"You are nice to Shen Yimian, is it really because he is your senior brother?" Su Yuning asked again puzzledly, "Is he the only senior brother in your sect?"

"Well, the other brothers are all dead."

Hearing him say this, Su Yuning felt a little relieved. At least she knew that Xie Lu was nice to Shen Yimian not because he liked Shen Yimian.

Her mood improved significantly, and she explained to Xie Lu, "It's actually very simple. You made him angry today for one reason."

Xie Lu didn't look at her, but his eyelashes trembled slightly.

"You treat Zuo Yan better than you treat Shen Yimian. I was like this sometimes when I was little." Su Yuning shrugged. "It was obviously my friend who knew her first. I thought we had the best relationship, but she became a better friend with someone else. It's normal to feel uncomfortable, but it will be fine once you figure it out."

Xie Lu curled his fingertips slightly, carefully searching for every word he had said today. Suddenly, his mind stopped at the scene when he handed the jade necklace to Zuo Yanxiu. In that frame, Shen Yimian's expression was stunned and lost.

He was stunned for a moment, then heard Su Yuning say, "However, another possibility cannot be ruled out."

"What"

Su Yunning lowered her voice and leaned close to Xie Lu's ear, "Maybe he likes you as much as I do."

Xie Lu's expression suddenly froze, and he retorted almost subconsciously, "There's no such possibility."

Shen Yimian will not like him, but will only like Zuo Yan. This is the setting of the plot of the original book, and it is also his mission to come here. He will strictly follow the orders given by his superiors and will never make any mistakes.

After saying that, he suddenly stood up and left without looking back.

Strangely, Su Yunning looked at Xie Lu's back and inexplicably felt that he was running away.

*

At night.

Shen Yimian threw his bedding roll to the ground, then leisurely crawled into the quilt with the moonlight on the ground as his pillow.

As soon as he lay down, Zuo Yan squatted beside him and said in surprise, "Brother, you are so well prepared for the mission, even bringing bedding."

Shen Yimian poked his head out from under the quilt and glanced at him, "You don't want to say that you didn't bring your own to squeeze with me, do you?"

Zuo Yan couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Senior Brother, you really understand me."

"Go away," Shen Yimian refused to sleep in the same bed with him. "Just meditate and practice. The night will pass quickly."

Hearing this, Zuo Yan pursed his lips, leaned down and whispered in his ear, "But I'm still injured."

Shen Yimian paused, turned around and looked at him, "You are morally blackmailing me, do you know that?"

Zuo Yan didn't understand what was said, he just vaguely felt that it was a curse. He whispered, "Senior Brother doesn't care about me anymore."

"..." Shen Yimian was silent for a moment, then helplessly got up from the ground, "I'll let you sleep, okay?"

Zuo Yan was stunned for a moment, then held his wrist, "What about you?"

"I'm going to practice." Shen Yimian stuffed him into the bed, carefully tucked in the corners for him, and whispered, "Go to sleep. Xie Luyun Ning and I will be on guard outside."

The quilt was small but very warm, as if it was stained with Shen Yimian's body temperature, and had a slight soft fragrance.

Zuo Yan stared at Shen Yimian's departing back in a daze, and gently sniffed the faint fragrance on the quilt - a very reassuring and comforting smell.

No one had ever treated him so gently.

His eyes moved slightly, and he carefully covered himself with the quilt.

*

A night passed.

Shen Yimian slept for half the night leaning against the pillar in the old temple. When he woke up, his whole body ached, as if he had been punched a dozen times.

"Senior brother, you're awake." Zuo Yan's voice suddenly rang in his ears.

Shen Yimian was startled and turned his head to look. Zuo Yan was sitting next to him with a book in his hand. He didn't know how long he had been here with him.

Only then did he realize that he was covered with a quilt. It seemed that Zuo Yan had covered him with it. Shen Yimian rubbed his forehead and spoke with a slightly hoarse voice, "Where are the others?"

Zuo Yan reached out and handed Shen Yimian her coat, whispering, "Everyone is waiting for you."

Shen Yimian opened his eyes slightly, quickly got up and put on his clothes, "How long have you been waiting? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"It's okay, there's no rush."

He quickly brought Zuo Yan to the temple gate. Xie Lu and Su Yuning found a square chessboard from somewhere, and the two of them played chess, concentrating as if no one else was around.

Shen Yimian walked closer and took a look. He couldn't understand the chess game, but he could understand the expression. Su Yuning's brows were tightly furrowed, and she was holding the chess piece with her fingertips and was reluctant to put it down. It was obvious that the situation was not optimistic.

He was silent for a moment, then patted her shoulder to comfort her.

Why play chess with AI if you have nothing better to do? Even Ke Jie can't beat him.

Seeing him coming, Su Yunning stood up without hesitation and said in a somewhat impatient tone, "You are finally awake, let's go."

"Sorry, junior sister, I kept you waiting for too long," Shen Yimian apologized, her eyes inadvertently passing over Xie Lu beside her. The young man stood quietly with his eyes lowered, with no intention of greeting him at all.

This damn machine doesn't even know how to scream when it sees people.

Shen Yimian slapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "Good morning, Junior Brother."

After a night, he had calmed down. It wasn't a big deal. The collar originally belonged to Xie Lu, and Xie Lu could give it to whoever he wanted.

Besides, getting angry with AI sounds a bit stupid.

Xie Lu seemed to have not expected that he would take the initiative to talk to him. He stood there and said in a cold voice, "Good morning."

Shen Yimian had long been accustomed to his lifeless attitude, so he carried his small bag full of magic weapons and followed them.

The group headed towards Xuanyin City.

Unlike the last Yunhuai City, Xuanyin City was not occupied by evil cultivators. Instead, the city lord asked Yanshan's disciples to find the murderer who killed the city lord's daughter.

"Do we need to invite Heavenly Rank disciples to catch a murderer?" Shen Yimian asked in confusion.

Su Yuning glanced at him and patiently explained, "The murderer is a demon cultivator, so he is naturally very difficult to deal with, so he asked us to come."

However, the city lord probably didn't expect that two heavenly-level disciples would come this time.

Zuo Yan waved a light brown folding fan and spoke slowly, "Xuanyin City is one of the five ancient cities. It is prosperous and has a thriving population. It is the richest city in the world. Even if it wants to hire ten Heavenly Rank disciples, it can still do so."

So that's how it is. Money makes the world go round. This saying applies everywhere.

Arriving at Xuanyin City, the towering city walls almost blocked all views, with enamel reliefs and white jade railings. At noon, the glazed tiles reflected a brilliant light. Even the huge city gate was made of huanghuali wood, which was in no way inferior to Yanshan.

Shen Yimian felt like a villager entering the city. The gap between Xuanyin City and Yunhuai City was really huge.

The soldiers guarding the city were all wearing silver armor and checking the people entering the city one by one. It seemed that the murderer had not been caught, and Xuanyin City was under martial law.

Su Yuning casually handed over the city lord's invitation. The soldier took a look at the invitation and hurriedly and respectfully led them into the city.

"Don't run around when you get into the city." Su Yunning stood with her sword in her arms, staring at Zuo Yan and Shen Yimian and admonishing them, "Don't make a fuss or you'll lose face for Yanshan."

Shen Yimian and Zuo Yan nodded repeatedly. At first glance, it was hard to tell who was the senior brother and who was the junior sister.

Su Yunning was very satisfied with their attitude, and quickly walked to Xie Lu and walked side by side.

The Taoist uniforms of Yanshan disciples attracted great attention, and the people cast their eyes on them, and the sound of discussion was endless.

"I recognize that Taoist uniform. It belongs to a disciple of Yanshan!"

"I heard that only Heavenly Rank disciples can wear white robes, and the two leading disciples are both Heavenly Rank. They are so young, they are truly the chosen ones of heaven!"

"More than that, they are a match made in heaven!"

Su Yunning took all those words in. She moved closer to Xie Lu without changing her expression, feeling even more proud.

Only someone like Xie Lu is worthy of being with her.

Xie Lu had excellent hearing, so he naturally heard the discussions. When he noticed Su Yuning approaching, his brows furrowed slightly.

He turned his head and saw Shen Yimian and Zuo Yan following behind them. They were whispering about something and laughing softly.

His eyes gradually darkened, and he suddenly reached out and pulled Shen Yimian away from Zuo Yan.

Shen Yimian was chatting with Zuo Yan when Xie Lu suddenly pulled him over. He was confused and asked, "What's going on?"

Xie Lu stared ahead and said calmly, "You don't have a collar to protect you, so I have to protect you closely."

Hearing this, Shen Yimian looked around and wondered, "There's no danger now."

"Perhaps the murderer is lurking among the people," Xie Lu said calmly and righteously, "You're too far away from me. I can't protect you, so from now on, you must stay within one meter of me."

Shen Yimian: "You're so close, I'll just ride on you."

Xie Lu was silent for a moment, then whispered, "That's fine."

"..." Shen Yimian laughed speechlessly. Sometimes he really couldn't understand what was going on in Xie Lu's mind. "If you don't feel ashamed, then I do."

"I gave the collar to Zuo Yan yesterday. Are you..." Xie Lu lowered his eyes and looked at him, as if he wanted to say something. Before he could finish, a head squeezed in between the two of them.

"What are you talking about?"

Zuo Yan smiled at Xie Lu, but there was no smile in his eyes. His voice was cold, "Let me hear it too."

Xie Lu pursed his lips and turned his head away. "Nothing to talk about."

Zuo Yan held Shen Yimian's arm and said a little aggrievedly, "Why didn't you say anything when I came here? You guys are ostracizing me?"

Shen Yimian reached out and flicked his head hard, snorting, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who dares to exclude you? It was clearly someone who pushed me out of the bed last night."

"I don't have it, it was given to me voluntarily by you, Senior Brother!" Zuo Yan rubbed his forehead as if he had been wronged, and casually pushed Xie Lu away. "If you are angry with me, I will let you squeeze back tonight, okay?"

Shen Yimian pulled her arm out of his arms and narrowed her eyes. "The abacus beads are about to fall on my face. Get as far away from me as possible tonight."

Zuo Yan burst out laughing, "I won't leave. Senior Brother won't be able to bear to hit me anyway."

Looking at the two of them playing intimately, Xie Lu slowly withdrew his gaze, his eyes dark and unclear.

There seemed to be a faint fire in my chest, burning unclearly and inexplicably.

He thought about it and decided that the name of this fire should be irritability.

It was probably because every time he wanted to talk to Shen Yimian, he was interrupted by Zuo Yan. Of course, Su Yuning also contributed to his annoyance, as she kept talking about topics that he had no interest in.

It would be nice if it were just him and Shen Yimian.

——He had such a thought for no reason.