“Him, him, him!” The storyteller hurriedly pointed behind them.
The footsteps of the person in black could never escape a martial brother’s ears; Beisi had already detected him right from the start.
The storyteller, however, was panicking inside. Why is this guy still chasing after us? With such a massive physique, if he comes pressing down, I’ll probably be flattened straight into a meat patty. That face of his was already unnervingly grim when he wasn’t smiling… and honestly, it looks even more terrifying when he is.
The man in black scurried over with a beaming smile. Despite his burly, brawny build, he smiled like a total sycophant, his waist bending down by half as he chimed in, “Ah, ah, ah! I honestly didn’t recognize you just now…”
He marched right up toward Beisi.
Taking a sidelong glance, the storyteller watched as Beisi’s expression clearly shifted to unmistakable annoyance the moment he looked at anyone other than Chi Qiqi.
Chi Qiqi wore the exact same expression. He stepped directly into the man in black’s path, blocking him from getting any closer.
The man in black instantly narrowed his eyes, sizing up this blocking tiger and letting go of his sycophantic demeanor entirely. Who is this mortal? How can he look at me without any fear at all?
Sporting a fiercely intimidating scowl directed straight at Chi Qiqi, he suddenly crashed straight down onto his knees with a resounding thud, his kneecaps slamming hard against the ground.
The man in black froze in a kneeling posture, too terrified to move. Each of his knee pits had just been viciously kicked by an invisible burst of air—that familiar sensation was far too distinct. Who else could it possibly be if not his martial brother, capable of tracking his movements without leaving a single trace?
Kneeling down before a mortal like this is just too humiliating! My martial brother really doesn’t leave me an ounce of face. No wonder he’s been single for hundreds of years; if he ever managed to find a dao companion, I’d handstand and…
He raised his head. At this exact height, his line of sight fell directly upon two pairs of hands tightly interlocked together.
Wait one pair belonged to his martial brother, and the other pair… belonged to that mortal?!
The man in black’s eyes bulged instantly, performing a live, firsthand demonstration of what it means to be struck dumb with astonishment.
“Get up,” his martial brother’s voice rang out, cold and commanding as ever.
Shi Junyan stood up in a daze, obeying instinctively. Pointing a trembling finger at their intertwined hands, his tongue tied itself in knots: “Mas, mas—master…”
“Hmm?” A low hum rumbled from the depths of Beisi’s throat.
Shi Junyan was jolted all over again. He swiftly dropped back down into a kneeling position, his words choking in his throat as his eyes darted back and forth between the two hands and the faces of Beisi and Chi Qiqi, switching his gaze back and forth in utter disbelief.
“Mas did you two actually get together?” Shi Junyan asked incredulously, his brain feeling as though it had been cleaved cleanly in two.
An old iron tree… actually blossomed?
Right in front of Shi Junyan, Beisi tightened his grip on Chi Qiqi’s hand just a fraction more, raised his eyes, and offered a silent confirmation.
His martial brother had always been a man who kept his emotions hidden behind an unreadable facade, but this time Shi Junyan clearly sensed the subtle upward curve of his martial brother’s lips—an expression carrying a faint, unmistakable hint of smug showing-off.
As for what he was showing off about, did that even need to be said?
Taking a simple trip down the mountain, and the martial brother actually managed to secure a partner? Shi Junyan felt utterly dazed, his knees still throbbing with pain, though any resentment in his heart had long since evaporated.
His martial brother was clearly avenging his sister-in-law! Since he had dared to glare at his sister-in-law just moments ago, kneeling was getting off easy.
Seeing the three of them acting entirely unbothered as if nothing extraordinary had happened, Shi Junyan suddenly felt like he was making a mountain out of a molehill. Pretending as though nothing at all was amiss, he stood back up, brushed himself off, and mumbled under his breath, “No wonder you couldn’t find a dao companion before turns out you swing that way…”
The legs he had just straightened out water-fall style went right back down as he hit the ground with another solid thump.
Realizing he had let his mouth run faster than his brain, Shi Junyan nervously sneaked a peek at his martial brother’s expression. Unfortunately, this time no emotions could be read from it at all.
Is martial brother angry?
Shifting his gaze sideways, he looked toward the soft, fair-complexioned Chi Qiqi, thinking to himself that this “sister-in-law” looked remarkably easy to get along with.
“Mas sister-in-law…” Shi Junyan hurriedly called out. He needed to get someone to rein his martial brother in; staying locked in a kneeling position indefinitely wasn’t a viable lifestyle.
Hearing this address, Chi Qiqi arched a brow. Sister-in-law?
He spared a sidelong glance at the kneeling man. The giant was currently kneeling on the ground, wearing a rather ridiculous, obsequious smile that completely clashed with his intimidating stature.
Chi Qiqi shifted closer to his beloved, shooting him an inquiring look.
He had long since seen through this person’s disguise; the current appearance and physique were entirely fabricated with illusion techniques. While it might fool someone with lower cultivation, it couldn’t hide from him.
However, this fellow’s cultivation level was surprisingly decent, though Chi Qiqi hadn’t managed to pierce through to his true visage just yet.
What kind of connection does this man share with Beisi? Are they brothers? Does Beisi know what this guy really looks like under that face?
Beisi felt a mild headache dealing with his junior brother’s lack of sense, but this title, which practically cemented his official status…
Forget it, I’ll temporarily let go of what he just said.
“Pay him no mind,” Beisi said, ignoring the man on the ground and simultaneously withdrawing the spiritual pressure weighing down upon Shi Junyan.
Only then was Shi Junyan permitted to stand back up. Is this what they call ignoring your own flesh and blood for the sake of romance? he muttered silently to himself.
Still, it appeared that the title of “sister-in-law” carried significant weight; his martial brother had let him off the hook instantly.
Since his martial brother was currently using a disguise, he must be carrying out some sort of confidential mission, which meant Shi Junyan needed to play his part and provide cover. Dusting off the dirt from his knees and discarding his previous unserious demeanor, Shi Junyan cupped his fists respectfully toward Beisi and said, “I truly had no idea I was standing before my lifesaver just now. It is a grave sin, a grave sin indeed…”
When travelling out in the open, one creates their own identity.
He offered a smooth smile and smoothly pivoted: “Ah, looking at how this situation turned out…”
Beisi: “…”
Remaining completely silent, Beisi simply stood quietly and watched his junior brother put on his little performance.
“You mentioned the Aiyou Grass earlier. Are you two searching for it?” Shi Junyan eagerly attempted to display his capability in front of his martial brother and sister-in-law. “Actually, I’ve already caught wind of some clues—it is indeed related to the He clan.”
Beisi shot Shi Junyan a look that clearly communicated: Are you an absolute fool?
Shi Junyan scratched his head in bewilderment, wondering internally what blunder he had committed this time.
He had originally intended to say the words “people from the black market,” but the moment the syllable “bl-” crossed his lips, he remembered that his current assigned identity was the black market operative sent to retrieve the Aiyou Grass. He hurriedly swallowed the word and modified his phrasing:
“I heard from a few of my brothers that a short while ago, they ran into three people trying to intercept the Aiyou Grass, and a good number of our fellows lost their lives…”
“Cough.” The storyteller choked heavily on his own saliva. Catching Shi Junyan’s attention swinging toward him, he quickly turned his head left and right, looking thoroughly nonchalant while keeping his ears perked up to listen.
“Those three possessed extraordinary strength. In the end, only the woman’s corpse was left behind, and they tossed it straight into the mass grave. When my brothers returned, they mentioned that the place felt infinitely more spine-chilling than before,” Shi Junyan continued.
“Later on, we found out that the woman was He Yan from the He clan. Coincidentally, the very next day, two traitors from the He clan appeared at the local tavern. I figured they had to be hiding right there in the He residence.” Mentioning this, Shi Junyan grew somewhat agitated.
He pulled up his sleeves to reveal a section of his forearm, which was crisscrossed with fresh knife scars red and angry, having only barely scabbed over.
And that was merely a small patch. Shi Junyan pointed at the wounds with his other hand, genuine grievance welling up inside him. “I honestly don’t understand how that secret chamber had so many traps packed into it when there wasn’t even a single valuable treasure inside!”
Beisi withdrew his gaze from the scars and happened to exchange a glance with Chi Qiqi. Both of them silently realized why He Ru’s secret chamber had been completely free of traps along the way it turned out this poor fellow had triggered and cleared every single one of them ahead of time! What made it even more pathetic was that he hadn’t managed to find a single thing.
Having finished pouring out his grievances, Shi Junyan noticed the complex expressions on his martial brother’s and sister-in-law’s faces, which obscurely filled him with a tiny spark of satisfaction and refreshment.
Even though his martial brother always bullied him for fun, deep down he undoubtedly cared about him. And even though he had known his sister-in-law for less than half an hour, his sharp intuition told him that the sister-in-law was a genuinely kind person who cared deeply for his martial brother. This marriage… I approve!
Not that his approval carried any actual veto power, of course.
Swishing his sleeve back down with a flourish, Shi Junyan smoothed away his momentary pain and declared, “Small matter, trivial matter! But that mass grave looks deeply suspicious; the grass is most likely hidden there.” With that, he proudly lifted his chin just a fraction.
The three people opposite him remained entirely silent.
“We’ve already found the Aiyou Grass and consumed it,” Beisi said helplessly.
Shi Junyan froze in place. Ah. Well, since it’s martial brother, that makes complete sense. As for who consumed it, combining what he had witnessed moments ago, he readily deduced: “Was it sister-in-law?”
Receiving an affirmative nod, Shi Junyan thought to himself that Yu Fengyao had truly been played around like a complete fool. Of course, he felt zero sympathy for her.
He hurriedly turned his attention toward Chi Qiqi, laying on the sycophancy thick: “Sister-in-law is truly extraordinary! And that primordial soul was simply adorable!”
Immediately, he earned four chilling glares two coming from his martial brother, and the other two from his sister-in-law.
Realizing his mouth had run faster than his brain yet again, Shi Junyan shivered involuntarily and quickly pivoted: “I actually have some important business to discuss with my benefactor.”
This was a clear signal for a private conversation. Beisi considered for a moment and decided he indeed had tasks to delegate to Shi Junyan. He instructed Chi Qiqi to remain right where he was and to call out if anything came up, before walking a short distance away with an expression of lingering worry.
They had barely walked a few meters away. Shi Junyan glanced sideways to measure the distance between the two.
“Isn’t this a bit too close?” Shi Junyan whispered under his breath. They were standing so close they might as well not have moved at all.
“It’s fine,” Beisi replied calmly, before raising a hand to cast a sound-isolation barrier around them. Just in case his junior brother’s runaway mouth decided to start spinning tales again, better safe than sorry.
Chi Qiqi, possessing far from conventional moral constraints, felt a strong surge of curiosity regarding Beisi’s true identity and relationship with this man. He briefly considered eavesdropping, but thinking better of it, felt a rare touch of self-consciousness after all, he harbored plenty of secrets of his own. With that thought, he abandoned the idea.
“I originally intended to track down the Aiyou Grass through those people and bring it back for you,” Shi Junyan said with genuine concern, “but martial brother, your efficiency is terrifying! Are you completely sure your injuries are alright?”
“Small matter.”
In his martial brother’s dictionary, no injury apparently qualified as a “big matter.” Hearing that, Shi Junyan clenched his fists and cursed angrily, “If I ever catch that evil entity, I’ll tear him into ten thousand pieces!”
“Don’t throw your life away,” Beisi warned. He knew Shi Junyan wanted to contribute and seek revenge, but based on Shi Junyan’s current strength… doing so would simply be serving himself up as a snack.
“Hey, don’t worry, martial brother. I still cherish my life quite a bit,” Shi Junyan patted his chest reassuringly.
This malevolent entity had appeared out of thin air, nameless and identity-less. The Yukong Sect was ranked third in overall strength across the realm, yet its entire membership, from top to bottom, had been slaughtered clean without leaving a single living soul behind.
The entity was terrifyingly powerful, and when he and his martial brother had fought him previously, both sides had suffered heavy reciprocal damage.
People universally referred to him simply as the “Evil Entity.”
“Chi Qiqi still doesn’t know my true identity,” Beisi warned strictly. “If you let slip a single word…”
Shi Junyan nodded repeatedly, indicating his absolute understanding. His martial brother naturally had his own reasons for doing things.
“There is a pair of corpses inside an ice coffin at the mass grave. Go retrieve them,” Beisi instructed. “And place them right beneath that wanted poster.”
Things tainted with demonic energy easily spread and contaminated their surroundings. Always traveling light, Beisi carried only a single storage ring; placing such items inside it ran the risk of polluting the treasures he intended to gift to Qiqi.
Shi Junyan glanced toward Chi Qiqi in the distance, his eyes rolling with sudden anticipation as he asked, “Martial brother, once this task is completed, can I return to the sect with you two?”
He was merely concerned about his martial brother’s injuries, of course definitely not trying to stick around to watch the gossip unfold!