The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - Chap 154
This was not good. When Nangong Liu came in, Madam Wang, Xue Meng, and Xue Zhengyong immediately stood up and greeted him politely.
But Chu Wanning was not in the mood, so he still stood by the window.
As for Mo Ran, in his previous life, Confucian Wind Sect was just a shabby sect that he flattened. Even if it looked beautiful on the outside, he knew that underneath it was only a plate of loose sand, and there was nothing to be afraid of. But he really did not mean to embarrass Nangong Liu. He was just used to it, so he did not even think about standing up.
This scene was a little strange.
As the host and elder, Nangong Liu stood there with a pleasant smile. He was not angry, and his face was still full of warm familiarity.
But as a guest and a junior, Mo Ran’s lazy sitting posture was caught red-handed. He crossed his legs and leaned against the chair, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.
Xue Zhengyong did not notice Mo Ran’s movements just now, so when he turned around, he could not help but feel embarrassed.
This Mo Ran was too unruly!
“This is … the famous Grandmaster Mo in recent years, right?”
Mo Ran did not drink his tea. He closed the lid and looked up, saying, “Yes.”
“Heroes really do come from —”
Mo Ran interrupted him and said with a smile, “Emperor Nangong, heroes come from the youth. You have already used this phrase on my cousin, so don’t use it on me, okay?”
His tone was gentle, and his smile was gentle, as if he was very polite. But the content of his words was not the least bit polite. He did not even stand up. After saying this, he picked up the teacup again, scraped the edge of the cup with the small celadon lid, and then blew away the mist that curled up in spirals.
He lowered his thick and long eyelashes, closed his eyes, and unhurriedly took a sip of tea.
He was young, handsome, tall, and calm. His bearing made it seem as if he was the true master of the Confucian Wind Sect, the one who stood at the pinnacle of the entire cultivation world, and Nangong Liu was nothing more than a dog beneath him.
“Haha, you’re right, Grandmaster Mo. It’s just that I can’t think of a better way to put it, so —”
“What are you saying?” Mo Ran put down his teacup and looked up with a smile. “Ever since Emperor Nangong entered this room, he has said a lot of good things. If the Immortal Emperor doesn’t know how to speak, who can claim to know how to speak?”
“Aiya, I dare not accept Grandmaster Mo’s praise.”
“Who said I was praising you?” Mo Ran looked at him with his bright black eyes and smiled. “Sometimes, it’s not necessarily a good thing to be too good with words.”
Xue Zhengyong couldn’t take it anymore. He lowered his voice and said, “Ran ‘er —!”
In his opinion, it was excusable for Chu Wanning and Nangong Liu to turn against each other. At least Chu Wanning had the right to do so, but Mo Ran …
Mo Ran ignored Xue Zhengyong and said to Nangong Liu, “Emperor Nangong, save these compliments for the other juniors. I’m a rough man, so I don’t understand and I don’t want to hear it.”
Xue Zhengyong was speechless.
Mo Ran certainly knew that his uncle would be unhappy with his words, but he didn’t regret it.
There were too many disgusting things in the world. Chu Wanning had a fiery temper and was always willing to be the first one to stand out. A long time ago, when he was killing demons in Luo Xianxian’s residence, Chu Wanning disregarded his own reputation and beat up Minister Chen, who was the client, because the Chen family bullied a weak woman.
Chu Wanning didn’t do anything wrong, but he was always criticized by others, saying that he was “cold-blooded”, “reckless”, and “unreasonable”.
Mo Ran didn’t want others to say that his master was “impolite”.
Therefore, he would rather do more than Chu Wanning. He could only use such a stupid method to protect Chu Wanning behind him. Therefore, in this room, the three of them accepted Nangong Liu’s flattery and kindness out of courtesy, but Mo Ran didn’t.
This wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. Ever since he knew that it was Chu Wanning who carried him back from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, he had crawled back. Ever since he saw the wisp of human soul in the Meng Po Lobby and the bowl of wontons. Ever since he went to the depths of hell and rescued Chu Wanning, he swore —
As long as Chu Wanning was willing, he would stand together with Chu Wanning from now on.
Nangong Liu touched the wall twice in a row. If it were another sect’s leader, he would have flipped the table in anger and driven the guests away.
But Nangong Liu didn’t. He just acted as if nothing had happened. He happily said a few words to Xue Zhengyong, which made Xue Zhengyong feel very embarrassed. He pulled Nangong Liu aside and apologized in a low voice, saying that he didn’t discipline his nephew well.
Nangong Liu laughed and said, “Oh, young people, who doesn’t have some courage? I think Grandmaster Mo is really a man of character. He’s very good. ”
After meeting with Nangong Liu, the disciples of Confucian Wind Sect led the group to another courtyard to rest.
Mo Ran sneezed all the way. Xue Meng turned to look at him. “Don’t tell me you were cursed by Sect Leader Nangong because of your bad mouth just now …”
“Go away, you’re the one who’s cursed.” Mo Ran’s eyes were filled with tears. “I … achoo, I can’t smell the incense that’s too strong. That room just now … achoo! The smell of the incense was too … achoo! Too … ”
“It smelled too bad.”
“Ah, Master — achoo — Zun.”
Chu Wanning handed him a handkerchief and frowned in disgust. “Wipe it, it doesn’t look good.”
With tears in his eyes, Mo Ran took the handkerchief embroidered with begonias with a smile. “Master still cares about me. Thank you, Master.”
Chu Wanning was a little embarrassed by his words. “Who cares about you?”
“That’s right!” Xue Meng was unconvinced. “Who cares about you? Master clearly cares about me the most!”
Mo Ran was a little disdainful. “You’re already so old, yet you’re still comparing yourself with others.” He turned to the handkerchief in his hand and said seriously, “Look, Master promised to embroider an identical one for me. Do you have one?”
“… …” Chu Wanning snatched the handkerchief and said sternly, “Mo Weiyu!”
Xue Meng was stunned at first, then he became angry. “Only a fool would believe that Master would embroider a handkerchief for you. Even in your dreams, you wouldn’t do that. You’re so shameless.”
As the group chatted, they arrived at the side courtyard that Nangong Liu had arranged for them. The side courtyard had four entrances. Xue Zhengyong and Madame Wang entered, while the other three each entered. The winding paths led to a secluded place, with the shadows of flowers dancing and the sound of running water ceaselessly echoing. It was elegant and unique.
Mo Ran had been fine just a moment ago, but when he saw that he was going to live in this courtyard, his entire body froze. As he hesitated, his eyes unconsciously became clouded with a layer of gray. When he followed the group into the side courtyard and saw the bricks, tiles, grass, trees, and rocks, his mood became increasingly gloomy.
This was one of the places that had left a deep impression on him in his previous life’s Confucian Wind Sect.
Now that he was here again, he couldn’t help but think that if Chu Wanning hadn’t exchanged his life for his in this life, perhaps he would still have taken his old path and become the Emperor Ta. Then, by this time, he would have led his millions of precious chess pieces and razed a generation of famous sects to the ground. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat. For a moment, thousands of thoughts surged into his chest.
Mo Ran closed his eyes. He was able to control his emotions. He was no longer the sharp youth of the past, so no one could see the haze shrouding his heart.
They all returned to their rooms to rest. Mo Ran stood in front of the side courtyard that had been left for him. He stood there for a while with his hands behind his back, but he didn’t push the door open to enter.
The maid in the courtyard was a bit uneasy. She cautiously asked, “Is Immortal Master not satisfied with this room?”
“Oh, no.” Mo Ran returned to his senses and smiled. “I feel that this courtyard is very similar to a place I used to live in, so I was reminded of the place.”
“That’s really a coincidence. This servant thought that Immortal Master didn’t like this place. If Immortal Master has other requests, you only need to tell this servant. This servant will do my best to do it for Immortal Master. ”
Mo Ran smiled. “I don’t have anything to do. You can go about your business.”
After he finished speaking, he raised his head and looked at the hundred-year-old cassia tree in the courtyard. The tree’s shadow was like a ghost from his previous life brushing past his eyelashes.
His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he felt a chill in his heart.
Suddenly, he turned around and called out to the maid who was about to leave. “Wait!”
“Does Immortal Master have any other orders?”
“… I want to ask you about someone.” Mo Ran paused, then raised his eyes. His gaze was like a torch. “Do you know, there’s a …”
“What?”
“Forget it, let’s not ask about this. Ask another question.” Mo Ran said, “Do you know where Ye Wangxi is?”
The maid said, “Young Master Ye is Elder Xu’s direct disciple. He lives in the same courtyard as Elder Xu. If Immortal Master wants to see him, you can go there.”
When Mo Ran heard this, he secretly sighed in relief. The last time he met Ye Wangxi was at the restaurant. Ye Wangxi begged Nangong Si to go back with him, but Nangong Si refused. Ye Wangxi said, “If it’s because of me and you don’t want to go back to the Confucian Wind Sect, then I’ll go.”
He actually missed Ye Wangxi. He felt that Ye Wangxi had suffered enough in his previous life. Ye Wangxi and Chu Wanning were actually very similar. They were both gentlemen who would die nine deaths without regret. It was just that one was reserved, while the other was passionate. However, neither of them had a good ending.
Mo Ran felt regret for his past actions, so he hoped that Ye Wangxi could have a better life in this life. He couldn’t help but rejoice. Fortunately, Nangong Si wasn’t so heartless as to drive Ye Wangxi away.
Elder Xu’s courtyard was called the “Three Lives Courtyard”. It was said that it was named after the meaning of “Drinking Meng Po’s Water, Forgetting Three Lives”. Elder Xu wanted to express how long a person could live in this world. The things that should be forgotten should be forgotten as early as possible. Don’t let it add to your worries. In any case, after you die, you won’t remember anything when you reach the Bridge of Helplessness.
He sounded like a very pessimistic person. No wonder he taught Ye Wangxi, a taciturn gourd who couldn’t even fart after being beaten with three sticks.
“Interesting. This parrot is really clever. Come, carry it a bit more. A bowl of food, a ladle of drink, in a shabby alley …”
He asked the guard to report the purpose of his visit. Before he could go around the screen wall, he heard a man’s lazy laughter coming from the courtyard.
Mo Ran took a few steps forward and saw a man in his early thirties standing in the middle of the courtyard full of sunlight. That man was wearing plain clothes with several patches on the corners of his robe. It was a cold day, but he didn’t wear shoes. He stood barefoot on the cold stone floor, holding a handful of melon seeds in his hand. He was playing with a snow-white, blue-eyed parrot with a long tail.
The parrot flapped its wings left and right, swaying back and forth on the shelf. It seemed very proud of itself. It sang loudly, “Ah ~ a bowl of food ~ a ladle of drink ~ in a shabby alley ~”
“Hmm, good, not bad. You are smarter than Xiao Yezi. When Xiao Yezi was little, he wasn’t as good as you. He won’t be able to recite this verse no matter how hard he tried. “The man fed the parrot a handful of nuts.” Come, your Laozi will reward you. ”
“… … …”
This man called himself Laozi with a bird …
Does that mean he is a birdman?
The man turned his head and saw Mo Ran standing next to the screen wall. He first cracked a melon seed, then ate it. Then he suddenly smiled. His smile was brilliant, but there was also a hint of wilting. Under the bright sunlight, his whole person looked very confident.
“Mo Ran, Grandmaster Mo?” He smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
Mo Ran smiled and said, “Nice to meet you.”
After he smiled, he seriously looked at the man’s face. He felt that he seemed familiar. When he was slaughtering the Confucian Wind Sect in his previous life, he seemed to have seen this person. He was …
“Foster Father, why are you running around without shoes again?”
Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded. It was obviously a light sentence, but it sounded like thunder in his ears.
Mo Ran suddenly turned his head and saw Ye Wangxi coming out from behind the half-moon arch. He was still tall and slender, with gentle eyes. He was carrying a pair of bright yellow satin shoes. He walked in front of the youth and bent down to put them down.
Father?
Ye Wangxi’s father …
The blood in his heart rushed like a wolf and a boar. He could almost hear the cries and shouts from the other world, hear the clashing of swords and drums.
“Father!!!”
A bloodstained face suddenly appeared in his mind.
It was Ye Wangxi. Ye Wangxi was crying and shouting, his voice splitting the nine heavens … Back when he was slaughtering the Confucian Wind Sect, Nangong Liu ran away. The 72 cities were like a dragon without a leader, instantly falling into chaos. Later, the Confucian Wind Sect’s First Protector, Elder Xu, stepped forward bravely and organized the scattered sand. He gathered the disorderly soldiers that Mo Ran could have destroyed in an instant and resisted together with Ye Wangxi.
He was clearly not surnamed Nangong, but he did what a Nangong Sect Leader should do. As an Elder, he lived and died with the Confucian Wind Sect’s 72 cities.
He was clearly not Ye Wangxi’s biological father, but when the sharp blade filled with spiritual energy was about to pierce Ye Wangxi’s back, he stood in front of Ye Wangxi and used his flesh and blood to protect the child that he had raised with his own hands.
At that time, Mo Ran was standing on the city wall and looking down. When he saw this scene, the corners of his mouth curved into a twisted smile — — Heavens knew how jealous he was at that time.
They were not related by blood, but there was actually someone in this world who was willing to die for another person!
His narrow-minded heart was shocked and pained. He was so jealous that it was like he was about to go crazy. His eyes were bloodshot.
He was thinking, ‘Good, very good, Ye Wangxi is really lucky. I, Mo Weiyu … … If in this boundless world, other than my mother, there is another person who is willing to die for me, Mo Weiyu, then how could I have reached this step today?!’
The heavens were good to everyone, but they were so stingy and vicious to him!
He wanted to destroy all the people he was jealous of, and let these people who huddled together for warmth all roll to hell. Why was he the only one who didn’t have a good day, and didn’t have a moment of warmth? The only person who was gentle to him was already dead.
He only had that little bit of warmth left. Who was she to take it away from him?!
He hated it!
“…”
Thinking back, Mo Ran only felt that he had been so foolish back then. In this world of mortals, there was clearly someone who was willing to die for him. He was the one who missed it. He was the one who let her down. He was the one who didn’t know.
Mo Ran closed his eyes and calmed the surging emotions in his heart. Only then did he look up again.
He knew who this man was. He was Ye Wangxi’s teacher and also Ye Wangxi’s adoptive father — Xu Shuanglin.
On the second day after the slaughter of Rufeng Men, he died in the flames of war while trying to save Ye Wangxi.
Mo Ran turned his head. His heart was bitter. He couldn’t bear to look at that confident and carefree person under the sun.
He went to greet Ye Wangxi.
“Young Master Ye.”
Only then did Ye Wangxi realize that Mo Ran was standing in the distance. He couldn’t help but be stunned. Then he smiled and said, “Ah, Brother Mo is also here. Long time no see.”
“Long time no see.”
In fact, Ye Wangxi had only met Mo Ran a few times in his life. He wasn’t very familiar with him, so he continued to smile and said, “Are you here to look for my adoptive father?”
“…” Mo Ran glanced at Xu Shuanglin. He was a little embarrassed. He shook his head and said, “No, I’m here to look for you.”
“Little Ye, how long has it been since someone came to this courtyard looking for you? It’s really not easy. ” Xu Shuanglin smiled lazily and stuffed another melon seed into his mouth. “Where did you meet Grandmaster Mo?”
“I met him in the Peach Blossom Spring.”
“That’s very good, that’s very good.” Xu Shuanglin smiled and threw the rest of the melon seeds into the bird food bowl. He said, “You young people can chat. I’ll go somewhere else first.”
Ye Wangxi pulled him back. “Adoptive Father, why aren’t you wearing shoes again?”
“Oh, I forgot.” Xu Shuanglin put on his shoes with a smile. He said, “This should be fine, right?”
But Mo Ran saw from the corner of his eye that this man leisurely walked to a corner. Then he bent down and took off his shoes. He actually put them into his clothes and walked away leisurely.
“…”
This father and son pair’s appearance and temperament were really very incompatible. Because of his cultivation technique, Xu Shuanglin looked very young. His face stayed at the age of thirty and wouldn’t age. He looked like Ye Wangxi’s brother.
If one looked at his temperament, this person was somewhat willful and mischievous. He didn’t look like an older brother, but more like Ye Wangxi’s younger brother.
So that dignified and dignified plaque outside the door, “Three Lives Courtyard”, was it just for fun?
Ye Wangxi and Mo Ran walked side by side along the shaded path.
This courtyard was planted with many flowers and fruit trees, but it was currently the middle of winter. Thousands of trees had withered, and only a few withered leaves hung on the treetops. When the wind blew, they swayed falteringly.
“My apologies. Last time at the restaurant, I made a fool of myself.”
“It’s nothing.” Mo Ran said, “How have you been these days?”
As soon as he said this, he felt a bit of regret. Because people like Ye Wangxi, even if they weren’t doing well, they wouldn’t say anything. As expected, Ye Wangxi smiled and said, “I’m alright. How about you?”
“I’m pretty good.”
The two of them were actually not that close. Mo Ran came to find him only because he thought of the enmity in his past life. He felt bad, so he wanted to see Ye Wangxi who was still alive. Now that he was really alone with Ye Wangxi, he didn’t know what to say.
Mo Ran knew Ye Wangxi’s many secrets, but these secrets couldn’t be said. He really didn’t have anything to talk about. The two of them strolled for a while. Ye Wangxi asked, “How’s Xia Si Ni?”
Mo Ran was stunned for a moment, then smiled, “You still remember this name? That’s amazing. ”
“His name is especially easy to remember.”
“Haha, that’s true. Xia Si Ni also came this time. You’ll be able to see him later.”
Ye Wangxi was slightly surprised, “He also came? … But the sect leader didn’t invite him … ”
“You still don’t know who Xia Si Ni is, right?” Mo Ran said with a smile, “Let me tell you, this is a long story.”
Thus, he explained the cause and effect of Chu Wanning being Xia Si Ni. After Ye Wangxi heard this, he was stunned for a while. He sighed and said, “How lucky is Young Master Mo to have this person as your teacher?”
Mo Ran said, “How lucky is the Confucian Wind Sect to have Young Master Ye as your disciple?”
Ye Wangxi was a bit embarrassed. He smiled slightly and said, “Young Master Mo is too kind.”
They walked to a small pontoon bridge painted with red wood. Along the way, there were only a few withered branches and withered leaves. Only this place was verdant and bright. The bamboo trees were proudly standing in the wind, their integrity unchanged. The Confucian Wind Sect’s water was infused with spiritual energy, so it wouldn’t freeze. Thus, standing at the head of the bridge, there was a gurgling stream under their feet.
Mo Ran turned around and saw Ye Wangxi looking down at the sparkling stream. His black eyes were constantly flickering. He was still the same person, but his face was haggard. In fact, anyone could see it.
Nangong Si’s marriage was really too cruel to him.
Suddenly, he couldn’t bear to see it. It was as if he saw Chu Wanning, who had sacrificed so much but didn’t receive a single glance from others. Mo Ran asked him, “Young Master Ye, why don’t you come to the Peak of Life and Death?”
“What?”
“…” He felt that his words were rash, but he also knew how Ye Wangxi would respond. Mo Ran sighed, “I was just asking casually. Young Master, you don’t have to take it to heart.”
Ye Wangxi smiled. Originally, his smile was handsome, seventy percent heroic, and thirty percent elegant. But now, he was the same person. He still had the same smile, but his cheekbones were slightly sunken. He was still seventy percent heroic, but thirty percent elegant had withered away. Only two pools of sadness remained.
He wanted to hide it, but that sadness was too deep. He used all his strength, but still couldn’t hide it well.
He smiled and said, “So Brother Mo is here to poach people on behalf of the Peak of Life and Death?”
“Haha, that’s right, that’s right. However, Young Master Ye probably won’t come, so it’s just a joke.”
“En, my adoptive father is still here, so I won’t leave.”
“What does Young Master plan to do from now on?”
“…” Ye Wangxi’s expression seemed to be pained, but he couldn’t immediately answer. What did he plan to do from now on? He also didn’t know. He felt like he was a moth, and Nangong Si was the light. He always wanted to follow the light, even if the consequences were to shatter into pieces.
But Nangong Si didn’t want him.
“That’s right, I’m still doing what I should do in the Confucian Wind Sect.” Ye Wangxi smiled and said, “Assisting the Sect Leader, assisting Adoptive Father, and in the future, assisting Young Master.”
He paused, his hands clenched into fists. His knuckles were as white as jade.
Mo Ran was shocked that Ye Wangxi was actually able to calmly say the last half of the sentence. He was actually able to say it …
“Assisting Young Madam.”
He finished speaking. As if he couldn’t bear it any longer, he lowered his eyes. But only for a moment, he raised his head again to look at Mo Ran respectfully and gracefully. His face was still smiling, and his entire person was like a slender bamboo standing in the cold winter.
Suddenly, a west wind blew, blowing up the snow that had accumulated in the bamboo forest. It fluttered in all directions like reeds.
In that instant, Mo Ran thought, no, Nangong Si can’t marry Song Qiutong.
