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“Shen Liu,”
“Brother Shen Xiang,”
“Daddy~”
Shen Liuxiang noticed the unfamiliar addresses mixed in and looked around, his gaze locking onto the person opposite him. “Who are you calling brother?”
“Of course, it’s you,” Zhao Lin looked at him and said, “Brother Shen Xiang.”
Shen Liuxiang: “?”
After waking up, why was there suddenly someone calling him brother?
Shen Liuxiang pursed his lips and said nothing, feeling that the scene was strangely familiar. He glanced at Ning Runxin and others with different expressions, and his slender fingers gripped the sleeve. At this moment, he just wanted to be quiet.
Then, his sleeve was pulled away from his fingertips.
Without any mercy.
Zhou Xuanlan rolled up his sleeves, walked calmly a dozen steps away, sat down, and started meditating with closed eyes.
Shen Liuxiang blinked, not understanding.
Seeing that his disciple’s mood was not right, he thought of going over to check, but as soon as he stood up, he was stuck by the chubby little one.
“Daddy, where are you going? Don’t leave Bu Bu.”
“I’m just taking a walk, let go.”
Shen Bu Bu refused to let go, saying, “Daddy, last time you left me, you said the same thing.”
Shen Liuxiang remembered his childhood experience, his heart softened, and he was about to pick up the little chubby. But before he could make a move, his arm was held by someone.
“Brother Shen Xiang,” Zhao Lin’s face turned slightly pale, “why are you ignoring me?”
“Of course, he’s ignoring you,” Ning Runxin folded his hands behind his back, snorted coldly, “He is Shen Liu, not Shen Xiang. You’ve mistaken the person.”
Zhao Lin frowned and, recalling Ning Runxin’s excessive attention to Shen Liuxiang, suddenly realized.
“Senior Uncle has been searching for Shen Xiang for many years?!”
Ning Runxin corrected him, “He’s called Shen Liu.”
Shen Bu Bu puzzledly said, “But Daddy, didn’t you call yourself Shen Xiang Xiang?”
Zhao Lin said, “I think Senior Uncle might have remembered it wrongly. Shen Xiang were the words he said himself.”
Ning Runxin coldly said, “Junior Nephew might have misremembered when he was young. Shen Liu were the words he personally wrote and showed to me.”
Shen Bubu pouted unhappily, “You’re all wrong. Daddy wouldn’t lie to me.”
The three of them refused to believe that the names they received were fake, and they argued heatedly, almost coming to blows.
Ye Bingran furrowed his eyebrows, his gaze coldly falling on the young man who was trying to slip away.
“Stop right there. Who are you really?”
One question woke everyone up.
Suddenly, they all realized that the young man’s appearance and demeanor had not changed in many years, which could only mean that the person they saw back then and the one in front of them were both using magical disguises.
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Shen Liuxiang didn’t hesitate and turned to run.
Shen Liuliu’s reputation being ruined was not a big deal.
But if his identity was exposed in front of everyone, he could already imagine the rumors that would sweep through the cultivation world.
#Shen Xianjun abandoned his wife and child, and the Ginseng Baby travels a thousand miles to find his father.#
#The Sword Sect’s Junior Uncle cut off all ties and loyalty for him.#
#That night, Ye Bingran endured the attacks from Ning Runxin and Zhao Lin, and the three giants of the sword sect died and the net broke#
#One foot in three boats, Shen Daji (1)#
Shen Liuxiang’s footsteps were already lightning-fast, but they were no match for the group of swordsmen. Whooshing sounds filled the air from behind as three swords with cold glints were thrust into the ground, forming a small array that trapped him inside.
“Brother Shen Xiang, who you are and what you look like don’t matter to me,” Zhao Lin walked slowly towards him. “I’m only worried that one day I won’t recognize you on the opposite side, and I’ll end up hurting you.”
“I feel the same way,” Ning Runxin said. “Shen Liu, I’m only worried that I won’t find you again.”
Ye Bingran spoke coldly, “Why don’t you dare to show your true face.”
Involving their Senior Uncle and Senior Brother, he didn’t have a good impression of the young man in front of him.
The three of them gradually closed in.
At this moment, a small figure came running from behind, passing through them and standing in front of them, full of anger.
“You guys are mean! You can’t threaten Daddy with your swords!!”
Shen Bu Bu was so angry that his cheeks puffed up, and the two golden leaves on top of his head collided, making a crisp sound as concentric circles of golden light spread out.
This made Ye Bingran and the others stop in their tracks.
Zhou Xuanlan opened his eyes and glanced at Shen Liuxiang, trapped in the three swords.
If his master disliked him, why bother with him?
It was better not to bother with him.
With this in mind, Zhou Xuanlan’s face turned cold. Nevertheless, he reached out and pulled the young man trapped in the sword formation out, saying, “This kind of low-level sword formation can only trap you, Master.”
Shen Liuxiang, who had been rejected by his disciple, felt like crying.
The original person’s home was in the sea, and he loved the waves. What did it have to do with him, Shen Liuxiang? Why did he have to deal with the aftermath?
Shen Liuxiang swallowed a mouthful of blood, pondered for a moment, and then turned around as if he had given up on himself, “Since I can’t hide it anymore, I’ll tell the truth.”
Zhou Xuanlan raised an eyebrow lightly.
His appearance and figure could change, but his cultivation level couldn’t. If it were known that Shen Liuxiang’s cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment stage, trouble would follow.
He hesitated, considering whether to stop his master from exposing his identity.
At this moment, he heard Shen Liuxiang say resolutely, “Actually, in my family, there are four brothers. The eldest is Shen Liu, the second is Shen Xiang Xiang, and the third is Shen Xiang.”
“As for me,”
Shen Liuxiang paused for a moment and showed a pitiful and helpless expression, almost choking up.
“I am the youngest in the family, Shen Liuliu. I am really not the person you are looking for.”
After saying this, he looked up and found that everyone’s faces were showing the same phrase: “We don’t believe you!”
Shen Liuxiang squinted his eyes and glanced at Ling Ye, without any panic. “If you don’t believe me, you can find someone to check if I’ve used any disguise techniques.”
Ling Ye immediately stepped forward, and his hand promptly pressed against Shen Liuxiang. “Since you are a disciple of Qingling, I’ll be the one to check.”
As the head of the Qing Ling Sect, Ling Ye’s credibility was completely trusted by everyone, so they all watched as Ling Ye stretched out his hand and squeezed Shen Liuxiang’s left cheek and then the right cheek, with a faint smile at the corners of his lips.
“I don’t see any traces of disguise.”
A commotion broke out all around. More than 90% of them believed what Shen Liuxiang had said earlier.
After all, Ling Ye, as the sect master, had no reason to hide the identity of a junior disciple and tarnish his own reputation.
“It’s Daddy,” Shen Bubu wrinkled his face. “He smells just like daddy.”
Upon hearing this, Ning Runxin became even more suspicious in his heart, but Ling Ye had already checked once. If he asked for another check, it would be an insult to Ling Ye’s face, which was definitely inappropriate.
Ye Bingran and Zhao Lin had the same thoughts.
While they were caught in a dilemma, the man who had been standing on the sidelines watching the commotion smiled and walked slowly towards Shen Liuxiang.
“Many years ago, I met a cultivator who used the disguise technique to perfection. Even someone like Master Ling wouldn’t be able to see through it.”
The man, Lan Xiaosheng, stood in front of Shen Liuxiang and smiled politely. “Coincidentally, he taught me a few moves, which can detect any disguise technique in the world.”
After speaking, he reached out his hand.
Shen Liuxiang wanted to step back but found that his body was immobilized.
Lan Xiaosheng’s eyes carried a warning, and his fingers pressed firmly on Shen Liuxiang’s face without giving him any room to refuse.
Shen Liuxiang felt his heart turn cold.
He began to think about how to handle the situation, but unexpectedly, when Lan Xiaosheng’s gaze fell on his face, his expression changed.
“No disguise technique,” Lan Xiaosheng turned around and said decisively.
Ning Runxin and the others were all stunned.
Shen Liuxiang was also dumbfounded.
With Lan Xiaosheng’s cultivation, it was impossible not to notice, so why was he helping him conceal it?
Seeing Shen Liuxiang’s bewildered expression, a faint smile appeared in Lan Xiaosheng’s eyes. He released his grip on Shen Liuxiang’s face and instead put his hand on Shen Liuxiang’s head, his five fingers with distinct joints gently rubbing his hair.
“I see that you have potential. Why not leave Qingling and join my Sword Sect?”
Everyone present: He’s openly poaching disciples. Is this how the Sword Sect’s Master operates?!
Sword Sect disciples: This is really annoying. Shen Liuliu must have been blessed in his past life. It’s one thing for the Senior Uncle and Senior Brother, but now even the Sect Master is favoring him like this.
Shen Liuxiang was puzzled and looked closely at the man in front of him. From the other’s gentle and indifferent demeanor, he could faintly sense a touch of affection.
Shen Liuxiang: “?”
At this moment, the image of the round altar appeared, and everyone immediately returned to their original positions.
In the second half of the debate, Daoist Jianzhen was in high spirits. He talked from the night until dawn, and from dawn until dusk. When it finally ended, Shen Liuxiang could no longer keep his eyes open, propping up his eyelids with his fingertips.
At first, he wanted to bury his head and sleep, but he was squeezed around by the people, ending up right under Master Jianzhen’s eyelids.
There was no way he could sleep.
Moreover, he didn’t know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that during the debate, Master Jianzhen’s gaze fell on him from time to time, as if he was scrutinizing him.
So Shen Liuxiang propped up his eyelids with all his might.
After leaving the Wuxing Altar, Shen Liuxiang carried Shen Bu Bu and immediately returned to his lodging.
Shen Bu Bu clung to his neck and shed tears of joy and gratitude. “Daddy didn’t forget me. Bu Bu is so happy.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t forget you,” Shen Liuxiang placed Shen Bu Bu on the bed, covered him with a blanket, and then took out a soft pillow, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Go to sleep. I’ll watch over you here.”
Shen Bubu sniffled and his eyes turned red. “Daddy is so good.”
Shen Liuxiang responded with an affectionate smile.
Shen Bu Bu quickly fell asleep. With his eyes closed, the room was filled with the sound of small snores.
Shen Liuxiang’s lips curled up.
Shen Liuxiang pulled the thin quilt over Shen Bubu’s head, covering him tightly, and then stuffed some clothes under the blanket.
After disguising Shen Bubu, Shen Liuxiang picked up the soft pillow and quickly ran to the adjacent room. He was certain that he would be disturbed tonight, and he wanted to find a quiet place to sleep.
Disciples from various sects gradually returned to their lodgings. Zhao Lin couldn’t find Shen Liuxiang at the Wuxing Altar, so without hesitation, he went to Qingling’s residence.
He stood in front of the tightly closed door and said, “Shen Xiang, can I come in?”
There was no response from inside the room.
Zhao Lin waited silently for a moment. “I have something to talk to you about.”
Despite the testimony of the two Qing Ling Sect Masters, Zhao Lin still felt that he hadn’t made a mistake. He didn’t understand why the other person pretended not to recognize him. So he came to confirm.
The room remained quiet for a long time.
Zhao Lin concentrated his mind and heard rhythmic snores. Immediately, he understood that the person on the bed was already asleep.
He thought to himself that he didn’t expect Shen Xiang to snore so cutely.
Like a child.
The night was filled with hot air, and Zhao Lin’s eyebrows twitched. He was worried that the person on the bed might feel suffocated under the blanket, so he was preparing to lift it up a little.
Just then, another figure appeared in the room. “Master asked me to stay here for a while. You’re quick.”
Zhao Lin bowed and called him Senior Uncle.
Zhou Xuanlan returned to the courtyard, only to find that Shen Liuxiang’s room door was wide open. He walked in and glanced around, his face turning dark.
Master was curled up and sleeping under the blanket, while Ning Runxin and Zhao Lin sat on both sides of the tea table, each holding a teacup. Their gazes were fixed on the bed, and they seemed to be in some kind of standoff.
Zhou Xuanlan’s face turned colder as he pondered for a moment.
Then he turned around and left.
He was just a disciple and had no right to chase them away.
Back in his room, Zhou Xuanlan closed the door with slightly tightened fingertips. He hesitated for a moment before finally slamming it shut.
He lowered his eyelids and walked toward the bed, suddenly feeling that something was off.
There were a pair of familiar shoes placed on the ground. When he looked up, he saw a young man lying on the bed, with his delicate and black hair scattered on the bedsheet.
His dark lashes lightly drooped, and he slept peacefully and serenely.
Zhou Xuanlan was taken aback.
Master was here, but who was lying on the bed next door?
He paused for a moment, then crouched down beside the bed. His dark eyes stared at Shen Liuxiang’s face for a long time, and his thin lips moved slightly as he let out a soft sigh.
“Does Master truly hate me?”
Shen Liuxiang had slept deeply for a day and a night, but he vaguely sensed someone approaching his bed.
He half-opened his eyes and met a pair of pitch-black, deep eyes.
He vaguely remembered that he had gone to Zhou Xuanlan’s room to sleep to avoid being disturbed by Ning Runxin and the others.
A lingering consciousness rang an alarm bell in his mind.
— Worried about being thrown out by his disciple.
Shen Liuxiang tightly held onto the quilt, and his slender body moved slightly toward the inside of the bed, turning his face slightly to create more space on the pillow.
He vaguely opened his mouth, half-asleep and half-awake, his lazy voice filled with a charming softness.
“Don’t chase me away,” he murmured.
“Half of the pillow is yours, is that okay?”
T/N: One can only dream to act so skillfully as Immortal Shen!
(1) – Daji comes from the Chinese name “妲己” (Dá jǐ). Daji was a mythical fox spirit and concubine of the last Shang Dynasty Emperor Zhou Xin dating back to the 11th century BC. She is considered a classic example of how a beautiful femme fatale can cause the downfall of a dynasty. As the story goes, following the invasion of Yousu and taking Daji as his prize, King Zhou neglected his stately affairs for her. Because of her power and influence over King Zhou, she was believed to be the incarnation of a nine-tailed fox. (it is a very interesting read if anyone is interested: Daji ). Anyways, Immortal Shen is referred to as ‘Daji’ due to his ability to capture the attention of the 3 giants in the Sword Sect amongst others!