The Aloof Master Is Secretly Kissed Every Night by the Paranoid Villain - Chapter 7

The waiter and the shopkeeper, who had received the silver, were all smiles. They thanked Wen Shiqing repeatedly.

“I knew your aura was so extraordinary, so how could you possibly be just a mere mortal?” The waiter looked at Wen Shiqing with adoration. “I truly never expected that you would be that famous Daoist Lord Wen. Today, you even helped us teach that cultivator a lesson. You are truly an excellent, immortal-like person.”

Xie Yuan stood to the side listening to this, and he could not help but find it amusing.

When that cultivator was making things difficult for the shopkeeper earlier, Wen Shiqing had maintained an expression of complete indifference. It was only when that person began to speak ill of Xiao Heng that he finally stepped in to teach the man a lesson.

The waiter and the shopkeeper had merely reaped some incidental benefits. Yet, despite this, they were still incredibly grateful to Wen Shiqing, simply because they themselves did not possess enough strength to settle the matter.

Xie Yuan tightened his fingers. Feeling the spiritual energy that had withered away within his body due to his ruined spiritual root, a cold look flashed through the depths of his eyes. He had to find a way to cultivate again. He could absolutely never be a weakling at the mercy of others’ bullying ever again.

“Daoist Lord Wen, may I ask what relationship this young gentleman has with you? How should we address him?” The shopkeeper was also happily chatting with Wen Shiqing, and upon seeing Xie Yuan standing nearby, he could not resist bringing him up.

Xie Yuan snapped out of his thoughts, feeling somewhat curious as to how Wen Shiqing would introduce him in front of these people. After all, he was not entirely certain that Wen Shiqing would truly announce the matter of taking him as a disciple to the wider public. The reputation of the Hehuan Palace was notorious, and he himself possessed such a terrible past. Once word got out, Wen Shiqing’s reputation would undoubtedly suffer, so…

“He is my newly recruited disciple, named Xie Yuan.”

The clear, resonant voice entered his ears, causing Xie Yuan to daze slightly. Lifting his eyes to look over, he could see the man’s relaxed features, showing not a single hint of an intention to conceal either of their identities.

“I just knew this young immortal practitioner looked exceptionally handsome and possessed such an outstanding aura. So it turns out he is actually your newly recruited disciple. Daoist Lord truly has excellent judgment.”

“Looking at this young immortal practitioner Xie, I suppose under your guidance, he will grow up to become the second genius Xiao in the future. Breathtakingly brilliant, reaching the Golden Core Realm at the age of fifteen, he is truly a rare sight in a thousand years!”

It was Xiao Heng again.

Xie Yuan pursed his lips. Throughout this single day, he had already heard Xiao Heng’s name from far too many mouths. That child of a hero, the darling of the Wentian Sect, a Golden Core cultivator at fifteen, and furthermore, the person Wen Shiqing truly held at the very center of his heart.

He would not allow anyone to talk down on him even in the slightest. Even though he loved him beyond any remedy, he still strictly adhered to the master-disciple relationship, never crossing the line by even a single step.

Was Xiao Heng really that good? Was he truly worthy of being liked and loved by so many people?

Since he had now also become Wen Shiqing’s disciple in name, if he cultivated diligently and became just as powerful as that person, would he be able to rid himself of his filthy past? Could he stand beneath the sunlight and receive the affection and love of many people?

A secret wave of excitement surged into his heart.

But in the very next moment, he heard Wen Shiqing’s response.

“He can never become the next Xiao Heng.”

The reason Wen Shiqing said this was because he felt that Xie Yuan was Xie Yuan, and that he and Xiao Heng were inherently two completely different people. There was no need for Xie Yuan to become a second Xiao Heng.

However, when these words reached Xie Yuan’s ears, they felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, snapping him awake instantly.

How laughable. Just now, he had actually felt a shameful hope that he might hear some anticipation and affirmation directed toward him from Wen Shiqing’s mouth.

Even if this man acknowledged taking him as a disciple, so what? He was nothing more than a counterfeit used by Wen Shiqing to vent those unmentionable thoughts he harbored toward Xiao Heng. In Wen Shiqing’s eyes, how could he ever be compared to Xiao Heng?

Yet, the more he realized this point, a bizarre notion conversely took root within Xie Yuan’s mind. He believed that if he surpassed Xiao Heng, and if his strength grew powerful enough to trample Xiao Heng beneath his feet, he could see how Wen Shiqing would react. The person whom Wen Shiqing held at the center of his heart would be surpassed by a filthy gutter rat like himself. To watch him fall from a genius into a mediocre talent, just thinking about it gave him a rush of intense pleasure.

As dark thoughts crawled all over his heart, no one noticed that when the blue-robed cultivator left earlier, a thumb-long black snake had fallen from his body. From an angle invisible to everyone, it rapidly wrapped around Xie Yuan’s ankle, bared its sharp teeth, and bit down in a single chomp.

Upon tasting the flavor of the blood, a wild ecstasy surged into the snake’s eerie blue eyes.

“My perception was indeed correct. This brat truly possesses the pure Yin Ghost Physique!”

“Hiss.” Xie Yuan’s train of thought was interrupted by a freezing, piercing pain coming from his ankle. He frowned and squatted down to check, only to discover that there was no bleeding wound whatsoever. Little did he know, the black snake had already transformed into a dark mist, seeping into his skin and merging completely with him.

“What are you doing?” Wen Shiqing had finally broken away from the enthusiastic shopkeeper, only to turn his head and see Xie Yuan inspecting his ankle with a completely bewildered expression.

“It is nothing.” Suppressing the doubts in his heart, Xie Yuan rose submissively.

Wen Shiqing wanted to show some concern for him, but the moment he opened his mouth, he remembered his character setting. Ultimately, he spoke with cold rigidity.

“If it is nothing, then let us go. Do not slow down our journey.”

This time, the two flew on the sword for a mere three hours before they arrived at the Wentian Sect.

Coming into view was a magnificent mountain gate that stood dozens of chang high. At its peak, the three grand characters “Wentian Sect” remained, carved by the first sect master using a sword. They radiated a terrifying, fierce sword intent.

The Mount Piao-miao range that supported the Wentian Sect stretched out for hundreds of miles, featuring six prominent peaks. There was one main peak where the Sect Master resided, and five secondary peaks, which were respectively managed by five Peak Masters who specialized in sword, body, talismans, medicine, and artifacts.

Viewed from afar, palaces, pavilions, and spires rose sharply from the undulating mountain ranges, towering majestically with an extraordinary aura. It fully displayed the grandeur of a great sect.

Standing behind Wen Shiqing, Xie Yuan took the entire landscape into his eyes, a profound yearning and an uncontrollable desire to become stronger surging within his gaze.

The moment Wen Shiqing controlled the Jingfeng Sword to pierce through the mountain-protecting barrier, he attracted everyone’s attention.

“Daoist Lord Wen is back!”

“Didn’t they say earlier that he was going to Blue City for half a month? Why did he come back so quickly?”

“Could it be that he heard the news about Senior Brother Xiao injuring the Eldest Senior Brother of the Qingfeng Sect, so he rushed back?”

“He even brought back a child. Who is that child?”

Wen Shiqing was originally flying toward the Sword Peak, but he ran into a young man along the way. The young man was clearly heading straight for him. Arriving in front of him, the youth performed a salute and said, “Daoist Lord Wen, my master sensed that you have returned, so he specially asked me to bring you a message.”

Wen Shiqing recognized him as Qin Ye, the personal disciple of the Medicine Peak Master. Inquiring with confusion, he asked, “What message?”

“He said cough.” Qin Ye cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice transformed into a sharp, scolding yell, “You bastard surnamed Wen, now that your dead ass is back, hurry over and wipe your disciple’s butt! If you dare to be a single step too slow, I will pack up your precious darling Xiao and deliver him right to the elders of the Qingfeng Sect!”

Wen Shiqing: “…”