Watching Chen Wuyou leave with Shangguan Mo, Qi Mingzhi first shook his head in resignation, then walked over step by step to where Yan Ming lay on the ground.
"He... left?" Yan Ming's voice was as soft as a mosquito's, clearly having taken a heavy beating.
"He's gone." Qi Mingzhi slowly helped Yan Ming up. "I told you long ago that this Chen Wuyou is not someone to be trifled with, but you had to be so impulsive... Now look at you. In this state, let alone walking back to the Yuying Sect before dark, even borrowing a convenience from the Xuanyang Sect is going to be a problem."
"I'm fine... I can walk."
Yan Ming shook off Qi Mingzhi's supporting hand, but his legs wobbled and he crashed right back to the ground.
Qi Mingzhi's mouth twitched, and he helplessly covered his forehead.
Those two kicks from Chen Wuyou had been executed to absolute perfection—they caused Yan Ming no irreversible injuries, yet left him in agonizing pain, unable to take a single step.
"If I'd known, I should have brought a few more people along. Ah, miscalculation, what a miscalculation." Qi Mingzhi helped Yan Ming up once more, feeling a heavy wave of regret.
Right at that moment, a figure in yellow robes—an inner disciple of the Xuanyang Sect—suddenly appeared in Qi Mingzhi's line of sight.
"Pardon me, might you two be distinguished guests from the Yuying Sect?"
Qi Mingzhi was slightly startled at first, then nodded. "Indeed we are."
"That settles it, then." The Xuanyang Sect disciple flashed a smile, then turned sideways and gestured, pointing out a direction for Qi Mingzhi. "Young Master Qi, our old Sect Master requests your presence."
Hearing this, Qi Mingzhi looked in the direction indicated, where, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the figure of Shangguan Danqing vaguely came into view.
Not daring to be negligent, Qi Mingzhi hurried forward.
Although Shangguan Danqing and Chen Wuyou had spun them around in dizzying circles, facing Shangguan Danqing—who was practically invincible under the Nine Suns—Qi Mingzhi, whose nature was gentle to begin with, dared not show the slightest disrespect.
Therefore, upon confirming that it was indeed Shangguan Danqing in the flesh, Qi Mingzhi immediately bowed. "Mingzhi pays his respects to Senior Shangguan."
"No need to be so formal, Kid Qi." Shangguan Danqing waved a hand, then asked directly, "Well, did that brat agree to help you?"
Before Qi Mingzhi could answer, Shangguan Danqing stroked his silver beard and continued on his own: "That punk has no sense of propriety day in and day out, always running off to that—what is it called?—Tianxiang... Garden. If he can help you out, it'll at least count as making a contribution to the sect."
Chen Wuyou tearfully clutched his ten spirit stones.
"Senior." Qi Mingzhi gave a bitter smile. "Brother Wuyou... did not agree to help."
"Is that so? I see..." Shangguan Danqing's expression was surprisingly calm. "Well then, Kid Qi, this old man sees that your companion is somewhat less than intact, and it's getting rather late. How about coming to stay at my place for the night? Just the right time for me to help you beat—ahem, persuade that kid."
As for enlisting Chen Wuyou, Qi Mingzhi held out little hope, but faced with such a timely offer of shelter in their time of need, he was instantly overjoyed and hurriedly expressed his gratitude. "Mingzhi thanks Senior."
"Haha, a mere trifle." Shangguan Danqing let out a hearty laugh, then extended two fingers and flicked them through the air, causing Yan Ming to float up beside him.
"Yun Qing," Shangguan Danqing said to the Xuanyang Sect disciple. "I'll take this little fellow back first. Kid Qi is in your hands."
"Understood, disciple obeys."
"Take care, Senior."
The two men bowed in unison.
And so it came to be that on that very evening, at the dining table in the Immortal's Residence, Chen Wuyou sat with Qi Mingzhi on his left and Yan Ming—whose functions had not yet fully recovered—on his right.
Chen Wuyou first glanced at Qi Mingzhi's handsome face, then looked over at Yan Ming, who practically had "high alert" written all over his entire body, and the corner of his eye twitched.
Shangguan Danqing dug into the meal with gusto, wearing an expression that clearly said *this has nothing to do with me*.
As for Shangguan Mo, she had disappeared somewhere with Ye Xiya.
After a long silence, Chen Wuyou finally spoke up first. "Brother Mingzhi, you certainly have perseverance."
Faced with this, Qi Mingzhi could only manage a helpless, wry smile. "Brother Wuyou is joking."
"Hmph." Yan Ming let out a cold snort from the side.
Chen Wuyou narrowed his eyes, turned his head, and grinned. "Little brother, did you not have enough fun earlier? Or could it be that you want to learn my Shadow-Breaking Arts?"
Yan Ming turned his head away and ignored Chen Wuyou entirely.
Seeing this, Chen Wuyou felt utterly bored, shrugged, and stopped paying attention to the two of them, turning back to join Shangguan Danqing in "ransacking" the feast.
As for Qi Mingzhi, he glanced repeatedly at Shangguan Danqing, but unfortunately, the old man had nothing on his mind except stuffing his face. When he finally spared Qi Mingzhi a glance, he merely waved a hand casually and called out, "Kid Qi, don't stand on ceremony! These are all good things, eat up!"
Qi Mingzhi: "......"
How did this script turn out so completely different from what was agreed?
...
After dinner, Qi Mingzhi originally wanted to seize the opportunity to push his case further, but he never expected that Shangguan Danqing—who had agreed so readily before—would now use the excuse of wanting to walk off his meal to drag Chen Wuyou straight outside.
As for the fact that someone in the Spiritization Realm supposedly needed to walk off a meal, Qi Mingzhi, by now somewhat numb to it all, could only hypnotize himself into believing his own experience was simply too shallow.
"Perhaps Senior... is preparing to persuade Brother Wuyou in private," Qi Mingzhi comforted himself.
And for the remainder of that evening, aside from Yan Ming, Qi Mingzhi never laid eyes on a second living soul.
...
On a certain peak of Tianxiang Mountain, Chen Wuyou and Shangguan Danqing each held a jar of wine, drinking freely under the moonlight.
"Old man, do you have nothing better to do? I had such a hard time getting rid of those two people, and you went and brought them back for what?"
Chen Wuyou gulped down a large mouthful of wine and spoke with a look of deep dissatisfaction.
"What do you know, you little blockhead." Shangguan Danqing glared at Chen Wuyou. "I haven't even started chewing you out yet, and you're turning around to blame me?"
"What is there to chew me out for? I didn't do anything wrong!" Chen Wuyou protested with an expression of supreme grievance.
"You still haven't done anything wrong? Do you have any idea how dangerous Tianxiang Mountain is at night? Beating people into that state—those two boys are both treasures of the Yuying Sect. If they had actually kicked the bucket right here on our turf, are you going to forfeit your life to pay for it?"
To this, Chen Wuyou was thoroughly unconvinced. "If you really want to talk about it, those two weren't even brought here by me in the first place."
"If I don't find you something to do, are you just going to wait around to go gallivanting outside and making a mess again?"
"So what if I do? A graceful, fair maiden is a gentleman's desirable match!"
"And you consider yourself a gentleman?"
"So what if I'm not? Even if this young master isn't a 'gentleman', I'm at least a 'man'!"
"Hah—you stinky brat!"
After a round of sharp verbal sparring:
...
"Kid, you've been staying here for ten whole years now, yet you still won't tell me your true cultivation level. Do you call this appropriate?"
"You're at the peak of the Spiritization Realm, and you still need to ask me?"
"Heaven knows what sorcery this stinky brat uses!" Shangguan Danqing delivered a kick to Chen Wuyou, his tone less than friendly. "A mere greenhorn, and you've got no shortage of secrets up your sleeve."
"Nonsense, what secrets could I possibly have?"
Chen Wuyou reached out his hand, catching a scrap of 'flowing frost' scattered by the moonlight. "As for me, all I want in this lifetime is to have beauties by my side and roam the mountains and rivers."
"Don't you have any ambitions at all?"
"Well, actually, I do." Chen Wuyou turned his head. "I want to find something."
"What is it?" Shangguan Danqing's interest was piqued.
"No idea." Chen Wuyou cradled his head in his hands and let out a yawn. "I just have this vague feeling... seems like a few needles, I suppose."
Hearing this, Shangguan Danqing couldn't help but land a fully-charged heavy kick on Chen Wuyou.
"Playing games with this old man, are you? Looking for needles? What, do you want to take up embroidery!"
Chen Wuyou, who had nearly been kicked right off the mountaintop, patted the dust off his rear and shouted indignantly, "Old stinky coot, believe it if you want!"
"You little punk, what did you say?!!"
After a long while, the moonlight was partially obscured by clouds and mist.
Two empty wine jars lay quietly on the ground, one of them bearing a faint crack.
"Where did Grand-aunt and Mo'er go?"
"They went to Yueiling Peak to visit relatives."
"Ah." Chen Wuyou nodded.
"Will they be back tomorrow? I'm planning to spend more time with Mo'er."
"Oh? The brat is finally showing some ambition, giving up on your precious garden?"
"Can't I foster some emotional connection with Mo'er?"
"What? You little punk, you dare harbor designs on this old man's precious granddaughter?"
"Sibling-like affection..."
"...They'll be back tomorrow noon."
"...Fine."
Another long, silent stretch passed.
...
"If you have something to say, just spit it out," Shangguan Danqing said, squinting sideways.
Chen Wuyou leaned against a giant boulder, his gaze lowered slightly, blowing rings of white mist into the air with a nonchalant demeanor.
"Are you for real? Don't flip out on me once I say it." Chen Wuyou lifted his eyelids.
"Is your skin itching for a beating?"
"......Something happened to them, didn't it?"
"Rubbish."
"You could only fool Mo'er with that."
"I wasn't fooling anyone."
"You don't usually use 'I' when you're lying," Chen Wuyou grinned.
Shangguan Danqing froze instantly.
"You stinky brat..."
Chen Wuyou abruptly stood up, opened his arms, and wantonly bathed in the cool night breeze.
"Looks like I won't be heading to Tianxiang Pavilion anytime soon."
Hearing this, Shangguan Danqing narrowed his eyes and said with feigned casualness, "You punk, don't you always claim you haven't reached the Xuanling Realm yet? It wouldn't be impossible for this old man to find a few disciples in the Xuanling Realm to go with you."
"What, looking down on me?" Chen Wuyou tilted his head to look at Shangguan Danqing. "Just how many geniuses are there in the Xuanling Realm in total? Losing even one is a loss for our Xuanyang Sect. Besides..."
"When it comes to our own family matters, is there any need to go troubling outsiders?"
The color in Shangguan Danqing's face finally shifted, revealing a layer of thinly veiled anxiety.