Immortality: Starting with a grave, I'm invincible when burying corpses.

"So that I may let you know, senior brother, I also have someone I love. Xiqi is too far away, and before I am sure of my love's feelings, I really can't give you any guarantees."

Sima He was the one who spoke. Perhaps it was the wine that made him lose his composure, or perhaps it was because of Zhuge Xiang's self-disclosure, but this scholar, who was not usually very talkative, also began to speak his mind, causing a stir in the room.

"Fourth Senior Brother has someone he likes? I didn't realize! Who is it! Who is it! Do we know each other?"

"Scholars are indeed cunning! You two managed to keep this from us for so long! Punishment! Punishment!"

……

Amidst the gossip and laughter, a somewhat nervous Fang Qing finally answered the questions raised earlier.

"I'm not afraid of being laughed at, but I come from a humble background and I know that my talent is not as good as yours. I don't have any great ambitions, unlike you all who want to achieve fame and leave your mark on history."

Fang Qing believed that his junior sister was still young and needed care, and that Master Bai and Mr. Mu also needed companionship. Fang Qing had no other ambitions but to stay in the academy and be by the side of his two teachers.

Upon hearing this, no matter how disappointed Jun Changping was, he could only force a smile.

Mr. Mu and Master Bai have already been brought up, so if he says anything more, he'll be considered ignorant.

"Fifth Junior Brother is honest and kind, willing to sacrifice his own future to stay by the side of our two elders. He is truly a role model for us all, and I admire him greatly!"

As the three of them made excuses to decline, Bai Yunhe, who had been keeping his head down, stood up and raised his glass to Jun Changping.

"Over the years, my senior brother has been very kind to Yunhe, for which Yunhe is deeply grateful... However, Yunhe is an orphan and was fortunate to be taken in by Master Bai, for which he must repay the kindness. As you all know, Master Bai is devoted to scholarship and is not good at handling daily affairs, so he really needs someone to take care of him..."

……

The following night, Jiuzhou City was brightly lit, and the banks of the Huayong River were teeming with tourists.

At the edge of a dense forest where few people venture, Li Yin sat in a tree while Zhuge Xiang leaned against it, admiring the reflections on the river.

Perhaps some event was being held in the city, as many lanterns floated down the river and drifted to farther places.

The scattered candlelight illuminated the river surface and also brought a faint glow to the trees along the riverbank.

"I heard you've got your hands on Sister Bai?"

Li Yin's tone was not agitated; it could even be described as gentle. However, Zhuge Xiang felt a chill run through his body, causing him to tremble involuntarily.

The way of water is inherently good at controlling temperature; this coldness is not a psychological illusion, but a real feedback.

Without even thinking, Zhuge Liang knew who this chill came from.

The chill intensified, and the air became thicker with moisture. Despite this oppressive atmosphere, Zhuge Xiang showed no signs of fear or urgency.

He simply sat down against the big tree, looking up at Li Yin who was sitting on a branch.

"As you should know, in times of emergency, this was the best way to break the deadlock."

Li Yin was not satisfied with the answer, so she punched the tree trunk twice, causing a large number of leaves to fall from the sky and land on Zhuge Xiang's head.

"Does being in a hurry give you the right to say whatever comes to mind? Don't tell me you can't think of a better way..."

Faced with Li Yin's anger, Zhuge Xiang remained as calm as ever. He took the fallen leaf off his shoulder and placed it in his hand under Li Yin's gaze.

"Physical pleasure is nothing more than base desire. I, your junior brother, have little interest in such things. Instead of arguing with me, senior sister, you should think carefully about what you should do in the future."

"What do you mean by that?"

As if provoked, Li Yin raised her eyebrows and jumped down from the tree, looking down at Zhuge Xiang sitting on the ground.

Facing Li Yin, who was so close, Zhuge Xiang remained calm and composed, neither answering nor showing any fear, simply staring at her.

"Bang!"

A fist slammed into the tree trunk, and a face tinged with anger drew closer. In the slightly eerie atmosphere, Li Yin and Zhuge Xiang faced each other, achieving the "wall slam" moment.

Because of their impatience and anger, Li Yin and Zhuge Xiang's faces were now less than two inches apart, and they could touch at any moment.

Faced with Li Yin's reaction, a fleeting look of disappointment crossed Zhuge Xiang's eyes, before he regained his composure in the next instant.

He looked up into Li Yin's eyes and spoke in the most peaceful tone possible.

"Junior brother thinks senior sister should know what these words mean, but since senior sister wants to play dumb, junior brother doesn't mind saying a few more words."

Li Yin clenched her fists tighter and tighter, but her head moved back a little, creating distance between herself and Zhuge Xiang, thus causing their gazes to drift apart.

"The Tao has no high or low, but people are all different. They have different talents and their own strengths."

Some excel in martial arts, some specialize in literature, some are good at observation, and some are proficient in musical instruments...

People's talents manifest in different ways, making it difficult to directly judge their superiority or inferiority.

At this point, Zhuge Xiang paused for a moment, his rather imposing eyes meeting Li Yin's.

There are no gifts in this world given without reason, nor are there gifts given without expecting anything in return. Whether spiritual or material, there will always be something that justifies a gift.

As Zhuge Xiang continued speaking, Li Yin's momentum gradually weakened. She seemed to know what Zhuge Xiang wanted to say, but instinctively lowered her head to avoid his gaze.

"Among the nine of us, Senior Sister, your martial arts talent is similar to Feng Jian's, and you can indeed be called a genius."

But if I were to ask how talented you are, forgive my impertinence, but back in Tianming Domain, I saw far more talented people than you, Senior Sister.

These so-called geniuses, in the outside world, wouldn't even deserve a glance from Mr. Mu.

If you could get the chance to get Mr. Mu's attention and take a second look at you, thousands of people who are more talented than you, senior sister, would go crazy for it.

Unfortunately, among all the heroes in the world, not a single one could catch Mr. Mu's eye. Even among the nine of us, only you, Senior Sister, have truly received Mr. Mu's teachings.

Li Yin's head drooped lower and lower, but Zhuge Xiang did not give her any more chance to escape. He reached out and lifted her cheek, forcing their eyes to meet again.

"Senior sister, why do you think Mr. Mu favors you so much?"

……

Perhaps feeling uncomfortable in this position, or perhaps because her mind was in turmoil and she had lost her composure, Li Yin forcefully slapped away Zhuge Xiang's hand, showing a hint of anger and embarrassment.

"How would I know? What does it have to do with you if Mr. Mu is willing to teach me?"

Looking at his own reddened hands, and then at Li Yin who was still pretending to be stupid, Zhuge Xiang shook his head and sighed.

"Junior brother, I always thought senior sister was a very interesting person, but now it seems that I was overthinking it."

After sighing several times, Zhuge Xiang looked away from Li Yin.

"Master Bai has no interest in matters of love, and he cannot change Mr. Mu's mind. Senior Sister's lingering with Master Bai is nothing but wishful thinking."

"As for Mr. Mu..."

Under Li Yin's slightly surprised gaze, Zhuge Xiang suddenly grabbed Li Yin's arm, pulled her to the riverbank, and took out a bag of fish bait from his sleeve.

"What does this mean?"

Zhuge Xiang smiled but did not answer, only gesturing for Li Yin to scatter the bait into the river.

Although Li Yin was full of confusion, she still followed Zhuge Xiang's instructions, grabbed a handful of bait, and threw it into the river.

In just a short while, countless koi swam out of the water, mouths agape, vying for the meager amount of fish food.

Because there was so little food, the koi had to fight tooth and nail for it, and fierce clashes even broke out during the struggle.

Seeing that Li Yin's attention was completely focused on the koi, Zhuge Xiang took out a small fish tank from his sleeve and scooped a koi out of the river.

"Senior sister, would you be interested in raising a koi? It can cultivate your mind, improve your mood, and make junior sister and Master Bai happy... And all you have to do is feed it a little fish food occasionally."

"If you just take this fish tank back, this koi will live a life of plenty and won't have to worry about its future anymore. You've also won over Junior Sister and Master Bai, so it's a win-win situation..."

The voice grew increasingly ethereal, and after saying what he wanted to say, Zhuge Xiang fell silent.

He stood there behind Li Yin, waiting for her to figure out the ins and outs herself.

As Li Yin crouched down, she would glance at the fish that were still lingering by the river waiting to be fed, and then at the koi in the fish tank, her expression gradually freezing.

Under the glow of the riverside lights, Zhuge Xiang gently patted Li Yin on the shoulder.

"Does Senior Sister understand?"