Wasn’t the bride of the Ghost Prince a woman?
This was Gong Wei’s first reaction. Then, he pondered once more and did not think he was mistaken. Then again, if Lady Xu was not a woman, then of course the Ghost Prince’s bride may not have necessarily been a female either.
Whatever it was, no one would know for sure the realities these legends came from. Both Xu Shuangtze and the Ghost Prince had rumours of their wedding circulating in the world. Gong Wei thought that Xu Shuangtze was fortunate to have his relentless help to overcome the killing obstacles. The Ghost Prince, on the other hand, may not have had such luck.
Moreover, it was well-known that Daoist stories tended to intersect with the truth. This left Gong Wei feeling absurd. He sat on the bed and hugged the quilt tightly as he pondered for a long time. He suddenly caught on, and hurriedly said, “So did Shizun see a female Artefact Sect Master then?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him indifferently, as if he did not care to answer.
Gong Wei added, “This disciple is dull. This disciple still doesn’t understand why Shizun is worried. Could it be that the heavenly being looked terrifying?”
Xu Shuangtze finally responded, “I didn’t see the entity’s facial features clearly. In all probability, mortals need a certain level of cultivation to distinctly perceive the appearance of a heavenly being. I only recalled one thing, which the mechanical giant mentioned in the illusion, ‘Living beings are insignificant like dogs, the Great Dao will come to an end.’
Xu Shuangtze had fallen silent as if he did not know how to continue on with the explanation.
Gong Wei heard those words back then as well. After all, the mechanical soldier roared with anger at the time, so much so that the earth shook with it, “So Shizun thinks that…”
After a long while, the man drew a breath and slowly uttered, “Is it possible that the mechanical giant itself was sent down by a certain heavenly being to destroy the world?
Gong Wei thought to himself that this guess was too ridiculous. Does this ‘certain heavenly being’s’ objective have to be to end all living beings on earth?
“If it is as you speculated, then this evil tribulation which that grandmaster ushered in seems plausible. Because it was not originally intended to let him overcome and ascend. It was a divine punishment to shatter his corpse such that he will cease to exist. The spiritual being residing in the mirror deflected all of the nine-thunder tribulation and carried the primordial spirit of the grandmaster into the sky. This also violated the will of the gods, so he appeared in a rage and cast the divine punishment”.
If one paid close attention, one would notice Xu Shuangtze’s voice was a little unstable when saying this, even with a hint of hoarseness in the end.
He continued, “If my guess is true, then this heavenly being is an evil god.
Everyone knew that Lord Xu was a man of very few words, and Gong Wei had never seen him say so many things in one sitting. However, the more he listened, the more confused he became. Yet, Gong Wei did not dare to pursue the line of questioning till the end. He could only say, “But-but Shizun, the Ghost Prince’s bride ascended smoothly in the stories.
Xu Shuangtze affirmed, “Yes, ascended.”
“Then, did the grandmaster who Shizun saw fail to ascend?”
Dawn broke in from outside the window and a ray of light was cast into the dim room with a vaguely amorous ambience. Xu Shuangtze stood in front of the window lattice. Half of his body was hidden in the shadows but his facial features were charmingly lit. There was an unspeakable gloom partially obscured in his eyes.
“Yes,” his voice was soft. He seemed to be answering Gong Wei but also talking to himself.
“—This grandmaster offended an evil god. So, after he failed to ascend, where did he go? Has he been relegated to being a mortal?”
The lower half of Gong Wei’s face was hidden behind the quilt, only his pair of eyes were exposed, staring at Xu Shuangtze carefully.
Under the calm and restrained expression of the Cang Yang Sect Master, there seemed to be a trace of rampaging anger that made him a little nervous. But Gong Wei had no idea where this strange mood stemmed from.
“…Did Shizun share this speculation with Lord Ying?” He asked warily in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, Xu Shuangtze glanced at him and said faintly, “No. Regardless, as long as we find the mastermind, we can get our answer. You are the only one I told.”
Gong Wei, “…Huh?”
The irritability that emanated from Xu Shuangtze became less intense. This was probably because the man had temporarily shelved his thoughts.
He turned his head and opened the inn window and said, “So if there is a third person in this world who knows about this, then it must have been you who shared it—”
The morning wind gently brought his unhurried last two words into Gong Wei’s ears, “My beloved disciple.”
This was a perfectly normal form of address, but Gong Wei was nestled in the corner of the wide bed in just his bedclothes, his cheeks grew inexplicably hot until he touched his own ears unnaturally.
We Vtejcuahf aegcfv jgbecv, rffwlcuis rwlilcu yea cba gfjiis, “Xfa eq, ws yfibnfv vlrmlqif. Kbvjs, kf jgf tfjvlcu ab Vqglcu Djcdefa Kfggjmf ktfgf atf Xedlc Zjrafg gfrlvfr. Gbc’a sbe tjnf j ubbv oglfcv atfgf?”
* * *
Ktf Pwwbgaji Ciiljcmf tjv rfa eq lccr lc njglber qijmfr fzmierlnfis obg lwwbgaji meialnjabgr ab gfra jcv gfmeqfgjaf. Ktfs vlv cba jmmfqa gfueijg mbqqfg mblcr jcv rlinfg yliir. Ktf bcis kjs ab obba atf ylii kjr ab mtjguf atflg rajs ab atflg rfma’r jmmbeca bg erf ubiv jr qjswfca. Qtfc atfs mjwf vbkc ab mtfmx bea, Xbcu Qfl kjr qgfqjgfv ab klacfrr j rfcrjalbcji gfjmalbc ogbw atf uefrar. Lf mjgfoeiis tlv mbwqifafis yftlcv We Vtejcuahf.
Unexpectedly, when the two of them passed through the lobby, the cultivators came and went as usual. They were not the least surprised, as if they completely did not recognise the esteemed Cang Yang Sect Master.
Xu Shuangtze calmly explained, “Don’t worry, Shizun has already cast a disguise. When others see me, all they will notice is an ordinary cultivator from the Cang Yang Sect.”
Gong Wei was full of admiration and saluted, “Shizun is wise!”
Then he suddenly reacted, an ordinary cultivator from the Cang Yang Sect?
“…Shizun, what about me?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him lightly from the corner of his eyes, a fleeting trace of mockery flashed past. Then, he casually stepped forward to settle the bill.
Gong Wei froze and touched his face subconsciously. What did he turn me into?
But it was useless to worry. Unless he found a mercury mirror and cast a spell to undo the disguise, he would not see what he looked like in the eyes of others. He couldn’t just grab a passer-by and ask, “Hey, what do I look like?”
Gong Wei had to hold back his faint, ominous hunch and instead surveyed the surroundings.
Because most of the cultivators abstained from eating, the inns set up by the Immortal Alliance rarely provided food. Even if they did, they only provided it to young disciples who just built their cultivation foundation. The inns mostly served simple staples such as hot porridge and steamed buns.
The inn’s kitchen counter was open, and a bamboo steamer with buns was being removed from a steaming drawer. The chef picked up a bun and tore it in half. Gong Wei’s gaze was fixed when he saw a huge chicken and mushroom meatball appear as the bun was parted.
The fragrance wafted in the wind, Gong Wei gulped and sadness suddenly arose in his heart.
Although eating was not a necessity for him, it was one of the greatest joys of his life. Not to mention those few meals of boiled vegetables in the Cang Yang Sect, the last decent meal Gong Wei had was more than a month ago. It was the drunken chicken that Meng Yunfei had brought him to feast on. At that time, he and the others were in Linjiang City…
At this moment, the chef suddenly looked out. Seeing Xu Shuangtze’s back facing him, he beckoned to Gong Wei in a sneaky manner.
“?”
Gong Wei was puzzled, so he leaned forward. The plump cook wrapped the steam bun in paper and stuffed it into his face. An expression of kindness was almost overflowing as he said, “Hurry and eat this while that sir isn’t looking. Hurry!”
Gong Wei was shocked, “But-but I have no money?”
“Why do I need your money for? Take! Take it!”
“No, I can’t take things for free…”
“Hurry up, you poor thing.” The cook couldn’t help but whisper and urged, “Don’t be afraid, I will help you watch out for that sir. Hurry up and eat!”
Gong Wei was caught off guard by being gagged with the big, juicy bun. In a panic, he glanced back at Xu Shuangtze and swallowed it at once. The sweetness of the delectable food and the cook’s generous love engulfed him right away.
After that the steamed bun was consumed so swiftly as if fighting a war. The cook stretched half of his body out from the counter window to block Xu Shuangtze’s view of Gong Wei. At the same time, he hastily took out another opened steamed bun and pried it open with a pair of chopsticks. He whispered, “This is also stuffed with chicken meat. Quick, just eat the stuffing!
The chicken and mushroom meatball filled Gong Wei’s mouth, and at the same time, his mind was filled with a sudden question, “How did you know that I like buns with chicken stuffing?”
Not far away, Xu Shuangtze took half a step back, and the innkeeper spoke with a smile on his face, “Have a good day, Sir. Please visit us again next time, Sir!”
The cook urged, “Quickly, he’s going to look here!”
Gulp! Gong Wei swallowed down his food once more forcefully, and hurriedly wiped his mouth while exhorting, “I will bring you the money next time!”
The chef was full of brilliance and waved goodbye reluctantly. Gong Wei quickly cast a cleansing spell on his mouth and fingers. The moment Xu Shuangtze turned around, Gong Wei already dashed back to the entrance of the inn, with his hands placed behind his back and his head tilted up. Innocent, without a trace of irregularity at all.
“…”
Their eyes met, and a cold breeze passed them by.
Xu Shuangtze peered into Gong Wei’s eyes. For some reason, Gong Wei felt that although that man had an expression that tended to alienate others, there was always a hint of a grin in his eyes. He flicked his sleeves, raised a foot to cross the threshold, and said lightly, “Let’s go, my beloved disciple.”
Xu Shuangtze had long legs and took big strides, Gong Wei ran and followed closely behind him, secretly turning back and waving his hand at the plump cook in gratitude.
The Guqin Master, Liu Xuzhi, resided at the Spring Banquet Terrace, and it happened to be situated along the only way to Tianmen Pass. It was only more than a hundred miles away from Sui City, where they were at the moment.
Gong Wei originally thought that with Xu Shuangtze’s character, he would never make a stop in the middle of the journey. It would merely take him forty-five minutes to reach Spring Banquet Terrace by sword flight…So who knew that Xu Shuangtze had no intention of summoning No Way Out at all. He casually strolled around the city empty-handed, not wielding any sword.
Sui City was located at the borders, so it was not as prosperous as Linjiang City, but it was still rather lively as soon as the morning market was set up at dawn. Gong Wei was bearing grave injuries at present, and his spiritual power had been suppressed to the utmost extent.
He couldn’t keep up with Xu Shuangtze’s pace and stumbled to follow. The people passing them by in the city all glanced at him with a smile which made Gong Wei suspicious. He kept wondering what Xu Shuangtze had turned him into.
Right then, a food vendor on the side of the road who sold early, used a large spatula to scoop up a piping hot chicken carcass from the pot, and hollered, “Liu’s chicken noodles! Value-for-money, delicious chicken legs! Come take a look! Come!”
Gong Wei couldn’t help looking over. He was noticed by the observant food vendor who caught his potential business opportunity, “Does this sir want to try it? If it’s not tasty, you don’t have to pay!”
Gong Wei thought sadly that even if it was delicious, he had no money. Xu Shuangtze was not the kind who would give his disciples pocket money at all!
Unexpectedly, at this moment, the man who was peddling saw that Gong Wei was about to leave. He abruptly changed his words, beckoning enthusiastically, “Don’t go, don’t go! I will be giving away a bowl of chicken legs free just for today. First come first served! Don’t miss this opportunity!”
Gong Wei was so astounded by this fabulous offer that he almost fell. Xu Shuangtze, in front of him, suddenly stopped, turned his head, and asked coolly, “What’s the matter?”
Gong Wei didn’t dare to mention the word chicken and hurriedly rushed over. His eyes drooped, and answered, “Shizun, it’s nothing.”
Xu Shuangtze looked down at him for a moment, then suddenly stretched out his right hand.
Gong Wei didn’t dare to act rashly, and froze on the spot for a while, before hearing Xu Shuangtze’s advice, “Hold.”
Hold…
Gong Wei amusedly pinched Xu Shuangtze’s sleeve with two fingers, and answered with a smile “Shizun is really considerate of this disciple, and this disciple is greatly flattered…” Before he could say anything, Xu Shuangtze took Gong Wei’s left hand and moved it closer to his own wrist. A shimmering light gold character suddenly emerged on the inner side of Gong Wei’s snow-white wrist. It was the character ‘Xu’.
“Since you are already walking slowly, don’t look around. With this mark, no matter where you are, I will know.”
Gong Wei gritted his teeth. How dare you place a mark on me! Then, he confessed his wrongdoings honestly and sincerely, “The disciple knows that I am in the wrong.”
Xu Shuangtze added in a matter of fact tone, “Otherwise if you get abducted, wouldn’t it delay the trip?”
“Shizun is right to berate this disciple. This disciple will definitely…abduct? Huh?”
Gong Wei lived two lives and this was the first time he heard this word used on him. Combined with the cook’s overly loving expression earlier, a terrible hunch suddenly appeared in his mind, “…Shizun, did you disguise me as a little maid?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him condescendingly and stepped forward without answering.
Am I really a little maid? Xu Shuangtze shouldn’t make fun of others so much, right?
Gong Wei hurriedly followed up with the overwhelming doubts in his heart stifling him. Fortunately, Xu Shuangtze’s slowed down his pace this time so that Gong Wei did not have to trot in order to catch up. After about the time to burn a stick of incense, the man unexpectedly stopped. Gong Wei looked up and saw that there was a tavern in front of him.
“Welcome, Sir! This way, please!”
The waiter rushed out with fervour. With a sly look, he led Xu Shuangtze to a private room upstairs, and asked eagerly, “What would you like to eat? How about drinks?”
Xu Shuangtze lifted his robe and sat down, saying casually, “Didn’t you want to ingest food?
—As expected of Lord Xu, the beautiful term ‘eating’ was referred to as ‘ingesting food’ when coming from his lips.
Gong Wei’s poor heart, which had been repeatedly frightened in the past few moments, moved up to his throat again. He recalled that Xu Shuangtze had a part to play among those who forced him into food abstinence in his previous life. It was unfathomable for this man to offer him a meal out of kindness.
Did he see through my identity? Is he trying to entrap me?
Following this train of thought, Gong Wei didn’t dare to utter a word about drunken chicken, roasted chicken, saliva chicken, mushroom chicken buns. These words all lead to death. He gritted his teeth and firmly answered, “This disciple dare not. A disciple should abstain from eating to seek the great Dao. How can he succumb to the temptations of food?”
Xu Shuangtze didn’t even lift his eyelashes, “It’s okay. Shizun is in a very good mood today and I will buy everything you wish to eat.”
Gong Wei gave a respectful bow, then stated, “In that case, this disciple asks Shizun to bestow a bowl of water-boiled vegetables!”
Xu Shuangtze’s movements stopped. After a momentary pause, he asked, “Why so?”
Gong Wei looked back at the man solemnly, “The disciple has been out for a long time and misses the food bestowed by Shizun on Cang Yang Mountain. I only wish to eat boiled vegetables in plain water to remember Shizun’s grace. Shizun is the wisest!”
The air in the elegant private room seemed to freeze at once.
Gong Wei maintained his reverent gesture of bowing his head, and it took a long time to hear Xu Shuangtze’s soft words, “But I recalled that when you were in Linjiang City, you were unreserved and took the initiative to ask Meng Yunfei of the Sect to treat you to a meal of drunken chicken. You two were engaged in a jovial conversation.”
Why did Xu Shuangtze have to remember the cursed drunken chicken after so long?
Gong Wei raised his voice, “This disciple was overly lax and violated the precept. I promised not to do it again!”
The temperature in the private room seemed to dip at once, only to hear Xu Shuangtze repeat the words, “—Overly lax.”
His eyes seemed to have a thin layer of ice forming over them, and he slowly uttered after a long pause, “As expected, my beloved disciple can only be cheerful and relaxed when he is around the disciple with the surname Meng. No wonder you had a great appetite and were chattier than usual.”
Since you are reluctant to see me enjoy eating drunken chicken, then I shall… “Shizun…”, Gong Wei urged with an even more repentant expression.
“Bring him vegetables boiled in plain water.” Xu Shuangtze instructed coldly.
The waiter hurriedly ran off as if the soles of his feet were greased. Not long after the dish was served, and it turned out to be a huge bowl of green vegetable soup, much like the one he had on Cang Yang Mountain. There wasn’t even a drop of oil on the surface of the soup. So pristine, that it was good enough to be a mirror as it reflected the despondency in Gong Wei’s eyes. Just like that, he had to pretend to be grateful to Sect Master Xu, “This disciple will remember Shizun’s great kindness!”
Xu Shuangtze, who was still ‘in a very good mood’ earlier, did not bother to reply to him.
As soon as the door of the room was closed, only the two men were left sitting opposite each other. Gong Wei didn’t even dare to lift his head. He ate the vegetables one strand after another, as if a mute was eating Chinese goldthread—he could not utter the bitterness he was feeling.
Just then, a jade transmission tally lit up on Xu Shuangtze’s waist and spontaneously flew into the air. A thousand-mile manifestation array spread open and at the centre of the lights was Ying Kai.
“Great! Shuangtze, you are finally willing to receive my manifestation transmission! I have been trying to contact you since last night, but I couldn’t reach you no matter what—” Ying Kai’s keen voice stopped abruptly when he saw Gong Wei.
Gong Wei, “…”
Ying Kai, “…”
In an instant, it was as if the thunder of the skies shook the ground, and Gong Wei felt so wronged that he almost rushed up right then and shouted, “Shixiong! Can you see the miserable situation I am in of being oppressed until I am unable to eat? Hurry and rescue me!”
“Oh?”
At this time, Xu Shuangtze who was seated on the other side of the round table calmly answered, “This place is remote, and the spiritual energy in the atmosphere is thin. Perhaps that’s why the manifestation formation did not come through smoothly.”
Ying Kai could only look helplessly at his Shidi, whom he hadn’t seen in sixteen years. Although the man did all he could to hide, anyone who knew him could see the words ‘displeased but forcing out a broad smile’ etched on his face as he replied, “…Shuangtze, is this the young disciple you brought along? Haha! Why does he look like this?”
Wasn’t the bride of the Ghost Prince a woman?
This was Gong Wei’s first reaction. Then, he pondered once more and did not think he was mistaken. Then again, if Lady Xu was not a woman, then of course the Ghost Prince’s bride may not have necessarily been a female either.
Whatever it was, no one would know for sure the realities these legends came from. Both Xu Shuangtze and the Ghost Prince had rumours of their wedding circulating in the world. Gong Wei thought that Xu Shuangtze was fortunate to have his relentless help to overcome the killing obstacles. The Ghost Prince, on the other hand, may not have had such luck.
Moreover, it was well-known that Daoist stories tended to intersect with the truth. This left Gong Wei feeling absurd. He sat on the bed and hugged the quilt tightly as he pondered for a long time. He suddenly caught on, and hurriedly said, “So did Shizun see a female Artefact Sect Master then?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him indifferently, as if he did not care to answer.
Gong Wei added, “This disciple is dull. This disciple still doesn’t understand why Shizun is worried. Could it be that the heavenly being looked terrifying?”
Xu Shuangtze finally responded, “I didn’t see the entity’s facial features clearly. In all probability, mortals need a certain level of cultivation to distinctly perceive the appearance of a heavenly being. I only recalled one thing, which the mechanical giant mentioned in the illusion, ‘Living beings are insignificant like dogs, the Great Dao will come to an end.’
Xu Shuangtze had fallen silent as if he did not know how to continue on with the explanation.
Gong Wei heard those words back then as well. After all, the mechanical soldier roared with anger at the time, so much so that the earth shook with it, “So Shizun thinks that…”
After a long while, the man drew a breath and slowly uttered, “Is it possible that the mechanical giant itself was sent down by a certain heavenly being to destroy the world?
Gong Wei thought to himself that this guess was too ridiculous. Does this ‘certain heavenly being’s’ objective have to be to end all living beings on earth?
“If it is as you speculated, then this evil tribulation which that grandmaster ushered in seems plausible. Because it was not originally intended to let him overcome and ascend. It was a divine punishment to shatter his corpse such that he will cease to exist. The spiritual being residing in the mirror deflected all of the nine-thunder tribulation and carried the primordial spirit of the grandmaster into the sky. This also violated the will of the gods, so he appeared in a rage and cast the divine punishment”.
If one paid close attention, one would notice Xu Shuangtze’s voice was a little unstable when saying this, even with a hint of hoarseness in the end.
He continued, “If my guess is true, then this heavenly being is an evil god.
Everyone knew that Lord Xu was a man of very few words, and Gong Wei had never seen him say so many things in one sitting. However, the more he listened, the more confused he became. Yet, Gong Wei did not dare to pursue the line of questioning till the end. He could only say, “But-but Shizun, the Ghost Prince’s bride ascended smoothly in the stories.
Xu Shuangtze affirmed, “Yes, ascended.”
“Then, did the grandmaster who Shizun saw fail to ascend?”
Dawn broke in from outside the window and a ray of light was cast into the dim room with a vaguely amorous ambience. Xu Shuangtze stood in front of the window lattice. Half of his body was hidden in the shadows but his facial features were charmingly lit. There was an unspeakable gloom partially obscured in his eyes.
“Yes,” his voice was soft. He seemed to be answering Gong Wei but also talking to himself.
“—This grandmaster offended an evil god. So, after he failed to ascend, where did he go? Has he been relegated to being a mortal?”
The lower half of Gong Wei’s face was hidden behind the quilt, only his pair of eyes were exposed, staring at Xu Shuangtze carefully.
Under the calm and restrained expression of the Cang Yang Sect Master, there seemed to be a trace of rampaging anger that made him a little nervous. But Gong Wei had no idea where this strange mood stemmed from.
“…Did Shizun share this speculation with Lord Ying?” He asked warily in a low voice.
Unexpectedly, Xu Shuangtze glanced at him and said faintly, “No. Regardless, as long as we find the mastermind, we can get our answer. You are the only one I told.”
Gong Wei, “…Huh?”
The irritability that emanated from Xu Shuangtze became less intense. This was probably because the man had temporarily shelved his thoughts.
He turned his head and opened the inn window and said, “So if there is a third person in this world who knows about this, then it must have been you who shared it—”
The morning wind gently brought his unhurried last two words into Gong Wei’s ears, “My beloved disciple.”
This was a perfectly normal form of address, but Gong Wei was nestled in the corner of the wide bed in just his bedclothes, his cheeks grew inexplicably hot until he touched his own ears unnaturally.
We Vtejcuahf aegcfv jgbecv, rffwlcuis rwlilcu yea cba gfjiis, “Xfa eq, ws yfibnfv vlrmlqif. Kbvjs, kf jgf tfjvlcu ab Vqglcu Djcdefa Kfggjmf ktfgf atf Xedlc Zjrafg gfrlvfr. Gbc’a sbe tjnf j ubbv oglfcv atfgf?”
* * *
Ktf Pwwbgaji Ciiljcmf tjv rfa eq lccr lc njglber qijmfr fzmierlnfis obg lwwbgaji meialnjabgr ab gfra jcv gfmeqfgjaf. Ktfs vlv cba jmmfqa gfueijg mbqqfg mblcr jcv rlinfg yliir. Ktf bcis kjs ab obba atf ylii kjr ab mtjguf atflg rajs ab atflg rfma’r jmmbeca bg erf ubiv jr qjswfca. Qtfc atfs mjwf vbkc ab mtfmx bea, Xbcu Qfl kjr qgfqjgfv ab klacfrr j rfcrjalbcji gfjmalbc ogbw atf uefrar. Lf mjgfoeiis tlv mbwqifafis yftlcv We Vtejcuahf.
Unexpectedly, when the two of them passed through the lobby, the cultivators came and went as usual. They were not the least surprised, as if they completely did not recognise the esteemed Cang Yang Sect Master.
Xu Shuangtze calmly explained, “Don’t worry, Shizun has already cast a disguise. When others see me, all they will notice is an ordinary cultivator from the Cang Yang Sect.”
Gong Wei was full of admiration and saluted, “Shizun is wise!”
Then he suddenly reacted, an ordinary cultivator from the Cang Yang Sect?
“…Shizun, what about me?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him lightly from the corner of his eyes, a fleeting trace of mockery flashed past. Then, he casually stepped forward to settle the bill.
Gong Wei froze and touched his face subconsciously. What did he turn me into?
But it was useless to worry. Unless he found a mercury mirror and cast a spell to undo the disguise, he would not see what he looked like in the eyes of others. He couldn’t just grab a passer-by and ask, “Hey, what do I look like?”
Gong Wei had to hold back his faint, ominous hunch and instead surveyed the surroundings.
Because most of the cultivators abstained from eating, the inns set up by the Immortal Alliance rarely provided food. Even if they did, they only provided it to young disciples who just built their cultivation foundation. The inns mostly served simple staples such as hot porridge and steamed buns.
The inn’s kitchen counter was open, and a bamboo steamer with buns was being removed from a steaming drawer. The chef picked up a bun and tore it in half. Gong Wei’s gaze was fixed when he saw a huge chicken and mushroom meatball appear as the bun was parted.
The fragrance wafted in the wind, Gong Wei gulped and sadness suddenly arose in his heart.
Although eating was not a necessity for him, it was one of the greatest joys of his life. Not to mention those few meals of boiled vegetables in the Cang Yang Sect, the last decent meal Gong Wei had was more than a month ago. It was the drunken chicken that Meng Yunfei had brought him to feast on. At that time, he and the others were in Linjiang City…
At this moment, the chef suddenly looked out. Seeing Xu Shuangtze’s back facing him, he beckoned to Gong Wei in a sneaky manner.
“?”
Gong Wei was puzzled, so he leaned forward. The plump cook wrapped the steam bun in paper and stuffed it into his face. An expression of kindness was almost overflowing as he said, “Hurry and eat this while that sir isn’t looking. Hurry!”
Gong Wei was shocked, “But-but I have no money?”
“Why do I need your money for? Take! Take it!”
“No, I can’t take things for free…”
“Hurry up, you poor thing.” The cook couldn’t help but whisper and urged, “Don’t be afraid, I will help you watch out for that sir. Hurry up and eat!”
Gong Wei was caught off guard by being gagged with the big, juicy bun. In a panic, he glanced back at Xu Shuangtze and swallowed it at once. The sweetness of the delectable food and the cook’s generous love engulfed him right away.
After that the steamed bun was consumed so swiftly as if fighting a war. The cook stretched half of his body out from the counter window to block Xu Shuangtze’s view of Gong Wei. At the same time, he hastily took out another opened steamed bun and pried it open with a pair of chopsticks. He whispered, “This is also stuffed with chicken meat. Quick, just eat the stuffing!
The chicken and mushroom meatball filled Gong Wei’s mouth, and at the same time, his mind was filled with a sudden question, “How did you know that I like buns with chicken stuffing?”
Not far away, Xu Shuangtze took half a step back, and the innkeeper spoke with a smile on his face, “Have a good day, Sir. Please visit us again next time, Sir!”
The cook urged, “Quickly, he’s going to look here!”
Gulp! Gong Wei swallowed down his food once more forcefully, and hurriedly wiped his mouth while exhorting, “I will bring you the money next time!”
The chef was full of brilliance and waved goodbye reluctantly. Gong Wei quickly cast a cleansing spell on his mouth and fingers. The moment Xu Shuangtze turned around, Gong Wei already dashed back to the entrance of the inn, with his hands placed behind his back and his head tilted up. Innocent, without a trace of irregularity at all.
“…”
Their eyes met, and a cold breeze passed them by.
Xu Shuangtze peered into Gong Wei’s eyes. For some reason, Gong Wei felt that although that man had an expression that tended to alienate others, there was always a hint of a grin in his eyes. He flicked his sleeves, raised a foot to cross the threshold, and said lightly, “Let’s go, my beloved disciple.”
Xu Shuangtze had long legs and took big strides, Gong Wei ran and followed closely behind him, secretly turning back and waving his hand at the plump cook in gratitude.
The Guqin Master, Liu Xuzhi, resided at the Spring Banquet Terrace, and it happened to be situated along the only way to Tianmen Pass. It was only more than a hundred miles away from Sui City, where they were at the moment.
Gong Wei originally thought that with Xu Shuangtze’s character, he would never make a stop in the middle of the journey. It would merely take him forty-five minutes to reach Spring Banquet Terrace by sword flight…So who knew that Xu Shuangtze had no intention of summoning No Way Out at all. He casually strolled around the city empty-handed, not wielding any sword.
Sui City was located at the borders, so it was not as prosperous as Linjiang City, but it was still rather lively as soon as the morning market was set up at dawn. Gong Wei was bearing grave injuries at present, and his spiritual power had been suppressed to the utmost extent.
He couldn’t keep up with Xu Shuangtze’s pace and stumbled to follow. The people passing them by in the city all glanced at him with a smile which made Gong Wei suspicious. He kept wondering what Xu Shuangtze had turned him into.
Right then, a food vendor on the side of the road who sold early, used a large spatula to scoop up a piping hot chicken carcass from the pot, and hollered, “Liu’s chicken noodles! Value-for-money, delicious chicken legs! Come take a look! Come!”
Gong Wei couldn’t help looking over. He was noticed by the observant food vendor who caught his potential business opportunity, “Does this sir want to try it? If it’s not tasty, you don’t have to pay!”
Gong Wei thought sadly that even if it was delicious, he had no money. Xu Shuangtze was not the kind who would give his disciples pocket money at all!
Unexpectedly, at this moment, the man who was peddling saw that Gong Wei was about to leave. He abruptly changed his words, beckoning enthusiastically, “Don’t go, don’t go! I will be giving away a bowl of chicken legs free just for today. First come first served! Don’t miss this opportunity!”
Gong Wei was so astounded by this fabulous offer that he almost fell. Xu Shuangtze, in front of him, suddenly stopped, turned his head, and asked coolly, “What’s the matter?”
Gong Wei didn’t dare to mention the word chicken and hurriedly rushed over. His eyes drooped, and answered, “Shizun, it’s nothing.”
Xu Shuangtze looked down at him for a moment, then suddenly stretched out his right hand.
Gong Wei didn’t dare to act rashly, and froze on the spot for a while, before hearing Xu Shuangtze’s advice, “Hold.”
Hold…
Gong Wei amusedly pinched Xu Shuangtze’s sleeve with two fingers, and answered with a smile “Shizun is really considerate of this disciple, and this disciple is greatly flattered…” Before he could say anything, Xu Shuangtze took Gong Wei’s left hand and moved it closer to his own wrist. A shimmering light gold character suddenly emerged on the inner side of Gong Wei’s snow-white wrist. It was the character ‘Xu’.
“Since you are already walking slowly, don’t look around. With this mark, no matter where you are, I will know.”
Gong Wei gritted his teeth. How dare you place a mark on me! Then, he confessed his wrongdoings honestly and sincerely, “The disciple knows that I am in the wrong.”
Xu Shuangtze added in a matter of fact tone, “Otherwise if you get abducted, wouldn’t it delay the trip?”
“Shizun is right to berate this disciple. This disciple will definitely…abduct? Huh?”
Gong Wei lived two lives and this was the first time he heard this word used on him. Combined with the cook’s overly loving expression earlier, a terrible hunch suddenly appeared in his mind, “…Shizun, did you disguise me as a little maid?”
Xu Shuangtze glanced at him condescendingly and stepped forward without answering.
Am I really a little maid? Xu Shuangtze shouldn’t make fun of others so much, right?
Gong Wei hurriedly followed up with the overwhelming doubts in his heart stifling him. Fortunately, Xu Shuangtze’s slowed down his pace this time so that Gong Wei did not have to trot in order to catch up. After about the time to burn a stick of incense, the man unexpectedly stopped. Gong Wei looked up and saw that there was a tavern in front of him.
“Welcome, Sir! This way, please!”
The waiter rushed out with fervour. With a sly look, he led Xu Shuangtze to a private room upstairs, and asked eagerly, “What would you like to eat? How about drinks?”
Xu Shuangtze lifted his robe and sat down, saying casually, “Didn’t you want to ingest food?
—As expected of Lord Xu, the beautiful term ‘eating’ was referred to as ‘ingesting food’ when coming from his lips.
Gong Wei’s poor heart, which had been repeatedly frightened in the past few moments, moved up to his throat again. He recalled that Xu Shuangtze had a part to play among those who forced him into food abstinence in his previous life. It was unfathomable for this man to offer him a meal out of kindness.
Did he see through my identity? Is he trying to entrap me?
Following this train of thought, Gong Wei didn’t dare to utter a word about drunken chicken, roasted chicken, saliva chicken, mushroom chicken buns. These words all lead to death. He gritted his teeth and firmly answered, “This disciple dare not. A disciple should abstain from eating to seek the great Dao. How can he succumb to the temptations of food?”
Xu Shuangtze didn’t even lift his eyelashes, “It’s okay. Shizun is in a very good mood today and I will buy everything you wish to eat.”
Gong Wei gave a respectful bow, then stated, “In that case, this disciple asks Shizun to bestow a bowl of water-boiled vegetables!”
Xu Shuangtze’s movements stopped. After a momentary pause, he asked, “Why so?”
Gong Wei looked back at the man solemnly, “The disciple has been out for a long time and misses the food bestowed by Shizun on Cang Yang Mountain. I only wish to eat boiled vegetables in plain water to remember Shizun’s grace. Shizun is the wisest!”
The air in the elegant private room seemed to freeze at once.
Gong Wei maintained his reverent gesture of bowing his head, and it took a long time to hear Xu Shuangtze’s soft words, “But I recalled that when you were in Linjiang City, you were unreserved and took the initiative to ask Meng Yunfei of the Sect to treat you to a meal of drunken chicken. You two were engaged in a jovial conversation.”
Why did Xu Shuangtze have to remember the cursed drunken chicken after so long?
Gong Wei raised his voice, “This disciple was overly lax and violated the precept. I promised not to do it again!”
The temperature in the private room seemed to dip at once, only to hear Xu Shuangtze repeat the words, “—Overly lax.”
His eyes seemed to have a thin layer of ice forming over them, and he slowly uttered after a long pause, “As expected, my beloved disciple can only be cheerful and relaxed when he is around the disciple with the surname Meng. No wonder you had a great appetite and were chattier than usual.”
Since you are reluctant to see me enjoy eating drunken chicken, then I shall… “Shizun…”, Gong Wei urged with an even more repentant expression.
“Bring him vegetables boiled in plain water.” Xu Shuangtze instructed coldly.
The waiter hurriedly ran off as if the soles of his feet were greased. Not long after the dish was served, and it turned out to be a huge bowl of green vegetable soup, much like the one he had on Cang Yang Mountain. There wasn’t even a drop of oil on the surface of the soup. So pristine, that it was good enough to be a mirror as it reflected the despondency in Gong Wei’s eyes. Just like that, he had to pretend to be grateful to Sect Master Xu, “This disciple will remember Shizun’s great kindness!”
Xu Shuangtze, who was still ‘in a very good mood’ earlier, did not bother to reply to him.
As soon as the door of the room was closed, only the two men were left sitting opposite each other. Gong Wei didn’t even dare to lift his head. He ate the vegetables one strand after another, as if a mute was eating Chinese goldthread—he could not utter the bitterness he was feeling.
Just then, a jade transmission tally lit up on Xu Shuangtze’s waist and spontaneously flew into the air. A thousand-mile manifestation array spread open and at the centre of the lights was Ying Kai.
“Great! Shuangtze, you are finally willing to receive my manifestation transmission! I have been trying to contact you since last night, but I couldn’t reach you no matter what—” Ying Kai’s keen voice stopped abruptly when he saw Gong Wei.
Gong Wei, “…”
Ying Kai, “…”
In an instant, it was as if the thunder of the skies shook the ground, and Gong Wei felt so wronged that he almost rushed up right then and shouted, “Shixiong! Can you see the miserable situation I am in of being oppressed until I am unable to eat? Hurry and rescue me!”
“Oh?”
At this time, Xu Shuangtze who was seated on the other side of the round table calmly answered, “This place is remote, and the spiritual energy in the atmosphere is thin. Perhaps that’s why the manifestation formation did not come through smoothly.”
Ying Kai could only look helplessly at his Shidi, whom he hadn’t seen in sixteen years. Although the man did all he could to hide, anyone who knew him could see the words ‘displeased but forcing out a broad smile’ etched on his face as he replied, “…Shuangtze, is this the young disciple you brought along? Haha! Why does he look like this?”
