, "Come on, stick your head out."
Shen Gurong was confused: "What?"
Xi Guxing clicked his tongue impatiently, quickly stepped forward, stood in front of Shen Gurong, and reached out to ruffle Shen Gurong's fox ears.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong said expressionlessly, "Senior brother, what are you doing?"
Xi Guxing pinched his ear with great curiosity, saying, "What stupid thing have you done now?"
Shen Gurong slapped his hand away, knowing he was watching his spectacle again, and said irritably, "None of your business."
Xi Guxing wasn't annoyed by being slapped away, and touched it a couple more times, as if stroking a spirit pet.
Finally, seeing Shen Gurong's utterly dejected expression, he released his grip, nodded seriously, and said, "Not bad, a reward."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Xi Guxing actually rewarded him with a spirit stone and left.
Shen Gurong: "..." He was so angry he stomped his feet.
In the days since Shen Gurong left, Wen Liubing had received orders to slay demons, and Su Xiyan, after successfully completing the barrier around the Burial Mound, had returned to Youzhou.
Xi Wu had moved to her new residence on Baishang Mountain and begun studying pharmacology—or rather, poison techniques—with Lou Bugui.
The poison at the Wind and Rain Pool had not dissipated after all these years, so Chao Jiuxiao could only continue to wreak havoc in Lotus Lake.
Perhaps hearing that Shen Gurong had returned, Chao Jiuxiao flipped over in Lotus Lake, splashing up huge sprays of water that rained down on the Fanjiang Residence, knocking over the newly planted peach trees.
Shen Gurong didn't bother arguing with the dragon, simply enjoying the rain.
Seeing that his provocation went unanswered, Chao Jiuxiao angrily whipped its tail, causing the water droplets to fall even more densely and rapidly.
In less than half a day, the bamboo and peach trees in the courtyard were all ravaged by the sharp, blade-like water droplets.
Only then did Shen Gurong become angry. He frowned, cast a rain-avoidance spell, and left the courtyard, his face grim as he went to Lotus Lake.
Chao Jiuxiao, probably tired, was currently coiled on a huge Bodhi tree, its dragon head drooping from the trunk, lazily basking in the sun.
Shen Gurong casually waved away a small rainbow, coldly saying, "Are you ever going to stop?"
Seeing him approach, Chao Jiuxiao didn't even greet him, directly whipping its tail at Shen Gurong.
The dragon's tail was enormous, making Shen Gurong's figure appear even smaller, as if the wind stirred up by the tail could blow him about.
The next instant, Shen Gurong simply raised his hand lightly, and the dragon's tail seemed to have struck some kind of barrier, producing a loud bang.
Chao Jiuxiao transformed into human form on the spot, leaning against the Bodhi tree, his legs trembling as he barely managed to stand, glaring fiercely at him.
Shen Gurong raised an eyebrow: "Want to fight?"
His spiritual power had been sealed before, and the first opponent he encountered after regaining it was Chao Jiuxiao; and now that he had regained his spiritual power again, Chao Jiuxiao had once again come charging at him.
Presumably, this was fate.
"This time, I'll definitely make him cry again." Shen Gurong was happily plotting how to beat his senior brother when he heard the ever-arrogant Chao Jiuxiao coldly snort, saying, "If you're not in a hurry, wait five years. Then I'll definitely beat you to a pulp."
Shen Gurong said, "Oh?"
"Why five years? -- Senior brother, please put on your clothes first."
Chao Jiuxiao waved his hand, and a black robe was casually wrapped around his body, concealing his lean frame.
He arrogantly raised his eyes, a smirk revealing two small, sharp teeth: "In five more years, I'll shed my skin and transform into a dragon. My cultivation will rival that of a Mahayana cultivator—nothing to mention."
"Oh," Shen Gurong said, not taking the words to heart. His gaze fell on Chao Jiuxiao's slightly raised left foot, and he asked casually, "Senior brother, does your foot hurt? Why is your calf trembling?"
Chao Jiuxiao: "..."
Chao Jiuxiao's careless tail sweep had not only failed to injure the already torn Shen Gurong, but had also caused his tail tip to ache from the shockwave of the barrier.
Now exposed, his eyes hardened, he glared fiercely at Shen Gurong, uttered "Just wait to die," and transformed into a small black dragon, leaping into the lotus lake.
Disappeared.
After teasing Chao Jiuxiao for a while, Shen Gurong returned to Fanjiang Residence. He removed the ruined bamboo and peach trees, planning to have Mu Zhe plant new ones later.
Seeing a stunted bamboo stalk on the ground, Shen Gurong sighed helplessly.
With Chao Jiuxiao at Lotus Lake, he probably wouldn't be able to grow anything in his courtyard.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him: "Why is Master sighing?"
Shen Gurong turned around and saw Mu Zhe standing behind him, holding the Jiu Xi sword, seemingly about to practice his swordplay.
Shen Gurong raised an eyebrow: "Are you ready to practice?"
"Yes," Mu Zhe replied. "I've neglected my sword techniques for a few days and was just about to go to Yumian Mountain to practice."
Shen Gurong thought about the icy, snowy Yumian Mountain and felt cold. He then casually tossed a piece of black bamboo branch into his hand, using it as a sword, and said, "Don't go to Yumian Mountain. I'll teach you."
Upon hearing this, Mu Zhe's lips instinctively curled into a smile, but he forcefully suppressed it.
He asked reservedly, "Won't this disturb Master?"
Shen Gurong replied, "No."
Anyway, he had nothing else to do for the time being.
Mu Zhe then nodded, suppressing his joy.
The open space beside Lotus Lake was quite large. Shen Gurong chose a spot and said, "Come, let's spar a bit and test your skills."
Mu Zhe nodded, gripped his Jiu Xi Sword, and was about to unleash his full spiritual power when he heard a voice behind him—"Wait."
The two turned around and saw Xi Guxing approaching, carrying a short sword already drawn, his face grim, looking as if he were about to kill someone.
Shen Gurong casually flicked his bamboo flute: "Why is Senior Brother here?"
Xi Guxing twirled his sword, glanced at Mu Zhe with a half-smile, and slowly said, "Spar? Sure, it's been a while since I sparred with Mu Zhe. Teach me too."
Shen Gurong frowned: "I'll teach my disciple, you..."
Before he could finish, Xi Guxing casually tossed him a bamboo flute—the very one that had been confiscated earlier.
Shen Gurong caught it and immediately betrayed him: "Spar, spar Senior Brother too."
Mu Zhe: "..."
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