Sima Rong took me to a room at the back of the courtyard where wood was stored, and I was overwhelmed by the variety of wood in it.
I've always been afraid of these trivial troubles, and I have always had only one principle when picking things—
"Which one is the most expensive and the best."
Sima Rong smiled, "Miss Zhiyan is not a polite person."
I have never been polite with the Master of the West Mountain, but now that I have changed my identity, I still have to come up with an excuse: "Mr. Sima has a good relationship with my master, so it would be strange for me to be polite with you."
He didn't care much, and pushed the wheelchair to the furthest room and took out a piece of wood from under a pile of wood: "The wood here is not cheap, but if we talk about suitability, this piece of Yulong Bloodwood and *Sword can be said to be a perfect match."
Looking closely, I saw a piece of dark gray wood, which was very similar to the rough and stony pattern on the handle of the *sword. In the middle of the gray, there were hints of bright red, subtle but eye-catching.
Plain at first glance, but with profoundness on closer inspection.
It's the style I like: "Alright, I'll take it."
Sima Rong responded and wiped the dust off the wood while casually mentioning, "But I heard that Miss Zhiyan can communicate with the former master in her dreams?"
I was stunned and wondered if the reason Mo Qing avoided me just now was to talk about this with Sima Rong? But if it was just to discuss this matter, there was no need to avoid me at all.
Could it be... Mo Qing had actually discovered the secret hidden in Zhiyan's body? Or is it that Mo Qing has other secrets to discuss with Sima Rong...
I concealed my emotions and said as usual, "I accidentally bumped into the Master's tomb before and then often dreamed of the Master asking me to burn paper, which could be considered some form of communication."
"Ah," Sima Rong nodded. He looked up at me, the gentle light of his eyes reflecting the carefully covered light in the room, with a hint of haziness, "If that is the case, I'm afraid I have a favor to ask of Miss. If you are fortunate enough to meet the former master again, please convey my apologies to her on my behalf." He said, his eyes filled with sorrow and pain, a kind of apology I had never heard while I was alive.
"What crime do you want to apologize to her for?"
In my heart, Sima Rong, the master of Xishan, has never owed me anything. The kindness he has shown me far outweighs the feelings I have given him. There is no crime for which I need to apologize to him. On the contrary, it is when I was unaware, he lost his legs. It is then that I promised to protect his sect and that is where I feel guilty towards him.
Sima Rong lowered his gaze and quietly looked at the jade dragon bloodwood in his hand. "In the battle at the Sword Mound back then, the immortal sect set up an ambush. If it weren't for my inaccurate information, the sect master would not have died in a distant place."
I was startled to hear this, I had never thought that Sima Rong would have such thoughts.
But if we were to talk about the actual situation back then, it is true that I didn't receive the news of the ambush at the Sword Mound or the ten immortal sects. That's why I was so reckless, leaving our sect members outside to fight with other demonic cultivators and entering alone...
I patted him on the shoulder and reached out to hold the wood in his hand, so that it wouldn't hinder him from pushing the wheelchair. As we walked out, I said, "The world of jianghu is dangerous, especially for those in the demonic path. I know that living in this world means living a life on the edge. Luring Lu is so famous in the world, she's beautiful and smart. She must understand the reasons behind all this. I boasted for a moment, then regained my composure and said, "Her death in the ambush, was her own mishandling, it's not your fault. But I will convey your apology to her."
Sima Rong looked at me for a while and smiled slightly. "I know that the sect master is not a petty person. There are not many people as open-minded and wise as her in this world."
Well, this kid is really something. As expected, he used to be my right-hand man, he understands me more than others.
"Only in this lifetime..." Sima Rong patted his leg, "I'm afraid I will never forgive myself."
After choosing the wood, we returned to the front hall. Sima Rong gestured with the wood on the sword and estimated the time for making it, then asked me to come back in five days to collect it.
He and Mo Qing didn't say anything more. After bidding farewell, Mo Qing took me away.
Leaving Sima Rong's yard, Mo Qing didn't take me directly back to Chenjishan, instead we walked around the city market in Fengzhou for a while. He wasn't in a hurry to go back, and I saw that it would still be a while before dawn, so I didn't rush either.
I was pondering over things in my mind as we walked. Suddenly, a very tempting smell of grilled skewers came from a street corner. Just as I sniffed, Mo Qing walked towards it. He walked over, and I naturally followed him.
We sat down at a roadside stall, ordered some food, and at first, I was so captivated by the delicious skewers that I didn't think about anything else. The skewers were well-seasoned, fragrant, delicious, and juicy. I enthusiastically ate about ten skewers in a row, until I started to feel a bit full, and then I looked up at Mo Qing, who had been staring at me.
I looked around.
I saw a group of low-level demonic cultivators sitting at the stall, eating meat and drinking. They were chatting and gossiping about worldly affairs, as if they had just stepped down from the position of inheriting the ten immortal sects and my Wanlumen. They really weren't competent.
And just now... it seemed like the former Wanlumen sect master and the current one were sitting at the roadside skewer stand without any pretense, and eating heartily with these incompetent people...
No, it was me who ate voraciously...
Mo Qing asked me, "Are you still hungry?"
I licked my lips, these little temptations. I never thought I would succumb to them. Today... I accept your temptation!
I decided to completely let go of the burden of my past identity, after all, I am now using Zhiyan's body. I didn't expect this little girl with such a skinny figure to have such a big appetite! It's all her fault!
I looked firmly at Mo Qing, "Master, I want another ten skewers."
Mo Qing chuckled softly, "Okay."
I took another skewer, took a bite, and looked at him, "Aren't you going to eat? It tastes pretty good."
He just stared at me motionless, "I'm watching you eat." He paused and smiled, "The taste is also very good."
I choked on a piece of meat.
Damn, did I just hear something?
Did this introverted oddball just say something flirtatious to me? And I actually... heard my heart thumping, just like when I saw the oddball clown smile a few days ago.
Unexpected and sudden, like being struck in the heart by a bell, a loud sound followed by a continuous echo, buzzing and vibrating.
I swallowed the meat in my mouth, turned my eyes away, then thought again, why am I hiding? I was the one seducing him, and he looked so convincingly seduced by me. I should feel proud and straightforwardly show off.
Why... am I feeling embarrassed for nothing?
I mustered up courage in my heart, turned around, planning to playfully act spoiled towards Mo Qing, and maybe even reply with a sweet nothing. But as I raised my head, I saw him turning his head, propping his face with his hand, partially blocking his face, and making an effort to look far away.
He didn't dare look at me, was it because after saying that just now... he himself also felt embarrassed?
Could what he just said be the so-called slip of the tongue?
I saw Mo Qing, who now turned his head and put on a show of indifference, pretending to be profound, not looking at me, and yet, inexplicably, two words suddenly rose in my heart... adorable.
I actually thought that this Mo Qing was quite adorable.
I turned my head, and at that moment, a burly man at the next table, holding a big knife, sat down. His knife was so polished and shiny that it reflected my face like a mirror. In that moment, I saw a faint smile on Zhiyan's face.
Did I... unconsciously smile myself?
This is too scary, did someone else's soul invade Zhiyan's body, besides me? I looked around, and finally admitted that the only person who could have smiled was me.
I cleared my throat, intending not to delve into the matter, and quickly looked for a topic, asking Mo Qing, "I was thinking in the courtyard just now, isn't Sima Rong the West Mountain Master of Wanluo? I heard that when Lu Zhaoyao was there, he was her right-hand man, he must be very powerful."
"Yeah," Mo Qing replied without saying much more.
So I asked, "Then why not try to get him back? Or why doesn't he want to go back to Wanluo? Now that you're so powerful, with his help, you'd be even more effective."
"The matter of Wanluo Gate I can handle, as for his life, let it be as he wishes, that's the best."
To have protected Sima Rong to this extent, I think even the old me couldn't have done it. Mo Qing... sees Sima Rong as a close friend now.
The new skewers arrived, so I didn't continue questioning.
The fact that the West Mountain Master of Wanluo had his leg broken is a big deal. This kind of thing couldn't have remained completely secret in the martial arts world. I can't ask Mo Qing about it directly now, lest I arouse his suspicion. I'd better go back and ask Zhiyan first, get a general idea of the situation, and then carefully investigate the matter.
And also, that small round face that creeps around the room to scare people... and today Sima Rong apologized to me, claiming that my death was due to incorrect information. But why was the information incorrect in the first place?
As the West Mountain Master, after my death, it seems that there's a lot to unravel.