“If my choice was not wrong, would I be able to roam the ends of the earth as a carefree butterfly?”
“But if my wings are broken and I am kept in this pitch-black cage, where is my path ahead, where is my freedom?”
“Master, can you tell your disciple?”
Two lines of clear tears trickled down from the corners of Wang Xuanyi's eyes. His emotions were raw and genuine, like a drifting leaf in the wind. He displayed his melancholic temperament to the absolute fullest.
That was, of course, assuming he wasn't currently tied up.
If he weren't, there might have been a trace of pity-inducing, lonely-living sorrow.
“Sigh,” Wang Xuanyi sighed as he looked at his indifferent master. “Master, you're giving me the cold shoulder again.”
As he spoke, he began to sing.
“Thinking back to those years, my tears never dried~”
Thud!
A fist packed with love immediately greeted Wang Xuanyi's hard skull. Under the force of this punch, his head deformed, almost twisting into a ball.
“You little brat! You repeatedly skipped the Immortal Sprout Assembly over the past few days, making this old man lose all face, and you still have the nerve to say I'm giving you the cold shoulder, huh?!!”
Mo Yan pinched Wang Xuanyi's cheek with one hand, squeezing it hard. Anger was hidden beneath his calm smile.
Hearing this, Wang Xuanyi immediately averted his gaze and muttered, “Old geezer, I already told you I was feeling unwell. Why did you have to force me?”
“Heh, you're a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator, and you're afraid of a mere illness?”
“!”
Cold sweat broke out on Wang Xuanyi's forehead. Only after his master pointed it out did he realize how ridiculous and absurd his excuse was.
“See? Who is giving who the cold shoulder?”
Faced with his master's questioning, Wang Xuanyi chose to remain silent, not even daring to meet his gaze.
Then, Mo Yan released his grip and added, “Our Tianzhu Peak has few people. It wasn't easy to come across a batch of good prospects. You must help me pick a disciple so that the previous situation doesn't happen again.”
At the mention of this, Wang Xuanyi pouted in dissatisfaction and whispered under his breath, “Wasn't that caused by you, old geezer? Who else is there to blame?”
“Hmm? Do you want a beating?”
“Yes, Master! Your disciple will definitely complete the task!”
He changed his face faster than flipping a page.
The minor commotion on Tianzhu Peak also caught the attention of the other Peak Masters. Seeing how harmonious the relationship between Wang Xuanyi and Mo Yan was, they couldn't help but feel envious.
Of course, the most envious was none other than the Sect Master.
Between the other Peak Masters and their disciples, there were more or less some communication barriers. Every year, quite a few disciples chose to leave because they were dissatisfied with their masters' favoritism.
But Tianzhu Peak had almost none in the past twenty years.
Except for that eldest disciple who was hailed as the most promising successor to Mo Yan—Lin Ang.
“Junior Brother, Xuanyi has a good temperament,” the Sect Master said, looking at Wang Xuanyi's departing back. “Compared to the other disciples, Xuanyi is much more lively and cheerful.”
Hearing this, Mo Yan deflated like a popped balloon and cupped his hands. “This kid only has that going for him. He's useless at everything, eats everything in sight, and is number one at vexing this old man to death.”
“Haha...”
The Sect Master laughed and teased, “How about... we arrange for Wang Xuanyi to join Tianyun Peak?”
“No way. That kid is wild by nature, reckless, and immature. Rather than letting the Peak Master of Tianyun Peak bear the burden, it's better to let my old bones move around a bit more,” Mo Yan immediately objected.
What was he thinking? He had raised this kid for over ten years; how could he just give him away?
Speaking of which, it was also strange.
When the Peak Master of Tianyun Peak found the child Wang Xuanyi at the foot of Guyun Mountain back then, she saw that his talent was decent. Thinking that he was fated with her, she brought him back to the sect.
Normally, whoever picked up a talented child would be responsible for them, and Wang Xuanyi should have joined the Peak Master of Tianyun Peak's lineage. Unfortunately, he refused.
Still a child, Wang Xuanyi had chosen Mo Yan without hesitation, even affectionately calling him "Grandpa.”
Mo Yan, who had no children of his own, was drawn to Wang Xuanyi's innocent and romantic nature, so he took in his second disciple.
To be precise, his second grandson.
His eldest grand—eldest disciple was gentle, elegant, and a true gentleman. He had read widely since childhood and was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He was practically the most obedient child in the world, loved by everyone.
The only drawback was his mediocre cultivation.
After suffering a lot of cold shoulder and ridicule, he eventually eloped with a demoness.
Despite Mo Yan's attempts to persuade him and block many rumors, his eldest disciple's love had blossomed, and he insisted on marrying no one but the demoness, following her away.
As for his younger grandson...
Forget it, Mo Yan didn't want to say more.
On the other side, Wang Xuanyi took Zhu Huai away from the main platform, found a corner of the assembly, and slumped down. Along the way, he pulled out a bunch of snacks from his storage ring, eating while watching.
“Xuanyi, do you see any promising prospects at this Immortal Sprout Assembly?”
A crisp and pleasant voice reached Wang Xuanyi's ears. Looking toward the source, a figure who combined both beauty and strength, surrounded by others like a moon among stars, walked over slowly.
The Peak Master of Tianyun Peak, Xiao Hongye.
She was the youngest Peak Master in history, and the first invincible person in nearly a thousand years to be hailed as the most likely to break through the limits and become an Eternal True Immortal.
Behind her was a cold-faced young girl whose beauty was already top-tier, faintly carrying a country-ruining allure.
There was also a calm-looking, gentle girl whose appearance was not inferior to the former.
“Martial Aunt,” Wang Xuanyi stood up and saluted, his attitude polite and respectful, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
She had saved his life; he couldn't possibly be impolite.
At the same time, this was also one of the reasons why Wang Xuanyi had refused to attend this Immortal Sprout Assembly.
She had saved him, so the seed of karma had already been planted. No matter how Wang Xuanyi tried to escape, he couldn't sever that invisible, untouchable thread.
But nothing had happened yet, so there was still a possibility of salvation.
Since there was a layer of karma between him and Xiao Hongye, he couldn't have too much involvement with her, let alone associate with the disciples behind her.
Therefore, she was only his Martial Aunt, not his master.
“Sit down. Your Martial Aunt hasn't seen you in a long time either. I brought back quite a few local specialties from Yunzhou this time. Would you like to try some?”
As Xiao Hongye spoke, she pulled Wang Xuanyi to sit beside her. This instantly caused a commotion among the surrounding disciples, who cast envious glances one after another.
Wang Xuanyi immediately stood up and saluted. “Thank you for your kindness, Martial Aunt, but your disciple still has a task from Master and cannot stay here for too long.”
With that, Wang Xuanyi took Zhu Huai and left, moving to another side.
No joke, when it came to things that could cost him his life, he couldn't afford to be careless.
Moreover, from the moment Xiao Hongye pulled him, that gaze in the venue had already swept over, along with the two unfriendly glares from behind Xiao Hongye.
“Hmph, trying to drag this young master into a high-end game to be tortured?”
“Let me tell you, not a chance.”
“Even though you saved my life and I owe you a debt of gratitude, I am still not going to be a part of your little game. I have awakened; I am no longer a seasoning to enhance your feelings, but an independent individual.”
“Heh heh~”
Thinking of this, the corners of Wang Xuanyi's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
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