Everyone Says I’m Cold and Aloof, But I Just Have Social Anxiety! - Chapter 20

After an unknown amount of time, they finally reached the summit. The grand mountain gate of the Danxia Sect came into view, and Gu Qingzhi slowly set Yan Luochen down.

At that moment, several Danxia Sect disciples dressed in yellow robes with black patterns walked out from the gate. Upon seeing Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen, their eyes immediately filled with scrutiny.

“Who goes there? Don’t tell me you’re here to seek the antidote for Spirit-Consuming Powder again?” the leading disciple asked loudly, raising his voice.

Yan Luochen, knowing that Gu Qingzhi was extremely averse to such social interactions, took a step forward of his own accord. He cupped his hands in a polite greeting and said, “What this Daoist friend says is correct. We are of the Yuqing Immortal Sect, and we have specifically come to your noble sect to seek medicine.”

The disciple was about to speak again when a fellow disciple behind him hurriedly interrupted, whispering urgently, “Stop saying such unpleasant things! Don’t you see the white jade tablet hanging at the waist of the other man in white? That is a symbol of noble status. If we accidentally offend him, we’ll be in for it!”

Hearing this, the disciple finally realized Gu Qingzhi’s extraordinary status. His attitude immediately became respectful as he said, “…Please follow me.”

Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen exchanged a glance, understanding each other perfectly, and followed the disciple as they walked slowly into the Danxia Sect.

Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen were led to a guest reception room. The decor was simple, with a few potted plants dotting the corners, emitting a faint, fresh fragrance. Sunlight filtered through the window lattices, forming patches of light on the floor.

After waiting for a long time, they finally saw a disciple slowly approaching. He wore a pale yellow long robe, had a clean face, and his eyes glinted with shrewdness. He bowed politely and introduced himself: “Fellow Daoists of the Yuqing Immortal Sect, I am Lin Yun, a Proclamation Disciple of this sect. May I ask how I should address the two of you?”

“I am Yan Luochen, disciple of Gu Yuan. This is my Senior Brother, Gu Qingzhi,” Yan Luochen returned the greeting.

Hearing the words “disciple of Gu Yuan,” Lin Yun’s heart skipped a beat. As for the other one needless to say the moment he heard the name, he knew it had to be that famous Young Master Gu, the genius with the Mutated Ice Spirit Root who had supposedly never left his sect.

Lin Yun felt helpless but could only steel himself to follow the sect’s instructions. “So it is Young Master Gu and Daoist Yan. The Nine-Yang Spirit-Restoring Pills you seek have always been scarce. Recently, many have come seeking this medicine, causing supply to fall short of demand. We are currently out of stock and cannot provide them at this time.”

Yan Luochen knit his brows and was about to speak, but Lin Yun immediately added, “However, we heard that your noble sect has acquired a spirit stone mine. If you could spare a small portion, we could immediately seek out the ingredients to refine the Nine-Yang Spirit-Restoring Pills for you. We are not greedy; we only ask for a one-third share of the mine’s output.”

Hearing this, both Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen felt something was fishy. They quickly shared a look.

[Not greedy? That abacus is being slapped so hard the beads are hitting me in the face!]

Gu Qingzhi cursed inwardly, though his face remained a mask of indifference.

Yan Luochen suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, “This is no small matter. My Senior Brother and I cannot make this decision; we must request instructions from our superiors.”

Lin Yun maintained his smile. “Since that is the case, if Young Master Gu and Daoist Yan do not mind, you may stay in our sect for a few days.”

Yan Luochen cupped his hands slightly. “Then we shall trouble Daoist Lin.”

Lin Yun arranged for another disciple to lead Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen to two adjacent guest rooms. The courtyard where the rooms were located was quiet and serene, with colorful flowers blooming along the path and a gentle breeze carrying their fragrance.

Before they could even step through their doors, they encountered a young girl.

“Eh? It really is you! My benefactor!”

The girl was dressed in a goose-yellow skirt that swayed playfully with her movements. Hearing this, both Gu Qingzhi and Yan Luochen turned to look at her. Yan Luochen’s face was blank, his gaze full of confusion.

Seeing Gu Qingzhi’s lack of reaction, the girl spoke again: “It’s me! A disciple of the Hundred Flowers Immortal Sect. My name is Lin Huan. You saved me previously at the Prince of Anyang’s manor. We truly are fated to meet again here!”

For some reason, Yan Luochen’s expression gradually darkened. He knit his brows, finding this girl’s chatter incredibly annoying and somewhat of an eyesore.

He couldn’t help but speak up: “Since my Senior Brother saved you at the Prince’s manor, it certainly wasn’t just you alone. You say your name is Lin Huan? Then what is your relationship to the Proclamation Disciple Lin Yun of this Danxia Sect?”

Only then did Lin Huan move her gaze away from Gu Qingzhi and look directly at Yan Luochen. She bowed slightly and said, “Uh… so you are my benefactor’s Junior Brother. Pleased to meet you!”

“Lin Yun is my older brother. I came here a few days ago to clear the Spirit-Consuming poison and decided to stay a while longer. Luckily I did, or I would have missed meeting my benefactor!”

Yan Luochen opened his folding fan and swayed it gently. “So it seems Miss Lin’s poison has already been cleared?”

“Yes.” After responding, Lin Huan looked expectantly at Gu Qingzhi. “Might I know my benefactor’s name?”

Seeing this, Gu Qingzhi felt it would be improper to continue ignoring her, so he gave a flat reply: “Gu Qingzhi.”

“Senior Brother, it’s been a long day. Come inside and rest!” Without giving Lin Huan a chance to speak again, Yan Luochen grabbed Gu Qingzhi and pulled him into his own room, then slammed the door shut with a “bang.”

Lin Huan stood rooted to the spot for a moment, then a dazed, infatuated look appeared on her face. she whispered softly, “So you are Gu Qingzhi… the genius with the Mutated Ice Spirit Root. So young, yet already in the Golden Core Realm, and so handsome. Qingzhi… truly, he has the air of a banished immortal… teeheehee~”

Inside the room, Yan Luochen sat huffily on a chair, fanning himself vigorously with his cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish. Gu Qingzhi sat down and watched him helplessly, a trace of a gentle smile in his eyes.

Yan Luochen grumbled, “Senior Brother, that Lin Huan is so tactless, pestering you like that.”

“It’s no matter. Didn’t you just pull me inside?” Gu Qingzhi laughed helplessly, though his mind was occupied by something else.

Gu Qingzhi walked slowly to the window and looked at the scenery outside, his brow furrowing slightly. He recalled that only the Prince of Anyang and the people of the Yuqing Immortal Sect knew about the spirit stone mine. The sect members wouldn’t be foolish enough to tell outsiders—unless there was a spy.

The Prince of Anyang was already dead. The most likely party to know of this was Phantom Gloom Valley, who had given the Prince the poison. But Phantom Gloom Valley had long since defected from the Danxia Sect.

Gu Qingzhi shared his concerns with Yan Luochen, who rose and walked to his side, speaking thoughtfully: “Perhaps there is another possibility.”

Gu Qingzhi’s eyes sharpened as he turned to look at Yan Luochen. “You mean Phantom Gloom Valley’s defection is just a front?! In reality, they are two sides of the same coin, working both the righteous and evil paths?”

Yan Luochen nodded, his expression solemn. “It is not impossible, Senior Brother.”

Gu Qingzhi lowered his head in thought for a moment. “This matter requires a long-term plan. Let us focus on getting the antidote as quickly as possible first.”