“I of course!!!” Luo Cheng’an put his hands on his hips, but after a pause, he deflated. “I can’t stop you, so, big brother~ please, I’m begging you, take me with you~”
Xi Yu walked out of the bathroom. Luo Cheng’an hooked his arm around Xi Yu’s and kept shaking it.
“Big brother~ please~ just take me with you~”
Xi Yu looked at Luo Cheng’an, his voice cold and serious.
“Wutong Village is extremely dangerous. Even I can’t guarantee that I’ll come out of there completely unharmed. You’re an ordinary human. If I can’t protect you, you’ll die there.”
“I’m not afraid of dying!” Luo Cheng’an said. “I want to be with you, big brother.”
Luo Cheng’an lowered his head.
“I don’t have many friends. The people in the entertainment industry look down on those who are less successful and suck up to those who are more successful. They don’t genuinely want to hang out with me now either. They just think there’s something to gain from me. From childhood until now, apart from my parents, you’re the only one who has sincerely wanted what’s best for me.”
Luo Cheng’an’s expression became very serious.
“So, big brother, take me with you.”
“Just take me with you～～～～Big brother～～～～～”
Luo Cheng’an whined and pleaded, dragging out his calls of “big brother” in every possible way.
Xi Yu looked at him for two seconds before saying, “Go pack your things.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Cheng’an jumped up excitedly and immediately ran toward his room.
“I’ll be ready soon! Big brother, wait for me!”
Xi Yu didn’t wait for him. He went downstairs, where Shen Qing and Luo Yuan were sitting and chatting. They both turned around when they saw him.
Xi Yu sat down opposite them and got straight to the point.
“Luo Cheng’an is coming with me.”
Luo Yuan hurriedly asked, “Did you agree?”
Xi Yu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. He looked at Luo Yuan and Shen Qing with some guilt.
The two of them knew how dangerous Wutong Village was. It was one thing for him to go there alone, but now he was taking Luo Cheng’an with him as well…
Xi Yu thought Shen Qing and Luo Yuan might blame him. He had already prepared himself to be lectured by them.
But unexpectedly, Shen Qing excitedly slapped Luo Yuan on the thigh.
“I told you Xiaoyu would take Cheng’an with him! You lost! Hurry up and buy the tickets to the Maldives!”
Luo Yuan scratched his head in frustration and looked at Xi Yu resentfully.
Xi Yu: ?
Xi Yu asked quietly, “You two…”
“You said last night that you were leaving, so your dad and I were planning to go on a trip to relax,” Shen Qing said with a mischievous grin. “We knew Cheng’an would definitely come looking for you. If he couldn’t stop you, he’d definitely insist on going with you. So we bet on whether you’d take him or not. Whoever won got to decide where we’d go for our vacation.”
Luo Yuan looked at Xi Yu as though he was disappointed in him.
“Couldn’t you just refuse him!? You’re going out to handle something important. Why are you bringing a burden along?”
“Who are you calling a burden!” Luo Cheng’an came running downstairs. “Is this how you talk about your own son?!”
Luo Yuan had been caught talking behind his son’s back. He guiltily hid behind Shen Qing.
“You two…” Xi Yu asked. “You’re not angry that I’m taking Luo Cheng’an to such a dangerous place?”
Shen Qing looked surprised.
“Why would we be angry? He’s the one who wants to go.”
Luo Cheng’an said, “Exactly, big brother. If anyone should be blamed, it should be me. You didn’t force me to go. How could they blame you?”
“What are you thinking, kid?” Luo Yuan looked at Xi Yu and said seriously, “You’re handling important business and taking the burden away with you, so you won’t disturb your mom and me’s time alone together. I’ll only be thanking you.”
Shen Qing shot Luo Yuan a sideways glance and spat, “Can you be serious for once?”
Luo Cheng’an widened his eyes.
“Who’s a burden? Who’s a burden!”
Xi Yu looked at the three of them and remained silent for a moment.
A rare feeling of reluctance welled up in his chest.
But he had to leave.
The family of four had breakfast together and talked for a while. Then Luo Yuan asked Xi Yu how they were going to leave.
This time, Xi Yu no longer concealed the fact that he knew magic.
Perhaps wanting to give Shen Qing and Luo Yuan some peace of mind, he was silent for a moment before softly saying that they would leave from his room.
Shen Qing froze.
Luo Yuan hadn’t reacted yet.
“Leave from your room? How are you supposed to do that?”
…………………..
Xi Yu said nothing and took Shen Qing and Luo Yuan to his room. Lu Zhixing was already waiting there with his luggage.
Luo Cheng’an had also returned to his room and brought his luggage over.
Shen Qing looked at Xi Yu thoughtfully.
Luo Yuan was completely confused.
“Didn’t you buy tickets? That place is hard to find. You still have to take a fl—”
He didn’t finish.
He suddenly froze.
He stared at Xi Yu in disbelief. Xi Yu had reached out and touched Lu Zhixing’s luggage, and the black bag instantly disappeared into the palm of his hand.
Immediately afterward, Xi Yu touched Luo Cheng’an’s bag, and it disappeared as well.
Xi Yu had stored both their pieces of luggage inside his ring.
This was the first time he had used magic in front of Shen Qing and Luo Yuan.
Whether it was when breaking the formation previously or during the variety show, he had mostly used talismans. On one hand, his spiritual power had been limited at the time. On the other, he had taken into consideration that this was the mortal world. Using magic would inevitably cause a commotion.
But today, in front of Shen Qing and Luo Yuan, he made no attempt to hide it.
He wanted to put their minds at ease.
“Th-this…” Luo Yuan was already stunned. He walked around Xi Yu, looking him over from every angle, then turned Xi Yu’s palm over.
“Ma… magic?”
Xi Yu corrected him.
“Magic arts.”
Luo Yuan was about to say something else, but Shen Qing stopped him. She smiled at Xi Yu.
“My son is this amazing. Mom can rest easy now.”
Shen Qing had thought things through more thoroughly than Luo Yuan. She knew that Xi Yu was doing this to reassure them.
Xi Yu was her child, even though he seemed so extraordinary.
But he was still her child.
Shen Qing wasn’t nearly as calm as she appeared on the surface. She walked over to Xi Yu and gently hugged him.
“Come back safely.”
Xi Yu paused before returning her embrace.
“I will.”
The atmosphere of parting was always heavy, but fortunately, someone was very good at ruining the mood.
Luo Cheng’an opened his arms like a puppy trying to get a share of the food.
“Mom, Mom, me too~”
Shen Qing didn’t tease Luo Cheng’an as she normally would. She gently hugged him.
“Listen to your big brother, okay?”
“I will,” Luo Cheng’an said. “I’m super obedient.”
Shen Qing looked at the two boys, then glanced at Lu Zhixing before pulling Luo Yuan out of the room.
Luo Yuan was still in shock. He looked back three times with every few steps, his expression going from confusion, to bewilderment, and finally to pride.
His son was amazing!
His son must have been an immortal reincarnated into the mortal world to help their family!
When the bedroom door closed, Xi Yu stretched out his hand. A round crystal ball floated above his palm, with a mass of trapped black mist constantly churning inside it.
To ensure that Lu Zhixing wouldn’t be affected by Chenyu, Xi Yu had placed it inside the crystal ball and isolated it, preventing it from leaking even the slightest trace of aura.
No one could sense that it was a strand of the soul of an ancient demonic sword.
Except him.
Luo Cheng’an lowered his head and looked at the crystal ball curiously.
“What is this?”
Xi Yu said, “A guiding soul.”
Then he looked at Lu Zhixing and Luo Cheng’an.
“Are you ready?”
Lu Zhixing nodded. Luo Cheng’an was still staring at the crystal ball, a flicker of confusion passing through his eyes, but he soon had no time to think about it.
Xi Yu took Lu Zhixing’s and Luo Cheng’an’s hands and closed his eyes.
Luo Cheng’an hadn’t even had time to prepare himself when his body suddenly became weightless.
Within Miao territory.
Xi Yu caught Luo Cheng’an as he stumbled and looked around, somewhat surprised.
Lu Zhixing swept his gaze lightly over the surroundings, his expression showing little reaction.
Unlike the two of them, who were examining their surroundings warily, Luo Cheng’an sucked in a breath.
“So… so beautiful.”
Xi Yu agreed.
He hadn’t expected this place, which was filled with danger, to be so beautiful.
Mist of varying density drifted through the air, winding between the trees. Vast stretches of flowers spread across the land, as though a layer of gauze had been draped over the earth, making everything appear hazy and ethereal, like a fairyland.
At the other end of the sea of flowers stood a tall stone stele, with the three characters “Wutong Village” written in sweeping, elegant strokes.
“All right, all right,” Chenyu floated in the air, wrapped in spiritual power. “I can only bring you this far. Whether you can get inside depends on your own abilities.”
Luo Cheng’an looked at Chenyu curiously.
“You can talk?”
Chenyu was currently nothing more than a mass of black mist. Otherwise, he definitely would have rolled his eyes.
“Of course! I am…”
Xi Yu’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
Chenyu let out a tiny whimper and immediately stopped talking, obediently settling onto Xi Yu’s shoulder.
Lu Zhixing’s fingers moved slightly. He was just about to step forward when Xi Yu grabbed him.
“Stay behind me.”
Lu Zhixing glanced at Xi Yu and obediently nodded. His peripheral vision fell on Chenyu.
How strange.
They had already arrived here, yet he couldn’t sense the slightest trace of demonic energy.
Clearly, Chenyu’s true body was here. He shouldn’t have been unable to sense it.
Could it be because of what Chenyu had said before—the First Demon Venerable had sealed it?
Luo Cheng’an followed behind Xi Yu, his gaze settling on Lu Zhixing, who seemed somewhat distracted. The corners of his lips slowly curved upward.
Once they entered Wutong Village and found Zhuohua, Lanxing would be able to break Zhuohua’s seal.
The day Lanxing’s powers returned would be the day Zhi Yue’s soul was destroyed.
It was just…
Luo Cheng’an’s gaze shifted toward the crystal ball resting on Xi Yu’s shoulder.
Xi Yu had sealed whatever was inside the crystal ball, and Luo Cheng’an couldn’t tell what it was.
A guiding soul…
There was no need to seal one.
Luo Cheng’an vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but he was too excited. He was eagerly anticipating Zhi Yue’s death and the day when everything would finally be settled, so he didn’t think too deeply about it.
He had always known where Zhuohua was. After the war between the gods and demons, he had personally watched Zhuohua fall here.
Originally, he had intended to take Zhuohua away, just as he had collected Liuyun. But Zhuohua had inexplicably been sealed, and even he couldn’t take it away.
He had originally planned to place the two magical artifacts in front of Xi Yu when Xi Yu returned, but because Zhuohua was sealed, he could only disguise himself as Luo Cheng’an and lead Xi Yu step by step toward finding Zhuohua.
If Zhuohua hadn’t been sealed, he would never have come down to the mortal world and taken such a risk.
Originally, he had intended to remain in Heaven and wait for Lanxing to kill Zhi Yue before returning, leaving himself completely uninvolved.
Zhi Yue would never betray him.
That was the understanding the two of them had reached.