This humble Taoist priest, Qianhe, begins his quest for immortality by slaying demons and monsters.

Chapter 81 Shi Jian's Embarrassment, Lin Fengjiao's Arrival

Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, Si Mu took a deep breath and froze the moment he opened it.

"Big... senior brother?"

Seeing Simu's expression, Shi Jian was also somewhat taken aback, mainly because he didn't understand why his junior brother Simu was so surprised. Was he shocked by his arrival?

To be honest, Shi Jian felt a little embarrassed at this moment. After all, he had made a bold statement last time, but he left after only a few days after arriving at the Simu Dojo.

When Shi Jian saw Si Mu again, he clearly lacked the dignity and imposing presence of his senior brother.

Si Mu was also having doubts. He had only written to Shi Jian with a try-it-out attitude.

In essence, Si Mu never expected Shi Jian to come and lend him a hand.

After all, last time...

Well, it's no wonder Shih Kin is like this.

Originally, Si Mu had asked Shi Jian to come to his dojo to inspect the situation and act as a bodyguard. After the inspection failed two days ago, Si Mu decided to build a bamboo house. For two whole days, Shi Jian felt embarrassed to see Si Mu working alone, so he became a laborer and helped Si Mu build the bamboo house.

When the two meet now, they are both feeling awkward and conflicted, each afraid that the other will be the first to accuse them.

"Junior Brother Four Eyes, what you're doing..."

Sigh, I know that my departure last time was a bit inappropriate. I apologize to you, Junior Brother Simu. As soon as you invited me by letter, I rushed over without stopping.

"If you still trust me, junior brother, please accept this gift as an apology!"

Faced with Shi Jian in this way, Simu was obviously not expected. He half-pushed and half-shoved as he took the apology gift from Shi Jian's hand. Simu is still somewhat dazed.

"Well... what? Senior Brother and Junior Brother have never blamed Senior Brother. We are all fellow disciples. How could Simu get angry over such a small matter?"
"Senior Brother, please come in quickly. You've arrived quite early, while Junior Brother Qianhe just got here a little while ago. Perfect timing! I've prepared some fine Biluochun tea. Senior Brother, you must be tired from your journey; you can relax and chat with Junior Brother Qianhe."

As he spoke, Si Mu naturally pulled Shi Jian's arm and headed towards the bamboo house.

Upon seeing Simu and Shi Jian enter, Zhong Bai, who had been sitting, quickly stood up and greeted them.

"Big Brother!"

"Junior Brother Qianhe!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two sat down and began chatting, their conversation revolving around everyday life, cultivation, and so on...

"Hahaha, senior brother, you don't know, when the knocking sounded just now, junior brother and junior brother Qianhe guessed at the same time whether it was senior brother or senior brother Lin. Junior brother Qianhe pointed out that it was senior brother."

As for me, I thought it was Senior Brother Lin. The reason was simple: Senior Brother was twice as far from my dojo as Senior Brother Lin. I never expected...

"Sigh, the senior brother's treatment of his junior brother is truly overwhelming!"

As she spoke, Si Mu's eyes reddened slightly. Zhong Bai remained seated without interrupting, because even he couldn't tell whether Si Mu was genuinely ashamed or just putting on an act.

Or perhaps, both.

Faced with Si Mu's sudden, heartfelt words, Shi Jian was momentarily stunned.

He just arrived a little faster, so why is Junior Brother Four Eyes so moved?

Besides, he wasn't the first one to arrive, was he?

He couldn't understand, but Shi Jian wasn't completely devoid of emotional intelligence. Looking at Simu, whose eyes were slightly red, Shi Jian said seriously, "Junior Brother Simu, you flatter me. I treat every junior brother the same way. We are all fellow disciples. If you are in trouble, as the senior brother, how could I not come to your aid?"

After speaking, Shi Jian looked at Zhong Bai.

"Not to mention Junior Brother Four Eyes, Junior Brother Thousand Crane is the same. Whenever either of you needs my help, I will always put aside my cultivation to come and assist you!"

After hearing Shi Jian's impassioned speech, Si Mu finally regained some composure.

"As expected of Senior Brother, our admiration for you is as deep as heaven and earth, as clear as the sun and moon!"

Zhong Bai couldn't help but roll his eyes. This Si Mu was already bragging without thinking, and now he was dragging him into it too.

Mentioning Zhong Bai, Shi Jian suddenly recalled the big news in Buddhism and Taoism a few months ago.

"Junior Brother Qianhe, speaking of which, I have been in seclusion for the past six months. I only recently came out of seclusion and heard about Junior Brother Qianhe's deeds."

To be honest, those people weren't trying to praise you, junior brother. I think this kind of rumor is a case of flattery to kill.

They said that Junior Brother Qianhe had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining at the age of twenty, and that his Divine Firmament Thunder Technique could easily capture and kill fish demons in the late stage of the River Demon Soldier.

Such rumors are truly despicable; aren't they deliberately trying to make Junior Brother Qianhe a target of those ill-intentioned figures in Buddhism and Taoism?

Zhong Bai smiled faintly at Shi Jian's good intentions and did not refute anything. Now, even though Shi Jian had made rapid progress after breaking through the fifth level of Qi Refining and had reached the middle stage of the fifth level of Qi Refining in just half a year, the gap between him and Zhong Bai, who was already at the late stage of the seventh level of Qi Refining, was not small. There was really no need to explain this kind of issue.

Si's eyes were sharp enough to read people's expressions, and he clearly knew everything about Zhong Bai's situation.

However, since his junior brother Chizuru chose not to explain, he couldn't possibly reveal it on his own initiative.

"Oh, senior brother, why bother with these trivial matters? The three of us brothers haven't seen each other for a full six months."

Just recently, my junior brother and I acquired a jar of 80-year-old aged wine.

"Let my junior brother get busy later; the three of us brothers must have a proper get-together today!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Jian stopped dwelling on the matter and changed the subject to other topics.

"Senior Brother, I heard that after you came out of seclusion some time ago, you directly used the Lightning Thunder Fist to kill a mid-stage Ghost Soldier."

Junior brother has heard about this matter. Sigh, senior brother and junior brother Qianhe, you thunder magic cultivators are really amazing!
With every gesture, thunder roared; even mortals mistook them for deities descended to earth. We'd worship them all…

"I, your junior brother, am no match for him. Ordinary people would spit and curse at the sight of a corpse-driver."

Si Mu speaks in a way that is half true and half false, and Shi Jian immediately felt sympathy for Si Mu when he heard about his plight.

"Junior Brother Four Eyes has suffered, but that's only because ordinary people don't understand how powerful you are. Speaking of which, Junior Brother Four Eyes' summoning technique is something that ordinary cultivators can't compare to. Junior Brother, don't underestimate yourself."

Zhong Bai rarely spoke at this moment.

"Tsk tsk, senior brother, senior brother Four Eyes' summoning technique is more than just powerful. In my opinion, what is the strongest in Maoshan? It is neither your thunder magic nor my thunder magic, nor senior brother Lin's talisman technique, but the underworld ancestors of Maoshan!"

Brother Four Eyes' methods are no simple matter. If he could just summon a patriarch from the Maoshan underworld to possess him, he'd be guaranteed victory. In that respect, neither you nor my senior brother can compare to you, Brother Four Eyes."

When it comes to invoking the gods, Shi Jian wanted to argue that it was merely relying on the power of the ancestral master.

But when the words were on the tip of her tongue, she couldn't bear to say them and hurt everyone's feelings.

“That’s right, Junior Brother Four Eyes’ summoning spell is more effective than Junior Brother Thousand Cranes’ and my lightning magic!”

Despite saying things against his conscience, Shi Jian tried his best to make his smile seem genuine.

Just then, the knocking sounded again.

"No need to guess, it's definitely Senior Brother Lin this time!"

Si Mu stood up and said with a smile, then added, "Senior Brother, Junior Brother Qianhe, please sit for a moment. I will welcome Senior Brother Lin, and then the four of us brothers will be complete."

Zhong Bai and Shi Jian both nodded with smiles.

The courtyard gate opened, and as expected, Lin Fengjiao, looking somewhat tired, immediately felt refreshed upon seeing Si Mu's radiant expression.

"Senior Brother Lin has finally arrived. Before him, Junior Brother Qianhe and Senior Brother had already arrived one after the other."

"Senior Brother Lin, please come in quickly!"

Upon learning that Shi Jian had also arrived, Lin Fengjiao's expression changed slightly. However, although the two did not get along, they were not so bad as to start fighting as soon as they met.

"Junior Brother Four Eyes, lead the way!"

......................................................

Upon entering the bamboo house, Lin Fengjiao felt a mix of joy and worry as she looked at Shi Jian and Zhong Bai sitting at the table.

"Hahaha, Senior Brother!"

I didn't expect my senior brother to arrive so quickly; it's my junior brother who's been a bit slow.

After saying that, Lin Fengjiao looked at Zhong Bai again, her gaze particularly complicated.

"Junior Brother Qianhe, it's been half a year since we last met after parting ways at Ghost Wolf Mountain. It's been a long time!"

Zhong Bai and Shi Jian stood up at the same time.

"It's great that Junior Brother Lin came. None of us senior brothers feel that he's late."

"It's been half a year since we last met, Senior Brother Lin, please take a seat!"

After Zhong Bai finished speaking, the four of them took their seats.

When they met again, the four were no longer as competitive as they had been six months ago. Perhaps it was because their youthful arrogance was gradually fading away with the passage of time.

Even a proud man like Shi Jian lost his will to fight when he saw Lin Fengjiao again. There was no point in fighting back and forth; it all came down to who had the stronger cultivation in the end.

Shi Jian did think the position of sect leader was important, but now that his fellow disciples were meeting, he temporarily put aside all his fear and wariness.

“Junior Brother Qianhe, Mangshan…”

As soon as Lin Fengjiao sat down and mentioned the name Mangshan, she saw Si Mu frantically giving her meaningful glances. She immediately understood when she saw Shi Jian's bewildered expression.

"Ahem, Junior Brother Qianhe, you don't know, a few months ago there were rumors all over Mangshan that the evil sects like the Corpse Refining Demon Heaven Sect had been wiped out by the combined forces of Buddhism and Taoism."

It even involved a Golden Core True Monarch and a Flying Zombie Ghost King. To not witness such a scene firsthand is truly a great regret in one's life.

Zhong Bai smiled faintly and picked up the conversation.

"Senior Brother Lin, the great events in the world are not limited to the Mangshan Mountain in front of us."

In the future, as Senior Brother Lin achieves Foundation Establishment, he will also become the protagonist of such a major event, so there's no need to feel regretful.

"Haha, that's right. Junior Brother Lin, you can't be too ambitious. I know a bit about the situation at Mangshan. In the Daoist sect, even our Maoshan disciples need to be at least at the sixth level of Qi Refining to be eligible to apply to go to Mangshan."

We have yet to have enough time for spiritual practice; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future!

Their eyes met those of Zhong Bai. Shi Jian pursed his lips, thinking that the long years Shi Jian spoke of were nothing compared to the prodigy Zhong Bai.

Heh, Si Mu was too lazy to comment. Anyway, he completely stopped treating Qianhe as a normal cultivator.

"Alright, why talk about Mangshan? Let's talk about our target this time, the Corpse Cave. There's a possibility that there are bronze-armored corpses inside. We four brothers need to discuss how to deal with it beforehand."

When Shi Jian brought up the Corpse Cave, Lin Fengjiao, who was about to say something, immediately became serious.

“That’s right. Besides, we have no idea what’s going on in that cave. Whether there’s only one bronze-armored corpse or some other terrifying being, we need to discuss these things clearly!”

Waaaaah, 13,000 words in four chapters! Damn, I said I'd do 16,000 words in five chapters, but I'm just so tired... I'm so sorry, dear readers, I promise I'll do 16,000 words in five chapters this week to make it up to you all. Waaaaah, I got a lot of monthly votes yesterday, thank you so much, dear readers!
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(End of this chapter)