In the depths of his heart, Xie Shuci felt the same thrill as the bystanders.

He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated, finding himself at a loss for words.

What could he say? He had thought the frail-looking, blind, and mute Xie An was nothing but a showman. He assumed Chu Wenfeng, with his pretentious air, was all bluster. And he believed Chu Guiyi, always so polite, was a gentleman without any real fighting ability. Among them, he believed only he had a little bit of martial prowess. But what was the reality?

The three of them had concealed their strength remarkably well, subduing the formidable cultivators with just a few moves.

“Do you wish to continue?” Chu Guiyi asked coldly, looking down at the sprawled cultivators on the ground.

“Wait a moment——”

Xie Shuci raised his hand, interrupting everyone with a serious look on his face.

With feigned profundity, he approached the leading cultivator, who looked both ashamed and furious. The cultivator’s gaze passed over Xie An and Chu Wenfeng, clearly wary of them.

“We failed to recognize esteemed disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect and the Chu family. Esteemed cultivator…”

Before he could finish, Xie Shuci picked up a stool leg from the ground and poked it at the cultivator’s shoulder from a distance.

“Say it again, who stole what?”

Xie Shuci saw this as a golden opportunity to boost his own reputation. He wanted to ride on their coattails and exert some dominance. He was acting like a fox using a tiger’s might to intimidate others. Xie Shuci was playing it slyly.

Xie Shuci’s strength was gentle, more like humiliation than revenge. In reality, he just wanted to distance himself a bit to avoid any retaliation from him.

Tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, with veins bulging on the back of his hand. The heart of the person being poked was filled with killing intent.

The three people behind Xie Shuci seemed to sense something and acted simultaneously.

Xie An unsheathed his sword, its blade gleaming coldly.

Chu Wenfeng tightened his grip on his whip, ready to strike.

Chu Guiyi’s expression tensed, and his facial lines appeared somewhat rigid.

The cultivator, aware of their readiness, took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and let go of his sword. “Fellow Daoist, forgive me, I was mistaken,” he admitted reluctantly.

“Hmph.” Xie Shuci scoffed, dropped the stool leg, and confidently returned to Xie An’s side.

Xie An stretched out two fingers and tapped Xie Shuci’s hand twice. Xie Shuci was still frustrated that he had the lowest combat strength among the four of them, feeling deceived. He grumbled, “What’s wrong?”

Xie An pursed his lips and wrote in his palm, “Angry.”

Knowing the question was directed at him, Xie Shuci turned away, “No.”

The head of the Manjiang Hall arrived late, and after learning the whole story, he had the cultivators who caused trouble taken away and arranged a new room for Xie Shuci and his three companions.

As they passed by the main hall, Xie Shuci always felt that many eyes were secretly probing him.

He originally wanted to walk at the back out of stubbornness, but the stares from those people made him uneasy, so he had to tightly hold the small pouch filled with treasures and quicken his pace to walk beside Xie An.

Xie An’s presence shielded him from most of the stares, easing his anxiety.

Once they entered the room, Xie Shuci immediately sat on the farthest side, shooting resentful glances at the three of them.

The blind youngster paid no mind, but Chu Wenfeng glared right back.

Chu Guiyi chuckled helplessly and said, “Shuci, what’s the matter?”

Xie Shuci had been waiting for them to speak, and now he got what he wanted.

“Why didn’t you tell me you all could fight like that? Are we even friends?” Xie Shuci grumbled while resting his head on the table.

Chu Wenfeng rolled his eyes. “Are you an idiot? Every cultivator here seeks the Dragon Tooth Secret Realm. If everyone acted like you, not using any spiritual power and just tagging along, wouldn’t that be seeking death? Hey, let me just ask, were you afraid there won’t be any top-grade pills in the secret realm, so you especially came to share some with everyone?”

“You…” Xie Shuci pointed at Chu Wenfeng, but recalling the whip wrapped around his waist, he held back his anger. Dragging Xie An into the conversation, he retorted, “Are you blind? Can’t you see how skilled Xie An is? With him around, what harm could come to me?”

Xie An slightly raised his lips, seemingly smiling but not really. When Xie An was mentioned, Chu Guiyi couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

He tentatively asked, “Young Master Xie An, I heard you were a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect. But why aren’t you accompanying the senior disciples of Xiaoyao Sect on this mission?”

Startled, Xie Shuci instinctively glanced at Xie An.

He recalled someone mentioning Xie An practicing Xiaoyao swordsmanship. So, he was once a disciple of Xiaoyao Sect? Then who were the people chasing after him?

Although Xie Shuci promised not to pry into Xie An’s past, the connection between the Xiaoyao Sect and Xiao Xun was too significant to ignore. He was extremely sensitive to anything related to Xiao Xun and didn’t want to let go of any possible clues. So, following Chu Guiyi’s lead, he asked, “Xie An, are you a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect?”

Xie An looked down, lips moving slightly. “I once was.”

“Once was?” Xie Shuci repeated in confusion.

Both Chu Guiyi and Chu Wenfeng fixed their gazes on Xie An, scrutinizing him.

Xie An continued, “What I’ve become now is closely tied to Xiao Xun.”

Xie Shuci furrowed his brows, “Related to Xiao Xun?”

The other two didn’t understand what Xie An had said and could only infer from Xie Shuci’s words.

Xie An’s expression remained calm as he said, “As you said, Xiao Xun is ruthless and capable of all sorts of evil deeds. After injuring four elders of the Xiaoyao Sect, he forced me to take him into the Treasure Gathering Pavilion and destroyed a precious treasure, and then he escaped. The Xiaoyao Sect concluded that I was his accomplice and subsequently expelled me. Now I’m being hunted down by them.”

“He really is capable of such things!” Xie Shuci slammed the table, filled with righteous indignation. “How can he be so wicked? If he commits evil on his own, that’s bad enough, but involving innocent people is even more despicable!”

Xie An, with a calm expression, said, “Brother Deng is a man of great principle. If I have the chance to explain things to him, he will surely not make things difficult for me.”

“I can take you to him. I can explain on your behalf. That guy, Xiao Xun is obviously a lone star of calamity. How could he have an accomplice?”

If it weren’t for the fact that the original novel had an idiot protagonist, Gong, Xie Shuci felt that someone like Xiao Xun would definitely remain lonely for the rest of his life, killing everyone and everything.

Xie An slowly shook his head, “There’s no need. I used the ‘Xiaoyao Sword Technique’ in public. I presume it won’t be long before the news reaches his ears. He will come to me on his own.”

“Oh,” Xie Shuci nodded, then asked belatedly, “Xie An, if you clarify things with him, will you return to the Xiaoyao Sect?”

Xie An was taken aback, sensing the caution in Xie Shuci’s words.

With a meaningful smile, he replied, “I don’t plan on returning to the Xiaoyao Sect.”

Xie Shuci’s eyes lit up, “Then will you stay with me in the future? I have money, I can support you.”

After a long silence, Xie An pursed his lips and grabbed Xie Shuci’s right hand. He wrote in his palm, “I can stay with you.”

Elated, Xie Shuci watched as Xie An added, “…until your death.”

Xie Shuci wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the word “death” felt heavy in his palm.

Seeing them converse privately in this secretive manner, Chu Wenfeng lost interest first and found a cloth to carefully wipe his whip on the side.

Chu Guiyi sighed deeply. He had initially felt that Young Master Xie An was a dangerous figure and had wanted to warn Xie Shuci to be wary of Xie An. However, now it seemed that Xie Shuci trusted Xie An extremely and the latter didn’t appear to have any ill intentions. Perhaps his instincts were wrong, and he didn’t want to needlessly damage the trust between them.

After having their meal at Manjiang Hall, they were ready to head back to their inn when they were stopped by the waiter.

Seeing Xie Shuci, the waiter greeted them with a wide grin, “Honored guests, I apologize for the inconvenience earlier. The owner has prepared the best rooms for you. Considering the recent unrest in the city, for your safety, we hope you’ll stay at Manjiang Hall. We’ll retrieve your luggage.”

Chu Guiyi pondered for a moment and asked, “Is this the decision of the owner of Manjiang Hall?”

Xie Shuci whispered, “Who is the owner?”

Chu Wenfeng replied, “The one we met earlier today, Helian Jue.”

“Him?” Xie Shuci frowned. Wasn’t Helian Jue the one who was being chased by his partner for fooling around with a courtesan?

The waiter nodded, “Yes, it’s the meaning of the owner. He wanted to apologize personally but couldn’t make it.”

The four exchanged glances and decided to stay.

Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng returned to the inn to retrieve their luggage, and the round trip took about the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

“What breed is this white horse of yours?” Chu Wenfeng pointed at Immortal Crane.

Xie Shuci shook his head, “I don’t know, it was a gift from my senior brothers.”

Based on its coat, it seems similar to our Yinzhou’s Cloud-Chasing Horse.”

The Immortal Crane let out a dismissive snort, seemingly disdainful of Chu Wenfeng’s words.

Chu Wenfeng, puzzled, asked, “What on earth is your sector? There’s no famous sect in the cultivation world with the surname Xie. Could it be you, like that blind man, are a disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect? However, even the Xiaoyao Sect can’t produce so many high-grade pills at once.”

Xie Shuci awkwardly scratched his head; he also wanted to know what his sector’s background was.

Chu Wenfeng eyed him suspiciously for a moment, “Could it be that you came from the Floating Tower Realm?”

“Floating Tower Realm?” Xie Shuci furrowed his brows, trying to recall.

In the original book, the Floating Tower Realm was different from other secret realms, being the only one that was always open. It was said to be full of spiritual energy, unmatched in the cultivation world. A day of cultivation in the Floating Tower Realm was equivalent to a month in the cultivation world. One of the four major sects, the Xiao family, and the main branch of the Xiaoyao Sect were both located in the Floating Tower Realm.

It’s said that only the sects ranked within the top ten in the Immortal Sect’s Grand Selection have the privilege to move their headquarters to the Floating Tower Realm. Because of this, countless sects go to great lengths just for the selection, aiming to move to the Floating Tower Realm.

“It’s impossible.” Chu Wenfeng quickly dismissed his own thought. “There’s no way someone as useless as you could be from the Floating Tower Realm.”

Xie Shuci gave him a disdainful look, “You never know. What if I really came from the Floating Tower Realm to gain experience?”

“You?… Xiao Xun?!” Chu Wenfeng suddenly looked ahead in horror.

Startled, Xie Shuci almost reflexively jumped behind Chu Wenfeng, his heart racing. “Damn—Where?!”

Clutching Chu Wenfeng’s clothes, Xie Shuci felt his shivers, thinking he was scared, and comfortingly patted him, “Don’t be afraid. If you want, you can run first, and I’ll cover the rear…”

“Hahaha…”

Before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, Chu Wenfeng couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer. He bent over, holding his belly, and laughed heartily, “Idiot! You, from the Floating Tower Realm?”

“…”

Xie Shuci fell silent, realizing that he had been played into a corner.

He stood up, took a deep breath, and then slapped Chu Wenfeng’s head with a palm.

“Ouch! Xie Shuci, are you trying to get yourself killed?” Chu Wenfeng glared angrily.

With a stern face, Xie Shuci led his horse and left in a huff.

Cursing under his breath, Chu Wenfeng reluctantly followed.

When they reached the entrance of Manjiang Hall, Xie Shuci suddenly halted and strained his ears. Sounds of a fight echoed faintly from inside.

“Look out!”

At Chu Wenfeng’s shout, Xie Shuci was momentarily stunned. He felt a force pulling him back by the whip tied around his waist.

At the same time, Immortal Crane shuffled to the side. A figure rushed out from the door, landing in the spot where Xie Shuci had been standing, stumbling back two steps before steadying himself.