"When did you meet Miss Ruoying?" Li Luoning asked calmly.
"Hua Ruoying? She and Qing Ping were the ones who saved me last time," Mi Xingzhe replied.
"Oh?" Li Luoning was somewhat surprised to hear this answer.
"It's quite a coincidence. Both times I passed out outside, she was the one who found me," Mi Xingzhe said, finding it rather amusing and couldn't help but laugh.
However, when he looked at Li Luoning's face, as cold as ice, he couldn't help but cough lightly a few times to conceal his embarrassment.
"Understood, you may go," Li Luoning responded.
"Alright." Mi Xingzhe habitually replied and turned to leave, but seemed to remember something, so he turned back and stood in place. [Is Master planning to let me off like this?]
"Master, aren't you angry?"
"Angry." Li Luoning didn't stop writing in the book in his hand, just responded coldly without looking up.
"Then, aren't you going to punish me?" Mi Xingzhe couldn't help but lower his head, fiddling with his cuffs.
"Would that help?" Li Luoning glanced at Mi Xingzhe standing by the side.
"I..." Mi Xingzhe was at a loss for words for a moment, pursing his lips. [Oops, it seems Master is really angry this time. If I just leave like this, Master might not pay attention to me in the future.]
Thinking of this, Mi Xingzhe gritted his teeth and approached, picked up the ruler on the table, walked to Li Luoning's side, and knelt down with both hands holding up the ruler above his head.
Li Luoning put down what he was doing and turned to look at him, but his face showed no emotion.
"Disciple went out without permission, causing Master to be injured because of me. I am willing to accept punishment," Mi Xingzhe said, raising the ruler in his hands once again.
Li Luoning took the ruler and lightly placed one end on his hand, looking at Mi Xingzhe kneeling on the ground, still not saying a word.
Feeling the ruler being taken away, Mi Xingzhe tried hard to flatten his palms, anxiously waiting for the ruler to fall.
After a long time passed without any movement, Mi Xingzhe couldn't help but slowly raise his head to look at Li Luoning.
Contrary to his expectations, Li Luoning just sat there quietly watching Mi Xingzhe.
"I'm sorry."
"Xingzhe, do you know that if there's a next time, it won't be so easy for both of us to get away?" Li Luoning sighed and said.
"I... I know I was wrong," Mi Xingzhe recalled the fight at Wuming Demon Mountain. If it weren't for Hua Ruoying's timely intervention, Master alone might have had a hard time protecting himself.
"It's getting late. Let's have dinner and rest early," Li Luoning advised.
"Master, I won't act recklessly like this again in the future," Mi Xingzhe said earnestly, lifting his head slowly to look at Li Luoning.
Li Luoning nodded approvingly and helped him up from the ground.
In the dead of night, a voice drifted into the room,
Mi Xingzhe, who was sleeping on the bed, suddenly got up, his eyes wide open, pupils slightly red, as if controlled like a puppet, he got up and walked towards the door.
In the cool night breeze, Mi Xingzhe, dressed in a single garment, walked emotionlessly around the courtyard, coincidentally encountering Yun Qingyi returning from outside.
"Xingzhe? Xingzhe, why aren't you sleeping in the courtyard so late at night?" Yun Qingyi stood in the corridor and called out twice. Seeing Mi Xingzhe not responding, he walked over to check.
"Xingzhe? Xingzhe?" Yun Qingyi approached and patted Mi Xingzhe, who was still repeating his walking motion, seemingly having no intention of stopping.
"What's this? Sleepwalking? I never noticed this problem with him before." Yun Qingyi reached out and waved his hand in front of Mi Xingzhe's face, muttering to himself.
"Anyway, let's take him back. It's not good if he catches a cold in the middle of the night." Yun Qingyi raised his hand and tapped Mi Xingzhe's neck, intending to knock him unconscious and take him back.
However, unexpectedly, Mi Xingzhe showed no signs of passing out at all and continued to repeat his actions.
"What? No reaction?" Seeing Mi Xingzhe's lack of response, Yun Qingyi tried two more times but still saw no sign of him fainting.
"What's this?" Just as Yun Qingyi began to doubt himself, Mi Xingzhe stopped his movements, closed his eyes, and slowly fell backward.
Yun Qingyi quickly caught Mi Xingzhe, who was about to fall, and carried him back to the room.
"Why did he suddenly develop sleepwalking after going out for a while? It's really worrying." Yun Qingyi was somewhat concerned and casually grabbed a blanket to cover himself, intending to stay in Mi Xingzhe's room and keep an eye on him.
The next morning, Mi Xingzhe opened his eyes and saw Yun Qingyi sleeping on the bookshelf.
"Why is Senior Brother sleeping in my room?" Mi Xingzhe murmured as he got up slowly.
[Why do I feel dizzy as soon as I get out of bed?] Mi Xingzhe muttered to himself.
"Achoo~" Mi Xingzhe sneezed involuntarily.
"Xingzhe, you're awake." Startled by Mi Xingzhe's sneeze, Yun Qingyi woke up in a flash.
"Senior Brother, why are you sleeping in my room?" Mi Xingzhe rubbed his nose and asked.
"It's all because of you," Yun Qingyi complained impatiently and handed him a handkerchief.
"Because of me? But I've been sleeping well lately." Mi Xingzhe wiped his nose while using his eyes to signal Yun Qingyi to look at the incense burner beside him.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
"Last night? After dinner, I went back to my room and slept. What happened?"
"Sleepwalking! You were spinning around the peach tree in the courtyard last night." Yun Qingyi said helplessly.
"Sleepwalking? I don't have such a condition!"
"Who knows if you picked it up during your visit to the Wuming Demon Mountain and got tainted by its miasma. Let's see if you'll still run around randomly next time. Tonight, I'll brew you a cup of Arborvitae Calming Tea to drink before bed." Yun Qingyi advised.
At the Wuming Demon Mountain,
"Nine thousand demonic soldiers and three thousand elite puppets are ready." Hua Qiuyuan replied.
"Understood, you may leave." Li Minghan waved his hand, signaling for Hua Qiuyuan to depart.
In the hidden chamber, within a few days, Shentu Zhajia appeared to have aged ten years, his hair turning noticeably paler.
Sitting cross-legged nearby, he concentrated on circulating his inner energy. As he did so, his calm expression gradually tightened, sweat beading on his forehead, and he grimaced as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Elder brother, there's no need to waste your efforts. You won't force out this poison." Li Minghan entered, just in time to witness the scene, saying as he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and handed it over.
"What have you done to me?" Shentu Zhajia's gaze turned fierce as he swatted away the handkerchief handed by Li Minghan, eyeing him with disgust.
"I've just... done nothing. Elder brother only needs to know that if you behave, you'll be safe." Li Minghan smiled, tilting his chin with one hand as he pretended to look innocent, facing Shentu Zhajia.
Shentu Zhajia recoiled with disdain, finally noticing the medicine bottle being lightly tapped by Li Minghan's other hand.
"Ke Kuo?"
"Oops, caught by elder brother." Li Minghan pretended to be surprised, then smiled happily, placing the medicine bottle between them.
Time rewinds to many years ago...
After the bone-cutting to repay his father, Li Minghan only remembered fainting on the veranda of the courtyard by the lake. When he woke up, he was already lying on the bed in the room, wrapped in gauze.
Trying to move slightly, the tearing pain made him involuntarily groan.
"Hiss~ Ha." Li Minghan, enduring the pain, slowly sat up, looking around. This was the bedroom in the courtyard by the lake, where he and Shentu Zhajia occasionally spent the night after drinking too much.
Surveying the room, Li Minghan saw Shentu Zhajia asleep at the desk nearby.
"Elder brother." Upon hearing the noise, Shentu Zhajia also woke up, quickly getting up and saying, "Minghan, lie back down. The wounds on your body are not fully healed yet."
As Shentu Zhajia spoke, he quickly walked up to help Li Minghan lie back down.
"Thank you, elder brother, for saving my life." Li Minghan looked weakly at Shentu Zhajia, his pale lips weakly uttering a sentence.
"Between you and me, why bother with thanks. I've already understood what happened to you these days. You really are..." Upon hearing about Li Minghan's ordeal, Shentu Zhajia rushed to the courtyard by the lake and found Li Minghan, who had fainted on the veranda just after entering.
Shentu Zhajia had intended to reprimand Li Minghan for his overly decisive actions, but seeing the weak and powerless expression before him, he couldn't bear to say too much, and swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
"Minghan knows what elder brother wants to say, but... 'As for me, how can I know the sorrows of the past?'" Li Minghan slowly uttered a few words.
Shentu Zhajia's brows furrowed, sighed helplessly, got up, and left the room.
Hearing the door closing, tears slid down Li Minghan's eyes unnoticed, silently expressing the sorrow only he understood.
"I, Li Minghan, will never be anyone's shadow." Li Minghan silently vowed in his heart.
Months later, Li Minghan's injuries finally healed.
"Minghan, what are your plans for the future?" Shentu Zhajia asked while playing chess with Li Minghan.
"Elder brother, I want to take a stroll in the mortal world."
"Well, the mortal world is full of mixed spiritual energies and many things you've never seen before. It's good to go on a journey." Shentu Zhajia agreed.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to see Elder Brother for a long time on this trip. I hope Elder Brother takes good care of yourself." There was a hint of advice and a hint of loss in Li Minghan's words. He didn't want to part ways with Shentu Zhajia, but if he continued to stay, he would inevitably be found by Yanding Dragon King.
"Don't you still have the Drunken Demon Shield I gave you? If you need it, just call me." Li Minghan looked at the pendant hanging around his neck and couldn't help but smile.
"During your travels in the mortal realm, be careful and don't easily trust others. You are naturally straightforward, so don't be too trusting of others' words. Also, don't let others see you using your cultivation." Shentu Zhajia cautioned.
"Minghan remembers."
In the mortal realm, carriages shimmered, crowds flowed, and the cries of vendors echoed in the ears. Looking at the hustle and bustle here, so different from the depths of the sea, Li Minghan's lips couldn't help but curve up slightly.
Standing in the street, Li Minghan slowly pulled down the veil on his face, closed his eyes gently, and let the breeze slowly blow away the veil in his hand.
At this moment, he seemed to be reborn under the bright and warm sunlight, greedily breathing the unobstructed air.
Just as Li Minghan closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment of complete freedom, the sound of approaching horse hooves caught his attention. Turning his head in the direction of the sound, he saw a spirited horse approaching. Even though it was galloping among the crowd, it showed no signs of slowing down.
"A fine horse."
"Get out of the way, don't block my path." The person on the horse waved the whip arrogantly and shouted.
Li Minghan's eyes flashed, realizing that the person on the horse was covered in black-gray demonic energy and was probably a demon disguised as a human.
As the horse approached, Li Minghan sidestepped, letting the horse pass by him. At the same time, he reached out and grabbed the reins, kicked the rider off the horse, and then helped himself to two jugs of wine from a nearby stall before galloping away.
Riding his horse, Li Minghan rode for a long time and finally stopped under a tree on the outskirts of the city as night fell.
He casually picked up some twigs, lit a fire for himself, and sat leaning against the tree, contemplating the events of the past few days. His hand couldn't help but touch the missing rib on his left side.
"What does the gentleman think of my 'Smoke-Treading'?" A clear voice floated down from the tree opposite.
Li Minghan looked up and saw a man in white standing on the opposite tree, leaning against it and looking at him leisurely.
"Smoke-Treading?" Li Minghan was puzzled, then glanced at the horse beside him, its sleek black body with white hair on its four hooves. So this horse was called Smoke-Treading, presumably the man was its owner. However, he hadn't sensed the man's presence at all, indicating that the man's cultivation was not inferior to his own.
"Is this your horse?"
"My servant told me that the horse I picked today was robbed on the way back. I guess you must be the one." As he spoke, the man jumped down from the tree, playing with a black-gold folding fan in his hand, and pointed at Li Minghan.
"Your servant rode wildly in the city, almost colliding with me. It's not excessive to teach him a lesson by taking a horse." Li Minghan took a sip of wine, indifferent.
The man seemed unconcerned about the horse being robbed, but he was particularly interested in Li Minghan. His slender eyes narrowed, looking Li Minghan up and down.
"If the gentleman likes it, I can give Smoke-Treading to you. Consider it making a friend." The man said casually.
"Oh? Are you willing to part with such a precious horse?" Li Minghan was curious.
"If the gentleman can see the same value in a horse as I do, then we must be kindred spirits. It's hard to find a like-minded person. If I can exchange a horse for a friend, it's a profitable deal for me no matter how you look at it." The man said softly, the folding fan in his hand waving slowly in front of his chest.
"May I ask for the gentleman's name?" Seeing the other party's sincerity, Li Minghan asked.
"I am
surnamed Ou, named Xianzhang."