Chapter 65 - This Friend Circle is Really a Mess

Without clearly seeing how he was attacked, Zhuzhi-Lang knelt onto the ground on one knee and coughed out a mouthful of blood. When he lifted his head again, there was another person on the bed. Luo Binghe had one arm wrapped around Shen Qingqiu and was currently glaring at him. First Zhuzhi-Lang was shocked, but then it quickly changed into a flash of realization. “You? Master Shen? You two!”

Shen Qingqiu buried his forehead into his palms. He didn’t want to talk. Luo Binghe raised his other hand and made a clenching movement in the air. Several dark fingerprints appeared on Zhuzhi-Lang’s throat as his body was abruptly hoisted up into the air.

Shen Qingqiu said, “Don’t kill him. It’ll cause no end of trouble. Moreover, things aren’t what you’re imagining…”

Luo Binghe’s mouth was shut tightly, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged as his hand folded closed. Zhuzhi-Lang’s face slowly turned blue, but he still stubbornly didn’t reveal any trace of pain.

At that moment, another voice came from outside.

“Peak Lord Shen, can I come in?”

Why was it so lively tonight?! Speak of the devil indeed, so many visitors!

The faces of the three people in the tent, with one person being choked while the others watched on, all darkened. Shen Qingqiu first pointed at Zhuzhi-Lang, who was being choked as he dangled in the air, before pointing at Luo Binghe. He made a slicing motion at his throat before crossing his arms into an ‘X’ shape, everything a complete mess. He didn’t know if Luo Binghe understood or not because he shook his head before shaking it again. Under this kind of circumstance, of course, nobody would answer the person outside the door. After a second of silence, Tianlang-Jun said, “I’m coming in.”

Just like his nephew—both were the type to ask before coming in anyway just for appearances!

As a result, when Tianlang-Jun came inside, what he saw was exactly this scene.

Zhuzhi-Lang and Shen Qingqiu tussled and rolled around on the bed, while the pile of blankets behind them was piled both high and messily. When they saw him come in, they both suddenly turned their heads, two pairs of eyes and two faces holding the same expression of fear, their paling skin intermingled with red blushes. Shen Qingqiu’s upper half of his robe was still hooked around his elbows, leaving him half-undressed.

Even though Tianlang-Jun was a weirdo, when he saw this scene, his smile also froze for a while.

After a long pause, he finally said softly, “… I really didn’t expect this.”

Zhuzhi-Lang blushed with shame. “My lord, things are a little complicated, but in any case, it’s not what you’re imagining…”

His body was blocking the blankets that Luo Binghe was hiding in, and Shen Qingqiu was half on top of him, completely covering Luo Binghe’s hand, which was gripping Zhuzhi-Lang’s vital gate1 tightly. Such a chaotic position, coupled with the floating curtains around the bed, really made it difficult to tell that there was a third person there, at least for a short while.

Tianlang-Jun nodded his head and said, “No need to explain, I understand. I understand everything.”

With his love for listening to Resentment of Chunshan and his slow way of thinking about things, when he said he “understood,” that meant that Shen Qingqiu definitely had to explain!

Shen Qingqiu said, “For what reason did Your Excellency come to pay a visit so late at night? If something is the matter, please say it clearly, or else I will go rest, thank you.”

Tianlang-Jun said, “Actually, it’s not anything serious. A small disturbance happened over on my end, that’s all. I didn’t know where Zhuzhi-Lang disappeared off to either, so I first came over here to take a look. However, I seem to have come at the wrong time. No matter, please continue. I don’t care.”

Zhuzhi-Lang, “My lord…”

If he said one word too much, Luo Binghe added pressure;

If he moved his leg slightly, Luo Binghe added pressure;

If he adjusted his position, Luo Binghe added pressure;

Adding pressure and adding pressure as the surging demonic energy poured scathingly straight into Zhuzhi-Lang’s vital gate to the point that Shen Qingqiu’s mouth tasted bitter.

Zhuzhi-Lang didn’t know what was suffocating him, only that he was indeed experiencing a stifling feeling in his chest.

Shen Qingqiu: “Okay, many thanks for your kindness. In that case, we’ll continue. Please do as you wish.”

But Tianlang-Jun didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. Instead, he found a stool and sat down.

He said leisurely, “Why does Peak Lord Shen not pursue the matter and ask me what exactly that ‘small disturbance’ is? This is vastly different from your previous curious and passionate attitude.”

It seemed like he wouldn’t be sent away so easily. Shen Qingqiu felt as if his troubles were never-ending, but instead, he calmed down and smiled. “If Tianlang-Jun likes to observe, there’s no harm in talking and spicing things up. Please go ahead.”

Tianlang-Jun then “spiced things up.” “Not long before this, the Heart Devil sword that was settled at my side suddenly flew up and suspended itself in the air, vibrating ceaselessly. Clearly, nobody was controlling it, but this kind of phenomenon truly is a little hard to miss.”

Shen Qingqiu immediately understood. Just then, when Luo Binghe didn’t finish his sentence about how there was “only one thing to be worried about,” he was referring to the Heart Devil sword. After all, it was his sword that had been at his side for many years. If the original owner appeared nearby, it would have some response.

Shen Qingqiu said, “That is indeed strange. However, I’m afraid it doesn’t make much sense for Tianlang-Jun to come find me to talk about that.”

Tianlang-Jun stood up slowly. “Of course it doesn’t make much sense to talk with Peak Lord Shen about this. But if a naughty child came over to find Peak Lord Shen, then it would make a lot of sense.”

He split a short two sentences into quite a few segments. Every half a sentence, he took another step closer to the bed.

Zhuzhi-Lang was clearly being restrained by Shen Qingqiu, while Luo Binghe secretly clamped down on his vital gate. As Tianlang-Jun came closer and closer, step by step, this pair of disciple and master clenched tighter and tighter. Zhuzhi-Lang was truly… extremely innocent, and very unlucky.

Just when Tianlang-Jun raised his hand and was about to brush aside the curtain, the sound of wild beasts howling shrilly suddenly resounded from outside the tent. He abruptly withdrew his hand and turned to look.

Outside of the white tent, flames shot towards the sky. Flitting black shadows threw themselves over from all directions as the long howls of wild beasts mixed with hoarse and exhausted shouts.

“There’s an invader!”

“Surround him! Surround him! Everyone surround him!”

“Don’t let him get away!”

“—he killed someone—!”

Blades struck each other as arrows ripped through the sky, blending with the sound of teeth and claws ripping into flesh. Tianlang-Jun didn’t have time to say a single word before he flashed outside of the tent. Shen Qingqiu’s tense and anxious mood settled again. This invader came at such an appropriate time!

Luo Binghe flipped off the bed and steadied Shen Qingqiu, while Zhuzhi-Lang was tossed onto the floor and was still temporarily unable to move. Shen Qingqiu lowered his head and said, “Many thanks for just then.”

With his degree of loyalty, for Zhuzhi-Lang not to have pointed at them and shouted, “My lord! It’s them! It’s those two!” without any regard for his personal safety, it could be taken as him deliberately helping Shen Qingqiu. When Zhuzhi-Lang heard this, he sighed and said, “This subordinate can understand.”

Shen Qingqiu, “Understand what?”

Luo Binghe said impatiently, “Why are you wasting time talking to him?”

Zhuzhi-Lang lifted his head and said sincerely, “In order for Master Shen to lessen the pain of lovesickness, you two had to meet secretly in the middle of the night. Even though it would inevitably tarnish your reputation, it is still excusable.”

Shen Qingqiu: “…”

Sure enough, he shouldn’t have wasted time talking to him!

The disciple and master slipped out from the tent only to see a dense and dark mass of Nan Jiang demon race troops surrounding something nearby in the wilderness. Two snow-white, glowing figures seemed especially dazzling among the crowd. One was the figure of a sword, chilly and relentless; the other was the figure of a human, and they wiped out and demolished everything they passed. The encirclement was continuously attacked, but it was also continuously refilled by new demon race soldiers.

Tianlang-Jun’s heartfelt exclamations of admiration floated over with the night wind. “Great sword technique. Great spiritual energy!”

The newcomer stood on an enormous wolf head that was draped in armor, one that he had beheaded with his bare hands. His white clothes were pristine with only a single bloodstain that seemed to have splashed onto his cheek.

This kind of showy, simple, rough, attack-when-I-say-to-attack fighting style, as if afraid that nobody in the enemy camp would know that he had graciously arrived, really lived up to Bai Zhan Peak’s aggressive and warlike famous reputation.

It was Liu Qingge.

Two snow-white wargs flashed through the crowd of beasts and crouched at Tianlang-Jun’s feet. One of them lifted its head, and a human voice came out from its mouth. “My lord, it’s Bai Zhan Peak’s Peak Lord Liu Qingge from Cang Qiong Mountain!”

Tianlang-Jun nodded. “I see. No wonder the sword technique and spiritual energy were so stunning. Only, I’m not sure why Bai Zhan Peak’s Peak Lord would suddenly honor Nan Jiang with his presence?”

Liu Qingge moved to the side slightly and the Cheng Luan sword flew back to his hand. He flicked off a drop of blood from the sword tip and said coldly, “Is Shen Qingqiu here?”

Shen Qingqiu felt extremely flattered. What, did Renowned Master Liu come to save him?

Luo Binghe shot a glance at the expression on his face and pressed his lips together.

Tianlang-Jun suddenly saw the light. “So you came to find Peak Lord Shen. He is indeed here with me.”

Liu Qingge said, “Tell him to come out.”

Tianlang-Jun said with an ambiguous tone, “I’m afraid that it’s not very convenient for him to see you right now. Even if you saw him, he most likely won’t want to go back to Cang Qiong Mountain with you anyway.”

Shen Qingqiu actually didn’t know what he should complain about. Liu Qingge narrowed his eyes. One of the wargs at Tianlang-Jun’s feet said, “What Bai Zhan Peak? From what I can see, that’s not necessarily true. I heard that this Liu Qingge fought with that brat Luo Binghe before and lost countless times; he’s long since been undeserving of this name. It should be called ‘Ninety-Nine Battle Peak’ at this rate.”

(T/N: 百战峰 Bai Zhan Peak is literally “100 Battle Peak” but is in reference to an idiom 百战百胜 meaning “always victorious” but here the warg is saying that it should be called 99 battle peak (九十九战峰) not 100 because he’s been losing so much to LBH)

Another warg continued, “No, he should be called Peak Lord of ‘Ninety-Eight Battle Peak.’ If he faces our lord, he will undoubtedly be defeated as well!”

These two beasts were so sarcastic. Both flattering and sarcastic!

Whenever they disagreed with each other, just fight instead.

With a light tap of his foot, Liu Qingge’s figure shot out like white lightning. Tianlang-Jun was in no hurry to meet him in battle. He carelessly flicked his hand, and fresh blood flew out from his fingers. When the blood droplets landed on the ground, they didn’t seep into the dirt. Instead, they condensed into solid shapes and immediately transformed into six blood wolves with scarlet fur, completely surrounding Liu Qingge, biting and attacking him as they circled around him just like rings of fire.

Liu Qingge was more than up for the challenge. Cheng Luan swept out, and all of the six wolves’ heads flew off as they transformed back into liquid. But when the sword spun around, the blood wolves quickly congealed once again and continued to bare their fangs and claw at him. Even though his attacks were precise and powerful to a fault, they didn’t produce any real results. Tianlang-Jun didn’t withdraw his hand either, which was still leaking blood. As he extended it lazily, the blood drops fell, and new wild beasts emerged endlessly.

After losing so much blood, Tianlang-Jun’s face didn’t grow paler in the slightest. Was he a portable blood bank?!

For better or worse, Liu Qingge had come to save him so Shen Qingqiu couldn’t continue watching indifferently. He was about to move when Luo Binghe flashed out, one step ahead of him.

Tianlang-Jun stared at him. “As expected, you came.”

Luo Binghe said coldly, “Shizun is here, how could I not?”

Tianlang-Jun laughed. “Zhuzhi-Lang, look at his face. Looking at his cold scowling expression really makes me happy… hm? Zhuzhi-Lang?” Only then did he discover that Zhuzhi-Lang still hadn’t come out yet, and he revealed a disappointed expression. When enemies met face to face, they would inevitably be extremely furious. Liu Qingge was about to speak from the side when he suddenly spotted Shen Qingqiu. He forgot everything he was about to criticize and was frozen on the spot. He shouted, “Hey!”

Shen Qingqiu waved at him. Tianlang-Jun’s astounded expression didn’t recede; on the contrary, it grew even stronger. He said to Luo Binghe, “So… just then… you guys… inside… three people?”

Just one sentence, eight words, but Shen Qingqiu still understood clearly what he was trying to imply.