Cheng Qian killed the man, but he still felt a lump in his throat and was upset. The more he thought about it, the worse it was.

Was it really that serious? He himself had been arguing with the eldest brother from morning till night, and he did not seem to have much respect for him, but he just couldn't let it go, as if someone had stepped on his tail and pulled out his reverse scale for no reason.

Cheng Qian even took his anger out on Han Yuan because of this - what kind of people had he been hanging out with for so many years?

The slap I gave you that day was really light.

Cheng Qian knew that Tang Zhen would definitely not wait for him after getting the Ice Heart Fire, so he did not stay. He left the Southern Border Demon Cultivator in a bad mood and left this place without a clear path. However, he did not know where to go. Logically, he should go north to catch up with his senior brother and others after finishing his work here. However, Cheng Qian inexplicably did not want to face Yan Zhengming.

Fortunately, that day, it seemed as if someone brought him a pillow just as he fell asleep. As soon as Cheng Qian reached the outskirts of southern Xinjiang, he ran into Zhuang Nanxi who had been waiting for a long time.

Zhuang Nanxi had already sent away his fellow disciples and had been waiting for him here alone for a long time. When he saw Cheng Qian, he immediately came forward and bowed, saying, "Senior Cheng! Thank you for your help, otherwise we would have died here."

This person was very clever and had some skills. Cheng Qian had a good impression of him, so he waved his hand and said, "Don't be so polite. I'm not a senior. I just happened to pass by. It's just a small favor."

Zhuang Nanxi was stunned for a moment, and said, "Then Senior, did you come to Zhaoyang City alone just for the ice stone in the city?"

Cheng Qian didn't know why he asked this question, and didn't correct his mistake. He said, "Yes, what's the matter?"

Zhuang Nanxi said anxiously, "We fell into a trap set by a demon cultivator a few days ago. A fellow apprentice sister of ours managed to escape. I met the senior and thought she had invited help..."

Cheng Qian said, "Doesn't your fellow disciple have any way to contact the sect? Would she just pick a random stranger from the street to save you?"

Zhuang Nanxi was choked by him and could only smile bitterly: "This... Actually, Junior Sister is just a name. She is... a friend of mine who I met by chance... Well, I thought that Senior might have seen her."

Cheng Qian was just asking casually, not really interested, so he said, "Are you waiting for me here just for her? What do you look like?"

Zhuang Nanxi was busy describing to him at length, using words that were all subtle and beautiful. Cheng Qian was baptized by the words "beauty that shames the moon and the flowers, sinks the fish and drops the geese". Apart from the fact that this person was a beautiful girl, he didn't hear a single useful word, so he blurted out, "A lover, right?"

Zhuang Nanxi: “…”

He had not expected someone to be so straightforward. He glanced at Cheng Qian awkwardly, with a flush of blood spreading from his ears downwards. Zhuang Nanxi's eyes were a little too lively for a man, as if they could speak. His gaze moved, revealing all his joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

Cheng Qian secretly frowned, thinking of the ugly behavior of the demon cultivators in Zhaoyang City, and thought: "Not practicing well, doing all kinds of ridiculous things, can this be considered a descendant of a famous family? It seems that they are not as good as those people in mourning on Qinglong Island. At least they are focused."

Thinking of this, Cheng Qian suddenly became impatient and didn't want to deal with Zhuang Nanxi anymore. But when he remembered that this man was a member of Baihu Villa after all, and he might have to meet and deal with him again in the future, he had to suppress his emotions.

After all, cultivators are all human beings, and they are bound to be tainted by the secular world. Even if Cheng Qian doesn't consider himself, he has to think about the sect. He has to take care of it no matter how impatient he is. So he said, "The female cultivators I met on the way here are all similar to the one you mentioned, but I can't tell them apart."

"Yes, yes, I neglected it." Zhuang Nanxi rubbed his hands a little embarrassedly, and then said, "She has an oval face and a red mole between her eyebrows. It is quite conspicuous. If you have seen her, you should have an impression of her."

Cheng Qian: “…”

He was just pretending to be polite and asked casually, but he didn't expect to have actually seen it - many people put a red mole on the center of their eyebrows, but it is rare to actually have one. Isn't this referring to the female corpse outside the small building?

What about escaping during the chaos... Actually, it didn't work at all.

Cheng Qian wanted to say a cold "My condolences", but when he met Zhuang Nanxi's eyes, he suddenly couldn't say it. He rarely saw such a look on the faces of monks, expectant and eager, as if he was so happy and satisfied just by describing the appearance of a stranger.

"He is still stubborn and refuses to change his ways." Cheng Qian thought.

But even though he thought so, the disgust in his heart had unknowingly dissipated for the most part. If a person is willing to be affectionate and righteous, no matter what kind of affection it is, it will probably move people.

Cheng Qian didn't know how to tell him for a moment.

Seeing that he didn't answer for a long time, Zhuang Nanxi's face flashed with disappointment, and he said, "Oh, maybe she missed me. I'll look for her nearby."

Cheng Qian suddenly asked, "You are always thinking about an irrelevant female cultivator. Doesn't that affect your cultivation?"

In his impression, mortals get married only for the sake of living, with men farming and women weaving, and passing on the family line. Monks don't have to worry about these two things, and most of the orthodox techniques emphasize communicating with heaven and earth and purifying the mind. Therefore, monks get married mostly for the purpose of intermarriage between sects and communication of techniques.

Every day we fight against the heaven and the earth, against the cruelty of the world and against the demons in our own hearts. Apart from the lustful demons, who would indulge in illusory love?

But as soon as he said that, Cheng Qian regretted it a little, and said to himself, "It's inexplicable. What does it have to do with you? Why are you asking such nonsense?"

Fortunately, Zhuang Nanxi didn't mind it and answered frankly: "Our elders in White Tiger Villa also said so. She is just a casual cultivator with nothing... But it doesn't matter. Even if she is a mortal, I still like her."

Cheng Qian said indifferently: "It is rare for a mortal to live to seventy."

To put it bluntly, mortals are no different from cats and dogs to monks. They can accompany them for a few decades at most, and most of them have to see them off as soon as they develop an attachment. Anyway, it can't last long, which is not sad enough.

Zhuang Nanxi smiled and said, "That's nothing. At most, I can cut off my immortal roots and become a mortal couple with her. As long as it's within the moral code, there's nothing I can't do for her."

Cheng Qian: “…”

On the one hand, he was shocked by Zhuang Nanxi's unorthodoxy, but on the other hand, he was somewhat glad that he did not speak out the truth. Cheng Qian secretly felt a little compassion and concealed the fact that the unknown female cultivator had died. After a long time, Zhuang Nanxi would naturally give up if he could not find her, right?

Zhuang Nanxi seemed to realize that he had said too much, and said a little embarrassedly: "I won't use these trivial things to pollute your ears... Eh?"

As the two were talking, a cold light suddenly flashed across the sky in the distance and exploded like a firework, which was extremely conspicuous.

"That's the signal from Xuanwu Hall to call for its disciples," Zhuang Nanxi said with some confusion. "Strange, Senior Bian has been in seclusion for a long time, why did he come all the way to Southern Xinjiang?"

Cheng Qian: "The Xuanwu Hall among the Four Saints? Aren't they in the far north?"

"That's right..." Zhuang Nanxi said, "Xuanwu Hall and my White Tiger Villa are across the ice field from each other, and we have always been old friends. Now that they are here, it would be rude for me not to show up and pay them a visit. Senior Cheng, do you have a place to go? If not, why not go with me?"

When Cheng Qian heard this, he was very pleased. He felt that even though he had wasted so much time talking to this boy and listened to all these trivial things about love and romance, it was still worth the trip. So he happily followed Zhuang Nanxi on the journey.

From a distance, the overwhelming black flags could be seen. Zhuang Nanxi's face became more solemn as he said, "Looking at this scene, I'm afraid it's the Grand Elder of Xuanwu Hall who is here in person. Alas, I heard that a local dragon in the southern border turned into a dragon, and everyone was alarmed. I don't know whether it is a good or bad omen."

Cheng Qian didn't say a word. He could already feel the pressure coming from the air. Thinking back to the time when Island Master Gu died, the entire East China Sea was in turmoil. This was probably the case. Since leaving Mingming Valley, this was the first powerful person who made him feel pressured. It brought back Cheng Qian's memories of the trip to Qinglong Island.

Zhuang Nanxi introduced himself from a distance: "I am Zhuang Nanxi from Baihu Mountain Zhuang. I am here on the orders of my master to pay my respects to Senior Xuanwu Hall."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pressure around him was noticeably relieved, as if a way was made for him.

Cheng Qian followed Zhuang Nanxi all the way to the sea of ​​black flags and saw a group of cultivators in black robes, with an air of ice on their bodies, creating a cool place in the south. Some of the cultivators here probably recognized Zhuang Nanxi and made way for him, some even nodded to him.

Cheng Qian looked up and saw a flying carriage under the sea of ​​flags. The horses were covered in cold iron armor, looking particularly solemn. A middle-aged man stood in front of the carriage, his eyes sweeping over him. Zhuang Nanxi took two steps forward and called him "Grand Elder". The Grand Elder exchanged a few words with him and his eyes involuntarily fell on Cheng Qian: "Who is this..."

The two powerful forces met, the thousand-year-old ice pond versus the ten-thousand-foot snowfield, Cheng Qian was almost aroused to fight. He calmed himself, stretched out his hand to press the restless frost blade sword in his hand, and was about to answer.

At this moment, someone nearby shouted, "Great Elder! I recognize him, it's him!"

"Me what?" Cheng Qian was stunned. Before he could think, the man who shouted had already handed a sword in front of him - and chopped it down on his head.

At this time, thousands of miles away, Yan Zhengming, who had followed the legend of the magic dragon to the Central Plains, was fiddling with three copper coins in his hands, but was unable to figure out what was going on.

When I was learning skills at Fuyao Mountain, although my master occasionally played with coins, he was always very secretive about fortune-telling and asking questions of the heavens. Not only did he never teach me, he would also occasionally reveal a hint of sarcasm.

In fact, many annoying children are like this. If the elders say, "This is unlucky and cannot be done," they will most likely try it. But if the elders say, "This is too stupid to be human. I'm afraid only monkeys running around can do it," then they will not touch it when they grow up.

Even though more than a hundred years had passed, Yan Zhengming was still very clear-headed when he held the coin. At this critical moment, although he could not help but want to take a peek at the uncertain good or bad fortune, he still felt that his attempt to predict the future was very stupid.

Yan Zhengming sighed deeply.

He didn't know whether Han Yuan, who had transformed into a demon dragon, could turn back, nor did he know whether he would be able to see the gate of Fuyao Mountain open in his lifetime.

I don’t even know how to face Cheng Qian.

Yan Zhengming flicked his fingers, and the copper coin made a sharp sound, tumbling into the sky, and rolled out a round sky and a square earth where yin and yang coexisted.

The current Fuyao Sect leader thought at a loss, "Master, what should I do?"

Unfortunately, it is useless to ask. When the master was alive, he would only say, "Oh, just let it be." The old man was used to responding to ever-changing situations with the same attitude, and he lived a very easy life. Now that he is dead, he must be living an even more peaceful life.

Cheng Qian...What are the advantages of Cheng Qian?

Sect Master Yan tried hard to question himself in his heart - that fellow had a vicious mouth and a bad heart. Based on Yan Zhengming's understanding of him, given Cheng Qian's restraint and pretense, what he said was only about one-tenth of what he secretly imagined in his heart. Ordinary people probably couldn't imagine how much of a jerk he was inside his heart under his sanctimonious appearance.

He is also very stubborn, cannot be reasoned with, and will not be persuaded by any persuasion or persuasion. He has a heart of stone.

A person who has been secluded in an extremely cold place for nearly fifty years and has never taken anything except cold water, what in the world can't he do? Anyway, Yan Zhengming admitted that he, as the head of the sect, could not control that bastard junior brother.

And all those messy and unbearable problems, such as unknown sloppiness, sleeping without taking a shower, touching anything no matter how disgusting, and never remembering to wash hands after touching it... and being unrighteous all the time, being able to know things that he shouldn't know, always having only a superficial understanding of things that he should know, and often poking at other people's lungs and talking about things that are not related to the topic.

Yan Zhengming tried to find excuses for himself at first, but halfway through he got so angry that he almost died.

Thinking about how he loved beauty and hated ugliness over the years, and how he had used the word "blind" to slander others countless times, he finally got his comeuppance at this moment. Yan Zhengming discovered with grief and anger that he might really be blind.

A voice suddenly sounded behind him: "Big Brother, the copper coin fell."

As soon as the word "copper coins" came out of his mouth, Yan Zhengming shuddered with a guilty conscience.

Li Yun floated silently from behind him like a ghost, looking at him eerily without saying a word.

Yan Zhengming glared at him breathlessly: "What are you doing?"

Li Yun looked back like a thief and asked, "Where is the puddle?"

"Playing with fire in the back hills," Yan Zhengming said, "Why are you so sneaky?"

Ever since the day when Shuikeng was struck by lightning, he was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did he look more like an adult woman, but he also had the ability to control the Samadhi Fire at will. He was still excited about the newness of the past few days and was practicing hard while the iron was hot.

Hearing that she was not there, Li Yun sat down next to Yan Zhengming.

He seemed to have no idea where to start, and asked cautiously, "Why are you finally willing to send your baby away?"

There is a difference between a person who has nothing to hide and a person who has something to hide. This ordinary question made Master Yan pause involuntarily. He instinctively wanted to retort with "Baby shit", but he didn't say it out loud. He felt that it seemed too deliberate. He hesitated for a moment. He found that Li Yun came to ask such a question and it was very deliberate. So he pinched his eyebrows in annoyance, and simply broke the jar and said bluntly: "What do you want to say?"

Li Yun sighed: "Senior Brother..."

"No, you still don't need to say anything." Yan Zhengming suddenly interrupted him again, remained silent for a moment, and said, "You don't need to say anything, I know what to do... I'm over a hundred years old, I still have some sense of propriety."

Li Yun rarely calmed down and said, "Yes, I know you know your limits, but what are you going to do?"

Yan Zhengming was stunned for a moment.

Li Yun glanced at him, shook his head, and said softly: "The path of sword cultivation is not easy to walk. Since you came out, it has become rare in the world. Every step is like walking on the edge of a knife. You have a demon in your heart. What should you do in the future?"

Yan Zhengming felt a little sad at what he said, but he didn't show it. He still said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? Human life is like an ant. A lifetime is only a few decades long. And yet people still change their minds. It shows that it is human nature to get tired of the old and love the new. I am no different from other people. After a few years, I will naturally lose interest in it."

Li Yun sighed, "Brother, how can something that can be forgotten in three to five years become a demon in your heart? Do you think I am the mentally handicapped and stupid girl in Shuikeng who knows nothing?"

Yan Zhengming: “…”

The two of them stared at each other in silence for a while. After an unknown amount of time, Li Yun finally said tentatively, "Are you sure you don't want Xiao Qian to know? I think it's better to..."

With a "snap", the copper coin in Yan Zhengming's hand was broken directly by him. His face suddenly turned cold, and he interrupted Li Yun and said, "There is no need to mention this matter again."

Li Yun: "But..."

"No buts," Yan Zhengming's eyes were so deep and cold that Li Yun was terrified, "You must not mention this to anyone else, especially Cheng Qian."

Li Yun opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but finally swallowed it back and nodded helplessly.

Yan Zhengming: "Don't give me a perfunctory answer, swear!"

Li Yun: "Hey, Senior Brother..."

"What nonsense!"

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Li Yun raised his hand and said, "I swear to keep this to myself and never tell anyone else, otherwise..."

Yan Zhengming continued: "Otherwise, I will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death."

Li Yun stood up suddenly: "Are you crazy?"

Yan Zhengming glanced at him and said calmly, "Li Yun, I find that you have a very bad problem. You seem to think that people who are braver than you are crazy."

Li Yun glared at him fiercely for a moment, and said helplessly: "If the inner demon persists for a long time, your Tao heart will be damaged. Let's see what you can do."

"If I die, you can just change someone to be the leader," Yan Zhengming stretched lazily, "I just don't want to do this anymore. I heard that the soul can be reincarnated... What do you think of the vixen? When the time comes, you must urge Shuikeng to practice well and become a great demon as soon as possible. It would be best if you could usurp the throne and become a demon king, and let her protect me."

Li Yun was stunned by the master's lofty ambitions, and he was speechless for a long time.

Yan Zhengming ignored him, tapped his fingers, shook his head and hummed a vulgar and tuneless little song: "Falling to the ground and dying, coming is bitter, leaving is bitter; breaking the cauldron and the golden bell, poverty comes in a hurry, wealth comes in a hurry; strong winds blow in the east, torrential rain falls in the west, changing the world and showing off one's heroic spirit is just a fake show that will be done in a day; it is better to be a living turtle, swallowing rivers, lakes and seas, and spitting out a thousand years..."

This was the tune used by ruffians and scoundrels begging for food near Fuyao Villa, and Li Yun felt extremely sad when hearing it.

Yan Zhengming sometimes envied those homeless people who roamed the world because they were free from worries and troubles. However, he no longer envied them when he thought of their faces catching lice under the sun. He felt that he might not be born with the talent to travel around the world, and he only remembered their begging tunes.

He was just trying to calm himself down when suddenly his heart tightened, as if someone had hit him in the chest with a hammer. The tune in Yan Zhengming's mouth stopped abruptly and he jumped up from the ground.

"What's wrong again?" Li Yun rolled his eyes.

Yan Zhengming's face was as pale as a ghost: "The puppet talisman I tied to Xiao Qian's hair..."