Chapter 260

Xie Bi An became angry from embarrassment: "Get lost."

"Are you afraid to answer, or that you can't deny it?"

"I don't ...... Impossible*." Xie Bi An found it hard to even say "like".

"Why is it impossible? When we were martial brothers, you liked me and made a lifetime promise to me. Do you still remember how it felt to like me? Did it come to your mind just now?"

Xie Bi An grabbed Fan Wu She's collar and said in a ruthless voice, "Don't take advantage of my difficulties."

"Ever since I was young, big brother has taught me to be honest and magnanimous." Fan Wu She smiled faintly, "Big brother is now the one lying and avoiding instead."

Xie Bi An's eyes turned red with anxiety, "Don't you ever talk nonsense again. Let go of me!"

"Then you answer me." Fan Wu She pinned Xie Bi An between his two arms. His eyes were full of tyrannical aggression, and he had an imposing manner of not withdrawing troops from the city.

These days, Fan Wu She had been very cautious and restrained in front of him, which could be called obedience. This also made him neglect for a moment on how vicious and dangerous the person in front of him was.

He should not let down his guard because of the weakness of this beast.

His hand, which was grabbing Fan Wu She’s front lapel, changed to pressing against that robust chest, preventing the two from getting any closer. He glared at Fan Wu She: "It's meaningless."

"What do you mean by meaningless?"

"I told you, we're not going back to the old days. ‘Like’ is out of the question.”

"You’re still avoiding it. What I want is a simple answer. Do you still like me or not?" Fan Wu She grabbed Xie Bi An's wrist, "Answer me."

Xie Bi An wanted to refute, but he didn't have the confidence to open his mouth. He was afraid that once he answered, whether it was true or not, he would uncontrollably reveal his weakness. So what if he liked him or not? The least thing worth mentioning between them was "like", which was like an orchid floating on the mud. No matter how beautiful and pure it was, it had already been buried in the mud.

"Answer me!" Fan Wu She's eyes were slightly red.

Xie Bi An pushed him fiercely and said in a cold voice, "Let go."

"You like me." Fan Wu She showed an expression that seemed to be crying or smiling, which was agonizing.

"Let go!"

"Why don't you dare to admit it? You don't dare to lie or admit it. Is it so hard to admit that you like me? I love you so much that I can't let go of you for two lifetimes, and you refuse to even admit that you like me?!"

"I don't like you!" Xie Bi An growled, and suddenly a trace of water vapor seeped out of his eyes. He was like a fledgling trying to retract into his nest desperately. He had no way to retreat, so he contracted his shoulders slightly, just to be able to stay away from the threat in front of him. He gritted his teeth and said, "I don't want to...like you."

Fan Wu She fiercely embraced the person. He endured the sharp pain in his heart and said in a hoarse voice, "It's okay, big brother. It's my fault, it's all my fault, but we still have a lot of time. One day, you won't feel guilty for liking me."

Xie Bi An closed his eyes in pain.

----

The two searched for traces of Jiang Qu Lian inside and outside of Lanxi Town. Although they did find something, these clues could only indicate that Jiang Qu Lian had been here. Due to his high cultivation level, he was not easily detected by the soul weapons like ordinary ghosts, thus it was almost impossible to find him unless they were very close.

After the delay, half a day had passed. In the afternoon, it was Song Chun Gui and Li Zhi Qing’s match time.

The timing was really strange. In this summer heat, instead of competing earlier or later, they had to pick the hottest and most sunny slot in the afternoon. However, the crowd was too curious about the match and did not want to miss the excitement, so they had to gather at the arena under the scorching sun. This was fattening up those peddlers who were selling popsicles and fans.

The two paid a lot of money to buy the two seats on the second floor of a nearby restaurant. They could sit by the window and drink ice plum soup, but a seat here cost a lot of money, so there were several people sitting at the square table, stretching their necks and looking down.

"This arena looked quite strange. I heard that he bought all the copper in the city for those four copper beasts. What is he scheming?"

"Who knows, but this Lord Li has always displayed his wealth."

"Displaying his wealth onto this plaything?" That man scoffed, "How could he be the Lone Sword’s opponent? He made such a beautiful arena, and then goes up to disgrace himself? Tsk tsk, there’s something really wrong with his brain."

Looking at the arena thoughtfully, they both felt a little strange. They really couldn't figure out what Li Zhi Qing wanted to do, and whether there were any mysterious principles in this arena. Should they expect some mechanisms in the arena to secretly attack Song Chun Gui? That would be too stupid.

There was a commotion in the crowd as Song Chun Gui and Li Zhi Qing came over. They were escorted by a group of disciples. Song Chun Gui was steady and cold as usual, while Li Zhi Qing didn't seem to be nervous, as if he wasn't worried that he was about to face the top swordsman in the immortal cultivation world.

The two of them jumped into the arena. Song Chun Gui bowed and said, "Senior brother."

Li Zhi Qing also returned the salute and called out "senior brother" in an odd manner.

Song Chun Gui said sternly, "Senior brother, I am here today not because I agreed to fight you, but because I want to settle the matter between us in front of all of our friends in the immortal cultivation world and all the elders and disciples of Wuliang Sect."

Li Zhi Qing said with a fake smile, "It is rare for us to think in the same way. I also want to settle this."

"Senior brother, I’ve told you all of the reasons, and all of the pros and cons countless times. There’s no need to repeat them. The thing that I don’t want to see the most is an internal strife in Wuliang Sect, but I also have inherited master's unfulfilled wish and must carry forward Wuliang Sect, so... " Song Chun Gui looked around with his gaze as firm and sharp as a hawk, "Senior brother, I want to succeed as the leader of the Wuliang Sect. Please hand over the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Grant to me."

Once these words came out, the scene was so quiet that the sound of a pin drop could be heard.

Song Chun Gui had been reluctant to compete with Li Zhi Qing for the leader's position because of various concerns. He was still managing the internal and external affairs of the sect as the leader on behalf of Li Bu Yu, but this was the first time that he so strongly declared that he wanted to be the leader, and also the first time that he asked Li Zhi Qing for the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Grant.

Li Zhi Qing sneered: "You’re not pretending anymore? Whatever mincing manner you had before, isn’t it because you wished that I took the initiative to give way and fulfilled your good reputation of loyalty and decency? Otherwise, if such words ‘as soon as the master died, his disciple seized the family property' spread out, you would be scorned by everyone in the world."

Song Chun Gui's gaze was gloomy: "Senior brother, don't go too far. Wuliang Sect was entrusted to me by my master before his death. With your talent and cultivation, it’s really not enough to support the world's number one sect. Not to mention that at this time, the human and ghost worlds are in turmoil. There’s still a long way to go to rebuild the Immortal Alliance. I, Song Chun Gui, must sit in this position, never for selfish desires, but only to save the people from fire and water. In the future, if senior brother's son has a promising future, I will naturally give way."

"Junior brother has always been so indifferent to fame and fortune with a look of cultivating wholeheartedly. Unfortunately, would anyone believe if I were to say that there are people in this world who do not covet the huge foundation of my Li family? If it was really what you said, what's wrong with me being the leader and you being my capable person? Even if I, Li Zhi Qing, am not good, I am still an outstanding person amongst my peers. How much worse am I compared to you!?” At the end of his speech, Li Zhi Qing's eyes were overflowing with resentment, and every twitching muscle was written with unwillingness.

At that moment, Xie Bi An seemed to see Li Bu Yu a hundred years ago. When they were both young, at the Jiaolong assembly, Zong Zi Xiao mercilessly defeated Li Bu Yu. At that time, the seed of vicious hatred had been planted in his heart. After that, they all became the important people who stirred up the storm. That unwillingness and resentment back then had changed everyone's fate.

"Senior brother, I won't give up my position not because of your cultivation." Song Chun Gui narrowed his eyes, "If you want me to make it clear, I'll ask you. How did senior brother Meng die and whose belly did his golden core go into?”

The crowd was in an uproar.

Li Zhi Qing's eyes rose with killing intent. He said without changing his expression: "You have been investigating for so long and couldn’t find out, and you’re asking me? What, do you still want to frame me?"

Although he looked calm, the gazes of the onlookers had already stabbed at him like knives. When Song Chun Gui asked this question, no one suspected that Meng Ke Fei's death had nothing to do with Li Zhi Qing. After all, Li Bu Yu relied on eating human cores to transform himself, and finally ranked as an Immortal Lord. As his only son, would Li Zhi Qing let go of this shortcut to change his life?

Besides, Meng Ke Fei and Li Zhi Qing were disciples of the same generation. Eating the human core of a cultivator from the same sect could yield twice the result with half the effort.

Song Chun Gui shook his head: "Senior brother, today you set up this arena, stating that as long as I defeat you, you will no longer make things difficult for me, right?"

"Yes."

"I believe you won't go back on your word with so many people in front of you." Song Chun Gui drew his sword, "Senior brother, if you use the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Grant, be careful not to hurt the people around you."

Yet Li Zhi Qing was not in a hurry to draw his sword: "Song Chun Gui, since you drew your sword, you are fighting against me for the position of sect leader. Feel your conscience and say*, are you really worthy of my father, your master?"

Song Chun Gui's expression changed. His jaw tensed, and his lips were pursed slightly, obviously restraining something.

Li Zhi Qing's gaze swept over the crowd and finally returned to Song Chun Gui: "No matter how much you say as if it were raining flowers*, no matter how dignified you act, you are an evil disciple who fights for the family property when your master has died."

"Shut up!"

The crowd was shuddering with fear from listening. This Li Zhi Qing was indeed Li Bu Yu’s son. He was unable to defeat Song Chun Gui, but his every sentence pierced the heart.

"Song Chun Gui, junior brother Song." Li Zhi Qing showed a viper-like smile, "You care about reputation and integrity, but also cannot give up the high position and great wealth of the Wuliang Sect’s leader. Senior brother has an idea, so you can have the best of both worlds."

Song Chun Gui gritted his teeth, "Li Zhi Qing, while I still recognize you as a senior brother, stop casting malicious words towards me."

"What, are you going to kill me if you don't recognize me as a senior brother?"

"I won't kill you. You were also entrusted to me by my master on his deathbed." Song Chun Gui said in a stern voice, "Draw your sword. Our dispute shall be settled here!"

"Sure. I, your senior brother, will bring a romance to a happy ending*. I said I’ll let you have the best of both worlds, as long as you return one thing to my Li family."

"......What thing?"

Li Zhi Qing narrowed his eyes. His gaze was sinister: "Your cultivation."

 

----

PS: Now, Alipay has allowed overseas bank cards to be used in 爱奇艺文学 App. If you can, PLEASE go and download the app and support her by buying her gifts. The cheapest gift costs US$0.15. If you think it’s too troublesome, you can even drop whatever amount into my Ko-fi and I’ll bomb her gifts and send you a screenshot of payment.

PPS: dragged the artist I commissioned into WCJ’s blackhole. I gonna drag her into zhuwang’s blackhole next ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

I don't ...... Impossible*[ “我不……不可能。”] ---XBA wanted to say 不喜欢 (don’t like), but he can’t say it, so he said 不可能 (impossible) xD

Feel your conscience and say*[摸着良心]---- It means that what is said comes from the heart and there’s no intention to lie or cover up the truth.

as if it were raining flowers*[天花乱坠]--- an exaggerated tale or account elaborate in high-flown phraseology

bring a romance to a happy ending*[成人之美]--- help sb. achieve success 

Edited on 10 July 21 (Emzie)

 

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