Chapter 46

Upon arriving at Yan City, Xu Zhi Nan first summoned the Chunyang disciples who were keeping an eye on him, and learned that Chen Xing Yong had met a man late yesterday night. That man was dressed in black and wore a mask, even his sword was covered, so there was no way to tell where he came from. When that man left the city, one of the disciples tried to follow him, but soon lost him.

Hearing this, Cheng Yan Zhi sternly rebuked, "Who gave you permission to act without permission?"

The disciple mumbled, "I thought that man's identity must be extraordinary, so ..."

"If he is really an extraordinary person, it is likely that you have already been discovered. Before I left, I specifically instructed you not to act rashly and alert the enemy. Did you even listen!?"

"Senior Brother Cheng, I was wrong."

Xu Zhi Nan frowned, "Forget it, since Chen Xing Yong hasn't left yet, it's likely that we haven't been discovered yet."

Zong Zi Heng said, "If that man is the one Chen Xing Yong is waiting for, then highly likely he is the buyer of the Lion Alliance, but it is a pity that he had escaped."

"As long as Chen Xing Yong is captured alive, we can uncover all the people behind the curtain."

"But Chen Xing Yong will leave any time after he has finished meeting the person he wants to see, so I'm afraid we won't be able to wait for the Cangyu Sect’s people."

Xu Zhi Nan asked, "How long will it take for the Flying Plume Ambassadors to arrive?"

"It will only be a day or two."

"Continue to keep an eye on Chen Xing Yong, and act as soon as they arrive."

"Yes."

"Yan Zhi." Xu Zhi Nan said, "After sunset, take your men out of the city and quietly spy on that man in black. The tighter he covers up shows that he has a high status. The people of this generation are not rich and cultivators are not common. Ask the people in the surrounding towns if they have seen any cultivators or rich people during the day."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

After Cheng Yan Zhi left, Zong Zi Xiao asked a question, "Big brother, why did the Lion Alliance come to this place? There aren't many named immortal clans around here and they are poor, even if it is to avoid the eyes and ears of other people, isn't it safer to be hidden in the city?"

"You have a point. But since it's to meet someone, that place might have been set by the man in black."

"Brother, that man in black, could he have something to do with us being attacked back then too?"

"Perhaps." A layer of frost covered Zong Zi Heng's eyes, "That's why Chen Xing Yong must be caught alive."

---

They settled in a small inn for the time being, waiting for the Flying Plume Ambassador Qi Meng Sheng of the Cangyu Sect to arrive and capture Chen Xing Yong together.

Chen Xing Yong used to be an insignificant person in the Cangyu Sect. His talent and cultivation level were neither high nor low. If he was to face the battle head-on, a big battle is not needed to deal with him, but this magical treasure Gong Shu Ju is too powerful, at worst, it can help him escape.

A person with an ordinary cultivation level can obtain such a terrifying power just by having a magical treasure. It was no wonder that so many cultivators would compete until badly battered just because of this magical treasure. For example, Chen Xing Yong, who had deceived his master and destroyed his founder, was cruel and ruthless, and after taking away Gong Shu Ju, he had also risen to the ranks of high-ranking cultivators by eating human cores. The Daming Zong Clan had issued a wanted notice for him, and the Chunyang Sect, the Cangyu Sect and the Huaying Sect had been hunting for him, but so far three years had passed, and he was still at large.

"Big brother, if we catch Chen Xing Yong, I want Gong Shu Ju." Zong Zi Xiao said frankly, as if the magical treasure rightfully belonged to him, and he did not need to hide his desire at all.

Zong Zi Heng's hand paused.

He had called the innkeeper, brought up a bucket of hot water, and was now washing Zong Zi Xiao's hair.

"It's okay to give it to big brother, we share everything anyway." Zong Zi Xiao sat in the tub and scooped up the water and splashed his face, "Big brother, the soap keeps dripping down, please wash faster."

"That magical treasure is not something you can get by saying you want it. It originally belonged to the Cangyu Sect."

"It doesn't belong to the Cangyu Sect. The treasure left behind by the ancestors belongs to those who have the ability to get it." Zong Zi Xiao looked at Zong Zi Heng seriously, "Big brother, don't you want Gong Shu Ju?"

"Who wouldn't want a magical treasure like that? But this matter is not that simple. Do we have to fight within ourselves again over who gets the magical treasure after capturing Chen Xing Yong?" Zong Zi Heng scratched and rubbed Zong Zi Xiao's hair, "Don't indulge in fantasy, our aim is not the magical treasure."

"Your purpose is not the magical treasure, then have you ever thought about their purpose?" Zong Zi Xiao turned around and faced Zong Zi Heng, "Why is Xu Zhi Nan so keen? Regarding this matter, we and the Huaying Sect are for the sake of revenge and to find out the truth, the Cangyu Sect is for the sake of getting rid of their traitor and retrieving the magical treasure, what about the Chunyang Sect? What does this matter have to do with the Chunyang Sect? They won’t wake up early for no profit*."

"..."

"Whoever captures Chen Xing Yong will get Gong Shu Ju." Zong Zi Xiao gave a bad smile, "Big brother, if we get Gong Shu Ju, will they really dare to steal it from us, dare to go against the Daming Zong Clan?"

Zong Zi Heng was a little shocked. This brother he had brought up with his own hands, why was his personality completely unlike his own? But on second thought, his life was used to retreating, retreating in order to protect himself, while Zong Zi Xiao was used to being aggressive in his whole life, because every time he was aggressive, he gained something. He sighed tersely, unable to say what he felt in his heart.

"Big brother?" Zong Zi Xiao wondered, "Am I wrong? It's not like anyone's name is engraved on that magical treasure. The one who can get it gets it, that's the rule of the immortal cultivation world."

Zong Zi Heng took a gourd ladle and poured some water on top of Zong Zi Xiao’s head.

"Ah...my eyes." Zong Zi Xiao rubbed his eyes that the soap had gone into, and didn't open them for some time.

"Xiao Jiu, you can't ask for what you see. This human realm will not always be as you wish." Zong Zi Heng said warmly, "Gong Shu Ju was taken away by Chen Xing Yong who killed his own master. After taking it back, it should still be returned to the Cangyu Sect. This is moral righteousness."

Zong Zi Xiao opened his eyes, his dark pupils looking unblinkingly at Zong Zi Heng.

"As for big brother Xu, I think he has no other purpose than to get rid of the scourge Chen Xing Yong. This is the chivalry and righteousness that every cultivator should have. The way you are thinking of him, is measuring a gentleman's heart with the heart of a villain."

Anger flashed across Zong Zi Xiao’s face, but was immediately replaced by sadness: "Big brother, don't talk about me like that. You've only met Xu Zhi Nan twice. What makes you believe in him so much?"

Zong Zi Heng also realized that his words were heavy. He wiped the foam off Zong Zi Xiao’s face, "What big brother means is, don't always think the worst of people."

Zong Zi Xiao said unconvincingly, "What's good or bad about getting what you want based on your ability?"

Zong Zi Heng said seriously, "If you think this way, then Chen Xing Yong thinks the same way too."

"... I'm not the same as him."

"Of course you're not the same." Zong Zi Heng stroked his younger brother's damp hair, "So stop thinking about Gong Shu Ju."

"Is it true that big brother doesn't want powerful magical treasures?"

"I want them, but while wealth is covetable for a gentleman as well, he takes it in its natural course. We can't rob others."

"Hmph, nevermind. I may not even take an interest in Gong Shu Ju. One day in the future, I want the Shanhe Sheji Map."

Zong Zi Heng snorted, "Your tone of voice is not small."

One of the four ancient magical treasures, the Shanhe Sheji Map, was in the treasure trove of the Daming Zong Clan. Unfortunately, ancient magical treasures could hardly be harnessed by mortals, such as the Shen Nong Ding, which required the power of a hundred high-ranking cultivators at the same time.

"Our ancestor of the Zong Clan once used the Shanhe Sheji Map, so why can't I use it? Sooner or later, I will be powerful enough to harness the ancient magical treasures."

"You should walk the path steadily first before thinking of flying."

Zong Zi Xiao snorted coldly and suddenly his whole body sank into the water, leaving only a string of small bubbles on the surface.

Zong Zi Heng wrapped his fingers around his seaweed-like hair floating on the water's surface, "I'll see how long you can hold it in."

Zong Zi Xiao, like a fighter, just wouldn't come up to the surface, and only when he finally couldn't hold it in anymore did he burst out of the water, deliberately fluttering and gradually splashing Zong Zi Heng with water.

"Little bastard." Zong Zi Heng scolded jokingly, and also began to splash water on his face.

The two of them fought a water war across a tub and ended up spilling water all over the room, getting Zong Zi Heng all wet.

Zong Zi Xiao was having so much fun that his cheeks were stiff with laughter and his whole little face was flushed.

"All right, stop it, you're not even obedient about taking a bath." Zong Zi Heng wrapped him up in a cloth towel and put him on the bed with one hand, rubbing his body haphazardly.

Zong Zi Xiao was smiling at first, but within a moment, his face took on a strange look, dodging uncomfortably as he squirmed and curled up to snatch the cloth towel, "Alright, I'll wipe myself."

"You wipe up, your hair must be dried. I need to change my clothes."

Zong Zi Heng stepped aside and turned his back to Zong Zi Xiao to undress, removing his wet clothes layer by layer. He was slender, with soft white skin and a physique somewhere between a teenager and a young man. His strong bones were covered with thin muscles, like a piece of jade that had been finely carved, but without unimaginative craftsmanship, exuding a warm, pure and delicate glow.

Zong Zi Xiao peeked at his elder brother's back, and his face inexplicably flushed. He could not yet figure out why his body had changed, or why he wanted to watch his big brother change his clothes, but did not want him to know he was peeking.

He thought: Big brother's body is so white, so thin, his waist is so thin, his legs are so long, everything looks so good.

When he went to bed that night, for the first time, Zong Zi Xiao did not stay close to his big brother, and he deliberately pulled back a little. On such a cold day, there was his favorite source of heat lying next to him, but he was affected by shyness and dare not come close, as if afraid of being burned.

---

They slept until dawn when the rooster crowed and both brothers woke up at the same time.

After washing up, they went downstairs and went to the atrium for their morning exercise.

Xu Zhi Nan and several Chunyang disciples were also up. The brothers had never sparred with a martial arts cultivator before, so they were eager to try.

At that moment, the innkeeper carried a wooden bucket through the atrium and greeted them with a smile, "Sir, you woke up really early. I'll go next door and get fresh tofu, and I'll stew it for you in the morning."

Zong Zi Heng smiled and said, "Alright."

The innkeeper went out the door and suddenly, his scream was heard as the wooden bucket fell to the ground and banged. He came back rolling and crawling, "Demon, there's a demon!"

"What's going on?!"

The group ran out following the sound, only to see a dark shadow the size of a house appearing behind the early morning mist, coming towards them step by step, each foot landing bringing a tremor to the ground, through the soles of their feet straight to their heads.

Several people did not dare to breathe.

What kind of demonic beast was this? Demonic beasts usually live far away from the herd and are unlikely to appear in human territory, let alone such a large one.

The demonic beast suddenly stopped, as if it was also looking at them through the fog.

Xu Zhi Nan took out a wind talisman and flung it out, a gust of wind blew away the white fog, and something appeared in front of him ----a dog.

Zong Zi Heng was horrified, wasn't this the big yellow dog on the street?

Zong Zi Xiao said, "A dog, why has the dog become bigger!?"

Xu Zhi Nan said gruffly, "It's not that the dog has become bigger, it's that we've become smaller."

 

----

won’t wake up early for no profit*[无利不起早]--- It is an analogy of doing something for profit. If there’s no profit, why would you even make an effort to do something? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

Edited on 24 Mar. 21 (Emzie)

 

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