Crimson_Lore
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Chapter 27: Unparalleled Thick Skin
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 14:13:26 +0000 UTC"Xi..." As soon as Chen Xiao spoke, he was startled by his own voice. His vocal cords tightened from the sudden shock, making his voice hoarse. After barely uttering a syllable, he immediately shut his mouth. Feeling a bit embarrassed by his lack of composure, he cleared his throat before speaking again. "Immortal Master Xi, it is an honor to see you again."
Xi Yunqing gave a slight nod, his deep and powerful voice resonating as he said, "No need for formalities."
Pang Hemu was trembling with excitement, nearly fainting. He stammered incoherently, "Xiao Han... Ah? This... this person, could it be the one you mentioned before...?"
His words were so fragmented that no one could understand them, except for Chen Xiao. He completely grasped Pang Hemu’s nervousness and bewilderment because, at this moment, he himself had no idea why this person had suddenly appeared here.
Maintaining a respectful demeanor, Chen Xiao bowed slightly to Xi Yunqing. He speculated that he had come so discreetly to avoid drawing attention with grand ceremonies. When he met his calm gaze, he felt reassured that his guess was correct. With a deep breath, he spoke in a clear but quiet voice, "Immortal Master Xi, may I invite you inside for a discussion?"
Xi Yunqing said nothing, simply stepping past the two of them and walking into Taxue Xunxian Pavilion.
Chen Xiao tugged at Pang Hemu, and the two of them quickly followed inside.
The incident with the goldfish in the pond earlier had drawn everyone's attention. Seeing both the owner and Chen Xiao rush outside, the shop staff had crowded by the entrance as well. They had all heard how Chen Xiao addressed him, and before Xi Yunqing stepped inside, they hurriedly stepped aside, not daring to block his path.
The senior shopkeeper, along with the other clerks and apprentices, were visibly tense, but their emotions were more of awe than sheer fanaticism. Unlike Pang Hemu, who was overly enthusiastic about cultivators, they simply stood respectfully in their positions.
The moment they entered, the uniquely shaped pond came into view. Chen Xiao immediately noticed that the goldfish inside were exhausted from their frantic struggles, some already floating belly-up. A deep sense of guilt welled up inside him. If he had known this esteemed guest would visit today, he would never have left those small creatures to suffer here.
Feng Shui objects were incredibly sensitive, any sudden changes affected them first. Even though Xi Yunqing himself had no ill intent, the sheer presence of his dragon vein energy was something no small shop's Feng Shui fish could withstand. The overwhelming pressure had nearly scared them to death.
Quickly, he called over a clerk at the door and whispered for him to fish the goldfish out and place them in a basin of water.
Pang Hemu, meanwhile, had completely forgotten that he was the owner of the shop. He merely trailed behind Xi Yunqing, as if unwilling to miss a single word from his. Seeing this, Chen Xiao sighed helplessly and stepped forward on his behalf.
Otherwise, with the entire shop standing there like wooden stakes and only Xi Yunqing being left unattended, he couldn’t tell if he would take offense.
After all, he still remembered that the last time he got angry, the Fan family patriarch ended up cursed with misfortune. He had no desire to be plagued with bad luck for the next decade, so he had no choice but to play the role of host for this unexpected guest.
"Immortal Master Xi, may I ask what brings you to our humble shop today?" Chen Xiao inquired cautiously.
Xi Yunqing’s eyes swept over the store. When his gaze landed on the water’s surface, still rippling unnaturally, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. However, the emotion vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and the obsidian-like depths of his eyes soon regained their usual calm, making it seem as if the moment of surprise had been an illusion.
"I heard the other day that you mastered the art of Feng Shui here at Taxue Xunxian," Xi Yunqing said, his voice carrying a precise and refined articulation. "Upon learning that you were in the county city, I was suddenly moved to come and see for myself."
His enunciation was impeccable, the most eloquent and formal court speech Chen Xiao had ever heard in this world. However, it was vastly different from the way he had spoken back in Fan Village.
In the Dai Kingdom, the common way to refer to oneself was simply "I." "This humble one" was a more refined alternative, while a rougher or more self-deprecating term was "this boy," which he used when he was just a shop apprentice. But using "Yu" to refer to oneself was extremely uncommon here.
Fortunately, Chen Xiao had spent his childhood reading countless ancient texts. Otherwise, he might have struggled to immediately understand what he meant.
In plain terms, he was saying: The other day, I heard that you had self-taught Feng Shui techniques at Taxue Xunxian Pavilion. Upon learning that you were in the county city, I was suddenly inspired to visit.
In the Dai Kingdom, those without cultivation talent generally had low levels of education. Even Pang Hemu was struggling to keep up with his speech, while the other employees’ eyes were practically spinning. Simply understanding his words was already an achievement—Chen Xiao had no intention of responding in the same archaic style.
He simply replied in a straightforward manner, "I appreciate that you still remember."
Xi Yunqing continued, "I have observed that your mastery of Feng Shui is remarkable. If you continue to persist, your achievements will be extraordinary. By refining your mind and honing your temperament, you may attain a path not inferior to that of cultivation."
Chen Xiao was startled.
His meaning was clear, he was saying that his Feng Shui techniques were already quite accomplished. If he persisted, he would have an extraordinary future ahead. He also advised him to cultivate his temperament and refine his mind, as his future achievements might not be any less than those of a cultivator.
Clearly, he was unaware of his unique physique and had no idea that he could establish an entirely new cultivation system. Yet, despite lacking knowledge of Feng Shui himself he had managed to make such a precise assessment after only two encounters. This genuinely surprised him.
It was becoming clear that Xi Yunqing was not as aloof and indifferent as he appeared. He was, in fact, an extremely perceptive and insightful observer.
After all, in this world, cultivation reigned supreme. Everyone prioritized it above all else, and auxiliary abilities were rarely considered valuable. Zhao Fang of the Chongxuan Sect, for instance, dismissed Feng Shui as a trivial and insignificant craft, never bothering to acknowledge its true potential.
As a cultivator, it was rare and remarkable for someone to set aside prejudice and truly reflect on matters. The fact that he could lower himself to personally make this trip and speak to Chen Xiao, someone he had only met once, showed that beyond those qualities, he also deeply valued talent.
At this moment, Chen Xiao genuinely felt a sense of admiration for Xi Yunting. The man, who had left such a striking impression as a humanoid dragon vein, suddenly seemed more real.
At the same time, Chen Xiao couldn't help but feel a hint of regret. Xi Yunting possessed qualities that made him worthy of befriending, but their identities were worlds apart, and they lived in completely different spheres. He had neither the opportunity nor the qualification to forge a friendship with him. Pushing aside his disappointment, Chen Xiao sincerely said, "Thank you for your kind advice."
Xi Yunting's lips curved slightly in what could be considered a mild smile. Then his expression returned to calm, and after scanning the shop one more time without finding anything of interest, he tilted his head in a subtle gesture toward Chen Xiao, he was about to leave.
Their conversation had been completely incomprehensible to the others, leaving Pang Hemu in a state of growing anxiety. Seeing that the Immortal Master had finished speaking and looked ready to leave, Pang Hemu panicked. It was a rare opportunity to be in the same room as a true Immortal Sect master, how could he let him leave without even exchanging a word?
In his desperation, Pang Hemu blurted out, "Immortal Master, please take a look at the antiques in my shop! We have a wide selection, everything you could possibly want. Even rare immortal relics, things you won't find anywhere else!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Pang Hemu regretted it so much that he wanted to bite off his own tongue.
The nearby senior shopkeepers were also left speechless, staring at him in shock. This kind of sales pitch might work on ordinary customers, but claiming to have "immortal relics" in front of a true cultivator? Unless it was something as rare as an ancient bronze cauldron, nothing in the eyes of an immortal would be worthy of the title. Their shop mostly had jade belts and ceremonial vessels, if they actually presented everyday items left behind by past cultivators, it would be nothing short of a joke!
Pang Hemu was mortified, wishing he could find a crack in the floor and crawl into it. To have embarrassed himself so thoroughly in front of the Immortal Master he had admired for so long, he might as well be dead.
Seeing how well his employer had treated him, Chen Xiao decided to step in and smooth things over. He said, "Yes, the items in our shop are all authentic antiques, fairly priced and genuine. As for… immortal relics, we do have some. I assure you, they are artifacts passed down from ancient cultivators."
Pang Hemu shot him a look of pure gratitude, while the others gawked at him as if he had gone mad.
The head shopkeeper, however, suddenly felt that Pang Hemu’s decision to value and promote Chen Xiao hadn’t been in vain. No matter the reason, at least Chen Xiao had the audacity to stand by his employer in a crucial moment. That kind of thick-skinned boldness was something few could match.
Xi Yunting paused, gazing at Chen Xiao with interest. Chen Xiao fought the urge to squirm under that scrutiny and forced himself to meet the immortal’s eyes. Then, Xi Yunting’s lips, curved like the crescent moon, parted as he said, "Since your shop is so enthusiastic, may I take a look?"
Why is he suddenly dropping the formal tone now?! Chen Xiao screamed internally. But on the surface, he maintained his stiff smile and nodded. "Of course."
Pang Hemu was on the verge of tears, moved by Chen Xiao's loyalty yet dreading the impending embarrassment.
But Chen Xiao merely gave him a reassuring look before walking over to the miscellaneous display shelf. Carefully, he picked up an ivory plaque from the very edge of the display stand.
An ivory plaque?!
Everyone in the shop was utterly baffled. The fact that it was placed on the furthest edge of the shelf meant it was a low-value miscellaneous item. What possessed Chen Xiao to offer such a trivial trinket as an immortal relic? Was he out of his mind?!
Anxiety gripped the room. Hearts pounded in their throats. They could already picture the Immortal Master flying into a rage and accusing them of mocking him, sentencing them all to death.
But to everyone's astonishment, Xi Yunting reached out and took the plaque.
Chen Xiao, undaunted, continued with a serious tone, "This ivory plaque—I can't tell what kind of creature’s tooth it was made from. It doesn't seem like ordinary ivory. There's something unusual about it."
Xi Yunting examined it carefully, his eyes flashing with surprise. He lifted his gaze to Chen Xiao, a deep and meaningful look in his eyes.
"This is indeed not ordinary ivory," he said. "It is the tooth of a Sword Tiger Beast, a fierce creature. And it has existed for thousands of years."
Comments
Jasmine Ganap
Hey! Oh wow, I didn’t even realize I did that😅. I must have jumbled up all the books I’ve been writing! Thanks for catching it and letting me know! I’ll go back and fix this chapter ASAP and double-check the others to make sure it doesn’t happen again 💙
Novel Cat
Hey... I figured you were tired when writing this but you actually switched the gender of the main lead for about half of this chapter into a woman... Which confused me so much that I wasn't able to fully immerse/enjoy myself in this chap! ... Please check your other chaps just in case it happens again...
