Chapter 44
Riding the Qilin down toward the foot of the mountain, Xia Yi’s heart raced.
He pressed his lips together tightly, his face flushed with excitement, his hands clenched into fists on either side of the Qilin’s neck, knuckles turning white.
Could Brother Zhu have also crossed over? Or is it just someone with the same name?
Hope surged in him, wishing for the Qilin to speed up so he could see the person sooner. But he also feared disappointment, feeling anxious and wishing for the Qilin to slow down.
He found himself breathing faster, heart racing, and had to take deep breaths to calm down.
Don’t get your hopes too high; it might just be someone with the same name.
The moment he crossed over flashed in his mind—Brother Zhu’s panicked face made Xia Yi’s heart ache.
The Qilin seemed to sense Xia Yi’s anxiety and flew even faster. Soon, a vast sea of colorful flowers appeared on the ground below.
This must be the medicinal field that Qinghui mentioned.
The Qilin flew low over the field, gliding past the purple medicinal herbs. A gust of wind stirred as they passed, causing the purple stalks to sway like waves.
Xia Yi leaned out to scan the ground below.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure in the distance, propping his hand against a shade, looking up at him and the Qilin.
That tall figure, the familiar blue robes, and the purple trim on his raised right sleeve—who else could it be but Gu Wenzhu?
Xia Yi couldn’t help but let out a delighted gasp, his heart swelling with joy.
The Qilin also noticed Gu Wenzhu, letting out an excited low roar as it sped toward him.
Gu Wenzhu was hoeing in the field, and as he stood up to wipe the sweat from his brow, he saw a small dark dot flying toward him from the horizon.
That thing was moving incredibly fast through the sky and in an instant was close. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dark creature flying high above, looking terrifying.
There seemed to be a person sitting on it.
As the beast approached, Gu Wenzhu’s expression turned wary, and he tightened his grip on the iron hoe in his hand.
No matter what kind of creature it was, as long as it showed malicious intent to attack him, he couldn’t let it get away easily.
He watched as it suddenly shot toward him, and Gu Wenzhu focused intently on its eyes. He prepared to swing the hoe for a heavy strike the moment it lunged at him.
Just as he was crouching down, he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling out, “Brother Zhu!”
It was Xiao Yi’s voice.
Gu Wenzhu froze in place.
The creature stopped in front of him, panting with its mouth open, and a fuzzy head peeked out from its back.
Bright almond-shaped eyes sparkled with joy, a delicate nose was glistening with sweat, and its porcelain-like skin flushed with excitement.
Against the sunlight, it seemed to be bathed in an orange glow, making Gu Wenzhu feel a bit dizzy.
It was none other than Xia Yi, the person he had been searching for these past few days.
Seeing Gu Wenzhu standing there in shock, Xia Yi first closed his eyes and then opened them again, staring at him in disbelief. He couldn’t help but shout, “Brother Zhu!”
“Xiao Yi.” Gu Wenzhu finally came to his senses and hurried a few steps forward, reaching his hands up toward Xia Yi.
As soon as his hands were outstretched, Xia Yi jumped down eagerly, landing in Gu Wenzhu’s embrace like a fledgling bird taking to the forest.
“Brother Zhu, Brother Zhu.” Xia Yi clung tightly to Gu Wenzhu’s neck, his eyes red.
Although they had only been apart for a short time, he had been filled with fear and anxiety.
He was afraid that once he crossed over, he might never return, or if he could, he wouldn’t know when.
Having lost his parents, Gu Wenzhu was his only family.
If he were to lose this sole bond, being all alone in this cultivation world, he didn’t know if he could endure it any longer.
Gu Wenzhu also held Xia Yi tightly, murmuring his name while kissing the top of his head.
It felt as though a lost treasure had been found again, and he never wanted to let go.
Xia Yi buried his face in Gu Wenzhu’s neck, inhaling the familiar scent of grass and wood, listening to his deep voice, and feeling the embrace that made it hard to breathe; only then did his anxiety begin to dissipate.
“Brother Zhu, how did you end up here?” After a long while, Xia Yi softly asked while nestled in Gu Wenzhu’s arms, his voice sweet and clingy.
179 made a painful noise.
“Though I’m a tough man, I can still be gentle in front of my partner,” Xia Yi raged internally, “Just disappear already!”
Then he switched to a sweet tone, calling out, “Brother Zhu.” His voice dripped with honey.
Unable to take it any longer, 179 vanished instantly.
“Suddenly you became blurry that night, and no matter how much I called, you wouldn’t respond. I reached out to grab you, but my hands were empty. Watching you slowly disappear, a light swirl appeared around your body, and without thinking, I jumped in.”
Gu Wenzhu recalled the panic and despair of almost losing Xia Yi, and a wave of unease washed over him again.
He gently lifted Xia Yi’s face and kissed him softly, holding him tightly, trying to feel the warmth and softness in his arms to gain a sense of reality.
“I looked for you in that light swirl, but everything was a blur, and I couldn’t see anything clearly. As my heart raced, I found myself standing here. At first, I didn’t dare to move, thinking it was an illusion, but later I remembered this might be what you called crossing over,” Gu Wenzhu quietly recounted.
“I used to doubt it, thinking you were bewitched by some cultivator, but now I know it’s real.”
“I just met Senior Brother Qinghui; he said he encountered you in the medicinal field. I couldn’t believe it when I first heard your name,” Xia Yi said, noticing the unease still lingering on Gu Wenzhu’s face. He often reached out to pinch himself, seemingly to confirm that the person before him was real. This made Xia Yi feel a pang of pity, and he gently pecked Gu Wenzhu on the cheek to comfort him.
“I figured you must have arrived here, so I set out to find you. But I searched for miles without meeting a soul and had no way to inquire. Not knowing how long I’d have to stay, I thought I might as well clear a few acres of land, so I’d have something to eat while searching for you,” Gu Wenzhu said softly.
*So, you dug up Liu Zhiqian’s medicinal field?*
“What have you been eating these past few days?” Xia Yi felt both concerned and worried.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go hungry. There are plenty of small creatures around that aren’t afraid of people, so I hunted a few rabbits.”
“I couldn’t find anyone, so I returned here. Seeing this field was abandoned, with only some wild grass and a hoe, I thought since there’s land, there must be people. I first tilled a patch of wasteland to plant some grain, and I’d pay rent once I found the owner,” Gu Wenzhu glanced around, a hint of unease creeping in. “You don’t think these wild grasses are actually medicinal herbs, do you?”
“Then how did you get into a confrontation with Senior Brother Qinghui?” Xia Yi didn’t answer his question, fearing it would only heighten his anxiety. Since this medicinal field belonged to Liu Zhiqian, he would bear the consequences and any compensation needed.
“That person was your Senior Brother Qinghui, right? I didn’t fight with him,” Gu Wenzhu quickly explained.
“I was just clearing the land, having only made a small opening, when he showed up. He first asked for my name, then without further ado tried to snatch my hoe, and I held onto it without letting go.”
“I noticed he was dressed like Cheng Ming was back then and wanted to ask if he knew where you were. But he circled around me, waving his hands like he was performing. I thought he was cramping up, but he seemed even angrier when I asked. Before I could ask about you, he enlarged the plate he was holding and flew away.”
“We really didn’t fight.” Gu Wenzhu’s dark eyes were full of innocence.
“I know.” Xia Yi looked up and planted a kiss on Gu Wenzhu’s cheek, then tousled his hair.
Seeing the indulgent and helpless look on his face, joy filled Xia Yi’s heart. “It was a misunderstanding; I’ll go explain things to Senior Brother Qinghui.”
“Then what about these grasses and herbs?” Gu Wenzhu looked at the uprooted plants, feeling quite troubled. “I need to find a way to compensate the owner.”
Before he could finish speaking, a booming voice echoed from a distance, filled with anger.
“Who goes there? Why are you destroying my medicinal field?”
With that sharp shout, a shadow loomed over the two of them.
A massive, smooth gourd descended from the sky, landing right in front of them and hovering slightly above the ground.
Behind the gourd, a group of disciples from Qishan, riding various magical tools, followed closely.
Qinghui’s UFO hovered beside the gourd, poking its head out to look down, angrily declaring, “Master, it’s this guy!”
“Xiao Yi, step aside. This person has considerable cultivation; let me handle him.” Liu Zhiqian stood firmly in front of the gourd, holding a long sword with its bright tip aimed at Gu Wenzhu on the ground.
“You—” However, upon seeing Gu Wenzhu’s face, the taunting words died in his throat.
Liu Zhiqian stared at Gu Wenzhu in shock, his expression wavering, and he lowered his sword.
Tentatively, he asked, “Xian Zun?”
“No, you’re not Xian Zun. Who are you?” Liu Zhiqian raised his sword again, pointing it at Gu Wenzhu with a fierce expression.
He wasn’t like Cheng Ming, who had trouble recognizing faces; he instantly realized that Gu Wenzhu and Cang Yi were not the same person, just similar in appearance.
The disciples behind him could no longer contain themselves. “Elder, don’t waste your breath on him. He’s disguised as Xian Zun and has destroyed your medicinal field. He must be a demon from the underworld. Let us capture him first.”
Saying this, a few eager disciples rushed forward, brandishing their weapons at Gu Wenzhu.
Seeing this, Xia Yi felt his mind go blank. What the hell is going on? They’re pulling out their weapons just like that?
As the disciples charged toward Gu Wenzhu, he suddenly stepped forward, spreading his arms to block Gu Wenzhu. In a panic, he shouted, “Let’s talk it out; don’t resort to violence!”
The disciples, having unleashed their sword strikes, could not stop their momentum. Suddenly, the sharp tip of a sword was thrust right in front of Xia Yi’s chest.
The sword tip loomed larger in front of him, accompanied by several panicked faces, and he heard Liu Zhiqian and Qinghui gasp in alarm.
Knowing he had no way to dodge, he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes.
I hope it only hits my shoulder; please don’t stab my heart, liver, lungs, or major arteries!
However, the imagined pain never came. A few seconds later, there was a dull thud of a heavy object falling and several cries of pain from a distance.
When Xia Yi opened his eyes slightly, he saw the Qishan disciples staring in shock in his direction. The few who had attacked were lying about ten meters away, groaning in pain, their weapons nowhere to be seen.
Following their gaze, he turned to see Gu Wenzhu tossing several swords onto the ground, the clanking sound echoing sharply.
He stood silently, his expression dark and fierce. With his head slightly bowed and lips pressed tightly together, he shot a cold glare at the group before him.
He exuded a bloodthirsty aura like a wild beast.
