He actually sat across from him so casually.
Xie Lian blinked his eyes.
After a while, he was sure.
This man was really talking to him.
He immediately reacted. He couldn't be shocked by this person's aura and fall into a disadvantage. He remained calm and said politely, "Unfortunately, I quit drinking.
This cup.
I'm afraid I can't afford it. "
The man in red laughed.
He sat even more casually and said, "Is that so? I see this Taoist priest's appearance.
It seems like there are clouds of worry.
You still need to drink to drown your sorrows. "
Xie Lian said calmly, "Then I'm afraid you're mistaken."
Although the biggest precept had been broken, he couldn't give up on himself.
He didn't care about other small precepts.
His face remained indifferent.
However, the man didn't show any intention of retreating. Instead, he sat there like a statue.
He sat down and said, "Since Taoist priest isn't willing to invite me, then.
I'll help myself. "
Xie Lian glanced at him and then looked around. Strange. There were empty seats around.
Why did he have to sit here and drink? But there was no reason to refuse.
Xie Lian said, "Please help yourself."
Thus, the other party lazily waved his hand. The waiter in the shop had never seen a customer like this. He didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
He hurriedly brought over the wine pot and wine cup and wiped the table with all his might, for fear of neglecting this person.
Seeing that the man in red was calm and composed as he poured himself a drink, Xie Lian couldn't help but ask, "Could it be that you want people to treat you to a drink when you meet for the first time?"
That man smiled and said, "En? That won't happen. I won't hide it from you, Taoist priest. Most people can't see my face at all. "
This tone was quite arrogant. However, Xie Lian didn't dislike it.
The two of them sat separately. Xie Lian kept looking in another direction, appearing to be very calm. After a while, the man spoke first.
He rested his chin on one hand and said, "What's this Taoist priest's surname? How should I address you?"
Xie Lian made up a fake surname without thinking. "My surname is Hua."
The man raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh — — Taoist priest Hua."
Xie Lian said, "How should I address you?"
The man said, "Taoist priest can call me San Lang."
Xie Lian knew that this person wasn't willing to reveal his true identity, so he didn't force him. After thinking about it for a while, he couldn't think of anyone who was ranked third, so he didn't bother to guess. At this time, he suddenly noticed that on one side of the red-clothed man's cheek, a wisp of black hair was tied into a thin braid, with a red coral bead hanging at the end.
The bead had a soft luster. Although it was small, it was obvious that it was priceless. However, Xie Lian had a feeling that he had seen this bead somewhere before. It seemed to be in his bedroom, where pearls, jades, and precious stones were strewn all over the floor.
But he wasn't sure. San Lang noticed his gaze and asked, "You like this?"
As he spoke, he raised a few slender white fingers and gently pinched the coral bead.
For some reason, as Xie Lian watched, he felt a sudden pain in his chest. It was as if some part of his body had been pinched, and he was abruptly thrown back.
This action was too big, and several guests nearby looked over. San Lang casually raised his eyes and asked in surprise, "What's wrong with you, Taoist priest?"
He reached out a hand as if he wanted to help her up. Of course, Xie Lian didn't want him to help him. He quickly sat down and said, "No, nothing. That bead … … "
"Oh." The smile on San Lang's lips didn't diminish as he asked, "This bead?"
His hand played with the bright and glistening coral bead even more vigorously as he smiled and said, "This is a gift from my beloved wife. What does Taoist priest think? "
"… …"
Xie Lian said, "Oh … … very good, very good."
In fact, he didn't know what he was saying at all. The fingers on his lap clenched tightly, as if he was sitting on pins and needles.
That unfamiliar red-clothed man was clearly playing with that delicate bead. It was a simple action, but he saw a trace of obscenity in it.
It was as if the bead was being held at the tip of his finger, gently and slowly rubbed, pinched and flattened, wasn't the red bead, but rather some sensitive part of his body. Xie Lian inexplicably felt his face heat up, and his breathing became rapid. He felt extremely uncomfortable.
This wasn't normal. This was definitely not normal.
This red-clothed man who called himself "San Lang" was very handsome, but for no reason, he gave off a demonic aura that made people tremble. Alarm bells rang in Xie Lian's heart, but he forced himself to calm down. His breathing calmed down as he stared at him without fear and asked, "May I ask your distinguished self, why did you take the initiative to approach this one?"
San Lang smiled and leisurely said, "Why be so vigilant? It's nothing. It's just that I saw Taoist priest's elegant demeanor and couldn't help but admire you. If I have offended you, I hope you can forgive me. "
"… …"
Xie Lian didn't know whether he should believe him or not, so he moved his gaze away. He secretly regretted letting this person sit in front of him and disturb him like this. Just at this moment, that female singer finished her work. She bowed to everyone, smiled sweetly at Xie Lian, and then floated away. She left, so Xie Lian didn't need to stay. He got up and said, "Goodbye. Your distinguished self can slowly drink this cup of wine. "
He wanted to say the last sentence with a bit of provocation, but when the words reached his mouth, he still politely sent them out. Xie Lian didn't dare to look at that red-clothed man anymore. He practically flew down the stairs and randomly walked around for a while. After confirming that no one was following him, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
But after standing still, he felt at a loss.
His clothes were gone, his belongings were gone, his sword was gone, his attendants were gone, and his transcendence energy was also gone.
In his seventeen years of life, he had never encountered such a helpless situation. Xie Lian shook his head and stopped a passerby. Where is this place? The passerby answered. Xie Lian had never heard of this place, so he asked again, "Then may I ask how far is this place from the Imperial City? Where is it located in the Imperial City? "
He didn't say Xian Le Imperial City, so the passerby asked again, "Imperial City? This place is south of the Imperial City, very far from the Imperial City! "
Sure enough. The accent of the people here and the style of the buildings were a bit strange, unlike the areas near the Imperial City. He guessed that it must be very far. He didn't know what the purpose of the person who brought him here was.
After walking for a while, Xie Lian encountered a new problem.
He was hungry.
But just now, he also said that his belongings were gone. The pendant that could prove his identity as the crown prince had also disappeared without a trace. Previously, he wanted to stuff a few gold leaves into the ground, but he didn't take out anything. After sitting in the teahouse for a while, he had already spent the few coins he could scrape out from the tea table. Moreover, because he couldn't stand the stains of the aged tea, he didn't drink a single sip of tea. Now, his stomach was still empty.
Truly, a single coin stumped a hero.
Just as he was about to frown, he suddenly discovered that next to a tile on the ground in front of him, something seemed to have fallen and was sparkling.
Xie Lian went up and crouched down to look.
He was surprised. On the ground of this small alley, there were actually a few gold leaves!
In addition to the gold leaves, there were also silver leaves and some bits and pieces of money. In the middle of the day, he actually found money on the ground. A meat pie falling from the sky, he really didn't know whether to say that his luck was bad or good.
After Xie Lian picked it up, his first reaction was to wonder if someone had accidentally dropped it. He walked out of the alley and asked the passersby on the street, "Excuse me, did anyone drop their belongings here?"
Most people shook their heads. A loafer came over with a sullen face and said, "I dropped it! I dropped it! I dropped it! "Xie Lian then asked," How much did you drop? "They all stammered and couldn't answer, so they all ran away amidst the roaring laughter.
Xie Lian was afraid that the owner would come back to look for it, so he stood in place and waited patiently. After waiting for nearly an hour, he still didn't see anyone come to look for it. His stomach was getting more and more hungry. After a long time, he sighed and looked at the belongings in his sleeve. He thought, "How about I borrow some first and return it back ten times later?"
There was no other way. Therefore, after waiting for another incense stick to burn, he went to the side of the street and bought a steamed bun.
Xie Lian had never eaten a steamed bun before. He had never eaten a steamed bun with this kind of coarse flour. It looked big and dull, white and tasteless. However, he didn't want to use too much of the belongings he had picked up. It would be terrible if someone urgently needed it, so he only took the minimum amount.
It was the first time in his life that he had obtained such a big steamed bun, so it was a bit novel. He walked through the alley and arrived at a relatively secluded small street. Just as he was about to put the steamed bun into his mouth, a hand suddenly reached out from the side and took the steamed bun away.
This method of taking the steamed bun was amazing. Xie Lian stared blankly. His hand was already empty. He turned his head to look and saw that the person standing to the side was actually that red-clothed man from the restaurant!
Xie Lian was stunned.
He didn't expect that this person would actually follow him to this place. What was even more unexpected was that this person would actually steal his steamed bun!
After staring blankly for a while, he finally remembered that he wanted to take it back. He jumped up and said, "Give it back!"
Xie Lian snatched the steamed bun very quickly, but that man's movements were even faster. In addition, he was also taller than Xie Lian, so he dodged and said, "Don't eat this."
As he said this, he took a bite of the steamed bun, leaving a hole. This time, Xie Lian couldn't eat it even if he wanted to. He was the noble Crown Prince, so how could he possibly eat a steamed bun that had already been bitten by someone? His eyes widened as he said, "You!"
He paused for a moment before angrily saying, "How can you be like this?"
When he first saw him, he thought that this person was a rare character and intended to befriend him. He didn't expect that this person was such a boring scoundrel!
The two figures, one red and one white, were so fast that it was dazzling. It was impossible to believe that such a wonderful fight was actually just for a steamed bun. Although Xie Lian vaguely felt that he could be faster, so fast that he could catch up to this San Lang's skills, it seemed that he didn't grasp the essentials, and his hands and feet didn't listen to him. In addition, he was tired, annoyed, and confused all day, so his waist and legs were sore. In his anger, he actually lost his footing and fell to the ground. Immediately, he let out a low cry of pain, and his teeth were exposed.
Pain.
An unspeakable pain spread from the part of his body that was hard to speak of.
This pain was originally there, but because the wound had been carefully treated, and because he tried his best to ignore it, it wasn't obvious. With this fall, his expression immediately changed. San Lang's expression also changed. He immediately leaned over and grabbed Xie Lian's arm, saying, "Gege …"
He immediately changed his words, "Are you okay?"
Xie Lian was extremely embarrassed. He wished that he could dig a hole and bury his face in it. He desperately pulled his arm back, saying with a burning face, "Please don't call me that, and don't grab me like that!"
Sure enough, San Lang let go of his arm, but it was just for show. He grabbed Xie Lian's shoulder again, saying, "How are you? Does it hurt anywhere? "
His tone was full of concern, and it didn't seem to be fake. As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling person. Xie Lian should have accepted his kindness, but when he thought about where it hurt and why it hurt, he felt ashamed and angry. All the gloominess he had accumulated all day surged up. He slapped away San Lang's hand and rolled to his feet, saying, "… … I don't hurt anywhere, it doesn't hurt at all!" After saying this, he turned around and ran. Who knew that the man behind him would grab his wrist again, and he couldn't break free. Xie Lian couldn't bear it anymore. He abruptly turned around, his eyes wide open in anger, only to see San Lang staring at him. San Lang softly sighed, "Ai, this Daoist priest, no matter how wrong you are, it's all my fault. Don't be angry with me. How about this, I'll take you out for a drink to apologize to you. "
He didn't know why, but when Xie Lian saw this person's face, his heart became restless. He wasn't used to this kind of feeling. He only wanted to quickly escape, saying, "I don't want you to take me out. I never drink! Quickly let go of me. "
San Lang said, "Okay, okay, okay, I won't drink. Then how about I take you out to eat? You're hungry, right? "
Xie Lian was furious. What kind of tone was this person using to talk to him? He was practically coaxing him like he was a child. He had never suffered this kind of humiliation before, so he said, "I also don't want you to take me out to eat. I'm not hungry. Show some respect! "
What was awkward was that as soon as he finished speaking, a weak protest sound came from his stomach.
Xie Lian's body stiffened, and he became even angrier. His face was red with anger, and he stuttered, "You … … you … … you, why are you pestering me? Don't pester me anymore! "
San Lang stared at him closely, saying, "Daoist priest, don't tell me you still haven't noticed?"
Seeing that his expression had suddenly become serious, Xie Lian asked, "Noticed what?"
San Lang said, "There's an evil thing on your body."
Xie Lian stared blankly. Suddenly, his wrist loosened, and the bandage that was wrapped around his wrist slid down like a white snake. It rose up high in front of him, and then immediately pounced towards him!
However, before it could pounce, it was caught by the red-clothed man, who said, "Look."
"… …"
That piece of white bandage was like a poisonous snake that had been caught by the red-clothed man. It writhed incessantly, causing one's scalp to feel numb.
He was actually hiding such a monster on his body!
Xie Lian finally understood.
He blinked and said, "So … … you approached me because you discovered this evil thing hidden on my body?"
San Lang's expression became even more solemn and serious, saying, "En. This thing is very strange, so I paid a little attention to it. Fortunately, it didn't hurt you. "
The truth was out. Xie Lian thought about how he had not been very polite to this young master before, throwing his face and shaking his hand. Now that the truth was out, and it turned out that this young master had approached him with good intentions, he felt very embarrassed. He earnestly bowed and said, "Many thanks, sire. Previously, I misunderstood. "
Before he could bend his waist, San Lang held him up and said, "Don't mention it, don't mention it. It was just a slight effort. "
Raising his head, Xie Lian was slightly confused. He didn't know why, but he always felt that although this red-clothed man looked serious, the corners of his eyes and brows were full of smiles. He guessed that his messy and embarrassing state had been taken in by the other party, so he felt somewhat embarrassed.
Speaking of which, it was strange. Among his peers, Xie Lian was already considered very steady. Who knew that when he saw this man, he would not be able to remain calm, making him feel very uneasy. However, San Lang didn't seem to notice this and said, "Since it's settled, then I'll be leaving. Taoist priest, may we meet again someday? "
Xie Lian subconsciously said, "En, may we meet again someday."
San Lang waved his hand, turned around, and left. Xie Lian couldn't help but follow him a few steps.
Maybe it was because he really didn't know where to go, or maybe it was because he was confused. When San Lang turned around, Xie Lian was startled. Only then did he wake up and hurriedly stop, pretending to look elsewhere. However, it was already too late.
A few chuckles came from the other side. Xie Lian was so embarrassed that his ears turned red.
Bracing himself, he looked over. San Lang crossed his arms and laughed, "I think we shouldn't wait until we meet again. I think now is the time. How about it? Taoist priest is now willing to drink with me? "
It was still the same gorgeous restaurant from before.
This red-clothed man he had just met was very generous. The moment he came up, he filled the entire table with the best wine and dishes in the restaurant. Unexpectedly, it was not inferior to the imperial palace's cuisine. Moreover, many of the cooking methods were very novel. Xie Lian had never seen them before. His stomach rumbled with hunger as he ate. Only then did he realize that San Lang had been staring at him with one hand propping up his cheek. That gaze seemed to be treating him like a dish to be eaten.
"… …"
Xie Lian once again felt like he was sitting on pins and needles under this kind of gaze. After confirming that he hadn't lost his composure due to hunger, he put down his chopsticks and lightly coughed, "… … I've made a fool of myself."
San Lang said, "En? What's there to make a fool of? Don't mind me. Please, please. Continue. "
Then, he took out the steamed bun that the two of them had been fighting over for a while and started eating without a change in his expression. Seeing this, Xie Lian became even more embarrassed.
He sat upright and still, looked at the white cloth, and decided to talk business. He said, "Why did this evil thing hide on my body? I actually didn't notice its existence at all. It's just like … … "It was just like it had been on his body for a long time and had gotten used to it.
That white cloth continuously swayed its head and tail as it swam towards him. If it hadn't been firmly held in place by San Lang, he was afraid that it would have long since wrapped around him like a dumpling. It looked like … … it liked him.
San Lang used a chopstick to crush it to death, not letting it pounce towards Xie Lian. He smiled and said, "It seems that this evil thing's habits are very bad. It needs to be properly taught a lesson."
Xie Lian said, "Rather than teaching it a lesson, it's better to first investigate its origins."
The two of them talked about everything for a while. Xie Lian had grown up in Xian Le Imperial Palace. Later on, he cultivated in Huang Ji Temple. He had never met such an interesting person who had such a rich experience. As he listened to San Lang's words, his eyes lit up and he couldn't stop smiling. He almost threw all his worries to the back of his mind. After a while, he suddenly remembered that he was in the middle of a strange whirlpool. With a serious expression, he asked, "San Lang, can I ask you about a person?"
San Lang threw the white cloth to the ground and used some unknown method to make it so soft that it couldn't jump up. He said, "Who?"
Xie Lian said, "It's like this. I'm looking for a person. His name is Hua Cheng. "
Hearing this name, San Lang raised an eyebrow.
He said, "En. Can I ask, why are you looking for this person? "
Xie Lian sincerely said, "To be honest, I don't know."
Hearing San Lang's tone, he guessed that he definitely knew who Hua Cheng was. He said, "Maybe you think that I'm hiding it from you, but it's true. I also don't know why I'm looking for him. When I woke up today, I discovered that I was in a very strange situation. "
In one breath, he explained the whole sequence of events, only leaving out those embarrassing things. Finally, Xie Lian said, "So I think that this person should be very important. If San Lang knows who he is, is it convenient for you to tell me? "
San Lang smiled and said, "Ah, there's nothing inconvenient about it. Taoist priest, you and I hit it off at first sight, so I naturally want to help you. Hua Cheng, this person … … "
Xie Lian listened attentively and said, "What do you think?"
San Lang said, "He's a madman."
Xie Lian asked, "How?"
San Lang poured a cup of wine and held it in his hand. He said, "He's a believer."
"Whose believer?"
"Xian Le's Crown Prince."
"Cough, cough, cough — —"
Xie Lian hurriedly swallowed a mouthful of tea before coughing it out. He said, "Wait, wait. I — — Xian Le's Crown Prince, Xie Lian, haven't become a god yet. How could I have a believer? "
San Lang said indifferently, "Sooner or later, he'll become a god. Besides, a god is just like that. If you say it's a god, it's a god. If you say it's not, it's not. If he thinks it's a god, then it's a god. "
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He said, "That's too casual!"
After a pause, he said, "… … But, does he really believe that His Highness the Crown Prince will definitely become a god?"
San Lang slowly said, "It's not that he believes."
He then smiled. "It's that he firmly believes."
Xie Lian also smiled and thought, "Then I definitely won't disappoint this person's expectations."
He also folded his arms and said, "So, where can I meet this Hua Cheng?"
San Lang said, "Taoist priest, do you really want to meet him?"
Xie Lian said, "Yes."
San Lang didn't seem to agree with his idea. He said, "Hua Cheng is a very bad person."
Xie Lian frowned slightly and said, "Very bad? How is he bad? "
He wasn't willing to believe that a believer who firmly believed that he would become a god was a bad person. San Lang said, "About this … …"
Right at this moment, Xie Lian noticed something.
Before this, he had been very careful and didn't look directly at San Lang. Now that the two of them had been together for a while and were somewhat familiar with each other, he slightly relaxed and let his gaze wander.
One of San Lang's hands had been resting on the railing, his fingers tapping the railing neither lightly nor heavily. His five fingers were long and slender. On the third finger, there was a thin red line, like a bright and beautiful karmic knot.
Xie Lian immediately thought of the chaotic scene that flashed through his mind when that female singer sang in the teahouse: Under the gauze curtain, two hands, ten fingers tightly interlocked.