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Chapter 28: Ghost Town, Part 2

Liu Xiao turned towards Shi Xuan. Despite his simple attire, his striking features and youthful appearance shone through, leading one to suspect he was either nobility incognito or a prince. Liu Xiao sighed, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. He was always reminded of someone who exuded an effortless charm.

"You've returned already, Shi Xiao?" Liu Xiao inquired as he beckoned him closer to squat on the roof. His focus then shifted to two men about to venture down a dark alley flanked by towering buildings. He signaled to Bai Lan and Lan Yang, directing them toward the alley the men had taken.

Subsequently, Liu Xiao checked Shi Xuan's pulse, marveling at his consistent well-being despite his solitary ventures. With a quick pat on Shi Xuan's head, Liu Xiao resumed his surveillance of the desolate town from their rooftop vantage point.

Bai Lan emerged from the alley and motioned for them to follow. Chen Yi and Shan Ling descended stealthily to the ground, blending in by feigning conversation as they entered the alley. Liu Xiao scratched his head in frustration. "Ugh, acting is not my forte. What should I do?" he whispered to himself.

"Gege, this way," urged Shi Xuan, gently guiding Liu Xiao towards the rear of the roof. With a puzzled expression, Liu Xiao furrowed his brow. "Huh? Where are we headed? The alley is right over there," he queried, albeit allowing Shi Xuan to lead him away.

"Do you trust me?" inquired Shi Xuan. Liu Xiao cocked his head, seemingly in search of an explanation, then gave a slow, deliberate nod, affirming, "Yes, I do." A soft smile graced Shi Xuan's lips as he turned to face him.

Gently descending onto a narrow lane aglow with red lanterns, Liu Xiao trailed behind Shi Xuan, his senses heightened and alert, scrutinizing their surroundings. Despite his trust in Shi Xuan, the fear of an ambush and the potential harm to Shi Xuan kept him on edge, his hand ever-ready to unsheathe his sword at a moment's notice.

Noticing his vigilance, Shi Xuan chuckled softly and gave Liu Xiao a reassuring pat, saying, "Brother, there's no need for concern. I've already dealt with those pests." What? He did what? Which pests? Liu Xiao inwardly gasped at the thought of Shi Xuan dispatching demonic cultivators as though squashing insects. He blinked repeatedly and shook his head to regain focus on their objective, yet found himself unable to suppress the smile that crept across his lips.

"Why are you smiling, brother?" probed Shi Xuan. To quell his grin, Liu Xiao pinched his own cheek and replied, "It's nothing. I'm just imagining someone."

"Who?" pressed Shi Xuan with curiosity.

"You," came Liu Xiao's immediate response.

Shi Xuan was momentarily stunned, his gaze lifting and his lips pressing firmly together. Realizing the implication of his response, Liu Xiao turned away and rubbed his temples. Fucking... Didn't my answer sound perverted?! (︺︹︺) The fuck, why would I imagine... No, it's not like that! It's different!

Liu Xiao whirled around and began to clarify, "Umm... It's not what you think—I merely envisioned you defeating those demonic cultivators. It's not like that; my interests lie elsewhere."

Shi Xuan simply nodded and proceeded, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Liu Xiao fought the urge to bash his head against the wall in frustration, fearing Shi Xuan might deem him insane, so he opted to silently berate himself internally. As they continued on their path, an imposing manor came into view. It stood ancient and opulent, adorned solely in black and gold, with red lanterns festooned throughout.

To Liu Xiao, the estate resembled a mini-boss's lair from a video game. He swallowed hard and gripped his sword's hilt tightly, preparing to draw it from its sheath, yet he was taken aback when Shi Xuan nonchalantly pushed open the gates as if entering his own residence. Left speechless outside the grand manor, Liu Xiao composed himself, cleared his throat, and straightened his attire before stepping inside with a mix of nervousness and vigilance.

Upon entry, the eerie hum of a sweet child resonated through the manor, now bathed in red light and shrouded in fog. Overwhelmed, Liu Xiao's body began to quiver with fear. He shut his eyes and clamped his hands over his ears. GAAAAHHHH! I hate ghosts! I DEFINITELY FUCKING HATE GHOST! WHO WANTS TO HEAR THEIR SINGING?! I DON'T! I HATE MUSIC! Let it stop! Let it stop! ( TДT)

Suddenly, the humming sound was followed by the beat of a drum, then by the melody of a flute, and finally by the strumming of a zither. Liu Xiao uncovered his ears and began tapping his foot to the rhythm. A slow grin spread across his face as he started to dance foolishly in the middle of the manor.

To any onlooker, he would appear to be a madman, dancing alone in a vast and darkened manor that resembled a haunted house. The frenzied beats captivated him, and he danced with wild abandon until he was abruptly interrupted.

"Gege, what are you doing?"

The voice belonged to Shi Xuan. Liu Xiao, caught off guard and feeling self-conscious under Shi Xuan's gaze, froze. After a moment, he composed himself and cleared his throat. "Uh, it's my exercise routine. Yes, I'm exercising because my back and hips have been hurting lately," Liu Xiao replied, feigning nonchalance and nodding.

At that moment, Liu Xiao wished he could vanish and be reborn as a tree to escape the mortification—especially in front of Shi Xuan! He dreaded that Shi Xuan would now see him as a madman and cease calling him 'Gege.'

Meanwhile, Shi Xuan was grinning as he took hold of Liu Xiao's wrist, leading him gently away. Stunned, Liu Xiao could only reflect on his past embarrassing actions as he mentally sought forgiveness for his cringe-worthy behavior while allowing Shi Xuan to guide him.

As the years pass, I'm slowly destroying the original "Liu Xiao's" beautiful and elegant image. I wonder what he will do to me once he sees the things I did. Will he choke me, kill me, or maybe hang me up in the middle of starving demons or throw me on an atonement cliff full of negative energy? Just thinking about it scares me!

"You bastard! How dare you return here after beheading my subordinates? "Liu Xiao was taken aback as he observed a man seated on a large, opulent golden bed. The man had green hair, adorned with a bandana across his forehead. His unusually light purple eyes appeared formidable, and his eyebrows were sharply defined. His expression was that of someone who would not hesitate to murder at a moment's notice.

"Master, it's him! We attempted to intimidate him, but out of nowhere, he began to dance like a fool in the middle of the hall!" A small girl pointed accusingly at Liu Xiao. Other children, clutching a drum, flute, and zither, also gazed at him with bewilderment.

Feeling his face grow hot with embarrassment, Liu Xiao retorted to the child, "It's not dancing; it's exercising! I'm dealing with arthritis these days, okay?!"

The green-haired man turned his gaze towards Liu Xiao, eyeing him curiously, his sharp and slender eyebrows arching upward. Shi Xuan regarded him with a lazy stare before pulling Liu Xiao behind him.

Surveying his surroundings, Liu Xiao noted the pervasive stench of demonic qi and the scattered human skeletons. His attention then shifted back to the green-haired man, who seemed poised for combat with Shi Xuan. Upon closer inspection, the green-haired man and Shi Xuan appeared to be of similar age, perhaps fifteen or sixteen.

A swirling mass of black and green demonic qi emanated from the green-haired man as he gritted his teeth and glared at Shi Xuan. They were on the verge of leaping into battle when Liu Xiao exclaimed, "Hey—you were that giant snake on Shen Hua Mountain! Did you think I'd forget your demonic qi just because it changed colors?!"

Liu Xiao gently pushed Shi Xuan aside and advanced toward the green-haired individual. He unleashed his orange spiritual qi, enveloping the green-haired figure with it. The latter stood petrified, and soon a sensation of warmth overtook him, transforming slowly into a dark green serpent. In a diminutive voice, he protested to Liu Xiao, "HOW DARE YOU! TO THINK THAT I, WEN YONG, WOULD BE REDUCED TO A GREEN SNAKE?!"

Rolling his eyes, Liu Xiao gave Wen Yong a light tap. "Stop your pretense! This is your actual form! Now, you're accompanying me. You've become my second pet, following the tiny snake." Wen Yong, now a dark green snake, writhed in an attempt to escape, his shrill voice declaring, "I WILL NOT SURRENDER TO YOU! END MY LIFE NOW! DO IT!" Unperturbed, Liu Xiao responded with a roll of his eyes, "Quiet! I have no intention of ending you! You're destined to be my pet!"

Internally, Liu Xiao was smirking and chuckling to himself. After concluding his secluded cultivation previously, he had sought out the colossal serpent that had assailed them in the Shen Hua Mountains with the intent of subjugating it as his pet. To his surprise, not only had he discovered it, but who could have anticipated that the serpent had evolved into a demon cult leader? And even more astonishingly, into a child!

"HEY PRETTY MAN! RELEASE OUR LEADER! WE WILL BITE YOU!" bellowed the young girl, her tiny fists pummeling Liu Xiao.

Contemplatively gazing at them, Liu Xiao channeled spiritual qi into his dimension ring and drew the children inside. "You guys will be my additional pets."

Wen Yong continued to shout, but Liu Xiao ignored him. Turning to Shi Xuan, who was silently observing, Liu Xiao received a smile and a suggestion to return home: "Gege, let's go back." Acknowledging with a blink, Liu Xiao nodded.

Upon their return, they headed directly for the narrow path previously taken by Bai Lan, Chen Yi, Shan Ling, and Lan Yang. The group's gaze shifted to Shi Xuan and then to the dark green snake in Liu Xiao's grasp. "What have you found this time?" Chen Yi inquired with an eye roll.

"I just got a new pet aside from a tiny human snake," Liu Xiao replied briefly.

The quartet regarded Liu Xiao as if he were an oddity before turning their attention to a woman who was panting and bleeding profusely. Kneeling beside her, Liu Xiao posed a question: "Madam, may I ask you something?" He proceeded to reveal Wen Yong in his grip, adding, "I have your leader here."

After several labored breaths, the woman responded with a raspy voice, "He is not... our leader... Wen Yong is merely a... celestial demon..." As the snake burst into laughter and proclaimed the imminent release of demons from high to low grade upon the collection of all underground gates, Liu Xiao observed it with amusement.

The revelation left Liu Xiao in shock. Shi Xuan glared fiercely as the dark snake continued its tirade. "YOU FIEND! I WILL DEFEAT YOU EVEN IN THIS FORM! I WILL—MPH!" Suddenly silenced by Shi Xuan, all eyes turned towards him.

Liu Xiao paused before addressing the four. "Wait here, I'll speak with Shi Xiao." He then placed Wen Yong inside his dimensional ring and led Shi Xuan to a secluded spot. With a look of confusion, Liu Xiao asked, "Have you been pretending all along?"

Shi Xuan's complexion turned pale as he shook his head vigorously. "No, I merely concealed my true form. My feelings for Gege are genuine! I swear it!" Liu Xiao furrowed his brow and exhaled deeply. "Then reveal your true self. I cannot tolerate deceit. If you attempt to fool me, I may never forgive you," Liu Xiao declared.

With a resigned sigh, Shi Xuan removed a jade bracelet inlaid with two gold bands from each wrist. His body began to transform, revealing his true form bit by bit. Suddenly, Liu Xiao's expression of bewilderment shifted to one of shock, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. Overcome with recognition, he involuntarily spoke the person's name.

"W-Wu Qingge?"

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Wen Yong
文勇 |