Chapter 34

In the end, Xie Bi An drank too much. It was rare for the Heaven Master Palace to be so lively, and he loved it. With the festive atmosphere, the more he drank, the happier he became.

When Fan Wu She wanted to send him back to rest, he tugged on Jiang Qu Lian's sleeve and asked him not to scare his junior brother.

Jiang Qu Lian looked at Xie Bi An with a smile on his face, "So protective of your little junior brother, how cute."

"You also ... should not think of the…magical treasure" Xie Bi An said with a big tongue, "Master, Master is not afraid of you, I ... I am not afraid ... of you either."

Zhong Kui had a disgraceful expression on his face, "Quickly take him back to rest. This capacity for wine, doesn't look like my disciple at all."

"Senior brother's drinking is not bad, it's just that master has the capacity of a sea." Fan Wu She held Xie Bi An's shoulder and said softly, "Senior brother, don't drink anymore, I'll take you back to your room to rest."

Jiang Qu Lian looked at Fan Wu She's unconscious flow of tenderness and playfully hooked his lips, "So concerned about your senior brother, why don't you drink on his behalf."

Fan Wu She simply ignored him and called out, "Bo Zhu, take care of Master and Official Lord, I'm sending Senior Brother back."

Bo Zhu ran over, "Ah? So early, aren't you keeping watch of the night* together? I still want to wait for White Master to set off fireworks with me."

Fan Wu She said disgustedly, "Go and play by yourself."

Xie Bi An was half dragged and half carried back to his bedroom, his mouth slurred something; saying he wanted to drink at one moment, but said no at another moment.

Fan Wu She put him to bed, took off his shoes and untied his belt so that he could be more comfortable.

Xie Bi An looked laxly at the top of his head and waved his hands in front of his eyes, "Master, Stop, stop drinking."

"You stop drinking too." Fan Wu She moistened a towel and wiped his face and hands, "Didn't you say you wanted to watch Jiang Qu Lian? Yet you drank until you were like this."

"Yes, watch, watch him, magical treasure ..."

Fan Wu She put down the towel and poked Xie Bi An's soft, white and pink cheeks with his finger: "You usually put up a brotherly front, always lecturing me, look at you now, leaning from side to side." His face was unconsciously smiling, and inside his chest was soft.

Xie Bi An pushed Fan Wu She’s hand away like a mosquito, muttering something under his breath.

Fan Wu She took his hand back and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently.

Xie Bi An yawned, already drowsy.

"Sleepy?" With one hand, Fan Wu She drew out Xie Bi An's hairpin and removed the crown, threading his hand through the thick hair, caressing it.

Xie Bi An yawned again and tried to turn around in response.

However, Fan Wu She did not allow him to turn around, but instead leaned close to his face and said softly, "Call me Xiao Jiu."

Xie Bi An shook his head in bewilderment, not sure if he had listened.

"Call once, call me Xiao Jiu, and I'll let you sleep." Fan Wu She gently shook Xie Bi An, "Just call me once, okay?"

Xie Bi An looked at Fan Wu She with drunken eyes and opened his mouth, but it was an unintelligible mumbling.

"Say ah, ‘Xiao Jiu’, say it."

Xie Bi An hesitated for a long time before whispering, "... Xiao Jiu?"

Fan Wu She was stunned, almost instantly his eyes were hot. He gasped and buried his face in Xie Bi An's warm chest, as if he had suffered endless aggression, his voice was already choked: "Big brother."

Xie Bi An seemed to feel his grief and grabbed his hand in his half-asleep state.

"Big brother, I miss you so much, I really miss you so much." Fan Wu She bit his lips, "I hate you, but ... I miss you so much again."

Xie Bi An, however, had let out an even breathing sound.

Fan Wu She closed his eyes. A strong heartbeat sounded beside his ears. The sound was telling him that this person was alive. A hundred years in a flash, reincarnated and returned to him alive.

---

The next day when he woke up, Xie Bi An was chagrined. He hurried to see Zhong Kui and only put his mind at ease after making sure that nothing was missing from the Heaven Master Palace.

The Patrols and Jiang Qu Lian have left, only Cui Jue stayed over at the Heaven Master Palace due to drinking too much. He woke up more angry than anyone else and felt that he had lost face, and gave Zhong Kui a good scolding before leaving.

It was only after Cui Jue had left that Xie Bi An breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, Official Lord doesn't remember what happened last night, so the goose wasn't found, was it?"

"No, yesterday Official Lord even complimented you on the delicious stir-fried goose meat you made." Bo Zhu said gluttonously, "The night is long, let's eat the other one as soon as possible."

"That goose is so alert. It cries when the Red King comes."

"No, I heard that the goose is more powerful than the dog in guarding the house, and is even fiercer."

"Is that so." Xie Bi An stroked his chin, "How about ... keeping it for now? The Red King is always hitting on the Master's magical treasures, and the barriers of the Heaven Master Palace can't stop him, so this goose can at least be a reminder."

Zhong Kui gave a "heh" sound, "Aren't you afraid that Zi Yu will scold you?"

"If Official Lord asks, I'll tell him I'll make him goose meat next time."

Zhong Kui laughed twice, "You are worthy of being my disciple."

"Heaven Master, you still said White Master was a poor drinker yesterday, unlike your apprentice." Bo Zhu laughed playfully.

"Don't talk nonsense, child."

Fan Wu She sat at the side, quietly admiring the scene of them laughing and joking, and his gaze unconsciously softened.

---

After the New Year, the three of them packed their simple clothes and planned to leave for Chunyang Sect.

Since Xie Bi An had known that Zhong Kui's life was about to end, he had hardly been allowed to leave the Underworld, so Zhong Kui was really suffocated and wanted to leave every 15 days.

Chunyang Sect was located in Jingzhou, not far away, and he arrived on the same day using his sword.

Since the destruction of the Wuyun Sect by Zong Zi Xiao a hundred years ago, Chunyang Sect had become the largest sect in the Chu region, and was the only one among the sword cultivation sects, and its position had been unshakable for many years.

Chunyang Sect has even more disciples than Wuliang Sect, but the attrition is so severe that most of them leave at the age of fifteen when they reach adulthood, because of the harsh requirements of their technique, which is known as the "Die without descendants" technique.

Even so, there are countless families who are willing to send their sons to Chunyang Sect, because even if they only train for a few years, they will have a much stronger body than ordinary people. Chunyang Sect does not reject anyone, regardless of their qualifications, and is very much a Taoist sect.

It is also true that the Yuanyang technique is so good that anyone who has reached a high level of cultivation will be able to look ageless and live a long life as long as there are no accidents.

When he arrived at Chunyang Sect, Elder Zhaowen was accompanied by two of his disciples and personally welcomed them.

They were all tall, fit and well-groomed, and an outsider could tell just by looking at their physiques that they must have reached a high level of cultivation in the Yuanyang technique.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhong Kui asked, "Zhaowen, has Wuliang Sect sent anyone to investigate?"

"No."

"After departing from Yunding, Wuliang Sect has never come and asked?"

"Indeed not."

Zhong Kui snorted coldly, "The wild ghost was found in their territory, and they don't even care about it."

"Perhaps Immortal Lord is too busy investigating the death of his martial nephew to care about it yet." Zhaowen spoke very cautiously.

"After investigating for so long and not finding the murderer, I'm afraid it's a mystery." Zhong Kui said thoughtfully, "Either the murderer came prepared, with all the back roads arranged so as not to leave a single trace, or he may even have had the help of a mole, or he had a temporary intention, so that no one could find out the motive for a while. In short, the most unlikely is that he came specifically to steal the core."

"It's a pity." Zhaowen sighed, " Xiang Qu Zhen Ren saw one's child die before himself, and I heard that he was very ill."

"Wuliang Sect cannot find Meng Ke Fei's murderer, but we still have a chance to find your martial uncle's killer."

Zhao Wen said, "Heaven Master, things have not yet come to light, that person may not be my uncle."

Zhong Kui nodded, "We'll know when your master comes out."

Another elder said, "Heaven Master, we are reluctant to disturb the Master and have put the matter off several times. We hope Heaven Master won’t blame us. However, after thinking about it, that martial uncle and our master have a deep relationship, we are worried that if he is really our martial uncle, our master will blame us when he comes out of seclusion. That is why we invited you to Chunyang Sect, and together we can ask the Master to come out of seclusion."

Zhong Kui laughed heartily, "You are just afraid of being scolded, so you asked me to take the blame."

The few elders looked at each other, all a little embarrassed.

"It's fine, it's fine. I asked for it, I'll suffer if I'm blamed, it's not too late, let's go now."

Zhaowen said, "There is no hurry. In a few days, it will be the 15th day of the first month. The night of the full moon is the time when yin and yang are in full bloom. On that day those who practice the Yuanyang technique need to take a rest and tune-up. Asking Master to come out at this time will cause the least disturbance to him."

"That's good."

"In these few days, why don't the Heaven Master and the two Impermanence Immortals just wander around? My Chu land is rich in delicious wine, Heaven Master will love it."

"Haha, love it, love it." Zhong Kui rubbed his fists and wanted to taste the fine wines of the Chu region.

Chunyang disciples took them to the guest room and Xie Bi An arranged his clothes, "This is also my first time in Chu land, I heard that the food here is even spicier than our Shu Land."

"Hmm." Fan Wu She was a little distracted.

"Wu She, why haven't you spoken since you've got here, what happened?"

"Nothing." Fan Wu She just remembered too many things, about Chunyang Sect, about Zong Zi Heng and Zong Zi Xiao.

In his last life, his first trip out of the palace had been via Chu land, where he had first seen the evil spirits, first heard of the stolen cores, first encountered an assassination, and the first time his elder brother had been injured trying to save him, and it was at the branch of Chunyang Sect where he had been recuperating.

After all that had happened, he had let Chunyang Sect live for the sake of Xu Zhi Nan, who had taken good care of Zong Zi Heng.

Now that he has revisited this place, his heart is full of emotions.

"People outside say that Chunyang Sect is old-fashioned and serious, with a lot of rules and often rejects people. But I think it seems okay.”

"Because of the presence of Master."

"Haha, that's true." Xie Bi An shrugged, "I don't know why, but they are all afraid of Master. He is powerful but not a bully."

"That's a good thing." Fan Wu She’s mind was in a mess. When he reincarnated, he had actually forgotten many people and events from his previous life, but as he grew older, especially since he had reunited with this person and kept revisiting his hometown, more and more things came to mind, and even the images became clearer and clearer, as if they were yesterday.

"Well, I just hope that Master maintains some decency out there and doesn't drink himself into unconsciousness and spoil his own prestige." Xie Bi An finished, amused by his own imagination, he folded his clothes, "Wu She, it's still early, want to go out for a walk?"

 

 ----

keeping watch the night*[守夜]----google says ‘night vigil’ but idk if it’s the correct meaning. 守夜 is what Chinese usually do during Chinese New Year Eve; we won’t go to bed until 12am struck. Something like a countdown haha. And then our ears will keep ringing with fireworks explosion until 2-3am……(it’s against the law to set off fireworks on your own in Singapore, so I can only go to Malaysia and do it :D)

 

Edited on 21 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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