Seeing the aggressive approach of the other party, Xie Shuci guessed they were looking for trouble.

He pulled Xie An closer to Chu Guiyi, instructing, “Wait here for me until I come back.”

Xie An nodded gently, indicating he understood.

“Something to say?” Chu Wenfeng crossed his arms and looked impatiently at the approaching group.

Xie Shuci caught up to Chu Wenfeng, who turned and glared at him, whispering, “What are you doing here? Go back.”

Xie Shuci pointed at Chu Guiyi behind him, raising an eyebrow, “Your senior brother asked me to keep an eye on you.”

Chu Wenfeng curled his lips in disdain, giving Xie Shuci a dismissive glance.

“Wenfeng, it’s good to see you well. I’m just here to say hello,” said the leading disciple with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, a typical smiling tiger.

“Done with your greetings? Then you can leave. And who are you calling ‘Junior Brother’? Are we familiar? Don’t flatter yourself,” Chu Wenfeng replied impatiently, not mincing his words

Xie Shuci raised an eyebrow, noticing that Chu Wenfeng was indeed more gentle with him than with others.

As they attracted the attention of other disciples, the smiley-faced Sun disciple struggled to maintain his composure after being publicly humiliated. He gritted his teeth and said, “What do you mean by that? I heard that the head of the Chu family doesn’t know about you and Guiyi being here. Our Sun family and the Chu family are old acquaintances. Why don’t you bring Guiyi with us?”

“No need. Since when are the Chu family and your Sun family become old acquaintances? Haven’t your Sun family always been clinging to our Chu family over the years?” Chu Wenfeng retorted coldly.

The surrounding crowd began to whisper among themselves:

“The Chu and Sun family from Yingzhou?”

“Oh, Sun Xiaohu? I thought it was someone important. Back when the eldest disciple of the Chu family was famous, he was desperate to curry favor with them.”

“That’s right, everyone in Yingzhou knows about Chu Guiyi. Eight years ago, he was already a renowned cultivator. Since the Chu family was expelled from the Floating Tower realm, he’s the only hope for them to return. Not just Sun Xiaohu, but every young cultivator in Yingzhou wanted to connect with him back then.”

Listening to the murmurs, Sun Xiaohu smiled bitterly and theatrically said, “What about Guiyi? It must be his first time leaving Yingzhou since he went into madness, right? Ah, the once noble and proud top disciple of the Chu family, now reduced to a wheelchair-bound waste, reliant on others for everything. What a pity. Every time I think of it, I feel deeply saddened and regretful for him!”

Sun Xiaohu deliberately raised his voice, making sure his humiliating words were clearly heard by everyone present.

Xie Shuci’s heart tightened upon hearing this. He instinctively wanted to turn back and look, but at that moment, Chu Wenfeng grabbed his arm, as if reminding him.

Xie Shuci’s motion to turn around stopped. He realized that Chu Guiyi, a proud man, must be feeling utterly humiliated under the scrutiny of so many people.

Xie Shuci didn’t dare to look back, not wanting to see Chu Guiyi’s expression or to add to his embarrassment.

“Oh, such a pity.”

“Everyone believed that Chu Guiyi could lead the Chu family back to the Floating Tower realm. Since their expulsion, the family has declined for at least a hundred years, enduring much scorn. Their only hope then fell into madness and became disabled.”

“They must have come to the Dragon tooth realm this time to get the Qiankun Mirror and reverse time…”

“But even if Chu Guiyi regains his cultivation, his inner demons will still be there. He will inevitably fall into madness again.”

Listening to the surrounding whispers, Xie Shuci felt Chu Wenfeng’s grip on his shoulder tighten, the force almost crushing his bones.

Xie Shuci understood why the Qiankun Mirror was so important to Chu Guiyi; why he spoke of burdens he knew he couldn’t carry but still tried to; why he said that when a person’s power is insufficient to carry the weight of an entire sect, they become a burden to the sect.

Sun Xiaohu seemed quite satisfied with the current situation and feigned sympathy, “Guiyi, our goal here is also the Qiankun Mirror. However, considering our past acquaintance, I am willing to let you have it.”

“Damn it, you…” Chu Wenfeng, seemingly at his limit, yanked out his Avian nine-section whip from his waist. His eyes reddened with rage as if he wanted to pounce on Sun Xiaohu and tear him apart.

Before Chu Wenfeng could act, Xie Shuci quickly grabbed him.

“Let go!” Chu Wenfeng gritted his teeth, tears of humiliation and anger sliding down his cheeks.

Seeing the usually bickering kid in such a shabby state, Xie Shuci felt a pang of sadness but held onto Chu Wenfeng’s hand firmly, knowing instinctively that Chu Guiyi wouldn’t want him to retaliate in this manner.

It wasn’t just about whether Chu Wenfeng could defeat the other party or not. Even if he did, it wouldn’t lessen Chu Guiyi’s humiliation. A person like Chu Guiyi would never want to resolve matters in such a way.

“Calm down. There will be plenty of other opportunities to teach him a lesson,” Xie Shuci whispered urgently, grateful for his newfound spiritual power that enabled him to restrain Chu Wenfeng, “There are too many people around now. We’ll find a chance to deal with him once we’re inside.”

Amidst the center of the controversy, Chu Guiyi maintained a calm demeanor, hands resting on his wheelchair, his handsome face showing no sign of disturbance. Standing beside him was Xie An, both appearing as if they hadn’t heard the surrounding chatter.

Sun Xiaohu, hoping to see the reaction he desired on Chu Guiyi’s face, was once again disappointed. No matter how he insulted him, Chu Guiyi always remained aloof and never took him seriously. Sun Xiaohu still seemed like a mere ant in Chu Guiyi’s eyes, even though Chu Guiyi was no longer the renowned young cultivator he once was.

This time, too, he failed to elicit the response he wanted from Chu Guiyi.

Unperturbed, Chu Guiyi rolled his wheelchair to join Xie Shuci with Xie An.

His calm presence seemed to have a magical effect, gradually quieting the other cultivators.

“Fellow Daoist, we are merely acquaintances, far from having any close relationship. You claim to yield the Qiankun Mirror to me as if it’s already within your grasp. Such arrogance of not taking others seriously, does it stem from the backing of the Sun family head?”

Chu Guiyi, sitting on a wheelchair was lower than Sun Xiaohu, but still exuded an aura of commanding authority as if sitting on a throne. His few casual remarks instantly filled Sun Xiaohu with rage.

At those words, Sun Xiaohu and his fellow Sun family disciples all changed their expressions.

The onlookers, reflecting on Chu Guiyi’s words, found them to be reasonable. Sun Xiaohu’s manner of speaking implied that he thought he could take or leave the Qiankun Mirror as he pleased. Wasn’t that arrogance? In the cultivation world, the Sun family was at best a minor sect, yet he spoke as if he ruled it all. Who gave him such authority? Weren’t all the disciples from the prominent families present here part of the hundred major sects?

“Sun Xiaohu, you’re overstepping your bounds!”

“Since when has the Sun family been able to dominate the cultivation world?”

“Are you saying you can decide the fate of the Qiankun Mirror? If you’re so capable, surely the Sun family will be among the top ten in the upcoming Immortal Sect Selection, right?”

“Who do we have here? Isn’t this the Sun family from Yingzhou? Back when the Chu family was at its peak, wasn’t it you who desperately sought their favor? And when Chu Guiyi fell into madness, weren’t you the first to kick them while they were down?”

“Nothing but opportunistic villains, disgusting!”

Suddenly, Sun Xiaohu and his fellow Sun family disciples found themselves the target of collective scorn.

Sun Xiaohu’s face turned ashen as his attempt to belittle others backfired spectacularly.

Xie Shuci joined in with the crowd’s jeers,

“Some people, not only do they have the face of a rat, but they also lack any open-mindedness. Can’t they stop fixating on others and look at what they themselves are? Lamenting for others? The starting point of those you pity is higher than your endpoint. What are you doing acting like the tide has turned? You’re just mud on the shore; I’d have to clean my shoes after stepping on you.”

Chu Wenfeng, having learned from Xie Shuci how to mock others, chimed in, “Oh please, him? He used to hover around our house eight years ago. My senior brother never cared for his pretentious airs. He shamelessly followed us around. To say he’s jealous of my brother doesn’t quite fit; to say he likes him… ugh, just thinking about it makes me feel sick on behalf of my brother.”

Given that many in the crowd recognized Xie Shuci and saw him defending Chu Guiyi, it was clear there was a good relationship between them. Others joined in ridiculing Sun Xiaohu, eager to gain Xie Shuci’s favor.

Besides, Sun Xiaohu was already unpopular for his arrogance, so mocking him felt like no burden at all.

Sun Xiaohu and his group had arrived pompously but left with their tails between their legs.

After they were gone, Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng turned to each other, continuing their mockery in a back-and-forth exchange, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Seeing their retreat, the two exchanged a look and high-fived in celebration of their victory.

“Kid, feel the power of words? Satisfying, right? Physical attacks might work, but mental attacks are the most powerful. Believe me, that guy will avoid us like the plague from now on,” Xie Shuci said, patting his chest.

Chu Wenfeng, still reveling in the moment, pursed his lips, “So satisfying! Xie Shuci, you were right. Language is an art. Frustrating him to death is more satisfying than beating him up.”

Xie Shuci laughed heartily, “Exactly, why resort to violence when words can do the job, right?”

With an air of camaraderie, Xie Shuci slung his arm around Chu Wenfeng’s shoulder and turned back to look at Xie An and Chu Guiyi.

Little Blind remained as usual, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.

Chu Guiyi watched the two with an indulgent look, a lingering smile in his eyes as if their antics had helped dispel some of the clouds in his heart.

“All right, they’re gone now,” Chu Guiyi said with a smile.

Seeing him looking as usual, Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng both breathed a sigh of relief.

“Little Wen, considering our ‘joint battle’ today, I’ve decided to recruit you. From now on, besides being a disciple of the Chu family, you have another identity: my comrade-in-arms. You’re responsible for protecting and supporting me. Of course, I won’t let you down either. If I ever refine some extraordinary elixir, I’ll definitely save some for you…”

Xie Shuci, while energetically persuading Chu Wenfeng, was suddenly pulled down from Chu Wenfeng’s shoulder by Xie An and brought to his side.

Chu Wenfeng sneered, “Why should I protect you?”

Xie Shuci, interrupted mid-pitch, tried to continue, but Xie An held onto his hand firmly, speaking to Chu Wenfeng from a distance, “We are comrades who’ve shared a bond of life and death. Don’t be ungrateful. If you refuse me now, you’ll have to line up for my elixirs later.”

“Idiot, who wants your elixirs? Only a dog would not disdain them.”

Hearing this, Xie Shuci immediately turned to Chu Guiyi to complain, “Senior brother, look at him!”

Chu Guiyi’s face showed a hint of a smile, “I once said that you two are quite similar in interests.”

Xie Shuci and Chu Wenfeng exchanged a look, each seeing disdain in the other’s eyes.

“Who shares interests with him?”

“Him, a little brat? Ridiculous. How could a mature man like me have anything in common with him?”

“You’re mature? Xie Shuci, do you want to be so shameless?”

“Who are you calling shameless? Chu Wenfeng, I’m telling you, I’m only letting this go because of your senior brother!”

“And what if you don’t let it go?”

…

Used to their constant bickering, Chu Guiyi shook his head with a resigned smile.

Meanwhile, Xie An gazed thoughtfully at the sky.

The light from the night sky reflected in his eyes, making his otherwise vacant pupils shine like stars.

As the silver brilliance spread across much of the sky, a fierce wind arose, whipping up sand and stones, floating in the air like haze.

The strong wind made it impossible to open one’s eyes, and a strange mist spread along the ground, quickly obscuring the view. The world became enveloped in a dense fog, so thick that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

“Xie…” Xie Shuci tried to call out to Xie An and the others, but his voice was immediately dispersed by the wind.

As he fumbled in the direction where he remembered them to be, he couldn’t find anyone.

The bell at his waist jingled as he moved, its ethereal sound distinctly audible amid the howling wind.

Simultaneously, the hand Xie Shuci was using to feel his way forward was suddenly grasped.

The person holding his hand pulled him forward against the wind, drawing him into an embrace.

As they collided, two sets of bells met in the air, intertwining inseparably, chiming together as one.