Chapter 1036: Carefree Days
Listening to Luo Xi recount what she’d been through during this period, Liu Zixuan gradually understood some things.
Turned out that back when Luo Xi hadn’t even finished learning her Cultivation Technique, she’d already heard about the Martial Realm turmoil, so she forced that old senior to come down the mountain and secretly helped him out many times.
Strictly speaking, Liu Zixuan should’ve realized it was Luo Xi long ago, but back then he was entangled in all kinds of matters, which made him overlook that little delinquent girl in the Celestial Capital who’d once sworn an oath.
The two of them sat for a while at the entrance of the village, and Luo Xi gradually eased out of her sorrow.
Maybe it was because of Liu Zixuan’s optimism, or maybe it was just helplessness about the current situation.
"Zixuan, even though it’s only three months, deep down I feel like there’s no way you’d be willing to just be an ordinary person, right?"
Luo Xi raised her head, staring at Liu Zixuan’s face as she asked.
Liu Zixuan was silent for a moment: "Once you step into the Jianghu, your life is no longer your own. How could you just casually walk out of it? I still have things I haven’t done."
"What things?" Luo Xi asked.
"Nothing much. When we run into them down the road, I’ll tell you then."
He really did have a lot of unfinished business: Ye Lianyi’s vengeance hadn’t been taken yet, Venerable Ghost Nether hadn’t been eliminated, and right near Lingxiu Village there was still a Void Mountain Sect cultivator watching like a tiger eyeing its prey. How could he really retire to the backwoods and wash his hands of everything?
It was just that his Cultivation Technique was sealed now, he was basically an ordinary person; whatever he did would run into obstacles. If he wanted to set everything up properly within these short three months, Liu Zixuan had to think carefully.
As he spoke, he took Luo Xi’s jade-like hand: "We’ve been chatting so long, you must be hungry, huh?"
Luo Xi patted her belly: "Don’t even start, I really am a bit hungry!"
"Come on, I’ll take you to try Lingxiu Village’s specialty dishes!"
With that, Liu Zixuan led Luo Xi toward the manor.
Inside the manor, his beautiful master Liu Ruyan, Ying Qingning, Bai Jingjing and the others had already been waiting for quite some time. They only knew Liu Zixuan was injured; they didn’t yet know he’d become an ordinary person. So as soon as he came in they crowded around, fussing over him and asking all about his injuries.
Fortunately, earlier Liu Zixuan had already coordinated a unified story with those in the know, and soon the anxiety of these great beauties faded a lot.
They sat around together, chatting idly, eating lunch, and it was rather pleasant.
That afternoon, Liu Zixuan stayed by the beauties’ side, talking with them and strolling around the village with them.
"Oh right, Zixuan, I’ve got some happy news to tell you!"
On a small path in the village, Liu Ruyan stopped walking and said with a smile.
"What happy news?" Liu Zixuan asked.
"You still remember Mengyu, right?"
Liu Zixuan pinched his forehead: "I was injured before, not brain-damaged. How could I forget my own woman?"
Liu Ruyan snorted a laugh: "I was just thinking you’ve got too many beauties around you, you might forget one or two."
"So what’s the matter?"
"Mengyu’s crew is officially moving into our Lingxiu Village tomorrow. They’re going to shoot a countryside-themed TV drama, and they said they want to invite the whole village to participate. She came to me a while back and said she’s always wanted to act in something with you; now that you’re back, you have to fulfill her wish!"
Liu Ruyan giggled as she said, "Let me tell you, Mengyu has successfully squeezed into the ranks of top-tier stars now. Plenty of famous male actors are dying to act opposite her—you’re not allowed to turn her down!"
Liu Zixuan curled his lip: "So she’s been hustling outside this whole time and hasn’t come to Lingxiu Village?"
"She’s come a few times. Besides, she’s not from the Martial Realm, and a lot of people out there don’t know what you two are to each other, so she isn’t in any particular danger." Liu Ruyan said with a smile.
Liu Zixuan nodded: "I’ve been drifting around outside for so long I’ve neglected you all. Now that I’m back, I’m going to spend some real time with you. Tomorrow I’ll have a chat with Mengyu, and then the few of us will all be leads!"
"How is that possible? TV dramas only have one male lead and one female lead!"
"That’s other people’s drama. Since that little vixen Mengyu’s coming here to shoot, she has to listen to me. I’ll be the male lead, and you girls will all be female leads! Then at the end of the drama, it’s me holding a grand wedding with all of you!" Liu Zixuan said with smug delight.
Liu Ruyan rolled her eyes at him: "If that drama actually airs, it’ll have all the men in the world boiling over!"
"Then I’d be a public figure too. Being able to marry so many wives, wouldn’t that make me even more badass than Wei Xiaobao in The Deer and the Cauldron?" Liu Zixuan said, giving a wicked grin. "Speaking of which, I’ve got to go find Gu Yu and Mo Chengfeng later to help me fulfill a little wish!"
"What wish?" Liu Ruyan asked curiously.
"Ordinary couples, one man and one woman, a double bed is enough. We’ve got so many people—a double bed definitely won’t cut it. So I need them to help me build a super, super gigantic bed, and then I’ll take you all to roll around on it!"
"Hey... hey, ow ow ow!"
Just as Liu Zixuan was speaking in high spirits, Liu Ruyan pinched his waist, making him grimace in pain.
"You rascal!"
"A rascal’s exactly what so many people like!"
The two of them roughhoused along the country path, and it had its own kind of charm.
That night, in downtown Ghost Wood City, Liu Zixuan hosted a banquet for Zhou Lunatic and the Six Gates, as well as Mo Chengfeng and those from the external Eight Gates, letting him see a group of rather special people in this world.
Whether in the Martial Realm or the ordinary world, there were far too many outliers.
Zhou Lunatic and the Six Gates crowd were people who dealt with graves year-round, while the external Eight Gates were all offbeat, eccentric professions. In the past these people weren’t looked upon kindly by the public, sometimes not even accepted.
But what no one knew was that they were all silently pouring a lot of energy into this society.
Granted, some of the professions were despised, but throughout history, haven’t these professions always been ones a certain type of people particularly favored?
When the banquet ended, everyone staggered off drunk.
Liu Zixuan, however, sat with a clear head on the roof of the City Center Restaurant.
Letting the cold wind blow over him, he recalled all sorts of past events.
Back then, he’d gone step by step from Lingxiu Village to Yuqing City, then from Yuqing City to Ghost Wood City, then on to the Celestial Capital, Qian Nan and those places. It wasn’t that long, but it wasn’t short either. No one would have imagined that in those days he’d been through so much and met so many friends.
Staring at the stars, a cigarette dangling from his lips, Liu Zixuan muttered, "Is my journey really going to end here? Am I really going to willingly be an ordinary man and never set foot in Martial Realm affairs again?"
"That depends on you." As his words fell, a sudden voice rang out beside him.
Liu Zixuan looked toward the vague figure not far away: "Who are you?"