It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 156

 

ITOTIABSAM | The Immortal on Liuyun Mountain | 156

Shen Qingshu had imagined many times the scene where Xie Ye would come looking for him, even sinking into nightmares for whole nights because of it. But he never anticipated that the reality would be so absurd.

He was wielding a sword at a child.

And yet, Xie Ye was protecting that child.

In Shen Qingshu's eyes, Xie Ye didn't differ much from the image of him under the full moon that day. He was surrounded by miasma, with monstrous shadows looming, silently filling every corner of the room.

But this oppressive and suffocating scene seemed to be visible only to him. The child, with a face full of fear, was quietly tugging at Xie Ye's sleeve, hiding behind him, allowing himself to be enveloped by the darkness. As for the other unfamiliar young man, he didn't even spare him a glance.

"Mr. Xie," Ma Shitou didn't dare to directly call out the young man's name, let alone address him as 'brother,' so he simply followed Gu Cong's way of addressing him, still shaken from the fright, "Thank you for coming to save me."

Xie Ye replied indifferently, "You pulled the thread."

So, he was merely fulfilling a promise, not specifically coming to save someone.

While Ma Shitou understood that Mr. Xie might maintain a tough exterior, the fact remained that he had helped him, ensuring his safety. As Ma Shitou gradually relaxed, unable to conceal his curiosity, he shifted his gaze towards the hands between Mr. Xie and the young man surnamed Gu.

Gu Cong keenly noticed this trace of curiosity.

Of course, Gu Cong liked Ma Shitou very much. However, strangely, when the other referred to Xie Ye as Mr. Xie, Gu Cong felt a subtle pang of jealousy in his heart.

Sour, like vinegar.

Plus, the out-of-character (OOC) alarm was muted, causing him to completely forget that the original owner, Song He, harbored a secret crush on the person before him, who was now injured and in need of care.

Shen Qingshu also didn't recognize that the young man being held by Xie Ye's hand was Song He. With vigilance, he tightened his grip on the sword hilt. "The three-year deadline has not yet arrived."

Xie Ye raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He was astonished that, at this point, Shen Qingshu could still assert himself almost arrogantly about his breach of contract. Clearly, Shen Qingshu was extremely self-centered.

"What agreement?" Xie Ye casually replied, "I've forgotten. Let's consider it null and void."

In that moment, a fleeting sense of exhilaration flashed through Gu Cong's mind.

Understanding Xie Ye's character more and more, he was certain that if Xie Ye decided to let go, he truly meant it.

 Moreover, what did Shen Qingshu have that was worth it? 

It was nothing more than relying on the author's favoritism, having a golden finger to deal with transcendent immortals without going crazy. He could achieve that himself, even more straightforwardly than Shen Qingshu.

Forgotten.

Null and void.

With just a few words, it should have brought relief to Shen Qingshu, yet he couldn't feel the slightest relaxation. Instead, an unnamed anger surged within him.

For a full three years, he had been on edge day and night, exhausting his thoughts and plans, even involving many years of friendship. But now, because of these few short words, everything had turned to nothing.

"Qingshu?" Just as the sword in Shen Qingshu's hand hummed, on the brink of restlessness, creak, the old window was pushed open, and another protagonist arrived late.

Never had he imagined that so many people were hiding in such a small room. Qin Ji, looking slightly puzzled, turned to Xie Ye. "Who is this fellow daoist?"

Although he was a wandering cultivator, his perception was not inferior to that of the so-called elite disciples of prestigious families. Just by standing there in his white robes, the young man's instinctive aura of battle already warned of danger, yet he also eagerly yearned for a sparring match with him.

Great Mahayana Path?

Overcoming tribulation?

Or perhaps nearing Ascension?

"He is the strange immortal." Qin Ji entered through the window, and Shen Qingshu seemed to have finally found his backbone. His empty hand tightly grasped the sleeve of the other.

The strange immortal?

Doubt filled Qin Ji's eyes. It wasn't that he didn't want to believe Shen Qingshu, but according to rumors, the strange immortal Xie Ye could drive people insane with just one glance. Yet Qin Ji's mind was clear, showing no signs of being affected by any attack.

"Don’t you see it?" Shen Qingshu forcefully grabbed Qin Ji's arm, shaking him. "In this room, there are all sorts of monsters."

Dark and cramped, filling every narrow corner.

Even Ma Shitou, the most timid among them, shivered fiercely.

It wasn't that he actually saw the scene Shen Qingshu described, but the erratic and mad appearance of Shen, the immortal, was truly frightening.

Realizing belatedly whose house this was, Qin Ji's eyes darkened abruptly. While he spoke to Shen Qingshu, his gaze was fixed on Ma Shitou. "Why did you sneak in here?" 

Children often have a keen intuition about likes and dislikes. Before Shen Qingshu could speak, Ma Shitou hastily replied, "He wanted to kill me!"

Thankfully, Mr. Xie had saved him.

"I didn't," Shen Qingshu denied.

Knowing that Qin Ji was somewhat disappointed with his actions earlier, Shen Qingshu had concealed his movements from him. He explained hastily, "I wanted to save him. He's controlled by puppet threads manipulated by the strange immortal!"

As his tone grew increasingly agitated, Shen Qingshu lost his usual grace and elegance, sounding as if he were haunted by nightmares. His emotions surged, and his eyes faintly reddened.

Without hesitation, Qin Ji swiftly knocked him out with a chop of his hand.

Xie Ye, who was watching coldly from the sidelines, smirked. "You're quite decisive."

Continuing to maintain the state he was in just now, Shen Qingshu would only be dragged deeper into paranoia by the fear in his heart, increasingly falling into delusion. He would suffer injuries at best and experience a decline in his cultivation realm at worst, ruining his Dao.

Ultimately moved by Shen Qingshu's behavior, Qin Ji held him horizontally, facing Xie Ye without flinching.

Xie Ye didn't bother to hide either, being straightforward and allowing the other to scrutinize him.

"I don't care who you are," Qin Ji said softly with a pointed tone, "Just don't harm him."

So what if the strange immortal descended from the mountain? The only thing he cared about was Shen Qingshu.

Worried about alerting disciples of the Qingfeng Sect and other villagers, Shen Qingshu had initially set up a soundproof barrier. Qin Ji only noticed something was amiss due to his higher cultivation level. Once he left, the night returned to calm.

Aware of the original plot's outcome, Gu Cong murmured softly, "Aren't you going to pursue?"

—Before the protagonist matures completely it would be best to strangle it.

Although he was aware that Xie Ye had no interest in killing, if the protagonist and villain were doomed to only one surviving, Gu Cong would rather be the villain himself, pushing Xie Ye to make a choice.

To his surprise, the next moment, the young man released his hand and coughed heavily, covering his mouth.

A faintly sweet smell filled the air.

Gu Cong's nose was sharp, and he immediately detected the scent of blood. He wanted to inquire, but he saw the young man discreetly shake his head, indicating for him to be quiet.

Silently tucking his hands into his sleeves, Xie Ye moved his arm and brought out a boy hidden behind him. "Are you injured?"

"I'm fine, I'm really fine," Ma Shitou said, even though the puppet threads he had used were now broken into two pieces. Instead of discarding them, he intentionally jumped around before finally looking up at Xie Ye cautiously. "I have medicine for colds at home."

Xie Ye lowered his gaze. "Not afraid?"

In front of the child, for no reason at all, the protagonist was scared into such madness.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Boldly, Ma Shitou said, "Mr. Xie hasn't done anything wrong, and he even helped me."

With a faint curve of his lips, Xie Ye nodded. "Go rest."

"Gu Cong and I won't leave for the time being," 

Since they had come, they should play with the protagonists properly.

Facing danger in the cultivation world for the first time in his life, Ma Shitou obediently climbed into bed, closed his eyes, but couldn't help but think about this and that:

Cultivation, it seemed, wasn't as good as he had imagined.

The immortal elders who appeared extraordinary sometimes weren't necessarily much stronger than ordinary people like them.

But he was just an ordinary kid after all. After gathering herbs on the mountain during the day and getting scared at night, exhaustion quickly swept over him, and he soon fell into a deep sleep under the covers.

Seizing the opportunity, Gu Cong silently took Xie Ye's hand.

As the cuff rolled up, the young man's palm indeed bore a dried red mark. The fingertips he held were as cold as ice, unnaturally chilly.

Casually setting up a soundproof barrier, Xie Ye shrugged indifferently. "An old injury from leaving the Liuyun Mountain."

"Just rest," Gu Cong said.

Otherwise, with Shen Qingshu's current cultivation level, even if he tried his hardest, he wouldn't be able to harm Xie Ye in the slightest.

However, Gu Cong didn't respond.

Clearly, his body was formed of wood and stone, with even his blood drawn from Xie Ye, yet Gu Cong's body temperature was always slightly higher, like a warm little stove.

Wiping away the dirt patiently, he carefully put the cloth with the faint red mark back into the storage bag, which could be considered a bit intrusive. Placing Xie Ye's hand in the middle, he used his own palms to hold and rub them gently.

It was rare to see Gu Cong so taciturn, almost as if he were sulking. Xie Ye understood. "Worried?"

Gu Cong murmured in agreement, then added, "A little... jealous."

Almost swallowing the last word back down his throat, Gu Cong lowered his head and tightly pressed his lips together.

Usually, when he spoke, he exuded the clear and bright demeanor of a young man. But this sentence was slightly hoarse, low, and imbued with magnetism.

Being able to read someone's emotional fluctuations in minutes, Xie Ye seriously recalled whether he had shown any signs of unrequited love towards Shen Qingshu. Eventually, like a stroke of luck, he shifted his gaze to the sleeping Ma Shitou.

That look, like a silent encouragement, suddenly opened the floodgates of Gu Cong's pent-up grievances and discomfort. "You're really kind to him."

"You smile at him and even let him call you 'Mr.'"

Xie Ye: Who was it that initially encouraged me to get along well with Ma Shitou?

"It's nothing, I just said it casually," realizing how unreasonable his despondency was, Gu Cong made an effort to perk up and forced a smile. "Should we bring him along in the future?"

Softly. The white bird nestled in the young man's chest seemed to sense something, swaying back and forth as it cautiously poked out its tiny head. Its neck stretched almost imperceptibly as it nuzzled against Gu Cong's chin.

Upon hearing this, Xie Ye felt both amused and annoyed. Suddenly, he didn't want to hold back anymore. Speaking deliberately, he asked, "Do you think my treatment of him is the same as my treatment of you?"

Gu Cong: Isn't it?

Both he and Ma Shitou disregarded Xie Ye's status and showed kindness to the "strange  immortal," which is why they received special treatment from the young man.

But before he could organize his thoughts and respond, a soft touch covered him.

On his lips.

The sensation was cool, moist, and elastic. Gu Cong's amber eyes suddenly contracted, and as he lifted his gaze, he saw the young man's delicate fluttering eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings.

Adolescence is supposed to be the most restless age, but Gu Cong had little interest in romance and secretly avoided any overly intimate physical contact. Yet at this moment, Gu Cong unexpectedly didn't dodge, and he even faintly yearned for more.

But unfortunately, just as he felt that, the young man abruptly stopped after kissing him lightly, rising to his feet and quietly watching him under the flickering lamplight.

"Now, do you still feel like I treat you like a child?" 

"Gu Cong."

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