Yan Zhengming was a little hesitant for a moment.

Although he didn't say it out loud, Cheng Qian had already seen the doubts in his heart. In fact, Cheng Qian was very good at observing people's words and expressions most of the time, but he usually wouldn't say it out loud and basically didn't take it to heart.

Seeing that the eldest brother was hesitant, Cheng Qian said, "If you want to go and take a look, we will go find the second brother and the others now."

Yan Zhengming groaned for a while without moving. He suddenly said something irrelevant: "Master was concerned about the sect until his death. He would rather die than let his three souls turn into copper coins to help the sect avoid disasters - destroy the Demon Valley and the Soul Devouring Lamp... Moreover, although he was possessed by evil, he didn't seem to be a person who had done all kinds of evil. If you were the master, would you be so cruel as to bury him under the tree just for this friendship?"

Cheng Qian paused for a moment, and did not give a direct answer. Instead, he asked, "What about Xiao Yuan? If we really catch him in Southern Xinjiang, what are you going to do?"

Yan Zhengming frowned and remained silent for a long while.

No matter what path Han Yuan chose later, he did not kill Cheng Qian intentionally. People who were hit by the Soul Painting Technique were unaware of their own body being torn into pieces, and Han Yuan had no way to resist. Yan Zhengming knew all this - but even though he knew it, he still had a grudge.

At this moment, a small voice in his heart asked again: "What if it was the other way around? What if the person who was possessed by the painting soul was Xiao Qian?"

As soon as this thought came to his mind, Yan Zhengming couldn't help but think about it intently.

His eyes slowly moved to Cheng Qian - Cheng Qian's appearance was actually not much different from when he was a teenager, except that he was a little taller, his eyebrows and bones had grown a little, and his outline was vaguely the same as before. But every time Yan Zhengming looked at him carefully, he would have a certain indescribable feeling.

At first he thought it was the strange feeling after not seeing each other for many years, but later he realized that it was not the case, because every time he closed his eyes, he wished he could remember exactly how many eyelashes Cheng Qian had.

Logically speaking, shouldn't we turn a blind eye to familiar people or things?

Yan Zhengming found himself increasingly afraid to stare at Cheng Qian, as he felt his eyes would burn if he stared too much.

"If it was Xiao Qian, I might not have watched him jump into the sea and leave." After a long time, Yan Zhengming came to this conclusion helplessly. He sighed secretly, feeling a little guilty because he was too biased.

Yan Zhengming was thinking about this and that, and his eyes couldn't help but look a little dazed. Cheng Qian suddenly remembered the way Yan Zhengming had a demon between his brows in the bamboo forest that day, and suddenly felt a little annoyed.

"He shouldn't have worried about these troubles," Cheng Qian thought to himself, "If there are any problems, you can just let me handle them. Why make things so difficult?"

The eldest senior brother has suffered enough for the past hundred years. Cheng Qian decides to let him just eat, drink and have fun in the future, and occasionally show off his status as the leader and indulge in his tyranny - he has already survived seven major calamities, so is it possible that he cannot withstand the crumbling beam of the Fuyao Sect?

"Let's go. Since the ground lock is in the master's seal, we have to go and take a look at the Vermillion Bird Tower no matter what." Cheng Qian said as he stood up and reached out to pull Yan Zhengming.

For some unspeakable reason, Yan Zhengming would involuntarily become nervous every time Cheng Qian's hand flashed before his eyes, so he subconsciously blocked it and grabbed Cheng Qian's hand.

Cheng Qian's fingertips were cold, but there was a slight warmth in the palm of his hand, which seemed to burn people.

Yan Zhengming shuddered silently, but was reluctant to let go.

Cheng Qian didn't care. He said "tsk", grabbed the claw of the "money-making young man" with the copper coin ring, roughly pulled off the unsightly ring and put it into his sleeve, sighing: "Okay, no one will slap you this time... I think you are really bored to carry such a ghost with you."

Yan Zhengming's hands were suddenly empty, and he felt lost for a moment, but Cheng Qian had already walked out of the restaurant before him.

The cold touch just now seemed to still be on his fingertips. Yan Zhengming moved his fingers reluctantly and felt a little abnormal.

Could it be that the weather is too hot and Cheng Qian's hands are cold? Can he escape the heat and protect his home?

Cheng Qian had already walked out of the door. Seeing him still lingering there, he turned back and asked in confusion, "Brother, what are you doing?"

Yan Zhengming stammered, "I... um, it's a little hot..."

He hesitated and despised himself. Xiao Qian was not a stranger. When he was a kid, he would roll on his bed countless times without taking a bath after practicing sword skills. What could be wrong with him saying, "Come here and let me get some cool air"?

At most you'll just roll your eyes!

However, Yan Zhengming just couldn't say it. Not being able to say it was not a big deal. His mind was like a wild horse running out of control, and his thoughts were running in an increasingly weird direction. In his mind, there emerged a scene in which he reached out and hugged Cheng Qian tightly in his arms.

It seems like a true story!

Yan Zhengming couldn't help but shudder secretly. This was really too weird. Could it be that after all these days, the mental demon from that time of practicing martial arts had not been eliminated?

But then, a certain secret yearning arose in his heart.

I was tossing and turning, scratching my head.

"Why the hell is this so similar to the legendary girl in love?" Yan Zhengming froze in place for a moment as if he had been struck by lightning. He was distracted for a long time, and his fragile heart let out a cry as if he was dying, "Oh my God, I must have gotten a stitch in the side while practicing martial arts."

Master Yan and Cheng Qian, who were in a daze, walked out of the town and searched along the wild mountains towards the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the mountains. However, before they found Li Yun, they heard chaotic voices.

From a distance, one could see a flashy Pegasus carriage parked there. The body of the carriage was covered with jewels and precious stones, and the gauze curtains were fluttering, making it seem as if a rain of flower petals was about to fall all around.

Pegasus is not something that ordinary people can afford. At least a sect of Mingming Valley's size can afford it. Moreover, cultivators can fly objects soon after concentrating their minds, and it is common for powerful people to shrink the distance by a thousand miles. If you endure the cold wind in the sky and ride such a ostentatious Pegasus carriage to go out, it is purely for showing off, unless your cultivation is too low to fly objects.

No matter which one it is, the level of the people in the car must not be very high.

The canopy above the carriage was extremely thin, and when the gauze curtain carved with talismans was lowered, one could see a young man sitting in the carriage, leaning lazily against the wall. He was indeed handsome and well-mannered, but not handsome enough. There was a red mole on his left eyebrow, which added a bit of unspeakable hostility to him.

There were at least a dozen cultivators following the flying carriage. At a glance, all of them had strong cultivation bases. There were also two old men with white hair and beards following the carriage on the left and right. The two men had fluttering clothes and carried an otherworldly aura. They were probably masters above the level of Yuanshen.

The person who was surrounded by this group of people with a covetous look on his face was Li Yun, who looked like the barefoot doctor.

Li Yun has a lot of skills, but unfortunately he is distracted too much and has a lot of evil intentions, which is not conducive to his cultivation. When he was young, Cheng Qian encouraged him a little, but later he followed Yan Zhengming and devoted himself to his messy and unorthodox methods. Over the years, his cultivation has been mediocre, neither up nor down. He has been stuck at the stage of forming a soul for more than ten years without any progress, and he doesn't know how to be anxious.

The puddle was hanging over his head, and the hair on his body stood up. He yelled at the young man in the carriage, "Who is the bird? I think you with the pointed beak and monkey cheeks are the bird! Even if I am really a bird, it is someone else's. You are so shameless to bring so many fathers with you to rob me!"

The young man in the carriage didn't seem to have a good temper, but he obviously really thought Shuikeng was a little bird that would say rude things. He didn't take it seriously after being scolded like this. Instead, he found it very interesting. He smiled and said to Li Yun, "I think this fellow Taoist is practicing the way of alchemy? I heard that the most important thing in practicing the way of alchemy is concentration, and you can't be disturbed at all. Wouldn't it be noisy if you bring it with you? Besides, practicing the way of alchemy is not easy. The herbs thrown into the alchemy furnace are all real gold and silver resources. This fellow Taoist...tsk, he must be short of money from time to time."

Although Li Yun had a genuine pretty face, he was a bit unkempt, especially since he had been wandering in the countryside of southern Xinjiang for a long time. At this moment, he was carrying a broken basket on his back, with his trouser legs rolled up high, and was covered in mud from nowhere. He really looked like a genuine poor man.

"I'll give you a thousand taels of gold and three powerful talismans," the playboy in the carriage said, "The Vermillion Bird Tower is about to open, and many monks have gathered here. If you are short of any resources, these three powerful talismans are enough to exchange for some good things with them - sell the bird to me."

Li Yun didn't say anything after hearing this, and seemed to be really moved by the price.

Shuikeng suddenly became anxious. Her second senior brother was timid and unprincipled. He might really sell her out. She immediately started to make a fuss over him: "You dare! If you dare to sell me out, the master will break your legs!"

There are different types of dandies. For example, the eldest brother may only be a bully at home, but he can still be reasonable most of the time.

The man sitting in the carriage was different. Although he could pretend to be amiable, he actually had his men surround Li Yun and the others without hesitation, ready to either rob or buy them.

Li Jun's eyes turned slightly, and he thought to himself, "This is trouble."

He reached out and grabbed the chirping puddle bird, muttering, "Little apprentice sister, how about I sell you first, then go back and get help to get you back?"

He was not too worried about Shuikeng. Although Shuikeng was not very smart, she knew her place and was very sensible. For example, when the eldest senior brother was not around, she found that she had no one to back her up, so she never took the initiative to provoke others.

The puddle pecked him fiercely. Li Yun thought with a sad face, "Forget it, you are not worth a thousand taels of gold... Oh, forget it, who made me your senior brother?"

He pinched Shuikeng's beak to stop her from making any sound, and said with a dilemma: "Sir, your price is very high, but you have seen this little beast of mine, with a bad temper and difficult to feed. If I offend you... well, this is a life after all."

The young man in brocade clothes in the carriage saw that he was clinging and refusing to let go, and a flash of impatience flashed across his face. It seemed that he didn't intend to talk nonsense with Li Yun anymore. He urged: "I spent a lot of money to buy it, so I will take good care of it. Just tell me whether you want to sell it or not."

Before he finished speaking, Shuikeng seemed to have seen something. She suddenly broke free from Li Yun's hand and rushed out of the crowd.

When a cultivator saw this, he immediately reached out to knock her down, and a stream of true energy had already broken through the air.

At this moment, the monk suddenly felt a chill, and then a sword energy slashed over with incredible precision. The man wielding the sword seemed to disdain a sneak attack and did not hurt him. He only managed to shatter his true energy. Then the sword intent dissipated, and the coolness even permeated the surrounding scorching heat.

Everyone turned around suddenly and saw two people approaching from a distance. It seemed that they were right in front of them in an instant. The two old men who were following the flying carriage not too far away suddenly became serious, walked over the crowd and greeted them, and asked cautiously: "Where are you two Taoist friends going?"

Even before she could speak, Puddle Bird had a talent for "looking for the most reliable person when something goes wrong". She dove headfirst into Cheng Qian's hands, putting away her fierce look as if she was just a street-swearing shrew, and complained aggrievedly, "It was that man who set a net for me halfway, causing me to become like this. Now he's even haunted me here. That scoundrel named Li is tempted by the money and plans to sell me out!"

The "punk" surnamed Li: "..."

Cheng Qian reached out his hand to smooth Shuikeng's head, glanced at the person in the carriage, and then set his eyes on the two old men in front of the carriage.

Just when Li Yun was worried that he was going to say something rude, he saw Cheng Qian nodded slightly to the group of people. Although it was not a smile, he was polite at least.

"Thank you for your favor, fellow Taoist, for taking a liking to my little bird," Cheng Qian said slowly, "but she has been with us for a long time, and she is psychic, like half a family member. We don't usually keep her as a pet, so it is inconvenient to sell her. Please forgive me."

Yan Zhengming stood by without saying a word, glancing up and down at the expensive-looking carriage, and secretly decided to get a few flying horses to raise when he returned to the villa. Even if they were of no use, he could still ride on them to show off.

There was a time when Cheng Qian would "fight with someone if he disagreed with them", but that didn't mean he was belligerent, he just had no other choice.

Now, his cultivation was enough to roam the nine provinces, and with a frost blade in his hand, he was no longer afraid of anything and became polite in his dealings with others. There was no flattery in his words, nor did he reveal arrogance. Although his tone was light, he kept one hand carefully holding the chattering bird while speaking, which showed his understanding and sincerity.

The young man on the carriage looked down at Cheng Qian and frowned, "Are you also here to try your luck at the Vermillion Bird Tower?"

Cheng Qian could tell at a glance that this person was probably still stuck at the stage of concentration. He thought to himself, "Who cares?"

But because he didn't want to cause any trouble, he replied: "We are planning to go to Southern Xinjiang and we are just passing by here. If we can admire the beauty of the Vermillion Bird Tower by the way, it would be an unexpected gain."

Seeing that the young man was so ungrateful, one of the old men following the car couldn't help but turn around and whispered a few words to the young man in the car.

But no one knew what the old man said. It would have been fine if he hadn't spoken. But as soon as he opened his mouth, the young man got anxious and pointed at the old monk and said, "What's the point of keeping people like you in my house? One by one, even the wild monks I meet on the road have to be cautious - I want that bird!"

The old monk was old and a master in his own area. Where would he not be flattered? He was being yelled at by a young boy in public, and his face suddenly turned ugly.

Yan Zhengming pulled out the puddle that was enjoying the cool summer treatment from Cheng Qian's hands, and he finally felt relieved. He then had time to sigh in a low voice: "It's so rare to meet someone who is more of a jerk than me."

He is so self-aware that there is nothing others can say to him.

After Yan Zhengming finished speaking, he gestured to Li Yun and said, "We said we won't sell it - Junior Brother, let's go."

After saying this, he didn't even bother to fly the sword. His true energy directly transformed into a sword shadow, carrying him straight into the sky, his sword intent fully revealed.

The two old soul masters looked at each other, both with alert expressions - there are thousands of cultivators who wield swords, but not everyone can be called a sword cultivator. For a sword cultivator, the soul can be transformed into a sharp sword, which can be released outside the body making it difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.

Practicing the Sword of the Soul is extremely difficult. The right time, right place and right people are all essential. It takes at least a hundred years of effort. This person has achieved such success at such a young age. His future is probably limitless.

Sword cultivators are rare, and those who have achieved a little are usually arrogant. For someone like Yan Zhengming, who is at a certain level, to still speak human language to the younger generation is basically a courtesy. However, this young master who can't even control a sword was born with a pair of stupid eyes, and he actually felt that he was being treated lightly. He immediately said angrily: "Since you can't do it, I'll do it myself."

Before the two old men could stop him, a small flag flew out from the young man's sleeve. On it were colorful spells like a soul-calling flag. No one knew where this treasure came from, but it seemed that there was no requirement for the cultivation of the person who activated it. It instantly drew the surroundings in and created a small world!